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Help & Info
Quick Links
About Us
- +The ChurchSalary Team
We are a team of editors, marketers, designers, church compensation experts, and IT professionals. We work hard to keep ChurchSalary evolving and offering the best compensation resources available for churches—and we power it all with the National Church Compensation Survey. Our offices are at Christianity Today's headquarters in Carol Stream, Illinois.
- +ChurchSalary and the Lilly Endowment
ChurchSalary is made possible through funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. As part of Lilly's "National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders," ChurchSalary is committed to helping church leaders and pastors develop an atmosphere of healthy financial stewardship in the area of church compensation.
- +Our Mission and Vision
ChurchSalary was born out of the National Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Pastoral Leaders. Extensive research across theological lines and geographical locations in the US shows that in many cases, if not most, pastors are facing serious financial stresses and obstacles. Some key research findings include that pastors' compensation contribute to these challenges, including experiencing high levels of financial anxiety, struggling to make ends meet, and considering a future outside of ministry in order to alleviate their financial strains.
Obstacles to fair pay abound; many are legitimate while some aren't. But the effect is the same: a serious burden for church workers and their families that can make a tough vocation even harder and ultimately hurt ministry.
We believe when those employed to serve in the church are paid adequately and fairly through a culture of generosity and blessing, they're free to focus on the good work of ministry. The result? Ministry flourishes. It's that simple.
- +ChurchSalary: From Church Law & Tax
ChurchSalary is a resource of Church Law & Tax that addresses compensation in the unique setting of church ministry. Our team has been serving churches in the legal, financial, and administrative areas for over 30 years. We get it. That's why we have a heart—and the expertise—to help both churches and those who serve in them set fair pay.
- +ChurchSalary: Part of the Christianity Today Network
ChurchSalary is a resource for all churches of any denominational affiliation or theological stripe. We serve evangelical and mainline Protestant churches, Catholic and Orthodox, conservative and liberal. Church compensation and its effects on ministry span them all.
We're also proud to be a part of Christianity Today International, a global media ministry. Christianity Today's cause is "Beautiful Orthodoxy"—to strengthen the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel. At ChurchSalary, we do that by focusing on ministry compensation and advocating for fairness, healthy stewardship, open and honest conversations, and great data.
- +How do I download my report?
Once you have confirmed your report criteria, you'll be notified your salary report is ready. You'll then be directed to select payment. You can choose to download a single report ($24.95 per report) or you can get all-access to ChurchSalary with unlimited reports ($99 per year). Upon payment, you can view the web version of your report and then select to download in as a PDF.
- +Where are my saved reports?
On the Salary Calculator page there is a blue "My Saved Reports" button above the salary graph. Click the button. This opens any saved reports you have. Simply click the red "PDF" button to see the saved report. To see the saved report loaded on the Salary Calculator page, click the "Create new report" link next to the report's name.
- +How do I rename a report?
On the Salary Calculator page there is a blue "My Saved Reports" button above the salary graph. Click the button. This will open a menu with your most recent reports shown. Find the report you wish to rename here—or click the "View & Manage All Reports" link in the bottom left of this menu to find it. Once you've found the report you wish to rename, simply click the "Rename" button next to the report's current name. Type in the new name and click "Submit." Your report is now saved with the new name.
- +What if my report is not in the Saved Reports?
You may have purchased a report but did not complete the last step, which is View Report. This is the step that saves the report with your login. Please go to this page on ChurchSalary.com and login. If you've purchased the report already, it will allow you to view it
Please make sure you open this link in the same browser you used to originally create the report.
You should see that you completed Step 1 and Step 2 but not Step 3. Click on View Report. You will be able to view it, and that will save it in your account.
Manage My Reports
- +Where does ChurchSalary's data come from?
For the past 20+ years, we've conducted a National Church Compensation Survey and provided the results in print format. With the launch of ChurchSalary, we've made the survey accessible 24/7 and year-round so that it can continuously update the data feeding the tool.
- +What does the COLA data include?
The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) data we use is based on a cost of living index from the Council for Community and Economic Research. The index uses average costs of over 60 goods and services collected at the local (ZIP-code) level from over 300 independent researchers and is the only local level cost of living index currently available for the US. Our Median Household Income (MHI) index uses the most recent data available from the US Census Bureau.
- +I have a question about the data in a report. Who can I contact?
Send us an email and we'll reply within 48 hours (weekdays).
- +How often is ChurchSalary's data updated?
Originally, the National Church Compensation Survey was run every 12 to 18 months. Starting in January 2018, the data will be gathered 24/7, 365 days a year. Updates to the data are incorporated on a regular basis.
- +My position isn't listed. What should I do?
While our list isn't exhaustive, we currently have 18 church positions available that we think cover the vast majority of common church positions. We offer descriptions for each on the home page, so browse those if you're uncertain which one is closest to your own.
If you think we're missing a crucial position, we want to hear from you! Send us your suggestion by emailing email@example.com and tell us more about the role.
- +There isn't data for my position. What should I do?
We work hard to canvass adequate data for all positions. That said, gathering data for certain positions is a lot easier for some (e.g., Senior Pastor) than for others (e.g. Custodian). If there isn't data for your paid position in the church, you can do two things.
First—and most importantly—share your data with us! Take our survey. Chances are, others out there in your same role also wish more data was in our database. The only way to make that happen and help others, too, is to share your data with us!
Second—try to approximate a similar position whose data we do have. Job titles vary widely in churches, but another role's duties may overlap your own, so read the descriptions for each (found on the home page under the Staff Position selection bar) before giving up. If that still doesn't work, we recommend looking at other secular or nonprofit salary sources, which may help approximate your role.
- +How do I interpret the data?
The curved line on the graph represents our estimate of salaries/pay for the parameters selected given the data from survey responses we have received. You can approximate pay for a position relative to others by finding the salary/pay amount on the curve. (If you input the position's actual salary, it will be shown as a vertical dotted line on the graph.)
The graph includes markers at the 25th percentile, median (50th percentile) and 75th percentile points. If a salary falls on the 25th percentile, that means a person earning that salary would earn more than 25% of similar church workers in that role, according to our data estimates. If a salary falls at the 64th percentile, that person would earn more than 64% of similar workers' salaries. Generally, it is a best practice to keep salary/pay for positions within the 25th–75th percentile range. The median is often considered the target, all things being equal.
- +I've got my report. Now what?
Good decisions—and informed conversations—start with objective data. We also offer insights, tips, a worksheet, and guidance in your report. Prayerfully discern your next steps, and don't be afraid to initiate healthy conversations with your leadership and staff. When it comes to your compensation needs, churches will be able to meet them, be unable but willing to work to meet them over time, or be unable to meet them.
- +Can I get a report that is even more specific to my job duties, location, etc.?
The reports are powered by the National Church Compensation Survey, an ongoing self-reporting survey hosted by ChurchSalary. In order to generate a report, we need sufficient valid surveys for a given church position that also share the same selections for at least some of the same church characteristics, like "church size" and "church budget." Each new category added—like specific job duties or others within your same ZIP code—would narrow the number of results to an insufficient level. The way the tool currently functions allows for cross reference with similar roles across the country without decreasing results to an insufficient level.
Understanding the Data
- +How do I get access to ChurchSalary?
ChurchSalary is a subscription website. If you're already an annual access subscriber, you'll need to login on the home page with your Christianity Today network email address and password. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can set up a subscription here.If you purchased a single report in the past, you would have created a login. Using that login will allow you to view your single report online or download a PDF version again.
- +How do I set up my login?
If you are a new subscriber to the network of Christianity Today websites you should have received an email shortly after subscribing, instructing you on how to create your password. Please make sure this did not go into your spam folder. If you did not receive the email, you can click on Forgot Password? link in the Login box and a password reset email will be sent to you.
- +How do I renew my annual access?
You can renew your annual access through customer care.
- +We are a local church and have purchased a subscription to Church Salary. With whom can we share the login?
Your annual membership provides access for everyone in your church, including clergy, board members, a church treasurer, paid staff, volunteer workers, and any other member of a single, local congregation or parish. If you meet together, work together, and worship together at the same site, then you can use the same membership plan. Otherwise, each group needs to purchase its own membership.
- +What is included in my "annual access" membership to ChurchSalary?
With your "annual access" you can run as many reports as you want and store them for future reference. In addition, you have access to articles about compensation and personal finance in our Resources section.


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Attend any AV tradeshow today and you will certainly be WOWed by the large OLED screens on exhibit. These displays have beautiful, bright colors and dark black blacks unique to this new technology.
OLED, which stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode, is currently the rage for home TVs and display manufacturers are trying to make the case for them in more commercial environments, as well. Similar in a sense to how plasma technology worked, each pixel is its own light source. When you want to show a color, the OLED pixel shines brightly. Since there are no backlights, when you want to show a black background, there is just an absence of light, providing a true high contrast display.
Drawbacks of OLED
But, OLED comes at a cost, both in hard dollars as well as in its total cost of ownership over the display's life. OLED technology and displays do not come cheap. Prices have fallen dramatically over the last few years, due to increased production, but they still are at a high premium compared to LCD displays.
Also, OLED, like plasma, is a light producing technology. It has technical issues related to its useful life and the high potential for screen burn or image retention, something that today's LCDs don't have.
In addition, the substrate on an OLED display is by its nature not black, but more of a white. In high ambient light conditions, this can counteract the effect of its black state due to reflections coming from the front. That is why OLED displays are best viewed in darker environments. If the environment may be sunlit, UV coming from the sunlight can also create a reaction to the OLED pixels themselves, causing them to appear more white, reducing the overall contrast.
LCD vs. OLED
LCDs are cheaper and ubiquitous. Every major display manufacturer has its largest line-up of commercial displays made up of LCD technology, from videowalls to narrow-bezel displays. The cost of LCD displays is much more affordable, even in sizes greater than 70″ diagonal, since they are in such mass production.
But LCDs don't have the distinctive contrast that makes images on an OLED display more eye-popping. A typical LCD display in a commercial environment can seem faded, with muted colors and black backgrounds that appear more gray than black. The surface of a bare LCD is not smooth like glass, so light will diffuse off of the surface, scattering in all directions. That is why the eye sees the colors on an LCD display as diluted or faded, even indoors. If an anti-reflective (AR) glass is added to the front of an LCD, it essentially becomes a mirror, despite the AR coating. This is because there are now three surfaces off which light reflects: the AR front, the inner side of the front glass and the LCD surface. All of these surfaces cause any light to reflect like a mirror, which means that the greater the ambient light, the worse the front-of-screen performance.
When dealing with higher ambient light environments, it should be determined if a customer's message could be lost due to this effect. This should be a major factor when deciding between LCD and OLED displays.
Benefits of Optical Bonding
What if you could enhance the LCD screen to achieve the same eye-popping colors and black blacks offered by OLED technology? That is exactly what can be done through a process called "Optical Bonding," or OB.
Optical Bonding provides a way to greatly increase visible contrast and reduce any reflection or diffusion of an LCD display in ambient light conditions, providing a front of screen performance that nearly matches that of an OLED display.
Reading the specifications for any LCD display, the value for contrast is always impressive. 50,000:1 or 100,000:1. Contrast is the difference between white and black as perceived by the eye, which would indicate that the eye can greatly differentiate between a white image and the black background around it. However, what the specifications don't say is that contrast value is only valid in a room devoid of any ambient light.
Once any ambient light is added, that contrast value plummets. The greater the light in an environment, the worse the LCD contrast becomes, approaching 5:1. In this state, the eye cannot differentiate between the image and the black background. In fact, the black appears whiter and the displayed image appears faded, or less bright. Therefore, the contrast must be "protected," even in ambient light conditions.
Optical Bonding accomplishes this contrast protection by adding a piece of anti-reflective glass to the front of an LCD then filling the void between the LCD and glass with a special material that eliminates all reflections from the inner surfaces. By eliminating the compounding reflections from the surface, only a slight reflection from the AR glass remains, which is approximately 0.5%. The result is black backgrounds and much brighter, more vivid colors, increasing the effective contrast in ambient light conditions.
This means that an LCD display will appear much brighter and its images much more readable in ambient light conditions. The effect is much closer to a printed poster, which in turn can keep a customer's eyeballs on the display for a few seconds longer because the message is more readable.
Consider this option the next time an installation is outdoors or in high sunlit conditions, as an optically bonded display becomes a necessity, not a luxury. Not only does optical bonding improve the image contrast and make it seem brighter, it also protects the display, providing longer life.
Global Display Solutions is a member of the DSF, the only independent, not-for-profit trade organization serving the digital signage industry. To learn more, click here.

subset: commoncrawl


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That's right! Forrest Griffen ran all the way to the bank as he and Anderson will cash a 60k check for "fight of the night" honors. Anderson Silva actually wins an extra 60k for KO of the night. It defies logic in how the UFC continues to promote Forrest Griffen. History will show him to be one of the most over-hyped "Gateway" fighters in the LHW division. Does the UFC brass really think that his effort against Silva was more deserving that that of Kenny Florian's against BJ Penn?? UFC 101 was a huge letdown from UFC 100, and will not carry forward the kind of momentum Dana White was looking for in order to grow the sport.
Fight of the Night:
-Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin
Knockout of the Night:
-Anderson Silva
Submission of the Night:
-B.J. Penn


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About the Library
Welcome to the Henry Whittemore Library! We have a lot to offer you. The Library staff and I are committed to serving the research needs of the campus community by providing access to resources through collection development and cooperative efforts. We advocate new models of service that use technology and advances partnerships with faculty to promote information literacy. Librarians are able to provide links to the past and pathways to the future by playing a role in guiding on and off campus library users through the maze of available information. Library staff members strive to provide excellent customer service and are committed to creating a respectful and welcoming environment for all library users.
-- Bonnie Mitchell, Dean of the Library
The Henry Whittemore Library is a vital, vibrant part of the Framingham State University community. Through dedicated customer service, the Library supports and advances the academic and cultural missions of the university by providing current, relevant resources and technologies to our students, faculty and administrators which address the needs of a diverse, evolving learning community. By collaborating with faculty and continually adopting new instructional techniques, the library staff strives to develop students' information literacy and critical thinking skills while encouraging individual interests and self discovery so students can prepare themselves for a successful life beyond our campus.
Purpose of Web Site:
The purpose of the Henry Whittemore Library Web Site is to support the mission of the library and meet the information needs of the Framingham State University community.
This web site has the following goals:
- To provide an electronic gateway to library information and research sources;
- To increase the accessibility of the library resources in a user friendly manner; and
- To provide services for off-site users.
The Library Building and its Collections
Henry Whittemore Library is a seven-level structure completed in 1969. The building contains the University library as well as classrooms and other facilities, including the Copy Center, Print Shop, and the Communication Arts and Music Departments. Other features of the building include spacious reading and lounge areas and study carrels. Although there is wireless access throughout the building, public computers are available for those without laptops. The Library has a main collection of over 200,000 volumes and over 60,000 resources on education in the Curriculum Library. The Library provides access to a variety of online databases and electronic journals for on and off-campus users. The Special Collections include rare books on the history of education, contemporary American poetry and travel, cookbooks, and children's literature. The Christa McAuliffe collection contains letters, documents, and other memorabilia related to the Teacher in Space program and the life of Christa McAuliffe. The College Archives include photographs, videotapes, journals, documents, Massachusetts and education history, and publications pertaining to the history of the University.
Library Policies:
Information about the Library's policies regarding access, borrowing, reference, interlibrary loan, circulation of materials, reserves, confidentiality of records, fines, public computers, diversity, and censorship can be found in this guide. Answers to frequently asked questions are available in this guide.
The David McCord Scholarship
The Library offers the David McCord Scholarship for student employees. If you have questions about the David McCord Scholarship contact Colleen Previte at email@example.com
Library Innovation Campaign
Looking for a unique way to leave your legacy to FSU? Support the future growth and innovation of the Library! Customize a brick - 3 lines of text, 18 characters per line - that will be placed near the Library entrance. Click here to learn more and to get started.


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Author Profile
Sarah Aziza
Sarah Aziza is an Arab-American writer, graduate student and activist based in NYC. She has previously worked among refugee populations in North Africa, Jordan and the West Bank. Her areas of focus include immigration, human rights, international politics, feminism and mental health. She is a lover of the story-less-told. Find her on Twitter @SarahAziza1 or http://www.sarahaziza.com.
As Trump Advances a Retrograde Economic Vision, These Worker Cooperatives Chart a Different Course
This article was first published on Waging Nonviolence. Announcing his presidency in 2016, Donald Trump promised the nation that he'd become "the greatest job president God ever created." His... MORE
Working · February 2, 2018
The Upcoming May Day Strike Could Be the Biggest In Over a Decade. Organizers Explain Why.
This article was first posted by Waging Nonviolence. When 26-year-old Catalina Adorno hit the road on March 28, she knew it would be at least six weeks before she'd sleep again in... MORE
Working · April 19, 2017


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Truncated Trk receptor isoforms lacking the kinase domain are abundantly expressed during development and in the adult;however, their function and signaling capacity is largely unknown. Interestingly, the cytoplasmic tail of the neurotrophin-3 (NT3) truncated TrkCT1- receptor is highly conserved among species, suggesting the potential for important functions in vivo. We have recently shown that NT3 interaction with TrkCT1 activates Arf6-Rac1 signaling through the scaffold protein Tamalin. We found that TrkCT1 binds also the Tamalin homolog Cybr, a scaffold protein highly expressed in the immune system. NT3 treatment of the EL4 lymphoma cell line that express endogenously both TrkCT1 and Cybr, induces intracellular re-localization of Cybr. Since Cybr is involved in pro-inflammatory cytokine-modulated cell migration, our results suggest that TrkCT1 may modulate the recruitment and migration of specific leukocyte cell populations. Indeed, in mouse in which we have deleted Cybr we find specific deficits in blood circulating leukocytes and lymphocytes present in the lymph nodes. Moreover, in a Th1-polarized-mouse model, lymphocyte trafficking is impaired by loss of Cybr and Cybr-deficient mice with aseptic peritonitis have fewer cells than controls present in the peritoneal cavity and fewer leukocytes leaving the blood stream. Mutant mice injected with Moloney-murine sarcoma/leukemia virus develop significantly larger tumors than wild type mice and have reduced lymph node enlargement suggesting reduced cytotoxic T lymphocytes migration. Taken together, these data support a role for Cybr in leukocyte trafficking, especially in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines in stress conditions. We are now investigating which of these Cybr functions are affected by NT-3/TrkC.T1. In a separate project we have investigated whether Trk Receptors are expressed in astrocytomas and peripheral nerve sheet tumor (PNST) that develop from a mouse model lacking the neurofibromatosis type 1 and p53 gene. We found that Truncated TrkB (TrkB.T1), a receptor for the neurotrophin brain derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF) is expressed in all PNST examined. We are now trying to identify the function of this receptor isoform in this type of tumors and investigate whether targeting of TrkB.T1affects tumor survival/growth.
|Ma, Qian; Yang, Jianmin; Milner, Teresa A et al. (2017) SorCS2-mediated NR2A trafficking regulates motor deficits in Huntington's disease. JCI Insight 2:
|Puverel, Sandrine; Kiris, Erkan; Singh, Satyendra et al. (2016) RanBPM (RanBP9) regulates mouse c-Kit receptor level and is essential for normal development of bone marrow progenitor cells. Oncotarget 7:85109-85123
|Fulgenzi, Gianluca; Tomassoni-Ardori, Francesco; Babini, Lucia et al. (2015) BDNF modulates heart contraction force and long-term homeostasis through truncated TrkB.T1 receptor activation. J Cell Biol 210:1003-12
|Kiris, Erkan; Wang, Ting; Yanpallewar, Sudhirkumar et al. (2014) TrkA in vivo function is negatively regulated by ubiquitination. J Neurosci 34:4090-8
|Yu, Tao; Calvo, Laura; Anta, Begoña et al. (2014) In vivo regulation of NGF-mediated functions by Nedd4-2 ubiquitination of TrkA. J Neurosci 34:6098-106
|Lucas, Daniel; Scheiermann, Christoph; Chow, Andrew et al. (2013) Chemotherapy-induced bone marrow nerve injury impairs hematopoietic regeneration. Nat Med 19:695-703
|Puverel, Sandrine; Tessarollo, Lino (2013) RanBPM, a scaffolding protein for gametogenesis. Curr Top Dev Biol 102:357-84
|Siao, Chia-Jen; Lorentz, Christina U; Kermani, Pouneh et al. (2012) ProNGF, a cytokine induced after myocardial infarction in humans, targets pericytes to promote microvascular damage and activation. J Exp Med 209:2291-305
|Dorsey, Susan G; Lovering, Richard M; Renn, Cynthia L et al. (2012) Genetic deletion of trkB.T1 increases neuromuscular function. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 302:C141-53
|Liu, Yin; Rutlin, Michael; Huang, Siyi et al. (2012) Sexually dimorphic BDNF signaling directs sensory innervation of the mammary gland. Science 338:1357-60
Showing the most recent 10 out of 21 publications


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William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898) was an insurance salesman. At the age of 29, he was bedridden for many months due to a near fatal illness. During this trying time William began to write hymns. The most memorable and well loved of his songs is the Christmas Carol What Child is This?, which is sung to the melody of the traditional English folk song Greensleeves.
One of the most powerful forms of Christmas media is video. Here is an impressive collection of Holiday Video Loops.
What Child is This?
What Child is this who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary!
Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary!
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh;
Come peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise, the song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby,
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!
Whether you're delivering a sermon, performing a Christmas cantata, or simply presenting Christmas announcements, a Christmas PowerPoint will help to amplify your message. Check out these Christmas PowerPoints
Sharefaith excels at providing powerful media solutions for the modern church--and not just during Christmas. Visit the Sharefaith site, explore the media, and see how a membership with Sharefaith can improve your ministry.
Be sure to keep up with the Sharefaith Blog to get tips, advice, and articles to help you with your ministry in every season.


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My retirement from Gentoo is complete now.
Good luck to everybody. I hope some people understand the real needs of Gentoo and where it should go. Even if I'm not planning to come back to Gentoo (either as a user or as a developer), I certainly hope the best for it.
— ferdy


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For the past several years in February at Georgetown, we have gathered to practice the "sweet, heart-opening, sometimes challenging but always nourishing" lovingkindness meditation. In preparing for this year's gathering and writing this blog post, I reread what I wrote last year on this meditation. The words still ring true and deep. I invite you to read that post for a glimpse into what lovingkindness meditation is. Today, I want to extend an invitation.
Throughout history, mystics have talked of this balance between rest and work, contemplation and action.
Take a moment and right now, notice yourself taking a breath. We breathe in, we breathe out. We can't have one without the other and still be living! One impacts the other. A full, complete exhale brings forth a deep inhale. Just like the wave of the breath, deep rest fuels focused work. Quiet contemplation inspires clear action.
In our culture, we all know – we all can feel within us – how there is an imbalance here. And it's not on the side of too much contemplation or too much rest! We push and push ourselves. We check our work email when we "should" be with our families or taking a walk (or sleeping). We stay busy.
And as a result, our actions can often be REACTIONS. We snap at the people we love. We have road rage. And our minds can be scattered as we trudge through the busyness of the day. The word "focus" is becoming somewhat of a fixation in many industries. How do we stay focused amid constant text alerts, late-night emails, and coffee running through our veins instead of feeling the crisp air in our lungs on a long, winter walk?
Meditation. Yep. Sitting down, stilling the body, and resting.
Before you say, "oh that's too hard" or "I've never been able to meditate"… try lovingkindness meditation.
This month at our Mind-Body Connections gathering (Wednesday, February 11, 2015), I'll be encouraging participants to try this meditation for 29 days (February is a short month!).
One month.
Morning and evening.
Two minutes or twenty – doesn't matter.
What matters is sitting our behinds down and doing it. Every day.
And instead of me convincing anyone with my words and describing the clarity, focus, and compassionate action that arises from formal meditation, let's see what we all say when we meet in March. Let's hear what impact this time of rest and contemplation, of sending and receiving lovingkindness, had on our focus, on our sense of clarity, and our actions.
I'll be doing this 29 Day Meditation Challenge along with you. Morning and evening.
You can register for Mind-Body Connection's February 11th workshop, Compassion in Action, by clicking the button below.
This post was written by Lisa A. McCrohan, MA, LICSW, RYT, Wellness Workshop Facilitator, Psychotherapist, Compassion Coach and Soulful Writer at Barefoot Barn.


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Since 1979, as a distributor of Toshiba communication and IT products manufactured by Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba Data Dynamics Pte Ltd (herein refer to as TDSP) has grown to be acknowledged as one of the renown telecommunications and IT companies in Singapore today. World-renowned for its technology, market dominance and quality products, TDSP's "Dynamic Difference" has made significant contribution towards making Toshiba, a worldclass brand in this challenging marketplace.
With technological advancement and an ever-changing business environment, companies strive to keep ahead by using the most efficient and effective tools to sharpen their business edge. TDSP has kept ahead with the pace and dynamism of the 21st Century by constantly improving its product offerings and investing in its human resource. More importantly, it has adopted the attitude to stay relevant in a challenging business landscape. Today, its specialized business divisions are reflections of its core competence and vision for the future. TDSP's specialized business units are:
Electronic Imaging (Multi-Functional Copiers and Fax)
Business Communication Systems and Cloud Telephony Solutions
Mobile Computing (Notebook Computers, Accessories, and etc)
Hard Disk
Memory Products
Over the last two decades, TDSP has built a reputation for supplying clients with the optimal solution to their office communications needs, as well as for providing excellent after-sales service and technical support. The company is committed to fostering lasting relationships with its clients, based on trust and on the confidence that TDSP always delivers on the promises. That, and the value the company places in its human resources, differentiates TDSP from the competition.
Whether you're in the market for office equipment, mobile computing, F&B and retail solutions, telecommunications or networking your offices, TDSP can help you.
We believe in fostering lasting relationships with our clients, based on trust and on the confidence that we deliver on our promises every time. That, and the value we place in our people, our most important resource, differentiates us from our competitors. We call it the Dynamic Difference.
Copyright © 2019 TOSHIBA DATA DYNAMICS PTE LTD. All Rights Reserved.
View Our Promotions


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System of a Down have always been an extremely political band—even the most superficial reading of their popular 2001 album Toxicity reveals a narrative about the Armenian Genocide, a mass tragedy oft overlooked in Western history. We can thank frontman Serj Tankian for bringing these stories to the mainstream, educating while entertaining.
Today he's shared a political folk song, "Artsakh," calling for Armenian solidarity in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. According to Rolling Stone, he wrote the song in April after a four-day war broke out over the land. Listen above.
Tankian shared the following statement:
"These people have lived on those lands for thousands of years. They have struggle but also great beauty written on their foreheads. The whimsical appropriation of land by an empire (Stalin) placed them under Azerbaijan. They have since gained their independence and have lived a prosperous existence for the last 20 or so years. I do not believe in wars and ultimately borders but I deeply believe in self-determination and life without oppression. Therefore it is time for the world to recognize them as the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)."
He continues:
"It's a crazy provocation. It's a land that these people have lived on from the beginning of time, from time immemorial, with children springing from the rivers and generations coming from their mountains. There is a national liberation struggle embedded within their character, their public mask, if you will. It goes on through trying to create peace. We will ultimately win with culture and all this beautiful stuff."
"Artsakh" lyrics, translated:
We've always lived on these lands,
Reaped and harvested these fields,
Generations sprung from your rivers,
Children born from your mountains,
The public mask of tradition,
The struggle for liberation or death,
The enemy's gaze at your terrain,
Our smiles at your bosom,
At your bottomless will.
We're going to sing with our fists
With the tricolor flag of justice,
Humanitarian love of peace
With the holy blessing of a child's face,
We are going to prevail with culture
We are going to prevail with culture
We are going to prevail by being Armenian.


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The PF in Kalulushi has scooped the Presidential seat with 19,587 votes.
Kalulushi Returning Officer Shame Samalela announced the results today at Kalulushi Secondary School totalling centre.
Mr Samalela announced that Edgar Lungu of the PF polled 19,587 against Haakainde Hichilema of the UPND who polled 11,953 votes.
Mr. Samalela also made an announcement on the referendum which had 19,897 for the Yes votes and 10,779 for the No votes.
The total votes received in the referendum vote were 30,672 and 2,513 ballots were rejected.
Kampamba Mulenga of the PF has scooped the National Assembly seat with 17,559 votes in Kalulushi.
Returning Officer Shame Samalela made the declaration this afternoon at Kalulushi Secondary School totalling centre.
iinga getting 743, and FDD's Fabian Mambo polling 95 votes.
The UPND's Bisha Munsaka was declared winner of council chairperson today by District Electoral Officer Ms Lyndah Mapara after he polled a total of 71,774, while PF's Cecilia Lungu got 4,742 votes.
Meanwhile the number of valid votes in the referendum signifying 'YES' were 377 for Moomba constituency, 2,296 in Monze Central, and 345 in Bweengwa Constituency, while the number of valid votes signifying 'NO' were 198 in Bweengwa, 317 in Moomba, and 1,472 in Monze Central Constituencies.
The total number of rejected ballot papers for the referendum 3, 850 in Moomba, 1,922 in Bweengwa and 9,208 in Monze Central Constituencies.


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The PIPPA Tamariki project involves collaborations between the Auckland, Counties Manukau, and Capital & Coast District Health Boards as well as Auckland University, Otago University, Massey University, the University of Calgary, and the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand.
The study teams are based at the Starship and Kidzfirst hospitals in Auckland and Wellington hospital.
They are keen for you to get in touch with any questions!


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How to Know Jesus
Salvation is a gift that is made available to those who repent, believe and confess that Jesus is Lord and that He died and rose from the dead to save mankind (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10). This gift cannot be earned through good deeds or by simply being "good" (Ephesians 2:8; 1 Timothy 1:9). It is a matter of faith (acting out on what you believe according to God's Word concerning salvation).
If you have come here looking for a change in your life—if you have come seeking a peace that is found only through a personal relationship with a loving God—then you are at the right place. God is ready and willing to help you right now, right where you are.
Prayer of Salvation
Pray this prayer with me. If you've never made Jesus the Lord of your life, now is the time. If you've gotten away from God, it's time for you to come on home where you belong. Just pray it, "Oh God in Heaven, I believe with all of my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your Word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I receive my forgiveness. I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the Word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Plan of Salvation
- Hear the Word of God. At some point in your life, you have heard/will hear the Word of God - i.e. Preacher, Friend, Family member, on TV, on Radio. (Acts 2:14-36).
- Receive the gift of faith. As soon as you hear the Word of God, God gives you the gift of faith to believe what you've heard (Acts 2:37).
- Repent. In the Bible, the word "repent" means to "change your mind." The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions (Acts 2:38).
- Receive the Holy Spirit. "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (I Samuel 16:7). God recognizes your true heart to turn from sin and follow Him. At this point, He pours His spirit into you (Acts 2:38).
- Water baptism. This is an outward representation of what God has already done. The water represents the cleansing of sins (Acts 2:41-47).
The number 5 = GRACE
We encourage you to:
- Study the Word of God. Begin with the 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to learn about discipleship (following Jesus Christ).
- Ask the Lord to lead you to a local church that teaches pure, unfiltered, Biblical truth.
- Let the Pastor know that you've given your life to the Lord so that he, along with his staff, can help you grow in the Word of God. It's so important to have a Pastor!
- Spend time with "eagles," people who will both challenge and encourage you to live a holy and prosperous life in Jesus Christ.
- Last, tell somebody about Jesus Christ and how He made a difference in your life!
Welcome to the family of God!


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I heard that LA himself cant come as he has another event on. Well, at the moment he has, but I just got this email from the organisers and the quality of the field seems right up there, I mean cripes, you have to be pretty serious if you are coming all the way from Austria!
Tadeas Mejdr from the Czech Republic and Sepp Hribar from Austria entered in the last week - and if our maths is right (not a done deal!) that takes the country count to 27...http://www.sswc10nz.com/
I guess I better get onto building my bike. It will most likely be based on my 93' Litespeed Ocoee, altho I believe the winner of the ladies National event last year did it on a full suspension Santa Cruz, so it is possible to go F/S.


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Post your favorite tomato-based recipes here.
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|September 15, 2012
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,887
Roasted Tomato Jam
Found this recipe that is super simple, but incredibly good! Very tasty spread on toasted sourdough bread.
I've made it twice to use up the huge bowl of small & medium tomatoes, and even though the recipe wants you to use canning/canned tomatoes, it works just fine with fresh "eating" tomatoes. The only thing I changed the second time, is I used a bit less cinnamon. Don't neglect it toward the end of the cooking time as it will quickly start to char, and definitely line your casserole dish with foil or you'll have a real mess on your hand!
Oven-Roasted Tomato Jam
Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil.
If using canned tomatoes, cut or mash into small bits. Pour off about half the juices and then spread evenly in the baking pan. If using fresh tomatoes, chop into quarters and spread in the pan.
Mix in the garlic cloves and drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle a few pinches of kosher salt on top, and dust with black pepper. Sprinkle on the cinnamon.
Bake at 325°F for about 3 hours, or until the tomatoes are very soft. They should color, though -- just cook down. (Canned tomatoes are already cooked and will need less time - about 1-2 hours.)
Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F and roast for another hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so to mix the dark parts back in.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Mash to an even consistency, if necessary, and serve on crackers or toast with soft cheese.
|October 16, 2012
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Burbank CA
Posts: 1
Roasted Tomato Jam
This sounds so good. I have never thought of this. Thanks for sharing this recipe here.
|October 16, 2012
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 602
Yummy yummy! Would not have thought of cinnamon, but it is good w tomato in pastitsio, Greek food. Reminds me a little of something Martha Stewart shared somewhere called Tomato Confit. They roasted in a lot of olive oil (not duck fat as confit may suggest.)
|October 22, 2012
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Romania
Posts: 470
Many thanks Father'sDaughter for this fabulous recipe.
I added some balsamic vinegar and a hot habaneros. It is great
I'll try next week-end to prepare more and to store it for long time. Me and my family like it for bruschetta
I think that after filling jars with hot jam is enough to keep them for 10-15 minutes in warm oven.
Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad
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Business depends on getting proper budgets and proper planning. Sometimes there is nothing more painful than when an excessive phone bill is available in. You don't only have to sort out why the phone bill is costly, but you may even discover that you take presctiption the incorrect business phone plan and there's a pricey mess and contracts to cope with to get around the right plan. It does not need to be by doing this. For more information on Business Cell Phone Plans Canada, visit our website.
Two of the most common reasons for excessive phone bills are exorbitant roaming charges when travelling overseas as well as data charges. As smartphones be prevalent, individuals are increasingly more being able to access the web on their own phones. Regrettably a number of these people might not have compensated due shown to the plans that they're on there might not be just as much data incorporated within their plan because they are using. This most clearly causes major problems when individuals start installing large files like applications.
Listed here are three things all business proprietors have to do when thinking regarding their telecommunications needs to guarantee they don't suffer exactly the same fate as individuals whom have observed issues before them.
Acquire some proper advice from the reliable business telecommunications consultant- A lot of individuals selling business telecommunications products is going to be compensated a commission around the products they offer but it doesn't mean that individuals selling business phone goods are dodgy. An advisor who is experienced within their field will act to your advantage, positive about the understanding that by supplying you with the proper plans and advice now you will keep to cope with them well to return. An advisor will require the correct time required to sit down lower along with you certain that some additional time spent now will lead to lengthy term dollars.
Make certain you consider the way your business phone fleet is going to be used- It's not only about calls and texts any longer. Smart phones give both you and your staff a lot more power and productivity. You have to make certain you utilize this to your benefit however, you should also make certain you choose a plan having a large allowance for incorporated data so you do not get frightening and confusing phone bills.
Should you, or perhaps your staff, do travel overseas take a look at ways that you could reduce costs- There are a number of the way that you could reduce your costs when travelling, from purchasing an worldwide SIM card, to buying a roaming value pack out of your provide if it's available.
These solutions will all assist you to steer clear of the discomfort of excessive phone bills. For those who have had one of these simple excessive phone bills, or else you know somebody who has, you will be aware why you should make certain you avoid this. Want to know more about Best Business Phone Plans? Visit our website for more information.


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Horrified by the huge court damages being awarded over bicycle-related accidents, cyclists in Japan are rushing to buy exclusively designed liability insurance.
Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc. has concluded 400,000 new bicycle insurance contracts since fiscal 2017 kicked off in April, surpassing the 300,000 or so contracts signed the previous year.
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. said it posted year-on-year growth of 30 percent in the category in fiscal 2016, while Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. said it logged 20 percent growth the same year.
The brisk figures, however, also reflect governmental efforts to promote the insurance, people familiar with the matter said.
I- Word Understanding
Logged – recorded
Brisk – rapidly increasing
II – Have Your Say
1. Do you use a bicycle? When and how often do you use it?
2. Can you remember these incidents?
– (Kobe) In 2013 the mother of a 5th-grade boy who crashed his bicycle into a woman had to pay about ¥95 million in compensation.
– Tokyo District Court awarded ¥47 million in damages to a rider who hit and killed a pedestrian woman at a pedestrian lane.
3. In most accidents involving bicycle riders, what are the key factors leading to those incidents and who are mostly involved? Do think it is the rider who is always at fault?
636 Huge damages awards fuel demand for cycling insurance in Japan


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September 8 – Heavy rain and Flash Flood Warnings Friday have resulted in the cancellation and the rescheduling of a couple of events in the Decatur area this weekend.
Rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches in some places have caused the annual Fido Scurry in Fairview Park Saturday to be cancelled. Shirley Stanley with the Decatur-Macon County Animal Shelter Foundation says the event will not be re-scheduled for this year. Stanley says the Foundation will be contacting those who have pre-registered.
Stanley also says the dog swim "Wags and Waves" at the Fairview Aquatic Center has been moved to Sunday, September 9th. Three separate swim times will be available, 11am – Noon, 12:15 – 1:15 and 1:30 – 2:30. The cost is $5 per dog.
Also cancelled for this weekend is the Special Olympics 2018 Outdoor Sports Festival that was to be held at Rotary Park and the Hickory Point Golf Club. The 2 day event featuring over 650 Special Olympians from around the state in golf and softball was the final event of 9 statewide events for 2018. Officials with Special Olympics Illinois say it will not be rescheduled for this year.


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Are you an author? It doesn't matter if you are traditional published or indie (like me). Why? I'd like to introduce you to a phenomenal site I only recently discovered. It's called, "AUTHORSdB."
Firstly, it's a place where "Great Readers Find Great Authors." If you enjoy reading books, then you need a place where you can find Great Authors.
Now, I'm not talking about J. K. Rowling or Stephen King. Those kinds of writers will never be able to hide, because everyone knows where to find them. The great authors I'm talking about are the ones who are not household names, yet have written some outstanding books, that are in many cases, equal to, above, or even beyond the quality of work produced by Rowling, King, and their other more famous colleagues.
Great writers just write.
If they are lucky, they sell enough copies of their work to keep them writing without taking a day job. Others, despite their talent, are not so lucky. So, they work during the day (or night), and in their free time, when they are not working, they are writing. That's when they produce their Great Literature, for you and I to enjoy.
To find these Great Writers, normally, you would depend on word of mouth. They would say something like, "Check out Thomas Jerome Baker on AUTHORSdB. He's a Great Writer. The guy can write well in any genre. He's got an Audiobook coming out soon, called Story Tellers: In Pursuit of Happiness. It's narrated by a professional voice actor, Mr. Rich Crankshaw. The cover is amazing. It was designed by a talented author / cover designer / graphic artist, Ms. Samantha Fury. You got to check it out my friend."
Now you are interested, right?. You can't wait to check it out, because you really trust your friend to give you tips on Great Books. So you buy the book.
Then you would read, become a fan, and repeat the recommendation to one of your friends. Now, let's be honest, that's an extremely slow process that relies heavily on Lady Luck, Good Fortune, to be smiling upon you. So, the question is this: Can we increase the odds of a Great Writer being discovered?
What AUTHORSdB does is increase the chances of GREAT READERS finding GREAT AUTHORS to rave about to your friends. As of October 25, 2013, they now have over three thousand, three hundred and fifteen (3315) Registered Members & Growing Daily.
Why not check them out today?
Oh, and if you are a GREAT AUTHOR, join today. It's free (for life), and it is easy. I'm already on AUTHORSdB <== Click that link to check me out!


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Civic & Community Engagement
Mission statement
The goal of Civic & Community Engagement is to promote meaningful and impactful partnerships for students, staff and faculty within the wider Billings community. We aim to achieve this by developing student-centered initiatives that foster civic pride, stewardship and sustainability.
Community Engagement works closely with a diverse range of organizations. As a result, we can match you with an engagement opportunity that suits your needs and goals. Come and be part of the community-driven social change happening at Montana State University Billings.
Without the support of our communities, no institution of higher education can thrive
Volunteer programs and services
Whether you're looking to meet like-minded people or gain work experience in the non-profit sector, we can find the right opportunity for you at Montana State University Billings. Check out our active volunteer programs and services.
Food insecurity initiatives
One of the core functions of Community Engagement is to address food poverty within the Montana State University Billings community. We run multiple food drives throughout the year aimed at supporting the Yellowjacket Emergency Pantry, our student-focused food service, or local community partners, such as Family Service and the Salvation Army.
Holiday Meal Boxes
Student-led groups and projects
Looking to develop your own volunteer group or service project? We can help you design an original project or connect you with an existing volunteering group to help maximize the impact you can make in our community.
Democracy and Observance
Building citizenship and social responsibility through programs focused on membership, problem solving and observance. Each program acknowledges the importance of life, liberty, freedom and prosperity.
Community resources
Useful links and community engagement resources from local, state and regional partners.
MSU Billings Community Partners (coming soon)
Awards and Scholarships
Awards and scholarship opportunities for service to civic and community engagement
Service Learning Support
Civic engagement project information for the First Year Experience (A&SC111) seminar class. Schedule your hours by Friday, September 27th, 2019 using the sign-up link provided in the document. All projects to be completed between Monday, September 30th and Friday, November 22nd, 2019.


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Juan Dolio is a small seaside community and tourist destination in the province of San Pedro de Macoris on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. Juan Dolio has 2,488 inhabitants (2010 ) and belongs to the district municipality Guayacanes.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
From Dominican Republic
Travel from ? (not clear) to June 12
Thanks Carmina !


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Learning related Vision Problems in Children
Experts claim that the lion's share of what we learn as young children is presented visually, up to 80%. As our vision is so important to early learning processes, any visual deficits or issues need to be resolved as young as possible to lessen the impact on the child's academic progress. Of course, there are learning methods used to teach children who are blind or sight-impaired, but mainstream schooling depends largely on vision for full comprehension and participation.
With that said, refractive errors are only one section of potential vision problems children can experience. Being far-sighted near-sighted or having astigmatism can make reading the blackboard difficult or leave print nothing but a smear in front of a child with uncorrected vision. Proper lenses will correct the error immediately and give the child crisp, clear vision. If glasses aren't needed or don't address the issue completely, other factors may be at play.
Understanding Learning-Related Vision Problems
To fully comprehend how vision impacts learning, it's important to differentiate between learning disabilities and learning-related vision problems. Learning disabilities are characterized by a disorder involved in the psychological processes of learning. A learning disability may impact a child's ability to;
- Understand or use language, including both written and spoken forms
- Speak, write, perform mathematical computation, or spell
- Comprehend written language or compose language properly
Learning disabilities, such as mental retardation or perception disorders, may result in learning problems as a child works through the school system. The problem is usually obvious to educators and counselors alike.
Learning-related vision problems, however, are not always so obvious. This is especially true for children that do not have a learning disability and do have a learning-related vision problem. If a child has both issues, proper diagnosis and adaptation of their schooling can be complex. The good news is, proper identification and correction or adaptation can help the child learn successfully along with his or her peers.
Learning-Related Vision Problems in Particular
There are three main types of learning-related vision problems that can have a huge impact on a child's ability to learn and a second type, colourblindness, that can cause moderate issues if it goes undiscovered. Understanding these issues can help parents, educators and counselors to notice the early-warning signs in children and have them screened as appropriate. The earlier a problem is found and corrected or adapted to, the less the child's education will suffer as a result.
Refractive errors. As stated above, garden-variety nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are easily identified and corrected with glasses, contact lenses or even laser surgery. However, other refractive errors can exist that are a bit harder to diagnose and may pass unnoticed until the child begins to struggle.
More uncommon but still prevalent refractive errors are often called higher-order aberrations. Such conditions include such intimidating-sounding conditions such as trefoil, coma, prism, quadrafoil, secondary astigmatism and spherical aberration. These conditions can cause vision problems such as double vision, seeing halos around lights, blurring, glare or starburst patterns. These can be passed off as an overactive imagination if a child complains of thee visual problems, so don't take them lightly.
Functional vision issues. The eyes communicate with the brain and the brain controls the eyes. In a typical child, the eyes will follow one another in a pairing called binocularity. The eyes will also focus automatically and perform fine movements for close work and reading. In people with a learning-related vision problem, these unconscious communications between the brain and eyes may be compromised. Deficits in these areas can cause:
- Blurry or smeared vision.
- Eye strain and dryness.
- Painful headaches or even migraines or cluster headaches.
Problems with perceptual vision. Typically, our eyes and brain work together to focus on important objects, disregard unimportant information and recognize objects and words you've seen in the past. Being unable to use perception properly can greatly impact a child's education and can make vision therapy a necessity for reaching his or her full potential.
Colour blindness. Colour blindness is extremely common and it doesn't necessarily have to have much of an impact on a child's education or learning ability. Most optometrists will screen children for colour blindness at a young age, as may the school nurse. Your child should ideally be screened before he or she attends nursery school, as many activities involve colour matching and recognition. There are many types of colour blindness, and you can read more about colour blindness here.
Early Warning Signs of Learning-Related Vision Issues
There are several different signs a child can display to tell parents, educators and family members that something may be amiss with their vision. Here are some potential symptoms you should be aware of.
- Complaints of headaches. Younger children may hold their head and cry if they aren't old enough to articulate their discomfort.
- Squinting a lot, turning the head to one side constantly, or closing one eye frequently. These can all be signs of the child's brain compensating for poor vision. If one eye is much stronger than the other, the brain will want to ignore the inferior information being given by the weaker eye.
- Reading very slowly, losing his or her place a lot, or having poor reading comprehension. Your child may also follow the words with their finger while reading. All of these can be signs that reading is very difficult for some reason, perhaps related to a vision deficit.
- Problems with recognizing shapes or drawing them from memory. Most children are very visually oriented. If your child is not, it may be a sign that their vision is deficient.
- Poor coordination, especially hand-eye coordination. If your child took the longest time to learn to guide a utensil to their mouth or still can't pick up objects from a table reliably, vision problems may be to blame.
- A short attention span for visual activities. If your child is wandering off or turning away during exciting, colourful movies or isn't at all interested in beautiful nature scenes, poor vision may be to blame. Of course, some children have their own preferences, but a lack of interest or a short attention span for anything visual can point to an issue.
A lot of these symptoms can be completely normal, so it's important not to panic if you notice them. Make an appointment for your child's vision to be evaluated before you become over-concerned. It's always possible your child just has a small quirk or difference that will resolve on its own as they age.
Therapeutic Options for Learning-Related Vision Problems
Vision therapy is a great tool for correcting vision issues before they can bloom into serious roadblocks. If your child is already receiving specialized attention at school, contact his or her IEP (Individual Education Plan) liaison to discuss adding vision therapy into the plan. If your child isn't participating in remedial programs, your doctor and optometrist can work together to advise you of the best therapy options for your child.
In addition to vision therapy, it's important to recognize that children with vision issues can also suffer from poor self-esteem, become anxious and withdrawn or even develop the early warning signs of depression. Make sure your child is involved in their therapy and understands it has effect on their intellectual capabilities. Children with learning-related vision issues can be just as smart, quick and successful as their typical-sighted peers.
Author: John Dreyer Optometrist Bsc(Hons), MCOPTOM, DipCLP
Created: 2 Nov 2016, Last modified: 4 Mar 2020


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TGRWT #22 round-up
There were 7 entries in total for TGRWT #22 where the challenge was to cook with raisin and one or more ingredients from the flavor pairing tree of raisin from foodpairing.com shown above. Here's the round-up with pictures and comments. Click the links to read the full blog posts and recipes. Enjoy!
Read the rest of this entry »


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It's time. Cut your losses and give up the campaign. There are better ways to spend your time.
Head back to one of your multi-million dollar mansions. Re-connect with Bill. Watch some 24 together. Share a romantic meal .
See, the thing is, deep down, you are scary. It's true. You know it. I know it. And, well, America knows it.
"I'm not scary," you say. "Look at my track record on human rights, women's rights, and other rights. etc. etc."
Yes, that may be true, but you appear as if you want to eat America.
I don't think that is a quality the majority of Democrats want in a leader.
Fergis T. McGillicuddy


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I don't remember exactly how I found the website for Puzzle Baron's Acrostics. (I think I had been looking at the crossword puzzle feature of the Wall Street Journal; maybe it was linked from there.) But once I found it, I immediately bookmarked it. And I have lost count of how many times I have been back in the past few days, or how many puzzles I have solved.
I've liked acrostics since I first learned how to do them in books of variety puzzles as a child. But the one time I found a book of just acrostics, they were so hard that I'm not sure I ever managed to finish a single one. (I think they were reprinted from the New York Times, which has very difficult acrostic puzzles.) Recently I have discovered that the Wall Street Journal's Saturday puzzle is sometimes an acrostic, and I can solve those, even if it does take me at least an hour, usually two or three (over the course of the weekend).
Puzzle Baron's acrostic puzzles are considerably easier. I have only twice asked for a hint (three random letters are revealed), and those were in the first four puzzles I solved there. But they are still challenging enough to be enjoyable. I never manage to get all the clues on the first time through the list (unlike easy crossword puzzles where I rarely get stuck even for a brief time). Some of them even have me stumped for a few minutes.
One way they are easier is that the quotations are shorter and there are fewer clues. Sometimes fewer clues does not mean easier – if you can only solve two clues out of a dozen, it's really no easier than if you solve four out of two dozen. But in general these are also easier clues – sometimes I do get at least half of them on the first time through. (Sometimes I think I have gotten more than half, but there is usually at least one that turns out not to work.)
Having the puzzle automatically transfer letters from the clues to the grid, or from the grid to the clues, is a bigger help than I thought it would be. It seems that almost every time I work an acrostic on paper, I manage to misplace at least one letter, a mistake that makes it hard to solve the puzzle and which I do not discover until I am just about finished.
It's also great to be able to guess letters that I'm not sure of, knowing that I can change them several times without having to worry about making holes in the paper from erasing too many times. Though it's annoying to have to go back and re-type letters because the program apparently cannot keep up with me if I type too fast, and it overwrites one letter with the next one I type.
And these acrostics fill in punctuation, which is not ordinarily done – at least not in the acrostics I have worked on before. That makes it easier to start to make sense of the quotation – though I can still be thrown off by a quotation that does not follow all the rules of grammar I learned in school.
These acrostics do still follow the convention of having the first letters of clues (the answers to them, that is) spell out the name of the author of the quote and/or the work in which it is found. That made me start wondering – just how does one go about creating this kind of puzzle? I recently read a book about crossword puzzle construction, and that seems difficult enough, but creating an acrostic must be even more difficult.
The writer of this blog post certainly seems to think so. As a matter of fact, he compares the difficulty of constructing an acrostic with the difficulty of constructing an electric car, and concludes that the car is the easier project. I don't know how tongue-in-cheek that might be, but his post details all the reasons I think the puzzles must be difficult to create. (He states that they can have no more than 26 clues, since the clues are traditionally listed as A, B, C, etc. rather than 1, 2, 3, etc. But I am sure I have done acrostics with clues that went past Z into AA, AB, etc.)
This article doesn't tell much about the process of constructing an acrostic, but it does include some interesting history, not just of acrostic puzzles, but of acrostics in general.


text: The find could help replenish Australia's vegetation Researchers at Curtin University in western Australia have been startled by the effectiveness of urine from the wild dogs in scaring off kangaroos which chew through areas of new-growth vegetation. The university's Michael Parsons said the discovery could help re-establish plant life on old mine sites by repelling kangaroos, unique Australian marsupials which number in the tens of millions. Researchers looked at the effectiveness of chemicals found in the urine of dingoes and non-native predators such as coyotes. "When we presented tame kangaroos with coyote urine, they became interested in the new smell, but when presented with the dingo urine they were startled and fled," Parsons said. He told Reuters on Tuesday that the effect of urine on wild kangaroos was even more dramatic. Gathering process Parsons's team is looking at ways of delivering the repellent effectively at mine sites and how much would be needed, as well as whether it could be used to reduce the number of collisions between kangaroos and vehicles on outback roads. He said the university was also trying to isolate and synthesise the active chemicals in dingo urine so that it could be made in quantities large enough to be commercially viable. For now, the university is receiving supplies of the real thing from Australia's Dingo Conservation Society, but he said how it was gathered was a tightly held secret. "At one stage we fashioned a little urine catcher to walk dingoes and collect it from, but that tended to be risky," Parsons said. SOURCE: Reuters


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Death:OK (Let's Talk About It) is a day of inspiration, information & connection organized to help build a community where we reconnect to life and death and to each other, reducing the silence, fear, and isolation that too often surround the topic of death.
We are non-profit, independent, and non-commercial. Participants are seen as empowered members of a grassroots movement seeking inspiration, information, and connection and not as a marketplace of customers. Providers of relevant products or services are welcome if their participation in the event is aligned with the event mission.
- Get all the details on our Event Info page.
- Check out our incredible presenters.
- View our 10-hour schedule.
- Meet our steering committee.
- Read about our history.
- Thank our sponsors and donors.
Join us Saturday, October 17, 2015 from 9am – 7pm at Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard in Portland.


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Portugal's Golden Visa breaks new records in 201616 June
According to official figures issued by the immigration authorities in Portugal, (SEF) the number of Portuguese Golden Visas granted this year has already exceeded the total issued in the whole of 2015. In total 1100 visas have been approved so far this year against last year's total of 766.
Since the program was launched back in October 2012, the total amount invested through the programme now stands at almost €2.4bn, of which the vast majority has been through real estate investment (€2.14bn) with €218m invested through the transfer of capital.
In total, 3,609 permits have been issued with Chinese citizens making up the largest proportion, at 2,743 so far (76%), followed by Brazilians at 180 (5%) whose numbers are increasing rapidly.
Perhaps the most interesting statistic is the one that shows how 'family reunification' is one of the main drivers for those using the programme. Over 6,000 (6,054) permits have been issued to family members of the original applicants, with many citing the ability for their children to more easily access European universities as a key reason behind their investment.
Portugal remains the most popular programme for residency investment in Europe. The combination of a relatively low investment amount at €500,000 (the UK's government bond scheme requires €2m) within a rising market, combined with a transparent and regulated purchase process have helped the programme gain traction. The fact that investors only have to spend around 7 days a year in the country also makes a big difference, as many other visa scheme require much longer periods of stay.
And with prices increasing over 22% last year in Lisbon's historic centre according to Confidencial Imobiliário, the popularity of Portugal's Golden Visa programme is expected to continue.Discover our portfolio of Lisbon Golden Visa properties for sale.


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Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Australia
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:14 pm
Post subject: MTPRO2 with Y&Y - a draft installation guide
I've drafted installation instructions for MTPRO2 when used with
Y&Y tex.
I'm not sure if this BB will bugger-up the format, and I don't see a button for file attachments, so please download it from:
I will now try to insert it here, so let's see what happens!
Please feel free to improve it.
Installation notes for MTPRO2 fonts on Y&Y-tex systems
DRAFT 1 date 20060315
by George Vokalek,
These notes were written based on the installation of the MathTimes
Pro II fonts on a PC so that they can be used by Y&Y Tex.
The installation is mostly done using the command line. I assume that
you already have a working Y&Y Tex installation.
The platform used for my installation is as follows:
Y&Y TeX 2.2.3 2001 May 22 (yandytex.exe)
DVIWindo (32) Previewer 2.2.6 (dviwindo.exe)
DVIPSONE 2.2.6 2001 Jun 23 (dvipsone.exe)
Adobe Type Manager Light 4.1
Platform: Win2k SP4 on P4 with 512MB
STEP 1: unpack the MTP2FONTS.ZIP file to preserve the directory structure.
You should unpack them in a temporary directory.
mkdir c:\junk
pkzipc -ext -dir MTP2FONTS.ZIP c:\junk
under c:\junk you will now see the following directories:
STEP 2: run the Y&Y dvi previewer, called DVIWindo.
Using DVIWindo, you will check the paths in your yytex
environment variables, to work out where font files must be copied.
STEP 3: install TFM files.
the TFM files are the tex font metric files which are used
when you run the yandytex.exe program.
select DVIWindo menu item PREFERENCES->ENVIRONMENT->TEXFONTS
You will see a dialog which shows your current paths for TFM
mine says "C:\BIN\YANDYTEX\FONTS\TFM\NONTEXT\;C:\BIN\YANDYTEX\FONTS\TFM\TEXNANSI\"
The 2nd item in the string is path under which we want to install
the TFM files.
eg on my PC it is "C:\BIN\YANDYTEX\FONTS\TFM\TEXNANSI\".
You need to use this path in the following commands.
I typed:
mkdir <texfonts>\MTPRO2
copy c:\junk\texmf\fonts\tfm\pctex\mtpro2\*.tfm <texfonts>\MTPRO2\
(replace <texfonts> with the path you identified above.)
STEP 4: install PFB files.
(Note: I use ADOBE TYPE MANAGER to manage my type1 fonts)
the PFB files are the type1 font binary data files. These files
are used by dvipsone.exe and dviwindo.exe. Note that
dvipsone.exe does NOT need the *.pfm files (see next step)
but dviwindo.exe does need the *.pfm files.
select DVIWindo menu item PREFERENCES->ENVIRONMENT->PSFONTS
You will see a dialog which shows your current paths for TFM
mine says "C:\PSFONTS"
You need to use this path in the following command.
I typed:
copy c:\junk\texmf\fonts\type1\pctex\mtpro2\*.pfb <psfonts>\
(replace <psfonts> with the path you identified above.)
STEP 5: install PFM files.
These files are the adobe font metric files, and along with
the *.pfb files are essential if you want to display the MTPRO2
fonts in windows applications such as dviwindo.exe
On systems using Adobe Type Manager, the .pfm files are kept
in subdirectory C:\PSFONTS\PFM.
You need to use this path in the following commands.
You may need to adjust the path name depending on your findings
in STEP 4 above.
I typed:
copy c:\junk\texmf\fonts\pfm\pctex\mtpro2\* <psfonts>\pfm\
(replace <psfonts> with the path you identified in STEP 4.)
STEP 6: make the fonts known to windows
Installing the .pfb (and .pfm) files in c:\psfonts is sufficient
if you only want to print your documents using dvipsone.exe, but
if you want to preview them onscreen then you need to make the
fonts known to windows.
I use Adobe Type Manager Light which can be freely downloaded from the
Adobe WWW Site at:
Windows 2000 apparently can use Type1 fonts without Adobe Type Manager,
but I have not tried it.
Open the ATM application and point it at directory
or your equivalent path. Highlight all MT2* files and hit the ADD
button. The MTPRO2 fonts should now be visible to Windows.
The MTPRO2 fonts should also now be available in all applications,
such as wordprocessors and DVIWindo. Close DVIWindo.exe and run it again,
to ensure it is aware of all fonts on the system.
STEP 7: install style files
select DVIWindo menu item PREFERENCES->ENVIRONMENT->LATEX
You will see a dialog which shows your current paths for tex style
mine says
I chose to place the style files in a subdirectory of the last entry in
the above path list. Various latex styles are stored in subdirectories
under the path:
so I made a new subdirectory for MTPRO2 as follows:
mkdir <latex>\contrib\supported\mtpro2
copy c:\junk\texmf\tex\latex\mtpro2\* <latex>\contrib\supported\mtpro2\
(replace <latex> with your path equivalent to my "c:\bin\yandytex\tex\latex",
as displayed in the DVIWindo.exe dialog, explained above)
STEP 8: test
I prepared a temporary test directory and copied the test document:
mkdir c:\junk\test
copy c:\junk\texmf\doc\fonts\mtpro2\test_latex.tex c:\junk\test\
then I latex'd the file:
latex2e test_latex
(note that on my PC I have aliased the command latex2e to:
latex2e=yandytex.exe +latex -v -L )
If all goes well, you should see the usual latex status text and
a dvi file will be created. Check the status text for any warnings
about missing fonts. If there are such warnings, then you have not
installed the .tfm files correctly. Check your work in STEP 3.
You should be able to preview the test_latex.dvi file as follows:
dviwindo test_latex.dvi
If the characters display correctly, good.
If the characters display as garbage, then there is a problem with
your .pfb/.pfm installation. On my PC the characters in a .dvi file
are corrupt when I forget to tell Adobe Type Manager about new fonts.
Check your work in Step 4 and 5 and 6.
You can hit CTRL-K in dviwindo to display a dialog which shows the
names of the fonts in your document. When you click on a font in
the dialog, all characters of that font in the document will be
highlighted. Useful.
Next you can generate a postscript file and test it either by
printing on your postscript printer, or by distilling it to PDF.
dvipsone -l=letter test_latex
should generate a file test_latex.ps without warnings.
If you see warnings about missing fonts, then check your work
in Step 4. Note that dvipsone.exe does not use the PFM files
so Step 5 is not critical to dvipsone.exe.
If you see warnings such as "** No /.notdef line*" then you
need to get an updated version of MTPRO2 files.
If you have successfully reached this point without errors
then your MTPRO2 fonts have been correctly installed.
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Joined: 07 Feb 2006
Posts: 47
Location: Amherst, MA, USA
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:59 pm
Post subject: Re: MTPRO2 with Y&Y - a draft installation guide
gvokalek wrote:
I've drafted installation instructions for MTPRO2 when used with
Y&Y tex.
STEP 7: install style files
select DVIWindo menu item PREFERENCES->ENVIRONMENT->LATEX
You will see a dialog which shows your current paths for tex style
mine says
I chose to place the style files in a subdirectory of the last entry in
the above path list. Various latex styles are stored in subdirectories
under the path:
so I made a new subdirectory for MTPRO2 as follows:
mkdir <latex>\contrib\supported\mtpro2
copy c:\junk\texmf\tex\latex\mtpro2\* <latex>\contrib\supported\mtpro2\
Is it a good idea to place the style files into a subdirectory of "supported"? For some reason I thought that directory was, by convention, for stuff that's part of the CTAN distribution falling in that category.
Is it the intention for the support files, including mtpro2.sty to be distributed via CTAN?
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Joined: 07 Feb 2006
Posts: 47
Location: Amherst, MA, USA
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:06 pm
Post subject: comments on George's draft Y&Y installation instructions
Some comments on George's very useful detailed installation instructions:
0. I see no reason to specify only command-line methods for making directories within the Y&Y directory tree, or for copying or moving files from the extracted archive into such directories. Surely Windows Explorer's usual functionality (navigating to directories, right-clicking to make a new folder there, copying/moving files) suffices. Of course there's no harm in giving the command-line directions as an alternative to the Explorer mousing.
1. One thing I had not had time to include in my original draft installation instructions is what George's do include -- the parts about checking Y&Y's search paths for the various types of files by using the DVIWindo menu item PREFERENCES ->ENVIRONMENTS and then ->TEXFONTS or ->PSFONTS or ->LATEX, depending on which type of file is at issue.
However, it's also worth saying that one can also, instead find these values by opening dviwindo.ini (from c:\windows).
2. In George's STEP 3 (installing TFM files) I disagree about using the location
(I'm giving paths just starting in the main YANDY directory). That directory ought, in principle, be reserved for tfm's of fonts that actually use Y&Y's TeXnAnsi encoding. However, the MathTimePro2 fonts do NOT use that encoding. So it would be much more logical to put the tmf's in:
In fact, it's much neater in any event to put them in a subdirectory of NONTEXT (or of TEXNANSI, if one insists on putting them there): If a path is specified in Y&Y's environment with a terminal \, then this means to search not just that directory, but all first-order subdirectories of it. So my strong recommendation is to use something like:
This not only makes clear that the TeXnAnsi encoding is NOT involved, but also readily isolates these tfm's from others, should the need arise to update them at any time. [In fact, the Y&Y-supplied structure of the NONTEXT directory in fact includes a bunch of such subdirectories: tfm-ams, tfm-cm, tfm-ltx, tfm-mt (for Y&Y systems that came with the old MathTime fonts as distributed by Y&Y), etc.]
3. It may be confusing to refer to the main Y&Y directory as YANDYTEX, since at least in the distribution I'm using, the main Y&Y directory has a subdirectory tree with top named YANDYTEX (this directory includes the Y&Y binaries). That's why I used "YANDY" in my detailed version of the instructions. (But perhaps in some versions of Y&Y, the top-level directory was really "YANDYTEX"??? I do recall that in very early versions it was "Y&Y" but that was later changed to "yandy".)
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Joined: 07 Feb 2006
Posts: 47
Location: Amherst, MA, USA
Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:22 pm
Post subject: Re: MTPRO2 with Y&Y - a draft installation guide
gvokalek wrote:
I've drafted installation instructions for MTPRO2 when used with
Y&Y tex.
Somebody, probably in some private or semi-private e-mail message circulating off-forum, pointed out the following. I apologize for stealing his thunder here, but I wanted to be sure this got posted in this thread:
The installation instructions should explain that the distributed package mtp2fonts.zip.tpm is essentially (if that's the right word) just a zip archive file. To unzip it, one can either directly drag it into WinZip (which will immediately recognize it as a zip archive), and possibly other unzipping utilities; or one can rename it to mtp2fonts.zip and then unzip it in the usual way one handles such files.
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Happy New Year, everyone! The SIA team is back into the swing of things after the Winter Break, and we've got some great projects lined up in the coming months! Here is a taste of what is happening in 2014.
TD Shakespeare for Kids Library Club
The TD Shakespeare for Kids Library Club is our free readers' theatre program for children ages 7-12, and is located at Toronto Public Library branches across the city! The Winter Session runs on Saturdays from February 1-March 8. Visit a participating branch to register!
The Shakespeare Challenge
The Shakespeare Challenge is back for the third year! This year, our fearless champions will be performing an abridged version of Twelfth Night. On top of that, they will be raising money for Shakespeare in Action's subsidized ticket program, providing access to theatre for students across Toronto. Tickets for the gala performance and silent auction on February 8 will be on sale soon, so make sure to check back for more information!
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Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet returns as part of the Double Tragedy this Spring, along with Macbeth. Already enjoyed by thousands of students across Toronto and the GTA, Romeo and Juliet will run from March 27-April 10. For more information on performance dates and times, or to book your seats, visit the Romeo and Juliet show page!
Macbeth is the second show on board as part of the Double Tragedy this Spring. Like Romeo and Juliet, this show has been enjoyed by thousands of students across Toronto and the GTA, and will run from March 28- April 11. For more information on performance dates and times, or to book your seats, visit the Macbeth show page!


text:
Refugee - Audio CD
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JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world
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All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.
This action-packed novel tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home.
RELATED SUBJECTS: Immigration and Assimilation Experiences , Running Away , Holocaust , Challenges and Overcoming Obstacles , Communism
Refugee - Audio CD


text:
How To Choose A Sales Tax Solution For Small Business Owners
Why change what we do now?
Which small business owners should consider a change to their sales tax solution? Many business owners are slow to change the way they do sales tax — people like sticking with what they know. But if any of the following applies to your business, it could be time for a change:
- You sell goods or services, but haven't yet registered to collect sales tax.
- You registered to collect sales tax, but have not collected it or collect it inconsistently.
- You collect sales tax, but have had difficulty completing sales tax returns.
- You complete sales tax returns, but have to ask for extensions or incur late penalties.
- You are considering expanding out-of-state, or have already begun your expansion.
- Your company may start growing — or has already grown — to include attending trade shows, drop shipping, or other out-of-state activities.
- You're paying a CPA or other accounting professional to file your sales tax returns.
- You've started spending more time or money on sales taxes than you used to.
- You've changed your accounting software.
Step One: Learn about sales tax challenges
Before you take a closer look at specific solutions, it's a good idea to have a general outline of the problem you're trying to solve. Filing returns and remitting taxes can be a pain point for many small business owners. Whether they're paying an accountant or make sales tax returns a DIY project, many small business owners find that filing requirements cost more time and money than they'd like.
There are over 12,000 sales tax jurisdictions in the United States alone, and many don't follow city boundaries, county lines … or even zip codes. Each jurisdiction has its own tax rate, and taxability rules are modified frequently. Because sales tax revenue is seen as low-hanging fruit, cash-strapped local and state governments have become stricter about enforcement and auditing in recent years.
Service businesses often don't charge sales tax at all because they believe services are exempt. While some states exempt most or all services from sales tax, an increasing number have started taxing a wide array of services. Growth and expansion are the goals of every small business owner, but new sales tax challenges emerge with new business activities and a broadening customer base. Compliance activities can quickly expand to fill all available time, and even careful, math-oriented business owners can make costly mistakes.
Step two: Evaluate your all of your options
Options for sales tax compliance could include DIY solutions, hiring an accountant, or outsourcing sales tax tasks to automated software.
For each solution you consider, keep the following questions in mind:
- Does the solution give me flexibility to file returns manually or automate the process?
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Step Three: Choose your sales tax solution
After considering your options, it's time to figure out which one will best meet the needs you outlined during the first step.
Make sure to do a fair comparison of costs, keeping in mind that more automation (and less work for you) doesn't necessarily mean more expensive.
Compatibility with your current software is important, but so is compatibility with a wide range of ecommerce and accounting software. Remember, you may not use the same tools forever, so versatility is key for your sales tax solution.
No matter what solution you choose, the single most important consideration is how well it will grow with your business in the future. Minimizing compliance "growing pains" ensures that tax rules won't hold your business back.


text:
This is a response to an article by Taryn Isaacs De Vega, Taking the baton from the 1976 generation, Published in The Journalist
"Does our research further emphasises [sic] the South African context or simply duplicate European knowledge?"
This question from the author embodies the essence of the article.
Other than being wanting grammatically, it misses many points and generates even more questions and concerns.
The Main Concerns
First, why should research at South African universities need to "further emphasize" anything, especially "context" in South Africa or any geographically exclusive area?
Second, is the author suggesting that current research at South African universities largely "duplicates European knowledge"?
My response
Research should answer questions, solve problems, challenge myth and dogma and, ultimately find progressive and innovative pathways to the elusive "Truth". It should be both predictive and testable. Too often today, the word "context" is used to 'justify' action or inaction that fails to meet these criteria or, worse still, rejects other more plausible research that doesn't 'fit in'.
As an evolutionary and conservation biologist employed in an institute of African ornithology at the University of Cape Town, I spent more than four decades using birds (mainly chicken-like members of the avian Order Galliformes) to investigate the biological nature of 'race', species, speciation and wise use of gamebirds (e.g. guineafowls, francolins and spurfowls) to the benefit of humanity – intellectually and materially.
On 3 July 2017, Dr Tshifhiwa Mandiwana-Neudani (a former post-graduate student and now colleague at the University of Limpopo) and I will be co-presenting a plenary address at the conference of the Southern African Society for Systematic Biology that summarizes her and my key findings from research on francolins and spurfowls. One (of many) key findings is the unexpected discovery that three long-evolutionarily-enigmatic African species (one of which was only discovered in the 1990s) are the African remnants of lineages that gave rise to most of the world's remaining gamebirds: chickens, peafowls, pheasants, quails, grouse and turkeys.
This research would have been impossible without collaborating with South African, other African, European, and North/South American colleagues and students, and hundreds of hours working with specimens housed in colonial-established Euro-American museums.
Indeed, rather than "duplicating" the findings of Europeans, we refute many of them.
Furthermore, Dr Rob Little, a co-author of this research (also a former post-graduate student and past Director of Conservation at WWF – South Africa) co-supervised conservation-related research on francolins and spurfowls that supplements the incomes of South African farmers and their workers.
So, rather than implementing 'decolonization' to strip our progressive university students and researchers of ideas and approaches simply because they were developed in Europe or non-South Africa, let them forage out the ones that complement resilient indigenous knowledge to help do real, Afro-relevant research and provide education for the generations to come.