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All of us moms know the truth… Life isn’t easy. Parenting is the hardest job I’ve ever done. Being a mom is so rewarding and wonderful, but it is also physically and emotionally exhausting. I love my children (who are now ages nine and seven). They also frustrate and infuriate me at times, but I […]
Its that time of year again!!
Teenagers all over the country are beginning to feel the pressure…
impending sense of panic?
As parents of a possibly uncommunicative, yet stressed teenager, where the young person may have great difficulty expressing their concerns, can be a challenging time for the whole family.
Knowing where to go to seek support can be tricky!
If the teenager is demonstrating anxiety and depression symptoms, where they appear to be not coping with erratic emotions, have significant changes in eating and sleeping habits or are expressing feelings of low mood, particularly suicidal thoughts, then a Gp consultation is necessary.
For many teenagers it can be much more subtle than this and who may improve the situation can be less obvious.
The schools and colleges are getting better at offering sessions on tips and strategies which enhance the students planning for revision, so they feel better prepared and more able to cope with the pressures.
Encourage the teenager to access support at school with lunch time and after school sessions and talk to their teacher about difficulties they are having.
With the multiple demands on teenagers this preparation is getting harder to focus on.
It relies on the teenager not being too hormonal, influenced by their peers (which has long been the case), but magnified by the massive influence from social media.
This constant distraction of messages, apps and the internet is pervasive and often difficult to manage alongside their rapidly developing brains. As many study skills need to be accessed on line it is increasingly difficult to avoid the pull of the internet.
Personal discipline is crucial and the challenges many:-
- addiction to social networking and the phone constantly in the hand
- a fear of failure making even starting to think about study difficult
- performance anxiety making focusing a challenge
- a lack of engagement with their studies
- no clear sense of direction
Accessing resources to improve the teenagers ability to remain calm, focus and commit to performing in the way that does them justice is hugely beneficial.
A session or 2 with a Hypnotherapist who can offer NLP techniques to promote these skills, either with or without hypnosis, can help the teenager to set the intention and take the steps towards achieving their goals.
Contact me if you want to explore this conversation further.
Sometimes recognising what is happening for the student is the first step.
Hoping for some more days like this!
We’ve had a few sunny days, but it’s not long after the snow and the changeable weather often brings a chilly wind. Its tempting not to venture far from your hopefully warm and cosy home.
To boost well being its always good to get out and about.
Reasons to get outside include:-
As a dog owner or befriender you can wrap up warmly and get out there, as they insist on this several times a day!!
Explore with children the parks, woodlands or public footpaths and observe the bursting buds of bushes, trees and plants or of new animal life. Help them to learn about the wonders of our nature and countryside.
The garden is always beckoning at this time of year so small jobs to clear, tidy and prepare for the bursting forth of plants and vegetables, during any clear spells, helps to boost positive feelings. Plan the garden of the summer!
With an improving picture, planning to meet friends and family for gatherings out and about in new places or old haunts. Helps with reconnecting after the winter hibernation.
Lighter nights,with the clocks going forward this weekend, ensures more daylight and opportunities to attend all kinds of social events. Consider taking up an activity in the evening of these lighter nights. Get out on your bike, join a club or find an exercise buddy? Keeping active to improve your health.
Community events are planned in parks, villages, halls and the countryside which engage people with all kinds of skills and entertainment. This brings a sense of hope and interest. Opportunities to connect in many different ways, socialise and have fun are more abundant.
Volunteering time and skills to benefit your local community, gives the volunteer a sense of well being too. Skills may involve working in buildings to offer services for individuals or organisations, connecting with others and may involve activities outdoors too. A great benefit of this work for the individual is the sense of contribution and involvement locally, which can boost powerful positive feelings.
So it all looks good!
Certainly it is an improving picture. All activity and connecting with nature is good for our body and minds, so it is great to be able to plan more of both of these into the coming weeks.
What about those niggling health and well being issues, which need some small shifts for you to be able to engage in these opportunities?
get more active
eat more healthily
reduce negative thoughts
feel confident talking to new people
reduce addictive habits
incorporate better ways of living your life
Need support to start the changes? A Hypnotherapist can start you on your journey…
Wherever you are, I hope you can get planning and enjoy some sunny, warmer moments in the coming weeks.
At times managing negative automatic thoughts can be difficult.
Any holiday period…with a change in routines, interacting closely with family members, or not as you would like, more time on your hands to think, plus the enhancements of alcohol or lots of rich food etc can amplify the thoughts running through your mind.
The Christmas holidays can be one of those times. Or the weeks following this when the debts need to be paid and the hangover of social events may be on your mind.
There are lots of quotes and suggestions on how to bannish these negative thoughts and focus on positive thoughts.
This can be really difficult to do!!
Working hard to stop negative thoughts and somehow not managing to keep them from from popping into your head and lodging there, as a rumination – going round and round, can add to the negative cycle.
Dr Judith Beck, a Psychologist and President of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in USA carried out research in 2013 which demonstrated that women were more likely than men to ruminate. However some people are more prone to negative thinking than others and this can be genetic and/or as a result of childhood experiences.
As constant negativity can interfere with happiness, add to our stress levels and eventually damage our health we are increasingly aware ongoing negative thoughts are not good for us.
This can add to increasing feeling of failure, due to not managing these negative thoughts.
By not trying to stop these negative thoughts, worry and obsession can be reduced.
The basic premise of mindfulness meditation is acknowledging your negative thoughts which can lessen their weight. Acknowledgement and acceptance of these negative thoughts is the way forward!
Once the negative thought is accepted force yourself to challenge it.
There are many exercises you can use, based on cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT. Google or access ‘get self help’.
If your negative thoughts are making you feel overwhelmed – practice taking some deep breaths. Controlled breathing can help reduce the stress reponse and calm anxious thoughts.
Practicing meditation or self hypnosis can boost your positive feelings.
The more you practice acknowledging, accepting and challenging negative thoughts the sooner this can become the
However if your thoughts are making you feel distressed or are interfering with your work or social habits, seek help from a mental health professional.
“Tis the season to be jolly”
Socialising, eating, drinking and being merry with family and friends in cosy, sparkly and fun filled environments –
or so we hope!
Christmas bring lots of expectations of ourselves and others, to have a good time and for everything to be christmas advert perfect!
With family members absent, or living away, financial constraints, seperated parents, relationship challenges, physical illness and mental health issues, let alone the family dynamics when getting together, the reality can be very different.
So prepare for the onslaught to keep yourself positive through this holiday period.
Help others or ask for support as this may prevent you from feeling too fraught.
Have the food menu and present list organised well in advance, if you are hosting. Liaise with the other attendees for ideas to contribute to the smooth running of the celebration days.
Or ask what your host would like you to bring, prepare or contribute if you are lucky enough to be sharing with others, so you feel involved too.
Keep things simple – focus on what is important – spending some quality time with family and friends in convivial surroundings.
Ask someone you know is alone at Christmas to share some celebration with your group.
Volunteer some time or money for the charities supporting the most vulnerable at this time of year.
Giving to others will boost your sense of well being.
Focus on gratitude!
For many people it is possible to pace and plan for the festive season, but for some the additional challenges at Christmas time make this much more difficult.
Mental illnesses such as anxiety or health issues worsened by overeating and excessive drinking can be difficult to manage during the festivities.
Consider how you would ideally like to be, despite these challenges, if you functioned at your best?
Again planning beforehand can be useful.
To access resources which could help you to manage these feelings and anxieties in the coming weeks, input from a Coach or Hypnotherapist can be beneficial for developing new techniques.
Strategies which support you to access your inner resources at crucial moments.
Not always possible right now, but be aware these tools are available for you to access in the future…
Have a positive a festive period!
Anxiety, is a little word
but with a
Anxiety is the sensation of being on high alert, otherwise recognised as the “fight or flight response”.
This is a normal body function. When faced with a threat, the body responds via the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and shifts into gear to prepare you for action. Your body is mobilising resources to mobilise body and brain.
This normal response gives physical symptons of shortness of breath, fluttering in the stomach, racing heartbeat and sweating and emotionally you may start to feel fearful.
This sense of being ready for action was necessary in the days when we lived in caves and lived a primitive life. We often had to use our body physically and this gave an outlet for the energy build up.
Nowadays you may need to be on high alert in different situations, maybe to present a speech to a large group or a discussion with your boss if a confrontation is brewing which needs to be addressed. Then your body prepares, to sharpen your attention, so you can set about performing. This performance is an outlet for the build up of energy.
Unfortunately humans are unique in that a danger doesn’t have to be present to give us this response, we can conceptualise it. Neuroscientist Bruce McEwen says “the mind is so powerful that we can set off the [stress] response by imagining ourselves in a threatening situation”. Is it this ability that can cause people to be stuck rumminating and anticipating a stressful situation and being stuck in the stress response, leading to a state of anxiety?
We may have lost sight of where some of our body processes come from but we need to recognise them to make them work for us. Unchecked we can easily drift into symptons we know associate with anxiety.
How can we recognise our reactions, acknowledge them and make them work for us in modern life?
Sounds like action is needed!
- Recognition and understanding is the first step.
- Time out in the fresh air, dog walking, connecting with nature, or any exercise which suits your lifestyle, is a must.
- Relaxation of the mind, accompanying exercise, or in the form of meditation, mindfulness or hypnosis.
This gives you time to disconnect from your concerns and enjoy the physicality of movement and/or of emptying your mind – preferably both!!
If this is a challenge and you are finding activity difficult to incorporate into your week, sessions with a Hypnotherapist can help you to identify what you need to focus on for yourself, to promote better well-being.
The outcome is harnessing the energy of your body and mind to work with you!
A truly ‘ideal’ lifestyle – the definition of which is subjective – is, I would argue, impossible to achieve. In some instances, mere time constraints may get in the way: you miss workouts because of upcoming exams, choose convenient food while travelling, sleep less than your body needs because of work. Sometimes, it’s mental health. […]
We have known for some time the affects that emotional stress has on the body. Particularly the increased risk of cardio vascular disease, this includes high blood pressure, and the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Some of this can be due to negative coping mechanisms – such as smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol…
but more recently a direct link between the psychological processes and how this impacts our health has been identified.
Research has found a link between our emotions and heightened activity in the amygdala. The amygdala is the part of the brain which processes emotions such as fear and anger.
By measuring activity in this part of the brain, using CT scans, and measuring the levels of inflammation in the arteries, heightened activity was identified. By following up participants over several years, following a period of perceived stress, the researchers were able to show an association between the likelihood of a cardiac event and increased stress.
They also showed that higher levels of activity in the amygdala were associated with the occurrence of cardiac events sooner.
Further studies have added weight to these findings. Participants stress levels were significantly associated with activity in the amygdala and arterial inflammation.
Keeping your stress levels in perspective are more important than ever.
Look after yourself by:-
Recognising stress within yourself
Journal your thoughts and feelings – reducing mental stresses and observe your growth
Practice meditation, mindfulness or self hypnosis
Increase physical activity levels to maintain body wellbeing
Eat as healthily as you can
Connect with others and communicate your challenges
At times this may be challenging and we may reach for the very things which worsen our health!?
In which case seek support. As a Hypnotherapist I support clients to make changes which over time helps to improve their well being, particularly emotionally.
Jo Copland-Dando is an Integrated Hypnotherapist with a background in Health. She works from a purpose built, safe and confidential space and specialises in Anxiety, working with AnxietyUk to support clients.
Such a little word…
But it creeps into so many peoples lives and sets up in the background of their mind. Always ready…
Ready to set off and take hold of your thoughts, at the slightest invitation.
I know this to be true for myself, in my own thinking.
In my work as a Hypnotherapist…
anxiety is regularly present in people’s thought processes:-
– about what has happened in their life
– what concerns they have right now
– how they can change things
– where they are going…?
I use hypnotherapy to access inner resources for myself and clients…
to build on skills we already have, but have lost sight of!
Isn’t this true?
We are busy, life changes and we forget the strategies we have been regularly using or used in the past. Once you have felt anxious, at times of stress, rational thoughts can go out of the window!
We all have to work on our thinking skills and notice our negative thoughts, in order to avoid being kept in the same place.
Hypnotherapy helps you change habits by accessing inner resources, via your subconscious. It raises your awareness to the skills you already have. With practice you can establish or re establish new neural pathways, so you can function better in everyday life.
The process takes commitment from you, the client, too but the experience is pleasant and relaxing.
The outcome is to enable you to feel more in control of your thoughts.
The mind is very powerful, so harness its potential to work for you!
When you want to change something for the better:-
feel more in control of your weight
manage feelings of anxiety
get rid of a phobia
perform better in a situation
improve your health and sense of well-being
seek support from a Hypnotherapist.
You can learn skills to practice in everyday life.This starts you on a pathway to new habits or ways of thinking and being.
A small change over time leads to larger changes – the ripple effect.
Consider hypnotherapy to start and sustain change!
Hopefully you’ve had some time away over the summer months – space to reconnect with who you are and what you enjoy in your life.
Some moments to really appreciate where you are in your life.
If you’ve struggled to achieve this on account of some thoughts, feelings or behaviours and reducing your ability to refresh and revitalise, maybe you would benefit from some support?
Is anxiety in the background?
Source: This previous blog on Anxiety may be helpful.


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Viewer votes chose American Idol’s finalists Thursday night and only one of the two Queens contestants were chosen to continue the Idol journey.
Heejun Han was among the group of five guys that received the most votes securing his place in the finals and a chance to be named the 11th American Idol.
Astoria’s Creighton Fraker did not fare as well, being sent home after not being among the top five male vote getters and not being chosen by the judges as one of the three wild cards.
“Had so much fun on my Idol journey! More than grateful for this experience,” Fraker tweeted after the show. “Can’t wait to keep writing and performing my music. Much love.”
The Randy Jackson-dubbed “mad talented” Han advanced despite the judges believing his semifinal song choice — “Angels” by Robbie Williams — did not fully display his voice that Jennifer Lopez called “silky smooth.”
Fan flocked to the Queens crooners Facebook page to congratulate him after receiving the news he was safe.
“All for God. All by God,” Han tweeted. “Thank you guys so much for everything . I wont let you down.”
This is the second year in a row a Queen resident advanced to American Idol’s finals. Howard Beach’s Pia Toscano made it all the way to the top 9.
The Flushing resident will continue his Idol odyssey on Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Fox 5 as he and his 13 fellow finalists will perform.

domain: news


The summer weather is getting hotter, and your AC is working harder. This may also cause higher energy bills and problems that require costly repairs. There are upgrades that you may want to talk to an HVAC company about to address these issues. The following summer HVAC improvements will make your AC more reliable and efficient: Upgrading Blowers for Airflow The AC system uses a blower fan to circulate the cool air to different areas of your home. [Read More]
Should You Upgrade Your HVAC System Before Selling Your Home?
Making the decision to purchase a new home can be exciting. Most people need to sell their existing homes in order to free up the financial resources needed to purchase a new property. Preparing a home for the market requires a lot of time and consideration. Buyers want to know that a property will be functional after they finalize their purchase. It can be beneficial to consider some HVAC upgrades if you want to add equity to your home and expedite the selling process. [Read More]
3 Parts Of Your AC Condenser That Need To Be Cleaned During An Annual Service Call
One important air conditioning service you need each spring is to have the condenser cleaned and checked. Cleaning is important because the condenser is outside and exposed to flying debris, pests, and all kinds of weather conditions. Dirty equipment can't operate efficiently, and that means your power bill will be higher than it needs to be. Here are three parts of the condenser that need to be cleaned during an annual service call. [Read More]
4 Times You Need To Bring In A Professional To Fix Your Air Conditioning
Your air conditioning system keeps you comfortable, which is why it is important to understand when your system needs professional repair and when you can handle what is going on. #1: Loose Parts Loose parts usually create some rattling or other unpleasant noise with your air conditioning system. You may also notice higher energy bills when a part is loose and not functioning correctly. A loose part is more than annoying; it can cause your system to function optimally, and it can even cause damage inside of your system. [Read More]


Low-Flying Yellow Airplanes are Circulating Rockford for a Fantastic Reason
Rockford has a couple of new nuisances that needed to be dealt with before they could strip plants bare ultimately leading to the death of many trees.
Rockford Has a New Killer, a Plant and Tree Killer
We're you driving down State Street in Rockford this morning (6/28) and wondering what those small yellow, low-flying planes were all about?
This Spring, the Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that the population of this plant and tree killer is at a critical level and something big needed to be done. This killer will devour almost anything leafy and green, with a strong preference for oak trees, and my favorite, willow trees.
Those planes you saw were spraying an organic, biodegradable product made entirely of food-grade materials, according to the CIty of Rockford's Facebook announcement.
The spray is not harmful to humans or pets, but it is to the Lymantria dispar (Gypsy Moth, Spongy Moth) population, and in the strangest way.
Mind-Blowing Scientific Creation
Often I am amazed at what scientists and researchers come up with in their respective laboratories, this moth spray used around Rockford today is one of them.
It seems reasonable to assume the spray used would just kill the moths and that's the end of it.
The spray's purpose is to mess with the moths' sex lives.
The spray used is called Splat GM-Organic. It is a pheromone that serves as a sexual attractant that confuses male spongy moths and prevents them from breeding.
Back in May, Rockford was sprayed with Btk, a pesticide used to eradicate the spongy moth. Now the ones that survived the pesticide spraying will no longer be able to breed. Gypsy moth females lay between 500 to 1,000 eggs under the bark of a tree.
If you have any questions about the spraying, contact the Northern Field Office of the Illinois Department of Agriculture in DeKalb at 815-787-5476 or visit https://www.slowthespread.org/pages/illinois-outreach


CORDEX-Africa consists of a dynamic group of young (and some less young) scientists who are working with data from CORDEX downscalings over the CORDEX African domain. The Cordex-Africa initiative has been developed to analyze downscaled regional climate data over the CORDEX-African domain, train young climate scientists in climate data analysis techniques and engage users of climate information in both sector specific and region/space-based applications.The CORDEX-Africa Analysis campaign is designed around the following ethos,
A – Analysis: Developing methods and tools to analyse atmospheric processes over Africa and how these may change into the future
F – Foci: Addressing key meteorological and impacts knowledge gaps
R – Regional messages: Presenting information for key regions in the continent
I – Integrated approach: Bringing together climate and vulnerability-impact-adaptation scientists to identify and address key climate vulnerabilities
C – Capacity development: Long-term collaboration between African scientists and key global institutions for career development
A – Application: Bridging the science-society divide through transforming climate data to actionable information
There are four regional teams (west, central, east and southern Africa) who are addressing region-specific climate questions and one thematic group that is considering applied questions such as health, biodiversity, agriculture and hydrology. Members of these teams have met as funding has allowed and to date have produced 11 papers for academic publication during 2011-2013 (see Phase 1 and Publications links below).
Thanks to Swedish funders this analysis and user-engagement work has been able to continue. Between 2015 and the end of 2017 a further series of engagements have taken place are more are planned (see Phase 2 link below).
CSAG co-ordinates CORDEX-Africa activities and with its partners sources funding to run these activities. It is strongly supported by the International Project Office for CORDEX and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.
Click on the links below for more information on Cordex-Africa activities:
- Download this short report documenting the CORDEX-Africa activities so far. More detailed information can be found by clicking on the links below.
- CORDEX-Africa analysis Phase 1
- CORDEX-Africa analysis, Phase 2
- Papers published using CORDEX-Africa data
- CORDEX-Africa Impacts Atlas
- How to download data from the ESGF
For further details: Contact Dr Chris Lennard
Time frames: Continuous (no set time frames)
Funder: Multiple – WCRP, CDKN, START, SSEESS, SMHI, CSAG
Partners: Global Change System for Analysis Research and Training (START) and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute


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Books on fashion can solve a lot of gift problems for the man or woman who cares about clothes. They are convenient to buy, easy to wrap and mail, and often show up on sale racks. And they can make a splendid gift for oneself.
Among the more interesting -- and mostly untouted -- ones to come out recently:
"The Official Preppy Handbook," edited by Lisa Birnbach (Workman Publishing, $3.98).
This is a very funny book with "essential" information as general as how to display wedding gifts (on a white damask cloth on the dining-room table with all the Tiffany crystal vases lined up together), to as specific as where to go in Washington on a Thursday night (The Tombs). Also includes the proper name, clothes, ancestry, pet, college-room decor, attitude toward the opposite sex (no PDA, public display of affection, for one), and the proper preppy causes.
"The Dental Face Lift, a Consumer Guide to Cosmetic Dentistry ," by Milvin Denholtz, D.D.S., and Elaine Denholtz (Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., $14.95).
You thought you didn't get the job because you were unqualified? Or because of the administration change? Hold on. Here comes a theory hinting that the problem may be your teeth. Teeth? Enter the dental facelift.
The authors make a pretty convincing case. Boxer Leon Spinks, for example (two missing front teeth), was hardly besieged by offers to sponsor products. His defeated opponent, Muhammad Ali (a full mouth of teeth) was.
Spinks is a candidate for a dental facelift and so are you, say the authors, if among other reasons, when you smile you cover your mouth with your hand, have buck teeth, loose dentures, discolored or broken teeth, or simply don't like your smile.
And if you have no teeth and no false teeth, a dental facelift, say the authors, will do wonders.
"Magic Names of Fashion ," by Ernestine Carter (Prentice-Hall, Inc., $12.95).
What sets this book apart from other recent fashion books is the wide range of designers and fashion influences spotlighted.Among them, Beau Brummell, Worth, Molyneaux, Mainbocher, Pucci, Cardin, Carmel Snow, John Fairchild, Diana Vreeland, Laura Ashley, Claire McCardell, Bonnie Cashin, Calvin Klein and Saint Laurent. The most serious shortcoming of the book is its lack of art. Fashion is a visual thing: Even a photo of each personality would have helped.
"Heavy Can Be Happy ," by Evelyn Roaman and Dee Ratterree (lippincott & Crowell, $10.95).
The biggest thing about this book is the good feeling the author has about being big herself. Otherwise, the fashion tips sound familiar (and sensible). bShe give a convincing list of reasons for not dieting, including (obviously) hunger, expensive fluctuation in clothing size, lack of proper vitamins and minerals, baldness, wrinkled and saggy skin, headaches, dizziness, lack of energy, bad breath, kidney problems, marital problems and many more.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, Roaman has been spokesperson for the Roaman chain of stores for large-size women for almost 40 years.
"In a Glamorous Fashion ," by W. Robert LaVine (Charles Scribner's Sons, $25).
Hollywood was America's couture -- both in creativity and workmanship -- for the first half of the 20th century. LaVine covers the subject well, as a documentary of films and costumes and with biographies of film creators, gossip and a generous dose of photos.
"Shopping Smart ," by John Stossel (G.P.Putnam's Sons, $9.95).
We all need all the help we can get on spending money wisely. This book is full of good information, but not all of it is applicable. Example: Stossel suggests buying Grade B eggs. "They are just as nutritious as grade A or AA and they taste the same." He's right, and they would be less expensive if you could find them.
"Sportsfashion ," by France-Michele Adler (Avon, $7.95).
A worthy review of fashion for sports and some ways to adapt authentic sporting gear and uniforms to daily wardrobes. Good photographs of both old and new sports costumes.
"Good Garb ," by William Dasheff and Laura Dearborn (Delta, $9.95).
The Cook's Catalogue of clothing, with virtually every wearable item identified and described. Good consumer information on each category, such as an analysis of six common types of shoe construction, shoe care, proper fit, custom shoe making, and a list of where to buy.

domain: library


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domain: food


text:
Prep 5 mins
Cook 10 mins
Want to have Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's most favourite breakfast? Go ahead! Its right here :)
- 177.44 ml refined flour
- 2.46 ml salt
- 4.92 ml baking powder
- 29.58 ml sugar, powdered
- 2 eggs
- 158.51 ml milk
- 0.19-0.32 ml vanilla essence
- 14.79-29.58 ml oil
- 44.37-59.16 ml maple syrup or 44.37-59.16 ml honey
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Break the eggs in another bowl.
- Add milk and essence and mix well.
- Make a well in the bowl containing the dry ingredients.
- Pour in the liquid and whisk so that there are no lumps.
- Heat a non-stick pan.
- Add few drops of oil to grease the pan.
- Pour in some of the batter and spread it in the pan.
- Cook the pancake over medium heat.
- When it is light brown, turn and cook on the other side till brown.
- Serve with maple syrup or honey on top.


The Biometric Time Attendance System in Kenya automate employee clock in and clock out by capturing reporting and leaving time. The biometric devices offer a tamper proof and secure system for tracking employee attendance. As it were, access control systems have changed how HR officers keep track of attendance. Technically, this technology brings about accuracy in the electronic staff register. This accuracy is achieved through identification of every employee by fingerprint. In so doing, the challenge of employees signing in on behalf of their colleagues has been solved.
Enabling multiple user authentication method has been at the core at enhancing the capabilities of the biometric time attendance system Kenya. Essentially, users are identifiable in multiple and secure ways. To start with, authentication can be done through the use of RFID cards.
Also, RFID cards can be used as employee identification cards. Secondly, authentication can also be through secret pin. In this case, the biometric system generates passwords for the enrolled employees.
Finally, the most secure authentication method is by the users’ fingerprints. To begin with, the biometric system captures and stores individual employee’s fingerprints. Therefore, a user places his or her thumb on the scanner to be scanned before the door is released open. At the end of the day, acess to rich reports facilitate management in decision making.
Be that as it may, the biometric time attendance system offer simple yet detailed reports. These reports come in different formats and will assist the human resource department in coming up with strategic decisions. It is important to note that facial recognition systems were built based on the same technology. However, as per the preference of the client, the biometric system will support the combination of both RFID card and fingerprint to identify users.
Features of the biometric time attendance system
Simple user interface: The biometric time attendance system has an intuitive graphical user interface. The interface is very simple and easy to learn and use. Equally, there is a web based dashboard that supports real time updates for employee logs. IP based connectivity: the system supports TCP/IP communication protocol. In other words, it allows for connection via the RJ45 connection interface. Furthermore, database will be accessed through the RS232/485 port. Also, backing up information has been made easy. That is, the network or the USB port provides a safe and efficient method for downloading time attendance reports to be backed up. Email and SMS notification; after a successful application for leave via the self service web portal, there still needs to be an automated system for receiving updates. This is where system generated responses come in. Hence, notification of a successful leave application and approval need not happen verbally. Communication will be passed through email and via SMS and still be personalised. Shifts and schedules; this feature is applicable to companies whose employees work in shifts. The system creates shifts which are fully customisable based on organizational requirements. The attendance module allows the shift manager to create periodical schedules to be followed by the employees. Also, the feature leads to better planning of employees thus increasing their productivity. Time attendance policies; basically this feature provides an interface to create and implement organizational rules. For instance, the feature can define when is a person considered late for work or what is the maximum hours that can be clocked in as overtime etc. Device internal capacity: the biometric time attendance system has a huge internal capacity to hold over 3,000 fingerprints, over 100,000 transaction records.
Why you should install biometric time attendance system
Complete accuracy of the Payroll information. As matter of fact, there will be no room for manipulation of employee attendance register. This is because the attendance information will be captured biometrically. Thus, cheeky employees will be unable to modify neither reporting nor closing time. Leads to efficient time management. No doubt, collecting and analyzing staff information can take a lot of time. However, a good electronic document management software assists the human resource manager to generate several types of reports.
Ultimately, time attendance system captures leave management aspects of employee management. Employees are able to apply and update leave status. During the active leave days, the time attendance system will not allow such employees who proceeded on annual leave to clock-in through the system. Integration with the payroll software leads to automatic updating of the payroll module. In fact, all the data to be generated by the biometric attendance system are compatible with most HR and payroll software. Hence, there will be no need to manually update employee attendance register.
The biometric attendance system directly populates the HR software. By integrating the system with HR and payroll software, the human resource personnel gets real time updates. From the dashboard, the system administrator can query the database real time updates as employees clock in and out. Save on staff administration and management cost. Research indicates that automating time attendance leads to a 40% reduction in operation costs. These savings can then be channeled towards other important business areas such as marketing. In essence, the automation produces accurate work hours, precise calculations and payment of overtime dues. Technically, automation seals the loop holes for over payments and overtime forgeries.
EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE WEB PORTAL
The self service portal allows the employees to apply for leave, view shifts electronically irrespective of the geographical location. Moreover, employees will get notifications about leave approval from their phones. The self web portal system empowers staff to plan ahead and manage their leave days efficiently. Furthermore, they will be able to plan for work schedules or shifts and even view attendance reports. Web based access feature makes the system time attendance software accessible for other devices apart from the desktop application. This is actually the basis for creation of employee self service apart from saving time in decision making. From the web based access, employees are able to access the self service portal to apply for leave, view shifts and schedules, register attendance.
Corporate self service portal: the software management recognizes the organizational corporate structure and this is reflected in the way user privileges are distributed based on departments. For instance, the employee self service provides the HR officer with rights to approve leave application, plan employee shifts and schedules, view attendance among other functionalities. Integration with payroll software: attendance reports such as overtime hours are very critical when processing salaries and other payroll transactions. Hence, it is necessary to integrate the time attendance system with the payroll software. This actually leads to error free and timely processing of employee salaries.
Almiriatechstore Kenya is a professional installer of door access control systems Kenya. We install reliable, long lasting and highly scalable employee management system. Contact us here for a wholesome end to end biometric time attendance system in Kenya.
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What causes shivering and chest pain along with hard stools?
Can be due to hormonal changes.
Thanks for trusting us with your health concern.
The pain and shivering can be due to hormonal changes due to impending periods. Since the symptoms decrease with rest there is no need to worry. It is not associated with any serious issue. You can increase your fluid intake and take a diet rich in iron during these days to combat the blood loss. If eating fiber is not enough to take care of the constipation you can start taking a laxative on as and when required basis.
Please feel free to discuss further. I will be glad to answer the follow up queries that you have.
Wishing you good health.
Dr. Rakhi Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Rakhi-Tayal
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domain: medical


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The Shoreditch Design Triangle is a cultural event celebrating the creative industry in East London. Organised by SCP, who have been resident in the centre of the triangle on Curtain Road for over 30 years. SDT brings together a network of designers, companies and institutions, showcasing the best in ceramics, culture, fashion, print, furniture and architecture.
During this year’s London Design Festival, running between the 16 – 24 of September, the district will host a heady mix of design led events, including talks, exhibitions, installations and workshops. With over 70 fixtures planned and more to be announced, the programme offers the opportunity to spend the day wandering around the East End on foot and still not see everything there is to see.
Discover the full programme online and be sure to join us on Tuesday 19 September for the Shoreditch Design Triangle launch party.


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Im a hard hustling individual who has been providing for his family through entertainment and piece jobs here and there . In all the years of my hustle i have discover a gap in the business world especially one that will be rise to the township economy . i wish i could i disclose what business it is but for now i cant as i want to establish the business . i will reveal it upon the closure of the campaign.
The Project will benefit The youth in terms of employment It will bring a product close to the people as they use it everyday and getting it 80Km away , takes time , effort , and more money

domain: economics


Best Of Dometic Thermostat Wiring Diagram Or 1 With Thermostat Wiring 35 Dometic Ct Thermostat Wiring Diagram
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Don't miss this song, by Nigerian Gospel musician, Lara George dubbed ''Jesus Jehovah'' off her 2021 debut Extended Play tagged ''Daddy's Girl''.
Certified Nigerian Gospel trending musician, Lara George, dishes out this worship song crafted ''Jesus Jehovah'', which is a lovely sound, with catchy lyrics, vocals and lively verses.
This bracing soundtrack is coming from Lara George's latest Extended Play tagged ''Daddy's Girl'' which houses 5 fantastic tracks, with no single guest artists.
Jesus Jehovah, stands as the second track of the album. Lara George specially recorded this song, to give her music fans a good masterpiece soundtrack. The Rhythm and Melody were so euphoric.
Lara George who is known well for her credibility in the music scene released this song for the listening pleasure of her music fans, which is a potential hit jam.
Download Latest Lara George Songs / Music, Videos & Albums/EP's here On TrendyBeatz.


- computerized automatic triple compression of the spring to the preset deformation with residual deformation measurement;
- computerized automatic triple compression of the spring to the preset load with residual deformation measurement;
- computerized automatic compression of the spring by maximum load and the axial displacement measurement;
- computerized automatic generated force measurement under the specified deformation of the spring;
- system provides test protocol printing-out and saving.
- springs Ø 25...300 mm (1...12″).
|External diameter of springs, mm (″)||
|Free height of springs, mm (″)||
Controlled-load range, kg
|Power supply, V/Hz||
|Motor power, kW||
|Overall dimensions (LхWхH), mm (″)||
|Overall dimensions of the control panel, mm (″)||
|The weight of the bench and the control panel, kg||
- Computer-aided automated control system with a touch screen display.
- Tests of all the main standard sizes of springs used in safety valves.
- Integrated testing facility without additional accessories.
- Recording, archiving, and printing-out of the test protocols.No human factor influence on the test results.
- Integration into the company local network.


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Car donation programs allow you to give back to the community by donating your old or unwanted vehicle to a charitable organization. You can help support many causes and make a difference in the lives of others by doing so. This article will explain how car donation programs work, their benefits to donors and receivers, and why charitable giving is crucial to society.
- What is the purpose and concept behind car donation programs?
- How do car donation programs create a win-win situation for donors and recipients?
- What are the steps involved in participating in a car donation program?
- Value of your donation while lowering your tax burden
- What are some examples of successful car donation programs in different countries?
- Popular Car Donation Programs
- How Car Donations Benefit Worthy Causes
What is the purpose and concept behind car donation programs?
Car donation programs allow consumers to donate their unwanted or obsolete vehicles to a charitable group. Car donation programs help charities raise revenue for their missions while giving donors a tax break. Some charities use donated cars for operations, such as carrying supplies or persons in need. Others sell the cars at auctions or to recyclers and use the earnings to support their causes. Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society, and the Salvation Army are some respected charities providing car donation programs.
What are the advantages for individuals who donate their cars?
There are numerous advantages for donors who donate their cars to charity. One is the tax advantages and deductions they can claim on their income tax returns. Donors may be eligible to deduct the fair market value or the gross proceeds from the sale of the car, depending on the car’s worth and the charity. This can lower their taxable income and save them money. Another advantage is the convenience of getting rid of unwanted automobiles without dealing with selling, repairing, or disposing of them.
Donors can contact a reputable car donation service and arrange for a free pickup of their vehicle. They can also prevent potential responsibility difficulties from selling or transferring the car to someone else. The third advantage is the joy of supporting causes and positively affecting the community. Donors can assist in funding numerous initiatives and services that benefit those in need by donating their cars, such as education, health, the environment, veterans, animals, and more. Donors can also select a charity that corresponds with their values and interests and feel good about contributing to a worthy cause.
How do car donation programs create a win-win situation for donors and recipients?
One of the advantages of car donation programs is that they create a win-win situation for charities and contributors. Donors can support the programs and services of organizations that share their beliefs and interests by giving their unwanted or unused automobiles. They can also benefit from tax breaks and hassle-free vehicle removal. Charitable groups, conversely, can use the earnings from the sale or auction of donated vehicles to fund their missions and aims.
According to the Giving USA 2023 Report, foundations will account for 21% of overall nonprofit giving in 2022, amounting to $105.21 billion. Car gifts are one way for foundations to raise money for their objectives. They can also offer impact stories about how car gifts have improved the lives of their beneficiaries, such as giving education, health care, shelter, or food. As a result, car donation programs are an excellent approach to promoting social good and civic engagement in the community.
What are the steps involved in participating in a car donation program?
To eliminate an old or unwanted car, consider donating it to a charity. Donating your car can aid a worthwhile charity while providing you with tax benefits. However, before donating your car, you should research and take steps to ensure your donation is successful and useful to you and the charity. Here are some pointers on participating in an automobile donation program.
The first step is to select a trustworthy and transparent charity that takes car donations. You might go online for organizations that operate in your region or that promote a subject that is important to you.
Once you’ve decided on a charity, you must contact them and set up the donation procedure. Some charities may take up your vehicle for free, while others may want you to drop it off at a predetermined location. You will also be required to produce documentation, such as the car title, a copy of your registration, and a signed release of liability form. You will receive a receipt from the charity for your donation, which you will need for tax purposes. You should also cancel your insurance and remove your car’s license plates.
Value of your donation while lowering your tax burden
To get the most out of your car donation, follow these steps to improve the value of your donation while lowering your tax burden. For instance, you should:
- Donate your car before the end of the year to be eligible for the current tax year’s deduction.
- Maintain documents of your contribution, including the receipt, the car’s fair market value, and any changes or repairs you made before donating it.
- Claim the deduction based on the car’s actual sale price if the charity sells it or its fair market value if it uses it for one of its programs or distributes it to someone in need.
- Contact a tax professional if you have any questions or concerns regarding how to declare your car gift on your tax return.
What are some examples of successful car donation programs in different countries?
Car donation is an excellent method to aid beneficial causes and make a difference worldwide. Numerous car donation programs are available, each with its advantages.
The National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) Vehicle Donation Program is among the most effective car donation initiatives. The National Kidney Foundation welcomes donations of any condition and utilizes the earnings to finance kidney disease research, education, and advocacy. The NKF also offers donors free towing, a tax deduction, and a vacation certificate.
Cars for Homes, the Salvation Army’s Vehicle Donation Program, and the American Cancer Society’s Cars for a Cure are some of the other car donation initiatives. These initiatives promote vital causes and provide donors with a range of perks. Wheels for Wishes is another effective car donation initiative that benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wish to children with life-threatening medical conditions, such as meeting celebrities, going to Disneyland, or dressing up as a superhero for a day. Wheels for Wishes welcomes cars, trucks, motorbikes, boats, and RVs in any condition and provides contributors with free towing and a tax deduction.
I recommend researching and finding a perfect program if you are considering giving up your car. It’s a beautiful way to give back to your community and make a difference in the lives of others. Here are some further details about the car mentioned above donation programs:
Popular Car Donation Programs
National Kidney Foundation (NKF):
Over $25 million has been raised for kidney disease research, education, and advocacy through the NKF Vehicle Donation Program. Donors can get free towing, a tax break, and a vacation voucher.
Habitat for Humanity:
Since 2003, the Habitat for Humanity Cars for Homes initiative has raised more than $300 million. Donors can assist in the construction of homes for low-income households.
Salvation Army Vehicle Donation Program:
The Salvation Army Vehicle Donation Program funds social services such as food, shelter, disaster assistance, and rehabilitation. Donors can get free towing as well as a tax deduction.
American Cancer Society:
The American Cancer Society’s Cars for a Cure initiative encourages cancer research, prevention, and patient care. Donors will receive tax receipts as well as free towing.
Wheels for Wishes:
Over $100 million has been raised for the Wheels for Wishes initiative, granting over 20,000 wishes. Donors may be eligible for free towing and a tax break.
How Car Donations Benefit Worthy Causes
Car donation programs can be a great way to support a worthy cause, but some people may have concerns about getting a fair value for their vehicle. Selling a car alone can be time-consuming, stressful, and risky, while donating to a reputable charity is easy, fast, and safe. The IRS allows you to deduct the fair market value of your donated vehicle up to $500 or the amount the charity sells it for, whichever is greater.
To claim a tax deduction, you must donate your car to a qualified 501(c)(3) organization, obtain written acknowledgment within 30 days, and attach the appropriate forms to your tax return. Car donation programs have many benefits, including supporting a worthy cause, getting rid of an unwanted vehicle, saving time and money, and enjoying a tax deduction. If you have any questions or concerns about car donation programs, please get in touch with us for an informed and confident decision.
Car donation programs are an excellent way to help others while also helping yourself. Donating your old or unwanted car can support a charitable organization while receiving a tax benefit and free up room in your garage without selling or repairing your car. If you want to donate your car, several trustworthy and easy choices are available online or in your town. Take advantage of this chance to make a difference while benefiting from your contribution.

domain: finance


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Training of Health Professionals
Donnington Medical Partnership is proud to be a Training Practice.
We have GP Speciality Trainee and Foundation Doctors based in the practice for between 4 and 12 months. They are fully qualified doctors who have previously worked in hospital posts. They see patients independently, with support from the other doctors as required.
We also regularly teach medical students, which is a valuable part of their training. Students sit in with the doctors, or may ask to speak to patients first, before their main appointment.
You will be asked if you are happy to have students present. If you would prefer not to, please let reception or your doctor know. This will not affect your care.
Occasionally you may be asked if you are happy to have your consultation video recorded for training purposes. If so, you will be asked to sign a written consent form. The recording will not be viewed outside of the practice, and will be deleted after 12 months.
Occasionally, patients’ computerised medical records will be looked at by external assessors for Quality Assurance purposes. These assessors are Doctors or Practice Managers from other surgeries, and they are bound by the same strict standards of patient confidentiality as our own staff. If you would not wish your record to be used in this way please speak with the Practice Manager.
Medical student teaching
For much of the year we receive Oxford University medical students to teach them about General Practice. This attachment is a very important part of their training. If you would prefer the student not to be present during a consultation, please tell the receptionist.
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This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.


As well as enjoying sailing we get to enjoy the maintenance of a classic wood boat. As part of a long term maintenance plan August was devoted to removing and rebuilding everything from the engine to the propellor. While the engine was out we also changed the keel bolts that fasten the 10,000 block of iron to the bottom of the boat. With great thanks to Andy Stewart and Emerald Marine Carpentry, Barbara Bender, Claus and Rob Rhodes – phenomenal effort where we were rewarded with accomplishments that include faster speed. Ready to go for September.
- Jade Starr memorial sail
- Around Stuart Island with Humpbacks and K pod


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The Oregon State men’s basketball team won’t have much time to savor its bounce-back victory over Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday.
The Beavers (7-2), who are off to their best start since the 1984-85 squad opened with an 8-1 record, host Howard (3-7) today. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at Gill Coliseum.
The Bison are in the midst of a brutal three-week stretch which includes road trips to Georgetown (62-48 loss), Oregon State, Indiana, Kansas and Kansas State. They’re coming off a 73-71 loss to St. Francis, N.Y., on Monday.
The Craig Robinson era at OSU opened in 2008 with a 47-45 loss to Howard in Washington, D.C., although the Beavers avenged that defeat with a 90-54 romp in Corvallis five weeks later. OSU also beat Howard, 84-74, last year.
The Bison average 62.3 points per game, led by 6-foot-3 junior guard Calvin Thompson and 6-7 junior forward Mike Phillips, who are both scoring 10.8 points per contest.
Howard also averages 18.3 turnovers, which is bad news against the Beavers’ aggressive man-to-man defense, which is forcing 20.4 turnovers per game.
OSU 6-4 junior guard Jared Cunningham leads the team in scoring at 18.0 points per game.
He cracked the career top 10 list in steals with five thefts against Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday. He now has 155 steals in his career.
UO’s Bergsma an all-American
Oregon outside hitter Alaina Bergmsa has been named a third-team American Volleyball Coaches Association all-American.
The honor for the redshirt junior is Oregon’s seventh AVCA all-America in history, by five players — Neticia Enesi, Sonja Newcombe, Gorana Maricic and Sue Harbour. Bergsma was one of 42 players nationwide to earn the honor.
Duck sophomore setter Lauren Plum received an all-America honorable mention distinction.
Nationally Bergsma ranked 12th and 14th, respectively, in kills and points this season. Her 578.5 points this season is the second-most in a single season in Duck history.
Beavers’ Bryant earns honor
Oregon State junior right-handed pitcher Tony Bryant was been named a preseason first-team all-American by the National College Baseball Writers Association on Thursday.
Bryant was 12-for-12 in save opportunities last season and went 3-2 with a 1.52 ERA. He was an all-Pac-10 first-team selection.
Crichton also honored
Oregon State freshman defensive end Scott Crichton earned freshman all-America honors Wednesday from College Football News, Sporting News, Yahoo Sports and Phil Steele.
Crichton started 12 games for OSU and had 14.5 tackles for loss, the most in the nation by a freshman.
The Tacoma, Wash. native is the 10th Oregon State player to earn freshman all-America and eighth to earn first-team status.


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Make: Smith & Wesson Model: 17 Masterpiece Caliber: .22 LR
The Smith & Wesson Model 17 Masterpiece is a classic, medium sized frame revolver that features a 6-round chamber for the .22 LR. It has a carbon steel frame, with a carbon steel ...(more)
Posted by Jason Brumett
Smith & Wesson combined a Scandium alloy frame with a Titanium cylinder to build the strongest, and lightest weight .357 Magnum revolver made. The result is maximum power in a small, lightweight, easy-to-carry package. Scandium alloy is used for small, medium, and large frame revolvers. Smith & Wesson's lightest and strongest revolvers deliver dependable power everytime.
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domain: design


SITA UK has agreed the sale of five metals processing sites to EMR (European Metal Recycling).
The sites are at Boreham, Coventry, Lenwade, Norwich and Sheffield.
The decision to sell the sites follows a formal review of the company’s metals recycling division, which was announced in July 2013.
The review of SITA UK’s metals recycling division follows difficult trading conditions within the metals recycling market, which have persisted for several years. Trading conditions have been exacerbated by the decline nationally and globally in both demand and the pricing of metals within commodities markets.
At the time David Palmer-Jones, chief executive officer of SITA UK, said: “We have built up an excellent metals recycling team and service for our customers which has led the way in setting industry standards within metals recycling, making today’s announcement all the more difficult. We have decided to launch this formal review, however, following years of difficult trading conditions and no sign of improvement in the medium term.
“Although within the metals recycling division we will stop accepting metals at the gate, we will continue to collect all the skips that remain at our customers’ premises and we will process the metals we collect from them as normal. We will be contacting all our metals customers over the coming days.
“We will review the feedback we receive during the consultation process over the next 45 days and a formal decision will be made about the future of our metals recycling decision in late August.
“In the meantime SITA UK’s core business, involving the management and delivery of recycling and waste management contracts in the public and private sectors, continues to trade strongly.”
The full financial terms of the sale have not been released.


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STERLING BREEZE 16701 Front beach Rd #1205
Come and relax in luxury and take pleasure in the breath taking views of the emerald coast from our beautiful gulf front condo. We offer an open floor plan that sleeps six with a king bed in the master bedroom, hall bunks, and a queen sleeper sofa. Two full baths, a fully equipped kitchen, and a beautiful view of the ocean on private balcony off the living room.
Enjoy the many amenities that this resort has to offer such as:
• Over 300 feet of beach
• 4000 square-foot free-form pool (heated seasonally)
• Gulf-front hot tub
• Gulf-front fitness center
• Free high speed internet access
• Children's activities (available in season)
• On property parking
• On-site check-in
• Free local phone calls
• Sterling Beach offers resort based activities for the Kids, Holidays & Special Events
This is absolutely the best location in PCB. In fact, we are located right across from Pier Park which offers the best in shopping, dinning and entertainment. Some of the more famous restaurants and stores are: Ron Jon's Surf Shop, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Red Brick Pizza, Steak House, Texas Roadhouse Steak House, Five Guys Burgers, IMAX Theater, our famous Super Walmart, Target and numerous others. The new outdoor amphitheater offers free concerts all summer long and there is also an amusement area with rides for the kids directly in the middle of park. The Pier itself is about a half a mile long and offers a nice view as well as a great fishing vantage point over the gulf here on Panama City Beach.
This is the perfect location for families, friends, everyone! Book with us today!

domain: travel


Pretty mahjong game for Windows 8
Mahjong Deluxe! is a version of the familiar game of memory and luck for Windows 8.
Since it's made to look it's best on Windows new Metro interface, Mahjong Deluxe! is really a good-looking app. The game itself is both simple and familiar - match the tiles until they all disappear or you can't go any further - and if you like the genre, you'll be very pleased with this version.
Mahjong Deluxe! is visually very appealing, with mystical music, 168 puzzle layouts and 13 backgrounds to choose from, and the tiles themselves are pretty - although there doesn't seem to be many sets to choose from. You can also toggle the music, sounds and timed game features, and there's an undo button to help you on your way.
One thing to note - although we had no problems, reviewers of Mahjong Deluxe! on the Windows 8 store noticed that the game occasionally crashed - usually towards the end!
If you're a mahjong fan, Mahjong Deluxe! is a great introduction to the game on Windows 8.


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The combination of self-examination, meditation and prayer gives us a foundation for living. The regular practice of prayer and meditation rewards us with emotional balance, a sense of belonging and knowing that God watches lovingly over us. Even when we feel cut off from our Higher Power’s help and direction (which we all experience sometimes), we should simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we know to be good for us. Our situation then becomes less disturbing and we begin to feel safer in the world. As we gain small glimpses of God’s reality, we know our path will continue to lead us to greater knowledge of His will.
Reprinted from S-Anon Twelve Steps, page 129.
What about practicing these principles in all our affairs? Can we bring the same love and tolerance we are developing in the S-Anon group to our families, personal relationships, and work relationships? Yes, we can begin. This is how further spiritual development occurs. We have seen the importance of “walking the walk,” not just “talking the talk.” We found that our old habit of following our impulses needed revision, because some of our impulses led us into rage, fear and irrational thinking. We learned that giving in to those impulses was not always the best choice for our emotional serenity. As we placed our spiritual growth first, we discovered a better way of living for ourselves and those around us. We surely have come a long way since the time when our desperate need for emotional security drove us into unworkable relationships. We had either dominated others or been overly dependent upon them. We had played games, putting ourselves in the position of the victim, the rescuer or the persecutor. At times we interchanged all of those roles. Read more
I have to begin by saying that I really never saw myself sitting in a Twelve Step Meeting. Even after I became aware of the existence of sexaholism in my life and the need to recover from its effects upon me, I was still a little resistant to the idea. When it became painfully obvious to me that I needed to do something in order to get spiritually healthy (let’s say that God gave me the gift of desperation), I became more open to trying something different. I still had my doubts, though. I thought to myself, “Why do they keep saying “hi” over and over?” I didn’t really like the hand-holding circle at the end either. However, I knew that I couldn’t go on any longer as I had been. I went to my first meeting and people kept saying “Keep coming back.” I did. I really had no choice; I had to do something. Then about a year into it I joined a Step Study group. As I sit here today four years later, I have come to view the Twelve Steps as a God-given, fool-proof (It works when you work it) method for resolving internal conflict. They are a vehicle for me to work through the grief/pain from problems and situations that arise every day –a kind of spiritual road map for my soul that God drew for me.
A popular discussion topic of many meetings I go to in S-Anon is “spiritual awakening.” Over the years of my recovery, I have come to think of a spiritual awakening as “becoming aware of the obvious.” My awakenings have always been so simple and right in front of me, but early on I would usually miss them because I was lost in my “how my relationship should be if only…” fantasy. Diligently working the Steps gradually removed the fantasy and revealed the obvious insights that were just waiting for me. I am astounded by God’s ability to free so many of us by His message of truth, as He weaves our healing with that of those around us when we follow His lead and carry the message.
Recently some S-Anon friends and I were reminiscing about our early days in the program. One friend good-naturedly shared how confusing it had been to listen to my sharing in meetings those first few years. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I asked her to tell me more. She said it seemed that I spoke in riddles and talked around things, as if I were hiding something. After thinking for a moment, I said, “Yes, that may be true.” That evening while doing my Tenth Step inventory, I reflected on what my friend had said, asking God to help me to be honest about my past and to grant me the openness to receive any new spiritual insight. I thought back to what I was like years ago and what brought me to S-Anon.
I first came to S-Anon years ago when my wife admitted her sexaholism, and I admitted my own need for help. When Steps Eight and Nine were discussed in meetings and I heard about placing my own name on the amends list, I honestly thought it was a stupid idea. Yet as I worked the program and began experiencing its gifts, the idea didn’t seem quite so foolish anymore. About a year ago, I started making an amends to myself by taking up the sport of golf. I had always wanted to play but never felt I had the time, having placed work and others ahead of caring for myself. The result was a great deal of resentment at others who “took up so much of my time,” to say nothing of the lack of fun and relaxation in my life. So at age 55 I finally let go of that resentment and made the time to do something nice for me – just for me. It wasn’t about making a living for my family or creating the right environment for my wife and kids or trying to impress people at work. It was just for me, and that really feels good. So now when I come into my office wearing my chartreuse pants and golf shirt in the morning, and my staff starts poking fun because they know I’m going to leave early and play golf that afternoon, I just smile.
Reprinted from S-Anon Twelve Steps, page 105.
Working the Steps has given each of us spiritual awakenings, some dramatic and some so gradual they can only be seen through hindsight, yet our experiences have much in common. We can now do what we had previously been unable to do on our own. We have been transformed through accepting the help of a Higher Power, a previously underused source of strength. We have experienced the freedom of knowing that God’s help is always within reach. We have reached a new level of honesty, inner peace and love. Working the Steps has given us conscious contact with God and a rebirth of our own spirit. Living the Steps has given us new purpose, and we find that we are much more able to accept each challenge we may face as an opportunity for further growth. Practicing our program outside of S-Anon meetings can be difficult at times, but when we extend these spiritual principles into our daily lives, we enjoy a growing emotional maturity and become aware of even more spiritual awakenings. Using the principles of the Twelve Steps, we find that we can detach where we previously were obsessed. We develop compassion for those we had found unlovable. We respect ourselves. We are able to do what we never had been able to do before. We learn to assume our responsibilities and let others do the same. We know that whatever comes, our program and our Higher Power will help us to live fully and deal with problems as they arise. The gifts of the S-Anon program are truly ours.
Reprinted from S-Anon Twelve Steps, pages 151-152.
We come to see that the foundation of Step Seven is humility, that is, a willingness to accept ourselves as we are and to accept God’s help. Humility is not about weakness, submissiveness, or humiliation. Rather it is about surrendering the attitude that seems to be the root of many of our troubles: “I know best.” Being humble does not mean we stop trying to take positive action on our own behalf. Instead we stop relying exclusively on our own
strength and intelligence and come to genuinely trust in our Higher Power’s will for us, asking God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Like Step Three, Step Seven is an action Step in the form of a prayer. For most of us, exactly how we ask God to remove our defects does not seem to matter, so long as we express our complete willingness to be changed and believe that our Higher Power can and will help us. Many take Step Seven through praying as it is traditionally understood, for example, using the Seventh Step prayer found on page 76 of Alcoholics Anonymous. Others request God to remove their shortcomings through methods like writing, creatively visualizing or meditating. We keep in mind that Step Seven is not about begging, pleading or groveling. Neither is it coming to our Higher Power with a wish list of exactly what we think we need. Rather, Step Seven is a process of humbly acknowledging our ongoing need to rely on God.
Reprinted from S-Anon Twelve Steps, page 82.

domain: literature


The State of Kansas is now hiring teenagers to be substitute teachers.
As the state struggles to hire and fill teacher vacancies to lead kindergarten, grade school, middle school and high school classrooms, the state’s Board of Education has lowered requirements for hiring emergency substitutes. Through June 1, substitute teachers in Kansas do not have to meet the standard requirement of attaining at least 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university. For the time being, all an applicant needs are a high school diploma, be at least 18 years old and pass a background check. No degree? No problem, for now.
California leads the nation in the number of open teaching jobs, and the governor has recently issued an executive order through the end of March allowing schools to extend current substitute teacher contracts and has also made it easier for recently retired teachers to return to classrooms.
Teacher shortages have been reported across the country for years. Researchers from the Economic Policy Institute recently investigated this issue further and found that the problem is worse than they initially thought. Last year, the institute found that nationwide teacher shortages have reached 118,000 vacancies. That number and is forecast to increase to 200,000 by 2025.
Teacher shortages in California, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Indiana, District of Columbia and Hawaii are due to the lack of special education, math, science and language arts teachers. Elementary schools are in need of teachers who can teach core subjects.
The increasing rate of vacancies were ushered in by layoffs during the Great Recession, which forced teachers to leave classrooms across the country. Few applied to replace them, and more teachers have left the education during the pandemic.
In Illinois, public schools were looking for more than 4,100 teachers in the state’s public schools as of last fall. That need has doubled within the past four years.
A recent survey from the Illinois Association of Superintendents of Schools revealed that almost 90 percent of the state’s school districts need teachers. The state has struggled to fill teaching positions for the same reasons as other states, but the state’s soaring salaries and pensions has also contributed to the void.
The Illinois State Board of Education recorded the minimum wage for Illinois teachers was $32,076 for fiscal year 2021, while the average pay for an administrator in this state earned $111,293 during that same time. The Illinois Policy Institute has found that more than 9,000 state administrators make six-figures each year. These administrators lead school districts that have few buildings to oversee. The state has 852 school districts, of which almost half serve just one or two schools. In comparison, Illinois spent $1.27 billion on administrator salaries in 2020 for the state’s 1.9 million K-12 students, while administrators in Florida serve twice as many students for one-fifth of that salary during that time.
These findings indicate Illinois taxpayers are burdened by an excessive number of administrators and an increasing pension debt, while Illinois homeowners pay twice the national average in property taxes to account for these expenditures.
Solving the Land of Lincoln’s teacher shortage will mean making difficult decisions. This means increasing teacher salaries, reigning in pensions and consolidating some school districts to help reduce state property taxes.
That would be a good start.
Will Buss teaches broadcasting and journalism at Western Illinois University.
This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: illinois teacher shortage solutions


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|The Artisan Bread School 2010|
|My new flame: Le Panyol 83|
Fast forward two years, and I ordered my oven in June 2012. It took me four months to find a qualified masonry person who was willing to do a task as small as mine. Since its arrival in October, I'd been scouring the Internet, reading as much as I could about how to use my new toy. Needless to say, it didn't come with instructions. Along with the 2,400 pound crate, it arrived with a manila envelope that included the state requirements proclaiming the materials made were "safe for human use", and a 15-minute video of how to start a fire in the oven. Instructions on how to actually use the wood-fire oven must have gotten lost in the mail!
|Overnight Dough with 70% Hydration|
There are not that many wood-fire oven books on the market. Some of the ones that are out there have have well written oven-management instructions, but the recipes included just do not sound appetizing. The books written by chefs have recipes that sounds more appealing; while I have not tried every recipe in the book, I have cooked many meals and eaten great meals in restaurants to know if the recipe reads flavorful!
With much experimentation and night time reading, I roasted, baked, sautéed, and braised meals for three months. Since June 2012, I've added five wood-fire oven books to my culinary library collection. I've baked pizza, roasted meats (whole chicken, pork chops, sausages) roasted vegetables (fennel, parsnips, red potatoes), and baked artisan breads (sourdoughs). Somehow, I end up overcooking either the vegetables or the meat. I found myself cooking the last batch of bread using a flashlight. Rather than waste time and money in overcooking meals and wondering if I'm using heat optimally, I decided to enroll in a wood-fire oven class.
I've known about The Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School for several years now, and decided to pay them a visit!
NOTE: The rest of the blog talks about my experience at a wood-fire oven course. This blog post goes out to those who are interested in having a wood fire oven in their back yard, are in the process of building one, or enthusiast owners like myself who are in a similar predicament as I am, wondering if what you're doing is the best practice!
|Hall and Shelly learning the basics|
Class experiences varied from folks who already own an oven (built or purchased), who wanted to learn oven management, are in the process of buying one to have a wood-fire oven business, or wanting to expand their cooking and baking abilities with the wood-fire oven. Ultimately, everyone wanted to learn oven-management techniques
|Anesthetist, Principal, Store Owner, Bakers, Doc|
Building a Fire
Step by step, Michael walked us through the steps of starting a fire. From stacking wood properly to managing a burning stack of wood until it died to ruby red embers, he explained the importance of the techniques that work for him.
|"The Sandy Technique"|
|Separate the colors, who knew?!|
|Piping Hot Pita Breads|
One advantage of taking lessons from a master baker like Michael is that he gave us knowledge that took him six years to learn, (i.e., what types of skillet pans work best, which oven gloves keeps your hands the safest.) I really appreciated his openness in sharing with us his words of wisdom!
Enjoyed a bounty of breakfast treats from the oven: yogurt with granola and fresh fruit, cinnamon rolls, and piping hot coffee!
Our Turn to Play:
Today, it was our turn to start the fire! It was teamwork. David assembled the wood around the edge of the oven, like a jigsaw puzzle. Each wood overlapped one another, ensuring that there was enough of a gap for air flow. Hall and I started the wood lattice in front of the oven opening, starting with large pieces of wood to medium-to-small pieces of wood, and added kindling which was lit and pushed between the large pieces of wood. After about 5 minutes, once the lattice woodwork caught on fire, Teagan pushed the entire pile of wood towards the far back. The building of fire is no big secret. It is quite similar to starting a fire in your fire place. Although after today, everyone will develop their own technique.
|Preheating the skillets|
|Foolishness with Poolish|
Ultimately, the class was meant for us to learn and understand oven management. In doing so, we got to cook wonderful breads, pizza, and vegetables along the way in order to use the oven in various temperatures. During the higher temperatures (700-800 degrees), the vegetables were roasted (asparagus and red potatoes) and we cooked pizza. In the 600-700 range, chicken and mussels were sautéed. In the 400-500 degree range, we baked 22 French batards. Taking advantage of the cooking temperatures, a citrus herbed and Greek herb infused lamb roast was prepared, and for dessert, a beautifully caramelized apple tartine.
|Simple Pleasures in Life|
The class was a success for everyone! We all came away with more knowledge about the oven, great recipes, and tools. For me, I have learned to be more patient with my oven and with myself! I need to spread out my cooking and baking over several days and not try to do it all in one day!
|Ready to Peel|
Thanks to his artistic and talented wife, Sandy and their illustrious helping staff of four, Michael was able to spend time answering our questions, offering bread-baking, pastry-making, and hearth-cooking advice throughout both days without missing a beat. And if he did miss a beat or two, Sandy was close by to lovingly remind him.
Books I Recommend:
Wood Fired Oven Cookbook (Holly and Davis Jones) The book is thorough. Section on Lighting and Controlling a Fire (with photographs); Menu Ideas and Timing Guides, Both from the UK, Holly is a chef and Davis, a trained baker...classic dishes, and all types of recipes (flavors of Greece, Britain, Morroco,etc..) that are easy to cook-all geared for the WFO. Recipes for Pizzas and Many Toppings, Fish and Seafood, Veggies Meat, Breads, Puddings and Cakes.
Wood-Fired Cooking: Techniques and Recipes for the Grill, Backyard Oven, Fire Place and Campfire (Mary Karlin) A good overview of cooking options for the home cook. She has a section on Wood Fire Basics, Developing a Cooking Plan and a chart of Hardwood and Fruitwoods (flavor profile, heat level, and coaling quality). Mary Karlin is also a chef - having taught at the Culinary Institute of America in Greystone, and other culinary schools.The recipes in the book are amazing. Chapters include Baking Flatbreads and Rustic Artisan Breads, Wood Fire Grilling, Campfire Cooking, Wood Fire Roasting, Claypot and Cast Iron oven cooking, savory tarts and galettes baked on the Hearth, Low and Slow: Braising to barbecue. The recipes are rustic, wholesome, and easy. She chooses to include recipes that takes advantage of the flavors that you'll only get from a WFO.
Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (Francis Mallman) He is a famous chef in South America - illustrating all the techniques of how food is cooked using fire. From a parrilla -cooking on a grill- similar to a Tuscan grill....to a clay oven, using embers and ashes, using an iron cross, to a cauldron. He explains how to build a fire in your back yard and cook elaborate meals - his recipes are South American-influenced (empanadas, ribeye with chimichurri,etc,) His meals are gourmet and elaborate, compared to the others, but the preparations are worthwhile.


MR11 / MR16 LED Bulbs
MR11 and MR16 bulbs are used for boat lighting mainly in recessed downlights and spot lights. Our marine type MR11/MR16 bulbs come in the same size as their halogen counterparts so they will fit into your existing fixtures, saving you from spending 100’s of extra dollars on new fixtures.
Our marine LED MR11 and MR16 type bulbs are equipped with DC10-30V constant current drivers and high quality SMD 5050 or 1W chips. They use up to 70% less energy in your boat lights.
Marine Halogen MR11 and MR16 bulbs are also known for the heat they generate inside your boat as their operating temperature is very high. Marine LED bulbs will also lower heat build up in your boat which is very helpful when you are cruising in tropical waters.


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Because flood insurance and pension guarantee failure aren’t enough, Congress wants to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA).
The version approved by the House Financial Services Committee contains several provisions that the Treasury Department opposes, such as the addition of group life insurance and the kinds of coverage eligible for the backstop. The bill also calls for different triggers for different types of coverage — a provision dubbed siloing — that critics say would lower the damage level at which the federal program could be invoked.
The Treasury Department has not favored extension of TRIA, but agreed last summer to accept it if it were more restrictive than the original program and designed to be temporary, leaving coverage eventually to private insurers.
Treasury Secretary John W. Snow endorsed the version approved by the Senate Banking Committee. [ed. note: The Senate version is less expansive.] The panel’s actions “recognize the temporary nature of the program and place terrorism insurance on the right path to full private market participation,” he said.
The Treasury Department and other critics say the private market is now able to resume insuring against terrorism but will not do so as long as the federal government provides the coverage at little or no cost.
I’ve left out the details because they don’t matter in the discussion of principle. They’re in the article if you want them. What’s important here is that the government is once again circumventing the private market and the Treasury Department tried to explain this. It’s nice to have the assurance that someone will pay for the damage should another attack occur, but it’s not at little or no cost.
An attack could occur anywhere, but no one expects it to be in Peoria. Those people shouldn’t pay for the risk inherent in building a new skyscraper in New York City. We should’ve learned this lesson with every hurricane that comes along. The private market would’ve compensated for the extra risk to lives and property along the Gulf Coast by making it (prohibitively?) expensive to live and work there, but our helpful friends in Congress crushed that. Taxpayers get the $200 billion bill, yet the undesirable fallacy of socialized risk
management denial marches on.
Post Script: Thankfully we have someone in Congress to put it all in perspective.
“I do not regard TRIA as a favor to the insurance industry,” said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.). “It’s a favor to the insureds.”
I think that (D-Mass.) should read (S-Mass.) “favor to the insureds” shows me that Rep. Frank prefers his capitalism with a large dose of socialist stupidity.


What happens when deep house meets live instruments and sultry singing? The genre is smack in the middle of a renaissance period, and the innovation of the producers involved takes the genre to new heights day by day. One welcome addition to deep house has been live elements, notably instruments and vocals. New York-based duo Bob Moses epitomize this trend perhaps better than anyone; member Jimmy Vallance creates blissful, deep instrumentals, while counterpart Tow Howie plays guitar and sings with a downcast yet mesmerizing voice.
The duo just released their debut album Days Gone By, and with it Bob Moses makes a strong case for being one of the hottest rising acts in electronic music today. While previous singles emphasized the techno production over the live aspects, this debut LP straddles the line between the two halves just enough to give their music a pop sheen. Make no mistake, moody production plays a critical role in the album, but it works more cohesively with Howie’s singing than it ever has in the past.
A somber tone dominates Days Gone By, punctuated by emotive guitar licks and lone piano keys. The opening track “Like It Or Not”, sets the mood excellently: cascading drums, dance-ready claps, and Howie delivering lyrics like, “Like it or not you know it’s true.” This eclectic mixture carries throughout the album, but Bob Moses ensure to diversify each track so that the overall atmosphere of the album never wears its welcome. However, the tracks never experiment too much, and the potential for genre-defying tracks definitely exists for this duo.
The subject matter of the tracks is the one key element that remains similar throughout, with Howie singing about topics like lost love, lust, and infidelity. In “Tearing Me Up”, an album highlight, Howie paints a picture of a man being seduced by a women already in a relationship. Vallance juxtaposes the dark subject matter with a groovy bassline and snaps, and Howie plays along with vocal patterns that sound fit for a dance club. This divide could be explored more in future releases, as the other tracks never reach quite the groovy ceiling “Tearing Me Up” hits.
Other tracks scale the energy down to give both members time to refine their sound. On titular track “Days Gone By”, a lone synth complements Howie’s grave lyrics, focused on times (and perhaps love) passed. “Before I Fall” also fits the grey mold, complete with a gripping guitar lick and Howie urging that he’s “gonna need someone strong to catch [him] before [he] falls.” Not the sort of lyrics one would picture with the clubs of Ibiza and New York City, but the instrumentals do a great job of bouncing the energy up.
The songs work best when the layers build up to create an emotional climax, as demonstrated by “Too Much Is Never Enough.” The track begins quietly, with drums and guitar chords heard far in the distance. Howie’s voice creates a light for the listener to use as a navigator, and the growing instrumentals bring bright light to a track that began in darkness. Bob Moses excel in creating mood, and it’s no wonder their music appealed to the deep house lovers since they first started releasing singles.
With Days Gone By, Bob Moses touches on poppy melodies just enough to find a larger audience without alienating their established fanbase. It’s a very strong debut, but we urge the duo to pursue some diversity when it comes to their next work. Given the live presence on the album, the group’s live show should organically represent the new songs and mix well with the previous tracks of their career.
Want a chance to win a copy of Days Gone By, a signed copy of their EP First to Cry, and tickets to their show at Double Door in Chicago? Check out our React Presents giveaway for more info.


text:
Marcelo Gomes Just Resigned from ABT
American Ballet Theatre just announced that principal dancer Marcelo Gomes, who celebrated 20 years with the company this summer, has resigned.
Last Saturday, ABT learned of a “highly concerning” allegation of sexual misconduct by Gomes, related to an incident from approximately eight years ago. A press release from board chairman Andrew F. Barth says that the allegation did not involve any current or former company members, and didn’t occur in relation to Gomes’ employment with ABT. The company launched an independent investigation, and today, in light of that investigation, Gomes gave his resignation.
Details are scarce right now. But as far as we know, Gomes is still on the lineup to choreograph for The Washington Ballet’s program of premieres in March. And his documentary, Anatomy of a Male Ballet Dancer, is scheduled to have its theatrical premiere at Film Forum in New York City from January 3 to 16.


Use of Hypergolic Thrusters
Hypergolic propellants are a fuel and oxydizer which ignite
spontaneously on contact with each other. The most commonly used
hypergolics in spacecraft today are monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen
Hypergolic propellants avoid the need for an ignition system for the
thrusters. If something is going to fail, it probably will be an ignition
system; and you
don't want a thruster failure when you're maneuvering to dock with another
vehicle. There's also the issue of responsiveness of the system to command
inputs -- an ignition sequence could require several seconds -- and the amount
of fuel used when you're repeatedly relighting an LH2-LOX thruster. The
ignition system would either be a spark plug that will burn out the first time
you ignite the thrusters, a spark injector that's prone to failure and slow to
start, or a hypergolic mixture injected onto the combustion plate just as the
primary fuel starts to arrive. You can see that for jets we'll use hundreds of
times during the mission, we wind up with a hypergolic system anyhow.
We don't use cold-gas thrusters because they're so wimpy compared to the
of fuel used to maneuver the vehicle. A heated gas system would be new
technology development, with the additional complexity of maintaining the
temperature and pressure of the system. I don't know if heated gas would work;
but my gut feeling is that it would be a dead-end research project.
So, we ought to stick with what all the rocket scientists who have come
us have learned in 40 years of spacecraft development. With hypergolics, you
just need to tie your controls into a system that opens two valves (one fuel,
one oxydizer), and poof, you get a thrust vector you can predict to three
decimal places controlled to a hundredth of a second. Remotely operated valves
are very reliable and available off the shelf. Spaceship parts are pricey, but
lots cheaper than new development.
Copyright © 2007 Artemis Society International, for the
contributors. All rights reserved.
This web site contains many trade names and copyrighted articles and images.
ASI Web Team
Submit update to this page.
Maintained with WebSite Director.
Updated Sat, May 9, 1998.


Daily deal sites bring in new business: study
March 6, 2012 By Canadian Garden Centre & Nursery
Mar. 6, 2012, Ann Arbor — Daily deal sites attract new customers and inspire loyalty, new research from customer experience analytics firm ForeSee reveals.
March 6, 2012, Ann Arbor — Daily deal sites attract new customers and
inspire loyalty, new research from customer experience analytics firm
While there has been some argument about the impact of daily deal offers on new business, according to the ForeSee report, daily deal offers do increase business awareness, purchases, and repeat purchases.
| Source: Foresee
Fifty-five per cent of daily deal purchasers were new or infrequent customers of the business offering the discount; 12 per cent of subscribers had never heard of the business prior to buying the deal.
More than 90 per cent of web shoppers reported they had already made another transaction with a merchant company since taking advantage of an offer, or plan to do so in the future.
"No one really knew what to expect when daily deal sites first came on the scene, but our research shows that these sites are no passing fad," said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee. "Businesses that use these sites effectively are growing their customer base and customers are getting a deal, which results in a win for everyone. The challenge is for businesses to use this tool in smart ways and to work with daily deal sites who can deliver a good experience to users and merchants alike."
The clear front runner of all daily deal sites is Groupon. Groupon has more subscribers and more purchases than any other daily deal site including LivingSocial and Woot. According to the report, more than half of customers surveyed use Groupon (52 per cent); 30 per cent use LivingSocial. Despite these large percentages, there is some overlap in the subscriber base, and 40 per cent of survey respondents do not subscribe to any daily deal services.
Groupon also has the largest share of subscribers to their service alone with 44 per cent of Groupon customers reporting that they only subscribe to Groupon. Just 12 per cent of LivingSocial users subscribe exclusively to LivingSocial.
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