|Remember the story of the
little boy and the Emperor's new clothes? Being a student or recent
graduate can be a bit like that. As a newcomer to an organisation,
you may well be the one who recognises that something is wrong.
Guy Dehn is director of Public Concern at Work, which supports
employees who "blow the whistle" on professional misconduct or
fraudulent and unethical behaviour. He says that as well as being
more likely to recognise something amiss, a new person on a work
placement or temporary contract can feel that he or she has less to
lose than long-standing staff.
He quotes the case of a student working in a large supermarket
chain who realised that the delicatessen manageress was altering the
dates on "sell-by" labels in order to sell out-of-date food. Other
staff members knew it was going on but were keeping quiet. The
student took her concerns to another manager in the store, and
subsequently to Public Concern at Work, and returned to her studies
having stopped a practice that had been endangering public health.
The UK now has strong whistleblower protection - thanks to last
year's Public Interest Disclosure Act. If someone is dismissed for
legitimately informing on their employer, the court can order their
reinstatement or award unlimited compensation. "You are protected
from your first day at work. But it doesn't mean you can leak any
information anywhere. The legislation protects only those people who
do it responsibly," says Mr Dehn. That means going through the
proper channels first. And bona fide whistleblowing under the Act is
where the wrongdoing affects the interests of the public - not where
you personally feel that you have been badly treated, he says.
Mandie Lavin, the director of professional standards at the
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, points out that in
professions such as nursing and accountancy, people are bound by
codes of conduct or ethical guidelines to express any concerns about
the ethical standards of colleagues.
Students and graduates are often the ones with the most
up-to-date knowledge of a subject. But if you are relatively new to
the workplace it can be difficult to know whether a suspicion is
justified or not. Obviously, you will still have a lot to learn and
what may at first glance look like unethical practice could in fact
not be a problem at all, Ms Lavin says.
Challenging accepted practice can seem a momentous task. For this
reason, Ms Lavin and Mr Dehn advise against trying to go it alone.
Some companies are introducing whistleblowing policies, giving
correct procedures. If not, talk about your concerns with someone
more experienced - your tutor, a colleague, your professional
organisation or trade union. Public Concern at Work has a
"Trade unions and professional organisations have an important
role - they may be the first port of call for people who are
wrestling with their conscience and wondering whether or not they
should take action. They have become a lot more sophisticated in how
they support people through that process," Ms Lavin says.
Your biggest fear is likely to be that falling out with your
employer will jeopardise the rest of your career. Will future
employers see you as a troublemaker? Not necessarily, Mr Dehn
believes. He recommends being open and honest about why you left.
Emma Phillips, 23, had a dispute with her employer - over unpaid
wages rather than whistleblowing - but it has not counted against
her. On leaving university with a law degree in 1998, Ms Phillips
decided to work for a while before doing her bar finals. She was
delighted when she was offered a job as assistant editor on a
newsletter being launched by a small conferencing company.
"I was never given a contract of employment or a proper payslip -
I was being paid by personal cheques from the company's owner," she
says. "It was quite stressful - I felt I was being fobbed off all
When one of the personal cheques bounced, Ms Phillips felt she
had to leave. The company refused to pay her outstanding wages of
almost £700 and the dispute dragged on. She was understandably
anxious about what she would say to future employers. "If you have
left your previous employer on bad terms, interviewers want to know
However, the employment agency she subsequently joined was
supportive, she says. With the help of the Advisory, Conciliation
and Arbitration Service (Acas), she decided to take the company to
an employment tribunal, but the week before the hearing the company
Ms Phillips has since been offered two permanent jobs and is now
an office administrator at Public Concern at Work. "Fortunately I
had some knowledge of employment law. I was prepared to see it
through," she says. "It's important to take a stand."
Public Concern at Work, Suite 306, 16 Baldwins Gardens,
London EC1N 7RJ. Tel: 0207404 6609. http://www.pcaw.demon.co.uk/. Acas, Clifton House,
83-117 Euston Road, London NW1 2RB. Tel: 020 7396 5100
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text:
News & Features
VENICE TO ATHENS WITH SILVER SHADOW
With prices starting from just £5,310 including Business Class Air Travel, there has never been a better time to cruise the Adriatic Sea.
Dive into a region that takes its living seriously. Small ports and big cities. World renowned food and World Heritage sites. Fast-past events and living la dolce vita. Whether you want to uncover or rediscover the Med, the region will always leave you wanting more.
What makes sailing the Mediterranean with Silversea so special?
Three words. Unparalleled destination knowledge. This coast is our heritage; no one understands the Mediterranean Sea better than us. Our small ships access both the tiny ports and the big hitters that make the region so unique, perfect for those who really want to experience the authenticity of the Mediterranean. That’s our real secret.
What’s more, we guarantee all-included luxury. Think fleet-wide personal service, the S.A.L.T. culinary programme and the highest staff to guest ratio at sea. If you have ever wanted to live like a local in the Mediterranean, then a Silversea luxury cruise is the way to do it.

domain: geography


text:
1. What is Mary Rowlandson’s story? What does it tell us about the conflict between English colonists and Native Americans?
2. What does her account tell us about colonial views about Native Americans? How does she portray them? How does she portray the colonists?
3. What role does religion play in her narrative? What does this tell us about colonial New England society?
4. How can historians use a source like this? What problems might a historian have using this source?
Please use this for the source: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/851/851-h/851-h.htm

domain: history


text:
|Bid||0.00 x 0|
|Ask||187.55 x 0|
|Day's Range||185.85 - 188.30|
|52 Week Range||174.10 - 222.35|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||11.97|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||5.80 (3.10%)|
|1y Target Est||236.59|
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (NSEI:POWERGRID) trades with a trailing P/E of 12.7x, which is lower than the industry average of 13.1x. While this makes POWERGRID appear like aRead More...
There is a lot to be liked about Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (NSEI:POWERGRID) as an income stock, over the past 10 years it has returned an average ofRead More...
When Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (NSEI:POWERGRID) announced its most recent earnings (31 March 2017), I did two things: looked at its past earnings track record, then look atRead More...
Let’s talk about the popular Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (NSEI:POWERGRID). The company’s shares had a relatively subdued couple of weeks in terms of changes in share price, whichRead More...
A sizeable part of portfolio returns can be produced by dividend stocks due to their contribution to compounding returns in the long run. Over the past 10 years, Power GridRead More...
For long term investors, improvement in profitability and outperformance against the industry can be important characteristics in a stock. In this article, I will take a look at Power GridRead More...

domain: finance


text:
Feb. 18, 2021
Jessie Valleroyi joined in with the many anglers who are finding the brown trout excellent right now in the higher waters on the White River, thanks to all the generation from Bull Shoals Dam for the area's power needs. Browns love the water. Photo provided by Cotter Trout Dock.
Feb. 17, 2021
LONOKE — Thanks to a planned renovation, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery will soon be able to increase efficiency and provide even more benefit to Arkansas anglers. The next phase of the Hogan renovation, slated for this year, includes the engineering and construction of an indoor spawning and hatching facility for warmwater species raised at the hatchery.
Feb. 11, 2021
Jeff Jones didn't let the extra clothing to battle the cold weather stop him from battling and winning against a White River brown trout near Cotter Trout Dock recently. Photo provided by Cotter Trout Dock.
Feb. 10, 2021
LITTLE ROCK — The twister tail or curly-tailed grub is one of the most basic, but effective lures in the multi-species angler’s tacklebox.
Feb. 10, 2021
MAYFLOWER — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Habitat for the Holidays Program supplies anglers throughout the state with used and leftover Christmas trees to sweeten up their own fishing locations, but anglers at Lake Conway’s Lawrence Landing saw a bonus batch of trees thanks to Lowe’s home improvement store in Conway.
Feb. 4, 2021
Greg Archer enjoyed the brown trout bite on the White River below Bull Shoals recently. Photo provided by Cotter Trout Dock.
Feb. 3, 2021
LITTLE ROCK – Anglers and hunters and other boaters who use the state’s waterways are being reminded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Fisheries Division of a new regulation that took effect Jan. 1, 2021, requiring all boat drain plugs to be removed before and during trailering of vessels to and from access facilities on lakes, rivers and streams.

domain: hobby


text:
Whether you are a throw in all in the night before kind of packer or you carefully tick things off your checklist as you fold everything meticulously into your suitcase, here are 10 holiday packing tips to help out everyone.
1. Buy a Lightweight Suitcase
If your suitcase has seen better days (you know the one with the dodgy wheels that feels like its full when empty), why not take the opportunity to buy a new lightweight suitcase. Not only will this make life easier travelling to the airport, but also will enable you to get more essentials into your case and avoid paying excess luggage charges.
2. Check what your hotel provides
It’s well worth checking what the hotel facilities include, many hotels will have a hairdryer, provide pool towels and even an iron if you request it so you can save packing these large and bulky items.
3. Save money with luggage scales
You can put your case on the scales at home but how many times have you been caught out coming home from holiday and had to pay excess luggage costs. A simple battery operated hand luggage scale can make sure you don’t have any embarrassing moments when you check in at the airport. Remember, if your luggage is over the weight you can always put some more clothes on, airlines don’t weigh you only your case!
4. Use Tape to prevent liquid spills
Avoid the nightmare scenario when you open your suitcase and find your shampoo has leaked over your clothes. It’s not how you want to start your holiday so simply put some cello tape around the lid opening ensure there are no spillages. You can also pack bottles inside shoes to stop them from getting squashed and splitting or place them in a sealed plastic lunch box to prevent any spills from getting on your clothes if you’ve got the space.
5. Take some first aid essentials
Be prepared, these are always handy whether it’s paracetamol for the morning after or a plaster for a blister. A few first aid essentials can save a trip to the pharmacy and let you enjoy your holiday.
6. Hold luggage versus hand luggage
If you are off on a weekend break, why not just take hand luggage and save the time checking in hold luggage (always massive queues) and waiting to collect your case from the carousels. Even the budget airlines are relaxing the rules by allowing additional handbags as carry on luggage, but it’s always best to check with the individual airlines beforehand. Remember the liquid rules as well and don’t get caught out at Customs.
7. Prepare for lost luggage
It will never happen to me! But just in case why not put a few essentials in your hand luggage. If there are two of you travelling you can always pack some items into both cases to cover all bases here. It’s also worth ensuring you have luggage labels with your name and address just in the case worst happens.
8. Holiday Packing List
Even if you are not a list maker, why take the chance of forgetting your passport! Simply jot down the essentials and avoid the last minute panic as to whether you’ve got everything. Don’t get hung up on the list though, otherwise you can spend longer writing it than it takes to pack in the first place.
9. Don’t forget chargers
Rightly or wrongly, we can’t operate without technology today, even on holiday so don’t forget to pack your phone, camera, e-book chargers. There’s nothing worse than unpacking your case to realise your phone charger is still plugged in next to your bed at home.
10. Book a cab
Avoid airport parking stress by booking a cab so you arrive at the airport relaxed. If you book ahead you can specify whether you need kids car seats or have a lot of luggage, especially handy if you are taking a surfboard!
Our holiday packing tips will have you packing like pro and finally, remember you’re going on holiday, be happy and enjoy.

domain: travel


text:
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domain: sociology


text:
Then, in early 2009, an anonymous programmer or a group of programmers under an alias Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin. Satoshi described it as a ‘peer-to-peer electronic cash system.’ It is completely decentralized, meaning there are no servers involved and no central controlling authority. The concept closely resembles peer-to-peer networks for file sharing.
On 3 January 2009, the bitcoin network was created when Nakamoto mined the first block of the chain, known as the genesis block. Embedded in the coinbase of this block was the text "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks". This note references a headline published by The Times and has been interpreted as both a timestamp and a comment on the instability caused by fractional-reserve banking.:18


Originally Posted by mist
If the manufacturer permits dry firing of a particular firearm I see nothing wrong with it as long as permission is granted by the seller. Dry firing a brand new revolver, especially with a blued finish, may be frowned upon in an attempt to keep the cylinder turn ring to a minimum.
As stated in previous posts, I've seen people, sellers and purchasers, do some pretty stupid stuff in their attempts to impress others with their handling abilities. Spinning the cylinder and slamming it shut, using the slide lock to drop the slide on an empty chamber, slamming a magazine home "Magnum P.I." style to name a few. Watching them is like watching a train wreck; you want to close your eyes and turn away but you can't.
That's what gets me, particularly with the revolver one. The employee could have bent the ejector rod or crane, broken the locking bolt (just off the top of my head) with his mishandling, then tells me not to dry fire, claiming its bad for the gun. I'm wondering if some gun store employees get all of their training from movies?! And not from books or workshops/classes. It's crazy they'd let the clerks cowboy the revolvers like that but not allow dry firing.
Going back to the original point- yes, gun shops should have snap caps for each display gun, at least in a box behind the counter (far enough behind that customers can't access them and steal them, as one poster hypothesized) if they don't want you to pull the trigger on an empty chamber. heck, what would it hurt to keep one in the mag or cylinder of every display gun? If the clerk is watching no one will make off with any of the caps. And if the customer wants to fire the gun it's "safe" for the gun, and it will only help sales as there are certainly customers who need to test the trigger to commit to buying a firearm. I doubt anyone would refuse to buy because snap caps are present. Doesn't make sense not to have them IMO, unless the gun store wants the guns action to be kept either opened or closed and not worked much to retain the NIB finish on the display models.
Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


text:
Ameliorating Precast Concrete Curbs Using Rubber and Nano Material
Disposal of waste tire rubber has become one of the major environmental issues in each part the World. One of the possible solutions to dispose of scrap tire rubber is using them into concrete curbs. This paper presents a new method to ameliorate the rubber concrete using a particular rubber size and Nano Material. Initially six mix designs were performed to determine the optimized size and percentage of rubber according to compressive strength. Afterwards, the major concrete curbs were made with the optimum mix design. Three different samples were made to determine the effects of rubber and Nano. One of which was made without rubber and Nano, the other was made with rubber and the last with rubber and Nano. Experiments were carried out to determine the durability and strength of specimens according to ISIRI-12728.
Thomas, B.S. and R.C. Gupta, A comprehensive review on the applications of waste tire rubber in cement concrete. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2016. 54: p. 1323-1333.
Vieira, R.K., et al., Completely random experimental design with mixture and process variables for optimization of rubberized concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 2010. 24(9): p. 1754-1760.
Richardson, A., et al., Crumb rubber used in concrete to provide freeze–thaw protection (optimal particle size). Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016. 112: p. 599-606.
Ganjian, E., M. Khorami, and A.A. Maghsoudi, Scrap-tyre-rubber replacement for aggregate and filler in concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 2009. 23(5): p. 1828-1836.
Moustafa, A. and M.A. ElGawady, Mechanical properties of high strength concrete with scrap tire rubber. Construction and Building Materials, 2015. 93: p. 249-256.
Su, H., et al., Properties of concrete prepared with waste tyre rubber particles of uniform and varying sizes. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2015. 91: p. 288-296.
Li, L., S. Ruan, and L. Zeng, Mechanical properties and constitutive equations of concrete containing a low volume of tire rubber particles. Construction and Building Materials, 2014. 70: p. 291-308.
Diaconescu, R.-M., M. Barbuta, and M. Harja, Prediction of properties of polymer concrete composite with tire rubber using neural networks. Materials Science and Engineering: B, 2013. 178(19): p. 1259-1267.
Gupta, T., S. Chaudhary, and R.K. Sharma, Assessment of mechanical and durability properties of concrete containing waste rubber tire as fine aggregate. Construction and Building Materials, 2014. 73: p. 562-574.
Eldin, N.N. and A.B. Senouci, Measurement and prediction of the strength of rubberized concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites, 1994. 16(4): p. 287-298.
Gupta, T., S. Chaudhary, and R.K. Sharma, Mechanical and durability properties of waste rubber fiber concrete with and without silica fume. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016. 112: p. 702-711.
Hunag, L.-J., H.-Y. Wang, and Y.-W. Wu, Properties of the mechanical in controlled low-strength rubber lightweight aggregate concrete (CLSRLC). Construction and Building Materials, 2016. 112: p. 1054-1058.
Ismail, M.K. and A.A. Hassan, Use of metakaolin on enhancing the mechanical properties of self-consolidating concrete containing high percentages of crumb rubber. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016. 125: p. 282-295.
Rahimi, S., et al., Sustainable approach for recycling waste tire rubber and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to produce green concrete with resistance against sulfuric acid attack. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016. 126: p. 166-177.
Thomas, B.S. and R.C. Gupta, Long term behaviour of cement concrete containing discarded tire rubber. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2015. 102: p. 78-87.
Thomas, B.S. and R.C. Gupta, Properties of high strength concrete containing scrap tire rubber. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016. 113: p. 86-92.
Thomas, B.S., R.C. Gupta, and V.J. Panicker, Experimental and modelling studies on high strength concrete containing waste tire rubber. Sustainable Cities and Society, 2015. 19: p. 68-73.
Thomas, B.S., R.C. Gupta, and V.J. Panicker, Recycling of waste tire rubber as aggregate in concrete: Durability-related performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016. 112: p. 504-513.
Topçu, İ.B. and M. Sarıdemir, Prediction of rubberized concrete properties using artificial neural network and fuzzy logic. Construction and Building Materials, 2008. 22(4): p. 532-540.
Youssf, O., M.A. ElGawady, and J.E. Mills. Experimental investigation of crumb rubber concrete columns under seismic loading. in Structures. 2015. Elsevier.
Liu, J. and C. Vipulanandan, Evaluating a polymer concrete coating for protecting non-metallic underground facilities from sulfuric acid attack. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 2001. 16(4): p. 311-321.
Su, J. and A. Bloodworth, Interface parameters of composite sprayed concrete linings in soft ground with spray-applied waterproofing. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 2016. 59: p. 170-182.
Zhang, Z., et al., Enhanced water repellence and thermal insulation of masonry by zinc oxide treatment. Energy and Buildings, 2012. 54: p. 40-46.
Bamoharram, F.F., et al., Synthesis of a nano organo-silicon compound for building materials waterproofing, using heteropolyacids as a green and eco-friendly catalyst. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2013. 76(2–3): p. 384-387.
Iran, I.o.S.a.I.R.o., Concrete Kerb units Specifications and Test Methods. 2014.
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Copyright (c) 2017 Mohammad Ebrahim Komaki, Amirreza Ghodrati Dolatshamloo, Mahdi Eslami, Sahar Heydari
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

domain: chemistry


text:
The Senate, on Wednesday, confirmed the nominations of seven members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The confirmation of the nominees followed the consideration and adoption of the report by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions on the nominees.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Uba Sani, presented and laid the report.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had in the letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, dated February 23, 2022, noted that request for the confirmation and membership renewal was made pursuant to Section 12(4) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
Those confirmed by the Senate include Prof Mohammed Adaya Salisu and Dr. Mo’ Omamegbe – both of whom are new appointments.
The other five members whose appointments were renewed are Prof Michael Obadan, Prof. Festus Adeola Adenikinju, Prof. Aliyu Sanusi Rafindadi, Dr. Robert Asogwa and Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed.
Sani, in his presentation, said the nominees possessed the academic qualifications, technical knowledge and professional experience to be members of the MPC.
He also noted that the committee did not receive any petition against their nominations, adding that the nominees were all cleared by the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, and possess the Code of Conduct Bureau acknowledgment Slip.
Sani also noted that one of the nominees, Aliyu Ahmed, is the Permanent Secretary, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, who will serve as the representative of the ministry in the MPC.
Meanwhile, the Senate has passed for second reading, bills seeking to establish a Nigerian Council on Economic Diversification and a National Tax Crimes Commission.
While the Deputy Majority Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, sponsored the bill to establish the Nigerian Council on Economic Diversification, the Majority Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, sponsored that of the National Tax Crimes Commission.
Leading the debate on the general principles of the Nigerian Economic Diversification Bill, Sabi-Abdullahi noted that Nigeria’s economic fortunes are tied to oil, which accounts for more than half of the country’s revenue.
According to him, Nigeria’s crude oil proceeds fell by 41.60 per cent in the first quarter of 2021 to $6.48bn, from $11.1bn in the first quarter of 2020.
The lawmaker said, “Despite various loans, reforms, and policies, millions of Nigerians continue to remain impoverished. Diversification helps to mitigate volatility and provides a more sustainable path for equitable growth and development. It is even more crucial now, given the slower global economy and the pressing need in many developing nations to boost revenue.”


TRANSMISSION AND ABSORPTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES IN A COLLISIONLESS PLASMA SLAB.
INSTITUTE OF PLASMA PHYSICS NAGOYA UNIV (JAPAN)
Pagination or Media Count:
An investigation is made of the propagation of electromagnetic waves normal to a plasma slab having a density grandient. The plane of polarization of waves is perpendicular to an external magnetic field. At resonances, a WKB-type approximation does not represent waves and an appreciable absorption appears due to infinitesimal collisions so called the resonance absorption. The transmission and absorption coefficients are obtained in the limit of no collisions when in the slab the cut off is adjacent to the resonance. Author
- Plasma Physics and Magnetohydrodynamics
- Radiofrequency Wave Propagation


Division by zero in the query planner.
|User & Date:||drh 2019-08-15 14:28:04|
- foundin changed to: "3.29.0"
The following SQL causes a division by zero in the query planner:
<verbatim> ANALYZE; CREATE TABLE t1(a PRIMARY KEY); INSERT INTO sqlite_stat1 VALUES('t1',null,'sz=0'); ANALYZE sqlite_master; SELECT 0 FROM t1 WHERE a IN(1,2,3); </verbatim>
 The problem is the sz=0 parameter on the sqlite_stat1 entry for the t1 table. The value of sz needs to be 2 or greater, and this is not enforced. The problem was introduced by check-in [90e36676476e8db0] on 2014-04-30 and first appeared in version 3.8.5. This problem was reported on the SQLite mailing list by Xingwei Lin.
- login: "drh"
- mimetype: "text/x-fossil-wiki"
- severity changed to: "Severe"
- status changed to: "Open"
- title changed to: "Division by zero in the query planner."
- type changed to: "Code_Defect"


- Material: 100% Recycled Polyester
- Machine wash, tumble dry low
Put your excitement for Kansas Jayhawks game day on full display with this #1 Premier Strategy Jersey. This gear features authentic graphics that will get you fired up and show off your unmatched loyalty. Anytime you pull this jersey on, everyone will know you’re a true Kansas Jayhawks fan.


text:
1-16 of 6,966 results for "Plastic Mesh Fabric"
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Right Shears - Original Innovative Scissors - Cut plastic, cardboard, food, fabric, with your wrist straight and your hand clear!by Right Shears

domain: artistic


text:
Speed Brawl is a 2D combat-racer about moving fast and hitting hard. Maintain your momentum, build your combos, and unleash powerful special moves. Find your own fighting style and assemble the finest team of brawlers ever seen. Then do it all again, faster... faster... Click here to redeem your Nintendo Switch Key for Speed Brawl. Keys are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Note that these keys will work only in the US Nintendo eShop.
Every month, the IGN Prime team provides members an opportunity to grab great games and goodies picked by the Prime team. You can put in code FOUNDERSCIRCLE at checkout to get the first month for just $0.99. Here's what you get out of it:
- Browse IGN.com ad-free -- no banner ads, no video ads
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In This Article
Blizzard Leadership Interview: Discussing Diablo 4's Endgame and Live-Service Future
48m ago - "Never say never."
Tears of the Kingdom’s Duplication Glitches Were Harming Nobody, So Why Remove Them?
4h ago - Cheating can be fun, but it’s only allowed if you work at Nintendo.
Square Enix Still Releasing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth This Winter Despite Going Quiet for a Year
5h ago - Don't panic.
Tears of the Kingdom's Depths Hides One of the Biggest Zelda Secrets Ever
19h ago - And it's all around you.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Post-Credits Check-in (No Spoilers)
21h ago - Are there any surprises after the credits roll in the latest wallcrawler epic?

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Last Saturday, March 4th 2017, a meagre bunch of bigots held a rally at city hall. As is their right. And a whole bunch more people showed up to shout them down and shut them out, as was their right. Our right. Those are the edges of my protest sign that you can see at the bottom of all of my Theta images in the video from that day.
It should also be clear that I'm not covering this as a journalist. While my audio quality is better than that of the news crews who posted breathless videos about the day, it's also compressed, edited, and layered. The photos in the slideshow are all panoramas, which tends to deemphasize the size of the crowd, but sometimes you can see the little pocket of bigots behind their line of police protection from the overwhelming and peaceful opposition. The long-lens photos below have also been uglified to accurately reflect the opinions shown, but it's important to note that the people facing away from my camera, facing toward the signs shown here, are anti-racist counter-protestors.
Two signs from the bigots particularly stood out for me. One read “My Fears Are Not Irrational”, which sounds like the foot-stomping tantrum of an articulate six-year-old, but is actually a very particular complaint about the “phobic” part of being called Islamophobic. Along the same lines was the guy with the “Free To Criticize” poster. Seriously, you’re volunteering to be the public face of Naziism in Canada, and that milquetoast whine is the most powerful statement you’re willing to make?
But publicly, at least, that’s what this particular bunch of bigots is standing for: “Free Speech”, which they interpret as their unfettered ability to say hateful things about other people without other people saying hurtful things about them. Absolutely do not be fooled. These people are part of the same movement as those who are burning mosques, making bomb threats to Jewish community centres, and walking around with, presumably, still-warm squeeze bottles of their own urine to spray on Muslims. And that’s all just from Toronto, and all within a ten-day span of these bigots getting together to say they’re being oppressed. They can go fuck themselves with a bag of hammers.
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear; (b) condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination and take note of House of Commons’ petition e-411 and the issues raised by it; and (c) request that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage undertake a study on how the government could (i) develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia, in Canada, while ensuring a community-centered focus with a holistic response through evidence-based policy-making, (ii) collect data to contextualize hate crime reports and to conduct needs assessments for impacted communities, and that the Committee should present its findings and recommendations to the House no later than 240 calendar days from the adoption of this motion, provided that in its report, the Committee should make recommendations that the government may use to better reflect the enshrined rights and freedoms in the Constitution Acts, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
This shouldn't even need to be said, but: Parliamentary motion M-103 does not restrict anyone's right to say anything. Being broadly and justifiably reviled for being a bigot does not equate to systematic oppression. And anyone who doesn't think that the bigotry facing Muslims in 2017 deserves to be called out as Islamophobia has probably also said "but all lives matter!" at least once, and can refer back to the bag of hammers suggestion above.
Not that any of this actually has anything to do with M103 or some contentious definition of Islamophobia, which the government also condemned in 2016 in its response to petition e-411. No, the squawk over M103 is simply the latest pretext for people who already hate others, and hate Muslims in particular, to call out to and recruit their own. There's a short and straight line between the rabble of twitter nastiness, concern-trolling media opinionists, old-stock traditional values politicians, flag-waving freezepeach advocates, and the terroristic threats and attacks by white supremacists. They all deserve to be called out and opposed for what they are.

domain: news


“Magic happens when business and technology meet: it’s in this point of intersection that we’re able to build strong core values quickly, just like the functionalities we’ve built this time,” says the CEO at Solv, Morten Nessler.
When Logi Trans became a new RamBase customer back in February, BDO was quick to engage Solv to assist with their technical expertise. Their common goal has since then been to utilize the RamBase platform and develop integrations to better adapt the system to Logi Trans’s individual needs.
“The RamBase platform made way for Solv to play around with the APIs, and thus develop well-adapted solutions for Logi Trans. This way, Logi Trans gets something “unique”, which makes them stand out from the crowd,” Morten says.
Frode Hetland, the CTO at Solv, explains that what Logi Trans needed was some fine-tuning and customizations in RamBase’s interface.
“Since Logi Trans charges their customers by square meterage, they needed a solution that could calculate area and billing that was missing from the interface. In addition to this, they needed a custom functionality that allowed them to photograph, document, and have absolute oversight on the inventory flow in and out of the warehouse,” explains Frode.
Because even though storage primarily isn’t Logi Trans’s main area of work, they do process a lot of transit storage, and when customers continuously pop up with remote storage needs, it led to new requirements for the company and their inventory management system.
“The standard functionality in RamBase didn’t originally allow for simply documenting inventory flow by using an iPad or smartphone, so this is one of the things we’ve developed and added to the interface,” says Frode.
He adds that since RamBase has a steady framework, and well-established guidelines and API’s, that this is something that Solv could quickly develop and integrate.
Here, Morten emphasizes that this type of simple solution could save the company a lot of time and resources, most of which is typically spent on solving legal disputes.
“A large freight forwarder, like Logi Trans, needs to be able to prove the condition of the merchandise; that nothing has been damaged during transport. Something as simple as being able to take pictures of the merchandise could potentially save the company large sums; money that would otherwise be lost as a result of not knowing who is responsible for any damage,” he says.
Together we understand the customer
Frode says that since Logi Trans’ original system had a lot of customizations, they now wanted primarily to retain as much standard functionality as possible from RamBase. Therefore, the intention was to do as little as possible when it came to Solv making the necessary customizations.
“And here’s where some of RamBase’s fundamental benefits comes to play: You can go ahead and use the standardized version as much as possible, but at the same time you have the opportunity to add custom elements as needed,” says Frode.
“Naturally, you move away from the tailor-made adjustments, because the way RamBase operates is more in line with the Lego brick principle: you can build a car one day and an airplane the next, but you use the same building blocks,” Morten adds.
He specifies that some of the magic with RamBase is that this new functionality is now built in such a way that it can easily be implemented for other customers as well.
“That’s what makes RamBase golden: you don’t need a whole developer team of fifteen/twenty people, working year after year to develop specific functionalities,” says Morten and continues:
“This whole collaboration is a great example of just that: Together with the domain experts at BDO, and with RamBase’s in-depth ERP competence, Solv has joined in as a commodity supplier of sorts. Together, we understand the customer and their customer journey, and in just a short amount of time, we’ve been able to build a form of “off the shelf” functionality on top of what RamBase and BDO are already doing together.”


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Robert Nguyen (blog)
Notes, Comments and Pictures
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Steampunk Computer, as found in Wikipedia
I always enjoying seeing this sort of design, and I just realized via Wikipedia that there's a name/association with it, as part of the 'Steampunk' genre. Which I can't say that I've ever read. But it certainly looks neat.


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Livescribe might be one of the most fascinating collaborations of vintage habit meeting contemporary technology. If anyone read Hemingway, you’re familiar with his “Moleskine” and how it was the back-pocket scroll for all of his prose. Almost any good writer I’ve ever met, always has a small booklet and pen kept somewhere nearby or in a pocket for that random stroke of character inspiration or plot line that just cannot go forgotten.
Whether I’m in the office working, the studio editing, or in the field filming; I find myself constantly writing down ideas on scratch paper, post-it notes, and even in the text application of my cell phone. I may switch to this amazing device, simply because I enjoy the old school feel of writing, but I want the contemporary organizing of today’s cloud technology.
Check out the Livescribe & Moleskine collaboration here


Melbourne trainer Mike Moroney has no Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup ambitions for Araldo Junior even though the German import put in a tremendous staying performance to win last Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Queensland Cup over 3200m at the Sunshine Coast.
Moroney said that Araldo Junior will bypass the major Spring Carnival staying races and concentrate on the Victorian Country Cups circuit instead.
“I don’t think he’s up to a Caulfield Cup but some of those country Cups here in the spring look nice races for him,” Moroney told Racing Queensland News.
Aralado Junior had been struggling to find any form in the early part of his latest preparation in Victoria but turned that around when Moroney switch him to his Sydney stable as he eyed off a start in the Queensland Cup.
The six year’s first run in Sydney resulted in a fifth to Supply And Demand in the $100,000 Kensei Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill on July 17 followed by a fifth to Gallic Chieftain in the Listed $125,000 ATC Winter Cup (2400m) a fortnight later at Rosehill again.
“We sent him to Sydney looking for wet tracks and he ran two good races there in the Kensei and Winter Cup,” Moroney said.
“Since he went to Sydney he has turned his form around.
“I liked the way he got to the line when he ran fifth in the Winter Cup so we decided to have a go at the Queensland Cup.
“He had a few feet problems early in his career and he likes a bit of give in the ground.”
Top Brisbane jockey Michael Cahill gave Araldo Junior the run of the race and settled him in fifth and sixth position in the fifteen horse Queensland Cup field.
Cahill started to move forward at the 600m and had Araldo Junior in the clear at the top of the straight and with an uninterrupted run to the line raced away to secure a two and three quarter lengths win over the $2.90 favourite My Diamantine with Pop ‘N’ Scotch ($14) recording his fourth placing in the Queensland Cup in finishing third.
Araldo Junior took his prizemoney earnings to just over the $280,000 mark with his win in the Queensland Cup which was his sixth victory from twenty-three starts.


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Rajinder Nagarkoti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 12 After resigning from the Union Cabinet, former Union Railway Minister and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal today set the ball rolling for a show of his strength on his home turf. With more than ... Chandigarh Tribune, 1 week ago
Dont look to Centre for grants: Patil Tells UT officials to think out of the box to find city-specific solutions Rajinder Nagarkoti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 21 UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil today advised UT officials to think out of ...Chandigarh Tribune, 2 months ago
violation of parking norms Ludhiana, May 9 Officials of the municipal corporation (MC) carried out hectic activity throughout the day today to take action against commercial establishments misusing the service lanes along Ferozepur Road for parking ...Chandigarh Tribune, 1 week ago
In a marble enclosure adjoining the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli, an empty grave or 'Sardgah' marks the site where Bahadur Shah Zafar had willed to be buried alongside his Mughal predecessors. Yet, the late emperor died when ...The Hindu, 2 weeks ago
Chandigarh, May 1 Seeking a status report from the police in the Jyoti murder case, allegedly involving Himachal Pradesh MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered a stay on the framing of charges by the trial court.Chandigarh Tribune, 2 weeks ago
KARACHI: Thunderous applause rang through the auditorium of National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) on the curtain call of Double Bill — two back-to-back plays based on Rajinder Singh Bedi and Saadat Hasan Manto plays. Veteran actor and ...The Express Tribune, 1 month ago
The High Court of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday affirmed the judgement passed by the District Judge, Kangra at Dharamshala convicting the four persons accused of causing the death of Aman Kachroo and sentencing them to four years' imprisonment. The ...India Today, 1 month ago
on your WebpageAdd Widget >Get your members hooked!


Where we're quickly exhausting decent (or even recognizable) Blue Note-styled epithets to pun off of.
—Lester Young's Tenor Sax: Doug Ramsey of Rifftides just reprinted this little nugget of a story, which ran last fall in the British magazine Jazz Review. He tells the story of Lester Young's saxophone, which oxidized over the course of 50-plus years in his brother Lee Young's basement. Enter Dave Pell, a longtime studio saxophonist who, like many on the West Coast of the '50s, idolized Pres. He had the saxophone restored last year, and at age 83, has just recorded a new album with it. As an aside, you can see Lester Young's other tenor sax on display at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers-Newark (a place staffed by wonderful human beings), along with plenty of other historic instruments (Ben Webster's horn, Miles Davis' green trumpet, etc).
—Riverwalk Jazz At 20: We here at A Blog Supreme cast ourselves adrift on the Intertubes, but we're gratefully (and necessarily) tethered to public terrestrial radio. So it warms our hearts to see fellow jazz broadcasters Riverwalk Jazz turning 20, as profiled in this article. Riverwalk, of course, encompasses a syndicated PRI radio broadcast, a Web archive, and a live band, all dedicated to pre-World War II jazz styles. Jazz before bebop suffers from an unfortunate perception as a sort of medicine taken in music-school jazz history courses and listened to only by AARP members. It strikes this editor that much of the pre-modern is as freshly inventive and fascinating as the post-modern, and Riverwalk has quietly been proving it for some time now.
—Morgan Freeman As Duke Ellington: The Jazz24 blog brings news (or at least Hollywood-style rumblings) of two possible jazz films. The post starts with the news that Josh Hartnett has pulled out of a possible Chet Baker biopic, and segues to a project that's news to me: a Duke Ellington historical conspiracy thriller (really!). Apparently, on Duke's 1963 State Department tour of the Middle East (which inspired the sublime Far East Suite, if I have my facts straight), the CIA may have planted spies in the Ellington entourage — which may have unwittingly planted the foundation for Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime. Unfortunately, the project is slated for 2011, which I take to mean Never. But Morgan Freeman as Duke, potentially with "Isfahan" in the soundtrack? I'd line up for a midnight showing.
—Italian Jazz: Gianluigi Trovesi: The newest edition of Web-zine Perfect Sound Forever is out, and it features this extended discussion of Gianluigi Trovesi's 2007 album Vaghissimo Ritratto (out on ECM, should that mean anything to you). The writer takes pains to establish that Trovesi, whose training is not in the blues-and-bebop tradition, draws primarily from the history of Italian music, from the Renaissance to contemporary free improvisation. Basically, it's conceivable one could call this music "Italian jazz." Now, the reviewer isn't exactly a professional (citing Wikipedia, referring to Josquin des Prez as "Prez"), but she's hit upon a good question: how exactly is cultural identity expressed through improvised music? And if it's not American culture, is it still worth calling "jazz"?
—Hugh Hefner On Jazz: In previewing the Playboy Jazz Festival, here's a brief chat with the, uh, publishing mogul. Nice to know that he believes jazz to be the "music of my youth and America's true art form," even if all the acts slated this year aren't exactly jazz. But these aren't just old-person platitudes, mind you. In the June 1957 edition of Playboy, Hefner had himself written up as follows: "Brubeck, Kenton or Sinatra is usually on the turntable when Hefner is working ... He likes jazz, foreign films, Ivy League clothes, gin and tonic and pretty girls — the same sort of things that Playboy readers like ..." Um, don't ask me why I know that.


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If you thought small cap social media investor relations was all about opening a Twitter and Facebook account, think again and let me know how you are going to handle all of these tools … or just give us a call.
Archive for the ‘Small-Cap CEO Lessons’ Category
BREAKING: SEC Says “YES” To Social Media. AGORACOM Online IR Platform For Investor Relations & Disclosure
This is simply big – and long overdue – news out of the SEC last night. In 2008, the SEC allowed companies to use their websites to conduct investor relations and make disclosure. As of today, companies can now use social media sites to conduct investor relations, including the release of material news, data and information.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT FOR US SMALL CAP COMPANIES?
1. Freedom To Communicate And Create Real Conversations With Investors – Until yesterday, small-cap CEO’s couldn’t say a thing about their businesses without consulting lawyers, their board and anybody else in the compliance process. This made it extremely difficult – actually impossible – for small-cap companies to release any new information via anything but a press release, especially those small but important tidbits of information that didn’t warrant the expense of a press release.
For example, this specific decision arose from an incident that occurred last summer when NetFlix CEO, Reed Hastings, posted to Facebook that NetFlix had exceeded 1 billion hours in a month for the first time. It was an important milestone that Hastings wanted investors to know about – but not necessarily something that warranted a press release or SEC filing.
The SEC took exception and opened an investigation in whether or not this violated selective disclosure rules.
However, as a result of this decision, the SEC now agrees that release of such information via social media sites is sufficient. The only requirement is that all companies must make it clear to investors that they plan to use a particular social media site (i.e. AGORACOM).
In the case of AGORACOM, all clients issue press releases announcing the launch of their online IR community. Until yesterday, those IR communities were used to post press releases and then answer questions from shareholders. NOW, small-cap executives can make a major leap forward by actually posting helpful information and data to help investors better understand their company and progress.
For example, a small-cap executive at a trade show can now go back to their hotel room and post an overview of the day including the number of visitors to their booth, product feedback, etc. Moreover, small cap companies can now provide regular updates on previously announced or brand new initiatives. The possibilities are endless. The most important thing is such disclosure can now lead to real conversations with investors that extend well beyond big material news.
This is critical for small-cap companies that typically don’t have or can’t afford a plethora of press releases and want to fill the information gaps with shareholders.
2. Significant Savings – In the sentence above, I touched on the fact that most small-cap companies simply can’t afford a plethora of press releases. As such, they are forced to release only the biggest, most important news, which significantly limited their frequency of communication with investors. The only option was to issue more press releases and spend more $$. With this new SEC decision, this is no longer an issue.
Moreover, small cap companies were often forced to issue “kitchen sink” press releases because they would piggyback smaller tidbits of information and updates with material press releases. I don’t have to tell you how that causes expenses to skyrocket when you are being charged by the word.
3. Size Doesn’t Matter – It doesn’t matter if your online shareholder audience is 200,000 or 200. As long as you’ve clearly told investors where to look for your information, you’re good to go.
4. Social Media vs Your Website - Investors simply don’t have time to navigate to every website of companies they’re either invested in, or interested in. They overwhelmingly prefer financial communities such as AGORACOM, or even non-financial communities such as Twitter where all information is available under one roof. Thanks to this decision, small-cap companies can now meet investors where they exist, rather than forcing them to visit stand alone websites that rarely change with the exception of new press releases.
This is a great day for small-cap companies and investors that want to truly engage in meaningful discussions without having to worry about disclosure rules and expenses. To be clear, you are still going to issue important, material press releases by press release.
However, much like the NetFlix example above, it is all those valuable morsels and tidbits of information that can now finally be set free to open the lines of communications with current and prospective investors.
“Great day” is actually an understatement. It is more accurate to say this day is monumental, even epic for small-cap investor relations.
To discuss this post and your next investor relations steps, contact me right now.
George Tsiolis, Founder
We are very pleased to announce that AGORACOM continues to hit significant traffic milestones in the small-cap space, with more than 33,990,000 (million) page views and 3,840,000 visits to AGORACOM in the first 3 quarters of 2012. These traffic figures are especially valuable given the significant issues surrounding small-cap stocks from May – August.
SMALL CAP RECOVERY SHOWS BLISTERING TRAFFIC AS INVESTORS RETURN
To this end, since the rebound in small-cap stocks after Labor Day, AGORACOM has recorded 4,000,000 (million) page views and 432,000 visits, which would equate into a blistering ~ 50,000,000 (million) page views and 5,000,000 (million) visits on an annualized basis.
AGORACOM continues to rank us amongst the top 0.3% of all websites on the planet.
As always, here is the official Google Analytics snapshot for the period
WHY IS AGORACOM YOUR SMALL CAP INVESTOR RELATIONS SOLUTION?
1. Serious & Engaged Small-Cap Investors
Each small-cap investor reads an average of 8.85 pages on every visit and stays on the site for 8:01 per visit … these small-cap investors are engaged in serious research. Give them a chance to discover you.
2. Bigger, Cheaper, Way Better
We’re not afraid to say it. Our programs are cheaper than traditional investor relations … but far more effective because we use technology to get you in front of a proven, massive audience. You save money, while directly reaching your target market of investors within 24 hours of starting your program.
3. Shares For Services – Work With AGORACOM, Keep All Your Cash
AGORACOM recently announced our “Cashless” IR program in which qualified companies trading on the TSX Venture / TSX or quoted on OTCQB / OTCQX or higher can pay for their entire AGORACOM program via Shares For Services. You get all of our marketing power AND keep your valuable cash for operations.
CONTACT US TO DISCUSS YOUR ONLINE IR NEEDS AND OUR POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
I thank-you for reading and trust you found this information to be helpful. If you’re ready to step into real and sustainable online investor relations for 2012 and beyond, please contact us via this form and we will get back to you within 2 hours!
George Tsiolis, LL.B
Founder & President
AGORACOM Investor Relations
AGORACOM Audience Passes 24 Million Page Views, 2.7 Million Visits In 1St Half 2012
HOW IS YOUR COMPANY GOING TO RIDE THE GLOBAL QE WAVE?
Europe has officially announced an unlimited bond purchasing program and QE3 is imminent. Small-cap stocks have been revitalized with all small-cap indexes up sharply over the past month …. but this is only the beginning.
We believe this is the beginning of yet another massive long-term surge for small-cap stocks. Here is what the last surge looked like after the announcement of QE2
In July, we announced that AGORACOM hit significant traffic milestones in the small-cap space, with more than 24,000,000 (million) page views and 2,700,000 visits for the 1st half of the year. The next 6 months will be even stronger as small-cap investors re-enter the market in search of cheap, oversold small-cap stocks.
WHY IS AGORACOM YOUR SOLUTION?
1. Serious Small-Cap Investors
In addition to the traffic numbers above, each small-cap investor reads an average of 8.9 pages on every visit and stays on the site for 8:06 per visit … these small-cap investors are engaged in serious research.
2. Faster, Cheaper, Way Better
Our programs are cheaper than traditional investor relations … while directly reaching your target market of investors within 24 hours of starting your program.
3. Cashless 144 Program – Work With Us, Keep Your Cash
AGORACOM recently announced the launch of our “Cashless 144” IR program in which companies quoted on OTCQB, OTCQX or higher can pay for their entire AGORACOM Online Investor Relations program via 144 restricted shares. Companies must have a minimum 2-year operating history.
This program is extremely valuable for companies that want to execute a complete online investor relations and social media program without impacting their valuable cash reserves. Key information as follows:
COST AND TERM
Rule 144 stock: $85,000. No out of pocket cost to you. We become your investor
Term: 12 months. We don’t believe in short-term promotions
Program: Our entire program. Every tool. Nothing has been left o
4. A Specific Solution For Chinese Small-Cap Companies
CHINA 2.0 BEGINS WITH STRONG ONLINE INVESTOR RELATIONS
Chinese companies are under a sustained online attack via both major media sources (CNBC, Bloomberg, etc.) and short selling “analysts”. Much of this has been unfair BUT we only have ourselves to blame given the fact Chinese companies have outright failed to bridge the information gap between operations and investors on opposite sides of the world.
This has resulted in a lack of transparency, leading to disastrous results. Press releases, filings and occasional conferences are not sufficient for building relationships with current and prospective investors to combat the information gap exploited by short-selling opportunists.
The time has come to look at new solutions. The time has come to build “China 2.0” through a smart and global reaching online investor relations and communications with investors.
CONTACT US TO DISCUSS YOUR ONLINE IR NEEDS AND OUR POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
I thank-you for reading and trust you found this information to be helpful. If you’re ready to step into real and sustainable online investor relations for 2012 and beyond, please contact me below.
George Tsiolis, LL.B
Founder & President
AGORACOM Investor Relations
416-496-0496 / 866-234-9934
Small-Cap CEO Lesson: You Are Not Berkshire Hathaway, So Write Better Headlines For Your Press Releases
I came across this press release today:
Canadian Overseas Petroleum Reports Second Quarter Results
CALGARY, Aug. 10, 2012 /CNW/ – Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited (“COPL” or the “Company”) (XOP: TSX-V) announces its second quarter results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2012. The Interim Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the second quarter can be viewed on the company’s website at www.canoverseas.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the COPL listing.
That was the entire press release, with the usual About and Contact information below it. Here are my comments:
1. I understand the trend towards notice and access press releases, which basically entails companies advising they have issued a press release and letting you know where you can read it. It has numerous advantages, especially the cost of having to distribute a long quarterly report. Companies across the entire cap-range are using this new technique to cut down costs, including the richest man on the planet.
(Side Note – What Is A Notice And Access Press Release? – Notice and Access press releases give companies the option to stop sending full-text news releases and instead use paid PR wires to advise investors that new information is available on companies’ websites and provide direct links to the information.) Via IR Web Report
2. Canadian Overseas Petroleum, or any small cap for that matter, is not Berkshire Hathaway. If you want new investors to read your press releases, you absolutely have to get more descriptive in your headline. Tease us with some figures related to revenues, income, production, growth … anything to make investors want to pick your press release out of the pile and actually click through for more.
3. We now live in a social, interconnected world where your actual and prospective investors can “Like”, “Tweet”, “Retweet” and post compelling news with just one click. Give them a reason to get you and your news viral. I guarantee you that “Reports Second Quarter Results” doesn’t work for anybody with a market cap under $100 Million.
Press releases are an important component of investor relations for any small-cap company … make them count.
Like this Small-Cap CEO Lesson? View all of my Small-Cap CEO Lessons here.
Much of my time this week has been spent flagging calls from small-cap CEO’s asking what they should be doing about Investor Relations in this market. Given the fact I can’t get on the phone with all of you, I’ve listed 8 effective things you should be doing right now to take control of your investor relations during this market turmoil.
GETTING INTO THE RIGHT MINDSET
Before even starting on my 8 best practices below, you are going to need to get into the right mindset. Specifically, it is important to understand that during this kind of market environment, investor relations is not just about increasing your share price. Every company is getting hit, so to think you can buck that trend isn’t realistic.
Rather, your goals in this environment are:
- Short Term – To mitigate, even stop any further losses to your market capitalization.
- Longer Term – To take advantage of competitors with weak or non-existent strategies and attract new investors.
Both goals are heavily dependent on choosing the right philosophy. Specifically:
(+) If you listen to me and get proactive, a properly executed strategy will yield great short and long-term results.
(-) If, as some small cap CEO’s have told me, you choose to run for cover and fail to communicate, you are creating a guaranteed recipe for disaster.
THE 8 BEST INVESTOR RELATIONS PRACTICES DURING THIS MARKET TURMOIL
With all this in mind, here is the AGORACOM recipe for success during periods of market turmoil.
1] Silence Is Death - Have you ever had a friend or family member owe you money but suddenly become hard to get a hold of? How did you feel? Do not make your shareholders feel this way or they’ll write you off as a bad debt and wash their hands clean of you. This is no time to duck for cover if you believe in your business, your plan, your management team and your board.
2] Provide Long-Term Vision - Investors are worried by these short-term market gyrations. It is your job to get shareholders to look beyond this gyration and remind them that you are building a long-term business that will survive and thrive far beyond 2012.
3] Accentuate Your Strengths - Provide shareholders with a press released corporate update that discusses the strength of your product / services / project / technology. Be sure to also address the long-term viability and strength of your industry. Remind investors that there will always be demand for your products and you are one of the companies that will be benefiting from it.
4] State Of The Union - Support your corporate update with a multi-media “state of the union”. Specifically, tape an audio or video address for your shareholders that conveys confidence. If your text based corporate update in step 2 provides the facts that assure investors, your multi-media address will provide your shareholders with confidence they are in the right hands. No matter what the context, people need to hear from their leaders. Think Winston Churchill in WW II, or George Bush after 9/11.
5] You’re Not Bullet Proof - Be honest about any negative impacts to your operations. Shareholders don’t expect you to be bullet-proof, so openly telling them about the 1 or 2 items in your business that have been impacted demonstrates an honest and realistic management team.
6] Differentiate Yourself From The Pack - Though you should never specifically name a competitor, do to tell investors about any significant general problems with your competitors, some of whom will not make it through this period due to poor planning or business models. Differentiate yourself from the pack.
7] Business As Usual - Do not hold back communications as part of a “market timing” strategy. Yes, be careful not to issue press releases on a specific morning where futures are showing significant weakness due to a macro event – but it is otherwise business as usual, so get on with your business and continue issuing press releases.
8] Capitalize On New Blood - Never, ever stop looking for new investors. You are in a position to benefit from the following two ways:
First, we all know that a significant portion of small-cap and micro-cap stocks are unfortunately built upon unviable business models. That is the nature of the business. Shareholders in those companies will see the writing on the wall, take their tax losses and start looking for high-quality alternatives that can help them get back above water over the next 12-24 months. Be that alternative!
Second, investors that were smart enough to raise cash earlier in the year will be looking to come back into the markets over the next few months. They will be looking for good companies with good management teams executing a plan that will succeed over the next 2-3 years. Be there when they come knocking!
If you need any more proof about the validity of this plan, I ask you to once again follow the AGORACOM experience. Despite the fact markets are going through tough times, we have managed to maintain a status quo and actually grow while other investor relations firms suffer.
Why? We practice what we preach:
A] We openly communicate with and help our customers as much as ever during this turmoil. We don’t go silent.
B] We continue marketing ourselves via search engines, our blog and newsletters to attract new customers.
If you follow our plan, never lose site of the fact that you currently have great shareholders and remember there are millions of other shareholders looking for companies like yours, you will succeed in mitigating short-term losses while maximizing long-term success.
Did You Find This Article Helpful? What To Do Next …
1] Read George’s Small-Cap CEO Lessons For Free Powerful Advice On Great Investor Relations
2] Contact AGORACOM To Discuss Your Online Investor Relations Needs and Solutions
I first published this story in August of 2007 - but it is even more important today than ever before.
Now that AGORACOM Small Cap TV has cracked 400,000 views, one of the things we have noticed in our morning research is that small-cap companies continue to release news just at or before the open. This might have been a smart practice back in the day when only brokers could access press releases on their screens but it makes no sense whatsoever now that the web opens up your press releases to the entire world.
Folks, we are in a social media world (and never going back) in which investor communities are becoming invaluable sources of information for small-cap investors. As a result, small-cap and micro-cap information is being analyzed and discussed by and on AGORACOM, StockTwits, Twitter, Bloggers, Commentators, Podcasters, and Vloggers everyday. Much of this collaboration takes place well before market open as online investors prepare for their day. The more time you give them to discover your news, the more time you give them to share it via their preferred networks …. for free!
THE LEAST THAT YOU COULD DO
Being the most recent news just prior to market open is no longer a smart strategy. It’s a dumb strategy. If you want your great news syndicated around the web by these incredible reporting sources, you have to give them a chance to see your news, digest it and report on it. That can’t happen at 9:15 because professional sources such as AGORACOM TV have a cut-off of 8:45 AM so that we can be published by 9:45. Individual investors also have the reality of a job that most begin by no later than 9:00 AM, which explains why most are doing their research between 7:30 – 8:30.
As such, if your press release is coming out at 9:30, you’ve robbed yourself of potential mass coverage by one or more sources that might have otherwise picked up your news and sent it right around the world.
Bottom line – put your news out by no later than 8:30 AM EST. In fact, somewhere between 8:00 and 8:30 AM EST makes the most sense …. unless shunning free coverage is actually part of your investor relations plan.
Online Investor Relations Done Right – UC Resources Embraces Skype, Online Q&A, Video To Reach Shareholders
When Gary Monaghan was appointed CEO of UC Resources a few months ago, it was to usher in a new era for the company and its shareholders. Nonetheless, you hear that just about anytime a new coach takes over a team or a company, so some shareholders of UC Resources could have been forgiven if they didn’t hold their breath. Well, it’s time for them to exhale because Gary has done nothing less than exceed expectations by embracing online investor relations to create better communications and relationships with shareholders. Here are the highlights:
- On November 10th, UC Resources announced the sale of its interests in the highly promising McFaulds Lake (a.k.a. Ring Of Fire) region for $6,000,000 to Cliffs Natural Resources in order to focus on its Mexican production and exploration projects
- With some shareholders expressing concern over this shift away from the Ring Of Fire, Gary took to Skype just a couple of days later to communicate his specific reasons for the move and why it was in the best interests of shareholders. Shareholder response was overwhelmingly positive and appreciative of Gary’s proactive step to reach out and speak with them.
- On November 30th, UC issued a further press release to update shareholders on the status of the transaction AND the company’s plans upon successful close of the sale in January.
- On January 6, 2012, UC Resources announced closing of the $6,000,000 sale.
- On January 12, less than a week later, Gary announced an online Q&A in which shareholders were invited to ask questions about the company’s Mexican assets and future direction
- On January 16, Gary and the company provided answers to all of the questions asked by investors
- On January 17, Gary and UC Resources broadcast a video to update their shareholders on the sale, as well as, their Mexican Operations
Gary and UC Resources may be clients of AGORACOM – but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he simply gets online investor relations. Specifically, though conferences and road shows are great places to meet your investors in person 3-4 times per year, online collaboration is the only way to truly collaborate with your shareholders anytime and anywhere.
This is especially important for small-cap companies that lack analyst and media coverage to fill the gaps. As a result, shareholders heavily rely on management to go beyond press releases and actually communicate with them about the intricacies that potentially affect their investments. Communications that are just one click away create greater confidence, turst and belief in the long-term vision of the company, leading to a greater number of shareholders becoming long-term investors and the company’s best ambassadors.
INVESTORS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVE … INDUSTRY EXPERTS COVERING THE STORY
More than just lip service, look how Gary’s Q&A has shot to the top of the most favourite posts as voted by shareholders:
Moreover, his efforts are already starting to get recognized by industry experts:
Congratulations to Gary and the entire UC Resources team. We not only look forward to more of the same … we also hope this will serve as a great example for other small-cap companies to follow.
Contact AGORACOM to discuss your online investor relations program.
SEC PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON SUPER 8-K’S
In 2005, the SEC adopted a rule that required the filing of what is an equivalent to a public offering prospectus for a merger with a public reporting shell company. In recent months the SEC has taken to reviewing these transactions and issued advice based on these reviews.
The SEC has reiterated that virtually any acquisition, including by lease, merger or exchange, triggers the obligation to file a Super 8-K. Issuers were also reminded that Item 9.01(b) of Form 8-K requires pro forma financial information to be included, not just the financial statements of the acquired company. Additionally, any exhibits, including those representing material contracts, have to be in English. Clear disclosure of holding company and control arrangements, as well as a detailed description of both current and planned business going forward is also required. Lastly, if risk factors are included, they must be tailored specifically to the company.
The SEC also offered guidance pertaining to the involvement of officers in the company. If officers are not spending full time in the business, they should be specific about the time they do devote. It is also important to include a summary compensation table for the acquired company’s most recent fiscal year. In disclosing affiliate and related transactions, a two year look back prior to the public company’s latest fiscal year is required in describing the standards used to determine director independence
Richardson & Patel, LLP | 10900 Wilshire Blvd | Suite 500 | Los Angeles | CA | 90024
Good morning to you all. I’m very proud to announce that views of AGORACOM videos have surpassed 400,000 since we first began broadcasting daily shows, client interviews and other great small-cap video content. This is great news for clients and the entire small-cap industry because it proves up yet another effective, efficient and low-cost way to communicate with current shareholders and potential investors. See my comments below on why connecting with shareholders via video is critical.
AGORACOM Videos are broadcast on more channels than we can count but here are just a few of them:
What is even more encouraging is the fact that video views are accelerating for the following reasons:
- We’ve added on more shows. We’ve grown from AGORACOM Small Cap TV to AGORACOM Small Cap Gold and Resources TV and Chinese Small Cap TV
- Each show has become it’s own stand alone channel on sites such as YouTube, BlipTV, Yahoo Video and other sites.
- We’ve made our daily shows timely and relevant by releasing them between 9:30 – 9:45 AM EST every morning right after the open. This consistency creates the kind of reliability investors like.
- Our daily videos provide great value to small-cap investors. How? We filter the hundreds of small-cap press releases issued every morning and report on the best 1-5 of the day.
- We’ve integrated all the videos into our social media streams on Twitter, Facebook, StockTwits and other avenues
- We’ve made our videos extremely search engine friendly by adding accurate descriptions and customized info for every show.
DOMINATING SEARCH FOR “SMALL CAP VIDEOS”
As a result of our hard and meticulous work, search engines are starting to reward us for our efforts, which only leads to more exposure amongst small-cap investors. For example:
- Google Video – We hold all top 10 spots for searches of “small-cap resource stocks“
- YouTube – We dominate the entire first page for searches of “Chinese small cap stocks“
- Google Video – We hold 8 of the top 10 spots for searches of “small-cap“
- Google Video – We hold 9 of the top 10 spots for searches of “small-cap gold stocks“
- YouTube – We hold 9 of the top 10 spots for searches of “small-cap resource stocks“
INCORPORATING SKYPE INTERVIEWS WITH SMALL-CAP CEO’S
We are so focused on the importance and relevance of video to the small-cap industry, that we’ve recently begun incorporating Skype Video interviews into our programming. Again, the premise is to get small-cap companies and investors connecting with each other immediately after the release of material news. Expect to see this grow significantly in 2011.
WHY IS VIDEO SO IMPORTANT TO SMALL-CAP COMPANIES?
One of the greatest problems faced by small-cap companies, even the really good ones, is the lack of connection with investors beyond issuing press releases. As a result, investors have no loyalty to you if business simmers down for a while because they’ve been trained to only react to good news. As we all know, that simply isn’t possible for most small-cap companies. All of you go through slow and dry periods for various reasons. Even when business is going well, you often have to wait on the next big sales contract, drill result, etc. God help you if the wait is longer than expected.
As such, connecting with investors creates a personal relationship that buys you the time to execute your plan. Video is an excellent connector because it allows you to communicate as openly as possible without actually standing in front of shareholders. Investors love video because watching facial expressions and body language is the next best thing to strapping you into a lie detector. It also makes shareholders far more likely to share what you have to say because video beats boring text.
If you’re a small-cap company and don’t have an online video strategy yet, I suggest you start thinking about one. Alternatively, call us and we’ll take care of it.


Aamir’s next film Ghajini which was recently in news for getting sold for an astronomical 90 crores plus will see Aamir Khan in a bald look. The versatile actor who will play the role of a victim of short term memory loss all set to avenge the death of his wife, will be seen in a bald look this time round.
Ghajini is a physcological thriller and has Aamir Khan, Asin ( South actress) and Jiah Khan in the lead. The movie is inspired from the Hollywood thriller, Memento. To get close to Memento is an arduous tasks for even a great actor like Aamir. Let’s see whether the talented actor manages to surpass our expectations, yet again.
Pic : Aamir’s Bald Look In Ghajini
Pic : Aamir Khan’s Ghajini Look
Pic : Aamir Proud To Be Bald
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When people ask, “Why is it that we have such a corrupt government, with rigged elections and an economy which serves only wealthy transnational investors and their transnational corporations?” I would offer, “In part, because our language is being redefined by regents of the ruling Forces of Greed.”
Useful terms which could better explain our circumstances have been purposefully perverted so that they are now all but unintelligible. Such are the fruit of “think tanks” which strive to convert most of society into an ignorant, subservient class on behalf of corporate greed at any cost to the public interest. The American Enterprise Institute, Hoover Institution, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute and many others are funded by transnational corporations to create a climate of ignorance on behalf of corporate rule.
Following are examples of such linguistic changes. They happen gradually over several decades, so that only an old person such as myself who keeps remote from popular culture can see them. Many elderly people have become inured to them through gradual but persistent exposure.
The working class
When I was a boy we had a working class. It made up about 75% of the population. The poor made up about 15%. The 10% at the top, just under the rich, were called the middle class.
The middle class were the professional classes and the small business owners. They were never thought of as median income people– in fact, poor people saw them as being rich.
The original meaning of “middle class” described those between the European royalty and the peasants. Later it was applied to the capitalists, those with enough wealth to rival the nobility.
The mainstream press have dropped working class from their vocabulary. The term is anathema to the propaganda system as it has developed. It is too descriptive– makes it too obvious that this is the class which does most of the work and produces most of the wealth.
Today the working class are called middle class in the mainstream media, and the original meaning is buried deeper than Atlantis. For that matter, the poor are made to be nearly as invisible. This propaganda maneuver has made it easier to hide what’s happening in our economy, when combined with other terms and economic adjustments.
So it’s not as obvious in media that American workers are being pushed off a cliff into hell economically, with average wages dropping for over 40 years. Though we can’t miss it, we don’t see it as clearly when nearly everyone is tucked into one giant “middle class.” I miss the term working class.
When I was a young man the word “progressive” meant leftist. It was a term used to unite the left. Communists, socialists, labor and even many liberals often defined themselves as progressive. Liberals, in those days, were thought of as centrist. To the right were conservatives, business, and neo-fascists– those who control the American economy and mainstream press.
But the ruling Forces of Greed don’t want leftists to unite, so mainstream press now call centrist liberals “leftist” and “progressive.” By doing so, and completely ignoring the genuine left which has no regular TV program on any of the hundreds of cable channels, the language has been twisted into propaganda helpful toward making zombies of the masses, who have no idea what a real leftist is.
Bill and Hillary Clinton are called “progressive” in the mainstream media. This is like calling the segregationist George Wallace a civil rights leader. Richard Nixon, who I thought of as extremely right wing when he was president, was far to the left of the Clintons. It was Nixon who signed the bills that authorized the EPA, OSHA, the ABM Treaty and a great many other progressive laws the Clintons would have nothing to do with today.
In the time of his presidency, Nixon wouldn’t have dreamed that he could push the Clinton agenda of free trade to curse labor and environmental movements. He wouldn’t have deregulated the banksters and Big Media, or thrown poor children out into the streets with Clinton’s “welfare reform.” During Nixon’s presidency the public were more aware, and the Congress was far to the left of Nixon, tying his hands.
Which is why Nixon couldn’t get his medical care system (the precursor to Obamacare) through Congress. Much of the Congress of that time wanted to pass Medicare for all, and opposed Nixon’s plan, which never went anywhere. It took a conservative Democrat, Obama, to get Nixon’s plan approved.
The entire nation has moved far to the right over my lifetime, and the debate has been narrowed everywhere in the influential mass media, particularly TV, where most Americans get their news.
But the ruling Forces of Greed haven’t stopped there. They also bought the major publishing houses and have been consolidating them for decades (there are still a few small leftist publishers, but they are unknown to 99% of the public).
The dictionaries are involved now in corporate propaganda. Decades ago I remarked about how a politician had taken bribes and someone “corrected” me that he had not been bribed, because bribes are illegal, and the money the politician had taken was a legal campaign contribution.
But this wasn’t previously true in many alternate definitions. My old dictionary from college, the Random House College Dictionary, First Edition, for example, defined “bribe” as “Anything given or serving to persuade or induce.” Sounds like a campaign contribution from Big Pharma, the defense cheats, banksters or polluters to me.
Abroad, the Oxford English Dictionary uses an example, “You weren’t willing to be good to your sister without being bribed with a lollipop,” showing that a bribe does not have to be illegal.
But today a bribe is something illegal pretty much everywhere in American dictionaries, conveniently leaving it acceptable to stuff the pockets of politicians with campaign contributions. One may no longer use the most applicable word, “bribe,” to describe that which is prominent in our elections.
We hear on our TV news programs that we can’t prove that the politician who got truckloads of money from a special interest and let that special interest write a bill which cleaned out the treasury on their behalf, had taken a bribe. It’s just a coincidence, you see, not a bribe in the modern lexicon.
The confusion is everywhere, allowing the masses to be more easily controlled. I spoke with a truck driver about wanting to see a living wage for American workers. “I ain’t for that commie stuff myself,” he said, “I’m a capitalist.” The fellow had no capital, nor hope that I could see.


SAN ANTONIO – From athletes to entertainers, to military snipers, eyesight is crucial to the job and in many cases, Lasik refractive surgery is the best option. Now a new study co-authored by a San Antonio surgeon shows doctors like him are five times as likely as the general public to also get the procedure themselves.
It’s a case of “physician, heal thyself,” and with good reason. Excellent vision is critical to providing successful eye surgery, according to Dr. Gregory Parkhurst, who also provides services at Nuvision Parkhurst Eye Center in the Medical Center.
“I had my procedure when I was an intern, actually, back in 2003," he recalled.
He was in the military and learned Lasik techniques from those who pioneered the procedure.
Parkhurst said it worked well then, and it still does.
"My vision is now what I would consider perfect for me. When I’m measured on the eye chart, it's better than 20/20, it's 20/15 vision," he said.
He co-authored a study that was featured in the prestigious Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery that showed the choices for better vision among 250 surgeons who qualified for the procedure. 62.6 percent said they choose Lasik to correct their vision. 91 percent said they recommend it for their immediate family members.
“I use microscopes and lenses to look at eyes. We are using micron detail of the retinal vasculature and the optic nerve. A lot of our examination techniques and surgical techniques are direct hand/eye feedback, so it would be absolutely critical that I would have the best vision," Parkhurst said of the results.
He said the potential side effects and complications of Lasik are quite small compared to the impact of daily contact lens use, which is another reason why doctors would chose Lasik over glasses or contacts. He said that over time, it’s also much cheaper.
For more on refractive eye surgery, visit SanAntonio-Lasik.com and RefractiveAlliance.com.


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Want to try making amigurumi? This list of free amigurumi patterns includes animals, food, dolls, and more, with something for crocheters of all skill levels.
What Is Amigurumi?
Amigurumi is a Japanese word that means crocheted or knitted stuffed toys. Crocheted amigurumi are the most common, and they frequently use the simplest of stitches as their base: the single crochet. Of course, there are increases and decreases, color changes, and a few special techniques, but they are still fun and easy objects to crochet.
Because most of these are small, they don't take much yarn and you can make them in a short amount of time. They are fun to play with, set on a shelf, hang on a holiday tree, or even use as a keychain! See 20+ free amigurumi patterns for crocheters of all skill levels.
01 of 24
Get Started With a Rainbow of Monsters
Simple monsters are a fun and easy way to learn how to make amigurumi toys. With this basic pattern, you can crochet the base piece, then customize it with adorable eyes, mouths, bows, and even some optional feet.
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Make an Amigurumi That's Sweet as Honey
In amigurumi, simple shapes can make a big impact. That's certainly true of this jumbo bee. The design is easy to make and blanket yarn makes it super-sized and squishy. Bee sure to buzz around the Curious Papaya website for more oversized designs for cute foods and more.
03 of 24
Crochet Some Fruity Friends
Dolls dressed like fruit? What could be sweeter? This set of three free patterns from Tiny Curl include lemon and watermelon girls, as well as a pineapple girl that has cute leafy spikes. And while you could crochet just one, these friends are best kept as a fruit salad set.
04 of 24
Craft a Tiny Panda
This tiny little panda fits in the palm of your hand and is oh-so-cute. There are minimal color changes and only a few easy pieces to crochet. You could make this in traditional black and white, but seeing a blue and white panda might just inspire you to try other colors, too!Continue to 5 of 24 below.
05 of 24
Prepare a Crocheted Spread
It's time to put the cute in charcuterie! A Menagerie of Stitches shares this free set of patterns for a collection of meats, cheeses, crackers, and more. This is a perfect example of how little amigurumi designs can be both an art piece and a fun item for kids to play with.
06 of 24
Hook a Big One
The easiest amigurumi patterns are crocheted in pieces, then put together. That's exactly what happens with this whale designed by Becky Garrett for the Gathered website. Even the striped belly is a separate piece, which makes for fewer color changes and a great way to use up some yarn scraps!
07 of 24
Crochet a Happy Little Bat
Have you ever wanted to hug a bat before? You will when you make this sweet little bat amigurumi! Sir Batwington would be a perfect Halloween gift, but it's also ideal for anyone who loves these flying creatures of the night.
08 of 24
Make Beautiful Music in Crochet
Very small amigurumi designs are also good holiday ornaments, and music lovers will especially appreciate this one. All you need to do is add a little hanger to decorate your tree with a note or two. And if you've ever worked with black yarn before, you know it can be tricky to see. Thankfully, Holly from Storyland Amis shows the step-by-step for this using white yarn so it's easy to follow along.Continue to 9 of 24 below.
09 of 24
Get Ready to Fawn Over This Amigurumi
Oh deer! If it isn't the cutest little fawn pattern. This free deer is best for intermediate crocheters, but there's a video tutorial to help you through any tricky parts, as well as tips for skipping the color changes. You might even learn a new technique or two that you can use when making other patterns!
10 of 24
Crochet a Super Soft and Curly Octopus
Even babies can enjoy amigurumi! This crocheted octopus is designed for preemies to snuggle with and grab onto the curly tentacles. By stitching on the face instead of using plastic safety eyes (which you often see on amigurumi), it's safe for infants and toddlers to play with.
Crochet Octopus Pattern From The Spruce Crafts
11 of 24
Light Your Crochet on Fire
Do things around you ever feel like a dumpster fire? Bring some humor to your crochet with this adorable design from Twinkie Chan, based on Truck Torrence's art. This is definitely a more complicated project, but the result is so cute that it's worth the effort.
12 of 24
Build a Snowy Amigurumi
Craft your own frozen friend with this huggable snowman amigurumi designed by Rose Obom of Craft Her. The hat and scarf are removable so you can change up your snow friend's look.Continue to 13 of 24 below.
13 of 24
Make a Palm-Sized Piggy
This little piggy is sure to make you squeal in delight! Rather than a full pig body, this free amigurumi almost feels like a little emoji with its round shape, tiny arms, and blushing cheeks. If you're looking to make full animal characters, Hainchan has plenty more patterns available for sale, so you can crochet a whole critter village.
14 of 24
Plant Crocheted Flowers
Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can grow your own flowers with some yarn and your crochet hook! Erin May Crochet offers these free Bumble Blossoms, complete with the pots and a little bee. There's even a third design in her LoveCrafts shop as well.
Bumble Blossom and Tulip Crochet Patterns From Erin May Crochet
15 of 24
Crochet a Furry Fall Friend
This adorable bunny rabbit is all ready for fall with a cozy infinity scarf and matching socks. The scarf uses Tunisian crochet to give it a more knit look, but everything else is worked with traditional crochet stitches. But the best part about Coco might just be that super sweet expression!
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Take Your Crochet to the Beach
These Beach Bum Dolls are ready to soak in some salty air and sandy shores! Unlike most of the amigurumi designs in this list, these figures are semi-flat with some three-dimensional components. That's one of the unique elements of Spin a Yarn Crochet's patterns, and if you like these, you'll love all the other designs she makes.Continue to 17 of 24 below.
17 of 24
Put a Pin in It
Want to make a functional amigurumi? Check out Henrietta the Hedgehog! Not only is this is a perfectly adorable little animal on its own, but it's also a handy way to store your pins. Chloe Peters also excels at designing unique creatures, which are available through her Ravelry store.
18 of 24
Make a Few Amigurumi Pups
Stephanie Lau from All About Ami has enough cute patterns that it's hard to choose just one to include here, but this Chinese New Year Dog uses a few techniques to make it stand out. After crocheting the dogs, she shows you exactly how to brush them so they have fluffy fur. Then you add color with markers for a realistic look that you won't achieve any other way!
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Crochet Some and S'more
Along with animals, food is one of the most common amigurumi subjects. Seeing a happy little s'more tells you why. Little crocheted foods with faces are just cute. All you need to go with these is a crocheted campfire!
20 of 24
Craft a Trio of Happy Hippos
These little hippos look like they should have their own television series. Which makes us think that if you make a set for your child, they might just use them to act out stories and have some seriously fun playtime. And just to add to the fun, they use chenille yarn for the softest hippo friends you'll ever meet.Continue to 21 of 24 below.
21 of 24
Grow a Prickly Pal
Cacti are pretty easy to take care of, but this amigurumi version doesn't require any care whatsoever! There are lots of fun details on this friendly cactus, including the way it seems to wave at you. You can also easily skip the face and scarf if you'd prefer your desert plant to look a bit more traditional.
22 of 24
Crochet a Crafty Critter
Hamsters are sometimes called pocket pets, and this pattern allows you to crochet a critter that you really do carry around in your pocket! These furry friends look like they came straight out of an anime, and they come with teeny snacks to munch on. Customize yours with cute colors and favorite foods.
23 of 24
Create a Cartoon Shiba Dog
This may be the friendliest Shiba (a Japanese hunting dog) you'll ever see. The oversized paws give it a cartoon feeling that kids and grown-ups will love. Piggiesagogo offers an extensive free PDF pattern with full written instructions, photo guides, and charts so you can follow along the whole way.
24 of 24
Carve an Amigurumi Pumpkin
With the simplest of stitches, you can crochet this happy pumpkin. It's soft and squishy, making it perfect for hugging. And while it has a face, it's not strictly a Halloween pumpkin. This amigurumi is perfect for the entire fall season!
How to Crochet a Pumpkin From The Spruce Crafts

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