The IoSCM Level 2 Transport and Logistics course is tailored to students who have limited experience in the logistics and transport sector, who are keen to get a good grounding in place for their career. This course will help you to build a strong foundation of key skills and knowledge, so you can achieve success in entry-level transport and logistics jobs.
Completing a Logistics and Transport course with the Institute of Supply Chain Management (IoSCM) can certify your knowledge and skills, to give you the best grounding for progression in your career. We offer each student much more than just a logistics qualification; we provide the opportunity to grow, learn and progress as a professional with our expert support network and unrivalled resources.
Unlike other logistics training providers, we allow students to develop their skills through a bespoke distance learning format, with support from industry experts every step of the way. You can custom build your course to suit your current experience level, your personal career ambitions, and the objectives of your current employer. The IoSCM Level 2 Logistics and Transport qualification is internationally recognised, and was designed and developed by experts in the field. Along with expert guidance, you will receive first class study materials which are aligned with National Occupational Standards (NOS).
As well as training individuals, we also work with businesses to train larger groups of employees. To find out more about how we can develop your team's skills, call us on 0800 1422 522.
The NOS framework specifies the UK standards of performance that people are expected to achieve in their work, and the knowledge and skills they need to perform effectively. These standards are approved by UK government regulators.
Essentially, meeting the NOS framework means that with the IoSCM Level 2 Logistics and Transport course, you will learn exactly what is required in order to be successful in your job role. This will help you to become a valuable asset within your role, giving you the kinds of skills you couldn't gain from a more academically-focused course.
Through completion of this IoSCM Level 2 course, you will receive an internationally-recognised qualification in Logistics and Transport from the Institute of Supply Chain Management.
As well as this, you will be awarded a Level 2 in Supply Chain and Operations from SFEDI Awards, an Ofqual regulated awarding organisation which is well recognised across the industry.
Ofqual is the government organisation that regulates qualifications and the organisations that offer them, maintaining standards and therefore confidence in education across England.
When you choose to study with IoSCM, you can rest assured that every qualification is Ofqual regulated, guaranteeing high quality and a worthy investment for individuals and employers alike.
The IoSCM Level 2 Transport and Logistics course is roughly equivalent to a GCSE graded A* to C. However, an IoSCM course is studied in your own time, at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home. We offer logistics courses online rather than in the classroom, allowing you to study around your current commitments and save valuable time and money.
At IoSCM, we offer logistics qualifications which are widely recognised and sought after by employers and businesses. The Level 2 Transport and Logistics course provides you with valuable industry knowledge which is tailored to you and your logistics career, giving you the best chance of progressing within your role.
If you would like to find out how an IoSCM Level 2 Logistics course could benefit your career, give our expert Course Advisors a call today on 0800 1422 522.
Read through the tabs below to find more information about the IoSCM Level 2 Logistics and Transport course.
If you have any further questions about this course, and you can't find the answer here, please give our expert Course Advisors a call on 0800 1422 522. Our advisors will be more than happy to assist you with any concerns or queries you may have, as well as helping you find the right course for your needs.
The IoSCM Level 2 Transport and Logistics course is designed for students who have limited experience of the logistics and transport industry, who are seeking to certify their skills.
Whatever your level of experience, education and learning style might be, we can tailor our logistics and transport training to suit your needs. We offer a range of study methods including NVQ style assessments, traditional academic routes and distance learning courses, so you're sure to find a format that works for you.
Do you currently work in the logistics and transport industry? Ask us about our work-based route.
For more information on how our study methods can help you pass first time, please speak to our team of highly trained Course Advisors. They can explain all the different options more fully, and can help you choose the best study route for your needs.
For a free, no obligation consultation, call us now on 0800 1422 522.
The IoSCM level 2 Transport and Logistics course will help you to develop your knowledge and skills in a variety of technical areas. This qualification gives a solid foundation for your career within a sector that offers many opportunities for promotion and unique benefits.
This Level 2 course will help you develop the key skills and knowledge you need to advance into a more senior role. This course is also ideal for businesses looking to develop their team and improve operational efficiency.
For further details of what the IoSCM Level 2 Transport and Logistics course covers, take a look at the 'Units' tab above.
When you enrol on the IoSCM Level 2 Transport and Logistics course, you will gain access to a customised learning platform complete with a huge library of resources, and the opportunity to interact with other students across the globe.
As well as unlimited first class learning materials, there are online self-assessments available with immediately accessible results, to identify your strengths and any areas for improvement. You can retake the practice tests as many times as you like, to help increase your confidence and ensure that you pass first time when it comes to the real thing.
At IoSCM, we offer transport and logistics courses online, so you can study in your own time and at your own pace. You can revisit the materials and resources as often as you need to, by logging in to your personal learning platform. We also offer free monthly face-to-face or online workshops for you to attend if you would like some extra support.
We understand that each individual learns differently, so we offer logistics training which can be tailored to your unique needs.
As well as the extensive support available from peers and fellow students via our online learning platforms, you will also be assigned a Student Support Liaison when you enrol with us. This dedicated point of contact will handle all queries or concerns throughout your studies and act as your personal mentor.
You will also benefit from unlimited support, guidance and feedback from our team of industry expert tutors, who have years of experience in the logistics and transport sector.
The Level 2 Logistics and Transport course from IoSCM offers a variety of optional units along with core units, so you can tailor your studies to the skills you want to develop.
By choosing units which will benefit your current role, as well as units which can develop your skills to the next level, you can have the best possible foundation for success in your ongoing logistics career.
The full Level 2 Logistics and Transport qualification is available as a Diploma. However, we also offer the option of working towards an Award or a Certificate, if you would like to take an introductory course which is less comprehensive and can be completed more quickly.
Award: A Level 2 Logistics and Transport Award consists of one core unit. This is the shortest available qualification, making it a good option if you would like an introduction to one specific topic. This course will help to enhance your knowledge in one key area, but it won't give you a more comprehensive overview of the transport and logistics industry as a whole.
Certificate: To complete a Level 2 Certificate, you will need to study one core unit and two optional units. This will provide you with solid knowledge across a number of key topics, but is not the same full qualification as the Diploma.
Diploma: The Diploma is the full version of our Level 2 Logistics and Transport qualification, so it is much more in-depth and comprehensive than the other levels. To get the most out of your Level 2 course and give you the best chance of taking your career to the next level, we would recommend the Diploma as your best option. In order to complete the course, you will need to study one core unit and three optional units of your choice.
On completion of each level of our logistics and transport training, you will increase your value to your employer, expand your earning potential and accelerate your career. By completing a logistics management course with IoSCM, you will achieve an internationally recognised qualification that unlocks once unachievable job opportunities and salaries.
Speak to us today about studying our transport and logistics courses by calling 0800 1422 522. One of our expert Course Advisors will happily talk you through the next steps to your progression.
IoSCM's tutor team is populated by some of the industry's finest talents. All experts within their field, they will provide preparation for your distance learning experience, assistance with your qualification and support throughout the completion of each unit. Each of our tutors is a specialist in a particular sector of the industry, giving our team a strong understanding of what's needed to succeed within every field.
You will receive unlimited one-to-one support, guidance and feedback from IoSCM's industry expert tutor team, with communication through a range of methods including Whatsapp, Skype, Facetime, text, email and phone.
Don't just take our word for it; we're trusted by thousands of businesses who have employees studying our distance learning courses, in 101 countries across the globe. From entry-level personnel to senior managers, we're securing the future of the logistics and transport industry by delivering fully accredited UK qualifications.
Our network of experts expands beyond our tutors. Opportunities to network worldwide are available through the IoSCM Members' Area, allowing you to build professional relationships and share experience and expertise with other professionals and organisations on a global scale.
It couldn't be easier to apply for transport and logistics courses with the UK's leading provider of industry qualifications. Simply contact our Course Advisors today on 0800 1422 522.
We tailor each component of our transport and logistics training to the individual, and this includes our finance options. We believe your financial circumstances shouldn't prevent you from achieving your career goals. This is why we offer a range of payment methods to fund your qualification, including interest-free credit with monthly instalments.
We also accept business funded payment, for employers seeking to fund their employees' development. Contact us now and we can assess the best payment method for you during a free consultation call.
IoSCM are proud of the standard of our qualifications, the unique delivery of our curriculum and the unwavering support from our tutors and mentors. We're confident that our transport and logistics courses online, combined with your hard work, will pave the way to a bright future in the logistics and transport industry.
With our guarantee, if you are unsuccessful in passing your course, then we'll offer you a second opportunity to achieve your qualification free of charge.
Secure your guarantee by contacting our Course Advisors today on 0800 1422 522 for a free, no obligation quotation. Alternatively, you can leave us an enquiry or drop us an email at info@ioscm.com.


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MAY 1978, STROKINO, KAZAN, RUSSIA, N.F. KUSOV:
Allegedly, ufologist Dr. Felix Ziegel reported that in Strokino, Kazan, Russia, on May 1978, at 03:00 p.m., N. F. Kusov, Doctor of technical sciences, was staying at his dacha in order to finish a manuscript he had been working on.
As he sat in his study he noticed an uncommon light shining from outside, apparently from behind some trees. He decided to go investigate the source and saw at about 100 feet from the light, in a clearing, a cigar shaped object, 8 meters in length, sitting on the earth at one end and up the the air at the other end, at a 45-degree angle.
Kusov approached to within 15 feet of the object, which emanated a beautiful orange light with different tints. As he approached the object even further, he suddenly felt his insides "bursting" open, he realized he was being enveloped in a low frequency, 7 hertz, field.
Kusov took several steps back, and the discomfort passed. He approached again and the same thing happened. At this point he noticed to his consternation how the rays of the sun seemed to be absorbed by the surface of the object, seemingly entering what it appeared to him as a "black hole".
Shaken by what he had seen, Kusov walked back to the dacha but suddenly broke into a run towards the object, which still sat on the ground, again he could not approach the craft due to the high degree of discomfort.
Suddenly the object rose above the earth to about 2-3 meters, and then shot away vertically upward. Kusov felt no shockwave emanating from the object's liftoff. Shocked, he stood around for 5 minutes then frightened walked back to the dacha. There, he looked at his wristwatch and was astonished to see that almost 5 hours had passed and he thought he had only been outside for 30 minutes.
Day, decade?
Ufologist Felix Ziegel.
Ufology catalogue Overmeire.
Ufologist.
Clearing near home.
Not reported. Male. Doctor in science.
N/A.
Observed, approached.
Not reported. Curious.
Not a CE-3.
The Belgian ufologist indicates that in May 1978 in the USSR in Strokino "At 3 p.m. a doctor in science noticed a strange object in a clearing of the forest, behind his country house. He went there for a better look. In the clearing there was an object in the form of an 8 m long cigar which touched the ground of an end, the other being suspended at 45° compared to the horizon. In spite of this unexplainable position the object did not move. While he wanted to approach the witness felt the the presence of an invisible and insuperable barrier (on the frequency of 7 Hz, according to the witness)."
The source is given as "Boris CHOURINOV: 'Les deux faces de l'ufologie en Russie' - May 1994, p. 15".
Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in Strokino, Kazan, Russia, on May 1978, at 1500, Doctor of technical sciences, N F Kusov was staying at his dacha in order to finish a manuscript he had been working on. As he sat in his study he noticed an uncommon light shining from outside, apparently from behind some trees. He decided to go investigate the source and saw at about 100 ft from the light a cigar shaped object, 8 meters in length, sitting on the earth in a clearing at a 45-degree angle. Kusov approached to within 15 ft of the object, which emanated a beautiful orange light with different tints. As Kusov approached the object even further he suddenly felt his insides "bursting" open, he realized he was being enveloped in a low frequency (7 hertz) field. The vibration of this field is capable of destroying any living organism. Kusov took several steps back, and the discomfort passed. He approached again and the same thing happened. At this point he noticed, to his consternation how the rays of the sun seemed to be absorbed by the surface of the object, seemingly entering what it appeared to him as a "black hole". Shaken by what he had seen, Kusov walked back to the dacha but suddenly broke into a run towards the object, which still sat on the ground, again he could not approach the craft due to the high degree of discomfort. Suddenly the object rose above the earth to about 2-3 meters, and then shot away vertically upward; interestingly Kusov felt no shockwave emanating from the object's "liftoff". Shocked he stood around for 5 minutes then frightened walked back to the dacha. There he looked at his wristwatch and was astonished to see that almost 5 hours had passed and he thought he had only been outside for 30 minutes.
Albert Rosales indicates that the source is "UFOZONE Russia, quoting Ziegel."
Albert Rosales comments that "it is not mentioned in the original Russian summary but one has to wonder if Kusov with his intent to approach the object suffered any damaging after effects. Also a hypnotic regression is necessary in this case."
Contrary to the indication by [go1], the case does not appears on page 15 of Boris Shurinov's book, neither under "Strokino" nor under "Kusov" in its index.
This is not the only case that appears in some catalogue as a close encounter of the third kind or "humanoid encounter", when actually no occupant is reported at all.
It seems sometimes a "missing time" and just fantasizing about potential revelations "under hypnosis", an invalid method, is enough to change a CE2 to a CE3.
[---] ? Felix Ziegel, PhD., Russia.
[---] ? UFOZONE, Russia.
[go1] * "Chronologie OVNI", web page compiled by Godelieve Van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 1999, at www.galeon.com/ignaciodarnaude/avistamientos_ovnis/Casos%20OVNI%201977-79,G.V.Overmeire.htm
0.1 Patrick Gross November 23, 2011 Creation, [1].
1.0 Patrick Gross November 23, 2011 First published.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Pay attention to the basics as you design your webpage, and you'll be rewarded by return visitors. These simple tips help you deliver reader-friendly pages that welcome viewers.
Optimize the images for your website. They should be large enough to deliver excellent quality on a computer monitor and small enough to allow for rapid page loads. Slow-loading pages are annoying, and unnecessarily huge images are a primary cause of slow-loading pages. It's easy to optimize your images.
Use graphics that fit the content. Just because you have an adorable photo of your dog doesn't mean you should put it on your website. The graphics should support the content of the site. The exception to this is for design images that are part of the design of the page and are not intended to illustrate the content.
Use animated images sparingly. Flashing graphics can be distracting or annoying to some people.
Stick with standard layouts. Using six or eight frames on one page is just overkill. Designing a page to scroll to the right and never down confuses viewers. These layouts may be clever and fun to build, but they can drive away your readers. The reason that the basic layouts are so popular on websites is that they are familiar to the viewers.
White space is more than a CSS property; it is an important design element of your layout. You should be aware of the white space on your pages and its effect on how the content is viewed. Using white space as a design element is just as important in a webpage layout as it is in a paper layout.
Use graphics as elements in your layouts. Graphics can be more than just graphics when you use them as actual elements in your layouts. One example occurs when you wrap text around an image, but any image you have on your site is a layout element and should be treated as such.
Use serif fonts for headlines and sans serif for text. If you've taken any type of print design class, this is exactly the opposite of what you were taught, but the web is not print. Sans serif fonts are much easier to read on computer monitors because the screen resolution of monitors is not as high as it is in print. If you use serif fonts for normal text, the serifs can blur together on the screen making them hard to read.
Limit the number of different fonts. One of the best ways to make your website looks amateurish is to change the font over and over again. Limiting your page and site to two or three possibly three standard fonts makes it easier to read and looks more professional.
Use web safe font families. You can choose to use Rockwood LT Standard as your font-of-choice on your page, but the chances that your readers have that font is low. Stick with fonts like Verdana, Geneva, Arial, and Helvetica or other web safe fonts. They may seem boring, but your pages will look better, and the designs look as you intended on more browsers.
Don't be greedy. If you have control over the number of ads on your site, be aware that your readers are not coming to read the ads; they are coming for the content. If the ads overwhelm the page content, many readers won't stick around long enough to read your text. Minimize ad placement for return viewers.
Treat ads as you would any other image. Keep them small, avoid flashing ads, and keep them relevant. Just because you can have an ad on your site, doesn't mean that you should. If the content is relevant to your readers, they're more likely to click on the ad.
Test your pages in multiple browsers. Writing web pages that work only on the most modern browser is a bad plan. Unless you are creating a website for a corporate intranet or a kiosk where the browser version is fixed, you'll have problems with people who aren't able to view your pages.
The same is true for operating systems. You can't assume that just because your page works in Opera, it will work in Safari.
Write content the readers want. Make sure that your content covers topics that your readers want to read and that it is updated regularly. Stay on your website's topic and keep the content interesting.


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Home	- All Press Releases	- VPG Announces New On-Site VFR Precision Center at BEDEK GmbH & Co.KG in Germany
Additional Languages:
VPG Announces New On-Site VFR Precision Center at BEDEK GmbH & Co.KG in Germany
MALVERN, Pa. — Feb. 17, 2014 — Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE: VPG) today announced the opening of a new Vishay Foil Resistors (VFR) Precision Center within BEDEK GmbH & Co.KG, a certified distributor of VFR high-precision resistors in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. BEDEK can now build and ship a wide range of VFR precision resistors — with no minimum quantities — in 48 to 72 hours, including VFR's popular Bulk Metal® Foil VSMP (Z-Foil technology), VSM, and S series resistors. These resistors are supplied to any resistance value in their range, with no standard value restrictions.
BEDEK is a valued distributor of VFR's most popular precision resistor models used in critical circuits for avionics, military, and space (AMS) applications. They are also used in high-volume automatic test equipment, alternative energy, audio, RTD, 4-20mA current loops, shunt calibration, medical, energy exploration applications, and more. With an on-site Precision Center, BEDEK now trims these resistors' elements to the exact customer-requested resistance — specified to six digits (e.g. 998.995 Ω vs. 1 kΩ) – while maintaining all the inherent performance characteristics of Bulk Metal Foil technology.
"For designers, prototyping with resistors offering the highest stability available in exact required values allows prototype circuits to be taken directly to full-scale environmental and life tests, instead of the usual two-stage process of initial room temperature evaluation followed by subsequent ordering of more precise parts for full-scale testing," said Yuval Hernik, senior director for application engineering, Vishay Foil Resistors.
"In addition, most manufacturers require customers to purchase a full reel of resistors for each value if more than a few sample pieces are needed for prototyping. By providing the exact number of resistors needed at the precise resistance value and tolerances required, BEDEK provides designers with an invaluable source for small-quantity prototype runs and quick changes prior to production."
With an on-site Precision Center, BEDEK is able to ship VFR's popular VSMP and VSM wraparound surface-mount chip resistors and S series through-hole devices from its own finishing operations. Based on Bulk Metal Z-Foil and Classic Foil technologies, the resistors offer initial tolerances as low as 0.005% with load-life stability to 0.005% (50 ppm) after 2,000 hours with rated power applied at +70 °C, and ±0.01% (100 ppm) after 10,000 hours. TCRs as low as 0.05ppm/K from 0 °C to +60 °C provide unprecedented thermal stability and assure automatic TCR tracking of any number of resistors, even across separate circuit boards inside electronic equipment. The devices' unique construction permits uniform heat dissipation and minimizes the effects of extreme environments. The resistors are virtually noise-free and provide ESD protection to 25 kV or more for the highest reliability.
"In recent months, all sorts of precision electronic components have been targeted by counterfeiters who dump very realistic looking but unreliable copies of precision electronics onto the market," said Thomas Piltz, CEO of BEDEK. "This is causing confusion about the differences between actual and published specifications, and contaminates storehouses and circuits with unreliable and under-performing parts. That's why it is more important than ever to verify that the foil resistors you're using are in fact the high-precision devices you believe them to be. The best way to counter these fraudulent scams is to buy only from your local and authorized Precision Resistors Express Hub, BEDEK. We are proud of the unique history of Bulk Metal Foil resistors, the quality resistive device created in our factory in Dinkelsbühl, and the people who work here to provide you the best technical support and short lead times for both standard and custom devices."
To view BEDEK's complete offering of foil resistor products, please visit http://www.praezisionswiderstaende.de (German) and http://www.precision-resistors.com (English).
Further information Vishay Foil Resistors products and Precision Centers is available at www.vishayfoilresistors.com. Follow Vishay Foil Resistors at http://twitter.com/foilresistor.
About Vishay Precision Group
Vishay Precision Group (VPG) is an internationally recognized designer, manufacturer and marketer of: components based on its resistive foil technology; sensors; and sensor-based systems specializing in the growing markets of stress, force, weight, pressure, and current measurements. VPG is a market leader of Foil Technology Products, providing ongoing technology innovations in precision foil resistors and foil strain gages, which are the foundation of the Company's Force Sensors Products and its Weighing and Control Systems. The product portfolio consists of a variety of well-established brand names recognized for precision and quality in the marketplace. To learn more, visit VPG at www.vishaypg.com.
VPG Foil Resistors, a part of Vishay Precision Group (VPG), produces the most precise and stable resistors available. Distinguished by the premier brands Vishay Foil Resistors, Powertron, and Alpha Electronics, the VPG Foil Resistors portfolio includes discrete resistors and resistor networks in surface mount and through-hole (fixed-lead) configurations; customized chip resistor networks; precision trimming potentiometers; and discrete chips for use in hybrid circuits. These devices are used in applications requiring a high degree of precision and stability, such as in medical testing equipment, semiconductor equipment, precision measuring instruments, aerospace, and military applications. To learn more, visit www.vishayfoilresistors.com.
Bulk Metal is a registered trademark of Vishay Precision Group, Inc.


Frozen pipes, tree collapses, and hail damage can be among the most expensive insurance claims. How do you prepare in order to avoid experiencing any of theses kinds of losses to your home or property? Consider these tips when preparing for the winter season ahead. With frozen pipe damage, the best way to prepare is… Read more.
What is the best way to protect yourself from the dangers of hurricanes? Preparation. Hurricanes offer various different threat levels, and knowing how to plan accordingly is crucial in a major storm situation. Develop an action plan. Do you live in an evacuation zone? If so, where will you go and how will you get… Read more.
Hurricanes—also referred to as cyclones and typhoons in the northern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, respectively—are capable of causing major property damage. They can reach speeds of over 160 miles per hour, unloading over 2.4 trillion gallons of water as rain in one day. Hurricanes generate enormous amounts of energy by drawing heat from… Read more.
The arrival of spring means many things. While many are excited about the shower of colors springing up all around, we want to make sure you are ready for whatever this season sends your way. The arrival of spring means the arrival of spring showers. We want to make sure the arrival of spring showers… Read more.


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Q: Is it possible to provide conditional shipping options using the Stripe checkout API? I am using Stripe's Checkout API. I'd like to offer international shipping, with different shipping options whether the customer has the product shipped domestically, or internationally. Is there a way, using Checkout, to make shipping options conditional on the shipping address country the user inputs in the Checkout form?  I could of course just offer both "domestic" and "international" shipping options, but that would allow the user to select the incorrect option given the shipping country.
I know this could be done using the Payment Element product by collecting the user's shipping address ahead of time and applying my own logic to limit the shipping options before displaying the checkout form, but that would be more work, so it would be nice if this could happen all within the Checkout flow.

A: This is currently not supported in the Checkout API.  As with the Payment Element, you would need to identify which category of shipping applied and then create the Checkout Session with the correct shipping_options.
While perhaps requiring a bit more upfront work than having the Checkout API handle it all for you, you could identify the country earlier in your process and configure your application to generate "domestic" or "international" shipping_rate_data.
If there are certain countries where it just doesn't make sense to ship to, you can configure which countries are supported for shipping options via the shipping_address_collection.allowed_countries parameter.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Today is the start of something new at Skylight Nightclub. Come by and try out our $2 Tuesdays at Skylight with our new pool table that is begging for you to play. $2 Tuesdays at Skylight Santa Fe consist of $2 Tecate, $2 Tacos, $2 Pizza Slices, $.50 Wings and $1 Pool Games on the new pool table! Doors open at 6:00pm.
Sounds good to me! See you at Skylight Nightclub TONIGHT and every Tuesday after!


Fantasy Football – A brilliant use of the online medium, fantasy football takes the average fan and puts him (or her) into the driver's seat, choosing their own players from any team and making decisions on who to play every week. The result: A broader connection with the sport where football fans care about every game every week, and not just the game involving their team.
NFL in Advertising – Beer and cars are the two most frequently advertised products during football games in America, and at least half of the ads are tied in some way to football, showing images of people watching games, or satires of referees. Fedex, Budweiser, Southwest Airlines and Coors are just a few large advertisers running spots with tie-ins to the sport. The result: Further reinforcement of how large a part the sport and brand play in each of our lives.
NFL Network – While other sports may launch deals with cable companies to cover every game being played at any time, the NFL promotes their own cable network which not only provides commentary on the current season, it also focuses on the nostalgia of the past 50 years of football. Many recent ads even feature Tony Gonzalez, a hispanic player, talking in spanish to the hispanic youth of America encouraging them to play football. The result: Fostering the emotional connection with the sport that is passed down from generation to generation.
How many other brands can we point to which make a similar emotional connection and have the powerful appeal of the NFL? For anyone working on brand marketing, sports or otherwise, the NFL offers a model worth studying.


Meditation with chants begins at 10:00 AM in the meditation hall. Please arrive at least 5 minutes early, as no one will be admitted late during chants. This hour is a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation practice.
There is no cost to attend this event, but suggested donations of $5 to $10 are appreciated.
We are delighted to have our children's program, on the 1st and 3rd Sundays, to support parents who want to practice. Send an email to our Director of Family and Children's Programming at lesliegossett [at] gmail [dot] com.


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Album Review: "Snakes & Ladders" by Jonny Goode
I really love blogging. And I'm so honoured to do it for such a large audience.
Another honour is it to write about such talented musicians as I do. 90% of all artists and bands you see on here submitted their music for me to review and I'm really happy about this.
Let's get into today's review!
Artist: Jonny Goode
Title: Snakes & Ladders
Genre: acoustic
Release: 8th September 2014
hits rating: 8/10
Jonny Goode has been making music for 20 years now and is nowhere close to an end.
The acoustic/soul singer and songwriter from Norwich, UK financed his music equipment from gigging and busking around the UK.
So far he released his debut album "This Is England" in August 2012, "Flying Past The Stars On Silver Wings" - his second record and now he's here with "Snakes & Ladders", so let's talk about it, shall we?
1) High Hopes
2) Crossfire
3) Radio
4) Stay (Acoustic Version)
5) Runaway Trains
6) Karma
7) Faith's Prayer
8) You Don't Wanna Know
9) Being First
10) 10:07
Acoustic, handmade, personal - those are the first words which come to my mind when I listen to opener "High Hopes". It starts really soft with only an acoustic guitar and Jonny's voice. But the track soon builds up into a multi-instrumental up beat one. Even though there is a lot going on, it's still light and lively and not even a bit overwhelming.
There is one song on the album which is completely kept as an acoustic one, "Stay". A beautiful and emotional ballad. The song is guitar based with piano parts highlighting the vulnerable side of it. Jonny's soft but raspy voice sets an honest atmosphere and transports the emotions. The perfect example for less is more.
For track "Karma" Jonny brings out the e-guitar and lets it howl beautifully every now and then.
I sometimes find singer/songwriter albums rather a bit monotonous. But with Jonny Goode's album here I don't get this feeling at all. He definitely has his own sound and stays true to it but he still manages to mix genres and create a new, exciting vibe.
To sum it up: The clever arrangements definitely make the album what it is - an honest composition with such brilliant songs. I'd say Mr Jonny Goode is one to watch!
You should listen to these tracks: Stay, Karma, Faith's Prayer
Jonny Goode online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Jonny Goode
Interview: Sean Rumsey
I don't know about you but when I was younger I loved watching talent shows where it was all about music.
As time passes by this somehow changed. Maybe I'll blame it on the lack of quality shows here in Germany, but that's a whole other story.
A few weeks ago I found Sean Rumsey's music on the submissions list for HITS.
Sean Rumsey is a singer/songwriter from the UK. He's all into soul-pop music.
After taking part in the X Factor and The Voice UK he's now writing and recording his own music.
"Alive", his first EP is out now.
In the interview he told me more about the casting shows, his own material and his plans for the future. Enjoy!
house in the sand: So Sean, you've been part of X Factor and The Voice UK. What were the experiences like?
Sean: Both competitions were real growing experiences, I took a lot from them as an artist and a person, they have helped me to get where I'm at now with my music that is something I'm really grateful for.
house in the sand: What were the main differences between the two formats?
Sean: The main difference between both from my experience is that The Voice is more focused on singing and the X Factor is more on the entertainment side!
house in the sand: On The Voice you've managed to turn two chairs - what did it feel like to perform for the judges?
Sean: That was cool, it was fun to do, only thing was that my composure was off as I needd the toilet just before my audition. I literally had no time to remember what I was about to do for the performance, so I basically had to play catch up during the performance and thankfully Danny and Tom turned.
house in the sand: The songs you've performed throughout the shows - how did you choose them?
Sean: The first song 'Payphone' was a song that I felt was really current at the time. The battle song I had no say in, I didn't even know it and wasn't that keen on it butit was a fun performance. The knockout song 'Ain't No Sunshine' was like my third choice but it's a classic asong that I feel a lot of people relate to.
house in the sand: You are now working on your own material and have already released an EP. Where do you get the inspiration for your music from?
Sean: I get inspiration from people around me and experiences I have, music is a part of me and wil always be there in some shape or form.
house in the sand: Can you tell us a bit about the writing process? How do you start a new song?
Sean: When I write I don't like to follow a formula but I tend to start on the piano and create a nice chord progression, then I'll record that in and start writing melodies and lyrics over that.
house in the sand: Is there some piece of advice you've gotten that really stayed with you ever since?
Sean: "You get what you put in.", quite simple. This is so on point.
house in the sand: Plans for the future?
Sean: Write for mainstream artists and have songs that chart. Create some awesome music and videos and evolve artistically.
house in the sand: Please complete the following sentence: I am Sean Rumsey and I ...
Sean: ... like twerking! Jokes ... I don't take shit too serious anymore.
house in the sand: Is there anything else you would like the house in the sand readers to know?
Sean: Stay blessed and spread good vibes.
Sean Rumsey online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud | YouTube
Credits // Text & Questions: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Answers: Sean Rumsey
Playlist: Readers Request
I created this blog about 2,5 years ago because I went to a gig and was absolutely over the moon about it and wanted to share my impressions and opinions with, well the internet.
Back then around 20 people read the blog.
Today more than 3000 people a day read the blog.
We also went from only me sharing what I love to interacting more and sharing great music with each other.
So a while ago I asked you on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to share YOUR favourite songs with me.
Little did I know this would create an amazing playlist with all kinds of genres. From hip hop to acoustic to rock to pop and back.
On the list are some quite new tracks as well as some tunes from the 80s. You see, I'm amazed by the variety.
Jayden requested: "Runaway" by Kanye West
Eileen requested: "All I Want" by Kodaline
Ryan requested: "Southern Sun" by Boy & Bear
Chris requested: "Fault Line" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Andrew requested: "Fall At Your Feet" by Neil Finn (Crowded House)
Brophy requested: "No One Knows" by Queens Of The Stone Age
Andy requested: "What Have We Sown?" by The Pineapple Thief
T-Mac requested: "Sho Ya Right" by EntaPrize feat. Triumph, Munee$ & Lano
Kathie requested: "Uncover" by Zara Larsson
Jake requested: "Swim And Sleep (Like A Shark)" by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
1inFive requested: "This One's For You" by Motorbiscuit
Sabine requested: "Colors Of The Cold" by Rocco DeLuca
Kitti requested: "Songs About Roses" by Owl John
Mike requested: "Black Lake" by 1inFive
Rachel requested: "Messiah" by Prides
Nessi requested: "Wolves In This Town" by Plastic House
Lukas requested: "Heart Keeps Dancing" by James Gruntz
Jeffrey requested: "Spanish Sahara" by Foals
Jana requested: "Come And Get Your Love" by Redbone
Once again - many thanks to everyone who shared their favourite song with me. I absolutely love interacting with you and hope we can keep things on this level.
Let me know if you want more readers playlists! :)
(I freaking love them...)
Credits // Text & Image: Vanessa Jertschewske | all songs were submitted by house in the sand readers
Book Review: The Music Industry Self Help Guide
Wow, this post is going to be the very first book review on house in the sand ever. A day to remember.
A while ago I got an email asking if I was interested in reviewing a book. At first I wasn't sure because this is a music blog, but the further I read into the email, the more I wanted to read the book and share my thoughts with you.
Why? Because it's a music book! 'The music industry self help guide' to be precise.
The book was written by Mike Repel, a musician and record label owner. He has experienced pretty much every side of the music industry.
As the title gives it away it's a self help guide, this means everything you read about in this book can be done by yourself. Starting out in the music industry can be intimidating, scary and in some cases, senseless. Being a musician is more than just playing some tunes.
In fact you need to know how to handle pressure, have the perfect online presence, need to build (and keep) a fanbase, learn about copyrights and a freaking lot more.
The book provides you with background information from the perspective of a musician and label owner who knows what he's talking about.
The right presskit, how to handle interviews and deal with haters - if you're trying to become a rather successful artist you better learn about this.
But as stated a couple of times in the book, if you don't work for your career, nobody will.
Here's an overview of all chapters:
1. Be prepared to do it yourself
2. Bringing the goods
3. The lineup
4. Developing your brand
5. Your support structure
6. A solid online presence
7. Merchandising
8. Album artwork
9. Your first release
10. Copyright information
11. Publishing, performance rights & royalty collection agencies
12. The presskit
13. The interview
14. Marketing and promoting yourself
15. Working with labels and management
16. The bad promoter
17. Go book yourself
18. Performance riders and guarantees
19. DIY touring
20. Problems with live sound
21. Violence at the venue
22. Live performer etiquette
23. Haters
24. Bands, chemical dependency & drugs
25. Rap and mixtapes
26. Revenue recap
27. What the future holds
Mike's way of writing is provoking, straight forward and bloody honest.
He won't stroke your head and tell you that you're going to be famous one day but he'll surely motivate you to work towards that goal of yours.
I had to get used to his way of writing but halfway through the book I really started treasuring how Mike sticks to his opinions and how he provides you with tons of facts, quotes and more.
Whilst reading the book, as a music journalist, not a musician, I felt shocked about the statistics mentioned in the book, understood when it comes to presskits (as a journalist I see tons of amazing and not so amazing presskits daily) and amazed by what it takes to be a musician.
A book full of benefits and honesty, that's what I'd call it.
More on twitter.
You can get the book Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Googlebooks, Kobo books, Barnes and Noble Nook.
Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image: Mike Repel
*book was provided by author
Interview: Schuyler Deerman from Sidestage
Who of you has ever been involved in organize an event including live music?
I have and I know that it can be real struggle to find the right artists and to sort everything out.
And musicians, don't some of you find it difficult to get booked?
Wouldn't it be great if there was a platform which made everything easier?
Well, let me tell you - there is!
Sidestage is a platform for musicians and bookers to both find what they're looking for. Launched in Berlin, Germany and London, UK the variety of bookers and musicians is already massive.
To give you an idea of what you can expect from the service I spoke to the founder, Schuyler Deerman.
house in the sand: The concept of Sidestage is really interesting. How did you, the founders, come up with it?
Schuyler: I grew up playing guitar, and know lots of musicians. Here are all these crazy talented people (not talking about myself), but none of them make much money playing music. What if we could make it really easy for them to get hired to play music. If it was easier to hire musicians, would more people do it?
Our goal is to enable more musicians to do more of what they love doing. But to do this, we focus on just making it easier for people to book musicians.
house in the sand: For all potential bookers - how do I find the right artist for my event? How does the whole booking process work?
Schuyler: To find an artist, visit our site and tell us where your even is. You'll get a visiual listing of artists available around you. Then you can go to the artists' profile pages to see pricing and to hear and see what the artists are like. If you want, you can contact the artists through our platform, and when you're ready, you can book them at the click of a button.
It's all pretty easy and straight forward. And of course, if you need any help along the way, you can contact our world-class customer support.
house in the sand: As a lot of artists and bands are reading this: how can they become a part of Sidestage?
Schuyler: We're looking for amazing musicians to join Sidestage. To sign up, go to http://sidestage.com and create an account. It's free.
house in the sand: And most importantly: why should they become a part of it? What are their advantages?
Schuyler: Sidestage is a great platform for handling bookings. When artists run their bookings through Sidestage, we ensure the security of each transaction, making sure artists get paid on time, everytime. We also protect artists against cancellations and fraud. So if someone cancels on an artist last minute, the artist isn't going to be out of money.
house in the sand: What do you expect the future for Sidestage to be like?
Schuyler: We want to enable more musicians to do more of what they love doing. We want to make it easier, and less intimidating, to hire musicians. And in doing this, we hope more musicians get booked.
house in the sand: Who are the people behind Sidestage? Are you also musicians?
Schuyler: Our team is a mix of product and music people. I, myself, have been playing guitar since I was 10. At one point, I wanted to go to music school but ended up taking a different path.
house in the sand: Can you share some music tips with us which you listen to?
Schuyler: I like a lot of stuff. Some of my favorites are... The Landed, AZEDIA and the SpreeTONorchester. You can book all of these bands on Sidestage, too. :)
Many thanks to Schuyler for this insightful interview!
Visit Sidestage now!
Credits // Text & Questions: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Answers: Sidestage, Schuyler Deerman
7 tunes you need to hear #3
On a scale from 1-10 - how exciting is new music to you?
For me it's probably 15. Yeah, I get really excited about discovering new music, but you probably have noticed that by now.
house in the sand is the place for new and exciting music and so it is law that I share it with you.
There are thousands of tunes you need to hear ... but let's start off with the following seven.
'What The French Call "Les Incompétents"' by Waterbodies
Energetic rock music. Yeah... I guess it's no secret that I love it. Waterbodies, the rock three piece from Toronto, Canada, managed to write and record such track.
A slightly dirty sounding with a heavy rhythm section, a controlling e-guitar with some into-your-mind-burning riffs and the singer's strong, expressive voice. The lighter cheers between chorus and verse are a nice and rather unexpected contrast which forms the song into what it is.
Waterbodies online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
'Contagious' by JShades ft. D.O.
Giving all genres a go is what I think makes a music blog a music blog. Why listen to only one certain genre when there are so many talented musicians creating tunes.
Indeed I'm not the super knowledged when it comes to hip-hop but that doesn't mean I can enjoy it.
'Contagious' by JShades ft. D.O. mixes hip-hop and pop music in a calm yet moveable way. JShades is an artist from Las Vegas, USA who only started with his original music in 2013 but already found his own style.
JShades online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
'Bridgeburner' by Goodnight, Sunrise
To start this section - let me quote the bands Facebook page when it comes to their genre: "Indie Soul Metal Rock Pop Prog" - alright, one thing you definitely can't accuse the three piece from Ontario, Canada is a monotonous style.
"Bridgeburner" is exactly such multi-genre compilation. Two tracks where David and Vanessa spotlight their talent individually. Both tracks are energetic tunes you really can't genre-fy. Massive instrumentals showcase the band as a whole, both vocalist know how to control a track.
Goodnight, Sunrise online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
'Deanna' by Chimera
Pop music has many faces and so does Chimera. The man behind the project, Alan Berkeley Holmes from Edmonton, Canada, shows us another side of pop music.
'Deanna' is a dreamy ballad which uses the calm and emotional side to tell a story. The song is mainly piano based with its focus on the vocals. A string arrangement adds even more intensity and more emotion to the beautiful ballad.
Chimera online: Facebook | Soundcloud
'My Dress Hangs There' by Violet
Electronic-pop, another face of the pop music's variety. Violet, a young musician from Sydney, Australia who is inspired by artists such as James Blake and Lana Del Rey definitely nails it.
'My Dress Hangs There' is an absolutely interesting track with a great attitude convinces with a calm and mysterious beat. The clever arrangements need to be mentioned, but what really stands out is Violet's atmospheric voice; soothing vocals which have no problems to also reach higher notes effortlessly really make the song what it is.
Keep an eye and ear on this young lady! I'm sure we'll hear a lot of her.
Violet online: Website | Soundcloud
'Buena Vista' by JEEN
Canada, you place of talent! Another artist from Canada landed on our 7 tunes list for a good reason. Indie/alternative rocker JEEN mixes interesting elements into her track 'Buena Vista". The up tempo tune lets elements of western music shine through and sparkles because of its creativity.
It's really no surprise JEEN has worked with multiple artists such as Great Big Sea, Serena Ryder and Hawksley Workman and had her songs used for national campaigns. Spot on, Miss JEEN.
JEEN online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
'Startin' Fires' by Inego
British alternative rock bands are usually quite promising. And so are INEGO, the four piece outfit from Manchester, UK. They have been making music since 2007 and definitely know how to convince with their style.
'Startin' Fires' is an infectious track with slightly funky riffs, a brilliantly harmonizing rhythm section and main vocals that could not be better arrange with the backing vocals.
A very unique style you really should hold on to. The depth of the song will let you fall right into the track but definitely catch you before you hit the ground.
Inego online: Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
I hope you enjoyed the 7 tunes you really needed to hear! :)
Credits // Text & Header Photography: Vanessa Jertschewske | all other images belong to the artists and their photographers
Spotlight On: Midnight Hour
There are a lot of things I really love about blogging. One of them has to be meeting other bloggers and actually becoming friends with them.
Today's post is strongly influenced by the wonderful Nessi Holt from carpe carmina.
Not only do we share the same name, but also some fantastic music.
Nessi told me about Midnight Hour, a fantastic band. And I'm happy to introduce them to you today.
Midnight Hour is a pop band with rock elements from Orange County (Los Angeles), USA.
The band formed in 2006, went through some line-up changes and now consists of:
Brad Logde (vocals)
Tim Johnson (lead guitar)
Mark Johnson (guitar)
Jeff Fernandez (bass)
So far they have released the EP "Ghost In The Mirror" in their early days, their debut album "Midnight Hour" which was recorded in their own studio and produced by themselves back in 2012.
"Running Away", a song off of Midnight Hour's debut album was featured in the series "Ghost Whisperer" and even the band made an appearance.
"Modern Love", also off of "Midnight Hour", the debut longplayer, was their first song to get played on the radio. Californian radio station KROQ welcomed the band's music and played it multiple times.
The pop band has supported well known colleagues such as Imagine Dragons and Plain White T's on tour.
In 2013 they released another EP, this time consisting of stripped down acoustic songs.
This year "Monster", a new single with a slightly mysterious twist to the band's signature sound, went online.
Radio hit "Modern Love" is also the online song which got its own music video.
Well deserved though.
The energetic and catchy song represents Midnight Hour's lively live performance which is shown in the video. Paired with backstage footage and lovely campfire scenes the video is an absolutely joy to watch.
The song itself is a powerful, vibrant vocals colour the song, the infectious and catchy instrumentations gives it the necessary grip. A fantastic song which you definitely want to hear!
Midnight Hour online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
Thank your for reading!
Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Image & Video: Midnight Hour
Album Review: "Pictures Of Us" by Kosi
I think I already told you that it makes me pretty happy when artists I've worked with before, ask me to work with them again.
I think it's a sign that things are going well, for all of us.
Kosi, a singer/songwriter based in New York City, USA sent me her album "One More Cup Of Coffee" last year. And this year I found a lovely copy of her newest album "Pictures Of Us" in the mail.
Artist: Kosi
Title: Pictures Of Us
Release: 2nd June 2014
hits rating: /10
Her music marches into a blues and jazz direction but still mixes other sounds into it. So let's call it a multi-coloured style.
Now let's get into the review!
1) Wild Is The Wind
2) I Already Know
3) Brianna
4) The Star Crossed Lovers
5) Pictures Of Us
6) Your Angel
7) Valerie
8) Untitled Art Song (in e minor)
9) Hoboken Blues
10) Lovers' Song (be the one)
Opener "Wild Is The Wind" is a cover by the absolutely fantastic Nina Simone. Kosi keeps the tempo, the intensity but puts her own twist to it.
Her voice has to be the main part of the song, you just can't deny it.
The warmth in her voice, the strength -they just soak you in, they captivate you.
Title track "Pictures Of Us" suprises with a male co-vocalist, both voices harmonize perfectly and give the song a lot texture. The tenor saxophone takes the lead for a lively instrumental part.
A song which really stands out is "Your Angel", a beautiful ballad where Kosi's vocals are completely spot on. It's a stripped down song, really natural and focused on the base of the track. It transports the emotion, the lyrics are honest, they are heartfelt.
Whilst on her last album I criticized the rather guitar based instrumentals, this time the record is rich of different instruments; trumpets, tenor saxophones and brilliantly arranged percussions.
"Hoboken Blues" gets, surprise surprise, a litte more bluesy. The sass in Kosi's voice is underlined by the instrumentation and works together with the lyrics oh so well!
To sum it up: Once again the talented singer managed to convince with her endless talent. Honest songs which tell lyrics in emotional and poetic ways. A big variety of sounds supports Kosi's vocal range and helps making this record one to treasure.
You should listen to these tracks: I Already Know, Your Angel, Hoboken Blues
Kosi online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
Credits // Text: Vanessa Jertschewske | Artwork: Kosi
Video: Help me plan a project!
Today I've got a little video message for you.
Earlier this year we celebrated house in the sand's second birthday. Our 28th day long party consisted of 27 splendid live performances all dedicated to the blog.
It was fantastic!
As the process to plan and organise the whole thing took about 5 months I am now about to start the Birthday Countdown 2015.
I would love to have your help when it comes to planning next years Birthday Countdown.
But you'll all details in the video below!
Overview of this years countdown:
I can't wait to hear your suggestions! :)
Feel free to leave comments and share this project. I'm sure we can organise the coolest birthday countdown / birthday party!
(I'M SOOOO EXCITED!)
Credits // Text, Photography & Videography: Vanessa Jertschewske
EP Review: 'Faith' by Think Tank
EP Review: 'One Take Recordings' by Keeva
Video Of The Day: 'Satellites' by Alex Stockley
HITS exclusive: "Same Love" (cover) by Dan Dietric...
Monthly Review: August 2014


4000 SeriesINT/EXT 45 Degree Elbow, Steel, 1-1/2 in.
Dimensions:1-1/8 in. x 1-1/2 in.
Dimensions 1-1/8 in. x 1-1/2 in.
4000 series 1-1/2 inch ivory 45 degree internal/external steel elbow.
Used on 4000 series two piece steel surface raceway.


I have decided to part with my '17 Versys 650 ABS. I just don't have enough time to ride it enough to make it worth holding onto. I would rather cash out and pass it along to someone who can properly enjoy it.
Modifications/accessories: None, bone stock. I will include the Battery Tender Jr that it is currently attached to, and if you can use an XL helmet, I'll throw in my Bell Riot helmet with both clear & tinted shields.
3-year transferable extended warranty included. The bike was purchased new in April 2018, so over 2 years left.
Flaws? It has been gently laid down, twice - both parking incidents in my own garage while at virtually full stop. Snapped the clutch lever the first time, replaced with stock part. Second time it very slightly bent the lever, functions fine, and unless you look at the brake lever to see the difference, you wouldn't even realize it's bent at all - so I left it in place. Very slight scratch on the bottom of the case where it contacted the ground. Otherwise - 100% perfect cosmetically, and 100% sound mechanically.
600-mile break-in service performed on schedule & documented.
Average NADA retail is $6225, low is $4730. At this mileage and condition, and with the extended warranty, what's a fair number? I dunno. Make me an offer.
email me at klcoll at yahoo dot com if interested.
BTW , i like the Patrol Car....Good old days highway patrol car..
PM updated. Bike is still for sale as of 3/26/19.
Still available. Riding season is here!


Like many other browns I know, my name seems to bring out the worst in other people. When I taught elementary school in Brooklyn, an older colleague insisted on calling me "Ms. R." "I don't mean to offend," he explained, "but if I try saying your last name, I know I'll just sound silly." Well, now you just sound like an idiot, I thought. A similar encounter occurred during my first week of graduate school, when the Dean approached me and introduced herself. I told her my name, and she asked, "Why couldn't your parents just name you Molly or Jane?" Yes, I know, Naina Ramajayan…so difficult to pronounce, that even I just call myself 'The N.' It's all pretty ironic, actually; considering that I'm a southie Hindu, my name is about as simple as it gets.
Thankfully, the baggage that comes with my name is fairly harmless, and I'm able to laugh it off. No one has ever looked at my name and suggested that I be targeted for homeland security. Some of my friends from college, however, haven't been as lucky. When my friend Rahul Shah introduced himself to his co-worker a while ago, she responded, "Like, as in, the Shah of Iran, that Holocaust denier?" (Oh yes, she did.) Another friend felt pressured to start using his middle name at work because his boss joked that his first name, Amit, sounded like 'Ahmed.' And so what if does? "Dude," he explained, "Three of the 9-11 hijackers were named Ahmed." Amit, Ahmed, Shah, Iran…looks like the code is finally getting cracked.
I used to think these issues concerning names were a burden only for us brown people. But then I learned that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois is in a similar predicament. CNN did a nice story a few weeks ago (you can view the clip here) on the "controversy" surrounding the Senator's name. Since Obama rhymes with Osama, Barack rhymes with Iraq (and Chirac), and Hussein is his middle name, he's evidently a newly-discovered threat to the United States. After watching that clip, I felt guilty for thinking my buddy Amit was just being paranoid of his boss all these years. In fact, now I'm even more paranoid than I ever was before. Of rampant stupidity, that is. Aasif Mandvi appeared on the Daily Show on Tuesday night to bring his perspective on Obama-Osama-gate.
My favorite line: Aasif Mandvi? Yikes, I sound like trouble. People, keep your eye on me.
Jokes aside, I have to wonder: if Barack's name — or any of our names, for that matter — rhymed with McVeigh, Rudolph, or Kaczynski, would any of this even be a topic of discussion?
This entry was posted in Humor by naina. Bookmark the permalink.
Risible: Wasn't intending to be triumphalist — just ordered some Bose headphones today, after all — but when people trot out the comical idea that all ethnic groups have contributed equally to America's greatness, they have to be called on it.
Didn't say "no contribution to America," Darling Nikki, said the contributions were primarily limited to cultural ones, with very few in business, law, science, and governance. If you dispute that, name a few. Bored is following the PC "everyone contributed equally" to America" line of trying to say that blacks made a huge moral contribution to America with the civil rights movement. To some degree, but it's exaggerated in an attempt to get everyone to parity. We have an MLK day but not a George Washington or Thomas Jefferson day. Hmm.
If you think there isn't a white-black IQ gap, well, then I don't know what to tell you. Leaving alone whether its cause is more nature or nurture, the existence of the gap is not disputed by anyone in the field of psychometrics.
I agree, greed / desire for personal luxury plays a part in the calculation. But so does the Dawkinsian explanation, does it not? Don't they want a better life for their kids, too?
And Door — just to clarify, you're now on the record here as being in favor of desis maintaining their — your words — "genetic purity"? If so, please discuss with Bored why MLK was such a great person if "preserving [one's] genetic purity" is a noble goal after all.
The vast majority of your points I agree with and understand. And it was about time they were said.
Reading your original comment, I felt that you were associating WhiteGuy's assumptions with all desis, which is simply not true – and I felt particularly upset because I've battled over assumptions about Blacks on these boards a couple of times (last couple of times was with a desi commenter). I admit that I've been troubled by the desi racism toward blacks which I've run across from time to time. Sickened. But I don't think the majority of second genners, or even a sizeable portion of the first genners, are racist. I'm a canuck and can only give you anecdotal experience, but I have had at least two close Black colleagues. One of these was good friends with a first-gen East African Indian. My family was friends with an Indian woman who ran off with a Black guy – he came to her daughter's wedding dressed in a turban and kurta. It caused some whispering but was generally cool. We've probably all got examples. We're not all pandering to some norm of 'whiteness'. A Black girlfriend of mine and I are very much a team in our approach to the racial assumptions of the white participants in a critique group we're in.
A few black (one of them Carib) friends of mine asked me why Indians think they are "white"? When I asked what do you mean by this, they both said something to the effect of "they act white".
I don't know what they meant by "act white".
Could it have been the types of jobs that the Indians they know hold? The neighborhoods in which they live?
Their way of conducting themselves in public or what?
Even they could not give me detailed answers to my questions.
Life seems to be a little easier when one conforms to some extent to the majority population in any given country/culture. How to balance that and one's own individuality or one's own cultural conditionings can be tricky, as I've experienced in my travels around the globe.
When one takes up residence in a country not of one's birth you constantly have to balance between the norms of your birth country and the norms of your host country, especially if the cultures of the two are very different.
Hopefully one ends up taking the best of both and contributing the best to both.
Bored, curious how much time you've spent in the States, and where? You've really gotta live in a U.S. city to understand it. Sentiments and sanctimony like above usually tell of comfortable distance from the problem (I know, I used to spout similar thoughts myself when I lived in the suburbs).
He must be assuming that if 65-79 percent of the kids are black and hispanic, that the school must be riddled with drugs, gangs, etc. It's an assumption but not neccessarily the case. He should spend some time checking out the school.
Well, your parents didn't send you to a school that was mostly black and Hispanic, and you won't send your kids to one, either. Neither will Bored.
White Guy, how do YOU know where my parents sent me to school? And how do you know I'm not black or hispanic?
Again, more ASSumptions, with all due respect.
My problem with people who look at the disparities between whites & blacks and search for all kinds of "subtle racism" and "institutional racism" etc. explanations is that most of these people will never, ever look at the data on a partial — repeat, PARTIAL — biological explanation. They begin with the notional that a biological notion simply cannot exist, so the cause for the disparities must lie elsewhere.
As Holmes once told Watson, you must change your theories to suit the facts, and not the other way around.
American blacks — feel morally and historically indebted to them, but don't know what it will take to make them self-sufficient, prosperous, etc. To white liberals this is deeply disappointing (that they can't figure out how to make blacks rich and happy), white conservatives just move away.
Hispanics — feel like they're overrunning the country, and it probably won't be good. Ten years ago there would've been more "they're just here to work" sentiment, but now there's a sense that there's just too many of them and they (and their kids) wind up taking more than they give.
East Asians — model minority, yup. Actually, whites generally see East Asians as smarter than we are, which is accurate (roughly 5 point IQ edge to East Asians). But even the most race-conscious whites I know don't have huge problems with East Asians, since they are assimilationist and have low crime rates. Southeast Asians are a different story, not enough of them outside California for most Americans to have a general opinion, but where they are, they're not earning a great reputation (e.g the Hmong guy who shot six hunters in Wisconsin last year, very well publicized).
South Asians — to be honest, most whites probably know few if any South Asians well, but their opinions are generally quite positive. Seen as hardworking and prosperous and low crime, which makes people wonder why India is still so poor (Americans don't understand that the Indians they meet are not generally representative of the whole subcontinent economically). I don't know why having white people have a high opinion of you would be a bad thing, it sounds like more brain-twisting done by Marxist college profs to me! (not judging, it took me a long time to untwist my own brain after college!) There is also the whole question with South Asians of whether you're Muslim or Hindu, I think more and more Americans are able to make the distinction between Hindu and Muslim but it takes time. I think even George W. Bush might know it by now.
be a bad thing; if I moved to Japan, or India, or China, I would certainly want to behave decently, and give a good impression.
I was taking some guesses, Mistress. I was right on all of them, wasn't I?
White Guy – You must've read The Closing of the American Mind, back in the eighties, right?
I also think it's quite telling that when it comes to male/female – the latest in biological differences wired into our brains and physiological systems is the latest craze wisdome, but when it comes to race, it's all hush-hushed. Seems ironic, contradictory and hypocritical.
However, there are quite alot of people out there (from what I met, more black than white) who ARE into those bio-genetic-whatever studies and their findings.
But like anything in the scientific world – unless it becomes pop-science or pop-pysch, like the men-mars/women-venus phenomena, well, it just won't make money or become all that popular.
Why people are welcoming it with open arms regarding men and women but NOT welcoming it with the same gusto regarding ethnic backgrounds or whatever, I don't know.
But "science" itself is a big guessing game. What passing as scientific fact or knowledge one day is poo-pooed the next with increasing technology and all.
I never did read bloom, btw. Don't regret it either — should I?
If it's impartial as you say, then all known groups should be represented.
Incidentally, re the debate above: the December 2006 edition of the Atlantic's cover article is called "The 100 Most Influential Americans of All Time — They Made America." It includes 92 whites and 8 blacks. The 8 blacks are MLK, Jackie Robinson (! — #35), WEB Dubois, Louis Armstrong, Thurgood Marshall, Nat Turner (!!!), Frederick Douglass, and Booker T. Washington. Turner's inclusion is a PC joke. MLK, DuBois, Armstrong, and Douglass are all good. Marshall and RObinson are overblown but acceptable. Booker T.'s view of black America are 100% ignored in black America (and white America, for the most part), so calling him inflential is cruel. I wish he were more influential!
Mistress COME ON. White Guy obviously has a very… unique… angle that he's coming from, but it saddens me to see you take a similar position since you've been a clear and intelligent voice elsewhere.
It's hard for me to understand how a thinking person could seriously draw an equivalence here. There are real, measurable, radical differences between male and female anatomy that aren't present between different racial groups. The ability to have another human being take root and develop inside a person is a much bigger deal than slightly different shades of skin pigment. Women develop differently from men starting in the womb. In fact, that different development is reflected in possibly the LARGEST measurable genetic difference between human beings: the X and Y chromosome. The hormonal differences that result from that have been exhaustively identified and measured too, and they do have an effect on brain development (although, yeah, it's probably more subtle than some people like to pretend). While I'll definitely agree that there's a lot of very valid criticism of the popular studies that take this idea to unsupportable (and, usually, politically motivated) extremes, don't get carried away.
On top of that, that there's a whole lot more geographic and historical consensus on what "male" and "female" mean than on the definition of different racial groups. There are many groups that are considered races now that wouldn't have been considered separate groups even 50 years ago (and vice versa). With men and women, the terms of study are (mostly) defined, and arguments are mostly about the scientific process itself. That's not the case with race.
You're right Mistress, but B-W studies are the ones most Americans are interested in so it's the one someone like Pinker would be most frequently asked about. BUt yeah, I was using that as a proxy for all groups being studied.
I've taken NO position since I don't have enough data or personal experience in that field to take a position.
I'm just pointing out what seems to me something ironic.
And yes, there are obvious differences between males and females but that doesn't mean I buy into all that men-mars/women-venus pop-psyche stuff (thought I like Dr. Phil's books).
Yes, Neal. I have created a fantasy world where Asians have a higher mean IQ than my own ethnic group. It is not based upon rational review of the available facts.
For example, when seeking to answer the question "Why are some countries wealthier than others?", I did not read 7-8 different books that attempted to answer that question (Guns Germs & Steel, The Wealth of Nations, The End of Poverty, IQ & the Wealth of Nations, etc) before deciding which one made the most sense (not that there's nothing to the others, but one of those stands way, way out in front of the others. Hint: it's not the one that won a Pulitzer Prize and was a NYT bestseller, it's the one you have to pay $90 to an obscure academic press to get your hands on. It's also the only one of those four you've never heard of, and whose co-author was almost arrested in Finland last year for "inciting racial hatred". Fortunately his son was the prime minister of Finland so he got out of it).
I have created a fantasy world where Asians have a higher mean IQ than my own ethnic group.
You should always specify that its east asians who you are talking about here. South Asians have substantially lower tested IQs than east asians and europeans.
the December 2006 edition of the Atlantic's cover article is called "The 100 Most Influential Americans of All Time — They Made America." It includes 92 whites and 8 blacks.
That list is skewed heavily towards presidents, none of whom were black, jewish, hispanic or southern and eastern european, for reasons of prejudice and discrimination.
The list is dominated by anglo-saxon protestants. Italians are 8% of the population yet only one italian, Enrico Fermi the physicist, made the list and he was an immigrant who got his education in Europe. German-americans are more numerous than african-americans yet only one of them, President Eisenhower, is found on that list. No slavic-americans or scandinavian-americans made the list (based on a cursory look of the names). So the african-american contribution looks quite remarkable. Does this mean african-americans are intellectually superior or more creative than italian, german, irish, slavic americans? Why not? Isnt that the argument you are using to prove white supremacy?
BTW, there is one african-american not included in that list who I believe has had, and continues to have, more influence on America and the world than most of the others: William Seymour who started the Pentecostal Movement in a church in Los Angeles exactly a century ago. There are now over half a billion Pentecostals in the world, making it the second largest sect of christianity after Catholicism, and it is the fastest growing religion in the world. Even muslims are converting to Pentecostalism.
Other than country music is there any other major genre of american music that did not originate with the immensely creative african-americans? Even Beethoven, the greatest of the european classical music composers, was what would be considered "black" in America: anyone who looked like he had some african ancestry. That applies to Alexandre Pushkin as well, another immensely creative genius, who is considered the Shakespeare of Russia and the Father of the modern Russian Language.
Supposedly there was an American black president for a short time way back in the beginning of the United States America's history.
Other than country music is there any other major genre of american music that did not originate with the immensely creative african-americans?
I thought even country music sprang out of redemption songs?
I agree, greed / desire for personal luxury plays a part in the calculation. But so does the Dawkinsian explanation, does it not?
You are not thinking rationally. If the Dawkinsian explanation is "almost a law" as you claimed, it should be more than just a "part in the calculation".
And Door — just to clarify, you're now on the record here as being in favor of desis maintaining their — your words — "genetic purity"?
That is dumb, dishonest and disingenuous. I am using your own arguments against you. That does not mean that I agree with them does it? If I am trying to disprove your thesis how the heck do you manage to conclude that I am "in favor" of it?
Is there any such thing as "genetic purity"?
I thought we were all hybrids.
Sorry Door, you're right — I meant "East Asians" in 421, not "Asians".
Not saying the Atlantic list is perfect, but it does give the lie to the "everyone contributed equally" meme.
Never heard of Seymour; will wikipedia him tonight. Thanks for the tip.
Re paucity of Italians, Germans, etc. on the list — the reality is that they assimilated to the Protestant English model. And there is something magical about that model, e.g. if you took the blood of all 300 million Americans and distilled it into one big vat (yum!), it would only be about 10% English, yet still we (largely) follow their model because it had inherent value, i.e. what it stressed and stigmatized were the right things for a society to stress and stigmatize to become prosperous.
I mean, that is actually Stormfront territory, and I think there you were expressing your own true thoughts, not "using my own arguments against me". Again, the double standard is clear.
Presidents have a lot of impact in a society, so of course on a list of "Most Influential X of all Time," a lot of presidents of country X will be on the list. As for discrimination, tell me again why Sonia Gandhi was never prime minister?
This thread having turned into a small-group conversation among people with heavy trolltastic/logorrheiac tendencies, we monkeys are closing it down out of boredom. Time to move on!


If you haven't heard it already, you're going to hear it again.
If you are eligible and registered to vote today, there's no excuse for you not to. Let your voice be heard.
I overheard a piece of a conversation yesterday between two people, one who was planning on voting for Obama, the other for McCain. And they (albeit jokingly) said that they should just agree not to vote and not waste their time.
What a horrible way to look at our electoral system! I voted absentee last week, and I haven't yet told anyone who I voted for. For all you know, dear reader, I could have canceled your vote. Should that matter to you?
On the contrary, it shouldn't cause you to do anything different but place your ballot as you were going to anyway. If you happen to agree with me, great. If not, fine. At least your voice will have been heard.
Obama or McCain, I really couldn't care less who you particularly vote for. I mean, obviously, it does matter who is elected, and so your vote does matter, but your particular choice isn't going to make me think any higher or lower of you.
When you vote, whomever you vote for, it matters to me that you do so consciously and not blindly. You should actually think about all of the many issues at hand (taxes, economy, social security, foreign policy, health care and education to name only six)... and then make a decision that you're most comfortable with.
It may sound at first glance like I'm referring to those who are seemingly enamored with Obama, but there are just as many "McCain-iacs" out there who aren't looking at the issues. Likewise, there are just as many people on both sides who actually know what they're talking about and have made an informed decision one way or the other.
I know no candidate is perfect, and quite honestly, neither candidate will be best for all of the wide range of issues we must consider. But it is my belief that one should be able to justify to oneself why they voted for whomever they did in every category (or at least be willing to concede in a few cases that you can't have it all). If you can't do that... well, you still have every right to vote however you choose, but maybe you should reconsider your options one last time.
I may never ask you who you voted for to see if you can defend your choice. Most likely, no one will. But you should be accountable to yourself. Pro-McCain, pro-Obama, I don't care. Pro-thinking is the way to go.
This is the closest most of us get to running the show. Don't mess it up for stupid reasons. Think... and vote.
Polls are open in Pennsylvania until 20:00 EST. For customized local voting information, click here.
Random tangent 1: Yesterday, I was handed a bag of Doritos as part of a "get out the vote" campaign. It read: "Two parties, one America. Ranch and Pizza Cravers." And in my oh-so-perpetual 24-hour-laggy-wittiness, I realized that I was in fact registered "Salsa Verde." I should be offended.
I think it's crazy that also, we must note that Obama and McCain...the presidential vote...it wasn't the only one. There were plenty of state issues to vote upon, senators, representatives, governors, etc. The presidential election is yes, the most important, but this election includes many others as well.
There was markedly less of that in Pennsylvania then there was in Ohio this year... but yes. In fact, those races probably will prove to have been more important.
To be honest, I was just sick of all the presidential politics.
I got handed two of those.


Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family's apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother's attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.
Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance-or fate-led them straight to Sanna's orchard.
Isaac's helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna's father is injured in an accident. As Sanna's formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places-friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac-until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.


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Kevin P. Boyd – Chairman of Florida Bulldog. Owner of Boyd Public Relations and former managing editor, Hollywood Sun-Tattler.
Kevin Boyd enjoyed a 17-year, award-winning career as a newspaper reporter and editor for such major news providers as the Chicago Tribune Co., Knight-Ridder, Scripps Howard and United Press International. For the past 19 years, he has worked as a senior account executive and partner/owner at three prominent Florida public relations firms. During his public relations career, Boyd has represented companies and organizations regionally, statewide and nationally, for both privately-owned and publicly-traded companies, as well as educational and non-profit organizations. Boyd has served on Broward's Charter Review Commission and is an elected officer and member of the board of directors of the nonprofit, nonpartisan legislative advocacy group Broward Days. He has done pro bono work, including fundraising, for a number of charities including the United Way of Broward County, Henderson Mental Health Center, Women in Distress of Broward County, American Cancer Society and Boys and Girls Club of Broward County.
Doug Clifton – Former editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and executive editor of the Miami Herald.
Doug Clifton retired from The Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2007 where he served as editor for eight years. Prior to that he was executive editor of The Miami Herald from 1991 to 1999. The Herald won three Pulitzer prizes under his leadership including the gold medal for meritorious public service and another for investigative reporting. He started his career at The Herald in 1970 and served as a reporter and editor for 17 years. He was news editor of the Knight Ridder Washington bureau and managing editor of the KR owned Charlotte Observer before returning to The Herald as executive editor.
Bonnie Gross – Adjunct professor of multimedia journalism at Florida Atlantic University
Bonnie Gross teaches multimedia journalism at FAU and is the co-founder of the outdoors Florida travel site FloridaRambler.com. She is a digital pioneer with a successful track record developing web strategies and content during 15 years managing content at the Sun-Sentinel. Prior to her online work, Bonnie was an editor and reporter in the Sun-Sentinel newsroom.
Don Silver — Chief Operating Officer of BoardRoom PR
Don Silver brings 30-plus years of successful public relations and marketing management experience working with the state's top entrepreneurs, corporations, law firms, schools and non-profits on crisis planning, reputation management, public relations, marketing, community outreach, and online and search engine marketing. Prior to joining Boardroom in 1995, he held management positions with companies such as Duracell USA, Forster Manufacturing and Park & Sun Sports. Don is a frequent speaker, moderator and author on topics including how to handle a crisis in your business, designing a crisis plan and dealing with traditional and social media under fire. He is also active in the community where he has been chairman of the board and/or marketing-communications committee in organizations such as NAIOP, Legal Marketing Association, Legal Aid Service/Coast to Coast Legal Aid, Broward Partnership for the Homeless and Gold Coast Venture Capital Association. He is a native Floridian and received his BBA in Marketing from Florida Atlantic University.
Florence Beth Snyder – First Amendment attorney and former Administrative Law Judge in the Southern District of Florida
Florence Snyder is a former general counsel to Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc. Her media clients have included Miami's Channel 7, USA TODAY, the Ft. Myers News-Press, the Independent Florida Alligator, and radio talk show host Randi Rhodes. Snyder has chaired The Florida Bar's Media Law Conference and Reporters' Workshop, and is a past recipient of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County's Juvenile Advocacy Award. She was a Supreme Court appointee to the Board of the Florida Bar Foundation, and sits on the advisory board of the Bureau of National Affairs' Media Law Reporter. She has served as a trustee of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a school for journalists which owns the St. Petersburg Times. Snyder entered public service as an administrative law judge in 1999 and was later special counsel to the Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Family Services. Snyder returned to private practice in June 2009. She concentrates her practice in assisting businesses, governmental entities and individuals in the development and execution of sound and sustainable business strategies. She lives in Tallahassee.
Merrett R. Stierheim – Former Miami-Dade County Manager and school superintendent
Merrett R. Stierheim is a highly respected Florida public administrator who served twice as Miami-Dade County manager and later as superintendent of the Miami-Dade Public School system. He was responsible for overseeing construction of landmark Miami-Dade facilities including Metrorail, the People Mover, regional water, sewer, park, library, cultural, seaport, airport, Zoo Miami, and other public facilities. Stierheim is recognized for his ethical, scandal free leadership. He began his public career as a Wharton Graduate Intern in the Miami city manager's office in 1959, and was assistant city manager for eight years. He also has served as city manager of Clearwater, county administrator of Pinellas County, and city manager of the City of Miami and Miami Lakes. Stierheim ran Women's professional tennis (WTA) worldwide for four years and served nine years as president of the Miami-Dade Convention and Visitors Bureau. In addition to his masters degree from Wharton he has received honorary doctorate degrees from St. Thomas and Barry Universities. While Stierheim has spent a working lifetime on the other side of the table from the press, he is deeply committed to a strong and unfettered press. He said he considers it an honor to lend his support to the Bulldog and its investigative journalistic mission.
Joe Thomas – Senior organizational management and institutional development consultant
Local businessman Joe Thomas has witnessed the decline of the area's newspapers and television stations and wants to find ways to promote sustainable economic growth that will allow Broward Bulldog to provide the kind of watchdog news that is essential to good government. Thomas has more than 30 years experience assisting foreign governments, communities, organizations and businesses to achieve their goals. He has provided training and technical assistance in institutional development, organizational management, strategic planning, economic development, financial self-sufficiency, marketing and export promotion, communications and policy reform for business and non-governmental organizations. Thomas has managed and consulted for a wide range of US Agency for International Development projects and US AID-sponsored organizations, as well as other public and private organizations.
Broward's new state attorney says he'll reimagine the top prosecutor's job January 18, 2021


The "high-octane" nickel-plated steel string for your bass. With a pure steel wrap, the magnets in your pickups use the whole string (not just the core) and transform the energy into high output bursts of sound. The nickel plating enhances feel and reduces "string squeak" and fret wear without compromising tone. Fender uses them exclusively on their U.S. Vintage Series basses built in Corona, C.A.


It's not good enough to be an expert these days. Sure, having the knowledge, experience and wisdom about your particular industry is important. It gives you credibility, and media news outlets will seek you out for your expertise. To be a 'success minded business owner', become known and touch more lives with your gift it is necessary to become an influencer. The truth is they play off of each other. Become an influencer and you will be sought out as an expert, and vice-versa. This has played out big-time for CEO & Founder of eWomenNetwork who was featured in January as the Personal & Business Transformation Expert on the Emmy award-winning CBS syndicated show, The Doctors.
Influencers are people with a huge follower base and authority to influence their fans or followers in some way, such as on purchasing decisions or have a large following in a particular niche. Being passionate and authentic about something you believe engages people and builds trust and ultimately followers. That's the key to becoming an an influencer - having a lot of followers. It is a numbers game.
Here are some key points to becoming a great influencer from influence marketing experts Influencive.com.
A great influencer is someone who has built a huge follower base organically around his expertise.
Someone who creates real and trusted stories around brands and makes people believe them.
A great influencer also inspires and persuades people to take proper actions, from filling a simple lead form to buying a product or service.
A true influencer is also passionate and confident about what he is doing and how his thoughts are going to impact.
She is someone who has exceptional networking skills. Connects with people easily and strikes a friendly conversation.
So, for example, some obvious influencers are celebrities, POTUS, industry experts and bloggers. But there is another key influencer that is growing in popularity. They are called, "micro-influencers," and they are being sought out almost more than the big guns with big followers on Twitter, like Taylor Swift (85 million followers), Oprah (45 million followers), Sheryl Sandberg (250 thousand followers) or Melinda Gates (2 million followers).
Research shows that these days having millions of followers on social media isn't necessarily a good thing. Turns out, Instagram influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers have a "like" rate of about 8 percent, while those with 1,000 to 10,000 followers have a "like" rate of 4 percent. Instagram influencers with 10,000 to 100,000 followers see a 2.4 percent "like" rate, compared to 1.7 percent for those with 1 million to 10 million followers and more. Comment rate follows a similar pattern.
The sweet spot for becoming a micro-influencer is having between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. Some companies and marketers are even paying them to promote their events, products or services their various social media outlets.
Social Media has brought us closer than ever. We get to look through the looking glass, so to speak, of people we know, want to know or hate. Being an influencer is one way of sharing whatever you have to offer to those following you who know, like and trust you - the secret sauce to growing your customer base.
After Sandra appeared on The Doctors, she did over a dozen interviews for the media. She was being sought out as an expert in business to talk on subjects such as negotiation strategies, how women can lead differently than men and how men and women prepare differently for the CEO "corner office." It's not the first she appeared on radio or TV, but her appearance beefed up the requests.
Phyllis, A really nice piece on Sandra. I am very excited to meet her this April in Boise.


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Matildas duo named World Cup All Stars
Staff Writers 1439856188
Westfield Matildas stars Lisa De Vanna and Elise Kellond-Knight have been rewarded for their performances at the recent FIFA Women's World Cup, named in the tournaments All-Star squad.
The pair played leading roles in the side's history-making march to the quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten by finalists Japan 1-0.
Kellond-Knight was arguably the Matildas most consistent player in Canada, winning two player of the match awards on the way to the last eight, including the stunning 1-0 upset of Brazil in the second round.
Co-captain De Vanna was the side's attacking spearhead, scoring two goals for the tournament in games against the USA and Sweden.
The 23-player squad – selected by FIFA's technical Study Group experts – includes five players from the World Cup winning USA squad, whom the Matildas meet next month.
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star squad:
Goalkeepers: Nadine Angerer, Karen Bardsley, Hope Solo.
Defenders: Saori Ariyoshi, Lucy Bronze, Kadeisha Buchanan, Steph Houghton, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Wendie Renard.
Midfielders and forwards: Ramona Bachmann, Lisa De Vanna, Amandine Henry, Elise Kellond-Knight, Eugenie Le Sommer, Carli Lloyd, Anja Mittag, Aya Miyama, Megan Rapinoe, Mizuho Sakaguchi, Celia Sasic, Elodie Thomis, Rumi Utsugi.


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Attack of the Killer Tomato Sandwich!
Bizarre, Health, News, Politics, Sandwiches
Meet Forty-eight-year-old Alex Montreuil, a Canadian who had a run in with something far more horrifying than George Clooney's perm-mullet hybrid in Return of the Killer Tomatoes.
Montreuil was at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal,for a CT scan, when he alleges he was attacked with a tuna and tomato sandwich.
As bad luck would have it, he suffers violent allergic reactions to salicylates – a substance found naturally in several common foods. Including, you guessed it, tomatoes.
Upon being accosted up side the head, he began to develop a rash and swelling. Luckily, he was already in a medical facility.
A woman has been charged with assault with a deadly sandwich.
Click here for more on this news story, as the ever present "French vs English" language fervor in Quebec, stoked most recently by a Separatist government being elected & a most heinous shooting only moments after the celebration had begun, is being blamed for this "tomatoing".
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Preheat oven 200C , combine 4 dollops of Flora Gold , 100g dark chocolate, 100g raisins or sultanas and the zest of 1 orange in a small bowl . Roll up puff pastry and cut 10x10cm squares out of pastry , place a dollop of mixture in the center of each squares , brush the edges with egg wash and fold just like crescent rolls , place in baking tray and brush with egg wash and let leave it for about 30 minutes , bake for 30 minute or 35 minutes until golden and puffed up.
1. In a large bowl ,cut the butter roughly into the flour using a pastry blender,dissolve the salt into the water and yeast then drizzle the water into the flour and mix with wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in fridge for 15 minutes.
2. Dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough out of rectangle vertically in front of you. It should be about the quarter of an inch thick . Try to keep the edges straight,which is easier than done. Gently brush away excess flour on the surface of the dough.
3. Now fold the top edge down the center and do the same with the bottom edge.
4. Then fold the whole thing half , top edge down the bottom edge as if you were closing "Book" this called Book fold. 5. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Repeat steps 2,3,4 three times you will make a total of 4 books folds,resting the dough in fridge for 20 minutes between each fold .