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CHARLOTTE REGIONAL BUSINESS ALLIANCE, NC
Soft Landings: Foreign Firms Find a Foothold in Charlotte
by Adam Bruns
In 2019, 25 foreign companies added a total of 1,300+ jobs and $203 million in capital investment in metro Charlotte, a region responsible for $13.8 billion in total exports in 2019.
When rental marketplace firm Zumper in June 2020 released a migration map analyzing where U.S. renters were most interested in moving, Charlotte, North Carolina, was No. 1 in the nation for searches coming from outside its area.
It turns out searches for Charlotte are coming from much farther away than that.
More than 1,000 foreign-owned businesses employ more than 82,000 in the Charlotte region, with nearly 600 of those firms hailing from China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. And one more major investment from China is landing in the region in 2020, on a plot of land with a long history.
Xiamen, China–based global cabinet maker GoldenHome International in April announced it would establish its North American headquarters at The Grounds at Concord, the huge redevelopment of the 2,100-acre former Philip Morris campus in Cabarrus County that already welcomed the opening of a Carvana facility earlier this year. GoldenHome will invest $86 million and create 257 jobs over the next five years. The new base joins a global network that includes 9 million sq. ft. of manufacturing campuses in China, an R&D center in Italy and a service center that opened in New Jersey in 2018.
It turns out the supply chain issues highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic apply to Chinese companies too. Why risk a long product journey when the talent, materials, customers and infrastructure to develop, manufacture and sell it can be found at that journey's end?
"Even amid the current pandemic, this foreign direct investment is strong affirmation of the region's skilled workforce, affordability, and accessibility and movement of goods and people," said Charlotte Regional Business Alliance CEO and President Janet LaBar.
Increasingly, those people come from away: The foreign-born population in Greater Charlotte has grown by 118% since 2000, and the Asian population grew by 56% between 2010 and 2018. More than 2,700 people are employed by more than 50 Chinese companies in the region, including Hangcha Forklift, Sun Fibers, Fengshi Group and Prinston Pharmaceuticals, which recently invested $3 million and created 127 jobs. FDI is one part of a robust past year that saw the CLT Alliance recruit 85 projects creating 10,907 jobs and attracting $1.6 billion in cumulative investment.
The metro area now hosts 13 consulates, as well as a number of private international language immersion schools — including Chinese language school — for residents and their families.
Relationships and Real Estate
Robert Carney Jr., executive director of Cabarrus Economic Development, was part of the team that saw "Project Grand" from GoldenHome across the finish line. Others on the team included two major players fluent in Mandarin: Angel Liu of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and Eileen Cai, vice president of economic development for North America and Asia at the CLT Alliance. Also on the team was Marvin Price, vice president of economic recruitment at the organization.
Carney says it was love at first sight when GoldenHome's delegation came to the region for their first visit in spring 2018. The Grounds at Concord was their first stop. It turned out to be their last.
"We were all talking about the site, and they were talking with Angel and Eileen and laughing," Carney says. "They stopped all their other partners' visits in the region, and called them to come to the Grounds at Concord to look at the site. I knew then we were probably in a pretty good position."
In addition to the real estate and affordability, among the factors helping sell GoldenHome on the location was the North Carolina Manufacturing Institute (NCMI), a certified production technician program created by Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and partners in both counties as well as the Centralina Workforce Development Board in 2014. Iredell County joined the consortium in 2016.
Asked in a podcast about the region's stickiness factors, Marvin Price joked that it was the sweet tea. But it's true that that the area's package of hospitality, amenities, affordability and connectivity is indeed refreshing. "You can get to Concord from the center city in under 30 minutes, which is not something you can get in a lot of metros," Price said.
The Charlotte project team also traveled their share of miles, including a trip to the company's HQ in Xiamen.
"It was truly a team effort," said Eileen Cai, noting that making a visit to a Chinese firm's HQ demonstrates commitment and sincerity. Generally speaking, she says, FDI takes more time, hands-on help and cultural contact. "One key element is to build trust and understand relationships. To demonstrate why Charlotte is the right place, we first need to understand how the company thinks and what is important to them so we know where we can move the needle."
Charlotte Region International Companies by Industry
"Chinese business is so relationship-focused, they really wanted to see a delegation on Chinese soil," Carney says. Community officials also got to know multiple companies in GoldenHome's upstream and downstream supply chain (including a number of non-Asian companies) who essentially stated, "Wherever GoldenHome goes, we are interested in following," he says.
As utility infrastructure moves forward for GoldenHome's groundbreaking later this year, there's plenty more real estate to go around even at the Grounds at Concord alone, where a 2.5 million-sq.-ft. pad, all utilities and rail service await newcomers to the massive supersite.
To Carney, FDI represents the sort of business and cultural diversity that defines a strong regional market. And FDI fits well with the region's target sectors such as advanced manufacturing, financial services, health care, technology and automotive. Carney sees German and Japanese automotive firms in particular as a natural match for the region, based on resident skills and talent, and on "the way they treat their people," he says.
The CLT Alliance team knows how to treat people well too. Carney says the CLT Alliance has successfully broken its own ground. Under the leadership of Janet LaBar, he says, the organization "is creating the foundation Charlotte needs to be highly successful in the future."
As any builder knows, the foundation supplies a firm footing — especially for firms just setting foot in a region for the first time. Charlotte makes sure the landing is soft, and provides a comprehensive welcome mat just to make sure.
This Investment Profile was produced under the auspices of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, which represents 15 counties as one region with one dream of prosperity for all. Visit charlotteregion.com for more information.
Adam Bruns
Managing Editor of Site Selection magazine
Adam Bruns has served as managing editor of Site Selection magazine since February 2002. In the course of reporting hundreds of stories for Site Selection, Adam has visited companies and communities around the globe. A St. Louis native who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs, Adam is a 1986 alumnus of Knox College, and resided in Chicago; Midcoast Maine; Savannah, Georgia; and Lexington, Kentucky, before settling in the Greater Atlanta community of Peachtree Corners, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
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The dragonspyre pirate: Troggies primitve or not?
So, this will kick off my post a day for this month! My question is, are troggies really the primitive creatures we make them out to be? While nobody says outright they are primitive, they don't treat them as equals which says they think they are lesser beings. But are they really? My answer is no. They are as smart as the residents of SI if not smarter. I will be going over several points to prove my theory. Lets start with number one, they know modern military tactics and technology.
So despite them being isolated and not fighting with the residents of Skull island, they know they have cannons, they know how to counter cannons, and they can use their location to their advantage. Plus they do raids on supplies, bombard places that can fight back and successfully pined down a task force designed to take them out. This shows not only they are advanced at warfare they possibly have spies which can tell them all about their enemy. And lets not forget they captured a key enemy and kept a close eye on the key to free him. What I'm saying is despite being "primitive" if it wasn't for us this primitive society could have very well defeated a far more advanced society. So basically they are advanced in their Military tactics, but what about other ways, like tools and government?
Tools: While they don't build things like large stone houses or ships they can build things like shrines and huts in trees. This shows they can use tools and have an understanding of architecture and engineering. We see huts in trees, a solid cage a frog with two guns couldn't break through, we see mini shrines dedicated to some sort of krokagator. Plus engineering wise the seem to understand how the ancient Azteca machines work and how they affect them, the flooded shrine for example, they understand what the buttons do and how it would affect them if they were all pushed as seen when you push a button more come. Overall they appear to have modern intelligence when it comes to tools.
Their government: Their government appears to be a form of Monarchy. Their chief doesn't seem to be elected but most powerful rules. However while this government is primitive in its ways they do have an established government. Which means while tribal its a hierarchy of positions. The chief would be the highest, the shamans would be the next highest and hunters and warriors would be on the bottom. This shows a clear step of leadership which says they have made their government less primitive and almost a democracy.
Other points: So besides government, tools and their tactics what are they not primitive in? For one they seem to have been able to migrate between islands at one point long ago due to the fact that they are on SI, The scurvy dog hideout and isle of doom and possibly more. This shows they were at one point able to sail the skyways due to the fact that settlers recently came and they have evolved to be very different. Another thing is they are capable of learning different species languages which is very hard if not impossible for everyone else. This has been in one case, the troggy that joins gortez. This while an isolated case shows that they are capable of understanding and speaking other creatures languages fluently.
Conclusion: they are far from primitive, in fact you could argue they are smarter than most species in the spiral. They are able to outsmart people with better technology and who fought in wars, they can use tools and understand engineering, they have a government, and they seem to be able to travel between islands and speak different languages. I believe they have achieved a sort of bliss point in their technology at one point, basically they got as far in technology as they wanted and then they settled down and used it sparingly. They understand they can't rely on technology so they use a mixture of tech and nature. What I'm trying to say is they are technologically advanced but choose to not flaunt it and use it only when needed.
With that Ill see you in the spiral!


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Two Final Arrests Were Made In Connection To A Murder Case January 26, 2023
Florence man charged in October Waffle House shooting January 26, 2023
News13 announces 2022 All-Blitz Team January 26, 2023
Florence police make arrest in October Waffle House shooting January 26, 2023
Man Wanted For Murder And Attempted Murder In Shooting Incident January 26, 2023
14th Annual Shuckin' on the Strand Oyster Roast to be Held in Murrells Inlet
by Press Room
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, from Noon to 4 p.m. at the Hot Fish Club.
Enjoy all-you-can-eat, freshly steamed oysters, chicken bog and live music at the 14th annual Shuckin' on the Strand Oyster Roast. This year's event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, from Noon to 4 p.m. at the Hot Fish Club at 4911 Highway 17 Business in Murrells Inlet, S.C.
Hosted by Grand Strand Young Professionals (GSYP) and sponsored by Grand Strand Health, the oyster roast is a fundraiser for Substitutes for Santa, which provides 150 Horry County students with holiday gifts and festive entertainment.
"Shuckin' on the Strand has become a very popular event for Grand Stranders and visitors. The food and music are great, but the best part is the fact that all proceeds go toward creating a memorable Christmas experience for kids in our area," said Caroline Yahnis, GSYP liaison for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
A limited number of tickets will go on sale in January for $35, which includes admission, all-you-can-eat oysters, one plate of chicken bog and fixings, and two drinks. Children ages 8 and under and chicken bog only tickets are $10. A commemorative oyster shucker is available for $5.
Anyone wishing to attend can learn more by visiting GrandStrandYoungProfessionals.com.
Two Final Arrests Were Made In Connection To A Murder Case
Florence man charged in October Waffle House shooting
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Earth Summit (1988–2005) was a British racehorse. He was foaled in 1988, a son of Celtic Cone, who was a winning stayer on the flat and over hurdles. Celtic Cone loved soft ground, as did many of his progeny. Earth Summit was bought by a six-man partnership aptly named The Summit Partnership, in 1992 (including footballer Ricky George, Aintree press officer Nigel Payne, Partner in an accountancy firm Peter Earl, retired businessman Gordon Perry, local government officer Mike Bailey and media buying agency proprietor Bob Sims) and began his racing career as a four-year-old, finishing second in a bumper (a National Hunt flat race) at Cheltenham.

As the horse developed, it became clear that, like his father, he appreciated long distances. In a thirty-seven-race career that spanned eight years, Earth Summit fell only once, when in the lead, jumping the second last fence at Cheltenham in 1995.

Twelve months earlier, as a novice, he had won the Scottish National over four miles one furlong at Ayr. In February 1996, Earth Summit suffered a near fatal injury at Haydock and it seemed likely he would never race again. Twenty-one months later, the gelding returned to the track, again at Haydock, and came through unscathed.

On 27 December 1997, barely seven weeks after his comeback race, Earth Summit won the Welsh National at Chepstow, returning odds of 25 to 1.

At Aintree on 4 April 1998, Earth Summit jumped his way into the history books, when, having shared the lead with Suny Bay for the last third of the Martell Grand National, he pulled clear before the second last, running on to win the biggest horse race in the world by eleven lengths. No other horse in history, including Red Rum, has ever won the Aintree Grand National and the Scottish and Welsh equivalents.

After suffering a minor injury, Earth Summit was retired in 2000 and given to his lass, Marcella Bayliss. He won ten races and £420,000 in prize money.

Death

On 23 March 2005, Earth Summit was humanely put down after being diagnosed with cancer in his liver and spleen. The seventeen-year-old horse had been ill for two weeks.

References
 Earth Summit's pedigree and racing stats

1988 racehorse births
2005 racehorse deaths
National Hunt racehorses
Grand National winners
Welsh Grand National winners

ja:アースサミット

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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/ People
/ Women of Influence
Women on Pedestals
These are monumental women! Because of their achievements, their likenesses have been carved in stone for all to see and remember.
Who: Katharine Lee Bates, author of "America the Beautiful"
What: Six-foot-two-inch bronze statue showing her at the top of Pikes Peak, where she was inspired to write the song.
Where: Falmouth, Massachusetts, her birthplace.
Who: Mary McLeod Bethune, educator
What: Seventeen-foot bronze statue with arms outstretched to two young children and inscribed with the words, "I leave you love, I leave you hope…I leave you racial dignity."
Where: Washington, D.C.
Who: Mary Ann Bickerdyke, Civil War relief worker for the North
What: A stone statue of "Mother Bickerdyke" giving a drink to a wounded soldier with an inscription of the base of the statue which says: "'She outranks me'—General Sherman."
Where: Galesburg, Illinois.
Who: Alice Cogswell, first student at the first school for the deaf in the U.S.
What: A bronze statue of young Alice shows her signing the letter A with her teacher Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.
Where: Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.
Who: Jane Delano, founder of the Red Cross Nursing Service
What: A statute representing all nurses, named the Jane Delano Monument.
Who: Mary Dyer, martyr for religious freedom
What: A statue of Mary Dyer by Quaker artist Sylvia Shaw Judson.
Where: Boston, Massachusetts
Who: Amelia Earhart, pioneer aviator, called the "Golden Girl of Aviation"
What: A seven-foot-tall statue covered with gold leaf, with airplane propellers embedded in the base.
Where: North Hollywood, California
Who: Laura Haviland, Quaker abolitionist, founder of the Raisin Institute for fugitive slaves
What: A statue showing her seated with her book, A Woman's Life Work.
Where: Adrian, Michigan
Who: Mary Jemison was captured by Seneca Indians and then chose to stay with them. When she was 80 years old, she told of her adventures in the best-selling book The Life of Mary Jemison.
What: A life-size bronze statue.
Where: Castile, New York
Who: Mother Joseph, who established more than two dozen hospitals, schools, and orphanages in the Northwest.
What: A small bronze statue showing Mother Joseph kneeling in prayer.
Where: Vancouver, Washington
Who: Annie Louise Keller, who in 1927 risked her life to save a classroom full of children from a tornado.
What: A pink marble sculpture of her protecting a child.
Where: White Hall, Illinois
Who: Queen Liliuokalani, last queen of Hawaii
What: An eight-foot tall statue of her holding the constitution of Hawaii in one hand and a page of the traditional Hawaiian farewell song, "Aloha Oe," which she wrote, in the other.
Where: Honolulu, Hawaii
Who: Sybil Ludington, 16-year-old Revolutionary War hero
What: Bronze statue showing her on horseback to portray her nighttime ride to warn soldiers.
Where: Carmel, New York
Who: Edith Graham Mayo, wife of the cofounder of the Mayo Clinic and its first nurse.
What: Small bronze statue showing Edith in her nurse's uniform.
Where: Rochester, Minnesota
Who: Annie Moore, 15-year-old from Ireland who was the first immigrant to pass through the receiving room at Ellis Island when it opened in 1892.
What: Bronze statue showing Annie with a satchel in her hand and a hopeful expression on her face.
Where: Ellis Island, New York Harbor, New York
Who: Esther Morris, who helped make Wyoming the first state to grant women the right to vote.
What: A shiny brass statue showing her as a young woman carrying flowers and a portfolio.
Where: Entrance to the Capitol Building, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Who: Annie Oakley (Phoebe Anne Mozee), famous Wild West sharpshooter
What: A life-size bronze statue showing her standing, holding her rifle by her side.
Where: Greenville, Ohio
Who: Lottie Holman O'Neill, first woman elected to the Illinois legislature.
What: Statue installed in a niche in the Capitol Building rotunda.
Where: Springfield, Illinois
Who: Pocahontas, who at the age of 10 helped the Jamestown colonists and saved the life of their leader, Captain John Smith.
What: A life-size outdoor statue showing her with open, helping arms.
Where: Jamestown, Virginia
The nation's first public statue of a First Lady was of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Who: Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady, humanitarian
What: Eight-foot bronze statue of her as an older woman leaning against a rock.
Where: Riverside Park, New York City
Who: Florence Sabine, pioneering physician and advocate of public health laws
What: Replica of the bronze statue in the national Statuary Building which depicts her sitting on a lab stool with a microscope close at hand.
Where: Denver, Colorado
There are a record-breaking five statues of the brave Shoshoni guide Sacajawea erected throughout the U.S.
Who: Sacajawea, guide and scout for the Lewis and Clark expedition.
What: Twelve-foot bronze statue showing Sacajawea with her baby strapped to her back.
Where: Bismarck, North Dakota
Who: Maria Sanford, pioneer, educator, and civic leader
What: Seven-foot bronze statue with an inscription on the base calling her "the best known and best loved woman in Minnesota."
Where: Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.
Who: Samantha Smith, ambassador for peace between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. when she was 10 years old. She died at age 13 in a plane crash while returning to Maine from Europe.
What: Bronze statue showing her posed with a dove of peace and proclaiming her "Maine's young ambassador of goodwill."
Where: State Capitol, Augusta, Maine
Who: Statue of Liberty, the most famous symbolic statue of a woman, modeled after Marie Bartholdi, the sculptor's mother.
What: 151-foot copper figure of a woman draped in a loose robe, holding a torch in her uplifted right hand and a tablet with the date of the Declaration of Independence in Roman numerals in her left. Installed in 1886.
Where: Liberty Island, New York Harbor, New York
Who: Gertrude Stein, author
What: Bronze statue showing her seated in the way she once described herself as looking "like a great Jewish Buddha."
Where: Bryant Park, New York
Who: Sojourner Truth, abolitionist
What: Bronze statue depicting her as an orator. She gave passionate speeches against slavery and for women's rights.
Where: Florence, Massachusetts, her home from 1843–1857
Who: We-no-nah, Indian woman who, according to legend, drowned rather than marry a warrior of her father's choice.
What: Bronze likeness showing her in a long dress with buckskin fringe and a traditional sun ornament on her left shoulder.
Where: Winona, Minnesota, the city named after her.
Who: Phillis Wheatley, famous slave poet
What: Bronze statue by Elizabeth Catlett, dedicated by black female poets.
Where: Jackson, Mississippi
Who: Emma Willard, women's educator.
What: Statue depicting her seated in her favorite chair with a book in her right hand.
Where: Outside the Emma Willard School, Troy, New York
Who: Women's Rights Leaders
What: A grouping of nineteen life-size bronze statues of women and men who attended the world's first women's rights convention. Among them are Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Jane Hunt.
Where: National Historical Park, Seneca Falls, New York
Who: Vietnam Women's Memorial
What: A sculpture portraying three Vietnam-era women, one is caring for a wounded soldier, another kneels with her head bowed, and the third searches the sky for airborne help.
Where: Washingtron, D.C.
Women Who Left Their "Stamps" on History
Guide to Worldwide Goddesses


Invite family and friends over for some wine and cheese served on your beautiful Chubby Cheese board. Comes laser engraved with the names of seven scrumptious cheeses. Add your own personal engraving to make a perfect gift for any occasion. Perfect for hostess or housewarming gifts. It's eco-friendly and easy to care for. Wood is naturally anti-microbial, making it a healthier choice than plastic.


Mayday is a boat's distress signal. To celebrate May 1st, here's a blogging 911 to give you the answers to the top-twenty, distressing, blogging questions.
Help! My blog needs goals. Like any marketing or other business strategy, blogs need objectives that answer the question: "What do I want to achieve with this blog?" These blog goals set the stage for developing your blog strategies. They provide the basis for setting up your blog and should relate to the metrics you use to track your blog's progress.
Help! What should I call my blog? For your blog's name you can use your own name, your company's name or a made up name.
Your name. Using your name, as I do, supports your personal brand. The drawback is that it's difficult to grow by letting others guest post or share blogging duties. This isn't an issue for company blogs.
Unique name. Create a name associated with your blog that gives readers insight into your content. High profile examples are Copyblogger and Problogger. As a business, you can use a related name and integrate it into your overall website. Buy the URL to ensure competitors or angry customers don't. Examples are Blendtec's Will It Blend and Stacks and Stacks' Clutter Control Freak.
Tagline. Support your blog's name with a short tagline. For example, I'm an Actionable Marketing Expert. As my tagline implies, I provide marketing information that readers can use.
Help! Should I host my own blog? While a free blog on WordPress.com or Blogger seems alluring cost-wise, if you're serious about blogging, host your own blog. It'll cost about the same as a cup of coffee per week over the course of a year. Hosting your own blog requires buying a domain name (i.e. URL,) opening a web hosting account and installing blogging software. If your blog is part of your business strategy, integrate it into your business' website to support search optimization.
Keep software up-to-date. Older software versions mean hackers have had time to find and exploit weak points.
Create usernames that aren't obvious. Other people shouldn't be able to guess usernames such as Admin or Editor.
Help! Do I need a theme (and what is a theme anyhow?) A blog theme is a framework that provides the skin of how your blog will appear to the public. It contains three major components: page layout, design and user experience. Bloggers can either adapt a free theme or purchase a premium theme. Search Google for free options. A popular paid blogging theme is Thesis. In either case, adapt the theme to your blog design otherwise it looks like no one's home.
Help! What do I do about blog design? Blog design is an important element to create branding whether it stands on its own or is an extension of your business. Here are twenty blog design elements to use as a checklist.
Help! who's going to write the blog, one person or a group of people?
Individual blogger. You create all of the content. The blog provides a platform for your point of view.
Group blogs spreads the workload across two or more individuals. This works well for many business blogs and can showcase different aspects of the organization. For group blogs, an editor is useful to ensure posts are organized, timely and maintain a consistent voice. Include bylines and author profiles for each contributor complete with photographs and their social media links.
Help! My blog needs content. Blog content should relate to your blog goals. What information is needed to attract an audience to achieve your objectives? Create a list of topics (and/or categories) that need to be covered regularly. What are prospective readers looking to find?
Create an editorial calendar around the major topics to ensure they're covered routinely. While many bloggers recommend writing when the spirit moves you, you must provide information your readers want on a schedule so they develop the habit of visiting your blog.
Combat the inevitable Blank-Blog-Post-Syndrome with these tips to combat this drought of ideas.
Use these 125 free blog topics and 99 free blog titles.
Help! Can I rant? Take a deep breath and walk away from your computer when you're furious at someone or something. Let the issue rest because your readers will smell your anger. Once published, your angry blog post will endure. To avoid issues, have a post or two in reserve for this type of occasion so your audience doesn't know your inner feelings.
Help! What do I do about links? Links are an important element of blogs. They give credit to the originator of an idea or post while providing additional information in a condensed format and support search optimization.
Internal links connect to you past posts, pointing interested readers to related articles and giving evergreen content new attention. They support search optimization by showing how your content is related.
External links provide context as well as identifying the original source of content. They give readers a background to the public discussion that you're conducting on your blog. When you create external links, have them open in a new window so that readers maintain a connection to your site.
Help! How do I use other media? One of the major strengths of blogs as a publishing and social media platform is that they can accommodate other social media formats such as photographs, videos, audio, PDF, and PowerPoint presentations. If you use other people's content, make sure that you have the right to do so. For example, I use photographs from Flickr.com that have a creative commons license allowing permission-free, commercial reuse, provided I give proper attribution to the photographer or copyright holder.
Help! Do I have to register my blog? By registering your blog with the major search engines you let them know it exists and where they can find your sitemap so they know what to index. While you're not required to register your blog, if you don't, it might take sometime before the search engines find it.
Help! How do I handle reader comments? Comments make blogs a conversational social media platform. Some bloggers close comments after a specified period of time to force conversation to current posts.
Moderated comments require approving each one separately. In this case, outline the circumstances under which you won't approve a comment. Reasons include foul language, spam and blatant self-promotion. Approve comments containing dissenting opinions and respond to them.
Unmoderated comments are approved automatically. You can use filtering software to ensure that it's not a bot.
Forum. If your topics encourages broad discussion, install a separate forum to allow independent, threaded conversations.
Have a strong call-to-action with a related question at the end of your blog. Your readers may not know what to do. Remember that most readers will lurk.
Have a social media tribe. One way to ensure that you get comments is to have a group of blogging friends and you all comment on each other's blogs.
Comment on other people's blogs. This is a longer-term strategy and requires showing up regularly. Here's blog commenting advice.
Realize there are other ways to engage with bloggers.
Help! How do I integrate social media functionality. Simplify social media sharing for your readers by adding relevant buttons. The main options are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can send a feed of your articles directly to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn or craft an individual blurb for each post. All three of these services provide widgets for creating buttons linking to your profiles.
Help! How do I distribute blog content? In addition to social sharing, allow registration for email and RSS feeds. These can be supplied via Feedburner, that's part of Google. Use appropriate icons and a call-to-action to encourage sign-ups. If you're a company blogger, promote your blog via your corporate communications vehicles including signature files, website, emailings, offline communications and in-store signage.
Help! How do I build my blog traffic? Building an audience for your blog takes time and hard work. To ensure success, leverage a variety of tactics while minimizing issues that prevent potential readers from following you. Here's a list of twelve blog traffic building tactics and another list of fifteen traffic building tactics.
Help! How am I doing? Take a tip from Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and always ask how your blog is performing. In the early beginning, do yourself a favor and don't check your stats since it takes time for a blog to gain traction so constantly reviewing results can be discouraging! For your blog tracking, here are forty blog metrics to monitor. For analytics, install Google Analytics, a free metrics package. Check also with your web hosting company since they typically provide tool for analyz and monitor your server logs via your hosting firm's control panel.
Regardless of whether you're a new or experienced blogger, periodically assessing the factors can help you keep your blog on track to expand.
What else would you add to this 911 blogging list to help and support bloggers? Please include your questions and advice in the comment section below.
Here are some other blogging related articles to help you.
A big Thanks to my webmaster, Larry Aronson, for his help with the technical side of this post.
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Heidi, Thanks so much for all you do. This is a great post. There have been a couple of rants I wish I had shied away from!


As Claudia and Giuseppe Ferro have discovered since founding Argento Fine Products in 1990, anything and everything is possible in business. "We have learned never to be surprised!" Claudia laughs.
Operating with passion, drive and integrity, the couple have learned a lot from those around them. "Everyone has something good to give," Giuseppe affirms.
Pictured here in Mosimann's Private Club in Belgravia, which has witnessed many of their business activities and achievements over the past 15 years, Claudia and Giuseppe have achieved significant growth in distribution over the past 12 months. "After all, as someone once said, if you don't get bigger, you get smaller!" Claudia asserts.
Alpina, one of the four family-owned watch brands that make up the core of the Argento Fine Products business – the others being Dietrich, Frederique Constant and Giuliano Mazzuoli – is a key example of this success. The brand hit the news at the end of 2015 when it was revealed that Harrods would be stocking the Alpina Flyback Chronograph and the Horological Smartwatch just in time for Christmas.
Looking ahead, plans for the next few years are centred on consolidation of distribution. "We want to bring the brands up to achieve their real potential," says Giuseppe.
And despite getting 'less young' (in Giuseppe's words), their unwavering focus on reaching the top continues to be demonstrated through their love of rock climbing. Clearly, no mountain is too high for this determined couple.


January News from Live Edge Design, Special 10 year anniversary edition.
This month sees our 10 year anniversary as Live Edge Design. Though, for me, the whole process started over 20 years ago with small alder logs and twigs. I feel that this is a milestone for the big, art wood tables made from salvaged forest giants. We've seen many changes over the 10 years and implemented (and invented) many ways of working with big slabs of wood. You can read more about our trials and tribulations over the years in the link below.
"I care more for integrity than profit and for sustainability over growth."
Tigh-Na-Mara Resort and Spa in Parksville were one of our first clients as Live Edge Design. Read our interview with their Director of rooms in the linked image below.
"I had an immediate connection with Live Edge, and especially with John. He is a genuine, flexible and open partner. Tigh na mara looks for local – local companies that are sustainable and that fit the Tigh Na Mara culture. We have found Live Edge to be a really great company, with great people - from the owner, to the sales team to their delivery personnel "
What's it like to do business with Live Edge Design for 10 years?
Every circle of grain in a tree marks the passing of a full year of growth. Within each of these lines is a story, a story of struggle against the elements and of struggle against itself (holding up its heavy, leaf laden branches a feat in itself).


It's been about a week now since I moved from WordPress to Jekyll/Github, and I'm overjoyed with the results. The site is faster on the front end, simpler on the back end, and has made it a pleasure for me to blog again. I live in code revision systems, and the novely still hasn't worn off that I'm even blogging in one now!
If you're migrating from WordPress to Jekyll, be prepared to get comments from people that you're spamming their aggregators. Unfortuantely, despite my best efforts to ensure the same GUID for each post (aka: the post permalink), some aggregators still saw them as new entries. Perhaps these don't trust GUIDs and calculate their own identifier for posts based on a hash or some other derived value. Lesson learned: warn your readers before any major structural changes, such as changing from a CMS to staic pages!
Do a jekyll build locally before committing any template changes. I realised the reasons why my blog wasn't updating over the last few days was due to a stray Liquid for loop that was preventing the pages from being rebuilt. Fortunately, Github also emailed me letting me know my site wasn't building, which was rather nice.
I'll admit, I do miss tag archives, just a little. For me, the convenience and fun with Jeykll more than outweighs it, and my server logs suggested almost nobody used them anyway. Still, if I continue to miss them, I'll eventually add another thing to my toolchain to generate them locally before pushing the whole site. We'll see.


text:
Review by Debbie Gorrell, Common Sense Education | Updated June 2014
Loot Pursuit: Pompeii
Kids learn about ancient artifacts while brushing up on math skills
Teachers say (1 Review)
Platforms: iPad
Pros: Archaeology theme adds an interesting twist to math practice.
Cons: Kids have to read a lot of text, which may make it inaccessible to some learners, and the lack of feedback can limit learning.
Bottom Line: Loot Pursuit: Pompeii is a good way for kids to practice math skills, but don't expect instruction.
Loot Pursuit: Pompeii can be used to help kids practice math skills and build math fluency. If kids are just learning a particular skill, have them start at the easy level and work toward the hard level. Since the game can't be set for multiple users, and learning focuses on reinforcement of skills and fluency, it's best if kids play individually, but you can challenge them to compete to be first to collect all the loot at each site and earn rewards.
Common Core ELA
Kids start by choosing one of five math content areas to work on: algebraic thinking, fractions, geometry, number system, or ratios and proportions. Once they choose a content area, a comic strip appears, giving a background story about artifacts that must be collected at an archaeological site within the ancient city of Pompeii. Next, kids choose a difficulty level (easy, medium, or hard) and begin to answer math problems to collect the artifacts. As they progress through various rounds, the number of artifacts they have to collect increases. At the beginning of the game, a tutorial walks kids through the procedure for answering drag-and-drop and multiple-choice questions. When kids collect all the artifacts from a site, they earn a reward. The game includes options for learning more about the artifacts and about the history of Pompeii, and for rereading the comic strip stories from the various dig sites.
Loot Pursuit: Pompeii combines history and math to create a dynamic learning environment: Kids solve math problems to collect artifacts from the ancient city of Pompeii. Problems -- which can be set as easy, medium, or hard -- can also be customized based on content. For example, when kids work on geometry problems, settings can be turned on or off for three areas of concentration: area and perimeter, similar polygons, and word problems. With more than 20 unique learning levels and 75 artifacts to collect, kids get lots of math practice. The comic strip that appears before each dig is a bit text-heavy, so some audio to go along with it would be helpful. Because the game doesn't include feedback or hints for incorrect answers, it's best for kids who already have some knowledge of the skills covered and want to build fluency.
An interesting story line with cartoon-strip graphics gets kids interested. Earning rewards for solving math problems keeps them motivated.
Three levels of difficulty and a variety of question styles challenge kids. Feedback or hints would enhance the learning experience.
A brief tutorial at the start of the game shows kids how to use the interactive features. Rewards help track progress.
Debbie Gorrell Educator
Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement.
3.MD.5.a
A square with side length 1 unit, called "a unit square," is said to have "one square unit" of area, and can be used to measure area.
3.MD.5.b
A plane figure which can be covered without gaps or overlaps by n unit squares is said to have an area of n square units.
Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units).
Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition.
Find the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths.
Multiply side lengths to find areas of rectangles with whole- number side lengths in the context of solving real world and mathematical problems, and represent whole-number products as rectangular areas in mathematical reasoning.
3.MD.7.c
Use tiling to show in a concrete case that the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths a and b + c is the sum of a × b and a × c. Use area models to represent the distributive property in mathematical reasoning.
3.MD.7.d
Recognize area as additive. Find areas of rectilinear figures by decomposing them into non-overlapping rectangles and adding the areas of the non-overlapping parts, applying this technique to solve real world problems.
Number And Operations—Fractions
4.NF.5
Express a fraction with denominator 10 as an equivalent fraction with denominator 100, and use this technique to add two fractions with respective denominators 10 and 100.4 For example, express 3/10 as 30/100, and add 3/10 + 4/100 = 34/100.
Use decimal notation for fractions with denominators 10 or 100. For example, rewrite 0.62 as 62/100; describe a length as 0.62 meters; locate 0.62 on a number line diagram.
Compare two decimals to hundredths by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two decimals refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual model.
3.NF.3.b
Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4, 4/6 = 2/3). Explain why the fractions are equivalent, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.
Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.3
Ratios And Proportional Relationships
6.RP.3
Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
6.RP.3.c
Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent.
Reading History/Social Studies
RH.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
RH.6-8.10
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Reading Informational Text
RI.3.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
RI.3.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Laura F. , Other
Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School
Oak Lawn, United States
Pursue math goals with Loot Pursuit: Pompeii.
While game play is seamless and the user interface intuitive, the biggest downfall of this app is its lack of feedback. When a student receives an incorrect answer, the game simply turns red and produces the next question. There is no way to return back to the question to review and reflect. Additionally, students working at more challenging levels may need an external calculator to work the problems. One could make the argument that this game functions better as a history app, as the storyline ...
Top Fractions Apps and Websites
Elementary school-age tech for learning key fractions concepts.
Math Apps and Games for Preschool and Kindergarten
These favorites add up to early math mastery.
Grades Pre-K - 4
Great Games, Apps, and Sites for Geometry
Our favorite geometry tools for students of all levels.


These moral concepts form the basis or our behavior when dealing with employees and business partners. Our employees enjoy the freedom of putting their ideas and visions into practice and our principles create a generous and supporting atmosphere which ensures the success of the team overall.
Most of our clients have confidence in our company for decades and customer satisfaction surveys show very good marks for our company. Our effective complaint management achieves excellent results by putting the customer first.
Most of our suppliers are experienced traders with own companies of long time existence and they therefore correspond well to the requirements of Hartmann & Popp. All our suppliers are familiar with our quality requirements and keep strictly to our specifications. In the case of new suppliers we request sample deliveries. Only after in-depth examination of the goods and after collaborative work sessions concerning our quality requirements we enter into new business relations. This is our way to guarantee accountability to our customers.
The growing demands for improved quality of seeds can only be achieved by analytical techniques which are becoming finer and finer. To keep up with these changes it is essential to be particularly receptive to new cleaning and processing technologies. We take these developments very seriously and that's why the totality of workflows in our company will be examined, upgraded and optimized continuously.


text:
Home News Vale - Dr Bernard Bragg (1928 - 2018)
Vale – Dr Bernard Bragg (1928 – 2018)
The WFD is saddened to learn the passing of Dr Bernard Bragg. We would like to extend our condolences to his family and friends.
Dr Bragg is an influential figure in the global deaf culture and arts. He was internationally known for his advocacy work through art performances to inspire, empower and educate deaf people to discover their limitless capability.
To honour this, in 2001 Dr Bragg received the WFD Special Lifetime Achievement Award during the 50th Anniversary of the WFD held in Rome, Italy.
Dr Bragg is passionate and committed in creating impactful and meaningful change. At the XV World Congress of the WFD in 2007 held in Madrid, Spain, Dr Bragg donated USD $25,000 to the WFD. The money was used to ensure that WFD is able to disseminate accessible information about human rights of the deaf people through our website.
The WFD honours his legacy by continuing to achieve dreams of Dr Bragg to see that deaf people worldwide gain full human rights through sign language.


text:
Box Office by Studio
BY STUDIO BY MAJOR STUDIO BY PARENT COMPANY
Movies By calendar gross
Movies By release date
Yearly Comparisons
Display Grosses in: 20192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000 for timeframe: Full YearYTD (Jan 1–Jul 14)-YTD through Jan.YTD through Feb.YTD through Mar.YTD through Apr.YTD through MayYTD through Jun.YTD through Jul.YTD through Aug.YTD through Sep.YTD through Oct.YTD through Nov.--WinterSpringSummerFallHolidaySeason-to-Date---Q1 (Jan–Mar)Q2 (Apr–Jun)Q3 (Jul–Sep)Q4 (Oct–Dec)Quarter-to-Date
January 1–December 31, 2012
Rank Movie Title (click to view) Studio Gross / Theaters Total Gross / % of Total Open
1 Marvel's The Avengers BV $623,357,910 4,349 $623,357,910 100.0% 5/4/12
2 Brave BV $237,262,163 4,164 $237,283,207 100.0% 6/22/12
3 Wreck-It Ralph BV $175,990,019 3,752 $189,422,889 92.9% 11/2/12
4 Lincoln BV $134,189,097 2,293 $182,207,973 73.6% 11/9/12
5 John Carter BV $73,078,100 3,749 $73,078,100 100.0% 3/9/12
6 The Odd Life of Timothy Green BV $51,819,672 2,717 $51,854,875 99.9% 8/15/12
7 Beauty and the Beast (3D) BV $47,617,067 2,625 $47,617,067 100.0% 1/13/12
8 War Horse BV $43,532,682 2,856 $79,884,879 54.5% 12/25/11
9 Finding Nemo (3D) BV $41,047,138 2,904 $41,128,283 99.8% 9/14/12
10 Frankenweenie BV $34,735,577 3,005 $35,291,068 98.4% 10/5/12
11 Chimpanzee BV $28,972,764 1,567 $28,972,764 100.0% 4/20/12
12 Monsters, Inc. (3D) BV $20,013,980 2,618 $34,043,006 58.8% 12/19/12
13 The Secret World of Arrietty BV $19,202,743 1,522 $19,202,743 100.0% 2/17/12
14 People Like Us BV $12,434,778 2,055 $12,434,778 100.0% 6/29/12
15 The Muppets BV $6,835,954 1,541 $88,631,237 7.7% 11/23/11
16 Real Steel BV $1,041,733 227 $85,468,508 1.2% 10/7/11
17 The Help BV $219,067 138 $169,708,112 0.1% 8/10/11
18 The Lion King (in 3D) BV $9,891 7 $94,242,001 0.0% 9/16/11
Summary of 18 Movies on Chart:
Totals: $1,551,360,335 - - - -
Averages: $86,186,685 - - - -
#1–18Data based on calendar grosses between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 and includes titles released by Buena Vista and Disney.
Jump to Studio: Select Studio20th Century Fox Buena Vista DreamWorks SKG Focus Features Fox Searchlight Lionsgate MGM/UA New Line Paramount STX Entertainment Sony / Columbia Sony Classics Universal Warner Bros. Weinstein Company Full Index
• Studio Index: 2012 Market Share |Yearly Comparisons |Studio List
• Yearly: 2012 by Calendar Gross
• About: Box Office Tracking


Second-hand shop managers assume responsibility for activities and staff in specialised shops.
Coordinate the donated goods in a second-hand store; select appropriate items for recycling or sale.
Assess marketability of goods sold in a second-hand store, depending on factors such as the size of the shop.


Michael Neri of Birmingham, England loves teaching performing arts to young people. He runs Talking Props Theatre School in Kidder Minster, for kids from ages 8 to 13. He also happens to be (gasp!) gay.
In fact, he told Mic that he started the group to give kids the opportunity to study theatre in an environment he himself never had while growing up, one that he thinks would have helped him flourish.
While his being gay doesn't affect his ability to teach drama to children (except maybe in a positive way), it does mean that the occasional homophobic parent will have something negative to say.
But Neri is not the type of person to feel ashamed of who he is or to let some random parent make him feel bad. So when a mother who found out he was gay withdrew her children from his class via text, he responded in the funniest and best possible way.
The story, originally from 2015, is making the rounds on the internet again just because of how funny and perfectly timeless it is.
Neri originally posted the text exchange between the straight up homophobic mom and himself to Twitter.
The woman states that she's withdrawing her kids due to the fact that "as a Christian, [she] cannot allow [her] children to be influenced by unconventional ideas" (what, like that love is universal?). She also adds that she "look[s] forward" to receiving her deposit back, but um, yeah, we all know that's not gonna happen.
In his lengthy and wonderful response, Neri mentions that he's honestly not sad to see the kids go, because homophobia would really only dampen the whole atmosphere of the class. He also says that he heard another performing arts school was taking on students, but that the mom would probably want to avoid them, too, because their teachers wore "mixed fabrics," which is also a no-no according to the bible. Oh, and as for that deposit? Yeah, that was donated to StoneWall, an LGBT charity. Cheers!
At the time this happened, Neri spoke to Mic about the whole situation. He revealed that he worked on that kickass response for a few hours before sending it (I'm still laughing at "theatre without gays is like cooking without spices").
Neri has absolutely no problem with Christianity and mentioned that he knows a lot of Christian and Muslim parents who are totally comfortable with him teaching their children. In fact, one of the teachers at Talking Props is Christian, too.
"When it comes down to my professionalism and my ability as a teacher, [religion] shouldn't be an issue. Either you believe in my ability to teach and you send your children or you don't," he said.


text:
Israel's National Bird
As part of Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Education, Tel Aviv University and Israel Discount Bank, initiated a widespread activity to increase people's connection to the landscapes of their homeland through birds. In this manner, Israel joined the ranks of some 90 countries that have already selected their representative national birds.
The Israeli initiative was unique in that the selection was made by the public rather than professionals: 9,500 preschools, 4,000 schools and IDF units participated, while the public was able to vote online and at public venues such as the Safari in Ramat Gan and the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem
Ten species of birds were selected after meeting various criteria (e.g. the bird must nest in Israel, and has a link to Jewish heritage). The candidates were: the Griffon Vulture, the Barn Owl, the Lesser Kestrel, the Graceful Prinia, the White-throated Kingfisher, the Hoopoe, the Goldfinch, the Bulbul, the Spur-winged Plover and the Palestine Sunbird. The Hoopoe was selected as the National Bird by a majority vote, with the Graceful Prinia coming in second and the Goldfinch third. The President of Israel Mr. Shimon Peres declared the Hoopoe as the National Bird of Israel at an official ceremony held at the President's Residence.
Hoopoe - The National Bird of Israel (Upupa epops; Hebrew: Dukhifat):
The Hoopoe is a beautiful bird noted for its orange "crown" of feathers. It is orange in color, with shades of black and white on its wings and tail, making its flight comparable to that of a large butterfly. The Hoopoe population is resident in Israel and it nests in holes in tree trunks and vertical walls of homes. Its beak is long, thin and curved and its tongue is long and sticky. The Hoopoe gathers food from the ground with the help of its long beak. Its monotone song, "hood, hood" instilled its Arabic name. In Aramaic it was known as the "mountain carver" because ancient tales tell of the Hoopoe bringing King Solomon the Shamir worm to carve the stone with which to build the Temple.
Graceful prinia (Prinia gracilis; Hebrew: Pashosh):
This is one of the tiniest birds in Israel, weighing only 6.5-7.5 grams. The Graceful Prinia is known for its long tapering tail and short rounded wings. Thanks to its long tail and short wings it is able to twist quickly among low shrubs. The Graceful Prinia is extremely common in gardens throughout Israel. These birds live in pairs within their habitat and their Hebrew name, "Pashosh" has become a popular nickname for people who are small and cute. Their incubation period is only 12-13 days long and parents go through two or three nesting cycles within a single spring period. A Graceful Prinia egg weighs less than one gram!
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis; Hebrew: Khokhit):
The Goldfinch is one of the most colorful birds in Israel. It is resident in Israel and common along the Mediterranean Sea coast, spreading to the Negev and Arava areas as well. The Goldfinch has a short thick beak, suited to cracking the seeds it extracts from thorny plants, mainly from the aster family, such as Mediterranean milk thistles, Syrian thistles and scolymus. Outside the nesting season Goldfinches band into flocks whose chatter is easily heard. The Goldfinch population has decreased significantly during recent decades as they are hunted and caged with canaries as songbirds and due to decreasing numbers of thorn fields which are destroyed in residential areas.
The Goldfinch nests high up near the treetops. In Arabic it is called the "bride bird" due to its vibrant colors. The Goldfinch's strong link to thorns has made it a symbol of Jesus' suffering in Christian art, appearing in the hands of the young Jesus.
The above is based on notes by Dr. Yossi Leshem, Tel Aviv University and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Dr. Leshem, Director of the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration in Latrun, and Dan Alon, Head of the Israeli Ornithological Center, were the Israel's National Bird project leaders.
The stamps were issued in 2010. Designers: Tuvia Kurtz, Ronen Goldberg


I am new to STO. I've been playing it on PS4 for a couple of weeks & am only level 29. I notice the PvP & PvE queues are always dead, however there are beginner missions that we noobs can complete if we can only get enough people to fill a queue. Thereore, I am looking to form a band or fleet of other noobs whom are willing to work together to knock out the PvP & PvE missions available to us. Once we complete our missions, or are close, we can recruit other noobs to join & take our places so we can move on to other fleets. Any PS4 STO players who are interested in forming up send me a PM & we can exchange PSN user names & start trying to knock out those missions & get the XP & items from them.


Samantha is an experienced Obstacle Course Racer, having completed over 50 events and has been in the top 10 for many of these events. Samantha is a NASM Certified person trainer, a Corrective Exercise Specialist, Weight Loss Specialist, Interactive Training Specialist, Spinning certified, and a TRX instructor.
Greg Nash is an endurance athlete, trail runner, and aspiring snowshoer. Greg's favorite race distance so far is the 50k. He has multiple finished at both the Traprock 50k and Nipmuck Trail Marathon. Greg is currently training for the Infinitus 100 mile trail run this May.


The pre-release event of 'Majili' was held on Sunday evening. Akkineni Nagarjuna and Victory Venkatesh graced the occasion as chief guests.
Speaking on the occasion, Naga Chaitanya said that he never imagined that he and Samantha would be doing a film together so early after marriage. "Director Shiva Nirvana's story suited our expectations. Doing 'Majili' has only boosted my confidence. I never had any doubts while doing the film, thanks to the confidence that Shiva gave me. He is the most honest filmmaker and human being I have met in the industry," Chay said.
"Sam has played Shravani in the film and you all will remember her character for long. Thaman has lent life to the film by scoring the BGM. DoP Vishnu Sarma has made the visuals look like a painting," he said.
"I can't digest it when my promises fall apart. With 'Majili', we are calm and confident," the Akkineni hero added.
Samantha said that 'Majili' is a unique love story that says that love is strength and responsibility. "This is going to be as important in my career as 'Ye Maya Chesave' and 'Manam'. You all guys will talk about my husband after April 5," Sam said.


text:
<?php

namespace Oro\Bundle\WorkflowBundle\Tests\Unit\Helper;

use Oro\Bundle\TranslationBundle\Entity\Translation;
use Oro\Bundle\TranslationBundle\Helper\TranslationHelper;
use Oro\Bundle\TranslationBundle\Manager\TranslationManager;
use Oro\Bundle\TranslationBundle\Translation\KeySource\TranslationKeySource;
use Oro\Bundle\TranslationBundle\Translation\Translator;
use Oro\Bundle\WorkflowBundle\Configuration\WorkflowConfiguration;
use Oro\Bundle\WorkflowBundle\Entity\WorkflowDefinition;
use Oro\Bundle\WorkflowBundle\Helper\WorkflowTranslationHelper;
use Oro\Bundle\WorkflowBundle\Translation\KeyTemplate\WorkflowTemplate;

class WorkflowTranslationHelperTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
{
    /** @var Translator|\PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject */
    private $translator;

    /** @var TranslationHelper|\PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject */
    private $translationHelper;

    /** @var TranslationManager|\PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject */
    private $manager;

    /** @var WorkflowTranslationHelper */
    private $helper;

    /**
     * {@inheritdoc}
     */
    protected function setUp()
    {
        $this->translator = $this->getMockBuilder(Translator::class)->disableOriginalConstructor()->getMock();
        $this->manager = $this->getMockBuilder(TranslationManager::class)->disableOriginalConstructor()->getMock();

        $this->translationHelper = $this->createMock(TranslationHelper::class);

        $this->helper = new WorkflowTranslationHelper($this->translator, $this->manager, $this->translationHelper);
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritdoc}
     */
    protected function tearDown()
    {
        unset($this->translator, $this->manager, $this->helper, $this->translationHelper);
    }

    public function testFindWorkflowTranslations()
    {
        $workflowName = 'test_workflow';
        $locale = 'fr';
        $data = ['data'];

        $this->translationHelper->expects($this->once())
            ->method('findValues')
            ->with(
                WorkflowTemplate::KEY_PREFIX . '.' . $workflowName,
                $locale,
                WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN
            )
            ->willReturn($data);

        $this->assertEquals($data, $this->helper->findWorkflowTranslations($workflowName, $locale));
    }

    /**
     * @dataProvider findTranslationProvider
     *
     * @param string|null $locale
     * @param string|null $value
     */
    public function testFindWorkflowTranslation($locale, $value)
    {
        $key = 'oro.workflow.test_workflow.test.key';
        $workflowName = 'test_workflow';
        $translatorLocale = 'jp';
        $fallbackValue = 'fallback data';

        $this->translator->expects($this->any())->method('getLocale')->willReturn($translatorLocale);

        $this->translationHelper->expects($this->any())
            ->method('findValues')
            ->willReturnMap(
                [
                    [
                        WorkflowTemplate::KEY_PREFIX . '.' . $workflowName,
                        $locale,
                        WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                        ['key1' => 'value1', 'key2' => 'value2', $key => $value]
                    ],
                    [
                        WorkflowTemplate::KEY_PREFIX . '.' . $workflowName,
                        $translatorLocale,
                        WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                        ['key1' => 'value1', 'key2' => 'value2', $key => $value]
                    ],
                    [
                        WorkflowTemplate::KEY_PREFIX . '.' . $workflowName,
                        Translator::DEFAULT_LOCALE,
                        WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                        ['key1' => 'value1', 'key2' => 'value2', $key => $fallbackValue]
                    ],
                ]
            );

        $this->assertEquals(
            $value ?: $fallbackValue,
            $this->helper->findWorkflowTranslation($key, $workflowName, $locale)
        );
    }

    public function testSaveTranslation()
    {
        $this->translator->expects($this->exactly(2))->method('getLocale')->willReturn('en');
        $this->manager->expects($this->exactly(2))
            ->method('saveTranslation')
            ->with(
                'test_key',
                'test_value',
                'en',
                WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                Translation::SCOPE_UI
            );
        $this->helper->saveTranslation('test_key', 'test_value');
        $this->helper->saveTranslation('test_key', 'test_value');
    }

    public function testSaveTranslationWithNotDefaultLocale()
    {
        $this->translator->expects($this->once())->method('getLocale')->willReturn('pl');

        $this->manager->expects($this->at(0))
            ->method('saveTranslation')
            ->with('test_key', 'test_value', 'pl', WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN);
        $this->manager->expects($this->at(1))
            ->method('saveTranslation')
            ->with(
                'test_key',
                'test_value',
                Translator::DEFAULT_LOCALE,
                WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                Translation::SCOPE_UI
            );

        $this->helper->saveTranslation('test_key', 'test_value');
    }

    public function testSaveTranslationAsSystem()
    {
        $this->translator->expects($this->once())->method('getLocale')->willReturn('en');
        $this->manager->expects($this->once())
            ->method('saveTranslation')
            ->with(
                'test_key',
                'test_value',
                'en',
                WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                Translation::SCOPE_SYSTEM
            );
        $this->helper->saveTranslationAsSystem('test_key', 'test_value');
    }

    /**
     * @dataProvider findTranslationProvider
     *
     * @param string|null $locale
     * @param string $value
     */
    public function testFindTranslation($locale, $value)
    {
        $key = 'oro.workflow.test_workflow.test.key';
        $translatorLocale = 'jp';
        $fallbackValue = 'fallback data';

        $this->translator->expects($this->any())->method('getLocale')->willReturn($translatorLocale);

        $this->translationHelper->expects($this->any())
            ->method('findValue')
            ->willReturnMap(
                [
                    [
                        $key,
                        $locale,
                        WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                        $value
                    ],
                    [
                        $key,
                        $translatorLocale,
                        WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                        $value
                    ],
                    [
                        $key,
                        Translator::DEFAULT_LOCALE,
                        WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN,
                        $fallbackValue
                    ],
                ]
            );

        $this->assertEquals($value ?: $fallbackValue, $this->helper->findTranslation($key, $locale));
    }

    /**
     * @return array
     */
    public function findTranslationProvider()
    {
        return [
            'with locale' => [
                'locale' => 'test_locale',
                'value' => 'expected translation'
            ],
            'without locale' => [
                'locale' => null,
                'value' => 'expected translation'
            ],
            'used fallback' => [
                'locale' => 'test_locale',
                'value' => null
            ]
        ];
    }

    public function testFlushTranslations()
    {
        $this->manager->expects($this->once())->method('flush');

        $this->helper->flushTranslations();
    }

    /**
     * @param string|null $expected
     *
     * @dataProvider findValueDataProvider
     */
    public function testFindValue($expected)
    {
        $key = 'key';
        $locale = null;

        $this->translationHelper->expects($this->once())->method('findValue')->with(
            $key,
            $locale,
            WorkflowTranslationHelper::TRANSLATION_DOMAIN
        )->willReturn($expected);

        $this->assertEquals($expected, $this->helper->findValue($key, $locale));
    }

    /**
     * @return \Generator
     */
    public function findValueDataProvider()
    {
        yield 'string value' => ['expected' => 'string'];
        yield 'null value' => ['expected' => null];
    }

    public function testGenerateDefinitionTranslationKeys()
    {
        $definition = new WorkflowDefinition();
        $definition->setLabel('test.definition')
            ->setConfiguration(
                [
                    WorkflowConfiguration::NODE_STEPS => [
                        ['label' => 'test.step']
                    ],
                    WorkflowConfiguration::NODE_ATTRIBUTES => [
                        ['label' => 'test.attribute']
                    ],
                    WorkflowConfiguration::NODE_TRANSITIONS => [
                        [
                            'label' => 'test.transition',
                            'button_label' => 'test.button.label',
                            'button_title' => 'test.button.title',
                            'message' => 'test.transition.message'
                        ]
                    ],
                    WorkflowConfiguration::NODE_VARIABLE_DEFINITIONS => [
                        WorkflowConfiguration::NODE_VARIABLES => [
                            [
                                'label' => 'test.variable',
                                'options' => [
                                    'form_options' => [
                                        'tooltip' => 'test.variable.tooltip'
                                    ]
                                ]
                            ]
                        ]
                    ]
                ]
            );

        $this->assertEquals(
            [
                'test.definition',
                'test.step',
                'test.attribute',
                'test.transition',
                'test.button.label',
                'test.button.title',
                'test.transition.message',
                'test.variable',
                'test.variable.tooltip'
            ],
            $this->helper->generateDefinitionTranslationKeys($definition)
        );
    }

    /**
     * @param string $workflowName
     * @return TranslationKeySource
     */
    protected function getWorkflowSource($workflowName)
    {
        $translationKeySource = new TranslationKeySource(
            new WorkflowTemplate(),
            ['workflow_name' => $workflowName]
        );

        return $translationKeySource;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Kondrashyovka () is a rural locality (a selo) in Stadnitskoye Rural Settlement, Semiluksky District, Voronezh Oblast, Russia. The population was 229 as of 2010. There are 12 streets.

Geography
Kondrashyovka is located 40 km northwest of Semiluki (the district's administrative centre) by road. Stadnitsa is the nearest rural locality.

References

Rural localities in Semiluksky District


As the dust settles from the U.S. presidential election, what might investors expect in the coming year? New U.S. leadership working with a Republican-unified Congress likely will have a meaningful impact on U.S. investment values, especially if legislation involving infrastructure spending, repatriation of U.S. corporate foreign cash, and tax reform become early priorities in 2017.
Just as influential will be macro factors that weigh on global growth and interest rates. The uncertainties of the "Brexit" process, as the United Kingdom negotiates its separation from the European Union (EU), the related tilt toward protectionism in many nations, the pursuit of currency weakness by major non-U.S. economies, and continued "lower for longer" interest-rate policy should combine to support interest in U.S. investments.
Differences between the U.S. economy and many advanced economies with regard to monetary policy, currency movement, and economic growth may define investor preferences among many asset classes in 2017. Here, we survey what 2017 may bring for major global economies—and key U.S. investment categories.
Read on for a summary of their analysis, or view the entire document here.
JP Morgan Market Bulletin: Brexit - a Shock for Markets, or a Crisis?


text:
About Ed West
Contact Ed
Home Telegraph Blogs Rich, white, hetero males vs the United Victims of the Diversity Rainbow – an example of how the world doesn't work
Rich, white, hetero males vs the United Victims of the Diversity Rainbow – an example of how the world doesn't work
By Ed West December 18, 2012 Comment now
There was an interesting post on the New Statesman yesterday about the narcissism of small differences and the way people on the Left fight among themselves. One of the ways is "privilege-checking", which the white, male hetero writer explained as follows:
For the uninitiated, "checking your privilege" amounts to maintaining a constant awareness of ways in which you might accrue some social, cultural or economic benefit as a result of your background: your class, race, gender, sexual-orientation and so on. If someone speaks out of turn, they'll be instructed to check their privilege. It's a cuff round the ear, a way of saying: think about how your personal circumstances might influence what you're saying.
Privilege-checking plays into the dangerous postmodern fallacy that we can only understand things we have direct experience of. In place of concepts like empathy and imagination, which help us recognise our shared humanity, it atomises us into a series of ever-smaller taxonomical groups: working class transsexual, disabled black woman, heteronormative male.
Also implicit in this new conception of "privilege" is a simple idea: the more points you score on the privilege bingo card, the less weight your view carries. This has the catastrophic effect of turning debates about racism, sexism, transphobia, class and disability into a game of Top Trumps, but equally importantly, it ignores the long history of social progressives, from Karl Marx to Tony Benn, who hail from privileged backgrounds.
From the outside I would say that privilege-checking is an aspect of the Left's obsession with victimhood. It's good to want to protect vulnerable people, but when victimhood becomes the overriding motive it can distort an argument, the default position being to take the side of whoever is the chosen victim. If you look at the blog posts on the New Statesman site many follow a clear pattern of identifying a victim – in some cases, the writer.
The problem with such sacred ideas is that people are often victims and villains at the same time, and there are usually victims on both sides. Jonathan Haidt wrote about this in The Righteous Mind, people's sense of injustice stemming from an innate need to protect the weak. It's a moral urge, but it can produce some perverse ideas; for example, the pro-choice Haidt says the sacralisation of women as victims has led to otherwise reasonable people defending the monstrous practice of abortion in the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy.
The public debate about immigration has been dominated by the identification of immigrants and minorities as inevitable victims of white racism; in many cases opinion-formers have lived such experiences, witnessing ugly racism in their predominantly white schools. It was only with the identification of women subjected to forced marriage or worse that some on the Left were willing to criticise immigrant cultures; it's only the realisation that poor people (potential victims) are the biggest losers from our demographic revolution that some will admit that change is not entirely beneficial.
On crime, the Left tends to see young offenders as victims, "the most vulnerable members of society", except in the case of violence against women. Domestic abuse is (rightly) a big issue for magazines like the New Statesman, yet if you really wanted to curb this horrendous crime one of the most effective ways would be to lock up violent offenders in general until their body stopped producing large quantities of testosterone. Similarly with honour killings, sex-selective abortion, the mentally disabled victims of crime, the child victims of easy divorce laws, Christians in the Middle East… in most areas of life victims are most likely to be victimised by other victims. Very rarely is it rich, white, hetero males vs the United Victims of the Diversity Rainbow, except to those journalists who went to Oxford with lots of rich, white, hetero males.
On drugs, people on the Left often talk about drug legalisation in terms of "treatment", as if drug users are passive victims, whereas drinkers and smokers are active, adult wrongdoers and taxpayers. It's why we have the bizarre dichotomy in which drug dealers are villains and drug users victims; surely either both are doing something wrong, or neither is? The same line is taken with the sex industry, although here it is the seller who is viewed as the victim.
The next big cause is mental illness. Depression is a devastating illness, but mental illness is also too easy to self-diagnose, too spectral and widespread (who is totally mentally well?), and hard to disprove. It can therefore confer victim status on those previously excluded, and acts as a get-out-of-jail-free card; the Hari Defence, one might call it.
The claim to powerlessness is also popular because disadvantage is a sign of personal brilliance, since an individual who has come from poverty to write for national publications is one of genuine talent; as it is there are incredibly few younger journalists at the top who come from disadvantaged backgrounds – off the top of my head I can only think of Caitlin Moran. This may reflect the closing down of opportunity in society, or it may just be the declining fortunes to be made in journalism, which in the age of the internet is turning into a semi-amateur pastime. A person born into poverty with great talent and energy to escape is hardly going to go into a job that pays so badly.
And I think, when it comes down to it, that's the subliminal message of pretty much most articles about inequality and injustice: why are all my Oxbridge contemporaries making so much more money than me?
This article was published at Telegraph Blogs
Filed Under: Telegraph Blogs
Ed West is an author, journalist and blogger for The Spectator. Read More…
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Are we at war with nature? E. O. Wilson thinks so. In his newest book, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, he offers this intriguing definition of nature: "Nature is that part of the original environment and its life forms that remains after the human impact. Nature is all on planet Earth that has no need of us and can stand alone" (15). I.e., nature is what has survived the global encroachment of the human race. Is he right?
To support his premise, he cites the "stunning contrast" that exists in Brazil between the rainforests and the surrounding non-rainforest habitats that have been cleared and developed by humans. In the western Brazilian state of Rondonia, for example, entomologists have recorded 1,600 kinds of butterflies in a few square kilometers. In nearby pastures converted from rainforest by logging and burning, "there may be fifty species" that flutter across the "developed" land. "The same disproportion is true for mammals, birds, frogs, spiders, ants beetles, fungi, and other organisms, including, with a vengeance, thousands of species of trees and countless life forms that dwell in the canopy" (24).
Is E. O. Wilson right? Are we humans in the unchecked process of systematically eliminating ecosystems and life forms that can never be recovered on this planet again? And if that's true, what about the Christian community? Are we nature's great defenders or its unwitting detractors (even destroyers)? How proactive are those who declare their faith in an intelligent Creator in preserving his creation?
Or to put in the vernacular of the conservation movement, how "green" are you and I?
But why should I be "green" when the earth is so near its end? Wilson is befuddled with that reasoning: " . . . perplexing is the widespread conviction among Christians that the Second Coming is imminent, and that therefore the condition of this planet is of little consequence. . . . For those who believe this form of Christianity, the fate of ten million other life forms indeed does not matter" (6).
But does it matter to you and me? In "Green Google," our study today, we ponder the trumpet call of the Creator to defend his creation. Of all people on earth, shouldn't creationists who celebrate the Creator on his seventh-day Sabbath be leading the movement to save creation, irrespective of when Christ returns?
Or does "the fate of ten million other life forms" really not matter that much to us either?
"Pastor, tell me I am wrong!" is Wilson's plea (6). Is he?


Kodak are most commonly associated with the development of the first simple camera for consumers in 1888. Through constant innovation, Kodak have grown to be recognised as a trusted brand in aiding all camera related activity, supplying high quality printing paper and printer inks. Their most popular printers utilise their Kodak 10 or Kodak 30 series ink cartridges.
At Prink, we have some of the lowest prices on Kodak compatible ink cartridges for use in the home, schools or corporate businesses printing on a large scale. If you are looking for genuine Kodak Ink then we stock these too.
Compatible Kodak ink cartridges from Prink are made to the highest ISO9001 standards. We only use the best quality ink from the USA and will send your cartirdges vacuum sealed and retail boxed.
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Kodak is one of the most famous names in the history of photography and the company was one of the first to invest in digital cameras. Kodak now makes a wide range of printers that produce top lab quality prints using Kodak ink cartridges. The unique products that Kodak manufactures are delivered by a trusted and reputable brand which has been at the forefront of printing technology. The ink cartridges that Kodak manufactures are sold as a set of two with one black and one colour unit in a set. When it comes to printing, whether it is for businesses or for individuals, the cost of consumables, such as paper and ink, is very important. The popularity of the Kodak brand is still high up in the ratings and the Kodak genuine printer ink is pigment based which means it dries very quickly. Buying a multipack of inks can help to cut down on the costs per page and you will achieve high quality colour prints that are life-like and long lasting.
Compatible ink cartridges have had a lot of bad press with many people believing that the low price makes them inferior to genuine Kodak inks. In fact, the low prices are only possible because the company making the compatible inks does not have to spend money on research. The businesses merely wait until a patent has expired and then analyse the cartridges and reproduce the inks at a fraction of the cost of the original. Therefore, compatible inks deliver the same results as genuine inks.
Kodak is one company that has a high reputation for quality and its ink cartridges are priced lower than some competitor's products. Alongside the Lexmark company, Kodak entered into a joint venture in 1999 and introduced the first Kodak photo printer. The company boasts that its products are around 50% lower than many rival products but deliver the best quality prints. Kodacolour technology has been finely honed to create long lasting, crisp clear print quality using pigment based inks. These inks ensure that photographic prints will not fade over time and the fast drying qualities mean that there is less chance of smudging when the print is produced. In addition, the prints are guaranteed to be water resistant. One reason why Kodak printer inks are cheap is that the replacement cartridges do not combine a print head which is the way older model were constructed.
The high quality printers that are now available for use in the home have been designed to cut down on both the cost of the machine and the consumables like paper and ink. Kodak does charge a little more for its printers but the ink costs are considerably lower making them much more cost effective to use regularly at home. The built in print heads have been a major factor in reducing the cost of ink cartridges making them cheap in comparison to the first generation of inks. Many home consumers have grown to appreciate the ability to print photographs at home and this is one reason for the rise in the sales of printers and inks. Some printer ink sets are supplied in a tri-colour cartridge and a black cartridge. This makes the cost of prints more expensive because even if only one of the colours is empty, the whole colour cartridge has to be replaced. The rise in use of individual colour ink cartridges has eliminated a lot of this expense making printing at home a much more viable prospect. Cheap genuine and compatible Kodak ink cartridges are the answer to home printing tasks which will result in top quality results.