1) Heat large Dutch oven over medium heat. Meanwhile dice zucchini and summer squash into 1/2" pieces.
2) When dutch oven is warm, approximately 4 to 5 minutes, add one tablespoon of olive oil to pan. Tilt to coat bottom of dutch oven before adding zucchini and squash. Season with salt and pepper to taste and saute until just beginning to brown and soften, approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile dice onion, red and green bell peppers. If making no-chicken broth from bouillon, start water to boil in kettle.
3) Remove zucchini and squash from pan and set aside. Return Dutch oven to heat; when warm, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to pan. Tilt to coat pan with oil before adding onion and peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. While onions and peppers saute, mince garlic. Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, large pinch pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, broth and canned tomatoes. Increase heat and bring mixture to boil. After mixture is boiling add white rice; stir to incorporate. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered for 20 minutes until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed. Be sure to stir mixture several times while simmering.
4) After rice is cooked and most, but not all of the liquid is absorbed, add reserved squash and zucchini. Stir to incorporate. Remove bay leave, cover and cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes: Dish can be kept in air tight container in refrigerator for up to three days or in freezer for up to six months.
Serve with Louisiana, Tabasco or another hot pepper sauce and an ice cold beer.
This was great! Next time I will go easy with the cayenne pepper. I added okra and used left over brown rice. I did not use zucchini and only had regular paprika on hand. After reading another Jambalaya recipe, I added liquid smoke, Tamari, and Worcestershire sauce. This also made it very good. My meat loving husband approved, so, it must be good.
SO so delicious. Thanks for the recipe. We will be making this over and over again!


The azaleas and rhodendendrons are coming into bloom. We are spending our time mulching and weeding and generally enjoying the Spring sunshine rather than tackling the icky caulk in the bathroom. You've gotta smell the flowers sometimes, no?


Olga has more than 10 years of professional experience working in accounting and finance departments in the major Russian companies. For a number of years worked in finance department of the largest telecommunication company of Russia and CIS.
Olga has been working in A.S.Wellas since May 2008. Her fields are Finance, Accounting, Audit and IT, and also Executive Search projects in the CIS countries.
Olga has been recognized as our Best Recruitment Consultant in 2008 and made it to Senior Consultant in 2009.
Since then she continues to offer excellent service to A.S.Wellas clients all over the world.


The next Hidden Figures is coming. In the same vein of showing intelligent and exciting women doing extraordinary things in history, Writer/Producer Sarah Megan Thomas (Equity, Backwards) and Director/Producer Lydia Dean Pilcher (Queen of Katwe) are beginning principle photography on an as yet untitled movie about three females spies that were part of "Churchill's Secret Army" in World War II. Though the film is fiction, it is based on actual stories and extensive research done by Thomas.
One of these female agents, Vera Atkins is widely regarded in history and the most well-known. This film also centers around two other agents that worked for her as spies, Virginia Hall, who the Nazi's dubbed "the most dangerous of all" and who did this all with a wooden leg, and Noor Inayat Khan, who was the first female wireless operator and whose family has Indian roots. The story, written by Thomas tells the tale of the dangerous missions they pursued in war-torn Europe.
Actress Stana Katic plays Virginia Hall. She is best known as Kate from Castle also appears on Amazon's Absentia. Sarah Megan Thomas plays Vera Atkins. Radhika Apte, a rising star from Bollywood, who most recently appeared in the film Padman, plays Khan. Linus Roache (Homeland, Vikings) and Rossif Sutherland of the Sutherland acting family (Catastrophe, River) are also set as major characters in this film.
The film will be shooting in the US and in Europe.
Sarah Megan Thomas co-wrote, starred in and produced Equity, the story of a female investment banker played by Anna Gunn, who takes a company public amid fierce competition by friends and foes alike. Purchased by Sony Classic Pictures, is currently on DVD on Starz and on demand.


House of Darken By Jaymin Eve was an amazing start to an interesting series! I have to say i was 100 percent pulled in by the front cover and the tagline of "Rule #1: Dont cross their side of the street." This book follows Emma on her journey with her guardians. They get the chance to move to a new town in Oregon called Astoria, once they are there and settled her guardians go out on one of their paranormal hunts, when they should have returned and didn't show up Emma took matters into her own hands, and broke Rule number 1 by crossing the street!
This book is fast paced and well thought out. This book has so many twists and turns and leaves you on the edge of your seat until the last page. I for one can't wait to see where the author goes with this series and see how it all ties together at the end.
This book is a must read if you are looking for a fast paced new Young adult series!
I was a bit of a cover snob; the "not judging a book by its cover" thing was not something I'd ever been good at.


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Tag Archives: museum audiences
Why should cultural institutions do audience research?
Competition in the "museum world" is tough. It doesn't matter how exclusive your collection is, or how famous your brand, there is competition from other cultural institutions, big and small, as well as any number of other distractions (sport, relaxation, leisure pursuits) competing for a share of potential visitors and even the most committed members' valuable time. Face to face audience research into visitor experiences within the museum provides useful information that can be fed back into program development, museum policy and strategic planning for the future.
The front foyer of the newly rebranded MU-SEA-UM (Australian National Maritime Museum) at Darling Harbour
It is not enough to just happily count numbers of visitors through the door. Numbers on their own can be quite misleading without the qualitative data supporting visitor behaviour (including visitor observation and tracking – see separate post) during the visit and feedback from visitors about their personal experiences inside your cultural institution and why they may or may not come back in the future.
Impressionists from Monet to Cezanne at Palazzo degli Esami in Rome
Visitor Feedback Surveys
Certainly, visitor feedback is key to keeping audiences engaged with your museum and your brand. If you welcome feedback, audiences feel appreciated and valued, whether it's about the collection, upcoming or current exhibitions, kids activities, programs, eating spaces or the state of the bathrooms!
Once you have direct communication with visitors, you can benefit enormously from their feedback (both positive and negative), but firstly, the organisation needs to be specific as possible about what it wants to know in order for the feedback to be beneficial.
Preparing your audience research objective
Modern Masters from The Hermitage at the Art Gallery of NSW
Feedback survey questions usually require a brainstorming session in order to define the aims of the survey. Once the aims have been determined, it becomes easier to write the survey questions. It's impossible to retrieve and analyse data that has not been collected and there is no point in collecting data that staff have no use for. Think carefully –
What do staff want to find out about their visitors?
Visitor feedback survey objectives need to be clearly defined. Keep them simple and specific. Try to minimise bias in the questions. Visitor surveys are research. Research on museum visitors can determine specifics such as:
Where are your visitors from? Are they alone or with friends/ family?
Are they likely to return to your institution – this may be affected by accessibility. Are visitors local or from overseas/interstate? Are they already members, repeat visitors or first timers?
What are their interests? These may be specific to your museum collection, a particular exhibition or just a family outing?
What do people like or dislike about your museum collection, exhibitions, program and activities? Embrace both sides as an opportunity to think critically about what you offer and the way you offer it.
Also be conscious that research on people who do not visit the museum can be useful to determine why people don't come, particularly the local community on your doorstep.
Using results
Constant self-reflection and improvement will encourage more visitors through the door. Use the findings from visitor feedback surveys to help with the planning and implementation of improvements to the "people interface" – Front of House, museum spaces and services (including facilities, cafe, museum shop etc.). Listening to and responding to the feedback findings will ensure the success of future marketing, promotional and public relations campaigns.
The solid evidence produced by analysing survey results will add credibility to your case when pitching to potential sponsors or funding sources to support future projects.
Clip boards at the ready. Many museums choose iPads for surveying. The importance thing is to use tools which allow engagement with the visitor. You may learn something extra during the exchange.
Tips for Survey staff on real time Surveying of Visitors
Take time to absorb the museum atmosphere on the day. Move around the museum spaces and work out the best spots to catch people.
Choose people carefully. There is no point in asking a parent with a screaming child or people preoccupied with something inside the museum where they are unlikely to want to be disturbed.
Introduce yourself to visitors being surveyed and tell them what you are doing emphasising that the museum needs their feedback to try to improve or find out their opinion on "(whatever)" depending upon the survey aim – ticket pricing, accessibility, current exhibition content and future exhibition topics ……..
Encourage each visitor to fill out the form themselves if possible but try to ensure that all pages are filled out
Add "in-house" predetermined requirements such as completion time, date etc. to each survey
Try to sample broadly
Don't worry about knockbacks, if you are friendly then visitors might participate next time or at another cultural institution when they have more time.
Write down anecdotal comments which you think may add value to the survey being carried out even if the feedback isn't relevant to the questions
Set yourself a target based on past experience – some days are better than others depending on the flow and mood of the museum visitors on the day in question and on the length of the survey.
Offer an incentive for their time. e.g. a coffee voucher, discount for next visit or even a voucher for the museum shop.
Thank them for their participation
Further reading for those people thinking about visitors to cultural institutions – what visitors think and why they may or may not visit our cultural institutions.
Potential visitors to cultural institutions are spending more time on the couch instead
https://www.colleendilen.com/2018/09/19/potential-visitors-cultural-entities-spending-time-couch-instead-data-update/
Couch potatoes, Television Consumption and Museum Visitation
https://musdigi.wordpress.com/
Are we asking the right questions?
https://musdigi.wordpress.com/2018/09/07/are-we-asking-the-right-questions-compassconference-day-one-reflections/
10 reasons to visit a museum
https://www.colleendilen.com/2009/07/31/10-reasons-to-visit-a-museum/
21 Reasons why I hate Museums
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/21-reasons-why-I-hate-museums/
Why don't people visit museums more often?
https://rereeti.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/why-dont-people-visit-museums-more-often/
How to encourage people to visit museums more often
https://medium.com/@miaeveliina/how-can-we-encourage-those-who-rarely-visit-museums-to-do-so-more-often-441c27cf4770
The drop in museum visitors reveals a nation without aspiration or hope
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2017/feb/02/drop-uk-museum-attendance
Audience Research 101 – #museumeval
https://musdigi.wordpress.com/2016/09/16/audience-research-101-museumeval/
Visitor research at Te Papa
https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/sites/default/files/4-visitors-survey_0.pdf
Group tour of Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli outside Rome. UNESCO World Heritage site.
This entry was posted in art galleries, art museum, audience engagement, audience research, blogging, Cultural heritage, Cultural Institutions, digital museums, GLAM sector, heritage, heritage and cities, museum, museums, Museums and the Digital, Museums and the Web, The Arts in Australia, UNESCO heritage, visitor feedback, visitor tracking and tagged Art Gallery of NSW, audience engagement, audience research, Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Colleen Dilenschneider, Dr Lynda Kelly, exhibitions, Face to face surveys, Front of House, know your audience, museum audiences, Permanent Galleries, Te Papa, visitor feedback, visitor surveys, visitor tracking on January 19, 2019 by lyndalllinaker.
Pae White's colourful installation drawing in all ages
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is Australia's oldest and possibly most well loved museum of art, founded in 1861. Its mission statement – "To illuminate life by collecting, preserving and presenting great art" and perhaps the unwritten mission of "giving it to the people".
NGV Triennial 15 December 2017-15 April 2018
In 2016 the NGV was the 19th most popular art gallery in the world with more than 2.6 million visitors across its two campuses. The ranking places the gallery in the company of Paris's Musee d'Orsay and New York's Museum of Modern Art.
Visitors flock to the NGV Triennial in Melbourne
The NGV is not only Australia's most popular art gallery, but one of the top 20 most visited art museums worldwide as revealed by the U.K's The Art Newspaper in its latest survey of global art museum attendance. Not a bad effort for a small country on the world stage. Australia's population is around 24.8 million compared with the U.S.A.'s 326.8 million and U.K.'s 66.6 million people. This ranking was based on visitation to "Van Gogh and the seasons" from the 2017 Winter exhibition. (Note that another Australian art museum on the list was the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art with its 2016/17 Summer exhibition – Sugar spin: You, me, art and Everything.)
Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Rooms are always popular with visitors
The NGV held forty-nine exhibitions during 2016-17, including major retrospectives of international and Australian artists and designers, as well as focused displays of works in the NGV collection. The quality and variety of audience engagement initiatives presented in support of these exhibitions was extensive. They offered guided tours, audio tours, mobile phone apps, talks, lecture series and workshops as well as social events – such as the Friday Night events (aimed at capturing more of the younger audiences after work), the Summer Sundays music series and the NGV Kids Summer festival and supporting Kids spaces for some of the major exhibitions. For example – as part of the exhibition Andy Warhol / Ai Weiwei (2015-2016), NGV Kids presented Studio Cats, a large-scale installation especially for children and families to draw upon creative connections between the two artists and their mutual love of cats.
The Gallery aims to present programmes that engage visitors in meaningful cultural experiences and to keep them coming back.
According to their audience research data, The National Gallery of Victoria enjoys one of the highest community participation rates in the world. 70% of their visitors are local from Melbourne and regional Victoria unlike many other international art museums where the majority of visitors are incoming tourists. This also indicates that the locals keep coming back which is what every cultural institution needs to strive for. This is what Nina Simon talks about most recently in The Art of Relevance but also in The Participatory Museum and her Museum 2.0 Blog.
For any Cultural Institution, the collection remains fundamental to the audience engagement and education strategy. The thoughtful curation and presentation of historical and contemporary collections is a key museum management strategy for continuing and ongoing audience engagement. Colleen Dilenschneider regularly writes about this in her Know Your Own Bone Blog (most recently in Special Exhibits vs. Permanent Collections (DATA) and previously in Death by Curation).The NGV strategy is to ensure that its collection is accessible to the widest possible audience who may be unable to visit the museum through the ongoing work of the NGV Digitisation Project which is still progressing.
I have to disclose that I am already a big fan of the NGV and the way that they design their spaces. I visit the NGV each time that I am in Melbourne, so over many years have enjoyed both Summer and Winter exhibitions as well as taking time to learn about the permanent collection shown across both campuses (St Kilda Road and the Ian Potter Centre in Federation Square). On my recent visit I took in the inaugural Triennial at the National Gallery Victoria which on the surface (without actual audience data analysis) appears to be a great success. What I enjoyed most about this free experience was seeing the diversity of visitors attending the exhibition and the way that the work of 100 contemporary artists, architects and designers from 32 countries was juxtaposed against the existing works from the collection – which was great exposure.
Audience engagement with the art at NGV Triennial
I think that there is currently a cultural revival happening worldwide despite Government funding cuts trying to choke the Arts into submission. Creativity and cultural heritage feed the soul when so much about modern life seems to do the opposite. Now is a better time than ever for cultural institutions to offer their prospective audiences something new and different, to re-energise and maybe even reinterpret their collections to be more inclusive, to build community and feed the souls that are weary of modern life and meaningless 24 hour connectedness to media, social media and globalised sameness. Keep leading the way National Gallery of Victoria and hopefully other cultural institutions in Australia will follow or at least just lift their game a notch.
Interesting reading:
Cultural Heritage and the City
Cultural heritage as a driver of economic growth and social inclusion
Creative Country
The value of culture
This entry was posted in art galleries, audience engagement, blogging, Cultural heritage, GLAM sector, heritage, heritage and cities, Melbourne, museum, museums, The Arts in Australia, visitor feedback, visitor tracking and tagged art, audience engagement, Australia, blogging, collections, Cultural heritage, Cultural Institutions, culture, diversity in museums, education, exhibition, exhibitions, Melbourne, museum attendance, museum audiences, museum design, museum whisperings, museums, QAGOMA, Triennial on April 7, 2018 by lyndalllinaker.
Change and grow 21st century museum audiences.
The good thing about not working for a single museum (and believe me there are not many advantages to being a contract or casual worker) is that you get to see things as an outsider and are well placed to think critically about cultural institutions that don't employ you. As an onlooker, I am always thinking about audience engagement at the museums, art galleries and heritage spaces that I visit (particularly the ones for which I have a paid yearly membership). In my paid employment, I have been lucky to have been supervised by one of the best – Dr Lynda Kelly (CEO Lynda Kelly Networks and formerly Head of Learning at The Australian National Maritime Museum) who embraces digital engagement in cultural spaces and advocates the importance of evaluating the museum audience experience at every point of contact – before, during and after the visit. I am also a big fan of Colleen Dilenschneider and her blog (and new website), "Know Your Own Bone" and 3 minute YouTube videos (for those who don't have time to read) which give tremendous insight into cultural organisations, their audiences and their markets. Kelly and Dilenschneider really make you think about museums in the 21st century and how they will grow their actual and online visitor numbers to protect the future of their cultural organisations.
There are some current "disruptive techniques" available for the marketing and presentation of new experiences to keep current visitors actively involved in cultural organisations whilst growing new audiences and developing new community relationships. The MuseumNext conference held in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year had speakers from all over the globe sharing their knowledge and experience with participants. The main topic for discussion was "risk". Museums, like other cultural organisations, need to take more risks if they want to grow their audiences. This is not about putting collections or staff in any danger, but about "thinking outside the box" and doing things a little differently. It is also not about cutting staff and handing over the reigns to an external consultant who really doesn't know the museum or the value of specific collections let alone understand the overworked back of house functions (curatorial, education, conservation, research and volunteers). It is about best practice and the collective future for museums and better ways to interpret and present collections, by engaging and changing the perception of existing audiences, creating new audiences in the physical museum space and online, embracing technology, encouraging visitor participation and fostering innovation within cultural institutions worldwide.
Taking calculated risks can also be interpreted as "disruption" in cultural institutions. Organisations like to think that they have a "vision" and strategic plan for the future but
are activities being done the way that they were always done?
are audiences the same as they always were?
are the needs of the staff more important, equal to or less important than those of the audiences?
is the marketing function bringing superficial numbers through the door more important than the curatorial and back of house functions who maintain collections, design exhibitions, create educational programs and digital content behind the scenes?
Is the team behind the scenes as harmonious and cohesive as the face being presented to the public?
is the institution well funded and well managed with strong leadership and direction?
There are so many issues to consider and the issues will vary depending upon the size of the organisation, the collection involved, the existing membership base and the statutory and funding model for the cultural institution in question.
For the 21st Century Museum engaging new and different audiences is critical. How does an organisation like Museum Hack become a "disruptive force" in an established cultural institution? They look with new eyes. They work with organisations "to create new content, strengthen existing programs, build social media prowess, reach new audiences, and increase relevance and engagement". They set out to engage new audiences and increase audience diversity by thinking outside the box – encouraging a new relationship between visitors and the collections in the museum space and for this interaction to be about learning and fun.
It could be argued that many museums put time and effort into curating their spaces and educating the public but unless the output is measured and analysed then the "facts and figures" may be misleading. Counting numbers through the door and anecdotal observations are not sufficient in comparison to quantitative results from well orchestrated visitor studies and qualitative reports gleaned from well designed visitor feedback surveys. Ceri Jones's review article on "Enhancing our understanding of museum audiences: visitor studies in the 21st century" quotes David Fleming as saying that " if museums are to be serious about their social role, understanding the needs, motivations and expectations of visitors (and non-visitors) is critical to their mission, values and decision-making processes (Fleming 2012)".
While academics in the museum industry may not like the style of Nina Simon's new book, Art Of Relevance, I love the way she writes about cultural institutions and the need for them to remain relevant with audiences into the future if they want to survive. I particularly like the way she looks at "insiders" and "outsiders", which is what Michelle Obama spoke about at the opening of the new Whitney Museum extension that I mentioned in my previous post. Obama spoke about the way that some sectors of the community feel that they don't belong or wouldn't be represented in their local cultural institutions and Simon speaks about finding "new doors" to open which makes people feel welcome rather than left outside.
In 2016, Chloe Hodge wrote an editorial for Artsy, "As Attention Spans Dwindle, How Does a Museum Capture New Audiences?" which gives examples of three museums adopting new approaches to engaging new audiences and building relationships with the local community. Panama's Biomuseo has used architecture and design to try to draw in the locals to engage with the biodiversity of their environment in a country without any true museum culture. The environmentally sustainable building aims to reconnect locals with the outdoors and encourages visitors to act on their social conscience by protecting their plant and animal species and thinking about Panama's global responsibilities.
Berlin's Museum Island (Museum für Islamische Kunst, the Bode, Pergamon, and the Deutsches Historisches Museum (DHM)) have adopted a programme used by Museum für Islamische Kunst and a group of Syrian archeology students who became asylum seekers in 2011. "Multaqa: Museum as Meeting Point," involves the training of Syrian and Iraqui refugees as museum guides and their weekly tours in the Arabic language have opened up the museum collections as conversation starters for refugees who have been disconnected from their own countries. A spokesperson for DHM explains that "When the refugees see images of a completely destroyed Germany and then compare this to what we have now, it gives them hope that Syria, in particular, might once again be a working state. We in Germany tend to forget that Europe was once, too, divided by religious wars and the whole continent destroyed."
In London's East End, The Victoria and Albert Museum was seen as partly being to blame for the loss of social housing and the gentrification of the area used for the London Olympics. They are now employing and training East Londoners to ensure that the museum is a product of the area, with a broad appeal for local audiences who can relate to local staff. Three worthwhile innovative strategies chosen by Hodge for discussion in her piece.
There are other ideas for smaller institutions with little budget for large marketing campaigns. Parramatta's Riverside Theatre has been subsidising the cost of a theatre tickets to disadvantaged young people and running workshops in the arts for people with disabilities by asking theatre goers to donate to the Riverside Theatre's education programme. Being proactive in engaging new audiences who might otherwise have been left outside the door is one way to ensure the future of the cultural institution, particularly when the experience is a positive one.
Hannah Hethmon wrote about inexpensive social media marketing for smaller cultural institutions in her blog post "Guerilla Marketing Tips for small museums". She speaks about investing time and energy rather than money to attract new audiences using social media tools which target visitors who are not regulars and may be persuaded to visit by an influencer that they follow on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook to visit a museum in response to a post which calls them to action.
Museums in the 21st century have to fight hard for a slice of the recreational dollar. In Australia, there are demographic changes to the cities, changes in cultural diversity, generational changes and changing in access to technology which affect the way cultural organisations are viewed and valued by the population in general. To grow in the future, cultural organisations must know how they are placed with respect to all of the above and take some risks in the future to remain relevant to their current audiences and to attract new visitors. It won't just be about sharing collections and heritage spaces and places but about exchanging knowledge, being safe places to visit, being affordable and welcoming to everyone.
Carriage Works, Sydney
Garden Island Heritage Centre, Sydney
Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
National Gallery Australia, Canberra
National Gallery Victoria, Melbourne
The Dairy Cottage, Parramatta
Choeung Ek KIlling Fields, Cambodia
This entry was posted in art galleries, audience engagement, audience research, blogging, Cultural heritage, GLAM sector, heritage, heritage and cities, museum, museums, UNESCO heritage, visitor feedback, visitor tracking and tagged 21st Century Museums, Colleen Dilenschneider, Cultural Institutions, disruptive techniques in museums, exhibitions, GLAM sector, growing audiences, Lynda Kelly, museum audiences, museum blog, Museum Hack, museum management, museum practice, museum visitors, museum whisperings, MuseumNext, Nina Simon, risk taking in museums, small museums, social media in museums, visitor studies on July 4, 2017 by lyndalllinaker.
Do admission prices stop museums from growing audiences?
Australian National Maritime Museum from Pyrmont Bridge
After doing a ticket pricing survey for Front of House at the Australian National Maritime Museum in 2016, I started researching articles about the benefits of free entry to museums and art galleries compared with charging admission and whether or not this does impact on visitor numbers. Interestingly, many articles reported that it made no difference and that people who valued the museum experience came with or without an entry charge. Even with free entry, there was a debate about whether new visitors would start coming and if the number of new visitors increased as a proportion of the total number of visitors on an annual basis. As I was digesting the information, I came across Colleen Dilenschneider's article Admission Price is not a Barrier for Cultural Center Visitation.
Visitors on the World Heritage listed Colosseum site, Rome
Crowds queueing to enter the Colosseum in Rome. 12 Euro tickets are valid for 2 days for visitors to explore, The Palatine Hill, The Forum and The Colosseum itself plus 3 onsite museums.
Dilenschneider says that cultural institutions need to get real about the barriers to visitation and the excuses which organisations make without really knowing their audiences. Critical thinking, visitor surveying and feedback and the analysis of current audiences would go a long way towards understanding the real reasons that people don't visit cultural institutions. She believes that admission pricing is not the main barrier and that using that excuse stops these organisations from identifying the true barriers to increasing numbers and diversifying their audiences and which may include the presentation of content to interpret their collections, site accessibility for visitors and the relevance of a cultural institution to the general public rather than its current targeted membership audience.
In saying that, Dilenschneider says that organisations still need to:
Be competitive in their pricing relevant to other cultural institutions and nearby attractions
Have specific events or sessions for low income visitors where entry is free or more affordable
Understand that cultural organisations compete with other recreational activities for "time poor" and "financially stretched" visitors – particularly families
Realise that some people just aren't interested in visiting cultural organisations no matter how you present to them, and that's OK.
When Michelle Obama spoke at the opening of the new Whitney Museum in New York, she said that for many cultural groups in the community, museums are places that they do not feel welcomed and do not see themselves in. Considering that 9% of core visitors to museums in the US fall into "the minority group" category, that is largely out of balance with the 28% found in the general population. I think that Michelle Obama's comments would apply to minority groups in cultural institutions anywhere in the world. I wrote earlier about the role of Museums in the 21st Century and the fact that they need to find a "connectedness" to people by championing human rights and social justice issues in their exhibitions. Since these issues often relate to "minority groups", it would be a great avenue for people to start new conversations and make emotional connections to a cultural institution while exploring its collections which suddenly seem more relevant.
In her article Why Free Museums Matter, Jessica Leigh Hester wrote about Museum Day in the US, where 1200 museums allowed free entry to pre-booked visitors (and a guest) in order to engage different visitors to the museum and shed the reputation that only certain visitors are allowed in the rarified atmosphere of a museum. She explained that Museum Day is part of an ongoing campaign to chip away at the negative perception "that visitors must be a certain type of person" or have "a certain level of education or expert knowledge" in order to gain entry to an art gallery or museum.
In the UK, the Museums Association reported on all the changes brought about by the Government in the eighties to cut funding to museums which meant that some museums could no longer support their free entry policies. In 2001 when funding was reinstated for National Museums in England, Scotland and Wales, the numbers of visitors increased with a hope that different kinds of groups would visit. Data analysis showed that there were more people visiting (or repeat visiting) but that they had the same profile as those that had previously been paying to visit the same cultural institution. MA commented that "It takes imaginative programming and marketing to change an audience profile significantly, as well as sustained development work with communities with no tradition of museum visiting."
One of my favourite examples of museums increasing the diversity of their audiences is IKON Gallery in Birmingham, UK who began their Black Country Voyages Project in 2014, taking art to young people in the UK Midlands via a canal boat on the Black Country waterways which were used to transport mined coal and other minerals in years gone by. The project aims to build relationships with young people who have previously had no relationship with the Gallery, thus building their audience using both the outreach method as well as running inclusive Family Programmes at the IKON Gallery itself.
Children engaging on board the vessel. image ikon-gallery.org
image ikon-gallery.org
image blackcountryvoyages.org
image blackcountryechoes
I'm not sure why some people value museums and others don't but I am sure that if children can connect to museums and art galleries from an early age, then it is a really good way to encourage lifelong learning and feeling good in the museum space as they get older. Something that really heartens me is that so many museums (even those short on funding and resources) have School Programs, Early Learning Programs and Family Programs in place. When I chat to people in the museum space, many adults have come back with children who visited on a school excursion, begged to be taken back and are now proudly showing their parents/carers around. I often see people with prams, kids doing art classes, vacation care groups inside the museum, which was definitely not the case when I was growing up or when I tried to visit some cultural institutions when my own kids were small.
Kids activity sheets, interactive stations and audio tours for exhibitions are springing up everywhere. Kids invigilators, teacher guides and child focussed volunteers can really make a visit something to remember. These kinds of activities should be affordable for all socio-economic groups. I understand that not everything can be free because staffing and materials for children's activities can be quite expensive but there should definitely be a focus on price for this sector if cultural institutions want to attract a different kind of visitor.
Another reason to focus on this sector is that I've identified a shift in visitation for the "apartment dwelling" family particularly in the inner city of Sydney – close to some of the major cultural institutions. Many parents/carers are bringing younger children into the museum on a weekly or fortnightly basis since there is no room at home. In the near future, it won't be sufficient to run just school holiday or weekend activities. Next generation visitors will need access to space which offers new and different things to see and engage with on a regular basis. There are all kinds of possibilities for such a space – from the typical dress ups and books, to collection access, to craft activities or age appropriate digital engagement areas. These repeat visitors would gain great value from a museum membership but if museums don't deliver and make people feel welcome then they will be looking for a new places to go with their children.
This entry was posted in admission prices, art galleries, audience engagement, audience research, blogging, Cultural heritage, GLAM sector, heritage, heritage and cities, museum, museums, UNESCO heritage, visitor feedback, visitor tracking and tagged admission costs, audience research, audiences, Australian National Maritime Museum, Black Country Voyages, Colleen Dilenschneider, Cultural Institutions, Early Learning, Families, GLAM sector, growing audiences, IKON Gallery, Jessica Leigh Hester, Michelle Obama, minorities in museums, museum audiences, museum whisperings, Museums Association UK, museums in the 21st century, New York, School Programs, ticket pricing, visitor feedback, Whitney Museum of American Art on March 17, 2017 by lyndalllinaker.
Maps versus Staff on the Museum Floor
When I am physically in the museum space, whether observing or surveying visitors, people always talk to me and ask me questions. I have no doubt from my observations that people like to see museum staff on the floor. It doesn't matter whether the museum arms people with maps, touch pads, audio tours or text panels – visitors like to talk to real people. They have questions, they want directions and most of all they want to give you feedback about the things that they are seeing and doing in the museum. They want to tell you what they like, they want to tell you what you are doing well, what should be on display and they want to tell you about other museums doing similar things better than you are.
I don't think that this is a bad thing. Museums need to know their audiences and they cannot possibly know them if they don't do a little face to face work, rather than just counting numbers in galleries. Exhibitions need not be static places. Even if the exhibit layout is "perfect" from the curator's viewpoint, there will always be room to tweak the exhibit in some way – whether it's a text panel/ label, training "front of house" staff and educators/guides about a new exhibition space, doing continuous maintenance or just ensuring that museum visitors are making the most of any exhibition or permanent gallery on any given day.
I have seen many front of house staff appear exasperated that visitors can't find their way around an art gallery or museum – even with a map. The fact is that maps are prepared by people who are familiar with the workings of a particular space and so a map already makes sense to them. In reality, people move through museums and art galleries intuitively and so it's better to build on that natural movement or provide them with really clear directions via gateway text panels and objects or pathways within the space.
New entry to the Australian Museum
Entry to Wild Planet
Inside the Wild Planet gallery
For example, at the Australian Museum, there is a gentle slope leading from the Museum's new point of entry into the Wild Planet gallery. Sadly, most people intuitively turn right into the Skeleton Hall and then climb the stairs (even with strollers!) into Wild Planet which totally defeats the purpose of having a new entrance. When visitors move through the Skeleton Hall, they miss the Help Desk and the Museum shop and often become disoriented about using the lifts, ramps and stairs to the upper galleries. There is a museum map but people just follow their noses. If welcome staff were placed at the entrance to the Skeleton Hall armed with maps and information, they could offer visitors the alternative pathways – pointing out the lifts and the easy access ramp to Wild Planet.
The British Museum uses "gateway objects" as an effective way to lead audiences on a trail through their galleries engaging them with bigger stories and themes.
I mentioned in a previous Blogpost (Musing on Text and Labels) that the British Museum uses "Gateway Objects" in museum galleries to catch the eye of the viewer and to give the visitor some understanding of the space and themes of the gallery without them having to read every single label in the exhibition. Through the clever use of design, someone entering the gallery will immediately be able to follow a trail of key objects through the gallery without needing a map or having to read everything to comprehend the purpose of the space. The same technique could be used for the whole museum and not just for a specific exhibition or permanent gallery. It isn't as important for members or frequent visitors but for the unfamiliar visitor or one-off tourists, it could be the key for them to sample what's on offer at the museum without having to struggle with maps or having to read every text panel which usually results in "museum fatigue".
A great article in Hyperallergic spoke about an interactive mapping approach by students in the School of Visual Arts' MFA Visual Narrative program. The students developed a number of creative, interactive maps for the Metropolitan Museum of Art which look way more interesting than the map in the link on the MMA website. Interactive maps are great but I don't think that I've come across a museum yet with perfect access to free wi-fi in every room. It seems to be either intermittent or timed for 10 minutes or have some complicated temporary sign-up method (even worse if you don't speak the language!).
One positive step that I have noted on the home page of most museum and art gallery websites is the "Plan Your Visit" tab which often links to an interactive or downloadable map so that you can think about the visit ahead of time. I still believe that there should be a "Taster Tour" tab where time poor visitors can at least plan for a taste of the museum's vision and collection. With greater digital support of the collection, they can "engage" further online after their visit and at their leisure if they can't physically revisit the space. Staff on the floor can really enhance the experience for these visitors by providing directions or insight into what is on display and the importance of some of the objects to the museum collection.
This entry was posted in admission prices, art galleries, audience engagement, audience research, blogging, Cultural heritage, GLAM sector, heritage, heritage and cities, museum, museum maps, museums, UNESCO heritage, visitor feedback, visitor tracking and tagged art galleries, audience research, Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, engaging audiences, exhibitions, Gateway objects, history, hyperallergic, interactive maps, Metropolitan Museum of Art, museum, museum audiences, museum blog, museum fatigue, museum management, museum maps, museum practice, museum staff, museum visitors, museum whisperings, museums, Planning your museum visit, visitor feedback on December 17, 2016 by lyndalllinaker.
Museums……before you throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Government funding cuts affect all Australian museums. Museums are always looking for a point of difference – to produce newer and more engaging exhibitions to claim a larger share of the tourism/leisure sector dollar. They aim to increase their revenue by growing visitor numbers, partnering with corporates and attracting new sponsors to work with them into the future.
Entry to the Watermarks Gallery
When a permanent gallery is no longer seen as an attractive option for visitors, it is important to reflect on why it may have lost its pulling power with audiences before we throw the baby out with the bathwater. A case study for discussion is the Watermarks gallery at the Australian National Maritime Museum which will be replaced by a new permanent exhibition in late 2016 / 2017.
A study of the Watermarks gallery looked at the visitor response to both the objects on display within the space and the layout of the gallery. Museum visitors were observed over two weeks during school holidays which resulted in several findings about the space.
Firstly, 17 guided educational tours had been developed by the Learning and Education team in Watermarks for school groups. Each tour was designed to address criteria outlined in the Australian National Curriculum Guidelines (for Kindergarten – Year 12), looking at – waterways and the environment, Australian colonial history, Australian history in general,
Post-it note experiment in Watermarks Gallery
maritime archaeology, navigation, identity, transport, swimwear and textiles. The objects within the space offered good sensory, emotional and educational possibilities to connect with the past but without the guided educational tour, their significance seemed lost in the flow and layout of the existing gallery which left self-guided visitors disengaged. A simple experiment was conducted with Post-It notes. Visitors were asked to tag their favourite objects and write on butcher's paper about the thematic areas that they felt should remain on display and intact within the museum (or possibly in a travelling exhibition for other museums/galleries). As a result, visitors spent longer in Watermarks, engaged more with all of the objects and voted strongly for certain objects and sections which should be kept on display.
Gallery from above
Secondly, there were four entry and exit points to the exhibition which resulted in many visitors not understanding the original inspiration for the gallery which was "Australia's ongoing relationship with water" viewed through the themes of Swimming, Rowing, Regattas, Sailing, Surfing and Indigenous Australia. In a gallery with so many entry and exit points, I observed that three simple solutions could have been applied to help restore the intended narrative:
reduce the number of pathways through the space
label every entry point with a text panel which reflects the inspiration for the area and its relevance for the gallery
ensure that each themed area has a narrative of its own which can stand alone and yet remain connected to the original Watermarks interpretation.
Thirdly, it was noted that the digital components of the gallery had great content but were not necessarily in optimum positions within the space to show off that content. For audiences to successfully engage with the digital components of any exhibition or permanent gallery, it is critical that:
Audio Visual (AV) stations and touch screens are working correctly
AV stations are well positioned
For substantial content, e.g. films lasting several minutes, that seating is available for the viewer
Text panels supporting the AV stations provide sufficient explanation on the way that the station should be used. For example, films may be self-explanatory whereas other interactive stations may require a little more context for their optimal use.
Finally, museums and department stores have traditionally had comparisons drawn when it comes to aesthetics and audience engagement. Perhaps museums could learn from the mistakes of the department stores in the current economic climate. It may be that cutting floor staff numbers will not necessarily increase profits. My observations in Watermarks have only strengthened my opinion that many visitors like to see the presence of facilitators, invigilators, educators, security or guides in the gallery or exhibition space. I have observed that visitors:
stop to ask questions or for directions or assistance
might ask for extra information about a display or gallery
might have their own narrative to share triggered by seeing an object in the space
may have feedback for the museum about their visit.
It seems a pity when the audience is captive in the space, not to utilise that opportunity for engagement and feedback and to build relationships with the public, particularly when museums and galleries are striving to be "must see" destinations. In short, even if a gallery appears to have lost its pulling power, it may still have one last lesson to give museum staff before its removal.
This entry was posted in art galleries, art museum, audience engagement, audience research, blogging, Cultural heritage, Cultural Institutions, GLAM sector, heritage, museum, museums, visitor feedback and tagged audience engagement, collections, critical thinking about museums, Cultural Institutions, digital engagement, education, exhibition design, family friendly museums, museum, museum audiences, museum blog, museum design, museum management, museum practice, museum whisperings, museums, museums in the 21st century, relevance, renewing permanent galleries, visitor feedback, visitor observation on August 11, 2016 by lyndalllinaker.
Don't touch the screens!
It seems funny that in the "information age" when museums are trying so hard to add a digital dimension to their galleries that I heard a Grandmother say to her grandchildren that they were "forbidden to touch the digital screens" in the Wild Planet gallery of the Australian Museum. I noted that the children were behaving badly and were fighting over the touch screens but the issue was really about the Grandmother's frustration at the children not seeing her view of the museum space. She was trying to tell them about the specimens and wanted them to study each object and the text panels on display but instead they ran ahead, excitedly looking for the next touch screen and were not engaging in the way that she wanted them to.
Vacation Care group visiting Wild Planet with museum invigilator
Does it matter? Yes and No. Yes, it matters that the Grandmother has misunderstood the benefit of the touch screens and the intent of the Australian Museum curators who used them to provide context and enhance the visitor connection with the taxidermy objects on display. Perhaps she has also misunderstood what the children were doing with the screens – that they were using them to learn. No, it doesn't matter because visitors arrive at the museum with their own agendas and personal experiences and expectations of the visit regardless of what is presented by the museum and the original intent of the museum curators and designers who created the exhibition.
Jordan Shapiro's article on on Kids and Screen Time talks about the changing attitude of the American Academy of Pediatrics towards screen use and the fact that they found no real problem with children having unlimited screen time because technology is "the way of the future" and that "digital content can enhance the learning experience". However the article does not discuss the kinds of issues that families worry about – like screen addiction and the overuse injuries occurring in some children who do not seem to be able to self regulate their use of digital devices. For many families, TVs and screens occupy a fair chunk of their children's day, and so a trip to the museum is actually an opportunity for a different kind of experience with the family interacting with one another in a fun, learning environment.
I've read some interesting articles on the subject of digital museum exhibits and audience engagement. Two articles in particular from 2014 that I have linked to are related to each other and extremely relevant when considering the use of digital engagement tools in exhibitions. The first is a blogpost from the V&A in London by Andrew Lewis titled – What can we learn from watching groups of visitors using digital museum exhibits? This post considered research carried out at the V&A and Natural History Museum in the UK, using direct observation of visitors within both museums as discussed in – "Cross-disciplinary frameworks for studying visitor experiences with digitally mediated museum exhibits". The research was carried out by Theano Moussouri and Eleni Vomvyla of UCL Institute of Archaeology and Sara Price and Carey Jewitt of Institute of Education Culture Communication & Media (London Knowledge Lab) Institute of Education.
Family friendly options for learning in Wild Planet
What I like about the research is that it isn't just counting the numbers of visitors entering an exhibition. It is based on observing visitor behaviour with a range of digital exhibits and collecting visitor feedback to extract concrete evidence about the motivation of visitors interacting with digital displays as well as their experience in finding meaning from the digital tools being used in the exhibition. Such information can then be used to tweak an existing exhibition or inform the design of a new exhibition with digitally interactive components.
Audience research and visitor surveys are important feedback mechanisms for any museum or gallery serious about their digital engagement strategy in the twenty first century.
This entry was posted in art galleries, art museum, audience engagement, audience research, blogging, Cultural Institutions, heritage, museum, museums, visitor feedback, visitor tracking and tagged art galleries, audience engagement, audience research, Australian Museum, critical thinking about museums, digital engagement, digital museums, digital technology, digitisation of museums, exhibition space, family friendly museums, museum, museum audiences, museum blog, museum management, museum practice, museum whisperings, museums, museums in the 21st century, National History Museum, screen free time, screentime for kids, touchscreens, touchscreens in museums, visitor feedback on June 20, 2016 by lyndalllinaker.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Photo Credit: Michael Studinger, NASA Operation IceBridge Rifts appear along the northern shear margin of Pine Island Glacier in 2011 during a flight by NASA's IceBridge campaign. Ice shelves in West Antarctica are losing their grip onto rocky bay walls or surrounding ice, causing them to fracture and retreat inland, according to a new study.
Analysis of the ice shelves imagery in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment in West Antarctica shows that their margins, where they grip onto rocky bay walls or surrounding ice, are fracturing and retreating inland. As that grip continues to loosen, these already-thinning ice shelves will be even less able to hold back grounded ice upstream, according to glaciologists at The University of Texas at Austin's Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) .
Reporting in the Journal of Glaciology, the UTIG team found that the extent of ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea Embayment changed substantially since the launch of the first NASA-USGS Landsat satellite in 1972. These changes were especially rapid during the past decade. The affected ice shelves include the floating extensions of the rapidly thinning Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers.
Pairs of Landsat satellite images show changes in ice shelf margins in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment in West Antarctica between 1972 and 2011. The striping visible in the 2011 images is due to an unrepaired malfunction in the Landsat-7 platform that occurred in 2003.
"Typically, the leading edge of an ice shelf moves forward steadily over time, retreating episodically when an iceberg calves off, but that is not what happened along the shear margins," said Joseph MacGregor , research scientist associate and lead author of the study.
"Anyone can examine this region in Google Earth and see a snapshot of the same satellite data we used, but only through examination of the whole satellite record is it possible to distinguish long-term change from cyclical calving," MacGregor said in a press release from UTIG.
The shear margins that bound these ice shelves laterally are now heavily rifted, resembling a cracked mirror in satellite imagery, until the detached icebergs finally drift out to the open sea. The calving front then retreats along these disintegrating margins.
The researchers believe the pattern of marginal rifting and retreat is a symptom, rather than a trigger, of the recent glacier acceleration in this region, but this pattern could generate additional acceleration.
The observed style of slow-but-steady disintegration along ice-shelf margins has been neglected in most computer models of this critical region of West Antarctica, partly because it involves fracture, but also because no comprehensive record of this pattern existed, according to the authors, who conclude that several rifts present in the ice shelves suggest that they are poised to shrink further.
NSF-funded research in this article: Ginny Catania and Donald Blankenship, The University of Texas at Austin, Award No. 0739654 ; and Howard Conway, University of Washington, Seattle , Award No. 0739372 .


text:
Q: Haskell fibonacci list with Integral typeclass If I load the following list in GHCi the list is computed slowly, until the program eventually closes just after computing 3524578, the 33rd item in the list.
fibonacci :: (Integral a) => [a]
fibonacci = 0 : 1 : zipWith (+) fibonacci (tail fibonacci)

If I remove the first line and load the following instead the list is computed very quickly and GHCi doesn't close.
fibonacci = 0 : 1 : zipWith (+) fibonacci (tail fibonacci)

Why is the polymorphic list so much slower than the Integer list? Why does GHCi close?

A: With your first version, while it looks like a value, you actually write a function (a function on a lower level than Haskell itself).
To understand this, think about the following code that would be possible with your definition:
main = println (fibonacci !! 17 :: Int, fibonacci !! 19 :: Integer)

Of course, the 17 and 19 are completly arbitrary. The point is that the first tuple element requires to compute fibonacci as a list of Int, while the second assumes it is a list of Integers. As you probably know, there is no such list in Haskell that is halfway Intand Integer - a list is either [Int] or [Integer] (or something completely different).
Because this is so, we can conclude on pure logical grounds, without having deep knowledge of Haskell's run time system, that fibonacci is neither a list of Int nor a list of Integer nor a list of something else - it is just a recipe to build such a list on request.
That being said, as long as you do something like:
take 10 fibonacci

it should not matter that much (fibonacci is just computed once up to 10 elements).
But when you say
map (fibonacci !!) [1..10]

chances are that fibonacci is recomputed for every index. Clearly, the higher the indexes go, the longer this will take.

A: This seemed suspicious, so I did a little bit of investigation.
First I made two modules:
-- fib0.hs
fibonacci :: (Integral a) => [a]
fibonacci = 0 : 1 : zipWith (+) fibonacci (tail fibonacci)
main = print $ take 10000 $ fibonacci

-- fib1.hs
main = print $ take 10000 $ fibonacci
fibonacci = 0 : 1 : zipWith (+) fibonacci (tail fibonacci)

Then compiled as follows: ghc -O2 -prof -auto-all fib0.hs & ghc -O2 -prof -auto-all fib1.hs (Note: & is for Windows, *nix uses ; to seperate multiple commands on a line). And ran them with fib0 +RTS -p & fib1 +RTS -p. This will run both fibs and the flags +RTS -p produce a file name fib0/1.prof, which contains runtime information about your program. Doing this, I saw that they both took the exact same amount of time! (0.70s to be precise - it may take longer on your machine, if you can't stand waiting that long, then decrease the 10000 elements).
You'll notice I compiled with -O2. This sets optimization to 'level' 2. There are three levels - 0,1, and 2. GHCi by default uses O0. So then I tried ghc -O0 -prof -auto-all fib0.hs & ghc -O0 -prof -auto-all fib1.hs (ghc would default to -O1, so you must manually set level 0). Wouldn't you know it, when I ran them, fib0 crashes with out of memory exception and fib0 completes just fine (albiet very slowly. I had to decrease take 10000 to take 100 - but this is obviously to be expected).
This would be a normal behaviour. Optimization removes bad programming mistakes - like manually enforcing polymorphism when it is beneficial to use a single type - don't do this unless you must!
If you would like to know more, you can try ghc -O0 -f-ext-core fib0.hs & ghc -O0 -f-ext-core fib1.hs. This will generate 'core' files for both programs. Core is the last stage of GHC compilation before you start making object files. It generates plain-text .hcr files. These may be very hard to read, so let me highlight some key points for you.
fib0.hcr contains the following:
...
base:GHCziNum.fromInteger @ ac zddNumazzzz
...

Basically, you call fromInteger on every single number, starting with 0 and 1, in your sequence. Why do this? You have told it, "the type of fibonacci must be any numeric type". It creates 0 and 1 as Integers and then uses fromInteger to create values of type Num a => a (This is the only way to create polymorphic literals) . All of these calls to fromInteger build up very expensive thunks - so you get out of memory exception.
Take a look at fib1.hcr. Nowhere does it contain fromInteger. Leaving GHC to infer the type of fibonacci lets it just use Integer, which means no thunks.
Why does optimizing remove this problem? GHC notices that you only use fibonacci to print the numbers. You don't need this polymorphism. So it optimizes it away!
Note that it also does other things that make fibonacci much, much faster, like inlining.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Combine cream, milk, cheeses and salt in the top of a double boiler. Heat until cheese melts and begins to form a skin. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; stir in flour and cook 4 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Add flour mixture to cheese mixture, a little at a time, whipping until smooth. Simmer sauce for about 15 minutes; remove from heat and strain. Add chopped Pablano peppers. Toss with macaroni.
Tip: For a spicier dish, add a touch of cayenne pepper or more Pablanos.


The health-care products company posted a 14 percent jump in fourth-quarter profit thanks to one-time gains. Sales slumped, however, and the company's outlook was weaker than expected.
Reports circulated that the bank would cut 4,000 jobs from its capital markets unit and an analyst downgraded the stock.
The commercial bank reported a 71 percent decrease in fourth-quarter earnings and warned of a difficult year ahead.
The investment bank reported that its loss widened in the fourth quarter as it saw charges and a 63 percent drop in revenue.
The publisher raised $250 million from billionaire Carlos Slim, who will earn more than 14 percent in interest on the investment.
The drug maker's net income fell, but it boosted its outlook for fiscal 2009, citing lower research and development costs.
The chemicals maker is cutting about 900 jobs, closing plants and will record $90 million in fourth-quarter charges.
The online broker's quarterly profit dropped 23 percent, it trimmed its outlook and announced plans to cut costs.


*T.I. isn't letting his lady go without a fight, but don't worry he's not recording a flop of an album for his lady — like Robin Thicke did for Paula Patton.
Nevertheless, T.I. released a new song, "Stay," expressing his love for Tiny and revealing the drama that occurred in their relationship.
This comes just after Floyd Mayweather claimed to have slept with Tiny, and then, later denied ever saying he slept with her and was misquoted.
But T.I. seems to be more focused on reminding Tiny of their love for each other than what Mayweather said or didn't say.
"How dare you compare me to dude? Girl, chill. Might be so close up on it you don't see what it is. Shawty, I'll die, kill for you if you keep it real. Go to jail. Even if I gotta kneel, I will," he continued.
T.I. starts to reveal more about his relationship with Tiny and it's pretty juicy. He alluded to cheating on Tiny and her reaction, which frustrated him. Also, he shaded Tiny's best friend, Shekinah.
"I ain't trippin cuz you caught me out there. But your reaction to it pushed me further out there," he admitted.
He told Tiny that she couldn't deny their love for each other. Although, they haven't gotten it right just yet.
Playah move to the 100th power. The boy is a GENius!


Adidas added the some stripes to its trainers in the year 1949. chaussures adidas stan smith It was in this year that this trademark that is now being recognised because Gazelle had been launched. Providing the best probable equipment to every sportsman was Adolf Dassler's desire. The Adidas Originals, your Adidas Samba, the Adidas Gazelle many other designs helped in enhancing performances with the athletes. Many different sports shoes of top notch and sports equipment are manufactured in line with the needs of online players and athletes. The company has created its athletes to soccer shoes like the Gazelle, and the product remains the key product of the provider even today.
The demands through the sports fraternity is staying catered to with chaussure adidas homme pas cher gusto and the launch with the Adidas Gazelle in all seasons 1968 made history as well as the chapters continue to run on. The shoe includes simple styling, a flat sole and is constructed of soft leather. Remarkable padding and comfort: The shoe enjoys the actual attention of many players from the remarkable comfort and padding provided. Athletes and players good ole' wearing this unique styled shoe which includes a unique flare for lighting footedness. All athletes can adapt to the fit of the shoe without any hassle at all. The Adidas Gazelle adidas samba has become the highest selling shoes amongst each of the footwear that the company has manufactured a long way.
A special significance is provided to this shoe with the three stripes chaussure adidas femme pas cher that run from the laces on the sole. Suede Men's, Could Gazelle, Men's Gazelle II, Set Gazelle, Kids Gazelle, Gazelle Old-fashioned, Gazelle Indoor Soccer shoes several other designs are taking pleasure in rack life at a bunch of online and offline shops. The shoes enjoy an enormous demand not only from the sports fraternity but likewise from professionals from different walks of life. Adidas gazelle is more than a shoe. It is a history in footwear including a revolution in foot energy. There is more when compared with what meets the eye while using Gazelle!
The earliest Adidas originals ended up manufactured with the meagre chaussure adidas grise materials available after Planet War I. Today, elements have changed and eighty years later, the Adidas Company continues to generate high quality fashion as well as sports gear. After Driving instructor Dassler's return from Globe I to Bavaria, he started making shoes together with scrap materials, which he or she bought at very low cost rates. His brother, Rudi Dassler, became part of the bosses and the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory has been around since making the brand some sort of name to reckon with. Footwear for excellence.


The summer is here! Cocktails, patios, networking with old friends and making new ones.
Join us on July 11, 2017 as we raise a glass and toast the summer. Grab some business cards and get ready to make some new business connections, or catch up with some old acquaintances.
We will also announce the 2017 Top 40 Under 40 winners.


text:
Гміна Полічна () — сільська гміна у центральній Польщі. Належить до Зволенського повіту Мазовецького воєводства.

Станом на 31 грудня 2011 у гміні проживало 5803 особи.

Площа
Згідно з даними за 2007 рік площа гміни становила 112.35 км², у тому числі:
 орні землі: 84.00%
 ліси: 10.00%

Таким чином, площа гміни становить 19.67% площі повіту.

Населення
Станом на 31 грудня 2011:

Сусідні гміни
Гміна Полічна межує з такими гмінами: Ґарбатка-Летнісько, Ґневошув, Зволень, Пйонкі, Пулави, Пшиленк.

Примітки

Полічна
Полічна

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Lusaka Dynamos Football Club midfielder Shadreck Mayembe has joined Zimbabwean Premier Soccer League champions FC Platinum.
The Player's agent Chiti Chitundu confirmed that Mayembe had joined Platinum on a two-year deal ahead of the 2018 season.
"Mayembe has signed a two year deal with Platinum, his contract with Lusaka Dynamos expired on December 31," Chitundu said.
Platinum FC will be representing Zimbabwe in the CAF Champions League have signed Mayembe ahead of the registration deadline.


text:
eProductivity Software adds Marc Olin to its board
Published: 12 January 2022 | No comments yet
Mr Olin was the founder of the software company that later became the Productivity Software group at EFI
Marc Olin, a technology veteran with more than 35 years of experience in the printing and packaging industries, has joined the eProductivity Software (EPS) board of directors as executive chairman.
EPS is a provider of industry-specific business and production software technology for the packaging and print industries. It was recently acquired by an affiliate of Symphony Technology Group (STG), as EFI prioritises technology investments in an effort to accelerate growth in its fast-growing industrial inkjet business, further driving the transition from analogue to digital printing.
Mr Olin was the founder of the software company that later became the Productivity Software group at EFI. He led the business unit expansion within EFI, before becoming EFI COO and CFO.
He said, 'When I heard about STG's investment plans for the Productivity Software business, I became increasingly interested in joining what I know will be a successful future. With the increased focus on driving global organic and inorganic growth, and with Gaby [Matsliachand, EPS CEO] the productivity software management team committed to lead the business forward, I knew that this would be a great opportunity to help them realise their vision.
'I am impressed with the progress the business has made in recent years and I am excited to be coming back to where I spent most of my career – transformational software technology for the printing and packaging industries.'
William Chisholm, managing partner of STG, noted, 'We have exciting plans for EPS to further expand its value proposition to its customers and further accelerate its growth trajectory, leveraging our experience as investors in enterprise software. We are excited to have Marc joining the board as executive chairman, complementing the board with his vast industry experience and market insights.'
eProductivity Software sold to PE firm
EskoWorld set for in-person return
Label Traxx names new president
Hybrid acquisition bolsters Global Graphic's financials
Marc Olin
eProductivity Software


Interesting factoid: Lake Minnetonka was formed approximately 10,000 years ago as the Laurentide Ice Sheet receded northward. The lake is a collection of kettle lakes connected by channels and marshlands, along with 18 islands that comprise its irregular shape. Lake Minnetonka is divided into two halves, the Upper Lake in the west and the Lower Lake in the east, which reflect the easterly flow of water in the lake's watershed. The average depth of the lake is approximately 30 feet. Lake Minnetonka is the ninth largest lake in Minnesota.


Carolina Moreno Justin Bieber has yet to comment on a video clip of him butchering the verses to"Despacito,"in spite of having tape-recorded a remix of the hit listen April. Yet Luis Fonsi, who co-wrote the track, has some concepts on the event.
The Vig's makers intend high with Ladera, wedding celebration a conventional Mexican menu to a fashionable watering opening. However the effort succumbs to lax implementation.
Swank Eating facility finishes eight-year run.
The term "exceptionally food" has actually become quite trendy in the last few years numerous thanks to a renaissance of alternative health, celeb referrals and companies optimizing this freshly discovered interest rate.
Though foods like quinoa in addition to chia seeds are becoming much more popular in the UNITED STATE currently, Latin Americans have really been collecting along with eating them for hundreds of years. Our forefathers were doing something right by taking in these plants in addition to seeds that Environment made conveniently offered.
Below are 6 of our ethnic "unbelievably foods" that we should certainly be consuming regularly. They're healthy and balanced and delicious.
Recipe of quinoa. From Shutterstock Quinoa Called an" old grain," quinoa has really been expanded for over 5,000 years in South The U.S.A. It was so essential that it was considered the "Gold of the Incas" since they thought it enhanced the strength in addition to endurance of their warriors.
Feasible health and wellness and wellness benefits: Quinoa is among the most protein-rich foods we can consume– – it's a complete healthy protein, like meat, eggs as well as likewise dairy products, and consists of all 9 crucial amino acids that aid develop muscle. It furthermore consists of nearly twice as much fiber as several various other grains.
Start: Expands high in the Andes Hills of Peru and also Bolivia.
Specifically exactly how you could use it: Salads (just like this), gruel as well as a best substitute for rice!
Chia seeds. From Shutterstock Chia Seeds Chia is an edible seed, going back from the Mayan and Aztec cultures. Its name suggests "stamina" in the Mayan language. Warriors would take a bag of seeds and a gourd of water on their journeys; the seeds were their food source and also taken with water they would certainly dampen their bodies for endurance.
Feasible wellness advantages: Chia seeds have two times the protein of other seed or grain as well as 5 times the calcium of milk, they furthermore have omega 3 as well as omega 6 which are necessary oils for the body.
Similarly, simply one ounce of chia seeds gives 10 grams of fiber, which is needed for lowering blood stress and anxiety along with cholesterol levels.
Beginning: Mexico & & & & Guatemala.
such as this). Acai The acai berry is an inch-long, reddish-purple fruit. It originates from the acai hand tree.
Possible health as well as wellness benefits: Acai berries have a lot more anti-oxidants each serving as compared to any kind of other berries, and also they're filled with amino acids in addition to vitamins A, B, C as well as E along with minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper as well as additionally zinc.
Start: Central and South The U.S.A., particularly Brazil where they expand in parts of the Amazonian jungle.
Specifically how you could use it: In powder variation, you can utilize it in your healthy smoothie mixes, the renowned acai bowls (such as this one), on your oats, yogurt, and more. Freeze dried Acai pulp is additionally readily available.
Native to Brazil, cacao beans were put on the map by the Mayas, who established just how you can ferment cacao and also later on started to trade it as a tribute to Aztecs when they were dominated by them. Do not perplex it with tasty chocolate; it's not the exact very same. Cacao is the purest type of chocolate; this recommends it's raw and also much less processed compared to chocolate powder or chocolate bars which usually have high amounts of sugar along with milk.
bars Getty Images Viable wellness advantages: Cacao is abundant in flavonoids and is an anti-oxidant. It's proclaimed as great for combating stress and anxiety, aiding with psychological efficiency and endurance as well as repeling heart problem.
Some research studies recommend that consuming dark chocolate in small amounts could be excellent for the heart.
Camu It's a berry-like fruit that has actually been made use of by native Amazonian Indians for generations. Typically Camu celebration took place right on the rivers, with homeowners drawing the berries from the hedges straight into their canoes.
Viable wellness benefits: It has 60 times additional vitamin C each offering compared to an orange as well as also than acai. Some promote it as a mood in addition to power booster and also as wonderful help for the nerve system, and some assume its high levels of vitamin C can assist lower fever blisters and also different other infections.
Beginning: Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela.
Just just how you might use it: Use it in powder type as well as sprinkle it right into your oat meal or a healthy and balanced smoothie mix (like this one)to infuse a tart flavor and also an anti-inflammatory rise.
This fruit has been absorbed for centuries; it's resembles an avocado with a difficult eco-friendly outside covering the positive, soft fruit. The flesh is yellow and has a texture that is somewhat reminiscent to that of a terrific potato and has a slight caramel preference.
Practical wellness advantages: Lucuma is high in antioxidant beta carotene (suggested by the fruit's extreme yellow flesh), which can aid stop cancer cells along with has anti-aging and also anti-inflammatory residences; it's furthermore handy in recuperation wounds. It furthermore has high levels of iron in addition to vitamin B3 (recognized for its beneficial effects on depression).
Ways to use it: Situating the fruit in the UNITED STATE can be hard, so your ideal alternative is the powdered kind, which you can make use of to taste all sort of dishes where you want a maple undertone. Utilize it on smoothies, gruel, treats as well as cakes.
These extremely foods are healthy and balanced and well balanced in addition to really easy to incorporate into your diet regimen, so satisfied eating!
By Daniela Galvez From red rugs to recognize program elections, take an appearance at the exceptional layouts these Hollywood A-listers drank quickly.
Alejandra Espinoza looked warm in her teal fringe and also shoe lace Willfredo Gerardo mini gown while tape-recording Thursday's episode of La Reina de La Canción, while telenovela queen Kate del Castillo kept points unbelievably elegant in a flared black Carolina Herrera dress throughout the 2017 Premios Platino elections.
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