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A franchise disclosure document (FDD) is a legal document which is presented to prospective buyers of franchises in the pre-sale disclosure process in the United States. It was originally known as the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) (or uniform franchise disclosure document), prior to revisions made by the Federal Trade Commission in July 2007. Franchisors were given until July 1, 2008 to comply with the changes.

The Federal Trade Commission Rule of 1979 which governs the disclosure of essential information in the sale of franchises to the public underlies the state FDD's and prohibits any private right of action for the violation of the mandated disclosure provisions of the FDDs. Therefore,  the FDD implies that only the federal government or the state governments have the right to sue and negotiate consent decrees and rescissions with those franchisors who violate the provisions of the FTC Franchise Rule. Various state franchise laws that provide for use of an FDD, in lieu of their own disclosure requirements, may create private rights of action, where a franchisor has violated its disclosure obligations in its FDD.

The Franchise Rule specifies FDD disclosure compliance obligations as to who must be the one to prepare the disclosures, who must furnish them to prospective franchisees, how franchisees receive the disclosures, and how long franchisees must have to review the disclosures and any revisions to the standard franchise agreement.
The FDD underlies the franchise agreement (the formal sales contract) between the parties at the time the contract is formally signed.  This franchise sales contract governs the long-term relationship – the terms of which generally range from five to twenty years. The contracts cannot generally be changed unless there is the agreement of both parties.

Under the Franchise Rule, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a prospective franchisee must receive the franchisor's FDD franchise disclosure document at least 14 days before they are asked to sign any contract or pay any money to the franchisor or an affiliate of the franchisor. The prospective franchisee has the right to ask for (and get) a copy of the sample franchise disclosure document once the franchisor has received the prospective franchisee's application and agreed to consider it.
The franchisor may provide a copy of its franchise disclosure documents on paper, via email, through a web page, or on a disc.
Franchise disclosure document requirements.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are 15 states that require franchisors to give an FDD to franchisees before any franchise agreement is signed. Thirteen of those states require that they are filed by a state agency for public record.

All franchise buyers should use the information contained in the FDD in their franchise research.

Franchise buyers considering financing their business should pay close attention to FDD Items 2, 7, 15 & 20. Lenders who participate in offering government-backed loans (SBA loans) to borrowers, carefully examine FDD (Items 2, 7, 15, 19 & 20)  when considering a loan application. The FDD must also be approved by the SBA to be eligible for SBA financing. A list is made available for use by Lenders/CDCs in evaluating the eligibility of a small business that operates under an agreement.

Requirements
The document discloses extensive information about the franchisor and the franchise organization which is intended to give the potential franchisee enough information to make educated decisions about their investments. The information is divided into a cover page, table of contents and 23 categories called "Items":

Twenty-one of the items contain information primarily pertaining to the franchisor, but only two of the items contain information pertaining to the performance of the franchise itself that is being offered for sale. Item 19, "Earnings Claims", is an optional disclosure under the FTC Rule and State FDDs. Item 20 provides a current accounting of the number of units that comprise the systems and reports the terminations and sale-transfers which have been applied to report the total number of units that comprise the system. Item 20 also provides the names and contact information of franchisees, current and ex-franchisees, who may be contacted for information in the due diligence process to be conducted by prospective buyers of the franchises offered for sale.

1. The Franchisor and Any Parents, Predecessors, and Affiliates.
 This section tells how long the franchisor has been in business, likely competition, and any special laws that pertain to the industry, like any license or permit requirements. This will help the prospective franchisee understand the costs and risks they are likely to take on if they purchase and operate the franchise.
2. Identity and Business Experience of Key Persons.
 This section identifies the executives of the franchise system and describes their experience.
3. Litigation History.
 This section discusses prior litigation—whether the franchisor or any of its executive officers have been convicted of felonies involving fraud, violations of franchise law or unfair or deceptive practises law, or are subject to any state or federal injunctions involving similar misconduct. It also says whether the franchisor or any of its executives have been held liable for—or settled civil actions involving—the franchise relationship. A number of claims against the franchisor may indicate that it has not performed according to its agreements, or, at the very least, that franchisees have been dissatisfied with its performance.
 This section also should say whether the franchisor has sued any of its franchisees during the last year, a disclosure that may indicate common types of problems in the franchise system. For example, a franchisor may sue franchisees for failing to pay royalties, which could indicate that franchisees are unsuccessful, and therefore, unable or unwilling to make their royalty payments.

 In 2016,  Nestle USA sued Nestlé Toll House Café franchise for how it uses its trademark and related intellectual property to manage the Nestlé Toll House Café franchises. Franchisees could have risked losing the brand name that helps drive customers to buy their baked goods. All types of litigation are important for a perspective franchisee to review together with their franchise attorney before signing the franchise agreement.
4. Bankruptcy.
 This section discloses whether the franchisor or any of its executives have been involved in a recent bankruptcy, information that can help potential franchisees assess the franchisor's financial stability and whether the company is capable of delivering the support services it promises.
5. Initial Franchise Fee.
 This section describes the costs involved in starting and operating a franchise, including deposits or franchise fees that may be non-refundable, and costs for initial inventory, signs, equipment, leases, or rentals. It also explains ongoing costs, like royalties and advertising fees.
6. Other Fees and Expenses.
 Training
 This section explains the franchisor's training and assistance program.
 Advertising
 This section has information on advertising costs. Franchisees often are required to contribute a percentage of their income to an advertising fund.
7. Franchisee's Estimated Initial Investment.
8. Restrictions on Sources of Products and Services.
 This section tells whether the franchisor limits:
 suppliers from whom a franchisee may purchase goods
9. Obligations of the Franchisee.
10. Financing Arrangements.
11. Obligations of the Franchisor.
12. Territory.
13. Trademarks.
14. Patents, Copyrights, and Proprietary Information.
15. The obligation of the Franchisee to Participate in the Actual Operation of the Franchise Business.
16. Restrictions on Goods and Services Offered by the Franchisee.
17. Renewal, Termination, Repurchase, Modification and/or Transfer of the Franchise Agreement, and Dispute Resolution.
 This section spells out the conditions under which the franchisor may end a franchisee's franchise and a franchisee's obligations to the franchisor after termination. It also defines the conditions under which a franchisee can renew, sell, or assign the franchise to others.
18. Public Figures
19. Financial Performance Representations.
 Earnings information can be misleading.
 Franchisors are not required to disclose information about potential income or sales, but if they do, the law requires that they have a reasonable basis for their claims and that they make the substantiation for their claims.
 Franchisors practising Franchise fraud may have a high number of former franchisees under a Gag order, preventing a potential new franchisee from obtaining a clear picture of financial performance.
 Sample Size
 The disclosure document should tell the sample size and the number and percentage of franchisees who reported earnings at the level claimed.
 Average Incomes
 Average figures tell very little about how individual franchisees perform. An average figure may make the overall franchise system look more successful than it is because just a few very successful franchisees can inflate the average.
 Gross Sales
 These figures don't really tell about the franchisees' actual costs or profits. An outlet with a high gross sales revenue on paper may be losing money because of high overhead, rent, and other expenses.
 Net Profits
 Franchisors often do not have data on the net profits of their franchisees.
 Geographic Relevance
 Earnings may vary with geography. The disclosure document should note geographic or other differences among the group of franchisees whose earnings are reported and a franchisee's likely location.
 Franchisees' Backgrounds
 Franchisees have different skillsets and educational backgrounds. The success of some franchisees doesn't guarantee success for all.
 Reliance on Earnings Claims
 Franchisors may ask a franchisee to sign a statement— sometimes presented as a written interview or questionnaire—that asks whether a franchisee received any earnings or financial performance representations during the course of buying a franchise.
20. List of Franchise Outlets
 This section has very important information about current and former franchisees. Many franchisees in an area may mean more competition for customers. The number of terminated, cancelled, or non-renewed franchises may indicate problems.  The sale-transfer columns can obscure churning of units through fire sales to third parties by failed or failing franchisees.  Some companies may repurchase failed outlets and list them as company-owned outlets.
 Some of the former franchisees may have signed confidentiality agreements that prevent them from speaking. Franchisors practising Franchise fraud may have a high number of former franchisees under a Gag order.
 If a franchisee buys an existing outlet that was reacquired by the franchisor, the franchisor must tell the franchisee who owned and operated the outlet for the last five years. Several owners in a short time may indicate that the location isn't profitable or that the franchisor hasn't supported that outlet as promised.
21. Financial Statements
 The disclosure document gives important information about the company's financial status, including audited financial statements.
 A franchisee can find explanatory information about the franchisor's financial status in notes to the financial statements.
 Investing in a financially unstable franchisor is a significant risk; the company may go out of business or into bankruptcy after a franchisee has invested its money.
 A lawyer or an accountant can review the franchisor's financial statements, audit report, and notes. They can help a franchisee understand whether the franchisor:
 has steady growth
 has a growth plan
 makes most of its income from the sale of franchises (Franchise fraud), or from continuing royalties.
 devotes sufficient funds to support its franchise system
22. Contracts
23. Acknowledgement of Receipt

See also
American Association of Franchisees and Dealers
Franchise termination
Federal Trade Commission
Franchising
Franchise fraud
Franchise validation
Franchise agreement

References

External links
FTC Franchise FAQ Page
North American Securities Administrator Association
Link to the text of the Franchise Rule contained within the Federal Register.
{Link to article from SBA.gov on Researching a Franchise Business Opportunity.
Understanding Franchise Terminology
Search and Download Franchise Disclosure Documents
How SBA Lenders examine FDDs
SBA Franchise Directory

Franchising


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Der Rauschenstein (früher auch Reischenstein) ist ein etwa 40 Meter hoher Sandsteinfels und Klettergipfel in der Sächsischen Schweiz oberhalb von Schmilka in der Gemarkung Ostrau. Der höchste Punkt des Gipfelplateaus erreicht . Im Mittelalter diente der Fels als Burgwarte. Der Name leitet sich vom Verb "reischen" ab, mit dem früher die Paarung von Greifvögeln bezeichnet wurde.

Geschichte
Vermutlich zu Anfang des 15. Jahrhunderts wurde der Rauschenstein durch die Berka von Dubá als Burgwarte ausgebaut. Er bildete einen Teil der 1410 von der Herrschaft Hohnstein abgetrennten Herrschaft Wildenstein. Die Berken verpfändeten den Rauschenstein anschließend anscheinend an die Wartenberger zu Tetschen, da er im Verzeichnis der 1451 mitsamt der Herrschaft Wildenstein an das Kurfürstentum Sachsen übergegangenen Besitzungen fehlt. Die Wartenberger, für die er wahrscheinlich die westliche Grenzsicherung darstellte, traten den Rauschenstein zusammen mit den umliegenden Gebieten und der Nordhälfte des Großen Winterbergs erst im Rahmen der abschließenden Grenzregulierung 1492 an Sachsen ab. Nach dem Burgenverzeichnis von 1456 war die Burgwarte allerdings bereits damals verfallen.

Wie bei anderen Felsenburgen der Sächsischen Schweiz bestand die Burgwarte aus Holzbauten, so dass auf der Gipfelfläche lediglich noch Bodenfalze und ein aus dem Fels geschlägelter Postenstand erkennbar sind. Wahrscheinlich bestand die Burgwarte lediglich aus einigen Postenständen und einer Wachstube. Erhalten sind zudem einige Balkenfalze im Zustieg und am Rauschentor genannten Felsdurchgang auf der Nordwestseite sowie einzelne Felszeichnungen am Einstieg des heutigen Kletterwegs Alter Weg.

Klettern

Im Zuge der touristischen Erschließung der Sächsischen Schweiz legte der Schmilkaer Müller Hänsel 1811 einen Aufstieg mit Leitern und Holzbalken auf den Rauschenstein an. Dieser Zustieg verlief entlang des heutigen Alten Weges und wurde bis Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts verwendet. Nach 1890 verfiel der Weg und wurde nicht erneuert. Seither ist der Rauschenstein nur für Kletterer zugänglich.

Die erste klettersportliche Besteigung fand über den heutigen Alten Südweg (Sächsischer Schwierigkeitsgrad II) am 29. Oktober 1893 durch Fritz Böhme, Conrad Meurer, Oscar Schuster und O. Weidenbach statt. Seitdem wurden am Rauschenstein eine Vielzahl weiterer Kletterwege erschlossen. Beteiligt waren auch bekannte Kletterer wie Theodor Arldt (Arldtweg), Emanuel Strubich (Nordostweg, V), Karlheinz Gonda (Gondakante, VIIIa) oder Bernd Arnold (Hexentanz, Xa).

Literatur
 Peter Rölke (Hrsg.): Wander- & Naturführer Sächsische Schweiz. Band 1, Berg- & Naturverlag Rölke, Dresden 1999, ISBN 3-934514-08-1.
 Dietmar Heinicke (Hrsg.): Kletterführer Sächsische Schweiz, Band Schrammsteine, Schmilkaer Gebiet. Berg- & Naturverlag Rölke, Dresden 1999, ISBN 3-934514-01-4.

Weblinks

 Alfred Meiche: Historisch-Topographische Beschreibung der Amtshauptmannschaft Pirna. Dresden 1927; Reischenstein: S. 279 (PDF; 30,6 MB).
 Felsinfos des Deutschen Alpenvereins: Rauschenstein – Schmilkaer Gebiet

Ehemalige Burganlage in Sachsen
Felsen in Sachsen
Kletterfelsen in der Sächsischen Schweiz
Ostrau (Bad Schandau)
Burg in der Sächsischen Schweiz
Geographie (Bad Schandau)
Burg im Landkreis Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Bauwerk in Bad Schandau
Burg in Europa
Berg in der Sächsischen Schweiz

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Posts Tagged 'See What I Have Done'
Review: Lizzie (2018 film)
Posted: December 29, 2018 in Review, Scary Stuff
Tags: celebrities, Chloe Sevigny, Denis O'Hare, entertainment, Fall River Legend, films, Fiona Shaw, historical romance, Jeff Perry, Kristen Stewart, LGBT characters, LGBT romance, living and life, Lizzie (2018), Lizzie (musical), Lizzie Borden, Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, review, romance, Sarah Schmidt, scary stuff, See What I Have Done, storytelling, The Legend of Lizzie Borden, thriller
As you know, I'm a bit of an enthusiast when it comes to Lizzie Borden, the woman who allegedly murdered her stepmother and father, in that order, was acquitted at trial due to prosecutorial bungling as well as societal attitudes about women at the time, and who allegedly haunts the house where those same murders happened. I've stayed overnight at the Borden House, now a bed and breakfast; I've read a book or two about it, including See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt; and I've watched more than a few adaptations about the murders, including the famous 1975 TV movie The Legend of Lizzie Borden.
So when I heard a new movie was being made on Lizzie and the murders, I was intrigued. It had some big names attached, including Chloe Sevigny and Kristen Stewart. And the trailer made it seem like this was going to be a really tense thriller film. I was willing to see it in theaters, but the film was only given a limited theatrical run and it wasn't playing anywhere near me (or in Ohio, as far as I can tell). So when my library's copy came in for me today, I actually rushed over to pick it up with the goal to watch it tonight.
I can see why this was given a limited release.
Lizzie retells the story of Lizzie Borden and the 1892 murders of her parents, using the theory that Lizzie and the maid Bridget "Maggie" Sullivan were lovers and committed the murders after Mr. Borden discovered their affair. That's the plot in a nutshell.
I'm not sure what exactly the filmmakers were going for, because this was nothing like the trailer. For the most part, the film goes at a slow crawl, making it feel like three hours rather than an hour and forty-five minutes. Everything takes it time, which in what is supposed to be a tense murder thriller can really take you out of the story. And you know how people accuse Kristen Stewart of having no emotional range in her films? Weirdly enough, it seems reversed here: Stewart has some emotional range, and everyone else seems like they only know how to mimic emotion, rather than show it!
On top of that, Lizzie didn't include some things that one might expect from any story on Lizzie Borden. The turbulent relationship between Lizzie and her stepmother is glossed over; Lizzie is shown suffering from seizures, which is something I don't remember ever hearing about her; elder sister Emma Borden is barely in the film; and a few other things beside.
Oh, and there's this thing with the soundtrack. Namely, it doesn't show up that much, and when it does it disappears really quickly. There's one scene where you'd expect lots of soft music to highlight the emotion of the scene, only for it to cut in and out every three seconds. Um, why?
Was there anything about this film that I liked? Well, the attention to detail is decent when it comes to clothes and furnishings. The house's first floor is laid out like the real house in Fall River, Massachusetts, which I approve of. And the development of the relationship between Lizzie and Bridget is given the time and development needed to really make you believe in it. And there are some real talents in this film, including Jeff Perry, Denis O'Hare, and Fiona Shaw.
But other than that, Lizzie was really not worth the wait. On a scale of 1 to 5, I'm giving this film a 2. If you want a Lizzie Borden film that keeps the tension up even though you already know how it ends, I recommend 1975's The Legend of Lizzie Borden, starring the incomparable Elizabeth Montgomery in the titular role. Fun fact, Montgomery found out Lizzie was her sixth cousin once removed after completing the film. Imagine if she'd known that when she was playing the character!
Now if only I could see productions of Fall River Legend, the ballet based on the murders, and the rock musical Lizzie. Yes, those exist, and I want to see them live. Someone pleeeeeease make those happen for me!
What Makes a Story a Slow Burn?
Posted: June 28, 2018 in Reflections, Writing
Tags: Amazon, authors, character development, characters, Dracula, editing, entertainment, films, Final Girls, HEX, It, Lizzie Borden, Madame ZeeZee's Nightmare, Nosferatu, novel, Pat Bertram, progress report, review, romance, Rose, See What I Have Done, slow burn, Stephen King, Stephen King's It, storytelling, The Shining, writing
You know, for a little while now, I've been pondering something. I've heard a lot of people refer to certain stories as "slow burns." Heck, I even called my friend/colleague Pat Bertram's book Madame ZeeZee's Nightmare a slow burn mystery when I reviewed it on Amazon (and I highly recommend you read it, BTW). But what exactly makes a story a "slow burn?" Sadly, searching in Google didn't pull up a lot of information, and I needed a short break from working on Rose (which is going great, BTW), so I thought I'd share my observations on the matter.
So what is a slow burn story? Well, to put it simply, it's a story that doesn't try to rush itself or keep escalating things as the story goes on. Instead, the story takes its time getting to the story's resolution, using an intriguing set up, good characters and character development, and little bumps in the excitement levels to keep readers invested in the story. A good example of a slow burn would be a romance that, instead of having the characters hook up within the first half of the story and then showing them struggle to stay together, or having the characters finally confess and kiss at the end of the story after a number of travails, the story takes its time establishing these characters, the development of their relationship, and then showing the hook up, all without any big drama or too huge plot twists.
Getting an idea for them yet? And you're probably familiar with a lot of these stories, even if you don't know it. Many of these slow burn stories are pretty calm for up to the first two-thirds, with little intervals during that time that ramp up the excitement for a brief period, before they have an explosive final third (not always but often). A good example of this is The Shining, both the book and the movie. Unlike other King stories like It, where things are big and scary from the very beginning, The Shining takes its time building things up. It lays the groundwork, showing us these very real characters and their struggles, the isolation they feel, and the true nature of the Overlook. On that final one, King really takes his time. We get brief glimpses of the truth of the hotel, and each glimpse gets nastier every time, but it's not until the final third that things really hit a head and things become truly exciting.
Another facet I've noticed about slow burns (the ones I've come across, anyway) is that there's a sort of reluctance on the parts of the characters. In The Shining, none of the three main characters want to be in the hotel, but they all have to be so they can survive as a family, and it's with a certain reluctance that the characters, especially Jack, acknowledge that there's something seriously wrong with the hotel they can't handle and that they have to get the hell out of Dodge. Dracula is often described as a slow burn, especially in the novel and in the Nosferatu adaptations, and without a doubt the characters are reluctant to be in the machinations of a centuries-old vampire. And in Pat's novel Madame ZeeZee, the first-person narrator is very much reluctant at first to look into the strange events that occur at the titular character's dance studio. It's only as things progress that she finds herself really looking into things.
So that's slow burns for you. But how do you write them? If I had to guess, I'd think it would have to do with moderation, specifically moderating the amount of excitement in the story. With most other stories, the norm is to build the excitement until the climax of the story when things get really explosive. But with a slow burn, it's more like you're doing a mostly flat Richter scale graph with only slight bumps here and there until the very end when things get super exciting (if you decide to write the story that way, that is). Doing that might take some practice, however, so I would recommend doing that practice and just allowing yourself to get good at them. Don't get upset if you're not good at it at first; we all start somewhere, don't we?
In the meantime, if you'd like to read some good slow burns to get a good idea for them, here are some of the ones I'd recommend: The Shining by Stephen King; See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt (see my review of that novel here); HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (see my review of that here); Final Girls by Riley Sager (see my review for that here); and of course Madame ZeeZee's Nightmare by Pat Bertram, which I reviewed on Amazon. All of them are excellent slow burns, and I can't recommend them enough. Definitely check them out if you're curious.
What observations have you made about slow burn stories?
Which slow burns have you read recently? Would you recommend them?
Review: "See What I Have Done" by Sarah Schmidt
Posted: December 26, 2017 in Review, Writing
Tags: horror, Lizzie Borden, Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, novel, review, scary stuff, See What I Have Done, storytelling, writing
Ever since I stayed overnight and experienced paranormal activity at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast back in July, I've kind of become a bit obsessed with the case and the hauntings that occurred because of the murders. The latest manifestation of that obsession is reading the latest fictional retelling of the events (of which there are several, believe me), See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt, who says she was inspired to write it after recurring dreams of Lizzie's spirit visiting her. I first came across a review of this in Entertainment Weekly, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to read it.
See is a fictionalized account of the story of Lizzie Borden, who in 1892 was accused of murdering her stepmother and father with an ax and was acquitted due to lack of evidence and investigator bungling. The story is told from the perspectives of Lizzie herself, her elder sister Emma, their live-in maid Bridget, and a violent drifter named Benjamin, all of whom tell what they were up to on a hot, fateful day in August 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts.
I have to say, See is not the usual sort of historical fiction I read when I delve into that genre.
Firstly, the four narrators are each given a unique personality and desires, so that it doesn't entirely sound like just one person narrating four different people. Lizzie is a spoiled youngest child with a hell of a lot of quirks (to say the least); Emma is an older sister who has become constricted by her responsibility as Lizzie's older sister and as a Borden and wants to run to a new life; Bridget is overworked, and is trying to leave for her homeland of Ireland, despite Mrs. Borden's attempts to keep her; and Benjamin is a man who sees the whole world as his enemy, and can't wait to take a swing at the world. Working with one first-person narrator and making them unique is hard enough, so it's great that for a debut novel, Schmidt distinguishes them so well.
I also liked how flawlessly she manages to weave these four narratives, especially Lizzie, Bridget and Benjamin's narratives, together on the day preceding and the day of the murders. Telling overlapping storylines, where several characters are in the same place and experiencing things at the same time, has always struck me as a monumental task which requires skills I'm not sure I have yet (if it's actually easier than I think, let me know in the comments below). Schmidt did it like a pro, to which I applaud her.
But my favorite part is the descriptions Schmidt has her characters use. I've never seen descriptions like what she uses. She turns nouns like "termites" or "critters" into verbs (is there a word for that?), and…you know what, let me quote from the first page:
I breathed in kerosene air, licked the thickness from my teeth…My heart beat nightmares, gallop, gallop, as I looked at Father again…Pear skin crisped in my mouth…
How different was that? I have never heard any of these things described this way in fiction, and it's kind of refreshing to hear. And Schmidt does this throughout the book, particularly with food. She goes all out to describe the food and the sensations of eating in a variety of ways. You really have to read it to believe it.
Now was there anything I disliked? A few things. I was kind of hoping going in that this would be a thriller of sorts that revealed an interesting take on an old theory or even better, a new scenario for the still-unsolved murders. What I got was more of a dissection of the Borden family, showing through several different eyes how grating these people have become on each other, and how it might have been a factor in the murders. And while the portrait painted is beautiful and quite telling of both the author's vision of and what the family might've really been like, I thought the ending where the killer is revealed rang a bit hollow. Like I said, I wanted a new scenario or an interesting take on one of the standard theories for the case, and the way it was eventually portrayed fell a little flat for me.
And as much as I liked the unique descriptions in the book, some of them are used repetitively throughout the novel. I can't count how many times things, especially fingers, are described as sticky, or how many times heat "itches" at someone. To quote some of my editors, variety in words and phrases throughout a story is important.
And what was up with the dislike for Lizzie and Emma's uncle John? I get why Abby and Andrew Borden dislike him, he's probably a bad reminder of Lizzie and Emma's deceased mother, but why do Emma and Bridget dislike him so much but Lizzie adores him? There's a lot there that I would've liked explained.
But all in all, See What I Have Done is an excellent debut for a new novelist. Putting a score on this book on a scale of 1 to 5 was difficult, but my head kept coming back to a 3.8. Engaging, atmospheric, and full of wonderful prose. Check it out, and ax yourself if you're ready to dive into Lizzie's madness.
And yes, I intentionally made that pun. And I stand by it. Goodnight, everybody!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home NEWS Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs launches gubernatorial campaign
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs launches gubernatorial campaign
Hobbs' profile rose considerably in the wake of the 2020 election, when she made numerous media appearances — initially on the vote count in Arizona and later defending the state's count against some of the baseless conspiracies from Republicans. Hobbs has lately been the chief critic of the so-called audit of Maricopa County ballots.
"There is real harm going on for many. And the other side isn't offering policies to make our lives better, they are offering conspiracies that only make our lives worse," Hobbs says in the video that features clips of her media appearances and addresses some of the threats she received because of her job. "We did our jobs. They refuse to do theirs. And there is a lot more work to be done. That is why I am running for governor."
She adds: "In 2020, against all odds, in the middle of a pandemic, we proved that democracy works. … Arizona needs to work for all. That's why I'm running. Let's get the job done."
Current Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey — a Republican — is term-limited. A handful of Republicans have said they are considering a bid and Kimberly Yee, the current state treasurer, has announced a run to succeed Ducey.
Hobbs was narrowly elected as Arizona's Secretary of State in 2018. She previously served as a member of the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives.
The 2020 election was the culmination of a political sea change in Arizona, marking just the second time a Democrat for president has won the state in more than seven decades. The state that was once a Republican hotbed, known for right-leaning leaders like Barry Goldwater and John McCain, is now in the midst of a shift, propelled by a growing Latino population, a surge in new voters from states like California and Illinois and the way suburban voters dramatically broke with the Republican Party during Trump's White House tenure.
For Democrats, the next few years in Arizona will be focused on continuing the state's leftward shift, a focus that will include increased outreach to Latino communities and look to further divide the Republican Party from their once suburban base.
Hobbs has been central in that shift, using her platform as secretary of state to ensure voters — and the nation that was closely watching the state — that the results in Arizona were fair and accurate, despite vocal complaints from Trump and other Republicans.
Her job has also recently positioned her at the center of Republican efforts to audit the ballot count in Maricopa County, a process that has pulled Republicans into an intraparty fight between some who want the audit and county officials who call it a joke.
Hobbs has lambasted the so-called audit — the latest in a long line of Republican attempts to follow up on Trump's unfounded election complaints — and complained about how the auditors have used more than $6 million in election equipment that may not be able to be used in future elections. She has received death threats in response, leading Hobbs to received protection from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
"What we're seeing happen is not an audit," Hobbs told reporters recently. "It is a fundraising stunt."
CNN's Eric Bradner contributed to this report.
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He dreamed of climbing Mount Everest. But Covid-19 stopped him


text:
Roanoke was one of the largest wooden ships ever constructed.

Service
Roanoke was a four-masted barque built by Messrs. A. Sewall and Co. in 1892 on the Kennebec River at Bath, Maine, in the United States. With the exception of Great Republic and the six-masted wooden schooner Wyoming (3,730.54 GRT, 450 ft length overall) she was the largest wooden ship ever built in an American yard. Her gross register tonnage was 3,347, but on a draft of  she could stow away 2,000 additional tons. Her length was , her beam , and her hold depth . Her lower yards were  long, and her foremast truck was  from the deck. The keel was in two tiers of  white oak, her garboards were  thick, and her ceiling in the lower hold was . Into her construction went 1,250,000 board feet of yellow pine, 14,000 cubic feet (396.4 cubic meters) of oak, 98,000 treenails, and 550 hackmatack knees.

Loss
Roanoke left New York City on her final voyage in June 1904 and was involved in a serious collision with the British steamship Llangibby off the coast of South America in August 1904, requiring repairs for three months in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  After delivering cargo to Australia, Roanoke was loading chromium ore near Nouméa, New Caledonia, when she was destroyed by fire on the night of August 10, 1905.

References
 Rowe, William Hutchinson; 1948; The Maritime History of Maine: Three Centuries of Shipbuilding & Seafaring; W. W. Norton; New York; p. 333

Notes

Ships built in Bath, Maine
1892 ships
Barques
Maritime incidents in 1904
Maritime incidents in 1905
Ship fires
Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean


text:
package fr.reeska.rpi.app;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.webkit.WebSettings;
import android.webkit.WebView;

public class Main extends Activity {

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        WebView webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webView);

        WebSettings ws = webView.getSettings();

        ws.setJavaScriptEnabled(true); 			// Javascript activé
        //ws.setBuiltInZoomControls(true);		// Zoom activé (Pinch-to-zoom et bouton +/-)
        ws.setSupportZoom(true);
        ws.setDomStorageEnabled(true);

        ws.setAllowFileAccessFromFileURLs(true); //Maybe you don't need this rule
        ws.setAllowUniversalAccessFromFileURLs(true);

        webView.loadUrl("file:///android_asset/index.html");
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.main, menu);
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
        // Handle action bar item clicks here. The action bar will
        // automatically handle clicks on the Home/Up button, so long
        // as you specify a parent activity in AndroidManifest.xml.
        int id = item.getItemId();
        if (id == R.id.action_settings) {
            return true;
        }
        return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Paul Kostrzewa's Gaming Consoles Collection - Collected It!
I got this when it first came out in '77 ans still have it today. I've logged a *lot* of hours on this machine!
I bought this with a huge box of cartridges at a yard sale but it had no pwer supply... wow, they're hard to find.
I got this for Christmas the year it came out and still have it, the zapper, and ROB in the original box.
I've never actually played this although it works. It hase 2 controllers, 2 mem cards, steering wheel, and pedals.
The CD add-on for the Sega Genesis. I have two games: Sewer Shark and Android Assault.
My original Sega Genesis. With several programmable controlers. I have have two of these, one working and the other not so much.
I Got this is a church sale for something like $1 - never tested.


Tripnetra is a online Hotels Accommodation And Tours booking services company . we are providing 24*7 service to customers . you can call to 8500898000 at anytime . our executives are experts in languages like English, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Spanish. visit our website www.tripnetra.com to book your hotel, tour package, cab , safari.


Globe Planters can be your plants' new fun habitat, especially for the ones who like facing the sun! As being able to rotate to any direction on its brass stand, Globe Planter lets you to adjust your plants position easily.
With the perforated seperator inside, excessive water is collected at the bottom not to harm the roots. Plants can also be placed with their pots inside Globe Planter. In that case the seperator functions as a platform for your your pot.
* The plants in photographs are for visual. They're not included in the product.


The Medusa Portrait Belt embodies the renowned Italian designer's Versace's passion for Grecian-inspired designs. Constructed in soft leather, the silver-tone buckle offers a design of the mythological figure for a striking design. A luxurious addition to your denim and t-shirt ensembles.
Medusa face buckle, silver-tone, baroque buckle detailing, loop detail.


text:
Texas » Canyon
Palo Duro Canyon State Park – Canyon TX
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Visitor Center
Photo: Charles Swaney © Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2013
Project type: Campgrounds and Cabins, Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers, Parks and recreation, Paths and Trails
Marked: Yes
"PALO DURO CANYON STATE SCENIC PARK. Palo Duro Canyon State Scenic Park, in Armstrong and Randall counties twelve miles east of Canyon on Texas Highway 217, covers 16,402 acres of scenic geological strata and formations that are estimated to be several million years old…
As the Great Depression heightened in March 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the establishment of four CCC camps of about 200 men each to work in the canyon for a period of five months. The park acreage was increased to its present size to better accommodate the CCC crews, who built El Coronado Lodge and six other cabins of native stone. These buildings were designed by Guy A. Carlander, an Amarillo architect and one of the park's leading boosters. In addition, the CCC added a water system, several bridges and concrete river crossings, and various improvements in roadways and trails. A large stone reservoir, built at the park's north end and named for James O. Guleke, who suggested the name Goodnight Memorial Trail for the park road, was of short duration. In all, the federal government and National Park Service spent about $2 million on CCC construction. In 1936 a three-person Parks Advisory Board was set up by the State Parks Board to govern Palo Duro Park; it continued until the expiration of its term. The CCC camps remained until December 1937." (http://www.tshaonline.org)
Many of the park's CCC trails and structures remain in use, and the park contains several signs about CCC history in the area (pictured below).
The Bridgton News, April 2nd, 1937 published a short article about a WPA project here.
"Fossils discovered in the Palo Duro Canyon near here may become one of the most valuable in the country according to C. Stuart Johnston, paleontologist for West Texas State Teachers College.
Ten WPA workers are unearthing the fossils. A camp building for the use of workman and paleontology will be erected. The pits were discovered two years ago.
'These fossils represent the Pliocene Era about 5 million years ago', said Johnston 'we have found a great variety of animals and they help us fill in a wide gap in our pre-history.'
Fossils excavated will be assembled and displayed at the Panhandle-Plains historical society museum at Canyon. Duplicates will be shared will be shared with other museums throughout the nation."
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Trail
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, CCC Trail Sign Post
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, CCC Sign
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, CCC Trail Description
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, CCC Trail Map
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Amphitheatre
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, CCC Historical Marker
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Native Stone Cabin
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Cabin
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Entry Station
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Entry
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Sandstone Restrooms
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Overlook
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Sandstone Walls
Palo Duro Canyon State Park Road
1) http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gkp03
2) On site information.
Bridgton News, April 2nd, 1937.
Project originally submitted by Charles Swaney on December 13, 2013.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Canyon, TX 79015
Coordinates: 34.9847218, -101.70138359999999


text:
You are here: Home / Ali'i / Chiefs / Governance / Deaths at Hulihee
February 13, 2018 by Peter T Young 2 Comments
Deaths at Hulihee
It became a favorite retreat for members of the Hawaiian royal family.
Huliheʻe Palace was constructed in 1838 by foreign seamen using lava rock, coral, koa and ōhi'a timbers. It was initially the private residence of John Adams Kuakini (brother of Kaʻahumanu.)
Kuakini oversaw the construction of both Mokuaikaua Church and Hulihe'e Palace and these landmarks once shared a similar architectural style with exposed stone – both are still standing, across the street from each other in Kailua-Kona.
After Kuakini's death in 1844, the Palace passed to his adopted son, William Pitt Leleiohoku. Leleiohoku died a few months later, leaving Hulihe'e to his wife, Princess Ruth Luka Ke'elikōlani.
Princess Ruth also inherited all of the substantial landholdings of the Kamehameha dynasty from her brother, Lot Kapuāiwa; she became the largest landowner in the islands.
She was godmother to Princess Kaʻiulani. At Kaʻiulani's baptism, Ruth gifted 10-acres of her land in Waikīkī where Kaʻiulani's father Archibald Cleghorn built the ʻĀinahau Estate.
Kamehameha IV (Ruth's half-brother, who had visited Huliheʻe as a student at the Royal School) and Queen Emma particularly enjoyed their time vacationing at Huliheʻe, and visited the palace many times with their son, Prince Albert.
Kamehameha IV signed a lease with Princess Ruth for Huliheʻe at $200 per year, with the agreement that additions and repairs made would be deducted from the rental. (Daughters of Hawaiʻi)
The King and Queen purchased the ahupuaʻa of Waiaha; in 1858 they moved to Kona for a 4-month stay. "On Tuesday afternoon last, at half-past 4 o'clock, their Majesties and Suit embarked on board of the schooner Maria, Capt F. Multeno, for Kona, Hawaiʻi …"
"… where they intend to reside for a few months; the dryness of the atmosphere and the salubrity of the climate in that district being unrivalled in the Pacific, and temptingly inviting as a contrast to the damp and chilly air pouring over Honolulu and vicinity, through the gorge of Nuʻuanu valley during the winter season."
"Their Majesties were accompanied by the Prince of Hawaiʻi, the Princess Victoria, H. Ex. Gov. Kekuanaoa, Mesdames Rooke, Beckley; Dr. Rooke, Messrs. Hopkins, Webster and Nielson."
"As the vessel cast off from the wharf, a royal salute was fired from the battery on Punch-bowl bill, and as she passed H. I. M's ship Eurdice another Royal salute was fired and yards manned." (Polynesian, September 18, 1858)
That visit was cut short with the untimely death of Queen Emma's hānai father, Dr Rooke. "Our late townsman TCB Rooke Esq, died of apoplexy (unconsciousness or incapacity resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke,) at Kailua, Hawaiiʻ, on Sunday the 28th Nov. ult, at 1 o'clock pm."
"He was attacked in the first instance at about 6 o'clock in the morning of the time day, when a messenger was instantly despatched for Dr. Herrick of South Kona, who arrived without loss of time and perceived at once that the patient was beyond recovery, and approved entirely of what had been done previous to his coming." (Polynesian December 11, 1858)
Thomas Charles Byde Rooke, MD, died November 28, 1858, six months after the Prince of Hawaiʻi was born to Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma. (Evening Bulletin, October 7, 1897)
In August 1873, shortly after being elected King, it became apparent that King Lunalilo was ill. At the urging of Princess Ruth and Queen Emma he went to Huliheʻe to recover.
Georges Phillipe Trousseau accompanied the King and stayed with Lunalilo at Huliheʻe Palace, from mid-November to the middle of January 1874. (Though not an official title, Trousseau served as royal physician.)
Lunalilo brought Henry Berger and the Royal Hawaiian Band to the palace throughout Christmas and the New Year to entertain the royalty during the holiday season.
After it became apparent that Lunalilo was not going to recover, and the royal party returned to Honolulu where Lunalilo died on February 3. (Greenwell)
Despite owning Huliheʻe Palace, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani chose to live in a large hale pili (traditional grass home) on the same oceanfront property.
For a home in Honolulu, she built Keōua Hale, a large, Victorian-style mansion, and the most expansive residence of the time; it was larger than ʻIolani Palace. (It was situated on what is now Central Middle School.)
Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani never lived in the palace. She became ill immediately after the house warming and birthday luau. Her doctors recommended that she return to Huliheʻe, where they believed she would more quickly regain her health.
She received medical attention, but did not recover. On May 24, 1883, Keʻelikōlani died at the age of fifty-seven at Haleʻōlelo, her hale pili. Per her will, Huliheʻe Palace went to Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop (who died within a year of inheriting the palace.)
Hulihee_Palace,_before 1884
Hulihee Palace(left)-Mokuaikaua Church(right)
Visit to Hulihee Palace, Kona, Hawaii by Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (1871-1922) and party-(HSA)-PP-97-1-012
Hulihee_Palace_with_Princess_Ruth_Keelikolani's_grass_house,_ca._1885,_by_C._J._Hedemann
Princess Keelikōlani's hale pili (grass house) in Kailua, Kona, Hawai'i. ca 1883_Hulihee_Palace-WC
Filed Under: Ali'i / Chiefs / Governance, Buildings, Prominent People Tagged With: Hawaii, Hawaii Island, Hulihee Palace, Kamehameha IV, Kona, Lunalilo, Princess Ruth Keelikolani, Queen Emma, Rooke
donnaburnshawaii says
So after Princess Pau'ahi got Hulihe'e, who got it? Just curious that you stopped there.
Peter T Young says
The property was acquired in 1884 by King Kalakaua who made Hulihee his summer residence. Modernization by Kalakaua included stuccoing the exterior, plastering the interior, relocating the one-story kitchen wing which was attached on the north and widening the gallery (lanai). Through various successions and purchases, the property was acquired by the Territory of Hawaii in 1925. The Territory set it aside for the Daughters of Hawaii to use and maintain as a museum. It ended up under State Parks and the Daughters now has a long-term lease and manage the property.


Crosstalk Global Salina coming back to Salina April 25 & 26 at Webster conference center. Bringing God's Word to Life…putting more tools in your preaching & teaching tool belt. Join pastors and teachers from all across the Heartland for this incredible seminar. Everyone who preaches or teaches God's Word understands what a responsibility and challenge it can be.
More information and Registration is online on the CrossTalk Salina Facebook page.


Nest Hello lets you know who's there, so you'll never miss a visitor or a parcel. It can tell the difference between a person and something else, And with 24/7 streaming, you can check in at any time.
Nest Hello can send an alert when someone presses the doorbell or when it detects a person, motion or sound. Alerts on your phone will include a picture of what happened so that you can quickly see what's going on.
Using the Nest app, you can hear your visitors loud and clear, and have a conversation. Or use quick responses – in the app, you can choose from a list of pre-recorded responses that will be spoken by Nest Hello to give visitors a quick answer.
Using HDR and Night Vision, Nest Hello delivers bright, crisp images, day or night. And it shows you the big picture – you can see people head to toe or parcels on the ground.
Check the live stream at any time and view a 3-hour snapshot history to see what you've missed.
Nest Hello can let you know that there's someone at your door on your Google Home devices.
Turn off your chime from the Nest app, while still receiving notifications on your phone. So you don't wake up the baby or set off the dogs.
Requires pre-existing wiring and a 16-24 V AC 8 VA transformer. Check your home's compatibility at nest.com/eu/works. Some features, including mobile notifications, remote control, video streaming and video recording, require a working Wi-Fi connection. Familiar face alerts require a Nest Aware subscription.
Also requires Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz (WEP, WPA, WPA2 encryption supported). Working broadband Internet connection with at least 2 Mbps upload speed. Requires a compatible phone or tablet with the free Nest app and Bluetooth 4.0. For more info, visit nest.com/requirements. At 1600 x 1200, Nest Hello requires 800 to 2,000 Kbps of upload bandwidth while streaming video. Nest Hello will use more bandwidth to stream video when there is more movement in a scene. If you subscribe to Nest Aware, your Nest Hello will stream all video to the cloud for secure off-site storage. At 1600 x 1200, each Nest Hello could use 150 GB to 600 GB of upload bandwidth per month, depending on the video quality setting.
The Nest Hello video doorbell is finally here! An ultra-complete camera with quality video and interesting features. This video doorbell is the most advanced on the market: you'll know who - or what - is at the door. The pre-recorded answers let you answer your visitor in any circumstance, even if you're not available yourself. If you subscribe to Nest Aware, you can do even more!
The Nest Hello video doorbell replaces your wired doorbell and requires a compatible 16-24 V AC and 8 VA transformer in order to work. It is highly recommended you hire a professional for installation due to the complexity of the installation. 50five offers professional installation services. Of course, you can choose to install it yourself if you wish.
Download and install the Nest app on your smartphone and follow the directions to pair your doorbell.
Shut off the mains power to your doorbell and chime. Carefully follow the instructions in the app to to install the chime. Here, you install a 16-24 V AC transformer.
Follow the steps in the app to install the doorbell and then turn on the power. You will hear a chime telling you the Nest Hello is working, and the LED ring will turn blue.
Once the doorbell connects to WiFi and the app, it will test the video. Press the button to make sure the chime works. Make sure you receive a notification that someone is at the door. Confirm that your chime works, and you're ready to configure your preferences!


text:
Click here for Print Edition
How to Turn Your Words into Money eBook
Jeff Brooks
How to Turn Your Words into Money - eBook
The Master Fundraiser's Guide to Persuasive Writing
by Jeff Brooks
Are you ready to write your most effective fundraising message ever? One that touches donors' hearts, connects with their passions, and inspires them to give? Here's the book to help you do it.
Jeff Brooks, author of The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications and one of America's top fundraising writers, pulls back the curtain on the counterintuitive world of fundraising to reveal:
• The sentence top writers always use to start every project.
• The easy revision that will impressively improve your writing nearly every time.
• The tested truth about making donors feel guilty.
• How the pros tell powerful stories even when they can't find the right story.
• The secret of the lady on the monitor and how she powered a writer's career.
And for the first time, a proven template for a sure-fire, never-fail fundraising letter.
Whether you've just been handed your first writing assignment or you're a seasoned pro, whether you want it for yourself or need to show someone else how the veterans write fundraising, How to Turn Your Words Into Money is a guide you'll keep on your desk and return to again and again.
Jeff Brooks, creative director at TrueSense Marketing, has been writing for and about nonprofit fundraising for more than 25 years. His clients have included St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, CARE, The Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald House, Feeding America, the American Cancer Society, and many more. A propagandist for the donor-focused fundraising revolution, his previous book is The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications.
Part I: The Style of Fundraising Writing
1. Four Things That Don't Work in Fundraising
2. Fundraising Writing Is Different
3. Be SURE about Your Writing
4. The Call to Action
5. The Magic Words
6. The Sound of Your Writing
Part II: Why Stories Matter in Fundraising
7. The Elements of a Well-Built Story
8. Five Ways to Use Stories for Impact
9. How Storytellers Tell Stories
10. The Hero of the Story
11. Word Pictures
Part III: What We're Really Doing: The Psychology of Fundraising
12. The Evil Cousin of Fundraising
13. Wholehearted Fundraising: Meeting Donors' Emotional Needs
14. What Good is Guilt?
15. Four Smart Assumptions about Donors
Part IV: A Brief Survival Guide
16. Who's Ready for the Ahern Rule?
17. Five Fundraising Traps and How to Avoid Them
18. Things I Wish I'd Learned Sooner
This article is excerpted from How to Turn Your Words into Money, by Jeff Brooks, ©Emerson & Church, Publishers. To obtain reprint permission, call 508-359-0019 or email us.
Four Smart Assumptions about Donors
One of the main differences between a professional writer and someone who writes is this: The professional is obsessed with the audience. This sometimes confuses non-writers. They see a writer energetically pursuing information about the audience and think it's a waste of time. "Why don't you just get busy and write?"
Professionals know you won't succeed that way. They know writing that isn't aimed at a specific audience is just word confetti. Professionals accept that it's our fault when readers don't get our message. If you're playing darts and hit the wall, do you blame the dartboard?
Non-writers, unaware of the audience, make themselves the audience. They write to please and persuade themselves. But as a fundraising writer, you need to become an expert on your donors. You should know their demographics, their psychographics, and have a bank of knowledge about what has succeeded and what has failed to move them.
Not all donor groups are the same. But the following assumptions are common to most:
Donors Are Older Than You
If you're eighty-five or older, you can skip this section.
When you write fundraising copy, you're not talking to people like your pals. You're communicating with people like your parents, your aunties, and your grandparents.Think about the ways you talk with your elderly relatives. Tone, vocabulary, subject matter, allusions—it's different, probably very different from your discourse with coworkers and friends. That's a social adjustment we all make without thinking much about it. But in fundraising you have to be conscious of the difference.
Here are some of the ways writing for older people should play out in fundraising:
Don't be clever. Cleverness—irony, puns, cool allusions—doesn't cross generational lines well. Be clear and plainspoken. Be so obvious that there's no possible misreading of your message.
Avoid hype. It's tempting to follow the conventions of commercial advertising because it's well developed and everywhere. But most advertising is aimed at younger audiences. That's why it employs so much hype—big, bold, exciting claims like Best! First! Biggest! Newest! Your donors weren't born yesterday. They know that something claiming to be the greatest ever probably isn't so great. Hype impresses the young and inexperienced.
Be straightforward. A lot of advertising relies on symbolism or wordplay to attract attention or make its case. Older people have little patience with these games. Just tell them what's up. They know life is too short to play uninteresting riddles.
Donors Are More Emotional Than You
You and I know that the case for giving to your organization is airtight. But most of your excellent facts will never motivate anyone to give. As you know, giving is a deeply emotional act. People give when their hearts tell them to give. Their heads have only the slightest say. When you get down to it, facts are often just noise—resounding gongs or clanging cymbals—in the donor's world. That's universally true. It's even more pronounced for older people—the majority of your donors.
Neuroscience has shown that with age comes a notable shift in brain activity to the right lobe. That's the qualitative, holistic, emotional side. This causes older people to be more emotional in their outlook and more reliant on emotional information. It's a less compartmentalized way of understanding the world. It's also one of the perks of age.
If you're under fifty, you might find it hard to believe that the way a thing feels communicates more than the facts can. It's true. Trying to persuade someone to give by citing facts is like trying to interest your cat in a nice meal of birdseed. Even premium, top-of-the-line seed isn't interesting to the cat. Give your cat cat food. Give your donors emotional information.
A word picture (or an actual picture) of a child who's crying because she's hungry is more persuasive than a whole battery of facts about world hunger.
Donors Aren't Paying as Much Attention as You Want
There's a gap between you and your donors that's even wider than the age gap. It's the attention gap. You're being paid to spend hours every week giving close and critical attention to your fundraising.
By comparison, for donors you're an occasional envelope in a crowded mailbox. One subject line in a long list of emails. A disruptive phone call during dinner. If you're lucky, you have your donor's attention for a few seconds.
It's as if you live in a town for years, studying its climate, geography, and culture, whereas the donor zooms past on the freeway now and then. Sometimes he glances out the window as he passes. If your message isn't completely self-evident in the few seconds of attention you have, it can't get across.
That means one thing: keep it simple! How simple? Two rules will help:
1) Make only one call to action at a time. If you're asking for money, don't toss in an invitation to your event, or a planned giving offer.
2) Make sure your call to action can be expressed in one sentence. Or less. Save the rain forest. Give a needy child a book. Support Parkinson's research.
Donors Love to Give
The other morning on my way to work, a panhandler stepped in front of me. I tried to scoot around but he had me trapped. "I'm really hungry," he said. "I know you got a dollar you can spare. Don't say no."
I had two choices: physically push him out of my way or give him money. I fished a dollar out of my pocket and handed it over. It was the easy way out.
He got his "donation," but I didn't feel good about it. You've probably had similar experiences with telemarketers or door-to-door canvassers. They make you feel lousy, by making you feel trapped into giving.
Your fundraising is not like that—unless you're doing something drastically wrong. When your donors give, they aren't feeling cornered, they're feeling empowered. They're giving because it expresses their values in action, not just words.
Most donors know the truth that giving feels good. You get a quick buzz of pleasure when you give. Then it improves your outlook in general and your whole situation. Charitable giving is one of the secrets to a full, joy-filled life.
So tap into that reality. Create fundraising that assumes donors want to give and are happy to be asked.
Don't write as if you're ashamed of what you're doing and just hoping you aren't doing more damage than absolutely necessary. If you think that way, you're probably making it true.
On my first day at my first agency-side fundraising job, I was setting up my computer. In those days, a computer was a huge machine that sat on your desk, along with a monitor about the size and weight of a dairy cow.
My monitor had a small photo taped to the upper corner. It was a smiling gray-haired woman. Her slightly awkward pose suggested it was clipped from a church photo directory. I asked my coworkers about it. They had no idea who the woman was, but as the monitor had belonged to my predecessor, they figured it was his mother or grandmother. Sometime later I connected with him. My most burning question: Who is the lady on the monitor?
"I don't know who she is," he said. "But she stands for my audience. Any time I'm struggling with how to say something I look at the picture and say the words to her. It clears my mind. That photo has saved me countless hours of feeling blocked and frustrated. It's kept me honest, respectful, and relevant."
I kept the photo. It worked for me, too.
Donors are real people—and they aren't you. When you understand that truth, your writing becomes stronger, smarter, and more effective.


text:
Dakkada Luxury Estate: Gov Emmanuel Inaugurates Board, Assures On More Expansion In Housing
in Akwa Ibom, Development, News
Governor Udom Emmanuel, has inaugurated a five-man Dakkada Luxury Estate Board, with an assurance that the state government will not rest on its oars in expanding the housing and educational facilities to accommodate the influx into the state occasioned by alluring government policies.
Performing the inauguration today on the floor of the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Uyo, Governor Emmanuel observed that the Ewet Housing and Shelter Afriqueestates in Uyo are already overstretched, hence the DakkadaLuxury Estate becomes a necessity as a next point of call for a serene topnotch housing area.
Constituted into the board were Paul Usoro as chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Mr Churchill Udo, Brig. Gen. Koko Essien (rtd.) as members and Hillary Ekpo as secretary.
According to the governor, the essence of the Dakkada Luxury Estate Board was to clarify its status as a Limited Liability Company that will not be running at government expense.
The governor assured that with the assurance of steady power, a reliable reticulation system for potable water, LPG duct, broadband internet service in the very low density housing estate, the demand for the estate is already high, hence the guarantee that it will be self-sustaining and generate enough revenue for expansion before the 600 units are exhausted.
Expatiating on the importance of such a facility in the state, Governor Emmanuel said shelter was very key in any developing economy, adding that the free and compulsory education policy in the state has caused influx of people into Akwa Ibom, thus overstretching public facilities and raising the need to expand educational and shelter in time to avoid the state being overrun.
He disclosed that also in the offing were plans to develop a medium density and high density estates that will accommodate people who cannot afford the multimillion low density luxury estate adding that the government has also secured financing to develop housing estates for civil servants.
To accommodate the influx of families with children of school age, the governor said his administration was considering setting up another big school in the outskirt of Uyo to ease the already overstretched schools in the Uyo metropolis.
He said, "The way the city is expanding is alarming, but it's a good problem. Nature has a way of creating these expansions so we have to deliberately expand to accommodate.
"So we are ready and I am sure within the next one year we should get set with high density and medium density housing estates.
"Even in terms of schools, all the schools in Uyo are overstretched. We are considering setting up a very big secondary school somewhere around Ikono Uyo."
The board chairman, Mr. Paul Usoro, in his response, lauded the governor's ingenuity in providing a development compass for the state, well beyond the period of his regime and thanked him for an opportunity to share in his vision.
Usoro assured the governor and the people of the state that the board will walk as a team to deliver on the vision behind the establishment of the Dakkada Luxury Estate, make effort to achieve the second phase of the project and beyond.
Buhari Signs Executive Order On Compulsory Maintenance Of Public Buildings Into Law


The only words capable of justifying the excitement to be experienced at The Great Mr. Swindle's Traveling Peculiarium is "Absolutely Outrageous". Mr. B.S. Swindler AKA Mr. Swindle hosts his captivating 90-minute extravaganza delighting his audience with an unparalleled exhibition of classic vintage amusement, live acrobats and comedy. Don't miss the opportunity to witness the dawn of entertainment as the past comes to the future and bewitches the spectators that dare to observe. Certainly be sure to attend early to relish in the perplexing potions, bitter brews, and mischievous medicines served in Dr. Elixir's Drink-Ory Garden. Come one, come all and join us for the exceptional celebration impressive to all.


Thank you for ICMDA 2014 World Congress!
This became true in Holland's grandest concert hall – De Doelen.
During the pre conference students from all the corners of the world, representing around 80 nations, dwelling together in unity sharing the love, power and teaching of our Lord Jesus the Christ.
Serving, sharing and shining at ICMDA 2014 XV world congress.
Enjoy the pictures of young doctors and students (+ a few older folks) celebrating together.