hot pressed sandwiches on locally baked artisan bread. served with choice of fresh cut fries, homemade chips, or field greens.
dough handmade in-house with olive oil & sea salt, then proofed to perfection. baked in our brick oven to create a lite & crispy crust. all pizza combinations include whole milk mozzarella & aged romano cheeses. available in 10" or 14".
made to order. served with ciabatta garlic bread.
served with choice of fresh cut fries, homemade chips, or field greens.
Sponge cake soaked in cream, layered with all natural strawberry puree, whipped cream & fresh strawberries.
Two crunchy pastry shells dipped in chocolate and filled with chocolate chips & cream.
Ladyfingers drenched in espresso liqueur topped with rich mascarpone & cocoa powder.
Garnished with warm & crispy sweet potato waffle fries, topped with almonds.
Rich chocolate butter cake layered with chocolate decadence, chocolate mousse & ganache.
Graham cracker crust layered with smooth cheesecake, fudge & caramel sauce, topped with chopped pecans.
Right size, right price! Individually portioned desserts prepared daily including seasonal flavors. Your server will bring our tray of shooters to show you todays selection.
Missile IPA, Champion Brewing Co.


A variety of series including Dragon Ball, Card Captor Sakura, & more!
We have some common, rare, and vaulted POPs.
We provide retro and modern collectibles from a variety of fandoms. Our specialty is rare anime, manga, comic book, TV, and movie goods. If you are looking for something in particular, send us an e-mail and we can try to track it down for you. Run by fans for fans!
We have been collecting and selling rare and unusual fandom goods since the 1990s.
We love our customers and welcome your requests, feedback, and suggestions.


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text:
@implementation AGXQRCodeBitMatrixParser {
    AGXBitMatrix *_bitMatrix;
    BOOL _shouldMirror;
    AGXQRCodeFormatInformation *_parsedFormatInfo;
    AGXQRCodeVersion *_parsedVersion;
}

+ (AGX_INSTANCETYPE)parserWithBitMatrix:(AGXBitMatrix *)bitMatrix error:(NSError **)error {
    int dimension = bitMatrix.height;
    if AGX_EXPECT_F(dimension < 21 || (dimension & 0x03) != 1) {
        if AGX_EXPECT_T(error) *error = AGXFormatErrorInstance();
        return nil;
    }
    return AGX_AUTORELEASE([[self alloc] initWithBitMatrix:bitMatrix]);
}

- (AGX_INSTANCETYPE)initWithBitMatrix:(AGXBitMatrix *)bitMatrix {
    if AGX_EXPECT_T(self = [super init]) {
        _bitMatrix = AGX_RETAIN(bitMatrix);
        _parsedFormatInfo = nil;
        _parsedVersion = nil;
    }
    return self;
}

- (void)dealloc {
    AGX_RELEASE(_bitMatrix);
    AGX_RELEASE(_parsedFormatInfo);
    AGX_RELEASE(_parsedVersion);
    AGX_SUPER_DEALLOC;
}

- (AGXQRCodeFormatInformation *)readFormatInformationWithError:(NSError **)error {
    if AGX_EXPECT_T(_parsedFormatInfo != nil) return _parsedFormatInfo;

    int formatInfoBits1 = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
        formatInfoBits1 = [self copyBit:i j:8 versionBits:formatInfoBits1];
    }
    formatInfoBits1 = [self copyBit:7 j:8 versionBits:formatInfoBits1];
    formatInfoBits1 = [self copyBit:8 j:8 versionBits:formatInfoBits1];
    formatInfoBits1 = [self copyBit:8 j:7 versionBits:formatInfoBits1];
    for (int j = 5; j >= 0; j--) {
        formatInfoBits1 = [self copyBit:8 j:j versionBits:formatInfoBits1];
    }

    int dimension = _bitMatrix.height;
    int formatInfoBits2 = 0;
    int jMin = dimension - 7;

    for (int j = dimension - 1; j >= jMin; j--) {
        formatInfoBits2 = [self copyBit:8 j:j versionBits:formatInfoBits2];
    }
    for (int i = dimension - 8; i < dimension; i++) {
        formatInfoBits2 = [self copyBit:i j:8 versionBits:formatInfoBits2];
    }
    _parsedFormatInfo = AGX_RETAIN([AGXQRCodeFormatInformation decodeFormatInformation:formatInfoBits1 maskedFormatInfo2:formatInfoBits2]);
    if AGX_EXPECT_T(_parsedFormatInfo) return _parsedFormatInfo;

    if AGX_EXPECT_T(error) *error = AGXFormatErrorInstance();
    return nil;
}

- (AGXQRCodeVersion *)readVersionWithError:(NSError **)error {
    if AGX_EXPECT_T(_parsedVersion != nil) return _parsedVersion;

    int dimension = _bitMatrix.height;
    int provisionalVersion = (dimension - 17) / 4;
    if (provisionalVersion <= 6) {
        return [AGXQRCodeVersion versionForNumber:provisionalVersion];
    }

    int versionBits = 0;
    int ijMin = dimension - 11;
    for (int j = 5; j >= 0; j--) {
        for (int i = dimension - 9; i >= ijMin; i--) {
            versionBits = [self copyBit:i j:j versionBits:versionBits];
        }
    }
    AGXQRCodeVersion *theParsedVersion = [AGXQRCodeVersion decodeVersionInformation:versionBits];
    if (theParsedVersion != nil && theParsedVersion.dimensionForVersion == dimension) {
        _parsedVersion = AGX_RETAIN(theParsedVersion);
        return _parsedVersion;
    }

    versionBits = 0;
    for (int i = 5; i >= 0; i--) {
        for (int j = dimension - 9; j >= ijMin; j--) {
            versionBits = [self copyBit:i j:j versionBits:versionBits];
        }
    }
    theParsedVersion = [AGXQRCodeVersion decodeVersionInformation:versionBits];
    if (theParsedVersion != nil && theParsedVersion.dimensionForVersion == dimension) {
        _parsedVersion = AGX_RETAIN(theParsedVersion);
        return _parsedVersion;
    }
    if AGX_EXPECT_T(error) *error = AGXFormatErrorInstance();
    return nil;
}

- (int)copyBit:(int)i j:(int)j versionBits:(int)versionBits {
    BOOL bit = _shouldMirror ? [_bitMatrix getX:j y:i] : [_bitMatrix getX:i y:j];
    return bit ? (versionBits << 1) | 0x1 : versionBits << 1;
}

- (AGXByteArray *)readCodewordsWithError:(NSError **)error {
    AGXQRCodeFormatInformation *formatInfo = [self readFormatInformationWithError:error];
    if AGX_EXPECT_F(!formatInfo) return nil;

    AGXQRCodeVersion *version = [self readVersionWithError:error];
    if AGX_EXPECT_F(!version) return nil;

    // Get the data mask for the format used in this QR Code. This will exclude
    // some bits from reading as we wind through the bit matrix.
    AGXQRCodeDataMask *dataMask = [AGXQRCodeDataMask forReference:formatInfo.dataMask];
    int dimension = _bitMatrix.height;
    [dataMask unmaskBitMatrix:_bitMatrix dimension:dimension];

    AGXBitMatrix *functionPattern = [version buildFunctionPattern];

    BOOL readingUp = YES;
    AGXByteArray *result = [AGXByteArray byteArrayWithLength:version.totalCodewords];
    int resultOffset = 0;
    int currentByte = 0;
    int bitsRead = 0;
    // Read columns in pairs, from right to left
    for (int j = dimension - 1; j > 0; j -= 2) {
        if (j == 6) {
            // Skip whole column with vertical alignment pattern;
            // saves time and makes the other code proceed more cleanly
            j--;
        }
        // Read alternatingly from bottom to top then top to bottom
        for (int count = 0; count < dimension; count++) {
            int i = readingUp ? dimension - 1 - count : count;
            for (int col = 0; col < 2; col++) {
                // Ignore bits covered by the function pattern
                if (![functionPattern getX:j - col y:i]) {
                    // Read a bit
                    bitsRead++;
                    currentByte <<= 1;
                    if ([_bitMatrix getX:j - col y:i]) {
                        currentByte |= 1;
                    }
                    // If we've made a whole byte, save it off
                    if (bitsRead == 8) {
                        result.array[resultOffset++] = (int8_t) currentByte;
                        bitsRead = 0;
                        currentByte = 0;
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        readingUp ^= YES; // readingUp = !readingUp; // switch directions
    }
    if AGX_EXPECT_F(resultOffset != version.totalCodewords) {
        if AGX_EXPECT_T(error) *error = AGXFormatErrorInstance();
        return nil;
    }
    return result;
}

- (void)remask {
    if AGX_EXPECT_F(!_parsedFormatInfo) return; // We have no format information, and have no data mask

    AGXQRCodeDataMask *dataMask = [AGXQRCodeDataMask forReference:_parsedFormatInfo.dataMask];
    [dataMask unmaskBitMatrix:_bitMatrix dimension:_bitMatrix.height];
}

- (void)setMirror:(BOOL)mirror {
    AGX_RELEASE(_parsedFormatInfo);
    _parsedFormatInfo = nil;
    AGX_RELEASE(_parsedVersion);
    _parsedVersion = nil;
    _shouldMirror = mirror;
}

- (void)mirror {
    for (int x = 0; x < _bitMatrix.width; x++) {
        for (int y = x + 1; y < _bitMatrix.height; y++) {
            if ([_bitMatrix getX:x y:y] != [_bitMatrix getX:y y:x]) {
                [_bitMatrix flipX:y y:x];
                [_bitMatrix flipX:x y:y];
            }
        }
    }
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


With the endless number of electronic devices that we have come to rely on daily, using a conventional power strip has become the standard method for powering multiple devices simultaneously. While simply effective, the power strip does nothing to organize the numerous charging cables that are attached to it, often leaving a tangled mess of wires. BOXTAP solves these frustrating issues in a simple and intuitive design.


I've been working on the script for my next few issues and I have the first 3 pages finished. It has been nice having Meredith home. She is definitely helping me keep focused. It is always a bit of a challenge when you work at home to avoid distractions but knowing you have someone keeping tabs on you definitely helps.
As I'm working on my script I'm really trying to work in a few more of DC villians. There are so many great ones, I really want to have the chance to draw as many as I can and the great thing about writing your own script is that you can pretty much, DC marketing plans not withstanding, draw who ever you want Batman to fight next. I'd be curious to see who people would like to see Batman fight, I'll see about doing another poll.
By the way I really liked the ideas for the website and I'll pass them along to Meredith. Maybe we'll create a section with non-comic work.
Well it's definitely been a while, but it looks like Meredith has updated the website and we will be going back online with art sales pretty soon. We will try to have prints and remarked comics up as well as some original artwork. I think that the new website looks great and I'm really looking forward to having a more active online presence again.
It took me a while but I've finally finished up with the third issue of Dark Knight. I'm really happy with how it turned out and thanks to everyone for being patient.
I met Dwayne McDuffie in Detroit at a comic book show way back in 1993, just about 8 months or so before I started working in this business. I was showing work around, and I was having a bit of a hard time getting anyone to take a look. Mr. McDuffie was reviewing someone's portfolio as I walked by, so I very quickly got in line and waited. When I got a chance to show him my work I learned more in a few minutes than I had in months. Nobody else ever broke down the simple rules of basic storytelling and composition for me better. He was patient, open, and he gave it all to me straight without any flowery nonsense. It made me a better artist, and it helped me keep pushing on to my goal. I'm eternally grateful, and it took me a long time to get the chance, but I was finally able to thank him not that long ago.
He was a great professional, and he will be missed.
Here's a whole bunch more pages from issue one. It's nice to have the book out there! I'm sure I missed a couple here, but it's got to be close to the whole book posted now. I tried to find the inks for issue two's cover, but I don't know where I saved them. Sorry about that!
Don't you love my inventive and inspiring post titles? But what can I say...I'm just going to put up some stuff. I'm sitting here on pins and needles for my Batman: Dark Knight book to come out tomorrow. I've had some copies for almost a week now, and I've shown it to friends and family, but I'm really looking forward to having it come out. There's a lot of art that I have to post, but I just have to wait until it's shown somewhere, so I've been kind of quiet here. Anyway, until tomorrow, when I can post a bunch of pencils from the book (not that I'll get around to it tomorrow exactly...), here's a few things that I scrounged together.
Anyway, until tomorrow, when I can post a bunch of pencils from the book (not that I'll get around to it tomorrow exactly...), here's a few things that I scrounged together.
This is a Brightest Day cover. It went through a few steps, and I took scans as I went, so I figured I'd post them here.
This is my underdrawing. I don't bother putting much detail into them anymore. I found I have to do all the work again with paint, so why do it twice?
Then I did a tonal wash with burnt sienna, and started blocking in colors. I had no idea where I was going with the picture, but I don't really have time to be doing prelims, or color roughs or whatever. I had to go pick up the kids from school, so this is where it stopped for now.
There was a mixup, and I forgot that this cover had to be done with a white background for Icon cover month, so I had to resort to photoshop, and select out the background, blur the edges, and throw in an orange halo for effect, and to reduce the look of the edges. It ended up being much more designy than I had intended, but I kind of like it this way.
I realized that this'll never happen if I a) try to do a post that covers every compostion thing I can think of at once, or b) forces me to draw all sorts of pictures as examples. So I'm going the easy route. I'm going to break it up into parts, and I'm going to use art from my favorite artists as examples.
Today I'm going with Frank Frazetta because I want to talk about the best cover composition around. Obviously you can't do this each and every time, and there are so many other very effective designs, but this one, for me, is the strongest. It's the simple triangle composition.
I think these pictures really speak for themselves. The triangle composition is the gift that just keeps on giving! Frazetta used it for arguably most of his covers, and it never, ever gets old. If you really look for it in all of these covers, it couldn't be more obvious, but it works every time.
For it to work best, the triangle can't be broken by any major elements, but if it's too perfect it can become static. Notice how Frazetta outlines a triangle in his compositions, but doesn't completely form the shape in an unbroken way. Except for when he does, but then notice how he uses elements to play against the shape and add visual interest, like in the cover with the guy with the guns and girls. The guns are small enough, and peripheral enough that they can break the composition, and he's angled them in such a way as to frame the main character's face, and slash some movement across the page. That movement stops your eye from simply following the too obvious triange shape.
As a bit of an aside, I can't help but mention Frazetta's use of light and detail in his compositions. Notice how focused his lighting is, with the greatest contrast in his center of interest, and points of light hit on other elements in the picture, just enough to draw your eye across them. He always knew what the focus of his picture was, and he knew how to draw you there, and then lead your eye around to other secondary elements, almost like a visual tour. That's all accomplished through use of focused lighting. No photo reference is going to teach you that one!
what tutorial would you like next?


Think of all the young toddlers you know. Why is it that they seem to pop right up every time they fall? The next question is why does it seem to get more and more difficult as we get older?
The good news is that techniques have been developed that help us, as older adults, get up off the floor if we have fallen and haven't hurt ourselves. Knowing how to position our arms and legs before we even try to roll over and get into a sitting or crawling position can make a big difference.
The Remembering When program has prepared two videos; the first one shows some techniques that might make it easier to get up from a fall; the second one demonstrates how to talk someone through the process and assist them up if they have fallen.
The techniques shown in the video are important to understand and practice long before you need them. Take the time to go through them thoroughly and practice them regularly so when you need them, you remember what to do and have maintained the abilities/strength you need to be successful.
1) Lie on your side; bend the leg that is on top and lift yourself onto your elbows or hands.
2) Pull yourself toward an armchair or other sturdy object, then kneel while placing both hands on the chair or object.
3) Place your stronger leg in front, holding on to the chair or object.
5) Very carefully, turn and sit down.
The Remembering When program is a partnership between SCOA and the Saskatoon Fire Department.


For those of you looking for a unique and very popular gift for the holidays check out this flag cape.
As those of you of Irish descent know, the Irish flag is tricolor. It has vertical stripes of green, white and orange (or gold). The white represents the hope for a lasting peace between the green, the nationalists and the orange, the Irish unionists tradition. Show your Irish pride with this very cool gift idea. They also sell United States flag capes - perhaps get one of each?


Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in Ukraine? We have fully vetted, locally based fixers, service producers, directors, DP's, videographers, cameramen, photographers, sound operators, production drivers, and a range of other film crew. Contact us for referrals, questions, cost estimates and references.
Want to know more about shooting in Ukraine? See below for an introduction to Ukraine locations, permits, when to shoot, costs, talent, crews, equipment, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits, film friendly hotels, transport, communications and safety advice.
Located at the crossroads of Russia and Europe, Ukraine offers a wealth of locations ranging from Futuristic Soviet architecture to onion-domed churches, from heavy industry to hundreds of castles and palaces, from endless wheat fields to snow covered mountains.
The capital Kiev is Ukraine's main film production centre as well as the main entry point by air. Kiev offers modern architecture such as the Institute for Nuclear Research, Soviet style apartment blocks, abandoned factories, production friendly metro stations and airport, bridges, a huge interior bus parking lot, several new football stadiums, city parks, wide boulevards, museums and Orthodox architecture. Of particular interest is the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, a historic Orthodox Christian monastery, and the Golden Gate of Kiev, built in the 10th century.
A couple of hours drive from Kiev you can find the deserted Chernobyl city of Pripyat. The Soviet-era Duga Radar Array (Russian Woodpecker) is also within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Strategic Missile Forces Base is a Cold War era museum.
The Dnipropetrovsk State Circus building is an interesting Soviet-era location.
In the west of Ukraine you can find Lviv, a city that doubles well for Prague. Market Square is full of beautiful Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo buildings. Lviv also has a beautiful Art Nouveau railway station available for film shoots. Lviv enjoys close proximity to the Carpathian mountains which are known for their deep forests, traditional Carpathian wooden churches as well as several ski resorts. Outside of Lviv, you can also find the famed Tunnel of Love, Pidhirtsi Castle, and Khotyn Fortress.
Heading south, the Black Sea city of Odessa is best known for the Potemkin Stairway, Odessa Opera House and a film friendly container port.
In terms of agricultural looks available for filming, Ukraine has many apiaries, wheat and sunflower fields.
Ukraine has hosted many TV commercial productions and films such as Transporter 3, House of Flying Daggers and the classic Battleship Potemkin.
With the right approach, virtually any location is possible. Ultimately it comes down to money. Small shoots that do not require exclusive use of public property do not require permits. This includes shooting from a tripod. More complicated shoots such as those that need to control street traffic, metro stations or restricted zones require at least a week to permit. It's possible to permit several location without cost, so that productions have options right up to the final days before the shoot. Please contact us for location specific information.
Ukraine has a four-season climate. Summers run from May to September and are hot and dry. Winters run from November to March and are bitterly cold and snow covered. The southern coast has more of a Mediterranean climate. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Lviv City Day, Kiev Day, and Victory Day all take place in May.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Ukraine.
Costs. Ukraine is one of the more (if not the most) cost competitive film production centres in Europe. It's particularly worth heading to Ukraine for studio builds and locations that double for both Western European looks and Russian looks. Our Ukrainian service producer / fixer will negotiate local deals and provide the appropriate level of production support to match every budget.
Tax Incentives. Ukraine offers a cash rebate of up to 25% for qualifying productions. This financial incentive is for feature films, television series, as well as music videos and commercials.
Crews. Ukraine has a small pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. There are some very experienced camera, lighting, grip and art department crews but less in special effects and table top. Most heads of department speak fluent English. Crews are non-union. Ukraine's close proximity to major European production centres allows easy access to those crews should you ever need to look further.
Contact us if you are looking for a Kiev based director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew for your shoot in Ukraine.
Talent. Productions that are talent heavy can make significant savings shooting in Ukraine. Talent is non-union. Day rates charged are generally very flexible to the production's budget. Most models and actors do not charge buyouts. With top models and celebrities being the obvious exception, the average price for a main part (key actor) varies from 250-600EUROS per shoot day, depending on how recognized the talent is. Featured extras and background actors usually charge no more than 100-200EUROS per shoot day, depending on the script requirements. An extra costs 15-25EUROS per shoot day, depending on the number of hours on set.
Ukraine offers mainly Slavic looking talent with Ukrainians and Russians being the main ethnic groups. There are also some minorities consisting primarily of immigrants from former Soviet states as well as countries formerly aligned with the Soviet Union but their small numbers mean that they are best suited for background roles. If your shoot requires a key actor or model of non-Caucasian appearance, we recommend you bring them in from abroad.
All the standard film equipment (cameras, dollies, cranes, lenses) is available. Most camera and lighting equipment is supplied by Arri. Special systems such as Motion Control or Time-Slice need to be brought in from abroad. Ukraine is an ATA carnet member country.
Illuminator is the official Panavision representative in Ukraine and has camera, lighting and grip equipment.
Filmotechnic and Operatech have camera and high-end grip equipment including the Russian Arm, which was actually invented in the Ukraine.
Art department and set construction. Ukraine has very skilled art department crews experienced in building sets of enormous size and complexity including numerous miniatures.
Studios. There are three basic ex-Soviet era film studios. Dovzhenko Studio has one of the largest sound stages in Ukraine. There are also several more recently built studio complexes in Kiev and Odessa.
Post Production. Ukraine has a few good post production facilities including Kiev Post Production, Post Modern and Cinnamon.
Visiting crews travelling on most western passports can enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days. Work permits are not required to film in Ukraine.
Transportation Infrastructure. Main roads are of a good standard. Rural roads are slower going with many in disrepair. Ukraine is a large country so travel between major cities is best done by air. Several international airlines service flights to Ukraine.
Down Time. Visit the beautiful, less explored city of Lviv.
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Ukraine, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Ukraine, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.


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text:
Jordanians See More to Worry About in Their Economy Than Syrian Refugees
By Elizabeth Parker-Magyar
Sunday, September 15, 2019, 10:00 AM
Photo Credit: Shutterstock via Al-Bawaba
Editor's Note: Even as the Syrian war winds down, the millions of refugees it spawned show little sign of returning. Experts have long feared that these refugees will spread instability and, in poorer countries like Jordan, foster economic resentment. MIT's Elizabeth Parker-Magyar finds that in Jordan such resentment is limited at best. The refugees remain welcome, and any economic resentment is directed at the government.
Daniel Byman
"I kept getting invited to meetings about the next 'five-year plan' for Za'atari. Are you kidding me? There is no way I'll go," a Jordanian aid worker and friend told me on a recent research trip, referring to the refugee camp that houses approximately 10 percent of the 662,000 U.N.-registered Syrian refugees in Jordan. "The camp should not be around for another five years. It is best for Syrians to go back to Syria, where they have some chance of building something."
One year ago, the Syrian government recaptured the southern Syrian region that is home to the majority of Jordan's Syrian refugees. In January, the Jordanian government reopened its border crossing with Syria. But Syrians in Jordan are in no rush to return to their home country, where returnees face continued violence and instability, a devastated economy, and—for young men—the risk of conscription. The most recent U.N. statistics show that just 3 percent of Syrians in Jordan have returned to Syria and just 8 percent of Syrians intend to return in the next year.
In the rest of the region, where individuals express similarly low intentions to return and where so-called self-organized returns occur at similar rates, many Syrians are not being presented with much of a choice. Politicians and street mobs in Lebanon and Turkey have increasingly scapegoated Syrian refugees for economic woes and political instability. In the past few months, Turkey and Lebanon have used legalistic pretexts to deport between hundreds and thousands of Syrians into active violence or into the hands of Syrian authorities. Just this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told leaders of his party that he intends to send one million Syrians back to a proposed safe zone.
Such measures do not appear on the horizon in Jordan, which has exhibited relatively greater resilience to the economic and populist scapegoating of Syrians that has increasingly endangered their status in Turkey and Lebanon. In dozens of conversations in Jordan this summer, I heard well-worn narratives of cultural proximity to Syrian arrivals and government dependence on international aid as explanations for Jordanians' refusal to scapegoat refugees. But far more than in previous visits, I heard a deep-seated solidarity with Syrian refugees borne from an increased preoccupation with domestic economic problems. In the wake of broad anti-government protests last year, many Jordanians I spoke with dismissed the blame placed on Syrians in Turkey and Lebanon as a distraction from deeper economic ills rooted in decades of neoliberal economic policy and economic mismanagement. This sets Jordan apart from other regional countries hosting Syrian refugees, but as the conflict winds down and international aid flows appear to decline, this welcoming environment may shift.
Cultural Proximity and "a Nation of Refugees"
The cultural and religious identity of Syrian refugees has clearly shaped Jordanians' response. Like their Jordanian hosts, Syrians in Jordan are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim. A 2018 survey highlighted the salience of this proximity, showing that Jordanians vastly preferred hosting Sunni Muslim Syrians to their Christian or Alawite counterparts.
Apart from religious ties, southern Syrians and northern Jordanians frequently share extended family ties and speak a roughly similar dialect. "I can speak in a Jordanian accent in a taxi, and no one can tell I am Syrian," a Syrian friend told me. Interviewees highlight that these ties—and Syrian refugees' relative poverty—stand in contrast to those of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees who are perceived to have driven up real estate prices while engaging in political advocacy from Jordan in the mid-2000s.
Unlike in Lebanon, then, narratives that the overwhelmingly Sunni Syrian refugee population threatens to destabilize a careful postwar sectarian balance among the nation's Shiites, Sunnis, and Christians are unlikely to hold sway. In Turkey, too, demographic arguments increasingly portray Syrians, a handful of whom have gained citizenship and voting rights and who are also mostly Sunni, as a future voting bloc for Erdogan's historically Islamist platform amid deeply polarized elections. The deportation of Syrians from Istanbul this summer follows Erdogan's loss in a closely watched recount in the city's mayoral election. These political and demographic arguments are less salient in Jordan's monarchy, which features broader religious and cultural homogeneity and—despite increasingly vocal discontent—the absence of direct elections for the post of prime minister. Syrians in Jordan also have no path to gain citizenship, so there is no legal means by which they could exercise such political influence even if it was available to them.
Finally, Jordan's lengthy history of hosting refugees—the majority of the nation is of Palestinian origin—and its status as a close U.S. ally dependent on foreign aid shape both the government's strategy and the parameters of its response. While reliable figures on total aid from all sources are difficult to come by, Reuters reported in February of this year that Jordan had received $6 billion in international aid for the Syrian crisis since 2015. Including aid for foreign military funding and broader economic assistance, the United States has given Jordan $7.7 billion in assistance since 2015, making Jordan the "third largest recipient of annual U.S foreign aid globally, after Israel and Afghanistan," according to the Congressional Research Service.
"The government needs to emphasize the needs of Syrians in order to raise money internationally," Ammar Hamou, a Syrian journalist based in Amman, told me. More straightforwardly, Mohammad Momani, a prominent columnist and former government spokesperson, asked, "Why would Jordan want to ruin the beautiful international image it has created for itself" by deporting Syrians? The government has little incentive to encourage returns, and much to lose from the international backlash.
Domestic Economic Grievances in the Wake of Mass Protests
Beyond Jordan's image as a welcome home for those fleeing the region's violence, the Jordanians I spoke with repeatedly emphasized that any attempt to blame Syrians for their country's economic woes is a distraction from more systemic issues. Indeed, Jordanians are acutely aware of the money that has come in for the Syrian crisis—and are keen to scrutinize the ways it has been spent. After a major protest movement last year led to the installation of yet another prime minister—Jordan's seventh since 2011—many Jordanians now point to economic mismanagement and an over-reliance on international aid and International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance, rather than the Syrian crisis, as the fundamental ill plaguing the country.
In my conversations with Jordanians, they expressed a palpable fear that international aid funding is drying up. But for many interviewees, the influx of Syrian refugees has been yet another opportunity for the government to fundraise internationally—and another instance in which international funding has bolstered international organizations and lined the pockets of well-connected individuals rather than generating sustainable, long-term economic resilience among either refugee or host communities.
One recent analysis published on a popular liberal website articulates the narrative relayed by many of the people I interviewed. The author, Taher al-Labadi, criticizes IMF-backed reforms in the Arab world and argues that they allow "[authoritarian and irresponsible] regimes to ensure control over economies that are ineffective due to corruption, nepotism and a waste of public money." In Jordan, Labadi writes, regional wars and ongoing refugee crises "allow the country to gain foreign financing to maintain the degree of stability that allies of the Kingdom need." The economic strain wrought by Syrians is the latest crisis allowing the government to justify economic underperformance and over-reliance on foreign donors whose prescriptions for economic liberalization have enriched some in the kingdom but devastated a middle class facing ever higher taxation and stagnant wages.
Hamou, the Syrian journalist, similarly emphasizes that economic concerns predate Syrian refugee arrivals—insulating them from blame by Jordanians frustrated by the economy. "Unlike in Turkey, which had a great economy, then Syrian refugees, then an economic crisis, Jordan's economy has had numerous crises since well before the arrival of Syrians. As a result, Jordanians do not tie their economic problems to the arrival of Syrians."
Finally, there is some evidence that Syrian refugees have helped, rather than hurt, the Jordanian economy. Multiple Jordanian interviewees, only somewhat tongue-in-cheek, emphasized that Syrians have raised the quality of the sweets in the country, bringing their skills to Jordan's beleaguered restaurant industry. More substantively, a recent study of the Jordanian labor market shows that Syrians in Jordan's workforce—many of whom are farmers, doormen, and construction or restaurant workers—compete more directly with Egyptian migrant laborers than Jordanians.
This is by design. Though Jordan has granted 138,000 work permits to Syrians as part of a 2016 trade agreement with the European Union, the nation still bars Syrians from more lucrative professions like medicine, engineering and law. "As a result," Hamou tells me, "the Jordanians don't have a problem with their government's decision [to allow Syrians to work], but there is no economic future here [for Syrians], either."
Fears of International Aid Drying Up
In my conversations, the deepest grievance I have heard stems from the perception that international donors have neglected other vulnerable populations, despite an agreement that aid to Jordan be split between Syrian refugees and their host communities.
These grievances are particularly salient among the nation's longer term refugees from Palestine or smaller refugee populations like those from Iraq, Sudan and Yemen. "Syrians came [here to Jordan] just like us, 100 percent, and we empathize with them," a mother of three from a Palestinian refugee camp north of Amman says. "But, as a Palestinian refugee, I wish I was a Syrian refugee," she said, citing the dozens of Syrian families whose rent is subsidized by international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and who live in her neighborhood. "In Syria, Syrians are hardworking. Here, they are not—why would they be?" If foreign aid money dries up as Syria recedes from the headlines, these divisions could become more salient.
Moreover, Syrian refugees remain vulnerable as international and regional rapprochement with the Syrian regime in Damascus moves forward. "Any softening of the international donor community's position [toward returns]" could allow the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to limit the protections it provides to refugees in Jordan, a Jordan-based researcher for an international NGO tells me. The researcher scans the news for any official government policy that would legitimize deportations.
For now, though, possible refoulement of Syrian refugees from Jordan remains a more distant concern. With its history of welcoming migrations, with a government too concerned with international approbation and aid flows, and with a population highly attuned to and mobilized in favor of domestic economic reforms, the nation is unlikely to engage in mass scapegoating of Syrians anytime soon. Nevertheless, the situation in Turkey, where a Syrian contact told me the country "turned on the Syrians 180 degrees" overnight, is a reminder of how quickly things can change.
Foreign Policy Essay,
Syria,
Syrian Civil War,
refugees,
Lebanon,
Elizabeth Parker-Magyar is a PhD student in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where her research focuses on violence, migration and attitudes toward governance in the Levant.
How Ukraine Fought Against Russia's Air War
Jaganath Sankaran Sun, Jan 22, 2023, 10:01 AM
Who Are You Calling a Great Power?
J. Dana Stuster Sun, Jan 15, 2023, 10:01 AM
Who Really Benefits From Banning White Supremacist Groups?
Anna Meier Sun, Dec 18, 2022, 10:01 AM
The FBI's 2021 Hate Crime Data Is Worse Than Meaningless
Cynthia Miller-Idriss Fri, Dec 16, 2022, 8:30 AM
Oath Keepers Leaders Were Found Guilty, but the Threat of Antigovernment Extremism Remains
Sam Jackson Sun, Dec 11, 2022, 10:01 AM

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Daniele Colla
Born: 11 August 1954
Born in Italy in 1954, Daniele studied piano and organ with private teachers. He received his grade 10 piano from the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music, London, Ontario. Daniele Colla has his Bachelor of Philosophy from Rome University, M.Th from the University of Toronto. Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto and Bachelor in Music from York University. Daniele is vocal and choral teacher with the Toronto Catholic District Board, Organist and choir director at St. Paschal Baylon's Church both of adult and children choirs and the founder and artistic director of Coro San Marco. Also the founder of the annual multicultural event "Singing Together." Daniele has taken many master courses with well-known choral conductors such as Lydia Adams, Linda Beaupre, Brainnerd Blyden-Taylor, Christopher Walker, John Ford. On June 2nd, 2006, Daniele Colla received the Knighthood of the Order of the Star of Solidarity from the president of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, for his work in music.
Email: colladaniel  hotmail.com
List of choral works
Ave Maria in C minor (Louis Di Rocco and Daniele Colla)
Easter Song
Holy Mary Mother of God
Hymn to Saint Joseph
Inno alla Croce
Missa Beati Scalabrini
Missa brevis omnes gentes
Our Father (Louis Di Rocco and Daniele Colla)
Santa Maria Madre di Dio
Scalabrinian Mass
Click here to search for this composer on CPDL
add links here
Retrieved from "https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php?title=Daniele_Colla&oldid=1463159"
Italian composers
Pages using SortWorks
Composer pages using ArrangementsList


text:
Plainville High School Graduation
Two New Haven medical professionals get light prison sentences after admitting to abuse of patient pain killers
Review: At Staropolska in New Britain, huge portions of hearty authentic Polish fare, great for a cold winter night
Man Charged In Connection With Killing Of High School Student In Hartford Basement
Clean Juice chain comes to Connecticut, opens first site
Connecticut to get $53 million for electric-car charging stations
Car Fire Closes Portion of Route 9 In Berlin
By David Moran
An SUV burns on the shoulder of Route 9 northbound near exit 21. (Don Stacom)
BERLING – A vehicle fire on Route 9 has the northbound lanes of the roadway between exits 24 and 25 for more than an hour Thursday evening, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
State police said the car was fully engulfed in flames and that the fire department and the DOT personnel were on the scene, but that no injuries were reported.
The accident was first reported at 6:22 p.m. The scene was reported cleared at approximately 7:30 p.m., according to DOT.


Berkana is the rune of growth, fertility, health, conception, plenty, and new beginnings.
Gave this to our niece for Christmas. She liked it so much that she got the Berkana Tatoo on her wrist a few months after. She wears the necklace with oils frequently.


text:
Q: Regex not capturing date I have a regex that works fine currently.  But now I want to add on to it to capture dates.
Current regex:
(?<GeneralHelp>^/help\s*)?
(?:/client:)
(?<Client>\w*)
(?:(?:\s*/(?<ClientHelp>help))*)*
(?:(?:\s*/)(?<Modules>createHistory)(?:(?:\s*/(?<ModuleHelp>help))*)*)*

I added to the end:
(?:(?:\s*/)(?<StartDate>^([0]?[1-9]|[1|2][0-9]|[3][0|1])[. -]([0]?[1-9]|[1][0-2])[. -]([0-9]{4}|[0-9]{2})$))*)*
(?:(?:\s*/)(?<EndDate>^([0]?[1-9]|[1|2][0-9]|[3][0|1])[. -]([0]?[1-9]|[1][0-2])[. -]([0-9]{4}|[0-9]{2})$))*)*

Using the below example, it just won't get the dates, but it does match everything else.
/client:testClient/createHistory/11-11-2013/11.11.2013

This regex is used to break up the Main one string in the string array parameter from a console app.  No one on my team in "fluent" in regex, nor do we have time to become fluent.  We work with what we can and this addition is something I thought of today that may have with bigger problems what we have with our project and we are running low on time.  So any help would be appreciated.

A: First, the ^ in your regex means "start of string", that is you only want to match a date at the start of the string (which is not true for you). So remove it. Same with "$" which means "end of string".
Secondly, [0|1] means "match characters 0, | or 1". You probably want [01] meaning "match characters 0 or 1".
Thirdly, you have an extra closing bracket with an unmatched opening bracket in both your regexes.
Fourthly as a general style point, [0] is the same as 0 so the square brackets are redundant here.
So your (not quite!) "fixed" regex is:
(?:(?:\s*/)(?<StartDate>(0?[1-9]|[12][0-9]|[3][01])[. -](0?[1-9]|1[0-2])[. -]([0-9]{4}|[0-9]{2})))*
(?:(?:\s*/)(?<EndDate>(0?[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[. -](0?[1-9]|1[0-2])[. -]([0-9]{4}|[0-9]{2})))*

However, this will not match your test string because of the extra "/testModule" in the string which is not in your working regex anywhere.
You could modify your original regex to allow extra slashes in between the two parts of regex?
<original regex>
(?:/[^/]+)*   # <-- for the /testModule and any other similar tokens that appear in between
<date regex>

Also as a general point

*

*you have a few occurences (?:(?:regex)*)*. I am not sure what the point is of doubling the outer * besides making the regex parser work much harder than it should for no good reason (the outer (?: )* is redundant here).

*there is no point doing (?:/\s*) as you are not doing anything with the brackets, so just do /\s*

*same with things like (?:/client:). Why have non-capturing brackets if you are not doing anything with them. /client: will do.

*(?:regex)* means "match 0 to infinity occurences of regex". With things like (?:\s*/(?<ClientHelp>help))*, do you really expect this to occur infinitely many times in your string, or will it appear just once or not at all? Consider replacing * with ? which means "match 0 or 1 occurences" (if you know that that token will appear either once or not at all), or replace it with (say) {0, 100} if you know that that token will appear at most 100 times (and at least 0 times). This can improve performance.

So I recommend changing your regex like this:
(?<GeneralHelp>^/help\s*)?
/client:
(?<Client>\w*)
(?:\s*/(?<ClientHelp>help))*
(?:\s*/(?<Modules>createHistory)(?:\s*/(?<ModuleHelp>help))*)*
(?:/[^/]+)*
(?:\s*/(?<StartDate>(0?[1-9]|[12][0-9]|[3][01])[. -](0?[1-9]|1[0-2])[. -]([0-9]{4}|[0-9]{2})))*
(?:\s*/(?<EndDate>(0?[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[. -](0?[1-9]|1[0-2])[. -]([0-9]{4}|[0-9]{2})))*

You can fiddle around with your regex at regexr where I've created an example with your regex/test string. (Edit: the < and > in the regex seem to have been changed to < and > in regexr so the link won't work unless you copy/paste the regex I've written directly)

A: If you're sure these two last fields are dates, you could simply add something like
(?<StartDate>(?:\d+[. -]?){3})/(?<EndDate>.*)$

(or even (?<StartDate>[^/]+)/(?<EndDate>.+)$ if your cases are all in the same pattern and it fits your needs).
Also as already pointed out by mathematical.coffee, the first regex can be improved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Published on September 5, 2018. Retro Industrial Design Office. Modern industrial office design with industrial office, industrial design office space ideas decoredo. It office: industrial style interiors designed by ezzo design. 1839mag.


Siberian Pine Shampoo is produced by the Russian beauty brand Planeta Organica for its Secrets of Arctica series. It is designed to stimulate active hair growth and strengthen your hair. The product is suitable for all hair types.
Siberian pine is able to withstand even the harshest frosts. Its incredible will to survive is preserved in cold pressed pine seed oil extracted from pine nuts. Pine nut oil is extremely rich in essential unsaturated fatty acids which are important for hair health and beauty. Fatty acids, vitamins and minerals contained in the oil nourish hair follicles, stimulating hair growth. They also strengthen your hair and prevent excessive hair loss.
The shampoo also contains Arctic willow bud decoction rich in vitamin C and other useful substances. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that prevents hair damage and helps to repair already damaged hair structure. Amino acids and vitamin microcapsules enhance the product's stimulating effect and make your hair noticeably stronger and healthier.
Ingredients. Salix Аrctica Bud Water, Organic Pinus Sibirica Seed Oil*, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Cocamidopropyl Betain, Biotin, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Niacinamide, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Yeast Polypeptides, Tocopherol (vitamin Е), Sodium Chloride, Organic Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil*, Organic Aralia Elata Root Extract*, Kathon, Parfum.
Want to buy Siberian Pine Shampoo? Call us or submit your order via our web site!
Planeta Organica Secrets of Arctica is a cosmetic line produced by the well-known Russian beauty brand Planeta Organica. The products of this brand are known and loved not only in Russia but in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Belarus and other former soviet republics. The company specialises in the production of cosmetics formulated with natural plant ingredients.
Planeta Organica offers several cosmetic series based on natural plant extracts and oils from different regions of the world. Its Arctic series is one of the most recent, it was developed in 2014. The products that make up this series are based on wild berries and herbs that grow in the harsh climate of the Arctic region. Due to low temperatures Arctic plants have to accumulate more nutrients than their southern counterparts in order to survive. That is why northern plant extracts and oils are extremely rich in biologically active substances.
Planeta Organica Secrets of Arctica offers a wide selection of beauty products designed to take care of your hair and skin. They include, but are not limited to, cleansers, creams and masks for all skin types, eye skin care products, body care products, shampoos and hair conditioners. The specialists of Planeta Organica are especially proud of valuable and rare 100% natural oils extracted from Arctic cranberry and cloudberry.
It took the specialists of Planeta Organica almost a year of hard work to develop the Sercets of Artica series (327 days, according to the company's official representatives). All this time the company's team had been looking for the most useful ingredients, developing the most effective formulae and thoroughly testing the finished products. And today the powerful healing potential of Arctic plants is available to you in convenient and attractive bottles and tubes, ready to make your skin and hair look healthy and beautiful.


The global Lactase market investigation covers all parts of the industry segments, constraints, share, size, drivers. This reaches from a full-scale diagram of the market to smaller scale subtleties of the business execution, distinctive mechanisms of Lactase, late patterns, driving player profiles, SWOT investigation of the business, and so on. This Lactase report is an unquestionable requirement perused for business people, financial specialists, analysts, advisors, business strategists, and every one of the individuals who have any sort of stake or is requiring to hit into the Lactase business in any behavior.
The report further features the advancement of slants in the global Lactase market. Elements that are driving the market development and energizing its sections are additionally scrutinized in the report. The report additionally features on its applications, types, organizations, segments, advancements of this market.
In 2019, the global Lactase market valuation proportion was 2262.2 million US and will be relied upon to boost up 3409.8 million US before the finish of 2028, with a CAGR of 4.2% around in the limit of 2019 and 2028. The leading manufacturers such DSM, Novozymes, DuPont, Chr. Hansen Holding, Amano Enzyme, Enzyme Development, SternEnzym, Specialty Enzymes & Biotechnologies, Enzyme Solutions, Advanced Enzymes, Zhongnuo BioTech, Enze Bio, Meihua BioTech, Kono Chem including Types such as Neutral lactase, Acid lactase and Applications such as Food industry, Pharmaceutical industry, Hospital, Animal Feed. Information generated including key regions in Lactase market in North America, Latin America, The Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, etc.
– This report covers definition, development, market status, geographical analysis of Lactase market.
– Competitor analysis including all the key parameters of Lactase market.
– Lactase Market estimates for at least 10 years.
– Lactase Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Finance Opportunities, and offers).
– Strategic proposals in key business sections dependent possible estimations.
– Company profiling with a point by point systems, financials, and ongoing improvements.
– Mapping of the most recent innovative promotions and Supply chain models.


It is 1922 and Frances Wray and her mother are struggling. The Great War has claimed Frances's brothers and her late father's disastrous investments have left them unable to afford their large house in Camberwell. Frances struggles with domestic drudgery and her frustrated hopes of an independent life.
The solution is to take in lodgers. Enter the Barbers: representatives of the "clerk class", Leonard is a cocky ginger-moustached insurance man, while his wife Lilian has artistic pretensions and drifts languidly around the house in her dressing gown long after decent people are up and dressed. Naturally, with three young people living at close quarters, passions stir and, needless to say, this being a Sarah Waters novel, it is not between Frances and Leonard.


Finger Sujok Ki written by Park Jae Woo and brought to you by Sujok Academy Moscow. This book is a complete guide that takes through natural treatments of healing through finger and toe correspondence system. A 90 paged book with proper illustrations and figures for proper understanding of Sujok treatment.


text:
Omicron Update: Thoughts From Columbia's Infectious Diseases Chief
Babies Born During Pandemic Score Slightly Lower on Developmental Screening Test
Ashwin Vasan Appointed Commissioner of NYC Health Department
Columbia Primary Care Removes Barriers to Improve Mental Health
Katrina Armstrong Appointed to Lead CUIMC
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
School of Nursing School of Nursing
Mailman School of Public Health Mailman School of Public Health
College of Dental Medicine College of Dental Medicine
A Place for Everyone
Learn More About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at CUIMC Learn More About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at CUIMC
CUIMC Honors MLK With Bold Conversations on Race
At a virtual event honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., senior faculty shared experiences and offered advice for making a difference.
Just two months after omicron emerged on the scene, many of the uncertainties about the new variant are starting to become clear.
First Day of Attempt to Quit Smoking Is Especially Tough for Women
Larger health warnings on cigarette packs may help more women in low- and middle-income countries make it through their first day of quitting, a critical predictor of long-term success.
Inequity in Care: Orthopedics, Cancer, and Beyond
In the face of daunting disparities in health care, the medical community can take small steps that make a difference, a Columbia orthopedic surgeon writes.
As Equity and Justice Fellows, VP&S Students Work Toward Anti-Racist Medical Curriculum
Columbia medical students chosen as equity and justice fellows are cultivating change by applying an anti-racist lens to the VP&S curriculum.
CUIMC Employee Appreciation Meal
Monday, November 8, 2021 to Friday, February 18, 2022
College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 W. 168 St., New York, NY 10032
Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award
Friday, November 26, 2021 to Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Center for Precision Cancer Medicine Pilot Award
Friday, December 10, 2021 to Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Irving Multi-PI Planning Grant
Friday, December 10, 2021 to Monday, February 7, 2022
Find Out the Latest Information Find Out the Latest Information


text:
Wadebridge Coasters CC
A club for all cyclists
Wadebridge Carnival 2019
Coasters For All
Coasters on Tour
WCCC Time Trials
Intro Races
Ready Set Ride
Coasters Kids >
CK Coaching
CK Rides
CK Racing
Coasters Academy
A History of Camel Valley Cycling CLub
Wadebridge Coasters Cycling Club traces its origins to the celebrated Camel Valley Cycling (and Triathlon) Club. The original club had remained exclusively focused on competitive road cycling and a need was perceived for a club that catered for the broader cycling community of the 2010s.
Despite 'splitting' off from Camel Valley, many Coasters retained strong emotional ties with their old club, particularly the Coasters' founding chairman Damian Cudmore who remained a 'second claim' member of CVCTC. And this newspaper cutting from 1981 mentions the exploits of a young Rodney Maclean, who since became one of the Coasters' most popular characters.
Camel Valley Cycling and Triathlon Club sadly folded in 20##. Because of WCCC's historical relationship with the club, we celebrate something of its illustrious history below...
The story of Camel Valley CTC
On Wednesday 20th July 1981 a meeting was held at the Wadebridge Liberal Club in hope of forming a Cycling Club in the local area. Club officers Nick Hayes (Chairman), Frank Parkinson Bates (Vice Chairman) and Bob Simpson (Treasurer) were elected and the 'Camel Valley Road Club' was formed.
Club Sunday rides were organised and weekend rides to youth hostels were also held regularly. Time Trials were proving popular, the courses used were on the Bodmin to Camelford, Padstow to Winnards Perch, and Royal Cornwall showground to Winnards Perch roads.
The club continued to expand and by 1984 the members numbered over 20, but this proved to be the climax of success. Interest in cycling began to lessen in the North Cornwall area and by 1986 the club had ceased to function so the committee and members disbanded.
In 1987 Jill & Ivor Edmonds moved to the Wadebridge area where they were introduced to Frank Parkinson-Bates (Camel's original Chairman). Their enthusiasm to reform the Club soon had new members coming along. Time trialling, club nights at the Scout Hut, and organised training proved to be the most popular activities. Time Trials were competed on the A39 Royal Cornwall Showground to Winnards Perch roundabout finishing near Tolgate Garage. Another course that proved popular at this time and which is still used today is the S6 Tresillian to Brighton Cross roundabout and back. Money was raised in every way possible for kit and equipment: Coffee mornings and bring and buy sales were popular and raised the necessary funds.
Success in racing began to appear in the early 90s when John Bullingham and Chris O'Neil were becoming Cornwall's fastest short distance riders. Most Open Time Trials in the SW District were won by these two top local riders. Current Club Chairman, Damian Cudmore has been involved with the club for over 28 years, having started as a 12 year old.
In 1997 the Club sought a suitable sponsor, local business man Ian Hobbs of Bude. Already a member, he offered to support the club with some of his financial projects.
One of the new members to come along at this time was Stuart Dangerfield, already a well known national cyclist. Success followed success. Stuart's training in the Cornwall area enabled him to find his best form, resulting in him winning the National 10TT and 25TT in successive years and also the National Circuit Championship. His most successful season was in 2001 when he broke the National 10TT record with a time of 18mins 19 secs.
Other members were making a name for themselves too. Wales was a popular venue and in 2000 the club won the Welsh National 50 Team Trophy. Other awards in the SW District are too numerous to mention.
In 2001 Wendy Houvenaghel joined the club with her Husband Ian and from the very beginning her ability was obvious. Within two years she won her first National Title. Wendy has represented Great Britain on the road and the track.
For some years Dales Renault, a Cornish based Car Dealer, sponsored Camel Valley and the club were extremely grateful for their support.
Along with Stuart and Wendy, Chris Opie and Steve Lampier are two more riders who started with the club and have gone on to make a name for themselves on the Professional circuit.
2006 saw Harvey Alford break the National age related record for a 25TT, with a time of 1hr 3min 20 sec. Not bad for 79 years of age! At the other end of the age scale Sam Hughes won the Junior District Road Race. Dean Fuller finished a credible 4th place in the 13 years category.
There is only a short history of the Triathlon section with some great success. Guy De Selincourt gained International Selection in the Duathlon. Also Tom Daniels and Ian Hobbs gained age group selection for GB in the Worlds events. In 2012 Mike Parsons, took Gold in the Sprint Distance M20-24, at the ITU Age Group World Triathlon Championships in New Zealand.
CVCTC Time Trial Records
10 mile - Chris Scott (2001) 21m 27
10 mile - James Ellet (21/09/02) 20m 26
10 mile - Stuart Dangerfield (29/06/01) 18m 19
25 mile - Stuart Dangerfield (2003) 48m 52
30 mile - Andrew Hope (2002) 1hr 5m 53
50 mile - Andrew Hope (2002) 1hr 46m 31
100 mile - Alan Ryder (06/08/00) 3hr 49m 10
12 hour - Martin Legg (01/09/02) 270.48mi
24 hour - John Trott (30/07/00) 379mi
10 mile - Wendy Houvenaghel (27/06/03) 21m 52
Service One
Service Two
Service Three


Flu symptoms can include fever and chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches and tiredness. Cold symptoms are usually milder than flu symptoms. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Although uncomfortable, colds usually do not result in serious health problems.
You can help prevent pneumonia and other respiratory infections by washing your hands regularly, disinfecting surfaces that you frequently touch, and taking good care of your health in general.
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can cause mild to severe illness in people of all ages. Common signs of pneumonia include cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. Doctors often treat pneumonia with medications, and vaccines can prevent some forms of pneumonia.What is Pneumonia?
That means quitting smoking, and remembering to get your pneumonia shot!


Olive Stone Farm is a small, charming farm located in the centre of Montagu town in the Western Cape. What the farm lacks in size and history it more than makes up for in its warmth, character, beauty and attention to detail.
Owners Andrew and Elaine Hare have lovingly transformed what was once simply a piece of land populated with olive trees, into a working farm that is home to 3 wonderful stone guest cottages, a hand-packed stone barn and animal kraal, a thriving vegetable garden, natural, stone swimming pools, cows, chickens and sheep, and even a tamed guinea fowl or two.
Olive Stone Farm produces its own delicious olive oil, bottled olives, butter, milk, cream (when available), vegetables (guests are welcome to make use of the vegetable and salad garden), lamb and eggs.
Guests can be accommodated on the farm in either Olive Cottage (queen bed) or Stone Cottage (twin or king bed) or Farm Cottage (twin or king bed). All the cottages are entirely built from locally-sourced stone, offering guests a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom, hot inside and outside shower, percale linen and towels, basic locally-produced soaps and creams, hair drier, ceiling fan, indoor fireplace, outside braai, sun loungers, sun umbrella for those wonderful hot summer days and a beautiful private plunge pool. All rooms are non smoking but you are welcome to smoke on the patio.
Check in time is from 2.30 pm to 7 pm (welcome to contact us should this not be suitable) and check out by 10.30 am unless otherwise organised.
From Cape Town - drive into Montagu on Long street, when you come to the 4 way stop turn right into Church street and we are the second gate on the left before crossing the bridge.
No pets allowed due to the farm animals.


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Company profile. Delta Machinery. Delta is a global supplier of new, refurbished and used heavy machinery for infrastructure construction, mineral extraction projects, quarry, mining and machinery related to the pipeline industry.
A.T.A. Engineering Services Company Profile Level 04 BBBEE Business Tel: (013) 650 1237 Fax: (013) 650 1767/ 088 013 650 1237 1. Company Demographics and History Demographics: Mpumalanga Province: South Africa Base Town: Witbank Company History ATA Engineering Services was founded and established in January 2000.
company profile for suppliers of mining equipment DOVE ® Equipment & Machinery Co., Ltd. manufactures and supplies equipment and technology, packaged in complete range of products, suitable for surface mining of various nature and capacities, ranging from laboratory scale to over 1,000 tons/hour.
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text:
Pierre Dugua de Mons (* 1558 im Château de Mons in Royan; † 22. Februar 1628 im Château d'Ardennes bei Fléac-sur-Seugne, Saintonge) war ein französischer Unternehmer und Entdecker. Er gründete 1605 mit Port Royal die erste dauerhafte französische Siedlung in Nordamerika. Von 1610 bis 1617 war er Gouverneur von Pons.

Leben

Familie und Hugenottenkriege
Dugua de Mons war der Sohn von Guy de Gua und Claire Gournard und heiratete Judith Chesnel aus der Adelsfamilie der Seigneurie von Meux; die Ehe blieb kinderlos. Er bezeichnete sich selbst als Calvinist und kämpfte auf der Seite Henris IV. in den Hugenottenkriegen in Frankreich.

Vorbereitung der Expedition

Gegen Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts zeigte Frankreich ein wachsendes Interesse an den Küsten des heutigen Kanada, vor allem um des Handels, insbesondere des Pelzhandels willen. Dazu kam die Perspektive, dort Siedlungen zu errichten, die zunächst vor allem als Handelsstützpunkte dienen sollten. Da die Staatskasse leer war, wurden Personen, die aufgrund ihrer Erfahrung – und auch ihre Finanzkraft – geeignet erschienen, beauftragt, Siedlungen in Neufrankreich zu errichten und in der ersten Zeit zu versorgen. Im Gegenzug verlieh der König ihnen die exklusiven und lukrativen Handelsrechte mit den Indianern.

Dugua war höchst interessiert. Im Jahr 1599 verkaufte er, mit Einwilligung seiner Frau, seinen gesamten Besitz: sein Château de Mons in Royan, seinen Landbesitz in Puy du Fou und seine Güter in Vaux an seinen Nachbarn François de Villegrain, seine Ländereien um Saint-Sornin und weiteren Besitz in Royan an Jean de Candelay, den Gouverneur von Royan. Sein Erlös betrug 88.248 Livres. Schon 1600 segelte er als Mitglied der Expedition seines Bekannten Pierre Chauvin de Tonnetuit nach Tadoussac. 1603 bekam Dugua den Auftrag, im Namen des Königs Siedlungen in Neufrankreich zu gründen und er erhielt dafür das Handelsmonopol, wobei sich die Hoffnungen vor allem auf den Pelzhandel richteten. Er wurde zum Generalleutnant von Akadien und anderen Gebieten Neufrankreichs ernannt, sollte jedes Jahr 60 Kolonisten dorthin bringen und die Indianer zum christlichen Glauben bekehren. Bis dahin waren alle französischen Siedlungsversuche gescheitert.

Dugua beeilte sich, zahlungskräftige französische Kaufleute als Mitglieder einer Handelsgesellschaft zu gewinnen, deren Startkapital am 8. Februar 1604 rund 90.000 Livres betrug. Mit diesem Geld rüstete er zwei Schiffe aus und rekrutierte die 79 Teilnehmer der Expedition, vor allen Dingen Handwerker, wie Baumeister, Tischler und Maurer, dazu Soldaten, Vagabunden, mehrere Adlige und zwei Priester. Der prominenteste Teilnehmer war Samuel de Champlain, der der Expedition als Geograf und Kartograf dienen sollte.

Erster Siedlungsversuch auf St. Croix Island
Am 7. März 1604 verließ das erste Schiff unter Kapitän Timothee Le Havre, am 10. März das zweite unter Kapitän Morel mit Dugua an Bord. Sie erreichten am 8. Mai die Küste von Neuschottland bei Kap la Have. Von dort aus erkundete Samuel de Champlain die unbekannte Küste Neuschottlands und wandte sich dann westwärts zur Küste Neubraunschweigs. Hier erreichte er die Bay of Fundy und entdeckte am 24. Juni die Mündung des Saint John Rivers. Auf der Suche nach einem leicht zu verteidigenden Platz für die Kolonisten fanden sie schließlich am 26. Juni eine Insel in der Passamaquoddy Bay, Île-Ste-Croix, auf der sie die erste Siedlung gründeten. Nach einem Plan von Champlain wurden einige Dutzend Häuser und eine Kapelle gebaut, die von Palisaden umgeben waren. Außerhalb der Palisaden legte man die ersten Weizenfelder in Neufrankreich an. Der Winter begann am 6. Oktober mit dem ersten Schnee, auf dessen Strenge die Kolonisten nicht vorbereitet waren. Bald war das frische Gemüse und Getreide verbraucht und die Bewohner waren vorwiegend auf gepökeltes Fleisch als Nahrung angewiesen. Am Ende des Winters waren rund die Hälfte gestorben; als Todesursache wurde anhand von Knochenresten Skorbut nachgewiesen. Im März 1605 versorgten Passamaquoddy-Indianer die halbverhungerten Überlebenden mit frischem Fleisch.

Dauerhafte Siedlung in Port Royal

Dugua entschied, die Insel zu verlassen und nach der Bay of Fundy zu ziehen, wo Champlain die Siedlung Port Royal, heute Annapolis Royal, gründete. Zuvor waren die Häuser abgebaut und per Schiff an den neuen Ort gebracht worden. Dugua selbst musste nach Frankreich zurückkehren, weil seine Handelsfirma in finanziellen Schwierigkeiten steckte.

Dugua traf im September 1605 in Frankreich ein und erkannte bald, dass er die Interessen seiner Firma besser von dort aus wahrnehmen konnte. Am 13. Mai 1606 schickte er ein neues Schiff nach Akadien, um die junge Kolonie in Port Royal mit Lebensmitteln und neuen Kolonisten zu versorgen. Francois Gravé, der Verantwortliche von Port Royal, meldete eine gute Ernte, hatte jedoch im vergangenen Winter erneut 12 Männer durch Skorbut verloren.

Im Jahr 1607 widerrief König Henri aufgrund von Beschwerden anderer Kaufleute das an Dugua verliehene Handelsmonopol, dessen finanzielle Situation immer schwieriger wurde. Die Hauptursache war der Umfang des illegalen Pelzhandels, durch den ihm allein im Jahr 1604 mindestens acht Schiffsladungen Pelze entgangen waren. Diese illegalen Händler hatten, im Gegensatz zu Dugua, keine Kosten für die Überfahrt und Versorgung der Kolonisten zu tragen.

Gründung von Québec
Der König verlängerte Duguas Monopol für ein Jahr bis 1608 auf die Zusage hin, einen Handelsposten am Sankt-Lorenz-Strom zu errichten und Land für französische Kolonien zu erschließen. Dugua beschaffte neues Geld und rüstete eine weitere Expedition aus, die aus drei Schiffen bestand. Das erste war für Port Royal, das zweite für den unteren St.-Lorenz-Strom und das dritte, mit Samuel de Champlain an Bord, war für die Gründung Québecs bestimmt. Québec wurde ein Handelsposten und zugleich der Ausgangspunkt für die Erforschung der Gebiete weiter im Westen. Im nächsten Jahr wurde Duguas Monopol nicht mehr verlängert, und der Pelzhandel war nun für alle geöffnet.

Bis zum Herbst 1611 schickte Dugua regelmäßig Schiffe zur Versorgung der Kolonisten und mit Tauschgütern für den Pelzhandel nach Neufrankreich. Der Handelsposten in Quebec entwickelte sich gut, und es wurden neue Indianerstämme für den Handel gewonnen. Auch die Erforschung des Westens machte Fortschritte. Dennoch war der finanzielle Aufwand bei Duguas Unternehmungen hoch, und seine Partner wollten Québec nach erneuten finanziellen Verlusten aufgeben. Dugua fand neue Teilhaber und setzte seine Aktivitäten im Pelzhandel und der Erforschung des Landes bis 1617 weiter fort, ohne jedoch Neufrankreich wiederzusehen.

Gouverneur von Pons

Der König belohnte Dugua de Mons für seine außerordentlichen Dienste mit einer jährlichen Apanage von 1.200 Kronen und 1610 mit dem Gouverneursamt der Stadt Pons in der Saintogne, das er bis 1617 innehatte. Er starb 1628 auf seinem Schloss, dem Château d'Ardennes, bei Fléac-sur-Seugne.

Platz in der Geschichte
Trotz seiner großen Verdienste um die Erforschung und Kolonisation Kanadas hat Dugua de Mons selten den ihm gebührenden Platz in den Geschichtsbüchern bekommen. Er ermöglichte erst Champlains Forschungsfahrten in der Neuen Welt, und es war de Monts Verdienst, dass die ersten Europäer dauerhaft in Neufrankreich leben und sich selbst ernähren konnten. Darüber hinaus machte er die Neue Welt in Frankreichs Bevölkerung besser bekannt, denn er veröffentlichte eine Sammlung von Säugetieren und Vögeln, von Indianerportraits, Gebrauchsgegenständen und Kuriositäten. Diese Objekte wurden von dem angesehenen Humanisten Nicolas de Peirese geprüft. Seine Darstellungen gehören damit zu den ersten Beschreibungen von Tieren und Menschen in Nordamerika.

Weblinks
 Georges MacBeath: Pierre Dugua de Monts im Online-Lexikon kanadischer Biografien (englisch)
 Sous l'if du château d'Ardennes, le souvenir de Dugua de Mons (frz.)

Einzelnachweise

Entdecker (16. Jahrhundert)
Entdecker (17. Jahrhundert)
Gouverneur (Frankreich)
Person (Neufrankreich)
Franzose
Geboren 1558
Gestorben 1628
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Designed to impress - marquise-cut cubic zirconia ring is a mega-sparkler with round and baguette cubic zirconia accents, and 4.91 carats T.W. of notice-me glitter. 18k gold (40 mils) over sterling silver. Sizes 5-10.


text:
BASE: April 29 Players of the Week
http://www.conferenceusa.com/news/2019/4/29/baseball-base-april-29-players-of-the-week.aspx
DALLAS – With a pair of outstanding series-opening performances last Friday night, Rice junior RHP Matt Canterino and Southern Miss junior RHP Walker Powell share the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week award. Canterino struck out 10 and surrendered just one walk in seven shutout innings vs. No. 18 Louisiana Tech, while Powell threw a complete-game with just one run allowed at Middle Tennessee. Charlotte senior C Harris Yett took the C-USA Hitter of the Week award after hitting safely in all four games, with a pair of multiple-hit games in leading the 49ers to a road series victory at FIU. All Conference USA weekly awards are presented by Top of the World.
April 29 2019 POW Release
Canterino fired 7.0 shutout innings on the way to a victory over No. 18 ranked Louisiana Tech on April 26. The junior right-hander scattered six and just one walk while striking out 10 batters. Canterino held the opposing hitters to a composite .231 batting average, as the Southlake, Texas, native moved into sole possession of the 10th place on Rice's career strikeouts list with 313 Ks (passing multi all-conference honoree Austin Kubitza). In the win, Canterino posted double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season and 12th time in his career.
Powell registered a career-high 10 strikeouts in posting his third complete game of the season. In 10 assignments this season, Powell has put together a team-best six quality starts, as he limited the Blue Raiders to just six hits and no walks. The only run he allowed was a solo homer in the second inning. The Fayetteville, Arkansas, native retired 10 in a row at one point – sitting down the Blue Raiders in order five times. Powell did not let more than one runner reach base in an inning, until he gave up three-straight singles with one out in the ninth. He followed that with two strikeouts to end the game.
Yett led the 49ers to a key road series victory at FIU, while putting together a .529 (9-for-17) week at the plate. Yett started off with a walk, single and run scored against Wake Forest on Tuesday before opening up the FIU series with a single, walk and RBI in a 6-3 victory. The senior catcher followed that up tying a career-high with five hits in seven trips to the plate with a double, two RBI and three runs scored as Charlotte erased a 9-4 deficit in the eighth to win 10-9 in 14 innings. On Sunday, Yett added two more hits, including his 20th double of the season, with another run driven in during a narrow 2-1 loss. For the week, the Charlotte native drove in four runs, scored four times, smacked a pair of doubles and walked three times.
Hitter of the Week – Feb. 18 – Trei Cruz, SS, Rice; Feb. 25 – Colton Schultz, OF, UAB; Mar. 4 – Andrew Dunlap, OF, Rice; Mar. 11 – Shane Hanon, OF, Marshall; Mar. 18 – Francisco Urbaez, 2B, Florida Atlantic; Mar. 25 – Jake Sanford, OF, WKU; Apr. 1 – Jake Sanford, OF, WKU; Apr. 8 – Myles Christian, OF, Middle Tennessee; Apr. 15 – Tanner Huddleston, 3B, Louisiana Tech; Apr. 22 – Joe Montes, 3B, Florida Atlantic; Apr. 29 – Harris Yett, C, Charlotte.
Pitcher of the Week – Feb. 18 – Zach Keenan, RHP, Middle Tennessee; Feb. 25 – Walker Powell, RHP, Southern Miss; Mar. 4 – Jackson Parthasarathy, RHP, Rice; Mar. 11 – Logan Allen, LHP, FIU; Mar. 18 – Ryne Moore, RHP, Old Dominion; Mar. 25 – Logan Allen, LHP, FIU and Walker Powell, RHP, Southern Miss; Apr. 1 – Mike Ruff, RHP, Florida Atlantic; Apr. 8 – Braxton Smith, RHP, Louisiana Tech; Apr. 15 – Logan Allen, LHP, FIU; Apr. 22 – Evan Kravetz, LHP, Rice and Karan Patel, RHP, UTSA; Apr. 29 – Matt Canterino, RHP, Rice and Walker Powell, RHP, Southern Miss.


If you have siding or gutter damage to your home, Southpaw Roofing in Augusta GA is ready to meet all of your vinyl siding and gutter repair or replacement needs.
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Our siding installers are master craftsmen, holding backgrounds in all areas of home improvement and repairs. Our company provides the highest quality of cedar shake and vinyl replacement, installation and servicing assistance. Siding not only affords your house with a modernized appearance, but it also enhances energy efficiency, lowers the price of utilities and raises the worth of your home (and your entire neighborhood).
Whether you need a minor repair or want to redesign or make other improvements, we provide excellent trim for any of your requirements of siding and gutter installation Augusta GA. Updated siding increases the value of your residence and over time it'll save you thousands on heating and cooling bills, ultimately paying for itself.
From the extremely low maintenance durability of vinyl siding to the long-lasting natural charm of cedar shakes we advise you every step of the way to find the most fitting style for your home. A variety of siding materials are on the market in several configurations and shades of color. Vinyl siding is the used by the majority of homeowners because it's affordable and it takes care of itself.
At Southpaw, we understand your trust is earned – and our experience shows we know the hard work it takes to earn it. We are top tier of a premier network of roofing professionals dedicated to service, reliability and professional craftsmanship. We are ready to help you!
Although vinyl rarely calls for upkeep or renovations, there can be those conditions in which the siding may discolor, split or chip. When that occurs, we'll fix or renew the vinyl as needed for your convenience. In rare circumstances such as a severe storm, the siding might get damaged or become loose which will make the boards sag. If you find yourself in this situation, give us a call skilled vinyl siding repairs. We'll immediately evaluate the extent of the damages for you before it can produce any permanent structural deterioration.
The next step to keep your home in the best conditions of siding and gutter repair is taking a look all over the exterior of your house. If you have noticed any problems with your gutters, it's good to intervene as fast as you can to stop the possible destruction of your home, roof or landscape. Although they are just channels which guides water on your roofline, gutters perform a crucial function in preserving the safety of your property from a broad assortment of water-related problems.
What is the Lifespan of Normal Gutters?
The lifespan of a system of gutters varies with the materials you're working with and the regularity of the maintenance you're performing. If your gutters are failing only after a couple of years, you are probably facing the results of improper gutter installation.
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John F. Kennedy once said, "Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." The same holds true for any business, if it wants to thrive.
Often business owners know they need to scale their business, but they don't realize that scaling their business opens other challenges.
Subscription billing was made popular by SaaS (Software as a Service) companies, but the model is exploding across all industries, including music, video, books, marketing services, automobiles, legal services, business consulting, telematics, publishing, and food delivery. Businesses in virtually every industry have moved to this model.
Predictable revenue—no more feast and famine every quarter.
Flexible monetization models—the ability to match your pricing model to the value you deliver.
Less sales friction. For example, $50/month for a single subscription is easier to close than $600/year, just as $5,000/month is easier to close with a business customer than $60,000 a year.
Value monetization is the primary driving force of every business. How to extract money for the value delivered is an age-old challenge, but subscription billing addresses this issue and provides endless opportunities, all with a few clicks. If marketing and sales can envision it, it can be billed using a modern subscription billing platform.
Flexibility are all of value to your customers.
The key is finding the right mix and having the flexibility to create a subscription to match the value you deliver.
1. Revenue Recovery. If you bill monthly, you need to collect monthly.
While subscription billing lowers the barriers to making sales, it creates the need to collect monthly, creating the challenge of revenue recovery. We see revenue recovery costing companies between 1% to 4%. When properly managed, this loss in revenue can be virtually eliminated.
Your next invoice will be issued on xxxx.
Your payment information on file is outdated.
Your payment has been processed – thank you.
Your payment has failed – please click here to update it.
Your payment is past due. To be assured continued service, a payment is required. If we do not receive payment, your service will terminate on xxxx.
Being reactive also includes retrying the customer's credit card, typically on day 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 30.
Second, you need to provide your customers with the tools to manage their subscriptions. This includes easy to read invoices and a self-service portal to allow them to update their payment methods, upgrade, downgrade, add users, remove users, etc. These tools need to be accessible 24 hours a day without the need to speak to anyone.
2. Revenue Leakage. Billing flexibility creates complexity for your accounting team.
At a high level, revenue leakage is simple human error. We estimate that this makes up 0.25% to 1% of the top line. It happens when transactions aren't billed correctly, which is prone to happen given the flexibility that subscriptions allow.
Any other scheme that your marketing and/or sales team dreams up to align your billing to the customer's perceived value or budget.
As the billing options change and increase, it is going to be nearly impossible for your accounting team.
3. Superior Customer Experience (CX). Subscriptions are more complex, but your CX should not be.
There is a lot of overlap in addressing revenue recovery and providing a superior customer experience. Customers want to be able to immediately subscribe to your service, so you need to plan for online sign-up pages and credit card capture (be mindful of the security and PCI requirements when capturing credit card information).
Customers also expect self-service, via an online portal with the ability to access it at any time. Within this portal, they need to be able to read and download easy-to-decipher invoices, update payment methods, upgrade, downgrade, add users, remove users, etc.
Further, providing a good customer experience needs to be done consistently throughout the customer lifecycle.
This can be as simple as sending out an email prior to an annual billing to notify them that you will be billing them on a particular date. Without advanced notification, a customer can be caught off guard with an unexpected charge, causing frustration and burning up time trying to resolve the question with your client support staff.
Another example of delivering superior customer service is by notifying a customer that their credit card is about to expire. This gives the customer the opportunity to update their credit card information before a failed billing attempt.
4. User Experience (UX). Subscription billing can create additional work for your accounting team.
Customer emails will be configured and will go out automatically.
Credit cards that fail will automatically be retried.
Cancellation notifications will be sent automatically.
Free trails will start billing when scheduled.
Subscriptions will migrate and uplift as programmed.
Subscription billing creates advantages for your customers as well as your marketing and sales teams, however managing the complexity not only takes a tremendous amount of time, but also opens up the potential for costly human error.
How can your accounting users manage the complexities of subscription billing unless there is a system to do it for them?
Subscription management platforms offer a practical solution.
A subscription management platform manages the complexity and arms your accounting team with the tools it needs to bill, collect, manage, and analyze your subscription business. Once the software is properly configured and set up, your accounting team will have very little to do. With a robust recurring billing platform in place, for example, the average customer will receive 30 to 50 communications annually without any human intervention on the part of your accounting team.
Advanced subscription software automation tools allow a business to customize all customer communications such as failed payments, expired credit cards, or past due invoices.
Leading subscription management platforms also provide self-service portals so your customers can update payment methods, view invoices, or buy more services.
Additionally, reporting dashboards on these platforms can provide immediate insights into key subscription metrics. With the ability to track churn and acquisition rates businesses can optimize service offerings for maximum subscription revenue growth.
Revenue leakage, revenue recovery, customer experiences and user experiences all pose significant challenges as a business is trying to scale. However, all these complications can be mitigated when a business engages a proven subscription management and billing platform to automate its processes.
Peter is the VP of Sales at Fusebill. He is a senior business executive with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Peter is skilled in negotiation, business planning, sales, contact centers, and management.


If you're anything like most people, you probably enjoy eating out. Who doesn't like to eat out? Someone else makes your food and oftentimes it's better than the stuff you make at home! The downside however is that eating out costs a lot more than cooking for yourself at home. But enjoying a meal out of the house doesn't have to break your bank. Here are some tips to follow to help cut down on restaurant expenses without having to give up one of your favorite pastimes.
Go to restaurants.com and look for restaurants in your area that participate in their $25 Gift Certificate program. Restaurants.com offers $25 off a bill of $35 or more for many of your local favorite eateries. They charge $10 to acquire one of these coupons but the coupons are often on sale for 70% or 80% off. This means you pay $2 or $3 dollars to get $25 knocked off your bill of $35 or more. A nice dinner for two with an appetizer usually runs around $35 at most restaurants. With restaurants.com, that price goes down to around $10-$15.
Remember though to tip your server based on the total bill, not the post-coupon bill.
Portions in the American diet are huge. You can literally cut your dining expenses in half by learning to eat a little less and share an entréwith your date or friend. Not only does this save a ton of money, but it also helps you cut out excessive calories from your diet. Almost every entréin almost every American restaurant is more food than anyone should eat it one sitting. Share your entréor box half of it up for a future leftovers before even taking your first bite. This will do wonders for your wallet and waistline!
Most restaurants usually offer a really great special at least one night per week. If you have a Blackberry or an iPhone or any other cellular device capable of saving text documents, start keeping track of restaurant specials in your area. Categorize them by day of the week. For example, you might notice that Richie's has by one entréget another half off on Mondays. So file that below Monday. Next time you're going out to eat on a Monday, you can consult your handy file and figure out where the discounted offerings can be found.
Some higher-end restaurants are not very high-end at all early in the evening. Try heading to dinner a little early to get the early bird or happy hour special. You can find entrees or appetizers for $10 that become $25 a mere hour later. The exact same thing for less than half the price it will be by the time you finish eating it! Happy hour specials are another great thing to record in a document on your phone.