text:
Q: PowerShell command not working First question:
Get-Mailbox abc@win.com | FL IsLinked

it gives me the result False, which is true because my mailbox is not linked, but when I tried this:
[bool] Get-Mailbox abc@win.com | FL IsLinked

it returns True. I can't understand why this happens.
Second question is related to SSL certificate validation:
Get-ChildItem -Path Cert:\localMachine\My | Test-Certificate -Policy SSL

which reports that Test-Certificate is not recognized as a cmdlet, or script or operable program.
Third one is related to Get-WebconfigurationPropery command: I am trying to get authentication mode of website hosted in IIS.
Get-WebConfigurationProperty -Filter //authentication/files -PSPath 'IIS:\Sites\Default Web Site'

It returns nothing.

A: Casting to bool
The problem is that you are casting the result of Format-List IsLinked to bool, not the value of the IsLinked property. When casting to bool then nothing, 0 or false returns $false, while anything else returns true. Format-List ouputs IsLinked: false which is "any output" and because of that the cast to bool returns $true.
Example:
$obj = [pscustomobject]@{ IsLinked = $false }

#Show the objects in a list, but only the IsLinked-property
$obj | Format-List IsLinked
IsLinked : False

#Cast output from format-list .. to bool..
[bool]$obj | Format-List IsLinked
True

What you want is to just read the property using one of the solutions below
(Get-Mailbox abc@win.com).IsLinked
Get-Mailbox abc@win.com | Select-Object -ExpandProperty IsLinked
Get-Mailbox abc@win.com | Foreach-Object { $_.IsLinked }

Test-Certificate
This cmdlet was introduced in PowerShell 4.0 in Windows 8. You need to use Windows 8 or later as it is not included in PowerShell 4.0+ for Windows 7 AFAIK.
IIS authentication mode
See example on Get-WebConfiguration @ TechNet

EXAMPLE 1: Querying authentication settings
IIS:\>Get-WebConfiguration system.webServer/security/authentication/* 'IIS:\sites\Default Web Site' -Recurse |
where {$_.enabled -eq 'true'} |
format-list

This example queries for all authentication settings specified under
  the Default Web Site.

A: Dot the property:
 [bool] (Get-Mailbox abc@win.com).IsLinked
Second question: Works fine for me.
Overall, would be better, to create/check questions seperately. Also give some Information about the Scenario.


This day was a travel day, so there really isn't much to report. We took the bullet train from Kyoto to Shinjuku Station (which is apparently the busiest station in the world by passenger volume). There are layers upon layers of train tracks in this station and it can be quite overwhelming.
Shinjuku station is in the heart of a busy shopping area which makes sense since thousands of people pass by and through there every day. I personally didn't like it at all, but for those who enjoy hustle and bustle, it is a place worth checking out.
The Airbnb was a 15-minute walk away or an 11-minute cab ride. I mean the difference was only 4 minutes – and I figured seeing the cool shops along the way would be amazing. That was a big mistake. The streets can get super crowded and wheeling a suitcase along with you is no easy task!
The Airbnb was on the third floor of a little building and tiny-tiny. The room was MAYBE 80 square feet (probably smaller), but in it was a double bed, fridge, little desk, closet (with an iron, ironing board), and another little storage apparatus with plates and cups. I was shocked that so much could fit into a small room. Pretty efficient for the space given I must say. The bathroom was super tiny too and there was no stove. Not a big deal since I wasn't in Japan to cook.
I think most Japanese eat out for a majority of their meals.
Anyhow, after settling in it was time to check out the Shinjuku scene. A stroll along the main streets gave us a flavour for the area. The famous robot cafe is in Shinjuku along with other really cool attractions like VR cafes and tasty eats. There are also tonnes of strip clubs if that is your thing!
Is staying in Shinjuku worth it?
Depending on how long you are in Tokyo and what you plan on doing, I think staying in the major tourist areas is a personal choice. I wouldn't do it again only because I don't care for the hustle and bustle and spent a lot of time traveling around Tokyo and to other cities. I feel like you would be better off staying really close to a JR train station in another part of town so commuting is easy.
You could easily stay in a more suburban location and travel to the city centre and spend the day there. the transportation system in Japan and Tokyo, in general, is so easy to use and efficient that there is no need to stay in the heart of it all.
If you are only staying in Tokyo for a week and have no plans to go anywhere else in the country then staying in Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Roppongi makes sense.
In a metropolitan area of 37 million people, I was shocked to find that it was so QUIET! I thought that sleeping in Shinjuku would be difficult because of the noise. I was wrong! It was dead quiet almost all the time. No loud music, no shouting, neighbors, no cars honking. Peaceful and serene. I live in Canada and I have to admit that Tokyo is much less noisy than any place I have stayed in Vancouver (2 million people), Toronto (5 million people), or even where I live, Calgary (1.2 million people). I think that in a city with such a dense population it is imperative that people are respectful and quiet. Otherwise, how could anyone live there? I also think it is ingrained baked into their culture to be respectful and quiet. I only heard a car horn 3 times the whole time I was in Japan. Amazing!
This is the complete opposite of North America. Even though I grew up in Canada, I love everything about people keeping to themselves and being soundless. I personally enjoy the silence. It could be because I am a mom and rarely get a moment of peace haha.
Anyway, I have nothing else to say about Day one in Tokyo. Talk soon!


text:
Alpacas, goat show are among the Wisconsin State Fair's new attractions in 2019
Jim Higgins
Wisconsin State Fair's newest stars are the kind of performers known for an occasional spit take.
The fair is adding an alpaca area, including an educational display, just south of the Compeer Financial Discovery Barnyard.
Several of State Fair's other new additions and changes for 2019 have a younger generation of fairgoers in mind:
The fair has extended its All for One Swine Show concept to include goats in 2019. People from ages 8 through 17 with an intellectual disability will be paired with two youth mentors and either a pig or a goat to show the show animals. The Swine Show will take place Aug. 1, the Goat Show on Aug. 3. Deadline for requesting to be part of a show is July 25. For info and an entry form, visit wistatefair.com/competitions/all-for-one.
The "Autism, Art, and Animals" exhibit will be on display Aug. 1-4 in the lobby of the Exposition Center. These illustrations and images were created by students from 8 through 18 on the autism spectrum who take part in programs with Islands of Brilliance, a local nonprofit.
State Fair has expanded its summer reading partnerships to public libraries in the Monarch system, including ones in Dodge, Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Washington counties. As children in Milwaukee, Jefferson and Waukesha counties already know, children who record their summer reading can earn free State Fair tickets. Check with your local library for details.
The interactive, educational exhibit formerly known as House of Moo is now called the Dairy Lane Exhibit. Sponsored by the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board, it is the southeast end of the Lower Cattle Barn.
Contact Jim Higgins at jim.higgins@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jhiggy.
Save on 2019 Wisconsin State Fair tickets with discount deals in advance and at the gate State Fair 2019: 11 top concerts include Old Dominion, Rick Springfield and more Bug Tacos, Snake Soup and more: State Fair adds 66 new food and drink items This family goes to State Fair. Every year. Every day. For at least 16 years. The Wisconsin State Fair has arrived. Here's what you need to know.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dutch Queen Beatrix arrived in Turkey Wednesday for a two-day visit this week; the Dutch monarch will visit the Turkish capital of Ankara as well as the commercial hub of Istanbul between June 13 and 15.
The visit is part of the celebrations marking 400 years of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey.
It's the second time that Queen Beatrix has visited Turkey in the past five years; earlier this year Turkish President Abdullah Gül made a state visit to the Netherlands in April and this trip is in response to the Turkish state visit.
Queen Beatrix praised Turkey for the glorious past and the important role Turkey currently plays in the region and the world during the Turkish President last visit to the Netherlands.
Turkey is a stable factor in a turbulent region where existing powers and relationships are challenged, said the queen to Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Turkey is an example and inspiration for many people, said Queen Beatrix.
Turkish President Abdullah Gül and his spouse Hayrunnisa Gül were set to welcome Queen Beatrix at the Çankaya Presidential Residence in Ankara late yesterday. The president was also scheduled host a dinner in honor of the visiting queen. Queen Beatrix is scheduled to proceed to Istanbul today to meet with Turkish university students and scholars over lunch.
Queen Beatrix said she is very happy to be in Turkey for the festive celebrations of 400 years of diplomatic relations.


The Knesset saluted female IDF soldiers on Tuesday, with a series of committee meetings and events, but the special day was accompanied by controversy over a refusal by Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and Gender Equality chairwoman Aida Touma-Sliman (Joint List) to have her committee take part.
Two weeks ago, MKs Merav Ben- Ari (Kulanu), Shuli Moalem-Refaeli (Bayit Yehudi) and Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid) wrote to Touma-Sliman asking her to have her committee hold a meeting in honor of the day dedicated to female IDF soldiers.
"This important subject, combining military, educational and welfare issues is appropriate for the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women," they wrote.
In light of Touma's refusal to hold such meetings in the past, the three MKs offered that they replace her at the head of the panel for the duration of the discussion.
MK Anat Berko (Likud), who initiated the day in honor of female soldiers, first complained in April that Touma-Sliman refused to hold meetings relating to women in the IDF, unless they have to do with sexual harassment.
Asked why she did not sign the other MKs' letter, Berko said it should be "obvious" that Touma- Sliman is supposed to hold meetings about female soldiers in her committee, even without a request in writing.
Hundreds of female IDF soldiers and officers took part in the central event, titled "Women of Valor," featured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Supreme Court President Miriam Naor, and high-ranking women in the IDF.
The prime minister commended female soldiers and police officers who saved lives in recent terrorist attacks, including Hadar Cohen who was killed at the Damascus Gate last year.
Edelstein, who is Orthodox, called on religious-Zionist rabbis to stop discouraging women from enlisting in the IDF.
"You should do the opposite: Strengthen them, encourage them to serve the country in the most significant way that they choose, and give them your blessing.
Do not deny this beautiful reality, be proud of these girls, our soldiers," he said.
In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in the amount of religious women choosing to serve in the IDF. Orthodox women can automatically receive an exemption, and many who attend religious- Zionist schools choose to do civilian service, instead.


Joseph Cavalieri is a stained glass artist. Among his works are illustrations of The Gormenghast novels, several panels based on physical culture ads of the 1950s, and a series depicting scenes from "The Missing Episode" of The Simpsons, such as The Countryman and the Serpent, The Death in the Playground, and Funeral for a Friend. via nag on the lake.
This Missing Episode series, huh? What is that a reference to? My google skills have deserted me.
The strangest Simpsons artwork yet.
I enjoyed the juxtaposition of "Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license" right above the Sold stickers.
"Perfectly fitting into the Indian caste system, Cavalieri organized Wonder Women and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man ontop, followed by a row of Twinkies, then Apu and Manjula. Least important are the magnolia flowers and crushed baby Maggie. "
Wow, that is indeed brilliant. I only wish I could see a bigger image.
I'm kind of let down by the fact that these are less stained glass than stained glass with stuff drawn on with enamel. If they were really, wholly stained glass, I'd love them.
Also, the physique one is more than a little reminiscent of Gilbert & George done, shall we say, less well.
Still looking for a stained glass interpretation of the window in this novel.


text:
Capital City Fellows Application Process
Application Period: August 27, 2021 – September 17, 2021
This fellowship will close when we have received 60 applications which may be sooner than the closing date.
The Capital City Fellows Program (CCFP) is a mayoral initiative to attract recent graduates of master's degree programs in public administration, public policy, urban planning, social work and related fields to work for the city of Washington, DC. Candidates compete for 18-month fellowship appointments during which they may complete three six-month rotations in different city agencies or three different departments in the same agency, including:
District Department of Human Resources
District Department of Transportation
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
In addition to on-the-job training in their host agencies, our Fellows are given unique opportunities to meet with high-level city officials; participate in educational and professional development training and seminars; and the Individual Development Plan Self-Assessment. Our program prepares Fellows to meet the challenges of local government public service and develops management talent for the city. Fellows will begin their service in October 2021 and are selected through a competitive application process.
Brief Description of Duties: Capital City Fellows will perform a variety of assignments that are designed specifically to enhance the Fellow's public service values, leadership skills, and managerial abilities in areas that relate to the mission of their assigned agency. Fellows will participate in required Capital City Fellows Program (CCFP) activities including, but not limited to, seminars, policy briefings, brown bag lunches, site visits, and hearings. Fellows will complete CCFP assignments including, among other things, biweekly reports, presentations to other Fellows, agency, and CCFP-specific Individual Development Plans (IDPs), and program evaluations.
Qualifications: Ideal candidates for the Capital City Fellows program will have the following skills, including, but not limited to:
Strong analytical and research skills
Ability to work independently and lead significant projects from inception to completion
Ability to communicate complex program, policy, or financial information to diverse stakeholders
Conduct research and analyze labor market information to inform the design and evaluation of workforce development strategies and manage the implementation of strategies.
Ability to coordinate, facilitate, and lead efforts towards greater collaboration and program delivery with agency partners, community organizations, and interagency working groups
Strong project management abilities and
Excellent organizational skills
Salary Range: Capital City Fellows receive an initial appointment in the Excepted Service pay schedule (ES-0301-4) with a salary range between $60,000.00 and $75,000.00 for the first year with a 4 percent increase in the second-year contingent upon a satisfactory performance rating and funding.
Employment Benefits: This is a "time- limit," Excepted Service Appointment Not-to-Exceed 18 months. Selectee will be eligible for health and life insurance, annual (vacation) and sick leave and will be covered under the District of Columbia government's retirement plan. However, if selectee was previously employed in the District of Columbia government under an appointment for which he/she was eligible for Civil Service Retirement (CSR), contributors to CSR will resume upon reemployment. Relocation expenses will not be paid.
To be eligible to participate in the Capital City Fellows Program, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Must have a master's degree or have completed a master's degree by October 2021
Ideal candidates have graduated within the last two years
3.5 GPA required, 3.0 required for J.D.
US Citizen or Legal Non-Citizen Resident status
Required to live in the District of Columbia within 180 days of appointment
Preference will be given to District Residents. You must be able to meet the Domicile Requirements at time of selection. (Domicile Requirement document)
Online Application Process is open from August 27, 2021 – September 17, 2021
For additional information about the Capital City Fellows Program, please contact the DCHR Center for Learning and Development at (202) 442-9700, or via email at [email protected]. You may also visit our Capital City Fellows Program Facebook Page or twitter.com/CapCityFellows


Whitout being aware of the truck became a very important vehicle advice since the first, truck is used to containing the weighty goods and in use by development companies, but right now truck also become a symbol of masculinity for men. Now many models, the transformation of truck, for example is Suv. Trucks or car of type or suv models are now begining to be enjoyed by a lot of people. With a handsome appearance, big and formidable performances and also a cool body, suv became the glance of many buyers to enjoy the comfort while driving it. Many companies have already issued certain suv suits.
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text:
Q: S3 putObject fails using aws-sdk It's driving me crazy, any help would be much appreciated!
To set up my bucket in S3 I followed http://www.cheynewallace.com/uploading-to-s3-with-angularjs/
Regarding this post I made following "improvements" by extended the policy with a wildcard and giving more rights
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
    {
        "Effect": "Allow",
        "Action": [
            "s3:DeleteObject",
            "s3:DeleteObjectVersion",
            "s3:GetObject",
            "s3:GetObjectAcl",
            "s3:GetObjectTorrent",
            "s3:GetObjectVersion",
            "s3:GetObjectVersionAcl",
            "s3:GetObjectVersionTorrent",
            "s3:PutObject",
            "s3:PutObjectAcl",
            "s3:PutObjectVersionAcl"
        ],
        "Resource": [
            "arn:aws:s3:::photos-eu/*"
        ]
    }
]
}

and added < ExposeHeader>ETag< /ExposeHeader > to the Cors settings of the bucket
Then my angular service using the aws-sdk look like
/// <reference path="../../../typings/tsd.d.ts" />

module Services {

  export interface IS3UploadService {
    upload(imgName:string, imgData:string):ng.IPromise<{}>;
  }

  export class S3UploadService implements IS3UploadService {

static $inject = ['$q'];

private bucket:AWS.S3;

constructor(private $q:ng.IQService) {
  var credentials = new AWS.Credentials("myAccessKeyId", "mySecretAccessKey");
  AWS.config.update(credentials);
  AWS.config.region = "eu-west-1";

  this.bucket = new AWS.S3({params: {Bucket: 'peterparker-photos-eu', maxRetries: 10, region: "eu-west-1"}});

}

upload(imgName:string, imgData:string):ng.IPromise<{}> {
  var deferred = this.$q.defer();

  var params:AWS.s3.PutObjectRequest = {
    Bucket: "peterparker-photos-eu",
    Key: imgName,
    Body: imgData,
    ContentType: "image/jpeg",
    ContentEncoding: "Base64"
  };

  this.bucket.putObject(params, (err:any, data:any) => {
    if (err) {
      console.error("->" + JSON.stringify(err));
      deferred.reject(err);
    } else {
      console.info(data);
      deferred.resolve(data);
    }
  });

  return deferred.promise;
}

  }
}

angular.module('App')
  .service('S3UploadService', Services.S3UploadService);

For my test purpose, I push in the imgData an img encoded as Base64, something like "/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgAAZABkA...." (of course a valid image converted with http://base64-image.de)
And as result, each time I try, I've got following error
{"line":25,"column":24996,"sourceURL":"http://localhost:8100/lib/aws-sdk/dist/aws-sdk.min.js","message":"The request signature we calculated does not match the signature you provided. Check your key and signing method.","code":"SignatureDoesNotMatch","region":null,"time":"2016-06-08T15:12:09.945Z","requestId":null,"statusCode":403,"retryable":false,"retryDelay":60.59883770067245}
So much fun...
Update headers:
General
Request URL:https://peterparker-photos-eu.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/1465408512724.jpg
Request Method:PUT
Status Code:403 Forbidden
Remote Address:54.231.131.16:443

Response headers
Access-Control-Allow-Methods:HEAD, GET, PUT, POST, DELETE
Access-Control-Allow-Origin:*
Access-Control-Expose-Headers:ETag, x-amz-meta-custom-header
Connection:close
Content-Type:application/xml
Date:Wed, 08 Jun 2016 17:55:20 GMT
Server:AmazonS3
Transfer-Encoding:chunked
Vary:Origin, Access-Control-Request-Headers, Access-Control-Request-        Method
x-amz-id-...
x-amz-request-id:...

Request Headers
Accept:*/*
Accept-Encoding:gzip, deflate, sdch, br
Accept-Language:fr-FR,fr;q=0.8,en-US;q=0.6,en;q=0.4,de;q=0.2
Authorization:AWS ...
Connection:keep-alive
Content-Encoding:Base64
Content-Length:38780
Content-MD5:...
Content-Type:image/jpeg; charset=UTF-8
Host:peterparker-photos-eu.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com
Origin:http://localhost:8100
Referer:http://localhost:8100/?ionicplatform=ios
User-Agent:Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_11_5)             AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/51.0.2704.79 Safari/537.36
X-Amz-Date:Wed, 08 Jun 2016 17:55:20 GMT
X-Amz-User-Agent:aws-sdk-js/2.3.18

Request payload
Img base64 code

Update
Even by trying to upload a non Base64 content it finish with the same error
var paramsHtml:AWS.s3.PutObjectRequest = {
    Bucket: "peterparker-photos-eu",
    Key: "HelloWorld.html",
    Body: "The Body",
    ContentType: "text/html"
  };

Update #2
I moved to a solution with a signed URL generated by my node js server as described in following solution, still got the same error as result...but I least I try ;)
upload file from angularjs directly to amazon s3 using signed url

A: Freak I finally find the solution or at least a solution.
After migrating my client aws-sdk based solution to a solution where the server generate a signedUrl I was still facing the same error. Short story long, it fixed the problem by setting in both side the Content-type for the header.
My code if someone face the same problem one day:
Server Node.js
var AWS = require('aws-sdk');

AWS.config.update({accessKeyId: "myKey", secretAccessKey: "mySecret"});
AWS.config.region = 'eu-west-1';

app.post('/api/images', securityPolicy.authorise, function (req, res) {

var s3 = new AWS.S3();

var imgName = req.body.imgName;
var contentType = req.body.contentType;

// Expires in seconds
var params = {Bucket: 'photos-eu', Key: imgName, Expires: 600, ContentType: contentType};
s3.getSignedUrl('putObject', params, function (err, url) {
    if (err) {
        res.status(500).json({
            error: "Presigned S3 url for putObject can't be created. " + JSON.stringify(err)
        });
    } else {
        res.json({url: url});
    }
});
});

Client angular:

*

*First or course there is the part to call the node server, obvious POST to my server

And then the second part processing the signedURL
private uploadToS3(preSignedUrl:string, imgData:string):ng.IPromise<{}> {
  var deferred = this.$q.defer();

  // Post image to S3
  this.$http({
    method: 'PUT',
    url: preSignedUrl,
    headers: {'Content-Type': 'image/jpeg'},
    data: imgData
  })
    .then((response:any) => {
      console.log("Image uploaded to S3" + JSON.stringify(response));

      deferred.resolve();

    }, (response:any) => {
      console.log("Error Presigned URL" + JSON.stringify(response));
      deferred.reject(response);
    });

  return deferred.promise;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Cleveland's Christa Ebert is a one-woman choir. As Uno Lady, she's dazzled, confounded, and delighted audiences since 2007 with loop-based compositions for voice, found sounds, and effects pedals. Her avant-garde pop tunes combine doo-wop harmonies and ethereal soundscapes with layered and processed vocals, which range from a smoky tenor to operatic outbursts of melody.
In this performance of "Underground" she uses the Bows' treble mode with the Afterneath and Disaster Transport SR to craft an ambient, slightly overdriven wordless backing vocal that sits tight in the mix before adding the melody. From her DIY suitcase podium, she builds layer upon intertwining layer of call-and-response vocal patterns that lift off into a dreamlike fugue state before engaging the Avalanche Run at the song's end, using the reverse function to bring it all tumbling down, down to the "underground" of the song's namesake.
Uno Lady's album Amateur Hour is available now.
For more Uno Lady, check out this hilarious video for "Bikini Weeding!"


text:
Overtime on Tips Question Resolved in Industry's Favor
Linda Jagiela
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A November 2012 ruling from the U.S. Department of Labor went a long way in clarifying the difference between imposed charges, which are viewed as wages subject to overtime, and tips, which are discretionary and are not subject to overtime.
The distinction brought a long-sought answer for limousine operators on when a tip is considered mandatory and when it is deemed discretionary.
The message from the DOL was essentially that in order for a tip to be a tip, operators must inform their clients in several ways that the suggested tip is discretionary and not compulsory, and can be raised or lowered or eliminated entirely depending on the level of service provided. It is also critical that chauffeurs are paid their tips in full by their next pay period.
"This is the single most significant victory in the history of the National Limousine Association," explains Scott Solombrino, owner of Boston-based Dav El Chauffeured Transportation Network and co-chair of the NLA's Legislative Committee. "Had the Department of Labor not reconsidered our arguments as to why our industry should not be subject to overtime on tips, [at least] 6,000 operators would have been in jeopardy of audits that could have included interest, penalties, and civil lawsuits from current and past employees. The only way we were able to succeed was through the relentless efforts of the NLA's member contacts to Congress, the efforts of our lobbying firm, Cornerstone Government Affairs, the NLA's legal team at Keller and Heckman and outside counsel Peter Moser, and the NLA's Legislative Committee having the political clout to convince the Department of Labor to take the time and carefully review our position."
Breaking Down the Issue
The issue at hand was whether overtime for chauffeurs should include the invoiced gratuity. The DOL contended that if operators automatically included a tip on a client's bill, it would be considered a service charge and not a gratuity, and thus subject to overtime. DOL believed there was no discretion in the above described transaction. The key to NLA's argument was that with most operators there is indeed discretion on tips. The industry provided the DOL with hundreds of invoices, contracts, and examples of where tips were discretionary to the customer.
For transportation companies with corporate accounts, the DOL position would have been a nightmare in not only calculating overtime but also in billing the client. Additionally, if audited, damages could go back three years including penalties and interest. The simple remedy for the industry would have been for companies to no longer include tips on a customer's bill and cause drivers to fend for themselves on tips. Unfortunately, without lucrative tips, many chauffeurs may have migrated from the luxury-for-hire transportation industry to other jobs.
The Department of Labor sent a letter to the NLA which confirmed that they will not take an inflexible approach that invoiced gratuities can never be tips. Instead, according to the NLA, they have adopted an "it depends" approach. Basically, if the client does not have the right to raise, lower, or eliminate the tip depending on the level of service provided, the charge is viewed to be an imposed fee and not a tip. If customers can — at their own discretion — increase, decrease, or remove the gratuity, then it is a tip. The chauffeur will need to receive the entire tip amount and the client must be made aware of their ability to raise, lower or remove it.
Leading Up to the Ruling
Those industry members who have attended the NLA's annual Days on the Hill know how much work goes into planning and scheduling appointments with the right people. Through the years of walking the halls of Congress, the NLA and its members are a recognized entity in Washington, D.C. This issue has been on the forefront for over two years. Cornerstone Government Affairs, the NLA's lobbying firm, has been relentless since last year's Day on the Hill. The 2012 Day on the Hill included a meeting with the DOL to discuss the overtime on tips issue and to make the appeal that if invoiced tips were deemed to be wages versus tips, the limousine industry business model would have been in jeopardy and chauffeurs' incomes would be hurt.
Richard Kane, owner of International Limousine Service Inc. in Washington, D.C. and co-chair of the NLA Legislative Committee, says, "The meeting at the 2012 Day on the Hill with the DOL was very disappointing. We had to go back to the drawing board to better educate the DOL so that it understood the nature of our business and what our clients are expecting from us. We needed to explain to the DOL that often the paying customer and passenger [are] two different people. Customers want the gratuity on the bill for their convenience. Helping DOL understand the complexities of how transportation companies conduct business allowed them to take a second look and find a solution under the circumstances."
Following NLA Day on the Hill, the NLA supplemented its legal team with noted labor attorney Peter Moser who accompanied NLA leaders to a follow-up meeting with the DOL. After a series of meetings and providing significant follow-on materials to the DOL, the industry was rewarded with results.
"We made an excellent case to DOL and all of our documentation backed up our position," NLA President Diane Forgy says. "The industry now has a much clearer path for remaining compliant on this issue."
Country Club Crux
A key central element involved in the favorable ruling was a 1996 DOL opinion letter related to private clubs. Its premise was that club members could prescribe a set tip amount to automatically be added to all of a member's club transactions. Despite being added automatically, the tip was a tip because the amount was set by the club member. This opinion letter helped strengthen the NLA's argument that tips are tips as long as the customer still maintains the right to add, lower, or remove that gratuity. The similarities between the chauffeured transportation industry and country clubs are striking. Clients set up an account and allow their guests to make purchases on that account. For example, if a club member has clients playing golf at his country club, he would not expect his client to pay the gratuity out of pocket while the member is footing the bill for the golf. The same goes for luxury transportation. Often, transportation service is provided for clients or guests and the payer does not want their clients or guests to have to deal with or even think about how the bill is being paid. The invoiced gratuity is a convenience to the client and is set between the transportation company and the paying client when the account was arranged.
What Was at Risk?
Generally, it is understood that if operators are not able to bill tips to customers, then chauffeurs would make less money. Companies would have changed their pricing policies to eliminate the gratuity. Essentially this would increase the exposure to unreliable gratuity situations and many chauffeurs would either make less money or exit the industry.
Gary Buffo, owner of Pure Luxury Limousine in Petaluma, Calif., and first vice president on the NLA Board of Directors, believes that this is a major win for the industry. "Clients have always had the discretion to take out the gratuity," he says. "Our industry is operating on such small margins as it is. There isn't enough profit in a job to add to it. What the NLA did was take the lead on resolving a problem and saving the industry a great deal of heartache. This ruling not only helps us but it also helps our chauffeurs."
How Do You Protect Yourself Moving Forward?
The DOL ruling is only a guideline. Companies will need to do their own legwork to protect themselves. In their letter to the NLA, the DOL cited case law and previous DOL opinions which they used to determine their interpretation. That letter as well as the NLA guidance (see URL links below) should be shared with an attorney who is well versed in the labor law in each operator's individual state and make sure that the language used on all written and verbal communications with clients meets the requirements of that state. Operators should speak to a qualified attorney who understands how it applies to federal and state wage and hour rules.
It is imperative that billed chauffeured clients are aware that the included tip is completely at their discretion and can be added to, lowered, or removed at any time by them.
"The NLA was the only national organization that took up this issue for the chauffeured transportation industry," Kane says. "We were passionate about this issue because a negative result would have [hurt] all of our members working under any operating model. We received a good guidance tool for the future from the DOL."
DOL letter: http://www.limo.org/Upload/news/DOL%20Letter.pdf
Q&A advisory: http://www.limo.org/Upload/news/q&a.pdf
Related Topics: chauffeur gratuities, Dawson Rutter, Department of Labor, Diane Forgy, DOL issues, employee wages, federal regulations, Gary Buffo, National Limousine Association, Richard Kane, Scott Solombrino
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Michael Campos
| about 7 years ago
Thanks mb, we fixed the link :)
GCLA Focuses On Labor Laws At First Meeting Of 2020
Fresh off California's AB5 passage, the trade group now goes deeper into what the new rules mean for ground transportation operations.
CA Lawmaker: TNCs 'Cut Costs At Workers' Expense'
The ride-hailing structure depends on the gig economy, where workers are hired as subcontractors rather than employees with full-time benefits.
NY Strikes Deal On Limo Seat Belts After Crash
New York law does not now require stretches to have seat belts in the back seat.
What Is Uber's Secret Project To Bolster Case Against AB5?
The TNC is attempting to push back against a California law aimed at turning independent contractors into employees.
California Operators Close Out A Breakthrough Year
The Greater California Livery Association's annual holiday event took on a more festive tone as the industry stands to benefit from measures that will ease business operations.
The Nuances Of Confronting Sexual Harassment
Be careful how your company presents and implements a "Zero Tolerance" policy.
Uber's London Ban Marks Global Backlash For TNCs
The company and its rivals disrupted ground transport, riding on a lack of regulation. Now, regulators are closing in.
GCLA Readies For Its Big Event Of The Year
The state association with the heft of a national one will host operators from around California and the nation on Dec. 3.
NJ Fines Uber $650 Million Over Driver Classification
The Department of Labor reportedly has been trying to get unpaid employment taxes from the TNC going back as far as 2015.
Adequate Seats, Belts May Have Saved Lives In NY Crash
Despite severe damage, rear portions of the passenger compartment remained relatively intact, maintaining space for occupants to survive.
Gig Worker Fight Moves To New York Battleground
Legislators are looking at a new California law that is receiving pushback from Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash.
Nebraska Considers Liquor License Rules For Party Buses
Owners believe it's just another hurdle since they're already registered with the public service commission and DOT.
Uber, Lyft Launch Campaign To Avoid California Rules
The TNCs want voters to give them a break after the historic passing of AB 5.
Vehicle Neglect, Bad Brakes To Blame For Limo Crash
A newly released report along with court documents provides more details about the accident.
Chicago TNC Fees Would Be Highest In Nation
If the City Council approves a proposed $3 tax on solo ridehail trips downtown, the city would top all others in the U.S.


The model is run four times a day: 00Z, 06Z, 12Z, and 18Z. Each run starts with 9-, 6- and 3-hour hindcasts and produces forecasts of every 3 hours from the initial time out to 180 hours.
The hurricane wave model consists of global and regional nested grids. As background information, a list of selected references and a chronological list of model changes are available.


text:
POLICY INSIGHT
Arrow to the Heart of Inequality
| By Chad Stone
Our series of posts this week describing trends in income inequality has prompted a natural question: what has caused the sharp rise in inequality over the past three decades or so? The causes are complex and not fully understood, but via Mark Thoma, a good place to start is a new essay by Nobel Prize-winning economist Kenneth Arrow. Arrow acknowledges the standard economic explanations, based on the impact of technological advances and globalization:
Skilled industrial jobs have disappeared, while growing information services require a different set of skills. This shift has undoubtedly been augmented by globalization, which has resulted in considerable imports of manufactured goods. The weakening of unions is in good measure attributable to the relative decline in manufacturing, where unionization is easier.
He also points to the "steady attack on the use of the tax system as a means of equalizing income," citing the steep drop in the top marginal income tax rate in recent decades and the weakening of the estate tax. In addition, Arrow notes that "Contemporaneous with the decline of manufacturing has been the increase of two service industries, finance and health. Profits from the finance sector, which historically have been about 10 percent of all profits, have risen to an extraordinary 40 percent." And while Gordon Gekko's "greed is good" mantra may well apply to the normal competitive process, which tends to raise standards of living more broadly, it does not apply to today's finance industry:
After all, the search for improvement in technology, and consequently in the general standards of living, is motivated by greed. When the market system works properly, greed is tempered by competition. Hence, most of the gains from innovation and good service cannot be retained by the providers....
But the products of the finance and health industries are individualized and complex. The consumer cannot seriously evaluate them — a situation that economists call "asymmetric information." … In these circumstances, greed becomes more relevant. There arises an obligation to present the relevant information as fully as possible, an obligation that has been violated in the financial industry.
The piece as a whole is well worth reading.
Poverty and Inequality, Inequality Trends, Family Income Support
Chad Stone
PreviousGreenstein on the Perils of a Balanced Budget Amendment
NextExploring Income Inequality, Part 4: More on the Widening of Inequality Since the 1970s
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text:
Chase Winter |Deutsche Welle
UN warns of atrocities in South Sudan
Continued conflict in South Sudan has forced 52,000 people to flee to Uganda in January alone, the UN said. Killings of civilians, rapes and the destruction of homes and property have been reported.
More than 52,000 South Sudanese fled to Uganda in January amid continued fighting that risks turning into a mass atrocity, the UN's special adviser on genocide prevention said Tuesday.
Many of those who have fled reported killings of civilians, the destruction of homes, sexual violence, and the looting of livestock and property, said Adama Dieng.
"President Salva Kiir has made a commitment to end the violence and bring about peace, yet we still see ongoing clashes, and the risk that mass atrocities will be committed remains ever-present," he said in a statement.
Dieng said there was particular concern about the situation in Kajo-Keji, located south of the capital, Juba, where UN peacekeepers have faced access restrictions and civilians are fleeing en masse.
South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013, less than two years after gaining independence. The conflict arose from a rivalry between President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former deputy Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer. A peace process and a power sharing agreement have failed to take hold.
In December, the UN warned the conflict risked turning into a genocide.
Fighting has displaced more than 1.85 million people internally and sent another 1.4 million fleeing to neighboring countries. About half the population of 12 million people is in need of humanitarian aid - a number that aid agencies say could rise by 20 or 30 percent this year.
The UN warned earlier this month that fighting and disrupted humanitarian activities would likely contribute to extreme levels of food insecurity in South Sudan this year.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(c) 2017 Deutsche Welle
UN & Regional Organizations
UNICEF Calls for End to Massacre of Children and Families in Niger
UN-AU mission in Sudan's Darfur ends mandate after 13 years


If you intend to join the Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience for your doctorate, you may apply throughout the year (there are no firm application deadlines). To be eligible for the doctoral program, you must hold a MSc-, a MD- or an equivalent degree. Copies of all credentials must be validated. Transcripts or degree certificates issued in languages other than German or English must be accompanied by an official German or English translation. For detailed information on the application procedure, see 'Guidelines for Prospective & Active Doctoral Students', in particular Part I.
Structure of doctoral thesis proposal.
The receipt of your application at our office will be confirmed by e-mail.
You may also hand in your application in person to Dr. Petya Georgieva (by appointment only - address as above).


Wendy Lewis interviews CoolSculpting veteran Keith Sullivan to get the skinny on what makes ZELTIQ so unique.
Keith Sullivan is having a very good year. He was recently named Chief Commercial Officer and President of North America of ZELTIQ® Aesthetics, and launched a $45M direct to consumer program. After a meteoric rise in the company since he joined in October 2012, he is more than ready for his next challenge: helping ZELTIQ change the industry standard of what aesthetic providers can expect from medical technology companies.
Founded in 2005 in Pleasanton, California, ZELTIQ Aesthetics (ZLTQ) has been dedicated to the development of a non-invasive fat reduction empire. For anyone who has been living under a rock for the past decade, their signature technology utilizes Cryolipolysis® that was designed to target only fat cells, leaving the skin and other tissue intact. Drs. Dieter Manstein and R. Rox Anderson at the Wellman Center at Massachusetts General Hospital conducted the initial Cryolipolysis research.
In 2009, they received a CE Mark and in 2010, they got their first FDA green light. The company had a bright future and went public in October 2011, to the high hopes of early investors. Regrettably, post IPO they had a disappointing downward slope and missed their numbers for the next two quarters.
In August 2012, Mark J. Foley was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer, having previously served on the Board since 2009. At that time, CoolSculpting had 400 systems installed internationally. At that year's ASLMS meeting, dermatologist Jeffrey Dover of Skincare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, MA, who served on the medical advisory board, introduced Mr. Foley to Mr. Sullivan. As they say, the rest is history. Sullivan joined ZELTIQ on October 1, 2012 as Senior Vice President Global Sales, and 6 months later, he took over marketing as well.
In 2014, they reached their first major milestone of a cool million treatment cycles, and the following year, they hit the 2,000,000th mark. Fast forward to 2016, and over 11 years, the company has strategically grown the CoolSculpting brand to be the #1 non-invasive fat reduction procedure with 3 million cycles performed globally, leaving many other fat reduction technologies in the proverbial dust.
To date, the clinical evidence behind CoolSculpting technology has been published in more than 60 peer-reviewed abstracts and papers1.
As an aesthetics industry veteran of 28 years, Mr. Sullivan offers a fresh perspective on the device industry as a whole. 'When you look at the devices that have been put out in the field, there is a typical cadence in this industry; you develop a box, you sell it for $100,000, and three years later and you come back and try to sell the customer a new box that does basically the same thing but better. The changes in the products were just a spray paint job,' he says.
'We made our physician partners a big promise; you buy my system and we're going to drive patients to your door. ZELTIQ has actually been able to deliver on that promise,' he continues. 'We focus on providing them excellent training through our team of Practice Development Managers whose sole job is to reinforce the training methods of CoolSculpting University,' says Mr. Sullivan.
'When I look at any product, if they have one differentiator that separates them from anything else in their class, they are lucky. I think we have developed a series of unique differentiators. There have always been promises made in the industry but very few companies lived up to them. We have 17 unique differentiators while most companies try to strive for one,' he adds.
Among the CoolSculpting's most notable developments has been the addition of a team of nearly 100 Practice Development Managers who generate physician and staff training as well as patients. 'We literally drive patients to our customers' doors, within the practice and outside the practice,' says Mr. Sullivan.
CSU is a classroom facility located at the ZELTIQ mothership in Pleasanton, Calif., with a second location on the east coast in Reston, VA. It's an intense two-day curriculum. Mr. Sullivan estimates that 30% of attendees are physicians, and the rest are nurses, aestheticians, and techs who typically perform the treatments.
When a practice buys the system, it's normally part of the package, which is a value of $1,500 per class per person. They also invite existing customers to come. 'If you attend CSU, your business goes up 90%; it virtually doubles. That's how confident they are immediately,' says Mr. Sullivan. Each class holds 40 people and they are typically sold out 90 days in advance in each of the three classes held per month on each coast. 'Now we're taking that concept globally in all regions in the world. When people come out of there, they are very confident about performing the treatment and getting good results,' he adds.
Mr. Sullivan believes that the staff is the best advertising a practice can have, and they give away treatments to staff. The PDMs work with the practices and train the staff on how to answer the phone and talk to patients when they are assessing them.
According to him, the biggest success is from Cool Event patient seminars within the practice by segmenting their database to target specific groups of patients, such as men, moms, and millennials. He considers it to be the most effective tool for practice growth.
The penalty is the actual cost of the treatment to the practice, which impacts the bottom line. For example, he explains, a CoolMini™ treatment costs $300 cycle and the practice is charged $150 if they follow their policy. If they choose not to follow the company's policy, and do it three times, they are charged the full list price for 6 months of $300 per cycle. In 2015 CoolSculpting had two violators, and so far in 2016, they have not had one practice that was put into the penalty box.
'We're trying to do all the things that everybody promises accounts, and we are actually doing it,' says Mr. Sullivan.
For example, a lot of companies feature co-op marketing programs, from skin care brands to injectables and devices. CoolSculpting customers get co-op dollars once they reach a certain level. 'We spent about $14M in 2015 to support our customers with their marketing campaigns, that included billboards, print ads, local TV and radio, and much more,' he said.
'Our focus in not putting a second generation system out there, but rather making the box they have more profitable by adding new applicators,' says Mr. Sullivan. That strategy is a home run, as they have consistently launched new and improved applicators to meet their customers' demands. 'Now we can go back to the same patients who have already been treated and treat them in another area,' he says.
'Another important consideration for every new device is staff training. I sent my lead nurses to CoolSculpting University shortly after I purchased my devices, which gave my team the foundation on which to build their expertise in the technology and treatment planning. It's a great training program where they learn from the company's top trainers and interact with staff from other offices to compare techniques. Plus my staff can also access videos to review procedures and techniques,' she adds.
Minimal advertised pricing is another sign of the company's commitment to customers. 'Whenever I purchase a piece of equipment, I have to be concerned about the commoditization of the procedure — low overhead spas and 'docs in the box' offices with low overheads start doing the procedure and drive the price down. CoolSculpting's Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) virtually eliminates price cutting, which protects my investment while maintaining brand integrity,' says Dr. Waldorf.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the most popular surgical procedure in 2015 was liposuction with 396,048 procedures performed, and the most popular surgery in the 35-50 as well as the 51-64 age groups2. I asked Mr. Sullivan how he thinks CoolSculpting is impacting the liposuction market.
'If a patient comes into your office and wants liposuction, we say that you should do it. We are not a competitor to liposuction. When we talk to physicians who do liposuction and also do CoolSculpting, we have found that their liposuction business actually goes up,' Mr. Sullivan says.
In fact, many plastic surgeons I talked to are big proponents of CoolSculpting and proud of it. New York City plastic surgeon David Rappaport has been performing body contouring procedures for over two decades, and jumped on the CoolSculpting revolution early on. After seeing the impressive results he was achieving with CoolSculpting since he bought his first machine in 2010, he founded Coolspa® in 2014, which has become one of New York's leading CoolSculpting providers. He now has four machines in his Park Avenue location and keeps them going most of the time.
According to Mr. Sullivan, in the U.S., approximately 70% of customers are comprised of core specialties including plastic surgery, dermatology and dermatologic surgery practices. To address the numerous requests they are getting from a wide range of other specialties such as facial surgery practices, a novel stand-alone CoolMini system was developed especially for practices that only want to treat facial areas at a lower price point.
In response to the demand to reduce the time it takes to perform a treatment, ZELTIQ launched a significant upgrade to the CoolSculpting family of treatment applicators, the 3 in 1 CoolAdvantage™ applicator launched at AAD 2016. Sullivan explains, 'By changing the shape of the applicator cup to increase direct tissue contact and lowering the temperature, the CoolAdvantage applicator delivers the same or better results in just 35 minutes, cutting the treatment time nearly in half,' says Mr. Sullivan.
2016 is poised to be a very big year for ZELTIQ. As expected, they are looking into the vast potential of expanding their indications. For example, their next targeted treatment just may be cellulite. They are looking into ways to modify the Cool Smooth PRO™ applicator that treats skin tone and texture for dermal thickening as early as 2017. According to President and CEO Mark Foley, their clinical investigators are also focusing on acne treatments by cooling the sebaceous glands, but this is on the docket for late 2018.
After enlisting supermodel/actress/mom Molly Sims as their brand ambassador in 2015, they are forking over a whopping and unprecedented $20M in the first half of 2016 on a national campaign of billboard, digital and television advertising to drive consumer awareness in four test markets. In January alone, Coolsculpting.com had 700,000 unique monthly visitors, which is triple the number from January of the previous year.


WEST FORK – Bears, deer and hog are coming out of the Ozark woods to nest in Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble and the Track Supply Co. thanks to a new magazine.
The bi-annual Arkansas Bear and Buck Journal recently signed a distribution deal with those big stores, and it's a good catch for the year-and-a-half old magazine put together in West Fork by Clay Newcomb, who also serves on the city's planning commission.
Newcomb is the editor and "I guess would be classified as the publisher of it as well." It's a reasonable description, too, since Newcomb edits the magazine, de- signs the pages and puts it all together with help of a couple other hunting enthusiasts.
The magazine's real prize, however, is the work by folks who wouldn't normally get to show the public their great hunting stories and pictures.
Thus was born the Arkansas Bear and Buck Journal, put together out of New- comb's house with the help of other volunteers eager to share stories, tips and a respectful passion for hunting. The maga- zine is a labor of love for Newcomb and the volunteer help, which includes several regular columnists covering everything from archery to conservation, along with a couple copy editors.
The other stuff, of course, is the money and production, all of which have been going the magazine's way, particularly with the new distribution deal. The magazine prints between 6,000 to 8,000 copies and sends subscriptions to more than 400 members of the Arkansas Blackbear Association … in 11 different states.
Do you have a line drawing of a profile of a black bear suitable for a quilt applique?
Wow great story and a good reflection/story for the city of West Fork.


Keep them cosy this season with one of our favourite all-in-ones for AW18.
Our latest My Baba magazine has finally landed and it's full of gorgeous summer treats, baby essentials and the latest things for mama. Click to read the latest edition here!


COMPARE BELOW A LIST OF THE BEST Islas Palomino Tours AT CHEAP LOCAL PRICES!
The Islas Palomino (Palomino Islands) are located in the Pacific Ocean in Callao, Peru and offer an array of wildlife, including Humboldt penguins, sea lions, dung birds.
people looking at Islas Palomino Tours trips at the moment.


text:
Тополи́не — ландшафтний заказник місцевого значення в Україні. Розташований у Болградському районі Одеської області, поблизу села Тополине.

Площа заказника — 68,00 га. Заказник створено на території кварталу 28 Болградського лісництва Ізмаїльського держлісгоспу. Заказник створено для охорони ділянок степу, що збереглись у відносно природному стані. На території заказника виявлено рідкісні види плазунів (полоз жовточеревий, ящірка кримська) та рідкісні види рослин. Більшу частину заказника займають штучні лісові насадження.

Заказник створено згідно з рішенням Одеської облради від 09.02.2001 року № 263-ХІІІ. Межі заказника регламентуються розпорядженням Болградської районної державної адміністрації від 02.04.2007 року № 208/А-2007.

Примітки

Ландшафтні заказники Одеської області
Природно-заповідний фонд Болградського району
Природоохоронні об'єкти, засновані 2001
Болградська міська громада

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Holladay, UT – Kirt Kershaw, president of DreamForce LLC, is announcing the release of his newest addition to Online Microsoft Office 2007 training videos: PowerPoint. Kirt is a certified Microsoft Applications Instructor of 2007 and has been a Microsoft Certified Application Specialist for 2000, XP (2002), and 2003. He is also certified with CompTIA's A+.
Kirt spends most of his time performing onsite Microsoft trainings for large companies but soon realized a need in the market place for small businesses. Small businesses couldn't rationalize the funds for onsite training when they have 2-20 small employees. Kirt saw the need for creating "educational" Microsoft Office 2007 Online Training Videos for the small businesses and people who need inexpensive training solutions.
Seeing a need he quickly went to work to produce Online Training Videos. He starts each training video by creating the outline, creating examples, recording the tutorials, editing and uploading to the internet for purchase. This process takes about 2-3 weeks to complete per video.
PowerPoint Video Level 1 costs $9.95 per computer license and offers over 4 hours of training completed by Kirt Kershaw. You will own the training videos – no monthly fees ever. Each video is recorded in Stero and 1024 x 768 screen resolution to give you easy viewing tutorials.
If you are ready for specialized training that will take your skill level to a new elevation now is the time to own PowerPoint. Purchase PowerPoint Microsoft Office 2007 Level 1 Online Training Videos for $9.95 and 4 hours of training. Take your PowerPoint presentations from boring to Spectacular with this training video.Check out all of the videos you get in your 4 hours of PowerPoint online training videos.
These videos are available by CD, Download or online viewing. They are perfect for businesses that want to buy a license per employee and have them trained in their spare time.
Additional videos available for purchase including Excel, Word, and Windows Vista can be found at videotrainingpro.com/index.html.


text:
Teen Heroes
Audio Satellite (Glue Factory Records)
Hailing from Orange County, California, this four piece power-pop band serves up music that is catchy, melodic, and full of energy. Blending a bit of punk fuel in their sound, they rocket through numbers that make you bounce, dance, and smile.
Starting off with "Who Are You?," your attention will quickly be earned as the soft cymbals and the dancing bass start to climb into the song. Soon a hooky guitar twirls into the picture, and by this time you'll be very interested in what is going to happen next. I know, because within the first thirty seconds of this disc they already had me attentively listening and waiting for them to through more juicy hooks my way. And they do. Keeping the pace energetic, they always find a hook and showcase it to the listener. "Change For The Better" lets you down a bit, with a heavy guitar playing the part of the neighbor who just opens your door and plops his butt down on your couch, treating himself to a beer and some food in your fridge, waiting for you to get home. But after two minutes they ditch the thick sliced guitar and give you a nice pop atmosphere full of hooks and catchy melodies. "Missing Piece" grabs your attention from the beginning, diving right into some bouncy pop ear candy. From there they slide into a hook and mellow out the tone of the song, leaving a soft melody to emphasize the vocals and the story they're telling as it absorbs straight into the listener. After that they turn up the volume and fill your speakers with more energy-intense melodies, but your mind is now tuned into the lyrics and the story they carry. Helping to bring the lyrics home, they throw hooks around like they were nothing, getting you to both sing along and think about everything all at once. Next up is my favorite track on the disc, "Radio Listener," a song that will be easily understood by the bands' core audience. With lines like "Your favorite bands are overplayed now, it's all because of the stupid radio. $12 for a five dollar show," you start to sympathize with the band. Relating to everything they have to say, and with lots of help from their infectious way of getting their message out, you once again start singing along with them. Another album stand out is "Neapolitan Girl," so strong and melodic you can't help but wonder how well this number would do on commercial radio. My guess is that this song could beat out a lot of the platinum selling artists for many radio shows number one slot. Ending with "Sweet Dreams: The Further Adventures Of Captain Goodnight," they sort of let the listener down with a mostly instrumental number that just doesn't have the hooks and addictiveness of their other songs.
Teen Heroes have cooked up a very addictive, enticing, and overall very powerful album at a very young stage for a band. Watch out for these guys, because they're going to be big. If majors aren't all over these "kids" in the coming months, there is something seriously wrong with them. I'll give this album an A-.
Ted Nugent: Craveman Teenage Fanclub: Man-Made


September 2008 - Operator certification was top of the list of items under discussion last month at a meeting between officials of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and industry representatives.
At the meeting held July 28 at the White House OMB offices, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) testified before a panel of OMB officials as part of an industry appeal, coordinated by the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), for OMB to approve passage of the consensus document developed by OSHA's Crane and Derricks Advisory Committee (C-DAC) in August 2004. A federal proposed rule based on C-DAC would provide a badly needed revision of the current crane requirements developed almost 40 years ago.
NCCCO Executive Director, Graham Brent, noted that twenty one (21) of the twenty three (23) members of the Cranes and Derricks Advisory Committee (C-DAC) supported the operator certification provisions of the final consensus document submitted to OSHA in August 2004. Moreover, Brent stated, the C-DAC consensus document was subsequently unanimously approved in its entirety by OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH).
He noted that an additional six states had enacted crane operator certification requirements in the four years since the C-DAC report was completed. At least six more states and several cities had introduced legislation or were in the process of drafting it.
"It's clear that nationwide mandatory crane operator certification is coming," Brent said. "The only remaining question is: Will this be a state-by-state (city-by-city, county-by-county) process, or a national program that will be uniform for employers everywhere?" Did it really make sense, he asked, for each state, county or city to repeat the work that C-DAC had already done.
Brent noted that a federal requirement for a nationally recognized process would cost employers less than state-by-state licensure that could require mobile crane operators to have 50 different licenses, or worse, if counties (like Florida's Miami-Dade) mandate their own requirements.
Without the need to purchase a state license, the cost of certification was negligible, he said, noting that CCO certification costs as little as 2¼ cents per hour per employee. "Regardless, the risk management benefits and reduced workers compensation and insurance premiums that certification brings far outweigh the costs of training and certification," Brent added.
While certification provided the proof that training had been effective (specifically, that crane operators have the requisite knowledge and skill to operate a crane safely), he pointed out that C-DAC contains no restrictions on where or how employers source that training.
"Employers are free to train their own employees or hire in trainers of their choice," Brent said. "For those that choose to outsource this process, NCCCO lists on its website more than 100 training schools nationwide offering crane-specific training, in addition to numerous trade association chapters and union locals.
Employers concerned they would have insufficient time to comply with the new rule should not worry, Brent said. "C-DAC recommended an additional four years for the operator certification provision to take effect so, even if a Final Rule were published next year, employers would have until 2014 (including the standard one-year compliance period that applied to the entire rule) before they would have to comply." Accredited certification bodies would have no trouble keeping up with demand, he stated, as evidenced by the four-fold increase NCCCO had experienced in California.
A similar trend was beginning to emerge in the US, he said, notably in California and other states that had been tracking the benefits of their certification requirements.


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Happy Hump Day! I love how we are mid way through the week already and yesterday felt like a Monday. Perks of coming back to a long weekend! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. The weather in Chicago was beyond perfect. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well and pretty much stayed in. Oh well. The good news is that I am two-thirds done with chemo (hopefully)! Seriously, can't wait to be done with the first phase of my treatments!
I was fortunate to score this jumpsuit at the Anthropologie sale section at the store. I immediately loved color, and the very buttery-soft fabric. It was so breathable and comfortable. What's not to love about it! What I also love about it is how there's a hidden button so that it doesn't have to create a deep-V neckline. This was the perfect jumpsuit for a casual day. Most jumpsuits I came across were dressy or inappropriate to walk around the city in.
Such a chic jumpsuit. Love it!
Can you be anymore adorable!! Nothing like a gorgeous and comfy jumpsuit!! LOVE IT!!
Wasn't the long weekend so nice?! Loving this jumpsuit on you. They are such great pieces.
It was definitely much needed! Thanks Amy Ann!
I love your jumpsuit!! And I'm so jealous that you snagged it during an Anthropologie sale!
Thanks Courtney! It's still on sale and most sizes are available online!
Casual yet so chic & chill!!!
Thinking of you girl! You look absolutely beautiful in this jumpsuit. Such a great find!
This jumpsuit is so flattering on you, I love this color!
Wishing you well as your chemo wraps up! Hopefully you'll be feeling up to the nice weather very soon! Love this jumpsuit! They are just something I've never been able to make work for me.
Beautiful jumpsuit, I really love the color!
Hoping that your chemo wraps up soon! You have been so strong — I really admire you! On a different note: I adore this jumper! My fave clothing piece for this summer! You look stunning!
I hope so too! Thank you so much Vanessa!! You are so sweet!
nice look! I love jumpsuit!
Loving your jumpsuit and sunnies! Beautiful!
I really love the color of this jumpsuit, so cute. And that bucket bag is just adorable!
Love your jumpsuit!! Adorable look!
You really rocked this jumpsuit! Love how you paired the soft grey with the pastel pink sandals. Looking so cute!
Love your jumpsuit! I was just looking for one this days!
That jumpsuit is gorgeous!!! Love this outfit!
OMG love that jumpsuit, you look so cute!!
I absolutely love the color of your jumpsuit–you look so stunning!
IN LOVE with this jumpsuit! It is perfect and chic!
You look so nice! Love this jumpsuit!!! So pretty!
LOVE the jumpsuit. You look amazing. Love how you styled it girl!
I love your overall !
This is a gorgeous jumpsuit, you look so classy and spring ready!
I absolutely love the jumpsuit! It's the perfect colour! I wish I could pull one off, but they really just don't suit me! I'll live vicariously through you in the meantime though haha!
Thank you April! Oh, I'm sure you can pull of a jumpsuit!
I love the neutral color palette of this outfit. Hope you have a speedy recovery and feel better in no time! Sending my best wishes as you wrap up your chemo!
Such a great look babe. I love the color!
That jumpsuit really suits you 🙂 Great outfit!
Anthro is seriously the best! And thanks so much Ivete for your support!
Aren't they awesome!? I'm late in the game too, and starting to get into them! I hope you have a great weekend Sarah!
This jumpsuit is so versatile and chic, you styled it perfectly with those sandals too!
That jumpsuit looks awesome! Love the color!
Be strong in regards to your chemo dear, you are stronger than you think. Take heart! This casual jumpsuit is so chic!! I love the sunglasses because add edge to the chic look!