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Excerpt: Showdown in Mudbug
Book 3: Ghost-in-Law Mysteries
Raissa Bourdeaux went through the uses of the different-colored candles for what had to be the hundredth time. She knew Mrs. Angelieu was more interested in gossiping than actually buying anything, so there was really nothing more to do but continue to point to items and wait her out. She glanced at her watch and was dismayed to find it was hours before closing. Monday had been a very long day.
"And then," Mrs. Angelieu said, her face animated, "I told Lucille that I just couldn't believe she'd bring that casserole dish to the church. Why, it belonged to her mother, and everyone knew what a harlot her mother was. It's a wonder God didn't send lightning down right there in the middle of her potato salad." She gave Raissa a single nod and waited for confirmation.
"Well," Raissa said, struggling for something that wasn't rude, "that certainly would have been a show. But God hasn't really been that obvious since the Old Testament. I mean, I haven't heard of a burning bush in a long time."
Mrs. Angelieu laughed. "You always know how to put things in perspective, Raissa. That's why I love talking to you. I consider it my weekly dose of reality."
"Oh, you don't have to come to me for that. Just turn on any news channel."
Mrs. Angelieu sobered. "It's just horrible about that missing child, isn't it? My Lord, I can't imagine what those parents are going through."
"What missing child?"
"Why, it's been all over the news today. That sweet little six-year-old girl who went missing from her bedroom last night. Just vanished."
Raissa frowned. "I haven't had the TV on all day, so I didn't know. That's very sad."
Mrs. Angelieu nodded. "Well, I'm going to take one of these pretty blue candles and get out of here. Maybe you can have a nice glass of wine and relax a little. I don't mean to offend you, Raissa, but you look a little tired."
"It's been busy lately," Raissa said as she rang up Mrs. Angelieu's purchase and wrapped the candle.
"Well, that's better than being bored, I suppose," Mrs. Angelieu said as she took her bag. "I'll see you next week." She waved to Raissa as she exited the shop.
Raissa locked the front door and put the closed sign in the window. She had no other appointments and simply wasn't in the mood to deal with another Mrs. Angelieu. The old woman couldn't have been more wrong about being bored. A couple of weeks before, Raissa's close friends had found themselves in a mess of trouble. After a harrowing week of bombs, poisonings, a disgruntled ghost, and too many lies to count, Raissa would have welcomed a day with nothing better to think about than whether God should send lightning into the potato salad of a former harlot bowl owner.
She turned off the lights for the shop and headed up the back staircase to her apartment above the store. It was small, but it suited her perfectly. Raissa had learned long ago to economize. At any given time, she might need to put everything important into her car and disappear. It had been a long time—more than nine years—since the last time she'd had to change everything in her life but the clothes on her back, but she knew that possibility was always there. Long-term plans were not part of her life.
She poured a glass of wine and turned on the television. The news had preempted local programming to feature more about the missing girl. As soon as the picture flashed on the screen along with the girl's name, Raissa clunked her wine down on the coffee table, the liquid sloshing onto the carved wood surface. Melissa Franco, the abducted child, had been in Raissa's store many times with her mother, Susannah. They didn't necessarily believe in the paranormal, but every month the little girl convinced her mother to stop in after their visit to the doctor across the street. The pretty candles and stones in the front display were apparently too much for the child to resist, and her mother always bought at least one more item for Melissa's growing collection of pink and purple.
The reporter suggested the girl had run away, but Raissa didn't buy that for a moment. Melissa was always happy and very inquisitive, asking Raissa endless questions about her shop, the candles, and ghosts. She was obviously doted on by her mother and didn't even cross the street without first grabbing her mother's hand. Not the kind of girl who would have run away from home. And certainly not the kind of girl with the street smarts to remain hidden in the midst of a citywide manhunt.
As the report began going over the details of the case, Raissa's pulse began to race. Melissa had been asleep in her bedroom the night before, and there was no sign of forced entry. She'd simply vanished. Raissa took a big gulp of her wine, her hand shaking as she sat the glass back on the table.
Not again. Not after all these years.
Her head began to pound and she pressed her fingertips to her temples. Everything flooded back to her in a rush. The unanswered questions about entry into the house—every case the same. The seemingly identical victims, although she could never make a connection between the families. The girls, returned a week later, but with absolutely no memory of the abduction or anything that had happened to them while they were missing. Two years of undercover work blown by her trying to solve those cases. The man she knew was guilty, but couldn't find evidence against.
The reason Raissa had fled protective custody nine years ago.
Detective Zach Blanchard stood in front of his captain's desk and waited for the ass-chewing that was most certainly coming. The captain had already gnawed off one side this morning, but apparently someone had noticed Blanchard still had a little ass left and thought he could do with losing the rest.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Captain Saucier's face was beet red. "You interrupted the mayor in the middle of a city-planning meeting to ask him to provide an alibi for his son, whose daughter is missing. It's official, Blanchard. You've lost your fucking mind!"
Zach took a deep breath and started to explain. "According to Mr. Franco, he was with his father at the time of Melissa's disappearance. I needed to have that corroboration, and that meeting was scheduled to run all day. I didn't want to waste any more time investigating someone I don't think is guilty while the real kidnapper gets away."
Captain Saucier stared. "Statistics have shown time and again that a parent is often involved in the disappearance of a child, yet somehow you know this father can't possibly be guilty. Fine. Problem is, you've now indicated that he's a suspect to the entire city commission."
Zach bit back a response, certain that the fact that he'd been on the receiving end of a gross miscommunication, which had led to the unfortunate city-planning meeting interruption, wasn't going to matter one bit to the captain. "You're right, sir. That was a miscalculation on my part, and I hope it hasn't caused the mayor or his family any inconve nience."
"Inconve nience…You mean like being called a suspected kiddie killer on the evening news? No, they're used to that kind of thing. After all, they're in the public eye." The captain slammed one hand down on the desk. "From now on you don't so much as shit without clearing it with me first. Do you understand me, Blanchard? I've got the entire city up my ass with a microscope. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that is?"
"No, sir. I don't."
"Damned right you don't, and with that kind of police work, you never will." He pointed a finger at Zach. "You will do everything on this case by the book. No hunches, no running off on rabbit trails, no funny business."
"I mean it. Screw this up, and you'll still be writing parking tickets when you're walking with a cane."
"Everything will be by the book. I promise." The captain didn't look convinced, but he didn't start yelling again, either. Zach figured that was his opportunity to give the captain a nod and clear the room before his boss found out Zach had questioned the mother again that afternoon and the woman had collapsed in a faint just before he left.
By the book.
Just hearing the captain say those words rubbed him all wrong. He always did things by the book—except for that one time—and apparently he was never going to live that down. It was the damned book that said he should interview and alibi every member of the household as close to the disappearance as possible. Panic, stress, and unfortunately in some cases, guilt, tended to set in quickly and sometimes clouded people's minds to information that could lead to a break in the case.
So the mayor's assistant hadn't exactly told him that the entire city council was in that conference room. Matter of fact, she hadn't told him it was the conference room he was barging into. If he'd known that, he might have figured out the mayor wasn't alone. He was a detective, after all.
He was concentrating so hard on being aggravated that he almost walked right past the woman seated in front of his desk.
"Can I help you?" he asked. She was a looker, without question.
The woman met his gaze, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Her eyes were a bright green, like the color of well-cut emeralds. He'd never seen anything quite so gorgeous on someone's face. She rose from her chair and extended her hand. "Detective Blanchard? My name is Raissa Bordeaux. Detective Morrow said I should speak with you."
Zach shook her hand, momentarily surprised by the firmness of her grip, then glanced across the room at Detective Morrow, usually a first-rate asshole. Morrow smirked, then shot out of the building. Great. Zach slid into his chair across the desk from the woman, certain this was going to be a waste of time. "How can I help you, Ms. Bordeaux?"
"I have information on the kidnapping of the Franco child."
"Okay," Zach said, and picked up a pen. "What kind of information?"
"This isn't his first time. That child is one of many who have been taken."
Zach stared. "Melissa Franco is the first child abduction this city has seen in a while that wasn't a custodial issue. I think you're mistaken, Ms. Bordeaux."
"The others didn't live in New Orleans. There were girls in Baton Rouge, in Florida, Mississippi, and New York. Surely there's a way you can compare this case with other kidnappings."
"The FBI keeps a database that we can use for such things, but what I'd like is a damned good reason why I should query that database. My boss isn't big on notifying the feds of anything going on in his precinct. He likes control."
"This is far bigger than your boss knows. If this is like the other cases, we're on a short clock. All of those other girls were returned a week later."
"With no memory of what happened, right? I've heard this tale before, Ms. Bordeaux, when I was a kid and my parents were trying to scare me into staying in the backyard."
Raissa raised one eyebrow. "Oh, they all remembered something, but probably not anything you'd want to hear. You have a narrow window of opportunity to catch this person, and I'm guessing, since the victim is the mayor's granddaughter, you don't want to mess this up."
Zach narrowed his eyes at the woman. "And how exactly do you know about these other kidnappings?"
She hesitated—rarely a good sign—then sighed. "I'm a psychic, Detective Blanchard. I saw the other girls in a vision."
Zach felt his jaw clench. "I see. Well, thank you for your information, Ms. Bordeaux. I'll be sure to add your name to the reward list in case of an arrest."
Raissa's face flushed with red and her eyes flashed with anger. "I debated a long time whether to come here, and it certainly wasn't because I care about extorting money from a frantic family. Do yourself a favor and check the database. Unless, of course, you're not interested in getting the best of your friend, the helpful Detective Morrow."
"I can't access that database without a direct order from my captain, which I'm not likely to get off the vision of a so-called psychic. There's a little girl missing out there and you're wasting our time."
Raissa leaned across the desk and lowered her voice. "The house had a security system that was armed, but the alarm never went off and it was still engaged the following morning. There is no trace evidence, and unlike most public kidnappings, you haven't received a ransom request."
Zach straightened in his chair. "We haven't released that information."
Raissa rose from her chair. "One of us is wasting time, Detective, but it's not me." That said, she walked out of the precinct without so much as a backward glance.
Zach leaned back in his chair and shook his head. A psychic. Yeah, right. No wonder Morrow had been so tickled to send her over to Zach. "By-the-book Blanchard" had limited-to-no patience for anything remotely screwy. Psychics were definitely screwy. Likely, Morrow had fed her the information about the security system and ransom note just to make the practical joke more believable.
He watched as she passed on the sidewalk in front of the big window at the front of the station, and couldn't help admiring her long lean legs, or the way she filled out a pair of jeans. What a shame. She was probably the best-looking woman he'd seen in forever.
Unfortunately, nut or no, the woman was right. He should run the case through the FBI database even though the captain hadn't quite gotten to that point. Time was of the essence, and the case had strange components that would send up an immediate red flag if there were others with the same MO. He sat up straight and logged on to his computer, hoping like hell that the mayor's granddaughter didn't fit the profile of the other missing girls. If that was the case, the captain might have a heart attack, and with the way things stood now, Morrow was next in line for his job.
Raissa stopped at the corner of the block, angry at herself. You should have left it alone, but noooooo, you had to go taunting him with what you knew. She punched the button for the crossing light and jammed her hands in her pockets, trying to control the urge to slug someone. But it's a child, just like the others, and maybe this is the time he'll be caught. She watched the screen on the other side of the street and tapped her foot. It's not your problem anymore. You risked everything before and got less than nothing. Why risk it again?
She heard running steps behind her, but before she could turn around, someone hit her from behind, launching her into the street—and directly into the path of an oncoming bus. Before she'd even tensed the muscles in her legs to move, an older woman yanked her by the arm, darn near pulling it from her shoulder, and she leaped up from the street just as the bus came to a screeching halt a good five feet beyond the spot where she'd been lying. Raissa clutched her shoulder with one hand and spun around.
But the street was empty.
She figured whoever had pushed her had kept running and was long gone by now, but where was the woman who had pulled her out of the street? The bus driver rushed off the bus, his face white as a sheet.
"Are you all right? I saw that guy push you, but I couldn't stop. I don't know how you managed to move that fast, but I'm glad of it."
"Did you see the guy who pushed me?"
"Yeah, but he was wearing one of those hooded shirts and sunglasses. Coulda been anyone."
"And the woman?"
The bus driver shook his head. "Didn't see no one but you."
Raissa motioned to the street. "You had to have seen her. The woman who pulled me out of the street."
The bus driver studied her for a moment. "Ma'am, I don't know how to tell you this, but there weren't no other woman anywhere on this street. I gotta have perfect vision to drive this bus, and that's what I got." He looked around the street, then back at Raissa. "Maybe you should pay a visit to the Lord's house sometime soon. That's the only explanation I got."
Raissa nodded. "Thank you, Mr…"
"Cormier. Been driving for going on thirty years and ain't killed no one yet. I'm glad that didn't change today. You going to be all right? I can call nine-one-one or something."
"No, thank you, Mr. Cormier. I'll be fine."
The bus driver nodded. "Well, if you need anything, you can find me through the bus company. Like I say, I didn't get a good look at that man or nothing, but I'd be happy to talk to the police, if they was asking."
"I appreciate it, Mr. Cormier, but at this point, I think there's little the police could do."
"You're probably right. You be careful, miss." He climbed back onto the bus and gave her a wave as he pulled away from the corner.
Raissa lifted a hand in response, then hurried across the street to her car. She slid into the driver's seat and looked over at her uninvited passenger. "I'm going to die, right?"
The ghost in her passenger seat frowned at Raissa. "Crap."
Raissa stared at Helena Henry, feeling her pulse race. Of course, she'd known the ghost was around. Maryse and Sabine could both see her and had told Raissa about her. But knowing her friends were telling the truth and seeing the truth in her car were two totally different things. Then there was that small matter of Maryse's theory on Helena's appearances.
"This isn't good, is it?" Raissa finally asked. "Maryse says every time you're visible to someone, their life is in danger."
Helena sighed. "I wish I could argue, but I'm afraid my track record speaks for itself."
"It was you who pulled me out of the street, wasn't it?"
Helena nodded.
"But why are you here? At the street corner? In my car?"
"Well, I was…I thought…you see…Oh, hell, I just had this feeling that you were in trouble, so I've been following you around."
"A feeling?"
Helena waved one hand in dismissal. "I know. Now I sound like all the rest of you nutbags with your spirits and tarot cards and psychic visions, but damn it, I don't know how else to explain it. You were on my mind for days and no matter what I did, I couldn't shake it, so finally I got Maryse to drop me off at your shop."
"Maryse knew about this and didn't tell me?"
"She didn't want to worry you. She said if you saw me, then we'd rally the troops. Otherwise, she was putting it down to my overactive imagination. Well, that and the fact that I started a diet last week."
Raissa's head began to spin. "This is too much to process right now. I'd love nothing better than to drive home and pour myself a glass of the strongest thing I have in my apartment and mull this over, but I've got something urgent to do."
Helena shrugged. "Unless you plan on drinking the Drano under your sink, I don't think you're going to figure it out today anyway. But I wouldn't mind a glass of wine, and maybe a slice of that cheesecake you bought today at lunch. Just don't tell Maryse. She's picking me up in an hour."
Raissa started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "I thought you were on a diet."
"Hey, I just saved your life. Are you going to deny me a little piece of pie?"
"Helena, I'll buy you pies for the rest of your life if I manage to stay alive like the others."
"Cool!" Helena smiled. "That will show that skinny bitch Maryse. She keeps harping on me about my diet, but I think she's just jealous that I don't gain weight."
"Then why are you on a diet?"
"Maryse and Sabine refuse to keep feeding someone they can't take as a tax deduction, especially as I don't need to eat in the first place. And it's not like I can walk into a grocery store or diner and load up. It was getting a bit exhausting trying to steal when it has to be in my pockets or it's visible to everyone, and I feel guilty about the stealing part, unless it's someone I really don't like." Helena looked down the street at the police station, then back at Raissa. "Hey, you went to the police about that little girl that's missing, didn't you? Did you get a vision or something?"
"I got something."
Helena stared at her for a couple of seconds. "You're not really psychic, are you?"
« Return to Showdown in Mudbug
Book 1: Trouble in Mudbug Published: 11/7/2010
ASIN: B004AYDLI0
Book 1.5: The Helena Diaries Published: 11/7/2010
Book 2: Mischief in Mudbug Published: 11/7/2010
Book 3: Showdown in Mudbug Published: 11/7/2010
Book 4: Resurrection in Mudbug Published: 11/7/2010
Book 5: Missing in Mudbug Published: 11/7/2010
Book 6: Chaos in Mudbug Published: 11/7/2010
Book 6.5: Rose and Helena Save Christmas Published: 11/7/2010
Ghost-in-Law Boxed Set Published: 11/7/2010


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Q: Performance ramifications of serving FilePath rather than View What are the performance ramifications if any of serving a FilePathResult rather than a view (If we have created server cached copies of a website using a headless browser)
public class HomeController : Controller
{
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        var url = Request.RawUrl.Replace("/", "_");
        var path = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["PreloadPath"] + "\\" + url + ".html";
        if (System.IO.File.Exists(path))
        {
            return new FilePathResult(path, "text/html");
        }
        else
        {
            return View("Index");
        }
    }
}

We are having to access the AppSettings every request now, use the File System to check if a file exists, and then serve that html file.
What costs are there compared with just
return View("Index");

Will the file access have any cost on the server? Or am I talking nonsense, and IIS would have to perform some similar action?
Note: Please suggest any other tags if I should add them

A: Looking at the FilePathResult's source code you can see that in the end it goes down to WriteStreamAsText of HttpResponse. It's obvious that there is no magic call to IIS for example to handle the file directly without any .Net code taking place.
Having said that I still expect this to be somewhat faster than running a view, which possibly needs interpretation and execution.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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« Black BET Founder Robert Johnson Says To Obama, 'Stop Demonizing The Wealthy'
Eric Holder Lied, People Died. »
Democrats Continue Their Dirty Dealing Corrupt Crony Capitalist Boondoggles
Add this to the incredibly corrupt and incredibly partisan Obama boondoggle of Solyndra – that cost the American people well over half a billion dollars.
Add this to the fact that Obama is recklessly continuing to add another four more Solyndras and another five billion dollars to the crony capitalist corruption tab of the Obama administration.
AP Investigation: NC plant deal may enrich donors
GARY D. ROBERTSON, Associated Press, MICHAEL BIESECKER, Associated Press
Updated 08:52 p.m., Friday, September 30, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A state lawmaker and a group of Democratic political donors with ties to Gov. Beverly Perdue are poised to sell land at a handsome profit should a tire plant be lured to North Carolina with $100 million in state and local incentives, according to public records reviewed by The Associated Press.
As North Carolina's chief executive, the governor is a key decision maker in large incentives deals involving state money. She also helps appoint the board members of a foundation that's been asked to provide part of the tire plant's package. Perdue's campaign has received more than $52,000 from five men with an ownership stake in the Brunswick County industrial park proposed for the new plant.
The governor's son, Garrett Perdue, is also a lawyer and site-selection consultant for an influential law firm that a county official said was advising the tire company. The firm, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, does not disclose which projects the younger Perdue works on, citing attorney-client privilege.
Perdue's spokesman stressed Thursday that the company seeking the incentives, not the governor's aides, chose the site. The North Carolina site is competing with sites in two other states.
"Gov. Perdue is focused on bringing 1,300 jobs to North Carolina," said Mark Johnson, Perdue's spokesman. "She doesn't care where in the state the plant goes, who owns the land or who the company hires as its lawyer. She just wants the jobs."
The fate of the project remained uncertain Friday night. Eugene Baten, chairman of the Sumter County Council in South Carolina, said the German company Continental Tire would locate a plant there, and that the deal would be formally announced next week. Company spokeswoman Kathryn Blackwell, though, said the company has not yet decided where it will put its new plant.
Although North Carolina officials didn't identify Continental as the company looking at the N.C. site, Democratic Rep. Dewey Hill, who said he's spoken to Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco about Project Soccer, described the company seeking the incentives deal as a "tire manufacturer and distribution company from Germany." Hill's district includes part of Brunswick County.
The proposed location, the Mid-Atlantic Logistics Center, is owned by a group of investors that includes state Sen. Michael P. Walters, a Democrat from Proctorville.
A development company owned by David T. Stephenson III, a Lumberton tobacco farmer, is also listed as having a stake in the center. Stephenson is a major Democratic contributor appointed to the board of Golden LEAF, a foundation created by the state legislature to dole out hundreds of millions of dollars paid by cigarette manufacturers through a legal settlement.
Brunswick County officials have asked Golden LEAF for a grant to help fund an incentives package for the plant, according to the county's top economic development official.
The deal is expected to include tax breaks, infrastructure improvements, cash grants and a forgivable loan. It's not clear how much money the foundation might put in. The new facility, code-named "Project Soccer" by economic development officials, has been touted as creating up to 1,500 new jobs.
A confidential document outlining the terms of the proposed deal reviewed by The Associated Press indicates that money from the incentives package would be used to buy a large portion of the 1,129-acre site for the tire plant at a price of $6,000 an acre.
Records show the investors bought the site in 2007 for $4.3 million, or about $3,800 an acre.
Stephenson, a tobacco farmer and investor, did not return a message seeking comment Thursday.
Golden LEAF president Dan Gerlach wouldn't say whether the foundation is involved in Project Soccer. But Gerlach said Stephenson came to him at a board meeting months ago and said he may have a conflict of interest if the foundation were to provide a grant for the project.
Gerlach said Stephenson asked that he not be provided any materials provided to the foundation related to Project Soccer because of his potential financial interest in the deal.
Gerlach said Stephenson has gone beyond the foundation's conflict-of-interest policy by alerting the foundation to potential problems well before they could have reached the board. A board member isn't required to put the potential conflict in writing, but Gerlach said he made a note affirming Stephenson's request.
State lawmakers, who would have to approve the incentives package, have been briefed on the possibility of a special legislative session to be held in the coming weeks to vote on it.
Walters filed a letter with the Senate clerk on Aug. 25 recusing himself from any deliberations on the deal "to avoid any potential conflict of interests or the appearance of impropriety."
He declined to comment further Thursday.
"I've recused myself from that project and that's all I have to say," Walters said.
In addition to Crisco, Womble Carlyle lobbyist Laura DeVivo has been talking with key lawmakers. A legislator described a meeting in which DeVivo and other Womble lobbyists worked with state officials to gain support for the proposed incentives package. The legislator asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
DeVivo works on Womble's government affairs team, which also includes Perdue's son. In an interview last year, Garrett Perdue described his role with the firm as identifying companies seeking to relocate to the state and helping them find sites to meet their needs.
The firm's government affairs team is led by two attorneys, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Burley Mitchell and former Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt.
Mitchell declined to comment Friday, and Hunt did not return a phone call from The Associated Press.
Gov. Perdue has said she doesn't talk to her son about which companies he represents, though she has recused herself from making decisions in at least two economic incentives projects in recent years after her aides became concerned he was working on behalf of the companies involved.
Johnson, the governor's spokesman, said he didn't know whether Womble Carlyle played any role in advising the tire company in considering the proposed Project Soccer site.
Jim Bradshaw, director of the Brunswick County Economic Development Commission, said he was the one who first recommended the Mid-Atlantic site for Project Soccer last winter. He said the land was one of 53 sites originally under consideration. That list has now been whittled down to three: the Mid-Atlantic land and sites in South Carolina and Louisiana.
Bradshaw said some pieces of North Carolina's proposed package are already in place. The state Department of Transportation has pledged $150,000 to extend a rail spur to the site and the state-supported N.C. Rural Center has awarded the county about $1.5 million toward water and sewer installation.
He said Gov. Perdue did not personally become involved in the negotiations until after the Mid-Atlantic site was in the running. He said August was the first contact he had with anyone from Womble Carlyle about the county's proposed contributions to the incentives package. He declined to identify the person he spoke to.
Bradshaw also said he had no idea the owners of the proposed Project Soccer site have been frequent contributors to the Democratic Party or Gov. Perdue.
Campaign finance records show Stephenson and members of his family have donated more than $85,000 to Democratic candidates over the last 20 years, including $14,000 to Perdue since 2004. Records show $8,000 in contributions to former Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight, the Manteo Democrat who appointed Stephenson to the Golden LEAF board.
Walters and his wife have donated more than $34,000 to elected Democrats other than himself, including $14,000 to Perdue.
William E. Musselwhite, a Lumberton lawyer who owns a share of the land, has given more than $22,000 to state Democrats, including $14,500 to Perdue.
Dennis T. Worley, a Tabor City attorney and another of the owners, has given more than $28,000 to Democrats, including $7,700 to Perdue.
Kyle A. Cox, another Tabor City lawyer and part property owner, gave more than $11,000 to Democrats, including $2,000 to Perdue.
Bradshaw, the economic developer, said he doesn't care who owns the land.
"I don't know who these people are," Bradshaw said. "I don't know who contributes to who. I just want to bring these jobs to Brunswick County."
Note: Now we have a slightly better idea why Democrat Governor Beverly Perdue said we should suspend our democracy so that the same Democrats could continue to pursue the same policies.
Obama and the Democrat Party machine that spawned him have to go. While there is still some piece of America left to rebuild.
Tags: Beverly Perdue, donors, loans, North Carolina, solar energy, Solyndra, tire company
This entry was posted on October 3, 2011 at 10:38 am and is filed under Barack Obama, Economy, fascism.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A branded program has been established by two major cattle breed associations to help producers who are utilizing beef on dairy crosses on their farms.
The American Simmental Association (ASA) and Holstein Association USA (HAUSA) announced the creation of the HOLSim branded program on April 9. HOLSim identifies SimAngus bulls with genetic traits that will work for dairy producers.
Provide additional revenue to dairy producers through the production of value-added terminal calves.
Offer new marketing avenues for progressive beef seedstock operations.
Offer a consistent supply of high-quality calves better situated to capture market premiums.
SimAngus bulls that qualify for the program are eligible to bear the HOLSim logo in all marketing and promotional material.
The IGS Feeder Profit Calculator (FPC) is utilized in the HOLSim Index. Using FPC, the index is able to calculate economic situations relevant to Holstein cattle, namely, the need for added calving ease, muscle conformation, grading ability and sensitivity to carcass length.
John Meyer, CEO of Holstein Association USA, believes the breeding program has the potential to change the beef-on-dairy dynamic.
Calves must come from Registered Holstein dams and be bred to SimAngus bulls identified through the IGS Feeder Profit Calculator.
More imoration about HOLSim can be found by visiting simmental.org or holsteinusa.com, or by contacting Darin Johnson at 802-451-4048, or via email.
Download the bull list in xlsx format.


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Home / The Governor's Ball
The Governor's Ball Year-End Special 2011
The Governor - Feb 02, 2012 at 01:56AM Comments
Episode Summary: After much farfinschnuken wrangling, The Governor's Ball finally presents their Year-End Special for 2011. Get ready for the bloodiest belated New Year's bash of all time!
Tune in for over 4 hours of metal mightiness featuring The Governor's Top 30 Metal Tracks of the year, and new interviews with Gwar frontman Oderus Urungus and guitarist Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Plus clips from over the past year recycled as new material!
Plus on "Some Sly Advice" Sly helps The Governor accept his situation after a tough year.
Download (Part 1): The Governor's Ball Year-End Special 2011 - Feb 01/12 (Part 1)
Be sure to visit The Governor's Ball on: MySpace | Facebook | Twitter
The Governor's Ball
The Governor's Ball Annual Double-Episode featuring Raven and Immolation
The Governor's Ball presents an interview with Damian Abraham of Fucked Up
The Governor's Ball does Wacken 2013 with Alestorm and Ophidian I
The Governor's Ball Spread The Metal Edition featuring Skull Fist
Since 2005, The Governor's Ball: The "Mighty" Metal and Comedy Show, has brought laughter and headbanging fury to the metal community. Beginning in the bowels of the Toronto community radio and led by the enigmatic character simply known as The Governor, this hilariously violent program has attracted a dedicated and somewhat homicidal fanbase who revelled in The Governor's words and the powerful metal he would spin in every episode.
In early 2008 The Governor escaped the oppressive clutches of futuristic game show hosts and even his own clone and headed to cyberspace. The Governor's Ball now the mighty podcast it is today, attracts thousands of listeners with each episode. Each show is a mighty adventure, featuring headbanging metal tracks, words of wisdom from The Governor and his good friend Sly, along with interviews from the biggest metal stars in the world to local acts bursting on to the Canadian scene.
The Governor's Ball – Your choice for Arnold Schwarzenegger-themed heavy metal comedy programming since 2005.


Amongst by far the most typical electrical wiring issues is regarding how to wire a change. While working with switches at your house is very uncomplicated, wiring 1 might not be that effortless for everyone. An ON-OFF switch is actually quite simple to wire. There are various kinds of switches, but for this instance, let's say you happen to be installing a single-pole toggle switch, an extremely typical change (and also the simplest).
There are 3 colours of wires in the common single-pole toggle switch: black, white, and green. Splice the black wire in two and connect them about the terminal screws - one on top plus the other about the base screw with the swap. The white wire serves like a resource of uninterrupted energy and is also generally linked into a mild coloured terminal screw (e.g., silver). Hook up the environmentally friendly wire towards the ground screw of the swap.
These actions would typically be ample to produce a standard swap get the job done without having a dilemma. Nonetheless, for those who will not be assured that you simply can achieve the process effectively and safely and securely you better enable the pros get it done as a substitute. Immediately after all, you will find a rationale why this undertaking is among the most common electrical wiring thoughts asked by many people.
For a few purpose, the way to wire a ceiling fan is also certainly one of one of the most common electrical wiring queries. To simplify this task, you should use one swap for just a single ceiling fan. To wire the admirer, it truly is simply a subject of connecting the black wire from the ceiling fan on the black wire with the change. If there is a lightweight, the blue wire must be connected towards the black wire of your switch also.
You'll find causes why they're one of the most commonly requested electrical wiring issues. Just one, several believe it truly is very simple to complete, and two, these are definitely the popular electrical duties in your own home. But then you definitely shouldn't put your protection at risk within your target to economize. The stakes could even be much bigger in the event you endeavor to lower your expenses and do an electrical wiring position with no adequate understanding or knowledge.


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Cars, Cocktails & Cuisine
Supporting Betty Cares at Miami Children's Hospital
Gregory & Melanie McFarlane
Amid the background of pink Cadillac's, a 1934 Texaco gasoline tanker and an old-fashioned Good Humor ice cream truck, nearly 200 community and business leaders recently took a tour down memory lane with a rare look at classic cars from nearly every decade at Cars, Cocktails, Cuisine.
Held at the exclusive Dauer Museum of Classic Cars, the event was hosted by Miami Children's Hospital Foundation Diamond Society members Kira and Jason Turchin.
Guests enjoyed performances by Broadway star Adam Kantor who played "Mark" in Rent and "Henry" in Next to Normal and also founded Broadway in South Africa. Proceeds benefited Betty Cares, which was founded by the Turchins in honor of Kira's mother to support children and caregivers at Miami Children's Hospital.
Photos by Sam B. Photography


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Q: Force 'aps-environment' entitlement to 'development' even for distribution builds My APS Environment is set to development in my app.entitlements file.
However when I build my application as an archive (to generate an .ipa file), the aps-environment entitlement is automatically changed to production because it uses a Distribution provisioning.
I read in APS Environment Entitlement Apple documentation that these default behaviour can be changed.
But I didn't find a way to do it. Is it possible to change (force) this aps-environment to development even for a dirstribution build ?
Thanks for your help


The Marietta Fire Department offers students in and around City of Marietta schools six fire safety lessons. The elementary school program provides progressive lessons that build on the previous year's information. Each class allows the students to engage in the program for better learning and understanding of fire safety.
This program uses the "friendly firefighter" approach to teach the students that a firefighter's number one job is to help people and that firefighters are their friends. Emphasis is placed on students seeing a firefighter put on their fire gear step by step to help students understand a firefighter in full gear is the same person who was just wearing a simple uniform.
Students are taught about the dangers of lighters, matches, and fireworks as well as the importance of and the actions to take if a smoke alarm goes off.
The students are introduced to the proper use of the 911 system and what information they will need to know when calling for help.
The first grade program builds on the kindergarten program. Marietta still uses the "friendly firefighter" approach because some of the children may have been absent or have transferred from another school.
The program expands and covers the information in more detail. Home fire escape plans are covered with emphasis placed on the students knowing their address, how to call 911, developing a family meeting place, and alternate routes of exiting a home in the event of a fire.
Students are taught how to "Stop, Drop, and Roll" in case their clothes ever catch on fire and provided the opportunity to demonstrate on this on gymnasium mats.
The second grade program is comprised of two parts: the first being a school visit by firefighters and the second being a field trip to the Cobb County Safety Village. During the school visit, firefighters review fire safety information with the children by reading through a fire safety coloring book.
At the Cobb County Safety Village, the children become part of the learning by using role-playing and hands-on exercises. This is nearly a 100% student-involved learning experience. Here the students learn about safety in many aspects of life including proper hygiene, fires, stranger danger, bicycle & pedestrian safety, railroads, and firearms.
The 3rd grade program introduces the students to the Science of Fire and the Fire Triangle. Students learn what is necessary for fire to occur and how they can prevent or stop fires from occurring in their communities. Students review basic at-home fire safety and further lean the importance of smoke alarms including their function, yearly testing, and when to know if a smoke alarm unit needs to be replaced.
The fourth grade program consists of three parts. The first is a visit where firefighters come to the classroom, reviews basic fire safety and then gives a pre-test on fire safety knowledge. The students are provided a fire safety workbook, and the first two sections are completed in class with the firefighter.
The remaining portions of the workbook are completed in class as well as for homework in preparation for their visit to the Cobb Safety Village. The students are required to complete a fire inspection checklist for their home and draw a fire escape plan.
Lastly, the students will visit the Cobb Safety Village where they will build upon their visit from second grade. Students are introduced to new material including booster seat safety, utilities safety in the community, and pool/water safety.
The fifth grade program takes the students to the next level and prepares them to make proper decisions as they become young adults. The program discusses the negative effects of setting fires intentionally (arson) and the lifetime consequences that may occur.
Additionally, students are taught how they can make a positive impact on their community through fire safety and sharing their knowledge with their families.
The Marietta Fire Department assists in the Marietta High School Career Pathways program. One focus of this program provides the opportunity for high school students to learn the basics of public service careers in Fire, Police, and EMS. Students who continue with the program are able to choose a specific public service pathway and learn more concentrated material in a specific public service field.
Additionally, the Marietta Fire Department is instrumental in the annual "Last Date" demonstration at the high school. This very in-depth strategic demonstration of a severe car accident shows students exactly what is involved in the emergency response efforts from the time of the accident through the extrication and transport of patients and aftermath. The demonstration is aimed at encouraging students to make better decisions when driving a vehicle.


Who should attend? This program is intended for those who are new to the profession, support the IR function or need a refresher.
To take advantage of this offer please download and complete the application form and submit directly to Patricia MacPherson at pmacpherson@ciri.org. This offer expires September 14, 2018.
Very informative and helpful. Well organized. Topics were pertinent and speakers were generous with their time!


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Seagate Technology Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2018 Financial Results
CUPERTINO, CA – October 23, 2017 – Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) (the "Company" or "Seagate") today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 29, 2017. For the first quarter, the Company reported revenue of $2.6 billion, gross margin of 28.0%, net income of $181 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.62. On a non–GAAP basis, which excludes the net impact of certain items, Seagate reported gross margin of 29.0%, net income of $279 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.96.
During the first quarter, the Company generated $237 million in cash flow from operations and returned approximately $350 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. Cash and cash equivalents totaled approximately $2.3 billion at the end of the quarter. There were 289 million ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of the end of the quarter.
"The results of our performance this quarter reflect solid execution and market demand for our storage product portfolio," said Dave Mosley, Seagate's chief executive officer. "Seagate delivered record levels of exabyte shipments and generated sequential growth in revenue and profit. As the demand for storage continues to benefit from the proliferation of data, Seagate is in a strong position to grow its businesses, improve profitability and continue with its shareholder–return objectives."
For a detailed reconciliation of GAAP to non–GAAP results, see accompanying financial tables. Seagate has issued a Supplemental Financial Information document, which is available on Seagate's Investors Relations website at www.seagate.com/investors.
The Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.63 per share, which will be payable on January 3, 2018 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 20, 2017. The payment of any future quarterly dividends will be at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent upon Seagate's financial position, results of operations, available cash, cash flow, capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.
Investor Communications
Seagate management will hold a public webcast today at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time that can be accessed on its Investor Relations website at www.seagate.com/investors. During today's webcast, the Company will provide an outlook for its second fiscal quarter of 2018, including key underlying assumptions.
An archived audio webcast of this event will be available on Seagate's Investors Relations website at www.seagate.com/investors shortly following the event conclusion.
To learn more about the Company's products and services, visit www.seagate.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Spiceworks, YouTube and subscribe to our blog. The contents of our website and social media channels are not a part of this release.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward–Looking Statements
This press release contains forward–looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, including, in particular, statements about the Company's plans, strategies and prospects, financial projections, estimates of industry growth, market demand, shifts in technology and dividend issuance plans for the fiscal quarter ending December 29, 2017 and beyond. These statements identify prospective information and may include words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "projects," "should," "may," "will," or the negative of these words, variations of these words and comparable terminology. These forward–looking statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this report and are based on management's current views and assumptions. These forward–looking statements are conditioned upon and also involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward–looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors may be beyond the Company's control and may pose a risk to the Company's operating and financial condition. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: items that may be identified during its financial statement closing process that cause adjustments to the estimates included in this report; the uncertainty in global economic conditions; the impact of the variable demand and adverse pricing environment for disk drives; the Company's ability to successfully qualify, manufacture and sell its disk drive products in increasing volumes on a cost–effective basis and with acceptable quality; the impact of competitive product announcements; the Company's ability to achieve projected cost savings in connection with restructuring plans; possible excess industry supply with respect to particular disk drive products; disruptions to its supply chain or production capabilities; unexpected advances in competing technologies or changes in market trends; the development and introduction of products based on new technologies and expansion into new data storage markets; the Company's ability to comply with certain covenants in its credit facilities with respect to financial ratios and financial condition tests; currency fluctuations that may impact the Company's margins and international sales; cyber–attacks or other data breaches that disrupt the Company's operations or result in the dissemination of proprietary or confidential information and cause reputational harm; and fluctuations in interest rates. Information concerning risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from the expectations described in this press release is contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10–K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2017, the "Risk Factors" section of which is incorporated into this press release by reference, and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward–looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any subsequent date and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward–looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made.
The inclusion of Seagate's website address in this press release is intended to be an inactive textual reference only and not an active hyperlink. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, Seagate's website and social media channels are not part of this press release.
Please click here to view the financial statements Q1 FY2018 Financial Statements.


Citizens Advice is running a FREE 4 week course looking at practical steps that will help you manage your money with confidence. The course aims to be fun, friendly and interactive.
Types of debts and what happens if you don't pay.


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Football Club Welcomes Corinthian-Casuals
The 1st XI played their inaugural fixture against Corinthian-Casuals. This is a club with a rich history dating back to 1882 and since this time they have been playing school fixtures against the likes of Charterhouse, Brighton College and Westminster and they continue these fixtures today. Even during WW2 the fixtures continued when all other football was suspended. The former Corinthian, Charles Wreford-Brown, who also captained the English National team in 1894 and famously coined the word "soccer" once summed up the ethos which the team espouse, saying: "Sometimes one is inclined to pay too much attention to the result of a game and not sufficient attention to the manner in which it has been played."
The game was played on a very wet and heavy Waste Court and proved to be a match we might have preferred to play at Tilsley Park. We lost 1-0 in a game, which we could have won. It was very competitive, played with good Corinthian spirit and against a side with an average age of more than twice that of the Abingdon team, it was enjoyed by us all. We had our opportunities, including, Jamie Masters hitting the bar with a header from a corner late on and Sam Warren engineered a one on one with their goalie but was forced wide. At the other end Adam Bradley kept us in it with a world-class fingertip save from a close range header to force the ball onto the bar and over.
Next we play Magdalen School on Tuesday at 4:30pm and then on Saturday, we play a strong footballing school, Hampton. Both of these games are at Tilsley Park.
Joe Lilley
(Football Club Captain)
Lower School Sports Awards Evening
Lower School Charity Football Tournament
Football Week 10
Football Week 9
Tweet by @AbSchFootball
@VladCintic Huge congratulations from all at @AbSchFootball @VladCintic . Thoroughly deserved!


Hi all, got this all ready to book. Just wanted to sense check one thing. I have a 43m domestic connection on the way back in LAX. Is this likely to cause any problems? If I do miss it, my next flight out of JFK isn't until 17:40 the next day so don't think it's the end of the world - if it was the last flight out would AA have a duty of care to give me a hotel overnight in LAX or is that just an EU thing? Excited to be doing my first TP run, and will get me gold in my first year of being totally obsessed by all of this stuff.
I've flown ex-PHX with a connection in LAX. Advised to allow a good buffer as the flights are not always on time and with the full addition of T5, you have to traverse two terminals.
I wonder if I could pick some knowledge on this. I am currently sat on 790 Tier Points. I am off to SFO on Sunday in W Return. This will leave me on (if I calculate it right) 970 Points.
Now, is there any Tier Point runs available, July or First half of August which will get me over the line for Gold? My Tier point year ends 8th August, but can extend for two weeks if needed.
I fly out of LHR also.
Did a few SFO-LAX-PHX-LGB returns when they use to net 360 TP for ~£350 and then flew the AMS-LGW-JER run. Today, SFO-LAX-PHX-LAS return came up less than LGB at 240 TP for ~£432.
If I wanted to do the OTP-PHX run, with the return to OTP some 6-7 months later, does the fare class allow that ? (I have dual citizenship).
Yes and no. The flights have to be taken within the specified windows. You can do the outbound in one window and the inbound in the next. Alternatively it will allow you to mix the fare with another higher priced fare but obviously this will be more expensive overall. Windows are until end of August, over Christmas, and then approximately Easter. Might also be around Thanks Giving as well, but you'll need to check.
Should I be worried about the connection time at LAX on the outbound? Apparently the American Eagle flights leave from a different terminal so that could be challenging. I think if AA are guaranteed to rebook me on some service I don't mind the risk, but if it's deemed my fault and then the whole TP run goes in the bin, that would hurt!
If that's all fine, then I think this itinerary might on the whole be better. It works out slightly cheaper and gets the A350 AY flight in there.
Looks good, but you may want to try and get the earlier flight to OTP in the return, unless you have plans for 10 hours after arriving from HEL.
Positioning to OTP and then to LA at the end, so in total (LHR) - OTP - LHR - JFK - LAX - PHX - (LAX) - PHX - LAX - JFK - LHR - OTP - (LHR). All in business bar the positioning flights, and got some lovely seats upstairs on the LHR-JFK flights. Cannot wait!
Just a reminder for those booking OTP/PHX fares, there is a collated list of those doing runs in the PHX do thread. Feel free to add your own run should you wish. You might find an opportunity to meet up with fellow FTers on your flights or in the lounges. There is also the airport meet up thread as well.
I'm there probably once a month with work, speak a bit of Hungarian and am also happy to help.
Happy to help, could also be my first DO.
onobond and Scallywag72 like this.
Thanks, your experience would be valuable. It turned out to be many of you, with lots of BUD knowledge, responding to my humble request. The future BUD DO will merit it's own thread, will look at that during the weekend, presently on mobile.
Frequent flyer 101 and squawk like this.
Looks like an 880TP-er (without positioning)? Excellent!
Thanks for the suggestion, any recommendation where to split it on the east coast, I am guessing JFK but that may be painful with their immigration and customs?
There isn't a question about posting in time - as an extreme case, the points for my last Gold renewal (yes, on RJ) finally arrived two days after my soft-landed Silver pack (year end 08/12, card expired 31/01, points posted 02/02), but it took all of thirty seconds on the phone to have them applied to the proper year (via the two-week extension) and get my status renewed. It's the date of the flight that counts, not the date that the points arrive in your account.
Think 840? Have been told the PHX-LAX legs only earn 40 even though in first..
I tweaked the routing some more and ended up with a great itinerary which maximises sleeping on the plane (so reduced hotel costs), includes long daytime layovers in LAX and JFK, my whole day in HEL, and I took your advice and got the earlier LHR to OTP flight. Got 64K on a 747 in there too. Can't wait!
Thanks a lot for the help everyone.
PHL-LAX will get you 140 TP (anything PHX or further West actually will get you 140).
LAX to Manhattan beach is a super easy Uber ride. Fun little spot that's not too hectic to kill some layover hours if you don't go downtown.
The OP PHX-LAX rather than PHL-LAX? The former is 40.
for a comprehensive list of >2000 mile doemstic AA routes have a look at the reference posts at the start of this thread.
Thanks for clarifying, yes PHX - LAX rather than PHL.
So I've just returned from a trip to Japan where I made extensive use of JAL's "Japan Explorer Pass". Each segment is a domestic flight, priced from 5,400 JPY (£36.94) to 10,800 JPY (£73.88) depending on route. The great thing about the pass is that each sector can be upgraded to J at the airport (subject to availability) for an additional 1,000 JPY (£6.84). (F class upgrades are also available on some routes, but this is not good value from a TP run perspective -- J class is the sweet spot).
I was able to obtain a J class upgrade on every sector where the plane had a J class cabin (four out of five), earning 40 TPs each. I earned 20 TPs for the sector where there was no J class on board and had to stick with Y.
If you were to be strategic about this, I reckon there could be decent earning potential. E.g. suppose you strategically choose lightly-loaded flights between Tohoku and elsewhere on planes with a J class cabin. By default, you'll earn 20 TPs for £36.94 (£1.84/TP), with a decent likelihood of earning 40 TPs for £43.78 (£1.09/TP).
Obviously you would need to factor in a trip to Japan in the first place though -- but if you're planning a trip to Japan anyway it could be a nice little earner. It's also, in any case, a very cost effective way to travel around Japan.
timol, krabbenkopf, MadnessOfCrowds and 2 others like this.
Is it possible to upgrade to F for some of the OTP-PHX legs (where it exists). Choosing F on the Matrix returns "no flights" probably because there are no F flights on some sectors.
How would i go about this? Should i split the MultiCity into the legs that can be in F and use "bc=" to slect F? or is there a better / easier way to do this?
Also, can UuA those sectors as an alternative?


Over the next 4 weeks, Michele A. Scism will be posting a weekly strategy for you to get your list building off and running. Part 4: Now it's time to take action.
Over the next 4 weeks, Michele A. Scism will be posting a weekly strategy for you to get your list building off and running. Part 3: Now that you have all the pieces in place to start your list building, it is time to focus on your promotion plan.
When it comes to list building there are certain things that we must have in place for it to work. Over the next 4 weeks, Michele A. Scism will be posting a weekly strategy for you to get your list building off and running. Part 2: Daily Plan to Finally Start Your Email List Building.
Changes at the beginning of your funnel have the biggest results at the end of the funnel. Michele A. Scism shares three quick solutions to fix a leak in the beginning of your conversion funnel.
If list building is important, then why are most online entrepreneurs struggling with it? Over the next 4 weeks, Michele A. Scism will be posting a weekly strategy for you to get your list building off and running. Part 1: Daily Plan to Finally Start Your Email List Building.
In the online marketing world, email nurture sequences are designed to cultivate a relationship with your new prospect. Michele A. Scism explains the 5 elements of a successful email nurture sequence.
Hosting an online event? Good for you! You'll grow your list, make some money, show off your expertise, and even make some important connections with other coaches in your niche. But you can't do any of that if you're making these rookie mistakes as Michele A. Scism explains.
Email marketing has become an essential tool for businesses these days. Michele A. Scism explains how can you use email marketing in your business and how to grow your list fast.
Enticing your readers to join your list is just a small part of your overall list-building goal. The number one thing your readers are looking for are solutions to their problems. Michele A. Scism shares suggestions for email marketing campaigns that work.
Need to kick start your audience growth? Michele A. Scism shares strategies on how to build your list using Other People's Audiences!


has anyone tried microdosing psychedlics like lsd or shrooms to boost problem solving, lessen anxiety, or increase creativity? i'm thinking of trying this out. the concept reminds me of nootropics.
I hate the term but some people I know and I have done it. It's quite useful. I don't have much anxiety, but I notice an increase in productivity .
thanks man. thats exactly what i what i needed to hear. hopefully it increases creativity. what term do u prefer?
I dunno. It's really of no consequence, just a pet peeve.
I feel like back in the day, LSD was said to be this tool for radical self improvement... so maybe the "micro dose" is the correct amount and we've all just been over indulging this whole time. In which case, it's just dosing.
I think a better term for it would probably be sub-psychedelic dose, as from what I can recall of what I've learned in the past about the original experiments with LSD that was the term they used when testing its nootropic effects. Obviously it's called sub-psychedelic as none of the visual, auditory, or otherwise effects occur, or at least shouldn't occur, at such a level.
I just want to add that they have meds now that are made from lsd. My wife is on it right now. I don't know much about them.
I have read studies in the past where they believe dosing in small amounts can reduce depression symptoms. If I remember correctly they proposed it would allow the subject to be able to eat normally if they hadn't become more creative and productive. I was trying to get my hands on a reputable source but I was unable to locally and I don't trust shady chemist on the dark net to buy it there as Im not sure how to test purity.
If anyone has suggestions I'd love to try this too.
sub-psychedlic makes sense. as long as ppl know what im talking about, im good.
paul, what meds are they if u can state them?
yea i am gonna have to get a reputable plug too.
Maxalt I'm told. it's ergot derivative. Forgive me if I'm just wrong. This is all second hand info.
Yea, I have a pretty good amount of experience, purity is the main issue , so mushrooms work best in my experience.
I ate 100mg of material every other day for fourteen days on three separate occasions, yalthough, It did cause me an increase in some already occurring social anxiety.
actii, im thinking of trying shrooms instead of lsd too. it inc ur social anxiety but what effects did it have on things like creativity if u dont mind telling?
I actually have an idea similar to this. It's based on practices of old medicine men, using psychedelics to have visions of the future. I haven't tried it yet, but basically my idea is to use DMT in 5-mg doses, supplemented by dextroamphetamine and oxiracetam. The reason for this is to create a sort of precognition, similar to shamans, as I said.
I've thought about doing this with Salvia. I'm one of those weirdo's that actually likes the stuff, and It puts me in a very positive mood for a few days after a trip. I keep meaning to buy a plant and try making a tea, or just chewing on the leaves. I read some stuff a while back about it being researched for depression.
finn, that sounds pretty cool. it kind of reminds me of technopaganism, idk why.
actii, interesting. swim cant wait to try. swim thinks mdma might b a bad idea - doesnt know if such small doses could accumulate and lead to serotonin syndrome.
@MTS Salvia is a K-opioid agonist, which should cause a depressed state, but the effects off salvia are very short lived. Many people report feeling happy, and having a "ready take on the world" attitude for days to weeks after a strong trip. The theory is that while it does shut down your k-opioid receptors initially, the body rebounds by overcompensating in the days following creating that euphoria. This has definitely been my experience.
I've never had what I would describe as a pleasant Salvia trip, most of the time it involves spiraling into darkness and being confronted with all the bad decisions I've made in my life and the dark corners of who I am, but once I am out of it I always feel overwhelmed with this positive feeling and sense of urgency to make change in my life. I've had 2 career positive career changes I can attribute in part to salvia trips.
It feels very much the opposite of say MDMA, where you feel incredible and invincible while on the effect of the drug, but I am always left feeling disgusting and dirty for days afterward.
I just don't know if salvia would have the same effect at lower doses, but I have seen some anecdotes of people with good results. It can also be very beneficial for inducing introspection and meditation, allowing you to examine your current problems and flaws, and then hopefully instilling you with the energy and motivation to do something about them afterwards.
SWIM tried micro-dosing and found that it actually increased anxiety so YMMV..
@Meanderpaul Is it Cafergot or something similar? I take that (caffeine + ergotamine) when I get my twice-a-year cluster headache. I know a few people who take it for migraines and love it. It just barely works on me, but better than nothing.
I have tried analogues of LSD and related substances before, but got nothing more than annoyingly nauseated during and then cripplingly depressed the next day. I had hoped that would have worked both for anxiety and headaches since there's been some recent promising research on LSD and psilocin.
However, I did find that a quarter dose of ayahuasca did wonders for my mood and anxiety levels for several days without a hard crash later. Since half of ayahuasca is an MAOI, it's not surprising it would have an antidepressant/anxiolytic effect, but I was surprised how well it worked and for how long.
On another forum I post on someone mentioned having an anti-depressant feeling in the days after a DXM trip and wanted to try micro dosing it. Another mentioned that DXM and ketamine are both being researched as anti-depressants for their action on the NMDA receptor. A third mentioned similar after glow effects on ketamine.
DXM, Ketamine, and Salvia are all K-opioid agonists, and now I am really curious if that is the common link.
I'm going to track down some salvia and give this a shot. I'm curious though whether or not micro dosing will work. They theory is that the salvia agonizesthe k-opiod receptor, and then you experience down-regulation and the positive effects during what is essentially withdraw.
This seems like an interesting approach to depression treatment, and one for which salvia is particularly well suited. Using the drugs withdraw effects to treat the symptom rather than primary efffect you eliminate a lot of the danger associated with discontinuing usage or building tolerance. Salvia is so fast acting that 10-20 minutes of negative side effects outweigh several days of positive ones.
I've actually been experimenting with an LSD microdose at school recently. I take 12.5 micrograms every 72 hours and so far I've enjoyed the effects a ton. The first day my tolerance was super low, so I had a bit of a hard time dealing with people, but since then it's been pretty fantastic for energy/focus.
Some notes would be that it (of course) interacts with other things you put into your body, so mixing it with weed+alcohol for example can be pretty horrible. I'm not exactly sure about it as a depression or anxiety remedy, but there is definitely a boost in creativity and energy. It doesn't make you smarter or anything, but it can help you become more passionate about the problems you're trying to solve, so it helps me in problem solving in that way.
A FOAF just came across two pieces of blotter paper and abruptly flushed them down the toilet. However, I was wondering if they would have kept them--how small would each square need to be divided up in order for it to be considered a "microdose" ?
The way that I dealt with that was to find out the amount on each piece of paper (you should know it when you get it), and then soak it in a a small amount of strong alcohol. LSD is soluble in booze. Then just do your dilution math and take the requisite ml or whatever of your liquid.
You can also dissolve it in distilled water or orange juice. I've done both and there's no real drop in potency.
I've been doing them every second day in a microdose of .2-.3 grams, which at first I thought would have zero effect. But I am noticing pronounced effects on my speech patterns and how well I can communicate with other people(increased memory, better use of hand gestures, sentences flow better)..I've noticed it's easier to comprehend topics, as I took a microdose a day before a test at school studied for three hours and took in everything i read. Without much prior knowledge on the exam from not paying attention/ being lazy in class. I did manage to get a 76, which where I am from is a B.


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text:
Recruitment and appointment
Titles and roles
Job redesign/reclassification
Development, appraisal and recognition
Management of staff
Conduct in the workplace
Selection for Appointment Policy
University Policy on Selection for Appointment
Policy No.
UP07/158
Authoring Organisational Unit
HR Services - Human Resources
30/09/2010 Revised 01/04/2012
Next Review Date
Approving Body
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor And Registrar
University Policy on: Selection for Appointment
Purpose of the policy and summary of issues it addresses:
This policy defines the principles of the University's open and transparent recruitment process for managers and supervisors appointing employees through competitive selection.
"Approved Delegate" means a position granted authority to act on behalf of the Vice Chancellor with varied levels of authority in line with the University's Delegations.
"Close relative" means the relationship of parent and child, wife and husband, including de-facto relationships, same sex partners and siblings.
"Competitive Selection Process" means the determination of relative merit against selection criteria ensuring the best possible choice of applicant to fill a vacant position. Calls for expressions of interest do not constitute a competitive selection process.
"Employee" means a person employed by the University who has an ongoing, fixed term or casual contract under the terms of the Academic, General, Childcare and ELICOS Staff Agreements (as amended or replaced from time to time).
"Supervisor" means the person who is responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the employee
"University" means The University of Western Australia.
Process Map: Overview of Recruitment Process
Process Map: Selection
Process Map: Appointment
A strategic priority of the University is to recruit the highest quality staff. A merit based selection process administered by Selection Committees is expected to maximise the potential for selecting the best person without unlawful discrimination.
This policy provides a common selection framework for the whole University, however the selection and recruitment of staff to fill vacant positions is the responsibility of individual work areas.
As soon as a person has accepted an offer of employment (either verbal or written) from a representative of the University, a contract of employment exists. It is therefore essential that while the work area will prepare a Selection Report which is to be signed by the Chair and panel members of the Selection Committee, it will be Human Resources' responsibility to make a formal offer to the successful applicant upon receipt of the Selection Report and Recommendation to Offer New Employment Contract Form.
A separate process exists for appointment to the University Executive and at the level of senior executive, Dean and Winthrop Professor. Recruitment is undertaken by the Senate Selection Committee, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor. The selection process is co-ordinated by the Executive Support Manager.
In addition, the Fast Track Appointment process allows managers and supervisors to fast track the appointment of eligible employees up to two levels higher than their substantive classification. Fast Track Appointment provides an alternative appointment process to the standard competitive selection process.
The policy is supported by the following selection and appointment guides that detail the selection process and techniques to be used by the Selection Committees -
Academic Staff Appointments
Professional Staff Appointments
1 Selection Criteria
1.1 Selection criteria are essential to the selection process as they provide the basis on which a Selection Committee can assess the relative merit of applicants. The criteria ensures the assessment when shortlisting, interviewing and reference checking is made on the same basis for all applicants to a position. Applicants are assessed on their merit and the extent to which they meet or exceed defined selection criteria.
1.2 Selection criteria must be prepared for every vacant position.
1.2.1 Academic Staff
Selection criteria should be based on the University's Minimum Standards for Academic Levels (MSALs) detailed in Schedule F of the Academic Staff Agreement. They should include requirements related to teaching and research and be consistent with the MSALs appropriate to the level of the position.
Selection criteria will be prepared by the Head of School or equivalent and authorised by the Approved Delegate.
1.2.2 Professional Staff -
Selection criteria form part of the Position Description that must be created for a position to be classified and advertised. Selection criteria should be work-related and will normally cover the following four categories:
qualifications or training
relevant skills and abilities
relevant knowledge
relevant previous work experience
and must be authorised by the Approved Delegate.
The following position description templates are available for use.
Position Description form - A
Position Description form - B
2 Selection Committee
2.1 To achieve the University's strategic priority to recruit the highest quality staff, vacancies will wherever possible be filled from a diverse field of applicants. The composition of the Selection Committee should reflect gender and cultural diversity.
2.2 A Selection Committee is established by the Chair (usually the vacant position's manager) and should comprise -
Dean of the Faculty as Chair (this role may be delegated to Head of School/Centre or nominee for Levels A & B and Research Academic positions),
two other members of the School/Centre,
the Head of School/Centre or nominee,
one member from outside the School/Centre (a member of academic staff at equivalent or higher level)
if the appointment is to a clinical or para-clinical department in a teaching hospital it is usual to co-opt the chairperson of the Hospital's appointments committee or nominee.
Professional Staff appointments -
at least three members
at least one person with detailed working knowledge of the requirements of the position, preferably the supervisor, and
at least one member from outside the immediate work area.
2.3 The Selection Committee must record key elements of the interviews and subsequent deliberations to ensure transparency of the decision making process and be capable of review.
3 Assessment
3.1 Applicants are not required to submit a specific written statement addressing the selection criteria; however, applicants do need to demonstrate they have the required capabilities to meet the selection criteria of the position. Applicants are required to submit their resume and a covering letter to demonstrate they can meet the selection criteria. Applicants can choose to also submit a mini-statement with one or two specific examples or a full statement addressing each selection criterion.
3.2 Short listed applicants are assessed on their merit and the extent to which they meet or exceed defined selection criteria. Assessment is made on the basis of the written application, responses to behaviourally-based interview questions, performance in work tests and/or presentations and the information gained from referees and/or background checks.
4 Confidentiality
4.1 Applications for positions are strictly confidential and access is restricted to those directly involved in the selection process and Human Resources staff.
4.2 Selection Committee members are required to sign the Statement of Confidentiality.
5 Special requirements
5.1 When a Working with Children Check or a National Police Clearance Certificate is required, ensure the applicant is advised at the interview that appointment to the position is subject to this requirement. If the applicant does not provide a copy at the time of interview, they are to apply for a Certificate in a timely manner when directed by the University.
5.2 For some positions a higher level of fitness is required when the duties involve manual tasks. If the selection committee identify that physical fitness to meet the inherent requirements of the position is required, contact the Manager of Injury Management and Wellbeing in UWA Safety and Health on ext. 2784.
5.3 In these situations the applicants should be asked to bring the pre-employment medical questionnaire (PEMQ) to the interview. After all other selection criteria have been applied the PEMQ should be viewed by the Chair only. Information on the PEMQ should then only be divulged to other panel members if there are any concerns. The panel can only rely on objective medical information and further assessment may be required to assess fitness for duty and avoid potential discrimination.
6 Current Employees of the University
6.1 Employees applying for vacancies must supply all information relevant to their application as information on University personal files is not available to Selection Committees.
7 Employment of Close Relatives
7.1 The employment of relatives is only acceptable when the appointment is made in line with this policy.
7.2 A member of staff should not take any direct part in the selection process for an appointment for which a family member is a candidate.
7.3 Prior approval must be sought from the Dean or Vice Chancellor where a staff member is required to directly supervise a relative.
8 Selected Applicant on Rehabilitation or Workers' Compensation
8.1 There may be occasions when the preferred applicant for a position is currently receiving Workers' Compensation benefits and/or is being assisted by a rehabilitation agency.
8.2 In these circumstances, which may apply to internal and external applicants, the University may select one of the following options:
Arranging a 'work assessment' period for 1-12 weeks prior to appointment, transfer or promotion during which the selected applicant continues to be paid workers' compensation. The aim of this procedure is to enable the University to ensure the applicant is physically able to cope with the position before appointment or transfer and to prevent the applicant from losing workers' compensation benefits unnecessarily. (For example it may be unclear whether the preferred applicant's back injury would preclude them from completing all Library Assistant duties satisfactorily - a work assessment period allows this matter to be determined to the benefit of both parties).
Having a workplace assessment/job analysis completed by a rehabilitation professional to determine whether there is a risk to the selected applicant and whether this may be attenuated by provision of suitable equipment and furniture or reasonable alteration to existing work practices;
Arranging provision of suitable furniture and equipment;
Arranging short-term training. For example, the preferred applicant may require keyboard or first-aid training to be fully competent in the position. Such training may be provided through rehabilitation funding and arranged through UWA Safety and Health, Human Resources.
8.3 Applicants involved with a rehabilitation agency will generally advise the selection committee during the interview. If possible, the name of the agency and contact person should be obtained.
Related forms: (Link)
A Request to Advertise form via eRecruitment
Position Description - A
Position Description Template - B
Recommendation to Offer New Employment Contract form
Standing Selection Committee approval form
Selection and Appointment Guide for Chairs of Selection Committees:
- Academic Staff
- Professional Staff
Interview FAQs
Suggestions for Conducting Selection Interviews
What Should be Included in an Application/Resume
Referee Report Template
Sample Selection Report
TRIM File No:
Contact position:
HR Services - Recruitment
Related Policies or legislation:
University Policy on : Advertising UP07/160
University Policy on: Fast Track Appointment (Professional Employees) UP08/2
Selection and appointment toolkit
Tuesday, 29 August, 2017 8:37 AM