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Interview: The Wanted's Tom Parker talks about Grease role at Milton Keynes
Tom Parker and Danielle Hope as Danny and Sandy
Steve Mills
When The Wanted's Tom Parker originally auditioned for Grease, he wasn't expecting to land the role of Danny.
Speaking to us ahead of the visit to Milton Keynes Theatre from Monday August 28 to Saturday September 2, he said: "I was originally asked if I was interested in Teen Angel which meant one song and a brief role so I went for the audition.
"I got a phone call a few days later asking if I was interested in playing Danny and after an extra audition, they offered me the part which I was delighted about."
The original high-school musical, features unforgettable songs including You're The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word and Summer Nights.
You might think that there wouldn't be too much of a challenge to go from singer to musical theatre lead but Tom says there has been difficulties.
He said: "It has been a challenge learning the script but there are a lot of transferable skills over from performing in the band. While we weren't known for lots of dancing in the band, we did a little bit.
"But when we did have some complex choreography in this show, I did go a little bit like, ah yes, I can do this.
"I did watch the film just to get the style of acting that is required in this field. John Travolta had a huge impact playing the film so I have tried to take little things from his performance but not all of it."
Even the relatively short period of rehearsals didn't stop Tom from taking the role seriously.
He added: "We only had three weeks of rehearsals before we went out on the tour so I asked for the script a couple of months before we started the rehearsals just so I could get my head in the right place. I wanted to get into the rehearsals and nail it.
"But it is a great show and if you like the film then come along and see it."
Tom is still best known for his role in the five piece band The Wanted and is proud of his achievements with the band.
He said: "We played some amazing venues when we were in The Wanted and I think when I look back, my biggest memories is meeting people like Michelle Obama. A few years, I was just a lad from Bolton and then I was meeting the first lady of the United States.
From Avenue Q to Jimmy Carr, Jason Manford, Michael Parkinson and Madagascar The Musical: All the shows coming to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre this summer
"I would hope that we would reform the band, it is something that I would really push for us to do. There was something special that we had between the four of us, and we would love to recreate that experience again."
He is also in just a small select group of people. Tom is one of the few contestants that hasn't suffered an injury on The Jump.
Tom laughed before adding: "I was lucky to be probably one of the only people not to be injured in The Jump.
"I initially turned it down as I wasn't keen on doing television work. However after a couple of months, I regretted the decision so asked if there was a chance to do.
"All of the spaces on the show were full but they put me on the reserve list. And then the injuries happened and I ended up being on it.
"I had done some skiing but not for about 10 years before doing that show. It is quite scary doing those 30/40 foot jumps."
But it is probably safe to say that another tour isn't top of Tom's list to do in the near future.
"I wouldn't rule out doing more musical theatre but doing a long tour does put a strain, especially as I am due to get married next year, so maybe I wouldn't do something as intense in the future."
Tickets cost from £15 and performances take place throughout the week. To book tickets call the box office on 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/miltonkeynes.


MUMBAI: businessvoip earlier reported on the leap in Sony Entertainment Television's Dil Hi Toh Hai. However, before the jump, the makers at Balaji Telefilms are gearing up Rithwik's (Karan Kundra) sister Reeva's (Gurpreet Bedi) grand wedding.
The team of Dil Hi Toh Hai is leaving no stone unturned to dress the cast, especially the bride, in the best of outfits.
Reeva's wedding look is inspired by none other than Bollywood style icon Sonam Kapoor. Sonam's wedding was the talk of the town. Her bridal lehenga also was much appreciated.
Take a look at Gurpreet in her bridal look!


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Q: create custom pdf viewer for iphone I want to develop a custom pdf viewer, in which I can add features like:

*

*bookmarks

*jump to specific page

*take some notes

*page flipping effect

Can you suggest some libraries in Cocoa touch to fullfill my requirements?
I followed the PDF viewing tutorial in which a webview was used but it only provides basic scrolling and zoom facilities. I have seen some apps in which bookmarks and page flipping is possible. Kindly suggest me  something so that I can integrate more features.

A: I think this older answer here on stack overflow will give you some answers.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"...he looks set to be a mainstay in the big staying chases this season when the mud is flying..."
NO HASSLE HOFF was highly impressive on his reappearance last year and has long since promised to make a better chaser, so it's worth taking the chance that he can up his game to make a winning start to this campaign despite some capable opposition. Fellow chasing debutants Dentley de Mee and Molineaux also make plenty of appeal, while Vivas must be respected in his hat-trick bid, too.
Those with previous experience over hurdles don't set all that high a standard here, and it could be worth taking a chance on one of the newcomers to this discipline instead, with SEVARANO making most appeal on the back of a productive campaign in bumpers in 2017/18. A ready winner of his debut at Kempton, he acquitted himself well for one so inexperienced when fifth in a Grade 2 event at Aintree in April, and should prove capable of better still now jumping, with all the tools to make an above-average hurdler for the in-form Oliver Sherwood yard (six winners from last 20 runners).
TERREFORT won three of his four starts in novice company last season, impressing with his strong travelling, bold-jumping style along the way. With further improvement likely to be forthcoming in this sphere, he looks set to be a mainstay in the big staying chases this season when the mud is flying (raced only on soft in Britain so far) and can pick this race up en route provided the ground is not too fast. Thomas Patrick and Elegant Escape can battle it out for second.


9MT6-0.35 taps are used for making custom holes in hardened aluminum. The taps should be ordered together with 9SH67 series industrial adjustment screws.
Use 9TW tap wrench with taps 9MT to conveniently make custom threaded holes.


Engine removed from car being rebuilt.
Rebuilt engine back in the car being worked on.
Beautiful original floors stripped down to bare metal.
We remove all the old undercoating, and grime before refinishing.
Undercarriage after stripping, repairing any problem areas, priming and painting.
New exhaust, all new bushings, highly detailed.
All new interior using GAHH materials.
All new seats, door panels, carpets, refinished wood, new dashboard.
Stunning color combo, #904 Midnight blue with Parchment interior.


text:
Hydrophilus picicornis es una especie de escarabajo acuático del género Hydrophilus, familia Hydrophilidae. Fue descrita científicamente por Chevrolat en 1863.

Se distribuye por China (Fujian), India, Indonesia (Ambon, Java, Lombok, Célebes), Laos, Nepal, Filipinas, Australia y Fiyi.

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Hydrophilus picicornis Enciclopedia de la vida.
 Hydrophilus picicornis Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG).

picicornis
Insectos descritos en 1863
Insectos de Asia
Insectos de Oceanía

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Marshals of the Voivodeships (heads of the provincial-level government for each of the sixteen voivodeships of Poland) are tasked with operating the EEE producer register.
Collective compliance is a viable option for producers of B2B EEE, as B2B WEEE has been subject to collection targets from 2016. Management fees charged by collective compliance organisations for the management of B2B WEEE are much lower than those for B2C WEEE. Therefore, delegating collection and recycling activities to a compliance organisation is economically feasible.
Individual compliance: before the introduction of collection targets for B2B WEEE in 2016, individual compliance was popular among B2B EEE producers as individual programmes managing B2B WEEE do not require approval. Additionally, financial guarantees are not required and B2B products are not subject to product fees. Producers can locate authorised treatment facilities in each region via the EEE producer register.
The Marshals of the Voivodeships (heads of the provincial-level government for each of the sixteen voivodeships of Poland) are tasked with operating the battery producer register.
Producers are responsible for setting up and financing collection schemes and they must have concluded an agreement with a 'collector' and a battery treatment facility by 1 January 2010. Producers remain individually responsible for annual input and output reporting as well as for meeting annual collection targets. Producers must spend a minimum of 0.1% of the turnover from batteries on public awareness raising campaigns. They can do so themselves or by paying the equivalent amount to the authorities in the province where they are based. Collectors are licensed waste collection point operators, municipal waste management administrations or entities licensed to collect municipal waste. The Polish Batteries Act does not define or regulate collective systems. Existing WEEE systems, whose activities are restricted by the WEEE Act to services related to WEEE, may assume producers' operational but not their legal responsibilities.
From 12 June 2009 producers must take back non-lead industrial batteries within 30 days of request from end-users at the producer's expense. Lead-acid accumulators must be taken back from end-users, retailers and wholesalers at the producer's expense. Information on the manner and conditions of take-back must be enclosed with the product. Producers may enter into agreements with end-users on different financing arrangements for collection and treatment. Individual compliance is permitted with no approval required from GIOS.
Obligated parties must register and submit data based on the amount of packaging handled, to the Ministry of Environment.
The deadline for meeting recycling targets in Poland is delayed until 31 December 2014 in accordance with the amendment to the revised Directive, 2005/20/EC.
Producers and importers are obliged to achieve the specified recovery and recycling targets. These obligations can be fulfilled individually or jointly through an authorised recovery organisation.
If a producer joins an authorised recovery organisation, the obligations are passed onto this organisation. Producers and recovery organisations must register with the relevant authorities.
Individual producers or recovery organisations that do not meet the required levels of recovery and recycling must pay a product charge. The product fee is calculated separately for each type of packaging.
All importers, packers / fillers and producers packing articles produced by another producer and placing them on the Polish market are covered by the collection and recycling obligations of the act. There are no thresholds for companies who only handle small quantities of packaging.
Entirely separate producer responsibility regimes now apply to multi-material packaging (i.e. composites) and to packaging used for hazardous products. They have their own collection systems and recovery and recycling targets, and are no longer able to participate in the compliance organisations set up to fulfil the obligations of producers of other packaged products.


Stop paying a fee for Halal food certification to the Islamic Council.
A number of foods we purchase on supermarket shelves are certified as Halal.
For example the small Halal certification symbol appears on Kraft Vegemite, some Cadbury products, Tasel Tasmanian salmon, some Leggo food products, some San Remo pasta products and many more.
Even more products are certified Halal but do not show the symbol on the label.
To be certified Halal a fee must be paid to AFIC –The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils- or an affiliated state council.
Clearly many Non-Muslim shoppers are unwittingly buying unlabelled halal products and many consumers are unwittingly eating halal products in food outlets and institutions.
Halal is being introduced into our food chain by stealth and many non-food products are also halal certified now, some of which include halal bi-products in the production process.
Who are AFIC and what happens to the certification fee you contribute towards when you buy a certified product?
The AFIC is the only single Islamic Halal Certifier that operates Nationally (all the States and Territories of Australia) for Halal Certification.
According to their website, the main role of AFIC is to represent Islam and Muslims of Australia as one "Ummah" to the government and other bodies nationally and internationally.
AFIC coordinates and provides resources for activities of its State Islamic Councils and member Islamic societies.
The AFIC has an embracing mission statement: but its actions are not totally consistent with that statement.
For example, the appointment by the AFIC of the notorious Taj El-Din Hilaly as Grand Mufti of Australia, was in conflict with the AFIC's stated mission.
Taj El-Din Hilaly was a convicted criminal serving time in jail. His sermons were often anti-Australian (in direct contradiction of the AFIC's mission statement) and his views on Australian women ("cat's meat") are well known. Hilaly never condemned the terrorist attacks on the USA on 11 September 2001. In fact, he is reported as supporting that offence by saying it was an act of god. The AFIC did not condemn him for that statement. Furthermore, Hilaly appeared to support Hezbollah, classified by the Australian Government as a terrorist organization – does the AFIC send its "international resources" to Hezbollah?
The Australian Newspaper reports that the Minister for education in NSW has asked the NSW police and ASIC to investigate where millions and millions of tax-payers dollars have gone. The money was given to Muslim schools managed by you guessed it AFIC. The millions of government dollars funnelled out of the schools into AFIC's coffers has not yet been explained.
Time may tell, if it is not hushed up, whether the money was just badly accounted for, or was used corruptly to pay people, or whether some was syphoned off to give to Muslim organisations like Hezbollah.
I wonder if we will ever hear.
In the meantime do not give money to AFIC by purchasing Halal certified products.


A good place to start researching this type of info is at SimilarWeb. That advice seemed solid, as cell-phone and webcams take low-end photos. The dating site even encourages members to make sure people can "see your face" on the upload-photo page.
Outreach A great way to bring in higher traffic to your site is by getting other websites to link back to you.
Pictures came from those ages 18 to 32 who lived in big cities. Guys with fit bodies did better at getting messages if they took their shirt off than if they left it on.
The more interested your audience is in the referrer, the better your chances of getting them to link back to you. The results may hold for anyone looking for love, regardless of whether it's digital dating.
Also, be sure to look fototapety online dating whether the directory brings in a fair amount of traffic and if online dating for hiv singles website listings provided are high quality or not.
Yagan suggests that self-taken photos have a sense of authenticity. Not if you're a guy. Competition research Take the time to do some research on the competition for fototapety.
A year-old woman showing her body received one fewer message than the equivalent 18 year-old, but an "older woman" showing no cleavage got 4 fewer messages compared with a young gal. A face-less picture could work to someone's advantage they found, fototapety online dating long as the member showed some image that was unusual, mysterious or otherwise alluring.
Ladies who showed some cleavage got 49 percent more contacts than the average photo. In return, you can also offer to provide backlinks to their website as well.
Think about joining any groups that might be relevant and use that as a way to publish info about fototapety. Looking at just female photos, results showed the so-called MySpace shot, in which the gal holds her phone above her head and looks up with a coy face, was best hands down.
While a year-old showing abs garnered more contacts from women than the average photo, that same ab shot for a year-old didn't give him much boost over the average male photo.
That result held even when the team controlled for cleavage shown at that angle. These presumably lower-quality photos were just as successful, if not more so, at reeling in date messages.
For instance, self-shot photos for women resulted in 8. By looking into the main competitors, you can really find a lot of valuable information on the target audience. Always show your face.
Directories relevant to www. For instance, whether or not to have a profile photo is a no-brainer: Make an effort to connect with sites that your target audience might find interesting and contact the owners. But he admits there is a selection bias, as the guys who bare their six-packs actually have them.
Even so, that six-pack has a short shelf life, the team says. Photos in which men were looking away from the camera and not smiling had the most success in getting messages from possible dates.
Make sure to target anyone who might want to visit fototapety. The female analogue of the ab shot is the cleavage shot. In general, women get fewer new messages as they age.
There wasn't much difference for men either. In addition, the photo's context can make for a boring shot not to mention the creepiness of someone lurking in front of the computer snapping their own pictures, the OkCupid team says. It has a sense of 'hot off the presses, this is me in real time, unadulterated, not prettied up,'" Yagan said.
It's pretty much essential. And in fact women seem to be in the know, as they smile almost twice as often as men and make that flirty face four times as often.
Guys should keep their shirts on. But the new survey suggests with all other things equal, whether or not you show your face has no impact on the number of messages you receive. You should also think about creating social media pages on platforms like Linkedin and Facebook.
The data didn't include the most and least attractive photos in order to just look at certain photo factors rather than the attractiveness of the person.
Don't take your online photo with your phone or webcam. And this advantage went up with age. It might be helpful to do a bit of research beforehand on what types of listings each directory has so you can single out your target audience.


text:
Member Bylaws
Bylaws of the Society for Pediatric Pathology
Article I. Name.
The name of this organization shall be the Society for Pediatric Pathology ("SPP").
Article II. Incorporation.
The SPP is incorporated in the State of Rhode Island as a domestic non-profit corporation. The SPP has been recognized as a tax-exempt charitable, educational, and scientific organization, as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").
Article III. Purposes and Powers.
Section 1. Corporate Mission and Purpose.
The mission and purposes of the SPP shall be as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time, which purposes shall include the following:
To promote expertise, effective teaching and productive research in the practice of pediatric pathology.
To assist and promote the development and recognition of resident/fellow training programs in pediatric pathology and work with certifying and accrediting bodies to establish and maintain a means by which pathologists may be certified as having special competency in pediatric pathology.
To sponsor and promote the education of physicians and others in healthcare related to pediatric pathology.
To establish and maintain appropriate relationships with other societies and groups of physicians, and other scientists who share professional interests with the SPP.
Section 2. Corporate Powers.
The SPP shall have all the powers, rights and duties normally incident to domestic non-profit corporations and all other rights granted to corporations organized under the Rhode Island Nonprofit Corporation Act, but shall engage only in such activities as are permitted by Section 501(c)(3) of the Code.
Article IV. Governance and Administration
The governance and management of the affairs of the SPP shall be vested in a Board of Directors (also referred to as the "Board"), which consists of elected and appointed members (see Article VIII Section 2). The Board elects the SPP officers.
Article V. Membership
Section 1. Membership categories and definitions.
Categories of SPP membership include Regular, Junior, Affiliate, Emeritus, Honorary, Sustaining, and Life members. Only Regular and Life members have voting privileges.
Regular members are individuals who meet the following criteria:
Pathologists, other physicians or scientists engaged in the field of pediatric pathology or allied disciplines.
Maintain status of good standing that includes up-to-date payment of dues.
The category of Regular Members includes Life Members, a type of membership which closed to new members in 1989.
Regular members shall have the right to vote on the election of candidates to the Board of Directors pursuant to Article VIII of these Bylaws and shall have no other voting rights. Regular members may hold office and serve on committees.
Junior members are individuals who are students, residents, or fellows, after which the Junior member is eligible to become a Regular member. Junior members may serve on committees. They may not vote or hold office.
Affiliate members are individuals who meet the following criteria:
Fulfills qualifications of Regular member but resides outside the United States and Canada and does not wish to become a Regular member.
Affiliate members may serve on committees. They may not vote or hold office.
Emeritus members are individuals who meet the following criteria:
Regular member in good standing who requests Emeritus membership due to reaching the age of sixty-five (65) years or for other reasons.
Emeritus members may serve on committees. They may not vote or hold office.
Honorary members are individuals who meet the following criteria:
Individual has rendered distinguished service or made major contributions in pediatric pathology.
Honorary members may not vote, serve on committees, or hold office.
Sustaining members are individuals who meet the following criteria:
Individual has made a minimum annual contribution to the SPP of One Thousand Dollars ($1000).
Individual does not qualify for another membership category.
Sustaining members may not vote, serve on committees, or hold office.
Section 2. Application and approval of new memberships.
Individuals who desire new membership submit an application through the SPP management office. All applications are subject to review.
Section 3. Change of Membership Category.
Individuals who desire a change in membership category submit a request to the SPP office. Requests for change of category are subject to review.
Section 4. Membership dues.
Dues for all categories of membership shall be determined by the Executive Director and Treasurer subject to approval by the Board of Directors. Dues are payable annually. Membership in the SPP will be forfeited by nonpayment of annual dues for a period of one (1) year unless special consideration is requested by the member and approved by the Executive Committee.
Section 5. Membership in the International Paediatric Pathology Association (IPPA).
The SPP is a constituent member of IPPA; accordingly, SPP Regular and Life members are also IPPA members via their membership in the SPP. This is defined in the IPPA Constitution, which is not included in these Bylaws.
Article VI. Funds and Financial Matters.
Section 1. Depositories and Investments.
All revenue belonging to the SPP shall be deposited, invested and managed according to policies adopted by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Authority to Reimburse.
The Executive Director and/or Treasurer shall be responsible for the proper receipt and disbursement of funds belonging to the SPP.
Section 3. Contracts.
Unless otherwise provided in a resolution by the Board of Directors, the President and/or Secretary shall sign contracts between the SPP and other organizations.
Article VII. Officers.
Section 1. Officers.
The officers of the SPP are:
Immediate Past-President
The Board of Directors elects officers. The President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past-President serve one-year terms beginning during the business session of the Spring Meeting. The Secretary and the Treasurer each serve three-year terms. No officers, other than the Secretary and the Treasurer, may serve more than one consecutive term in office, but they may be re-elected after having been out of that office for a minimum of three (3) years. The Secretary and the Treasurer are elected to three-year terms, renewable at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
Section 2. President.
The President is the chief officer of the SPP and shall preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors, the membership of the SPP, and the Executive Committee. The President shall serve as the Chairperson of the Executive Committee and of the Board of Directors. The President, in conjunction with the President-Elect and appointed SPP committee chairs, is responsible for developing annual goals for SPP committees. The President shall perform all duties normally incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board. The President shall assume the office of Immediate Past-President upon the completion of his or her one-year term.
Section 3. President-Elect.
The President-Elect shall succeed the President upon completion of the presidential term or whenever the President, for any reason, is unable to serve for the entire term of office. Along with the President the President-Elect shall be responsible for the annual review and update of the SPP strategic plan. The President-Elect shall collaborate with the President and appointed SPP committee chairs for development of annual charters for SPP committees.
Section 4. Immediate Past-President.
The Immediate Past-President shall serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
Section 5. Secretary.
The Secretary shall assure that minutes are prepared and maintained for all meetings of the Board and the SPP members within thirty (30) days of the meetings, assure that proper notice is given for all meetings of the Board and members, and perform other such duties as may be prescribed by the Board and the President. The Secretary, together with the President or solely, may sign contracts between the SPP and other organizations.
Section 6. Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall be responsible for financial oversight of the SPP in conjunction with the Board, the SPP Executive Director and various SPP committees.
Section 7. Election of Officers.
The Board of Directors elects the SPP officers. The President-Elect, Secretary-Elect and the Treasurer-Elect each shall be elected one year prior to the end of the term of the current President, Secretary and Treasurer. After one year in office, the President-Elect then becomes the President. After one year in office, the President then becomes the Immediate Past-President. The Secretary-Elect and the Treasurer-Elect each may hold another office concurrently, with the exception of President-Elect. If the current Secretary or Treasurer is unable to complete his or her term, the Secretary-Elect or the Treasurer-Elect shall become the successor. The Secretary-Elect and the Treasurer-Elect serve as a nonvoting member of the committees on which the Secretary or Treasurer serves, respectively.
Article VIII. Board of Directors.
Section 1. Duties.
The Board of Directors governs the SPP. Except as explicitly provided elsewhere in these Bylaws, the Board of Directors shall oversee the affairs of the SPP. Duties of the Board shall include but shall not be limited to the following:
To elect SPP officers.
To establish policies with reference to which the business of the SPP is conducted, consistent with the stated purposes of the SPP.
To oversee the SPP's financial affairs.
To review and ratify or reject contractual arrangements made by the President and Secretary.
To receive annual reports of all standing committees.
Qualifications and responsibilities of Board members include:
Regular Member of SPP.
A Board member shall discharge his or her duties as a director, including his or her duties as a member of a committee: in good faith; with the care an ordinarily prudent person in a similar position would exercise under similar circumstances; and in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the SPP.
In discharging his or her duties, a Board member is entitled to rely on information, opinions, reports, or statements, including financial statements and other financial data, if prepared or presented by: one or more officers
of the SPP whom the director reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented; the Executive Director, legal counsel, public accountants, or other persons as to matters the Board member reasonably believes are within the person's professional or expert competence; or a committee of the SPP of which he or she is not a member if the Board member reasonably believes the committee merits confidence.
A Board member is not acting in good faith if he or she has knowledge concerning the matter in question that makes reliance otherwise permitted by the above subsection unwarranted.
A Board member is not liable for any action taken as a Board member, or any failure to take any action, if he or she performed the duties of his or her office in compliance with the above subsection.
Section 2. Composition of the Board of Directors, Terms, and Term Limits.
The Board of Directors is composed of at least eight (8) members and no more than sixteen (16) members. Eight (8) Board members are elected by the voting membership. Officers are members of the Board of Directors: the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. One (1) to three (3) additional Board members may be appointed or elected.
Section 3. Election and Appointment of Board of Directors.
Eight (8) Board members are elected by the voting membership of the SPP, in groups of two (2) per annual election, in staggered terms, each for a term of four (4) years. The election may be conducted by email ballot or regular mail ballot to all voting SPP members. Candidates who receive a simple majority of the votes cast shall be deemed elected to the Board of Directors provided that completed ballots are received from at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the current voting membership or sixty (60) members, whichever is fewer.
The Board of Directors may elect up to three (3) additional Board members, each for a term of four (4) years in staggered terms as needed, by a simple majority vote of the Board.
A three (3) year interval is required before a Board member who has already served a single term can be re-elected or appointed to the Board again, excluding executive officer positions.
Section 4. Removal of Officers and Board Members.
Any Board member or Officer may be removed by the Board whenever, in the judgment of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, the removal will serve the best interest of the SPP. The removal shall be by the simple majority affirmative vote of the Board quorum.
Section 5. Vacancies.
Any vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors may be filled by appointment by the President. If an elected Board member is appointed as an officer of the SPP, the President may fill the resulting vacancy on the Board. A Board member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office but shall remain eligible for election to a full term.
Section 6. Quorum of Board of Directors.
Twenty-five percent (25%) of Board members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board, unless otherwise required by law or these Bylaws. The vote of a simple majority of the Board members in attendance at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board.
Section 7. Board of Director and Officer conflicts of interest.
Board members and Officers are required to disclose conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest annually.
Section 8. Annual meeting of the Board of Directors.
There shall be at least one annual meeting of the Board. Notice of the meeting shall be provided to Board of Director members no fewer than ten (10) days in advance.
Section 9. Special meetings of the Board of Directors.
Special meetings of the Board may be called by or at the request of the President or of any two (2) Board members. Notice of any special meeting of the Board shall be given at least five (5) days prior to the date thereof and shall designate the date, time, and location for the meeting; provided however that the President, in an emergency, may call a special meeting upon whatever notice he/she may deem reasonable. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any meeting of the Board need be specified in the notice of such meeting.
Section 10. Action by Board of Directors without meeting.
Any action that may be taken at a meeting of the Board may be taken without a meeting if consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by all of the Board members with respect to the subject of the action.
Section 11. SPP Representatives on the IPPA Council.
The SPP President and Secretary serve as members of the IPPA Council. Other SPP members may be nominated to and elected to serve on the IPPA Council, as defined in the IPPA Constitution, which is not included in these Bylaws.
Article IX. Committees.
Section 1. Executive Committee and Its Duties.
The Executive Committee shall consist of the:
President, who serves as Executive Committee Chair
The duties of the Executive Committee include:
Acting for the Board of Directors in the interim between regular and special meetings of the Board.
Making operating decisions that implement established policies of the Board.
Providing strategic leadership for the SPP.
Leading strategic planning for the SPP.
Reviewing and approving membership applications.
Performing an annual review of SPP bylaws, with recommendations for amendments, if necessary, to the Board.
Making recommendations to the Board regarding the SPP management arrangement and contract.
Meetings of the Executive Committee:
The Executive Committee meetings are called by the President and include regular on-site meetings at regular SPP meetings and at intervals as determined necessary by the President or other officers by means of a telephone conference circuit or similar communication equipment.
Section 2. Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee shall consist of the President-Elect, the President, the two (2) most recent Past-Presidents, and up to two (2) additional members appointed as necessary by the President to perform the duties of the Committee. The Chairperson shall call meetings of the Nominating Committee as needed to fulfill the duties of the Committee. The term for Nominating Committee members is one (1) year.
The duties of the Nominating Committee are:
To solicit nominations for SPP officers (President, Secretary, Treasurer,) and Board of Directors from the SPP membership.
To review the nominations from the membership and select candidates.
To submit a final list of nominees to the Board of Directors for approval at least forty-five (45) days prior to the Spring Meeting.
To submit the list of candidates approved by the Board of Directors to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the Spring Meeting.
Section 3. Other Committees.
The Board of Directors may appoint standing committees or temporary task forces that may include one or more members of the Board and other members of the SPP, as are necessary or desirable for the proper administration of the SPP's affairs or may facilitate the accomplishment or furtherance of the SPP's goals, objectives or purposes. These committees will not have the power to expend funds of the organization or make policy except as directed and approved by the Board or Executive Committee. The President, the Treasurer, and the Executive Director or staff person given such authority by the Board must approve budgets for their operation. Similarly, committees of the Board may recommend but not enact policy for the organization.
Committee and task force chairs are proposed for appointment by the Executive Committee and approved for or removed from these positions by the Board.
A Council of Committee Chairs meets with the Board of Directors at Spring and Fall SPP meetings as deemed necessary by the Board.
Article X. Meetings.
Section 1. Meetings of the Membership.
A meeting of the membership shall be held at least once each year. Scientific sessions may be held in conjunction with those of other professional societies. Once yearly a meeting will also include a business session.
Section 2. Special Meetings.
Additional business or scientific meetings of the SPP membership may be called at any time by the President, at the request of the Board, or by petition from a quorum of Regular Members in good standing.
Section 3. Notification.
Any and all notices of scientific, business or special meetings of the SPP membership shall be distributed by first class mail or e-mail to each member in good standing not less than thirty (30) days prior to the designated time of the meeting.
Section 4. Business Meeting.
Each year a portion of at least one regular meeting shall be set aside to consider the business matters of the SPP. Attendance will be limited to members in good standing. Only Regular Members shall be eligible to vote. The President shall determine the agenda and procedure for the meeting.
The agenda for the Business Meeting shall be available to the membership prior to the meeting. The order of the Business Meeting includes, but is not limited to: a summary of previous Business Meeting minutes, as made available in advance; reports by President, Secretary and Treasurer; reports of standing and ad hoc committees; announcements and received communications; unfinished business; new business; announcement of the next meeting; report of the Nominating Committee; announcement and installation of new officers.
Section 5. Quorum and Voting.
The presence of twenty-five percent (25%) of all Regular Members or sixty (60) Regular Members, whichever is less, shall constitute a quorum and shall be necessary to transact business. If a quorum is present, a simple majority vote of Regular Members present will prevail in all matters.
Section 6. Action by the Members Without a Meeting.
The Board of Directors is empowered to submit matters by mail or electronic ballot to the voting membership for action without a meeting. Approval by ballot pursuant to this section shall be valid only when number of approvals equals or exceeds the number of votes that would be required to approve the matter at a meeting.
Article XI. Discipline.
Section 1. Non-Payment of Dues.
Membership in the SPP will be forfeited by nonpayment of annual dues for a period of one (1) year unless special consideration is requested by the member and approved by the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Membership Termination.
Any member whose membership has been terminated shall forfeit all rights and privileges in the SPP and shall not thereafter hold himself or herself out as a member of the SPP unless or until he or she is again a member in good standing.
In addition, the Board of Directors upon a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, may remove any member at such time as the Board of Directors determines that the removal of the member will serve the best interests of the SPP.
Article XII. Indemnification of Officers and Board of Directors.
The SPP shall in all cases indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was an Officer or Director of the SPP or is or was serving at the request of the SPP as a Director, Officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses, including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding; provided that no indemnification may be provided for any person with respect to any matter as to which that person shall have been finally adjudicated:
not to have acted honestly or in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the SPP; or
with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, to have had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order or conviction adverse to that person, or by settlement or plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not of itself create a presumption that such person did not act honestly or in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in or not opposed to the best interests of the SPP or that, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, such person had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. In carrying out its obligations under this section, the SPP shall secure appropriate comprehensive insurance coverage of such types and in amounts as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.
In any instance wherein an Officer or Director is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding as set forth above, and it is reasonably foreseeable that such Officer or Director will be entitled to indemnification by the SPP under this section, the SPP may advance the reasonable costs incurred by such Officer or Director in connection with such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt by the Board of Directors of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Officer or Director to repay such amount in the event it is subsequently determined that such Officer or Director is not entitled to indemnification by the SPP under this section.
Article XIII. Books and Records.
The SPP shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its members, Board, and committees having any of the authority of the Board; and shall keep at its registered office a record of the names and addresses of its members entitled to vote. Any member, or his or her agent or attorney may inspect all books and records of the SPP, for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.
Article XIV. Prohibition Against Sharing in Corporate Earnings, Distribution of Assets Upon Dissolution and Exempt Activities.
Section 1. Prohibition Against Sharing in Corporate Earnings.
No part of the net earnings of the SPP shall inure to the benefit of any Director or Officer of the SPP, or any private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for the SPP in carrying out one or more of its purposes), and no Director or Officer of the SPP, or any private individual, shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the corporate assets on dissolution of the SPP.
Section 2. Distribution of Assets Upon Dissolution.
Any resolution to dissolve the SPP must come from the Board and be presented to the Membership for action at any regular or special meeting of the membership. Upon any dissolution of the SPP, the assets of the SPP remaining after the payment of all its liabilities shall be distributed to one or more organizations, to be identified by the Board in its sole and absolute discretion, that are then described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code.
Section 3. Legislative and Political Activities.
No substantial part of the activities of the SPP shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the SPP shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publication or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Section 4. Exempt Activities.
Notwithstanding any other provision of these bylaws, no Director, Officer, employee, or representative of the SPP shall take any action or carry on any activity by or on behalf of the SPP not permitted to be taken or carried on by an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code and its regulations as they now exist or as they may hereafter be amended.
Article XV. Amendments.
The power to alter, amend or repeal the bylaws or adopt new bylaws is vested in the SPP Board of Directors. The Bylaws may be amended by a simple majority of the Board of Directors present at a regular or special meeting at which a quorum is present. Notice of proposed changes must be given to the Board of Directors by mail or by e-mail at least thirty (30) days prior to the mail poll or Board meeting, whichever applies.
ADOPTED MARCH 7, 1987
AMENDED FEBRUARY 27, 1988
AMENDED MARCH 4, 1989
AMENDED MARCH 16, 1991
AMENDED NOVEMBER 29, 2016
AMENDED JANUARY 14, 2020

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
7 results for tag: Media
Le Nouvelliste: Des toilettes aux assiettes: Et si nous passions à des solutions alternatives pour l'assainissement?
SOIL Volunteer
compost, development, ecological sanitation, ecosan, ecosan compost, In Haiti, Media, news article, Sustainable Sanitation Conference 2012, waste treatment
The POOP Project: You're Tuned to CBS: SOIL's Sasha Kramer, Kory Russel and Container Based Sanitation
agriculture, community, compost, development, dry toilets, ecological sanitation, ecosan compost, Media, Sasha Kramer, SOIL, toilets
Consilience: Transforming Haiti from the Bottom Up
SOILHaiti
ecosan, In Haiti, Media, poop, Sasha Kramer, sustainable development
By Victoria Lauredo in Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development, October 17, 2012. Amidst the buzz of CEOs, celebrities and heads of state attending last month's Clinton Global Initiative's 2012 Annual Meeting floats in Dr. Sasha Kramer, a 36 year-old ecologist and human rights observer who has been working in Haiti since 2004. Nothing about the wispy blonde's delicate frame would indicate that she spends her days rescuing substances most of us would rather forget down the toilet. But excrement recycler is what she is. As Executive Director and Co-Founder of SOIL (Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods), Dr. Kramer promotes ...
Press Release: Cell Phone Powered Poop Tracking Advances Haiti Waste Treatment
business development, household sanitation, In Haiti, Media, sanitation, Stanford, technology, toilets, waste
The SOIL team is going high tech, using smart phones to streamline poop collection and compost production. Our friends and collaborators from re.source have helped develop a system for SOIL, using an open source data collection platform called Open Data Kit, to record and track all of the composting and collection data from their phones. This technology will help SOIL streamline waste collection and cut down on errors. This is a critical development in SOIL and re.source's new initiative to design and implement a social business model for providing household sanitation. In the coming months we'll begin installing private household toilets throughout ...
American Interest: Rebuilding Haiti: Why is it taking so long?
Leah Nevada Jean
development, Haitian creole, Media, reconstruction
by Tate Watkins in American Interest, May 10, 2012. "The glass is 10 percent full," says Nigel Fisher, the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator for reconstruction efforts in Haiti. "It's now time to tackle the remaining 90 percent." Yet more than two years after the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and after billions of recovery dollars pledged by the United Nations, foreign governments, and private aid organizations, 10 percent full sounds appalling. An estimated 420,000 Haitians still live in tent camps. The cholera outbreak that began in October 2010 has killed more than 7,000 and infected more than 500,000. (In March, U.N. special envoy ...
Al Jazeera: The world can't afford to keep wasting soil
agriculture, al jazeera, Media, soil conservation
By Stan Cox, in Al Jazeera on January 12, 2012. One-third of Earth's soil is degraded because of unsustainable farming methods, which could lead to a major food crisis. Salina, Kansas - Late last year, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) released a hair-raising report on the state of the world's soil and water resources. The bottomline: 25 per cent of the world's food-producing soils are highly degraded or are rapidly being degraded. Add to that other soils which they say are degrading "moderately", and the area under threat amounts to one-third of the Earth's endowment of cropland. Loss of productive soil, FAO reported, is ...
Huffington Post: Empowering Haiti Through Sanitation, Sasha Kramer Named "Greatest Person of the Day"
Executive Director, Huffington Post, Media, news, Sasha Kramer
By Julia Steers, Huffington Post, January 13, 2011 Social change rarely makes for glamorous work, but Dr. Sasha Kramer's sanitation efforts in Haiti redefine the phrase "down and dirty." As a Stanford graduate student studying ecology, Sasha decided that upon graduation, she would go to Haiti to focus on sustainable agriculture. She followed through, making her first trip to Haiti in 2004 as a human rights observer shortly after a volatile political coup and fell in love with the country. Sasha was taken with the "communal spirit and courage" Haitians displayed in the face of shootings in the streets and fear of retribution after the coup, as well ...


Mark Allen crashed out of the Northern Ireland Open last night after losing 5-2 to Anthony Hamilton in their quarter-final clash in Belfast.
Hamilton - who has yet to win a ranking tournament - won a scrappy encounter against Allen, who never really hit the heights of previous rounds.
Hamilton, knocked in breaks of 96 and 78 on his way to going 3-0 up against Allen.
Allen managed to win two frames during the game but struggled to perform in front the fans in Belfast who had come out to support him.
And Hamilton was delighted to get through to the next round.
"A month ago I was skint and now I'm in the semi-finals," a delighted Hamilton told eurosport.
"I'm not playing great but I'm through and that last frame was one I felt I had to win.
"It is great to be through to the next round and I thought I played some good stuff in there.
"Maybe Mark was not at his best but it was good to get the win and let us see what I can do from here." he added.
Mark King beat Iranian Hossein Vafaei Ayouri 5-3 in last night's other quarter-final.
Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins secured a semi-final spot at the Titanic Exhibition Centre earlier yesterday.
Wilson - who beat five-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last round - edged Mark Williams of Wales 5-4.
Wilson came through another tight tussle after defeating O'Sullivan 4-3 on Thursday night.
The players were not separated by more than one frame throughout the match with Williams levelling to make it 4-4.
Wilson, who compiled breaks of 95 and 91, won the decider 76-1 and he will face King today.
Hawkins produced a best break of 70 in the last frame of his win over Welshman White.
"As the week has gone on I've felt more confident," Hawkins told worldsnooker.com.


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Tag Archives: Sergio Romo
It's Spring
Posted on March 22, 2015 by overtheshouldermlb
There is something magical about Spring Training. It is not like the games you see in the season. Everyone in the stands are full of laughter and hope. Families bring their kids who can crawl on the grass and not even know that the player a few feet away is Ryan Braun. Because that is not what is important.
For the players, it is another day when smiles are on their faces as well. It is time to get into the rhythm of the game. Catch up with the fastball. Fire the ball right where you want it. Get a feel for the ball. Work on catching up with the slider. Get that winning feeling back.
It is a time when you get to see the stars of the game in a relaxed mood. The pitchers are just warming up as they throw to their 48 pitch count which will now be expanded to get ready for Opening Day. For some, the form already appears to be there. Sergio Romo, was on fire as his slider this week was amazing, especially as he completely fooled Kris Davis with the winning runners on base retiring the side and taking the win for San Francisco, with slider, after slider.
Kris Davis, for those who have not seen him at the ballpark this season, is doffing a Mohawk. Which brings us to the question: how does that 'Do' fit into that hat?
The fans are here to enjoy. The 'where are you from' is inevitable. The guy to the right of us on Friday was form a town in Wisconsin that I had never heard of. He informed us all that it was near Richland Center. When asked if there was anyone left in town now that he and his three friends had made the journey down, he informed us that his wife was still there and that she would have loved the weather. The fellow on my left was from nearby but was a Dodger fan. He is still confused about letting Kemp go. A woman in front of us showed off her amble assets and gave us all an opportunity to see the Diamondbacks logo in a whole new light…repeatedly. Which brought out a stern warning for a guy behind us as his wife (not from near Richland Center) said, 'Stop looking'! To which he responded 'I'm at a ball game. What am I supposed to do?'. She then knocked him over his head with a bag of Krackle Korn. Yup…there were smiles all around. 'Go Diamond…..backs. Go.' Or at least we think that was what was printed on her sort of cut-off jersey. You just have to love Spring Training Cactus League games.
As the game progressed, the regulars walked from the dugout to the clubhouse after the fifth inning. They've had their at-bats. They smile and wave to the fans who are applauding them all the way down the line to the dugout. Lucroy is looking sharp as he appears over his hamstring issue. Garza, Lohse and Fiers walk down with the other Brothers of the Mound at about the same time calling it a day and heading for the links as Nelson pitched a good Spring outing. Peralta must have been resting as he was not to be seen. Aarmis did the unbelievable as he gave one of his game bats to you young boy in the front row which drew a standing ovation. Been to a lot of baseball games in my life but I have never seen a player give one of his gamers away like that.
Over in the other dugout, there are two legit players who looked as good as ever. First is The Babe of Chase, Paul Goldschmidt, who looked in mid-season form. If only his team could win, he might be the MVP of the League. And, Mark Trumbo, is also in top form, driving in Goldy for the tieing run.
In the end, on a day when the old ballpark was nearly filled, and thousands on the grass around the outfield in front of the long line at the Leinenkugel Beer House in left center, along with the fans in the stands, sun-filled and still with smiles on their faces, enjoyed the 5-3 score in the home team's favor. For them the point was to make sure their hope is still intact. For them, it was a day with family and friends, one that goes in the scrapbook of life, more for the parents and grandparents than their kids. But then again, on a beautiful spring day, one is reminded that her favorite thing about the ballpark in spring, in a text wishing she was here stated, eating funnel cake. Perhaps next year. Perhaps next year.
But on this beautiful spring day, as the crowd wandered out following the path of the Racing Sausages, the questions in the mind could be heard, 'Is this the year?'
It's Spring.
Posted in Baseball, Major League Baseball, Milwaukee Brewers, National League, Sports In America, Uncategorized	| Tagged Aarmis Ramirez, Arizona Diamondbacks, Jimmy Nelson, Jonathan Lucroy, Kyle Lohse, Lance Hanish, Leinenkugel, Mark Trumbo, Matt Garza, Mike Fiers, Milwaukee Brewers, Paul Goldschmidt, Richland Center, Ryan Braun, Sergio Romo, Wily Peralta	| Leave a reply
EBL. The Key To Success.
Posted on November 11, 2012 by overtheshouldermlb
The battle in baseball is centered around pitching, especially relief pitching. It is a treasured position. Just as the Milwaukee Brewers found out this past season by having their relief pitchers fail with 28 blown saves, the most in the entire major leagues, it is all about that guy coming in out of the bullpen late in the game to preserve the lead and save the game. These guys are a different breed. They think differently. Hall of Fame relief pitcher, Rollie Fingers, probably said it best. "I focus on making that one pitch. That's what I tell myself, "One pitch." You can't worry about the next one. Even with a good hitter, he'll get out seven times out of ten. I want to make sure that this is one of those seven."
This off-season, especially in the Western Division of the National League, it is completely about that…finding the guy who can concentrate on that one pitch that will make a difference and take their team to the World Series and win it. Of import is the knowledge that in order to win the World Series, teams first have to defeat the San Francisco Giants and their amazing bullpen which will only improve with the return of one Brian Patrick Wilson. With his four-seam fastball, slider and cutter, teamed with Sergio Romo's slider, two-seamer, change-up and three World Series saves against Detroit this past season, the team that resides in The City is once again the team to chase.
Arizona Diamondbacks made the first move to beef up their bullpen by signing closer Heath Bell. GM Kevin Towers was able to release him from Miami Marlins hell and bring him into the world of Gibson, which is much different from the world of Ozzie. Gibby will grunt where as Guillen simply blows his top with expletives. Look for Bell to reclaim his old form that was his calling card in San Diego two years ago.
The Dodgers made their big move in strengthening their bullpen by re-signing their top reliever this past season, Brandon League. General Manager Ned Colletti understood League's importance to his team's rise to the top of the NL West was resting on the guy he traded for last July 30th from Seattle. League went 6 for 6 in closes after succeeding Kenley Jansen who went on the disabled list with an irregular heartbeat.
In San Diego, they are set through 2015 with their closer, Houston Street. With an excellent ERA of 1.85, Street, the former Rookie of the Year in 2005 for Oakland, finished last season with 23 saves in the 40 games in which he appeared. He earned All-Star status for the first time in his career last season.
For those who live in the East, you may be in a bit of a time-warp. Not everything in baseball revolves around New York and Boston. What may appear to be a little late for many in the Eastern time zone to see, fabulous play has been going on this decade West of the Rockies. It's understood that you can't read about it in your morning newspapers anymore (but who reads the newspaper anymore for news?). In those early Eastern slumber hours, when head hits the pillow, they are playing baseball out West, good solid baseball. In fact, the last three champions have come out of the National League and in two of those years, the Western Division champion became the champion in all of baseball.
The key this coming season will be to find out which team in the NL West can come up with the bullpen that can deliver the save, especially on the road. Tom House, the former Atlanta Braves reliever stated, "When I'm on the road, my greatest ambition is to get a standing boo." That's what the rest of this division is hoping they have on their staff…the 'on-the-road boo leader. Look for it this coming season as the newest stat in baseball, the EBL, Earned Boo Leader.
No. Don't look for that stat in your newspaper. This is the season to look for it on your mobile. It's under "E" as in Earned Boo Leader.
Posted in Uncategorized	| Tagged All-Star, Arizona, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, baseball, Boston, Brandon League, Brian Wilson, Dodgers, EBL, Gibson, Hall of Fame, Heath Bell, Houston Street, Kenley Jansen, Kevin Towers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Basebll, Miami, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, National League, Ned Colletti, New York, Oakland, Oakland A's, Ozzie Guillen, Phoenix, Rollie Fingers, Rookie of the Year, San Diego, San Diego Padres, San Francisco, San Francisco Giants, Seattle, Seattle Mariners, Sergio Romo, Tom House, Western Division	| Leave a reply


In the latest take on place-based, mobile and on-demand media, McDonald's is rolling three hot trends into one. The fast-food chain is allowing customers to order free music and video content from their mobile phones in the food court of the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois. The selected content is then played on TV monitors in several multimedia areas in the restaurant. It's also available for download via the location's Wi-Fi connection, courtesy of Akoo, the company providing the infrastructure.
At present, Akoo's m-Venue deal with McDonald's is in its early stages, according to a company spokesperson, who says: "We're working with the most forward-thinking owners and operators." McDonald's hopes the Woodfield Mall service will be the first in a network of m-Venue systems covering its franchises nationwide.
Broadly speaking, Akoo's promotion of m-Venue hints at the growing popularity of out-of-home digital networks--a fact underlined by the debut this week of a new organization representing the industry. This week, organizers will reach out to as many as 40 companies to join the Out-of-Home Video Advertising Bureau. The OVAB, which has been operating in stealth mode, already has a core group of members, led by Gannett's Captivate unit and Premiere Retail Networks, operator of Wal-Mart TV and other store-based digital-ad networks.
Of course, much of m-Venue's success depends on the quality of content offered. Here, Akoo has already wrangled partnerships with popular content owners and producers--giving retail, service and restaurant customers access to content from Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Sony Pictures. Content includes music videos and movie trailers.
Akoo is aggressively pushing m-Venue on a wide range of retail and service establishments. The goal is to sell the service's capabilities in data collection--which the company claims will allow precise demographic, behavioral and location targeting of customers inside and outside the brick-and-mortar business. Data collected by Akoo could help marketers creating mobile-based promotions and loyalty and rewards programs, as well as opt-in targeted campaigns.
Akoo's m-Venue platform isn't the first to connect place-based or out-of-home media directly to the consumer via mobile technology. In 2005, a British company, Filter UK, introduced Bluetooth-based BlueCasting technology that allows transmitters in billboards to beam downloadable clips to passersby with cell phones and PDAs. Maiden, a British outdoor ad company, has rolled out a number of BlueCasting billboards around the United Kingdom. More recently, CBS began using Bluetooth-enabled billboards in the United States to promote its 2006 fall TV lineup.
In another sign of the medium's cachet, SignStorey, which creates in-store digital media networks for grocery stores, announced Tuesday that it had obtained another round of financing from a Fortune 1000 company. The investor is an asset-management company responsible for about $50 billion in investments.