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Decisions > Federal Court Decisions > Masterpiece Inc. v. Alavida Lifestyle Inc.
Masterpiece Inc. v. Alavida Lifestyle Inc.
 Masterpiece Inc. and Alavida Lifestyle Inc. both operate in the retirement residence business. Masterpiece Inc. claims that it has been using various trade-marks that include the word "Masterpiece" for about five years. However, in 2007, Alavida registered the trade-mark "Masterpiece Living" for use in its business. Masterpiece Inc. was unaware of Alavida's registration and failed to oppose it. Now, Masterpiece Inc. seeks to expunge Alavida's trade-mark from the register on grounds that Masterpiece Inc. had already acquired rights to it and because Alavida's trade-mark is likely to be confused with Masterpiece Inc.'s. Masterpiece Inc. relies on s. 57 of the Trade-marks Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. T-3 (relevant provisions are set out in an Annex).
 I am not satisfied that Masterpiece Inc. had acquired rights to the word "Masterpiece" or that confusion between the two trade-marks is likely. Accordingly, I must dismiss Masterpiece Inc.'s application for expungement.
 There are two questions to be decided: (1) Did Masterpiece Inc. use or make known its trade-marks before Alavida applied to register the trade-mark "Masterpiece Living"? (2) If so, was Alavida's registered trade-mark, "Masterpiece Living" likely to be confused with Masterpiece Inc.'s trade-marks?
 Masterpiece Inc. was incorporated in 2001. It operates primarily in Alberta but plans to expand. Masterpiece Inc. maintains that it has been using the word "Masterpiece" in its advertisements, its dealings with suppliers and customers, and in trade-shows since 2001. The word "Masterpiece" has been used alone, as well as with other words, including the word "living". Examples include "Masterpiece the Art of Living", and "Masterpiece the Art of Retirement Living".
 Masterpiece Inc. also claims that it developed and began using the trade-mark "Masterpiece Living" in December 2005. It attempted to register the trade-marks "Masterpiece" and "Masterpiece Living" in 2006 but its application was refused by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office on the basis that Alavida had already applied to register "Masterpiece Living".
 Alavida was incorporated in 2005 and operates mainly in Ottawa. It claims that it hired a firm to conduct a search for other companies using "Masterpiece" and did not find Masterpiece Inc. On December 1, 2005, Alavida applied to register the trade-mark "Masterpiece Living" and began using it in early January 2006 on its website. Alavida's trade-mark application was granted in March 2007. It uses the words "Masterpiece Lliving" in its advertising along with its corporate name.
 To expunge Alavida's trade-mark from the register, Masterpiece Inc. must show that Alavida was not entitled to register "Masterpiece Living" (s. 18). A person is not entitled to register a trade-mark for proposed use if, at the time the application was filed, it was confusing with a trade-mark that had been previously used or made known in Canada (s. 16(3)(a)).
 The parties dispute how this provision should be interpreted. Masterpiece Inc. argues that s. 16(3)(a) involves looking at the likelihood of confusion both at the time of the trade-mark application and into the future. Alavida submits that the wording of the provision makes clear that the analysis of confusion must be made as of the date of the trade-mark application, in this case, on December 1, 2005.
 I agree with Alavida on this point. The provision clearly states that a person is entitled to register a proposed trade-mark "unless at the date of filing of the application it was confusing" with a previously used mark. In turn, s. 57 of the Act states that a trade-mark can be expunged if it "does not accurately express or define the existing rights of the person appearing to be the registered owner of the mark". Read together, where a person has registered a mark for proposed use and, at the time of the registration, the mark was likely to be confused with a pre-existing mark, it can be expunged from the register. The interpretation Masterpiece Inc. urges on me would require me to overlook the words "at the date of filing of the application" and to expand the past tense "was" to include the future "will be". I see no basis for doing so. Indeed, the case law confirms that the relevant date is the date of filing of the application: Hugo Boss AG v. Paragon Clothing Ltd. (1994), 58 C.P.R. (3d) 504 (F.C.T.D.); California Fashion Industries, Inc. v. Reitmans (Canada) Ltd. (1991), 38 C.P.R. (3d) 439 (F.C.T.D.). Accordingly, I will confine myself to evidence and events relating to potential confusion up to December 1, 2005.
 Alavida also argued that Masterpiece Inc.'s application for expungement was premature. Masterpiece Inc.'s notice of application was filed before Alavida had actually obtained its registration. However, by the time of the hearing of the application, Alavida's trade-mark had certainly been registered. I see no basis, therefore, for Alavida's challenge to the Court's jurisdiction to deal with Masterpiece Inc.'s application.
 For Masterpiece Inc. to succeed in this proceeding, it must show that Alavida was not entitled to register "Masterpiece Living" because, prior to Alavida's application (December 1, 2005), Masterpiece Inc. had been using and making known a trade-name and trade-marks with which Alavida's mark would be confused. I have split this test into two parts and analyze them separately below.
 Confusion exists if the use of the trade-mark or trade-name in issue would likely cause the average consumer to infer that the goods or services offered by two different companies actually have the same source (s. 6). One must consider the "first impression in the mind of a casual consumer somewhat in a hurry" who has an "imperfect recollection" of another trade-mark (Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin v. Boutiques Cliquot Ltée,  1 S.C.R. 824, at para. 20). In essence, the question is whether "ordinary casual consumers somewhat in a hurry are likely to be deceived about the origin of the wares or services" (Mattel Inc. v. 3894207 Canada Inc.,  1 S.C.R. 772, at para. 58). This is consistent with the objective of trade-mark law, which is to ensure that consumers know from whom they are buying products and services (Mattel Inc., above, at para. 21).
1. Did Masterpiece Inc. use or make known its trade-marks before Alavida applied to register the trade-mark "Masterpiece Living"?
 Masterpiece Inc. must show that it used or made its trade-marks known before December 1, 2005.
 Masterpiece Inc. maintains that, since 2001, it has used extensively both its trade-name "Masterpiece" as well as various trade-marks, such as "A Living Masterpiece", "Masterpiece Clubs", "Masterpiece the Art of Living", and "Masterpiece the Art of Retirement Living". It also began using "Masterpiece Living" in late December 2005, but this is irrelevant as it post-dates Alavida's trade-mark application.
 Masterpiece Inc. explains that it has used "Masterpiece" and the variations on it in relation to its operation of seniors' residences and assisted-living facilities. The evidence shows, however, that this use was not extensive during the relevant period (2001-2005).
 To constitute "use" of a trade-mark in relation to a service, the mark must have been used or displayed in the performance of the service or in advertising the service. If the latter, the service must have been available when it was advertised (s. 6).
• brochures containing the words "Masterpiece – The Art of Retirement Living".
 Little of this evidence supports the use of "Masterpiece" or its variants in respect of the performance of services or in advertising those services. For example, contracts and prospectuses are not advertising; nor do they display any particular connection with the services Masterpiece Inc. actually provides. Having reviewed the evidence put forward by Masterpiece Inc., it appears to me that the use of "Masterpiece" and the related marks was rather sporadic. Masterpiece Inc. seems to have given more priority to the trade-name "Club Sierra" and to its association with partner companies. Further, where the word "Masterpiece" was used, the emphasis was clearly on that word alone, not on the other associated words described above (e.g., "the Art of Retirement Living"), which were in much smaller type.
 Still, Masterpiece has shown some use of its trade-name and marks in respect of its services prior to December 1, 2005. The question, then, is whether there was likely to be confusion between Masterpiece Inc.'s trade-name or marks and Alavida's registered trade-mark "Masterpiece Living" on that date.
2. Was Alavida's registered trade-mark, "Masterpiece Living", likely to be confused with Masterpiece Inc.'s trade-marks?
 Dr. Michael Mulvey, an expert in marketing, believes that there is a possibility, but not a likelihood, of confusion between the trade-mark "Masterpiece Living" and Masterpiece Inc.'s trade-name and marks. He views the word "masterpiece" as being a common, laudatory word. It lacks inherent distinctiveness.
 He noted that Masterpiece Inc.'s trade-name and marks do not align exactly with Alavida's registered mark for "Masterpiece Living". His view is that the differences between them would be noticed by consumers. For example, in "Masterpiece Living" the emphasis is on "living". By contrast, in "Masterpiece", "Masterpiece Clubs" or "Masterpiece the Art of Living", the emphasis is on "Masterpiece". This difference is reflected in the way in which the respective companies present themselves in promotional materials. For example, as mentioned, in Masterpiece Inc.'s advertising and brochures, the word "Masterpiece" is predominant. In Alavida's materials, "Masterpiece Living" is always presented as a whole idea, in distinctive script, with a TM symbol, adjacent to the Alavida Lifestyles logo or website address.
 Dr. Ruth Corbin was asked by Masterpiece Inc. to respond to Dr. Mulvey's opinion. Her view was that Dr. Mulvey's opinion actually supports a likelihood of confusion, contrary to his stated conclusion. Further, she found that Dr. Mulvey's conclusion was unsupported by survey data.
 In general, Dr. Corbin felt that Dr. Mulvey provided an artificial and unrealistic analysis of how consumers would actually perceive the "Masterpiece Living" mark. For example, she doubts that consumers would engage in the kind of "detailed, syllable-by-syllable analysis" described by Dr. Mulvey. His analysis of the various linguistic elements of "Masterpiece Living" simply introduced "unnecessary complication".
 I do not believe these criticisms are well-founded. As Dr. Mulvey pointed out in a supplementary affidavit, many of Dr. Corbin's observations are based on an unfair reading of his opinion. I accept Dr. Mulvey's general proposition that the various elements of a trade-mark and the manner in which they are presented can influence the way consumers perceive the mark as a whole.
"If you have an opinion, what company promotes retirement residences and retirement services using the brand name 'Masterpiece Living'"?
 Most people (81%) had no idea. As Dr, Corbin reports, only "6% said or speculated that the name of the company was "Masterpiece". She concluded that this 6% figure represents a "top-of-mind likelihood of confusion".
 Among this group of respondents, 42% chose the name Masterpiece Inc. from the list.
 Of this group, 67% gave the answer "same company".
 Looking at the respondents as a whole, and giving equal weight to all of their answers, Dr. Corbin concluded that 74% of them exhibited "apparent confusion" before discounting for irrelevant guessing. She reduced this figure to 53% based on her analysis of the results for a control group.
 The control group was set up to test for guessing. Dr. Corbin presented members of the control group with the name "Fine Quality Living" and asked them to name the company that used that trade-mark. The results for this question are not included within Dr. Corbin's report or her analysis of the control data, but Dr. Chakrapani (whose report is discussed below) analyzed the data from the original questionnaires. He determined that 4% of these respondents named "Fine Quality" as the name of the company using that mark.
 As with the main group of respondents, a subset of the control group was also presented with a list of companies and asked whether one of them used the trade-mark "Fine Quality Living". However, there did not appear to be an analogous company name on the list of possibilities. One would have thought that the list should have included the name "Fine Quality Inc." in order to test the degree to which the respondents in the main group might simply have guessed the name "Masterpiece Inc." after being shown the words "Masterpiece Living." The closest name to "Fine Quality Living" in the control group was "Quality Lifestyles". Dr. Chakrapani pointed out that the choice of a two-word modifier ("Fine Quality") confounded the results of this control group somewhat. "Quality Lifestyles" was chosen by 4 out of 27 respondents (15%). Dr. Corbin, on cross-examination on her affidavit, agreed that more people would have answered "Fine Quality" if that option had been provided to them.
 Members of the control group were also shown the Masterpiece Inc. exhibit booth or advertisement. They were then asked whether the trade-mark "Fine Quality Living" was used by the same or a different company. Most of them could not say (32 out of 73, or 44%), but 26 of them (36%) believed it was a different company and 15 (20%) believed it was the same. The results for this group were not part of the calculation of the effect of the control conditions.
 Overall, Dr. Corbin concluded that her survey shows that the word "Masterpiece" in Masterpiece Inc.'s trade-name and trade-marks is the dominant element in them and, therefore, that the use of "Masterpiece Living" by another company in the same channel of trade would likely lead to confusion.
 Dr. Chuck Chakrapani reviewed Dr. Corbin's analysis on behalf of Alavida. He concluded that Dr. Corbin's survey does not provide evidence of a likelihood of confusion as to the source of the "Masterpiece Living" trade-mark. In his view, Dr. Corbin's work shows that only 11 out of 178 respondents in Ottawa, Toronto, and Calgary thought that "Masterpiece Living" might be owned by a company called "Masterpiece" or "Masterpiece Inc." (we do not know how many chose one versus the other). Dr. Chakrapani questioned the validity of 5 of the Calgary responses because they all gave virtually identical verbatim answers in perfect sequence. In any case, none of the 11 respondents seemed aware that there was actually a company called "Masterpiece Inc." Rather, they appeared simply to have speculated that the company using "Masterpiece Living" was called "Masterpiece". The survey did not analyze the perspective of a consumer who was familiar with, but had an imperfect recollection of, the prior trade-mark.
 Dr. Chakrapani found that there was no statistically significant difference between the number of respondents who thought that "Masterpiece Living" was used by "Masterpiece" compared to the number of respondents who inferred that "Fine Quality Living" was used by a fictitious company called "Fine Quality". This suggests mere word association on the part of respondents, not confusion. In Dr. Chakrapani's view, the respondents' verbal explanations for their answers confirmed this.
 Dr. Chakrapani also pointed out that those respondents who did not answer "Masterpiece" to Dr. Corbin's open-ended question about the source of "Masterpiece Living" were, in effect, told in the second question that there was a company called "Masterpiece Inc." that provided retirement residences and services and then asked whether they thought there was a connection. Others were shown a Masterpiece Inc. trade-show booth or advertisement and asked whether they thought "Masterpiece Living" was used by the same or a different company. Dr. Chakrapani felt that these respondents were, in effect, prompted to identify Masterpiece Inc. as the company using the "Masterpiece Living" mark.
 I agree with Dr. Corbin that there is some distinctiveness in the use of the word "Masterpiece" in association with retirement residences or services. While "Masterpiece" is a common word with wide use in naming or describing goods and services available to the public, its use in relation to the particular services at issue here is somewhat distinctive.
 As for the extent to which the trade-marks have become known, I have no evidence. Dr. Corbin's survey does not suggest that respondents were aware of a company called "Masterpiece" or had seen the trade-mark "Masterpiece Living" before. I agree with Dr. Mulvey that Masterpiece Inc.'s marks did not acquire distinctiveness, given the time-frame and the inconsistent manner in which they were used, before Alavida registered its mark.
 Turning to the nature of the business, both companies operate in the area of expensive retirement residences and services. People take considerable care in choosing a residence and selecting the company that will provide it. In these circumstances, consumers can be presumed to be less susceptible to confusion about the source of the goods or services they are seeking because they are unlikely to make choices based on first impressions. They will generally take considerable time to inform themselves about the source of expensive goods and services (General Motors Corp. v. Bellows,  S.C.R. 678).
 Alavida suggests that the two companies actually operate in different segments of the retirement services industry. For example, Alavida does not offer the same level of medical assistance to its residents as does Masterpiece Inc. Masterpiece Inc. tends to operate more in the assisted-living market whereas Alavida generally targets persons who do not need assistance. Alavida is an up-market provider, whereas Masterpiece Inc. operates in the middle-market category.
 Masterpiece seeks to use its marks in relation to the "operation of seniors' lodges, condominiums and assisted-living facilities." By contrast, Alavida's trade-mark is registered in relation to a broad range of services: "Real estate development services, real estate management services, residential building construction services, dining services, namely a dining room restaurant, housekeeping services, medical services namely medical clinic services, spa services, fitness services, namely a fitness centre, and concierge services". Clearly, though, the services and client base of the two companies overlap. Still, people seeking a retirement residence can be expected to research carefully the characteristics of the properties in which they are interested and the services associated with them, and to become knowledgeable about their providers. As Justice Ian Binnie stated in Mattel, Inc., above, at para. 58. "When buying a car or a refrigerator, more care will naturally be taken than when buying a doll or a mid-priced meal". All the more so when choosing a residence.
 There is obviously a degree of resemblance as between Masterpiece Inc.'s trade-name and marks and Alavida's registered mark for "Masterpiece Living". However, as part of the overall circumstances, I note that Alavida's use of "Masterpiece Living" has been in the nature of a slogan accompanying its corporate identity. By contrast, Masterpiece Inc. uses "Masterpiece" to identify the company itself, along with various other words and phrases of far lesser prominence, alongside a distinctive butterfly logo. These differences help reduce the likelihood of confusion.
 Looking at all of the circumstances described above, I am not satisfied that Masterpiece Inc. has established that there was a likelihood of confusion between its trade-name and marks and Alavida's registered trade-mark on or before December 1, 2005. While there are obvious similarities, Masterpiece Inc's use of its trade-name and marks was clearly limited both in time and scope. Accordingly, they were neither particularly distinctive nor well-known as of December 1, 2005. The nature of the business in which the marks in issue have been used suggests that consumers will be careful in choosing a provider. They are not likely to make choices based on first impression or be easily confused about the source. The expert evidence relied on by Masterpiece Inc. does not, in my view, show a likelihood of confusion.
 I would dismiss Masterpiece Inc.'s application with costs.
1. The application for expungement is dismissed, with costs.
(2) No person is entitled to institute under this section any proceeding calling into question any decision given by the Registrar of which that person had express notice and from which he had a right to appeal.
6. (1) Pour l'application de la présente loi, une marque de commerce ou un nom commercial crée de la confusion avec une autre marque de commerce ou un autre nom commercial si l'emploi de la marque de commerce ou du nom commercial en premier lieu mentionnés cause de la confusion avec la marque de commerce ou le nom commercial en dernier lieu mentionnés, de la manière et dans les circonstances décrites au présent article.
(2) L'emploi d'une marque de commerce crée de la confusion avec une autre marque de commerce lorsque l'emploi des deux marques de commerce dans la même région serait susceptible de faire conclure que les marchandises liées à ces marques de commerce sont fabriquées, vendues, données à bail ou louées, ou que les services liés à ces marques sont loués ou exécutés, par la même personne, que ces marchandises ou ces services soient ou non de la même catégorie générale.
(3) L'emploi d'une marque de commerce crée de la confusion avec un nom commercial, lorsque l'emploi des deux dans la même région serait susceptible de faire conclure que les marchandises liées à cette marque et les marchandises liées à l'entreprise poursuivie sous ce nom sont fabriquées, vendues, données à bail ou louées, ou que les services liés à cette marque et les services liés à l'entreprise poursuivie sous ce nom sont loués ou exécutés, par la même personne, que ces marchandises ou services soient ou non de la même catégorie générale.
(4) L'emploi d'un nom commercial crée de la confusion avec une marque de commerce, lorsque l'emploi des deux dans la même région serait susceptible de faire conclure que les marchandises liées à l'entreprise poursuivie sous ce nom et les marchandises liées à cette marque sont fabriquées, vendues, données à bail ou louées, ou que les services liés à l'entreprise poursuivie sous ce nom et les services liés à cette marque sont loués ou exécutés, par la même personne, que ces marchandises ou services soient ou non de la même catégorie générale.
c) la marque de commerce a été abandonnée.
Sous réserve de l'article 17, l'enregistrement est invalide si l'auteur de la demande n'était pas la personne ayant droit de l'obtenir.
(2) Nul enregistrement d'une marque de commerce qui était employée au Canada par l'inscrivant ou son prédécesseur en titre, au point d'être devenue distinctive à la date d'enregistrement, ne peut être considéré comme invalide pour la seule raison que la preuve de ce caractère distinctif n'a pas été soumise à l'autorité ou au tribunal compétent avant l'octroi de cet enregistrement.
57. (1) La Cour fédérale a une compétence initiale exclusive, sur demande du registraire ou de toute personne intéressée, pour ordonner qu'une inscription dans le registre soit biffée ou modifiée, parce que, à la date de cette demande, l'inscription figurant au registre n'exprime ou ne définit pas exactement les droits existants de la personne paraissant être le propriétaire inscrit de la marque.
(2) Personne n'a le droit d'intenter, en vertu du présent article, des procédures mettant en question une décision rendue par le registraire, de laquelle cette personne avait reçu un avis formel et dont elle avait le droit d'interjeter appel.
STYLE OF CAUSE: MASTERPIECE INC. v. ALAVIDA LIFESTYLE INC.


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BMW vs. Audi: Battle of the Brands
Steven Loveday | September 18, 2018
Photo: BMW of North America, LLC l Audi of America, Inc.
Which German Luxury Brand Is The Best for 2018?
Audi and BMW are two fantastic luxury brands that both offer plenty of highly ranked cars and SUVs. These vehicles require a premium investment, so it's important to know which is the better choice overall and in individual categories, including performance, interiors, safety, and reliability.
In order to determine which automaker offers a better lineup, we compare U.S. News scores in each of the above categories across both brands as a whole. Additionally, we analyze how Audi and BMW compare in all individual car and SUV rankings on our site.
Remember that the scores in this article may not match up with the scores in other areas of U.S. News Best Cars. This is because we continually update our rankings as new expert reviews and data become available.
Continue reading to learn how Audi and BMW fare in the categories that matter most to luxury car shoppers. Let's find out which German automaker wins this comparison.
Read the 2018 Audi A5 Full Review
See 2018 Audi A5 Photos
See Luxury Small Cars Rankings
Photo: BMW of North America, LLC
BMW beats Audi when it comes to safety across its lineup. BMW's overall average brand safety score is 9.76 out of 10, compared to Audi's 9.68. All crash-tested 2018 BMW and Audi models earn a U.S. News safety score of 9.3 or better.
Both brands offers three vehicles that earn a perfect 10 U.S. News safety score for the 2018 model year. These include BMW's 2 Series, 5 Series, and X3 (pictured above), as well as Audi's A6, Allroad, and Q3.
Keep in mind that not all cars from these automakers undergo safety testing. Additionally, the brand-new BMW X2 has yet to be tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Find the best price on the 2019 BMW X3
Read the 2019 BMW X3 Full Review
See 2019 BMW X3 Photos
See Luxury Compact SUVs Rankings
Photo: Audi of America, Inc.
Winner: Audi
Both German luxury brands are superb choices for those who prioritize performance. BMW's roster averages 8.68 out of 10 for its U.S. News performance scores. Audi narrowly edges past BMW with an average performance score of 8.78, despite its low-scoring Q3 (7.4). The Audi R8's 9.4 and A5's 9.3 (pictured above) push the automaker ahead while boasting the top two performance scores among these rival brands.
As far as reliability is concerned, BMW is the better German luxury automaker. According to J.D. Power predicted reliability ratings, the brand averages 3.73 out of five. Moreover, every individual BMW vehicle earns at least an above-average rating. BMW's highest scorers include the 5 Series (4.5), as well as the 2 Series, 4 Series, X1, and X4, all with scores of four out of five.
Audi's predicted reliability rating across its lineup is average, at 3.04. Of 12 total vehicles, only three Audis received an above-average rating: the A5, A7, and A8. In addition, one-third of the brand's offerings receive a below-average rating for predicted reliability.
Read the 2018 BMW 5-Series Full Review
See 2018 BMW 5-Series Photos
See Luxury Midsize Cars Rankings
There's no doubt that Audi and BMW are both known for their top-notch cabins. However, BMW lacks consistency, since a handful of models don't live up to the rest of the pack. Conversely, nearly every 2018 Audi vehicle earns an impressive interior score. In fact, Audi claimed the second-place position – narrowly exceeded by Genesis – in our most recent top 10 list of brands with the best interiors. BMW didn't make the cut.
The Audi A4 (pictured above) and A5 both receive a nine out of 10 U.S. News interior score. The automaker's Q5 and Q7 SUVs each earn an 8.8. Aside from the low-scoring Q3 (7.4), the remaining Audis all earn an 8.4 or higher.
BMW's top-scoring model is the 7 Series, at 8.8, followed by the 5 Series and X1, at 8.6 and 8.4, respectively. Many of the brand's other models hover around eight, though the X4 scores 7.5 and the X2 get a very low 6.9.
This category is tricky to compare, since Audi offers two luxury sports cars that have no direct competition from BMW. The Audi R8 supercar starts at $164,900, which is more expensive than any model manufactured by BMW, including the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. However, if we look at starting prices for the two German automaker's competing lineups, many of Audi's vehicles are priced considerably lower and offer less-expensive upper trims than BMW.
The Audi A3 (pictured above) starts at $31,950, compared to the BMW 2 Series' $34,950 starting price. Similarly, in our luxury midsize car rankings, the BMW 5 Series will set you back almost $4,000 more than the Audi A6. Moving up into luxury large cars, super luxury cars, and smaller luxury SUVs, the two brands' pricing is more closely matched. However, the BMWs will still cost you more. The largest starting price discrepancy is in our luxury midsize SUV rankings. The Audi Q7 starts at $49,900, while the cheapest BMW X5 carries an MSRP of $57,200.
Luxury Small Car Rankings
German automakers tend to offer several smaller cars, and BMW and Audi are no exception. This makes sense for the European market, where buyers tend to prefer compact vehicles over larger SUVs. Audi offers the A3, A4 (pictured above), and A5, while BMW's luxury small car stable consists of the 2 Series, 3 Series, and 4 Series. The electric BMW i3 also finds a home in the luxury small car class, but we'll discuss that vehicle more on the next slide.
Averaging the scores from these two brands reveals that Audi is ahead in our competitive luxury small car rankings. The Audi A5 ranks the highest, with a score of 9.1 out of 10, followed by the Audi A4 with 8.9. The BMW 2 Series (8.8), 3 Series (8.7), 4 Series (8.6), and i3 (8.2) are next in line, while the Audi A3 scores an 8.1.
Luxury Hybrid and Electric Car Rankings
BMW is ahead of many other car manufacturers when it comes to plug-in hybrid and electric car offerings and sales. The BMW i3 is the automaker's only all-electric vehicle, and you can get it with a gas-powered range extender. It scores an 8.2 out of 10 overall and places in the middle of our luxury small car rankings. Due to a handful of strong rivals, it lands near the bottom of our list of luxury hybrid and electric cars. BMW also offers plug-in hybrid versions of its X5, 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, as well as the plug-in hybrid i8.
Volkswagen Group has major plans for future electric vehicles from multiple brands under its umbrella, such as the upcoming E-tron SUV. However, at this point, Audi only offers the A3 Sportback E-tron plug-in hybrid hatchback.
Read the 2018 BMW i3 Full Review
See 2018 BMW i3 Photos
Luxury Midsize Car Rankings
BMW's luxury midsize 5 Series tops our rankings and outscores the Audi A6 by a respectable margin: 9.1 to 8.7. However, the A6 wins our Best Luxury Midsize Car for Families award for the 2018 model year. We'll give the win to the 5 Series because of its higher overall score.
Luxury Large Car Rankings
Audi has a significant lead on BMW in our luxury large car rankings. The A7 scores a nine out of 10, landing just behind the top-ranked Tesla Model S and tying the Genesis G90. The BMW 6 Series comes in sixth place out of nine vehicles in the class, with an overall score of 8.3.
See Luxury Large Cars Rankings
The Audi Allroad gets its own review in our wagons rankings, even though it's essentially a variant of the A4. While the BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon doesn't have its own review on our site, it's a worthy rival to the Audi. These cars share comparable specs, U.S. News scores, and pricing, though the Allroad is a larger vehicle.
Because the 3 Series gets the higher score on our site, it takes the win.
Super Luxury Cars Rankings
The BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 are neck-and-neck in U.S. News' super luxury car rankings, holding the third and fourth positions. The BMW wins this one by a decimal, scoring 8.7 to the Audi's 8.6. The A8 earns a better performance score, but the critics give the 7 Series a higher recommendation.
See Super Luxury Cars Rankings
Luxury Sports Car Rankings
Audi offers two luxury sports cars: the TT and R8 (pictured above). While the R8 is successful in our highly competitive rankings, the TT places near the bottom.
BMW doesn't offer any vehicles that qualify for our luxury sports car rankings. We don't rank the i8, and the new Z sports car hasn't been released yet. However, the 2 Series and 4 Series are both solid options for those looking for an alternative to the Audi TT. In its base configuration, the 2 Series offers more power and costs less than the TT. Like the Audi, it's also available in a convertible configuration. The 4 Series is marginally less expensive than the TT and has more cargo space and horsepower.
Read the 2018 Audi R8 Full Review
See 2018 Audi R8 Photos
See Luxury Sports Cars Rankings
Luxury Subcompact SUV Rankings
The BMW X1 holds the second-place position in our luxury subcompact SUV rankings, only exceeded by the all-new 2019 Volvo XC40. Audi's competition – the Q3 – is the lowest-scoring vehicle in the automaker's lineup and lands at the bottom of our rankings. It's tied with the X2, which is BMW's other subcompact SUV.
See Luxury Subcompact SUVs Rankings
Luxury Compact SUV Rankings
Audi's Q5 is U.S. News' 2018 Best Luxury Compact SUV for Families, scoring an 8.9 out of 10 and placing second in our luxury compact SUV rankings. The 2018 BMW X3 earns a respectable 8.6, but is no longer ranked due to the arrival of the 2019 model. The 2019 X3 sits in sixth place, although it doesn't yet have ratings for safety or predicted reliability.
BMW also offers the X4, which comes in at No. 10.
Read the 2018 Audi Q5 Full Review
See 2018 Audi Q5 Photos
Luxury Midsize SUV Rankings
The Audi Q7 places in the fourth spot in our luxury midsize SUV rankings with an overall score of 8.7. BMW's X5 is our 2018 Best Luxury 3-Row SUV for Families, scoring an 8.8 overall and landing in second place. BMW also offers the X6, which can't compete with either of the above vehicles. It earns an eight and sits in the No. 17 position.
See Luxury Midsize SUVs Rankings
Critics' Rating
Looking at these two German automakers' lineups as a whole, the critics favor Audi. Overall, Audi earns an 8.99 critics' rating, compared to BMW's 8.48. The Audi A4, Q5, and R8 all receive a whopping 9.5 from the critics, which is better than most.
The Winner Is …
It was a very close race, but Audi came out ahead. Overall, the brand's vehicles are less expensive, boast higher scores for performance and interiors, and are preferred by critics. However, BMW exceeds Audi in brand safety, albeit marginally. If safety is at the top of your list, either German luxury manufacturer should suffice. Taking everything into account, BMW is only a better choice if you prioritize reliability.
When analyzing how Audi and BMW compare in each vehicle class, it's evident that Audi excels in luxury small cars, luxury large cars, luxury sports cars, and luxury compact SUVs.
BMW shines in our rankings for luxury midsize cars, super luxury cars, subcompact SUVs, wagons, hybrid cars, and midsize SUVs. The automaker also offers an electric car, which you can't yet get with the Audi moniker.
In the end, the final decision between Audi and BMW comes down to your priorities. Using the information in this slideshow should make your decision easier.
Photo: U.S. News & World Report
You can learn more about Audi and BMW by visiting their brand pages. To get a great deal on a German luxury car, visit our Audi and BMW deals pages. You can also find deals on vehicles from all automakers by heading over to our best financing deals and lease deals pages.
When you're ready to buy, use the U.S. News Best Price Program to find dealers in your area with the best prices. Shoppers who use the program save an average of $3,106 off their new car purchase.
Safety - Winner: BMW
Performance - Winner: Audi
Reliability - Winner: BMW
Interior - Winner: Audi
Price - Winner: Audi
Luxury Small Car Rankings - Winner: Audi
Luxury Hybrid and Electric Car Rankings - Winner: BMW
Luxury Midsize Car Rankings - Winner: BMW
Luxury Large Car Rankings - Winner: Audi
Wagons - Winner: BMW
Super Luxury Car Rankings - Winner: BMW
Luxury Sports Car Rankings - Winner: Audi
Luxury Subcompact SUV Rankings - Winner: BMW
Luxury Compact SUV Rankings - Winner: Audi
Luxury Midsize SUV Rankings - Winner: BMW
Critics' Rating - Winner: Audi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


At IndiaCast, we believe in conducting business in a fair and transparent manner and adopting the highest standards of professionalism, honesty, integrity and ethical conduct, making values a way of life. Our extensive Corporate Governance program does just that with guidelines and initiatives that make our partners, investors, prospective employees believe in us too. As you join hands with us, do acquaint yourself with the guidelines.
A Job at IndiaCast is not just a Job, it is the beginning of an individual's career. We offer diverse and exciting learning opportunities where one can learn from best minds in the industry through on-the-job experiences and action learning projects. In addition to learning, working with IndiaCast is a fun-filled, challenging and exciting experience. A place where people build long lasting professional relationships and define their personalities by enhancing skill-sets required for achieving new milestones. Whether you are a fresh graduate or an experienced professional, we believe that a career at IndiaCast will drive you to great heights. We welcome professionals across industries to be part of this exhilarating journey.
Being one of the fastest growing organisations in an truly dynamic and complex industry, our team members are empowered to make and take crucial decisions to conquer challenging opportunities. But it isn't all work & no play, we believe in Working Hard and Partying Even Harder!! Mentioned below are some initiatives extended to our employees that make working at IndiaCast even more enjoyable!
Training needs are identified and customised interventions are designed to cater to the specific development needs of our employees. We also host a lot of behavioural and functional e-learning content on our in house Learning Management system (LMS) keeping in mind the learning & development needs of our employees across the globe.
Appreciation is a fundamental human need. IndiaCast believes in appreciating employee's efforts and value them. Hence, we have designed a unique, transparent and robust rewards and recognition program to attract, engage and retain the finest talent in the industry.
A culture that believes Engaged Employees Build Strong Brands, hence at IndiaCast we believe in putting our employees on a journey of becoming a brand in themselves. And we achieve this by spreading a smiles across the organization. Our employees enjoy a wide range of benefits which includes a competitive compensation pay, health care benefits, learning and development training programs, opportunities for career growth etc. It's said that 80% of our life is spend working. Hence, we truly believe in creating a fun environment at work.
Agreements / Documentation. Assisting teams in: - drafting and negotiating agreements inter-alia pertaining to distribution of content / channels, syndication of programs / films (licensing / acquisition), sponsorship / ad-sales, local productions, marketing and events. - Assisting teams in preparing documentation relating contests, etc. - Assisting teams in drafting and negotiating agreements relating to support services (eg., administration and human resource). Research and advisory. Doing research and providing sound advise on legal / regulatory and compliance issues. The position will be responsible for: - Monitoring and updating team on legal and regulatory developments. - Coordinating with various stakeholders to ensure compliances. - Strategizing best course of action in case of litigation, briefing counsels and conducting research on case laws. Miscellaneous: - Maintaining repertoire of rights and doing rights check. - Liaising with internal / external stakeholders for obtaining and maintaining licenses / permissions. - Coordinating on filing of agreements - Preparing and circulating MIS.
Assisting in legal / compliances / regulatory issues impacting the company and providing support to various verticals in the organisation eg., syndication, new media, international business (distribution and ad-sales) and corporate.
Candidate: -should be able to function independently to meet deadlines. -must have excellent command of the English language. -should have prior experience of legal / regulatory issues pertaining to media industry. -should be sharp, proactive, hardworking with good analytical skills.


Hard Maple, yellow birch, and cherry from the forests of Wisconsin. Some purpleheart and makore from South America mixed in for some color! At just under 2 inches thick this board will be a sturdy companion for many years to come!


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The Post-employment World
By Daniel Miessler in Technology
As Gregory Ferenstein points out, technology may be destroying jobs, but it's also creating wealth; and as I've argued before, the endgame of all this wealth creation, some generations hence, isn't a world of full employment. Instead it's a post-scarcity world of no employment, as we understand the word. Fewer and fewer jobs coexisting with more and more wealth is exactly what you would expect on the road to that outcome.
Trouble is, our societies and economies are built around the assumption of mass employment, and we'll need some pretty wrenching adjustments to that paradigm to deal with the changes to come. Some are already stealthily underway. As NPR reported earlier this year:
In the past three decades, the number of Americans who are on disability has skyrocketed. The rise has come even as medical advances have allowed many more people to remain on the job, and new laws have banned workplace discrimination against the disabled. Every month, 14 million people now get a disability check from the government … The vast majority of people on federal disability do not work. Yet because they are not technically part of the labor force, they are not counted among the unemployed.
In other words, the US government is already quietly paying a significant fraction of the American population not to work. If jobs keep disappearing, while the overall wealth of America and the world keeps increasing, then we can expect initiatives like that to keep expanding. George Monbiot is the latest to propose a basic income, which "gives everyone, rich and poor, without means-testing or conditions, a guaranteed sum every week."
via After Your Job Is Gone | TechCrunch.
This is a really well done piece by TechCrunch about technology and jobs. Recommend.


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Q: java.lang.RuntimeException: Missing type parameter My project encountered this error:

I tried to fix it using this link
but I can not because I do not really understand the answer. Please tell me how to fix it. Thanks

A: I faced the same issue with Gson library and searched for the solution a lot but none of them work for me then I read the R8 full mode true changes and added this three-line in proguard and it worked fine for me.
if someone face the same issue, you can try this:
-keep class com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken
-keep class * extends com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken
-keep public class * implements java.lang.reflect.Type

A: The class TypeToken requires a type parameter.
Looking at your code, it looks like you should replace
Type listType = new TypeToken() {
}.getType();

with
Type listType = new TypeToken<List<Face>>() {
}.getType();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This week on Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV: Farron Cousins from The Trial Lawyer Magazine and DeSmogBlog.com will be sitting in for Mike Papantonio this week.
Ian Millhiser, editor of Think Progress Justice, will tell us about the case of Harris v. Quinn, which could severely damage the power of labor unions.
Attorney Matthew Edling will discuss the problems with forced arbitration – a technique that completely undermines our civil justice system.
Attorney Howard Nations discusses the rift being created in GOP funders between the Tea Party and classical conservatives.
Nancy Cohen, author of the book "Delirium" will talk about the latest round of misogynistic talk from the GOP.
And a Attorney Mike Burg will tell us about the GOP's attempt to repeal FATCA.


text:
Oilfield Services Shine As Energy Earnings Lift Off
As earnings season kicks off,…
The trick for long-term investors…
The leading economics blog online covering financial issues, geopolitics and trading.
Tesla's Global Car Production Has Officially Fallen To Zero
By ZeroHedge - May 07, 2020, 2:30 PM CDT
Double whammy for Elon Musk. The embattled CEO, who has mostly been focused on his recent $700 million payday, the bizarre naming of his newborn child and an upcoming second appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast (because the first one went so well) now officially has zero vehicle production lines up and running.
Fremont has been shut down as a result of an ongoing lockdown in Alameda County but now the company's Shanghai plant is also shut down, according to Bloomberg. The company told workers to extend their ongoing Labor Day break for a couple of days and didn't make clear why it was doing so.
One Chinese technology news site speculated that component shortages could be the reason for the shut down. In addition to having trouble sourcing some parts, there was also talk about a piece of manufacturing equipment being fixed.
Some employees remain on site for equipment inspection, maintenance and repair, according to Bloomberg. Tesla says it is conducting "normal maintenance work" and that the company was taking advantage of the holiday schedule to make adjustments. The holidays were officially from May 1 to May 5.
Back in California, Tesla was rumored yesterday to be preparing to spin up its Fremont factory again, potentially in violation of the county's shelter-in-place orders.
Related: Oil Jumps 10% As Saudis Raise Prices For First Time Since Price War
Recall, just days ago we noted that Musk had qualified for a $700 million stock based compensation award that we highlighted last week, just days after Musk hacked more than $10 billion off his own stock price by Tweeting that he thought the share price was "too high".
Regardless, Tesla's average trailing market cap topped $100 billion for the last 6 months on average, making Musk eligible for 1.69 million shares that he can exercise at $350.02 per share. With Tesla stock around $765, this would net Musk somewhere in the realm of $700 million.
Musk's pay package is the "largest corporate pay deal ever struck between a CEO and a board of directors," according to Bloomberg.
The massive payday comes despite the litany of operational issues of the months past, including shutting down Fremont for the coronavirus, laying off hundreds of contractors and staff and putting himself on the hook for his own board's D&O insurance.
And now, with zero production of vehicles happening worldwide.
By Zerohedge.com
Could Renewable Spending Solve The Unemployment Crisis In Oil?
Buffet, Bezos And Blackrock Are Betting Big On This $30 Trillion Mega-Trend
Is This The End Of The LNG Boom?
Petrobras Halts Sale Of Huge Oilfields After Oil Price Collapse
U.S. To Withdraw Patriot Missiles From Saudi Arabia Over Oil Dispute


The day has finally arrived for us to launch. Ideanthro is here and I'm very proud. I can completely understand if you're wondering what this Ideanthro thing is all about. If you are, then here is the video for you. If you want to know more about what it is that we do you can check out the about page or simply contact us.
Thanks you so much for joining us on this journey!


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38.656763889128.10490278
Asia > East Asia > North Korea > Donghae Coast > Kumgangsan
Kumgangsan
2.1 From South Korea
2.2 From Yanji, China
2.3 From Rason, North Korea
7 Eat and drink
9 Stay safe
See also: Gwandong Palgyeong
Kumgangsan (금강산 or formally romanized as Geumgangsan), literally the Diamond Mountains, is in North Korea.
Some of the Outer Peaks of Kumgangsan, on an unusually clear day
Kumgangsan is the second tallest mountain in North Korea with its highest peak (Pirobong) at 1,638 meters. The area is famed for its scenic beauty, and in 1998 became the first part of North Korea that could be visited on organized tours from the South. The tours stopped in 2008 after the shooting of a South Korean tourist, and there is no sign that they will resume. North Korea is still looking for ways to develop the tourism potential of the facilities, and they are used for Chinese tourists and for the infrequent family reunions of relatives separated during the Korean War.
38°33′40″N 128°1′34″E
Map of Kumgangsan
A striking scene
Independent travel to Kumgangsan is not normally allowed. Joining a tour group is generally the only possible way of getting there, although it is unclear which tour operators could take you there.
From South Korea[edit]
Note: Previous summits between the North & South Korean leaders agreed to open up the resort to South Korean citizens once again, however as of May 2019 there is still no sign as to when this will happen and whether foreigners will be allowed.
Visiting from South Korea is not possible. Until 2008, special cross-border group tours were possible to Kumgangsan and Kaesong in North Korea, but they were suspended after a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a North Korean guard in July 2008. Since South Korea cannot assure the safety of its citizens, all tours are indefinitely suspended.
From Yanji, China[edit]
The northeastern Chinese city of Yanji is three hours by road from the North Korean port city of Rason. North Korea had been using sea travel between Rason to Kumgang as a means to circumvent restrictions on direct travel to Kumgang by South Korea. As of 2012, North Korea had established air connections from Yanji through Pyongyang to the eastern port of Wonsan, with sea connections onward. The primary market for these tours appears to be citizens of the People's Republic of China.
As Kumgangsan is close to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, this diversion through China substantially lengthens the trip; the only access is therefore a four or five-day guided tour at a cost of 4,500 Chinese yuan per person.
From Rason, North Korea[edit]
There is a cruise ship that travels between the North Korean port of Rason in the country's northeast to Kumgangsan. It mostly serves Chinese travellers, although Western tour operators can potentially offer this as well.
Haegeumgang
Independent travel is not allowed. You will be bused around with your tour group at all times.
The Diamond Mountains are considered the most dramatic scenery in North Korea. It boasts waterfalls, lagoons, mineral springs and Buddhist temples, and hermitages. Park officials provide maps that help you choose between the many attractive sites. The area is divided into Inner, Outer, and Sea Kumgangsan.
Pyohon Temple. Established in the year 670. One of the most important Zen monasteries in Korea. Once the temple contained several treasures and valuable cultural assets, however these have been either lost or taken to Japan during Japanese colonial rule.
Kuryong Falls
Kuryong Falls. 4 metres wide and with a drop of 74 metres, the falls are an impressive experience. There is a platform, the Kuryong Pavilion, offering a good view. The pond below is called Kuryong Lake. According to the myth, once upon a time nine dragons were there to defend the Kumgang Mountain. From the lake you can walk down a bit, cross Ryondam Bridge and then climb for 700 metres to Kuryong Rock: from here is a spectacular view of a deep valley and several lakes.
Manmulsang Area. Fantastically shaped cliffs and rocks, about a 10-km drive from the Kumgangsan Hotel. Among the peculiarly shaped rocks are Samson (three-fairy) rock, consisting of three rocks standing side by side behind Mansang pavilion at the entrance to Manmulsang. There's also the Kwimyon (Demon-faced) rock, which consists of a small rock standing on a larger one, and the Chonson (Fairies-from-heaven) rock which serves as an observatory. Ten people can stand here and look out at the peaks. According to the myth fairies came here to play. Northwest of the rock, is the Fairies Lake, where the fairies washed themselves before returning to heaven.
Samil Lagoon. According to legend, a king once visited the lake for a day but was so amazed by its beauty that he stayed there for three days; hence the name Samil (three days). You can rent a boat and make a trip on the lake. By the lake is Tanpung Restaurant, where you can rest and have a meal afterwards.
Make sure you listen to your guides, if they have not told you where you can photograph then ask. It will save you any uncomfortable moments.
Samil Lagoon
There are many shops selling a wide range of goods from international duty free items to North Korean products which allow the visitors to bring home a little bit of North Korea back south. Jewelry, alcohol and cosmetics are of high quality. Also, there is a shop selling health care supplements, cosmetics, a variety of vitamins and health foods. Souvenirs are also available.
Eat and drink[edit]
Visitors must book with approved travel agents and remain in their guide's company throughout. It is therefore not permitted to leave the group to sample the local cuisine or nightlife.
Myogilsang Buddhist statue
Kumgangsan Hotel, Onjong-ri, Kosong. A first class hotel, opened in 1958. There are 240 rooms and a few bungalows. Facilities are a shop, dance room, bar, and a bathhouse that derives hot water from a spring.
On 11 July 2008, a South Korean tourist was shot dead by North Korean guards after she walked onto a beach at sunrise. North Korea insists that she had wandered into a restricted military area at 04:30 in the morning.
Since nothing really changed in North Korea after this event, if you do get to visit then make sure you follow your guide's advice very carefully and do not wander around by yourself.
As of 2012, direct travel between the two Koreas is not possible in this region. The only way out is to leave with the group in the same manner in which you arrived, presumably to China.
This park travel guide to Kumgangsan is a usable article. It has information about the park, for getting in, about a few attractions, and about accommodations in the park. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Kumgangsan&oldid=3878671"
Usable parks
Donghae Coast
This travel guide page was last edited at 00:05, on 7 November 2019 by Wikivoyage user CommonsDelinker. Based on work by Wikivoyage users Krassotkin, Andrewssi2, Tryptamine dreamer, Traveler100, Ground Zero, Mx. Granger, Traveler100bot and Seligne, Wikivoyage anonymous user 69.178.195.4 and others.


This square pouf offers a fresh design and bright colors that will add sophistication and visual interest to any room. Made in India of mostly Linen, this product is durable and priced right.
The Poufs 18" x 18" x 18" Pouf by Surya is available in the area from FMG - Local Home Furnishing.


Rehab for drug and alcohol addiction involves various types of therapies. Many facilities understand the need for different approaches to treatment based on individual needs. Holistic treatments are increasingly popular as part of an integrated rehab plan. What are aquatic therapy benefits for men and women looking to beat addiction and live a healthier life?
Attending therapy is a big part of rehab, but therapy can be more than sitting down with a counselor and talking. Holistic therapies are often available since addiction specialists know how beneficial these treatments can be.
Whether it's hiking in nature, working with animals, or meditating in a quiet spot, these activities help clients practice mindfulness. By focusing on the present instead of reliving a negative past, they can naturally begin the healing process.
You can enjoy aquatic therapy benefits in a number of ways. You might swim in a pool or connect with nature by wading in a lake or the ocean.
What Are Aquatic Therapy Benefits?
Each type of therapy has advantages. Individual counseling gives people the chance to talk through and confront difficult issues in a one-on-one setting. Additionally, group therapy allows them to share in a non-judgmental environment and get a different perspective on their issues.
Promotes relaxation and reduces stress: Physical activity has been shown to reduce stress, and playing or exercising in water is one way to do that.
Improves fitness: Swimming laps or taking part in aerobics are gentle ways to improve your physical fitness.
Fosters tranquility and calmness: Being immersed in water is calming, whether you float or just sit and think.
Promotes mindfulness: In a quiet aquatic environment, you can work on mindfulness and focusing only on the present moment.
Reduces anxiety: As you relax more through physical activity, your anxiety levels will decrease.
What types of activities are involved in an aquatic therapy program? There's more to this type of therapy than just swimming. Other activities you may take part in also include games like Marco Polo or water aerobics. Furthermore, even just floating on your back and allowing your mind to drift is one of many aquatic therapy benefits.
Crestview Recovery is an addiction rehab facility in Portland, Oregon that welcomes clients from throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Furthermore, our treatment center provides outpatient, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs. With our unmatched staff-to-client ratio, we're able to give each client the personalized care he or she deserves.
At last, win the battle against drug and alcohol addiction and experience the healthy, happy future you've been dreaming of. Reach out to our compassionate staff today at 866.262.0531 to find out how to achieve lasting recovery.


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VW Group will be kept on tighter rein by Porsche-Piech families, report says
The Porsche and Piech families, whose company owns most of VW Group's voting rights, plan to run a tighter ship.
HAMBURG -- Volkswagen Group's controlling shareholder families aim to keep the automaker on a shorter leash and want greater say over strategic matters in what marks a power play ahead of the planned listing of Porsche, people familiar with the matter say.
The Porsche and Piech families, who control holding company Porsche SE, which owns most of VW Group's voting rights, are hoping to return the group to calmer waters after a turbulent period under departing CEO Herbert Diess, the people said.
"They want to keep a closer eye on the implementation of the strategic guidelines," a person with knowledge of the families' thinking told Reuters.
Under Diess, VW Group made major steps toward electrification, but his forthright style provoked opposition within the company that sometimes eclipsed his achievements, testing the families' patience, the sources said.
As a result, they plan to run a tighter ship.
"The families are actively involved -- an ability they have long been believed incapable of," a second source said.
The greater influence has already been reflected in the appointment of Oliver Blume as VW Group's next CEO, a move that has drawn fire from several investors because he will also stay boss of VW's Porsche sports car brand even after a planned flotation.
Touted as the "preferred candidate" of the Porsche and Piech clan, Blume is expected to push through the long-awaited initial public offering of Porsche, the families' namesake carmaker he has been leading since 2015, the people said.
Porsche SE and Volkswagen declined to comment.
The IPO is critical to the families as they would become a direct shareholder of the Porsche brand again after the maker of the iconic 911 model was taken over by VW Group in 2009, following a botched attempt by Porsche brand to buy Volkswagen instead.
"The structure of the IPO primarily fulfils the families' interest in further tightening their grip on Porsche, and they will not be dissuaded from this plan," said Hendrik Schmidt, corporate governance expert at DWS, which holds shares in both Volkswagen and Porsche SE.
The agreed structure of the IPO, which has still to be confirmed, would give the Porsche and Piech families a blocking minority in the sports car brand that was founded by their ancestor Ferdinand Porsche in 1931.
Manuel Theisen, retired professor for business administration at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and a specialist in corporate governance, said this was a way to claw back some of the families' influence.
"The primary reason is power," he said.
VW's Diess was ousted after key Porsche, Audi EVs were postponed by software problems
VW's billionaire clan plotted Diess ouster while he was on U.S. trip
VW Group CEO Blume's challenges: Porsche IPO, Tesla chase, software fix


As the student population has changed, Texas has continued to pile more demands on schools, and it costs money to meet those demands. Schools began giving the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, a much tougher exam than its predecessor, in 2003, and began that year to require students in the third grade to pass the reading section of the test to advance to fourth grade. Today the test is tied to promotion in grades five and eight. In addition, students who used to graduate from Texas high schools with three credits in math and three in science now must have four credits in each. To meet these demands, schools have spent more on student remediation, teacher training and the renovation of science labs.
Schools are preparing to give a new test next year, the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, which the Texas Education Agency has promised "will be significantly more rigorous than previous tests." And let's not forget that, led by our last governor, the federal government created an additional set of accountability measures for schools to meet during the past 10 years.
The increasing demands on students have put more demands on teachers and principals, particularly considering the state's heavy emphasis on standardized testing to judge schools.
Districts across the state have therefore decided to hire instructional coordinators, curriculum specialists and others to give students extra attention and to help teachers make sure their lessons help students meet the escalating expectations.
When added up, taxpayers will pay about $93 million this year to administer standardized tests to Texas students, Zyskowski says, or nearly ten times the cost of just nine years earlier.


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New Music: Feed Your Wolves "Hurricane"
For those of you who may not have guessed, I am a big fan of one-man-band Feed Your Wolves! Having listened on countless occasions to last year's debut album Save Yourself, I was a little nervous whether Andy had peaked too soon. However, a couple of weeks ago, a brand new EP Hurricane made it's appearance - and I was blown away.
Warning: their could be quite a few more wind-related puns throughout this post. Sorry about that!
This EP has two faces, three tracks that are more of a folky-pop style, the other three sitting in the pop-rock arena.
Hurricane breezes in with a short intro Don't Leave Me. At only a minute and a half long, this is way too short and I feel like it could - and should - have been a full track!
Definitely positioning itself in the more delicate breeze end of the scale, it gives you a perfect reminder of the silky voice and big sound of Feed Your Wolves, as well as setting you up for what is to follow.
The title track lives up to it's namesake, beginning with a stormy guitar section, whipping up into a powerful chorus. The eye of the storm comes along, bringing with it a sense of calm and fading into almost nothing, before the second wind whips you back to full speed.
Let Me Breathe (that's not one of my puns!) and my personal favourite, Stars, are also in the rockier camp and ensure that the EP is perfectly balanced (as all things should be). Here we are treated to blasts of guitar, gusting back and forth, lifting the vocals to new heights.
We are also treated to the foot-stomping I've Been Waiting For You and the beautiful Every Day That I Wake, both of which build into massive crescendos of sound, the latter being the perfect ending for what has been a master-class in songwriting.
All in all, this is a very powerful statement from Feed Your Wolves. The sheer quality of the first album was no accident - Hurricane takes that very high bar and raises it further and I am confident that future releases will be stratospheric!
Hear the full EP here! If you like what you hear, why not show Feed Your Wolves some love by clicking the heart icon below!
feed your wolves


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Q: Clustered index on foreign key or primary key? I have a table Item with autoinc int primary key Id and a foreign key UserId.
And I have a table User with autoinc int primary key Id.
Default is that the index for Item.Id gets clustered.
I will mostly query items on user-id so my question is: Would it be better to set the UserId foreign key index to be clustered instead?

A: Having the clustered index on the identity field has the advantage that the records will be stored in the order that they are created. New records are added at the end of the table.
If you use the foreign key as clustered index, the records will be stored in that order instead. When you create new records the data will be fragmented as records are inserted in the middle, which can reduce performance.
If you want an index on the foreign key, then just add a non-clustered index for it.

A: The answer depends only on usage scenario. For example, Guffa tolds that data will be fragmented. That's wrong. If your queries depends mostly on UserId, then data clustered by ItemId is fragmented for you, because items for same user may be spreaded over a lot of pages.
Of course, compared to sequential ItemId (if it is sequential in your schema), using UserId as clustered key can cause page splits while inserting. This is two additional page writes at maximum. But when you're selecting by some user, his items may be fragmented over tens of pages (depends on items per user, item size, insertion strategy, etc) and therefor a lot of page reads. If you have a lof of such selects per single single insert (very often used web/olap scenarios), you can face hundreds of IO operations compared to few ones spent on page splitting. That was the clustering index was created for, not only for clustering by surrogate IDs.
So there is no clear answer, are the clustered UserId in your case good or bad, because this is highly depends on context. What is ratio between selects/inserts operations? How fragmented user ids are if clustered by itemid? How many additional indicies are on the table, because there is a pitfall (below) in sql server.
As you might know, clustered index requires unique values. This is not a big problem, because you can create index on pair (UserId, ItemId). Clustered index isn't itself stored on disk, so no matter how many fields are there. But non-clustered indices store clustered index values in their leaves. So if you have clustered index on UserId+ItemId (lets imagine their type is [int] and size is 8 bytes) and non-clustered index on ItemId, then this index will have twice size (8 bytes per a b-tree leaf) compared to just the ItemId as clustered index (4 bytes per a leaf).

A: In general, you want to cluster on the most frequently accessed index. But you're not required to have a clustering index at all. You (or your DBAs) need to evaluate things and weigh the advantages and disadvantages so as to choose the most appropriate indexing strategy.
If you cluster on a monotonic counter like an identity column, all new rows are going to be inserted at the end of the table: that means a "hot spot" is created that is likely to cause lock contention on inserts, since every SPID doing an insert is hitting the same data page.
Tables without a clustering index have their data pages organized as a heap, pretty much just a linked list of data pages.
SQL Server indexes are B-trees. For non-clustered indexes, the leaf nodes of the B-tree are pointers to the appropriate data page. That means if the index is used and doesn't cover the query's columns, an additional look aside has to be done to fetch the data page. That means additional I/O and paging.
Clustered indices are different: their leaf nodes are the data pages themselves, meaning the heap essentially goes away: a table scan means a traversal of the clustering index's B-tree. The advantage is that once you've found what you need in the clustered index, you already have the data page you need, thus avoiding the additional I/O that a seek on a non-clustered index is likely to requir. The disadvantage, of course, is that the clustered index is larger, since it carrys the entire table with it, so traversals of the clustered index are more expensive.

A: clustered index is created on primary key so what you can do is leave that as clustered and then create a non clustered index on the user Id of item.  This will still be very fast as user. Id column will be clustered index.

A: Possibly.
Is the item.user-id column a unique column within your item table?  If not you'd need to make this a clustered primary key by adding a second (possibly more) column to the key to make it unique / possibly this will add additional overhead that you'd not anticipated.
Are there any relationships with the item.id column?  If so those may be important to the performance of your application so should be taken into account.
How often is the item.user-id value likely to change?  If not at all that counts in its favour; the more often it's likely to be updated the worse, since that leads to fragmentation.
My recommendation would be to build you app with the regular item.id as clustered key, the later once you've got some data try (in a test system using a copy of your production data) switching the clustered index and testing its impact; that way you can easily see real results rather than trying to guess the multitude of possibilities.  This avoids premature optimisation / ensures you make the correct choice.


Not bad for such a young and inexperienced team. The team played their hearts out and that is all I asked of them before they left.
and came home number 12th. They fought very hard against four very tough teams.
They won one game and lost the other three by a combined total of 14 points.
Madison and Jessica were selected for the girls All Tournament team.
in his basketball skills when he graduates.
next year and that is great news for us since we are so close.
I want to thank all the coaches, parents, and players for another long, hard fought season. The commitment made on your part has to be strong, and I appreciate all those who made that commitment over this past year. I pray we will continue forward as a team, as friends, as family.


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Deputy Cascais mayor in rift with PSD party top brass
Posted 9 Novembro, 2018
Deputy Cascais mayor in rift with PSD party top brass2018-11-092018-11-09https://www.essential-business.pt/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/essential_newlogo.pngEssential Businesshttps://www.essential-business.pt/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/img-20181108-wa0003.jpg200px200px
A former senior figure in Portugal's centre-right party PSD has opened a rift with its current leader Rui Rio over questions of policy.
Miguel Pinto Liz packed out a central Lisbon hotel banqueting room with PSD party members, parliamentary deputies, top bankers, industrial association leaders and Cascais Council members as guest speaker of the International Club of Portugal.
He issued a string of damning indictments on the European Union's failure to listen to and properly represent its citizens and, in particular the Portuguese and blamed this for the polarisation of politics in Europe to the far left and right populist parties.
In what one leading Portuguese journalist and newspaper editorial director called "a show of dissatisfaction at the way the party is being led on European policy issues" and, more pertinently, while the PSD's leader Rui Rio – a former popular mayor of Porto – was away in Finland at the European popular Party Congress in Helsinki, the atmosphere was one of plotting intrigue with an outlet for disgruntled high-ranking PSD members than a mere speech on "Portugal and Europe: How to build an alternative.'"
The Deputy mayor said there was a dissatisfaction among the Portuguese with the country's centre parties (opposition PSD and governing PS) which was evident from polls.
Talking specifically about the PSD, he said that: "It pains me to say that the PSD cannot argue for an increase in the minimum salary" which was only part of the left-wing parties' (Bloco Esquerda and Communist Party of Portugal) and unions' list of demands (CGTP and UGT).
"A social democratic party must push for this for our citizens" he argued. But Pinto Liz that pushing for an increase in the minimum salary should not be done in the way the left-wing parties have been doing, by calling for amounts of €650, €750 or €850 "as if this were an auction."
Instead, the PSD understood that there were businesses involved and solutions had to involve business leaders.
However, Miguel Pinto Luz said his comments had nothing to do with putting himself forward to a possible senior party position. "I just want to prick your consciences" he said.
Pinto Luz also said that while European matters didn't win elections in Portugal, the EU and its policies had to be brought into the centre of political and policy discussions.
He added that he was worried that Europe was falling behind economically and that by 2050 Europe's largest economy, Germany, would only be the ninth most important economic power in the world while France would fall down to 19th position.
"In 30 years Europe will only have two Member-States in the G20 and none in the G7" he warned.
Indico launches €46 million venture capital tech fund
Portuguese economy hampered by weakness of exporter SME network
Application that maps coastal rubbish developed in Coimbra
BCP profits at €257 million to SeptemberNews
Web Summit's Paddy Cosgrave to move to LisbonNews


For all posts on various kinds of motorsport. Don't forget to check out the Drift, F1 and Rally communities too.
I went to support my friend who now races in a Ginetta Championship!
Josh Malin Racing A Ginetta At Thrxuton!
Porsche 956 at Mount Panorama!
Woohoo! Congrats to mtj on his first short track win!


Are you having issues with unwanted debris entering you flue? Perhaps you are fed up with birds making your chimney their home? Lets face it nobody wants an angry starling redecorating their living room!
The Topguard 2 can help you with both of these troublesome issues.
Available in mild steel with durable zinc plated and powder coat finish or stainless steel which is available in a natural or painted finish. The Topguard 2 is suitable for solid fuel, gas and oil appliances and is are available in standard height (200mm) or low profile (150mm) which offers enhanced rain protection.
Suitable for flues from 125mm to 250mm and complies with BS5871 Terminals up to 250mm, the Topguard 2 fixes with a jubilee band.
Eurocowl recommend the stainless steel version for use over solid fuel appliances and in costal areas or areas that are exposed to extreme weather.


still not mature, take on the environment.
Apologies to Zope if he's been offended.
> > very good and an not interested in slanging matches.
> > > Can we all stop with the public name-calling and personal insults?
> > > It's embarassing.
> I've resisted the urge to weigh in on this conversation for far too long.
> is broken and you need to fix it because I'm complaining".
> to sort out a problem.
> >complex and unusable to be honest and it doesn't even seem to work.
> >on board because Zope security is overly complex.
> >Sorry but this is not my experience and I have experimented.
> >Am using gmail basic setting which I like.
> take from the Zope community without giving back).
> Consider these words long and hard before posting again.


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Rebranding After An Acquisition Or Merger
Determining the Best Brand Strategy
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups may have convinced the world that combining peanut butter and chocolate is a good idea, but the task can be more difficult when combining companies. The rate of mergers and acquisitions over the past decade has skyrocketed, driven by financial, operational or geographic territory decisions. Rebranding the newly combined entity is all too often an afterthought.
In their paper "Merging the Brands and Branding the Merger" authors Richard Ettenson and Jonathan Knowles studied mergers and acquisitions completed over a ten year period and found that branding strategy was a low priority for the majority of organizations during M&A negotiations. Ettenson and Knowles noted that, "For marketers, a merger and acquisition therefore provides an important test. Failure to establish a new brand and to communicate its worth to internal and external audiences could have massive repercussions on the organization as a whole."
Combining two entities provides a tremendous opportunity to leverage new brand characteristics that are gained. A critical starting point to rebranding is gaining an in-depth understanding of the current perception of the brand(s) in the marketplace and how they relate to competitors. Based on this research, the combined entity can then decide if one company brand will be dominant or if a newly combined brand should be created.
Based on the decisions made when faced with the rebranding, Ettenson and Knowles grouped them into four main categories and tabulated what percentage used the strategy:
Backing the Stronger Horse (55%) - one organization takes the visual identity of the other, which has the stronger brand.
Business As Usual (24%) – both brands continue to exist independently.
Best of Both (13%) – the new organizations combines the visual identity of the both companies.
Different In Kind (8%) – an entirely new corporate identity is created for the organization.
Each of these rebranding decisions has its pros and cons. Deciding to eliminate one brand over the other, can convey the message that one company was the loser, which risks alienating customers that were loyal to the brand that was eliminated. On the other hand, it can remove negative perceptions and breathe new life into a beleaguered company.
Combining companies is a chance to conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) for each organization. This reimagined brand strategy can serve as the roadmap to navigate the transition between a company's current positioning and where they want to be.
When deciding which route to take it's important to remember that a brand has to resonate not only with customers, but employees as well. Mergers and acquisitions can be difficult for employees facing uncertainty, so it's important to carefully examine your brand selection strategy and the message it sends. Rebranding can serve as a catalyst to engage all employees and align core values throughout the new company.
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Emmys Power Rankings Critic's Notebook Recommended Series
July 10, 2014 9:37am PT by Tim Goodman
Tim Goodman on Emmy Nominations: Academy Needs to Adapt After Atrocious Snubs (Analysis)
Steve Wilkie/BBC America
Tatiana Maslany in BBC America's "Orphan Black"
The rubber-stamping seemed especially gratuitous and the Big Mistakes seemed more prominent and damning.
It's easy to find outrage every year when the Emmy nominations are announced. But if you temper it for the sake of the Big Picture, some of the smaller surprises can be a salve.
Yeah, not this year.
This is not one of those years when Emmy voters get forgiveness on their oversights simply because they seemed to be progressive in a few categories. That's because the rubber-stamping seemed especially gratuitous and the Big Mistakes seemed more prominent and damning.
Tasked with celebrating and rewarding the achievements from within their own industry, Emmy voters continue to come off as half-involved, behind-the-times clock watchers instead of guardians. It's as if the admittedly daunting task of actively sampling the industry's ever-changing content makes them crumble before even making an effort.
STORY Emmy Nominations: The Complete List
I mean, even by the low bar of Emmy standards, 2014 is a real omnishambles.
If you're paying attention at all, Tatiana Maslany from BBC America's Orphan Black is not a dark-horse contender anymore. She should have been a slam dunk, not a snub for the second year running. Overlooking The Americans and The Good Wife as best drama is almost startling. In a world where Downton Abbey is going to get a slot, add Masters of Sex and The Walking Dead to that list.
Part of the yearly problem with the Emmys is the institutional habit of returning an ungodly percentage of past winners into the nomination ranks despite downturns in series' quality or superior acting performances from competitors. Modern Family has been on a creative slide and shouldn't have been rubber-stamped again this year (same goes for Downton Abbey), while an actor like Matthew Rhys loses out to Jeff Daniels, who's a fine actor, but neither he nor HBO's The Newsroom had the quality of Rhys or FX's ascendant series The Americans.
Even if Rhys was considered a long shot, James Spader was not. His exclusion qualifies as baffling even in a category so insanely competitive as best actor.
Perhaps the biggest issue that the Emmys haven't addressed adequately is reconfiguring the rules to reflect the magnitude of the industry. Even though "who got snubbed" stories will always be a staple of awards shows, the ferocity of those addressing Emmy snubs should be a clarion call for the Emmys to allow nomination totals to flex where necessary.
Television is clearly too vast for Emmy voters to adequately reward deserving participants within it. This is only a problem if your job is to do just that. Ahem. So what's holding back the notion of expanded totals in the categories? There need not be some hard and fast rule that each category will have 10 nominations (instead of five or six). Even though we're in an era where that kind of number could be filled pretty easily, concerns over padding are legitimate if there's ever a downturn (though, looking back over the last decade, the trajectory of both content and quality is skyrocketing north, not dipping south). But if such concerns are impeding an overdue fix, simply allow for expansion on a per-category, per-year basis.
That way even when Emmy voters find room for, say, a comedy newcomer like HBO's Silicon Valley — a deserving contender — they don't also leave out Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, NBC's Parks and Recreation or ABC's The Goldbergs. It would also allow for broader representation of comedies like FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (and the worthy inclusion of that show's Kaitlin Olson among the actresses; or Wendi McLendon-Covey from The Goldbergs, as another example).
Expanding the categories also reduces the damage done by, say, having a wonderful actress like Edie Falco, whose role on Nurse Jackie is not particularly funny, squeeze out the aforementioned Olson or McLendon-Covey. Because when that happens, as it did this year, it magnifies the egregious mistakes of Emmy voters — highlighting such elements as ongoing historic snubs (It's Always Sunny) and modern mistakes (Brooklyn Nine-Nine and its own Andy Samberg, The Goldbergs and McLendon-Covey, etc).
Expanded nominations would reduce the damage done by allowing a show like Nurse Jackie to be considered a comedy, or Showtime's other overt drama, Shameless, to shift into the comedy category. Yes, it got William H. Macy a nomination but did nothing to help the fact that Emmy Rossum has been one of the best drama actresses of the last few years with nothing to show for it. Larger categories also, by the way, eliminate the need to use fine actors like Daniels and Falco as the culprits behind larger snubs; they can rightly be recognized on their own merits.
PHOTOS Emmy Awards 2014: The Nominees
Clearly something has to be done to the Emmys so that what happened this year doesn't continue to happen. It's great that HBO's True Detective and Netlix's Orange Is the New Black had such strong showings. But the former is really a miniseries and should be in that category. However, since HBO was clearly of the mind that True Detective was likely its best shot for a drama win (since Game of Thrones has been ignored), allowing it in the drama category doesn't hurt The Americans or Masters of Sex or The Walking Dead or Orphan Black if the category itself is allowed to expand. Without that flexibility, critics like myself are left to smack our heads and weep about The Americans (including Keri Russell's omission in the best actress category, plus some wonderful acting work on those other aforementioned dramas).
You're seeing a pattern here, yes?
Perhaps the biggest gripe generated by so many oversights this year is that it didn't need to happen but will most assuredly happen again if something isn't done — and fast — to fix it. With Netflix and Amazon and Hulu generating content from their platforms and niche cable channels delivering quality dramas and comedies and the acting performances to go with them, it's glaringly obvious that the Emmys have been caught flat-footed at the evolution of their own industry.
There's an embarrassment of creative riches in television right now. If the Emmys can't find a way to recognize that, then the emphasis shifts off of the creative riches and onto the embarrassment. Which is precisely where we are now.
Email: Tim.Goodman@THR.com
Twitter: @BastardMachine
Tim Goodman
Tim.Goodman@THR.com BastardMachine


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Emotional Attachment to Code
A few years ago, I was working on a front-end project for a client.
I was running into a performance problem. An event was being triggered too often, and my code ran an expensive calculation every time.
So I spent a few hours writing a utility method that prevents a function from being called more than once in specified amount of time.
I was happy with my solution. Until the next day, when I found out that I had built my own inferior implementation of Underscore's _.throttle method.
Using throttle instead of a custom function has lots of advantages:
_.throttle is well-tested and known not to be buggy
Other developers already know how to use _.throttle
(Less code to download. I wouldn't worry about this too much.)
Clearly using _.throttle is the better solution.
But I didn't change my code to use it.
I liked my code. I had put in a lot of effort to solve the problem in a re-usable way. Plus it signaled to the client that I had actually done some work.
It's natural to become attached to something you've made.
Throwing out code means admitting that you've spent your time making something useless. It's a classic example of a sunk cost skewing your decisions.
But more code means more complexity which makes it harder to maintain the codebase. When you become aware of a simpler solution, think about whether you can justify keeping the code that you've already written.
Emotional attachment to code leads to bad decision making. Recognize when it influences your decisions and re-examine the choice you've made.
Magic Numbers in CSS
Magic numbers are numbers that appear in source code without any explanation of what they mean. This makes the…
When is two a magic number?
A magic number is a number that appears directly in source code, but should really be given a name…
JavaScript Code Readability © 2019


If you're engaging your volunteers well, they're not only a valuable workforce, but an invaluable channel, writes Think HQ account director Stefan Delatovic who offers five tips for retaining volunteers.
It's hard to overestimate the value of volunteers.
There's the financial benefit of people gifting their time, of course, but there's also the halo effect of their presence – if volunteers are signing up with you, then it's a clear indication your cause is cutting through.
If you're engaging your volunteers well, they're not only a valuable workforce, but an invaluable channel. You'll rarely find a better brand evangelist than a deeply engaged volunteer.
And they're out there. Formal volunteering brought an estimated $25.4 billion of value to the national economy in 2010, according to data sourced by Volunteering Australia.
That same data tells us that the median volunteer is giving 1.1 hour of their time each week, and they're signing up mainly out of a desire to help others or their community.
Like all of us, though, they're time-poor. The most common reason people give for not volunteering is a simple one – they don't have time.
So it's important to honour the gift of valuable time that volunteers are giving, and communicating well is a powerful way of doing that.
Volunteers have signed up to your mission and they want to help, so let them. In workforces where there's a mix of paid and unpaid staff, it's easy to feel queasy about asking people to perform tasks, but don't smother messages with apologies.
Volunteers won't pack up and leave because they're busy, as long as their tasks are rewarding.
Remember, volunteers run on passion, and while passion is a potent fuel, it is volatile, so you need to ensure volunteers feel valued if you want to retain them, which brings us to our next point.
Unlike staff, volunteers fit their role in the spaces around their everyday lives, which could include full time work and family commitments. So, try to avoid setting a mandatory meeting for everyone at 11am on Tuesday, rather find ways to distribute information in a format where people can digest it when they get a spare moment.
Set a tone of partnership.
Volunteers are evangelists for their organisation, because they transparently, authentically care about what they're doing – it's why they're there, right?
The way to turn volunteers into evangelists is to allow them to own your messages and mission. Set up structures and channels that demonstrate that the cause is owned by them, and paid staff are there to help them get the work done. Make information easy to find and simple to share.
Importantly, communicate early in the decision making process to allow volunteers to shape decisions, or at least get comfortable with them before decisions get made.
Social media, such as a closed Facebook group, is a great platform for this, as it allows volunteers to engage in a dialogue and share their ideas. If your volunteers are spread out or rarely get together, it's also a great way to share stories.
Volunteers are a disparate bunch, and each member of your volunteer cohort comes with their own background, profession and priorities they're juggling around working with you.
Such diversity can make planning a challenge, but the unifying thread of this audience is, again, passion. Try to use multiple channels to get your message out and keep communications centred on the mission – always include the "why" when discussing "what".
The other side of this is that volunteers will likely have a bundle of skills unrelated to their volunteerism, so find ways of getting to know them and it will open up new opportunities.
With the above in mind, you can ensure volunteers are retained, engaged and valued for the gift they're giving your cause. Volunteers are a powerful force and, when respected, they'll smash through walls for you.
About the author: Before joining Think HQ as an account director, Stefan Delatovic was manager of media and communications at Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES), an organisation that depends on the efforts of 5,000 volunteers.
Stefan Delatovic is an account director at Think HQ.