The entrepreneurship minor is designed for those students who are interested in starting their own business or enhancing a business in which they are currently working.
The course content of the minor is designed to meet the objective of developing the mindset, skills, competencies, and experiential learning that enable students to function as entrepreneurs or as productive members of emerging, entrepreneurial firms.
The entrepreneurship program integrates the knowledge and experiences gained in other disciplines, as well as from the field of entrepreneurship, into an understanding of the process of new venture creation and the management of entrepreneurial businesses. With the minor presenting entrepreneurial concepts from a generalist perspective, students will acquire knowledge to conceive, develop, and launch new ventures and to turn innovative ideas into products that can be brought to market. Emphasis is placed on the managerial, legal, and marketing aspects of start-up businesses. The program culminates with a juried business plan competition for financial backing and start-up funding support.
Ethical and legal—In addition to exploring legal issues associated with a small business, students will examine their own personal values and aspirations to help guide their entrepreneurial careers.
Knowing the numbers—Entrepreneurs must be intimately familiar with the financial health of their businesses, particularly in regard to cash flow and other limited resource management and forecasting.
Business model—Students will be expected to develop a full understanding of how to create and utilize a business model and transform it into a fundable business plan.
Selling the idea—Students must not only understand how to identify and evaluate potential investors, but also how to sell their business idea when the opportunity presents itself.
Managing growth in entrepreneurial companies—Students will learn the unique set of leadership and communication skills necessary to guide a company through its most perilous time period: rapid growth.
Entrepreneurship minors are strongly encouraged to become active members in the ENACTUS program, which focuses on helping entrepreneurs in the Manchester community. Students will also be encouraged to take advantage of internship opportunities through the Internship & Career Planning Office.
For more information, contact Bill Troy, program coordinator and minor supervisor, at (603) 641-4345 or Bill.Troy@unh.edu.


The more I ponder over what a heaven should be like, the more I can see my inability to find a truly satisfactory description.
First of all I cannot really grasp happiness as anything beyond the temporary euphoria I experience. Sometimes, when everything is going well and external pressures are at a minimum, there is a feeling of satisfaction that ensues. But even this is dependent on me thinking about how my position is good. At every moment there are continuous variations in my experience.
If I think happiness is the general contentment when things are going well, then is it the predominance of pleasant feelings over the ones that are bad? But still the bad needs to exist to create necessary contrast. For example: say you move from Utah to California, initially the better weather is admired and gives you a lot of pleasant feelings when you think about the contrast. But this also seems as just a thought. For example: I love my camera, but while typing the first part, the camera was nowhere in my thoughts until I remembered it just now. So we get pleasure only when we think certain thoughts.
The interesting part about this game of duals/contrast is that wherever you are, there is infinity on both sides of the spectrum. So you always feel you are in the center no matter where you are. That is why we are afraid to completely enter the present moment. If you are fully involved in a book, you totally forget about your body, whether your a man or female, where you are in the world etc. We access our memory and recall our relative positioning in everything we care about and position our-self on the scale. Now this is again a relative scale we use. For e.g.: I will rate myself as intelligent or dumb depending upon the people who are in contact with me and to whom I have given significance over a period of time. But these people may just be a small set of say 100 people. A person in the Mensa club, if he is only in contact with those 100 people all the time, he would soon start to feel very dumb if he is unable to compete in any of their activities.
Our feelings seem to depend on what paradigm we see ourselves in. People use memory to keep track of their overall position. Like if you ask a person about how good looking or intelligent he is, he could give you a percentile score based on his intuition using all the patterns stored in memory. Even our memory stores only 1/billionth of sensory input. Only information that is deemed significant is stored. We usually dismiss anything below a certain threshold of change as white noise. Very slow changing things give us the illusion of permanence. For example: Our body keep slightly changing in appearance throughout our life but whenever we look in the mirror we do not see this dis-continuity.
There are core beliefs that keep us locked into believing this paradigm is reality. But when we really question it, it looks like an illusion. There are so many scientific facts which are counter-intuitive to all our senses. Can we really trust our senses for truly understanding reality? When we are dreaming we totally believe our senses are conveying real information.
Even in this changing experience, there is a feeling of me which seems continuous. I suppose that this is from some core beliefs firmly lodged in the subconscious creating the specific patterns of perception and bio-chemistry.
Maybe this reality we have is even better than whatever concepts we come up for heaven. Since I have the power to believe in anything or drop any belief. I may be everything and I can choose to be anything in this sample space by directing my attention and interest in that direction. The key would be to reach emptiness and see our entire lives from there.


Skills for Life Basketball Academy Camp at Dunlap High School and Middle School (4 Gymnasiums)!
Save the date. We'll see you there!!
Skills for Life Basketball Academy is a premier summer day camp for young men and women between 9 and 14 years of age. The Academy is coached by internationally renowned basketball player Curley "Boo" Johnson with assistance from top high school players from the Peoria area.
Johnson, an outstanding role model, has the vision to afford local young men and women of all economic positions the opportunity to greatly advance their basketball skills on the court, as well as improve and maintain positive life skills outside the gym.
The camp's motto is "Skills for Life – Improving Your Game On and Off the Court." Our core values are Teamwork, Integrity and Respect. These values are the foundation of our teachings in the program.
WILSON- THE OFFICIAL BASKETBALL OF SKILLS FOR LIFE BASKETBALL ACADEMY CAMPS!


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Taurus World Stunt Academy
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Submissions must include time in and time out for each stunt sequence being submitted.
The total length of time to be reviewed must not be more than three (3) total minutes. The footage can include multiple segments or "clips" from an overall sequence but the total footage cannot equal more than three (3) minutes and must be part of the same sequence.
This will apply for all categories, with the exception of Best Overall Stunt Coordination and/or 2nd Unit Direction and Best Action in a Foreign Film. For these categories, the overall work of the entire film shall be considered.
Any submissions that do not include time codes or submit segments longer than three (3) minutes will be considered ineligible.
All submissions for the Best Action in a Foreign Film category will be required to send the following items to the Taurus World Stunt Awards for a submission to be considered complete:
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What Time Is 'Westworld' On?
It's time to be extra nice to your Alexa. Everyone's favorite show about revolting robots is finally back this Sunday. After a year and a half of no new episodes, Westworld is returning to us tonight with a second season.
Even when new episodes were being released every week and with viewers paying complete attention, Westworld was still a hard show to follow. Now we've all been removed from its android-inspired madness for months. What time does Westworld air? What happened in Season 1? And what questions does Season 2 need to answer? Scroll down to learn everything you need to know about this new season.
The first episode of Season 2 premieres at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. You can stream the premiere on HBO Go or HBO NOW. Just be sure to have your Twitter ready; you're probably going to have some intense reactions for this.
What do the Westworld Season 2 reviews say?
The show currently has a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is up form Season 1's 88 percent. Judging by that, it's a pretty good season. If you want a more in-depth review of this new season from a Westworld skeptic, check out Meghan O'Keefe's review of the series.
Where can I find a Westworld Season 1 recap?
We have you covered on that front as well. If you can't remember who's alive, who's dead, and who's a surprise host, check out Decider's guide to who's a robot or not. It will catch you up on all of Season 1's twists in one quick read. Don't have time for a full recap but you still want to get the gist of what happened? No worries. Check out what happened last season in 13 GIFs.
We don't know yet, but we do know what we want this new season to answer. Here are 17 questions we have for this new season. Now, let the robot revolution begin.
Season 2 of Westworld premieres on HBO Sunday, April 22 at 9 p.m. ET.


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Show-Schedule
Letters from Happy Customers
Larry Fogel
was born in Florida and came to Israel with his family at the age of 12. He fell in love with the guitar at the age of 11, and taking to the piano as well, developed his talent on both instruments. Larry's affection for folk music began in 3rd grade literature class, when he was taught one of Simon & Garfunkel's tunes - "Feelin' Groovy".
He started performing in school parties during senior high. His first performance was in front of an audience of around 400 people, with an unamplified acoustic guitar and a vocal microphone. During his mandatory military service in the Israeli Air Force he was always with a guitar ready for social entertainment. (During basic training, a rumor spread that he was Paul Simon's younger brother – and everyone believed it was true!)
When Larry was released from the army, he began performing at clubs in Tel Aviv like "Briza", the "Asam" (managed by Matti Caspi and Arik Sinai), the "Bikta" (managed by Danny Litani) and other popular places singing songs by Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Don McLean, James Taylor, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and more.
Afterwards, Larry stopped performing for a very long time to build a career in hotel/tourism/retail management, and to raise a family. In 2003, he returned to the music scene and started performing at folk clubs around the country, where American folk music is played and sung, including taking part in the "Jacob's Ladder" bi-annual folk festival. Between 2004 and 2011 he also appeared with Moni Arnon (from the Israeli "Brothers and Sisters" group) in a successful "Simon & Garfunkel" tribute show.
Both pictures are from 1982 - the picture on right is from a performance in Omar Khayam, Old Yaffo.
Mindy Fogel
was born in New York and moved to Florida when she was 10 years old. She moved to Israel on her own for Zionistic reasons at the age of 19. From the age of 14 till she immigrated to Israel she was lead singer in a Jewish music group that performed all over the USA and Canada.
Mindy studied nursing and social work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and later also studied to be a Veterinary Technician. For 10 years, she worked as Import Manager at a well-known computer hardware corporation, and later developed a freelance career in translating.
Throughout the years singing remained Mindy's love and she performed at parties and functions of friends and colleagues singing songs by Judy Collins, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Rita, Beatles and more. She was also a member of a local theatre group. She plays piano, flute and guitar.
Larry and Mindy
met in January 2006, and since then they've been happily performing all over the country and abroad (including at the prestigious Isle of Wight Festival in the UK in June 2008) doing various shows, especially the wonderful songs of the 60's and 70's.
Together with that, they have two CD's of their own original songs, "Two Hearts One Beat" (May 2007), and "EBTB" (May 2009).
Larry and Mindy were lovingly married in May 2009. Yay!! They live happily in the beautiful Galilee mountains, in the dream house that they built, in a ravishingly gorgeous organic garden, together with their dog "Ski" and cat "K.C." (short for Kitty Cat).
larry@larryandmindy.co.il
mindy@larryandmindy.co.il


What's Behind Etsy's Double So Far in 2018?
Shares of online retailer Etsy (NASDAQ: ETSY) are up 108% in 2018 as of this writing, riding a resurgence in both revenue and earnings growth. After struggling for its first few years as a public company, the about-face started when CEO Chad Dickerson and other top executives were replaced in 2017. The changes have been controversial, especially among Etsy employees, but investors have certainly been happy with the simplification of growth initiatives and renewed focus on Etsy's most important customers.
New ideas are the soil in which future innovation takes root, but sometimes, too many ideas are a distraction for a growing business. Such was apparently the case at Etsy before Josh Silverman took the helm.
To be fair, revenue never stopped increasing, but it was slowing down during a time that digital commerce really started putting the hurt on traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Too many projects stretched Etsy's limited resources thin, slowing down momentum. As a small disruptor in the industry, investors apparently expected more from the top line, especially while the bottom line was being sacrificed for expansion.
Silverman's solution was to reduce the number of projects down to a "vital few," focusing on only the best ideas with the highest chance of paying off. That came with a 22% reduction in employee count as Etsy shrank its core efforts around easier product searches, efficient marketing expenses, and better merchant tools to increase customer trust in the Etsy ecosystem. Another byproduct of that simplification was a $100 million share repurchase program announced at the end of 2017 that translated to new management putting money behind its words that its changes would pay off.
The result has been revenues reaccelerating to a 24.8% gain in the first quarter of 2018 -- compared with 20.9% for full-year 2017 -- and the company getting back into the black with $0.10 earnings per share to kick off 2018.
Before Silverman showed up, Etsy was known for its workplace culture and high employee satisfaction. That's certainly nothing to scoff at, but apparently, some of the care Etsy took in supporting its workforce came at the cost of productivity. The aforementioned narrowing of project scope when Silverman took the reins was part of Etsy getting back to its championing of its most important customer: the small and home-based businesses that sell crafts on the site.
All of that merchant success and ongoing support is going to cost something, though, presenting a potential test for Etsy in upcoming quarters. The company recently announced it is increasing its cut from the value of GMS from 3.5% to 5% beginning in July. That's a big jump, but it's possible Etsy can get away with it because it's still a heavy discount compared with fees at rivals eBay and Amazon's Handmade service. However, if Etsy can continue to make its small-business merchants successful in the new digital economy, the fee increase will likely be justified.
What does that mean for investors? There's a decent chance that Etsy's rebound story continues with new growth initiatives in place equating to more revenue and profits. After doubling in the last six months, don't be surprised if some volatility kicks in in the near term, but overall, Etsy's future looks brighter than ever.
David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Etsy wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.
John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Nicholas Rossolillo and his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon. The Motley Fool recommends eBay and Etsy. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


Fear is a throughline in literature. Yet my fear of writing — really authentic writing — is holding me back. I'm working on it.
Fear in literature is as common as the Garamond typeface. Which is to say it's everywhere. Fear is the writer's prompt, the playwright's manipulative toy. It is the stream carrying a narrative to its dramatic end.
Fear injects two of literature's most popular themes, love, and death. Unrequited or rejection of love; the sudden or violent death.
Fear and foreboding are the currency of Gothic literature. Fear of the unknown and the unknowable animate modern literature, not to mention movies and streaming series. Netflix's Stranger Things jumped the shark for me.
Fear punctuates Shakespeare's plays; his characters are often driven mad by it.
What if fear held back Shakespeare's work? If so, it's hard to imagine what, if anything, he left on the table. Or, more appropriately, on the nib of his pen.
It's a rhetorical question; who knows if he struggled with fear of getting the words out. One thing is certain: its always been hard to make it as a writer. It probably wasn't any easier in the 16th century.
I know a thing or two about holding back.
I'm too afraid to write even about my own fear, my own vulnerabilities. This very article is but another toe in the water.
I'm so far back from the edge of the literary sea I'm not likely to get wet, much less caught in a riptide of words and emotions.
Not that there isn't enough material. I've got fear to spare. Fear that my writing's not good enough. Fear that my modest, yet steady success on Medium is beginner's luck. That there's not a there, there. Fear that I'm too old, in my seventh decade, to make a go of it as a writer.
I am self-aware enough to know that my fear is a close, kissin' cousin to weak self-confidence.
It is probably why I'm so timid in my writing, in trying new things, in getting it out there. In submitting to more publications. In mastering SEO (I'd rather have a root canal).
I probably speak for many; I can't be the only one out there hampered this way.
You'd think I could just get on with it.
You'd think that I, as a somewhat accomplished adult, a parent of successful grown children, who has weathered the ebb and flow of a privileged, yet textured existence, could move on. Surely I can look this challenge square in the eye.
I'm working on it. Working to take command of my unique fear and direct my cowardly self to stand down. Allow my risk-taker self to push forward. I think it's going to happen.
Inspiration has come from surprising places. My own writing practice, through which I am building a small but increasingly resilient response to my insecurity. The Medium platform itself allows me not only a public forum but the window to how others deal with their personal demons as writers.
I've learned what is helpful, what I can draw from and what doesn't work for me. Shaunta Grimes' Ninja Writer series is helpful; morning routines with daybreak protein shakes, well, not so much.
While we're on the subject of fear and writing….
That killer combo, fear and its undermining self-confidence, is eroding my secret desire to write fiction. Something I've never done, but can't shake its siren call. "You must try me," it whispers.
I write dialogue in my head around events or discussions I imagine. So vivid are those "what if" moments that I need to remind myself I'm creating an imaginary exchange, lest I respond to the fantasy and not reality. It didn't happen that way. But it could, in a story.
I used to have a habit of anticipating a disaster as insurance it won't happen. Honestly, the biggest disaster could be that the story, stuck in the nub of my pen, never sees the light of day.
I can't be the only one who feels like this. What about you? You, the precarious writer, sitting next to me on the sidelines, watching the game. What have we to lose? What's up for grabs is all in our heads.
Fear is the anticipation of dread.
Search "fear" on Upsplash and you'll get images of dark 'n stark: foggy woods, masks, lonely, isolated human figures shrouded in mystery and drama. Predatory, ferocious animals ready for attack with bared fangs or stealth poison.
The hourglass with the sand in its slow descent always reminds me of Dorothy and Toto in their hour of doom. They need to get over their fear and get back home. The flying monkeys have nothing on them. Nor on their collaborators, filled with courage and heart.
I sit in brilliant January sunshine, the flawless blue sky of a crisp and clear polar vortex. Here there is no fear, no dread.


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FB Roundup: Walton, Woo and Agarwal
The world's wealthiest families control $1.4 trillion, Hong Kong tycoon Peter Woo urges protesters to stop violence and Anil Agarwal's family trust pulls out of bid for Jet Airways
Article | 14 August, 2019 06:00 AM | By Susan Lingeswaran
The world's wealthiest families control $1.4 trillion
Bloomberg'sannual ranking of the world's richest families has revealed the fortunes of those at the top are growing by millions of dollars every hour.
Ranked the world's richest family, the third-generation Walton family, behind US supermarket giant Walmart, is accumulating $4 million every hour. Since June, the family's fortune has grown from $39 billion to nearly $191 billion—a nearly 400% increase.
The family's holding company, Walton Enterprises, owns about half of Walmart. The heirs of company founder Sam Walton include his sons Jim and Rob (pictured) and daughter Alice, along with Sam's late son John's widow, Christy Walton, and their son Lucas.
Other American families also saw their fortunes mount. The confectionary-making Mars family added $37 billion, bringing its fortune to $127 billion. Meanwhile, the Koch family, who made their billions from crude oil, added $26 billion, to reach $125 billion.
According to Bloomberg's calculations, America's richest 0.1% now control more wealth since 1926, while worldwide, the 25 wealthiest families now control almost $1.4 trillion in wealth—up 24% from last year.
However, not all families have had a successful year. Germany's Quandt family dropped eight places following a poor year for their auto-company BMW. The Dassault (aircraft manufacturing), Duncan (oil and gas), Lee (electronics) and Hearst (media and information) families also fell from the list.
Rebecca Gooch, research director at Campden Wealth, said it can be very challenging to preserve wealth over the long term.
"Family owned operating businesses can shift from booming to declining, a family's investment portfolio might not be well diversified or there can be issues with generational transitions."
Hong Kong tycoon Peter Woo urges protesters to stop violence
Peter Woo, billionaire property developer, has broken his silence and urged protesters to stop their demonstrations against the government after his businesses' posted a fall in profits.
Woo, the largest shareholder and former chairman of developer Wheelock and Co, called on the protestors "quit while you are ahead" in an article published in the Hong Kong Economic Journal.
"It's time to think deeply," Woo said in the Journal.
"Going against the extradition bill was the 'big tree' of this movement. This one and only big appeal has already been accepted by the government, so this tree has fallen."
Hong Kong's turmoil has spiralled since the government proposed a bill that would have allowed extraditions from the territory to Mainland China.
The two months of civil unrest has had a detrimental effect on the territory's stock market, wiping more than $1 billion from Woo's personal wealth, while his company's main subsidiary, Wharf Holdings, said its underlying profit fell 12% to $285 million.
His comments come a week after 500 business leaders, including Woo, and pro-Beijing politicians met in Shenzhen to hear Beijing officials call for support in safeguarding Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
Peter Woo is the founder of conglomerate Wheelock and Co and its main subsidiary Wharf Holdings. Both Wheelock and Wharf have telecom, port and retailing assets, including luxury department store Lane Crawford. His son, Douglas, succeeded him as chairman in 2014.
Anil Agarwal's family trust pulls out of bid for Jet Airways
One day after publicly announcing its interest in Jet Airways, mining baron and Vedanta chief executive Anil Agarwal said his trust will no longer pursue its bid in the debt-laden airline.
On Sunday, Volcan Investment, Agarwal's family trust, said it had submitted an expression of interest (EOI) in buying Jet Airways.
However, in a statement on Monday, Agarwal (pictured) said the trust took the decision to back away from a bid for Jet airways.
"The EoI for Jet Airways by Volcan was exploratory in nature," he said.
"On further evaluation and considering other priorities, we intend to not pursue this further."
Jet, India's oldest private airline, stopped operating on 17 April waafter running out of cash and failing to raise money to stay afloat. In June, the National Company Law Tribunal said Jet was under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
Jet Airway's lenders have been trying to sell the airline for the last five months but it has proved difficult. Etihad Airways, which already owns a 24% stake in the airline, refused to bid due to issues relating to Jet's previous liabilities.
Apart from Volcan Investment, the lenders have received two EOIs—from Panama-based fund Avantulo Group and Russian fund Treasury Creator.
Metals and mining magnate Anil Agarwal turned a small scrap metal business into $15.4 billion revenue-making Vedanta Resources with interests ranging from iron ore and copper to oil and gas.
His brother, Navin Agarwal, is executive vice chairman, while his daughter, Priya, joined Vedanta as non-executive director in 2017. His son, Agnivesh, is chairman of Vedanta's power subsidiary Talwandi Sabo Power.
Family portrait: the Walton family
FB Roundup: Agarwal, David and Tan
Susan Lingeswaran
Susan Lingeswaran joined CampdenFB as Senior Writer in 2018. She has a degree in journalism from Australia and previously worked at Haymarket Media Group as a sports writer for the consumer magazine Forever Sports and as a news reporter for the trade magazine Supply Management.
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by Lynda Lorraine April 23, 2018
CREATE a self-sustaining visual art practice and facilitate artistic development at a high level
BUILD mentoring, teaching, discussion and awareness of the subjects and disciplines explored
MAKE a cultural contribution to the artistic landscape of the UK and beyond
Lynda Lorraine was born in Surrey, UK in 1978 and is of Filipino and English descent. At the age of eighteen, she left home to pursue photography and fine art training first at University of Hertfordshire and after moving to the capital BA (hons) Fashion Design Technology at London College of Fashion and then MA Fashion at Central Saint Martins under Louise Wilson. During this time she worked closely with Matthew Williamson, Tristan Webber and Harvey Nichols among others.
Her two dissertations explored the relationships our bodies have with the architectural spaces we occupy every day, sculptural beauty in couture and high fashion history in a contemporary context. In her graduation collection she created silhouettes for the catwalk combining Eastern simplicity, Western extravagance and a punk aesthetic that combined innovative draping techniques, beautiful tailoring where the sculptural aspects and movement of the pieces were core to the collection. Her mixed heritage life experiences and subjects explored during her studies are clear foundations to her later work.
After completing her art school training in fashion, her work was exhibited in Harrods next to the likes of Chanel and Prada as well as garnering international recognition from Barneys, New York. Lorraine maintained a connection with the art world with life drawing at the Royal Drawing School. After a successful career in fashion, photography and web design it was always an ambition to develop her artistic talent. In recent years she decided to actively pursue art as a versatile and largely self-taught artist. In her work she uses painting, drawing, photography, moving image and installations to explore perception and the realities of modern global culture. The artist has participated in many exhibitions as well as solo shows in London.
Lorraine still lives in the capital and as an Artist she facilitates her own marketing and branding. She leads her own blog, photography, published material, website as well as on and offline promotion. Passionate about sharing her experiences about leading a balanced and sustainable creative life as well as showcasing and increasing visibility and awareness of Filipino arts, culture and global creative practitioners.
Selected Group Exhibitions / Shows
2018 Hidden, Royal College of Art, London UK
2015 Axe, The Circle, London UK
2014 Jen, Islington Exhibits, London UK
2014 Fraction, Platform 1 Gallery, London UK
2013 Sketchbook Project, Brooklyn NYC / 30+ City Tour USA
2004 Imago, Lauderdale House, London UK
2003 Central Saint Martins Degree Show, London Fashion Week / BFC Tent, London UK
2000 London College of Fashion Degree Show, The Old Truman Brewery, London UK
Solo Exhibitions / Shows
2015 Bonds, Greenwich Theatre, London UK
2003 Bennett-Payne, Harrods, London UK
Television and Performance
2015 Live Art, Collaboration with Artist Kathlyn Pagador
2015 Six Puppies & Us, BBC 2
2014 Kirstie's Handmade Christmas, Channel 4
2014 The Last Five Years, Greenwich Theatre, London UK
2003 Graduate Feature, International Textiles
2017 Thinking with your hands, in a digital age, Royal Academy of Art The Hague & Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam, Netherlands
2003 Harrods Award for Design Initiative (runner-up)
2001 AHRC Postgraduate Fashion Development Fund
2019 First Principles of Painting
Slade School of Fine Art
2003+ Life Drawing, Anatomy & Nocturnal Interiors
Royal Drawing School
2003 MA Fashion: Womenswear
2000 BA (hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear Tailoring
1997 BTEC Foundation Diploma: Fine Art Practice


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Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
How Patent Holders Can Avoid Early Dismissal at Pleadings Stage
By Mark Lezama
Nov. 17, 2022, 9:00 AM
Knobbe Martens partner Mark Lezama examines a recent Federal Circuit decision that may provide guidance for patent holders to avoid dismissal at the pleadings stage. He explains the pros and cons of following the plaintiff's strategy in that case.
A court can invalidate a patent claim under Section 101 of the Patent Act at the pleadings stage if it determines the claim is directed to an abstract idea and there are no plausible factual allegations that the claim contains an inventive concept.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in two separate cases—Berkheimer v. HP Inc. and Aatrix Software Inc. v. Green Shades Software Inc.—explained that the second prong of a two-part patentability test confirmed in 2014 by the US Supreme Court involves questions of fact that can preclude pretrial dismissal. That prong, from Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank, explores whether a patent claim contains an inventive concept beyond implementing an abstract idea using well-understood, routine, conventional activities.
While many expected the Federal Circuit precedent to make Section 101 dismissals at the pleading stage rare, that has not been the case. Despite the factual nature of Alice step two, over the past four years many patent owners have been unable to plausibly plead factual allegations showing their patent has an inventive concept, and have lost their patents shortly after filing suit.
A recent decision by the Federal Circuit offers guidance on how to avoid dismissal at the pleading stage under Section 101.
In Cooperative Entertainment Inc. v. Kollective Technology Inc., the court said dismissal was inappropriate because the patent holder had alleged an inventive concept sufficiently plausibly to preclude dismissal at the pleading stage. The district court had ruled that Cooperative's claims over its video sharing technology were invalid under Section 101.
So how can patent holders replicate Cooperative's success?
Provide Specific Support
Patent holders can first make sure their patents explain how the invention constitutes an advancement over the prior art, and then repeat that explanation in their pleadings.
For example, the Federal Circuit noted Cooperative's specification explained how its peer-to-peer network structure was different from and improved on prior art. This included the assertion that the prior art did not provide video streaming over P2P networks outside of a content distribution network.
According to Cooperative's patent, the invention bypassed any static CDN, yielding more efficient and cost-effective content delivery. Cooperative then reiterated these assertions in its amended complaint.
Although Cooperative's invention story was consistent, the Federal Circuit did not hold that it was necessary for the patent to expressly support the complaint's inventive-concept allegations. In its 2019 Cellspin Soft decision, the court rejected such a strict requirement for support.
Nonetheless, the Cooperative court repeatedly mentioned how closely Cooperative's pleadings corresponded to the specification. Support in the specification or prosecution history may therefore be more important than Cellspin suggests.
If the intrinsic evidence does not affirmatively support allegations in the pleadings that the claimed technology differs from the prior art, solves a problem, improves functionality, or is unconventional, a court might be more inclined to find a way to distinguish Cellspin and disregard those allegations as conclusory—and therefore not entitled to the assumption of truth on a motion to dismiss.
Attorneys drafting patent applications often prefer to characterize the prior art as little as possible, and there are sound reasons for that approach. Patent drafters also sometimes prefer not to characterize the advantages of the invention, lest those advantages be deemed requirements of the claims or otherwise become a focal point in litigation.
Cooperative illustrates the potential advantages of drafting the specification to explain how the invention advances the art.
Specificity of Claim
Patent holders should also focus the complaint on claims with a textual hook to the inventive concepts described in the specification and the complaint's factual allegations. The Federal Circuit noted one of Cooperative's claims tracked the inventive concepts asserted in the specification and pleadings by expressly reciting a P2P network where the peer nodes consume the same content within a predetermined time and are distributed outside CDNs.
When the claim language is broad or does not match the specification verbatim, plaintiffs should consider whether alleging the inventive concept appears in the claim language would effectively concede the claims are narrower than their plain language would suggest and carefully weigh the consequences.
It remains to be seen whether Cooperative's strategy will pay off in the long run. In crafting its inventive-concept narrative at the patent-drafting stage and adhering to the same narrative in its litigation pleadings and on appeal, Cooperative may have survived a motion to dismiss only to find that it has made concessions that weaken its case in other respects.
Other patent holders can consider the same tradeoffs in deciding whether to similarly build inventive-concept assertions into their next patent application. At a minimum, patent holders now have another Federal Circuit decision they can use as a road map to successfully navigate Section 101 challenges at the pleading stage.
This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.
Mark Lezama is a partner at Knobbe Martens where he represents patent owners and accused infringers in jurisdictions across the country. He takes a holistic approach to litigation, complementing courtroom successes with out-of-court strategies for his clients, including pursuing inter partes review by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Mark Lezama
Knobbe Martens
patentable subject matter
patent specification
prior art
peer-to-peer networks


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Pātaka Programme
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Words From Our Supporters
Winter Boost Programme
In 2012 we started the Winter Boost Programme which provided hot, nutritious lunches to every child in our decile 1 & 2 primary schools in Auckland. This gave vulnerable children a lift during the colder months, a time when our kids are most vulnerable and when school absences are high.
Children enjoyed a winter boost lunch of a yummy variety of soups, stews and casseroles served with bread rolls 2-3 times a week.
Each year we were expanding into other schools and at least doubled the number of hot meals provided, to reach a total of 235,000 lunches over 5 years!
Our Approach:
Targeting High-need Communities
We worked with decile 1 & 2 schools to reach children in those neighborhoods most in need.
Feeding Every Child
It was important to us that every child in our schools could access a warm, hearty lunch. Everyone ate together and nobody stood out as being different.
Working with Primary Schools
We targeted young primary school kids – at a stage where they are most dependent and where nutrition is especially important to their long-term development.
Providing the Best Food
Our kids deserve the best quality food on offer to make the biggest impact on their nutritional health. And, with the help of Massey University, we were continually improving the nutrition of our lunch meals.
This programme was discontinued in 2018. Our school lunch focus is now on advocating for a government-funded school lunch programme, based on our experience and learning over our years of implementing this programme.
Youth Work Placement Programme
Young people from disadvantaged circumstances often have fewer opportunities for employment experience, which is an important stepping stone in developing confidence and core skills to succeed in the workplace.
We offered youth in alternative education a paid employment opportunity to help them develop confidence and transferable skills at Feed the Need's kitchen. With coaching and support in a warm and positive environment, we were able to help them to recognise their strengths and develop those key skills and attributes that will appeal to future employers.
Supported by their educational provider we conducted 'friendly' interviews and selected those who were not only hungry for a chance to develop but who we thought would benefit most from an opportunity like this.
Selected applicants were employed as Kitchen Hands over 4 weeks and coached in a supportive environment to develop specific skills and attributes. Post-placement, the students received ongoing support and career guidance from their education provider.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children" - Nelson Mandela
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Home > A look at Jock Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park
A look at Jock Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park
By Paul Johnson on Oct 31, 2019 in Adventure Travel, Africa, Featured, Leisure Travel, Regions, South Africa, Speciality Travel
Untamed. Untouched. Unforgettable.
Jock Safari Lodge describes itself thus. It is a description which isn't pure marketing hyperbole, either. Spend just an hour in this magical space deep in the African bush and you'll see exactly what we mean. For at Jock Safari Lodge you will experience nature just as nature intended. Untamed. Untouched. Unforgettable.
Jock Safari Lodge: The place
A luxurious 5-star private safari lodge situated in the South-Western corner of the iconic Kruger National Park – also known as 'the Big Five region', Jock Safari Lodge offers the kind of luxury safari experience that few believe exists outside of imagination and extravagant (but fake) blockbuster movie sets. But exist it does.
Built at the confluence of the Mitomeni and Biyamiti rivers, with exclusive traversing rights, across 6,000 hectares of wildest African landscape, the wildlife sightings at Jock Safari Lodge are unparallelled. Big 5 sightings are all but guaranteed.
Now add in two luxury lodges, offering accommodation options ranging from family-friendly to honeymoon-heaven and everything in between; personal game drives; guided wilderness walks; bird watching; spa treatments; stargazing; golf; kids' programmes and more, and we think you'll find that unforgettable relaxation and escape is absolutely guaranteed.
Jock Safari Lodge: The legend
More than all this, though, Jock Safari Lodge offers a unique, fascinating history – and legend – that really sets it apart from all the other luxury safari lodges out there. Named for Jock of the Bushveld, a rather special dog with a firm grip on South Africans' hearts and the country's literary history, Jock Safari Lodge was started by the Niven family, descendants of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick – and owner of Jock.
Fitz was first lured to this place in 1884 by the promise of gold. On his way to Thula Mela, the gold trading centre of Southern Africa, he passed through some of Africa's most scenic, untamed wilderness. And it was this place, where Jock Safari Lodge now stands, which kept him here.
Along the way, Fitz acquired his dog Jock, who would accompany him through life, and many an escapade, in a place where adventure lives around every corner. (You can read all about their adventures in the book authored by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, entitled 'Jock of the Bushveld'. Original mementoes from Fitz and Jock's many escapades are also on display at the Main Lodge.) Today, thanks to the Niven family, who used the trust funds Sir Fitzpatrick left to them to build a lodge in the area close to where Fitz and Jock lived their dreams, you can experience some of that adventure yourself.
Jock Safari Lodge: The details
All meals included, including High Tea before the late afternoon game drive and a unique Boma dinner experience
A selection of house beverages and game drives beverages included
Big 5 sightings
Twice-daily guided game drives included – early morning and late afternoon
Guided bush walks upon request
Conservation fee applicable
Kids' programmes, including Junior Ranger, night walks within camp, and more.
There are two accommodation options:
Main Jock Lodge
12 individual thatched suites, screened by lush trees and reed walls, allow for complete privacy and harmony with the unspoilt wilderness surrounds. Each suite is built to overlook the rivers, offering exclusive bushveld vistas and game viewing from you own personal "sala" (thatched viewing deck), plunge pool, romantic victorian ball and claw bath, and outdoor shower.
Fitzpatrick's at Jock
Perfect for small parties and families, Fitzpatrick's at Jock offers three luxurious suites, all with their own viewing deck over the unspoilt Kruger bushveld, indoor or outdoor showers and five-star amenities. Fitzpatrick's can either be booked as a whole lodge with its own personal chef and game ranger or as individual suites.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Jock Safari Lodge.
Love the idea of High Tea before the sun down game drive. Such a colonial and civilised concept.
There's that old Frank Sinatra line, "She gets too hungry for dinner at eight" which I'm afraid sums me up. Many a game drive has been spoilt by my rumbling tummy. High Tea for me would make it a perfect day.
Elizabeth Knowling says:
I'm going to have to get myself a copy of "Jock of the Bushveld." It's just amazing that a dog can sum up the spirit of an age. Then, I feel that I'm going to have to visit The Jock Safari Lodge. I have visited The Kruger National Park before and I saw The Big Five but my safari camp was a little basic and probably housed too many guests. I'd rather create better memories of a safari.
Getting all of the close family together, even for the biggest of celebrations, is always a challenging logistical exercise but I think it would be worth the effort to get all of them together staying in Fitzpatrick's at Jocks. It would be good to have a private chef to prepare meals to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary with the children and their partners before we have to fit grandchildren into the plans as well. Neither our son or daughter has ever done a safari. Jock's would be a great experience for them to start with.
Lynne Gardner says:
People are always going to be drawn to places which have a genuine heritage, a real connection with their location. The story of Jock is lovely, he must have been a real character. Travellers will always prefer that sort of authenticity, dating back for well over a century, to a vision of a safari created and branded by some marketing team in a corporate office many miles from the bush. Give me the real thing any day of the week.
I've never done a safari but it seems a no-brainer to me that you are always going to choose a camp where you've got very good odds on spotting all of the Big 5. It must be very frustrating to travel those distances and spend that kind of money without seeing all the animals that you hoped you would see.
Claire Marston says:
This sounds incredible. I like that you can stay on a more all inclusive basis with meals included, that makes things a little more convenient. I'm surprised there are two guided game drives a day, is that every day for the duration of your stay? Although I don't have kids, I think there will be a lot of parents who will find the kids' programmes to be a fantastic idea because it's not often I see safari vacations that cater to parents, so it always strikes me as an adult only kind of thing. With how busy and constantly connected we all are all of the time, a little escape to get back to peace and quiet and nature sounds so perfect.
Ian Collins says:
That outdoor massage and hot tub might just be what I need! And I like that the accommodations really show off the national park while still being able to give you all the luxuries you need to be able to holiday comfortably. I'm just wondering how safe you really are within those netted walls from the bigger animals.
Samkeliso Nkwanyane says:
Beautiful blog! What is it that you found standing out about Jock Safari Lodge?


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Biodiversity, the diversity of life on Earth, is under threat from our large and growing population. We are now undergoing a sixth mass extinction event, named the 'Anthropocene', because it is driven by human activity.
Ever more people means ever less wildlife. Our unsustainable numbers and consumption are directly fuelling the two main causes of species decline, habitat destruction and overexploitation. According to scientists, approximately one million species now face extinction unless we take action.
Learn more about biodiversity and population here.
See our latest news stories and blog posts about biodiversity below.
Chris Packham: we need to talk about population
In a landmark documentary on the BBC, Population Matters patron Chris Packham looks at the challenges of population growth, and makes an impassioned plea for it to become a core part of environmental debate.
Africa population
Here's why 2020 could be a 'super-year' for nature
Despite the climate and biodiversity crises continuing to escalate, environmentalists are calling 2020 a 'super-year' for nature because of several upcoming international policy meetings that have the potential to set nature on a path to recovery. Population Matters is actively campaigning to ensure population solutions are recognised and implemented.
PM director Robin Maynard reviews a successful year for Population Matters, but one which brought much bad news about the planet.
Asia population
Europe Population
UK population
US population
Population Matters Magazine Autumn 2019
Population Matters Magazine
Features World Population Day 2019, Population Declinism, an interview with Dr Edu Effiom and our new Empower to Plan project Jiwsi.
Human population and the convention on biodiversity - briefing 2019
Briefings and submissions
A four page summary outlining the impact of human population on biodiversity, and options to address it within the Convention on Biodiversity
UK biodiversity report: more of us, less of them
The latest edition of the most authoritative report on biodiversity in the UK has just been released - State of Nature 2019. The 2016 version described the UK as "one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world". This new edition makes clear there has been no improvement - and shows some of the impacts of human population growth.
Wildlife conservation is incompatible with human population growth
A major analysis found that while wildlife can benefit from sustainable development and economic growth, continued human population growth is incompatible with conservation goals.
US loses 'football field' worth of nature every 30 seconds
A new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) reveals that more than 24 million acres of nature have been lost from the contiguous United States between 2001 and 2017 due to human development; the equivalent of one football field every 30 seconds.
Going global on World Population Day
This World Population Day, 11 July 2019, Population Matters went global by running events in three continents. Thanks to our supporters and allies, we had a very successful day in Lagos, Nigeria, London, UK and New York, USA, raising awareness of population issues and pushing them up the international agenda.


Most of you have probably experienced going into your favourite clothing retailer, electrical or furniture chain and being asked for your email address and/or mobile number? Often the retailer will promote this initiative under a 'loyalty club' or similar. It is in the retailer's interest to add you to their database in order to market back to you.
Retail is an industry which has been taking advantage of SMS for quite some time. Many retailers ask you to sign-up to their subscriber lists either in-store or online. Some retailers request email address only whereas many others will ask for a mobile phone number so they can communicate with you by mobile as well.
Then on a regular basis the retail stores will send you offers via SMS – eg. Seasonally or around major sales time such as end of financial year, Christmas time and more. Seasonal campaigns tend to be more about educating customers on a new range/new look whereas key times for retail like end of financial year, the offers tend to have a financial benefit – such as percentage discount or fixed dollar amount off purchase. All about driving sales!
Some more innovative retailers are also dabbling with MMS and seeing some amazing results. Avenue is one such women's retailer in the U.S.A. seeing ROI as high as 6,600% by using MMS coupons and other MMS promotions.
The U.S. based messaging provider Tatango document the great success of MMS marketing at Avenue in their article here, which includes detailed message examples like the one below.
If you are an agency or reseller wanting to send retail MMS campaigns please contact us for more information and rates. We offer the best MMS rates in Australia.
If you have any other comments or questions, or would like to share your own successes with MMS in the retail industry, then free to leave a reply in the comment box below.
This entry was posted in Loyalty, MMS, Mobile Marketing. Bookmark the permalink.


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Learn To Drive's Richmond Driving School only employs professional instructors with years of experience. They will work with you, tailoring each lesson to your needs and skill level. Our Richmond based driving instructors have local knowledge of the challenges of driving in and around Richmond and will take you through all the RMS test tracks.
This approach ensures our Learn to Drive Richmond instructors prepare you to pass the driving license test and become safe drivers. At our Richmond driving school we take safety seriously and have modern, dual control test cars to maintain safety while students learn. Our cars are fully insured for peace of mind.


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Maximize the performance of your existing roof and minimize unnecessary roof restoration repairs with a full range of licensed roof maintenance from the roofing specialists at E & F Roofing, Inc.
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The Unbelievable Truth
The Unbelievable Truth. David Mitchell. Copyright: BBC / Random Entertainment
Radio panel show
David Mitchell hosts this Radio 4 panel game built on truth and lies. Contestants must try and smuggle truths into lie-filled speeches.
Continues on Monday on Radio 4 at 6:30pm with Series 27, Episode 3
Catch-up on Series 27, Episode 2
Series 23, Episode 1
David Mitchell is joined by Holly Walsh, Henning Wehn, Tony Hawks and Sally Phillips as they talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as actors, rules, dogs and Finland.
The Truths
Tony Hawks - Dogs
- When he last did a recording of the show, Tony brought his pet dog Coco, and she urinated on the carpet. Found by Henning, accidentally included by Tony.
- Lord Kitchener had six spaniels named Aim, Fire, Shot, Bang, Miss and Damn. Found by Sally.
- A farm labourer named Selvakumar from Tamil Nadu, India, married a dog in a traditional Hindu ceremony in 2007. Found by Henning.
- In 2015, a cat won America's National Hero Dog Award. Tara won the award for saving her four-year-old owner Jeremy Triantafilo from an attack from a vicious dog. Found be Henning.
- A dog ate the first draft of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Successfully smuggled.
- A Chihuahu's bad dreams will be a lot more frequent than a St. Bernard's bad dreams, as small dogs dream more frequently than larger dogs. Successfully smuggled.
Holly Walsh - Actors
- Michael J. Fox's middle name is Andrew. Found by Sally.
- Well over a 100 million words of fan fiction have been written about Benedict Cumberbatch. Much of it describes an imagined homoerotic relationship between his version of Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman's version of Watson. Cumberbatch has described tropes of this work thus: "It's always like one of them is tired, one comes back from work, the other is horny, a lump appears in his trousers and then they're at it. It's usually me getting it; I'm biting Watson's dog tags." Found by Henning.
- Woody Harrelson's father, Charles V. Harrelson, was a convicted hitman. He was jailed for 15 years in 1973 for the murder of a grain dealer. In 1981, he was given two life sentences for the assassination of a district judge. Found by Sally.
- Laurence Olivier once petitioned the press to moan about British Rail no longer serving kippers anymore. Successfully smuggled.
- Christopher Lee once went to France to watch a public guillotining. Successfully smuggled.
Henning Wehn - Rules
- The Bible says you should not swear on the Bible. Found by Sally.
- The Pope is not allowed to be an organ donor. When he dies, the Pope's body belongs to the entire Church and must be buried intact. Found by Holly.
- Russian criminals used to tattoo images of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin to their chest to protect themselves from firing squads, in the belief that the squads could not defile these images. This meant that the criminals would get a painless death being shot in the head, rather than a more painful death being shot in the vital organs. Found by Tony.
- Catherine I of Russia ruled that no men were allowed to get drunk at her parties before 9 o'clock. Found by Tony.
- We can all think of rules we don't need anymore. Found by Sally. Accidentally included by Henning.
- It is OK to catch a taxi if you have the plague, so long as you inform the driver. Found by Sally.
Sally Phillips - Finland
- Finland has an annual Restaurant Day, where anyone can set up a restaurant for a single day. Found by Tony.
- Due to global warming, Finland is expanding in size every year. It grows by seven square kilometres per year due to the melting of three kilometre ice sheets that covered the country during the Ice Age. Found by Holly.
- Finland is home to the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship. Found by Henning.
- Finland has the densest population of blondes in the world. Successfully smuggled.
- One highlight in the Finnish calendar is National Sleepyhead Day, where the last person in a family to wake up is thrown into the sea. Successfully smuggled.
- Sally Phillips: 3 points
- Tony Hawks: 1 point
- Holly Walsh: 0 points
- Henning Wehn: -1 point
Sunday 5th January 2020 12:00pm Radio 4
Monday 6th January 2020 7:30am Radio 4 Extra
Monday 6th January 2020 5:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Monday 6th January 2020 10:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Tuesday 7th January 2020 5:30am Radio 4 Extra
David Mitchell Host / Presenter
Tony Hawks Guest
Henning Wehn Guest
Holly Walsh Guest
Sally Phillips Guest
Dan Gaster Writer
Colin Swash Writer
Jon Naismith Producer
Series 22 Episode 6


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How to tell if a preschooler needs glasses - and how to get the kid to wear them | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
How to tell if a preschooler needs glasses - and how to get the kid to wear them
Sheryl Ubelacker
Three year-old Olivia Illerbrun poses, wearing one of her first pairs of glasses in this undated handout image provided by her mother. Angie Illerbrun had no idea her daughter Olivia was having trouble seeing until she had her own eyes checked and the optometrist suggested he take a look at the toddler's eyes as well.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Angie Illerbrun
September 14, 2016 - 4:30 PM
TORONTO - Angie Illerbrun had no idea her daughter Olivia was having trouble seeing until she had her own eyes checked and the optometrist suggested he take a look at the toddler's eyes as well.
While Olivia, then about age 2 1/2, watched a cartoon in his exam room, Dr. Barry Thienes shone a light in her eyes. His verdict, recalled Illerbrun: her daughter had extremely bad eyes.
"There was never even a clue that there was anything wrong," said Illerbrun, a legal assistant in Shaunavon, Sask., southwest of Regina, who also helps work her mother's farm outside town.
"When she was little, she would watch TV like a normal kid. We would hand her a book and my husband would kind of tease her and put it upside-down, and she would turn it right-side up," she said. "On the farm, she didn't trip or walk into anything."
But it turned out seeing the world up close wasn't the problem — it was making out objects at a distance. Olivia was near-sighted and had an astigmatism. She was initially prescribed glasses with a mild correction, which was progressively strengthened every six months until she reached age six.
Thienes, who practises in Shaunavon and nearby Maple Creek, said there are some signs parents can watch for that indicate a toddler's or preschooler's vision may not be optimal.
"In some cases, they might squint, they might look at things funny, hold things close, sit too close to the TV, rub their eyes a lot," said Thienes, president of the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO).
"Those would be some of the signs, but a lot of the signs are not very obvious, especially in a very young child between six months and, say, five years (of age)."
That's why the CAO recommends that children have a comprehensive eye exam between six and 12 months of age, followed by another between age two and five, then annually throughout the school years.
Besides having refractory problems leading to near-sightedness (myopia), far-sightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism, young children may have a crossed eye or out-turned eye. Known clinically as strabismus, it's a muscle condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned, resulting in double vision or suppression of the image from the affected eye, the CAO says on its website.
Up to four per cent of children under age six have amblyopia, or a lazy eye, which occurs when there is weak vision or vision loss in one eye. Because the image sent to the brain from the affected eye is poor, the brain will ignore that eye. Over time, few connections will be made between the brain and the eye.
That's why amblyopia needs to be treated early — with vision therapy, eyeglasses, contact lenses or patching the good eye to make the weak one work harder — as treatment later becomes difficult, said Thienes.
"If you don't catch it early on in life, even though you might correct it when they're 10 or 12 years old, you still can't get the vision up because the eye never was used properly during the developmental stage," he said. "So even though everything looks healthy, it will never work properly for the rest of their life."
Once the diagnosis is out of the way, it may turn out that glasses with corrective lenses are needed to bolster a young child's visual acuity.
Then there's the next challenge: getting an active toddler or preschooler to wear them — and keep wearing them.
"The longer you wait, the harder it is to introduce the child to spectacles ... because they're not used to putting any kind of glasses on their face," said Dr. Josh Josephson, a former optometrist who owns Josephson Opticians in Toronto and is involved in vision-related research.
"They don't really understand the purpose. You have to work with them and you set an example," said Josephson, advising that parents start by donning sunglasses, which he stressed that both adults and every young child should wear when outside to protect against eye damage from the sun's ultraviolet rays.
For example, he suggested parents try this: "'Look, I've got something for you, too. You can be just like Dad or Mom.' Kids like to mimic their parents and so it can inspire them."
With Samantha Levenson's son Ely, having spectacles like Daddy's seemed to be the answer to getting the then four-year-old to accept the fact he needed glasses to see properly.
Ely insisted he wanted to go to the same optician where his father had bought his prescription glasses, the Toronto lawyer recalled.
"Well those glasses lasted about five seconds. He didn't want to wear them once he actually got them."
When Ely got a little older — and more style-conscious — he picked out some "crazy, fashionable glasses," she said. "He was loving people coming up to him and saying 'Where did you get those glasses? They're so cool.'
"Even at that point, he wouldn't wear them," Levenson said, adding that it wasn't until her son was in senior kindergarten that he wore his glasses in school, and then only because the teacher made him.
Home was a different story. "I'd say put your glasses on and he'd say no."
It was only after his eighth birthday last year that Ely started wearing his glasses full-time, she said.
"He realizes now that he can't see without them. Now he doesn't leave the house without putting them on."
Illerbrun didn't have to go through that struggle with Olivia, who's now 12 and a veteran at wearing glasses since about age three.
"We made it a big event. She got to pick Barbie glasses for the very first time," said her mom, describing the eyewear as pink with sparkles.
"I think it just helped her so much. Never once did I have to say: 'Go put your glasses on.'"
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016


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BILL WATCH 45/2013 [16th September 2013] Ministerial Appointments
2	September 16, 2013 8:35 PM
BILL WATCH 45/2013
[16th September 2013]
Ministerial Appointments
On 11th September the President swore in Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Ministers, Ministers of State in the President's Office or Vice-President's Office, Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Deputy Ministers at State House.
There are 26 Cabinet Ministers: 3 Ministers of State; 10 Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs, one for each of the ten provinces; and 24 Deputy Ministers [Total 63]. The corresponding figures for the 2009-2013 Inclusive Government are: 36 Cabinet Ministers; 6 Ministers of State; 10 Provincial Governors/Resident Ministers; 19 Deputy Ministers [Total 71].
1. Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers do not sit in Cabinet.
2. The President still has the option of appointing a second Vice-President under the Constitution. Since the 1987 Unity Accord between ZANU and the former ZAPU leading to the merging of those parties, the President has always appointed one of the Vice-Presidents from the old ZAPU wing of the party. A replacement for Vice-President Landa John Nkomo, who had been one of the party's Vice-Presidents, was not made by the party after his death in January. His successor will probably be elected at the next ZANU-PF national congress and then be appointed as the country's second Vice-President.
3. All Ministers and Deputy Ministers are members of Parliament, except for five Ministers who do not hold seats. President Mugabe has used to the full the power he enjoys under section 104(3) of the Constitution to appoint a maximum of five Ministers from outside Parliament ["up to five, chosen for their professional skills and competence, may be appointed from outside Parliament"]. The individuals so appointed, each indicated by an asterisk * in the lists below, were unsuccessful candidates for Parliamentary seats in the recent elections. These five Ministers may "sit and speak, but not vote, in the Senate or House of Assembly". It is not necessary for them to become MPs in order to retain their Ministerial positions, as would have been the case under the former Constitution.
Ex officio members
President Mugabe
Vice-President Mujuru
Ministerial members appointed to Cabinet by President
Senior Minister of State without Portfolio ……………………. Moyo, Simon Khaya
Ministers [In alphabetical order by name of Ministry]
Agriculture, Mechanisation & Irrigation Development……. Made, Joseph *
Defence…………………..…………………………………………….. Sekeramayi, Sydney
Energy and Power Development……………….………………. Mavhaire, Dzikamai
Environment, Water & Climate…………………..……………… Kasukuwere, Savior
Finance…………………..…………………………………………….. Chinamasa. Patrick
Foreign Affairs ……………………………………………………….. Mumbengegwi, Samuel
Health & Child Care……………………..………………………….. Parirenyatwa, David
Higher & Tertiary Education, Science &
Technology Development……………….…………………….. Muchena, Olivia
Home Affairs…………………..………………………………………. Mohadi, Kembo
Industry & Commerce………………….…………………………… Bimha, Mike
Information & Communication Technology,
Postal & Courier Services………………….………………….. Shamu, Webster
Justice & Legal Affairs…………………..…………………………. Mnangagwa, Emmerson
Lands & Rural Resettlement……………………………………… Mombeshora, Douglas
Local Government, Public Works & National Housing ….. Chombo, Ignatius
Media, Information & Broadcasting Services……………….. Moyo, Jonathan *
Mines & Mining Development……………….…………………… Chidhakwa, Walter
Presidential Affairs ………………………………………………….. Mutasa, Didymus
Primary & Secondary Education………………………………… Dokora, Lazarus *
Public Service, Labour & Social Welfare…………………..… Goche, Nicholas
Small & Medium Enterprises……………….……………………. Nyoni, Sithembiso
Sports, Arts & Culture…………………..………………………….. Langa, Andrew
Tourism & Hospitality Industry………………….……………….. Mzembi, Walter
Transport & Infrastructural Development……………….……. Mpofu, Obert
Women's Affairs, Gender & Community
Development……………….………………………………………. Muchinguri, Oppah
Youth, Indigenisation & Economic Empowerment………… Nhema, Francis
Ministers of State
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs ……………………… Buka, Flora
Minister of State for for Liaising on Psychomotor
Activities in Education and Vocational Training…………. Hungwe, Josiah
Minister of State in Vice-President
Mujuru's office …………………………………………………….. Nguni, Sylvester
Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs
It is as yet unclear what the functions of these ten Ministers of State will be. There is concern they will take the place of the former Provincial Governors/Resident Ministers and thus dilute the decentralised functions of the new Provincial Councils.
Bulawayo Moyo, Eunice
Harare Chikukwa, Mirriam
Manicaland Mushowe, Chris
Mashonaland Central Dinha, Martin *
Mashonaland West Chidarikire, Faber *
Mashonaland East Mudarikwa, Simbaneuta
Masvingo Bhasikiti, Kudakwashe
Matabeleland North Mathema, Cain
Matabeleland South Ncube, Abednico
Midlands Machaya, Jason
[In alphabetical order by name of Ministry]
Agriculture (2):
Cropping, Mechanisation &
Irrigation Development ……………………………………… Murapira, Davis
Livestock ……………………………………………………………. Zhanda, Paddy
Energy & Power Development …………………………………. Musanhu, Munacho
Environment, Water & Climate …………………………………. Musanhu, Simon
Finance ………………………………………………………………… Undenge, Samuel
Foreign Affairs ……………………………………………………….. Mutsvangwa, Christopher
Health & Child Care ………………………………………………… Chimedza, Paul
Technology Development ……………………………………. Gandawa, Godfrey
Home Affairs ………………………………………………………….. Ziyambi, Ziyambi
Industry & Commerce (2) ………………………………………… Chiratidzo, Iris
Postal & Courier Services………………….………………….. Mlambo, Win
Justice, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs ……………………….. Chasi, Fortune
Lands & Rural Resettlement …………………………………….. Savanhu, Tendai
Local Government, Public Works & National Housing ….. Matiza, Biggie
Media, Information & Broadcasting Services……………….. Mandiwanzira, Supa
Mines & Mining Development …………………………………… Moyo, Fred
Primary & Secondary Education ……………………………….. Mavhima, Paul
Public Service, Labour & Social Welfare ……………………. Muzenda, Tongai
Small & Medium Enterprises & Cooperative
Development ………………………………………………………. Mukonora, Noveti
Sports, Arts & Culture ……………………………………………… Malinga, Tabeth
Tourism & Hospitality Industry………………….……………….. Kanhanga, Walter
Transport & Infrastructural Development ……………………. Kagonye, Petronella
Development ………………………………………………………. Damasane, Abigail
Youth, Indigenisation & Economic Empowerment ……….. Tongofa, Mathias
Re-Assignment of Responsibility for Acts of Parliament
Some of the Ministries that were set up under the inclusive government no longer exist, e.g., Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, Regional Integration and International Cooperation and State Enterprises and Parastatals. Some have been split, e.g. Education, Sports, Arts and Culture has become two Ministries: (1) Primary and Secondary Education, (2) Sports, Arts and Culture. Some have been amalgamated under a new name, e.g. Environment, Water and Climate combines two former Ministries. It will therefore be necessary for the President to re-assign Ministerial responsibilities, including responsibility for administration of Acts of Parliament. Until that is done there is a possibility of public confusion about the areas for which Ministers are responsible. Responsibility for administration of Acts is invariably notified by statutory instrument, thereby enabling readers of Acts to make sense of references to "the Minister" in Acts which have been rendered out of date, such as "'Minister' means the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs" and to give effect to references like "or such other Minister to whom the President may from time to time assign the administration of this Act".
Note: Section 104(1) of the Constitution allows the President to "reserve to himself or herself the administration of any Act, Ministry or department".
Headline news 17 September, 2013
Masvingo mayor elected
Gertrude Terera 7 years ago
hallo. I am compiling a list for my niece who is writing grade 7 this year. Who is the Deputy Minister for Defence?
I am assuming that these are the correct and full names of the different ministries. I have seen different names. should I take the list above to be the correct names?


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Montgomery to launch ASX-quoted fund
Montgomery Global Investment Management has announced plans to launch an exchange-quoted global equity fund, with the initial offer opening today.
The Montgomery fund, which will trade under the ASX ticker MOGL, will commence trading on the ASX around 20 December 2017.
The new fund will share the same strategy as the unlisted Montgomery Global Fund, which was launched on 1 July 2015 and holds between 15 and 30 global companies.
The initial offer, which has a minimum application of $10,000, opens today and will close at 4pm on 14 December 2017.
Macquarie Equities will act as market maker for the newly quoted fund.
Montgomery chief investment officer Andrew Macken said, "MOGL should really appeal to people trying to diversify away from the narrow opportunity set in the Australian stock market and gain exposure to some of the world's best businesses in the fastest growing sectors.
"Furthermore, MOGL looks to preserve capital and grow wealth in an uncertain world. To achieve this the fund will own high-quality global businesses, trading at attractive valuations and retain the ability to hold up to 30 per cent in the safety of cash."
Last Updated: 28 November 2017 Published: 29 November 2017
FNZ play to stop SS&C in takeover war tanked
Super industry groups split on APRA recommendations


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The Cahoon Museum of American Art is an art museum located in Cotuit, Massachusetts.  It features fine art, folk art and American art from the 1800s through the present.  Public programs include a series of annual changing exhibitions, tours, artist's talks and workshops, and family activities.

History

The Museum's Historical building was completed between 1775-1782 by Zenas Crocker. Through its years it has been used as a home, a tavern, an art studio/ gallery, and renovated back into home. It is one of six Crocker homes situated off RTE 28 in present day Cotuit, MA.

The museum was founded in 1982 by Cotuit art collector, Rosemary Rapp.

In 1945, artists Ralph Cahoon and Martha A Farham Cahoon bought the house, and used the lower level of their home as their gallery and studio . The couple had one child in 1935 whom they named Franz.

The Cahoons rose in popularity in the 1950s and credited their fame to Joan Whitney Payson, an American heiress, businesswomen, philanthropist, and art collector.

In 1982 Rosemary Rapp bought the property located at 4676 Falmouth Road, Cotuit Ma. In 1986 the Cahoon Museum was opened.

The museum was extensively expanded and renovated in 2014–2015. The Museum reopened in May 2016.

Collection
The museum hosts an array of exhibitions each year including contemporary artists, as well as historical exhibits.

The museum's collection of art continues to grow through donation and purchase. The collection includes work by Cape Cod folk artists Ralph Cahoon and Martha Cahoon, 19th century paintings by Ralph Blakelock, William Bradford, James Buttersworth, John J. Enneking, Alvan Fisher, Levi Wells Prentice and William Matthew Prior, 20th century paintings by Margaret Patterson, Daisy Hughes, Scott Prior and multiple contemporary artists.

References

External links
Cahoon Museum website

Museums of American art
Museums in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Art museums and galleries in Massachusetts
1984 establishments in the United States
Art museums established in 1984

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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William McDonough » News & Events » Architecture + Urban Strategies » William McDonough + Partners-designed Garden Factory™grand opening
William McDonough + Partners-designed Garden Factory™grand opening
October 21, 2014 - Architecture + Urban Strategies
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Internationally acclaimed architecture firm William McDonough + Partners announced today the opening of a global factory and parts facility for Hero MotorCorp. Hero MotoCorp is the world's largest manufacturer of two-wheeled automotives, and has officially opened the site for production in Rajasthan, India. Dubbed a "Garden Factory" by architect, author, and globally recognized thought leader William McDonough, the project showcases the company's commitment to sustainability and the health and happiness of its workers. Drawing from the philosophy that a modern factory is capable of producing much more than just goods, the Hero plant has been built with various sustainable design features in mind, including the building's generation of electricity from solar PV panels, clean filtered indoor air, irrigated water for local vegetation, cool ambient temperatures, carbon dioxide for feeding vegetation, locally-produced food, and the creation of jobs for the surrounding community.
Hero's facility demonstrates the possibilities in the future of manufacturing by blending state-of-the-art design that not only facilitates supply chain processes but also provides a pleasant, healthy, and beautiful work environment. Hero selected William McDonough + Partners to design this facility in order to help realize its mission of becoming "India's greenest company."
Architect and sustainability leader William McDonough offered the following comment for the building's inauguration:
One of the core innovative features in the plant's design is the exoskeleton – a support structure located above the roof that frees up interior space to accommodate the manufacturing process while providing flexibility for future equipment changes. The support increases energy efficiency by reducing interior volume, allowing ambient temperatures to be more easily controlled. Large areas of the roof will be vegetated with native, drought-tolerant plants that will assist in capturing rainwater and shading the roof from the sun, resulting in a 20% reduction in air conditioning requirements. The diagonal steel bracing also supports a rooftop solar array without the need for additional structure. The south-facing solar photovoltaic panels will provide approximately 1.5 Megawatts of electricity to the building.
The building is designed to provide ample opportunity for observing the rhythms of the sun and weather via skylights and eye-level windows, which also decrease electricity costs by providing natural sunlight during work hours. These design choices were carefully implemented following studies that have shown that increased productivity is positively correlated with exposure to natural lighting and views of the outdoors.
The factory also makes use of a 'bio-wall,' an interior wall of vegetation that filters out contaminants. In tandem with the ductless, positively pressurized air handler in the facility, these purification measures will ensure that employees breathe in clean air throughout the workday.
An additional sustainability feature is the building's rooftop greenhouses, which will serve for a variety of food production experiments (including hydroponics), with the end goal of delivering food to the facility's canteen and the local community.
William McDonough + Partners collaborated with Hero MotoCorp to ensure the building communicates the company's mission positively to the surrounding community, and has implemented public amenities such as a visitor center, viewing mezzanine, and tower that will help share the manufacturing experience and the history of the company with the public. In this way, the facility aims to share its sustainability mission and to serve as a modern example of clean industrial production.
William McDonough + Partners is well known for its pioneering work involving the integration of more sustainable features into modern industrial facilities. In early 2014, the firm released its designs for a new production facility for environmentally-conscious cleaning products manufacturer Method, which utilizes similar design approaches. William McDonough + Partners is also widely regarded for designing the living roof on Ford's River Rouge facility, which at the time of completion in 2003 was the world's largest green roof, and now serves as a dynamic ecosystem for over 35 local plant, insect and bird species.
For additional information and images, please visit William McDonough + Partners website.
About William McDonough
William McDonough is a globally recognized leader in sustainable development. Trained as an architect, McDonough's interests and influence range widely, and he works at scales from the global to the molecular. Time magazine recognized him in 1999 as "Hero for the Planet," stating that "his utopianism is grounded in a unified philosophy that—in demonstrable and practical ways—is changing the design of the world." McDonough is the founder of William McDonough + Partners, and co-founder of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. McDonough co-authored Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things in 2002 with German chemist Dr. Michael Braungart; the book is widely acknowledged as a seminal text in the sustainable design movement. The Cradle to Cradle methodology for safe, healthy building products has been incorporated into LEED v4, the latest version of the US Green Building Council's rating system.


This exceptional home at 688 Randall Roberts Rd., Fort Walton Beach, Florida just sold! The Emerald Village house was built in 2000 and totally remodeled in 2018. Some of the highlights of 688 Randall Roberts Rd. were the floorplan – huge open spaces from the kitchen, eat-in area, living room and to the Florida room, as you can see in the above photo. Tucked around the corner were two bedrooms and bathroom. At the front of the home there was an office with vaulted ceiling and formal dining room. The master bedroom had a walk-in closet. As for the remodeling, all details including new door hardware, faucets, lights, granite counters in the kitchen and bathrooms were added. Everything was painted in soothing colors. The carpets were brand new. At 2120 square feet not including the sunroom, the Randall Roberts home offered spaces for families or couples looking for flexible room setups. One of the benefits of this side of the street was the wooded area behind the property. Many of the houses in Emerald Village back right up to other houses, but this home had more privacy because there was no house behind it. Emerald Village subdivision is very popular because it's located across from one of the main entrances to Hurlburt Field, a large Air Force base.
688 Randall Roberts Rd. sold in just 39 days to a VA buyer with some credit back from the seller to help with closing costs! The VA appraisal noted no repairs necessary.
688 Randall Roberts Road, Fort Walton Beach, Florida sold for $278,000. This is one of the highest sales prices in the neighborhood.
It was a hectic year for short sales, but there was some good news, big and little, that brings hope for 2010. Here are my top short sale stories for the past twelve months, some personal, some national.
1. The first story is a Happy Short Sale Saga. One of my Destin Florida sellers regained employment, so did not have to sell the home he and his family desperately loved! I gladly withdrew the property from the market. Specializing in short sales is often more than closing the sale.
2. HAP – The Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) is a government program expanded to help our military members who have orders to relocate from bases such as Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field. Many of these servicemen are upside-down in their mortgages, and HAP is supposed to cover 90% of their loss so they can avoid foreclosure. HAP has not helped many yet and is flooded with applications. The good news is that they are improving their information and refining their system, so hopefully more of our military will be helped in 2010.
3. HAFA – The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative Program is supposed to get short sale lenders/servicers on board to speed up approvals for homeowners of primary residences. It offers guidelines and incentives to pre-approve short sales and forgive deficiencies. We'll watch carefully in the spring to report on HAFA progress- or not.
4. Short Sale Training – My first short sale webinar marked the beginning of my business partnership with Bryant Tutas. I prepared for the webinar with nervous trepidation, but ended up loving doing these classes! Simply put, it was a blast! Not only did Bryant and I educate others, it helped me grow personally. We have since incorporated as REGrow, LLC. Expect more good things in 2010.
5. www.ShortSaleSuperstars.com is the community Bryant Tutas and I founded to help short sale agents across the country "Learn, Know and Grow". In little over five months, our group is now almost 750 members strong. Here, short sale professionals jump in to share secrets and information about every and any lender or short sale situation you can imagine. Here, they are unlocking the knowledge to save more homeowners from foreclosure and do it at the highest levels. This is a tight community of giving short sale leaders that is open for membership. If you have not yet joined – we welcome you to come with us on this exciting adventure.
As a final note, for 2010, I hope we all find greater solutions to the foreclosure and home ownership crisis that is touching the lives of every one of us.
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
Since writing Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field: Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) for Short Sales, more information has come to light. Or lack of thereof! I have received numerous calls and emails looking for clarification on how the program will be implemented, and how it will affect sellers (military relocation term meaning "permanent change of station"). Currently, the issue is there is no directive from the Department of Defense as to how to process HAP applications, nor many program specifics. My area, from Navarre to Destin, Florida and up through Niceville and Crestview has approximately 3000 airmen relocating to other bases around the country and the world. Many of those airmen purchased homes during 2004-2006, and do not have enough equity to sell their houses when they must relocate and pay off their mortgage balance. HAP is supposed to help, but as of yet, there is no help.
There is no true timeframe by which the DOD directive with program details will be published.
Rumor is at the end of May, but it is far from confirmed.
Applications can not be "processed" at this time, but you can mail one in.
HAP will not buy homes.
Qualified military members may sell their homes at market value or 90% thereof.
At time of contract, use a 90 day closing date, HAP will try for sooner.
Make the offer contingent on HAP approval.
When a contract is entered into, call your HAP district for instructions.
Unfortunately, without the referenced implementation guidance any attempt to provide detailed information on the Stimulus Bill HAP eligibility, disqualifications, benefits, or how benefits will be calculated would be merely speculation.
Under this program the Government might be able to reimburse applicants part of the loss from selling their home (private sale benefits) or assist applicants if they do not have enough proceeds from the sale of the home to pay off the mortgage at Closing (private sale augmentation). Benefits may be based on the difference between the prior fair market value (PFMV) of the property and the current fair market value (CFMV). The PFMV may be determined by an appraisal effective 1 July 2006, or possibly the purchase price of the property might be used; the CFMV may be determined by the appraised value at the time of sale or possibly the selling price itself. The Government could pay an amount up to a stipulated percentage of the difference between the two figures used for the computation. Again, guidance has not yet been published so a completely different scenario might be used to compute benefits.
The term 'private sale augmentation' merely means when an applicant's benefit payment is brought by the Government to a Closing in order to assist the applicant with the payoff of a mortgage and typical seller closing costs so that the sale can be finalized. In order to be eligible for a private sale augmentation, an applicant must maintain current payment status on his/her mortgage from the time an application is submitted through Closing.
What a predicament for relocating servicemen. How can you put a home on the market contingent on HAP approval, unless you get a buyer willing to wait with no closing date? What if you have already changed bases and cannot continue to make mortgage and/or rent payments in both locations? According to HAP, you must stay current on your mortgage payments to qualify for the program.
I encourage servicemen to contact their state and federal representatives to hasten a resolution of the HAP quandary. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the latest updates.
The Emerald Coast of Florida has a high military population with both active duty and retired air force personnel. Eglin Air Force Base is located in Fort Walton Beach, and Hurlburt Field is in Navarre, Florida. Duke Field and NAS Whiting Field are nearby. We will be seeing an increase in short sales for GI borrowers when they must relocate during their PCS moves (permanent change of station). VA Short Sales are called "Offers in Compromise", "Compromise Claims" or "Compromise Sales". The VA may accept a Compromise Sale if the cost to the VA is determined to be less than that of foreclosure.
1. You may only sell the home for fair market value.
2. The closing costs must be "reasonable and customary".
3. You must have a valid financial hardship such as loss of income, relocation, death of breadwinner, etc.
4. There should not be a second mortgage on your property, unless it is "insignificant". If so, you might ask the junior lienholder to release the lien and convert it to a personal note.
1. Contact you lender to see if they are an approved VA Servicer Loss Mitigation lender and/or contact the VA regional office servicing your loan directly.
2. Fill out a financial status report form provided by your lender or the VA.
3. Complete a letter of request.
4. Complete a Compromise Agreement Sale Application. You can get this form from the VA or the approved lender.
1. Your lender does not have to agree to a Compromise Sale.
2. For VA loans originated on or before December 31, 1989, you might have to sign a promissory note at closing agreeing to repay VA for the deficiency remaining after the property is sold.
3. An experienced Short Sale Realtor should guide you through the sales process, help you determine fair market value and prepare your package for submission to your lender or the VA.
For more information, contact your VA Regional Loan Center.