The ending scene in Beethoven's Fidelio. Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.
On Thursday night, the Met opened its season's production of Beethoven's Fidelio.
The protagonist, Leonore, is the most positively impactful woman in all of opera. Disguised as a man named Fidelio, she earns the trust of Rocco, the prison warden. He brings her to her husband Florestan, a prisoner locked in a cellar cell. Once there, Leonore defends Florestan from Don Pizarro, the governor of the prison, by threatening him with her gun. Because of her actions, Leonore is hailed as a heroine of "noble courage." Joy reigns as the couple is safely restored when Don Fernando, the minister, arrives.
Representations of constructively influential women in opera are rare. Most are throwing themselves off of castle parapets (Tosca), displaying a deranged, febrile madness (Lucia di Lammermoor), or even stripping for kings (Salome). The Met picked an important moment to portray an antithetical example. Adrianne Pieczonka, a Canadian soprano playing Leonore, said, "And with what's going on in the world, I think it's great to have a strong woman—a brave, courageous woman on a mission." The only thing missing is a direct reference to Trump.
Given its backdrop, how was this politically charged opera vitalized? Marzelline, Rocco's daughter—performed by Hanna-Elisabeth Müller in her Met Opera debut—sang wonderfully. Her voice had a sweetness that was maintained throughout her range. Jaquino, Rocco's helper—played by David Portillo—sang with appropriate anguish over Marzelline's spurning of his love.
In the subsequent ensemble number, Rocco and Leonore (Fidelio to these folks) joined Marzelline and Jaquino. Rocco—sung by the role-switching Falk Struckmann (formerly Don Pizarro in the Met's 2000 production)—rang richly in his low register, but thinned out up high. As the night went on, however, his upper tones took on a rounder, fuller shape. Rocco's employer, Don Pizarro—invigorated by Greer Grimsley—sounded diabolical in his "Ha! Welch' ein Augenblick!" aria. Grimsley's repeated "Ha's!" menaced his adversaries (and the audience!).
After Pizarro's aria, Pieczonka presented her "Abscheulicher!" solo. Here and elsewhere, I observed her physically reaching upward for climatically high pitches. Her action affected her sound quality: her high register was quavering, forced, and over-vibratoed. In contrast, Müller visibly sunk down into her upper range. As a result, her highs maintained depth and quality. A casting switch between these two sopranos would be beneficial—but admittedly impossible—for this production.
Act 2 starts with a jolt: Florestan calls out "Gott!", a desperate heavenly plea. Florestan—enlivened by Klaus Florian Vogt—has a many-colored voice: his timbre sounds like the mixing palette of a master painter. His unique hues transmitted the hopeful content of his singing.
Klaus Florian Vogt as Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio. Photo by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera.
Some of Sebastian Weigle's tempo choices detrimentally affected tonight's performance. In "Gut Söhnchen, gut, hab immer Mut" the tempo was inappropriately slow. I have courage—"Ich habe Mut!"—but apparently not enough to show any vigor. And, in Pieczonka's "Abscheulicher!" aria, the orchestra sounded safe, even calculated, during accelerandos. The correct energy can be achieved in upcoming performances by a reconsideration of phrasing and articulation.
The horns, however, turned in an excellent performance in the "Abscheulicher!" obbligato. Their tone was pure and their phrasing smooth and effortless.
The singer's performances were framed by Jürgen Flimm's production. Flimm's work, staged for the fourth time at the Met, effectively recontextualizes Fidelio in the mid-20th century. In the first act, the principal themes of hope and freedom are juxtaposed against a starkly bare prison. For the final scene, Robert Israel, the set designer, depicts triumph with a backdrop of wispy clouds strewn across a light blue sky: it is little wonder that the words for heaven and sky are the same in German.
At this euphoric ending, Don Fernando has arrived, ousting Don Pizarro from the stage. The role was performed by Günther Groissböck with an imperial, declarative style, suiting the character well.
After, the chorus, winds, and low strings exclaim joyfully. Freude und Freiheit—Joy and Freedom: Beethoven affirms cherished values with his distinct emotional directness.
During the curtain call, I saw that the bronze heroic figure—which looms in the background of the ultimate scene—was taken off of his horse, placed dejectedly on the ground. To complete the coup, I think, appropriately, Leonore should be put in his former position—a nobly "nasty woman" who deserves her high praise and honors.


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Syracuse High Schoolers Capture Gold Medal at GENIUS Olympiad Robotics Competition
It's the gold medal for three students from the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School at the GENIUS Olympiad hosted by SUNY Oswego. Read More…
A new Tunisian in New York
تمكّن المنتخب التونسي للعلوم والتكنولوجيا من الحصول على ميداليتين خلال للاولمبياد العالمية للهندسة البيئية بالولايات المتحدة الامريكية. Read more…
Tuxpeña Reciebe Reconocimiento por Competencia de Robótica en Nueva York
La alumna Samantha Lizeth Pulido Sosa de la escuela de robótica de Tuxpan "Robotics School", obtuvo mención honorifica en el International High School Project Competition Genius Olympiad 2019, celebrado en la Universidad Estatal de SUNY Oswego, Nueva York, del 17 al 21 de junio. Read more…
Chengelo Students Win Awards at 2019 Genius Olympiad Competition
Five students from Chengelo School participated in the 2019 Genius Olympiad which was hosted by the State University of New York at Oswego in the United States of America. These included Tokoza Thawethe and Nkosikazi in the Music Category and Mubanga Mutimushi, Sibeso Mapani and Natalie Ngosa in the Business Category. The Genius Olympiad is an International high school project competition about environmental issues and this year it hosted over 1500 finalists from around the world.
Young Ukrainians Perform Well at America's GENIUS Olympiad
A team of young Ukrainian scientists took prizes during this year's Genius Olympiad held by the State University of New York. The five Ukrainians were among 1,450 entrants from 70 countries who took part in the competition between June 17-22 at the university's Oswego College in the northern part of New York state. Read more…
Oxford Student Wins Silver at GENIUS Olympiad
Keerthin Karthikeyan, a rising freshman at Oxford High School, won a Silver Medal at the Genius Olympiad International Project Competition at SUNY Oswego in New York City, with his project "Styro-Carbon: An Effective Approach to Recycle Styrofoam." Read more…
SUNY Oswego Hosts High Schoolers from Around the Globe for GENIUS Olympiad
High schoolers from all over the world are in town for the 9th GENIUS Olympiad hosted by SUNY Oswego. The international competition about environmental issues has grown from 200 students in year one to about 1,500 this year. Read more…
SUNY Oswego Awards GENIUS Students
National and international students who submitted environmental consciousness projects to the ninth annual GENIUS Olympiad were awarded Friday at the Marano Campus Center. Read more…
High-School Students from BiH won Four Medals at GENIUS Olympiad in the USA
Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH's) high school students have won four medals at the Genius Olympiad which took place in the United States of America (USA), Genius Olympiad stated on its website on Saturday. Read more…
Romanian Students Win Gold at the GENIUS Olympiad with their Robot Firefighter
Three Romanian students from the Octavian Goga National College in Sibiu won the gold medal at the Genius Olympiad in the U.S., with a robot firefighter they created. However, that's not all, as another project also brought them a silver medal. Read more…
New Rochelle Science Students Win Big at GENIUS Olympiad
The program's advisor said New Rochelle High School Science Research is competitive at an international level. Read more…
Ossining HS Wins Most Successful School Award at GENIUS Olympiad
Ossining High School was recognized as the "Most Successful School" award recipient at the ninth annual GENIUS Olympiad, which took place between Monday, June 17 and Saturday, June 22 at SUNY Oswego. Read more…
Austin Bagby Excels at GENIUS Olympics
Today, we have youth who are passionate about making improvements in our agricultural practices and production challenges. One such youth is Austin Bagby, a Sr. graduate from Bell High School and member of Bell FFA. Read more…
Alva's Student Wins Silver at Science Fair
Amogh Narayana, a class 10 student from Alva's English High School, Moodbidri, has won silver medal at the Genius Olympiad International Science Fair held in the U.S. Read more…
Stateless Student Wins Consolation Prize from US's GENIUS Olympiad Program
A stateless high-school girl, from Thailand's southern province of Ranong, has won a consolation award from the Genius Olympiad program held recently in the United States. Read more…
Indonesian Students Strike Gold at International Olympiad
Indonesian senior high school students took home two golds, two silvers and one bronze medal from the Genius Olympiad held in Oswego, the United States, from June 17 to 22, 2019. Reyna Kamila Arifin and Siti Halimah Indrani Anwar from senior high school SMA Kharisma Bangsa bagged a gold medal each in the creative writing contest. They composed poems on the environment. Read more…
PMHS Science Symposium Highlights Student Research
The Pelham Science Research program, led by teachers Steven Beltecas and Joe DiBello, is one of the most successful in the region. Students work alongside mentors in a variety of professional fields and have routinely taken home impressive awards, such as a "Best in Fair" award at the New York State Science and Engineering Fair, a semifinalist award at the Regeneron Science Talent Search and several honors at the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair, Genius Olympiad International Fair and NYS Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Read more…
GENIUS Olympiad Again Anticipates Record Participation June 17 to 22
Heading into its ninth finals competition in June on the campus of SUNY Oswego, GENIUS Olympiad again looks forward to increasing attendance from nations around the world and new features. A potential 1,450 finalists and their mentors from up to 78 countries and 43 states are expected for the June 17 to 22 global high school environmental fair. Read more…
Massena surgeon keynotes Terra Science and Education Fair
Dalkeith Facey, DO, general surgeon, from Massena Memorial Hospital was the recent keynote speaker at the Terra Science and Education Fair at SUNY Potsdam. Facey shared his journey to where he is today with the middle and high school students from the surrounding areas who were demonstrating at the fair, said a press release from the hospital. Read more…
Chancellor's Award Honors Fehmi Damkaci For GENIUS, Many Other Service Contributions
Fehmi Damkaci, professor and chair of SUNY Oswego's chemistry department and founder and director of the GENIUS Olympiad environmental competition in Oswego for high school students from scores of countries around the world for nearly nine years, has earned the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Read more…
The Battle Over the 'A': STEM v STEAM
Usually everyone wants an 'A,' but when it comes to educational initiatives, it's divided. You have STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Then there's STEAM, with the 'A' standing for arts. "We need to bring the arts into the STEAM because that's what's giving the creativity to be creative and to incorporate that into the STEM process," said Jaime Alicea, Syracuse City School District Superintendent. But, that's not the feeling across the board. Read more…
Ozark Science Fair Winners
The Ozarks Science & Engineering Fair was held March 26 at Missouri State University. Over 250 students participated from schools across southwest Missouri. Winners from Marshfield include the following: read more…
Student Wins Numerous Awards for Work with Styrofoam
Karthikeyan, an eighth-grader at Oxford Middle School, is making an impact on the environment with his work on recycling Styrofoam. At the State Science fair on Friday, April 5th, with his project titled, "Styro-carbon: An effective approach to recycle Styrofoam" Karthikeyan won several awards. read more…
SH High Science Research Students Win Awards At WESEF
Congratulations to the 14 Sleepy Hollow High School students who competed in the Regeneron Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF) on March 16 at Sleepy Hollow High School (SHHS). Approximately 600 students from Westchester and Putnam counties competed in the event where they presented their science research projects. read more…
Winners of the 2019 Central NY Science & Engineering Fair
The 40th annual Central New York Science & Engineering Fair (CNYSEF) took place on Sunday at the SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga Community College. Three of the top senior-level winners – as selected by the judges – earned all-expense-paid trips to the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair to be held May 12 to 17 in Phoenix, Arizona. read more…
Medina Student Named WNY Regional Science & Engineering Fair Champion
This past Saturday March 23, at the 77th annual Western New York Regional Science and Engineering Fair at D'Youville College, Medina Clifford Wise Intermediate School sixth grader Ryder Jones was named the Orleans County Science Champion, and he was awarded a certificate and one hundred dollars. read more…
Kamiah High School Projects Earn Top Honors at North Idaho Science Fair
Judges at the Northern Idaho Science and Engineering Fair declared projects from Grangeville and Kamiah high schools the Best of Fair award winners and one from Moscow High School as the Fair runner-up. They were among 76 projects presented by 119 students from 12 North Idaho schools at the third annual event, which the Idaho STEM Action Center staged March 2 at the Coeur d'Alene Resort. read more…
South O'Brien Freshman Does Well At Western Iowa Science and Engineering Fair
South O'Brien Freshmen placing at the South O'Brien Science Fair held at Paullina on February 25 had at the opportunity to improve their project for a bigger and tougher competition. That Science Fair, Western Iowa Science and Engineering Fair, was held at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge on Saturday March 14, 2019. read more…
Remarkable achievement from GENIUS Olympiad 2018
Horizon International Bilingual School has successfully participated in Genius Olympiad in Oswego, New York. Horizon International Bilingual students competed in different categories such as Robotics, science, short movie and VPA (art and music). Students had an amazing two day trip in Washington D.C and then New York for another two days. read more…
Rector Volodymyr met with GENIUS Olympiad winner Valentyn Frechka
On Tuesday, June 26, Professor Volodymyr Smolanka, the Rector of UzhNU, met with a pupil of the Minor Academy of Sciences, a graduate of Sokyrnytska Secondary Comprehensive School Valentyn Frechka, who recently became the winner of the GENIUS Olympiad in the USA. read more…
Yekaterina Malkina is a winner of Genius Olympiad
Over 1,300 schoolchildren from all over the world came to compete for the victory in the United States. Ukraine was represented by eight people, there was our Mariupol pupil. Ukrainians brought two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. read more…
Valentyn Frecka won a gold medal at the Genius Olympiad
This year, over 1,300 young geniuses took part in the contest, the Voice of America reports. Frechka won the award for his invention of obtaining paper from fallen leaves. read more…
'GENIUS Olympiad' at SUNY Oswego needs your help to pick winners
High school students from across the world are meeting at SUNY Oswego Tuesday to compete in a robotics competition – and they need you. Students from 70 countries and 34 states are putting their engineering and programming skills to the test for the "Genius Olympiad." The opening ceremony is Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Marano Campus Center Arena and it's open to the public. The competition runs through Saturday. read more…
Founder of the GENIUS Olympiad selected for SUNY Chancellor Award
Known internationally as the founder and director of the GENIUS Olympiad high school environmental competition, hosted for all eight years by SUNY Oswego, Damkaci has had many students — several now pursuing doctorates in chemistry — who credit him as an exceptional teacher, mentor and role model. read more…
Girls World Expo
Girls World Expo is a day-long event created by local teen girls for local teen girls – our local Girls Advisory Board is made up of teens from Syracuse who have created a unique show just for you! We have also worked closely with our local media partner, The Post-Standard, to fill the day with seminars, performances, demonstrations and vendors that serve your needs in the Syracuse area! read more…
3 Utica schools receive grants for projects
Programs at three Utica schools have been awarded Capacity Building Grants from Terra Science and Education Inc. in Syracuse. Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded $3,266 to expand its STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) program. read more…
$5,368.06 In Grant Funding Awarded To 2 County Schools
OSWEGO – Frederick Leighton Elementary and Paul V. Moore High School have been named recipients of Capacity Building Grants from Terra Science and Education, Inc. for a total of $5,368.06 in grant funding going into Oswego County Schools. read more…
Brothers claim a gold medal at GENIUS Olympiad
Alex and Andi Spiride win gold for their project, "Noninvasive Wireless Energy Transfer for Implantable Medical Devices." The brothers competing in the 2017 Genius Olympiad were judged on criteria such as poster organization and content, skills and data management, and oral presentation among others. read more…
Sunnyside scientist collects international honors
OSWEGO, N.Y. — A Sunnyside science fair standout has make her mark on the international field after taking second place in the Genius Olympiad this past week. "I was excited and surprised," Sunnyside High School student Karen Villanueva said of her finish. read more…
Education Matter: LR Teen Wins Gold at GENIUS Olympiad
A local high school student is celebrating a big finish in an international competition. Central High School Junior Meghana Bollimpalli has won the gold for placing first in the world environmental competition "GENIUS Olympiad." Just last year, the 16-year-old won the silver at the same event. read more…
Potsdam middle school students win honors at regional science fair
Kingston Middle School sent 32 seventh graders to the TERRA Regional Science Fair at SUNY Potsdam recently. Students won multiple awards including Honors (11 awards), Crossing Over Recognition for advancement to the senior division next year (11 awards), High Honors (4 awards), and Highest Honors (11 awards). read more…
10th Annual Wood Buffalo Regional Science Fair
The science fairs provide youth with an outlet which nurtures their creativity and curiosity by designing projects and experiments of their own choosing. read more…
More than 100 students compete in WNY science fair
More than 100 students in grades 5 through 12 from five counties competed Saturday in the WNY Regional Science & Engineering Fair at Cheektowaga Central High School. Prizes were to be awarded to the top three exhibitors in three age groups: grades 9 through 12; grades 7 and 8; and grades 5 and 6. read more…
Salmon River Middle School Students Attend Science Fair at SUNY Potsdam
On March 1st, Salmon River Middle School held their annual science fair. Out of all of the projects, a select few were chosen to move on to the Terra Northeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair hosted at SUNY Potsdam. Salmon River Middle School was the recipient of a Science grant of two thousand dollars for bringing the largest amount of students to this event from a single school district. read more…
Brushton-Moria student recieves highest honors at regional science fair
Monique Faubert, a sixth-grade student at Brushton-Moira Central School, recently participated in the Terra Northeast Regional Science Fair. She tested several brands of yogurt to determine if they did indeed contain beneficial bacteria. Monique received the top award, 'Highest Honors,' at the fair. read more…
Forty Years of Science Congress
On Sunday, March 19, 2017, the Central Western Section of the Science Teachers Association of NYS will sponsor the annual Science Congress at St. John Fisher College. Students (grades 6-12) from the counties represented by Central Western Section, Monroe, Wayne, Livingston, Yates, Ontario, Seneca, plus Chemung, Steuben, and Schuyler, present their research projects to scientists and educators who judge their understanding, research methods, and ability to communicate. Student work is recognized with cash prizes, scholarships, and opportunities to advance to other competitions (list of prizes to be posted online soon). read more…
SUNY Potsdam to Host Internationally-Affiliated Science Fair
SUNY Potsdam is proud to host the inaugural Terra Northeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair (TNRSEF) on March 11 for students in grades 6-12. Students from Clinton, Essex, Franklin and St. Lawrence counties will compete, earn scholarships and win awards at the College's Barrington Student Union from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. read more…
St. Bonaventure to host Twin Tiers Regional Science Fair
St. Bonaventure University will host the Twin Tiers Regional Science Fair for the third year in a row, welcoming entries from eighth- through 12th graders. read more…
#Bonas to host Twin Tiers Regional Science Fair
St. Bonaventure University will host the Twin Tiers Regional Science Fair for the third year in a row, welcoming entries from eighth- through 12-graders. read more…
Willow International School participated in Genius Olympiad
8 Students from Willow International School participated in Genius Olympiads which was organized in the USA. Participants had succeeded to get 1 silver medal,2 bronze medals and 2 mention medals. read more…
Students participated in Genius Olympiad
Minister of Science and Technology Excellency Jorge Penicela Nhambiu received our students who participated in Genius Olympiads which was organized in the USA. Participants had succeeded to get 1 silver medal,2 bronze medals and 2 mention medals. read more…
Look what was happening at Girls World Expo in Syracuse
Check out the photos from Syracuse's Girl world Expo that took place in the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fairgrounds. Girls World Expo is a national movement of one-day events for teenage girls. The organization says, "Each Expo is diversely designed to connect girls with their community, empowering them to discover their potential, find their best path to personal and professional success, meet new people, try new things and have fun!" read more…
A closer look at CNY's Duck Race to End Racism
NewsChannel 9's Beth Cefalu talks to Beth Broadway of Interfaith Works with a preview of the annual Duck Race. These ducks aren't just for racing; they're a symbol of diversity. read more…
PCS students succeed at science fairs
Portville Central School science teacher Bob Stives is delighted with student competitors this year who applied themselves to exhibit projects at area and regional science fairs. Two achievers especially stand out. Senior Jayce Freeborn was named a Ying Scholar at the Tri Region Science and Engineering Fair at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse. Mariah Bloise, also a senior, recently attended the 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Ariz. read more…
Bonas to Host Twin Tiers Regional Science Fair
St. Bonaventure University will host the Twin Tiers Regional Science Fair for the third year in a row, welcoming entries from students in grades 8 through 12. read more…
Rochester Regional Science Fair
More than 300 local students participated in Rochester's Regional Science Fair on Friday. Ishaan Govindarajan is an eighth grader from Friedell Middle School and spent months preparing for the fair. read more…
Terra Summer Internship Program Develops Student Leadership Skills
The Terra Science and Education Program offered 18 SCSD high school students from all five district high schools the opportunity to participate in a summer internship and leadership program, all rolled into one! Each weekday morning, students participate in an internship with a local organization, funded through CNY Works. They return to the Syracuse Academy of Science, where Terra is based, for lunch, and then they spend the afternoon hours in a discussion-based class. The focus? "We want to talk about things that get overlooked in academic curriculum," Program Director Josh Turnquest explained, noting that students discuss things like population and race through the lens of environment, homelessness and hunger, and immigration. read more…
About two dozen high schoolers are getting an early start to potential career paths thanks to a Syracuse kick-start program.They will spend the next few weeks helping out various non-profits in the community through the Terra Summer Internship Program.The Food Bank of Central New York is just one of the sites students will be lending a helping hand, sorting food and planning fundraising events. Organizers say the program is a great opportunity to get some real-world experience, while also giving back to the community. read more…
The Post-Standard on July 16, 2015 at 10:39 AM, updated July 16, 2015 at 10:41 AM" Company news: SCSD Educational Foundation elects new board members
The Syracuse City School District (SCSD) Educational Foundation announces the following individuals have been elected to the foundation's board of directors. read more…
Northern ESL PLC
Announcement of the 2015 Urban Education Conference read more…
High School Age Researchers Gather at GENIUS Olympiad
Albanian high school student Kejsi Bakiu, center, explains her and colleague Eriona Bytyci's research project, "Biochemical Effect of Caffeine in Plant Growth," to GENIUS Olympiad judge Ginny Stamm, a former adjunct instructor of genetics. read more…
GENIUS Olympiad Boosts Entries, Adds Business Section
GENIUS Olympiad, SUNY Oswego's global high school competition for environmental innovation and advocacy, has drawn 39 percent more entries than last year, and for the first time has invited projects in entrepreneurship and business social responsibility for the June 15-19 event. Judges chose as finalists 401 of the 1,171 project entries in science, art, creative writing, music, design and business submitted by students from 69 countries and 34 states, according to the competition's director and founder, Fehmi Damkaci of the SUNY Oswego chemistry faculty. read more…
World Comes to Oswego June 15 for GENIUS Olympiad
The fourth annual SUNY Oswego Olympiad high school environmental competition will welcome a record turnout of about 600 students, supervisors and guests from around the world June 15 to 20 to the shores of Lake Ontario. The Finalists visiting Oswego hail from near–high schools in Oswego and Onondaga counties and 29 states in all–and far–Albania and Azerbaijan, Turkey and Tanzania, and 46 other countries. Judges advanced a most-ever 328 projects for the finals each submitted by up to two students among a record-shattering 842 entries. read more…
Astronaut Dr. James A. Pawelczyk to address students
Connecticut Students Earn Recognition at International Science Competition
SYRACUSE STUDENTS LEND HELPING HAND TO LOCAL NONPROFITS
FRANK FOWLER TO SPEAK TO SUMMER LEADERS
URBAN EDUCATION CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT SHERATON

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Assessor works on behalf of Plainsboro Township under the direction of the New Jersey Division of Taxation and the Middlesex County Board of Taxation. The Assessor is charged annually with placing an assessed value on each property in Plainsboro. The assessment should reflect the properties full fair market value as of October 1st of the previous tax year, which is known as the valuation (or assessing) date. The values are determined after a careful analysis of property sales, cost data and income data.
The total value of all properties within the Township are then submitted to the Middlesex County Board of Taxation and are used to calculate a tax rate for each municipality within the County.
On or before February 1st of each tax year the Assessor mails to every property owner a card containing their assessment for the current tax year. If a property owner believes the value is incorrect they can request an appointment to review their assessment with the Assessor. If after the review, the property owner still feels the assessment is out of line with the true value of their property they may file an appeal by April 1 (PDF), with the Middlesex County Board of Taxation or if the property is assessed at or above $1,000,000 they may file the appeal directly with the Tax Court of New Jersey.
The Assessor's Office also processes Senior Citizen Deductions for low income seniors, Veteran Deductions (PDF), Widow of a Veteran Deductions (PDF), and Exemptions for Permanently and Totally Disabled War Veterans (PDF). Applications can be obtained by clicking on the highlighted deduction, or by phone, by mail or in person at the Assessing or Collection office.
The Assessor's Office also maintains sales lists delineating all properties sold within the municipality by development and model. Tax maps are also available on our township maps page or by contacting the assessing office.


text:
Daniel Liam Parsons, né le  à Thunder Bay (Canada), est un rameur canadien.

Il obtient la médaille de bronze olympique en 2008 à Pékin en quatre sans barreur poids léger.

Liens externes
  Profil sur le site du Comité olympique canadien

Rameur canadien (aviron)
Naissance en juin 1977
Naissance à Thunder Bay (Ontario)
Rameur (aviron) aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2008
Rameur (aviron) aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2000
Rameur (aviron) aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2004
Médaillé de bronze olympique canadien
Étudiant de l'Université de Western Ontario

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
A Crossed Out amerikai powerviolence együttes volt a kaliforniai Encinitas-ból. 1990-ben alakultak és 1993-ban oszlottak fel.

Tagok

Tad Miller - dob (1990-1993)
Scott Golia - gitár (1990-1993)
Rich Hart - basszusgitár (1990-1993)
Eric Wood - basszusgitár (1993)
Dallas van Kempen - ének (1990-1993)

Diszkográfia

1990-1993 (válogatáslemez, 1999)

Egyéb kiadványok

EP-k

Demo '91
Crossed Out 7" (1992)
Crossed Out / Dropdead (split lemez, 1992)
Crossed Out / Man Is the Bastard (split lemez, 1993)

Nem hivatalos kiadványok

Live (EP, 1996)
Fuck Grindcore (1998)

Források

Album Review - In Music We Trust
Ink19.com Review
NTS Live
Musicbrainz
Sputnik Music

1990-ben alakult együttesek
1993-ban feloszlott együttesek
Amerikai punkegyüttesek
Kaliforniai könnyűzenei együttesek


text:
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Episode Four, Choosing an Agency Podcast
Published on July 13, 2021 by Climbing Trees
Climbing Trees News Podcasts
Listen to the fourth instalment of the Choosing an Agency podcast.
Kelly, CEO of Rubbercheese who design and build websites for tourist attractions reveals the best brief she's ever responded to and why it got the whole team excited. Discover why she'd like a dinner party with Walt Disney and Ricky Gervais, as well as why building rapport and having a transparent budget are critical when selecting and agency in episode four of Choosing An Agency.
Episode four transcript
Alex: Hello, and welcome to choosing an agency. My name's Alex and I'm here to talk about how to select the right agency to grow your business, giving you the inside line on things to look out for the next time you need external support. I'll be interviewing industry figures from all manner of backgrounds to get hints and tips on the things to consider when choosing an agency. Today, I'm joined by the fantastic Kelly Molson from Rubber Cheese. Hi, Kelly.
Kelly: Hello – oh, jazz hands.
Alex: That would come across great on the podcast. For people are just meeting me for the first time, could you share a little bit about who you are and what you do?
Kelly: Yes, so my name is Kelly Molson. As Alex said, I have been running my agency with my lovely co-founder, Paul for 18 years now. My agency is called Rubber Cheese and we design and build websites and systems and platforms for visitor and tourist attractions. So, we really love to support organisations that help make people make lasting memories. That's what we're all about.
Alex: Oh, fantastic. And in terms of your experience of the agency world, what were you doing before Rubber Cheese?
Kelly: So, I was a graphic designer, before Rubber Cheese and that's where the last proper job that I had – it's where I met Paul, my co-founder. And I'd been brought into the company that he worked at as a print designer, but then that kind of changed into a web design role, which I had no experience of whatsoever. But bearing in mind, this was 20 years ago, and flash animation was just about making its peak launch.
Alex: Wow.
Kelly: It was quite a while ago. But yeah, before that I was a trained designer, I used to work as a wine and whiskey label designer. At one point I did packaging design, I did some brand design. So yeah, the last job that I had where I met Paul was kind of my first experience of Web and Digital. I think I've barely only just about had an email address at that point.
Alex: The first job that I had; I remember there's one computer between six of us. And the first day you could go to the stationery cupboard and if you smoked you could get a company ashtray. I don't think they'd do that these days.
Kelly: I don't think – that's not the one thing anymore, is it?
Alex: And so, then you've also done a fantastic series of podcasts where you were interviewing other agency owners as well.
Kelly: Oh, not podcast, but I did do – I did a really amazing interview series about – it started in 2017. So, long story short, it came about because of The Wow Company's bench press report. So, they launched a bench festival and there was a stat in there that said that 27% of agencies in the UK were run by women, and I was like that's rubbish, there should be more. Where are they all? Then I started to look around at my own network and was like, oh well, I know about four. So, that's not great, is it? That's part of the problem right – I don't know enough of them myself. So, I set out to find as many as I could, and then interview them and just talk about how they set up their agencies, how they felt about this kind of imbalance in the sector, what amazing things they've done in their career, you know, what challenges that they've had to overcome. It was awesome, you know, I've met brilliant women who were just doing incredible things in the industry and from that interview series that kind of turned into running mastermind events for women in the sector. Then I started to run a meetup in Cambridge, which was for everyone in the sector, really. So, it's men, women, freelancers, anyone that kind of wanted to learn and grow and understand about agency world. And what was really good is because I carried out all these interviews, I was able to bring in everyone from our network to talk at these events. So, it was really great. And then COVID hit, and I couldn't do any live ones anymore. And I was sad.
Alex: And I think there's almost like a dovetailing with that. I think what's happened for me since COVID hit, is before that I was just hiding out. And I've now made the decision to sort of try and be a little bit more visible and I've met more agency owners since COVID hit than I have done the preceding 10-20 years.
Kelly: Yeah, it's really great. I think like journey that you've been on in kind of putting yourself out there and speaking to other agency owners is quite transformative, isn't it?
Alex: And the conversations you have, sometimes people that come from a different background, whether that is gender, or race sometimes have the most insightful conversations where I can learn a lot more about the challenges that different people have to sort of overcome. That kind of thing.
Kelly: Yeah, absolutely agree.
Alex: So, Kelly, I've known you for a while so to get a feel for who you are – I was looking forward to this – if you could invite four people, past or present, to a meal, who would you invite?
Kelly: I honestly think this is the hardest question. I could sit and answer this differently every single day so this today's four people I would invite. This is todays. My first one would be Walt Disney.
Kelly: So, the reason that I put Walt Disney is, we do work in the attraction sector and I think if you are going to choose anybody from that sector to speak to, Walt Disney has to be top of the list, right? What he has created in terms of the ultimate memory making experience and customer service experience as well, that – he's at the top. He's just been able to create something, whether it's the park or the films or the animations or now you know, with Disney Plus – it's something that is making those magic memories for millions of people all over the world. And I think that is an incredible achievement.
Alex: Absolutely, as a legacy that's phenomenal.
Kelly: Completely, but I think also the resilience that he showed as well, you know, when he started out, he just got knocked back over and over and over and over again, in terms of like the animation stuff that he was doing, whether it was going to work, was this park a crazy idea? So, I think that he would be a great guest. And then my second one would be Abigail Ahern. So, she she's an interior designer, and I have a real kind of interior design passion outside of work and what I love about her is she's like a real maximalist designer. So, she is all about colour, you know, paint your walls, your skirting boards, your ceilings, all in the same colour, rich textures, loads of kind of bringing the outside in. So, they call it biophilic design. So, you're making sure that you've got lots of natural light, and you've got lots of, you know, kinds of plants and foliage in your house as well. And so, I think that she would be a very interesting person to have.
Alex: And I've learnt something today. So, I will be researching biophilic design and then talking to people like I know what I'm talking about. Ah, that's biophilic design that is.
Kelly: So, in my background here which you can't see – you can only see video – I did have a beautiful array of houseplants on my mantelpiece in the background here. But unfortunately, I'm really terrible with houseplants, and they all died.
Alex: We have plants in the office, and they've all perished over the last year.
Kelly: All right. So, my fourth person would be Ricky Gervais. Not just because I do think that he's hilarious, but he has the most incredible skill for creating lovable, heartwarming characters. So, I don't know if you've watched Afterlife – the series –
Alex: Yes, absolutely.
Kelly: I think for me, that is the most incredible series that truly encapsulates what grief can be like for a person. That program is the one program that has made me cry with tears of laughter one minute, and then sob tears of pain the next. He just has this amazing ability to create the most emotive characters and I think I would love to – also it'd be a laugh, right? I'd love to have him at the dinner table.
Alex: Absolutely. And I was watching Afterlife – the series – around the time my poor old mum passed away. And that thing about, it's not really something you talk about, is that whole approach that he has to some of the really toughest subjects in life. It's quite powerful, isn't it?
Kelly: Oh completely, I totally sympathise with the situation that you were in while you were watching him, and it's been a good few years since we lost our twins. But the same, I can remember watching it and the way that he approached the stages of grief that you go through, you know, those real kinds of anger. You hate the world, and you hate everyone in it, because they're not – they can't give you what you want back. And he approached it in such a real way, but also, you know, incredibly humorous. It's hilarious, but also, it's so raw. And so, you know, it really, really just grabs you by the heartstrings completely.
Alex: Absolutely. So, number four?
Kelly: David Attenborough.
Alex: Oh, wow.
Kelly: Who wouldn't want David Attenborough at a dinner party, right? He's got incredible stories. He's seen the world and all of the creatures in it. I just would have so many questions about all of the creatures and also his take on dinosaurs – I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit of a dinosaur freak. I'd want to know; would he want them to come back as in a la Jurassic Park and his brother. Would that –
Alex: That's the question, isn't it?
Kelly: Yeah. I mean, I would but I wouldn't want the whole like eating people thing to happen. But I'm really down with maybe miniature dinosaurs coming back –
Alex: A diplodocus or something like that?
Kelly: The friendly ones, you know the vegasaurus.
Alex: With advances in genetics, a sort of miniature Diplodocus could be yours. And so, I think I get a real feel for who you are Kelly and the reason we're doing this podcast series is to try and help clients get better working relationships with agencies that they're choosing. And so, we've got some questions that look into that. So, what factors are included in the best brief that you've seen?
Kelly: Right, I have got a brilliant example of the best brief I've ever seen because it was for a pitch that we won actually – I'm very proud of this one that we won. So, the best brief I've ever seen was from Eureka, the National Children's Museum, and for lots of different factors. So, what they articulated really well in their brief was all of the things that we have to go through to evaluate whether we go ahead with a tender or not. So, they showcased what the brief for the project was, what their requirements were – in a lot of detail actually, they were really clear about it. They put in a budget, they put in realistic timeframes, they explained how they were going to feedback to people and whether you got through to the next stage or not.
Alex: That's really valuable, isn't it?
Kelly: Yeah, and that was a really good. That was awesome, actually – so, you were going to get feedback whether you got through or not, so everybody got feedback. And I'm telling, it's only now, 40 agencies tendered for this, they did put an open tender out and they – so, there was a lot of work that they had to do. They talked about what that process would be, they talked about how many agencies would go through to the next stage, what that next stage would look like. Also, what was really respectful about the brief was that they, at the second stage – so I think they were going to take five or six agencies through to the interview stage and at that stage they did want to see creative. Now, this is always a really tricky subject, because a lot of agencies don't like to do creative, and we don't actually – it's not something that we're keen to do. However, they offered to pay. So, they offered to pay a fee for the creative work that would be carried out. And if I'm honest, it probably wouldn't have covered all of the work that any of the agencies put in, but it was an element of respect for those ideas you were going to be creating.
Alex: There is nothing worse than going into a pitch and being ghosted and getting no feedback. And I just think that commitment to good feedback really stands out, but then also to actually pay for design work and that kind of thing so they can see what your thinking's like – it shows a true understanding of what it's like to work with an agency.
Kelly: Absolutely. And just like that level of respect for people's time as well, I thought was incredible but there were two other things that they did. So, that for me is a perfect – that's what we need to know to know whether we're going to go through with it or not. But then they did something else, which I've hardly ever seen in a brief is that they really used the organisation's tone of voice to write that brief. So actually, it was fun. You know, the way that they spoke, the terminology they used was all of the same stuff that they would use to communicate with their audience and with their visitors. Eureka is an incredibly fun, interactive Children's Museum, it is a magic, magic place. Their brief used the same terminology, used that same kind of tone of voice so, you were really excited about it and it showcased what they were going to be like to work with. A lot of briefs are just – so dull, they're so kind of staid and regimented, and this was like a breath of fresh air. And they also, as well as the kind of, okay, this is this is what we need to do, this is what we need to achieve; we need a new website; we need it to do these things. They also threw in a couple of business challenges that they were having, and that was quite interesting because it allowed you to kind of change the scope of what the project was. So, they had this kind of challenge that wasn't really related to the website project at all. It was just, you know, we've got this issue where we have really long queues in October, our October half term is ridiculously busy, it's wet, people have to queue up outside. They might have had to queue for an hour to get in, and they might then have to queue for another hour once they're in to convert their ticket into an annual pass. So, what do you think about this? And so, it gave a really kind of open-ended challenge that was, oh yeah, this is interesting, there's loads of stuff we can do to solve this.
Alex: And that sort of impactful problem solving is a fantastic thing for an agency. To be able to take away a client's pain is awesome.
Kelly: Absolutely. And you've got no boundaries with that as well. It was so open, there's so many places you could go with that. It made it really interesting and really exciting. I think anyone that that would have got that brief, there's no way they would have turned it down.
Alex: Oh, fantastic. And so, in terms of our brief, you mentioned budgets, how important are budgets?
Kelly: I mean, they're really important, right? We get asked to tender for stuff on a weekly basis, which is brilliant, you know, lovely that your name's out there, and you're being recognised, and they feel that you're a good fit for them. But you're only a good fit for them if you can solve their challenges within the budget that they've got. And so, you know, it's really difficult, you can't go for every tender that you're given. It's impossible. You've really got to evaluate carefully, whether you will win that, you know, what's your chance of winning that tender? And if there isn't any budget, how do you know where the boundaries are? You could spend a week pulling together the most incredible tender pitch, you know, pitch document, proposal, whatever you want to call it. If they have 10 grand to spend, but what you're showcasing is, look you need to spend 50k on this – and we'll do all these incredible things for you. You're so misaligned, and it's just a waste of time for everybody involved, it's a waste of time for the agency, it's a waste of time for the client. So, I think you have to be upfront about the budgets, and it's not so the agency can go to the max of it – it's just so they know, if they can provide you a solution, that's going to be a really – it's going to work effectively for you within that budget.
Alex: So, what would be the reasons why clients wouldn't give you a budget?
Kelly: I think one, there's a fear – that they think agencies are going to go to the top end of it all the time. So, you know, if we say 20 grand, you're just going to come back and say it will cost 20 grand, but it might cost 20 grand. I think genuinely sometimes there's a lack of a kind of understanding of what digital costs, depending on the scale of the organisation that you're working with. We get inquiries from quite small visitor attractions that, you know, they've managed to get by with something that's been okay for now – but they know they need to invest in digital, but they just don't really know what that investment needs to look like or they don't know the reality of how long stuff takes and what stuff costs. So, I think they're the two biggest things. People don't like talking about money, do they?
Alex: I was always a little bit bashful about asking clients about direct commercial questions, and I'd leave it to the end. And you end up in a situation where you have that exact scenario you painted, whereby you're pitching too high, and they're just not got a budget and they say no straight away. So, if you actually ask a question where you actually frame the budget, you know, it's not going to cost you 50,000 pounds, but it might be 10,000 pounds, or would you need it to be 2000 pounds – they've got some sort of scale where they can get a feel for, commercially, where their organisation fits in.
Kelly: Yeah, and I've definitely done what you've done in the past and been apprehensive about talking about money too soon, because I think I didn't want – I hadn't wanted to give that impression that that's all we care about. But actually now, it's a really early part of that conversation and framing it like you said. Are we looking at a project where you're looking to invest between 10 to 20? Or, if I told you what we're talking about today is probably going to be near on, like 40 to 50 – how does that make you feel? If they don't really want to give you specifics, you do get at least a range of where they're at and what they're comfortable with.
Alex: Absolutely, absolutely. So, is there anything else that's really important when you're qualifying leads as an agency?
Kelly: So, actually we use a tool, and you know, the team at Cactus are amazing. So, they have a tool called the qual score and it lists a number of questions and you read the brief and you kind of you look at the questions and you give it a score from one to zero. So, one of the biggest things for me is – budget is up there. Another really big one for me is like can we speak to you? So, can we have a conversation with you, and can we ask you questions? Not just you know, an email over clarifying questions or stick them on one of those dreadful portals, can we actually have a face to face, albeit over zoom chat about what you're trying to achieve? Because for me, it's rapport, that's the biggest part of working with an agency is, do you get on with them? I just can't fathom why any organisation wants to go through the portal process where they don't get to speak to an agency. You know, the first interaction they have with an agency is when an agency is pitching, and a pitch isn't that conversational. So, you're not really getting to understand what it would be like to work with them, you're just getting the showcase of what they can deliver.
Alex: Yeah, you're getting the agency sort of jazz hands rather than this is who they are, and this is what they're like to talk to. It's almost like an Instagram version of an agency, isn't it? Where it's their best selves rather than, actually, this is who they are.
Kelly: Yeah. And the most important thing really is – this conversation on this kind of level, you know, asking questions, what are the real challenges? So, that for me is number one and then budget, realistic timeframes. And actually, has the budget been approved? It's interesting, because that happens quite a lot where there's a budget, but then that might need to be funded and that budget isn't actually in place. So, you're not going to get a decision about that project for goodness knows how long. Are you going to get feedback? It's critical. You can only improve with feedback. So, if you're not going to get it, then what's the point?
Alex: For a client when they are selecting agencies, what things can they do to look up and check on an agency's reputation?
Kelly: So, this is really current at the moment. So, what we're finding is a lot of the tenders that we're being asked to be part of, they're speaking to like 10 or 12 agencies. I think anywhere between eight and 12 agencies at the moment. Yeah, it's blowing my mind a little bit. One, because I think that's way too many. I think about the client and the work that they're going to have to do to evaluate that, and then I'm like, okay well if this is going out to eight to 12 agencies, are they going to give those eight to 12 agencies feedback? They're not, are they? They're going to run out of time, it will get parked. So, I think the first thing they can do is do their own pre-qualification and look at three agencies. I think three, four agencies max. And that's looking at things like, if you are in a specific sector, do you want your agency to have specific sector experience? You know, is that really important to you? Or do you want someone who's got service experience? So, you know, they build apps, but they're not necessarily focused on the sector that you work in. What is the fit that you really want? So, do your own kind of groundwork and then I think, obviously, check out what the agencies do in terms of what case studies that they've got on their website, then have a conversation with them. See if you like them – that's really important. And I would speak to, you know, speaking to clients, I think speaking to existing agency clients is important, but I also think it might be interesting to speak to clients that are no longer clients as well. So, to get a feel for what it was like – okay, for instance, I know that if someone comes to me tomorrow from an attraction that wants once a new website, there's like five or six clients that I can send their way, and they'll give us glowing testimonials, which is amazing, right? But is that a true representation? You might want to speak to an ex-client who you don't have a bad relationship with you anymore, but you don't work with them for whatever reason. And then you're kind of getting the whole picture.
Alex: Absolutely.
Kelly: I'm probably shooting myself in the foot here, but I think that's quite important.
Alex: Yeah. And I think there is the, you know, each agency, there's reality of what it's like to work with them. And so to find out how things have gone on, you know, when everything works out, and it's beautifully aligned, and you've got the perfect version of them, but also when things sort of maybe don't quite work out as well – see how they handled and manage that situation.
Kelly: Yeah, because things come up for a reason. It's not necessarily that that relationship's broken down, it's just projects come up for re-tender. The agency might have chosen not to, how did they handle that handover process with the new agency, you know, what have they been like to deal with? Has there been any challenges with that? And I think it's stuff like that, that showcases what an agency's kind of real values and stuff are as well.
Kelly: And potentially looking at their suppliers as well and talking to them. How do they deal with their suppliers? I think it could be quite an interesting learning curve for an agency too.
Alex: So, in terms of signs that a client can look out for, that an agency's a a good fit or a bad fit, what would be on the list for that kind of thing?
Kelly: I'm going to go back to this whole speaking to them thing, because I think that the rapport is vital. So, if you get on with them, if you can see that your values are aligned, if you feel that you can trust them, and there's a mutual respect, backwards and forwards there between the client – this comes back to why we tend to steer away from those very kind of Portal driven tenders, because you just don't get the opportunity to do that, and it doesn't seem to make any sense. I think going back to, do you need that agency to have that experience in your sector? So, if that's really important for you, you need to be looking at, do they have case studies that clearly show that they work within your sector? Are they speaking at events that are sector focus? What's the content that they're pushing out? What research projects are they working on? What's their understanding of your challenges and how far do they go to understand them? Are they excited about the project? What energy are they bringing into the project? So, going back to the Eureka brief, we got that brief really late. We had a week before the tender deadline, and we got put in touch with them. We had a really great email conversation and I jumped on the phone, had a chat with them. And I was like, right, look, we're down in Essex and we want to come to Halifax and visit the site, and see what it's like before we put a tender in. We've got to get a real feel for the place.
Alex: That's not a short journey either.
Kelly: No, it's a good three-hour drive. I didn't think that we could propose properly without understanding what it was like there, to get a feel for it and so, it was really important for us. And I think that showed them a real commitment that we wanted to work with them, but we had a week. So, they were really accommodating, they actually extended the tender for a few extra days, so we could do that. We drove all the way up to Halifax and we met with the comms and marketing manager, who was brilliant, she gave us a little bit of time face-to-face. She did say, this was another good thing about brief, if agencies wanted to visit, if they wanted to come in, she would meet them face-to-face. So, she gave everybody a little bit of time face-to-face, which was really lovely. And then we got let kind of let loose on the centre. So, we could walk around the museum, we could see how kids were interacting with it, and what it kind of brought, you know, the fun levels that it brought to them. But what we found out afterwards, that we thought was a bit odd is that I think of the 40 submissions that they had, something like 10, or 15 of them were from agencies who'd never visited the centre. So, they hadn't been to Eureka, they hadn't been to visit the museum. I couldn't understand how you could really understand the challenges that that organisation has without going there as an attraction, seeing it and how it operates.
Alex: Absolutely. So, in a former life I used to work at an agency where they had a lot of clients with physical retail space. And so literally, each month, if you worked on an account, you'd have to go out and visit a new store of that client so that in conversation you could mention, we've been to, you know, this store, we saw that that was looking fantastic, we looked at the point of sale, or whatever it was. It just shows an interest in the client's business above and beyond just being in the phone and taking some bookings for media space and that kind of thing. We try and do it with our clients now. So, if they have an e commerce functionality on their site, we will make an order to have that thoughtful experience all the way through to checkout – there's a box of random stuff in the office that at some point, we'll get around to putting on eBay. We try get stuff that we need but, you know –
Kelly: You could do competitions; you could do weird Instagram competitions for the prizes that you've got. That would be quite random.
Alex: I could give you some copper foil or copper tape or electromagnetic shielding stuff if you want it.
Kelly: Sure, I'd find a use for that somehow. But that's part of it. So, on that day, we purchased a ticket, you know, we went through the booking process, we bought a ticket, we queued up, we did the thing that everyone else would do to see how it was working for people. So, I think that's really important. Obviously COVID has affected that process so we haven't been able to do that in the past year, which I think has been quite difficult for us because you never really get a whole sense of the of the place until you're actually there. But – you know, what can you do?
Alex: In terms of looking at an agency and finding out whether they're a bad fit, is there anything that stands out there?
Kelly: I think just the flip of what I've said really. If you don't have a good rapport with them, if you feel you don't have that kind of level of trust, if they're not really engaging with the processes as much as you would hope they would. I hate that phrase and you know, going the extra mile, but I don't think visiting a visitor attraction before you put a tender in, is going the extra mile. I think that's part of the process and if you've got an agency that's not going to do that, are they going to care that much about it?
Alex: So, in terms of RFPs, requests for pitches, what is the dullest one that you've ever heard of?
Kelly: Oh, gosh. I don't want to name specifics because we did go through this. This is the one and only time we went through this process, but I think for me, it's those ones that use those formal tendering platforms. And they're usually, I'm really sorry, but they are usually kind of council driven or government driven, and they are just the dullest things ever. Honestly, I can't even – most of the time – I can't even understand the terminology that they use. They don't speak like normal people, like me.
Alex: It's like some procurement, legalese, or something like that, where there's lots of hidden meanings and specific value attributed to questions that, unless you are aware of that world, can make it quite tricky to participate in.
Kelly: Yeah, it's really, really painful. And the things that they asked for as well, just incredible. We've got a million policies in place for a million different things. But then, when you go through these processes, that's the biggest part of the tender is, we need to see all of your 50 million processes and policies, please. And here's the space, here's your inch space where you'll write how you'll actually do this project for us.
Alex: 100 words, yeah. And so, in terms of your space, are there any agencies that you really admire?
Kelly: Well, they don't work in the same sector as us but in the same space as us in terms of being you know, a digital agency. But I hugely admire Reflect Digital. I think Becky, who's the MD there, she's incredible. She's such a powerhouse of fun, and insight, and she's one of the most kind of warm and caring people that I've ever met. What they do there is incredible, and they do fantastic digital work but one of the things that I really admire about them is how much they engage with the younger generation. They do loads of community focus work around schools and universities and really kind of highlighting what they do and getting work experience, people involved in graduate schemes and stuff like that. So, them for me, they're number one of my – who do I admire?
Kelly: Love them.
Alex: I really like on their website, where they have three lollipops in the middle as the sweet spot. And I think that they're fantastic company, fantastic people.
Kelly: I also really like their mugs. So, just putting it out there Becky, I'd love one of your mugs with my mug on.
Alex: Excellent. Kelly, this has been great. Where can people find out more about you online?
Kelly: So, you can head to our website which is RubberCheese.com, or I am on LinkedIn. I'm just Kelly Molson on LinkedIn so you can connect with me on there. I do tweet. It's not always business related, I'm not going to lie. It's a bit random but I am the chief cheese over on Twitter as well.
Alex: Perfect. Thanks for joining me today.
Kelly: You are welcome. It's been a pleasure.
Alex: Thanks again. If you found the conversation useful, please join me again next time for Choosing an Agency.
Choosing an Agency is available for you to download from all the usual podcast platforms or find out more, here: www.alexholliman.com


text:
module Billimatic
  module Entities
    class ServiceItem < Base
      attribute :id, Integer
      attribute :account_id, Integer
      attribute :name, String
      attribute :description, String
      attribute :value, Decimal
      attribute :unit, String
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Census 2011: Key results on Education and Labour Market in Scotland - Release 2B.
The statistics published today by the Registrar General for Scotland, provide estimates of the population relating to Education and the Labour Market at all levels of geography from national level down to output area. In addition, the key results on Population, Ethnicity, Identity, Language, Religion, Health, Housing and Accommodation in Scotland - from release 2A are now available at all levels of geography from national level down to output area.
Highest level of qualification
In the 2011 Census, just over quarter (26 per cent, 1.1 million) of the population in Scotland aged 16 and over had achieved Census Level 4 or above qualifications, such as a university degree. This proportion was highest in the City of Edinburgh (41 per cent) and lowest in West Dunbartonshire (17 per cent).
Just over a quarter (27 per cent, 1.2 million) of the population aged 16 and over held no qualifications. This proportion was lowest in the City of Edinburgh (17 per cent) and highest in East Ayrshire (34 per cent).
Of the 4.0 million people in Scotland aged between 16 and 74, 69 per cent (2.7 million) were economically active (either working or looking for work). The proportions of economically active males and females were 74 per cent and 64 per cent respectively.
The largest category of economically active people was full-time employees, who represented 40 per cent (1.6 million) of the total 16 to 74 year-old population, followed by part-time employees at 13 per cent (530,000).
In terms of proportions, almost five times more females were part-time employees compared with males (33 per cent of economically active females compared with 7 per cent of economically active males).
Between 2001 and 2011, the proportion of economically active people aged 16 to 74 increased by four percentage points, from 65 per cent (2.4 million) in 2001 to 69 per cent (2.7 million) in 2011, with the largest increase being for part-time employees.
Retired people represented 15 per cent of all 16 to 74 year-olds, and accounted for approaching half (48 per cent) of the economically inactive in this age group.
In 2011, just over half (51 per cent) of the 2.5 million employed people aged 16 to 74 in Scotland worked 38 hours or more in a typical week in their main job; 39 per cent (984,000) worked between 38 and 48 hours and 12 per cent (295,000) worked 49 hours or more.
Seven per cent (189,000) of the economically active population in Scotland aged between 16 and 74 were unemployed, excluding full-time students looking for work. This was slightly higher than the 2001 figure of 6 per cent (148,000).
The proportion of economically active people aged 16 to 74 who were unemployed (excluding economically active full-time students looking for work) ranged from 10 per cent in North Ayrshire and Glasgow City (7,000 and 30,000 people respectively) to 3 per cent in the Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands and Aberdeenshire (350, 390 and 5,000 people respectively)
'Health and social work' and 'Retail activities' were the two largest industry sectors in 2011 in terms of the number of employed people aged 16 to 74, each accounting for 15 per cent (377,000) of this population.
The proportion of males working in the 'Construction', 'Manufacturing' and 'Transport and storage' sectors was much higher than the proportion of females, while there were higher proportions of females than males working in 'Health and social work' and 'Education' sectors.
The largest category of occupation was 'Professional occupations', employing 17 per cent of all employed people aged 16 to 74.
Around nine times more males than females worked in 'Skilled trades occupations' and seven times more males than females worked as 'Process, plant and machine operatives'.
In contrast, around five times more females than males worked in 'Caring, leisure and other service occupations' and four times more females worked in 'Administrative and secretarial occupations'.
National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SeC)
'Lower managerial and professional occupations' was the largest socio-economic group, which represented 20 per cent (803,000 people) of the population aged 16 to 74.
There were more females than males in the 'Intermediate occupations' category (18 per cent of females compared with 7 per cent of males). This category includes clerical and administrative occupations.
In contrast, the 'Lower supervisory and technical occupations' category represents 12 per cent of all 16 to 74 year-old males, compared with 4 per cent of all 16 to 74 year-old females.
The full publication, "2011 Census: Key Results on Education and Labour Market in Scotland - Release 2B" and relevant data can be found in our Census results section.


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CompCom's recommendation 'R500 per PCR test' could leave SA with fewer options
PathCare is the latest private pathology group to heed the Competition Commission's call to reduce Covid-19 PCR testing costs for consumers to a maximum of R500.
The commission announced Sunday that it had reached an agreement with leading pathology laboratories, Ampath and Lancet, to reduce the price of the Covid-19 PCR test from R850 to R500.
PathCare has followed suit, saying in a statement that "patient care always comes first" and that it "remains committed to delivering its value-based, patient-centered care using trusted technology."
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are considered the gold standard for testing for Covid-19 and are considered more reliable than rapid tests.
Impact on smaller laboratories
Some small private laboratories say that recommendation for him Competition commission Lowering the cost of the PCR test is good for the consumer but bad for the consumer as it could take them off the market.
"I do not think it was a great decision of the Competition [Commission] not at all, if anything, it creates a monopoly instead of creating a competitive space, "Jonathan Blackburn, owner and director of iMed Distributors Laboratories, tells Moneyweb.
Blackburn believes that the commission's decision, while beneficial to consumers, seeks to further benefit large laboratories.
After publishing its agreement with Ampath and the Lancet, the commission recommended that all labs adhere to this new price, saying there is no justification for labs to charge more than the recommended amount.
"The commission encourages all laboratories to lower their prices with immediate effect as we believe there is no reason to justify why the price should not be lowered," commission spokesperson Siyabulela Makunga told Moneyweb.
Supply chain considerations
Some private labs are concerned about how the advertisement will affect their books and their ability to continue providing pathology services.
They say the R500 MSRP does not adequately cover the supply chain costs needed to run this particular Covid-19 test, citing various service and administration costs that need to be factored into the price.
Read: African Covid-19 Tests Decrease As Variants Spread, Says Body
iMed tells Moneyweb that it hasn't been charging service providers (where customers get their Covid-19 swabs) more than R500 to process their samples. But with the new guidelines, they may be forced to charge these service providers even less for processing Covid-19 tests for them.
As Blackburn explains: "Just the administration costs, the lab professionals, the signing doctors, the license fee that we have to pay to the NICD. [National Institute for Communicable Diseases] (R5) to upload our results to your portal and the diesel costs of generators for load shedding; I mean the costs are exorbitant and we are not making a profit at all. "
'Just not feasible' for this lab
SpesLab, another small private lab, which does Covid-19 PCR testing for R690, tells Moneyweb that while they understand why there has been a call to regulate the cost of testing, the new R500 recommended price is simply not feasible. for the laboratory. and as such it will stop Covid-19 PCR testing.
Read: Covid-19 tests are too expensive and too difficult in South Africa
"We were significantly cheaper than the R850, we also thought the R850 was ridiculously high, but we are a very small lab, so our margins were already pretty small on the R690, and now that they've cut it down to R500, it's just not feasible. for a small lab like us to continue testing, "Dr. Andrine Smith, owner and director of SpesLab, tells Moneyweb.
"Unfortunately, what the downsizing to R500 has done is now forced [us], since the end of December, to stop testing for Covid-19, "says Smith.
Large laboratories, larger volumes
For small private labs, the view is that the commission's recommendations will benefit larger labs as they have the in-house capacity to process large volumes of Covid-19 tests at lower costs.
"Its volumes are magnificent by day," says Smith. "We buy a kit that does about 200 or 300 tests at a time, but they buy hundreds of kits, so negotiating a lower price on test kits is much easier than it is for us."
Smith believes that the new pricing regulations will effectively force many small private labs to stop testing for Covid-19 and focus on their core business, which will ultimately benefit the larger labs.
"It will most likely reduce the number of labs doing testing, so I think most small labs will close [that type of testing] now and that amount of samples that went to the smaller labs will now go to the Lancet kind of labs. "
Impact on service providers
Service provider Dis-Chem says it has been in talks with its designated Covid-19 testing partner labs to find a way forward after the commission's pronouncements on Sunday.
The pharmacy retailer tells Moneyweb that some of its partner labs will not take into consideration the group's cost of providing the Covid-19 test to South Africans and will want to charge Dis-Chem the maximum amount of R500.
"We are still in negotiations with the laboratories also due to the fact that we are service providers, we are not a laboratory, so we have an additional cost regarding personnel and PPE. [personal protective equipment], and the installation as well. Unfortunately some of the labs will not take that into consideration and will [also] charge us R500, "says Lizeth Kruger, executive of the Dis-Chem clinic.
The group says that this position taken by some of its partners could cause Covid-19 testing to be suspended at some of its locations across the country.
"Unfortunately, then we will not be able to offer this service because we are going to lose a lot of money," says Kruger. "It's still early … but as it is now, unfortunately [in] in some areas we will not be able to offer PCR testing. "
The group said the commission's recommendations could damage its books and reputation in the long run.
"We don't have a profit margin on the test itself anyway, but obviously in terms of Dis-Chem as a company and our reputation, that will be detrimental and we obviously know that in the long term it will probably have an effect on profit margins." says Kruger.
Listen to Fifi Peters' interview with Competition Commission Chief Economist James Hodge (or read the transcript here):
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Kasirer Twitter
Dev Awasthi
government relations, corporate & legislation
Dev Awasthi is our Director of Government Relations on Kasirer's Corporate & Legislation team. In this role Dev advises and supports corporate clients on budgetary, legislative, and other regulatory matters.
Dev comes to Kasirer while completing his Juris Doctorate at the University of Connecticut School of Law, with concentrations in Law & Public Policy, Regulatory Compliance, and Energy and Environmental Law. While in law school, Dev worked at the New York State Attorney General's Office and most recently at the Connecticut Attorney General's Office. At these offices, he conducted legal research and writing on a variety of issues at both the state and federal levels.
Prior to pursuing his Juris Doctorate, Dev served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to New York City Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik. He oversaw the Council Member's policy and budget priorities, including coordinating the legislative agenda and funding allocations. Most notably, he helped shape and advance City budget advocacy campaigns to secure millions of dollars of investments towards emergency food resources and parks.
Dev has also served his community in various levels of government and political roles across New York, including in his position as citywide liaison to South Asian communities for New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and working for the New York State Democratic Party.
Dev graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science.
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The showing of independent service provider seebaWIND Service at HUSUM Wind was a great success. The trade fair, which took place from 15 to 18 September in Husum, brought the company new customers and enquiries about service contracts for Germany and abroad.
The bankability of seebaWINDs full maintenance contracts has been optimised - the company is now part of Deutsche Windtechnik. seebaWINDs engineering department won over the visitors with its new control unit.
Independent service provider seebaWIND exhibited in the North Frisian town for the first time as part of Deutsche Windtechnik. The Bremen-based enterprise took seebaWIND over in June 2015. "The feedback was very positive", said a delighted seebaWIND sales director Jörg Fuchs, adding: "The cooperation with Deutsche Windtechnik gives us access to the main players at home and abroad. In the four days of the fair alone we were able to establish contacts that give us the prospect of service contracts in 2016 for a total capacity of over 150 megawatts."
The joint full maintenance contracts of seebaWIND and Deutsche Windtechnik assure high yields. Under these contracts, all spare parts, including large components, can be delivered at short notice. Deutsche Windtechniks insurance concept additionally safeguards the contractual services in the event of mechanical breakdown and operational interruption. In addition to flexible maturities of up to 20 years after commissioning, the contracts also include exit options. This is what also convinced Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB), which financed its first wind project in 1996 and now looks after one of the biggest portfolios in Germany. "DKB confirmed our bankability at the trade fair and classified the financing conditions of our full maintenance contracts as manufacturer-standard", explained seebaWIND managing director Severin Mielimonka. "This means that we are the alternative to the manufacturer from the very start."
This does not just apply to service contracts, but also for upgrades and optimisation concepts: since 2014, seebaWIND has continuously expanded its engineering department and developed new solutions for increasing yields. The newest products include the WP 3100 Mk II control unit, which the service provider had developed in collaboration with Danish partner Mita-Teknik. The plant computer has a compact design, can provide system services and ensures higher yields. It is also DSL-capable ex works - another bonus point, bearing in mind that ISDN services are due to be discontinued in the near future. "There was a great deal of demand for the new control unit. The fair was definitely a great success for us", said Fuchs.


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Tipula bistilata är en tvåvingeart som beskrevs av Carl Erik Lundström 1907. Tipula bistilata ingår i släktet Tipula och familjen storharkrankar. Arten är reproducerande i Sverige.

Underarter

Arten delas in i följande underarter:

 T. b. bistilata
 T. b. lundstromiana
 T. b. rectangularis

Källor

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bistilata


text:
Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features
I. Charvet, A. Suppasri, F. Imamura
Risk Evaluation and Disaster Mitigation Research Division
Tsunamis are disastrous events typically causing loss of life, and extreme damage to the built environment, as shown by the recent disaster that struck the East coast of Japan in 2011. In order to quantitatively estimate damage in tsunami prone areas, some studies used a probabilistic approach and derived fragility functions. However, the models chosen do not provide a statistically sound representation of the data. This study applies advanced statistical methods in order to address these limitations. The area of study is the city of Ishinomaki in Japan, the worst affected area during the 2011 event and for which an extensive amount of detailed building damage data has been collected. Ishinomaki city displays a variety of geographical environments that would have significantly affected tsunami flow characteristics, namely a plain, a narrow coast backed up by high topography (terrain), and a river. The fragility analysis assesses the relative structural vulnerability between these areas, and reveals that the buildings surrounding the river were less likely to be damaged. The damage probabilities for the terrain area (with relatively higher flow depths and velocities) were lower or similar to the plain, which confirms the beneficial role of coastal protection. The model diagnostics show tsunami flow depth alone is a poor predictor of tsunami damage for reinforced concrete and steel structures, and for all structures other variables are influential and need to be taken into account in order to improve fragility estimations. In particular, evidence shows debris impact contributed to at least a significant amount of non-structural damage.
Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment
Published - 2014 Oct
Building damage
Fragility functions
Ordinal regression
Environmental Science(all)
Dive into the research topics of 'Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Tsunami Earth and Planetary Sciences 100%
Damage Earth and Planetary Sciences 100%
Area Earth and Planetary Sciences 66%
Landscape Earth and Planetary Sciences 50%
Investigation Earth and Planetary Sciences 50%
City Earth and Planetary Sciences 50%
Building Earth and Planetary Sciences 50%
Japan Engineering 50%
Charvet, I., Suppasri, A., & Imamura, F. (2014). Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, 28(7), 1853-1867. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-014-0850-2
Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features. / Charvet, I.; Suppasri, A.; Imamura, F.
In: Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, Vol. 28, No. 7, 10.2014, p. 1853-1867.
Charvet, I, Suppasri, A & Imamura, F 2014, 'Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features', Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, vol. 28, no. 7, pp. 1853-1867. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-014-0850-2
Charvet I, Suppasri A, Imamura F. Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. 2014 Oct;28(7):1853-1867. doi: 10.1007/s00477-014-0850-2
Charvet, I. ; Suppasri, A. ; Imamura, F. / Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features. In: Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment. 2014 ; Vol. 28, No. 7. pp. 1853-1867.
@article{5b07ab0aa6e34b95860ca6bf55332613,
title = "Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features",
abstract = "Tsunamis are disastrous events typically causing loss of life, and extreme damage to the built environment, as shown by the recent disaster that struck the East coast of Japan in 2011. In order to quantitatively estimate damage in tsunami prone areas, some studies used a probabilistic approach and derived fragility functions. However, the models chosen do not provide a statistically sound representation of the data. This study applies advanced statistical methods in order to address these limitations. The area of study is the city of Ishinomaki in Japan, the worst affected area during the 2011 event and for which an extensive amount of detailed building damage data has been collected. Ishinomaki city displays a variety of geographical environments that would have significantly affected tsunami flow characteristics, namely a plain, a narrow coast backed up by high topography (terrain), and a river. The fragility analysis assesses the relative structural vulnerability between these areas, and reveals that the buildings surrounding the river were less likely to be damaged. The damage probabilities for the terrain area (with relatively higher flow depths and velocities) were lower or similar to the plain, which confirms the beneficial role of coastal protection. The model diagnostics show tsunami flow depth alone is a poor predictor of tsunami damage for reinforced concrete and steel structures, and for all structures other variables are influential and need to be taken into account in order to improve fragility estimations. In particular, evidence shows debris impact contributed to at least a significant amount of non-structural damage.",
keywords = "Building damage, Fragility functions, Ordinal regression, Tsunami",
author = "I. Charvet and A. Suppasri and F. Imamura",
note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Dr Jeremy Bricker, from IRIDeS (Tohoku University), for providing the numerical simulation results that guided the geographical data split decision making, and for his invaluable insight into Ishinomaki inundation processes during the 2011 tsunami. Similarly, the authors would like to thank Dr Ioanna Ioannou, from EPICentre (UCL—University College London) for her statistical insight. The work of Ingrid Charvet has been funded by JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science), and the work of all authors has been supported through the collaboration between UCL and Tohoku University (IRIDeS). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014, The Author(s).",
journal = "Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment",
T1 - Empirical fragility analysis of building damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan tsunami in Ishinomaki city using ordinal regression, and influence of key geographical features
AU - Charvet, I.
AU - Suppasri, A.
AU - Imamura, F.
N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Dr Jeremy Bricker, from IRIDeS (Tohoku University), for providing the numerical simulation results that guided the geographical data split decision making, and for his invaluable insight into Ishinomaki inundation processes during the 2011 tsunami. Similarly, the authors would like to thank Dr Ioanna Ioannou, from EPICentre (UCL—University College London) for her statistical insight. The work of Ingrid Charvet has been funded by JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science), and the work of all authors has been supported through the collaboration between UCL and Tohoku University (IRIDeS). Publisher Copyright: © 2014, The Author(s).
N2 - Tsunamis are disastrous events typically causing loss of life, and extreme damage to the built environment, as shown by the recent disaster that struck the East coast of Japan in 2011. In order to quantitatively estimate damage in tsunami prone areas, some studies used a probabilistic approach and derived fragility functions. However, the models chosen do not provide a statistically sound representation of the data. This study applies advanced statistical methods in order to address these limitations. The area of study is the city of Ishinomaki in Japan, the worst affected area during the 2011 event and for which an extensive amount of detailed building damage data has been collected. Ishinomaki city displays a variety of geographical environments that would have significantly affected tsunami flow characteristics, namely a plain, a narrow coast backed up by high topography (terrain), and a river. The fragility analysis assesses the relative structural vulnerability between these areas, and reveals that the buildings surrounding the river were less likely to be damaged. The damage probabilities for the terrain area (with relatively higher flow depths and velocities) were lower or similar to the plain, which confirms the beneficial role of coastal protection. The model diagnostics show tsunami flow depth alone is a poor predictor of tsunami damage for reinforced concrete and steel structures, and for all structures other variables are influential and need to be taken into account in order to improve fragility estimations. In particular, evidence shows debris impact contributed to at least a significant amount of non-structural damage.
AB - Tsunamis are disastrous events typically causing loss of life, and extreme damage to the built environment, as shown by the recent disaster that struck the East coast of Japan in 2011. In order to quantitatively estimate damage in tsunami prone areas, some studies used a probabilistic approach and derived fragility functions. However, the models chosen do not provide a statistically sound representation of the data. This study applies advanced statistical methods in order to address these limitations. The area of study is the city of Ishinomaki in Japan, the worst affected area during the 2011 event and for which an extensive amount of detailed building damage data has been collected. Ishinomaki city displays a variety of geographical environments that would have significantly affected tsunami flow characteristics, namely a plain, a narrow coast backed up by high topography (terrain), and a river. The fragility analysis assesses the relative structural vulnerability between these areas, and reveals that the buildings surrounding the river were less likely to be damaged. The damage probabilities for the terrain area (with relatively higher flow depths and velocities) were lower or similar to the plain, which confirms the beneficial role of coastal protection. The model diagnostics show tsunami flow depth alone is a poor predictor of tsunami damage for reinforced concrete and steel structures, and for all structures other variables are influential and need to be taken into account in order to improve fragility estimations. In particular, evidence shows debris impact contributed to at least a significant amount of non-structural damage.
KW - Building damage
KW - Fragility functions
KW - Ordinal regression
KW - Tsunami
JO - Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment
JF - Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment


Android is considered to have a great platform for businesses that are new to mobile gadgets. Android apps use Java with many libraries and if you have an adequate knowledge about Java, you can run Android apps easily. This feature can be good for your business apps.
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Android offers free in licensing, royalty, and open source. The principle behind Android is SDK is an open source making it easier for you to see updates and new releases and gives you feedback to its development staff. This feature provides an easy yet functional platform which is attractive to handset producers and wireless operators, giving the developers better chances to earn. For the same reasons, you can also customise and integrate vertical market app. Take note that the whole platform of Android can be used for customisation which is good for business apps.
Uniquely different from other platform, using Android for your business apps can be circulated in different ways. Preferably, you can use the Google market but you can use other third-party app stores or you can establish your own distribution outlets. If you prefer vertical market app, you can create new app stores and place it behind the corporate walls. If you want to establish it, then you will be able to publish it and reach your target end-users. What about the third-party apps stores? They can have their own rules on what to publish. With Android, there are lots of options to choose from!
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