Experts recommend dump truck operators review at least three insurance offers before committing, because when you talk to multiple agents, you get a more informed picture of what sort of coverages you need and what sort of rate you can get.
But finding several legitimate commercial dump truck insurance agencies can be difficult. They're hard to find and it takes a lot of time to repeat your information to each new insurance agent you talk to.
Your best option is to use this Request Three Quotes tool that gathers your information and sends it to three independent insurance agents. They will compile a plan and a quote and contact you with an offer. All you have to do is fill out one form. It couldn't be easier!
This is the preliminary information. Your agent will also eventually need to know your schedule of drivers, the specifics of your equipment and your loss run history.
After you've gotten in contact with your agents and received their offers, you have to make a decision of which insurance company to go with. These should be your main considerations.
Reliability of the Company. More so than price, the quality of the insurance company should be your first priority when choosing between your dump truck insurance quotes. Big name national brands are usually reliable… but know that when you get insurance from Progressive or Trusted Choice, a big chunk of what you pay to them is going straight to their advertising department. There are many small local insurance companies that offer complete coverage plans with customer service better than national brands at a fraction of the price.
So how can you tell whether you can trust smaller insurance companies? There are credit rating companies that do this sort of work for you. Two credit rating companies, Moody's and A.M. Best, let you search through their records of to see how a prospective insurance company ranks according to their criteria.
Familiarity with dump trucks. Dump trucks need special coverages that other commercial vehicles don't, namely environmental liability insurance. It's important that your insurance company is familiar with your industry so there are no gaps in your coverage.
Price. Dump trucks are expensive to insure. That's a fact. You should do everything you can to get the lowest price possible without sacrificing your coverage. Try finding an insurance company that offers discounts to experience drivers.
Good, always-ready customer service. If you ever find yourself in an accident, it's important that you can get in touch with your insurance company immediately. Choose a company that has 24-hour claims service.
Instead of wading through the internet or your phone book in search of reliable insurance companies, just use this form. For free, it'll connect you with three insurance agents who cover your area. Simple as that.


Rather than my normal column format, I thought I would give you a look at how Sunday went for the House this past weekend. I try and give a little snapshot of this every week, but this time I will pull the curtain wide open.
The weekend got off to a good start as players liked Marshall on Thursday night (the Hokies 47-21 victory made that a big winner for the book) and Friday was a record day for baseball with player favorites Boston (-200), Yankees (-300), Braves (-250) and Diamondbacks (-200) plus the Astros with Oswalt (-200) all losing. Saturday was a big day for the book as well with Miami, Purdue, Mississippi, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Oklahoma State and especially Michigan not covering. The players had some revenge with Florida State and Iowa State but not enough to make up for the other losses.
Perhaps surprisingly, the early game with the most handle was the Titans-Cowboys. In Week One, the Titans looked good in their win over the Eagles and after the Cowpokes' dreadful Sunday Night opener against the expansion Houston Texans it seemed the public wanted no part of Dallas, even as a 3 or 4-point home dog. The line opened -3 and players bet it hard to -4. Trust me when I say that bookies do not like to move a spread across these numbers in the NFL so this was some serious money across the board. I saw a few books flash +4.5 on Sunday and that seemed to bring the pros out, as there was a late flurry of Cowboys money, but not even close to enough to get the action balanced. The 21-13 Dallas win was a great one for sportsbooks everywhere.
The next busiest game was Patriots-Jets. Once again the Pats were shown no respect and opened as a 1-point dog. Early action was on the Jets and the line went as high as New York -2 before the Patriot bettors came out in force. The game closed at Pick'em and the House was left cheering slightly for the Jets. Not quite as good a result for the House as the Titans win!.I think line makers will be giving the Patriots a little more respect now.
The Packers and Saints drew a lot of action, as the public always likes to bet the Packers. Line hovered between Green Bay -2 and -2.5 and the action was reasonably balanced, but a late surge of Packers' money made the Saints win good for the House. Teasers were a big payoff for the House here as a lot of players teased the Packers from -2.5 to +4.5. This isn't a bad tease as you cross -1, +1, +3 and +4 but the 15-point Saints margin-of-victory made it a losing bet on this occasion.
For the Bucs-Ravens game, Tampa Bay got a lot of the action, even after their embarrassing opening week loss to the Saints. Baltimore's loss to Carolina made people forget they were Super Bowl winners just 2 years ago. The book opened up Bucs -3.5 and the line was quickly moved to -4. There was some initial resistance at -4 and it looked like that might be the right line, but weekend money on Tampa Bay moved the line all the way to -5. It was evident pretty quick that the Ravens were outmatched and players were going to beat us there.
The Miami-Indianapolis game was a strange one for us. The line opened at Colts -2.5 and the early money was on Indianapolis. We had to consider going to -3 but then the Dolphin's money came and kept coming until the line was -1. Late Colts money at Pick'em kept the damage to the book small and the 8-point Miami win helped us to cash in a few teasers. This game went to the wire but left the book a little disappointed with Peyton Manning.
The Bears-Falcons game was an easy one for the House to run. The line was opened at Atlanta -3 and closed there at kickoff. Early action was on the Bears so the line was moved to -3 (Even) and that was enough to attract the prefect amount of Falcons money. A handful of moves from -3 to -3 (-105) to -3 (Even) and back balanced the action to within a few hundred dollars and the bookmakers could simply watch and enjoy the Bears' nail-biting victory.
The Browns-Bengals, Jaguars-Chiefs and Lions-Panthers games didn't get near as much action as the other early games and there were few line moves as a result. (Makes me wonder if people have something against betting on teams with cat names?) The Chiefs opened and closed at -4 with balanced action although there was some late steam on the Over (moved from 42.5 to 45.5) and a little on the Chiefs that made it a good one for the book. Panthers opened and closed -3 and I don't think anybody noticed. There was a little Under money (moved from 37 to 35) so the Panther's 31-7 win was good as well. Browns opened at -4 and a mid-week spurt moved the line to -4.5. The money Friday and Saturday was on the Bungles!er!Bengals (sorry, couldn't resist) and the line closed back at -4. The action was very balanced so the House simply collected a little vig for the game.
The afternoon saw its share of action as well with the Broncos-49ers capturing most of the money. Line opened 49ers -3 and was quickly bet to -3.5. Action was balanced all week at -3.5 but players seemed to really like the 49ers on the moneyline and the Over (opened and closed at 44). The Broncos straight up win was a great one as it paid off on all three line types and cleared out a lot of teasers (-3.5 to +3.5 is the most popular teaser).
The Buffalo Bills made a lot of people happy in the afternoon. The line opened Vikings -5 and was bet down to -3.5. The Over was also a popular play as the number moved from 47 to 49 so the Overtime 45-39 Bills' win was not great for us but certainly was exciting to watch. The game also went so long that it ended just 15 minutes before the Sunday Night kickoff and this did have some impact on the late game handle.
The Rams-Giants game had decent action considering the line was so high. The Rams opened as -12.5 favorites and some Giants action brought it down to -11.5. Although the move from -12.5 to -11.5 is pretty insignificant in bookmakers' eyes, it certainly had an effect and there was a run of Rams action at that number. There was an incredible amount of sweetheart teaser action on the Rams (to -1.5 or +1.5 points) and the Giants huge upset made these very profitable for the book. There was also a lot of Rams' moneyline action at -650 and -700 as players took the sure thing in straights and in parlays. I am sure there are a lot of survivor pools with half of the players missing. I know ours is that way.
The Seahawks-Cardinals and Chargers-Texans games saw limited action. I am not sure if this is because the teams are located in the West or because they are just not very good. Seattle opened and closed at -3.5 with no line moves at all (other than half-juice on Friday). Action was all square and thus it was just a small vig-maker for the book. The Chargers opened -13 and moved to -12.5 on slight Texans action. Late Charger's money evened the action and brought the line back to -13. There was some action over the relatively low total of 34 and that made the game a little profitable for the House.
Overall, it was a pretty good day for the book. There were a couple of significant line moves that ended in the player's favor (Bills, Dolphins, Patriots) and I would expect to see the lines next week adjust for these teams. Bettors were very wrong on the Titans, Packers and 49ers so I would expect to see those lines move the other way.
The Sunday night game featured the Steelers and Raiders, both popular with the betting public. However, the Steelers embarrassing loss to the Pats on Monday Night last week meant that Raiders money would be coming so the book opened Steelers -3.5 (we had planned on -4 before the Monday Night game). Surprisingly, there was some Steelers action on the spread and the line moved to -4. A few bettors took the points but many more liked Oakland +150 on the moneyline as a fast way to make up for earlier losses. There was also some heavy betting on the Over and the total moved from 40 to 41. The 30-17 Raider's victory made a lot of players happy and turned a good day into an average one very quickly.
Anyway, that is how it looked from my vantage point yesterday. It was an exciting day (and a long one) and we get to do it all over again next weekend. Good luck this week and I will be back to regularly scheduled programming next week with a look at betting first halves.


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We Teach Our Kids Sportsmanship ... And Then What?
Davis County Cross Country Runner Zach Hougland's Good Deed Gets Punished
(AUDIO FILE BELOW -- PLEASE LISTEN)
(Two additional audio files added, also below.)
Thursday night at the regional cross country meet at Columbus Junction, something happened that was all at once strange and wonderful and heartwarming and terrible and awful and outrageous all at the same time.
Davis County cross country runner Zach Hougland won the individual regional crown and his fourth consecutive trip to the boys state cross country meet in Des Moines.
Then, after he was finished with his race, he noticed another runner -- a kid from Mediapolis, who was in trouble.
The kid was struggling and stumbling, and had fallen down about 100 feet from the finish line. Could have been exhaustion, dehydration -- who knows?
So Zach went over to this other young man, picked him up, and guided him to the finish line, giving him some dignity and getting him some much-needed help. It was a show of sportsmanship and a remarkable display of humanity and kindness in a world where there's not enough of any of those things.
What did Zach get for his actions? He got applause and respect and the adoration of all the witnesses around him.
Oh, and he got disqualified from the meet.
That's right -- because the rules state that one runner cannot aid another runner, the meet officials ruled that Zach would be stripped of his first-place finish and his district title -- something he has been working toward for at least four years.
It seems that most of the coaches at the meet were on record as saying they would gladly waive the rule in this case -- since Zach's actions had absolutely no impact on the competitive part of the race, and did not influence the team scores or individual state qualifiers in any way. But there was one coach who just had to be a stickler, and he made damn sure the rule was enforced.
The one silver lining for Davis County is that the other runners on the team finished well enough that, even without Zach's championship score, the squad finished third and qualified for the state meet. So Zach and his teammates will still get to compete at the highest level.
But still -- crap like this drives me crazy.
Listen to my radio interview with one Davis County cross country parent who witnessed the entire situation, Joanna McCoy. You will be glad you did!
1240 am KBIZ News Report on this story, with Ken Williams:
And Ottumwa Radio Sports Report, with Jason Van Arkel:
MARY FOUNTAIN link
Brovo young man. You should be proud of yourself. There are not enough kids out there today who would do what you did. To help another in need.. Praise be with you. And shame on the grown ups who knock kids down for doing good. You will be one to watch in the future. God bless.
Olivia Murry
my name is Olivia Murry and I am Zach Houglands Girlfriends little sister. I am 12 years old and for as long as I have known zach he has been 1 of my biggest role models. He has a huge heart and is a true hero. What he did was courageous act of kindness and should be recognized for helping another in need. 1st place was a big win... but helping another who couldn't get up is a bigger win! I will forever look up to Zach Hougland❤
Josh Husted
I am the Davis County coach. I am proud of Zach for what he did. He would do it again if the same situation occurred. Our community has a lot of integrity...sportsmanship...and character. This is a testimony of how our kids (athletes) are!
jan Harvey
My son, Dylan Harvey and Fairfield High School freshman- and a XC runner , we are so proud of you, your team and your sport!!!!!
Tracey MKcCullough
The name of the "stickler" coach should be made public. He felt he needed to make a stand for the official rules above all else so he should have no problem with the public knowing who he is.
Jen Hinson link
It was my cousin that Zach helped out- it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever witnessed. I don't know the kid from Adam, but he did a wonderful thing- and no one that knows him seems to be that surprised that he did. The thing is, my cousin would have done the same damn thing. Not a doubt in my mind.
Mary Lou tate
howie bryant link
Whilst rules are rules, in any case I would stand and applaud, this is light-years better than what happened in a college conference race at Kenosha, Wisconsin, yesterday. ~200 yards into the race, a collision occurred, and at least 2 people got punched in the face, both competitors. And they say that cross country is a contact sport. I guess it is after I saw that video!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Discuss gardening using organic materials and methods. Composting, mulching, pest control amongst others.
Any ideas for DIY plant food?
Worm composting, why are the worms trying to escape?
Anyone have experience with goat manure?
I'm all set to make compost!
Do you use vinegar to kill weeds?
Not a top level forum?
Do I have to buy a compost bin?


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SEO checklist – 10 things to check right now with easy to understand explanations for each step.
1) The blue text you see in the search results (see the picture further down) is called the 'title tag'. What do yours look like? Are they enticing? Keyword rich? If someone read yours, would you want to click through from the search results to your site?
2) Does your meta description, the bit that comes underneath the title in the search results, describe your web page accurately? Is it inviting? If I was a random user, would I click it? The answer to these questions should always be yes.
3) Are all your URLs (eg, www.example.com or www.example.com/example_page) easy to understand? If a human read them, could they get a sense of what your page was about? Test it now. Pick any page on your website (not your home page), copy what appears in the address bar of your browser and email a relative. An old one. Could they roughly describe your page without seeing it?
4) If someone was to look at your page for three seconds, could they tell youwhat it's about? Make sure your headers, the headlines in the copy, and the H1 and H2 tags in the code, are descriptive and keyword rich.
5) Is your navigation clear and intuitive? If you asked a stranger to find something on one of your deep-level pages, let's say, find a specific product or article, could they do it just by using their mouse? Great! OK, now test it. Ask a friend to do this now.
6) Are your images optimized? (Right click on an image and 'inspect element' and look at where it says "img alt" – is this an accurate description of the image? Does it even exist? The alt tag is what search engines 'see' when you upload an image. It's also used for site readers for the visually impaired. Ensuring your alt tags are descriptive makes your site more accessible and better for search engines.
7) Does your copy (text) sing? Are the words on your pages inviting, informative and punchy? And do they use the language your customers use, or are they jargonized?
9) Does the footer (the bit at the bottom of the web page) offer some more navigation options? Navigation that's keyword rich, and helpful for users (perhaps they have a slow internet connection – could they still get to where they want to go quickly?). If I just looked at the footer of your home page, would I see links to your most important pages?
This article was brought to you by CNetMarketing a Full Service Digital Marketing Agency.


Do You Like Playing with Dominos?
Articles in this category focus on how a leader can refine and build their character in Christ and lead by example from a Holy life.
The healthy and disciplined leader realizes he's already broken. In this brokenness, he can be whole if he allows himself to be.
What are your blind spots? How do you deal with them? Do you overlook them, or do you submit them to the Lord and ask other Christians to help you tackle these areas?
I realized at the funeral that I need to change my perspective. As the Bible clearly commands: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice" (Phil 4:4).
Looking around at the most relevant and cutting edge ideas about leadership today, I'm guessing these two ‒ patience and pain ‒ probably wouldn't make the list..
The most important leadership characteristic is credibility. Here are five common ways leaders lose their credibility.
"What's the excuse this time?" So often our team embarks on a new initiative and partway in, we can already hear people beginning to frame excuses as to why it won't (and eventually doesn't) work. What if we got them all into the open beforehand?
Great Preacher = Great Leader? Not So Fast!
We make our plans but they often go in much different ways. The key is how we respond to life's challenges. Do we complain and moan? I often do. The challenge is to see beyond the circumstances and see the golden nuggets in the midst of our trials.
In leadership, owning my own idea can be dangerous. If, as a leader, I place my value or my self-esteem on every idea I initiate, I will eventually become isolated from the valuable input of my team.
The best leaders I know are consistently getting better, but while all of that is true, you can often spot a mature leader. They share common attributes.
What's an "On the Level" Leader Worth?
It's never too early or late to strengthen our commitment to becoming a God-honoring leader. Everyone impacted by our leadership, including us, will be so grateful we did.
The primary calling of pastors and leaders in the Church is to lead people to become the type of disciples Christ has called them to be. And this means that ministry leaders must model what it means to be disciples.
The most important characteristic in effective communication and effective leadership is credibility. Just as people are unable to follow a leader they cannot believe or trust, a message will not be heard when it is delivered by someone who lacks credibility.
An individual can continue to grow even with a leader he or she cannot respect – sometimes even more. Here are seven actions I suggest when you don't respect the leader.
There's no shortage of answers, and in the wake of each pastoral scandal, all sorts of finger pointing ensues. Certainly, we could, and probably should, question our definitions of success or our defining ministry philosophies. My goal is much more meager.
It seems like a simple recipe. First, you quiet your ego. Then, you become a better learner. Finally, you emerge a better thinker. If you have ever witnessed a disaster being pulled from a smoking oven, you know that some recipes are more difficult to execute than others. The recipe for better thinking is one of those difficult recipes and ego is the spoiler.
Rewards come in all shapes and fashions. David exhorts us that the greatest reward of leadership is being forced to frequently confront and admit our own shortcomings, constantly growing even as we are the catalysts for others to grow.
Kevin Cashman lists several questions that can help reveal where our leadership strengths lie. In this article, these five questions have been adapted. I suggest reading these questions slowly and reflectively every day for the next five days.
If we strive to be excellent leaders, we must be intentional and passionate about serving Christ and His church ‒ moving forward, engaging culture. Leaders are born, but they can also be developed.
Jesus did not recruit His men from Bible Colleges or Universities or the political arena. He largely found ordinary men in the marketplace, men with certain qualities. And we see in the calling of these four fishermen an important principle; He tested them to approve them and then to entrust them with responsibility. How did He do that?


Today is a special day for everyone. A day that a lot of people celebrate and few do not. This day is Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is about showing your significant other how much you truly appreciate them (although it may be done year round) many go all out for this holiday. It's not only a holiday to celebrate your significant other but also a day to celebrate you. If you are single, it's okay to do something special for yourself. It does not matter if it is getting dressed up and going to dinner or a movie alone. It's about loving yourself and appreciating you because you are important as well. It's also okay to go celebrate this day with friends and have a girls night out. So don't be down about not having a significant other to share this day with, because this is a holiday for everyone.
A lot of women have a hard time figuring out what to wear on this special day so I decided to do a few looks for Valentine's Day. These looks can be worn anywhere today. Most feel like you should wear the traditional colors red and pink. Those colors are nice but you can add your own twist to it and wear various colors. I decided to wear neutral colors, silver, and also the traditional red in case there were people who love the traditional colors. Each look can be worn not only today but also on any occasion so I wanted you to be able to shop for items you can wear year round because it's all about saving a dollar.


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Faculty Service Learning Resources
Interfaith Literacy and Service
Faculty Service Learning Awards
Faculty Service Learning Showcase
International Service Learning
Places for Service Learning
Reflection Guide for Developing Service Learning
Resources for Assistance and Scholarship
Seeking Carnegie Classification
Service and Service Learning Guidelines
UIW Tricentennial Invitation
Examples of UIW Faculty Research
History of Service Learning at UIW
Stories of Truth and Transformation
Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability
A Glimpse of the History of Engaged Scholarship, Service Learning and Community Service at Incarnate Word
Young women from Ireland coming to San Antonio to learn and to serve. Sister Dorothy Ettling, CCVI (1940-2014), wrote "At its core, the mission is about transforming us from VIEWERS of a disconnected and conflicted international reality, to PARTICIPANTS in creating a more interconnected and responsive global community." (Photo: Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
The origins of Incarnate Word were in response to the San Antonio mayor's urgent plea to Claude Dubuis, then Bishop of Galveston, to provide health care for citizens dying of cholera in the 1860s. Three young French women, Sisters, responded to Bishop Dubuis' request to help the city and soon after would found the first public hospital, Santa Rosa Infirmary. As time passed, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word taught others to nurse with them. Ever since then, service to the community and education have been integrated into the Incarnate Word tradition. The Sisters received a charter from the State of Texas to found schools in 1881. Children were reminded that the privilege of education invited them to care for others. Education leads to service. Thoughtful service can invite systemic change.
Examples of that can be read in Promises to Keep by Sister Margaret Patrice Slattery, CCVI, a fascinating two-volume history of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, which has been recognized as an outstanding publication by the Texas Catholic Historical Society. A unit of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine had been established at Incarnate Word College in 1941. "Students were trained to be teachers of religion and gave instruction in Christian doctrine to children who could not afford to attend a Catholic School. Most of their teaching was done in a low-income area of the city where they renovated a dilapidated building by repainting the walls, replacing a broken window, and securing enough furniture to make the structure suitable as a catechetical center and chapel where Mass was celebrated on Sundays. The students' work in catechetical instruction and the establishment of Santa Maria, as the neighborhood center was called, led ultimately to the foundation of St John's parish." The text also notes that in 1944, the IWC chaplain, Father John Hayes focused on a concern for social justice and the poverty rates in San Antonio. "According to Sister Aloysius Clare Maher, "He always reached out to the downtrodden, the forgotten ones, and encouraged the students to do the same." Urging them to work for and with the poor in San Antonio, he said, "Your mission is here. These are the people who need your help." (Promises to Keep, 1995, vol. 2, page 342)
In the 1980s at Incarnate Word College, now the University of the Incarnate Word, faculty and administrators were eager to institutionalize the tradition of service so that it might be carried into the future.
Development and Institutionalization of Service-Learning at the University of the Incarnate Word, 1989-2001
(As updated Nov. 15, 2002 with contributions from Dr. Bob Connelly and Dr. Pat Lonchar)
1989: New Core Curriculum initiated with 45 hours of Community Service required for graduation and an emphasis on cross-disciplinary integration. Twenty-hours of this was service learning within classes. Community Service Form developed that included student written reflection in response to five questions.
1990: Senior synthesis (SS) serves as the capstone course for the New Core. SS offered an opportunity for reflection and integration.
1991: Five hours of service are required as a part of the Dimensions of Wellness curriculum. Dimensions of Wellness is conceived as a "Freshman Synthesis" keystone course. Community Service Documentation forms required.
1992: Thirty hours of Community Service must be completed before Senior Synthesis, an additional 15 to be completed during the course itself.
1992: Office of Social Concerns created to coordinate service opportunities.
1995: A faculty person and the Coordinator of Campus Ministry attend the National Institute on Service and Learning.
1995: All Community Service hours must be completed before Senior Synthesis.
1996: Ernest Boyer writes about "The Scholarship of Engagement" in the Journal of Public Service and Outreach: "…[T]he academy must become a more vigorous partner in the search for answers to our most pressing social, civic, economic, and moral problems, and must reaffirm its historic commitment to what I call the scholarship of engagement."
"Do justice before charity. . ." Letters of Mother St. Pierre Cinquin, December 1883 (Photo: Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
1996-97: Lilly Planning Grant for a consortium of five schools to do a research study of service-learning at religiously-affiliated institutions.
1997-99: "Breaking Barriers in a Border Community," a Lilly Faculty Development Grant awarded for the University's participation in the research study of the consortium.
1997: The New York Times Magazine reports that "out-of-the-classroom, or 'service,' experience(s) and cross-disciplinary teaching" trends will most likely "give rise eventually to a transformation in the training of professors."
1997: Ed Zlotkowsky, national leader in service-learning, is the keynote speaker for the August faculty workshop.
1997: "Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate," by Ernest Boyer, is distributed to all faculty.
1997: Senior Synthesis is discontinued, but the 45-hour community service requirement remains.
1997: The Service-Learning Task Force is formed in the Spring Semester.
1997-1998: Four Service-Learning pilot courses are run (in Nursing, Information Technology, Nutrition, DW/CD/Computer literacy).
1998: Two summer workshops for faculty on Service-Learning with consultants from Portland State and Santa Clara Universities.
1998: Service-Learning Guidebook completed.
1998: Academic Vice-President encourages faculty at a special forum to consider the New American College (Boyer, Carnegie Foundation) model for scholarship and teaching.
NETWORK was founded by U.S. Catholic Sisters to promote social justice nationally through education and advocacy in 1973. Sister Dorothy Ettling was in leadership with Incarnate Word Sisters and influenced the spirit of Incarnate Word College. Sr. Dorothy Ettling served on the board of NETWORK from 1988-1993, and was the Board chair from 1990-1993. Sister eventually became faculty in UIW Education Department and encouraged faculty as social justice leaders developing Women's Global Connection and a Center for Civic Leadership. She visits a woman in Peru to develop global solidarity. (Photo: Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
1998: Two Faculty Forums introduce dialogue about Campus Conversations, a program sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation (formerly headed by Ernest Boyer).
1998: New Guidelines for rank and tenure include the Boyer categories of scholarship.
1999: Faculty Council approves recommendations from the Service-Learning Task Force, which includes the Service-Learning Guidebook, an office, and a process to begin institutionalizing Service-Learning at the university. The Service-Learning Committee becomes a subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee.
1999: Pilot Learning Community courses offer interdisciplinary and service components.
1999: Some honors courses require Service-Learning.
1999: Health ministry established for the St. Philip of Jesus parish. St. Philip of Jesus becomes a Service-Learning partnership organization.
2001: First meeting of the Service-Learning Advisory Council, including UIW faculty, administration and representatives of Service-Learning Partnership agencies/initiatives.
2002: A minor approved in Nonprofit Management of Food and Apparel Recovery with a Service-Learning requirement.
2002: Service-Learning Committee approves a Checklist of questions for identifying a Service-Learning course, a designation approval form, and instituting the Ed Zlotkowski Award.
Incarnate Word has developed through good leadership and promotes social justice leadership. Dr. Amy Freeman Lee (left), humanitarian, public intellectual, artist, and civic leader holds an award for being associated with Incarnate Word for 50 years since she was a student. She led the Incarnate Word Board of Directors for many years. In 1968, she was the first laywoman appointed to the Incarnate Word Board of Directors and then led the Board Sister Margaret Patrice Slattery (right), Incarnate Word College president 1972-85, received the Ford Salute to Higher Education for distinguished service, was awarded the Mirabeau B. Lamar Medal for Leadership in Learning by the Association of Colleges and Universities in Texas, was honored by the San Antonio Express-News for leadership in education and was elected into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame. (Photo: Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
Service-Learning at UIW
(Prepared by Dr. Bob Connelly and Dr. Patricia Lonchar, 8/22/03)
When UIW joined with four other religious-affiliated institutions in 1996 to seek funding from the Lilly Foundation to assist our implementation of Service-Learning (S-L), we did so knowing that such an initiative was inherent within our Mission. For three years, the Lilly grant supported our Service-Learning implementation and faculty development efforts. At the close of the Lilly grant, the University had established Service-Learning as an aim in its Vision Document and accepted Service-Learning activities as appropriately meeting the Graduation Service Requirement for students. Further, four distinct programs integrated Service-Learning Pilots into their course structure; assessments of these pilot courses guided the Service-Learning Committee to formulate processes for continued addition of Service-Learning courses into the University curriculum. Formal procedures for official S-L course designation in the college schedule are now in place and steps to establish a Service-Learning transcript have begun. Service-Learning has also become one aspect of a faculty member's performance criteria. A Service-Learning Advisory Council, composed of external community members, serves as a vital link between campus programs and the greater San Antonio community.
But processes, forms, and vision inclusion are not the most laudatory of the Service-Learning initiatives at UIW, important as these areas are. The results of UIW's Service-Learning initiative are most evident and most significant in the actual work of service and learning now occurring in the San Antonio community by UIW faculty and students. This work with underserved populations includes:
The Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions now operates a Health Ministry as part of its Service-Learning program: Nursing students assist in various health education and monitoring tasks, nursing faculty staff the programs, PE majors assist in supervision of wellness activities, Business majors assist in data management procedures, and Nutrition majors conduct Nutrition Information sessions. Most of this work is conducted in both English and Spanish.
Besides work in the Health Ministry of Nursing, the Nutrition program in the School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering also works closely with the San Antonio Food Bank in food recovery—a Service-Learning activity that has also given rise to a Non-Profit Food and Clothing Recovery Minor that combines Business, Fashion, and Nutrition courses with a service focus.
Freshmen and Sophomore students in Computer Information Systems in the School of Media and Design serve as mentors/tutors to individuals living in the retirement center located next to the University campus and serve a similar function at a local community center in an after-school program for young adults.
Psychology majors in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) conduct parent-training classes and mentoring in a local community center for young parents and their children—in English and in Spanish. In addition, Psychology students also assist that same center in its assessment of its outreach programs—Meals on Wheels and Senior Day Care.
Education majors in the Dreeben School of Education have added Literacy Workshops/Play Days as part of their course work. These majors also established a Peter Rabbit Literacy Garden at the San Antonio Botanical Garden and have served as advisors/consultants for several non-profit groups who wish to establish and maintain safe play areas for children.
Theatre majors in CHASS now have a capstone course that requires students to design S-L projects using theatre-related skills. Projects may involve working with the homeless, the dying, children, in arts organizations, museums, hospitals, or shelters.
Theatre as a means of developing empathy and as a means of delighting people has been a consistent type of service at Incarnate Word. Students after a drama at the College and Academy of the Incarnate Word (now known as the University of the Incarnate Word), c.1920, on the steps of the Chapel of the Incarnate Word. (Photo: Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
Plans are currently in progress for English composition students in CHASS to conduct interviews and compile a history of South San Antonio that will enable that area to regain visibility and secure its rightful place in the city's rich history. Additionally, the honors composition course continues to pair U.S. students with International students in order to foster better understanding by developing written and verbal reports that profile the international students' lives.
UIW Faculty and Friends Found and Develop Women's Global Connection as a Path of Service Learning
In August 2001, after about a year of brainstorming and work to implement, a press release went out to the general public that the San Antonio and Houston Incarnate Word Sisters had opened up a website educational ministry on June 1: "Considering that our two Congregations minister in El Salvador, Guatemala, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Zambia, a web site seems like an appropriate ministry to connect us and empower us. The web site is sponsored as a commitment of our ministry to improve the status of women through advocacy, justice, health care, and education. Read, educate yourself, and be motivated to act as a strong unified voice for women." Pages of the site dealt with Social Justice, Legislative Affairs, Health Issues, and Education. This was initiated by the Generates including Sister Walter Maher as a member. Starting in 2000 Sisters Dot Ettling, Martha Ann Kirk, Michele O'Brien, and Yolanda Tarango had worked with the Houston Congregation to define the ideas and implement them.
As Sisters Dorothy Ettling and Martha Ann Kirk were active in that, Ettling, as a teacher in the Education Department, was encouraging faculty to gather their experiences of service-learning and be even more creative and expansive. From that thinking, Women's Global Connection emerged. Dr. Kevin Vichcales as the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research encouraged innovative thinking among faculty. He wrote about the ideas behind and development of WGC at the beginning of Reach Out Africa, Studies in Community Empowerment, Sustainable Development, and Cross-Cultural Engagement, a book that he and Ettling edited which was released in 2013. Unfortunately, she had suddenly died during the layout of the book and never saw the print edition.
Dr. Vichcales wrote:
Established in 2001, Women's Global Connection (WGC) is a nonprofit organization founded in partnership with UIW to further education and research in the global community, particularly in the least-advantaged regions and countries of the world. WGC's mission is to promote the learning and leadership of women locally and globally through collaborative networks and partnerships. Through a variety of methods, WGC offers space for sharing women's wisdom, experience, and spirituality for the purpose of creating a just and sustainable global community.
The partnership between UIW and WGC has been mutually beneficial and has shown how, through systematic cultural engagement, sustainable pathways to a better future may be forged. The models developed and implemented by the partners have proven successful and are replicable on a broader scale. The service-learning educational model implicit in the work demonstrates the true value that this model offers to humanity---the positive benefits that may be produced by those who engage in structured preparation coupled with hands-on implementation and learning.
As is often stated no plan survives the first step of implementation, given that reality forces us to reconsider our original thoughts and questions and adjust to the realities we find on the ground. This is been true of this project. But for those willing to commit themselves to the experience, engagement with others in an open dialogue and with the intention of discerning true needs and proactively seeking culturally informed sustainable solutions has offered the most constructive means of achieving ultimate goals. The numerous participants in this partnership have witnessed the forging of new communal bonds that have been nothing short of life-altering.
One of the early childhood educations projects described in Reach Out Africa.(Photo: Women's Global Connection)
Each participant has lived the service-learning experience and gained much more from his or her participation than what was originally expected. All have commented on how their experiences have formed their thinking on the subjects of development, engagement, and community. While the community is typically defined as among members of a given cultural context, a new idea of community, forged via the heat of the service-learning experience has expanded that traditional definition to one that is much broader, cross-cultural, and linked via the bonds of our shared humanity.
As a research endeavor, this project confronted the partners with multiple unique challenges of how both to engage in positive work on the ground and also to proactively utilize the various initiatives as means of furthering the institution's research mission. We think you will agree that the work presented demonstrates that these obstacles were overcome through the dedicated work of the partners. It is our hope that the contributions made here to meet your expectations. (Kevin Vichcales in Reach Out Africa, Bloomington, IN Archway Publishing, 2013, 2014, pages xvii-xviii).
The text Reach Out Africa continues with Sr. Dot Ettling describing methods and theory of community-based participative research that emerged from faculty and students' engaged scholarship and projects with the people of Tanzania and Zambia over a period of about ten years. Faculty and students wrote chapters of the book describing individual projects. Some of this can be seen online with even more examples of successful projects: "WGC is committed to a participatory approach in all activities with our community partners. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) forms a foundational base in our capacity building activities and research. Although each setting offers a unique context, this figure depicts the interconnected way we view our engagement in research for sustainable development. Click each area of the graphic to see the research we are doing in that area." at women's global connection.
View stories and pictures of these projects by the WHC in 2019. These initiatives are being continued in 2020 and 2021 though the WGC office has been closed following COVID-19 protocols.
$15,000 Grant for Service Learning
Worship Opening Hearts and Hands to Service
Directed by Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI, 2006
With funding from the Lilly Foundation, the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship had a program, "Worship Renewal Grants." Sr. Martha Ann Kirk was awarded a grant in 2005 in light of a proposal focusing on cultural inclusion. When she went to participate in the orientation at Calvin College, she accidentally discovered their well-developed Service-Learning center. She brought information on that to Dr. Robert Connelly and others. This led to the development of a 2006 grant "Worship Opening Hearts and Hands to Service," remembering that "Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of his disciplines ..." and "Jesus took bread and said … this is my body given for you. ..."
The grant proposal noted that understanding of and participation in worship would be deepened through exploring four biblical themes in relation to service, justice, and peacemaking.
The themes are:
Sheltering
Reconciling
Incarnate Word College Nursing students have been continuously formed not just for jobs, but in values of serving where there is need and trying to create more equity.
In light of each of these themes, there would be:
A Gathering of about three hours with education about worship, prayer, and a meal
Community service of about three hours
A Reflection to integrate one's experience of the service, worship, and on-going purpose and meaning in life.
This program would benefit students of the University of the Incarnate Word and other members of our worshiping community. It would be advertised to local churches of all denominations and build on those contacts made through the years.
The motivation for this grant comes from both the positive desire to glorify God in worship through loving our neighbors more, serving as Christ served, and building God's reign of justice.
The motivation also comes from recognized needs:
In our culture at this time, many people are seen to be going to worship to learn how to prosper rather than to learn how to give. Private spiritualities stemming from selfishness are being nurtured in some approaches to worship. The call to service, not self-interest will be emphasized at the Gatherings and in the worship on campus throughout the year. We wish to teach more music related to service, justice, and peacemaking.
Through community service and service-learning at UIW has been improving over the years in that students help more people, faculty continue to be concerned that there is not an adequate reflection on what was done, what was learned, and how this might influence one's life in the future. In this grant program thinking back on the themes from scripture and worship, the experience of service, and how this impacts one's life is essential.
Over 65 percent of our students qualify for some type of financial assistance. Students often have heavy loads of work as well as study. The funding of Student Animators for this grant is a deliberate effort to give meaningful work integrating service and meaning in life.
Remembering that people's eyes "were opened in the breaking of the bread," both the Gatherings and the Reflection sessions will include a meal. University students, mostly nourished by fast food, lack experience of and skills in mealtime presence to other humans. The University dining room and café both have televisions, which is one of the ways people avoid personal presence to other human beings. Sacramental spirituality reflects the incarnation, the presence of the Divine to humans. Human presence mediates the grace of God. Developing skill and comfort in human relationships around a table is a way to better relationships globally.
As the year unfolded, students learned from and participated in reflection with:
HEALING: (1) Dr. Kathi Light who brought the ethical question "Is healthcare a right or a privilege?" and urged service through advocacy work for affordable health care, (2) Dr. Ricardo Riojas and others working with Los Quijotes who take healing to Mexico.
RECONCILING: (3 ) Rev. Phineas Walker urged service through education and advocacy for the U.S. Department of Peace, (4) Rev. Ann Helmke, animator of the SA peaceCENTER explained and invited students to local efforts in the spirit of Gandhi.
SHELTERING: (5) Partnerships with local communities who welcome refugees. (6) SAMM's Shelter, Catholic Worker House,
FEEDING: (7) "Feed My Sheep," monthly trip to meet people in Piedras Negras and share food, (8) While students did activities like help the Food Bank, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's statement moved service to a deeper level: "A table is where people come together for food. For many, there is not enough food and, in some cases, no table at all. A table is where people meet to make decisions—in neighborhoods, nations, and the global community. Many people have no place at the table. Their voices and needs are ignored or dismissed."
Sr. Mary Victory (1887-1968), photo c. 1940, who taught at Incarnate Word College, got the title "the fighting sister for the Westside poor" because she co-founded and directed the Guadalupe Community Center for fourteen years. She attended class at Incarnate Word College in cooking and nutrition and became one of the first dieticians in San Antonio. She organized the diet department at Santa Rosa Hospital and then served at three other hospitals educating nurses. She helped organize the Nurses Education Department at Incarnate Word College. She had just returned from the Austin State Health Department because of her involvement in the Incarnate Word College Public Health Nursing Program when Father Carmen Tranchese, SJ, urgently wanted assistance in Our Lady of Guadalupe parish. He rented a building for her for a year, but then left her with all the responsibility in the most disadvantaged area of the city. She got some funding from the Community Chest, which is now known as United Way. With much faith and hardly any funds, she had a dining hall built. It served all functions of the community center, as a nursery, arts and crafts center, cafeteria, and classroom. Many of these families suffered the most through the Great Depression. In the first couple years of the center, the main work was ensuring a hot lunch for hundreds of hungry and poor Mexican children and on average served about 300 children. (Photo: Archives of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
Unifying ideas developing since the 1980s and faculty involved, recognizing that Our Lady of the Lake University had opened a center for service learning in 1997, Sr. Dorothy Ettling, CCVI, affectionately known as Sr. Dot, laid out plans for a Center for Civic Leadership early in 2012. With a graduate Education student whom she supervised, some financial support from CHRISTUS Health, and permission from UIW, the center, with a group of students information called Cardinal Community Leaders, was developing.
In 2013, Monica Cruz was hired as an assistant to Sr. Dot and various faculty contributed ideas and support.
"Develop Leaders Who Promote Social Justice..."
-Mission of the Center
In April 2014, Sr. Dot invited Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, who had been the co-director of the IW Justice and Peace Graduate Program, to work with her and carry forward the vision. That invitation was not fully accepted until Sr. Dot was dying in September 2014. Then-president Dr. Agnese encouraged Sr. Martha Ann to do this. She began gathering extensive information on engaged scholarship, civic engagement, and service-learning in Spring 2015 and grant writing.
Monica Cruz, the center director, had Sr. Martha Ann lead a series of focus groups with faculty from every school sent by their deans in regard to Service-Learning. Two main themes emerged: faculty seek assistance from center staff, and that they seek on-going pedagogical formation in good practices.
She researched, compiled, wrote, and posted all that is on the Faculty Resources pages of the ECCLS website and posted information about Engaged Scholarship and Service Learning in the spring of 2016.
In 2016, considering the Service-Learning Task Force that began in 1997 and was building fairly consistently until 2005, she organized a Service-Learning Committee. The lists and forms used for designating classes as Service-Learning had been lost.
She organized so that the Edward Zlotkowski Service Learning Award was revived in 2017.
She initiated the Service-Learning Showcase after collecting extensive information at the state Gathering for professionals in Arlington.
She considered these ideas from the Mission, Values, and Vision of the center and extensive research that indicates working in partnerships with faculty towards educational goals is what centers do:
Develop leaders who promote social justice
Facilitate a sense of global citizenship and cultural sensitivity
Encourage an inclusive interfaith perspective
Connect local to global
Advocate for a deeper understanding of social justice issues
Guide by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, promoting the common good by educating enlightened and concerned leaders committed to learning, research, advocacy, and service for those in most need
Collaborate "to achieve individual/social transformation while respecting the dignity of each individual and all creation," from Mission, Values, and Vision for the center.
Appreciation of the beauty of God's creation and commitment to preserving creation, earth justice, has been a high value for Incarnate Word Sisters whether in the early 1900s or when establishing sustainability as part of the Ettling Center.
In light of those, she has written, directed, and implemented successfully small grants that provided funds for faculty formation in social justice, service-learning:
Human Slavery and Trafficking, Founders concern for the most vulnerable (Lilly Foundation, 2016)
Interfaith Literacy and Service (Interfaith Youth Core, 2017)
Catholic Nonviolence Movement (Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, 2018)
Compassion Integrity Training to further SA as a City of Compassion (Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, 2018)
Developing Interfaith Leadership (Interfaith Youth Core, 2019)
(Interfaith Service Learning and Refugees grant proposal were submitted to the Interfaith Youth Core, but with the pandemic, their regular grant cycle has been interrupted.)
Identifying Needs, Developing, Assessing Service-Learning Support, Pilot of Four-Year Longitudinal Study on Social Justice Transformation (UIW Graduate Research Assistant Award, 2020)
Critical Thinking, Compassion, Civic Engagement, a pilot project in the "Pedagogies for Social Justice" grant category (Wabash Center, 2020)
These faculty formation grants have led to various stages of growth, flowering, and fruitfulness. One example is the human trafficking grant in 2016, which led to a project of engaged scholarship, service-learning, research, and action and which has been featured in The Journal of Nursing Practitioners.
Sr. Martha Ann wrote the nomination that led to the University of the Incarnate Word getting the inaugural United Way Higher Education Community Impact Service Volunteer of the Year Award on April 9, 2019, at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
The nomination explained:
At the University of the Incarnate Word, during the 2017-2018 Academic Year, 3,666 students were in classes where the faculty had student volunteers out serving the San Antonio community. Engagement in service is a high impact learning method. This is a third of the UIW student body. During this time 99 faculty members taught 297 class sections with service learning. Those sections span 31 different departments and 99 different faculty members, over 1 in 10 of our faculty community. Clearly, Service Learning activity is not focused in any single department, discipline, or college or school. Service to the community is a pervasive approach at the University of the Incarnate Word rooted in its mission. This outpouring of service is in continuity with Incarnate Word history. By 1869 typhus and two cholera epidemics had hit San Antonio, one killing about 10% of the population. There was no hospital for the public. The mayor heard that Catholic Sisters had started a hospital in Galveston and he sent an urgent plea seeking help. This is the 150th anniversary year of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word founding Santa Rosa Infirmary in response to city needs.


There has been a lot of hype the last few years regarding Self Managed Super Funds. It's almost like the in thing to have one set up, especially if your older and you've got a significant amount of money sitting in super.
Basically unless you're interested in property investing through your super fund (and if you do this and borrow you get pretty crappy returns because of the interest and fees you pay) then maybe you should consider one of the new SMSF Lite Providers. What is SMSF lite you ask? It's a product that has been created by some of the big superannuation companies as an alternative to a SMSF. To be hones, if the only reason your considering a SMSF is to have some control then these products are something you need to seriously consider.
Most funds require you to have a minimum balance.
Limits on direct shares - depending on the fund they may limit you to only investing 50 - 80% of your funds into shares you choose and they may restrict you to only 20% of your funds allocated to one particular share. ie: you can't just go and put 100% of your funds and buy CBA shares. Often you will have access to purchase shares in the ASX 200 or ASX 300 group of companies. If you're restricted to 50% of your capital being invested in direct shares then the rest of your funds you can choose to be invested in any of the super funds managed portfolios.
There were a few other options but navigating their website I wasn't able to find the product and therefore give you a link so they missed out.


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JIMBO Ken
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"JIMBO Ken", nuke policy, June 05, 2000, https://nautilus.org/nuke-policy/jimbo-ken/
JIMBO Ken is currently a Research Fellow in charge of International Security. He is affiliated with the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, and the Center for American Studies.
He received his B.A. in Policy Management from Keio University, his M.A. from the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University and is currently at Ph.D. candidate at Keio University. His research field is predominately in Multilateral Security in Asia Pacific Region, ASEAN Regional Forum, and US-Japan-China Security Relations. In 1999, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Study of Democracy and also a Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA). In 2000, he was a Visiting Fellow to the Asia-Pacific Research Center at Waseda University.
He has been involved with several research groups, including a Member of the Working Group on Asia-Pacific Security at the Japan Institute of International Affairs and a Member of the Working Group on Preventative Diplomacy at the Asia-Pacific Research Center, Waseda University. His recent publications include: "ASEAN regional Forum and Preventative Diplomacy: Regionalization of the Concept" (The Journal of National Defense), "Chinese Apprehension of US-Japan Security Relations: 1972-1998" (The Journal of Law and Politics, 1999), "Japan, US, and China's Multilateral Security Policy in Asia Pacific" (The Journal of National Defense, 1997), TMD and Japanese Security" (Plutonium, 1998), and Changing Japan-US Security Policy Community (1997).
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Revealed: How much Burnley's best paid players are said to earn and which stars receive the highest salary — photo gallery
Burnley stalwart linked with late January exit as striker eyes permanent transfer
Burnley FC deny 'illegal approach' claim for Bournemouth chief scout
Burnley Football Club have denied claims made by Bournemouth chairman Eddie Mitchell of an illegal approach for Cherries' chief scout Des Taylor.
8th Jul 2011, 8:18am - 2 min read
Taylor, who worked under Eddie Howe at Dean Court, resigned this week, before questioning Bournemouth's ambition.
Taylor is said to be in breach of his contract, which expires in June 2012.
And that provoked a response from Mitchell, who released a statement on Bournemouth's official website, alleging the Clarets were involved in Taylor's resignation.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany comments on reports of Michael Obafemi's signing from Swansea City
Burnley responded with their own statement, which read: "Burnley Football Club strongly refutes allegations made today (Wednesday) by AFC Bournemouth Chairman Mr Eddie Mitchell.
"In a statement on the AFC Bournemouth official website, Mr Mitchell accuses Burnley Football Club of being 'underhand and unprofessional' and of making an illegal approach for chief scout Mr Des Taylor.
"This statement is factually incorrect in all regards to Burnley Football Club, which has not approached, nor offered Mr Taylor any position at Turf Moor.
"Nor, as alleged by Mr Mitchell, did Burnley Football Club utilise the services of Mr Taylor at the U21 European Championships in Denmark this summer.
"In closing, Burnley Football Club will always aim to be honest, open and professional in their dealings with other football clubs."
Mitchell has said, after seeing Taylor's reasons for his resignation in the Bournemouth Daily Echo: "It is very frustrating for someone like Des - an employee of the club - to come out in the paper, and be too frightened to disclose the truth that he has been approached by another club. He has admitted this, and the club in question is Burnley.
"Des is contracted to AFC Bournemouth until the end of June 2012 and his resignation means he is in full breach of his contract.
"We believe it is not the first time Burnley have approached one of our staff without informing us first, and I find it very underhand and unprofessional. The truth will be shown when Des signs a contract with them, or begins to work freelance, as we know the fact is they have made an approach."
The statement claimed Bournemouth had paid £3,000 to send Taylor to the UEFA European Under 21 Championships in Denmark last month "for Burnley's benefit and not ours."
Mitchell's statement continued: "It's just very disappointing I have been drawn into something like this, but I will defend the club as best I can. The real crux of the matter is that if someone is approached by another club, that is fine, as long as they do things in a professional manner, then clubs are allowed to move forward without this bitter taste."
Taylor said: "I have left for the right reasons and see my future elsewhere. I don't have any concrete plans at the moment and will see what the future holds."


Shuktara is a charity that provides care in a home environment to children and adults with disabilities who have been orphaned or abandoned.
Shuktara Cakes is the brainchild of Alain Cojean, who runs a chain of restaurants in Paris called Cojean and a Foundation called Nourrir, Aimer, Donner (Eat, Love, Give). Alain was so deeply touched that he decided to give vocational training by starting a French Patisserie training centre. A team of boys were taught the intricacies of French Patisserie by Fabien Rouillard, former Head Executive Pastry Chef at Fauchon, a gourmet food company in Paris and Shuktara Cakes was officially launched on 10th March, 2013.
Shuktara cakes serve you with the best quality of French products like Madelienes, Financiers and cakes.Their range of fresh baked cakes include Chocolate cake, Marble cake, Fruit cake, Orange & poppyseed cake and Cinnamon & Walnut cake.
Financiers, as Lora Chantebel, business consultant, told us uses traditional French recipe made of almond powder, flour, eggs and sugar, shaped like a ingot, and are perfect for tea time or breakfast. She also enlightened us on the history which says that a French pastry chef called Lasne invented them to delight financials without getting their hands dirty.
Madeleines, a small cake with shell shape is created in assortment of colours by team Shuktara Cakes.
Friday saw the launch of new flavours in Madeleines - Chocochip, Chocolate and Orange.
Enjoy the glimpses of the evening that was enriched with the lovely smell of French Patisserie.


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Art Gallery celebrates funding award
Wolverhampton Art Gallery is celebrating after being awarded £67,000 in the latest round of funding allocations from the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund (EFCF).
The money will be used to fund a 12 month programme linked to the Art Gallery's Pop Art collection, including research and the development of displays as well as encouraging links with international partnerships to increase understanding and use of the collection.
Marguerite Nugent, Curatorial Services and Programme Development Manager at the Art Gallery, said: "We are delighted to continue our relationship with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and this funding allows us to further develop national and international recognition for Wolverhampton and the Pop collection as well as allowing us to take our research in new directions.
"Wolverhampton Art Gallery is home to one of the largest and most significant collections of Pop Art outside London. The collection includes iconic works by Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, Roy Lichtenstein and Richard Hamilton as well as many other artists associated with the Pop movement. In 2012, we acquired 14 key works by artists associated with Pop, gifted to the Art Gallery by Eric and Jean Cass through the Contemporary Art Society. The collection includes European artists and we are interested in how these artists influenced and were influenced by British and American Pop.
"This funding means we have the opportunity to develop inspiring new international partnerships and develop our existing relationship with the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, Poland, who will borrow a selection of works from the Pop collection in 2014. We will be able to build on the success of our programme strand devoted to lesser known Pop artists such as the latest exhibition at the Art Gallery, Pauline Boty: Pop Artist and Woman, which is proving to be very popular with our visitors and attracting national media attention."
released: Monday 24 June, 2013
Released: Monday 24th June, 2013


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The Story of Demonkeeper
Demonkeeper Reviewed: Find Out What Makes Demon Keeper a Must Read
Awards / Accolades for The Dead Boys
From Cover Art to Life-Sized Art
German Novels
Adventure Thrillers
Make The Terminals' Playlist Real
Royce's Playlist
Cam's Playlist
Very excited! Here's why…
Okay, so the Fall 2022 Random/Penguin House catalog for Germany is out. This is the catalog that goes to booksellers…like Barnes and Noble, Village Books, etc.
Monster Lawyer (by me) is the second book listed under fantasy. This is an "I'm #2!!!" victory, which is awesome by itself. But that's not all.
Many huge titles get a full page in the catalog. I've shown the Game of Thrones page below as an example 10 books–one page. The Star Wars books (written by Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore, George Lucas and other random authors of some repute)–two pages.
And Monster Lawyer? One book–two full pages (fun pics below). Wow! Love it. Cautiously optimistic about its lauch. Aww, screw it…crazy excited for the Halloween launch. They're calling it "Unsere gruseligsten fantasy-titel zu Halloween." Yeah, I didn't know either, but Google translate says: "Our spookiest Halloween fantasy title." I'll take it!
Looking forward to going to Germany to promote it in October. The last two times my publisher supported/marketed my books like this we ended up on the bestseller list, and so I see good things ahead (and dead people, but that's from Monster Lawyer II, which I'm currently writing–just did a killer whirlpool sucking down a boat at Deception Pass scene…so much fun).
Royce Writes: My Medieval Roots
I grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons. This is my original Players Handbook. It got a lot of love when I was a kid.
And these are my two best childhood friends, Mike Francis & Eric Yatabe. We get together every few years.
We played many hours of D&D growing up–sometimes a single game would last for weeks–so we decided to dig out our D&D supplies and play over the weekend as 50 year olds.
I volunteered to be Dungeon Master, selected a classic dungeon module from my original stash (Hall of the Fire Giant King), and studied it. My sons created character sheets. We took over the dining room table. And we played.
Being Dungeon Master is lot like being a storyteller. The Dungeon Master sets the scene and guides other players through the dungeon, always revealing just enough about what monster, trap, or treasure might be lurking or hidden around the next corner to keep them hungry and surprised. On this occasion the players broke into the castle with a spell that created a hole in the wall, and they trapped the Fire Giant Queen in her chambers. One player died in the fracas, and there was much debate about, well, everything. It was just as intense as when we were kids.
When I write, I tell stories the same way–set the scene, reveal enough to make the reader want to know more, and let the tale unfold naturally according to what the characters would do. I also think its infinitely more fun to show readers what's going on than telling them–a mantra pilfered from my creative writing instructors in days of yore.
So…the game was still awesome. And relevant. I highly recommend a reboot for you elders who grew up with it. And, for my younger fans, it's never too late to pick up the dice!
Royce Writes: What Makes Writing Medieval Fantasy Fun
by Guest Blogger, Cara Landi
Die Klinge des Waldes von Royce Buckingham
Royce Buckingham has done it again. He's penned the amazing new medieval fantasy, Die Klinge Des Waldes (Verlagsgruppe Random House – Blanvalet, Germany) due out this fall. Royce took a few minutes to talk about writing fantasy, his newest project, and how it's connected to his best-selling Mapper Series (Penhaligon/Blanvalet).
Available: Amazon.de
Q: Why do you write?
A: Because I have so many stories in my head. If I don't get them out, they'll drive me crazy!
Q: What's your favorite genre?
A: Medieval Fantasy. I used to like horror stories best. Then I had kids, and horror movies lost their luster. Teens getting killed in the woods doesn't intrigue me now that I'm not a teen and I have a couple of them. I do still love a good monster story.
Q: What is it about Medieval Fantasy?
A: I like the idea of chivalry that is associated with the (loosely interpreted) time period. I'm not sure if people actually were chivalrous, but the concept makes for good character motivation, hypocrisy, and internal conflict. The other fun I have toying with the medieval genre goes back to Dungeons & Dragons, where I learned to imagine medieval scenarios. I have a strong vision of what fantasy medieval worlds can look like.
I also like the low-tech setting. In my new novel, Die Klinge Des Waldes (BLADE to my US fans), I have an inventor who designs and builds things that I get to dream up. They seem fantastical, but possible. It's hard for me to write sci-fi these days. With the advances in the technology of our time, it's difficult to imagine innovation beyond what innovators are actually doing. We've been wowed to death by amazing tech. It's easier for me (and fun) to imagine what might be astound people in medieval times.
Q: What's an example of that?
A: A mechanical elephant in a medieval world would be fascinating. In our modern world it would be an internet sensation for maybe a day. So when I create my mechanical elephant with flames coming out of its trunk and crossbow bolts shooting from its tusks my characters (and audience) say "how can that be?" or "that's amazing!" instead of "huh, cool, what else is on youtube?"
Q: Where do your stories come from?
A: A couple of places. One is the drama of real life–problems anybody might have like, "oh no! I'm going to get killed and I don't want to…." That's a real problem now and in medieval times. In fact, it was likely extra-challenging to live and survive back then. Other everyday drama can include things like "I don't love you" and "you're fired."
I also ask myself, "what if?" The answer is then the story. For Die Klinge Des Waldes, I thought "What if you took a Disney princess and had awful things happen to her? How would she handle that?" The answer in my world is: not very well initially.
The ways people deal with conflict is what makes for a good story. The more challenging, the better. The struggles of a fallen princess are especially awesome.
Q: Die Klinge Des Waldes (Blade) features a strong female protagonist. In your dozen or so previous books you've used primarily male protagonists. Did writing a female change your approach to this story?
A: The Mapper Series had a female protagonist in one book, and I enjoyed working with a female lead. Building on that experience, this character is even more well-developed. She should appeal to both men and women. Her struggles are very human and mostly genderless (such as "I don't want to get killed"), but she lives in a world where being female has its own unique challenges.
Q: What drives your stories first–character, plot, world-building?
A: It used to be the plot, but now I am more character-focused. Readers like characters. If readers love the character, they want to see what that character will do, even if the conflict is as simple as, "what's for dinner?" For this work, I focused more on our princess's evolution than the events around her. But of course a zebra can't change its stripes. There are still some big plot twists!
Q: How else has your writing evolved?
A: My world-building has gotten better. When you read Die Klinge Des Waldes, you experience a complete and detailed world. Having environments that are really developed is fun for readers. It's very much like Game of Thrones, in which the world is extensive and has many distinctive characters and locations. The city I've created in Die Klinges Des Waldes has 35-districts, each with its own personality. It's almost like Munich, Barcelona, Lagos, Seattle, Tokyo, and Rio all pushed together beside each other to form one big city, only its medieval.
Q: What is your favorite district?
A: The Carnival District! And it's the favorite of the city's citizens as well–parties, performances, politics, and a crazy/brilliant Duke who runs the show. I'm pretty sure it's also the favorite of my editors who created a blow-up of the carnival castle and circus tent on one of two beautifully illustrated maps for the novel.
Q: Yes. Tell us about the maps! They seem to be an important part of your medieval fantasy books. Can you talk about that?
A: It started with my second best seller in Germany, Die Karte Der Welt (The Map of the World). My publisher, Blanvelet, asked me to sketch a map. I scribbled out an amateur diagram so they knew where the landmarks were, and they hired professional cartographer, Andreas Hancock, Bielefeld) to create a real map for the entire Map of the World series. Super cool. In my new novel, the world is so extensively developed that, even though the story subject wasn't maps, my editors wrote and said, "I know you're busy, but can you sketch up another amateur map of your world so a professional can draw it?"
Q: Was that a fun process for you?
A: Oh yeah. Yes! I have to admit I really dig making maps. In fact, I got a little obsessive and spent a week re-reading my entire 600 page novel to get every location right. Then I sketched it like a kindergartener…or at least a kindergartener with Photoshop. I also wrote three pages of detailed notes about the map. Random House hired a professional who translated all of the materials I provided into beautiful maps for the interior of the novel. It was awesome!
I don't think every author gets that much creative input with their novels' artwork. My publisher did, however, reject my cover idea. They said my concept was too polarizing, and then they sent me the beautiful cover they had already created.
Q: What do you love about Die Klinge Des Waldes?
A: I love Flora. She's a complex person. She starts simple and becomes very complicated. It's like watching her grow up, only there are wars and swordplay and mechanical elephants that shoot flame from their trunks.
Q: Why should other people love the story?
A: It's big and cinematic and intimate at the same time. We get to know a lot about Flora, and then we get to see her on a huge stage trying to deal with disasters, triumphs, and everyday problems, like the overthrow of entire kingdoms and spats with her older sister.
Q: What's different about this story from others that you have written?
A: This is an adult story, and so it is different than my bestseller Damliche Damonen (Demonkeeper) in the same way that Game of Thrones is different from Lord of the Rings.
Q: What's next for you? Any new projects on the horizon?
A: Yes. I am always thankful that my editors believe in my work. I am currently writing another medieval fantasy with Blanvalet. It's due at the end of the year, and I expect will be released some time in 2019.
Q: Is Die Klinge Des Waldes going to be available for U.S. fans to read?
A: I certainly hope so. I will be taking it to US publishers soon. But that's a new blog entry entirely…. Stay tuned!
What's on your Reading List? A German Blogger has 2017 Stacked Up.
Great cover photo on this blogger's site . I especially like the third book from the top.
Kaltgestellt is the German version of my U.S. book, Impasse.
New Releases for Fantasy Lovers by Royce Buckingham
Enter a world of uncharted lands, fantastic creatures, emerging civilizations and the darkness that will define it all. Enter Mapper – Royce Buckingham's best selling German series, today! Download yours – Click Here!
The Demonkeeper Series
Demons are all around us – most of them relatively harmless, like ones that go bump in the night. But some are dangerous – some can kill. Since orphaned as a boy, Nat Grimlock has been trained by his aged mentor Dhaliwahl to be a demonkeeper controlling a menagerie of demons in their rickety house in Seattle. but now Daliwahl is gone, and Nat is on his own.
When Nat goes on a date with Sandy, a librarian's assistant, it's a disaster in more ways than one – a very scary demon called the best escapes. Can Nat get the Beast back to the house and make things right with Sandy?
With its fast-paced action, slapstick humor, and a winning, unlikely hero, the Demonkeeper Series is a high-spirited romp that will keep readers glued to the page!
Demonkeeper – Urban Fantasy
Demonkeeper II – Urban Fantasy
Demonkeeper III – Urban Fantasy
Great Writing Retreat Reveals for Children's Authors
When I returned from the SCBWI's Weekend on the Water writer's retreat in Dumas, WA last month, I dove back into the hustle and bustle of my day job, sports carpools, parenting, and an onrushing deadline for my latest 500 page project for Random House-Germany, Princess Assassin. It's due Dec 1st. Am I panicking? The answer is "absolutely."
Despite all this life happening to me, I have a moment to share some great stats and insight I learned from Chelsea Eberley at the retreat. Chelsea is an editor for Random House Books for Young Readers, which is a big reason I decided to attend the retreat. Coincidentally, I write books for young readers, and I have more stories for young readers to tell. I appreciate Chelsea's time and insight and want to share some of it with you.
If you ever wondered….here are the Page Counts/Word Counts for different types of children's books:
Board Book: 100 words; 1-2 words per page.
Picture Book: 400-800 words; 24, 32, 40 pages.
Beginning Readers: 32 pages or 48 pages.
Chapter Books: 8,000-11,000 words; 100 pages.
Middle Grade: 30,000-50,000 words; Protag 10-13 years old – kids want to read their age or a little older.
Young Adult: 60,000 – 80,000 words; Protag 14+ years old.
New Adult: 60,000-80,000 words; Protag 18+ – early 20s and in college.
Other tips:
Avoid "Manufactured (artificial) Urgency"
*Avoid an unnecessary prologue (*I star this one, because this was Chelsea's comment on my piece).
Avoid opening with dialogue. Who's that talking???
Avoid jumping in with a fight scene. We don't care who wins yet!
Climactic scenes should (at least) have logic and the main character.
Take a moment to describe the setting.
Wounded characters need time to heal. Duh.
Climactic scenes should be tightly edited to convey urgency.
Here's a Good Exercise to Try: Pretend the scene is being used as a cover quote, and read it aloud.
And finally, some parting words and advice from Chelsea…
"I don't expect perfection, just forward momentum."
How to respond to editorial letters: "Thanks for your notes. I understand them. I'll think about them and get back to you by _____."
If you disagree with the editor, say: "I feel strongly that…" "My priority is…"
Avoid these responses to an editor: "No!" "I'm the writer." "Who in the world gave you a fine arts degree?"
While it is hard to take the time out to attend conferences and events, the connections made are excellent. The information that I have shared above is uber-useful (like a reasonably priced ride on the path to publishing) and, as important, not copyrighted.
Additionally, the opportunity to talk personally with an editor who is in tune with current trends and willing to take the time to discuss my very own current story pitches is invaluable.
A big thanks to Western Washington's Chapter of SCBWI and Chelsea!
So Royce has been Doing a LIttle Genre Jumping Lately
By Guest Blogger: Cara Buckingham
Royce has been on a roll. As you may know, his book, The Dead Boys won Washington State's 2014 Sasquatch Children's Book Award. Naturally, you might be wondering what middle grade readers can expect next. Well…he has more stories to tell for that age, it's just that they'll have to wait. You see, Royce's first YA title, The Terminals just came out and he has an adult legal thriller called Impasse due out next March.
The Terminals is a spy thriller for young adults with a twist. Royce started developing the story several years ago when he wondered 'what if group of teens with only a year to live could spend their remaining time completing dangerous spy missions?' The result is an action-packed, entertaining read that is still fun but more grown up than his middle grade monster stories.
And talk about growing up, Royce's next book, Impasse, is a full-fledged adult legal thriller. The story follows Stu, a washed up attorney who's sent into the Alaskan wilderness for a week by his law partner to 'man up.' Royce says his experience as an attorney prepared him to be a technician when it comes to writing. He never thought he'd come home from work and write about work – he's a prosecuting attorney having worked in the criminal justice system for 13 years and has practiced law for more than 20.
For all of his middle grade fans, don't you worry, he has many stories to tell and feels lucky to be able to be creative and try out new genres. And he has several outlines prepped for more middle grade novels. In the meantime, feel free to recommend Demonkeeper, The Goblin Problem (formerly Goblins! An UnderEarth Adventure) and The Dead Boys to your friends…and stay on the look out for the Kindle release of Demonkeeper II and III.


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Many Americans are still struggling to pay for last holidays' debts
This article looks at why any claim of a functioning marijuana breathalyzer is probably false.
The 2018 holiday season is just around the corner and for many people that means buying lots of presents for families and loved ones. However, for those who are struggling with debt, the holidays can be an especially difficult time with the pressure to buy gifts leading to more financial worry. In fact, as USA Today reports, about a quarter of consumers are heading into the new holiday season while still carrying credit card debt they accumulated during 2017 holidays.
Holiday credit card debt
As USA Today reports, the survey from NerdWallet found that of consumers who used credit cards to pay for gifts during the last holiday season, one in four of them are still carrying some of that debt as they prepare to buy gifts for the upcoming holidays.
It also appears that more Americans are willing to go into debt this year in order to acquire gifts. The survey found that 73 percent of consumers say they will use their credit cards to buy gifts this holiday season, which is up dramatically from 58 percent last holiday season.
They also expect that debt to take longer to pay off. On average, consumers this year say they expect to take 14 weeks to pay off debt accumulated during holiday shopping. That is an increase from the 2.3 months it took for the average consumer to erase their holiday credit card debt last year.
And credit cards aren't the only type of debt consumers are getting into in order to afford a happy holiday. About a third of those surveyed said they would use layaway while 21 percent would use shopping loans. Shopping loans are a fairly new type of debt that are typically offered at checkouts. Experts warn that they can come with hidden fees and high interest rates.
Struggling with credit card debt
Clearly the holiday season can be a stressful time for those who are already drowning in credit card debt. As ABC News reports, earlier this year nationwide credit card debt topped $1 trillion for the first time on record. While some pundits see increasing debt as a sign of greater confidence in the economy, delinquency rates are also on the rise and they are expected to keep rising as the Federal Reserve seems set to continue increasing interest rates.
Talking to an attorney
Struggling with debt is never a good feeling and for many people simply making minimum payments on their bills does little to actually lower their overall debt. For those who feel like they are drowning in debt, it may be time to talk to a bankruptcy attorney for help.
25 Yearsof creative solutions to debt problems.Learn more about attorney John Raymond.
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