Below are important guidelines for all industry representatives—whether they are exhibitors, faculty or general attendees. Members of industry and their family members (≥13 y.o.) must agree to abide by these industry guidelines when they register. The guidelines were developed by members of industry to ensure that Oley gatherings are free from sales pressures and to create a level playing field for all companies.
1. Marketing of products and services, photographing, and providing entertainment, are limited to your company's paid exhibit space, or as part of a sponsorship (with prior Oley approval). It is not appropriate to market products or services elsewhere in the exhibit hall or on or around the hotel premises, or during a focus group, educational session, or social event.
2. Members of industry are prohibited from planning, sponsoring, underwriting, or paying for any non-Oley activity that involves consumers—unless all consumers involved in the activity are currently receiving the company's products and/or services—and it does not conflict with official Oley conference programs/events. Prior Oley approval is needed for events, dinners, hospitality suites, and use of meeting space at the conference hotel.
Using images, testimonials, etc. from Oley staff, trustees, Oley Ambassadors, or any of their family members, as part of the company exhibit or to promote company products or services.
4. Exhibitors may raffle up to three items with prior approval of the Foundation. Raffle drawings will be coordinated by Oley and held on the second day of exhibits in the Exhibit Hall. Details are available at www.oley.org.
6. Professional behavior and courtesy is expected at all times.
7. A warning will be issued the first time an offense is committed. Company participation in Oley programs will be limited for a second infraction, commensurate with level of offense, as determined by the Oley board of directors. Offenses should be reported to Oley staff as soon as possible, and whenever possible include a written statement from the parties/consumers involved. A comment box will be made available for exhibitors and attendees to report issues.
Members of industry that violate these guidelines create a difficult situation for consumers, and ultimately, it's the Oley Foundation that suffers. We are grateful for your cooperation.


You think you are fit? Dare to pit yourself against our obstacle course and Bootcamp challenge? Then our Back2Basics fitness challenge is the right opportunity for you to reveal your primal instincts.
Complete our tough Obstacle course (Jump, skip, climb, slide and swing your way through our obstacles course to test your endurance.
Think the ACTIVE mode is too soft for you. Bring out the Beast in you.
Enhance the run to a 1.5 KM tough run, on even tougher terrain.
There is no competition, just you against yourself. Every Finisher is a winner at the Back2Basics Fitness challenge.
Every 30 mins, we will also be conducting classes and demonstrations of Silambam, Zumba, Workouts , stunt dance and Martial arts. Feel free to participate in any of these classes for free.
More details about the event will be intimated with a separate website and via email, once registration is done.
The BIB number allocated to you would be your identification throughout the event.


When you are the Ashland University men's and women's outdoor track and field teams, and you are coming off an NCAA Division II national championship and an 11th-place nationals finish indoors, respectively, what do you do for an encore?
The answer to that begins to come on Friday and Saturday (March 22-23) at the Winthrop Adidas Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C.
"Across the board, practices are at as high of a level as I've ever remembered, at this point," said Ashland associate head coach Ernie Clark, "which doesn't surprise me, but it's nice to see. We're at an extremely high level."
The Winthrop meet is going to be full-squad, with the notable exceptions of senior Myles Pringle (rest) and sophomore Trevor Bassitt (injury). That does, however, give some other Eagle men on the track side the opportunity to step into starring roles.
"We have such a mix of veterans. We have some older guys with a lot of experience," Clark said. "The mix of the younger guys in the throws and all the sprint areas, it's incredible. So it will be nice to get them on a big track to see what they can do.
"It's going to be a nice snapshot of what our future can be."
On the men's side, Clark mentioned junior Alex Hill as someone who can get out to a fast start outdoors.
"I know he made the national meet (indoors)," Clark said. "He gets to mix in the discus, as well, so now he's a two-event guy instead of a one-event guy. So, for me, that's somebody who stands out right away."
Clark also noted senior thrower Stephen Pop, along with a deep sprint group to make up a 4x100-meter relay that can contend nationally.
"I think we should go from being the nation's best 200 crew, to hopefully turning that into a relay that's one of the nation's best," he said.
The AU women continue their ascent thanks to that indoor nationals finish, in which only four athletes competed.
"It's about getting them there to get them experience," Clark said. "Just like Ellie (junior jumper Ellie Jindra) did. She goes, and she gets it done. We need more of that. Just get there, so we can keep building that to become a podium-type team."
Junior sprinter Gariana Bercheni made a big leap outdoors last spring as a sophomore, and another such move could get her to nationals this spring.
"The hope is that she uses that excitement, that experience, that kind of progress of last year…she'll say, 'I'm going to do that again,' but do it even better," Clark said. "She lifetime PRed in every event indoors, so you'd like to see that turn into a lifetime PR in every event outdoors, and then she makes it in one or two events."


Yoga class, meet your match. Our women's Seamless Tight is is fitted, flattering, and ready for the studio. Geometric open-hole detail on the legs add eye-catching visual interest. Sporty meets feminine on these fitted tights - perfect for yoga class or coffee dates.


text:
Q: Opening an Excel file in C# using Process.Start I'm trying to open an excel file using a button click. And for some reason it's not working. I've tried several things. Any ideas why they are not working?
Method 1 I have tried. This opens the file manager but does not open the proper file. It is definitely using the proper path to the file and the file does exist
private string fileCopy;

public RepairResultsControl()
{
    InitializeComponent();
}

public void Show(PSRepair.AnalysisResults analysis, string pathNameCopy)
{
    fileCopy = pathNameCopy;
    Show();
}

private void btnGoToFile_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Process.Start("explorer.exe", "/select,"+ fileCopy);
}

Method 2. This just didn't open anything not sure why
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(@"C:\Users\username\Documents\newTest.xlsx");

A: Normally, Process.Start(@"C:\Users\username\Documents\newTest.xlsx"); would open your document in Excel.
However, you say in a comment that you are doing this from an Excel add-in which runs in the background. The solution needs to take this into account (the code sample assumes that you have a VSTO add-in, otherwise you need to adjust accordingly):
// make the running Excel instance visible
Globals.ThisAddIn.Application.Visible = true;

// open the workbook using Excel interop
Globals.ThisAddIn.Application.Workbooks.Open(fileName);

A: *

*Try running as an admin

*Check for exceptions, also the start method should return a bool, check to make sure it is true.

*Make SURE your xlsx files are associated with Excel(easy check for this is at a command prompt, type in your filename and hit enter... if excel opens you are good)

*Check your system error logs.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Frequently asked questions about working with us!
Each project is unique- some of these questions and answers may not apply to your project. Please do not hesitate to call us! We are here to help.
What does 'full service interior design" mean? Do you have other options?
Full service interior design encompasses all that we do here at In Detail Interiors.
We work on new construction home builds, plan review for bidding and execution in major remodels, kitchen and bathroom remodel and design, furnishings projects, and just about anything in between.
If you need more simpler consulting advice- our design on the go is a great option for more immediate "second opinions" or explaining what your contractor is saying or even just a tough design dilemma. See more about design on the go here.
Needing turn-key design services for your beach rental – we can handle it and do these types of projects all the time.
Needing to "pull together" your space but not sure where to start – we have an approach for your project, too!
In Detail Interiors is a well established firm located on the Gulf Coast of Florida and with 20 years of hands-on troubleshooting and design execution experience, working in spaces of all kinds, with budgets of all kinds – there really isn't much we can't do!
The big questions we always pose to our prospective clients, though – what are your goals, priorities, budget and timeline.
These core questions will help us understand better how to approach your project to obtain the maximum results for your needs, no matter the scope of work! (Even if your budget and timeline means that we may have to Phase the work into multiple parts to achieve your long-term goals for your space!) Read more details about our full service design here.
How does the process work in terms of how I hire you for my project?
First things first, we want to chat with you if you are interested in working together. Every project is different and we value the diversity of challenge we are faced with by offering full-service design to clients all over the country.
We'll do an initial intake on the phone of the core specifics of your design project and tell you a bit about us – answer questions and explain that the first step is to schedule a consultation to meet.
The initial consultation meeting is just a preliminary opportunity to review the project at hand. Hiring us to come out and see your space for a consult is not the same as hiring us to complete the design work involved to transform your home. The initial consult its just the on-site review that allows us to hear you out and outline a specific scope of work for your project. Of course as we chat and look over the home we will be asking questions and making comments on what we think in a global sense.
This scope of work is then presented in a contractual agreement a few days after the consultation meeting. The agreement also outlines our anticipated design fee and minimum expenditure values so that you can understand better what it will cost to have us involved in the design project itself. We then send the agreement to you for review and assuming you want to proceed with hiring us, you will need to sign the agreement and pay a retainer (% of overall design fee for the project) to secure your place on our job calendar.
What can I expect during the initial consultation meeting?
With each new client who contacts us, we will discuss over the phone or in person that the first step to just about every project In Detail is involved in starts with a consultation meeting.
These meetings are typically an hour and a half to two hours in length and are very casual. Consider it a thorough meet n' greet that allows our team to absorb more information about you, your expectations, your style of communication, and your pain points about the space(s) you want help re-designing.
Our ability to ask the right questions during this meeting will result in a succinct outline of the exact scope of work that will help you achieve your interior design goals – no matter the project at hand.
This is our opportunity to "diagnose the patient" in a sense. If you are building new- then we would meet you at our shop and go over your wants and needs for your new home.
We charge a fee for the initial consultation meeting (contact us for this cost because it is dependent on your location and specific needs). The fee is non-refundable and does not get deducted from the design fee in your design agreement if you decide to hire us for your project.
Do you work out of town?
There are a lot of ways to accommodate the needs of an interior design project from afar and we are happy to discuss how we coordinate this.
There's no limit to the lengths we go to to provide exceptional, attentive, and totally outstanding service to clients no matter how far away their home is! We are up for the challenge and love working out and refining the logistics!
What do you charge for design services?
There is no tried and true formula to determining what we charge for design services on any given project, but there are some baseline rates you could expect depending on the type of project you are looking to pursue.
Typically, with a medium kitchen or master bath remodel, you can expect $5000-$6000 minimum for the design fee portion of the project ( plans, selections, drawings and detailed specifications) and for rates to increase from there depending on the logistics, scale of the space, and other detailed needs you may require.
We charge hourly for project management for our time and involvement in the finer-tuned logistics that will be required in the execution of your project. This project management fee is accrued over time and billed bi-monthly in most cases.
New construction build out or large remodel projects are assessed by the scope of work. We will provide a flat fee however so you know how to budget! We also include a minimum expenditure as well- see below.
For one or more room projects, we also provide a flat fee and the overall pricing will be dependent on size of project and your expectations of a final project and the type of work involved- some projects may have design heavy custom casework or reworking of walls and other issues and some are more straightforward "making your home a home" type of projects. There is no cookie cutter way to approach pricing but we do make people happy!
It is very important for us to understand your budget.( read a post about that topic here)Having a frank conversation about what you're expecting to spend is an important step to how we work because it's the only way for us to begin to reasonably assess what's going to be practical for your space. We are very transparent about these discussions and know that clients who are a good fit for our firm trust and appreciate this approach because it's honest and straightforward.
Most important for you to know is that we treat each and every project with an independent review, starting with a consultation meeting in your space to better focus on the specific scope of work you want to engage us in, and absorbing some of the site-specific conditions that may make the project more or less intensive in certain ways, and getting a better sense for you and what you are looking to hire us for. Information is king in these meetings and we gather it both in our discussion with you and in our visual analysis of the space.
Will you work with my contractor or sub contractor?
We are happy to work with any contractor you may be coordinating with, or subcontractors* you have tracked down to execute the project ahead so long as they are communicative and willing to collaborate! We also have a cadre of subs and contractors we have vetted and worked with in past projects who we can recommend should the job be a good fit for their specific talents.
Hiring an experienced, knowledgeable, open-minded and passionate team to make your designs come to life is so important. This is why we are so careful about who we recommend and why we develop drawings and elevations that are explicitly detailed so that we can communicate our expectations and requirements to anyone on your jobsite. We also require any sub or contractor we recommend provide proof of current coverage and liability insurance, as well as workers comp documentation.
*When it comes to cabinetry design, we do prefer to use our own cabinetmakers because they know how to interpret and execute drawings and understand the finish detail we expect on our projects. We can coordinate with different workshops for an additional fee if you have a different cabinetry team in mind.
Why do you include a minimum expenditure?
But why is this important to you as a prospective client?
You're going to be buying materials and furnishings for your home regardless of whether you hire us, right?
Lighting. Window treatments. Furniture. Tile. Art. Area rugs… the list goes on and on and on.
From cabinetry and door hardware to bedding we have curated the lines we work with to be able to design spaces for all budgets and all style preferences. Since we know that you'll have to get the product somewhere – why not get it through us?! And to top it off, how about we promise that you won't be able to find the same product cheaper anywhere else?
We look at the expenditure element of our agreement with you as a win/win because it allows us to present to you awesome ideas and fabulous fabrics and finishes while at the same time being able to assure you that the pricing can't be beat and that we will handle it from start to finish.
This gives us control over the resources, lead time information, specifications, claims and check ins while alleviating you of the need to deal with area rugs that come in and aren't the right color, or window panels that don't fit your living room slider door properly. Hassle free.
You just show up to our resource room for our meetings and touch all the pretty mohair and velvet and ogle at the fun fixtures and case goods we show you – simple as that!Did we mention that the expenditure element of your agreement is also we assures we can keep our design fees reasonable? We know we'd rather spend our budget on amazing sofas and original art- and so we pass that same mindset on to our business.
How do you handle the project management portion of a project? What's included and what is not?
Project management is an incredibly important element to any major remodel and requires a lot of attention to detail, familiarity with design and proper execution expectations, and vigilance to check on and communicate effectively with the team of subs or contractor on the job.
From providing product specifications to accurate drawings, meeting on site to review questions and site conditions, updating scheduling so that each specific sub knows when to be on site, how to access your space and where they fit into the overall timeline — no good design project goes without someone to manage these elements.
We keep our clients updated from stem to stern on these elements and "handle it" so that you are always in the know and approving major changes or last minute needs.
BUT, in hiring us you are relieving yourself of the responsibility to hash it out day-to-day items and figure out the time sensitive solutions that are often make or break items in the term of a major remodel. Tile transitions, trim details, curb heights, electrical placement… these are the things that cause most clients decision fatigue and why they welcome a team like In Detail on the project management end of their job!
If I need help with plans, but not with the actual design execution, can I still work with your firm?
Absolutely if it is a larger project. We do not do this just for kitchens and baths due to our scheduling but we will handle it via our online e design program.
Plan review and schematic floor plan design are a true specialty of our owner and lead designer, Cheryl. Having a solid plan that's drawn to scale and inclusive of all details of your space is crucial to being able to not only execute a well designed space but will also be a necessary stage in the bidding process for any major remodel for you as the client.
Depending on the stage of your project, whether you have plans already drawn by a residential designer or architect, or are starting from scratch, we assess the end goals and budget you have in mind for the involvement we'll have and outline an agreement from there! For more minor plan review an hourly design fee is more typical. But sometimes we will assess a flat rate fee for our involvement if it is more intensive in nature.
How does pricing work for product I order from In Detail for my project?
Because of the way our firm and showroom act in conjunction, we are really proud to say that our clients are always offered the best pricing the market will bear!
Will I be able to see and sit on every piece of furniture before I buy it?
This is always a tricky question!
A big part of the way our showroom services In Detail as a business is by providing us the floor space to order new frames, try out new fabrics, and create spaces that help inspire and put visual accuracy to how design works.
While we cannot always have all the furniture frames or light fixtures, etc. that we present to you on our showroom floor during the term of your concept development phase (the time when we're showing you pictures of the furniture we'd recommend for your home) – in many cases we have either sold the frame before, sat in it at market, or have a frame in the showroom that's very similar in certain ways. We use these comparisons to help refine your visual on how things will look, and most importantly give you context for how the furniture will feel as you use it.
So it's not likely you'll sit on everything for your project before you buy it – but we will do everything we can to help you feel confident in the purchase before we approve and place orders for furniture!
What should i expect on install day?
After we get the orders for your furniture and accents submitted we will begin to compile a timeline for install that factors in the arrival time of your orders from the manufacturers and the needs of our local workroom for turnaround on items like window coverings, custom bedding and pillows, etc.
Depending on the scope of work for your project we will also factor in any subcontractor work so that their timeline coordinates appropriately. Painting. Wallcovering install. Switching out electrical fixtures.
As we near install day, you can expect the design assistant assigned to your project to be in touch about selecting an install date and clearing out any existing furnishings you have that will need to be sold/moved so that the space is 100% ready when the delivery truck arrives.
Typically we also aim to have our window installer out the same day as the furniture install occurs so that when you come home and see everything completed it's a true reveal and the space feels pulled together.
We prefer client's to leave the house when we're completing the final install and work with our team to meet and facilitate the delivery truck* early so that they can get right to work and we can get you back into your home as soon as possible!
Then when you arrive back, the big reveal is truly a reveal (without you having to watch over the delivery guys as they move things in!) We can do everything from style the space with accessories and art on install day if you want us to! It's so much fun and the best part of the whole process, for sure!
*The delivery company we use will bill you directly – typically they charge anywhere from $80-$150/hour depending on how large and logistically tough the install is. If you need them to remove your old furniture beforehand please just let us know ahead of time so we can help coordinate with them accordingly.
What if I don't meet the expenditure portion of our agreement?
This really has never happened before!
And that's because the range of product we can offer you as our client is so extensive.
So long as you are clear with us from day 1 about your budget and you know what you want to spend on your project, we will be sure that as a firm we act as responsible stewards of your investment.
Ask any client who has worked with us (many of whom we have worked room by room through their entire home over the last 5-10 years!)! You will always know what you are paying for (nothing is ordered without written approval and payment up front!) and we always keep budget spreadsheets up to date so that as we progress through the approval process you can see how the numbers work themselves out.
We are very transparent about this because we always want our clients to trust the process with us and feel good about where their money is going!


This was a truly impressive performance. Sheraz took us through a series of tongue-in-cheek anecdotes and gave us some witty insights into Anglo-Asian culture in his pursuit of the answer to the question: What makes a man a man? Is it being aggressive? Is it being able to eat an extra large kebab? Is it loving football? Is it being able to bench-press 190 kilos? The quality of the material was high and Sheraz's delivery was spot-on. I'm not sure how many times he had performed the show before but he did not falter nor did the laughs lag during the routine which lasted nearly an hour. The audience were very pleased. It's well worth catching this show next time it's on if you can. The support acts Sindhu and Sonia were also very engaging and funny. All in all, a great evening's entertainment.


The Adult Undergraduate program's majors lead to a B.S. or B.S.N.
reflect on their own development.
A traditional undergraduate student declares a major by filing the appropriate form in the Registrar's Office. Students may declare a major any time after their first semester and are expected to do so during their sophomore year. After a traditional undergraduate student has declared a major, he or she is assigned an advisor in the major department. The student then works closely with the advisor to plan each semester's course work.
For traditional undergraduate students, a faculty advisor provides initial academic guidance to each entering student during the registration process. From Prairie Wolf Welcome in August until a student declares a major, the student's Archway Seminar instructor serves as his/her academic advisor and is available for guidance in the exploration of life, career, and educational goals. Once a major is officially declared, the student is assigned a major advisor in the department.
For students in the Adult Undergraduate program, either a faculty or professional advisor is assigned to provide guidance from matriculaton to graduation.
Questions and concerns regarding academic advising should be directed to the Registrar's Office or the Dean of Undergraduate Programs.
In order to be a candidate for graduation, a student must file his or her graduation application in the Registrar's Office. Graduation applications are due on December 15 of the previous year for students graduating in May and August 15 of the year students intend to graduate in December.


text:
Bonnie Blodgett: Winter dreams: What I'm going…
Bonnie Blodgett: Winter dreams: What I'm going to plant in 2023
File: Flowers wear a new coat of snow at the Enchanted Garden near the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park in St. Paul on Friday, Oct.14 2022. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
By Bonnie Blodgett | bonnieblodgett@gmail.com |
PUBLISHED: January 11, 2023 at 12:10 p.m. | UPDATED: January 11, 2023 at 12:24 p.m.
Flipping through the plant catalogs that begin showing up in the mailbox at this time of year never fails to fertilize spring fantasies.
In recent years I've put off planting to focus on bigger-picture problems such as gardening with chickens and my insatiable appetite for construction projects.
The old pleasures, which I now remember fondly as innocent ones dating back to the time before climate change, keep knocking on the door and trying to get my attention. Remember us?
Remember when you spent hours drooling over pictures of plants just because they were pretty?
Remember when the first thing you did when a specimen caught your eye was check its hardiness in the off chance that it might survive our Minnesota winters?
Twenty-first century gardening is different, to say the least.
The upside is that I don't have to do that anymore — the hardiness check, I mean. All bets are off as to what will make it and why.
I admit that I love knowing that I can now (and for the first time ever) grow the same perennials and trees and shrubs my friends in New York grow.
When was the last time we had a minus-40 reading in the metro area?
That's what killed plants in the old days.
Today's challlenges
Today's weather presents different challenges. What we look for these days isn't cold tolerance but resilience to complex weather patterns such as drought and unpredictable weather events such as bomb cyclones.
We look for plants whose root systems will keep them firmly anchored during sudden temperature shifts of the kind that used to occur only in spring and fall but are now business-as-usual in January.
These fluctuations are especially perilous to shallow-rooted plants because it's the surface soil that is most likely to expand when it's a sunny 40-degree day and then contract when it refreezes.
When the moisture in the soil refreezes, that is.
As we all learned in high-school science class, heat makes molecules move around more, which causes expansion. A drop in temperature, conversely, slows the molecules down.
Then there is the physical impact caused by heaving of the soil. I won't go into the physics, but freezing and thawing changes the soil dynamics, causing expansion and contraction that can push plant roots up and even out of soil. One thing the Alaska gardener knows is that the placement of plant roots in our soils is important. Too high and the plants' crowns and even roots will die from exposure to drying winds. Too low and the roots will be "pruned" by the natural cold down there. When plant roots move in the soil as a result of outside factors instead of simply growth, it is not a good thing. Roots can break. Plants are not supposed to move in the ground that way.
We're still Minnesota
We're still Minnesota, land of 10,000 weather-related anomalies, most of them related to our being landlocked and not (except along Lake Superior's North Shore) near enough to the moderating influences of the Great Lakes, which influences, I hasten to add, do NOT moderate conditions in Buffalo, New York, but only exacerbate a climate that has always been conducive, again thanks to the Great Lakes effect, to snowstorms that make ours look downright wimpy.
Wisconsin and western New York — where I bought farmland two years ago to help young farmers who wanted to use sustainable methods to grow organic produce and raise grass-fed beef — have their own unique climate-related problems, as anyone who keeps up on the news knows.
I'm referring in particular to the "once in a lifetime" bomb cyclone that killed 40 people in Buffalo.
My own New York farmer thankfully escaped the worst of it, but she did have to run outside in the dead of night and pull off the plastic roof of the football-field-sized hoop house where she grows seedlings or risk losing it to the gale-force winds she knew were coming. After that she cuddled with her six cats to keep warm in a drafty old farmhouse that she heats with wood.
This sort of lifestyle takes tenacity and determination, traits fueled by conviction, a belief in something better than what we have now.
These pictures feed our souls
Young people are the ones who will suffer the most from our love of instant gratification in the form of short-term profits, and the sort of science that promises not real solutions but imaginary ones, like fusion energy in the foreseeable future.
Much more likely is that civil society as we know it collapses before science has a chance to "fix this."
But I was determined to write about something more cheerful, and I do marvel at the fortitude of the human spirit and in particular the way gardeners like me continue to find solace in looking at pretty pictures of plants in gardening catalogues. These pictures feed our souls.
And it's heartening, too, when the captions contain information that people interested in horticulture take seriously even if few others do — namely, how important it is to grow plants that are pollinator-friendly and drought-tolerant and so on.
Such information seldom appeared in catalogs just 20 years ago. Now it's a given that those of us who grow things, many of those things from seeds we germinate in our basements under lights and thus become very attached to, are doing this for very different reasons than the ones that send us to the mall to stock up on holiday gifts.
The latter is a ritual I will never give up, so this isn't meant to deny that instant gratification is entirely human and hardly evil.
It is to contrast bargain hunting with the kind of more thoughtful shopping we do when we buy plants that won't even be delivered for months after we place our order. For flowers to open we wait even longer and for fruits? It seems like forever when you're as impatient by nature as I am.
Instantly gratifying gardening is not.
Bonnie's wish list
High on my wish list for 2023 are more salvias, the ones like "Black and Bloom" that bring hummingbirds to my garden.
I am dying to try one called "Amistad," whose flowers are heftier and more profuse, according to the photos anyway, and more purple and, well, not prettier necessarily but definitely different.
I also want to replace dozens of missing plants that I am guessing were eaten, roots and all, by my hens when I let them free-range last fall.
Among these are Heuchera "Plum Pudding," an old-school coralbells that unlike many of the fancy new ones can handle dry conditions and freeze-thaw cycles. It has round, dark green leaves whose shiny texture reminds me of my dining room table after I've polished it with Pledge.
California poppies used to grow like weeds in my garden. Over the years and owing to my habit of taking good things for granted, these sprightly self-seeding annuals began to cede territory to perennials and conifers, which do get bigger and demand more space over time.
I will replenish the poppies — and the Verbena bonariensis, too, while I'm add it.
Other verbenas distracted me last summer with their bright colors and dainty shapes and evocative names like "Sparkling Amethyst" and "Meteor Shower" and "Whiteout," sterile hybrids all, and I just forgot about V. bonariensis, which like the poppies is a self-seeder.
V. bonariensis puts out tiny lavender flowers no bigger than a ping pong ball on three-foot stems that sway in the wind. The flowers attract butterflies and when grown in clumps they look like a field of lollipops.
Bonnie Blodgett: Another era of rampant and extreme theorizing
Bonnie Blodgett: Flowers are great and all, but foliage is a word to the wise
Bonnie Blodgett: The insulating, sheltering bounty of fallen leaves
Bonnie Blodgett: Houseplants and trees, cycles of life and interconnectedness
Blundering Gardener
Bonnie Blodgett
Bonnie Blodgett writes a weekly garden column for the Pioneer Press during garden season.
bonnieblodgett@gmail.com
Doyle McManus: Biden's documents misstep helps Trump politically — and legally too
Sunday Bulletin Board: How to handle a Minnesota winter: Like it, lump it or leave it!
Densley, Peterson: Older mass shooters are rare. Here's how they differ from young assailants
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
ALLIANCE ZEN
by Nancy Cohen
Trust you can stand against the ruling software vendors.
Inhale Open Source.
Enjoy the incredible lightness of underbidding.
Be Joseph Franklyn McElroy.
Counting the lemmings? They're on both sides: old economy / new economy; Fleet Street / Nouveau Valleys; Shirts & oxfords / vests & sandals. They are the me-too software startup founders who do nothing but play it safe. Pick a solution, then bank on heavily publicized trends. Some win, some lose, but every so often, there's also a Joseph McElroy: an entrepreneur who defies the business stereotypes that polarize button-downs vs. 501s. The McElroys kick open the doors of old business models and capitalize on what they believe.
"Open Source makes business sense. Why depend on a proprietary company, putting your applications in that company's hands, when you need to protect the business that you have built upon?"
He is the co-founder of a New York-based business that makes much out of its incredible lightness of underbidding when competing with a formidable bevy of "business software suite providers." McElroy's business, everydayoffice, sells itself as a "leader in integrated back office and e-commerce solutions for the small office and SOHO market." Translation: He's selling software applications that can be used by small businesses. His business also offers a server that a customer can buy or access via ASPs. "We provide an integrated solution customized to what the end user needs." Earlier this year, when Crain's was sizing up the viability of everydayoffice it described McElroy's competition: "Every other small business application out there." How does he do it?
McElroy's ability to grow profits can at least partly be attributed to his decision to use Open Source software applications as the building block of his business model. But he can tell the story.
"I was a small business person and artist before starting this venture with my friend, Moshe Lifshitz. Lifshitz remains as co-founder and chairman and McElroy credits him as instrumental in raising capital and "keeping the company funded."	McElroy in recalling the earliest days says "We were sick and tired of the cost and headaches associated with managing the back office needs of a small business. We decided that since we would run our business with the system we created. That would make it nice and interesting to be around. And so, everydayofficeINK was created."
The cornerstone to their strategy to compete with established players was the Open Source software mode. "Open Source enables me to present a price	point that can attract small-business	customers who need to see profits. It's all	about providing a food chain that everyone	can digest."
Back in 1999, the company was an e-magazine, a "business portal." Eventually the everydayoffice team--all of whom had either owned or been part of building small businesses elsewhere--was keen on forging alliances. They set about to enhance a suite of software applications that run any small business: accounting, e-commerce, customer management, event scheduling, Net access, file storage, order fulfillment, and the like. The business portal was now a full-scale software company. Small business customers would be attracted to a one-stop shopping site for integrated applications. McElroy's business would allow them to rent the software. The question was: At what price?
"We realized it took a lot of money to do a portal concept and we didn't have that kind of money. And I realized we didn't have a million dollars. I started working the numbers. We had to figure out the fundamentals of making money and how to make scalable business models. I couldn't make a business case for a higher price point to charge small businesses for our services, because then they wouldn't be able to make real money."
ABOUT EVERYDAYOFFICE
WHAT DOES IT SELL?
Customers can choose between everydayoffice business-in-a-box appliance to host their own office or hosted web-based software applications from everydayoffice.
IS IT A PRODUCT SUITE?
Customers start with the basics including e-mail, contact management, accounts receivable/payable. They can then add fuller e-commerce modules. Applications include event scheduling, reservations systems, wireless access, backup/file storage, and order fulfillment.
OPEN SOURCE HOOKS?
The everydayoffice business-in-a-box application runs on Linux and is built on well-known Open Source software for applications and databases including Enhydra and PostgreSQL.
Joseph Franklyn McElroy had a technology consulting business in New York City before co-founding everydayoffice. Customers included Newsweek, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Unicef. His technology beginnings were at IBM, where he led a project to create an Internet interface to IBM's SNA network. McElroy is also an exhibited artist whose art and poetry have been published.
EVERYDAYOFFICE PARTNERS
Torque Ventures Lutris
PostgreSQL VeriSign
First Data Apps4biz
Go2SMB.com ISI Dentsu
www.everydatoffice.com
McElroy calls his ability to charge lower prices "the food chain that everyone can digest." That ability stems from Open Source, which everydayoffice has used for apps, server platform, and databases. Everydayoffice is built on a technology infrastructure that relies on PostgreSQL, Enhydra, and Linux. What drew McElroy, who was a Microsoft solution provider for years, to Open Source? Was it for money-not-love plain and simple? McElroy prefers to say it this way: "I'm a pragmatist. I was a Microsoft solution provider for years. But building an enterprise on Open Source software makes such good sense.
"Just depending on direct sales will make	life difficult"
Having worked at IBM, McElroy knew the workable concepts of freeware and shareware. By 1999, he was studying with interest developments in Open Source and continuing developments in application servers, database servers, and web servers. He was convinced that Open Source makes the best business sense for small business customers: Why depend on a proprietary company, putting your applications in that company's hands, when you need to protect the business that you have built upon?	McElroy says, that the real payoff ahead for his business won't be in the list of small business customers using the suite directly, but rather in the reseller channels (surprise, surprise) that can take everydayoffice services and apply them to the channel players' wider base of small-business customers.
"Resellers. That's what will make our business scalable. If we are just depending on direct sales to small businesses directly, it will be difficult to grow."	In December, everydayoffice scored an alliance with Vancouver-based Torque Ventures, the latter to develop and manage sales channels for everydayoffice, including a network of resellers.
We asked McElroy if the business technology base of Open Source software created any hurdles in winning over resellers reluctant to use anything Open Source. His reply is Absolutely Not.	"More than anyone, resellers today understand the value proposition in Open Source."
In January, the business turned a significant corner when it inked a deal with ISI Dentsu of America, to partner on developing the Japanese market for everydayoffice services. The plan: ISI Dentsu, which is an IT services company with roots in Japan, develops and manages a network of resellers in Japan for everydayoffice That means banks, trading companies, ISPs, telecom businesses. Back in October 2000, everydayoffice had reached an agreement with Pal Japan to develop a co-branded Japanese language version of its web-based products and services.)
"I'm always asked how I reconcile being an artist	and business life. For me it's one and the	same. Sculptural pieces, creating business	layers, thinking strategy, it's all creative	activity."
Keen on seeding useful alliances, getting the word of his business out there into influential circles of influence is a capitalized name of this CEO's game. McElroy appeared this summer at the Yale Club for a New York investment conference, Private Equity 2001, showcasing early-and late-stage companies building on leading-edge technologies and new business innovations. Predictably, McElroy does not suffer stage fright. A frequent speaker, he bears an interesting portfolio as consultant, technologist, business leader, and exhibited artist.
We asked what we feared would be a most un-New York question: Is McElroy a split personality, torn between his drive to create art and his drive to make lots of money off business software and services?	"I'm always asked that question, about how I reconcile an artist and business life. For me it's one and the same. I can remember as a child, becoming fascinated with the process of creating sculptural pieces and seeing how it comes together. I found business to be like that. It's not different from creating art. You gather people. Resources. You build your layers. You think about strategy. Running a business is a creative activity."
If McElroy's creative business thinking rested on his move to build his infrastructure and pricing model on Open Source, his brightest idea today might turn out to be chanting "channels" at least 1,000 times a day.In the early days of the business, a familiar refrain was "We can make small businesses look and operate like big business." This year, you're most likely to hear this from McElroy. We did: "Everydayoffice is providing tools to resellers to offer their small-business clients. We can make a 'service' provider into a 'business' provider overnight."


They asked me to get an Apostille or Authenticate and Legalize my Canadian Marriage Certificate how do I do that?
You Are Here:Home/Document Types/They asked me to get an Apostille or Authenticate and Legalize my Canadian Marriage Certificate how do I do that?
Many of our clients, for reasons including a work visa, citizenship immigration application or just for proof of marriage, have been be asked to have their marriage certificate from Canada recognized in another country. The correct process depends on the country and maybe be called Apostille, Authentication and Legalization or Attestation.
We assist with all countries including Germany, Holland, Mexico, Netherlands, UAE, Qatar, Spain, Russia please ask us about your specific country for more information.
It's important before taking the steps that you have the correct document, which in all cases must be an original one issued by the province and not the one from your wedding ceremony. If you do not have one, not to worry, you can easily order a copy over the internet from the Vital Statistics office of the province in which you were married. This document comes as a certified true original, remember when ordering due to its size it cannot be the small wallet sized version. If acceptable by the countries embassy you can use the wallet size but it will need to be made into a notarized copy before processing.
Another benefit when ordering a new marriage certificate online, to save time, you can have it sent directly to our office for authentication and legalization.
On our resources page you will find the links to provincial vital statistics office that we help you order a Marriage Certificate.
Once we have received your marriage certificate it is ready for the first step of authentication. As your agent we attend in person on your behalf at Global Affairs Canada here in Ottawa. Although their normal processing time can be 15-25 business days as they recommend using our service will shorten this to 1, 3, or 10 business days depending on your schedule. Backed by our service guarantee we ensure that it will be done on time giving you peace of mind throughout the process.
After we have authenticated your document on your requested speed it will be ready to be legalized by the countries embassy located in Canada. This step is also called Apostille or Attestation depending on the country but means, and is recognized, as the same. In addition some countries may have other requirements including fees to process your marriage certificate. During your pre consultation one of our experienced agents will take the time to assist you to make sure all is ready for processing.
Now that your marriage certificate from Canada has completed the two step process of authentication and legalization it will be ready to be presented outside Canada including in any Apostille country. Our services are recommended by Global Affairs Canada they allow you the ability to ship your document anywhere in the world using one of our preferred carriers. To save weeks from the processing times and a confusing process talk to us today.
If you need to Apostille, Authenticate and Legalize your Canadian Marriage Certificatewe can help contact Authentication Legalization Services Canada.
By Authentication Legalization Canada|2017-11-29T11:27:20+00:00November 19th, 2014|Document Types|Comments Off on They asked me to get an Apostille or Authenticate and Legalize my Canadian Marriage Certificate how do I do that?


GN Law Media: Dementia - What role does the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 have to play?
The MCA exists to provide safeguarding to those who lack capacity, including those with dementia. But how do you know if someone you know with dementia is lacking capacity and what decisions can you make on their behalf? How do the procedures set out in the MCA help with those decisions and,can you make decisions ahead for yourself in case one day you were to lose capacity?
The mental capacity of a person with dementia can deteriorate over time. It is important that they are supported while retaining a good level of independence. What happens when it comes to making decisions such as how to manage their finances, where they should live, who should care for them and many other similar decisions?
The initial stage is for the individual's mental capacity to be assessed. It is important, if possible, that capacity is assessed by a doctor who has experience in dementia and assessing capacity. A person should not be considered as lacking capacity simply because they have dementia.
If the assessment concludes that the individual does not lack capacity, they will able to make their own decisions. However, if they lack capacity, a decision will need to be made for them. A 'best interest decision' will need to be made. You can make a decision on behalf of someone only if you are an attorney appointed under a 'Lasting Power of Attorney' (LPA) or adeputy appointed by the Court of Protection. This will allow you to act on their behalf in relation to their finances and affairs or health and welfare. In certain cases, the restrictions placed upon an individual who lacks capacity to consent to the arrangements of their care may amount to a deprivation of their liberty. The concept of deprivation of liberty is outside the scope of this article however, it must be noted that legal authorisation will need to be sought for this restriction.
If you do not already have a LPA or deputyship, you may need to apply to the Court of Protection to obtain the legal authority to act on that person's behalf or make a decision for them.
It is wise to plan ahead and grant a LPA to someone to make decisions for you, should you lack capacity in the future.
If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact our Court of Protection Department on 0208 492 2290.


Netflix. Spotify. Hello Fresh. What do these companies have in common? They provide a service you need (or at least, use) every day. One Californian airline, however, is testing the "subscription model" waters (airspace?), by flogging "all you can fly" memberships for $2,950 a month.
The company started in 2013, but as any start up knows, it takes a while to get the ball rolling (and the propellers spinning). Which is why they only managed to expand their operations beyond the US in July 2017, and why earlier this year they were pleased to announce they would be adding 10 new routes to their European operation.
So how do they justify the price tag? After all, even the most frequent flyers don't fly every day. Well, as one journalist at The Economist points out, Surf Air haven't just improved the pre-flight experience; they've essentially removed it (being a private airline, it does not require passengers to go through the full check-in, security, and boarding process).
Surf Air currently offers flights between 11 different destinations in California, as well as (separately) between London, Cannes, Ibiza and Zurich. In addition, LA Biz reported earlier this year that 20 new destinations (other sources claimed 10), including Milan, Munich, Luxembourg, Brussels, Vienna, Geneva, Basel and Nice are soon to be added, thanks to a JetClass partnership.
As it stands, Surf Air offer three tiers of membership to their American network, starting out at US$208 a month for an 'a la carte' subscription (which allows subscribers access to any flight, at any time, for a flat rate of US$445), US$1,950 a month for an 'all you can fly' subscription, which gives subscribers access to an unlimited number of flights (at no extra cost), and US$5,000 a month for a group subscription, which gives companies and families monthly recurring packs of 10 flights, available to be shared among an unlimited number of fliers.
In Europe, until the full spectrum of destinations is available, the pricing is a little different, working out to be $4,155 per month for unlimited flights, or about $2,000 to fly only on routes under 600km. In Australia, unfortunately, they are yet to expand.
Surf Air aren't the first to introduce a scheme like this (many airlines have tried, and failed with such an approach). But with the spread of "digital nomads," and an increasing acceptance of subscription based models for practically every other product we consume, whether or not it works out for Surf Air, we reckon there is a future in 'all you can fly' airlines.
For Australians looking for a similar offering a little closer to home, check out AirAsia's ASEAN Pass, or SkyTeam's Worldwide Pass.


text:
Wangirifraude of wangiri is een vorm van fraude of telefonische oplichting waarbij er geprobeerd wordt om mensen terug te laten bellen naar dure betaalnummers.

Het woord wangiri is Japans voor één keer overgaan en stoppen.

Wangirifraude bestaat al langere tijd en komt af en toe voor.

Methode
De wangirifraude werkt als volgt. Vanaf een onbekend, vaak buitenlands, nummer wordt er gebeld naar een telefoonnummer. Na een enkele keer overgaan wordt er aan de andere kant weer opgehangen. De telefoonfraudeurs hopen dan dat het onbekende nummer weer wordt teruggebeld.

Wanneer dat onbekende nummer niet wordt teruggebeld is er niets aan de hand.

Wanneer dat onbekende nummer wel wordt gebeld, probeert men aan de andere kant de beller zo lang mogelijk aan de lijn te houden. Dit wordt gedaan door bijvoorbeeld het laten horen van een wachttoon of een ingesprektoon, waardoor er gedacht wordt dat er (g)een verbinding gemaakt wordt of men hoort helemaal niets. In werkelijkheid belt men naar een duur betaalnummer in bijvoorbeeld Afghanistan en laat men dan een bandje horen waardoor mensen vaak niet meteen zelf dit gesprek beëindigen en het "gesprek" minuten kan blijven duren. Het gevolg is dan dat de kosten blijven oplopen en er een dure telefoonrekening betaald moet worden.

Schade
De schade die door deze fraude ontstaat wordt vaak niet door telefoonproviders vergoed.

Jaarlijks zijn honderden klanten de dupe van wangiri.

Bestrijding
Telefoonproviders blokkeren vaak dergelijke nummers wanneer ze in het telefonieverkeer fraudepatronen herkennen, maar niet altijd. Wangiri voorkomen is lastig omdat de daders vaak nieuwe nummers gebruiken.

Fraude

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


One in four Australian children are now overweight. Kids are becoming more sedentary yet most are eating bigger portions than they used to and more energy dense, processed foods. This is contributing to an increase in children with excess weight that frequently carries through to adulthood and increases the risk of lifestyle related disease further down the track. Below are some very simple tips that can help your family undertake a healthy lifestyle that will encourage weight maintenance.
The tips below seem very simple but most of us still aren't doing them. They can be extremely beneficial in developing a healthy attitude towards exercise and diet.
Be a positive role model – eat how you want your children to eat and talk positively about nutrition and exercise.
Get your children involved in after school activities and be involved with them at home.
Let your children help you cook dinner – anything to get them up and moving.
Limit screen time e.g. TV, computer, video games.
Have healthy snack options available and keep sweets out of the house or out of sight.
Aim to pack school lunch boxes with less processed foods and more fresh, nutritious ingredients.
Don't over pack lunch boxes. Many children are going to school with 3-4 snacks, a sandwich and also having a substantial afternoon tea/ main meals. This can add up and can result in overeating. Pack the appropriate amount of food for your child's age and activity level.
Limit takeaway meals and meals eaten out of home.
For motivation set up a rewards chart and create nutrition/ exercise goals e.g. to eat 5 serves of vegetables each day. If the goals are met every day that week then give your child a small reward.
Encourage eating at the dining table together and never in front of the TV.
Stick to water and milk and avoid juices, soft drinks, sports drinks and any other drinks with added sugars.
Aim for as much variety as possible within the 5 food groups e.g. instead of 4 slices of bread a day mix it up with oats and other grains.
Check in with your children every now and then to ensure they are not being bullied.
If you are unsure of what or how much your children should be eating – check with a dietitian.
Ensure they aren't sneaking food. It's more common now that children are using their pocket money to buy chocolates and sweets before and after school with their friends.
Don't give your children food as a reward or to calm them down when they are having a tantrum – this encourages more bad behavior and can lead to emotional eating as they age.
Don't talk negatively about food and exercise around your children. Hearing their dad say that broccoli is gross or exercise is boring will make them want to mimic this behavior even more and feel that it is acceptable.
Don't spend all of your time in front of the TV or on your phone.
Don't fall in to the trap of thinking excess weight is harmless and cute or that they shouldn't be deprived of treats. Children can definitely still have sweets on occasion but often when I hear parents saying they don't want to deprive their children, they are having in excess of one "extra" food per day e.g. pack of chips each day at school, for afternoon tea and chocolate at night. It's not about depriving them but rather ensuring their health.
Don't talk negatively about appearance and weight or tell your children they need to go on a diet. This won't help the situation and can often make it worse.
This article was written by our dietitian Belinda Elwin who is a Dietitians Association of Australia member and Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist. If you have questions about healthy eating for children, make an appointment. We'll provide you with a simple and effective routine targeted to your concerns. Contact us today.


The Star Gold Coast has everything you're looking for under one roof. Award-winning restaurants, lively bars, and a 24-hour casino, plus a luxury 5-star hotel. PACE delegates receive a special rate at The Star Gold Coast, but rooms at the special rate are already booked out for 31 October.
Fortunately, the Gold Coast has plenty of accommodation options, and across the way from The Star – Peppers Broadbeach currently have 2 bedroom suites for between $310 – $350 a night, Meriton Suites Broadbeach have studio suites for just over $200 a night, and Wyndham Surfers Paradise have one bedroom apartments for around $150 a night – all with availability for the period 31 Oct – 2 Nov.
For accommodation bookings at The Star Gold Coast with the special rate – click here.


text:
#BlogTour – #BookReview of #TheLastDaysOfEllisIsland by #GaelleJosse @NatashaLehrer @WorldEdBooks @RandomTTours #EllisIsland #RandomThingsTours
November 14, 2020 ~ calturner
I'm pleased to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for the incredibly poignant and thought provoking The Last Days of Ellis Island by Gaelle Josse. Thank you to Anne Cater and World Editions for giving me the opportunity to read and review this remarkable book.
New York, November 3, 1954. In a few days, the immigration inspection station on Ellis Island will close its doors forever. John Mitchell, an officer of the Bureau of Immigration, is the guardian and last resident of the island. As Mitchell looks back over forty-five years as gatekeeper to America and its promise of a better life, he recalls his brief marriage to beloved wife Liz, and is haunted by memories of a transgression involving Nella, an immigrant from Sardinia. Told in a series of poignant diary entries, this is a story of responsibility, love, fidelity, and remorse.
Gaëlle Josse holds degrees in law, journalism, and clinical psychology. Formerly a poet, she published her first novel, Les heures silencieuses (The Quiet Hours), in 2011. Josse went on to win several awards, including the Alain Fournier Award in 2013 for Nos vies désaccordées (Our Out-Of-Tune Lives). After spending a few years in New Caledonia, she returned to Paris, where she now works and lives. Josse received the European Union Prize for Literature for The Last Days of Ellis Island, along with the Grand Livre du Mois Literary Prize.
Translated by Natasha Lehrer:
The Last days of Ellis Island by Gaelle Josse is the remarkable story of Ellis Island, the infamous immigration inspection station that closed its doors for the final time in 1954. Told in a series of poignant diary entries, this is a book that had a hugely profound effect on me, giving me much food for thought as I was held captive by this moving story of love, responsibility, fidelity and remorse.
A devastatingly honest combination of fact and fiction, it tells the tale of John Mitchell, an officer of the Bureau of Immigration and the last resident of the island. Beautifully translated by Natasha Lehrer, the story is brought so vividly to life it almost felt as though I was there amongst the heaving masses of desperate people all searching for a new life.
Looking back over his forty five years as gatekeeper to America and its promise of a better life, John Mitchell recalls the most important moments of his life, including marriage to his beloved wife Liz and a transgression with Nella, a Sardinian immigrant, that has haunted him throughout his life. I have to admit John was not always a character I found easy to like, with some of his choices questionable to say the least.
Finding the words to give this remarkable book the justice it deserves isn't easy and I'm sure others have managed to do so better than I ever could. But there is no doubt that this is a book of historical significance that people shouldn't shy away from and is as relevant to the times we live in now as it ever was. It's so important that what happened all those years ago isn't forgotten and that we, in the modern world, need to learn from past mistakes that trying to find a better life for yourself and your family isn't a crime. All any of us ever want is what is best for our loved ones and the many people who passed through Ellis Island were no different. I found this aspect of the story so incredibly moving and, while John Mitchell's story is a fascinating one that kept me reading long into the night, the desperation of those families (who could quite easily be any of us) searching for a safe haven was so palpable that it has continued to stay with me long after the final page had been read.
There is so much more I could say about The Last Days of Ellis Island, but suffice to say this is a book I think everyone should read. It's an incredibly poignant and moving read, with twists and turns that took me by surprise, even throwing one last curveball that left me reeling. Gaelle Josse has written an exceptional book that's rich in history and is a book that I would highly recommend.
The Last Days of Ellis Island is available to purchase from November 24th: Amazon UK
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
‹ Previous#BlogTour – #BookReview of #TheOnceAndFutureWitches by Alix E. Harrow @AlixEHarrow @orbitbooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n
Next ›#BlogTour – #BookReview of #TheSnowSong by @TheSallyGardner @hqstories
One thought on "#BlogTour – #BookReview of #TheLastDaysOfEllisIsland by #GaelleJosse @NatashaLehrer @WorldEdBooks @RandomTTours #EllisIsland #RandomThingsTours"
annecater says:
Thanks for the blog tour support Cal x


After starring in the last 'Silent Hill' movie, Kit Harington continues his quest to extend beyond his "Jon Snow" character on 'Game of Thrones' with 'Pompeii,' a romance-action-'Gladiator' mashup directed by 'Resident Evil' helmer Paul W.S. Anderson. While the film probably isn't on the top of most moviegoers' lists of the most anticipated of 2014, the newly released photo gallery from Sony Pictures shows it'll have at least a few thrills for audiences ... and one menacing Kiefer Sutherland.
Harington is joined by the likes of Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland (trading in his Jack Bauer threads for something more akin to Joaquin Phoenix in 'Gladiator'), 'Thor 2' star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and even 'Mad Men''s Jared Harris. The film follows Milo (Harington), a slave who finds himself in the gladiatorial arena and becomes a near unbeatable warrior. He falls in love with a merchant's daughter (Browning), who is, of course, betrothed to a ruthless Roman senator. But none of that really matters because this all takes place right before Mount Vesuvius famously erupts and wipes out all of Pompeii.
Check out the complete gallery below before 'Pompeii' erupts in theaters this February 21.


Wow! Adele has shocked us twice today!
First up was the news that the hilarious singer is supposedly about to sign a £90million record deal with Sony. According to reports, the new deal comes after her contract with XL Recordings expired and is bigger than the £80m EMI paid to secure Robbie Williams in 2002 and Whitney Houston's £70m deal with Arista in 2001! Wow!
A phenomenal amount of moolah, you'll agree, but we reckon she kind of deserves it, what with the amount of records she's shifted over the past few months, not to mention be able to keep us laughing! She's earned every penny.
But that wasn't all! The bigger shock came with the premiere of the video to new single Send My love (To Your New Lover). Shock? Why? Because the new tune isn't a lighter-waver like Hello or Someone Like You? In fact it's a rollickin' funfest that sees Adele in a floral frock working her body like BGT dance act! Honestly, what a shocker, right? But we're most impressed as this perky song is a corker too. Different, but we like it. Keep up the good work Adele!
Next ArticleWhy our BGT winner Wayne Woodward is the new Adele!


text:
About DSRF
DSRF News
3.21: Canada's Down Syndrome Magazine
Living with Down Syndrome
Medical and Health Information
Psychological Development
Up The Down Market Dinner
Run Up For Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome Swag
Greeting Cards: Through Andrew's Eyes
Please see program brochures (below) for registration dates. Click here to register when the registration window opens.
Our approach comes from the understanding that every learner is an individual with unique strengths and interests, and that learning is optimized when these preferences are incorporated into individual program development. Our high quality programs are taught by a skilled, experienced, multi-disciplinary team and are backed by the results and insights observed through continuous program evaluation.
The outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome can be maximized by providing opportunities for rich social connections with family and friends, participation in the community, optimal health care, as well as the opportunity to learn through instruction that is tailored to the profile of the learner. Our aim is to assist in the development of children into adults who are confident, self-reliant, resourceful, socially connected, and able to make positive contributions to their community. At the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation, our educational programs are designed to enhance the skills that will support full social inclusion. We do this through a focus on four key areas: speech and language, reading and communication, social and emotional development, and enhancing the life skills that will foster maximum independence.
The following programs are currently being offered. Click on link for registration form, or call our office at 604-444-3773.
Speech Language Therapy (all ages)
Need help with program funding?
DSRF offers income-based program bursaries. Click here for information on various funding options.
Speech and Language Therapy - one to one (Burnaby and Surrey)
Occupational therapy (all ages)
Occupational Therapy (Children) - one to one (Burnaby and Surrey)
Occupational Therapy (Adolescents/Adults) - one to one (Burnaby and Surrey)
Mental wellness for people with down syndrome and their families (all ages)
Family-centred positive behaviour support (all ages)
Positive Behaviour Support (Burnaby)
one to one reading (all ages)
One to One Reading Program - one to one (Abbotsford, Burnaby, North Vancouver & Surrey)
One to One Reading Program Description
one to one math (all ages)
One to One Math Program - one to one (Abbotsford, Burnaby, North Vancouver & Surrey)
small group classes (children/youth)
Group Program Registration Form - use to register for all group programs
Bollywood Dance (Burnaby - cancelled for 2019/20)
Music in Motion (Burnaby)
Taekwon-do for Beginners (Burnaby)
Teens Can Cook (Burnaby)
Summer Chatter Camp (Burnaby)
small group classes (adults)
Reading & Communication Plus (Burnaby)
Money Math & Budgeting (Burnaby)
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Did you know that DSRF provides children and youth bursaries to assist families with the cost of DSRF programs?
The Bursary Program was originally established by DSRF Board Director, George Klukas, who believes financial difficulties should not be a barrier for families to access DSRF's programs. The program is made possible by the continued support of Mr. Klukas, other major donors, and the Triple-21 Bursary Program which directs 21% of funds donated by individuals and corporations who participate in the monthly giving campaign directly to bursaries.
Click here to download the DSRF bursary application form. Submit your application a minimum of two weeks prior to program registration to the attention of "DSRF Bursaries." You may submit your application in person at 1409 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby, by email to info@dsrf.org, or by fax to (604) 431-9248.
In addition to DSRF's program bursaries, the following organizations provide funding for children's programs on an individualized basis:
Variety the Children's Charity
CKNW Kids' Fund
At Home Program
Families approved for the At Home Program can access an annual maximum of $3,840 for each of three types of therapies: speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy. Click here for further information.
For adult students, the following post-secondary programs have been approved as programs of study that lead to a gain or improvement in skills needed to work in the National Occupation List of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and are qualified programs for tuition tax credits: Reading and Communication Plus, Budgeting and Money Math, and Social Communication and Navigation. DSRF will issue a T2202A E certificate for tuition paid in each calendar year. These programs are also eligible for the use of Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP).
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The Sock Baron
By John and Mark Cronin Reprinted from 3.21: Canada's Down Syndrome Magazine (Issue #1: The Employment Issue). Click here to download the full magazine. Our story starts in the fall of 2016. The business I (Mark) was working in shut down overnight. I was 58-years-old, wondering what I was going to do for the rest of my life. Meanwhile, John was in high school, and the rule in our area is that you can stay in the public school system until you graduate, or you turn 21 – whichever comes first. John was 21, so this was going to be his last year of school. Like everybody else at that stage of life, John was trying to figure out what comes next for him. We looked at a lot of options. John looked at some jobs, he looked at a college, and he looked at some social service programs. But he didn't see anything that he liked. It's a reality faced by many. We call it the 21-Year-Old Cliff. You're taken care of medically, you're educated, and then… nothing. The choices aren't great. John came to me and said, "I want to go into business with you." He's a natural entrepreneur, and he thought, "If I don't see anything out there that I like, let me go create it." Of course, I was excited. My son came to me and said, "I want to work with you." He's the youngest of three sons, and he's the one I can actually work with! We explored a number of ideas for the business. John's first idea was to open a "fun store" – but neither of us had any idea what a fun store is. He pitched a food truck, but we ran into a problem: we can't cook. Then, right before Thanksgiving, John had his eureka moment. He wanted to start creating socks. "They're fun, they're creative, and they let me be me." John had worn crazy socks his whole life. He has a very particular sense of style. He would lay his clothes out the night before school and his brother Jamie would come to me saying, "You can't let him wear that to school." And John would remind him, "You're not the fashion police!" We figured, if there's something you love, chances are there are going to be other people who love it too; there are going to be other people in your tribe. So, we decided to move forward with socks. To John's credit, he didn't just come and say, "I want to sell socks." He had the name, and he had drawn out what a website could look like. I suggested we could call it Mark's Serious Socks, but that only ticked him off. We opened bank accounts, registered with the state of New York, built a website and got some inventory. The only marketing we did was to set up a Facebook page and make some videos, starring John of course. He came up with a slogan: "Socks, socks and more socks." We opened for business in late 2016, and got a flood of orders right away. Most of them were local, and John had a plan: he wanted to do home deliveries. We got some red boxes and threw in some candy, along with a handwritten thank you card. We made one of our first deliveries at 10 o'clock at night. We're lucky we didn't get shot! But in all seriousness, customers loved it. Word began to spread. That first month we shipped 452 orders. We felt awesome. Right away we began hearing from families who had children with Down syndrome or other differing abilities. They told us John was an inspiration. It was a bit of a mental leap for me to make, because he's just my third son. He's just John. But early on, that was an important connection. Mission: Happiness Our mission at John's Crazy Socks is to spread happiness. That mission drives everything we do. With this purpose in mind, we have built a social enterprise. It's a different type of business model. We have a social mission and we have a business mission, and they're indivisible; they feed off each other. We've built it on four pillars: 1. Make it Personal2. Socks You Can Love3. Giving Back4. Inspiration and Hope Making it Personal The personal touch that started with our home deliveries continues to be so important. To this day, every package has John's smiling face on the outside, and when you open it up, you get the socks, you get a note card from John whit the story of John's Crazy Socks on the back, two discount cards (one for the customer and one for a friend), and some candy. You also get, on your packing slip, some stickers showing the names and the faces of the sock wrangler – that's what we call our pickers – and the happiness packer who packed that order. When you open it, you're not just getting socks; you're getting a little dose of happiness. If you post to our Instagram or Facebook page, John responds with a thank you video. It turns out that posting a 5- or 10-second video is a lot easier than John writing notes. When we were receiving 50 orders a day, John would hand write every note. Someone showed me a thread on Reddit where people were trying to calculate how many hours a day John was having to spend writing all the notes. That's not possible now; we have to let him out of the basement occasionally! Socks You Can Love We have 2,300 different kinds of socks. That makes us the world's largest sock store, in terms of selection. Some of the socks are specially designed by us, but most are purchased from wholesalers. We have a Sock of the Month Club, and Monday Madness: a grab bag of socks that John picks out. When I ask him what's in it, he says, "It's a surprise! I'm not telling you!" Giving Back John is a Special Olympics athlete, so we donate 5% of all profits to Special Olympics. And that's just a start. We've also added products that raise money for charity partners. The first one was a Down syndrome awareness sock. In January 2017, we discovered that on World Down Syndrome Day, people wear crazy socks to celebrate. You would think we knew that before starting a sock store owned by a person with Down syndrome, but we didn't! We went looking for a Down syndrome sock that we could sell, and we couldn't find one. So, John said, "I want to create one." And he did. Two dollars from each pair gets donated: one dollar to the National Down Syndrome Society, and another dollar goes to a local group called ACDS. When we sell this sock – and it's our bestselling sock – people wear it to celebrate. It's raising awareness and it's improving acceptance. We're not going to hide. We're not going to be ashamed. We're going to wear this, and we're going to make sure everybody knows: I have Down syndrome, or I have a son with Down syndrome, or a friend or a family member, and we want to sing that out. That's true about the Down syndrome socks, and it's also true about our autism socks, our Williams syndrome socks, and others. Inspiration and Hope Inspiration and Hope is our most important pillar. We want to show the world what people with differing abilities can do. We have different metrics than other businesses, because we have different goals. We are trying to come up with a happiness index; if we're in the business of spreading happiness, can we measure that? But here are some of our current metrics: How many jobs have we created? 39. 23 of those jobs are held by people with differing abilities. We give people meaningful work. We get to see miracles everyday, simply by giving people jobs with meaning and purpose. Awareness. The videos we make – to call them low-fi is to overstate them. But they've been seen over four million times. A video about us on The Mighty has over 20 million views. The BBC put one out over a year ago; last I looked it had 44 million views. Giving Back. To date, we've raised over $270,000 for our charity partners. Making Customers Happy. We have over 20,000 online reviews; 96% of them are 5-star reviews. One third of our orders are repeat customers. I don't like talking about money, but it helps us demonstrate that this is not just a nice story about a cute kid and an incredibly good-looking father. That first month when we shipped 452 orders, we had $13,200 in revenue. Our first full year, 2017, we shipped 42,710 orders, for $1.7 million in revenue. Last year we shipped 144,000 orders and had $5.5 million in revenue. When we say that, people pay attention. And we want them to know we're able to do that because of the workforce we have. In a day and age where there is a growing labor shortage, we have an awesome workforce. It's because we tap into people with differing abilities. When we talk about "socks you can love," it comes back to that social enterprise model. We have to be a great e-commerce business. We are competing with Amazon and Target and Walmart and all the others. We can never say, "Well, you have to understand: look who we hire." It's the exact opposite. We need to show we'll go toe to toe. In fact, we do better shipping than Amazon. If an order comes in, it goes out by 3:00 that day. Our accuracy rate is high; our return rate is very low. And that's part of the message: look what people can do. Plus, Jeff Bezos is not putting a thank you note and candy in his packages! We have people with differing abilities working side by side neurotypicals. Everybody earns that job. You have to pass a sock wrangler test, which is really complicated. Here's what it is: you come out and meet with John and me, because we want you to know what the business is about, and we want to make sure that you want to be there; it's not just mom and dad or your job coach who want you there. Then you go and learn the job from a current sock wrangler, who teaches you how to pull the orders. We've simplified the system; it's an address system and it tells you: "Go to Aisle A, Rack 2." You can take as long as you'd like to learn. We don't pay you until you pass the test. Some people are good to go after an hour. Some people, it takes them weeks. They learn at their own pace, but they have to pass that test. And once they do, they are given a meaningful job that matches their ability, and the support they need to succeed. You can say that our business model is a morally good thing to do, and I'm not going to argue that. It may make you feel better going to church or synagogue or the mosque on the weekend, but that's not what it's about. It's simply good business. It gives us a competitive advantage. And we want other people to go and copy that. Every time John stands in front of an audience and tells our story, it changes people's minds a little bit. We're doing everything we can to move from just raising awareness to acceptance, so that when you see people with different abilities contributing to the community, it's just normal. Of course John runs his own business. Of course our colleagues are doing the jobs they do, and doing them well. Why wouldn't they? This article was transcribed from a presentation by John and Mark Cronin at the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation in March 2019, as part of a USG-funded speaker program. Click here to visit John's Crazy Socks.
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Up the Down Market Toronto 2020 Up the Down Market Toronto will take place April 23, 2020 at the Arcadian Court
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Down Syndrome Resource Foundation
1409 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby
V5B 4J8
E-mail: info@dsrf.org
All Rights Reserved. DSRF © 2016
Canadian Charitable Number - 898907266RR0001 US Charitable Number - 98-0594983
Headquarters: 1409 Sperling Ave. Burnaby, BC V5B 4J8
Surrey Programs: City Centre Building 1, 13737 96 Ave. Surrey, BC
Abbotsford Programs: Central Heights Church, 1661 McCallum Rd. Abbotsford, BC


While most teams go for a traditional approach, Valiant stood out because of the humour in their video, which featured a classic Office prank.
The war for Los Angeles goes on, as the roster reveals adds a new spark to the conflict. By combining the player personalities with the iconic intro for The US Office, Valiant created a unique roster reveal that brings a more informal and personal side to the traditional event.
Each player on the roster became a member of The Office with the most notable being Coach Moon Byung-Chul as Michael Scott, Bak 'Kariv' Youngseo as Dwight Schrute, and Scott 'Custa' Kennedy as Jim Halpert. To add to the fun, the reveal finished with a prank that involved Custa putting Kariv's mouse in jelly, the same well-known prank that Jim pulled on Dwight in the television show.
The Gladiators on the other hand launched their 2019 roster reveal on Twitter last Friday, utilising a more professional approach that saw the players standing in their jerseys against a Gladiator-themed background. Whilst this reveal was classy and incredibly smart, it held nothing on the Valiant's brilliant parody of The Office.
How do you think the Valiant will do this season?


It's not that I don't go grocery shopping anymore. I do. I swear.
But isn't it nice when you can go into your pantry and pull out what you need to make something unusual and wonderful? This takes two things: a diverse pantry, and some basic knowledge.
We do this all the time with our "native" North American/Western European influenced cuisine. You go to the fridge and pantry, pull out some stuff and cook. If we didn't have that basic understanding of what goes with what we would stand in our kitchen, frozen in fear and starve.
Here's your "TIL" for the day: Where does the term Catch-22 originate?
It's from a novel set in World War II called Catch 22, written by Joseph Heller in 1961. In the novel, one of the characters describes a problem facing pilots who request a mental evaluation for insanity, hoping to escape flying dangerous missions. If you're sane enough to want an evaluation, then you're not insane; ergo, the insane won't ask. Catch-22.
It's not insane to have a well stocked pantry, although I have bought what some would categorize as "crazy" stuff. Some recipes do call for the unusual, or perhaps better phrased, not the ordinary for us.
My advice? If you spot something weird, buy it. Even if you don't know how to use it. Find out how later.
This one really doesn't have a lot of weird ingredients. The only one that stands out are the dried shiitake mushrooms. They're cheap, and appear in thousands of recipes.
The only other ingredient that you may not have is siriacha sauce. But it's now available everywhere in every grocery store. It's now mainstream.
This is a quick recipe. The basis is another standard Chinese recipe in my kitchen, crab and corn soup. Unfortunately I had no corn. Dried shiitake, yes. Corn, no. Go figure. So that's when the substitutions started.
This is very good. It would be a great soup course for a Chinese feast. You can get four decent bowls easily, or even 8 if you're having a lot of dishes. For dinner this comfortably serves two.
Place the dried shiitake mushrooms and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the water, and let cool for a minute or two before slicing. Set aside.
Chop the garlic and ginger and place into a soup pot. Add the shiitake, mushroom water, soy, sesame oil and siriacha. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes.
Then stir in the crab meat and green onions. Once the pot has come back to a simmer, slowly pour the beaten eggs into the hot soup, stirring constantly to break them uo into thin strands.
Taste for salt and pepper and adjust. Serve immediately.


"It's just been an amazing journey," Booker said.
Let's start with his failed scooter ride to a barber shop in Norman, Oklahoma, a literal journey.
Booker was a three-star recruit out of Westside High School in Augusta, an all-state performer for coach Marvin Fields who chose the Sooners over Tennessee, Texas A&M and Georgia.
Playing behind a developing program legend in Buddy Hield, Booker averaged just over five points a game as a freshman as the Sooners advanced to the NCAA Tournament. That following summer, Booker had to halt his participation in a pickup game due to a scheduled hair appointment.
Without a car of his own, Booker reached out to Hield.
Hield granted permission. Booker took off. And then Booker went down.
When Frank Booker Sr. got the call, he was skeptical of the details. He was told his son had a broken wrist, sure, but he did it how, again?
Booker's barber shop no-show was foreshadowing for a trying season with the Sooners. He was the sixth man for a Sweet 16 team – his 12 points were key to OU getting past Dayton in the second round – but he did it at less than 100 percent.
The scooter fall triggered other medical concerns, including back tightness.
Booker connected on 36 3-pointers in 2014-15, his last at Oklahoma. In the release that announced his transfer, Booker went public with his desire to be closer to home and receive more playing time. Hield would go on to win national player of the year in 2015-16 while Booker sat at Florida Atlantic.
The scooter became a symbol of his fight.
Coach Fields retired last spring after 40 seasons on a high school sideline, including two stints at Westside. He counts both Bookers among the best 10 players he's ever coached.
Booker Sr. was Westside's quarterback and two-guard in the early 1980s. He played four years at Bowling Green in Ohio before being a seventh round selection of the New Jersey Nets in the 1987 NBA Draft.
"He went to try out for them and he was one of the last players cut that year and wound up going overseas," Fields said.
Iceland not only became the site of Big Frank's decorated professional career – see three scoring titles and four all-star appearances – it's where Little Frank was born. Booker didn't fully learn English until he was 6 or 7, after a move to his father's hometown.
But Dad could take credit for the athleticism.
Booker gave Fields nearly 28 points a game as a senior, polishing his reputation as one of Georgia's most lethal shooters.
Booker's one active season at FAU – he had to sit 2015-16 per NCAA transfer rules – was underwhelming. He averaged under 17 minutes a game, scoring 5.7 points for a 10-20 team.
He was about done with college basketball. Duplicating images from his Westside days – the fearless shot attempts that both quieted and erupted student sections – seemed impossible. The plan was to head overseas to begin a pro career.
But both Booker Sr. and Fields wanted the college door to stay open. Little Frank still had a year of eligibility remaining.
USC coach Frank Martin had interest – but a crowded recruiting class – when Booker was starring at Westside. Five years later – and faced with a backcourt need – he pushed harder for the semi-local talent.
Fields and Booker Sr. sit together in section 116 of CLA. They've made the easy drive up I-20 for each USC home game this season.
They were there when Booker's 18 points helped the Gamecocks beat Kentucky on Jan. 16. They were there when his four 3s sparked the upset of No. 10 Auburn a month later.
The familiar sights and sounds have returned.
Pressed for a reason why, he smiled.
Iceland, Westside, Oklahoma, Florida Atlantic, South Carolina, Buddy Hield's scooter, Frank Martin's prodding. All topics for the Frank Booker Feature.
"It's an amazing story," he said.
The South Carolina basketball team is losing another player to transfer this offseason with the departure of Felipe Haase from Frank Martin's Southeastern Conference squad.


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