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Phoenix Nest Community Project
by Upgraded Living | Jun 1, 2021 | Media | 0 comments
The last four years have not been easy on the Northstate. Between a dam failure and ensuing flood, the most deadly and destructive wildfire in California history, additional yearly wildfires, and finally a worldwide pandemic that dramatically changed life as we know it—residents of our normally quiet part of the state have experienced an unprecedented level of trauma. As any therapist will tell you, healing takes a good deal of time, and without ample time to recover, individuals find themselves in a sort of limbo, often full of unprocessed emotions and unanswered questions. As there hasn't been an adequate gap between one disaster and the next, these unprocessed emotions continue to pile up, layering on top of each other year-after-year, resulting in grief and unchecked pain. The result—developed personalities that put us at greater risk for aggression, depression, aggravation, distrust, and more. This situation not only harms ourselves but has an adverse effect on those around us. The Phoenix Nest Community Project in Chico, a program by Alex Kriz, Jesse Spallina, and Daniel Rieders M.D., aims to create a safe space to work through these emotions using ketamine, opening the door for introspection and healing.
Originally from Gainesville, Florida, Jesse moved to Washington D.C. after college and worked for W.W. Grainger in industrial supply. He quickly moved up, but found himself disconnected from the life he was living. He sold his belongings, cashed out from the company, and moved to California to try his hand at real estate investing.
"Everything changed when I moved to California." Jesse said, "I began finding ways where I felt connected to nature and the community. I attended a dance church on Sunday mornings, where you could just go and dance for enjoyment. It was judgment free, and I always felt better after visiting. I met a guy who was doing sound healing, and I checked it out. I immediately found my calling during that first experience and decided to make it my life's work."
Jesse began taking classes at the Vibrational Sound Association in sound healing and learned the many ways in which something as simple as changes in sound can scientifically make a positive impact on health and wellness. Much of this has come into the limelight over the past few years with binaural meditation phone apps, along with studies indicating the use of sound for improvement of sleep and effectiveness of therapy. He opened 432 Sound Healing in Chico and began offering corporate relaxation programs to help individuals through the kinds of experiences he had while working in Corporate America. The business grew and eventually became an open platform for all individuals seeking relaxation and a spiritual form of healing.
During his time in Chico, Jesse met Alex Kriz, a name you likely recognize if you follow the magazine, as our Goddess of Grooming in the Women in Business issue and owner of All Cats & Dogs Pet Grooming. Alex had been through a great deal of trauma herself, suffering from the fallout of a sexual assault during her time in the military, and still doing her best to work through it. Citing the immense trauma experienced throughout the Northstate, they set out to form a healing studio to help residents process their emotions and recover. They enlisted the help of a mutual friend, Dr. Daniel Rieders, a triple board certified cardiologist from Palo Alto, who not only achieved success in the world of western medicine, but eastern medicine as well. Together, the three are looking to bring an unparalleled level of healing to Northern California using ketamine, a common pharmaceutical used at every hospital throughout the country.
"Ketamine is considered a medical necessity by the World Health Organization." Alex said, "It was used as an anesthesia medicine during the 60s on the battlefields of the Vietnam War, and it is used in low dosages at hospitals to help ease pain. Over the years, doctors and therapists have found another use for it—at a dosage between painkiller and anesthetic, there's this in-between space. Patients are awake and fully relaxed, but in a state where they are able to unlock repressed memories and process trauma through profound experiences. It puts you out of your own way for an hour and creates an environment where the body is finally able to work its own healing magic."
Dr. Rieders continued in agreement, "The Phoenix Nest Community Project is a passion project for all of us. We've all had different journeys, but found ourselves at the same place with the same calling at the same time. I've used ketamine for years to help patients both in treating pain and altering consciousness. In this modality, we administer a very low dosage of ketamine, sit next to the patient, and simply create the space they need to process things. Most recently, I've had patients who successfully dealt with depression from deep seated body image issues, simply by enjoying music after taking ketamine. The experience helped the patient realize their body was a necessary vehicle which allowed them to enjoy the music they were listening to. They came into their visit openly hating their body and left 45 minutes later with a brand new appreciation through self-discovery. It was truly a beautiful experience. Everyone has different challenges, but this continues to work time and again, almost regardless of the emotional trauma being treated. I've had countless similar experiences with patients suffering from PTSD, those who are having trouble coping with the loss of a loved one, and even those who are having trouble at work. The opportunities seem to be limitless."
Jesse finished the point by saying, "We see this as creating a sacred space with clinical safety. The experience is kind of like a control-alt-delete on the brain. When things get too intense and you can't find a way out, this form of treatment allows you to break free from the confusion, disconnect for an hour, and see things from an outside perspective. Most of us are great at providing advice to friends, but seldom great at processing and working through what's happening within ourselves. The moments created during these sessions allow patients to see a brighter side of life, and it's been shown time and again to have a life-changing effect for those suffering from deep depression."
Indeed, science does back the work being done with ketamine. A simple Google search will pull up a multitude of articles, published scientific studies, and personal accounts of individuals who have successfully dealt with depression and other diseases using the drug. Even mainstream outlets like WebMD hail it as potentially being one of the greatest breakthroughs in treating severe depression in recent history. Though the treatment is new to Butte County, it has been available for quite some time at hundreds of clinics across the state.
"It is so much more than just a treatment; it's a type of regenesis." Jesse concluded, "This creates a new foundation for people to work from. It's been shown to create new neural pathways that allow your brain to start firing properly again, pushing serotonin through the system and building neuroplasticity so people can learn new behaviors that will allow them to maintain their newfound healing. Not only does it work on depression, but it's been shown to help in active addiction with opiate addicts and removing suicidal ideation. Truly, it is an incredible opportunity to help those who need help most."
Phoenix Nest Community Project will open its doors on June 1st at 1459 Humboldt Road, directly across from the police station in Chico. For more information on the project and the incredible work being done by Jesse, Alex, and Dr. Daniel Rieders, visit
www.PhoenixNestProject.com, or call (530) 855-0213
to schedule an appointment.
Website copyright © Phoenix Nest Community Project 2021
1459 Humboldt Rd Suite A, Chico | (530) 855-0213


Krummholz is an interdisciplinary and independent non-profit association of scientists within the biogeosciences, aiming at promoting research and scientific advances in the critical zone and in extreme environments. Our activity focusses on the effects of climate change from the poles to the tropical mountains and in the development of tools supporting sustainable development. Krummholz conducts field and laboratory work supported on geospatial technologies, including research, services and consulting. Our mission also aims at science outreach and, sharing a vision of Global citizenship, we connect to society promoting scientific literacy, mainly in the community of Portuguese speaking countries.


Fred Dunayer: Welcome to the SCORE Small Business Success Podcast – Been There, Done That! To get free mentoring services as well as to see the wide variety of resources available for small businesses visit our website at www.score.org or call 1-800-634-0245. Now, here's your host Dennis Zink.
Dennis Zink: I'm joined by Fred Dunayer in our studio as co-host, SCORE mentor, and audio engineer.
The first episode is Buying A Business. I'd like to introduce Norm Silverstein whose primary expertise is assisting buyers and sellers of small to mid-sized businesses. Norm has owned his own business brokerage company for 10 years and merged with another company in 2006. Having completed hundreds of business sales and transactions, Norm is experienced in mergers and acquisitions, business valuations, performing due diligence, determining the real cash flow of a business, and everything that it takes to bring buyers and sellers to the closing table. Norm has been a SCORE certified mentor since 2012.
Norm, welcome to Been There, Done That!
Norm Silverstein: Thank you and good morning.
Dennis Zink: Good morning, Fred.
I'd like to start by asking, many entrepreneurs choose to buy a business, an existing business, as opposed to starting from scratch. What are some of the reasons that someone would want to do that?
Norm Silverstein: Basically buying a business or owning a business has always been the American dream and there are three ways of going into business. I'll touch upon buying an existing business as number three but number one, the most difficult way of getting into a business is starting from scratch. That's the highest risk however it gives the highest rewards if you're a true entrepreneur. Basically you're starting off with no customers and no business, so that's difficult. That's something you have to overcome.
The second way of going into a business is buying a franchise and there are good franchises and there are bad franchises. You have to really differentiate and do your homework to find out what is a good franchise. You will not get any current numbers or numbers of existing franchises as far as what volume they're doing, what profits they're making. They're not allowed to do that so you have to do your due diligence by contacting different franchisees of that franchise to determine whether this is something you really want to go into. Also one of the disadvantages of owning a franchise is that they take a piece of your total sales whether you're making money or not and they do this every month. They charge you a franchise fee, an advertising fee, and usually it runs around 7% or 8% of your total volume so you got to pay that upfront. Another disadvantage is if you're a true entrepreneur you really can't do everything you want to do if it doesn't fit into their system. Buying a franchise can be advantageous if you need that kind of help, that background, that support that a good franchise will give you but you got to pay for it in the long run.
Buying an existing business is probably the least risky if you buy the right business and do it properly because you have immediate cash flow. That's number one. Buying a franchise or starting from scratch you don't have that advantage so you have immediate cash flow. All of the bugs of the business have probably been ironed out and all of the problems that the business has encountered at the early stage of their development have been resolved. Basically, most of the dirty work has been done when you buy an existing business. To me that's the most advantageous way of doing it and the least risky. Again, if you do it properly.
Dennis Zink: Do you also think it may be the least expensive?
Norm Silverstein: It could be but maybe not. It depends on the size of the business and it depends on how you buy it. You can buy a business for all cash which I don't recommend or you can buy a business with a down payment and most business owners will do financing. If the business owner does financing a bank will also come aboard if you need additional financing. It really depends on the size of the business. Again, it could be expensive but maybe not because again you're getting that instant cash flow. That's what you have to determine whether you want to do that or not.
Dennis Zink: Who typically are the buyers? Where do they come from? What are they looking for?
Norm Silverstein: Buyers, there are people who have always dreamed of owning their own business and that's a select group. They may be working right now or they're not working but they've always dreamed of owning their own business. They can be employed or they could be a displaced executive who based on the economy today there's a lot of them who are looking for jobs and can't find them and the other option of course is to try to find a business that they can afford to buy. Some former business owners will also look for other opportunities. Sometimes they're burned out in their existing business and are looking for new challenges and they're looking for another business to buy.
There are turnaround specialists who look for businesses with problems and if they find a business that they can buy based on their economic needs that they feel they can turn that business around. They're looking for that challenge and that's fine. There's a strategic buyer which is usually a company looking for a business that will fit in with their overall business plan. There are foreigners looking to move to this country, live in this country, and they need a Visa to stay in this country. One of the best ways of doing that is to buy a business and that will fit their needs too. We have a lot of business owners, small business owners, in this country. If they have enough employees to satisfy the immigration authorities of our country they could become and they are potential buyers.
Dennis Zink: Let's assume that you're ready to buy a business. How do you find the right business to buy? Where do you look? Who do you go to?
Norm Silverstein: That's pretty difficult. There are ways of finding an existing business. There are websites. For example BizBuySell and BusinessesForSale.com where you can just type in or punch in a state, a city, a town and the type of business and some of these existing businesses will pop up and you can take a look at those. I think the best way of doing it is to contact a business intermediary, a business broker, who has specific listings who can help you in the process of buying a business and some of the due diligence has been done by this business broker already so you got some basic information that you can deal with. You can look at the newspapers. Some businesses advertise. You can certainly do that but I think again as a former business owner I think the best way of doing it is to hire an experienced business intermediary who knows exactly what your needs are, who can match your needs with an existing business that's for sale.
Dennis Zink: You go through an intermediary. What are the major steps that you go through in buying a business?
Norm Silverstein: The first thing to do is to find a business that as far as the price of the business is concerned and with the requirements, the down payments and terms, fit your needs. That's most important.
Dennis Zink: Basically, let's say you find a business. You like the business. It looks like it makes sense for you. How do you make an offer?
Norm Silverstein: Before you make an offer you certainly want some financial information. Then usually, a broker will have that information on hand which will give you an idea as to what the gross sales have been over the past few years, what the net profit has been over the past few years. This could be very helpful before you make an offer. To make an offer usually you would come up with an offer to purchase which would have to be contingent upon you doing due diligence. Contingent upon getting and accepting an acceptable lease, because not finding a lease that will be acceptable to you is a deal killer.
Landlords, they don't like to give leases to people they don't know especially if they've been getting paid every month by the current owner. You have to find the landlord and the business owner usually will put you in touch with the landlord. You get to know the landlord. If you don't have a lease that's acceptable to you, you have the right of null and voiding the contract. That's very important. Plus you have to do your due diligence. You need a few weeks to do that. If the due diligence doesn't prove the numbers that you have been given, you also have the right to back out. You're not at risk until you get to the closing table.
Dennis Zink: Let's get back to the lease for a moment. If the lease is assignable you're saying that a landlord won't automatically allow you to take it over but then again would they possibly renegotiate the lease or in your experience most of the time do they let it be taken over as an assignment?
Norm Silverstein: Most of the time if they feel comfortable with the buyer, they will let the buyer assume that lease because the lease will probably say that it's assumable but again the landlord has the final say in that, otherwise it will be negotiable. Then the negotiations have to be to your advantage otherwise it's not going to work. If you're going to be paying hundreds of dollars more a month and you're projecting your cash flow on the previous lease payments that's not going to work. Again, that could be a deal killer if you have a landlord who's not going to cooperate. He'll ask for a personal financial statement so he'll know something about you and again, with a meeting. If you have a meeting of the minds with the landlord it should work but again that's an unknown factor and that's why it's always a condition before closing that it has to be acceptable to the buyer.
Dennis Zink: I use the word assignable as opposed to assumable. Is there a difference? Did I use the wrong term?
Norm Silverstein: It's pretty much the same. It means the same.
Dennis Zink: Going through the due diligence process which you mentioned. What does that involve?
Norm Silverstein: It involves a lot of things. Number one you will probably have been given a projected financial statement for the following year, for the previous years. These are profit and loss statements that you can look at to determine what the profit of the business is but you want to verify that. You want to look at, at least the last three years of tax returns to see what has been reported to the government. That's the most important thing. What's on the P&L that's provided by the owner, that's okay, however you want to see what his total sales are, what he reports to the government, so that's number one.
You should be looking at bank statements. You should be looking at canceled checks. You want to know everything that that business has done. You want to look at the customer list and you have the right of doing that. If you don't have that information, again, you're going to back out, so you want to verify everything that's been represented to you by the business broker, if you're working with a broker, or that's been represented to you by the seller. You want to make sure that everything is exactly as it's been reported to you.
Fred Dunayer: Norm, given that most of us haven't been through that process is there somewhere in this sequence where you should go ahead and bring in your accountant, your attorney, some other resources to help you do that evaluation?
Norm Silverstein: Absolutely. When I was in that business I always recommended to have your attorney certainly draw up the contract and also have your accountant look at all of the information with you. You're going to make the final decision but your accountant is going to certainly advise you as to what he thinks but business is more than numbers. Not that numbers aren't important but you want to make sure the numbers check out. Then you also, as a business person, want to make sure that from a marketing standpoint, from an employee standpoint, there's other things you want to make sure that are in place.
Fred Dunayer: When you're doing that is your regular accountant and your regular attorney, for lack of a better term, the folks you use for that or should go out and find specialists in business acquisition. Do they have special CPAs that have that as a specialty, those kinds of evaluations and things?
Norm Silverstein: Yes, there are and there are CPAs and there are attorneys who specialize in closing businesses. As far as using an attorney, you want an attorney who knows how to draw up a proper contract. Not every attorney can do that but there are a lot of business attorneys here in town that do that as well. If you have an accountant who just does taxes that's not going to work but there are accountants who are familiar with the due diligence process, who can be very helpful and at least verifying with you the books and records of the company.
Dennis Zink: How do you account for a business owner that has a car through the business? Goes out to restaurants every day of the week and takes his wife out in the evening. How do you account for the amount of profit, of true profit, in a company that is hidden?
Norm Silverstein: Great question. I think all of the things that you just mentioned are some of the advantages of owning your own business. You can do that and it's certainly legitimate however you have to prove that to the prospective buyer. In other words if you have a car that you're using for business or even not using it for business. If it's on your expense statement, if it shows as a cost of business, that's part of the owner benefits. In other words when you're looking at what the business is truly earning for you, you want to take that bottom line in the tax return and add back to that, what the seller is really taking out of the business, which could be a car. He could have his son in college listed as an expense on his business statement but again you may not want to do that but that's money in your pocket.
If there's $20,000 of depreciation on the profit and loss statement or on a tax return you don't write a check for depreciation, but that's money. The government gives you that money so that's part of your total owner benefits. Going to lunch or taking a vacation where you're charging part of your vacation to your business, as long as you can prove that to the buyer, that's part of your total owner benefits. Not just the profits of the business.
Dennis Zink: What are typically other than the ones you just mentioned and that I mentioned about cars and restaurants and your kid in college. What are some of the other areas where the amounts are recast or added back to the bottom line to show the true profit?
Norm Silverstein: Sometimes a business, some businesses, get a lot of cash for their services and cash sometimes is reported and sometimes it's not reported. If a seller tells a buyer that look I'm taking cash out of the business but I'm not reporting all of it that's not your concern, okay. He's already been paid for it.
Dennis Zink: IRS won't like that.
Norm Silverstein: There are restaurants like that, coin laundries, things like that. They're all cash businesses. Again, at that point the owner has to prove by bank statements and things like that that he really did take the cash and was part of the business. If he can't, forget about it. That's not part of the income. That's not part of the sales. It's nothing.
Dennis Zink: I've heard stories where a prospective buyer will actually hang out with the current owner and just visually see what goes in the cash register in a given week. Is that a common occurence?
Norm Silverstein: It's not common but I've had situations like that, especially restaurants. I've had a prospective buyer, with the owner's permission, who swore up and down he was making all this money in cash, credit cards, and all that stuff. He allowed the buyer to stand behind, at the register, for about two weeks to verify what he actually did and guess what, he bought the business. I also had a situation where somebody was buying a bar and grill and the prospective buyer who's familiar with the business said if I can sit at the bar and grill for about a week or so, because the owner couldn't prove anything, I'll know what's going on. He did that and he came back to my office. He said, Norm, I want to buy the business. I know exactly how much the bartender is stealing. I know exactly what is going through the register and I'm going to buy it. Again, it's not typical. It's not in the books, but again, with a knowledgeable buyer it'll work.
Fred Dunayer: The buyer got to sit there and eat and drink for a week.
Fred Dunayer: It worked out really well for him.
Norm Silverstein: Again, the bartender didn't report some of that stuff.
Dennis Zink: What typically happens after the closing, can you explain that?
Norm Silverstein: There's two ways of closing the business. If you're buying the assets of the business versus the stock of the corporation you have two different scenarios. I always recommend to buy the assets of the corporation because if you buy the stock of the corporation, which is advantageous to the seller, you don't know what skeletons are in the closet. There could be lawsuits pending. There could have been all kinds of problems in the past.
Norm Silverstein: Once you take over, you are the corporation. You're responsible. I don't recommend ever buying the stock of the corporation. I'm talking about small to medium sized businesses. When you buy the assets of the corporation, at the day of the closing, whatever expenses or whatever bills have not been paid are still owed by the former seller. You're responsible from the day of the closing forward and he's responsible for everything prior to the day of the closing. For the first few weeks you're going to be sitting and working with the seller as bills come in and he's got to pay his responsibilities and you have to pay yours. It's a process that you have to work with.
Fred Dunayer: Norm, how common is it that the previous owners stays on for some period of time to help transition the business to the new owner?
Norm Silverstein: It's very common. In most small businesses the owner will agree to stay on for about 30 days. That's always negotiable but that's a typical 30-45 days. That's about it. Usually beyond that if the buyer requires that he would have to pay the owner some kind of a salary or consulting fee for periods beyond that but in most cases 30 days is sufficient depending on the complexity of the business. Again, that's always negotiable but usually at least 30 days as part of the business contract.
Dennis Zink: Can you explain the concept of goodwill and what a buyer is getting other than the actual inventory, if there is inventory? What is goodwill?
Norm Silverstein: Goodwill, is the total owner benefits that the company is producing. Whatever the owner puts in his pocket at the end of the year, that's goodwill. It's not blue sky.
Dennis Zink: If his name is Will it's really good for Will.
Norm Silverstein: That's correct. That's goodwill. Some people confuse goodwill with blue sky. Blue sky is like buying the potential, pay for potential, of the business. You have to make the potential not the seller so that's blue sky but goodwill is what the business is producing as far as income is concerned.
Fred Dunayer: Is there a rule of thumb? Going back you talked about the value. It's more than just the profit of the business. It's the profit plus all those benefits added back in. I'll just use the word profit to make it simple. Is there some multiplier of the profit that a buyer should consider in terms of how much he should pay for that business?
Norm Silverstein: Yes, there are. That's called rules of thumb. Now some people say rules of thumb are dumb however in most small businesses the purchase price of the business is really based on some multiplier, as you indicated, of the total benefits that the business is throwing off. Typically, it'll run anywhere from one time to five times the total owner benefits plus any inventory at cost, plus furniture, fixtures and equipment. Furnitures and fixtures and equipment is also part of the assets and the other questions raised and I'll go back to your question.
When you're putting a value on furniture, fixtures, and equipment it's not based on what the depreciated value is. It's not based on what it costs new but what is the value of the equipment today if you had to sell it. It's somewhere in between the new price and the depreciated price and inventory is always at cost.
Fred Dunayer: You said it could be one to five times. There's a big variance in there.
Norm Silverstein: Big variance. Here's the variance. It depends on whether the business numbers have been going up or down. It depends on how profitable the business has been over the past couple years, recent years. It depends on how unique the business might be. Typically, as far as an average is concerned, through my experience, most businesses will sell around 2.5 times the total owner benefits plus inventory at cost, plus the value of the furniture and fixtures. Again, that's a rule of thumb.
Dennis Zink: That depends on the industry too. It's different by industries.
Norm Silverstein: It depends on the industry, yes.
Dennis Zink: Are there ever any times when the multiple is a multiple of sales or is it always cash flow?
Norm Silverstein: Multiple of sales means nothing. I'll tell you why. You can have a business that the income of the business is $5 million let's say, but the total owner benefits is $100,000. What's the value of the business? or the business could be breaking even but the owner will say well, look at all the equipment I have. I've got $3 million of equipment but the $3 million of equipment is only producing $100,000 in net income. What good is that? I'd rather have equipment of $50,000 producing $5 million worth of profits. A lot of sellers think that the value of their business is based on the gross volume. It's not because the buyers are not going to look at it that way and no sensible person is going to look at it that way.
Dennis Zink: I've often heard that a business is worth exactly what a willing buyer will pay without there being a gun to his head. Can you comment on that?
Norm Silverstein: We're always talking.
Dennis Zink: The seller will accept. The buyer will pay and the seller will accept.
Norm Silverstein: Again, there's always negotiation. The buyer is going to have an asking price which is usually a top line price, usually. The seller is going to look at it somewhat differently. The seller will make an offer. If it's accepted that's great. If not he'll make a counteroffer if he wishes to do that if they're close. Again, it's always negotiation and again if the seller is smart and the seller is really motivated to sell the business he's not going to ask for a price that's outlandish. If he asks for a reasonable price it will be negotiated.
Fred Dunayer: You've been listening to the SCORE Small Business Success Podcast – Been There, Done That! The opinions of the hosts and guests are theirs and do not necessarily reflect those of SCORE. If you would like to hear more podcasts, get a free mentor, view a transcript of this podcast, or would like more information about the services we provide you can call SCORE at 800-634-0245 or visit our website at www.score.org. Again, that's 800-634-0245 or visit the website at www.score.org.


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Mary did you know that your baby boy would….. is the theme of this song.
This video is worth the 4 minutes as we prepare for the birth of this infant.
Mary of course could not have known all these things were to happen to her baby boy, she ponder many of them in her heart as they unfolded.
One question for this week's homily is: Do we have room in our hearts for this infant who will grow into the king of the universe?
One of my favourite songs, haven't seen this video before.
"Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
Wasn't Mary already conceived and born Immaculate???
Sadly, these are lyrics from an evangelical Christian who denies the sinlessness of Mary.
Thanks for your e-mail. It lead me to look into the song in a bit more detail and I find that opinion on it is, as with most things, all over the map. I can find Catholics with very harsh opinions on the meaning behind the song writers intent and others who want to discuss it with a more open mind as to what Mark Lowry (the composer) was trying to say with his lyrics. Mark is a Baptist and I guess it would be correct to call him evangelical. You are correct to assert that Mary is a point we as Catholics differ with many of our fellow Christians on and that is a great sadness to be sure.
The line you highlight, "Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new? This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you." raises some interesting questions-Thanks for the comment.


Tossing a Starfish Charity – Why?
This short story sums up what we try to achieve through TASC Madagascar.
I was walking along the beach one day. I saw a man bending over picking up starfish on the shore and was throwing them back into the sea.
I asked him, "Why are you throwing those starfish back into the sea?" He replied, "The tide is going out, the sun is hot, and if I don't, they will die here." I asked him why he was doing this; the few he threw back wouldn't make any difference.


Blog Home / Food & Cooking Blog / Can You Guess the Unexpected Ingredient in This Healthy Pesto?
Traditional basil pesto is about to become a thing of the past with this fun recipe that puts the spotlight on kale! Yes, pesto made with kale! What can kale not do? Seriously. Read on to learn how to make kale pesto from scratch in 30 minutes or less.
You are about to learn how to make kale pesto right at home!
With the cost of pine nuts at $20 per pound, I'm switching things up and using walnuts in this recipe instead.
Walnuts are a great substitution because they have many of the same qualities as pine nuts. They're both a softer nut with a rich, nutty flavor and buttery texture after a light toasting.
So how exactly can you make pesto from kale?
Well, first you'll dip your fresh greens into a bath of boiling water and then promptly place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. After that, it's pretty much the same process as making any pesto. A few spins in the food processor and you're all done! I promise it's really simple.
This pesto is brightened with lemon and a small handful of basil leaves and has a robust kick of garlic. It explodes with flavor and freshness and is a great topping for so many things!
Of course, there's the obvious choice of pairing this deliciousness with pasta but there are many other ways you can get creative in using your pesto!
I think my favorite use is on grilled vegetables and on pizza.
If you're a fan of making your own sauces and dressings at home then you're going to love this recipe for kale pesto. And if you're new to from-scratch cooking, this is a great place to start. The ingredient list is short and the process is very basic. You'll be a pesto-making pro in no time at all!
Preheat your oven to 300 Fahrenheit. Place walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8-12 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and light golden brown. Let cool.
While the walnuts are toasting, place about 5″ of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
While waiting to boil, de-stem kale leaves and tear into a few pieces.
Stir kale leaves into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Remove kale with a strainer and place directly into the ice bath (this stops the cooking). Drain water and pat kale dry.
Place garlic in a large food processor (7-11 cup capacity works well) and turn on until minced. Scrape the sides and add the cooled walnuts, kale, basil, Parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Turn the processor on until until kale is well chopped and all ingredients are incorporated.
Slowly stream in the olive oil while pulsing the food processor until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. (I used ¼ cup but for a thinner pesto use more.) Taste and stir in more salt and/or pepper if needed.
Scrape contents from the processor into an airtight container and keep refrigerated for 4-5 days.
Usage tip: When adding the pesto to pasta: Retain about 1/2 cup of the cooking water when you drain the pasta and add in one tablespoon at a time along with the pesto to help thin out.
Not only is this pesto supercharged with all of the good-for-you nutrients from kale but it tastes pretty outstanding, too!
Love pesto! Recent peanut, all tree nuts, pine nuts & sesame seed allergies in family. What can be substituted for nuts?


We can help you with designs for a variety of different types of print, web and digital media. Our talented designers have many years of experience and can create eye-catching, professional designs that will allow you to communicate your message successfully.
The Department of Marketing and Student Recruitment has worked with Information Service to develop a new workflow system in the Design Studio. This system will help us and help you as the customer to keep track of the work sent to the Design Studio, as all work sent is shown on your personal record. It will operate as a bilingual document management system for the University.
Please send work for the Design Studio via this new system but you are welcome to continue to use the e-mail (design@aber.ac.uk) or telephone (ext. 8760) for any enquiries/questions.
To get started, click, https://myadmin.aber.ac.uk/ log in and start creating your design studio request by clicking on 'Design Studio Jobs' button.
For Design & Print to function fairly and effectively it is necessary to provide sufficient time for work to be produced.
We can provide guidance on University Corporate Branding and have access to an extensive image library of University subjects. Whatever your project, call us for chat. We will be happy to advise you on any queries and make suggestions. Whilst we are primarily responsible for the University design and print needs, we also extend our service to external customers. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a change of image, we can help – offering a complete in-house design service tailored to your specific brief or designed purely from our understanding of your individual requirements.
We currently hold over 3,000 images covering every aspect of the university; from campus life and graduation to specialist images and events. You can access the entire range of images in our Image Library.
Instructions for users: The images you have access to are watermarked previews. You can search using keywords as well as the built-in categories found on the site. When you find an image you like, simply click "Save". This adds your images to a favourites section on the site which you can then access to collect them later. If you are working with us on a job you can email them a list of images you need from the favourites page. Just copy and paste the image file names from the favourites into an email.
Contacting us about images: you can contact us for image requests at this address – gge@aber.ac.uk.
Custom images: The image library represents the images we currently use. If you find you need images of your own we can also arrange and direct photo shoots or search specialist photographic image libraries if you require something more specific. This is only available for promotional and marketing work – not individual research work.
The majority of the work undertaken by the department is recharged to departments. Given that the department is run on the basis of providing a 'service' to the University, the level of charges are substantially less than those levied by commercial printers. Work, which is outside the remit of the University, is charged at competitive commercial rates.
Quotations can be given for all work undertaken. Please contact the Service for details. Paper prices will depend upon the market price of paper at the time of purchase. The Service works within the University of Wales Purchasing Consortium but closely monitors market prices to ensure the most competitive purchase price.
There is usually no charge for graphic design, web design or photography to University departments requiring promotional material to recruit undergraduate and postgraduate students. However there are penalty charges for late changes to designs or copy. You will receive a job proof sheet with every project which highlights the responsibility of the customer to proof and approve jobs before they are printed.


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The Central Valley's Curse: Killer Tule Fog of Wintertime
JOHN BALZARTIMES STAFF WRITER
When it blows in across the seashore, the mood becomes melancholy. Workers lower their heads and reach for woolen mufflers, lighthouses sound hoarse bellows from their klaxons.
But when the fog rises up from the ground, wet and cold and dripping thick--and most of all, stubborn--in the Central Valley, it tests the will, it tests the eyes. It tests one's control of the machine he is driving. The mood is heavy with anxiety. And nearly every year people die.
In the Central Valley, they call it Tule fog. It is as reliable an indicator of winter as the snows of New England. And sometimes as severe.
It is a fog that lowers spirits and shortens the schedules of schools. But most of all, it it throws a frightening blanket on transportation.
A drive across town becomes a anxious test of skill. An airline reservation becomes a maddening ordeal. Highways become nightmares of screeching tires and colliding steel. And sometimes, such as happened Tuesday, even the trains become prey in the fog.
Fog was a factor in a 69-vehicle accident near Tracy early Tuesday morning. Fifty-five vehicles were involved in a series of 14 separate injury accidents in Merced County the same day, and 14 cars plowed together near Manteca. In one accident, a small toxic cloud mixed with the fog when a swimming pool service truck was rear-ended, rupturing containers of chlorine and acid.
"This time of year makes me wonder why I do this," said Michale San Clemente, a flower grower from Jamestown in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Twice a week, he delivers his roses to the San Joaquin Valley, logging 350 miles per trip. On Tuesday, he set out in the thick gloom at 3 a.m. "This big gravel truck pulled out in front of me. . . . I (hit the brakes and) went completely sideways. I'm dreading my delivery days."
"It would be OK if everyone would slow down, but of course they don't," said Bruce Eldridge, a professor at UC Davis, who recalled near-accidents when driving in the fog. On Tuesday, he had the misfortune of switching and taking the train on a trip south. His was the train that crashed.
"I still feel the most dangerous place to be is behind the steering wheel," he said.
Even non-drivers dread these foggy days. "It's cold, I'll tell you that. I hate it. I hate it. It cuts through to your bones," said Telly Jackson, 27, a homeless person at the Reyes Senior Park in Stockton.
Anyone who has lived through a winter in the Central Valley knows of the fog and has stories to tell. Anyone who has not may find the phenomenon hard to understand.
Local authorities advise motorists to stop at intersections, roll down their windows, and listen in both directions before proceeding.
Days can stretch into weeks without a glimpse of the sun. Never mind the publicity hounds who go into caves for long periods to study the effects of darkness on the human psyche. Just send them to the Central Valley during a fog spell.
Visibility can approach zero in what the California Highway Patrol calls "critical" Tule fog. That can means you see no farther than your hood ornament. News reporters tell of threading through two highway pileups just to get to the wreck they are assigned to cover. These are not exaggerations.
Tule fog season runs from November to March, with December and January the killer months. National Weather Service meteorologist Lyle Hammer in Fresno said that long-term weather records in the Central Valley show that dense fog can be expected nearly 40 days a year--6.2 days in every November, 12.3 days in December, 11.6 in January, 6.3 in February and 1.8 in March. These are averages. Some tell of periods of more than 50 days straight without sunshine.
The Highway Patrol could not provide regional accident statistics. But statewide highway fatalities mirror the Central Valley fog patterns. In 1988, eight people died in fog-related automobile accidents, 15 in November, 20 in December, 11 in January and one each in February and March, according to the CHP.
CHP spokesman Ten Eichman, described by headquarters at the patrol's "Mr. Fog," said the winter decrease in visibility ranks right behind alcohol as the motorists' biggest nemesis.
Jim Boren, a long-time reporter for the Fresno Bee, recounts what it is like to drive long-distance through dense fog. His trip was from San Francisco to Fresno earlier this week:
"It was about 2 a.m. when I got into the valley. I couldn't go any faster than 20, sometimes slower. You couldn't see more than three white lines in front. I had my head out the window sometimes. It was unnerving--you could only cross your fingers that somebody wouldn't come racing up and hit you from behind. And then you had to strain to see ahead. Sometimes the patches of fog were so thick you would drive into them and just hope there was nothing ahead to hit.
"My daughter slept the whole way. Her father was terrified."
Ground fog is created when weather conditions in the Central Valley are stable, the air moist and still. The ground cools at night and chills the adjacent air. Moisture condenses and a ground-hugging cloud forms. As long as there is no wind to disperse the cloud, the process continues and the fog grows thicker and denser each day. A typical pattern is to see a few days of fog only in the mornings or late nights. Then the fog progressively thickens. The sun fades to only a glow. Finally, all that is left is a gloomy, gray soup.
Tule fog is named for the cattail-like tules that grew in Tule Lake, which once covered the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and created the moisture which fueled the fog.
As airline travelers know, airports throughout the Central Valley struggle with the fog--notably Sacramento, Stockon, Fresno and Bakersfield. At Sacramento, 51 of 140 flights were canceled Tuesday because of fog. Among them was the Los Angeles-to-Sacramento flight of Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner, who was headed to the Capitol for an important news conference where he was named a special prosecutor in the growing Lincoln Savings & Loan scandal.
Airport spokeswoman Laura Gipson said the number of cancellations was unusually high. On a normal December day, only 20 to 25 flights would be canceled.
The Stockton Municipal Airport was closed all day. From the control tower, a spokesman shrugged, "Can't see 100 yards."
Then there is Eli Setencich, a columnist for the Fresno Bee. Each season at this time his eyes mist up and he swears it is not from the fog. "I like it. It's the only thing that's different here." he said. Then he read from a column on the subject: "To hear the experts, you'd think the black plague is coming. . . . If anything, fog sharpens the vision--you can see that telephone pole in your path or the red tail light on the truck you did not realize you were following. Nothing can heighten awareness like a good, thick fog."
Times staff writers Dan Morain and Kevin Roderick in Stockton contributed to this story.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Where To Get Foil Backing For Resin Jewelry?
Could you please tell me, what kind of foil (silver in color) is used for the backing on resin jewelry pictures?
Also, where can I find this item? It is used to finish off jewelry in the back.


Philippe Séguin at his appointment to the Court of Financial Auditors in 2004.
Philippe Séguin, former President of the National Assembly and President of the Public Audit Office, has died suddenly aged 66. Tributes have been paid across the political spectrum.
Séguin died from a heart attack at his home in Paris in the early hours of 7 December.
The Gaullist politician played a leading role in the campaign against the Maastricht Treaty and France's membership of the European Union.
He was "one of the great figures and great voices of our national life," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a statement on Thursday.
Séguin "was an exceptional character, he wasn't afraid of anyone, he resisted everything," former UMP Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin told Radio Classique.
On the left, former Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin also paid tribute to "a man who entered into the Gaullist tradition at a time when Gaullism had been forgotten by the right".
"He was really a respected man and a servant of the state," Jospin told France Inter radio.
Born in Tunisia, Séguin began his political career as a deputy for neo-Gaullist party the RPR.
He went on to take leadership of the party between 1997 and 1999.
He also held the posts of Minister for Social Affairs and Employment (1986-1989) and President of the National Assembly (1993-1997).
Séguin resigned from politics in 2002 after resisting a tie-up between the RPR and the right-wing UMP party.
He was appointed President of the Cour des Comptes, or Court of Financial Auditors, in 2004.


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The future of immersive theme parks is in a field in the middle of France
By Ken Storey on Wed, Mar 9, 2022 at 2:34 pm
Image via Puy du Fou
Disney's push into fully immersive experiences began earlier this month, with the opening of their Star Wars-themed hotel in Orlando. While certainly the most high-profile example, Disney's push into truly immersive themed entertainment comes on the shoulders of a far-less-known French theme park company that has been impressing with its ability to transport guests into fantasy worlds on a scale like no other.
After developing some of the largest attended spectaculars in history, Puy du Fou is now looking to expand globally, including a potential location near Orlando.
Puy du Fou began as a play but soon morphed into something far larger. Today, that original play, the Cinéscénie, is billed as "world's biggest night-time show" and includes over 2,500 actors across a performance area of more than fifty acres in an amphitheater that can seat 13,000. In total, the original Puy du Fou now includes multiple other shows, period villages, and more than half a dozen on-site resorts, all custom designed and built with authenticity in mind.
Breaking from what typically defines a theme park, Puy du Fou doesn't rely on imagination and fiction but instead focuses on recreating iconic moments in French history as authentically as possible. An odd mix between Epcot and the Holy Land Experience, Puy du Fou has proven popular with guests of all ages despite the lack of rides, carnival games, and other theme park staples.
After decades of building one of the largest shows in history, Puy du Fou began taking their expertise around Europe, overseeing a new show for a theme park in the Netherlands and developing the popular British spectacular, Kynren - an Epic Tale England. In 2019, the company opened Puy du Fou España with a nighttime show, "El sueño de Toledo." Last year, that attraction expanded into a full theme park with four additional shows, a period village, and a crafts village.
In France, the main park is also home to six hotels, each with a theme from a different century of French history. Guests can stay in tent-like structures in a resort themed to the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a Roman villa, or even a recreation of Louis XIV's residential château.
Le Camp du Drap d'Or, a resort at Puy du Fou themed to the 1520 summit between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France
A third location is in the works in China, and the company previously expressed interest in North America. Now, as they begin to roll out their plans that have been slowed the last few years, we're starting to learn more about what may be in store with Puy du Fou's expansion plans.
Theme park news and rumor aggregator site Screamscape reported in early February that the company had been eyeing a potential site for its first Western Hemisphere park on a large plot north of Daytona Beach. Then in late February, reporters with Knoxville's ABC affiliate confirmed a meeting was scheduled between representatives of Puy du Fou and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who are currently developing a large mixed-use resort project near Pigeon Forge. A few days later, Screamscape stated a third site near Nashville was also being considered, with the possibility of multiple Puy du Fou attractions being confirmed for the U.S. by the end of the year.
A room within the Le Grand Siècle hotel at Puy du Fou
In a move similar to their locations in France and Spain, the sites in Florida and Tennessee are adjacent to other major attractions but far enough away not to compete directly with them. This is the same model Merlin has successfully used with its Legoland parks.
There are no details on what a U.S.-based park would focus on, but Florida was once filled with similar attractions, albeit on a far smaller scale, that focused on the Wild West, Seminole villages, and early European settlers. While many of those attractions closed in the wake of Orlando's growth, the ongoing success of places like St. Augustine and Tarpon Springs show there's still interest in Florida history. After success across Europe, Puy du Fou may soon bring its mesmerizing magic to Central Florida, giving the area a multi-day immersive experience that doesn't include middle school hallways and knock-off video games.
Simmering resentments at Winter Garden's Garden Theatre have caught fire
By Seth Kubersky
Psych Cat take over Hollerbach's Art Haus with 'Eternal Recurrence' exhibition opening Thursday
Snap! Orlando opens new 'Cultural Fabric' group exhibition on Friday
By Jessica Bryce Young
Comedian Nikki Glaser ready to roast everyone in sight in Orlando on Saturday
By Shelton Hull


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Woman turns survival story into way to help others
By Beth Galvin
ATLANTA - At times, Melody Favor felt bulletproof. Like Superwoman, she says. Invincible. Then, everything would change. Her life would become almost unbearable.
"And a lot times, all I could say was, 'I wish I was dead,'" Favor remembers.
At 56, Favor is now a peer-to-peer counselor at Northside Mental Health Center, and a survivor, she says, of decades of the incredible highs and lows that comes with bipolar disorder.
A businesswoman and a mother, she says, she found herself reliving the same pattern. Things would go well. She'd feel like she was on top of the world. Then, the anxiety would set in and everything would come undone.
Favor says for years her depressive episodes were so painful, she'd do anything to escape them..
"A lot of times, it would lead to drinking, alcohol," she says. "A lot of times, it would lead to drugs. It was cocaine and then it changed over to free-basing, and then it changed over to crack."
Favor, once an up-and-coming young loan officer, says hit bottom in 2000.
At 40, she found herself in Grady's emergency department. She was diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and a substance abuse disorder. Finally, she says, she had a name for what she was feeling.
"So the best thing that could happen was I get the diagnosis," she says. "Then, I found out it was treatable."
Stabilized at an Atlanta mental health hospital, Favor says, she started taking medication to ease her mood swings.
"I had to experiment through several medications to find the one that works," she says.
But, getting healthy wasn't easy.
In 2010, after a decade of stability, Favor found herself back in Grady's emergency department.
This time she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, in addition to bipolar disorder.
A staffer helped her find a place at a hospital that specializes in mental health.
"They kept me for two weeks," Favor says. "They treated me with medication, and when they got me to a balance, but when they got ready to release me, I still realized I was homeless. I have family in the city of Atlanta, but they couldn't handle my condition."
Favor got help from local programs. She found an apartment, qualified for disability and even went back and earned a college degree.
In 2013, headed back to Grady for a support group meeting, she met a stranger, Charles Willis.
He told her he was a certified peer specialist. She asked him what that meant.
"He said, 'I have a diagnosis of mental illness, and I used to have substance abuse,'" she remembers. "He said, 'Now I help other people like myself.' I said, 'Crazy people?' And he said, 'We don't call them crazy people!'"
Willis explained that peers helped other peers transition into long term recovery. Intrigued, Favor signed up for training to become a peer to peer specialist. The process, she says, changed her life.
Favor is now a survivor, using her own story to help others face theirs.
It feels like a gift, she says.
"Being able to stand in front of other people and share a message of hope," she says.


Binary option trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Before deciding to trade binary options you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss in excess of your initial investment. You should be aware of all the risks associated with binary options trading and seek advice from an independent financial adviser if you have any doubts.


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Walter Edward Bardgett (25 September 1932 – 19 October 2020) was a Bermudian swimmer. He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1952 Summer Olympics.

References

1932 births
2020 deaths
Bermudian male swimmers
Olympic swimmers of Bermuda
Swimmers at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 1952 Summer Olympics
People from Paget Parish

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Description:Learning a lesson from the bomber losses of the Great War, Vasudan defense contractor Akheton designed the GVB Bakha, a fast, agile bomber that could still deliver a warship-shattering payload. The Bakha's dual Akh-12 engines are baffled and masked, giving it a small profile for heat-seeking missiles. The bomber's speed and maneuverability make it the craft of choice for taking out destroyers and corvettes with multiple flak, AAA, and anti-ship beam turrets. Over 6,000 Bakhas have been produced in the orbiting shipyards around Vasuda Prime.
Images stolen from Freespace 2, copyright Volition.


Festival and Audition information for the 2016-17 school year has been posted under the Festivals menu tab. The Spring/Summer issue of the D1 newsletter is also available for download under the Newsletter tab. As more details about festivals become solidified, they will be posted throughout the summer.


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Reclaiming Indigenous names
Residential school survivors and their families can now reclaim their traditional Indigenous names at no cost beyond January 2024.
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In light of the tragic discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, Alberta's government is taking further steps toward reconciliation. Effective immediately, Alberta survivors of the residential school system who want to reclaim their traditional Indigenous names will never be required to pay a fee.
"When Indigenous children were torn from their families and communities and sent to residential schools, they were also stripped of their names – a vital link to their community and heritage. As we all continue to grieve with survivors and their families, we also are committed to action and providing Indigenous people in Alberta a seamless way to reclaim their names and their heritage."
Jason Kenney, Premier
In 2019, Alberta's government began waiving fees for a period of five years, in response to Call to Action 17 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and article 13.1 from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The fee waiver is now being extended indefinitely in Alberta.
"The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada asked that governments waive fees for five years for Residential School survivors and their families who want to reclaim their Indigenous names. Alberta can do even better by ensuring that whenever an Indigenous person is ready to reclaim their name, they can do so without the barriers of time or money."
Nate Glubish, Minister of Service Alberta
"This is another important step towards reconciliation and healing. We have heard from Indigenous leaders and community members that removing barriers will ensure survivors of residential schools and their families are more easily able to reclaim Indigenous names. This will go a long way in retaining and protecting Indigenous culture for generations to come."
Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations
Survivors of Canada's residential school system or the '60s Scoop, and their families, may reclaim traditional Indigenous names by applying for a legal change of name directly through Alberta Vital Statistics.
With a legal change of name certificate, the applicant may then apply to change Alberta vital statistics records, driver's licences and/or identification cards that reflect their name.
In 2014, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 71, Service Alberta's Vital Statistics Branch sent the commission all records of "segregated Indian deaths" from 1923 to 1945, when the data was no longer segregated from the rest of Alberta's population.


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Marketing on Tinder – Love It or Leave It?
Chances are if you're between the ages of 16 and 35, you've at least heard of Tinder. You've probably even used it at least once (if just "ironically"). For those who may be behind the times or otherwise out of the loop when it comes to dating in the digital age, Tinder is the mobile dating app that introduced phrases like "swipe right" and "swipe left" into the colloquial lexicon. Users are shown a snapshot of another user's profile, including mutual friends, a photo and a bio. If they're interested in chatting, they "swipe right" and hope for a match. If not? They "swipe left" and never see that person again.
Branded Profile Cards
Like any service, Tinder is seeking ways to monetize, and one tactic is through advertising. The app's unique environment has led to what the company is calling, "branded profile cards." Essentially, brands have Tinder profiles that users can interact with. There was some pushback after the film Ex Machina launched a fake female profile "bot" that behaved, for a while at least, like a real person before unveiling its promotional purpose. Since then, Tinder has included a "verified" blue check, similar to Facebook and Instagram, that denotes an authentic celebrity, actor, athlete or brand.
In entertainment, the branded profile cards make a lot of sense. Fictional characters become accessible at an incredibly intimate level. In addition to Ex Machina, Fox's then-series The Mindy Project launched fake profiles of characters Mindy and Danny for fans to match with as promotion for the show in 2014. The most recent incarnation of characters being brought to life through Tinder is the Fox film Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates – Pros and Cons
In keeping with the branded profile card tradition, the stars of the film, including Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza, Adam DeVine and Anna Kendrick, granted use of their images through Fox to Tinder. Their profiles are funny and in character, giving users a taste of the humor in the film and some familiarity with the characters. The campaign is creative and pointed, but it has also received some criticism; largely, that some users are feeling duped – in utter shock, apparently, that Aubrey Plaza hasn't actually decided that they should meet up.
Creative Marketing – One of the biggest "pros" of the campaign is simply that it is creative. The campaign itself is memorable whether or not the movie proves to be. The fact that Reddit users are discussing their Tinder encounters with Mike and Dave means that at the very least the campaign is achieving recognition, discussion and awareness for the film.
Audience Targeting – Another boon for the campaign is that it lands directly in front of the right. The majority of Tinder users are single men in their mid-to-late twenties. Considering that the main protagonists in the film are also single millennial men it makes complete sense that the target audience for the movie could be reached on Tinder. If anything, it's almost a perfect match.
Is It Misleading? – One of the complaints from disheartened users is that the ads make them feel foolish or "taken." But is this an issue with the practice, or an individual-level concern? Take Mike and Dave. The minute a user matches with one of these profiles they receive the following message:
Not only this, but the main image for the profile includes the movie poster signage. While campaigns like Ex Machina may have been more sly about it – most users would likely be able to tell that these profiles are ads, despite the blue "celebrity" check. This transparency allows even disgruntled users to "laugh a little" at themselves and the cleverness of the campaign.
Does It Add Value? – This "con" is more of a philosophical question. A question of definitions and practices. With most sponsored content, the rule of thumb is that it should add value to the consumer. Articles, graphics and the like should be something that a user seeks out, not something that is shoved in front of a users face. With the branded profiles blending in with "content" on Tinder, are they technically branded content? If so, do they add value? Is entertainment value – the value of a chuckle – sufficient? Or are they just ads masquerading as earnest sponsored content?
It could be argued either way. Tinder gamifies dating in a way that does somewhat reduce the practice to superficial entertainment value, but if someone is truly looking for love then, yes, the Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates campaign feels like a worthless detraction from the purpose of the app.
So, Love It or Leave It?
In the end, the creativity and acute targeting of the campaign mark it as intelligent. It was a good move to seek out audiences on their phones, where they spend most of their time, and in particular on an app where their specific audience spends hours swiping and might get a laugh out of a profile that sticks out from the rest. When it comes to the negatives, the claims of deception and intrusiveness, there's no doubt that Tinder's most recent experimentation with branded profiles represents a more transparent brand experience. Users know, by the first message at least, that it's an ad – whether or not they mind it is a different story to be told on more of a case-by-case basis.
Overall, kudos to the campaign for originality and delivering on entertainment value. Looking ahead, if Tinder continues to make positive adjustments based on negative feedback to their marketing practices, their branded profile model could become a lot more common and a lot more accepted by users.


HomeAway® is proud to be the Official Accommodations Provider of the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon. Find the perfect vacation rental for your stay and enjoy more space, more privacy, and all the comforts of a whole home.
sonomacountyairport.org This convenient regional airport is located in Santa Rosa just 15 minutes from Healdsburg. Alaska Airlines (operated by Horizon Air) flies nonstop from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle and connecting cities.
SFO is 80 miles from Healdsburg to the south.
OAK is 82 miles from Healdsburg to the south and east.
SMF is 120 miles from Healdsburg to the east.
Partner hotels can be accessed through our Passkey Link: HERE.
Through Passkey, you will enter your desired arrival and departure dates and then you will be able to browse available hotels.
Be sure to spend a few days before or after the race to explore this world-class wine country destination. Our Winery Partners welcome you to visit their stunning tasting rooms, take in the scenic vineyard views, and relax with a glass of wine crafted locally from Russian River and Dry Creek Valley grapes.
See our Transportation Schedule to view bus times, locations, and other parking information.


Founded in 2002, Lime Green Products is a leading supplier of high quality lime-based products for use in building renovation, conservation and new construction. . Their customer base is wide and includes home owners, builders merchants, contractors and public bodies. Lime Green is a forward thinking, innovative company committed to offering construction materials from sustainable sources which minimize environmental impact and contribute to healthier buildings. To support the recognised advantages of breathable building insulation systems and lime based materials, Lime Green holds a BBA Accreditation for its Warmshell External Wall Insulation System suitable for both existing and new traditionally built houses and commercial buildings. With an expected life span of over 30 years, this is the only UK manufactured external wall insulation system using breathable lime render to have also passed ETAG 004 European Technical Approval. Lime Green ensures compliance through its installer and specifiers training programme. To meet growing demand for its environmentally friendly products, Lime Green has embarked on the development of its current manufacturing site in Shropshire to provide significantly greater capacity and warehousing together with new offices. The first phase of this expansion was completed in 2014. Research and Development are key to the company's success, products are quality controlled and refined wherever possible and new products designed all in their Lime Lab.


The arrival of a baby brings plenty of anticipation, but one of the more exciting things is creating the nursery. Whether you're starting from scratch or converting another room into a nursery, these expert tips will help you put together a beautiful and functional room.
The nursery should be just as relaxing a space for the parents as it is for the baby.
Sadie Road interior designer Danielle Reidy suggests setting up a nook that has all the essentials within arm's reach. Create a spot that allows you to sit with the baby with minimal disruptions, particularly during the bedtime routine. You'll want a comfy glider or rocker paired with a pouf or ottoman, a small side table, a small lamp on a dimmer, and a bookshelf or shelving to store books, and a sound machine.
Interior designer Jessica Turf always tries to layer a reversible flat weave rug over a wall-to-wall carpeted nursery. Not only does this allow for an added pop of color or bold statement, but it's also a practical design element. It can be flipped over to look new even after a spill.
Nurseries don't have to be muted colors and simple designs. Interior designer Steffanie Danby says she likes to give the nursery a "wow" factor by using bold patterns and colors.
Lighting is an often-overlooked component that can add height and an open feeling to a smaller space, Glasson says. Replacing the ceiling fixture can change the vibe of the room.
Not finding out the gender 'til the birth? No problem! Suzanne Falk of Interior Designs 2Go suggests starting with a color palette and then choosing your furniture. Once your baby is born, you can make the room more personal by adding crib bedding, artwork, lighting and accessories.


All businesses, individuals and residents in New York State are required to comply with the Fire Prevention Ordinance. This Ordinance is enforced by the Fire Marshal and individuals are appointed to enforce the Fire Prevention Ordinance (the "Fire Code").
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Home Business Ukraine Latest: Iran Support of Russian Military Set to Grow
Ukraine Latest: Iran Support of Russian Military Set to Grow
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Iran is now likely the top military backer of Russia the UK said, as it looks to expand its missile strikes against Ukraine's national infrastructure.
Publishing date:
Dec 10, 2022 • 7 minutes ago • 3 minute read
(Bloomberg) — Iran is now likely the top military backer of Russia the UK said, as it looks to expand its missile strikes against Ukraine's national infrastructure.
Separately, the chief of NATO warned against the possibility of dragging other European nations into a "full-fledged" war.
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Overnight, Russian forces struck energy infrastructure with Iranian-made drones in the Odesa region that's left thousands of people without power, according to a Ukraine's southern operational command.
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In the last 24 hours Russia has carried out five missile strikes, about 20 air strikes and more than 60 rocket launcher attacks, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Erdogan Says He'll Talk With Russia's Putin on Grains Corridor
Wheat Falls a Fifth Week as Black Sea Shipment Prospects Improve
Turkey Won't Buckle as Sanctions Spat Keeps Oil Flow Halted
(All times CET)
NATO Chief Warns Conflict Could Become War Between Russia and NATO (12 p.m.)
The head of NATO said in an interview that there's "no doubt that a full-fledged war is a possibility," according to the Associated Press.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said to Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the conflict in Ukraine could "go horribly wrong" and spoke of the need to avoid dragging other European countries into a war.
"We are working on that every day to avoid that," he said.
Iran's Support for Russia May Grow in Coming Months, UK Says (11 a.m.)
Iran has become one of Russia's top military backers since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, according to an intelligence update from the UK defense ministry.
Russia is attempting to obtain more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles, while in return Moscow is highly likely offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support, the government said Saturday, echoing the US concerns.
Russia also has probably expended a large proportion of its stock of its own SS-26 Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, the UK said. Russia switched tactics to use massive missile attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure since September.
Russian Drone Attacks Cause Widespread Power Failure in Odesa (10 a.m.)
Russian troops attacked energy facilities in the Odesa region with single-use Iranian-made drones, causing significant damage and leaving thousands of people without electricity, local authorities said on Facebook. Rocket attacks targeted settlements in Sumy and Zaporizhzhia as well as southern region of Kherson, killing at least 2 people and wounding 8.
Ukrainian air defense said on Facebook it shot down 10 out of 15 Iranian-made loitering drones over southern regions of Kherson, Mykoaiv and Odesa.
Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa region military administration, said on tv. No casualties had yet been reported though residential houses were also damaged with the drones.
"The situation is quite difficult as power was cut in Odesa and almost the whole region," Bratchuk said. Only hospitals, maternity wards and critical facilities have electricity.
Zelenskiy Says Russia Has Destroyed Bakhmut (8:15 p.m.)
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy blamed Russian forces for destroying Bakhmut, a front-line city in eastern Ukraine targeted by Russia for months.
"The frontline situation remains very difficult in the key areas of Donbas," he said in his nightly video address. "For a long time already there is no living place left on the land of these areas that hasn't been damaged by shells and fire."
Bakhmut, located in the Donetsk region about halfway between the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, has been a focus of Russia's military effort since early August, the UK Defense Ministry said last week. While capturing Bakhmut would allow Russian forces to threaten larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, it may have become "a symbolic, political objective for Russia," according to the ministry.
Russia Imposes Duty on Shampoo Imports (7:20 p.m.)
Russia will impose a 35% import duty on cosmetic products from "hostile" countries, Tass reports, citing Industry Ministry. Products from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Poland, would be affected.
The government wants to tax shampoo, hair products, toothpastes, shaving creams, deodorants and detergents, which have Russian-made alternatives, it said.
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Leaf vegetable dehydrator machine is suitable for dewatering and drying the cleaned leaf vegetables equipped with a shockproof system. The vegetable centrifuge can also be used for other proper foodstuffs. As a professional vegetable and food machine supplier, we can also provide vegetable washing machine, blanching machine, drying oven, etc. as you required.
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HOME > About Us > Sports Sponsorship
A League of Its Own!
In 2014, QNET securely marked its place in the football world when it became the Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City – one of its most high profile sports sponsorships ever. QNET's goal is to link the excitement of football and the passion of the fans to the thrill of direct selling and the drive of QNET's Independent Representatives.
Explore our sub-site dedicated to the Manchester City Football Club Sponsorship!
Formula for Success
2010 saw QNET propel the direct selling profession onto the global sports stage through its historic partnership with Virgin Racing in the elite world of Formula 1®. The partnership prospered through the 2011 season and on into 2012. The team was renamed in 2012 as the Marussia F1 Team. The high-profile partnership represents a momentous evolution of QNET's support of worldwide sports, and the motorsports arena in particular.
For more about QNET Sports Sponsorships, explore our sub-site dedicated to all things sport!


We were recently asked to support Barts Health NHS Trust with a series of two webinars, with the aim of improving their delivery of educational training to pharmacists within their territory. We suggested some preferred methods which would maximise engagement with their audience.
Our digital team produced an event portal which hosted event information, registration, webinar recordings and an online quiz. Delegates were then sent to the site to complete each stage of their training.
The webinars were filmed from the client's offices and broadcast out live to the audience. We used a branded stage set behind the speakers to give the broadcast a professional look and feel.
It was decided that the webinars would run for an hour between 20:00 – 21:00, as this would not overlap working hours and people would have the option to dial in from the comfort of their home.
During the webinar, the speakers were able to launch a number of polls to the audience and collect instant results, which could then be shared and discussed. Delegates also had the opportunity to ask questions via a control panel, which were received and facilitated by the chair during the allocated Q&A slot.
The immediate feedback from the client and audience was extremely positive and agreed that this was an effective (and convenient) way to deliver the training.
Upon completion of each webinar, our production team were able to edit and render the recording before uploading it onto the portal and making it available to view on-demand for anyone who was unable to attend the live events.
The series was a great success, and the client is now looking to use this format moving forward.
Everyone has been really flexible and responsive to our needs, and the tech team were totally amazing and helpful. The feedback from the trainees so far has been really positive.
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Gelato Campus
Bernardo Buontalenti
Gelato Campus Offer
GELATO CAMPUS IN THE WORLD
GELATO CAMPUS RECIPE PACK
Florence, hometown of Bernardo Buontalenti
The history of gelato in Renaissance
Florence is a city of many facets: cradle of Renaissance and of the Italian language, birthplace of some of the greatest artists and poets of all history, and on the culinary side it has influenced the gourmet culture in the world through many of the products of its territory, and one of these it's gelato.
The inventor of gelato is Bernardo Buontalenti (1531-1608). He proposed his own version the "frozen desserts" to the Medici's court, one of Europe most powerful families, known for their exquisite taste and the patronage of the arts.
Gelato flavours like eggnog, fruit and cream gained a great success, and were, by that time, very popular throughout Europe.
It is no coincidence that it is also the place of foundation of the historical Florentine Artisans Gelato Chefs Association, the only place where to discover the real origins of gelato.
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Celeb Style Transformation: Pamela Anderson
From Playboy model to Baywatch babe and beyond, Pamela Anderson has never looked better as she celebrates turning 44!
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Bree Olson, one of Charlie's infamous "goddesses," has a full spread in the August issue of Playboy and spills about Charlie!
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Rumors started circulating on Facebook and Twitter about the death of Playboy tycoon Hugh Hefner. Hef put the rumors to bed – literally – on Twitter. (Jansing and Co)
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Human trafficking probe put on the back burner?
March 12, 2013 01:51 am | Updated 01:51 am IST - KOCHI:
Anand Haridas
The case, involving police officials and reported to be one of the biggest instances of human trafficking, seems to have gone down in the priority of the State police. Almost the entire team of the Ernakulam Crime Branch unit that was into the probe has been disbanded due to retirement and transfers, and now, the investigation is in limbo.
"We have discussed the issue and it has been decided to constitute a new team at the earliest," is what the State Director General of Police K.S. Balasubramanian has to say. But it has been made clear that the case is not in the top priority list. At present, the Crime Branch is handling two other major cases, this is the third one. "It might take at least three to four months before we can have a final view about the case," he told The Hindu over the phone.
P.M. Varghese, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch CID (Organised Crime Wing)-II retired from service last month and Biju K. Stephen, Circle Inspector, was promoted and transferred as DySP, Administration, Pathanamthitta.
The case hogged headlines after P.A. Ajeeb, a Civil Police Officer, who was arraigned as the main accused, was arrested after being on the run for more than a month.
He was accused of human trafficking in connivance with various travel agents misusing his official position at the Cochin International Airport between 2007 and 2011.
The investigation that followed showed that even though the money was mostly channelled through the bank account operated by Ajeeb's father, the policeman was just a coordinator and he could not have operated without the knowledge of senior police officials.
It was decided that all the police officials posted on deputation at CIAL during this period would be brought under the scanner. Minister for Home Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had also gone on record saying that the passenger movement through the other two airports in the State would also be scrutinised. But nothing seemed to have progressed on those fronts.
At present, the case is being monitored by Vinson M. Paul, Additional Director General of Police, Intelligence, and M.R. Ajith Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Intelligence. A review of the progress of the case was done at the top level a fortnight ago.
It is learnt that Ajeeb has given statements against many of his senior officials, but the Crime Branch team has arrested only Ajeeb and another person named Abdul Hameed Savad, a contract employee with Saudi Airlines.
Even though there was a suggestion that at least Mr. Stephen be brought back to the team so as to put the investigation back on track.
"No such specific request has been brought to my notice till now, but this will be requested of the ADGP," said Mr. Balasubramanian.
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The pitcher plant is a rare plant found further inland. found spawn locations for the plant are near the ship, near Mondinium and sometimes near Ultranium.
Harvesting the pitcher plant will gain the player 5 coolant and 0-2 pitcher seeds.