For this episode, we will be doing a segment that I call Quick Wins. If this is your first time tuning in, Quick Wins is when I have an opportunity to discuss products, services or ideas to help wound out your consulting toolkit.
Our guest is Jenny Rae Le Roux. She is an ex-MBB consultant. She's the Managing Director of ManagementConsulted.com. Jenny Rae shares a little bit about her career journey, which is quite fascinating and a little bit about the things that the team at ManagementConsulted.com are doing. You'll enjoy some of the perspectives she shares as well as where you can use the site, whether you are working in corporate consulting or you're independent consulting. so definitely check out ManagementConsulted.com.
The first one I'm going to talk about is we're going to take a break. We have Episode 28 that's going to be coming up on December 8th. We're going to take a hiatus and give you some time back. We will pick the show back off the first week of January. January 5th, 2018, I will be back on online. That leads into my second announcement. This week, we'll want to kick off our first improvement study. I'll put it in the show notes. You'll find there's a link you can click on and you can take the survey. You can always send us feedback at MECEMuseUnplugged@gmail.com.
We want to definitely make sure as we round out the 2018 calendar and take the show to the next level. We want to make sure that your voice is heard. I've gotten so much great feedback, so much information. It's been such a blast since we've watched the show. Let us know what you're thinking, what you like, what you don't like, what you'd like to see more of or less of. Would love to hear your feedback on how we can improve the show. Third announcement, I mentioned to you last time that the book is done and we're now going to kick off our launch campaign starting with some freebies called The MECE Muse Manifesto. I created it. It's part of my book and it's a set of guiding principles that any great consultants should be living by. I highly recommend you check it out. It's a freebie. It's from my book. If you click on the link, you'll be able to sign up and be able to get a download of that. There'll be some more exclusive information and tools and resources that I will be sharing over the next three to four weeks. Definitely check that out and sign up for those freebies.
Next week, we have Episode 28. We are doing another Quick Wins episode. We're doing it with Lynn Robinson. She's an author and an intuitive advisor, which is a cool position to have. Lynn and I have a great conversation about how to harness your intuition. Intuition is so critical in the toolkit of a consultant, especially if you want to be a great consultant. You have to learn how to harness your intuition and couple that with data and facts. Lynn and I talk about that. We end the year off for this podcast episode and the year off with some cool advice. She gives a copy of her book to my go-getters, so you can definitely check that out next week in Episode 28.
Jenny, we're excited to welcome you to the show today. How are you doing?
I'm Jenny Rae Le Roux. I went to the University of Virginia undergrad. I studied Economics and I got Honors degree there. My focus of the Honors thesis was on malaria medication because of the free malaria treatment in West Africa. My plan was to become a doctor. I got waylaid from my plans. I was traveling for a year after I graduated and discovered that I have a real love for business, not the same level of passion for medicine. I decided to pursue business and started a consulting firm for two and a half years in South Africa. It was my own firm. I worked on some social impact projects and corporate social responsibility projects for companies before developing a large partnership with the Swiss and South African governments to address financial opportunities for small businesses.
I had a friend of mine who worked at one of the top firms, an MBB firm, who recommended that I apply to that firm and the other MBB firms while I was home for a vacation, and I did. I applied. I joined a company and I worked in Atlanta for two and a half years. I had a wonderful experience while I was there. I did eleven projects in ten different industries. It was the exact training that I had gone in for and more, as well as a tremendous corporate experience from the company side. The company itself was very well run. Finally, a wonderful people experience. I developed a lot of relationships. That stint in consulting was only a short one for me, so I went back into entrepreneurship.
I worked on two ventures. One was in energy. I moved into the ed-tech space with focus on Management Consulted. I joined in 2010 and I took over as Managing Director in 2012. At that time, we had about 50,000 readers and a very small scope. We had one product only and one service. Since then, we've expanded to three and a half million readers. We're now the largest website on consulting globally and we've ramped up in terms of the products and services that we offer as a whole service organization to help people both get into and then be successful with the skills needed on the job as consultants.
You mentioned that you were with a consulting firm that you started and doing work with the South African government, and pivoting from that entrepreneurial space into more of a structured MBB firm space. What're the biggest differences? The work itself would be a little different, but if you could share insights of the differences of running your own firm versus working at a corporate consulting firm and what did you consider the pros and cons?
For the similarities, interestingly, he firm came about because I had gone to South Africa on a one-way ticket and my goal was to find employment or create it if I had to. I began asking people if they knew busy CEOs that had special projects that were likely unfinished inside their organization. That's what consulting at my level was for about a two-and-a-half-year period. It was speaking with CEOs about what problems they needed addressed inside their organization that either weren't in scope or maybe were important but not super urgent, so they haven't tasked someone on them yet. They were able to parcel them out, give them to me, and let me solve them in a short period of time. In addition, the focus was on utilizing data, internal and external. Doing everything from internal employee interviews to market research externally to creating informed decision making, which was not very utilized in a lot of those companies.
Fast forward to my time at Bain, I had a similar experience. A lot of the partners who were good at what they did were not called in late in the process of working with the CEO. They were having conversations early. They were asking them how they were addressing specific challenges in their business or their market. They were proposing that we, at Bain, would come in and solve problems that either someone hadn't been tasked to solve or did not have the capabilities to solve. We were doing it at a larger scale. We were using more advanced data and analytics. At Bain, we had a statistical PhD who reviewed all of the surveys that we worked with. There were things that were special about the experience of working for a large corporate and that's not unique to the company that I worked for. That's consistent across the large corporate consulting space. The main differences are that in the one role, I was selling and the other one, I was a junior analyst. If you flip it around, the way that the partners were working and the utilization of the data they were using was much more advanced.
What would you say is the definition of a great consultant?
Management Consulted: In order to be influential and persuasive, you have to be a tremendous listener.
Number one, they're a fantastic listener. Great consultants; In order to get things done, they don't have any actual power. Their only power comes through influence and persuasion. In order to be influential and persuasive, you have to be a tremendous listener, so number one, great listener. Number two, fundamentally convicted of what the right decision is for an organization. Not wishy-washy, not providing ten solutions, picking one or maybe a secondary alternative, but one. Once you look at the data in a holistic way, there's one right course of action that makes sense. That's the second one. It is a deep conviction about what the right move is. The third is that they're incredibly focused, which ties to a point that's different.
I worked in a company that was working with one of the MBB firms when I was working with a smaller tech consulting firm. There was a difference between the two of them. The key issue was that when I was talking with them and trying to understand what was happening, he said "I was working twice as much as the other guy was." I asked, "Why are you working so much more?" He asked me that question because he hadn't gotten a satisfactory answer. I said, "The partner for the MBB firm was more focused. They defined their problems smaller. They defined it in a more narrow and deep way, and they were able to come up with a faster solution using less of their team's resources." Those are some of the key elements of consultants that are important about what makes one great.
I want to talk about ManagementConsulted.com. How did the website come to be? It is such a great resource for consultants.
The website was founded by my business partner, Kevin Gao. Kevin founded it after he left. He had a friend that was running a very similar website, Breaking Into Wall Street. They do something similar for investment banking. They had focused initially on PDFs and a little bit of services, and they had gotten into e-courses. Kevin, a friend of the person who had started that site, decided that there should be one for consulting, too. He wrote about 50 articles that he felt were truly insightful about the consulting process that were not available anywhere else, and that's how it started. He released them on a nearly daily basis for a couple of months and developed a quick fast following.
The idea was that there were other sites that were available. Bolt was one of them, and there were books that were available. The books were written by people who hadn't been consultants. The sites that were available were written by probably 50-year olds and they weren't true and honest and relevant. A lot of them had their partners or customers from of the major consulting firms. If you didn't want to go to a consulting firm because there was something bad about it that nobody knew until you got there and inside, how are you going to figure that out? That was our question. That's the thesis that we started with.
Once we developed that following, our products and our services came out from our customers, "Can you help me with my resume? You're telling me things that no one else has ever told me. Can you help me prepare for an interview? You're meaner than anybody else that I've worked with What we need is the truthful, honest, perspective on the industry. That's been the space that we worked on carving out and continuing to develop over time.
Feedback is such a gift and it what takes someone from good to great. The fact that you have a robust feedback loop is valuable. What are some of your more common services that you offer?
Our most popular is one of our most expensive, our Black Belt interviewer. I would not have used Management Consulted at the time when I was thinking about my interview because I was thinking about it in the wrong way. I was thinking that this was another interview, another job that would take me to the same place in my career. What we've discovered is that there are other people smarter than I was at the time who recognized that an opportunity in consulting is once, maybe twice, in a lifetime and it's a huge game changer in the trajectory of your career. I would say it's probably superior to even going to a top business school. It's a brand and a network that you will not be able to replicate in other experiences in your life.
Black Belt has only been around for about four years, but what they said was, "We don't want one-off services. We don't want a coaching service." Our one-on-one coaching services have always been special. We don't do them the same as anyone else in the market. We don't run a case and then tell you afterwards. We handhold, we interrupt, we tell people to do it again. We are incredibly deep with our feedback. We're relentless about not letting people get away with mistakes because this is supposedly the safe space. The Interview is the hard front that people have to address. What happened was that Black Belt developed as those principles being honest, handholding, going deep with the feedback, plus homework that you could do outside of the sessions together that were carried out over anytime between about two weeks, and for many people it can be as long as six months. It's more of a programmatic approach to becoming a clear, strategic structured thinker.
A lot of the coaching that you talked is so invaluable and needed, particularly for newbie or aspiring consultants. What about for individuals that may have done what you've done in the past? They want to become an independent consultant or freelance or start their own consulting firm. Would Management Consulted be a destination for them as well?
We're releasing a strategy information piece that talks about how a top-level consultant and an MBB firm would think about a big strategy problem. One of the first things that we're doing is Nestlé buying Blue Bottle Coffee. Another one is Amazon buying Whole Foods. Third is looking at Apple's release of products and probably to how many at what price. Diagnosing at the very fundamental level one key metric or driver that helps insight for that. We've had an increase in demand for people that are interested in taking a skill that they've learned, maybe not from a top management consulting firm, but maybe from a tech consulting firm, advertising consulting firm, or maybe just from working in corporate. They feel like they have a real value add and they want some of the lifestyle benefits of being able to rotate projects. They want the intellectual stimulation of being able to solve problems for different people. In some ways, they want to risk adjust their life. They don't want to have one employer, they want multiple people involved. We do have one product that serves that market, which is our Independent Consultants Bootcamp. We do a lot of one-on-one coaching with people that are in consulting or in other places in the space that use consulting tools like corporate development and private equity.
You've worked with a lot of consultants, a lot of aspiring consultants, traveling, speaking. From your vantage point, what's the state of consulting at this time? Anything surprising that you're noticing?
We've seen a huge ramp up in consulting service spend over the last couple of years. I do a co-presentation with somebody who focuses on government consulting in one of the PhD programs in their conferences every year. Looking at the numbers, it's astounding how many dollars are spent towards the consulting field. It doesn't probably, even on the aggregate, represent what we're talking about in the freelancer space. It is more identified as a contractor market when you're not necessarily doing a scoped project with a beginning, middle and end that has a defined decision point, but working as an outside manager or somebody who's helping with projects as they come. We define the two of them a little differently. Our numbers don't even count those freelancer contractors, which is another huge market. We are seeing billions of dollars flowing towards the consulting firms. We are seeing strong growth, which has resulted in strong hiring. A lot of people ask us, "At what point are these guys going to get replaced?" All the research that I'm reading is that they won't. They will go through cycles, the same way that the economy does. There will be different levels of spend. Some of the spend on consulting services is discretionary and isn't core. AI can't replace, at least certainly the level that we have it right now. No projected time in the future can replace the human element, the human judgment, and the human relationship that consulting thrives on. I think that it's a very strong play going forward.
Management Consulted: An opportunity in consulting is once, maybe twice, in a lifetime and it's a huge game changer in the trajectory of your career.
We can definitely automate a lot of things, but the human judgment and that human journey are very hard to duplicate. How can people reach you or your team if they are interested in your services?
We have an active team. We have a policy of responding within 24 hours. We always will take a look at your particular situation and we can direct you towards most of our resources, which are totally free, which will help you develop an idea of where you are in the industry and if you're ready for your Interview. To reach us, the best way is to first go onto our website and check out what's available there. There're so many resources. We are up to 300 articles on consulting that are deep in content. Our minimum word length is a thousand words, so we have detailed content on our website. You can email us directly, Team@ManagementConsulted.com. The focus of that is that you'll reach the members of our core team, including myself and Namaan, who's our Operations Manager. Namaan is the one who's responsible for the 24-hour response rate. If he gets the email, he'll definitely get back to you in short order. We'd love to hear from you. We'd love to answer your questions. If there's something that you see we don't offer, our very best ideas and resources and articles and products have come from requests from our community, so please make sure that you reach out and propose something or ask for it if you don't see it yet.
Thank you so much for being on the show. I love ManagementConsulted.com. I've used it for many years and I grew up in consulting and have gone through the website. I've used it for resume services. Keep doing such a great job in serving our community.
Thank you so much. We love to have likers that are a part of our community. We have almost a million of them, which is so fun for us. We are beginning to expand some things like dinners or drinks out, meet-ups in different places to get even more face-to-face time with people. It's a pleasure to serve the community and to give back. Consulting gave me everything in my career and so much I owe to it. I'm happy to be able to serve the community in this way.
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ManagementConsulted.com: Black Belt program | Resume services | The Independent Consultant's Toolkit Use coupon code MECE to receive $50 off any purchase of $250 or more.
Jenny Rae joined the team in 2010. She graduated from the University of Virginia and joined Bain after traveling around the world, writing a book, working on financial public policy in South Africa and sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. In short, she's done everything we all wish we could do, but never get around to 🙂 Since leaving Bain to co-found a tech company she has advised over 45 different early- and mid-phase companies around the world, retired twice, and built up a real estate portfolio. Jenny Rae authored or co-authored all of the books on the MC site and oversees products, services, the team and the site at MC.


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Paul Corkum becomes first Canadian to receive the Isaac Newton Medal
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July 11, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario
Dr. Paul Corkum
Physicist Paul Corkum has added another prestigious international award to his impressive roster: the Isaac Newton Medal and Prize, the highest accolade of the United Kingdom's Institute of Physics. The Distinguished Professor at the University of Ottawa and National Research Council-Canada Research Chair in Attosecond Photonics is the first Canadian to receive this distinction, which recognizes "world-leading contributions to physics by an individual."
Dr. Corkum is being honoured for his pioneering role in the development of attosecond science — an attosecond lasts one billionth of a billionth of a second. Working with collaborator and fellow physicist Ferenc Krausz, he was the first to produce 650-attosecond pulses, flashes of light so short and powerful they allow scientists to capture the movement of subatomic particles and observe molecular reactions as they occur. Dr. Corkum's research led to the first experimental image of a molecular orbital and the first space-time image of an attosecond pulse. His ultimate goal is to be able to direct the movement of electrons, which could lead to transformative advances in fields such as computing, engineering and medicine.
"Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists to have ever lived, having laid the foundation for much of modern physics," said Dr. Corkum, who is also Director of the Joint Attosecond Science Laboratory, a partnership between the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Ottawa. "It is therefore a tremendous honour to receive a prize named after him. While I may be the first Canadian to win this award, I am surely not the last, as this is a golden age for Canadian science."
The Isaac Newton Medal also highlights Dr. Corkum's groundbreaking discoveries over the past 20 years in a wide range of other fields, including molecular imaging, chemistry, condensed matter and optical science.
Geneviève Tanguay, Vice-President of Emerging Technologies at the National Research Council of Canada, expressed pride that "Dr. Corkum is the first Canadian to receive this distinguished recognition from the UK Institute of Physics. His groundbreaking research, which launched the field of attosecond science, began at the NRC decades ago and continues to transform our understanding of the world around us."
"The Isaac Newton Medal is another fitting tribute to Paul Corkum's exceptional contributions to the rapidly growing field of attosecond physics," said Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research at the University of Ottawa. "His revolutionary work has resonated around the world, raising the profile of photonics research at the University of Ottawa and the National Research Council of Canada. The University is honoured to have a scientist of his stature as a member of its faculty."
Paul Corkum has garnered a long list of awards at home and abroad for his work, including the Royal Medal of the Royal Society, the Lomonosov Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Harvey Prize of the Israel Institute of Technology, the King Faisal International Prize for Science and the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. Dr. Corkum will receive the Isaac Newton Medal and Prize at a ceremony in London, England, in November 2018.
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Minnow the Painting Pony will be visiting Pottstown, Pennsylvania to perform this summer!
Minnow will be painting and showing off tricks and Ammo will be performing some of his famous super hero moves! We'll even be selling Minnow's paintings and donating a portion to our friends at Ryerss to help feed and care for the retired horses on the farm.
And don't worry, even if you aren't local we will be sure to share all the details on the blog afterwards!
P.S. if you want to find out more about past performances we've done, be sure to check out our archives!
Cyber Monday Sale at Painting Pony!
The holiday shopping has begun! And today we decided to offer up a little discount for all of you Cyber Monday Shoppers!
Use the coupon code CYBERMONDAY13 for a 30% Discount on all orders over $20! Just use the code at checkout to receive your discount! Sale ends 12/3/13.
P.S. Make sure you check out Ammo's Blog for some more Cyber Monday Deals on his etsy shop!


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What Up With CD Sales? Popsurfing Vs. NYCD
Here's an email back and forth between myself and Tony, one of the two co-founders of my favorite music store NYCD. I call it a music store, but they shuttered their brick and mortar outlet and now work out of an office, doing most of their business online at Amazon.com and elsewhere. Tony and Sal have a passion for music and they had a great store with a great location (originally) in a boomer neighborhood with no competition for used CDs or indie store customer service. And it just didn't work. Now they're hawking used CDs online. Before, their used copies of say the new Norah Jones had to compete with dozens (even hundred?) of copies located in different stores around the city. Now, anyone can go online and find thousands of copies on sale and the only way to survive is to cut prices. I kept seeing the glass half full, talking about the billions being made in ringtones et al. Tony saw his dream of a career championing new music to music fans slipping away and said I was a schmuck. Here's my longer piece on what's happening to the music biz. Here's our original email debate:
It began with Tony emailing me a Wall Street Journal article from last week that began:
In a dramatic acceleration of the seven-year sales decline that has battered the music industry, compact-disc sales for the first three months of this year plunged 20% from a year earlier, the latest sign of the seismic shift in the way consumers acquire music.
The sharp slide in sales of CDs, which still account for more than 85% of music sold, has far eclipsed the growth in sales of digital downloads, which were supposed to have been the industry's salvation.
MICHAEL: Hmmmm. You look at the sales total of the Top 10 albums and clearly something is up.
But for an article in the Wall Street Journal, this piece is rather bizarrely devoid of hard numbers, mainly dollar amounts. (There's one ref in the middle to digital singles followed by CD units, which are apples and oranges of course.) The only numbers he usually offers are percentage drops from last year. The vaguest number of all was when he said that sales of physical and digital are down 10% this year and even if you include subscription services (a paltry figure, surely), ancillary merchandise (whatever that means -- t-shirts at stores? But not presumably DVDs) and ringtones sales are still down 9%. That means ringtones and ancillary stuff is just 1% of all sales? That is absolutely untrue. Ringtones in 2006 were a billion dollar business. Unless music sales are $100 billion, ie $1 TRILLION dollars, ringtones account for a lot more than 1%. I really find this article unhelpful and unilluminating. What was the annual sales total in 2006? Break it down in dollar figures by CDs, digital singles and albums, ringtones, etc. How does that compare to 2005? Also, is he talking US or worldwide? (Not that worldwide sales aren't in turmoil too, they are.) Does it include music videos on DVD?
In 2005, before ringtones and ringmasters got even bigger, digital singles and ringtones+ were already 8.8% of the business, per the NYTimes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/01/business/01music.html?ei=5090&en=ace9ad90dcea3d72&ex=1301547600&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1144037165-ZFWLPuSxcaYNclFDw9qOQA
I assume that figure grew to a conservative 10% in 2006. And the biggest explosion was in ringtones, per Billboard.
Here's a SoundScan-based article about 2006 from an industry newsletter.
http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=328631
It says that SoundScan says music sales were up 19% in 2006 from the moribund 2005 and that online sales were up 65% (which is a slowing in the growth but still growth. 22 songs sold more than 1 million digital copies online (does that include ringtones?) which is a huge jump over the past decade, when singles were basically phased out. The most interesting figure is that 32.6 million "albums" were sold online, as in Van Morrison's Moondance being bought solely in digital form. But only 11 albums sold more than 100,000 copies. That means a LOT of "long tail" sales, you know, the idea that the unlimited availability of titles online means instead of selling 8 million copies of Norah Jones you sell 8000 copies of a hundred different albums.
Half a BILLION digital singles were sold. That's $500 million in sales and doesn't include the 32 million digital albums sold, which is another $300+ million. And that doesn't include ringtones and ringmasters, which are another $1 billion in sales and estimated to grow much more. The music industry destroyed the singles market and now digital sales and ringtones have brought them back. Young people spend $1 to $3 or $4 on a hot single and play it endlessly. That's the way it was for most of the rock n roll era. Labels made that impossible for years. Now it's returning and will be more than 10% of all sales. Digital singles mean catalog albums and songs can be accessed with more ease than ever before. People don't WANT to steal music. As soon as sales can be easily transferred between players (hello, iPod), it'll improve.
But again, that article is very vague and half-assed and even though I've been looking I still can't find hard dollar figures anywhere for the first quarter. But since 2006 was a 20% jump in sales over 2005, then if sales dropped 10% that would still be 10% better than just two years ago. Yep, I'm confused too.
TONY: So if ringtones and digital single sales are saving the music industry, why does the music industry appear to be collapsing? You don't see label execs lighting their Cohibas with $50 bills nowadays, you see them laying off entire departments. Ringtones are wonderful, no doubt, and if you believe that listening to a snippet of a song on your phone is going to make lifelong music fans of the kids today, then God bless ya. But clearly, something isn't adding up. Perhaps the number of digital singles and albums purchased include a large number from subscription services, where a song costs something like 15 cents? I've heard that the labels barely make any money at a buck a song on iTunes, so I can't imagine what kind of revenue stream 15 cent songs produce.
In a nutshell, my guess is that the article is correct -- to make up for the loss of a $15 CD sale, you've got to sell quite a few $1-4 ringtones, even if your margin is higher. And that ain't happening.
My guess is that, eventually, the vast majority of music will be given away, and supported by advertising dollars on the web. Physical CDs will be little more than a merchandising tool to promote the live show, at least for pop music -- I think that jazz and classical fans will want the higher fidelity that physical objects provide. The really interesting question, apart from what kind of work will Sal, Tony and Rob find, is how this will affect the music itself. And on that count, your guess is as good as mine.
Did you read that REVENUES were up in '06 over '05? Or sales? Because, from what I know, '04 has been the only up year this decade, and that was less than a 1% increase. I think revenues have been tanking fairly steadily since 2000. Do you have evidence to the contrary?
MICHAEL: I think you're right about music being given away basically. 90% or more of artists never made money on album sales at major labels anyway -- they made all their profit touring and in merchandising. I think the artist of the future just doesn't need a record label so much. You can make yor music available to the world with MySpace, develop a following there and touring, get placed on a TV soundtrack and so on, or get exposure via a major label and then go independent, etc. etc. etc.
I think it's a great time for the music. I read about an artist and half the time they have a track for me to listen to linked to the online article. Or if I just read about an artist in print, I can go and type in their name and find their myspace page and immediately hear three or four songs from them and see if I want the album, rather than just having to trust a review. It's music on demand and my Best Of list is crowded with all sorts of people. So creatively, I think it'll be just great.MOre music is more available to more people than ever before.
I gave you the links below to the articles I cited. But just like the WSJ article, they were vague with their figures, lacking all sorts of distinctions between wholesale revenue and retail revenue and CDs versus a combo of CDs and digital versus a combo of CDs and digital and ringtones and t-shirts.
I don't dispute that major record labels are becoming dinosaurs and struggling to find out where the money is. But people ARE spending money. Just because Warner bros. isn't making its same margin of profit doesn't mean the money isn't being spent. I've spent five years listening to people say the movie industry is collapsing, that movie budgets are WAY too expensive, that marketing costs are spiralling out of control and that it's insane to think anyone can make any money from movies that cost $100 mil to make and market -- that's the average cost of course, not the $300-$400 mil they'll spend making and marketing say Spiderman 3. Meanwhile, I know that Spiderman 3 will gross $1 bil from straightforward box office and DVD sales worldwide, minimum. They say the sky is falling because the box office drops from say $10.2 billion in 2002 to $9.5 billion in 2003 (I'm making up these numbers), ignoring the fact that movie studios grossed $20 billion on DVD , money they never made before. Who cares if the box office goes down $1 billion, if the trade off is an extra $20 billion in DVD sales? There's also huge growth overseas in DVD and box office. (China and India have barely scratched the surface of screening US movies and that's another 2 billion people ready to see Spider-Man 8. The movie industry has gone - in the US alone -- from a $4-$5 billion business in the early 80s when I first started following the figures to a $40 to $50 billion industry. Almost no articles recognize this simple fact and so they are hopelessly clueless about how much vastly bigger the pie is.
I can't help feeling there is a similar narrowmindedness in the music industry coverage. As an outsider, I don't care if the money is spent on ringtones or digital singles or album sales. The massive sales of the 90s was a fluke when the record industry had a tremendous product and convinced everyone who owned a copy of Dark Sidfe Of The Moon on LP to buy it again at twice the price on CD. That clearly won't be happening again on digital. When you add up all the money, sales are down, but not that much; it's just that the money has migrated from high profit CDs to low profit digital singles and ringtones. But people are still spending money. That doesn't help your business and it certainly doesn't help the major labels but why would anyone with any name recognition stay on a major label? You can make so much more money on a truly indie label or on your own. Paul McCartney just brought his entire catalog to Starbucks and that catalog is incredibly valuable. Obviously, things are changing and major labels have become outmoded. But people are still spending money on music. Just not as much as they were in the 90s, when there was a once in a lifetime fluke that we haven't seen since the LP (and that wasn't so dramatic because people owned a lot fewer 78s and piano rolls). No one buying cassette or eight track felt the need (usually) to buy their LPs all over again in the new format. It was a bizarre, thrillingly lucky moment for the labels when they were printing money by reselling albums again and again.
Oh dear, I've said all this before. I think this WSJ article annoyed me because it was so VAGUE. Percentage drops year to year without any hard dollar figures behind them or historical perspective are pretty useless.
MICHAEL (AGAIN) :
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=500295
This market analysis by Gartner was covered in Billboard and a lot of other places when it came out six weeks ago. Note that the figures for 2005 and 2006 are hard figures, not estimates.
Music downloaded to cell phones and the like (not digital tracks for iPods) WORLDWIDE (it's a much bigger business in Japan and the rest of Asia, then Europe and then the US in terms of size):
2005 -- $6 billion
2006 -- $9.1 billion
2007 -- estimated $13 billion
and then it goes on to see huge growth. That $9 billion worldwide -- figuring a very high per CD cost of $20 is the equivalent to an extra 450 MILLION CDs worldwide. That is a lot of ground made up in album sales. Yes, the CD as the defining source of revenue may be over. But did that Wall Street Journal add in the $9 BILLION from worldwide ringtone sales to a look at how the business is doing? No, they did not. It's just as dumb as looking only at a movie studio's box office revenue and ignoring the fact that they make twice as much money via DVD sales. Again, if movie box office goes down $2 billion but the trade off is $20 billion in DVD sales,. seeing that as a decline is ludicrous. In music terms, this does ignore the fact that margins are much lower on digital singles, though I'm not as clear as to how it plays out on ringtones.
The NYTimes article on the album by Akon was actually perceptive. No, the album didn't do as huge as it should, but there are a lot of new revenue streams.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/business/media/11music.html?ex=1323493200&en=70c358814991bd1b&ei=5088∂ner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Maybe the album only goes gold because kids bought two of his songs at $3.50 a pop for the ringtones instead of the CD. But it's still money.
An MSNBC article quoting the IFPI says digital tracks and albums (not ringtones) account for $2 billion or 10% of all sales worldwide and they believe in 2007 it will make up for the shortfall of CD sales.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16669376/
Per article:
Kennedy said he now hoped online sales would compensate for the decline of CDs sometime this year.
"There's nearly the holy grail in three major markets — the United States, Britain and Japan. Next year I would like to be announcing that is the case for around 10 markets," he said....
Kennedy pointed to mobile music sales as a major area for growth this year, with the launch of Apple's much anticipated iPhone and the development of music phones by Nokia Corp. and Sony Ericsson. [He's talking about the US of course. It's already huge overseas.]
End quote.
That means the worldwide music sales are $20 billion and that does NOT include the $9 billion spent on ringtones. In other words, music sales were down 3% in a year that grossed $20 billion worldwide. But the total figure when you include ringtones and ringbacks and all that other crap worldwide is more like $29 billion. Guess what? Music sales are UP; it's just that the money isn't going into CDs and isn't going into record label pockets. Seriously, how can you discuss the fortunes of the music industry and not include figures that account for almost 50% of sales? That's exactly what the WSJ did.
TONY: I think the difference between the movie companies and the record labels is that, at the end of the day, the movie companies' bottom lines are fine and they're not crying wolf. If the record companies were merely bitching about CD sales and actually raking in the bucks thanks to ringtones, you'd think they'd be telling their investors about it so their stock would still be performing. And that's simply not the case. Music companies' stocks are plummeting, and investors are headed for the exits. You'd think that if ringtones were the cavalry coming in to save the day, more would be made of this fact on Wall St. I'm not saying that the investors aren't wrong or shortsighted, but it does seem like there are a lot of people who don't agree with your predictions.
(I also think the movie biz is fucked, once computers come along that can do with movies what is currently being done with music. The DVD biz will tank, people will download movies illegally, and those $400 million blockbusters will become money losers. It's just gonna take a few years for that to happen.)
As for the $9 billion number for ringtones -- that would mean that every man, woman and child in America bought ten ringtones last year. Or wait, was that worldwide numbers? That still seems quite inflated, considering that in 2000, the music biz's peak, only about $25 billion worth of music was sold, by my best guess. And again, the bottom line shows that everyone's losing money -- not something the labels want to tell their investors, especially if it's not true.
I do like this spirited conversation, even if we never agree on who's right!
MICHAEL: The $9 billion is a worldwide figure. Only $1 billion comes from the US. The other $8 billion comes from the rest of the world, led by Japan (which has HUGE phone bills thanks to texting, ringtones, etc.) and then followed by Western Europe. The US is way behind in ringtones as a business for lots of reasons, but that just means lots of room to grow.
And movie companies do in fact cry wolf all the time. They love to bitch and moan about the high cost of making movies because they hate paying actors $20 million to appear in films the studios esxpect to gross $300 million worldwide. The film studios also desperately keep info on DVD sales as close to the vest as possible. Unlike weekend box office, they will adamantly refuse to divulge any hard figures on individual DVD titles. It is literally a state secret. In Billboard,. all they do is list titles in order of popularity, with no hint of how much money they're actually pulling in. Once in a while, they'll trumpet the number of copies shipped to stores for a title like, say, Toy Story 2, but again they are ferociously private about sales figures. Once, -- once -- they announced that "XXX," the awful action flick had grossed $100 mil in its first weekend on DVD when you add sales and rentals. I did a story on it and asked everyone why they didn't have a weekly chart for DVD grosses like the weekend box office. Everyone in the DVD divisions said they would love it but that the studios would never let them and in fact they were surprised the company released the figures on "XXX" and said it was kept secret for the very reasons I've mentioned. I've pushed repeatedly and they repeatedly say it's because the studios do NOT want to emphasize that the DVD pie is TWICE as big as the box office pie. They already fight off the biggest stars who want a cut of DVD sales and don't want anyone else beyond Tom Cruise and Speilberg getting any bright ideas. It is a massive cash cow and they like to pretend it doesn't exist. Of course, when they're talking to themselves they can't help admit the business is doing great, like when the MPAA spoke to the theater owners and crowed about the massive growth in audiences over the past 40 years, when ticket sales have increased by more than 50%. In the 70s, 980 million admissions were sold per year on average. In the 80s it was 1.1 billion admissions average per year. In the 90s it was 1.3 billion admissions and the 2000s are so far averaging 1.5 billion admissions per year. That's in the context of an era in which consumers have TRIPLED the amount of money they spend on movies, from X amount of dollars at the box office to 2X amount of dollars on DVD, for a total of 3X. ie. from $10 bil roughly at the box office to $30 bil overall, in the US alone for just admissions and DVD. In the thousands of articles written about the travails of the movie industry and rising film budget and marketing costs, when have you ever heard the two simple facts that movie audiences continue to grow by leaps and bounds AND people leave the theater and buy the movie on DVD.
The easy availability of movie downloads does NOT have to mean people will start stealing bootleg copies of movies. People do NOT want to steal, but if it becomes so difficult to buy a copy and use it any way you want (ie play it on your computer or tv or burn a DVD and use it on your portable laptop or make a second copy to keep in your weekend home etc) then yes people will start stealing just like they do with songs. But it's the fault of the major record labels. They should simply refuse to make their music available to iTunes until iTunes opens up its rights management. More importantly, they should stop putting all sorts of idiotic restrictions on the music, like they did with the Neil Diamond CD. THAT'S why people go to bootlegs. Not because the world is filled with criminals but because record labels make it so hard to be good.
TONY: I will respond to the rest of your email later, because I love this kind of thing. But, personally, I ABHOR paying for downloads. I will do so if I have no other option, like with the Herb Alpert albums that are only available on iTunes. But if I can find it easily enough, I'll steal it every time. If I spend money, I want a physical artifact, not a fucking file on my computer. I have no idea what kind of minority I'm in on this one, but I'd assume there are others like me. And it's not like I want to be a criminal or anything. I'm very happy to spend too much money on a CD. I just don't like paying for downloads, that's all.
MICHAEL: Me too.
TONY: Wait, "me too" you love this kind of argument? Or "me too" you hate paying for downloads?
MICHAEL: BOTH!
TONY: I fear being labeled an old fogey because I've never downloaded a ringtone. Actually, the one time I tried to download a ringtone, my cellphone wasn't compatible or something and I lost $2. Never again, I say. NEVER AGAIN. Do you download ringtones? I will not judge, regardless of what your answer is.
MICHAEL: Ringtones, no. I can't be bothered.
Posted by Michael in New York at 2:11 AM
Busy, Busy, Busy
"American Idol" -- Results Show For Top 10
Oprah's Pick: Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Harry Potter: The Final Book Jacket Art
"American Idol" -- The Top 10
Man Found Living With 80 Sheep
What Is Happening To The Music Industry?
"Life" And Death
"Battlestar: Galactica" Season Finale
The Secret Of "The Secret"
The 2007 IRAs -- Official Results
The Best CDs of 2006
Big Changes At Popsurfing
This Weekend: The IRAs
Not Quite Curtains For "Curtains"
"Ugly Betty" Etc.
"Doctor Who" Back For A Fourth Season
Overnight TV Ratings -- "Friday Night Lights" Stru...
Laverne & Shirley Reuniting?
"Battlestar Galactica" Fourth Season Renewal Incre...
"American Idol" Recap
ABC Renews "Brothers & Sisters" and "Men In Trees"...
Adam Sandler Hosting "Letterman" Tonight
My "Daily Show" Bit
Bowie's Days As A Record Store Clerk
"Buffy" Season Eight Begins
Dennis Miller Comes To Radio Monday
What Keeps "Idol" Humming?
The Naked Actor
Elvis Costello Retires From Recording; Plans On Si...
TV Viewers Mock Heather Mills of "Dancing With The...
Rodrigo Barred From US
Broadway Houses: Bring On The Scalping!
Joe Roth Mocks Director Julie Taymor
Overnight TV Ratings -- "Dancing" Tops
The Top CDs Of 2006
Movie Box Office Is Exploding
Movie Roundup
Overnight TV Ratings -- "Grease" Not Picking Up St...
Roger Friedman Movie Deal In The Works?
Ricky Gervais On Comic Relief
Ant and Dec Coming To US!
Minnie Driver Serious About Music
Weekend Box Office -- "300" Still #1
Top CDs Of The Year List Coming Out....Today! Real...
No Extra "Extras," Please
Bestselling Books -- Still No Literary Fiction In ...
Hermione Still Not Signed For Final Two Potter Fil...
UK Music Charts -- Pint-sized Sinatra Tops Charts
Carol Burnett Sues "Family Guy"
Friday Box Office Numbers -- "300" Not 100%
Premiere Magazine R.I.P.
Former "Idol" Mario Vazquez Lawsuit Details
Weekend Box Office Preview
Women Hot On Broadway
Overnight TV Ratings -- Andy Richter Doesn't Contr...
Kate Blanchett Joins "Indy IV"
The Best (Selling) 200 Albums Of All Time
"300" Tearing It Up At The Box Office
Simon Cowell On "60 Minutes"
Book By Madonna's Nanny Killed
"The Wind That Shakes The Barley"
"Ocean's 13" To Premiere At Cannes
Gay Bigot Isaiah Washington Makes Noble Donation
Revamped Websites
Scarlett Johansson To Star In "South Pacific?"
Arctic Monkeys Fight The Scalpers
Overnight TV Ratings -- "America's Next Top Model"...
Fergie (The Duchess, That Is)
Maybe That Jim Carrey Movie Was Right
David Duchovny Starring In Showtime Sitcom
Google To Keep Your Searches On File For TWO Years...
Heather Mills: I'm Not "A Publicity Seeker"
Billboard's Top 10 Songs -- Hello, Fergie
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader...Who's Been G...
"Who Watches The Watchmen?"
Final Harry Potter Book Getting 12 Million Copy Fi...
Disney's New Musical "Little Mermaid" Treated Wari...
Writers Marquez and Llosa Friends Again?
Richard Thompson On Anti-War Songs
"The Godfather" Opens Today
Bravo Buys TelevisionWithoutPity.com
Did Mario Vazquez Sexually Harass Someone?
More UK Phone-In Scandals
Paul McCartney Signs With Starbucks
Dylan Sings Suess
Ex-CIA Head Has Memoir Out April 30
"High School Musical" -- On Ice
The Daytime Emmy Award Nominations
Billboard Top CDs -- "Notorious" Is B.I.G. Again
Viacom Sues Google For Stealing
Author Jonathan Lethem Gives Away Other People's C...
Overnight TV Ratings -- "Idol" -atry
"American Idol" -- Top 12 Recap
"American Idol" -- Last Week
Jet Lag, Etc.


text:
Over 100,000 People Want Jon Stewart to Host a Presidential Debate
This article first appeared on Time. For more stories like this, visit time.com.
By Time.com Updated Aug 21, 2015 @ 9:00 am
"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" #JonVoyage
Credit: rad Barket/Getty
Should Jon Stewart host a 2016 presidential debate? More than 100,000 people think so.
A group of Stewart fans launched a change.org petition about two weeks ago, shortly after the comedian left his post as host of the Daily Show, asking the Commission on Presidential Debates to consider letting Stewart grill candidates during a future contest. At the time of this writing, the petition was about 31,000 signatures shy of its 150,000 signature goal.
RELATED: What Jon Stewart and Peter Jennings Had in Common
The petitioners believe Stewart is "more than qualified" to moderate a debate, given his track record interviewing political big wigs. According to the petition's authors, he's interviewed 15 heads of state, 22 Cabinet members, and 39 members of Congress. The page also cites Stewart's Peabody Award winning coverage of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections as a qualifying factor.
A request for comment from the Commission on Presidential Debates was not immediately returned.
RELATED: Jon Stewart Will Host a Giant Wrestling Competition
By Time.com


Leading healthcare packaging company joins technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare.
Cranston, RI (July 20, 2017) – Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging ("Nelipak"), a global provider of custom thermoformed packaging that provides superior protection for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, has joined The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC), a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare.
Nelipak's team of healthcare-focused designers and engineers provides customers with the ability to proactively innovate packaging even at the earliest stages of development. As a result, Nelipak is able to help OEMs create more efficient and environmentally responsible device packaging that reduces material waste during development and production and allows for products that can be used and recycled more effectively in hospital environments.
HPRC is currently engaged in multiple initiatives aimed at enabling recycling of healthcare plastics. Other HPRC members include Baxter, BD, Cardinal Health, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Ravago Recycling Group.
With facilities in Cranston, RI; Phoenix & Tucson AZ: Whitehall, PA; Liberty, NC; Venray, the Netherlands; Galway, Ireland; Juncos & Humacao, Puerto Rico; and San Jose, Costa Rica, Nelipak® Healthcare Packaging designs, develops and manufactures custom thermoformed packaging products that provide superior protection for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The company offers medical trays and blisters, surgical procedure trays, pharmaceutical handling trays, custom built sealing machines and other value added services. Nelipak's customers consist of some of the largest and most reputable medical device and pharmaceutical companies in the world. With over 700 employees worldwide, Nelipak is focused on delivering superior quality and customer experience through world class manufacturing at each of its locations. More information about Nelipak can be found at www.nelipak.com.
HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. HPRC is made up of brand leading and globally recognized members including Baxter, BD, Cardinal Health, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Nelipak Healthcare Packaging and Ravago Recycling Group. The council convenes biannually at meetings hosted by an HPRC member that include facility tours to further learning and knowledge sharing opportunities through first-hand demonstration of best practices in sustainable product and packaging design and recycling processes. For more information, visit https://www.hprc.org.


text:
Q: iterating through a javascript object in order Here's the situation. I have a JavaScript object and I need to iterate through it, but the order is very important to maintain. I know that JavaScript object is supposed to be unordered, but I was hoping there was some JavaScript equivalent to the following: http://docs.python.org/2/library/collections.html#collections.OrderedDict
This is the original ordering
{
  082013: {'A': 1, 'B', 3}
  092013: {'A': 2, 'B', 4}
  102013: {'A': 8, 'B', 2}
  112013: {'A': 92, 'B', 67}
  122013: {'A': 64, 'B', 32}
}

Then I iterate through it:
aArray = [];
bArray = [];
$.each(data, function(key, value) {
   aArray.push(value.A);
   bArray.push(value.B);
});

the result (on chrome in particular) seems to render more like this:
aArray = [8, 92, 64, 1, 2];
bArray = [2, 67, 32, 3, 4];

This implies that it does not iterate in order, or goes through it in the order of smallest to largest (102013, 112013, 122013, 092013, 082013)
So how could I iterate this object in order, if I can at all?

A: Off the top of my head, the only way to do this is get the keys (using Object.keys(myObj)), then sort them (using Array.sort) and go through it that way. The keys are unordered in the actual object.
So it's something like:
    var keys = Object.keys(myObj);
    keys.sort();
    for(var i=0; i<keys.length; ++i){
        //do something with myObj[keys[i]]
    }

A: Sorting the keys in advance will ensure that they are in the correct order. Then you can access the values you want. Here is a solution using jQuery for cross-browser compatibility:
var data = {
    '082013': {'A': 1, 'B': 3},
    '092013': {'A': 2, 'B': 4},
    '102013': {'A': 8, 'B': 2},
    '112013': {'A': 92, 'B': 67},
    '122013': {'A': 64, 'B': 32}
}, sortedKeys,
    a = [],
    b = [];

sortedKeys = $.map(data, function(value, key) {
    return key;
  }).sort();

$.each(sortedKeys, function(index, value) {
    a.push(data[value].A);
    b.push(data[value].B);
});
console.log(a, b);
//[1, 2, 8, 92, 64] [3, 4, 2, 67, 32]

http://jsfiddle.net/UxqpS/1/

A: Browsers are somewhat inconsistent in how they iterate over keys in an object. It's been a few years since I did a test of this, but most browsers iterate over the keys in a FIFO fashsion (First In, First Out). I think it was Opera that was problematic because it iterated over they keys in alphabetical order.
The ideal solution is to return an Array to JavaScript if order matters. Otherwise the best you can do is willy's suggestion. Below is a polyfill for the Object.keys method:
Object.keys = Object.keys || function keys(x) {
    var keys = [], key;

    for (key in x) {
        if (x.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
            keys.push(key);
        }
    }

    return keys;
};

A more complete polyfill can be found at MDN: Object.keys Polyfill

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Recently, Salesforce brought out and assigned by default new duplicate rules, that mean that some of your chats may not be sending correctly if they are from unknown@example.com and they may show a duplicate error. Here's how you can avoid that.
First set up a custom mapping to uniquely identify SnapEngage chats.
Click on Setup – Objects and fields – Object manager – Contact/Lead – Under Contact/Lead fields, fields and relationships lead source, lead source, add a value called SnapEngage.
Then, on salesforce, go here or go to Setup, and under administer, click on Data management, Duplicate management, duplicate rules.
Then click on the standard duplicate rule for whatever applies to your workflow, and click on edit.
Make sure you save the changes.


text:
IFA 17: LG V30 Releases – Best Smartphone Camera + Full-Screen
The most anticipated phone for the camera lovers just hit the stage yesterday. LG finally releases LG V30 incorporating the trending Full-screen design in IFA 17 Munich, Germany, last night. But it's simply more than the looks. Why? Let's find out.
LG V30 – The World's First Phone with F / 1.6 aperture Dual Camera
Starting with the appearance, LG breaks the tradition smartphone design and introduces the elegant Full-screen layout. Its screen is curved from the borders thanks to the 2.5D glass arc. Indeed, the 6-inch 18: 9 OLED with 2K resolution and a freaking 538ppi pixel density are noticeable. However, the screen isn't that much curved compared to the Samsung Galaxy S8 but has the same approach as Samsung's Infinity Display. In addition, the secondary display isn't anymore on the new V30 but we have the always on display on the primary screen.
The all-metal built is great as the phone undergoes CNC process from the frames and a metallic back. It might be a bit slippy. The phone is shorter than 8mm shorter and 3mm narrower than LG V20. It measures 151.7×75.4×7.3mm and weighs 158g. Surprisingly the weight isn't that much for a 6-incher especially if it forges from metal. Indeed:
LG V30 is the lightest smartphone under 6.0-inch smartphone category
On the rear, LG maintains the dual camera setup which is great. Instead, the primary 16MP camera makes V30 the first phone with F / 1.6 aperture. So, yeah, the phone has better light exposure and incredible focus. The secondary 13MP wide-angle in-depth camera increases picture's details. Meanwhile, the front wide-angle 5MP isn't that much attractive though it has a self-timer. Moreover, we also have the rear fingerprint reader embedded at the same place since V10.
Regarding, the hardware, the heart of the flagship is Snapdragon 835 coupled with 4GB LPDDR4x RAM, supports TF card up to 2TB. LG V30 runs on Android 7.1.2, LG's UI is still not that great. It would be better if the phone had Android 8.0 as Sony XZ1 and XZ1 Compact. The phone is powered by a 3300mAh battery (wireless charging, Quick Charge 3.0), supports Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. Though we have a Type-C 2.0 USB port yet the 3.5mm audio jack has also retained.
The flagship divides into two variants when it comes to storage:
64GB UFS 2.0 (V30)
128GB UFS 2.0 (V30+)
V30 is way robust than its ancestors, thanks to the IP 68 certification and MIL-STD 810G military standard reliability certification. Additional features include facial recognition, 32bit quad-core DAC HiFi (by B & O Play headphones), support always on display (AOD).
Officials say that the V30 will first start selling in Korea on September 21 then will reach other countries as well. The phone will be available in black, silver, blue and violet color. The price isn't announced yet but this high-end flagship will cross $900 for the standard version and even $999 for the high version. Because it's way better than LG G6 in every aspect.
Update: From the camera samples, we found out that LG V30 aperture is f/1.7 instead of f/1.6.
Pictures Credit: Verge
IFA 17LGLG V30


We've partnered with Mixbook and added an array of fun details to turn our dingy staircase at home into a bright and fun transition with wallpaper stair risers & the best large print family photos.
When we first purchased our house the staircase was one of the FIRST things we tackled. The house was set up as almost 2 separate living spaces with a staircase in between. We immediately ripped up the carpet to get rid of a lingering smell and took out the exterior door that was in place at the bottom. Just doing this made a HUGE difference in how we felt about the lower level of the house.
It sat like this for over a year as we moved on to more pressing matters like the kitchen and the bathrooms.
And fun we had, creating a personalized staircase with wallpaper stair risers that brings a huge smile to my face, every time I walk down it.
We used mixbook to create large poster prints of a few beloved family photos, they have the option to order the prints with frames and this was perfect. About 5 minutes of work online ordering the prints (it was so easy!) and about 10 minutes of work hanging them up made a gigantic difference in the space. I know we often think of sites like Mixbook as only for memory books, but I've been quickly learning the power that personalized home decor adds to a space.
Great news! Mixbook wants to help you personalize your space as well. With 50% off poster prints! Expires 10/15/18 – Just put in SUB50 at checkout.
Large print family photos are more affordable than art and really makes a space happy for to walk through. This is the staircase that leads to the kids room, media room etc and it now screams our family style.
We added a few whimsical details to the space, like our hanging flamingo head and wooden bunting. The entire vibe feels like you might be entering a fairytale land.
To create the wallpaper stair risers we used a favorite pattern. Ordered it as a removable wallpaper pattern, cut it and installed in about an hour.
Instantly the stairs became 100% more personalized and fun.
Update a ho-hum staircase at home with this easy stair riser wallpaper technique and the great thing is that unlike paint – it can be replaced, or removed whenever we might wish. I really had my heart set on doing a rainbow painted staircase, but realized for our family home paint wasn't the best option to throw on the stairs.
Instead this peel and stick wallpaper creates a fun look for the steps and doesn't ruin our staircase for future design choices.
Finishing off this personalize staircase look with Mixbook poster prints was really simple and easy.
The frames I ordered were matte black and a great choice to allow the photos to shine against the dark colored wallpaper stair risers that we created.
How do you hang family photos at home. I know the trend over the past years has been a more involved gallery wall. But for our space the large format prints, mixed with fun details like the wallpapered stairs and bunting are a great way to get that personalized look without all the eye clutter.
Make your family photos today! Here's a coupon code to create this look at home. 50% off poster prints! Whoohoo! Expires 10/15/18 – Just put in SUB50 at checkout.
The paintings look beautiful. I like these pictures.
How have the risers held up? Considering this on my stairs but don't want to go to the trouble if they're going to get nicked or damaged!
Our ladders are carpeted. can you tell me how thick this paper? I will try our stairs.


text:
The Yes-U-Are Partnership was set up by a diverse group of local people who have a shared commitment to the renewal of Dunfermline's historic city centre and the enhancement of the lives of local people through what we hope to achieve. Indeed, central to our vision, is the purchase, repair and refurbishment, for community use, of the former church building that occupies a prominent position in the city centre.
The former St Andrews Erskine Church is a 'B' listed building that is registered as being "At Risk". It is noted in the Dunfermline Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme and the Dunfermline Conservation Area Appraisal. It was purchased, by means of a MacDonald family legacy, by the Trustees of the Yes-U-Are Partnership in 2012 from the Alfred Stewart Trust who were the previous owners.
The building has direct historical links to one of the participants in the First Secession, Revd. Ralph Erskine, whose congregation built the current building to replace the church building that he had built on the same elevated ridge, his statue stands in the approximate location of his original pulpit.
Our Vision, Mission, Values and Objects
Promoting Community Transformation
Our vision is of a transformed locality and people.
We deliver services that change lives and enrich community life.
Our service reflects the principles of caring, honesty, respect, inclusion,
security and transparency that are at the heart of all that we aim to
achieve.
Caring: We care about the people we serve and we hope to create good-natured, fair and kind relationships between us.
Honesty: We serve with integrity, trust and sincerity.
Respect: We honour the uniqueness of the people we work with and we act with courtesy and humility.
Inclusion: Our service is inclusive and treats all people and groups as equals.
Security: We can be relied upon to provide safe and dependable services in a well-managed facility.
Transparency: We provide clear leadership of excellent services that are effectively monitored and evaluated.
The Yes-U-Are Centre is established as an expression of Christian love, to provide facilities, activities and services with and for a wide spectrum of people, groups and communities of interest in Dunfermline and its neighbouring towns and villages, Fife and Scotland through:
· the advancement of Education
· the advancement of Religion
· the advancement of Citizenship or Community Development
· the advancement of Arts, Heritage and culture
· the provision of Recreational facilities or the organisation of Recreational Activities
· the Relief of those in need due to age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantages.
Registered in Scotland: 20th January 2012
Incorporated: 23rd December 2011
Erskine Building as a Community Hub
Imagining the future
The Yes-U-Are Partnership is committed to the process of conserving significant aspects of Dunfermline's history and heritage through quality building development. It will provide the community with a space or facility that is modern in design but in keeping with the buildings original aesthetic. This practical and useable space will serve the many purposes that local people and groups have recommended.
Plans for the future
To ensure that the building meets its full potential - as well as our commitment to enhancing and transforming the community - people will be able to use the building for a myriad of reasons; Exhibitions, plays, music, cafe, courses, training, business meetings, conferences, weddings etc.
Bringing about the future
The next stage of the essential repair works will ensure that the building is water, wind and pigeon "tight" and will allow us to create a short-term office in the building. This temporary phase will give us time to finalise the plans, seek planning permission and raise the necessary funds to fully complete the refurbishment.
Obviously, we cannot rely on legacies to fund or proceed with our plans but as well as applying for grant aid, we will be staging many local events to support our efforts. Donations will always be gratefully received and of course, there is the opportunity to provide "In Memoriam" gifts for specific items of equipment or the restoration of particular rooms or areas/features of the building.
Share and stay Connected :
Yes-U-Are Partnership
Erskine Building, 4 Pilmuir Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7AJ
office@yesuare.org.uk
| T: 01383 731805
Charity Reg N: SC042878 - Company Reg N: SC413698
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SolBridge Student Council is an organization lead by students for students. As the chosen student leaders of the school, Student Council works with the school management and administration board, staff members, student body, and local community to represent the concerns and opinions of the student body for the benefit of the school, students, and community. It works to enhance student life, build school spirit and pride, strengthen the overall school and contribute to charitable causes and the community.
In addition, Student Council members are in charge of the planning and organizing of many educational and recreational events. These student ambassadors are also responsible for the 18 clubs. They strive to create both a fun and memorable school year and to ultimately pass a legacy for future councils to build upon. Student Council also participates in developing the university's educational projects, such as anti-bullying policy, anti-cheating campaign, recycling and green living, etc. It promotes and encourages the involvement of as many students as possible in the school activities to improve the quality of life in SolBridge.
Associates Recruitment: the associate team is formed in order to help the Student Council run its events smoothly. Associates are recruited in the beginning of the Spring and Fall semesters with varied number of students recruited each time. All SolBridge students are eligible to apply, including transfer and exchange students.
Excursions: students have the opportunity to go to various places or festivals around Korea. There are approximately 4-6 destinations each semester.
Club Expo: organized to give students a chance to get to know, and at the same time be a member of the clubs that they are interested in.
SolBridge Jacket / Hoodies Sign Up: a chance to show our unity as a SolBridgers. Official Jacket and Hoodie are sold once every semester.
Exam Week Surprise: to boost up students' energy during midterm and final week, we wish student good luck by giving away something special for students.
Woosong Sports Day: usually held for two days during the Spring semester. All departments of Woosong University will compete in various competitions.
Movie Night: students can enjoy a movie together with their friends as a way to relief stress after the midterm exam week.
Garage Sale: students have the opportunity to sell and buy things face-to-face by the end of each semester.
SolBridge Festival: students can share their culture through traditional food, games and performances.
Culture Day: a tradition since SolBridge first opened its doors to more than 30 nationalities around the globe. Held on every Fall semester, this event consist of two parts: food festival and cultural performance.
Commencement Eve Celebration: celebrated at the end of every Spring and Fall semester, this event is the most luxurious events. All students are welcomed to join to celebrate and send farewells to the graduates.
SolBridge 11th Student Council consists of 8 members from different countries, who bring ideas, requests, and feedback to the meetings as a representative from each country. They communicate and consult with all of the students in the school to identify and help solve problems encountered by students in the school. This democratic process is used to give other students with different backgrounds and cultures an opportunity to voice their opinion. This way, the Student Council is able to officially represent all the students in SolBridge.


Have you ever had one of those days? Of course you have! The kind of day that makes you believe in Murphy's Law. Well, maybe it hasn't been quite THAT bad, but really? What a lousy day today was!
I had planned all week to go to the movies today with two friends. When I woke up, I had texts from both of them saying they couldn't go. So, I started doing chores and didn't even look at my phone for a few hours. It was on silent, so I didn't hear when a new text came in. When I finally looked at it, there was a text from one of them saying she could go after all, but by the time I looked at my phone, the movie was actually starting. Such stupid luck! So one of my friends got to see it, but I didn't, and I'm the one who planned it in the first place.
And the hubz drank a little (read: a lot) too much at the martini party last night (which was so much fun). But he knocked over some water because he had drunk too much. And it ruined my son's Sony camera, the one he bought with his own money. Hubz will replace it, but stilll... Just one of those "thangs."
Hubz didn't listen when I told him of my plans for today, and he didn't tell me his plans, so I had to do the grocery shopping alone, which I hate, and we ended up not being able to have dinner together.
And I had to be the homework police since both my kids had homework (yes over Halloween weekend).
And I tried to order KFC for dinner, but they only had original recipe, which I don't like, so I had to make a sandwich for dinner. So glad tomorrow's a new day, a new month!
Okay, so the picture is a little crooked! My daughter took it, but you can see these goodies!
Now, let me tell you this... I DO NOT LIKE Baked Lays of any kind. So, I was wary, but I have to say that I LOVE these White Cheddar Cheese Baked Puffs! they were gone so fast! My husband liked them, too. My daughter didn't like those, but she enjoyed the Snackimals. The High Fiber Cereal with Cranberry was also yummy! And my oldest step-daughter likes the fact that the Multi-Grain Cereal is gluten-free.
Where can you get these tasty cereals and snacks? Visit Barbara's Bakery on the web or find them on Facebook. You can print a $1 coupon at their website or enter their makeover contest. Barbara's Bakery products are also available at most Randall's and Safeway stores.
This post was written as part of a campaign for Family Review Network and Barbara's Bakery who provided the product for review.
How does all this connect? Is it all part of some crazy Halloween scheme? Nope! These were all part of the crazy dream I had last night. Strange, huh? And odd what we remember upon waking!
My sixth graders were required to read this book over the summer if they were enrolled in advanced social studies this year. I finally finished reading the book last week. I wasn't impressed. The main character is a young girl whose family is trying to get to America from Ireland during the potato famine. I didn't feel like there was enough historical background information to convey why it was so important for them to leave their home country. The characters were also one-dimensional. Their arrival in the United States was anti-climactic. I wasn't on the committee that selected this book, and I hope it is not on the list again next year.
Candles! I love them! And these new Glade scented oil candles in the pretty, glass containers are adorable. They will burn for two-three hours, and when the oil is gone, the flame goes out. How handy is that? Plus, you can buy refills instead of replacing the entire candle. This candle you see? The fragrance is clean linen, and I love it! It also looks pretty in my bathroom. I just find candles to be so relaxing.
Also, between September 1 and October 31, 2010, fans can create their personalized glass holder for the chance to win $10,000 and have their design sold in stores nationwide! And it's quite fun using the design tools! I chose a simple heart on a lavendar background.
Here is your chance to win a Glade Scented Oil Candle! Random.org will help me choose a winner soon, so enter no later than midnight on October 21st, CST. This giveaway is only open to US residents. Please make sure I have a way to reach you via email.
1. The mandatory entry is to leave a comment on this post.
More entries! Leave a separate comment for each one.
2. Tweet this giveaway. Leave your Twitter link in your comment.
3. Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post on my blog. Come back here and tell me which post you commented on.
5. Visit my blog frog community and leave a comment on a post there. Come back here and let me know which discussion you joined.
6. "Like" Glade on Facebook. Leave a comment here with your facebook name.
7. Visit the Design Contest and submit an entry. (You can submit up to ten designs.) Come back here and let me know what your design looks like.
This review was written on behalf of Family Review Network and SC Johnson/Glade who provided the product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest opinion.
It's been six years today since you left this world. It's not the same without you, and I don't think I will ever get used to it. Sometimes I think I see you, but it's only someone who, at a glance, reminds me of you with a certain mannerism, height, hair color, etc. It's always disappointing when I realize, "It can't be." I dream of you sometimes. In my dreams, you come back to us. Then I wake up, and the dreams are shattered.
I remember the day you passed, where I was, what I did, what I said. "Is he awake yet?" No. "Why not? When will he wake up?" I still wonder that. Or rather, when I will sleep. I hate that you had to be in that cold, impersonal, sterile hospital, but I know that your spirit was already gone by then, and I do take comfort in that.
I don't remember the days following your passing. I vaguely remember the funeral and the graveside service. I remember your Masonic brothers who were such a support. They still think of you, too. And I remember a few days later, hugging my dear husband, who was barely hanging on as boyfriend at that time, and while I was seeking comfort, he was cheering on the Astros on the TV behind me. Funny, the things we remember. And those things we forget.
Not a day goes by that you're not thought of and missed. There is something every single day that reminds me of you. Today, it was cooking bacon, among other things. My heart hurts that my children don't have their Papaw. You were such a positive influence in their lives. They miss you, and I so wanted you to see them grow up, succeed, and become responsible adults.
Daddy, do you remember when I thought you could fix everything including a broken record? You could! In my eyes, you could do anything!
Mom is so lonely without you. She talks non-stop to anyone who will listen. She says I have never completely grieved, and she's probably right. I wish I could - just let it all out - but I can't. I think if I went back to that crying place in my soul that I would never get out of it. The mental trauma is just too much to handle.
The world hasn't been the same since you died. It never will be. Everything is pretty much the same from day to day. I try not to let myself think about it, just block it out and pretend like everything is okay. But it's not. I just miss you so much, Daddy! I love you!
Cold and flu season is upon us! Do you have your Halls? Halls has been a trusted name in cough and cold-relief products for... I don't know how long. A long time! My favorite Halls product is the cherry-flavored cough drop with mentholyptus. That vapor action helps me breathe! They also make products specifically formulated to moisten your mouth, to soothe a sore throat, and drops with echinacea, zinc, and vitamin C to boost your immune system. Many of their products are available in a sugar-free version.
I also suffer from allergies. Did you know that Halls drops are an excellent complement to your regular allergy medicine. While you are waiting for that allergy med to kick in, pop in a Halls for 10-second relief of cough or sore throat.
Giveaway! Two of my lucky readers will win TEN (10) sticks of Halls Cough Drops. This giveaway will close on October 16 at 11:59 PM. US Addresses only. Please make sure I have a way to reach you via email.
1. Required entry - just leave a comment on this post! Easy!
Want more ways to enter?
2. "Like" Halls on Facebook. Come back here and leave your screen name.
3. Visit the Halls website. Come back here and leave a comment telling me something you learned.
4. Tweet this giveaway. This can be done up to once per day. Leave a comment with your Twitter link for each entry.
5. Visit one of my non-giveaway posts and leave a comment. Leave a comment here for your extra entry, too.
Halls - Relief in 10 seconds!
"This post was written for Family Review Network & HALLS who provided the complimentary product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest review."
Thank you to everyone who prayed for my mom! Her surgery Tuesday was successful, and good news, there was no cancer in the lymph nodes. The doctor also took some preventative measures for her potassium and sodium levels, and so far, that hasn't been an issue, and neither has the reaction to the pain medications because she has had a novacaine pump and no oral pain meds. We are going to make it through this one without a near-death experience! Or, so it appears. I always hate to have my hopes up because the last two times she had surgery, she was fine the day of, and the day after, so tomorrow will be the true test.
If all goes well, and I'm continuing to pray that it does, she will get to go home Thursday evening. Since she lives alone (Dad passed away almost 6 years to the date), I'm going to go stay a while and help take care of her. I know she isn't going to feel very good. That's to be expected.
Thank you for your concerns and prayers. It means a lot to me.
And if you want to experience some more goodness, how about visiting Our Dandelion Wishes for her "Queen for a Day" post. Fun!
Please pray for my mom. She will undergo a double mastectomy this morning. She had a knee replaced one year ago, and she had a thoracotomy for lung cancer 22 months ago. Both of those surgeries created terrible reactions, and I just pray this one is different. We almost lost her both times, and I just hate that she would have to go through that stress again, not to mention how it makes my sister and I feel. We just lost our dog, and I really hope I don't have another reason to cry any time soon. Please, Mom, pull through with flying colors! I don't want to lose you!
Please, if you're a praying person, regardless who you pray to, please remember mom and her doctors. Thank you.