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The following Terms & Conditions apply to all products and services provided by Bobolink Creative. Any work that we do for you is governed by the terms and conditions below. Commencing a project with Bobolink Creative indicates that you have agreed to and accepted these terms.
A written agreement will be provided for long engagement projects such as on-going Digital Coaching, Website Development, or Systems + Workflow Creation.
All short engagement projects such as Brand Identity, Digital Roadmapping, or Digital Jump Starts will not require a written contract, but will be accepted by indication of payment prior to project commencing.
Change of Terms:
Periodically, Bobolink Creative may revise the terms and conditions in this agreement, including the fees for digital services. If changes are made, new terms will take effect the next time Bobolink Creative is contracted for digital services. Any work that has been already completed or previously agreed to and initiated will continue under the agreement in effect at the time Bobolink Creative was contracted for those digital services.
For all projects, an electronic invoice will be provided to client for payment and billing records. All payments may be made via credit/debit card or check made payable to Bobolink Creative.
For short engagement projects, unless otherwise agreed to, all projects are required to be paid in full upfront in order to secure a spot in production schedule and commence project.
For long engagement projects, a signed contract and a $500 deposit is required in order to secure a spot in production schedule. Unless otherwise agreed to, the remaining project cost will be broken down in one of two payment options:
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These Terms & Conditions supersede all other discussions, understandings, and negotiations between Bobolink Creative and Client, if any.


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Jon Krakauer was awarded the Walter Sullivan Award at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on December 10, 1997, in San Francisco, California. The Walter Sullivan Award recognizes a journalist for a single article or a radio/television report that makes geophysical material accessible and interesting to the public.
"Beneath the majestic beauty of Mount Rainier lies a future drama between nature and society. A powerful and compelling story of the volcano's past and the potential for tomorrow, entitled `Geologists worry about dangers of living `under the volcano,' has earned writer Jon Krakauer the 1997 Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism.
"Through Jon's acute journalistic vision, we learn of the connection between clumps of reddish brown rock that cling to the spikes of a climber's crampons and the geology of lahars — `flash floods of semiliquid mud, rock and ice that surge down from the heights with terrifying speed and destructive power,' notes Jon in this Smithsonian magazine story. We discover that at least 60 lahars have roared down from Mount Rainier in the past 10,000 years, some carrying massive debris flows all the way to Puget Sound, more than 50 miles from the mountain.
"We also find that this hydrothermally altered rock is an external expression of a blistering reaction between geothermal aquifers and acidic sulfur-bearing gases that is eroding Mount Rainier from the inside out. In the words of geologist Kevin Scott, `the entire edifice of the mountain is stewing in its own chemical juices and as a consequence it's becoming increasingly rotten and unstable.'
"Jack Wiley, Jon's editor at Smithsonian, had this to say about Jon's entry. `Starting at the top of the mountain, Jon Krakauer explains what is happening inside Mount Rainier and why it could result in a catastrophe, without the volcano actually erupting. He discusses the lahar that destroyed much of Armero, Colombia, and how an earthquake, a volcanic event, or simply the collapse of a `rotted' rock could trigger one on Rainier. Geologists and public officials worry about the best ways to protect the 100,000 people living on top of past mud slides. The article is both dramatic science and public service.'
"Jon learned to climb at the age of eight, and he climbed Mount Rainier for the first time 2 years later. He has climbed Mount Rainier many times since, but `had little idea of the hazards posed by its geologic instability' until Smithsonian magazine asked him to write this story. We are indebted to Jon for his ability to weave the human experience together with our current knowledge of geophysics in a highly readable and understandable manner. The story also reminds us of the necessity of conveying our science to public officials and the public so they can take appropriate steps to mitigate future losses from rare but extreme geophysical hazards."
—JOHN SANDERS, American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C.
"I'm very grateful to the AGU for honoring me with this award, for an article I wrote for Smithsonian Magazine about Mt. Rainier. I first climbed Rainier in 1964, when I was 10 years old, and I've climbed it numerous times in the ensuing decades. However, until Smithsonian asked me to write about the volcano, I had little idea of the hazards posed by its geologic instability. The story was fascinating to write, and provided a bulletproof excuse for ascending the mountain one more time. It also introduced me to a group of smart, extremely dedicated scientists.
"The idea for this article originated with Richard S. Fiske, of the Smithsonian Institution, to whom I owe special thanks. I would also like to thank my superb editors at Smithsonian Magazine: John P. Wiley Jr., Don Moser, Alison C. McLean, Edgar Rich, and Bonnie Stutski. Thanks as well to my climbing companions, Dielle Havlis and Lee Joseph, who accompanied me to the summit of Rainier in September 1995. Mostly, however, I am indebted to the members of the geophysical community who put up with a barrage of stupid questions and generously shared their expertise: Kevin M. Scott, David R. Zimbelman, Thomas W. Sisson, James W. Vallance, Carolyn L. Driedger, Paul Kennard, Patrick T. Pringle, Stephen D. Malone, Donald A. Swanson, and Jonathan Swinchatt."
—JON KRAKAUER, Seattle, Washington

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"... Only elegance, discipline and transparent clarity added light to this concert. Pascal Rogé's phrases breathe, artfully spanning tonal arches from one keystone to the next. None of the pianistic 'thunderers' but a singing architect, feeling, touchting, sparkling - brilliant."
Pascal Rogé on his website, 12 October 2015:
"Exciting news today! Our long-awaited Two-Piano Percussion CD has finally come out! We are very excited about it! We had a wonderful time working on this recording, with our fabulous percussionists Paul Clarvis and Joby Burgess, and our long-time sound-engineer Jean-Claude Gaberel. Program on the CD consists of Ravel Bolero, Bartók Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, and Pulse Magnet by the amazing Australian composer Matthew Hindson".


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Our latest edition of
A Patient Guide to Cataract Surgery
is now available for download!
First Step. Take a cataract assessment, (see below) You may be experiencing the effects of cataracts; everything may appear fuzzier, dimmer and driving at night may be an unwelcome challenge. Do you think you may have cataracts? Learn how they affect your life by taking the Cataract Surgery Self-Evalutation.
Second Step: Are you aware that when you opt for the traditional, standard lens implant, you will probably need glasses afterwards to accomplish all ranges of vision. In other words, even though your lens will brighten and clear up your vision, you will need glasses to see various focal lengths with best vision; i.e., up close, intermediate and in the distance. If you like wearing glasses, this may be the lens implant for you.
Third Step: Consider this, if you opt for the advanced technology, like the Tecnis Symfony, lens implant, you can reduce your dependence on glasses for distance, near and most places in between. You may find there are times that you wish to wear glasses to refine your vision, and this is still considered by you and your surgeon as a successful outcome.
Fourth Step: Review your overall health. It plays an important part in reducing your dependence on wearing glasses. Allergies, medicines, even over-the-counter medicines, health problems, all can affect your dependence on glasses. Your eye doctor will be able to address these concerns; it is important that you take note of your doctor's recommendations.
Fifth Step, and this is most important: Your surgeon can provide a lens designed for an extended range of vision. Expect to keep an active relationship with your doctor by following your surgeon's recommendations after surgery, maintaining your health to the best of your ability, and working with your doctor in order to sustain continued happy vision.
Whether you choose a standard lens or a premium, advanced technology lens implant, most patients report a brighter, more colorful world after surgery. Your next task is to continue to educate yourself by downloading a complimentary eBook, visiting our website, http://www.20Better.com, or calling upon one of our Refractive Counselors at 360-474-2561. An informed patient is a happy patient!
Barbara Aliaga, a member of The Harman Eye Clinic since 1989, chose an advanced technology lens implant with cataract surgery in 2014. She writes for The Harman Eye Clinic blog and website since their inception and is currently doing so without wearing glasses!
Surgery Day. Must admit, I'm a bit anxious. Tossed and turned all night.
No coffee or breakfast this morning. Just a couple meds with a sip of water. Brushed my teeth and rinsed my mouth out, being careful to not swallow any of that tasty toothpaste!
My co-workers learned I'm not as perky when I am caffeine deprived! But I took a couple Tylenol with my meds to keep the headache minimized and made it through to admission time.
The staff are fantastic! I don't think I was ever alone. Super supportive, keeping me informed of what was happening along the way. There were a bunch of eye drops that got easier each batch because there was always a numbing drop first. IV, monitors placed for heart rhythm, SAT and a blood pressure cuff. You know, surgery stuff! I was a bit chilly and a hand warmer and the heated chair were perfect. Even got a bit of a massage from the chair.
Seemed like no time at all and I was fitted with O2 tubing and being escorted into the Operating Room. Normally there are 4 folks in the OR with a patient: the Surgeon, Anesthesia, Scrub Tech and Circulator. As I said, never alone.
There was a little shuffling around to get comfortable in the chair and after that I really don't remember much! I do remember seeing a really cool pattern (like a beautiful wallpaper), some colored lights, the surgeon saying we were going to do a final test, doing that and then being told the lens was in. Then the slight sensation of the medication being placed in my eye and we're done!
Out to the post op area with another great staff member who recorded vitals while I had a cup of coffee and a "continental breakfast." With strong vitals and me feeling good, time to disconnect the IV and head home.
Now this dropless medicine manifests differently for everyone. For me it's like oil on top of a bowl of water being swirled around. At first it looked like mountain ranges, later it was bubbles, and even later just a patch of black dots! I was told to go home and rest in an upright position for a couple hours so that the medicine could settle to the bottom of the eye.
Headed home, noticing my eye felt a bit scratchy as the numbing wore off. Laid down with a bunch of pillows to keep my head elevated and took a short nap, woke up feeling great. My husband and I picked up our grandson and went to Taekwondo; back to normal except no driving today.
What a great experience! From checking in to checking out, the staff are very caring, friendly and professional. Yes, I work with them every day, and from a patient perspective, I'm proud to say GREAT JOB!
Tomorrow, back to work and I'll see the doctor for my first follow up visit and I'll keep you posted as I continue this journey and the second surgery next week.
My biggest WOW right now it how bright white is with my new eye! The old eye looks like someone turned the dimmer switch down. This is exciting!
An extended depth of focus lens is an integral part of the Lifestyle Premium lens implant menu at The Harman Eye Clinic in Arlington WA.
In 2016 the Food and Drug Administration approved two new types of intraocular lenses for use in cataract surgery—the and TECNIS SYMFONY® toric lens implants.
"The Symfony® intraocular lens is the option of choice that I can offer my patients to improve their vision following cataract surgery, especially those who have difficulty focusing on objects at near distances because of presbyopia," said Dr. Bajenova.
The Symfony® lens improves intermediate (and in many cases near vision), thereby treating presbyopia. The Symfony® toric lens not only corrects presbyopia, but also astigmatism.
"Many of my patients live very active lifestyles and want to see clearly at all distances, and without glasses if possible," said Dr. Ballon. "With the Symfony® lens, I can give patients the freedom to enjoy the activities that matter to them, while wearing glasses less."
Traditional Cataract Surgery compared to an Extended Depth of Focus lens
During cataract surgery, the natural lens of the eye is removed, and an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens, or IOL, is inserted into the eye. Many patients still believe the only IOL available to them is a traditional monofocal lens, which only allows the person to see at a distance, with closer objects being out of focus.
"We take extra time during a patient visit to explore IOL options," said Dr. Wietharn. It takes more time with staff and myself to introduce new concepts but we think every patient should be aware before surgery, whether or not they wish to take advantage of state-of-the-art technology."
In contrast to the traditional, standard IOL, the Symfony® lens was specifically developed with features to improve both the range and quality of vision.
The Importance of Pre-Surgical Discussions with your Surgeon
"There is nothing as good as the original equipment from the manufacturer when you are a teenager," says Dr. Ballon. "That said, the Symfony® lens is the best addition to our lens inventory to date."
Symfony® lens is successful because it provides a continuous range of focus for both distance and intermediate (computer) vision. Patients who continually require absolute fine detailed vision, such as accountants or those who like to read paper, small-print books in bed without glasses may appreciate a comparison discussion over Technis multifocal lens and Symfony®. These patients who have the Symfony® lens may choose over the counter reading glasses (+1.50 cheaters) for fine print. Others who require fine-print access leave behind need for reading glasses by using their computers, smart phones and pads, to do their reading in bed and fine print projects. It is important to discuss comparison options before surgery by sharing your lifestyle and vision expectations.
The Symfony® lens also offers excellent quality of vision without loss of contrast sensitivity. Some patients who may not be a candidate for the Tecnis Multifocal lens due to, say, an epiretinal membrane (wrinkle in the macula) which may decrease contrast sensitivity, for example, may still be a candidate for the Symfony® lens. Presently, it is the only lens on the market that corrects chromatic aberrations, a feature that improves reading ability. The rings are larger than the Tecnis Multifocal lens, so that halos at night are much less prominent. Patients under the age of 60 tend to tolerate the Symfony® lens much better than multifocal lenses. Although the Symfony® lens is designed for bilateral implantation, patients with a cataract in just one eye seem to tolerate the Symfony® lens well, but the full benefits of reading are best when it is implanted bilaterally.
A LifeStyle Worksheet is available for our patients so that they can prepare. Many patients come for cataract surgery consultations with little or no information about what we call LifeStyle lens implants. The Symfony® is one such lens. Much of the senior population have come to accept that glasses are a part of their life. Some will even say that they like wearing glasses. That is fine, if true. Patients who were eligible and chose to have a LifeStyle lens implant continue to tell us how grateful they are to get up in the morning, look out the window, read the time on their smart phone, and remember how good it is to see with little or no dependence on glasses.
Download our latest, comprehensive Patient's Guide to Successful Cataract Surgery, or request an appointment for a cataract evaluation and your surgeon will be able to address your questions on an individual manner after your eyes have been examined with an overall evaluation of your health, life-style and vision potential. Call The Harman Eye Clinic in Arlington today, the first step to life without cataracts.
Many of our first LASIK patients from all walks of life were in their 20's, 30's or 40's in 1996 when we first offered LASIK.
Now, some 20 years later, patients are returning with stories of sailing around the world, running marathons, taking on new career opportunities and/or raising families who now have children of their own and hoping for LASIK.
One common complaint prevalent to almost all of these patients is this: their arms are too short! They complain that they no longer can read without reading glasses and this is really annoying!
Fortunately we are able to assist our grown-up LASIK patients with new solutions of a refractive lens exchange, better known as an RLE.
RLE takes care of three birds with one stone. First, it takes care of the need for reading glasses. Second, it takes care of fine tuning vision for distance, intermediate and near. Third, it takes care of the need for cataract surgery in the future.
One of the most popular lifestyle premium lens implants is the Tecnis Symfony. A popular video helps describe this important breakthrough.
Whether you are ready to move into the grown-up lifestyle premium refractive lens implants or help your children toward sight without glasses through LASIK, we are here to help! For more information, call our Refractive Consultant at 360-474-2561 or visit http://www.20Better.com. We look forward to seeing you again.
For over 32 years, The Harman Eye Clinic has sought out employee candidates who possess an uncanny aptitude for service. These candidates train in specific medical fields, such as patient coordinating, finance and ophthalmic assistants.
Ashton Hupple came to The Harman Eye Clinic and began her career here training as a Patient Coordinator for several years. She is smart, alert, and able to assess situations. Best of all, she is fun-loving and always ready with a clever comment! Ashton is the kind of person everyone feels comfortable around.
Ashton took full advantage of JCAPHO's Home Study Course and while training as an ophthalmic assistant, she was authorized to perform specific duties. Presently, Ashton is cleared to perform all diagnostic testing complete refractive and cataract consultations, assist the doctors as scribes and so much more!
Yesterday, in passing her exam, Ashton became a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant as authorized by JCAPHO. She is also registered as a medical assistant.
"We have great opportunities to grow as individuals," shared Ashton as she posed for her congratulatory picture.
Our staff's medical and technical growth directly affects the level of care our patients receive. Our staff excel in skill and technology, but most important, they excel in compassion, great humor and service. Ashton is a perfect example of these traits.
Congratulations, Ashton! We are so proud of you!
903 Medical Center Drive, Arlington WA 98223
When you come to our Clinic, you will meet a group of heart-centered team members with your eye surgeon They are trained to perform in the most efficient way to value your time.
There are numerous, behind-the-scene, staff members who are also relentless in keeping our standards high with checks and balances. From maintaining all of the specialized equipment, the secure network computer systems, the auditing of ICD-10 coding on your claim, sending and following up on claims sent to your insurance companies, the auditing of chart notes, education of possible surgical events, reminding patients of their appointments, tracking down patients with serious, sight-threatening eye diseases like glaucoma for timely follow-up appointments, maintaining your patient portal, responding to an average of 200 calls per day, and so much more. A staff of 25+ full and part-time people are diligently working together in our surgery center and clinic to make each patient's visit meaningful, safe and enjoyable. All of this is taking place while you are sitting in the comfort of your chair in one of our lanes.
We support our medical doctors/eye surgeons who specialize in ophthalmology. Our comprehensive eye examinations and surgery consultation appointments will take from 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Patients sometimes find this time assessment unrealistic. Our doctors have invested in advanced technical equipment to make an effective, safe and appropriate diagnostic/treatment plan designed for your specific medical needs. To those new to ophthalmology, it may seem like an hour is enough for testing and meeting with your doctor. Your past experience of quick exams were from a time when medicine was less complicated leaving your opportunities for best corrected vision limited. It was a time when when government documentation regulations were less. Today, we are challenged by new strains of bacteria and viruses, we are challenged to be sure all medicines (yes even eye drops) interact well with each other, we have surgical options for your vision that we did not have before and we need to educate you on your options. We want to give you the best and the best takes time.
Insisting that an eye exam takes about an hour, you may feel you are ignored when you have not seen your doctor within that hour, or complain that we have over-booked appointments. A specialized ophthalmology medical facility deals with daily emergent and urgent work-ins and patients who require unexpected care while here. Even though there are several other patients working through doctor-ordered diagnostic tests, when it comes to your care we focus on you as the only patient of the day. You have all of our staff working to make this a reality. We love what we do and it shows!
From time to time people interested in an annual vision check, (getting a new prescription and a pair of glasses or contacts), with time restraints, would be better served to schedule with area optometrists who will refer you to an ophthalmology specialist if they were to see the need.
Our mission statement is this: We are an advanced eye surgery center where all people are treated with extraordinary care: Patient, Doctor and Co-Team Members. We hope these comments are helpful when you consider your time. Please let us know how we can make you more comfortable today.
903 Medical Center Drive, Arlington WA 98223
Life in 2015 is amazing with daily delights making our lives more productive and fun! Along these lines, The Harman Eye Clinic has unveiled our new website, www.20Better.com.
With the common use of iPhones, iPads, Smart Phones, Smart Pads, Laptops, computer tv and, oh yes, standalone computers, it's time to offer a site that will translate sizes to all computer devices. We first learned about responsive site programming from wordpress.com where we house this blog, HarmanEyeClinic.com. The layout and content magically adjusts to any device used.
Glacial Multimedia and WordPress.org have completely overhauled our old site and we think you will love the ease of communication between you and our doctors. Let us know what you think.
Thank you for your continued confidence and willingness to let us participate in your eye care. We love what we


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Geir Draugsvoll
Geir Draugsvoll is internationally considered to be one of the most important musicians on his instrument, the bayan. Through collaborations with many composers, Geir Draugsvoll must also be characterized as one of the pioneers on this young instrument, and he has premiered a large number of works. This includes "Fachwerk" by Sofia Gubaidulina, which is dedicated to Geir Draugsvoll, and today widely acclaimed as one of her most important works for classical accordion.
He has performed all over the world in festivals and concert-arenas like Concertgebouw (Holland), Alte Oper Frankfurt (Germany), Barbican Hall (London), Mariinsky Hall (Skt. Petersburg), Gasteig (Munich), Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory (Russia), Philharmonie Luxembourg, Lockenhaus Festival (Austria), Edinburgh Festival, (Scotland), Rheingau Festival (Germany), Mittelfest (Italy), Konzerthaus (Berlin), Musikhalle (Hamburg), Bergen International Festival, (Norway), CCB (Lisbon) NGA (Washington), Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley) and many others. As soloist with orchestra, he has performed with London Symphony Orchestra, Münchener Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Maggio Musicale Firenze, Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Kremerata Baltica, Moscow Soloists, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and Trondheim Soloists.
He collaborates frequently with conductors like Valery Gergiev, Vasily Petrenko, Andres Mustonen, David Geringas, Joana Carneiro, Marc Soustrot, Alexander Mayer, Yuri Bashmet and many others.
Collaborating composers: Sofia Gubaidulina, Anatolijus Senderovas, Staffan Mossenmark, Magnar Åm, Bent Lorentzen, Martin Lohse and many more.
Geir Draugsvoll is Norwegian, but now lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he is a Professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Geir Draugsvoll has been Guest Professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz, Academy of Music, Sarajevo and at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music in Tianjin, China.


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Keep your enemies close. Depending on how you spend your time, you've probably picked this up from Machiavelli, Petrarch, or Michael Corleone in the Godfather II. Regardless of the source, there's a reason the saying has stuck. If you don't know what your enemies—or business competitors—are doing, you're only fighting half the battle. And that's where competitor analysis and insight comes in.
Even if you don't think of competitors as enemies, it's important to know what they're up to—and you get to that through deep competitive analysis. Let's think of it as "spying for good reason".
Competitive analysis gives you a benchmark of what's working in the industry and what's not. It highlights where the market is saturated, and where there's room for your company to grow. It can bring to light marketing opportunities you'd otherwise miss.
Look at it this way: You probably wouldn't enter a fitness competition without looking at pictures of past winners or researching their average body fat percentages. Otherwise, you could suffer through six months of sore muscles, salad, and bland chicken for nothing. You wouldn't sell your old iPhone on eBay without checking the average price of identical models in similar condition.
The same logic applies when developing your content marketing strategy. Before you put information out there, it's smart to know what you're up against. Competitive analysis and insight help determine whether your strategy is the right one, rather than a shot in the dark. The result? Content marketing that resonates with customers, boosts your brand and drives sales.
We'll dive deeper into exactly why competitive analysis is so important. But first, let's define it in more detail.
What is Competitive Analysis?
You'll find varying definitions for competitive analysis, but most are trying to drive home the same point.
Entrepreneur describes competitive analysis as "identifying your competitors and evaluating their strategies to determine their strengths and weaknesses relative to your own product or service." Competitive analysis is a critical part of your marketing plan, allowing you to establish what makes your product or service unique, as well as what attributes you should play up to attract your target market.
More dramatically, Harvard Business Review likens competitive analysis to equipping for battle. Surviving, thriving, and winning depend on your preparedness and what you know about the opponent:
"Effective marketing must involve a thorough analysis of the overall competitive arena and the competitors that battle within it. Competitive analysis determines whether firms decide to fight head-on with like products or maneuver a sneak attack with differentiation."
Competitive analysis begins with research. Before you develop a content marketing plan, it involves finding out who your competitors are, what products or services they offer, examining their content marketing strategies, familiarizing yourself with their content and more.
A deep dive of a competitor's content marketing initiatives should involve finding out:
- What topics, or "content entities", your competitors are focusing on creating?
- What types of content they're producing (i.e. blogs, white papers, case studies)?
- Where content lives on their websites – is it easy to find?
- How content is promoted and through which channels (socials, email blasts, newsletters, etc.)?
- Where does it rank in search engine traffic?
- How customers respond to content (shares, likes, comments)?
The next step is analyzing that research by evaluating the quality of your rivals' content. You can have all the information in the world about competitors, but it's useless until you put it to work.
Look at where your competitors are succeeding and where they're falling short. What types of content are they failing to produce that you can? Where can you do better, providing richer and more helpful content? How can you do a better job of promoting that content?
HubSpot compiled a great list of questions to ask yourself when you're evaluating content:
- How accurate is the content?
- Are there spelling and grammatical errors?
- How in-depth is the content – does it scratch the surface, or does it delve into advanced concepts?
- What tone is used?
- Is the content too long or short?
- Is the content reader friendly? Are they taking advantage of bullets, bold headings, white space, and numbered lists?
- Who is writing the content? Are they all internal, or are some guest contributors? What are the writers' areas of expertise?
- Is the content mostly free, gated, or a mix of the two? What types of content ask readers to provide contact information for access?
Competitive analysis requires time and effort, no doubt, but the amount varies from one company to the next. There's no standard formula; the analysis can be as comprehensive or as simple as it needs to be. If you're in a highly saturated market, the investigation might have to be deep and thorough to make sure your content stands out. However, if you're launching a new product in a market that is largely untapped, just a little competitive analysis will go a long way.
We prefer to analyze at least 30 – 40 pieces of content. Typically organizations are creating content around 7 – 10 main topics, focusing on a handful of content entities in an effort to be relevant, and rank with Google.
Why do you Need Competitor Analysis?
Competitor analysis tells you who your customers are, what they need and what challenges they face. This information is critical to creating content that educates, solves problems, and speaks to customers in a way that is timely, relevant, and relatable. Going one step further, analysis tells you what content to create, and why to create it.
Let's say your marketing for a network cyber security firm that builds advanced firewalls for large corporations. You know from the sales team that customers are always asking for advice on regulatory compliance. You realize after some digging that competitor after competitor has blogged about 'the five biggest compliance headaches' but you don't find any comprehensive list of security laws regulations, guidelines and best-practice solutions broken down by industry. There's your first piece of content.
Or, maybe you're a factory that specializes in producing allergy-free foods. You know customers often have a hard time locating factories that are best-suited to meet their strict manufacturing specifications – the process is long and painful. You scour competitors' websites and find basic tips and general information on 'finding the right factory' but you don't find a comprehensive checklist that walks clients through every stage of the process. There's your opening. You create a five-page whitepaper that serves as a step-by-step guide to getting an allergy-free food product to market in half the time.
The examples are endless. Competitive analysis tells you where you can fill in the gaps to deliver content that is not only helpful but difficult to find elsewhere. It highlights where you can provide content with greater depth that is well-written, easier to access, better promoted and visually more appealing. It's amazing how much becomes clear simply by analyzing what competitors are doing. Competitive analysis opens your eyes to opportunities or shortcomings that aren't so obvious to rival companies and shows you how to do better.
As Smart Insights accurately describes it, the insight you glean from what competitors, both direct and indirect, are doing allows you to build a picture of the type of content, strategies, and tactics that are working for others in your industry and what, as a result, might work best for you. More specifically, competitive analysis tells you:
- The content types and ideas getting the most traction, as measured by the number of shares or backlinks
- Contents gaps in your marketing plan compared to competitors
- Competitor strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities or threats from the wider market
Why is Insight Important?
Although the terms competitive analysis and competitive insight are often used together, they're not the same. They're related, but not interchangeable.
Insights go beyond basic data, knowledge, and observations about customer behavior and patterns. Insights are deep understandings, discoveries or realizations that change the way we do business, view our customers, or challenge the status quo. They're the "aha" moments when we predict or realize what customers are not getting that they want or need, and figure out how to deliver that.
As Google puts it, insights are the basis on which great campaigns are built. Great creative work comes from great insights.
How to Conduct a Competitive Analysis
Again, there's no one-size-fits-all formula here. But there are some best practices, as well as can't-miss steps. Our process, which analyzes one competitor at a time, goes something like this:
- Identify the competitor to analyze
- Examine statements and claims – what are the company's value propositions?
- Look at key product or service attributes.
- Evaluate the company's credibility. Take a look at testimonials, client lists, satisfaction guarantees, awards, and samples.
- Consider the unique benefits the company offers. What can they do that no one else in the space can?
- Find out how the product or service is promoted. Which channels or strategies are used – social media, paid searches, newsletters, email blasts, etc.
- How much does the product or service cost?
- What kinds of offers are available to customers? How does the company use discounts, promotions, and calls to action?
- Content audit: gather, review, and analyze your competitor's content—what are they focusing on, where are there gaps and opportunities for your content?
The final step is summarizing all those findings to analyze content marketing strengths and weaknesses. For example, where is their content focus? What content entities do they develop? What was particularly good or bad about the company's calls to action? Does the company effectively use channels like search and social media? How user-friendly is the website, and is it easy to navigate?
It helps to create a chart or table that lists the answer to each question in a separate box. That way it's quick to look back and reference the findings when you're creating a content marketing plan.
The Best Tools for Competitor Analysis
Technology can help with the legwork, speeding the process of finding good data. There are tons of great tools to help you build a successful content marketing strategy. Among our favorites:
Alexa is a powerful analytical tool digital marketers and content strategists use to gauge performance against the competition. Alexa helps you develop buyer personas by providing useful feedback about your market, including demographic information, user behavior data, and trends.
Quantcast offers free direct audience measurement for your website, including traffic, demographics, and interests.
For keyword analysis – which is critical for content marketers and SEO team members –SpyFu is a simple way to learn what keywords and organic search keywords competitors are targeting.
SimilarWeb provides data and insights for any competitor's website or app. Compare traffic statistics such as estimated visits, amount of time spent on the site, page views, and bounce rates. Along the same lines, Follow offers data about website traffic, SEO, search engine marketing, demographics, affiliate marketing, and more.
For intelligence about your competitors' leadership, revenue, press mentions, web and social statistics, and more, try Owler. Learn how you stack up and use that information to guide your content creation. The tool is so useful that 96 percent of Fortune 500 companies have tried it.
Compete's digital performance platform helps you discover business opportunities, monitor competition, and benchmark performance. Use it to find consumer behavior data, figure out which marketing strategies work best in your industry and find untapped marketing opportunities.
If you already have a content marketing strategy but need to improve traffic, consider QuickSprout. The tool offers insight into the competition's content, including estimated traffic, SEO scores, and social shares. It also promises to deliver "wallet-out, read to buy" visitors.
Lastly, MESH is the first (and as of the writing of this post, currently ONLY) digital marketing agency that leverages AI to research, analyze your competitors' content, industry subject matter, and drive strategic development of your content entities.
Of course, these tools only provide a starting point. It's up to you to decide what to do with this new-found power—and all this data. The more effort you dedicate to analyzing the research to gain insights and perspective about your competitors and your industry, the stronger your content will be.
Have you conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis of your content? Were you able to identify content creation opportunities? What were some of the challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?


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Although living in Bangalore, it was always my dream to witness the biggest temple festival of Kerala, the Thrissur Pooram. I got this chance in April 2016 when my friend in Cochin booked a nice homestay in Thrissur for both of us. It was my first experience but I have never seen such a huge crowd gathering for any religious or cultural festival.
This most famous festival is likely to captivate anybody's senses with its horde of obedient and ornamental elephants, vibrant colors, sparkling fireworks, and cultural glory. Since its origin in the 18thcentury, the gala takes place at the Vadakkunnathan Temple in the town centre in April-May and continues for a week. It commiserates the assembly of gods and goddesses carted out in allegory by elephants embellished with costumes of religious importance.
The big festival begins with flag hoisting known as Kodiyettam done by all eight temples that participate the celebration. It is distinct in terms of rituals, scale, and involvement. The festival marks agracious competition between two sets of temples namely the Thiruvambady and the Paramekkavu temple group. During the festival, elephant processions also known as poorams begin from these temples to reach the Vadakkunnathan temple whose deity is Lord Shiva.
It is from the Thiruvambady temple that the pooram proceedings start. Elephants carrying the temple's deity walk out decorously via the temple doors accompanied by chenda melam. The elephants are festooned with Nettipattam, the conventional headgear. This spectacle is simply majestic, as it becomes tough to believe that elephants can march in unison and with divine bells, peacock feathers fans, and giant umbrellas for welcoming the gods and goddesses. Chenda malam involves a feet tapping rhythm from the Chenda, a native percussion instrument and a horn-likemusical instrument. Both produce some truly engaging music.
The spectacle that this procession creates is the giant of all celebrations that I have seen till date. It's just not easy. I had to paddle via the countless bodies swaying to the drum beats. The procession passes through the town and reaches Naduvil madam where a crucial ceremony, 'madathil varavu' occurs. In this ceremony, the Thiruvambadi goddess and the Krishna deities are taken to Brahmaswom madam. This is where a long panchavadyam performance thrills everyone with the local skilled artists and traditional instruments. This is also the time when one can see spectators even on top of trees and terraces.
The next ceremony is the ezhunnallathu that happens at 2 pm. It is a procession of the deity from Paramekkavu temple to the Vadakkumnaathan temple. There is a big ground here that showcases the most important ceremony, Kudamattom in which the two major temples participate. The procession featured 15 decorated elephants lining in the temple's front getting enough boost from the roaring crowd.Here, at the end of Pooram, both temple groups enter the temple from the west and come out via the southern gate. They arrange themselves face to face and exchange their vibrant and big umbrellas. This is also the time of thrilling melam.
At night, the masses throng to the Thrissur Thekkinkadu maidan for enjoying the most spectacular fireworks. It is a spectacle of sound and light via a series of crackers and sparklers. The radiant fireworks last for a few hours, which is a surprise in itself.
Although I was exhausted physically, the cultural spectacle of the festival kept me mentally amazed and spiritually uplifted.


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Social Media in Times of Crisis
From revolutions to natural disasters, social media is playing a massive role. From initial awareness of such events, to raising awareness and funds, as well as reconnecting loved ones together, there is no doubt Twitter and Facebook are a life line to many around the world.
Going into details about the 'revolutionary' role of Social Media in the MENA region recently is not necessary. One only had to have a Twitter and Facebook account to get bombarded with updates on a minute by minute basis. From Iran to Tunisia To Egypt To Libya To Bahrain, it's been none stop information overload regarding protests, bombardments, arrests, kinds of weapons used, what cities are taken over by who, etc… Seeing someone in a conflict zone active on either social networks came with a sigh of relief for many: Said person was still alive and tweeting! That same thing can be said for the people in Japan right now as well.
Two weeks ago, an 8.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, triggering a Tsunami that tore through the country and ravaged it. Social networks have allowed people to make sure their friends and family in Japan are ok, as well as mobilizing rescue efforts through Twitter and Facebook. Charities have also been solicited using social networks to help reach aid to the affected people and areas. The earthquake in Haiti last year helped highlight the important of Social Media in times of crisis.
Social Media rushed to the rescue again, previously with Speak2Tweet during the Egyptian revolution, and now with Google Person Finder; Google often creates Person Finder sites during emergencies that allow people to leave information about their whereabouts or information about a missing person. The records of people missing are currently running into the hundreds of thousands. The Red Cross also operates similar sites that post the information of people who want to make it known that they are fine and alive, as well as allowing relatives to post information about their missing loved ones.
With all the 'good' that Social Media Networks can do, it leaves one to wonder:
How will countries like China, Pakistan and Bangladesh cope in times of crisis with Twitter and Facebook banned? How important do you think Twitter and Facebook are to us in this day and age of unexpected disasters?


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Emily Greene of Greene Label Photography is back with images from a very sad deployment of her good friends Tim and Taylor. I've mostly shared homecomings which are also emotional but having been through this experience of saying good-bye, I know how heart wrenching it can be! Emily explains, "Tim and Taylor were again being separated from war. As sad as this night was, I am so glad I was able to capture such a tearful goodbye and raw emotion. Distance has no correlation to love. Nothing can stand in between two people who's hearts are completely in love. Not a continent. Not a war." Thank you Emily for sharing these photos even if you made all of us cry!
January 28, 2013
{Deployment} Tim & Taylor
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Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2
Topic Last Modified: 2010-07-07
When an external user sends e-mail messages to a server running Microsoft Exchange that runs the anti-spam features, the anti-spam features cumulatively evaluate characteristics of inbound messages and either filter out messages suspected to be spam or assign messages a rating based on the probability that the message is spam. This rating is stored with the message as a message property called the spam confidence level (SCL) rating. This rating is persisted with the message when the message is sent to other Exchange servers.
The following figure shows the order in which the default anti-spam features and Microsoft Forefront Protection for Exchange Server filter inbound messages from the Internet. By default, the anti-spam and antivirus features are arranged in this order with the filters that use the least resources filtering first, and then the filters that use the greatest resources filtering last.
|The following figures and explanations assume that the Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Edge Transport server is the first SMTP server to accept inbound messages. In some organizations, the Edge Transport server may be deployed behind a third-party SMTP server. When the Exchange 2010 Edge Transport server is deployed behind a third-party SMTP gateway server, the Exchange 2010 Edge Transport server requires additional configuration. Specifically, you must make sure that all SMTP gateway servers are listed in the InternalSMTPServer property of the TransportConfig object. For more information, see Set-TransportConfig.
For more information about additional Exchange anti-spam and antivirus features, see Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server.
As shown in the preceding figure, when an SMTP server connects to Exchange 2010 and initiates an SMTP session, filters are applied in the following order when the Edge Transport server is Internet-facing:
- Connection filtering
- Sender filtering
- Recipient filtering
- Sender ID filtering
- Content filtering
- Sender reputation filtering
- Attachment filtering
- Antivirus scanning
- Outlook junk e-mail filtering
|Connection filtering gathers information during two different events. In the first event, connection filtering gathers IP address information from the connection (shown in the preceding figure). In the second event, connection filtering gathers information when the Sender Filter agent parses the message headers to determine the first external IP address (shown in the figure in "Sender Filtering" later in this topic). Agents may monitor multiple events. The preceding figure shows a high-level view of the approximate order in which agents are applied, when all agents are enabled, for the purposes of illustrating message flow. For more information about specific events and which agents monitor which events, see Understanding Transport Agents.
Looking for management tasks related to anti-spam and antivirus functionality? See Managing Anti-Spam and Antivirus Features.
Connection Filtering
During the SMTP session, Exchange 2010 applies connection filtering by using the criteria shown in the following figure.
The following process applies:
- The Connection Filter agent examines the administrator-defined
IP Allow list. If the IP address of the sending server is on the
administrator-defined IP Allow list, the message is then processed
by sender filtering.
- The Connection Filter agent examines the local IP Block list.
If the IP address of the sending server is found on the local IP
Block list, the message is automatically rejected, and no other
filters are applied.
- The Connection Filter agent examines the list of allowed IP
addresses from any IP Allow List providers that you have. If the IP
address of the sending server is on the list of allowed IP
addresses from the IP Allow List providers, the message is then
processed by sender filtering.
- The Connection Filter agent examines the real-time block lists
of any IP Block List providers that you've configured. If the
sending server's IP address is found on a real-time block list, the
message is rejected, and no other filters are applied.
For more information, see Understanding Connection Filtering.
|If the Connection Filter agent is deployed on a computer behind another server that faces the Internet, other filters, such as sender filtering and recipient filtering, are invoked before the Connection Filter agent.
Sender Filtering
After connection filtering has been applied, Exchange 2010 examines the sender e-mail address against the list of blocked senders that you configure in sender filtering as shown in the following figure.
The Sender Filter agent then checks the sender's e-mail address contained in the From header fields in the message envelope and the message header. If either From header field matches the address in the Blocked Sender list, Exchange 2010 rejects the message at the protocol level, and no other filters are applied.
|Even if recipients in your organization have put senders on their Microsoft Outlook Safe Senders List, sender filtering on the Edge Transport server will override the recipient's Outlook setting and reject the messages.
For more information about sender filtering, see Understanding Sender Filtering.
For more information about message envelopes and message headers, see Understanding the Pickup and Replay Directories.
Recipient Filtering
If sender filtering doesn't reject the message, Exchange runs connection filtering again. Exchange then applies the Recipient Filter agent as shown in the following figure.
The Recipient Filter agent examines the recipient against the Recipient Block list that you configure in the Recipient Filter agent settings. If the intended recipient matches an e-mail address on your Recipient Block list, Exchange 2010 rejects the message for that particular recipient. In addition, the Recipient Filter agent checks whether the recipient is present in the organization. If the recipient isn't present in the organization, Exchange rejects the message for that particular recipient.
If multiple recipients are listed on the message and all the recipients aren't on the Recipient Block list, the message will continue to process. Otherwise, if the message is bound for only a single blocked recipient, no other filters are applied.
When a message with blocked recipients is processed, the set of blocked recipients are removed from the message, and the message continues into the organization. Protocol-level SMTP rejection responses are sent to the sender for each blocked recipient. The Sender Reputation agent monitors the OnReject event to calculate sender reputation level (SRL).
For more information, see Understanding Recipient Filtering.
Sender ID Filtering
If the message still contains valid recipients after recipient filtering has been applied, Exchange 2010 runs the Sender ID agent as shown in the following figure.
First, the Sender ID agent determines the Purported Responsible Address (PRA) of the message using the algorithm described in RFC 4407. This step is required to accurately identify the message sender. The PRA is an SMTP address, such as email@example.com. The Sender ID agent then performs a Domain Name System (DNS) lookup against the domain part of the PRA. If that domain has published a sender policy framework (SPF) record, the agent uses the SPF record to evaluate the message according to the specification for RFC 4408. The result of the evaluation is stamped on the message in the anti-spam stamp. If that domain doesn't have a published SPF record, the Sender ID agent stamps a Sender ID result of "None" on the message. For more information about the types of stamps used for Sender ID filtering, see Understanding Anti-Spam Stamps.
If the sender's DNS is from a blocked domain or a blocked address, the following actions may be taken depending on your configuration of Sender ID actions:
- Reject message If the Sender ID action
is set to Reject Message, Exchange rejects the message and
sends an SMTP error response to the sending server. The SMTP error
response is a 5xx level protocol response with text that
corresponds to the Sender ID status.
- Delete message If the Sender ID action
is set to Delete Message, Exchange deletes the message
without informing the sending server of the deletion. The computer
that has the Edge Transport server role installed sends a fake "OK"
SMTP command to the sending server, and then deletes the message.
Because the sending server assumes that the message was sent, the
sending server won't retry sending the message in the same
- Stamp message with Sender ID result and continue
processing Exchange stamps the message with
the Sender ID result and continues processing the message. This
metadata is evaluated by the Content Filter agent when an SCL is
calculated. Additionally, sender reputation uses the message
metadata when it calculates an SRL for the sender of the
For more information, see Understanding Sender ID.
Content Filtering
Before Exchange content filtering calls the Exchange Intelligent Message Filter, it applies sender filtering again. The Exchange server then applies the Content Filter agent as shown in the following figure.
The Content Filter agent checks the following conditions in the message. If any of the conditions are true, the message bypasses content filtering and attachment filtering. These messages then go to antivirus scanning for processing. The following conditions are checked:
- The sender's IP address is on the IP Allow list for connection
- All recipients are on the exceptions list for content
- The AntiSpamBypassEnabled parameter is set to
$Trueon all the recipients' mailboxes.
- All the recipients have added this sender to their Outlook Safe
Senders List, which is updated to the Edge Transport server by
using safelist aggregation.
- The sender is a trusted partner and on the organization's list
of senders that aren't filtered.
In addition to the conditions listed, if the SMTP session has been authenticated as a trusted partner, and if the administrator has granted the Bypass Anti-Spam (Ms-Exch-Bypass-Anti-Spam) permission to partners, the anti-spam agents will be disabled for messages during that session. The Bypass Anti-Spam permission isn't granted to partners by default and must be assigned by an administrator.
If a message doesn't meet any of the conditions described, content filtering is applied. Content filtering assigns an SCL rating to the message. Based on the SCL rating, one of the following actions occurs:
- If the SCL rating on the message is equal to or greater than
the SCL delete threshold, and the SCL delete threshold is enabled,
the Content Filter agent deletes the message. There is no
protocol-level communication that tells the sending system or
sender that the message was deleted. If the SCL rating is lower
than the SCL delete threshold value, the Content Filter agent
doesn't delete the message. Instead, the Content Filter agent
compares the SCL value to the SCL reject threshold.
- If the SCL rating on the message is equal to or greater than
the SCL reject threshold, and the SCL reject threshold is enabled,
the Content Filter agent rejects the message and sends a rejection
response to the sending system. You can customize the rejection
response. In some cases, a non-delivery report (NDR) is sent to the
original sender of the message. If the SCL rating is lower than the
SCL reject threshold value, the Content Filter agent doesn't reject
the message. Instead, the Content Filter agent compares the SCL
value to the SCL quarantine threshold.
- If the SCL rating on the message is equal to or greater than
the SCL quarantine threshold, and the SCL quarantine threshold is
enabled, the Content Filter agent sends the message to the spam
quarantine mailbox. For more information about how to manage the
spam quarantine mailbox, see Understanding Content
Filtering. The message then continues to attachment
For more information, see the following topics:
Sender Reputation Filtering
After content filtering has been applied, Exchange applies sender reputation filtering as shown in the following figure.
Sender reputation weighs each of the following message statistics and calculates an SRL for each sender:
- HELO/EHLO analysis
- Reverse DNS lookup
- Analysis of SCL ratings on messages from a specific sender
- Sender open proxy test
The SRL is a number from 0 through 9 that predicts the probability that a specific sender is a spammer or otherwise malicious user. A value of 0 indicates that the sender isn't likely to be a spammer; a value of 9 indicates that the sender is likely to be a spammer.
You can configure an SRL block threshold from 0 through 9 by which sender reputation issues a request to the Sender Filter agent to block the sender from sending a message into the organization. When a sender is blocked, the sender is added to the Blocked Senders list for a configurable period. How blocked messages are handled depends on the configuration of the Sender Filter agent. The following actions are the options for handling blocked messages:
- Reject
- Delete and archive
- Accept and mark as a blocked sender
If a sender is included in the IP Block list or Microsoft IP Reputation Service, the Sender Reputation agent issues an immediate request to the Sender Filter agent to block the sender. To take advantage of this functionality, you must enable and configure the Microsoft Exchange Anti-spam Update Service.
By default, the Edge Transport server sets a rating of 0 for senders that haven't been analyzed. After a sender has sent 20 or more messages, sender reputation calculates an SRL that's based on the statistics listed earlier.
For more information, see the following topics:
Attachment Filtering
After sender reputation filtering has been applied, Exchange applies attachment filtering as shown in the following figure.
You can configure attachment filtering to block attachments based on their MIME content type, file name, or file name extension. If attachment filtering detects a content type or file name that has been blocked, one of the following actions will occur based on your attachment filtering settings:
- Reject If the action setting is set to
Reject, both the e-mail message and attachment are prevented
from being delivered to the recipient and the system generates a
delivery status notification (DSN) failure message to the sender.
You can customize your rejection response.
- Silent Delete If the action setting is
set to Silent Delete, both the e-mail message and attachment
are prevented from being delivered to the recipient. A notification
that the e-mail message and attachment were blocked isn't returned
to the sender.
- Strip If the action setting is set to
Strip, the attachment is stripped from the e-mail message.
This value allows the message and other attachments that don't
match an entry on the attachment block list to be delivered to the
recipient. A notification that the attachment was blocked is added
to the recipient's e-mail message.
If the message wasn't rejected or deleted, or attachment filtering didn't detect blocked attachment types, the message is then scanned for viruses.
For more information, see Configure Attachment Filtering.
Antivirus Scanning
After attachment filtering has been applied, or if the recipients were bypassed in content filtering, Forefront Protection for Exchange Server antivirus scanning is applied as shown in the following figure.
Forefront Protection for Exchange Server is an antivirus software package that's tightly integrated with Exchange 2010 and offers additional antivirus protection for your Exchange environment. When Forefront Protection for Exchange Server detects messages that seem to contain a virus, the system deletes the message, generates a notification message, and sends the notification to the recipient's mailbox.
For more information, see Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server.
Outlook Junk E-Mail Filtering
After all the filters are applied and the message has been scanned for viruses, the message is sent to the intended recipient's mailbox and junk e-mail filtering is applied as shown in the following figure.
If the SCL rating for the message is equal to or greater than the SCL Junk E-mail folder threshold, and the SCL Junk E-mail folder threshold is enabled, the Mailbox server puts the message in the Outlook user's Junk E-mail folder. If the SCL value for a message is lower than the values for the SCL delete, reject, quarantine, and Junk E-mail folder thresholds, the Mailbox server puts the message in the user's Inbox. For more information about the SCL thresholds, see Understanding Spam Confidence Level Threshold.


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The Hon James Spigelman AC addressed a Boardroom event for 22 senior legal counsel. This boardroom event was generously hosted by Chang, Pistilli & Simmons.
Chief Justice Spigelman holds Arts and Law degrees from the University of Sydney. From 1972 he was Senior Advisor and Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Whitlam, before being appointed as Permanent Secretary of the Department of Media in 1975.
He served as a member of the Australian Law Reform Commission then commenced practice at the New South Wales Bar in 1980. He was appointed as Queen's Counsel in 1986 and Acting Solicitor General of New South Wales in 1997.
Prior to his appointment as Chief Justice, he was on the boards of a range of public institutions devoted to the arts and education. He is the author of Secrecy (1972), Becket and Henry (2004), Statutory Interpretation and Human Rights (2008) and co-author of The Nuclear Barons (1981). A collection of his addresses is published, Speeches of a Chief Justice: James Spigelman 1998-2008 (2008).
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Margaret Gallagher v Arthur Horsey and OthersNotice ID: GL1407964
Form of citation by advertisement
Margaret Gallagher v Arthur Horsey and Others
An action has been brought in the Court of Session, Edinburgh, by Margaret Gallagher, pursuer. Margaret Gallagher calls as a defender Arthur Horsey who died on 6 January 2018 and whose last known address was 41 Riglands Way, Renfrew, PA4 8NL. The hearing in the case is from 26 to 28 March 2019. If the late Mr Horsey's Executors wish to challenge the jurisdiction of the court or to defend the action, they should contact the Deputy Principal Clerk of Session, Court of Session, Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RQ (Telephone 0131-225 2595) immediately and in any event by not later than seven days from the date of publication of this advertisement.
Solicitor for pursuer: Kennedys Scotland, Baird House, 4 Lower Gilmore Bank, Edinburgh, EH3 9QP (0131 225 6145).


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(CNSNews.com) – Six months ahead of the scheduled withdrawal of the last U.S. forces from Iraq, June brought a somber reminder of an earlier time as well as concerns that the months leading up to the exit could produce a fresh increase in violence as insurgents and their supporters maneuver for influence.
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey on Saturday accused Iranian security agencies of supplying lethal weapons to Shi'ite groups in Iraq but said the U.S. would not be intimidated by those behind the attacks.
Fifteen U.S. troops died in Iraq in June, more than in any single month since June 2009, according to a CNSNews.com database of U.S. military casualties in Iraq since the war began in 2003.
Moreover, 14 of those 15 deaths were combat-related. If that category of fatalities alone is taken into account, then June marked the deadliest month for U.S. personnel since August 2008, a time when the steadily dropping monthly death toll was heading towards single digits, in the aftermath of the troop "surge" that went into full effect a year earlier (see table).
There are currently some 47,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, down from a peak of around 170,000 at the height of the surge. December 31 is the deadline for their departure, although new Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during his confirmation process told a Senate committee he fully expects Baghdad to ask for some troop presence to remain beyond that date.
No formal request has yet been made public, however, and U.S. Forces-Iraq deputy Lt. Gen. Frank G. Helmick during a press roundtable on June 22 stated clearly that "our last order is to go to zero."
Still, Jeffrey on Saturday reaffirmed that the U.S. would be willing, if asked, to keep some troops in Iraq into 2012.
Helmick said that attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces and Iraqi civilians have dropped fourfold since 2007, when they averaged some 400 each week. But he also acknowledged concern about an uptick in attacks in the south in recent months.
The U.S. combat-related deaths in June took place in four areas – Baghdad; Wasit, a province located southeast of the capital; Najaf, a key Shi'ite province south of Baghdad; and Diyala, the province located to the northeast of Baghdad and stretching to the Iranian border.
Of the 14 fatalities, nine were attributed to rocket attacks and five to improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The worst single attack occurred on June 6 – a rocket attack on a base near Baghdad airport that killed five soldiers assigned to the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas.
They were Spc. Emilio J. Campo Jr., of Madelia, Minn.; Spc. Michael B. Cook Jr., of Middletown, Ohio; Spc. Christopher B. Fishbeck of Victorville, Calif.; Spc. Robert P. Hartwick of Rockbridge, Ohio; and Pfc. Michael C. Olivieri of Chicago, Ill.
A sixth soldier injured in that attack, Spc. Marcos Cintron of Orlando, Fla., died at a medical facility in Boston on June 16.
The next deadliest attack took place on June 29, when three soldiers assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood were killed in a rocket assault on a base at Badrah in Wasit province, near the Iranian border. The Pentagon named them as Capt. Matthew Nielson of Jefferson, Iowa; Capt. David Van Camp of Wheeling, W.Va.; and Spc. Robert Tenney Jr. of Warner Robins, Ga.
On June 8, Pfc. Matthew England of Gainesville, Mo., died when enemy forces attacked his unit with an IED in Najaf province.
On June 13, Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bellard of El Paso, Texas and Sgt. Glenn Sewell of Live Oak, Texas were killed in an IED attack in Wasit province.
On June 26, Staff Sgt. Russell Proctor of Oroville, Calif. and Pfc. Dylan Johnson of Tulsa, Okla. died of wounds sustained in an IED attack in Diyala province.
Wasit no longer quiet
The violence in Wasit has been an unusual development. According to the CNSNews.com database, Wasit was among the quietest provinces in Iraq over the full period of hostilities that began with the March 2003 invasion.
The very first combat death reported in the province, which stretches southeast of Baghdad to the border with Iran, was in June 2006, when Sgt. Daniel Crabtree of Canton, Ohio was killed in an IED attack on his Humvee.
Wasit was handed over to full Iraqi control in October 2008, and no further U.S. combat deaths were reported there until November 2009, when Staff Sgt. Briand Williams of Sparks, Ga. died from injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.
Two U.S. soldiers were killed in Wasit during 2010 – Maj. Ronald Daniel Culver Jr. of Shreveport, La. died in an IED attack in May, and Pvt. David Finch of Bath Springs, Tenn. was killed by sniper fire in December.
In the first six months of this year, however, seven American soldiers have been killed in hostile circumstances in Wasit – compared to four over the entire 2003-2010 period.
Apart from the five deaths in two attacks in June, the remaining two combat fatalities were 1st Lt. Omar Vasquez of Hamilton, N.J. and Pvt. Antonio Stiggins of Rio Rancho, N.M., who died of wounds sustained in an IED attack on their unit on April 22.
Wasit was also the location of the one non-combat U.S. death reported during June. The Pentagon said the circumstances surrounding the June 26 death of Sgt. Matthew Gallagher of North Falmouth, Mass. were under investigation.
Iranian hand
The main threat facing U.S. forces as the withdrawal draws nearer appears to be coming from Iranian-linked Shi'ite groups.
One such organization, Kata'ib Hezbollah, claimed responsibility for the June 6 rocket attack in Baghdad that killed six.
An unnamed U.S. military official quoted by the Associated Press said the type of weapon used in the June 29 rocket attack near the border with Iran also bore the hallmarks of a Shi'ite militia closely linked to Iran.
The U.S. State Department designated Kata'ib Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in mid-2009, accusing it of posing a threat to stability in Iraq and of responsibility for numerous attacks against U.S., Iraqi and other targets since 2007.
Other Iranian-linked Shi'ite extremist groups active in Iraq are Asaib al-Haq ("League of the Righteous") and the Promise Day Brigade.
Jeffrey told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Saturday that Kata'ib Hezbollah and Asaib al-Haq "are basically nothing more than thuggish clones of their IRGC-Qods Force masters," referring to the notorious Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' unit responsible for operations abroad.
Jeffrey accused the IRGC-Qods Force of providing "significantly more lethal weapons systems" to groups inside Iraq.
Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi was quoted by the official IRNA news agency Saturday as dismissing as "baseless" U.S. claims about Iranian involvement in fatal attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq.
Vahidi is himself a former head of the IRGC-Qods Force and in that capacity is wanted by the Argentinian authorities on suspicion of involvement in the 1994 suicide truck bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, in which 85 people were killed.


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It's hard to believe we've taken over two years, and 24 releases, to sign music from New Zealand.
Especially given the near stranglehold the country had on bass-led electronic music over the last few years, with the likes of Perverse, Tallan, Truth, Ghost Note, Epoch, Headland and Arkotypes (and more many) [please note – this is by no means a definitive list!]- not to mention Kursk and the Innamind Recordings gang or our Averted Vision family – breaking through. But all is resolved with our 25th EP…
Like with FKOFd024, you can now purchase the release from us directly, as of today. If you're reading this and are interested in purchasing FKOFd025: please do so here.
"Christchurch's Akcept has been on our radar for a fair amount of time, appearing with new material in a number of FKOF Sessions over the last year or so. Given the quality of Alex's music, much like the rest of his Kiwi brethren – we're surprised his release on our imprint is his solo debut. But that's no bad thing; as we're always happy to launch new talent!
"We'd be hard pushed to select any of the four tunes on FKOFd025 as clear favourites. The release embodies what we've come to love about Alex's music; diverse and adventurous sounds that feel as comfortable together as they do apart. The EP opens with Desert Dubbing, a tune Korrupt's been testing whenever the opportunity presents itself. It's yet to disappoint. Cut It follows – with its wicked sample, wheeling sub and floaty synths. Panic Attack evokes an almost Perverse-esque vibe with its haunting atmospherics and relentlessly aggressive low end. If you can't experience this on a system, you don't know what you're missing. Last, but definitely not least, we have Martyr. It feels like the most experimental inclusion on the record – with its future-facing vibe – but still epitomises the producer's ability to craft something truly special. It's a tune that feels at home at 11pm opening the night – and again at 6am as the sun rises.
"It's something we can say of any new producer we work with, but having spent time listening Akcept's tunes, we reckon Alex has an incredible future ahead of him. We don't doubt you'll be heading more from him – so get to know…"
Akcept's FKOFd025 is available from us now. It then drops via Juno and all other good electronic retailers from 21/12/15.
As you may notice, the new 'year' of releases bring with it another update to the label's visuals. Shouts to Pirate Radio Creative each and every!
Peace, love and respect.


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Geminid Meteor…, photo by Ken Scott
As you're making plans for this weekend, consider including some offbeat nightlife. EarthSky has everything you need to know about this weekends Geminid Meteor Shower:
The peak night of the 2014 Geminid meteor shower will probably occur on the night of December 13 (morning of December 14). The night before (December 12-13) may offer a decent sprinkling of meteors as well. Geminid meteors tend to be few and far between at early evening, but intensify in number as evening deepens into late night. A last quarter moon will rise around midnight, but Geminid meteors are bright! This shower favors Earth's Northern Hemisphere.
…In a year when moonlight doesn't obscure the view, you can easily see 50 or more Geminid meteors per hour on the peak night. However, in 2014, the waning moon will dampen the display in the peak viewing hours. Don't let the moonlight discourage you. A good percentage of these yellow-colored Geminid meteors are quite bright and will overcome the moonlit skies.
The moon will rise quite late on December 13 and 14, creating a window of darkness for watching the Geminid shower in the evening. Keep in mind that the moon will rise about an hour earlier on December 13 than it will on December 14. Click here for custom sunrise/set calendar. Check boxes for moonrise/set times..
Even as the moon rises, however, it will be sitting low in the east. If possible, find a hedgerow of trees, a barn or some such thing to block out the moon. Sit in a moon shadow but at the same time, find an expansive view of sky. Or simply look away from the moon.
Read on for all kinds of viewing tips and all kinds of info about about this December meteor shower including the chance of seeing an earthgrazer meteor, a slow-moving, long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky.
View Ken's photo from December 14, 2012 bigger and see more in his massive Skies Above slideshow.
More meteors on Michigan in Pictures!


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Samsung yesterday publicly corroborated rumors that it has been working on an unnamed HomePod competitor that will likely use the company's Bixby personal assistant and provide "a fruitful user experience" at home with Samsung devices.
The Samsung-branded smart speaker will be launched "soon".
The news has been officially confirmed in CNBC's interview with Samsung mobile president DJ Koh following yesterday's introduction of the new Galaxy Note 8 smartphone.
Here's exactly what he said:
Maybe soon we will announce it. I am already working on it. As I mentioned I wanted to provide a fruitful user experience at home with Samsung devices, and I want to be moving quite heavily on it.
So, Samsung's HomePod rival is now official.
All we got before were whispers and rumors. The Samsung wireless speaker rumor can be traced back to a July report by The Wall Street Journal which stated that the project, internally code-named "Vega," has been in development for more than a year.
However, subsequent reports from Korean publications said that Samsung may have shelved the project because the company didn't think wireless speakers were marketable.
The speaker should be driven by Samsung's Bixby assistant, which currently speaks Korean and US English although its voice capabilities are now available in 200+ countries.
Priced at $349 and available in White and Space Gray, HomePod is launching this December in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Launch supply is expected to be constrained. The device should gradually roll out across global markets in 2018.
Aside from Apple and Samsung, Facebook too is rumored to be working on a wireless speaker of its own that should have a built-in fifteen-inch touch screen and release in early 2018.


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Some people are not used to driving sound with kids at all and for such people there is one basic precaution that they must take before the other precautions. This one is being calm. The kids are not going to change when they sit in the car and will behave pretty much the same. They will fight, kick, scream and everything. They will play around as well and you must make sure you don't get distracted. This is vital because a lot of cases appear in which the driver puts many lives in danger just because of getting distracted from the road. Make note that driving must be the priority and nothing is important enough to get distracted.
Child Locks
People who drive with kids and toddlers without the child locks are aliens and I don't know how they manage to keep the little devils inside the car. There are child locks in every car. It is necessary that you turn them on. Once you have the child lock on, your job gets easier because now you have one less thing to worry about. There are child locks that stay intact even when the car is parked and these are the ones you should get.
Child Safety Seats
Most accidents are due to unsafe seats in the car. The Child would obviously not fit in the car and even a minor halt can cause major injuries. This is why it's so important to have child safety seats. You must always get the one which is most comfortable to sit in so that the child doesn't start throwing. It should have belts on it and note that you will have to update it pretty often. To know more about child safety seats, click here, https://www.momdoesreviews.com/2018/12/03/5-top-safety-precautions-for-kids-in-cars/.


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We have a wealth of experience working on complex IT projects and know the Oracle portfolio from hardware to applications and can help you simplify and optimize your IT environment, leverage new technologies, and define strategic roadmaps for future growth.
Our Architecture Design Services are beneficial for companies engaging in major IT transformations such as:
- Engineered Systems
- Database Consolidation
- Private Cloud
- Security Architecture
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With Eclipsys, you have access to the best practices for Oracle technologies. Consider us your personal Oracle technology advisors who provide insight into:
- Product strategy
- Ensuring access to critical resources
- Leveraging best practices
- Reducing risk
- Decreased time to implementation
Leverage Eclipsys' Architecture Design Services today to plan and execute key initiatives, fully leverage your Oracle portfolio, and build an architecture strategy that stays aligned with your ongoing business objectives.


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San Jose's estimated population of 1,035,317 makes it the third-largest city in California and the tenth-largest in the nation. With such a large population, the number of residents facing addiction to drugs or alcohol runs high.
Addiction affects people from every walk of life and socioeconomic class. The best drug rehab programs offer individualized services that tailor treatment to each client's unique circumstances and recovery goals.
San Jose Addiction Treatment
The causes of addiction can be complex, and the most effective treatment programs take this into account by building treatment programs to serve each client's unique needs. From the time a person first begins thinking about rehab to when they successfully complete a treatment program, comprehensive addiction treatment services can make the difference between successful sobriety and a life lost to continued drug use.
In San Jose, these services may include:
- Professional intervention services
- Medical detox programs
- Inpatient addiction treatment
- Outpatient addiction treatment
- Aftercare and alumni support services
- San Jose Intervention Services
Chronic drug use can make it difficult for a person to prioritize their health, well-being and sobriety. A professional San Jose intervention can assist friends and family in helping their loved one start their recovery journey.
San Jose Drug And Alcohol Detox Programs
Certain drugs, such as alcohol, benzodiazepines and opioids, can cause a person to develop a strong physical dependency that causes severe withdrawal. San Jose medical detox programs treat the physical addiction, reduces withdrawal symptoms and helps a person to flush the drug out of their system, commonly by the use of medications.
San Jose Inpatient Addiction Treatment
The most-effective treatment programs engage a person on all levels affected by addiction and offer therapies that help them heal physically, emotionally, mentally and even socially.
The residential setting and therapeutic community offered by San Jose inpatient drug rehab centers can help a person to more wholly commit to the personal development and growth that is necessary for a fulfilling, sober life.
A variety of therapies may be used to accomplish these goals, including evidence-based behavioral therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as well as complementary and alternative therapies like yoga and massage. Many facilities offer nutritional counseling and fitness classes to further help a person regain their strength and health after the damage of addiction.
In San Jose, a number of specialized addiction treatment programs may help a person obtain their personal recovery goals, including:
- Dual diagnosis
- Equine
- gender-specific
- Holistic
- LGBTQIA-friendly
- Medication-assisted treatment (Suboxone or methadone for opioid use disorders)
- 12-step groups
- 12-step alternatives
- Pet-friendly
- Religious or faith-based
A variety of luxury or professional (executive) programs may also be available in San Jose. Luxury programs typically offer intimate and exclusive settings, private rooms and luxurious amenities, such as spa treatments and chef-inspired cuisine. Professional or executive programs aid professionals in developing sober-living skills that enhance their career. Some may be structured to allow a person to continue working throughout treatment.
San Jose Outpatient Addiction Treatment
Outpatient treatment can benefit a person in many ways during recovery. This level of care may be used as a:
- Standalone treatment for addiction
- Treatment for relapse
- Step-down program after inpatient drug rehab
San Jose Aftercare And Alumni Services
The longest-lasting recoveries maintain the positive momentum achieved in treatment. Some people have a hard time doing this on their own, but fortunately, many facilities and communities offer aftercare or alumni support services, such as:
- Job coaching
- Mentorship programs
- Online recovery groups or resources
- Self-help groups
- Self-improvement classes
- Sober living homes
San Jose Addiction Treatment Program Length
When faced with addiction, any amount of treatment is better than a life of continued substance use. However, research has found that most people find greater success when they complete a program lasting 90 days or longer.
Each treatment center is different, but in general, treatment options include:
- 28-day and 30-day programs
- 90-day programs
- 120-day programs
- Programs lasting a year or more
Enrolling in treatment is one of the biggest decisions a person can make, and it's also potentially one of the most impactful.
Taking time to research treatment options can help to ensure that a person gets the highest quality of care for their needs. Looking at out-of-town or out-of-state treatment programs can give a person more options for specialized treatment.
How To Pay For San Jose Addiction Treatment
A person's health insurance plan may offer coverage for medical detox, outpatient treatment or inpatient treatment. In San Jose, the following insurance companies may offer plans that provide this assistance:
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- Cigna
- Health Net
- Kaiser Permanente
- Valley Health Plan
In addition to insurance, scholarships and grants, sliding-scale fees, financing options and help from loved ones may also help a person pay for treatment.
Substance Use Trends In San Jose
Prescription Opioid Painkiller Use In San Jose
In 2017, in Santa Clara County, physicians wrote 652,527 opioid prescriptions, a number that is more than half the total number of people living in the city of San Jose itself.
While these medications are presumably prescribed for valid medical conditions, many experts believe that over-prescription of opioid painkillers contributed to increasing rates of painkiller use.
The following prescription opioid pain medications are frequently used:
- Codeine
- Actiq (fentanyl)
- Duragesic (fentanyl)
- Norco (hydrocodone)
- Vicodin (hydrocodone)
- Dilaudid (hydromorphone)
- Demerol (meperidine)
- Dolophine (methadone)
- Methadose (methadone)
- Duramorph (morphine)
- MS Contin (morphine)
- OxyContin (oxycodone)
- Percocet (oxycodone)
- Opana (oxymorphone)
Opioid Overdose Deaths In San Jose
Opioid use, whether it involves heroin, prescription opioid painkillers or fentanyl, carries a high risk of overdose, a fact that is all too clear in San Jose.
In 2017, there were:
- 91 opioid (excluding heroin) overdose emergency room visits
- 86 opioid overdose hospitalizations
Out of 176 drug-related overdose deaths in 2017, 70 fatalities were due to opioid drugs, including:
- 24 deaths from heroin
- 16 deaths from fentanyl (including synthetic fentanyl)
- 1 death from the synthetic opioid U-47700 ("pink")
Fentanyl Use In San Jose
The impact of fentanyl led Santa Clara County Public Health officials to issue a health advisory on opioid overdose deaths due to fentanyl. In addition to fentanyl, the medical examiner's office found various fentanyl analogues present in overdose deaths, including acryl fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, butyryl fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, cyclopropyl fentanyl, methoxyacetyl fentanyl and 4-ANPP.
The San Jose medical examiner notes that several deaths have resulted from counterfeit prescription drugs that actually contained a lethal dose of fentanyl. These fake drugs appeared to be oxycodone, Norco, Vicodin or Xanax.
Signs And Symptoms Of Substance Use And Addiction
As a person struggles with a substance use disorder, their behaviors and lifestyle become increasingly centered around finding and using the drug. This pursuit can greatly damage a person's health, life and relationships, both immediately and long-term.
Specifically, a person may:
- Use the drug more frequently or in a higher amount than they planned
- Find they are unable to quit or decrease their dose
- Spend large amounts of time abusing the drug or feeling sick from doing so
- Have strong urges or cravings to find and take the drug
- Struggle at home, work or school due to the effects of drug use
- Use the substance even after it harms their relationships
- Stop taking part in hobbies or events that once brought meaning to their life
- Find themselves in risky situations while using the drug, such as participating in unsafe sex or driving under the influence
- Use the drug even after their mental health begins to suffer
- Increase the dose of the drug because they no longer feel the effects they seek (tolerance)
- Develop withdrawal symptoms if they quit or reduce the amount they take
Drug And Alcohol Use In San Jose
In San Jose, both legal and illicit drugs contribute to addiction rates. Even legal substances such as alcohol and marijuana can become dangerous and addictive when used.
Questions About Treatment?
Call now to be connected with one ofour compassionate treatment specialists.
In addition to these substances, the following illicit drugs can cause dependence, addiction and a variety of health and medical problems, including overdose:
- Cocaine (including crack)
- Heroin
- Illicit fentanyl
- Methamphetamine
- Synthetic cannabinoids ("fake weed," K2 or Spice)
Prescription Drug Use In San Jose
Prescription drug use begins in several ways. Some people first use these medications by misusing their prescription to soothe the symptoms of a physical or mental health problem. Or, in the case of stimulant medications, a person may use them to enhance their performance at school or on the job. Others use prescription drugs to create a high or euphoric state.
Regardless of the reason, prescription drug misuse and use can lead to addiction, withdrawal and overdose.
In addition to opioid pain relievers, medications that are commonly used in this way may include:
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Ativan (lorazepam)
- Klonopin (clonazepam)
- Librium (chlordiazepoxide)
- Restoril (temazepam)
- Valium (diazepam)
- Xanax (alprazolam)
- Prescription stimulants
- Adderall (dextroamphetamine/amphetamine)
- Concerta (methylphenidate)
- Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine)
- Ritalin (methylphenidate)
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)
Certain treatments and therapies work better for different types of addiction. The most successful treatment programs create a customized treatment plan with this in mind.
Vertava Health is committed to providing clients with the highest quality of care. Our highly trained staff use research-based therapies and deliver compassionate care at several locations across the United States.
Contact Vertava Health now for more information on San Jose addiction treatment options.


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Krav Maga Institute NYC : Igor Dyachenko's knowledge
Krav Maga Institute NYC : There are many martial arts styles, and this can make it challenging to pick a martial art to learn. Different styles attract different people, and you may only be looking to broaden the scope of your martial arts knowledge.
So, how many martial arts styles are there?
The short answer is that there are more than 170 martial arts styles. You should be aware that martial arts are evolving and diversifying all of the time. A great example of this evolution is karate.
What began as karate has branched off into different forms and styles. This is a natural process as karate students become masters. At this point, they begin to develop their own style, modifying the martial art, moving it in a certain direction.
Karate now has six styles, each adapting techniques, and philosophies in a specific direction.
The six methods of karate are:
Shotokan Karate
Martial arts styles
The many forms of martial arts broadly fit into different fighting styles. Firstly, we have stand-up and striking martial arts. These martial arts styles include karate, boxing, kung fu, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and kickboxing.
Secondly, we have martial arts styles that fit into the category of ground fighting or grappling. These martial arts include Jujutsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu, Sumo, Luta Livre, and wrestling, as well as catch wrestling.
Thirdly, some martial arts styles focus on takedowns and throwing techniques. These martial arts include Judo, Aikido, Shuai Jiao, and Hapkido.
Furthermore, there are martial arts that specialize in weapons fighting. For example, Kendo, Kali, Laido, and Goju-Ryu karate.
There are also new forms of martial arts that combine techniques from a mix of established martial arts. Often promoting full-contact competition, these include MMA, Ninjutsu, and Jeet Kune Do. These may not be appropriate for a young child, and you might want to choose another art, such as karate.
You may want a softer, low-impact, health-centered, or meditative style. The most popular of these is Tai Chi but you can also practice Chi Gong-based styles and Baguazhang.
Igor Dyachenko teaches karate, with its many benefits to health, personal protection, and mental development. Krav Maga Institute NYC