text:
B.Com. (BANKING AND INSURANCE)
Student from the following categories will be eligible for admission:
A candidate for being eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Commerce (Banking & Insurance) Degree Course shall have passed XII Std. Examination of the Maharashtra Board of Higher Secondary Education or its equivalent and secured notless than 45% marks in aggregate at first attempt (40% in case of reserved).
Every candidate admitted to the Degree course in the constituent / affiliated college / recognized institution, conducting the course, shall have to register himself / herself with the University.
The course shall be a full time course. The duration of the course shall be six semester spread over three years.
Numbers of students: A batch shall consists of not more than 60 students.
Bachelor of Commerce is one of the most sought courses after 12th. The course covers a number of subjects during its study period. It mainly focuses and offers understanding on Accounts, Mathematics and Economics. The B. Com Course provides with a wide range of managerial skills and knowledge in a particular area of commerce.
The benefits of undertaking a B.Com (B&I) degree is that-
• The students are able to understand the basics of corporate culture and corporate ethics especially with reference Banking and Insurance Industry.
• The students learn to analyze and understand the underlying cause of any Problem/ Crisis of Banking and Insurance industry and to strategically think to solve the issue by making use of the available infrastructure, tools and resources.
• The programme helps students to acquire knowledge about management practices which helps them to become effective and efficient banking and Insurance professionals.
• BBI course helps students to develop competency skills and enhance their employability skills.
• The Programme enhances the Professional knowledge and skill in the field of Accounts, Human Resource and Marketing with the reference to Banking and Insurance sector.
• The Programme makes students capable to face the challenges of global market.
• The Programme helps students to keep pace with the latest and cutting edge market.
|Outcomes (Students will be able to )
|Environment and Management of Financial Services
|• Acquire the skills necessary to participate in managing a financial services company. • Assess consumer financial needs and the mechanisms available for fulfilling these needs. • Explain the structure of the financial markets. • Design and evaluate employee benefits plans and aid individuals in making choices among current plan elections.
|Principles of Management
|• Describe the primary functions of management and the roles of managers. • Explain how managers align the planning process with company mission, vision, and values. • Identify and evaluate social responsibility and ethical issues involved in business situations and • logically articulate own position on such issues. • Practice the process of management's four functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling
|Financial Accounting - I
|• The students will understand the elements and structure of accurate financial statement presentation and the annual report. • Enhance the comprehension of the decision-usefulness of accounting information in evaluating operating, financing and investing alternatives. • The use of the accounting for and internal control of cash, concept of ethical financial reporting is integrated throughout the course.
|Business Communication-I
Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course (AECC)
|• Good understanding of: • Effective business writing and Communication. • Research approaches and information collection. • Developing and delivering effective presentations. • Effective interpersonal communications. • Effective problem solving.
|Foundation of Human Skills
Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC)
|• Describe the roles that managers perform in organizations. • Understand and describe the communication process. The basic model of interpersonal communication consists of an encoded message, a decoded message, feedback, and noise. Noise refers to the distortions that inhibit message clarity. • Describe how corporate reputations are defined by how an organization communicates to all of its stakeholders. • The basic model of interpersonal communication consists of an encoded message, a decoded message, feedback, and noise. Noise refers to the distortions that inhibit message clarity.
|Business Economics-I
Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC)
|• Students can use demand/supply concepts to determine market equilibrium. • Students use comparative advantage to calculate efficiency improvements resulting from trade and specialization. • Students are able to determine the optimal amount of labor to hire in order to achieve an efficient outcome in the labor market. • Students can analyze the determinants of productivity and evaluate policy implications of productivity changes that occur across the economy.
|Quantitative Methods-I
Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC)
|• To develop Basic skills for quantitative application in business situations. • To impart knowledge to the students about statistical tools and its applications. to build skills for statistical inference of business data. • To learn Basic probability concepts and probability distributions as an aid to business decision making. • Students use Data description and data presentation in a business environment Measures of Central Tendency.
|Financial Management -I
Elective Courses (EC)
|• Provide the learner with an in-depth understanding of the link between company decision-making and the operation of capital markets. • Ensure the learner understands and appreciates the strong linkages between finance and globalisation. • Demonstrate the importance of working capital management and the tools to manage it. • Help the learner to explore the financial environment in which firms and managers must operate.
|Organizational Behaviour
Elective Courses (EC)
|• To analyze and compare different models used to explain individual behaviour related to motivation and rewards • To identify the various leadership styles and the role of leaders in a decision making process. • To discuss the implementation of organizational change. • Analyze five conceptual anchors of O:B.
|Risk Management
Elective Courses (EC)
|• Develop a basic understanding of risk assessment and its role within the risk management process. • Differentiate between risk assessment and risk management. • Develop a basic understanding of how to conduct and evaluate an uncertainty analysis for a risk assessment. • Identify and categorise the various risks face by an organization.
|Information Technology in Banking & Insurance-I
Ability Enhancement Courses (AEC)
|• To learn the basics of MS Office like MS word, MS excel. • To understand the hardware and software of computer. • Develop how to create tables and use of formulaes in MS excel sheet.
|Laws Governing Banking & Insurance
Core Courses (CC)
|• An advanced and integrated understanding of the complex body of knowledge in the field of banking and finance law. • key legal issues governing relationships between financial services providers and their customers. • The theory and practice of prudential and market integrity/consumer protection regulation of financial services.
|Financial Market (Equity,Debt, Forex and Derivatives)
Core Courses (CC)
|• Define the primary and secondary markets • Discuss the functions of secondary markets. • To study the Distinguish between fixed-interest and interest-bearing markets. • Students will understand the characteristics of different financial assets such as money market instruments, bonds, and stocks.
|Taxation of Financial Services
Core Courses (CC)
|• Use a financial calculator in determining the time value of money. • Discuss basic personal and corporate tax issues and planning opportunities with an understanding of personal vs. corporate tax rates. • Students will use computer-based and paper-based systems to thoroughly research. • Analyze tax codes, tax law, rulings and interpretations, providing for adaptability as the tax law changes over time.
|Strategic Management
|• Define the concept of strategy and its meaning to practitioners. • Explain the strategy vocabulary including such terms as mission, vision, aims and objectives, and control. • Apply Mintzberg's 5 Ps framework to analyses of strategy of an organisation. • Understand the basic concepts and principles of strategic management analyse the internal and external environment of business.
|Business Ethics & Corporate Governance
|• Promote understanding of the importance, for business and the community, of ethical conduct. • Provide the skills with which to recognise and resolve ethical issues in business. • Enhance awareness and critical self-examination of one's own values, and to appreciate the relevance of personal values in the business/workplace setting. • Encourage reflection on the ethical dimension of your own decision-making in workplace and other settings. • To understand the concept of corporate social responsibility. • To acquire ethical frameworks, so as to attack moral problems critically and comprehensively.
|Financial Services Management
|• Define, explain and illustrate some of the frameworks and approaches that are helpful in marketing financial services. • Describe how -- • Marketing contributes to success in modern financial institutions. • The marketing of services like financial services differs from tangible goods marketing. • Discuss how to position value propositions, products and brands in customers' minds.
|Research Methedology
|• Students should understand a general definition of research design • Students should know the primary characteristics of quantitative research and qualitative research • Students should be able to identify a research problem stated in a study • Students should be able to distinguish between a population and a sample. • Students should know how to conduct a statistical test of a hypothesis.
|International Banking & Finance
|• Describe the basic concepts and theories that explain the function and evolution of banking and finance. • Demonstrate insight into the properties and role of money and other financial assets within a modern monetary economy. • Examine the operations of modern banking and financial institutions as influenced by different market structures, regulatory regimes.
|Financial Reporting & Analysis(Corporate Banking & Insurance)
|• Students should understand Corporate Finance and Financial Management • Students should understand Financial Institutions and Markets
As per the latest University Awaited Guidelines.


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Public Works Department
Shawn Shimko
Director of Public Works
Primary Responsibilities
Location/Contact Us
Primary Responsibilities
The Public Works Department is responsible for routine maintenance of all City buildings, streets, sidewalks, sewer lines, park areas and equipment. Reclaimed water cross-connection inspections will be handled through the department and beautification is an ongoing project.
• Hall rental
• Sewer maintenance
• Roadway maintenance
• Inquiries regarding garbage, recycling, landscaping/trees, sidewalks, parks
April 4, 2022 Smoke Testing Information
Click the following links for more details.
Smoke Testing Information
Smoke Testing Door Hanger
Questions & Answers
MSDS Fact Sheet
Be Floridian This Summer!
The partners of the Be Floridian fertilizer education campaign remind residents of Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas counties and the city of Tampa that they can't apply nitrogen or phosphorous to lawn and landscape plants from June 1-September 30. But that doesn't mean your grass will turn brown, shrivel up and die!
Garden centers throughout these communities offer a variety of "summer-safe" yard products that will help keep your landscape green and growing throughout our long, hot summer. Look for fertilizers with "0" as the first two numbers on the label (as in 0-0-6). These do not contain either nitrogen or phosphorous. More than 70% of these summer-safe products are made right here in Florida, so you are helping local businesses and our economy when you purchase them.
Summer rains don't water fertilizer in, they wash it away -- right into our ponds, rivers, Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Too much fertilizer can cause algae blooms and fish kills, spoiling the beautiful waterways that are our major source of recreation. Follow these Florida-friendly lawn care practices to "protect our fun" this summer:
Pump some iron. An application of iron, readily available at most garden centers, will keep your lawn green during the summer without excessive growth. Who wants to mow every week anyway?
Micro-size It! Apply micronutrients such as zinc and manganese to keep your grass healthy.
Get Better Dirt. Mix in composted cow or chicken manure, or your own home compost, to enrich your soil. It's like giving vitamins to your yard.
Pick better plants. Buy plants adapted to Florida's hot, humid climate and plant them in the right place according to their sun and water needs. They'll need less water, fertilizer and chemicals year-round, and you'll have more time for bicycling, boating, grilling or just relaxing by the pool sipping a drink with a little umbrella in it. Visit http://plantrealflorida.org/ or http://floridayards.org/ for ideas.
Leave Clippings on the Lawn! Don't feed algae blooms by blowing grass clippings into the street, or down the storm drain where they will wash into our waterways. Instead, leave them on your lawn. They are free fertilizer and can supply at least 25% of the nitrogen your grass needs throughout the year.
Location/Contact Us
City Hall Annex Building
6940 Hibiscus Avenue
South Pasadena, FL 33707
Telephone: 727-384-0701
Fax: 727-347-4254
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Hours vary
Monday through Friday

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - Togetherness
Don't forget to vote for Freddie! Here's the link.
61 comments:
Well that just sent my MOM over the edge. She is Ooooing and aweing. OK, gotta say I let out a little awe too. Fred I love how you stretchout for the sun. Gotta keep that snooter warm. Speaking of snooters how is your momma's doing? Keep kepping it togeather you two.ReplyDelete
You two are hilarious. Awfully comfy on Your sofaReplyDelete
Benny & Lily
Oh my goodness you two are the cutest snuggle buddies that I have ever seen!! Too much adorableness in two photos! ;-) Who doesn't love napping in sun-rays?! Enjoy!!ReplyDelete
That's right Fred, just stretch out all over Gloria. I see she works double as a foot cushion as well...bol!!ReplyDelete
You sure do know the best spot to snoozeReplyDelete
Love that picture of Freddie stretching to reach the sun puddle and using Gloria as a foot stool.ReplyDelete
XXXOOO Daisy, bella & Roxy
Those two were born to be waited on paw & paw! Deccy xReplyDelete
Aww, just look at those two, the picture of contentment!ReplyDelete
Lynne x
You two are so cute, enjoy snuggling together :) Happy Wednesday xx00xxReplyDelete
Mollie and Alfie
So sweetReplyDelete
urban hounds
Ha Ha Those pix are just priceless. Have a wonderful wordless Wednesday Freddie and Gloria.ReplyDelete
Best wishes Molly
Gloria is a foot stool like our Nin was. Have a great day! Lee and PhodReplyDelete
Lovies, Miss Mindy
Those two are the cutest babies! So sweet!ReplyDelete
They look all comfy. :)ReplyDelete
Sweet, I like to sleep on or my sister too, not all the time, but more than I think she would like. You guys are cute ;)ReplyDelete
Sweet dreams guys xxReplyDelete
Gloria is such an accepting soul. Love that first photo with Freddie's leg thrown over her back! :-DReplyDelete
Love how Gloria holds her position while Freddie makes himself more comfortable!ReplyDelete
You two are the poster children for the word FURENDSHIP! Our hearts just melted seeing those pictures.ReplyDelete
I'm gonna show them to Muffin when she wakes up. Show her how we're supposed to snuggle like that.
Lily Belle
At least they always have each other!ReplyDelete
Christie from lifewithbeagle.com
- AnonymousNovember 14, 2012 at 9:05 AM
So wonderful! Love it!ReplyDelete
Hi Freddie, I just voted for you! Look how cute you two look with your short little legs...Love itReplyDelete
Wagging Wordless Wednesday!
This is just too cute!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 14, 2012 at 9:23 AM
They look so relaxed and peaceful, just how doggies should look.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 14, 2012 at 9:26 AM
Those pictures made me smile!ReplyDelete
LOL! I love how Freddie uses Gloria as a footrest!ReplyDelete
Ooooooh that tummy is just asking to be tickled!! You two are as close as we are!ReplyDelete
Wally & Sammy
That is such a very sweet togetherness.ReplyDelete
Cute pictures all snuggled up together.ReplyDelete
xo Cinnamon
There's nothing quite like a good cuddle, Happy Wednesday!ReplyDelete
Nothin like stretchin out with family....ReplyDelete
So sweet, as long as Freddie is comfortable right!ReplyDelete
Now THAT is some sweet, sweet pics!! Can I come by and snuggle, too?!ReplyDelete
awww! They look so nice and relaxed and if Freddie is relaxed and resting, all the better!ReplyDelete
yuki and rocket
Aw . . . snuggle pups!ReplyDelete
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Such premier snoozers! They sure enjoy their naps!ReplyDelete
Awwww!!! I absolutely LOVE how they always snuggle and sleep together :) They're just the cutest!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 14, 2012 at 12:39 PM
Hey Fred, Hey Gloria, Jet here. Hi Miss Janet.ReplyDelete
Priceless, I say, Priceless!
- AnonymousNovember 14, 2012 at 1:23 PM
Hahaha! The leg! This is so cute, I want to get in on that snuggle!ReplyDelete
Woof! Woof! Sweet and LOVING. Happy Wordless Wednesday. Lots of Golden Woofs, SugarReplyDelete
I love the back paws!ReplyDelete
Wow, someone's snooter is in a sun puddle! BOL Great cuddle action.ReplyDelete
Grr and Woof,
Sarge, COP
Aw what cuties! How sweet.ReplyDelete
Oh good grief! That has a cuteness factor that is off the charts! LOVE IT!!! :)ReplyDelete
LOL - both of those pictures are awesome but seriously that last one is like something out of a comic strip. Oh Fred you silly boy.ReplyDelete
That looks so cozy.ReplyDelete
That is great! My fav pic of the day I think!ReplyDelete
I'm off to vote!ReplyDelete
Nubbin wiggles,
How sweet!ReplyDelete
So cute! (I voted!)ReplyDelete
Freddie sure knows how to get comfy!ReplyDelete
Now, that's about the cutest duo in the world! Happy Wednesday!ReplyDelete
Your pal, Pip
I love the photos and feel like I could do the same thing!!ReplyDelete
We've voted too!!
These are great photos!ReplyDelete
Hey Freddie,ReplyDelete
I wish I had a snuggly footrest like Gloria, you're a lucky guy!! :)
Sweet dreams,
Your pal Snoopy :)
What a sweet bond.ReplyDelete
A great footrest!!ReplyDelete
Talk about relaxed!ReplyDelete


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World Bulletin / News Desk
Around 1,000 people demonstrated in the Ivorian capital Abidjan on Friday against a weekend referendum on a new constitution which the opposition has denounced as dangerously anti-democratic.
The proposed new constitution has been championed by President Alassane Ouattara, who claims it will "definitively turn the page on successive crises" in Ivory Coast.
But the opposition has called for a boycott of Sunday's referendum on the adoption of a new constitution that changes contentious rules on presidential eligibility.
There was a heavy police presence early on Friday as demonstrators took to the streets holding up banners reading "Two mandates is enough" and shouting "Power to the people".
But when several groups of protesters tried to make their way to a square near the presidential residence, police began firing tear gas to stop them, several witnesses told AFP.
An interior ministry spokesman confirmed police had tried to break up the demonstration, saying it was to prevent the protesters from causing a disturbance in Abidjan's business district.
"Some of them with negative intentions tried to go to Place de la Republique which would have disturbed business activity, so we stopped them from reaching these areas."
The Ivorian Popular Front, the party of former president Laurent Gbagbo, is fiercely opposed to the proposed new basic law, criticising the lack of consultation involved and warning it would worsen, not improve, security.
The draft constitution, which parliament overwhelmingly approved earlier this week, changes the rules on presidential eligibility and establishes a senate.
Critically, it would lift the current requirement that both parents of a presidential candidate must have been born in Ivory Coast.
Ouattara's father was born in neighbouring Burkina Faso and the question of parentage was one of the issues which led to months of deadly post-election violence in 2010.
At the time Gbagbo, the defeated candidate, refused to cede power over the issue, triggering widespread violence in which around 3,000 people died.
Ouattara says the amendments will help end years of instability and conflict in the world's top cocoa producer.
The draft also sets up the post of vice president and allows the president to appoint a third of the senate, a provision the opposition is particularly unhappy with.
Gbagbo is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court for war crimes in connection with the deadly unrest that followed his refusal to concede his election to Ouattara in 2010.
Güncelleme Tarihi: 29 Ekim 2016, 11:12


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Upcoming scenes on Coronation Street will see Shona Ramsey held hostage after she decides to help her killer son Clayton Hibbs - and it ends in disaster.
Pictures released by ITV show the mum stumbling out of the building where she was held hostage by Clayton, covered in blood and looking traumatised.
The episode, which airs this Friday March 1, will see Shona visit her son in an abandoned building, where he is hiding out after going on the run.
But when police track him down, he uses his mother as a hostage, holding her at knife point.
Later, Shona manages to kick the knife away and escapes - but seeing the armed officers outside, she instinctively goes back in to protect Clayton.
Actress Julia Goulding told Digital Spy: "There's a pivotal moment in the siege where Shona hugs Clayton. She is holding her baby and she knows the person that she has been trying to get him to be for the whole siege is right there in her arms.
"However, she knows by this point that he is lost to her and she has to make that survival instinct, so the second that she hears the knife fall to the floor, she knows that it is her only chance. She legs it out but that's when she sees the guns.
"That's when Shona's maternal side comes out. She has just had her baby in her arms, but then she runs out and she sees the guns and she's straight back in there, even though she knows it is probably not going to end well."
She added: "As a mother, she can't see her son be killed. People are pointing machine guns at her baby. It was really scary to film, because when I came out and there were all the police and all the cars, it really got me in the zone.
"It would have felt wrong for Shona to leave Clayton because even as myself, the actor, it would have felt wrong. Naturally as soon as I ran out, I was immediately backing away back indoors."


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doctoralprograms.org: Online Doctoral Degrees
Directory of doctoral degree programs available online.
Site Listings
archnet.asu.edu: Archnet - Www Virtual Library - Archaeology
ArchNet, The World-Wide Web Virtual Library for Archaeology
Keywords: anthropology , archaeology , archeology , archnet , archnet , artifact
awesomelibrary.org: Awesome Library
Awesome Library organizes 37,000 carefully reviewed resources, including the top 5 percent for teachers, students, parents, and librarians. It includes a search engine.
Keywords: current events , education , k through 12 , k12 , k-12 , library , math , mathematics
Add Site or Add URL to Submit Site to the Directories Directory


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HighEnd HiFi and Pro Audio customers are serviced directly from AQVOX - Germany
AQVOX does not have distributors or dealers outside german speaking area.
Only direct sales.
All sales only directly from AQVOX
shipping from Hamburg Germany, to worldwide destinations
service + support + 30 days trial
We sell only directly to customers worldwide, we do not have distributors or dealers outside german speaking area. We offer
4 weeks no questions asked return policy. This gives
you the chance to listen to your music in your surroundings
at your leisure. Your complete satisfaction is our
We are happy to answer all your questions around AQVOX,
Computer & Audio and all your vinyl-questions.
We look forward to hearing from you!
| Imprint
| Disclaimer
© 2003-2012 AQVOX Steilshooper Str. 118
22305 Hamburg Germany. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Consumer guarantees under Australian law
When you buy goods and services you automatically have rights.
These rights are called consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law.
For more information go to the Australian Consumer Law website.
If a good or service fails to meet a guarantee, you can exercise your rights against:
- the business where you purchased them
- in some cases, the manufacturer, who can provide a remedy.
When you have a problem with goods or a service, the type of remedy you can ask for depends on whether the problem is classed as either:
- a major failure
- or a minor failure.
The time you have to reject the good or service is however long it would reasonably be expected to last.
What you are guaranteed
You are guaranteed the goods you buy are all of the following:
- of acceptable quality
- match the description, sample or demonstration model you were shown
- are fit for their intended purpose
- have clear title, unless otherwise stated
- do not have any money owing on them
- come with a right to undisturbed possession.
You are guaranteed the services you buy are all of the following:
- provided with due care and skill
- fit for purpose
- completed within a reasonable time.
A manufacturer also guarantees the availability of spare parts and repairs, and that any warranty will be honoured.
Find out more if you have a dispute with a business.
Goods and services covered
Consumer guarantees apply to:
- goods and services that cost less than $40,000
- goods and services bought for personal, domestic or household use, regardless of price
- vehicles and trailers.
Consumer guarantees do not apply to goods bought:
- before 1 January 2011 - these are covered by previous laws
- for your business that cost more than $40,000
- in one-off sales by private sellers such as garage sales and school fetes
- at auction where the auctioneer acts as agent for the owner
- for on-sale or resupply
- for your business to manufacture, produce or repair something else.
Consumer guarantees do not apply to services that:
- were bought before 1 January 2011 - these are covered by previous laws
- cost more than $40,000 and are normally for business use
- are for the transportation or storage of goods for a business, trade, profession or occupation
- are insurance contracts.
Major failure of goods or services
For a major failure, you can choose which remedy to take. The business does not get to decide.
A major failure with goods is when:
- you would not have bought them if you had known about the problem
- they are significantly different from the description, sample or demonstration model shown to you
- they are substantially unfit for normal purpose and can't easily be made fit within a reasonable time, for example, a raincoat that is not waterproof because it is made from the wrong material
- they are substantially unfit for a purpose you told the supplier about and can't easily be made fit within a reasonable time, for example a car is not powerful enough to tow your boat despite you telling the dealer you needed the car to tow a boat
- they are unsafe, for example, an electric kettle with faulty wiring.
For a major failure with goods, you can:
- reject the goods and get a refund
- reject the goods and get an identical replacement or one of similar value
- keep the goods and claim compensation for the drop in value caused by the problem.
A major failure with services is when:
- you would not have used the services if you had known the nature and extent of the problem, for example, you would not have had a jacket dry-cleaned if you knew the dye would run
- the services are unfit for their normal purpose and can't easily be made fit within a reasonable time, for example, a carpet-cleaning service changes the colour of your carpet in some places
- you told the business that you wanted a specific result but the service, and any resulting product, do not achieve that result
- you told the business you wanted their service for a specific purpose but it did not achieve that purpose, for example, if you tell a pay TV company you're signing up to watch the football finals but they install the service after the finals are over
- the supply of the service has created an unsafe situation, for example, an electrician incorrectly wires wall sockets in your new kitchen.
For a major failure with services, you can:
- cancel the service contract with the business and claim a refund
- or keep the contract and claim compensation for the difference in the service delivered and what was paid for.
Minor failure of goods or services
If a failure of goods or a service is not major and can be repaired within a reasonable time, you can't reject the goods and demand a refund.
For a minor failure of goods, the business can:
- provide a refund
- replace the goods
- repair the goods.
Read more about getting a refund and returning goods.
For services, the business must fix the problem:
- free of charge
- within a reasonable time.
Read more about using service providers.
For more advice, contact NT Consumer Affairs.
Last updated: 11 June 2015
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Racial Violence in Philadelphia: The Hate that Dare Not Speak Its Name
Colin Flaherty, Philly Burbs, October 4, 2011
Another week in Philadelphia, another violent episode where people dare not speak its name: Race Riot.
The latest is Port Richmond, where a mob of black people stormed a house, broke in, and beat up the occupants–all because of something that may or may not have happened to a black teenager on a bike.
This is just one of dozens of race riots in the Philadelphia over the last two years.
Though press and public officials do everything they can to ignore the racial component, even giving them a harmless name, like flash mob.
Thank God for YouTube: For every official denial about what really happened during this epidemic of racial violence, someone posted a video, called a talk show, or posted a comment on a news story that allowed us to see what many hoped we never would: Racial violence is busting out not just in Philadelphia, but all over the country.
A few week ago, Mayor Nutter was forced to admit what most in Philadelphia already knew: The violence was racial. And the rioters were damaging their "own race."
Philadelphia may be Ground Zero for race riots–apologists love calling them teenage flash mobs–but it is far from alone.
In hundreds of episodes in more than 50 cities since 2010, groups of black people are roaming the streets of America–assaulting, intimidating, stalking, threatening, vandalizing, stealing, shooting, stabbing, even raping and killing.
But local media and public officials are silent. Crime is color blind, says a Milwaukee police chief. Anyone who notices it has problems, says a Chicago newspaper editor.
That just denies the obvious: America is the most race conscious society in the world.
We learn that every day from black caucuses, black teachers, black unions, black ministers, black colleges, black high schools, black music, black moguls, black hair business owners, black public employees, black art, black names, black poets, black inventors, black soldiers.
Everything except black violent crime. That is taboo.
In Chicago, after weeks of racial violence where the newspapers refused to mention the crime was almost exclusively black gangs on individual whites, especially women and gays, the superintendent of police said he know what was causing the violence: Sarah Palin.
Colin Flaherty, Wilmington, Del., was a speech writer for the former chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and is author of "White Girl Bleed a Lot: The Return of Racial Violence to America." (https://www.WhiteGirlBleedaLot.com) {snip}


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Graham and Brown Wallpaper
Apparently this is old news, but Graham and Brown is now available at Target (online only) and it's suitable for renters b/c it's non-woven backing allows for quick and easy removal.
Double Wallpaper Roll
Features Printed Design
Strippable Paper Non-Woven Fabric Backing
Wipe with a Damp Cloth Surface
Covers 56.0 Sq. Feet
Paper Paste Sold Separately


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A Gloomy Outlook Couldn't Stop These Stocks
Shoes are dropping all over Europe now as Moody's cut its outlook to negative for Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, dinging some of the countries that would be financially responsible for bailing out Spain and Italy should that fateful moment ever arise. The Dow tumbled another 104 points yesterday in response. Still, some stocks managed to go the other way, many by double-digit percentages.
But resist the urge to high-five everyone in the cubicles next to you. Smart investors won't celebrate until they know why their stock surged, because without a fundamental basis for the bounce, these stocks could just as quickly make the return trip down.
Yesterday's % Chg.
CAPS Rating
Oclaro (NAS: OCLR)
KiOR (NAS: KIOR)
E-Commerce China Dangdang (NAS: DANG)
Merger mania was able to trump European concerns two days ago, and some of that euphoria swept into yesterday's results as optical networking specialist Oclaro completed its acquisition of Opnext that was announced back in March. With the acquisition, Oclaro becomes the second-largest optical networking specialist, putting it just behind Finisar but ahead of JDS Uniphase (NAS: JDSU) .
While there's a lull in capex spending at wireless carriers who pause as the economy lags, hitting revenues of equipment makers down the line, the growth in mobile computing and communications is going to require that they eventually upgrade their systems. The merger should help Oclaro capture more business and realize the economies of scale that were promised.
The Fool's Anders Bylund wonders whether the synergies will really materialize, as Oclaro and Opnext have been hurting and JDS Uniphase could always dip into its considerable cash war chest if it needs to. Tell me in the comments box below whether you think Oclaro's in a better position now or if it will be further weighed down by Opnext's own sagging operations.
Fill 'er up!
Actually being able to sell your alternative fuels for use in cars requires the imprimatur of the EPA, and cellulosic biomass fuels maker KiOR just got the government's stamp of approval, which will allow it to begin selling the fuel when it begins production sometime this year. Previously KiOR has said it can achieve an unsubsidized production cost of under $1.80 per gallon, and using a joint venture by Chevron and Weyerhaeuser to provide all of the pulpwood, whole tree chips, and forest residuals it will need to get its production facility going, it will have an opportunity to prove its mettle.
Alt fuels are typically not cost-effective. The Navy, for example, continues to experiment with biomass fuels that run at exorbitant costs. Earlier this month it pushed ahead with plans to test out a biomass fuel that costs $27 per gallon, though when mixed 50-50 with petroleum falls to $15 a gallon. Last year the Navy paid $16 a gallon for some experimental fuel from Solazyme.
I'm skeptical of the long-term value of such alt fuels to make a dent in fossil fuel consumption, but these companies have to start somewhere, and now it's up to KiOR to prove naysayers like me wrong. CAPS member IsThtRlly says that now that the "first factory is coming online, proving scalability and showing what a great product they are making" it shouldn't be too hard to shut me up. Give your views on the KiOR CAPS page or in the comments section below.
Tripping higher
It was nothing Chinese online proprietor E-Commerce China Dangdang did that caused its stock to jump, but rather it rode the coattails of another Chinese Internet giant, Baidu.com (NAS: BIDU) , which reported better-than-expected earnings and halted, at least temporarily, fears that China's economy was faltering more than anticipated.
Since the stock was puffed up because of the actions of others, I don't expect the gains to hold, especially since it surpassed even Baidu's 7% increase. Particularly since Bloomberg reports that profits at government-owned companies fell 12% over the first six months of 2012 while second-quarter GDP expansion was the slowest it's been in three years, these are conditions conducive to an e-commerce website's continued growth.
I should've left my previous underperform rating on CAPS intact, but I've gone and closed out my outperform rating now since I don't see Dangdang recovering anytime soon. Do you see more pain ahead for Chinese companies? Tell me in the comments section below or on the E-Commerce China Dangdang CAPS page whether you agree it will turn tail.
Whoa, Nelly!
None of the companies making deals yesterday pay their investors dividends, but most Dow stocks do. They're often a key component in one's portfolio, and a new Motley Fool report singles out the three Dow companies that dividend investors need to own. It's a free report, so check it out now.
The article A Gloomy Outlook Couldn't Stop These Stocks originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Rich Duprey holds no position in any company mentioned. Click here to see his holdings and a short bio. The Motley Fool owns shares of Weyerhaeuser, Baidu.com, and Solazyme. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Chevron and Baidu.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
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TXTTONE is my final project for Live Web. It's a web browser and SMS-based collaborative musical instrument that is meant to be performed in a room full of people with laptops and cellphones.  I wanted to create an interactive and collaborative musical experienced based on the ubiquitous technologies that we normally have with us at all times.  I was also interested in the play between the synchronous and asynchronous and explore the phase effects that result from TXTTONE being played on multiple computers simultaneously.  TXTTONE is programmed in AJAX/PHP, with SMS support by TextMarks.  I did the sound design in Logic Pro; I was going for "wind chimes meets dial tone."
Category: Live Web
Last week in Live Web, we learned about using Shared Objects in Flash and Canvas in JS/HTML. For my homework, I used the ODI and AMO characters I created last year and reimagined in a Shared Object Flash chat. Check it out here. Click on the text field and type new captions for ODI or AMO to say. The Shared Object should sync up with other people viewing the page to reflect the changes.
It kind of works and kind of doesn't work. Part of it is my buggy code. Part of it is because AMO doesn't actually have a mouth.
Continued from Part 2: Monkeys Watching Monkeys
Monkey Think
Monkeys often evokes a strong emotional response among people. Monkeys as symbols are also charged with social and political meaning. We often anthropomorphize monkeys and project our own human anxieties onto them. Monkeys drive us bananas. They are Curious George one minute and the next minute they are giving you Ebola or AIDS or ripping off your face. Horror lies just under the surface of cute.Â
I worked this week with Kristin Loeb on Monkeys Watching Monkeys, a streaming web video installation that deals with the mediated gaze, reflections and narcissism as they relate to how people look at monkeys, and how we think monkeys look at people and how monkeys look at each other.
More monkeys / This is is really disturbing / WHOA!
Monkey Do
We started with the Conference.as code that Shawn gave us in class, but we came across some mysterious problems. For some reason the compiled SWFs only worked part of the time on Kristin's computer and never actually worked on mine. (Does Snow Leopard hate Monkeys or what?) So we moved on to some off-the-shelf solutions, trying first iChat, then Skype, and finally USTREAM.tv to create a series of simian scenarios. The goal was to position webcams and screens in a way to create an "infinity effect" of primate viewing pleasure.
Documentation outtakes on Flickr
Finally, we created the be beginnings of the Monkey Show, a webpage featuring two USTREAM channels and a Twitter widget that displays the latest tweets with the work "monkey" in them. We hope to trick this page out with more live monkey media in the near future.
Monkey Learn
Bandwidth is an issue
There are mysterious bugs in the system
Even off-the-shelf solutions have their limitations
This installation would probably work better and be more aesthetically pleasing with just cameras and monitors (with the laptops hidden)
The installation would probably have worked better with analog video
Lighting and camera placement are tricky
If only our monkey talent were this well trained:
Continued from my previous post: Live Web Midterm Idea
This week I have continued to develop my idea for my Live Web midterm. My project is called Monkey Watching Monkey Watching Monkey… It combines live streaming video with elements of Nam June Paik's TV Buddha and The Infinite Cat Project. I want to play with the idea of the mediated gaze, reflections and narcissism. I have also been reviewing some of the concepts we dealt with in my Animals and People class last spring. I've previously said that I like looking at animals through webcams and in zoos. But what do animals see when they look at us? What do they see when they see themselves reflected in a mirror or on a video screen? I want to create an infinite loop (or more like spiral) of live internet video of monkeys watching monkeys watching monkeys, ad infinitum. It would be awesome to try this with real monkeys, but in the meantime, I'll demonstrate proof of concept with virtual monkeys. Starting off from the Infinite Cat idea, but with monkeys:
Lemur photo by Sandrine Vuillermoz, published in National Geographic.
Imagine the above scenario with live video, multiple computers, and streaming online. What if I replaced the lemur photo with the last photo with me in it. Would that create an infinite loop of monkeys looking at monkeys?
I want to do something involving live streaming video that combines elements of Nam June Paik's TV Buddha and The Infinite Cat Project. I want to play with the idea of the mediated gaze, reflections and narcissism. I also want to work with animals, whether real or fake. Still trying to flesh out this idea…stay tuned.


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Aurora Group is made up of several specialized companies with a large network of partners around the world.
Aurora Group owns gold mining concessions, and is developing its assets in a way where the application of our technical approach unlocks significant value for our customers, partners and shareholders. Aurora's mining concessions are fully licensed, compliant, traceable and focused on safety.


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The Saint and Sinner palette by Kat Von D is a limited version product similar to the crackers that Sephora released for Christmas in Europe. The Saint and Sinner palette has 24 shades inspired by windows and stained-glass windows of the Gothic churches. They have three types of finishes: metallic, pearled and matt, as for the first impression from this pallette, we can know why the stocks of this product ran out.
The packaging is very characteristic of the brand, the arabesques and typography is designed and hand-drawn by Kat herself. The look and feel of the product is stunning, it has the typical shape of a Gothic church, the 24 shades are divided into 12 for Saint and 12 for sinner, following the concept with special names for each category. Two mirrors and a lock with magnets complete the overall aspect of this palette.
The shades for each category of Saint & Sinner are the following:
Absolution, Worship , Immaculate , Chalice, Sacred Heart, Amen, Sanctuary, Heaven, Crucifix, Cathedral, Rosary, Baptism
Rapture, Sabbath, Ashes, Martyr, Devil, Revelation, Vestment , Ministry, Exodus, Exorcism, Relic, Stigmata
The Saint and Sinner palette by Kat Von is pigmented and creamy. The selection of shades is very complete, we can create multiple looks from a daily one to a night one or fantasy version. The metallic and pearled shades have a very lumineux finished. But be careful while blending the glitter or metallic colors, if you are looking for a very metallic look, it would be better to work it with a pearled color first and finishing with the glitter ones.
The fact that Kat Von D continues with the defense of cruelty free / Vegan make-up and the luxury quality of her products are reasonable reasons to keep investing on this palette.
For these pics, I'm wearing Ashes, Exodus, Vestment, Immaculate et Relic


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This post is by Anton Buchner, a senior consultant with TrinityP3. Anton is a lateral and innovative thinker with a passion for refocusing business teams and strategies; creating visionary, data driven communication plans; and making sense of a more complex digital marketing environment.
"Is our sport sponsorship delivering good value?"
This a question we were recently asked by a client.
And having also recently watched the 2014 FIFA World Cup, seeing brands through their sponsored and non-sponsored guerilla activity attempt to win customers over, I thought I'd explore sponsorship value a little deeper.
Let's play the 'delivering good value' game
Whistle blows to signal kick off. Game on.
FIFA has six top sponsor "partners":
- Adidas
- Coca-Cola
- Emirates
- Hyundai Motor / Kia Motors
- Sony
- Visa.
Many people have been asking who won the World Cup in terms of sponsorship?
Lets delve a little deeper into Adidas v Nike.
At TrinityP3, we assess any sponsorship based on 4 lenses:
- Business alignment – how strongly does the sponsorship align to business objectives.
- Cost / value equation – what definable value is the company receiving from the sponsorship for the investment
- Quantifiable results – does the sponsorship deliver on what it promises and how quantifiable is the spend
- Leverage – how well does the sponsorship offer opportunity to leverage connections with potential customers (both internal stakeholders and external consumers)
Business Alignment
Soccer has about 2 billion fans worldwide, followed by basketball with 1.2 billion, according to sports research consultancies Repucom and Sport+Markt.
Roughly 70% of the soccer related product market is controlled by Nike & Adidas (with Puma 3rd). However Nike only entered the soccer product market in 1994, whereas Adidas has been associated and aligned since 1949.
Adidas is the market leader however Nike is hot on its heels and has a strategy to be number one.
In 2013, Nike's soccer related revenue was $2b (up 21% from a year earlier, and about double the pace of revenue growth for the broader company) and Adidas was $2.4b
Adidas launched the 'One Brand Anthem' strategy bringing together its three lines of business (sports, style, and street) into one global campaign for the first time ever and engaging with consumers across multiple platforms and touchpoints.
They called it All In or Nothing.
Nike has taken a #riskeverything strategy and wants to win in soccer globally.
Risk everything is all about success despite pressure and Nike has focussed on blending product placement with entertaining content and real time marketing. The question is whether all the social connection converts into sales.
So lets call it 1-1 at this stage.
Cost / value equation
FIFA predicted it will generate $1.4 billion in sponsorship revenue from twenty-two different companies from the 2014 World Cup.
The six FIFA Partner status companies contribute roughly 56% or $783 million. So assuming equal contributions from each of the Partners, the 2014 World Cup cost Adidas about $130.5 million in FIFA sponsorship alone.
Adidas also reportedly spent US$68m on its advertising campaign.
Industry analysts have also calculated that based on $21.2 billion revenue target for Adidas in 2014, then Adidas may have assigned a $2.14b marketing budget (the same spending ratio at last year's 10.1%).
So with a sponsorship cost saving, Nike slips a sneaky goal ahead.
Nike and Adidas fought out their 2014 World Cup strategy with sponsorship of National teams and individual super stars. Together they sponsor 19 of the 32 teams in the tournament.
Nike sponsored 10 teams, including hosts Brazil and the rising stars United States, while Adidas sponsored 9, including the last World Cup champion, Spain, and both this year's 2014 finalists Germany and Argentina.
Yet it's the first time Nike has kitted out more teams than Adidas.
So 3-1 to Nike.
However with Germany and Argentina both #Allin the final, Adidas is claiming victory. That's 2 goals to Adidas. It's all tied up again.
Adidas sponsor Colombia's James Rodriguez, who won the golden boot (for being the leading goal scorer in the tournament), as well as Germany's Thomas Muller and Argentina's Lionel Messi.
4-3 to Adidas! It's a goal fest.
Yet Nike boasted about the fact that 53% of players on 2014 World Cup squads wore Nike boots.
And Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina and Miroslav Klose of Germany (who broke the all time tournament scoring record), both wore Nike Hypervenom boots in the final.
4-4 at half time in the 'delivering good value' game.
Hold onto your seats for the second half.
Quantifiable results
FIFA has stated that more than a billion fans worldwide accessed information about the tournament through its digital platforms.
"This has been the first truly mobile and social World Cup," said FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
And there were more than 3b interactions on Facebook (more interactions than the Super Bowl, Oscars & Olympics combined). With the Final generating 280 million interactions from 88 million users, including comments, likes and posts.
There were 672m posts on Twitter with 32.1 million during the final. Not quite pipping the 35.6m posts during the Brazil-Germany semi-final.
Yet there were 618,725 tweets a minute registered after Germany scored the winning goal in extra time to defeat Argentina 1-0. That beat the 580,000 tweets a minute generated during Brazil's humiliating 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany in the semi-final. Interestingly this compares to 381,605 tweets a minute during the 2014 Super Bowl, according to Twitter.
There were also over 2.1 billion #WorldCup-related searches on Google.
However back to the game, lets look at some of Nikes' and Adidas' digital media metrics.
The Risk Everything YouTube Video has been viewed over 16.6M times, with a 35:1 like:dislike ratio.
Adidas' All In or Nothing YouTube video has amassed over 38M views, however with a 6.3:1 like:dislike ratio.
Yet Nike's Last Game video has received a whopping 64m views! With a fantastic 36:1 like:dislike ratio.
Nike reports their campaign has proved to be their most social and mobile campaign ever, with 22 million campaign engagements to-date (likes, comments, shares), and 650,000 uses of the hashtag #riskeverything in social media.
However, Adidas' #Allin hastag trumps Nike's with 917,000 uses.
And Adidas had the fastest growing Twitter handle (@Brazuca which has over 3.9M followers) during the tournament with the official (crowd sourced) name of the match ball, Brazuca.
Maybe a goal each.
Nike has had a 21% increase in soccer revenue for the year June 1- May 31 preceding the 2014 tournament and is closing in on Adidas' market leadership.
Ultimately it will be interesting how sales pan out for both companies in the next 6 months.
So a close chance for Nike ricocheting off the post.
As we enter extra time, and the 'delivering good value' game is still tied, it's critical to understand how Adidas has leveraged their sponsorship. This could be the clincher to outweigh Nike's guerrilla attack.
As mentioned before Adidas named the match ball (Brazuca being the winner) and has created extensive leverage through social media and digital platforms – YouTube, Facebook, & Twitter.
They ran promotions to win soccer balls signed by sponsored players by following Adidas' soccer-related Twitter accounts.
Additionally, they created the Adidas' SoundCloud page (107,000 followers) as the home to World Cup-inspired music playlists, and conducted The FIFA World Cup Chant Challenge, giving fans the opportunity to create an original chant for their respective national teams and enter to win a trip for two to the World Cup.
Adidas also had extensive on-site activations including opening a Creation Centre in Sao Paulo, and 3D light projection shows in Rio de Janeiro.
However I'm not privy to how well these performed and how they were measured.
So no goals!
It's still 5-5 nearing the end of extra time. Maybe a penalty shoot out will have to decide it?
Although it feels to me that Adidas has overinvested in the hope to stave off Nike's threat. My feeling is that Nike will knock them off.
6-5 to Nike I say, with a calculated goal in the dying seconds of play.
Hope you enjoyed the 'delivering good value' game.
And if you need, we'd love to help you answer the question:
"Is our sport sponsorship delivering good value?"


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Leonard (Buzz) Swart
The Settling of the Grand Marsh of the Kankakee River
Interview by Laverne Terpstra, Transcribed by Shirley Zeck
November 14 1994
I was born about one and a half miles south of here, on the Kenny DeVries Blueberry Farm in 1908. I just had a birthday. I am 86.
I don't know why my grandparents moved to this area. My grandparents on my mother's side owned 80 acres of ground where Kenny DeVries Blueberries is and the Sytsma's place is (14241 N 700 W). When they died it was divided up between three children, my mother, Mrs. Mak and Tom Abbring. My mother and Mrs. Mak got the 80 acres and paid Tom Abbring off. My mother's name was Anna.
I always had to get wood in, split wood for the cookstove and also haul in wood for the stove in the winter time. We burned wood just about all summer long in the cookstove. That how my mother cooked. It was all in the house. We finally got a little kerosene stove. We used that in the real hot weather. Most of it was all baking and everything on the cookstove.
I went to school at Tyler School. It was down the road here where Kaper's Subdivision is (700 W Castilian Dr.). When I was in the third grade we moved to DeMotte School. I had to walk about a mile and a quarter to Tyler School. In bad weather and if it was raining too hard they would take you in the horse and buggy.
When they first built the DeMotte School in 1914 everybody was going to move to DeMotte School. But they soon found out when they brought all the country kids in they didn't have room for them all. So, the closest ones around DeMotte went to the DeMotte School and the country kids went back out to their country school again.
I think it was in 1916 they put an addition on the DeMotte School and then everybody went to DeMotte School. They moved us out of the Tyler School with a team and wagon and took us to the school. Back then they had horse-drawn school buses. They could hold 12 or 15 students. In the winter time they had a little stove underneath the school bus. Sometimes they would have to stop along the road and fire up the stove a little more to keep the school bus warm. They used sticks of wood. When I was sixteen years old, I quit high school and stayed home to work. Most people did at that time.
My father farmed a little, bit but he did a lot work for the Northern Indiana Land Company. He kept buildings in repair for them. He had a steady job with Mr. Enz who looked after Northern Indiana Land Company. He was located where Rob Schoonveld now lives (7390 W 1400 N). There was a big house there and it burned down when a tenant lived there.
The Enz family lived there, and he had an office in the house. He was the overseer for the Northern Indiana Land Company. He did all the hiring of the help who did all the improvements, building new buildings and everything. The area this covered was north of Wheatfield on SR 49 out west to the county line. It went from the river to where Evans Farm now is (13861 N 700 W). That was the old Ranch Headquarters. That was about the south end of it. That was where all the hired men stayed and people who lived there cooked the meals for them.
My brother Neal worked for Mr. Enz for a couple of years. He made $60 a month plus board. That was good wages the. He fed cattle and did farm work. He would be busy all the time in the winter feed cattle.
The old house where Sytsma lived (our place) was the last house until you got about a mile north of the river. There were no houses out here. This old Hebron Grade (700 W North of 1700N) was a dirt road back in those days and pretty muddy too.
That was the main road. SR 231 was not there then.
My mother used to tell me when she was a girl if they wanted to go to Hebron, they had to go clear up around Baum's Bridge in order to cross the river, the marsh and come back to Hebron again. It was an all-day event with horses and wagons.
One Saturday afternoon there was a show troupe from Kankakee, Illinois that usually made the rounds going east across northern Indiana and come back again. They would make all the small towns, usually two-night stands, Friday and Saturday nights.
Anyway, that was back when the saloons were going. One of the players in the saloon on Saturday afternoon made a wisecrack about some of the DeMotte girls. It didn't set very good with this fellow. He hit him over the head with a beer bottle and killed him.
Passenger trains were going through DeMotte at that time (four passenger trains a day). There was one in the evening (four o'clock) going west to Kankakee. Since he was from there they loaded him in a baggage car and took him to Kankakee. They gave a choice to the fellow that killed him to either stand trial for murder or go into the Army. That was during WWI. So he took the Army and that was the end of it. That was a lot of excitement for DeMotte.
One of Konovsky's buildings was where the tavern is now (804 S. Halleck). There was a garage building in the bottom and space up above. It was a place where they had shows. They had moving pictures there sometimes. The Gordon players always played up there to big crowds.
There were always baseball games on Sundays. They played wherever they could make a ball diamond. Back in those days every wide spot in the road had a ball team.
They also had barn dances usually every Saturday night someplace. The place where Enz's lived had a big barn (it is still standing) where they had barn dances. There would be up in the hundreds of people attending. They would come from all of northern Jasper County. They were held every Saturday night. The newspaper was the Kankakee Valley News or something like that. It was printed out of Rensselaer. It had Wheatfield news. Maybe at one time it was printed at Wheatfield.
Wheatfield used to be quite a going town, a lot bigger than DeMotte. They had shows going every Saturday and Sunday night in Wheatfield.
At that time it had grocery stores, drugstores, meat markets etc. The train also stopped in Wheatfield.
The trains hauled everything, even livestock. There used to be stockyard pens in DeMotte west of the elevator (800 S. Halleck). They shipped out cattle. If somebody had a lot of cattle to sell, they would drive them to the pens and load them in cattle cars. They would go to Chicago to the stockyards.
My dad and older brothers made a lot of wild hay. The first bales that they made were made by horse power. A team of horses would go around in a circle. They made the power for running the hay press.
Later on they bought a big gasoline engine that ran the press. They would ship out a lot of wild hay in boxcars. There was a switch on the old Gifford track where Harry Postma lives (13700 N 700 W). They would load the bales in cars there and ship it to Chicago. That was what they did mostly all summer long. It was sold to hay brokers in Chicago.
They would bale hay in all area. I was too young to bale but my job was to bring dinner out to them at noon. I would walk out with a couple of milk pails full of sandwiches and coffee. My mother would fix it.
My dad always fed the hay press. My oldest brother Tom and another fellow that worked for my dad would pick the hay up on the hay press. My other brother Neal would take care of the bales, piling them and feeding wires in the hay press. Another brother Louie would run the bull rake and bring up hay all the time to the hay press. Brother Ben would run the rake on the ground. It was my job all the time to take them their dinner when they were working. Of course, it had to be dry weather in order to make hay.
They cut hay with mowing machines and horses. My dad got a tractor made out of a Model T Ford. He used that on the front end of the mowing machine. One thing about that, the horse flies didn't eat it up like it did the horses.
My dad bought the tractor outfit that was manufactured to make a tractor out of a Model T Ford. The wheels were taken off the back end of the Model T and they put on big steel wheels in front of where the Model T wheels went.
Dad and my older brothers always did a lot of trapping in the winter time. They would catch a lot of muskrats and mink, coon and possum. Whenever they would have two or three big burlap sacks full of hides they would take them to Chicago to the big fur dealers and sell them. They would take them in the Model T Ford. It was an all-day event. After WWI hides were real high.
One time my brother Ben and I (I guess I was only about 9 or 10 years old and he was three years older than me) set a bunch of traps on Friday night after school. Of course we had to look after them on Saturday morning. We had a big mink in one place. Dad's hound dog went with us. While we were killing one mink he was out hunting and got another mink. Two kids were about ready to bust the buttons off their shirt when they went home with two big mink. My dad kept them separate when he sold them in Chicago. They got $22.00 a piece for them. They were all sold to big fur houses in Chicago. Taylor and Fulton were two of the big fur houses. They bought all the raw furs, and of course the finishers who made coats bought from them.
We had to skin, stretch, and dry the furs. They didn't want to buy green furs. At one time back before the river was drained, my dad and another fellow were trapping together all winter. They even had a tent set up in a place. When they came home they would start a little fire in the stove, in the tent and do all the skin stretching in there.
Groundhogs would dig dens, and fur-bearing animals would take over the dens in the wintertime. That's where they would hole up at and set their traps by the holes. If you were lucky enough, you caught something. You didn't know what you were going to catch.
I saw the dredge that dug the Kankakee River out on the Old Grade. My dad heard in town that it was going to be up close by the Grade. We got in the Model T and went out to see it. It was a big outfit. It wasn't done in one year.
They did it all in one operation as wide as it is now. They dug here from Baum's Bridge from the State Line. They would dig up a ways on one side and throw all the bank up there. They'd throw back and take half of it and throw it on the other side.
When they got up here it was small enough that it was supposed to be. They could reach by staying in the middle and throw all the dirt both ways.
I don't know where it came from, but it was a big outfit. It floated right in the water. One man was usually the main operator when it was going. But there were probably half a dozen guys working on it to keep it going.
There were firemen and blacksmith and everything right on the dredge. So if anything broke they could fix it right there.
My brother Neal worked on what they call the brown Ditch. It starts up here at Kahler's Bridge east up here, and it runs to the bridge where Tom Postma lives (14621 N 700 W). A guy from Hebron State Senator Bill Brown owned that. My brother Neal worked on that all the time. There were four that ran that dredge.
I didn't see them build either one of the bridges, but I worked on the road when they paved US 231 from a gravel road. They dug ditches on both sides and threw the dirt up the middle in order to make the grade. Then they flattened it down and graveled it. It was done mostly with horses.
Later on, around 1928 they made a paved road out of it.
The first year we were married, we were down to my mother's little place. I rented quite a little ground around the country all that I could. I farmed with four head of horses. The next year I moved to town on Konovsky's place west of town. I was driving the school bus, too and doing farm at all small places around besides Konovsky's farm. I heard that this place out here was going to be for rent. The overseers name was Nolton from Freeport, Illinois. They had a big mortgage on all this Land Company ground, and they foreclosed on Northern Indiana Land Company. That's how they got control of it.
The result was after they got foreclosure proceedings all done they started selling it out. We moved out here in 1936 (6670 W 1600 N). There was only about 35 acres of farm ground on this whole place here. Then there was a quarter section over in Wheatfield township that they owned too. I farmed that. The township line is on the east side of this place.
We cleared a lot of ground. There were a lot of trees. A big fire went through here about 1928. There was much vegetation on the ground. It made such a hot fire it killed the green trees and burned the tops right out them. It killed all but the elm trees. You usually had to dynamite them out and break them up some so you could pull them out with a tractor.
There were a lot of trees to haul out for firewood. Everybody could get as much firewood as they wanted. Besides that, there was an outfit from Gary that was making baker's wood. They used it in the bakeries to bake with. It was two-foot-long and about 2 and one half inches square pieces of wood. There were wood splitters back in those days that split it. Then they would haul it in to Gary. It was a booming city then, not like it is today.
After the best of it was gone you usually had to pay about $4.00 an acre for it. But you could haul 25 to 30 wagonloads off an acre of ground. The trees were so thick, you couldn't even drive a team of horses through them without clearing them out first.
It seemed to improve the ground with all the ashes back on the ground. I let a lot of the ground out to different guys to clear just for the first crop that they got off of it. About all it was they would do was pick up the burnt stuff and pile it up and burn it. They would get the first crop for doing that.
I bought most of my farm machinery from Otto DeYoung and Sons in DeMotte, tractors, plows and corn planters. I would buy new plow shares once in a while, but we would take them to the blacksmiths and have them resharpened and reworked. They would last quite a while. Caleb Cheever ran a blacksmith shop in DeMotte before he started the garage. It was in the same building where it is now. He would even shoe horses there. He had a half-brother who was a blacksmith also.
Back then when the Northern Indiana Land company owned the ground yet International Harvester (McCormick outfit) had a lot of machinery out here. They were using the ground as test plots to test their new machinery with. The old wild hay ground was about as tough to plow as any ground was. It was sod. They had all different kinds of plows and tractors back in those days. They were just starting to make tractors. That was just about one-half mile south of here. It was like a little town set up out there where they lived in tents in the summertime.
Then the Northern Indiana Land Company through Mr. Enz as overseer started selling out all the ground they could. A lot of farmers from Illinois came over and bought ground out here. A lot of them lost it too.
After WWI prices went down and they couldn't make payments on the farms and they went back to the company again. The cleared ground sold for $125 per acre. That was a pretty high price back in those days. There were quite a few farmers from Illinois that had maybe 160 or a couple of hundred acres paid for in Illinois. They put that as down payment on a bigger place out here. Then they wound up losing it all.
A fellow by the name of Schafer owned this place where Martin Hoffman farmed (Kenny DeVries now – 6421 W 1600 N). He lost it. My brother-in-law bought the farm where Tom Postma lives now (15841 N 700 W). They lost it. There were quite a few who lost farms. It was before Depression Days yet.
Back in Depression Days you couldn't pay for anything. As soon as everything got built up after WWI then farm prices went way down.
The Land Company had built small houses on most of these farms. This house that used to be here I sold to a neighbor, Obenchain. Our old house (Mart Hoffmans') was built when the Land Company had a big sawmill out here on a ridge. They sawed a lot of lumber out there.
They would build houses for the guys that worked on the sawmill to live in. They got the houses for working for them along with their pay. But after they started breaking up the ground farmers lived in the houses.
After the Kankakee River was dug all this ground through here was well-drained. The river took care of it. Back in the early 1930's they tapped the Yellow River into the Kankakee up east here. That was bigger than the Kankakee was itself. The result was they kept tapping more ditches into the Kankakee and finally it flooded over.
Back in the 1920's you could raise wheat any place out here without being drowned out. When we moved out here I started raising some oats and wheat along with corn. My neighbor Mart Hoffman had a threshing machine. We would exchange work, and we would get threshing done that way. A couple of neighbors would go together and have enough help to keep the outfit going. We always ate dinner wherever we were threshing. The ladies cooked it. It was a lot of work.
The bus that I was driving had a Model A Ford truck on it. It was a pretty big school bus. I got the idea that I could drive it on single wheels on the back end. I had to go around a dirt road going to Kersey to pick up kids over there. On the way coming back I noticed the track on the road was about like a snake traveled. I got to thinking, by gosh that's my track from the school bus. So, I stopped and got out and looked and the back wheel was ready to break off the bus. I had a spare wheel and put that back on, and went to town to buy another wheel. From then on I used dual wheels. It was a big bus and had so much swing to it that it cracked all holes in the rim of the wheel. You could buy them a junkyards.
I think I had around forty kids in the school bus. It was the biggest school bus that the DeMotte School had. It was the newest. Simon Groet was trustee, and we both went to Indianapolis and got the school bus one day.
Then I got the job hauling basketball players all winter long at night time. There would be some fans in the bus, too.
Hank Boezeman drove a school bus most of his life, I think. Ben Hoffman, Gerrit Woudema, and Bert Duggins drove school buses. Dig Gleason drove for a while and also Elb Cheever.
After we moved out here I had so much work to do. You would work from eight in the forenoon to eight in the evening. We never went very many places in those days.
We had an old $20 Chevy when we were first married. I had the school bus truck also. DeMotte was about as far as we went.
We had a garden every year. We had a good strawberry patch too. One time the landlord and his wife came out here. It was wet from so much rain you couldn't do anything in the fields so we were all busy picking strawberries. The landlord Paul Thompson and his wife came out. They came right down to the strawberry patch and started picking and eating strawberries until they got filled up.
The grocery store in town where the tavern is now, (804 S. Halleck), was run by Hank Swart. Then he sold that out to his nephew Billy Swart. It was always Swarts Store, but no relation to us.
South a little bit there was another grocery store, DeKock's. Down at the other end there was a store started out by some of the farmers out south of town. Andrew Kamminga ran it most of the time. It went out of business and Henry DeKock had a hardware store in there. Howard Evans had a hardware store for a while.
Before that there was the McGinnis store about where DeYoung's store was (824 S. Halleck), close to Al Ewart's building. There were places where you could get a hamburger and a cup of coffee – restaurants. Curtins and Mary Starkey had restaurants (806 S. Halleck). Art Lageveen had a drygoods store south of Swart's grocery store. After the town burned Art built on the east side of the street (821 S. Halleck).
There were not very many buildings on the east side. There was Bunning's JP place. It used to be Herman Ostings shoeshop. They built on the west side and sold that building to Mr. Bunning. He was always Justice of the Peace in DeMotte. He was John, Walt and Hank's dad. A little south of there Neal Sekema's had a creamery shop. They finally moved that back and built a garage where the creamery was.
Roy True had a barbershop on the west side of the street where Pop Rowen had a bakery (816 S. Halleck). It was a wooden building. It was north of Ken Nannenga's furniture store (814 s. Halleck). The hotel was on the corner on the east side.
I don't remember when Konovsky started the saloon and lumberyard and elevator. It was long before WWI. He was a very honest man.
Most of the stores had a cement or board sidewalk, but there was a stretch from Al Ewart's building (824 S. Halleck) to the restaurant (832 S. Halleck) where there was never any sidewalk. It was all sand sidewalk they called it.
Back in the early days, there were hitching posts where you could tie your horse when you went to town with your horse and buggy.
Transcript of Taped Interview with
Leonard (Buzz) Swart
Interviewed by
Laverne Terpstra
Transcribed by
Shirley Zeck
Sponsored by
Demotte-Kankakee Valley Rotary Club
Oral History Project


text:
Stevens Student Turns Her Crutches into a Cause
For Genevieve Finn, the worst part of being on crutches for the better part of two years in high school wasn't the pain or the difficulty getting around.
The worst part, she recalled, was explaining, over and over, what had happened — that she'd undergone two surgeries in less than a year to repair torn labra in her hips.
"Every time someone comes up to you and asks what happened, you just want to punch them," she said, laughing at the memory. "But you can't, because you have to hold on to your crutches."
The answer for Finn, now a junior at the School of Business at Stevens, was to customize her crutches, to express her creativity and turn the focus away from her injuries. She and her mom bought some fabric and sewed a set of New York Mets-themed crutches that Finn wore to a baseball game.
The effect was instantaneous — and incredibly helpful to her recovery.
"Suddenly, it wasn't 'Oh, you poor thing, what did you do?' It was, 'Where did you get those? Those are really cool, how did you make those?' So people weren't seeing an injury anymore," she said. "It completely changed my rehab."
'More in touch with the business side'
Since then, Genevieve's Crutches has become a licensed nonprofit that has donated more than 250 decorated crutches, mainly to disabled veterans receiving care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, who will need her crutches for life. The business is run by Finn; her mother, Regina; and her older sister, Casey; out of the family's Allentown home. And while her mom keeps the books, Finn's Stevens business education is improving how the nonprofit meets its mission.
"We're more in touch with the business side," said Finn, who is pursuing a Business & Technology major at Stevens with both a minor and a concentration in Computer Science. "Instead of scrambling around before a visit to Walter Reed, we'll have meetings to see what materials we have, what sets we can do, lay out our targets and figure out what needs to be done. It's little changes, maybe, but they make all the difference and save a lot of time."
"The interviewers asked me in detail about my classes, and how I could apply them at work — and that was probably the easiest question they could have asked, because all the classes here at Stevens emphasize real-world application."
While Genevieve's Crutches involves the odd trip home to keep the business running, it doesn't detract from how heavily involved Finn is on campus. She's an admissions and business ambassador on campus, works as a tour guide and teaching assistant, and even volunteers in Hoboken. She also enjoyed a high-profile internship with JP Morgan Chase over the summer, working in the firm's global technology infrastructure division; she'll be returning to the bank next summer.
Finn learned of the internship through one of many the Stevens notifications about career and networking opportunities, which are regularly publicized by the Office of Career Development and the School of Business.
"The interviewers asked me in detail about my classes, and how I could apply them at work — and that was probably the easiest question they could have asked, because all the classes here at Stevens emphasize real-world application," Finn said.
While on the job, Finn was tasked with remodeling JP Morgan Chase's headcount and approval systems. Her information systems and computer science courses helped her complete those projects, while her management courses further developed her presentation and public speaking skills.
"In class, we do so many presentations, and it forces you to become comfortable in front of a room full of people," she said. "I was very comfortable talking to managers and department heads as though they were my peers — without my Stevens experience, that would have been very difficult."
Bridging the gap between tech, business
The position with JP Morgan Chase was ideal for Finn, who sees herself bridging the gap between the technology and business operations of a large company. The speed with which technology is disrupting established business practices has created opportunities for Stevens students, who study the possibilities future-oriented professionals can bring to industry, whether at big companies or their own startups.
"In my sophomore year, I was taking an information systems class, and Professor Michael Parfett pointed out that the business and technology sides of businesses really don't talk," Finn said. "And this internship really showed me that this area is a huge concern to corporations."
It might seem strange to imagine Finn, the entrepreneur of Genevieve's Crutches, as someone who wants to put her experience to use at a large company. For Finn, though, it's a matter of perspective.
"A lot of people ask me, why wouldn't you want to make this a career? And my response is, I want to keep it something I love," she said. "A lot of times you'll hear people who will make something like this their career, and it winds up becoming a chore for them. And that is not something I want to happen to me. This is a labor of love — I want to keep it that way."
Genevieve's Crutches is an accredited 501(c)3 nonprofit. To learn more or donate money or materials, visit www.genevievescrutches.com.


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Students win awards for bio-separation research
Findings related to microfluidics and lab-on-chip devices will help advance techniques to separate biological cells and assess diseases
Three students from Rochester Institute of Technology were recognized for their research findings about improvements to bio-separation techniques for lab-on-a-chip medical devices. They were awarded top honors in several categories in the undergraduate and graduate research competitions at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting and conference in November in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Alexandra LaLonde and Maria Romero-Creel, both undergraduates in RIT's biomedical engineering program, placed first and second, respectively, in the Undergraduate Research Posters Competition-Separations Division. More than 300 research projects by undergraduate students from universities across the country were presented in this competition and were judged by university professors and researchers from different research areas.
Mario Saucedo-Espinosa, a doctoral student in the university's microsystems program, placed first at the AES Electrophoresis Society graduate student poster competition, part of the overall AIChE conference. These posters were judged by scientists in the area of microfluidics and electrophoresis.
The students' work introduced improved microfluidic techniques with the potential to separate larger and rare cells found in fluids such as blood, reducing the time to separate these particles and significantly lowering the time that biological cells were exposed to negative dielectrophoretic effects. Techniques for separating fluid samples are useful in areas where rapid results are essential such as testing for food and water safety or clinical analysis of disease.
"In my almost 11 years as a faculty member, this is the first time that I had 100 percent of the students win awards. I took three students who presented eight papers at the conference and they all took awards at the conference. It is unheard of," said Blanca Lapizco-Encinas, associate professor of biomedical engineering in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering. She mentors all three students in her Microscale BioSeparations Laboratory developing techniques in microfluidics to separate cells so that scientists and clinicians can better analyze diseases through technology such as lab-on-a-chip devices— highly sophisticated laboratories on microchips. This work is part of her National Science Foundation grant-funded project "Rapid and Dynamic Cell Assessments in Dielectrophoresis-based Microfluidic Devices." These devices have multiple channels where fluid samples are assessed after being exposed to electrical currents that cause the bio-particles to separate for more efficient analysis. The student-researchers have been involved in advancing device system designs and in determining the threshold of electrical fields applied to adequately manipulate the fluids but also ensuring that live cells are not damaged.
"Ours is a small lab, compared to some of the others at the conference, but we are producing as much or more experiments and journal articles about this work," said Saucedo-Espinosa, who is from Monterrey, Mexico, and in his final year of the doctoral program. "People were impressed with our results and the quality of the work. We are trying to fill in the gaps in the field of science so we are designing devices that others have not been able to do so far. Our group has developed a system where we can separate cells faster and with less electrical treatment. This means less damage to the cells."
The results were some of the first seen confirming techniques and processes that preserve cell integrity, said Romero-Creel.
"Some of the questions the judges asked were about theory and how exactly the devices work because we are definitely in a field that is very specialized," said the fourth-year student from Newton, Mass. "Our projects focus on preserving cell integrity and being able to maintain appropriate cell properties to continue to grow them or do other important tests."
LaLonde agreed. "It's such as specific field and it's nice to get other opinions from people who actually do the same work. These techniques will be good for diagnostics and clinical relevance, and this system can be used for something as applicable as detecting cancer cells.
"It was also nice to talk to people at the conference who had such a wealth of knowledge in this area, not only for the experience, but also to be able to talk to others who were familiar with what we were working on," said LaLonde, who is from Syracuse, N.Y. She will graduate from RIT this May.
Students need to have both an understanding of engineering and biological theory, but also the math modeling necessary to assess different designs and processes, said Lapizco-Encinas.
"They spend as much time at the computer as they do with a microscope and preparing experiments. They all worked really hard and it shows," she added. "I value their level of professionalism and dedication. The degree of complexity keeps increasing because we keep learning and using these techniques to implement our next steps. There were some struggles, but kept pushing; these students are smart and resilient."


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President Buhari Expresses Sadness Over Uyo Church Building Collapse…
President Muhammadu Buhari has ended a conversation a while ago with the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel in which he congratulated the Governor and his family on their lucky escape from the tragic collapse of the building of the Reigners Bible Church, Uyo.
The President also conveyed to the Governor and the People of Akwa Ibom State, the deep sorrow of his family, the government and the entire people of Nigeria over the many deaths and injury recorded following the incident. In praying for the repose of the souls of the deceased and the quick recovery of the injured, President Buhari implored the people of the state, especially those in the catchment area of the incident to rally around the victims of the tragedy to help ease their sorrow and pains. He commended the Government of the state for the handling of the situation, so far. Garba Shehu, SSAP (Media and Publicity)


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How about discovering a dream location at altitude, perfectly suited to your next business lunches, seminars or any other planned event ?
The Chandolin Boutique Hotel is luckily integrated in a preserved environment where the activities are as diverse as they are unique: unforgettable experiences to share with family, colleagues or with your partners.
We hope you will want to trust us for your next professional or personal appointments.


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The tools of my trade and twenty years of homeschooling had been pulled out of the cabinets and off the shelves. It was time to let go and move on to the next chapter in life. My kids were grown.
But twenty years of homeschooling offer perspective and perspective is a powerful teacher with those who have ears to learn.
Everywhere I looked around me I saw - not just stuff - but memories. The first picture book my daughter read, the first chapter book my son read.
The read alouds recalled hours with a little one in my lap, two more children on each side, and another draped across the top of the couch, pressing in to hear my words. Sweet memories!
There were reminders of the moments when my youngest students "got" phonics when they sounded out their first words or worked their first addition problems with counting beads. All by themselves!
AAHH! The dissection kit for the biology labs. Who knew that my son would think it was gross but my delicate daughter would love it and go into nursing!
But those were the good days. Homeschooling offered many challenges. You never choose it as the "easy road."
Why did I have three different spelling programs and scads of writing and grammar workbook series? Two of my children never seemed to "get" Language Arts. I kept thinking: If I can just pick the right program, it will all click and they will become brilliant students! Voila!!
I had to laugh over the workbook series on settling arguments between siblings and creating tranquility in the home. Other families always seemed to have it together and looked more loving and peaceful. Perhaps the workbook series would be the missing key to a harmonious home life.
Some trust in chariots
and some in horses,
but we trust in
the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7
Perspective has taught me a humble truth. I had a missing homeschool ingredient. Tearful talks with other moms over coffee and play-dates were only momentary bandaids.
I trusted in EVERYTHING but the name of the LORD my God. I checked the boxes on the lesson plans and added the credits on the transcripts but it wasn't until I came to the end of my own inventions that I desperately cried out to the the LORD.
Bottom line: Do the best you know when it comes to choosing curriculum and teaching your children Biblically. Stay in touch with a mom support group. But, first trust in the LORD and pray over everything each day.
Those children who just couldn't write - are writers now. Those siblings who fought earlier are now very close and God used even the discord to bring them closer to Him and each other.
Nothing is wasted in God's economy. He delights when we bring him our biggest - and smallest - problems. The variety of ways He can show Himself to be mighty in our lives are innumerable if we trust Him first in everything.


text:
Jenna Fischer
Jenna is the founder of The Arranged Abode in Raleigh, NC. After years of working in the fashion and apparel industry, Jenna began conceptualizing a company, that at it's core, aimed at helping families simplify their daily lives. She combined her eye for detail with her love for organizing and tidying, to create The Arranged Abode. Located centrally in Apex, North Carolina, Jenna enjoys helping families all around the Triangle by bringing order to everyday chaos.
Jenna received her Bachelor of Science in Apparel and Textile Marketing, as well as Minors in Business and Leadership Studies, from Kansas State University. After moving to the Triangle in 2011, she met her husband Nick. Jenna and Nick live in Apex with their 2 dogs (Bagel and Buster) and cat (Biscuit). In her spare time, Jenna enjoys consistently updating/organizing her own home, crafting, reading, spending too much money on spa services, and living off a diet of chips, guac, and margaritas.
Ashley is passionate about helping families get their homes and lives organized from the clutter and chaos. Originally from Roanoke, VA, Ashley worked for many years as an Accountant. Her career path moved her to Raleigh, NC in 2010. In 2014, she became a stay at home mom. While being a stay at home mom, Ashley wanted to combine her detail oriented skills and passion for helping families get organized. Before joining The Arranged Abode team, she was the founder and owner of NC Home and Life Organizing.
She enjoys arts and crafts, singing when no one else is around (loudly), eating Bavarian cream filled donuts, massages, and fall activities. Ashley fills in her free time in spending it with her husband and 2 daughters.
Ashley Carpenter
Professional Organizer
Sara Howard
Professional Organizer
A Raleigh native, Sara has always been on the move and knows what it takes to calm the chaos of a busy life. She has been organizing for family and friends for years, but has always made it a priority to keep her own home in tip-top shape. During her time as a stay at home mom, Sara spent her days volunteering at schools, delivering Meals on Wheels, doing mission work, and teaching weekly bible study.
Sara's particular favorite areas to organize are closets, craft spaces, pantries, and playrooms. She is also a great resource for budget-friendly organizing resources, and takes pride in revamping spaces for little to no money. When she's not busy working, Sara enjoys traveling and enjoys all things water and beach related. She and her husband of 20 years live in Holly Springs, NC with their two teenage daughters and 4 cats.


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Thanks to everyone who offered an opinion about whether A Mind Divided stays or goes. Honestly, I wasn't fishing for compliments, but holy crow! They just kept jumping out of the water! If I thought my ego was gassy before… well…all I can say is somebody better light a candle.
I'm still pondering. But I also want to keep showing up in a significant way.
As my therapist and I started working through Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manuel for PTSD and Substance Abuse, she suggested I use my art journal to create a sense of safety. So, this:
While I don't have the dual diagnosis this book targets, we substitute food for drugs and alcohol sometimes. I've been told Binge Eating Disorder is a completely different mechanism than addiction (that wacky, clever brain!), but sometimes it's useful to look at how I eat to numb and distract. Bipolar disorder, Binge eating disorder, trauma, anxiety—they all twirl together in a Regency Allemande.
This actually feels very much like my brain—chaotic, lively, jumbled—with the brooding Mr. Darcy circling the perimeter. There are worse things than being a Jane Austen novel.


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A prison has been criticised for not knowing where all its prisoners are at any given time.
HMP Leicester was inspected by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMI) in September in an unannounced visit, and its subsequent report, published on Wednesday, described the prison as "overcrowded and shabby", with prisoners easily accessing drugs and alcohol but sometimes struggling to find clothes and toiletries.
Among a long list of problems at the prison, the report said: "Staff often could not account for prisoners and we routinely found prisoners where they were not supposed to be."
Martin Lomas, the deputy chief inspector of prisons, described scenes of "chaos", because there was "no accurate account of where prisoners were".
The report says that on more than one occasion inspectors unlocked cells meant to hold two prisoners to find three of them inside.
In one instance, a prisoner went missing after he was supposed to have joined others in a transfer to another prison.
The Victorian jail housed 325 male prisoners at the time of the report – 50% more than it was designed to hold – and HMI described it as "overcrowded and shabby".
The report also found:
* Self-harm had increased by 50% since the inspectorate's last visit in November 2013 and was five times the level found in other prisons.
* Three prisoners had died since the inspectorate's last visit, including two who took their own lives, and the report warned that prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm were not properly being monitored, particularly at night.
* There were high levels of violence against prison staff, while more than a quarter of prisoners feared for their own safety. The level of assaults was three times higher than in other local prisons.
* The prison's "cells were grubby with too little furniture and dirty, scaled toilets".
Frances Crook, CEO of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "This report sets out in stark detail the catastrophic impact of overcrowding in prisons."
"Violence is rife," she continued. "Prisoners can get alcohol and legal highs easily, but they cannot get the basics, such as toiletries, clean clothes and bedding.
"Leicester is an old prison, built in the Victorian era, but the building alone is not to blame for these failures. A new prison overcrowded to this extent would have the same problems. We cannot go on cramming more people into jails without any thought for the consequences.
"The prime minister has recognised that prisons are failing and that wholesale reform is needed. It is now time for the government to deliver on that promise as conditions are getting worse by the day."
The shadow prisons minster, Labour's Jo Stevens MP, joined the criticism.
"Time and time again we've heard empty promises from the Tories about how they are committed to solving the prison crisis," she said, "yet this inspection reveals the harsh reality: Drug and alcohol use, violence within the prison, and levels of self-harm are all on the rise."
In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said it was evidence that the country's "ageing prisons need reform".
"We take our duty of care to staff and prisoners extremely seriously and tackling violence and drugs must be a priority," they said.
"We will be investing £1.3 billion to transform the prison estate over the next five years, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs."
Michael Spurr, CEO of the National Offender Management Service, said: "This is a disappointing report. Leicester's performance has deteriorated unacceptably and this cannot be allowed to continue.
"A new governor has been appointed who will provide the leadership required to rapidly drive improvement."