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Dealing with COVID-19's Economic Impact: Planning and Communication are Key
There are many things that you should be doing to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. At the top of the list is to be proactive. Now is the time to be thinking about how best to position your business after the economy has returned to something near normal. Now is not the time for self-pity. In fact, not preparing for the relaunch of the economy will cost you.
In David Finkel's recent Inc. article entitled, "10 Things Every Small-Business Owner Needs to Do to Deal with the Impact of COVID-19 on Their Business," Finkel outlines the 10 key steps business owners should take immediately. Finkel is the author of 12 business books and CEO of Maui Mastermind business coaching company.
There is no way of knowing how long the COVID-19 fueled economic downturn will last, and that means time is of the essence. Business owners, regardless of their particular sector, need to prepare as though the economy could relaunch tomorrow.
Finkel's 10 Things:
- Take steps to protect your staff and customers from getting sick.
- Tell your customers what safety steps you're taking.
- Educate your staff on how to stay healthy at work and at home.
- Engage in scenarios planning to deal with how markets could change.
- Enlist vendors and suppliers for help. You should ask them to negotiate payment terms.
- Take steps to plan out your cash flow.
- Open a dialogue with your management team.
- Go on the offensive and look for opportunities.
- Get your team together and brainstorm.
- Be sure your key leaders communicate in a united fashion.
There are definitely some commonalities amongst these 10 important steps. You'll notice that communication and education are at the heart of most of these points.
There is a lot of fear and uncertainty out there. More than almost any time in modern history now is the time to communicate. All business owners should be advised to communicate with their customers, clients, suppliers, staff, and management team in a clear fashion. Effective communication based around a consistent and logical message can help to reduce fear. The fear sections of the brain are driven by our primordial ancestors' dread of the unknown lurking in the darkness. Part of being a good leader is to reduce those fears whenever possible.
Another common thread is planning, which includes looking for new opportunities. Whenever there is chaos and fear, there are also opportunities. You should be looking for those opportunities, whether it is improving your own business practices or looking for other companies to buy.
Good communication and planning can help you navigate these choppy waters. Planning for the recovery from COVID-19 pandemic could be the difference between staying in business and going out of business.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
The post Dealing with COVID-19's Economic Impact: Planning and Communication are Key appeared first on Deal Studio – Automate, accelerate and elevate your deal making.
Improving Your Telework Habits
In her recent April 20th, 2020 Forbes article, "Three Keys to Engaged, Productive Telework Teams," author Rajshree Agarwal, who is a professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, explored how to get the most out of telework. This highly timely article covers some very important territory for many companies dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Let's explore Agarwal's key points so that you can help your team get the most out of telework.
Agarwal notes that people may tend to shy away from sharing personal information and feelings while in the office. But via video conferencing, the story can be different. For this and other reasons, it is necessary for employers to keep in mind that the dynamic between you and your employees may be different when you use video conferencing. This will also often be the case when your employees speak with one another.
She prudently cautions business owners from taking a "business-as-usual" approach to the COVID-19 situation, as it can make them look both unnecessarily cold and out of touch with reality. On the flip side, however, it is also important to not dwell on the negative aspects of the pandemic. Offering some sense of normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic is a smart move as well.
How you use telework and video conferencing is, in part, about developing the correct balance. On one hand, you'll want to acknowledge that the situation is serious and must be addressed. But on the other hand, you don't want to dwell on the pandemic. After all, not effectively handling the work at hand could undermine your business and cause other problems for both you and your employees.
It is in everyone's best interest to be smart, safe, and acknowledge the bizarreness of the current situation while striving to achieve business goals. The keyword here is "balance." Agarwal states that "The combination of empathy and purpose unifies individuals, allowing team members to channel their efforts towards shared objectives and values. This is the best antidote for anxiety."
From Agarwal's perspective, there are three keys to making telework effective: communication, socialization, and flexibility. First, there has to be good communication. For example, people can't simply ignore one another's emails because they are working virtually. She points out that real-time meetings via Zoom or Skype can eliminate some communication issues, but not all.
The second factor to consider is socialization. As Agarwal points out "Engaged, productive teams also take time to socialize." Working from home alters the typical modes and methods of socialization, but virtual interactions can be used to help people form and develop their social networks.
In short, socialization doesn't have to end once telework begins. Used judiciously, socializing, and the bonds it creates between co-workers can still continue.
Agarwal's third key is flexibility. Flexibility is critical, as all team members must adjust to what, for some, may be a fairly radical restructuring of their day-to-day work experience. Those who haven't worked virtually before may find adjusting to be quite a challenge. Management should strive to be more flexible during telework caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trying to maintain the same top-down approach could prove to be problematic.
It goes without saying that telework presents challenges. However, the challenges it represents are not insurmountable. There are benefits to teleworking, and teams can use it to generate solutions that they might have not reached in the typical work environment.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press
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It's Time to Exit. Are you Ready?
Thinking about whether or not you are ready to exit is an important question. It's something that every business owner will have to address at some point. Importantly, you don't want to wait until the 11th hour to prepare to sell your business. There are far too many pieces in this particular puzzle to wait until the last minute. You'll want to begin the process sooner by asking yourself some key questions.
Determining Value
First, you'll need to determine the actual value of your business. It is a harsh truth, but what you think your business is worth and what the market feels that it is worth may be two very different things.
This point serves to underscore the importance of working with a business broker or M&A advisor early in the process. An experienced broker knows how to go about determining a price that will generate interest and seem fair. Remember that at the end of the day, it will be the marketplace that determines the value of your business, but working with a seasoned professional is an excellent way to match your offering price with what the market will ultimately bear.
Going Within
Secondly, you'll want to consider whether or not you truly want to sell. It is not uncommon for business owners to begin the process of selling their business only to realize a few hard facts. Wanting to sell and the time being right to sell are often two different things.
Upon placing your business on the market for sale, you may learn that you're not emotionally or financially ready. If this happens to you, consider it a learning experience that will serve you well down the line.
Get Your Ducks in a Row
If you have done a financial assessment, a little soul searching and have begun working with a business broker or M&A advisor to determine that now is a good time to sell your business, then there are several steps you'll need to take. You can be sure that any serious prospective buyer will want a good deal of information regarding your company.
At the top of the list of items potential buyers will want to see are three years of profit and loss statements as well as federal income tax returns for the business. Other important documents ranging from lease and lease related documents, lists of loans against the business and a copy of a franchise agreement, when applicable, are all additional documents that you will need to provide. You should also have a list of fixtures and equipment, copies of equipment leases, lists of fixtures and equipment, and an approximate amount of inventory on hand. A failure to not have this information organized and ready to present at a moment's notice could be a costly mistake.
Working with professionals, such as accountants, lawyers, and brokers, is a savvy move. Owning and operating a business can be a complex process, and the same holds true for selling a business. Investing the time to seek out experienced and professional advice is the first step in selling your business.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
What You Need to Know About the Golden Age of Business Acquisitions
Business acquisitions are red hot, and all kinds of businesses are being snapped up. Some people are under the impression that only large businesses are being acquired, but this is far from the reality of the situation. It would surprise many to learn that so much of the "action" is, in fact, small businesses buying other small businesses.
In his Forbes article, "Take Advantage of the Golden Age of Business Acquisitions," author Christopher Hurn explores the true state of the "acquisitions game." His conclusions are quite interesting. In Hurn's opinion, there has never been a more active time in the realm of business acquisitions.
If you own a business and are looking to grow, then you may want to consider acquiring a competitor in order to consolidate the market. As Hurn points out, there are many reasons that you might want to consider acquiring a business in addition to consolidating the market. These reasons include acquiring a new product or service, acquiring a competitor that has superior technology or even identifying a business that you believe is primed for substantial growth.
Yet, there are other forces at work that are combining to make this moment the "golden age of acquisitions." At the top of the list of why now is a good time to investigate acquiring a business is demographics. According to a 2019 study by Guidant Financial and Lending Club, a whopping 57% of small business owners are over the age of 50. The California Association of Business Brokers has concluded that over the next 20 years about $10 trillion worth of assets will change hands. A mind-blowing 12 million businesses could come under new ownership in just the next two decades! As Hurn phrased it, "The stars are aligning for the Golden Age of business acquisitions."
This all points to the fact that now is the time to begin understanding what kind of acquisition would best help your business grow. Hurn believes that turning to the Small Business Administration in this climate of rapid acquisition is a savvy move.
In particular, he points to the 7(a) program and a host of reasons that the SBA can benefit small businesses. Since the SBA lowered equity injection requirements, it is now possible to finance a staggering 90% of business acquisition deals with loan terms up to 25 years and lower monthly payments. Additionally, the SBA 7(a) program can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from expanding or purchasing an existing business to refinancing existing business debt.
Hurn truly does have an important insight. Baby Boomers will retire by the millions, and most of them will be looking to sell their businesses. With 12 million businesses scheduled to change hands in just the next 20 years, now is a highly unique time not only in the history of acquisitions but also in the history of business.
Business brokers understand what is involved in working with the SBA and acquisitions. A seasoned business broker can point you towards opportunities that you may have never realized existed.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Determining the Right Time to Sell
Determining when it's finally the right time to sell can be a tricky proposition. If you are thinking about selling your business, one of the best steps you can take is to contact a business broker. A good business broker will have years, or even decades, of proven experience under his or her belt. He or she will be able to guide you through the process of determining what you need to do in order to get your business ready to sell.
One major reason you should contact a business broker long before you think you might want to sell is that you never know when the right time to sell may arise. Market forces may change, unexpected events like a large competitor entering your area, or a range of other factors could all lead you to the conclusion that now, and not later, is the time to sell.
In a recent The Tokenist article, "When is the Best Time to Sell a Business?", author Tim Fries covers a variety of factors in determining when is the best time to sell. At the top of Fries' list is growth. If your company can demonstrate a consistent history of growth, that is a good thing. Or as Fries phrases it, "What never varies, however, is the fact that growth is a key component, buyers will look for." Growth will be the shield by which you justify your price when you place your business on the market.
If your business is experiencing significant growth then you have a very strong indicator that now could be the time to sell. Fries points to a quote from Cerius Executives', CEO, Pamela Wasley who states, "When your business has grown substantially, it might be time to consider selling it. Running a business is risky, and the bigger you get, the bigger the risks you have to face." Again, growth is at the heart of determining whether or not you should sell.
Knowing the "lay of the land" is certainly a smart move. For example, have there been a variety of businesses similar to your own that have sold or were acquired recently? If the answer is "yes," then that is another good indicator that there is substantial interest in your type of business.
Reviewing similar businesses to your own that have sold recently can help you determine how much buyers are paying for comparable businesses. This can help you spot potential trends. In short, you should be aware of market factors. As Fries points out, everything from relatively low taxes and low interest rates to strength in the overall economy and an upward trend of sales prices can impact the optimal times for a sale.
Now, as in this exact moment, might not be the right time for you to sell. Getting your business ready to sell takes time and preparation. Fries points out that smart sellers "look for a good time, not the perfect time" to sell a business. Working with a business broker is a great way to determine if now is the right time to sell your business and what steps you have to take in order to be prepared for when the time is right.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Selling Your Business, Taxes & Tax Structures
It is never too early to start thinking about what tax structure you should use when it comes time to sell your business. A simple, but undeniable, rule of life is that taxes matter and they can't be overlooked. Author Tim Fries at The Tokenist has written an excellent and quite detailed overview article on what tax issues business owners need to consider before selling their business. His article, "What Tax Structure Should You Use When Selling Your Business?" explores many aspects of a topic that many business owners fail to invest enough time in, namely taxes.
As Fries astutely points out, the taxes involving the sale of a business can be complex and are usually unknown to those selling a business for the first time. Your tax structure can influence how much money you receive at the closing of your deal, so it's a very good idea to pay attention to all aspects of taxation and your business. It is key to remember, "When you are selling your business – as far as taxes are concerned – you're ultimately selling a collection of assets."
Fries points out that taxes and selling a business are no small matter. It is possible that up to 50% of the sale of a business can go to taxes. Don't worry if you are learning this for the first time and feel more than a little shocked. However, this fact does a good job of illuminating the importance of setting up the right tax structure for your business. While you might not be able to get around taxes altogether by investing the time and effort to set up the right structure for your business, you can keep from paying more taxes than is necessary.
There are a lot of variables that go into how much you will ultimately have to pay in taxes. Let's take a look at some of the key questions Fries raises in his article.
- Is your sale considered ordinary income or is the sale considered capital gains?
- Are you operating as an LLC, a sole proprietorship, a partnership or are you operating as a corporation?
- What portion of the sale price goes to tangible assets as compared to intangible assets?
- Is there a difference between your tax basis and the proceeds from your sale?
- What does your depreciation look like?
- Don't expect that the buyer will instantly agree to your terms.
- Realize that the decisions you make during negotiations with a buyer will have tax implications.
- Is an installment sale right for your business?
- With C corporations, sellers usually want a stock sale whereas buyers generally prefer an asset sale.
- Cashing out immediately, where you receive all your funds at once, will increase your tax liability.
- Have you considered switching to an S corporation?
- Have you consulted with experts to decide which tax structure is best for you?
- Have you consulted with a business broker?
Selling a business is obviously complicated. Finding a seasoned business broker can help you demystify many aspects of buying and selling a business. Ultimately, having the best deal structure and finding the right buyer can be a labyrinthian process. Having the very best professional help in your corner is simply a must.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Understanding M&A Purchasing Agreements
M&A purchasing agreements can have a lot of moving parts. A recent article from Meghan Daniels entitled, "The Makings of the M&A Purchase Agreement" serves to outline a range of facts including that every M&A deal is different. The article, which serves as a general overview, raises a range of good points.
Components of the Deal
It should come as no surprise that M&A purchase agreements have various components. Everything from definitions and executive provisions to representatives, warranties and schedules, indemnifications and interim and post-closing covenants are all covered in these purchase agreements. Other key factors included in M&A purchase agreements are closing conditions and break-up fees.
Advice for Sellers
In her article, Daniels includes a range of tips for sellers. She correctly points out that negotiating a purchase agreement (as well as the different stages involved in finalizing that agreement) can be both time consuming and stressful.
As any good business broker will tell you, business owners have to be careful not to let their businesses suffer while they are going through the complex process of selling. Selling a business is hard work, and this fact underscores the importance of working with a proven broker.
Likewise, Daniels observes that any serious buyer is likely to look quite closely at your business's financials, which is yet another reason to work with key professionals during the process. Additionally, you don't want to wait until the last moment to get your "financial house in order."
You can be completely certain that prospective buyers will want to examine your finances closely before making an offer. The sooner you begin working on getting your finances together, the better off you'll be.
Use Trusted Pros
Another key point Daniels makes is that there will be tension, as every party is looking to protect their own best interests. Having an experienced negotiator in your corner is a must. Make sure your negotiator has bought and sold businesses in the past, and he or she will understand what pitfalls and potential problems may be lurking on the horizon. Daniel's view is that the sale price isn't the only variable of importance. Factors such as the terms of the deal must be taken into consideration.
The bottom line is that there are many reasons to work with a business broker. A business broker understands the diverse complexities of an M&A purchase agreement. They also have experience helping business owners organize their financial information and can prove invaluable during negotiations. For most business owners, selling their business is the single most important business decision they will ever make. Find someone who understands the process and can act as a guide through the process.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
Dmytro Sidelnikov/BigStock.com
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Key Mistakes that Could Impact Your Sale
The old saying, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," most definitely applies to any business owner that believes he or she will someday want to sell his or her business. The bottom line is that every business owner has to transition out of ownership at some point. In a recent Inc. article, "Four Mistakes That Could Lower Your Business's Value and Weaken Its Salability," author Bob House explores 4 mistakes that could spell trouble for business owners looking to sell.
No doubt House explores some excellent points in his article, such as that you should always have what he calls, "a selling mindset." The reason this mindset is potentially invaluable for a business owner is that when operating in this way, sellers are essentially forced to stay on their toes.
Or as House writes, "a selling mindset encourages continual innovation, growth, and investment, helping your business stay ahead of the competition and at the top of its potential." Having a "selling mindset" means that business owners have no choice but to perform periodic reality checks and access the strengths and weaknesses of their businesses.
Mistake #1 Poor Record Keeping
For House, poor record-keeping tops the list of big mistakes that business owners need to address. As House points out, both potential buyers and brokers will want to examine your books for the last few years. The odds are excellent that before anyone buys your business, they will look very closely at every aspect of your financials, ranging from your sales history to your operating costs.
Mistake #2 Failure to Innovate
The next potential mistake that business owners need to avoid is a failure to innovate. House notes that a lack of tech-savviness could make your business less attractive to prospective buyers. The simple fact is that virtually every business is now impacted in some way by its online presence, whether it is the quality of that presence or lack of it altogether.
For House, a failure to maintain an active online presence could be associated with a failure to innovate. Even if your company is innovative, if you do not maintain a coherent and robust online presence, this could portray your company in a negative light.
Mistake #3 Unstable Workforce
House also feels that having an unstable workforce could spell trouble for your business's value and negatively impact its salability. Most prospective buyers will not be very eager to buy a business that they know has a lot of employee turnover. In general, new business owners crave stability. Attracting and keeping great employees could make all the difference when it comes time to sell your business.
Mistake #4 Delayed Investments
The final factor that House notes as a potential issue for those looking to sell their business is delaying investments and improvements. House states that it is important for owners to continue to invest even if they know they are going to sell. Investing in your business can help it expand, grow and showcase its potential future growth.
Another excellent way to prevent making mistakes that could interfere with your ability to sell your business is to begin working with a business broker. A top-notch broker knows what mistakes you should avoid. This experience will not only save you countless headaches but also help you preserve the value of your business.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
The post Key Mistakes that Could Impact Your Sale appeared first on Deal Studio – Automate, accelerate and elevate your deal making.
Effectively Utilizing Confidentiality Agreements
Every year countless great deals, deals that would have otherwise gone through, are undone due to a failure to properly utilize and follow confidentiality agreements. A failure to adhere to this essential contract can lead to a myriad of problems. These issues range from employees discovering that a business is going to be sold and quitting to key customers learning of the potential sale and taking their business elsewhere. Needless to say, issues such as these can stand in the way of a sale successfully going through. Maintaining confidentiality throughout the sales process is of paramount importance.
Utilizing a confidentiality agreement, often referred to as a non-disclosure agreement, is a common practice and one that you should fully embrace. There are many and diverse benefits to working with a business broker; one of those benefits is that business brokers know how to properly use confidentiality agreements and what should be contained within them.
By using a confidentiality agreement, the seller gains protection from a prospective buyer disclosing confidential information during the sales process. Originally, confidentiality agreements were utilized to prevent prospective buyers from letting the world at large know that a business was for sale.
Today, these contracts have evolved and now cover an array of potential seller concerns. A good confidentiality agreement will help to ensure that a prospective buyer doesn't disclose proprietary information, trade secrets or key information learned about the business during the sales process.
Creating a solid confidentiality agreement is serious business and should not be rushed into. They should include, first and foremost, what areas are to be covered by the agreement, or in other words what is, and is not confidential. Additional areas of concern, such as how confidential information will be shared and marked, the remedy for breaches of confidentiality and the terms of the agreement, for example, how long the agreement is to remain enforced, should also be addressed.
A key area that should not be overlooked when creating a confidentiality agreement is that the prospective buyer will not hire any key people away from the selling company. Every business and every situation is different. As a result, confidentiality agreements must be tailored to each business and each situation.
When it comes to selling a business, few factors are as critical as establishing and maintaining confidentiality. The last thing any business wants is for its confidential information to land in the hands of a key competitor. Business brokers understand the value of maintaining confidentiality and know what steps to take to ensure that it is maintained throughout the sales process.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.
The Hidden Benefits of Planning Your Succession Strategy
Succession planning is something that many business owners fail to think about; however, it turns out there are benefits to succession planning that might not be immediately obvious upon first glance. In this article, we'll explore a recent Accountancy Daily article, "Succession Planning for Business Owners," which details the wisdom and benefits of succession planning.
Accountancy Daily polled 500 SME owners and uncovered a variety of interesting facts. At the top of the list is that one-third of owners felt more confident about the future of their businesses when they had a coherent succession strategy.
In what can only be deemed a surprising finding, the poll discovered that 17% of respondents noted that succession planning actually brought them closer to their families. In short, the Accountancy Daily poll found that succession planning came with a variety of unexpected benefits. In other words, it is about more than preparing to hand one's business over to a new party.
Author Glen Foster makes the point that business owners frequently underestimate the level of effort and time needed to sell a business. The fact is that selling a business is usually a layered process that can even take years to complete. Importantly, business owners must understand that in the time it takes to sell, the market may have changed or their own financial or personal situations may have changed as well. Additionally, selling can be an emotional and stressful process which further complicates the entire matter.
For most business owners, selling a business represents the single greatest financial move of their lives. As such, it is often accompanied with significant stress and anxiety. It is essential not to underestimate the emotional and psychological side of the sales equation. Properly planning years in advance for the sale of a business will help business owners prepare for the emotional and psychological stress that can result from both the sales process and the eventual sale itself.
A key part of the stress of selling a business is that business owners are often left wondering "what comes next?" after selling. Developing a succession strategy is a way to think through such issues well in advance.
Another key aspect of succession planning is to take the steps necessary to make sure that your business is ready to be sold. As Foster points out, you wouldn't put a home on the market with significant problems, and the same holds true for your business. If you want to receive the optimal price for your business, then your business should be in tip-top shape. This means diving into your books and records and getting everything in order. Working with an accountant or an experienced business broker can be invaluable in this process.
Copyright: Business Brokerage Press, Inc.


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Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Koh Samui tel: +66 77 427648 ext 106
Phuket tel: +66 76 324225
Mobile: +66 81 787 1707
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Koh Samui tel: +66 77 427648 ext 106
Phuket tel: +66 76 324225
Mobile: +66 81 787 1707
Medical Tourism Growing on Phuket
The Bangkok Hospital Group recently opened a new THB900 million (US$25 million) medical tourism facility on Phuket, according to The Phuket Gazette. The group purchased Phuket International Hospital in 2014 for THB3.61 billion (US$1 billion) to bring its aesthetic surgery branch to the island.
"When Bangkok Hospital took over, they wanted Phuket International Hospital to focus on cosmetic surgery, so they re-assigned the building for medical tourism," said Dr Sanguan Kunaporn, director of the Phuket Plastic Surgery Institute at Phuket International Hospital told the newspaper. "It will not be just for plastic surgery, but will house an anti-ageing department and a skincare department as well."
Surgeons from both hospitals will co-ordinate to form a brand new team at the facility, which is home to 10 operating auditoriums and almost 70 patient recovery rooms. According to Dr. Sanguan, the two hospitals treated 3,500 patients in 2014 and generated more than THB500 million (US$13 million) in revenue.
"We arranged for this building to be a one-stop service for our clients. They can come from the airport or their hotel to this single building to get their consultation, pre-operation investigation and the operation itself, and enjoy the comfortable lobby and in-patient rooms," said Dr. Sanguan.
Thailand is quickly becoming one of the leaders in Asia's medical tourism market. Top class medical facilities and aftercare, comfortable accommodation offerings and a pleasant climate are just a few of the reasons why the Kingdom is attracting new patients. While the American market comprised the majority of patients during the 1990s, Australians and New Zealanders now account for a high proportion of customers.
"After the Asean Economic Community [AEC] opens up, we hope that we can tap into new markets," said Dr. Sanguan, who has already met with medical travel agents in Myanmar to ascertain the market potential. "There's a lot of opportunity there because there aren't many good hospitals or clinics that can provide good services to the Myanmar people or expats," he explained. "Most patients from Myanmar go to Bangkok, but they are interested in what we have [in Phuket] in the way of aesthetic plastic surgery."
According to Dr. Sanguan, the Chinese market is also a key part of Phuket's new strategy for developing its medical tourism industry. Wellness, anti-ageing and skin treatment packages are amongst the most popular procedures for Chinese patients but relatively few are currently travelling to the island for plastic surgery.
updates by Wayne Hue

subset: commoncrawl


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The Uros Islands are truly one of the most unique and amazing places that I have ever visited. They are located in Lake Titicaca, approximately a 20 minute boat ride from Puno. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in South America at approximately 13 000 feet.
The Uros islands are a group of approximately 79 floating islands hand-made of totora (reeds from Lake Titicaca). Totora is the staple of these islands. From actually building the islands on layers of reeds and blocks of roots, to eating the white part, to building all of their boats and homes from the reeds.
As the old layers of reeds begin to rot, new layers are added on top to keep the floor fresh and solid. Boats and houses are rebuilt approximately every six months for the same reason.
At one time the islands were moved amongst the reeds to hide from impending danger and strategically for war. Now, the islands are anchored in place with three to five families living on each island in small reed huts. There is a hospital, a school and a seventh day adventist church for the community.


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Myth: Vendor Overcharges To Government (Part 3)
7th in the series The Manipulators
Life's Prime Directive: Every living thing shall attempt to manipulate events, circumstances, behaviors, and social structures to favor its own narrow interests in the struggle to exist. The only judgment that LIFE places on living entities is the failure to keep existing. (Okay, it has been said before more bluntly: It's all about survival of the strongest.)
Your words for the day:
- unbelievable = possessing the property of being too incredulous to be believed
- red herring = a literary device designed to throw the reader off the trail of plot progression; a diversion or decoy
- math = the science of using mathematics to figure things out; numeric logic
Clarification of my objective: These articles, from my slant, paint a negative picture of a specific local government and a specific writer and his media venue. I hold no personal animosity toward those entities. However, I do have an animosity toward skewed logic and claims that have the objective to actively bend my personal views (and those of the general public) to enhance the standings of others as they hide their own inadequacies or seek to garner awards and salary increases to further their own life-goals. You know, using the Prime Directive at my expense.
I am aware that there may be other information "out there" that could render my observations on this Media story as way off the mark. My focus on THIS journalistic venture of Jack-Hass is limited solely to the information that has been provided within the article and the apparent reason it has been presented in such a caustic vein toward private business. My presentation is to show that Media seeks to MAKE public opinion, not to simply apprise the public of current events, and, that journalistic endeavors are often based on the ignorance of both the public and the paid story-tellers.
O-kay! I feel so much more morally superior, now. Let's get on with my Media bashing.
Jack-Hass is just a writer. He has been trained to "drop names" and high-sounding titles into his articles to enhance the importance of his words. My! Oh, my, has he dropped a bunch into this story to lend it a semblance of credibility: City Auditor, City Controller, Mayor, and several other non-associated Government Entities. They are invoked as though they are the benchmarks of irreproachable accuracy, and yet, political malfeasance is another staple of Media hot-button focus.
While not necessarily "malfeasance," incompetence certainly seems to apply. If lapses in bureaucratic protocol were occasional, that is certainly understandable. We are all human, and, we often lose our focus. That is why business has so many built-in backup steps (per my previous posting, specifically purchase orders and invoicing). But, I am totally blown away by the magnitude of this bureaucratic gaff, and the joint journalistic-bureaucratic glossing that seeks to paint the vendor as the bad guy.
Can you believe…
- 300,000 instances of poorly documented transfers of private product and TAXPAYER MONEY — under a single contract?
- That a City Auditor would wait 4 years before auditing a major supplier ($75,000 or so per week) against the city's accounting protocols?
- That such interest in the accounting protocols only took place after the Auditor heard that other Government Entities were fairly successful in getting retroactive rebates from the same supplier?
- That an auditor could not determine whether the alleged overcharges were on the order $1.7 million or $6.5 million, and simply summarized, without corroborating documents, that "the city is owed a lot of money?
- That a city accounting department would pay out $19.2 million without EVER checking to see if the invoicing was as it thought it should be?
Can you believe that a (reputed) journalist would ignore such bureaucratic mis-steps and opt, instead, to cow-tow to the biased, self-serving slant of the reluctant City Auditor? (Well, that would be the path of least work… resistance… I mean "the path of least resistance". Why do investigative work? Just take what the important-sounding City Auditor said and print it up.)
- Accounting did not do its job for over 4 years.
- The City Auditor did not do his job for over 4 years.
- The City of Houston has been short on cash for years; an inept auditor could enhance his standing by dredging up some hard cash when it occurred to him to do his job. Hell, he might even get the Controller's job; after all, the Controller bears final responsibility for the city's financial accounting — or, in this case, NON-accounting.
- An inept City Auditor who finally thinks he's onto something needs to get the spotlight on someone else so that his own shortcomings are not in the limelight.
How absurd can this get? Let's do some math. 252 weeks of a contract with 300,000 financial transactions during that time totaling $19.2 million — that's the raw data. The extended data is that the average of each transaction is $64.00 ($19,200,000 divided by 300,000), with 1,190 of them per week (300,000 divided by 252 weeks). This was business as usual for untold numbers of city employees charged with accountability of TAXPAYER MONEY.
The REALLY ABSURD part? A series of $64 transactions (over 1,000 of them each week for 252 weeks) that — according to the City Auditor — resulted in $6.6 million of overcharges… or, maybe it's only $1.7 million. I guess it just depends on how you calculate it.
And, just how does the US Communities thing fit into all of this? My code name for US Communities will be "George."
Next up: Myth (Part 4) Let George do it
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I am dealing with a lot of things in my life personally, physically, and mentally. I want to be able to be happy as well as being my home place have my son back and finish school. I have health issues and I don't get much rest. I also need balance, and more Jesus in my life.
Return to Answered Prayers


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Introduction: How to Make a Trailer for a Boat/truck/car/other for a RC Car/truck
We will be building a trailer for a boat/truck/car/other for a RC Car/truck.
This project is really easy and should take less than an hour if you know what your doing.
• Corrugated plastic
• Large, old toy cars, preferably with suspension.
• Rc boat or truck (depending on what you want the trailer for)
• Old hacksaw blade.
• Knife
• Hot glue gun (as always)
Step 1: Hitch.
We first need to build the hitch for the rc car/truck that is going to pull the trailer.
I cut a good sized piece of plastic that conveniently fit in a little crevice of my car.
Then I pushed a nail through it to act as the actual towing rod.
Step 2: Actual Trailer.
Now depending if your doing this for a boat or car you will have to do different things.
For mine I cut a large sheet of plastic, cut some side things (so my boat will not fall off), and glued the hacksaw blade and cars on.
Step 3: Final Stages.
Get your nail and grind down at two sections so you can tie some string around the nail so the trailer doesn't pop off when it is backing up.
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2 Discussions
Cool very neat
Very simple and easy to make, i like the idea!


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I'll do my best to remain pithy and succint in my response.
Steve, I have plenty of reason to surmise that The Holy Spirit's teaching wasn't limited or narrowly applicable to what you suggest, which is extremely odd. Especially when Peter's first sermon, after receiving The Holy Spirit, was partly focused on Joel's last days prophecy. Forgive me, but your bias is clearly evident in your perceived presuppositions regarding some aspect of a futuristic view. So please account for and explain how you've missed the connection between John 14:26 and Acts 2:14-21? The fact is, they were taught by The Holy Spirit concerning the last days. If you were living in the 1st century, you would be sensitive to the then narrative, because the last days were real, in effect, and relevant to their salvation. Those believers were told if they didn't stay the course or persevere, there would be no salvation granted! The reason you are so dismissive of the narrative, is because the last days are irrelvant to your life right now, as it should be, however, this was not the case for the 1st century believers. As a Preterist, I simply engage in getting the historicity and context correct concerning the matter. I'm not making this stuff up, reading the literature is quite convincing concerning what their 'correct' expectation was, as opposed to follow-on generations being eternally wrong. The common sense approach and leverage to the truth goes to the original authors and their immediate audience, not to those who scoff at their understanding of the time, whom they even corrected in their letters!steve wrote:Hi Robby,
Let me work through some of your statements in your last post:
The 12 Apostles were unique, Yeshua said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." Therefore, this is noteworthy and advantageous to truth, including "things" regarding the last days.
I have no reason to agree that the "things" mentioned here have to do with the end of the world. The Holy Spirit certainly did teach the disciples all things necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). It is hard to imagine how any information about the end times would fit into such a category. How is my life or godliness enhanced by any knowledge of the end times—whether by your system or any other? Since Jesus Himself told the same apostles that it was not for them to know the times that the Father put in His own authority, I think we can safely assume that such "times" were not among the "things" that the Holy Spirit would teach them about.
Additionally, you keep bringing up that Yeshua told the disciples they wouldn't know the times. True, but their would be a time when they did, but at that present time in the conversation this knowledge was withheld from them. However the text denotes a "BUT" in vs.8, indicating a change in their knowledge base. Which was clearly evident in Peter's first sermon and follow-on teachings in the church. It is absolute folly to surmise any attempt to claim they would NEVER know??? The context sure doesn't say that, however, The Discourse, Act 1:8 and Peter's first sermon all attest to their knowledge of getting the expectation of the last days correct. Respectfully, I am not persuaded by your argument concerning "The Things" mentioned in John 14:26 not including last days events.
However, The Apostles were told the following, "So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near." And yes, this included the second coming.
Well, I disagree Steve. The Revelation makes it pretty clear concerning the nearness of Christ's return as well as, 1 Thess 2:19, 1 Thess 4:15, 1 Thess 5:23, 2 Thess 2:1, And let's not forget James 5:7-8 and 1 John 2:28!steve wrote:This statement cannot be taken at face value without some demonstration that the nearness of the kingdom is synonymous with (or even related to) the second coming of Christ. This is your assumption, but not one that anyone else would be required to make.
So since The Apostles were promised that The Holy Spirit will guide, teach and bring all things back to their remembrance, Peter's claim, "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." Is he not declaring his authentic discernment based on what transpired in the Olivet Discourse? Did he not, in-fact, get it right?
You've created a false dichotomy for yourself when their is no separation between the last days, last day, or Christ's return, etc... in the 1st century generation timeline. This is why your dismissive arguments make no sense to me. I've just shown you the consistent narrative concerning the expectation in the 1st century preaching and teaching. IMO, I see a convoluted mess out of what is basically simple to understand. This is what happens when attempting to change the original narrative. Modern day believers are forced to conclude The Writers were wrong, confused, or both. Next thing you know, words don't mean what they say, literal is taken for symbolic and vice versa, all due to not holding fast to the original narrative. Face value seems to be subjected to a new narrative to me!steve wrote:Peter may well have been basing this prediction upon the statements of Jesus in the Olivet Discourse—though there would hardly need to be any special discernment for him to know this. If he is referring to the fall of Jerusalem here (as I believe he is), then he would know, as did all Christians, that Jesus foretold this to occur in their generation. Peter, writing over thirty years later, would know (as anyone familiar with the discourse would know) that the time must be very near. This would not require special revelation being given to Peter. Anyone familiar with Christ's discourse (most Christians probably were) would be able to deduce the same.
Prophet or not, the ability to discern properly rested with The Apostles. So again, Peter said the time was near, because Yeshua said he would know the signs of the time, and you say... what exactly?
Steve, I'm not claiming The Apostles were infallible. However, based on the consistent narrative of all the writings we have, wouldn't it be foolish to believe that their teaching and expectation regarding the last days and Christ's return was not, in-fact, an inspired teaching? Especially when the only dissenters where unbelievers or scoffers! There isn't one N.T. Writer who gives a dissenting argument to the timing of Christ's return, not one! So where are you getting the idea that all of them got it wrong? How am I being unreasonable when you have no data to support your conclusion within the camp of The Authors?steve wrote:What I would exactly say is that the promise of divine instruction given to the apostles was no guarantee that they would be omniscient. As I have pointed out in previous threads, Paul admitted ignorance of certain things, and said he was stating his opinion or his judgment about other things, even in his written epistles. When a man tells you in writing that he does not remember certain things, or doesn't know certain things, it would seem presumptuous for us to deny his statements and to insist that he actually knew all things.
Well Steve, I've gone on long enough and I tried to keep it short and worthy of a response. I do agree that time will tell regarding these things, however, I don't think I'm being unreasonable in my understanding reading the historicity of the narrative 'at face value'.
God Bless.


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Melbourne has some of the highest quality drinking water in the world. It is captured in forested catchments, minimally treated and directed to homes and businesses across the city. As our climate changes, the supply of this water is under pressure as a result of droughts, hotter temperatures and lower annual rainfall.
The way we build our cities also prevents the natural water cycle from functioning properly, resulting in polluted waterways, extreme flooding and reduced soil moisture.
Since 2002, the City of Melbourne has responded to these challenges by adopting a sustainable approach to water management. This includes undertaking projects that capture and store water for later use, and reducing the use of drinking water for non-drinking purposes. Much of this work has focused in the green areas of the city.
The city's parks, gardens and green spaces are important for the health and wellbeing of the community. They also help cool the city, reduce flood risk and pollution, and support biodiversity.
Undertaking these water projects helps to secure a consistent and sustainable supply of water to ensure that our parks are healthy and continue to provide these benefits to the community.


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Fun and Poppy: DuePunti Diamond Rings
At DuePunti, we embrace individuality because our rings and our customers stand out from the rest. Our customers are exciting individuals who lead busy lives, and our rings can go with them from day to night. – Jacov Joshach, Designer & Owner, DuePunti It's a girl thing. Diamonds is a girl's best friend, we all… Read More »


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2016 creation. Discover master pieces of classical repertory performed in anachronistic styles, with poetry and an offbeat sense of humor. The band revisits an rewrites musical arrangements by Dvorak, Bach, Strauss, Schubert, Chopin, Vivaldi, Mozart, Berlioz, Bizet...
Art Director : François Rollin (Comedian, humorist and writer)
Next Show :
see calendar


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Microlight Aircraft
Inspection & Flight
Permit Validation
Aircraft Details
Cert std
Serial no.
Total hrs
Last 12mths
Serial no
Total hrs
Serial no
No. blades
Serial no
Total hrs
Owner's Regulatory Compliance Declaration
I CERIFY THAT I have disclosed all repairs, alterations or modifications
to this aircraft since its last inspection that could affect its airworthiness
or invalidate the aircraft Type Cerftificate. I have complied with all
mandatory Service Bulletins and Safety Directives issued for the
aircraft, engine, propellor or rotor system. I confirm that aircraft
complies with the following CAA of NZ rules.
47.51 Aircraft Registration
47.101-117 Aircraft Markings
47.119 Identification Plate
91.605 Transponder/ELT/PLB
91.616-623 Maint. Records
103.107 Placards
103.2 Flight Permit
103.221 Instrument & Equip
I ACCEPT full responsibility for the airworthiness of this aircraft.
Aircraft Annual Condition Inspection
The contents of this inspection conforms to CAR 103.217(c). Inspectors are to mark each box on
completion either SAT or U/S. To conduct an annual inspection first remove or open all necessary
inspection panels, fairings and cowlings. The engine and aircraft shall be clean, and the following
components shall be inspected (where applicable).
Fuselage and Hull group
Fabric & Skin- deterioration, distortion, failure, insecure
Systems & Components- installation, operation, defects
Cabin & Cockpit group
General- uncleanliness, loose equipment
Seats and Belts- poor condition, apparent defects
Windows and Windshield- deterioration and breakage
Instruments- poor condition, mounting, marking, operation
Flight & Engine controls- condition, operation, binding
Batteries- improper installation and charge
Ventilation- leaks, loose fittings, venting, CO2 detector expiry
All systems- condition, defects, insecure installation
Engine & Nacelle group
Engine bay- oil or fuel leaks
Studs & nuts- improper torquing, obvious defects
Internal engine- compression, screens & sump plug debris
Big end bearing check- F
Engine mounts- cracks, loose mount or engine
Exhaust system- cracks, leaks, cockpit ingress
Vibration dampers-poor condition, deterioration
Engine controls- defects, travel, lockwiring
Lines, hoses, clamps- cracks, defects, attachment
Accessories- apparent defects, insecure mounting
All systems- installation, condition, defects, attachment
Cowling- cracks or defects
Landing Gear group
All units- poor condition, insecure attachment
Shock absorbers- deterioration
Linkages, trusses, members- wear, fatigue, distortion
Retracts- improper operation, binding, travel
Hydraulic lines- leakage
Wheels- cracks, defects, bearings condition
Tyres- wear, cuts
Brakes- improper adjustment
Floats & Skis- insecure attachment, apparent defects
Wings & Centre Section assembly
All Components & Systems- condition, fabric/skin deterioration, distortion,, failure, insecure, operation
Propellor & Rotor group
Propellor/rotor assembly- cracks, nicks, binding
Bolts- improper torquing, safety wiring
Control mechanism- operation, mounting, travel
Radio & Avionics group
Radio & electric equipment- installation, mounting
Wiring & conduits- routing, mounting, defects
Bonding & shielding- improper installation, poor condition
Antennae- poor condition, insecure mounting, improper operation
Items not otherwise covered- installation and operation
Fabric Test
Fabric- punch/tear test- Pressure
Inspected & Airworthy
I have carried out an annual inspection of this aircraft to the best of my knowledge and experience
and the information contained herein and supplied by the person presenting the aircraft for inspecton. I have reminded
the owner it is the absolute and final responsibility of the PILOT IN COMMAND to assess the airworthiness of the aircraft
prior to every flight. Neither the Aircraft Inspector nor RAANZ accept any responsibiity on any grounds whatsoever to any
person for any act, omission or error in the inspection of this aircraft, the revalidation of the flight permit or the continued
airworthines of the aircraft subsequent to the inspection.
IA name
RAANZ no.
RAANZ p/word.
(C) 1997-2013 Recreational Aircraft Association of NZ Inc. All rights reserved. Revision Jan 2013
RAANZ Inc, Freepost 102829, PO Box 15-016, Dinsdale, Hamilton 3243 +64 7 825 2800 www.raanz.org.nz email@example.com


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South West Ireland Golf Vacation
6 rounds of Dream links golf, 6 nights luxury accommodation, 7 days
Tralee, Ballybunion, Doonbeg, Lahinch, Waterville and of course unique to the whole world the Old Head of Kinsale, just out of this world… these are some of the most legendary names in golf and they are all found in our beautiful country, Ireland. Our tiny emerald green isle is famous for its celtic history and monuments, saints and scholars yes, – but also for its golf and hospitality or 'craic' (Irish word for fun), and it can all be experienced just how you like it. Whiskey tastings, good food, shopping, historical homes and gardens – we can customize your Irish Golf Vacation to your own requirements. As a minimum we offer luxury 5-star accommodations with a cooked Irish breakfast daily with breathtaking rounds of golf at some of the world's most famous Irish links courses. The Savoy Hotel is in the perfect location/base, close to all restaurants and pubs with great music for you to enjoy. Luxury transportation by luxury Mercedes vehicles (privately owned by us) and your private Irish driver/guide. Treat yourself today and experience the ultimate dream golf vacation in Ireland.
You can call TOLL-FREE from Canada/USA on: +1-888-793-0416
or from Ireland/Rest of World: +353-87-793-0447.
You can email email@example.com or click to fill your details in on a form.
Book early to avoid disappointment. We look forward to hearing from you!
We also accept these major cards


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Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Reuven Avi-Yonah Cancels Lateral Move To UC-Irvine, Stays At Michigan
Following up on my previous post, Reuven Avi-Yonah Leaves Michigan For UC-Irvine (Sept. 1, 2016):
Brian Leiter reports (and I have independently confirmed) that Reuven Avi-Yonah has changed his mind and has decided to remain at Michigan and will not be making a lateral move to UC-Irvine.
Sounds like he went house hunting in Orange County and found out that he was taking a pay cut on a cost of living adjusted basis.
Posted by: PaulB | Mar 9, 2017 5:53:34 AM
Someone's either a Trump-level negotiator or a horrible decision maker.
Posted by: Anon | Mar 9, 2017 12:51:58 PM
This story demands some back-story...
UM was interviewing lateral tax hires; I wonder what happens to that search?
Posted by: Jason Yackee | Mar 10, 2017 3:59:55 AM
Presumably Michigan realized he was serious about leaving and came up with a better offer than U.C, Irvine could match--more money, less teaching.
And that's the way markets are supposed to work. People whose services are in demand can charge a higher price, and people who are willing to pay more for quality get higher quality.
Posted by: Market forces | Mar 10, 2017 7:51:09 AM


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Each new season brings us new trends in design of walls and specifically in shades for their painting.
We will talk about wall colors 2020 in our article. Let's learn together what shades will be popular in 2020, why they became fashionable.
- Wall colors 2020: trendy shades
- Soft neutral: white-gray, gray-beige, beige-white
- White: pure white, glossy white, white marble
- Warm gray shades
- Pastel: pale blue, pink, yellow, lilac, gray-lilac shades
- Restrained classics: pigeon, pale olive, pale gray
- Wall colors 2020: trendy hues
- Bright glamour: teal and turquoise
- Family positive: chartreuse
- Ropy pastel: peach, flamingo, watermelon, yellow sorbet
- Gray-blue shades
- Dark gray and black walls
- Purple, eggplant, plum, ultraviolet
- Wall colors 2020: how to understand what color suits your interior?
- Wall colors 2020: stylish tips
- Wall colors 2020: trendy hues
Wall colors 2020: trendy shades
Soft neutral: white-gray, gray-beige, beige-white
Trendy soft neutral shades are in wall colors 2020 trend and it's excellent for hallway, corridor, bathroom, and balcony with loggia. In this case, beige-gray and beige-white can be used for bedrooms, nursery and living room.
And in kid's room, it is better to add an accent wall.
White: pure white, glossy white, white marble
Thus, white color doesn't have to be ordinary. It can mimic marble, if it is porcelain, be glossy in form of decorative wall panels or have decorative moldings and cornices in neoclassic style.
Warm gray shades
Warm gray shades are the most popular in small urban apartments. At least in the US, Asia, and Scandinavia!
Pastel: pale blue, pink, yellow, lilac, gray-lilac shades
Stylish pastel in design of walls is used increasingly often. Pastel can represent not only positive and tenderness, but also refined taste.
Restrained classics: pigeon, pale olive, pale gray
These shades will perfectly fit into style of classic or neoclassic in your interior, even if from them you have only parquet on the floor.
Wall colors 2020: trendy hues
Bright glamour: teal and turquoise
Two fashionable shades, such as teal and turquoise are similar to each other but still differ from each other. Teal is greener and darker, and turquoise is a bit more blue and bright. They are in wall colors 2020 trend.
Family positive: chartreuse
Chartreuse is new green and new yellow for kitchen designs 2020 in the family apartment! Try it!
Ropy pastel: peach, flamingo, watermelon, yellow sorbet
Another series of pastel tones, such as tropical, they look incredibly beautiful in bathroom, bedroom and kid's room. Together with tropical prints will be simply delicious!
Gray-blue shades
Gray-blue shades are another must-have of the following seasons in interior design of city apartment. Think about where you have the most sunlight, and use them there.
Dark gray and black walls
The next important trend is dark gray and black walls, they should be used with caution and better only in format of accent walls.
Purple, eggplant, plum, ultraviolet
A fashionable line of violet shades in interior of 2020 is confidently in the lead among all! Most often they are used in textiles: flock, velvet, and suede respond well to these colors.
Wall colors 2020: how to understand what color suits your interior?
Often, many people choose their wall color according to the current fashion preferences in society. This applies to clothing, accessories, and interior design.
First, for choosing wall colors 2020, consider number of square meters that you own. Secondly, remember climate in which you live – colors and ideas can often look great only in spacious, filled with bright lights.
Combination of colors in interior can be used not for whole room, and fragmentarily, having beaten only one of its single zone.
Thirdly, what if everyone has their own color preferences? You can find a compromise solution. For example, you love blue, and your spouse loves green, then try to negotiate and use turquoise. Or for everyone, create its space using your favorite color palette in interior.
But zone where your whole family gathers, designers advise doing neutral, only slightly diluting with accents.
Wall colors 2020: stylish tips
Judging by comments of experts, now in wall colors 2020 vogue, there will be bright colors. It's time to drop doubts and boring beige wallpapers aside. It's time to decorate your apartment.
One of the most popular colors will definitely become violet. Hardly anyone will argue with the fact that this is a rather complex color with many different shades. Which of them will suit your apartment, it's up to you.
Don't be afraid to use purple color on the walls. In most cases, designers chose pastel colors for walls, and with violet or lilac shades only painted small details. For example, you can often see white sofas with purple cushions. But this is all in the past. In 2020, it is worthwhile looking at the bright and dark colors of violet wall paint. These colors will make your rooms stylish and expensive.
Wall colors 2020: trendy hues
Red color has always been a success among designers. Despite the fact that many people are afraid to make their apartment too aggressive, this color is in wall colors 2020 trend.
Just every person takes that shade that is closest to him. For bright and extravagant cuisine, for example, scarlet will suit. In combination with a glossy surface, it will fill the entire room with brightness.
If you want to add red color to bedroom design, then it should be combined with white. Together, these colors look just great. They not only complement each other but also make entire interior much more stylish.
From psychological point of view, red in interior adjusts to activity, so if you choose this color for living room, then exactly you are expecting many interesting evenings.
There are also quite unexpected colors in our list. For example, a few years ago, few could have guessed that blue-green shade would be one of the most popular.
Not less fashionable now is blue color, especially in combination with red. All last year they conquered eminent interior designers and now stand at the peak of their popularity.


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Julie, Ryan, Emma, August, and Max R. joined MiraMar Adventures for a 6-day/5-night family spring break adventure in April 2018.
The weather was quite pleasant throughout the week with gentle breezes and comfortable temperatures. The safety net (a.k.a. "trampoline") is always a favorite hang-out.
The goal of relaxing and having fun while unplugged from the modern world was met easily. Entertainment aboard included card games, drawing, writing, and reading.
Mom drives the boat while the boys provide steering advice.
An abandoned lobster pot is discovered under the boat while anchored at Tavernier Key.
One of many beautiful sunsets in the Florida Keys.
Snorkeling in the clear blue water at White Bank Dry Rocks, near Key Largo.
Ryan and Julie at the helm.
The boys reel in a small jack, which was quickly released back into its habitat.
Julie and Emma enjoying a sunset. The conch horn sits ready for the salute to the end of the day.
"Thanks for an unforgettable Spring Break vacay! Sailing, snorkeling – lots of family card playing… Excellent meals prepared by Captain Jeff – enjoyed by all, even the picky kids. Thanks so much for all…"
Ryan, Julie, Emma, August & Max
Thank you for choosing MiraMar Adventures and best wishes for your upcoming relocation to the west coast!


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We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Links to books are "affiliate links," meaning I earn a small percentage when you click through and buy the book. This costs you absolutely nothing extra but helps me keep my cats in the lifestyle they're accustomed to!
"Get your stinkin' paws off me, you damn dirty ape!"
– Planet of the Apes
Have you come across a reprehensible, repugnant, repulsive, and revolting…down-right rotten person lately? If not, don't worry – he's waiting for you just around the corner. It's almost as if God has sprinkled the world with losers and bullies to keep things interesting for the rest of us. Maybe it amuses Him to see how we handle them. Perhaps He wants to see if we handle them or they handle us.
The only way to be sure it's the former rather than the latter is to keep your head. You have to handle the lug without them realizing they've been handled. Fortunately, lugs aren't too swift – so this isn't that hard.
[ Although I'm using the masculine pronoun in this instant, lugs have no gender preference. They're just as apt to show up in a skirt as they are in pants! ]
"Never argue with fools. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."
There is an absolute art to dealing with these people. What's more, it can be more fun than a day at the amusement park.
BEHIND THE SCENES: My husband and I have always raised our daughters to think for themselves. Even when they were little, if they had a small problem, we would OF COURSE observe and step in when necessary, but we'd first see how they'd handle it. One of my husband's favorite quotes is "If you give a man a fish, you've fed him for one meal. If you teach him how to fish, you've fed him for life."
We have always had supreme confidence in our girls – confidence that just grows and grows each and every time they prove us right. That's why we've always insisted that they think for themselves – form their own opinions, stand up for their beliefs, and not back down when they know they're right.
I could type out instance after instance of times they've each grabbed life by its lapels and brought it around to their way of thinking, but I have lunch to make (as perfect as they are, they get pissy when they're hungry. But perfectly pissy.)
I'm just going to use one example in today's post. It comes courtesy of #2. About a year ago, she put up a fansite devoted to Ashlee Simpson. A young man began spamming the guestbook with awful, terrible things. I couldn't help but be amused, because I knew that he was about to taste a bit of #2's vengence. Bad deal.
She started just deleting his messages. He kept coming back (Don't you love it when they beg.), each post getting meaner. So she e-mailed him, telling him how she was simply a fan trying to run a website, and asking him to please leave her site alone. Lugs don't accept pleas from young girls. They're far too classy for that. Sooo, each subsequent time he signed her guestbook, she edited. He got to keep his name, and yes, his much-ballyhooed e-mail address. But his message(s) told of his loneliness, his lack of love, how he couldn't get a date if his life depended upon it, not with even the ugliest dog in town….how he only wished that Ashlee would love him, but how he knew he didn't stand a chance.
The young man e-mailed #2 asking her to "please" delete all of his messages. He didn't return to the guestbook. Young girls accept pleas from their conquests. They're classy that way, so the messages were removed.
But do you know the amazing twist in the story. She still hears from this guy! Counts him amongst her online friends.
Now that's what I'm talkin' about!
Get Cooking!


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The weekend concerts of January 19 to 21, 2017, mark the subscription concert debut of the Minnesota Orchestra's recently appointed Associate Conductor, Roderick Cox. Earlier in January, at a reception in his honor at Minnesota Public Radio, Cox spoke about how he became a conductor, what inspires his work, and his evolving connection to the ensemble. Use the audio player above to listen to Cox's interview with Performance Today host Fred Child.
On Friday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m., on Classical MPR, you can hear a live broadcast as Maestro Cox conducts one of his favorite works, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, plus Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, for which he and the orchestra are joined by pianist Joyce Yang.


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Born in 2015, the concept of emotes dates to the earlier use of smileys in chat platforms such as MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messengers. Essentially, emotes are tiny icons, popularly known as emoticons that depict various expressions and symbols.
With the advent of smartphones and increasing use of social media applications such as Facebook and WhatsApp, a dedicated emote keyboard was developed, and since then emotes have become an integral part of the Internet language.
Like other social media platforms, Twitch has also been hit by the emote storm. Twitch is one of the most popular gaming and streaming platforms that support multiplayer gaming along with a chat panel.
Regular viewers on Twitch have developed their own language that is heavily embedded with emotes. Most viewers who have mastered the art of emotes are able to communicate multiple phrases with a single image.
How to Get Viewers, Followers, Subscribers on Twitch – Ultimate Guide
Streamers who are passionate and fully involved in gaming go through various emotional ups and downs. It is common to show excitement over a victory or to troll the opposition over a silly move. Most viewers love relying on emotes to express themselves during gameplay.
Despite being a regular player on Twitch, most streamers have failed to completely master the emote language. This is because users continue to develop their own emotes and add them to the platform.
The trend of designing and developing your own emotes is picking up. The following sections aim at giving an overview on how you can easily create your own Twitch emotes.
1. Emote Draft
Before you set out to create your own emote it is important that you make a draft first. The first thing that you need to decide is what message is the emote trying to express.
Remember, that each emote is meant to convey an emotion or expression and is meant to serve a purpose. Therefore, you need to determine what particular emotion your emote will indicate and for what purpose will it be used.
You also need to determine if there are any particular situations in which your emote will be used. When creating your emoticon draft, adding a reference image always helps at later stages of emoticon development.
2. Sketch Your Twitch Emoticon
Once you have finalized your emoticon draft, the next step is to sketch your emoticon. You can either make a pencil sketch of your emote and transfer it to your PC using a camera photo or a scanner, or you can use tech gadgets such as Wacom Tablet that allow free sketching.
When sketching the emoticon, remember the objectives you have set for your emote in your draft and ensure that your design fits that particular mood.
When sketching using a tablet on photoshop, it is recommended that you set up a large canvas, say 2500 by 2500 pixels at 300 DPI. It is also recommended to use thinner brushes for the outlines.
You can shade it roughly with a bit of color just to give an idea of the overall look and feel of the emoticon before you transfer it to Illustrator. Creating your own emotes also require that you determine what style your emote have.
In some cases, streamers use emotes with their own facial images or other popular facial images. In that case, step, 2 can be skipped, and you can directly move on to the next step.
3. Illustrator
Once you have the sketch ready on the photoshop, paste it onto the illustrator. If you have made paper sketches, you can directly scan your paper and get the scan on the Illustrator.
It is recommended that your artboard on the Illustrator is about 25 cm by 25 cm in dimensions. This will ensure maintaining the same aspect ratio, and the dimension of the artboard will match that of an A4 size paper.
Once the artboard pastes or imports the image onto the Illustrator, lower its opacity. It is recommended to put the image under a layer and lock it so that it doesn't end up moving accidently.
Working in Illustrator is important in order to get the vector image. Vector images can be easily resized which is one of the key tools to be used when creating emotes.
Use Illustrator tools to refine the line art for your image and fill in the required colors with shading.
4. Photoshop again
Twitch has three size options for its emoticons, 28, 56 and 112 pixels. For this example, we are using 28 pixels. The next step is to paste the Illustrator image back on photoshop. When you do that, photoshop will ask you to choose from a few options.
Choose pixels because the image will be larger than the canvas and will need to be resized. Now using the free transform tool resize the image.
If at this page you feel you need to add a few more details you can make use of the brush tool and the pencil tool.
5. Export to PNG
Once you are done, save using the save for web option and select the PNG-24 preset. Your Twitch emote is ready.


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Tufnell Park saw two rare events last Friday: a train-stopping covering of snow and a jaw-dropping first UK show for OTIS.
Plunger had first been tipped off about the Kentucky Southern rockers by 68-75's Suzanne Sledge back in 2014 but had pretty much given up hopes of seeing them here in Blighty, so we were mightily pissed off when this show clashed with an already-agreed gig elsewhere. Enter the Beast from the East, stranding the unfortunate act we were meant to see, prompting a last-minute online ticket purchase and a fingers-crossed Northern Line trip into the snow. Sadly it appeared the British Fail transport network had stopped more than a few getting to the Boston Music Room but those who did make it along basked in the Deep South heat of a sizzling set.
The four-piece of Boone Froggett on guitar and powerful, gutsy vocals (somewhere between Ronnie, Ricky and Gregg!) Steve Jewell Jr. (guitar), John Seeley (bass) and Andrew Gilpin (drums) distils the spirit of classic Southern blues rock for a new generation, blending raw heavy blues like the Hooker-meets-Mountain bludgeon of opener Rattlesnake and the minimalist, wild-slide topped Tough Times (which segued seamlessly into Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love) with big ballsy rockers like the down-and-dirty Blackfoot-like Washed My Hands.
There's more to OTIS than Good Ol' Boy bluster though: like all the best Southern bands they are more sophisticated than that. The Swamp Music-y backwoods romp of Lovin' Man saw more complex rhythmic arrangements and a nice tricksy descending unison riff to a dead-stop finish; a brutal-but-clever Muleish riff with harmonised twin guitar drove Shake You, with stylish off kilter drumming and flaring Collinsesque guitar before a fantastic, spacey Les Brers midbreak with Steve and Boone indulging in some lovely ABB noodling and sweet twin guitar.
Drinking Woman had a Mule flavour too, with Steve's trenchant solo given hammer-blow backing from the other three, some taut squealing guitar from Boone and more tricksy rhythms heralding an impressive short tour of the kit from Andrew. A touch of Soulshine appeared in the Southern soul psychedelia of Let Your Love Shine Down, with its splashes of exquisite crying guitar and sweet three-way harmony vocals from Boone, Steve and John culminating in a fine a cappella passage that introduced the highlight of the show: Steve's lovely Allmansy discursive solo (with teases for Blue Sky and Jessica) was joined by Boone for more eye-watering interplay that picked up speed and intensity for a Rossington/Collins helter-skelter finish.
After Change, a final trip into slide-drenched barrelling roadhouse rock, and Blind Hawg (another violent, jagged riff underpinned by punishing drums and rolling thunder bass), OTIS were joined on stage by fellow Kentuckians Black Stone Cherry. Chris Robertson (vox/guitar) and Jon Lawhon (bass) took their places for the inevitable blues band encore Going Down, with Boone and Chris trading vocal and guitar lines, before a quick musical chairs shuffle brought Ben Wells (guitar) and John Fred Young (drums) on to join in a bustling canter through the Allman Brothers' One Way Out.
It's rare to hear Southern rock done 'proper' over here, and OTIS have just the right balance of the Skynyrd swagger, the Allmans inventiveness and Mule's heft to tick all the boxes for Plunger. Hopefully it won't be another four years til we see them here again.
#otis#blackstonecherry#bostonmusicroom#southern rock #plunger


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The decision to move to our little island is an important one. Let our Vashon Island Real Estate Agent Team help you find the home of your dreams. No one knows our little island better! Connect with the best Vashon Island real estate agent team today!
Team Bunch Bio:
"We both lived in big cities for many years – Rita in Philadelphia, Geoff in Seattle and both in Los Angeles. We thoroughly enjoyed our city life, but after getting married we really wanted to settle down, start a family, and build some roots in a vibrant small-town community. We craved nature, a slower pace of life, great public schools, a tight-knit community, and close proximity to the city. We knew that was quite the checklist, but luckily Vashon Island encompasses all these qualities, and so much more!
Going on three years living on the island, we have to say – It's the best decision we've ever made! Vashon offers many great restaurants, breweries, wineries, and activities & events. But when we're in the mood for an adventure in the city, we simply hop on a boat and we're there in no time! As real estate professionals and Island experts, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of the industry, fast response time and communication, and our low-pressure approach. Whatever is best for our clients, is best for us!
Whether you are buying or selling, or just need a little guidance as you familiarize yourself with the Vashon real estate market – we are here for you. Drop by the office or give us a call. We're always available and ready to help."
When moving to a new area, choosing the right neighborhood is SUPER important. Having grown up on the island, our Vashon Island real estate agent team is uniquely qualified to find not just the right house, but the right spot on our little island that you will feel comfortable calling home. Reach out and contact them today. Even if you are not looking to purchase today, connect with them and let them know what you are looking for.
Vashon Island is little, a close-knit community. There are events, gatherings, activities happening all the time on Vashon. Often times real estate deals are made before they even go onto the market. Geoff and Rita are outgoing and social, always out there talking to people, having meetings and staying connected with what's going on around town on Vashon.
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- Danny Strong
- Peter Craig
- Suzanne Collins
Josh Hutcherson
Liam Hemsworth
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is a 2014 American science fiction drama war film directed by Francis Lawrence with a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong. It is the first of two films based on the novel Mockingjay, the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins, and the third installment in The Hunger Games film series, produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik and distributed by Lionsgate. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. It is the sequel to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) and was be followed by the concluding entry, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 in 2015.
The story continues to follow Katniss Everdeen; having twice survived the Hunger Games, Katniss finds herself in District 13. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the Capitol and fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage. Principal photography for both parts of the film began on September 23, 2013, in Atlanta, before moving to Paris for two weeks of filming and officially concluding on June 20, 2014, in Berlin.
Part 1 was released on November 19, 2014 in Brazil, November 20, 2014 in Malaysia, United Kingdom, Greece and Indonesia, November 21, 2014 in the United States, and November 28, 2014 in India, and is scheduled to be released in China on February 8, 2015. It landed atop Fandango's list of most-anticipated films of 2014. Like its predecessors, the film was a commercial success grossing $55 million on its opening day, making it the largest opening day of 2014 and the sixth-largest in November. The film went to the No. 1 spot during its opening weekend with a $121.9 million gross, becoming the biggest opening of 2014 and marking The Hunger Games film series as the only franchise to have three films earn over $100 million in a weekend. As of January 12, the film has earned over US$701 million worldwide.
Mockingjay – Part 1 received favorable reviews from critics, with praise aimed at its solid performances and political subtext, but noticed for its lack of action and criticism for splitting the novel into two feature films. The film has garnered two nominations for the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie for Lawrence and Best Original Song for "Yellow Flicker Beat". The song also received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.
After being rescued from the destroyed arena in the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, along with fellow Victors Beetee and Finnick Odair, are taken to District 13, an underground rebel facility hidden beneath the ruins of the old District 13, where she is reunited with her mother and sister Prim. While recuperating, she is introduced to President Alma Coin, the rebel leader, and is told that her actions in the arena sparked riots and strikes against the Capitol. Coin asks her if she will become the "Mockingjay"—the symbol of the rebellion—as part of their "hearts and minds" strategy. Katniss flatly declines, angrily reminding her that they left Peeta Mellark, her portrayed lover and fellow District 12 tribute, behind in the arena. At the suggestion of Plutarch Heavensbee, the former Gamemaker, she is taken to see the ruins of District 12, which was completely leveled by a Capitol bombing campaign (with the exception of the houses in the Victor's Village). After seeing that Peeta is being used by Capitol state television to try and quell the rebellion, Katniss reluctantly changes her mind and agrees to become Coin's Mockingjay, on the condition that Peeta and the other victors will be rescued at the earliest opportunity and pardoned.
After Haymitch notes that Katniss thrives on spontaneity, she is introduced to her film team (led by Capitol escapee Cressida), is dressed up in a specially-designed outfit, and given Effie Trinket as a stylist and close friend Gale as a bodyguard. They go out to District 8 to visit a hospital, but as the visit concludes, a Capitol bombing squadron arrives and bombs the hospital, killing everyone inside. In her rage, Katniss gives a rousing speech to the camera, which is broadcast when Beetee hijacks the Capitol's news feed. The team then go back to District 12, where Gale tells the story of its destruction, and Katniss is filmed singing "The Hanging Tree." After both are broadcast, strikers in District 7 kill an entire team of Peacekeepers with hidden land mines, and a rebel demolition team from District 5 destroys the dam providing the Capitol with electricity, forcing them to use power generators and weakening their ability to broadcast their propaganda.
That night, Katniss is watching Peeta being interviewed by Caesar Flickerman, the Games' former presenter, when, in an apparent defiance of his captors, he suddenly shouts a warning to the camera that the Capitol is about to attack District 13. Coin orders a mass evacuation into the underground shelters. While Prim is nearly locked out when she goes back to get her cat, everyone manages to get inside safely, and the facility survives the attack unharmed. Upon emerging, Katniss discovers that the area is littered with white roses, and realizes that President Snow has sent them to taunt her, and presumes that he is about to kill Peeta. As Peeta's warning gave the District an additional eight minutes evacuation time, Coin dispatches an elite special forces team, which includes Gale, to rescue him, along with Johanna Mason, and Annie Cresta, the remaining Victors, from their prison in the Capitol's Tribute center. The rescue is successful. However, when Katniss goes to greet Peeta, he unexpectedly delivers a deadly jab to her navel, rendering her unconscious, before being knocked unconscious himself by Boggs.
Katniss wakes up in the medical facility, and is informed that Peeta has been "hijacked"— a form of physical/mental torture in which he is brainwashed into wanting to kill Katniss through aversion therapy and tracker jacker venom—explaining why the Capitol allowed Gale's team to escape. A process to undo the therapy begins, with Peeta kept in isolation. Meanwhile, Coin announces the successful rescue of the Victors, and that the fight may now be taken to the Capitol.[2] During Coin's speech, Katniss looks for Peeta and looks in horror as she sees the hijacked Peeta in solitary confinement, restrained.


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For survival, a patient may need an organ from another human being. With cases such a kidney failure, liver failure or damage, eye sight disorders or absent organs; replacement of such body parts is essential to sustain life. Using surgery procedures such as transplants, an organ is removed from a donor and into the recipient/patient in need.
In the current world, it is possible to transplant quite a majority of human organs.
Depending on the situation; heart, lungs, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, eyes, hair, liver, bones, tendons and other tissues within the body, make up the list of what can be transplanted. These organs could be from a donor who is living or is brain-dead. Brain dead is where the donor is past heartbeat cessation. The time cap is usually a maximum 24 hours.
Depending on factors such as intensity of operation, source of organ or patients needs, transplants are categorized into various types.
- With certain injuries or damages, medical professions may recommend transplants to fill the parts you might have damaged or lost. Depending on the intensity, it could be resolute to use your own tissues for the procedure. This type of transplant is referred to as an Auto graft. Parts of your body such as buttocks have tissues that could be used to replace injured/damaged tissue in other parts of your body.
- When an organ is transferred from a donor to a patient, both non identical to each other; that type of transplant is referred to as allografts. Also known as an Allotransplant, this is whereby the donor and the receiver are not genetically similar. This type of transplant is where a plea is placed and the organ sourced from donors, usually with anonymity, or sourced from an organ bank. The elimination of relation influences the referral of this procedure.
- Where the donor and the recipient are identical, genetically related, the transplant procedure is refers to as an Isograft. This type of transplant occurs where the source and the patient are blood relatives, such as brothers, sister-brother or identical twins. With this type, chances of reception are much higher since the genetics between the two parties are most likely compatible.
- In a desperate situation, an organ might have to be shared between two recipients. A case such as this would be between a child and an adult. From an autonomous source, larger organs such as bone marrows, tissues and tendons or liver, split transplants, as the procedure is referred, can occur. This type is not recommended or practised much since success of such a procedure is lower.
- In cases where the source of an organ is of a different species to the recipient, the transplant is referred to as a Xenograft. Also known as Xenotransplant, it is a case such as an eye transplant whereby the source is an animal and the recipient human. With organs such as tissues and tendons likely compatible, such a transplant is enabled.
- Where multiple transplants are performed at once on a patient, that type is refers to as Domino transplant. In order to make the organs fully compatible, other healthy organs that are directly connected would also be replaced. In a case where the lungs are being replaced, it could be necessary to replace the heart too or its vessels. Since the vessels in this case are still healthy, they could be stored in an organ bank for use with a patient in need.
With transplants, lifestyle related risks go with. With health, both the donor and the recipient are at risk of infections, blood loss due to bleeding, clotting of blood, heart attacks or stroke, pain or allergic reactions. With the recipient, the body might reject the organ, incompatibility concluding the procedure a failure, soon after the procedure or weeks, months or years after. With medication, your liver is at risk of damage.
Physical effects such as scars could be temporary or permanent. With regards to pricing, transplants are not a cheap medical affair. Depending with the organ and the intensity of the procedure, transplanting could be extremely expensive, with some organs quite hard to find, rendering the patient to a waiting list that could take years before one gets served.
- Transplants can be done on most parts/organs of the body.
- Success of transplants depends on compatibility of the organ,patients health and the procedure.
- As much as transplants are highly risky, they are highly effective in treatment of fatal diseases.