text:
It's been just over a month since M&S launched their fully plant-based, vegan-friendly Plant Kitchen range, and a month of me cooking and tasting some of its awesome products.
Now I'm finally ready to share my honest, genuine opinions with you all!
First though, let's talk a little more about Plant Kitchen, and why it's been a huge deal for vegans everywhere.
M&S Plant Kitchen range – what's it all about?
Chock-full with ready meals, meat alternatives, hearty comfort foods and lunches on the go, it seems Plant Kitchen really has thought of everything. Which makes total sense, when you learn that M&S enlisted none other than a team of expert chefs and product developers to create the range.
Plant Kitchen covers over 60 meals and food choices, reflecting M&S' dedication to making plant-based eating a more accessible, delicious way of life for everybody. It's also just another reminder that the vegan movement is growing more than most people realise, with M&S being just one of many retailers to introduce vegan options in January along with Greggs, Pizza Hut and even TGI Friday's.
Now I'm not saying that buying vegan fast food and ready meals is the most cost-effective or healthiest way of eating – it definitely isn't. Only home-cooked, whole plant foods will reduce your food bill and put you in the best shape of your life.
But having these options on our high streets certainly makes plant-based eating so much easier, as well as more exciting.
From burgers to pizzas, stews to curries…M&S' Plant Kitchen products are yet another amazing addition, giving so many more options to busy vegans or simply those who are curious about eating more plant-based food.
Plant Kitchen – My honest thoughts
When M&S asked if I'd like to review some of the Plant Kitchen products, I naturally jumped at the chance. While I wouldn't normally include these kinds of products in my regular grocery shop, I'm keen to show just how delicious and satisfying a vegan diet can be, especially to those who still think vegans only eat salad (yup, they exist).
Of course, I also wanted to try out the range for myself, so you could say this review is also rooted in purely selfish reasons. 😉
The Plant Kitchen products included in this review are:
- Lasagne
- No Chic'n nuggets
- No Pork Sausoyges
- Dirty Fries
- Sticky Teriyaki Tofu
- Green Thai Curry & Jasmine Rice
- BBQ Jackfruit pizza
- Sweetcorn & Chickpea burgers
- Cauliflower Popcorn.
EDIT 8/06/19: This article has since been edited to include reviews of the following additional products:
- Cashew Mac
- Sweet Potato & Cashew Curry
- 'Notzarella' Sticks
- Mac & Cheese Bites
- Churros
- Chocolate Mousse
- Mango & Passionfruit Coconut Panna Cotta.
There are, of course, plenty more delicious, mouthwatering dishes in the range, which are listed at the end of this post.
1. Lasagne
This particular lasagne from M&S ticks all of the boxes. Using tender soy mince and a rich Italian tomato sauce as the base, it provides all the taste and texture one would want from a traditional lasagne, with much less saturated fat and none of the cholesterol.
The béchamel sauce was surprisingly great too – rich and creamy, with no 'fake' taste about it as can often be the case for many vegan dairy alternatives. Instead of using a plastic-tasting vegan cheddar for the topping, it uses more of the creamy white sauce, which has just right hint of cheesiness without being overpowering. The soft pasta sheets and juicy tomatoes ensured this dish was bursting with flavour and richness, and my boyfriend (who is usually averse to veg-based lasagnes) loved every bit of it.
This is one Plant Kitchen product I believe is well worth the money, as you get a decent portion that's rich and satisfying. It's also perfect for omnivores too, as the hearty soy ragu keeps it from tasting like your average veggie dish. We served it with some vegan garlic bread and a green salad.
2. No Chic'n Nuggets
I always thought M&S did a great 'chicken' nugget as part of their normal veggie range, way before the Plant Kitchen range came out.
Thankfully, it doesn't seem like they've made any noticeable changes to these nuggets – just a simple rebrand to make them part of the Plant Kitchen range. The result is now a more clearly labelled 'chicken' nugget, that both vegans and vegetarians can enjoy.
And enjoy we did! With a crispy, gluten-free crumb coating on the outside, and tender, flavourful soy protein on the inside, they taste every bit like the chicken nuggets I enjoyed when I was a kid, but with none of the cruelty.
Enjoyed with fries or dunked into ketchup, these babies are a real treat. My only complaint is that the box only includes eight nuggets and it's supposed to serve two people. That means just four nuggets each!! I am not sure where M&S are getting their portion sizes from, but let's just say, I think we all need more than four nuggets per person in our lives. Am I right??!
3. No Pork Sausoyges
Besides the fun play on words here, I really enjoyed these vegan, meat-free sausages!
Both the taste and the texture are what you'd expect from any classic pork sausage, meaning these sausages would be great on a BBQ, on hotdogs, in pasta, on sandwiches, or part of any veggie fry-up.
Though I can't say they beat my favourite Linda McCartney sausages, I'd definitely place them as a close second as far as store-bought, meat-textured sausages are concerned. Both Christian and I approved of them and enjoyed them both on toast and in pitta breads with lots of salad and ketchup.
One more thing I will mention about these sausages is that their main ingredient is soy protein isolate. While soy in general is certainly not bad for you, this highly refined variant of soy has been found to have negative health effects when consumed in excess. It's for this reason I'd suggest saving these sausages only as an occasional treat, or look for an alternative vegan sausage that doesn't contain soy protein isolate, like Linda McCartney's.
4. Dirty Fries
I wasn't really aware of it before, but 'dirty' fries are becoming a thing these days, particularly in expensive burger joints where the aim seems to be to make everything as indulgent as possible.
Needless to say, these fries are normally far from vegan-friendly, as they are coated in everything from bacon to cheese to mayonnaise. But thanks to M&S, vegans can now enjoy their own version of this junk food dish, and in the comfort of their own home too!
These thick, chunky, warming chips are nestled within a rich, juicy tomato and creamy béchamel sauce, before being baked and emerging crisp and bubbling from your oven. It's not a combo I ever would have thought about trying before, but damn, it WORKS. I just could not get over how delicious and rich these flavours were, it was incredible. Like with the lasagne, the béchamel is rich and creamy and tastes just like how I remember it from my omnivore days.
The box serves two, which I actually found to be just about right for Christian and me. However I'm not going to lie and say I couldn't have eaten the entire thing!
5. Sticky Teriyaki Tofu
The Teriyaki Tofu is one of the more 'ready meal'-type dishes in the Plant Kitchen range, ideal for when you need a quick and speedy supper.
I did really enjoy the zingy, sweet flavours of this Asian-inspired dish. The sauce was bright, sweet and slightly spicy, and there were plenty of tofu and mushrooms packed in. However, as a whole it was probably my least favourite dish of the bunch, for a few reasons.
Firstly, it looks a bit of a mess when you open it, as obviously the contents get all mixed up inside the box and look nothing like the picture on the outside. (As a result, it was really hard to get it to look good for these photos!)
Secondly, the portion size is very small, so it didn't fill me up, and it also uses white rice, which also isn't going to be as filling as brown.
The ready meals are also not meant for freezing, which is something I didn't realise so I ended up doing exactly that. Though I don't think it changed the flavour of the food in any way, I do think maybe that's why it didn't look quite as photogenic as it could have.
On the whole I think the Teriyaki Tofu was a great idea, but I'm pretty sure something similar could be easily whipped up in your kitchen, without the unnecessary oil and sodium.
6. Green Thai Curry & Jasmine Rice
This one was probably my favourite of the two ready meal dishes I received. The green thai curry sauce was rich, aromatic and coconutty, and had just the right amount of heat (though any more and it may have been too spicy for me).
The curry is definitely a perfect warming treat for those cold nights when you might get home late and just don't feel like cooking. However, it carries the same issue as the Teriyaki Tofu, in that it mixes together in the box and ends up a bit messy, and that the portion is also very modest, so you may not feel completely full afterwards.
Perhaps M&S could think about creating separate compartments for the rice and the sauce; that way everything would stay nice and separated. Of course however this didn't impact the flavour in any way and it was still a tasty meal.
7. BBQ Jackfruit Pizza
Being a huge fan of jackfruit, pizza and all things BBQ, I was probably most excited to try this pizza. And thankfully, I was not disappointed!
So first thing's first – the base. The Plant Kitchen pizzas are created with a sourdough base, which is soft and doughy in the middle and thin and crispy at the edges. So far so good!
The BBQ sauce has just the right amount of tang balanced with sweetness – not sugary or sickly like some BBQ sauces can be. Then there are small circles of delicious, creamy vegan cheese dotted about the pizza. Surprisingly I loved it – it didn't taste overly strong or dominate the flavour in any way, but gave just the right amount of subtle cheesiness. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that M&S vegan cheese is probably the best vegan cheese I have ever tasted.
The jackfruit on top of the pizza is really yummy too. It still tastes a little 'fruity', which isn't a problem to me as I love jackfruit. But if you're new to jackfruit or not used to it, you might find the fruity taste a little strange. It seems that M&S could perhaps have marinaded the jackfruit in the sauce for a little longer before baking it, which would get rid of the fruity taste.
The last thing I want to mention is that the pizza isn't very big. So although I really enjoyed it, it requires something on the side, like garlic bread or fries, to completely make a full meal.
8. Sweetcorn & Chickpea Burgers
I've always been a fan of veggie burgers made up of pulses, beans and vegetables, so these Sweetcorn & Chickpea burgers looked pretty enticing to me.
Seasoned with coriander, cumin and garlic, I hoped it wouldn't taste too much like a simple falafel. But I needn't have worried – the burger was flavourful and savoury and the spices weren't too strong at all. I enjoyed them on seeded buns with salad and of course my homemade oil-free baked fries.
The instructions on these burgers say to pan-fry them, which is convenient, quick and easy. However if you prefer to cook without oil then baking them in the oven would be a better shout. This is how I decided to cook them; the only problem was that it dried them out a little and they also came apart a little when I lifted them off the baking tray. That could have been completely my fault though, so next time I think I will try pan-frying them to see if the texture turns out a little better.
9. Cauliflower Popcorn
This cauliflower popcorn with buffalo sauce definitely falls into the category of vegan junk/comfort food!
But ya know what? They tasted AMAZING.
The cauliflower popcorn bites themselves are coated in a crispy seasoned batter on the outside, and are soft and tender on the inside. They don't taste like cauliflower at all, so if it's not your favourite vegetable, don't let that put you off. The chilli buffalo sauce is the right amount of spicy and sweet, and not too sugary. Overall, this dish is EXTREMELY moreish, and would make an awesome starter or sharing plate with friends.
That said, the box is incredibly small, and given that it's supposed to serve two people (again), I really don't think the price justifies the small portion. Seeing as Chris didn't want to try any, I ended up eating this box by myself. And while that probably wasn't the best idea, it definitely didn't feel too filling, so it's insanely easy to do.
The cauliflower popcorn is pretty oily and salty though, so it's definitely something that should be saved as an occasional treat, and not on a regular basis. 😉
10. Cashew Mac
I've never been head over heels for Mac & Cheese, but this is a version that I certainly got on board with, and it even had my Mac & Cheese-loving boyfriend obsessed!
This dish is basically like plant-based Mac & Cheese, but with none of the cruelty, less of the guilt, and no 'icky' feeling afterwards (like the "Oops I just ate something bad" kind of icky).
Made almost entirely from cashews, the smooth, creamy, lightly cheesy sauce is simply heaven, leaving no overwhelming 'fake' cheesy taste behind. The pasta is soft and well-cooked, and the addition of mushrooms and a crispy paprika breadcrumb topping is a really nice touch – nice enough to trick any veggie hater into getting more of their five-a-day!
I enjoyed this Cashew Mac with a side of steamed kale, but you could definitely enjoy it with a little garlic bread, sweet potato wedges or a side salad.
11. Sweet Potato & Cashew Curry
As with the other 'ready meal' style dishes I've tried in this range, the contents of the Sweet Potato & Cashew Curry all mixed together in the box, making it difficult to tell what was what. As a result, the pictures of this dish (and the other ready meals) are probably the worst of the bunch!
That being said, the mix-up of the ingredients certainly didn't take away from the great flavour. Creamy and aromatic, this curry was delicious and definitely makes a yummy, warming meal on a busy night. The inclusion of chickpeas and quinoa amongst the rice packs in extra nutrition and protein, whilst the curry itself boasts plenty of sweet potato to go around.
This ready meal carries the same problem as the others however, in that it isn't big enough to be a completely filling meal.
12. 'Notzarella' Sticks
This clever vegan spin on the classic mozzarella sticks is just another reason why this range is smashing it right now. It's one thing to be able to grab tasty vegan convenience food, but sometimes what we want is the really indulgent stuff, or classic finger food we can snack on at gatherings, etc.
Enter: the Plant Kitchen 'Notzarella' Sticks (man I love that name). Crispy on the outside, and creamy and cheesy on the inside, these sticks can be enjoyed as a side dish or indeed as a table snack for when you have friends round, or as part of a buffet.
These things were definitely tasty; however, unless you're a cheese fanatic, you probably won't be too eager to go back for more. Since going vegan I've never really craved cheese or felt the need to fill a cheesy void in my life with vegan alternatives, and for that reason I could take or leave these little cheesy sticks. Also, when removed from the oven or microwave, they smell very strong, and unlike regular mozzarella which is very mild, these Notzarella Sticks have perhaps a slightly overbearing flavour of cheese, which can be sickly.
If you are or were a mozzarella stick fan at some point though, go nuts. You're sure to love these little sticks!
13. Mac & Cheese Bites
Soon after the iconic dish Mac & Cheese was invented, some genius decided to take bundles of it, coat it in breadcrumbs and call them 'Mac & Cheese bites'. I don't know who this was, but they are now the person we have to thank for being able to enjoy these moreish little nibbles.
The Mac & Cheese Bites from Plant Kitchen are just another finger-type food from the range that can be difficult to leave alone. Unlike the Notzarella Sticks, they brought a mild, creamy cheesy flavour that was a lot more pleasing and left no synthetic taste. For that reason I much preferred them; however I still wasn't able to eat too many as again, they could be sickly.
I think if these were laid out at a buffet or as appetisers at a party, they'd certainly get snapped up and you'd probably have your friends begging you for more.
14. Churros
Churros. Whoever couldn't love them??
Seeing as the iconic Mexican dessert can already be made vegan pretty easily, it's only fitting that M&S felt to add some to their range. Not only are they incredibly easy to make and serve (just ten minutes in the oven, or one minute in the microwave), they are also a classic flavour that anybody – both kids and adults – will love.
These Plant Kitchen churros are beautifully crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside – just how churros should be. However we did cook them in the oven, so you might get a slightly softer result from the microwave. They come with a sachet of cinnamon sugar and a little pot of chocolate sauce, but these churros are so delicious I could easily eat them without any toppings. The cinnamon sugar was definitely a nice addition though that I got right on board with. The chocolate sauce wasn't bad, but is a little too rich and sickly for me. I'd highly recommend these churros with just the cinnamon sugar and you're good.
These churros may come across as little expensive as you only get 10 churros in a pack, which the box says is ten servings (errr, whaaaat? Christian and I had five each!). However, the quality makes it definitely worth it, especially if you save them as an occasional treat or for a special night.
15. Chocolate Mousse
Oh man, oh man…where do I start with this chocolate mousse?? This thing had me going to heaven. Though I let Christian taste-test this one, I managed to sneak in a spoonful, and it had me immediately wishing I hadn't been quite so generous…!
The mousse is light and creamy, but still holds body and depth, so you don't feel like you're just eating a load of air. It's topped with a rich ganache and some crunchy cacao nibs, which may sound overbearing to some, but absolutely works in every way. The result is a delicious, deeply chocolatey dessert that you won't want to end! M&S have definitely nailed it with this one.
16. Mango & Passionfruit Coconut Panna Cotta
I've never been a big fan of anything panna cotta even before I was vegan, so I was curious to try this one from the Plant Kitchen range. Made from coconut milk and topped with a mango & passionfruit compote, it's a delightfully fruity dessert that would definitely suit those averse to chocolatey creations (which I will never understand…but hey, to each their own!).
The positives of this dessert is that the coconut panna cotta is delightfully creamy and rich, while the fruity compote adds a nice juiciness and tang, making it a fabulous palate-cleanser. However, where it falls down is that the coconut milk portion is perhaps a little too rich, and there's quite a lot of it. Once the fruit compote layer has been consumed, you're left with a feeling of scooping refrigerated coconut milk straight out of a can – not good. It's also very thick and without the compote, a little sickly.
I think if M&S could perhaps make the coconut panna cotta part a little smoother and maybe add more compote, this would be a dessert I'd only be too happy to tuck into.
Concluding thoughts
Overall, I'm loving the M&S Plant Kitchen range, and would certainly recommend it to anyone who is looking for yummy, indulgent, quick and convenient plant-based meals.
Though these meals are pretty expensive to enjoy regularly, it's definitely fantastic to know these options exist for when friends come over, or simply when we feel like treating ourselves.
I also want to make the point that all of the Plant Kitchen range comes in 100% recycled and recyclable packaging, which is a great step on part of M&S in reducing unnecessary plastic waste. Though it certainly doesn't solve the problem of plastic, I think more supermarkets need to be thinking about this when it comes to their ready meals and convenience foods. Hopefully this will eventually lead to the elimination of plastic entirely in the future.
Positives: Great flavour combinations; delicious flavour; high quality ingredients; recycled packaging.
Negatives: Small portion sizes; can be quite pricey.
Best buys: Dirty Fries, BBQ Jackfruit Pizza, Cauliflower Popcorn, Cashew Mac, Churros, Chocolate Mousse.
Other Plant Kitchen products:
- Margarita pizza
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Roasted mushroom stroganoff
- Coleslaw
- Beet burgers
- No Meat burgers
- No Meat meatballs
- Mushroom Pie
- Sweet Potato & Katsu Curry
- Mexican Supergrains
- Roast Aubergine with Herby Grains
- Tikka Masala & Rice
- Fishless Fishcakes
- Macaroni Pasta
- Moroccan Lentil Stew
- Potato salad.
On-the-go options:
- Beetroot, squash, hazelnut & grain salad
- Edamame & black rice salad
- BBQ jackfruit salad
- Rainbow veg sushi wrap
- Butternut squash & tabbouleh wrap
- No Turkey Feast sandwich
- Roasted veg & avocado sandwich
- Sweet potato Biriyani wrap.
Those are all the ones I know of, but be sure to let me know if you hear of any others!
What do you guys think of the new Plant Kitchen range? Will you be trying it? Drop a comment and share your thoughts below!


text:
Could you be Bipolar
Written by: Toni Foot
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder (previously referred to as 'Manic depression') is a psychological disorder involving periods of polarized emotions and symptoms. There are two main states: depression and mania. An individual suffering from bipolar will usually swing between these states, sometimes very rapidly (rapid cycling). Some sufferers experience periods of 'normality' between their extreme moods and some may experience slow changes over several months or even years.
What causes bipolar disorder?
There is unfortunately no clear cause of this disorder. There are several factors that appear to be linked to the onset of bipolar disorder, but as yet, experts have been unable to identify any causal relationship between them.
Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and family members of someone diagnosed with the disorder are more likely to develop it than other people, although there is no one gene responsible for the onset of bipolar disorder.
Imbalance of neurotransmitters
If the natural balance of neurotransmitters is disrupted then the person can experience symptoms of depression or mania. For instance, too much norepinephrine correlates to feelings of mania where too little norepinephrine accompanies feelings of depression.
Bipolar episodes are often triggered by significant events in an individual's life. This could be the death of someone close to them, the breakdown of a relationship or suffering physical, emotional or sexual abuse. It could be that a person is under significant stress from work or money problems and feels overwhelmed.
What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?
There are two clear states, mania and depression. By its nature, bipolar disorder manifests itself in contradictory patterns of symptoms. A person may experience:
- Feelings of elation, extreme happiness or positivity.
- Over-confidence in their abilities (physical or otherwise).
- Excess energy, sometimes leading to a need for physical exercise or feelings of extreme restlessness.
- Sleeplessness. Someone in a manic phase may need very little sleep to feel very energized.
- Rapid speech.
- Inability to focus or a tendency to over-think things (racing thoughts).
- Increased impulsivity. This can lead to making sudden or unexpected decisions. For some people this includes having spending sprees or taking on debts they cannot afford to repay.
- Increased creativity. Sometimes people in a manic state will have fantastic ideas or be able to produce very creative pieces of work.
- Increased interest in sex.
- hopelessness.
- Sadness.
- Tiredness.
- Lethargy.
- Reduced cognitive function. They may feel 'slow' or unable to understand things they hear or read.
- Hallucinations (hearing, feeling or seeing things that aren't there).
- Slowed speech.
- Memory loss.
- Self-destructive behaviour.
- Unexplained pain, often, but not limited to, headaches or joint pain.
- Reduced interest in pleasurable activities.
- Fear of social situations or leaving home.
Other symptoms of Bipolar disorder
There are some other symptoms that could be experienced in both the manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder:
- Suicidal thoughts. Both manic and depressive states can be overwhelming for an individual.
- Dependency on alcohol or substance abuse. These can feel like escapism for some individuals with bipolar disorder. Unfortunately in reality such substances often make the symptoms worse and lead to further social and personal issues.
- Inability to stick to routines. This means that holding down a job is too challenging for them and they may appear unreliable to friends and family members.
- Irritability.
- Inability to form and maintain relationships.
How is bipolar disorder treated?
The most common treatments for individuals with bipolar disorder are medicines that help to balance the levels of neurotransmitters in the body and psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Individuals may be given medicines to manage the depressive and manic phases as and when they occur, or stabilizers that help prevent the extreme symptoms of manic or depressive states. It may also be necessary to treat specific symptoms as the person experiences manic and depressive episodes, depending on how the disorder affects them individually. As many individuals with bipolar disorder have suffered significantly stressful experiences, some form of talking therapy may be appropriate to help them deal with their particular situation.
It may be possible to identify signs that a manic or depressive episode is about to happen. If this is the case, an individual may be taught to spot these early warning signs and how to respond to reduce the effect of the coming episode.
What should I do if I think I have bipolar disorder?
The first thing you should do is go to see your GP to discuss your symptoms. You may be referred to a psychiatrist who can assess you and arrange a treatment plan for you. You should also consider talking to someone close to you about your condition so that you have support from someone who cares about you. Being open and honest with them may also help them to understand what may seem like irrational and perhaps hurtful behaviour.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Salford Electronics – Communique No.2 CD Tesco Organsiation 2017
Now that The Grey Wolves have ceased activity, former member Dave Padbury will be continuing in solo guide under the Salford Electronics moniker. In then noting that Salford is a suburb of Manchester, UK it may be reasonable to assume this is where Dave resides and it has duly informed the project title.
Perhaps of note, this debut Salford Electronics album was released a couple of months before The Grey Wolves final album Exit Strategy (reviewed here). Now having had a chance to listen to both albums in detail, there appears to be clear conceptual linage between the two (and perhaps this observation better frames Exist Strategy as being an album strongly influenced by the current sonic mind sent of Dave as evidenced on Communique No.2). Likewise, with reference to the soundtrack/ soundscape style of Exit Strategy, this mood also threads through Communique No.2 albeit in a far more controlled and ambient guise. The promo blurb also draws such parallels given its description of: "Salford Electronics is the follow up to The Grey Wolves – Communique 2 is a perfect Interzone eternal night noise or neon rain-soaked stalker science fiction vibrations for would-be blade runners, A soundtrack to the hollow hours empty of sleep". Although ultimately differing in sonic execution, Communique 2 and Exist Strategy are two albums which work rather well together, given they explore similar thematic territory, but with slightly differing sonic result.
Given that Communique No.2 spans 41 minutes across ten interlinking tracks, it is best taken as a complete musical work. As such it is an album that is darkly moody and which sonically articulates a dystopian malaise of the dead hours of night, where the atmospheric industrial-noise/ dark ambient soundscapes slowly ooze forwards in a minimalistic and cinematic guise. Here darkly moody elongated drones mix with sparse washes of noise, buzzing distortion, semi-buried rhythmic elements, but all the while maintaining a controlled and minimalist tone. But not being of studio construction alone, Prestwich is constructed around dank urban field recordings, minimalist electronics pulses and semi-buried radio chatter. Yet to speak of differences, This Sickness positioned at the centre of the album differs from the bulk of the album given its programmed/ electronic rhythmic structure.
With the effective 'non-existent' album artwork giving no visual reference points, it functions to redirect all focus on the musical framework, which reveals a highly detailed work of dank minimalist atmospherics and interspersed with occasional moments of biting tensile sonics. The fact that such a strong solo project has emerged from the ashes The Grey Wolves should be welcomed news, and hopefully bodes well for more high caliber material being delivered by Dave Padbury via the Salford Electronics moniker. Recommended.


text:
Ladies Colourful Stretch Band Watches - MEDIUM
Ladies - Round Medium Dial
Watch Face Size: 2.7cm
Watch Face Size including Frame 3.7cm
Band Width: 1.5cm
Inner Stretch Band Circumference: 16cm
Available in White Black, Purple (sold out), Lime Green, Red (sold out), Orange and Aqua.
Watch Frame: Stainless Steel
Quartz Watch made by Impluse 12 Month Manufacturers Warranty.
Fast Safe Trackable Online Australia Post eParcel
Gift Wrapping Absolute Watches offers Gift Wrapping for $3.95 per item.
If you would like your items to be gift-wrapped please select the Yes Gift Wrap +$3.95 option.
Your Gift Message is entered at checkout.
Be the first to review this product!
Help other shoppers by writing reviews for products you have purchased.


text:
Literary and technical translator with a strong background in literature. I provide translation (NO>FR and EN>FR) and copywriting services in French to both private clients and companies who are looking for effective content in order to promote their products or keep readers engaged.
My passion for the written word, my training in both translation and literature (DEA Lettres et civilisations étrangères, option anglais, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis), and my collaboration with a top-notch editor, have allowed me to produce translations that have received good reviews and graced the top lists of several book selling platforms.
Visit my website to have a look at my portfolio!


text:
More than 13,000 screened in Norfolk, Suffolk and north east Essex in one of world's largest diabetes prevention studies
PUBLISHED: 08:00 25 July 2017 | UPDATED: 08:11 25 July 2017
archant 2017
One of the largest diabetes prevention research studies in the world has just finished recruiting after screening over 13,000 participants at risk of diabetes in Norfolk, Suffolk and north east Essex.
The Norfolk Diabetes Prevention Study (NDPS) has been successfully recruiting volunteers through 135 GP practices in the three counties for five years.
The team has written to more than 144,000 people asking them to take part in the programme.
And to date the programme has provided substantial data with full results expected early next year.
Participants at highest risk of developing Type 2 diabetes were invited to take part in a three and a half year lifestyle intervention programme run at seven centres throughout Norfolk and Suffolk.
Currently there are over 1,600 people taking part in this lifestyle intervention trials throughout the east of England.
The trials involve group sessions to help people increase their physical activity, eat healthily and lose weight if needed.
Some of the participants receive additional support between sessions from Diabetes Prevention Mentors (DPM). A key element of the programme is the recruitment and training of these volunteer.
Joining the programme changed Patrick Thirkettle's way of life.
Mr Thirkettle, who lives near Poringland, Norfolk, joined the diabetes course just over a year ago on the advice on his GP because his blood sugars were above normal.
Mr Thirkettle, 51, works as a property maintenance supervisor and attends group education sessions every two months where he joins about 10 other patients for a session covering exercise and healthy eating.
He said: "My diet has changed completely since I joined the programme and now I know far more about food labelling and how to look for sugar and salt content.
"This is something that everyone should learn at school. I enjoy my food just as much as I used to but I have cut down on biscuits and cakes. The knowledge I've gained means that I buy the right things when I go to the supermarket."
Mr Thirkettle's blood sugars had returned to the normal range following a recent blood test and he is determined to maintain his healthy lifestyle changes on a permanent basis.
Vivien Parr is another participant in the study. Ms Parr has a family history of diabetes but was surprised to receive a letter from her local GP surgery notifying her of the NDPS and asking if she would like to consider having some tests with the NDPS team, with a view to participating.
Being generally fit and healthy, she was sceptical about whether she was susceptible to diabetes but decided to go for blood tests to confirm that there was no need for her to make any diet or lifestyle changes.
When the results of her blood tests came back with raised blood glucose level in a prediabetes range, she was extremely shocked.
She said: "I decided to go originally just to help out the clinical researchers at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, so when the tests came back showing that I was eligible to take part in the study and that I was at risk of diabetes I really couldn't believe it."
Ms Parr, 66, went on to join the study in May 2016 alongside a group of 12 other participants starting the programme at the same time.
"I've learnt such a lot so far on the programme," she said. "What's been particularly interesting is learning about what prediabetes and diabetes really is in a language you can understand, and being able to positively change your habits."
Since joining the study, Ms Parr has lost around two stone. Completing regular three-day food diaries has helped her to identify where she could improve her diet and she has removed all snacks between meals as a result.
She added: "I didn't feel unhealthy in the first place but members of my family have said that I look brighter and my mood has improved.
"I'm really grateful to have participated in the study; I've met some lovely people and I've learnt a lot. To know that I've made positive changes which will help to prevent my health from declining in the future is a great thing."
At the time of Ms Parr's last monitoring clinic appointment, her blood glucose levels had reduced to those of a healthy adult. She's committed to continuing her new healthy lifestyle and is enjoying putting into practice everything she has learned during the programme.
Professor Mike Sampson, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) consultant and the programme's chief investigator, said: "We are very pleased to get to the 13,000 mark which exceeded our original goal, and very grateful to the more than 135 GP practices who have worked with us on this project.".
Senior programme manager and principal investigator Dr Melanie Pascale added: "The NDPS collaborative working on this programme is a great example of health care innovation and a good example of research as vital in providing the evidence we need to transform services, improve patient outcomes and provide value for money healthcare. Overall the feedback from participants has been very positive."
The study has been sponsored by NNUH and funded with around £3m from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
For more, click here.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Eastern Daily Press. Click the link in the orange box below for details.


text:
Hello Baseball fans,
Elabrix, a travel company specializing in unique travel experiences, is now the first to offer a single tour that covers all 30 MLB stadiums. Spending that much time on the road can seem like a daunting task, and that is why there is a huge emphasis on providing luxury accommodations. If you would like to learn more please visit us at www.thirtydiamondclub.com
Added by Elabrix on February 28, 2014 at 12:23pm — No Comments
Apparently, the Mets have Bark at the Park days, when you can bring your dog and sit on the Pepsi Porch. Never thought I would do this, but bought a ticket for April 6th for me, my wife and our puppy if any NYC-area dog owners might be interested in joining. Baseball and dogs...together at last! It benefits the North Shore Animal League.
Added by Eric Kabakoff (35) on February 27, 2014 at 11:31am — No Comments
Anyone going to spring trainiing in Florida in mid-March? If you are and would like to meet up, I'll be at:
Wed 3/12 - Tampa (Yankees)
Thu 3/13 - Lakeland (Tigers)
Sat 3/15 - Orlando (Braves)
Would love to meet any fellow chasers who will be in the neighborhood!
Added by Eric Kabakoff (35) on February 26, 2014 at 5:57am — 2 Comments
The first thing to remember when going on a baseball stadium road trip is why you're doing it. You want to see the game! Since the games have fixed starting times, you may need to choose a more expensive flight or travel at an early hour. But really what's the point of going when you only see half the game? If you can't make it work that you see all of it, skip that city.
Trip Length - I've scheduled multiple games, usually three, on all my trips. If you schedule three games in three…Continue
Added by David Lasdon on February 25, 2014 at 8:26pm — No Comments
Take a peek at my website at www.30ontheroad.com
If any of you are planning on being at the park when I will be in town gove me a shout and we'll try to connect.
Me email is firstname.lastname@example.com.
For the media savvy of you, feel free to follow me around the country via the following.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/30ontheroad2014
Added by David Neil Johnson on February 23, 2014 at 10:19am — 1 Comment
Hey guys!
I'm new to this site so just browsing around. So far I've been to 7 MLB Stadiums.
1. Citizens Bank Park
2. Yankee Stadium
3. Tropicana Field
4. Nationals Park
5. Great American Ballpark
6. Citi Field
7. Camden Yards
This wanting to visit all 30 ballparks mission came into play back in 2009 when I got to visit Tropicana. I figured if I could go to a ballpark outside of the Philly/New York area I could visit all 30. This season I…Continue
Added by Yotshabell on February 22, 2014 at 4:51pm — 1 Comment
Hi everyone! I'm new to this so bear with me. I have been to 5 stadiums total last season and plan on doing another 4 this season! :)1.) Angel Stadium 2.) Petco Park 3.) Yankee Stadium4.) Safeco Fieldif you have any tips for these fields, please let me know!!! :)
Added by Andrea on February 19, 2014 at 12:09am — 4 Comments
Game 8: Thursday, April 24, 2014, Yankees at Red Sox, Fenway Park
Game 9: Friday, April 25, 2014,, Royals at Orioles, Camden Yards
Game 10: Saturday, April 26, 2014, Padres at Nationals, Nationals Park
Game 11: Sunday, April 27, 2014, Marlins at Mets, Citi Field
Game 12: Sunday, April 27, 2014, Angels at Yankees, Yankee Stadium
Game 13: Tuesday, April 29, 2014, Mets @ Phillies, Citizens Bank Park
Game 14: Saturday, May 24, 2014, Houston @ Seattle, Safeco…
Added by David Lasdon on February 13, 2014 at 8:14pm — No Comments
I started my quest for all 30 ballparks last August, going to 7 in August and September. I have another 13 scheduled through July and may go to more last in the season.
Here's my blog:
Added by David Lasdon on February 13, 2014 at 6:33pm — 3 Comments
Added by Bronx Bomber on February 13, 2014 at 3:44pm — No Comments
Best place to sit? Any must do's while at the park? Fun things to do around town?
Looking for any advice to make my trip better. Thanks!
Added by Adam Schmidt (20) on February 12, 2014 at 8:01pm — 1 Comment
My friend and I are on our second year of our baseball roadtrip. First year was mid-June with games in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, both New York teams, Boston, and Washington D.C. This summer we are planning 2 weekend trips; first one is in July with a Friday night game in Milwaukee and Saturday and Sunday games in Minneapolis. We have another trip in mind and that is Coors field. We are planning to leave on a friday afternoon/evening out of Chicago (our home city) and fly into Denver. Any advice…Continue
Added by Hector Duran (11) on February 8, 2014 at 12:25pm — 7 Comments
Can not wait for baseball, it's been a long winter!
Added by Bronx Bomber on February 6, 2014 at 3:58pm — No Comments
Lost a great one, Ralph Kiner your baseball family will miss you!
Added by Bronx Bomber on February 6, 2014 at 3:53pm — No Comments


text:
Get to know Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Cramps are normal for women during our special time of month. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all of us. Severe depression, irritability, and tension before and during the menses plague several women at this time. This is far from the norm. In fact, it's a health issue called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). And it's an issue we all need to learn about.
Dr. Tate is a gynaecologist at the Dunrobin Wellness and Medical Centre and she told Flair PMDD is a severe and extreme form of premenstrual syndrome. They both have similar symptoms but, PMDD causes extreme mood swings. These can ultimately disrupt your ability to function in your daily life namely work, school, and your social life, especially your relationships.
"Women with a family history of PMDD are at an increased risk of having it. Other risk factors include women who suffer from anxiety, smoke cigarettes, and have had previous traumatic events," the doctor explained.
Experts are yet to decipher the exact cause of PMDD, but Tate explained that hormonal changes that occur during the menses and genetics are factors that are surmised to be likely causes of the condition.
Also, claims have been made that alcohol or substance abuse, thyroid disorder, being overweight and lack of exercise contribute to PMDD. However, Tate denounced this.
"There is not much evidence to link these to PMDD. However, these conditions may have similar symptoms as PMDD, and as such, an overlap of symptoms. But your physician will be able to rule out other conditions as the cause of symptoms," she told Flair.
PMDD symptoms usually start manifesting two weeks before a woman's menses begin. The symptoms will improve and disappear by the end of the period.
These include both emotional and physical symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness, mood swings, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, suicidal feelings, breast tenderness, or swelling bloating, insomnia, and pain in the muscles and joints.
"The treatment options are varied and the same treatment won't work for everyone. Talking to a psychotherapist or gynaecologist about the symptoms and starting behavioural changes [is one option].
Antidepressants can be used for the emotional symptoms, which is sometimes given continuously or just about the time of the period. They may cause a range of side effects so it is not right for everyone," she explained.
Also, painkillers, combined contraceptives, GnRh analogue injections, and surgery are other options available for you.
A change in your lifestyle can also help to remedy premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Tate said that a healthy and balanced diet and exercise have been proven to be great potions that improve the symptoms.
"If you think you may have PMDD it is very important to speak to your gynaecologist as soon as possible. Make a record of all your symptoms as this will help your physician in making the diagnosis. Understand that PMDD is "not just your period" or "just premenstrual symptoms" and there is a valid reason to seek medical attention," she warned.


text:
You've probably heard by now that Erik Karlsson was traded out West.
The 28-year-old defenseman was sent to the San Jose Sharks from the Senators on Tuesday after spending the last eight seasons in Ottawa.
With the trade, the Boston Bruins no longer will need to face Karlsson multiple times in a season, something head coach Bruce Cassidy said makes life easier for his group of forwards.
Before Boston's preseason game in China against the Calgary Flames, Cassidy addressed the trade, saying Karlsson is the type of player that makes others up their game. To hear what he had to say, check out the "NESN Sports Today" video above, presented by People's United Bank.


text:
Today I sent the video out to my fellow producers. Now I know what you are thinking: if you finished the video yesterday, why did I wait until today to send it out? The answer was simple. I'm using Google Drive to share the video to people: this way it's not public but it's accessible to the producers anywhere. Last time I tried, we had some issues as it took a while for Google Drive to process the video and it also took a couple hours to upload. So I gave Drive a day to upload/process the video before sending it out. I also took the time to watch the video.
So far early feedback is encouraging!
The big update today had to do with the artist: I finally finalized the hiring of one of them! I'm pretty excited about this artist! She came recommended to me by Jeffrey Santos and I can't wait to see what she does! Anyways, she'll formally start doing the art next week. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good.


text:
For the third year in a row, students and faculty from Hofstra's Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program were on the set of NBC's Today Show in New York City for National PA Week, held annually from Oct. 6 to 12 to increase awareness of the profession and to promote a healthy lifestyle.
More than 60 Hofstra students and faculty joined other PA students from across the state on Oct. 6 to support the "PAs on the Plaza" event, organized by the New York State Society of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
"The sea of white coats in 30 Rock was a great way to promote awareness of the physician assistant career and bring attention to the importance of PAs in America," said Megan Dauscher '17. "It was a great way to start PA week."
Forbes.com recently rated the PA field number one on its list of 25 most promising careers for millennials.


text:
My Dairy
About Love
"Love isn't just being with someone you enjoy being with. It's connecting and existing with someone on a deeper level than with anyone else."
"I finally understood what true love meant… love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices, you face might be."
Last X'mas
Day 23rd : Finished my works in office. I got a train ticket in Island Express with my other 5 friends. Reached Railway station by 9.25 pm.
Day 24th : ….
July 20, 2013 at 4:32 PM
dats too lesss for a dairy ….


text:
Design, Development, and Multi-Variate Testing
The landing page – the first website page a potential customer sees after clicking on an ad or an organic listing – is crucial to your business success.
Everything on a landing page, from the headline, to the value proposition highlights, to the images, and the visual directional cues, influences whether a potential customer or client will contact you or buy your products.
And today, the landing page must also be mobile-responsive, and must perform well on the smartphone screen at all levels, including visuals, sequence and flow, minimal navigation, mobile-friendly forms, and tap-to-call and/or tap-for-directions functionality.
Putting Unbounce to Work For You
At NetCrafter Solutions, we are experienced and expert users of the Unbounce platform, which enables rapid development of mobile-responsive landing pages and thousands of customizable templates to choose from.
Unbounce speeds professional design and development with:
- Hundreds of professionally designed templates.
- Widgets for all form and button functions.
- Multiple ways to securely store and/or deliver form input data.
- Rapid multi-versioning and easy multi-variate testing from a single URL.
- Real-time conversion tracking and reporting dashboard.
Our platform minimizes designer time, and may nearly eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming IT and developer work. We routinely create significant increases in conversion rates with our system. Contact us to learn more about landing pages and split-testing.
Website Design & Development
NetCrafter Solutions works with a limited number of clients on complete website redesign projects, including concept and planning, information architecture, copy writing, visuals – everything you need to redesign, re-message, re-platform, and re-launch. We work exclusively in the templated WordPress environment and use a best-in-class development and hosting service, including state-of-the-art security, and 24/7/365 technical support. Find out how we can help you upgrade to a great new mobile-responsive site that your own team can easily manage and update after launch.


text:
Broken legs and yak horn injuries
Hello Compassion Project friends,
I just received some new photos from our health centre in Tsum from team member Dhawa Tashi. Warning: the second image may be upsetting to some. Simply don't scroll to the bottom if you prefer.
These images show exactly why we work so hard to provide care. One man was carried in by stretcher with a hurt leg; the other injury is from a yak horn. Dinesh, our health worker, is able to do minor surgeries so people don't need to hike to Kathmandu for hospital care. Imagine hiking with either of these injuries?
These services are made possible by YOU! None of the money is lost in bureaucracy or inflated salaries. It goes 100% to operational costs, Dinesh's salary, and buying medicine. It's because we are working at the local level that we can achieve this. We ask the surrounding communities and villagers: What can we do better? Are these services helpful? What do you need, and how can we serve? The response has been overwhelmingly positive. So let's keep going. Together.


text:
Isotope Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry
Nature of Project(s):
- In situ analysis of petrologic materials with the SHRIMP ion microprobes.
- Isotopic analyses of geologic materials using chemical separation methods and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) or plasma source mass spectrometry (ICPMS)
Essential Background:
Suitable for students with interests in Geochemistry or Planetary Science.
Students using solution methods will perform demanding work in a clean chemistry lab and should have a chemistry background or previous experience.
EMSC8022 (Advanced Analytical Techniques) and EMSC 8024 (Foundations of Analytical Techniques and Data Science).
Isotope abundances provide key information concerning timing and processes operating in a wide range of terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. In situ analysis by SHRIMP ion microprobes allow isotope ratio determination with micron scale resolution in mineral context. This technique provides excellent sensitivity and is the least invasive method of analysis for many systems including O, C, S stable isotope analyses, as well as trace element and U-Th-Pb in appropriate accessory minerals.
Isotope analysis of dissolved and chemically separated whole rock or separated mineral samples is the method of choice for isotopic dating and tracing with radiogenic isotope systems such as Lu-Hf, Sm-Nd and U-Th-Pb. It yields precise timing of formation and the ages of different source materials contributing to formation of rocks.
Possible Future Research Avenues:
- Current work is focusing on our unique capabilities in minor isotope analysis of O (17O) and sulphur (33S and 36S). This has wide applicability in constraining the environments on early Earth, Mars, and planetary volatiles in the early solar system. Sulphur isotope analyses provide controls on the formation of large sulphide deposits.
- Current work is focusing on the use of Nd, Sr and Hf isotopic compositions of sediments from drill cores to determine the changing sources of materials contributing to Proterozoic basins to try to link this with tectonic events.
- Current work is focusing on precise determination of ages of meteorite components to understand the timing and duration of early solar system events.
- Current work is focusing on better determination of the physical and chemical foundations of isotope geochemistry: this includes more accurate and precise half-lives for long-lived radioisotopes, absolute isotopic ratios, and mechanisms and patterns of isotope fractionation.


text:
City of EffinghamHome Menu
Calendar Meeting List
Hog Wild for CTEC
- Date: 10/03/2019 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
- Location: Legacy Harley-Davidson
1315 Althoff Ave., Exit 162
Effingham, Illinois 62401
This annual fundraiser helps raise money for CTEC, the Construction Trades Education Curriculum available for seniors in Effingham County. For only $20 per person, you will receive a steak dinner, and help support a great cause!
- CTEC Students
- Dieterich Bank (Effingham, Teutopolis & Dieterich Branches)
- Effingham High School
- Diana Grinestaff at firstname.lastname@example.com
- Tickets can also be purchased at the event.
Sponsored By : Dieterich Bank
Hosted By: Legacy Harley-Davidson
CTEC, Construction Trades Education Curriculum, is a one year program open to senior students in Effingham County high schools. Based off the successful CEO Program, this daily class teaches students the skills needed to succeed in the construction and building fields, including blueprint reading, vocational math, carpentry, plumbing, masonry, residential wiring and more. CTEC students visit active job sites, tour local businesses, and network with business leaders in our community for hands on learning. These students leave workforce ready.
Whether you choose to donate time, money, equipment, materials, expertise, or on-site opportunities - you're making a difference! All donations are tax deductible and can be made at the Southeastern Foundation or contact:
Bob Schultz at (217) 342-4100 or Mike Wente at (217) 342-2242.


text:
Agbonlahor is of half-Nigerian
and half-Scottish descent.
He was first noticed playing for
local side Great Barr Falcons, where his quick pace
brought him success as a young teenager. He was spotted
by boyhood team Aston Villa.
On September 20, 2006, Agbonlahor
was pencilled in as a player in the Nigeria U20 team
for the match against Rwanda. He turned down the chance,
whilst not ruling out playing for the country in the
future. He later pledged his future to England.


text:
The spell of thunderstorms over Peninsular India continues to chug along with a very good day of rainfall activity seen over many parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and few parts of Tamil Nadu too. Yesterday also saw the return of Easterlies over coastal areas bringing some sharp spell of showers to a few places along the coast. Few places saw light rains today early morning around Chennai.
Senthurai in Ariyalur district recorded 5 cms from thunderstorms in the evening while light to moderate rains where seen in a few places over Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore & Kanchipuram district. Kayathar in Thootukudi district recorded moderate rains for another day yesterday
An East West Shear Zone type of feature, typically seen before Monsoon onset, is seen over parts of South India. This is likely to trigger thunderstorms around the zone between 12N & 14N latitude today. The winds at 1.5 kms ASL to the North of this zone is Easterly while below it is Westerly giving a zone of instability in between.
Areas around South Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema & adjoining parts of Tamil Nadu are likely to see late night thunderstorms with one or two places coming under fairly heavy spells of thunderstorm activity. With a long weekend ahead a lot of traffic is likely to move out of the urban centers like Bengaluru / Chennai, the thunderstorms could play a spoilsport on the traffic plans so those planning to go home for Ayudha Pujai / Dusshera please plan accordingly.
The key question today is will Chennai get lucky with some Westerly winds just as Northeast Monsoon is so near to us. Fingers Crossed.


text: I would like for some help from you guys in relation to a project that I am doing. I am using the FIFA 10 PC game to create the teams of MLS, NASL, USL and some NPSL teams. Since you guys know the players can you rate the players for this team? Also if you know who the captain of the team is that would be helpful as well. Please keep in mind that ratings for MLS players are between 60s and 70s and NASL players from MLS are between 50s and 60s. So USL players should be between 40s and 50s. Here is the team I need help from you guys to rate: Pittsburgh Riverhounds First Team Roster[edit] Last updated: 30 March 2015 Number Position Player Nation 2 Forward Amara Soumah Guinea 3 Defender Anthony Arena United States 4 Forward Max Touloute Haiti 5 Defender Sterling Flunder United States 6 Midfielder Rob Vincent England 7 Midfielder Stephen Okai Ghana 8 Midfielder Michael Green United States 9 Forward Miroslav Cabrilo Canada 10 Midfielder Kevin Kerr Scotland 11 Defender Tyler Pasher Canada 12 Defender Anthony Virgara United States 13 Goalkeeper Ryan Thompson Jamaica 14 Midfielder Seth C'deBaca United States 15 Forward Kene Eze United States 16 Midfielder Danny Earls Ireland 17 Defender Drew Russell United States 18 Midfielder Boris Živanovic Serbia 19 Defender Willie Hunt United States 20 Midfielder Matthew Dallman United States 21 Defender Fejiro Okiomah United States 22 Midfielder Lebo Moloto South Africa 23 Midfielder Nick Kolarac United States 24 Goalkeeper Ryan Hulings United States 25 Defender Jereme Raley United States 28 Forward Vini Dantas Brazil 30 Goalkeeper Calle Brown United States


text:
Saotome Katsumoto interview, 10 August 2009, part 4
0 (0 Likes / 0 Dislikes)
So that's how we fled on the night of March 10 until we eventually reached the Sumida River. Of course, we ended up losing all the belongings that we'd loaded onto the bicycle cart. At least we were safe... All of us. Mukojima just happened to be slightly away from the center of the attack. The areas that were most damaged are in what is now called Koto Ward--the vicinity of our historical center. In those days it included two wards: Honjo and Fukagawa. Other affected areas were the Joto, Asakusa, and Nihonbashi wards. Mukojima was fifth or so on the list. Just a bit off center. In the end, perhaps we shouldn't even have run away because our house didn't burn down. It didn't burn down, but it was one of a small handful that stood there looking like an island among the ruins. Everything else was gone. The area had been reduced to a burned out wasteland. Crowds of refugees made their way on the main thoroughfares. My house faced one of these big roads. The refugees would always look back at our house with a rueful expression. You could hear them saying, "That one didn't burn down..." It made us feel guilty for simply not having had our house destroyed. I was even scolded for looking out at the refugees from the window on the second floor. Lots of things disappeared. When I say "disappeared" I mean that they were stolen. The refugees had nothing. They'd come asking to use the toilet and take some sandals or something when they left. You really couldn't blame them. They were walking barefoot. There were three such large-scale raids. The first was March 10. The next targeted the western side of Tokyo and came on the night of April 12th and 13th. Finally, there was another major raid targeting everything that was left in the city on May 24-25. All in all, Tokyo was bombed over one hundred times total. But that third major raid in May was particularly dangerous. The raid lasted for two days. Just as the number of B-29s to participate in the raid was much greater, so was their payload much higher. Between those three rads, roughly 50% of Tokyo's area was destroyed. The May attack really was much worse. We had to once again flee among the hail of incendiaries smashing down around us. Sometimes the bombs would fail to ignite, but this was rare. The bombs always destroyed everything in the vicinity where they landed. So you had to run between the explosions and fires in search of spots that had already burned down. By that time there were plenty of such areas. The red-light district in Tamanoi was also consumed in the flames. When running away from our "island house" pretty much everything around us was a sea of destruction. You'd think you could be safe just by reaching such areas, but you weren't. The fighters now being launched from aircraft carriers started strafing with their machine guns. When there's strafing, what you really need is a place to hide. So by fleeing to desolated areas, you could actually end up endangering yourself even further because there was nowhere to take shelter. And everyday life was reduced to wandering around the ruins trying to find things that could still be used. For example, if there was a canning factory or something you could maybe find some charred goods that were still edible. Another thing we did was visit the Sumida River. There were bodies floating all over the surface, but among these you could sometimes find a clump of wax. I think the reason is that there was a shipyard somewhere upstream. The shipyards would use wax when sliding the ships to the water. I think all this wax had melted and washed downstream. We were just kids, so we'd scoop the wax out with a net, take it home, and make candles out of it. It's more difficult than you'd think. You have to thread string through the center to act as a wick. We'd use a nail and pieces of bamboo that had been split in half. You put the nail over the top like this, then tie the string to the nail and let it hang down into the bamboo canister... ...all the way to the bottom... Then you pour in the melted wax. After it hardens, you can open up the two halves of the bamboo that were held together with another piece of string. If you did it right, you'd then have a candle. There was no electricity. It was always dark. So you could take the candles around the neighborhood to sell. Actually to exchange for other goods. That was our daily life. Of course, I really didn't expect to live very long. Our teachers told us we could expect to live twenty-five years, but I didn't even expect that. Within the next few years, either something miraculous would happen to destroy America and save Japan... ...or, failing that, the entire nation would perish like Kamikazes. Those were the only two paths I could see. But even as a child, I knew there wasn't going to be any miracle....
Video Details
Duration: 7 minutes and 39 seconds
Country: United States
Language: Japanese
Genre: None
Views: 298
Posted by: japanairraids on Sep 14, 2010
Saotome Katsumoto interview, 10 August 2009, part 3
Caption and Translate
Sign In/Register for Dotsub to translate this video.


text:
The Lifetech team of Maastricht University's School of Business and Economics is the happy winner of the TNO Entrepreneur Challenge.
TNO is an independent research organisation which aims, among others, to develop entrepreneurial skills and launch successful new startups in the Netherlands. The Entrepreneur Challenge helps to connect high-tech opportunities with new entrepreneurial talents.
On 18 and 19 October, seven teams from various universities and vocational schools competed to elaborate a business case for a start-up company based on a tested and patented TNO technology.
SBE's Lifetech team and Delft University's Spark team were selected as the two best teams and were given three weeks to optimize their plan for the final round.
The Lifetech team, consisting of MSc students in IB Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Felix Plitzko, Eugene Stassen, Youri van Dijk and BSc IB student Louis Lohest, came up with the winning idea: a strongly improved method to monitor and control sewer systems from the inside.
TNO has over 40 years of experience in signal processing for cameras and has developed a special technology in contrast improvement, which has found applications in the defense industry. The participating teams were challenged to commercialize this technology for the business market.
"Enthusiasm, drive and creativity"
"24 hours to develop a business case seemed like a very short time but it proved to be one of the most productive sessions ever," said Felix Plitzko. "Now, with the implementation of our case a new challenge is about to begin. We would like to recommend this event to everyone who wants to stop working and start creating!"
Boy Kodde, SME Manager at TNO, described the Entrepreneur Challenge as an inspiring experience: "We were surprised by the enthusiasm, drive and creativity of the student teams. We will definitely support the next Entrepreneur Challenge."
The winners now have six months to put their concept into practice and set up the start-up company. If the project is successful, each participant will receive a 2 percent share of the company.
During this period, TNO will provide SBE's team with 40 hours of technical support free of charge and the option to participate in the TNO Winter Course. The winners will also receive a sum of EUR 10,000 in seed money from Secureview, a workplace at the Team Academy's School for Entrepreneurs, 40 hours of team coaching from the Team Academy and 10 hours of legal support from the legal firm SOLV Advocaten.
The next Entrepreneur Challenge will take place on 23-24 May 2013, once again using a TNO technology as a starting point. For more information, please contact Arjen Hemelaar at Team Academy Netherlands: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Great Plains has revolutionized the folding box drill once again.
Products and Implements: United States
40' Heavy-Duty No-Till Air Implement
This 40-foot no-till air drill features heavy-duty 10HD Series Openers, a floating tongue, & plenty of wing flex for even seeding on uneven ground.
40' 3-Section Heavy-Duty No-Till Drill
With 10HD Series Openers and a heavy-duty frame, this 40-foot 3-section no-till drill whittles down the toughest seeding jobs in no time at all.
40' & 45' Min-Till
Featuring large central-fill hoppers and working widths of 40' and 45', the CTA-4000 and CTA-4500 provides producers high efficiency with minimal cost per acre.


text: The Intracare Hoof-fit - Hoof Hygiene liquid helps to prevent and improve bacterial hoof infection. Hoof Hygine stops bacterial growth via chelated minerals which penetrate the hoof deeply. They are therefore not only positively affecting the top layer of the skin, the epidermis, but will also reach deeper layers of the skin. The chelated minerals work in combination with Aloe Vera and isopropanol. This combination ensures an optimum condition of the hooves.


text:
Dawn V. Gilmore Fine Art Photography
P.O. Box 8294
Port St. Lucie, FL 34985
Serving the Treasure Coast,
Jupiter & Palm Beach,
Martin & Indian River Counties
Hours by Appointment only (Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; additional charge for Saturday's)
(772) 579-2940
Dawn V. Gilmore is a Florida breastfeeding photographer with a residential studio based in Port St. Lucie, FL . She mainly services the fabulous mothers of the Treasure Coast & Palm Beach area. But of course, ANYONE who wants gorgeous, timeless, black and white photos of themselves breastfeeding are always welcome!


text:
Behind the scenes at the Frank's Fitness Big Apple bodybuilding competition – Brooklyn, NY August 4th, 2018.
Behind the scenes at the Frank's Fitness Big Apple bodybuilding competition – Brooklyn, NY August 4th, 2018.
Athletes – thank you for taking the stage at the 2018 Big Apple Pro/AM!! All of you are amazing. Thank you to all of the staff, vendors, volunteers, family and friends that make the show possible we could not do it with out you. To my MVP: Erin Cooper, Thank you for your endless love and support baby.
Check out the recap page below!
Athletes! We are wishing your a great peak week for the OCB Big Apple Pro/Am August 4th!! Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com with any questions or need before the show. See you soon!
Athletes, fans, friends and family! We are three weeks out from the Big Apple Pro/AM. Mark your calendars – August 4th, LIU Kumble Theater in Brooklyn, NYC. We are very excited to be back in the big apple and are honored to host YOU on stage. Can't wait to meet everyone and see you soon! – Frank
WOW! Amazing pics from the Big Apple Pro/Am!! Congrats everyone!
Copyright Frank's Fitness LLC - 2020


text:
Limestone Professor Erin Pushman Has Essays Selected For Re-Publication
Limestone College Professor of English Erin Pushman recently had two of her essays selected for re-publication.
Pushman's Feed The Baby was originally published in Breastfeeding Today, and was re-published over the summer in the edited blog Women's Health Today from Praeclarus Press. In addition, an excerpt of her essay, Intercourse, Recall, was selected for the forthcoming anthology WAVES, a Confluence of Women's Voice. The anthology from the A Room of Her Own Foundation is inspired by Virginia Woolf.
"I am happy that two of my previously published creative non-fiction works are coming out in new venues because re-publishing gives writing a new life on a new page – or screen," Pushman said. "Being part of an anthology like WAVES is an honor. I am also extremely pleased when my work appears in online media, like the edited blog from Praeclarus, because the readership is so wide."
Pushman is the Director of the Writing Center at Limestone. She is a member of the standing committee for the CCCC Creative Nonfiction Special Interest Group. Pushman has had two articles published in Breastfeeding Today, the official magazine of La Leche League International.
Recently, her other writing has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, Confrontation, Cold Mountain Review, Segue, 1966: a Journal of Creative Nonfiction,"and the anthologies Boomtown and More New Monologues for Women by Women II. She is the recipient of a 2017 North Carolina Regional Artist Project Grant.


text:
Managing multiple small projects
As a project manager of small projects, you are aware of the importance of using a methodology and tools to manage a single project. However, managing multiple small projects requires more control. By using a methodology for managing multiple projects, the project manager will be able to efficiently plan and control project activities. By grouping projects, the project manager will be able to see schedule impacts across projects and report progress across the entire project portfolio.
As a project manager of small projects, you are aware of the importance of using a methodology and tools to manage a single project. You have achieved a level of success with managing small projects and have been awarded the opportunity to manage more projects simultaneously. At the beginning, the single-project methodology applied over a few projects appears to work. After a short time, however, you become concerned. Some of your concerns are as follows:
- Common resources are assigned to multiple projects
- Many of your project team members are part-time resources to the project
- Team members are juggling priorities---they're working on multiple projects and also responsible for performing operational activities
You know that you need to manage time and resources more efficiently. Because time is of the essence, you need to report project progress and manage issues and risks more efficiently, also. You notice that several of your resources are shared among several of your projects and realize that you need to monitor project interdependencies better to ensure that your key resources are available when needed.
What should you do? You need to be more efficient. You need more control. And you need a tool to communicate project interdependencies. The time has come to use a project management process designed to manage multiple small projects.
Small Project Definition
Before we begin our discussion on managing multiple small projects, it will serve us well to have a common understanding of what small projects are.
It is generally agreed that small projects are relatively easy to manage, but other than this there is no one way to define what makes a project a small project. In some cases, small could be defined on the basis of cost, such as costing less than $1million. Cost is relative, however, and depends on the income of the organization. Parth uses two indicators. The first indicator of a small project is its impact on the company's bottom line. If a company loses a large project, it may have a significant detrimental impact to the company's future. If a company loses a small project, or even several of them, the impact to profits may be negligible. Parth uses whether or not the project has dedicated resources as the second indicator. Small projects typically don't have dedicated resources---the project personnel may be working on multiple projects in various stages of completion at the same time (Parth, 1998, p. 1). Small could also be defined on the basis of time---for example, as taking less than 6 months to complete. For the purpose of this paper, we will use the guidelines suggested in Project Management for Small Projects to define small projects (Rowe, 2007, p. 6). Therefore, a project may generally be considered a small project when it is has the following characteristics:
- Is short in duration, typically lasting less than 6 months, and usually part-time in effort hours
- Has 10 or fewer team members
- Involves a small number of skill areas
- Has a single objective and a solution that is readily achievable
- Has a narrowly defined scope and definition
- Affects a single business unit and has a single decision maker
- Has access to project information and will not require automated solutions from external project sources
- Uses the project manager as the primary source for leadership and decision-making
- Has no political implications with respect to proceeding or not proceeding
- Produces straightforward deliverables with few interdependencies among skill areas
- Costs less than $75,000 and has available funding
If the project involves a few skill areas but the deliverables are complex, it is not a small project. If the scope is broad, the project usually involves more skill areas, and so it would not be considered a small project.
Most small projects center on changes in organizational processes. Other examples of small projects include:
- Developing a training course
- Implementing a project office
- Implementing a purchased software application
- Enhancing an existing information system
- Developing a website
- Developing a strategy
- Developing a project proposal
Many assignments can also be treated as small projects, even if only one person is involved. For example, improving your filing system or planning a department social activity may require the efforts of a single resource for a few weeks, but can still benefit from a simplified form of project management. Treating assignments as projects allows more effort to be carried out in an efficient manner with better use of resources (Kallman, & Williamson, 2002, p. 1). Treating assignments as projects provides you with the opportunity to define the goal and expectations clearly at the onset, thereby eliminating the frustration of wasted effort and unnecessary rework.
Small Project Portfolios
A portfolio is a collection of projects or programs and other work that are grouped together to facilitate effective management of that work to meet strategic business objectives. The projects or programs of the portfolio may not necessarily be interdependent or directly related (PMI, 2006, p. 78). Although the projects within a portfolio can be related or unrelated, it is important to understand the relationship of the portfolios and the projects of the portfolio so that they can be managed effectively.
Portfolio of Related Projects
A portfolio of related projects consists of projects of a similar type, organization, or subject matter---for example, small maintenance and enhancement projects, business process reengineering projects, or preproject efforts for requesting, estimating, and approving projects. These projects often share resources and are formally managed by a project portfolio manager.
Portfolio of Unrelated Projects
A portfolio of unrelated projects consists of multiple projects assigned to the project manager. These projects may consist of some related projects in addition to ad hoc projects and assignments. The project manager can combine these projects and assignments. The project manager can combine these projects into a portfolio, giving the project manager the tools to plan, monitor, and control project activities more efficiently.
Portfolio management is centralized management of one or more portfolios, which includes identifying, prioritizing, authorizing, managing, and controlling projects, programs, and other related work, to achieve specific strategic business objectives (PMI, 2006, p. 78). Managing a portfolio of small projects, whether they are related or unrelated, is a worthwhile challenge that should not be taken lightly.
Project Management Process for Multiple Small Projects
Multiple projects often present multiple challenges. To be successful in a multiple-project environment, you must first have a process for managing single projects and use it consistently. A project management process, as described in the PMBOK® Guide, describes, organizes, and completes the work of the project, and is organized into five groups: initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. A process specifically designed for small projects should be scalable and adaptable (PMI, 2004). It should be scalable in that the level of complexity of the process, the time in using the process, and the focus of the process, all fit the needs of the project. It should be adaptable in the sense that it is known how much process is required for an individual project. It is important for the project manager to know what portion of the tools to apply. When the full set is applied, productivity and profitability may suffer; when no controls are applied, the project may be a failure (Fuezery, 1998). Process and tool usage becomes even more important in the multiple-project environment.
To gain efficiencies, use a multiple-project management process. The following multiple-project management process has three steps:
- Develop a single project plan for each individual project
- Incorporate individual project plans into a multiple-project plan
- Execute and control the multiple-project plan.
Step 1: Develop a Single Project Plan for Each Individual Project
Planning is a major challenge for small projects. We know that it is important to plan. When planning is not done, you start out thinking the project is small and end up hoping that the project is really small. However, getting the right people together at the right time to discuss the project details can be painful. And even more painful than discussing the project details is taking the time to document the plan. The project manager can easily create a project plan for an individual project by using templates designed for managing small projects. Below is a description of key project management documents.
Project Charter
The project charter provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities and also identifies the project objective and defines the project scope. The project charter is used as a reference throughout the project to ensure that the project scope does not change. The project charter includes the following: project roles and responsibilities (project sponsor, project manager, other project stakeholders, core team members), project description (background information, project objectives, project scope, project budget), project information (high-level deliverables, assumptions, constraints, dependencies with other projects, risk or opportunities) and supporting information (business process impact and acceptance criteria).
For even smaller projects, an abbreviated project charter or project charter "lite" can be used. The project charter "lite" consists of project objectives, stakeholders, project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, constraints, risk factors, dependencies with other projects, and acceptance criteria. At an absolute minimum, you should always develop a fully defined scope statement.
Work Breakdown Structure
The work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool for breaking a project down into its component parts. As stated in the PMBOK® Guide---Third Edition, a WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of project elements that organizes and defines the total work scope of the project (PMI, 2004). It is a top-down decomposition of deliverables, where each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work.
The WBS can be a simple hierarchy showing only major deliverables or high-level deliverables, or it can be more detailed and contain lower-level deliverables. The intent is not to become too detailed but to make sure all of the project components are included.
Deliverable List and Task List
The deliverable and task list is an outline of the deliverables and the associated tasks. The task, the lowest level on the list, indicates the steps or actions required to complete the work. This document can also show who is responsible for completing the deliverable or task. This document can be used as a simple checklist to track progress, or start and end dates can be included for more control. Depending on the needs of the project, the deliverable list, which includes only the deliverables, may be all that is required.
Project Schedule
Scheduling involves converting the work into sequenced tasks. Developing a project schedule can become a burdensome task. Small projects may benefit from a simplified version of a project schedule. The schedule can be managed at a high level by including only deliverables or, if needed, key tasks associated with each deliverable. The project manager needs to decide what information will be shown on the project schedule---for example, whether it is necessary to show hours.
Risk Register
PMBOK® Guid Third Edition defines risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project objective. Positive effects of risk are considered opportunities. For small projects these new opportunities are usually handled as a separate project. Therefore, we will focus on the negative effects of risk.
Even for small projects, it is important to be prepared for what could go wrong. A simplified risk register is recommended. The risk register should include the risk category, risk event, probability, impact, priority, risk response, and risk owner.
All projects should have a project charter or project charter lite. The project plan or planning deliverables should be prepared based on the needs of the project. However, the planning deliverables must be prepared with process and tool consistency among projects to allow for easy integration into the multiple-project process. After the project plan or planning deliverables are developed for the individual projects, additional planning is required to obtain multiple-project process efficiencies.
Step 2: Incorporate Individual Project Plans into a Multiple-Project Plan
After individual plans are developed, they should be consolidated for project monitoring and control. This will allow the project manager to see the results in a single document and also to see impacts across projects.
Multiple--Small Project Summary
The multiple-project summary is a spreadsheet view of high-level project information. Summary information is obtained from the project charter and project plan. The multiple-project summary is a good communication tool, but its value comes from the project manager's knowing what is in his or her portfolio. The spreadsheet can be sorted or filtered based on reporting requirements. Additional categories can be added for more reporting control. Suggested information to include on the multiple-project summary is as follows: project I.D., project name, priority, category, type, objectives, budget, estimated completion date, high-level deliverables, project dependencies, and status.
Multiple-- Small Project Risk Register
Small projects are considered low risk; however, after projects are combined using the multiple-project process, the project manager might uncover additional project risks. Risk factors common in the multiple-project environment include the following:
- Project manager trying to manage too many projects
- Too many active small projects sharing the same resources
- Interproject dependencies from high-risk projects
- Key resources being shared among projects
- Poor planning in any project in the project manager's portfolio
- Loss of control in any project in the project manager's portfolio
After the risk assessment is completed for the single project, the project manager should develop a portfolio risk register. The portfolio risk register consolidates the project risks for integrated monitoring and control. Sometimes a single project risk may have a low priority, but, when viewed across multiple projects, this same risk could have a higher priority. The multiple-project risk register should include risk number, project name, status, category, risk event, probability, impact, priority, risk response, and owner.
The project manager now has a consolidated view of the project risks and can determine if any of the priorities need to be adjusted due to other project risks. If project risk priorities need to be adjusted, the project manager should also update the individual project risk register.
Consolidated Project Schedule
The consolidated project schedule is a high-level Gantt view of the projects. This information can be displayed at the project level, project phase level, major activity level, or any combination of these levels. The multiple-project schedule is a good communication tool. It also makes it easier to control key project activities.
The multiple-project schedule has two important components: interproject dependencies and duration. Interproject dependencies or logical relationships among projects, phases, or activities should be identified with the appropriate links. Any time that a deliverable from one project (regardless of the level---project, phase, or activity) affects the completion of another project, it should be identified on the multiple-project schedule. If a project that is not within your control has a deliverable that affects one of your projects or if one of your projects has a deliverable that affects someone else's project, that dependency should also be identified and shown on the multiple-project schedule.
Even if there are no project dependences (all the projects are independent), the multiple-project schedule allows the project manager to see the time-frame for project activities that could affect resource allocation. A single resource might be assigned to multiple projects that require the resource's involvement at the same time. Being aware of this condition early on allows the project manager to negotiate for resources before either project's completion is in jeopardy. In addition, the project manager is aware of the project management activities required for specific time-frames and will know whether the project management components of the project are in jeopardy.
Step 3: Execute and Control the Multiple-Project Plan
Projects should be monitored, executed, and controlled using the methods defined during the planning process. The multiple-project schedule and risk log should be updated with actual data. Status information should be summarized into one document.
In addition to these standard documents, it is also helpful to produce a multiple-small project calendar. the multiple small project calendar is a month-at-a-glance calendar which displays project milestones and key project activities. The same calendar should be used to record the information for all projects. This document provides a quick, easy-to-read, consolidated view of key project activities. For additional clarity, the project manager can color-code the projects and record project information by project color.
Leadership Skills for Managing Multiple Projects
To lead is to go before or with and show others the way. It is to guide in direction, course, action, and opinion. A good leader has the ability to motivate others to accomplish an objective. The project manager must command authority and be able to inspire and motivate others. The project manager sets the general direction of the project and allows team members to provide input along the way. During difficult times, the project manager must remain calm and be able to provide solutions to get things back on track. Being a leader is not about having a title; it is about having followers. People will follow you sometimes because they are required to but other times because they want to. A common leadership proverb states: if you think you are leading and no one is following you, then you are only taking a walk. In reality, most project managers of small project have to lead based on influence, not authority. And influence is the ability to get others to participate. The ability to lead small projects successfully will greatly enhance your ability to leads multiple small projects successfully.
Leading by Influence
So what must you do to increase your ability to lead by influence in the multiple-project environment? At first glance you must:
- Know yourself and become proficient at performing your project responsibilities. Look for solutions, become a problem solver.
- Get to know people. Work to build good relations. Develop good communications and respond rapidly to project stakeholders.
- Know how to juggle priorities and understand what it takes to succeed in a multiple-project environment.
However; if we go a step further, we can see the importance of character, focus and time management.
A project manager must earn the respect of his or her team members. One way to start is by having good character. Character is the inward motivation to do what is right in every situation. An effective leader has good character. Character development takes place every day. Your character determines who you are. Who you are determines what you see. What you see determines what you do (Maxwell, 1999, p. 4). And what you do determines your ability to influence others.
"Character First!" defines character as the qualities built into a person's life that determine his or her response, regardless of circumstances. "Character First!" was developed in 1991 by Tom Hill, and includes 49 character qualities to assist with the development of good character. Some key leadership character qualities are:
- Availability: Making your schedule and priorities secondary to the needs of the project team
- Creativity: Approaching a need, a task, or an idea from a new perspective
- Determination: Intending to accomplish project goals at the right time, regardless of the opposition
- Decisiveness: Having the ability to recognize key factors and finalize difficult decisions
- Flexibility: Being willing to change plans or ideas according to the direction of key project stakeholders
- Forgiveness: Clearing the record of those who have wronged you and not holding a grudge
- Integrity: Adhering to moral and ethical principles
- Orderliness: Arranging yourself and your surroundings to achieve greater efficiency
- Patience: Accepting a difficult situation without giving a deadline to remove it.
- Respect: Showing regard or consideration for a person or position.
- Responsibility: Knowing and doing what is expected.
- Self-control: Rejecting wrong desires and doing what is right.
- Tolerance: Realizing that others are at varying levels of character development.
- Truthfulness: Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts.
- Wisdom: Seeing and responding to project situations from a perspective that transcends your current situation.
Focus affects your perception and performance. It provides clarity and helps you to stay on track. It is easy to lose sight of a project goal when you are shifting among projects throughout the day. It is important to focus on the activities that will help you to achieve your project objectives.
The key to managing multiple projects is to maintain a clear and separate focus so that when you are working on Project 1, Project 1 is the only thing on your mind, and likewise when you are working on Project 2 (Alpha-Penguin Group, 2002, p. 1052).
Time Management
Time management requires discipline. Time management requires you to write down what you want to accomplish, create lists, and set priorities. Brian Tracy uses this vivid analogy when it comes to focusing on priorities. He says, "if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long. Your 'frog' is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don't do something about it now" (Tracy, 2001, p. 2). Whenever possible, you should do the most difficult task first. Conquer procrastination. Getting behind on one project can be problematic, but getting behind on multiple projects could be catastrophic.
The following are five time management activities to consider when managing multiple projects:
- Set priorities---create monthly, weekly and daily priority lists
- Plan every day in advance
- Organize your work space
- Use a document management system
- Understand the outcomes of multitasking
Final Words
To manage multiple projects effectively, you must first have a process and tools in place to manage individual projects. After consistency is achieved with individual projects, these projects can be grouped and managed together to obtain greater control and more efficiency. To achieve sustained success in the multiple-project environment, you should:
- Use the process and tools consistently for individual projects
- Take the initiative to develop an individual portfolio for unrelated projects
- Ensure that risk planning occurs twice---first while planning the individual project, and then again during multiple-project planning
- Incorporate more discipline to increase your chances for success.
Alpha-Penguin Group (USA), Inc. (2002). Every manager's desk reference. New York: Alpha Books, Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Campbell, R. (1998, October). Small projects, the biggest returns. PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium, Long Beach, California, USA.
Fuezery, G. 1998. Managing small projects. PM Network, 12(7), 33-36.
Hill, T. Character First! 49 Character Qualities. Retrieved June 19, 2007 from http://www.characterfirst.com/aboutus/qualities/
Källman, A., & Williamson, D. (2002, October). Everything's a project! PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Maxwell, J. (1993). Developing the leader within you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Maxwell, J. (1998). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Maxwell, J. (1999). The 21 indispensable qualities of a leader. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Parth, F. (1998, October). Categorization of small projects. PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium, Long Beach, California, USA.
Project Management Institute. (2004). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)---Third edition. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute. (2006). The Standard for Portfolio Management. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
Rowe S. (2007). Project management for small projects. Vienna, VA. Management Concepts, Inc.
Rowe, S. (2007, October). Managing and leading small projects. PMI Global Congress 2007---Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Snead, G., & Wycoff, J. (1997). To do, doing, done! A creative approach to managing projects and effectively finishing what matters most. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Tracy, B. (2001). Eat that frog!: 21 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time. San Francisco:Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
©2008, Sandra F. Rowe, PMP, MBA, MSCIS
Originally published as part of 2008 PMI Global Congress Proceedings – Denver, Colorado, USA
Related Content


text:
Assist. Prof. Dr. Zanab Nasir Jameel of the Department of Communication Engineering, University of Technology has published at the scientific journal Energy Procedia with H-index 41.
She received an appreciation certificate for publication in this magazine, which is part of the international publishing house ELSEVIER. The published research entitled:
Synthesis of The gold Nanoparticles with Novel Shape via Chemical Process and Evaluating The structural, Morphological and Optical Properties