text:
Why visual storytelling is the future of digital
In November 1995, I had a job selling ad space for tech magazines. One afternoon, the office fax machine scrolled out 12 pages worth of insertion orders from a software company I'd been pitching for two months. I did a happy-dance in my cubicle. The order confirmed that the magazine had committed to running a full page ad in every issue published in 1996. I called the client to confirm the mailing address and the creative instructions (i.e., right-reading film, emulsion-side-down, etc.) and got the further good news that the ad creative was already on its way in a FedEx pouch. The ad creative. A single photo with ad copy that would serve as the campaign's creative all year.
I don't miss the inky mess I'd make of my hands when I had to change the cartridge on that fax machine, but those sure were simpler times in the world of advertising and publishing.
Back then, the brands on the other end of those fax machines could afford to sink significant time and resources into the production of each creative unit. Hiring a renowned photographer, a model, a team of set designers, makeup artists, art directors, and post-production editors might set them back $25,000 for a single photo for a single print ad. But given the enormous role played by that one photograph, it would likely anchor a $15-million national ad campaign across many magazines for months -- the time and dollars invested in getting it exactly right could fairly be called a rounding error. Twenty-five thousand dollars in creative development divided by $15 million in media spend is less than two-tenths of a percentage point.
While the math still works for brands advertising in glossy fashion magazines, there is trouble in paradise. Or rather, paradise has moved to the internet. If brands want to engage with consumers online (which, more and more, is where their consumers spend time), they need to compete with publishers and social media sites that refresh their bins of eye candy every few minutes. By the time they've art directed, developed, and shipped a piece of right-reading, emulsion-side-down film to a publisher, Gangnam Style has been replaced with parody videos of Gangnam Style.
The digital landscape changes fast, and pictures are a main catalyst. Netscape released the first commercially available web browser in 1994, and fewer than 15 years later Flickr housed more than 6 billion photos -- that's more than 450 times the number of photos held by the Library of Congress. In 2009 more than 2.5 billion camera-enabled devices were in the hands of would-be photogs who, in the course of a year, produced 10 percent of all photos ever taken. Instagram -- the mobile photo-sharing app that Facebook bought earlier this year for $1 billion -- measures its customer engagement in uploads-per-second. Back in the quaint old days of December 2011 -- pre-acquisition and before comScore released data showing Instagram's daily usage is now greater than Twitter's -- that engagement was 60 uploads per second. By early 2012 Facebook members were uploading more than 300 million photos every single day to the site.
"This slurry of data signals the end of the Kodak Era where we took photos on birthdays and vacations and shared them only with a small group of friends," said Bob Lisbonne, CEO of Luminate and former SVP for Netscape's browser group. "We've now entered a phase in which visual communication is supplanting the written word -- what some are calling the dawn of the 'imagesphere.'"
Source: 1000 Memories Blog
But it's not taking or uploading pictures that should worry marketers. It's the fact that consumers on the other end of these photos are viewing, engaging with, and generally spending more time with images they see on Facebook, Tumblr, or Pinterest than they used to spend reading the glossy magazines that arrived on the newsstand once a month. Accoring to comScore's Mobile Metrix 2.0 survey, Facebook users are spending more than seven hours per month visiting the site by way of mobile phones alone. Om Malik, founder and editor-in-chief of GigaOM, asserts that photos are the fuel driving the mass migration to social media:
"Photos are the reason many of us continue to engage with Facebook. Facebook has tried many verbs to increase and maintain our engagement with the service -- read, listen, watch. But in the end, it's the photos that work wonders for the Menlo Park, Calif. based social-networking giant."
Research from a team at Harvard Business School supports Malik's claim. A 2009 study finds that 70 percent of all activity inside social networks revolves around photos. Keep in mind that the study was conducted in a time when Facebookers were uploading a mere 31 million photos a day, and MySpace was still relevant enough to be included in a study of social-media sites.
These millions of new photos (or at least those shared by friends and organizations we choose to follow) are pushed to us each day in an unending, ever-updating stream of visual storytelling. We watch our friends' kids grow up in near real-time, and news stories unfold throughout the day as fresh photos replace those from hours or minutes before. Publishers are also responding to their readers' growing appetite for image content with larger high-res photography and the "gallery-ification" of stories as disparate as celebrity news, travel destinations, and business analysis.
According to the Wall Street Journal, roughly one-third of pixel real estate on the web is image content, and those images get old fast. In its first three days on the internet, the average photo has attracted half the total views it will ever attract. If you look at content shared via social media platforms rather than the entire web, the half-life for content is measured in hours not days.
Source: Bitly Blog
And there lies the rub for brands. The changing dynamic of media consumption has changed the rules of marketing in the following three fundamental respects:
"Professional grade" doesn't get the mileage it once did
Sure, the list of most-viewed clips on YouTube includes Justin Bieber music videos, but it also includes quirky independent interviews of people waiting in line for iPhones and home-movie sensations such as "Charlie bit my finger...again." The same goes for photos. Consumer interest no longer tracks with traditional definitions of "photo quality."
There was a time when all media was professional media created and distributed by large publishing companies. At that time, it only made sense for advertisers to polish their creative units to a professional, high production value shine. Good advertising should always seek to imitate the editorial content around it -- "native advertising" has been around long before the internet. There's mounting evidence, however, that recall rates for TV spots and display ads in magazines are declining, despite the professional expertise that goes into their creation. Nowadays, relevance trumps production value.
Now that amateur photographers have gained access to distribution -- Google might lead you to an independent photoblog, Instagram might introduce you to some great photos from an excellent hobbyist -- consumers are dividing the world of photos into "interesting" and "not interesting," as opposed to "professional" and "amateur." Interesting no longer requires the talents of a professional.
Attention deficit disorder has become a lifestyle choice
A trend that's probably as old as the publishing industry has achieved fever pitch: content miniaturization. Articles get shorter and shorter, yet readers still can't get to the end of them. I mean, who has time to read the entire tweet anymore? Audience ratings seem to suggest that frequency and freshness of content are trumping quality and depth. In a world where tapping our thumbs on the Instagram icon on our iPhones unleashes an endless stream of photos taken in the last four hours, looking again at last month's print ad for Prada strikes many modern consumers as boring.
Consumption is giving way to interaction
There's an activity that's even more popular than posting pictures: "liking" and commenting on pictures. It's a sign that we define ourselves not only through our own pictures, but also by associating with other people's pictures. It's this instinct that explains the growth of Pinterest -- the social network that rocketed to 10 million users faster than any social network before it. It's not built on photo-sharing in the sense that Instagram or Facebook are (i.e.,"Hey, check out my pictures") -- it's about photo-assembling (i.e.,"I've collected these pictures so you understand who I am and what I care about"). According to research by Pew, 41 percent of us find photos and videos online and re-post them on sites designed for sharing with others. In fact, it's one of the most popular things we do on the internet.
In order for brands to embrace these new platforms for photo mixing and mashing, they need to get comfortable with their images being separated from the carefully assembled context of yesterday's print ad or the spring catalog, and being extracted from the traditional models that protect ownership rights and pay out talent royalties. Your customers want to befriend you and play with you, but that game is going to be on their terms.
So what's a brand to do?
"The creative departments at traditional agencies simply can't adapt to this new world," said John Battelle, founder of Federated Media and the first managing editor of Wired Magazine. The old rhythm of branded storytelling -- devise the big idea, take a month to convert it into an artistic piece of advertising, and then enlist the media department to implant it deep into the skulls of consumers through mass media -- is losing its efficacy. Agencies will continue to find success producing professional-grade assets and distributing them around tent-pole events, but they're ill equipped for the in-between times -- the 363 days a year that don't feature the Super Bowl or the Oscars. The beefy muscles built up over years of pumping out 30-second TV spots and full-page print ads aren't well suited for the marathon running required by lasting social-media conversations. "Brands need to catch up to media," said Battelle. To do so, brands are going to need some help.
"Most creative agencies don't see themselves as ongoing, real-time publishers -- that's the business of, well, publishers," said Battelle. "I predict the two will merge over time -- agencies must become more like publishers, and publishers are going to have to learn how to service brands like agencies do."
Federated Media says the solution is a distributed, crowd-sourced model for branded content creation, and it invites advertisers to tap the talents of "the world's largest creative department" -- the 30 million some-odd bloggers affiliated with FM that range from the vast army of small WordPress publishers to large-reach sites such as Boing Boing or Notcot.
Source: Tom Ryabo, featured on Intel's "My Life Scoop"
Three years ago, David Veneski, Intel's director of U.S. media, took FM up on the offer for a program called "My Life Scoop." While the site features periodic updates on products like Intel-powered Ultrabooks, the bulk of the content is created by a broad array of independent content producers who speak the native language of Intel's customers -- those young, affluent people who seek out cutting-edge tech gadgets to enhance their lives. The imagery that accompanies the site's content is not highly produced. Instead, the emphasis is on fit, tone, and relevance. The photos and videos collected, curated, and presented to "My Life Scoop" readers are done so at a fraction of the cost associated with a professional shoots. The content is on-message, frequently refreshed, and invites social amplification. Nearly 50,000 Twitter users are following the "My Life Scoop" feed, and 100,000 Facebook members have "liked" it.
"It's important to us that we provide an authentic and compelling brand story for our target audience," said Veneski. "We find that visuals and imagery -- both photos and video -- alongside written content, offer a way of telling a story that is more interesting to the people we want to reach."
Source: GE's Tumblr
General Electric has taken an even more stripped-down approach. On Tumblr, the company created (with help from the Barbarian Group) a corporate site that is nothing but photos. You'll only find text where it's used to caption or hashtag a photo. What's initially surprising is that airplane engines, smart LED bulb testing facilities, and gardens decked out with PulseArc Multi-Vapor metal halide lamps are quite photogenic -- especially when they've been dolled up with an Instagram filter. Without set designers, models, or professional photographers, GE is telling its story with frequent, low-cost iPhone pictures. More importantly, GE fans are spreading this story to their networks complete with comments and hashtags.
And the "interactivity" isn't just something that occurs after the brand unleashes the content -- GE uses Twitter to invite its social-media followers to pick the locations of future photos.
Source: GE's Twitter account
Without breaking the bank or getting reckless with its brand, GE found a path to social-media relevance. The brand is leaning into the consumer acceptance of spontaneous, inexpensive photo storytelling. This isn't just reducing production costs, either -- it's giving GE a stream of highly sharable content nuggets to satisfy the short attention span types and the sharers.
In other words, the company is speaking our language -- the one in which every missive is worth a thousand words.
Chas Edwards is CRO of Luminate.
On Twitter? Follow iMedia Connection at @iMediaTweet.
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AirAsia X is to launch flights between Nagoya�s
Chubu Centrair International Airport and Kuala Lumpur from 17
March 2014.
AirAsia X will operate the route with four
weekly flights into Nagoya, Japan.
The airline currently operates daily flights to
Tokyo (Haneda) and four weekly flights to Osaka (Kansai) from
Kuala Lumpur.
To celebrate, AirAsia X is offering special
fares from as low as
MYR199 (JPY6 990) in Economy and MYR699 (JPY 24 900) in Premium
to Nagoya.
Bookings are available online from 19 to 24 November
2013 for travel between 17 March and 5 August 2014.
�This marks another milestone for AirAsia X and
reiterates our expansion commitment in the key markets we operate
in with the Asia Pacific Region. With the addition of Nagoya,
guests will have more travel options to explore Japan, and we
believe Nagoya being a scenic and historical destination will be a
popular tourist destination. We have carried over half a million
passengers to and from Japan. Japan contributed over 14% of our total revenue in the first half of 2013,�
said Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X. �Nagoya
is strategically located just 50 minutes from Osaka and 1 hour 40
minutes from Tokyo via train. Guests may soon fly direct to
Nagoya, and take a train to the metropolitan and capital city of
Japan; Tokyo or visit the commercial centre of Japan, Osaka in the
Kansai region and return from any of the ports we serve in Japan. Nagoya has much to offer, be it for families or even the back
packers, the choices of attractions are endless.�
Fly-Thru routes
available from Nagoya are: Adelaide, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth,
and Sydney in Australia; Kochi in India; Bali, Bandung, Jakarta,
Medan and Surabaya in Indonesia; Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi
and Penang in Malaysia; Singapore; Taipei in Taiwan; Bangkok and
Phuket in Thailand; and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Leo Baubauta is back again with another interesting book, focus.
It's about finding simplicity in this Age of Distraction.
It's about finding the focus you need to create, to work on what's important, to reflect, to find peace.
And it comes in two flavors: free and premium.
The Free Version
The free version is simple: it's 27 chapters that you can download for free, without having to give an email address or do anything else. It's uncopyrighted, and you can share it with as many people as you like.
Download free version here (a pdf download).
Read the table of contents.
Again, you can share this ebook freely, so feel free to post it on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or email.
The Premium Version
The full version of focus is basically a self-taught digital course on focus, from a wide range of experts.
It contains:
1. All 27 chapters of the free ebook in digital format. Along with a crapload of extra material …
2. How-to videos
Going into more depth on focus-related topics:
- How to Single-task
- Beating the Fears of Disconnecting
- How to Find Stillness & Disconnect
- Focus & Health, Part 1: eating healthy and getting active
- Focus & Health, Part 2: sleep and stress
3. Audio interviews with experts
- Author Seth Godin
- GTD creator David Allen
- productivity coach Dave Navarro
4. Bonus chapters from Leo
- creativity and practicing deep focus
- finding stillness and reflection
- how to start changes on a broader level
5. Bonus chapters from other writers
- overcome the fears that stop you from focusing, by Gail Brenner
- how to create a minimalist workspace to find focus, by Everett Bogue
- how to take a digital sabbatical, by Gwen Bell
- life lessons from tea rituals, by Jesse Jacobs
- two ways to focus on the stuff that matters, by Michael Bungay Stanier
6. Bonus PDF guides
- How to create new habits
- Quick-start decluttering guide
- Focused email guide
This full version comes at a fairly low price
considering all that's offered: $34.95.
Buy the book
The Kindle Version
The book is now available in the Kindle Store. The $8.99 price for this version includes the full book, including bonus chapters, but does not include the videos, audio interviews and other bonus files included in the premium version.
Also note that the premium version now includes the book in epub format, which can be uploaded to your Kindle, iPad, or other ebook reader.
The Guarantee
The premium version (that you buy from me) has a 100% money-back guarantee, if you're not fully happy with the book. No questions asked. Note: This DOESN'T apply to the version you buy in the Kindle store, as you're buying from Amazon.
I don't want any unhappy readers — if you want your money back for any reason, you'll get it, and you don't need to say why. Here's how.
No Affiliates
Unlike my other books, there will be no affiliate sales for this book. While I would love for people to review and recommend my book, I want it to come from the heart — because they think it's a good book for others to read — not out of financial motivation. And while I think that's mostly true of affiliates of ebooks, there's always a mixing of the motivations.
However, you're free to review the book, give away the free version on your blog, or interview me (just email zenhabits at gmail, with "interview leo" in the subject line).
Questions & Answers
Q: Can I get it on Kindle, iBooks, or other ebook format?
A: Yes! You can buy the full book in the Kindle Store for $8.99, although this doesn't include the video, audio and other bonus files in the premium version. The premium version now includes the book in epub format, so you can upload this file to your iPad, Sony ebook reader, Kindle or other ebook device.
Q: What about a print version?
A: That is also coming soon. It'll be the full version of the book, but without the bonus digital files. I'm self-publishing it. No date on the release of this, but I'll let you know.
Q: Can I see the table of contents?
A: Of course! It's here.
Q: I just bought the book but don't know what to do next. How do I get it?
A: You should receive an email (the one you used to pay for the book) that contains a download link. You only get 5 attempts to download the file, so don't click on it until you're at the computer you want to download the book to. The download should contain the book and several files, including a "readme" file. This readme file has links to the audio interviews and videos.
Q: But I never received an email with a download link … what now?
A: No worries … just email me at zenhabits+refund at gmail, let me know you bought "focus" but didn't receive the link, and I'll send it to you.
Q: What about an audiobook?
A: No, no plans for that.


text:
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VIDEO: AMResorts CleanComplete Verification™ Verification Protocols
Photo: AMResorts CleanComplete Verification infographic
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Dreams Resorts & Spas offer luxurious, beachfront vacation experiences tailored to couples and couples with children. Guests can stay in spacious rooms and suites – graciously appointed and lavishly equipped to provide the picture-perfect vacation. Discover a welcoming service and romantic inclusions to enhance your getaway. The Explorer Club for kids, with a Red Cross certified staff, provide supervised day and evening activities. All stunning and exciting destinations deliver a lovely setting for a wedding,
honeymoon, romantic getaway or family vacation.
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Now Resorts & Spas offer vibrant beachfront settings in Mexico and the Caribbean perfect for multigenerational travel, families with teens and tweens as well as couples and friends. Guests enjoy a family-friendly, modern vacation experience, where play and party are just steps away from peace and quiet. Spacious rooms and suites are graciously appointed and luxuriously equipped with amenities. Active and lively settings provide entertainment for guests of all ages, including kids, teens and tweens with the supervised Explorer's Club for Kids with Red Cross certified staff. These resorts provide the perfect setting for a family reunion, a wedding or a social group getaway.
SUNSCAPE RESORTS & SPAS | For The Kid In Everyone.
Sunscape Resorts & Spas offer fun-filled and worry-free, family-friendly vacations without wristbands for families, friends, singles


text:
Good Morning,
On this last trading day of the year in our completely corrupt, manipulated, and lawless "markets," equities are lower, the dollar is lower, bonds are higher, oil is lower, gold & silver are higher, while food commodities continue to choke real people all because of worthless paper made to benefit the few.
Although it has been another year of intervention with trillions spewed globally, U.S. equity markets for the year are in fact almost exactly flat. Below is a 1 year chart of the S&P 500, you can see that we are ending the year almost exactly where it began:
Despite that fact and a huge correction, gold still finished the year up approximately $240 an ounce, or about 17.5% (the horizontal red line below indicates year beginning level). In the gold daily chart below you can see that we reached the secondary uptrend line yesterday and bounced:
That line may offer support, or in the event of further correction may fall to the next line of support which is in the $1,100ish area as you can see on the monthly chart below. Personally, I doubt it, and think this market is also extremely manipulated but far more desirable as long as the world is run by central debt pushers:
Strong support for silver will be found in the $24 to $25 region, Silver Weekly chart, note that silver is down for the year:
How much debt are the central criminals pushing (U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8)? Trillions upon Trillions, most of it off balance sheet and off the radar of reported statistics – certainly not audited if real records even exist, but here's what we can see on the surface…
In the past year our Base Money supply has risen from under $2 trillion to almost $2.6 trillion! That one year increase is MORE than 31%! In just one year!
Base Money 1 Year:
Can it grow at that same rate again next year? What will happen to you, personally, if it does?
M1 1 Year:
M2 1 Year:
MZM 1 Year:
Federal Government Debt 1 Year:
Federal Government Debt Divided by Population:
And that's just the Federal debt on the records. Then there's the trillions at Freddie and Fannie, trillions more off books elsewhere, trillions swapped by our central criminals around the world, and many trillions more in obligations not accounted for like any rational accounting standard demands.
While dramatically understated, all the figures above are still growing at huge exponential rates. Because our money is debt, it must continue to grow at the same or higher rate OR ELSE another wave of deflation will quickly set in. Waves of inflation, waves of deflation as they MANIPULATE the population in order to remain in power!
Money production = POWER & CONTROL.
A few individuals possess the power, the rest of the world are slaves. This is easily corrected if money is created without debt.
SOVEREIGN MONEY = FREEDOM, no slavery required.
What will next year bring? Bigger numbers. Bigger lies. Bigger manipulations and interventions. Bigger & more frequent "other events."
Eventually, and I don't know when, the other events will culminate in a global shift of power. Those who hold the power will attempt to blind you with the other events and use them to mask the shifting into some other form of convoluted money system that they still control – be it gold or some other debt money scheme. It could be real ugly. Then again maybe enough people wise up to keep the ugliness down as there DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PAIN foisted upon the people!
WHAT is behind the money DOESN'T MATTER. What does matter is WHO. Who it is that controls the production of money is EVERYTHING – it's the power & control. And eventually… sooner or later… the PEOPLE will repossess their natural right to be in control of themselves. That's where this is all headed, I don't know how, and I don't know when. Only a fool would guess, only a fool would listen to someone else pretending to know. I've been a fool before, but am wise enough now to know…
I, Nathan Martin, no longer consent to the lies.
This is the Economic Edge song of the year. Not only is it on the mark, but his bravery for standing up and singing it face to face with the purveyors of debt, those in control, is historically brave.
Friday, December 30, 2011
The Many not the Few Edition - Another Year that Debt Slaves Fail to Shed their Shackles…
Posted byAmy Jamison at6:16 AM


text:
Yup, that's the parking lot. At it's high point the water had crawled half way up the door of my car! The water liked my car so much that some of it decided to stay:
Determination? Total loss. Sniff. Bye-bye car. =-( I was just 11 payments away from being loan free. Ah, well every cloud has a silver lining:
I'm loving my new silver beastie! Next up, the story of Miss Elizabeth...
Now that the car saga is almost completely resolved, I'm off to catch up on my bloglines...89 posts!


text:
Simon Kennedy and Jeff Kearns
Wednesday, 23 October 2013 08:08 PM
The era of easy money is shaping up to keep going into 2014.
The Bank of Canada's decision Wednesday to drop language about the need for future interest-rate increases unites it with other central banks reinforcing rather than retracting loose monetary policy. The Federal Reserve delayed a pullback in its monthly asset purchases, while emerging markets from Hungary to Chile cut borrowing costs in the past two months.
"We are at the cusp of another round of global monetary easing," said Joachim Fels, co-chief global economist at Morgan Stanley in London.
Policy makers are reacting to another cooling of global growth, led this time by weakening in developing nations while inflation and job growth remain stagnant in much of the industrial world. The risk is that continued stimulus will inflate asset bubbles central bankers will have to deal with later. Already, talk of unsustainable home-price increases is spreading from Germany to New Zealand, while the MSCI World Index of developed-world stock markets is near its highest level since 2007.
"We are undoubtedly seeing these central bankers go wild," said Richard Gilhooly, an interest-rate strategist at TD Securities Inc. in New York. They "are just pumping liquidity hand over fist and promising to keep rates down. It's not normal."
Normal or not, that's been the environment now for five years after monetary authorities fought to protect the world economy from deflation and to hasten its recovery. In the advanced world, central banks drove interest rates close to zero and ballooned their balance sheets beyond $20 trillion through repeated rounds of bond purchases, a policy known as quantitative easing.
Limited Payoff
The economic payoff has been limited. The International Monetary Fund this month lopped its forecast for global economic growth to 2.9 percent in 2013 and 3.6 percent in 2014, from July's projected rates of 3.1 percent this year and 3.8 percent next year. It also sees inflation across rich countries already short of the 2 percent rate favored by most central banks.
Central bankers are on guard to keep low inflation from turning into deflation, a broad-based decline in prices that leads households to hold off purchases and companies to postpone investment and hiring.
"There is a concern at central banks that what we're seeing is another false start in their economies," said Michala Marcussen, global head of economics at Societe Generale SA in London. "We now need to see two to three months of better numbers before they're willing to contemplate an exit again."
Fed's Purchases
After flirting for months with the idea of curtailing stimulus, the Fed said in September it would continue purchasing $85 billion of bonds a month, citing the need to see more evidence that the U.S. economy will improve. That came less than two weeks before a 16-day U.S. government shutdown that postponed releases of key data the Fed is relying on to guide its policy decisions. The Fed's strategy also took a hit from this week's news that employers added fewer workers to payrolls than projected in September.
The Fed will wait until March before slowing the pace of its third round of quantitative easing, according to the median estimate of economists in an Oct. 17-18 Bloomberg survey.
That leaves central banks elsewhere likely to maintain a bias toward easing. Moving to tighten before the Fed is ready to do so would drive up currencies against the dollar, to the detriment of exports, said Derek Holt, vice president of economics at Bank of Nova Scotia in Toronto.
The Bank of Canada, citing "uncertain global and domestic economic conditions," Wednesday omitted language it used in previous decisions referring to the expected "gradual normalization" of its benchmark rate, now at 1 percent.
Exits Complicated
"There's an easy-money bias across global central banks that probably will persist until about March or April," said Holt. "The Fed's decisions complicated the exit strategies for a lot of central banks."
If the Fed's delay extends the decline in the dollar, then the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank also are more likely to add fresh stimulus, Fels said in an Oct. 20 report. The ECB is likely to offer banks another round of cheap, long-term loans in the first quarter, while the BOJ may ease more to offset a 2014 consumption tax increase, Citigroup Inc. economists said in a report Wednesday.
The dollar has declined 1.1 percent against a basket of 10 leading global currencies in the last month, according to the Bloomberg U.S. dollar index.
Emerging Markets
Some central banks in emerging markets are already acting. Chile unexpectedly lowered its benchmark rate by a quarter point to 4.75 percent on Oct. 17, pointing to weaker growth, inflation and the global outlook. Israel on Sept. 23 surprised analysts when it cut its key rate a quarter point to 1 percent, the lowest in almost four years.
"With the dollar much weaker in recent days and weeks, you'll see central banks that were reluctant to ease start to do that now," said Thierry Wizman, global interest rates and currencies strategist at Macquarie Group Ltd. in New York. "They can be less worried about capital flight if the Fed isn't tightening policy, and the strength in their currencies is probably imparting some disinflation into their economies, giving them a window to cut rates."
Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Mexico have also eased since the start of September although Indonesia, Pakistan, Uganda and India tightened with the latter softening the blow by relaxing liquidity curbs in the banking system at the same time.
Forward Guidance
Even those central banks with limited room to act are using so-called forward guidance to deter investors from betting on an imminent increase in rates. The ECB vows to keep its main rate at 0.5 percent for an "extended period" and the Bank of England is pledging to maintain its benchmark at the same level until unemployment falls to 7 percent, which it doesn't expect to happen for three years. The Bank of Japan is trying to expand its monetary base by 60 trillion to 70 trillion yen ($720 billion) to bring inflation up to 2 percent.
The Fed also depends on forward guidance as a policy tool. Officials have repeated in every policy statement since December that their target interest rate will remain near zero "at least as long as" unemployment exceeds 6.5 percent, so long as the outlook for inflation is no higher than 2.5 percent.
"It's hard to look around and see much changing on the rate front," said David Hensley, director of global economic coordination at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York, who forecasts the average interest rate in developed economies to hold close to the current 0.40 percent for another year.
Asset Bubbles
The cheap cash may come at a price that policy makers will have to pay later if it inflates asset bubbles. Germany's Bundesbank said this week that apartments in the country's largest cities may be overvalued by as much as 20 percent. In the U.K., BOE officials are rebutting commentary about a housing bubble as prices in London jumped 10.2 percent in October from the prior month.
Swedish and Norwegian property markets are also proving a concern to their central bankers, and policy makers in New Zealand and Singapore have already sought to cool demand. Meantime, U.S. stocks are heading toward the best year in a decade with about $4 trillion added to U.S. share values this year.
"The bubble conditions are going to remain in place," Michael Ingram, a market strategist at BGC Partners LP in London, told Bloomberg Radio's Bob Moon Wednesday. "We could well see further stimulus."
For now, such concerns are being overridden by a need to enhance economic expansion. The U.S. unemployment rate, at 7.2 percent in September, is still only the lowest since November 2008 and joblessness is 12 percent in the 17-nation euro area.
"Whatever their official mandates, central bankers are supposed to safeguard a nation's real income," Karen Ward, senior global economist at HSBC Holdings Plc in London, said in an Oct. 21 report. Labor markets from the U.S. to U.K. suggest "we shouldn't fear a rapid withdrawal of global liquidity any time soon."
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If you like to Netflix and chill using someone else's password, we've got some bad news for you. A U.K.-based company says they've created software that has the ability to track users who share accounts and passwords for their favorite online streaming service.
Synamedia is showing off the "Credentials Sharing Insight" tool at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The technology "combats the rapid rise in account sharing between friends and families, turning it instead into a new revenue-generating opportunity for operators" the company says. The software works by deciphering unusual or extreme patterns by users of streaming service accounts.
"It uses AI, machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify, monitor and analyze credentials sharing activity across consumer accounts," the company said in a statement. "It allows operators to turn casual sharing into incremental revenue, as well as detect and apply enforcement procedures on fraudulent, for-profit credentials sharing accounts."
According to one survey, nearly 26 percent of millennials use a password from someone else's account to binge-watch shows on an online streaming service.
Chief product officer, Jean Marc Racine, said people sharing passwords has become too popular and too expensive for streaming companies to ignore.
"Many casual users will be happy to pay an additional fee for a premium, shared service with a greater number of concurrent users. It's a great way to keep honest people honest while benefiting from an incremental revenue stream," said Racine.
Photo: Getty Images


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Private Banking
Our exclusive Private Banking program provides you with a team of experienced and trained professionals who can take care of all of your financial needs in one place. From personal and business banking to complex wealth and estate planning, our Private Bankers have access to the most knowledgeable, client-focused professionals the industry has to offer.
Whether it's providing value-added services, securing financing for a major acquisition, refinancing a residential or commercial property, or simply securing a line of credit, our private bankers provide specialized financial services to meet the diverse needs of our clients in high touch fashion. They also can assist you in preserving your most precious asset – time – for the things you enjoy most in life.
As a member of our Private Banking Ohana, you will have a dedicated team of bankers and wealth advisors who will work with you to offer personalized financial solutions to help you build, manage, preserve and transfer your wealth.
We are proud to be Hawaii's oldest, most trusted bank and the partner of choice for individuals, families and businesses with complex financial requirements. We honor our clients and our community by following the core values of our founder, Charles Reed Bishop. These values include: caring, character, cooperation, competitiveness and confidence. We place a large emphasis on exceptional customer service to assist you and your family in all facets of your banking and wealth management needs. Let us work with you to build a lasting and beneficial relationship.
First Hawaiian Bank Wealth Management Group provides financial products and services through First Hawaiian Bank and its various affiliates and subsidiaries. First Hawaiian Bank and its affiliates do not provide tax or legal advice.


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The Cars
The Cars Deluxe Edition
Ripped @ an ass-haulin' 320
5% Recovery
Review by Greg Prato
Back in 1996, Rhino Records had plans for a Cars rarities disc entitled Prototypes, which was to include their entire first album in demo form, as well as other rarities from all eras of the band. And even though Ice magazine ran a story on it and a track listing was set, the album never saw the light of day for reasons unknown. Three years later, Rhino reconsidered (helped by a fan write-in campaign), and issued a similarly assembled package, The Cars: Deluxe Edition. A two-CD set, it contains their classic 1978 self-titled debut in its entirety (an album you just can't hear enough), while the second disc presents the complete album in demo form, with an additional five early demos of previously unreleased compositions tacked on at the end. Diehard fans will have a feast with disc two, the demos for such radio standards as "My Best Friend's Girl," "Just What I Needed," "You're All I've Got Tonight," and "Bye Bye Love" capture the songs in their rawest form -- akin to what they must have sounded like back in the band's club days. Out of the five unissued songs, two are instant classics (the amiable "Wake Me Up" and the red-hot rocker "Hotel Queenie"), while "They Won't See You" proves interesting, despite an underdeveloped chorus -- which is forgivable, since these are demos, after all. [Note: since a demo version of "Good Times Roll" couldn't be found, a live take from 1978 is used on disc two.]
1 Good Times Roll
2 My Best Friend's Girl
3 Just What I Needed
4 I'm in Touch With Your World
5 Don't Cha Stop
6 You're All I've Got Tonight
7 Bye Bye Love
8 Moving in Stereo
9 All Mixed Up
10 Good Times Roll [live/demo version]
11 My Best Friend's Girl [demo version]
12 Just What I Needed [demo version]
13 I'm in Touch With Your World [demo version]
14 Don't Cha Stop [demo version]
15 You're All I've Got Tonight [demo version]
16 Bye Bye Love [demo version] Ocasek 4:07
17 Moving in Stereo [demo version]
18 All Mixed Up [demo version]
19 They Won't See You [#/demo version]
20 Take What You Want [#/demo version]
21 Wake Me Up [#/demo version]
22 You Just Can't Push Me [#/demo version]
23 Hotel Queenie [#/demo version]


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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
In finance, the Beta of a security (or portfolio) is used as an indicator of its historical volatility in regards to a benchmark, generally the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Composite Index or the S&P 500 Index. At Value Line, we derive the Beta coefficient from a regression analysis of the relationship between weekly percentage changes in the price of a stock and weekly percentage changes in the NYSE Composite Index over a period of five years. In the case of shorter price histories, a shorter time period is used, but two years is the minimum. Value Line then adjusts these Betas to account for their long-term tendency to converge toward 1.00. (Though the scope of this convergence is beyond our purposes here, readers can refer to M. Blume, "On the Assessment of Risk," Journal of Finance, March 1971 for further details.)
Now that we have our Beta number, what does it mean? If an equity mirrors the benchmark, then it carries a Beta of 1.00. If Stock X has a Beta of 2.00, it is expected to rise (or fall) twice as much as the movement of the benchmark. For example, if the NYSE Composite Index rises (falls) 10%, Stock X will likely rise (fall) 20%. (For a more detailed overview, see Understanding Beta). Beta can also be negative (infrequent but possible), which would mean that the equity's return tends to move in the opposite direction from the market's move. Moreover, there is no upper or lower bound to Beta, although it typically does not stray too far from 1.00. Finally, a Beta of zero does not mean the asset is risk-free, just that the correlation of that asset's return to the market's return is zero.
Now that we know what Beta is and its implications, how can we use it? If we were able to predict the movements of the overall market, we would simply buy high Beta stocks while the market rises, and low Beta stocks while the market is falling. However, no one is capable of timing the market over the long term. So, what should we do?
If we define a high risk asset in terms of the movement of its price, we can look towards Beta as one indicator of this riskiness. Though Beta by itself does not give a perfect indication of volatility, it does imply the direction and magnitude of movements. Using Beta as a measure of risk, we can relate this to a basic tenet of finance theory, which states that investors demand a return in exchange for assuming risk. Therefore, high-risk (or high-Beta) investments should provide a higher payout, and conversely, low-risk (or low-Beta) investments should provide a lower payout. This proposition seems reasonable and intuitive, but it may not always hold.
In a paper entitled "Re-Thinking Risk: What the Beta Puzzle Tells Us about Investing," written by David Cowan and Sam Wilderman of GMO LLC, they show just the opposite. For the paper, Beta was measured using 250-day returns of a universe of 1,000 stocks, regressed against 250-day returns of that universe. Low- and high-Beta Portfolios were then formed monthly and weighted by market capitalization, with the universe used as the benchmark. Their results present data starting in December, 1969 and show that high-Beta stocks have significantly underperformed the market (average annualized return of 7.2% vs. 10.6% for low-Beta and 9.8% for the universe), and done so with substantially higher annualized volatility (24.5% vs. 12.5% and 16.0%, respectively) and larger drawdown (-84.4% vs. -39.5% and -50.3%, respectively).
Though low-Beta may trump high-Beta over longer periods, there are some problems with solely relying on the Beta coefficient. It is a backward looking metric, and therefore may not be an accurate predictor of the future. The markets change all the time and just because a relationship held in the past does not mean it is certain to continue into the future. Also, since it is solely a statistical measure, it fails to consider underlying business fundamentals or economic developments. Consider Altria Group (MO). This stock has a Beta of 0.55 and the company primarily sells cigarettes. Due to the low Beta, we may say this is a low-risk stock. However, if for some reason cigarettes were deemed illegal to sell, this company would probably not stick around very long and any investment in the stock will likely become worthless. Solely looking at a stock's Beta will not uncover this risk.
So, back to our question posed earlier; what should we do? We propose Beta should be used as one factor in the equity analysis framework. Investors should also look at our Safety rank and Price Stability score when making investment decisions. Considered in conjunction with Value Line's fundamental research and valuation ratios, we believe investors can create a portfolio that may provide superior risk-adjusted returns over the long haul.
At the time of this article's writing, the author did not have positions in any of the companies mentioned.


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Locations|Contact Us|Careers
The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items.
Apply for a Personal Loan
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Payments Insider
Horizon Bancorp, Inc. is an independent, commercial bank holding company serving Indiana and Michigan through its commercial banking subsidiary, Horizon Bank. Horizon Bancorp, Inc. may be reached online at www.horizonbank.com. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol HBNC.
None of us can predict the future, but one thing is for sure: The sooner you start investing money, and building good credit, the better off you'll be in the long run. And the more you'll get to enjoy your future adventures!
Why invest now?
Retirement seems like a long way off, but trust us: Time flies. And starting now will put you ahead of the crowd later. Ever heard of compound interest? It's how money multiplies over time. Here's how it works:
Remember "The Rule of 72"
Divide 72 by the annual interest rate your money is earning. The result, is how many years it takes for your money to double, assuming you make no more withdrawals or contributions. And it will double again after the same number of years.
How to double your money even faster:
1) Make monthly contributions.
2) Invest in stocks or mutual funds, which fluctuate, but can earn high average percentage rates over time.
Here's what the Rule of 72 can do for you:
Current investment, at age 20
Interest earned on account
Additional contribution each month
# of years to double your money (72 ÷ interest rate)
How much you'll have at age 40
How much you'll have at age 50
$ 1326.65
Just how much difference can a small monthly contribution make?
(varies with additional contributions)
What should you invest in?
Talk to a Horizon Bank financial advisor to see what's best for you. Stocks, mutual funds, and other options are available to you.
Remember that none have guaranteed earnings. Instead, their returns go up and down over the short term, with potential for very high average percentages over time. That's why they make great, long-term investments.
Think you can't afford it?
Do you ever go out to eat? Do you buy drinks in coffee shops or gas stations? Do you go to movies or buy books and music often?
You can enjoy all these treats once in a while. But doing any of these things just a little less often will give you a small amount of extra money to put away. And as you can see, that small amount can become huge later on. Particularly if it's compounded even further by an employer matching opportunity (which many companies offer as a benefit of employment).
Plus, your own contributions can be made directly out of your paycheck before you spend the money elsewhere. So you'll never notice that they're gone.
Don't forget to give yourself credit! You deserve it.
While you're at it, build yourself a good credit score, too. You can do that by making monthly payments (on a car, credit card, or other loan) on time, every time. Be sure you don't ever commit to a loan that's more than you can afford!
If you default on payments, your credit score can be damaged. But a good credit score will make it easier to get an apartment, house, new car, and other things you'll want and need as you get older.


text: Bill "Doc" Lowden Page Content Reserve police officer, Milford Police Department "After getting out of the service and going through some hard family times, I started back to school using GI benefits. I was sworn in as a reserve police officer in March 2011, three months to the date after graduating from Cedar Valley's Law Enforcement Academy in December 2010. Now I'm getting my prerequisites out of the way to earn my associate degree – I'm going to go school until my benefits run out."I started the Law Enforcement Academy as a 46-year-old and it was a gut check. It was very challenging and my maturity was both an advantage and a disadvantage. I had the benefit of having had life experiences, but the academic part was my Achilles' heel because I had been out of a learning environment for so many years. I was able to fall back on my military training with the concept of teamwork and it helped build a camaraderie with my other classmates. I got them to help me with academics and I helped them get perspective on things with my real-life experiences."What I like about law enforcement is that no day is the same as another. There is constant interaction with various people and cultures and that's what makes it both so interesting and so challenging. Bill Lowden is a reserve police officer with the Milford Police Department, 20 miles south of Waxahachie and completed Basic Officer Peace Training at Cedar Valley's Law Enforcement Academy. He retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years, having served as a navy corpsman, machinist tool and die maker and military police officer, retiring as a Petty Officer Second Class (E5).


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Style yourself SENSATIONAL with our selection of cocktail dresses & formal wear for busty women. We offer a stylish range of plain or block colours, floral or polka dot dresses, bodycon dresses, wrap (faux-wrap!) dresses and formal tops for cocktail parties, dinners, theatre trips or red carpet events, in sizes 8 to 18, designed to fit anything from a C to HH cup bust size.
Regular Price: $165.00
Special Price $119.00


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Events Calendar
Primary tabs
For lectures to programs for children, come visit us at one of the library events and programs listed below. For more information, call 615-862-5750 or 1-800-342-3262.
The Association of Late Deafened Adults (ALDA) will host its 31st annual conference (better known as ALDAcon) from October 23-27, 2019 at the Marriott Kansas City Overland Park.
As an homage to the beloved "Wizard of Oz", the theme of this year's conference is "There's No Place Like Home". We all look forward to this opportunity to come "home", to see our friends who are also considered family, to stay up late chatting, learning and enjoying each other!


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Accommodation in ThailandAndrew Mason
Here is an overview of what is available and how much you can expect to pay:
Beach Huts tend to be very rough and ready. If you are looking to save a few baht this might be a good place to hang your hat, although it is a good idea to keep your valuables in a separate safety deposit box - most places offering beach huts also have these. It is a good idea to make sure that your hut comes equipped with a mosquito net as insects come as standard. Prices start from as little as 50 baht per night for the most basic hut away from the beach to 1000 baht for a hut with a bathroom and ocean view.
Tents are another cheap option, especially if you are spending the night in a national park. You can generally get away with paying just 30 baht per night if you have your own tent, or tents can be hired for around 100 baht. Many camp sites have very limited facilities, so it is a good idea to bring your own provisions.
Bungalows are usually found in beach areas. They are generally more comfortable than beach huts as the mattress tends to be thicker and the amount of insects fewer. Most bungalows also have bathrooms, which saves you staggering into a tree in the middle of the night. Prices range from 150 baht for a basic bungalow with a fan and bathroom with cold water to around 500 baht for air conditioning.
River Rafts make an interesting way to view an area, especially if you are staying in a place with stunning scenery such as Kanchanaburi. Most river rafts have large wooden balconies where you can sit and watch the world go by. Expect to pay a minimum of 600 baht for a fan room on the river.
Guesthouses are generally very cheap and cheerful. Many are set up to cater for backpackers and you can get a basic room with a fan and shared bathroom for as little as 100 baht. Most guesthouses serve popular backpacker food such as French fries, pad thai and banana pancakes.
They usually have a communal garden or restaurant to chill out in, which can be a good place to meet other backpackers and swap tall tales and travel advice. Most guesthouses do not make a profit from renting out rooms, so it is a good idea to sample one or more of their other services such as food or booking a tour.
Hotels vary dramatically in terms of luxury, facilities and cleanliness. The most basic hotels rooms tend to be very small, have noisy fans and shared bathrooms. Prices start from around 200 baht, whilst the equivalent rooms with air-con start at around 400 baht.
If you have more money to spend there is no limit to the kind of luxury you could find. All the standards found in luxury hotels in the west are available, still at a fraction of the price. The best hotels have rooftop swimming pools and bars, gymnasiums, spas and saunas and just about anything else you could ask for. Be aware that most of the top hotels add a 7% government tax and an additional 10% service tax.
Although resorts often have all the same facilities as luxury hotels, with prices to match, in Thailand the term can refer to general accommodation and it is a good idea to check out the facilities before you book.


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This is the process whereby enzymes are added to milk, separating it into curds and whey.
Curd making is at the heart of cheese production. It is where the final composition of your cheese – its moisture, pH, and physical characteristics - is determined.
Tetra Pak has the world's largest installed base of curd making vats and the most varied product-portfolio. It ranges from Double O type vats, through single shaft horizontal vats up to Double Shaft horizontal vats. We have reference installations for almost every type of cheese, from low volume artisanal cheeses to large-scale, industrial products. Moreover, our advanced control system adds flexibility, making it possible to produce lots of different kinds of cheeses.
Our proven equipment portfolio is backed up with expertise and long experience in curd making. Our processing specialists work with you to adjust your recipes for best results. Together, we can make your products even more delicious, and your business even more profitable.
Tetra Pak® Cheese Vat OST CH5 is a horizontal vat for curd production of cheddar/mozzarella cheese types.
Tetra Pak® Cheese Vat OST CH6 is a horizontal vat for the production of curd especially for Cheddar, Pasta Filata and similar types of cheese.
Tetra Pak® Cheese Vat OO is specifically designed for the production of high quality cheese curd and whey.
The Tetra Pak® Cottage Cheese Vat E3 is a horizontal tank designed for cottage cheese curd manufacture, including cutting, stirring and heating.
An integral piece in a line of state-of-the-art cheese-making equipment that will help your plant achieve the quality standard of cheese and the profits you demand.
Tetra Pak® Cottage Cheese Vat H2 is a totally enclosed, fully automated, completely CIP-able cottage cheese vat built to USDA standards.
An innovative new cheese vat delivering superior quality and economic performance with long lasting mechanical integrity and durability.
A horizontal cheese vat for curd production of semi hard cheese types. It has all required functions for a controlled and predictable process.
A horizontal vat to produce (semi) hard cheeses. The vat has all required functions for a controlled and predictable process.
We can help you with your cheese production and curd making
About Tetra Pak
Together with our customers we make food safe and available, everywhere. Since the start in 1951 we have taken pride in providing the best possible processing and packaging solutions for food.
Tetra Pak is one of three companies in the Tetra Laval Group – a private group that started in Sweden. The other two companies are DeLaval and Sidel. Tetra Laval is headquartered in Switzerland.


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Showing resources in...BUSINESS NEED 61 INDUSTRY Acute Care Hospitals PRODUCT Kronos EZCall TYPE 351 Clear All Filters
UKG for Healthcare
Explore automated technology solutions that empower you to schedule an engaged, efficient workforce across the continuum of care.
Kronos EZCall Datasheet
Automated scheduling solution to save time and reduce errors while ensuring appropriate physician and specialty coverage.
EZCall Mobile Datasheet
View and manage physician schedules anywhere, anytime with EZCall. From the convenience of leading smart phones, view upcoming assignments and initiate trade swaps, view everyone's schedules, and much more.


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KooRaRoo Media has been updated to version 2.4.0 and is now available for you to download and install.
The main emphasis in this version was put to optimizations. We worked hard to make Kooraroo Media faster and less CPU consuming. You'll notice the difference right away!
The new and enhanced features include:
- Improved: Significantly reduced CPU usage (it's now 3-4 times lower).
- Improved: Improved the indexing time (it's now up to 10 times faster).
- New devices: Roku Streaming Player support.
- Device improvements: WDTV Live detection fix.
- Fixed: The devices cannot be detected on some systems with multiple network adapters.
- Fixed: Links from the program to Kooraroo web pages.
- Fixed: An intermittent crash for Dutch version.
- Fixed: An occasional crash when the second program instance is launched.
- Fixed: Incorrect detection of program version in languages other than English.
Other minor fixes and enhancements.
Please download from our site http://www.kooraroo.com/download.php.
Thank you.


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Arvest bank teams up with local food pantry for 1 Million Meals initiative
One local bank is hoping to feed hungry Arkansans across the state through an annual program that kicked off Tuesday.
Arvest bank has every branch sell a millon meals paper plate for their annual 1 Million Meals Initiative.
Fort Smith region Arvest Bank Vice President Marketing Director, Beth Presley, told 40/29 News all people have to do is walk into an Arvest branch, fill out their name and dollar amount on the 1 Million Meals paper plate and donate that amount.
The bank is only asking for a dollar, but you can donate more. The marketing director said that dollar is the equivalent of five meals for local, hungry families.
These meals help mostly people living on fixed incomes and working families living paycheck to paycheck.
This is the third year for the campaign and the marketing director said Arvest bank enjoys every bit of it.
"We just really want to give back to our community. It's the Arvest culture to give back and support the communities that we live in and the 1 Million Meals initiative is a great way to do it," said Presley.
Presley said if you can't donate a dollar, they are asking for nonperishable foods. Donations in the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas region will benefit the Community Services Clearinghouse's Meals for Kids backpack program.
Last year the 1 Million Meals Initiative raised nearly 1.4 million meals. The campaign ends Nov. 2. For more information visit Arvest.com/millionmeals.


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Event Calendar: FacebookDue to the recent data concerns with Facebook and restrictions they placed on their API, we are NOT able to import events from Facebook pages. It's unclear at this point of the future of this data being available. As a result our calendar has been significantly limited. Please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com if you want to manually post your event.
- This event has passed.
Riverside Arts Market (RAM)
November 21 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Produced by Riverside Avondale Preservation, Inc., the Riverside Arts Market is every Saturday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., rain or shine. RAM features a variety of small businesses, everything from farmers to artists to makers and bakers. Under the Fuller Warren Bridge at 715 Riverside Avenue, you'll find a family-friendly event that attracts an average of 3,000 visitors every Saturday. The riverfront amphitheater seats 350 people and features hours of live music each Saturday. Every first Saturday of the month, enjoy a brew while sitting along the St. Johns River or while exploring the market.
Every Saturday, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients have an opportunity to purchase local produce from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. RAM works closely with Florida Organic Growers to feature incentive programs where a customer can double their dollars.
Also, RAM features Morning Yoga at 9 a.m. on the river stage from March until it becomes too cold. Also at 9 a.m., meet on the sidewalk near Black Knight Financial for a RAM ride, a bike ride hosted by ZenCog!
Arrive by car, boat, food or bike! In 2010, Riverside-Avondale was named one of the country's 10 Great Neighborhoods by the American Planning Association. With a walkscore.com score of 70, starting your day off at RAM and exploring the neighborhood is a great way to spend the day the way the locals do.
Neighboring RAM, The Cummer Museum, features one of the finest art collections in the Southeast, with nearly 5,000 objects in its Permanent Collection and 2.5 acres of historic gardens along the St. Johns River. Enjoy free admission every first Saturday of the month. Walk a few more blocks and you'll run into 5 Points, a shopping district full of restaurants, Sun-Ray Cinema, and great boutiques. Stroll a bit further and enjoy one of Riverside's favorite parks, Memorial Park.
Originally slated to be a retention pond, surrounded by a chain-link fence, this unique events venue was the result of a 15-year effort led by activist Wayne Wood. HIs vision was to capture this riverfront setting as a public marketplace. It's award winning design with pedestrian pathways, landscaping and lighting was created by architect Melody Bishop.
On non-market days, the RAM site is utilized as Black Knight Financial' parking lot and throughout the week, the riverfront amphitheater is widely used as a public park known as Northbank Riverwalk Artists' Square, which forms the terminus for the Northbank Riverwalk. The Riverside Arts Market is a great example of public/private partnership with funding for its extensive infrastructure obtained from FDOT, the City of Jacksonville, JEA, JTA, and Fidelity National.


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Sunny and seasonable Saturday with a clear and cold night ahead
How's the weather looking for your Saturday? Get the latest Maine's Total Weather video forecast from Meteorologist Jacqueline Thomas.
How's the weather looking for your Saturday? Get the latest Maine's Total Weather video forecast from Meteorologist Jacqueline Thomas.
Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, pointed the finger at Israel for the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, on Friday.
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) -Former Honduran president Manuel Zelaya said on Friday that he had been "unjustly" detained at the Central American nation's Toncontin international airport for carrying $18,000 in cash, which he said was not his. Zelaya, who led Honduras from 2006 to 2009 and was an ally of late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, was deposed by the military in a June 2009 coup as he was preparing to hold a referendum on presidential re-election, which his opponents said was a ploy to stay in power.
The high-profile epidemiologist who led Sweden's no lock-down strategy in the spring appears to be being sidelined by the government after his prediction that greater immunity would mean a lighter second wave proved badly wrong. Anders Tegnell's biweekly press conference was on Thursday pushed into the shade by an overlapping press conference fronted by Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, where new scenarios prepared by the Public Health Agency were announced. "There's certainly a split, and I'm pretty sure that many in the government have rather lost faith in the Public Health Agency," said Nicholas Aylott, an associate politics professor at Stockholm's Södertorn University. "By some counts, we've now got exactly the same level of spread of the virus that we had in the spring, and that's about as clear a refutation of Tegnell's strategy as you could wish for." Dr Tegnell has always insisted that his Public Health Agency has never pursued a herd immunity strategy, but he repeatedly suggested in the summer that his counterparts in Norway, Finland and Denmark would face a tougher task over the winter because of lower levels of immunity in their populations. This month, though, the number of deaths in Sweden has again begun to soar above that of its Nordic neighbours, with 630 deaths so far registered as a result of Covid-19. That is about ten times the per capita death rate in Norway -- where just 30 Covid-19 deaths were registered between October 28th and November 25th.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — They threw her new cellphone on the roof of the station house and placed nails under the wheels of her pickup truck. It was too much for Timika Ingram to bear. "It caused me pain, sleepless nights, suffering, anxiety," said Ingram, whose four years as a firefighter in North Carolina amounted to a collection of indignities.
Donald Trump is strategizing ways to stay relevant amid incoming Biden administration, the Daily Beast reported, citing sources close to the president.
Men plead innocence following arrest in 2017 as State Department demands release
French police are going through the "worst moral crisis in modern history", according to one of the country's leading law enforcement experts, following a string of violent incidents in which officers have been accused of misconduct, brutality and racism. Decades of refusal by successive French governments to introduce UK-style independent oversight and systemic reform have brought its police to a perilous breaking point with swathes of an already sceptical population, according to eminent criminologist Sebastien Roché at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CRNS. The French have long felt ambivalent about their force, which has come a long way since the dark days of 1961 in which officers under the command of police chief Maurice Papon, later convicted of crimes against humanity, massacred an estimated 200 Algerian protesters. "You'll be covered," he notoriously told his men. Hailed as heroes in the wake of terror attacks, they have been equally vilified as heavy-handed and trigger-happy in recent mass demonstrations, notably during the "yellow vests" revolt where intensive use of stun grenades and rubber bullets maimed dozens. However, in the past two weeks, the image of the French force has taken a battering of rare intensity, bringing to the fore long-held accusations of discrimination towards minorities, violence and a sense of impunity.
If confirmed, Ret. US Army Gen. Lloyd Austin would be the first Black defense secretary for the United States.
Former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne left behind a cloud of confusion when he resigned in 2019 from the internet retailer he'd founded after panicking investors with his bizarre claims that he had romanced a Russian agent at the behest of "Men in Black" working for the United States government.Now he's back, with what he has described as his own personal "army," touting what he claims is proof that Democrats stole the election from Donald Trump."I've funded a team of hackers and cybersleuths, other people with odd skills," Byrne said in a Tuesday interview at One America News, where OAN personality Chanel Rion praised Byrne as the head of an "elite shadow cyber security team."Former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne Claims Maria Butina Offered to Arrange One-on-One for Him With PutinAs Trump's chances of securing a second term dwindle down to nothing, Byrne has launched a media tour to promote his mysterious hacker team, appearing from an "undisclosed location" on OAN, Newsmax, and a series of far-fringe YouTube shows associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory movement. On Friday, a guest host on the popular Rush Limbaugh talk radio show praised Byrne's allegations about voter fraud and proposed inviting Byrne on the show.With Trump allies on his legal team and in conservative media scrambling for any evidence that Trump didn't legitimately lose the presidential race, Byrne has become a hero to the MAGA crowd, despite his history of making off-the-wall allegations.Byrne claims he's funding teams of "hackers and crackers" who realized all the way back in August that Dominion voting machines could be used to steal the election from Trump. Since the election, those voting machines have figured prominently in Trump supporters' allegations of fraud, despite the company's repeated denials and any actual proof the voting tallies were changed.The actual details of Byrne's supposed hacker super-team, however, similarly thin."I'm a free agent, and I'm self-funded, and I'm funding this army of various odd people," Byrne said in a Nov. 23 appearance on a podcast with a QAnon promoter who used the name InTheMatrixxx. "It's really going to make a great movie someday."Asked for more details on his hacker team, Byrne referred The Daily Beast to his blog, "DeepCapture." But the 40,000-word explanation on Byrne's website focuses on his long-running feud with Wall Street short-sellers, and Byrne's conversations with a mysterious financial whistleblower called the "Easter Bunny," rather than on any election investigations team.Byrne stopped responding to emails from The Daily Beast when asked whether any members of his hacker team would be available for interviews.Despite his vague claims, Byrne says he's been funneling allegations about the election to the White House and one-time Trump lawyer Sidney Powell for weeks. Byrne's claims are similar to those Powell has made publicly, including an allegation that deceased Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez somehow meddled in the election seven years after his death."Sidney was the first to really get it, and to get what we're saying is so vast, that you need kind of a very open-minded person to get it," Byrne said in the InTheMatrixxx podcast.In the aftermath of the election, Byrne has become the latest with a broad "tech" background to reinvent himself as an expert on voting machines. Byrne is joined in that niche by former 8kun administrator Ron Watkins, who left his position managing the site for its QAnon posts on Election Day and has since appeared on OAN as a so-called elections investigator.During his post-election media tour, Byrne has made a series of other strange claims, including that he could be the reincarnation of an ancient Chinese monk."I love the Chinese, I speak Chinese, I think I'm the reincarnation of a Shaolin monk, maybe," Byrne said on the "InTheMatrixxx" podcast.Here's How Hugo Chavez, Dead Since 2013, Became Responsible for Trump's Election LossByrne has also encountered some other strange allegations on his media tour. In an appearance on a QAnon YouTube show hosted by a woman named "Cirsten W," Byrne listened as his host claimed that Bill Clinton and late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein have been cloned.Byrne's habit of making oddball claims made headlines in 2019, when he was still the CEO of Overstock. Using company letterhead, Byrne issued a statement claiming that "Men in Black" figures in the federal government had urged him to romance Russian agent Maria Butina, who was at the time allegedly trying to infiltrate conservative circles as a gun rights activist. Overstock's share price plunged, and Byrne eventually resigned after Overstock's insurer refused to insure the company with Byrne at the helm.A Senate Intelligence Committee report issued in August lays out a different view of Byrne's interactions with Butina. In the report, Butina sees Byrne as a potential avenue to reach Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), then a presidential candidate. In a July 2016 email published in the committee report, Butina's boyfriend, Paul Erickson, wrote that Byrne was "stalking" Butina after meeting her at a libertarian conference and claimed that Byrne made her a $1 million offer related to having his child."Byrne is a bachelor by choice and consequences of his intellectual gifts and limitations, but is now concerned with his mortality and family legacy," Erickson wrote. "Since meeting Maria, he has found ever more creative ways to pitch a standing $1 million offer to her 'to have a baby with him.' He is utterly enamored of her imagined gene stock and believes that a baby would cement not only his familial line but also relations between our two nations."Byrne didn't respond to The Daily Beast about the allegations made in Erickson's email.Byrne's other allegations haven't always paid off, either. In 2018, he lost a landmark defamation trial filed against him by a Canadian businessman who had been described on Byrne's blog as a terrorist financier and drug and arms trafficker, with the plaintiff awarded $1.2 million in damages.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Pair arguing about killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist
A new Anglo-French deal to prevent Channel migrant crossings was signed tonight, as France agreed to double police beach patrols but continued to resist taking back arrivals. The four-point plan which includes a major expansion of surveillance by drones and CCTV along the 100 miles of France's northern coastline aims to catch migrants before they leave French soil. It follows a seven-fold increase in the number of migrants crossing the Channel this year with a record 8,500 reaching UK shores since January. The bilateral agreement signed by Home Secretary Priti Patel and her counterpart Gérald Darmanin came as the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier arrived in London to restart Brexit talks which have been deadlocked by Anglo-French disputes over fishing rights. Although sources insisted there was no linkage between migrants and fishing rights, they pointed to the deal as evidence of the two countries' willingness to work together post-Brexit. "We accept this is a shared problem and recognise we can only solve it by working together," said a Government source. Under the agreement, gendarme patrols will double from December 1 supplemented by extra surveillance technology - including drones, radar equipment, optronic binoculars and fixed cameras - to help search the coastline quicker and deploy more police in the right place at the right time. The increase in police operations is backed by a French pledge to disperse more migrants from the north of France to accommodation centres inland where they could apply for asylum in France or other EU countries. Border security at ports in northern and western France will be increased to prevent smugglers shifting their illegal trafficking into lorries and other freight as the French attempt to choke off the sea routes. The agreement builds on the joint cooperation that has already seen the proportion of crossings intercepted and prevented rise from 41 per cent in 2019 to 60 per cent in recent weeks. On Friday, the French caught 20 migrants attempting to reach England. A joint intelligence cell (JIC) opened in July has helped secure around 140 arrests and prevent about 1,100 crossings, according to the Home Office. The French, however, are still resisting British pleas to take back migrants caught anywhere in the Channel or on UK soil, or to mount operations at sea to intercept and return the illegal small boats to France, which the UK believes would be legal under maritime law. Ms Patel is also looking to renegotiate the Dublin agreement under which EU countries take back migrants if they are proved to have passed through them and introduce a crackdown on asylum claims to counter late and repeat human rights claims against deportation. The Home Secretary said: "Today's agreement is a significant moment for our two countries, stepping up our joint action to tackle illegal migration. Thanks to more police patrols on French beaches and enhanced intelligence sharing between our security and law enforcement agencies, we are already seeing fewer migrants leaving French beaches. "The actions we have agreed jointly today goes further, doubling the number of police officers on the ground in France, increasing surveillance and introducing new cutting edge technology, representing a further step forward in our shared mission to make channel crossings completely unviable. "On top of these new operational plans, we will introduce a new asylum system that is firm and fair, and I will bring forward new legislation next year to deliver on that commitment."
'The Pennsylvania votes were RIGGED', claims president
Heavy shelling struck the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region on Saturday, the local government and humanitarian sources said, as the city of half a million braced for an attack against leaders of the regional ruling party. Ethiopia's military "has started hitting with heavy weaponry and artillery the centre of Mekele", the local government said in a statement carried by Tigrayan media - a claim confirmed by two humanitarian officials with staff in the city. "The Tigray regional state calls upon all who have a clear conscience, including the international community, to condemn the artillery and warplane attacks and massacres being committed," the statement said. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, announced November 4 he had ordered military operations against Tigray's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). More than three weeks of fierce fighting has left thousands dead "including many civilians as well as security forces", the International Crisis Group said Friday.
Robert O'Brien's airplane crew was also not allowed to enter Vietnam and had to spend the night in Thailand, Bloomberg reported.
US president doubles down on false election claims and angrily rebukes reporter
And so we approach the final act, all smoke and mirrors. Brussels and Britain are miles apart, and yet within a whisker of an agreement. Both sides are determined to win the argument, and yet closer than ever to mutually compatible interpretations. It isn't particularly reassuring that the Brexit crunch point feels like the slow climax towards the finale of a conjuring trick. Are we gearing up for the clean break that people voted for, or merely the political illusion of an exit? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: it is all politics. Whether a deal is struck depends on one simple question: does Boris Johnson believe he can sell it to Tory MPs and the public as the real deal? For this he needs a tangible win on the symbolic question of fish – rather than, perhaps, the dryer issue of state aid. The EU may in the end offer, for example, a quota boost for Scottish fishermen (doubly important considering the Scottish elections looming next year). But Brussels would expect a major level playing field concession in return. Perhaps a ratchet clause that spells the UK's continued alignment with EU regulations. And perhaps a dispute resolution mechanism that sneakily references the ECJ rather than an independent arbitration panel. These would be costly concessions for Britain, but luckily for Brussels, they are complicated and convoluted. The PM may be tempted to wager that MPs and Brexiteer voters will struggle to grasp their significance. Especially if the Tory party closes ranks with the same discipline as it did with the divorce deal.
Kim Jong Un has also banned fishing and salt production at sea to prevent seawater from being infected with the virus, lawmakers were told.
French authorities have suspended police officers accused of assaulting and racially abusing a Black man in Paris, after CCTV footage of the incident was released and caused an outcry. The music producer, who has identified himself as Michel, was beaten at the entrance to his studio. French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted by France's BFM TV as being "very shocked" by the CCTV and mobile phone images, which were obtained by the LoopSider news outlet and made headline news on French channels. The officers involved were suspended pending investigation at the interior minister's request. Michel told reporters he'd been walking in the street without a face mask, against French COVID-19 rules. When he saw a police car he went into his studio to avoid getting a fine. But the police followed him inside and arrested him, violently. The video purports to show them kicking and beating him, and he says they hurled racial abuse at him too. They then leave, and throw a tear gas canister into the studio. As anger grew, French soccer stars added to the chorus of condemnation. Kylian Mbappe tweeted that the video was "intolerable" and his fellow Les Bleus striker, Antoine Griezmann wrote: "My France is hurting." The alleged attack on Michel risks inflaming racial tension, and fuelling criticism of a draft law that would limit journalists' ability to show images of French police officers at work. The prime minister's office said on Thursday (November 26) it would set up an independent commission to propose a new draft of the legislation. Some "BlackLivesMatter" protests broke out in Paris in June, a month after the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in the United States. The movement resonates in France, in particular in deprived city suburbs, where rights groups say accusations of police brutality, often against people with immigrant backgrounds, remain largely unaddressed. And Paris police were already under fire this week after social media photos and videos showed officers hitting protesters as they cleared out an illegal migrants campsite in a central Paris square.
United Airlines have chartered flights to deliver Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to distribution hubs, in anticipation of an FDA approval
'Whistleblowers must be protected', says Democrat lawmaker


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Listings are accepted on a space-available basis. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday prior to date of publication at the latest. To submit volunteer items, mail to Volunteers, Patuxent Publishing Co., Third Floor Editorial, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278; email firstname.lastname@example.com; fax 410-332-6336; or call 410-332-6497.
Columbia Teen Center Clothing Drive — Sponsored by the Columbia Teen Center's Teen Outreach Committee. Accepting donations through Nov. 30. Items may be dropped off at the Columbia Teen Center now through November 30. Please do not donate items with stains, holes or broken zippers. 5853 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia. 410-992-3726 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Holiday Mart Craft Show — Seeking additional crafters for its annual craft show. Artists will need to submit four professional digital photos on a CD, or photographs of work by Oct. 28. Images must be representative of the original handcrafted art or craft items and display. Selection is based on uniqueness, originality, quality, display and popularity. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance, waitlist or non-acceptance. Jewelry vendors need not apply. Fee is non-refundable. Jury fee is $20 and is non-refundable. Gary J. Arthur Community Center at Glenwood, 2400 Route 97, Cookville. http://www.howardcountymd.gov/rap. 410-313-4831.
Hospital Accompaniment Advocate — An on-call volunteer position responsible for responding to Howard County General Hospital within 30 minutes of receiving a call, to provide comfort, support and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault. Extensive training and TB testing required. Must be at least 21-years-old. http://www.dvcenter.org. 410-997-0304 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Cable Advisory Committee — Seeking applicants interested in serving a five-year term on the committee, which provides recommendations to the Executive and Council on all matters related to the County cable system and its facilities. Candidates must be Howard County residents, 18-years-old or older, have an interest in cable and be able to attend the Committee's meetings held quarterly on the second Wednesday in March, June, September and December at 7 p.m. at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City. Additional meetings may be called for by the Committee Chairperson when, in his or her opinion, it is important to consider a matter immediately. Meetings are open to the public and become a matter of public record. Applicants should send a resume and a brief letter explaining why they want to serve on the Committee to: Howard County Government, Department of County Administration, Attn: Susan Smith-Bauk, 3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043. 410-313-3318.
Hickory Ridge Community Association — Seeking vendors for a Holiday Craft Shop to be held Nov. 20, 2-5 p.m., at The Hawthorn Center, 6175 Sunny Spring, Columbia. All items must be hand-crafted. $20 per table. 410-730-7327.
Youth Ambassador for Healthy Relationships — The Empowerment Movement, a youth leadership project, focused on promoting peaceable living and healthy relationships, seeks to empower youth with the skills to speak out against social norms that support violence. Ambassadors will learn to engage their peers in behaviors that encourage personal and community safety. Open to high school students, participants will learn about issues such as internet safety, dating violence and healthy relationships. Ambassadors will create videos, develop and deliver teen awareness programs. Vanita Leatherwood, 410-997-0304 or email@example.com.
American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery — Seeking volunteer drivers (and their vehicles) to help provide transportation assistance for Howard County cancer patients who need transportation to and from treatment facilities. "Road" volunteers provide an essential and necessary service for patients who have no car, may be too ill to drive or have family members and friends who may not have the time or financial means to provide this support. Shelby, 410-781-4316.
Meals on Wheels — Seeking volunteers to deliver meals to homebound residents in the central Maryland area. Distribution site is located at 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, MD 21044. Meals are picked up by volunteers at the site and delivered between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Volunteers are asked to commit to drive a minimum of twice a month. 410-730-9476 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Howard County Legacy Leadership Institute for the Environment — Recruiting for the 2012 Class of Legacy Leaders to participate in its environmental education and volunteer leadership program, designed for ages 50 and older who want to gain skills and knowledge and create a legacy through their volunteer work with partner organizations. Offering six weeks of classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., starting February 1, 2012. After completion on March 14, Legacy Leaders begin 150 hours of field placement with partner organizations March-September 2012. Classes meet at the Robinson Nature Center, 6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia; the Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt; and the Howard County Conservancy at Mt. Pleasant Farm, in Woodstock. $50 fee is required at enrollment. http://www.howardllie.com. Dr. Barbara Schmeckpeper, 410-381-5279, or Cathy Hudson, 410-796-7232, or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Howard County Local Children's Board — Seeking county applicants who are interested in serving on the Local Children's Board. Board members serve five year terms and help plan and develop a continuum of services and programs for children and youth in Howard County. Candidates must be Howard County residents, 18-years-old or older, have an interest in children and youth services, and be able to attend the Board's meetings which are held quarterly at a minimum from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Howard County Office of Children's Services in Ellicott City. The Board is also accepting applications from high school students who may be interested in serving two-year terms. Applicants should send a resume and a brief letter explaining why they want to serve on the Board to: Howard County Government, Department of County Administration, Attn: Susan Smith-Bauk,3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043. Office of Children's Services, 410-313-1940 or http://www.howardcountymd.gov/localchildrensboard.htm.
A-OK Mentoring-Tutoring Inc. — Recruiting adult volunteers to be mentor-tutors to Howard County public school students who are struggling to succeed. Volunteers meet with students during the school day or in after-school programs, individually or in small groups. Volunteers should be able to commit to one hour/week for one school year. Participating elementary schools are Atholton, Bryant Woods, Cradlerock, Forest Ridge, Guilford, Longfellow, Phelps Luck, Running Brook and Stevens Forest. There are also limited opportunities to meet with older students. Chaya Kaplan, 410-730-6030 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Howard County Conservancy — Seeking Wednesday morning drop-in gardening volunteers to help maintain the many thematic and native plant gardens on the Conservancy property. All levels of experience welcome. Chris Garbart, 410-465-8877 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Columbia Association's Middle School and Teen Advisory Committees — Seeking students, ages 11-19, to become members of the committees and who want to make a difference, get involved in their community and be an integral part of the solution — while having fun and making new friends. As members of the committee, teens can create and implement events and programs for their peers. Past activities have included Teen Idol Competition, Teen Role Model Competition, Battle of the Dance, charity fundraisers, Teen Tuesdays concerts at the lakefront, a free college fair, Save the Planet Day and more. Teen Advisory Committee members, ages 13-19, must attend meetings every other Thursday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at CA Headquarters. Middle School Advisory Committee members, ages 11-13, must attend meetings once a month on a Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at CA Headquarters. Carol Wasser, 410-715-5523.
Kidspeace — Seeking caring families and individuals to give guidance and stable homes to children and teens. Therapeutic foster parents receive training, support, financial reimbursement, 24-hour support and personal satisfaction. 410-964-9329 or http://www.fostercare.com.
Neighbor Ride — Seeking volunteers to help Howard County seniors remain active and independent by providing rides for medical appointments, shopping, social outings, fitness classes, personal care and business appointments, religious services, volunteer commitments and other day-to-day activities. Flexible daytime, evening and weekend volunteer opportunities are available. Volunteer drivers choose rides that fit their work and personal schedules and are convenient to their homes, offices and daily routines. Parent volunteers may bring their children along for an intergenerational experience. Rosemary Noble or Patrice Cerwonka, 410-884-7433 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Better BedRest Inc. — A nonprofit that provides resources, support and referrals for women on bed rest because of high-risk pregnancies. Seeking volunteers to talk to women on bedrest and help with fundraisers. Phone volunteers must have had a pregnancy bedrest experience or connection to bedrest (non-phone volunteers do not needbedrest experience). Training provided. http://www.betterbedrest.org. 410-740-7662 or email@example.com.
Baptist Family and Children's Services — Seeking volunteers. 7161 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite A, Columbia. Cindy, 800-621-8834, ext. 120.
Laurel Regional Hospital — Seeking volunteers to assist at the hospital's main information desk and in the hospital's gift shop primarily on evenings and weekends. Volunteers must be dependable, responsible and friendly adults who are able to commit to a scheduled three-hour shift for the information desk. Shift times available vary, but are generally 8-11 a.m., 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 2-5 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Training provided. Director of Volunteer Services, 240-456-4764 or http://www.dimensionshealth.org.
Whipps Historical Garden Park Cemetery — Seeking volunteers to help maintain Ellicott City's only public historic garden-park. Every Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon, through October, 3651 St. John's Lane, Ellicott City. Aleta Gravelle, 410-274-7795 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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A ParkFast Shout-Out in Avicii's New Music Video
Someone just directed our attention to the new music video for Avicii's "Wake Me Up" (feat. Aloe Blacc). Not only is the song friggin' GORGEOUS -- and the video a virtual time-lapse love letter to NYC -- but one of Edison ParkFast's iconic billboards makes a cameo at 1:12. We couldn't be more thrilled! Click on the link below to enjoy the video! Avicii - Wake Me Up (Official Music Video HD) ft. Aloe Blacc


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I've seen all kinds of jumps from drunk, wannabe Duke Boys morons, but I've got to show respect for Sebastien Ogier jumping over 134 feet in competition during this year's Rally Sweden.
Rally Sweden was a while back, so forgive me if you've seen this jump already, but it's worth a rewatch even if it ain't new.
Let's take a look from another angle, why don't we?
The jump was, of course, done on Colin's Crest, the huge launching pad that happens to be in the Rally Sweden course. The last record jump was 121 feet (37 m) bu hoonstraordinaire Kenny Blockenheimer.