text:
Teaching Detroit's leader the golden rule
Detroit could run out of cash by Friday
DETROIT – No, we are not speaking of the traditional golden rule here, but the business golden rule: he who has the gold makes the rules!
It's a lesson everyone in Detroit city government might reconsider as the city itself careens ever closer to running out of cash. This is a city that has spent itself into oblivion.
The governor could have put an emergency manager in place and forced a solution [something he may still have to do] but he opted for a kinder gentler approach. Instead, he negotiated a consent agreement with the mayor and Detroit City Council approved it [in a 5-4 vote mind you].
The deal was firmly in place and the new financial experts started taking their positions.
Then the deal went off the rails.
Under a new Detroit City Charter the corporation counsel Krystal Crittendon decided that consent deal was illegal because the state of Michigan owed some money on parking tickets, old water bills and more than anything a quarter of a billion dollars in past revenue sharing council member JoAnn Watson has been loudly screaming about for nearly two years now.
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing read the charter and believes, though Crittendon is a mayoral appointee, he has no control over her lawsuit.
City Council says it can't control her either. So, now a fractured city leadership sits as the lawsuit grinds any progress toward financial stability to a screeching halt.
So let's do the math here, no one is in charge and the city decides to sue the governor over a contract both parties signed? You get the idea someone doesn't like the consent agreement. You also get the idea someone isn't paying attention to the golden rule. This of course is forcing the governor's hand [which appears to be the real motivation here].
The city estimates it will run out of cash Friday June 15.
It will make payroll and that's it.
The busses could stop rolling, the trash might not get picked up and it seems impossible to imagine but the cops who won't get paid, won't want to patrol the city's dangerous neighborhoods for free!
The reason the money could run out is because the state has decided it's going to require Detroit to pay off the bond deal cut in the consent agreement. It doesn't have the cash on hand, so the state will simply garnish future revenue sharing dollars; $80 million worth.
Now consider council member JoAnn Watson saying in council chambers yesterday the city has time to wait for a Wednesday hearing with Judge William Collette regarding Crittendon's lawsuit. She said not only should the city wait for a decision [which may or may not come Wednesday] she also said the mayor should be negotiating with the state to make the governor back down. She expressed disdain for the way the state is treating Detroit and felt the governor was committing "extortion" in his demands for the city to drop the suit or else.
With all due respect to the council member, she is living in a distant past.
It use to be that Detroit politicians could stomp their feet, threaten Lansing and get someone un-elected fast. Well, those days are gone. No one in Lansing fears Detroit or its politicians anymore.
Any grandiose proclamations of this kind are viewed as arrogant at best and suicidal at worst anymore. Mayor Dave Bing attempted to explain the concept to council yesterday, "We need to push this forward as fast as we can so that we can get cash to run the city. Without that we're dead. You can't force or make them [the state] do something at this point. You talk about negotiations we're doing that, we're doing that, but they have the hammer right now, they've got the money."
Yes, indeed the state does have the money and yes, Detroit does not.
The council, the mayor and the corporate counsel all have fiduciary responsibility to see to it that the bank accounts run dry does not happen. Yet there they stand helpless and hopeless at the same time. They had better get on the stick quickly here.
Council is expected to meet with Crittendon behind closed doors at some point over the next day or two to see if she would be willing to relent.
I spoke on the phone with her yesterday and she said she will not.
This morning Snyder, who is as positive and friendly as anyone holding the money can be, said through his patented smile, "It's largely an issue in the City of Detroit. So, the mayor and the City Council and the Corporation Counsel should continue to work on how to resolve this issue. So we're going to continue to be a supportive partner."
UNCUT INTERVIEW: Gov. Snyder on Detroit
He's not backing down.
Why? He has the gold.
The quicker the city's fiduciaries figure out this golden rule, the better off its citizens will be.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Bread pudding is the perfect way to use up leftovers, whether it's vegetables from last night's dinner, bacon from yesterday's breakfast (who has leftover bacon?!), or bits of cheese after that party. The important thing is to have some flavorings like onions, garlic, and herbs along with cheese and eggs to soak into day old bread and bake up into a lovely custardy breakfast. I like to make them in single servings or in cupcake pans so that I can take them with me on busy mornings. They also freeze well and you can heat straight from the freezer in single servings.
Individual Bread Puddings
5 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups day old bread, cubed (small if making individual servings, they have to fit in the muffin cups)
1/2 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup grated asiago
1/2 onion, minced (or leftover)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup spinach, chopped (or leftover)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (or leftover)
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons sage, minced
Parmesan cheese for grating
Saute the onion, garlic,sage, and mushrooms in a couple tablespoons olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Add the white wine and allow the alcohol to cook off, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper, and add in the cheddar and asiago. Add in the bread along with the vegetable mixture. Make sure the bread soaks up a lot of the liquid before cooking. Pour into lined muffin pans, individual ramekins, or a large baking dish. Top with grated parmesan and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes if using muffin pans and up to 45 minutes if using a baking dish. Make sure they have started to brown and puff up, to know they are done.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A mother and son who were featured in a Canton Repository "Mother's Day" photo in 1957 stood in the same doorway recently as they talked about their activities over the past 57 years.
Editor's note: This is the latest in our "Where Are They Now" series that catches up on people who at one time were featured in the pages of The Repository. Have an idea for us to pursue? Email firstname.lastname@example.com.
On May 12, 1957, a full-page photograph of 8-year-old Bob Sullivan and his mother, Betty, ran on Page 45 of The Canton Repository.
"Love to Mom" is written in script lettering in the upper corner of the black-and-white photo. Its caption reads, "A son's love and his mother's pride are exemplified as a messenger delivers Bobby Sullivan's special Mother's Day greeting ... ."
Betty recalled how a relative had worked at the newspaper and recruited the pair for a Mother's Day photo.
"They must have been hard-up," she joked.
She said seeing the spread was a shock.
"We don't get into the newspaper," she said.
More than 56 years later, Bob, now 65, and Betty, now 88, posed for another Repository photo in the same doorway of the family's Lake Cable home — a home that the Sullivans had originally planned to sell.
Betty and Robert both grew up in northeast Canton, but didn't know each other until he'd returned from the war.
"Everybody who was anybody went to Meyer's Lake ballroom," she said. That's where she and Robert met. Meyer's Lake cq as it's name of ballroom, per stylebook — swb
"I never intended to get married then," she said. But the pair wed in 1948.
Robert owned Napa Triple S Auto Parts, with stores in Canton and Massillon. Betty was a seventh grade teacher at St. Michael's School in Canton.
She remembers how Robert would come into her classroom all the time and yell, "I'll meet you at the golf course."
"The kids loved that," she said.
The couple built a home in Canton's east end, near St. Benedict church. Then in the mid-1950s, they built the Lake Cable home, which Betty said they also intended to sell.
Instead, they stayed put, and had three kids — Bob and two daughters, Dinah (Peddicord) and Cary Ann (Koren).
Bob raid the neighborhood had been all farmland at the time.
"It was fun. It was a great place to grow up," he said. "I remember as a kid just playing in the corn and chasing cows."
The family had a boat and Bob would drive them across the lake to the beach, where they'd take a picnic and spend the day. They'd play baseball in the summer. In the winter, they'd build igloos and skate across the frozen lake.
Bob had a paper route. He also worked as a lifeguard and taught swimming lessons. In one memorable lesson, he kicked his mother out of class.
"I wanted to learn to swim. I was so afraid of the water," Betty recalled.
But in the class, she didn't want to get her face wet, refusing to put her face in the water and blow bubbles.
"He was the meanest teacher," she laughed.
Betty still can't swim.
Growing up in the 1960s and '70s was an interesting time, Bob said.
He remembers sitting in health class at Central Catholic High School when they got news of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.
He was a student at Kent State University when the May 4, 1970 shootings happened.
Then there was the Vietnam War. Robert Sullivan, , who died in 2010 at age 87, had been a U.S. Navy Air Corps veteran for World War II, a position he felt was his duty to do as an American, Betty said.
"They thought, if the government told you to go to war, you didn't ask questions, you went and fought in the war," she said.
But kids had entirely different ideas of going to war during Vietnam, she said.
"They were smarter than their parents," she said.
She said Robert and Bob crossed swords many times over the war. Bob ultimately avoided the draft — he was a college student at the time and had a high number in the lottery.
The era also a time before cell phones, computers and texting. You couldn't even make long-distance phone calls from your home.
To make reservations at an Akron restaurant for after prom, Bob had to drive to the Akron-Canton airport to use a phone with an Akron line.
"Things seem so different now," Betty said.
"It's somewhat the same, too," Bob said. "People don't remember their history and they do the same things."
Robert Sullivan sold the auto parts business in 1984. Betty retired from teaching in 1985 after 25 years.
Bob became a teacher like his mother, but then went on to get his master's degree and a doctorate from the University of Akron. He worked as a university administrator for a while, before catching the computer bug, he said.
He now owns InfoGrow, a sales and marketing consulting firm in Cuyahoga Falls.
Betty now has five grandchildren, all of them out of college.
"When you look forward, you never dream of all the things that could happen," she said.
Reach Jessica at 330-580-8322 or firstname.lastname@example.com
On Twitter: @jholbrookREP


text:
|Campaign Type
|Payout Structure
Are you Looking for the Best Affiliate Programs in India? Then you are on the right page as we have handpicked & listed some of the top affiliate programs from the Indian affiliate marketing industry. The list has been separated niche wise & contains the details about the payout, cookie duration & all other information you need to run a successful affiliate marketing campaign. Promoting an affiliate programs is one of the best ways for bloggers and influencers to make money online in India and overseas. Publishers can also earn maximum commission by joining top Indian affiliate programs. The option to filter the list based on the highest paying affiliate campaigns are also available.
Choosing a right campaign to maximize your profits via affiliate marketing is one of the most important & the basic step in kickstarting your journey as an affiliate marketer. We have jotted down some of the most important factors that you should keep in mind while deciding the right affiliate campaigns to promote from the pool of over 2000+ available different affiliate programs :
Since you'll be promoting other people's products in your own network so it is important to know the popularity of the brand & also the product/service offered in the market. If you are promoting a brand that is not popular among the masses, it can take a lot of time & effort in driving a single lead or a sale. So it is very important to set the foundation right so that you get the best out of you invested man hours.
Every publisher runs a campaign to mint money, so if it is all about money you must have a clear idea about the commission rates you are going to get for promoting product for the advertiser. Be it a Flat Payout, a Percentage based payout or even a slab based payout, payout for each campaign will vary according to the type of campaign so, while deciding for a program, you should always consider the payout as one of the most influential parameters.
A cookie is a small file stored on the user's computer. In affiliate marketing, cookies are used to track affiliate referrals. Further a cookie's lifespan reflects how long the prospective buyer who clicks through your affiliate link might make you a profit through a given campaign. For instance, let's say a seller sets the cookie duration to 30 days. This means you as a publisher have exactly 30 days to seal the deal, once a link has been clicked. As this time is exhausted, that's it — no profit for you. However, if a purchase is made within this period, it qualifies for a commission even if the next time the visitor did not clicked your link. Thus, the longer the expiration date, the better for the affiliate marketer.
You should always select & promote only those campaigns that match the niche that you are working on. This is because you already understand the market & have audience from the same market. It is always easier to get conversions when the promoted product & service matches with your own target audience.
EPC or Earning per click is a conversion metrics that will allow you to see how fruitful is each click that is given to the advertiser, It also gives an idea as to how effective is each click that is given to the merchant. When you choose any product, how much you can earn from it is very important, so always keep the EPC and conversion rates in your mind while choosing your affiliate campaigns.
Make sure that the campaign you choose offers a competitive pricing than what merchant of other campaigns are offering as more competitive the price is better are the chances of conversion.
India has a population of over 1.3 Billion but still Indian markets differ than the western ones as the buyers in India are very price-sensitive, so it may be the case that if you are running a Cost per Sale campaign for a high ticket brand outside India, you might earn big but whereas in India that campaign might not give you the similar results. We have jotted down some of the different payout models that gives publishers best returns on their efforts. Depending on the requirements as mentioned below, the publishers can choose the suitable payout model. Here we have listed the types of affiliate campaigns that are based upon pricing models:
It is an online advertisement pricing system where the publisher or website owner is paid on the basis of the number of sales that are directly generated by an advertisement. It includes both Physical and Digital products. For example, Flipkart affiliate campaign gives commissions based upon the number of sales, this is based on CPS model.
When an advertiser pays a publisher any time a user takes an action on the publisher's website that generates a lead for the advertiser it is known as CPL campaign. Credit card affiliate campaign gives payout up on number of leads is an example of CPL campaign.
It refers to the cost of displaying an advertisement one thousand times, here the publishers receives commission on every 1000 impressions given to an advertiser. To measure the success of a campaigns generally a term CTR which stands for Clickthrough rate is used & is defined as clicks received per thousand impressions.
It is a type of campaign where the advertiser pays for getting app downloads. Also known as Cost per Install Campaign, It is generally of 2 types: Incent & Non-Incent, In the incent type generally some sort of incentive is offered by the publisher to lure its users to download the app & in case of Non-Incent no such incentive is offered. The payout for the non incent kind of traffic is generally higher than what is offered for the incent traffic. Example of such app promoting can be a campaign like Dream11 app download campaign that gives payout on each app install a publisher drives!
It another popular payout models that is adopted by the new advertisers that are looking to build brand online, In the CPV kind of online advertising model advertiser pays for each visit the publisher brings on the advertisers website/landing page. For example, SpartanPoker affiliate campaign gives payout based upon number of visits. Here the Visit is only counted if the visitor opens the page & the page is fully loaded.
It is somehow similar to CPV campaign but here the publisher gets paid when a click on advertiser's banner/link takes place.
An actions based campaign is a mixed type of campaign that may involve a series of events like filing a form & then making a purchase. For example, 1MG affiliate campaign offers commission based on app download followed by a user signup. The action can be registration, registration then sale, download then registration etc. Here the publisher is eligible for the payout only when the action as given in the terms & condition is fulfilled.
Every affiliate marketer knows selecting the right affiliate niche is the basis to make money online, Whether you are a blogger or a seasoned affiliate marketer you must have searched for "What Are The Most Profitable Niches For Affiliate Marketing?" We have got you covered, Here is the list of 8 Most lucrative affiliate niches that are evergreen & are used by top marketers to earn via affiliate marketing.
Tasty & Healthy food is everyone's choice and in the era of social media, food bloggers and youtubers are earning a lot from popular food affiliate programs which include top campaigns like Swiggy, Pizzahut, Dominos, Bigbasket, KFC, and many more. The most beneficial thing about these food affiliate programs is that when someone order food, there are less chances for return it back,so you can earn more from these affiliates. Further these campaigns have frequent recurring orders!
Fashion is a trending everywhere and there are so many fashion and clothing brands available in the market like Puma, Nyke, Biba, Nnnow, Reebok, Manyavar, etc that are being promoted by so many popular affiliate programs which include Myntra Affiliate Program, Amazon Affiliate Program, Shoppers Stop Affiliate Program, etc. Fashion bloggers are becoming more popular as people are always googling about the latest fashion trends.
Travelling is the best way to explore the world around us and there are a number of travel bloggers on the internet who share their travel experiences and give tips about the best places to visit. There are so many travel affiliate programs available which include MakeMyTrip Affiliate Program, Bookings.com Affiliate Program, Air Asia Affiliate Program, etc. With these, there are also some best hotel booking affiliate programs available like Oyo Rooms Affiliate Program, Trivago Affiliate Program, Zostal Affiliate Program, etc. Be it Rail tickets, bus tickets, air tickets, hotel booking or even package booking, there is a campaign available for Indian audience!
Games and Sports are very important for growth(Physically & Mentally). There are many Gaming & Sports Affiliate Programs that offer high commissions which include Decathlon Affiliate Program, Sportskeeda Affiliate Program, Dream11 Affiliate Program, etc.
Tech is exploding high with the advancement of innovative gadgets and there are some famous Tech affiliate programs like Amazon Affiliate Program, Flipkart Affiliate Program, Samsung Affiliate Program, etc that offer best electronic products with handsome payouts.
With the advancement of digital technology, now it is easy to access the latest and best books by simply downloading ebooks or audiobooks. There are many popular book affiliate programs like Amazon Affiliate Program, Infibeam Affiliate Program, Bookswagon Affiliate Program, etc, that offer best fictional, literature, motivational, educational books and many more with best price.
Some people are curious to know that Which is the best Health & Fitness Affiliate Program? There are so many personal care & fitness affiliate programs available like Healthxp Affiliate Program, Healthkart Affiliate Program, Nutrabay Affiliate Program, Cultfit etc that offer the best payouts.
Domain & web hosting are most essential item for website owners and web developers. There are many domain & hosting affiliate programs like GoDaddy Affiliate Program, Bigrock Affiliate Program, ZNetLive Affiliate Program, etc, from which you can earn high commissions.
Whether you are a content marketer or a blogger knowing which performance marked affiliate campaigns are converting well for other affiliate marketers is very important. As there are over a thousand affiliate companies to choose from, so we have handpicked a list of top affiliate programs you can join today to make money online.
It is the leading affiliate program that helps publishers and website owners to monetize their traffic. The best part about this campaign is that the buyers are very receptive about the Amazon's brand so there are more chances of earning a recurring commission from this campaign. Amazon India from time to time runs a CPI(cost per install) campaign that offers a decent commission every time a customer installs the Amazon Android app via a publisher's site or blog.
Flipkart is one of the most trusted & oldest brands in e-commerce industry. Today, shoppers can buy everything from books to home appliances, from clothes to furniture, from baby care products to automobile spare parts on Flipkart and its affiliate program offers a category based payout with commissions ranging from 1% to 12% for different product categories.
As we all know that Swiggy is the leading food ordering campaign that delivers healthy and tasty food directly from top restaurants to its customers. Its services are efficient and if you want to invest your time to make a better profit, you must join this great affiliate program.
Myntra have all that to spruce up for your fashion look. Myntra promotes so many popular brands like Puma, Nyka, Koovs, Reebok, and many more. By joining Myntra affiliate program through INRDeals you can get access to Myntra product API and banners.
MakeMyTrip is the most popular, reliable and hassle-free travel portal among travellers. MakeMyTrip Affiliate Program is much helpful for travel bloggers to make a steady income and it also provides bonus to its affiliate marketers.
Dominos Affiliate program is India's leading well-organized Pizza Marketing program. People are attracted to Dominos because of its first-class services and lucrative offers which makes it a good affiliate program for promotion that gives payout up to Rs.27 per sale.
Nnnow is the official online store from where you can buy a wide range of clothes, apparel, accessories, watches, shoes of your favourite global fashion brands including top premium brands. You can Join Nnnow Affiliate Program to earn the highest payout of upto 35% per Sale which is one of the highest commissions in the fashion industry.
It is one of the top converting active campaigns in the medicine delivery category of affiliate marketing industry in India because of its high affiliate commission & validation rates.
Healthkart is India's leading health care and fitness store and its affiliate program helps you to earn extra money by recommending their products.
OyoRooms is India's largest hotel network and you can join its city specific affiliate program to earn the highest commission rates on hotel booking.
Everyone google's about the latest and best deals to get products at lowest prices. Here we have a list of top selling affiliate products that people are searching daily:
It is now easy to promote essential books online as they are available with decent discount rate.
You can promote products like baby diapers as it is available at very competitive price online from multiple affiliate stores.
You can also promote latest variety of good quality makeup products from famous brands online at low prices.
It is very easy to get all the grocery items as they are available at the doorstep with just one click. Now you can checkout wide variety of grocery and household products online with best offers by popular affiliate programs.
Some affiliate programs offer best quality headphones and earphones from top brands at best price as headphones and earphones are the most used products because of their less durability.
You can discover the latest and branded dresses online with the top fashion affiliate networks at best deals as they also offer sales and discounts on dresses.
Some popular affiliate programs offer latest launched mobile phones of top brands like Samsung, Apple, Vivo,etc at comparable prices.
You can promote latest collection of men's and women's sports shoes online with India's top fashion affiliate programs at reasonable price range.
Some affiliate programs provide web & domain hosting at the lowest prices, so you can join these campaigns for making good earnings.
You can also promote health and dietary supplements online at best price with the famous healthcare affiliate programs that offers latest health products with decent commissions.
Some people wonder that Which is the highest paying affiliate program to join? So, to clear their confusion, we bring the list of top highest paying affiliate campaigns:
This program is top in the list of highest paying commission rates of up to Rs.3000 per lead.
You can join this affiliate campaign now for big earnings as it gives payout up to 13% per sale.
You can make maximum money online by joining this affiliate program that gives payout up to Rs.250 per sale.
You can earn high with this great affiliate program which offers highest commission rates up to Rs.380 per sale.
Join this program now to take maximum profit as it offers payout up to Rs.280 per sale.
This Affiliate program provides best commissions up to 29.75% per sale that maximize your side income.
Today Blogging is a new trend for popularity and bloggers are earning big by promoting affiliate products online. We have listed some famous affiliate programs for bloggers that offer the best payouts.
Many people have this question that who is eligible to become an affiliate publisher & promote affiliate product? For them, the simple answer would be any one who has traffic/network & can drive sales & leads for brands. We combined a list of such category of people:
Bloggers are eligible to become publishers because they ave avid readers who come to their website to view the posted content, further since these readers follow the recommendations of the bloggers so it is very easy to promote products that truly add value. Some of the strategies that are used by top bloggers like recurring a product, unblock a product, posting about what's trendy so you can get the best platform to increase their earnings and they aid the company to promote its products.
Anyone with his personal website or business site having good internet traffic on their site can join Affiliate Marketing for referring sales and leads.
Influencers can promote affiliate programs and services to maximize their income as per the number of followers on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Youtubers are also eligible to join as an affiliate publisher as they help in the promotion of the company's products, popular brands, and latest technology items through their videos and increase their side income.
People who are always active on social media like Instagram, Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, etc can also promote affiliate products if they have a sizeable audience on their pages /groups/channels.
Affiliate marketing is growing fast and INRDeals is one of the best affiliate networks that gives the publishers best returns on their efforts. You can join our network now for taking affiliate benefits with high commission rates as there are over 500+ different affiliate campaigns to choose from!


text:
There are 6 item(s) tagged with the keyword "Neighbourhoods".
It's time for an honest conversation about tax in the UK. Successive Governments have pledged not to increase the tax burden on the public in their manifestos and then once in power they put in place policies that do the opposite.
Just look at the shift that has taken place in tax revenues since austerity started. In 2010, local government's core spending power of £50B was around 80% funded from local tax yield with a further 20% subsidy from direct taxation. Fast forward to 2019 and the £46B or so that local government will receive in core spending power in the coming year, is outstripped by the £52B that will be raised in local taxation. Local taxation is now clearly subsidising national spending.
Local people and local businesses are now paying significantly more in council tax and business rates for the services they receive at a time when many of the neighbourhood services, that determine the look and the feel of the place, are being decimated. Add to this the fact that fees and charges have also either been introduced or increased, in order to try and hold local services together and we really are testing people's patience.
Reading the recent announcements from Public Health Minister, Steve Brine, about the new trailblazer programme to tackle childhood obesity I couldn't help but wonder whether there is any joined up policy thinking taking place on domestic matters whilst the shadow of Brexit remains looming large over the country.
Whilst any new money is welcomed by local government, alongside the ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030, a competition where local authorities can bid to be one of five winners who will receive £100k a year for three years to come up with innovative ideas around active lifestyles and healthy eating, isn't going to push back the tide on the problem when a tsunami of cuts is coming in the other direction and overwhelming public health initiatives; closing parks; forcing greenspace sell offs; and causing significant reductions in accessible sports and leisure facilities.
Many ingredients go into making a community a place where people are proud to live and work, so is there a danger of eroding local government's ability to place-shape effectively as a result of a series of policy decisions and funding cuts?
Previous governments' strategies for neighbourhood renewal seem a distant memory, alongside the levels of accessible funding that went alongside them. Whilst criticism existed of approaches being overly centralist, 'funding with strings attached', local government remains at the mercy of central government policy decisions and delivering budget cuts is the only thing in which it seems to have more freedom.
It's the infrastructure and facilities, it's the look and the feel, it's the local environment and how safe and secure the area is. At a time when we are trying to attract people to our localities and communities, are we cutting back on the very things that make places habitable, those very highly visible and publically recognised neighbourhood services?
We know that local authority expenditure in the UK will be 30% less by 2020, than it was in 2010, we also know that in England local government finance will have moved to a much more local financing model by that point. Under current Government plans most councils will be almost fully dependant on a mixture of council tax and business rates revenue, alongside a small amount of other grants and income generated through commercial activity.
With the spending review completed and the annual financial settlements for local government across the UK done and dusted, we now know where budgets broadly stand, between now and 2020 and it's taking local government expenditure to its lowest percentage of GDP since 1948.
The move to four year budgets in England will see significant further pain, on top of that already experienced, over the next couple of years, before a stabilisation in the latter years of that settlement. This of course optimistically assumes that there will not be a further recession during this period, high levels of house building will be achieved and the move to localise business rates will run smoothly and fairly.
In his recent book on the politics of climate change Lord Anthony Giddens called for the creation of an 'ensuring state' with the capacity to achieve political and economic convergence across policy sub-systems to tackle what is becoming a global phenomenon.


text:
531 members438 Comments 38 Likes
70 members29 Comments 4 Likes
198 members13 Comments 2 Likes
98 members6 Comments 2 Likes
90 members17 Comments 0 Likes
Hillary M Bridges has not received any gifts yet
Posted on October 4, 2011 at 8:34am 1 Comment 0 Likes
I was talking about free speech with a friend of mine, my friend was pissed because ESPN banned Hank Williams Jr for comparing Obama to Hitler on Fox and Friends. He said we have free speech. To which I responded yes we have free speech but, that doesnt mean speaking your mind doesnt have consequences. Then he told me I was right so if something in my life went wrong I shouldn't"cry out to god" because he wont help me....
My first thought was why would I cry out to something I dont…Continue
Posted on October 2, 2011 at 3:08pm 1 Comment 0 Likes
Hello everyone! Im new to this site and wanted to make my presence known. I am an atheist. Which sometimes is hard to be when you're in the south and are related to some of the biggest religious fanatics known in the modern age.
Im amother of 2 boys ages 2 and 4. I do my best to protect them from religious brainwashing anytime it arises. Plz feel free to add me or respond to this post.
We must all hang together... or we will all hang separately.
Ben Franklin
They're not on meetup.com like all of the Triangle groups are, though. Seems to be at http://www.charlotteatheists.com/. I don't know if there are any other groups in the Charlotte area.
Welcome, Hillary! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends.
Hello Hillary, and welcome to this worldwide nexus of truth and peace.
"If freethinkers could reason with believers, there would be no believers ---- true common sense helped by science leads to atheist wisdom."
We invite you to make good friends by joining the busy group "ORIGINS: Universe, Astronomy, Life, Earth, Humans, Religion, Gods, Atheism, Evolution, Darwin..." with 500 discussion topics and 3000 members.
© 2020 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
Game Title : "Danko. Treasure map"
Description: Small fairy-tale creatures Runics who love to search for treasures got a treasure map and started their journey for treasure. In the ruins of an old town's labyrinth, Runics got caught in a trap. Only one of them escaped. He came to his friend Danko (who was a well-known rescuer and a treasure hunter), handed him the treasure map and asked him to rescue his friends. Avoiding falling rocks, Danko must collect all diamonds on a level and find a way out. You can also collect various bonuses and save your friends. Also, Danko can find three partucularly precious artifacts (A crown, a bowl and a necklace). The game will be interesting for all fans of arcade puzzles. In three different zones along 90 levels there are different dangers: predators, a snow cannon, fire, water, ice and plenty of falling rocks. But you can overcome all of that using your quick wits and items: a helm (protection from rocks), a rock-breaking hammer, a diving mask. The adventure is waiting for you!
- 90 levels on 3 different zones
- collecting various jewelry
- rescue his friends
- addressing various puzzles
- 4 bonuses, giving additional opportunities Danko
- beautiful graphics and nice music
System requirements:
Operating system: Windows XP / 7 / 8 / 10
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 1,8 GHz
Memory (RAM): 512 MB (XP) / 1 GB (7/8)
Video Card: DirectX 9.0 compatible
Free disk space: 146 MB


text:
It was new to me, when I didn't smile at others, didn't try to encourage, didn't even care who's around and what's happening. I just focused on 2 breaths in-2 breaths out falling simultaneously with the steps and ran, trying to keep good form. I had no goals, no ideas, no plan. I ran. For some time there was a girl in front of me who looked like a professional ultrarunner (if such image exists, but for me today she looked like Michele Yates who just won Bandera 100k). She was dressed like one too - and I was a bit bewildered why am I behind, but to my defense, I worked, and she looked relaxed and gliding. Before we hit 1M mark, she began her pull - and that was the only time I smiled inside. All is well in this world.
I clicked my steps and my breaths like a metronome, at times having glances "back" to my first 5k for some reason. I counted them, breaths and steps, and hardly brought my gaze a bit up when we hit a first turn-around at 1.3M - counted girls and I was 6th. OK, Miss Metronome, keep counting, keep clicking. At 2M 2 ladies passed me, but one struggled to stay ahead, and I slowly reeled her in, and another quickly disappeared. I wasn't breathing incredibly hard, and I wasn't panting with my staple of working at my limit - I was simply working. Another turn-around, head down, last half a mile and a turn onto a cinder track for the last push to finish. 24:24. Yup, I am putting it out here, and I am not ashamed. It is not my fastest even on this course in my "more adult life" (half a minute slower than last year's better of 3 times), but considering I didn't cough or bend over in pain gasping, and that my legs felt great, and that I didn't train since end of September - it was great. Solid. Felt right where it supposed to be...
And here I thought: it doesn't always have to be fun to be good. Sometimes it has to be work to feel like it belongs here, in this time frame of my life.
May be this is where I am right now in general. Just working through some stuff. I've been on vitamins and adrenal and thyroid supplements for 1 full month now, and I'd like to think I am turning a corner with my adrenal fatigue. I don't feel as sluggish - although I am as slow. A few days ago I felt to yell out to the world: "I am ready to train again!" I started dreaming races, seeing what else I can pack...and then I wore Larry's "toy" (he got himself Garmin XT-310 for New year, he wanted it for a long time, and I kept saying why waste a good run on numbers?) - and the reality hit. I am slow, and there is no cover for it. And this "toy" keeps you honest - finally I succumbed and seeked a used same device for myself right that day. Time to do something about it, besides measured intervals and a stop-watch. Time to do easy runs at "easy pace", not at "snail pace". Time to remember that I actually like to train almost as much, as to run free in the mountains, and since Austin is lacking said mountains, I might as well train - otherwise running here gets boring rather fast.
So, how are my January goals going? Not bad at all.
1. The Whole30. I knew from get-go the results will be tremendous for Larry and so-so for me, because he, as he admitts easily, is a true born and raised sugar and flour addict (or was), and I had eaten cooked from scratch foods with an emphasis on veggies and meat since I was a baby (comes with territory, though more often than not "veggies" meant white potatoes). Not to mention I was "near-Paleo" for 2 years now, and had gone through one Whole30 already. With that said, Larry sees exactly the outcomes (already, less than 3 weeks in) program describes: mental acuteness, no slumps, even energy, less hunger (to none) between meals, better sleep (no snoring too), disappearance of joint and back pain...and he tightened his belt on already almost 3 notches. For me, the idea behind mostly is health-concerning (my digestive that is). I do react on many vegetables, as I knew that before, but now that I eliminated dairy and grains, I am certain which one (sadly, my options are limited in the future to only zucchini and sweet potato, because broccoli, all cabbage, bell pepper, eggplant, pumpkin, and every kind of squash gives me problems). I don't see changes in my body (we haven't stepped on a scale or taken measurements yet as we're trying to "play by the rules" of 30 days focus and no distractions). My sleep is sporadic, and my joints don't hurt as is (thanks to Bikram). So, bottom line, we are on it, we like it, we're sticking to it more long term, but the jury for me is out there whether or not I get healed - and the result of "turning on" the fat metabolism during long races will only be tested in February's 50k race at Mt. Cheaha (although come to think about it, may be my 5k fluid sailing was having something to do with it?).
2. That home variation of CrossFit was one thing that, while didn't completely fall off the wagon, surely got seriously adjusted to fit my life. First week was fine, until school and early schedule kicked in, and it got reduced to "something", a.k.a. crunches and some push ups after a run, and on Thursdays, when I run to work (10M commute), it is non-existent at all.
3. University (work) gym is going great. 4 times, 30 minutes, loving the break from the desk and focus on splitting workouts (previously done in 2 days) into 2x upper body and 2x lower body (with 5 min abs at the tail for each). Life is good. Once I even hit a sauna!
4. I am running every day, yes, I am. And I am liking it. A few times (4?) I did 2 miles only, but the act of getting out the door before work and moving is really beneficial - if not for my overtraining, then for my mind:)
5. Water is also a hard one, just as I thought it would be. At work I am forcing those 2 bottles (often with 30 minutes before catching the bus), but at home, on the weekend, it is sporadic at best. But I am trying.
6. I am taking care of my aging face - and along with it of my cracking hands and feet too. Almost like a real adult woman!
7. My knitting is going well, and I would have been done by now, but I decided to re-do the front of a jacket I am making to perfection, so it'll be delayed now. But, I am on it, last project till new yarn comes in (and I got 3 other done), and I am also reading some books too (when have time).
8. That "kids" situation is better for my benefits - I told them where I stand, and it's up to them to act knowing the consequences. I am calm and it's out of my hands what they do - just how I react. I actually fall asleep a little faster now.
9. I ran a 5k - see above, and-
10. The attic is done!
I won't be re-capping these goals again, I have no problems seeing them through, but I will post the numbers for Whole30 when we officially get the scale and measuring tape out. But in a meantime, I am already thinking how can I make my life keeping moving in the right direction. I'll need to add stretching to my evening routine, 5 min I all I need. Try and hit Bikram twice a week regularly, not from time to time. Sleep (!!) at least twice a week for 7 straight hours, and once for 8! This would be so beneficial to my recovery from the funk I got myself into - and so hard! But I got once 8 hrs recently (by turning in at 9 pm no matter what the family was doing) and it felt awesome. And - I want to continue resolving my IBS (digestive symptoms), staying on top of vitamins being absorbed (not simply consumed) and to pick some racing goals later in a year. What the heck, I like challenges!
And I want to make sure I see friends (not for runs) once a week, one or another, to simply catch up on life. Larry's best bud from high school came and visited. Made me miss my friends. Friends are precious. I need to figure some things out and find time.
And last but not least - I stumbled upon a great blog post that made me think quite some. Who knows. I might even synchro-post with those few people without invitation:)


text: Atessa 55CM 1TH BASIN £19.97 (Inc. VAT) More than 50 available ADD TO BASKET FREE DELIVERY Description Technical Drawings Atessa 55CM 1TH BASIN £19.97 (Inc. VAT) FREE DELIVERY More than 50 available Qty Add To Basket Parcel Shipping - Free Delivery to your home, 6 days a week with a next-day option for orders placed before 3:00pm. All our parcel deliveries are FREE 365 Day Returns Returns Policy - Changed Your Mind? If you change your mind about the product when you receive it you can notify us any time within 365 days and return it for a full refund at your own cost. Any refunds will be made within 30 days of receiving your returned item. You are expected to cover the cost to return the item and your initial delivery charge will not be refunded. More details here Offer ends in Add your own review


text:
Are you reading and reading and reading your materials but they just aren't sinking in? Have you read that one chapter so many times you're starting to see it when you sleep? Does it seem like no matter how hard you try you just can't get the information to stick?
So…how's your reading comprehension? Are you an active reader? Or a passive one? The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what you already know. Candidates with a history in exercise science may find the material in the manual challenging but familiar. However, if you are starting fresh and don't know much about your subject, then pouring words of text into your mind is like pouring water into your hand – you don't retain much.
When you are preparing for the ACE Certification Exam, there are two main issues. The first is the sheer volume of necessary reading (yes, Personal Trainer materials, I'm looking at you). The second issue is the ability to not only read it all, but also to comprehend and digest most of it meaningfully.
So how do you improve your reading comprehension? How do you help the information you read stick in your head? Reading comprehension requires participation (beyond looking at the words), motivation, concentration, and good study techniques. Below are a few techniques you might consider…
- Know how the information is structured, especially on a chapter or paragraph level. An earlier post about reading references this as well. Remember that the first sentence of a paragraph or section can provide an overview of what that section is about.
- Pay attention to supporting clues. Was there a reference to a table or chart in that paragraph you just read? Well then, head on over and take a look at that table. Chances are the author is using it to illustrate a point. Also, seeing the information in another form (illustration versus text) can increase comprehension.
- Highlight, review and summarize important ideas. But….don't highlight everything! Doing this makes your book a sea of color and your eyes can't figure out what to focus on. Concentrate on key words and phrases to draw your attention to that area. Remember that with ACE we stress understanding and application of information rather than rote memorization.
- Read aloud to yourself. Although it is faster to form words in your mind rather than on your lips, it can help to 'hear' the information as well as read it. Many people are geared towards auditory learning. Reading aloud uses both your auditory and visual learning styles.
- Interrogate your text. Ask questions such as 'what is the main idea?' 'How does that diagram relate to this text?' 'Why is this section in bold/italics?' 'How does this section relate to the previous one?' This is critical thinking and it can be incredibly helpful in making you stop and consider the text rather than just speeding through and attempting to memorize.
- Tell the information to someone else. This is one of the tried and true methods of determining how well you know the information – can you explain it to someone else? Especially someone who hasn't studied the material?
Preparing for your ACE Certification Exam requires a lot of reading. And that reading requires active participation. Just scanning through the material or reading on auto pilot isn't going to help your comprehension. Become an active reader. Work at increasing your reading comprehension so you can spend less time reading and more time understanding.


text:
What I have on Ket so far:
The Mechanics of Ket (including a pre-history)
1.0 The Dynamics of Ket
1.0.1 What it is:
First and foremost, Ket is not a being. Ket is not a god, nor does Ket have sentience. In fact, the name Ket is a label. Ket is a cosmic force that exists in all places, all possibilities, and all times. Those that are aware of Ket and have a limited understanding of this force have called it Ket. It has no name in and of itself.
The cosmic force of Ket seems to exist for one two-fold purpose: to create and to destroy. It is a force in opposition with itself that by it's nature maintains a balance in the universe. It is constantly renewing and destroying itself. It is constant.
1.0.2 Creation:
In keeping with its nature the cosmic force of creation caused a genesis to occur in the area of the universe that the planet Ket now occupies. All manner of things were born or created and within the parameters of their own type were left to their fate.
1.1 A beginning:
Ket's begininng started with the forming of the planet. The planet itself evolved first in the span of about 630 million years. During that time the various flora and fauna life evolved into what now exists with the dawn of the humans. During the first 250 million years or so there was a sweeping wave of creation/evolution energy that imbued a limited form of intelligence into a small number of trees. These trees have since evolved into the giant oaks that are now present. The giant oaks possess a great undertstanding of Ket and deep knowledge, although their mobility is limited. Yet they were a dying breed from their birth, because their offspring does not receive their intelligence and are normal oak trees.
Sometime around the 330 million year mark the first elf seedling awoke. His name later became Lólindir Eärfalas and he is the "father" of the elven nation, but at this time, he was unamed. He is the first elf by virtue of the fact that when the rest awoke shortly after him he had already gotten up. There were fourteen elves at creation, 7 male, and 7 female. They became know as the Aör. All were fully formed at their prime and they all had "memory" of Ket. Of all the races, the elves are the most in tune with this force and live the most in harmony with it.
The place of elven birth was called Essël by the firstborn. But it was only named thus after much time had passed. The Aör were born with the ability to speak, but with no language. But they had their own thoughts and as they began to think for the very first time they applied names and labels to their surroundings and to what they experienced with their senses. This gave rise to actual speech, each Aör speaking in their own manner according to their thoughts. Obviously then, since the Aör were all speaking in their own tongues there was no communication between them since none could understand the other. Thus the Aör turned to hand gestures to communicate.


text:
Says the Times: "The graphic records two sets of correlations (labelled PC1 and PC2) in the genetic data derived from the various populations." Can I say what that means, exactly? I cannot. But the key takeaway here is that the proximity of any two points on the chart correlate to genetic similarity between individuals. And as you can see from the color-coding, individuals from the same country clearly cluster genetically. There is, though, a fair bit of overlap, except when it comes to the ever-anomalous Finns, who appear to have wandered off the genetic reservation altogether. Indeed, the Finns appear to be suffering the peculiar existential condition of not even being all that genetically similar to themselves. (CEU refers to the general European population, by the way.)
The researchers have drawn some interesting conclusions from their study.
The Australian team says that natural selection has probably helped differentiate the various populations in their survey. Another factor may be that the Irish have inherited more genes from the first settlers of Europe, hunters and gatherers who were followed by people who practiced agriculture, while the Finns may have some ancestors who came from East Asia.It would be interesting to discover that the Irish have evolved to inhabit a uniquely Irish niche in the ecology of Northern Europe, and the Swedes another distinct niche, etc. That would seem to be to me the consequence of what these researchers say, and I find it surprising; I always figured whatever genetic differences existed between populations were just due to genetic drift. But of course, whatever differences we're talking about aren't very large, anyway. It's not like we're talking about different species or anything.
On the other hand, if you cock your head and look at a Finn in just the right light...


text:
Product Details
For the dog dad that truly loves his pet. I Ruv You, Dad!
These stunning pint glasses are laser etched for a gorgeous look and feel. Each glass holds a pint of your favorite beverage. Comes in a set of four.
Dishwasher safe, but to ensure a longer life for the glass, we recommend hand washing.
Product Reviews
Free Shipping
We are proud to offer complimentary shipping on all orders within the continental United States.It is our goal to create the most beautiful products for your dog. Due to the custom nature of many of our products, shipping times vary based on the item ordered.
Custom engraved dog collars usually ship within 2 weeks. Custom engraved or hand-stamped dog tags usually ship within 3-5 business days. Custom etched wine glasses usually ship within 7-10 days. Non-customized products usually ship within 1-2 business days.
We use USPS for shipping on most orders. You will receive a shipping confirmation e-mail when your order is on the way - complete with tracking, so you may know exactly when it will arrive.
Return Policy
At Rita Bean we are dedicated to product quality, order accuracy and customer service. We want your Rita Bean experience to be a great one.
We strive to handle every order with the utmost care and attention to detail. Our goal is to make sure that you receive an outstanding product that you will cherish, and that your order is delivered exactly as you have specified.
If for any reason you receive an item that is different from what you ordered, please Contact Us right away. We will do everything we can to make it right for you.You may return non-personalized items (in new, unused condition only) for a refund, within 30 days of purchase. All returns are subject to a 10% re-stocking fee. Please understand that customized items are truly unique - made just for you and your pet, so we can not accept returns of personalized items.
Rita Bean
277 South Maple Street
Zeeland, Michigan, 49464


text:
Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan were recently announced as co-hosts for the 2013 ACM Awards in Las Vegas, and while the two stars are known for their healthy senses of humor, there might be a bit of a rivalry heating up.
"I'm hoping to use this opportunity, co-hosting with this person, to completely disrupt and derail this person's career," said Shelton, with a characteristically straight face.
For his part, Bryan thinks the Academy of Country Music made the right call in choosing him.
"Someone who will help pick Blake up," muses Bryan. "Keep the show rolling for when it may be slipping away from him. So, good job ACM."
The 2013 ACM Awards air April 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.


text:
A good domain name is easy to remember. The right name is impossible to forget. Be unforgettable.
Your domain name is your identity on the internet
Establish instant trust and credibility with customers
Premium domain names appreciate in value over time
Whois registration date of 2013
Estibot Estimate of Appraised Value $1313 appraisals trusted by banks, the Internal Revenue Service and accountants since 2007
Buy safely and securely with Escrow.com
When buying Apostate.net, your transaction is securely processed by Escrow.com, a licensed escrow company.


text:
Word of the Day, Web Site of the Day, Number to Know, This Day in History, Today's Featured Birthday and Daily Quote.
Word of the Day
Cantankerous kan-TANK-uh-rus (adj.) Difficult or irritating to deal with -- www.merriam-webster.com
Web Site of the Day
All Left Turns
This blog, targeted toward men, covers breaking NASCAR news and provides in-depth analysis, cutting-edge commentary and racing gossip. Anything NASCAR-related is fair game. Fans can share photos, swap tailgating tips and write driver and race profiles.
Number to Know
19: Number amendment that gave women in the United States the right to vote, which was passed on Aug. 26, 1920.
This Day in History
Aug. 26, 1971: The U.S. Congress declares Aug. 26 Women's Equality Day in recognition of the 19th Amendment.
Today's Featured Birthday
Actor Macaulay Culkin (29)
Daily Quote
"I did 14 movies in six years, I had a cartoon TV show, and I don't want to do that again. I just want to make unique pieces of art. That's why I quit everything when I was 14 and sat around for eight years before I did another movie." -- Macaulay Culkin


text:
Assault at Lowe's: Woman allegedly punched, called racial slurs
When Ramona Bratcher went shopping for a peephole at Lowe's last July, she didn't expect she'd end up being verbally abused and punched in the face by a stranger.
Bratcher was shopping with her 17-year-old daughter, Dèjan. They'd found the new ceiling fan and backdoor light they needed, but they were having a hard time finding the peephole section.
A Lowe's employee directed them down an aisle that was partially blocked by a big ladder and a man. Bratcher says she said, "Excuse me," and went past the man. "He didn't look like he wanted to move," says Bratcher.
Unable to find the peepholes, Bratcher, 45, and her daughter had to pass the man two more times, saying "Excuse me" each time, according to Bratcher.
On the third time, says Bratcher, the man, Frank Joseph Bennett, 40, of Ruckersville, stood in front of her and said, "Blow it out your ass, nigger."
"I said, 'Don't call me racial slurs,'" recounts Bratcher. "He said, 'Get your finger out of my face, nigger' twice, and hit me in the face."
Dèjan says Bennett's blow to her mother's left eye sent her glasses flying 20 feet.
Bennett has an unlisted phone number, and The Hook was unable to contact him. In the police incident report, Bennett told police he was looking at merchandise when Bratcher said, "You don't think you have to move," according to county spokesperson Lee Catlin.
In the report, Bennett is quoted as saying, "Get away, nigger," and then claims that Bratcher struck him in the face.
"The officer saw no evidence he'd been struck," says Catlin.
Meanwhile, Bratcher says, she realized her eye was closing and there was blood on her face, shirt, and in a puddle on the floor.
Cynthia Thornton, who was shopping in Lowe's, heard the verbal exchange and called 911, according to Bratcher. Thornton, who did not return The Hook's phone call, told police she saw Bennett strike Bratcher.
Both Ramona and Dèjan Bratcher said Lowe's employees did not intervene until finally, when it appeared Bennett was approaching Ramona Bratcher again, one stepped in. Lowe's public relations did not return The Hook's call.
"Then [Bennett] asked the Lowe's guy if he worked there, as if nothing had happened," says Ramona.
Bennett was initially charged with felonious assault, but the magistrate reduced the charges to misdemeanor assault and battery, which carries up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of $2,500.
What puzzles the Bratchers is why Bennett was not charged under Virginia's hate crime statute. Ramona says assistant commonwealth's attorney Richard DeLoria told her it was because Bennett didn't single her out.
"We reviewed all the facts, and all the elements of that [Virginia Code] subsection pertaining to hate crimes were not met," says DeLoria. Bennett's court date is October 15.
"That really aggravates me why it wasn't a hate crime, as many times as he called her 'nigger,'" says Dèjan Bratcher. "I'm very angry about that."
Both mother and daughter were shaken by the alleged attack. Dèjan says she's more paranoid now. "He didn't look like a monster," she says. "I've never seen a man hit my mother. I couldn't do anything to protect her." Ramona says Dèjan started sleeping with her after the assault.
Ramona Bratcher grew up with domestic abuse. "You can keep domestic abuse out of your house, but how can you protect yourself from a complete stranger in public?" she asks.
Besides the emotional costs, Bratcher suffered out of pocket costs. Her insurance didn't entirely cover the emergency room visit and x-rays she needed, and she had to take a day off work, buy new glasses, and consult an attorney.
As a registered nurse, Bratcher is used to dealing with a wide variety of people. Now, she says, "I feel real vulnerable, and my confidence level is low. "I'm a single mom, and I don't like that."
And she has to ponder, "What do you do when 'Excuse me' doesn't work?"


text:
Some Drug Prices Can Vary By $100 Or More
For consumers who pay for all or most of their prescription drugs out of pocket, a new price study by Consumer Reports finds that it pays to shop around. Not only do prices vary from store to store for the same drug, but the fluctuations can be dramatic -- sometimes more than $100 for the same prescription -- even with the same chain, depending on whether consumers are filling their prescriptions in, say, Omaha, Nebraska, or Billings, Montana.
Consumer Reports placed more than 500 calls to 163 pharmacies nationwide to gauge price differences among four prescription drugs, three name brand medicines and one generic. For a three-month supply of pills for the urinary incontinence drug Detrol, for example, the price ranged from $365 to $551. CR also found significant price disparities for the two other name-brand drugs it studied: for Plavix (which prevents blood clots), the spread was $382-$541, and for Levoxyl (for treating hypothyroidism), prices ran from $29 to $85. And for the generic alendronate (for osteoporosis), the price range was $124 to $306.
In CR's small scale market-basket study, Costco was the cheapest for the four drugs CR sought quotes for, followed by AARP.com and Wal-Mart. Walgreens and Rite-Aid were among the priciest for the four drugs.
Besides calling different stores and comparison shopping, other cost-saving tips include:
-- Don't rule out independents: Though they're not the cheapest overall, many mom-and-pop pharmacies are highly competitive and offer top notch service.
-- Talk to your employer: Benefits administrators can provide details about pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs.
-- Buy generics: They can cost 20 to 50 percent less than their brand name equivalents.
-- See if there's a discount program: Some stores have programs for those 50 and older; other programs are open to anyone without insurance.
The Consumer Reports National Research Center surveyed 40,133 readers to find out about their experiences at drugstores. One striking finding: readers sought pharmacists' advice about prescription drugs at just 38% of walk in visits during the course of a year. That's down from 50% since CR's last survey in 2002. "That's a pretty significant shift in the consumer-pharmacist relationship," said Tod Marks, senior editor at Consumer Reports.
According to recent estimates, in any given week, one-third of adults take five or more medicines or supplements. And the stakes are high: an estimated 18 million people go to an emergency room every year because they've taken medication incorrectly. "Consumers need to be mindful about the potential for drug interactions that could be dangerous since more people take not only multiple prescription drugs, but also supplements and over-the-counter remedies too. Seeking advice from a pharmacist when filling a prescription is a good way to learn about possible adverse reactions and increase the odds that you're taking the medicine properly," said Marks.
The survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center also found that only 33 percent of prescription drug buys were mostly or entirely covered by insurance coverage. In 2002, the last time CR surveyed readers about their drugstore experiences, 65% of prescription drug buys were covered. "More people are digging deeper and paying a larger share of out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions drugs," said Marks.
Nowadays, of course, "drugstore" is a misnomer and a wide-range of stores now exists. CR surveyed its readers to glean the best advice about the multitude of drugstore options, from the mom-and-pop drugstore to the chains on every corner to mass merchants and finally, mail order resources and pharmacy benefit managers. Here are the choices and how they compare:
Independents: Personal service. Since 1998, when CR first surveyed readers about their drugstore experiences, the independents have always ranked above the other types of stores. Readers gave pharmacists at independent stores high marks for being accessible, approachable, easy to talk to (when sought out), and knowledgeable about prescription and nonprescription products. Independents also stock medical supplies that might be missing from other types of stores and will also customize medicines. Waits were uncommon and many independents offer home delivery. On their web sites, it's usually possible to order refills, shop for medical supplies, track purchases, and do research.
Chains: You might have to wait. Americans still buy most of their medications from conventional chains such as CVS and Walgreens. They tend to take lots of insurance plans, some never close, and the bigger ones seem to sit on every corner. At their web sites, consumers can typically create a secure profile, track prescribing history, print records, e-mail questions to the pharmacist, do research, and sign up for automatic refills. Chains are more likely than other stores to allow people to check prices online. On the down side, more than one in four readers complained about long waits.
Supermarkets: Shop while you wait. About 10,000 supermarkets include a pharmacy, and some are open 24 hours a day. Four highly rated supermarket pharmacies, Publix, Hy-Vee, Hannaford, and Wegmans, were on par with the independents for satisfaction. Supermarket-pharmacy Web sites are usually not as comprehensive as chain drugstore sites (one often can't check prices) but consumers can typically renew, fill, or transfer an existing prescription; research drugs and interactions; and read articles about healthful living and preventing illness.
Mass merchants: Seek special deals. Mass-merchants focus on price. For example, Wal-Mart and Target sell a 30-day supply of more than 300 drugs, primarily generics, for $4 each. And Kmart offers a free GoldK card to people 50 or older with savings of up to 10 percent on every brand name drug or as much as 20 percent on generics. Mass-merchant Web sites tend to be similar to supermarket-pharmacy sites.
Online/mail order: Save on refills. Some online stores have no store counterpart; others do. Online orders can usually be picked up at a store of one's choice or orders can be shipped using standard shipping for little or no extra charge, allowing 5-10 days. Online drugstores will usually let consumers order a 90-day supply of medications for chronic conditions, a service that isn't as easy to find in walk-in stores. One note of caution: consumers who are unfamiliar with an online site should be sure it's licensed in their state. Some sites that are licensed and in good standing with state regulators participate in the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program and display a VIPPS seal. CR notes that rogue sites have started to pop up, pretending to be based in Canada but actually operating out of Asia or the Middle East, and the quality of the drugs they're peddling is not guaranteed.
PBMs: A newer way to save. Roughly one-quarter of the 57,000 medicine-buying experiences readers told CR about were with PBMs, or pharmacy benefit managers, including Aetna Prescription, Anthem Rx, CaremarkRx (now called CVS Caremark), Express Scripts, and Medco. These companies, with web sites and phone service but not actual stores, administer prescription plans and cut deals with drugmakers and pharmacies on behalf of large employers, giving them the clout to offer members lower prices. PBM members (consumers don't choose a PBM; their employer does) can buy three-month supplies of medicine for chronic conditions often for the price of one or two co-pays instead of three. Readers were generally quite satisfied with PBMs.


text:
The Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA), Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Korea Customs Service, Korean Intellectual Property Tribunal, etc.
The Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health and Welfare, etc.
The existence of core administrative agencies makes it possible for investing companies to get one-stop services, including various licensing tasks.


text:
View Photo Gallery
Remove ads with our VIP Service
Ratings / Reviews
View movie reviews
Holy Motors
Over the course of a single day, Monsieur Oscar travels by limousine around Paris to a series of nine "appointments," transforming into new characters or incarnations at each stop.
Starring Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue, Elise Lhomeau, Michael Piccoli, Jeanne Disson
Directed by Leos Carax
Running Time - 1:55
Genre - Drama
Opened in Theaters - Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 (7 years ago)
This movie is not currently playing in theaters.
Home VideoThis movie may be available now on home video.
Related News Articles and Web Sites
Looking for More Information?
Search Google for more information about this movie:
New Movies - Box Office - Favorite Movies - All Movies
Coming Soon - Search
Home - About Us - Ad Info - Feedback
Journal/Blog - The Marquee - Movie Links - News and Events - Now Showing - Reader Reviews
Customize - VIP Service
Journal/Blog - The Marquee - Movie Links - News and Events - Now Showing - Reader Reviews
Customize - VIP Service
|The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a service of SVJ Designs LLC. All graphics, layout, and structure of this service (unless otherwise specified) are Copyright © 1995-2020, SVJ Designs. The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a trademark of SVJ Designs. All rights reserved.
'ACADEMY AWARDS®' and 'OSCAR®' are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.


text:
Conduct a Market Analysis
Whether you are starting a new business or launching a new product, conducting a marketing analysis is the first step in determining if there is a need or audience for your idea. Knowing the market's needs and how it is currently serviced provides you with key information that is essential in developing your product/service and marketing plan. Too often, businesses spend thousands of dollars launching a "new" idea with a limited market because of competition. The owner is forced to reevaluate his strategy and determine if there is room for another player.
Although the quality of the product is critical, your development of the best product on the market will not necessarily correlate with the most sales. Up to 50 percent of a product's price can be for marketing. The company who wins the marketing game generally will capture the larger share of the market. For related information, see Identify Your Target Market.
Conducting a market analysis will help you:
At the completion of this exercise, you should be able to:
I. Marketing Analysis - What Is It? Why Should You Do It?
Although the terms "marketing" and "marketing analysis" can both be described as games of information, they are not to be confused. Marketing encompasses all of the activities that go into promoting a product or service. A marketing analysis is the actual assessment of the target population, competition and needs for marketing that product or service.
The marketing analysis process can be broken down into six steps:
So, why should you embark on the market analysis process? The primary reasons are:
Before embarking on the complete process, complete the following Market Analysis Questionnaire.
Market Analysis Questionnaire
To begin the market analysis process, answer the following questions. If you cannot answer every question, focus on finding the answers even if it means consulting others. This article can be downloaded or printed to enable you to complete the questionnaire.
These questions will enhance your understanding and knowledge of your target market and industry, and ultimately determine: Is there a need for my product or service?
Back to Outline
II. The Complete Process:
Defining the problem is crucial to conducting a successful marketing analysis. This may require a great deal of time but it is well worth the time and energy expended. Defining the objectives is tantamount to a successful marketing campaign. Many individuals waste valuable time performing good research on the wrong problem.
The following questions will assist you in defining the problem:
Many companies fail to understand the nature of the problem before trying to solve problems related to sales. A classic example occurred in the soft drink industry when Coke and Pepsi, the two top soft drink rivals increased the intensity of marketing efforts to battle for higher sales. At the same time, Dr Pepper's revenues began to decline, a problem that was attributed to a weak promotional campaign. Subsequently, the "Be a Pepper" slogan was instituted. Although the ads were a hit, revenues continued to decrease. The marketing managers had to reanalyze their problem.
Focused research revealed that the target population for Dr Pepper differed from Coke and Pepsi. It was found that Dr Pepper's target market believe life should be lived in accordance with one's own set of personal values and not based on the expectations of others. Cola drinkers, on the other hand, try to win the approval of others. Despite the catchy slogan, Dr Pepper's marketers turned away prospects with a campaign that invited them to be part of a large group of "Peppers."
The soft drink industry clearly exemplifies the importance of defining the problem. It is important not to confuse the symptom with the problem. If a company is having trouble selling a certain product, it doesn't mean that there isn't a need. The problem may be distribution and/or pricing. Mistaking symptoms for problems will lead to misguided research and serious mistakes.
An analysis of the situation is an informal survey of what information is available in the problem area. The analysis will help define the problem and ascertain the need for additional information. This process entails informal talks with informed people. Informed individuals can be others in the company or outsiders with knowledge about the industry or product. In some instances, customers are contacted to provide information.
When the marketing manager is unfamiliar with the situation, the analysis step is of primary importance. It is important to understand the problem area - including the nature of the target market, competition, the marketing mix and the external environment. Without this knowledge, costly mistakes may result. An example of this problem would be a retailer who wants to survey his customers. A research firm is hired to do in-store interviews. However, as an example, the contracted firm is not aware that many of the stores are in the process of being renovated. As a result, the information collected reveals the customer's focus on the appearance, noise level and difficulty finding items due to construction. The information would be of no value.
The analysis should focus on both primary and secondary research.
Primary And Secondary Market Research:
If you don't have all the answers to the questions listed in the Problem Definition section, you can find the answers by either conducting primary research or accessing secondary research.
Primary research is research that is proactively created for a specific purpose. Primary research may include focus groups, qualitative surveys and phone interviews. This is information you collect yourself.
In contrast, secondary research is research that has already been conducted for other purposes. From it valuable information can be gleaned. Secondary research can be found in libraries, online, through periodicals, books, etc. The easiest and most efficient way of accessing this type of data is on the Internet.
Library information can also be found on the Internet. Access your favorite search engine and type in the following:
|For businesses
|Type in the trade association name followed by either .com or .org
|For universities
|Type in the name of the institution followed by .edu
|For government
|Type in the name of the department followed by .gov
If you want to conduct a detailed industry search, access altavista.com and type in "industry research reports" and you'll receive a variety of sites. The more specific you are, the more defined your search will be.
The Internet is an excellent tool to conduct a competitive analysis. Simply type in the company name followed by .com. If this doesn't work, try accessing the online yellow pages and type in your competitor's company name. If they have a Web site, you'll have an insider's view of their services and various other reports.
Demographic and competitive reports can be attained for a fee at Dun and Bradstreet's Web site, dnb.com.
Industry newsletters can be emailed to you when new data is reported. By searching your industry on the Internet, you will uncover lots of potentially valuable marketing analysis information.
Other widely used standard research sources include:
Once you feel comfortable entering a market, make sure your market will be receptive to your product or service. Your widget might be the most innovative on the market, but if your target market doesn't think so, you may be in for a costly year.
A comprehensive primary market research study is ideal. For it to be comprehensive, the research should include information from field and laboratory studies to professionally run focus groups. If you are unable to perform a comprehensive study, conduct a focus group to achieve a comfort level.
C. Obtaining Data Specific To The Problem
The next step requires gathering primary research and performing a formal research project. Many approaches can be used to collect primary data. The purpose is for the research to identify what customers think about some topic or behavior patterns. Research can be done in person or through a survey. Questioning can be qualitative or quantitative. Another research option is to use observation of customers and their purchases or utilization of a product or service.
Qualitative research utilizes open-ended questions to obtain in-depth answers. Closed-ended questions requiring yes or no answers are avoided. The idea is to have people share their thoughts on a topic without giving them extensive directions or guidelines. Examples of qualitative research questions include:
"What do you think about when you decide on a place to shop for your kids' clothes?"
The consumers are free to answer as they chose: one might talk about convenient location, another about service, and others about the type of designer clothing available. Depth is the important factor in this type of research. Follow-up questions can be asked of each individual to better understand their response and shopping habits. The qualitative approach requires the researcher to exercise judgment in summarizing all the information. Depth is the key.
Qualitative research doesn't have to be question-oriented. Focus group interviews are the most widely used format for qualitative marketing research. This involves the interviewing of six to 10 people in an informal setting. Open-ended questions are posed to gather in-depth information on the subject matter. In a group setting the researcher looks for group interaction to stimulate thinking.
A skilled focus group leader or facilitator can learn a lot from this approach. The facilitator's role is to establish guidelines for the group interaction, to talk as little as possible, to keep the group focused, and to ask simple open-ended questions. A typical focus group session lasts an hour. The sessions can be videotaped for different managers to view. Conclusions reached vary depending on the skill level of the individual. Although qualitative research can be objective, it requires extensive training and experience. Qualitative research may provide ideas or hypotheses, but other approaches based on larger sample size and objective measures are needed to test the hypothesis.
Researchers often use qualitative research to prepare for quantitative research.
Quantitative research differs from qualitative in that it gathers parametric statistical information, i.e., information with a number to it. Sample sizes are generally larger and more representative of the market. From the statistics or data generated, conclusions can be drawn. Survey research is usually quantitative in nature. It seeks structured responses, which can be summarized in numbers, like percentages, averages or other usable statistics. An example of quantitative research is what percentage of the consumers shopping in grocery stores purchase coffee. An average score can be calculated.
Survey questionnaires often provide fixed responses to questions to simplify the reply. This multiple choice format makes it faster and easier for the respondent. Simple fill-in-the-number, circle-the-range or exact answer questions are also widely used. A market researcher might ask how many suppliers you use for household appliances or what is your salary range (multiple choices given with ranges of salaries). Fixed responses are computer-friendly, which is how most surveys are analyzed.
A common approach to objectively measuring consumers' attitudes and opinions is to have respondents indicate how much they agree or disagree with a questionnaire statement. Another approach is to have respondents rate a product using a rating scale, called a Likert scale. A number is attached to the product value, for example:
A researcher interested in what a target consumer population thinks about a particular frozen dinner might use the following example:
Decisions about what specific question to ask and how to ask them usually depends on how the respondents will be contacted: by mail, in person or by phone.
A mail questionnaire is useful when extensive questioning is desired. This type of format allows the respondents to complete the questions at their convenience. They may be more willing to fill out personal or family sensitive issues since the mail questionnaire can be returned anonymously. The questions must be simple and the directions easy to follow, since no interviewer will be present to assist.
The response rate to consumer survey questionnaires is usually 25 percent. Response rates less than 25 percent may not be representative of the market. Only the individual interested might respond, skewing the data. Mail surveys are economical if a large number of people respond. On the other hand, if the response rate is low, this can be a very expensive proposition. This format is slow and requires extensive time to design, disseminate, collect and analyze responses.
Telephone surveys are growing in number, and they can be fast and effective. In this format market researchers can ascertain answers to simple questions quickly. Telephone interviews allow the interviewer to probe and learn what the respondent is thinking. If the market researcher is attempting to gather personal or family sensitive information, this is a poor tool.
Numerous firms exist for telemarketing surveys. One thousand respondents may be reached in a single evening when 50 interviewers are placing telephone survey calls. With immediate data entry into computers, results can be attained instantaneously. This format has gained popularity due to the speed and high response rates.
Personal interview surveys can be effective for maintaining a respondent's attention. In this format the interviewer is present in order to explain difficult directions hopefully leading to better responses. This type of interview is common in the retail and industrial setting. To reduce the cost of locating consumers, interviews are sometimes performed on-site. A random selection of consumers is questioned. Having a well-trained interviewer helps to decrease the chance of biasing the response.
There are a number of negatives to the personal interview survey. It is more expensive than a mailing or phone call, and at times the respondents won't objectively answer all questions, especially ones dealing with sensitive family issues.
Observation can be used for data collection. With observation, researchers try to learn what the subject does naturally. Observations should not influence the consumer's behavior. Observation methods are common in advertising research.
D. Data Analysis and Interpretation
Data analysis and interpretation is critical in analyzing the market. What does this information mean? Can one use the data in a constructive way to define the problem and then establish a plan? In quantitative research, this step most often involves statistics. In the marketplace one can find many statistical packages (computer-based) to analyze the data.
It is impossible to collect data on every person in a select population; therefore samples are necessary. A sample population is a part of the relevant population. How well the sample reflects the relevant population dictates its validity. Results from a sample that is not representative will negatively impact your marketing.
Example of Poor Sampling: A store manager has his staff conduct phone surveys during the hours that the store is open. The survey is conducted between 11:00 am and 2:00 p.m. This survey does not represent the general population, as it doesn't include people who work during those hours. The sample will only assess individuals who don't work or just happen to be home then. The quality of the research data is another consideration. The data must be valid - in other words, you must be measuring what you want to measure. A poorly worded question can be ambiguous, leading to incorrect information.
In addition to sampling and validity issues, marketing managers must make sure the data supports the conclusions drawn. This is the interpretation step. Despite use of the correct statistical tool and accurate calculations, the interpretation could be wrong. Example of Data Misinterpretation: In a survey, parents were asked to rank five infant car seats for ease of use. They were to rank the seats in order from "most preferred" to "least preferred." One car seat was ranked first by slightly more respondents than any other car seat. The researchers reported that it was the most liked car seat by parents with infants. They failed to report that 70 percent of the respondents preferred that particular car seat least. So, the first-ranked car seat was most preferred by only 30 percent of the parents.
E. Fostering Ideas And Problem Solving
In this step, the research results are used to make marketing decisions. The findings should be applied in marketing planning. If the research doesn't provide the information necessary to make these decisions, the company, whether small or large, has wasted its time, money and manpower on unnecessary data. The final step must be anticipated throughout the entire process.
This six-step process of market analysis is critical in designing a marketing plan that is tailored to your specific product or service. The process can be extremely helpful in disclosing a significant but previously unrecognized problem. By finding and focusing on the real problem, the researcher and business owner can move quickly to a useful solution.
A marketing plan shows the specifics of how you will market or attempt to sell your product or service. To reiterate the purpose of this discussion, the marketing plan is to provide you with guidance in analyzing your market. Various resources and software packages are available to enhance your marketing efforts. Software packages are numerous and include:
Start-Up, Adams Street Water
Business Plan Pro, Palo Alto Software
Small Business Advantage, Encore Software
Jay Conrad Levinson's Guerilla Marketing, Houghton Mifflin Interactive
If you have an established business with products or services you are currently selling, you must first reflect and assess where you are, whether you currently do marketing, and how effective that has been. Utilize the following Interactive Marketing Worksheet as the final step before designing and implementing your marketing plan.
Interactive Marketing Worksheet
What are we trying to market?
Product: ________________________________
How effective has our marketing effort been to date?
Why are we interested in developing a market plan at this time?
Check all that apply:
Expansion of area we hope to sell to
New product or service offered
To increase sales
Company restructuring, bad public relations in the past
Who is responsible for the development of a market plan?
Contracted service
New position, will recruit and hire
What dollar amount is allocated to marketing?
Are you willing to increase that amount? YES NO
What is our specific goal of marketing? This must be objective so it is measurable, i.e.:
To increase sales to current clientele by 5 percent within nine months and to maintain that level or further increase.
To develop five new customers per month
Goal: __________________________________________________
On a final note, do not jump into marketing before analyzing your market. The soft drink example clearly demonstrates a costly mistake.
IX. Resources
W.D. Bygrave, "The Portable MBA in Entrepreneurship" (John Wiley & Sons, 1994)
E.J. McCarthy, W.D. Perreault, "Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach" (Irwin, 1990)
Copyright © 2004 Virtual Advisor Inc.
网易公司版权所有 ©1997-2018


text:
Browsing Creative Encounters (ICM/IKL) by Author "Christensen, Bo T."
Now showing items 1-6 of 6
Christensen, Bo T.; Kristensen, Tore; Reber, Rolf (, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The literature in consumer psychology has tended to lack a clear separation between theoretical models of creativity and beauty evaluations of products. The present study examined whether creativity and beauty affected willingness to pay jointly or separately. In three experiments using paintings, wrist watches and designer lamps as stimuli, the present study shows how creativity and beauty both positively influence consumer willingness-to-pay for the product, but each explains different parts of the variance. Further, product complexity differentially affects consumer judgments of creativity and beauty. The results show that it is essential to develop separate models of creativity and beauty evaluations in consumer psychology, in that they seem to be distinct factors, explaining different parts of the variance in their consequences on willingness to pay, and are affected differentially by antecedent factors, such as complexity. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7940
Files in this item: 1
A Case of Restaurant RankingsChristensen, Bo T.; Strandgaard Pedersen, Jesper (Frederiksberg, 2011)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: This paper is concerned with evaluative practices within the culinary field. The focus is on the evaluative practices performed by two restaurant ranking systems, respectively the Michelin Red Guide system handled by the French tire manufacturer Michelin and the San Pellegrino 'World's 50 Best Restaurant' list organized by the English based Restaurant Magazine. Both ranking systems evaluate and rate restaurants (judging their food, service, physical setting and so forth) but in different ways through different practices and means, and with somewhat different results. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8393
Files in this item: 1Christensen_Strandgaard-Pedersen_#66.pdf (208.4Kb)
Onarheim, Balder; Christensen, Bo T. (Frederiksberg, 2011)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The paper investigates the question of screening ideas in the 'fuzzy front end' of engineering design, examining the validity of employee voting schemes and related biases. After an employee-driven innovation project at {Company Name removed for review}, 99 ideas were to be screened for further development. Based on the concept of 'wisdom of the crowds', all ideas were individually rated by a broad selection of employees, and their choices of ideas and idea categories compared to those of a small team of senior marketers. The study also tested for two biases: visual complexity and endowment effect/ownership of ideas. The study shows that the crowd wisdom of employees significantly correlates with the preferences of the marketing team: overall, in top 12 selected ideas and in choice of idea categories. This match increases when including only the ratings of the most experienced employees. The experienced employees also proved to be less affected by visual complexity in the ideas presented. The endowment effect was potent in that every employee proved to be more likely to select their own ideas over others, but this effect disappeared when aggregating across the crowd of employees. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8255
Files in this item: 1
Images of Users and Products Shown During New Product Design Increase Users' Willingness-To-Use the InnovationChristensen, Bo T. (, 2009)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Two studies tested whether introducing images to designers during the design process lead to more useful design solutions as evaluated by the end-users willingness-to-use the final design. It was hypothesized based on theories in cognitive science and design that there were at least two paths from images to usefulness. One path concerns analogically transferring within-domain properties to the design solution. The other path concerns mentally simulating end-user characteristics and preferences and inclusion of the user in the resulting design. Study 1 supported that random images led to increased outcome usefulness, and supported both hypothesized paths, by using withindomain products and end-user images as input. Study 2 showed that the image categories competed for attention, and that the within-domain product stimuli attracted the most attention and was considered the most inspirational to the designers. The practical use of the technique may lead to only marginally original products perhaps limiting its applicability to incremental innovation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7941
Files in this item: 1
Christensen, Bo T. (, 2008)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The in vivo research methodology holds promise to improve some of the limitations of typical design cognition methodologies. Whereas typical design cognition methodology use protocol a nalysis (utilizing special 'think-aloud' instructions and/or artificial settings) or retrospective analyses, in vivo research attempts to study design thinking and reasoning 'live' or 'online' as it takes place in the real world. No special instructions are used since the method relies on natural dialogue taking place between designers. By recording verbalizations at product development meetings (or other suitable objects of study), transcribing, and coding the data, it is possible to test hypotheses about design cognition in the real-world. This promises to improve the ecological validity over typical design cognition studies. Problems with the methodology include labor-intensiveness leading to small samples (possible sampling errors). To deal with this problem, it is recommended to supplement in vivo research with traditional larger sample laboratory studies. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7776
Files in this item: 1Creative Encounters Working Papers 9.pdf (215.3Kb)
An Integrative ReviewChristensen, Bo T.; Jønsson, Thomas (Frederiksberg, 2011)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: It seems to be an established fact in the organizational psychological literature that participation in decision making leads to creativity and innovation in work groups and organizations. A quite extensive amount of research has claimed that the link exists, although only a somewhat smaller amount of research has established that there is a link between the two constructs of participation in decision making and creativity. But although this link has been clearly documented theories with clearly stated causal explanations of why participation in decision making (pdm) would lead to creativity and innovation are extremely rare. The literature has pointed to a large number of mediating variables and possible effects of pdm that could possibly explain the link to creativity, but explicit causal theories and experimental evidence of the validity of such theories remain relatively few. Suggested mediating factors include such different models as enhanced intrinsic motivation (Amabile, 2001; Conti & Amabile, 1999), reduction in resistance to change (De Dreu & West, 2001), pooling of unshared knowledge (Latham, Winters, & Locke, 1994) and better utilization of individual differences in cognitive style (Kirton, 1989), and improved work environment for creativity (e.g., Isaksen, Lauer, Ekvall, & Britz, 2001). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/8256
Files in this item: 1
Now showing items 1-6 of 6