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More OSBC Coverage

So far the OSBC has been interesting. It’s definitely much different than most shows I’ve attended. A much more business focus, with the number of people literally wearing suits at > 40%. For a while, I thought I was probably one of the only “community” type people here. So what were the odds when Jonathan Corbet, LWN executive editor, sat at the same table as me during lunch :)

A few takeaways from the sessions I attended:

Downloads to Dollars: Building a Revenue Stream from Free Product Traction

* People in proprietary companies are very surprised at how much less revenue per commissioned sales rep Open Source companies need. Since leads are pre-qualified in a much better manner (…at near zero cost) and people can actually get your software into production without you, when they do call it’s much easier to convert them to a paid customer. “Cold calls are a thing of the past”
* As Open Source crosses the chasm in a particular industry, being “Open Source” can be less of an advantage in that industry. At that point, being Open Source isn’t enough. You need to compete on features, scalability, ROI and all the other traditional competition points.
* Downloads is not the best statistic for commercial Open Source, but what the “right” statistic is realistically varies widely.
* Finding out how much information to gather and how to segment is absolutely critical, but also very dynamic.

Open Source in the Channel
* Your industry and role (VAR, ISV, vendor,partner, etc.) has a huge impact on your perspective on Open Source.
* Open Source puts much more importance on creating value for your clients. Building relationships becomes critical as up front revenue is not the same as in other models. The subscription model comes into play here.
* The only people that seem to care about patents are lawyers and the press. It’s not something business units seem to care about and none of the Open Source vendors on the panel had lost a major deal because of it. They did indicate that the main driver here was proprietary companies, whose business they were potentially taking, spreading FUD.
* Microsoft is really in a defensive mode. At one point in the panel, Sam Ramji (Microsoft Director of Platform Strategy) interjected from the crowd. While I thought he took the moderators comment out of context, I guess it’s possible that if you weren’t familiar with the facts you may have been confused (she was referring to SCO and not Microsoft), so clarification may well have been called for. The tone, wording and way it was done is what was interesting to me.

More to come later…

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jessm78 (jessm78) wrote,

  • Mood:

Puppy!Sam Picspam #50 (Supernatural)

Wow, I can't believe this is #50 already... anyway, Happy Hump Day everyone :)

Episode #3x06: Red Sky at Morning

Despite the fact that poor Sam didn't have much to do (or much of anything *interesting* to do) in this episode, I still managed to get more than 70 pics.  So no, definitely not dial-up friendly. As before please take if you see anything you like. And there is also some Dean for your viewing pleasure. *g*

1. Hi, Puppy.  Oh, you've got that "yeah I'm trying so hard to look confused, but I'm really not and I've got something to hide" face ...

2. Oh yeah, he really is trying hard to appear clueless

3. Heh... not working is it? Dean suspects something

4. He hopes Dean will forget about it. One flash of the PuppyEyes(TM) should do the trick

5. Facial Shrug alert!

6. *tsk* looks like the PuppyEyes(TM) didn't work.  It's Busted!Puppy

7. Sorry, Puppy... you're gonna have to share now

8. Aw, Sad!Puppy

9. Turns into TickedOff!Puppy

10. Detective!Puppy offers his condolences with the PuppyEyes(TM)

11. "*Mizz* Case..."  Heh... Awkward!Puppy

12. More sympathetic PuppyEyes(TM)

13. Surprised!Puppy

14. Curious!Puppy

15. Hm... Mizz Case seems to have taken a liking to Puppy...

16. And that makes him uncomfortable...

17. ... Reeeeeeeally uncomfortable...

18. "Dean! Help!!!" scream the PuppyEyes(TM)

19. Puppy wants to go walkies... and appreciates the scenery

20. Aw... DelightfullyAmused!Puppy

21. Puppy is on the scent, hunting for Dean's baby ... but sadly he comes up empty

22. Puppy gives Dean a much-needed helping hand

23. What a good, loyal Puppy!

24. Oh... they find the culprit. And Puppy gives her the Bitchface

25. Sarcastic PuppySmirk for the MeanieThief

26. Bitchface Round 2!

27. "You SHOT me!" Aw, Puppy... heh

28. Bitchface with added smirk!

29. Concerned!Puppy ... hey, he's wearing the Something Wicked/Bloodlust suit again! :D

30. Puppy disapproves

31. Hm, what's got Puppy so amused?    .... hey, PuppyHoodie is back!  *squees*

32. Here he uses the PuppyEyes(TM) to make Peter understand he is in danger

33. With the touch of a hand, Puppy tries to heal the poor man ... with those healing PuppyPowers of his...

34. Alas, he is too late

35. And now he is sad.  Awww.... *pets Puppy*

36. Hm, Puppy is curious again.   Oh look, he's wearing the Madison!Shirt from Heart!

37. Oh, MeanieThief is back.  Puppy brings out the Bitchface again

38. Puppy is just shocked... MeanieThief wants to HELP them???

39. Aw, Puppy looks so prim and proper ... but nervous. And with good reason ;)

40. Nope, Escort!Puppy aint too happy with these arrangements

41. And he lets Dean know with the Bitchface

42. And the PuppyEyes(TM)... and the ForeheadCrinkles

43. Ooooh... you can just tell that Puppy is gonna get Dean for this... probably will embed porcupine quills in the Impala's driver seat...

44. Puppy gets no kick from champagne ... but considering the circumstances this evening...

45. ... why not?

46. Drink to forget, eh, Puppy?

47. Oh, yes... MOST definitely.

48. Poor, uncomfortable Puppy...he really needs to be saved. Anyone wanna help me?

49. Whoa!! Gert's got spirit in her, doesn't she!

50. Puppy is busy wondering how soon he can file a sexual harassment case

51. And now he is wondering if he could possibly get more repulsed

52. "Eeeewwwwwww, Old Lady Breath!"

53. He tries to tell her in the nicest possible way to back off.... til she gives him an interesting, case-related tidbit

54. Puppy's bowtie is chafing him

55. Puppy really hopes the sexual harassment he received wasn't for nothing

56. He emphasizes this point with the PuppyEyes(TM)

57. Puppy really wants the pretty, antique glass bottle ... I mean, Nooooooo! Duped again!

58. Slack-Jawed!Puppy

59. MeanieThief returneth.... time for the Puppy Glare of Death!

60. Smug!Puppy

61. Seance!Puppy can't help noticing those ominous storm clouds...

62. Aw, he uses the PuppyHoodie for protection from the rain!

63. Brave!Puppy continues the summoning ritual in the torrential rain... look at that PuppyHair getting damp

64. Aw, the PuppyMop is getting soaked!

65. Poor Puppy is going to turn into a drowned rat if he doesn't be careful

66. Hm...looks like Puppy has forgotten about the rain for a moment and stares in awe at the dithering spirits

67. Puppy really hates baths...and being out in the rain is like one big bath.  *hands Puppy towel and blowdryer*

68. Whoa, Puppy's never seen this much money before! He contemplates the number of Puppy Treats he could buy with it

69. PuppyDimple! And look, he's wearing the sweater from Heart too :D

70. Hm, Puppy really seems down... anyone wanna help me cheer him up?

72. Puppy has just had it with Dean's glib attitude

73. Puppy is stumped... he really can't figure Dean out

74. Poor incredulous Puppy .... *pets him*

That's it for today.  On Friday we'll see Puppy the Vampire Slayer in #3x07: Fresh Blood.  Have a good day everyone. :)
Tags: picspam, supernatural: sam winchester
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Reading at the Dakota County Heritage Library, March 3rd

I’ll be at the Dakota County Heritage Library this Saturday, from 1-2pm, reading WORM LOVES WORM and talking about how pictures books are made.

So if you’re in the neighborhood, stop in, say “Hi!” and check out my “new-ish” pants.

Reading at Galleria Barnes & Noble. Feb.10th

This Saturday, at 10 am, I’ll be reading WORM LOVES WORM at Barnes & Noble in Edina

Stop by, hear me read,Worm Loves Worm and then we can grab a hamburger (served with habit-forming “crispy potatoes”) that the StarTribune calls an “unexpected delight” and rates one of the best burgers of the year.

September Pants and Representing

These “Power Paisleys” are from Loud Mouth Golf. I thought them fitting for this month pants since:

A) Paisley Park is here in Minnesota.

B) I just found out that WORM LOVES WORM is representing Minnesota at the 2017 National Book Festival.

How this happened is beyond me, but I’m very happy and honored to be repping the North Star State. If we hadn’t moved here I would have never discovered Hamline’s MFAC program and WORM would never have been written.

You betcha’!

So, if you know who it was that made WORM the rep of the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, please let me know so I can thank them properly by buying them some lutefisk taking them to a hockey game baking them a hot dish sending them a nice note.

“BRUH! Back off! this ain’t your bissniss!”

This appeared on Twitter, from Carrie Gelson, an elementary teacher, blogger, and my new personal hero.

This is one of the best reviews I have ever read and why I love writing for kids.

April Pants of the Month and where I win an award

The pants are from Bonobos and the award I won is from the Friends of St. Paul Public Library.

The photo on the left shows me accepting the Minnesota Book Award for Children’s Literature and saying that my winning was crazier than my pants. Honestly, I didn’t think WORM LOVES WORM was going to win at the April 8th awards ceremony.

The other photo is me with the other nominees, who are all amazingly talented authors/illustrators: Lauren StringerDavid LaRochell, and Mike Wohnoutka. (The other nominee, Alison McGhee, couldn’t attend.)

Not only are they enormously talented authors/illustrators but they’re also wonderful people who have welcomed me into Minnesota’s amazing KidLit community.

And, yes, I know, it’s been more like “pants of the every now and then, when J.J. remembers to update” rather than “pants of the month.” I promise to be better about updating the blog. If, at the beginning of next month, there are no new pants, then please send me a reminder. Or two.

Talking with Lu & Bean about worms, love, and silly voices

Last week at the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Lu & Bean, and their mom, Tracy, for their fantastic kids story podcast!

It was so much FUN! Not only did I get to read WORM LOVES WORM out loud, in all my goofy voices, but we also got o talk about Star Wars, my next book, and, naturally, awesome pants.

So if you want to hear all the voices that live in my head go over and give it a listen right here.

JJ Austrian Love is Love

Worm Loves Worm Coming on 01/05/2016!

Worm Loves WormWHEN A WORM meets a special worm and they fall in love, you know what happens next. They get married! But their friends want to know—who will wear the dress? And who will wear the tux? The answer is: it doesn’t matter. Because Worm loves Worm.

This irresistible picture book is a celebration of love in all its splendid forms.

Join in the celebration January 5, 2016!

WORM LOVES WORM – Storytime and Launch Party!

Event date: Sunday, January 17, 2016 – 1:00pm
Red Balloon Bookshopbee2

You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of a worm . . . and a worm.

Join debut local author J.J. Austrian and Red Balloon bookshop for a special Worm Loves Worm storytime and launch party. We’ll have wormy wedding treats, book signing, and fun. The party starts at 1:00!


text:
All you need to know about hiring a media career coach

Everything you might need to know about what it’s like to work with a specialist media career coach

media career coaching information

Thinking of hiring a media career coach? Here’s how it works, what it costs and how to book

This page is for anyone who’s thinking of hiring media career coach Joanne Mallon. It explains what usually happens during a media coaching session, what you might expect to achieve from the process and what the costs are likely to be.

What is media career coaching and how can it help me?

Coaching focuses on your future, so it’s different from counselling or therapy which examine your past.

Some of Joanne’s previous clients have enjoyed successes including:

  • Changing to a new career entirely – either getting started in media or moving out of it. (Most recently, lots of clients have been keen to leave the TV industry)
  • Restarting your career after a break
  • Raising confidence and self esteem
  • Negotiating better rates of pay
  • Getting better at pitching ideas
  • Getting a book deal
  • Stopping procrastination and becoming better at time management
  • Being featured on TV and in the press
  • Making better use of social media

What will happen when I’m being coached?

Most clients have two telephone or Skype coaching sessions per month. During your coaching session you’ll be asked questions which are designed to stretch you and help you think about your life in new ways. There’ll be homework between sessions, and you’ll end up doing much more than you ever would on your own.

Many people find they can open up more in a telephone coaching session than they would face to face. It also cuts down on wasted time because you don’t have to travel to a meeting and sessions can be totally at your convenience.

What kind of people do you coach?

Joanne says: “I specialise in coaching people who work in the media and creative industries. Having worked in the media for many years as a journalist and TV producer, I have a particular understanding of the challenges people in the media face. Former clients include freelance and staff journalists, PR professionals, digital media pros, BBC staff, TV presenters, broadcasters and writers.

“Generally, my clients are people who have had a successful career so far, but feel that there is something missing in their lives. On the surface they may seem to have it all, but in their hearts they know that there are things about their life they want to change. They are ready to move to the next level in their life and career.”

How much does career coaching cost?

Fees for coaching are an investment in yourself and your future. They are generally less than you’d pay for a dress you may never wear or a night out you might not enjoy. Even if you only have a few coaching sessions, you will appreciate their value for years to come.

Coaching sessions take place via phone or Skype or in person (in central Brighton).

All sessions include a personalised initial assessment and goal setting plan, unlimited support via email between sessions and help with your CV and LinkedIn profile.

  • Single coaching session (45 to 60 minutes) – £135 – most useful if you have a specific issue to focus on, such as an upcoming job interview
  • Three sessions – £295 – this is the most popular option; coaching sessions are usually spread over 6-8 weeks
  • Five sessions – £495 – for a bigger career overhaul; these sessions can be spread over 3-6 months

Joanne is also currently offering half hour laser coaching sessions on a pay-whatever-you-want basis. Find out more here.

There is no further commitment – some people go on to have more coaching sessions, whereas others find that one is enough. There is no time limit on how quickly you need to take your coaching sessions and they never expire.

If you’re ready to book in for coaching now, you can do so at the appointments page here.

Alternatively, you can email to ask any further questions you may have, or to arrange your coaching sessions.

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Woodland Hills Business Law Blog

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Tenant-in-Common Investments

The Risks of Tenant-in-Common Investments

Historically, tenant in common (TIC) projects were owned by a relatively small group of investors who knew each other, such as long-time friends, business partners or family members. Strategies to maximize tax savings and preserve equity typically guided investors to this type of structure, rather than creating a limited liability company or partnership to own the property.

In the late 1990s, real estate sales in the form of tax-deferred 1031 exchanges created a new industry. Promoters began soliciting and pooling funds from investors to purchase real estate. Participation in the pool helped investors find replacement property to guarantee their capital gains tax deferment continued.

In 2002, the IRS clarified when this type of pooling is considered a partnership interest as opposed to a TIC interest, a critical distinction for investors using funds from a 1031 exchange transaction. Following that, investments in TIC interests grew considerably due to the numerous advantages. For those who needed a place to invest their 1031 exchange funds quickly, TIC interests provide a relatively simple way to ensure the funds are spent within 180 days of the sale of the previous property, without the hassle of researching, investigating, negotiating and financing a property in less than six months. TIC investors do not have to burden themselves with the day-to-day management of their investment property. Finally, TIC investors can pool their resources to purchase fractional shares of investment-grade property which would otherwise be out of reach.

With all of its advantages, the TIC interest also carries its share of risks. For example, many TIC promoters charged fees that were excessive, or sold the property to the investors for more than it was worth. If property values decline or purchase loans mature, it may be difficult to refinance, forcing the property into foreclosure and taking the entire investment with it.

Other promoters failed to maintain reserve funds separate for each property. If a promoter filed for bankruptcy and did not properly use the reserve funds, TIC investors were left with no recourse and were forced to cover the reserves out of their own pockets or risk losing their investment.

Further risks are caused by the investors themselves and the nature of their relationship to one another – or lack thereof. Owners of TIC typically do not know each other. Decisions regarding TIC governance often require unanimous agreement by all owners, and just one objection can grind the action to a halt. When owners don’t know each other, or are spread across many states, it can be difficult to communicate and obtain a unanimous agreement.

Despite the risks, TIC interests can still be a good place to park your money – but you must be a cautious, diligent purchaser. Visit the property, seek information from sources other than the promoter, and carefully review the past and projected financial data.

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John Ellmore

Search engines try to optimize relevance. This is hard. 15 years ago, search engines were much more rudimentary. They only factored in a few signals when determining the relevance of a possible result: PageRank, page keywords, manual curation, and similarly simplistic metrics.

One way to look at relevance is in terms of precision and recall. A search engine should optimize for:

The old simplistic metrics generally gave good recall, because a relevant search result probably had the correct keywords on the page, was linked to by other sites, etc. But precision was terrible. Unscrupulous sites crammed keywords into footers and created link farms to artificially inflate their PageRank. This forced decent sites to adopt at least some form of these cheap hacks in order to compete.

Users got used to sifting through poor-quality results. It might have taken several page visits before you found something halfway decent. Unscrupulous sites got more page views, while the quality results would get second-page treatment.

As time has gone on, search engines have gotten smarter. A veritable soup of signals is now used: bounce rate, user geolocation, page performance, domain/entity reputation, natural language processing, machine learning, etc. From a precision and recall perspective, this is good! Both measures have substantially improved. Most users would say that search results today are much "better" than they were several years ago.

Ultimately, search relevance is subjective to the human performing the query. A human's state of mind and intention when searching cannot be losslessly transferred to the search engine (which would be the holy grail of human-computer interaction). Instead, the search engine has to take the limited bits of information that it gets from the user--the query, geolocation, etc.--and use them to extrapolate the user's actual intent and expectations. With these additional signals, search engines can perform that extrapolation much more accurately.

A surprising trait

This is the same process that happens in basic human interaction. A good communicator can read subtle social signals (the bits of information), create a mental model of the other party, and adjust their communication accordingly. Similarly, a good salesperson can do this with their customers, and match them to the perfect offering for their needs.

This is empathy. Perhaps more precisely, it's cognitive empathy. And just like a good communicator needs to empathize to understand their audience, decent human-facing algorithms must to empathize with the user in order to deliver optimal results. An empathetic algorithm understands the user's state and tailors its output accordingly.

Slowly approximating people

Practically speaking, human-facing algorithms are iterated and optimized over time to improve their quality (often to increase revenue). In order to improve in quality, it has to more precisely model the user and the user's state of mind. As a result, human-facing algorithms will naturally evolve towards empathy.

In the early days of search engines, an SEO expert could look at search engine ranking algorithms and see the writing on the wall: search engines will increasingly adapt their algorithms to mimic the rankings that a real human would give. Keyword stuffing and other hacks might've worked at the time, but they would become increasingly irrelevant. Search engine algorithms are effectively just crappy heuristics for humans, but those heuristics will become more accurate as search engines get better at empathizing with searching end users. So effective SEO should focus on valuable content to the actual human who will consume it, with the understanding that rankings will improve over time as empathetic search engines increasingly recognize the value in the content.

(This is not to say that common SEO strategies are irrelevent or unnecessary. There will always be a need for specific techniques and technical tweaks. But many of those techniques, like optimizing page speed or writing good copy, end up directly benefitting the end user of the content--regardless of whether that was the primary intention or not.)

The need for empathy in algorithms is apparent in many common use cases today:

We can imagine a hypothetical superhuman who knows us incredibly well, and could set our thermostat perfectly for us and recommend products that we'd actually like. Right now, many of the real-world algorithms that do these things can't perform them with the same optimality that a human person could. But we can expect that algorithms will continue to assimilate more of our information, create better models of us, and eventually perform at the same level as (or better than) a real human.

Privacy--where empathy becomes crippled

In human relationships, empathy is generally easier when you know more about the person. In order to become more empathetic, algorithms must acquire more information about the user. As a result, humans must be willing to sacrifice privacy to gain empathy.

We might trust that hypothetical superhuman controlling our thermostat with our personal information, because we're comfortable with trusting people; it's part of human nature to build trust and desire to maintain that trust. But when the other party becomes a cold database in the hands of a corporation, this tradeoff becomes much more uncomfortable.

As a result, privacy neuters the benefits that we might get from empathetic algorithms because it places limits on how "close" we allow an algorithm to get to us. This is unfortunate, but it's an absolute necessity.

Architecting for (and with) empathy

Recommendation algorithms are a dime-a-dozen; you can find simple algorithms which let you plug in various interaction events and user traits, and which spit out a list of objects to recommend to the user. These absolutely have their place.

But a more holistic approach means taking a step back and truly considering how we can be empathetic. After all, humans are more complicated than the articles they read or the videos they click on. Perhaps we can pick up on higher-order signals that would only be readily apparent to another human and factor those in to our algorithms' behaviors.

Any sort of empathetic behavior adjustment runs the risk of seeming creepy, invasive, or manipulative. So correspondingly, we must personally demonstrate empathy when designing thes behaviors.


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Web Biometric Server

What is a Web Biometrics Server?

Web Biometric Server
Web Biometric Server

A Web Biometrics Server is the Computer where the main Web Biometric Application is Installed, Hosted and Served to Client Computers from. In some Web Biometrics Authentication setups, t is also where the Biometrics Database is installed.

A Web Biometrics Server is a special back-end Computer where a couple of Biometrics functions take place like Biometrics Authentication and Biometrics Data Storage.

To further understand a Web Biometrics Server in details, it is essential to be well versed with the particulars that entail Good qualities of a Web Biometric Server.

The following items come into focus when identifying what goes for a good Web Biometric Server;

  1. Operating System
  2. RAM
  3. Processor Type and Speeds
  4. Hard Disk
  5. Ethernet Ports
  6. Web Server
  7. Database
  8. Network Security

1. Operating System:

In order to get the best out of your Web Biometric Server, plan to install an Operating System that will help you achieve what you want to do with your Biometrics Server.

The Operating System you choose to use should be one that has ongoing support from its Software Company. For example, to install Microsoft XP operating system for your Web Biometric Server would be a dumb thing to do circa 2019.

There are no Security Patches released for Microsoft XP nowadays and Microsoft no longer supports this operating system. Not unless your mission is Suicide, to prefer Microsoft XP against e.g. Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019 for your Web Biometrics Server would set you up on a path to Failure.

Similarly, installing Linux Servers with Linux versions that run old Kernels of Linux to your Web Biometrics Server is disastrous as these too like their Windows counter parts will not have been patched against recent security threats that are potentially able to dog them.

Even if you have the latest Operating System, you should always update it with the current Security Patches released by your Operating System vendor.

As you may have determined by now, you cannot be planning to implement a Web Biometric Security solution then slack on security updates of the Operating System where you will install your Biometric solution.

So what is an Ideal Operating System for a Web Biometrics Server?

Ideal Features of a Web Biometric Server’s Operating System.

  • Operating System should be a 64 bit Server. A 64 bit Server unlike a 32 bit Server will make it possible for your Operating System to use more than the 3.5Gb of RAM,. If you have for instance 8Gb RAM in your Server and your Operating System is 32 bit, it will only use 3.5Gb and the remaining 4.5 Gb will be wasted as the 32 bit Operating System will not allocate it System Resources of your Biometric Server.
  • Regular release of OS Security Patches by Software Vendor. The vendor of your Operating System should frequently release service packs to update security features that help secure your platform against adversarial attacks.
  • Reliable OS Support by Software Vendor. Establish if the support provided by the vendor is agreeable to your type of business model. You can subscribe for premium software support from your OS vendor to make it easy and quick to enlist for a helping hand when your platforms breaks down.
  • Easy to update online. There are various ways of updating operating system but the most convenient one is where you can connect a server to the internet, click update button and the OS is automatically updated.
  • Has a Good Reputation as a Stable OS for a Production Server. Scour tech forums and blog posts to see what the tech community has to say about the operating system you want to use. Is it troublesome? Is it stable? Does it crash often in production? Is it easy to maintain and install other software on it? How many big companies in the service line industry are using it? If you get positive responses to questions like these you will be able to assess its reliability.

2. RAM:

Web Biometric Authentication requires lots of memory to run at optimum speeds. It is even more resource intensive if the activity being carried out is Bioemetrics Identification (1:N) where a single fingerprint is being matched against several thousands of other fingerprints to narrow down to an individual.

This is the more reason why it is recommended by Jomutech Systems to prospective clients to have at least 16Gb of RAM or more in their Web Biometrics Server for optimum Biometrics Authentication speeds.

As a rule of thumb, if you are struggling to procure a Server with higher RAM because of cost implications then Biometrics is not for you. Find some other alternative security solution to implement but not Biometrics.

As mentioned earlier, stashing more memory RAM sticks on a Server with a 32 bit architecture or on a Server running a 32 bit Operating System is an exercise in futility. Ensure that you have a 64 bit Server / Operating System before embarking on upgrading the RAM to meet at least 16Gb of RAM.

3. Processor Type and Speed:

A Web Biometric Server needs super speeds to perform Biometric Authentication very fast otherwise you will have a lagging server that processes Biometric Authentication requests at snail speeds.

Those who get Web Biometric Servers with fast Several Core Processors realize Higher speeds for Biometric Authentication Speeds.

Most Servers will have 4 or more Core Processors. The more they are the more your Server can break down Biometric Authentication process into several thread processes and independently work on every one of them thus lowering the time taken to perform Biometric Authentication.

If you are cash strapped or the notion of having a procuring a Server with multiple core processors sounds like an extra cost for you, abandon the thought of implementing / integrating your Software Application with Biometrics. There is no need of waiting for 10 minutes for results of a Single Fingerprint Biometric Authentication process because you do not want to spend money on buying a Server with multiple core high speed processors then pretend to not know that Biometrics Applications require high speed processors to be responsive and fast.

A slow Web Biometric Application because of slow processor speeds and few core processors to help with multithreading will ultimately annoy those operating client computers running your Web Biometrics Application and their customers as well. The end loser will be you when they transition to a provider who offers an infrastructure with high speed processors with multiple core processing units onboard.

4. Hard Disk:

Biometric Data significantly occupies large data space in a Server and for this, you need to arrange to have enough space on your disk farm before implementing your Web Biometrics solution on any Server.

If you have several disk containers, configure RAID on them before installing Operating System. The Operating System will access the RAID configured disk containers as a single Hard Disk Resource.

The minimum size of Hard Disk space for an SME should be 1 Terabyte (Tb). The more space you have the better because a single Fingerprint Template or Blob field in the Database could occupy 312Kb or more depending on the preferred data type for archiving subjects’ Biometric data.

To get the best bargain for a Hard Disk (Disk containers), you can negotiate for better prices when buying a complete Server unlike buying single units of Hard Disks (Disk containers).

If you are just setting about to procure a Server for your Web Biometrics project, ask your hardware provider to give you a catalogue of Servers with 4, 8 or more core processors for you to choose from. The higher the number of core processor the better.

5. Ethernet (eth) Ports:

A Web Biometric Server will need to be connected to the network, internet, LAN, WAN for it to be accessible by Client Computers that will make remote calls to it for Biometric Authentication or for archiving of enrolled Biometrics Data.

To achieve a connection between Web Biometric Server and Client Computers, network ports popularly known as Ethernet ports will need to be present on the server.

You will need 4 or more Ethernet ports for your server.

If you are wondering why 4 Ethernet ports, first Ethernet cards do not cost an arm and a leg. They are among the cheapest peripherals that sub units that make up a Server. Now that we are past the cost hurdle, having at least 4 Ethernet ports will come in handy if you connect to several Routers and Switches to connect your Server to several Client computers.

Also, sometimes you need to block a particular network for maintenance and you do not want your Web Biometric Server to be offline for other partitions of your entire network so in this case having more Ethernet ports equips you to handle things amicably in a big network.

Lastly, if you have configured and connected your server to several failover Routers by procuring network connection services from multiple service providers, in the unfortunate event that one service provider experiences a down time, the availability of your Web Biometric Server to remote client computers is not affected. This is only possible if you have several Ethernet ports to juggle with.

6. Web Server:

To serve a Web Application over the network to client computers a Web Server is required.

What is a Web Server?

A Web server facilitates the provision, interpretation and processing of data requests from client computers.

You will need to install software applications that provider Web Server instances on your Web Biometrics Server.

Web Server Software Applications you could install on your Web Biometrics Server include the following;

A PHP Web Biometrics Application would require an Apache, Nginx or IIS Web Server to process requests on the Web Bioemetric Server.

An ASPNET Web Biometric Application would require an IIS Web Server to process requests on the Web Biometric Server

A NodeJS Web Biometric Application could require ExpressJS Server to be installed at the Web Biometric Server for it to work.

Whichever Web Server you choose to use for your Web Biometric Server implementation,  make sure that you use the latest Web Serve and also make sure that the Web Server is a Stable release and not a beta release.

7. Database:

To archive Biometric Data in a Web Biometric Server you need a dedicated container for this. You could think of this as a special folder or a Software System for saving Biometric Data. This is what you call a Biometric Database.

There are several databases you could choose to use for archiving your Biometric Data.

Below is a list of Databases you can install in your Web Biometric Server for saving Biometric Data. They are;

If you are going to run an ASPNET Web Biometric application, you will be better off using MSSQL for your Biometric Database.

MSSQL is a Microsoft product and you will need to buy it before you could use it.

Nowadays there is MSSQL for Linux as well unlike in the past where MSSQL would only run on Windows hosts only.

PHP Web Biometric applications are popularly run on a MySQL or MariaDB backend. This is mostly because the LAMPP, WAMPP and XAMPP stacks ship both PHP, MySQL and MariaDB together.

For your Biometrics Database, try and get the stable and latest Database version of the Database currently available so that you can be assured that you are running your Biometrics Database on a secure Database and also get the benefit of using the latest Database management tools the current Database offers which are not available on previous Database versions.

8. Network Security:

One other thing you are going to have to make sure you get it right from the very beginning while setting up your Web Biometrics Server is Network Security.

Your Web Biometric Server should be secure and trusted by other nodes in the network.

The client computers should be assured that they are accessing a secure Web Server on your Web Biometric Server.

Modern Web Browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome have been designed and developed with Security in mind. They will raise an alert and complain that the Network connection they are about to remit data thru is not safe after evaluating the authenticity of the Network connection.

To secure the connection between your Web Biometrics Server and client computers running the Web Biometrics application you will need to install an updated SSL Certificate on the Web Biometric Server.

Initially this was not a must but nowadays you have no option but to install one.

This is the only way you can secure your connection and give credibility to client web browsers that they are running a safe Web Application from your Web Biometrics Server.

Clients who are keen on matters security will call you and notify you when you are no longer serving secured web applications to their client computers.

An SSL secured web application will run on a client web browser with a preceding https:// at the address bar. Take note that for a SSL secured connection it will be https:// and not http://

Your SSL secured web link served by your Web Biometric Server should be something like the following

https://WebBiometericServer/WebBiometricAuthenticationPage/ for Biometric Authentication web page or

https://WebBiometricServer/WebBiometricEnrollmentPage/ for Web Biometric Enrollment web page.

There is https:// at the beginning of each of the URLs. and not a http://

Is there anything wish to be covered in this post that would best feature on a post like this? If so, notify us about it on the e-mail below and we will put it into consideration for reviewing and addition to this post.

Send an e-mail to get Help with your Biometrics Project
Send an e-mail to get Help with your Biometrics Project. Reach out to Joseph

Why Jomutech Systems?

Why choose Jomutech as your Biometrics Integration partner
Why choose Jomutech as your Biometrics Integration partner

Want to consult with Joseph about Biometrics?

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Tootsie Pop Logic … January 24, 2012

Live in Philadelphia, PA

A sucker is a sucker is a sucker.

This became the common theme–and lamentation–of all manufacturers in the lollipop industry. As delicious as the first few licks may be, enduring to the end was often difficult for young tykes, leaving behind sticky, half-eaten globs of goo all over the house.

Something needed to be done, so as always, two extremes were pursued. First was the dum dum–a decision to make the lollipop smaller and offer a variety of flavors. It was, and is, very successful, but still suffers from the redundancy of the common lick.

The other extreme was to insist that MORE lapping and sucking was necessary, so the all-day sucker was created, which was a humongous amount of sugar-candy, which was supposed to be consumed over a 24-hour period. Dedication did not exist for such a project, and you ended up with an even larger sticky object to avoid.

Then came the Tootsie pop. Here was the premise: give people a sucker, but reward them at the end by providing a center of chocolate–a Tootsie roll. How ingenious.

You see, I feel this way about the 2012 election. We are offered a myriad of suckers for our perusal. It is wearisome. It is sticky business. But if you want to be successful at picking a leader of anything, find out what is at the CENTER of their sugar-coated presentation. What IS the Tootsie pop logic of the conservatives and the liberals?That demands that we produce a criteria for what is important and what needs to be said.

Honestly, dear folks, there are only two things that are immutable:  People and money. What are the conservatives going to do about people and money? What is the plan of the liberals regarding people and money?

Let’s start with people.  They require three things:

1. Freedom. If you’re going to call yourself a “free country,” it’s a good idea to back it up with freedom for everyone.

2. Opportunity. This means creating an even playing field as much as possible, so that excellence can truly have a chance to win the day.

3. And finally, rules.  You should have just enough rules in a democracy to maintain the integrity of freedom and opportunity.

That brings us to money. The philosophy on money should be equally as simple:  first, we need to motivate business, industry and personal desire enough to comfortably fund our freedoms, promote opportunities and maintain the necessary offices for the rules which guard these ideas. Secondly, we should have enough money that after we’ve taken care of our own personal needs to a satisfactory position, we can give to others who are less fortunate, so we don’t end up being a bunch of greedy gas-bags.

I know people want to worship the conservative approach or bow their knee to liberalism. I do not join them. I don’t care whether it’s a restaurant, a church, a synagogue, a bistro or the federal government. Are you going to give people equal freedom to pursue opportunity and maintain just enough rules to make sure that everyone has freedom and opportunity? AND will you motivate the raising of money to protect those rights and provide a comfortable living for as many people as possible, while initiating a philanthropic thrust with the remaining funds?

Anything short of that is short-sighted. I don’t care what you’re running, I don’t care what you’re promoting and I don’t care what flag you are waving. People require freedom, opportunity and a set of rules to ensure they will honor the same for all their fellow-travelers. And money must be raised to guarantee that these rights are cushioned by financial blessing and that there is enough left over to instill generosity.

So as I listen to the political candidates, I peruse their mentality on these two issues–people and money. It is what I call the Tootsie pop logic. If you’re going to make me spend all of my time licking away at debates and discussions, you’d better provide me with a chocolate center that lets me know you understand what to do with people and money. Otherwise, it just sucks.

Do I have an opinion on the present crop of candidates? I have many opinions–but honestly it’s difficult to assess either party, because neither one of them has come to terms with the intricate nature and balance of these two necessities. Most of them are more concerned about trouble from outsiders or merely conquering the opposing party in the voting booth. But after the election comes governing–and governing anything is about dealing with people and providing money.

So here’s my Tootsie pop logic. After you get done wading through my numerous clumps of letters forming words, I want you to find a sweet treat in the center, and I always want that center of my writing to give you greater insight on people and money.  Because he who understands what to do with his fellow-humans AND when and how to release the purse strings, basically has total understanding of everything.

What a wild statement.

Tootsie pop logic. What’s at the center of the conservative movement? What is at the center of the liberal take on things? What will they do with people and what do they think about money?

Just some thoughts on this day–and to return to a common phrase in the world of confections:

Try it. You’ll like it.

Jonathan wrote the gospel/blues anthem, Spent This Time, in 1985, in Guaymas, Mexico. Take a listen:

To see books written by Jonathan, click the link below! You can peruse and order if you like!

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3 CommentsLeave a comment

  1. […] Tootsie Pop Logic … January 24, 2012 ( Tell your friends that their life is meaningless without reading this:Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]

  2. Excellent assessment. I hear things I like from all the candidates, but there are the things I don’t like. Will what they say hold up after they’re in office? A candidate is often like a pick from Forrest Gumps box of chocolates–you never know what you’re gonna get.

    Video memoir
    Wrote By Rote

  3. “Because he who understands what to do with his fellow-humans AND when and how to release the purse strings, basically has total understanding of everything.”

    I think that only in the ideal world, Jon, will this ever happen! I believe that as long as neither liberal nor conservative even try to see the other side of the issue, compromise, will this ever happen. Very discouraging!

    But it is a worthy goal! “Tootsie Pop Logic” is a great phrase and something to strive for!

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I am in the backend of a Joomla 3.3.1 site and I can't see the "Copy Template" button. Is it removed from the latest Joomla or what?

Updating the question...
I can't see the "Copy Template" button in 2 websites recently updated from 3.3.0 / 3.2.x. I can see the button in a website recently updated from 2.5.x though, and of course the "Copy Template" button should exist in the template manager and not had been removed.
So what it remains to be answered from my initial question is the "or what?" part...

Anyone else faced the same, after updating from 3.x to latest 3.3.1?

  • Did you uninstall the core templates (Protostar, Beez, Hathor)? I have a site where I can reproduce this problem and discovering/installing those templates fixed it. – Bakual Jul 5 '14 at 12:39
  • I do not have those templates installed in the first website, can't recall about the second one. Will check your suggestion Bakual and report back. – FFrewin Jul 5 '14 at 12:45
  • I think I found the bug. YOu also miss the "Rename File" button if you edit a file? And you have uninstalled Hathor? There is a funny check in github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/blob/staging/administrator/… and some other places which likely is the cause of the issue. – Bakual Jul 5 '14 at 12:46

It's a bug in Joomla. Solution: https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/pull/3858

Please test :-)

| improve this answer | |
  • Can you please add a comment on the PullRequest if you tested the change? – Bakual Jul 5 '14 at 20:18

We haven't experienced this problem in Joomla 3.x after updates from previous versions (as shown in the update dev site below). However, in the past we have experienced situations where Joomla cache had to be deleted or the browsers cache had to be manually cleared after running the built-in Joomla Update mechanism, although we haven't experienced this recently.

Previous answer

In the Template Manager open the template you want to make a copy of and you will find in the top left a Copy Template button as shown in the screenshot below: Joomla 3.3 Template Manager: Customise Template

Click on the Copy Template button and provide a name for the "new" template, you can use letters, numbers, dashes, and underscores (no spaces etc) for the name. Somewhat oddly, if you want to delete a copy of a template (or any template for that matter) you must navigate to Extension Manager: Manage set the Type to Template and then select your copy and then click Uninstall as shown below: Joomla 3.3 Uninstall a template

| improve this answer | |
  • The problem is (as described in my question), that there is no "Copy Template" button. I checked this on two 3.3.1 websites, recently updated from other 3.x. – FFrewin Jul 5 '14 at 5:54
  • Actually your question was "Is it removed from the latest Joomla or what?" — these are screenshots from my 3.3.1 installation on my dev. computer which shows it wasn't removed. – Craig Jul 5 '14 at 7:47
  • Have you cleared the caches per my update, in the past we've seen odd things after using Joomla Update. – Craig Jul 5 '14 at 9:13
  • caches are cleared – FFrewin Jul 5 '14 at 10:52

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Becky's Farm Life

The simple life, living off God's land, one day at a time.

Thank you for recipes and prayers

Thank you all for the recipes. Yes, I do have a crock pot. I have printed off the recipes you left and Tommielynn is getting to pick out which one’s she wants for dinner, which she loves. They all sound so good. Thank you again.

Yesterday and last night were bad for Tommy. I updated Caring Bridge last night and will update it nightly now. Tommielynn finally accepted the fact that her dad is dying. She broke down last night. We have told her everything, every step of the way. Please say a prayer for her.

Thank you all for your prayers as they get us from day to day. And all your wonderful comments really touch my heart. To know some many people care and are praying for us is a wonderful feeling. Thank you all again. May God bless you all to overflowing.

Very thankful and humbled,

October 31, 2008 - Posted by | blessings, Prayer, recipes, thank you, Tommy | , , ,

  1. Here are a couple easy and good recipes. I normally make the pie crust for the Chicken Pot Pie but the ones in the store freeze well and taste good. You could even use a can of chicken if you wanted to make it very easy. The Taco Skillet is easy enough for your daughter to make. My husband does not like casseroles but enjoys this one.

    As I was reading your update on Tommy I thought of this U-Tube I saw this week and hoped it would encourage you.
    The Lord is ever-present and promises that His grace is enough. I am praying for you and your family.

    Chicken Pot Pie

    1 can cream of potato soup
    1 can cream of celery soup
    16 oz. Veg-all
    2 c. cooked diced chicken
    1/2 c. milk
    1/4 tsp. thyme or less
    1/2 tsp. pepper (make sure it’s not the coarse pepper or use less)
    Put inbetween 2 crusts and cook until crust browns. Somewhere between 30-45 minutes at 375-400.
    Taco Skillet

    My husband doesn’t care for many casserole dishes but really liked this one when my daughter in love made it.

    1 pound ground beef
    1 can tomato soup (10 3/4 oz)
    1 cup salsa
    1/2 cup water
    8 6″ corn tortillas cut in 1″ pieces
    1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

    Brown beef in skillet, drain grease. Add soup, salsa, water, tortillas & 1/2 of the cheese. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook on low 5 minutes. Top with remaining cheese.

    Comment by Georgene | October 31, 2008 | Reply

  2. Sending more hugs & prayers!

    Comment by Pam's Pride | October 31, 2008 | Reply

  3. Hi again,

    I just ran across this video that I know will minister to you. He talks about his diagnosis of prostrate cancer and how God used the gospel to minister to His heart. Click on the link below.

    Comment by Georgene | October 31, 2008 | Reply

  4. We are lifting Tommy, you, and your family up in prayer, Becky. May God comfort you all, strengthen you, and give you peace that passes all understanding. Wish we lived close enough that I could bring supper to you. Sending you lots of love and hugs.

    Comment by arksoaper | October 31, 2008 | Reply

  5. Becky, I am praying for You,Tommy and Tommielynn. I agree with Stacie, I wish we lived close enough that I could bring you supper. God has blessed you with remarkable courage and strength. He has given you the knowledge and ability to not only take care of your family but to also teach us how to take care of our families. And you are doing this while you are dealing with your husband’s illness! May God give you and your family rest and comfort.
    God Bless!

    Comment by Jackie | October 31, 2008 | Reply

  6. Oh Becky, my heart goes out to you and yours. I can’t imagine the feelings you must all have right now, but you are on my mind and in my prayers. I know there are alot of ladies in the blogging world who feel the same about you. We may not all know each other in real life ~ but your blogging sisters have your back! Lol…

    Lots of prayers for you my friend.

    Comment by D. | November 2, 2008 | Reply

  7. Becky,
    Here is a link that I thought you and Tommy would find comforting…

    You remain in my prayers.

    Linda J.

    Comment by http://valleyvisions.blogspot | November 3, 2008 | Reply

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Becky's Farm Life

The simple life, living off God's land, one day at a time.

Helping Each Other In These Hard Times

  The last few days I have gotten an insight into those around me. At times when we are going through our own hard times, we don’t look around and see. And we all are bad for this, even me.  I live in a small neighborhood were most are on fixed incomes or are low income; older people, families with children. The Lord has opened my eyes to those around me. One family has 10 kids, 3 grandbabies, and 3 adults (only one car that holds 4); another an older blind man with his older sister living together (just to make ends meet, both their cars are in need of repair). These families are having car troubles too, along with me. So I have put together kind of a neighborhood car help. We  have agreed to call each other when we HAVE to go to town, to see if the others need anything or a ride to town. We all live about 20-30 minutes from town, and no one goes to town for fun. I am praying this will work for us all. All the cars are on their last legs and some have stopped working.  Hopefully taking turns going to town will save gas money along with car wear and tear. We as a neighborhood, have been trading things around with each other. We have become a closer people. We all have a way to help others along. Look around you, really look, who can you help today. It does not have to cost money, most times it’s just your time. Can you pick up something in town for them? If you don’t have something they need, do you know someone who might? Sometimes they just need an ear, someone to listen without judging them. How can you help?

  This winter is going to be harder than last winter. People have by now used up all the saving they did have. Some may have gotten jobs by now, but now they are trying to pay off back bills and the new bills are still coming in. More and more people rich and poor are having a hard time just with life’s have too (rent, power, food). They have already given up the extras, and still have a hard time with the musts.

So this week coming see if you can help at least one person/ family with something? The Lord does not aloud us to help ourselves but help others. May you all have a great week.

God bless you all,

July 5, 2009 Posted by | economic situation, helping others, ideas, low income, making do, neighorhood, saving money | , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Gabby – Winter – Preparing

  Well, I love being a Nana. Gabby is doing great. She sleeps at times up to 5 hours. And only really cries when it’s time to eat or we change her diaper. She has kept us on our toes. 🙂

  I need your help. I am looking for a knitted soaker pattern ( cloth diaper cover). A friend gave us some all in one cloth diapers, but I have a lot of the old cloth diapers so I need the soakers for them. And I’m getting ready to start knitting my first sweater (baby sweater). For some reason I have a fear of knitting a sweater. So someone said to start with a baby sweater. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

  The farm is doing good. The house is ok, I rather spend time with Gabby than clean. 🙂 TommieLynn and I are getting ready for school to start, and looking forward to something new. So we have been busy.

I am still looking for new ways to stretch money and make more things at home. More people are cutting back on extras ( turning off: cable, phones-home and cell, internet, etc.) and winter is not here yet. And I have just started preparing for winter. Having put so much information on stocking up and preparing last year on this blog, I am not sure what else is need. So if you don’t tell me what you need, I  will just write about what I am doing now and about things that come to mind.

 Things I need to make/do before winter:

*knit: soakers, baby sweater, house socks for all

*cut and sew more napkins/tissues/baby wipes

*keep a check at thrift stores for wool sweaters on sale, to take a part to make wool socks and soakers. Most times I can get a wool sweater for $1 and it will make 2 pairs of socks plus. And flannel sheets to turn into  napkins/tissues/baby wipes.

*look for ideas/items for Christmas gifts ( that time of year again)

*looking for sales at the grocery stores to keep stocked up. I only buy items on sale. I need to get stocked up on bath paper(not using homemade yet, but can use the flannel napkins if needed).

*need more fire wood. I have a small stock from downed trees in yard. I’ll use for an outdoor fire for cooking if needed, power goes out and I’m out of gas. If not needed, will use for fun fires( roasting hot dogs and marshmallows in the summer).

*I am sure there is more to do but I’ll start here.

 Ways I save money:

*I try really hard to go to town no more than once a week, it was every two weeks. But with Gabby doctor appointments it’s once a week now.

*Hang clothes outside to dry. Wash in cold water. Wash only full loads of clothes..

*Turn off everything not being used. TV’s, computers, etc. Lower hot water temperature. This has dropped my power bill by over $70 a month.

*When we do go out to eat- have to have a coupon.

*Only buy on sale items.

*See if I can make it before buying it. Even better, can I do without it.

I’m off to see what I can get into today.

Happy 4th of July. Have a great weekend.

July 4, 2009 Posted by | economic situation, family, food storage, knitting, making do, saving money, self sufficiency, Stocking up, winter | 5 Comments

Ok, Let’s Try It Again

   First off, thank you all for your prayers. I am still kicking, just had a few bad days. (almost a pity party) Funny how easy it can sneak up on you.  For a few days, I felt like I was in a black hole and could not get out, and at times did not want out. You all know how your mind can play games with you. But the sun has come back out and the black hole is gone.  Thank you Lord. So I am going to try  again and get this blog going with more posts.

   I dropped my power bill by: turning off lights and use them only at night when it’s dark or work is being done, using the small night lights in hallway and bathrooms ( no need turning on all those lights when the night light works fine), now I do turn the bathroom light on to take a shower, the cow fence charger was taken down( it used power), unplugged the extra ice box, turned off the water heater during the day and off after showers, TV-VCR-computers etc are plugged into a power strip that turned off when not in use, no dryer (not using it to dry wash cloths like before about once a week, now I use homemade wash cloths and napkins so we are talking about almost 50 cloths to hang up.), do one load of dish in the dishwasher a day (no more- different glass every time you get a drink).

   My gas stove is getting fixed this Thursday, no more store bread. It went out months ago, and I have been using the small toaster oven. But it’s not big enough for bread. And the bread prices keep going up and up along with everything else. It’s a bit of money to get it fix. But I also see it as saving more money as I will be able to cook more at home. Boy we sure do miss my oatmeal cookies.  🙂 I have saved up to get it fixed. And can’t wait to get it back in working order.

   TommieLynn’s male hamster got got last week. For three days he had freedom. Then this morning the female hamster was not in her cage when I woke up. Her and her 7 babies gone. I don’t mind telling you think twice and then think again before getting hamsters. Well her freedom did not last as long as his, only a few hours. Thank you Lord. And the kittens keep coming, now we are up to 14 kittens, 1 more cat due any day. Anyone need a great mouse cat, they are free. My cows were so much easier than these hamsters.  LOL

   It’s going on it’s second week of rain every day. Today it only rained this morning. My grass is almost knee high but it’s still to wet to mow and it’s supports to rain the rest of this week. So I have not even been able to do any garden work. My garden does not need to be that big this year as my food barn and freezers are still full. But we do need a few things. I am so thankful I started stocking up when Tommy told too, almost 2 years ago now.

   The jobs are still very few in this area. More and more people losing jobs and homes. And more are having their power turned off. More are growing gardens, and more are trying new ways of doing things to stretch their money. At times it’s overwhelming to see the way this world is going. But I’m ready for home.

   I have been making homemade popsicles out of kool-aid and juice, an quick snack.  I have the cream in the freezer for homemade  ice cream when it gets a little hotter. I am still stretching my meats at dinner, and having eggs at dinner as we have so many eggs. Sometimes just sandwiches. Trying very hard to buy less and less from the store, most of the time I do great. There are times when I do buy what I call extras/just because things. So far we are doing good. When KFC chicken sends out great deals with coupons on buckets of chickens, I get them and pack in meal size freezer bags. It a fast meal and better than the frozen box chicken. Does not happen often, but it’s a treat too. When we do go out to eat, we use coupons or no go. Have you all seen more then usual  coupons coming out in the mail? Some are great deals. Right now here, KFC has a 2 piece meal deal out for $2.00. I know fast food is not good for you, but sometimes you just need to get out, a night off.

   I need your help, ok. I have some many black ant hills in my yard it’s no long funny. Every other step, is a step into a ant hill and they are in my raised bed garden too. I have never seen so many. How can I get rid of them as they are now trying to come into the house??? They are breeding faster than rabbits and rats.  HELP !!

   I am still feeling my way through this new life, one day at a time, by God’s grace I/we will make it.

May 5, 2009 Posted by | economic situation, family, farm life, Food prices, freezing, ideas, low income, making do, saving money, self sufficiency | , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Learning New Things

Thank you all for your comments. I’m staying here until the Lord leads me some where else.

Yes, Amanda: It was your post. I not know how I found it but I did, and it really blessed me. Thank you very much. Mrs. Olson: TommieLynn and I will both get Social Security. And I am very thankful to get it. Pam , Linda, Sheila, Marlys: Thank you for your prayers.

My hands have been full here. We have had snow this week. And tomorrow will be in the 70’s. I have not done much in the garden, due to the weather. So I have been trying to get the house, spring cleaned. Tasha’s boyfriend, Carl, came and mowed the yard for me. I can’t drive the small tractor mower. So I used the push mower to get were he could not. ( just like Tommy and I use to do.) We got done fast, and the yard looked great. A man is taking down the fence lines for me for half the posts. This will give Tommielynn a lot more room to play, which she is looking forward too very much. The chickens are doing great. I need to make a few more pens and houses, hopefully soon. My gas oven has stopped working. So I am using a small toaster oven I had stuck back. Tommy always got on to me about put things back that we did not use, until he needed it. I just smiled as I used the toaster oven. Someone had given it to me last year. Tommy asked why I was keeping it/ wanted it. I just told him you never know. Thank you Lord. I am trying to live now on a smaller income. TommieLynn gets mad at times when I tell her to turn a light off. But she is getting so much better at helping cut back. She won second place prize at the Easter egg hunt last Saturday. And with her $10 prize, bought her friends hamster, she has been wanting for weeks. She was so happy, She could buy it with her money. Carl showed me how to use the air compressor to pump up the wagon and wheel barrow tires. And how to change the tires on my yard wagon. And who said you stopped learning after 40? Or your to old to learn new things? Next he’s going to show me how to use the skill saw, so I can make chicken houses and pens. Now that ought to be a funny sight.

I did go and get bullets for the guns I have. Yes, I can shot, but better with a 22. But I need to get better. Carl is going to show me how to clean them, and break them down. Tommy always did this, now I need to learn. Why do I need to learn more? I might need to put meat on the table. And well look around, more and more people are doing things ( both good and bad) that they did not use to do, due to the economy. I pray I don’t need to use them. But like I’ve said before, I prepare for the worse and pray for the best. I am having to learn a lot of new things now, things Tommy always took care of. I am so glad that Tommy taught TommieLynn to shot. That is something she will carry with her always.

My garden will be smaller this year. And I can’t wait to get out there in the dirt and sunshine. I will be trying my hand at growing potatoes in buckets/ big planters above ground. I will keep you updated on this. I am praying it will work well for us. I am picking out seeds to plant now. Tommielynn wants watermelons this year. We have not done those in years, but we’ll try. The man I get apples from every year called and said the snow and cold has not got to his apple trees. Thank you Lord. We’ll have apples again this year.

With Tommy now watching from above, the men who come to buy the things in the yard, I no longer need, are not giving me a hard time for being a woman. Which I am so thankful for. I stand my ground. But at times they try to get me to go lower on the price. One guy said, would you be upset if I made an offer? I said, Yes! He just smiled and said ok. I am learning more every day. Some days it puts my mind on overload, but I making it one day at a time.

Last Sunday was a wonderfully great day. Tasha and Carl went to church with us, what a blessing. The service was just what I needed, Thank you Lord. Then we all went to dinner. Were we laughed until we all had tears in our eyes, a wonderful feeling. Over all the best day I have had in a long time. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord for Carl too, as he has been so much help to me. Which has really lightened my load.

Well I had better get something done toady. I was trying to wait for it to warm up just a bit. More house cleaning, washing clothes, and hopefully I can get out side today. Thank you all for everything and all your prayers.

April 8, 2009 Posted by | economic situation, farm life, garden, making do, saving money, self sufficiency | , , , , , | 3 Comments

Road A head – Part 4 – Making more at home

Well I have made 2 batches of homemade ice cream. And for some reason it’s so much better than store bought. I have never worked out the price to make it, as we have milk and eggs here. We save up ice to make it.

A trip to town yesterday was an eye opener. Gas here was down to $2.78 a gallon.  I’m trying to restock some of the sugar I’ve used. (so as my stock does not get to low going into the winter). And do you know the 5 pounds bags are gone with the wind.  All I could find where 4 pound bags for the same price as the 5 pound. I was not a happy camper. Some lady in the store said, “They changed to 4 pounds two months ago. Why are you so mad,now?” And as nicely as I could told her about my stocking and that I was just refilling my stock. And then I got the funny look from her, and she asked why I was stocking up? I just rolled my eyes, sorry to say, and went on. Potatoes, these are now gold in this area. Early this year, 10 lbs. $1.49, 50 lbs.$7.00, now 10 lbs are $4.99 and the 50 lbs. jump to $18.99. I bought one 10 lbs bag, why not the 50 lbs? Well we wanted some french fries(it’s been a month and half since we have had any), and the frozen french fries were even higher. I have some canned potatoes and instant mashed potatoes . We use to eat potatoes about every night, now maybe 2-3 times a week. Which is killing my 11 year old daughter.

I am now only buying staples at the store. I was buying a off brand hamburger helper ( for a fast meal) but the last two boxes I bought had a flavor of nothing but salt. So no more prepackaged foods. If I can not make it from scratch, we don’t eat it. I have put my foot down on cereal too( the only prepackaged food I buy as I have not learned to make it), as the price is the same but the ounces keep going down. I’ll buy one box a week that is not more than $2.00. Which has my 11 yrs. old checking prices and ounces better than before. Yesterday at Save A Lot, she was almost in tears. She said, “Mom, my cereal is now $1.89 a box and two weeks ago it was $1. 69 and 2 ounces larger.” She knows I will not buy it when it goes over $2.00. I think this mess is hurting the children hard. Yes, I know there are other foods for breakfast but we also use cereal as snacks( because we have so much milk).

I need to keep an eye out for milk prices as our milk cow is slowly drying up. (We are praying the bull in the pen with her, has done his job.) We are now getting about 2 gallons and a quart a day. I am still freezing and canning.

But we are  using/drinking a gallon a day. So I’m not sure now long my stock will last.

Collodial Silver Water – Natural Antibiotic

I first tried this, a few weeks ago. And I love it. I had a super bad ear infection, which meant I needed an super antibiotic( I used pill antibiotics for 20 days). I could not hear out of my ear for almost 3 weeks. A friend said to try this Collodial silver water. And I did, with in 3 days, I could hear again. Then I goggled it and found more uses. Here is one: Usages. And another friend has the machine to make it at home and is going to make me some( thank you Angela). The last few days, I have been checking out herbs and their usages. Finding out which I can grow at home, which grow in the woods and fields around me. Please check into this.

My son got me an “Natural Remedies Encyclopedia” with  908 pages. He had gotten it earlier this year so that I could find things that might help Tommy with his cancer. I know this is an other must have book.

Here at Amazon

This book is not cheap, runs from $50.00 and up. (Maybe you can ask your son too, as we could not have bought it our selves).If you are like me and know very little about herbs, it’s great. And if you already know about using herbs, it has everything in one book. This book tells you everything, from photos of the herbs to making them, and what herbs to use for what.  My son blessed us in more than one way with this book. This book covers a lot of every day things too. And think of all the money you will be saving, no more waiting in the doctors office for two hours.  You say your not a doctor and will not know what your treating. Well the book also list symptoms, causes, natural remedies and is written by MD’s. I am not saying never go to the doctors, just not as much. With money tight you want to do all you can to save it. Some of the herbs are growing in your back yard for free. You moms with kids, I know you get tired of going in for ear infections, the Collodial silver water works and the book will give you more herbs and ways.

There are a very few books I put on my must have list. But the ones that are on this list are the best out there. And most cover everything in a subject. I have a most have gardening book, I’ll  tell you about next time.

The more thing I can make/ or do at home, the less money I’ll have to spend. Everything I am doing takes more time than money. Time I have, money very little of.  A few years ago, I would of never dream of using herbs, as I only knew a very few people who used them, so I did not know much about them myself. I had nothing against them or using them. I guess you could say I didn’t need them. Then Tommy got sick and  this opened my eyes to herbs. I don’t know a lot about them YET, but I’m learning daily. And I’m thankful the Lord supply’s all our needs, even in the back yard.

Happy herb hunting,

October 18, 2008 Posted by | economic situation, Food prices, great book, herbs, ideas, making do, recession, Road Ahead, saving money, self sufficiency | , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Road Ahead – Part 3

This economic mess is not getting better. I know gas price are down, oil prices by the barrel  are down, the stock market is on an up swing and something is just not right( some have called it a momma thing). I know it looks good and sounds even better, but it’s not. It has taken us over a year and  half to get in this mess, it will not clear up in an week or two. Please don’t think everything is find and dandy now. Don’t let your guard down, please. I do not have a master’s degree or PhD. in  our economics, I’m a simple housewife/ mother. But I do know how to handle money in a home and business and what will happen when it’s not used right.  This will take years to fix, not weeks. Some of you see this as great news, and are going back to life as before. I am warning you to keep a hold of your money and keep watching your spending. This is not over, it’s just starting. I don’t know all the proper words for this mess, but I do know it’s not as good as it looks and sounds. This money going out has to be backed by something, has to come from some where, Where? What?  The US owes more money than we can pay back in years. The News has said that the people(you and I) have over used the credit system, and are in to much debt. Well I’m sure our debt is not as large as the USA’s. What happens to you and I ,when we over charge our credit cards and can’t pay them back and spend out side our means?  Bankruptcy, can’t pay our bills, no money for food. Now think a little bigger (times a few million+). What will happen when much more money is spent and borrowed on credit and can’t be paid back on time?

The government has put a pretty flowered band- aid on this mess, while the sore below get worse. What’s going to happen when the band- aid falls off?  If you don’t really see the sore, it does not hurt as bad and at times you forget it’s there.

I think the worse and hardest times are to come. This is now I feel and what I think. A wolf has come in, in sheep’s clothing. And I know some you think I’m over reacting and that’s your right. But this is me and how I think and believe. I’m trying to pull the wool back off some of your eyes.

I’m not trying to start a panic or make things look worse than they are, just telling you all what I see. Every one wants things to go back  to the way they were, and they will in a few years, but not now. I don’t want more people to be blind sided this go around. Please prepare for your family, think twice before buying something, and pray a lot.

In all my life, I never thought I’d write posts like these.  Why, now? I’m really not sure. I feel very strongly about warning people. This is not an area I know a lot about. But then when I put it in a family aspect and did some multiplying by big numbers it became a little more clearer.

I know I’m not alone in my thoughts. As a friend, Janet, came by last night and felt the same way.  She too, sees people who think it’s all getting better, but it’s not.

Please pull the band-aid off and take a really good look. Are we in a recession and heading for a depression?

Do you agree or disagree with this post? I would really like to know.

October 15, 2008 Posted by | economic situation, recession, Road Ahead | , , | 11 Comments

Getting Ready for the Road Ahead – Part 1

Economic Situation – Recession – Life Ahead : this post was the first, and you all asked for links and more of what I was printing off.

In these posts, I will list links to things I’m printing off. ( I started out just taking notes as we did not have a printer). Now most of these sites have a lot of other great information on them and ideas, some of which I know will not work in our family or will be to costly, but might work in yours.

When I look up something, I make sure it’s the cheapest and works the best. And I try and make sure it’s with things I have easy access to, or have a lot of uses for.

Most of you have seen this one, but to me it’s my best find so far.

I found  this recipe and like it the best for a few reasons: I can get Ivory soap bars for 3 for a dollar and baking soda is cheap, both Ivory and baking soda store just about forever, not a lot of work to make, can be used to clean other things.  I have bought Ivory and as have baking soda, for when it’s need. I really don’t want to work with lye.

Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipe this recipe is in the Home Tips tab at the top of the page here. I got this at:  10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes   ( Recipe #8) There are other recipes here, too.

Homemade Sanitary Pads , I have made these and used them too.

End Times Reports Site Index : this is a great site. I have gotten a lot here. Stop in and see if it has something else for you. Below are posts I like: Building a solar oven

Making candles

An inexpensive water filter ,

Emergency Food and Water Supplies – from FEMA ,

Home Remedies ,

Survival and Austere Medicine  (long .pdf download)  Very good! (it’s 213 pages long, just print off what you need and save to your computer)

Powdered Milk Recipes

Making and using a solar cooker with photos ( I like this one the best)

Using herbs

Homemade Convenience Foods : a lot of good recipes here.

Food, Food Storage and Food Tips :  a lot here, you can pick and choose.

Cloth Toilet Paper,towels, napkins  (still sewing these)

How To’s –Knitted Socks with photos , When I first started knitting, I started with this. She gives step by step with photos. Here is the pattern it’s self: An very easy knitted sock pattern step by step great –  started

Today, I added bleach ( 1 cup)to my water storage tank (425 gallons). Then I stirred it up and will let it sit for a day.  Then I will drain it and refill with fresh water. Why do I drain it after I put the bleach in? Well it helps to keep the inside of the tank clean. And when I drain it out, there is still water (about 25 gallons) in the bottom.  Adding fresh water to that little bit of water with some bleach still in it, has no different taste to it than out of the sink. But still has enough bleach to keep water good and clean all winter. The power goes out here a lot in the winter, so we have a water storage tank. Before we got the tank, I had 2 liter bottles and milk jugs filled with water in every hiding place I could find. Do you know how many milk jugs of water it takes to keep a milk cow in water? Too, too many.

Do you have any water stored up?

 This should keep you all busy for a day or two, while I get the next post ready.  Here I need your help too. So if you have found something you want to share with everyone, please put it in the comment part and I’ll add it to the next post too. ( to make it easier for all to get to.)

What are you looking up and printing off?

Happy printing,

Becky’s Farm Life

All the these posts will be tagged as “Road Ahead” and other tags, but to see just these, click on the tag “Road Ahead” in the categories drop down box.  I thought about giving these posts their own tab, but I think this will work better. And make it easier for you all to get too.

October 12, 2008 Posted by | economic situation, ideas, making do, recession, Road Ahead, saving money, self sufficiency | , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Economic Situation – Recession- Life ahead

It’s time to take this serious. This is not going away any time soon. Those of you who thought this would blow over, well it hasn’t, it’s blown up. And now it’s effecting the whole world.  I’m not telling you to start worrying but if you have not started preparing, you had better start now. This will take years, yes years, to get worked out. Take a really good look around you, this is touching everyone you know.  Some of you might think that I’m just over reacting and that I’m trying to start a panic, well I’m not. I just want people to open their eyes before it’s to late for them to do anything.  And I’m sorry to say, I don’t think our government can fix it now, only the good Lord can. This is effecting more and more people, day by day, and around the world.  We should start helping each other, bring bartering back from the old days, start growing more of our food in the USA and in our yards, trade things, learn from each other, stop living outside our means, stop waiting for the government to help us as they can’t help themselves. Am I downing the USA and our government, no, I’m saying we all are human and even they make mistakes. And some mistakes are not made right over night.

What can you do now?

  1. pray
  2. get knowledge on every thing you can
  3. stock a little of something every time you can
  4. start reading up on growing a garden next year, look into a few chickens
  5. find ways to make do with what you have
  6. read , talk to people, learn something new

I am searching the Internet as often as I can, and I am saving the  information to my computer and printing it off. There will come a time when we will no longer be able to pay the Internet bill, which will mean I will really need the information I looked up. Yes, ink and paper cost money, but if you change the font to small, you can it a lot on one page and print on both sides. I have a new folder called “Making do in hard times”, when I print it off, it goes right into this folder.

Here are a few of the things I looking up: healing herbs, how to cook over a camp fire and in the ground with coals, homemade reusable pads and napkins and bath paper,other uses for things you already have, what wild plants are eatable, ways to store water and ways to make it safe to drink, homemade solar ovens from things around your home, washing clothes by hand, making clothes soap,  storing meat without a canner/freezer/cooking it,  make candles from candle ends and leftovers, what wild plants can my farm animals eat safely or what can I grow for them: if I can no longer buy feed for them,ways to keep food good without canning/freezing/ ice boxes, homemade tooth paste, the list goes on and on.

Will I ever need to use all these things? I hope not, but I can if I need too. ( and with them in the folder, my great grand kids might need the information). I don’t do all this now, but I do have the how to’s when I need them. Some of these, I have already started doing just to save money.

Get the knowledge now, for when it’s needed later. Prepare for the very worse and pray hard for the best.

 In God We Trust,

October 10, 2008 Posted by | economic situation, ideas, making do, recession, Road Ahead, saving money, self sufficiency, Stocking up | , , , , , , , | 7 Comments


text:
Category: iSchool

Rest in Peace, Yale Braunstein

berkeley, friends, policy, education, iSchool
[Yale Braunstein](, a professor at UC Berkeley's School of Information, passed away last night. Yale was a significant influence in reinforcing my interests in information and technology policy. In his Inf… more »

CA TTBR Investigators Send Letter to the EAC

elections, reform, standards, friends, policy, iSchool
**UPDATE [2009-11-05T17:17:41]:** The EAC [replied] and we [responded]. [replied]:… more »

UC Berkeley School of Information Pre-Prints

copyright, open source, berkeley, friends, research, education, iSchool
I, along with a number of others, seemed to have forgotten that my school has a pre-print repository through the California Digital Library. The [UC Berkeley School of Information eScholarship Repository]( conta… more »

A Small Quest Involving Creative Commons and Berkeley Theses

copyright, open source, berkeley, research, policy, legal, education, iSchool
Last Summer, I wanted to slap a [Creative Commons] license on [my dissertation][phd]. A good friend, [Ping], had used another license ([GFDL]) by simply changing the copyright page and including the legal terms of the license in an appendix. So, I sla… more »

Nunberg on Obama on Emerson

elections, politics, berkeley, friends, iSchool
The iSchool's [Geoff Nunberg]( was asked recently by the SF Chronicle what he thought of the presidential candidates' reading lists ([*"Local literati rate candidates' reading lists"*](… more »
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And a few words about the structure of the eye . Everyone " retina ". Especially often we hear it buy clomid online in the phrase " retinal detachment ." So what is the retina ? This - the front edge of the brain, the most distant from the brain part of the visual analyzer. The retina receives light first , processes and transforms light energy into irritation - a signal that encodes all the information about what the eye sees . The retina is very complex and in their structure and function . Its structure resembles the structure of the cerebral cortex. The shell of the retina is very thin - about 0.14 mm.


text:
Assistant Director (Restoration)

Elizabeth River Project
Norfolk, VA, United States
Position Type:
Organization Type:
NGO/Civil Society
Experience Level:
Entry Level (0-2 Years)
Degree Required:
Bachelor's (Or Equivalent)

Please note: this job post has expired! To the best of our knowledge, this job is no longer available and this page remains here for archival purposes only.

The Elizabeth River Project, one of the oldest and largest environmental nonprofits on the Chesapeake Bay, seeks a full-time Assistant Director, Restoration to assist the Deputy Director-Restoration with planning and implementing river restoration projects, with a special emphasis on planning and constructing “living shorelines.”  The position includes coordinating with partners and community groups to improve water quality and habitat in the Elizabeth River watershed.

Job Description

The Assistant Director of Restoration will help to facilitate the oversight and coordination of restoration projects and programs which restore the health of the urban Elizabeth River, with a special emphasis on living shorelines in addition to watershed action planning and implementation. Working directly with the Deputy Director of Restoration, the Assistant will give a special focus to improving the most impaired areas of the Elizabeth River, including the Eastern Branch and the Southern Branch. The Assistant will coordinate internal and external efforts to implement top priorities as identified in sub watershed plans and the Watershed Action Plan. He or she will motivate and guide all project partners to achieve measurable pollution reduction and habitat restoration goals. This individual will also coordinate all efforts to meet deliverables identified in multiple grants and contracts already awarded, in addition to any supplementary grants awarded. He or she will help to build the river restoration “movement” among citizens and stakeholders and, assisting with education, outreach, and on the ground restoration projects.

  • Assist with all restoration programs and projects including shoreline restoration, oyster construction, and sediment cleanup.
  • Perform and complete living shoreline site visits, design concepts and cost estimates, permit applications, supply procurement, volunteer coordination, and implementation of shoreline restoration projects.
  • Work with landowners to address questions and concerns about living shorelines or other restoration projects.
  • Take responsibility for the Eastern Branch Plan and other planning efforts as assigned. Schedule and coordinate relevant stakeholder meetings, identify and problem solve gaps in assigned plans and look for community-wide opportunities to carry out strategies.
  • Assist with the development of the 2021 Watershed Action Plan.
  • Coordinate the execution of potential Academic Collaboratory projects such as for North Colley Ave in Norfolk.
  • Oversee the close-out of construction work pertaining to ditch retrofit projects in Broad Creek. Ensure the sub-contractor for a planting at Ingleside Baptist Church, executes the plan established by the design firm and construction contractor. Submit all final invoices and ensure the final touches remain within the scope, budget, and contractual agreements established by all involved parties.
  • Assist with education, outreach, and on-the-ground efforts as time allows i.e. River Star Homes, River Star Businesses, River Star Schools, restoration monitoring, etc.
  • Take the lead to organize neighborhood involvement projects as assigned.
  • Prepare and execute the timely submission of grant applications, grant reports, associated budgets, and coordination of budgeted funds.
  • Other duties as assigned.

  • Relevant Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree required in environmental sciences or coastal studies.
  • A minimum of two years of work experience in the environmental science, biology, sustainability, or related field. Applied sciences in the field - strongly preferred. Ideal candidate has strong knowledge of the function of tidal wetlands and/or living shorelines and how they are designed and constructed.
  • Self-driven with the proven ability to take the lead and carry out tasks
  • Excellent communication skills for translating science to the public as well as grant writing and grant reporting.
  • Ability to work outdoors in various conditions for extended periods of time. Able to lift up to 50 pounds of weight.
  • Ability to be flexible and trouble-shoot logistical challenges and emergencies in the field.
  • Proven ability to manage multiple projects, budgets, volunteers, and meet deadlines.
  • A strong commitment to environmental stewardship.
  • A positive attitude and willing to work occasional weekends and week nights.
  • Ability to pass a criminal background check.

Schedule & Benefits

This is a full-time job anticipated at 40 hours/week, to start immediately. The general schedule is Monday-Friday, 9 am - 5 pm, although occasional additional or weekend hours may be required for activities such as special events. Competitive salary. Benefits include federal holidays paid, accumulated sick days, paid vacation, employer paid life insurance, employer cost share of health insurance.

To Apply

Send cover letter, resume and three references to Joe Rieger, Deputy Director – Restoration, Elizabeth River Project, 5205 Colley Ave, Norfolk VA 23508. Email OK to  but send hard copy also - no phone calls, please.


text:
International GEF Project Development Consultant

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Home-Based / Remote
Position Type:
Organization Type:
International Organization
Experience Level:
Mid-Level (5-7 Years)
Degree Required:
Advanced Degree (Master's or JD)

Please note: this job post has expired! To the best of our knowledge, this job is no longer available and this page remains here for archival purposes only.

UNDP acting as an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is providing assistance to Belarus in the preparation of the GEF Project "Conservation of Wetland Biodiversity and Sustainable Management of Freshwater Ecosystems in the Western Dvina/Daugava Transboundary River Basin" (Western Dvina IP)

The proposed project is geographically focused on the Western Dvina/Daugava river basin. Within this transboundary freshwater basin, the project will support transboundary cooperation and promote mechanisms for the integrated management of the water resources. Improving the management of transboundary waters in the Western Dvina river basin will be based on the implementation of respective national-level management plans for the transboundary river basin, in Belarus and in Latvia. Simultaneously, the project will support further development, appraisal and adoption of the transboundary cooperation agreement between the two countries. The project will assist the two countries with preparation of a regional Strategic Action Programme (SAP), outlining the key priorities and directions for joint management actions and transboundary cooperation in the basin for conservation and sustainable use of the shared transboundary resources, as a roadmap for the implementation of the transboundary cooperative agreement. The project will further accelerate the transformative processes in the Western Dvina basin in Belarus by pilot testing conjunctive management solutions offered through the national Western Dvina River Basin Management Plan and providing targeted incremental support to concrete activities aimed at restoring and protecting valuable freshwater ecosystems and ecosystem services.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Environment Programme Officer at UNDP, Belarus and the UNDP Regional Technical Advisor on Climate Change Mitigation at UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) the International GEF Project Development Specialist - PPG Team Leader (hereinafter referred to as PPG Team Leader) will prepare the UNDP project document, including all the required annexes and supporting documentation, the GEF Request for CEO Endorsement, the climate change mitigation tracking tool/GEF Core indicators and any other document required by the GEF Secretariat and UNDP as a part of Western Dvina project submission package.

Please use the following link to get access to the TOR, Procurement Notice and full information on the application procedure:

  • Experience in team management confirmed by previous working experience in managing at least three employees;
  • Fluency in English;
  • Working knowledge of Russian will be an asset
  • Excellent report writing skills confirmed by at least 3 examples of reports

  • Master's degree or higher in a relevant field, such as environmental management, Natural Resource Management, Natural Sciences, Development Studies or another closely related field;
  • Minimum 7 years of demonstrable experience in the technical area of natural resource management/BD conservation;
  • Previous demonstrated experience in formulation of GEF-funded project proposals confirmed by at least two successful projects approved by the GEF;
  • Previous experience of working in the Eastern European and/or CIS countries will be an asset