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Autopsy Reports Reveal that Kim Yuri’s Death wasn’t Suicide.

25 Apr

It Wasn’t a Suicide.

A Couple of Days Ago, the media reported that supermodel Kim Yuri committed suicide by ingesting poison. Recent autopsy reports, however, have proved that it was neither a suicide or a homicide.

On April 20th, the Kangnam Police reported, “There were no signs of damage or wounds internally and externally, nor were there signs of poisoning. The media reports of her death being a suicide are completely false.”

At the time of her death, Kim Yuri weighted 47 kg at 177 cm. Because investigators found food in her body during the autopsy, they ruled out anorexia as a possibility as well. At the scene of her death, however, investigators instead found painkillers and cold medicine.

Further drug tests will be run to determine the cause of her death.

Source: Medical News Today, Nate, Allkpop | Shared by: rawr6127

– M

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Dereliction of Duty By President and Commander-In-Chief Obama–Sleeping While Americans Died–The Big Coverup and Scandal–The President Lied–Videos

Posted on February 7, 2013. Filed under: Blogroll, Communications, Crime, Diasters, Federal Government, government, government spending, Law, liberty, Life, Links, media, People, Philosophy, Pistols, Politics, Raves, Resources, Rifles, Security, Strategy, Talk Radio, Video, War, Weapons, Wisdom | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Former National Security Adiviser Bud McFarlane: For Obama to Do Nothing is Dereliction of Duty

Know The TRUTH ~ Step By Step ~ Bret Baier’s ~ ‘Death and Deceit in Benghazi’

Obama Confronted on Benghazi – Stutters Through Response!

Mark Levin – Obama’s “Dereliction of Duty”

Rush military caller says that Obama ordered no response to Benghazi attack

Father Of Murdered Navy Seal in Benghazi, Recounts Days After Attack – Judge Jeanine

Graham Questions Military Leaders on Response to Benghazi Attack

Part II: Graham Questions Military Leaders on Benghazi

Sen. Chambliss at Benghazi SASC Hearing

Panetta: Benghazi was a ‘problem of distance and time’.

No Word from Hillary During Benghazi Attack Panetta, Dempsey did not speak to Clinton

Panetta Defends Pentagon’s Benghazi Response

Senator Blunt Questions Secretary Panetta, General Dempsey About Benghazi Attacks

Rand Paul’s Reaction To Defense Secretary Panetta’s Benghazi Testimony – Fox News

Obama vs Panetta on Attacks in Benghazi – Obama Could have saved American Lives

Senators challenge military leaders on Benghazi attack response

“…The top two Defense Department officials were sharply challenged by lawmakers  Thursday on their insistent claims that nothing more could have been done to  save the four Americans who were killed in the Sept. 11 terror attack in  Benghazi.

Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey were  peppered with questions from Republican senators during a hearing before the  Senate Armed Services Committee. The officials claimed military aircraft and  other assets were too far away to get to the scene in time, and suggested armed  aircraft like F16s could have done more harm than good in a chaotic situation.  The senators, though, pressed the officials for a fuller explanation on why  military assets were not deployed to rescue Americans under attack that night —  in what will likely be their last chance to question the outgoing Defense  secretary.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., disputed testimony that the difficulty in  dispatching assets to the scene was “a problem of distance and time.” He  suggested the “light footprint” in the region and a failure to respond to  threats left the military ill-prepared.

“For you to testify that our posture would not allow a rapid response — our  posture was not there because we didn’t take into account the threats to that  consulate, and that’s why four Americans died,” he said. “We could have placed  forces there. We could have had aircraft and other capacity a short distance  away.”

He continued: “No forces arrived there until well after these murders took  place.”

Dempsey acknowledged having gotten word of a warning from the U.S. consulate  about being unable to withstand a sustained attack, but said the military never  got a request for support from the State Department.

“So it’s the State Department’s fault?” McCain asked, curtly.

“I’m not blaming the State Department,” Dempsey said.

McCain responded: “Who would you blame?”

Dempsey went on to claim that several U.S. posts were facing significant  threats, though McCain said none so much as Benghazi.

Shortly afterward, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., pressed Panetta again on why  no forces were deployed until after the attack was over. Dempsey and Panetta  said they talked to President Obama one time that night, but Graham questioned  why there weren’t subsequent follow-up conversations.

“It lasted almost eight hours … did the president show any curiosity?”  Graham asked.

Panetta said there was “no question” Obama “was concerned about American  lives.”

“With all due respect,” Graham responded, “I don’t believe that’s a credible  statement if he never called and asked you, ‘are we helping these  people?'”

The secretary’s testimony on Benghazi was long-sought by Republican  lawmakers. After then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified last month,  Graham had demanded that Panetta be brought before the Senate — threatening to  hold up the nomination of his prospective replacement Chuck Hagel over the  issue.

Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., announced last week that Panetta  would testify.

Responding to long-running questions about whether more military assets could  have been dispatched to protect those under fire in Libya on Sept. 11, Panetta  in his opening statement claimed there simply wasn’t enough time to do  more.

“There was not enough time given the speed of the attack for armed military  assets to respond,” he said before the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We were  not dealing with a prolonged or continuous assault which could have been brought  to an end by a U.S. military response. … Time, distance, the lack of an  adequate warning, events that moved very quickly on the ground prevented a more  immediate response.”

Still, he said the Pentagon “spared no effort … to save American  lives.”

Panetta was testifying in what may be his final public appearance on Capitol  Hill as he prepares to leave the department.

Panetta, in his testimony, detailed the military response on the day and  night of the attack.

As Fox News has previously reported, he said an unarmed, unmanned drone was  positioned overhead the Benghazi compound.

But he said armed aircraft like AC-130 gunships would have taken too long to  get there — “at least nine to 12 hours if not more to deploy.”

“This was, pure and simple … a problem of distance and time,” he  said.

Panetta said he also directed that a Marine Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team  stationed in Spain prepare to deploy in addition to a second FAST platoon; a  special operations force in Central Europe prepare to deploy to a staging base  in Southern Europe; and a special ops force in the U.S. similarly prepare to  deploy to Southern Europe.

As for what was happening in Libya, he claimed the “quickest response” was  the Tripoli-based team of six people which was sent to Benghazi.

“Members of this team, along with others at the annex facility, provided  emergency medical assistance and supported the evacuation of all personnel. Only  12 hours after the attacks had begun, all remaining U.S. government personnel  had been safely evacuated from Benghazi,” he said.

Since the September assault, some have questioned whether enough was done to  protect those at the consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi. Four Americans,  including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed that night.

There have been questions about the perceived delays CIA officials —  stationed in Benghazi — encountered that night and their frustration that air  support was not sent from nearby Sigonella air base. In recent weeks, Fox News  has learned that the rescue unit that left Tripoli was told that air support  would be above when they landed in Benghazi, but it wasn’t. …”

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February 24, 2015
Roeser Bucheit & Graham LLC is pleased to announce that Monica Singh has joined the firm as a litigation associate. Monica is a 2014 graduate of The John Marshall Law School. During law school she was an active member of the Trial Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Honors Council and served as a licensed student attorney for the Civil Actions Bureau of the State’s Attorney’s Office. Monica is also a graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where she received a bachelor of arts in political science, psychology, and Spanish.


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IN SUMMARIZING the period 1750–1850 let me state again the four trends in educational innovation that have ap-peared. First, there is the stream of thought from the European Enlightenment and the romanticism of Rousseau, which flowed more or less directly into English schools through Williams, Day, and the Edgeworths, although there were idiosyncratics like Gilpin and Manson before them. Second, there is the period of assimilation by a man like Owen, whose educational work bears traces of the Enlightenment and Pestalozzi and Fellenberg, but whose modulation of middle-class thinking to working-class problems is one of the remarkable contributions to change in this period. Yet it would be to oversimplify if it were not admitted that utopian experiments were not always working-class ventures. The point is, however, that Owen represents a second-generation version, a British adaptation of the Continental influences. Third, there is the straight line of thought from Bentham and Mill to the utilitarian theory and practice of the Hills at Hazelwood for the children of the urban intelligentsia.

Secondary Education British Adaptation Historical Context Main Line Compulsory Schooling

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© W. A. C. Stewart 1972

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  • W. A. C. Stewart

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text:
Portrait of an Enlightened Autocrat

  • Aleksandr A. Kizevetter
Part of the World Profiles book series (WOPR)

WHEN PETER THE GREAT set about transforming Russian state institutions, modeling them after their West European counterparts, he improved the external techniques of the administrative apparatus and also made some changes in the social organization of the estates. However, neither his administrative nor his social reform altered the basic principles upon which the Russian political order of that time rested. Though Russia had been provided with Swedish-type government institutions and dressed in German camisoles instead of semi-Asiatic kaftans, it remained a polity enserved from top to bottom, an autocratic monarchy in which all strata of the population without exception were required to perform service and pay dues to the ruler.

Love Affair German Accent Administrative Apparatus Male Harem Peasant Revolt

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© Marc Raeff 1972

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  • Aleksandr A. Kizevetter

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Biographies and Criticism

  • Glen Cavaliero

Forster’s writing was always closely related to his own time. Once certain youthful immaturities have been put behind, there is little development in his output, at any rate in terms of change: what we do find is a deepening and strengthening of concern, a wisdom that grows out of the earlier sharpness and frivolities in perfect continuity. (The frivolities, for better or worse, are never quite left behind.) Common to all his fiction is the theme of revelation, calling, judgement, salvation: although himself an unbeliever, Forster still worked in the psychological framework of the Christian myth. Because of this continuing preoccupation the later books throw light retrospectively upon the earlier ones; and the two biographies especially are significant for an understanding of the peculiar balance in his work between protest and conformity, visionary insight and common sense. While pursuing his ideals single-mindedly, he never disowned his origins or background. Both books are works of piety, and throw almost as much light upon their author as they do upon their subjects.

Mystical Experience Early Essay Psychological Framework Aesthetic Ideal Young Officer

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© Glen Cavaliero 1979

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  • Glen Cavaliero

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text:
Exact and Asymptotic Methods in Nonlinear Wave Theory

  • A. Jeffrey
Part of the CISM Courses and Lectures book series (CISM, volume 341)

In Section 1 the concepts of linear dispersive and dissipative wave propagation are reviewed, and then extended to travelling waves characterized by nonlinear evolution equations. The general effect of nonlinearity on the development of a wave is examined and the propagation speed of a discontinuous solution (shock) is derived. Various travelling wave solutions are discussed and soliton solutions of the KdV equation are mentioned. Section 2 reviews different ways of finding travelling wave solutions for the KdVB equation and comments on their equivalence. The ideas of weak and strong dispersion are then defined. The notion of a far field is introduced and hyperbolicity is discussed. Hyperbolic systems and waves form the topic of Section 3, which reviews Riemann invariants and simple waves, and their generalization. Shocks, the Riemann problem and entropy conditions are introduced. Sections 4 and 5 are concerned with the asymptotic derivation of far field equations both for systems and for scalar equations. The reductive perturbation method is described in Section 4 for weakly dispersive systems, while in Section 5 the multiple scale method is introduced and used to derive both the nonlinear Schrödinger and the KdV equation from a model nonlinear dispersive equation. Two physical examples with different evolution equations are given.

Solitary Wave Travel Wave Solution Asymptotic Method Burger Equation Discontinuous Solution

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  1. [1]
    Zabusky, N.I.: Exact solution for the vibrations of a nonlinear continuous model string. J. Math. Phys., 3 (1962), 1028–1239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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    Zabusky, N.I.: A synergetic approach to problems of nonlinear dispersive wave propagation and interaction. Proc. Symp. Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations. W. Ames, ed., Academic Press (1967), 223–258.Google Scholar
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    Zabusky, N.J. and M.D. Kruskal: Interaction of solitons in a collisionless plasma and the recurrence of initial states. Phys. Rev. Lett., 15 (1965), 240–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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    Jeffrey, A. and T. Kawahara: Asymptotic Methods in Nonlinear Wave Theory. Pitman, 1982.Google Scholar
  5. [5]
    Lamb, G.L.: Elements of Soliton Theory. Wiley, 1980.Google Scholar
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    Eckhaus, W. and A. Van Harten: The Inverse Scattering Transformation and the Theory of Solitons. Mathematical Studies 50, North Holland, 1981.Google Scholar
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    Dodd, R.K., Eilbeck, J.C., Gibbon, J.D. and H.L. Morris: Solitons and Nonlinear Wave Equations. Academic Press, 1982.Google Scholar
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    Drazin, P.G. and R.S. Johnson: Solitons: an Introduction. Cambridge Texts in Applied Mathematics, Cambridge University Press, 1989.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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    Ablowitz, M.J. and P.A. Clarkson: Solitons, Nonlinear Evolution Equations and Inverse Scattering. LMS Lecture Note 149, Cambridge University Press, 1991.Google Scholar
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    Konno, K. and A. Jeffrey: Some remarkable properties of two loop soliton solutions. J. Phys. Soc. Japan, 52 (1983), 1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. [11]
    Konno, K. and A. Jeffrey: The loop soliton. Advances in Nonlinear Waves (Ed. L. Debnath). Pitman Research Note 95 (1984), 162–182.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Wien 1994

Authors and Affiliations

  • A. Jeffrey
    • 1
  1. 1.University of Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon TyneUK

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text:
This evaluation guide is from The Council on Interracial Books for Children. The Teaching for Change website has an updated guide here:

Both in school and out children are exposed to racist and sexist attitudes. These attitudes – expressed over and over in books and other media – gradually distort their perceptions until stereotypes and myths about minorities and women are accepted as reality. It is difficult for a librarian or teacher to convince children to question society’s attitudes. But if a child can be shown how to detect racism and sexism in a book, the child can proceed to transfer the perception to wider areas. The following ten guidelines are offered as a starting point in evaluation children’s books from this perspective.

1. Check the Illustrations
Look for Stereotypes. A stereotype is an over-simplified generalization about a particular group, race or sex, which usually carries derogatory implications. Some infamous (overt) stereotypes of blacks are the happy-go-lucky, watermelon-eating Sambo and the fat, eye-rolling “mammy”; of Chicanos, the sombrero-wearing peon or fiesta-loving, macho bandito; of Asian Americans, the inscrutable, slant-eyed “Oriental”; of Native Americans, the naked savage or “primitive brave” and his “squaw”; of Puerto Ricans, the switchblade-toting teenage gang member; of women, the completely domesticated mother, the demure, doll-loving little girl or the wicked stepmother. While you may not always find stereotypes in the blatant forms described, look for variations which in any way demean or ridicule characters because of their race or sex.

Look for Tokenism. If there are racial minority characters in the illustrations, do they look just like whites except for being tinted or colored in? Do all minority faces look stereotypically alike, or are they depicted as genuine individuals with distinctive features?

Who’s Doing What? Do the illustrations depict minorities in subservient and passive roles or in leadership and action roles? Are males the active “doers” and females the inactive observers?

2. Check the Story Line
Liberation movements have led publishers to weed out many insulting passages, particularly from stories with Black themes and from books depicting female characters; however, racist and sexist attitudes still find expression in less obvious ways. The following checklist suggests some of the subtle (covert) form of bias to watch for.

Standards for Success. Does it take “white” behavior standards for a minority person to “get ahead”? Is “making it” in the dominant white society projected as the only ideal? To gain acceptance and approval, do persons of color have to exhibit extraordinary qualities – excel in sports, get As, etc.? In friendships between white and non-white children, is it the child of color who does most of the understanding and forgiving?

Resolution of Problems. How are problems presented, conceived and resolved in the story? Are minority people considered to be “the problem”? Are the oppressions faced by minorities and women represented as related to social injustice? Are the reasons for poverty and oppression explained, or are they accepted as inevitable? Does the story line encourage passive acceptance or active resistance? Is a particular problem that is faced by a racial minority person or female resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person or male?

Role of Women. Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their good looks or to their relationship with boys? Are sex roles incidental or critical to characterization and plot? Could the same story be told if the sex roles were reversed?

3. Look at the Lifestyles
Are minority persons and their setting depicted in such a way that they contrast unfavorably with the unstated norm of white middle-class suburbia? If the minority group in question is depicted as “different”, are negative value judgments implied? Are minorities depicted exclusively in ghettos, barrios, or migrant camps? If the illustrations and text attempt to depict another culture, do they go beyond over-simplifications and offer genuine insight into another lifestyle? Look for inaccuracy and inappropriateness in the depiction of other cultures. Watch for instances of the “quaint-natives-in-costume” syndrome (most noticeable in areas like clothing and custom, but extending to behavior and personality traits as well).

4. Weigh the Relationships Between People

Do the whites in the story possess the power, take the leadership, and make the important decisions? Do racial minorities and females of all races function is essentially supporting roles?

How are family relationships depicted? In Black families, is the mother always dominant? In Hispanic families, are there always lots of children? If the family is separated, are societal conditions – unemployment, poverty, for example – cited among the reasons for the separation?

5. Note the Heroes

For many years, books showed only “safe” minority heroes – those who avoided serious conflict with the white establishment of their time. Minority groups today are insisting on the right to define their own heroes (of both sexes) based on their own concepts and struggles for justice.

When minority heroes do appear, are they admired for the same qualities that have made white heroes famous or because what they have done has benefited white people? Ask this question: “Whose interest is a particular hero really serving?”

6. Consider the Effect on a Child’s Self-Image

Are norms established which limit any child’s aspirations and self-concept?

What effect can it have on images of the color white as the ultimate in beauty, cleanliness, virtue, etc., and the color black as evil, dirty, menacing, etc.? Does the book counteract or reinforce this positive association with the color white and negative association with black?

What happens to a girl’s self-image when she reads that boys perform all of the brave and important deeds? What about a girl’s self-esteem if she is not “fair” of skin and slim of body?

In a particular story, is there one or more persons with whom a minority child can readily identify to a positive and constructive end?

7. Consider the Author’s or Illustrator’s Background

Analyze the biographical material on the jacket flap or the back of the book. If a story deals with a minority theme, what qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the author and illustrator are not members of the minority being written about, is there anything in their background that would specifically recommend them as the creators of this book?

8. Check Out the Author’s Perspective

No author can be wholly objective. All authors write out of a cultural, as well as a personal context. Children’s books in the past have traditionally come from authors who were white and who were members of the middle class, with one result being that a single ethnocentric perspective has dominated children’s literature in the United States. With any book in question, read carefully to determine whether the direction of the author’s perspective substantially weakens or strengthens the value of his/her written work. Is the perspective patriarchal or feminist? is it solely eurocentric, or do minority cultural perspectives also appear?

9. Watch for Loaded Words

A word is loaded when it has insulting overtones. Examples of loaded adjectives (usually racist) are “savage,” “primitive,” “lazy,” “superstitious,” “treacherous,” “wily,” “crafty,” “inscrutable,” “docile,” and “backward”.”

Look for sexist language and adjectives that exclude or ridicule women.

Look for use of the male pronoun to refer to both males and females. While the generic use of the word “man” was accepted in the past, its use today is outmoded. The following examples show how sexist language can be avoided: ancestors instead of forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman; community instead of brotherhood; firefighters instead of firemen; manufactured instead of manmade; the human family instead of the family of man.

10. Look at the Copyright Date

Books on minority themes – usually hastily conceived – suddenly began appearing in the mid-1960s. There followed a growing number of ‘minority experience” books to meet the new market demand, but most of these were still written by the white authors, edited by white editors and published by white publishers. They therefore reflected a white point of view. Not until the early 1970s has the children’s book world begun to even remotely reflect the realities of a multiracial society. The new direction resulted from the emergence of minority authors writing about their own experiences. Unfortunately, this trend has been reversing, as publishers have cut back on such books. Non-sexist books, with rare exceptions, were not published before 1973.

The copyright dates, therefore, can be a clue as to how likely the book is to be overtly racist or sexist, although a recent copyright date, of course, is no guarantee of a book’s relevance or sensitivity. The copyright date only means the year the book was published. It usually takes about two years from the time a manuscript is submitted to the publisher to the time it is actually printed and put on the market. This time lag meant very little in the past, but in a time of rapid change and changing consciousness, when children’s book publishing is attempting to be “relevant,” it is becoming increasingly significant.


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12,500 In Nokia Division Laid Off By Microsoft

The job cuts are deep at Microsoft and Nokia got slashed the deepest.

Microsoft today announced that it will lay off 18,000 people (of about 127,000) over the next year with most of those cuts coming in the next six months. Of those cuts, Nokia will lose 12,500 employees that had come when Microsoft bought the cellphone manufacturer in a $7.17 billion acquisition that became official in April of this year.

“12,500 professional and factory positions will be eliminated through synergies and strategic alignment of the Nokia Devices and Services,” Microsoft said in a press release.

Microsoft did not go into specifics of which particular programs and departments are being cut in the Nokia division or in the remaining 5,500 positions that will be eliminated.

“[W]e are working to integrate the Nokia Devices and Services teams into Microsoft. We will realize the synergies to which we committed when we announced the acquisition last September. The first-party phone portfolio will align to Microsoft’s strategic direction. To win in the higher price tiers, we will focus on breakthrough innovation that expresses and enlivens Microsoft’s digital work and digital life experiences,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in an email to employees published by the company.

The cuts at Microsoft are larger than most analysts predicted. The projection was that Microsoft would cut about 10% of the workforce with most of those cuts coming on the Nokia side and global marketing positions. The 18,000 positions that Microsoft cut about to almost 15% of its total workforce.

Lead image: Former Nokia CEO and current Microsoft executive Stephen Elop at Mobile World Congress 2014 by Dan Rowinski for ReadWrite.

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Marianna Condo and Co-op Lawyers

Marianna Condo & Co-Op Lawyers, AR

Find the Right Lawyer Now

Condominium and Cooperative Law in Arkansas

Condominiums and cooperatives are types of "common interest" communities.

They are communities where each individual or family resident rents or owns a unit which is part of a larger building, containing other, similar, residential units. The residents are responsible responsible for the maintenance of the common areas of their living areas, such as gardens, walkways, lawns, and swimming pools. They normally meet this responsibility by paying a monthly fee to support this maintenance.

If you simply look at one of these communities, you won't be able to tell whether it's a cooperative or a condominium community.

There are no physical features unique to either one, which can be used to distinguish them. Rather, the difference lies in the legal arrangement that covers the relationships between the residents and managers. In condominium communities, the residents own the units they live in, and collectively own the land and buildings in which they are located. In a cooperative community, the units are rented, and are owned by a single entity.

Laws and Regulations Concerning Common Interest Communities in Marianna, Arkansas

There are many laws in Marianna, Arkansas that might be applicable to common interest communities. But most of these laws are not unique to common-interest communities. Rather, they usually concern zoning, land use, and contract law, which are applicable to most other types of real estate, as well.

Your day-to-day life in a common interest community will probablyy be impacted more by the rules set by the owner or manager of the property, rather than any local or state laws.

The land on which these communities sit is private property, so the owners have considerable leeway when it comes to setting rules regarding what tenants can and can't do on the property. These rules typically govern things like noise levels, cleanliness, long-term guests, and pets. They are often designed with the goal of balancing residents' rights to a clean and quiet neighborhood, with their individual autonomy.

The enforceability of some of these rules may depend on Marianna, Arkansas's laws governing relations between landlords and tenants.

Find a Marianna Lawyer that Specializes in Your Area of Need:

Can a Marianna, Arkansas Attorney Help?

If you have a dispute with a neighbor, your landlord, or your homeowners' association, a brilliant Marianna, Arkansas real estate attorney can be instrumental in obtaining a desired outcome.

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Archive for category Prudential Georgia Realty

New mobile app for local real estate

Prudential Georgia Realty has introduce a new mobile app for Android and iPhone! For instructions on downloading it, text TinaH to 404-620-2300. Even if you aren’t shopping, it’s fun to keep up with everything that’s going on in the market. Here are a few of the great features available:

Tina Hunsicker

  • Best Local Real Estate App for Greater Metro Atlanta
  • Listings from all MLS’s
  • Sold Properties from MLS
  • Recently Rented from MLS
  • New Home Properties
  • Short Sales/Foreclosures
  • Property Scan/Augmented Reality

Download it and let me know what you think of it!

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Questions and Answers – February 2014 Edition

It’s snowing again… another four or five inches and more coming down… at least it’s warmer!  Let’s do this!

Marilyn: Going back to my question of a couple days ago, I am wondering what kinds
of gear is “standard” when you are spending a whole day “in the saddle” –

Hmmm.  A little variation depending on the time of year, but let’s see… I have my little front horn bags to pack stuff in most of the time, so I can take a fair amount.  Water bottle (usually half frozen to keep it cool longer!), collapsible dog bowl (depending on where we’re riding and how much water there might be along the way (sometimes a water bottle for dogs too!), camera for sure!, I try to keep a bandana in there (useful for so many things), a string of baling twine (ditto).  Now in my pockets I have kleenex (gotta have), some hard candy, chapstick, pocket knife, fire starter/lighter, and a silk neck scarf and gloves.  I may throw in a granola bar or two, or dried fruit, whatever I might have… just in case!  I dress in layers so to be prepared… and that’s about it.  I try not to overload, but I figure I might as well pack some food… some days are Really Long!  The guys don’t take anything, though they don’t refuse my offer of granola bars sometimes either!

Liza: Does Lucas still go to school to help kids read?

No.  We did it for two years.  The superintendent down here has asked me other times to return, but that’s easy for him to say.  Teachers have to make time for us, and they just never got around to it that third year and so I let our certification lapse.  It really is too bad, because we both enjoyed it.  I checked with the hospital (no way), and the rest homes let dogs visit their owners on occasion anyway.

Judy: Question… what method do you use to keep your chickens warm in winter and do they go outside in the pen during the day time even in the snow?

I use a single heat lamp in their coop.  I leave it on constantly in this extreme cold.  I do let them out, or at least open the door, and if the sun is out, they will come out and peck around.  They’re not crazy about walking through snow, but if it melts back a bit and they can get to dirt, they’ll be out there scratching around.  We’ve now a foot and more of snow on the ground, except where Vernon’s bladed or there’s ruts, so they don’t travel far.  They’re still free range chickens, but they’re fair weather free range chickens!

GD: Did I somehow miss the story about that adorably little calf? What was it?

That was last spring… probably March!  He was just chilled down from being born in a storm, and we had him inside to warm up.  I’m designing my downstairs bathroom with calves like him in mind…

Meadow Lark: You have 2 sons that work on your property and I’ve only read about 2 homes. Do your sons and their families share a house or does one family live “off-site”?

Daniel and Tess live in my old house and Brandon and Megan live just out of sight from me up here at the Mills place.  I probably just haven’t mentioned Brandon’s because I never lived there!  Johnny has his own place as well.

Gina: I am glad that it is question time again. My husband and I need to purchase a new camera and are wondering what you use to take the great pictures we see? And do you have any suggestions for great picture taking? (opps that is 2 questions)Ok here is another, how do you carry the camera so that you have it ready for those great pictures? Our last camera was a pocket sized one, which we kept in our pockets often, and now it is grinding when we turn it on – culprit is sand and dirt. I would love to hear what you have to say!

Oh, Gina, I’m SO hard on cameras, and have written about it!  I’m using a Canon SX260hs right now.  In fact, I bought a new one because this one has been giving me little signs that it may be on its downward slide, but it has lasted MUCH longer than some of the others I owned.  I loved the Panasonic point and shoot, but I had a series of them for a while, each lasting only 3 months before the dirt ruined them!  It’s the one I always carry, stuck in its case, stuck in a pocket.  I leave it unzipped (unless having to trot a lot or if there’s tons of dust), just so I can pull it out quickly.  I do have an Olympus E-500 that I love, the quality is amazing, but it is just too hard to pack around in this dirt!  If I’m driving somewhere, the Olympus is there, but otherwise it gets left at home.  Best tip for taking great pictures, besides taking a LOT of photos?  Don’t just stand there, change your perspective, bend over, squat down, lay down, hold the camera up high, shoot… tip it sideways!  I used to take what I called OOPE photos (Out Of Pocket Experience) when my camera was big and clunky, just aiming the lens out of my pocket, and I actually took some good pics that way (unusual, but good!)  Here’s some pics of me proving my point!  Thanks to C. for the portraits of me!

Carol portraitCarol portraitCarol portrait

Questions and Answers – February 2014 Edition — 7 Comments

  1. I love these pictures…..I am a photographer on the side, but it’s usually not staged, but on the fly. I do a lot of desert off-road exploring; old mines, abandoned homesteads, just cool stuff. I have a Canon 7D and it gets horribly dusty (as well as all my lenses). I recently go a used 260sx also because it is lighter, but already it is starting to grind a little. I’m thinking it needs to go in for regular cleanings with my other stuff.

    Maybe someday someone will capture pictures of me doing what I love!

    • Sounds like fun, Karyn! I have a new 260 on standby, not even out of the box, just waiting for this one to croak! I’ve even asked Canon to let me field test their cameras… I could definitely put them to a difficult test… but never heard from them!

      • I think you should try again with Canon, show that you have a large readership, and see if they will re-consider. Seems like a win-win to me!

  2. Loved the Q and A today, was a really good one! Oh, don’t know if I ever shared w/ you how much better my chicks have been laying this winter with a little hot cooked oats on these really cold mornings, it is amazing the difference it makes!

    • Hot cooked oats??? Really. I never would have thought of cooking breakfast for my chickens! Are you getting more? Our girls are, what, two now??? I’ve noticed the copper marans look nice…

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Analyst: Apple and America’s big internet companies have no reason to fear a Trump trade war with China (AAPL, AMZN, GOOGL, NFLX, FB)

Tim Cook Donald Trump

  • The tariffs that President Trump is reportedly threatening to impose on Chinese electronics products has some investors worried about how the big US tech firms may be affected.
  • Investors ought not be overly worried, GBH Insights analyst Daniel Ives said Wednesday in a research note.
  • The FANG companies — Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google — have minimal business in China, so have little at risk, Ives noted.
  • While Apple has greater risk, Ives said it too is likely to emerge largely unscathed.

President Trump’s potential plan to target Chinese electronics and other imports with as much as $60 billion in tariffs has investors worried, including those who focus on the tech sector.

But those fears are overblown, at least where they concern the biggest tech names, said Daniel Ives, a financial analyst who focuses on the sector for GBH Insights, in a research note Wednesday. Any tariffs should have “minimal” effect on Apple, the world’s largest tech company, and the so-called FANGs — Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google — even if it sparks a retaliation from China, Ives said.

“It’s scary headlines,” Ives told Business Insider. But when you scrutinize the potential effects on the companies, “the financial ramifications are a lot more de minimis than the scary worries.”

The president, prompted by concerns about Chinese companies stealing US intellectual property, is reportedly pushing for a plan to slap tariffs on a range of electronics and telecommunications products made in China. Such a move, on the heels of steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the President earlier this month, has stoked fears of a larger, cross-Pacific trade war with American tech companies caught in the crossfire.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 249 points on Wednesday, as concerns of of a looming trade war roiled the markets.

Apple in particular would seem to be especially vulnerable. Not only are the iPhone, iPad, and its other major products manufactured in China, but China — together with Hong Kong and Taiwan — has become its third largest regional market around the world.

Of the big tech companies, Apple is indeed the most at risk in a trade war with China, Ives said. The internet-focused FANGs generally do little business in China, in part because Google pulled out of the market years ago and Facebook’s service is blocked by the government. But even Apple is unlikely to suffer much as a result of Trump’s potential tariffs or any corresponding moves by China, Ives said.

The tariffs would be a rounding error for Apple

The tariffs the administration is considering would likely add about $50 million in costs to what Apple pays to manufacture goods in China each year, Ives estimated. Even if those tariff-related costs doubled, the total effect on Apple would be basically insignificant, he said. Just by comparison, in the holiday quarter alone, Apple spent $54 billion manufacturing, shipping, and distributing its products.

Apple CEO Tim Cook waves as he attends a talk in Beijing October 23, 2014. China Daily/via REUTERS/File Photo “If you look at it in the scheme of things, [$50 million] is a rounding error,” Ives said.

The bigger concern for Apple is not the tariffs the Trump administration may impose, but how China may respond. The country could potentially make it difficult or much more costly for Apple to do business. That could be problematic for Apple, considering that the Greater China region accounted for 20% of its total sales and 28% of its operating income last year.

But Ives thinks China will be careful to not harm Apple, even if it does retaliate in a trade war. Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has gone to great lengths to be on good terms with the Chinese government and has invested billions of dollars into the country, including through its investment in Didi, China’s counterpart to Uber. China will likely be loath to destabilize those investments or its relationship with Apple, Ives said.

“When all is said and done, I think the bark’s worse than the bite there,” he said.

Amazon can absorb any tariff pain

Jeff BezosOf the FANGs, the one that could see the most effect is Amazon, Ives said. Many of the electronics products it sells through its store are made in China. That includes its Echo smart speakers, which are part of the company’s big push into selling its own hardware.

But Amazon’s Echo sales are still a relatively small part of its overall business, Ives noted. And at most, the tariffs will likely increase what Amazon pays for the electronics goods it sells by 1% to 2%, he said.

“That’s something they could easily pass on or absorb. It’s pretty insignificant,” Ives said.

He continued: “For now, I view this as more noise than actually having an impact to the bottom line.”

SEE ALSO: Trump is considering a move that could set off ‘the next great crisis’ with China

Join the conversation about this story »

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Reviewing ‘How To Grow an Addict’ by J A WRIGHT

How to Grow an Addict

From the very first paragraph I found myself feeling an unease for the child, Randall, beginning the tale of her growth. Her casual chatter at the age of seven is real, and reveals how her choices are, for her, natural. Only we can see the causal link between her parents and her actions, her future. It is easy to feel disgust towards her parents and elder brother as they wear away her childhood.

Flashes of innocent and charming family life offer occasional lighter, more pleasant moments–but always there comes the whirl of fear, pain, loneliness and anger, all of which drive her further down her path to a life out of control.

It is an uncomfortable journey we travel with her as she grows older and more addicted. The beginnings of her reluctant recovery offer some hope for her future, yet we know it will be a long path. Only the naive could believe otherwise.

Not a scholarly treatise in drug addiction management, but the truth of where addiction begins, the damage it does, and the need to recognise when it is time to accept and action recovery. Ms Wright’s honesty and simplicity makes this a work of art. The book is one I would see in every secondary school’s library, as it could give some young teen the unease enough to get the strength to say no or to get help, as the ending is hopeful.

Ms Wright approached me directly to review this, and I want to say “Thank you for the chance to help get How To Grow an Addict into more hands.” Best start to the 2016 year of reviews Ever.

Note: How To Grow an Addict was a 2015 USA Best Book Awards Finalist for Literary Fiction

Publisher: SheWritesPress_Longof Berkeley, US; 2015

ISBN: 978-1-63152-991-7

Buy :   Amazon publishing_logog

Please, leave a comment –
Will you investigate it further?
Are you likely to buy it?
When you’ve read it – what’s your opinion?
To whom would you recommend reading it?

Thank you.
“Red Penn”

2 thoughts on “Reviewing ‘How To Grow an Addict’ by J A WRIGHT

  1. Sounds like this book definitely needs to be in all schools. It might well be the tool to spare others a lot of heartache and pain… Siobhán Foster (author)

    Liked by 1 person

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VanDoodewaard, Rebecca

Cultivating Biblical Godliness - How Should I Exercise Hospitality?

Cultivating Biblical Godliness - How Should I Exercise Hospitality?

Book Description:

Hospitality, or showing love to strangers, is a Christian duty (Rom. 12:13). It does not require fine china, multiple courses, or perfectly clean and decorated homes. It requires that we share our time, homes, meals, and fellowship with others-and if we understand salvation as God showing hospitality to former enemies, we will want to do so. Thinking through the practical issues of inviting people into our homes can make practicing it easier. This booklet presents seven ways that can help us think practically about how to follow our Lord's command in this area.

Rebecca VanDoodewaard is a wife, mother, and author of several books. She and her husband lived many places before moving to Grand Rapids.

"This is one of those little booklets that could have massive consequences---for good and for eternity. As I read it, I caught a beautiful and inspiring vision of biblical hospitality. But I also got multiple common-sense practical suggestions to help turn the dream into reality. May God use these pages to transform many thousands of homes into welcoming havens of gospel-centered friendship and fellowship." -David Murray, professor of Old Testament and practical theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and a pastor in the Free Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cultivating Biblical Godliness Series: D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, 'The world today is looking for, and desperately needs, true Christians. I am never tired of saying that what the Church needs to do is not to organize evangelistic campaigns and attract outside people, but to begin herself to live the Christian life. If she did that, men and women would be crowding into our buildings. They would say, 'What is the secret of this?' Many people who are new to the church need instruction in the most basic aspects of godly living. Even where churches are engaged heavily in discipleship, visitors and members often have gaps in their understanding and practice. One of the greatest needs of our time is for the Spirit of God to cultivate biblical godliness in us in order to put the glory of Christ on display through us, all to the glory of God the Father. For these reasons, Joel Beeke and Ryan McGraw are coediting a series of booklets titled Cultivating Biblical Godliness. These booklets treat matters that are vital to Christian experience, and each contribution aims to address a wide variety of people and circumstances at a fundamental and introductory level. This includes teaching people what to believe in order to practice personal holiness as well as specific directions on how to cultivate biblical godliness in relation to issues that are common to God's people. The distinctive feature of this series is its experiential tone. While some booklet series aim to enlighten the mind, these booklets aim to warm the affections as well. The goal is to promote communion with the triune God and to transform the entire person in thought, speech, and behavior. To this end, we intend to include a wide range of authors whom the Spirit has blessed to skillfully stir up the church to personal holiness and affection to Christ through their preaching and writing ministries. We need a Christianity that puts the transformative power of God in the gospel on display through developing a communion with God that is visible to the world. Our prayer is that through this series, the Lord would revive His church by producing Christians who are full of love for Christ, who deny themselves in order to follow Him at great personal cost, and who know the joys of walking with the triune God. This is the kind of Christianity that we need. This is the kind of Christianity that the triune God has used to turn the world upside down. May He be pleased to do so again.

Series Editors: Joel R. Beeke is President and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, a pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a prolific author. Ryan M. McGraw is pastor of First OPC in Sunnyvale, CA. He is also author of The Day of Worship: Reassessing the Christian Life in Light of the Sabbath.

Additional Information:

Number of Pages:24
Publisher:Reformation Heritage Books
Publication Date:2017


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What’s so ‘Super’ about that Tuscan?

It is a matter of much debate who was the first to coin the now trendy moniker, although their origins are mostly attributed to the hallmark wines Tignanello and Sassicaia beginning in 1974, both marketed by Antinori. What is more clear about the history of these lovely wines is that Super Tuscans originated in Italy as wine estates aimed to make higher quality wines that didn’t necessarily fit the strict legal regulations in place for wine production as set out by the DOC.

It is hard to imagine in the relaxed landscape of California where we have some general laws about labeling appellation or varietal but otherwise are relatively free to experiment, blend, and proprietarily name to our delight. In Italy the DOC regulations mandated everything from which varietals could be grown in which regions including the strict percentages in which they must be blended (like the inclusion of white grapes in Tuscan red wine!), to precise accepted levels of alcohol, acidity, and extract as well as establishing viticultural regulations such as restrictions on yield and specific winemaking practices. These laws preserved the practices of low quality and high quantity. Wine estates that dared step outside the box were relegated to the lowest generic label of Vino da Tavola (or table wine) that had been historically the mark of bulk swill. These quality wines changed the ideology by wearing Vino da Tavola as a badge of honor, which began a revolution in Tuscan estates. With the goal of creating wines of more depth, intensity and body, estates began the previously unthinkable use of French oak barrels and blending with international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Regale Winery Super TuscanOur Regale Super Tuscan calls to mind that focus on quality that is present in all Regale Wines, and pays homage to the producers who dared to step outside the expected boundaries of the time. In classic Tignanello style, our Super Tuscan is a blend of predominantly Sangiovese with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. While we didn’t trek to Italy, our Super Tuscan grapes were sourced from the Napa Valley on the lower end of the Silverado Trail. With a smoky, earthy nose, ripe cherry and currant on the palate and a rich tannic finish, this wine definitely represents what you would expect from a classic Super Tuscan.

Now that you know a little more about the history of Super Tuscans, come taste at Regale to see just how super a Super Tuscan can be!


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You’ll Always Need Your Mommy

Today is the 2nd birthday celebration of my nephew. Celebrated at Gymboree with other toddlers, including my own. Oh the bravery in just watching a room full of toddlers bounce, jump, roll, slide, and run at full speed – all the parents are saying a prayer hoping their kid won’t get trampled on or ran over. I see so many different personalities – the quiet and shy, the observer, the confident, the clown, the sweet and polite, the independent…

Kids grow up so fast. You blink and they just learned something new. Tonight I heard my baby girl say “pajamas” to my 8 year old, when just minutes prior I was telling her it was time to put on her pajamas. I look at her and admittedly, I don’t want her to grow up. I want her to always need me. I want to always hear that babble she speaks. I want her to be my baby forever. In a way, kids – no matter how old they are – will always need their parents. I think about the many times I have needed my mother, moreso as an adult. Let’s get real – when you’re young, you think you know everything. I wonder how I would cope without  my mom in my life to confide in or solicit advice. Oh the many times I’ve called her crying or to announce a proud moment in my life. I hope my Ella will always need me, no matter how old, how successful and how independent she may be. I hope she will always know that she can come to her Mommy whenever she needs anything. The same goes for my other kids – I hope they always know that they have me to turn to, and that I will never let them down. No matter how old they are, where they live, how many kids they have, and how much money is in their bank account, that I will always be there to lend them advice, share my own experiences, teach them something new, cook their favorite meal, comfort them, or just listen…whatever they may need they can always count on me. Something inside me tells me that they already know this.

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Need for HRP at Macro Level

Human Resource Planning is a mandatory part of every organization’s annual planning process. Every organization that plans for its business goals for the year also plans for how it will go about achieving them, and therein the planning for the human resource

Major reasons for the emphasis on HRP at macro level include:

1. Employment Unemployment Situation

Though in general the number of educated unemployed is on the rise, there is acute shortage for a variety of skills. This emphasizes the need for more effective recruitment and retaining people.

2. Technological Changes

The myriad changes in production technologies, marketing methods and management techniques have been extensive and rapid. Their effect has been profound on job contents and job contexts. These changes cause problems relating to redundancies, retraining and redeployment. All these suggest the need to plan manpower needs intensively and systematically.

3. Organizational Changes

In the turbulent environment marked by cyclical fluctuations and discontinuities, the nature and pace of changes in organizational environment, activities and structures affect manpower requirements and require strategic considerations.

4. Demographic Changes

The changing profile of the work force in terms of age, sex, literacy, technical inputs and social background have implications for HRP.

5. Skill Shortages

Unemployment does not mean that the labour market is a buyer’s market. Organizations have generally become more complex and require a wide range of specialist skills that are rare and scarce. Problems arise when such employees leave.

6. Governmental Influences

Government control and changes in legislation with regard to affirmative action for disadvantaged groups, working conditions and hours of work, restrictions on women and child employment, casual and contract labout, etc. have stimulated the organizations to become involved in systematic HRP.

7. Legislative Controls

The days of executive fiat and ‘hire and fire’ policies are gone. Now legislation makes it difficult to reduce the size of an organization quickly and cheaply. It is easy to increase but difficult to shed the fat in terms of the numbers employed because of recent changes in labour law relating to lay-offs and closures. Those responsible for managing manpower must look far ahead and thus attempt to foresee manpower problems.

8. Impact of Pressure Groups

Pressure groups such as unions, politicians and persons displaced from land by location of giant enterprises have been raising contradictory pressures on enterprise management such as internal recruitment and promotions, preference to employees’ children, displace persons, sons of the soil etc.

9. Systems Concept

The spread of systems thinking and the advent of the macro-computer as part of the on-going revolution in information technology which emphasizes planning and newer ways of handling voluminous personnel records.

10 Lead Time

The long lead time is necessary in the selection process and for training and deployment of the employee to handle new knowledge and skills successfully.

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Benchmarking has a long history going back to early days of evolution, since then it has evolved a lot and has been an integral part of our daily lives.

Benchmarking is the process of identifying “best practice” in relation to both products (including) and the processes by which those products are created and delivered. The search for “best practice” can take place both inside a particular industry, and also in other industries (for example – are there lessons to be learned from other industries?).

Benchmarking is an activity that tells you your position or status by comparing yourself to others. The reason for comparison is to understand where you are today and what might be the some areas that you need to improve

Think about it in basic terms – you measure a piece of wood along your bench. You keep one end of the wood level/flush with the end of the bench and cut a notch in the bench itself with your chisel at the other end. Then you place other pieces of wood in the same location – the shorter ones you reject and the longer ones you cut down. A benchmark is a measurement tool.

In today’s global business environment it is essential that we compare ourselves to others, to

–      Understand are we making more money than competitors

–      How does my business compare with the rest in the same industry

–      Are there others out there that have similar problem

–      If yes, have they solved them and how

–      Where do I stand in comparison to them

Types of Benchmarking

How does benchmarking work?

There are some steps which you should take in order to have a successful benchmarking

  1. Define what you want to benchmark i.e. reputation, brand, and staff motivation
  2. Define appropriate comparators or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) like sales, margins, productivity, costs, etc…
  3. Ensure comparisons are comparable; we should not be comparing apples to oranges. This can be done by defining segments within the organization
  4. Gather data in an independent manner and make sure it is consistent by collecting data and mapping into standard charts
  5. Produce customized and meaningful reports which not only are simple to understand but also show your performance over a period of time

Benefits of benchmarking (Gift 1996)

  1. It is an effective approach for achieving operational change. Benchmarks are the catalyst that moves an organization to higher levels of performance.
  2. Since customer requirements are so rigorously defined, benchmarking improves customer orientation.
  3. It focuses upon the processes that improve results – not simply results.
  4. Performance measures are often improved as a result of benchmarking.
  5. Decision making improves because the organization has enhanced customer knowledge, process focus, and performance measures.
  6. Benchmarking improves innovation and creativity since self-imposed barriers to success are removed.
  7. One can gain better understanding of all aspects of business like sales, margins

Pitfalls with benchmarking.

  1. Benchmarking needs to be supported and driven by senior leaders.
  2. Prerequisites (such as organizational structure, processes) need to be in place.
  3. Conducting benchmarking for the wrong reasons can be problematic e.g. to produce data – ignoring processes and insights gained into practices that produce benchmarks.
  4. Selecting the wrong benchmarks.
  5. Selecting the wrong benchmark partner.
  6. Not gaining management support for plans resulting from benchmarks.

Marketing benchmarking

When applying benchmarking techniques to an organization’s marketing activities you are essentially comparing one or a number of your company’s marketing activities to those of another part of the business, a competitor or a business that operates in another industry. Vorhies and Morgan (2005) used the following marketing benchmarks in their research:

  • Pricing
  • Product Development
  • Channel Management
  • Marketing Communications
  • Selling
  • Market Information Systems
  • Marketing Planning
  • Marketing Implementation

Essentially they focus upon the marketing mix, marketing information, planning and operations. Each of these could be sub-divided and new factors introduced e.g. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – to suit your own organization’s marketing strategy.

Comparisons are great, however there is a catch, only things that are comparable can be compared. When these comparisons are done it is called benchmarking

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Monday, November 27, 2017

A Quilt (Top) for E

Ever since I finished Z's quilt (top) back in February, the squares for E's quilt have been sitting forlornly on my sewing table, gathering dust and waiting for someone to come and do something with them. Around mid-October, I finally got the inspiration to put them together (probably fueled by something else I wasn't inspired to do, like clean the house or write a book), and so I cleared and dusted my sewing area, threaded my machine, and put a few squares together.

Then the late October mega-windstorm came, wiping out both our internet and the daily solitude that's a prerequisite to writing (did I mention the kids got a whole week off school with that one?), and I got cracking, putting together most of the squares. The momentum continued, and in less than a month, I had the whole top assembled, which is something of a record, even if you include the years since I started cutting pieces.

The original motif was to have been frogs, and I started with some fabrics from my stash and some my mom sent me. Over time the theme expanded to include salamanders, lizards, turtles, alligators, butterflies, crickets, beetles, fish, and parrots. I guess we can call it "Non-Mammal Vertebrates Plus Insects." I suppose it would have been more age-appropriate had I finished it back in 2014, but who doesn't love frogs, really? They're timeless. And he doesn't have to take it to college with him if he doesn't want to.

 In the meantime, I got Z's quilt back from the long-arm quilter months ago.

We chose a quilting pattern called "West Wind," which is highly appropriate, and not only for the nature theme of the quilt. For the backing, my quilter recommended this tan and brown flannel with a pattern like tree rings and to my surprise, I liked it. The front is so busy, that a neutral backing made sense. After much hemming and hawing, I've decided to use the same fabric for the binding, not only because I have a lot of it (nice and long so I won't have to do much piecing), but also because I thought it would be lovely to have a soft flannel edge to one's quilt.

I was hoping to give both to the boys for Christmas, but I finished E's to late to get it quilted. I'll have to wrap up the top for him with a promise of finishing it in the new year—a family tradition I carry on from when my mom used to wrap up fabric and a pattern or yarn and needles, the promise of a gift later on.

1 comment:

  1. I love both of them! Eric's quilt has been finished for awhile but we just brought it to him in September. It is frog themed, also.

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Thursday, December 22, 2016

A Scary Merry Christmas: Francis Lectures Roman Curia Featured

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You are spiritually sick, malicious, and tools of the devil.

It’s Christmastime again. That means it’s time for the Pope who says But never judge. Never” to issue his annual judgments on the character defects and spiritual illnesses of members of the Roman Curia who are resisting his “reforms.”

In his annual “Christmas Greetings” (more like “Christmas Condemnations”), Francis reminds the Curia that he has already twice (2014 and 2015) diagnosed their “diseases” of soul and prescribed “catalogue of virtues [emphasis in original] necessary for curial officials and all those who wish their consecration or service to the Church to become more fruitful.” This year, Francis heaps more insults on the mountain of crude opprobrium with which he has attempted to bury any opposition to whatever he would like to do under the rubric of the Protestant slogan semper reformanda (falsely attributed to Saint Augustine, who said nothing of a Church that must constantly reform itself as opposed to maintaining or restoring what has been handed down).

According to Francis, “the semper reformanda must also become, in the case of the Curia, a permanent personal and structural process of conversion”—that is, a reform that never ends, the ceaseless mobilism of Modernist theology. But there are those who resist the semper reformanda on account of “disease” for which there must be “cures because every surgical operation, if it is to be successful, must be preceded by detailed diagnosis and careful analysis, and needs to be accompanied and followed up by precise prescriptions.” The Curia not yet having responded to the cure, however, Francis now reiterates his diagnosis and prescription for treatment of intractable cases of Reform Resistance Disease (RRD).

First of all, Francis allows that “[t]here can be cases of open resistance [emphasis in original], often born of goodwill and sincere dialogue”—often, but not always, as we shall see. But then there are “cases of hidden resistance [emphasis in original], born of fearful or hardened hearts content with the empty rhetoric of ‘spiritual window-dressing’ typical of those who say they are ready for change, yet want everything to remain as it was before.” This would be the moderate form of RRD, suffered by those whose flesh is willing to undergo the process of endless reform, but whose spirit is weak.  They talk the talk of endless reform, but will not walk the walk.

The severe form of RRD, on the other hand, involves the symptom of “malicious resistance [emphasis in original],” which is clearly the gravamen of Francis’s complaint. The malicious form of RRD—as if we didn’t know it after three years of this sort of propaganda—manifests itself in those who are attached to Tradition: “misguided minds… when the devil inspires ill intentions (often cloaked in sheep’s clothing).  This last kind of resistance hides behind words of self-justification and often accusation; it takes refuge in traditions, appearances, formalities, in the familiar…” There must be no hiding behind traditions! The patient must take his bitter medicine and be prepared to leave all that behind as the cure takes effect.

The “good cases of resistance,” says Francis, are “necessary and merit being listened to, welcomed and their expression encouraged, because this is a sign that the body is living”—although, of course, this good resistance will not deter Francis in the least. It is rather like a fever in the patient, a sign that the body is fighting the disease. But the malicious form of RRD must be stamped out—by removal and quarantine of the infected patients if necessary.

In that regard, everyone must be reminded that the cure for RRD is not only “prayer, much prayer, profound humility” but also “responsible exercise of power, unconditioned obedience”, which means “supporting the Roman Pontiff in the exercise of his singular, ordinary, full, supreme, immediate and universal power.”

Odd—is it not? —how the persona of “Roman Pontiff” suddenly makes its appearance when Francis is demanding obedience to his novelties. But the same Roman Pontiff is nowhere to be seen when it comes to obeying the defined dogmas and perennial doctrines and disciplines of the Holy Catholic Church.

For any sufferer from RRD who still does not accept the diagnosis and treatment, there is the catch-all gnostic prescription of “abandonment to the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit and trust in his necessary support.” That is, to resist the reforms of Francis is to resist the very will of the God of Surprises of whose latest auguries the ad hoc Roman Pontiff is the sole oracle. There is never any suggestion that the same Holy Spirit would ever inform Francis that he is on the wrong course. Like the Protestant version of the Holy Spirit, the version promoted by Francis infallibly confirms what one wishes to hear—except in the case of those suffering from RRD, who are never in touch with “the Spirit” but only with their own rigidity and pride.

Among the reforms the God of Surprises is demanding through Francis—in the Church that never stops reforming—is what Francis describes as “a simplification and streamlining of the Curia.” Here is how Francis describes his work of “simplification” thus far:

·         the Council of Cardinals (Consilium Cardinalium Summo Pontifici) … was created…

·         the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Institute for Works of Religion was established…

·         … the COSEA (Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organization of the Economic-Administrative Structure) was instituted…

·         … the Holy See’s Financial Security Committee was established…

·         … the Financial Intelligence Authority (AIF), established by Benedict XVI… was consolidated.

·         … the Secretariat for the Economy and the Council for the Economy were established to replace the Council of 15 Cardinals…

·         the Office of General Auditor (URG) was established as a new agency of the Holy See…

·         … the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was established…

·         … the Ordinary Section of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See was transferred to the Secretariat for the Economy…

·         … the Statutes of the new economic agencies were approved….

·         … the Secretariat for Communication was established …

·         … the Statutes of the Secretariat for Communication were promulgated…

·         ... the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life was established…

·         … the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development was established… four Pontifical Councils—Justice and Peace,Cor Unum, the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and Healthcare Workers—will be merged into this Dicastery…

This “simplification” of the Roman Curia might appear to be a multiplication of bureaucratic agencies and a reshuffling of some existing agencies, accompanied by a blizzard of new Vatican rules and regulations. But that would be the outlook of one suffering from moderate to severe RRD. Anyone in touch with the “Spirit” would know that “simplify” does not necessarily mean “make simpler.” Simplify could also mean complicate. In the same way, defending the indissolubility of marriage could also mean ignoring the indissolubility of marriage by allowing people in invalid “second marriages” to receive Holy Communion while their valid sacramental marriages to other people subsist.

Let it not be thought that Francis limits his diagnosis and prescription to members of the Curia. Speaking more generally, he calls for “gradualism (discernment)” in the overall process of never-ending reform. By this he means “the necessary discernment entailed by historical processes, the passage of time and stages of development, assessment, correction, experimentation, and approvals ad experimentum.  In these cases, it is not a matter of indecision, but of the flexibility needed to be able to achieve a true reform.” And what exactly constitutes a “true reform”? Evidently, that is for Francis to know and for the members of the Curia (and the rest of the Church) to find out as the God of Surprises reveals his will in a continuing gnostic download of the latest instructions during a Hegelian outrolling of “historical processes”—but always instructions for change and never restoration, which is the old idea of reform Francis has diagnosed as a disease that must be cured.

As a parting insult, Francis distributed to all the members of the Curia in attendance a classic Jesuit text “ad curandos animae morbos”—on caring for diseases of the soul. There is no indication that anyone in attendance—in the “spirit of dialogue,” of course—dared to propose to this most humble of Popes a cure to which Our Lord Himself alluded in the Sermon on the Mount: “Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?”

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Christopher A. Ferrara

Christopher A. Ferrara: President and lead counsel for the American Catholic Lawyers Inc., Mr. Ferrara has been at the forefront of the legal defense of pro-lifers for the better part of a quarter century. Having served with the legal team for high profile victims of the culture of death such as Terri Schiavo, he has long since distinguished him a premier civil rights Catholic lawyer.  Mr. Ferrara has been a lead columnist for The Remnant since 2000 and has authored several books published by The Remnant Press, including the bestseller The Great Façade. Together with his children and wife, Wendy, he lives in Richmond, Virginia.

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Wednesday, March 1, 2017

A Little Ash Wednesday Reminder Featured

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crucifiedNo matter what happens in Rome, with our most unfortunate Pope. No matter what the gods of the so-called New World Order have in store for us. Christ crucified is all that really matters today and for the next forty days of Lent.

When we come upon the graves of the dead, we must remember that we'll soon be joining them, that nobody gets out of here alive, that even those of us in the best of health will be gone fifty years from now--maybe a few more, maybe a few less. That is the designated home for all the living--death.  There the rich man and the poor man will be stretched out on a common bed and both will be content with only a small patch of earth.  No distinction will be made there between the nobleman and the commoner, and the weak will no longer be stomped upon by the more powerful.

There the miser will no longer benefit from his money, nor will the clever profit from his cunning. There the prim will become the food of worms, and the dandy will give off an offensive odor.  And those who have placed themselves on pedestals will be brought low and the praise that the proud were accustomed to will no longer be theirs.  Take notice how all mortals tend toward nothing and how all flesh, made corrupt by sin, returns to its original source.

Therefore, strive so to live and through the sprit to mortify your flesh, that when your body turns into dust your soul will be judged worthy to rest in blessed peace. If you live your life in labor and sorrow on a Good Friday, you will have a restful Holy Saturday and then a most joyful Easter Sunday, the day of the resurrection of the just.

The more austerely you live in the world, so much more tranquil will be your repose in the grave. The more firmly you cling to the Cross, so much more assurance you have of reaching Christ.  The more bitterly you deplore your sins, so much less will remain to be purged by the avenging flames.  What does the priest say to us on Ash Wednesday: “Remember, man, that thou are dust and unto dust thou shalt return.” In a few years, a few months, a few days—you will return to dust. We all will. It’s just a matter of time—and how we use the time we’re given.

So lament during this time of grace, when the doors of mercy are open, and when God, in whom there is abundant redemption, accepts your repentance. Mourn also the wretched condition of the world and the incredible indifference of men.  Only a few are found today to be true followers of the Crucified, and many permit their original spiritual fervor to grow cold.

Let meditating on Jesus Christ and him crucified be your daily prayer. Keep Jesus always before your eyes and keep ever near the foot of his Cross.  Whether in life or in death, enter the tomb with Jesus so that when Christ, who is your life, shall appear again, you will rise with him in glory.   Amen

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Get ahead the Vector way.

Vector illustrations is the utilization of geometrical primitives, for example, focuses, lines, bends, and shapes or polygons—all of which are focused around numerical representations to speak to pictures in workstation design. Vector representation are focused around vectors (likewise called ways or strokes),which lead through areas called control focuses or hubs. Each of these focuses has a positive position on the x and y tomahawks of the work plane and decides the course of the way; further, every way may be doled out a stroke color, shape, thickness, and fill. These properties don’t build the extent of vector illustrations records in a significant way, as all data dwells in the report’s structure, which depicts singularly how the vector ought to be drawn

Diverse pixels make a computerized photo. It is extremely vital to know and comprehend why these pixels break and when size of computerized photograph is expanded, pixels are softened and bending is there up these advanced photos. There are numerous sorts of programming like Raster to vector, which encourages in convert to vector craftsmanship.

As like a bitmap picture, vector pictures don’t embody pixels is the reason they don’t break and picture is clear. Pixels are extremely minute particles that are there and it makes up a picture. Realistic outlining is exceptionally critical work and if there is a contortion in picture then entire configuration will be of no utilization. That is the motivation behind why one ought to change over a bitmap picture into vector symbolization as it aides in making a plan significantly more viable. These vector pictures exist on fabrics and paper also and a lot of people more structures utilized for printing. One can change or background remover craft in a simple and straightforward path as there are numerous convertors, which are accessible online for these sorts of transformations. It is a project, which helps in changing over filtered pictures, distinctive maps, and different types of bitmap pictures or raster pictures to vector pictures and afterward they can alter according to wish of an individual.

Get Remarkable Results with Raster to Vector Conversion

Technology has its significance for everyone. It is a remarkable method to get ahead in business and live life with ease. However, those who possess futuristic view can identify the potential opportunities, which can take their business to new heights. Those with sharp inclination towards technology and understanding its contribution in the current time will surely understand the importance of vector conversion.

If you are in need of inspiring advertisement or want to use your images in interactive manner, you can take the help of raster to vector technology.

Raster images were used earlier in website development. However, these images had certain drawbacks, which can be overcome nowadays by converting them into vector images. Talking about raster image, they consist of pixels. The images in the raster format are generally blurred. Hence, they do not produce quality results. You will also notice a significant difference between the resolutions of vector and raster images.

The latter has high resolution but they are not able to produce desired clarity. Whereas, the vector images are far better in terms of clarity. They consists of mathematical objects that make them clear and sharp whereas raster images comprises of lines and dots.

For the people who use Auto CAD software, vector conversion is a great advantage. They often find it difficult to work with raster or bitmap images as such images do not support modification in the way users want. Vector images are best solution of this problem as these graphic files can directly imported to the CAD application.

If you are a website owner, you can also take the help of raster to vector conversion to display the images in your website in a sharper and clear manner. You can even remove image background online through help of various online service providers.

Several industries that are not have online presence will certainly avail it in future. This belief has given a rise to vector conversion companies. To get smart solution and stay ahead in competition avail the background remover as well as conversion services from a professional company.

Done dealing with raster images – online converter gives you a spotless vector form

For various platforms digital images are edited using various algorithms. But are all digital images edited in the same manner? The answer to this question is no. It is very important to understand their categorization. Digital images can be categorized into two – vector and raster. One can understand the difference by zooming into an image. By zooming a raster image we can see that the image is actually formed of some tiny squares which in technical terms is known as pixels whereas when vector images are zoomed one can see absolutely the same lines as there were before zooming in. In the world of graphic designing and similar arenas, vector images hold more value and are mostly worked upon because they do not get pixilated and provide more ease to the designer.

By using various ways and means one can convert an image from raster to vector. There are various software that quite efficiently do this task. But perfection is something that is not guaranteed. Also, working on own requires one to have a sound knowledge of tools and tricks which may or may not be a possibility. If that is an issue then one need not worry as there are websites that can convert images and that too in absolutely no time at all. All algorithm that is required for conversion is the headache of the website and what you as a client get is a spotless and high quality image.

Apart from the raster to vector image these websites also perform the task of removing background from the images and they do it so spotlessly that a person would not find any flaw or find any difficulty in putting the rendered image in some other scenario. Apart from removing background and conversion, the websites also help in photo restoring. The sites are powered with security checks as such there is absolutely no danger to one’s identity. So, for any of the above tasks all one has to do is upload an image and follow the steps, the rendering of the output would take few seconds to few minutes.

I remember the time when it was my friend’s birthday and I with my friends decided to gift him a poster of his photos. For this we selected some of his best and most clear shots we found.  We were as excited for this as it was going to be an exotic gift for our best buddy. Soon we knocked the door of a flex printer and he instantly refused us and said those pictures were not of required resolution for printing a big poster. The pictures were to be magnified which broke the pixels into pieces. We all grew very sad.

ImageOnly 5 days were left in his birthday and we had nothing to gift him. Suddenly one day while surfing on net I found this revolutionary website  – Convert to Vector which gave us this technical help of converting a low resolution picture in high quality one that too fitting to our budget. I instantly placed order and what I got within 2 days was completely a miracle of photo media. I got the picture back with high resolution and no pixel breaking problems while zooming. We got the poster printed and our friend was so happy to find this beautiful gift and he hugged all of us.

This conversion is known as conversion of raster images into vector forms. Vector images are artificially created but naturally looking copies of original rector images which are good in terms of resolution and picture quality.

In simpler terms vector image is the solution for all the drawbacks of a raster image. This conversion of image forms is very complex task and not a simple editing technique for sure. It requires great level of experience and knowledge of editing world. We have the best team of editors working behind this editing tool who serve you the best quality vector images with not much of time and money spent for the work. Vector image is improved manually created form of originally clicked or drawn image or digital image of scanned sketch respectively which are in rector formats.

Hurry up try this innovative feature of photo media and experience quality results of your images here for convert to vector.

“Now freely zoom in and live your moments from closer without any obstacles in your way”.

Vector image conversion- a useful guide – Convert To Vector

A vector file offers may significant advantages, primary among them being:

•Scalability- While Raster images are composed of pixels and need to be compromised on quality if they are required to be scaled up, vector images do not suffer on the quality front when enlarged. Convert to vector, and you don’t have the fear of the file looking pixelated, when enlarged.

•Resolution- The advantage of vector images is also that a vector file can be used at different resolution levels, without the picture quality being compromised.

•User friendly- Vector images are easy to edit and also allow for change in colors.

•Cost- Convert to vector and you tend to gain on the cost of printing. With vector images, the number of color plates and hence printing cost reduces significantly.

Little surprise then that victor images are required across a host of printing companies and specialty printers.

ImageFortunately, it is now possible to produce vector images from a wide variety of file formats such as EPS, CDR, PDF, JPG, TIF to name only a few. It is also possible to create vector line drawings from sketches that aren’t very high quality. Removebackground is therefore seen as an important process that spruces up image quality.

While there is a range of automated software available for the process, professional vector convertors ensure they rely on hand tracing using Adobe Illustrator. This ensures that lines and shapes appear smoother, and the final converted product looks extremely professional & is high on quality.

With Removebackground services it is possible to convert pixelated logos as well as blurred images into sharp vector images. Professional service providers offer the following advantages:

•    Good quality output
•    Quick turnaround time
•    Optimized cost

The vector conversion services are typically much in demand by companies such as banner printers, T-shirt printers, plaque makers, graphic design companies and more. It is possible to offer vector outputs in a range of formats, including but not limited to, EPS, AI, PDF, Coral draw or SVG.

It is advisable to choose your vector conversion agency carefully based on factors such as efficiency of using hand tracing rather than automated software alone as well as their ability to handle complex conversions, that can be judged basis their portfolio.


text:
about this blog

Sometimes I write things on the interwebz.  Mainly on Facebook, really, but sometimes those things get picked up and shared or published elsewhere, and then I lose track of them and I can’t find them and I can’t track how my own heart and thinking are developing, and how the communities with whom I’m in relationship are shaping that evolution.  So, it makes sense to try to put these musings all in one place, and the (older millennial and younger Gen Xer) kidz tell me blogs are a good way to do that.

Also, I have ALWAYS been a terrible journaler.  Maybe it has something with being an extravert whose mind does processing out loud far better than on paper; maybe it’s just that I’m not disciplined enough; maybe it’s that I’d rather be in conversation with others than with myself.  I completely recognize the power of a regular writing practice for reflection and clarity, and I admire people who are able to write–whether in journal or more public form–on the regular.  So, #lifegoals, maybe having this thing out there publicly will hold me accountable to some sort of writing discipline in community with others.

And a final note: the name of the blog is from a poem called “Archbishop Oscar Romero Prayer: A Step Along the Way,” written by Catholic Bishop Ken Untener in 1979 for a service commemorating priests who had died.  It is sacred text to me–it was one of the readings at my ordination, and I come back to it often as a guide and an exhortation for the kind of ministry (official and unofficial) I’d like to do. The full text of the poem is:

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent
enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of
saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an
opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master
builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

Excited to be planting seeds, laying foundations, providing yeast with all of you.


text:
What Do Professional Landscapers Do?

What Do Professional Landscapers Do?
August 2, 2017 Jenny

Before contacting a professional landscaper to bring your garden ideas to life, it’s worth investigating their capabilities and what exactly they do.

Landscapers have become a great support to the home improvement sector due to the shifting needs and changes in modern Australian outdoor spaces. For many years we were quite happy with a square of lawn, barbeque, and pool out back but home owner’s aspirations have changed and more people are living on smaller blocks.

A common misconception of landscapers is that they only take on large projects, designing a garden solution and implementing it but landscaping companies commonly offer a broad range of services, some of which are outlined here.

Landscape Design

Landscape Design

Design is the first step of any landscaping project and involves the collection of ideas and creation of plans. Often completed in consultation with the client with consideration of the existing conditions and how additional elements will work with your home.

The design will be put together after a site assessment to solve problems and improve the front or backyard’s visual appeal. Once the plans are approved many, landscapers offer project management and implementation services, arranging materials and installation.

Landscapers use this term to refer to any exterior element that is constructed as a permanent solution. This includes retaining walls, drainage systems, paving, driveways, patios, porches, raised planting beds, and more.

The term “softscape” refers to semi-permanent and planting which translates into the selection, installation, and care of everything from establishing lawns and flower beds to hedges and trees.

Landscapers can also install a variety of irrigation systems before hard and soft scaping to deliver water where it is needed.

Physical Features

Physical features are increasingly more popular and sophisticated; whether you want to install shade structures, sails, or lattice work your landscaper can help.

A landscaper can also supply and install features that involve water such as fish ponds, pools and pool landscaping, and fountains, along with structures around them to disguise their functional components. A licenced plumber may be needed and, if so, your landscaper can organise this for you.

Pest Control

Another common task taken on by landscaping companies is the application of pesticides and herbicides to eradicate insects, weeds, and other foreign agents.

Landscaping Maintenance

When your landscaping project is done, your landscaper will be able to give professional advice and tips for the maintenance of your garden. Every element is different and requires a specific kind of care.

Landscaping maintenance tasks include grooming and sustaining the visual appeal and health of the established yard through tasks like mowing, pruning, fertilising, planting seasonal flowers, and edging.

Landscaping companies often work on an ongoing basis with clients to maintain their work as part of the landscape design and installation.

To sustain your existing landscape, contact a landscaper who performs regular maintenance tasks and tackles small ad-hoc projects. To bring large changes and your landscape ideas to life choose a landscaper with design-build experience.

A landscaper will often have an extensive network of trades that they work with so if you’re looking for a variety of things to be done then a landscaper is what you want.

Contact Revell Landscaping today for a full list of our service offerings.