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Do Successful Women Lack Confidence?

Many people feel that lacking confidence is something to be ashamed of!  They believe the world thinks it means they are inadequate in some way. That this makes them intrinsically less than those who blithely push themselves forwards with ease.

Indeed, the world holds this image of a mousey little woman, keeping her head down, not achieving anything, behaving like a doormat! She’s weak. She’s disregarded. She’s certainly not empowered. She’s the opposite of what we aspire to be. The opposite of what a powerful, 21st century inspirational woman should be.

If you have this image lurking in the back of your mind, let me disillusion you right now!

Reality could not be further from the truth!

Let me show you what the woman who lacks confidence REALLY looks like…

She is the woman who is breaking into new territory in her life.  She’s the woman who has just got a promotion and is now leading a team.  Or she’s the only woman on the Board with 10 ‘old school’ men. Maybe she’s putting herself out there online to launch her business, opening herself to criticism, scrutiny and social media trolls.

She’s the passionate politician being heckled about her appearance while she’s trying to create something good in the world. She’s stepping into more visibility, authority and leadership as she writes her book, launches her podcast, or presents her Facebook lives.

She’s the expert standing up in front of hundreds of other experts at the conference.  She’s the woman who finds herself unexpectedly single, with three children, and now has to be the breadwinner.

These are what real women look like who lack confidence!

To the world, these women look very far from mousey and weak. They’ve all achieved great things. Stepped out of their comfort zone. Gone up against the patriarchal status quo and broken boundaries. We respect them, admire them, aspire to be as strong as them!

At a casual glance, we assume that these women have totally got it together. They are the epitome of feminine confidence.

But what’s happening under the surface can tell a very different story!

They often feel not good enough. Their competent facades hide something the world does not see…

Speaking up in that meeting can feel like the ordeal from hell.

Being so visible online can trigger really deep anxiety of being attacked.

Holding her own against a room of dismissive or aggressive individuals (often men) is a never-ending battle that leaves her exhausted, frustrated, and often humiliated. She often feel invisible, despite her position, and despite the fact that others think of her as empowered and assertive.

Going into work can feel like going to her execution if that office is toxic. For each time she manages to speak up authoritatively, how many times did she sit there unable to open her mouth at all, while more domineering individuals just talk over her, or take her ideas as their own?

Or she put in a huge amount of work on a project, only to hold back at the last hurdle, because it just feels too darned dangerous to be seen as that powerful to the world.

The anticipation of the backlash can destroy her pleasure in her achievements, and turns her career experience into series of ordeals to be survived.

This hidden struggle is one that will be familiar to many women, in many professions. It’s certainly one that was very familiar to me in my academic career in engineering, and one I hear week in, week out from my clients, decades later.

Sadly, these things are not rare. They are very typical indeed.

What’s more, the further a woman goes up the ladder of success – the more she achieves – the worse this is likely to get.

Bottom line – high-achieving, motivated, women very often lack confidence.

They put on a great facade for the world, but they live with that inner battle every single day.

And it’s got absolutely nothing to do with their competence or abilities.  But they don’t know this, and often criticise themselves, which just makes things worse.

“I shouldn’t be reacting like this, I should be more assertive, more confident, more powerful.”

Or maybe they go down the path of “This is just what women have to deal with in the world.”

Either way, they continue to suffer and battle and push themselves.

Now, the truth of what’s going on might surprise you. There’s actually something completely different going on. All this stems from one thing, and one thing only.

The world is set up to drain women’s power. When I say this, I’m not talking figuratively. I mean literally.

When you are standing in that meeting room, and you feel the rug pulled out from under you, or you receive a nasty comment on your social media and it feels like a stab in the guts, or you just can’t open your mouth and get the ball back when you’ve been interrupted, there’s actually an energetic process going on. Your power is being drained to those around you, this makes us feel deeply unsafe, and it sends us into a fight or flight. Once you’re in fight or flight, you are playing catch-up. Pure and simple. Once your power has been drained you are at an energetic disadvantage. This is a phenomenon I have researched and analysed in hundreds of individuals over many careers and years. It’s indeed happening.

The key feeling truly confident in these situations isn’t about changing who you are. It’s nothing to do with your character. It’s not about being loud, or extrovert, or emulating the behaviour of an aggressive man. No indeed! The key is to learn how to stop that power drain in its tracks, and hold your power unshakeably, no matter what the world throws at you, and no matter who is in the room!

This is something that you can learn, if you have the key, something I can teach you.

When we have the ability to stop that power drain, and magnify our power in situations that used to undermine us, we FEEL DIFFERENT. It becomes possible to feel safe, speaking up, being ourselves, and being seen to be powerful.

That highly competent woman in that corporate career, battling through lack of confidence, only needs the right power training to feel completely different, and project a new energy to those around her.

The introvert woman who hasn’t yet got the promotions she deserves because she hasn’t been ‘loud and in your face’ just needs to magnify her power to change that.

The author who is afraid to get on that podcast, because she gets all tongue-tied, just needs to re-programme that power dynamic to have her words flow, even when she’s ‘in the hot-seat’.

So, let me leave you with this truth. The next time you feel a pang of anxiety, or you hold back instead of stepping up, or you find you just can’t speak up in that meeting…there’s nothing wrong with you at all. Your power has been drained, and you’re running on empty. That’s why you feel this way.

The fact that you are doing it at all under these power drain circumstances, is the proof of your abilities, dedication, determination, and strength. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of!

If these are skills you’d like to learn, my new training “40 Days to Double Your Confidence in the Spotlight” will teach you to hold your power, when all eyes are on you, and feel confident and safe being seen and heard as a powerful woman. CLICK HERE if you want these skills now.

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Webinar – Euro Pools v RSA – diving into notification issues

7 December 2021
By Alex Rosenfield

This webinar looks at the seminal Court of Appeal decision in Euro Pools v RSA, and will provide an overview of the core legal principles surrounding notifying circumstances under professional indemnity insurance policies. The session also addresses the vexed issue of “hornet’s nest” or “can of worms” notifications, and the practical considerations involved.

Alex Rosenfield is a Senior Associate at Fenchurch Law

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.:: Cold Angels ::.

I thought I found peace,
in a place I didn't belong.
I thought I found hope,
turns out I was wrong.

Lives torn apart from fate,
places so distant from truth.
Crying to the future of dreams,
saying goodbye to my dear youth.

Again I'm residing in pain,
and again it's comfort welcome.
in reality I haven't changed,
now I'm even further from home.

Growing up is no longer a journey,
mearly time spent towards and end.
No longer finding good in this world,
saying goodbye to what I wanted to amend.

If you take my hand,
don't expect it in return.
the irony of which,
I always said I'd learn.

They gave me hope,
they showed me compassion.
In a world not for me,
Until I find that I'm done.


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English (United Kingdom)Polish (Poland)Czech (Čeština)

ACB KB 16 Clash of Titans, Targoviste, Romania, 13.07.2018

Category kickboxing

July 13 in Târgovi?te will be held the tournament in professional kickboxing ACB KB-16: Clash of Titans. Loud slogan means loud fight card which will gather the most competitive kickboxers from Romania, Russia and Europe. In the main event of the evening the star of Romanian kickboxing Andrei Stoica will demonstrate the power of the heavyweight division. The legend of K-1 Albert Kraus will please all fans with a quality and uncompromising fight and this is not the entire list of high-class kickboxers who will perform at this event.

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Here’s My Story

John Wise

Hi there, and welcome to my website! My name is John Wise, and I’m excited to have you here.

I created for one main reason: to help people reduce noise pollution.

As you may have guessed, I enjoy a peaceful and quiet environment. It helps me to think more clearly and deeply so I can tap into my creativity. I’m sure everyone can benefit from having some peace and quiet, too!

Unfortunately, modern society doesn’t make things very easy for most of us.

We are constantly bombarded with sounds coming at us from all angles – TVs, smartphones, cars, and all types of machines and heavy-duty equipment. You probably are aware of the harmful effects unwanted sound over a long period can have on your health and well-being.

Don’t take this the wrong way, though.

I understand that it is not practical to live a truly meaningful life in today’s world without many of our modern gadgets and pieces of noise-generating equipment. But we definitely can find a way to strike a balance between unwanted (mostly distracting) noise and acceptable sound levels.

I’m pretty sure finding this balance – looking for a more practical solution to noise pollution – is what has drawn you to my website.

Here’s the good news.

On this site, you will find plenty of educational posts centered on soundproofing. You’ll learn about the different types of soundproofing materials available.

Plus, I’ll walk you through the various methods for blocking out both indoor noise and distracting sounds coming from the road into your living or working space.

My background in the use of firearms combined with several years of installing soundproofing systems for homes and offices gives me an edge when it comes to blocking out sound.

If you are a ranger, hunter, or gun enthusiast, you will find several useful articles and guides on this site that can help you decide what type of suppressor or silencer to use for your specific purpose.

You will also find tips, recommendations, regulations, and pieces of advice on how to use a silencer legally without running into trouble with the authorities.

And if you have a knack for building stuff from scratch, you will be happy to find pointers on this website that will help you design your own custom-made silencer. Just enter “homemade” or “DIY” in the search bar and you should have a handful of do-it-yourself guides for your projects.

Plus, to help you get good-quality materials for your soundproofing systems, I have included several buying guides and product recommendations so you’ll see the best products to buy. is a work in progress. So, be sure to be on the lookout because I will be adding more helpful stuff regularly.


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83 hazards found, displaying on 3 pages (click column headings to sort).

IDsort iconAddedHA Ref.RoadDescriptionStatus
6230129 Dec 2011 Pothole from heavy trafficReported
5770121 Jun 2011Potholes on either side of carriageway have opened up again where temporary filling has been carried out. Any chance of the council actually fixing them properly for once ?Reported
5741012 Jun 2011Pembrokeshire County CouncilMassive pothole!!Reported
538883 Apr 2011A487 Lower Town, Fishguard.Numerous pot holes and very poor surface in narrow and dangerous which have been in place since winter 2009/10.Reported
497831 Mar 2011Extremely rough section of rough- desperate need to resurfaceReported
4908324 Feb 2011Pembroke RoadA small pothole is being enlarged by traffic on this roadReported
4269412 Jan 2011C92972Wallaston Five CrossCrater in the roadReported
4171231 Dec 2010C3165 A40T Treffgarne village to jct B4330Pothole with edges broken up in centre of narrow country roadReported
4024117 Oct 2010?More than a pot hole, road damaged over its total length, with ruts and large potholes some of which at least 4-5 inches deep. The council know about the road as they have signs saying frost damage b…Reported
400299 Oct 2010Sunken drain below road level.Reported
392586 Sep 2010No Road Name.I was a little unsure which category to choose, This is a streach of road that requires complete resurfacing due to the unevenness and potholes,it is one big pot hole of a road the council obviously …Reported
3741515 Jun 2010unknownScarey grooveReported
3277019 Mar 2010Junction of Minor road from Treffgarne Village with B4330large pothole and road surface broken up. Lots of loose stones and tarmac.Reported
2650122 Jan 2010Pilot Street, St Dogmaels, PembrokeshireCar Tyre action combined with the recent snow and ice have gouged out chunks of the road along Pilot Street, St Dogmaels PembrokeshireReported
2622021 Jan 2010C92972Lots of potholes along whole length of road (approx 3/4 mile) as well as uneveness of surface along the same stretchReported
2598421 Jan 2010Un Named in MultimapDamage to many places on the road from Clarbeston to Clarbeston Road. This has been caused by the recent bad weather and tractors churning up the surfaceReported
2517218 Jan 2010C92972Under the hills, Merlins Bridge, HaverfordwestPothole and debris surrounding it near the speed bump - there are also several others nearbyReported
2247526 Aug 2009C3165 A40T Treffgarne village to jct B4330Two parallel scars in road for about 5m in lenght and 100mm deep, possibly caused by farm machinery. On left side of road about 1m from grass vergeReported
2236918 Aug 2009U3106 / C3067PotholeReported
2236818 Aug 2009U3106 / C3067PotholeReported
1204824 Mar 2008customer number C 92972Treffgarne Village to B4330 roadRoad surface cracked and broken upReported
9784 Feb 2007a4075bits of branches after hedge was toppedReported
6111 Feb 2007Discovery quayDirectly under Victoria bridge a hole in the side of the road leading out of the docksReported
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Harjit Kainth

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Click the name of the film below for more details including synopsis, trailer, premiere, reviews and the option to create a showing alert

Main Viyah Nahi Karona Tere Naal

Directed By: Rupinder Inderjit Starring: Sonam Bajwa, Bhupinder Barnala, Kanishka Bhagat...
Released in UK cinemas Friday 4th March 2022 Age Rating: TBC Runtime: 118 mins Language: Punjabi Next Showing: Unknown
Please note that although the UK cinema release date schedule on FilmDates.co.uk is updated regularly, a release date can change at very short notice. Usually the closer a film is to its release date, the less likely its release date (and any other information) will change.
FilmDates.co.uk is also not responsible for the content of any external website. The links are provided "as is" with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them.

Last update was at 19:59 15th August 2022


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We are using cookies to provide statistics that help us give you the best experience of out site, You can find out more or switch them off if you prefer. However, by continuing to use this site without changing settings, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Selina Mughal

Selina Mughal headshot

Click the name of the film below for more details including synopsis, trailer, premiere, reviews and the option to create a showing alert

Starring: Neeru Bajwa, Gurpreet Bhangu, Gurnam Bhullar...
Released in UK cinemas Friday 3rd June 2022 Age Rating: 12A Runtime: 131 mins Language: Punjabi Next Showing: Unknown
Please note that although the UK cinema release date schedule on FilmDates.co.uk is updated regularly, a release date can change at very short notice. Usually the closer a film is to its release date, the less likely its release date (and any other information) will change.
FilmDates.co.uk is also not responsible for the content of any external website. The links are provided "as is" with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them.

Last update was at 19:59 15th August 2022


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Come towards the light! Poltergeist is getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release this coming September in the UK.

It’s a bit of a year for film anniversaries this one, and another movie getting the birthday cake out is the original Poltergeist. The Tobe Hooper-directed horror favourite was released in 1982, so by the maths of our tried and tested calculator, we make it that the film is 40 years old. And it’s celebrating this milestone in the time honoured fashioned, by being given a 4K makeover.

Furthermore, the film is going to be arriving on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format. Warner Bros is releasing the movie on September 19th in the UK, and it’s gone up for preorder. The package will arrive with a Blu-ray inside as well, to carry over extra features from previous release. And then there’s a 4K disc with the remastered film on it.

You can find the listing for the film and gleam more information on the release, here.

Poltergeist 4K disc packaging

Thank you for visiting! If you’d like to support our attempts to make a non-clickbaity movie website:

Follow Film Stories on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.

Buy our Film Stories and Film Stories Junior print magazines here.

Become a Patron here.

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Mallory Chocolate Microfiber Upholstered Sectional

Mallory Chocolate Microfiber Upholstered Sectional

Regular price $1,153.00 USD
Regular price $1,398.00 USD Sale price $1,153.00 USD
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Create an inclusive seating and lounging space in a contemporary living room or entertaining center. Beautiful dual upholstery elements combine ultra-plush padded microfiber and easy-care leatherette in a rich chocolate shade. Hours of relaxing comfort await with a soft feel and loose seat and back cushions. Included accent pillows add a decorative touch. Add a dramatic flavor to any space with this exceptional sectional.
  • Set includes: One (1) sectional
  • The Phoenix collection adds comfort with modern design touches
  • This roomy sectional features richly upholstered seat and back cushions with a modern base in contrasting dark brown leatherette
  • Accent pillows in a complimentary print are included
  • Reversible chaise lends versatility to your living room layout
  • This collection is available in dark chocolate, chocolate and tan
  • Cushions: Seat: Removable; Back: Removable
  • Pocket coil springs: Spring base construction for comfort and durability
  • Webbed seat deck: For strength and durability
  • Fully encased solid wood frame: Construction made for stability and heavy use
  • Accent pillows included: 2 pillows included
  • Ottoman available: Offers an alternative foot rest or creates extra seating
  • Reversible chaise: Makes sectional easy to place in any space
  • Color: Chocolate/dark brown
  • Upholstery: Microfiber/leatherette
  • Leg finish: Black
  • Assembly required: Yes

Shipping & Returns

Sectional 107.50”w x 83.00”d x 33.00”h Seat 21.00”d x 19.00”h<br />Ottoman
37.50”w x 26.00”d x 19.00”h

Care Instructions

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Naima Twin Storage Bed in Black with Contrasting Gray

Naima Twin Storage Bed in Black with Contrasting Gray

Regular price $333.00 USD
Regular price $404.00 USD Sale price $333.00 USD
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Shipping calculated at checkout.
Choose Bed or Bedroom Set
The Naima bedroom collection offers sophisticated look, clean lines and contemporary style. Features panel headboard, and storage footboard in rich black finish with contrasting light gray trim panel, which provides elegant style that will bring you a perfect sleek design for your home.

Black Finish with Light Gray Trim Panel
Platform Bed (No Box Spring Required)
Storage Bed (2 Storage Drawers)
English Dovetail Construction on Drawers
Sparkling Crystal Inlay
Available in King, Queen,Full, & Twin Sizes

Board Panel (6+5+8) - Box Spring Not Required Storage Bed Panel HB Low Profile Storage FB: 2Pc Drw Raised Molding Trim Sparkling Acrylic Inlay CONSTRUCTION: Wood, Veneer & Engineered Wood Drawer: GLIDE Center Metal (Kenlin, 3/4 Ext.), DT English Front & Back, Hdw: Sparkling Handle Clearance Between Floor & Rail: 3 Inches Clearance Between Floor & Slats: 14 Inches (352mm)

Shipping & Returns

King Bed: 84"L X 80"W X 50"H

Queen Bed: 84"L X 80"W X 50"H

Full Bed: 80"L X 58"W X 56"H

Chest: 35"L X 17"W X 52"H

Dresser: 63"L X 17"W X 39"H

Mirror: 47"L X 2"W X 37"H

Nightstand: 26"L X 17"W X 26"H

Care Instructions

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  • Fast Shipping & Delivery

    Our delivery & shipping area is expanding! Click here to read about shipping


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Happy Endings Gyeongsangnam-do

Search through profiles of local members in Gyeongsangnam do on the web's largest adult dating website. Find Happy Ending is a free adult social network, registration is free and confidential. Click a city within Gyeongsangnam-do or browse down to find a local girl.

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Gyeongsangnam-do Happy Endings


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We invite you to attend one of our tours throughout the year.

Book A Tour

Unearthing the extraordinary in every girl.

Why Fintona

Meet Rachael Falloon

Meet our Principal, an accomplished educator with extensive leadership experience in independent schools.

Rachael Falloon, Fintona Principal sitting with students and smiling

Fintona's learning environment can provide your daughter with enhanced access to her teachers and opportunities.

Meet our Teachers

Outstanding teachers set Fintona's world class education standards

Our engaging curriculum is delivered by passionate and dedicated teachers who are experts in their subject area.

News & Events

Keep up to date with the latest news & events

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IB Diploma Results

It has been another outstanding year for our Y13 students – congratulations! Their IB results are a testament to our students’ resilience and ability to adapt and persevere in another challenging year. FIS is immensely proud of each and every one of these students and we congratulate them all.


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Marlins claim Jesús Aguilar

Literally and figuratively one of the biggest bats available, Aguilar was a 2018 NL All-Star selection with the Brewers.

Miami Marlins v Tampa Bay Rays Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The Marlins landed a big bat on Monday, claiming Jesús Aguilar off waivers from the Rays (as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan).

Aguilar has spent the vast majority of his professional career in the Indians organization, but broke through in a big way for the Brewers in 2017. The heavy-set Venezuelan slugger slashed .261/.339/.492 with 59 home runs during parts of three seasons there, then was dealt to Tampa Bay last July. Aguilar, 29, consistently grades out poorly defensively and as a baserunner, so the Fish are attracted solely to his potential impact at the plate and in the clubhouse.

Matt Swartz of MLB Trade Rumors projects Aguilar to earn approximately $2.5 million in arbitration for the 2020 season. As currently assembled, that’d make him the second-most expensive position player on the Marlins (trailing only Miguel Rojas). But it is still an efficient deal if he were to match his career 111 wRC+—100 is league average—and avoid significant injuries.

Aguilar is out of minor league options and would be arbitration eligible again in 2021 if something goes awry with top first-base prospect Lewin Díaz.

This acquisition puts Garrett Cooper, and even more so, Austin Dean, in an awkward spot. Both are right-handed bats, so that doesn’t allow for a basic platoon with Aguilar (also right-handed). They have the ability to shift to the outfield corners, but with elite talents like Monte Harrison and Jesús Sánchez on pace for 2020 MLB call-ups, their early-season performance would really be under the microscope...assuming both are still with the Fish come Opening Day.


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Marliniversary: Lowell’s walk-off blast in extras lifts Fish past Mets

On this date 15 years ago, the All-Star third baseman came up clutch for the first-place Marlins.

Mets v Marlins Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

Over the last couple weeks, the Miami Marlins have had their fair share of exciting victories. That was also the case for the then-Florida Marlins on this day 15 years ago.

The Marlins were 28-20 and in first place in the National League East as they prepared for the middle game of a three-game set against the New York Mets at Pro Player Stadium on May 29, 2004.

Florida took the lead in the first as Lenny Harris grounded into a double play to plate a run. The Mets drew even on a Ty Wiggington solo homer in the second inning and took the lead in the fourth on a Karim Garcia RBI single. Álex González’s RBI single in the bottom of that inning scored Jeff Conine and evened the contest.

Florida had won in walk-off fashion more than a week before against the Arizona Diamondbacks on a bases-loaded walk to Mike Redmond, but the only walk-off home run of the season for 2004 would come against the Mets off the bat of Mike Lowell.

An All-Star, Gold Glove winner and one of the best to ever don a Marlins uniform, Lowell was no stranger to the dramatic home run. Lowell had a few of those during the Marlins’ World Series run the year prior and one in the 12th inning the month prior to beat the Philadelphia Phillies when he became the first Marlin ever to hit three homers in a game.

With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th, no one on and one out, Lowell found himself facing former teammate Braden Looper. He turned around the second pitch he saw and pulled it over the left-field wall for a walk-off solo home run.

Lowell finished the night 2-for-2 and reached base four times for the Marlins in the victory. Conine and González also had two hits apiece.

As for Florida as a team, it didn’t have another walk-off home run until May 10, 2007 when Josh Willingham hit a three-run walk-off blast to break a scoreless tie to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lowell’s game-winner would serve as the final walk-off hit in his time with the Marlins and it came on this day 15 years ago.


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19 Feb 19

Researchers make fuel out of thin air

Taking water from the air and heating it with energy from the sun. That’s a new revolutionary technology being developed by Dutch researchers in Eindhoven.

Experts from Differ (Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research) in Eindhoven are collaborating with Toyota Motor Europe to build a system that absorbs water vapour from the air and uses solar energy to split that vapour in hydrogen and oxygen.

“The motivation for this research project is twofold,” said a Differ spokesperson. “New sustainable fuels are needed to firstly decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and secondly lower the emission of greenhouse gases.”

One of these sustainable fuels is hydrogen, which can be used to store renewable energy. When hydrogen is combined with oxygen in a fuel cell, the energy is released in the form of electricity, with clean air as the only emission.

A first prototype was successful in extracting between 60 and 70% of the amount of hydrogen that can be taken out of water. Both research partners are now working on improvements to increase the water absorption and to increase the amount of absorbed sunlight. Currently, the system only uses UV light, which is less than 5% of sunlight that hits the Earth.

In the next stage, researchers will focus on scaling up the photoelectric cells for hydrogen production. In order for the system to be economically sustainable, their size needs to increase by a factor of two to three.

If successful, this technology could boost acceptance of hydrogen as a fuel for transportation. Read all about the challenging energy ecosystem in the next issue of Fleet Europe.

Image: PhD student Georgios Zafeiropoulos with photo-electrochemical cel in the DIFFER artificial leaf laboratory (source: Differ)

Authored by: Benjamin Uyttebroeck


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Data center relocation risk assessment

Data Center Relocation Risk Assessment Process Overview

Because of the high stakes involved in moving a data center (DC) to a new location, a risk assessment is strongly recommended prior to initiating the move. The data center relocation “Risk Assessment” process identifies what can go wrong and the steps identified to mitigate potential problems.

Examples of some of the issues that may arise include:

  • Racks may encounter obstacles moving into the loading dock due to DC modifications.
  • Servers may not power up after the move.
  • Weather conditions may affect drive time by delaying planned move time.
  • Trucks may have breakdowns further delaying the planned move time.
  • The weight of equipment, such as enterprise storage, can cause waves on the data center floor that will eventually crash into a floor tile.
  • A rack rail can come loose and cause servers to crash into each other within a rack.
  • The racks in the existing data center may not be appropriate for the new data center.

We usually think of the TECHNICAL RISKS or FUNCTIONAL RISKS that may be encountered when making a move from one data center to another. There are a host of NON-TECHNICAL or NON-FUNCTIONAL issues that must also be considered and addressed to mitigate and minimize the possibility of serious delays in relocating the data center.

Mitigation strategies must be developed for each potential risk, both technical and non-technical, to ensure that the data center relocation is completed effectively, efficiently and within the planned time frame.

There are six stages in the data center relocation “Risk Assessment” process:

  1. The first stage of the data center relocation risk assessment process is to determine the functional risks associated with the relocation. Functional risks are those that are related to the operation of the equipment throughout the move cycle and what could affect its operation after the move. An example might be a damaged plug for a server that occurred as a result of the move.
  2.  The second stage of the move is to identify non-functional risks that could occur as a result of the relocation. These are risks that may occur that are not directly related to the operation of the equipment after the move. An example would be the breakdown of a truck during the trip from the origin data center to the destination data center.
  3. The 3rd step of the risk assessment process is to identify the impacts of all identified functional and non-functional risks.
  4. The 4th stage is to identify mitigation strategies for each of the risks.
  5. The 5th step is to document the details of each risk, the associated impacts and the mitigation steps to be taken should it occur, as demonstrated in the figure above.
  6. The 6th stage of the data center relocation process “Risk Assessment” is to develop the mitigation plan, execute the plan if and when a risk evolves into an actual problem and monitor and track progress against the mitigation plan.

The information identified and documented in the six stages described above serves as preparation for the mitigation actions that will be invoked to resolve any risks that evolve into real problems during the execution of a data center relocation, ultimately leading to a successful and timely relocation.

Whenever you may have a need to coordinate nationwide Data center relocation, we will serve to help answer your overall needs. For further information concerning our nationwide network, contact us for work through our Contact Form.

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US (TX): Poinsettia sale delayed by greenhouse malfunction

The annual Ector County Independent School District poinsettia sale will be held a little later this year because the original flowers died.

Horticulture teacher Christina Kile said the cooling system in the greenhouse gave out this summer.

“It got so hot we had to keep them in our potting room. We kept them in there too long and they ended up dying,” Kile said.

Poinsettias need to be kept at 73 degrees and are technically on the tropical side.

“They’re very delicate and it’s hard to grow them here, really,” Kile said.

Kile said she ended up having to buy 1,500 poinsettias, but 1,000 lived.

Read more at the Odessa American (Ruth Campbell)

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Valoya appoints a VP Sales North America

Valoya continues its growth trajectory with the addition of VP Sales North America, Mr. Wes Eaton. With extensive experience in horticulture and business development, Mr. Eaton will be tasked with driving Valoya’s growth in the North American market even further.

Having worked in sales of two horticultural LED lighting companies, he has a deep understanding of the horticulture lighting applications as well as the competitive landscape in North America. His experience prior to this includes working as a controlled environment agriculture consultant and developing meters and sensors for fertigation and control systems.

In this role, he will be responsible for driving sales in crop science, cannabis cultivation, vertical farming and greenhouse applications. Additionally, he will further develop Valoya’s North American reseller network within the cannabis market, as well as establish a local team. He will closely collaborate with existing customers, research partners and distributors, to enable a wider access to Valoya’s high-end LED solutions within the N.American market.

“Valoya’s ongoing commitment to deliver research based, high end lighting solutions is commendable. I am excited and honored to join the team and empower growers across North America to drive their plant performance to industry leading results,” says Eaton.

“We have been operating in North America since 2011 and it has always been a very important part of our business. Wes will build on this foundation to take us to the next level with his excellent experience and in-depth insight of the market,” comments Mr. Lars Aikala, CEO and Co-Founder of Valoya.

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FLORIDA TODAY to host Blue Zones health presentation

Rick Neale
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Unfortunately, many Space Coast residents only focus on their health after they become sick. Or after they begin exhibiting symptoms of diabetes, heart disease or cancer.

Nick Buettner, Blue Zones community and corporate program director.

That's when their doctor may prescribe medication and advise them to exercise, diet or adopt a healthier lifestyle. And that's too late, said Nick Buettner, Blue Zones community and corporate program director.

"What we try to do is work with the community to change the environment to make a healthy choice easier. If you can do that — do that upstream enough — then we as communities aren't getting as sick," Buettner said.

"We aren't spending as much money when it comes to those diseases that are really preventable for the most part, like diabetes or heart disease," he said.

Tuesday morning, Buettner will deliver a presentation "Can Brevard Become a Blue Zone?" in the FLORIDA TODAY Community Room.

Buettner and his brother Dan have crisscrossed the globe to research places where people have the longest lifespans. Dan Buettner, who is a National Geographic fellow, wrote the 2010 New York Times bestselling book "Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest."

Eau Gallie merchants call for more parking enforcement

The Buettners studied lifestyles of residents during expeditions to Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; the Ogliastra region of Sardinia, Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula; and Loma Linda, California. Their company, Blue Zones, LLC, promotes healthy habits at workplaces, grocery stores, churches, schools, restaurants and in public policies and practices.

"Health care change is never easy. What you're trying to do is to make steps around your environment. If you look at your work site, for example, you spend over half of your waking hours at that work site. That environment has a huge impact on your life. And you can create an environment where people can get up and move just a little bit more. You can create an environment around healthy eating: better choices in your cafeteria and your vending machines," Buettner said.

"You can look at your schools and create that foundation at that young age around healthy eating and gardening and things like that. All of a sudden, what you end up seeing is, you put practices in place Year 1 that will then create stronger future generations. It can be built upon. What we we're trying to do is start off with a foundation," he said.

Blue Zones partnered in 2009 with the city of Albert Lea, Minnesota, to implement Blue Zone practices. Absenteeism dropped 21 percent at participating businesses, the organization reported. There are now 37 Blue Zones Project communities across the nation. New members include Shawnee, Oklahoma, and Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

If Brevard County leaders decide to further examine the Blue Zones Project, Buettner said a team from his Minneapolis-based company will visit, conduct an assessment, and create a offer that details a proposed demographic area, number of years, and cost to participate.

Florida's sole Blue Zones Project is located in Naples. Participating entities — which reach into Bonita Springs, Estero and Marco Island — include Naples High School, United Way of Collier County, medical device maker Arthrex's global headquarters and an array of restaurants, medical providers, nonprofits, schools, housing communities and other companies.

Satellite Beach skate park reopens

"Discovery work" began last week to add Ave Maria and Immokalee to the fold, Buettner said.

"In Brevard County, there's a lot of good things going on right now around health. What we want to be able to do is to break down some of the silos (and) bring everyone together to charge together as a community about good health," he said.

An example: In February, the Health First Mayors' Fitness Challenge debuted with a pep rally at the Viera Hospital courtyard. Space Coast mayors are helping organize a variety of free public fitness activities, and each city is ranked on percentage of community participation and total minutes spent exercising. The city that earns the most ranking points wins the "Most Fit City 2017" trophy.

Admission is free to Tuesday's event, and LEAD Brevard is handling online registration.

"If this is a conversation that's going to spark additional dialogue about Brevard becoming a healthy community, we community leaders would see that as a positive outcome," said Kristin Bakke, LEAD Brevard president and chief executive officer.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow RickNeale1 on Twitter

If you go

FLORIDA TODAY will host a presentation by Nick Buettner of the Blue Zones Project from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The newspaper offices are located at 1 Gannett Plaza, off U.S. 1 about 1.3 miles north of the Pineda Causeway.

Admission is free. For reservations, call 321-632-8222 or visit leadbrevard.org and click on Upcoming Events.

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Micro Servo

Tax included

This analog servo is a great general-purpose micro servo at a great price. Servo horns and associated hardware are included. This servo can work with both 5 V and 3.3 V servo signals.

the actual product might be from a different brand then the one on the picture :-)

5 Items

Torque: 1.2kg/cm @ 4.8v, 1.4kg/cm @ 6v
Weight: 10g
Speed: 0.10/60deg @ 4.8v, 0.09/60deg @ 6v
Voltage: 4.8v~6v
Plug: JR

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Help Your Child See Their Way to a Better School Year

Is making an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam for your children on your back-to-school checklist? It needs to be.

No amount of new clothes, backpacks, or supplies will allow your child to reach their potential in school if they have an undetected vision problem.

The difference between eye exams and vision screenings

An annual exam done by an eye doctor is more focused than a visual screening done at school. School screenings are simply "pass-fail tests" that are often limited to measuring a child’s sight clarity and visual acuity up to a distance of 20 feet. But this can provide a false sense of security.

There are important differences between a screening and a comprehensive eye exam.

Where a screening tests only for visual acuity, comprehensive exams will test for acuity, chronic diseases, color vision and eye tracking. This means a child may pass a vision screening at school because they are able to see the board, but they may not be able to see the words in the textbook in front of them.

Why back-to-school eye exams matter

Did you know that 1 out of 4 children has an undiagnosed vision problem because changes in their eyesight go unrecognized?

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common condition in children and often develops around the ages of 6 or 7. And nearsightedness can change very quickly, especially between the ages of 11 and 13, which means that an eye prescription can change rapidly over a short period of time. That’s why annual checkups are important.

Comprehensive eye exams can detect other eye conditions. Some children may have good distance vision but may struggle when reading up close. This is known as hyperopia or farsightedness. Other eye issues such as strabismus (misaligned eyes), astigmatism, or amblyopia (lazy eye) are also detectable.

Kids may not tell you they're having visions issues because they might not even realize it. They may simply think everyone sees the same way they do. Kids often give indirect clues, such as holding books or device screens close to their face, having problems recalling what they've read, or avoiding reading altogether. Other signs could include a short attention span, frequent headaches, seeing double, rubbing their eyes or tilting their head to the side.

What to expect at your child's eye exam

Before the exam, explain that eye exams aren’t scary, and can be fun. A kid-friendly eye exam is quick for your child. After we test how he or she sees colors and letters using charts with pictures, shapes, and patterns, we will give you our assessment of your child’s eyes.

If your child needs to wear glasses, we can even recommend frames and lenses that would be best for their needs.

Set your child up for success

Staying consistent with eye exams is important because it can help your kids see their best in the classroom and when playing sports. Better vision can also mean better confidence because they are able to see well.

Because learning is so visual, making an eye examination a priority every year is an important investment you can make in your child's education. You should also be aware that your health insurance might cover pediatric eye exams.

Set your child up for success and schedule an exam today!

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550 36th Ave SW Suite K1
Altoona, IA 50009

Phone: (515) 518-8283
Fax: (515) 518-8285

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by Focus Family Eye Care
Help Your Child See Their Way to a Better School Year

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The bio-microscope and the slit lamp form a two part instrument that your eye doctor uses during a comprehensive eye exam to view both the anterior or front portion of your eye and your eye lids at high magnification. The slit lamp uses a high intensity light source to illuminate the front of your eye or lids. The width of the beam is adjustable from a full beam to a thin slit of light, enabling the doctor to better evaluate the health of your eyes.

The bio-microscope is basically a stereo microscope tilted forward to look at the lids and lashes and the front of your eye. With dilation solution and special hand held lenses, your doctor can focus on the back of your eye as well, to view the retina internal structures.

Your doctor might also apply orange fluorescein eye drops and use a cobalt blue filter on the slit lamp. The die, injunction with the blue light, enables your eye doctor to better see any imperfections on the cornea, white of the eye and the lids. These imperfections may include signs of dryness, scratches, infections or eye injuries.

Find Us

Focus Family Eye Care
550 36th Ave SW Suite K1
Altoona, IA 50009

Phone: (515) 518-8283
Fax: (515) 518-8285

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Better Vision for a Better School Year!

by Focus Family Eye Care
Help Your Child See Their Way to a Better School Year

Patient Educational Videos

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SMEs Have a Lot to Gain from Cloud-Based ERPs

Adopting these solutions offers a range of positive gains - as well as various challenges. Cloud-based erps can rapidly boost the business competitiveness of small and medium organisations by reducing their time to market and internal technology cost and complexity. Not many business applications have led as checkered a road map as enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. They are an integrated suite of applications, often built around a core business functionality, that an organisation is most competent with.

SMEs Have a Lot to Gain from Cloud-Based ERPs

Since ERPs are built around a core business functionality, size of an organisation and its primary business, are immediate differentiators in its adoption and implementation. What works for a sprawling, diversified, geographically dispersed conglomerate, will not work for a niche, 50-employee assembly shop.

The arrival of cloud computing technologies, where hardware, software and applications are available as a utility-type service, has transformed the dynamics of older, legacy ERPs. The arrival of cloud and public cloud hosting platforms, has prompted Gartner to bring forward the concept of post-modern ERP.

Here the monolithic, on-premises, highly-robust, concept of an ERP is replaced by a core, mission-critical ERP, with loosely coupled ERP modules attached around it.

The core mission-critical ERP may continue to be resident on-premises with maximum data protection and risk compliance built into it. On the other hand, peripheral ERP modules may be hosted in public cloud platforms.

Adopting a cloud-based ERP solution offers a range of positive gains as well as various challenges.

Positive gains

Cloud-based ERPs offer the flexibility of paying licence fees as a subscription-based on usage and requirements rather than a flat fee. Since the application is ready to use with a Web browser, end user organisations do not need to invest in complex and expensive computing systems. Browser-based access extends the usage to a mobile device, increasing the number of users and digitally enabling the organisation.

Upgrades and improvements are automated, taking place in the background, and end-users just keep using the application without any downtime. Hosted applications allow the organisation to scale up and down the number of active users at any point of time.

Ready-to-use functionality means the organisation can go to market in a shorter period of time, reducing the lead time for buildup and testing. All these factors reduce the complexity and cost of usage, allowing the end user organisation to focus on the challenges of its primary business.

One of the biggest challenges for cloud-based ERPs is to ensure sufficient protection and compliance around end-user organisation data, which is now resident outside the organisation, as well as, and often outside the country as well. No matter what type of service agreements are in place, the responsibility for the security, integrity and availability of the data hosted in the cloud, remains with the end user organisation to implement, test and validate.

Another challenge is for end-user organisations to accept the lack of permitted application customisation. Cloud-based ERPs follow the approach of one-size-fits-all, and do not permit their in-built best practices and workflow to be modified for each organisation. Synchronisation of data that needs to be resident both in the cloud and on-premises, requires a certified partner to assist in the initial stages. Performance of cloud-based ERPs are exposed to last mile vagaries, even if the primary vendor hosting is on global tier-one data center's. Dependency on cloud-based ERP vendors to manage the application and updates, also reduces the need to invest internally in similar technology skills and thereby systematically builds internal weaknesses.

Best fit

Not all organisations are suited to benefit from cloud-based ERPs. This can be easily visualised by using two X-Y axis and four quadrants. One axis represents increasing complexity of internal business applications, and the other represents increasing number of applications users. The sweet spot for cloud-based ERPs are small to large organisations with limited application complexity.

Typically, large organisations with highly-customised and highly-complex business applications may not find cloud-based ERPs to be suitable for them. Small- and medium-sized organisations, on the other hand, can gain tremendous business competitiveness by selecting the right mix of cloud-based ERP applications.

- Ali Hyder

CEO, Focus Softnet

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Hongkou and Putuo Travel Guide

Hongkou and Putuo

Although often neglected in favor of more glamorous neighborhoods, the northern Shanghai districts of Putuo and Hongkou offer interesting sites and shouldn’t be ignored.

Hongkou District is relatively undeveloped and unchanged, and buildings from the past are visible behind cheap clothing stores. Shanghai’s old Jewish Quarter is here, too. An area with an interesting history, Hongkou has the most sights worth seeing, as well as the lush green sweep of Lu Xun Park.

In Putuo, the old buildings and warehouses around Suzhou Creek, which feeds into the Huangpu, have been turned into hip-and-happening artsy venues. Of particular note is the M50 development, which—in typical Shanghai fashion—is slated for still more renovation and development in the near future. Also in Putuo District is another one of Shanghai's main temples, the Jade Buddha Temple, which is an easy walk from Jing’an, the district just to the south.

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Ultra Omega 3/6/9 supplies precisely calibrated ratios of unsaturated fatty acids from the highest quality cold pressed non-GMO borage oil, fish oil and flax oil available. Each easy-to-swallow softgel provides no less than 412 mg omega-3 and 250 mg omega-6 fatty acids, plus 134 mg oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil and flaxseed oil have been cited recently for contributing to cardiovascular health. Omega-6 EFAs have been reported to support healthy skin and joint function. And omega-9 fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, have been found to be an integral component of the healthful Mediterranean diet.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.


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Give your sneaker collection an eco-friendly upgrade with the adidas Ultraboost DNA 5.0. These kicks are designed with adidas Primeknit, a yarn spun from Parley Ocean Plastic. This plastic waste is collected from remote islands, beaches, coastal communities, and shorelines to safeguard the ocean and marine life.

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  • Contains Primeblue, a recycled material containing Parley Ocean Plastic with at least 96% of it is recycled material.


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    Horn problem

    Hi all, I,m new to this forum and from Wales in the UK.I bought one of the first Edge that was sold in the UK in 2016 and I am very pleased with the car. I am a retired Ford employee of 42years service and have always bought Ford cars and this edge is one of my favourites . I have had a few problems such as leaking front windscreen and misting up rear lights which have been sorted but my biggest niggle is the HORN. The deeper horn on the duel horn keeps failing, it has been changed twice but has just gone again and because it is now out of warranty the dealer will not change it. Has anyone had the same problem and how easy is it to change. Was thinking of putting a horn from another model to see if that solves the problem.


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Today, we’re chatting with Brennan McEachran, co-founder and CEO of SoapBox. SoapBox is an agenda tool that fuels your one-on-one and team meetings. Some of SoapBox’s clients include Netflix, Adobe, Intercom, Wealthsimple and many more. Tune into our chat as we learn about how Brennan built this company:

1. You mentioned in your bio you were just 19 when you had this idea. How did the idea of SoapBox come about?

I had feedback I wanted to share, and I didn’t know how to share it.

I was an undergrad at Ryerson University at the time, and I was frustrated by the university experience – registering for classes, buying textbooks, the list went on. My friends and I had lots of solutions to these problems, so one night I emailed the University President with our feedback. Two weeks later, the University President emailed me back – and wanted to meet to hear more. All of a sudden, I had his ear, and I wanted to gather as many ideas from my fellow students as possible before the meeting. But it was harder than I thought to collect that kind of feedback. That’s where SoapBox started – when I was meeting with the President, I sketched out the idea for an idea management software that would connect students to the President’s office. At that time, Ryerson was about to open the Digital Media Zone, Canada’s first University incubator for startup ventures, and we were one of the first companies to grow out of the DMZ.

Even though it started as a university tool, I could see from the very beginning how this kind of software would be useful to companies. I was essentially the employee, and I wanted to give feedback to my boss to help them be less stupid. So I basically built a tool I wanted to use.

Then the product shifted a little bit. We were helping enterprise companies like Coca Cola hear from their massive employee base – but we felt like something was missing from the tool. So we decided to rebuild SoapBox from the ground up. We wanted to refocus the tool to help managers have meaningful conversations with their employees – and we felt that the easiest way to do that was to focus on the most important time a manager has with their team: team meetings and one-on-ones. So we shifted from a feedback software to a meeting agenda tool – with the goal of becoming the manager’s sidekick.

2. Validation is such a key in the early-stages. How did you go about validating the idea?

To be honest, I think the first time around, the way I tried to validate the idea was bad. We were an enterprise tool focused on annual sales – which meant that it was taking us a whole year to really validate the idea with our initial customers (did they renew?)

The second time around was better. I was trying to be disciplined and deliberate. You can’t validate the whole idea at once, so what’s the part you’re going to validate? And validate at the cheapest point – ideally within the first few moments of the customer experience, so you get that feedback way, way faster.
The other thing is, there are different risks you want to prove or disprove depending on the product, the company and the market. You might want to focus on the technology risk, or you might want to focus on the marketing risk. Because I have a programming background, I tackled the marketing risk first – because it was the cheapest one to start with and I knew what was doable from a tech perspective. So I made a landing page outlining the features of the product, and I learned from that.

But that might not work for every company. That works if the risk is whether or not there’s a demand for your product. If the risk is whether you can actually make a product that works, that’s different. Like, there’s probably demand for “smell-o-vision.” You don’t need to make a website that invites people to sign up for it, because you can safely assume that, if you could invent it, people would at least be interested. The risk is how you’d actually create the technology.

3. We know finding the right cofounder is one of the biggest challenges early on. How did you meet your cofounders? Any tips on finding a cofounder?

I talked to a lot of people. I wasn’t actively looking for a cofounder, I just wanted this thing to get off the ground. And really – if you’re not motivated to do the work until you get a cofounder, your idea might not be good in the first place. You should be compelled to do it yourself, and you should be compelled to talk about it with anyone that will listen. And then, eventually, you’ll meet someone who is equally compelled. If they can’t sleep because they are so compelled by your idea, they should be part of your founding team.

So, I talked to a lot of people, and a bunch of them told me, if you really want to do this, you need to talk to Graham McCarthy. So I sent him emails until he replied. At the time, did I know he’d be my cofounder? No. Did I know he’d become my best friend for nine years running? No. But it worked out great.

And then you obviously want them to complement you. I’m a bit more ADD than Graham, and way more focused on the visual stuff. But Graham keeps us focused and forward moving. You want someone who balances you and doesn’t block you.

Oh, and if you’re a business person and need a technical cofounder? Tough shit. Everyone needs a technical cofounder. You should learn to code, build a bad version of your product, show it to developers. That’s what I did. If you’re compelled enough to found a company, coding shouldn’t be the stopper.

4. How did you build your MVP? Did you have a coding background?

I could whip together a website. But I was no means a computer science student. I was a business student. I was better at Photoshop than programming. But I needed to be good at programming, so I just started by learning the practical skills I needed.

And coding is not something you need a university degree to get good at, if you’re sufficiently motivated. And if you’re starting a company, you’re sufficiently motivated.

5. Do you have any tips for non-technical cofounders building their MVP or recruiting a technical cofounder?

Just aggressively get feedback from people on everything you’re doing. And talk to people. Meet people. Find developers looking for an idea. Some people have skills and need an idea. They need someone who can do the opposite of what they do.

In my experience if you can get a bad MVP out the door, or validate the market side of the concept you’ll be miles ahead of other founders. Focus on what you can do and make sure there’s movement there. Most developers will see how poorly done your MVP is and will want to tell you how to make it better — maybe one even just does it for you

BUT if you’re a non-technical founder, be really, really good at the non-technical parts. You’re going to need to be a people person. You’re going to need to be good at people liking you. Otherwise, you might as well be the behind-the-scenes.

There’s really no excuse today with the no-code tools available that a non-technical founder can’t get something off the ground. Even just a fake app built in marvel, invision, or figma should give you something to get feedback on. If you aren’t willing to do that you’ll likely have a hard time here on out.

6. What is your culture like working at SoapBox?

I think culture is what happens when I’m not in the room. Our employees say that our culture is passionate and vibrant, while also being really caring and thoughtful. The team wants to come together to experience things – from Game of Thrones to new babies. We celebrate milestones in each other’s lives. We care about each other. But we also care about getting shit done and making a killer product, which means Radical Candor and open communication at all times.

Basically, the way I think about it is, if you’re not going to encourage everyone you know to work here, you’re doing something wrong. And, collectively, it’s your company so whatever that is should be fixed. If you’re not going to recommend our tool to your friends, it’s a stupid company. My team is the barometer for whether this company is working, or whether it needs some major changes.

7. What sets of skills, competencies, and traits do you look for your new hires?

For me, I want values that align with ours. Then character traits. I am at the stage where I assume that the hiring manager has already validated that this person has killer technical skills related to their role. So when I sit down with them, I’m wondering, is this human the right human. Are they curious? Are they a growth mindset person? Do they have an internal locus of control? Are they morally ethical? Are they willing to debate, but also willing to lose the debate? Those types of things.

The internal locus of control is one of the biggest ones. If you don’t have an internal locus of control, you shouldn’t work at a startup. Like, do you blame yourself when things go wrong, or do you blame other people? You should definitely not be part of a founding team if you blame others.

8. What’s the next exciting thing for SoapBox and your team?

There’s so much to be excited about now. But to be honest, the things that I’m excited about are kind of boring things to the outside world. We recently did a re-org across the company to move everyone into cross-departmental squads, and it’s been really exciting. The pace of the company is much faster now, and I think we can still increase our velocity.

And I’m really excited to be at a company where everyone is proud of what we’re doing. I’m excited about being proud of our work. Whereas I used to be proud of where we’d be in six months. Now I’m proud of what we’re doing each week.

Some of that is where I’m at in my career – to have a little bit of confidence to say, “I strongly believe this thing is the next most important thing.” And because of being in that state, as a company we can stay super focused and do a good job on those things.

9. Life and balance in a startup is often more of a blend. How do you stay relax and take time off work?

I take a slightly contrarian angle on these types of questions. This job isn’t for everyone and it’s not all glory. I focus on the negatives because others don’t.

So: I don’t. I’m not relaxed. But I think I have fun.

It’s a hard balance. I’m a worse dad and husband because I’m a startup founder. I have less friends. Because you have to prioritize work over other things. You build up a lot of relationship debt and friend debt and parent debt by choosing this path. Sometimes I miss bedtime. It’s not a huge deal because he’s young enough that he won’t remember it. But I won’t remember it either.

The good news is, you get to decide your own rules and build your company around that. So we shut down the company for two weeks over the holidays. We max out health benefits. Our approach is that if we can’t build a business with these things, what’s the point? If we can’t cover spouses and dependents on benefits for free, what’s the point? I care about having a company that makes those calls, and encourages a decent work/life balance. I care about my employees, so I need to care about their families.

10. What’s the best advice you have gotten for building a startup?

Again, I take a slightly different angle to these questions because I don’t think enough people talk about them.

I don’t think it’s a thing for everyone. It’s something that people sensationalize for whatever reason. There are better ways to make money. There are more proven business models to pursue. You can start a mechanic shop. You can start a plumbing business and make just as much money. If you have some business acumen, you could light the plumbing world on fire.

If you’re going to build a startup, it’s because you’re compelled to do it. You have no choice. It’s not a good relationship decision. Statistically, it’s not a good financial decision. So why do it? It’s because you have no choice.

To learn more about SoapBox visit:

SoapBox Career Opportunities:
SoapBox Twitter:  @SoapBoxHQ
SoapBox Facebook:


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Some Utah food banks, pantries short on donations ahead of holiday season

Posted at 6:50 PM, Nov 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-17 20:50:54-05

SALT LAKE CIT -- Thursday officially marks one week away from Thanksgiving, and places like the Utah Food Bank say they can use all the donations they can get.

Some food banks and pantries in Utah say they aren't seeing as many donations as they have in years past.

“I think just because of how warm the weather has been, and all of the fascination over the elections this year, that people haven't been thinking about how close we are to Thanksgiving,” said Maresha Bosgieter, a Director with Catholic Community Services in Northern Utah.

The Catholic Community Services center in Ogden says things have been slower for them.

“So as of Friday we had 13 turkeys and hams donated in all, and when we're looking at giving out 1,500 baskets, it's a little daunting,” Bosgieter said.

Since then, many people have stepped up. After a large donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints, along with contributions from community members, they're now about 400 turkeys short.

“We've had a lot of response this week, which is great, but we're not quite there,” Bosgieter said.

The Utah Food Bank tells Fox 13 News they're on track for donations, but their Human Race still needs to pick up the pace.

“What we're anxious for is our race on Thanksgiving Day," said Ginette Bott, Chief Development Officer for the Utah Food Bank . "The Utah Human Race is a 5 and a 10K race, this will be our 11th year. It's held in Draper, and registration is kind of lagging behind where it’s been other years."

The money raised from the race helps stack the food bank shelves for the 423,000 Utahns who face food insecurity. Bott said those who donate may not realize how much their donation means to those in need.

“I was a single mom at one point and homeless, we lived in a car for a period of time and we really struggled, and I think those experiences in my life have helped me to understand the audience that we're trying to serve here,” Bott said.

Bott was once homeless before becoming a successful businesswoman. She later decided to give up the corporate world so she could give back. She says anything helps.

Nearly every local grocery store has a collection barrel for food banks this holiday season, and for every dollar in donations that the Utah Food Bank receives they are able to provide about $7 worth of food.

To donate time, food or money to the Utah Food Bank, click here.

For information on the Human Race, click here.

To volunteer or donate to Catholic Community Services, click here.


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Flawless Simona Halep beats Serena Williams to win 1st Wimbledon

Posted at 4:42 PM, Jul 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-13 16:43:18-04

(CNN) — History was made at Wimbledon on Saturday but if you were rooting for Serena Williams, it wasn’t what you hoped for.

Simona Halep became the first Romanian to win Wimbledon when she stunned the American 6-2 6-2 in what had to be one of the finest performances in a final in the tournament’s recent history.

“She really played out of her mind,” Williams told the crowd.

Petra Kvitova’s 6-3 6-0 victory over Eugenie Bouchard in 2014 sprung to mind as another glittering display.

Halep needed only one more minute than the Czech, 56, to see off the 37-year-old Williams.

Her three unforced errors were the fewest in a Wimbledon final since records were kept in 1998, one less than Kvitova’s tally.

“I’ve always been intimidated a little bit when I faced Serena,” Halep, who struck 13 winners, told reporters. “She’s an inspiration for everyone and the model for everyone.

“Today I decided before the match that I’m going to focus on myself and on the final of a grand slam, not on her. That’s why I was able to play my best, to be relaxed, and to be able to be positive and confident against her.”

Halep claimed her second major after the 2018 French Open. Williams, meanwhile, fell in a third straight grand slam final for the first time in her record-breaking career.

All have been on her comeback after becoming a mom in September 2017.

“For me any loss is not easy,” said Williams. “When someone plays lights out, there’s really not much you can do. You just have to understand that was their day today.

“Hopefully I can raise the level of my game sometimes.”

She has been short of matches due to a knee injury this season that hindered her French Open.

“Seems like every grand slam final I’m in recently has been an unbelievable effort to get there,” Williams added. “It would be interesting to see how it would be under different circumstances.”

Perhaps the US Open is where Williams will tie Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors.

Royal watchers

Watching Saturday from the Royal Box were Williams’ friend, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, whom Halep met afterward.

“She’s very kind, very nice,” said Halep, who also reveled in becoming a member of the All England Club after winning the title.

Halep is a different type of player to the attacking Kvitova, a superb counterpuncher.

And unlike Kvitova, grass has never been her favorite surface. Rather it has been the clay.

But Halep was so good in her first Wimbledon final it took her seven games to make one unforced error.

Her athleticism and retrieving perhaps destabilized Williams, contributing to the top server women’s tennis has ever seen hitting a mere two aces.

Halep may own a 2-9 record against Williams but both her wins have been resounding, the other being a 6-0 6-2 result at the WTA finals in Singapore in 2014 that gave her a boost of confidence.

“Today I just went for it like in Singapore,” said Halep. “I had that image in my head. I really believed there is the chance to do the same thing.”

The world No. 7 said she had a few butterflies before the encounter yet it didn’t show. She broke Williams in the first game, part of a run where she claimed seven consecutive points.

Sublime backhand

Halep showed why she’s one of the best movers around when she chased a ball in her forehand corner, then finished with a sublime backhand cross court near the net.

Williams knew all about Halep but in case she needed another reminder, that was it.

Halep got some luck in the third game, seeing her ball off the net cord stay inside the court while Williams’ reply clipped the tape and landed on her side.

Also one of tennis’ fiercest returners, Halep earned a double break advantage with a backhand return winner down the line.

It was all working for Halep as he struck an ace to get to 4-0. Williams — who led the event in aces and had hit the fastest serve so far — didn’t hit an ace until set two.

Halep’s first unforced error incredibly came at 5-1, 15-0 — a forehand into the net — but it certainly didn’t put her off.

Two points later summarized the opener.

Williams crushed a backhand cross court. Maybe not expecting it to come back, even from the speedy Halep, it did, and Williams’ backhand reply landed in the net for one of her 26 unforced errors.

There were few moments for Serena Williams to celebrate during a comprehensive defeat.
Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images 7-13-2019

Williams was 2-8 in grand slam finals when dropping the opener — her last win came in 2005 — so it spelled trouble for the seven-time champion.

Flawless tennis

Through five games in the second set, Halep made just one unforced error.

Yes, she continued to be stingy.

Halep dug out from 15-30 at 0-1, then broke for 3-2 when Williams put a backhand long.

A seemingly simple point for some with Halep out of position, but the 27-year-old’s tenacity throughout could have prompted the miss.

“I think I was over-hitting, trying to go for too much,” said Williams. “She was just getting a tremendous amount of balls back.”

Halep then saved the next game from 15-30 to get to 4-2 and broke again for 5-2.

Williams’ serve finally clicked to prolong that game but when they were embroiled in baseline rallies, Halep won the majority of the points, mirroring the match.

And a first Wimbledon title was officially hers when Williams’ forehand found the net.

Halep sunk to her knees and took it all in for a second.

Her display was one for the ages.

™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

More tennis news from the Associated Press:

Juan-Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah became the first Colombians to win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title, beating France’s Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-3 in a Wimbledon final that lasted just under 5 hours and concluded under the Centre Court roof.

The retractable cover was closed after the fourth set, which finished at about 8 p.m. after the teams had been playing for more than 4 hours.

The match went on so long that the women’s doubles final that was supposed to follow in the tournament’s main stadium was postponed until Sunday.

Mahut was visited by a doctor after getting hit in the face by a ball in the early going. He also went down in the fifth set after taking a ball to the body.

Mahut is no stranger to extended matches: He played in the longest match in tennis history — an 11-hour, 3-minute loss to John Isner in Wimbledon’s first round of singles in 2010 that stretched over three days and finished 70-68 in the fifth set.

Wimbledon introduced deciding-set tiebreakers this year, using them at 12-all.

Mahut and Roger-Vasselin were trying to win their first Grand Slam title together. Mahut has won four major doubles trophies with Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who played instead with Andy Murray at Wimbledon.

8:15 p.m.

The Wimbledon women’s doubles final has been postponed because the men’s doubles final has stretched to a fifth set.

The women’s match pitting Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova against Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan will be played Sunday instead.

That was scheduled to follow the men’s doubles final on Centre Court. But that match — Juan-Sebastian Caval and Robert Farah against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin — was already past the 4-hour mark when it headed to a fifth set after four tiebreakers.

Darkness was approaching, so the retractable roof at Centre Court was closed, further delaying things.

4 p.m.

Daria Snigur of Ukraine won the junior girls’ title at Wimbledon, beating Alexa Noel of the United States 6-4, 6-4.

The match was played on No. 1 Court, the second biggest stadium at the All England Club.

The two also played each other on grass last week in the final of a tournament in nearby Roehampton, and Snigur won that one as well, 6-1, 6-2.

The Wimbledon win is Snigur’s first major title.

In the women’s wheelchair singles final, Aniek Van Koot won her third major title by beating Diede De Groot 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Both players are from the Netherlands.

Van Koot won her previous two Grand Slam titles in 2013, first at the Australian Open and then at the U.S. Open.

Also, Joachim Gerard of Belgium and Stefan Olsson of Sweden won the men’s wheelchair doubles title by beating Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid of Britain 6-4, 6-2.

3:05 p.m.

Simona Halep won her first Wimbledon title and kept Serena Williams from winning her eighth.

Halep beat Williams 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court for her second major title.

Williams was trying to win her record-equaling 24th Grand Slam singles title, but she failed in a final for the third time. Williams lost to Angelique Kerber in last year’s Wimbledon final and lost to Naomi Osaka in the championship match at the U.S. Open.

Williams still holds the record for most major singles titles in the professional era with 23, one more than Steffi Graf. But Margaret Court, who won 13 of her Grand Slam singles titles in the amateur era, has 24 overall.

Halep, who won last year’s French Open title, had only three unforced errors to Williams’ 25 in the final.

2:40 p.m.

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, were in the Royal Box for the women’s final at Wimbledon.

The royals were joined by Kate’s sister, Pippa.

Meghan is friends with Serena Williams, who was facing Simona Halep in the final on Centre Court.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was also in the Royal Box.

2:35 p.m.

Simona Halep won the first set 6-2 against Serena Williams in the women’s Wimbledon final.

Halep dominated the seven-time Wimbledon champion from the start, breaking Williams in her first two service games and taking a 4-0 lead. At that stage, Halep had hit six winners and zero unforced errors. Williams had zero winners and nine unforced errors.

Williams’ only break point of the set came at 4-1, but she hit a forehand wide.

Halep is looking for her first Wimbledon title and second Grand Slam trophy overall. Williams has won 23 major tournaments.

1 p.m.

Top-seeded Dylan Alcott of Australia won the first quad wheelchair singles title at Wimbledon, a day after winning the doubles title.

Alcott beat doubles partner Andy Lapthorne of Britain 6-0, 6-2 in the first official singles final for the event at the All England Club.

Alcott and Lapthorne won the doubles title on Friday, beating Koji Sugeno of Japan and David Wagner of the United States 6-2, 7-6 (4).

Wheelchair tennis made its debut at Wimbledon in 2016.

Alcott became a paraplegic after a tumor was removed from his spine soon after birth, according to the Wimbledon website.

8:20 a.m.

Going for No. 24, Serena Williams will face Simona Halep in the Wimbledon final.

Williams is trying to equal the record for most Grand Slam singles titles won in tennis history. Margaret Court holds that record with 24, but 13 of her trophies came during the amateur era, while all of Williams’ have come after professionals were admitted to major tournaments in 1968.

At Wimbledon, Williams is a seven-time champion who will be playing in her 11th final. Simona Halep, a former No. 1 who won the French Open last year, will be in her first final at the All England Club.

In 10 previous matches between the two, Williams has won nine times.

More AP tennis coverage: and


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Student loan relief ‘would be fantastic’ as debt soars past a trillion

Ferris State Univ. official says most popular proposal from President Elect Joe Biden, new administration would be giving debtors $10,000 in loan relief
Posted at 8:09 PM, Dec 10, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-10 20:31:56-05

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — For Erica Foote, going to Ferris State University was an easy choice. Most of her family went to Michigan State University in East Lansing. However, when Ferris offered her a $6,000-a-year scholarship, she moved to Big Rapids. So far, she’s loved it.

“I’m happy with my choice. I’m third a generation Ferris student. My grandpa owned a pharmacy. My dad started pharmacy school,” Foote said during a Zoom interview on Thursday. “So, that’ll be kind of cool but definitely they weren’t in the same amount of debt coming out as all of us are going to be.”

Foote is a second-year graduate student studying pharmacy. Thursday afternoon, she checked on the school’s website for an estimate of how much she currently owes them in loans and it read $98,487. Since she has a few more semesters to go, she said that number will increase to well over $200,000 once interest is factored in.

“That’s insane. I know that with pharmacy school, I’m going to be making a decent amount of money, but $208,000, plus I have another two years after this,” Foote said. “For people my age especially, you know we don’t think about it as much but if you actually sit down and try to crunch some of those numbers, it’s like I don’t even [know]. I know my older sister when she was doing hers, they basically said the only way for you to pay it off after your master’s program is like ‘pay this much money or death.’”

Ferris State dean Kristen Salomonson understands. Student loan debt is in the trillions. She said 90 percent of the loans that people carry stem from some type of federal loan, and on average people owe $36,000. She noted that starting salaries can’t compete with the amount of debt people owe when they graduate college. However, she believes the renewed talks of student loan debt relief or forgiveness may come to fruition.

“It would be fantastic if there could be some relief” Salomonson said. “The upcoming administration and other Democratic senators and other interest groups have proposed changing some of the ways that we handle student debt here and in particular sort of canceling debt. Right now the most popular program that they’re sort of touting, what they want is to just give everyone $10,000 in loan relief.”

READ MORE: Biden’s student loan forgiveness could wipe out debt for 15 million borrowers

Salomonson said that if that happens it will immediately boost the economy because the dollars will go to the communities and not just back to the government. The $1200 stimulus check people received early in the pandemic mainly helped with necessities like rent and groceries, she said. However, a $10,000 check will boost consumer spending.

“When you’re young and you’re establishing your career there’s a lot of things to buy. You’re starting families, you’re making decisions,” Salomonson said. “Life costs money, if you gave more of it you’re able to be more flexible. So, I think it could really be boon for everyone.”

Salomonson added that President Elect Joe Biden has also mentioned extending the current forbearance well into 2021. It was recently extended from December 31 to the end of January. However, many are hoping he extends it further.

READ MORE: Federal student loan forbearance given additional extension

“Another program that Biden has put into some of his campaign materials is limiting the amount of money that students would have to pay on their loans,” Salomonson said. “So, if we don’t go the direction of basically erasing some debt, is there ways to give people some relief in debt payments. Right now, the average federal loan, it depends on what program it is, they require you pay between 10 and 20 percent of your discretionary income per month, which is quite a big chunk.”

However, many people don’t have discretionary income after paying bills, loans and other necessities, she said. So this proposal would cut that to five percent.

Salomonson added that the proposals will not help everyone, especially people who have already paid off their students loans, those currently in undergraduate programs or entering school, and those with private loans. The proposal support federally-backed loans.

However, colleges and universities are always considering ways to keep the costs of their institutions affordable, she said. Currently most schools in the state, including Ferris State, are 75 percent funded by tuition, she said. Prices have gone up as state funding has decreased.

“As that has gone down, inflationary increases has kept the cost of higher education high,” Salomonson said. “Right now the current climate is very much questioning the value of college, talking about ‘wow these are a lot of dollars.’ Credible study after credible study indicates that it’s still a terrific investment.”

Foote agreed. She’s been enjoying her years at Ferris. However, she hopes something is done soon. Even the smallest amount of relief helps, she said.

“What I’m understanding is that would be for undergrad type student debt. So, that’s really cool if I could just knock that off,” Foote said. “I know I didn’t have as much in undergrad as I do for grad school but not having to worry about that would be amazing. Even if it’s not your whole debt wiped, even having like $100 knocked off a month when you graduate, that’d be super nice.”


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New Hampshire woman accused of sending threatening texts to Wayne County canvasser

Posted at 10:37 AM, Dec 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-23 14:40:08-05

(WXYZ) — A New Hampshire woman has been charged with texting threats to the chair of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers.

Katelyn Jones, 23, is accused of sending threatening texts to Monica Palmer after she voted against certifying the election results for Wayne County on Nov. 17.

According to a criminal complaint, Palmer received multiple threatening text messages on Nov. 18 from an unknown person, calling her a "terrorist."

The messages were followed by two graphic photographs of a mutilated deceased woman; immediately, another photo was sent of Palmer's daughter, who is a minor.

The texts that followed stated, "I'd just like you to imagine that's little [name] your beautiful daughter."

Law enforcement databases traced the number to a TextMe account, created by way of a specific IP address, traced to a residence in New Hampshire.

Additionally, according to the criminal complaint, Palmer received similar threats on her Instagram page. FBI agents concluded both of the texts and threatening Instagram messages were sent by the same person.

The Instagram user was identified as Jones; on Dec. 22, agents executed a search warrant at the New Hampshire residence, where Jones waived her rights and agreed to answer questions.

Jones confirmed she sent the threatening texts and said she made them because she was "angry" that Palmer was "interfering with the election."

Jones has been charged with transmitting a threat of violence through interstate commerce.

View the full criminal complaint below:

Threats to Wayne County Boa... by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit


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Applied Imaging helping companies Rebound

Posted at 9:51 PM, Aug 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-03 16:37:14-04

WEST MICHIGAN — Applied Imaging has been helping businesses with their office needs in Michigan since the 1980's and now they, like so many other companies, have pivoted in an effort to continue helping businesses reopen as soon as safely possible.

For starters, Applied Imaging has put together a Return to Work playbook, checklist, and healthy office brochure.

Casey Lowery, director of sales at Applied Imaging, described it to FOX 17 as "a strategy guide, communication plan, and develops a protocol if there are confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, ensuring safety in the workplace."

The free helpful guidelines are available to any company looking to rebound safely can be found at

Applied Imaging is also offering the services of a body temperature check kiosk for rent or purchase.

"It will recognize who you are and basically take a temperature from a foot away," Lowery explained. "So, non-contact, as long as you're within a certain range. The real goal is to not have somebody sitting at the front desk with a thermometer taking everybody's temperature as they come in the front door, so it's a way to automate that."

Lowery said prices vary between kiosks--one that is self standing and another that goes on top of a desk--but costs no more than $5,000 and doubles in helping with two factor authentication.

"For that technology, anybody who is going to invest in one, wants to make sure there's some relevance after there's a need to take temperatures," said Lowery.

To learn more about the kiosk, go to the chat section of their website.


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Target keeping hybrid work approach at Minneapolis headquarters

Two years since the pandemic abruptly emptied out downtown Minneapolis offices, workers are still slowly coming back.  But it’s become clear they won’t all be returning, at least certainly not every day.

"In the last month, I think we’ve certainly seen an uptick," said Dennis Johnson, a retiree who moved downtown 20 years ago. "The number of people downtown, the number of people in the skyways, the number of restaurants and little shops that are coming back."

Several large employers finally returned to their downtown offices in March, after several COVID-surge delays.  But Target, who employs more than 8000 people at its downtown headquarters, decided to keep a hybrid approach.  Workers and their teams have the flexibility to decide when to come to the office.

"In a lot of ways, it wasn’t a surprise," said Steve Cramer, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council.  His office has been constantly keeping tabs with employers about their plans and knew hybrid approaches had become permanent options for many.

"It’s clear as can be this flexible work approach is going to be the new norm going forward and Target is a part of that as well," said Cramer.

One reason companies are retaining hybrid flexibilities is that employees like it, and in a tight job market, that has become key to recruiting and retaining workers.

But while it’s good for employees who enjoy a few days off from their commutes, it is tough on the downtown economy that depends on them.  Before Covid-19, more than 200-thousand people worked in downtown every day.  Now, that same workforce may never all be downtown at the same time.

Currently, according to Downtown Council stats, just over 50% of the workforce is at the office at least one day a week.  That will no doubt continue to go up, but at what pace and to what extent is yet to be seen.

"So we think by the late summer or early fall, we’ll have a pretty good feel for what the expected office population is going to be," said Cramer.

It’s tough on downtown retailers and restaurants.  One restaurant told Fox 9 that the lunch crowd is still sparse, but happy hour is picking up.  More skyway stores have reopened, but a number of empty spots remain.  The Downtown Council counts more than 400 retailers now open, up from 280 about one year ago.

But Target’s decision is seen, one retailer told us, as the harbinger of what’s to come. They believe many employers will follow Target’s lead.  So while workers will continue to return, they fear they’ll never see the vibrancy in the lunch crowds that they used to.