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CEO Must Also Be Chief Sales Officer

Posted by Veda Ferlazzo Clark on Feb 9, 2015 1:49:49 PM

An increasingly complex and competitive business environment demands a clearly defined sales process to drive profitable growth in any company.

Two_WomenThe CEO must set the context for the sales and marketing strategy, with a focus on key performance indicators, process, pipeline management, and a common sales methodology and system.

Jim Ayraud, president of Next Level, Inc. said, “Sales can no longer be only about relationships and generating as many proposals as possible. Sales is not a random process, but a carefully planned systematic approach that helps potential customers see well-defined differentiation in the products and services recommended.”

Ayraud recently led a discussion about sales management with a dozen chief executive officers who are members of the AIM CEO Connection.  He delineated the CEO’s role in sales:

  • Serve as the chief sales officer with critical customers;
  • Be chief story teller, to express clearly and passionately what the company does;
  • Define performance indicators to track progress towards monthly revenue goals;
  • Participate in the “war game,” challenging salespeople to define behaviors that drive success;
  • Give candid feedback to hold the sales and sales leadership team accountable;
  • Constantly ask “What are we missing?” and “If we could do one thing better, what would it be?”

The CEO alone can align the sales organization with the overall needs of the customer and company. And the most successful CEOs do so with passion. Recall that Estee Lauder famously said, "I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard."

The AIM CEO Connection brings together CEOs to talk about important topics with their peers to help them make critical decisions that will drive their company’s growth. Each session of the CEO Connection includes a presentation from an outside expert, open discussion about current issues, and a company tour.

CEO Connection groups are currently running in both southeastern and northeastern Massachusetts with room for one or two additional participants. A third sessions will begin soon in central Massachusetts.

Manufacturing/industrial CEOs interested to learn more about the AIM CEO Connection may contact Brian Gilmore (bgilmore@aimnet.org) or Gary MacDonald (gmcdonald@aimnet.org).

Topics: Management, Sales Management, AIM CEO Connection

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Gamo .177 Caliber Cleaning Kit

Most air guns have very shallow rifling or grooves inside the barrel. A standard bore cleaning kit designed for rim fire barrels can damage the rifling, thus reducing the accuracy of your weapon. The Gamo .177 caliber cleaning kit is specially designed for cleaning the bores of air gun barrels. This three piece kit quickly breaks down and only takes up a small amount of room inside your gun case or carrying bag. A clean barrel will help you maintain a properly working weapon for a long time to come.

Tell Us What You Think

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Thursday, September 5, 2013

Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and BooksAMillion.

The Blurb
A new epic set in the Paleolithic era from New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson.
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Mars trilogy and 2312 comes a powerful, thrilling and heart-breaking story of one young man's journey into adulthood -- and an awe-inspiring vision of how we lived thirty thousand years ago.

There is Thorn, a shaman himself. He lives to pass down his wisdom and his stories -- to teach those who would follow in his footsteps.

There is Heather, the healer who, in many ways, holds the clan together.

There is Elga, an outsider and the bringer of change.

And then there is Loon, the next shaman, who is determined to find his own path. But in a world so treacherous, that journey is never simple -- and where it may lead is never certain.

My Review
Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I hated the first half of this book. Slowly introduced characters dispersed with a lot of detail about Stone Age life made this story plod along. Once I finished the book, I saw the intent of the analogy but it was hard to stay with the story to get to that point. The details are kind of cool but I wish they were better dispersed through the plot.

The lovely passages about women, and how men should treat women, kept me going through the first half of the book. I wish these ideas (for example: the notion that all women are beautiful, not for being perfect but for being flawed) expressed in these passages were more common in our society.

Then, somewhere in the middle of the book, the plot appears and I'm sucked into the story. I don't want to give away spoilers but the second half of the book was easier to read. I finished it in one sitting, after taking a week to get through the first half of the book.

If you would like visuals of the cave paintings that are mentioned in the book, then look up Chauvet Cave and use the photographs as illustrations. The author used these cave paintings for inspiration.

I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a review.

View all my reviews

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Monday, September 12, 2005

his name is robert paulison

so browneye is out as fema director (though he'd already been replaced as head of the katrina effort), so i wondered about his replacement. after all, the two people who were immediately under brown were also totally unqualified, so i wanted to be sure this wasn't a case of "out with the old, in with the same old same old".

josh marshall links to his biography and points out that this paulison guy, the new appointee, actually has experience working in the field of emergency management! it's almost like clinton came back and started appointing qualified people again.

and his name is robert paulison. okay, he prefers to go by his middle name, david, but i couldn't resist the fight club reference, and i even checked that his first name is indeed robert before posting... what a geek i am; i live for cute cultural references and ironic juxtapositions. i wouldn't have even posted if his name had not been robert paulison.

if only someone like paulison had been appointed years ago...

update: looks like bush didn't even know that browneye had resigned until reporters asked him about it! thinkprogress has the video.

double super secret update: the blogosphere has taken to calling him david "duck tape" paulison, as he was the one who told us to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting way back when. so while he does have actual emergency experience, making him loads better than browneye (or "drownie" as some call brown), he's not exactly perfect.

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Falling Leaves: the Ardes blog

Monthly archives for "October 2011"

Steve Jobs, RIP

Ray Drainville

The morning brings sad, if not unexpected news: the death of Apple founder and saviour Steve Jobs.

He did a lot with his 56 years on the planet. He revolutionised computing not once but three times, with the Macintosh, the iPhone & the iPad. It’s hard to remember now, but when he took over Apple again in 1997, it had been so poorly run for so long that people thought it impossible that the company would survive. Now, it is literally the most valuable company in the world, in terms of market cap. I think it’s fair to say that he’ll go down in history.

He was irreplaceable, but—cold as it may sound—not indispensable. In fact, he saw to that. He surrounded himself with extraordinarily capable people on Apple’s management board, which includes the new CEO, Tim Cook, who is clearly a brilliant strategist & has locked Apple into a virtuous circle of success for years to come. And he worked closely with Jonathan Ive, who is a brilliant industrial designer. So, while the company’s fortunes were shaped by Jobs, its success wasn’t merely his doing. That is as it should be.

I never met him, and frankly I’m not sure I’d have wanted to. He was a famously intense man. If you ever watch him in unscripted events—interviews, say—he had this laser-like focus that I found utterly unnerving. It was like watching a predator wait for his prey to make a fatal slip-up. And, of course, there have been stories that span whole decades about his temper: it’s the reason why the lazy media always prepend the word “mercurial” to his name.

But to do great things, it seems likely that anyone would be intense & “mercurial”—you’d have little patience for fools, and the world is full of fools. I’d like to leave this with Jobs’ wonderful commencement speech at Stanford a few years ago.

Jon Gruber also referred to the commencement address. Here’s a quote he pulled from it:

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Inspiring words. Steve Jobs, RIP.

Photoshop Scratch Disk Error Tip

Ray Drainville

When starting up Photoshop today I received an error:

Could Not Initialize Photoshop Because the Disk Is Not Available

And then I was told that, specifically, my scratch disk wasn’t available. Huh? I have four of them! They’re right there!

It was all very peculiar, because I haven’t changed anything about my computer in the past several months. Other than to update to Adobe’s newest version of Camera RAW. I can’t say that this caused some problems, but I searched for the error message. Several people suggested checking out the scratch disk’s permissions.

Whilst doing that, I tried a little repair tip that’s useful for a lot of applications: I started up the app with the Command + Option keys held down. Voilà! I was asked to pick my scratch disks, and everything is sorted.

Good Night, Liebchen

Ray Drainville

My son loves Curious George. I love pretentious cinema. How can we resolve our viewing dilemmas?

Perfect. No, really, this is inspired.

Problematic Wording

Ray Drainville

So there’s a tiny tempest at Zeldman.com. Jeffrey Zeldman rightfully condemns the “Pottermore” website for providing a retrograde experience. What’s the problem?

It’s certainly not the sentiment: the site is pretty crap. And it certainly isn’t because J.K. Rowling is under attack: a billionaire can defend herself many times over. Plus, I don’t like the Potter books. For me, it’s simply the title of the article: “Maybe stick to novels, dear”. That chummy “dear” is a standard form of condescension. It’s frequently used to belittle women & their contributions. I mean, come on: Rowling didn’t code the site herself, so why imply that she’s some rank amateur who decided to conquer the world of web development?

Now, do I think Zeldman is sexist? No. Do I think he fell into a pretty common social trap? Yes. I’ll accept that he attempted to make a joke: but it fell flat. We all misspeak; we all say things that, with further consideration, we don’t mean. That’s why I think it’s sad to see him stand his ground. It’s Luther’s “Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise”—for a joke.

Update: There’s going to be a rally of feminism in Sheffield soon. I was struck by the poster:


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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Bears on the Loose would like to hear from you

If you have tried TimeTraveler, we would like to know what you think. We welcome any feedback. If you want you can answer one or many of the following questions:
  • Did you find TimeTraveler easy to install?
  • Did you experience any problem while getting your trial product key?
  • Did you find TimeTraveler easy to use?
  • What do you think of the integration of a timeline in Windows Explorer?
  • Do you find the timeline easy to use?
  • Have you been able to recover a file?
  • Have you been able to compare different versions of documents?
  • Have you been able to schedule shadow copies?
  • Have you been able to configure the storage for volume shadow copy?
  • What do you think of the configuration form?
  • Do you find TimeTraveler useful?
  • Would you like to see TimeTraveler supported on Windows XP?
  • Can you think of a feature that you would like us to add?
  • Is the web site useful?
  • What do you think of the price?
Please, do not hesitate to leave your comments on this post.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Exploring Shadow Copies with TimeTraveler

What is a Shadow Copy?

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP all have the ability to make Shadow Copies of NTFS Volumes. This ability is used extensively in the System Restore and Backup solutions provided by Microsoft and other software vendors. Unless you tell your system not to, it will make a Shadow Copy of your System Volume every time you install, uninstall or upgrade the software on it. These copies are called restore points and by default, they will occupy at most 15% of the volume capacity.

Actually making a shadow copy uses very little storage space, but once the copy is created, every new write to the volume creates a copy of the old data, which the write is replacing. This is called copy-on-write and it means that the size of your volume is now growing. Even if a file is replaced by one that is smaller than its previous version, the total storage in use grows. Because the old version remains, the total storage must increase by the size of the new data. The work of making Shadow Copies is managed by the Windows Shadow Copy Service, which in turn invokes a process including a Provider for doing the copy-on-write work. The amount of extra work taking a Shadow Copy depends on the actual implementation of this Shadow Copy Provider. The default System Provider comes from Microsoft and works independently of the hardware. However, several storage array vendors supply their own provider so that it can take advantage of the increased performance of the array.

A Shadow Copy of a Windows Volume (e.g. C:) is hidden from you and your applications unless the application knows how to access it through the Volume Shadow Service (VSS) API. Windows Explorer can do this through the Previous Versions tab on the Properties Window for a file or folder. However, in Vista Starter, Basic or Premium, Previous Versions is missing because Microsoft left this feature out. The Previous Versions Tab shows a list of times next to the object.

Looking back with TimeTraveler™

Bears on the Loose has created a Shadow Copy tool you can use to browse through the shadow copies of your volumes. TimeTraveler™ displays all your shadow copies as “tic marks” on a timeline at the bottom of the Explorer Window. The green marks are system restore points and the blue ones are simple points. The dark marks are for the copies where the selected file or folder has changed and the light blue for the others. As you move the yellow pointer to the different times, the contents of a displayed folder may change to display the contents at the newly selected time.

TimeTraveler™ changes the Explorer address to point to the currently selected folder at the selected time. From there you can browse the files and folders at the time you have selected. All the Explorer functionality is available to you on the files and folders from the past. Note that the shadow copies are read-only. You can read from the past but you cannot rewrite it. You can restore files or folders simply by opening two Explorer windows and drag and drop from a window set in the past to a window set on 'Now'. You can also use copy and paste.

TimeTraveler™ works on all Editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Download TimeTraveler

Bears on the Loose


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Congrats! Best Bully Sticks Rescue Shelter $1200 Giveaway Winners Announced

Drumroll please …….Top 3 Best Bully Sticks Rescue Shelter $1200 Giveaways winners announced! These top 3 Rescues will receive $400 each from our $1200 grand prize. Congrats to:

1. Friends to the Forlorn Pit Bull –

2. Bullies in Need Ontario –

3. Southern Nevada Pug Rescue –

Paws up for all of our nominee’s and top 10 rescue shelters entered in the final voting round. Also, a big bark out to all those that voted. Thanks all for doing your part to save pets.

SPECIAL! Refer-A-Friend Discount is 12% in September

Many of you have taken advantage of our Refer-a-Friend/Family Member program, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for that–it’s the biggest compliment you can give us. This new 12% offer is valid for the month September only and then goes back to 6%, so please be sure to take advantage of this great deal quickly!

Are you new to Refer-A-Friend? It’s simple! Here’s how it works:

*Your friend or family member places their first order with Best Bully Sticks.
*On that first order, your friend or family member types your name and the words “Refer-A-Friend” in the “Comments” section.
*We send you a coupon code for 12% off when their order is placed!

There are no limits to the Refer-A-Friend promotion, so you save 12% off our products this September every time a new friend or family member places their first order!

How Can You Give Back To Barkworthy Rescues and Shelters Across the Globe? Click to Give a $1 at Checkout!

Well, we we tell you how you can help Best Bully Sticks support them. With your help we can save lives one $1 at a time and no animal needs to suffer.

Participate in our Best Bully Sticks $1 Donation Program by shopping on and clicking to donate a $1 at checkout. For every $1 you donate at checkout we will donate a $1 with a 100% of the proceeds going to rescues and shelters in need across the country. The money raised will help with out reach, basic animal necessities and rescue programs. Donations raised monthly by you will be given to 3 lucky rescues during our ongoing monthly Best Bully Sticks Rescue Shelter Giveaway.

We are so confident that we offer the best prices at that we now match ANY online vendor price on any item we sell!

If you find anything on for less on another website (excluding Amazon and Ebay), let us know and we’ll credit the difference to you. It must be the same item. For bulk items, we’ll try our best to match the price. Email us at with any questions or to take advantage of this great new service.

Do you have a bone to pick with us?

Our dog chews & dog bones are all natural, and from either Brazilian or US meat sources. If you have a highly aggressive chewers then you came to the right place. Your dogs will fall in love with our grrreat selection, while you go gaga over our amazing prices! We are constantly adding new dog bones & chews, so make sure to check back often. Better yet sign up for our newsletter and receive the inside scoop on new products, special saving & discounts & stay up to date on Best Bully Sticks happenings for 2010. We have some wonderful things in store worth barking about, so sniff around our site daily!

Offering you more of the best of the best-with your input!

Since you are our most valuable resource and we want Best Bully Sticks to be your go-to source for great pooch stuff, we need your help! Please let us know what you think we should offer, and how you think we can improve our website, for your best possible shopping experience with us. We will carefully consider all ideas.

Give the gift of  a good chew by shopping .  Delicious & all natural, the way nature intended! Please make sure to check out our growing selection of dog treats, dog chews, and of course our chew-licious bully sticks and much more. Try our NEW All Natural Free Range Odor free bully sticks!

Smile and Say Bully Sticks! Our photo gallery is growing constantly, please submit a photo of your dog enjoying any of our products to enter our twice monthly contest! Each month we will have a drawing on those customers who submitted pictures to the gallery and a winner will be chosen and posted on the site. The winner will win more bully sticks!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for Best Bully Stick News, New Products & Discounts!! For daily updates follow us on twitter @bestbullysticks

Become a fan of our facebook page for exclusive coupons and giveaways.

Bark the Word! Join the Best Bully Sticks Free Affiliate Program & Earn 6% Commission or 6% Product Discount

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Unveiling Openchain, an open source distributed ledger technology

logo-square-color-2We are very excited to be announcing today the launch of Openchain. Openchain is an open source distributed ledger.

Here is a quick summary of the features of Openchain:

  1. Instant confirmation of transactions.
  2. No mining fees.
  3. Extremely high scalability.
  4. Secured through digital signatures.
  5. Immutability: Commit an anchor in the Bitcoin Blockchain to benefit from the irreversibility of its Proof of Work.
  6. Assign aliases to users instead of using base-58 addresses.
  7. Multiple levels of control:
  • Fully open ledger that can be joined anonymously.
  • Closed-loop ledger where participants must be approved by the administrator.
  • A mix of the above where approved users enjoy more rights than anonymous users.
  1. Hierarchical account system allowing to set permissions at any level.
  2. Transparency and auditability of transactions.
  3. Handle loss or theft of private keys without any loss to the end users.
  4. Ability to have multiple Openchain instances replicating from each other.

Today, we are shipping a number of things:

  • The website Openchain.org, with some high level information about Openchain.
  • The source code of Openchain has been released on GitHub.
  • A web-based wallet, which has two main function: you can use it as a wallet to transact. It also has some admin features, which you can use if you have the administrator key.
  • Some deployment instruction to let you deploy your own instance of Openchain.
  • A test instance (test.openchain.org), which you can use from the wallet to quickly try out Openchain.
  • A forum for people to discuss the technology and ask questions.

If you want to get started with Openchain, check the wallet, and start issuing your own asset and transacting with it.

You may also like...


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Tag archive for "MIT"

Prepare for College, Resources, Uncategorized

2017 Summer Programs with Financial Aid

2 Comments 30 January 2017

There is no better way for college-bound students to get a feel for the future than participating in summer pre-college programs. Students gain valuable work experience, build relationships and boost their admissions chances through these opportunities.

Not every program in the U.S. offers sufficient financial aid for under-resourced students, but we have compiled a list of programs that fix that problem. Each entry includes a link to the program’s website, as well as information on program dates, application deadlines, and eligibility requirements.

If you know of any programs that we’ve missed, please let us know in the comments below.

Programs are listed alphabetically

Barnard College Summer in the City

New York City, N.Y.

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Program Dates: June 25-July 21

Description: Students select two courses, a morning class and an afternoon class to be attended Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, students participate in our Beyond The Gates series. Areas of study include acting, literature, political science and journalism, among others. See the website for more details.

Financial Aid: Barnard offers a number of partial scholarship awards, as well as one full scholarship for the program. All scholarships are based on financial need. Find out more and apply here.

Bard College Young Writers Workshop

Bard College at Simon’s Rock – Great Barrington, Mass.

Deadline: Rolling admissions beginning in January until the program is full.

Date: July 9-July 29

Description: Students in grades 9-11 have the opportunity to build their writing skills in the Young Writers Workshop at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. This three-week program is designed to build confidence and develop greater fluency in writing in areas ranging from fiction to nonfiction. The program consists of small groups of students meeting in three, 90-minute sessions each day. Portfolio progress checks occur each week. Students live on campus in the dorms along with the staff and are able to experience campus life.

Financial Aid: Financial aid and certain scholarships varying from $12,000-$20,000 are available to assist students in attending the program. Find information on financial aid and scholarship options here.

Camino al Futuro

George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Deadline: March 1

Date: July 2-July 21

Description: This summer scholarship program is for motivated high school juniors going into their senior year. The program cultivates leadership potential in students who want to shape the political, economic and social issues that affect Hispanic and Latin communities.

Camp College

Four Illinois Locations:

Augustana College
Knox College
Monmouth College
Western Illinois University

Application Deadline: May 12

Program Dates: July 11-14

Description:  Camp College is a free opportunity for rising seniors to learn about aspects of a college search and application process from college and high school counselors. Students live on a college campus while attending sessions on the college-application process. Students will be provided food and lodging.

Carleton College Summer Program

Northfield, Minn.

Application Deadlines:

Feb. 13 – First-round deadline for general and scholarship applicants and final deadline for international applicants

March 27 – Second-round deadline for general and scholarship applicants (this is the last day to apply for a scholarship for summer 2017)

May 16, 2017 – Third-round deadline and all applications close

Program Dates: Varies, refer to the college’s website (link is above)

Liberal arts – Introduces black students to the strengths of a liberal arts education through a variety of courses in science, art, social sciences, and technology.

Quantitative reasoning institute – College-level experience in how social scientists think about the world. Students measure important variables of study, prepare research and present their findings.

Science institute – Learn how different areas of science link together. Students have the opportunity to complete a guided research project and earn college credit.

Writing program – High school juniors with strong reading and writing abilities, the program teaches students how to compose academic papers similar to those they will write in college

Financial Aid: Financial Aid is available for these programs. Each program has different qualifications for financial aid and scholarships, so check Carleton’s website for details. The liberal arts program is free for all accepted applicants.

Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Summer Program

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application Deadline: April 1

Program Dates: July 1-Aug. 11

Description: These pre-college programs will show you what life at Carnegie Mellon is all about — from the classroom to what’s happening on weekends. You’ll meet people from all over the world, be inspired by our world-renowned faculty, and have the opportunity to explore the city of Pittsburgh.

Financial Aid: Some financial and merit-based scholarships are available to select students who have been accepted into the art and design program. They must complete the scholarship application and submit a digital portfolio by April 1.

Carnegie Mellon Summer Academy for Math and Science

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application Deadline: The deadline for all programs is March 3, and the deadline for all supporting documents is March 15.

Program Dates: Registration and opening day are Saturday, July 1. The program closes on Saturday, Aug. 12.

Description: This program is for rising high school seniors. Participants will engage in hands-on learning and research via science and engineering projects, which will help them build the academic and personal skills required for admission to competitive colleges and universities.

Financial Aid:  There will be no tuition, housing or dining fees for students selected to attend the Summer Academy for Math and Science.

Colorado State University Native Education Forum

Fort Collins, Colo.

Application Deadline: TBA 2017

Program Dates: July 31-Aug. 5

Description: The Native Education Forum is a five-day summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors. Students will gain university classroom experience, earn one academic credit, research issues critical to Native American/indigenous communities and get valuable assistance from professionals in the university application process. While on campus, students will have the chance to interact with university faculty, staff and currently enrolled students as they discuss and evaluate important issues that affect indigenous communities.

Colorado State University Black Issues Forum

Fort Collins, Colo.

Application Deadline: March 3

Program Dates: June 13-17

Description: The purpose of the Black Issues Forum is to provide students — completing their junior year of high school — a vehicle to demonstrate their written and oral communication skills and to enhance their leadership potential. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with university faculty, staff and currently enrolled students as they discuss and evaluate the important issues of today that affect the black community at the local, state, national and/or global level.

Cornell University Summer College

Ithaca, N.Y.

Application Deadline: April 7 for financial aid, May 5 for summer college program

Program Dates:

Three-week, session 1 June 24-July 15
Three-week, session 2 July 16-Aug. 5
Six-week programs June 24-Aug. 8

Description: These pre-college programs are for talented high-school students. Experience the excitement of college life, take college courses with renowned faculty, and enjoy an “unforgettable, life-changing summer.”

Financial Aid: Summer College offers a limited number of partial scholarships that are awarded based on a family’s demonstrated financial need, a student’s academic achievement and promise and availability of funds.

Davidson July Experience

Davidson, N.C.

Application Deadline: March 31

Program Dates: July 2-22

Description: July experience, which takes place July 2-22, is a powerful pre-college summer academic experience for rising high school juniors and seniors who are highly motivated, academically oriented and self-disciplined. It takes place on the campus of Davidson College.

Financial Aid: Scholarships might be available to students with financial need. This financial aid is awarded on the basis of need and academic achievement. Financial aid requests should be submitted at the time of your application and are due March 31.

Elmhurst College Summer Academy in Mathematics & Science

Elmhurst, Ill.

Application Deadline: TBA March 2017

Program Dates: TBA 2017

Description: The academy is a two-week program for students between their junior and senior years in high school who are considering careers in areas such as mathematics and natural and physical science. In classes and seminars, you’ll sharpen your math skills, explore important topics in science and master a variety of computer programs.

Financial Aid: Scholarships are available

Emory Pre-College Program

Atlanta, Ga.

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Program Dates

Session A (noncredit): June 18-July 1
Session B (noncredit): July 2-July 15
Session C (noncredit): July 16-July 29
Infectious Diseases Institute (noncredit): June 18-July 8
Session 1 (credit): May 15-June 23
Session 2 (credit): June 26-Aug. 4

Description: The program gives college-bound rising juniors and rising seniors a glimpse of academic and residential life. High-school students can explore topics with professors who are the leading experts in their fields, enroll in classes with college students and earn transferable college credit.

Financial Aid and Scholarships: Awards range between $500 and $1000, depending upon need and academic merit. Awards will not cover the full program cost. Financial aid deadline is April 15.

Entrada Scholars

Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application Deadlines: March 3

Program Dates: June 16-July 13

Description: High school juniors and seniors can enroll in a 3-4 credit college course in areas such as English, history, biology or psychology. Social outings, such as a beach trip to Lake Michigan, also is available during this program, which include a talent night, group devotions, and use of Calvin’s state-of-the-art fitness facilities.

Financial Aid and Scholarships: A $4,200 scholarship applied to full cost of attending; some scholarships for the $500 fee

Google in Education Computer Science Summer Institute

Application Deadline: March 2

Program Dates:

  • Atlanta, Ga.: July 10-July 28
  • Cambridge, Mass.: July 10-July 28
  • Chicago, Ill.: July 17-Aug. 4
  • Los Angeles, Calif.: July 10-July 28
  • Mountain View, Calif: July 10-July 28
  • New York City, N.Y.: July 17-Aug. 4
  • Pittsburgh, Pa.: July 17-Aug. 4
  • Seattle, Wash.: July 10-July 28

Description: Kick off your college studies in computer science with a summer program at Google. Google’s seventh annual Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI) is a three-week introduction to computer science for graduating high school seniors with a passion for technology — especially students from historically underrepresented groups in the field. Students participate in an intensive, interactive and hands-on program that seeks to inspire the tech leaders and innovators of tomorrow by supporting the study of computer science, software engineering and other closely related subjects.

At CSSI, students study programming fundamentals with Google engineers, get an inside look at some of Google’s most exciting, emerging technologies, and design and develop their own application with fellow participants.

Attendees will enjoy a unique residential experience in dorm-style housing at local universities.

Financial Aid and Scholarships: CSSI is an all-expenses-paid program. Google will provide housing, meals and transportation for invited students.

Harvard University Summer Programs

Cambridge, Mass.

Application Deadline:

For financial aid: Feb. 1

Regular deadline: TBA

Program Dates:

  • SESSION I: June 25-July 7
  • SESSION II: July 9-21
  • SESSION III: July 23-Aug. 4

Description: Join other intellectually curious high school students on campus at Harvard, where you can explore topics as wide ranging as American law, philosophy, computer programming and public speaking. During your two weeks at Harvard, you attend class for three hours a day and participate in college readiness workshops or team-building events. In the evenings, you eat in the dining hall, finish homework in your dorm and attend social activities.

Financial Aid: Scholarships are available to students with outstanding academic records who demonstrate financial need. Financial aid application deadline is Feb. 1.

Missouri University of Science & Technology

Rolla, Mo.

Application Deadline: May 26

Program Dates: June 5-9

Description: Rising juniors and seniors from historically underrepresented ethnic groups can participate in a weeklong program designed to give students hands-on experience seeing what holding an engineering job is like.

Financial Aid: $250 registration fee includes room and board, supplies and all activities.

MIT Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)

Cambridge, Mass.

Application Deadline: Feb. 1

Program Dates: TBA 2017

Description: Since 1975, this six-week residential program has leveraged a demanding academic atmosphere to help students develop the skills and confidence needed for success in technical fields. Along with calculus, physics, natural science and humanities courses, students take a hands-on elective course and participate in lab tours and social events. MITES serves up to 80 student per year.

Financial Aid: This program is free for all accepted students

Northwestern University College Bridge Program

Evanston, IL

Application Deadline: Students must submit their applications by March 24.

Program Dates: Vary according to classes selected

Description: 25 high school juniors are selected from Chicago Public Schools every summer to enroll in summer classes and earn college credit. Courses vary from three to eight weeks in length.

Financial Aid: Tuition and textbooks are free.

Northwestern University College Preparation Program

Evanston, IL

Application Deadline: Students must submit their applications by April 15

Program Dates: The program begins on Sunday, June 17 and end dates vary depending on the courses selected.

Description: This program allows high school sophomores and juniors to enroll in undergraduate courses on campus for college credit or enroll in a specialized two-week seminar.

Financial Aid: A limited number of scholarships are available for high school juniors who demonstrate financial need and hold strong academic and extracurricular achievement. Applications are due March 1.

NYU Steinhardt Programs

New York, N.Y.

Application Deadlines: Vary by discipline. See website for details, but most priority deadlines are between March 18 and April 18, and most final deadlines are between April 1 and May 15

Program Dates: Vary by discipline

Description: Every summer, high school to graduate students participate in NYU’s varied and exciting music and performing arts programs. Their programs vary from several instrumental performance programs including brass, Broadway percussion, improvisational jazz and piano, to vocal performance, music business and music technology.

Financial Aid: NYU offers several performance- and need-based scholarships to accepted applicants. Please see their website for more details.

Penn State Honors Music Institute

University Park, Pa.

Application Deadline: May 1

Program Dates: July 16-22

Description: The Penn State Honors Music Institute is an intensive, weeklong immersion in the art of music making for talented high school students. As one of the most exciting summer music camps of 2017, specific areas of study include chamber choir, jazz ensemble, piano and wind ensemble. Students entering ninth grade in the fall of 2017 through students who will graduate in the spring of 2017 are eligible to audition.

Financial Aid: Partial scholarships are available to qualified students upon acceptance to the institute. Scholarship Information will be sent with registration materials to accepted participants.

Princeton University Summer Journalism Program

Princeton, N.J.

Application Deadline: Feb. 24

Program Dates: Aug. 4-14

Description: About 40 high school juniors from low-income backgrounds will have the opportunity to participate in a 10-day seminar on journalism at Princeton’s campus. Reporters teach students and are from major publications such as the Washington Post and The New York Times. Students must have a minimum unweighted 3.5 GPA, and all expenses, including travel, are included.

Rensselaer PREFACE Summer Program

Troy, N.Y.

Application Deadline: March 24

Program Dates: July 9-22

Description: PREFACE is a two-week residential summer experience at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for talented high school sophomores and juniors who will enter the 11th or 12th grade in the fall of 2017. It is open to students from groups that have been historically and traditionally underrepresented or under served in science, engineering and technological fields and are interested in pursuing careers in engineering and technological professions.

The PREFACE Selection Committee reviews each application and makes its recommendation to the project director. Selection is based on high school academic performance, standardized test scores, quality of essay and recommendations. Since all programs are taught in English, students must have a strong understanding of the English language.

Financial Aid: PREFACE subsidizes each participant’s round-trip transportation to Rensselaer, tuition, fees (including laundry) and room and board for the two-week session

Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program

Northampton, Mass.

Application Deadline: May 15

Program Date: July 9-Aug. 5

Description: A four-week, residential program for exceptional young women with strong interests in science, engineering and medicine. Central to the program is a learning environment that is rich in role models, hands-on, cooperative, investigative and challenging — where girls get all of the faculty’s attention as well as the opportunities and encouragement to achieve their best.

Financial Aid: Available to students with demonstrated need. Financial Aid deadline is March 1.

St. John’s Summer Academy

Annapolis, M.D.

Application Deadline: May 12 is the priority deadline and June 16.

Program Dates: There are multiple sessions on the Maryland and New Mexico whose program dates range between June 25 – July 29.

Description: This program is designed  to help students hone their reading, critical thinking and discussion skills. Participants will read and discuss texts from Western cannon in classes taught by St. John’s faculty.

Financial Aid: There is limited financial aid available for these programs. Contact the Summer Academy directors for more information.

University of Chicago Neubauer Family AdelanteSummer Scholars

Chicago, IL

Application Deadline: March 15

Program Dates: Orientation June 17-18; classes meet June 19- July 7.

Description: Students selected for this program can participate in one of two summer sessions: Awakening Into Consciousness and Contagion: Infectious Agents and Emerging Diseases. Applicants who share the program’s commitment to the Hispanic and Latino communities are invited to apply.

Financial Aid: Program participants receive a full scholarship, which includes course tuition, housing and dining, Student Life Fee, and the cost of travel to and from campus.

University of Chicago Summer Bridge Program for Chicago Public School Students

Chicago, IL

Application Deadline: March 15

Program Dates: Depends on summer courses selected

Description: Rising juniors and seniors from Chicago public high schools with a minimum 3.6 GPA are eligible for this program. Students are given the opportunity to take courses at the university for college credit.

UW-Madison Engineering Summer Program

Madison, Wis.

Application Deadline: April 3

Program Dates: June 17-July 28

Description: The UW-Madison Engineering Summer Program helps students explore career options, prepare for the rigors of college and develop strong skills in math and science. Best of all, students will experience first-hand what it is like to be an engineering student at UW-Madison.

Financial Aid: The program is completely sponsored. There are no costs to the students once they arrive on campus. Students and families are required to finance and make travel arrangements to and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Summer Scholars Programs

Worcester, Mass.

Application Deadline: March 31

Program Date: Dates range depending on program selected.

Description: High school students can pick from a number of programs that will allow them to explore, discover and challenge themselves. These programs highlight fields such as robotics, physics, video game design, music, computer science, the humanities and arts, and women’s leadership.

Financial Aid: Partial or full tuition assistance scholarships are offered to eligible students.

Pay for College, Undocumented Students

Colleges that Meet 100% of Financial Need for Undocumented Students

No Comments 22 December 2016

College affordability is a big concern for many students and their families. Paying for college is even more difficult for undocumented students. Luckily, there are several colleges that are dedicated to making undocumented students’ college dreams come true. These colleges meet 100% of the students’ demonstrated financial need with grants, student employment, scholarships, and, in some cases, student loans.

We have compiled an alphabetical list of colleges that meet 100% of financial need for undocumented students. If you are interested in learning more, check out these schools on College Greenlight. Please note that these colleges pledge to meet a student’s full demonstrated financial need. Most students will still have an expected family contribution they are responsible for.

Amherst College Amherst is committed to meeting 100% of the full demonstrated financial need of every admitted student, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Financial aid packages for non-U.S. citizens include on-campus employment and institutional grant aid, without loans. Undocumented and DACA students must submit the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE form and federal income tax returns or income verification to apply for financial aid.

Bates College Bates treats undocumented and DACA students as domestic applicants and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for those admitted to the college, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Undocumented and DACA students must submit the College Board PROFILE and provide federal tax returns or other income verification to Student Financial Services in order to apply for financial aid.

Bowdoin College Regardless of citizenship, Bowdoin is committed to meeting 100% of all students’ demonstrated financial need. The college will provide an institutional package comprised of grants and on-campus employment.

Bryn Mawr College The college does not separate undocumented students into an “international” or “domestic” pool. Bryn Mawr will meet the demonstrated financial need of any student, including those who are undocumented.

Brown University As long as students self-identify as undocumented and request aid at the time of their application submission, Brown will meet 100% of the student’s financial need. Eligibility for aid is solely based on financial need.

Carleton College Only students with DACA status are considered among all other legal permanent residents and US citizens at Carleton College. The college only offers admission to students whose need they are able to meet.

Colby College Colby is dedicated to meeting 100% demonstrated financial need of all students, regardless of background. Undocumented students are treated like international students.

Columbia University Undocumented citizen applicants at Columbia University are eligible for the same need-blind admissions policy that applies to US citizens, permanent residents, and eligible non-citizens. The university guarantees to meet 100% of all admitted first-year students’ demonstrated financial need for all four years, regardless of citizenship.

Cornell University – DACA students are recognized in the domestic financial aid pool and Cornell meets the full demonstrated need for all admitted domestic students. These students will be considered in the DACA/domestic aid pool for their entire time at Cornell.

Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth will meet full need of undocumented students with employment, scholarships and/or loans.  Freshmen must complete the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE and the College Board’s Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC).

Duke UniversityUndocumented students must apply to Duke as international students; counselors can call and inform Duke that the applicant is undocumented. Eligibility is based solely on financial need. The university will meet 100% of demonstrated need.

Emory UniversityEmory considers students who are granted DACA status to be domestic students, and the university meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted domestic students.

Haverford College The college will meet 100% of demonstrated need for all students, regardless their background.

Macalester College Macalester is committed to internationalism and multiculturalism and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students. Undocumented students who are not permitted by law to work in the US will receive additional student loans to replace the amount typically earned through an on-campus job.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – An applicant’s citizenship status will not have any impact on their chances of admission at MIT or the availability of full need-based financial aid.

Middlebury College – Undocumented or DACA students should follow the same application process as any other student. Middlebury will meet 100% demonstrated financial need for all admitted students. To apply financial aid, just complete the CSS profile by the deadlines indicated on the site.

Oberlin College An undocumented/DACA student indicates their interest in applying for need-based and/or merit-based financial aid on the Common Application. If that student is accepted, Oberlin will meet 100% of demonstrated need.

Occidental CollegeOccidental considers undocumented students to be international students and the college will fully fund 2-4 international students every year. Undocumented students must apply for financial aid at the time they apply for admission.

Pomona College Pomona will meet 100% of need for DACA and undocumented students. The college will provide these students with the support and resources they need in the application process.

Princeton University – Admission to Princeton is offered to students regardless of their ability to pay, and the full need of every admitted student is met regardless of citizenship.

Rice University Rice will meet the full demonstrated financial need of undocumented and DACA students through scholarships, work study, and available loans.

Smith CollegeSmith meets 100% of the demonstrate need for all admitted students who apply for financial aid by the appropriate deadlines. Since federal aid is not available for undocumented and DACA students, Smith will provide institutional, need-based financial aid in its place.

Swarthmore College Swarthmore’s admissions process for undocumented and DACA students is need-blind. The college will meet 100% of demonstrated need with aid awards that do not include loans that need to be repaid.

Tufts UniversityTufts will meet 100% of demonstrated need of all-admitted students. While procedures for financial aid vary between domestic and international applicants, undocumented students are considered domestic and will receive institutional need-based financial aid like U.S. citizens.

University of Chicago All students, regardless of citizenship, will have their full demonstrated financial need met. The university will also assist undocumented students in other ways, such as help with visa status.

University of Notre DameNotre Dame admits and meets the full demonstrated need of undocumented students.

University of Pennsylvania – The university will meet 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need without loans. Need-based financial aid is awarded when the student is admitted to Penn.

Vassar College Undocumented students are considered international applicants at Vassar. The college will meet the entire demonstrated need of these students for the entirety of their enrollment at the college.

Wellesley CollegeWellesley is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted undocumented and DACA students. These students are considered international applicants.

Wesleyan University – Wesleyan meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students who apply for financial aid. The college treats undocumented students just like any U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Williams CollegeWilliams College will meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for every admitted student, every year.

Yale UniversityYale admits students without regard to their ability to pay and the institution meets 100% of demonstrated need for all students without loans.

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Thursday, January 22, 2009 JLU figures on sale February 15

Going back to this post from last summer, the exclusive Justice League Unlimited figures from will be available on Sunday, February 15. The four single-carded figures are Clock King, Scarecrow, Bane, and Harley Quinn. You can't pre-order them, or anything, but here's a link to the JLU exclusive four-pack from MattyCollector.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

It's official...

Dubya is "former" President Bush. Now please, go to Texas and never, ever open your mouth in public again. Eight years of embarrassing those of us who bothered to learn the language is more than enough, thank you.

And a special thanks to everyone else in North Carolina who voted for Obama, for helping us make sure The Stupid Line was drawn south of us.


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Give More Birthday's

Making birthday’s a little more special is at the core of what we do. Taking the time to celebrate someone special, gather with friends and family and share in a sweet indulgence to mark the occasion is something we are extremely proud to be a part of.

In collaboration with the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta, we are on a mission to make birthdays even more special with the Give More Birthday’s Initiative. We are encouraging people of all ages to support children with cancer by registering their own birthday fundraiser online and raising funds.

How you can participate in Give More Birthday's:

1.       Go to Kids Cancer Care Alberta
2.       Register your birthday
3.       Set a fundraising goal (make it ambitious!)
4.       Tell your friends, family, neighbours and coworkers what it’s all about and how to donate
5.       Pre order a Crave birthday cake and receive 10% off or receive 15% off Crave cupcakes
6.       Receive a coupon for a free birthday cupcake and visit a Crave location to redeem it

Read more about the Give More Birthday's Initiative here:

Calgary Kids Give up their Birthday Money for Cancer Cause

Giving Away your Birthday Money for Cancer Cause

Calgary Kids Donating Birthday Presents Inspires Fundraiser

Meet Molly & Vi

Snow is falling, the smell of gingerbread is in the air and our 7D kitchen at Crave Kensington is full of hand picked items ready to share with you and yours this holiday season!  We take great care in baking from scratch and put the same amount of effort into choosing retailers to showcase in our stores. This especially rings true in our Holiday pop up shop!

Holiday Felted Wool Garlands made in Calgary by Molly & Vi

Holiday Felted Wool Garlands made in Calgary by Molly & Vi

Molly & Vi is a local Calgary shoppe by self proclaimed #mompreneur, Sarah Ward. Crave co-founders, Carolyne and Jodi were the ultimate #mompreneur's when they started Crave, so when the opportunity arose to feature Molly & Vi in our Kensington pop up- we knew it would be a great fit!

Molly & Vi Q&A

What was your inspiration for your business?

My sweet son was born in 2015 and when I was planning his nursery I really wanted to make sure that I included some hand made nursery decor in his room. I ended up falling in love with felt balls and how sweet they looked strung on a garland and on his mobile. Friends started asking where I had bought the pieces I'd made so I decided to jump in and start my own business making nursery and home decor. My company is named after my two grandmothers. Two incredibly crafty and amazing women. It's been a whirlwind so far and I've loved every minute of it!

Starting an independent business can be high risk, what did you do to overcome your fears?

Honestly, I just love creating and wanted an outlet to try some new things. It was a bit intimidating at first because you send a little bit of yourself out into the world with every piece you make and that can be a little scary. My husband has been insanely supportive since day one. As a small business owner himself, he has always encouraged me to be brave and go for it - especially if it's something I love doing. I also have a wonderful network of friends and family that support me by watching my son, manning my booths at markets, acting as sounding boards for new ideas, and testing products. I couldn't do it without them!

What pushed you to jump in with both feet?

I have always absolutely loved creating. From sewing and knitting, to DIY, I always seem to have some kind of project on the go. I realized one day that I am happiest and totally immersed in what I'm doing whenever I am in my little studio. So I thought, why not take my happy place and start sharing what I do outside those four walls. I am so glad that I made the leap!

What do you hope your customers walk away feeling?

I hope that my customers walk away feeling happy that they have added a bit of whimsy to their decor. I use garlands for every event and season - they go with everything! I put lots of love into each product I make and I hope that comes across to my customers.

What can we hope to see in the future?

In the coming year I plan to expand my shop by adding a few more variations to my popular nursery mobiles and felt ball wall hangings. I also look forward to collaborating even more with talented local artisans and businesses. There are some amazingly talented people in this city!

What would be the ultimate compliment for Molly & Vi?

The ultimate complement for me is knowing that people use my product in their cozy, happy and love filled homes. It really means a lot knowing that my customers love Molly & Vi products enough to make them part of their most treasured spaces and celebrations.

Molly & Vi will be at Crave Kensington until the New year. You can also find her at Market Collective, December 9th - 11th!

It's a Holly Jolly Medalta Pop Up!

Vintage Medalta pitchers and bottles at the Museum in Medicine Hat.

Vintage Medalta pitchers and bottles at the Museum in Medicine Hat.

If you grew up in Alberta, you may be familiar with the iconic Medalta Pottery crocks, thick handled mugs, mixing bowls and other everyday kitchen staples. For many Albertans, these handmade ceramic pieces are closely tied to memories in their family kitchen, bread rising in a big bowl on the weekend, pickles brining in a Medalta stamped crock, or a mug of hot coffee.

Last year, we had the opportunity to connect with the incredible people who have revived the tradition of Medalta pottery at the historic museum, contemporary ceramic arts facility, art gallery and community hub in Medicine Hat Alberta.  Learning more about the century old tradition of clay in Alberta and how it informed and was shaped by families who settled here, spoke to our roots.

Medalta Pop Up Shop At Crave Kensington
Signed crocks by Basil Leismeister

Signed crocks by Basil Leismeister

From now until Christmas, we are very excited to be featuring a selection of Medalta pottery at our Crave Kensington Holiday Pop Up Shop! Each piece has been handmade using the same methods Medalta has been using for generations. We are especially excited about the ¼ Crocks made and signed by Basil Leismeister, who was an expert jiggerman (jigging is the process used to make the crocks) and passed the craft on to many others at Medalta.

The Medalta Museum is an excellent day trip from Calgary and offers a historic and behind the scenes look into the ceramic arts facility.

Inside the Medalta Museum

Inside the Medalta Museum

The Crave Holiday Gift Guide — Part One

Whether you are hosting an office Christmas party, sending a gift to a special client, or gathering with friends and family, we hope our home-style recipes inspire a merry and bright holiday season!

All of our Holiday Baking comes gift wrapped with a satin ribbon, perfect for gift-giving or making a gathering extra special.  We are now booking delivery service for holiday baking gifts in gatherings in Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon!

For the Office Party

What's better than water cooler conversation? Water cooler conversation while enjoying a freshly baked Snickerdoodle Bar!

For Your Secret Santa

Be the envy of your Secret Santa or Gift Exchange gathering with a little something sweet  that they may, or may not want to share.

For the Little Ones

Perfectly sized cookies and cupcakes for little mittens to hold (and decorate)

Contact our Holiday Baking Coordinating team, or by calling

Farewell Monogram

We first met Justin, Jeremy and Ben, the founders of Monogram Coffee at their Pop-Up in DaDe Art and Design Lab about a year and a half ago. We had been following the start of their business on Instagram and couldn't wait to try out their coffee and meet the people behind the magic. Not only did we quickly become smitten with their espresso, but an instant friendship formed. We couldn't help but love their good humour, commitment to craft and vision for connecting to their customers.

A few months later, we were just weeks away from opening our newly renovated Kensington Bakery when we asked the Monogram team if they would be interested in collaborating in the space. We couldn't have been more thrilled when they agreed to a Pop-Up coffee bar, a perfect pairing with our baking. A few hurried phone calls to Sarah Ward, our interior designer and to Marcelle, our favourite carpenter and there was an espresso machine installed just in time for opening day.

The Monogram team has been serving top quality coffee at Crave Kensington for almost a year. Not only did we have the opportunity to get to know their talented team of baristas in this time, but we also had the chance to collaborate on some unique projects. We hosted an afternoon workshop where Monogram gave away the secrets to a perfect cup of pour over coffee and we shared handy hints to working with pastry. Monogram also made us a bespoke caffeinated cocktail for our opening party and the Dote Magazine Valentine Event. We baked for their 1st birthday at Altadore, and maybe the best of all, we combined red velvet cupcakes and hot chocolate for the ultimate Hot Chocolate YYC special.

Baking for friends is simply the most fulfilling thing we do, monogramed cupcakes for Monogram Co's first birthday at Altador.

Baking for friends is simply the most fulfilling thing we do, monogramed cupcakes for Monogram Co's first birthday at Altador.

However, with all pop-ups, there is the inevitable end date. The final day of our Monogram Pop-Up will be Sunday, May 1st. On Saturday and Sunday we will be sharing another collaboration with Monogram and Crave with chocolate and vanilla espresso cupcakes.

Cheers, to a great year!

Cheers, to a great year!

We couldn't be more thankful for the experience we had working with Monogram, over and over again we have been inspired by their passion and commitment to quality in everything they do. Although they are leaving Kensington, we have truly gained a lasting friendship and you will find us as often as possible at their beautiful new Fifth Avenue Place Coffee Shop just across the river.

With Monogram leaving, Crave Kensington will be resuming original bakery hours and opening daily at 10am, beginning May 2nd.

Things We Love: Made by Pollock

We love working with people who are as passionate about their craft as we are. This holiday season (starting December 6th) we are featuring two local artists in the 7D Kitchen at Crave Kensington hand their handmade goods, perfect for holiday gifting.  The Made By Pollock Pop Up Shop will be open daily with regular Kensington Bakery hours.

Made by Pollock

Keli Pollock is a Calgary Art Director/Designer and has been working in the industry for over 20 years. We worked with Keli in redesigning our logo and new look at Kensington. Growing up in Medicine Hat, home to many clay based factories, it's only natural that Keli has been playing with clay since she was a child. Influenced by her design background, Keli's pieces have a minimal aesthetic and refined colour palette. Through the process of slip casting high fire porcelain, her vessels are simple in form, highly tactile and always food safe.  We love these comfortable, functional and beautiful pieces and hope you do too!

Made by Pollock Cup

Mark Shannon

Ingrained Woods is the creative outlet of Mark Shannon, a professional photographer based in Calgary. Having always been drawn to working with wood, the shop was founded in 2014 with the aim of producing one of a kind functional works of art in a variety of hardwoods. Drawing from years of visual inspiration, the handmade designs are driven as much by imagination as the wood itself - guided by the grain, the knots and the colouration.  Pieces to be used in food preparation use food safe glue, and are sealed with an organic beeswax/mineral oil finish. In addition to kitchen-destined pieces, Ingrained Woods also makes hardwood fly boxes for both conversation and ideally to be used on the water. Each unique piece features recessed barrel hinges and rare-earth magnetic catches along with inset ripple foam. Custom pieces, laser etching/engraving, and commissioned work available by request. Visit Ingrained Woods website formore information.

One of a kind book matched fly boxes that will easily hold dozens of dry flies or wet flies. Brass barrel hinge and rippled foam inserts.

One of a kind book matched fly boxes that will easily hold dozens of dry flies or wet flies. Brass barrel hinge and rippled foam inserts.

Ta-Da! Our New Logo

Last fall we celebrated our 10 year anniversary and decided it was a good time to update our brand to align with our vision of creating a sense of community and caring through exceptional home-style baking.

We worked with a team of very talented people and we are extremely pleased with the results. Keli Pollock and Marc Rimmer – the creative duo behind the logo – wanted to capture our philosophy of creating everything by hand. The design itself was inspired by hand-decorated messages made of icing on our cakes.  We went through a quite a few variations of the “Crave” text before we got it right (just like the recipes in our test kitchen!) We even commissioned a Russian hand-lettering artist to add an authentic hand-written touch to the logo.

Carolyne and Jodi cutting the cake at our Kensington Grand Opening Celebration. One of our bakers Kelsey, hand lettered the logo in buttercream icing – it worked perfectly.

Carolyne and Jodi cutting the cake at our Kensington Grand Opening Celebration. One of our bakers Kelsey, hand lettered the logo in buttercream icing – it worked perfectly.

Another big change is we removed “Cookies and Cupcakes” from our name. Since we have added so many baked goodies to our menu, like squares, scones, cakes, pies and loaves, we think Crave captures our brand perfectly!

Crave original Logo

Farewell to Sugar

The lovely lady holding the cupcake in our original logo is named Sugar. After 10 years of hard work, we have decided to retire Sugar. We will miss her, as she was a big part of our identity and success over the years. Thank you Sugar!

Source: Crave Logo

Hello Kensington! We missed you.

You are invited to our Grand Opening Party at Crave Kensington this Saturday (June 13th!). Join us from 8am to 5pm for complimentary samples in store. Early birds will be treated to fresh baked mini scones and complimentary Monogram Coffee cappuccinos, we will be cutting into our GIANT heart shaped cake at 10:00 and serving slices all day.

We are so happy to be open again. We can’t thank you enough for your loyalty and patience while we spruced up our Kensington bakery. We reopened on May 28th and have been overwhelmed with the number of happy faces that have come through our door. Thank you, Calgary! It is such a privilege to share our passion for exceptional quality, home-style baking with you.

Crave Kensington Morning Menu

For us, the best part of our newly renovated space is that it allows us to add to our original menu of fresh baked goods – and share more of what we love. We are so pleased to be able to offer a daily selection of pies, cakes, squares, cookies and loaves at our Kensington location. And for you early risers, we are super excited about our new early morning menu of fresh-baked scones, cinnamon twists and slices of loaves. View our Kensington Menu here.

Crave Kensington is Open

Thirsty? Grab a to-go from Monogram Coffee, who are on-site serving up fresh cups of delicious brew – a perfect companion to a fresh baked treat.

Monogram Coffee at Crave Kensington

Crave Kensington is open 7 days/week. Our hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on weekends. Our friends at Monogram Coffee are rockin’ their pop up shop until 3:00 p.m. daily for the next three months.

There is street parking as show on the map below and the Kensington Gate Parkade.  If you can’t visit us in person, drop us a line and we’ll bring a little piece of Crave to you, we offer Calgary delivery service Monday to Friday.

We Heart Nature

Growing up on our farm we learned about the unique beauty of Southern Alberta and importance of environmental stewardship. Caring for the land was at the center of everything we did on the farm. As an Alberta-based business, and lifelong Albertans we believe investing in the protection and prosperity of our local ecosystems.

In recognition of World Environment Day on Friday, June 5 have partnered with Alberta Ecotrust Foundation to support some of our favourite initiatives:

Wily Urban Coyotes

Urban Coyotes

Coyotes are the top predators in urban settings. They play an important role in maintaining healthy urban ecosystems by reducing the abundance of "pest" species like mice, rabbits and grasshoppers. Most coyotes pose no serious threat to humans, if they get too comfortable around people, it can cause serious problems. Understanding the ecology of coyotes can help us prevent coyote-human conflict and promote coexistence. Alberta Ecotrust Foundation launched the Urban Coyote Project, a research and community-based program to help us learn how to appreciate coyotes and stay safe. Click here for more information about the Urban Coyote Project.

Beaver Reintroduction at Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Centre

Beavers are more than just our national icon – they are integral to landscape health and function. These furry engineers provide many natural services and benefits, including flood prevention. Beaver dams and ponds increase the landscape's ability to capture and tame flood flows. Read more about the beavers that were reintroduced just south of Calgary here.

Alberta Beavers

On June 5th, purchase a limited edition World Environment Day cupcake six pack, and help us support our natural environment. 50% of sales from these special cupcake packs (which include an extra special dirt and worm cupcake) will be donated to the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation.  Call or email our order line for delivery service prices and availability.

World Environment Day Cupcakes packs are $23.00 each.

World Environment Day Cupcakes packs are $23.00 each.

To Mom, With Love

We love to bake – at work and at home. Baking for our friends and family is one of the most fulfilling things we do. When we get the chance to bake at home, we like to have a little fun trying different ingredients and techniques. Recently, our staffer Aldene made this stunning cake in celebration of her mom’s birthday. It’s an angel food cake, with lemon curd filling, topped with whipped cream frosting. It’s light and delicious – a perfect cake for Mother’s Day.

Mother's Day Cake

The Cake

The secret to making a great angel food cake is to use a light hand when adding the flour mixture so that you don’t lose the air from the egg whites. Here is a link to the cake recipe that Aldene found on one of her favourite baking blogs:

Once the batter is mixed, divide it equally into 3 – 8” cake pans and bake at 350° for about 20-25 minutes.

 Lemon Curd Filling

Lemon curd is the perfect pairing with angel food cake. Plus, it is a great way to use the leftover egg yolks. Tip: Triple the recipe and use the curd in other things. Swirl in plain Greek yogurt, eat with scones or just dig in with a spoon for a sweet treat!

  1. Bring two inches of water to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Reduce to simmering.
  2. In a medium size glass bowl (big enough to sit on top of the simmering pot) combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk until combined.
  3. Set bowl over the pot of simmering water and stir often until the mixture thickens and reaches 172°F.
  4. Remove from heat and strain the mixture though a fine mesh sieve.
  5. Allow the mixture to cool slightly (about 5 minutes)
  6. Add the cubed butter to the mixture. Stir to combine until the curd is smooth and thick.
  7. Cool completely before using. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Crave’s Lemon Curd

  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
  • 7 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter cubed

Whipped Cream

Here is a recipe for the whipped cream: Typically, we wouldn’t use a stabilizer in whipped cream, but a little cream of tartar helps give the cake enough structure to hold the flowers and fruit. Tip: Double the whipped cream frosting recipe for a little extra to add a dollop on top of each slice when serving.

How to Assemble the Cake

Spread a small amount of whipped cream on the first cake layer using an offset spatula. Pipe a thick border of whipped cream frosting around the edge of the cake and fill in the border with a layer of lemon curd. Stack the second layer of cake and repeat the whipped cream frosting and lemon curd layer. Add the final layer of cake and spread the whipped cream frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with your favourite spring flowers (wrap the stem of each flower with tinfoil) and fill in the gaps with fresh berries.

Happy Baking and Happy Mother’s Day!

Head of Custom Cakes Q & A

In the Kitchen: A Chat with Crave’s Head of Custom Cakes

Celebrating Cynthia's 10th Crave Anniversary.

Celebrating Cynthia's 10th Crave Anniversary.

We often get asked about who is behind all of the sweet treats at Crave. The truth is we all are. However, there is one person, Cynthia Blindenbach, who is integral to our team. She has been heading up Crave’s kitchen since we opened our first bakery 10 years ago. In honour of this special milestone, we surprised Cynthia with her favourite cake - Cookies and Cream. Later, we sat down with her to find out more about her passion for baking.

Cynthia designs and crafts all of her custom cakes for each client.

Cynthia designs and crafts all of her custom cakes for each client.

1.     What inspired you to become a professional baker?

Baking is my art. I have always loved being in the kitchen, working with my hands and being creative. I grew up cooking, baking and learning the basics of cake decorating from my mom. By the age of 12, I knew I wanted a career in culinary arts.

2.     Describe a typical day in the Crave kitchen.

We get up early before the sun rises. Turn on the ovens and get ready to start baking. We bake everything from scratch using fresh, real ingredients like butter, eggs, and milk. We mix and bake our cupcakes and cookies first. From there, we bake an assortment of pies, loaves and squares. After the cupcakes and cakes cool, our cake artists get to work decorating, while the aroma of fresh baking floats through the kitchen and into the shop.

3.     What are your favorite ingredients to work with?

I absolutely love working with chocolate. And butter, cream, berries… the list is long!

4.     What kitchen tools can’t you live without and why?

My micro plane zester. It’s amazing for citrus, chocolate, spices and cheese. Also, sharp knives.

5.     What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Seeing the smile on someone’s face when they bite into one of our sweet and delicious treats. And hearing from a happy customer when I’ve created a custom cake that helped make their celebration a little more special.

6.     What is your favorite dessert?

Pavlova. It’s a beautiful dessert.

7.     What is the most unique dessert or cake you have created?

Just recently I created a cake for a mountain climber’s birthday. The cake spiraled up, like a trail leading up a mountain to the summit, complete with a cairn and flag. Along the way up the cake were trail markers celebrating special moments in his life.

8.     What trends do you see emerging in baking?

Natural and organic ingredients are important. In cake decorating, vintage, metallic gold and silver, and painted cakes are becoming popular.

9.     Do you have any advice for at-home bakers?

Plan ahead. Read through the recipe. Make sure you have all of the ingredients. Preheat the oven. Let the butter, eggs and liquids (i.e. milk) come to room temperature before mixing. And, most important, have fun!

10.  What is one thing that would surprise people to know about you?

I don’t like candy and I am not a morning person. But being a baker means early mornings… and I love baking.

This Gorilla was the hit of the party! Made with layers of cake shaped to make the gorilla's body

This Gorilla was the hit of the party! Made with layers of cake shaped to make the gorilla's body

Crave Custom Igloo and Penguin Cake
Custom wedding cake with lace buttercream details. This cake was made for an all blue cake table.

Custom wedding cake with lace buttercream details. This cake was made for an all blue cake table.

Easter Eggstravaganza!

We love Easter eggs because they symbolize springtime – warm days, budding leaves, long bike rides, and most of all, spending time with people we love. The Easter egg hunt is a big event in our family. It is so much fun to watch the kids (young and old) hunt for eggs. In fact, brightly decorated eggs are a staple in many Easter traditions. The decoration of eggs is believed to date back to at least the 13th century. To make sure we keep the tradition going, Crave is having an Easter egg decorating contest!

We are partial to decorating with buttercream but for this contest your submission must be a real decorated egg.

We are partial to decorating with buttercream but for this contest your submission must be a real decorated egg.

The contest is simple. Just glam up an egg and send us a photo with #craveeggstravaganza via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. The most creative egg entry will win one of six Crave Easter Cookie Decorating Kits.

Enter to win one of six Easter Cookie Decorating kits! Each kit includes three egg shaped cookies, three bunny shaped cookies, buttercream icing, decorating bags and tips, sprinkles and candies.

Enter to win one of six Easter Cookie Decorating kits! Each kit includes three egg shaped cookies, three bunny shaped cookies, buttercream icing, decorating bags and tips, sprinkles and candies.

Partial to polka dots? Speckled or sponged? Gaga for glitter? Send us as many entries as you wish. Contest closes at midnight on April 1, 2015. Our Easter bunnies (aka Crave bakers) will judge the entries and contact the lucky winners on April 2, 2015.

Kensington Redux

Def: redux

Adj.  presented in a new way; restored; brought back.

Crave Kensington.jpg

When we opened our first bakery in Kensington, it was like a dream come true. As sisters who grew up in rural Alberta, learning the values of hard work and the importance of doing things right, we put our hearts (and our hands) into everything – including the design and construction of our first store. We drew up the plans, and, armed with a giant roll of masking tape, we designed the original space – right there on the floor.

Before it became our bakery 1107 Kensington road was an internet cafe, we did all of the renovations ourselves (with the help of our husbands)

Before it became our bakery 1107 Kensington road was an internet cafe, we did all of the renovations ourselves (with the help of our husbands)

Here we are just after opening!

Here we are just after opening!

Looking back ten years, we wanted nothing more than to share our passion for exceptional quality, home-style baking – with as many people as possible. And we still do. We are so excited to re-imagine our Kensington space so that we can offer more of what we love – for the next ten years!

Carolyne and the construction crew, walls are coming up in the new space!

Carolyne and the construction crew, walls are coming up in the new space!

Here are a few images that inspired the new interior.

Here are a few images that inspired the new interior.

While we like to get our hands dirty, we are leaving the design and construction of the new space up to the professionals. We have partnered with an amazing interior designer and contractor who are working hard to help bring our vision to life – letting us channel our creativity on other things (like cake batter and cookie dough)! Construction is well underway. Our grand re-opening is planned for May 2015. We can’t say too much more, otherwise we’ll spoil the surprise. Let’s just say that we can’t wait to share more of Crave with everyone. Stay tuned!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: From Our Family to Yours

Crave Chocolate Chunk Cookies

We have a serious passion for great baking. And when it comes to our chocolate chip cookies, we are downright obsessed. Whenever we come across a magazine or blog claiming to have “the best chocolate chip cookie recipe”, we put it to the test. We bake it exactly as the recipe says, and then blind taste-test it against our own recipe. We are happy to report that we still prefer our family’s chocolate chip cookie recipe the best. They’re slightly chewy, a little crispy, with just the right amount of chocolate chips. Test them for yourself. We hope you like them as much as we do.

Crave's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

(Truly The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!)

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup butter

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

  • 1 cup callebaut milk or dark chocolate chunks

Makes three dozen cookies

  • Preheat oven to350° F.
  • Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • In a medium bowl measure flour, baking soda and salt. Combine with a whisk and set aside.
  • Place butter in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
  • Gradually add all sugar and beat until pale and fluffy (5-10 minutes).
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each, then add vanilla. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat until well combined (2-3 minutes more).
  • With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
  • Add the chocolate chunks and mix until combined.

  • Scoop dough onto baking sheets (one heaping tablespoon per cookie).
  • Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown.


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Tag Archives: Africa

The Path to Ginde Beret

3 men in Ginde Beret
Three men welcomed us on the path to Ginde Beret.

I wanted to see the places in Africa that Dr. Tom Coleman spoke about so often, and in the spring of 2016 I booked a trip to Ethiopia. In Addis Ababa I met my translator and chauffer. We had a lot of places to see so we left the city early the next morning. Leaving Addis Ababa, we drove west for about an hour and then turned north, up through the mountains and a beautiful forest. The air was crisp and sweet and the forest was brimming with wildlife. At first the gravel road was wide and even, but it gradually became worse. It was about 120 km across the mountain but, with big rocks and large holes in the road, it took us several hours before we came to the small village of Kachise.

Our goal was to get to Ginde Beret, where Dr. Coleman had worked most of his time in Ethiopia. From Kachise the best route was to walk down a steep footpath to the valley below. There was, my chauffer told me, a road, but it went way out of the way and wasn’t at all in as “good” condition as the road we had just come by, so the decision was easy. I wondered if anyone in the village remembered Dr. Tom Coleman and his family who had lived there during the 1960’s and 70’s.

We arrived in Kachise before dark and checked into the hotel. Well, they called it a hotel; it was really not more than a shed. The toilet was a hole in the ground and there was no running water. The room we were givien was small and dirty and the mattress was lumpy and hard. I pulled out my travel sheets and crawled into bed. We needed to get an early start in the morning.

We were up at sunrise, ate a quick breakfast, a couple of eggs and tea, before beginning our trek through back allies and out to the edge of the cliff where the serpentine path wriggled down the ravine. We stood for a moment on the edge and looked down at the little village of Ginde Beret far below. A great surprise was waiting for us down there. No one has yet forgotten the miracle doctor, Tom Coleman, who saved the lives of thousands of suffering people.

We were four people in our group when we began walking down the trail, myself, my friend, Stefan Jansson from Sweden, our translator and a guide. But within minutes we were joined by more and more people who offered to carry our equipment and camera bags. I don’t know where they all came from; they seemed to appear out of nowhere. Our little troop was transformed into a caravan with people all eager to help. The path was steep with large rocks strewn here and there. Some portions had been repaired with large stone steps that made it easier to step safely. Tall trees lined the path giving us shelter from the sun. Baboons and other wildlife wandered nearby, watching us curiously.

Coming down into the valley we met people on their way up the path to Kachise. Many people from Ginde Beret climb the steep path daily to go to school, work or shopping. Suddenly there were three men standing on the path in front of us. As we came nearer I noticed that they were missing fingers and their faces had been badly marred by leprosy. Without hesitating they reached out, one after the other, to shake our hands in welcome. Their fingerless hands felt soft in mine, but it was a peculiar sensation. It was the first real encounter with a leper.

When asked if they had ever heard of Dr. Tom Coleman, they all began talking at once. Dr. Coleman! It had been 50 years since they last met him, but Dr. Coleman had saved their lives. I realized that many people in Ginde Beret indeed remembered the Colemans. They asked, “Is he coming back soon? Are you one of his children?” I explained that I was a good friend of Dr. Coleman and that I wanted to film in the village and show it to Dr. Coleman. We spent a whole day in the village and they showed us all the places where the Coleman family had lived and worked, and where the children, Judy and Bill, had played. A visit from a friend of the Coleman’s was cause for a celebration. I felt humbled by the reception we received in Ginde Beret and it gave me a greater understanding of the impact Dr. Tom and Elaine Coleman had made in Africa between 1956 and 2004. The name Coleman is spoken with great respect in Ginde Beret. It represents people who sacrificed their own comfort and prosperity to save the lives of thousands of suffering people.

Don’t miss the premiere of the film and the chance to meet the Coleman family. April 22 in Cambridge, MN. Tickets available online or at the door. More information at cameraQ.com

Real Adventures

Himba girl with goat
Young Himba girl with her favourite goat

One of the popular Christmas gifts for 2016 was VR-gear, a mask or headset that you wear to experience worlds or places that may or may not exist. We live in an era where many people avoid venturing out to experience true adventures in places that actually exist. How did that happen? Have we become so bored with our protected and comfortable lives that we need to seek adventure in a fantasy world where we needn’t sweat, freeze or experience anything real? What kind of effect will this virtual reality have on our ability to empathize with actual experiences and genuine emotions?

While working in different countries I’ve come across cultures and people living without the conveniences we take for granted. Aborigines in Australia, Veddas on Sri Lanka, the Maasai in Tanzania, and the Inuit in Alaska all share one thing in common – they live close to nature and have often chosen to live without the gadgets we deem necessary to make our lives simpler, more comfortable and “adventurous”.

In Namibia, in southwestern Africa, I was fascinated by the young Himba children who, at only 6 years of age, work as goatherds. School in Namibia is not mandatory and many of the Himba children living in remote areas have no opportunity to attend classes, others are not allowed to because they are needed to herd the family’s goats. It is their task until they are 12 – 13 years old.

After sunrise, when they have eaten their corn porridge, the children gather the 100-200 goats and drive them out into the wilderness. Sometimes they have to wander far in search of food and water for their herd. For protection from snakes and predators, like leopards and sometimes lions, they carry a big stick, which they soon become very proficient at handling. These children have no need for expensive gadgets to experience virtual excitement; their lives are quite adventurous already. In the evening, when they return to the village, it’s time to milk the goats. Goat milk is an important part of the Himbas rather limited diet, which otherwise consists primarily of corn meal porridge.

While shooting the footage for our film, ”Himba – the Red People” now premiering in Sweden, we spent many weeks in a Himba village without toilets, electricity, water or shelter from the penetrating sun. We slept, worked and ate on the ground, which was covered in layers of dung from hundreds of cattle and goats. Revolting at first, we soon became accustomed to it. Christofer Wärnlöf, anthropologist and researcher, who worked with us on this film, says that animal dung is considered a valuable asset rather than a problem. Christofer speaks from experience since he lived with the Himbas for years while studying their culture. They are no more bothered by cow dung than we are of leaves falling from the trees. It is also an essential building material. All of the huts in the village are constructed with branches and a mixture of cow dung, sand and water. During drought, when the cattle are driven away from the village, the huts deteriorate from lack of materials for repairs.

The Himba people have an almost inexplicable joy that can be difficult to understand. We would find their living conditions intolerable and their lives monotonous. And what about those little kids, wandering in the desert with their goats – isn’t that dangerous? Well…I asked the elders in the village, but no one could recall any fatalities. After getting a taste of the stick the goatherds handle so prodigiously, any predator would probably think twice before getting too close. Hot, dusty, tedious – but at any given moment they might stop what they’re doing and dance! No music, no instruments – just clapping their hands to a rhythm.

The sights, the sounds, the smells, and the people – it was real; it was adventurous! Not something you can find in a box. I have friends and colleagues who have challenged themselves with incredible feats like bicycling across continents, climbing mountains or sailing around the world – hot, dusty, and tedious. They all say they had the time of their lives! So no, I don’t think last years #1 Christmas present is anything for me.


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SSC JE Mock Test

SSC JE Free Online Practice Test for enhancing your exam preparation and score maximum marks. Here you can practice with the following sample questions.

Question #1: Which of the following is related to ‘Melody’ in the same way as ‘Delicious’ is related to ‘Taste’?

Question #2: Find the odd word/letters/number pair from the given alternative

Question #3: A man said to a woman, “Your brother’s only sister is my mother.” What is the relation of the woman with the maternal grandmother of that man?

Question #4: Y is to the East of X, which is to the North of Z. If P is to the South of Z, then P is in which direction with respect to Y?

Question #5: If the positions of the first and the fifth digits of the number 83721569 are interchanged, similarly, the positions of the second and the sixth digits are interchanged, and so on, which of the following will be the third from the right end after the rearrangement?

Question #6: A clock gains 15 minutes per day. It is set right at 12 noon. What time will it show at 4.00 am, the next day?

Question #7: If ‘+’ means ‘/’, ‘-’ means ‘x’ ‘/’ means ‘+’ and ‘x’ means ‘-’ then 63 x 24 + 8 / 4 + 2 – 3 = ?

Question #8: In a certain code language BEAM is written as 5 % * K and COME is written as $ 7 K %. How is BOMB written in that code?

Question #9: The coefficient of restitution of a perfectly plastic impact is

Question #10: A Mohr’s circle reduces to a point when the body is subjected to

Question #11: Mobility of a statically indeterminate structure is

Question #12: Tooth interference in an external involute spur gear pair can be reduced by

Question #13: A phenomenon is modelled using n dimensional variables with k primary dimensions. The number of non-dimensional variable is

Question #14: The burnout heat flux in the nucleate boiling regime is a function of

Question #15: One kilogram of water at room temperature is brought into contact with a high temperature thermal reservoir. The entropy change of the universe is

Question #16: Diesel cycle consists of

Question #17: Which of the following engineering materials is the most suitable candidate for hot chamber die casting?

Question #18: Internal gear cutting operation can be performed by

Question #19: Which one of the following instruments is widely used to check and calibrate geometric features of machine tools during their assembly?

Question #20: If velocity of a body is twice of previous velocity, then kinetic energy will become

Question #21: The deepest lake of the world is

Question #22: Which article of the constitution of India deals with the ‘Right to constitutional remedies’?

Question #23: Poverty in less developed countries is largely due to

Question #24: The treaty of Amritsar was concluded between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and who of the following?

Question #25: Recently declared “Flamingo Sanctuary” is associated with which of the following state?

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The Club of IT Marketing and Communications uses Evenium solutions

The Club of IT Marketing and Communications uses Evenium solutions

The Club of IT Marketing and Communications organizes about 30 events per year. To optimize its organization, Romuald Ribault, the club’s secretary general, offers new tools to the association’s different working groups. In particular, he has suggested that they use Evenium solutions. Here he shares his feedback and experience.

Can you present the CMIT?

The CMIT regroups over a hundred members and 3,000 partners and aspiring members. The club’s role is to enrich and promote marketing and communication positions within the IT sector, by encouraging exchanges and sharing among its members. To accomplish this the association organizes, among other things, about 30 conferences per year and one major gathering: the CMIT Forum.

What is your role within the association?

I am the Secretary General of the association and a CMIT member of the Bureau. I participate in the organization of conferences, exchanges and different tasks, alongside other volunteers. My missions with the CMIT are really cross-functional: I implement useful tools for all of our missions, especially to improve our members’ experience. If I had to choose a famous character to describe myself, I would pick MacGyver, as he’s a jack-of-all-trades! For organizing events, a member of the association told me about Evenium’s solutions. We used them and since then, I have even adopted them for my own company!

What are some of the main issues that you have to address while organizing an event?

The main issue is managing enrollment and the guests’ presence on the spot. We also have to appropriately contact those who have not replied to our invitation yet. This is not necessarily an easy task! Personally, it’s happened that I have received 30 reminders to participate in one single event, to which I was already signed up by the way. This is way too many! This really showcases the difficulty that event organizers face: how to wisely spark your guests’ interest again without spamming them.

And how do you best manage your invitations and contacting those who have not yet replied?

At the CMIT, we now use the Evenium Net online invitation management solution for all of our events. It’s a user-friendly platform. I really like this tool. It’s extremely easy to create an event, manage invitations as well as guest hospitality at the event itself, and all this is possible in collaborative mode, working together.

What feature have you most appreciated?

I especially enjoyed the ease with which I can manage guest lists, send out emails and contact guests that have not yet responded. When you discover this platform, you really think about working differently! For example, you can begin using Evenium Net to manage bookings, and then you discover that this tool enables you to create a web site for the event very easily, and that it’s not necessarily required to create another one yourself anymore.

Had you already had the opportunity to use this kind of tool before?

I actually had the opportunity to try out a competitor’s solution, and Evenium’s great value really made the difference! I have since been using two Evenium solutions in my company, Ecologic, to manage bookings for events: Evenium Facility and Evenium Net. We choose one or the other platform depending on our needs (number of invitations to send out, etc.).

As a frequent organizer of events, what is the biggest progression that you have seen in this sector ?

There is a true desire to organize interactive events, to allow guests to participate. In this way, at the CMIT Forum’s latest edition this past April 1st, we organized votes and used the interaction and networking app Evenium ConnexMe. We are thinking about using this type of tool more often in our future gatherings, to keep on bringing even greater value to our members.