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Stocking My Summer Wardrobe
In keeping with the theme of getting myself ready for Costume College, my modern summer wardrobe with in desperate need of an update. I have very little that actually fits anymore, so I buckled down and made myself some cute new dresses (and a skirt).

Posted: 6/27/2013 4:13:14 PM by Aubry | with 0 comments

Gala Worthy
No progress on my 1790s stuff yet. After I wrote my last post, I realized that while my Costume College stuff was wearable, I still had a few tweaks I wanted to make and with only 6 weeks to go, I decided to put that first rather than stress myself out by waiting until the last minute. I am not a fan of last minute sewing.

Posted: 6/17/2013 2:27:19 PM by Aubry | with 0 comments

Planning Ahead
Since I really don't need to make anything new for Costume College this year, and I have no other events planned for the rest of the year, I've decided to just follow my muse and make what I'm currently inspired by – late 1790s and early 1800s!

Posted: 6/8/2013 12:52:05 PM by Aubry | with 0 comments


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Thursday, April 18, 2019
Case Studies » Featured Case Studies » Case Studies » Reckitt Benckiser: Strategy, leadership and company culture

Reckitt Benckiser: Strategy, leadership and company culture

Strategy, leadership and company culture

In the fast paced world of household, consumer health and personal care products, innovation is the key to success. To keep ahead of their competitors, Reckitt Benckiser (RB) needed to create a company culture that allowed new ideas to thrive. This case study focuses on the strategies that RB uses to achieve above average growth within the industry and the importance of innovation and marketing to this global organisation.

As a result of reading this case study, students should be able to:

  • Explain how employing the right people with the right attitude can influence the success of an organisation
  • Discuss the importance for a global business to develop a marketing strategy including branding and advertising
  • Evaluate the use of constructive conflict and employee diversity within RB to gain a competitive advantage in terms of innovation and speed-to-market
  • Outline different leadership styles and determine where the management team at RB would fit.

1. Introduction

To be successful in the fast-paced world of household, health and personal care products, you have to think big.

2. Strategy

RB’s strategy has always been clear: employ the right people to drive above industry-average growth and turn it into profit and cash.

3. The Global Powerbrands

The concept of the Powerbrand was introduced in 2002 and consists of RB’s leading global brands that compete in markets with significant potential for high growth.

4. Culture and People

A strong corporate culture is an important part of any good business and attracting and retaining the right people has been a key part of RB’s success.

5. The leadership model

A good leader may be described as one who influences, motivates and enables their employees to do their job well and contribute to the success of the organisation.

6. Conclusion

Since the merger in 1999, RB has seen phenomenal success.

To download this case study as a free pdf, click the button below:

1. Introduction

To be successful in the fast-paced world of household, health and personal care products, you have to think big. Reckitt Benckiser (RB) is a world leader in the making and marketing of household, consumer health care and personal products. With over 20 million products sold daily across almost 200 countries, RB is a global success story. RB came about as a result of a merger in 1999 between the German company Benckiser and Reckitt & Colman from the United Kingdom.

Reckitt Benckiser - Strategy, leadership and company culture

The two businesses were a good match, with a combined history of innovation spanning over 150 years. Complimenting each other geographically, they now covered extensive markets across Europe, the UK, Australia, the United States and many smaller markets worldwide.

Similarly, their product portfolios worked well together, with Benckiser a market leader in automatic dishwashing and fabric care products, while

Reckitt & Colman had achieved success in disinfectants, home care, pest control and health and personal care.

The merger was a successful one, with RB the fastest growing business in its sector. The above industry-average growth since the merger can be linked directly to the company’s strategy, company culture and leadership model. Having the right people helps create the right culture, one RB describes as strong, fast-acting and highly effective.

The company embraces diversity and encourages constructive conflict to achieve the best ideas and innovations. The leadership team expects their employees to use initiative, take ownership of their ideas and to take risks, with the aim of outperforming the market.

2. Strategy

RB’s strategy has always been clear: employ the right people to drive above industry-average growth and turn it into profit and cash. Ensuring this

central message is clearly communicated to all stakeholders makes good business sense. By focussing on the common goal, both shareholders and employees can be confident they understand the company’s vision and the strategy to achieve their objectives.

Employing and retaining people with the right principles and attitudes helps to create the culture and approach to business that makes RB unique.

To stay ahead of the market, RB needs creative thinking and employees who are willing to take a risk on new ideas, as well as a leadership team

prepared to support them. The range of products RB manufacture and sell is extensive. Household names such as Aerogard, Clearasil, Dettol, Mortein, Pine O Cleen and Strepsils are but a few of the easily recognisable products in Australia.

However, RB has identified 19 of their best selling products that, in their category, are globally number one or two on the market. They call these

their Powerbrands – global leaders in high growth categories. Focussing on their Powerbrands makes sense, as the profits from these 19 brands alone make up more than two-thirds of the company’s total revenue. RB invests heavily in these brands through advertising and marketing to maximise the returns and grow their market share. They also concentrate on continual innovation, listening to the needs of their customers and looking for ways to make their products better.

Another key strategy is to focus on organic growth. This refers to the development and growth of their existing Powerbrands; they only look to acquire new brands if they add significant financial or market value to the company.

Like all good businesses, RB is continually looking for ways to reduce costs. Managing costs by eliminating waste and improving efficiency contributes to their aim of turning growth into profit. Squeezing costs at every opportunity is an important aspect of cash management and is reflected in their above industry-average profits and returns for shareholders.

3. The Global Powerbrands

The concept of the Powerbrand was introduced in 2002 and consists of RB’s leading global brands that compete in markets with significant potential for high growth. The profit margins on Powerbrands are disproportional – that is – they are well above the industry average. Only the exceptional ones make the grade. They are mainly number one or two globally in their category.

Brands like Finish, Vanish, Clearasil, Mortein, Dettol, Scholl, Harpic and Airwick are worldwide household names as a result of RB concentrating the majority of their innovation, marketing and media investments around them. In 2010, 69 percent of RB’s revenue and 85 percent of their growth came from these 19 Powerbrands. Product brand recognition is one of the company’s great strengths and is a result of RB’s products maintaining a consistent overall image around the world. Their plan is to create brands that are truly global. Local leaders can express the product differently, taking into account local market conditions, if it means gaining market share or improving growth – however, this does not allow them to change the way a brand is headed. To keep the consistency in their brands, RB has a global category team for each category, which works with the markets to define and ensure consistency of the brand’s purpose and positioning everywhere in the world.

RB’s Powerbrands are supported by an extensive marketing strategy. They spend approximately 12-13 percent of their net revenue on media advertising – higher than any of their competitors. Not happy with simply trying to gain a greater share of the market, they invest with the aim of actually growing the entire category. For example, RB spent a large amount of advertising dollars promoting the sale of dishwashers – which is not one of their product lines – with the aim of increasing the demand for automatic dishwasher detergents.

In a market where there are many competitors all selling very similar products, differentiation is a key tactic in setting your product apart from the rest. In the markets that RB competes in, innovation is essential. Instead of spending large amounts of money researching and developing new products, they use extensive market research to determine what the consumer wants and needs, in order to make their use of the product ever more easy and convenient, and the results from the product ever better.

These are sometimes big innovations but often many smaller ones, where they can incrementally improve a product, implementing a few changes that may save the consumer time or make the product more convenient to use, and that they are prepared to pay more money for.

A good example is the Finish dishwasher detergent. They noticed that consumers usually use three different products in their dishwashers: a powder, a rinse and salt. In 2000 RB came up with the Finish PowerBall 2-in-1 that combined the powder and rinse aid. They then improved it in 2001 by adding salt, and again in 2005 by adding a glass protector. They support their new and improved products with heavy marketing and

their strategy has paid off, with over a third of their revenue coming from products that have been developed in the last three years.

4. Culture and People

Finding the right values

A strong corporate culture is an important part of any good business and attracting and retaining the right people has been a key part of RB’s

success. At the time of the merger, about 80 percent of senior employees were let go as they did not fit the new culture. It was easier to hire new

staff or leave a position vacant, rather than wasting time trying to change people or put the wrong person in the job. During recruitment, there are

four core values that RB is looking for:

  • Achievement – we don’t just aim high, we always aim to outperform
  • Entrepreneurship – we allow daring ideas to thrive
  • Team Spirit – we work as one united by common principles and attitudes
  • Ownership – we take initiative to do what’s needed.

Cultural style

RB has a unique culture of ‘constructive conflict’ and values this as a positive problem solving tool. Rigorous discussion and debate is encouraged at their meetings and participants are expected to come well prepared to fight for their ideas and to have thought it through very carefully. At the end of the meeting a decision is made – often whoever has the strongest argument wins! All then agree to get behind and support the decision and move on.

Debate often stems from the significant international diversity that exists within the organisation, with employees bringing different ideas and perspectives to the table. For example, among the top 400 executive employees globally, 49 different nationalities are represented. The global

nature of their Powerbrands means diversity within their management team is crucial to understanding and developing the markets in which they operate.

A global company needs employees with different national perspectives as it encourages ‘risk’ taking. It increases its ability to challenge any “it

won’t work in this market” parochial thinking. Diversity improves creative thinking, challenges existing consumer behaviour models and brings a wealth of ideas to the organisation.

Speed and action

Generating the ideas and making quick decisions is only one aspect however. Getting those ideas to the market fast is imperative. The first to market has the advantage – and the faster the innovation comes to market the longer you have to take advantage of first mover economics. The company structure at RB is flatter than most other organisations. Middle management is limited, bringing the executive team in closer contact with those on the ‘front line’. This helps generate faster response times and also reduces office politics, giving employees more control over their work.

In such a fast paced market, where consensus is not sought, there is no patience for lengthy meetings, glossy presentations or political power plays. Swift decision making is vital if RB expects to be first to market. In an industry that relies on innovation to succeed, they need strategies to get their new ideas to market before their competitors. For RB, this means not worrying if the manufacturing costs of their latest product are not as low as they could be when first launched – although cost cutting starts the very next day. A good example of this is the launch of the Dettol (Lysol) No-Touch soap. The product was first launched in the US market before any competitor products and was so different to anything else in the category

it drove significant growth for the company. At RB, decisions are made fast and innovations are driven globally. As a result, within one year of launching in the first market the No-Touch system was being sold in numerous countries around the globe and has sustained the first-to-market advantage.

RB recognises the value of their high performing employees and they are prepared to pay for it. Remuneration is

consisting of a base salary plus incentives such as bonuses and share options for those who feel confident to push their ideas to get great results.

High performance is not all that is expected of RB managers. International, speedy mobility is part of their cultural style. Given the global stature of their Powerbrands it is an advantage for the management team to move between international offices as their career progresses, gaining experience and invaluable insights into operations and product performance in different markets: taking ideas from one market and introducing them as radical in another.

Cost control

Keeping production costs under control is important in any business. However, RB considers this just as vital as building sales. A conservative attitude is reflected right across the organisation.

In line with RB’s strategic aim of turning their above industry-average growth into cash, they have set up two cost-cutting teams. The ‘Squeeze’ team looks to reduce the amount of materials used in their packaging, and this can generate significant savings. For instance, in 2009, the team recommended a new, resealable pack of Vanish stain remover as an option for consumers, and saved the company millions by using 70 percent less plastic than the original.

Secondly, the ‘X-trim’ team is responsible for improving efficiency across the entire organisation. This may mean changing the layout of a manufacturing plant, or finding a cheaper way to distribute their products. For example a simple change in the production process of aerosol cans resulted in a major efficiency improvement. The decoration of aerosols cans had always been achieved by printing directly onto the body of the can at the can manufacturer’s factory, before storing the cans by their intended use (e.g. what product they would ultimately contain). These cans were then shipped to the RB factory and stored again until needed for production.

It was decided to label cans after filling in the production process. This resulted in savings through many areas. Firstly there was less inventory of cans, at both the manufacturer and RB factory, as one can could now be used for multiple variants. The printing of labels, and application, was cheaper than printing tin plate, even allowing for the cost of the new labeling equipment. This project resulted in million dollar savings, and resulted in a more flexible production process.

5. The leadership model

A good leader may be described as one who influences, motivates and enables their employees to do their job well and contribute to the success of the organisation. There are a number of theories of leadership styles. One theory suggests there are three main types as set out below:

It is thought that all leaders fit into one of these styles or somewhere in between. The leadership style at RB would lean more towards Participative, but not Democratic, as no vote is taken and consensus is not sought. However, crucially, it follows distributed leadership principles.

6. Conclusion

Since the merger in 1999, RB has seen phenomenal success. A clear and consistent strategy has led to above industry-average returns for each of the 11 years of operation and kept them well in front of their competitors. A priority on employing the right people to create a company culture of performance and innovation has been a key driver. Embracing the diversity within the company to encourage creative thinking and rigorous debate of ideas has seen the rate of innovation of their products double since the merger. Finally, their strategy of investing heavily into their global Powerbrands has reinforced their position as a world leader in household, health and personal care products.

(Page 1 of 7)
Associated with:
Learning Area(s):
  • Business Environment | Developing organisational culture
  • Business Structure and Organisation | Aligning structure to objectives
  • Business Structure and Organisation | Organisational structures:overview
  • Careers | Career training and development
  • Change Management | Leadership and change
  • Communication | Interpersonal communication
  • Entrepreneurship/Innovation | Fostering innovation within business
  • Entrepreneurship/Innovation | Innovative business
  • Entrepreneurship/Innovation | Product/service innovation
  • Global Business | Types of global business/expansion
  • Human Resource Management | Diversity management
  • Human Resource Management | Employee Motivation
  • Human Resource Management | Recruitment and selection
  • Management Skills | Communication
  • Management Skills | Managing in a team environment
  • Management Skills | Role of leadership
  • Management Styles | Effective styles in management situations
  • Marketing | Product development
  • Marketing | Promotion strategies and their application
From: Edition 7

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JCICS Conference call: Adoptions gone TOXIC (UPDATED)

8 March 2014

ACT received through the grapevine the audio file of the Conference Call of the Ethiopian Caucus of the Joint Council on International Children’s Services held on 6 March 2014.

Presenting themselves as an advocacy group for children, for real the JCICS is nothing less than the voice of the adoption industry.

In view of transparency, we hereby make this audio, as well as the transcript, public:

FULL TRANSCRIPT (updated version 11/03/2014)  HERE

The transcript is in need of improvement, so if anyone can help in putting names, clarifying text, please contact us at info@againstchildtrafficking.org

Here some interesting bits of their business meeting:

“It becomes a toxic situation”

Tom DeFilipo (JCICS): I couldn’t agree with you more and I also think we need to have a holistic approach to this and it needs to be coordinated and kind of strategic. So I know, the Network, someone said this, the they’re doing something, that they’re doing something, that they have been very effective with their advocacy over the last couple of years. So I like to try and engage that a little bit more. Same thing with whoever’s doing a positive network piece. Find out what they are doing. Kind of build a loose coalition, nothing formal, something loose that we all know what we are all doing, so it is not something as a strategic fashion. Because the concern that I have is that if you notice the stuff that is in the press, whether it is here or in Ethiopia, is not coming from the traditional sources that we have seen in the past. The Save the Children and UNICEF are not out there publicly decrying adoption. That is very strategically, purposeful move on their part. They recognized that one of their problems is based on their PR piece and that they were kind of creating an adversarial position, needlessly, into the public.
So, I wouldn’t assume that they are still not advocating for either a complete slow-down or stoppage of international adoption, but they are not doing that publicly. Right?

With that said, if you look at other countries, whether it is Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala, to a certain extent Russia, when the environment turns toxic in the public setting and international adoption becomes criminal, it becomes demonized, it is painted as trafficking, whether it’s judges, people from the Regional MOWAs, the national MOWA’s. My fear is that the same thing is going to happen in Ethiopia as in all the other 4 countries, which is people will not make a move, will be afraid to be painted in the presence, with their colleagues, within the Government, as traffickers. We know you are a trafficker, we just cannot proof it – that kind of an idea. I have seen that in country after country. It becomes a toxic situation, and then no matter what you do, you don’t get any advancement. In Guatemala that’s true all the way up to a point where we set down with delegations of USCIS, Homeland Security, the US Department of State, Members of Congress, advocacy groups going down continually, and you still have a complete fear of processing any adoptions. And that is true for Kyrgyzstan as well as other countries a little. So that’s my concern. That’s my biggest concern actually. And I think that we need to advocate with the Government for sure, but at the same time if we don’t do something in the public forum, to counter the demonization, I think we are going to be seeing almost the complete, as Dan said, the complete stoppage now, and no real future.

“Countering through the media”

Duni Zenaye (Children’s House International): As far as advocating directly with the Government and assisting government, I think we have been doing that for years now. I personally was involved in trying to start to get them to start, to get a centralized authority, and even took them all the way to China and the US to show them a centralized system in other countries. I think they would say, great, we would love for you to be involved. Do this, more often. But then, it is not backed by action and so, I think, whenever we directly approach them, they always said the nicest things but then they go back out there and still demonize adoption. And I really think that we really need to be going more to the public than directly to Government, because they’ll gonna tell us what we like to hear anyway. For instance, the Minister – after she said what she said on media, when she was confronted by the Adoption Network, she denied having said that. And actually accused the reporter of having been paid-off and she was not the one who said that. I mean, imagine that. She said it, and still denied it in front of adoption agencies. Because in that meeting room she tells them they are partners and she does not want to shut them down, that she is supportive. But then she is turning the environment toxic and she is making sure that no children enter an orphanage, or once they enter an orphanage cannot leave an orphanage, and yet to their face says that is not something she is doing. It really is very strategic and I think we need to start being really strategic and as far as the media goes, we ought

Right when this thing came out, we did go directly to adoptive families and they were very interested. They sent us a lot of videos, home videos of what they are doing with their children. Some of them are really well done. And we have started some production of those families, pick up their children or when they meet the birth family and years later we are starting to capture that on video in Ethiopia. But if we could once again, maybe organize it, actually come up with airtime, it is not going to cost too much. Families really want to participate. And really show that adoption is a good option for children and to counter that through media would really be urgent that we all are on the same page and come up with a plan and not so much rely on the Adoption Network. Because they have been doing that for years and it really hasn’t gotten us anywhere.

Tom DiFilipo: Tom DiFilipo: If I could just tag on to that one more time, the concern I would have about promoting or showing videos of kids here in the US is twofold. Well, threefold:
1. It has not worked in other countries.
2. The accusations aren’t, the primary accusation is not the kids aren’t doing well here in the United States. But the WAY they get to the United States, by being bought, stolen, or trafficked. So, by just showing that – not that that is what you are proposing, but an overreliance on kids are doing great, and adoption is a good thing, it really hasn’t worked and I am not sure that’s what would create a less toxic environment. We have to demonstrate that we are doing other work. That we are not there to just grab kids and the way we get kids for the adoption system has a purpose and a really clean process.

Duni Zenaye: The whole thing. I think we should show everything. I think we should show how the way that these kids are coming into the process, showing maybe how a child enters the orphanage, but in Ethiopia, from what I am seeing, and I am there a lot, and from what a lot of people tell me, they do talk about how a child enters, but the general public is more concerned about, OMG, how are these children doing. We heard about, that you know, that media about Hana Williams, you know who was killed here and abused, they seem to think and really focus on these things and think a lot of children are not doing well. And I think we should touch upon that as well and really try to make that whole thing…

“Buying airtime”

Duni Zenaye: Yeah, we were not doing it for a lot of money, we are using staff in Ethiopia. I have been doing it before, when I worked for Adoption America World. We did domestic adoption campaigns. It is not a lot of money. I mean you can really do it for, especially if you’re offputting it. We can maybe put that together and send it to everyone and whoever wants to jump in can and I think as an encouragement we can maybe mention that agency as a sponsor or whatever. And then it is a matter of just buying airtime nationally. I think that is worth the while.

Cheryl?: Are you talking about public service announcements, or are you talking about literally purchasing airtime?

Duni Zenaye: Literally purchasing airtime.

Cheryl?: Oh that’s heavy money.

Duni Zenaye: It is not: you are thinking US heavy money. In Ethiopia purchasing airtime is not the same amount of money as it is here.


text:
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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Insidious Chapters 1 & 2

"Insidious" (2010) and "Insidious: Chapter 2" (2013) directed by James Wan, starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Steve Coulter, Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell are parts 1 & 2 of a supernatural horror movie that is sure to give you thrills and scares.

The Lambert family: dad Josh (Wilson), mom Renai (Byrne) and sons Dalton (Simpkins) and Foster (Astor) are haunted by the spirit world.  We learn from Josh's mom, Lorraine (Hershey) that Josh has been haunted since he was a child by certain spirits that would show up in photos with him.  Josh was hypnotized by ghost investigator Elise Rainier (Shaye) when he was a child so he would forget about those experiences.  Unfortunately, Josh's son Dalton has similar abilities of astral projection which allows his spiritual body to go to "The Further" which is a place in the spirit world where tormented souls never move on.

In "Insidious", Dalton gets lost in the Further and Josh has to go after him, facing all his childhood fears head on.  He rescues him and brings something back with him.

"Insidious Chapter 2" takes place immediately after the events in chapter 1.  Elise's two assistant investigators, Specs and Tuker,  have returned, bringing a bit of comedy amongst all the horrors found within the film.

The Insidious movies are not gory like James Wan's "Saw" movies.  They are scary chillers that return to the style of old fashioned horror movies by building tension, providing eerie atmosphere and jump out of your seat scares.  If you enjoy a good ghost story, check these movies out.

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text:
Aireborough Historical Society

1800 - 2014 Yeadon Town Hall 1800 - 2014

Yeadon Town Hall
Date 1800 - 2014
Location Yeadon
Author Christine Lovedale
Comment Within a hundred years Yeadon was irrevocably changed from a small village in what was then quite and isolated position into a thriving township with it's own civic amenities, first among them being the Town Hall.
Most of the population in 1800 were engaged in the manufacture of cloth, living in small cottages built of local stone, cramped and insanitary by today's standards.
The conditions for the production of woollen cloth were ideal, available raw material from the many sheep reared on the moorlands, plentiful water supplies from the uphill streams which ran into the area and the family members to provide labour when the weaving was done on hand looms.
In this domestic setting each person had a specific task, the men wove, the women spun the wool, carding, fulling, tentering, bleaching would all be undertaken within the family unit.
The finished cloth would be taken to Leeds to be sold in the cloth market.
The rewards for all this labour were small and barely provided enough for families to exist on, the diet was basic, oatmeal in the form of porridge or oatcakes with potatoes and any other vegetables the family had managed to grow.
Meat when afforded was usually bacon which would be boiled over an open fire as ovens were not a fixture, some families were able to keep a few hens or a pig to supplement what was meager food.
Home brewed weak beer was the usual drink, no tea or coffee!

By the 1800s society had begun to change as the Industrial Revolution took families from their cottage industries and gave them work in the mills which were being built throughout the country.
In Yeadon the early mills were Dixon Mill on the Steep and Ivegate (Circa 1782), the Old Dog Mill built by Joseph Cawthray in 1793, Union Mill erected by Baldwin Brown & Co 1840 also called High Mill or Waterside as it was near Yeadon Dam.
Other mills followed and became, with their owners, familiar names in the story of Yeadon's progress.

During the 19th Century the population of Yeadon grew, men dispossessed from the land due to Enclosures or advances in farming technology came to the mill towns in search of work.
Common lodging houses such as Poll Marsdens on the High Street provided beds for itinerant workmen, the Oddfellows Inn also gave accommodation to those seeking employment.
As the township grew so did the responsibilities of the Local Board (forerunner of the Town Council) , by the mid 1800s they were dealing with the provision of gas from the Yeadon and Guiseley Gas Co (1844) and a piped water supply from the Yeadon Waterworks Co.
This was in addition to being responsible for sewerage, street lighting, planning, education, a Medical Officer, law enforcement and amenities etc.
Another important duty was the collection of monies from ratepayers.
The increasing workload for the Board involved the formation of sub-committees to deal with different aspects of provision for the town, in fact they were undertaking most of the civic involvement which modern councils have.
From 1807 the Local Board held their meetings in the old school, sited on what in time would become the Town Hall Square.
The old school had been extended in 1816 by adding another storey to provide more room for the administrative body but it remained inadequate.
This desire for more space for the Local Board to operate in gave impetus to the idea of building a Town Hall although the initiative came from a different group.
The other demand came from the working people of the town and it would be supported by the great and the good of Yeadon.
The Mechanics Institute in Yeadon had been formed in 1832, this was part of a general desire for self-improvement by the working classes, many of whom had been denied any form of education or at best only being given the basic rudiments in a Church School where the emphasis was on religion or at a Dame school.
A penny or so would be paid to a female "teacher" or Dame many of whom were barely literate themselves.
There were of course private schools for the more affluent members of society.
Gradually this began to change with the passing of the various Education Acts, one of the most significant being the 1870 Forster Elementary Education Act which required board schools to be provided and young children to attend them.
William Forster was a Bradford MP, for a time he lived at Lane Head in Rawdon.
The subsequent Education Acts which followed laid the foundation of the Education system which operates today.
The Yeadon Mechanics Institute also initially used the old school which was built by public subscription in 1806 primarily as a Sunday School.
The Institute initially taught reading, writing and arithmetic to adult males but went on to give lectures, hold discussion groups and added other subjects to the curriculum, by the 1870s the Government was supporting classes which were extended to women and juveniles.
The Government had concluded that to compete in world markets and cope with advancing technology a literate, well educated work force was needed.
The rapidly expanding membership of the Institute necessitated a move in 1864 to the Lecture Hall on the High Street which had been built for the congregation of the New Methodist Reform Church.
This body too had outgrown it's home and built Queen Street Chapel for it's burgeoning following.
1877 was to be a notable year.
The Mechanics Institute or Yeadon Mutual Improvement Society as it was often called decided that new permanent premises were needed.
To widen the issue a Town Meeting was held where it was proposed that a new building be erected which would serve the whole town and provide a home for any groups or associations who wished to participate.
So, the idea of building a Town Hall had been put forward, supported by the Mechanics Institute and the Local Board.
In little over two years the idea would become reality, a staggering achievement when viewed from our perspective.

To represent the interests of all parties a Board of Trustees was formed, Colonel W H Crompton Stansfield of Esholt Hall, Lord of the Manor of Yeadon becoming President.
The Board consisted of 8 members of the Mechanics Institute and 8 members of the Local Board.
Important decisions had to be made : a site chosen, finance raised and an architect appointed.
A central site was decided upon including a plot of land which was purchased from William Starkey before he died in 1879.
The site was not open to the High Street, for many years the Town Hall was hidden behind a jumble of old buildings including the old school.
A prize was offered to architects for the best design, 31 entries were submitted, the winning design was by William Hill with an estimated building cost of £5,000!
Hill was born in Halifax, he had offices in Leeds and lived at "The Heath", Adel, a house he designed himself.
Other buildings of his design were Bolton Town Hall, the Public Dispensary and the Chest Clinic Leeds, Portsmouth Guildhall and many other chapels and churches, many of Neo-classical design but Yeadon Town Hall was to be a Gothic style edifice.
The money was to be raised by public subscription, Colonel Crompton Stansfield gave a large, generous donation of £500, followed by £50 from J M Barwick of Low Hall, he practised as a solicitor in Leeds and acted as solicitor for the Trustees, also he was the Vice Chairman of the Trustees.
In addition he pledged to pay for one of the stained glass windows which would be installed in the Town Hall.
Another magnanimous donation of £100 came from Alfred Brayshaw of Ivegate, he was in partnership with brothers Thomas Brown and Joseph Knapton Brown at Kirk Lane Mills.
He also volunteered to sponser another of the stained glass windows.
Thomas Brown himself put £100 into the pot, he lived at Mount Cross, Bramley, Leeds but was a great benefactor to Yeadon.
His widow paid £500 for the Yeadon Fountain and trees on Victoria Avenue to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, this was on instructions left in Thomas's will.
Their daughter Mrs Beverley left money to the Trustees of the Town Hall which would ultimately pay the outstanding debt on the building.
Jonathan Peate of Nunroyd gave £100, he was another of the local benefactors who was always ready to support good works.
J H Pratt of Green Lane Dyeworks put in £100, the old mill was destroyed by fire in April 1906.
Other familiar names supported the cause : Thomas Denison of Bancroft House £50, William Murgatroyd (then living at Hawthorn Crescent before Moorfield House was built adjacent to Moorfield Mill) £50.
Alfred Slater, son of E B Slater and cousin of E E Slater £50, James Ives of Manor Mill £50 and Thomas Denison of Bancroft House £50.
William Coupland of Bolton House gave £50 as did William Starkey who notoriously wanted to build a perpetual motion engine (Died 1879) and Stephen Teal of Grange House which was built in 1868, around 1962 it was used as offices for Aireborough Sanitary Inspector but is now demolished.
Ernest Ethelbert Slater of Hopeville contributed £30, his father local historian Philomen Slater was one of the founders of the Mechanics Institute and had left £10 for the building, having died in 1878.
Joseph Knapton Brown gave £25, Joseph Peel of Wellfield £25, N B Wormald of Town Street £25.
There were many smaller amounts to defray the sum needed, £10 was donated by each of the following : Constantine Waterhouse, David Haigh of Ivegate, William Laycock, Miss J Barwick of Symcroft which was the Dower house for Low Hall, BenBirch of Swincar House, Thomas Bolton of Springwell House, W P Brayshaw of Roydfield and John Denison of Highfield, he was in partnership with the Waterworths at Crompton Mill on Cemetery Road.
Once the site, architect and finance were in place work could begin ; the Foundation Stone was laid with great ceremony on May 10th 1879.

This was in an age before Television, radio and all the communication and technological devices with which we now all divert ourselves, the social lives of most of the people in Yeadon revolved round Chapel or Church. Any public event or entertainment would be relished by the public who would come out in droves to watch. There was also pride in the civic achievements of the town and a sense of community which still exists. So the crowds gathered to witness Colonel Crompton Stansfield lay the foundation stone for the Town Hall, various items were placed beneath the stone :-
enclosed in a bottle were several coins, 1/-, 6d, 1d, 1/2d several newspapers including The Yeadon & Guiseley Guardian, The Times, Leeds Mercury, Yorkshire Post, Bradford Observer and the Leeds Daily News. There were also plans of the building, a subscription list, copy of the rules of the Board of Trustees, and the last annual report of the Yeadon Mechanics Institute.
A procession led by Yeadon Brass Band made it's way from the Lecture Hall to the White Swan Cricket Pitch for a Grand Gala. Also in the procession were the Local Board, School Board, Poor Law Guardians, Overseers of the Township, the Vicar of Yeadon and other Ministers of Religion. Representing the Town Hall Trustees in the parade were J M Barwick, Mr B Birch, Mr S Bolton, Mr A Brayshaw, Mr W Coupland, Mr J Peate, Mr J H Pratt.In the contingent from the Mechanics Institute were Mr John Denison, Mr Levy Haigh, Mr Joseph Harrison, William Laycock, Mr A Marshall, Joseph Peel and Ernest Ethelbert Slater. One can imagine them all behatted, bewhiskered, in best suits with stiff wing collars, their polished boots clattering on the road making their way to the Gala, perhaps allowing themselves a few self-congratulatory pats on the back!
No time was lost by local builder Richard Hogg,in just over a year the Town Hall was built! A substantial structure in Gothic style with a central clock tower and 4 smaller spires, to the exterior sides of the first floor windows are medallions depicting science , art, music and industry. Powell Brothers of Leeds created 2 stained glass windows designed to represent the woollen heritage of the town which include local heraldry symbols. The windows were paid for by J M Barwick and Alfred Brayshaw. A mosaic on the floor of the entrance is said to be a representation of Philomen Slater. The whole building has extravagant details outside and within, aesthetically more appealing than many Town Halls which were erected in other towns.
On the 26th June 1880 the Town Hall was given it's official grand opening by Leeds banker W Beckett Denison, another 14 speakers came after him, tea was provided in the schoolroom which must have been more than welcome after such a prolonged ceremony. This was followed by another Grand Gala at 6pm. A caretaker , Mr Alfred Hill had been appointed, his salary was £1 per week, by 1925 a Mr Clayton was caretaker, he was paid £4 per week. The Town Hall was initially not clearly seen from the High Street, old buildings obscured the view. The Old School was pulled down shortly after the Town Hall opened, it would be many years before the rest were demolished, the Town Hall square was created in 1925 when the remaining buildings - Poll Marsden's Lodging House, Holgates shop - were pulled down, giving a clear view from the High Street for the first time.
The donations given by the townspeople were not enough to pay for all the building costs, in 1883 £3,000 was owing, the debt grew to £15,000 by 1894. The Mechanics Institute moved their evening classes to the new Yeadon and Guiseley Secondary School (Aireborough Grammar) in 1910. The Trustees were still in control of the Town Hall but gave the Local Board rent free rooms, to raise money the Main Hall was opened as a cinema in 1912, an amenity which continued until 1925. The debt stood at £4,800 in 1918, an appeal was launched to help clear the debt and pay for a War Memorial, the response brought in £4,400, £3,000 was used to reduce the debt and the remainder to provide the memorial and carry out necessary remedial work on the fabric of the building.
1925 was to be a turning point both in financial and aesthetic matters. The remaining buildings in front of the Town Hall were demolished and a bequest from Thomas Brown, paid by his daughter Mrs Beverly, cleared the outstanding debt. It would be a further 10 years before the building was handed to Yeadon Urban District Council in 1935. When Aireborough Urban District Council was formed in 1937, there was much debate about which of the 3 towns should host the new Council administrative headquarters, both Yeadon and Guiseley claiming they had Town Halls to provide suitable accommodation. Micklefield House, which Rawdon Council had purchased in 1935, was chosen but many services were still provided in Yeadon Town Hall. Down the years it has served to house a clinic, library, schoolrooms, shows, clubs, dances, concerts and became a well loved and used amenity.
More change came in 1974 when Aireborough became part of the Leeds Metropolitan District, local people celebrated the Centenary of the Town Hall in 1980 with a week of festivities beginning on the 7th of June with the re-opening of the Town Hall by Barney Colehan. Although living in Guiseley he was born in Yeadon, a tall handsome man with a distinctive moustache, his modest manner belied his fame as a television producer. Many popular programmes he produced include The Good Old Days, It's A Knockout and Jeux San Frontiere. Each evening saw a different production in the Town Hall by local groups.

After the celebrations the decade brought great anxiety about the future of the building when it was threatened with closure by Leeds City Council. A huge response from Yeadon people convinced the Council that the Town Hall had a viable future and necessary repairs and renovations were carried out. The Town Hall Users Committee co-ordinates the various groups and societies who continue to use this iconic Yeadon landmark, sell out musical shows, plays, concerts, charity functions and a nursery can all be found here. Room 27 provides a permanent home for the archives of the Aireborough Historical Society which is open to the public on Monday afternoons 1.30pm to 3.30 pm.
We who live in the area owe much to the fore-sight, perseverance and generosity of those Yeadon townsfolk who left us this magnificent heritage, the same community spirit still lives in Yeadon to the envy of many other areas For example, the old peoples annual excursion financed by Yeadon Charities, the main fundraising event being the annual pantomime held in the Town Hall. So, long may the Town Hall clock chime out the hours and long may the Town Hall lend dignity and substance to Yeadon.
The End

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Installing Running Lights on a /6

I originally wrote this piece some seven years ago in 1995. Finding that the last of my modified bulbs burned out one filament the other day, I had to make some more up, which gave me an opportunity to revisit the article and to make it more useable.

Note that most if not all states require that any taillight or running light on the rear of a vehicle be RED as per D.O.T. guidelines unless it is used to illuminate the license plate.

The idea is to increase visibility of a motorcycle by the addition of two permanently illuminated rear running lights. Added to the central red light this gives three rear facing lights, allowing car drivers to triangulate on three light sources rather than one, enhancing their depth perception and improving the biker's safety

I had fitted Full Scale Designs' running light kit to the front and rear of my K100LT. A nice installation on a not so nice motorcycle, now sold and unlamented. The installation described here is not as elegant as FSD's but is equally effective. It has the merit of being much cheaper. You can also buy a ready made kit from

This remainder of this article is only available for Airheads Beemer Club members. Please Log In..or..Click Here to join the Airheads Beemer Club, after which you will enjoy access this article and all members only content of the ABC web site.


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Borse di studio

Premio Aitla

Dear AILA-Europe members,
As announced in September 2016, the AILA-Europe Junior Researchers Meeting (JRM) will take place in Vienna, September 6-8, 2017. Any delegates who would like to present a paper at the conference can do so within the special AILA-Europe strand on the afternoon of the same day.
The 9th Junior Researcher Meeting will focus on Language(s) in Society. It would be ideal if your representative's paper could address the conference theme, as the aim of the JRM is to foster the exchange of expertise from more experienced researchers to the next generation of researchers with a focus on a particular area of investigation.
The AILA-Europe Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 7, 2017, from 14:00 – 15:30. Attached please find the agenda for the meeting and the AILA-Europe report.
Please send me and the local organiser ( Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per ) the names and email addresses of your affiliate's representative. Please also make sure that the delegates register for the conference in order to support our host VERBAL.
Looking forward to seeing you in Vienna,


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2818 BARNHILL ROAD $799,800

    2818 BARNHILL ROAD Jefferson City, MO 65109

    • 5 Beds
    • 4 Baths
    • 4,510 sq.ft.
    • Single-Family
    MLS# 10054079 | Active

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    Property Details

    Perfect Location, Craftsmanship, Design. Almost 2 Acres w/220 ft. Lake frontage (dock inc.). Hdwd Floors thru-out Main Level. Wall of Windows up & dn. 3 FP's. Burch Kit. Cabinetry. Open Style Kit w/solid surface Countertops and Island. Wine cooler. Master Bedroom w/huge Walk-in Tiled Shower and Large Walk-in closet. 24x33 Family Rm dn w/Wet Bar area w/Quartz Countertops & Tile Backsplash. Plenty space for Pool table & Games.Large Deck & Patio 5 BR,4 BA, 3 FPs, Central Vac, Bookcases, 2 Furnaces, 2 C/A, 3 Car Att Garage w/extra storage, Full Workshop dn 14x15 + lots of Storage w/built-in Wood Shelves. Bookcase in Office does not stay. 9 ft. Ceilings on Mn Level & 10 ft. Ceilings dn. (1/4 interest in common area goes w/ property). Maintenance is shared equally. Stairway Mirror doesn't stay.

    • General Features
      • Approx Acres 1.96
      • Appliances Central Vacuum, Dishwasher, Disposal, Microwave, Propane Tank - Owned, Refrigerator, Stove, Water Softener - Owned
      • County Cole
    • Building Features
      • Basement Access Walk Out
      • Basement Details Full
      • Cooling Central
      • Exterior Brick
      • Fireplace Yes
      • Heating FAPG
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      • Style Ranch
      • Misc Features Formal Dining Room, Master Bath, Split Bedroom Plan, Walk-In Closet(s), Wood Floors
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      • High School Jefferson City High School
      • Subdivision Barnhill
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    Alan Wheat ABR,GRI,MGRI

    RE/MAX Jefferson City

    Direct: 573-761-3444

    65109 (Jefferson City) Demographics

    38Median Age
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    $55,908 Estimated Median Income
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Travel: Everything You Must Do in Copenhagen

As far as holiday destinations go, we haven’t seen much more popular than Copenhagen in recent years. The capital of Denmark has seen a huge rise in tourism recently, thanks to many Brits and Europeans jumping on the ‘hygge’ bandwagon and being fascinated by the effortless Danish style. It’s also a relatively easy to get to the place, with flight times from London coming in at barely over two hours. But there are so many more reasons to visit Copenhagen other than just its love for all things cosy and the fact that it is accessible. This vibrant city is brimming with culture and arts, so much so that you’d probably need a couple of weeks to do it all justice! If you don’t have all that time, however, here are a handful of Copenhagen must do’s so you can make the most of whatever time you have there.

Tivoli Gardens

One of the first things you will see when you arrive in Copenhagen is Tivoli Gardens. Why? Well, mainly because it’s right outside the main train station – you literally can’t miss it. This makes it a hugely convenient place attraction, especially if you are staying in a central copenhagen hotel as well. Tivoli Gardens were founded in 1843, and they are also home to a traditional theme park, where punters can enjoy a mix of new and old rides (including a wooden roller coaster from 1914!). The gardens also host numerous events, including open-air concerts every Friday during summer and musicals and plays in the concert hall. Spend some time simply walking around admiring the beautiful displays of flora and fauna, and pick up a traditional Danish smørrebrød to eat on the lawn.

Freetown Christiania

If you fancy seeing a completely different way of life while you are in Denmark, then you absolutely have to make a point of heading to Freetown Christiania. It is a commune that operates completely independently of the local government – a city within a city if you will. Christiania was founded by a group of hippies in the 1970’s, and it is now a hotbed for arts, culture, and food and drinks. Anyone can visit Christiania, but you are advised by the government and the locals alike not to take photographs or film in there, as it can easily make the locals uneasy. Do pick up some souvenirs while you are there, though – there are plenty of handmade garments and jewelry all for your perusal as you walk through the town.

The Little Mermaid

Think of famous people who come from Denmark, and your mind probably immediately turns to the author Hans Christian Anderson. His most famous work, The Little Mermaid, has been immortalized forever on the Copenhagen harbor, in the form of a bronze statue. The statue was created by Edvard Eriksen and was presented to the city as gift from brewer Carl Jacobson. Today, she is over 100 years old, and still proves to be one of the most popular attractions the city has to offer.


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Top 10 Contractors in Shamrock, Texas

There are 1 Contractors in Shamrock, TX. Below is a list of the 10 most popular Contractors on All contractors & builders. Are you looking for a Contractor specialized in a specific contractor job? Refine your search by selecting a contractor job.

All 1 Contractors in Shamrock, Texas

All contractors & builders is one of the worlds largest Contractor directories listing a total of 1 Contractors in Shamrock, Texas.

Each Shamrock Contractor profile covers office location, office hours, contact details, area of practice, education, client recommendations, Contractor biography and more.

Our goal is to make your search for the right contractors and builders in Shamrock, Texas quick and easy.

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I finally found a good OCR program, so I think it's time to start sharing these gems of entries from the old Marvel and DC Comics character handbooks. First up, the strange looking M.O.D.A.M.

If M.O.D.O.K. was a good idea, then why not have MODAM was probably the consensus around the Marvel Comics offices when this character was created.

Height: 12'
Weight: 2750 lbs. (without life-support harness)
Eyes: White
Hair: Brown
Other distinguishing features: Modam's head is grotesquely enlarged, requiring artificial support.

Full name: Mobile Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers
Real name: Unrevealed
Other current aliases: Maria Pym
Former aliases: Sodam
Dual identity: None
Current occupation: Weapon
Former occupation: Unrevealed
Citizenship: Unrevealed
Legal status: Unrevealed
Place of birth: Unrevealed
Marital status: Unrevealed
Known relatives: None
Known confidants: None
Known allies: Advanced Idea Mechanics
Major enemies: Hawkeye. Dr. Pym, Quasar
Usual base of operations: Mobile
Former bases of operations: An unspecified laboratory of the subversive organization AIM
Current group membership: Servant of AIM
Former group membership: Unrevealed
Extent of education: Unrevealed

Intelligence: Genius
Strength: (without artificial aids) Below normal, (with artificial aids) Enhanced human
Speed: (without artificial aids) Below normal, (with artificial aids) Enhanced human
Flight speed: Equivalent to natural winged flight limit
Stamina: (without artificial aids) Below normal, (with artificial aids) Enhanced human
Durability: (without artificial aids) Below normal, (with artificial aids) Superhuman Agility: (without artificial aids) Below normal, (with artificial aids) Enhanced human
Reflexes: Normal
Fighting skills: Minimal capacity for hand to hand combat
Special skills and abilities: Unrevealed
Superhuman physical powers: None
Superhuman mental powers:
Super -human intellect; ability to project psionic force for a number of effects, including concussive energy, generation of heat, and protective fields; limited telepathy and imposition of will.
Special limitations: Modam's muscuÃ¯Â¿Â½lature is atrophied, while her head has been freakishly enlarged. Thus she is physically dependent on the exoskeleton provided by her hover-chair for physical support and movement. If any of the chair's systems malfunction or are disabled she would be extremely vulnerable.
Source of superhuman powers: Artificial acceleration of brain tissue growth by means of mutagenic chemicals and radiation, plus cybernetic implants.

Costume specifications: Modam is permanently encased within an exo-skeletal shell of life-supporting machinery which augments her musculature, provides mobility, and performs various bodily functions. Sensors equipped throughout the exoskeleton monitor both her body's functions and the system's mechanical functions and transmit this data telemetrically to AIM headquarters. Thus they monitor both her blood sugar level and her rocket fuel level.
Personal weaponry: Modam's headband contains equipment which aids her in the focusing of her psionic powers.
Special weaponry:
Modam is equipped with two telescoping tentacle-like arms within which her own arms fit. Each terminates in a pronged "hand". Maximum elongation of arms is 15 feet.
Other accessories:
Modam's "hover-chair" contains anti-gravity generators enabling it to hover and chemically fueled rocket boosters to propel it. Its maximum speed is approximately 230 mph, maximum lift approximately 1000 lbs., its flight ceiling is approximately 19.000 feet and the fuel pods carry sufficient fuel for approximately 2 hours of conservative use. Modam also employs various AIM transport carriers.
Design and manufacture of paraphernalia: Advanced Idea Mechanics

First appearance: (as "Maria Pym") WEST COAST AVENGERS #36, (as Sodam) SOLO AVENGERS #16, (as Modam) QUASAR #9
Origin issue: Modam's origin is as yet unrevealed.
Significant issues: WEST COAST AVENGERS #36 (claimed to be Henry Pym's deceased wife Maria): SOLO AVENGERS #16 (mutated further, opposed Hawkeye and Dr. Pym); QUASAR #9 (given first assignment as Modam–acquiring Quasar's quantum-bands)

The Hero Initiative is starting a fund raiser for retired comic creators. More than 80 artists were asked to participate by drawing a custom sketch on the blank cover of a specially produced Ultimate Spider-Man #100, with 100 total custom covers created. Proceeds from the auctions will benefit the Hero Initiative’s efforts to"provide a financial safety net for yesterdays creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life and an avenue back into paying work."

Comic Book Resources has a great gallery of all 100 covers on their site. Almost every single one is good (but I can’t quite figure out why Ed McGuiness drew Wolverine and Hulk). A few of my personal favorites are:

Al MilgromFred Hembeck Frank Quitely

Joe Quesada Matt Wagner Rick Leonardi

But the absolute best one has got to be the John Romita cover.

John Romita

He was the artist on Amazing Spider-Man from 1966-1970 and his art was the basis for the 1966 Spider-Man cartoon. His son John Romita, Jr. was the artist on Amazing Spider-Man from 1980-1984 and again from 2000-2004.


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April 18, 2016: Students, Faculty and Board Member Recognized

The Alleghany County School Board held its regular monthly meeting at Sharon Elementary School on Monday, April 18, 2016.  During the meeting, the School Board recognized students, faculty, and a Board member for their accomplishments and contributions to the school system.

The VSBA Art winners were
recognized by the School Board. Pictured l-r in the front row are Cristi Miller, teacher; Brenden Sneckner, SES; Timmy Thomas, CES; Ann Fu, CMS; Brent Barr, AHS; and Courtney Horner, teacher. Pictured l-r in the second row are Susan Whitter-Clouch, teacher; Kaarn Thomas, Teacher.

 SOL Three Sharon students were commended for scoring 600 on SOL tests. Pictured l-r are Coy Brown, Ethan Nicely, Kellen Lowman, and Craig Lane, School Board member.
 AHS AHS students were commended for their accomplishments.   Pictured l-r are Chris McHenry-swimming; Raekwon Kinnard-wrestling; Mathew McCarty-indoor track; Autumn Morgan-Forensics; Heather Mayes-softball; Brook Brackenridge-softball; Billy Angle, School Board member, Thomas Dobbs-Softball District Coach of the Year.
 ACBD The School Board recognized the Sharon recipients of the ABCD Award.  Pictured l-r are Craig Lane, School Board member, Liza Carrol, and Connie Puckett.
 Angle School Board member Billy Angle accepts a card from Sharon Elementary School students on his final meeting at SES as a School Board member.


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myWeb-Blog Designs

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Back To Work!

I reported to work earlier just to find out that today's my rest day. Nice work, Rowell... That's my Team Leader's name. I sent him a message on his phone the other night asking what will be my schedule. He didn't reply to that. So I went to the office and checked it myself.

I chatted with friends as I waited for Rowell. I realized that the ambiance of the office is really stressful. You will be hearing keyboards being tapped or pushed, clicks of the computer mouse, voices calling out and cusses of co-workers after pressing the mute button of the Avaya phone. It feels like I'm in a market place when I was there. It made me ask myself if I made the right decision of going back here in Manila. But then, I actually already made my choice and I have to stick to it. There's no turning back anymore. All I have to do is focus and do my best in my chosen profession.

Rowell received a little spanking from me when he arrived. By the way, my boss treat us like his circle of friends so the spanking get in the way,hehehe. His invalid reason was that he never got any messages from me. That's just another one of his alibis. And of course I still don't hate him. We chatted for a while with my team mates and then later on went to the top floor to take part to the 3rd Quarterly Recognition of our Account.

Top agents, team leads and managers were given awards and rewards. It was good to know that we have in our team the person who got the award as the top agent. I haven't met her yet but they said she's really good and that she deserved the award. There was an acoustic band that entertained us and the food is okey.

I went home right after the party ended. It's good that my evening turn out bad. Rowell asked me if I want to stay and barge calls with one of my team mates. I said I can't because my back hurts and that I haven't had enough sleep. When in fact, I was just thinking about blogging,hehehe. Besides, I won't get any pay if I stayed.

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Groups Sue EPA over Failure to Regulate Stinking Pollution

Sunday, February 01, 2015
Cattle in concentrated animal feeding operation (photo: EPA)

Love the aroma of beef cooking on the grill? How about the rank odor of a feedlot? The problem is, to get the first you must take the second, and some groups believe the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) isn’t doing enough to stop the stench that’s a byproduct of factory farms.

Eight organizations filed suit last week against the EPA for failing to control emissions from large feeding operations that do not permit animals to graze. These are known as “concentrated animal feeding operations” (CAFOs), of which there are at least 18,000 in the United States. There are two suits, one (pdf) dealing with ammonia pollution, the other (pdf) with methane and other air pollutants.

“EPA has really gone awry by looking the other way regarding pollution from this industry,” said Tarah Heinzen, a lawyer with the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP). “It shouldn’t have to fall to citizens to petition EPA to do its job.”

Petitions were sent to the EPA in 2009 and 2011 asking the agency to regulate the emissions from CAFOs. The lawsuits were filed because of the EPA’s lack of response to the petitions.

According to EIP, U.S. factory farms produce more than 500 million tons of manure every year, more than three times the waste humans produce. Many factory farms store the feces and urine in huge pits that release odors and air pollution and sometimes spill, contaminating rivers.

“When the emissions are at their worst, we have had to leave our home for days at a time,” Rosie Partridge, a resident of Sac County, Iowa, whose home is surrounded by more than 30,000 hogs within four miles, told EIP. “The ammonia and hydrogen sulfide are so strong that my husband has trouble breathing.”

Cattle are the biggest air polluters in agriculture, producing five times more greenhouse gases than pigs or chickens, according to Katie Valentine of ClimateProgress. One solution may be to go veggie: meat-eaters are responsible for about 50% more food-related greenhouse gas emissions than vegetarians and about 100% more than vegans.

-Steve Straehley

To Learn More:

Groups Sue EPA Over Failure To Regulate Emissions From Factory Farms (by Katie Valentine, ClimateProgress)

Coalition Sues EPA for Failing To Address Factory Farm Air Pollution (Environmental Integrity Project)

Environmental Integrity Project,, vs Environmental Protection Agency and Regina McCarthy, Administrator (pdf)

Humane Society of the United States,, vs. Regina McCarthy, Administrator, and Environmental Protection Agency (pdf)

Beef Production Far Worse for the Environment than other Animal Products (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Objection to USDA Plan Allowing Poultry Producer Self-Inspection Spreads to Congress (by Danny Biederman and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

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Allied Team Members Discuss Addressing Each Patient’s Needs on KFI Radio

Posted on 10/07/14 by Allied Anesthesia

Recent news about Joan Rivers’s death during a routine endoscopy has caused concern among the public. The 81-year-old comedienne passed away a week after going into cardiac arrest during an endoscopic procedure, in which a tiny camera is passed into the esophagus, stomach and intestines to diagnose and treat conditions of the gastrointestinal system.

Although the cause of her death has not yet been determined, the media has focused on anesthesia and her age as a possibility for complications. In a recent interview with KFI radio, Allied Anesthesia physician Dr. Paul Yost, president of the California Society of Anesthesiologists, explained that the risk factors of anesthesia are more complex than just age. He confirmed that a patient’s age is not the sole factor when considering risk, but in fact, other medical conditions and overall health are more significant considerations.

Anesthesiologists take careful measures when preparing patients for procedures. It is critical to address the individual needs of every patient. If an older patient is in good health, his needs will differ greatly from those of a younger patient with serious medical conditions. A physician anesthesiologist should always be the one to administer anesthesia, and be present during any procedure in case of emergency.

Dr. Greg Perkins, chairman of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange and member of Allied Anesthesia, and Dr. Yost agree that the best thing a patient can do, regardless of age or health, is follow the doctor’s instructions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the risks, fasting prior to the procedure or medications that are safe to take. Actively working with your physician and following directions throughout any procedure helps ensure a speedy recovery.

Dr. Yost’s interview with KFI can be heard in its entirety at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJOw24opMY

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A Simple Aid To Personal Prayer

a simple aid to personal prayer using the thumb and fingers of a hand. This is a way of remembering what to pray, and who to pray for:

1.       Thumb – say thank you (thumbs up!) for good things and blessings

2.       1st finger – the ‘pointing’ finger – point to yourself (not others) and say sorry for wrong things you’ve done

3.       Middle finger – the longest/tallest finger – pray about ‘big issues’ and/ or for the Leaders who have responsibility for solving them

4.       3rd finger – the ‘ring’ finger – pray for those you love, family and friends

5.       Little finger –the weakest finger – pray for those who are weakest: the sick and the suffering – and a little prayer for yourself at the end


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Call Us:  386-668-8880

Altman-Long Funeral Home and Crematory

                                                                                Family Owned & Operated

Carl Wilson Glass, Jr., 81 of Osteen, Florida passed away on Monday, May 21, 2018.  He was born on January 19, 1937 in Gary, Indiana to Carl Wilson Glass, Sr. and Alma Grace McQueary.  He loved sports.  He enjoyed golfing, softball and was a basketball coach. He was very competitive and was an excellent dancer. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Joyce Ann Glass and Carolyn Sue Glass, brothers James Edward Glass, Donald Ray Glass, Richard Dale Glass and Larry Dean Glass.  He is survived by his wife Barbara, daughters Angela Faye Martin and Amy Lorraine Powell, son Jay David Glass, step-daughter Rebecca Danvers Yuan, 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.  He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

A Gathering of Family and Friends will be held on Friday, May 25, 2018 at 10:30am with a Graveside Funeral Service at 11am at Hollywood Cemetery 1031 S. Carpenter Avenue Orange City, Florida 32763.

Rev. William K. Dunlap will be officiating.


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Call Us:  386-668-8880

Altman-Long Funeral Home and Crematory

                                                                                Family Owned & Operated

Judith Anne Russell, 78 of DeBary, Florida passed away on Friday, January 26, 2018.  She was born on June 23, 1939 in East Grand Rapids, Michigan to Arthur Washburn Murray and Judith (Helen Mary) Corrick.  She worked in Finance as an Accountant. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Condolences can be sent to Altman-Long Funeral Home.


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Call Us:  386-668-8880

Altman-Long Funeral Home and Crematory

                                                                                Family Owned & Operated

 Larry Allen Bricker

Larry A. Bricker, 70 of Deltona, Florida went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 following a brief illness. He was born in Dennison, Ohio to Maxine C. Ruffini and William T. Bricker.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Susanna (Soehnlen) Bricker and his daughter Shawna. He is also survived by his sister Marla Gambs of New Philadelphia, Ohio as well as nieces Shanan Steed and Autum Steinbach.  After moving to Florida in 1985, he was employed and retired from Florida Hospital in January of 2011.

As per his wishes, he will be buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Dennison, Ohio.  Calling hours for friends and family will be held on Friday, November 30, 2018 from 5-7pm at Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home New Philadelphia, Ohio.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 10:30am at Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home with interment following at St. Mary's Cemetery in Dennison, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests Memorial Donations be made to St. Vincent De Paul Society c/o Our Lady of the Lakes Church 1310 Maximilian Street Deltona, Florida 32738.


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AMELIE DUCHOW ------ + ------ biography ------ + ------ works ------ + ------ audio ------ + ------ projects ------ + ------ media ------ + ------ input ------ + ------ archive ------ + ------ contact ------ +
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title :  GIMP
format : CD
cat n° : sync | sc-007
edition : 100 copies limited edition
Gary Needham is senior lecturer in film and television studies at Nottingham Trent University. He has broad interests in film, television, art, visual culture, and fashion and has researched and published in those areas. He is currently working on a book on Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick and another on Warhol’s work in video between 1965 and 1975. He has previously authored and/or (co)edited the following books: Warhol in Ten Takes (2013), Brokeback Mountain (2010), Queer TV (2009), and Asian Cinemas (2006). Gary is also associated editor of the journal Film, Fashion, and Consumption.
GIMP I have been interested in the figure of ‘the gimp’ for a number of years particularly the way it circulates in different contexts from popular culture, art, fashion, SM, and I wrote about this in an article in 2014 in the journal Fashion Theory. ‘The gimp’ is a derogatory term for a figure that is first mentioned in the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction (1994), one that previously had no name. The gimp is a figure often clothed or ‘encased’ in leather or rubber with an emphasis on head covering and masking. It is the gimp mask that holds the most fascination in its play of secrecy and disclosure (who is behind the mask?), to provoke and horrify, and to play upon imagined fears of dehumanization, of not having access to the person behind the mask. The refusal of connection, identification, the faces, feelings that the mask engenders in audiences, has been the basis of exploration in performance, photography, sound, and installation especially ‘bringing out the gimp’ in live performance spaces -  when the gimp otherwise remains on the page, on the screen, and in the mind. Those ideas were tested at the IFFTI/Polimoda conference in 2015 in which ‘the gimp’ was first conceived of as a performance in the context of fashion (with Yvonne Trew and Laura Allen) rather than more conventionally written as a theory, an idea, and an argument. The most recent iteration at Nottingham Contemporary in 2016 was a further development of the project in collaboration with the artist Amelie Duchow in which I recorded a vocal of spoken extracts and key words from the original written article for which Amelie developed a new work and object simply called 'Gimp'. Amelie's 'Gimp' conceived an electronic sound-scape as a type of sonic counterpoint to ‘the idea’ that the gimp generates as a figure of risk, transgression, fear, and misunderstanding. The question of what kind of music both embodies the gimp and works alongside it, does the music produce similar feelings that the gimp itself generates when it is an image or presence, what is the difference between seeing and hearing this ‘idea’ of the gimp, can we explore an argument and a theory through audio-visual performance itself? Like the gimp, I am interested in exploring the limits and boundaries of those images and sounds that trouble the very core of our identity and what it means to be human or not human.  Gary Needham
Etymologically the expression gimp is attested since 1660 from Dutch gimp or french guimpe, a kind of trimming. A gimp suit is a garment designed to cover the body completly used in BDSM to objectify the wearer.   The audio composition “Gimp” by Amelie Duchow is inspired by the text “Bringing out the gimp”, Fashion Theory 18:2 by Gary Needham, exclusivly released in collaboration with Yvonne Trew and Gary Needham for the Fashion Continuum event in Nottingham on 22/04/2016 , UK . Gimp is released in a 100 copies special limited edition CD format, cover in 4 mm black rubber hold with 2 black elastics. Gimp CD contains a 12 minutes single track with the voice of Gary Needham.
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