Revisit Your Mission: Strengthen Corporate Culture and Better Serve Your Employees and Clients

"Change is the only constant. Hanging on is the only sin." - Denise McCluggage

Change is something that we naturally resist and yet is a very important part of any organization. Your business has been and always will be changing. Any company in high tech over the last couple decades has experienced many cycles and shifts in the market - from the Dot Com to the Dot Bomb to the 2007 Recession. You've probably seen the highest highs and the lowest lows. As your company has thrived or survived, there has ideally been a deepening of purpose. Your organization has doubtlessly made efforts to embrace and reflect this change, reviewing your mission statement should be one of your first priorities.

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Corporate culture is incredibly important; it builds your brand and infuses your employees with the company goals. As you look around the office today, it may be that there is lively music, the office may be aglow, some people may be dressed for afternoon workouts or maybe they are in business casual, the sun is shining in, hopefully you have an energy flowing and people are excited to be at work. Or perhaps there is less enthusiasm and purpose these days. Either way, it remains important to ask yourself "What do we stand for?" "Is it the same core that we started with?" This is obviously a question that requires input from multiple sources.

Every so often, perhaps every five years, it is time to review the main company goals and revise where necessary. Revisit the mission statement and make sure that it's applicable to your organizational goals today and into the future. The mission statement directly affects the corporate culture so it is important to go back to this basic and make sure it is right; everything is connected and must fit together.

This process is something that I look forward to. It's a chance to connect on a visionary level with members of the team. It's a place where the company can unite and focus efforts. It is an opportunity to build the internal brand by better defining the corporate culture, it is an opportunity to get everyone excited about and enlisted in the vision and mission.

It's common to get stumped on how to move forward when you're reviewing your mission statement. You may already have a beautifully written one, why would you change? One of the reasons to make a change is that you want a mission statement that each and every employee can focus on and move enthusiastically towards every day.

Here are some reasons to revisit your mission and some quick steps to take if you choose to make a change.

- Is your statement simple?

- Can your employees remember it?

- Does it give your team a focus?

- Is your statement motivating?

- Is this statement representing who you are internally? and

- Is it answering how you represent your organization externally to your clients?

There's a story that my teacher once told that exemplifies this point on simplicity and on the value of having a goal people can remember and maintain focus on while doing day-to-day activities:

There were two men working, when a tourist approached and asked what they were doing. The first man replied "I am working on squaring a stone". When she asked the second man the same question his reply was "I am building a cathedral". The first man is a good worker who understands/is focused on his task; however, the second man understands how his task affects the greater goal.

Take a look at your statement. Does it represent who you are as an organization today and where you are headed? What about your office culture? Does it reflect your values and what you deem important? If not, maybe you need a little fine-tuning.

There are a lot of different ways to do this. Start out with some simple, albeit profound, questions like:

- Why are we here?

- What do we stand for?

- What are 2-3 words that explain why our organization is on the planet?

- What beliefs guide our work?

Taking time to have members of your organization answer these questions and then comparing their answers with the actual statement is an easy way to see if you're on course. It may be that nothing needs to be changed in the actual statement. Maybe it's reintroducing or highlighting the importance of your mission to your organization.

This process of revision or reinvention will help you have a pulse on what motivates your employees and reinforce an open trusting relationship. The mission statement provides the foundation upon which corporate culture is built: The stronger the mission statement; the stronger the culture. The stronger the culture; the stronger the buy-in from employees. The stronger the buy-in from employees; the lower the turn-over. And of course, strong buy-in and low turn-over means higher productivity; this is the platform for providing a superior service or product to your clients.

Revisit Your Mission: Strengthen Corporate Culture and Better Serve Your Employees and Clients

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Offshore Oil Drilling in California - Why it Isn't Likely to Occur

Anyone who lives in Southern California and who travels the coastline from San Diego to San Francisco has seen the offshore oil rigs along the coast of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Long Beach. Anyone who lives in any of the other coastal cities such as San Diego, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Cambria or San Simeon sees something different - pristine beaches without offshore oil rigs.

In the midst of America's financial meltdown and on the same weekend as Congress put together a 0 billion bailout, Congress did away with a 26 year ban on offshore oil drilling to the dismay of environmentalists.

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Despite the ban on offshore oil drilling, it is believed that such drilling, at least off the coast of California is unlikely to occur for many years, if ever. Democrats in Congress are already vowing to reinstate the ban when a new Congress takes their seats in four months. And political opposition, marine protection laws and almost certain lawsuits by environmental groups in California make offshore oil drilling an unlikely event.

First, there is a general belief of Californians, including the Governor, that the California coastline is an international treasure, not to mention a draw to tourists from around the world. Few politicians in the state would dare to jeopardize that treasure.

Second, a law passed by former Governor Pete Wilson already bans all offshore oil drilling in California out to three miles from shore.

Third, there are 300 miles of national marine sanctuaries along the California coast which ban oil drilling.

Fourth, nearly every coastal county in the State of California has enacted ordinances banning new oil pipelines, oil terminals and tanks in the State.

Fifth, environmental groups are already vowing to file lawsuits, and they could be joined by the California Coastal Commission.

While California has around 30 oil platforms off the coast of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Long Beach that were built in the 1950s, no new oil platforms have been built in over 50 years.

It is estimated that California has at least 10.5 billion barrels of oil offshore - about a year and a half of the nation's yearly supply. This is comparable to the estimate of oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

But if anything, despite the oil crisis and the financial crisis, in light of global warming and calls for investment in alternative energies, Californians are becoming more and more environmentally aware. Any politician running on any platform (oil or not) based on drilling offshore at a risk to the California scenic coastline, will have a hard time being elected.

Offshore Oil Drilling in California - Why it Isn't Likely to Occur

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Magnetic Energy: Attractive Option for Lowering Electricity Cost

If you have an ever-increasing electricity bill, use a Magnetic Generator to help offset the cost. Currently, the natural energy resource shortages affects everyone. The problem is every month is seems out electricity cost us more and more. Even the fact that we are using more green energy (solar, wind and hydroelectric power) does not help the cost factor. In fact, in the short run, the cost for green energy is higher due to limited supply and an increased demand.

The bottom line is the increasing electricity prices due to fuel shortages and other cost necessary to generate electricity. These higher electricity prices adversely impact our lives due to the increasing strains on our income and unpredictability of when the increases will end. So we are ultimately compelled to find other sufficiently cheaper ways of keeping the lights on.

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The alternative ways may include wind or solar energy but still it costs you more due to high initial investment to purchase costly solar panels and contractor costs for their installation. Also wind turbines are costly to buy and install, but once they have been installed, they will definitely produce cheap electricity. In investigating alternatives, I have identified a low-cost solution in initial investment as well as in continuous use. The usage of a magnetic electricity generator.

It has been said that magnetic electricity generators are cost efficient and produce cheaper electricity than any other alternative. With a magnetic electricity generator, you can get a free source of energy. The concept of a magnetic generator is not new. It has been commonly referred to as a Zero point magnetic power generator and is basically a free energy generator. The generator uses magnets, and magnetic force to induce the continuous conductive energy flow. It runs by itself, indefinitely without stopping, thus creating completely free electrical energy. A perpetual motion device refers to a machine that runs without stopping and does not need an external source of power and produces more energy than it consumes. A free energy generator, if large enough, can be efficiently used to power your home with almost zero costs on your side. Also, the magnetic generator is considered a "green product' which does not release any harmful byproducts.

Some predict that this technology will grow as we look for less earth dependent fuel sources, and some even believe that the magnetic energy home generators can be a prevalent force in our societies production of energy in the future. Experts estimate, that by within 10 years utility companies will start using magnetic energy production technology as a prime source of more environment friendly energy. Until that time comes, you can use this technology at a very reasonable set-up cost.

The free energy generator do it yourself manuals have become more popular lately on the internet. The cost to obtain the raw materials to make these generators are, most times, less than 0. These commonly obtained materials can be found at any Lowes, Home Depot or your local neighborhood hardware. Many of the suppliers of these guides provide step by step instructions which are easy to follow. Most offer some level of technical support to help if you do have problems with assembly.

If you're looking for an alternate strategy to offset the cost of your electrical bill, try making a magnetic generator. For about a 0 investment you may never have to worry about a blackout again.

One source of these plans is:

Magniwork - Click Here for More Info.

Magnetic Energy: Attractive Option for Lowering Electricity Cost

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Mission Viejo Car Accidents Caused by Overloaded Streets

Mission Viejo car accident attorneys have said that overloaded streets are a danger to the city. One of the nation's safest cities, Mission Viejo, California, is a master-planned community with a population of nearly 95,000 people. Yet despite its reputation as a safe place to raise a family, the city has had its share of car accidents.

In 2006, the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) reported that seven people were killed and 250 people were injured in Mission Viejo car accidents. Alcohol-related collisions accounted for four fatalities and 27 injuries. One pedestrian was killed and 11 were injured in traffic accidents. In addition, one bicyclist was killed and five were injured in traffic collisions. A total of 13 motorcyclists were also injured. In 2007, seven motor vehicle accidents killed 11 people.

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Mission Viejo is a city with over 50 parks, all of which draw pedestrians and children on bikes and skateboards. Drivers must be extremely careful at all times in a city like Mission Viejo.

In 2008, a 14-year-old boy was skateboarding with friends when he was struck by a car. According to Sheriff's officials, the boy was riding his skateboard on a sidewalk when he came to the end of a driveway and veered into the street. The boy hit the hood and flew about 40 feet, according to witnesses. The driver was identified as a man aged 25, who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The victim, who was not wearing a helmet at the time, was rushed to the hospital with severe head trauma. He did not survive his injuries.

A person who witnessed the tragedy, often sees cars roaring by in the area at speeds approaching 50 miles per hour--all in the presence of unsupervised children who dash into the street behind parked cars. She has since gone on a crusade to get speed bumps installed on the congested neighborhood streets where she lives.

In 2009, one person was taken to a hospital after a crash on northbound I-5, the CHP reported. The car accident happened in Mission Viejo, near Oso Parkway. Three cars were involved in the Mission Viejo car crash. One person was taken to the hospital, and two others were treated at the scene.

While it's called a bedroom community, during early morning and evening rush hours, commuters jam Mission Viejo's main arteries--Marguerite Parkway, Oslo, Crown Valley and La Paz--to near capacity. In addition, nearby Saddleback Valley College draws a daily hoard of students along the city's major artery, Marguerite Parkway. This jam up poses a hazard for K through 12th grade students walking, biking or skateboarding to and from school or to the local library. Unfortunately, these conditions continue to contribute to a number of Orange County car accidentsthroughout the city.

Mission Viejo Car Accidents Caused by Overloaded Streets

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Increasing Solar Energy Through the Latest Technology

A high-performance coating for solar cells has been developed by the South Korean firm representatives that enhances a solar panel's power generation capacity by 5 percent. They will be in Kolkota soon to explain the technology to the Indian photovoltaic module manufacturers.

The managing director of the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC), Mr. SP Gon Chaudhuri expressed that the Japan-based Kenko Corporation and Chem-Well Co Ltd had recently met him to explain the new technology to him in detail and that they have already provided this technology to the panel manufacturers in countries like US, Japan, Germany and want to enter the Indian market.

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Mr. Chaudhuri also said that this kind of technology will immensely boost the industry to generate more solar power as it would help in generating more renewable energy without using any extra natural resources. He explained that the coating will actually be a kind of spray on the solar panels. Once sprayed, the absorption capacity of the solar panel and the power generation capacity increases by 5% as it activates one of the core materials of the solar cells. It means if a solar panel is generating 200 watts of solar power, with this coating it will generate 210 watts of solar power, and the total cost of the material too is nominal.

The importation of this technology can be a big booster in the development of the renewable energy in the country as the Center is launching the National Solar Mission in November. This mission is a part of the National Action Plan on climate change which will be formally launched in November. It already has target of 20,000 MW solar power generation with an investment of Rs. 200,000 Million that is required for the manufacture of poly silicon which acts as a raw material in solar power generation.

Increasing Solar Energy Through the Latest Technology

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On Strategy - Use Points of Differentiation to Create Your Unique Selling Proposition

I am ashamed to say that there are 4 iPod's in my house, and 2 of them belong to me. While the iPod is certainly a revolutionary product, Apple took a strangle hold on the music industry not through the iPod (a product innovation) but by bundling the product with iTunes (a service innovation).

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While the iPod is sexy and gets all the attention, it is iTunes that was the disrupter. One of the unique things about purveyors of technology such as Apple and Intel is that they are not interested in incremental improvements to existing products. They are market makers.

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Real money is to be made in building new markets as was the case with innovators such as Starbucks, and Cirque du Soleil. In a study completed by the authors of The Blue Ocean Strategy, a review of 108 companies revealed that of their major product launches, 86% were line extension which represented 62% of sales and 39% of total profits. 14% were entirely new products, and represented 38% of sales and 61% of total profits.

Tips for Finding Key Differentiators that will Separate You from Your Competition

1. Challenge the paradigms of how your products and services are delivered. Starbucks was a new delivery system for coffee, Amazon a new channel for books and Southwest an alternative routing system for travelers. Zip Car is disrupting the delivery system for auto transportation, challenging the assumption that cars are worth owning. Offered primarily in urban markets, Zip Cars are available at a low cost at the time that people need them (such as college students visiting their parents out of town for an afternoon).

- Look at delivery systems for products outside your industry and look for applications to your product or service. For example, Nordstrom's personal shopper concept could be applied in many service industries.

- Convene a customer advisory board or 4-6 customers and dig deep into their specific business problems and opportunities. Ask them what your company can do to lead the pack. This interaction is a self fulfilling prophecy: your best customers who helped you to build the strategy and tactics will buy in and be early adopters.

2. Expand your bundle of services. Globalization has led to new competitors entering every market, and massive product proliferation, changing the balance of supply and demand. Almost every product has become commoditized. It is more critical than ever that companies expand their bundle of services to create points of differentiation.

- Lowes has upped the ante on their competition by offering free next day delivery and "haul away" for used appliances. By considering the customer's entire cost of ownership, Lowes is providing an innovative value added service by reducing the customer's cost and aggravation by picking up used refrigerators, washers and dryers.

- Take an activity based costing approach to evaluating steps in your service offering. Most merchants no longer require signatures for small credit card purchases as the risk of customers challenging the charges is smaller than the labor of securing it.

3. Reverse engineer customer needs and preferences. Service innovations are discovered through reverse engineering how people and companies use products, and through understanding their behavior. The top consumer product companies such as Procter and Gamble use innovative design houses like Ideo who follow consumers around, and watch them through one way mirrors to understand their shopping and consumption behavior. Ideo brought us the first standup toothpaste and truly made the world a better place.

- Conduct monthly customer satisfaction surveys and rotate in specific questions about your services and how they can be improved. Make customer satisfaction a success metric and engage team members to share in the results and solutions

- Provide a structure for front line employees to identify customer problems and report them to senior management. Jack Welch made his town hall style meetings with junior staff legendary. Reward innovation with the people closest to the customer.

4. Win with information as a differentiator. Last year I began a new food regimen that included protein for breakfast. I became hooked on Jamba Juice, in part because of the complete nutrition information offered in a binder within the store. When Robeks opened 3 blocks from my house, they did not have any nutritional information to offer on low calorie smoothies. This insight and corresponding benefit has created customer loyalty (in my case) that has nothing to do with quality, selection or price.

- Carefully review the information that you make readily available on your website, including product specifications and ordering requirements.

5. Use 3rd Party Certifications as a differentiator. The Internet has provided a new venue for customer feedback. Restaurants are rated by Zagat, hotels by Trip Advisor, thousand of merchants through ratings on eBay. Marketers are seeking third party validation through J.D. Power, ISO, and the Good Housekeeping Seal.

- Seek out 3rd parties who can validate your service claims, or training of key personnel.

- Do a touch point assessment, and have a 3rd party review your website, online ordering system, phone, reception area, invoices, etc to evaluate how easy it is to do business with your company

On Strategy - Use Points of Differentiation to Create Your Unique Selling Proposition

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Real Estate Investing - The Marvel Of Home Depot And Lowe's

Repairing a rental home (or your own home) use to require running down to the local hardware store or to the nearby building supply house. After several stops around town, you found everything you needed to solve your maintenance problem.

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If you are a fixer upper or tenant landlord today, you now have the marvel of Home Depot and Lowe's!

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Now we have one-stop shopping for virtually everything needed at one of these two stores.

But more than that efficient feature for saving time (and often cost), you can get instruction for repairs from either experienced employees and/or special classes of instruction. If you don't know how to perform the job, you will often find it easier than you imagined. I had never laid any tile, until I discovered that an experienced tile-layer-turned-Home Depot-employee showed me how easy it is. And I found I could get my tile cut free at the store to fit those difficult spots around the tub faucets.

And add to these attractive store features the ease of acquiring commercial and consumer credit, often with promotions of 9 or more purchases at 0% interest for 6 months or more.

I was in Phoenix many years ago when I visited my first Home Depot. It was love at first sight. I had always wanted good quality tools fit for the job at hand at discount prices, and what I saw was a dream come true. I walked that store in amazement as I saw row after row of ceiling-high supplies of every sort of tool and construction material imaginable. It was an awesome experience, and I have never lost that euphoria in walking into a Home Depot or Lowe's. I have become increasingly appreciative over the years at this luxury of shopping at these two stores. Shopping is time-saving, and I leave it to Home Depot and Lowe's to do the research on discovering which suppliers manufacture the best tools, equipment and supplies for the job at hand.

Even if you are a real estate investor who does NONE of your own labor, these stores are a great place to learn how a job should be done right.

But if you perform the repair work on your own properties, you can find the materials and instruction at Home Depot and Lowe's.

It seems Home Depot and Lowe's are gonna slug it out for the predominant position in the marketplace. In some areas, when one new store is opened, the other store buys the lot next door for its own new location. America loves these two competitive stores. Some individual stores do a million dollars of business a week. I find both stores are excellent sources for the best tools and materials I've ever found. And it's hard to beat their prices.

Home Depot and Lowe's fill a void for real estate investors with convenience, pricing, instruction and availability.

Real Estate Investing - The Marvel Of Home Depot And Lowe's

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Three Great Places to Visit on a Vacation to Idaho

When looking fora fun and interesting place to travel to, a traveler could do a lot worse than venturing to the beautiful state of Idaho. Idaho has a lot more to offer vacationers than most people realize at first. Here is a look at just three of the great communities worth visiting for the traveler heading to or through the great state of Idaho.

Sun Valley

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One of the more exclusive areas in Idaho is Sun Valley. Sun Valley sits in Central Idaho and is a resort area centered around a couple of popular skiing destinations. Bald Mountain attracts experienced skiers from around the world, as well as a decent share of celebrity and well-to-do travelers as well. Dollar Mountain is generally seen more as a mountain that is friendly to novice skiers, as well as those new to the sport, but well known people can still be spotted there at times. Sun Valley is an extremely popular destination and always delivers a great time.

Boise

The city of Boise is the most populous city in Idaho. As such, it is also home to the bulk of the retail and industry in the state. There are museums, shopping opportunities, great restaurants, and more in Boise. There are also a number of great natural areas and attractions in the area surrounding the city. Some of the popular attractions in the city include the Old Idaho Penitentiary, Idaho Botanical Garden, Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center, Idaho Historical Museum, Pierce Park Greens, Boise Zoo, Discovery Center of Idaho, and the Boise River Greenbelt.

Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d'Alene sits on the northern shore of the lake it shares its name with, Lake Coeur d'Alene. There are a number of fun things to do for those that visit the city. Some of the popular attractions include the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course and its world famous floating green, Tubbs Hill Nature Trails, North Idaho Centennial Trail, Coeur d'Alene Resort Spa, the marina area, and all of the fun that can be had out on the water. Coeur d'Alene is also located very near to a number of other great places to visit including the Saint Joe River, Cataldo Mission, Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort, Silver Mountain Resort, the Silverwood Theme Park, and the city of Spokane, Washington.

Three Great Places to Visit on a Vacation to Idaho

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Making the Impossible Possible

"I learned I was not, as most Africans believed, the victim of my circumstances but the master of them." - Legson Kayira

One of the things my Christian faith has taught me is that with God nothing is impossible. I live by 4 Ps - Prayers, Planning, Perseverance and Persistence. Hence one of the words that are not in my dictionary is 'impossible'. I seldom use it. Ditto words like providence, destiny and fate. Anything I want to do, I do it irrespective of any obstacles by using the 4 Ps.

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To me, nothing is impossible if you have a clear goal and vision. The legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, once said "Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision."

Anytime I remember the story of the award-winning Malawian Writer, Legson Kayira, I am inspired. The facts of Kayira's early life are legendary: a Tumbuka born and educated in Nyasaland (now Malawi), he walked 3,200 kilometres to North Africa seeking opportunities for further education.

Like Martin Luther King Jnr., Legson had a dream. He wanted to be like his hero, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th American President, who had risen from poverty to become President, then fought tirelessly to help end slavery. He wanted to be like Booker T. Washington, the foremost black educator of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who cast off the shackles of slavery to become a great American reformer and educator, giving hope and dignity to himself and to his race. Legson's dream spurred him on a journey fuelled by his determination to get an education.

Like these great role models, he wanted to serve mankind, to make a difference in the world. And to realise his goal, he needed a first-rate education. Legson knew the best place to get it was in America.

When he was 17 years old, he sought his parents' blessing to go and study in America. His illiterate parents didn't know where America was but reluctantly gave their blessings.

His possessions were meagre: five-day supply of food, a Bible and Pilgrim's Progress, small axe for protection, and a blanket. Legson eagerly set out on the journey of his life. He was going to walk from his tribal village in Nyasaland, north across the wilderness of East Africa to Cairo, where he would board a ship to America to get a college education.

After five days of trekking across the rugged African terrain, Legson had covered only 25 miles. He was already out of food, his water was running out, and he had no money. To travel 2,975 miles more seemed impossible; yet to turn back was to give up and to resign to a life of poverty and ignorance. Legson turned to his two books, reading the familiar words that renewed his faith in himself and in his goal. He ploughed on.

By January 1960, fifteen months after he began his perilous journey, he had travelled nearly a thousand miles to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. He was now growing stronger in body and wiser in the ways of survival. He remained in Kampala for six months, doing odd jobs and spending every spare moment in the library, reading voraciously.

In the library at Kampala, he came across an illustrated directory of American colleges. One illustration in particular caught his eye - the Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington. He wrote immediately to the school's Dean explaining his plight and requested for a scholarship. The Dean at Skagit was so impressed with Legson's determination that he not only granted him admission but also offered him a scholarship and a job that would pay his room and board.

Another piece of Legson's dream had fallen into place, yet more obstacles awaited him. Legson needed a passport and a visa, and to get a passport, he had to provide the government with a verified birth date. That's not all. To get a visa he needed the round-trip fare to the United States. Again, he picked up his pen and paper and wrote to the missionaries who had taught him since childhood. The missionaries then helped to push his passport through government channels. However, Legson still lacked the airfare required for a visa.

Undeterred, Legson continued his journey to Cairo believing he would somehow get the money he needed. Fortune smiled on him when, upon hearing his story, the students of Skagit Valley College, with the help of local citizens, sent 0 to Legson to cover his fare to America.

In December 1960, more than two years after his journey began; Legson Kayira arrived at Skagit Valley College. Carrying his two treasured books, he proudly passed through the towering entrance of the institution and began his studies.

But Legson Kayira didn't stop once he graduated. Continuing his academic journey, he became a professor of Political Science at Cambridge University in England and a widely respected author. His first book was the autobiographical 'I Will Try' (1965), and he has written four novels: 'The Looming Shadow' (1968), 'Jingala' (1969), 'The Civil Servant' (1971), and 'The Detainee' (1974).

Like his heroes, Abraham Lincoln and Booker T. Washington, Legson Kayira rose above his humble beginning and forged his own destiny. He made a difference in the world and became a magnificent beacon whose light remains as a guide for others to follow.

Legson's story shows that with faith, determination, a dream and a vision, we can achieve anything in life and rise to the top.

Making the Impossible Possible

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Fantastic DIY Home Renovation Ideas

Everyone gets bored of their house if it never changes. I'm sure at one time or another you have been considering renovating your home or even upgrading all of the appliances in your home. However a complete home renovation is extremely costly, you would be lucky to have any savings left at the end of it! There are secret ways to improve the look of your home while also saving money.

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There are some really good ways that you can improve the look of your home yourself without having to splash out lots of money. You can even do all of the tasks yourself without having to hire a professional. In order to get started you need to find some ideas and advice, we're going to take a look at some of the most popular websites that offer many different forms of DIY advice. Using these tips you can keep your house up to date.

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Finding help online

Many people get a little lost when they are planning to start their own DIY projects. However there are some secret tips that can help you find your way. If you have no idea where you should start then you should start by planning.

Just make a simple list of all of the things in your house that you would like to upgrade. Now you can use the internet, or magazine to get ideas what to do. You can even visit the better homes and gardens website at http://www.betterhomeandgardens.com there are some very easy to follow tutorials which are surprisingly affordable!

As well as using the internet you should also take advantage of the home improvement stores in your local area. Many cities have Home Depot, or Lowes, these not only sell items that you can use to renovate your home but they can also offer great advice.

The staff in these DIY centers should be very friendly and also know a lot about the projects that you will be attempting. When you visit the store you will be amazed exactly what it's possible to buy, it may well inspire you to do many more home renovation projects by yourself in the future! such as granite counter top installation

If you don't have enough time to visit the shops, and let's face it nobody does then you can check out their websites. These can be found at http://www.lowes.com and http://www.homedepot.com

Fantastic DIY Home Renovation Ideas

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Alternative Closet Door Ideas That Can Save You Money

Whether you are looking for doors for commercial or residential use, the alternative closet doors ideas presented herein can greatly assist you in obtaining the lowest wholesale prices on the best decorative replacement doors available.

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Sure, most homeowners have been buying all their household requirements from Home Depot or Lowes for years and for good reason. Both these stores offer an amazing variety to choose from and at good prices too. However, these days there is a place that stocks an even wider variety and at a better price too- the Internet.

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The truth is, traditional stores are restricted on the amount of discounts they can offer simply because they have overheads that they have to pay- there are employee salaries to be paid and rentals for the premises in addition to utilities such as electricity and water. When you purchase any type of contemporary doors from an in-person store you are also paying an additional fee in order to keep them in business.

Interestingly, when you visit the websites of Lowes and the Home Depot, you will find that you can purchase the very same alternative closet doors that you saw in their traditional store at a much lower price on the website. This is because it is much more affordable for companies to run and operate websites as there are minimal overheads to be paid. With that in mind you should always take your replacement doors search to the internet.

When you set out to purchase alternative closet doors online you should also be aware that there are endless styles available. There are numerous options and choices that you can consider when it also comes to design. Even if you started off with the idea that you were simply going to replace one door in your home, with the prices and variety available, it makes more sense to consider the replacement of multiple doors at one time.

Most major retailers will offer extended discounts for consumers who decide to purchase more than one door at a time. Therefore consider the replacement of your wardrobe doors, laundry room doors, pantry doors, walk-in closet doors, linen closet doors, and even your utility room doors. The more doors you replace, the more money that you will ultimately save in the long run.

Once you begin your search online, you should take note of every door that you find that you like and want to consider. Once you have compiled a list of doors and websites that house these doors, you should then search each and every shortlisted door individually. When doing this you will be able to determine which websites have the same door for sale and you will then be able to begin properly comparison shopping in order to obtain the lowest rate imaginable.

Never ever purchase a door that you find at a discounted rate without first comparing the rate to the rates of other doors on other websites. Remember, some websites will pretend they have discount rates when they are in fact just their default rates.

Keep each of these ideas in mind when you are seeking out the best alternative doors on the market and you will quickly and easily find amazing savings.

Alternative Closet Door Ideas That Can Save You Money

LOWES

Retractable Screens 101

There are basically 3 classes of retractable screens.

lowes store

Let's break it down starting with the simplest - the do-it-yourself retractable screen. You can buy these at Home Depot, Lowes, or any other big box retailer. You can even find some online. Brands like ODL and Stoett fall in this category. These are, perhaps obviously, the cheapest option available, and have varying degrees of quality. The big issue is the installation- Home Depot discontinued their installation of the ODL door after having tons of problems with it. Just ask the special order desk- they'll tell you. You see, all doors in your home, even "identical ones" are not EXACTLY the same- and the retractable screens require a pretty exact fit. Unfortunately- saving some money in the short term, these screens tend to not be the best solution unless you really know what you're doing.

LOWES

2nd Class- lesser expensive "professionally installed" retractable screens. Brands like Vanishing Screens and Casper Screens. These 2 brands are from Europe, and are typically about 10 percent less expensive from the better quality ones. The challenge with them is not their installation- as they are professionally installed, its their durability. Made from a roll formed aluminum - that means that a flat piece was bent into shape, these screen doors will bend when you step on their bottom tracks, and will not work well over time.

3rd- Higher quality doors that are also installed by pros- brands like Phantom, Mirage, and Wizard. These are all fairly good looking and durable. They seem to withstand the test of time and are a good investment. The biggest knock on them is that they snap back very aggressively when you use them. Be sure to check the quality level of the installation- all of these are custom fit, and it is important to know how it will mount.

Unique- Clearview retractable screens share many of the same qualities of the higher quality screens, and they have a patented speed reducer which makes their retractable screens glide back without snapping, They appear to look much nicer than the others as well.

Retractable Screens 101

LOWES

Rio Grande Valley - Population Demographics For New Or Visiting Winter Texans There

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is located adjacent to its Mexican-border river at the southern-most tip of Texas. This subtropical 4,300-square-mile valley is about 140-miles wide and 35-miles deep. It comprises four main counties with the following approximate non-winter populations:

Cameron on the east end including South Padre Island (370,000) Willacy just north of Cameron (22,000) Hidalgo to the west of the previous two, centrally located (650,000) Starr to the west of Hidalgo (58,000).

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Cameron and Hidalgo are call metro counties because they hold about 60% both of the valley's total population and the recreational-vehicle (RV) parks there. Also, a small lower tip of a fifth county, Zapata, on the far west end of the valley could be absorbed into this valley information. This tip contains the big International Falcon Reservoir on the Rio Grande River.

Populations of the main cities and towns by county (via public documents).

The hub cities and towns in the valley having populations of 10,000 or greater are listed below. Most of them have good roads and modern shopping, medical, and recreational facilities. Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen also have commercially served airports.

1) Cameron County (86% Hispanic)

Brownsville (161,000) Harlingen (63,000) San Benito (25,000)

2) Willacy County (86% Hispanic)

Raymondville (10,000)

3) Hidalgo County (90% Hispanic)

Alamo (17,000) Donna (16,000) Edinburg (57,000) Hidalgo (10,000) McAllen (118,000) Mercedes (15,000) Mission (57,000) Pharr (56,000) San Juan (30,000) Weslaco (30,000)

4) Starr County (97% Hispanic)

Rio Grande City (13,000) Roma (11,000)

The total Rio Grande Valley population is about 1.2 million (89% Hispanic). The total population above age 55 is about 220,000 (78% Hispanic).

Winter Texans.

The Winter Texans consist mostly of seniors and retired people (about 98% Caucasian), who migrate annually from the cold North American climates to several locations in southern Texas to spend their winter months there, usually for varied lengths of time between October and May. Many are from the cold northern climates in the Midwest and Canada. About 150,000 of these trekkers make the Valley their temporary winter home.

These seasonal Texans will actively hibernate in one of the 300-400 organized RV parks in there, where they can enjoy its warmer climate, nature parks, outdoor sports, beaches, attractions, and dining in addition to taking part in the facilities and social activities in the RV parks themselves.

For more demographic information on this valley, see the following site.

Rio Grande Valley - Population Demographics For New Or Visiting Winter Texans There

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Have A Kitchen Renovation Idea? Some Things To Consider

Kitchen renovation ideas for old homes can be put together in such a way that you can have a new stainless steel refrigerator looking resplendent alongside an old wood-burning stove. The key to a successful kitchen renovation is in the planning regardless of whether your home is old or new. Any kitchen improvement should be planned so that all the potential problems are thought of before they arise. You should check to see if your heating, electrics, gas and plumbing will require any attention. Kitchen renovation ideas that include wood-burning fireplaces are certainly popular, though they do require a lot of work. They can mean major remodeling including tearing out a portion of a wall, constructing a chimney or other venting system, and then working with stone or brick, but what a cozy, comfortable addition to have in one's kitchen!

lowes fire pit

Kitchen improvement ideas are regular copy in shelter and lifestyle magazines and on a wide range of television programs. Custom kitchen remodel businesses exist by the thousands, ranging from small independent and custom operators, to licensed dealers of popular brands of kitchen cabinetry and fittings, to the giant home stores like The Home Depot and Lowes.

LOWES

Choose a design which best suits your personality, lifestyle and the style of your house itself. There are at least four basic kitchen layouts than you can choose from and incorporate in your own kitchen. Visiting home improvement stores can really help to spark your imagination. Stores such as Home Depot and Lowes are great places to start as you'll then be you able to ask the staff for their professional opinion.

Pay careful consideration to the countertop material. Countertop dictates much of the appearance and overall atmosphere of the entire kitchen especially if your kitchen design has a large area of uninterrupted counter space.

Another kitchen renovation idea is to create beautiful murals for a unique kitchen wall style. The kitchen is one of the most beloved rooms in any house and one where nearly every family spends a majority of their time. Creating beautiful interiors has more to do with creativity than money. The whole point is to create a space that makes you feel good - one that your family likes spending time in.

Have A Kitchen Renovation Idea? Some Things To Consider

LOWES

Deep Well Jet Pumps For Home Use

If you have a deep well for you home water supply and need a new pump, or if you are planning to drill a new deep well, you have probably been looking for information on deep well jet pumps. These pumps are widely used in deep wells for good reason, they do the job well. This type of pump is submerged into the well itself and moves the water by means of a jet stream which creates sufficient suction to move the water to the surface.

lowes fire pit

When deciding on a new or replacement deep well jet pump, you first need to decide on how much water you need the pump to supply and what kind of water pressure you need. Pumps vary in capacity from about a hundred gallons per hour up to a thousand gallons per hour. If you are not sure on what rate you need, you can consult a plumber or one of the friendly workers are Home Depot or Lowes. Of course, you need to take any such advice with a grain of salt, and you your own research. If you are replacing a pump and the flow and pressure of the old pump was acceptable, then you can just get a pump of equal or greater capacity.

LOWES

Some of the most popular brands of deep well jet pump include Flotec, Gould, Simer, Little Giant, and Sears. Specifications and prices are widely available online. You might want to get the pump professionally installed to make sure you are compliant with all applicable health and safety regulations.

Deep Well Jet Pumps For Home Use

LOWES

Mystery Shopping at Lowe's

One of the favorite mystery shops that I ever did was at Lowe's. In fact, I was waiting for a mystery shop at the store because of the bad experience that I had whenever I was shopping there prior to beginning my mystery shopping career. Once I saw the Lowe's store shop pop up on the radar, I was quick to accept it as I was sure I would be able to get a little bit of revenge on the people who had treated me so poorly in the first place. Now I know that mystery shopping is not about seeking out bad experiences, it is about evaluating people for the job that they do. Here's how my mystery shop at Lowe's ended up going for me.

lowes gas grills

Whenever I entered the Lowe's store the first thing that I was supposed to do was to find three different people in order to see if they would help me or not. I walked up and down the main aisle of the store, looking up each individual aisle to see if I could find an employee that was not busy at the time. Even though I had had a bad experience at the store before, I wanted to give them a fair opportunity to be able to get a good evaluation. As it turns out, my first experience with the store ended up being fairly typical of every experience that I ever had. The first person that I walked up to pretended not to see me and simply turned around and walked away. The second person that I walked up to did the same thing, so I followed them into another isle. They ended up ignoring me two times. The third person that I walked up to ended up talking on their personal cell phone, something that was definitely against the rules.

LOWES

Every mystery shop has a particular department that you are going to want to single out. For this particular shop, it was the kitchen Cabinet department. I walked back into that department, looking like I was interested in purchasing some cabinets or least asking some questions. According to the instructions that I received ahead of time, I was to wait around for at least 10 minutes to see if anybody was going to ask me any questions. After several people walk past me without acknowledging the fact that I was there, I finally decided it was time for me to approach someone. The person that I approached not only was uninterested in my questions, they were not knowledgeable about anything in the area.

I know that a mystery shopper is not supposed to feel satisfaction when giving a bad report, even if they are out for personal revenge. In this particular case, however, giving them bad marks was quite appropriate. All I had to do was to answer each of the questions accurately and to provide them with names of certain employees. I felt as though I was giving the company what they truly wanted, an honest evaluation.

Mystery Shopping at Lowe's

LOWES

OM The Secret of Ahbor Valley - Talbot Mundy - His Greatest Classic Novel -A Metaphysical Adventure

A delightful adventure story set in the India still under the Raj, A book
I never tire of re-reading, there's always something new I learn or
discover.
Talbot Mundy created a popular series of adventure stories and books in the early 20th century, starting with stories in Adventure magazines, serialized novels, and later on radio programs and movies. among the most popular: King of Khyber Rifles.

In 1926 he published OM The Secret of Ahbor Valley... perhaps his greatest novel with its metaphysical theme.

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I discovered it in 1965 at the same time I had found that fabulous book about King Tut: Tutankhamen, Life of a Pharaoh, by Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, that started me on my obsession with that wonderful king.

Why did I pick it up?

"To him
who truly seeks the Middle Way, the Middle Way
will open, One step forward is enough."

THE SAYINGS OF TSIANG SAMDUP [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7656/tsamdup]
I had already devoured Jack Kerouac's books, including "The Dharma Bums", with its theme about Tibetan Buddhism. I was open to new books about Eastern philosophy, and was also was a fan of Sax Rohmer and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Since Mundy was a popular contemporary of theirs, I decided to try it and have never regretted it.

OM opens with an amazing series of catastrophic events. Could this have happened anywhere else than in India? When I first read it, I laughed till I cried.

The adventure story explores the caste system, the various religions, the Secret Ways, the many different tribal areas under the Raj and their widely different customs.

It all centers around a mission founded by an American millionaire philanthropist to teach the natives their own religion along with basic hygiene to improve their way of life. Protaganist Cottswold Ommony, an 'old time forrester', was one of the three trustees appointed to oversee the project, the other two, the woman who runs the mission and a mysterious RingDing Geelong Lama that no one has ever seen.

To complicate the story, there are rumors of a mysterious stone, a huge Jade, with magical properties in the legendary Ahbor country where 'Masters' are reputed to live, of an adopted daughter of the woman who runs the mission, and a report of a stolen piece of that stone. On top of that is the ongoing mystery of the sudden disappearance of Ommony's pregnant younger sister and her husband, the mission's doctor, 20 years before.

That piece of Jade turns up in Delhi, is handed over to Ommony to investigate, and this marvelous adventure takes off.

I highly recommend this book to all adventure lovers.

This book has been kept in print by various publishers.
You can sometimes find copies, worn-out, in used book stores.

Powell's Book Store has a good supply of Talbot Mundy's books.

You can also read it online at: OM The Secret of Ahbor Valley OnLine [http://arthurwendover.com/arthurs/mundy/ommundy10.html]

Or better site at OM The Secret online at Dustfall [http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/7656/om.html]

Talbot Mundy, his life, with links to sites about him and his books, and an extensive biography of his life:
Talbot Mundy on Wikipedia

OM The Secret of Ahbor Valley - Talbot Mundy - His Greatest Classic Novel -A Metaphysical Adventure

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Historic Hermannsburg in Central Australia

The Hermannsburg mission was established in 1877 by German Lutheran missionaries about 125 km west of Alice Springs in the majestic Western MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia. The missionaries settled at permanent waterhole known to the local Western Arrernte people as Koprilya, and named the settlement Hermannsburg after their town of origin in northern Germany. They had trekked for 18 months overland from the Barossa Valley region of South Australia, bringing with them a sizeable herd of cattle and sheep.

The Lutherans built a church and commenced preaching Christianity to the Western Arrernte people. Within two years a school was built and by 1881 seven boys and one girl had been baptised. By 1891 the missionaries had created a dictionary of the Western Arrernte language, and eventually succeeded in translating the bible into that language. Hermannsburg was the first settlement in Central Australia, predating both the towns of Arltunga and Alice Springs, and at one stage had a population of 700 mainly Western Arrernte inhabitants. Despite being discouraged by the early missionaries, traditional Western Arrernte culture has remained strong in Hermannsburg to this day.

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The first phase of settlement at Hermannsburg lasted from 1877-1891. During this time the mission became a refuge for the Western Arrernte from the excesses of local pastoralists and police who regularly massacred the indigenous people in reprisal for petty theft and cattle stealing. Despite this, few Western Arrernte gave up their traditional ways to fully embrace Christianity, and in 1891 the missionaries abandoned Hermannsburg for the following three years.

Pastor Carl Strehlow took charge of Hermannsburg mission in 1894, and remain there for the next 28 years. His son, T.G.H. Strehlow, became a noted anthropologist and was one of very few Europeans to be fully initiated into the Western Arrernte tradition. Pastor Strehlow found the original mission buildings in bad repair, and from 1896 began the construction of the buildings which still stand in the settlement today. The buildings, now classified by the National Trust, were built using galvanised iron, stones from the nearby Finke River, mulga logs and lime made in an onsite kiln. These buildings include a school, manse, mess house, and missionary quarters. Strehlow also planted two White Gums in front of the church, now a museum, and erected the church bell between them.

Strehlow eventually died in 1922 at Horseshoe Bend on the Finke River while en route to hospital in South Australia. During his time, Hermannsburg grew and became a relatively progressive centre for the Western Arrernte and other indigenous inhabitants of the region, and went on achieved a number of historic firsts. In 1925 Strehlow's successor, Pastor F. W. Albrecht began a program to train the local people in various skills and trades, which led to the establishment of a tannery in 1936. In 1930 Hermannsburg became the first location in the Northern Territory to use a pedal wireless.

In recent years, many Western Arrernte residents have left the old mission to establish around 35 outstations in their traditional country around Hermannsburg. The family of Hermannsburg's most famous son, the famous watercolour artist Albert Namatjira, still lives in Hermannsburg and a collection of his paintings can be viewed in the old mission building. Born at Hermannsburg in 1902 and baptised by Strehlow, Namatjira met the artist Rex Battarbee in 1934 and the result was a series of paintings of Central Australia which, while drawing on the European watercolour tradition, are inspired by the landscape of the area and evoke the beauty of the Western MacDonnell Ranges from the perspective of one who knew and loved this magnificent country.

The Lutheran Church ceded control of Hermannsburg to the traditional Western Arrernte owners in 1982, when authority for the settlement (now known as Ntaria) passed to a community council. The original mission buildings at Hermannsburg have been restored and visitors are now welcome to explore the historic settlement which is of great importance in Central Australian history. Both the old church and the old mission building still standing and in good condition.

Historic Hermannsburg in Central Australia

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Helicopter Mountain Rescue In Snowdonia

When a female climber slipped and fell while scrambling on the cliffs of Craig Yr Ysfa below Carnedd Llewelyn in Snowdonia, the rescuers who were first on the scene recognized that her leg injuries required immediate treatment. Fortunately for her, help was at hand in the form of RAF 22 Squadron's Sea King helicopter, and she was in hospital in Bangor within the hour.

Snowdonia in North Wales contains some of the best mountain walking and climbing areas in the UK. Besides Snowdon itself, there are several other peaks above the 3000 ft mark, and these are surrounded by steep crags and sheer cliff faces which are often the site of accidents, either as a result of fallen climbers, or walkers who have slipped from a path. When accidents occur, members of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue team are called out, and if they require assistance to move the casualty quickly to hospital, a Sea King Mark 3 SAR (Search and Rescue) helicopter from RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey can be on the scene within 20 minutes.

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The Sea Kings are operated by C Flight 22 Squadron (C Flt), one of the busiest SAR flights in the UK, carrying out around 300 rescue missions every year, and since the Flight formed at Valley in 1956, over 6000 rescue missions have been flown. Sea Kings have been operated by 22 Squadron since 1997, replacing the Wessex which took over from the Westland Whirlwind in 1976, and provide increased range and load capacity, plus enhanced night and bad weather performance. Helicopters are on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and can be airborne within 15 minutes. Although their main function is to perform search and rescue missions for RAF aircrew, the bulk of their activity is centered on civilian rescues, often assisting mountain rescue teams across the UK.

The Sea King is manufactured by AgustaWestland in the UK, and is powered by two Rolls-Royce H1400 -1T turboshaft engines, providing 2,700shp. It has accommodation for a 4-man crew, and up to 19 passengers, or nine stretchers and two medical officers. The Mark 3A is equipped with advanced all-weather radar, navigation and Global Positioning Systems, and when hovering can be controlled by the winch operator, who can position the rescue harness directly above the casualty. The winch operator also controls the hydraulic hoist, rated at 600lb. The Sea King has a range of 280 nautical miles, with a maximum speed of 143 mph at sea level, and helicopters from 22 Squadron, who are based at RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall, carry out rescue operations all around the United Kingdom, as well as mountain rescues in Snowdonia.

The Sea Kings are a familiar sight to hill walkers and climbers, and it's a comforting thought to anyone who ventures into the mountains that should the worst happen, the big yellow helicopter will quickly be on the scene.

Helicopter Mountain Rescue In Snowdonia

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Honduras - Every Mission Counts

Common Misconceptions

One of the points in this book is to alleviate some of the many misconceptions that people have about Honduras and perhaps we should start with the long lines that medical aid workers often experience as people walk for miles to visit the volunteer nurses, doctors and their assistants. There are a lot of people in need and this creates huge lines. Even though the medical mission teams go to remote areas this does not mean that there are only a few people to help at each village or stop as a Family Doctor from Canada on a medical mission in Rural Honduras states;

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"I am surprised to see that on our way, we go through mountains and isolated roads but when we arrive at the locations for our clinic, there are already hundreds of people waiting to be seen. Many of the local people have been walking for hours sometimes days to get there. They patiently wait outside in a very tight line under the sun. Many women are breastfeeding while standing in line. It happens frequently that a person faints from dehydration and heat stroke."

The villages are quite gracious and not everyone is without. Some homes have electricity from their own sources. Even the wealthiest person in the village does have a lot but still they are wealthy by rural Honduras standards and one volunteer was surprised to learn during her trip on a mission to Honduras that often;

"When it is time to eat lunch, the richest person of the village opens her house to us and feeds us local food. They are very proud to offer whatever little they have. The meals are mainly composed of "frijoles" (beans), tortillas and papas (potatoes). For us we get extra like chicken, pork and beef but eating meat is rare for them."

Some people think that the government in Honduras does not care about its people. This is not true at all. One medical mission team told of a story in 2006;

"We were very happy to learn that the first lady was coming to see one of our mission day. It took us over two hours of very rough roads from our already remote location to get there. Our jaw dropped when she "fell off the sky form of the helicopter" so much for realizing the isolation. She seamed genuinely interested and asked me "What are the health problems of my people?"

What Can You Do?

There are so many ways to help in Honduras, such as sponsoring a child, donating items on the list of needs of groups planning trips or giving money. Most of all donating your time will do the most good, especially if you have skills, such as medical knowledge, engineering background or educational experience. Of course all the wonderful groups helping in Honduras need money.

In the back of this book you will find a list of groups and organizations that you can send money too or volunteer to work with, so you can do your part to help the poor in rural Honduras. Browse through the lists of needs, items, donation requests and volunteer jobs on their various websites and see what you can give to assist in the mission to help in Honduras.

The fact is that everyone can help: either by donating money, time or joining a group. Those who come back from their volunteer efforts in Honduras explain how it has changed their perspective and their lives in so many ways. Often without realizing it, those of us in the first world often take things for granted, so at times we forget how good we have it and go about our daily lives without even thinking.

In case of a person really interested in joining a mission who is short on money, there are alternatives. One our the medical mission member just asked her local Lion's club for sponsering and got it easily.
Lance Winslow has dedicated part of his life raising money by doing car washing events. They are easy to set-up and a lot of fun.

Honduras - Every Mission Counts

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Apple Valley California Vacant Land and Commercial Real Estate Opportunities

As the real estate property values continue to hold at the low end of the investment scale, the small home town appeal of the town of Apple Valley California in combination with its close proximity to the Interstates and regional tourists areas make it a lucrative prospect to the real estate investor who is seeking out commercial property or vacant land for new construction.

Since there is so much property on the market which is either in foreclosure or subject to short sale approval by the mortgage company, it is advisable that anyone wishing to purchase real estate of any kind, in the current market, associate themselves with a licensed real estate agent who is familiar with the desired geographic area. A real estate agent will help navigate the potential buyer through the stipulations associated with purchasing a foreclosed property.

LOWES VALLEY

If desiring to purchase commercial real estate, including a building, considerations must be made for the current zoning rules and whether the building is up to code. Generally, foreclosed properties will be sold as is, meaning that the seller has no responsibility to bring the property up to the codes required for occupancy. While a potential purchase may seem like a great deal, the real estate agent will be able to determine, based on local contractors and availability of materials, what the overall cost to the purchaser will be after bringing the building and surrounding property up to code. This is where the use of a commercial real estate agent is invaluable. The real estate agent specializing in commercial properties will be able to ascertain real values for the investment, including potential lease rates and likelihood of 100% tenancy in a given area.

Apple Valley has grown in the last two years to include new construction of four retail strip malls and several large national department stores including Wal-Mart, Costco and Target. Furthermore, Apple Valley is now also home to a Lowes and a Home Depot location to accommodate the large amount of new construction in the regions commercial market. As the area is obviously receptive to certain types of commercial ventures, it is worth some investigation to see if your business will fit into a well established community.

If desiring to purchase vacant land as an investment or for construction purposes in Apple Valley, California, it is important to know whether the property you are considering is zoned for commercial or residential construction. Again, your agent will be well versed in the particulars of the potential transaction, and will be able to guide you to available properties that fulfill the criteria you outline. This will save you valuable time, as the market is beginning to indicate that it has bottomed out and the property values may begin to increase in the near future. If you have been on the fence with the idea of purchasing vacant land, the time to act may be right now. Check with a local agent for the specifics, and an outlook for the timeframe of your potential investment.

Apple Valley California Vacant Land and Commercial Real Estate Opportunities

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Mississippi Valley State University

Mississippi Valley State University is located in Itta Bena, Mississippi, the heart of Mississippi Delta. The university is providing undergraduate, graduate, and public service programs for the region. In 1946, legislation authorizing the establishment of the institution under the name Mississippi Vocational College was enacted by the Mississippi Legislature. The express purpose for the new college was to train teachers for rural and elementary schools and to provide vocational training. The first academic year was started in 1950-51 with 14 regular students and seven faculty members. The college offered the Bachelor of Science degree in 14 areas and provided Extension Services. Mississippi Valley College was authorized to offer the liberal arts degree. It also offer the science and education degrees. The university now offers the master's degree in environmental health, elementary education, and criminal justice. The university also gives master's degree in business administration, special education, rural public policy and the Master of Arts in teaching.

The university provides every facility to the students. The university includes all the labs and a good library. The name of the library is James Herbert White Library. The main mission of the James Herbert White Library is to increase accessibility of library to all the students. The aim of the library is to collect and provide access to research materials. Library emphasis to provide instruction in the use of the library collections. It also emphasis in the use of the resources through innovative user access education. It maintains a quality print and non print collection. The collections support the university's mission of research, teaching and learning, and service through the development of collections, access services, and effective delivery of service. The library also takes care to provide optimal delivery of service.

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The University gives all the needs for a student. The university gives all the technical supports to the students. It allows good labs and a good computer services to the students of the university. Computer service is dedicated to providing stable and up-to-date technology. It supports services for the faculty, staff and students of Mississippi Valley State University. The department responds to the needs of the Delta region of the state of Mississippi for accessible, relevant and quality technological needs for undergraduate, graduate, and some public service programs. Academic Computing Services also function as a leader in the implementation and utilization of new technologies. Technology is a very important tool that assists in the achievement of this goal.

Mississippi Valley State University

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Arizona Travel Guide - Visit Arizona Missions

The state of Arizona has a beautiful and colorful past that can be witnessed through its historic landmarks. Among these magnificent landmarks are the Missions.

What are missions? Missions are structures built by the first Spanish missionaries or priests to come in the area. They housed the Spanish missionaries who came to spread Christianity in the Americas, and are about two or three centuries old.

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How did these missions came about? Well, centuries ago, Spanish priests, particularly a Catholic priest named Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, established more than twenty missions in the area called the Pimeria Alta, which means the upper lands of the Pimian Indians that is now known as Southern Arizona U.S.A and Northern Sonora, Mexico. Unfortunately, due to several factors, only four of those structures have been left intact and these are the San Xavier del Bac Mission, San José de Tumacácori, San Cayetano de Calabazas, and Los Santos Angeles de Guevavi.

Who was Father Eusebio Francisco Kino? Father Kino was born in a small village in Segno, Italy on the 10th of August in the year 1645. Actually, his parents named him Eusebio Francesco Chini, which was later changed to its German version Eusebio Francisco Kino. This change might be because he studied in Austria, a country in which German is the national language. He belonged to a rich family and was sent to a Jesuit school and later on to Hala, near the German border. When he was in his middle teenage years, he got seriously ill. While he was sick, he made a promise to himself that if he survived the illness, he would become a missionary. After he recovered, he fulfilled his vow and became a priest. He was then assigned to help spread Christianity in Mexico in the year 1683. He started building missions across Pimeria Alta from 1687 until his death at Sonora in 1711.

One of the oldest remaining missions in Arizona today is San Xavier del Bac Mission. It is fondly called by some as the "White Dove of the Desert" because of its white facade. It was first built about 3 centuries ago and it is still amazingly beautiful and functional. Even today, it is still used as a church. Years later, San José de Tumacácori and Los Santos Angeles de Guevavi were both built in 1691 while San Cayetano de Calabazas was built in 1756.

Where specifically can these missions be found in Arizona? San Xavier del Bac Mission can be found near the city of Tucson. It is a little over 8 miles from the city. The three other missions can all be found in the Tumacácori National Historical Park in Santa Cruz Valley. The park is also near Tucson and is quite a popular tourist spot. All four Arizona missions are quite popular because of their sheer beauty and historic significance. Hundreds of both devotees and the "simply curious" sort visit these magnificent historic places every day.

Arizona Travel Guide - Visit Arizona Missions

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Beat The Energy Crisis - Shop for Solar or Wind Generator Kits With Hookups to the Power Grid

Save Money - Help the Ecology - Slow Down the Oil Wars - Save the Planet. How? It's never been easier.
Here's how. Make your own electricity - not just for your house, for the power grid and your next car.

lowes fire pit

Ever ask "Why Can't We Buy Solar or Wind Generator Kits?" You would think it would be easy to buy and
easy to install them by now. Here's why. They aren't popular enough for the big companies to sell them yet. When will they be popular? When YOU request them.

LOWES

There are 4 major corporations listed below that should sell these kits - with their internet contact form
addresses listed below. When should you contact them? Now. Because the longer you wait, the more money, ecology and lives are wasted. I sent this paragraph to the four major corporations contact pages: "I will be running articles in several online publications this next few weeks on buying electric generator kits for the grid - either from solar panels, windmills or solar-steam generation. When can you offer these for sale to the public? I will try to print your responses. - Arthur Browning" You should send a message too.

Wal-Mart - http://www.walmart.com/cservice/cu_commentsonline.gsp?cu_heading=8

Lowe's - https://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=custSvcOrderIssue&topic=customerService

Home Depot - http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=About_Our_Stores&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Bass Pro Shop - https://basspro.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/basspro.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=mJPRiWDh&p_lva=&p_sp=&p_li=&CMID=CUSTSERV_CONTACTUS

Certainly there are many companies offering many solar, wind, and water systems to generate electric power. But in all honesty, most Americans do not want to make a lot of decisions about technical applications and which equipment to buy for which approach. Nor do most Americans want the major expense or replacing there current system. Most Americans would however, like a simple kit to generate electricity directly to the grid - run their electric meter backwards - to save money.

Sure a lot of people have done this, but a simple and inexpensive kit that is readily available at a major
outlet insures that the many people who want to save money, ecology and lives can do it. The kit can be less expensive than a riding mower and easier to hook up than a computer, maybe a service technician to mount on the power line.

What does it do for the corporations? It generates profit, increases share value, provides positive image,
and helps save you and this world from severe energy problems. Think about it - but not too long.

Beat The Energy Crisis - Shop for Solar or Wind Generator Kits With Hookups to the Power Grid

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Choosing the Right Replacement Canopy Top For Your Gazebo

If you're reading this article, chances are, you purchased a steel gazebo canopy from a "Box Store" like Target, Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot. Your present dilemma? You need a new canopy for your gazebo. The fact is, the durable steel frames of these box gazebos will many times over outlast the life of the fabric canopy tops that come with them. Within months, sometimes even weeks, the canopies of these gazebos may fade, wear, rip and, tear. All too often, homeowners like you are left to either shop for a replacement canopy, or a brand new gazebo.

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Why do the canopy tops fail so often? The fabric canopy tops that come standard with 10'x10' steel gazebos are tailored from very low grade polyester fabric. For safety reasons, the frame must be made from strong steel to prevent it from collapsing. Therefore, you are left with a canopy top that will not last long. Unfortunately, these inferior canopy tops face a vast range of extreme weather conditions, such as snow, ice, rain, UV sun rays, freezing temperatures, and heat. The combination of these weather conditions on a canopy for just weeks can weaken and make brittle the canopy tops on these gazebos. The final straw that breaks the camel's back? Wind! The wind will rip and tear the canopy into shreds.

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You've probably tried contacting the retailer by now with no avail. The problem? The retailer or owner of your local discount store often does not know the name of the manufacturer because the box or manual has been trashed, or the retailer purchased it from some unknown distributor with no paper trail. Your are now left stranded in a search for a replacement canopy. What now?

Choosing the Right Replacement Canopy Top For Your Gazebo

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Laminate Flooring History and Timeline in the US Market

Laminate Flooring has made the most significant change to the flooring industry in the last 25 years and continues to make tremendous changes and improvements over is hard surface counter parts.

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In Europe they have been enjoying its features and benefits for several decades but not as laminate flooring as we know today. Decorative laminate was really the origins and the beginning of what now is known as laminate flooring. The decorative laminate was widely used in kitchen counter tops and furniture. As the technology evolved in the counter top laminate industry it clearly became apparent that with the endless number of decors that could be created, could also be created and used on the floor.

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The idea of laminate flooring was born. There have been many technical challenges the first of which was how can you take a simple counter top laminate and create a flooring product, the flooring product will take far more abuse by being walked on and a wear layer was created.

There has really been no stopping the technical tidal wave of improvements and ideas that followed. Led mainly by the European countries laminate flooring gained more market share year after year, no market experienced such rapid growth as North America. Massive marketing campaigns led by such brands as Pergo who are now synonymous with laminate flooring introduced laminate flooring to the American Public in the early 1990s.

The actual history of laminate flooring is quite short in North America, because Pergo had achieved household recognition with the new flooring products Laminate flooring in North America was widely referred to as "Pergo" floors again the synonymous status and the 'holy grail' of all brands.

In 2000 laminate flooring was a glue product; even so the market share within the flooring industry in North America continued to grow at a double digit pace. Many of the other US traditional floor covering manufacturers of carpet and vinyl added laminate flooring to their portfolio of products.

Then so was born the private label laminate. Laminate flooring was easy to private label you simply changed the insert or the packaging and then that created another brand or line of flooring. This was especially useful for the hardwood and carpet manufacturer's to get on board with this new product. The traditional manufacturers of carpet and hardwood have huge distribution networks and with their own branded line of flooring were able to place thousands of new flooring displays in a matter of months and new brands started appearing everywhere. This continued to drive the growth in the USA.

As traditional US manufacturers of carpet and vinyl presented themselves as laminate flooring manufacturers, advertised the products, placed laminate flooring displays and drove sales.

Time Line in the US Market The next stages of growth were equally fast and I will break them down chronologically:

2000 was particularly painful for the Carpet Manufactures in Dalton, Georgia they were completely blindsided by the aggressive marketing of laminate flooring against their carpet and that is where the laminate took most of their market share from touting the Laminate Flooring product as hypo allergenic and showing close ups of carpet mites and bugs did nothing to help the domestic carpet manufacturers.

All hard surface flooring companies benefited. It was an exciting year for laminate flooring salesmen, even with terrible installation demonstrations and glue together flooring.

2001 Every year that preceded 2000 involved new, exciting and innovative changes to the laminate flooring market. The first change really started in 2001 glue free laminate. This was first introduced with metal clips on the back and during sales presentations as you tried to put it together you almost needed a sledge hammer, it was more difficult than the glue together method. Not very popular but the concept was created all we needed was the design and solution.

2002 A year later the technology of glue-less laminate flooring arrived, introductions of glue-less laminates began again revolutionizing the floor covering industry. Unilin Industries of Belgium introduced Quick-Step into the US market. Quick-Step utilizes the patented Uniclic joint system. Several other manufacturers bought licenses to use the Uniclic joint technology thereby acknowledging Uniclic as the industry standard for Glue-less technology.

Still 95% of the USA market was using glue together laminate, it took yet more aggressive marketing and this time mainly led by the home centers with names like 'Easy-Lock', 'Quick-Lock', 'Speedy-Lock', etc, to drive the consumer towards the exceptionally friendly D.I.Y. glue-less laminate flooring ranges.

It was predicted in 2002 that buy 2004 100% of the laminate flooring industry will be glue-less.

2003 This again proved to be a dynamic year within the laminate flooring industry, sales of the product per square foot continued to climb, but lawsuits with regards to patents over the locking system and who created and who could use it surfaced and would continue on for many years. Aside from the lawsuits the technology now happy with the glue-less free install and now a particularly D.I.Y. friendly product focused on creating the product to be as realistic as hardwood as possible.

2004 This saw some dramatic changes in the quality of the laminate product itself. The standard glue-free laminate flooring product was 7" wide by 54" long and it had a light 'ticking' effect, the panels went together with glue-less free locking system. Mostly all of the products were imports and mainly from Europe.

Towards the end of 2004 laminate flooring factories (though not fully integrated and small in comparison to the European counterparts) started appearing across the USA. The larger US manufacturers of carpets invested in laminate flooring facilities though they were not fully integrated (we can explore the importance of vertical integration later). But this showed the US retailer and distributor that the product was here to and it was time to start backing a horse.

This led to more innovation from overseas, the first was a wood grain texture - the laminate itself had heavier wood texture but it was random and not too realistic in effect a modest upgrade, at first all manufacturers tried to sell this improvement for .20SF to distribution but the reality was their was no manufacturer cost increase to produce this texture - it was just a different pressure plate.

2005 The lawsuits over the locking system continued, incidentally the locking system lawsuit is not about the easy angle long joint of the laminate flooring, all the law suits focus on the end locking joint.

The chase to create an exact wood replicate of hardwood flooring continued and this led to a technology called 'Register and Emboss' or 'Embossed and Registered'. The idea of this was for the pattern of the oak for example to be perfectly indented into the wood panel, so the grain of the Oak or Cherry was realistic to the touch.

All the manufacturers soon chased this technology, it required a relatively simple process, create the correct paper (décor pattern) and then have a press plate and the end of the manufacturing process to match that paper décor and then you have the grain embossed.

Legal arguments over who came up with that technology all ensued.

2006 The year of branding, distributors with 'own brand' tried to position themselves as manufacturers - one of the biggest being a vinyl manufacturer tried to position themselves as market leaders. Acquisitions also followed, Mohawk Industries bought Unilin 'Quick-Step' in 2006. This also became the year of the home center business, where having your labeled product in one of the three main US home centers was the ultimate goal.

One of the major carpet manufacturers and distributors with there factory in Dalton gained the business with Home Depot. Pergo was well positioned with a vinyl manufacturer you had private labeled their laminate line into Lowes Home Improvement Stores. Being a vinyl manufacturer and not a laminate manufacturer create a major problem and a crucial weakness as Lowes Home Improvement shifted their purchasing policy to 'only' buy factory direct.

A major Swiss group and manufacturer of laminate flooring also with the world's largest factory in Heiligengrabe, Germany had been quietly building a factory in Barnwell, SC and at the right time were able to replace the vinyl manufacturer as supplier to Lowes Home Improvement.

2007 This really saw the legal issue on the locking system end as two legal systems emerged, one under Valinge Innovation and Uniclic Licensees each with approximately 100 partners paying royalties of roughly .04SF to .07SF. Licensees were granted all over the world and this led way to the re-emergence of Chinese laminate flooring.

In the mid 1990 China was one of the fastest growing laminate flooring markets in the world and most of this was supplied by shipping in container from Europe, there were huge distributors in China 100 containers a month in size - or 2,400 pallets a month. It did not take long for Chinese ingenuity to copy the process and buy 2001, China had a slew of factories (with large Government subsidies), some of this product came back as imports in to the USA, but the legal issues with locking systems and potential freezes of stock, cease and desist letter flying about scared off most distributors.

2008 China was back, this time the large factories had license agreements and were legal, the machines that made the laminate flooring were from Europe and the product quality was excellent.

There market tactics were equally excellent, instead off going after the low end dog fighting market of the 7mm and 8mm, they created a new look. A narrow plank and beveled the edges, this new narrow plank was approximately 5" wide compared to the standard 8" from Europe, the 5" wide was a one plank look and combined with the bevel, register and embossing they had created the ultimate flooring.

This was it, everything over the last 25 years culminated to this point a flooring that had a narrow board look 5 inches wide, beveled or micro beveled on all four side, realistic textured surface and a lifetime warranty.

The European's adjusted, but they were for once on the back foot, China instead of going after the low end market aimed high with a high quality, the highest quality laminate you could buy and they could make it and make it affordable to the US market.

2009 It is not clear where we can go from here, but the same was probably said in 2005, laminate flooring is now so good in appearance that you cannot tell it apart from real hardwood, the only clue is the price laminate flooring is far less expensive than real wood with more color choices. 2009 will be a difficult economic year and so will 2010. Consumers will focus on quality and price. Brand will become less important as the consumer becomes more educated. The huge price fluctuations four sided beveled and narrow plank from one distributor priced at SF and from another .89SF and yet absolutely no technical difference in the product. Consumer will research and the gap will close.

Laminate flooring in the US market is a remarkable story of growth and ingenuity. I do not think that a couple of tough economic years will have much impact on its future survival. It is an excellent product and with some effort and research by the consumer you can get incredible value.

Laminate Flooring History and Timeline in the US Market

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Need For Speed - Hot Persuit 2010

Need For Speed - Hot Persuit is auto racing/car racing game which is released in 2010 and was developed by CRITERION GAMES and published by EA GAMES. It can be played in PS3, X-BOX, MICROSOFT WINDOWS etc. Hot Persuit is the sixteenth title in the franchise and was released in November 2010.

The game falls out in figured location called Seacrest County. It is a clear world and features over 100 miles of clear road, four times bigger than that of Burnout Paradise, Criterion's premature title. According to Criterion the single-player's part is somewhere between 12-15 hours long, simply with lots of play back value.

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Hot Pursuit also blows a new sociable & fundamental interaction system called "Autolog" named as "Facebook for the game". The game blows both single-player and multiplayer game modes on 8 players or participants as an option to live multiplayer racing, participants can post records and achievements on the Autolog feed for supporters to watch, which they then can try to beat out. Autolog as well as contains an experienced system called "Bounty". Participants can also add up customised soundtracks to the game.

Need For Speed - Hot Persuit Locations And Events

Locations

Grand Ocean Coast

Mission Beach

Carson Ridge Reservoir

Coral Bay

Oakmont Valley

Memorial Valley

Boulder Desert

East Gorge Canyon

Eagle Crest

Fox Lair Pass

Big Timber Forest

Rockingham Point

Events

Cut to the Chase

Ocean Blue

Roadsters Reborn

Future Perfect

Close Call

Razor's Edge

Spirit of Performance

Dark Horse

Escape to the Beach

Self Preservation

Sand Timer

Charged Attack

Highway Battle

Coast to Coast

Sun, Sand and Supercars

Hit the Beach

Shock and Awe

Pedal to the Metal

Dust Storm

End of the Line

Porsche Patrol

No Substitute

Untouchable

Calm Before the Storm

Blacklisted

Summit Assault

Complete Control

Snowblind

Tough Justice

Run to the Hills

Extreme Truth

Into the Fire

Midnight Run

First Offence

Arms Race

Snake Pit

Fight or Flight

Lakeside Dream

Law and Disorder

Slide Show

Need For Speed - Hot Persuit 2010

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History of Watsonville, California

Human existence extends back as far as 10,000 years in the history of Watsonville, California. Costanoans were the first indigenous people to the area. Near streams and down by the bay remains of ancient camping areas have been discovered.

The earliest natives hunted elk, birds, and rabbits along with sea life. The area is an integral part of Pajaro Valley, which is located five miles offshore from Monterey Bay.

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Europeans and Mexicans descended upon the region in 1769. They were on a voyage to expand the missions of Baja, CA. One of the first things they noticed were what are now referred to cost redwoods, a very tall type of tree in the area. Three missions sprung up in the area: Mission Santa Cruz, Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, and Mission San Juan Bautista.

When Mexico gained its Independence the land the three missions sat on was granted to citizens of Mexico. Seven "ranchos" were established from the land grant: Bolsa de Pajaro, Bolsa de San Cayetano, Laguna de Calabasas, Los Corralitos, Salsipuedes, San Andres, and Vega del Rio del Pajaro.

During 1848 prospectors flooded the area during the boom of the Gold Rush in the Sierra Mountains. Some had a level of success with finding gold. Those that didn't cashed in on farming due to the population explosion in the region. Land was fairly inexpensive to purchase during this time.

Many ethnic groups came to the region during that time: African Americans, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, and Northern and Southern Europeans. Direct descendants of Californios and Ohlones indigenous to the area, kept a very strong presence.

The history of Watsonville, California involves the city being founded in 1852 then becoming incorporated in 1868. Its name was adopted from a judge by the name of John Watson. The judge brought litigation against Sebastian Rodriguez who owned Rancho Bolsa de Pajaro. When Watson lost the suit against Rodriguez he moved out of the area, but his name stuck as the city's name tag.

Food manufacturing facilities and agriculture of fruit, vegetables, and flowers are still the mainstay of the economy in the city and has been for a century and a half. Potatoes, wheat, and lettuce were some of the most popular crops grown in the region. More than eighty varieties of crops can be produced in the area due to the rich soil.

The Agricultural History Project does much to educate people on how the region has produced crops for more than fifty years. They work to preserve knowledge of prior farming techniques so they can be shared with subsequent generations. Some former facilities that produced frozen vegetables have since moved to Mexico.

Due to the high reliance upon agriculture as an industry, development of the area is closely safeguarded. Other industrial factories, service, and tourist jobs abound in the area. Granite quarrying is a mainstay in the area. Also, production of parts made of aluminum and brick making are characteristic of the area. The city is touted as the "Strawberry Capitol of the World."

History of Watsonville, California

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Jobs For Teens Under 18 - Jobs Hiring Teens

As a teenager, it's really hard to find a good job.. or any job for that matter. If you're not 16, most places wont even look at you! So how do you go about getting some extra spending money? Online survey services work very well. It doesn't require a credit card, it's entirely free, and they hire all ages including teens!

These services provide jobs for teens under 18 by paying you for every survey and promotion you complete. You can get paid up to 20$ per survey, and surveys generally take about 10 minutes to complete. This survey services minimum age for hiring is 13, which makes it a nice way for teens to earn cash.

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What do I need to get started on this?

An email address, thats it. These service are completely free and don't require a bank account or a credit card. To receive your payment you can have a parent, or anyone with a bank account cash the check for you.

When do I get my payment?

Most companies deliver your payment at the 20th of every month, like clockwork.

Can you give me proof that this really works?

Yes! Click the link below for proof of checks and a review of a service.

Why are these company's paying me for this?

Basically, advertisers want to know what people like, and what people are looking for. By giving them valuable information about the kinds of things you like and the things you would buy, you help them save millions in advertisement. Click the below link to learn more about how these companies work.

Jobs For Teens Under 18 - Jobs Hiring Teens

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