On Wednesday night, Chelsea suffered a 3-0 defeat at Catalan giants Barcelona to exit the Champions League 4-1 on aggregate at the last 16 stage. In truth, Chelsea had not performed terribly in either leg, but lack the ruthlessness of a truly top team. They also lacked the magnificent of a superhuman footballer like Lionel Messi, who notched his hundredth Champions League goal to seal the victory.
One thing that stood out for me from the game, apart from Messi's magic, was Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' role in Messi's goals. Both efforts went through his legs. This has led to a number of gifs and posts mocking the Belgian.
Some will argue he was unlucky or that Messi was clever. Courtois was at least man enough to come after the game that he made mistakes. The 25-year-old claimed even claimed at between his legs is his weak point. (So many puns in that statement).
Wednesday night was not the first time Courtois has looked unconvincing for Chelsea this season. The Belgium international goalkeeper has endured a poor campaign in-between the sticks for the Blues.
At 25-years old he is still a relatively young 'keeper and is still learning. However, so many people claim that Courtois is the best in the world. From the Chelsea games I have seen, he is not even the best in the Chelsea squad.
At the minute, he is living off his reputation gathered by years of winning trophies at Chelsea and before that at Atletico. However, for much of his time at both clubs, he has had well-organised defences in front of him.
The top goalkeepers bail out their defenders when they make the odd mistake. This season he was looked vulnerable at times because the Blues have not been as solid at the back as previous campaigns.
Courtois has looked like a very competent goalkeeper in the past. However, something seems to be up with his game. Whether he has been over-hyped or whether something is not right mentally is unclear.
Courtois early in the season talked about his heart being in Madrid. For me, this was a come and get me plea to Real Madrid, as Atletico Madrid already have a fine goalkeeper in Jan Oblak.
Courtois' contract will have just a year left to run on it this summer. The Blues may be looking to cash in before the highly valuable star can leave as a free agent in 2019.
Real Madrid are reportedly set for a major rebuilding job this summer. A new goalkeeper is likely to be top of their wish list. Both Courtois and Manchester United's David De Gea have been with a move to the Spanish capital.
I know if I had to choose which one I would go for at the moment. It certainly would not be the Belgium international that is for sure. If his future is affecting his game, then he needs to look at his professionalism. Poor displays are not going to earn him a move to Madrid either.
Chelsea's season has been a poor one. The Blues are currently fifth-place in the Premier League table, four points behind fourth-place Liverpool. Antonio Conte's side are now odds of 2/1 to clinch a Champions League spot.
This summer could be one of change with Conte's future with the London club in major doubt. Blues owner Roman Abramovich is not exactly adverse to changing coaches, so there may be a new man in the Chelsea dugout next season.
Maybe the Blues need to consider allowing Courtois to leave this summer. As previously mentioned he will have just 12 months left on his contract in the summer. After talking up a move back to Madrid, I cannot see him signing a new contract.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Courtois in the coming months. If he stays at Chelsea, he has to up his game, as at the moment his reputation is losing credence by the game.


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Q: Constant-Rank Level Set Theorem Proof

This is a proof from Lee's Introduction To Smooth Manifolds. I don't understand how the red part follows. The Rank Theorem will tell us that on $U$, $\Phi$ has coordinate representation:
$$\hat{\Phi}(x^1,\ldots,x^r,x^{r+1},\ldots,x^n) = (x^1,\ldots,x^r,0,\ldots,0)$$
I suppose something special happens in particular on $S \cap U$ which is that slice set mentioned. Why do $x^{r+1},\ldots,x^n$ switch from being $0$ to non-zero while $x^1,\ldots,x^r$ switch from being non-zero to $0$ on $S \cap U$?

A: This just has to do with the charts $(U,\phi)$, and $(V,\psi)$ being "centered" at $p$ and $c$, i.e., $\phi(p)=\vec{0}\in \mathbb{R^m}$ and $\psi(c)=\vec{0}\in \mathbb{R}^n$.
By rank theorem, we have $\psi \circ \Phi \circ \phi^{-1}: (x^1,\ldots,x^r,x^{r+1},\ldots,x^m)\mapsto (x^1,\ldots,x^r,0,\ldots,0) $ as you said. And if we want a point $q\in M$ to map specifically to $c$, we should have
$$
\Phi(q)=c \iff \psi(\Phi(q))= (0,\ldots,0) \iff \psi\Phi\phi^{-1}(\phi(q)) = (0,\ldots,0) \iff \text{the first r coordinates of }\phi(q) \text{ are zero}
$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Albion city manager leaving for job with Lathrup Village
Sheryl Mitchell's last day is March 31
Albion city manager leaving for job with Lathrup Village Sheryl Mitchell's last day is March 31 Check out this story on battlecreekenquirer.com: https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2018/03/19/albion-city-manager-leaving-job-lathrup-village/439179002/
Noe Hernandez, Battle Creek Enquirer Published 5:55 p.m. ET March 19, 2018 | Updated 9:49 p.m. ET March 21, 2018
Sheryl Mitchell(Photo: Provided)
Albion City Manager Sheryl Mitchell is quitting her job, this time for good.
Mitchell submitted a letter of resignation to the city council on March 9. Council members accepted her resignation three days later. Her last day is March 31.
"It's been a pleasure to serve the residents of Albion, and the foundation has been laid for the future progress, and I look forward to their ongoing success," Mitchell said on Monday.
She is going to work for Lathrup Village in Oakland County.
Mitchell is leaving nearly six months after she first tendered her resignation following her annual evaluation in October, during which Mayor Garrett Brown and Mayor Pro Tem Sonya Brown raised concerns about her performance, though the evaluation was generally positive.
"Clearly, the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem have an issue with me relative to what they perceive to be a siding with school annexation," Mitchell wrote in her resignation letter, referring to the voter-approved annexation of Albion schools by the Marshall Public Schools.
Both Garrett Brown and Sonya Brown have denied any such motivation, saying their evaluations were based solely on her performance.
But Mitchell continued, later in the letter, that "The unrelenting assertions that I am not 'transparent', lack 'candor' and attempt to 'purposefully undermine the deliberative process of council' are not only unfounded, but extremely stressful and are impacting my health and ability to most effectively perform my job."
Amid public support, Mitchell would rescind her resignation less than three weeks later.
She starts her new job on April 2 and will be paid the same amount of money she earns in Albion, around $105,000.
"I wish her the best in her next endeavor," Garrett Brown said. "Sheryl's intellect and resourcefulness will be missed.
"I'm confident that the council will be able to initiate a search process for the next city manager in order to maintain the momentum that's in the community," he added.
Mitchell's accomplishments include the success of redevelopment ready communities, an initiative between the city and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to revitalize business and commercial areas and prepare them for investment.
She also mentioned the demolition of the former Dalrymple Elementary School.
Brown lauded Mitchell for securing a $1 million grant to improve the wastewater treatment plant and a $500,000 grant to resurface and repaint the water tower.
"I'm saddened by her leaving, but I wish her the best," Councilman Andrew French said. "She was outstanding in bringing lots of constituents together to help with the revitalization of the city of Albion.
"She was a creative and positive force, engaging and turning around the morale of the city staff and providing excellent leadership in everything she engaged in," he added.
Brown said the council may fill the position by late spring, possibly May.
Contact Battle Creek Enquirer reporter Noe Hernandez at 269-966--0684 or nhernandez@battlecreekenquirer.com.
Read or Share this story: https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2018/03/19/albion-city-manager-leaving-job-lathrup-village/439179002/
Police & Fire: Man sentenced in dog fighting case
Man testifies he didn't see suspect in Battle Creek drive-by shooting
McCamly Plaza Hotel up for sale as renovations continue
El Grotto gone: Former BC club is torn down

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Q: Inductive Proof for Menger's Theorem The following proof for Menger's Theorem is given in Introduction to Graph Theory as follows:
Menger's Theorem.  Let $u$ and $v$ be nonadjacent vertices in a graph $G$. The minimum number of vertices in a $u-v$ separating set equals the maximum number of internally disjoint $u-v$ paths in $G$.
Proof. We proceed by induction on the size of the graph. Certainly, the result is true vacuously for all empty graphs. Assume that the result is true for all graphs of size less than $m$, where $m$ is a positive integer, and let $G$ be a graph of size $m$. Let $u$ and $v$ be two nonadjacent vertices of $G$. Suppose that there are $k$ vertices in a minimum $u-v$ separating set. Certainly, $G$ can contain no more than $k$ internally disjoint $u-v$ paths. We show, in fact, that $G$ contains $k$ internally disjoint $u-v$ paths. We consider three cases.
(I'm only including the proof for the case I'm stuck on.)
Case 1. There exists a minimum $u-v$ separating set $U$ in $G$ containing a vertex $x$ that is adjacent to $u$ and $v$.
Case 2. There exists a minimum $u-v$ separating set $W$ in $G$ containing a vertex in $W$ that is not adjacent to $u$ and a vertex in $W$ that is not adjacent to $v$. Let $W = {w_1, w_2, \ldots, w_k}$. Let $G_u$ be the subgraph of $G$ consisting of all $u-w_i$ paths in $G$, where $w_i \in W$ for each $1 \leq i \leq k$ and let $G'_u$ be the graph obtained from $G_u$ by adding a new vertex $v'$ and joining $v'$ to each vertex $w_i$ for $1 \leq i \leq k$. Let $G_v$ and $G'_v$ be defines similarly, where $G'_v$ is obtained from $G_v$ by adding the new vertex $u'$.
Since $W$ contains a vertex that is not adjacent to $u$ and a vertex that is not adjacent to $v$, the size of each of the graphs $G'_u$ and $G'_v$ is less than $m$. Since $W$ is a minimum $u-v'$ separating set in $G'_u$, it follows by the induction hypothesis that $G'_u$  contains $k$ internally disjoint $u-v'$ paths, each consisting of a $u-w_i$ path $P_i$ followed by the edge $w_iv'$. Similarly, there are $k$ internally disjoint $u'-v$ paths in $G'_v$, each consisting of a $w_i-v$ path $Q_i$ preceded by the edge $u'w_i$. Since $W$ is a $u-v$ separating set in $G$, the two graphs $G_u$ and $G_v$, have only the vertices of $W$ in common. Therefore, the $k$ paths obtained by following $P_i$ by $Q_i$ for each $1 \leq i \leq k$ are internally disjoint $u-v$ paths in $G$.
Case 3. For each minimum $u-v$ separating set $S$ in $G$, either every vertex of $S$ is adjacent to $u$ and not adjacent to $v$ or every vertex of $S$ is adjacent to $v$ and not adjacent to $u$.
The part I'm getting stuck on is the assumption that "$W$ is a minimum $u-v'$ separating set in $G'_u$" (and in $G'_v$). How can we make this assumption?

A: Imagine like this. ${G'}_u$ and ${G'}_v$ resp. are obtained by collapse the right (left resp.) part of $G$ wrt. $W$ into $v'$ and $u'$ resp. So if you can find smaller $W'$ to separate any of these two new graphs, you have found a smaller separating set of $G$ contradicting definition of $W$.


Blog $500 First Prize Giveaway PLUS You Can View Prime Photos with Alexa on your Amazon Fire TV!
Last time, I told you guys all about the new Amazon Prints feature – THIS time, I'm talking about the new and improved Amazon Fire TV Stick, which has an Alexa Voice Remote, and a $500 first prize Amazon gift card giveaway, along with five 2nd prize giveaways of $100 Amazon gift cards!
FIRST of all, the Fire TV Stick (which is priced at just $39.99!) is SO COOL, ya'll! I just received mine*, and I have been playing with it non-stop. I can watch whole seasons of my favorite cable network shows with no commercials, play Netflix on any TV in my house just by plugging in the Fire TV Stick, listen to Amazon Music, watch music videos (this is a guilty pleasure of mine, but you should try it, addictive!), watch sports (blecch, sports), and even watch slideshows of my favorite albums with Prime Photos!
If you're a Prime member, and you're not using Prime Photos, you need to get on the stick! (Pun intended, haha). Download the app on your phone or any other device you store photos on, and then upload your pictures to Prime Photos, which gives you unlimited photo storage! Plus, in the U.S., all Amazon Prime customers receive 5 GB of FREE digital storage for their videos or files. Then, with the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, you can simply say, "Show my photos from Sam's 8th birthday," or "Show my photo album from the twins' first day of kindergarten," and Alexa will find that album and play a slideshow on your TV! It's a perfect backdrop for social occasions, but also a great way to connect during family time (or torture your spouse with old pictures of themselves, like this couple did).
Good luck, guys, and don't forget to view Prime Photos with your Fire TV Stick today!
Sharing family photos of course!!
Of course!! 😉 Good luck, mama!!
Whoa, this is an awesome giveaway, and I want that firestick!
OBSESSED with our fire sticks- we have them for all the TVs now, and are thisclose to finally cutting cable altogether! I love looking at our travel photos on our tv!!
That's awesome! I need to catch up with the times and get more fire sticks!
I can FINALLY get all the photos off my phone! We have a Fire Stick and I had no idea it had photo storage. Was slightly panicked during the last hurricane scare – mostly about photos – so this is perfect!
I love my fire tv stick! It's all we use to watch tv. I've had one since it first came out.
They are super easy to unplug and take on vacation too!
I know!!! I haven't even moved over to another TV from my kitchen yet, but I plan to!
I nees this in my life!
Thanks, Ashley! for the chance.
Dang, I missed it. The Firestick does sound awesome, though. We sell a ton of them at my parttime gig at Target.


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Breaking Stereotypes Over Chai: Meet Priyank Patel of Nukkad, The Teafe
Bhawana Bisht
The specially-abled and the members of the Transgender community are as much an integral part of the society as anyone else. Raipur's "Nukkad, The Teafe" is making sure the society understands this and paves way for inclusion. Started by Priyank Patel, this cafe hires only specially-abled and transgender community staff members for serving and managerial roles. Presently, there are three transgender employees and ten specially-abled people. Besides serving tea, food and fulfilling conversations, the cafe has become an example of social acceptance in the city.
SheThePeople.TV spoke with Priyank about his journey, his inspirations and the factors that keep him going. Excerpts from the interview:
How did you come to open "Nukkad, The Teafe" ?
In 2013, after my stint with IT and Social sector, I felt there was a need for a bridging platform between marginalised communities and our mainstream society. Nukkad was proposed as an idea of an informal, laid back and cosy cafe, offering non-discriminatory opportunities and creating a space for conversations. We started with hearing-impaired members, having them at the forefront where they could interact and engage. After working confidently with them for three years, we expanded our vision and included Transgender community members as well.
Nukkad, in Hindi, means a corner of the street where people come, sit and share a cup of chai. Teafe is a portmanteau for Tea cafe. We wanted Nukkad to be one such place where people can come, relax, share a chai and simply feel good.
Tell us about your background. How has it shaped your mindset and thought process?
I am an electronics engineer. In 2011, I quit my job and joined the young India fellowship. While working with communities in the villages of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Odisha, I realised the need of for informed choices and was upset with the disparity in social segments. Post fellowship, I worked on many ideas one of which was creating a volunteering firm named "Jazbaa The passion within", which was formed to promote the gratefulness among youth for the Indian armed forces and at the same time looking after the families of the martyrs. We were working on it but had no funds, or expertise. The results were slow, so, we decided to make it more engaging and thought of opening up a 'Chai Cafe' that works as a bridge between communities. We worked on the idea for six months and in June 2013, came up with Nukkad.
We don't claim to work for marginalized communities employment, rather we work on engagement and empowerment.
Your cafe is known to only recruit staff members, who are specially-abled or members of the transgender community. What inspired you to implement such a thoughtful and humane idea?
While working on the idea, I heard about "The Miracle Couriers" from Mumbai, which is a logistics company that employs all hearing-impaired staff, I implied that why can't we create a space for a community interaction. We don't claim to work for marginalized communities employment, rather we work on engagement and empowerment. As the society started expecting more from our concept, we involved transgender members. In our upcoming ventures, we plan to work with people with Down syndrome, autism and HIV positive.
Photo credit : Nukkad, The Teafe Facebook
How has the response to the hiring process been?
As I was new to Raipur, I had to look for the organisations working with the hearing impaired. Once I connected, I then needed to train the staff as it was their first experience. Things were hard when it came to recruiting members of the transgender community as employees. The society has some rigid preconceived notions and we needed to smash the stigma. The community was reluctant in the beginning of being part of such a social experiment but eventually two proud members Naaz and Chand joined us and they became everyone's source of inspiration.
The cafe is an example of social acceptance. How do you feel when you realise that you're creating an inspiring story with every recruitment?
It is definitely a very satisfying experience. When visitors talk about the positive vibes the place offers, or even seeing the transformation among the employees is an enriching experience. Earlier the family members of the employees considered them non-productive, and now they make their folks proud.
Perhaps The True Hero Of Christmas Story Has Always Been Mary
What kind of policy changes do you think we need to help integrate the specially-abled in the mainstream?
Social inclusion is a challenging yet much-needed concept. We need to understand that every individual should be given fair chances to prove their worth. As a society, we must be more compassionate and generous.
Offering them reservation or giving them a job where no one else understands them won't solve the purpose, we must create an inclusive workspace where they are understood, accepted and appreciated.
Given that cafe's popularity, it's obvious that the customer reactions are heart-warming. What keeps your customers intact and committed?
It's the personal engagement and innovation. Especially due to our innovative initiatives like open mic platform their writings or interact with socially influential personalities.
We have a Digital detox initiative whereby submitting your cell phones while chilling at Nukkad you can avail a discount. Gyaan Daan – Book exchange initiative, Bol do is an anti-depression movement offering peer support. We also engage in sessions about social taboos and discussions.
Photo credit : Priyank Patel
Where does your love for tea come from?
I still remember the aroma of freshly made Chai that my mom used to make in the morning. It is a ritual. We are a regular indian family that loves its Chai for every occasion.
I realised Chai is a real conversation starter, so Nukkad was built on the idea of a Chai serving place that offers social inclusion.
The ambience and interior are undoubtedly one-of-a-kind. What got you to create a certain atmosphere?
We were certain of creating an atmosphere that connects with everyone.We always wanted to give Nukkad a warm and homely feel.
What would you want to tell the people in their twenties when it comes to finding their own story and passion?
A. Find your talent and use it for good.
B. Don't ignore your social responsibility. Ask yourself, what did you contribute to make this world a happy place.
C. Travel, be compassionate, meet and interact with new people and decide your own course of journey.
What inspires you to keep going?
I am passionate and engaged in developing a socially inclusive ecosystem. The vision we carry, is to create a harmonious society where everyone is equal and their rights are supported. It's a long journey and we have just begun.
Also: Bindu Subramaniam Says Music Can Shape New Thinking
Bhawana is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv
#transgenderrights
Nukkad - The Teafe
Priyank Patel
Fifteen Transgender Women Tie The Knot In A Mass Wedding In Raipur
Japan Univ To Open Doors For Transgender Students
In A First, LGBTQ Couple On ESPN Mag's Cover
Your Breasts Are Real? Principal Asks Transgender Teacher At Interview
In A First, Chhattisgarh To Recruit Transgender People In Police Force


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Reviews and Guides
At Fitness to Diet, our goal is to help our readers to find accurate and informative information in Combat Sports and Fitness. Our reviews highlight the best fight gear, fitness accessories, and supplements in a world of information overload.
We are obsessed with creating content that is scientific, well-researched, and accurate. We understand that time is important in an ever-evolving digital world, so our content aims to provide the answers in a concise and helpful manner. A huge part of what we do is testing the latest fight gear or protein supplement to ensure we can give candid reviews of the latest in the market. It makes the world of difference to have a trusted third-party separate the truth from the marketing hype.
We believe in really honest reviews. This means if it's rubbish, we'll tell you.
Sustainability is important to us. If we notice some brands aren't riding the eco-friendly wave, we'll call it out.
We're believers in our sports. We love everything from Mixed Martial Arts, to BJJ, to Powerlifting and Bodybuilding.
We strive to keep our content relevant. This means regularly updating what we believe is true.
Quality over quantity. Our goal is to provide readers with the best content, not the most content.
Our reviews involve hours of testing of each product to give us a true flavor for what's good, what's bad, and most importantly what hasn't mean mentioned online yet. There's nothing worse than looking at a 4.5-star review with thousands of reviews, to find that actually, there are huge flaws in this product. We trial and test it all.
As practitioners of our trade, we have the knowledge of what's good and bad. We've lived in the world of bodybuilding and powerlifting, so we know what belts are best. We've shaken and drunk an unimaginable number of protein shakes, so we know which is best. We've punched, kicked, and grappled for years, so we know which gloves and shin guards will work and which are glossy hype.
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In this manual you will learn about the conversion rate optimization and how this strategy helps you in maximizing your sales. We all know everyone wants to covert their visitors into customers, at this point the CRO plays very important role.
The conversion changes the web visitor into a lead or a customer.
This overall conversion rate can easily be set up in all good web analytics tools (for example in Google Analytics for any of your site goals – see screenshot below) and can easily be setup in website testing tools too.
With the help of these 7 tools you can easily increase your conversion Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the process of optimizing your landing pages, and overall website design to raise your conversion rate i.e converting visitors into customers.
Bounce rate is an Internet marketing term used in web traffic analysis. It determines the percentage of visitors who enter the site and leave the site (bounce) rather than continue viewing other pages of the site.
Why CRO Is So Important?
Reason #1: The obvious reason to improve your conversion rate is that you want more customers without having to spend a penny more on advertising.
Reason #3: CRO is all about research, testing and analysis. By using CRO you are able to get a better understanding of your customer.
Reason #4: It increases Lifetime Customer Value (LCV), it means the probable customer will purchase additional services or products in the future.
Reason #5: It makes you more valuable to affiliates and partners.
Reason #6: It creates a powerful flywheel of momentum that will enhance your market share. The better your conversion rate, the more traffic you can afford, the more customers you get, and so on.
Exit pop-ups are one of the most important website lead generators. They appear on screen just when your visitor is about to (or has) bounced.
The exit popup software was developed to help e-commerce sites achieve their objectives of getting: Followers – Subscribers -- Buyers – High financial returns.
What's a way to keep your website visitor engaged just as they're about to bounce? Ask a question that requires a yes, no or exit response.
Preventing the visitor to bounce to another web page.
Attractive use of call to action on Exit popups diverts the mind of visitors to continue with your page.
Social Triggers uses a question in their exit popup.
Search Engine Journal uses exact odd numbers strategy in their blog exit popup.
Conversion XL uses the clear and large view of exit popup.
KISSmetrics uses shock heading strategy to give bouncing traffic pause.
The quickest way to drive sales is to send traffic from your blog to either a landing page or your homepage. This can be done by using sticky bars or top bars.
Through Sticky Bar, which is free, you can direct blog traffic to your corporate site.
By using sticky top bar you can manage your site flow and grab user's attention very easily when he scrolls down the website.
This helps in increasing your conversion rate from 20% - 35 %.
They make browsing a website far easier.
Having a Sticky top bar at your website is a major feather in the impatient user's cap, particularly if the website has messy and unmanaged content.
Having a Sticky Sidebar with navigational elements makes it easier for users to route their way around a website.
By using this sidebar user can easily navigate to other pages of the website and this helps in reducing the bounce rate of the site.
4) Social Share Buttons: Most people prefer to share your page, Adding share buttons increases your chances of getting your content shared across the social space.
Social share buttons reflects visitors that your offer and brand are trustworthy and reliable.
Encourage your visitors to share and comment, which produces relevant and unique, user-generated-content.
By using these buttons you are able to get more traffic to your site.
Social Sharing buttons helps in building your brand image.
By adding social share buttons steamfeed.com conversion rate increases from 40%-50%.
5) Urgency timer: Countdown timers create a sense of urgency. Creating urgency is a proven technique for increasing sales and conversions. To ensure fast purchase, consider adding a timer to show the customer the time until which the item can be reserved for him.
These timers indicate users that the product is for limited time, purchase it now. This increase the conversion rate more efficiently.
Listed below is a graph that shows increase in conversion rate and reduction in bounce rate through urgency timers.
6) Testimonials: Testimonials are an extremely important part of the success of your business. These are written or recorded statements that support your credibility and level of expertise.
Written testimonials increased customer conversion by 25%.
In order to achieve the most positive testimonials, be sure that you're marketing your product to the right individuals.
If you want to attract more customers you need to have a real testimonials on your site.
Video testimonials boosts conversion rate by 25% and 201% respectively. So video testimonials can be extremely effective.
How to do testimonials on your website?
Testimonials helps in building trust.
Authenticity is key, so use real testimonials from real people.
You should make full use of your social media channels to spread the word regarding your real testimonials.
Use video testimonials since many people prefer to watch video rather than reading.
If used well, customer testimonials can build trust, increase sales and keep your business from being another fail-gate.
To increase conversion rate use video and written testimonials at homepage if it is a product based site.
Strategic and intelligent use of testimonials can go a long way in promoting your business worldwide.
Effective landing pages make sure to match the words used in their page copy with the keywords and text used in their PPC Ads.
Repeating the same language and key phrases ensure visitors that they're on the right path and shows uniformness.
Here is an example of how PPc Ad keyword is related with landing page keyword. This helps in increasing the conversion rate.
With the help of these 7 tools you can easily increase your conversion rate upto 90%.


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Activist hedge fund gunning for GAM
Swiss investment fund proposes alternative slate of directors for fund manager's AGM in April
Alexander Friedman, chief executive of GAM, has been pursuing acquisitions and diversification since 2015
Company Photograph
Mark Cobley
Monday February 27, 2017 12:00 pm
GAM, the Swiss asset management group, may have a boardroom battle on its hands after coming into the crosshairs of an activist hedge fund.
RBR Capital Advisors, which owns 2.1% of GAM's shares, is aiming to get its founder and chief investment officer, Rudolf Bohli, and two other candidates elected to GAM's board, the company said in a statement today, February 27.
RBR...


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In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II. As the owner displays and unfurls a Japanese parasol, Henry, a Chinese American, remembers a young Japanese American girl from his childhood in the 1940s - Keiko Okabe, with whom he forged a bond of friendship and innocent love that transcended the prejudices of their Old World ancestors. After Keiko and her family were evacuated to the internment camps, she and Henry could only hope that their promise to each other would be kept. Now, forty years later, Henry explores the hotel's basement for the Okabe family's belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot even begin to measure. His search will take him on a journey to revisit the sacrifices he has made for family, for love, for country.
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text:
10 clues to explain the Colombian frenzy
"To the extent that no one could know for sure where the boundaries of reality were" – Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude. Português Español
Alejandro Matos
Indigenous people walk with a banner that reads in Spanish "Peace" during a peace march in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016. AP Photo/Fernando Vergara.
Explaining oneself is a complex and unfinished task. This is why people often resort to psychologists, friends, teachers or priests. Explaining to outsiders what has happened in Colombia in the last two weeks is no less demanding. Signing the end of a 52-year-long civil war (September, 26), having the agreement submitted to a plebiscite which was won by the No vote (October, 2) and then the losing president being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (October, 7) describe a society trapped in a spirit of frenzy by the demons of contradiction. Probably the most paradoxical thing to understand from afar is the triumph of the No vote, and this article aims to give some clues to understand what happened and what comes next.
Abstention won – much as usual. Colombia is a country where, for a variety of reasons, more than 50% of the electorate has never gone to the polls. The average turnout at elections is between 30 and 40%. This time, 63% percent of those entitled to do so did not vote. After 52 years of civil war, an important part of the country which views the war as if it had happened in some far-away country, stayed at home and let minorities decide for them. At the end of the day, 18% of those who did go to the polls voted No and decided on the fate of the remaining 82%. Indolence is one of the most dangerous enemies of democracy because it offers those whom Valentina Pazé calls fools[1] the opportunity to decide – in this case, not to decide - on the fundamental rights of us all.
There happened, in addition, a magical spell reminiscent of García Márquez's Macondo. The Caribbean coast, where support for the Yes was overwhelming, came under the impact of Hurricane Matthew. In all the departments there, the Yes won by more than 60%, but the abstention rate was above 75%. Had there not been a hurricane, we would not by now be doing any of these analyzes. In a plebiscite that was lost by less than half a percentage point, a handful of votes in that area would have changed the outcome.
Juan Manuel Santos has now been President for the last six and a half years. Power wears down and Santos's image has been eroding. His approval rate is no higher than 30%. There was a definite risk that some of the No voters would do so against Santos, not against the agreements. And it came true. The No vote catalyzed several dissatisfactions. Those who were not willing to make any concessions to the FARC. Evangelical and Catholic extremists who think that family and Colombia itself will come to an end if gay community rights are recognized. Those who reject Santos's economic and social policies, as well as his tendency to make unfulfilled promises. Former President Uribe's and his extremist policies' nostalgic ones. The list is endless. Several guilds and associations made public pronouncements and called to vote No if the government did not comply on issues that were not included in the agreements. That is, the plebiscite was used to download all sorts of dissatisfactions - some had to do with the agreements and many others did not. The Yes vote, by contrast, focused on the agreements: an important part of the population do not support the president's policies, but do support the content of what was negotiated.
The official campaigns for both the Yes and the No polarized and manipulated the electorate. On the government's side, pride prevailed: on the one hand, it thought that the Yes would win in a landslide; on the other, it portrayed the No voters as friends of war and enemies of peace. The president himself raised absurd and awkward fears saying that if the No were to win, the next day the cities would be bombed by the FARC. The campaign led by Uribe, for its part, studied and manipulated the population thoroughly. As the campaign manager recently confessed, the strategy was not to explain the arguments against the agreements, but to alter the population and get people to go to the polls irrationally angry.[2] To this end, the middle and upper classes were told that their taxes were to be raised in order to pay the guerrillas, and the lower classes were told that subsidies would be cancelled and given to the guerrillas instead. The No campaign prophesied throughout the country that if the Yes won, there would be a Castro-Chavista government in Colombia, even though no explanation was given as to what the logic behind the prophecy was. But fear is not driven by logic. None of this was in the agreements, but they managed to get people to vote against them. In the last 15 days, the No campaign intelligently told its followers that they would not be voting against peace but against the agreements. Many Colombians began to assert that they had read all 297 pages of a legal and politically complex text, and that they disagreed with many aspects of it, even though they were unable to say which and why. This message psychologically empowered many voters who were embarrassed to be seen as enemies of peace.
Religion played an ambivalent and dangerous role in a deeply religious country. On the side of the Catholic Church, while Pope Francis campaigned non-stop from Rome for the Yes, and went so far as to say that he would visit Colombia only if he Yes won, the Colombian Episcopal Conference issued a statement urging the faithful to vote according to their conscience... thus displaying a nauseating apocalyptic lukewarmness quite contrary to the signs of the times (Revelation 3:16). On the side of the evangelical churches, most of them directly and actively opted for the No, mixing divine commandments and moral prejudices which not only collide with human rights but have nothing to do with the agreements. To them, the Bible definitely prophesied the demonic nature of the agreements and so the faithful should vote No. Unfortunate but true: the brethren believed their pastors and went to the polls as irredentist and subaltern sheep.
The majority of the media indulged in a simulation that put at risk the right to information. Although many of them kept an editorial line in favour of the Yes, they actually conveyed the terrible lies of the No and became their permanent mouthpiece, falling short of fulfilling their duty to check the accusations. Quite a number of politicians in favour of the No got used to hurling accusations, which were both very serious and showed no signs of truthfulness against the president, the FARC and the agreements, without proving any of them, and the media got used to relaying them uncritically, as if there was a right to manipulate and lie, and a duty for the media to act as mouthpieces of that right. What was important for them was not the information, but the boost in the audience ratings after each outburst. Perhaps one of the few journalists who behaved in an exemplary manner was Yolanda Ruíz.[3] She refused to broadcast unfounded accusations by the No advocates, reminding without much success that it is journalism's duty to safeguard truthfulness and not give voice to manipulation.
7. Fortunately, the triumph of the No has not meant the end, but rather the resumption of the negotiations. While at first the supporters of the Yes looked as if they had no B plan, those of the No showed that they did not even have an A plan. The former did not expect a defeat, and the latter did not imagine a victory. This meant that the hours immediately after the results were steeped in a menacing level of uncertainty. Fortunately, the statements from the president, the FARC, and Uribe were reassuring and displayed a political high-mindedness commensurate with the seriousness of the situation. To this must be added the consensus of all sides to keep the bilateral ceasefire, which is in itself a great victory. For the process to go ahead, it is necessary, moreover, to maintain and to strengthen the support of the leadership of the Armed Forces and the United States. Today, the former seems more feasible than the latter, considering the unwanted but not impossible victory of Donald Trump.
8.There is no road ahead. It has to be built and agreed upon, not by two actors any more, but three. Here are some of the possible paths:
8.1. One path would be to go ahead with the agreements and get Congress to validate them. This is politically the most unlikely and most illegitimate one, because it would not only ignore the result of the plebiscite, but involve the most despised institution in the country, the approval rate of which stands at less than 8%.
8.2. Another path would be a fairly speedy renegotiation of some parts of the agreements. This would be the most desirable one, because it would cater for both the Yes and the No advocates, since they would both feel that they have won and that their vote has been useful. But it remains to be seen whether the FARC are willing to renegotiate. It all depends on what they are presented with. It is also to be seen whether Uribe's side wants a short negotiation or one that would last until the presidential elections of 2018. The fact that Uribe has chosen three presidential hopefuls as its three negotiators is a warning signal. It would be a serious mistake to make the agreements depend on future elections, and, besides, an 18-month campaign would be just unbearable.
8.3. A third path would be to convene a National Constituent Assembly, FARC's proposal from the start of the negotiations which was rejected again and again by the government, but which today seems likely to happen sooner or later. This is a risky way out because while it is true that the agreements demanded dozens of constitutional reforms, it is no less true than the current Colombian constitution includes some guarantees that would probably not be surpassed by a new one. On the contrary, the current polarization of forces and ambitions is such that a new constitution would probably be a kind of Frankenstein text which would assemble the competing interests of multiple groups and associations, and lose the common good guideline of the existing constitution. This position forgets that Colombia's problem is not the constitution but the lack of political will to implement it. A new Constituent Assembly runs the risk of adjusting the constitution to the disparate, contradictory (and selfish) wills that would negotiate it.
9. Transitional justice is a political process in which justice becomes flexible in order to move from a negative historical state to a new and better one. The agreements included this situation: retributive justice was to be minimized with respect to restorative justice, but, in return, the perpetrators of crimes from all parties (the guerrillas, the military, the police, politicians, businessmen, landowners) were required to confess the whole truth about the very serious crimes committed or face the full weight of criminal justice. A shadow that hangs over this new context is whether truth will not in the end be the victim of the victory of the No and the ensuing renegotiation. Truth affects the elites of all the parties involved in the conflict, who are not particularly interested in having its light shining on the population and in clarifying the facts and their historical interpretation. A 52-year civil war could not have been sustained over time without the support of economic, social, religious and political forces. What these elites are worried about is not so much the risk of impunity - in Colombia, in fact, it is not a risk but a reality: the new attorney general acknowledged in his inaugural address on August, 1st, that the current impunity rate is 99% -, but the fact the truth be known. As Nietzsche said, humans are not ashamed of committing morally abhorrent acts, but of others knowing about them.
10. We are left with a fragmented... and yet hopeful country. On the one hand, a third of the population, which went to the polls, divided and confronted. Polarization affects the everyday life of families, groups of friends or fellow workers, neighbours. The plebiscite opened wounds in the closest and most trusted circles which are difficult to heal. On the other hand, it is a fact that in almost all of the areas which have experienced the armed conflict, the Yes won by an overwhelming majority. How are we to explain to the indigenous, black and rural communities, and to the victims, that their urban fellow citizens, who have not suffered from the war, have decided that they should keep on suffering from it? This lack of solidarity is not only incomprehensible but also unjustifiable - it is classism's persistent, lingering historical repetition. Finally, a sign of hope. A crowd of young students took to the streets of major Colombian cities on Thursday, October, 6, shouting "We want peace" and demanding that the three parties agree - swiftly. Hundreds of thousands of students reminded their elders that they do not wish to keep on living through a war that is none of their doing, but that they are willing to contribute to its end. Maybe street pressure will in the end force the warring parties to reach a final agreement.
There is a general feeling in the country that this agreement has to be found. There is a saying in Colombia which describes those who are frightened at their own success: "To kill the tiger and be frightened by the leather (its skin)". Today we find ourselves in this situation, and the surprise at the plebiscite results is driving the opposing parties and voters to recognize that a way out must be found. It would seem that, for the first time, starting from the tremendous international ridicule of the victory of the No, the Colombian people are willing to shed their own historical conviction, which concludes One Hundred Years of Solitude: "... because lineages condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not enjoy a second opportunity on Earth."
[1] Pazé, Valentina, En nombre del pueblo. El problema democrático, Marcial Pons, Madrid, 2013.
[2] http://www.larepublica.co/el-no-ha-sido-la-campa%C3%B1a-m%C3%A1s-barata-y-m%C3%A1s-efectiva-de-la-historia_427891
[3] http://www.eltiempo.com/entretenimiento/cine-y-tv/omar-rincon-la-paz-en-el-periodismo-el-otro-lado/16710880
Unete a nuestro boletín ¿Qué pasa con la democracia, la participación y derechos humanos en Latinoamérica? Entérate a través de nuestro boletín semanal. Suscríbeme al boletín.
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text:
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text:
Carl Gustav Talbot (* 3. Oktober 1829 in Aachen; † 21. September 1899 ebenda) war ein deutscher Waggonfabrikant.

Leben und Wirken
Der Sohn des Gründers der Waggonfabrik Talbot, Hugo Jacob Talbot (1794–1850), und der Rosa Puissant (1798–1862) aus Mons wurde zusammen mit seinen beiden Brüdern Eduard (1817–1876) und Julius Josef (1818–1896) schon früh von seinem Elternhaus auf die Übernahme des väterlichen Unternehmens vorbereitet. Da beim Tod des Vaters im Jahr 1850 Carl Gustav noch zu jung und seine Brüder noch nicht dazu bereit waren, die Waggonfabrik zu übernehmen, wurde diese zunächst stillgelegt. Erst fünf Jahre später entschlossen sich die drei Brüder zusammen mit dem Eisenbahningenieur Peter Herbrand die Fabrik unter der Firmierung Talbot & Herbrand neu zu eröffnen. Nach dem Ausscheiden von Herbrand, der nun selbst 1866 in Köln-Ehrenfeld die Waggonfabrik P. Herbrand & Cie gegründet hatte, erhielt das Unternehmen der drei Brüder schließlich den bis 1995 gültigen Namen Waggonfabrik Talbot.

Carl Gustav Talbot leitete bis zu seinem Tode das Unternehmen hauptverantwortlich und sorgte durch die Aufnahme seines Sohnes Georg Talbot in die Geschäftsleitung für einen reibungslosen Übergang der Leitungsverantwortung innerhalb der Familie. Dieser hatte nach seiner Ausbildung zum Eisenbahningenieur 1891 den Talbot-Selbstentlader entwickelt, der für ein Jahrhundert eine der wirtschaftlichen Säulen der Waggonfabrik Talbot darstellte.

Neben seinen dienstlichen Verpflichtungen war Carl Gustav Talbot Vorsitzender bzw. Vorstands- oder Aufsichtsratsmitglied mehrerer renommierter Gesellschaften und Verbände. Darüber hinaus war er viele Jahre Ratsmitglied der Stadt Aachen und von 1894 bis 1899 Abgeordneter im Rheinischen Provinziallandtag.

Für seine Verdienste wurde Talbot 1890 zum Kommerzienrat ernannt und mit dem Roten Adlerorden in der IV. Klasse (Ritter) ausgezeichnet.

Familie und Soziales
Carl Gustav Talbot war verheiratet mit Clémence Piedbœuf (1835–1912), Tochter des Industriellen Jean Pascal Piedbœuf (1813–1879), dem Gründer des Eisenblech-Walzwerkes Piedboeuf, Dawans & Co und des Röhrenwerkes J. P. Piedboeuf & Co., beide in Düsseldorf-Oberbilk sowie Kgl. belgischer Konsul in Aachen. Mit ihr hatte er drei Töchter und zwei Söhne. Talbot fand seine letzte Ruhe in der Familiengruft auf dem Aachener Ostfriedhof.

Nach Carl Gustavs Tod errichtete seine Witwe eine Stiftung zur Ausbildung armer, elternloser, verlassener oder verwahrloster Kinder nach vollendeter Schulzeit sowie die Stiftung zur Unterhaltung der Haushaltsschule Marienhospiz in der Eifelstraße. Die Kinder und Schwiegerkinder des Ehepaares gründeten in Erinnerung an ihre Mutter die Clémence-Talbot-Stiftung zu dem Zweck, armen, kranken und erholungsbedürftigen Schulkindern die Unterbringung in einem Erholungsheim zu ermöglichen. Aus diesem Fond wurde unter anderem der Neubau des Erholungsheimes Maria im Tann finanziert.

Literatur
 Eduard Arens, Wilhelm Leopold Janssen: Club Aachener Casino, neu hrsg. von Elisabeth Janssen und Felix Kuetgens, Druck Metz, Aachen 2. Aufl. 1964, S. 189
 Ingeborg Schild, Elisabeth Janssen: Der Aachener Ostfriedhof, Verlag Mayersche Buchhandlung, Aachen 1991, S. 394 ISBN 3-87519-116-1
  Viktor Engelhardt: Waggonfabrik Talbot Aachen. Eine Festschrift zur Hundertjahrfeier 1938. Berlin (Archiv für Wirtschaftsgeschichte), 1938.

Einzelnachweise

Unternehmer (Schienenfahrzeugbau)
Unternehmer (Aachen)
Unternehmer (19. Jahrhundert)
Mitglied des Provinziallandtages der Rheinprovinz
Kommerzienrat
Träger des Roten Adlerordens 4. Klasse
Waggonfabrik Talbot
Deutscher
Geboren 1829
Gestorben 1899
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


David joined Cambrian in January 2018 bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience having started his career in financial services in 1986. David holds the Diploma in Financial Planning and has a broad knowledge of all areas of financial planning, specialising in pensions, investments and protection and with excellent attention to detail.
David grew up on the Wirral and now lives in Penyffordd, with his partner Penny. In his spare time he loves to get out walking in the Lake District and North Wales. His other passion is cars – especially sports cars and classic cars – and he is also a big fan of Harley Davidsons.


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text:
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Leopallooza 2012
Unless you were one of the rare, lucky few with a ticket to the opening ceremony of the Olympics, there was only one other place to be last weekend. In a giant field, in the depths of Cornwall, at the one and only Leopallooza festival. It all started 7 years ago when a bloke called Lee had a farm in Africa, oops, I mean Bude. His childhood days of riding his Chopper bike through puddles and running through the trees had come to a halt, and The Wyldes farm was slowing down. The music scene was heading to Cornwall, and with a vast field just sitting there growing dandelions, Lee and his mates decided to get together and host a party like no other. They built a makeshift stage out of reclaimed wood and invited local bands to perform. Around 250 guests turned up that year, bringing their own homemade cider and munching overcooked charcoal burgers. All as happy as Larry. Whoever he may be. It was a huge success and even though it was the first party, it certainly wasn't to be the last. They derived the name Leopallooza as a play on words from the Chicago-based festival, Lollapalooza as an ode to founder, Lee. Now heading towards its 8th year, Leopallooza is up there on the festival radar, attracting crowds of around 4,000 who come from far and wide. But their motto remains: 'The Greatest House Party... In A Field' and it's spot on.
I went to Leopallooza 2012 last weekend with a bunch of friends and had a ball. Even though Leopallooza is David to Glasto's Goliath, it's big enough to exude an exciting, busy and buzzing vibe with loads to see and do. Yet not too big or overcrowded that you spend hours queuing for the loo or the bar or walking around aimlessly trying to find your mates. Being totally uncommercial and unbranded, Leopallooza has a lovely organic, down-to-earth feel and is completely unpretentious. If you're Too Cool for School, a Diva or a Try Hard, this one ain't for you! But if you're happy perching on a hay bale, sipping cider in the sunshine and listening to some relatively unknown tunes, step this way...
There's a proper party atmosphere at Leopallooza, and a real sense of community - everyone just getting along. And if you enjoy people-watching, then you'll be in heaven as there are people from all walks of life just doing their thing and some wearing the craziest of outfits, but no one bats an eyelid. Anything goes. I spotted Spiderman crowd-surfing; emos braving the daylight; men in maxi dresses busting some moves; hairy-biker types wearing tutus; kids doing stunts on skateboards; a couple of old-timers raving in their pants, and a man spray-painting a face onto half a car. It's all very random and yet very normal (with a hint of feral).
Being a music festival, there are four stages ranging from dance to folk. Once we'd danced our flip-flops off in the dance tent, it was off to the bar to stock up on cider, before finding a grassy pew to watch some of the mainstage bands. As mentioned, Leopallooza promotes up & coming bands from across the UK, be it Indie, folk, hip-hop and pop. Bands performing this year included Brother & Bones; Lucy Rose; The Computers and dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip. I won't pretend I've heard of many, if any of these bands, but the ones I saw were great. Man Like Me was especially excellent and had the crowd eating out of their hands.
One of the Leoapallooza traditions is the Burning Car. At the first party, some bloke drove a car into the field, then turned it into a bonfire. Every year the car gets tarted up (well as much as you can tart up a burnt-out car), is filled with logs and at dusk it is set alight making a perfect bonfire vessel.
If you fancy a spot of shopping, then there's a little merchandise tent selling t-shirts in all shapes and sizes. There's even a tent where you can recharge your mobile phone or camera charger. And if you're wondering what to do with the kids, then take them along. I spotted some really cool kids there - some rocking on dads' shoulders, some sporting painted animal faces, others skateboarding and riding BMX bikes, and a few just blowing bubbles and eating ice cream at the Roller Disco. In the words of Sly & The Family stone, it's a family affair.
If you want to escape the music, there are a multitude of (very reasonably-priced) bars scattered around, including a lovely one hidden in the woods which looks so magical at night when you see the lights glowing in the trees, I have no doubt that goblins and faeries can be found drinking there. Cider is definitely the beverage of choice at Leopallooza, with a wide variety ranging from refreshing and fruity to homemade rocket fuel. Fear not non-cider drinkers, other drinks are available. As for food, again you're spoilt for choice at Palloozaville, as there are loads of little independent huts and tents selling all sorts of tasty treats from pulled pork, nachos and burgers to crepes, hot dogs and jambalaya. Although for the out-of-towners amongst us, unless I missed it, I would have liked to have seen a Cornish cream tea and Cornish pasty tent on offer.
One of the best things about Leopallooza is the fact that it won't break the bank. Guess how much it costs for a 3 day weekend ticket including camping? Go on, take a guess. Give up? Okay, I'll tell you. Fifty quid. Yes, you heard right, that's a bargain £50 for a weekend of fun times. And if you like a bit of luxury, you can always go mad and buy a VIP (Very Important Pallooza) ticket for £100 which gives you access to posh loos, showers, backstage performances, a private bar and complimentary food and drink tokens. But even though it's VIP, it's not stuffy. Leopallooza doesn't do stuffy. And considering Team Pallooza organise this festival for free and purely for the love of it, you've got to admit, it's all fantastically affordable.
Finally, if you're not from those parts but do decide to venture to Leopallooza, it's worth remembering how close you are to the sea. Bude is literally a 10 minute drive away so it could be an idea to incorporate a seaside excursion whilst you're there. Coming from London, we took the First Great Western train from Paddington to Bodmin Parkway which was a lovely leisurely journey, watching the cityscape gently merge into rolling fields and sea views. From Bodmin you can grab a cab or hire a car and be at Leopallooza in around 40 minutes. And if camping isn't your (sleeping) bag, then I can highly recommend staying at Lower Tresmorn Farm - a wonderful B&B at nearby Crackington Haven.
Leopallooza has come a long way since its low-key humble beginnings in 2006 and is set to be even bigger and better next year. But fear not, it'll never be too big for its own wellies! And with no Olympic excuses in 2013, that means there's only one place to be next July.
Leopallooza
The Wyldes
EX22 6UX
Twitter: @LEOPALLOOZA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leopallooza
Get ready for the 8th Leopallooza in July 2013!
Posted by Missimmy at Wednesday, August 01, 2012
That guy in the pants is brilliant! Great post miss immy :) can't wait for next year!!! x
Laura Harrington said...
Loved every second of Leopallooza this year with Miss Immy and crew - massively recommend it next year!!!
Chris Neves said...
Such a great time. A lot of fun. Leopallooza 2013 count me in again. :)
Russell Brown said...
My tent is in the big Leopallooza sign photo. This was my fourth one, it gets better every year! Good times
Dach & Sons
Mari Vanna


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Traveler Shows Little-Known Path To 'Secret' Waterfall In Iceland
Dec 22, 2022 12:33 PM EST
People from all over the world travel to Iceland for its incredible geological features- active volcanoes, steaming hot springs, and some of the most beautiful waterfalls you'll ever see. One of the country's most famous waterfalls is the Seljalandsfoss, which you can even walk behind. But did you know that next to Seljalandsfoss, there's a strikingly beautiful "hidden" waterfall that many miss?
Travel vlogger @handluggageonly visited the famous Seljalandsfoss- but instead of staying there, he takes us aside to show us the path to the lesser-known "secret" waterfall close by!
WHOA. It's a shame that so many people don't think to check over there- they're missing some amazing falls that might even give their more-famous neighbor a run for its money! This is called Gljufrabui (pronounced "glyoo-fra-boo-ee"- say that three times fast) and somehow it has remained a fairly well-kept secret, despite its proximity to one of the biggest natural tourist attractions in Iceland!
Others who had been there were also amazed by Gljufrabui's hidden beauty. "That second waterfall was my favorite part of my entire trip to Iceland - it's so beautiful," reminisced @teavanlinde. "My waterproof boots were perfection, just walked straight through but did hop on a stone for the "aesthetic"," @emmyxmas described her visit. "I didn't do the main waterfall because the line was too long, I just did the "secret" one," @meggsyoung recounted how she discovered the falls.
While Gljufrabui does typically stay relatively quiet compared to Seljalandsfoss, it still occasionally gets its fair share of visitors during the height of tourist season. "D**n, when I was here it was insanely packed! Wasn't a "secret" because there was a huge line of people trying to get in! I wish it were this empty," lamented @buttslightyear. You're less likely to have to fight through crowds at the "hidden" falls, but be prepared- it still has its crowded moments!
All things considered, however, Gljufrabui is still recognized as a semi-hidden gem among locals and tourists alike. It just goes to show that sometimes when you stray just a little bit off of the beaten path, you can discover something really unique and beautiful!


Should I Buy Leads from Lead Generation Companies?
If you look at a typical contractor or real estate agent forum, one topic dominates all others: How do you get new leads?
Within this question is an argument that goes on to this day. Should I buy leads from a lead generation service, or should I manage marketing to generate my own, exclusive leads?
The threads typically have no shortage of extreme opinions, mostly from those who got burned by lead selling services.
But there are reasons some businesses buy leads. Lead selling services require little to no marketing effort from the business itself. They are direct and fast. You pay a fee and have hot leads placed before you.
However, lead buying can be expensive and offer a dubious ROI. The worst problem is the lack of exclusivity. A service that sells leads can't turn a profit if they only sell the lead to one business. This creates two problems.
First, you're in a race to try to be the first to contact the lead. The first contractor will have the best shot at closing the deal, while the last to call probably won't even get the chance to bid.
Second, you get into an automatic bidding war. Many consumers who go on Angie's List or Home Advisor are price shoppers and tire kickers. Also, some contractors are new and willing to underbid to win the business.
Within these contractor forums, you'll also get occasional comments from contractors who claim that buying leads saved their business. To be sure, if you don't have any other channels generating leads for you, buying leads may be your only choice.
On the other side of this is the process of building out your own lead-generation funnel by marketing your business. This lets you develop your own brand, do a better job of pre-selling/qualifying leads, and nurture leads over a longer buying cycle. Smart use of tactics like SEO and social media marketing provide no-cost traffic, lowering your overall cost per acquisition.
The big consideration when doing your own marketing is that it takes time to build momentum. If you need leads yesterday just to stay afloat, SEO isn't going to save you. Marketing isn't effective in an emergency, although, there are paid search and social media advertising tactics that can get you in front of leads quickly while jump-starting your entire marketing effort.
Think of business marketing as an investment. You need to put in resources initially with the plan of getting maximum return once everything is dialed in.
In 2017, Google began to roll out a new type of paid advertising called Local Service Ads. They're pushing this platform for any type of service or contractor that deals with homeowners, including plumbers, handymen, painters, or HVAC.
The initial motivation for creating this service was a scam a locksmith company was running on Adwords. A big part of LSA is a verification process that includes background checks on businesses.
However, this is also a pay-per-lead service. Accounts are built on the LSA platform, and the number of reviews you have will impact your rankings in search results.
If you're a service business that does onsite work on private property, you'll will probably have to start using LSA in 2019. In other words, you will have no choice but to buy leads if you want to do paid search marketing.
To Google's credit, LSA creates a direct lead-to-business relationship, meaning that a lead is actually someone who contacts you by phone call or messenger. This differs from some of the other pay-per-lead services we've mentioned, where you pay just to get the lead's contact info and are in competition with other businesses to contact the lead first.
Note that a lead using LSA ads can make up to three contacts to request estimates, so it's not like you won't have competition, but you should at least be able to contact the lead and have a legitimate chance to win the business.
If you plan to be in business for years to come, investing in your own marketing is, without question, worth it. Between your own lead generation and your referrals, you should never have to buy leads again.
You'll know your marketing is really working for you when you see your brand name become one of your most productive search terms.
However, if you're a new contractor or perhaps relocating, you may need a boost from buying leads. If that's the case for you, here are some tips.
Be ready to take/make calls. The number one thing you need to do to win business when buying leads is to be the first to make contact. Many people report that when they use services like Angie's List, they just go for the first contractor to call them. If you delay, you're wasting your money.
Work on your phone skills. This is a skill you need no matter what, but it's essential when buying leads. You need to sell them on "you" on that first call. Be prepared with questions you can ask about the project that will help you understand the main needs of the lead. Then craft your pitch around those needs. Also, do your best to keep it light and be funny. If you can get the lead to laugh, you have a much better chance of winning the business. (Learn more about closing phone sales).
Don't undersell yourself. Even when buying leads, the race to the bottom is not one you want to win. Leads who price shop and drive bids down to the point the contractor is barely turning a profit are the worst types of clients. They'll nickel and dime you and will still never be satisfied with your work. Then, they leave you negative reviews, making it harder to win new work.
The difference between buying leads and running your own marketing is analogous to renting a home versus owning one. Renting is a fine temporary solution, but ultimately, you're better off investing in the place you want to own.
If you're ready to stop "renting" lead generation and instead want to invest in long-term marketing success, contact our marketing consultants to talk it over. We specialize in helping small businesses develop marketing assets that pay off over a business' lifetime.
With all the tools available today to market and advertise, no serious business looks at buying leads as a long term solution.


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chase25: The Verdict
Cyber-risk: What is it and How Can Associations Protect Themselves?
CHASE Away Winter Blues
DIM or Damned? The Pitfalls of Internationalisation.
Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories
Think Tank: Lobbyists & Lawmakers?
Joy of Tax
The Verdict: Get Personal or Get Ignored
Jewellers: Let's Get Planting!
Book Review: Client Earth – Building an Ecological Civilisation
THINKTANK: Curtains for Cash?
Associations, Blog
By michaeljhoare on
- Associations, Blog
Michael Webb established the Charities and Associations Exhibition, known thereafter as CHASE in 1991, and kept it going for an astonishing 24 years! Earlier this year Glenda Parker, of Hart Square, gathered a 'coalition of the willing' in London to re-launch it for its 25th anniversary. The result – from a standing start in January – was available for all to see a couple of weeks ago. But was it worth all the effort?
Well, if you work for a membership organisation, you don't need me to tell you that change has been rapid in recent years. Associations, institutes, and charities have developed joined-up systems and active member engagement processes. Their outward appearance has become slicker, their business acumen honed. Much of this is down to the digital revolution.
They are also innovative, adaptable, and increasingly fleet of foot. Because, they've had to be. They're correspondingly independent, task focussed, and frequently small to medium enterprises. They are moreover fundamentally about people. And the best way to engage with people is to bring them together under one roof. Where you can entertain them, enlighten them, challenge and energise them!
And so, while it might have been time to light the 25th candle on its birthday cake, it was also time to take a fresh approach to chase25, bringing it up to date with a new venue, structure, exhibitors, and themes. With a show reflective of change, but without abandoning its heritage.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be! But if there was any latent yearning after the past, it was soon dispelled by the new surroundings, and the show's fresh new format.
Yes, digital loomed large amongst the day's themes. But then so did innovation, culture, and leadership. All served up as an appetising smorgasbord providing satisfying treats in portions ranging from amuse bouche to belly busting.
Julie Dodd's reflections on the moral issues exposed by new technology, and its power to do good, during her Michael Webb lecture, was timely. Kevin Cahill, former CEO of Comic Relief, charting the transition from passion driven start-up to charity institution, opportune. And Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 co-founder Midge Ure's juxtaposition of the challenges of promoting a cause in both the analogue and digital universes spanned by his career, revelatory!
But, it was Midge Ure who, for me, came up with the unspoken theme of the day when he attributed Band Aid's success to "finding like-minded people". As he put it, "we put all our little soap boxes together to form a world stage".
Surely – the realisation dawned on me – that is at the very core of what charities and associations do every day; gather like minds in a common cause. But this time chase25 showed us how to do it even better! I, for one, can hardly wait for next year!
Figures revealed by the Financial Conduct Authority's head of technology, resilience and cyber, Robin Jones, in a speech on 25 January 2018, show that a total of 69 material cyber incidents were declared to the FCA in 2017 – an increase from 38 in 2016 and 24 in 2015. That's a rise of more than 80% last year alone!
Those numbers may seem insignificant when viewed in the context of ONS statistics that suggest there are about 1.9m incidents of cyber-related fraud each year. And, that the National Cyber Security Centre recorded over 1,100 reported attacks last year. That is until you take into account the requirement to report material cyber incidents to the FCA imposed on regulated financial services.
In these cases 'material' means attacks that lead to a significant loss of data, or the availability or control of IT systems; that affect a large number of customers; or result in unauthorised access to, or malicious software present on, the company's information and communications systems. So, if cyber-attacks are a big deal in the tightly regulated area of financial services – a sector that you might expect to be exceptionally resilient – then how much of a problem are they for SMEs, trade associations, charities, and institutions?
Considering the rewards for cybercrime surpass most other forms of criminal activity. It is low risk, high reward, and it is relatively easy and cheap to be a cybercriminal. And technology is so integrated into our lives that 93% of business is conducted online. Then the problem is probably bigger than we imagine!
In fact the National Cyber Security Centre sees it is a tier one threat, next to terrorism. With sixty-six percent of small businesses having been the victims of cyber-attack or phishing campaigns last year, costing each one an average of £3000, according to some estimates. So, that puts most of us in the frame for a potential attack. But have we anything of value worth stealing?
What could happen? Email inaccessible. Other systems failures, including payroll, accounting, and ordering. Account information lost. Money and goods stolen. Data lost or compromised. Strategic plans and trade secrets stolen. The list goes on!
But what of the impact? Apart from the operational impact, lost earnings, inability to support customers and suppliers, and the need to repair systems? Ransom demands and extortion can lead to the loss of money and goods that are vital to your ability to continue trading. With the potential knock-on effect of lost competitive advantage, and damage to brand image. Plus, with the advent of more stringent GDPR requirements, the potential for regulatory penalties and fines!
So what are the threats to my business, what are my vulnerabilities, and are there any counter measures I can put in place? Phishing attacks, that involve emails claiming to be from reputable companies, try and trick staff into revealing personal or company information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, are some of the most common, and are best detected by training and vigilance.
Ransomware – software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid – and malware, specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain authorized access to a computer system (which can sit on your system for up to 230 days before activation), along with a distributed denial of service, are the most common threats. Regularly updating anti-virus software and completing patching regimes are the first line of defence. But, outdated operating systems like Windows XP are particularly vulnerable because they are not supported or updated and are therefore liable to attack.
More practical measures to combat insider threats involve awareness training. Disabling USBs and other unnecessary hardware, separating user accounts, removing software, and implementing administration rights, can all be effective in overcoming insider threats and mistakes. Above all, switch on your human firewall and develop a cautious secure mind-set.
But what if I need extra help? That generally comes in two forms. The first line of defence are the expert services of a specialist IT support company that will assess your systems, recommend and install defensive barriers, and devise pro-active company security protocols. They may also test the vulnerability of your system periodically using simulated attacks; suggest and monitor staff training programmes; and use heuristic filters to protect against as yet unknown threats.
The second line of defence – cyber insurance – may seem like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Far from it. Although insurance is no substitute for vigilance it can offer a valuable safety net if the worst happens. From a single point of contact through to restoration and recover services, practical help from insurers will also include legal assistance and forensic services (from specialists like Xenace). And, not forgetting that your finances and reputation will suffer – public relations cover!
But, before we leave the subject of finances, what does insurance cover? Losses could involve simple theft of funds, but might also result from hackers accessing data and demanding a ransom to release it, and income lost when viruses paralyse systems. But the knock on effect could also extend to fines and penalties incurred through data protection non-compliance, legal action by customers following accidental loss of data, and interruptions caused by the paralysis of third party providers.
At first glance Cyber-crime might appear to be a nuisance, and a distraction, from the daily routine of running a membership body. But it can quickly spiral out of control, causing untold damage, not only to finances, but also to brand image, reputation, and member confidence. So prevention in the form of technical expertise is most definitely best. But if you need a cure then insurance is there to help. Or better still, why not belt and braces?
- Associations
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Membership bodies of nearly every stripe find themselves wrestling with the idea of internationalisation at some point in their development, but what are the pitfalls?
There used to be a tradition around this time of year where broadsheet newspapers would ask politicians what books they were taking on holiday as their summer reading. Some went for populist options to show they were 'in touch' with the electorate. Others chose heavyweight tomes by Proust, Ayn Rand, Thomas Piketty, or similar, to flaunt either their intellectual or ideological inclinations! Frankly, I doubt that any of their selections got read. Both Piketty's 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century' at 696 pages, and Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' at over 1100 pages are frankly too heavy to be supported whilst lying prone in a deck chair. And Proust's 'À la Recherche du Temps Perdu' at over 3,000 pages would give you a pretty hefty blow to the head if you fell asleep whilst holding it aloft! However, I've found a book that all politicians should put on their summer reading list. Its light, at just 300 pages including notes. It's a paperback, so shouldn't cause injury. And its message doesn't require any interpretation. First published in 2015, The Joy of Tax by Richard Murphy, isn't on any best seller lists any more, nor is it bang up to date. However, I reckon it should be required reading for politicians of either stripe. Not that they will of course, because dogma does not permit such forays into joined-up thinking. But, even if you don't subscribe to the author's ultimate prescription for the ideal tax system, this little book is the perfect primer for the understanding of tax. Not only does Murphy remind us of the history of taxation and what exactly tax is, but swiftly deals with the naysayers who seek to undermine it for their own purposes. He also demolishes some of the canards that have become the backbone of much debate around the subject.
Laissez-fair capitalists my rend their clothes and tear out their hair at the notion, but tax can also have a social purpose. Murphy reminds us of the pillars on which an equitable tax system should be built and the fundamental ideas that can help fashion it. A 'must read' for ALL aspiring politicians!
Murphy was appointed Professor of Practice in International Political Economy in the Department of International Politics at City University London in 2015, as a part-time appointment involving research and teaching. Previously he had been a visiting fellow at University of Portsmouth Business School, the Centre for Global Political Economy at the University of Sussex, and at the Tax Research Institute at the University of Nottingham. He was the founder of, and remains on the Board of Directors of, the Fair Tax Mark. www.penguin.co.uk ISBN 978-0-552-17161-8
At the back end of July Hart Square held a seminar entitled 'Get Personal or Get Ignored', featuring contributions from Rachel Weber of dotmailer and Steve Smith of City & Guilds. Here's my verdict: Allen Reid Plumbing the depths of his experience Allen Reid, director of client projects at Hart Square, the niche not-for-profit tech consultancy, ruminated in July on the lack of insight that most NFPs have into their customers and members' personal preferences. Typically Sarah, Allen's archetypal customer, is not interested in your work silos. She has her own, and she's not going to waste time on yours. In fact she only opens one in fifteen emails, unless they happen to be from a colleague. Nevertheless, in most associations a 'spray and pray' methodology is still employed: scattering a plethora of messages over Sarah, most of which are irrelevant to her. Even as far back as the turn of the 20th century, when nearly all advertising was via printed media, this was recognised as an inefficient way of promoting a message. However, in those days there was little other choice. Even John Wannamaker, one of the pioneers of American department store retailing, is quoted in 1917 as saying, "I know half of advertising is wasted, we just don't know which half". And, according to Allen at least, little had improved as the century neared its end, and he began his career as an analyst. His experience, and that of Hart Square, proved that the keys to personalised messaging are data, systems integration, and staff empowered to make use of that data. However, in most organisations, there is no point staff having 'good ideas' because current systems are too clunky to make pursuing them worthwhile. Very few associations can deny holding their data on multiple spreadsheets. Partly because 'knowledge is power', and those wielding that power fear that losing it will undermine their role in the organisation. However Allen – whose motto is "if it moves, track it" – contends that automated interactions should free up staff to do things that only humans can do. And frankly associations have got to re-think their role in an era when they are no longer information 'gate-keepers'. Rachel Weber Linking the two presentations Rachel Weber, senior account manager at dotMailer, highlighted the benefits and technical improvements that could be achieved by installing a system such as theirs. Allied to all important timing, organisations could move to email personalised with mail-merge by name, branch, and areas of interest. Personal preferences can also be recorded, giving an advantage to sales teams tasked with sustaining client relationships. Internally the practical advantages to the association are: simple and quick data transfer and synching; easy email set-up; unique customer view with data held in one place; and automated actions.Overall, Rachel's advice to not-for-profits is to get trained, clean up existing data, implement developments in stages, and test everything as you go along. A discipline underscored by the final speaker. Steve Smith City & Guilds are a global leader in skills development, providing services to training providers, employers, and trainees across a variety of sectors. Today's workplace demands training, and two million learners are working towards one of their qualifications, developing their talents and abilities in the hope of career progression. Whilst vocational qualifications, technical qualifications and apprenticeships are valued by employers world-wide. So the task of integrating and personalising data and communications was no mean achievement. The journey started in 2012 with no targeted audiences and over a four to five month tender period built into a brand refresh and the construction of templates. The original concept was a three-year strategy, bringing in other departments over time. Rapid progress followed, and by 2014 they were looking at customer preferences and interests at a granular level. In 2015 it was decided to bring in the sales department, and the old system of disseminated Excel spreadsheets was abandoned. Hart Square held their hands throughout the process, asking relevant questions and helping define objectives, like what data was needed, how to capture it, and how and what to measure. In 2017 the system went live with the global sales team using Microsoft Dynamics! But did integrating their ESP with CRM have the desired effect? The answer is yes, with deliverability up two percent, opens up forty-one percent, and clicks up by a staggering two hundred and twenty-five percent. They also have forty-one percent new contacts! The future holds the prospect of further integrations, possibly including Hootsuite, Sitecore, Eventbright, and SAP. But what are Steve's top tips for success? First, gain executive sponsorship and governance for your plans, including a Board level steering group, and have clear objectives from the outset. In their case they decided to think big, start small, then scale-up quickly. Next, always involve users from the outset, and plan for infrastructure to support the growing needs of the business. And lastly, use an external partner for scale, and don't ever under-estimate the support you'll need after going live! Steve's last tip – and my verdict? Don't let the IT department lead the process!!! Michael Hoare
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