In fact, superior customer experience allows companies to remain competitive and differentiate their brands by focusing on ways to benefit consumers and satisfy their demands. Therefore, it is no surprise the insurance industry is increasingly investing in chatbot technology to personalise their services, minimise human error, rectify issues in a timely manner, provide 24-hour service and more, thus improving the customer's experience with the brand.
Chatbots, sometimes referred to as Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVA's), have been a popular point of discussion for many brands and companies in recent times, with many organisations implementing the feature to advance and modernise their digital marketing and advertising services. In fact, according to Ernst and Young, 89% of companies already use or are planning to use chatbots by 2020 due to various business opportunities it provides, including customer experience. As a result, it is believed that by the new decade, customer experience will be the most fundamental competitive differentiator for brands, surpassing price and product differences.
Despite being around for years, chatbots have only recently been widely adopted by businesses and accepted by users. In fact, the world's first chatbot named Eliza was a computer program written in 1966. While more complex nowadays, chatbots have been designed to simulate human conversations through text or speech and uses artificial intelligence and complex algorithms to do so. Advancements in the technology have allowed chatbots to collect or access data to accurately handle enquiries and requests in an automated approach, providing efficiency and potentially minimising costs for businesses.
The technology behind intelligent virtual assistants and chatbots have exceptional benefits for the insurance industry in maximising the customer experience for the new consumers and exisiting clients. In fact, a recent survey by Ernst and Young identified that the consumer themselves believe chatbots satisfy their demands for speed and convenience when dealing with insurance providers and their online services. Furthermore, the study also acknowledged that consumers regarded chatbots and online chat services one of the most beneficial communication tools to interact with insurance brands, with face-to-face being the most preferred, while telephone was the least.
Chatbots allow consumers to access a virtual representative from insurance firms 24 hours a day, providing them with the ability to get quick answers and rectify complaints or concerns as they happen. Ultimately this lead to an improved brand experience, as consumers who have complaints may only have their frustrations accelerated if they have to endure excessive wait times on the phone, representatives are not available at the time of the call or even fail to get past the all annoying telephone prompts.
The ability to access an on-demand service that understand your enquiries, can solve them instantly or even pass you on to a human when necessary in fast speeds limits such frustrations and enables problems to be quickly resolved, thus an improved experience over its telephone counterpart. Not to mention, the adoption of chatbot use via consumers will free up the time human representatives would be spending on the phone dealing with every individual's request, creating more efficiency and allowing them to be available for the more complex situations when customers do need them.
Furthermore, a chatbot's artificial intelligence capabilities provides new methods for acquiring additional customers as well as identifying timely opportunities to upsell to exisiting consumers. By gathering relevant data sources about an individual such as data collected from online marketing and advertising efforts, sales records and personal data they provide, just to name a few, insurance brands can identify opportunities that are highly relevant and personalised towards that individual. This intelligent method results in more proactive and relevant targeting, increasing the selling potential and ensuring a consumer remains engaged with the products you offer.
For example, a consumer who is consistently inundated with marketing messages about products that are not relevant to their needs and circumstances may eventually disregard all marketing messages and potentially miss an opportunity when it is relevant. However, through the use of data and artificial intelligence, a chatbot can easily and efficiently identify additional opportunities that are relevant to the consumer such as the change of residential address potentially signifying a new home purchase, and therefore the potential to buy or update their home insurance policy.
The implementation of chatbots is also creating an even more competitive environment for the insurance sector, which in turn forces brands to look for ways to improve the brand experience. While traditional insurance companies are integrating the technology to improve their current operations and provide the customer service consumers are demanding, start-up businesses that solely rely on such technology are continuously popping up to compete with the big leagues by completely satisfying today's digitally savvy consumer. Therefore, it is essential to consider the benefits of chatbots in order to remain competitive and relevant for the consumer.
In fact, according to the Insurance Council of Australia, statistics published in 2017 by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority shows that the private sector insurance industry generates a gross written premium of $44.9 billion per annum. Meanwhile, The Economist states that globally, the industry is worth $4.6 trillion in premium income. Undoubtedly, the profitability of the sector, along with advancements in technology and consumer demand has sparked an entrepreneurial spirit amongst many individuals who are finding lucrative opportunities within the industry that they can exploit.
This was the case for two individuals in the United States, who created the InsurTech start-up Lemonade, which managed to sell 2,000 new policies in 100 days and even holds the world record for processing and paying a claim, which happened in 3 seconds. So how did Lemonade achieve such a feat? You guessed it! The company utilises chatbots and artificial intelligence properties in order to sell policies and manage claims in a simplistic, personalised and time friendly manner. While the company recognises the great convenience this service provides to customers, they understand that the chatbots are still learning and pass on the more complex claims to humans in order to maximise the customer experience for the individual.
Undoubtedly, chatbots are having an impact on many businesses and their various operations. The insurance sector, in particular, can see great benefit from implanting chatbots into their mobile applications and websites and can be a great digital marketing and online advertising tool. Chatbots are increasingly used as a virtual customer service representatives by meeting a consumer's demand for convenience, speed and relevance in a more effective and efficient way.


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DevriX » Tutorials » 7 Pivotal Digital Publishing Trends to Follow in 2022
7 Pivotal Digital Publishing Trends to Follow in 2022
Digital publishing is a dynamic industry and there are always new and emerging trends to keep up with. In 2022, the marketplace will continue to evolve and provide opportunities for small and medium-sized publications to better engage their audiences, increase loyalty, and scale upwards.
Current events have contributed to people spending more time online and increasing their digital content consumption. Furthermore, audiences have become more consistent when following their preferred information outlets. In fact, this year we can anticipate more traffic surges, a boost in engagement and SEO, strong development of niche publishing, a cookieless world, and, last but not least, a strong competitive advantage in aggregated content platforms such as Google News.
To provide more in depth knowledge about how the digital publishing industry will evolve, in this article, we will share seven pivotal digital publishing trends to follow in 2022.
1. SEO – The King of Traffic
There are different types of digital publications circulating the web – news, magazines, pop culture blogs, etc. What they all have in common is that to build their revenues, they need to regularly share content and properly monetize it. To that end, they need to build a loyal audience, and to make this happen, they need to make sure that their information reaches the right readers. This is where SEO comes in.
However, there are still publications that struggle to optimize their SEO, and, therefore, their pages have limited visibility in the SERPs. To ensure that they maximize their reach and traffic, it's essential that they invest in Search Engine Optimization and follow the latest SEO trends and practices.
In 2022, we can expect publishers to optimize their website information architecture for an improved user experience, and focus on SEO in order to attract more readers. In addition, we will likely also see better web design where the content is not only redistributed, but visually enhanced in ways that allow readers to find and interact with it easier.
Related: How to Improve the Technical SEO of a WordPress Website
Furthermore, more and more publishers will probably rely on SEO best practices combined with Al technologies for better targeting and audience engagement.
2. Finding Alternative Advertising Solutions for the Cookieless World
In mid 2021, Google announced the postponement of their plan to phase out third-party cookies in their Chrome browser until the second half of 2023 (a year later than initially anticipated). Meanwhile, other browsers like Safari and Firefox had already taken actions in this direction by implementing default blocking against third-party tracking cookies data. Additionally, Apple had also released a new policy that restricted advertisers like Facebook from tracking user behavior on their devices, and enabling the removal of email open tracking.
Related: Cookieless Adtech, User IDs and Solutions for Publishers
At the same time, the pandemic caused a shift in commerce and user behavior to digital, and ad-supported platforms like Amazon, Google, and Facebook, who are experiencing a surge in advertisers competing for ad spaces. As a result, ad costs have increased. This created a competitive environment for both publishers and advertisers, and using digital ads will remain a solid revenue source in 2022.
However, it's not too early for digital publishers to start preparing an action plan for when cookies are finally out of the picture.
Two common trends that we can therefore witness in 2022 will be:
3. Adapting to programmatic advertising for better ad cost management.
4. Introducing transparency of how data and ad costs are being handled.
Dora Michail-Clenndinnen, chief strategy officer at The Ozone Project, shared in an interview for The Drum that transparency in programmatic advertising will play an important role for both publishers and readers.
From a business point of view, transparency in digital ad spending will be crucial for allowing smaller publishers to get their cut of the pie. And from a consumer's standpoint, it will allow for educating readers on data ethics and the importance of knowing how their data is being handled.
3. Niche Publishing on the Rise
In general, the idea of growing a business through industry specialization is not new. However, it is a growing trend with digital publishers. Sharing in-depth knowledge and reliable information in a particular area can provide publishers with a competitive advantage and allow them to build a large following and a loyal audience.
In fact, according to Web Publisher Pro, niche publications are expected to become even more popular as readers show strong preferences for outlets that concentrate specifically on a few but relevant topics.
To be successful in 2022, publishers will have to find a way to put the Pareto Principle in practice – i.e. that 20% of their content contributes to 80% of their revenue. By figuring out what the 20% are, they can identify their niche and focus on creating quality content. This way, 20% of all their effort can be dedicated to the topics that generate the best results.
Related: WordPress Publishing Explained: Key Revenue Growth Techniques
4. Building Brand Loyalty One Community at a Time
In 2022, publishers will have to focus on strengthening brand loyalty through community building.
The pandemic has left people feeling the need to belong to digital communities in order to compensate for their offline personal life. In addition, they crave current, up-to-date, and reliable information. This all adds up to them seeking information sources they know they can trust and rely on consistently.
We can anticipate that, to answer the audience's needs, many publishers will start building their own community platforms, such as Medium and SmartOcto, and focus on collecting relevant user data for better segmentation and, respectively, content delivery.
According to Rupert Collins-White, the content director of Burlington Media Group, this would mean that more digital publishers will lean on building improved and better branded websites that use WordPress as the preferred content management system (CMS). This in turn will support high-quality editorial content and authentic storytelling.
Related: 12 Big-Name Publishers with WordPress-Powered Websites
Furthermore, there is still a predominant group of people who rely on news from social media platforms. And with so much content being pumped out there every second, people find it hard to know who to trust.
To consolidate their authority as a reliable and credible source of information, publishers will have to invest in building a strong social media presence and branding. This will allow them to grow an audience of loyal readers and create an even stronger community.
5. Attracting Younger Generations
According to AdvantageCS, one of the big challenges that digital publishers will have to overcome in 2022 is appealing to younger demographics – Gen Z to be exact.
Older generations, like millennials and Gen Y, consume written and audio media content on a regular basis. What's more, since the beginning of the pandemic, they have made a major switch from print to digital.
However, Gen Zers (youngsters born roughly between 1997-2012) are highly immersed in social media. This means that, to extend their influence, publishers now more than ever need to implement a social media-centered strategy.
Research by the Reuter's Institute has discovered that social media is where 57% of Gen Z obtains their news from. Young readers are used to scrolling through loads of information every day and really engaging l only if they find the content interesting.
To stand out, we can expect digital publishers to leverage more than one social media channel (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube) and embrace short form visual and audio content.
6. Audio – the New MVP of Content
Over the past few years, audiobooks and podcasts have become an instant hit with millions of readers. According to Statista, in 2020, audiobooks reached a revenue of $1.3 billion in the United States, accounting for a 20% share of the customers from key consumer demographic aged 18-44.
The reason why audio content has become so popular is because it enables people to enjoy a book without fully paying attention. As a result, they can go hands-free and utilize their time more productively, while listening to their favorite content.
In addition, the technology provides significant advantages to visually impaired people and enables them to interact with content.
While digital publishers do not necessarily have to produce a full-bodied podcast show, they should consider adapting to audio the content they've already produced.
Considering the high interest in audiobooks and podcasts, we can anticipate more publishers to hop on this trend in 2022.
7. Remaining Competitive on Google News
Most media publications, especially digital news outlets, have to fight an ongoing battle to ensure that their content appears in Google News and Top Stories. Not only do they have to produce high-quality, relevant, authentic, and trustworthy content, but they also need to be on top of their SEO game to ensure engagement.
Since 2019, once published, every news article from a digital media outlet is automatically considered for Google News. Its position is determined algorithmically and is based on: prominence, relevance, authoritativeness, freshness, location, and language.
However, considering that readers now spend more time in the digital space, Google News introduced a new update to its algorithm that incorporates machine learning (ML) technology when analyzing and correlating user behavior and content. With the help of ML, the platform can organize stories in real time based on user preferences and past behavior, in order to provide the most relevant content at all times.
Related: How Artificial Intelligence Affects Digital Marketing
The focus of Google News is now on factors such as usability, and the person's interests and publisher preferences. The goal is to ensure that readers can easily find a variety of accurate information that can help them learn more about topics they are following.
With all of this in mind, if digital publishers want to remain competitive on Google News in 2022, they have to:
Secure and maintain a high authority and trustworthiness score.
React swiftly to the latest news.
Provide quality independent journalism and a unique point of view.
2022 will be a big year for online media outlets. Overall, we can anticipate that the digital publishing industry will evolve significantly when it comes to adapting to user preferences and behaviors.
From stepping up their SEO game and leveraging programmatic advertising; to strengthening brand loyalty through niche publishing and community building, there are so many exciting transformations taking place this upcoming year.
So, whether you already are part of the publishing world or just starting out, we suggest watching out for these seven pivotal digital publishing trends.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Lady of the Lake was known by many names. She was most often Nimue (pronounced Nim-oo-ay). Nimue was often confused and misrepresented in Arthurian Legend as an enchantress wanting nothing more than to steal Merlin's magick. This is considered by most, a literary fabrication created by the misogynist, religious state of that time.
Literarily, Nimue was the daughter of Diones and the lover of both Pelles and Merlin. In reference to Nimue as the Lady of the Lake, it was she who gave the sword Excalibur to Arthur and regained it when he died. She also accompanied three additional faerie queens to Avalon with the body of the slain king. It is also said that she stole the child Lancelot and cured his madness. This was done so Lancelot could become guard to Nimue's weak son Mabuz who was tormented by Iweret.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson paints one of the lovliest literary pictures of the Lady of the Lake in his great work, Idylls of the King. This first reference describes the Lady of the Lake presenting Excalibur to the King. The second reference is the return of the sword after the death of Arthur.
Hath power to walk the waters like our Lord."
Three times, and drew him under the mere."
Nimue, mythologically, was a lessor Celtic Moon Goddess; cognate with the Greek Nemesis and Diana of the Grove. Her name meant "fate" and "she who lives" and was said to reside in the Fairy wood of Broceliande. She was also connected to the Goddess Morgan.
Archetypically, Nimue and the Lady of the Lake represented the primal initiation into the Otherworld. She reigned over knowledge, was the foster mother, and the mistress of wisdom.


The calendar said that is was July, supposedly summer. But the view outside the window seemed to be suggesting the calendar was on the wrong page, or there was a misprint and it was November. OK it wasn't raining (yet) hooray! But it was cold, not so good! The wind had been shaking the caravan during the night, definatly not so good! So what did we decide to do? Climb a hill of course! Armed with hot coffee we headed for the hills. Well one hill to be exact, Moel Fammau. Not a big hill, not a difficult climb, but the views from the top can be fantastic – on a good day that is. And this was not a very good day as it turned out, making it especially challenging to take any good photographs because of the very poor light.
Moel Famau and the Jubilee Tower seen from Ruthin.
After driving up a narrow single track road, and there are many of these in Wales, we arrived at the car park from where we would start the 2 mile walk to the summit.As we opened the car door we found out how windy it was going to be. The walk itself is easy, following a wide track. The route we followed is part of the Offas Dyke Path that Corkhead Paul and I finished (eventually) a couple of years back.
Moel is a common Welsh place-name element meaning 'a bare hill'. The meaning and preferred spelling of the second element of the name are less certain. The meaning of the 'Fama' is somewhat uncertain, but it is possibly from a personal name, 'Mama'. However, the current spelling 'Moel Famau' is a result of an 'antiquarian perception' in the eighteenth century that the second part was a form of the common noun mamau ('mothers'). However, this could be confusing things and making the the early form difficult to explain. That said, the form 'Moel Famau' is common today and it is still sometimes said to mean 'Mothers' Hill'.
Looking back towards Foel Felli and the defenses of the Iron Age fort visible around the crown of the hill.
On the summit are the ruined remains of a vanity project built to commemorate the golden jubilee of George III in 1810. It was originally designed like an Egyptian obelisk with three tiers. However, though the foundation stone was laid in 1810 by George Kenyon, 2nd Baron Kenyon, money ran out and the tower was never completed. Then adding insult to injury in 1862, a major storm brought down the incomplete tower. The remaining upper part of the structure was demolished for safety reasons leaving just the base. Most of the rubble was removed from the site; smaller stonework was reused by local farmers for dry stone walls. Recycling is not a new concept.
There were occasional periods when the clpuds did clear a little. The distinctive ridge of Cader Idris.
The views from the top are good, and there were occasions when the clouds cleared briefly. Looking west you can see Cader Idris, Snowdon and the Carneddau Range. East looks down onto England and the wide, flat expanse of the Cheshire Plain.
Y Wyddfa (Snowdon) to the left moving into the Carneddau to the right.
This area is rich in ancient archeology. Just above where we started our walk was the Iron Age fort on the top of Foel Fenlli, and then just below Moel Famau is another one, Moel y Gaer. These Iron Age forts remain enigmatic, and their function is not fully understood. It is possible that they may have had a defensive function in some cases, but in others it is difficult to understand. In some areas they are very close together, as here. The two forts are only 2 miles apart and there are others nearby. Defensive maybe, but almost certainly there was a social focus to their position in the landscape.
Moel y Gaer seen from the Jubilee Tower.
Irish Sea windfarms including the Burbo offshore windfarm.
Did we see any of these? No! Maybe next time.


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Bahrain at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Title: Bahrain at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Subject: 2004 Summer Olympics, Bahrain at the Olympics, Shooting at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Qualification, 2004 in Bahraini sport, Sameera Al-Bitar
Collection: 2004 in Bahrain, 2004 in Bahraini Sport, Bahrain at the Olympics, Nations at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Bahrain at the Olympic Games
Flag of Bahrain
IOC code
Bahrain Olympic Committee
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens
10 in 4 sports
Ahmed Hamada Jassim[1]
Medals Gold
Olympic history (summary)
Bahrain competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004.
Bahraini athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).[2][3]
Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
NR = National record
N/A = Round not applicable for the event
Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Yusuf Saad Kamel 800 m 1:46.94 3 Did not advance
Rashid Ramzi 1500 m 3:37.93 4 Q 3:44.60 11 Did not advance
Al Mustafa Riyadh Marathon N/A DNF
Mohammed Abdelhak Zakaria 5000 m 13:42.04 15 N/A Did not advance
Rakia Al Gassra 100 m 11.49 5 Did not advance
Nadia Ejjafini Marathon N/A DNF
Bahraini sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events.
Net points
Final rank
M*
Sami Kooheji Laser 41 39 35 32 OCS 38 42 41 39 36 41 384 42
M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given
Khalid Mohamed 10 m air pistol 553 45 Did not advance
Hesham Shehab 100 m freestyle 57.94 66 Did not advance
Sameera Al Bitar 50 m freestyle 31.00 =63 Did not advance
Bahrain at the 2002 Asian Games
Bahrain at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
^ "2004 Athens: Flag Bearers for the Opening Ceremony".
^ "iaaf.org – Top Lists". IAAF. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
^ "IAAF Games of the XXX Olympiad – Athens 2004 Entry Standards".
Official Report of the XXVIII Olympiad
Nations at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece
Nations at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Bahrain at the Olympics
2004 in Bahraini sport
Bahraini sport stubs
2004 Summer Olympics stubs
Athens, Greece, Russia, Rome, Triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics, Summer Olympic Games, Bahrain, Olympic Games, 1984 Summer Olympics
Shooting at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Qualification
Russia at the 2004 Summer Olympics, United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, China at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Germany at the 2004 Summer...
Sameera Al-Bitar
Bahrain, Islam, Olympic Games, 2004 Summer Olympics, Arabian Peninsula


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Jailed Devon fracking protester going to Court of Appeal
Rich Loizou has been jailed for 15 months for trying to stop fracking in the UK
Neil ShawNetwork Content Editor
Rich Loizou, one of three protesters who have been jailed for causing a public nuisance after they climbed on to lorries outside a fracking site
Senior judges will hear an appeal against the jail terms handed to three fracking protesters for causing a public nuisance.
Soil scientist Simon Blevins, 26, from Sheffield, and teacher Richard Roberts, 36, of London, were both jailed for 16 months, while piano restorer Rich Loizou, 31, from Devon, was given 15 months.
They climbed on to lorries outside energy firm Cuadrilla's fracking site in Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, Lancashire, in a protest last July which lasted almost 100 hours.
Devon man jailed for peaceful protest could be set free after controversy
The three activists were jailed in September after being convicted of public nuisance following a trial at Preston Crown Court.
They will challenge their sentences before three judges at the Court of Appeal in London on Wednesday.
Supporters said they will gather outside the court for a "silent demonstration" before the hearing.
At the sentencing on September 26, Judge Robert Latham said he could not suspend the jail terms despite accepting the impact of incarceration and the good they did in the community.
He told Preston Crown Court: "I do find they provide a risk of reoffending.
Jailed Devon fracking protestor saw public as 'collateral damage'
"Each of them remains motivated by unswerving confidence that they are right. Even at their trial they felt justified by their actions.
"Given the disruption caused in this case, only immediate custody can achieve sufficient punishment."
A fourth defendant, Julian Brock, 47, from Torquay, was sentenced to 12 months in custody, suspended for 18 months, after he admitted public nuisance.
Rich Loizou after he climbed on to a lorry outside a fracking site
Mr Brock is not challenging his sentence.
Last week Cuadrilla was given the go-ahead to start work at the site following a failed High Court bid by campaigners to block fracking due to safety concerns.
The trio's appeal will be heard by Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and two other leading judges.


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Back-to-school drives a success; families take advantage of tax-free weekend
Jacqueline Devine
LAS CRUCES – The first day of school is starting soon for Las Cruces Public Schools, and many local students will be helped by the back-to-school backpack and school supply drives around the community this weekend.
Many families also took advantage of the annual back-to-school tax-free weekend to buy school supplies and other back-to-school necessities for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year.
More:School starts Aug. 13 for most LCPS students
Most Las Cruces Public Schools students will go back to school on Monday, Aug. 13. The first day of classes for Gadsden Independent School District is Monday, Aug. 6. Students in the Hatch Valley Public Schools will start classes on Wednesday, Aug. 8.
Tax-free weekend
The tax-free weekend is here to give families a chance to save on everything from school supplies to clothing.
The annual back-to-school tax-free weekend was in full effect Saturday at Wal-Mart, 3331 Rinconada Blvd. Hundreds of students and their parents are expected to walk up and down the back-to-school aisles for the opportunity to buy back-to-school items without paying the regular gross receipts tax.
More:Tax-free weekend: Get school supplies, clothing at a discount
This weekend, vendors will not be required to collect tax on certain back-to-school necessities, such as pens, pencils, computers and clothing.
"The tax-free weekend is every year during the beginning of August and runs Friday through Sunday. We expect major foot traffic during this time of year," Wal-Mart store manager David Bufkin said. "Tax-free items include mostly school supplies but it's also computer and computer accessories under $500 like printers, laptops, cables and things of that nature.
"It's also a lot of our apparel, excluding jewelry. It's what the kids need to go back to school successfully and this is their opportunity to get that merchandise tax-free which is big savings for a lot for our customers."
"It's an exciting time of year and I love interacting with the customers," Bufkin said.
For David Uribe and his 13-year-old son Andres, back-to-school shopping during tax-free weekend makes it less stressful.
"We try to take advantage of the tax-free weekend because it does help us with the supplies and also cuts back on the expense of buying stuff," Uribe said. "Not only do we buy the supplies but we also buy clothing, shoes, socks, things like that. So, the tax-free weekend really helps out."
View the complete list of taxable and non-taxable items.
Anna Packs gives away 135 backpacks
Lilianna Ortiz, the 13-year-old humanitarian and creator of Anna Packs, teamed up with Families and Youth, Inc. Saturday at Pioneer Park, 500 W. Las Cruces Ave., to give away 135 backpacks to disadvantaged children in the community.
Ortiz has been giving away backpacks for four years, but this is her first year partnering with FYI to distribute the backpacks on a larger scale.
"We collected 135 backpacks and started collecting them about two months ago," Ortiz said. "I wanted to do this because I've seen a bunch of kids in need that didn't have what I did and I wanted to help them out."
Ortiz said she was happy with the turnout and thanked all the people who have supported her.
"It went well and everyone seems to be getting what they're wanting," Ortiz said. "I just want to thank everyone that has helped me get to my goal and surpassing it."
More:Back-to-school backpack giveaways in Las Cruces
FYI Access and Visitation Program Supervisor Deserey Medina said she was happy they got to work with Ortiz to give back to the community.
"I thought it was great what she was doing and I thought it was very admirable that she wanted to give back to the community," Medina said. "Teaming up with her just seemed like the right thing to do and it looks that it turned out to be a huge success."
FYI's second annual back-to-school event included activities like face-painting, crafts and food provided by FYI's Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Resident Alice Ziehl, who has two children, said she was thankful for the event because some families are not able to afford school supplies, including herself.
"I'm currently unemployed right now so I can't afford them and there's not that many resources here in Las Cruces," Ziehl said. "I think it's great that they have this every year because people like me wouldn't be able to get the things that we need for our kids, so it's a big help."
Kids Expo 2018
Over at the Downtown Plaza, the Las Cruces Parks and Recreation Department hosted its annual kids expo that celebrated the last few days of summer vacation with a plethora of activities including games, contests, giveaways, arts and crafts, food vendors and live entertainment.
"We've been doing this for 17 years. It's a fun event that's nice to bring all the family together where they can do activities," Recreation Service Leader Senior Frances Silva-Gordon said. We had vendors and our services that we offer there. It was a last chance to have fun before the kids go back to school."
The event also raffled off backpacks to students.
Aug. 5: Panda Express at New Mexico State University will be collecting school supplies from noon to 8 p.m. Donate and get a free entree. Along with school supplies, the event is also a fundraiser for University of New Mexico Children's Hospital.
Aug. 7: National Night Out from 6 to 9 p.m. at Plaza de Las Cruces, 100 N. Main St.
Aug. 11: Fountain of Life Apostolic Church, 1530 E. Arizona Ave., will be giving away backpacks full of school supplies and food from 4 to 8 p.m.
Payment 1 Financial Group will be raffling off a boy's and girl's backpack filled with essential back to school items. According to the website, one person will win the grand prize of $1,000 for all their back-to-school needs. To enter, like, share, and comment on the location's Back-to-School Giveaway post on Facebook.
Jacqueline Devine can be reached at 575-541-5476, JDevine@lcsun-news.com or @JackieIsDevine on Twitter.


Posted on August 16, 2016 August 16, 2016 by Dream On, As IF!
Glenwood Springs was really hot; it was a high of 90-92 during the day while we were there. Even so, we went for a hike in the middle of the day. (Hey, compared to Vietnam, this was nothing). The views were great, and I splashed myself with icy cold water when we walked by streams.
The Himalayan lunch at Masala & Curry was a fantastic choice, and my goat curry was to die for. Afterwards,we hit up Glenwood Brewing with the cool kids. This was a cool little joint, but the beers left something to be desired.
I always love to see what your mom & dad are up too!


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InternationalCommentary
How Leftists Would Destroy Congress' Bipartisan US-Colombia Policy
Ana Quintana	/ @Ana_R_Quintana / July 31, 2020
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. D-N.Y., is trying to cut funding for programs to eradicate coca crops in Colombia, making it harder for Colombian authorities, like members of Colombia's national police, seen here in a coca plantation in 2013, to combat cocaine production. (Photo: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images)
Ana Quintana / @Ana_R_Quintana
Ana Quintana is a senior policy analyst for Latin America and the Western Hemisphere in The Heritage Foundation's Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies.
Bipartisanship might be rare in the halls of Congress, but the U.S.-Colombia relationship defies that stereotype. For decades, policymakers on both sides of the aisle have understood the importance of sustained U.S. commitment to Colombia's peace, stability, and security.
While legislators often lose sight of the long view required in foreign policy, congressional oversight and leadership helped transform Colombia from the brink of being a failed state to a regional leader in a few short decades.
In turn, the U.S.-Colombia strategic relationship has become a key pillar of Latin America's stability, U.S. regional interests, and a success story of U.S. strategic engagement.
However, recent, ideologically-driven provisions adopted in the House's National Defense Authorization Act would undercut the longstanding bipartisanship of Colombia policy. If enacted, they would weaken Colombia's ability to protect itself from criminal organizations and worsen its booming cocaine production.
One provision in the House, put forward by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., seeks to eliminate U.S. funding for aerial eradication of coca crops—the raw ingredient in cocaine.
Consider the following facts to understand how unwise and irresponsible this policy would be.
In 2015, Colombia terminated its U.S.-funded aerial coca eradication program, leading to a massive increase in coca cultivation and cocaine production numbers. Between 2014 and 2018, there was a historic spike in coca crop cultivation rates, and with it, an accompanying increase in potential cocaine production.
In 2014, 112,000 hectares (roughly 277,000 acres) of coca were cultivated, in comparison to 208,000 in 2018. During this time, U.S. cocaine overdoses also increased.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that 90% of the cocaine seized in the U.S. is of Colombian origin.
When Colombia terminated its aerial coca spraying program, it cited a World Health Organization report that has since been disproven (by the World Health Organization itself).
The initial report claimed the herbicide glysophate was "possibly carcinogenic to humans." Within a year, a later report stated that glysophate's ability to cause cancer was "unlikely," thus disproving the health basis for the original decision.
At this point, the damage was done. Despite the objections of Colombia's minister of defense at the time and other security officials, the program was terminated.
Since then, Colombia has largely relied on manual eradication to get rid of coca crops. Soldiers have been forced to manually eradicate in areas controlled by criminals and a terrorist group. They often encounter armed criminals, land mines, and sniper shootings.
According to Colombia's president, manual eradication is far less efficient or cost effective. They can only eradicate 2 to 3 hectares per day, whereas aerial spraying destroys 120 to 150 hectares and costs more than two times less.
Barring any additional judicial setbacks, Colombia is set to resume its aerial spraying program with U.S. support this fall. The U.S. should not handicap Colombia's efforts to contain its spiraling cocaine production problems.
Nor should U.S. policymakers hamper Colombia's peace and reconciliation process with ideologically-driven policies.
An amendment by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., would require the U.S. departments of Defense and State, as well as the director of national intelligence, to deliver a report in four months on 16 years of U.S. intelligence and defense activities in Colombia.
In his own words, McGovern's intentions are not oversight, but rather a backdoor to his ultimate goal of suspending U.S. assistance to Colombia. McGovern recently said, "If it was up to me, I would end security assistance to Colombia right now."
Recent revelations of illegal spying against members of Colombia's civil society have renewed calls for stricter oversight of Colombia, and for the country to be held to stricter human rights standards. On that point, we should all agree. Illegal spying has no place in a democratic country and guilty officials should be punished.
Cutting off U.S. support will not improve the human rights situation and in fact, the lack of oversight and engagement will worsen the situation. Depriving Colombia of U.S. resources will reduce its ability to implement its ambitious peace agreement and reconciliation after over 50 years of conflict. It will also be left with less means to take care of the more than 2 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants inside of Colombia.
The relationship and the situation in Colombia is not without its challenges. Despite significant U.S. and Colombian investments, cocaine production remains an elusive challenge. The U.S. must get its demand issue in order. Inadequate implementation of the peace plan has left victims of Colombia's conflict without justice and meaningful participation in Colombian society. Small numbers within its security forces guilty of human rights violations have still not been held liable for their crimes.
Yet Colombia's transformation from a country where kidnappings and capital city bombings were a common occurrence only decades ago to a regional security leader and economic powerhouse should be commended.
Congressional bipartisanship allowed for sustained U.S. commitment and paved the way for these achievements. The National Defense Authorization Act conference should not allow for the agendas of fringe ideologues to undo decades of hard-fought gains.


Everybody, it seems, would like to build in Asheville. For developers, the city is here to help with its City Manager's Development Forum.
No, developers aren't granted special access or favors at the forum, but they can glean information to help them plan and prepare for their projects, not to mention question city officials about Asheville's development process.
The city's Office of Economic Development hosts the City Manager's Development Forum twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. The next forum is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5, and will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the city's Public Works Building, located at 161 S. Charlotte Street.
The city's economic-development office focuses on collaborating with city departments involved in the development process and on working with outside agencies such as the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, AdvantageWest, the Land-of-Sky Regional Council and Buncombe County to address community strategies for balanced growth and job creation, among other charges. Services provided by the office include the Minority Business Program, real-estate management and economic-development planning. The office also serves as liaison to the Asheville Film Commission and the Downtown Commission.
Attendees of the Dec. 5 forum—which is free and open to the public—will be given the latest scoop on the area's current economic indicators and the financial and economic challenges facing the city, in addition to information on city zoning activity, Unified Development Ordinance requirements and other vital information. An update on the ongoing development of the city's "Development Services One-Stop Shop," designed to streamline the development process, will also be included.
To view the forum agenda and a PowerPoint presentation, go to www.ashevillenc.gov/ed.


I recently started teaching a women's Sunday School class at my church. Right now we are taking a look at some of the challenging questions and issues we face as Christians. I'll be posting the notes from my class here each week.
Love the lesson. I know all of this and so does my Mom, but a refresher with all the info laid out with verses is great. I'm going to share this with her because she is going thru so much right now.


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BENDIGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC.
The BHS Collection has been relocated to History House at 11 Mackenzie Street Bendigo. The new location is now open …
Cost: Non members $10.00 Members $5.00 (unless otherwise specified). Sunday 5 February 2023, 10.00 a.m. A new perspective from the Bendigo Creek. Tour leader: Peter Cox, President, National Trust Bendigo Branch A walk from Golden Square Fire Station to Lake Weeroona along the cobblestones of the Bendigo Creek with commentary on various …
Bendigo Historical Society History House at 11 Mackenzie Street will be closed for six weeks. History House will reopen on Tuesday January 31 from 9.00 a.m.- 3.00 p.m. Email contact will still be available. See details on the BHS website.
December 4th 10.00 a.m. "On the Way to History House" with BHS members. Meet at the View Street entrance of the QEO. The walk will explore the area around View Street and Mackenzie Street. History House will be open from 11.00 a.m. for a rescheduled Open Day for Members. Participants …
Bendigo Historical Society Cordially Invites You to Our Annual Christmas Luncheon and Recognition of service to BHS of Jim Evans and Kay MacGregor Friday December 9, 2022 Bendigo Basketball Stadium – Sky lounge area 91 Inglis St, West Bendigo Victoria 3550. Arrive 12 noon for 12.30 meal Two Course Lunch …
Monthly Members' meetings Friday November 4 "Fares to the Fair" Women Bus Conductors in Interwar Melbourne Emma Robertson, Associate Professor, La Trobe University. Walk Into History Sunday November 6th 10.00 a.m. "Balak Kalik Manya – Walking Together." A short stroll through Dja Dja Wurrung's history of Bendigo with Rodney …
The wonders of mining at Victoria Hill Walks
RHSV History Month 1 – 30 October 2022 Final events. Sunday October 30th at 10.00 a.m. and 2 p.m. "The wonders of mining at Victoria Hill " led by Billy Allen with extensive knowledge of geology and mining history.. Meet at Victoria Hill (opposite the Goldmines Hotel). Cost $10 ($5 …
Creek Walk POSTPONED
POSTPONED The Walking Tour of Bendigo Creek scheduled for Sunday October 23 at 10.00 a.m. with Peter Cox (National Trust) has been postponed because of the predicted rain event over the weekend. This event will be rescheduled in 2023. RHSV History Month 1 – 30 October 2022 Final events. …
Movie Night Fundraiser October 20
Bendigo Historical Society Movie Night FUNDRAISER Thursday October 20 at Star Cinema at 7.00 p.m. "THE LOST CITY OF MELBOURNE" is a documentary that has just premiered at the Melbourne International Film festival and is being released in a small number of cinemas. The BHS event is now live on …
History House Now Open.
The BHS Collection has been relocated to History House at 11 Mackenzie Street Bendigo. The new location is currently open to the public on Thursdays from 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. Phone 03 5442 1005 during these hours.


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Police: Man charged with shooting at employee after being asked to wear mask in Pennsylvania cigar shop
Updated: 11:18 AM EDT Aug 4, 2020
By Rebekah Riess and Hollie Silverman
It's just a 12 2nd clip, but it shows a lot. A man walks out of Cigars International in Bethlehem Township and heads toward a blue pickup. Police say he is Adam's Abaroa ski, now their suspect, and that he had apparently walked out with two cigars valued at 20 bucks. As he's approaching the truck, a clerk from the store comes out asking him to Hey, we know you have the cigars. Return the cigars. Um, At that point, the defendant turns around pools, a semiautomatic handgun from his waistband. He fires one shot into the air, and then he fires two additional shots at the clerk. The clerk and a nearby patron are not hit despite being just steps apart, Cleared it of Adam wanted to harm him. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to shoot him. He was close enough to do that. He did not do that. Defense attorney John Waldron says he texted Dabrowski after getting contacted by his dad to turn himself in. I know through his father that he had lost his job during the pandemic, as a lot of folks have. I know that there was a custody battle on the lost custody of his child, and he was having a rough time with Pandemic. It's not a defense. It's not an excuse as to what he did. But I know there was stressors in his life. He didn't turn himself in. The next morning, witnesses called police, saying they saw Dabrowski at his sleeping, tonigh apartment, loading up his pickup with another gun and ammo. Police soon initiated a traffic stop. They say Zaba Rosky got out of the truck and started shooting. They returned fire. One officer sustained minor injuries. Waldron says Dabrowski was struck in the leg and backside.
A Pennsylvania man is facing charges of attempted criminal homicide after he allegedly shot at an employee of a cigar shop who asked him to wear a mask.Adam Michael Zaborowski, 35, entered Cigars international in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, Friday morning without a face covering, according to a probable cause affidavit, despite a statewide mandate by Gov. Tom Wolf requiring masks be worn in businesses.Staff at the shop told Zaborowski that he needed to wear a mask inside the store or could have his order taken curbside, according to the affidavit."Zaborowski became irate, grabbed two cigars from a shelf and exited without paying," the affidavit says.A store employee followed him to the parking lot to retrieve the merchandise, according to the affidavit. Zaborowski fired a gun in the air before firing two rounds at the employee, according to affidavit. A patron was sitting behind the employee as the rounds were fired, according to the affidavit.Zaborowski fled in a blue Dodge Dakota pickup truck, according to the affidavit.He was arrested the following day after engaging in a shootout with Pennsylvania State Police and Slatington Borough Police, said Bethlehem Police Department Sgt. Shaun Powell. He remains in the hospital, Powell said, but he didn't give details of any injuries.Zaborowski has been charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery, reckless endangerment, and carrying a firearm without a license. Due to a prior offense, he was also charged with persons prohibited to possess a firearm, his arrest affidavit shows.Attorney John J. Waldron, who is representing Zaborowski, issued a statement on behalf of his client, saying that he has a number of stressful things going on in his life that may have contributed to his actions."He is facing serious charges. He is lucky to be alive, considering his actions with law enforcement. He has had a series of events which have caused him stress and depression," Waldron told CNN Monday. "These are not a defense or excuse. He lost his job, just lost a custody battle for his child and did not cope well with the virus.""People deal with stress differently, he did not deal with it appropriately. His family is very supportive," Waldron added. "We will have him examined by a Forensic Psychologist and proceed from there."
BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
A Pennsylvania man is facing charges of attempted criminal homicide after he allegedly shot at an employee of a cigar shop who asked him to wear a mask.
Adam Michael Zaborowski, 35, entered Cigars international in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, Friday morning without a face covering, according to a probable cause affidavit, despite a statewide mandate by Gov. Tom Wolf requiring masks be worn in businesses.
Staff at the shop told Zaborowski that he needed to wear a mask inside the store or could have his order taken curbside, according to the affidavit.
"Zaborowski became irate, grabbed two cigars from a shelf and exited without paying," the affidavit says.
A store employee followed him to the parking lot to retrieve the merchandise, according to the affidavit. Zaborowski fired a gun in the air before firing two rounds at the employee, according to affidavit. A patron was sitting behind the employee as the rounds were fired, according to the affidavit.
Zaborowski fled in a blue Dodge Dakota pickup truck, according to the affidavit.
He was arrested the following day after engaging in a shootout with Pennsylvania State Police and Slatington Borough Police, said Bethlehem Police Department Sgt. Shaun Powell. He remains in the hospital, Powell said, but he didn't give details of any injuries.
Zaborowski has been charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery, reckless endangerment, and carrying a firearm without a license. Due to a prior offense, he was also charged with persons prohibited to possess a firearm, his arrest affidavit shows.
Attorney John J. Waldron, who is representing Zaborowski, issued a statement on behalf of his client, saying that he has a number of stressful things going on in his life that may have contributed to his actions.
"He is facing serious charges. He is lucky to be alive, considering his actions with law enforcement. He has had a series of events which have caused him stress and depression," Waldron told CNN Monday. "These are not a defense or excuse. He lost his job, just lost a custody battle for his child and did not cope well with the virus."
"People deal with stress differently, he did not deal with it appropriately. His family is very supportive," Waldron added. "We will have him examined by a Forensic Psychologist and proceed from there."


The Cooperage welcomes Summer Camp darlings Steady Flow to The Cooperage for the release of their new album, "Louder." For fans of moving, grooving and the almighty funk music.
mombit (noun) 1. refers to a tribal drinking song 2. literal translation is "to pinch" 3. a particular individual who enjoys music and living life to the fullest whilst laughing.
The four piece group has been playing the Milwaukee area since 2012 in local bar and fine dining venues such as Yield in MKE, Cheel in Theinsville, and Arte in Tosa, to name a few that capture the diversity of the band's fit to multiple club atmospheres. They have traveled as close as Oshkosh, Wisconsin and as far as Charleston, Illinoise to play music festivals and spread their folksy tunes. Each band member's musical background helps drive the melting-pot of genres and rhythms that create Soulfoot Mombits' unforgettable sound.


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This strengthening and moisturizing leave-in mask works to restore essential hydration and natural vibrancy to dry, damaged, over-processed, and otherwise lackluster hair. Formulated using a unique micro-encapsulated argan oil, this leave-in mask delivers an optimal blend of transformative nutrients from B-vitamins, argan oils, algae, and biotin to replenish damaged hair to a shiny, healthy-looking, and lustrous state while providing smoothing benefits. This leave-in mask also protects against the damaging effects of flat irons, curling irons, and stylers.
This 95 percent naturally-derived leave-in mask is vegan, cruelty free, and formulated without gluten, DEA, silicone, or artificial dyes. It is color-safe and safe for use on chemically-treated, relaxed, and keratin treated hair.
-Spray throughout freshly washed and damp hair, with focus on the mid-length and ends.
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-Micro-Encapsulated Argan Oil: Repairs damage along the hair cuticle to leave hair healthier, stronger, smoother, and more hydrated.
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Water, Polysorbate 80*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Algae Extract, Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Abies Sibirica Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate*, Glycerin*, Algin*, Citric Acid, Chitosan*, Cetrimonium Chloride*, Cetyl Alcohol*, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, C20-22 Alcohols*, Behentrimonium Methosulfate*, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60*, Aminomethyl Propanol, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer*, Fragrance (Parfum), Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol. *Coconut, vegetable, or plant derived.


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CSX Y225, the Yeoman to Port Tampa job led by GP39-2's CSXT 4308 and 4303 cross the Hillsborough River drawbridge in downtown Tampa. This bascule bridge built by the ACL in 1915. This bridge once saw dozens of movements a day but now sees usually just 1 movement a day and is only manned as necessary. The line to Port Tampa goes right through downtown Tampa and there is a short stretch of street running involved. In the distance, ominous storm clouds are gathering.


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Franczyzy
Login dia członków
portugalski, Brazylia
wietnamski
Życie CC
Historie naszych Członków
Effective/Last Updated: July 1, 2021
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That's where Sarah Winters comes in. She owns Happy As Pie, a sweet and savory pie shop, and wants to get into catering. She makes an amazing lamb-rosemary pie, cherry pie, lemon-lime torte…you get the idea. She'll provide the food and help me plan the party, nothing more. No matter how much time we spend together, I'm not going to fall in love with her.


Sometimes… If it is something I will definitely buy I often pre-order from Amazon and usually end up saving at least a little that way. I try to make myself buy paperbacks, even though I love hardcovers, just for money reasons. Once I have started a series in paperback or have at least some of it in paperback it is easier to stick with it. I don't often simply wait for a sale or price drop. Really cover type and pre-ordering are my ways of saving.


text:
Transit Tales: A Rant About Photos, Fun, and Deportation
by Miles Taylor | Jan 23, 2016 | Miles on the MBTA | 8 comments
I was originally going to use this as an intro to my upcoming review of the 435, but no. This needs its own post, because this is ridiculous. So I was in the Lynn Busway, taking pictures of a 431 (previously 435) bus coming in. The driver beckoned me in and started yelling. He presented several arguments.
The first one was as follows: "What if other people think you're taking pictures of them?" Okay, I guess that's a somewhat reasonable point. "You know what celebrities do to the paparazzi? Punch 'em in the face, throw their cameras down, and smash 'em!" Um…I mean…does that really happen to harmless bus photographers? The paparazzi gets all up in celebrities' faces, but I was just standing in the busway casually snapping a few pictures of a bus. Hardly anything to get so worked up about.
"Where you from?" Um…what? I responded with Cambridge. "No, I mean nationality!" Woah, I'm sorry, what?! This just got personal. I told him a few places from which I'm descended, and he interrupted me. "How would you like to get deported?" UMMMM… "How would you like it if I took a picture of you and deported you across the ocean?" WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU SAYING RIGHT NOW? YOU'RE NOT MAKING COHESIVE SENSE.
Not to mention this whole time there was an old lady standing behind us who kept going, "Yeah, I saw him taking pictures of your bus, too!" She was agreeing with everything the driver said by just repeating it – well, at least the arguments that were somewhat sane. It was rather annoying to not have a jury of my peers, but she didn't add anything to the conversation, so it didn't matter much.
Eventually, the driver realized he had been yelling at me for so long that he was late. "I gotta go," he said. I replied "Okay," and tapped my card. "Wait, wait, wait," the driver suddenly yelled again. "Where are you going?" I explained that I was going to do the 431 loop and then head up to the Liberty Tree Mall when it became the 435.
"I'm not running a joyride here! I'm trying to take people places!" (the bus was empty) "You can't just ride buses for fun!" I told him that I enjoy it, to which he responded with "Fun isn't reality! People are out here trying to make a living, and you're here…having fun!" Okay, look, I understand that many people who use the bus may be lower income, but why does that prevent people from riding the bus for fun? There are lots of bus enthusiasts who do this kind of thing.
Not to mention I had already paid my fare! And now the driver was just going to kick me off? Granted, I have a monthly pass, but the principal of it is atrocious! I had just given money to the company that pays the driver's salary, and now he was going to deny me a ride? That's just being an awful employee!
Now, I just want to say that this driver certainly is an outlier. MBTA drivers are typically quite nice about people taking photos of the buses, or if not, will soften once they find out about the photo policy (I tried to bring it up with the 431 driver, but he completely ignored it). I did not get the employee ID of the 431 driver, but just use this story as a cautionary tale of how irrational some MBTA workers can be about taking photos. Thank you.
After taking this picture, my camera got smashed by Justin Bieber and the FBI deported me out of the country.
Margaret on January 24, 2016 at 5:49 pm
Of all the times I've taken the T with my camera, I've only been harassed once by a driver on the redline. I told her about the T's picture policy and that the pictures were not for commercial usage, but she didn't care. She just told me I couldn't take pictures while on the T (false) and she wouldn't listen to me.
At least she didn't give me the same level of shit you got from that bus driver. I'd report him – if you know the date / time and location of the bus, perhaps that would allow the MBTA to pinpoint which driver it was.
Joosh Lee on January 24, 2016 at 10:10 pm
Plus you have the bus number. Racist piece of s**t, should be fired. You should report them. Like Margaret says, you can use that information plus the bus number.
Al M on January 24, 2016 at 10:20 pm
No shortage of paranoid bus drivers
H45600 FROM HWC on February 4, 2016 at 1:44 am
Once I was at the viscount bus loop (in Mississauga) and a miway Orion vii pulled in. I photographed it. The driver pulled up beside me and asked if I had her permission. I said no. She told me that I couldn't take any more pictures of the bus, I told her I could. She then closed the window and drove off.
Anonymous on March 31, 2018 at 12:45 pm
Bus driver, if you are reading this, I am reporting you to the MBTA. Have a nice day!
Matthew Wong on February 28, 2021 at 10:59 pm
Thankfully this has only happened to me once, on the Silver Line. I was scolded by a driver who said I wasn't allowed to record videos of the Silver Line entering WTC station from the Transitway and then exiting through the D Street Portal. False, as a DM to the MBTA Twitter account confirmed.
Henry Carpenter on January 3, 2023 at 2:39 pm
WOW…….Just wow. I am at a loss for words. Nuff said!