Pedja Muzijevic must be one of our busiest pianists, since he has appeared with almost every major Music Festival and Symphony Orchestra in the world as soloist, in recital or chamber music. With stories and performance, Muzijevic takes time out of his busy concert schedule to open the 2019 Season of Music Mondays.
Sarasota Opera audiences have raved about Kara Shay Thomsons's performances in "Tosca", "Fidelio" and "Tiefland." Kara has been making history with the Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera and New York City Opera among others, and will be singing the title role in Puccini's "Turandot" this season in Sarasota. She stops by Music Mondays to talk about her life as a "Traveling Diva" and sing for us as well.
For over 10 years, the singers of Sarasota Young Voices, trained and conducted by their founder Genvieve Beauchamp have been enchanting audiences. In addition to Sarasota, this group of high school age singers has performed in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the Vatican in Rome, Ireland, and a stirring tour of Greece this past summer. They are not to be missed.
George Nickson is Principal Percussionist and Samantha Bennett is Principal 2nd Violin of the Sarasota Orchestra. Three years ago they founded "ensembleNEWsrq," devoted to the music of our time. In their second appearance on Music Mondays, George and Samantha will share their enthusiasm, skill, and delight in, as well as explain and introduce us to some new sounds in music.
Katherine Siochi is principal harpist of the Sarasota Orchestra and an internationally acclaimed soloist. She has appeared twice on NPR's "From the Top," on WQXR's "Young Artist Showcase," and "Performance Today." Katherine is a frequent substitute with the New York Philharmonic in NY's Lincoln Center.
You may have seen Mary Beth Peil as Grams on "Dawson's Creek," or other roles on TV, or on one of her many appearances on Broadway. Her most recent role was the Dowager Empress in "Anastasia," where she received her second Tony nomination. But did you know Mary Beth also had quite a career in opera, singing with the Metropolitan Opera National Company and New York City Opera? Indeed she did, and will tell us about both careers and sing a few songs as we get acquainted.
Olga Kern catapulted to fame with her Gold Medal win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the first woman to do so in over 30 years. She maintains an almost impossible schedule of recitals and concerto appearances worldwide, and has appeared in Sarasota with the Detroit Symphony and in solo recital. As gracious and lovely as she is talented, Olga is delighted to join us on Music Mondays.
Hanzhi Wang is a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Competition -their first accordionist - and is also a first for Music Mondays. Praised for her engaging stage presence and her musically and technically outstanding performances, she comes to Music Mondays closely following her New York debut in Carnegie Hall. Trained at the Beijing Conservatory and the Royal Danish Academy of Music, she will astound and capture all of us with her artistry.
Natalie Helm is principal cellist of the Sarasota Orchestra, and also enjoys a dynamic career as a solo recitalist, chamber musician, and educator. A top prize winner in several international competitions, she has appeared throughout Italy and Japan, and premiered and commissioned many works. She is founder of Upward Notes, performing for prisoners, homeless shelters and dementia assisted living facilities throughout the United States.
Richard Stoltzman has appeared as soloist with more than a hundred orchestras, in recitals, chamber music, and jazz and is a two-time GRAMMY award winner. Son Peter John Stoltzman is first and foremost a jazz pianist with appearances at Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and venues world wise. Now on a special joint tour, they are an unbeatable duo in both jazz and classics, bringing both to Music Mondays.
That smiling face behind all those wonderful bassoon sounds in the Sarasota Orchestra belongs to Fernando Traba, who is celebrating 25 years as principal bassoonist. A native of Mexico, he trained at the Cleveland Institute of Music and The Juilliard School and is married to Betsy Traba, principal flutist. Fernando's hobbies are cooking and - of all things - auto mechanics!
Joseph Holt is pretty much a moving musical target in Sarasota, since in addition to being alternate host for Music Mondays in Venice, he is also Artistic Director of Choral Artists of Sarasota and Artist Series Concerts, Music Director of Faith Lutheran Church, a sought after soloist and chamber music pianist, and a darned good cook. If we can keep him in once place long enough, Joe will tell us about his career as pianist for the US Army Chorus and other facets of his interesting life.


text:
May 1 Status Update: The Latest from York County
This email is part of an ongoing WEEKLY status update from York County.
Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda
The Board of Supervisors' next meeting is Tuesday, May 5. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on WYCG-TV (Cox 46, Verizon 38) and live streaming at www.yorkcounty.gov/tv. The agenda can be viewed here. This is an electronic remote meeting.
The VPPSA Compost Facility reopens to the public on Monday, May 4. Credit cards and commercial accounts will be accepted for payment. The facility is located at the York County Waste Management Center, 145 Goodwin Neck Road, and is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details are available in the press release and at www.yorkcounty.gov/wastemanagement.
The Household Chemical Collection and Computer Recycling event is being held Saturday, May 9, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Operations Drive (just off Goodwin Neck Road). Additional details are available in the press release and at www.yorkcounty.gov/wastemanagement.
In partnership with the Art at the River Committee, Tourism Development launched the Art at the River Virtual Art Show Facebook event, which runs through Sunday, May 3. The Facebook event includes images of the artists' work as well as contact information for purchases. Twenty-five of the thirty-nine artists chosen earlier this year for the Art at the River Juried Art Show, scheduled to be held at Riverwalk Landing before the event was cancelled due to COVID-19, are participating in this online event.
Of the online event, participating artist Russ Turnage said, "Some really nice work! We shared it to my Facebook page. The customer I had today had never seen my work before and found me through the Visit Yorktown site. She made a significant purchase, very welcome during these difficult days."
The Art at the River Virtual Art Show Facebook event is available at https://www.facebook.com/events/1572593099555977/.
The temporary drive-thru version of Yorktown Market Days at McReynolds Athletic Complex (MAC) kicked off Saturday, April 25. It was extremely successful with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community! Overall, 220 cars passed through the MAC to pick up more than 350 pre-orders. This is primarily a Facebook Event (Yorktown Market Days) where vendors are individually sharing products, pricing, and pre-order information. The vast majority of our vendors do not have websites where they can list their inventory. For citizens without access to social media, we have also listed the vendors' email addresses and phone numbers online under the "This Week at the Market" page so customers may reach out to them directly to see what they offer. This Saturday, May 2, is Virginia Farmers Market Week. We are part of a special campaign run by the Virginia Tourism Corporation to shine light on markets across the state that have modified operations to provide families with access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy food during the pandemic.
One of our vendors, Birch Knoll Farm, stated: "I wanted to thank you for the marketing post. Yesterday was our best sales day, nearly doubling all other days. Thank you so much!"
The closures/cancellations listing is regularly updated on the County's website - www.yorkcounty.gov - and is being shared on the County's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/yorkcountyva/.
For a listing of York County phone numbers, visit www.yorkcounty.gov/directory.
York County, Virginia 2020
224 Ballard Street, Yorktown, VA 23690

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Whenever a person faces hardship, it's easy for him/her to give up and walk away from their challenges or complain and blame those around him/her. They fall into depression, feel sad about their situation and feel powerless. They don't understand "why this is happening to them" or "what they did to deserve this". But for a ProductiveMuslim, his/her way of thinking is completely different.
Whenever a ProductiveMuslim faces hardship, he/she takes a step back from their difficult situation and thinks about it from a higher level. They step back from their life with all its worries, anxieties, problems, and thinks about it from an Akhira perspective, then they ask themselves the question: what does this ALL mean when compared to the Hereafter? What does this ALL mean when compared to eternity in Jannah?
Read Quran. This Quran is so beautiful that no matter what difficulties you face you'll find solace in it. Especially read Surat Yusuf. The scholars say that no one is faced with hardship and reads surat Yusuf except he finds sweetness and calm.
Hardship is Not Lost. Remember, Allah will never forget the injustice/hardship you faced, so don't worry about seeking revenge or trying to get justice.


text:
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Super-rematch-at-Redbird-Arena-12639007.php
Super rematch at Redbird Arena
Published 12:00 am CDT, Sunday, March 16, 2014
NORMAL – Marian Catholic coach Dave Taylor needed just five words to summarize his Spartans' clash with the Edwardsville Tigers a year ago at Redbird Arena.
"We," Taylor said in his opening remarks to reporters after a 68-49 loss to the Tigers, "got our (butts) kicked."
His brother knows the feeling. Five victories over coach Sean Taylor's Quincy Blue Devils gives the Tigers a 6-0 postseason record against the Taylor coaching brothers over the past 11 years.
So the 'due factor' plays in Marian's favor in the Normal Class 4A Super-Sectional at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Illinois State's Redbird Arena. So does an experienced roster led by All-State guard and Kentucky recruit Tyler Ulis.
Edwardsville is 29-2 and ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press' final Class 4A state poll. Marian is ranked is 28-2 and ranked No. 4. The winner advances to the state semifinals at 8:15 p.m. Friday in Peoria against the survivor of a super pitting Lisle Benet Academy (23-7) against Glenbard North (24-5).
Redbird Arena is site for a rematch of the 2013 super-sectional that vaulted Edwardsville to Peoria for the first time since 2006. The Tigers dismantled Marian 68-49, leading by as many as 29 points before sending their starters to the bench.
But the Spartans return five of their top six players from that squad, led by the 5-foot-9 Ulis. One of just 24 seniors selected to the McDonald's All-America game, Ulis scored 40 and 25 points in two sectional wins last week and averages about 23 per game.
That means for the Tigers' first game this season, Edwardsville senior Shawn Roundtree will not be regarded as the best point guard on the court.
"It's going to be a great battle," Roundtree said. "It's not going to be a one-on-one matchup. It's going to be Marian Catholic vs. Edwardsville Tigers."
Marian is back in the super after winning its first sectional championship last season. Joining Ulis as core players back from that team are 5-9 Ki-Jana Carter, 6-0 Josh Cohn, 6-3 John Oliver and 6-6 Terrence Parham. Oliver was born without a left hand.
Edwardsville shot up Marian's 1-3-1 zone last season, with Garrett Covington scoring 25 points and the Tigers shooting 68 percent from the field. In a super-sectional loss to Bloom in 2012, the Tigers were 1-for-15 from the arc and shot just 30 percent from the field.
Marian is hoping for friendlier shooting night at Redbird after a 0-for-11 effort from 3-point range against the Tigers last season. Ulis scored 20 points, but was 0 of 6 from the arc while having difficulty against a Tigers lineup featuring four starters at 6-5.
Three of those graduated, leaving the 6-0 Roundtree and 6-5 senior Armon Fletcher back and scoring about 18 points per game. Edwardsville features another potent scoring threat in senior transfer Trevor Clay.
Senior Darian Brown averages less than 6 points per game but went off for 19 while hitting five 3-pointers in Friday's 59-56 sectional title win over Normal.
"He's a good shooter and he's worked at it," Edwardsville coach Mike Waldo said of Brown. "It was good for him to get rewarded because he's been a great player for us defensively, too."
Senior Darius Crochrell, sixth man last season, is another defensive stopper though Waldo says Crochrell's role extends beyond defense.
"Darius Crochrell was excellent tonight in many aspects," Waldo said after Friday's win.
Marian has won 13 in a row since falling to Lincolnshire Stevenson 76-66 on Jan. 25. The Spartans other loss came against Etiwanda (Calif.) 72-68 on Dec. 7 in a shootout at Illinois-Chicago.
For the Tigers, it's the final step back to state in a season that has been missions accomplished with tourney titles at Waterloo, Carbondale and Salem, and a Southwestern Conference championship before primary goals of winning a regional and sectional.
"I think you always have to feel happy and a little bit fortunate to still be playing this time of year." Waldo said. "We'll appreciate it and we'll try to do the best we can Tuesday."


text:
My Account|Cart
CONDITIONS | WEBCAMS | DONATE
Ski Teams
Ski Hill Lodge
Pass Benefits
Business Pass - Single
Transferable season pass.
This is a great way to support important functions and maintenance of the Club. Transferable Pass to be used by one person at a time.
Revenue from the Business Season Pass is allocated as:
50% - Youth Programs
50% - Events
Season Pass holders have access to all LWSC venues. Alpine, Nordic, Ski Jumping, Tubing, Fat Biking, Sledding and Showshoeing are included in a single pass.In addition to receiving the best deal for unlimited access to our trails and venues throughout the winter season, LWSC also offers amazing discounts and benefits to our season pass holders a.k.a. Leavenworth Winter Sports Club members. Check out the Pass Benefits page for details.
If you have questions, please contact Callie Baker, Head of Marketing and Guest Relations.
Located in the heart of the Cascade mountains and the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, LWSC offers an alpine ski area with two rope tows, ski jumping hill, tubing hill and 26 kilometers of Nordic trails. You can't beat this deal anywhere! Family vacations are now affordable, with prices starting as low as $14. Learn more
Main & Nordic 509-548-5477 | Ski Hill & Tubing 509-548-6975
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LWSC operates the Ski Hill under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. LWSC also operates the Icicle River Trails under a special use permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. LWSC is a non-profit corporation under section 501c(4) of the IRS code.


Alebrijes are a popular type of Mexican folk art that made out of papier-mâché, wood and harder carton materials and featuring mythical creatures. They are very popular in Oaxaca, a region on the West Coast, that has long been known for it's amazing art scene. This area produces a special type of alebrije made out of the local copal tree, which is said to have magical powers. Animal figures have long been carved in the valley areas near Oaxaca by the indigenous Zapotec people. These carved animals were used by the Zapotecs as religious symbols, good luck charms as well as toys.


text:
Screams from the Gutter è il secondo album del gruppo musicale italiano Raw Power, pubblicato nel 1985.

Tracce
Testi e musiche di M. Codeluppi, eccetto ove indicato.
Lato 1
State Oppression - 1:30
Joe's the Best - 1:51
Bastard - 0:57 (G. Codeluppi)
A Certain Kind of Killer - 1:07
Army - 1:36 (Stefanini)
My Boss - 1:17
No Card - 1:27
Power - 0:52
Start a Fight - 2:23
Lato 2
Don't Let Me See It - 2:25
Hate - 1:59
Raw Power - 0:59
Our Oppression - 1:18
We're All Gonna Die - 1:44
Police, Police - 1:03
Nihilist - 1:22
Politicians - 2:00 (Stefanini)

Formazione
Mauro Codeluppi - voce
Davide Devoti - chitarra solista
Giuseppe Codeluppi - chitarra ritmica
Maurizio Dodi - basso
Helder Stefanini - batteria

Produzione
Paul Mahern - produzione e ingegneria del suono
Vince Rancid - copertina

Bibliografia

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Drawing angles using pgfplots that are identical to angles using TikZ I am using pgfplots to draw intersecting lines. Three right triangles are made by these intersecting lines - two of them in the third. I am trying to mark the two pairs of acute angles of equal measures in the smaller right triangles by marks made by TikZ with the commands \tkzMarkAngle[size=0.5cm,mark=|](B,A,P); and \tkzMarkAngle[size=0.5cm,mark=||](A,B,P);, and I am trying to mark any right angles by the same mark made by TikZ with the command \tkzMarkRightAngle(A,P,B);.  How do I mark the acute angles of equal measure in the following code? Unlike with TikZ, I know that have to make the right-angle marks manually. What is the length of each side of the right-angle mark that is made by TikZ?  (I have right triangles drawn on other pages by TikZ. I want the notation to be the same.)
\documentclass[10pt]{amsart}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc,angles,positioning,intersections,quotes,decorations.markings}
\usepackage{mathtools,systeme,array}

\usepackage{tkz-euclide}
\usetkzobj{all}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.11}

\begin{document}

\noindent \hspace*{\fill}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[width=6in,axis equal image,clip=false,
    axis lines=middle,
    xmin=-5,xmax=10,samples=501,
    xlabel=$x$,ylabel=$y$,
    ymin=-8,ymax=11,
    restrict y to domain=-8:11,
    enlargelimits={abs=0.25cm},
    axis line style={latex-latex},
    ticklabel style={font=\tiny,fill=white},
    xtick={\empty},ytick={\empty},
    xlabel style={at={(ticklabel* cs:1)},anchor=north west},
    ylabel style={at={(ticklabel* cs:1)},anchor=south west}
]
\addplot[samples=501, latex-latex,domain=-5:10,blue] {x + 1} node[anchor=north west,pos=0.9,font=\footnotesize]{$y = mx + b$};
\addplot[samples=501, latex-latex,domain=-5:10,blue] {3 - x} node[anchor=south west,pos=0.9,font=\footnotesize]{$y = m^{\prime}x + b^{\prime}$};
\addplot [dashed, latex-latex,domain=-21:21] (6,x) node [pos=0.1, anchor=north, font=\footnotesize, sloped]{$x=x_{\circ}$};
\addplot [dashed, domain=1:6] {2};
(1,2) coordinate (B);
\draw [fill] (1,2) circle [radius=1.5pt] node[label=above:$B$]{};
(6,-3) coordinate (A);
\draw [fill] (6,-3) circle [radius=1.5pt] node[label=right:$A$]{};
(6,7) coordinate (C);
\draw [fill] (6,7) circle [radius=1.5pt] node[label=right:$C$]{};
(6,2) coordinate (P);
\draw [fill] (6,2) circle [radius=1.5pt] node[label=right:$P$]{};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\hspace{\fill}
\vskip0.25in

\end{document}

A: Use named nodes inside the axis environment und then draw the angle marks outside the axis.
\documentclass[10pt]{amsart}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.11}
\usepackage{tkz-euclide}
\usetkzobj{all}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[
  dot/.style={circle,fill,inner sep=1.5pt,}
  ]
\begin{axis}[width=6in,axis equal image,clip=false,
    axis lines=middle,
    xmin=-5,xmax=10,samples=501,
    xlabel=$x$,ylabel=$y$,
    ymin=-8,ymax=11,
    restrict y to domain=-8:11,
    enlargelimits={abs=0.25cm},
    axis line style={latex-latex},
    ticklabel style={font=\tiny,fill=white},
    xtick={\empty},ytick={\empty},
    xlabel style={at={(ticklabel* cs:1)},anchor=north west},
    ylabel style={at={(ticklabel* cs:1)},anchor=south west}
]
\addplot[samples=501, latex-latex,domain=-5:10,blue] {x + 1} node[anchor=north west,pos=0.9,font=\footnotesize]{$y = mx + b$};
\addplot[samples=501, latex-latex,domain=-5:10,blue] {3 - x} node[anchor=south west,pos=0.9,font=\footnotesize]{$y = m^{\prime}x + b^{\prime}$};
\addplot [dashed, latex-latex,domain=-21:21] (6,x) node [pos=0.1, anchor=north, font=\footnotesize, sloped]{$x=x_{\circ}$};
\addplot [dashed, domain=1:6] {2};
\path
  (1,2)node[dot,label=above:$B$](B){}
  (6,-3)node[dot,label=right:$A$](A){}
  (6,7)node[dot,label=right:$C$](C){}
  (6,2)node[dot,label=right:$P$](P){};
\end{axis}
\tkzMarkAngle[size=0.5cm,mark=|](P,A,B);
\tkzMarkAngle[size=0.5cm,mark=||](A,B,P);
\tkzMarkRightAngle(A,P,B);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sri Lanka hit by heavy floods
Heavy rains displace thousands and also slow down military offensive against rebels.
Thousands have been displaced in
northern Sri Lanka[EPA]
The government plans to send emergency aid and shelter materials, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka's disaster management minister, said.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the flooded regions were already displaced by
the fighting between government troops and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and were living in temporary huts.
Aid agencies were evicted from the territory in September, when the government said it could not guarantee their security amid the fighting.
Offensive slowed down
The Sri Lankan government has intesified its efforts to defeat the rebels and announced on Wednesday that the fall of Kilinochchi, LTTE's political headquarters, was "imminent."
Monsoon rains have since then slowed the government forces' military offensive to capture Kilinochchi, the defence ministry said on Friday.
Officials said mine-fields had shifted following heavy rains and grounds troops had to move more cautiously.
However, fighting raged along several fronts in the north, with troops killing at least two members of the LTTE on Thursday, the ministry said.
The LTTE did not comment on the military claims, but its leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, vowed on Thursday to fight on and push back government forces closing in on Kilinochchi.


text:
News / Coronavirus
Jeffrey D. Allred, KSL, File
Doctors worry as Utah hits 4th highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in US
By Jed Boal, KSL TV | Posted - Jan. 11, 2021 at 9:45 p.m.
6PM: Utah has 4th highest rate of new cases
MURRAY — Utah is experiencing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country with the fourth-highest rate of new cases, according to state health data.
A doctor at Intermountain Healthcare said Utah is still seeing the results of the holiday surge.
"We are at highest risk now of getting COVID, higher than we have ever been before," said Dr. Todd Vento, infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare. "Therefore, we've got to make a commitment to finish this race."
Currently, the virus is as infectious in the Beehive State as it has ever been, Vento said, regardless of the precautions Utahns have already been taking. That's why he said we need to double down against complacency and pandemic fatigue.
"Our conclusion from that would be that's the right timing for a post-holiday surge," Vento said.
If you get together with different people every day and don't wear a mask indoors in unventilated areas, he said, your risk is even higher.
With a rolling average of 3,100 new cases a day and a positivity rate over 30%, Utah had the fourth-highest rate of new cases in the nation Monday. The number of cases per population has nearly doubled in the last 10 days.
"The next few weeks will be even more concerning because we haven't seen all of the hospitalizations from this case surge," Vento said.
The CDC now believes 60% of COVID-19 transmission is occurring from people with no symptoms.
"So even more so an issue when you think about gathering say over one week, two weeks over the holidays, through the New Year's holiday," said Vento.
Which Utahns can get a COVID-19 vaccine right now?
As Utah's vaccine rollout starts to ramp up, with more groups eligible to receive doses this week, here's a look at who can receive the vaccine and when you might be able to get one.
The doctor said we won't begin to see the positive impact from the vaccine on our case numbers for months.
"It likely will get worse in terms of numbers," said Vento. "So, even more important that we have everyone recommit in 2021 to doing the preventive public health measures that work."
So, he encouraged everyone to make those practices part of a New Year's resolution.
"So, if you're leaving the house, and you're putting on clothes, you've got to think that you're naked if you don't have a mask on."
Masking up, social distancing, and limiting gatherings with people who don't live in our homes are as important as ever right now," he said.
So, if you're leaving the house, and you're putting on clothes, you've got to think that you're naked if you don't have a mask on.
–Dr. Todd Vento, infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare
KSL.com coronavirus coverage
1,484 more COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths reported Monday in Utah
Jed Boal
US weekly jobless claims decline moderately
Air quality regulator temporarily suspends cremation limits for LA County amid 'backlog' from pandemic
Larry Scott out as Pac-12 commissioner, parties 'mutually agreed'


text:
Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University
Київський Університет імені Бориса Грінченка
Country Ukraine
City Kiev
Cost of living $249-532 USD/Month.
Official Website kubg.edu.ua
Country ranking 7
Cost of living in Kiev
Food 79 147
Transportation 7 26
Communications and utilities 19 31
Sports and leisure 9 38
Accommodation in Kiev
pl Uniwersytet Kijowski imienia Borysa Hrinczenki
Russian Киевский университет имени Бориса Гринченко
Ukrainian Київський університет імені Бориса Грінченка
Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University or Київський Університет імені Бориса Грінченка - public higher education institution in Ukraine. The history of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University can be traced back to1919 . In the capital of Ukraine - Kiev, the main building of the university has its well deserved place.
University ranking. Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University positioned itself in the top 10 universities of Ukraine. The university is in the top 5% according to international ratings. If you wish to learn more about the university's life you can follow them on social media: Twitter, Youtube.
Infrastructure of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. The library is available to all of the students. There are facilities in place that allow the students to participate in sports of their liking.
Universities related to Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University
491 1 National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv 3,000 USD 1,000 USD
643 3 National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" 1,000 USD 3,000 USD
1684 9 National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
1992 13 National Pedagogical Dragomanov University
18 National University of Food Technologies Kyiv 2,500 USD 2,500 USD
491 1 National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv Kiev 3,000 USD 1,000 USD
562 2 Kharkiv National University named after V.N. Karazin Kharkiv 1,000 USD 1,000 USD
643 3 National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" Kiev 1,000 USD 3,000 USD
772 4 Vasyl' Stus Donetsk National University Donetsk 2,500 USD 2,500 USD
795 5 National Technical University - Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute Kharkiv 2,500 USD 2,500 USD


text:
Category Archives: –BIBB COUNTY GA–
Tucker's Barbecue, 1947, Macon
One of Macon's oldest restaurants, Tucker's Barbecue was established at this location on Broadway in 1947.
Originally a drive-in, it saw its busiest days when Broadway was the prime industrial area of Macon, supporting several factories. Though this stretch of Broadway is now one of the most desolate areas in town, Tucker's hangs on and still serves its original recipe of chopped pork marinated in a vinegary sauce. It has its loyal fans and detractors alike, but its very survival says they owners are doing something right.
The old sign is an amazing survivor itself, and is a popular stop for photographers visiting Macon.
Filed under --BIBB COUNTY GA--, Macon GA
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, North Georgia Barbecue, North Georgia Landmarks, North Georgia Restaurants, Vanishing Middle Georgia
Cowles-Bond-Woodruff House, 1836-1840, Macon
Elam Alexander began construction on this house on Coleman Hill in 1836, for Jerry Cowles, the financier who brought the railroad from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Macon and who served as president of the Ocmulgee Bank. The house took on its present monumental appearance with the addition of the colonnade in 1840. Financial woes led Cowles to New York during the 1840s and the house was purchased by Joseph Bond, one of Georgia's most prominent cotton growers. Bond's time in the house was short, however, as he was killed by a neighboring plantation owner in a dispute over slave.
In 1865, the estate served as the headquarters of Union Brigadier General James H. Wilson during his occupation of the city. In 1879, James T. Coleman purchased the property and the surrounding area became known as Coleman Hill.
The Oriental/Moorish gazebo, built during the Victorian era, is one of Macon's most popular photo subjects.
Beginning in 1960, the house served as the segregationist Stratford Academy for a time [now an inclusive institution located elsewhere] and was later gifted to Mercer University by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. It remains one of Macon's most enduring landmarks.
Macon Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, Antebellum North Georgia, Architecture of Elam Alexander, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, National Register of Historic Places, North Georgia Greek Revival Architecture, North Georgia Houses, North Georgia Landmarks, Slavery in North Georgia, The Civil War in North Georgia, Vanishing Middle Georgia
Mercer University School of Law, 1956, Macon
Located atop Coleman Hill and overlooking downtown Macon, the Mercer University School of Law is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Built in 1956 and originally named in honor of Senator Walter F. George, it was modeled after Independence Hall. The school was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest law schools in the United States, as well as the first in Georgia accredited by the American Bar Association.
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, North Georgia Colleges & Universities, North Georgia Landmarks, Vanishing Middle Georgia
Ralston-Schofield House, Circa 1831, Macon
Expanded from eight to nineteen rooms over its long history, this charming house was built by James A. Ralston circa 1831. Ralston was the owner of Raltson Hall, one of Macon's most popular 19th century entertainment venues. The house was sold to A. O. Schofield, founder of Schofield Iron Works, in 1890. It has been subdivided into apartments but maintains its historic exterior appearance today.
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, Antebellum North Georgia, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, National Register of Historic Places, North Georgia Architecture, North Georgia Houses, Vanishing Middle Georgia
T. C. Burke House, 1887, Macon
Built by Macon's "Merchant Prince", T. C. Burke, this opulent home is known today as the Burke Mansion, a bed and breakfast. It is considered the finest Queen Anne in Macon and a nationally important example of the style.
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, National Register of Historic Places, North Georgia Houses, North Georgia Landmarks, North Georgia Victorian Architecture, Vanishing Middle Georgia
Goddard-Scott-Huff-Johnston House, Circa 1838, Macon
Built by James Goddard, a Massachusetts native, this massive Greek Revival landmark was later owned by prominent Macon banker and Macon & Western Railroad president Isaac Scott. W. A. Huff bought it for $14,285 in gold in 1866, and after changing hands several times, it was purchased by William McEwen Johnston in 1893. Originally built as a half-house with just four columns, the house was expanded for Johnston by architect Peter Dennis to accommodate colonnades on three sides. Beginning in 1976, Harris and Wynell Bedgood spent many years restoring and maintaining the historic integrity of the house.
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, Antebellum North Georgia, Architecture of Peter Dennis, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, National Register of Historic Places, North Georgia Greek Revival Architecture, North Georgia Houses, North Georgia Landmarks, Vanishing Middle Georgia
Eclectic House, 1905, Macon
This house is a good example of the transitional Victorian and Eclectic styles common in the first decade of the 20th century.
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, National Register of Historic Places, North Georgia Architecture, North Georgia Houses, North Georgia Landmarks, Vanishing Middle Georgia
Harris-Hall-Bennett House, 1902, Macon
False Front Store & Residence, Macon
This false front store with attached residence likely dates to circa 1900.
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, National Register of Historic Places, North Georgia Commercial Architecture, North Georgia False Front Stores, North Georgia Grocery Stores, North Georgia Landmarks, Vanishing Middle Georgia
S. B. Price Free Library, 1899 & 1934, Macon
In the late 19th century free public libraries were a relatively new concept but Macon Mayor S. B. "Daisy" Price wanted to open such a facility that would be free to all (white) citizens of his growing community. The library formally opened on 7 January 1900 and was named for Mayor Price, who had died on 22 November 1899. The structure's entrance originally faced Orange Street and featured a turret but a renovation and needed update by the Civil Works Administration re-oriented the library and moved the entrance to 1st Street.
Tagged as --BIBB COUNTY GA--, © Brian Brown/Vanishing Media, Macon GA, National Register of Historic Places, North Georgia Architecture, North Georgia Institutional Architecture, North Georgia Landmarks, North Georgia Libraries, Vanishing Middle Georgia


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Pavilion from the Ocean
Welcome to iPavilionCondo.com
This forum, by owners for owners, provides useful information for owners to view and discuss.
This blog does not belong nor represents the views of the Pavilon Condo Association
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Another President is sent to the slammer for stealing from the community association. It wouldn't have happened but for the efforts of a determined owner.
By Eric Glazer, Esq.
I really wish I didn't have to write this particular blog this week. It's about another HOA President who helped herself to the association's funds when she thought she wouldn't get caught. And if not for the hard work of a particular resident of the community, she might have been right.
Three years after the case started, I decided to look at the very first e-mail I received from my client and this is how it reads:
Greetings Dr. Glazer,
I've been a CCFJ member since 2007, and you were recommended to me by Jan Bergemann when I asked for a homeowner-friendly HOA attorney in the Fort Lauderdale area. (Jan said to say, "hello.")
Myself and several homeowners in my community have discovered evidence that our HOA board is writing checks to someone that doesn't exist based on a contract that also doesn't exist. We attempted to approach the board at its last regularly-scheduled meeting, hoping the honest members would begin an investigation. Tonight, we had a general membership meeting, and it's apparent that the board is doubling-down in an attempt to deflect from the theft of association funds and instead, so it seems, initiate a lawsuit against us.
Now here's the funny part. You know the joke about asking someone if they think they're a rocket scientist? Well my client actually is a rocket scientist. So, he wasn't afraid or stupid enough to turn away and avoid the fight. When the Board tried to convince him to mind his business, he dug his heels in harder.
I got hired by Steve and demanded some records from the association and the City of Tamarac. The records showed that someone with nearly the identical name as the President was getting paid by the HOA for acting as a liason for the City of Tamarac. The only problem was that The City of Tamarac never employed such a person and there was no such position as City Liason. Notwithstanding this, the payments went on for years, even under the nose of a professional management company.
Finally, my client and I met with the police, we provided exemplary records, and an arrest was made. Last week, the President changed her plea from not guilty to guilty. There was no slap on the wrist this time. She was sentenced to five years incarceration, 15 years probation and ordered to pay back $192,000.00 in restitution.
The former President of course got all the publicity in the press, even though it certainly was negative publicity. My client, who truly uncovered the crime and spoke about it years ago on the Condo Craze and HOAs Radio Show received no Thank You at all from the prior board and certainly no accolades in the press. Without him and a few others at the HOA, who knows how long this would have went on and who knows how much more the owners would have suffered.
So this week……here's to you Steven Soloff for being smart enough and brave enough to fight back, ask questions, and refusing to take NO for an answer. You are an example for all owners in community associations throughout Florida of what to do when you think you're being ripped off and are stonewalled when you start asking questions. Your neighbors certainly owe you a drink.
Read More: http://www.hoa-condoblog.com/
City of Miami Beach: Preparation for Inclement Weather August 26, 2016
As inclement weather is a possibility in South Florida, we would like to assure you that city will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the effective and efficient elimination of stagnant water throughout Miami Beach, which could lead to a potential habitat for mosquito breeding.
While we are working to prepare for all possibilities, we encourage you to be vigilant and report water that has been standing for more than 48 hours on Miami Beach to our Public Works Department at 305.673.7625, 305.604.CITY, or through the free, Miami Beach eGov app. Please also remember that it does take between 7 and 10 days for an egg to develop into an adult mosquito.
We cannot fight the bite alone. Mosquitoes only need a teaspoon of water to lay eggs, so it is important to drain all sources of standing water on individual properties, including flower pots, buckets, tires, toys and any other container that makes a great "nursery."
We would also like to remind everyone to have an updated hurricane plan. We are prepared and want to make sure you are too.
Click here for the city's hurricane guide in English, click here for the Spanish hurricane guide.
Condo owners in Miami Dade County met today with our Future Mayor Raquel Regalado
Maryin Vargas
Click Here to make Florida State to enforce Condo Law & use the power given by the legislature to remove corrupt Board Members"
Aug 26, 2016 — As Raquel said VOTA PARA QUE TE RESPETEN! RESPECT IS EARNED VOTE! Raquel Regalado has earned my respect. She provides solutions, which is what condo owners desperately need. We spoke at length of what can be done at the local level because we cannot wait any longer...it's been 12 years of waiting for our legislators and DBPR to act. Condo owners are done with living in lawless Florida, we are taking our County back.
As mayor of Miami Dade County Raquel committed to creating a special task force within the Economic Crimes unit dedicated only to investigating condos. Raquel knows that condo fraud is rampant and as crime goes in Miami Dade county way underreported. She would lower the CAP this department is allowed to investigate to $50, 000 compounded over 2 years. She explained that our officers are not given the tools necessary to address the problems. As our Mayor Raquel will bring the training on condo law to our police and detectives so they can pin point how the these frauds are being orchestrated. They would work closely with the State Attorneys office.
Condo fraud is a multi-million dollar industry in Miami Dade County.
Raquel stressed that a strong police presence in this condo epidemic will deter these crimes from being committed and ultimately protect condo owners pockets. She is the only leader that will make sure our detectives investigate these crimes and bring back law and order in Miami Dade County!
Carlos Gimenez has done NOTHING for condo owners in 5 years and has done nothing for our Miami Dade County as Mayor. Looking back not even when he was Commissioner ;(. Carlos Gimenez served as vice chair of the transportation committee, if he ever cared about our County maybe we wouldn't be in the problems we are with the transit today. He has been a deplorable public servant to say the least. Carlos Gimenez does not care about you or me, he is in bed with the special interests they are the only people he answers to!
Please VOTE for Raquel Regalado she cares about our families, she cares about our homes.
Condo Activist
P.S. great read: Carlos Gimenez's links to lobbyists lead straight to his staff
http://www.politicalcortadito.com/2016/08/24/carlos-gimenez-lobbyists-staff/
#Miami real estate had a really bad month in July
By Nicholas Nehamasnnehamas@miamiherald.com
miamiherald |
Close your eyes if you don't like bad news.
The volume of existing home sales in Miami-Dade County fell 20.8 percent in July compared to July 2015, according to a monthly report released Wednesday by the Miami Association of Realtors.
"That's an eye-popping number," said Peter Zalewski of Cranespotters.com
Three main factors are conspiring to slow down Miami's real estate market: Not enough affordable housing for locals. A lack of foreclosure inventory available for investors to snap up. And a major drop-off in the number of foreign buyers, who've been burned by the strong dollar.
"When you see a 20 percent drop, you start thinking not just housing recession but housing depression," said Jack McCabe, a South Florida real estate analyst.
Even so, prices are still going up. And today's housing market isn't built on bad debt, unlike the financial crisis, lessening the chance of a massive bust.
Realtors say it's not time to panic. The pace of sales set in 2013, 2014 and 2015 simply wasn't sustainable, said Ron Shuffield, president and CEO of EWM Realty International.
"A lot of the decline we're seeing is in the million-dollar market and in foreclosures," Shuffield said. "The middle of the market is still strong."
The new report shows Miami-Dade's condo market suffering more than single-family homes.
Condo resales dipped to 1,104 in July, down 24.7 percent year over year, the Realtors' group found. Existing condos are competing with a glut of luxury offerings, making older units a tougher sell.
Single-family resales fell to 1,128 in July, a 16.4 percent decline from last year.
A lot of the decline we're seeing is in the million-dollar market and in foreclosures. Ron Shuffield, Realtor
Miami-Dade sales numbers have dropped consistently so far this year, although not by this much.
Home buyers and sellers haven't adjusted yet to slowing sales.
The median sales price for single-family homes in Miami-Dade rose 7.9 percent annually to $299,000 in July. Condo prices hit $225,000, up 15.4 percent year over year.
Prices usually lag behind sales six to 12 months, experts say.
Broward's real estate market also stumbled in July, suggesting the slowdown could be region-wide. Zika travel advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could also lessen interest from out-of-town buyers.
High prices, low wages
In Miami, wages and housing prices remain deeply out of whack. That's because foreign investors have driven up prices beyond what many locals can pay. Since the bust, developers have built almost exclusively for the luxury market. And there's little land left on which to build new homes. As a result, the inventory of single-family homes priced below $300,000 fell 34.3 percent over the last year, according to the Realtors' association.
Four-in-five Miami-Dade households would struggle to afford a median-price, single-family home, according to research by the Metropolitan Center at Florida International University.
"There's been an absolute dearth of construction in the lower and middle price ranges," McCabe said. "We've had growing population due to migration, but we've seen no increase of supply in those lower ends."
Without new construction of mid-range housing, don't expect prices for homes under $350,000 to come down, even as luxury prices drop, he added. It's an issue of supply and demand.
Low inventory at affordable prices is a nationwide problem.
Total existing home sales in the U.S. fell 3.2 percent in July, the first year-over-year decline since November, according to the National Association of Realtors.
"It's very difficult to sustain growing sales volumes when there simply aren't many homes for sale," Svenja Gudell, chief economist for real estate website Zillow, said in a statement. "What's more, those homes that are for sale are increasingly unaffordable for first-time and entry-level home buyers.
Another reason for slow local sales: Miami's massive foreclosure inventory is dwindling. Investors jumped on low-priced homes during the recovery to fix them up and rent them out. But in July distressed sales fell 55.3 percent, according to the Realtors' association.
The county still has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the U.S. at 2.4 percent, but it's falling fast, according to research firm CoreLogic. The foreclosure rate soared to 27 percent in 2010.
At the upper end of the market, the velocity of foreign buyers is down significantly over the last year. Currencies in Brazil and Venezuela have tumbled. Interest from buyers in new markets outside of Latin America such as Turkey and China is a positive sign but it could be years before they have a big impact.
Developers have begun delaying planned condo projects, especially in areas off the water, including Auberge Miami Residences & Spa in the Omni district and Boulevard 57 in the Upper East Side.
"The pullback has been pretty dramatic," said Zalewski, who watches the new construction market closely. "The industry has been recognizing that going forward with some of these projects doesn't make sense. It's not surprising."
Read More: http://www.miamiherald.com/
#MiamiBeach Has Fined Airbnb-Style Landlords $1.6 Million Since March
By Jerry Iannelli
Miami New Times | Fri., Sep. 2, 11:30am
In Miami Beach, it's no secret that the hotel industry is the city's biggest economic engine. City Hall certainly knows who pays the bills. This past in March, the city voted to begin fining Airbnb-like short-term renters a whopping $20,000 a pop.
Hoteliers say the new fines protect the tourism industry from unregulated renters who can offer cheaper rooms without paying employees or taxes. But short-term renters — including one who spoke anonymously to New Times out of fear that the city government would fine him — argue that the law just protects deep-pocketed luxury hotels from competition.
One thing that is not in dispute: The city has not been shy about handing out the new fines, which can go to anyone renting a space for less than six months and one day. According to a memo that City Manager Jimmy Morales sent to the city commission last week, Miami Beach has levied $1.59 million in fines against short-term landlords since the new fines have been in place.
In the August 17 memo, Morales writes that the city has issued 106 fines since March 9. Four of those fines, totaling $80,000, went to Airbnb, Inc. It's also illegal to advertise a short-term rental in Miami Beach, and the city says it caught Airbnb advertising in town on three occasions and renting out an "apartment/townhome" on 14th Street.
The city says it issued penalties to Airbnb, Booking.com, and Homeaway.com a total of 18 times for advertising in the city. The memo also says that in 31 cases, the city called the police department and had short-term renters evicted onsite.
Elsewhere, a few individual landlords appear to have racked up more than $100,000 in fines. SoBeautiful Lifestyle LCC, a company owned by landlord Reed Zaroff and managed by Jamey Kolka, has had $240,000 in fines levied against a property at 244 W. Rivo Alto Dr. At least three of the fines apparently stemmed from advertisements the city says the LLC had been running.
Another property, at 2232 Alton Rd., which the city says was related to Gleason Properties LLC, Miami World Rental LLC, and Airbnb, was fined at least $225,000.
The crackdown has hit an industry that once operated with relative impunity on the Beach. One short-term-property owner tells New Times that although multimonth or single-week rentals have long been illegal in the city, code compliance didn't begin citing him until Mayor Philip Levine was elected in 2013.
After that, the landlord says, code-compliance officers began knocking on his doors at all hours and harassing his tenants. "They would threaten to shut off the power or turn my water off," he says.
Before March, the landlord says, it made economic sense for landlords like him to continue renting properties illegally and rack up fines because they could charge enough in rent to cover the penalties.
"It was definitely worth the price of business," he says. "Now there is a $20,000 violation for less than renting your property six months and a day."
The property owner argues that the city's strict rule has the unintended consequence of forcing out anyone who's staying longer than a typical hotel stay but too short for a full half-year rental.
"If you've got a family coming in from Paris for the summer, or a celebrity filming here who wants to stay in a house instead of a hotel, or a Saudi prince coming for two months who needs more privacy than the top floor of the Setai [a luxury oceanfront hotel in South Beach] can give, you can't do anything," he says.
Though hotel owners — and the city government — view the new rule positively, the landlord says the city's six-months-and-one-day time limit makes no sense.
"I'd understand if they wanted to ban weekend rentals," he says, "but this is completely unreasonable. It's just so over-the-top. It just shows the hotel lobby has a much stronger hold on this administration."
Read More: www.miaminewtimes.com
Is the condo market ripe for bulk buys?
By Steven Fischler Special to the Miami Herald
While the Miami condominium market can be unpredictable, it is also very cyclical. Real estate experts and insiders often can see what's coming next. And what's next could be bulk buys.
As the market cools, investors can oftentimes buy 10 or more units — and sometimes even entire buildings — at a discount. Of seven conditions that typically lead to bulk buys, we are already seeing signs of six of them.
1. Commissions and incentives to brokers are increasing. The practice started in late 2015 and has spread. In March, one developer announced it was raising commissions to 10 percent on two Miami projects and lowering deposit requirements. Another developer upped its commission from 6 percent to 7 percent while also offering Realtors car leases or jet skis as additional incentives and other projects promptly followed suit.
2. Sales prices are flat or falling. A report released by Miami's Downtown Development Authority at the beginning of August showed that downtown Miami condominium prices dropped for the first time in five years. The report focused on resale prices, which declined 4 percent, a phenomenon representative of the entire Miami market. Which leads to…
3. Resales in new buildings. The same DDA report compared listings from May 2014 to May 2016. There were 1,900 listings then; there are 3,000 now. Over that same period, monthly sales fell 43 percent. Immediate resales drive down prices if purchased during a pre-construction or early period at prices below those on new units. With new and resale residences hitting the market simultaneously, you can find projects with 20 percent-plus of units available.
4. Banks are tightening lending requirements. Good news: We will not see a repeat of 2008. To better insulate themselves, banks have instituted higher sales threshold levels throughout this cycle and become more selective about which projects to fund as we have moved through this cycle.
5. New inventory builds up. According to the Integra Realty report released by the DDA, more than 2,500 units were available in any given month over the past two years. This May, the number topped 3,000. Because of long lead times, nearly 7,500 condos were under construction in the second quarter of 2016 with another 1,550 being marketed in the pre-construction phase.
6. Developers and investors begin looking for financing against their unsold or all cash units. This is where we are right now. For example, the demand for hard money lending to foreign buyers has never been higher.
All of these steps could eventually lead to…
7. Off-market opportunities. If history repeats itself, we could start to hear developers whispering about blocks of units for sale. Although we have not seen this yet, the practice became common in the last cycle when velocity slowed and buyers stopped showing up for closings. Between July 2008 and August 2009, nine bulk sales in Miami-Dade County totaling 613 units averaged $199 per square foot, according to Condo Vultures. One buyer bought 10 units at Brickell on the River South Tower at a 43 percent discount. Another buyer paid less than $200 per square foot for 21 units at Marina Blue. Over the next two years, bulk sales were recorded at a Fontainebleau project, Regent Hotel, 900 Biscayne Bay, Downtown Dadeland and others.
Will we get to Step 7 this time? This is not 2008-09. And Miami has become a destination because of the lifestyle, arts and business opportunities the city offers. Those should cushion any decline and then bring new life to the condo market.
Steven Fischler is a co-founder and principal of New Gables Capital, a real estate private lending company. He can be reached at steven@newgablescapital.com.
Read More: http://www.miamiherald.com/r
#Miami condo developers make push for Chinese buyers
By Nicholas Nehamas
nnehamas@miamiherald.com
A group of nearly 20 top Chinese real estate brokers are touring luxury condo projects in South Florida this weekend as local developers seek to drum up business in the Far East.
The attraction of Miami is clear.
"Just look at this," said Gene Shi, president of international operations for China's massive Homelink brokerage, as he gestured toward Biscayne Bay, its waters shimmering out the window of the Missioni Baia sales center in Edgewater on Friday. "This is something you could never dream of, even for a millionaire in New York City. But this is a typical view for a citizen of Miami."
Another advantage: Miami offers much lower prices than Manhattan and San Francisco, the traditional U.S. hot spots for Chinese buyers.
Between April 2015 and March 2016, Chinese buyers splurged on U.S. real estate to the tune of $27.3 billion, far more than second-place Canada, whose residents spent $8.9 billion, according to the National Association of Realtors.
But only a small portion of that money found its way to South Florida. Without a direct flight from Miami to China, it will be difficult to attract more capital.
Chinese buyers made up just 2 percent of international sales in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in 2015, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. While that number has doubled since 2012, it still pales in comparison to Latin American buyers, whose cash fueled Miami's recent real estate boom.
New markets
With currencies tanking in major markets like Brazil and Venezuela, Miami brokers are turning to new buyers.
"We've always had our eye to the Asian markets," said Jesse Ottley, president of development sales at brokerage Cervera Real Estate. "As we watched the capital flow out of China over the last five years, we at Cervera thought that was the time to make our move."
Ottley said Cervera projects in Miami and Fort Lauderdale have made sales to Chinese buyers. He pointed to a growing number of Chinese students at the University of Miami as another encouraging sign.
At Elysee, another condo project in Edgewater, broker Jennifer Cervera preached the benefits of the nearby Design District, Miami's growing luxury shopping destination.
"If you start shopping there, you won't leave," she said.
This is far from the first time that the local real estate industry has reached out to Chinese buyers. Some Miami brokers have traveled to China to pitch new developments. One condo project, Paramount Miami Worldcenter, even hired a feng shui consultant to advise on design.
And China City Construction Co., a developer owned by the Chinese government, spent more than $110 million on land in Brickell and Miami Beach.
Everyone on the tour agreed that a direct flight from Miami to Beijing or another Asian location is crucial.
"A direct flight would be a big factor," said Frank Peng, who leads Cervera's marketing efforts in Asia. "If you look at the other major cities in the United States, every single one had direct flights before the Chinese invested, no exceptions."
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. is considering a larger plane that would allow for direct flights between Hong Kong and Miami. Officials at Miami International Airport have said they hope to land a regular direct flight from Cathay or another airline within the next 24 months.
The Cervera firm organized the visit with Beijing-based Homelink, which has more than 60,000 agents in China. The two groups recently signed a joint marketing agreement. Miami brokerage International Sales Group inked a similar deal with Homelink last year.
The Chinese company selected brokers with annual minimum sales of $17 million to come on this trip, its second of the year to Miami. Stops in New York and San Francisco are also on the agenda.
This time around, the visitors heard from Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado, Commissioner Ken Russell and officials from Miami's Downtown Development Authority.
On Saturday, the group will drive to Fort Lauderdale and finish the day with shopping at Sawgrass Mills mall in Sunrise.
President of Association to Prison for 5 Years
Article Courtesy of The Sun Sentinel
By Erika Pesantes
A former homeowners association president in Tamarac has been sentenced to prison for embezzling more than $180,000 from her community.
Court records show that Michelle Changar-Coe, 46, changed her plea to guilty on a grand theft charge and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by 15 years of probation. She also was ordered to pay $192,416 in restitution during a court hearing Tuesday.
Changar-Coe was president of the Mainlands Section 7 homeowners association from January 2009 through December 2013 and forged signatures on dozens of checks she deposited into her personal bank account, authorities said.
A letter filed in court in January from Maureen Utich, a Mainlands resident, spoke of her wishes for prosecution of the crime and said more than 200 people in her community had suffered from Changar-Coe's actions.
"She has caused hardship for many of her victims. Families with children, elderly on fixed incomes, laid off and unemployed people struggling to pay their bills," she wrote. "She stole from all of us."
About a half dozen residents echoed her sentiments in letters to Broward Circuit Judge Michael Rothschild.
Changar-Coe's attorney, Michael Gottlieb, said his client has two young children and stole from her community at a time when her husband had lost his job due to an injury and she was a pregnant stay-at-home mom.
"She engaged in this conduct at a point in time when her family was suffering a great financial tragedy and she made a foolish decision stealing from her association," he said. "I know she regrets it. She's remorseful."
Court records show that Changar-Coe pleaded guilty to charges of grand theft and uttering a forged instrument in 1997. At the time, the judge withheld adjudication, meaning there was no conviction on her criminal record, and she was given three years of probation. She also was ordered to pay about $4,500 in restitution.
Read More: http://www.ccfj.net/
ALERT: New Cluster of Zika Cases Is Reported in #MiamiBeach
By PAM BELLUCK and LIZETTE ALVAREZ
nytimes.com | Aug. 18, 2016
A cluster of Zika cases most likely transmitted by local mosquitoes has been identified in Miami Beach, a health official said Thursday. Health authorities are trying to decide whether to designate a section of the bustling tourist city as a zone of active Zika transmission, and whether to advise pregnant women to avoid the area.
The health official said Thursday that there are "a handful of cases" of likely local transmission that involve people who were in "close proximity to each other." The official insisted on anonymity, saying that the cases and the location are not likely to be officially announced until late Thursday or early Friday.
Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the Florida Department of Health had released official information on the cases or the location in Miami Beach.
To date, only one neighborhood in Miami, a one-square mile section of Wynwood, has been declared an active Zika transmission zone in the United States, and the C.D.C. has advised pregnant women to stay out of the area. As of Wednesday, Florida authorities had tied 25 of the 35 locally-transmitted Zika cases to a single area in that Wynwood zone.
Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/
Miami's biggest developer is pumping the brakes on downtown condo tower
No one can escape the chill creeping into Miami's luxury real estate market. The Related Group, South Florida's biggest condo developer, confirmed Wednesday it would delay construction on a 298-unit project called Auberge Residences & Spa Miami.
"The market is slower," said Carlos Rosso, president of Related's condo division. "The dollar has appreciated a lot against Latin American currencies."
Groundbreaking was originally set for 2017. Rosso said he wasn't sure yet how long the project at 1440 Biscayne Blvd. would be delayed. "Do you have a crystal ball?" he asked.
A cascade of foreign buyers pushed Miami real estate into overdrive after the recession but has since dried up. Rosso says the slowdown doesn't worry him and sales will continue at Auberge.
"We have to be a little more patient with this market," he said. "I think it's very good for all of us that the market takes a breather."
Land prices have escalated, leading to fights over prime properties. And a glut of inventory means existing condo prices in downtown Miami fell for the first time in five years.
The Real Deal first reported the delay at Auberge, the first-phase of a three-tower development.
The project has pre-sold 15 percent of its units, according to a second quarter report from brokerage International Sales Group. Developers generally need to sell two-thirds of their units before they start building.
In July, Bloomberg reported that Related CEO and chairman Jorge Pérez was making plans for his sons to take over the company. His eldest, Jon Paul, was put in charge of marketing for Auberge.
Slumping sales across the market should come as no surprise given the lack of foreign buyers, said analyst Tony Graziano, who authors regular reports on the condo market for Miami's Downtown Development Authority.
Other developers have put projects on hold, including Boulevard 57 in Miami's Morningside neighborhood.
"Bank financing for development in Miami right now is dicey," Graziano said. "It's harder for banks to do their due diligence because there's no way to accurately forecast how many foreign buyers will come."
He added that smaller, boutique projects may have a better chance of hitting sales targets.
The federal government has also put pressure on buyers. Over the last year, it handed down new disclosure rules for certain kinds of cash home deals in Miami, along with other luxury markets around the country including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Regulators suspect luxe properties are being used to launder money.
#Miami home sales fall in second quarter as market cools
A tight market for mid-range homes in Miami-Dade County drove up prices in the second quarter of 2016, but the overall number of existing home sales fell.
There were nearly 7,500 existing home sales in Miami-Dade between April and June, down from roughly 8,300 during the same period last year, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. That's a 9.7 percent year-over-year drop. Single-family home sales fell 7 percent, faring better than condos, which dropped 12 percent.
Foreign buyers have pulled back from Miami real estate as the dollar strengthens, hurting sales. A lack of foreclosure inventory is also cooling the market.
But the middle of the market remains hot, meaning locals will continue struggling to close affordable deals. The number of single-family home sales in the $200,000-to-$600,000 price range rose 6.2 percent during the second quarter. And the number of condo sales in the $150,000-to-$300,000 range rose 6 percent.
Strong sales activity for middle-class homes means prices are continuing to rise overall. The median price for a single-family home in Miami-Dade hit $295,000 in the second quarter, an 8.6 percent year-over-year jump. The median price for a condo rose to $215,000, a 5.5 percent increase.
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"All because of the Galbuts": Owners at #MiamiBeach South Beach's Shelborne fight $30 million assessments, foreclosure
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:
The Galbut Family mentioned in this article owns several commercial units at the Pavilion. Unfortunately, the current Board of Directors of the Pavilion have a member of this family as a paid legal advisor. Let's hope that the owners of the Pavilion will not suffer the same fate as some Shelborne's owners.
Cyber Citizens for Justice, Inc.
ccfj.net |
Article Courtesy of The Florida Bulldog
By Francisco Alvarado
For the past four years, about 40 investors and snowbirds who own 42 rooms in a landmark oceanfront art deco hotel have been locked in a pitched court battle with one of Miami Beach's most politically connected families to keep their units.
An ongoing civil lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court alleges that Miami Beach developer Russell Galbut, along with relatives and business associates, broke Florida condo association laws by passing nearly $30 million in illegal assessments for renovations at what is now the Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach. That works out to roughly $107,142 per room.
Ronald M. Rosengarten of the Greenberg Traurig law firm represents Shelborne Property Associates.
"While it is true that friends and supporters of the Galbut family projects may sit on the board, the Galbut family does not 'control' their votes," Rosengarten said. "Currently, Galbut family related entities only have a minority interest in the Shelborne, owning less than one sixth of the units and certainly do not control the units."
Rosengarten said court records also show the Galbuts' renovation of the Shelborne "has been a financial boon for the unit-owners and not a fraud."
Built in 1940, the iconic hotel at 1801 Collins Avenue was entirely owned by Galbut and his relatives in the 1980s. A decade later, the Galbuts began selling some of their units to outside investors when the property was converted to a condo-hotel, according to the 10 owners and Rosegarten. The new owners were allowed to rent their rooms to tourists through a Galbut entity that managed the hotel or other companies that provided booking services.
Galbut family big political contributors
Galbut family members and companies they control have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to political committees supporting Miami Beach city commission candidates. Through six companies he controls, Russell Galbut also has raised $10,000 for a PAC supporting Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez's re-election. Three Galbut family members have contributed a combined $15,100 this year to Republican congressional candidates including Sen. Marco Rubio, and Republican U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
Things began going awry in 2010, a year after management of the Shelborne was handed over to Menin Hotels, a company controlled by Galbut and his cousin, Keith Menin, the lawsuit states. From 2006 through the beginning of 2015, Menin also served on the condo association board. The lawsuit alleges Menin and the board voted in favor of a $15 million renovation in 2011 to redo the Shelborne's common areas, from the hotel hallways to the lobby to the pool deck without obtaining approval from at least 75 percent of the unit owners as required by state law.
Yet the non-Galbut owners still got a bill for the $15 million through a series of special assessments between 2011 and 2012.
"Keith Menin knows the Menin Alterations are unlawful," the lawsuit states. "But he caused or allowed the partnership to make them anyway."
The lawsuit also claims that Joan Brent, the other Galbut cousin who served on the condo association's board from November 2011 and June 2013, knew the Menin Hotels renovation was unlawful.
Barely a year later, Galbut and his alleged surrogates signed an agreement with Wyndham Hotel Management allowing them to market 125 rooms and the common areas of the hotel under the Wyndham brand, the lawsuit states. The non-Galbut owned-rooms were not part of the deal.
Despite just finishing the $15 million update to the building, the condo board initiated another renovation project in the summer of 2014 in order to meet Wyndham standards, the lawsuit states. This time, the non-Galbut owners were assessed a combined $28.7 million, according to the complaint.
Again, the condo board did not obtain consent from 75 percent of the owners, the lawsuit alleges. It also says Galbut, Brent, Menin and their allies on the board devised a plan to lie to the non-Galbut owners about the extent of the renovations – saying only that they were replacing the Shelborne's windows and making repairs required by the City of Miami Beach.
In the ensuing months, the lawsuit say, the non-Galbut owners learned that the scope of the work was much bigger than they were told and that the developer and his cohorts barred them from entering the hotel, preventing them from seeing what was actually happening in the building.
"While the property was closed, the conspirators caused or allowed the structure to be completely gutted," the lawsuit states. "By closing the property, the unit owners were simultaneously deprived of the use and income generated by their residential units.
Many Shelborne owners "forced to sell"
Predictably, many members could not afford this wave of special assessments with or without the building being closed so they were forced to sell their units."
The lawsuit also notes that Shelborne Property Associates obtained a $125 million loan around the same time the deal with Wyndham was signed. The proceeds were used to buy rooms from non-Galbut owners who wanted out, the lawsuit alleges. Court and property records confirm that Galbut-owned shell companies purchased 120 units at the Shelborne since 2012, the complaint alleges.
"There were not $125 million worth of units for sale when Shelborne Property Associates obtained this financing," the lawsuit alleges. "But SPA knew that the association was about to levy tens of millions of dollars of additional special assessments against its members, and close the condominium property for over a year."
The purchases gave Galbut controlled entities 75 percent ownership of the Shelborne, and the board the necessary majority to approve the Wyndham renovation after the construction had already begun.
A non-Galbut owner who identified himself as "Jackie" said Galbut and his accomplices are squeezing them out because they don't want to pay them fair market value for their rooms. "They saw that Miami Beach real estate in general was skyrocketing, especially beachfront hotels," Jackie said. "Rooms have been going for $700,000 to $800,000 a room. That was the case with Raleigh Hotel, the SLS South Beach and the Shore Club."
According to a review of some of the Shelborne units purchased by Galbut-related entities in the last four years shows rooms have sold for an average between $150,000 and $250,000. Rosengarten countered that non-Galbut owners who sold rooms to his client got good deals.
"Property records evidence that the overwhelming majority of transfers occurred in sales whereby the owners received vastly greater prices for the units they sold compared to what they paid for them," Rosengarten said. "In other words, the condo owners were not victims but were beneficiaries of the increasing valuation which resulted from maintaining and improving the building."
Adding insult to injury, construction workers entered their units without their consent and destroyed their rooms, the non-Galbut owners allege. "When we finally gained access to our units, we found our rooms completely wrecked," said the New Yorker who owns two rooms. "They demolished my kitchen, my bathroom and my living room. They never repaired the damages."
The owner said city inspectors flagged his units for 20 life safety violations and told him he couldn't use the rooms until he fixed it. He spent close to $25,000 per room after paying nearly $40,000 in special assessments, he said.
Another owner, a retiree who lives in Atlanta, said she had to dip into her 401K to finance her repairs. She had plans to live out her retirement in her Shelborne unit.
"In anticipation of losing my unit, I tried to buy a house," she said. "But I was denied a mortgage when the bank saw I was shelling out these huge sums of money and that my income had dropped to $50,000 a year. All because of the Galbuts."
Mexican president's family faces calls for investigation into #Miami apartment
Rory Carroll in Los Angeles
the Guardian | Friday 12 August 2016 16.45 EDT
Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto's wife Angelica reportedly used the $2.05m luxury apartment belonging to Ricardo Pierdant, whose company was expected to bid to run Mexico's ports. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
Political and civil society leaders in Mexico are calling for an investigation into the first family's use of a luxury apartment in Miami, which has raised the spectre of a fresh conflict-of-interest scandal.
Opposition parties demanded that authorities probe the property arrangement between a Miami-based Mexican businessman and Angelica Rivera, the wife of President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Mexican first lady's Florida home owned by potential government contractor
Mexican newspapers and social media have led an outcry, alleging cronyism, since the Guardian reported the arrangement on Tuesday.
The revelation has prompted fresh scrutiny of the embattled president's ethics following an earlier scandal over his family's purchase of a Mexico City mansion, known as the Casa Blanca, from a government contractor.
Suspicion in the latest case focuses on why the businessman, Ricardo Pierdant, let the first lady use the $2.05m Miami apartment – and also why one of his companies paid close to $30,000 in property taxes on her behalf for a neighbouring apartment which she owns.
The two main opposition parties have asked for an investigation into the Miami apartments, which are in Ocean Tower One in Key Biscayne. Photograph: Handout
Pierdant is a close friend of the first family and his company, Grupo Pierdant, was expected to bid for lucrative contracts to run Mexico's ports.
The first lady cannot receive lucrative favours without authorisation from the federal executive's legal counsel, an oversight agency, wrote Salvador Camerana, a columnist, in El Financeiro. "The president of the republic cannot accept that his friends extend favours worth thousands of dollars to him, his wife, their children, or to their collaborators."
Eduardo Bohorquez, head of the advocacy group Transparency International's Mexico chapter, told the Wall Street Journal that the first couple faced renewed scrutiny. "It reignites the discussion over the links that the president and his wife have with businessmen, particularly the type of relation that they could have with someone who pays your property taxes."
The two main opposition parties, the National Action party (PAN) and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) have asked for an investigation into the Miami apartments, which are in Ocean Tower One, a gated community with a pool, tennis courts and white glove concierge in Key Biscayne, an affluent enclave in Miami-Dade County.
Such a probe would likely be the responsibility of federal auditors and the comptroller's office.
In a statement, Eduardo Sánchez, the president's spokesman, said that the first lady used Pierdant's apartment only on rare occasions and that there was no conflict of interest because the businessman had no federal government contracts and was not participating in current bids.
The spokesman declined to say why Pierdant's company, Biscayne Ocean Holdings, paid taxes in 2014 on the first lady's apartment, unit 404, which is directly beneath his own unit 304.
In a statement the spokesman also questioned the Guardian's veracity and claimed the newspaper had apologised several years before over a separate story about the president. The Guardian has not apologised for its reporting.
Mexico Catholic church accused of bending marriage rules for president
Pierdant, the co-founder of DecoBikes, a bicycle-sharing program in Miami and San Diego, has declined to speak to the Guardian, but a Mexican news website quoted him saying the first lady, a former telenovela star, asked him to handle the property tax and reimbursed him.
At the time Pierdant bought the Key Biscayne apartment in 2009 he was overdue on mortgage payments for another Coral Gables property, according to court documents seen by the Wall Street Journal. Asked by Univision how he could afford to pay one apartment in cash while owing money on another property, Pierdant was quoted: "I had the money available."
The outcry over the first family's property dealings in Miami comes at a delicate time for Peña Nieto, who is battling a sluggish economy and rampant crime. A poll taken before the current row showed his approval ratings dropping to 23%, his worst showing since taking office in 2012. The newspaper Reforma said it was the lowest approval rating for a president since it began publishing similar polls in 1995, just after a massive currency devaluation.
The Miami property arrangements have fuelled unease because they echo aspects of the first lady's purchase of a $7m mansion in Mexico City from another businessman with government contract – the so-called Casa Blanca (White House) scandal.
It landed like a bombshell in 2014, wrecking Peña Nieto's reformist credentials and reviving long-standing concerns about corruption in the ruling Institutional Revolutionary party (PRI).
The first lady later returned the property and last month Peña Nieto apologized, saying the scandal had dented faith in the presidency and government. "For this reason, with all humility I ask your forgiveness."
The president made the apology as he signed into law an anti-corruption system that his PRI party hopes will boost its credibility in the run-up to the 2018 presidential election.
Read More: https://www.theguardian.com/
Miami Vice: Citi Bike #Miami founder paid property tax for Mexican first lady's condo
miamiherald
The founder of a popular South Florida bike-sharing company paid nearly $30,000 in property taxes for a Key Biscayne condo owned by Mexico's first lady, according to public records.
Ricardo Pierdant owns DecoBike, which runs the Citi Bike programs in Miami and Miami Beach. He didn't respond to messages and it's not clear why he paid a year's worth of taxes for the spacious,
three-bedroom unit. But Pierdant has business interests in Mexico and his Grupo Pierdant firm may be considering a bid to run Mexico's ports, presenting a potential conflict of interest, according to British newspaper the Guardian, which first reported the Key Biscayne connection.
The unusual arrangement highlights how South Florida's opaque real estate market is shaped by unseen global forces.
Local condos and mansions have become a safety deposit box for cash from overseas, attracting the attention of federal regulators. Some of that money comes from people linked to corruption, as shown in the massive leak of offshore corporate documents known as the Panama Papers. The Miami Herald previously reported on Mexican government officials investing in local properties, including a former bureaucrat in the country's powerful teacher's union.
In 2005, Angélica Rivera, a former telenovela star and wife of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, paid $1.7 million for a 3,000-square-foot condo at Ocean Club, a gated waterfront community on Key Biscayne. Rivera, who received a $1.3 million mortgage from Espirito Santo Bank, set up a Florida holding company to own the unit and pay property taxes. But in 2014, a different company, Biscayne Ocean Holdings, paid an annual $29,703.82 tax bill on the unit, Miami-Dade County records show.
Biscayne Ocean Holdings lists Pierdant as its manager. (The next year, Rivera's company resumed paying the taxes.)
Pierdant's company also owns a unit one floor up from Rivera's. She appears to be using that $2 million condo for herself, according to the Guardian.
In a statement published online, the president's office criticized the Guardian story and said Pierdant was not a government contractor. It did not address the question of why his company paid the tax for the first lady's condo.
The charismatic Peña Nieto swept into office in 2012 promising reform. But his administration has been troubled by scandals, including the revelation that a prominent government contractor provided the first lady with a $7 million luxury mansion in Mexico City. Rivera said she repaid the contractor from her earnings as an actress.
Since taking office, the president's approval rating has fallen from 56 percent to 29 percent in June, according to Bloomberg.
DecoBike launched in Miami Beach in 2011 as a private vendor working with the city. It was modeled on successful programs in Paris, Barcelona and Montreal. Users can rent bikes by the hour and day.
In 2014, DecoBike expanded to Miami, won a corporate sponsorship from Citibank — the underwriter of New York City's well-known bike-sharing program — and rebranded its South Florida programs as Citi Bike Miami. The company also operates in Surfside, Bay Harbor Islands and San Diego, according to its website.
Downtown Miami Condo Prices Took a Nosedive for the First Time in Five Years
Cyber Citizens for Justice, Inc. ccfj.net
Article Courtesy of The Miami New Times
Since the 1980s, Miami residents have been able to judge their city's relative economic health by counting the number of cranes in the sky. More than ten? Congrats, the city is in the midst of a housing bubble. Zero? Recession.
Right now, the downtown Miami skyline is absolutely flooded with cranes, and it's impossible to drive more than ten blocks in any direction without hitting construction traffic. But a study released this week by the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) might be the first hint that the city's latest construction boom is finally ending: Following five straight years of price hikes, downtown Miami condo resale prices have dropped 4 percent this year.
Through the first half of the year, "few projects continued to be announced and planned, and some observers and media continue to issue dire predictions as to the future of the downtown market," the study says. "However, most developers are taking a wait-and-see approach."
In essence, the price drop shows there have been so many new condos built over the past few years that investors simply have no need to buy old units. This is a problem, because gigantic condo towers are a bit harder to dispose of than last year's BMW X6. A city with no resale market means entire towers could end up empty in a few years' time.
"A review of monthly listings indicate[s] a large increase in the level of inventory offered for sale," the study says. As more condos get built, the DDA predicts that "resale pricing will adjust. This will likely continue if for-sale inventory remains at a level exceeding 2,500 units a month."
(The study was also published before the Zika virus hit Wynwood, and it's unclear how, or if, the virus will damage the city's economy in the long run.)
Though the DDA expects things to "level off" as more condos are built, Miami doesn't exactly weather that whole "leveling off" period well. As famed cocaine importer Mickey Munday told Vice in February: This city is basically one gigantic pyramid scheme, centered around selling condos to an ever-increasing list of outside investors.
Granted, the study took only condo prices, not overall rents, into account. But until the city diversifies its talent pool and starts drawing in more high-earning millennials in science and technology jobs, building new towers is pretty much all we've got.
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Now this is a question I get asked quite often by business owners who are either looking to do search engine optimisation, or are currently doing search engine optimisation but don't fully understand what it is.
engine optimisation? The problem I think lies within the answer, the impact that then has on your business, then my solution to the question.
of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engines natural, or unpaid organic search results.
The basic problem which lies in an answer like this is it's very much geared towards people who already work in the industry of search engine optimisation. There is a basic level of understanding there, specifically around search engines, which most business owners may not have.
necessarily get a simple answer. I can think of two questions a business owner might follow up with. Such as how does it affect visibility, or even what is visibility? What does natural, unpaid or organic actually mean.
So just to re-iterate I think the answer assumes a basic understanding of search engines which the majority of business owners DON'T HAVE.
The impact this then has on your business can go one of two ways. Business owners will either dismiss or disengage from search engine optimisation as they find it too risky. Which means they don't ask the business critical questions such as would search engine optimisation benefit my business? Would it benefit me business website? How would it benefit my business website?
The other way they may go, is just to proceed blindly with search engine optimisation for the wrong business reasons. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should. Just because everyone else is having success with it, doesn't mean you will.
So in order the answer the question properly I think you need to give people the basic understanding of what search engines actually are. What I do is I related to something business owners already understand. Give them that basic understanding which can allow them to understand the answer to the question.
In order to do that I use the analogy of a search engine as a library and a website as a book within the library.
"swimming pools". The librarian will search the database and come back with a list of books containing title, description, author, category and maybe even an extract from the book.
A search engine works in exactly the same way. You put in the search term "swimming pools". The search engine will then search through its database of websites and return a list of the websites most relevant to the term/category "swimming pools".
The fundamental difference is that libraries probably only deal with a handful of new books over a period of six months or a year. So the list you will get back will be quite small. Whereas a search engine is having to catalogue thousands if not hundreds of thousands of websites on a yearly basis. Most people are only interested in the top ten.
So the main challenge for search engines is how can they ensure they deliver 10 most relevant websites in anyone given category at anyone time.
If you take this basic level of understanding, thinking of a search engine as a library and a website as a book. Then the answer I would give to a business owner who asks the question: What is search engine optimisation?
Search engine optimisation is the process of categorising your website correctly so it can be found by people (potential clients) who are interested in your business, product or service.


text:
'Supreme Court must revise its decision in dismissing the application for original documents' – Prof Azar
A private legal practitioner and professor of accounting, Prof. Kwaku Azar has disagreed with the ruling of the Supreme Court in dismissing the application by lawyers of the petitioner in the 2020 election asking the court to instruct the Electoral Commission (EC) to provide them with original copies of some documents.
The lawyer asserted that the request if granted would have taken nothing from the EC.
This he noted would have rather enhanced the reputation of the EC and further, add credibility to the declaration of the results.
"I disagreed with the Court in 2013 and do now. My reasoning is simple. Unless there is some privilege that is being asserted, all government documents should be discoverable," he said.
Prof. Azar added that, "The EC loses nothing by making available to a petitioner any and all documents that the petitioner believes will help his case. I dare say such willingness to disclose information actually enhances the reputation of the EC and further adds credibility to its declaration."
The Supreme on Wednesday unanimously dismissed an application by the petitioner to have the EC provide them with original documents used in the declaration of the results.
The court ruled that the petitioner failed to show reasons why the request should be granted and also, it was established that their witnesses had admitted under oath hard they already had copies of the documents.
But the lawyer says he will support any move to have the court revise its decision and instruct the EC to provide the documents.
"I will support a revision of the Court's rules to compel the EC, and other public agencies, to disclose documents in their custody to those who challenge their decisions."
"Anyone who will want these disclosures as a petitioner should support this move. We must avoid taking positions based on where we stand."
Read the full statement below.
The petitioners, both now and in 2013, applied to inspect documents in the custody of the EC.
In both cases, the EC and the Respondent (the one declared elected) opposed the application. In both cases, the Court unanimously rejected the application.
There are some who disagreed with the Court in 2013 but who now agree with the Court. Then there are those who now disagree with the Court but agreed with the Court in 2013.
There may be those who agreed with the Court in 2013 and now. They may have good reasons for their stand.
I disagreed with the Court in 2013 and do now. My reasoning is simple. Unless there is some privilege that is being asserted, all government documents should be discoverable.
The EC loses nothing by making available to a petitioner any and all documents that the petitioner believes will help his case. I dare say such willingness to disclose information actually enhances the reputation of the EC and further adds credibility to its declaration.
Some have said that if you have copies of bank deposit slips then that should be enough if you have a dispute with the bank on your actual balance, where the bank claims to use the same slip but has provided multiple balances. I demur. A customer is entitled to know why the bank gets different balances.
Discovery should let the parties learn about their adversaries' evidence to give them time to obtain challenging evidence.
The government and its agencies have an even higher duty of disclosure. The Court agreeing to televise the proceedings is the Court's way of communicating to the public that it has nothing to hide.
The Speaker is right in complaining about the President's failure to consult Parliament in the appointment of certain categories of Council of State members.
By the same token, the Speaker should also complain about why #SALL citizens are not represented in Parliament.
It is not "on" for the Speaker to complain about the lack of consultation while failing to take notice of SALL's unprecedented and unlawful disenfranchisement.
Da Yie!
TENSION IN ECOWAS Over INTERPOL Arrest Of Venezuelan Diplomat
A People, United: Conversations with the Saharawi foreign minister


Barbie Mermaid Doll teaches swim school to Frozen kids of Disney Frozen snow queen and Princess Anna PART 2. Marvel Superhero also takes swimming lessons from Mike The Super Merman, a Ken mermaid doll. Felicia and Alex take the swiming class with Princess Anna's kid Krista and a 1990s vintage Kelly doll. Alex is afraid of swimming and doesn't listen to the mermaid teacher. But he still learns how to swim.
Music from YouTube song title By The Pool.