"The moment I called FBD – the damage had been undone"
Two-year-old Amy burned her hand on a pressure cooker in the kitchen and her dad called the FireBurnDoctor within a couple minutes of the burn. For some reason, the voicemail message wasn't delivered to the FBD team for 3 days. When the FBD team called her dad back 3 days after the burn, they asked what Amy's pain level had been at the time of the burn. Amy's dad replied, "It was 10 to 0 (on the scale of 0 to 10) instantly, and she went back to playing." Fortunately, Amy's dad had called the FBD for help on several past occassions and knew exactly what to do in case of a burn for himself or his children.
Three days later Amy's dad emailed his report: "On December 5, 2014, my daughter Amy touched a hot pressure cooker that was just removed from the stove. She is just over 2 years old. She burned her hand and started screaming immediately. Her mom was running her hand under cold water when I grabbed my cell phone and pulled up the number for FireBurnDoctor. The moment I hit send, Amy stopped crying - as is typical with people who've called FBD previously. Nevertheless, I left all the pertinent information. On December 8, 2014, FBD called me back, apparently something had gone wrong with their voicemail and they didn't get the message until that day? Nevertheless, the damage had already been undone. There was no blistering, and Amy resumed her normal activity the moment I called FBD. Thank you."
Erin burned her right ring finger on a hot pan and texted FireBurnDoctor 11 minutes after the burn. When the FBD team called her back 2 minutes later, Erin said her pain level had been 5 or 6 (on a scale of 0 to 10) when she first texted and added, "Now the pain's diminishing rapidly, very fast. It's 1. It's diminished to just discomfort when touched. The blister is going also. It's flat. It's gone! It's just a red spot now. Wow! OK!" Two hours later Erin emailed: "I am very thankful for your intervention. There is no burning and no pain at all. I went back to kitchen duties, including making Christmas goodies and washing dishes right away. It is simply amazing, truly astounding."
"A big blister did disappear"
Kelly burned her hand with boiling soup and called FireBurnDoctor 20 minutes after the burn. When the FBD team called her back about 5 minutes later, her pain level was 8 (on the scale of 0 to 10), adding that it was "throbbing, hot and it hurts." About two hours later Kelly called back to say: "I'm so happy to report that up until 30 minutes ago, it was throbbing and it really hurt. And now the pain went from an 8, possibly to a 1, because it's still sensitive and I wouldn't want to push on it or press on it. It appears that what was forming a big blister is disappearing as well. I want to thank you. This has been a tremendous help. I appreciate it, thank you very much "
The next day Kelly emailed her report: "I called FBD last night about half an hour after I scalded my hand. My husband suggested I call right away, but I was a bit embarrassed as this was hardly a third-degree burn that required serious attention. Still, it really, really hurt - about an 8 out of 10, I thought. Because I hadn't read the web page, I didn't know it was better to not treat it topically, so I put freshly cut aloe on it, which as long as the plant was pressed to the burn, gave me some relief. When I removed the aloe, it really hurt. You asked me to call in an hour, after resuming regular activities. I watched a comedy show and called in an hour and 30 minutes, approximately. Just after an hour, the pain just stopped. The burn was/is still sensitive, but the pulsing burn had stopped. I thank you profusely for your help."
Laura burned her hand on the hot oven when removing a cookie sheet and called the FireBurnDoctor within 30 minutes. When the FBD team called her back 5 minutes later, Laura said her pain level was 10 on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and had already dropped to 9. The next day, when the FBD team called, Laura said her hand was "good, thank you. It had blistered already when I called and now it's looking a lot better. The pain is zero, " which she said happened about 7 1/2 hours after she called for help. Laura added, "I was very busy and distracted. The blister is gone, and it's starting to scab, regenerating. Thank you."
Released from one year of the itching and pain from Shingles in one day!
Sanchez had shingles symptoms for about a month and called the FBD when a friend gave him the number. When the FBD team called him back 4 minutes later, Sanchez said his pain level was 3 and the itching level was 4 (on the scale of 0 to 10), adding that he'd had shingles symptoms for about a month, with 3 previous flare-ups before that. When he called FBD asking for help, he was told "we'll see what happens", since his call came well after the 24 hour protocol to call the FBD for help with Shingles.
One hour and 20 minutes after Sanchez first called FBD, Sanchez called to say, "It's actually down considerably. The pain is pretty much gone, and the itching is maybe at 1 out of 10, if that. So it's feeling a lot better. It's not looking any different, necessarily, but it's definitely feeling much better. Thank you so much." When the FBD team called back 10 minutes later, Sanchez's mom answered, saying, "He's so excited. They're out to lunch now. Four and a half hours after his first call, Sanchez called to say, "I still feel a little bit of itchiness, no pain. And yeah, I don't even know what it looks like, I haven't looked at it in a while. But I'm feeling good. Thanks so much." Five hours later, when Sanchez called just before bed, he said, "The pain is pretty much completely gone. The itchiness comes and goes, and it's actually increased a little bit to maybe 2-3 out of 10. Physically, the redness has started to come down, and it's a noticeable improvement. Thank you." Nine days later, when the FBD team called for feedback Sanchez, he said, "Thank you. It's minimal. Visibly it's 90% gone. I had symptoms for 1 year. Now there's no pain or itching. Previously, even when it was only a zit-like small mark, there was itching. But now even with some minimal appearance, there's no itching. Feels like new skin is regenerating. Considering the time frame, I'm very pleased!"
One month later, Sanchez emailed his report: "I want to say a big thank you to the FireBurnDoctor team for helping with my Shingles. Even though Shingles cases need to be reported within the first 24 to 48 hours of a flare-up for best results, I contacted the team more than a month after my symptoms first appeared and with a full-blown case of Shingles. Within 24 hours after the call, the rash, pain and itchiness significantly diminished. It was unbelievable! Thank you so much for your assistance and care. You do wonderful work."
Cindy burned her right hand while working with a hot iron, and her husband texted the FireBurnDoctor within 30 minutes. When the FBD team called back 4 minutes later, Cindy's pain level was 3 (on the scale of 0 to 10). One hour and 25 minutes later, Cindy's husband called to say, "Thank you Doctor. The burn swelling went down. The skin did not split. She said it sort of reconnected. She used the word, "kind of wild" regarding the healing that occurred. The pain went down dramatically fast. The swelling disappeared immediately. I am very grateful and thank you very much for the work you do."
Three days later, Cindy's husband emailed the report: "Hi there, here is the promised testimonial. Thank you so much for the wonderful healing! A few days before New Year's, my wife used an iron that she was not accustomed to using. When finished ironing, she was going to set it aside when the boiling water inside the iron poured out on her hand, scalding it on both sides and between her fingers. The pain was intense and she immediately ran to get ice. While putting ice cubes on her hand she called me on the telephone and told me what happened. We had a conversation about what happened and when I got off the phone, I remembered about the Fire Burn Doctor. I texted the burn doctor and was immediately called back. I explained what I knew about the burn, gave him the basic information he requested, and was given directions of what to tell my wife. I called her and told her that I have been told that she was supposed to continue her day not paying any attention to her burn. Next the burn doctor did his work remotely (distant healing). 30 minutes later I called my wife and asked her what her experience was. She said 'it's wild,' the inflammation went down dramatically, the blisters disappeared and the pain was almost completely gone. She was very surprised at the effectiveness of the healing. She was also very grateful because she was able to enjoy the rest of her very full day. A couple days later when I saw her, she had virtually no pain anymore and her hand looked normal. I think if I had called sooner, the immediate healing would have been even more complete. Even still, I highly recommend calling as soon as possible after the burn occurs. ~Husband in Texas, December 2014. Thank you again."
"Of course I'll be telling others about my experience with the FBD"
Ruth burned her wrist with hot cooking oil and called the FireBurnDoctor within about 1 hour and 45 minutes. When the FBD team called her back 3 minutes later, Ruth's pain level was 8 without ice (on the scale of 0 to 10). One hour and a quarter later, when the FBD team called, Ruth said, "It's better. I'm so excited. The pain is at 2, and I'd have to say, not even at the burn is it a 2. It's deeper, in the muscle and out toward the thumb and up the arm. The burn itself at the wrist is zero. Maybe the pain is residual from the ice. I'm able to turn at the wrist now, move the wrist. Whereas before, I couldn't because it hurt too much. Thank you so much!" Ruth called 1 hour later to say, "The pain level is now zero. Thank you very much. Amazing. I'm happy to find something that works. I've continued with normal activities. Of course I'll be telling others."
Two days later, Ruth emailed her report: "On Dec. 31, 2014, I burned the inside of my wrist while taking a pan of hot cooking oil off the stove. It simply splashed out of the pan and onto my arm. Having had a family member who has passed away who could blow the fire out of a burn did two things for me that day. First of all, I truly felt an absence of that person (My husband's Grandfather). Second was the need to find someone who was truly a faith healer like he was. So we set out in search on the internet. I asked my friends and family on Facebook, and my husband went straight to Google. I figured I would face the nay-sayers, but to my surprise there were no negative comments, only others who had experienced burns and gave suggestions of specific creams or oils that would relieve the pain and lesson the scarring. While in his search my husband found the fireburndoctor.com and shared the info with me. I was skeptical only because the page stated that we had a window of 30 minutes to make contact with the doctor. It had already been about an hour and forty-five minutes. None-the-less I sent the information requested by the doctor via text along with a photo of the burn. To my surprise, within about 5 minutes I received a phone call from the texting #. I confirmed the information which I had sent and spoke with the Fireburndoctor. He asked me why I had waited so long before contacting him. My reply was that I didn't know anyone who had the gift but was hopeful to learn of someone. He acknowledged the 30 minute window but went right to work with the information he needed. He also asked me based on a scale of 1 to 10 what the pain level was. My reply was an 8 with ice on the burn. He advised that I go about my normal daily activities and asked me to call him back in 1 hour to report my updated level of pain and any changes regarding the burn, which I was happy to do. I set my alarm so as not to be late on my report. When I called back, I reported that the level of pain was now only at a level of 2. The strange part about the pain was that it was not on the burn site but rather in the muscles leading up the arm and into the area of my thumb. I was truly feeling the relief from the burn and the blessings that were being placed upon me. Again I went back to normal activities. When it was time to call the doctor back the second time I confirmed that all the pain had been relieved and that I was having no other issues. What an amazing experience. Today the burn still has no pain on or around the area. It has however had a blister, of which I relieved the fluids. My only fear is that I will brush it against something and tear the loose skin off. So I keep it moist with the creams and oils suggested by my other facebook friends and am very satisfied with the results.
I have shared my experience verbally already with many of my friends, and since I have now taken the time to type it, I will also share it that way as well. Plus I will add the information for the website and telephone # as well. I would like to say to you ..... THANK YOU! You are truly a blessing to others and I hope you will continue to use your God given blessing. I don't know how y'all do what you do but i have the faith and that is all I need. Blessings to you and yours and Thanks again.
Nelly burned her pinky finger on a cast iron skillet and her daughter called FireBurnDoctor 16 minutes later. When The FBD team called 7 minutes later, Nelly's pain level had been 10 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and had already dropped to 8. Nelly called an hour and a half later to report, "The burn is much better. The pain level is about 2 or 3, and it's not very red anymore. Thank you."
Two days later Nelly emailed her report: "I had just taken a cast iron skillet out of a 400 degree oven and placed it on the stove. My 7 year old daughter walked up, so I grabbed the pot holder to move the handle further from the edge of the stove so she wouldn't accidentally touch it. I grabbed the handle with the pot holder, but my pinkie finger missed the holder and grabbed directly on to the 400 degree skillet. I immediately put it under cold running water and called my mom because I remembered her telling me about the Fire Burn Doctor. I asked if she would call or text for me so I could keep my finger under the cold water. Within minutes I got a call back from the doctor and confirmed all of my information. My pain level went from a 10, where I was crying and shaking from the pain to only about an 8 almost immediately after speaking with them. As directed, I went about my evening trying not to think about the burn, eating dinner, cleaning the kitchen, and sitting with my husband for a few minutes before I took a bath. When I woke up the next morning all of the swelling and redness was completely gone and there was absolutely no pain what-so-ever! The only trace of any injury at all was that the skin was slightly hardened, almost like a soft callous. ZERO PAIN. As of today, 48 hours post injury, there is absolutely no trace of any injury at all. It is as if it never even happened. I was absolutely positive I would be dealing with a big blister for at least a week, then no telling how long after that. It was a 400 degree cast iron skillet! I didn't just lightly brush against it, I was moving it. I had grabbed it and picked it up to move it. For there to be no pain within just a few hours after that burn is just astonishing to me. Mind blown. Thank you so much!
8-year-old Caleb burned his hand with hot liquid sugar and his dad called the FireBurnDoctor within 3 minutes. When the FBD team called him back about 5 minutes later, Caleb's pain level was 5 (on the scale of 0 to 10). His dad added, "He's acting like there's nothing wrong; he says it's 5, but from experience 5 equals 10, so he'd be screaming if it were 5. So it's probably a 3." Six days later, Caleb's dad called to say, "The day of his burn, Caleb just kept focusing on it. He was so scared of the pain that he refused to let go of the cold towel. Whenever he did let go, he was focusing on it and pain would come back. He didn't let go of the towel til getting ready for bed at about 7pm (about 9 hours after the burn). He got into the 'get ready for bed' mode and had completely forgotten about his fear, and that was that. No more pain or mention of it. Thank you very much."
6-year-old Alex burned his backside/buttocks when he fell off a bike backwards onto the tire, and a friend of the family texted the FireBurnDoctor 36 hours later when she heard about it. When the FBD team called Alex's mom 13 minutes later, she said his pain level was 10 (on the scale of 0 to 10), adding that with drugs prescribed by the hospital, his pain level was 2. They've gone to the hospital the previous morning and Alex was diagnosed with 2nd degree burns on his bottom. The doctor prescribed cream and a drug. She then took him to the emergency room again this morning when he woke up shaking with pain. The ER applied cream, gave him a drug and recommended Alex be taken to a pediatric surgeon, who said come back on Thursday (in 2 days) to evaluate if grafting would be needed. Alex's mom then said, after explaining his pain level, "actually, he seems calm and relaxed now." One hour later, when the FBD team called, Alex's mom said, "he's fine, running now. Doing good. He was limping before, but he's running now. The drug should have worn off by now and he's running around now, so I'd say his pain level is zero. I sure appreciate it." When the FBD team called the next day, 15 hours later, Alex's mom said, "He's doing great. He even took a bath and sat down in the tub. So much better. Looks better also, not as white. Thank you." Six days later, when the FBD team called, Alex's mom said, "It looks a lot better now. Not red like before. He's doing very well. He's back in school. We took him to the pediatric surgeon on Thursday and the doctor said he's 'surprised Alex's healing so fast. There was no mention of grafting. Alex's mom is now applying cream twice per day instead of three times per day. The doctor reduced the prescription. Also, she said that Alex doesn't mention the burn or acknowledge it or notice it except when she changes the bandage and applies cream. "There is regenerated skin on his burn, but the doctor said to soak it with water and remove the regenerating skin so the cream would soak in." One month later, on February 28th, Alex's mom said, "he's doing great! Completely healed. The burned area is half the size it was. The doctors at the last visit said 'he's healed very well, very fast.' They were surprised at how well he did."
That evening, Alex's mom emailed her report: "Alex is 6 years old. He had an unfortunate bicycle accident with his older brother that resulted in a 2nd degree burn. I had to take him to three different doctors/specialists, and they suggested a skin graph after his burn healed. My friend told me about the fire burn doctor. I spoke with him over the phone, and immediately Alex was feeling better. He was completely healed 3 days later. He has no pain and very little scarring. The burn has now healed so well that the scar is half the size it was initially. His doctors were surprised at how well and soon he recovered. Thanks Burn Doctor."
Sally burned her forehead on a wood stove when adding wood and called the FireBurnDoctor within 15 to 20 minutes. When the FBD team called her back 2 minutes later, Sally's pain level had been 4 or 5 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and had already dropped to 3 or 4, adding, "It's just a little burn." Seven hours later, when the FBD team called, Sally said, "The pain has completely subsided. There's nothing there anymore. It almost looks like nothing there anymore. My friend said it looks a lot better. It was a larger circle. Now it's a small rectangle. The pain is zero now. It went to zero in about 2 and a half hours. It was a gradual decline. Thank you. I'll definitely be telling people about you."
Twenty minutes later, Sally emailed her report: "I burned my head on a wood stove when I was tending the fire. I knew something needed to be done immediately so that it would not leave a scar. I went to a neighbor's house who gave me an oral supplement for trauma, and she also suggested I call the fire burn doctor. She had done it before when she burned her hand badly and had miraculous results with using them. My burn was minor, but it was on my forehead and I did not want it to scar. Originally the burn looked to be the size and shape of a silver dollar, which did not make very much sense to me as the burn came from a straight edge of the stove. Within an hour and a half the silver dollar was gone and all that remained was the rectangular looking shape of the impression from the stove. My pain went from a 4 or 5 to a barely noticeable 1. With burns I have had in the past, the injured area has always increased in pain in the first few hours. Now the rectangular area, 7 hours later, is barely noticeable at all, and the pain is a zero."
Ian burned his hand grabbing a hot pan from the stove and called FireBurnDoctor within 15 minutes. When the FBD team called him back 3 minutes later, Ian said his pain level had been 4 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when he called and already dropped to 3. One hour later, Ian called to say, "The pain level is still about a 2." Six minutes later, when the FBD team called him back, Ian said his pain level had "degraded to about a 1. Thank you, it is decreasing." One hour later, Ian called again to say, "Distraction is the key. There is no pain. Thank you very much for your assistance. I truly appreciate it."
One month later, Ian emailed his report: "On February 8 while working in my kitchen, my left hand's palm came in contact with a pan bottom that had been heating above a pilot light on a propane stove. This contact resulted in what was quickly developing into a 2nd degree burn (blistering and puss). My immediate reaction was to seek traditional relief, though cold water was not acting quickly enough, so I grabbed a frozen water bottle, and held it in place on the burned area.
1,5-year-old Liam burned his finger on a fireplace flame and his grandmother called the FireBurnDoctor within 25 minutes. When the FBD team called her back 4 minutes later, Liam's grandmother said his pain level had been 7 or 8 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and already dropped to 1, adding that before she called, he had "kept squirming" but now he was "much, much better. He's very calm and subdued now."
Liam's grandmother emailed 17 minutes later to say, "After the phone call to Fireburmdoctor, Liam's pain level is about 1 or 2 and he is now running amd happy again. Remarkable difference. Thank you." One hour later, she emailed again to say, "Liam improved tremendously and was able to have some lunch and is now taking a nap. What a difference. It has been a little over an hour since the incident occurred. The pain level is about one. Just tender where he burned it. Thank you again." Three hours and 40 minutes later, Liam's grandmother texted: "Zero pain. Liam thanks you and so do we. "
Nenya burned her left hand and fingers with boiling water and called the FireBurnDoctor within 5 minutes. When the FBD team called her back 4 minutes later, Nenya's pain level was 7 (on the scale of 0 to 10)." One hour later, Nenya called to say, "It's dropped down from a 7 to a 3, heading towards 2. It is much, much better. Thank you very much, and I know it will continue to heal." Nenya called 1 hour and 20 after that to say, "The pain level is now a 2 or 3. So it's slowly going down. I have a blister on the index finger. It's like an impression of one, it's not totally bumpy. The pinky may have one also and the thumb. So it's just those three fingers. The rest of the hand is completely good. The palm is completely good. Thank you." Four and a half hours later, when the FBD team called for feedback, Nenya said, "Wow, it's really low. It hurts only when pressing on it. The blister is barely visible when I hold the finger to the light. It would have taken weeks to heal. Thank you. I've taken your stickers and made refridgerator magnets to hand out."
Eighteen days later, Nenya emailed her report: "Hello, recently I burned my hand with a pot of scalding water, and immediately called fireburn doctor, a number I keep in my cellphone and on my fridge. Within minutes of the call, my pain level was reduced by half, and within 3 hours was near zero. Blisters did form on my index and pinky fingers, but were pain free and healed fully within 3 days. A grateful client :)"
"Gosh, wow, your're an angel"
Eileen burned her arm on a light fixture. She called the FireBurnDoctor within about 45 minutes. When the FBD team called Eileen back about 5 minutes later, her pain level had been 6 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and already dropped to 3. She added, "actually, it's getting better as we speak. It's calming down." She then asked, "Is there a charge for this?" When the team member replied, "No." Eileen said, "Gosh, wow, you're an angel!" One hour later, when the FBD team called for feedback, Eileen said, "There's a little blistering, but zero pain! It's not as red, the color is calming down. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help." Two days later, the FBD team called Eileen, and she said, "It's really looking good! Healing beautifully. It was more serious than I thought, and I think it was longer than 45 minutes when I called. Thank you for the help. It's healing beautifully, and I'm sending your number to my family and friends."
Two hours later, Eileen emailed her report: "This is a report of my experience with the Fire Burn Doctor. On Thur. March 12 in the evening, my upper arm touched a hot metal lamp, and it singed the tender skin on my inner arm. At the time, I didn't think it was a serious burn, so I just put ice on it and some lavender oil and thought it would be okay. It continued to burn and bother me, and all of a sudden I remembered receiving an email from a friend about the Burn Doctor. I went to my computer and looked up the phone number, and made the call. It was probably an hour after I was burned that I made the call, although they recommend calling within the first 30 minutes.
While talking on the phone I felt the pain diminish from a level 6 to 0. I was told to resume normal activities, and to report back in one hour. My burn had a blister form on it, and by the next day, the blister broke. It is now Sat. March 14, and there continues to be no pain, and my burn is healing beautifully. I greatly appreciated how quickly the FireBurnDoctor's staff answered my call and took my information and began the process, and they checked back in with me over the next two days. I think everyone should keep this phone number in their files, so they will have it when they need it. There is no charge for their service. Here is their number: 818-332-6445 Thank you so very much, Fire Burn Doctor!"
Christian burned his arm on his motorcycle tailpipe and called the FireBurnDoctor within 12 minutes. When the FBD team called Christian back about 5 minutes later, his arm was numb with ice, the pain level had been 6 or 7 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when he made the call, and the burn was "whitish with pink around it." An hour and 15 minutes later, when the FBD team called for feedback, Christian said his pain already dropped to 5 or 6 and he was not using ice anymore. One hour and 20 minutes later, Christian called to say, "The pain's almost gone." When the FBD team called him back 1 minute later, he said his pain was 1 or 2 and that he was relaxed, doing other things. It's red now, not white. I'm just being totally honest, when I first called, I wasn't sure about how this works or what I'd get out of it, but I just followed your directions, and it works, the pain is almost gone. Thank you."
18-month-old Lily burned her hand on her mom's hair straightener, and her mom called FireBurnDoctor within 19 minutes and said, "She's in a lot of pain. She's screaming, freaking out." When the FBD team called her back 11 minutes later, Lily's pain level was 7 or 8 (on the scale of 0 to 10). She added that the burn was "red and bubbled up. She had been screaming and crying and squirming, not sitting still. Now she's not crying. She's calmed down definitely but she still holding her hand out to show it's hurt." One hour and 20 minutes after her first call, Lily's mom texted, "She is doing much better. I would say her pain is at about a five now!" Two hours later, when the FBD team called for feedback, Lily's mum said, that she fell asleep for a nap about 20 min after mom texted that her pain level was at 5. Just before that, Lily had been walking around, saying 'Hi', 'Hi', 'Hi'. "I was going to take her to the doctor, then Lily's aunt mentioned the FBD-Number", said Lily's mum. After the call Lily calmed down quickly, so they decided going to the doctor wasn't needed. Four hours later, Lily's mom texted, "She woke up and is doing a lot better. She has not grabbed at her hand and is in a very good mood. There seems to be no blisters at all!" The next morning, when the FBD team called for feedback, Lily's mom said: "Lily's pain was zero just before she went to bed. Thank you."
"What you're doing is wonderful"
Robin burned her stomach area when a pan she was taking out of the oven flipped onto her abdomen. She called the FireBurnDoctor 13 minutes later. When the FBD team called Robin back 3 minutes later, her pain level had been 10 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and already dropped to 8. Robin called back 2 hours later to say, "It does not hurt at all. I can't believe it. In the beginning, it hurt a little bit but started fading. Now, it doesn't hurt at all. It looks horrible, but it doesn't hurt. Thank you so much. It works!" When the FBD team called her back 9 minutes later, Robin said, "My burn looks so bad, but it does not hurt. It just doesn't hurt. I'm surprised. I actually forgot about it. And you know, it doesn't look as bad anymore. It's not raw anymore at all, just looks like a scratch now. I'm real happy." When the FBD team called Robin 16 days later, she said, "I'm very impressed with the results. Thank you so much. This is wonderful. What you're doing is wonderful."
Olsen burned his thumbs on hot metal and with hot grease while re-greasing a cast iron pan in the oven. He called the FireBurnDoctor 7 minutes after the burn. When the FBD team called Olsen back about 5 minutes later, his pain level had been 7 or 8 (on the scale of 0 to 10). Olsen called back 13 hours later to say, "There's still some blistering. The pain is down to not even a 1. It's amazing compared to what I thought it was going to be, because it was a straight touch to a 500 degree pan. There is a small, kind of blister forming. The skin had charred white, and all that's gone - that severe, severe burn. Thanks." When the FBD team called Olsen back 3 minutes later, he said, "If I manipulate it or touch it, I can feel it. Otherwise I can't feel it at all. It's less than 1."
11 hours later Olsen emailed his report: "I was re-seasoning an old iron skillet at 550 degrees with olive oil when my hand slipped off the pad and touched the skillet. My pain level was a good 7 or 8 (I wanna say 10 but I'm trying to be objective. It really hurt though, I couldn't stand to remove my thumb from cold water for more than 2 seconds). Called the Fireburn Doctor team, was told to go about life as normal. We ordered a pay-per-view movie; I figured the throbbing in my thumb would keep me awake through it, but I was asleep before it even started. Woke up at 9:30am with no pain, and the bare start of a blister that still has never fully developed and this writing is 24 hours from the time of the burn. This is my third (fourth actually) time using the Fireburn Doctor. From my previous experiences I was a little surprised to find any marks this morning because usually the healing has been 100%, but this burn was quite a bit more severe than my previous ones. Don't know how, but it really works."
Natalie stuck her hand into boiling wax when she lost her balance and braced herself with hand in the wax. She called the FireBurnDoctor an hour after the burn. When the FBD team called Natalie back 6 minutes later, her pain level was 8 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and already dropped to 2. She added that some skin had come off her ring finger, but she had now "calmed down." Natalie called back an hour and 20 minutes later to say, "Basically, my pain is zero. There's a couple things trying to blister up. But other than that, it's looking pretty good." When the FBD team called her back 20 minutes later, she said "Thank you so much".
12 days later Natalie emailed her report: "Hi Good people at FireBurnDoctor, on March 26, my work stool collapsed under me and I stuck my left hand into boiling wax I was working with. As I was rubbing the wax off my ring finger, a slice of raw skin came with it. The palm was red & painful from the burn and had several spots that looked like they were going to blister but over 2 weeks never did. I put it into 5% silver solution but as soon as I removed it the pain was about an 8. I tried some Lavender essential oil on it but the pain continued. I spoke to a friend who had been helped by you an hour later and she told me to call the Burn Doctor even though it was an hour later. I was on the phone for a few minutes with him and the pain went down to a 2, then stopped and hasn't come back. I'm sending pics of the original injury and pics of 2 weeks later. Thank you so much"
7-year-old Nathan burned his left hand on hot scalding soup. His mom called FireBurnDoctor about 3 minutes after the burn. When the FBD team called Nathan's mum 4 minutes later, she said his pain level had been 9 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and already dropped to 5. She added that, "It's quite a bit better now. He was crying, but now he's sitting calmly." When the FBD team called her 3 1/2 hours later, Nathan's mom said, "things are so much better. He forgot all about it. He's sleeping now. Shortly after we spoke, he said 'it feels much better.' It's just a little bit red now".
Evan burned his middle finger when pulling something from the oven and his oven pad caught fire. He called FireBurnDoctor within 15 minutes. When the FBD team called Evan back 6 minutes later, his pain level was 2 or 3 (on the scale of 0 to 10), adding that it was now down a little from when he first called. The next evening, when the FBD team called for feedback, Evan said his hand was "better. It healed up last night for sure. Pain at 1, everything is a go. Thank you for your help."
Timothy burned his right palm and thumb on an iron skillet fresh out of the oven. He called the FireBurnDoctor within 8 minutes, saying, "This one really hurts." When the FBD team called Timothy back 4 minutes later, his pain level had been 8 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when he first called and already dropped to 4. He asked, "Did you already do something?" Four hours later, Timothy called to say, "My pain level is at zero. Has been at zero for about two hours. I basically fell asleep. Thanks so much for your help the other day. I won't forget about you!"
Reese was burned when a heat lamp's hot plate fell on her belly. Her mom called FireBurnDoctor on her behalf the next day (16 hours later) when Reese heard of the event and that her daughter was in the hospital. When the FBD team called her back 6 minutes later, Reese's mom said her pain level was 5 (on the scale of 0 to 10), adding that the burn specialists "were a little alarmed at how little pain she was in, given its appearance, but she says she can feel the hairs on her belly so the nerves appear intact." A half hour later, Reese's mom emailed, saying, "I was off on the pain level. At the time of my call it was a 2. Thank you!" Her mom emailed again the next afternoon to say, "Reese was discharged from the hospital with a silver impregnated bandage. She will meet next week with the doctors for follow up. They will talk about skin graft again then but they thought it unlikely. Thank you again for your dedication and service to others! Will spread the word." When the FBD team reached Reese's mom 50 minutes later, she said, "Reese is doing better. She was home yesterday evening. Her pain is now 0."
Lisa burned her fingers with hot water and called FireBurnDoctor within 5 minutes, including in her voicemail, "I can feel them throbbing." When the FBD team called Lisa back about 5 minutes later, her pain level had been 8 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when she first called and already dropped to 3 or 4. She added that it was still throbbing and the redness had gone down but there was still some red. One hour later, Lisa called to say, "My fingers are feeling much better. I have a little bit of slight, not really pain, not really tingling. I just feel something in my finger. Like point 5 out of 10. Most of the redness is gone. Thanks for your help."
Six days later, Lisa emailed her report: "Hi, On March 31, 2015, I was dispensing hot water from the company water machine into a tea cup. I looked away for a brief second and must have moved my hand, and the scalding hot water got on to the top of both the pointer and middle fingers on my right hand. I immediately went into the warehouse and got antibiotic first aid cream and put it on my fingers. Both fingers were red and hurting. The pain was about an eight.
Lucy burned her arm with sparks from spot welding and called FireBurnDoctor within 5 minutes. Her voicemail included that her pain level was 3 (on the scale of 0 to 10) from about 20 spots where the sparks had landed, and "The red marks will probably blister if I don't call it in." When the FBD team called her back 10 minutes later, Lucy said, "the pain is already gone, going down, but it's still red."
Two days later, Lucy texted her report: "No scars, no blisters, pain gone within 30 mins of call. I am a really white person, I should have marks from the welding sparks. Thanks guys"
"The pain is gone. It's really gone"
Steven burned the roof of his mouth with hot food and called FireBurnDoctor within 13 minutes. When the FBD team called Steven back 2 minutes later, his pain level had been 9 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when he first called and already dropped to 5. When the FBD team called Steven an hour later, he said, "The pain's gone, just stinging. Maybe a 1. It's gone really. I only feel it when something's in my mouth."
Anica burned her upper left thigh with boiling water. Her husband called FireBurnDoctor half an hour later. When the FBD team called them back about 5 minutes later, Anica's pain level was 6 or 7 (on the scale of 0 to 10) when submerged in cold water. When the FBD team called them an hour and a half later, Anica's husband said she was, "doing good. The area looks better. The blisters are smaller, some didn't develop. Anica's husband called an hour and 15 minutes later to say, "After about an hour, the pain's gone down to 2 or 3. There's a little bit of blistering, but the color of the skin is less red. Thank you very much."
He called again in the morning to say, "Just checking in this morning. She's doing much better. She actually got a really good night's sleep. We woke up this morning, and she's able to go to work. The area looks much better. There's no more inflammation. The redness has gone down. There's a few blisters. The pain is zero. Again, thanks a lot for your help and I really appreciate it."
Two weeks later, Anica's husband emailed the report: "Hi, thanks again for your help with this burn. I'm sorry it took so long to send this summary. I wanted to wait a little longer so as to include more of her healing and recovery process. Here it is: My wife came home from work on April the 13th after having sustained a boiling water burn on her upper left thigh. The burned area was approximately eight square inches in size. Immediately after she arrived home, I called the FireBurnDoctor at 8:17pm. (approx 25 minutes after having attained the burn) Her pain was between a 6 or 7 out of 10 at 8:30pm, and by 11:00pm it had gone down to a 2 of 10.


This condo has been completely rebuild in 2010 due to a fire. The unit is only 9 years old and has recently gone through a remodel. this home has new stainless steel appliances and granite in kitchen. The living room has a walk-out slider to a huge 352 sf. fenced in deck that was added about 7 years ago. Kitchen has a dining area plus a breakfast nook that has a additional balcony deck. The master bedroom has a walk in closet plus its own separate bathroom. All 3 bedrooms have ceiling fans with large closets. The carport has been converted to a large one stall garage. The community also has an in ground swimming pool.This is a beautifully updated condo, a must see. Immediate possession after close!
Courtesy of Paula S Foote with Heglund-Sova Realty, Inc..


The best thing to do in Amsterdam where romance and travel come together!
The Romantic Tour is the one and only romantic tour of Amsterdam, to which couples can discover the unique romantic side of Amsterdam – but this two and a half hour tour is private to just the two of you!
Daily Mail recommended this tour as one of the best things to do in Amsterdam.


text:
Elżbieta Stefańska-Kłyś (ur. 7 września 1943 w Krakowie) – polska klawesynistka i pedagog, profesor sztuki, córka pianistów Haliny Czerny-Stefańskiej i Ludwika Stefańskiego.

Odznaczona Krzyżem Oficerskim Orderu Odrodzenia Polski (2001) oraz Srebrnym (2008) i Złotym (2018) Medalem "Zasłużony Kulturze Gloria Artis".

Życiorys

Wykształcenie i praca pedagogiczna
W młodości uczyła się gry na klawesynie pod kierunkiem Janiny Wysockiej-Ochlewskiej, a następnie ukończyła studia w Państwowej Wyższej Szkole Muzycznej w Krakowie w klasie Hansa Pischnera z Berlina. Swe umiejętności doskonaliła na kursach mistrzowskich w Sienie i Weimarze. W 1982 uzyskała tytuł profesora. W latach 1981–1990 była kierowniczką Katedry Klawesynu i Instrumentów Dawnych w Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie. Prowadzi również kursy mistrzowskie.

Kariera muzyczna
Jest laureatką Konkursu Muzyki Dawnej w Łodzi (1964) i Międzynarodowego Konkursu Muzycznego w Genewie (1965). Dzięki tym sukcesom rozpoczęła międzynarodową karierę. Koncertowała w wielu krajach Europy (w Anglii, Austrii, Bułgarii, Czechach, Hiszpanii, Holandii, Niemczech, Rosji, Rumunii, Słowacji, Szwajcarii, Szwecji, na Węgrzech, Litwie, Łotwie, Ukrainie, we Francji i Włoszech), Azji (w Iranie, Japonii, Korei Południowej i na Tajwanie) oraz w USA.

Brała udział jako juror w konkursach muzycznych, m.in. Międzynarodowym Konkursie Klawesynowym w Monachium (1970), Konkursie Pianistycznym w Tajpej (1990), Międzynarodowym Konkursie Bachowskim w Lipsku (1992) i Międzynarodowym Konkursie Klawesynowym w Warszawie (1993).

Dokonała nagrań dla wytwórni Polskie Nagrania "Muza", EMI, Decca Records, Fonit Centra. Dla Pony Canyon (Tokio) nagrała 6 płyt z 18 sonatami Wolfganga Amadeusa Mozarta na fortepianie z czasów kompozytora. Dla tej samej firmy nagrała również utwory Johanna Sebastiana Bacha.

Przypisy

Polscy klawesyniści
Wykładowcy Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie
Absolwenci Akademii Muzycznej w Krakowie
Polscy jurorzy Międzynarodowego Konkursu Bachowskiego
Laureaci Nagrody Miasta Krakowa
Odznaczeni Krzyżem Oficerskim Orderu Odrodzenia Polski (III Rzeczpospolita)
Odznaczeni Srebrnym Medalem "Zasłużony Kulturze Gloria Artis"
Urodzeni w 1943
Ludzie urodzeni w Krakowie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Atomic Alps Beanie M comes in classic fit with a fleece lining and a range of different colors. Super simple, super comfy.
The Atomic Alps Slouch Beanie M has a comfy slouch fit, double knit and is reversible – with one side clean and simple and the other side featuring a three-color Atomic branded pattern.
Heat Navi technology keeps you warm by converting solar energy into heat.
Handmade in Austria. Comfortable and warm.


Hey Yonah! I love this post. I am so glad that you are giving honor to one of the world's greatest thinkers, poets, and writers. Auden's poetry has affected me in so many ineffable ways. There is so much one can glean from works as monumental as his. I only wish more of us would "get back to basics," and relive what made this universe unique–the way that humanity has shape-shifted the common, drone-filled existence. All one needs is to hop outside in the [now] fresh, Spring, air and sing; sing to oneself and look around with a smile. Far too many of us count their days as half empty, all the while overlooking life's greatest moments. Every single modicum of time unfolds into the next and its withing this succession that we truly become Heavenly.


text:
package com.chinare.axe.jsr380.group;

/**
 * @author 王贵源(kerbores@gmail.com)
 */
public interface Delete {

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Workflows now have a more powerful, further reaching bigger brother. First released in 2017, Microsoft Flow has been introduced to allow any user to automate their working lives.
The creation of SharePoint Designer Workflows was originally seen as a specialist task for skilled developers or those with training. These allowed a certain level of automation tasks triggered manually or by the creation or updating of SharePoint list items. Thus, making them a more specialist task.
Flow changes things massively for the end user. Users are now able to create an automated task triggered by SharePoint lists. Office 365 Outlook Emails, RSS feeds, OneDrive for Business file uploads, Google Calendars and Timer events to name a few.
Want to receive a text message when a high importance email arrives in your inbox from your manager?
Want a daily digest of news items published to your company's news RSS feed?
Use SalesForce and need a weekly digest of all new opportunities to be sent to your Sales Manager?
Want to automatically create a To-Do task for any important emails you receive?
Microsoft Flow can easily accomplish all of these for you.
In this blog, we will be using the example of wanting to create a to-do task. Whenever you receive a high importance email from your boss, it will automatically reply saying that you've received their request and have made a note for it to be completed asap. We'll start by accessing Flow at https://flow.microsoft.com/ and click on "My flows" from the left-hand navigation bar.
Click the "New" button and we'll "Create from blank".
Scroll through the triggers and find "When a new email arrives".
Click the "Show advanced options" link to configure the connector (This will automatically be connected to your Office365 email account).
Set the properties up to filter on emails from your manager's email address with High importance.
Click "+ New step" and search for "to-do" selecting the Add a to Action.
This will automatically create a To-do subscription and allow you to fill in the details for your To-do item. By putting your cursor into the "Subject" box, a popup will appear. This will allow you to set the Subject of your To-do item to the email subject.
Continue this to populate the rest of the options.
Finally, we'll set an automatic response to let your boss know that you've received his email and it's been added to your task list.
Click "+ New step" again and search "reply" and select "Reply to email".
To populate the "Message Id" field, scroll down the dynamic content popup and find "Message Id" from the first Action.
Populate the rest of the fields and click "Save".
Finally, click the back arrow to return to the overview of your new Flow.
Want to know more about how this could be applied to your business?
This blog post was written by Richard Priddy (Our Senior HTML5 Web application developer).


DePuy Synthes Trauma launched the Variable Angle Locking Hand System.
1. The Variable Angle Locking Hand System is a comprehensive system of anatomically contoured and low-profile plates to treat hand fractures and deformities.
2. The system is designed for surgeons to adjust the screw's insertion angle to match the patient's anatomy and fracture pattern. When screws tighten to the plate, they lock into place to stabilize the fracture.
3. The system includes 40 basic and specialty plates to accommodate a variety of hand fractures and hand sizes. This is the first system to feature 1.3 mm locking screws for hand plating as well as 1.5 mm to 2 mm variable angle locking plates.
4. The screws recess once they lock into the plates to reduce the potential for soft tissue irritation.
5. The plates are available with both the stainless steel and titanium and can be used in the lateral and direct dorsal applications.


text:
A koszovói U21-es labdarúgó-válogatott, a csapatot a Koszovói labdarúgó-szövetség irányítja, a koszovói labdarúgás vezető szervezete.

U21-es labdarúgó-Európa-bajnokság szereplés
 2019: Folyamatban

A válogatott stábja

Játékoskeret

Jelenlegi keret
Azok a játékosok, akik 1996-ban vagy később születtek, azok a 2019-es UEFA U21-es Eb-n szerepelhetnek. A félkövér betűs játékosok már kaptak meghívót a felnőtt csapatba.

A 2017. szeptember 5-i állapotnak megfelelően.
Kapusok

Védők

Középpályások

Csatárok

 A válogatottsági adatok 2017. szeptember 5-i állapotnak megfelelőek.

A válogatott bő keretéhez tartozó játékosok
A lista olyan német labdarúgókat tartalmaz, akik kaptak már meghívott és jogosultak szerepelni az U21-es válogatottban.

Lásd még
Koszovói labdarúgó-válogatott
Koszovói női labdarúgó-válogatott

Jegyzetek

Külső hivatkozások

Koszovói U21

Koszovó sportélete
Európai U21-es labdarúgó-válogatottak


text:
Home » privacy » On Deveny, Devine and Twitter … in public!
On Deveny, Devine and Twitter … in public!
By Tama in privacy, social media, Twitter on May 10, 2010 .
By now everyone in Australia knows who Catherine Deveny is thanks to some particularly tasteless and provocative tweets during the Logies ceremony which proved the straw that broke the camels back; she was 'dropped as a columnist for The Age after a storm of controversy' with Editor-In-Chief, Paul Ramadge declaring that 'the views she has expressed recently on Twitter are not in keeping with the standards we set at The Age'. Deveny defended her tweets claiming that Twitter is about "passing notes in class, but suddenly these notes are being projected into the sky and taken out of context" but this defense seems naive at best so it was hardly a surprise they The Age's technology editor Gordon Farrer wrote a piece explaining just how public (and useful) Twitter is.
In a New Matilda piece, Jason Wilson points out that there is a lot more to the story and while many people won't miss Deveny's columns, the way in which she was dismissed has left a bad taste in many mouths:
Although her MO consists of antagonising people, there was something that reeked of mob justice in the way she was dismissed. Social media can be about sharing, conversation, and positive forms of activism — but they can also be a venue for a kind of outrage porn. This can be quickly satiated without effecting any lasting change, and any one of us might stir it up with an ill-advised tweet or two. There but for the Grace of God, etc.
Last week I had a chance to share some of my views on RTRFM as well, which you can listen to online here.
[audio:http://www.tamaleaver.net/cv/deveny.mp3]
In this maelstrom, conservative columnist Miranda Devine wrote a rambling column which started like a sympathy-piece for Deveny, but ended with a wrap on the knuckles:
In a chaotic world of aggregators, of Google and Twitter and specialist web feeds, a newspaper is a "credible one-stop shop" of local news where all the hard choices have been made for the reader. Which is why not trashing the brand is more important than ever. Sorry, Catherine.
Devine's position was unsurprising, but she clearly didn't understand her own point when just a few days later she responded to criticism on Twitter by telling her critic that "you've had enough of rogering gerbils I see". Devine may have realised she'd crossed a line, and deleted her tweet, only to be reminded that there is no delete button on the internet as screenshots of the exchange were rapidly circulated, but there appear to have been no reprimands for Devine (although she has spring cleaned and deleted a few more tweets, I think).
Last night on the ABC's Q&A the panel touched on Deveny's case and concluded, in a very round-about way, we need to remember that (unless you've got a private account) tweets are always public; in the first instance you might be talking with a smaller group, but once something is public, your readership is uncertain but is potentially very wide indeed. Jonathan Holmes probably made this point most clearly last week, noting of Deveny:
She also claimed she was taken out of context. I'm not the first to remark that Twitter has no context. Each tweet must stand alone, 140 characters max. Hard to convey irony, or amusement, or hate. Hard to convey that when you say you hope Bindi gets laid, you're using satire "to expose celebrity raunch culture and the sexual objectification of women". Twitter is a treacherous medium. So fast, so simple, so easy to get wrong.
Thanks the ABC, Deveny has now provided the context she had in mind, and despite something of an explanation, and sort of a bit of an apology, she stands by what she wrote which, ultimately, will probably increase her stock as a comedian celebrity provocateur. For everyone else, we do need to remember that most social media is public (or can easily be copied and become public), whilst still making the most of the many uses of social media platforms like Twitter, and not just following Helen Razer and becoming a Twitter Quitter. Twitter is a powerful tool, but you should, of course, think before you tweet.
Tags: Catherine Deveny, Helen Razor, Miranda Devine
← Digital Culture Links: May 10th 2010	Digital Culture Links: May 12th 2010 →
Tama Leaver says:
Belated blog rant: On Deveny, Devine and Twitter … in public! http://bit.ly/d9ou9T
Mixy Lorenzo says:
Great read. RT @tamaleaver: Belated blog rant: On Deveny, Devine and Twitter … in public! http://bit.ly/d9ou9T
Mixy says:
I don't know if it's just me though Tama, but it's becoming so easy to offend people now in this I'm-going-to-sue-you trigger happy world. Everything has to be politically correct, above board and matter of fact. I think it was unfortunate for Deveny to be fired (however, I do think she should have removed connections of her role at The Age newspaper from Twitter).. but perhaps that's because I found some of her rants and open thoughts quite funny. She says the things that people think of but don't dare to say. Wil Andersons tweets while at the Logies were of similar standard, but that's okay because he's a professional comedian? It questions who has the authority to use social media and how it serves a different purpose for different people.
Sadly Devine didn't lose her job. Damn.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Not every idea is a good idea when it comes to public architecture. In fact, some ideas are downright absurd—a Triumphal Elephant standing atop the Champs Elysees? Really? Our friends at Oobject have assembled 12 of the wackiest national tributes to thankfully never be built.
When you're done taking in the sights, be sure to also check out these nine depressing monuments, a few more while they were being built, and the nine most grandiose public works projects of all time.
The Eiffel tower could also have been similarly weird, with one of the competition proposals being for a giant replica of a Guillotine, to commemorate the revolution.
Tortola plan for US Capitol with tiny dome.
Tower bridge is one of those monuments that make architects wince. A piece of kitsch pastiche that people don't realize is a modern building becuase of its proximity to the genuinely old Tower of London. What makes this alternative so striking is its similarity but difference.
This was significantly smaller than the totally crazy scheme for an enormous pyramid necropolis at Primrose Hill.
This was called the Warrant design and was in response to an earlier proposal that was also rejected.


text:
Guardian Angel (Crown's Spies #2)
Guardian Angel (Crown's Spies #2) - Page 10/45
"But you just said ..."
"At first, I did try to cut him," she explained. "He woke me up trying to put my nightgown back on . . ."
"You did?" Lyon asked Caine. His grin was downright shameful.
"Lyon, stay out of this," Caine ordered.
"Well, as soon as I realized who it was, I quit trying to stab him. He gave me a startle. I thought he was a thief."
Lyon looked like he was dying to say something more. Caine glared him into keeping silent.
"Did you find out anything?" Caine called out.
Lyon nodded. He started into the room. "Christina? Take Jade into the drawing room, would you?"
"She'll have to go in there on her own," Christina answered. "I promised to sharpen her knife for her. Jade? I couldn't find it under your pillow. That's what I've been trying to explain."
"He took it," Jade answered with a wave in Caine's direction. "I believe I saw him put it on the mantle, though I'm not absolutely certain. Would you like me to help you look for it?"
"No, I'll find it. You go and keep Dakota company. He's playing on his blanket inside. I'll join you in just a few minutes."
Jade hurriedly followed Christina out of the room. She paused at the drawing room doors when she heard Lyon's booming laughter. She smiled then, guessing Caine had just told his friend what an imbecile he thought she was.
She was feeling quite smug now. It took a certain concentration to be able to ramble on and on so convincingly, and she thought she'd pulled it off quite nicely. She had no idea she was so talented. Still, she was honest enough to admit to herself that there had been a moment when she hadn't really been pretending. Jade straightened her shoulders. Pretense or not, rambling was definitely a plus when dealing with Caine.
She went inside the room then and closed the door behind her. She spotted the quilted blanket in front
of the settee right away. Christina's son, however, was quite another matter. She couldn't find him anywhere.
She was about to shout an alarm when she noticed a tiny foot protruding from the back of the settee.
She hurried over and knelt down, briefly thought about pulling him out by his one foot, and then decided she'd better find the rest of him first. With her backside in the air, she leaned down until the side of her face rested on the carpet.
The most magnificent blue eyes she'd ever seen were just inches away from her now. Dakota. Jade thought she might have startled him by her sudden appearance. His eyes did widen. He didn't cry, though. No, he stared at her a long, drooling moment, and then gave her a wide, toothless grin.
She thought he was the most amazing infant. Once he'd finished smiling at her, he went back to his main interest. He seemed determined to gum his way through the ornately carved wooden leg of the settee.
"Oh, that can't be at all good for you, little boy," Jade announced.
He didn't spare her a glance as he continued to chew on the wood. "Stop that now, Dakota," she commanded. "Your mama will be unhappy if she sees you eating the furniture. Come out here, please."
It was obvious that she had no experience handling children. It was also a fact that she didn't realize
she had an audience watching her either.
Both Caine and Lyon leaned against opposite door frames observing the pair. They were both trying
not to laugh.
"You aren't going to cooperate, are you, Dakota?" Jade asked.
The baby gurgled happily in answer to that remark.
"She's innovative, I'll give her that," Lyon whispered to Caine when Jade lifted the edge of the settee
and moved it to the side.
She then sat down on the floor next to the little one. He immediately wiggled his way toward her. She wasn't at all certain how to lift a baby. She'd heard that their little necks weren't strong enough to hold their heads up until they were at least a year or so. Dakota, however, had lifted his chest off the carpet and seemed to be strong enough on his own.
He made the most delightful sounds. He was such a happy little boy. She couldn't resist touching him. She gingerly patted the top of his head, then eased her hands under his arms and slowly dragged him
up onto her lap.
She wanted to cuddle him against her bosom.
He wanted something else. Dakota grabbed hold of a clump of her hair, pulled on it, hard, while he tried to find his supper.
It didn't take her any time at all to realize what he was trying to do.
"No, no, Dakota," she whispered when he arched up against her and started to fret. "Your mama's going to have to feed you. Shall we go and find her, love?"
Jade slowly gained her feet, keeping the baby close against her. His grip on her hair stung, but she didn't mind.
The baby smelled so wonderful. He was beautiful, too. He had his mother's blue eyes, but his dark curls came from his father. Jade stroked the baby's back and softly crooned to him. She was in awe of him.
She turned and noticed the men then. Jade could feel herself blush. "You have a fine son," she told Lyon in a stammer.
Caine stayed by the door while Lyon went to claim Dakota. He had to pry his son's hands away from Jade's hair. She stared at Caine, wondering over the odd expression on his face now. There was tenderness there, but something else as well. She didn't have any idea what he was thinking.
"He's the first baby I've ever held," she told Lyon after he'd lifted his son into his arms.
"I'd say that you are a natural," Lyon replied. "Wouldn't you agree, Dakota?" he asked. He held the baby up until they were eye level. Dakota immediately grinned.
Christina breezed into the room, drawing Jade's attention. She hurried over and handed her friend the sharpened knife. The dagger was inside a soft leather carrier. "It's sharp enough now," she told Jade.
"I made the pouch so you wouldn't accidentally prick yourself."
"Thank you," Jade replied.
"You aren't going to need a knife," Caine announced. He moved away from his lazy repose and walked over to Jade's side. "Let me keep it for you, sweet. You'll hurt yourself."
"I will not give it to you," she announced. "It was a gift from my uncle and I promised him I'd always have it with me."
He gave in when she backed away from him. "We have to get going," he told her then. "Lyon, you'll. . ."
"I will," Lyon returned. "Just as soon as I've . . ."
"Right," Caine interrupted.
"They seem to be speaking in a different language, don't they?" Christina said to Jade.
"They don't want me to worry," Jade explained.
"Then you understood what they were saying?"
"Of course. Lyon is suppose to start his investigation. Caine's obviously given him a few suggestions.
As soon as he's found out anything of consequence, he'll get in touch with Caine."
Lyon and Caine were staring intently at her. "You deducted all that from ..."
She interrupted Caine with a nod. Then she turned to Lyon. "You're going to try to find out if there's anyone gone missing of late, aren't you?"
"Yes," Lyon admitted.
"You'll need a description, won't you? Of course, the poor man's nose was a bit scrunched from the fall. Still, I could tell he was quite old, almost forty, I would guess. He had gray hair, bushy eyebrows, and cold brown eyes. He didn't look at all peaceful in death, either. He'd gone to fat, too, around the middle. That's yet another reason to suppose he was a member of the ton."
"Why is that?" Caine asked.
"Because he had more than enough to eat for one," she countered. "There weren't any callouses on his hands, either. No, he certainly wasn't a working man. I can tell you that much."
"Come and sit down," Lyon suggested. "We'd like to have descriptions of the other men as well."
"I fear there isn't much to tell," she said. "I barely saw them. I don't know if they were tall or short, fat
or thin .. ." She stopped to sigh. "There were three of them and that's all I had time to notice."
She looked distressed. Caine thought she was still frightened of the ordeal she'd gone through. She had seen a man fall to his death, after all, and she was such a gentle woman, she couldn't be used to such horrors.
Jade was upset, yes, and when Caine put his arm around her shoulders, she felt all the more guilty. For the first time in her life, she actually disliked lying. She kept trying to tell herself that her motives were pure. The reminder didn't help at all, though. She was deceiving three very nice people.
"We have to leave," she blurted out. "The longer we stay, the more danger we put this family in, Caine. Yes, we must leave now."
She didn't give anyone time to argue with her but rushed over to the entrance.
"Caine? Do you have a home in the country somewhere?" she asked, knowing full well that he did.
"I think we should go there. You can keep me safe away from London."
"We aren't going to Harwythe, Jade."
"Harwythe?"
"The name of my country estate," he answered. "I'm taking you to my parents' home. Their property borders mine. You might not be concerned about your reputation, but I am. I'll come and see you every day to make certain you're doing all right. I'll place guards around .. . now why are you shaking your
head at me?"
"You'll come and visit me? Caine, you're already breaking your word to me," she cried out. "We are not going to involve your parents in this. You promised me you'd keep me safe and by God, you aren't going to leave my side until it's over."
"She sounds determined, Caine," Lyon interjected.
"I am in wholehearted agreement with Jade," Christina interjected.
"Why?" Both Caine and Lyon asked at the same time.
Christina shrugged. "Because she's my friend. I must agree with her, mustn't I?"
Neither man had a valid argument for that explanation. Jade was pleased. "Thank you, Christina. I will always agree with you, as well," she added.
Caine shook his head. "Jade," he began, thinking to draw her back to their original topic. "I am thinking about your safety when I suggest you stay with my parents."
"Do you honestly believe you'll be safe with me?"
She took exception to his incredulous tone of voice. "I most certainly do."
"Sweet, I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off you for two long weeks. I'm trying to be noble about this, damn it."
In the blink of an eye, her face turned crimson. "Caine," she whispered. "You shouldn't be saying such things in front of our guests."
"They aren't our guests," he countered in a near shout of obvious frustration. "We're their guests."
"The man's always using blasphemies around me," she told Christina. "He won't apologize either."
"Jade!" Caine roared. "Quit trying to change the topic."
"I don't believe you should shout at her, Caine," Christina advised.
"He can't help himself," Jade explained. "It's because of his cranky nature," "I'm not cranky," Caine announced in a much lower tone of voice. "I'm just being honest. I don't mean
to embarrass you."
"It's too late," Jade countered. "You've already embarrassed me."
Both Christina and Lyon looked absolutely mesmerized by the conversation. Caine turned to his friend. "Don't you have someplace to go?"
"Leave anyway," Caine ordered.
Lyon raised an eyebrow, then gave in. "Come along, wife. We can wait in the dining room. Caine?
You're going to have to let her explain a few more facts before you leave if you want me to . .."
"Later," Caine announced.
Christina followed her husband and son out of the room. She paused to squeeze Jade's hand on her way past her. "It's best not to fight it," she whispered. "Your fate has already been determined."
Jade didn't pay any attention to that remark. She nodded just to please Christina, then shut the door and whirled around to confront Caine again. Her hands settled on her hips. "It's absolutely ridiculous to worry about keeping your hands off me. You won't take advantage of me unless I let you. I trust you," she added with a vehement nod. Her hands flew to her bodice. "With all my heart," she added quite dramatically.
"Don't."
The harshness in his tone startled her. She quickly recovered. "Too late, Caine. I already do trust you. You'll keep me safe and I won't let you touch me. We have an easy pact, sir. Don't you try to muddy
the waters now with last-minute worries. It will all work out. I promise you."
A commotion in the entryway drew their attention. Caine recognized the voice.
One of his grooms was stammering out his need to find his employer.
"That's Perry," Caine told Jade. "He's one of my grooms. You stay inside this room while I see what he wants."
She didn't obey that command, of course, but followed behind him.
When she saw Lyon's dark expression, she knew something foul had happened. Then her attention turned to the servant. The young man had wide hazel eyes and dark crinkly hair that stood up on end. He couldn't seem to catch his breath but kept making a circle with the hat he clutched in his hands.
"Everything be lost, mi'lord," Perry blurted out. "Merlin said to tell you it were a miracle the whole block wasn't set afire. The Earl of Haselet's town house was just a bit scorched. There be smoke damage we would imagine, but the outside walls are still intact."
"Perry, what are you ..."
"Your town house caught fire, Caine," Lyon interjected. "Isn't that what you're trying to tell us, Perry?"
The servant quickly nodded. "It weren't carelessness," he defended. "We don't know how it started, mi'lord, but there weren't any candles burning, no fire unattended in the hearths. God be my witness, it weren't carelessness."
"No one is blaming you," Caine said. He kept his voice contained, his anger hidden. What the hell else could go wrong? he wondered. "Accidents happen."
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Originally KVN is a Russian humour TV show and competition where teams (usually college and university students) compete by giving funny answers to questions and showing prepared sketches. For more than 20 years TV broadcasts of KVN games receive the highest ratings in Russia. The popularity of the game is so high that more than 100 cities play game of KVN now.
The Ukhta University has got several KVN teams, which compete between each other. But sometimes KVN teams come to Ukhta from different town of the Komi Republic to take part in the KVN competition.


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Pustosjolow () ist ein Dorf (chutor) in Südrussland. Es gehört zur Adygeja und hat 7 Einwohner (Stand 2019). Im Ort gibt es 4 Straßen.

Geographie
Das Dorf liegt 11 km östlich des Dorfes Krasnogwardeiskoje am linken Ufer des Flusses Laba.

Einzelnachweise

Ort in der Republik Adygeja


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Festival News and Rumors
Austin City Limits 2021 Lineup: Billie Eilish, Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, and George Strait to Headline
Erykah Badu, Megan Thee Stallion, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, Modest Mouse, Greta Van Fleet also confirmed for 20th anniversary event
Miley Cyrus (photo courtesy of artist), Billie Eilish, and Stevie Nicks (photos by Ben Kaye) to headline ACL in 2021
May 20, 2021 | 11:14am ET
Like its sister festival Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits is returning with a full capacity two-weekend event later this year. Marking the festival's 20th anniversary, ACL 2021 goes down October 1st-3rd and October 8th-10th at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas.
For a festival scene all-too-often dominated by male-fronted acts, eight women are among the to 15 acts on this year's ACL lineup. Billie Eilish, Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, and Erykah Badu topline the poster. Also playing are Megan Thee Stallion, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, Doja Cat, and Tierra Whack.
Texas music legend George Straight will also take a turn headlining ACL this year, while other notable acts include Modest Mouse, Greta Van Fleet, Black Pumas, DaBaby, Polo G, Freddie Gibbs, and Jack Harlow, Future Islands, Band of Horses, Bleachers, Jon Batiste, Moses Sumney, Tanya Tucker, White Reaper, Trixie Mattel, 070 Shake, Channel Tres, Omar Apollo, Hinds, Durand Jones & The Indications, Toosii, Tkay Maizda, KennyHoopla, Remi Wolf, Nothing,Nowhere., The Hu, and more.
Tickets to Lollapalooza 2021 go on sale starting Thursday at 12:00 p.m. CT. Ticket options include 3-day general admission ($275); 4-day GA+ ($550); 4-day VIP ($1300); and 4-day platinum ($3800).
Today's announcement includes no mention of COVID protocols for Austin City Limits (whereas Lollapalooza said from the onset that a vaccination or negative test results would be required for entry). Instead, ACL patrons will receive "regular updates with important information regarding safety policies and procedures before entering Zilker Park" in the weeks ahead, according to a statement from C3 Presents.
Phoebe Bridgers
2021 Lineup
Post Malone, Halsey, Tame Impala Headline Hangout Music Festival 2022
Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails to Headline Inaugural Primavera Sound LA
The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Le Tigre Reunion Headline New Festival This Ain't No Picnic


Minnesota State is 37 state colleges and universities offering you extraordinary educational opportunities and the lowest tuition in Minnesota.
Preview the 2018-2019 Guide to Your 37 State Colleges and Universities, which offers program grids to help you explore options. Get a copy (or several) mailed to you or your organization, along with an awesome Minnesota State poster. Order free copies below.
Check out more information online by linking to any of your state college and university websites (listed below) and scheduling a campus visit.
Learn more about the 3,850 academic programs offered at your state colleges and universities, or use Minnesota State CAREERwise to think about a path that might be right for you.
Our universal application allows you to apply to one or several of the colleges and universities that are part of Minnesota State. All 30 state colleges have an open admissions policy. Policies vary at the 7 state universities.


This event is for all parents interested in learning about this summer's camp at WNS for students aged 2-5.
Experience the wonder and magic of summer that is Camp at Williamsburg Northside Schools! Fun-filled days outside in our rooftop garden and outdoor classroom are balanced with the consistency and routine that helps our youngest children thrive. Seasoned Northside teachers treat all children with the respect and care on which WNS prides itself in a distinctly Reggio Emilia inspired program. Experimentation, exploration and creativity are encouraged within beautiful environments. In each of two sessions, Flora and Fauna, we will strive to offer opportunity for authentic expression and cultivate wonder.


AI have blogged before about a trip I took to LeakyCon back in 2013. It was epic, and one of the very best weekends of my life, thanks to the awesome friends I got to hang out with and the great times we had! During that trip, one of my pals had brought a beautiful Hogwarts bag that she had crocheted. It was gorgeous, and I have admired it ever since. I really wanted to make one, but it got pushed down my queue by other things (this year, mostly Christmas knitting and SOCKS!).
My kids are (finally!) as obsessed with Harry Potter as I am, and I confess to feeding their addiction with fun crafts and toys!
Lately, after receiving new wands, they have been trying to remember the spells featured in the Harry Potter books and films. I suggested it might be a good idea to keep a spellbook with a list of spells so that they could start to remember them (I also saw this as a great opportunity to have them willingly practice their reading and writing skills!).
A few years ago, I had made myself a really neat project journal out of a simple blank composition book and some simple scrapbook supplies. This journal ended up being indispensable! I use it more than I use my daily planner. In its pages I have planned the births of two of my children, kept lists for gifts (Christmas, birthdays, and other) for the past three years, planned countless menus, and most of all, kept notes on my many ongoing crafty projects!
The kids are out of school for awhile, and I've been coming up with different winter/ Christmas-related crafts for them to do. Gotta keep those kids busy!
Today, we worked on making it snow in the house.... with paper snowflakes! There are actually a TON of great tutorials on YouTube for various paper snowflake-making techniques.... if you need inspiration, that is where you should go! I chose a rather simple video for the kids to start with. For the younger ones, I pre-cut and folded the paper so they could just snip out their designs. My older kids were able to cut and fold their own paper, and they came up with a lot of amazing designs!
Like most of the world right now, I have Outlander fever. And I'm sure its abundantly apparent at this point that my crafting life tends to reflect my fandom life.... I love to create things associated with the fandoms I love!
So, to celebrate one of my all-time favorite book series come to life on the small screen, I participated in a KAL/ CAL for fingerless mitts that (hopefully) resemble one of the pairs Claire's character wears.
I am desperately hoping that a book or magazine of Outlander-inspired knits is in the works somewhere, because this show has some seriously drool-worthy knitwear in it! I really don't know what I find more distracting: Jamie in his kilt, or Claire's gorgeous knit gauntlets, capelets, shawls, and cowls? Hmmmmm..... hard to determine for sure!
TV shows/ Movies/ Audiobooks: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; Doctor Who; misc.
I first started this series last year, and immediately fell in love with the setting, the characters, and the delicate but gripping plot twists of the novel. Life got in the way and I wasn't able to return to the series until now, but I am so glad I did!
The eighth pair of twelve are COMPLETE! These days mommy brain has completely and utterly taken me over. In my every day life, this manifests as mixed up doctor appointments and putting the soymilk in the cupboard instead of the refrigerator. In knitting, this manifests as wonky cables, random purls in the midst of stockinette, and other minor mistakes that will henceforth be referred to as "design elements"!!!
These socks are no exception to my craziness of late, but I love them anyway. The mistakes are not noticeable, the yarn is freaking gorgeous, and it was a really fun pattern to knit.
I cannot believe I have never used this technique before, because it is really great. I guess its because I don't knit toe-up socks that often, but whatevs.... I am super happy to add this technique to my knitting repertoire!
It has been almost a week since I finished reading this book, and I am just now able to collect my thoughts about it and post a review! There WILL BE SPOILERS, so please keep that in mind if you choose to read ahead.


As 4G approaches, David Perkins identifies the many convergence challenges for next-generation wireless networking. The corporate vice-president and general manager of Freescale also outlines some potential solutions.
How can phase-shifting photomasks overcome conventional light source and lens resolution limitations in chip production? Dr Franklin Kalk, executive vice-president and chief technology officer at Toppan Photomasks, describes how.
Careful patenting of intellectual property is essential if your company is to protect its global interests. Peter Mikhail, Peter Gallagher and James Hsue ask "Are you IP aware?"


Heading into a new year is a natural time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Many of us resolve to give up things we enjoy or devote more time to doing things we don't enjoy—promises that typically evaporate shortly thereafter. But what if you applied that make-life-better energy to a bigger change, one with the potential to transform your daily life? What if you greeted 2019 by pursuing a new career?


As part of our ongoing effort to raise awareness about scams targeting the Latino community, we have developed a series of "fotonovelas" in Spanish. The stories are based on complaints to the FTC from Spanish speakers throughout the nation and offer practical tips to help detect and stop common scams. You can order copies of the Spanish-language fotonovelas — for free — and distribute them in your community.
This fotonovela tells the story of a husband and wife Eva and Pablo, who learn why its important talk to someone when they think something is a scam and how talking about scams could help someone they care about avoid a scam.
This fotonovela tells how to avoid trouble when you finance a new or used car through the dealership and where to report problems with dealer financing.
This fotonovela tells readers the warning signs of a notario scam, where to find help with the immigration process, and how to report scams to the Federal Trade Commission.
In this fotonovela, Juan learns his rights when dealing with debt collectors, where to go for information, and how to file a complaint.
This fotonovela alerts Latino consumers to the signs of an income scam, and provides advice to avoid falling for a scam.
This fotonovela tells readers how to identity a government imposter and warns of the dangers of sending money to a stranger.


Welcome to Stratford Friends School. For nearly forty years SFS has led the charge in providing the best education practices for students with language-based learning differences. What our experience has taught us is that children who learn differently thrive when given excellent instruction by caring teachers who take the time to understand what each child needs to succeed. We know that our teaching practices, rooted in Quaker values, allows all of our students to thrive.
At the cornerstone of our programing is a two hour daily literacy block. During this time students work with their teachers to become strong, independent readers and writers. The research-based Orton Gillingham, Take Flight® curriculum is used to directly and systematically teach students to unlock the code and become fluent readers. Students receive direct instruction in reading comprehension strategies in rich literature and informational text.
The research-based Saxon Math® and Making Math Real® programs teach more than isolated skill development. Teachers utilize a multisensory approach to help students understand larger math concepts so they are able to think like mathematicians. At SFS, technology is infused into our curriculum giving our students the opportunity to develop 21st century skills and they enjoy taking on STEM challenges like robotics, programing, and designing futuristic cities.
As students develop academic skills, our School Psychologist facilitates a social thinking and friendship curriculum also fosters social and emotional development. This dynamic curriculum in combination with our rich academic experience provides a balanced education program that reaches the whole child.
Our lower school student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1 (10:1 at middle school), along with our flexible programmatic structure, enables us to specifically target each student's individual academic needs while fostering a sense of belonging and community.
Each day is filled with a rich curriculum that not only provides instruction that addresses students' individual needs but also challenges them to develop their gifts and find their passions. Opportunities to grow as artists, musicians, and athletes are vital parts of our program that allow our students to nurture their creative spark.
Grounded in strong Quaker values, SFS provides so much more than a nurturing environment. It provides all children with the assurance that the way they learn matters; fairness requires that unique learners have equal access to diverse learning experiences. The lessons the children learn through the Quaker principles will continue to inform who they are as adults and prepare them to become positive forces in the world. I am privileged to be a part of the Stratford Friends School mission.


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Launched in 2009, Artist Membership of the Contemporary Art Society is by invitation to those artists with whom we have worked in our various programmes.
The Artist Membership is designed to bring artists closer to the mission of the Contemporary Art Society.
For 100 years the Contemporary Art Society has been acquiring works from artists and distributing them to museums and public galleries where they are enjoyed by a large and diverse audience. We also work in diverse ways with artists and their galleries through our programmes for our members and supporters, curators and arts professional, and our arts consultancy services.
The aim of the membership is to:
Provide greater visibility for artists and their work, particularly those who do not already have gallery representation.
Bring artists closer to the opportunities and challenges that public collections can offer.
Bring audiences, including collectors, closer to the work of artists.
Artist Members can attend select Contemporary Art Society events and have an online profile.
Annual Artist Membership costs £25 to cover website administration.
If you are an artist who has recently been involved with the Contemporary Art Society contact Membership at membership@contemporaryartsociety.org
Emma Douglas
Sarah Dobai
Vivien Zhang
Clare Woods
Jessica Harrison
Emily Speed
David Mabb
Des Hughes
Jost Münster
Giorgio Sadotti
Daniel Sturgis
Explore Artist Members
Select Range A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z


By Ed Justus and Cynthia Lynn — Special to The Garden Island | Friday, May 11, 2018, 12:05 a.m.
"Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink.
With comments like these from fellow readers, Jocko Willink's "Extreme Ownership" is a book which immediately caught our attention!
The author himself is a decorated retired Navy SEAL officer, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he is a leadership instructor, speaker, and executive coach. Willink spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. With this background, Willink has decided to share the lessons learned from his experiences which can help not only our business lives, but our personal lives as well.
The leader is always responsible —the fundamental principle of "extreme ownership", basically meaning leaders must always "own" the mistakes and shortcomings of their teams; everyone on the team must believe in the mission; work with other teams to achieve mutually beneficial outcome; keep plans simple, clear, and concise; check your ego; figure out your priorities, and then act on them one at a time; clarify your mission (i.e., your plan); engage with your higher-ups; keep them in the loop—especially when they frustrate you; act decisively, even when things are chaotic.
The simplicity, clarity, and structure of "Extreme Ownership" are greatest strengths, and the lessons are insightful and thought-provoking.
So, take the risk! Get "Extreme"!


13-year-old Carly Rose Sonenclar got a standing ovation from the entire panel of judges and audiences for her performance on Thursday's X Factor.
The sultry rendition earned Sonenclar the very first standing ovation from all four judges this season.
And Simon Cowell found himself in utter disbelief.
Needless to say, the judges unanimously voted Sonenclar through, with Cowell saying she earned "4,833″ "yes" answers from everyone in the arena.
Previous: Facebook is building a search engine to take on Google?


PHOENIX — David Kong, CEO of Best Western International, corresponds with Blue MauMau to explain how its unit hotel owners, not the franchisor, direct the company on how to best protect and grow the brand.
The results of independent hotel owners directing the brand are astonishing. Founded in 1946, it has become the world's largest hotel chain, with 4,000 locations in over 100 countries. Its customers rank the hotels highly. Best Western's European hotel owners typically manage three- or four-star properties. In the United States, a 2011 J.D. Powers study ranked Best Western lodges one of the best in customer satisfaction in the mid-priced category.
In the early to mid-2000s, customer satisfaction was spotty. "The one monolithic Best Western name with its variety of quality hotels that served different hotel categories confused customers," says New York-based hotel consultant Stanley Turkel. Hotel owner-operators under the brand recognized the problem and hired lodging veteran David Kong to head up Best Western International as president and CEO. Kong immediately set to work on enforcing operating standards and enhancing the brand by creating new, upscale hotel groups — Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier.
Poorly operating hotels were terminated. "After David Kong came, Best Western dropped many properties that did not meet the brands' operating standards," explains Turkel, author of Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry.
What's interesting about Best Western's model is that it has redefined business value for hotel owners and franchisees by significantly shifting down costs and fees. At 2.6 percent of total rooms revenue, its royalties for hotel owners are the lowest by far of any major hotel chain in the mid-rate room range, according to hospitality researcher and consulting firm HVS in its 2011 Hotel Franchise Fee Guide. Compare that to fees of 13.2 percent for Choice Hotel's Comfort Inn, which is the most expensive on the list.
Not only did its franchisees redefine business costs for the industry, but non-profit Best Western International has been downright innovative in its mastery of technology and marketing. For example, Best Western was one of the first lodging brands to provide room booking capabilities to Internet users around the world in 1995, just weeks after the public release of Netscape Navigator 1.0, which allowed consumers for the first time to easily "surf the Web." Cyber sales have boomed to a point that in 2011 the chain of hotel owners has seen online room bookings of nearly $1.2 million in revenue per day.
"Franchisees receive robust reservation activity, but pay much less than any other franchise system," observes Turkel.
In marketing, Best Western has pioneered specialty niches, such as offering motorbike cleaning amenities, rider services and discounts to Harley-Davidson bikers in the majority of its hotels. In an effort to upgrade customer satisfaction, on May 31 it announced that a new cleaning program for its North American hotels will roll out throughout 2012. It will utilize UV wands and black lights, technologies that hospitals currently use, to clean rooms at a level that guests cannot even see.
Blue MauMau contacted Best Western's CEO David Kong at last month's Asian American Hotel Owners Association's annual conference in Atlanta. He has corresponded through email to explain his organization's franchise governance structure and why putting franchisees in control has allowed the company to be at the top.
BMM: Your company, a confederation of hotel owners, declares in your material that "each (hotel) member-owner has a voice in the operation of the company." In your organization, can an individual hotel owner direct Best Western's worldwide operations? How so?
Summary: There is a sort of constitution and body of rules within the network that establishes the democratic voting process of hotel property owners and the roles of their elected delegates in leading the chain.
Kong: Best Western is a membership organization. The bylaws, articles of incorporation, rules and regulations, and brand standards are established by the members through a formal voting process – with each member having one vote for each hotel. It is a truly democratic process. These regulatory documents are then enforced by the board of directors – comprised of seven members who are elected by members of each of seven districts.
Can you elaborate about what are governors, Best Western's boards, directors and other roles in the governance of the system? How do hotel owners interact with Best Western to affect change?
Best Western uses various governance branches — a company board of directors, governors, regional directors and advisory boards — to solicit the input and leadership of hotel owners.
Kong: A director must have Best Western experience, own a requisite equity interest in a Best Western hotel in the director's district, be the voting member for the hotel by which the director satisfies the equity ownership requirement, and must reside in the district. If elected by the members in the district, the director serves a three-year term. A director may only serve two terms, whether or not consecutive.
Governors are voting members or owners of Best Western branded hotels. Each of the seven directors appoints governors for the regions in their districts. Governors serve as an important communication link to the membership. They provide feedback and recommendations with regard to initiatives that are being considered. We generally meet with our governors three times a year to seek their feedback and thoughts. We have approximately 200 governors.
These advisory committees provide valuable insight, especially from an operations perspective. Our board of directors and the management team frequently leverage our advisory committees as "sounding boards" for major initiatives. Advisory committees generally meet twice per year in person and we also have conference calls with them as needed.
With regard to communicating with our members, Best Western holds district meetings at each of the districts and a convention every year. At the district meetings and convention, management advises the membership of proposed initiatives and "polls" (through electronic hand-held devices) the attendees with respect to proposed initiatives. Management overtly seeks member feedback. Additionally, at each of the meetings there is an "open forum." The board of directors and senior management are on stage and attendees can ask questions. And, of course, throughout the district meetings, members are encouraged to meet with any staffers in attendance with questions, feedback or comments.
Lastly, members are always encouraged to communicate with management in regard to issues involving the brand or their hotel. Our policy is to respond to any member inquiry within 24 hours.
Who gives you, Best Western's CEO, your orders?
Franchisees who are elected directors of Best Western International's board give the CEO his orders.
Kong: In accordance with Best Western's bylaws, I report to the board of directors. All other [company] staff members report to me.
Your members (hotel owners) tell you and Best Western what to do?? To some, this sounds like chaos because they think of franchisees as being micro-minded, that is to say, focused on individual store operations, apathetic to what transpires outside their hotel. The industry tends to think that the brand's responsibility is to lead and train franchisees rather than take directions from them. I mean, who's pushing you to expand in Asia?
Knowing how to tap into the collective wisdom and entrepreneurial leadership of hotel property owners has given Best Western International an edge and allowed it to pioneer many new trends in the hospitality industry.
Kong: Unilateral decision making is almost never good in the long run. At Best Western, we believe in the collective wisdom and experience of our members. Please let me illustrate how things often work in our organization. The staff is the subject matter expert. We frequently come up with ideas. These ideas are refined through our advisory committees, governors and the board [of directors for Best Western]. At the end, these ideas have been thoroughly discussed and the kinks have been worked out. When we implement them, they often work well and we avoid costly mistakes. Ideas can also "bubble up" from our members and we put them through the same process of prioritization and fine-tuning.
Our business model has worked very well for over 65 years. While it may take longer to launch some initiatives, the ideas have been fine-tuned and we don't make many mistakes. The membership recognizes the executive team as competent and accomplished leaders of the industry. We are empowered through our bylaws and the board of directors to carry out our role autonomously most of the time, e.g., expansion in Asia.
Side story: Is Best Western a franchisor? Yes, It is.
I suspect much of the industry does not know what to make of what David Kong speaks. I mean, who would have thought there could be a franchisor that takes its orders from individual hotel owners that fly the brand flag. In my opinion, there are some golden nuggets in this interview on how to build a system that solicits, supports and engages franchisees. In essence, the brand directly responds to where individual hotel property holders vote it to go.
Think of it. Property holders (royalty payers) vote and hold their franchisor accountable! British philosopher John Locke, who played such an important role in early American thought and development, would be proud.
As you can see, this is no easy feat. It's not just about giving property owners a vote. If it is done incorrectly, there is anarchy and finger pointing on how franchisees just don't get it. A system has to have the right democratic governance structure in place. In Best Western, the local, regional and global leadership branches are complex and interwoven.
I hope franchise leaders will gain insights from what Best Western's CEO David Kong has shared with us on the democratic structure (to some known as federation governance) that his brand uses.