Photo by cantchangerandy
The Flatiron District’s Namesake – The Iconic Flatiron Building

Today´s the last day for our November promotional offer!

For the absolute best deal in Manhattan you’ll receive a physical New York Office Address in Midtown Manhattan with a FREE 212 dedicated phone number at an unbeatable and incomparable introductory rate of only $20 per month, for 2-months of service.

Special offer of $20 per month includes:

• New York City Business Address
  Physical Manhattan Office address with reception and meeting facilities. Mail handling privileges including mail forwarding/pickup and meeting room available if required.
• 212 Manhattan Phone Number
  You will receive an exclusive dedicated 212 direct dial 24 hour phone number with voice mail. You can record up to a 2-minute outgoing greeting for your callers to listen to before they leave you up to a 3-minute long message. You can store 30 played or unplayed messages in your voice mailbox for up to 30 days. To retrieve messages, simply dial into your 212 phone number, enter your passcode, and listen to your messages. (Optional email delivery of messages is available for a one time setup of $10.)

To apply for this offer, simply click here to visit our website and access the online application.

Let VH International Business Solutions help your company establish a complete business presence in NYC today!

And for all the fun caveats: Offer valid for new approved clients only. Offer may not be combined with any other offer. Applicants must order and have their completed applications approved prior to November 30, 2009. After the 2-months are up, you can opt to not renew all services or phone service. Address renewal rates revert to standard published rates. Current rates for renewal are from $25-$60 per month for the address rental and a $10 flat per month for the 212 phone number. If you select to add on email delivery of messages, the phone messages come as .wav files and the fax comes as .pdf files. You can select to have your mail forwarded daily, weekly or monthly. Service charge of $00.50¢ per piece plus postage. Mail pickup is available by appointment and is a flat $3 per pickup. Meeting space available at $15 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. An initial $25 deposit required for any account activity costs, for example, mail forwarding costs. Account setup takes just one business day from receipt of your completed application.

We look forward to serving your New York business needs. Please contact us with any questions:
Tel: 1.212.627.8900
Fax: 1.646.861.6610
Manhattan Virtual Office

Since 1990.

VH International Business Solutions, Inc.
Follow us on Twitter: @ManhattanOffice

Jin Kyu (Suh) Robertson

Major (retired), U.S. Army; Ph.D., Harvard University

jkrobert@hanmail.net

Oprah Winfrey Show

Harpo Studios

1058 W. Washington St.

Chicago, IL 60607

Dear Ms. Oprah Winfrey:

             I would like to be a guest on your show because I have an unusual story which can inspire/motivate the people in the world: beginning as a virtual slave in a wig factory in Seoul, Korea, I completed a doctorate in the history of international relations at Harvard University.

             I am a sixty-one year old woman who retired from the U.S. Army at the rank of major in 1996, after having served for twenty years. I joined the U.S. Army as a private first class to stop being a battered wife and was a twenty-eight year old mother of an eight months old daughter.

             My life in America began in 1971 when I immigrated alone as a housemaid, having found a job from a newspaper advertisement of a referral agency. I was twenty two years old, spoke very little English, had no relatives or friends in America, and had only $100 to my name with much debt to pay back. But my life in Korea was worse. I was born into a poor Korean family and worked as a waitress, housemaid, and clerk in addition to a factory girl.

During my early teen years, I had to help mother with endless house chores. She had a small tavern to attend to and had no time for anything else. I also had to look after my baby brother who seemed younger than his age: he was retarded. His condition caused my mother to turn to drink, and that added more nightmares to my childhood. Reflecting anger for her sad fate of being a woman, mother used to yell at me, “Girls are useless! You are useless!” Over mother’s heartbreaking wails, I heard the louder voice of my silent anger: “Why? Was it my fault to be born a girl?”

Then there were winters: the cold, cold days of my childhood. While washing a mountain of dirty clothes in freezing water at a small stream nearby, soon my wet hands became numb as icicles were forming on my feet. As I pounded the cloth on a rock with a wooden stick, my trembling voice echoed a scream through my shaking body: “Why me? Why do I have to live like this?”

One cold winter night, I was standing outside of mother’s tavern while carrying my baby brother on my back trying to put him to sleep. The snow had stopped after painting the whole world white. Following my white breath, I found the sky with a pale blue moon and twinkling stars. Between the hissings of the wind, I could hear the soft breathing of my brother peacefully sleeping with his small head comfortably resting on my shoulder. My bare cheeks felt cold but the close warmth from my baby brother’s tiny body on my back felt very nice. As if dreaming, I stared into mother’s tavern. Behind the steam-fogged glass door, I saw mother arguing with town drunkards and father busily trying to separate them. My frozen nose tingled. At that moment, along with the drunkards, father came out to go to work at the railroad station for the night shift. With a broad smile, he lightly patted my head before he got on his old bicycle. Suddenly I felt a big lump blocking my voice. I stood there silently watching his skinny small back disappearing into the dark alley as his rusty bike slid dangerously over the slippery snow. Then, suddenly, he disappeared into the dark alley as if he had been sucked into the mysterious world, leaving only a thin trace of white smoke behind. As warm tears were rolling down my cold cheeks, I felt my sobbing voice swirling in my heart: “It is not your fault that you were born into a poor lowly family. One day father, I will achieve my goal and will take care of you. I will show the world that what you are born into does not decide how you must live!”

Four decades later, two major Korean TV stations made documentaries about my life, and my autobiography was published in Korea and Japan where I began giving motivational speeches in both languages. The story of my odyssey could inspire people around the world to follow their dreams, whatever hardships they have endured as it has already inspired millions in Korea, where I am a well known speaker and bestselling author.

             Most of all, I am a lucky mother. I am truly proud of my daughter, Jasmin S. Cho, who in spite of having been raised by a single mother as an army brat, graduated from Harvard College in the year 2000.  After having been a top cadet of her ROTC Class throughout her college years, she is now a Captain and a Company Commander of an Air Defense Artillery (Patriot Missile) Battery in the U.S. Army.  Although she studied at public schools most of her childhood, when she graduated from a high school (public), she received an award from President Clinton as one of 141 Presidential Scholars, selected out of 2.5 million American high school graduates in 1995. She is also fluent in English, Korean, and Japanese.

             My story of the American Dream has made quite an impact on the lives of many Koreans and Japanese thus far. I hope to partake in your endeavor, helping not only Americans but also the people of the world in bettering their lives, by appearing as a guest on your show.

Sincerely Yours,

Jin Kyu (Suh) Robertson

520 Bayshore Dr. 

Fayetteville, NC 28311

 jinkyurobertson@jinkysworld.com

Diam's et l'image scintillante

Un retour pétaradant. Une force indéniable. Un marketing voilé -sans mauvais jeu de mots-, dans la mesure ou la rappeuse ne donne même pas d’interview. C’est assez hallucinant pour le rappeler. Après avoir fait un carton avec ses derniers albums, ce dernier s’annonce aussi sous de bons auspices.

Pour un exploit, c’est un exploit. Retentissant surtout. En effet, depuis la sortie nationale de l’album du nom S O S de la jeune femme, elle vient, cette semaine, de détrôner le roi de la pop, Michaël Jackson, dont l’album This is It a fait depuis sa sortie, la tête au box office.

S O S s’est vendu à plus de 31 000 exemplaire rien que cette semaine. Ceci représente en réalité, 3 albums vendus chaque seconde (pas très sûr de mes calculs). Toujours est-il que la rappeuse fait un véritable malheur. Personne ne l’attendait à une telle fête après sa conversion controversée à l’Islam.

Les racistes et autres islamophobes en ont dans le c*.  D’abord, chacun est libre de faire ce qu’il veut, ensuite, qu’on lui foute la paix avec le voile, intégral ou pas. C’est sa vie et, le manque de tolérance de certains et leur degré de haine indescriptible, laid, crasse et puéril est condamnable.

Revenons aux choses plus sérieuses. Diam’s qui cartonne donc dans les bacs, sera demain en reportage chez Harry Roselmack “Sept à Huit”. De belles révélations orientées en perspectives. Hélas, à cette heure-là, je serai enfermé quelque part ou dans les transports d’autant plus que la suspension de mon permis de conduire me réduit en esclavage piéton et/ou usager des transports.

Considérant qu’un disque d’or s’obtient après avoir écoulé 100 000 copies, il est à parier que dans le 10 jours qui viennent, le belle Diam’s l’aura. Quel camouflet pour ses détracteurs ! Avant de vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué, ils feront mieux désormais de la fermer. Définitivement. Je suis vraiment heureux pour cette fille humble, ouverte aux autres et attachante.

On ne le rappellera jamais assez, tout ce que SOS rapportera comme argent, n’ira pas dans la cagnotte de la star, mais pour des associations, notamment, “Enfants du désert”. Que dire de plus face à cette générosité ? Simplement que, dans le milieu musical français, c’est bien la première fois qu’un cas comme celui-là est vu.

On se fait “Enfants du désert” (audio) en disant encore une fois, bravo Diam’s !

START HERE:

Dear Stock Photography Professionals, Amateur Photographers, Illustrators and Graphic Designers

“Success” is relative …

It was just over two years ago I started to research how to sell my photography when I caught “The Bug” to start selling my images online. In September of 2007 I decided to dedicate two years to explore the possibilities of the incredible world of stock photography. I felt that two years would be enough time to give me a chance to sink my teeth into training myself from any and all sources and to get up to speed, starting basically from scratch, on this rapidly expanding and growing industry. At the time I had never even picked up a photography book or taken a photoshop tutorial. It is now two years later, and while I feel I have come very far and achieved many successes, I find that there is always more to learn. I absolutely love this work !

In July of 2007 I relocated to Washington State after accepting a transfer to work at The Boeing Company’s Commercial Airplane Headquarters in Renton, Washington just outside of Seattle, Washington. Analyzing Market Research was my specialty. Driving out to Washington from Colorado during the course of my relocation I captured a few thousands pictures on a Canon SD750 camera. At that time I was interested in seeing if I could market my images by selling prints of them at festivals, art shows and galleries. It was during this period of research that I discovered the world of commercial stock photography.

My first site that I was approved as a contributor at was BigStockPhoto in September of 2007. For that reason alone I will always have a special place in my heart for them. I found that their entry criteria was not as strict as some of the larger sites. The same applies for 123rf so these are both excellent places to get your first exposure to in selling your photography online. That being said you will want to get into Shutterstock and iStockPhoto as soon as possible. This took me many months to achieve as I was starting from nearly complete scratch with the exception of strong information technology background.  FYI: Recently BigStockPhoto was acquired by the subscription based microstock giant Shutterstock .

Stock Photography Sites are often referred to by short abbreviations. It was more than a little confusing to myself when I first started researching microstock on the various forums so I will list a few abbreviations that you may find useful to know your first time encountering them:

• SS = Shutterstock
• IS = iStockPhoto
• DT = Dreamstime
• FT = Fotolia
• BSP = BigStockPhoto
• MP = MostPhotos
• BME = Best Month Ever
• WME = Worst Month Ever
• BDE = Best Day Ever
• MSG = Microstock Group
• EL = Extended License
• RF = Royalty Free
• Glass = Camera Lens for a DSLR Camera ex. Canon 55-250 IS
• IS = Image Stabilization

My first sale came from the second site that I was approved at as a contributor which was Dreamstime. I initially sought out DT during a time when BigStockPhoto was halting uploading over the weekends. This is just one small example of the kind of roadblocks one faces when it comes to trying to build up an approved portfolio at a microstock agency.

At its most basic level, getting started in microstock photography takes just a few basic steps …

• Check-out the various stock photography links on this blog
• Browse the microstock sites and become familiar and get a feel for the photography on them
• Prepare 3-10 of your best images in accordance to the respective standards of the site you wish to join
• Submit your applications to become a contributor (a.k.a photographer) and get approved to contribute
• Shoot Pictures. Post Process Images in Photoshop. Upload Photos to all sites for review. Repeat.
• Collect the revenue from sales made each month across all sites over the years for the life of the image. Large subscription based sites such as Shutterstock will ultimately produce daily sales for you after your portfolio of approved images grows to a modest size of a few hundred images however credit based sale sites such as iStockPhoto will yield higher commissions at a much slower rate. There is constant debate over which is best. Most stock photographers submit all of their work to each of the most profitable microstock sites.
• Receive your payout after reaching a threshold for each respective site. (ex. $50, $75, $100)

I believe a quick recap of where my interest in photography as a child came from will prove insightful to some readers …

Photography had been an interest of mine since I first began taking snapshot photos with “hand me down” cameras from my parents I was about 9 or 10 years old. It was probably around 1979-1981 ish when I first started using 110 film cameras that I usually borrowed from my mother. The first camera that I actually owned was a Polaroid One Step instant camera. I remember having to pay for my own film. Early on I mowed lawns and later on I worked for the family gas station starting at the age of 10 working for $2.00 / hour. At the very least I know I was responsible for paying for the cartridges of film which were very expensive for around ten photos if I remember correctly. This limited my ability to take pictures as I was saving up to pay my way for a $750.00 30-Day bus tour trip across the country with the Boy Scouts to the National Jamboree in Virginia in 1981. Since the film for my instant camera was so expensive my mother allowed me to borrow her Sony Disc Camera. I took both cameras on my 30-day bus tour “Reunion with History” to the Jamboree. The Statue of Liberty was getting a makeover during our tour but it was still amazing and one of my favorite subjects. However, when I went to the top of the “Twin Towers” World Trade Center, that was my favorite scene. The bridges and skyscrapers of New York City fostered my love for architecture and structures which I later studied at length. I plan to dig up a couple of those first photos of mine from that trip, scan them, and post them here as a point-of-reference …

TIMELINE FOR KEY EVENTS THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON MY STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY:

1981 “Reunion With History” 30-Day Bus Tour of various historical sites of United States with Boy Scouts. Kodak Disc Camera borrowed from parents when I was 12 years old.

1985 Exposure to Mac Paint Graphic Programs on first Macintosh which parents bought 1986 Drafting  1,2,3 Architecture & Architecture Classes 1987-1991 Travel the world while serving in the United States Navy taking photos every step of the way. 1991 Leave the Navy to study Architecture at the University of Arizona. Learn AUTOCAD. 1999 First Photoshop and Image Ready exposure working with web design. 2000 Graduate University of Phoenix Bachelor of Science in Business  Major: Information Systems

2005 May Bought Digital Camera: Canon SD750

2007 July: Relocate to Washington State road trip from Colorado. Research Selling Prints / Selling digital files online.  Research Selling digital negative files

2007 September: Accepted into BSP

2007 October: Accepted into DT / Forum participation

2007 November: Thanksgiving Day 2007 was my 1st Microstock Sale at DT Accepted into Fotolia . BME across all sites. Joined Microstock Group Forum (MSG). 1st SS Application Rejected. Read Photography & Photoshop Books. Study free tutorials from The MIZ and many others.

2007 December: Join Featurepics. Make plans to buy my first DSLR camera by April or May 2008. New BME across all sites. Bus Travel  from Seattle Washington to Denver capturing many photos on this journey. Caught severe flu and ear infections after many winter weather related travel delays.  That took me out of action for most of January and the first part of February …

Illness contracted from December / January travel …

2008 January: New BME across all sites. Stock sales happen even when your down and out sick …

2008 February: Joined MostPhotos . Joined Zymmetrical.  BME’s at DT, BSP, SXP, Met stock photographer suwanneeredhead (Stacey Lynn Brown) through interactions as two of the first few Americans on MP . New BME across all sites.

2008 March: set-up first home studio. Continue to improve work for next SS and IS applications as these are the two largest revenue producing sites for a microstock photographer.  BMEs at DT, FT, 123RF, MP . New BME across all sites. 5th BME in a row.

Got my first DSLR …

2008 April: Buy first DSLR:  a used Canon Rebel XTI a.k.a 400D continue to shoot and begin working with fractals for part of my SS applications.  Not a BME … streak broken …

2008 May: Accepted into Shutterstock the last week of the month after to many applications to count.

2008 May: BME at DT.

2008 June: BME’s at SS, BSP, 123RF, MP. First Full month of Revenue from SS. New BME across all sites.

2008 July: BME’s at DT, BSP, FP, FT. WME at 123RF. Begin using Cushy Stock management software

2008 Sep:  September 25th propose marriage to suwanneereadhead (Stacey Lynn Brown)

2008 Oct:  Mark Payne (mwp1969) & Stacey Lynn Brown (suwanneeredhead) married in Seattle, Washington. First Extended License Sale on SS …  it must have been a belated wedding gift

2008 Dec:  Canon 55-250 IS lens received as Christmas gift from my beloved wife

2009 April: Accepted into iStockPhoto

2009 May: Upgrade to DSLR Canon Rebel XSI a.k.a Canon 450D

2009 June: Began doubling and tripling my upload efforts to all of the sites that I was behind on …

2009 October: BME for number of sales at DT. Close to BME at SS & IS

2009 Nov: Achieve next level raise at SS . BMEs at both SS & IS. Roll-out initial microstock related blog.

I am always happy to help a newbie try to break into stock photography by submitting their work for sale online.  This is a painstaking task if you try to do it all on your own. I offer my own  trials and tribulations to you so that you might be able to avoid some of  them yourself along your way. Thank you in advance for checking out my image and design portfolios.

If your interested in submitting your own images and want to try and get started right away  you can do so through the links I have provided below.  These links will help you get started with some of the most favorable and profitable microstock photography sites. The commissions from the sale of your own images will pay you again and again for the rest of the life of the image so delaying your decision to start by a day only delays you getting paid by a day down the road.

Best of Luck !

My Referral Links to Top Producing Microstock Photography Websites:

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery.mhtml?id=144463

http://www.dreamstime.com/Mwp1969_info

http://www.istockphoto.com/mwp1969

http://www.123rf.com/profile_markpayne

http://us.fotolia.com/partner/200479231

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/?refid=HW16kzhvJX

Midstock Photography Sites:

http://www.mostphotos.com/mwp1969

Our Website:

www.PayneImages.com

]]> http://virtualofficefaq.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/office-closed-for-thanksgiving/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:03:19 +0000 virtualofficefaq http://virtualofficefaq.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/office-closed-for-thanksgiving/

Photo by joiseyshowaa

Our offices will be closed on Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27 in observance of the Thanksgiving Day holiday. We will reopen on Monday, November 30.

If you are in town for the weekend, NYC has a plethora of events to celebrate the Holiday weekend! Here are a few favorites:

Macy’s Balloon Inflation on Thanksgiving Eve:
What’s better than watching the floating giants rise? For details and the inflation map click here. For information on the balloons, please click here.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:
Be part of the more than 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of New York City, and more than 50 million viewers tuning in nationwide to watch the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Parade boasts approximately 8,000 participants including balloon handlers, float escorts, clowns, marching bands, cheerleaders, dance groups and other performers.

The 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route will, for the first time in its history, bypass Broadway on it’s way to Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. This is the sixth route change in the 83 years of the Macy’s Parade. However, this is the first time that the Parade will not travel through Broadway.

The Parade will begin at the traditional 77th Street and Central Park West kick off, it will travel down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, where it will veer towards 7th Avenue and march down 7th through Times Square. It will then turn onto 42nd Street to 6th Avenue marching down the Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street where it will turn and end at 34th Street and 7th Avenue.

Thanksgiving Meal
Eater.com compiled the best list of restaurants with reservations left, from fancy to down home cooking (and the prices to match), from the Upper West Side to Carroll Gardens – and a few right here in the neighborhood! Click here.

The Polar Express™ 4-D Experience at Madame Tussauds
The Polar Express™ 4-D Experience is back at Madame Tussauds New York, just in time for the holidays! This unique cinematic experience will enable you to smell the aroma of hot chocolate, feel the icy chill of snow brushing past your face, hear the roar of the locomotive and feel as though you are a passenger aboard the magical Polar Express as you follow the story of a young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve! It’s a full-sensory adventure that is perfect for the entire family. (Trailer)

Holiday hours are 10am to 10pm from Thursday, November 26-Saturday, January 2. Purchase your all access pass online, which includes general admission to Madame Tussauds NY, SCREAM, Polar Express, Madame Tussauds Story, and Behind the Scenes, to save up to 20%.

NYC Service:
Give thanks by sacrificing some of your time. NYC Service, run by the City of New York, knows that everyone has something to offer. They can assist you with using your time, passion, skills and willingness to help address New York’s most pressing needs. Simply visit their website, and answer this question: I want to help New York with: ________. You can search volunteer opportunities by a variety of variables such as date, area, and your specialties.

Ice Skating:
Ice skating in the City is a beloved seasonal tradition. Whether you are participating or watching, the only problem is which of our World famous rinks do you choose from?

Rockefeller Ice Rink is closed on Wednesday, and has a schedule change on Thursday, November 26, with sessions from 9am-12pm, 12:30-2, 2:30-4, 4:30-6, 6:30-8, 8:30-10, 10:30-Midnight. Normal sessions resume on Friday from 8:30am-1000, 1030-12 1230-2, 2:30-4, 4:30-6, 6:30-8, 8:30-10, 10:30-Midnight. Pricing for adults $19, children under eleven and seniors $12.50. Skate rental is $9 per session. The Christmas Tree is up, but not lit. The lighting ceremony is on December 2.

The Pond at Bryant Park is open from 8am-10pm. Admission and lockers are free. Skate rentals are $12, lock rentals are $9, small bag check is $7 and large bag check is $10. The line tends to be longer on holidays – but you can make a reservation online and skip the line!

The Wollman Rink in Central Park is open from Monday & Tuesday from 10:00am – 2:30pm, Wednesday & Thursday from 10:00am – 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday 10:00am – 11:00pm, and on Sunday from 10:00am – 9:00pm. Adults are $10.25 Monday-Thursday and $14.75 Friday-Sunday. Children are $5.50 Monday-Thursday and $5.75 Friday-Sunday. Seniors are $4.75 Monday-Thursday and $8.25 Friday-Sunday. Skate rentals are $6.25. Lock rentals are $4.50 with a a $6 deposit. The spectator fee is $5.

Flatiron High and Low:
Our very own Flatiron District’s rich architectural heritage is on display with an exhibition at the Van Alen Institute. The exhibit spotlights two centuries of building culture in the Flatiron district The exhibition is free and is open from M-F from 12-5pm at 30 West 22nd Street – through December 11.

Enjoy!

If you place an order for virtual office service online via our secure order form, please note that orders completed on a Holiday will be reviewed the following business day.

Make sure to check out our specials page for November’s NYC virtual office promotion.

With regards,
The Team at VH International Business Solutions, Inc.

Please contact us with any questions:
Tel: 1.212.627.8900
Fax: 1.646.861.6610
Manhattan Virtual Office

Since 1990.

VH International Business Solutions, Inc.
Follow us on Twitter: @ManhattanOffice

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a history of giving up on young players too early. The eternal pessimists believe/fear that every time these players depart the organization they are destined to become stars. This isn’t entirely false, particularly in recent years. Steve Sullivan was waived by the Leafs at the age of 26 and turned into a consistent 60 point player. Fredrik Modin was traded for Cory Cross in 1999 at the age of 25 and became an important component of Tampa’s championship team. The Leafs traded Jason Smith to the Edmonton Oilers, who he would later captain, in 1999 at the age of 26. Those aren’t even that bad. Russ Courtnall was traded to the Canadiens at the age of 24. I don’t think it’s healthy to continue this list, so we’ll stop there.

I always argue that if you reflect on past trades and potential draft picks you will drive yourself mad, regardless of your favourite team. I’m not trying to be a sadist, but discussing the Leafs penchant for giving up on players is particularly relevant at this juncture. I know frustration is moutning with the regression of a few of the team’s young players (e.g. Mitchell, Schenn, Kulemin) and others’ inability to even make the NHL roster (Tlusty). Thankfully, there have been no real cries from the fans to trade any of these players, yet. Fans must remember that these players are very young and developing into a full-time NHLer takes time.

The best example of sticking with a player, regardless of fan sentiment, is Nik Antropov. He is a true Maple Leafs success story.

The Leafs drafted Antropov 10^th overall in the 1998 entry draft amidst puzzled fan reactions. Most people, myself included, had no idea where Antropov’s native Kazakhstan was, let alone his skill set. According to wikipedia he scored 11 goals and 26 points in one international game against hockey super-power Iceland. That’s the true reason for his early draft slot. Pat Quinn watched D2 the night before and realized how good Iceland was at hockey. If Antropov could score 26 points against the fearsome Black and Grey then he was the destined for greatness. His NHL career certainly did not start out that way. Antropov made his NHL debut in 1999 and put up a respectable 30 points in 66 games. That total marks the 3^rd most games he has ever played in a season. Injuries plagued each season and the fans turned on the lanky Kazak. Announcing his name as a scratch caused the fans to cheer. I was not immune to this. I was the number one Nik Antropov hater. Playing Antopov guaranteed at least one bad sticking penalty per game. It got to the point where I joked that in Kazakhstan they only count goals and high sticks, thus making Antropov the Wayne Gretzky of Kazak hockey (record holder with 42 goals and 238753832 high sticks in one season). I was convinced Antropov was giving Pat Quinn sexual favours. There was no other logical explanation for his ice time. I was proven wrong on all accounts.

Antropov’s real progression occurred in 2003-2004 when Antropov and Ponikarovsky flanked my favourite one-year Leaf, Joe Nieuwendyk. The line was dubbed the Sky-line due to their tall stature. Under the guiding tutelage of Nieuwendyk both Antropov and Ponikarovski used their large bodies more effectively and began to dominate the puck down low. I even started to mildly warm up to both players at this point (my Antro hate extended to Ponikarovski based solely on their friendship). After Nieuwendyk left the Leafs stuck the former Eatern-bloc superstars with Mats Sundin. This proved to be a tremendous line combination and proved a tough match for any defensive pairing to handle in the offensive zone. It was almost like a real number one line (almost).

Antropov, once Toronto’s favourite whipping boy, progressed to the point where Cliff Fletcher rightfully proclaimed him the team’s lone top-six forward last season. It took a decade, but Nik Antropov finally began to develop into a player that resembled a top-ten draft choice.

This is the single incident in the past 20 years that I can recall the Leafs actually being patient with a prospect. The Leafs waited for Antropov through all the knee surgeries, the cries that he was a bust, and most importantly, all the high sticking penalties. The amount of time they waited was maddening, but it eventually paid off. Unfortunately, the team itself did not progress as well and Antropov now plays for the Thrashers.

Antropov is continuing his strong play in Atlanta (despite a lack of goals) and I wish him well. He didn’t really fit in with the Leafs financially and he produced a 2^nd round pick. I salute the Leafs organization for their and foresight to turn what at one time was a lost cause into a viable top-six forward. Hopefully Toronto continues to be patient with their youth and Leafs Nation doesn’t watch Kulemin score 35 goals a year for the Blue Jackets.

Success Story (20 MB download)
Slap together burgers for hungry customers, serve french fries and desserts, and keep the line moving! Work fast while the ingredients are still fresh. Choose the ones that will earn you more profit, and complete combos to earn even more! Beat the bosses in the mini-games and turn the fast food business in the big city into your very own success story in this addictive and tasty time management game!

I got a really nice call from a client of mine that came to see me over a month ago. Oisin had a number of problems with his knees to the point that when he played basketball he was in massive pain.

He had seen a trainer before me to help with this problem but ended up with more pain and problems as a result.

The issue was mainly related to lack of glute activation (butt not working right)and quad dominance (dependin on the thigh muscles to do all the work) on many of his leg exercises. This means that when he, for example, were to do a squat or step up then his thighs would do too much work and just further worsen the problems.

The solution lies in taking weight off the quads and getting the glutes to do more of the work through certain perscribed exercises. Obviously stretching and foam rolling  helped in a big way as he was very tight and was never told to address this issue directly.

At first I think he was very sceptical as he was used to being pushed quite hard but a month later and now back playing basketball 3 days a week he is in no doubt as to what was needed to get him back in the game.

So if you have knee problems my question would be – do you really need more direct leg work or do you need to take a step back, assess the problem and move forward with a plan of action. Almost all the people I treat for knee injuries come from poor to terrible flexibility in the legs and hips. So if you can’t achieve the basic stretching standards as mentioned below in the video then you really need to get your priorities in order.

What is the point in being fit or more muscular/toned when you do not have the flexibility to even bend down and touch your toes? Thanks again Oisin for the positive feedback and if you have a story you would like to share just mail me or write a comment in this post.

When Panita Chumchantha decided to tie the knot this past September, she wanted her Thai roots represented at her Canadian wedding.

The 31-year-old, who was adopted by a Canadian family years ago, longed to have her biological sister fly over from Thailand for her special day. But the wish went unfulfilled: her sister was denied a visitor visa by Canadian officials in Bangkok.

“They just said she was not a member of my family anymore,” Chumchantha said. “I just wanted her to come for my ceremony, and then they refused it.”

Shocked and frustrated, Chumchantha and her fiance pressed on with the wedding despite the bride’s Thai side being noticeably absent. “I’m really upset about it,” she said. “It’s just one day in my life.”

Such emotional anecdotes are why NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow is pushing Ottawa to put in place an appeals process for those who feel wronged by Canada’s visitor visa system.

“There’s a lot of unfair stories,” said Chow, the MP for the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, who has heard countless tales of family members unable to attend weddings, funerals or births in Canada because a temporary resident visa, or visitor visa, was denied, with no opportunity for recourse.

“For families that cannot come together for those special moments, I think that’s exceedingly cruel.”

Figures from Citizenship and Immigration Canada show about 200,000 applications for temporary resident visas are turned down every year, but there’s no mechanism in place to allow applicants to appeal those decisions – something Chow said she considers an injustice.

She has asked the House of Commons committee on citizenship and immigration to study the issue, and has a private member’s bill in the works which, if passed, would establish an appeals process. She also plans to “continue to apply the pressure on (Citizenship and Immigration Minister) Jason Kenney.”

That push, however, comes at a time when the federal government is aggressively tightening up its refugee system and restricting the number of people seeking asylum in Canada after using temporary visas to enter the country.

“It’s more than just the visitors visa, I think,” said Jeffrey Reitz, a professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in immigration studies.

A proposal like Chow’s, it could be argued, has the potential to open the door to more refugee claims, which may be made once a temporary visa holder lands on Canadian soil, he said.

“It makes sense to me that this should be put forward,” Reitz said. “I don’t know what chance it has of succeeding.”

Would-be refugees whose visa applications are turned down have little recourse beyond resubmitting their application or seeking leave from the Federal Court of Canada for a judicial review – a costly and time-consuming process that few have the means to pursue.

In July, Ottawa imposed visa requirements on Mexico in response to a surge in the number of Mexican immigrants claiming refugee status on Canadian soil, which had nearly tripled since 2005. Similar restrictions were also imposed on travellers from the Czech Republic.

At the time, Kenney said more than half the Czech claims were being prematurely abandoned or withdrawn – an indication that many may be making false claims – while only 11 per cent of Mexican claims processed in 2008 were accepted.

The surge in the latter is attributed in part to a bloody drug war that has been raging for years in Mexico.

Canadians wishing to express their support for Chow’s campaign have been doing so by way of Facebook, logging on to the social networking site and urging Ottawa to take action in a group called “Calling for Visitor Visa Fairness.”

Each application is judged on its own merits, said Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokesman Nicolas Fortier. “The onus is really on the applicant to satisfy the visa officer that they’re coming to Canada for temporary purposes.”

Kenney refused to discuss Chow’s proposal for the purposes of this story, but when asked about it during committee hearings last month, he indicated that he’s confident in the ability of those who evaluate visa applications to make accurate assessments.

“People sometimes have a hard time understanding the decisions of visa officers,” he said, “but they often don’t know the particulars of the case in hand.”

Anyone who pays the $75 fee to apply for a visitor visa is entitled to know why they are being turned down, and to appeal the decision, Chow said.

Geography seemed to make a difference, she added. European countries, for instance, have a visitor visa approval rate of about 84 per cent, compared with just 43 per cent for the north Indian city of Chandigarh.

“The refusal rate is very, very uneven.”

Kenney, on the other hand, has insisted repeatedly that no geographic bias exists at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Instead, he said, high levels of fraud and unscrupulous consultants recommending ways to sneak into the country drive down visa approval rates in certain areas.

Chow’s proposed appeals system would be modelled after systems that exist in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the U.K., applicants can appeal to an independent judicial body at no charge and have their case processed in 28 days.

Chow is also calling for a more transparent process that would require the ministry to provide detailed reasons when visitor visas are rejected.

It all sounds good, but would likely pose some practical challenges to a system that’s already heavily burdened with applications, experts say.

“It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do this, but it would require a significant increase in resources,” said Christopher Worswick, a professor who studies immigration issues at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Worswick recommended an appeal fee that could be refunded if an applicant won their case.

An appeals process would also send the message to officials in embassies overseas that there is an oversight mechanism in place, thus addressing concerns applicants have brought up about biased visa officers operating in certain countries, he added.

“There should be a way to construct a system that’s fair.”

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We discussed a great deal about Objectives, Goals, Mission and Vision for the NGO formation in the last few months with Rewa and Abhishek. I still recognize Abhishek only by his voice or mail. He was using the word “Education” frequently during telephonic talk and convincing me about “The power of Education and its dimensions”.

I ponder over the said word and am reminded of the time when I was in class 6th. Our English teacher, Shri Upadhyay Sir, once asked me on the playground at Korha (later it was shifted to Kolasi), “Pranay, can you name the arm that can be used to fight against all ill”? I was dull and poor in English. I knew nothing in English except to say that I didn’t know, and obviously that was my answer. Sir answered, “Education. Education is the powerful tool that can be used to wrestle against all ill… even for… social injustice….Education can be continued in the society through organizations… People come and go but organization survives…. Organization forms from thoughts… You can kill a man but not his thoughts. Thought originates from intellect, and survives through Education…” This all bounced over me and it was just bak-bak at that time.

Today when I am re-calling that event, I can’t help writing about one of my batch mates, Mukun Deo Mandal, a cool, calm, gentle-looking, clean-hearted boy. He belonged to the rural background. His father was an illiterate farmer. Our 7th class exam had got over. School got closed for two months (the summer vacation) and for those two months, we had to perform some noble jobs as a part of our project. I collected some photos of freedom fighters erratically. Most of other students collected different types of Plants, Insects, Butterflies and made herbarium/catalog (beautiful insects were killed and pinned). Deepanawita Sinha taught Oriya to her maid servant. I think it was all nonsense and rubbish actually. Two months later Mukun Deo Mandal came empty hands. He had nothing to show for his project work.

On the last Sunday of every month, we had parents-day. As usual, parents were coming to meet their children. We were given duties as student-volunteers. We were on the announcement table. Mukun Deo Mandal was called and told that his father had come and was waiting for him. He was requested to come to the multipurpose hall and see his father. He went to the hall to attend to his father. As usual, Shri Y K Sinha Sir, the art teacher, opened the ink pad for taking the thumb impression of his father. Surprisingly, his father took pen and duly signed against the column for guardians. Shri Y K Sinha Sir saw the broken letters in the signature and mumbled “Eureka”. His father told that Mukun had taught him the alphabets and digits during the summer vacation, and that now he was able to understand Hindi, and was no more illiterate.

I have been informed by a batch mate that Mukun has become a Govt. school teacher now. I don’t have any contact with Mukun Deo Mandal for the last 12 years, but the gentle and innocent face always swims in my mind and inspires me.

I keep thinking of the different dimensions of the word uttered by Abhishek and try to correlate them with this real-life story.

Author:
Pranaypunj Pankaj
JNV kolasi, katihar
Lecturer, Bhagalpur University,
Bihar

Photo by niseag03

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83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2009 has a new route! For the first time ever, the parade route will bypass Broadway and travel down 7th and 6th Avenue’s to Macy’s in Herald Square.

Stars joining the line-up include Bello, Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus, Andrea Bocelli, Boys Like Girls, Alan Cumming, Billy Currington, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Hughes, Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton, Jane Krakowski, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley, Katharine McPhee, Miss America 2009 – Katie Stam, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Mitchel Musso, Keke Palmer, The Pizzarelli Quartet, Jay Sean and Carly Simon.

Enchantment returns this November as Macy’s magical procession of pomp and pageantry ushers in the holiday season at the 83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From the trumpeting of the time-honored phrase Let’s Have a Parade. to the first glimpse of one of Macy’s signature giant helium balloons, the march of whimsy will delight more than 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million viewers nationwide. America’s Parade steps to the beat of its own drums on Thursday, November 26th at 9:00 AM bringing with it 8,000 participants including the nation’s best marching bands, jaw-dropping performance groups, cheerleaders, clowns, giant balloons, fanciful floats and the biggest star of them all, the one-and-only Santa Claus.

From a small band of Macy’s employees gathered in 1924 to commemorate the holiday season to a tradition that has delighted millions for generations, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is truly an icon of American popular culture. Changing with the times from a Parade of floats, zoo animals, clowns and bands that marched down a more than 5- mile route to a Parade filled with giant helium balloon characters, celebrities, and more; the Macy’s Parade this year will mark yet another milestone moment. Having marched down parts of Broadway for 82 years, the 2009 procession will be the first to bypass Broadway in the history of the Parade. Over the years, the Macy’s Parade route has changed five times as it traveled through Manhattan. From the initial Harlem step-off site in the mid 1920s to its current 77th Street starting line, the Parade route has evolved with the city.

The 2009 Macy’s Parade will begin at 77th Street and Central Park West, travel down to Columbus Circle where it will turn onto Central Park South. Once the Parade reaches 7th Avenue it will turn once more and march down 7th Avenue through Times Square to 42nd Street. At the famed intersection, it will turn east to 6th Avenue and begin its final march down the Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street, where it will turn towards Macy’s famed flagship and end at 7th Avenue marking a 2.65-mile march.

“This is a milestone year for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Robin Hall, executive producer of Macy’s National Events. “Dramatic changes in the mid-town landscape will divert us for the first time from the fabled Broadway route we have followed since our first Parade in 1924. However, our course will remain true and the Parade will continue to entertain millions as Spider-Man returns to the sky and the first new Santa Float in almost half a century makes its debut.”

The 83rd Annual Macy’s Parade will be an unparalleled crowd-pleasing spectacle that features 1,500 cheerleaders, dancers, singers and performers; 800 clowns; 15 giant character helium balloons; 35 novelty/ornament balloons, balloonheads and balloonicles; 10 marching bands; 24 floats; and a host of celebrity performers.

Rise of the Giants
The sky above the streets of Manhattan will be alive once more filled with colorful friends as the Parade’s signature giant helium character balloons soar on Thanksgiving morning. The line-up of giants features a who’s who of children’s classic characters from comic book superheroes to the stars of television, films and American pop culture. New arrivals to the Thanksgiving Day balloonfest are everyone’s favorite neighborhood super-hero™, the web slinger himself, Spider-Man®; the ever cute and cuddly Pillsbury Doughboy®; America’s favorite clown Ronald McDonald®; and the top mouse on deck, Sailor Mickey Mouse.

Making a vaunted return to the Parade to complete the 15 giant balloon line-up are some of the nation’s most favorite characters including Abby Cadabby, Buzz Lightyear, Dora the Explorer™, Flying Ace Snoopy, Horton, Kermit the Frog™, Pikachu™, Shrek®, Smurf, SpongeBob SquarePants™ and Supercute Hello Kitty®. These giant balloons are only one portion of the buoyant procession; the Macy’s Parade also boasts 35 novelty/ornament balloons and balloonicles, which can range in size from 12 to 25 feet tall and give the line of march a tiered perspective. The Macy’s Parade features a team of Balloonatics – balloon experts who create, maintain and inflate the Parade’s balloon line up. A fun bunch, the Parade Balloonatics are known to give lessons in balloon speak to spectators every year. Two very important facts should be known when referring to the Parade’s giant helium characters. One is that although the Parade’s signature balloons seem to float in the air, they are indeed balloons – not floats. The second and most important is that Macy’s does not blow up the balloons – that would be very disappointing to millions who would not get to see them fly on Parade day…that’s why they are inflated!

Floating Scenes of Wonder
Riding down the street on Thanksgiving Day will be the Parade’s magical lineup of floats that feature landscapes of fantasy. These moving stages transport millions of spectators on unexpected journeys. The new float line-up includes a salute to the heroes in our everyday lives on the Local Heroes Helping Everyday float; a magical land where friends come to life to play and dance on the There’s A Party in My City float, and the first new Santa’s Sleigh in more than 40 years.

The dazzling stages that ride down the streets of New York City each year take months of painstaking work by the skilled artisans of the Macy’s Parade Studio. The gifted Studio team design and build each float from the ground up. Wood, foam and other materials are the skeleton that gives life to this fleet of fantasy. In addition to the three new stages, 21 floats will make a return appearance to the line up this Thanksgiving.

The returning float roster includes 123 Sesame Street, Big Apple, Bridge To The Future, Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia, The Care Bears™ Winter Fun-derland, Castle of Dreams, Cele-bear-ate Hugs Worldwide, Doodlebug, Jolly Polly Pirate Ship, M&M’s® Chocolate Candies on Broadway, Marion-Carol Showboat, Musical Innovation Bigger Than Life, Pep Squad, Shine On, The Smurfs™, Snoopy’s Doghouse, Spirit of Liberty, Tom Turkey, The True Spirit of Thanksgiving, Winter Wonderland in Central Park and Woodland Family Gathering. In addition, the famed Speed Racer Mach 5 will be making a special appearance in the line of march this year.

Drum Roll Please
Strike up the band and pump up the volume, as the Parade’s signature marching bands hit the perfect rhythm this Thanksgiving. The musical heartbeat of the Parade, the marching bands and students representing their home states in this year’s holiday spectacular are the nation’s highest caliber musical and marching talents. Ready to step to the beat are Adair County High School from Columbia, Kentucky; Frank W. Ballou Senior High School from Washington, DC; Choctawhatchee High School from Fort Walton Beach, FL; Franklin Regional High School from Murrysville, PA; Harrison High School from Kennesaw, GA; Morgantown High School from Morgantown, WV; Pickerington Central High School from Pickerington, OH; Pittsburg High School from Pittsburg, CA; Towson University from Towson, MD; and Macy’s Great American Marching Band featuring students from all fifty states.

Taking Center Stage
Adding pomp, cheer, spins, flips and dips to the holiday revelry are some of the nation’s best performance groups. From the cheerleaders to a one-of-a kind group of peddlers, the Parade features a host of unique performers. Set to wow the crowds are performers from the Big Apple Circus, Chinese American Community Center Folk Dance Troupe, Mike Miller Dance Team, NETSational Seniors & NETS Kids Dance Team, The Purple Peddlers, Varsity Spirit, Spirit of Long Island Mounted Drill Team, Stagedoor Manor, and USA Jump Rope.

Stars on 34th Street
Celebrating the start of the holiday season will be performers from stage, screen and music riding down the streets of New York City to Macy’s famed home on 34th Street. The stars joining the line-up include Bello, Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus, Andrea Bocelli, Boys Like Girls, Alan Cumming, Billy Currington, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Hughes, Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton, Jane Krakowski, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley, Katharine McPhee, Miss America 2009 – Katie Stam, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Mitchel Musso, Keke Palmer, The Pizzarelli Quartet, Jay Sean and Carly Simon.

Nationwide Star
From coast to coast, Americans will gather around the television to share in the magic of the Parade via the national broadcast on NBC-TV. One of the nation’s most viewed events, NBC’s Emmy® Award winning telecast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be hosted by TODAY’s Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera and Al Roker. The telecast will air from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon in each of the four time zones in the continental United States. Star power on Thanksgiving morning will include performances from some of the hottest Broadway shows including Billy Elliot, Bye Bye Birdie, Hair, and Shrek. In addition, the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® will return to kick in the start of the holiday season.

A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s finale features the biggest star of all, the one-and-only Santa Claus. As his sleigh comes into view, Macy’s will wish everyone “Happy Holidays” and a “Merry Christmas.”

Source and Photos: Macy’s

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Makes for interesting reading, if a little unpleasantly revealing. About how selfish I am, have been. How obsessed with losing weight I’ve been, yet how ready I am to excuse my eating excesses. How boring my life is. How I think I’ve recorded my childrens’ milestones, but my posts are comprised mostly of my self-absorbed ramblings. How overwhelmed I was a little over a year ago, and how bleak my outlook was. How so much has changed but so much as stayed the same.

For a year and a half now, I’ve written about plan after plan, intention after intention. Plans to spend more quality time with my kids, intentions of cutting back on their TV watching. Plans to lose weight by using this or that weight loss plan, this or that workout. Plans to save money. Intentions of cleaning my house and keeping it clean. Determination to not let my work suck me back into working a lot of hours.

So let me sum up the status quo:

• I have managed to lose 43 pounds in the last 8 months. I am not following a specific plan, but a conglomerate of multiple plans and what I’ve learned about healthy eating. I feel better, healthier, stronger, and more educated about whole, good foods.
• I have learned some wonderful things about cooking, and ideas for different healthy foods. I have gained the confidence to experiment with recipes to make them healthier, and I’m constantly trying to figure out ways to sneak vegetables into my childrens’ diet. I have become a better cook.
• I know what to eat and about how much to eat in order to lose weight.
• But….I have once again allowed myself to add in a lot of treats and excess sugar. I’ve been binging again on a semi-regular basis. So despite my gained knowledge, I haven’t lost any new weight in almost 3 months, and the only reason I’m maintaining is because of my rigorous workouts.
• My children still watch too much TV, but they don’t watch as much as they used to. Improvement has been made.
• I still constantly struggle to spend quality time with them. I have renewed my determination to do so each day.
• I have a new (again) system for planning which consists of two laminated documents that reside on the fridge. One is a weekly menu for each meal of the day. The dinners are planned a week at a time, and the rest of the meals are planned the night before. The other document is a daily T0-Do list that I fill out each night for the next day. I try to keep it realistic and I try to cross off everything each day. These are both laminated and I use dry-erase markers on them. This method is my favorite so far of all my grandiose ideas.
• I feel like I’ve gotten pretty good at maintaining a relatively clean house, and I don’t constantly hate my house or feel overwhelmed. There are a few things that I try to do every day that help, and I use my daily To-Do to keep up with the others. For example, I do the dishes every night right after dinner. This is a habit I fell out of in the first years of our marriage and its taken me this last year to re-establish it firmly. I also try to do a load of laundry every day.
• I am once again working more than I intended to….. last week I had 16 hours. I am working 12 hours in the office and sometimes a few at home. Yesterday, my boss told me she’d take me back full-time in a heartbeat if I wanted to come back. I have resolved that I can handle the 12+ hours I’m working now, but I won’t add more until something changes with K. He is talking about going to school, and if he does that I might have to work full-time. Until such time as he’s got everything in place to go to school, I’m going to tell work that I would rather continue with the status quo. It is more hours than I first agreed to (4/week), but we could definitely use the money, especially as the holidays are fast approaching. My ego was boosted by hearing how badly my work wants me and feels they need me, but once I got over the knee-jerk reaction to the ego-str0king, I talked myself down.
• I work out hard most days. I have run two 5K races this summer and I’m running another one on Thanksgiving morning with my brother T and my husband K. I don’t run fast, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come and how strong I’ve gotten. I have more work to do.
• I read my scriptures and pray most days. Recently, I’ve been reading them in the morning right after I take P to kindergarten and before I get K2 up. I feel stronger spiritually…. but I have more work to do.
• I feel better equipped to handle extra commitments in my life. Appointments, parties, social engagements. A few weeks ago on Halloween day, I VOLUNTEERED to help decorate the RS room for the Halloween party. My volunteering for anything extra was previously unprecedented.  
• We still don’t do much. We’re still kind of struggling financially. But we’ve been paying our tithing in full since the beginning of 2009, we have temple recommends again, and we’re starting to keep up better. I’m trying to learn to not have an attitude of avoidance for bills I can’t pay and issues I can’t deal with. Trying to learn to face stuff head-on.

I think I’ve come far in the past year. Our family has grown a lot, and K’s and my relationship is stronger than it was a year ago. My children are happy, well-taken care of, and loved. Could we experience more things and make more memories? Yes. We have more work to do. But we’ve also come far. And I’m proud of us. Happy with this assessment of myself that has come from reading about myself.

And I have more work to do. More to follow……

We discussed a great deal about Objectives, Goals, Mission and Vision for the NGO formation in the last few months with Rewa and Abhishek. I still recognize Abhishek only by his voice or mail. He was using the word “Education” frequently during telephonic talk and convincing me about “The power of Education and its dimensions”.

I ponder over the said word and am reminded of the time when I was in class 6th. Our English teacher, Shri Upadhyay Sir, once asked me on the playground at Korha (later it was shifted to Kolasi), “Pranay, can you name the arm that can be used to fight against all ill”? I was dull and poor in English. I knew nothing in English except to say that I didn’t know, and obviously that was my answer. Sir answered, “Education. Education is the powerful tool that can be used to wrestle against all ill… even for… social injustice….Education can be continued in the society through organizations… People come and go but organization survives…. Organization forms from thoughts… You can kill a man but not his thoughts. Thought originates from intellect, and survives through Education…” This all bounced over me and it was just bak-bak at that time.

Today when I am re-calling that event, I can’t help writing about one of my batch mates, Mukun Deo Mandal, a cool, calm, gentle-looking, clean-hearted boy. He belonged to the rural background. His father was an illiterate farmer. Our 7th class exam had got over. School got closed for two months (the summer vacation) and for those two months, we had to perform some noble jobs as a part of our project. I collected some photos of freedom fighters erratically. Most of other students collected different types of Plants, Insects, Butterflies and made herbarium/catalog (beautiful insects were killed and pinned). Deepanawita Sinha taught Oriya to her maid servant. I think it was all nonsense and rubbish actually. Two months later Mukun Deo Mandal came empty hands. He had nothing to show for his project work.

On the last Sunday of every month, we had parents-day. As usual, parents were coming to meet their children. We were given duties as student-volunteers. We were on the announcement table. Mukun Deo Mandal was called and told that his father had come and was waiting for him. He was requested to come to the multipurpose hall and see his father. He went to the hall to attend to his father. As usual, Shri Y K Sinha Sir, the art teacher, opened the ink pad for taking the thumb impression of his father. Surprisingly, his father took pen and duly signed against the column for guardians. Shri Y K Sinha Sir saw the broken letters in the signature and mumbled “Eureka”. His father told that Mukun had taught him the alphabets and digits during the summer vacation, and that now he was able to understand Hindi, and was no more illiterate.

I have been informed by a batch mate that Mukun has become a Govt. school teacher now. I don’t have any contact with Mukun Deo Mandal for the last 12 years, but the gentle and innocent face always swims in my mind and inspires me.

I keep thinking of the different dimensions of the word uttered by Abhishek and try to correlate them with this real-life story.

Author :
Pranaypunj Pankaj
JNV kolasi, katihar
Lecturer, Bhagalpur University,
Bihar

Everyone Recites a Success Story about a person.. Look deep you’ll find the sufferings , pain , agony , frustrations that moulded all together the interesting Success Stories that we all excel for. Look forward for the Kind and Genuine Feedbacks to make a story for tomorrow. Thank you all. The Blue Odyssey Information Center.

Finally, Toronto is a winner, awarded the 2015 Pan Am Games on a first-ballot vote Friday.

The victory seems all the more sweet since the city and region have lost two Olympic bids, two Commonwealth Games bids in Hamilton and couldn’t even get a bid for the world expo off the ground.

“Our commitment, our pledge, our undertaking, our promise is to provide you with the best Pan Am Games ever,” Premier Dalton McGuinty told delegates assembled for the announcement.

“It’s an exciting time for so many of us here.”

Although Toronto’s bid backers arrived in Mexico this week both hopeful and optimistic, arguing the city had the best technical bid, organizers were reluctant to talk about a win – fearing it might jinx our chances.

Organizers took nothing for granted from offering Canadian treats like ice cream to voting delegates of the Pan American Sports Organization to running rehearsal after rehearsal for the final presentation.

And Toronto put on an upbeat, glitzy show that opened with athletes – gymnasts, volleyball players and a tennis player – bouncing into the hotel ballroom, followed by the 60-person strong delegation led by McGuinty.

Interspersed throughout the hour-long presentation were videos from athletes across the Western hemisphere emphasizing the benefits of Toronto including the world’s fastest man, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, who was in town last summer.

The final video was a moving tale of what might be – youngsters from across the Americas and Caribbean – training and growing up to compete in Toronto in 2015.

Toronto’s presentation drew much applause – unlike Bogota’s and Lima’s which were more formal and featured wrap-up speeches from both their presidents – Colombia’s Alvaro Uribe and Peru’s Alan Garcia.

Politicians who spoke for Toronto’s bid – which is actually a southern Ontario bid stretching from St. Catharines to Oshawa to Barrie – included McGuinty, Mayor David Miller and federal sports minister Gary Lunn.

The $2.4 billion bid – which includes $1 billion for the athletes village in the West Donlands that will include a component of affordable housing after the games – include funding commitments from Ottawa, Queen’s Park and participating municipalities. Ontario is promising to cover any deficits.

The two-week games, held every four years, and open to athletes from across the Americas and the Caribbean, will bring badly needed sports infrastructure to the region.

Toronto will get a new aquatics centre with two 50-metre pools and a separate diving tank plus a high-performance sports training facility at the U of T’s Scarborough campus.

Hamilton is a big winner with a new track and field stadium that will be used by the Tiger-Cats and a new indoor velodrome.

But bid chair David Peterson always insisted the games were about much more than just sport.

Winning the games helps Toronto shed its “loser mentality,” but the games give governments a firm deadline to complete promised projects including transit improvements like the rail link to the Pearson airport.

Lima played the sentimental card – arguing that Peru had never hosted before, and Canada has already had the games twice before in Winnipeg in 1967 and 1999, so it was their turn. Some delegates reportedly said Lima’s organizers were pulling hard on the heart strings.

But in the end, it may have been problems with the 2011 games in Guadalajara that helped put Toronto over the edge. Construction has not even begun on some of the venues, especially the all-important athletes’ village, and organizers were ordered this week to put up a multi-million dollar performance bond to ensure work gets under way.

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Denna’s Story

I’m 23 years old and the mother of Evelyn, who is 15 months. I was a TEK participation from April 2007 until February 2008 when I gained permanent employment full time by Chicago Transit Authority.

When I started working at The Enterprising Kitchen, I didn’t want to be bothered by anyone. They put me in a corner because I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I had come from the penitentiary into a work release program and was sent to TEK. I learned how to deal with the women working here. I wasn’t ready to grasp that all women aren’t out to destroy me or use me in some way, shape or form.

I learned how to deal with women and how not to snap off at times when people don’t remember that you’re working toward something. I am grateful for the opportunity – this is where it all started. I learned acceptance and I humbled myself. My hope for the future is to be the best mother that I can be. I want to give her the things I didn’t have – a loving, stable home, good education, love and affection. I ran away from home and I didn’t give them a chance to do these things for me.

I want to give myself the chance I know I deserve, such as go back to school, and I want to get my record expunged because I want to be a teacher. I’m going to go far because I have something that it’s for – my little girl.

Photo by denniswong

How can a Virtual Office help you?

Case Study: Ken
Type of Business: CPA
Location: Upper East Side, NY
Services: New York Virtual Office, Meeting Room Usage, Voice Mail with Email Notification.

Ken was a CPA employed by a major accounting firm in New York. His story is similar to a lot of our clients – he worked 9-5 at the accounting firm while running his own small tax advisory business on the side.

He never intended on starting his own firm, it sort of just happened. He first started doing taxes for his family-gratis. His family started recommending Ken to their friends allowing Ken to start pulling-in extra money on the side… Ken eventually got super busy, especially around tax time. After several years he decided it was time to open his own firm.

He didn’t want unnecessary high overhead costs since he was only busy during tax time. Ken also didn’t want to rent just a PO Box or basic mailbox service, so he decided that a NYC virtual office was the way to go. After researching several companies, he selected VH International Business Solutions to manage his New York business presence because of the Company’s experience and professionalism.

For starters, Ken subscribed to our business address rental (virtual office) and 212 Manhattan voice mail service.

With his virtual office up and running, Ken worked steadfastly on growing his small firm. Tax time referrals were great, but he knew he needed more than just seasonal work if his firm was to survive. In order to do that he needed steady year round work. The ideas of bookkeeping and payroll services were on his agenda, he knew that that would provide steady year-round income.

He started advertising his small firm using his NYC virtual office address and phone number provided by VH International Business Solutions; inquiries started to pour in bit by bit. Ken would usually visit his prospective clients at their place of business as this was their preference, but he knew that he could always rent the available meeting space on an as needed basis at his Manhattan virtual office.

Ken uses the meeting room regularly and often during tax time. For the past several years, especially from January through April, Ken is at the office so often it’s almost like he’s one of the staff. He meets with his tax clients in the office for consultations and to review all of their filing information. He comes prepared with his cup of coffee, laptop, the client’s records, details and collects their paperwork; Ken works on the actual filings in his home office.

If a client stops into the office without an appointment to drop off any paperwork, our receptionist accepts their documents. Ken arranges to pick these up during his meeting room visits.

He receives all his business correspondence, including payments, at his New York City virtual office; and depending on Ken’s schedule, we either hold his mail for pickup or forward it on a daily basis during his busy season and on a monthly basis during his down time.

Messages left on Ken’s 212 phone number with voice mail provided by VH International Business Solutions are forwarded to his email; he also receives a text message alerting him to check messages. He just advised us that starting in January 2010, he will be upgrading his phone service to include call forwarding. Hence, he can answer his incoming calls directly, all calls would be forwarded straight to his cell phone.

We are proud to have Ken and his CPA firm as one of our valued clients and we’re enjoying watching his firm grow!

Previous Case Studies:
Case Study: Leonard, Kiara, Their Medical Placement Agency and a NYC Virtual Office
Case Study: Siobhanne, Her Talent Agency and a NYC Virtual Office
Case Study: James, His Law Firm and a NYC Virtual Office
Case Study: Donald, His Publishing Company and a NY Virtual Office
Case Study: Kris, Erica and a NY Virtual Office

How can VH International Business Solutions help you?

Website: Manhattan Virtual Office
Tel: 1.212.627.8900
Fax: 1.646.861.6610

Since 1990.

VH International Business Solutions, Inc.
Follow us on Twitter: @ManhattanOffice

Photo by 33942475@N03

For businesses that can not afford to or simply do not want to unnecessarily spend thousands of dollars on a full-time office…, a NYC Virtual Office may be just the solution for you!

We offer a NYC physical office address, phone, fax, reception and meeting space access in a professional office environment for a fraction of the price.

You can, within one business day, open your New York office in Manhattan’s trendy Flatiron district and start meeting with your clients the following day! By taking advantage of our annual rate of $25 per month, less than $1 per day, you will receive a physical New York office address with reception and access to meeting facilities. Mail handling is also available as are phone services, fax services, and all the extras! All the benefits of having a real staffed office (not a mailbox or a fake suite number) without the overhead or headaches.

Whether you are looking for office space to meet with clients, or a NYC virtual office to use our business services remotely, we can assist you.

How can VH International Business Solutions help you?
Website: Manhattan Virtual Office
Tel: 1.212.627.8900
Fax: 1.646.861.6610

Since 1990.

VH International Business Solutions, Inc.
Follow us on Twitter: @ManhattanOffice

Phase one of the initial launch in Dallas, Texas has been successfully completed: 12 active sales managers have been employed for the Dallas/ Fort Worth metroplex area. As part two of phase one, 30 or more sales representatives have been hired and will be attending their first training class on Monday, November 16th. By early 2010, MBE-Dallas will have close to 100 new employees building and growing the Merchants Barter system in this area.

“By the end of first quarter 2010, we’ll have more sales people on the road than most barter companies have active members in this area,” chuckles Anthony Donnelly. “This is just a perfect time for bartering.”

During the first week of training, membership in the new region has spiked tremendously, not only due to the continued flagging economy, but also because of the high caliber of the sales recruits that attended the training class. Early projections estimate that membership in the region will rise to approximately 300 by year’s end, and be well over 750 before March 31st, 2010.

“We are extremely happy with the first week,” states Brad Versteegh, one of the partners in MBE-Dallas, adding, “…in this economy, barter really is a ‘no-brainer’.” Along with partner, Terry Jones, they join the ranks of other successful MBE-licensees that are discovering the incredible potential of ownership in the fastest-growing business barter system in the US.

Jones comments, “I’ve never experienced such a streamlined and effective business model like this, and I’m very pleased to be a part of this economy-saving business.”

Because of the refinements and improvements over many other barter organizations that are not experiencing the same growth as Merchants Barter, they continue to expand at record levels, with more offices scheduled to launch early in 2010. Strong sales people interested in applying for one of the openings with MBE-Dallas should contact Mr Jones directly at 512-426-2351.

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This morning’s Boston Globe has an article in the sports section about Dominic Randolph and his role with Holy Cross football that mentions Big Brothers Big Sisters.  Check it the full article here or the excerpt below:

[Dominic] lives a couple of minutes from campus and has been active in the local Big Brothers and Sisters program for three years. Randolph’s Little Brother is Franky, an 11-year-old fifth grader who goes to all the Holy Cross games. The quarterback sees Franky every week and has recruited 50 teammates to mentor little guys. The Holy Cross football team has single-handedly erased the Big Brother waiting list in Central Massachusetts.

Check out the latest success story from Zenith partner Waypoint Solutions Group.

Dan Wilson would rather be spending time working on his business that working in his business. “That’s pretty much my philosophy,” says Wilson, who is CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based Waypoint Solutions Group. “The way I work on the business is by concentrating on building the business, and paying attention to customer needs. I do this by letting my technology staff work within the company—whether it be engineers or a help-desk person—they’re working in the business making sure the inner workings of the company are a well-oiled machine.”

Download the rest of this story here.