#Inflatable Hire in preston

[wacky-world-inflatable-hire]

Little Bouncy Castle Hire: The Best Way to Make Your Party Unforgettable

Are you planning a fun-filled event for your little ones and looking for the perfect entertainment? If so, a little bouncy castle hire is a fantastic option! Whether it’s a birthday party, a family gathering, or just a fun afternoon in the garden, a bouncy castle can bring joy and excitement to any occasion. In this blog post, we will walk you through everything you need to know about hiring a little bouncy castle and why it’s the perfect choice for your next event.

Why Choose Wacky World Inflatable Hire?

When hiring a bouncy castle, you want to make sure you’re choosing a service that’s reliable, affordable and offers high-quality equipment. That’s where Wacky World Inflatable Hire comes in. They offer a wide range of bouncy castle hire services to make your event special.

Wacky World is known for providing clean, safe, and fun inflatables that are perfect for kids. They cater to various events, from birthday parties to school functions, offering a variety of sizes and themes. Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or a larger party, their bouncy castles can accommodate all kinds of occasions.

How to Rent a Little Bouncy Castle: Step-by-Step

Renting a little bouncy castle is easy, and we’ve broken it down into a simple, step-by-step process to help you:

1. Check Availability

Before you get too excited, check if the little bouncy castle you want is available on your desired date. Many companies, like Wacky World, offer an easy online booking option that allows you to check availability in real time. This makes the process quick and hassle-free.

2. Choose the Perfect Size

Think about the space available at your venue. Wacky World offers a range of sizes, including mini versions ideal for smaller gardens or indoor spaces. Their kids’ bouncy castle hire service ensures that the castles are safe for children while still having lots of fun.

3. Reserve Your Castle

Once you’ve chosen the size and date, it’s time to reserve a little bouncy castle. Simply fill out the booking form on their website, and you’ll receive a confirmation. The best part is that you can reserve a little bouncy castle without leaving your home!

4. Plan Your Event

After booking, all you have to do is prepare for your event. The company will take care of the delivery and setup of your little bouncy castle. Some services even offer same-day bouncy castle hire, so if you’re planning something last-minute, you can still get the fun started!

5. Enjoy the Fun

On the day of your event, the bouncy castle will be delivered, set up, and ready for action. Sit back, relax, and watch as your kids jump and play. Wacky World ensures that the castles are safely set up and regularly maintained, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

6. Pack-Up and Collection

After the fun, Wacky World will return to safely pack up and collect the bouncy castle. You can enjoy your event without the stress of dealing with the equipment afterward.

Affordable Bouncy Castle Hire: Fun Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

One of the best reasons to consider affordable bouncy castle hire is that it fits into most event budgets. The cost of hiring a little bouncy castle is generally very reasonable, especially when you consider the hours of fun it will provide. Wacky World offers competitive pricing, and their transparent pricing structure means you know exactly what you’re paying for.

You can find bouncy castles for hire in South Ribble or local bouncy castle hire in Preston. Many services also offer flexible rental periods, so you only pay for the time you need.

Why Choose Local Bouncy Castle Hire?

Choosing a local bouncy castle hire service like Wacky World comes with several advantages. Local services can offer quicker delivery times, and you’ll often find that they have a better understanding of your area’s specific needs.

For instance, if you’re based in Preston or South Ribble, a local bouncy castle hire in Preston means that the company can get to you faster and provide a more personalized experience. Plus, local inflatable hire in Preston means you can support small businesses in your community while ensuring your event runs smoothly.

Customer Reviews: The Proof is in the Feedback

When hiring a bouncy castle, it’s always a good idea to check customer reviews before booking. Wacky World Inflatable Hire has received plenty of positive feedback for its trusted bouncy castle rental providers and our excellent customer service.

Reading customer reviews for Wacky World Inflatable Hire will give you an idea of the quality of service and products we offer. Happy customers often highlight the friendly and professional staff, the excellent condition of the inflatables, and the smooth booking process.

You can also check for top-rated bouncy castle hire services in your area to ensure you’re making the best choice. A reputable company like Wacky World Inflatable Hire makes sure that your bouncy castle is delivered on time and in perfect condition.

More Than Just Fun: The Benefits of a Bouncy Castle

A bouncy castle for kids is more than just entertainment. It encourages children to be active and helps them develop coordination and balance. Plus, it’s a great way to burn off energy in a safe, supervised environment.

By hiring a little bouncy castle, you’re giving children a chance to engage in healthy, active play that they’ll love. Whether they’re jumping, bouncing, or sliding, the fun never ends!

Conclusion: Make Your Event Memorable with a Little Bouncy Castle Hire

Hiring a little bouncy castle for your next event is an easy way to bring joy to kids and make your party unforgettable. With a simple booking process, affordable bouncy castle hire, and reliable local providers like Wacky World Inflatable Hire, it’s never been easier to plan a fun and exciting event.

From bouncy castles for hire in South Ribble to local bouncy castle hire in Preston, the options are endless. Don’t forget to check customer reviews to ensure you’re getting the best service possible.

So why wait? Reserve your little bouncy castle today and get ready to create memories that will last a lifetime!

[hoursofreading]

THE ONLY BOOTH that stood out was at the far end of the exhibition hall. A company had tented its little patch of real estate with an inflatable white cube that looked like a large, quivering marshmallow. Inside the cube was Keith, a soft-spoken man whose earnest features and round physique conveyed a gnome-like benevolence. Beside Keith was a large screen. On the screen was a woman. The woman had dark hair, dark eyes, and purple lips that endeavored a smile. Her shoulders rose and fell, as if to suggest the act of breathing, and though she looked toward me, her gaze was elsewhere. “This is Chatty,” Keith shouted over the roar of the blowers keeping his enclosure erect. Keith worked for SapientX, a company that makes photorealistic conversational avatars powered by ChatGPT. SapientX had custom-built Chatty for Project Voice. Chatty could answer questions about the conference agenda and show you a map of the exhibition floor, except she couldn’t do it just then, said Keith, because they couldn’t seem to connect her to the wi-fi. Keith was happy enough to walk me through the visuals. Chatty’s face was the collaborative effort of fifty different companies. A company in Toronto did the eyes. “There’s like eight guys and all they do is eyes all day,” he said. Chatty’s face was a composite of several different races. Her voice was a composite of several different women. Her voice still needed some work, he admitted. “Right now she’s kinda mean.” I picked up a brochure that featured a roster of “digital employees,” complete with their names, headshots, and “personality scores.” I wondered what industries might hire them. “They’re mostly for kiosks,” Keith responded with a tone of defeat. “Like at a mall or a museum. Also military training. Stuff like that.” Keith directed my attention to the exterior of the cube. A large banner depicted an older male, prosaically handsome, with a square jaw, a custardy dollop of silver hair, and pale, limpid eyes. This was Chief, said Keith. “He’s a navy guy. And he talks like a navy guy. We work in forty different languages. So if you’re training someone in Ukraine how to operate an American tool, we have that language built in.” Keith went back inside to rustle me up a T-shirt. He told me that the company was also breaking into health care — nursing homes, to be precise. Keith explained the vision. Your mom is old, and you’re constantly reminding her to take her medicine. Why not leave that to an avatar? The avatar can converse with your mom, keep her company, fill up the idle hours of the day. Plus, you can incorporate a retina scanner to check her blood pressure and a motion sensor to make sure she isn’t lying dead on the floor. “Say there’s an elderly woman with dementia,” he said. “Her avatar will look like she did when she was younger. So she has someone to identify with. Does that make sense?” I imagined a future geriatric Keith, lying in a nursing home bed, conversing with his younger self. Would such an arrangement appeal to him? “There’s not going to be a choice,” he said. “A lot of old people are going to be talking to avatars in ten years, and they won’t even know it. When I was touring facilities in San Francisco for people with dementia and stuff, those places are like insane asylums. But some patients still have some cognitive function, and that’s who the technology would be for. It’s definitely not going to apply to the guys that are comatose.” We stood in silence for a moment, and he faced Chatty, who hovered before us, drifting in her strange, waking trance. “I wish they could fix the internet,” said Keith. “I swear, she gets nasty. She like, looks at me bad.”

An Age of Hyperabundance | Issue 47 | n+1 | Laura Preston

[slash-em-up]

Marry Your Monsters Pt. 10

In which life is not at all like a box of chocolates; but it’s true you never know what you’re going to get...

Again, TW: for self-harm and suicide attempt

---------------------------------------------------

What was she doing, what was she doing, oh GOD what was she doing?!

Red was all Miranda could see for a moment as a trickle of blood slid past the hideously sharp knife and down her wrist – droplets peacefully gliding down to splatter on the floor, unaware of their origin.

Eyes wide, her brain warred within her.

‘Pull the knife, make it end..’

‘Stop!! Stop and fight!!’

Peripherally, Miranda was aware that she was hardly in a fit state of mind to be making any decisions at the moment; but the deciding factor came as her stomach heaved with a small but mighty kick – as if her daughter could sense her mother’s distress.

With a strangled cry, Miranda withdrew the knife from her arm and tossed it as hard as she could across the dark room.

She collapsed back, heaving with emotion, and frantically began attempting to staunch the bleeding.

The thin linen of her dress wasn’t ideal; but the pain that came from her tight wrapping grounded her, and gave some momentary clarity.

Only to be interrupted by the office door being pushed open.

“Jesus, FUCK!”

Spann looked like a woman who was rarely surprised and quite frankly the expression didn’t suit her.

Miranda was sure she looked like a fucking mess, from her sweaty, tousled hair to her hiked up dress and blood-stained skin.

Delightful.

Before she could do more than open her mouth Spann was by her side, eyes taking in the lay of the room – specifically the empty video tape cases.

Another muttered “fuck” and Spann had whipped out her phone and sent off a text to parties unknown.

“Don’t… please, Spann..”

Spann jerked her sharp gaze up to meet Miranda’s.

“Don’t what?”

“…don’t call Jesse…”

The snort that followed her comment was unexpected.

“No, I like my spleen right where it is, thanks. I’m getting you some help, I can’t stop this bleeding alone.”

Miranda hissed in pain as Spann’s hands joined hers in putting pressure on her wrist.

Without looking up Spann spoke.

“What were you thinking, Miranda?”

A fresh wave of tears dripped down Miranda’s face.

“He… he killed those women… he tried to kill that other girl… oh God, his face… and I would have done the same thing! He’s a murderer - you’re ALL murderers!”

Spann raised a brow, finally looking Miranda straight in the eye.

“Yes, he is. I don’t expect you to understand why we do what we do; but the Organization has been around long before you or I, and it’ll be here long after.”

Shaking her head, Miranda tried to make sense of what Spann was saying.

“The Organization? So this is some kind of organized crime thing?”

A shrug.

“I suppose that’s one way of putting it… we, and especially your husband, are tasked by some very powerful people to… remove certain individuals from general society.”

“Jesse hired a fucking whore and then tried to kill her…”

“I suppose from an outside perspective it’s a bit hard to understand…”

Miranda gasped out a harsh laugh.

“It’s fucking psychotic is what it is!”

Spann sighed.

“That’s between you, Mr. Cromeans, and hopefully your marriage counselor.”

The curl of Miranda lip at that comment was completely involuntary.

“If I see Jesse right now, he won’t live long enough to make it to therapy.”

------------------------------------------------------

Preston whistled a jaunty tune as he strode down the halls of the chrome-plating factory.

God, what a dump.

And he knew it wasn’t for lack of funds. The Organization and by extension the Cromeans family had been keeping his life-style firmly in the ‘more than comfortable’ category for years. If they’d wanted they could all be floating in a giant chrome blimp for Christs sake. But no, gotta keep things under-wraps in anticipation of the next big screw-up.

Like this fucking nightmare. Preston didn’t know how; but it was beginning to seem like Jesse was aware of Preston’s… corporate climbing.

He’d gone completely off the rails and taken Jessica Cannon - who was supposed to be 100% off limits.

‘I catch my own fish… mother fucker.’

In his opinion, Jesse should have had the common decency to put a gun in his mouth the moment he came back to consciousness.

If his face had been turned into dog food by some no-name whore… Well, he was too smart to let that happen anyway.

Preston smirked in remembrance of the look of shock on that Tommy kids roommates face as he’d plunged his knife into her chest. He was getting turned on just thinking about it, and Prestons hands itched for the flunkies in the armory to finish up his own knife.

Maybe he’d break it in on Jesse or his cunt of a wife.

He’d admit that plan had gone mildly off course… where was the bitch anyway?

This train of thought was interrupted as his phone buzzed in his coat pocket.

His new toy was ready. How exciting.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The blood flowing from Miranda’s wrist had slowed, as had the conversation.

Both women now sat at the desk, awkwardly looking anywhere but at each other - neither in the mood for a deep conversation on the ethics of The Organizations serial-killing/assassinating/black-mailing business.

Miranda was beginning to regret asking Jesse out for a drink all those years ago. She could have just stayed in her lane and married a nice boring lawyer who’d cheat on her with some barely legal co-ed and then she’s make bank on the divorce settlement.

Fuck, that was sounding pretty appealing right now.

The sound of a steady knock on the door brought both women out of their thoughts.

Spann rose, giving Miranda a reassuring look, and walked to the door - opening it to meet a tired-looking woman dressed in pajamas and a pea-coat.

“Hey.”

The woman smiled.

“Hi.”

“Thanks for coming.”

Leaning in, the woman placed an affectionate kiss on Spanns lips and walked through into the office, pulling her coat from her shoulders and dropping a leather back-pack onto the floor.

“You must be Miranda? I’m Doctor Lisa Bhasin. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Miranda gave a shallow nod.

“I hope all good things; but since you know Spann and probably my husband I’m guessing not…”

Lisa looked at her sympathetically as she unzipped her pack, pulling a trauma kit and some quick-clot gauze from its depths.

“Yeah, it takes some getting used to being ‘the spouse of’… but I promise it does get easier. And if it doesn’t, after the baby is out I can prescribe some Xanax.”

Spann let out a short giggle as Miranda gaped up at Lisa.

“…You’re joking.”

Lisa laughed and met Miranda’s startled look with a kind, understanding one of her own as she began examining the cut on Miranda’s arm.

“Maybe a little…”

While Lisa carried on with her exam, Spann moved behind her to boot up the computer on the desk - quickly cycling through a series of cameras until she stopped with a loud curse.

“Fuck, that son of a bitch!”

The other women startled at her tone, looking over her shoulder to see the screen.

Lisa gasped.

“Oh shit…”

Miranda felt her heart plummet. The shining chrome-skull mask was now an all-too familiar sight, and the man wearing it was striding towards a clearly-wounded woman, some kind of spinning blade held casually in his hand.

“Wait…” Miranda narrowed her gaze, pulling herself closer to the screen. “That’s not Jesse…”

“No.” Spann agreed, sounding angrier than Miranda had ever heard her.

“That’s Preston.”

Both Lisa and Miranda spoke at the same time.

“Preston?!”

“What?!”

Spann sat back in the chair, clearly deep in thought.

“He’s been trying to weasel his way into Mr. Cromeans positon in The Organization for a while. Looks like he’s finally making his move.”

Miranda sneered.

“Fine, he can have it.”

Lisa and Spann looked at each other briefly before Spann wet her lips and responded.

“I don’t think you understand, Miranda. This isn’t just a case of Preston getting an inflated ego… You don’t just leave this job... He’s going to try and kill Mr. Cromeans, and you too if I had to guess. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re still alive”

Miranda raised her bandaged wrist, waggling it in front of Spann.

“Well…?”

Spann rubbed her face tiredly.

“Jesus, all you Cromeans are the same…”

She raised a serious gaze to Miranda

“Look. I get you’re not happy with what you’d found out about your husband, I do. But right now, protecting his position in The Organization is the only way you and the baby are going to stay alive. It sucks; but that’s just how it is.”

Miranda sat back in the chair, looking from Spann to Lisa to the bloody horror occurring on the screen.

Unthinkingly, her hand rose to settle atop her distended stomach.

“Fuck. Fine. What do we do to help Jesse?”

Spann smirked.

“I’m glad you asked…”

[irvinenewshq]

U.S. GDP is expected to return to growth after 6 months of shrinkage

The problems have hardly gone away. Inflation, still near a 40-year high, is punishing households. Rising interest rates have derailed the housing market and threaten to inflict broader damage. And the outlook for the world economy grows bleaker the longer that Russia’s war against Ukraine drags on. But for now anyway, the U.S. economy has likely returned to growth after having shrunk in each of the first two quarters of 2022. At least that’s what economists expect to see Thursday when the Commerce Department issues its first of three estimates of gross domestic product — the broadest measure of economic output — for the July-September period. Economists surveyed by the data firm FactSet have predicted, on average, that GDP grew at a 2% annual rate in the third quarter. That would reverse annual declines of 1.6% from January through March and 0.6% from April through June. Consecutive quarters of declining economic output are one informal definition of a recession. But most economists say they believe the economy has so far skirted a recession, noting the still-resilient job market and steady spending by consumers. Most of them have expressed concern, though, that a recession is likely next year as the Federal Reserve continues to steadily ratchet up interest rates to fight inflation. Preston Caldwell, head of U.S. economics for the financial services firm Morningstar, notes that the economy’s contraction in the first half of the year was caused largely by factors that don’t reflect its underlying health and so “very likely did not constitute a genuine economic slowdown.” He pointed, for example, to a drop in business inventories, a cyclical event that tends to reverse itself and generally doesn’t reflect the state of the economy. By contrast, consumer spending, fueled by a healthy job market, and stronger U.S. exports likely restored the world’s biggest economy to growth last quarter. Thursday’s report from the government comes as Americans, worried about high prices and recession risks, are preparing to vote in midterm elections that will determine whether President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party retains control of Congress. Inflation has become a signature issue for Republican attacks on the Democrats’ stewardship of the economy. The risk of an economic downturn next year remains elevated as the Fed keeps raising rates aggressively to try to tame stubbornly high consumer prices. The central bank has raised its benchmark short-term rate five times this year, and it’s expected to announce further hikes next week and again in December. Chair Jerome Powell has warned bluntly that taming inflation will “bring some pain’’ — namely, higher unemployment and, possibly, a recession. Higher borrowing costs have already hammered the home market. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, just 3.09% a year ago, is approaching 7%. Sales of existing homes have fallen for eight straight months. Construction of new homes is down nearly 8% from a year ago. Still, the economy retains pockets of strength. One is the vitally important job market. Employers have added an average of 420,000 jobs a month this year, putting 2022 on track to be the second-best year for job creation (behind 2021) in Labor Department records going back to 1940. The unemployment rate was 3.5% last month, matching a half-century low. But hiring has been decelerating. In September, the economy added 263,000 jobs — solid but the lowest total since April 2021. International events are causing further concerns. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has disrupted trade and raised prices of energy and food, creating a crisis for poor countries. The International Monetary Fund, citing the war, this month downgraded its outlook for the world economy in 2023. Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations. Originally published at Irvine News HQ

[hattie49rozeboom]

Premier League Relegation Odds & Betting Tips | 05/04/ | bwin

Latest premier league relegation odds - Premier League relegation odds: Bottom three odds for 20/21 EPL season

Football Predictions.

Premier League Relegation Odds

Published:29 March Will the newly-promoted Premier League teams continue to struggle against proven top-flight quality? Odds correct at the time of writing. Fulham Bet Here. Previous Article. Next Article. Premier League top scorer odds: Kane hits front with double.

Author Tony Ltest Tony latest premier league relegation odds been a journalist for more than 25 years, with past positions including Press Association betting editor, Teletext Sport betting editor and Sport Newspapers deputy racing editor. A Manchester United and Salford Red Devils supporter, he spends much of his spare time walking his two pet view.

Premier League Relegation: Outright bottom three odds for the Premier League 20/21 season

Meet our other bwin editors. Related posts. Man City vs Leeds: Whites worth backing on handicap list. Liverpool vs Aston Villa: Reds can prove too strong.

You can read here at any time. Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice.

Follow LiveLancs. More On Burnley FC. Latest premier league relegation odds News Results Norwich need for promotion today as Millwall and Preston North End play key role The Canaries could have their promotion to the top flight confirmed this evening.

Tony Latest premier league relegation odds issues Blackburn Rovers contract warning ahead of pivotal summer period Blackburn Rovers FC A busy summer transfer window awaits for Blackburn Rovers with contracts on the agenda.

Preston Preston journalist Ranvir Singh caused quite the stir on social media following comments made on GMB this morning. Blackpool Gogglebox star Pete Sandiford announces he's going to be a dad Pete Sandiford Pete revealed the latest premier league relegation odds news on Friday's Gogglebox episode and viewers across the country have reacted with joy.

Asda, Tesco, Aldi, and Morrisons recall foods over salmonella, plastic, and egg concerns Cumbria Products have been recalled across the UK's major supermarket chains over worries including salmonella and plastic in food.

Lancashire pop-up hot tub cinema experience you can hire for your garden Thornton-Cleveleys Enjoy a garden party or night under the stars with a hot tub and inflatable cinema screen. Results Norwich need for promotion today as Millwall and Preston North End play key role Football News The Canaries could have their promotion to the top flight confirmed this evening.

The new Hilton hotel with bedrooms coming to town near Lancashire Greater Manchester News Proposals for the new bedroom Hampton by Hilton accommodation were approved this week.

[orbemnews]

I.P.A. Signing Bonuses and Free Subs: Luring Labor as a Beach Economy Booms REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is struggling to hire manufacturing workers for its beer factory and staff members for its restaurants in this coastal area, a shortage that has grown so acute that the company has cut dining room hours and is now offering vintage cases of its 120 Minute India Pale Ale as a signing bonus to new hires. The company is using its hefty social media presence “to get the bat signal out” and “entice beverage-loving adults” to join the team, Sam Calagione, the company’s founder, said on a steamy afternoon this month at Dogfish’s brewpub, which was already doing brisk business ahead of vacation season. Economic activity is expected to surge in Delaware and across the country as people who missed 2020 getaways head for vacations and the newly vaccinated spend savings amassed during months at home. Yet as they race to hire before an expected summertime economic boom, employers are voicing a complaint that is echoing all the way to the White House: They cannot find enough workers to fill their open positions and meet the rising customer demand. An April labor market report underscored those concerns. Economists expected companies to hire one million people, but data released on Friday showed that they had added only 266,000, even as vaccines became widely available and state and local economies began springing back to life. Many analysts thought labor shortages might explain the disappointment. Some blame expanded unemployment benefits, which are giving an extra $300 per week through September, for keeping workers at home and hiring at bay. Republican governors in Arkansas, Montana and South Carolina moved last week to end the additional benefits for unemployed workers in their states, citing companies’ labor struggles. President Biden said on Monday that there was no evidence that the benefit was chilling hiring. In remarks at the White House, he said his administration would make clear that any worker who turned down a suitable job offer, with rare exceptions for health concerns related to the coronavirus, would lose access to unemployment benefits. But school closings, child care constraints and incomplete vaccine coverage were playing a larger role in constraining hiring, the president said. He called on companies to step up by helping workers gain access to vaccines and increasing pay. “We also need to recognize that people will come back to work if they’re paid a decent wage,” Mr. Biden said. In tourist spots like Rehoboth Beach, companies face a shortage of seasonal immigrants, a holdover from a ban enacted last year that has since expired. But the behavior of the area’s businesses, from breweries to the boardwalk, suggests that much of the labor shortage also owes to the simple reality that it is not easy for many businesses simultaneously to go from a standstill to an economic sprint — especially when employers are not sure the new boom will last. Many managers are unwilling to raise wages and prices enough to keep up, as they worry that demand will ebb in a few months and leave them with permanently higher payroll costs. They are instead resorting to short-term fixes, like cutting hours, instituting sales quotas and offering signing bonuses to get people in the door. Some employers in the Rehoboth area, which The New York Times visited last year to take the temperature of the labor market, think workers will come flooding back in September, when the more generous unemployment benefits expire. At least 10 people in and around Rehoboth, managers and workers alike, cited expanded payments as a key driver of the labor shortage, though only two of them personally knew someone who was declining to work to claim the benefit. “Some of them are scared of the coronavirus,” said Alan Bergmann, a resident who said he knew six or seven people who were forgoing work. Mr. Bergmann, 37, was unable to successfully claim benefits because the state authorities said he had earned too little in either Delaware or Pennsylvania — where he was living in the months before the pandemic — to qualify. Whether it is unemployment insurance, lack of child care or fear of infection that is keeping people home, the perception that the job market is hot is at odds with overall labor numbers. Nationally, payroll employment was down 8.2 million compared with its prepandemic level, and unemployment remained elevated at 6.1 percent in April. In Delaware, Wawa gas stations sport huge periwinkle blue signs advertising $500 signing bonuses, plus free “shorti” hoagies each shift for new associates. A local country club is offering referral bonuses and opening up jobs to members’ children and grandchildren. A regional home builder has instituted a cap on the number of houses it can sell each month as everything — open lots, available materials, building crews — comes up short. “Demand was always going to pick up faster than supply in a lot of these pandemic-hit parts of the economy,” said Nick Bunker, an economist at Indeed. “There are readjustment costs.” National data hint that it is taking time for workers to reshuffle into new jobs. Openings have been swiftly increasing — a record share of small business owners report having an opening they are trying to fill — and quit rates have rebounded since last year, suggesting that workers have more options. Mr. Bergmann is among those who are benefiting. He said he had a felony on his record, and between that and the coronavirus, he was unable to find work last year. He struggled to survive with no income, cycling in and out of homelessness. Now he works a $16-an-hour job selling shirts on the boardwalk and has been making good money as a handyman for the past three months, enough to rent a room. Brittany Resendes, 18, a server at the Thompson Island Brewing Company in Rehoboth Beach, took unemployment insurance temporarily after being furloughed in March 2020. But she came back to work in June, even though it meant earning less than she would have with the extra $600 top-up available last year. “I was just ready to get back to work,” she said. “I missed it.” She has since been promoted to waitress and is now earning more than she would if she were still at home claiming the $300 expanded benefit. She plans to serve until she leaves for the University of Delaware in August, and then return during school breaks. Scott Kammerer oversees a local hospitality company that includes the brewery where Ms. Resendes works, along with restaurants like Matt’s Fish Camp, Bluecoast and Catch 54. He has been able to staff adequately by offering benefits and taking advantage of the fact that he retained some workers since his restaurants did not close fully or for very long during the pandemic. But he has also bolstered wages. The company’s starting non-tip pay rates have climbed to $12 from $9 two years ago. Mr. Kammerer has not been forced to raise prices to cover increasing costs, because business volume has picked up so much — up 40 percent this year compared with a typical winter — that profits remain solid. Other employers are struggling more. By the end of April, the Peninsula Golf and Country Club usually hired about 100 seasonal workers over the course of three job fairs. This year, after five fairs, it managed to hire only 40. Missing are the 20 or so students from abroad who would usually work on seasonal visas, but the club also cannot get people to come in for interviews. Besides relaxing hiring rules and offering bonuses for employee referrals, the club is paying 10 percent to 20 percent more, depending on job title. But managers there do not think the wage increases sweeping their region are sustainable, nor do they think pay is what is keeping people from applying. “There’s no labor out there,” said Greg Tobias, the principal for Ocean Atlantic Companies, a business group that includes real estate development and the country club. “It’s not even a question of, are you paying enough money?” The sprawling clubhouse restaurant was empty on a sunny afternoon this month as golfers milled about. The company does not have the staff to open it for lunch. It might have to keep the snack shack at the club’s wave pool closed this summer if it cannot find more workers. Part of the problem, Mr. Tobias said, was that people had left the hospitality industry for the thriving local construction business. Ocean Atlantic’s related building company, Schell Brothers, had sales take off over the past year as people moved toward the beach — either because they were retiring or because the pandemic had prompted them to look for more space. Schell Brothers’s subcontractors could not double the sizes of its work forces overnight, and the company was concerned about running out of finished lots. Builders ran into material shortages. The company first raised prices by 15 percent to 25 percent to try to cool things down, but when the building backlog hit 18 months, it instituted caps to slow the rush of sales. “It’s almost like, anticapitalistic practices, but what would happen to our companies or employees if we ran out of finished lots would be worse,” said Preston Schell, the co-founder and chief executive of Ocean Atlantic Companies. While they could have pushed prices as high as demand would allow, they opted not to; it is hard to cut home prices down the road, Mr. Schell said, so it is better to undercharge during what he expects to be a short-term run-up. Such maneuvering could matter for economic policymakers from the White House to the Fed, as they keep a careful eye on inflation while vaccine-induced optimism and trillions in government spending fuel an economic rebound. If many businesses treat the summer bounce as likely to be short lived, it may keep price gains in check. At Dogfish Head, the solution has been to also temporarily limit what is on offer. The Rehoboth brewpub has cut its lunches, and its sister restaurant next door is closed on Mondays. Mr. Calagione said he did not want to think about the business they would forgo if they cannot hire the dozens of employees needed by the peak summer season. But as it offers cases of its cult-favorite beer and signing bonuses to draw new hires, the company seems less focused on another lever: lasting pay bumps. Steve Cannon, a server at Dogfish Head, can walk to what he regards as his retirement job. He said he was not thinking of switching employers, but several co-workers had left recently for better wages elsewhere. “There’s nobody,” said Mr. Cannon, 57. “So people are going to start throwing money at them.” When asked if it was raising pay, Dogfish Head said it offered competitive wages for the area. Source link Orbem News #Beach #Bonuses #booms #Economy #free #IPA #Labor #Luring #signing #subs

[joshuajacksonlyblog]

Ethereum 2.0 Testnet Attracts 22,000 Validators

One of the broadest testnets for Ethereum 2.0 is advancing, already attracting 22,000 validators. The shift to proof-of-stake is still left for the future, but there are signs of incipient and growing interest. Largest Testnet for Ethereum 2.0 Starts Attracting Stakers Ethereum (ETH) has not moved as fast from mining to staking as previously promised. Instead, the network has taken a series of smaller steps. At the same time, entities interested in the ETH economics have tried to remain a step ahead, by testing the staking mechanisms offered. Prysmatic Labs has launched one of the largest testnets, outpacing single-client tests. The testnet launched this January 9, and immediately saw a pickup in reported validators. “Just saw nearly 100% participation from over 22k active validators on the world’s first boneless ETH2 testnet,” said Preston van Loon, a developer at Prysmatic, cited by Trustnodes. “These are 22k validating keys. It’s probably between 5 to 10 individual operators. Maybe more, but it’s hard to tell who controls keys and who’s just an observer,” he said. According to Raul Jordan, Prysmatic has launched the largest testnet so far, encouraging for the future of the second-largest crypto network. I just published Eth 2.0 Dev Update #42 — ‘Mainnet-Capable Testnet + Now Hiring!’ https://t.co/6lFOIlwcjd @prylabs #Ethereum, largest eth2 public testnet been live for 4 days — Raul Jordan (@raulitojordan) January 13, 2020 At the testnet level, Prysmatic has called for hackers to try and exploit the network. Moving to Ethereum 2.0 on an actual live network will be a high-stakes event, affecting a wide ecosystem of games, finance, and exchange apps. But the exact number of participants is in fact lower. This shows that moving to staking, Ethereum supporters may be quite a few at the beginning. The move to staking will displace the already well-developed mining ecosystem for Ethash rigs. Staking May Lock Up 10M ETH Based on rough estimates by Vitalik Buterin, moving to a staking model may lock up around 10 million ETH. Annualized inflation will increase slightly for ETH, and the annualized interest rate maybe around 6%. Still, the network will have to find a sweet spot for the number of stakers. The ETH rewards for staking will be variable, and the more ETH is staked, the fewer rewards will be proportionately distributed. This approach should discourage large-scale “whales” to take away most of the rewards while being overly influential. Ethereum 2.0 has been announced over a year ago, and based on the most optimistic predictions, a launch may arrive within six months. However, skeptics allow for more delays. Despite the interest in testing the staking mechanism, there are still doubts miners may end up working on an alternative blockchain, posing special dangers for decentralized finance apps, which hinge their token value on a stable, reliable Ethereum network. ETH traded at $169.73 after the most recent price recovery, getting close to its pre-crash level of stability around $180. What do you think about the shift to Ethereum 2.0? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! Images via Shutterstock, Twitter: @raulitojordan The post appeared first on Bitcoinist.com. from Cryptocracken Tumblr https://ift.tt/2u7XxfR via IFTTT

[awellboiledicicle]

I had a Fallout 4 dream last night.

I was the sole survivor, as I usually am when i dream about being in that game, but I had appearantly been signed up for... some form of testing.  To keep my family fed.  Because Nate, my Nate, was injured in a battle up around Anchorage. Not the battle of Anchorage, not something big that would have gotten a medal-- though the purple heart sat on the dresser-- but a smaller one involving personnel carriers and stealth battalians and a strain of the plague that the government swore he’d been cleared of. He still coughed at night and I tried to ignore the same sort of coughing coming from Shaun, even though the doctors said he was fine. Nate couldn’t work, though, and even if he could-- there was nowhere to work.  My job at the law firm was secretarial and barely necessary-- my degree got me there by the skin of my teeth, but everything from bread to house payments was expensive. Even with his pay and oh lord was everything up in price from either inflation or scarcity. The rations and... pre-war was a mess. But the testing, the letter was detailed: a company commissioned by the military was going to need civilian test subjects for a series of tests and volunteers would be paid well. I was chosen because of my medical history and my name being in the military files. I should have smelled something off there, but we were desperate; even cutting out all the chems we’d been using to keep ourselves together wasn’t making ends meet enough for Shaun and we knew it. So i went.

They didn’t do too much, I thought, past making me very durable.  In the way that Wolverine is very durable or Deadpool is particularly persistent about healing. I was never willing to test if i was on that sort of level, but that was the idea of it. Sunlight made it better-- nothing they did to me lasted to the end of the day, and bones never broke. And i came home with enough money to feed everyone. I only told Nate i had found a second job, and he took to being more of a Mr. Mom than usual-- though i think he was saddened i refused to say what it was.  I think he may have died under the impression i was being unfaithful. I had that thought a lot.

By the time we went into the vault, I was probably horrifying internally. We had started on what would fit in the “Ghoulish” and “Rad Resistant” perk stack-- radiation absorption and use. I felt sick a good deal of the time at first, and then processed it. The day the bombs dropped i wondered if it was because the enemy had found out we’d gotten far enough in our research that vulnerability could be treated out.  “The Enemy”. It was silly, then, to imagine there were sides to the Great War. There were just bombs and humanity. Death and the poor creatures trying not to die. But i had been raised in a hailstorm of propaganda and demanded devotion to the American Way and i had been devoting my body and health to improving.. well, i assumed my research would go to our soldiers. People like my Nate.  Silly. We ran to the vault, and i swear I almost outpaced them. I almost left them behind-- if only because of fear and adrenaline covering my awareness. I hung back and made sure they were there and then i swear I almost steam rolled a man in full power armor. I didn’t care, we needed in. We got in, but i was determined and i was scared and we needed to move.  The clouds were brighter than they taught us they’d be in school. The wind was hotter too. I could smell burning atmosphere.  My eyes burned with the image of a mushroom cloud all the way inside the vault. The cloud stayed as we changed and got into the chambers. It outlined Nate and Shaun as the doors froze over. It faded only because of the decades passed in near darkness, frozen, before I saw Kellog kill my husband and take my child. I punched the door and left a dent.  The last light of it was gone as i eventually slumped to the floor.

Things were very awkward in the commonwealth for me.  I was mostly angry.  I went wandering from Sanctuary, found Dogmeat and took the killed molerats to the Abernathy’s farm and traded them for a place to stay and felt their pain for their lost daughter. I figured the station was on the way to Concord, and i was still fantastically angry some bald motherfucker stole my child and killed my husband, so ok. So, I killed the raiders. With a knife.  I heard shots echoing from Concord as i was walking the road back, and Dogmeat barked, so I went that way and saw more raiders. I only noticed the laser after I had stabbed them all. Well, all i could find.  I only half heard Preston telling me to get the musket, i was already heading inside. I... was very angry for a while. Very angry.  By the time i reached them, i was covered in blood and tired, but wondering if they were ok. They were understandably worried. I calmed their fears with molerat steaks. Dogmeat helped more than the food.

I got them to Sanctuary eventually, setting up trade with the Abernathy’s and getting things settled. The only problem was i tended to get very vigorously upset when my past was brought up.  Mama Murphey was standing outside my house in Sanctuary and started doing her sight talk and i lit it on fire with the flare gun and yelled for her to stop. I patently refused to be known.  Preston understood, i think, to the point of me being uncomfortable. There was evidence of people living there and having been killed in a stand off, so he and the others put it down to Mama Murphey pressing me about being a survivor of this.  I did help them rebuild and there was a good community, i just.. needed my space. So i ended up slowly making a whole new house on the burned foundation of my old one. Just, adding and adding and adding. No one bothering me as i wandered.  I took to scrapping in the area and selling said things to Carla as she came by, but eventually there were too many people. So i took to looking around.

I ended up-- there was a gap in the dream-- being hired by someone from Bunker Hill to go through the ruins and find niche old world shit. Because collectors like old shit and i had appearantly, an eye for it. My collecting was also bankrolling the minute men coming back because i was making Preston do it-- i told him if i had to, i would tell someone to get fucked at least 5 times because i have the patience of a radstag and that isn’t a leader thing-- but i was paying for the guns and ammo.  So my job was crawling around boston. So i went looking for someone to go around with me and I ended up in goodneighbor and that one guy, What’shisfuck, tried to extort me and i just. Stared at him before trying to walk past because i had shit to do and he tried to fight me and i punched him in the dick. Like, literally just, right to the dick.  And it killed him. I just stood there till Hancock came up and i just.  “You know, usually i have to stab people.” “Same, actually. Damn.”

So, aside that.

I get me my merc, aka Maccreedy because that’s who you need obviously when you’re going to be climbing things. The guy who can’t climb for shit. But like, because i tended to have these rather explosive “DON’T” reactions or otherwise i did reckless shit because i literally would survive it he got so pissed at me so much. Like we got along, and he liked working for me because i’d give him guns and money and made sure he was ok, i just did stupid shit.

Like “do not rush tHE SUPER MUTANTS-- BOSS FF NO” “THAT IS A BEHEMOTH” Or it’d be like 3am and we’re ass deep in ghoul infested ruins and i’ll just suggest we sleep in one area that’s only accessible by a tiny ledge that we got to through teamwork and a prayer and like OK IT’S TECHNICALLY SAFE but he’s not gonna do it. bc he’s him, but he’s not shared shit with me bc i don’t share shit with him. So its “i’m not sleeping in ghoul hell” “idk its got carpet and a pillow” “no” “safe tho” “no”

Well till we’d been working together about like 6 months and he started getting REALLY fidgety after getting letters at Daisy’s in Goodneighbor and like, we’d already dealt with the Gunners. Gunners was a cut an dry business discussion of ‘these guys are dicks lets kill them’.  Then we’re sitting in the Third Rail’s back room, thinking on the next buildings to go over and he’s like “So, btw” “what” “I have a.. i didn’t tell you but i have a kid” “you have a WHAT? WHERE” “In the Capitol Wasteland.” That whole convo but a lot more intense because i got about 4 inches from this man like ‘explain’ and then hugged the life out of him. Immediately. And got my shit together and told him to do the same so we could get going and he was surprised i was so hype and i went “yes? Child, in danger. let’s go”

It got fuzzy after doing his mission but like...... the only companion aside Codsworth to know my story in this dream was Mac because after we got Duncan the cure, Mac made the comment about bringing him North to one of the settlements up here since I was running them, i just didn’t talk to people personally. And i did so very well, i just wasn’t people focused. And I got really emotional at him and started crying and he asked what was wrong and i said i couldn’t be trusted to keep a kid safe and he asked what i meant and i like told him everything and like his whole response was “Damn”.

But like to everyone else in the Commonwealth i was this rather badass community planner/scavver that got into things and stabbed stuff because they were REALLY HARD TO KILL, but to Mac i was friendly neighborhood mom that was just really afraid someone would give me responsibility over someone i might let get hurt.

it was an interesting dream

[sheilasimons85]

frozen bouncy castle hire

Contents

Situation growing desperate

Bouncy castle hire

Castle hire companies

Family run bouncy

Frozen Castle If You’re a Fan of the Frozen Movies, then our Frozen Bouncy Castle is Perfect for You! It’s 12 ft by 15 ft and Will Safely Fit in a Space that is 14 ft Wide x 21 ft Long. Children 1..The Rectory Farm Shop is a few miles north of the A14 near the village of Milton and boasts several acres of fun, including a bouncy castle, a go-kart track. can beat the summer heat with a cool.”The second Frozen movie is due out within the next year I think and. giant three level maze, jumping castle and a dedicated party room. Starting at $20 per head, the venue caters for parties of.But faced with a situation growing desperate by the minute, and the man looking likely to jump, one of the police officers at the scene came up with a plan to avert tragedy: hire a bouncy castle. As.Looking for the best bouncy castle hire or party equipment hire in London or Essex? Call Mr Bounce on 02033711228 – Corporate Events and School Fete Packages & last man standing total wipeout sweeper hire.We Bring the fun!! – Bouncy Castle Hire in East London, North London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Chingford, Enfield.

Due to popular demand, we have brought to you a FROZEN themed children’s bouncy slide combi. This is a very popular theme and ideal for parties and events. It features an enclosed bouncing area a.. Top Bounce – Bouncy Castles in Preston – 01772490134 / 07581346613. Bouncy Castle Hire in Preston.A1 Bouncy Castle Hire Stoke on Trent. We are one of the leading bouncy castle hire companies in Stoke on Trent, and we also operate throughout Cheshire and Staffordshire.More than 20 years’ experience and thousands of satisfied customers has made us an exceptionally strong force in the bouncy castle hire sector, and we know just what to do to make your party go with a bounce!Bouncy Castle Hire Peterborough. We are a family run bouncy castle business in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. We specialise in the hire of bouncy castle inflatables, inflatable slides, throughout Peterborough, Stamford, Oundle, Whittlesey, The Deepings, Bourne and surrounding area.Disney Frozen Castle Medium. for hire Auckland Area www.jollyjumps.co.nz.

[wacky-world-inflatable-hire]

Why Choose a Little Bouncy Castle for Your Next Event?

Are you planning a fun event for your kids and want something exciting to make it extra special? Hiring a little bouncy castle could be the perfect solution! Whether for a birthday party, a family gathering, or just a fun afternoon in the garden, a bouncy castle will bring loads of joy to any occasion. This simple guide will show you how easy it is to hire a little bouncy castle and why it's such a great choice for your event.

Check Availability

Before you begin, ensure that the little bouncy castle is available on your chosen date. Most companies, such as Wacky World Inflatable Hire, have an easy online booking system that will allow you to quickly check if the castle is free for your event. Booking is thus easy and quick!

Book the Castle

Once you’ve found the perfect size and checked availability, it’s time to reserve your little bouncy castle. This can be done online by filling out a simple form. When the booking is confirmed, you’re all set. No need to leave your home for this! 

Plan Your Event

And because your little bouncy castle is booked in, you can now proceed in preparing for your event. The company will do all the delivery and setting-up on their own. In some cases, services also do same-day hire so there's no need to hold your breath for days as your event is held the day after. 

Time to Have Fun!

On the day of your event, the bouncy castle will be delivered, set up, and ready for kids to enjoy. You can relax while the kids have fun bouncing and playing. The equipment is always safe and regularly checked, so you don't need to worry about anything.

Pack-Up and Collection

Once the fun is over, the company will return to pack up and collect the bouncy castle. You won't have to do any heavy lifting or deal with cleaning up afterward. They take care of everything!

Affordable Fun

The best thing about bouncy castle hire services is that they are affordable. Renting a little bouncy castle will keep kids entertained for hours. Wacky World inflatable Hire  has transparent pricing, and you get to know what you're paying for. They also offer flexible periods so that you just pay for the time that you require.

Local Bouncy Castle Hire

The local bouncy castle hire is also a smart choice. Services like Wacky World inflatable Hire, located in places like Preston or South Ribble, offer quicker delivery times and more personalized service. Always supporting local businesses is a good idea too!

Advantages of a Bouncy Castle

A bouncy castle is not only fun but also beneficial for kids' physical development. It helps them balance and coordinate their movements while burning off excess energy in a safe, supervised environment. So, a little bouncy castle is both fun and beneficial!

Conclusion

In conclusion, hiring a little bouncy castle for your next event is an easy and exciting way to create lasting memories. With an easy booking process, affordable prices, and reliable services like Wacky World Inflatable Hire, your event is sure to be a hit. Don't wait—reserve your bouncy castle today and get ready for endless fun!

[kansascityhappenings]

A robust job gain in January shows US economy’s durability

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers shrugged off last month’s partial shutdown of the government and engaged in a burst of hiring in January, adding 304,000 jobs, the most in nearly a year.

The healthy gain the government reported Friday illustrated the job market’s resilience nearly a decade into the economic expansion. The U.S. has now added jobs for 100 straight months, the longest such period on record.

The unemployment rate did rise in January to 4 percent from 3.9 percent, the Labor Department said, but mostly for a technical reason: The number of people counted as temporarily unemployed jumped 175,000, with most of that increase consisting of federal workers and contractors affected by the shutdown.

The government on Friday also sharply revised down its estimates of job growth in November and December. Still, hiring has accelerated since last summer, a development that has surprised economists because hiring typically slows when unemployment is so low.

“The overwhelming conclusion from today’s numbers is that the U.S. labor market remained incredibly strong at the start of 2019,” said Leslie Preston, senior economist at TD Economics.

Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, said that many federal workers and contractors likely went out and found part-time work during the 35-day shutdown. The ability of many of them to do so is itself a sign of the job market’s strength, Swonk said.

Last month’s healthy job gain will assuage some concerns that had arisen about the U.S. economy. Global growth is weakening, the Trump administration is engaged in a trade war with China and higher mortgage rates have slowed home sales. Those factors have led many economists to forecast slower growth this year compared with 2018.

Yet strong hiring should boost household incomes, fueling more consumer spending, which would help drive economic growth.

Most sectors of the economy reported solid hiring gains in January. Education and health care added 55,000 jobs, retailers nearly 21,000 and professional and business services, which includes such higher-paying positions as engineers and architects, 30,000.

The ongoing demand for workers is leading some businesses to offer higher pay to attract and keep staff. Average hourly wages rose 3.2 percent in January from a year earlier. That’s just below the annual gain of 3.3 percent in December, which matched October and November for the fastest increase since April 2009.

Teresa Carroll, an executive at the staffing firm Kelly Services, said her company has explained to many clients that they have to pay more to find the workers they need. Some employers are still reluctant to offer higher pay, which has made it harder for them to find and keep workers, she said.

“They’ve enjoyed two decades of minimal pay growth in general,” she said. “It’s our job to educate our clients about the labor market.”

On a monthly basis, from December to January, wages barely rose, though. That’s likely to keep the Federal Reserve unlikely to raise interest rates in the coming months, economists said. Chairman Jerome Powell said earlier this week that the case for raising the Fed’s benchmark rate had weakened. Many economists and investors took that as a sign that a rate increase is unlikely any time in the coming months.

Swonk cautioned that some quirks likely inflated last month’s job gain. For example, some of the furloughed federal workers and contractors who took part-time jobs during the 35-day government shutdown might have been counted as having two jobs during January. Now that the shutdown has ended, these people will go back to being counted as having just one job beginning in February.

And for most of January, the weather was relatively warm in much of the United States, which likely boosted construction employment. Builders added 52,000 jobs, the most in nearly a year.

The strong job market, though, is encouraging more people who weren’t working to begin looking. The proportion of Americans who either have a job or are seeking one — which had been unusually low since the recession ended a decade ago — reached 63.2 percent in January, the highest level in more than five years.

Jessica Jacumin began a permanent job a month ago as a cook at an assisted living facility in Augusta, Georgia, after working there as a paid intern. Before that, she had been out of work and mostly not looking while she spent 18 months studying culinary arts at Helms College, a career school sponsored by Goodwill Industries.

Though Jacumin, 42, and her husband both have Navy pensions, her new job has provided much-needed income and health insurance. That, in turn, has allowed their family to spend a bit more freely.

“I am right now planning our first family vacation in three years,” she said.

Jacumin, her husband and three children will head to Hilton Head in South Carolina in July.

The partial government shutdown caused 800,000 workers to miss two paychecks. But because these workers will eventually receive back pay, they were counted as employed in the survey of businesses that produces the monthly job gain.

But in a separate survey of households that’s used to calculate the unemployment rate, some of these people were counted as temporarily jobless. That’s a key reason why the unemployment rate rose despite the healthy job gain.

Most economists have forecast that the shutdown will likely slow economic growth for the first three months of this year. But some say that even businesses that lost income from the shutdown likely held onto their staffs, knowing that the shutdown would only be temporary.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the shutdown slowed annual growth for the January-March quarter by about 0.4 percentage point, to a rate of 2.1 percent, though that loss should lead to a bounce-back later this year.

The partial government shutdown has delayed the release of a range of government data about the economy, including statistics on housing, factory orders, and fourth-quarter growth.

The reports that have been released have been mixed. The Federal Reserve’s industrial production report showed that manufacturing output rose in December by the most in nearly a year, boosted by auto production. But consumer confidence fell in January for a third straight month.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/02/02/a-robust-job-gain-in-january-shows-us-economys-durability/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/02/03/a-robust-job-gain-in-january-shows-us-economys-durability/

[bestinformationshare-blog]

Limo Hire for Castle Hill Is Sure To Make Your Travel Sparkle

On the off chance that you are searching for a broad assortment of limousines, the need to locate the best Limo Hire Castle Hill accessible. They offer an extensive variety of chauffeured Hummer Limo, accessible for lease for any event. With a substantial armada of Hummer Limo and other extravagance autos, these vehicles are extremely all around furnished with all the most recent elements, for your solace, security, and fun. Regardless of whether you are searching for a limo procure Castle Hill to take you and your wedding gathering to your gathering, or you need a driver driven limo for a night out on the town, you can locate the broadest line of extravagance autos and Hummer limousines accessible in and around Castle Hill. You realize that you found the best limo employ Castle Hill, on the grounds that once you discover a family-possessed organization working in the range for over 10 years, you'll realize that you have discovered the best in the territory.

 With extravagance autos and limousines for each event, including stag parties, race days, engagement parties, football matches, secondary school prom, weddings and that's only the tip of the iceberg, you are certain to have limousines perfect for any event. With broad administration, you will have the capacity to get transportation from this brilliant limo contract to ranges including Liverpool, Cheshire, Preston, Warrington, and others. Some portion of the armada that is accessible for you to look over is dark, white, pink and can situate 16 to 18 individuals in their limousines. You can likewise exploit the Hannah Montana limousines, secondary school melodic and others, all with the most recent components accessible. They all incorporate VIP seating, unrivaled quality sound frameworks, mixed drink bars, laser lighting, disco balls, plasma TV screens, extravagance cowhide seating and that's only the tip of the iceberg. The majority of the limos given from the best limo procure Castle Hill are tried and guaranteed by COIF, which is a fantastic accreditation demonstrating the well-being and quality are amazing, and that the vehicles are totally sheltered and legitimate to be out and about. With open to seating, style, and openness, these limousines can suit the greater part of your companions, relatives and a great deal more.

 Notwithstanding being the head limo employ Castle Hill, you will dependably be dealt with paying little heed to your necessities and prerequisites. They have the ability to oblige up to 70 individuals in one vehicle, and also open best gathering transports. These over-the-top twofold deckers are ideal for school programs, sports occasions, organization trips, touring visits and versatile gatherings. With locally available providing food and umbrellas upon asking for, you can party throughout the night, all finished town. It's anything but difficult to book your limousine, as you should simply look at the Internet and locate the best limo enlist in Castle Hill accessible, and round out a short shape with the greater part of your prerequisites. You will have the capacity to rapidly and effortlessly get a quote, and you will dependably be given the chance to break down your each need and book the particular limousine you need and the requirement for any event. You can likewise have your limousine, with inflatables, sodas, champagne and more on asking for, you should simply book your limousine ahead of time, and let them know the greater part of the prerequisites that you have, and they will positively be dealt with past your desires.

[takebackthedream]

Charter Schools Do Bad Stuff Because They Can by Jeff Bryant

Charter schools have become a fetish of both Democratic and Republican political establishments, but local news reports continue to drip, drip a constant stream of stories of charter schools doing bad stuff that our tax dollars fund.

Keys Gate Charter School, Homestead, FL. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

An independent news outlet in New Orleans, where the school district is nearly 100 percent charter, reports that two homeless children were kept out of class for a month because they didn’t have monogrammed uniforms.

In Oakland, California, a state-based news outlet reports charter school enrollment practices ensure charter schools get an advantage over district schools when academic performance comparisons are made. The advantage comes from charters being able to enroll students who are more “academically prepared” than students who attend district-run schools.

Oakland charters, when compared to public schools, also tend to enroll fewer students with special needs and fewer students who enter the school year late and are, thus, often academically behind.

In Arizona, which has a higher percentage of students enrolled in charter schools than any other state, the demographic characteristics of charter school students don’t resemble anything close to what characterize public schools in the state. According to a state based news outlet, “enrollment data show the schools don’t match the school-age demographics of the state and, in many cases, their neighborhoods. White – and especially Asian – students attend charter schools at a higher rate than Hispanics, who now make up the greatest portion of Arizona’s school-age population.”

In Florida, local newspapers tell of an operator of a chain of charter schools who is charged with racketeering in a scheme to use public education money from the charter operation for his own personal gain.

The charter operator allegedly used more than $1 million for “personal expenses and to purchase residential and business properties.” The charges include falsely marking up bills for school supplies, inflating student enrollments in grant applications, spending public funds on companies affiliated with the owner, and using school money to pay for plastic surgery and cruises and trips to the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

Next up, a Philadelphia news outlet reports a charter school, unable to pay employee and other expenses due to a dispute with the district over $370,578 in missed payments to the teacher pension system, simply closed shop over the weekend. It’s unclear how parents would have found out about the closure, and teachers weren’t told until late Monday afternoon, in an email, that students would not be returning.

In Michigan, a charter school recently closed before the school year ended because of a dispute over $640,000 owed to the financial firm supporting the school. Even though the school is closing, it will still get state school aid payments through August.

A news report from Arkansas tells of a charter school that has been in operation for nine years and has never met proficiency standards established by the state.

And here’s a California charter school chain that “misappropriated public funds, including a tax-exempt bond totaling $67 million” and “failed to disclose numerous conflict-of-interest relationships.” The charter operator was able to divert $2.7 million of public charter school funds without any supporting documents. Eight different entities the charter operator was associated with benefited from doing business with the schools.

Public schools are occasionally plagued with similar scandals, but there is an important distinction to be made from public school scandals and what happens in the charter school industry.

As University of Connecticut professor Preston Green explains to me in an email, much of the malfeasance of charter schools comes from the entities that manage them. Called education management organizations (EMOs) or charter management organizations (CMOs), these outfits “create an agency issue with charter school governing boards that generally does not occur in traditional public schools,” Green explains.

“Public schools do not sign over operations to EMOS,” Green states. “By contrast, EMOs operate 35-40 percent of all charter schools.” And while nonprofit boards governing charters may want to ensure their schools are operating in a fiscally sound manner, the EMOs running the show “have the incentive to increase their revenues or cut expenses,” says Green.

Those incentives can lead to numerous bad acts including engaging in conflicts of interest or cherry picking students.

Where is the regulatory function that could intervene in these cases and ensure public tax money is being appropriately spent?

In the case of the NOLA charter impeding the education of homeless students, a federal law requiring schools to accommodate homeless students was the basis for any grievances. But the state’s charter school regulations consider such treatment of students a breach of contract that warrants the school to only provide the students with the opportunity for make-up work or tutoring. In other words, the consequences are more of a burden for the student than they are for the school.

In the case of the Oakland charters gaining an edge over public schools because of their enrollment practices, the report that outs the malfeasance notes that state “revenue policies” incentivize charter schools’ bad behavior.

Charter school closings like we see occurring in Florida, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere are a feature of charter schools, not a bug. An analysis by the National Education Association finds that “among charter schools that opened in the year 2000, 5 percent closed within the first year, 21 percent closed within the first five years, and 33 percent closed within the first ten years.”

Charter school scandals of the sort we see in Florida and California have become routine occurrences, yet a national organization that ranks state laws governing the charter industry rates Florida in the top ten of its annual assessment of states with the best charter school laws. And efforts to rein in the abuses committed by California charters have been routinely turned back by the state’s governor, Jerry Brown, who started two charter schools in Oakland.

As for that Arkansas charter school that was able to stay in business despite poor performance, the school has “powerful friends,” according to the reporter. “The Walton Family Foundation, [the charity operated by the heirs of the Walmart fortune,] provided cash infusion to fix [the school’s] red-ink-bathed books. The money was passed through an opaque, unaccountable charter management corporation,” and lobbyists in the state legislature “put the cherry on this hot mess sundae” in support of the school.

Whenever I write a post about charter school malfeasance like this I get accused of writing “screeds” that cherry pick negative anecdotes. But these news reports I cite above occurred within just the past two weeks.

Carol Burris, an award-winning former public school principal and the current executive director of the Network for Public Education, writes in a piece for the Washington Post, “Proponents of charter schools promised that in exchange for freedom from regulations, charters would be more accountable and held to higher standards. Twenty-five years later, however, we find that freedom from the safeguards that regulations provide has too often resulted in theft, mismanagement, fraud, and less transparency.”

The freedom granted to charters to hire third party contractors like EMOs is proving to be especially problematic.

“EMOs have taken advantage of poorly trained governing boards” Green explains, “and the lack of coordination between governing boards and authorizing bodies” ends up benefiting the interests of charter management groups “at the expense of charter schools” themselves and the students who attend them.

I have been reporting the bad stuff done by charter schools since 2009. Most recently, my reporting on the shadowy business of the charter school industry was cited by media watchdog Project Censored as one of the top 25 most under-reported news stories of 2016.

This is the second time I’ve won this award. The first time was for a piece in 2014 on charter schools that Salon published.

When do you think the malfeasance committed by charters won’t be “under reported”?

[mialipsky-blog]

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH PRESTON BAILEY DIRECTOR OF FLORAL DESIGN, SANAW LEDROD

Dear Readers:

  As we prepare for our next PBProtege class on March 14 and 15, I wanted you to meet once more my amazing floral genius Sanaw Ledrod that would be also teaching you all of his floral tricks.

  What is your title and what do you do at PBD?

I am the Director of Floral Design which means I execute the actual floral designs for the presentation based on the renderings. At times, I create my own original designs. I create designs for centerpieces, sculptures, vases, chuppahs, floral frameworks, floral chandeliers, bouquets, and other personal flowers. I also do floral selections for the centerpieces as well as for all the floral necessities of the event when I am training people to become a florist.

  How does working long hours affect your home life? Does it impact your partner, spouse, children?

I consider myself a workaholic and hard worker as rooted from my family back home in Thailand. But after many long years of working, and maybe in part due to aging, I have noticed my health is deteriorating and I’m in constant pain. Working long hours has really seemed to bother me a lot as well as take a toll on my personal life.

  Is there a time you considered quitting PB designs? Why?

It is a normal feeling to say, “I want to quit,” especially when you are overworked and overstressed. That said however, this is my passion and I love what I do. I believe that this is my calling to contribute my natural born talent for the good of this company. There are times when I feel so discouraged and lose my sense of inspiration to keep going, especially when I see people who do not give their best for the good of PB. I feel as if some people only work for the money. Some workers, at times, are very intimidating, dishonest, and simply not humble enough to accept that they are just too inexperienced in their respective positions.

  If you had to change one (or many things about me) what would they be?

I think you should be more sensitive to your employee’s well being and better understand their respective position because some are becoming so abusive. Most of the time you are only thinking of the grand and elaborate designs, but it is a great challenge to me and my team as it requires a lot of hours to physically create. This is also expected to be executed using a very low budget. In the end, we tend to sacrifice more since we cannot hire the adequate amount of labor to beat the deadline. I would like you to be more realistic in your labor cost and materials. Give me more time to think, to design, and to plan your presentation, which is crucial and very important. Speaking candidly, stress is really killing me physically and mentally

  What was the worst moment you have ever had on the job? (Tell us why)

I have a few moments and most come about when I am under time pressure. There are a lot of additional arrangements at the last minute due to lack of vital information. When I am not informed, I cannot prepare for something. Facing technical problems due to negligence by the design team that causes delays on my production schedule is a problem. When someone who has the power to boss me around while not respect my seniority and years of experience is telling me what to do, it causes a lot of annoying distractions. This can be detrimental to our design when you are trying to beat up the time. When I am given misinformation from the client regarding their personal flowers and style of arrangement they were looking for, it’s very frustrating.

  After a hard day at work, what do you really tell your best friends that drives you crazy about working for me?

I have so much passion and love for my work, it was a gift! It was a well accomplished work of art and I’m proud of it.

  What is the biggest misconception you feel people have about working in this business/at this company?

They think everything comes very handy and easy, when in fact it requires a lot of hard work, perseverance, and years of experience. It’s do-able only if you have the love and passion for the art.

  I have always said we are like a family, and with that comes some high emotional moments. What do you feel about our company structure (or lack thereof at times)?

It is such a wonderful feeling that I have, the sense of belonging in this company as we work as a team. Everyone has a unique way of contributing their own skills and knowledge for the success of an event. After a long period of time, I have witnessed a lot of people just come and go: some are still here, some are gone, and there are those who come back for another chance of a lifetime. I think you should pay more attention to each and everyone’s position by rank according to their duties and responsibilities so that the ones who are at lowest are not always the victims of being bullied and overworked. I also wanted to point out that those who are given a higher position should know how to respect the ability, the talent, and the seniority of those who have already contributed a lot of their life for the success of your company. Seniority must be put into full consideration.

  Do you feel that you are being paid a fair salary or do you feel you deserve more?

You have always been generous to your loyal and hardworking employees, and always understand our needs. This is the place where I’m planning to retire as long as my health will allow me to struggle for more. I’m hoping that those who have worked with you for 10 or more years will receive a good retirement plan and decent bonuses if we display good work for the whole year.

  If I were to give you a raise, how much would you ask for?

Maybe 5% every year in order to beat the inflation and the high cost of living.

  Blessings,

Preston

    Tweet

Share on Tumblr

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH PRESTON BAILEY DIRECTOR OF FLORAL DESIGN, SANAW LEDROD published first on their blog to my feed

[princestreetco]

My Local Animal Shelter's Adorable, Low-Budget 'Kitty Kommercial' Rockets to Stardom

My local no-kill shelter's low-budget cat ad just went viral.

Furkids is an Atlanta shelter that's a short distance from my house. I've donated, am on their email list, and have frequented their thrift shop. So it was a surprise to wake up one morning and find that Reddit had rocketed this little shelter to stardom overnight.

The ad is titled "Kitty Kommercial," and it's already reached 4 million views on YouTube just days after hitting Reddit's front page due to an anonymous poster.

One of the reasons this ad is so endearing is that it can't decide what it wants to spoof. It starts with a tongue-in-cheek poke at infomercials and transitions smoothly into mocking used car ads (much like this viral spot from the Calgary Humane Society, which also sells cats like used cars) before rounding out its nearly three minutes with a send-up of Sarah McLachlan's tear-jerking SPCA PSA.

The star of the spot, Atlanta native Paul Preston, isn't an actor or hired talent but a contractor with a rental property company whose sister, Helen Preston, volunteers at Furkids. It was Helen who came up with the idea, wrote the spot, and recommended Paul as the lead. But it's adoption team manager Nicole Neill who steals the show with her impersonation of an inflatable air dancer.

Apparently, it took about 30 minutes to shoot the ad, and while the total cost hasn't been revealed, it was in the neighborhood of a couple of cans of cat food for the feline stars.

The outpouring of support and supplies has outpaced anything the shelter has seen in its 15-year history, with over 9,000 messages from people around the world, lots of packages from Amazon, and inquiries from the morning news shows. (We requested an interview with them, but they're a little too swamped to make it happen right now.) They did post a thank-you note and a video of their kitties opening up all their presents.

Human stars aside, the whole thing is about the kitties and puppers that the cage-free, no-kill shelter helps. Over the years, I've watched Furkids post about their rescues of some of the most needy, injured or last-chance animals they've saved, and viral success couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of people.

Why, look: Here's a donation link.

Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a confirmation email.

(Source: © 2016 ABN | All Rights Reserved)

[wacky-world-inflatable-hire]

Wacky World Inflatable Hire | Bouncy Castles And Inflatable Fun

Your favourite destination, Wacky World Inflatable Hire, bouncy castles, and inflatable fun in Preston. Perfect for all party types. Book now!