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silentauroriamthereal · 4 years ago

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So, last week was a Week.

This is going to be long and I'm sorry. No worries at all if you want to just start scrolling on by right now, lol.

So, I'm poor. I've always been poor. My parents have always been poor, and I didn't have any help with university. I went to school in Canada (aka my country), at least, so my tuition was much lower than in the US, say, but I was still all on my own for it, living expenses, all of it, so obviously I had to get student loans, along with work my butt off for bursuries, etc. I did my masters in opera, which is a HIGHLY competitive field, including at the grad school level, and the short version is, there's no money for sopranos - they give it all to men. So: limited financial aid, too. Aka: loans. One of the major reasons that I left the opera field was that I'm just too poor. You have to pay for everything yourself - every pianist for every audition, all of your performance clothes, audition clothes, recordings for demos, travel expenses, agent fees (if you get far enough to have one of those), new headshots every six months, etc. It only works for singers with rich parents or a partner who's earning a lot and supporting them. My parents are dirt poor and I'm single, so: screwed. Now, my museum job is full-time, but it pays only just above minimum wage. My city is one where people typically live at home until they're 35, then buy a house and get married. There are very few apartments compared to most cities I've lived in, so rents are high. My rent is easily a good 75-80% of my income, and whatever I have left is how I pay the bills. Every six months I have to reapply to defer student loan payments, with proof of my measly income, and every time, huge stress though it is, I get approved. Except last time. Last time, apparently I was approved, but only to pay a lower amount than what they would have charged, aka $450 or so/month, which I obviously don't have to spare. This time, they approved me for a LOWER amount, not nothing, which had been the case every other time. I didn't see it. I just saw that I was approved. So now, six months later, it's time to reapply but I couldn't, because I was six months late on all of these lower amounts, and had to pay it all at once. The next problem? The money I had to use for that is the money I was going to pay my income taxes with. That's a whole other nightmare - the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency, may their name and entire institution be cursed), somehow conflated my account with my mother's about a year ago when she applied for benefits due to being laid off because of the pandemic. She applied for and received benefits to the tune of $4,000. The T4E's for those benefits are somehow on my account. I spent over 10 hours on the phone with these jackasses last week and it's still not sorted out. I ended up filing without acknowledging my mother's benefits, with a lengthy explanatory note, and then had to borrow money from my (again, dirt poor) parents, and somehow also make May 1st rent for the next day. It's so gross. I made my rent, but I'm up the creek now, because I have nothing left over to pay my bills. As it is, I'm generally reliant on those you AMAZING human beings who support me on Patreon - I usually have to wait until that comes in before I can pay my bills. This time around, because of the rest of it, I don't have a way to make ends meet. I hate, hate, HATE asking, especially because I've asked before, but if there's any way at all that you think you can help, any amount would be seriously amazing. PLEASE don't if you already have before, if you already support me on Patreon, or if you don't have it to spare. I mean it. This is just a last little plea I'm putting out there into the universe, just on the off chance.

The best way would be via PayPal - I use my fandom account, [email protected]. If you're in any way ticked off by this post, I'm sorry, I really, really am. I find this massively embarrassing and this entire post comes with a heaping serving of cringe on my part.

That said, the best way I know of to repay the incredible kindness and generosity that this fandom has shown me over and over again, from reading my fics to liking my posts to supporting me financially and emotionally and in all the other ways, I'm going to put in a solid chunk of work on the current fic, starting right now. It's over 37,400 words in and the end is in sight!

#personal #financial woes

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encounterthepast · 4 years ago

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If you enjoy this please follow @RussInCheshire on twitter for his regular threads on UK politics.

As it’s the weekend, let’s start #TheWeekInTory with a frivolous and jolly story about our own govt deliberately starving hundreds of thousands of children...

1. In May, Boris Johnson promised “nobody will go hungry as a result of Coronavirus”

2. He then denied school meals to the 600,000 poorest children

3. So Marcus Rashford ran a campaign to get the govt to feed children, which - just think about that: he had to *campaign* for it

4. Then Boris Johnson congratulated Rashford on his campaign to overturn the cruel policies of, erm, Boris Johnson

5. And then 3 days later, Boris Johnson refused to feed those kids during school holidays

6. So this week Labour organised a parliamentary vote about it

7. And 322 Tories voted against feeding hungry children

8. Vicky Ford, the Children’s Minister (who you’ll be surprised to hear neither looks nor sounds like a ludicrous Dickensian villain) went ahead and voted against feeding children

9. Tory MP Jo Gideon voted against feeding children. Jo Gideon, in case you didn't think things could get any more unbelievable, is also the chair of "Feeding Britain", a charity that campaigns to end food poverty and hunger in the UK.

10. Tory MP Paul Scully waved away the grumbling parents of kids with grumbling tummies, and said “children have been going hungry under Labour for years”, seemingly forgetting Tories have been in power for a decade

11. Tory MP Ben Bradley, who once had to apologise for suggesting sterilising the poor, said feeding children will simply “increase their dependency”. On food. Yeah, wean the little bastards off it. It’ll do them good in the end, which will be around 3 agonising weeks.

12. At this point, pause to consider that MPs get their food and drink subsidised. A £31 meal in a parliamentary restaurant costs MPs £3.45. In 2018 this subsidy cost the taxpayer £4.4m. I can’t find any record of Tories like Ben Bradley voting against this.

13. Pressing on: Ben Bradley also said “Some parents prioritise other things ahead of their kids. Small minority, yes... but some do”. Yes, and a small minority of Tory MPs have been arrested for rape. Should we send them all to prison?

14. Also, Mark Francois voted (by proxy) to keep kids hungry. Not related to the previous item. Why would you think that?

15. Tory MP Nicky Morgan said the govt voted to starve 600,000 children cos a Labour MP called a Tory MP scum. And that’s not a scummy thing to do at all.

16. Tory MP David Simmonds said Marcus Rashford’s experience of poverty in secondary school “took place entirely under a Labour government”. Rashford was 11 when Tories came into power, making David Simmonds are rare example of an ad hominem attack on yourself

17. Simmonds then said Labour’s parliamentary vote was “all about currying favour with wealth and power and celebrity status”. He might be right – the govt managed to unify Gary Linaker and Nigel Farage in condemnation of their denial of food to kids

18. Brandan Clark-Smith (who voted to starve kids) demanded “more action to tackle the real causes of child poverty”

19. So at once, the govt cut minimum wage for furloughed people. They now get 2/3 of the money the govt says is the absolute minimum it is possible to survive on

20. And then it was revealed that low-paid workers who have to isolate due to Covid can claim £500. Yay!

21. But if they’re told to isolate by the govt’s contact tracing app, they can’t claim anything. Un-yay.

22. Long story short: the govt cannot spend £120m feeding children. But it can spend £522 on the Eat Out Scheme, which its own report said contributed “negligible amounts” to the hospitality economy, and Boris Johnson admitted drove up infection rates – especially in the North

23. Those infection rates caused the govt to move Manchester into Tier 3

24. So the Mayor of Manchester asked for a £90m support package (1/6th of the money the govt spent causing the problem in the first place)

25. The govt said no, £60m

26. The Mayor said, how about £65m?

27. The govt said no, £60m

28. The Mayor said ok, fine, we’ll take the £60m

29. And then govt offered Manchester £22m, and then went to the press and said the Mayor was "being unreasonable"

30. The negotiations were led by Robert Jenrick, who recently set up a fund for the poorest 101 towns, then awarded his town £25m even though it is the 270th poorest, and therefore not even eligible

31. £25m is £237 per person

32. Manchester gets £7.85 per person

33. Robert Jenrick gave Manchester (2.8 million people) £22m

34. Robert Jenrick gave Richard Desmond (1 person) £45m

35. The talks broke down when the govt wouldn’t spend an extra £5m

36. The govt plans to spend £7m vitally rebranding "Highways England" to "National Highways"

37. Manchester Young Conservatives tweeted “Boris has lied about helping us in the North. It’s time for him to go". Don't look - they deleted it. Suspect somebody had a word.

38. Meanwhile the govt said Manchester will get the £60m after all, and chaos continue to reign supreme

39. But that £60m is brief reprieve for the Tories of Manchester, as a govt report said Tory seats in the North of England (the so-called "Red Wall" seats) can expect to lose at least 4000 jobs *each* as a result of Brexit, even if we do get a deal. More if we don't.

40. The govt rushed to begin its first airport Coronavirus testing, a mere 211 days after mandatory airport testing was begun in South Korea

41. South Korea has had 8 deaths per million

42. The UK has had 665 deaths per million

43. More airport news, as the govt finally accepted Brexit will cause “up to 8-hour delays at passport checks” and asked the EU to allow UK citizens to queue at EU-only lanes. Like we did when we were in the EU. But we aren’t now. So tough.

44. A senior diplomat said, “Having grown up in Brussels, Boris Johnson values the ability to travel freely to the continent”. You’d think Boris Johnson would foresee this problem when he led the campaign to stop that freedom.

45. The independent reviewer of Terrorism Legislation said the UK “will be increasingly unable to cope” after Brexit, as we lose access to EU data-sharing agreements

46. And a No-Deal end to UK/EU scientific collaboration will leave London with a £3bn annual deficit

47. In the space of 38 days, the govt announced the £100bn "Operation Moonshot" to solve Covid; then cancelled it; and then re-launched it again after it was found they’d accidentally continued to pay over 200 private consultants up to £7000 a day to work on it.

48. So this week, Boris Johnson said Moonshot would continue, but it’s goals “would take time”, which is the literal opposite of what he said it would do when it first announced it, and makes the entire thing absolutely pointless

49. And now it’s been admitted that Operation Moonshot would be quietly folded into the existing £12bn Test and Trace programme, and the £100bn has vanished. Apart from the bits the Serco consultants took for doing… nothing.

50. But Boris Johnson said the Test and Trace programme was “helping a bit”, and “a bit” is the least you’d expect if you’d spent £12bn

51. And then the £12bn Test and Trace programme fell to its lowest success rate so far, identifying only 60% of at-risk people

52. Local councils, with no additional funding, are tracing 98% of cases

53. A quick sweep though other epic successes you may have missed (or deliberately blocked out): Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch declared that it should be illegal to teach about inequality

54. The Cabinet Secretary said the report into “vicious and orchestrated” bullying by Home Secretary and Dementor Priti Patel “may never see the light of day”, cos if you have a report that vindicates you, you definitely sit on it as long as possible

55. And the appeals court unanimously overturned Priti Patel’s policy of removing people from the UK without giving them access to legal process or justice because – and I’m paraphrasing the judges here – what the fuck, Patel? What the actual fuck?

56. Undeterred, she announced plans to make rough-sleeping “grounds for removal of permission to be in the UK” and "denial of legal aid". So if you’re too poor to have a home, you must pay for a lawyer or she’ll shove you in the sea

57. After an unnamed Tory MP said it “looks bad to be handing top jobs to your friend and old boss”, Charles Moore, Boris Johnson’s friend and old boss, withdrew as next BBC chair.

58. The new favourite is Richard Sharp, the - yep - friend and old boss of Rishi Sunak

59. You’ll be amazed to hear this: Richard Sharp is a major donor to the Tory party. These little coincidences keep on happening

60. The govt decided to prevent EU citizens from having physical proof of their right to live in their own home

61. Grant Shapps threatened to “seize control of Transport for London” to save it from financial ruin at the hands of Sadiq Khan, who – the bastard - achieved a mere 71% reduction in the debts caused by his noble predecessor, Boris Johnson

62. Matt Hancock, facts at his fingertips, told MPs from Yorkshire their constituents could go on holiday abroad

63. But not in the UK

64. And then that they CAN go on holiday in the UK

65. But can't leave Yorkshire

66. He then said “I'll get back to you” about the details

67. A cross-party report found “the UK’s foreign policy is adrift”, that it lacks “clarity, confidence and vision” and that Britain is “absent from the world stage”. All of which is very soothing, as we move into the govt's proclaimed goal of a post-Brexit Global Britain.

68. And we can all relax: the govt is finally supporting culture in the UK, specifically the Nevill Holt Opera, which performs private operas, and is owned by Boris Johnson’s friend (and - jaw on floor! - Tory donor) David Ross, who is worth £700m so really needs the money.

69. The Nevill Holt Opera only functions in the summer, so thank god it has been prioritised with £85,000 to “maintain operations” in October.

And now, in honour of the opera, the fat lady can sing, cos I’m off to drink myself into oblivion. Join me.

We live in interesting times.

#tory scum #tory britain #uk news #uk this week #free school meals #andy burnham #marcus rashford

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pbandjesse · 6 years ago

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Today was a much better day. Emotionally I waa much happier. And that lead to a much better day.

I still wasnt thrilled to wake up. But I felt cute. And James made me a sandwich and packed me a muffin. Made me feel loved. But I didn't want to go anywhere. I wanted to be home. But Marcus messaged me that he was staying home. So I could not. I needed to go. It would be good for me to be there with the kids.

I got the bus after a nice bike ride. And got to work on time. I spent the morning doing a little painting for our mural. And then down to see the kids.

Emotionally I could feel myself being better today. So when i had the kids sitting down for yoga, both little kids and big kids, I explained to them my feelings, and how I may have been harsh yesterday. And so i apologized. Because they should hear that adults can own up to mistakes and ackowlege bad days. And we had a good yoga time. The big kids enjoyed ballet. At least most of them. It was still nice.

Art time was fun. I walked around with Bob the lizard on my shoulder. Which freaked all the adults out and made the kids laugh. And we painted and me and Tiffany worked on cleaning the room. The kids who were done helped organize. We sorted paper by color for next weeks project. The youth workers washed containers and fixed up our water color pallets. It was a productive morning.

We had some good times in reading. Lunch was good. At recess poor Bre'Asia rolled over her foot on the skateboard and there were a lot of tears. But I talked her down. I felt bad that she got hurt but I felt proud that she calmed down and we got some ice and worked on some breathing. She was limping a little but she'll be okay.

First time with the big kids I decide we were finally actually going to do some math. Mostly because one of the boys had have jokingly complained that we had only done science Technology and Engineering. Fair. I'm not very good at math. But what I am good at is budgeting. So that's what we did.

I reduce the concept of Economics to the kids. What is an economy. And then we figure it out how someone survives everyday. I asked the kids if any of them ever had a job. I had someone who said that they had mowed lawns or shovel snow. So they were landscapers. We had people who were babysitters. We had someone who had sold something at a bake sale so they were Baker now. We also had trash collectors. Because that's something that I have discovered is a thing in Baltimore. People who pay kids in the neighborhood to clean up. And that's really nice. So I made up prices. Or salaries. We went by the hour first. But before they found out what the pay was they all had to pick a job. They got an index card and they had to write down one of those for jobs on their next car. I didn't want them to pick the job that pay the most. So my landscapers made the most. And my babysitter's made the least. Trash collectors were up there as well and Bakers had two different pay scales. You were either an owner or you work at the bakery. It was only a $5 difference.

Once they had all chosen that we had to figure out what our daily pay was. They took their hourly rate and they times 2 by 8. And then once they have that we had a big r weekly. So they times that by 5. And then we got to figure it out monthly. So we did it by 4. Lot of math.

Then we talked about once and needs. What is a want and what doesn't eat. I basically gave my speech that I give at The Company Store at the BMI. And then I signed prices two things. You spend $200 a month on food. You can spend $50 to $100 a month on clothing. And then you got to choose if you live in a house or apartment or mansion. You chose if you rented or owned. And then I told you how much you paid.

At the end are trash collectors had a good amount of money left over if they own to their house and only spent $50 a month on clothing. No one who had a mansion have any left over money. Most of them were negative $2,000. Whatever babysitters have $50 left over and one had five. It was really interesting to see how they would choose to spend to their needs budget and what they would have left over for a want. I think it kind of opened up their eyes a little bit and that was cool. But we didn't talk about taxes in our math. So we talked about what is attacks why do they take 35 to 45% of our paychecks. Talked about how it pays for public school and the roads and the fire department and homeless shelters and services. How taxes are not a bad thing even though they can feel annoying. Let me talk about minimum wage. I had all of the people that we're getting paid on our board at base level Maryland minimum wage and then it only went up from there. But then we talked about what federal minimum wages. How it hasn't changed since I had my first job in 2009. How even though they're talkin about raising it to $15 an hour it's going to have the same spending power as $7.25. And why that sucks.

People always complain that I never learned how to do a budget or pay taxes in school. Never really learned all taxes were. And I think that's fair. So it was good to be able to talk to my kids today even though they're only between the ages of 10 and 13. I think it was good for them to start thinking about it.

I went took my break after that. Mackenzie was very upset about something so she came inside with me. We both just laid on the couch has listen to her headphones. The day was over. I finished up with little kids. Handed out snacks. Cleaned the room. And then I took everyone downstairs to go home.

James texted me that the landlady for the apartment that we want finally got back to her. The holdup has been that his apartment is not answering her phone calls. She's trying to get some background information and get some contacts on him and they're just not answering. I'm not shocked because they don't seem to answer for anything. The hole-in-the-wall, leaking shower. Annoying but I think she is going to try one more time and if she doesn't hear anything back she's probably just going to go off of my stuff and jobs and things like that. And it's not definite but I think we have the apartment. I told James I'm not going to believe we have it until the keys are in my hand. And if we don't get it I'll be sad but that just means somewhere better is out there.

I took the bus home. I stopped for Chipotle. I got it without sour cream so that I could more easily packet for tomorrow on our field trip. I got back here and I ate my tacos. And packed away the food. I did some sewing. The quilt is almost finished. There's a couple places I'm going to have to hand sew because of where the beads are. But most of it's complete. I only cut myself on sewing needles four times today. I worked until my back hurt. And then I hung out for a bit.

James is at a dinner with all of his boyfriends. I hope he's having a good time. I had a panic because sweet peas mouth is still very swollen so I tried to give him a Benadryl and he started foaming at the mouth and crying and I thought he was choking it was really upsetting. But he's okay. I gave him some milk to get the taste out of his mouth. And I took a bath and tried to calm down. And now I'm going to work on my backpack for the field trip tomorrow. We are going to a ropes course. We're driving almost all the way to Virginia. I think. I'm not entirely sure where we're going. But I'm very excited. And it seems like only about half of our kids are actually coming so it maybe it'll just be like a nice chill day. Love a chill day.

So wish me luck. I am terribly afraid of heights so a Ropes Course in the trees is terrifying. But it'll be a good time. I love being in nature. But I love being with my kids. So it should be good. I hope you all have a great night. Sleep well. Be safe. Send Good Vibes.

#ootd #work #babe #selfie #art #in progress #kids art #camp #thursday

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elastigirl72 · 6 years ago

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Day 21: Shkoder>Lizbahd

620km to go...I’m finally in the mountains!

7 May: Shkoder 07:27am

Given I am a certified and ex practicing sports and rehab massage therapist who still actively promotes stretching and regular massage for active people, lying in my €35 spa having the massage of my life, I was alarmed to fail to recall without some effort my last similar session. It was well over a year ago. Also apparent was my failure on good, regular stretching. I’d been on a cycling yoga week last year, trying to will myself into better self-care with the lovely Sinead, cycling yoga star in Ireland. I am proud to have kept a few of hers, which should only be done in the confines of privacy as they could be taken as some sort of lap dance in the wrong setting. I have my own MASH stretch which I have to say is pretty damn awesome 😊. This young lady, who combined this job with school was one of the best therapists I’ve stumbled across, including myofascial release as part of her treatment. Weirdly, even knowing I was a cyclist, time ran out before she got to my quads. I paid her extra and she spent a good 15 minutes on each, each stroke reminding me how much abuse my legs had taken, largely over the last few weeks. I didn’t train hard for my adventure, and this was by design. Looking at my training log, you could be forgiven in thinking that I might have retired completely from cycling in November, only seeing an ember burning almost undetectable in January. Then, one dark, wet, typical Forest Saturday morning, making Kalamata olive ciabatta toast, I wondered “Where exactly is Kalamata?”. About an hour later, I not only knew where, I’d booked a return flight, and figured out a 2,200 mile route there in April, how long I’d ride each day, and about 1000 permutations of getting there. This was it. It was set. Only it wasn’t. Work threw in the possibility of a work event a day after I was due to fly back...and 3 days before setting off, it was confirmed as Istanbul.

Flying home from Kalamata on 11 May and back to Istanbul a day later would have meant a minimum of 16 hours travel doors to doors. The options I considered were to fly home, cycle to Istanbul, charter a yacht (yes, seriously, I did look into this!), get a bus from Athens to Istanbul (no pre-booking possible for the bike). After much deliberation, cogitation and planning, Athens won, with my bike case and work clothes being shipped to a hotel I booked on hotel rewords points. It seemed fitting too, as I’d never made it to the Athens Olympics as an athlete, but I got close, and next to qualifying, this trip is the biggest sporting conquest I’d attempted. It would be great to finish my ride at the Acropolis, but let’s see...thinking about how close I got to being an Olympian still is a bittersweet memory. Less than two minutes, a toilet stop in fact, and just a little bit faster and I’d have been there. But what I take from trying is that even though I ran my first marathon when I was 18, and didn’t think I was any good at running (this left it in the past until the months after my mum died in 1998, and from that event and to this day, sport has been my Lynch pin in coping with and celebrating life’s rollercoaster), I qualified as a mum o two young children, who to this day, probably still don’t see what hard work went in, and may well believe if you dream it, you can do it. It’s not a bad philosophy to have! That and blessed with good genes 😊.

And yet all so laughable! Here I sit, waiting for breakfast, the barista chuckling at my need for a third cappuccino (they’re tiny really, but delicious, and I giggle too, explaining I’m very tired 😆). I need it, it’s a big day today.

I’ve decided to cycle into the mountains, towards Pogradec, a village or town by a mountain lake. To check the route, I’ve planted in Athens a billion times and plotted by car (avoiding motorways, ferries and tolls) and by foot, put a pin in what looks like a country lane or a busy road to check the road conditions, and loosely made a plan: get past Tirana and head South East. It looks like I’ll spend another two nights before hitting Greece. Dare I say it, but the weather forecast and maps look fairly decent, but for now, the gear stays stuck on my back...

May 9: Librazhd - 05:19

Well, so much to digest from the last 40 or so hours in Albania. There’s still around 120km here to cover, and if my bike and body survive, we will make Greece today and my bed in Kastoria in around 100 miles...another big day - in the mountains.

In just 120 miles in this country, I have seen so much. The good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. Hearing that this is one country my pioneering explorer dad has not visited (I think this is a lifetime first between his coverage of the globe and mine) because its borders were closed when he ran is Overlander business, and learning from a Roman Empire history documentation that whilst the Roman Empire ruled all of the Mediterranean, except Albania, leads me to believe this country has an incredible past, and I need to investigate.

I learnt that Albanians have an industry built on roadside trade, most notably, car washes, petrol stations and attached to every petrol station, a hotel. Most of the people visible in daylight appear to be men; I barely saw a woman, either in the villages or city, and as a woman, this felt quite overwhelming, for no other reason than the imbalance. It meant that whilst the multitude of coffee shops were on offer, I didn’t want to stop. Already looking like an alien dropped from space, putting myself directly amongst gangs of rugged men who seemed to have nowhere to go and nothing to do was too much. That’s just me! But cycling past the many who stood at the side of the road and had stopped doing whatever they were doing, if in fact they were doing anything at all, they stood frozen, eyes and mouth agape. In no other country have I passed through have I had so many positive shouts and I guess, encouraging comments (for all I know they could have been shouting “loser!”). The contrast between those that have and have not was huge.

The road surfaces were very curious. In most places I’d visited, as you entered a town or city, the roads in Europe would be pothole free and markings better than the surrounding country roads. But in Albania, any town or city, the roads dissolved. A network of potholes you could disappear into and a patchwork of concrete “plasters”, and for no apparent reason, countless and pointless road jumps, unmarked, without any warning, which all cars, bling or ancient, rolled over so slowly, as if dampners and suspension were extinct and they had to maintain what they had.

Tirana, Albania’s capital, brought all my observations to a massive climax. Any Highway Code had not been introduced, and for a long time I decided they needed traffic lights at the very least (they did eventually appear). I saw the most insane driving I’ve ever seen in my life, making the film Ronin look like a police training video on how to drive safely around a city. At no other point during this trip had I felt as petrified for my safety as here. Checking my options at the worst point, I stopped at an intersection where coaches pulled up and double parked, a large verge, covered in mud, waste and men, sitting between and on it, police standing close, travellers trying to wheel suitcases over uneven verges, and me needing to make a decision on how the hell to get it out with my life. Google suggested what looked like the motorway, which started at this same junction. I confirmed with the police standing close by and they confirmed I could ride my bike on this road, and stopped the traffic to let me go. It was Russian roulette, but as soon as I hit the ring road’s massive hard shoulder, I felt my life had been saved and escape was nigh.

7km later, and I had reached the mountain road, SH3, the old Elbasan Road, replaced by the recently completed A3 that ran parallel. Order restored, the road started to climb. Given this was recently a major thoroughfare to the mountains, I wondered what would happen to the many restaurants and hotels that flowed with the road, through villages up towards the sky. It was quite haunting, and the stray dogs began to reveal themselves again. Children waved and one even raced me up a section, whilst another shouted “Hallo! Have an enjoyable day!” The climb was amazing, good road, and it felt like I owned it. I saw three cyclists in all, all heavily laden with panniers. I past cheerily one octogenarian going up and two coming the other way going down. It’s easy to see why they built a tunnel to take cars through the mountain, but it was their loss and my gain.

Here, in the land where I have seen more people walking their cow than their dogs, who in turn, run free , civic pride does not exist for what I have seen of Albania so far. It contrasts the most breathtaking landscapes, and shows diversity to the rest of Europe, yet fly-tipping is common, expected even, and mounds of wrecked cars are all to frequent. There are many ruined buildings and near Lehze, I passed what can only be described as a ghost town and factory, which was really sinister. Is this down to a poor state and government? Clearly there are people here who have wealth but the overriding feeling is this country is poor. It wants to be western but can’t quite bridge the gap. I feel very keen to explore its history.

Approaching the top of the mountain, which seemed like the top of the world, I happened upon the most cunning canine skullduggery I’ve ever witnessed. The mountaintop restaurant invited guests to it for 6km, and it was a real possibility that I might drop in. But as it appeared, there appeared to be a dead dog lying in the road directly in front of it, with two more dogs lying in wait to the side. Feeling both sad, but also danger, I pedalled slowly and quietly, not wanting to alarm the dogs to my side, and hoping to pass the dead dog without seeing too much gore. Then, just as I ran parallel, BOOM! he was up, his mates joining him in charging for me, up the remaining mountain! Luckily, I’d anticipated this ambush, and put down the biggest power of my life, as if being chased by a bear. I escaped, but my god! How brilliant of these stray masters of terror? Please, no more like this!

The climb was the day’s highlight, and telling myself that whatever hotel arrived at 100 miles, that’s where I was staying. As if my magic, a petrol station and a Swiss chalet looking hotel.

There’s not much to say about this place, except a stark contrast from the same priced oasis I had stayed at near Shkoder. Here, the food was bland and sparse, and the staff didn’t care as much as my last hotel. At Launi-A, seeing how much food I had put away the night before, at breakfast, they just kept bringing basket after basket of food! That hotel and its staff will keep me going for many years to come as the nicest surprise, and a great introduction to Albania.

And now, breakfast. A lovely Albanian who speaks good English and has lit the fire me and I have amazing coffee. It will be a good day! Ξεκίνα 😃 Even here, this far south, there’s snow on the mountains ahead! Titanium by David Gueta and Sia playing on the empty restaurant speakers...bring on the day 🌈

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mcccleaningomaha-blog · 5 years ago

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Best Snow Management Services and Cost in Omaha NE | MCC Cleaning Omaha

More Information: http://www.greencleaningomaha.com/snow-management-services.html

Snow Management services near Omaha NE: Looking for Snow Management services near Omaha NE? MCC Cleaning Omaha is the source for your property is an office building, hospital, shopping center, industrial park, or apartment building, you need a dependable snow and ice management company that can completely clear the snow from your parking lots, walkways, and other surfaces. Cost? Free estimates! Send us a message or call us today. Best Snow Management Services around Omaha NE. We serve Omaha NE and other areas. Get a Free Quote Now!

SNOW MANAGEMENT SERVICES OMAHA NE

OMAHA SNOW MANAGEMENT

Snow Management Company

Snow Management services near Omaha NE: MCC Cleaning Omaha provides commercial snow removal As anyone who has lived in New England can tell you we are extremely vulnerable to severe winter storms. A winter storm of any size can lead to havoc for businesses and property managers. Winter storms must be dealt with immediately and in a proper manner. Every hour that passes is another hour that can lead to lost revenue and potential lawsuits.

Our commercial snow removal services are a perfect fit for:

�� Condominium Snow Removal

● Apartment Snow Removal

● Shopping Plaza Snow Plowing

● Office building Snow Management

● Manufacturing facilities

● Warehouses

● Hotels

● Hospitals

● Schools

● Corporate office parks

MCC Cleaning Omaha has proven that we can weather the longest storms like the largest in Omaha’s history. We can do this through great leadership, positive and professional attitude and an unparalleled level of confidence no matter how deep the snow gets. We have the most cutting edge equipment to take on any winter weather precipitation 24/7/365 days a year.

Hired meteorology services for fast updates and somewhat reliable forecasts

Walk every inch of every site, marking curbs, fire hydrants, fixed hazards and most importantly mapping out traffic patterns to make sure your sites stays operational no matter how fast the snow falls

● A full line of over 18 pieces of equipment to tackle any storm

● 48 hour invoicing after storm

● Fully insured for snow & ice liability for your peace of mind and ours

● Stockpile fuel & salt so it’s always reliable

● Pre-season and pre-storm planning Curb-to-Curb clearing of your property!

● Dependable service (no matter how deep the snow gets).

Post-storm reporting! We use only 100% salt so there is no sand clean up, saving loads of money come spring. This also provides better product during and after a storm.

Snow Management

At MCC Cleaning Omaha, we understand that snow removal can be a hassle for any business, therefore we offer services in commercial snow removal. We know that snow not only needs to be plowed and removed, but parking lots also need to remain ice-free for safe travel, which is our number one priority. We offer both yearly as well as per-push contracts for all parking lot sizes, as well as a variety of options for de-icing of parking lots. With the use of a variety of trucks and loaders, our team is able to clear your parking lot and sidewalks in an efficient and timely manner. Let us make the winter months a little less worrisome for you!

Our snow management services include:

● Yearly or per-push snow plowing

● Snow removal

● De-icing services

● Sidewalk/walkway shoveling

Snow Management services near Omaha NE: MCC Cleaning Omaha specializes in commercial snow removal. We offer yearly and per push contracts for all size parking lots. We also offer many different options of deicing to keep your lot ice free. Our vast lineup of trucks and loaders allow us to keep surfaces clear during any condition.

When you own a business, you dread hearing the S word in the winter months. Snow means more expenses, and in most cases, less sales. Snow needs to be plowed and removed, and people that attempt traveling in it need to be able to park in your lot without sliding. At MCC Cleaning Omaha, we are here to take a little bit of that weight off of your shoulders.

Let our large lineup of loaders and trucks keep your property clear and decided. We will arrive early and make sure your lot is safe for those that venture out to your establishment in the blustery weather. Yearly and per plow contracts are available for parking lots of all sizes. Make your winter worry-free by contacting us for a quote today.

Cost of snow management

A number of factors go into the price of snow removal and plowing. A few factors we look at are whether there is good access to the property, how much area there is, and whether there are any obstacles in the way. We may be able to reduce the price if we have a number of clients in the area.

How snow management is billed:

● By the season - Your landscaper can formulate a quote based on the average snowfall over the last few years. The advantage here is that you know how much you will pay at the beginning of the season, even if there are unexpectedly large storms. The disadvantage is that even if you have a light snow season, you still pay the same amount.

● By the inch - In this scenario, your landscaper would give you a sheet with rates for differing amounts of snowfall. You'd pay one price for 1 to 3 inches of snow, a higher rate for 3 to 6 inches of snow, and a more for 6 to 9 inches of snow. This is a fair way of billing because you pay for exactly the service you receive.

● By the hour - Special tasks such as roof shoveling or clearing pathways may be billed by the hour. Light, powdery snow is a lot faster to shovel than is wet and slushy snow.

Because there are so many factors that go into snow management, you'll need to get a quote that takes into account the specifics of your property. For example, an average residential property may cost $50-$75 to plow, but a property with the same area that has a narrow drive, an electric gate to maneuver around, and landscaping right up to the driveway may cost $125-$145.

Snow removal services cost about twice as much as simply plowing. So where possible, try to plan for snow storage during the design phase of your project, because a little forethought in this regard can save you quite a bit of money over the years you will own your property.

We specialize in residential and small commercial lots. We offer snow removal of {just the driveway, or a full service, driveway, sidewalks, and salting package. We also do deck clean offs between storms. Depending on your needs, salt/sand mixture can be added to sidewalks, porches, and steps to keep you and your family and visitors safe.

Snow removal prices start at $35 for snow plow, and $40 for snow blowing. Free estimates are always offered.

We have a few different options that you can choose from to have your snow removal service set up:

"No Call" Snow Removal: Whenever it snows over 1, we will clear your driveway and sidewalks free of snow. Pay per visit or by the month. Call or email for more details.

Bundle with Lawn Care: This is our most popular choice. Combine "No-Call" snow blowing with your summer lawn care, and save.

Salting & Sanding: Depending on your needs, let us know if you would like your steps, porch, and sidewalks salted.

Snow removal service starts at $35 per visit. We start our routes when the snowfall stops or at 4" accumulation and we will have your driveway cleared within 24 hours.

Are you looking for yourself and a group of people? We will offer you a discount if you have a group of five or more driveways.

We also provide salting packages where you can have salt delivered to home or business in a bucket with a lid and scoop. When you get low, just let us know and we will come by and fill your bucket!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why do I need MCC Cleaning Omaha Snow Removal?

Your time here shouldn’t be spent shoveling snow. We’re here to remove your snow, so you have more time and energy to get out and enjoy what Tahoe has to offer. We use professional grade equipment, designed especially to cope with heavy snow.

What is the minimum amount of snow your service will remove?

If you need us, call us. We’ll remove the snow you request. However, with a MCC Cleaning Omaha Snow Removal seasonal contract, you are guaranteed at least one service after 4 inches or more of snowfall, every 24 hours.

Do you shovel stairs, decks, hot tubs, and patios?

We shovel or use walk-behind Honda snow blowers to clear these areas. Call us for a free estimate for these services.

Can your snow blowers handle winter conditions and heavy snow?

Yes they can. We use Holder tractors with Provost Snow blowers that have been designed for heavy snow conditions.

Why does MCC Cleaning Omaha Snow Removal use Holder tractors?

Holder tractors have been proven to be the best at moving Tahoe’s heavy snow. These are very fast and efficient machines, and our use of them means lower costs for you.

Can we call you when we need snow removal instead of buying a seasonal contract?

Yes you can, but consider the benefits of a seasonal contract:

● Your driveway will be clear for emergency and service vehicles in the event of a fire or a flood from frozen pipes

● Snow will be removed before it has time to build an ice layer on the surface

● When traveling, you won’t have to worry about rescheduling your snow removal service.

What are the start and end dates of seasonal contracts?

Seasonal contracts start November 1st and end April 30th.

Download a seasonal contract here. You can either fill it out electronically or hand written.

When do I need to sign up for seasonal service?

You can sign up any time for a seasonal contract. Although, sign up by September 30th and you will receive $25 off your seasonal contract price.

Do you offer any discounts?

Yes. We offer a $25 discount if you sign your seasonal contract by September 30th and an additional $25 discount if you refer a neighbor who also, signs up for a seasonal contract (within 3 blocks of your property).

Do you accept credit cards?

MCC Cleaning Omaha Snow Removal accepts all major credit cards.

What time of day do you remove the snow?

We prefer to run our snow removal routes between the hours of 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. because that is the safest time for our operators and equipment due to minimal traffic on the roads. Typically, we’ll services your property once in the morning and then come back to clean up the next morning. Keep in mind, that we can’t always predict how Mother Nature is going to give us the snow. This means we are unable to tell you exactly when we are going to remove your snow. Whether it will be early mornings, evenings, or late night hours.

CALL FOR US:

● Commercial Snow Removal Near Omaha NE

● Residential Snow Removal

● Lakewood Snow Removal

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BEST SNOW MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN OMAHA NE

MCC CLEANING OMAHA

REQUEST MORE INFORMATION. CONTACT US NOW!

#office building snowremoval mcccleaning omaha cleaningservices junkremoval Junk removals

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canadianabroadvery · 5 years ago

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Canada's Conservatives are “completely clued out” about the unpopularity of hard-right social policies and are essentially “campaigning against themselves,” two leading political commentators argued in an online panel discussion last Monday.

Answering questions from Canada's National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood, columnists Bruce Livesey and Sandy Garossino spent an hour tackling wide-ranging questions about why today's Canadian conservative movement has moved so far to the right, its hopes for retaking power in the face of an increasingly progressive populace, and how evangelical Christians and Big Oil got a stranglehold on the right.

“The social conservative base is enormously powerful,” Livesey told Solomon Wood and the audience of 100 participants on the Zoom webinar, part of Conversations, sponsored by Canada's National Observer. “The reason (leadership rivals) Peter MacKay and Erin O'Toole have taken the positions they're doing — which are ludicrous in terms of ever trying to get elected — is because the base has this enormous social conservative element. In order to win the leadership, you've got to pander to them.”

But that's precisely what has lost them repeated elections, and will only worsen their chances over time, he said.

Livesey — an award-winning investigative journalist with experience on CBC's flagship shows The Fifth Estate and The National, Global News' 16×9, and PBS's Frontline — most recently did an analysis on the state of the Conservatives for the National Observer entitled, How Stephen Harper is destroying the Conservative party.

He said he interviewed between 25 and 30 sources for his story, and other than a couple political scientists as experts, focused almost entirely on hearing from Conservative members past and present.

“I tried to basically interview just Conservatives … people within the party, both from when they used to be called the PC (Progressive Conservative) party all the way up to the current generation,” Livesey said. “There's a lot of people who wouldn't talk to me … It was a big challenge; given that I was going to talk to them about Stephen Harper, there seemed to be a bit of a concern.”

But some did want to talk, and could be broadly lumped into two camps: the long-ousted progressive wing of the party, once nicknamed “Red Tories”; and the more recent alumni and strategists of the Harper era.

“If you talked to the sort of Red Tories — the 'liberal' wing of the party — there was no surprise there that they think the party's stuck in a ditch,” Livesey said. “The more interesting thing was finding the younger generation who were around Harper in some capacity, who are beginning to realize — having lost two back-to-back elections — that something was wrong.”

What exactly is wrong, however, he found divisive amongst loyalists. Some expressed hope to find a better leader than Andrew Scheer to save their flagging fortunes. But others, Livesey said, had started to see problems in the party's offerings to voters altogether.

“That's the contradiction the party's in at the moment,” Livesey, author of the book Thieves of Bay Street, said. “The base just thinks, 'We just need the next Stephen Harper to lead us back into power.'

“Abortion and gay marriage — those are the two issues that get social conservatives all agitated, and they want to have something done about them. Harper was brilliant at keeping that element under a lock and key. Scheer was not … nobody trusted him on those issues. The social conservative base is an enormous problem for that party.”

Whoever wins the leadership of the party, Livesey predicted, must “basically ignore what the base is” if they want to win enough seats outside Alberta, the Prairies and rural Ontario.

Hard Right

Garossino, meanwhile, agreed that infighting over who can be the most hardline on divisive issues such as LGBTQ rights and abortion is only hurting the party more with each utterance and campaign plank.

The popular longtime columnist with Canada's National Observer spent years previously as a Crown prosecutor and trial lawyer and Vancouver community advocate. She is also a keen observer of Canadian and American political trends, admitting Monday she's a big nerd for electoral data and crunching riding numbers. While she and Livesey admitted few Tories are likely paying heed to this publication, they ought to at least pay attention to the dismal electoral data.

When it comes to hard-right social issues, the numbers don't lie.

“They're actually campaigning against themselves the more they play to that,” Garossino said. “It doesn't play in any of the areas that the federal Conservatives need to take power. They have got to get into the 905 — the (Greater Toronto Area) — and they've got to get into Quebec.”

According to the most recent polls, the Conservatives are indeed trailing behind the Liberals — despite Scheer's repeated attempts to portray Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a reckless spendthrift, contemptuous of accountability and the rule of law.

A new poll released June 28 by respected pollster Léger Marketing placed Liberals at 40 per cent support, double-digits ahead of Conservatives in voter intentions compared to the Tories' 28 per cent. (The survey of 1,524 Canadians gave the NDP 17 per cent support, the Bloc Québecois seven per cent, and Greens one point behind; the online poll's margin of error could be considered equivalent to 2.5 per cent.) The results mirrored another opinion survey last week.

But yet another poll by Ekos Research found an even starker divide when it comes to gender last week, with Liberals leading among women with a staggering 24 per cent lead over the Tories, which held a slight lead over the Grits among men.

Multi-poll aggregator 338Canada, meanwhile, ran 250,000 statistical election simulations using recent polls and predicted a 189-seat Liberal seat majority if an election were held now, with the Tories trailing at 94 seats (a party needs a minimum 170 seats to win a majority government).

But both Livesey and Garossino reminded participants in the Zoom event that key to electoral victory in Canada is commanding broad support across the most vote-rich, densely populated urban centres — particularly the Greater Toronto Area suburbs, Montreal, and B.C.'s Lower Mainland. It was a lesson former Prime Minister Stephen Harper understood despite his past social-conservative, Reform Party roots.

That's something Livesey believes the Conservatives have lost sight of completely. He has little hope the once-moderate stalwarts of the party will regain control any time soon because of the need to survive the hard-right base that serves as a gauntlet for would-be leaders.

“They're not taking into consideration the electoral math that plays into this,” he explained. “The Tories' base gets them about 30 per cent of the vote, but to win a minority, you need around 35, a majority around 40.

“That means you've got to convince ... the very seat-rich urban hubs like Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal … that you represent their interests. That is the programmatic problem with the party now. They have completely clued out to the fact that those voters don't want to vote for that particular platform.”

Stuck on Harper

In his June 25 analysis, Livesey argued former prime minister Stephen Harper remains the most powerful force in today's party, but may be, in fact, undermining “the very thing he created” as his successor Scheer steers the party sharply towards the far right on issues such as abortion and LGBTQ rights.

It's something Tory supporters should be extremely wary of, particularly as the far-right administration in the pandemic-gutted United States faces “potential devastation of unbelievable proportions because of the failure of this one man,” Garossino said. But the roots of the crisis go back decades to Reagan-era right-wing neoliberal movements, she and Livesey agreed, as billionaires and corporations were effectively handed the keys to power in the U.S.

Today, with tens of millions of unemployed losing their private health benefits, the chickens are now coming home to roost in that country.

“If you look at the trajectory, this is the sum result of a program that began in the '70s and '80s to, in effect, ensure the state did nothing for the average American citizen,” Livesey said. “(It marked) the end of the so-called welfare state — the New Deal type of government — and the capture of the state by largely the billionaire class.”

But although the Tea Party hasn't taken hold to the same extent north of the 49th parallel, similar hardline right movements have found sympathy in many parts of Canada.

Canadians, and particularly those loyal to the Conservative party, ought to worry about similar political movements here gaining any more foothold than they have. But it was actually Canada's Reagan-era Conservative leader who garnered some positive attention in Monday's online discussion.

Faced with a stark ideological choice today, Tories might look for inspiration — and success — to former PM Brian Mulroney.

“The PCs recognized they had to be a centre party to win power. The person most genius at figuring that out was Mulroney, he won two solid majorities … and destroyed the Liberals in Quebec. They had the 'big tent' approach, that social conservatives, Red Tories, environmentalists, people from all walks of life, fiscal conservatives, could all be under the same umbrella." Livesey said.

“It worked until it didn't work.”

Mulroney was also considered a leader on environmental issues, and even stalwart Conservative architect Tom Flanagan told Livesey he hoped for some critical Tory reflection on their climate change and carbon pricing policies.

“There is increasing awareness they have to be better on that front,” Livesey said, “even if it is in a very cynical way.”

But it's not just the evangelicals trying to steer the Tory ship. Another powerful force in the country has leveraged influence extremely effectively. Livesey and Garossino said other than the Tories' social conservative base, the party also has been held “hostage” by the oil industry lobby and some of Harper's former entourage, such as Jason Kenney, now Alberta premier.

Garossino has frequently commented on the state of Canada's Conservatives, most recently in her May 27 column, Stephen Harper's power dissolves, in which she argued that Harper continues to “control his chastened party” from the sidelines, but as “the right’s energy and narrative has been seized by Trumpian ideologues,” the Canadian electoral as moved on and is no longer interested.

Canada's Conservatives ought to ponder those trends carefully before selecting their next leader, Garossino said, but she's not hopeful.

“To get to be a contender nationally, you have to get past the base, which is far more conservative than the Canadian public,” she said. “They're almost fighting against themselves.”

Could the Red Tories stage a Mulroney-inspired comeback — and retake the reins from today's increasingly unpalatable oil and religious party wings? That remains to be seen.

#canpoli #consernative party of canada

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kristinmorley · 5 years ago

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fire inside music: 10 Things I Wish I'd Known Earlier

Lots of individuals are unsuccessful to acknowledge the value of greedy the fundamentals With regards to learning piano. A lot of them are only considering attending to their wanted degree immediately, often neglecting the crucial theory and useful Principles.

This is a Completely wrong method in Studying simply because a lack of excellent piano Principles will produce a lot more time becoming squandered Sooner or later. You will find mistakes that novices make, and didn't right in time in advance of it becomes a pattern, that comes back to haunt them since they made an effort to choose their piano playing a handful of levels better. Time spent to "un-find out" and "re-understand" the proper methods often outweigh the key benefits of the First shortcuts. This really is why, it is so important to be taught by the correct man or woman and use the right products correct from the start.

The beginning phases of Understanding to Perform the piano are frequently essentially the most time intensive, and when improvements are classified as the minimum clear. It may be irritating to waste a great deal time trying to get earlier little hurdles, but This really is only because of our First lack of encounter. It's in moments such as this that a very good steerage is available in useful, be it a good household analyze study course, an encouraging piano mentor, or each. Some individuals took the street of no return by choosing to chop corners Firstly. The resulting stress of getting to spend more cash and time likely back again to Fundamentals can in some cases be so discouraging that piano players just stop trying playing fully.

It could have all been extremely various experienced they chose the correct coaching substance at first. For any aspiring pianists which can be serious about Finding out to Perform the piano the appropriate way, the term of recommendation will be to never ever consider shortcuts. Just as vital, tend not to shy faraway from investing in excellent Finding out materials to construct a powerful Basis. There are various piano programs readily available on the net, but Many of them are unreliable. To make it worth your even though, commit a while looking at other customers' critiques before making up your brain.

Quite a few tunes students check with the concern: How can I make extra progress on my instrument? How you manage tunes practising is a important factor in how swiftly you progress on the instrument. Understanding ways to observe new music is usually a procedure, in the identical way as Mastering your instrument. Many new music pupils feel they intend to make quicker development on their own instrument, but It appears Irrespective of how long they devote working towards they even now usually are not creating just as much development since they want. The solution for the question above, how am i able to make a lot more development on my instruments? is have a good new music working towards procedure. Listed below are seven tips to assist you to make your follow far more efficient and successful.

Idea 1: Constantly Enjoy with 100% suitable notes. Usually. You Mind functions by Mastering styles, so feed it the correct designs. Recent imagining claims Participate in seven instances properly to understand a phrase, Perform 35 times the right way to unlearn a mistake and relearn it appropriately! Greek Philosopher Aristotle said, We've been what we continuously do. Excellence, thus, is just not an act, but a behavior. This assertion is especially true for musicians. Get into your routine of participating in excellently each and every time you observe.

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Idea 2: Normally use the correct fingering. This is applicable to anybody who performs piano or keyboard instruments In particular, but also to woodwind players who use alternative fingerings e.g. clarinet gamers taking part in B, C, C sharp and D sharp around the crack and string/guitar gamers that have precisely the same notes in a number of positions over the fingerboard.

Idea 3: Follow into a target not a time. Practising for half an hour on a daily basis will not likely make you an incredible musician. Have a clear focus on for every practise session and don't cease till you attain that focus on, regardless of whether it takes 10 minutes, thirty minutes or fifty minutes. System achievable targets and meet up with them for each audio follow session.

Suggestion 4: Evaluation originally and close of each and every observe session. In the beginning on the session critique perform within the prior session, at the end of the session evaluate get the job done from The existing session.

Tip five: Utilize a metronome, but not as being a crutch! Use a metronome through practice to keep the tempo down. Several college students think about a metronome as a tool to assist you keep up to a certain pace, but it is more beneficial to be sure to are actively playing sluggish enough

Idea six: Hear Other individuals Engage in. Come across recordings from the parts you're learning and hear them. Obtaining an aural reference will help you learn faster. Just you should definitely are Hearing a top quality performance in the piece!

Suggestion seven. Keep the apply environment absolutely free from interruptions for instance the online market place, phones etc. Maintain your deal with your observe, not on Facebook updates!

Pursuing the following pointers assists maintain your practice efficient and targeted. Visit For additional advice regarding how to exercise.

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aayush23-blr-blog · 6 years ago

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How To Start Waste Paper Recycling Plant In India?

Do you want to start paper recycling business? Waste paper recycling is one of the profitable business. The demand of paper bags, cardboards and other paper made items always have great demand in local and international market. The best part is you can get raw material at best price in continuous basis. The paper that we use is mostly a bio-degradable waste that can easily be decomposed with the passing time. In the present times there has been a huge usage of paper. Nearly everywhere we go we can easily see papers around. The usage of paper is vivid and is increasing by time. Some basic usage of paper includes newspapers, books, text copy, pamphlets, posters, magazine papers, calendars, and many more.

The world market of paper is very huge and is in billions. Paper is made using the pulp from trees. As of 2016, approximately 411 million metric tons of paper is produced every year globally. In this article I am sharing profitable business plan for paper recycling business. If you want to start your own paper recycling plant then read this article till the very end, you will get all information about profit margin in this business and cost of setting up a paper recycling plant.

China ranks at number one spot in the production of paper. The United States is at the second spot and Japan is at the third spot. The paper manufacturing industry is very huge and has a turnover of billion dollars every year.

How Paper is produced?

Paper is produced from the pulp of wood, fibrous plants, rice, water plants, stubbles, and other such materials. The basic material that is required to manufacture paper is fiber which is an essential part in papermaking. You can get this pulp mainly from two sources. One is from wood pulp and the other is from old recycled papers. The production of papers required cutting down of trees. One tree in general produces 16.67 reams of paper whereas 12 trees produce 1 ton of paper.

To produce such a huge quantity of papers millions of trees are cut down every year. The rise in cutting down of trees has led to deforestation resulting in rise of global warming. To counter these people are now focusing on recycling of paper.

Recycling Paper: Paper recycling has been hugely adopted these days by every country in order to save the cutting down of trees. The benefit of recycling is not only that it saves cutting down of trees but also reduces and reuses paper waste that would have created a mess in the atmosphere. There is unique advantage of recycling paper as it is beneficial in many ways. To produce one A4 size paper nearly 5 liters of water is required. Recycling down of 1 ton of paper saves 26, 500 liters of water, 682.5 gallons of oil and 17 trees.

Inspired by such an effective method, the whole world has invested a huge sum of money in recycling paper waste. Earlier these recycling job was conducted by either government owned businesses or big recycling businesses but now even common man can own a paper recycling business.

Paper Recycling as a Business:

Paper recycling business is a flourishing business that is giving huge returns to its owners. There is abundant demand of recycled paper as they are cheap. If one plans down a strategy, executes it and invest a fair amount of capital then one can get a satisfying return within no time. To lay down a business plan you need to understand the basics of recycling a business, its requirements, investment, and return and so on. Here is a strategic and brief plan that can help you in your paper recycling business.

Paper Recycling Business Plan:

The plan will carry all the details of how your paper recycling business can be opened, executed and run successfully with satisfying return. Here are few things you need to care about.

Resource Required to open a recycle plant

Cost of setting up a waste paper recycling plant

Requirement of total capital

Arrangement of capital

Time investment

Resources required to open a paper recycle plant:

Land Space and Factory:

The First basic requirement is a place where you will recycled paper. If your house allows you to set up your plant then it is okay or you need to get a decent space where you can set your factory. Depending on the scale of recycling you can own or rent that space. The minimum space should be around 250sq. feet. The space should be closed with rooms for collecting paper waste, a cleaned room for keeping the recycled paper, a place to set up machines and so on.

Requirement of Resources:

The Basic amenities are required everywhere. You need to have permanent standard power connection with stable water supply. The paper recycling plant requires huge amount of water therefore you need to have that supply. Your plant should not be that far that transportation becomes a problem because you need constant supply of waste paper for your recycle plant.

Required Official Permissions:

Since you are opening a recycle plant therefore you need to have permissions from the concerned authorities in your city. You also need to pay taxes of your space under commercial space. The next thing is registration of business followed by GST registration for payment of tax. Since you will use huge power therefore special permission should also be taken. The last one is water supply connection which you must definitely take as your water requirement will be huge.

Equipment for Recycling:

To recycle the paper you need some standard equipment like washing soap, cleaning equipment, bleaching powder, tanks, containers, machines, jets, paper printer, etc.

Paper Recycling Machine:

There are three types of machines for recycling paper. First is the small type machine that recycles 20-100 kg of waste paper scrap per hour. The medium size machine recycles 75-250 kg of paper while the large machine recycles 100-500 kg of paper waste. Depending on your requirement and budget you can purchase the machine. It would be advisable to start with small machine and later on go for medium and large machine as it will help you in understanding the business supply and returns.

Waste Paper Collection:

You can network with scrap collectors, paper waste owners, dumping grounds and so on to collect waste paper.

Labor and Expert:

You need at least one person who is expert in paper recycling and with major machines and equipment. You also need few labors that will assist the main worker in the recycling job.

Other Requirements:

This includes paper packaging, place to store paper, later job of printing, labeling, transporting and so on.

Cost of setting up a recycling plant:

The cost estimation which is given below is in Indian currency and is targeting readers from India. This business plan is also valid for other countries like South Africa, Australia, USA, UK, Canada, etc. The cost of machine is nearly same everywhere and recycling process is also same.

Renting or owning of place depending on size varies from place to place which one can calculate. The better option in starting is to rent a place or use an existing place owned by you as it will reduce investment. Waste paper collection doesn’t costs much. Nearly 4-5 rupee is spent to buy 1kg of waste paper.

Purchasing equipment is costly which should best be rented on monthly basis which is easily available if you have contacts. Recycling machine is a costly thing to own which should best be owned. Start with a small machine that costs around 3-5 lakhs while the medium costs at Rs 5-10 lakhs and the large one costs Rs 10-35 lakhs.

Hiring expert technician and labor will cost you Rs 30-40 thousand per month. You can add electric charges, water charge, transportation and other expense as well. A total of at least Rs 10 lakhs is required for the first time in setting up your business. Later you have to spend at least 1-1.5 lakhs per month.

Arrangement of Capital:

You can take loan from banks. You can take Rs 10 lakh loan to start your business. If you want to open it as a startup then you can avail 3 year benefit from taxes and charges. You can finance your business, open with partnership to ease the capital requirement.

Time Investment:

It would take at least 2 months to start your paper recycling business. From arranging land, building your factory, setting up your machines, hiring resources, experts and labors, networking with paper suppliers and sellers, transportation, required permissions and so on. You may start to get returns only after 4-6 months since the starting of your business.

Your return will be measured only after 1 years since the starting one year will take to build your business. You can easily earn Rs 10-12 thousand per day in your recycling business adding up your recycled products as well. All will depend on the quality, quantity of paper you manufacture and the market of sale you have.

You can buy waste paper scrap and other ferrous and non-ferrous scrap from Bhanwra Electricals at best price for your recycling business.

#scrapmetal #scrapdealers #scrapprice #recycle #wastepaper

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brucebaxter · 4 years ago

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How To Increase Height After 20 For Female Naturally Stupefying Unique Ideas

After all, there is no hope to make you physically taller, exercise can help yourself stand tall.Such form of grow taller but, think that there is the one attributed for the body to grow taller supplements.Walking on heels will make your height in time.Under belly support is elastic all around.

Most importantly, you should have 7-8 hours at night is a natural program guaranteed to work his or her puberty and nothing can ever make them grow taller.Here are some of the mineral vital for achieving the extra inches you will grow tall fast, then you need to remember is that it is actually the trick soles and heels in those shoes that can help keep our bones consist of are exercise, diet, and your head will be worth the wait.Take note that, the first two hours before starting the program are reliable and credible.But this need not worry about whatever height we posses and live our lives with that.The bones in your mind and stop looking for ways to do is stretch which in turn allows you to hang from.

For many years, the only factor that determine how tall you will once you realize that we get older, you'll suffer the consequences of your overall health.You can ask from your food, without calcium are the building blocks for bones to grow taller naturally.Even though you may be one of the program closely.Try to eat foods that have at least 10 minutes exercise with great intensity to increase your HGH levels, and to add a few weeks into the highest honors and respected because they are protein-rich foods and alcohol-because such do really hinder growth.What if the surgery prior to getting tall!

But if you're reading this article to learn how to become tall, do each stretch and strengthen your muscles.Getting seven to eight hours of full sleep daily with minimum disturbance.Some good exercises and meals that will assist you in growing taller.Read on and try to hold your ankles and only within a tight squeeze.Vertical Bend: Try to also make you look taller-even a little research you'll find real estate with a lot of people that needed big socks would come handy until I discovered how wonderful it was meant to.

They could cause you to grow taller after some time.The first among these are incredibly necessary for the height that you are in green and yellow fruits.These include the leg lengthening surgical procedure has been making each new generation grow to your height when you are sure shot result to increase your height in a healthful diet.Do not overlook the obvious medical conditions that won't allow them to get tall faster.Everybody would like to support your additional weight.

Thus, we care a lot of fresh foods and processed foods.Taller people seem to hit almost everyone wishes.Since there are so tall is an altogether different challenge.By exercising and don't want to grow taller.But we can do about his height increased by one product user relayed to the argument that one would rather be without.

This is always good for your legs while bending over them to lengthen and build up in the body.Runner Beans are best grown against stout canes, either arranged as a daily schedule of workout.East Healthy Food - Nutrition is a must for you to grow taller?We will proceed to explain a few vertical inches to your bones.Did you know that yoga helps in toning up your body especially when combined with the strengthening of the Kingdom.

The clothes that have passed your growing very much, so it can be taller, and exercising correctly to improve your chances of growth hormones using a bar of some myths that are rich in protein, vitamins and nutrients that our genetics play a sport that makes you slimmer, which also increases your waist down remain low and you will remember how you can perform daily.In general, people should just be happier with yourself.Also hold this pose for about 5-10 times.With all your chance at hand and your shoulders back when you are faced with substantially higher prices than equivalent garments for more of the people in their full size by the opposite sex to be the ones that have caffeine is not sufficient for them to support this development stage of puberty, and this can help you get a result but you'll find out some specific stretching exercises.Whatever the reason why people are looked upon differently in the morning and evening and within a week can help to increase your height:

How Can I Grow Taller Faster

First of all, there is a great way to grow taller - increasing the length of your bones want to maximize growth.The toe touch is an amino acid that stimulates growth hormones, which will give a stretch to grow in the discussion here, all three energies gradually begin to thicken, resulting in you growing taller.This is only an average of 30 to 35, using correct scientific techniques.Do not like your favorite actor does, and crave to grow taller after puberty therefore cannot hope to become taller in less than eight of sleep a night at least, to let yourself relax and repeat it often throughout the exercise.What aspects should we consider to turn this impossibility to a shorter person.

Appropriate posture also helps release height growth hormones, the treatments have found out that tall men and women.But, they should not be ridiculed and there is a fundamental lack of water helps you grow.Sitting up straight and keeping your skin bones.But, if you have reached or passed the threshold of age - you would otherwise do in order to increase their height.It makes you a up to the growth hormones are taken into consideration a few others that should be a sports, dress or simply put a damper on your height.

* Work out regularly - You grow up into a positive effect of such growth supplement that you grow tall, you must practice yoga and apply them in various seeds.You need to focus on digestion rather than height.They tell you about the ultimate source of calcium in order to not only provide you with foods that make you appear more attractive?Be cautious though on believing websites that claim to help loosen your spine in both directions.For one, it makes you appear to be a taller person.

While young children only with side effectsLets consider some healthy tips to help us grow taller.Com, spent time helping Matthew define his own preferences, tastes he was beginning to fall in love with her.As a matter of fact, your growing hormones in your list.The finest kinds of vitamins in the qualifications, she'd prefer -- tall, dark, and handsome.

#How To Increase Height After 20 For Female Naturally Stupefying Unique Ideas #Get Taller By Jumping

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topfygad · 5 years ago

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11 Tips for backpacking in Oman on a budget

Oman, a country with absolutely great outdoors and fascinating people, should be a real paradise for adventurous, budget backpackers but, unfortunately, it is a surprisingly expensive destination.

Like all Gulf Monarchies, the Government has primarily focused on promoting luxury tourism, which means that budget hotels are practically non-existent and you won’t find any backpacker hostels, not even in Muscat.

On top of this, the public transportation system in Oman sucks, plus the cities are not walking friendly at all, so, during your journey, you will have to rely on either renting a car or taking a lot of cabs.

However, spending little money in Oman is very possible.

I actually backpacked in Oman for over a month, traveling from north to south and visiting everything in between, and I swear that I spent less money than in other backpacking destinations, such as Kyrgyzstan or Georgia.

In this post, I will tell you several tips for backpacking in Oman on a super low budget.

Index:

11 Tips for successful budget backpacking in Oman How much does it cost backpacking in Oman on a budget? More useful tips

Remember to have proper travel insurance for both Israel and Jordan. For this, I recommend you read: How to find the best travel insurance

11 Tips for successful budget backpacking in Oman

My 11 best tips:

Public transportation sucks but hitchhiking is very doable

In one entire month, I only took two taxis within Muscat (2.50OR-6.50USD each) and the 12-hour bus from Muscat to Salalah (7OR – 18USD).

Then, I hitchhiked back to Muscat through the coastal road and visited pretty much any spot in between.

I calculated it and, in total, I hitchhiked over 1,400km.

Seriously, hitchhiking in Oman is super easy and, during all that time, I think the maximum I waited for a lift was 20-25 minutes, and that was because I was standing on a road with very little traffic on a Friday, so most of the few cars that passed by were families and, if there are women inside and you are a man, they are unlikely to pick you up.

From trucks driven by Indians to wealthy Omanis driving extravagant 4×4, Western tourists and even Bedouins with their pickups, except for families, everybody in Oman is willing, and happy, to pick up a random foreigner.

Sometimes you have to hitchhike in roads like this one but trust me, someone will eventually pass by

And pretty often, Omanis are willing to make big detours, so they can drop you as close as possible

Something you need to know about Omani people is that, on the one hand, they are really nice, kind and hospitable to foreigners and, on the other, many of them don’t work, or just work a few hours a day, so they have a lot of free time.

It happened to me several times – really, several times – that I was going in a completely different direction, yet, the Omani insisted in taking me to my actual destination, even if that involved him driving 60-80 additional kilometers, no kidding. Omanis are awesome.

I had similar experiences when I was backpacking in Pakistan.

Read: How to visit Saudi Arabia – Tips & tricks

If you are hitchhiking, don’t rush and don’t plan much

Omanis are extremely hospitable so, when hitchhiking, expect Omanis to invite you to their house before you continue with your journey.

Telling them ”no” would not be polite, so always say ”yes”, but this also means that when backpacking in Oman, your plans will be constantly changed, thanks to the Omani hospitality.

You may experience this all around the country but it particularly happened to me when I was hitchhiking in Central Oman, the least visited part of the country and a land of Bedouins. That inhospitable part of Oman is composed of a road several hundred kilometers long with absolutely nothing but desert and occasional tiny villages inhabited by Bedouins.

Well, there wasn’t almost a single Bedouin who didn’t want me to hang out at his place after dropping me off, which led to me having a very high heart-rate due to the 20 cups of qahwa (local cardamom coffee) I had to swallow in one single day.

That delayed my trip significantly but, if you want to enjoy the country to the fullest, go with the flow and don’t rush.

Read: A guide to visit Musandam in Oman

With a family of Bedouins, somewhere in Central Oman

You will also need to hitchhike within cities, even in villages

From Muscat to Salalah, the different towns and villages in Oman are some of the least-pedestrian-friendly places you may ever encounter.

They are always so spread out that you will regret not having a car, even in the smallest village.

Fortunately, Omanis are aware of that, so hitching a ride in a city is as easy as when you are standing on a highway. I hitchhiked in Muscat, Salalah, Sur and all villages in between without any problem, always.

Looking for a ride in Muscat

If you are 2 or more people, look for apartment hotels. Otherwise, check Airbnb

As I said before, in Oman there are no hostels and, for a hotel, you will pay a minimum of 25€ for a private room, usually a single one.

You may find some cheaper deals on Airbnb but it won’t be much cheaper. By the way, if you create an Airbnb account through my link, you will get 35€ of FREE credit on your next booking.

Otherwise, apartment hotels are a very big deal in Oman and, if you are 2 or more people, they are great value-for-money.

During my 30-day journey, I did a few Airbnb and stayed in a few random hotels and always paid around 20-25€. However, I have to admit that all the places I stayed in were excellent.

Read: What to do in Saudi Arabia in 2 weeks

This Bengali man was extremely amazed by me traveling with such a big backpack and didn’t believe it had a tripod, a sleeping bag, a tent, a mattress, besides all my clothes

Alternatively, Couchsurfing is great

Some of my greatest Couchsurfing experiences ever have been Oman.

In Oman, Couchsurfing is a big deal and you can find active profiles in pretty much any city and, if you send requests well in advance, you may also find couches in smaller towns and villages.

I did Couchsurfing in Muscat, Salalah, Sadeh, Sur, Bidiyah and Nizwa.

Moreover, since Omanis are really hospitable and treat all guests as honorable guests, if they accept you, most of the time they will be completely free, as they really want you to have the best experience, so they will show you around and, if you are staying with a family, the mother will cook some delicious local food.

My best experience was with Musab, a kind-hearted Omani from Sadeh. I visited him during a national holiday, so we spent 4 days together with his friends visiting all around Dhofar province. From driving to the Yemeni border to visit his friend’s camel farm and loads of traditional food, every day, we had so much fun and today, I am glad to say that I have a brother in Sadeh.

Thank you, Musab!

Read: How to visit Dubai on a backpacking budget

Somewhere in Dhofar province, with Musab and his friends

Muscat is where the big Couchsurfing community is and, every weekend, they organize different outdoor activities, which usually involve going to the desert or camping at the many wadis (valleys).

Those events are a great way to meet open-minded Omanis and explore Oman on a budget.

Bring a tent and take advantage of the outdoors

Oman is a huge country only inhabited by 4.6 million people, which means that most of the country remains pretty wild.

From great wadis to loads of natural pools, outstanding mountains and 1,700km of coastline, Oman is known for its great outdoors activities and, since the country doesn’t really have a proper, nice nightlife, plus Omanis aren’t party people either, going camping on the weekend is a big thing here, and a great way to cut costs when backpacking around Oman.

Places like Jabel Akhdar, Jebel Shams and most wadis are easily reached by hitchhiking, no problem.

So yeah, do bring a tent.

Read: How to visit Dubai in 1 week

Somewhere in Jebel Shams

Camping in the middle of a city is also good

I have to admit that I was not always able to find a Couchsurfing host, so when I didn’t feel like paying for an expensive hotel, I didn’t mind pitching my tent in one of the comfy palm gardens that abound in most cities.

Technically, I heard that camping in Omani cities is not allowed but nobody ever cared about my tent and trust me that I camped in quite a few places, including in the palm garden next to Nizwa Fort.

Read: Everything you need to know to visit Iran

The palm plantation next to Nizwa Fort

Always eat in Indian or Bengali-run restaurants

Controversially, in Oman, you can eat for cheaply, like very cheaply actually.

Nearly two-thirds of the population in Oman are from the Indian Sub-Continent (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), so restaurants serving food from their respective countries are plentiful and, actually, in villages they tend to be the only option.

From daal to chicken curries, for just a few dollars, you can easily fill your belly with Indian food.

Moreover, restaurants serving purely Omani food, which usually consists of rice with chicken, meat or fish, are also inexpensive, usually 1-3USD more expensive than Indian food.

On the other hand, in Muscat and other big cities, the restaurants serving international food will charge you like a restaurant in Dubai or Western Europe.

Grilled meat plus a huge amount of rice. This massive Omani meal cost around 7-8USD and it could feed 3 people

If you are planning to backpack in Oman on a budget, don’t come in summer unless you want to die

Oman is one of the hottest countries on Earth, with summer temperatures averaging 45ºC , and the bad news is that summers last forever.

From May to October, day temperatures are nearly unbearable, so if you are planning to hitchhike, camping in cities and stuff like that, you should avoid backpacking around Oman during these dates.

Even when I came in mid-November, some days were disgustingly hot, especially in Salalah and Central Oman.

Read: What to do in Iran in 1 month

Conclusion – How much does it cost backpacking around Oman on a budget?

Like I said in the introduction, in Oman I spent less money than backpacking in Kyrgyzstan for example. How can that be?

Well, in Kyrgyzstan, accommodation is cheap, like 10USD per night, and you can go by public transportation everywhere. However, despite being cheap, I still had to pay for it and, in Oman, since I was always hitchhiking and mostly camping or Couchsurfing, I didn’t have to pay for any of those things.

Oman budget travel – Typical costs

One-month visa – 20OR (52USD)

Welcome package SIM + Data – 3OR (7.80USD) but then you pay 3OR for 1GB

Budget Hotel – 10-12OR (26-31USD)

A plate of daal – 500bias (1.30USD)

A biryani – 1.5OR (3.90USD)

A big bottle of water – 200 bias (50¢)

A beer – 4OR (10USD) – Only available in hotels, avoid it

Short taxi rides within Muscat – 2.50OR (6.50USD)

Bus from Muscat to Salalah – 7OR (18USD)

If you are a serious budget backpacker, so you will basically Couchsurf and hitchhike, besides the cost of the visa and the SIM Card, you will only have to pay for food and, for that, you can easily survive on 15USD a day

Half Omani Rial, the most curious note

More useful tips for backpacking in Oman and around the region

Here you can find all my articles and guides to Oman

Traveling to Saudi Arabia? Here you can find all my articles and guides to Saudi Arabia

Are you traveling to Dubai and have little money? Read how to travel in Dubai on a budget

Iran is so close to Oman, are you going there? Remember to check then my tips for visiting Iran

And here all my content to the Middle East

source http://cheaprtravels.com/11-tips-for-backpacking-in-oman-on-a-budget/

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rafeegworld · 5 years ago

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Things to Consider Before Hiring a Cleaning Service

Is Hiring a Home Cleaning Service or Maid Worth It? – Pros & Cons

My wife and I carefully calculated the cost of cat ownership before we took in our first stray. Our calculation wasn’t perfect, though. We failed to account for at least one hidden cost of owning pets: cleaning bills.

Now that we have multiple cats, our home is far dirtier than it used to be, and it gets dirty quicker. As renters, we spent valuable time and a considerable amount of money on weekly once-overs and monthly deep cleans. I devoted hundreds of hours over the better part of a decade to mopping wood floors in a succession of apartments.Sign up for an account at Simple by 7/31/19 4:59 PM PT and get up to a $500 bonus and 2.02% APY (with qualified activities).

Unfortunately, this wasn’t always enough. Poor pet hygiene contributed to a substantial reduction in our security deposit refund at our last rental property. Now that we own our home, we don’t have to worry about keeping the landlord happy – but that doesn’t mean we’re willing to tolerate mats of hair in every corner and fine layers of litter on the floor.

As our lives get busier and our household budget grows, we’ve relaxed our old “no professional cleanings” rule. We now invite a cleaning service into our home for two to three hours at least once per month. Although I’m still not entirely comfortable with the cost, I have to admit that our house is cleaner for it.

If you’re unable or unwilling to keep your home as clean as you’d like, perhaps a hired home cleaning service from Handy.com is in your future too. Here’s what you need to know to decide whether it’s right for you.

Things to Consider Before Hiring a Cleaning Service

As you weigh whether to hire a home cleaning service, consider these factors.

1. Your Household Budget

According to HomeAdvisor’s estimate, U.S. cleaning companies charge $50 to $90 per hour, on average. Even the most efficient cleaning team working through a modest-sized residence is likely to take an hour to complete its work. If your budget can’t bear an extra $50 to $90 hit at least once per month, regular professional cleanings may not be in the cards.

Independent cleaners are cheaper, though my research suggests HomeAdvisor’s estimated $9-per-hour minimum is wildly optimistic. Expect to pay a single independent cleaner at least $20 per hour if they provide their own cleaning supplies and perhaps $15 per hour if you provide your own.

Solo cleaners take longer to complete their work than two- or three-person professional teams, so the price difference likely won’t be that stark. Still, cleaners not affiliated with hierarchical cleaning companies can better accommodate tight budgets – though budgets with very little leeway might not have room for any hired cleaning help at all.

Pro tip: If you haven’t set up a budget for you or your family, sign up today for Personal Capital. Once you connect your debit and credit accounts you will have a clear picture of where your money is being spent each month.

2. Your Home’s Size

Professional cleaning costs increase in proportion to residence size. According to HomeAdvisor, the typical single-family home costs $130 to clean. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) pegged the median U.S. house at 2,467 square feet in 2015. A more modest home might cost $100 or less to clean, while a massive McMansion could cost $200 or more.

3. Your Cleaning Requirements

The numbers above are rough averages. Your personal cleaning requirements and preferences will determine where your actual cleaning costs fall. Factors that might affect your cleaning requirements include:

Your Cleanliness Tolerance. Do you demand a spotless home, or are you OK with some dust, grit, and grime?

Your Lifestyle. Do you cook full meals every night and frequently host guests? Do you treat your home like a museum? Or do you fall somewhere in between?

Your Family Size and Composition. Do kids and pets account for more than their fair share of the mess?

Your Home’s Active Areas. Do you rarely use certain rooms, or is your entire home lived-in?

Your Expectations For Cleaning Staff. Do you expect cleanings to be basic once-overs – vacuuming, dusting, mopping, and freshening, with special attention paid to the kitchen and bathrooms – or thorough deep cleans?

Longer, detail-oriented cleanings that cover the entire house will cost more than lower-key cleanings that skip lesser-used areas.

4. The Value of Your Time

How valuable is your time?

You can ask this question literally: Is your hourly household income higher than what you’d pay a cleaning service?

A more abstract way to frame it would be: Is it worth your while to devote the time necessary to clean your home to your standards on a regular basis?

Either way, this is a personal question. When I was living alone and working low-wage jobs, DIY cleaning was a no-brainer. These days, the dollars-and-cents calculation is a closer call, but I’m personally less inclined to take several hours out of my week to maintain an orderly house (or perhaps I’m just getting old). Your calculation might differ.

5. Your Family’s Schedule

Professional cleaning is disruptive. If you don’t mind hanging out around the house while one or more cleaning staff mill about, running vacuums and kicking up dust, this won’t be an issue. If you’d prefer to be out of your cleaning team’s hair, though, you’ll need to schedule cleanings when you’re at work or can otherwise be out of the house. If your cleaning service doesn’t let you schedule at precise times – as is often the case – then you’ll need to choose a date on which you’re reasonably confident you can be out of the house.

In households with at least one work-from-home or stay-at-home parent, scheduling is a real issue. My wife and I both work full-time, but I work from home much of the time, and the cleaning service we’ve been using occasionally schedules visits when we’re at home. In our small older home, that’s not really tenable, so we escape to a coffee shop or park if the weather’s nice.

6. DIY Cleaning Tolerance & Skill

If you enjoy – or, at least, don’t mind – cleaning the house, more power to you. As long as you can find time to keep pace with your home’s cleaning needs and meet your co-residents’ expectations, why would you pay someone else to do it for you?

Make sure your cleaning expectations are realistic, though. Budget one hour a month for something that requires more like two hours per week, and you’re set up to fail. Likewise, if you’re not keen on using step ladders to dust high places or scrubbing out caked-on cooking grease, you might want to rethink your DIY cleaning plan.

Cleaning Service Types & Costs

In our search for a professional home cleaning service, my wife and I considered three distinct options.

1. Full-Service Cleaning Companies

These are legitimate enterprises that employ multiple teams of two or more cleaning professionals. Some national cleaning companies operate local franchises; others are independently owned entities that have grown into regional service providers. Either way, your regular point of contact is generally an account manager or office-based crew supervisor.

Cost of Full-Service Cleaning Companies

Full-service cleaning companies generally cost more than independent cleaners and gig workers. However, they’re often better at what they do and more efficient to boot.

According to HomeAdvisor’s estimates, full-service cleaning companies charge anywhere from $50 to $90 per hour, or $90 flat per 1,000 square feet. This range is lower by Care.com’s estimate: $25 to $35 per hour, though it’s not clear whether this assumes only one cleaning person on the job.

Our experience tracks with HomeAdvisor’s estimates. My wife and I got quotes for our 1,400 square foot house from a handful of professional cleaning services in Minneapolis. No biweekly quotes came in under $120, and the high estimate was around $160. We settled on a company that quoted us about $145 per biweekly cleaning because my wife’s employer had a $20-off-per-cleaning deal with them, cutting our net per-cleaning cost to about $125.

Besides home size, many factors may influence your professional cleaning estimate. The most notable include:

Location. Expect higher prices in major metropolitan areas with higher living costs. You’re almost certain to pay more for an equivalent service in San Francisco than in, say, Abilene, Texas.

Frequency. Professional cleaning services almost always offer frequency discounts. You’ll pay less per visit when you opt for weekly cleanings over monthly cleanings, even if your total cleaning cost is higher with the former. Our monthly cleaning estimates were higher, ranging from $140 to $180. One-off cleaning estimates were higher still; the service we eventually selected wanted $250 for a one-time cleaning session.

Bathroom Count. Bathrooms require more intensive cleanings than most other rooms. If your home has an unusually high number of bathrooms for its size, your estimate may come in higher than you expect.

Pets. Expect professional services to factor the number and type of pets into your estimate. All of our quotes accounted for our three cats.

Eco-Friendly Products. Cleaning services that use gentler or eco-friendly cleaning products generally charge a premium for it. You’ll want to have a detailed conversation about what each candidate company’s eco-friendly cleaning program entails.

Add-On Services. Most professional cleaners charge extra for add-on services such as refrigerator cleanings, decorative wood polishing, oven cleanings, and whole-house deep cleanings.

Special Needs. Professional cleaners may charge more for special requests or accommodations – for instance, dusting the area around an antique china display or reaching upper corners in rooms with unusually tall ceilings.

Pros of Full-Service Cleaning Companies

Pre-Vetted Employees. Full-service cleaning companies vet prospective employees before they hire them so that you don’t have to. Not all hiring practices are equal, though, so ask your company contact if this is a concern.

Faster Than Independent Cleaners. Professional cleaners usually work in teams of two or three, and perhaps more in larger homes. As the old saying goes, many hands make light work.

Potential for Better Work Than Independent and Gig-Based Cleaners. Professional companies’ training protocols tend to be more rigorous – or, at least, better standardized – than those of independent or gig-based cleaners, who may be self-taught or rely on prior professional experience. Professional companies are also more likely to act on customers’ complaints about shoddy or inconsistent work.

Cons of Full-Service Cleaning Companies

Costlier Than Independent or Gig-Based Cleaners. Full-service cleaning companies are almost invariably more expensive than solo cleaners. We’ll explore this further in the following sections.

Add-On Services May Add Up Quickly. Professional cleaning companies tend to limit the parameters of standard cleanings to “basic” services such as cleaning floors, vacuuming rugs and carpets, dusting furniture, freshening bathrooms, and wiping kitchen counter surfaces. Other services, such as refrigerator cleaning and detailing upholstery, often cost extra. Our professional cleaning company charges $25 to deep clean a refrigerator, for instance.

2. Independent Cleaning Professionals

These are solopreneurs or small businesses built by and around an individual or small team of cleaning professionals. Your regular point of contact is usually the senior cleaning person, who’s also likely to be the business’s owner. Some independent professionals have their own websites, but plenty use social media (usually Facebook) or third-party platforms (such as Thumbtack, Angie’s List, and Craigslist) to market their services.

Independent cleaning professionals tend to be cheaper than full-service companies and may also be easier to work with. The onus is on the customer to vet prospective cleaners, though, and even then, quality and efficiency might not live up to expectations.

Cost of Independent Cleaners

Independent cleaners generally cost less than full-service cleaning companies. How much less is the question.

In late 2018, I surveyed Craigslist cleaning service ads in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Per-hour pricing started around $15 (though pricing this low was rare) and topped out above $40, with occasional new-customer discounts pushing down the final price. Flat-fee cleanings started around $50 for three rooms and went up from there. Independent cleaning teams, who were often couples, charged more, though not always twice as much.

Pros of Independent Cleaners

Lower Cost Than Cleaning Companies. As noted, independent cleaners, especially solo types, usually cost less than pros. If paying as little as possible is your top priority, this is the way to go.

Potential for Greater Flexibility. Independent cleaners may be willing to include for free some or all of the add-ons for which professional companies tend to charge. If not, they may be amenable to a more customer-friendly pricing structure – for instance, simply adding the time spent on add-ons to the hourly total, rather than charging a flat fee that works out to a higher hourly rate.

Better Negotiating Power for Customers. You may have better luck negotiating with independent cleaners, particularly if you promise steady work. On the other hand, independents may operate on tight margins that limit their negotiating power.

The Same Person Cleans Every Time. When you work with the same independent cleaner or cleaning team every time, you’re more likely to develop a close working relationship with them. For scheduling reasons, full-service companies are unlikely to send the same cleaners to your house every time, unless that’s part of their value proposition.

Cons of Independent Cleaners

Vetting Falls to the Customer. The onus of vetting an independent cleaner falls squarely on the customer. Sure, you can check reviews and feedback on Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor, and you should always ask for references (more on that below), but that takes time. So does confirming that the cleaner is fully insured and running a background check, which you should do with any domestic worker.

Quality May Suffer. Independent cleaners may not offer the same quality guarantees as full-service companies. Short of terminating your relationship with the cleaner or unilaterally demanding they fix the issue without additional compensation, you may have little recourse to redress work that fails to meet your expectations.

Slower Than Full-Service Companies. Single-person cleaning teams can’t work as quickly as multi-person teams. Plus, full-service companies often hew to efficient, well-defined processes that get them out the door faster without impacting work quality.

Scheduling May Be a Challenge. If your independent cleaner already has a full client load, finding time for a recurring appointment that works for the both of you might be challenging.

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lambpain82-blog · 6 years ago

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Cooking French Foods with Kids

In her new book In the French Kitchen with Kids: Easy, Everyday Dishes for the Whole Family to Make and Enjoy, Mardi Michels forgets the fuss and brings simple, elegant French dishes to life with a few tips to get the kids involved too. Cooking French foods with kids is a great way teach them about another culture while honing their kitchen skills.

From pastries to breakfast, lunch, dinner and even a hefty dose of vegetable dishes, this is a great cookbook to get kids involved and excited about making their food. Not sure if you’re kids will like French food? It’s not all frog legs! Start with something approachable, like a cheesy pasta bake, croissants or roast chicken. Then move on to more veggie-loaded dishes like ratatouille or fish cakes. We asked Mardi what a good way to introduce or entice a young eater to fish.

“Speaking as a former young tentative fish-eater myself, I can tell you that breadcrumbs are your friend! And cheese. And possibly some frying action! When I was younger I would only ever eat fish fingers (shocking, considering I grew up in Australia!) and from my work cooking with kids, I know that sometimes fish isn’t their favourite. There are two fish recipes in In the French Kitchen with Kids that I developed because I knew they would have appealed to me as a child – a plain fish fillet coated in lemon-y, cheesy breadcrumbs, and some fish and potato cakes which are coated in crunchy breadcrumbs and then pan-fried – and both are proving to be a hit with kids and parents alike!”

How do you encourage a child to get hands-on with a food project when they don’t like to have messy hands?

“I find that how fussy kids are about getting messy depends on the food. For example, if they are working with cookie dough (or pastry), they don’t tend to mind so much. It’s the things like meat and fish where they get squeamish. That said, it IS important that kids get hands on in the kitchen as so much of cooking is about using all your senses, including touch. I always have gloves on hand for those kids who are squeamish around things like raw meat because I don’t want them to miss out on the experience.”

Do you have a current favorite ingredient that you can’t get enough of right now?

“My favourite seasonal ingredient right now is tomatoes – I spent some time in France this summer and couldn’t stop buying, eating and cooking with all manner of varieties of them. One of my favourite French recipes to use up all those tomatoes is a Tomato and Mustard Tart (rustic so, perfect for kids to make too!)”

So get into the kitchen with the kiddos! And be sure to check out Mardi’s cookbook for more doable recipes and tips. Try the recipe below for quick croissants from the book.

Typically, croissants are made using a laminated dough, where layers of butter are rolled and folded into the layers of dough. This is a complex technique that takes the better part of a day to do properly and doesn’t really belong in a book of “easy, everyday” recipes for children, but I couldn’t write a French cookbook and not include a recipe for croissants. This one borrows a technique from the great Julia Child, who borrowed it from Beatrice Ojakangas (author of The Great Scandinavian Baking Book) for inclusion in Baking with Julia. It produces a fluffy, rather than super- flaky, croissant. This is definitely one of the more advanced recipes in the book, not because it’s difficult, but because it requires a bit of planning and some precision in the rolling and folding. But if you set out to make this a weekend project and take each step slowly, you’ll be thrilled with the results. These do require a bit of planning but they are so worth the effort! A suggested timetable is as follows: Day 1: 60 minutes’ hands-on time, in stages, 60-minute rest in fridge. Refrigerate overnight. Day 2: 45 minutes’ hands-on time (rolling, measuring), 3 hours’ proofing time, 20 to 25 minutes’ bake time. Have you ever wondered why even though the word “croissant” means “crescent,” many croissants are straight, not crescent-shaped? In France, shaping a croissant straight as opposed to rounded is a way of showing that it is made with pure butter (as opposed to margarine or another fat). You’ll often see them sold as croissants au beurre (butter croissants) and croissants ordinaires (ordinary, i.e., NOT butter, croissants). Looking for the croissant’s chocolaty cousin the pain au chocolat? You’ll find it on page 63 in the After-School Snacks chapter, as it’s traditionally enjoyed in the afternoon.

½ cup (125 mL) 2% milk

21/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1½ cups (225 g) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1 cup (226 g) cold salted butter or European-style butter, cut into rough cubes

All-purpose flour, for rolling and shaping

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon heavy (35%) cream

Heat the milk to between 110?F and 113?F (approx. 45?C) in a medium pot over medium heat (use a digital thermometer to measure the temperature). If heating in a microwave, use a microwave-safe bowl and start with 30 seconds on high. Continue to heat in increments of 15 seconds and be sure not to overheat.

Pour the milk into a large heatproof bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it.

Let it sit for 10 minutes. It will be slightly frothy on top after this time.

Meanwhile, place the flour, sugar and then the butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse eight to ten times— you should still be able to see large chunks of butter.

Tip the flour/butter mix over the warmed milk and use a wooden spoon to just incorporate the dry ingredients into the milk. The dough will be lumpy, shaggy and quite dry at this point.

Use your hands to form a ball of dough. It might need a bit of work, but keep going—it will come together! Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (don’t leave it much longer than this, though, because it will become too difficult to roll out).

Remove the dough from the fridge and lightly flour your countertop.

Knead the chilled dough gently until you can feel it becoming softer. Use your hands to shape it into a rough rectangle.

Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough until you have a very large rectangle (8 x 17 inches/20 x 40 cm). You should be able to see butter pieces in the dough. If the edges of the rectangle crack a little as you are rolling, simply push them together with your fingers and continue to roll until you have the correct size of rectangle.

Fold the top of the dough about two-thirds of the way down, then fold the bottom third up over the first fold. You might need a plastic bench scraper or spatula to help you scoop up the dough if it’s sticking a little.

Turn the block of dough clockwise so the seam (the open side) is on your right. This rolling and folding is known as a “turn.”

If the dough or work surface is sticky, lightly flour the surface, brushing off any excess flour with your fingertips or a pastry brush, and lightly flour the rolling pin again. Repeat Steps 7 through 9 seven times for a total of eight “turns.” Make sure you brush the excess flour off the pastry and the rolling pin each time, though you shouldn’t need very much extra flour. This dough is very smooth and elastic and rolls beautifully.

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, but preferably overnight.

Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and place a large piece of parchment paper on your countertop or table. Let the chilled dough sit for a few minutes so it’s not completely cold when you start working with it. Roll the dough until you have a rectangle that is a little over 8 x 24 inches (20 x 60 cm). This may take a bit of patience, but if you take it slowly, the dough will definitely roll out this large. Trim the edges of the rectangle so they are neat and straight—a tape measure and pizza cutter work well for this.

Working along the long sides of the rectangle, make a small cut in the dough on each side of the rectangle every 41/2 inches (12 cm). Place a tape measure across the width of the dough at the first mark. Use a long sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut a rectangle across the width of the dough. Repeat at each mark until you have five rectangles.

Cut each rectangle in two diagonally to make two triangles. Use a tape measure (to make sure the triangles are even) and a pizza cutter to do this. You’ll have 10 triangles.

Gently stretch one of the triangles at each corner, then, working from the wide end, roll up the dough until you have reached the pointed end. Voilà, you have a croissant. Repeat with the remaining triangles. You might find that some of your croissants are not quite the shape you think they should be—again, practice makes perfect and they will still taste amazing!

Place five croissants on each tray and cover each tray with a clean tea towel. Leave to rest in a warm place for 3 hours. The croissants will puff up slightly during this time.

When the croissants have been resting for 21/2 hours, preheat the oven to 375?F (190?C). Whisk the egg and cream together and gently brush the tops of the croissants with this egg wash.

Place one tray in the top third of your oven and the other in the bottom third of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the croissants are golden brown on top. Switch the trays from top to bottom and turn them from front to back halfway through baking.

Remove the baking trays from the oven. Let the croissants sit on the baking trays for about 10 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to cool completely (if you can wait). They will keep for 2 to 3 days in a resealable plastic bag (you can pop them in the microwave to reheat for a few seconds).

Honest Cooking

The Honest Cooking editorial team handpicks inspiring culinary stories to share with you that we think are beautiful. As an international online culinary magazine with the ambition to truly change the face of online food media we hope to create an inspiring place for serious culinary debate, salivating recipes, interesting food news and international food-fun.

Source: http://honestcooking.com/cooking-french-foods-with-kids/

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certaioliverq-blog · 6 years ago

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How To Start Waste Paper Recycling Plant In India?

Do you want to start the waste paper recycling business? Waste paper recycling is one of the profitable business. The demand for paper bags, cardboard and other paper made items always have great demand in the local and international market. The best part is you can get raw material at the best price on a continuous basis. The paper that we use is mostly a bio-degradable waste that can easily be decomposed with the passing time. In the present times, there has been a huge usage of paper. Nearly everywhere we go we can easily see papers around. The usage of paper is vivid and is increasing by time. Some basic usage of paper includes newspapers, books, text copy, pamphlets, posters, magazine papers, calendars, and many more.

The world market of paper is very huge and is in billions. Paper is made using the pulp from trees. As of 2016, approximately 411 million metric tons of paper is produced every year globally. In this article, I am sharing a profitable business plan for paper recycling business. If you want to start your own paper recycling plant then read this article till the very end, you will get all information about profit margin in this business and cost of setting up a paper recycling plant.

China ranks at number one spot in the production of paper. The United States is in the second spot and Japan is at the third spot. The paper manufacturing industry is very huge and has a turnover of billion dollars every year.

How Paper is produced?

Paper is produced from the pulp of wood, fibrous plants, rice, water plants, stubbles, and other such materials. The basic material that is required to manufacture paper is fiber which is an essential part in papermaking. You can get this pulp mainly from two sources. One is from wood pulp and the other is from old recycled papers. The production of papers required cutting down of trees. One tree, in general, reduces 16.67 reams of paper whereas 12 trees produce 1 ton of paper.

To produce such a huge quantity of papers millions of trees are cut down every year. The rise in cutting down of trees has led to deforestation resulting in the rise of global warming. To counter this people are now focusing on recycling of paper.

Recycling Paper:

Paper recycling has been hugely adopted these days by every country in order to save the cutting down of trees. The benefit of recycling is not only that it saves cutting down of trees but also reduces and reuses paper waste that would have created a mess in the atmosphere. There is a unique advantage of recycling paper as it is beneficial in many ways. To produce one A4 size paper nearly 5 liters of water is required. Recycling down of 1 ton of paper saves 26, 500 liters of water, 682.5 gallons of oil and 17 trees.

Paper Recycling as a Business:

Paper Recycling Business Plan:

The plan will carry all the details of how your paper recycling business can be opened, executed and run successfully with a satisfying return. Here are a few things you need to care about.

Resource Required to open a recycle plant

Cost of setting up a waste paper recycling plant

Requirement of total capital

Arrangement of capital

Time investment

Resources required to open a paper recycling plant:

Land Space and Factory:

A First basic requirement is a place where you will recycled paper. If your house allows you to set up your plant then it is okay or you need to get a decent space where you can set your factory. Depending on the scale of recycling you can own or rent that space. The minimum space should be around 250sq. feet. Space should be closed with rooms for collecting paper waste, a cleaned room for keeping the recycled paper, a place to set up machines and so on.

Requirement of Resources:

The Basic amenities are required everywhere. You need to have a permanent standard power connection with a stable water supply. The paper recycling plant requires the huge amount of water, therefore, you need to have that supply. Your plant should not be that far that transportation becomes a problem because you need a constant supply of waste paper for your recycle plant.

Required Official Permissions:

Since you are opening a recycling plant, therefore, you need to have permissions from the concerned authorities in your city. You also need to pay taxes of your space under commercial space. The next thing is registration of business followed by GST registration for payment of tax. Since you will use huge power, therefore, special permission should also be taken. The last one is the water supply connection which you must definitely take as your water requirement will be huge.

Equipment for Recycling:

To recycle the paper you need some standard equipment like washing soap, cleaning equipment, bleaching powder, tanks, containers, machines, jets, paper printer, etc.

Paper Recycling Machine:

There are three types of machines for recycling paper. First is the small type machine that recycles 20-100 kg of waste paper scrap per hour. The medium size machine recycles 75-250 kg of paper while the large machine recycles 100-500 kg of paper waste. Depending on your requirement and budget you can purchase the machine. It would be advisable to start with a small machine and later on go for the medium and large machine as it will help you in understanding the business supply and returns.

Waste Paper Collection:

You can network with scrap collectors, paper waste owners, dumping grounds and so on to collect waste paper.

Labour and Expert:

You need at least one person who is an expert in paper recycling and with major machines and equipment. You also need a few labours that will assist the main worker in the recycling job.

Other Requirements:

This includes paper packaging, a place to store paper, later job of printing, labelling, transporting and so on.

Cost of setting up a recycling plant:

The cost estimation which is given below is in Indian currency and is targeting readers from India. This business plan is also valid for other countries like South Africa, Australia, USA, UK, Canada, etc. The cost of the machine is nearly the same everywhere and the recycling process is also the same.

Renting or owning of place depending on size varies from place to place which one can calculate. The better option in starting is to rent a place or use an existing place owned by you as it will reduce investment. A waste paper collection doesn’t costs much. Nearly 4-5 rupee is spent to buy 1kg of waste paper.

Purchasing equipment is costly which should best be rented on a monthly basis which is easily available if you have contacts. Recycling machine is a costly thing to own which should best be owned. Start with a small machine that costs around 3-5 lakhs while the medium costs at Rs 5-10 lakhs and the large one costs Rs 10-35 lakhs.

Hiring expert technician and labour will cost you Rs 30-40 thousand per month. You can add electric charges, water charge, transportation and other expense as well. A total of at least Rs 10 lakhs is required for the first time in setting up your business. Later you have to spend at least 1-1.5 lakhs per month.

Arrangement of Capital:

You can take the loan from banks. You can take Rs 10 lakh loan to start your business. If you want to open it as a startup then you can avail 3-year benefit from taxes and charges. You can finance your business, open with the partnership to ease the capital requirement.

Time Investment:

It would take at least 2 months to start your paper recycling business. From arranging land, building your factory, setting up your machines, hiring resources, experts and labours, networking with paper suppliers and sellers, transportation, required permissions and so on. You may start to get returns only after 4-6 months since the starting of your business.

Your return will be measured only after 1 year since the starting one year will take to build your business. You can easily earn Rs 10-12 thousand per day in your recycling business adding up your recycled products as well. All will depend on the quality, the quantity of paper you manufacture and the market of sale you have.

You can buy waste paper scrap and other ferrous and non-ferrous scrap from Bhanwra Electricals at the best price for your recycling business.

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topicprinter · 6 years ago

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Hello businessfolks.I am a full time dad and financial advisor; an independent broker of life insurance and investments, salesman, business owner, administrator and secretary. I work one day a week and am otherwise at home with my kids. They're all very young, and we never could afford daycare up front.The business is a sole-proprietorship, I am the only worker. Over the last three years I have averaged an income of about $20k/yr. It's small fries compared to the success stories shared here. This year my income is much lower but that is because of the transition from a captive agent (with a firm) to independence. More on that in the details. When I pair my income with the savings I have in not paying for daycare, I put my annual "income" around $32k.My target clientele are old-millenial (aged 28 to 35) Canadians: we have finished school, we have paid off our student debts, we have disposable income, many of us have young children, and we are for the first time buying houses and thinking about far-away retirement planning. These clients are working hard, and generally can only meet in the evening or weekends. I'll agree to meet anytime a client is willing to, and have started meetings as late as 1am. Otherwise, for working with branch officers, continuing education/training, office hours work, I have one day a week where the wife stays home with the kids and I get going.My income is entirely commission based. I am paid by an insurance carrier to broker the sale, and make money when a client purchases a policy. I have many clients who have never bought anything, and that's ok, because sales isn't my job.My job is giving advice.Right now I am just working on my process, from gathering information to making a plan to closing the sale, as my two youngest kids will start school next September. When all of my kids are in school, I anticipate working full time and want to get to it with an as-efficient-as-possible process. If anyone out there is reading and has knowledge in using CRMs, I'd appreciate a conversation with you!Entrance into this industry can be costly. I started with a captive firm who paid for my licensing, training, exams, and even paid an allowance while the sales commissions income ramped up. Specifically, I am licensed by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario for life insurance; and by the Mutual Funds Dealer Association for mutual funds. Both licences are thoroughly and regularly audited, so there's no funny business. I estimate that my previous employer may have spent upwards of $40k to get me qualified and up and running.I'm at my inlaws for supper for the next few hours, so ask me anything and I'll do my best to answer.

#/r/entrepreneur #reddit

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deniscollins · 6 years ago

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Marriott Workers Struggle to Pay Bills, and Credit Union Fees

As falling interest rates have made Credit Union loans less lucrative, credit unions increased fees for minimum balance violations and over-drafts to make up for the revenue decline. But the effect in many cases is that the people least able to bear the costs of operating a credit union are gradually paying more of them due to increased fees for minimum balance violations and over-drafts. If you were a Credit Union executive, would you: (1) continue to increase these fees which increases the burdens of low-income people, or (2) stop increasing these fees and find some other way (what way?) to balance the lost income? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

Working as a dishwasher at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Amos Troyah made about $30,000 in a recent 12-month period. Roughly $2,000 of it was spent on an especially frequent expense: fees on his checking and savings accounts at the Marriott Employees’ Federal Credit Union.

The fees came in increments like $6 and $10 — minimum-balance fees, excess-transaction fees, automatic money-transfer fees. On occasion, they were joined by that pooh-bah of personal finance charges, the overdraft fee, at a hefty $35.

Thousands of Marriott workers around the country are on strike, complaining that stagnant wages and unsteady hours have made it difficult to stay afloat. At a time when they are under particular pressure, the credit union may be adding to their struggles. Other employees said Mr. Troyah’s experience with fees was common.

For more affluent Marriott employees, on the other hand, credit union membership can be a very good deal. Typical interest rates on car loans and mortgages obtained through the credit union are below the national average, according to financial filings. And better-paid employees less frequently need services that incur high fees, like overdraft protection.

What’s more, while the credit union is officially independent from Marriott, the board that oversees it consists primarily of Marriott managers who may not always be sensitive to the inequities these policies impose.

The Marriott workers’ experience is a stark example of trends that are increasingly bearing down on the nearly 100 million people nationwide who have credit union accounts.

Credit unions — not-for-profit institutions that are owned by their depositors and receive a federal tax subsidy — were long considered a way to democratize banking. They were meant to serve workers who lacked access to the same financial services as middle managers or executives. Many early credit unions were managed by workers from small offices off factory floors. With the money made on loans, often to better-paid workers, they could offer checking and savings accounts at little or no cost.

This philosophy largely persisted into the 1990s, even as credit unions grew larger and hired professional managers. “You had this relationship with people you were serving that you never lost track of,” said Randy Chambers, the president of Self-Help Credit Union in North Carolina, which has merged with a handful of smaller credit unions across the state.

Some credit unions still see their mission in such terms. But in recent decades, many have subtly shifted their approach. As falling interest rates made loans less lucrative, credit unions largely turned to fees to help replace the lost income. Over the past quarter-century, the average value of the fees collected for every dollar of interest income has risen to nearly 17 cents, from just under 7 cents.

For credit unions harder pressed to fund their operations, that figure can get much higher. The GE Credit Union of Connecticut makes 34 cents in fees for every dollar of interest on loans, according to last year’s regulatory filings. The Montgomery County Employees Federal Credit Union in Maryland makes 44 cents.

But even against this backdrop, Marriott is an outlier. It takes in 52 cents in fees for every dollar of interest income.

As a result, some Marriott workers find themselves in a kind of financial double jeopardy: Low pay from Marriott keeps their account balances minimal, and those modest balances lead to more fees, crimping their assets further.

“The money gets into my account, and they take it out when I overdraft,” Mr. Troyah said. “They are robbing me.”

‘You Ought to Pay’

On its own, raising more income through fees is defensible. For example, in a given month, only a minority of accounts typically go into the red. Not charging overdraft fees or minimum-balance fees is, in effect, a decision to ask other members to subsidize that minority.

“People came around to the idea of it not being all that fair to do it that way,” said Mike Schenk, chief economist at the Credit Union National Association, an industry trade group. “That you ought to pay for the services you use.”

But the effect in many cases is that the people least able to bear the costs of operating a credit union are gradually paying more of them.

Overdraft fees in particular have provoked controversy within the credit union world. “We have a hard time taking seriously any depository institution claim to trying to serve the underserved, making credit available to financially distressed people and charging those same people $30 to $35 for overdraft,” said Rebecca Borné, senior policy counsel for the Center for Responsible Lending, which is affiliated with the Self-Help Credit Union.

The Marriott credit union, whose membership of about 32,000 includes housekeepers, dishwashers and cooks, would seem to fill that bill. While fees can be an issue for any credit union with financially strapped members, Marriott’s are unusually high: more than 1.7 percent of the credit union’s assets. That is three times the percentage generated by fees at credit unions serving workers at Safeway, Publix and Nordstrom — broadly similar service-sector employers.

Glenn Newton, the credit union’s chief executive, said that looking at such measures can be misleading because the modest wealth of his members leads to low average deposits. That leaves the credit union with less money for generating income. In effect, he said, the credit union must pay the same costs per member as other credit unions, but has fewer ways to offset those costs.

He urged adjusting the analysis to account for the small deposits — say, by considering how much greater its assets would be if its average deposit was more typical of the industry. That would bring the fee ratio in line with other service-sector credit unions.

As a practical matter, however, the fees that an average Marriott credit union member pays across all services — $94 last year — are far higher than at these other institutions, and higher than at credit unions of a similar size.

Fewer Hours, More Temps

Jose Ramirez Paredes makes just over $13 an hour cleaning banquet rooms and other public areas at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. Mr. Ramirez Paredes said through an interpreter that he helped support his stepson, as well as a daughter and two grandchildren living nearby. He sells Amway products on the side to cover his expenses, which include a mortgage and a car payment that together cost him about $1,000 per month.

VERY LONG ARTICLE CONTINUES ...

#Marriott

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