#i thought it was a 1-800-collect commercial

[missjoolee]

Listening to my dad talk about his days as a switchboard operator for the phone company and now im thinking about geiko commercial

First name: bob

Last name: wehadababyITSaboy

[classychassiss]

I think the Quintessons are such a dark, integral part to the fabric that makes up Transformers lore, in multiple continuities or in a mix, and its not often addressed in great detail but like, not just by us, but also Cybertronians themselves? I could be bugging and it could be because past G1, their role as their ‘creators’/oppressors has been underplayed as a note in history for those who remember or just as ‘an invasion’ because the focus is obviously on Autobots v Decepticons. And yet they STILL carry a huge weight in most of the media, whether they are there or not. Er cut because a bit long and rambly

Functionalism is directly tied to the Quintessons in Aligned, as is the implication that they went in and modified their very code and bodies to have cockpits and space to be used as transportation. So much trauma they inflicted that the Well of Sparks started to spit out bots that had no name, just a streamlined function, the Quitessons laid out the blueprint for the caste system down the line and later on in the novels, they are STILL hell bent on getting both revenge and copying the very holy code of the Matrix and Vector Sigma. Cybertronians apparently were SO scarred by this that they just straight up repressed it like some kind of collective amnesia ( which 1-800-Come-On-Now writers, I know you can do better than that ) I don’t think they explicitly ever state if the Quitessons were driven out before any Cybertronians were taken off planet to be slave labor or no, but that was the goal.

I think there is one continuity or two that has Quintessons use the Matrix/Primus/Vector Sigma specifically to create and control Cybertronians and isn’t THAT a horrifying thought?

G1 is the most in depth obviously, Cybertron their home planet was a FACTORY, they were made to be sold and used as manual labor on Cybertron until they gained full sentience and rebelled, and the after they had to both rebuild AND deal with the after shocks of their coding and divide, with lots of the War based mechs unable to cope beyond fighting amongst themselves before things got heated between their commercial Autobot counterparts, again because of practices kept around from Quintessons times (the Gladiatorial pits etc ) did things get nasty and the fighting turn into a full blow Civil war

Do you ever think about any efforts made post Quintesson rule to like...get Cybertronians back? There are outposts and colonies/communities of bots out in space with no knowledge of modern Cybertron beyond a very primitive understanding of either being an Autobot or Decepticon, and while some seem to know about the war, others like Paradron existed by themselves for a long time. That at least implies that yeah, many bots were brought or sent around the universe before any sort of rebellion happened. Do you think they had to go and get back the ones who were used as War Tools and like...just seeing what sort of damage that did to them, slowing growing sentience without the support of their own kind? Or how in attempts to branch out to meet new planets, there were some races who saw friendly Cybertronians and cowered because all they knew them as were potential war tools? Or the reverse where Cybertronians had to run the gambit that they might make contact with a planet that actively brought and used them? Do you think they lashed out during that Golden Age and these things were just...not talked about? Bots coming back from strange places, carrying a kind of trauma not really well understood against whatever mainland trauma was already happening?

IDK theres a lot of stuff in there, the colonization and exploration I know has been touched on in IDW I think so I’d have to go read that but like, just purely me talking through the lens of Quintessons and invaders and what that did to their psyche, whether that manifested in outright Xenophobia or if the need to expand outwards rather aggressively was like, a very strong reaction to what felt like a Reclamation of their autonomy more or less, because they wanted to separate themselves from whatever image the Quintessons had painted of them and WANTED to have the right to explore space and meet new planets as this new, free race....

It feels like in most of the media, none of these ideas are brought up or addressed and this isn’t me saying they SHOULD be (though I think it would be great, the bits and pieces we get are just a lot to chew on) but rather, just like in a meta sense, I wonder if they really actually weren’t fully addressed in-universe, y’know? Like its NOT a pretty time in their lives among the many interplanetary conflicts going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if much of this WAS just lost or shoved away into textbooks and tomes and old bots who told stories, and if those survivors were just....forgotten in the midst of whatever Functionist or Caste based system was going on on Cybertron. Would ANYONE be surprised by that given what ends up happening down the line? What lessons were gleaned from that time, bot by bot? A collective push to just straight up forget that they were ever involved in this?

I just think its interesting and sad and depending on what universe we’re talking about, how much that plays into the morals and ideas of Cybertron in a very meta sense

[algaming134]

What is gaming evolved doing on my pc

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Susan distinguishes herself as a gaming blogger due to the fact she emphasizes bringing positivity to the gaming sphere. As the Senior Editor for Escapist Magazine,” Susan also has an influence that some of the other gamers don't have because she has the opportunity to encourage and influence some of the greatest up-and-coming minds of the gaming globe.

[immortalbutonlybyname]

So I completely misheard a commercial as “we are the #1 stabbing company” (still no clue what the commercial was actually about) and went down a rabbit hole of musing where I thought of what if hired hitmen were legal and they had commercials on TV like “Need to off someone? Does someone owe you money? Stole your promotion? Killed a loved one? Or just plain annoying? Well, call 1-800-HitsRus. That’s 1-800-H-I-T-S-R-U-S. You’ve got the grudge, we’ll be your judge.”

And they could have a jingle like *to the tune of Mr. Rooter Jingle* “When your boss keeps on nagging and you’re tired of his bragging. *call the hitmen, call the hitmen* When the wives that you collected just aren’t what you expected. *call the hitmen, call the hitmen* When you’re tired of your honey and you want insurance money. *call the hitmen, call the hitmen*” or *to the tune of Stanley Steemer* “Call 1-800-Hitmen. Hired Hitmen your certified killers.” (I know its not enough letters but it sounds nice okay)

...This is why I shouldn’t be allowed to muse over things. 

[kevoreally]

#BuffyAt20 - S03E10“Amends”

Very late but honestly who’s keeping track?

> Hey! A previously! Reestablishing Jenny as a character! Noice.

> I get the opening violin riff from this episode stuck in my head a lot. I just wanted you to know that.

> Daniel is pretty cute. And has not really done much. Too bad.

> This street is beautifully dressed for the period - and with the snow and everything.

> Oh gosh, David Boreanaz’s Irish accent. It’s not actually the worst.

> If I’m not mistaken, the weatherman on the shop window screen is real. I love when they do shit like that.

> BUFFY. BANGS. WHY.

> Can I just say how grateful I am that Buffy did a Christmas episode? I love the holidays, so my favorite show having an episode for it that I get to watch every year - and so Christmas Carol-y! Love it.

> I almost wish there was a Christmas version of the theme. Like, sleigh bells instead of cymbal smashes. Let’s do it!

> See, Buffy? You know the bangs are a bad idea - they’re fighting you!

> Willow is awfully huffy about people not remembering she’s Jewish for someone who’s not very observant.

> I’m sorry - why are they all talking like they won’t be seeing each other over Christmas break? Like, they’re BEST friends. It makes the scene a little unnatural.

> Oz says “I know you guys have a history.” He really does. Have I mentioned how much I love Oz?

> They’re just so sweet together. I wonder, if Seth Green hadn’t left, would Oz/Willow have been endgame? Would we have ever gotten Dark Willow? Hmmm.

> Ugh, I’m glad there’s some semi-mystical roots in Two Slayers not being able to get along because I really hate how awkward Buffy is about Faith.

> Meanwhile, LOVING how awkward Joyce is about Giles, haha. Kristine Sutherland’s performance is so tense, it’s amazing.

> THE BRINGERS!!! Oh man, what a random one-off character to make season-long antagonists.

> “Your mom sent you down, huh?” “ - No.” Oh, Buffy. You’re not the best liar.

> “I like the lights.” Me too, actually, Buffy. They’re such a specific touch. I know how long putting that shit up can take.

> Twenty years later, I still think Giles is a little extra hard on Angel. The whole crossbow thing. But like. I get it. And he gets over it pretty quick, and it’s done after this episode.

> Oh, I just got the “last time you became complacent” line for the first time. Oh dip, lol.

> This scene with Angelus eating this poor maid is sort of still rather heavy TODAY, let alone twenty years ago.

> Angel and Buffy both waking up from that dream is a HELLLLLLLA great plot twist.

> I really, really appreciate Robia LaMorte coming back to reprise the role of Jenny. I think that was really cool. I get why Amber Benson didn’t want to do this for Tara, but I think it’s such a clever villain idea, being able to use dead characters.

> Hmmm. I don’t know if it’s the older I get or I’m just in a mood, but I’m a little hmmm on Buffy/Angel at the moment.

> Aww but I love Xander showing up to help. He’s starting to become the Xander I love.

> Willow just said “We’re gonna watch videos.” Omigod.

> Angel says “It wasn’t me, a demon isn’t a man.” I mean, how DOES that work? Have we ever really been given a full answer still?

> Buffy having a sex dream on the library floor is… a lot. Merry Christmas, by the way.

> If Angel has a wet dream, that doesn’t count for anything, right? (Well I mean, we know it doesn’t, we learn he can have sex in Season 5 when he dates a werewolf.)

> Eeey! It’s that shot of Angel transforming into a vamp that gets used all the time in the Angel opening credits!

> The First says “This is why we brought you back.” Which, did it? And if it did, what exactly was its aim?

> Giles says “You can’t fight The First, Buffy. It’s not a physical being.” And I’m like, IF ONLY YOU GUYS KNEW, SEE YOU IN 4 YEARS.

> “Let me get a double shot of, um - of information, pal!” Oh Xander.

> WHY IS IT SPECIFICALLY SCRIPTED THAT XANDER INTERRUPTS BUFFY?

> They CG’d Christmas lights onto the establishing shots of Sunnydale, I love when shows do that for the holiday episodes. Fuller House just did one where they forgot to decorate the neighbors’ houses!

> The dream joke Oz makes is literally Willow’s dream from “Restless.” Just a note.

> Willow says “We could do that thing” and my heart melts.

> I didn’t even know the Summers’ fireplace was functional. I don’t feel like they would actually do the upkeep for that.

> Faith showing up at Buffy’s house for Christmas means EVERYTHING TO ME.

> Joyce says “Oh that is so thoughtful” to Faith’s gifts because once again Joyce is the most amazing mom on TV.

> Okay I’m sort of engaged on the bedroom scene with Buffy and Angel but… I’m still mulling them over.

> The “But it’ll do” from The First is so sassy, which is more great foreshadowing of its characterization in the future.

> The sequence of Buffy smashing up the earth maybe goes on a bit too long. We didn’t have anything else to fill that minute with?

> The way Buffy just sort of sweeps away the Bringers’ altar is somewhat comical.

> “Alright, I get it, you’re evil, do we have to chat about it all day?” and “Let me guess, is it… evil?” are some of my favorite Buffy lines ever.

> Oh, there’s actual roofs down there with lights up. Maybe it wasn’t CG after all!

> I’m not sure this episode does enough to show us why Angel is worth saving other than Buffy loves him. Like, sure, he’s a champ for good, but we don’t talk about that much.

> Buffy’s part of this speech in this scene is ALLLL there really is. And it’s a great bit, but still. There should’ve been more.

> "Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day. It's what we have to do. And we can do it together." Preach, B.

> Ugh, the snow always gets me. Plus, you know. Christophe Beck.

> UGH, AND THE SHOT OF MAIN STREET.

> Okay, so is anyone else aware that there was a Buffy Christmas-theme 1-800-COLLECT commercial that aired after this episode? Because if you aren’t, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGlG-uKTnTs

> Merry Chrysler.

[videlify-review]

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[catherindonald]

Subterranean Treasures: the Beneficial Roots of Native Vines

By Angela Magnan

As I pulled into the parking lot next to the native plant collection at work one day, I noticed our intern up in a tree cutting down a native honeysuckle vine. Uh-oh, I thought. Not again! Working at a public garden, our attempts to grow vines can often be frustrated by well-meaning visitors and volunteers, and yes, overly enthusiastic interns, who automatically think that all vines are weeds and cut or pull out the vines we have planted there. 

One strategy to avoid such tragedies is to plant vines that are less obtrusive and that produce underground structures from which they will resprout. One such vine is Apios americana, or groundnut. This leguminous, sprawling perennial vine grows up to 10 feet long and produces clusters of maroon pea-type flowers. Used by native peoples east of the Mississippi as a food source, it has both edible seeds and edible tubers.  The seeds are in long pods that can be harvested in the fall when dry and contain as much protein and fiber as pinto beans. Although not commonly grown in the US, it has been commercially farmed in Japan for more than a hundred years. 

The tubers, which grow every 10-12 inches along the rhizomes, need to be cooked and can be eaten in similar ways to potatoes. Research has also shown that dried and powdered tubers have some promise as an additive to gluten free bread products, increasing the protein content and improving the texture. If you harvest the tubers, the plant won’t come back, but it does seed around; you can maintain its presence in your garden by harvesting sparingly. The tubers are a good source of proline, an amino acid that helps build collagen. Groundnuts have been made into a poultice and used by New England tribes to treat proud flesh, a skin condition caused by inadequate healing of wounds that is particularly common in horses. 

Another native vine with a subterranean edible is hog peanut or ground bean. Also a legume, this is a great plant for botany geeks. Its scientific name, Amphicarpaea bracteata, refers to its production of more than one type of flower, a characteristic known as amphicarpy. It has two types of aboveground flowers and a third type underground. One of the aboveground flowers and the underground flower are cleistogamous, meaning they are permanently closed and self-fertile. The second aboveground flower is a delicate white or light purple pea-like flower that is pollinated by bumblebees. This annual or short-lived perennial produces edible underground seeds, but the aboveground seeds are not edible.

In the wild, this plant typically grows along streams and given enough moisture in the garden, it can run rampant and smother nearby plants. If grown strictly for ornamental purposes, this could be undesirable, but if you want to eat the seeds, you can harvest it aggressively and it will still come back. Because it gets a late start during the growing season, it is a great companion for early spring plants that go dormant by mid-summer. If it has something to twine around, it will, but it will also sprawl along the ground as a groundcover. 

In the US, Cherokee and Iroquois people used the plant for intestinal distress. The Cherokee also used it as a snake bite remedy and the Iroquois used it to treat tuberculosis. In Mexico, indigenous peoples grow it amidst maize and beans, allowing it to twine up the maize stems and intermingle with the climbing beans. Referred to as talet beans, they harvest the underground seeds in early spring before planting that year’s maize crop and then roast the beans as a snack. The aboveground seeds are plowed into the soil for next year’s crop. 

Yet another native vine with useful underground structures is Dioscorea villosa, a wild yam whose tubers contain diosgenin. In the 1940’s, scientists figured out how to synthesize human steroid compounds from diosgenin, a process that was then used to manufacture oral contraceptives and cortisone. Today scientists can synthesize diosgenin in the laboratory, but prior to 1970, wild yam was the sole source of diosgenin and most steroid hormones used in modern medicine were developed from this plant. Although diosgenin can be converted into such steroids in a lab, this process does not occur naturally and consuming wild yam would not have the same effect. 

The flowers of Dioscorea villosa are inconspicuous, but it has attractive heart shaped leaves. Even though its long runners can lead it to pop up in unexpected places, it is not aggressive like some of its non-native relatives. The tubers have an unpleasant, bitter taste, and you wouldn’t want to eat them, but they have been used medicinally for various ailments. Native Americans used a root-based tea to treat menstrual cramps, labor pains, inflammation, asthma, and rheumatism. European settlers used it to treat colic, which led to one of its other common names of colic root. It continues to be used in modern herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory, either dried in capsule form or as a liquid extract to be made into an herbal tea.

The best thing about all three of these vines is that if a well-meaning individual cuts one down, you might still be able to use the underground treasures or leave them be and let the vine grow back. And what about the native honeysuckle cut down by our intern? It was not so lucky; it never came back. 

Photo credits: 1) Apios americana in August (courtesy of author); 2) Amphicarpaea bracteata flowers (Fritzflohrreynolds via Wikimedia Commons); 3) Amphicarpaea bracteata foliage (R. A. Nonenmacher via Wikimedia Commons); 4) Dioscorea villosa twining up hemlock (courtesy of author)

References:

Foster, S. & Johnson, R. (2006). Desk reference to nature’s medicine. National Geographic.

Frey, D. & Czolba, M. (2017). The food forest handbook. New Society Publishers.

Ichige, M., Fukuda, E., Miida, S., Hattan, J., Misawa, N., Saito, S., Fujimaki, T., Imoto, M., & Shindo, K. (2013). Novel isoflavone glucosides in groundnut (Apios americana Medik) and their antiandrogenic activities. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61 (9), 2183-2187. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf305233t

Ito, S. & Arai, E. (2021). Improvement of gluten-free steamed bread quality by partial substitution of rice flour with powder of Apios americana tuber. Food Chemistry, 337, 127977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127977

Pena, F.B., Villalobos, G. Martinez, M.A., Sotelo, A., Gil, L., & Delgado-Salinas, A. (1999). Use and nutritive value of talet beans, Amphicarpaea bracteata (Fabaceae: Phaseoleae) as human food in Puebla, Mexico. Economic Botany, 53 (4), 427-434. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4256226

Salmon, E. (2020). Iwigara: The kinship of plants and people. Timber Press.

Schnee, B.K. & Waller, D. M. (1986). Reproductive behavior of Amphicarpaea bracteata (Leguminosae), an amphicarpic annual. American Journal of Botany, 73 (3), 376-386. https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1986.tb12051.x

Medicinal Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America, Inc. not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Please consult a health care provider before pursuing any herbal treatments.

Angela grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont and has degrees in biochemistry, horticulture, and science writing. She now lives in Maryland and has worked in the Gardens Unit at the US National Arboretum since 2012.

Subterranean Treasures: the Beneficial Roots of Native Vines published first on https://marcuskeever.blogspot.com/

[naturecoaster]

Serenova’s Song: Understanding Pasco County's Ridge Road Extension Project

Editor's Note: We are varying from our traditional subject matter to help our readers understand the Ridge Road Extension project in Pasco County - how it came to be, who the players are, and why we have such a project in the area. It is a controversial project because part of a proposed roadway goes through an environmentally sensitive area. This scenario is becoming more and more common as the State of Florida is developed, so it may be helpful to see an objective analysis of a difficult situation. We thank Paul Herman, Publisher of Florida Nature Coast for his thoughtful analysis and research contribution to NatureCoaster.com and suggest to all our readers that you check out his site for wonderful videos of Florida's Nature Coast. The "Ridge Road Extension" is an arterial road project in west Pasco County, Florida, designed to extend Ridge Road from the intersection of Moon Lake Road eastward to U.S. Highway 41. It was envisioned in the late 1980s as part of Pasco County's first state-mandated land plan. Burgeoning growth in densely populated west Pasco was expected to overwhelm existing traffic routes connecting to U.S. 41 and I-75. At that time, the only two east-west arterial roads in Pasco County were S.R. 54 and S.R. 52. An additional concern was the ability to evacuate coastal communities in the event of a major hurricane. Permit plans for the Suncoast Parkway were submitted in 1992 to connect to the Veteran's Expressway north through Pasco County. This proposed path intersected the planned Ridge Road Extension. To obtain approval for the Suncoast Parkway, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise needed to mitigate the environmental impacts of the project. They accomplished this by buying two huge parcels of land west and adjacent to the Parkway's route: the Anclote River Ranch Tract south of Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, and the Pottberg Ranch to the north of the park.

The Pottberg Ranch was owned by the Otto Pottberg Trust, which obtained approval to subdivide the land to create a planned community named "Serenova". The development would contain nearly 6,500 single-family homes and 679 acres of commercial and industrial space. The Serenova Development of Regional Impact agreement of 1992 included in its roadway plans the construction of the Ridge Road Extension at some future date. Instead, the Pottberg Trust sold the entire tract to the State to mitigate the effects of the Suncoast Parkway. The land was titled to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, combined with the Anclote River Ranch Tract into the 19,000-acre Starkey Wilderness Preserve. In August of 1994, the final environmental impact statement and plan for the Suncoast Parkway included an overpass and interchange 3.2 miles south of S.R. 52 for the future Ridge Road Extension.

An overpass was built in the Suncoast Parkway at the proposed intersection of Ridge Road. Image courtesy of Paul Herman. Pasco County negotiated an agreement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District in March 1991 to obtain its assurance that the right-of-way for the road project would be transferred to the County, subject to the County obtaining other necessary permits. Pasco County submits Ridge Road Extension Permit Request in 1998 In 1998, Pasco County submitted permit requests to both the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Ridge Road Extension. In 2003 the Southwest Florida Water Management District approved the project, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been more deliberative. On December 20, 2019, they issued the permit that allowed the project to commence. https://player.vimeo.com/video/393056041 Understanding Phase One of the Ridge Road Extension Parkway is easier with a visual. Paul Herman created this to help illustrate the land in question and the project's scope. Two Phases: One Controversy The proposed plan consisted of two phases. Phase 1 extends 4.2 miles from the intersection of Ridge Road and Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway interchange. This would include 2.6 miles of limited access highway across the Serenova Tract, where wetlands require a number of bridges and wildlife crossings. The cost of phase 1 was estimated to be $68 million dollars. Phase 2 includes the section from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. Highway 41 where it intersects with Connerton Boulevard. That portion is intended as a standard arterial roadway built at grade with a number of intersections and traffic signals. The cost of Phase 2 is supposed to be paid by developers in the area whose projects the road would benefit. In addition to Phases 1 and 2, the actual interchange at the Suncoast Parkway is slated to be funded by the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

The Ridge Road Extension project was planned with 2 phases. Phase two crosses privately held land already planned for development. Phase one goes through the Serenova Preserve and has been controversial. Image courtesy of Paul Herman. Phase 2 has not been controversial. It traverses land already held and planned for development by private landowners. The Lennar/Newland Corporations will benefit most from Phase 2 of the project since their sprawling Bexley Ranch development borders the proposed path of the Ridge Road Extension and extends all the way south to S.R. 54. Bexley is slated to include an 800-acre commerce park anchored by a new H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Center. The new road project will provide tenants of their commercial complex direct access via the Suncoast Parkway to the Tampa International Airport and the larger Tampa Bay area. The Longest Pending Permit Application in the History of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Concern for native wildlife is strong in the fight against Phase One. Image courtesy of Pat Manfredo. Phase 1 of the Ridge Road Extension has been beset with problems since the start. This is due to environmental concerns about the 2.6-mile portion that cuts across the middle of the Serenova Tract of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve. Various groups, including Audubon of Florida, the West Pasco Audubon Society, "Save Our Serenova" coalition of the Suncoast Sierra Club, and Citizens for Sanity have been active in fighting the project with protests and in court.

Efforts to derail or delay the project have resulted in this being the longest pending permit application in the history of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Pasco County had spent $16 million on the project before final permits were approved.

Pros and Cons of Pasco County’s Ridge Road Extension

There are certainly pros and cons to the Ridge Road Extension. Pasco County insists the road is needed to handle the increased traffic load and for hurricane evacuation. Pasco County points to the fact that plans for the road were part of the original mitigation plans for permitting the Suncoast Parkway project. Detractors argue that building an expressway through protected wetlands will endanger wildlife, have a negative effect on drainage, and is simply not needed.

Us Army Corps Engineers incorporated public opinion into their permit process. Image courtesy of Us Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Used Public Input Soon after Pasco County applied for permits, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the first public notice for the project seeking public input. The response was immediate, and they paid attention. After receipt of the original permit application, the Corps requested changes and additional information from the County numerous times including October 2001, April 2005, July 2006, January 2007, January 2010, and July 2010. In November 2010, Pasco County withdrew their original permit application, resubmitting a new updated version in early 2011, that took much of the feedback into account. In May 2011 the Corps issued another public notice and request for input. Over the next few years, they collected testimony from nearly 2,000 persons and organizations regarding the project, with some praising the project and some asking for denial of the permit. The changes Pasco County made to the permit application in the 2011 submission did not affect the overall scope or significance of the project. But they showed a willingness to accommodate some of the concerns brought forth. Additional changes were also submitted in the years between 2011 and 2018 to accommodate requests by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers based on public input. The proposed wetland impacts were reduced by narrowing the road median widths and reducing the space needed for embankments. Additional bridges were added, and three bridges were lengthened over wetland areas. Additional mitigation was also agreed upon, with the result being that Pasco County will be purchasing mitigation credits from the Old Florida Mitigation Bank. Ridge Road Extension Project will affect Endangered Species Those opposing the Ridge Road Extension project are particularly worried about its impact on endangered species. Some, like the black bear and Florida panther, are not known to exist in the affected area. But the eastern indigo snake and the gopher tortoise are affected.

Indigo snakes are often found in Gopher Tortoise burrows. 360 species use these burrows for their home or a refuge from storms and predators. Image courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife. Final project guidelines include a detailed description of how each of these animals when discovered in the affected area, must be handled and relocated. In the case of the indigo snake, the "affected area" extends a mile in any direction from the construction area, since indigo snakes are known to range that far. Aside from the conflicts and controversy surrounding this project, many people are grateful to see it commence. Most people who live in the communities of west Pasco County understand that it will help to alleviate traffic on S.R. 54, S.R. 52, and Little Road. Still, some fear that the new road will help to encourage additional development that will make things worse again. Many will enjoy utilizing the bike/hiking trail designed to run parallel to the Ridge Road Extension all the way east to the Suncoast Trail.

MabelAmber / Pixabay Whichever way you feel about this controversial project, it is hard to imagine that the Ridge Road Extension is not a "done deal" at this point. Construction has begun, and, as of this writing, the roadway has already been cleared over a mile to the western edge of the Serenova Tract. The Sierra Club recently sought an injunction to stop construction while negotiations continue, but on February 14, 2020 that injunction was struck down by a federal judge. Public Input has Affected the Ridge Road Extension Project Those concerned about the environment and threats to endangered species should, however, not despair at what appears to be a gloomy outcome to this issue. We HAVE HAD AN IMPACT -- a major impact. The project is proceeding, but a host of changes and updates have been made due to the public concern for issues that are important to us. Now it is time to keep a close eye on the Ridge Road Extension project to make sure the County and the contractors they hire live up to the conditions stipulated in the permits. Resources 07DEC2017 Map showing ownership of adjacent lands16OCT2015 Analysis data table for 17 Ridge Road extension alternatives04MAR1997 Agreement between Pasco County and SWFWMD relating to Ridge Road extension27OCT2017 Landscape concept drawings20AUG2018 Pasco County project summary fact sheet25SEP2018 US Army Corps of Engineers public noticeMAY2011 Detailed alternatives analysis for project2019 Artists rendering of wayside areas20DEC2019 US Army Corps of Engineers approved permitLocation map, project alignment drawings 1-9, typical section drawings 1-10Typical section drawing 11, plan sheets 1-19Plan sheets 20-27, roadway cross sectionsRoadway cross sectionsRoadway cross sections, bridges 1-10Bridges 18-19, wildlife crossings, special details 1-4, RRE/Suncoast parkway intersectionAttachment 2 - SWFWMD project approval Attachment 3 - Project commencement notification Attachment 4 - As-built certification Attachment 5 - US Fish & Wildlife Service biological opinion, including relocation instructions for endangered species Attachment 6 - Standard protection measures for the eastern indigo snake Attachment 7 - Mitigation planProject description and summary of comments and responses regarding permitting the project (264 pages)Attachment 1 - Comment matrixAttachment 2 - Alternatives summaryAttachment 3 - Indirect affects memoLetter from West pasco Audubon to USACE in 2012FWC gopher tortoise conservation permitSierra Club press release on 02FEB2020Sierra Club biologist report  Read the full article

[cecillewhite]

Should You Use an Employee LMS for Extended Enterprise Learning in 2019?

Early in 2014, I set-out to answer a question I constantly hear as a learning systems selection consultant:

“Should we use our employee LMS to educate external audiences?”

Back then, I didn’t definitively say “yes” or “no.” Instead, I advised decision makers to proceed with caution before embracing a one-for-all LMS mindset. Why? Primarily because employee educational goals, interests and motivations don’t apply to extended enterprise learners.

Employees are captive LMS users. They are “known” by the system and they must comply with mandated training assignments.

On the other hand, customers and business partners can’t be forced to engage in learning activities. An LMS often doesn’t “know” the identity of these users until they’re persuaded to register or buy. Even then, their participation is voluntary, not mandatory.

These extended LMS use cases translate into very different functional requirements than employee LMS requirements. The reverse is also true – many employee LMS features are unnecessary in extended enterprise applications.

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There are other reasons why there’s no simple answer to the one-LMS-for-all question. For instance, decisions about extended enterprise learning usually come from business units, not HR or L&D, and these programs are often funded at different times.

Also, extended enterprise initiatives almost always serve many more external learners than employees. This makes a “license economies of scale” argument irrelevant.

For example, a software company with 1000 employees could serve 1 million customers. In this case, the customer education scope would blow employee LMS licensing out of the water.

Most importantly, in contrast with hard-to-measure employee education, extended enterprise learning programs are easy to measure. They contribute to bottom-line results and help companies gain a competitive advantage. Given that kind of executive exposure, business impact – not cost – is the key factor driving vendor selection.

Finally, from a practical and political perspective, choosing an extended enterprise LMS independent of HR or L&D is often easier than pursuing a one-LMS-for-all solution.

Same Question, Different Day. What’s Changed?

Five years after publishing my original post, I still hear that same question on a regular basis. And even though my answer remains the same, my perspective is much different. After all, some things have changed considerably:

•  Extended enterprise learning is no longer a novel idea. Organizations of every size in every industry are proving that you can gain and sustain a competitive advantage by educating customers, channel partners, franchisees, developers, contractors and other external audiences.

•  Learning systems innovation has continued to progress at a mind-blowing pace, along with new business technologies that integrate data and applications, expand their reach, accelerate their performance and add value in countless ways.

•  During the past 5 years, I’ve reviewed over 200 learning systems and helped nearly 60 organizations choose their extended enterprise learning systems. Collectively, these organizations invest more than $15 million a year in licensing fees to run their systems. Now I’m even more confident about what works, what doesn’t – and why.

What do these changes mean for you if you’re wondering whether it’s wise to serve internal and external learning audiences with an employee LMS? Let’s dig deeper.

2 Buyer Categories: Which Profile Fits You?

In our work with learning systems buyers, we see two distinct extended enterprise purchasing profiles. Their objectives, priorities and requirements sometimes overlap, but mostly they’re unique:

•  Corporate Extended Enterprise – These buyers are interested in serving any combination of employees, customers, channel sales representatives, distributors and other business partners. They’re mainly interested in using learning content to support their core business in strategic and measurable ways.

•  Continuing Education – These buyers are professional associations, commercial training companies and entrepreneurial subject matter experts, representing virtually every industry and topic area. They’re interested in modern ecommerce-enabled “learning-as-a-business” systems because selling learning content is their business.

OK. Say you’re a corporate extended enterprise buyer. What’s your next move? Let’s briefly look at LMS options that can meet your needs.

So Many Learning Systems – So Little Time

We’re currently tracking more than 800 business-oriented learning systems. But who has time to sort through such a massive, complex haystack in search of the ideal solution? It helps to assign vendors to several clearly defined categories. Unfortunately, that can be challenging, especially when developers add to the confusion.

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We understand why LMS vendors want to differentiate their platforms. That’s smart marketing. But in recent years, creative positioning seems to have gone off the rails.

On one hand, most vendors now avoid the term “LMS” entirely, fearing that their solutions will seem outdated. Meanwhile, buyers grapple with countless variations on an LMS theme, wondering if there’s any functional difference, at all.

An LMS By Any Other Name…

So, what term should you use when looking for a system to support your organization’s learning needs? Here’s a peek at some of the descriptions we see in our travels:

Learning management system (LMS) Learning experience platform (LXP/LEP) Learning engagement platform Learning optimization platform Workforce training software

Adaptive learning system Blended learning system Personalized learning platform Microlearning platform

Holistic learning platform Integrated learning platform Unified learning system

Cloud LMS Modern LMS Next-generation online learning platform Mobile LMS Mobile training reinforcement system

Course development and delivery platform Course management automation software Digital learning platform Elearning system Elearning management system On-demand training system

Continuous learning platform Lifelong learning platform Professional development platform Knowledge and learning management system

Collaborative learning environment Collaborative learning platform Social learning platform Employee knowledge platform Knowledge and learning management system Wisdom exchange platform

Whew. That’s a lot to digest, but it’s more about branding than substance. Let’s make this a bit easier…

Our Quick Take: 3 Corporate Learning Systems Categories

To simplify the corporate extended enterprise learning landscape, we rely on three categories:

1) Employee/Talent Solutions

These systems focus on workforce onboarding, compliance and professional development. They rely heavily on HR/ERP platform integration (for example with Workday or SAP). Typically, they coordinate work objectives, learning paths, assessments, feedback, collaboration, hiring and performance reviews.

Examples in this group including Adobe Captivate Prime, BizLibrary, Bridge by Instructure, CrossKnowledge, Degreed, Gyrus, Lessonly, SuccessFactors and SumTotal.

These systems generally ignore extended enterprise needs, so they’re not recommended as “single source” learning systems to serve all audiences. However, they are solid employee solutions. So, if you already use one successfully for workforce learning, we typically wouldn’t recommend that you replace it.

2) Corporate Extended Enterprise Solutions

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Traditionally, these systems were built with an “employee-first” mentality, but also offer functionality for external audiences. However, many of these platforms have been strengthening their extended enterprise capabilities in recent years.

For instance, it’s now common to see support for multiple domains, delegated administration, ecommerce, content sharing, CRM integration and robust analytics.

Examples in this group include Cornerstone OnDemand, Docebo, PeopleFluent NetDimensions, Saba, SAP Litmos, Schoox, TalentLMS, Totara and UpsideLMS.

These systems can effectively drive learning programs that target employees, customers, business partners or a combination of audiences. If you already have a system from this category and want to expand your reach, it may be possible.

3) Pure Extended Enterprise Solutions

These vendors ignore employee LMS needs. Instead, they focus 100% of their research, development, marketing, licensing strategy, professional services expertise and thought leadership on the advancement of targeted solutions for customer education, channel training and other extended enterprise learning needs.

Examples include BlueVolt, Community Brands, Learndot by ServiceRocket, LearnUpon, NetExam, Northpass, Skilljar and Thought Industries.

Vendors in this category consistently demonstrate why dedicated extended enterprise solutions are highly preferable and profitable – even for organizations with multiple learning platforms.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the question remains:

Should you use your employee LMS for extended enterprise learning?

Clearly, learning systems have evolved in all categories. Many vendors are able and willing to discuss the pros and cons of any scenario we’ve outlined above. But as a buyer, be prepared. You’ll probably receive radically different advice, depending on which vendors you contact and evaluate.

So, how can you put all that advice to good use? My two cents:  Keep in mind that the most successful LMS choices are based on a business case that carefully considers a buyer’s functional and technical requirements, content realities and licensing preferences, as well as its organizational structure and context.

If you want to talk about how to build a stronger case for internal and external learning systems, send me a note at Talented@talentedlearning.com. I’m happy to help.

Thanks for reading!

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How to Reduce Time-to-Value with Modern Customer Training

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Indoctrinating customers as quickly as possible is a smart business move. But exactly when should you start, how fast should you move and how can you be sure that your onboarding process makes a real difference?

Join John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning, and Samma Hafeez, Vice President of Customer Success at Thought Industries, as they explain how to accelerate customer time-to-value. You’ll learn:

What “onboarding” a customer really means

The critical relationship between onboarding and time-to-value

How quick wins and clear milestones drive engagement and adoption

How learning pathways strengthen the onboarding experience

Tips for metrics that align customer objectives with business priorities 

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Should You Use an Employee LMS for Extended Enterprise Learning in 2019? original post at Talented Learning

[constructionaccounting]

0389: Proactive Contractors Use Lien Services To Protect Cash Flow

This Podcast Is Episode Number 0389, And It's About Proactive Contractors Use Lien Services To Protect Cash Flow

Proactive versus reactive are the two methods of getting something done. I find everyone works in a combination of both, I included. Proactive is scheduling and doing everything ahead of time. Nothing is ever waiting until the last minute. Reactive is more emergency driven and are things that need to be done now. As much as we plan, it would be best if you were flexible, adaptable, and reliant. Things happen that are beyond your immediate control. Those of you who want a predictable environment are employees working for a large employer where schedules are fixed, and they are doing the same things every day.

It was a different mindset when you became a construction contractor. You wanted to be independent, and part of being independent is that there is no one telling you what to do or when to do it. Your suppliers and government agencies direct you and impose fines and penalties when you get off track.

The current economic climate is challenging for other reasons I will not go into. My point is there is a reason why things occur; trust the Universe, and when you are in the middle of it, that is not the time to make rash decisions.

If you have time to spare, I sincerely encourage you to work on your systems and processes. Think and write down everything done well in the past and review what needs to be fixed, upgraded, discarded, and improved upon.

Be Proactive About "Tactical" Issues - Get your tools and equipment in shape, clean, and ready to roll! Clean out the storage area, return, recycle, and dispose of the material you don't need and will not use.

Be Proactive About "Strategic" Issues - If you have thought about firing your Bad Bookkeeper, you are already 15 minutes too late! Replace that wealth prevention tool with a Strategic Bookkeeping Service. Develop a Business Process Management Strategy so that when the economy turns, you will be ready. Better yet, if your strategy is right, you may not be as affected by the economy. Food for thought, bread for the head!

Let's walk through some scenarios:

You choose the type of work that you do. 

Are you a General Contractor or a Trade Contractor?

Do you hire Trade Contractors (1099 contractors) or have W2 Employees?

Additional choices are:

New Construction

Residential Remodels

Service and Repair

Commercial.

As a brand new contractor, the challenge is getting work to do.

Declare all sales, including the tiny ones that you may be tempted to put into "hip national bank." 

The amount of tax is nominal; the impact of not doing it can be huge. Part of what you are looking at is Customer Headcount documents; you are a real business. Customer headcount can make all the difference globally, especially if you have only a couple of general contractors you work with. 

Hiring an outside bookkeeping firm also counts to prove you are trying to be a "real business" even if you work full time and do contract nights, evenings, and weekends. Starting on the right foot and mindset is essential.

Why? - Otherwise, the state worker's comp may reclassify you as an employee of the general contractor. This can lead to additional payroll taxes, fines, penalties, and higher rates as you advance. Be above board and fill out W9.  If your attitude is "It's Not My Problem," please close your company and get out! 

No one around you needs the additional liability and stress; being in business is hard enough to keep ahead. 

Watch out for the customers who are looking not to pay you the value of your services. 

These can be other contractors where you are working as a trade contractor or retail clients. Understand the rules about Notice To The Owner, and each state may have different laws. 

On larger jobs, make it a habit to do Notice Of Intent To Lien. The notice is not saying you will lien but protects your rights if you are not getting paid promptly. RED FLAG anytime a homeowner or general contractor implies you will not get the job if you do not do this. DO IT NOW – USE A SERVICE.

Run, don't walk. If you are being threatened, then chances are they do not intend to pay you. 

Your supplier, whenever material is delivered, will automatically do a Notice Of Intent To Lien. This is a good thing because they help make sure you and they get paid for the job's material. 

As a construction accountant, I hear stories every day. Some are from contractors who gleefully brag about how the estimates are rejected unless a discount is given (even when they know the price is reasonable). In my opinion, these are not good customers, just professional scammers. A successful contractor knows his pricing and wants to give his customers good value and pay a fair price to their services.

I have heard people bragging about not paying the contractor in social settings unless additional unpaid work is completed. It takes a lot for a customer (I mean scammer) to get on "The Bad List" of fast food places. 

Do you have clients, customers, or professional scammers?

Just a fence create good neighbors; using a lien service helps you get paid. The alternative is you are racking up your credit card and spending lots of interest. It is an incentive to pay you. Those who never plan to scam; do not have a problem. In my opinion, it is the scammers who object the loudest. 

It is hard enough to be a Contractor; this is an easy way to get rid of those who never intend to pay you. 

Reactive needs to engage in a service that factors your Accounts Receivables, and more desperate forms of financing are when you have a Quick, Fast Loan that requires daily or weekly repayments. 

Summary: The least painful is to collect the money from your client. If being a little aggressive to enforce your lien rights is needed – Do It. – Do It Now, because your general contractors are protecting their lien rights.  

In some states, if you are out of business, you can not collect your outstanding Accounts Receivables. 

You can't spend or invest money you do not have. It is unreasonable to expect your suppliers to accept your credit card to pay your invoices, and you refuse to do the same. 

The excuse you can't afford it; the rates are too high; I want you to refer back to the high cost of No Money or get a high-risk loan. In comparison using merchant services is cheap, and funding is usually in 1-2 days. Both clients and customers typically have a credit card tucked away for emergencies. Polite and tactful do not make your client "feel bad" if they need to split up the payment between several cards. 

Final thoughts

Practice what we preach. It is by exception that I take checks even from local clients. We offer a Free One Hour Consultation in which I try to provide value regardless of you purchasing future services from us.

Affectionately, I summarize my role for Outsourced Accounting Clients is Nurture, Nap, and Follow Up.

In other words, I can say the same things other people around you say, but it comes out better. On the flip-side, we have been in construction and construction-related services a long time and know "BS" when we hear it! We are looking to help you, and we expect our clients to follow directions so we can.

About The Author:

Sharie DeHart, QPA is the co-founder of Business Consulting And Accounting in Lynnwood, Washington. She is the leading expert in managing outsourced construction bookkeeping and accounting services companies and cash management accounting for small construction companies across the USA. She encourages Contractors and Construction Company Owners to stay current on their tax obligations and offers insights on how to manage the remaining cash flow to operate and grow their construction company sales and profits so they can put more money in the bank. Call 1-800-361-1770 or sharie@fasteasyaccounting.com

  Check out this episode about Contractors Marketing - Accounting - Production (M.A.P.)!

[pink-history]

On This Day in Pink History… 26th January 2004, Pink was at the launch of Pepsi’s new TV commercial in London

Pepsi announced the details today (25th Jan) for the global premiere of their eagerly awaited Gladiator television commercial. The exclusive blue carpet event is being held at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London on Monday 26th January.

The event starts at 6.00pm, and the stars of the ad will be there – including Britney, Pink and Beyoncé. Queen, whose timeless ‘We Will Rock You’ accompanies Pepsi’s new ad, will also be in attendance.

Get yourself down to Trafalgar Square and catch the world famous stars arriving at the National Gallery, walking down the carpet and chatting to crowds. A massive screen will be erected in Trafalgar Square for the crowds to watch the worldwide premiere of the ad.

The premiere will be the first showing of the new Gladiator ad anywhere in the world – and Pepsi have chosen to host the exclusive event in London!! The Pepsi advert will be broadcast for the very first time anywhere in the world on MTV UK & Ireland on that night, Monday 26th January, in the ad-break midway during the 10pm transmission of ‘The Osbournes’

The National Gallery commented: “We are delighted to welcome Pepsi and its guests Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Pink to the National Gallery, London, which houses one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world. Once inside the Gallery, Pepsi’s guests will be surrounded by some of its most beautiful and inspiring paintings such as Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne and Veronese’s Family of Darius.

Pepsi has a strong heritage with music. Pink, Beyoncé, Britney and Enrique join the impressive list of world-famous talent with whom Pepsi has worked in the past, including Shakira, Ricky Martin, Robbie Williams, Ms Dynamite, Gareth Gates, Janet Jackson and the Spice Girls.

Pepsi.co.uk

Fans of sexy pop trio Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles and Pink are in for a TV treat – soft drinks giant Pepsi are dressing the singers up as Roman gladiators for their new advert.

And while the stunning stars roam around scantily-clad, Spanish hunk Enrique Iglesias will play an evil Roman Emperor in the eagerly awaited commercial.

Pepsi are hoping the epic advertisment will spark widespread hype and make it one of the most talked about promos of all time.

Beyonce says, “I really love Pink’s voice and Britney always has the best performances. It’s great to be in the presence of such great artists and entertainers and I’ve been having the time of my life.”

Pink continues, “I’ve never been in a commercial before so just that in itself was pretty exciting to me. I always thought I would never take a can and sip it and go ‘aaah’ but I’m doing it now so it’s pretty funny.”

And Britney adds, “I’m such a huge fan of Pink and Beyonce. They’re amazing artists so to be in their company is very cool.”

Soundbuzz.com

An exclusive promo CD/CD-rom was released to promote the commercial, one for each of the girls.

TRACKLIST:

1. Pink, Britney Spears, Beyonce – We Will Rock You (Pepsi “Gladiator” Sound Track Remix 2004)

Backing Vocals – Queen, Suzie Webb, Zoe Nicholas

Co-producer, Engineer – Justin Shirley Smith

Coordinator [Project Coordination] – Elien Healy

Drums – Roger Taylor

Drums [Stomps], Handclaps [Claps] – Queen

Effects [Sound Effects] – Alex Nicholls-Lee

Engineer [Assistant] – Giacomo De Caterini, Ricky Graham (2)

Guitar, Bass Guitar – Brian May

Producer – Brian May

Technician [Additional Pro Tools] – Joshua J. Macrae

Technician [Equipment] – Pete Malandrine

Technician [Pro Tools By] – Kris Fredriksson

Vocals – Beyonce, Britney Spears, Pink

2. Pink – Trouble

Engineer [Additional] – Atticus Ross

Engineer [Assistant] – Femio Hernandez, Fredrik Sarhagen, John Silas Cranfield, Tony Cooper

Mixed By – Tom Lord-Alge

Producer – Tim Armstrong

Producer [Additional] – John Fields

Recorded By – Dave Carlock, Tim Armstrong

Written-By – Pink, Tim Armstrong

VIDEO: We Will Rock You (Pink, Britney, Beyonce & Enrique

CD-ROM TV-Advert (videoclip – We Will Rock You (Beyoncé, Britney, P!nk, Enrique, Brian May, Roger Taylor) Behind the scenes Interviews (w/Pink) Downloads (Desktop Wallpaper 800×600 & 1024×768; Screen Saver PC & MAC) Audio Tracks (Credits) Gallery Weblinks We Will Rock You (The Musical by Queen and Ben Elton)

http://www.discogs.com/Various-Pepsi-Music-2004-Dare-For-More-Pink-Exclusive/release/4481709

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On This Day in Pink History… 26th January 2004, Pink was at the launch of Pepsi’s new TV commercial in London On This Day in Pink History... 26th January 2004, Pink was at the launch of Pepsi's new TV commercial in London…

[yesnolimitsworld]

Hot, Healthy, Happy. Losing Weight While Sleeping is Now Possible

Did you know the scale of life-threatening health risks has shifted worldwide from starvation to obesity?

Yes, the sad fact is more people collectively across the world are now suffering from being fat than from not having enough food to eat. One estimate puts the number of obese at 1 billion compared to 800 million people who are underfed.

Not surprisingly the Western “first world” countries are the worst offenders, the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and so on are leading the list.

If you aren’t careful in these places and you eat the same diet and are just as inactive as your neighbor your body may just give in one day as a result of your unhealthy lifestyle. Either way, your quality of life will be really low.

There are two main reasons why the world is fat and why we are experiencing this obesity epidemic. Although it’s not hard to guess what they are they are well worth exploring.

#1. From People Consuming an Excessive Amount of Bad Food

The first big reason why so many people are fat is their terrible diets. Too many calories often coming from horrid food choices, empty calories from sugar-filled soft drinks, poorly thought out and timed carbohydrates, fried foods.

The list is endless, but I’m sure you get the point. A lot of people put no thought into their diet at all and are basically poisoning themselves in something akin to the film “Super-Size Me”.

Haven’t seen the movie?

Well, you should.

#2 From People Being Almost Totally Inactive.

Exercise can make up some of the ground lost from a poor diet. Real exercise, not five minutes of walking up a flight of stairs or a few sets of sit-ups once a week.

The fact that a great many people don’t exercise at all and instead lead quite sedentary lives is a huge factor why and others like them are getting fatter and fatter every year.

OK, so that’s the bad news. It’s best to get it over with so we can see how important it is to buck these trends.

Our very lives could hang in the balance. Looking good and feeling healthy certainly does.

Now For the Good News!

If you don’t want to be one of the fat and sick you can choose not to be.

Getting fit requires some discipline and some hard work, but YOU CAN TRANSFORM YOUR BODY into something that looks and feels great.

You’ve got the information in front of you. I’ve seen this method work again and again, for the young and old for both men and women.

All it Requires is Heart and Focus.

Are You Ready to Step Away From the PacK?

CHECK THIS OUT!

Before we even get started, there are a few important things that need to be stated.

Losing weight is a mind game. If you change your mind, you’ll change your body. It’s inevitable.

When we say “change your mind”, it doesn’t mean changing your mind from eating cookies to gobbling cake. What we’re talking about here is the mindset behind all weight loss.

It doesn’t matter what your age or sex is… the principles are the same.

First, You Need to Stop Hating your Body.

Way too many women have negative images of themselves.

They feel that they’re fat and ugly while all the other women are better.

You may have coveted the ‘thigh gap’ but can’t even find clothes your size at The Gap.

“Why can’t I look like her?”… “It sucks being me!”… “I have horrible fatty genes!”

These are just some of the ways women beat themselves up.

Here’s the truth…You need to love yourself for what you are… flab, rolls, cellulite, and all.

You need to start this weight loss journey from a place of self-love.

If you don’t change this mindset, even when you lose weight, you will still have negative self-image issues.

You will never be good enough for you.

Accept yourself… and from there you can improve. This is a journey and not an overnight miracle.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR

That’s Your Competition. Not Anyone Else.

You also need to understand that you CAN lose weight. By assuming that you have ‘fat genes’ or that it’s more difficult for you to lose weight, you make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There will be times when you slip up. This is inevitable and par for the course. When pursuing any worthy goal, the journey is never linear.

It’s often fraught with little setbacks, slip-ups, mistakes, etc.

What you need to understand is that every setback is a set up for a comeback.

During those times when you slip up on your diet, don’t throw in the towel and give up just because you made one mistake in your diet.

If you eat a slice of cake after work, don’t blame yourself and go crazy for the rest of the day by eating whatever else comes your way. Acknowledge your mistake and strive not to make any more.

If you are on track for the next few days, this one small slip up will be negligible.

If you throw your diet out of the window and give up, you can rest assured that the weight will pile back on.

You are not your mistake. Acknowledge, correct it, and avoid future mistakes and KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

That is the only way to succeed.

You’re definitely in control of your body and can change for the better if you know what to… and this book will tell you what to do.

All that you need to do is follow it to the letter and you will reach your desired weight. In the process, you will gain energy, become stronger, feel happier, and have a sense of accomplishment that just can’t be described.

Does that excite you? It should!

A lifetime of great looks and vibrant dynamic health is waiting.

Make no mistake you can do it.

Before we get into the “how” and “why” of your Slimming Down process, there are two things we need to cover that can really help you accomplish even your wildest fitness dreams.

Both are x-factors that are often skipped over in fitness programs and by many fitness instructors.

Don’t make that mistake because they are absolutely 100% game-changers that can help motivate you even in the worst of times.

The first is a realistic goal setting. The second is advice on choosing the right training partner.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION

CHECK THIS OUT NOW

SMART Fitness Goal Setting

The foundation of your coming fitness success is the clear goals you set for yourself before you even start a program.

Humans are on the whole goal orientated for better or worse. Trying to get slim and fit without setting winning goals is akin to trying to drive across the country without a map.

It’s a waste of time and energy. Even worse, you are very unlikely to ever end up at your destination.

HOW DO YOU SET SMART GOALS?

Here’s a simple formula that can definitely help. 

Just keep the word SMART in mind. Which translates into…

* S is for Specific.

Yes, you’d like to slim down in the next 6 weeks. However the goal of “slimming down” is not the best goal to help you stay motivated. It’s way too broad.

Pick a goal that’s way more specific like losing 12 pounds (or more or less). This gives you a clear target and will greatly increase your chances of success!

* M is for Measurable.

You want your goals to be as measurable as possible. Instead of wanting to “run more”, set a goal similar to “I want to add 5 minutes more to my cardio at each workout session until I’m running 45 minutes four days a week”.

This lets you measure your results as well as your progress.

* A is for Action.

Your goals should inspire action. The more you take action the much more likely you are to both stay committed and ultimately succeed.

* R is for Realistic.

Don’t set unrealistic goals, ever.

These only serve to discourage. Realistic goals, especially once you start achieving them will inspire consciously and maybe even more importantly subconsciously!

* T is for Timed.

Timed goals are best. Like your 6 Week Slimming Down proccess!

These create a sense of urgency and importance that will keep you moving quickly forward.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FITNESS TRAINING PARTNER

If at all possible find a reliable and motivated training partner for YOUR 6 Week Slimming Down Plan.

This will make things more fun, interesting and give you another set of eyes to monitor and track your fitness and weight loss success.

It’s also a lot harder for most of us to bail out on our commitments when we have another person involved.

A good workout partner can keep you going when the going gets tough.

Even the world’s top athletes, bodybuilders and fitness competitors always credit their training partners as being an essential part of their ultimate success.

You and I are no different, so do your best to find a companion for your slim down journey. It’s much more than worth it.

NOW YOU’RE READY TO BEGIN!

I’d like to leave you with a quick question between friends.

If Not Now, When?

If you are tired of being out of shape, not being comfortable looking in the mirror, feeling sluggish and slow, having weight related health issues.

Not being able to fit into clothes.

Not doing as well as you would like in your love life.

If not now, when?

I’ll let you in on another secret. The worst parts of our minds are best at making excuses, putting things off and procrastination.

I’m speaking from experience.

The only way to tame this beast of mediocrity, is to answer the question of “if not now, when” with clean, clear, committed action.

Yes, Now Is the Time To Change Your Life.

Just a few more thoughts on the subject.

# Putting off Pursuing Goals is the Quick Path to Killing Them.

When you postpone taking positive action towards pursuing your goals, fitness or not, you are setting the stage for your goal to atrophy and die.

It’s an undeniable part of human nature.

A better method?

Even taking small steps towards what you are wishing for keeps them fresh and your desire focused. Try it and see the difference.

# Accept Responsibility for Where You Are.

If you want to really transform your life, now, break the chains of casting blame. Once you accept responsibility for where you are it becomes quite obvious you and you alone have the power to enact true lasting change in your life.

Don’t blame TV commercials for your former fast food addiction or an unkind word from an ex for damaging your selfconfidence.

These people and institutions never had any real power over you on the inside.

You determine your own destiny. And that’s a beautiful thing, trust me.

#Be Willing To Make Dramatic Change.

Just getting and reading so far into this post shows just how far you are willing to go to make a change. It’s a great start.

If you can keep that positive outlook it will only serve to push you to greater and greater things.

In a few years I can only imagine the transformation your body, mind and spirit could undergo.

Making improvements and growing requires a willingness to change doesn’t it?

Of course it does!

Follow this guide with a positive attitude and expectations and you can shatter what many would say is impossible yourself.

That is If You Start Today.

CHECK THIS OUT NOW

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[martincooneyart]

Do You Operate a Retail Business,  Gallery, or Perhaps Run a Society,  Association or Club of Some Kind Here in Colorado or  Know Someone Who Does ? 

Then please consider hosting my new well-informed, entertaining and engaging audio visual presentation

Let me alert your group to the quite amazing transformation currently underway up at the quarry and of the opportunities that await once they bring Colorado Yule Marble to the American market in commercial quantities not seen since the heady days of the Lincoln Memorial Boom Years  

Please Click on a Photo to Enlarge

Just think for a moment of the many glorious opportunities presented to Coloradans by Italian Red Graniti’s huge financial and material investment in our State Rock

Yule Marble

How fortunate we are that after 125 years locked in the perpetual struggle for viability Colorado Yule Marble is about to reach its full potential in our lifetimes

Over the course of an entertaining and informed presentation I will lead your gathering, via an informal question and answer format, through events surrounding Yule Marble’s long and prestigious past, its impressive present and exciting future. Utilizing the voluminous information that I have carefully assembled I will present martincooney.com articles upon a monitor screen while the audience if they wish may follow in real time on their various devices

Little Known Fact: Did you know that each and every massive block destined for the Lincoln Memorial had to be winched up and out of the quarry, over the hump, through the portal and then carefully lowered all the way down a steep and thoroughly treacherous cliff face? Whatever you know, or thought you knew, about Colorado Yule Marble, you will understand much more about the quarry, its history and spectacular quality of the marble itself by the end of my presentation.

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

And so why has this storied quarry’s fortune thus far been one of hardship, glory and bankruptcy ? Usually with one following the other in swift order !

Although first discovered in the spring of 1873 by geologist Sylvester Richardson, Colorado Yule marble, now the state rock, was named after the prospector who rediscovered it a full ten years later after nothing had transpired from the original discoverer’s efforts to capitalize upon his find. And that – his last name – was pretty much all he contributed to the story, as he then promptly disappeared back into the wild rugged and untamed wilderness that was almost the entire Rocky Mountain Range at the time.

Please Click on a Photo to Enlarge

Between the years 1885 to 95 many local miners acquired claims and attempted to retrieve sufficient commercial grade marble to offset their costs; but without contacts, transportation or anything amounting to marble quarrying skills – much different to those required by mineral ore extraction –  the result of their efforts never left the valley; with much effort, time and money ultimately going to waste.

Yule marble was off to a rocky start to say the least, if you’ll forgive the pun, for unless someone with sufficient wealth should step up to the plate to build the necessary infrastructure and also provide some all important connections within the building industry, then the entire Colorado Yule Marble project, including the Lincoln Memorial, would simply never have happened.

Thankfully however, for all those who love The Yule, in 1892 the undoubted potential presented by Yule’s superb quality caught the attention of the 7th richest man in the country – none other than John Cleveland Osgood, widely known as “The Fuel King of the West”.  Orphaned by age 14 he nevertheless shot like a meteor through the ranks of the fuel business, from what I can gather, by sheer force of personality and persistence.  It is said of him that at one point he personally visited every commercial mine in the Rocky Mountains so as to ensure that he ONLY bought the very best operations: and buy he did.

John Cleveland Osgood

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Sadly, by 1904 the Fuel King of the West found himself having to go cap in hand to his old allies and business partners for a little friendly loan. When the money he had expected was flatly refused however – with their idea being to offer him a job working for them – he calmly stood up from the table and announced to his former companions before walking out the door: ‘Gentlemen, John Cleveland Osgood works for no man, goodbye.”

And with that he promptly walked away from a financial empire that he had single-mindedly assembled after being orphaned at the age of 14. Just how such a fortune could dwindle so rapidly is up for debate, but at this time Osgood was pouring vast amounts of money into expanding and equipping the Yule marble project  – with a very hands on approach it must be said, to the point whereby in fact it rapidly became his pet project, much to the mirth of his former business companions I’m sure.

Hot on the heels of the glamorous Osgood Years came the fabulous Meek Era.  Arriving upon the scene in 1905 with over three million dollars of investment Channing Franklin Meek immediately threw himself at the task of reorganizing and expanding the entire marble quarrying, milling and transportation operation.

Nothing short of spectacular in its ambition and scope, Meek’s successful ‘Integrated Operation’ for the first time brought the entire quarry operation under one chain of command – his own, of course.

Under Channing F. Meek’s personal stewardship the quarry, along with the town of Marble, Colorado, boomed like never before, or since as it happens, to the point that these years are now fondly viewed as something of a golden age by all those with a love for Yule marble.

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Please Click on a Photo to Enlarge

Disaster strikes however in 1912 when all is thrown into disarray as Channing Meek is killed after being struck by, and/or leaping to avoid, a runaway something or another (accounts vary) – which sounds a bit odd to me. It seems ‘careless in the extreme’ I would say for these otherwise thorough and professional marble quarriers to be so sloppy as to let anything ‘runaway’ to the point that it leads directly to the needless death of their boss.  By all accounts it took the poor man three days to die of the horrible wounds sustained by landing upon a giant pile of waste marble blocks. Events such as this are very rare in a marble quarry and for it happen to the man in charge, well it all seems quite implausible if I am honest, for nothing runs away in a quarry, there are far too many fail safes for that, and if it did happen then what is the chance of it happening to the main man?

~ ~ ~

For many people familiar with the long and at times anguished history of the Colorado Yule marble quarry it is a familiar refrain that Channing Meek’s awful death damned the fortunes of not only the commercial marble quarrying operation but that of the entire formerly bustling and ambitious little town of Marble, Colorado.  Imagine what must have been going through their minds having lost their jobs, their livelihoods and careers, as the people watched on – if they were still around and had not already moved on – in 1942 as their magnificent marble mill, the largest of its modern type in the world at the time, was torn apart and ransacked for its steel just six months after America entered into World War Two. Such drastic scenes must have put paid to any remaining hope of a Colorado Yule marble revival.

Surely this fine facility could easily be converted to manufacturing almost anything made out of wood, steel or anything else required by the war effort, even as demand for marble had evaporated with the outbreak of war. But alas no thought was given to a post war scenario as the entire mill was summarily and systematically destroyed.  Accounts of the usefulness of the plant’s metal to the war effort are to my knowledge unavailable, but what do you think would have served the cause better: destroying a massive and perfectly viable mill for its steel, or refit the state of the art marble plant to manufacture whatever was needed, say for the Army’s 10th Mountain Division located quite nearby?  Also, if they had not trashed it the plant no doubt would have sprung back to life at the war’s end when demand for marble would bounce back? And what a magnificent facility this would have been for the G.I.s to return home to from the war.  Such a colossal waste.

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

In destroying what was at the time the world’s largest and certainly best equipped marble mill of its type, all hope must have died in the hearts of those who loved Colorado Yule Marble and had poured their lives so willingly and enthusiastically into forging its success. Seemingly the dream was completely dead and surely the quarry would now remain closed and abandoned for evermore.

Please Click on a Photo to Enlarge

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

At the peak of its success from 1905 through 1914 the remote Colorado Rocky Mountain town of Marble could boast a peak population of 1,500 residents, a movie theater, three hotels, 9 stables, 5 ice houses, and an ice cream parlor.  But by 1945, with the town suffering another catastrophic flood, just 4 years after the last one, the town’s population dipped to just one: Theresa Herman, the school teacher.

~ ~ ~

BUT NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS

Thankfully and quite miraculously EACH OF THE CRITICAL POINTS THAT I WILL NOW OUTLINE BELOW HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AND VANQUISHED

Much credit for the current revival must go to the very organized, well-financed and experienced owners: none other than the Italian marble quarrying giants RED GRANITI of MASSA, located in the heart of the Carrara Marble Quarrying Region of North Western Tuscany

Quite frankly the progress that Colorado Marble Quarries, under their parent company Red Graniti of Massa, have made since acquiring the quarry in 2011 has been nothing short of astonishing, all the while maintaining the very highest standard of environmental stewardship for good measure.

But upon reflection I suppose it should come as no surprise that an outfit so steeped in centuries of marble quarrying experience would make short work of modernizing and reviving such a promising investment as Yule marble.  Why else would these proud Italian quarrymen cross the world and leave their beloved homeland if it were not for their love of marble ? And if you think about it – ask yourself too – why would they make this scale of investment in a quarry perched so precariously in such a difficult, remote, rugged and fiercely protected terrain ? Especially one with such a tortured and seemingly ill-fated history – when they have plenty of top quality marble right in their own back yard ?

And So, Here I Present

Three Major Reasons Why Colorado Yule Marble Struggled to Thrive For Over One Hundred Years

All of which have now been addressed and no longer affect the current quarry operators, but we’ll get to that

Reason 1) The Quarry is Very Remote with all of the major markets for top quality marble such as Yule inconveniently located one or two thousand miles away and across a plethora of formidable landscapes. Anything headed east had to cross a slew of high mountain passes including of course the continental divide. And to the west vast deserts and mountain ranges proved just as arduous a challenge, perhaps even more. To the north and south there were few if any commercial markets for world class marble.

Plus, you have to take into account the rigors applied to heavy blocks of finished marble being transported on top of industrial rail cars as they are unceremoniously shunted in and out of the many sidings and stock yards along the way, not to mention the rhythmic clickety-clack of the track itself bouncing the stone around along the entire length of the journey.

Jostled and jolted between one train to the next long enough, hard enough and often enough and even the very best marble in the world can and sometimes did eventually succumb to such unavoidable abuse, given that railroads were the only realistic of moving marble in those days, with cracks showing up at points along the journey that were no doubt quite invisible at the outset.

Reason 2) The Quarry is Perched at 9,300 feet above the remote Rocky Mountain town of Marble, Colorado, thus endures powerful blizzards, rock and snow slides as routine events. But whatever the weather and conditions, each and every block had none-the-less to be winched up out of the quarry chamber, out and over the portal, and immediately lowered down a steep and treacherous cliff face.  It was then loaded onto a hydro-electric powered tram rail car for the four mile ride down and along a steep track into the Town of Marble – traversing no less than 7 avalanche zones along the way – where it would take its place within the world’s largest marble finishing mill at the time.

Now, surely, the full picture of the early quarrymen’s incredibly arduous task, combined with the harsh reality of their at times brutal struggle with the combined forces of nature, serve as stunning testament to their remarkable achievements, even as the spectacularly ambitious Colorado Yule Marble Quarry project itself, as a commercial venture, never quite succeeded.  In fact, the failure of Yule marble ultimately has nothing to do with a flaw in the quality of the stone, as I hear repeatedly mentioned in conversation  – usually by those with little knowledge of the subject it must be said.  For at this moment in time Colorado Yule marble is now widely accepted as being among the ‘finest marble ever quarried‘, which is quite the accolade for such an excruciatingly remote and inconvenient marble to quarry such as that of The Yule.

Reason 3) Italians Did Not Run the Quarry. Yes, it is a sad fact but true, and one we will have to live with now that we can at last see and appreciate for ourselves just what an expert, experienced and well financed Italian outfit can make of our old unprofitable Yule marble quarry.

For instance, aside from re-organizing the quarry itself to negate all of the up and over winching they were doing by running a tunnel straight into the quarry – as I saw for myself they did over in Carrara at around the same time, I think they would have drawn a few of the incredible challenges presented by a project on the Lincoln Memorial’s vast, unheard of scale.

They would know just what quarrying so many extraordinarily large blocks of marble would mean for all involved in the project. Not just any blocks however, but so many hundreds of PERFECT (for that’s what they had to be) quarry stones – both STRUCTURALLY AND AESTHETICALLY, as demanded by the monument’s unusually authentic load-bearing Greek Temple scale and design.

Above we see just one of the dozens of huge lintel stones, and in the drawing below you can see how they string from the center of one column to the next in a continuous row stretching all the way around the building. Extracting such colossal and perfect blocks proved very costly in terms of waste material being summarily tossed aside, instead of being allocated to another project as would be the case normally, in an all out attempt to meet the crucial Lincoln Memorial dedication ceremony deadline.

In addition the quarry had to find sufficient equally perfect blocks for the 38 columns, each comprising 11 drums plus a top piece, with each of the column drums requiring a 32 ton block from which to be carved. with each of the 418 drums requiring 18 multiple man hours to fashion.

  Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

In my opinion, I think that experienced Italian quarrymasters would have immediately pointed out such problems before they were encountered head on, as seems to have been the case. I think that serious efforts could have been made to cut the stone in such a way that the incredible waste ratio of something like 80 percent and more, would have been reduced to a minimum. But in any case, whatever their thoughts on the matter, and after seeing just what they have now accomplished in the 9 years that they have been in control up at the quarry, no doubt such knowledgeable and experienced quarrymen would have put their collective minds together and come up with something of a solution other than filling the entire cliff face with perfectly good but patently ‘too small’ chunks of excellent marble.

~ ~ ~

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There is a reason why modern architecture – meaning anything since the days of Ancient Greece – avoid such monumental quarry blocks as demanded for the hundreds of huge column drums and lintels required by the Lincoln Memorial’s 2,000 year old Greek Temple design. Marble is very heavy, weighing in at around 170 lbs per cubic foot, which is the same as granite, but marble measures up at a fraction of its strength, leading to cracks possibly forming once the block is set in motion, and the more motion the more likely the cracks are to appear.

These days it is safe to say that the quarry is operating more efficiently, more productively and way more environmentally sound than any quarry in the world, for if there is an outfit anywhere with a cleaner record than our Colorado Yule marble quarry then I have yet to hear of it.

All of which means that now more than any point in its long and storied history Colorado Yule Marble is about to impact itself upon the American market like never before. The Yule is Cool Again, and best of all, more of a long term business opportunity now than any point in its long, proud but oft times tortured history.

photo Ron Bailey

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, let’s round out this post and take another quick look at those pesky three reasons  I mentioned earlier that have dogged the Colorado Yule Marble story from day one but thankfully each of which have now been nullified by the current quarry management

Reason 1) The Quarry is Very Remote. Well, not anymore it isn’t. That was then and this is now. Gone are the bumpy railcars and in their place are the smooth-as-silk, sprung, flatbed trucks. Not only that, but very soon Red Graniti’s Colorado Stone Quarries is to open a brand new state of the art fabrication plant over in nearby Delta. And so not only will the journey from quarry to market be inordinately smoother it will be incredibly shorter in distance. From their Delta plant finished counter tops, sawn blocks and dimension masonry, tiles and who knows what will reach every part of the country via the nearby national interstate system.

Reason 2) The Quarry is Perched at 9,300 feet. So what ? No problem, the Italians have taken care of it.  Their solution was to punch through “the first new portal at the Yule marble quarry in over a hundred years“.  In doing so they instantly negated the whole problem of winching each piece up over the huge ridge that had grown around the old portal and which had previously demanded so much extra work simply to extract the marble from the quarry. These days the marble is simply wheeled out of the quarry using some of the world’s largest and most powerful forklift trucks. For immediately upon taking control of the quarry the new owners ‘junked’ all existing equipment and replaced it with a fleet of new vehicles – the very best I might add, but then again, well of course !

Reason3) Italians Did Not Run the Quarry. Well they do now, and just like that – the quarry is transformed.  They came, they saw and they conquered every conceivable obstacle, barrier and logistical conundrum they could lay their hands on and working tirelessly to finally set in motion the full potential of our beloved Colorado Yule Marble – our state rock after all – for the first time in it’s long, proud, storied history.  Now watch as Yule marble products of all kinds begin to enter the market across the nation, with old and new marble products – some of which have yet to be conceived presenting opportunities galore for anyone with an interest in the exciting new Colorado Yule Marble Industry that is to come.

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

photo Ron Bailey

photo Ron Bailey

photo Ron Bailey

photo Ron Bailey

photo Ron Bailey

photo Ron Bailey

photo Ron Bailey

Courtesy of Marble Museum, Colorado

photo Ron Bailey

And Finally, Why Me?

Who am I to tell you all about Colorado Yule Marble

and the many opportunities that this exciting new era will bring to Coloradans everywhere

Firstly, I know an awful lot about the subject having carved it extensively, researched it thoroughly and presented huge amounts of information right here at martincooney.com for several years

Secondly, I enjoy talking and engaging with people, particularly on subjects so close to my heart as this

Thirdly, my personality makes for a fun and interesting presentation that I know by experience is well received whenever I present my case in person

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Or to Learn More About It

Please Call Me At 

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Or Email Me At

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Reside in Colorado? Want to Hear Me Speak About Colorado Yule Marble? Do You Operate a Retail Business,  Gallery, or Perhaps Run a Society,  Association or Club of Some Kind Here in Colorado…

[onireview]

Funnel 360 Review– The best all-in-one solution for page, video and graphics creation

Funnel 360 Review – Introduction

Working in the marketing fields requires anyone to be familiar with several specific terms regarding pages, funnels, videos, and graphics. Do you wonder why I particularly mention these terms?

Indeed, my review today will introduce a cost-effective tool that allows you to create pages and funnels, produce videos, and edit graphics in one dashboard only. Isn’t it cool? This amazing software is called Funnel 360.

As far as I know, marketers have to waste a huge sum of money and time on hiring and waiting for their professional team to create pages, videos, and graphics since they cannot do these tasks by themselves. The wait seems to get more unbearable since these things are extremely pivotal to any of their marketing campaigns. Are you finding yourself in their shoes?

Don’t worry. Now, with Funnel 360 – 100% starter friendly software, you can do all the above jobs by yourself with ease. Of course, you can save a large amount of money as well as massive time to invest in other valuable projects.

As you are becoming more and more curious about this tool, let jump to the next parts of my Funnel 360 Review today to check it out in detail.

Funnel 360 Rating!!

Price

Features

Support

Easy To Use

4.2

Summary

The key features that i like at this software

- Drag-n-drop website builder (Free Flowing - 100% Controlled) - Promptly create highly-converting funnels - No domain or hosting needed - A/B testing - Automatic pixel placement - Deep analytics - GDPR compliant - Real-time autosave on the page during editing

Learn More...

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Overview Of Funnel 360

Vendor: Simon Warner et al

Product: Funnel 360

Launch Date: 2019 – May – 04

Launch Time: 11:00 EDT

Front-End Price: $37 – $97

Sales Page: https://funnel360.co/special/

Bonus: Yes!

Niche: Software

Recommend: Strongly Recommend

What Is Funnel 360?

Funnel 360 is software providing a combination of funnel building, video creation, and graphics editors by using one dashboard only.

This tool is easy to control and manage with the drag-n-drop feature. Plus, you do not have to waste money on hosting and domains since this tool already freely includes them. Still, there are so many exceptional features and advantages of this product. Do not go anywhere and continue with my Funnel360 Review to explore.

The Vendor of Funnel 360 – Simon Warner

Simon Warner is the developer of this powerful tool. Being an advanced supplier on JVzoo, Simon has been bringing numerous excellent products to users around the world such as Social Daddy, Launchify360, Mobimatic, Liteapp Studio, Netpreneur Magazine, etc.

Users trust his product based on his in-depth knowledge and years of experience working in the marketing field. At the time of launching of each software, he achieved impressive sales, together with wide-recognition and appreciation from experts.

Hence, when it comes to applications made by Simon Warner, I strongly count on its soon market-dominating future.

Key Features Of Funnel 360

This software comes with various features. I will brief some of its most killing ones, as below:

Drag-n-drop website builder (Free Flowing – 100% Controlled)

Funnel 360 allows you to move elements around the page, resize them in any shape, place them anywhere, increase or decrease height and width, and more. All of these actions can be done with simple click-n-drag.

Promptly create highly-converting funnels

This tool enables you to build Page Funnels, Webinar Funnels, Lead Funnels, Traffic Funnels with only a press of a button.

No domain or hosting needed

This software provides free and fast CDN Server to host all of your websites, pages, and funnels. Now you can save thousands of dollars annually on domains and hosting with Funnel 360.

A/B testing

Funnel 360 makes variants of pages and funnels to find a winning performer.

Automatic pixel placement

This application makes a retargeting list on Facebook, Google, and other platforms.

Deep analytics

This tool gives you thorough analytics since it knows your conversions, clicks, impressions to minute level at every page.

GDPR compliant

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, which is used in the whole EU and EEA. The GDPR is built to give control to individuals over their data to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying the regulation within the EU. Funnel 360 is among the first products that comply with the global framework. In other words, this feature assures the safety of Funnel 360.

Real-time autosave on the page during editing

This feature lets you avoid any loss when there is an accidental tab-close as the system automatically saves all of your previous changes.

How Does Funnel 360 Work?

Funnel 360 is a 4-step product with newbie friendly design that you can start right away regardless of your experience level.

Let take a look with the details of each step:

Step#1 – Build stunning pages

Effortlessly create highly-converting marketing pages such as squeeze page, sales pages, upsell pages, thank-you pages, membership pages, and so much more.

You can select from 100 ready-made templates or customize based on your liking.

Step#2 – Produce pro-quality videos

Similarly, you can choose from 100 done-for-you templates or make your own videos from Artificially Intelligent Powered Explainer Video Creator.

Step#3 – Create fantastic graphics

This software still offers templates for you or you can use its Creation and Editing Module with the drag-n-drop feature.

Step#4 – Full commercial rights included

You can make money by selling your highly-converting marketing funnels + webPages + videos + graphics for 3rd parties.

There is also a guiding video for you to follow more closely. Check it to start your wonderful journey with Funnel 360.

Funnel 360 Software Website Builder Tool Demo

Who Should Use Funnel 360?

Funnel 360 is designed for:

Anyone who is struggling with a sophisticated and pricey webpage builder tool.

Anyone who is worried about unreliable developers to create pages.

Anyone who is lack of technical skills.

Anyone who wants to build pages, make videos and graphics for their business but has budget constraints.

And more

Price And Evaluation

The vendor currently offers two options for users to own a copy of this tool:

Option#1: $37 per month

Option#2: $197 per year

Both of these two options allow you to get full access to all built-in features of Funnel 360.

As can be seen, the annual charge is much economical than the monthly one. Based on your using frequency, you can choose the most suitable option for you.

Noticeably, such above prices are available only in a short period of launching time, after that, it will be much higher. So you had better consider and decide promptly.

Bonuses

Notably, the supplier spares many bonuses for fast action takers:

FAST ACTION BONUS #1: Website Owner’s Guide to Stock Photography

This bonus gives you a chance to learn how to use stock photography to enhance your websites and make your online efforts stand out among the crowd.

FAST ACTION BONUS #2: Image sites with the free license

This one provides a detailed list of 15 sites where you can download free stock images.

FAST ACTION BONUS #3: Graphics Treasure Chest V2

Undeniably, graphics are significantly essential for any marketers in boosting sales and conversions. Now with this bonus, you can create world-class graphics without hiring a designer since it allows you to get access to an abundant source of incredible 857+ graphics templates

FAST ACTION BONUS #4: Stock Image Blowout

You will receive a huge collection of 1500+ professional royalty stock images for free to spice up your websites and blogs.

FAST ACTION BONUS #5: 800 Premium Sound Effects

The title of this bonus says it all. With this one, you will get a source of 800 high-quality sound effects.

FAST ACTION BONUS #6: Flash Optin Pro

This one offers you chances to create an animated flash opt-in box and build a list within a few clicks.

FAST ACTION BONUS #7: Ultimate Sales Page Plugin

This bonus brings you a built-in graphics editor, letting you design and customize your sales page inside your WordPress blog professionally.

Last Thoughts

For short, I want to give a big “YES” for Funnel360 due to all of its brilliant features and advantages.

You no longer need single software to create a page, to make and edit videos, and make graphics individually. All these tasks can be done with just one tool – Funnel360.

The special offer and bonuses are still valid since the launching time has not been over yet. Act soon and bring home this powerful product before the price goes up. Do not forget that this tool comes with a 90-day money back guarantee, so it is worthy of giving it a go. To get started, just click the button below.

I do hope my Funnel 360 Review informative and helpful for your decision making.

Good luck, and see you later!

The post Funnel 360 Review– The best all-in-one solution for page, video and graphics creation appeared first on OniReview.

[kennethherrerablog]

Not Sure What Career Is Best for You? Start With These 4 Simple Steps

Once upon a time, thinking about what you wanted to be when you grew up was exciting.

The possibilities felt infinite and thrilling, mostly because the obstacles weren’t even a blip on your radar.

But somewhere along the way, practicality took over.

Choosing a career, at any stage in life, has its challenges. But remember: There are ways to ease the pressure.

How to Choose A Career Path That’s Right for You

Perhaps you’ve got a fancy new bachelor’s degree (congratulations!) and have no idea where to begin. Or maybe you’re looking for a change of pace, and you need help figuring out what to do next.

Whatever your starting point, making a decision of this magnitude can be intimidating, so start this career-search process by keeping your desires and interests in mind.

Step 1: Figure Out What You Like

In today’s modern world where people get paid to do all sorts of things, including being cuddlers, you can make a career out of anything.

Now, ask yourself this basic question: “What do I like?” Then, stop there. Do not pass ‘Go,’ and do not collect $200.

When assessing this, try to silence the noise that invades your thoughts. Don’t consider salary needs, lifestyle accommodations and all the other factors we’ll cover later.

For now, just think about what you wouldn’t mind doing for a long time. Do you like being in nature? Talking to people? Do you enjoy more creative- or analytics-based tasks?

As you answer these questions, allow yourself time to figure it out. “You’re not going to find out what you want to do as a career right way. The more you do one thing and the better you get at it, the more you’ll like something,” explains Jason Patel, the founder of Transizion, a college and career prep company. “You’ll have to work a bunch of jobs, perhaps, to find out what career suits you.”

Take a Career Test

To give yourself a boost, try taking a career assessment. These tests are designed to draw out your interests to align you with career options that fit your personal attributes.

“Career assessments can, at the very least, act like a flashlight in a dark force,” says Patel. “It won’t provide you with the exact destination or where to go, but what it’ll help you do is find a direction that you should go in.”

Career tests are great for identifying your strengths. Just because you like health sciences doesn’t mean you’d enjoy being a nutritionist. But, you could be perfectly suited for something else in the health field.

“Once you find what the results are in a career assessment, you can go on to explore the options that you get,” Patel says.

Here are some options to help you get started:

Princeton Review

My Next Move

MAPP Assessment

The Strong Interest Inventory

Occupational Network

You’ll find that these tests can be costly, but there are ways around that.

If you’re still in college, take advantage of the free services that your university’s career development office offers. When you become an alumnus, they’ll continue to offer free or discounted services to help remedy that post-grad anxiety.

But what if you’re jumping back into the workforce? Loren Margolis, the founder and CEO of a global leadership development consultancy Training & Leadership Success, suggests seeking services in your community.

“In every major community, there are locally or nationally based non-profits that are also tied into the federal government that give free career coaching or heavily discounted career coaching or counseling — especially if people are later on in their career and they’ve been laid off,” she says.

For example, she says, the New York-based Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services offers job development programs to those needing a helping hand as they re-enter the workforce.

If community organizations aren’t available, you can find free coaching online. A great example is Goodwill Industries International’s free career navigation platform, GoodProspects. Once you register on the site, it will help you explore career paths, and you’ll gain access to guidance and advice from career coaches to help you determine if what you’re looking for is right you.

Step 2:  Consider the Important Factors

Think fast: What do you want out of your career? What are your values?

Ideally, a career should sustain, progress and enhance your life for years to come. In other words, the objective is growth.

John Sheehy, the Career Development Coordinator at Stetson University in Deland, Florida, understands that “living expenses, rent, insurance, savings/retirement and lifestyle all come into the equation when it comes to salaries and deciding to accept or respectfully decline a position.” However, he doesn’t believe a career path should be driven by money.

On the other hand, Margolis advises career hunters to “keep in mind what you need in your life right now,” and if that’s money, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s important to be realistic, she says, so finding something that aligns with your lifestyle is key.

The interests and values are the important foundations, but you’re going to have a different answer based on who you are. Wherever you are in this process, though, Margolis poses the main factor she thinks everyone should keep in mind: What motivates you?

While you’re at it, include work/life balance, availability of jobs, training and education (will this career choice land you in lots of debt?) into the mix.

Consider whether your current lifestyle can support your career choice. What are your short- and long-term goals? These answers will be different if you’re just starting out in your career, versus someone who has been in the workforce and is making a change.

If you’re thinking “over my dead body” to the thought of seven or more years of higher education (read: more debt), becoming a psychologist probably won’t be your idea of a good time.

Now tell us how that makes you feel…

Step 3: Research Potential Career Paths

Thoroughly reading job descriptions is crucial. Take advantage of the insight they provide to assess whether you can and want to do what’s being requested.

As you research, pay attention to what’s piquing your interests. Do this until you have a few career options that really fit your needs, wants and goals.

This is where you start networking. “Don’t hesitate to reach out to people who are working in an area that you’re thinking about targeting,” explains Margolis. “Nothing substitutes for actually hearing from the people themselves who are working in that area.”

Before you know it, you’ll be ready for the application process: Preparing your resume and cover letter.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics

When you’re ready, we recommend getting started with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The website offers all sorts of useful information on any one of thousands of professions.

For example, the page for radiation therapists has a chart showing that the median wage is $80,570 per year (or $38.73 per hour), there were 19,100 of these jobs in 2016 and the job outlook of 13% growth in the next 7 years is faster than average — and that’s just a sliver of the full scope.

The BLS database can be a bit confusing, so try this Google search method to find direct links to the professions you’re looking up. To get as much information as possible, do both of these searches, and be sure to include the brackets:

{job title} bls ooh: This should pull up the appropriate page from the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), which is where you’ll find all the information described above. Look for results that have “ooh” in the URL.

{job title} bls oes: This search will lead you to the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) for that position. These pages will share data collected on wage and employment estimates for over 800 careers.

Though the BLS is a good place to start, you can get a better feel of what a job entails by using Google to search for personal experiences, and to gather information on specific niches. For example, BLS information covers electricians, but it’s not broken down by residential versus commercial, and the work can be quite different.

To do this, try a number of searches using search terms like these, with and without quotation marks:

“I’m a {job title}”

“what a {job title} does”

“being a {job title}”

“my experience as a {job title}”

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship programs are a great way to explore a new career, or you can use them to enter a career you’re already interested in.

Considered an alternative pathway, these programs range from one to six years, and they offer individuals an entrance into fields that typically require special licensing and/or higher education. While this model has historically been used in building trades (such as plumbing and carpentry), IT, healthcare and a number of other industries now offer a range of apprenticeship opportunities.

A major perk is that you get paid, on-the-job training to prepare for a future in the field of your choosing, so you’re not wasting time and you’re earning money. To learn more, check out how software engineer Shawn Farrow turned an apprenticeship into a full-time position with an annual salary of over $75,000.

Step 4: Beware of These Mistakes

Like most things, choosing a career has its do’s and don’ts. To avoid falling prey to preventable mistakes, beware of these faux pas that could derail the process:

Choosing salary over work/life balance: Dollar signs with lots of zeros behind them are lovely, but at what cost? While a hefty salary is enticing, as Sheehy previously mentioned, it shouldn’t be the driving factor of your career choice. There’s a chance that what you’re gaining financially could cost you in other areas of your personal life, but it all comes down to what kind of life you envision for yourself.

Choosing a career with little to no growth: In your research, look out for indications of growth — and don’t be afraid to ask about it in interviews. Is there a continued path, or is it a dead end position? If you’re driven by incentives like promotions and salary raises, pay attention to whether some industries offer ladders for you to climb.

Not being adequately prepared: Margolis warns that if you’re more senior, or even mid-level in your career, and you’re reaching out to people who are currently in your field of interest, you need to have the answers to questions like, “what does a typical work week look like?” Or, “what does the job entail?” Those questions are more suitable for young professionals just starting out, and the professionals on the answering end of your questions expect you to go in knowing base level information.

Not making use of available resources: “I strongly advise all young professionals and students complete at least one type of traits/strengths/career assessment to assist in their process,” says Sheehy. Since they’re free for you, why not receive professional assistance to broaden your view of career options? You could be missing out on some opportunities.

This whole career search thing isn’t so bad, right?

Janet Near, who studies the relationship between employment and life happiness at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, reassures us that, “compared to everything else that affects how satisfied we feel about our lives, like family, relationships, health and so on, work turns out to play a pretty small part — maybe 3% of the whole.”

However, don’t underestimate the impact of being happy in your work. Three percent can feel a lot more like 25% when a large portion of your day is overwhelmed by unfulfillment.

Remember: Keep you and your values in mind. Happy hunting!

Farrah Daniel is an editorial assistant at The Penny Hoarder. Check out more of her latest stories here.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

Not Sure What Career Is Best for You? Start With These 4 Simple Steps published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

[naturecoaster]

Serenova’s Song: Understanding Pasco County's Ridge Road Extension Project

Editor's Note: We are varying from our traditional subject matter to help our readers understand the Ridge Road Extension project in Pasco County - how it came to be, who the players are, and why we have such a project in the area. It is a controversial project because part of a proposed roadway goes through an environmentally sensitive area. This scenario is becoming more and more common as the State of Florida is developed, so it may be helpful to see an objective analysis of a difficult situation. We thank Paul Herman, Publisher of Florida Nature Coast for his thoughtful analysis and research contribution to NatureCoaster.com and suggest to all our readers that you check out his site for wonderful videos of Florida's Nature Coast. The "Ridge Road Extension" is an arterial road project in west Pasco County, Florida, designed to extend Ridge Road from the intersection of Moon Lake Road eastward to U.S. Highway 41. It was envisioned in the late 1980s as part of Pasco County's first state-mandated land plan. Burgeoning growth in densely populated west Pasco was expected to overwhelm existing traffic routes connecting to U.S. 41 and I-75. At that time, the only two east-west arterial roads in Pasco County were S.R. 54 and S.R. 52. An additional concern was the ability to evacuate coastal communities in the event of a major hurricane. Permit plans for the Suncoast Parkway were submitted in 1992 to connect to the Veteran's Expressway north through Pasco County. This proposed path intersected the planned Ridge Road Extension. To obtain approval for the Suncoast Parkway, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise needed to mitigate the environmental impacts of the project. They accomplished this by buying two huge parcels of land west and adjacent to the Parkway's route: the Anclote River Ranch Tract south of Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, and the Pottberg Ranch to the north of the park.

The Pottberg Ranch was owned by the Otto Pottberg Trust, which obtained approval to subdivide the land to create a planned community named "Serenova". The development would contain nearly 6,500 single-family homes and 679 acres of commercial and industrial space. The Serenova Development of Regional Impact agreement of 1992 included in its roadway plans the construction of the Ridge Road Extension at some future date. Instead, the Pottberg Trust sold the entire tract to the State to mitigate the effects of the Suncoast Parkway. The land was titled to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, combined with the Anclote River Ranch Tract into the 19,000-acre Starkey Wilderness Preserve. In August of 1994, the final environmental impact statement and plan for the Suncoast Parkway included an overpass and interchange 3.2 miles south of S.R. 52 for the future Ridge Road Extension.

An overpass was built in the Suncoast Parkway at the proposed intersection of Ridge Road. Image courtesy of Paul Herman. Pasco County negotiated an agreement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District in March 1991 to obtain its assurance that the right-of-way for the road project would be transferred to the County, subject to the County obtaining other necessary permits. Pasco County submits Ridge Road Extension Permit Request in 1998 In 1998, Pasco County submitted permit requests to both the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Ridge Road Extension. In 2003 the Southwest Florida Water Management District approved the project, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been more deliberative. On December 20, 2019, they issued the permit that allowed the project to commence. https://player.vimeo.com/video/393056041 Understanding Phase One of the Ridge Road Extension Parkway is easier with a visual. Paul Herman created this to help illustrate the land in question and the project's scope. Two Phases: One Controversy The proposed plan consisted of two phases. Phase 1 extends 4.2 miles from the intersection of Ridge Road and Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway interchange. This would include 2.6 miles of limited access highway across the Serenova Tract, where wetlands require a number of bridges and wildlife crossings. The cost of phase 1 was estimated to be $68 million dollars. Phase 2 includes the section from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. Highway 41 where it intersects with Connerton Boulevard. That portion is intended as a standard arterial roadway built at grade with a number of intersections and traffic signals. The cost of Phase 2 is supposed to be paid by developers in the area whose projects the road would benefit. In addition to Phases 1 and 2, the actual interchange at the Suncoast Parkway is slated to be funded by the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

The Ridge Road Extension project was planned with 2 phases. Phase two crosses privately held land already planned for development. Phase one goes through the Serenova Preserve and has been controversial. Image courtesy of Paul Herman. Phase 2 has not been controversial. It traverses land already held and planned for development by private landowners. The Lennar/Newland Corporations will benefit most from Phase 2 of the project since their sprawling Bexley Ranch development borders the proposed path of the Ridge Road Extension and extends all the way south to S.R. 54. Bexley is slated to include an 800-acre commerce park anchored by a new H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Center. The new road project will provide tenants of their commercial complex direct access via the Suncoast Parkway to the Tampa International Airport and the larger Tampa Bay area. The Longest Pending Permit Application in the History of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Concern for native wildlife is strong in the fight against Phase One. Image courtesy of Pat Manfredo. Phase 1 of the Ridge Road Extension has been beset with problems since the start. This is due to environmental concerns about the 2.6-mile portion that cuts across the middle of the Serenova Tract of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve. Various groups, including Audubon of Florida, the West Pasco Audubon Society, "Save Our Serenova" coalition of the Suncoast Sierra Club, and Citizens for Sanity have been active in fighting the project with protests and in court.

Efforts to derail or delay the project have resulted in this being the longest pending permit application in the history of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Pasco County had spent $16 million on the project before final permits were approved.

Pros and Cons of Pasco County’s Ridge Road Extension

There are certainly pros and cons to the Ridge Road Extension. Pasco County insists the road is needed to handle the increased traffic load and for hurricane evacuation. Pasco County points to the fact that plans for the road were part of the original mitigation plans for permitting the Suncoast Parkway project. Detractors argue that building an expressway through protected wetlands will endanger wildlife, have a negative effect on drainage, and is simply not needed.

Us Army Corps Engineers incorporated public opinion into their permit process. Image courtesy of Us Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Used Public Input Soon after Pasco County applied for permits, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the first public notice for the project seeking public input. The response was immediate, and they paid attention. After receipt of the original permit application, the Corps requested changes and additional information from the County numerous times including October 2001, April 2005, July 2006, January 2007, January 2010, and July 2010. In November 2010, Pasco County withdrew their original permit application, resubmitting a new updated version in early 2011, that took much of the feedback into account. In May 2011 the Corps issued another public notice and request for input. Over the next few years, they collected testimony from nearly 2,000 persons and organizations regarding the project, with some praising the project and some asking for denial of the permit. The changes Pasco County made to the permit application in the 2011 submission did not affect the overall scope or significance of the project. But they showed a willingness to accommodate some of the concerns brought forth. Additional changes were also submitted in the years between 2011 and 2018 to accommodate requests by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers based on public input. The proposed wetland impacts were reduced by narrowing the road median widths and reducing the space needed for embankments. Additional bridges were added, and three bridges were lengthened over wetland areas. Additional mitigation was also agreed upon, with the result being that Pasco County will be purchasing mitigation credits from the Old Florida Mitigation Bank. Ridge Road Extension Project will affect Endangered Species Those opposing the Ridge Road Extension project are particularly worried about its impact on endangered species. Some, like the black bear and Florida panther, are not known to exist in the affected area. But the eastern indigo snake and the gopher tortoise are affected.

Indigo snakes are often found in Gopher Tortoise burrows. 360 species use these burrows for their home or a refuge from storms and predators. Image courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife. Final project guidelines include a detailed description of how each of these animals when discovered in the affected area, must be handled and relocated. In the case of the indigo snake, the "affected area" extends a mile in any direction from the construction area, since indigo snakes are known to range that far. Aside from the conflicts and controversy surrounding this project, many people are grateful to see it commence. Most people who live in the communities of west Pasco County understand that it will help to alleviate traffic on S.R. 54, S.R. 52, and Little Road. Still, some fear that the new road will help to encourage additional development that will make things worse again. Many will enjoy utilizing the bike/hiking trail designed to run parallel to the Ridge Road Extension all the way east to the Suncoast Trail.

MabelAmber / Pixabay Whichever way you feel about this controversial project, it is hard to imagine that the Ridge Road Extension is not a "done deal" at this point. Construction has begun, and, as of this writing, the roadway has already been cleared over a mile to the western edge of the Serenova Tract. The Sierra Club recently sought an injunction to stop construction while negotiations continue, but on February 14, 2020 that injunction was struck down by a federal judge. Public Input has Affected the Ridge Road Extension Project Those concerned about the environment and threats to endangered species should, however, not despair at what appears to be a gloomy outcome to this issue. We HAVE HAD AN IMPACT -- a major impact. The project is proceeding, but a host of changes and updates have been made due to the public concern for issues that are important to us. Now it is time to keep a close eye on the Ridge Road Extension project to make sure the County and the contractors they hire live up to the conditions stipulated in the permits. Resources 07DEC2017 Map showing ownership of adjacent lands16OCT2015 Analysis data table for 17 Ridge Road extension alternatives04MAR1997 Agreement between Pasco County and SWFWMD relating to Ridge Road extension27OCT2017 Landscape concept drawings20AUG2018 Pasco County project summary fact sheet25SEP2018 US Army Corps of Engineers public noticeMAY2011 Detailed alternatives analysis for project2019 Artists rendering of wayside areas20DEC2019 US Army Corps of Engineers approved permitLocation map, project alignment drawings 1-9, typical section drawings 1-10Typical section drawing 11, plan sheets 1-19Plan sheets 20-27, roadway cross sectionsRoadway cross sectionsRoadway cross sections, bridges 1-10Bridges 18-19, wildlife crossings, special details 1-4, RRE/Suncoast parkway intersectionAttachment 2 - SWFWMD project approval Attachment 3 - Project commencement notification Attachment 4 - As-built certification Attachment 5 - US Fish & Wildlife Service biological opinion, including relocation instructions for endangered species Attachment 6 - Standard protection measures for the eastern indigo snake Attachment 7 - Mitigation planProject description and summary of comments and responses regarding permitting the project (264 pages)Attachment 1 - Comment matrixAttachment 2 - Alternatives summaryAttachment 3 - Indirect affects memoLetter from West pasco Audubon to USACE in 2012FWC gopher tortoise conservation permitSierra Club press release on 02FEB2020Sierra Club biologist report  Read the full article