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joined:June 3, 2007
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This past week I have been at the second largest biennial global trade exhibition within our industry in Germany and I had an EYEOPENER!
Visitors down by at least half from the usual 60,000+
Exhibitors down by half from the usual 1,300+
Normally 50% of the visitors are foreign however I saw only 3 other Brits and not one American! People who normally visit for 2-3 days staying in local hotels were paying, literally, flying visits...arriving on early flights and leaving on late ones. Hotels which are usually booked months in advance were offering rooms the same day.
So what's the point of this post?
Turning to AdSense and checking my site ads in Belgium, Netherlands and Germany and I was surprised by the lack of inventory. Sure the ads were trade applicable but nothing like they used to be...no wonder my European clicks and EPC are down, very generic. If the USA/Canada etc are the same, well, enough said.
I knew global trade was down however seeing the effect this close-up possibly explains just why my CTR has been falling in many countries. I realise it's not the total explanation however it's a pretty good start for mine and possibly many others.
I know I have been vociferous about G and falling CTRs therefore a new sign will be going up in the office shortly before complaining akin to "Remember Germany!"
At the end of September we have our largest global trade fair...that'll be interesting!
1. International traffic grows at a much faster rate than domestic, or even international traffic grows and domestic declines - this makes it worse. Ad rates in the US are much stronger than the rest of the world and this causes CPCs and CPMs to look like they have gone down more.
2. Traffic patterns change. In certain sites we see that low quality content pages have seen dramatic drops in traffic. However, these low quality pages are often the best monetizing. This is sort of like there is nothing useful to click on, so the ad is my best option to the user. Often, when traffic shifts to higher quality content, the CTRs go down. Some people are just creating better quality content to compete in the SERPs and others are losing traffic to their low quality, but high performing pages. Both of these things can cause adsense earning to decrease.
1. ... Ad rates in the US are much stronger than the rest of the world and this causes CPCs and CPMs to look like they have gone down more.
I disagree.
Most of my traffic comes from the States, yet my earnings drastically dipped from the 1st April, and have only had 3-4 days since where I have reached my baseline figure - a figure that I used to beat easily every day.
2. ... In certain sites we see that low quality content pages have seen dramatic drops in traffic. However, these low quality pages are often the best monetizing. This is sort of like there is nothing useful to click on, so the ad is my best option to the user. Often, when traffic shifts to higher quality content, the CTRs go down. Some people are just creating better quality content to compete in the SERPs and others are losing traffic to their low quality, but high performing pages. Both of these things can cause adsense earning to decrease.
Again, I disagree.
I have high quality pages. All rank high on page 1 of google etc. Still doesn't explain why earnings dropped on the 1st of April - and the same has happened to others here for the same date.
Can it get worse ? Sure it can. Soon we will be paying google for the privilege of having their adverts on our sites.
From another perspective, I am currently AdWords advertiser in the leisure industry and where for specific budgets, keywords and ads I could only get tens of impressions per day just one year ago, I now easily get thousands of impressions. For many keywords I am currently the only advertiser on Google search. I have stopped context advertising on many campaigns, just because advertising on Google search already burns my full daily budget. (Sorry AdSensers)
joined:June 3, 2007
votes: 0
For many keywords I am currently the only advertiser on Google search.
As a matter of interest I assume that your overall average CPC has been reduced considerably?
That should be a double whammy!
CTR and CPC on the content network has always been low in my niche because most AdSense publishers matching my campaigns were forums and aggregate news sites. I have stopped most content network advertising now because of better ROI on the search network.
Disclaimer: my niche may not be fully representative of what is happening on AdSense in general because it is in an industry and geographical location which was first hit severely by the credit crisis, then the low oil prices and finally by the global recession.
joined:July 3, 2008
votes: 0
Yes, CPC is down, but also CTR is considerably down as less people are interested in spending money in my niche.
I've seen average EPC climb to record or near-record levels since the economic crisis began, and I've got a topic where people are spending their discretionary income. If CTR were better, I'd be the happiest camper on the campground.
Why the higher EPC? Is it because advertisers on my topic and subtopics are competing desperately for leads, or is it because improved placement tools and filters make advertisers more confident of where and how they're allocating their dollars on the content network?
joined:June 3, 2007
votes: 0
Why the higher EPC?
I've been wondering exactly the same myself as my EPC has increased this year. It would definitely seem to be my UK ads that are performing the best and paying the highest EPCs. My US ads seem pretty well-targetted however I get the feeling of no sales rather than slow sales!
Incidentally the Googlock preview tool does not seem to work now, I can only preview in wmtips, are there any others anyone can recommend?
I would think that there would be some niches that would do OK. To state the obvious, you need advertisors and traffic. I surely wish I could figure out what those were.
But, going back to the possibility of hyperinflation. ... That scares me. My primary income is not adsense. But I was hoping to build that end up significantly. To detail a bit more, a Zimbabwe style hyperinflation is something like 65,000 percent per day. So, ... if you earn $1000 dollars at the end of the month, that $1000 dollars would be worth something like .03 cents by the time it got deposited into your account. Spending 3.some trillion dollars is the type of thing that can lead to this.
I don't think you will see a lot of recently unemployed people setting up sites and flooding the adsense publishers market. The barriers to entry were nil a couple of years ago. Today they are a little higher in terms of the knowledge required to get visibility for a site, the software, legal issues, terms of service etc. You can no longer put up a template site with scraped content and adwords and make a billion dollars.
Oh, back to the hyperinflation. ... or even the 20% or so during the carter years... I would not be surprised if google and the affiliate programs slowed down their payout if inflation rises quickly. With interest rates low, the incentive to hold onto the money is lower. When interest rates are higher, I would think that they would have more incentive to hold onto the money, even for a couple of extra days.
(BTW - Economics isn't my strong point so any critique or corrections are welcome)
My point is that there are other causes for AdSense revenue declines than the economy, but you're right in that if ad coverage decreases - relevancy of ads decreases, CTR decreases, and CPCs decrease. All of these contribute to lower earnings.
At the same time the economy and ad market are struggling, there are areas where Google is trying to find publishers where there is considerable unspent ad budgets with premium CPMs.
Then with the interest based ads, they also changed other parts of the system:
1) they reduced the click area by 80%
2) they now blame you if the click is unproductive(which doesn't make any sense)
3) since google is everywhere with adsense and analytics, they now monitor the time you spend on sites after the click...which also doesn't make any sense to blame on the publisher.
4) if you take ecpm divide by 1000 and multiply by pages you get click values that are not multiples of 2 or any round number(i wrote a program to check most probabilities from 0.01 to 100%, closest match is 20% revenue share for a whole round click value).
We're lacking transparency here, we should have the right to know if we're being paid 1 or 50% of a click.
if you take ecpm divide by 1000 and multiply by pages you get click values that are not multiples of 2 or any round number
Every click is a single click with its own price. You aren't paid round numbers because the advertisers aren't charged round numbers. Some advertisers pay in euro (like I do) and exchange rates apply. Furthermore many clicks I get as an advertiser in the content network are discounted by Google by their algorithm which calculates the chance that that click will have a positive ROI. Which means I do not pay the full bid price for the associated keywords.
You should open an AdWords account and start some advertising campaigns to get an idea how the side where the AdSense money is coming from is working. It may give you a better view of the total process.
You aren't paid round numbers because the advertisers aren't charged round numbers.
I'm talking about thousandths of pennies. You are charged a round ammount of pennies, but when you do what I just told you to do(pageviews * CPM/1000) you can see the average value to the thousandths of a penny which is the REAL click value.
Some advertisers pay in euro (like I do) and exchange rates apply.
Yes, true. But statistical analysis doesn't require precise single clicks, if you take a LARGE ammount of clicks and a LARGE ammount of data you can reach a conclusion approximately what your revenue share is by the ammount that reaches a round number the most.
Furthermore many clicks I get as an advertiser in the content network are discounted by Google by their algorithm which calculates the chance that that click will have a positive ROI.
THERE you go! THAT is what's wrong. Google IS discounting all clicks further these days. That's the whole point. You're getting paid less because the algorithm that calculates publisher's worth is diminishing value for publishers to further increase value for adwords customers.
[edited by: eelixduppy at 2:54 pm (utc) on May 30, 2009]
[edit reason] fixed formatting [/edit]
joined:July 3, 2008
votes: 0
Google IS discounting all clicks further these days.
Huskypup and I just finished saying that our average EPC is up this year, so if Google is "discounting all clicks further these days," the nominal bids on our keywords must be going through the roof.
THERE you go! THAT is what's wrong. Google IS discounting all clicks further these days.
This is not something from these days, but has been introduced as smart pricing by Google on April 1st 2004. It is the reason many AdWords advertisers stay in the content network, even though the ROI is worse than in the search network.
My concern is with the HIGH price some large companies are bidding for their clicks. Its almost as if they are dropping tv and print and joining the Google / Facebook craze and bidding anything to get a click!
Well for a small business like mine (with a low value product) I cannot and will not pay high prices just for a click, let alone a sale !
And yes Ebook salesmen suck !
And people with Free offers and $1.00 this or that !
[edited by: Digmen1 at 5:15 am (utc) on June 2, 2009]
I find it ironic that in the whole thread only one person talked of hyperinflation - and was ignored?
Maybe because political discussions are actively discouraged here
While the threat of hyperinflation might be caused by incompetent (or worse) politicians, it is an economic possibility. If you look at other countries that went that route, the US is heading there. The OMB numbers diverge widely, and are LOTS less optomistic, than the Whitehouse numbers.
Keep in mind that printing enough unbacked money will lead to Weimar Republic, Argentina 2000 and Zimbabwe type hyperinflation. I think zimbabwe is something like 250 million percent per year as I mentioned previously.
Let's look at the impact of a mere fraction of that, 120% inflation or 10% per month roughly.
You get a $1 click on day 1 of the month. By the time you get the money the following month, that $1 is only worth something like 87 cents.
Now, if inflation goes up to 1200%, again, a mere fraction of Zimbabwe's rate, you have 100$ per month. IOW, that dollar click on day one will only purchase a single digit fraction of what it would purchase when you earned it.
A lot would depend if the bid prices went up accordingly. IOW, would people be bidding $100 at the end of the month for the same click they were willing to bid $1 on a month earlier.
The problem with this type of economy is that the human mind doesn't wrap around the concept of exponentional growth easily. ie the 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 type of growth instead of a lineal growth pattern .. 1,2,3,4,5 ...
Exponential growth is what makes virus epidemics frightenting, it is also the basis for nuclear fission.. As smart as the googleplex folks are, (and they ARE fantastic statisticians) I have to wonder if their algorithms are robust enough to handle hyperinflation or if they could be adjusted quickly enough to respond. Remember when gas pumps faced the dollar a gallon kerfluffle when the pumps only went to .99 9/10 per gallon?
What I was trying to point out in my original post is that we could end up in an environment of very rapidly changing conditions. Imagine if you had predicted that the US Dow would lose about half it's value in a couple of months? People would have said you were crazy.
You also need to be aware of exactly what inflation means. (Or massive deflation for that matter). In the case of inflation you CANNOT look at the absolute dollar amounts. Take the following statement as an example
"WOW - I only earned $1000 last July. I earned $2000 this July... WOW"
OK, I'm not the best at quick math, but in TODAY's environment, that would be Fantastic. However, it all dependant on the inflation rate. A rate of 100 percent per year would mean that you earned more dollars, but actually earned the same purchasing power. IOW, you are no better off.
At a 200% rate, it would actually mean that you earned less purchasing power than the previous year.
We are living the old Chinese course of "may you live in interesting times"
The global business environment is going to change rapidly and, I think, unpredicatbly.
Who would have predicted some of the things that happened recently
- Gov't takeover of GM
- The Hummer Brand being purchased by a Chinese machinery compang
- Car dealerships closing rapidly.
All I'm trying to say is that if you are in one niche, you want to take a close look at that niche in terms of it's viability and keep looking at it and evaluating the environment. For example, suppose your niche was auto dealers. All of a sudden, you find that something like a thousand dealerships are out of business. Most likely your revenue stream just went down the drain.
I'm 50 and I remember the 20% inflation rates of the late 1970's in the US. Even that rate made business a lot different than when the inflation rates dropped to 3 or 4 percent.
To finish with a nautical phrase "Keep a weather eye out mates"
Down turn confirmed here in USA. May was lowest Adsense earnings since site was fully running in 2004.
Phone calls for software consulting are 1/2 of last year.
I'm seeing pretty much the same thing (US). New business is getting tough to find. There are some niches that are doing OK while other sectors have gone from boom to bust.
I almost always err on the pessimistic side. Thankfully the dow has leveled off a bit. HOwever, that is still only about half of what it was back in November 08.
My adsense gross is actually a bit up BUT that is the result of fixing some really boneheaded mistakes on some of my sites and adding some additional sites. I don't have any way to actually adjust that out without using up a lot of remaining brain cells.
Ad revenues dropped 5% in the first quarter of 2009, according to figures from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and analyst firm PwC.
Net ad spend in the US was �5.5bn (�3.46bn) by the end of March, down from $6.1bn at the close of 2008.


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Compact Disc Available @ AmazonA COMPLETE LIST OF INDEPENDENT MUSIC STORES WHO CARRY THIS ALBUM CAN BE FOUND AT THE ALLIANCE ROCKS AND CIMS.
Rock the Cause Records, a music based non-profit label is pleased to announce Farewell Transmission the Music of Jason Molina. A double disc collection of Jason Molina favorites as performed by My Morning Jacket, Memorial Electric Company, Communist Daughter, Murder by Death, Sarah Jaffe and more!
On March 16, 2013 Jason Molina passed away of natural causes after a longstanding battle with alcohol. Jason's death shook the world of many music-lovin' souls and the music world as a whole. At 39 years old, he left behind a remarkable song catalog and lasting impression on anyone who heard his music with Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. Starting as a heavy metal bass player from Loraine, Ohio, he became one of the most influential and iconic singer-songwriters in indie music.
In essence, Jason was the "Pied Piper" for the outcasts, the lonely, the heartbroken, and the lost singing in some secret, abstract, yet universal language where everyone understands the deeper meaning of his imagery. Known for tapping into the heart of the working-man's blues, Jason's music is mythical, mystical, and brilliant creating a sound that is eerie and melancholic all the while remaining comfortable. So, it is with this album we would like to honor Jason's music, his memory, and his genius.
Rock the Cause Records, a music based nonprofit and record label, will donate a portion of the net proceeds from this album to MusiCares, and proceeds will also benefit the Molina family and Rock the Cause, as adminstrated by Rock the Cause a nonprofit organization. For more information on the charitable aspect of this recording please contact firstname.lastname@example.com
Disc 1
1. Get Out Get Out Get Out - Squares
2. Arm In Arm - Memorial Electric Co
3. Farewell Transmission - My Morning Jacket
4. Lioness - Enemy Planes
5. 7th Street Wonderland - Murder By Death
6. Alone With The Owl - Sarah Jaffe
7. Old Black Hen - Jonah Tolchin
8. Leave This City - Ben Lubeck of Farewell Milwaukee
9. Two Blue Lights - The Black Swans
10. Almost Was Good Enough - Bro. Stephen ft. Jim James
11. Didn't It Rain - Box Of Baby Birds
12. Memphis Moon - Cory Branan
13. The Dark Don't Hide It - Gabriel Douglas ft. Drew Preiner
14. I've Been Riding With The Ghost - Fathom Lane
Disc 2
1. Trouble In Mind (Fade To Blue) - Memorial Electric Co
2. I Can Not Have Seen The Light - Matt Bauer and Heather McEntire
3. 34 Blues - Will Johnson and Briton Biesenherz
4. Hammer Down - Jim and Jennie & The Pinetops
5. Just Be Simple - Water Liars
6. Steve Albini's Blues - Catherine Irwin
7. White Sulfur - Nathan Salsburg & Joan Shelley
8. Don't This Look Like The Dark - Wooden Wand
9. Heart My Heart - Luke Redfield
10. Lioness - Viking Moses
11. The Big Game Is Every Night - Bottomless Pit
12. Hold On Magnolia - Communist Daughter
13. John Henry Split My Heart - Jonny James and The Hall of Fames
Release Highlights
'Farewell Transmission' - My Morning Jacket is a new and exclusive to Farewell Transmission (Music of Jason Molina)
'Almost Was Good Enough' – Bro Stephen features a collaboration with Jim James
'Arm In Arm'- Memorial Electric Company (Jason's Band formerly Songs:Ohia and Memorial Electric Company) is brand new music by the MEC written by bassist Peter Schreiner while on his way to Jason's funeral.
'Trouble In Mind (Fade To Blue)' - Memorial Electric Company - a Jason Molina live favorite - never before recorded or on an album!

subset: commoncrawl


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What would be the perfect streaming movie service? Well, I'd imagine it would mean regardless of where you are in the world and what hardware you're running, the day any movie is released you can watch it with just a quick search and a few clicks of the mouse or taps of a screen.
Some would argue Netflix is that service, but it isn't anywhere near close to ideal. First of all you need to live in a region where Netflix is available. Then you are limited to the content licensed to be available in that region, which could also disappear on any given day. And as for the age of the content, it's by no means new and in most cases months or even years old.
You may be surprised to hear that the service outlined in the first paragraph above already exists, and it is called Popcorn Time.
Popcorn Time was created by a development team with one aim: make watching torrent movies as simple as possible. It's currently in beta, works on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, and is also open source. There's no advertising and no money changing hands through its use–an important fact when you consider Hollywood and its partners will not be happy about its existence.
With Popcorn Time installed, you can search for any movie and if it exists as a torrent you'll be able to start watching it. The torrent is downloaded to your PC and is seeded for as long as your machine is powered on. Restart and the torrent disappears. There's no restrictions on what you watch and the catalog of movies available is only limited by what gets uploaded as a torrent. So in effect it's unlimited.
As for how legal Popcorn Time is, that's where inevitably things get a little fuzzy. The service itself doesn't host anything illegal. That didn't work as an excuse for The Pirate Bay when the lawyers came knocking, but Popcorn Time's development team doesn't make any money from the service (no charge for the software, no advertising, and no premium accounts) so they can't really be attacked on that front. Users of the service may get in trouble, though, but it all depends on where you are in the world and how you access the service as to whether you'll receive a warning letter from your ISP.
It seems unlikely Popcorn Time will ever exists as a service endorsed by the movie industry and that Netflix is the best we are going to get. But that ultimately means there will always be a user base for Popcorn Time or similar services, because people simply do not want to wait to watch new content and will seek it out regardless.


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"Because if we talk about health issues first, it is easier to talk about human trafficking"; findings from a mixed methods study on health needs and service provision among migrant and trafficked fishermen in the Mekong
Human trafficking in the fishing industry or "sea slavery" in the Greater Mekong Subregion is reported to involve some of the most extreme forms of exploitation and abuse. A largely unregulated sector, commercial fishing boats operate in international waters far from shore and outside of national jurisdiction, where workers are commonly subjected to life-threatening risks. Yet, research on the health needs of trafficked fishermen is sparse.
This paper describes abuses, occupational hazards, physical and mental health and post-trafficking well-being among a systematic consecutive sample of 275 trafficked fishermen using post-trafficking services in Thailand and Cambodia. These findings are complemented by qualitative interview data collected with 20 key informants working with fishermen or on issues related to their welfare in Thailand.


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They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it can be, providing you're doing it right.Sadly, there are no studies that 100% confirm eating breakfast first thing aids weight loss. However, those who do include breakfast into their routine are more likely to be organised, get less hungry, feel more energised and are less likely to skip meals.
Here are three breakfast ideas which will set you up for your day:
40g Morning Flake Oatbran
Warm water
PhD Diet Whey, Chocolate Peanut
• Cover the oatbran with warm water and mix well.
• Place in the microwave for 1½ to 2 minutes (watching, as it may overflow).
• Take out of the microwave and stir in one scoop of PhD Diet Whey, Chocolate Peanut.
• Top with blueberries.
Feta and kale omelette
150ml egg whites (four egg whites)
20g feta cheese
30g kale
• Heat the frying pan with a drop of olive oil.
• Measure out the egg whites into a jug and whisk slightly with a fork.
• Crumble the feta cheese into the egg whites (while in the jug) and whisk again. This just makes the distribution of feta even throughout the omelette.
• Pour the mixture into the frying pan and scatter the kale onto the omelette while cooking.
• Wait a while, then flip!
• Serve with some chopped tomatoes (optional)
Turkey quinoa muffins
80g quinoa
30g chopped tomatoes
4 slices of turkey (packet)
1 egg white
30g kale
• Cook quinoa in boiling water as per instructions.
• Once cooked, add in the turkey, egg white and any seasoning you wish.
• Press mixture into muffin tins, topping with chopped tomatoes.
• Cook in the oven for 20 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes before consumption.


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Latest news
New city mayor makes children's ED appeal charity of year
The new mayor of Southampton, Councillor Les Harris, has chosen the city's children's emergency and trauma department appeal as one of his charities of the year.
The £4.8 million project, being led by Southampton Children's Hospital Charity and The Murray Parish Trust, will see the development of a dedicated facility for young patients at Southampton Children's Hospital.
The new state-of-the-art unit, which will include an eight-bed observation area, 11 glass-fronted and sound proof cubicles and on-hand x-ray equipment, is expected to see more than 30,000 children every year from southern England and the Channel Islands.
It will be funded through £2 million raised by Southampton Children's Hospital Charity and The Murray Parish Trust which will be matched by the government and a further £800,000 allocated by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Last month, fundraisers reached the £1 million milestone by hitting the £500,000 mark to trigger the first government instalment of £500,000.
Dr Jason Barling, clinical lead for Southampton Children's Hospital, said: "We are absolutely delighted and extremely grateful Cllr Harris has chosen our children's emergency and trauma department appeal as one of his chosen charities.
"It is a fantastic project led jointly by Southampton Children's Hospital Charity and The Murray Parish Trust which will enable us to continue to provide high quality clinical care within a world-class facility."
Following the mayor making ceremony held earlier today, Cllr Harris signed the campaign's "autograph bus", a partnership with local bus firm Xelabus which enables prominent figures from across Hampshire to add their signature as it travels on routes through Eastleigh and Southampton.
There are many ways you can get involved, either by making a donation, fundraising for an event or becoming part of our #CETD100Club. For more information visit Southampton Hospital Charity appeals.


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Runner3 Will Take A Pitstop on Store Shelves
Like its forefather before it, Runner3 will take a detour and slide onto store shelves when it releases in Q1 2018. Bit.Trip Presents Runner2 also saw a physical release, as did compilation sets of earlier Bit.Trip games.
Choice Provisions, formerly known as Gaijin Games, has partnered up with Nicalis – of Cave Story and The Binding of Isaac ports fame – to release this physical edition for $39.99. Charles Martinet will reprise his role as CommanderVideo,
"Some games just belong on physical cartridges, and this is clearly one of the most deserving. We can't wait for people to get their hands on Runner3—literally." – Tyrone Rodriguez, President of Nicalis
Runner3 includes some surprising new features, like branching paths, item shops and vehicles that CommanderVideo can take for a ride. The game also features new playable characters, new gameplay modes, new moves and an assortment of Hero Quests and retro challenges.
"We know everyone's going to love Runner3, but I'll bet you're going to love it even more in tiny little cartridge form." – Alex Neuse, co-founder of Choice Provisions
"Just try not to lick it—play it!" adds Mike Roush, co-founder of Choice Provisions.


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Every story needs a bad guy, right? The badder the bad guy the more compelling the read. But what about the protagonist? What if she's unlikeable? There are many readers who will say, heck no to that book. There are readers who will stop mid-book, or earlier, if they deem the protagonist unrelatable. I … Continue reading Judging a Book By Its Protagonist: Do you Judge?
Category: social commentary
Why President Obama Reads Books
It is so true that a reader's takeaway is very individual. We all get something different from the books we read. Mainly because it connects back to our personal experiences, both positive and negative. Some people choose the act of reading as an escape from their daily life, or for pure entertainment, or … Continue reading Why President Obama Reads Books
VICE Magazine: The Story Behind Their Story will Freak You Out
If you're an author and you're in the belly of writing a story, you're obsessed with your characters. Truly. You think about them all the time. Everywhere you go, they're with you. Like a pack of invisible friends. It's a little strange and slightly creepy. That's exactly where I was a couple of … Continue reading VICE Magazine: The Story Behind Their Story will Freak You Out
Donald Trump Prepares for First Round of: Who Wants to be the President?
photo by Gage Skidmore Going into the final hours of preparation for Monday night's Double Your Chances round of Who Wants to Be the President?, we were given a sneak peek into Donald Trump's grueling preparation. Just this morning, the Trump camp learned that there'd be no Celebrity Questions, as they were expecting. If not … Continue reading Donald Trump Prepares for First Round of: Who Wants to be the President?


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ODonovans Loyalty Pays
The company's growth in recent years has come under the guidance of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Tim O'Donovan. Since he took the driver's seat in 2000, the company has averaged double-digit revenue growth. For the first time in its 122-year history, Wolverine expects its 2005 revenues to top the $1 billion mark. The company's stock has more than quadrupled in value during his tenure as CEO.
One reason O'Donovan has been so successful with the company is loyalty. Unlike many top-level CEOs, O'Donovan has not bounced from company to company as he made his way up the corporate ladder.
"The only company I'm ever going to work for is Wolverine, that's for sure," he said.
His career with his lifelong employer began in 1969. Around the time O'Donovan was finishing up his MBA at Michigan State University, the school's dean, Al Seelye, became CEO and chairman of the board at Wolverine. Seelye hoped to recruit someone out of the MBA program to do financial analysis for the company.
"I was just in the right place at the right time," said O'Donovan.
Shortly after beginning his career in financial analysis, O'Donovan was called up for a commission in the U.S. Army. Having worked his way through his undergrad degree at Iowa State University, O'Donovan had taken advantage of the benefits of the ROTC program. Now fresh out of grad school, he faced the possibility of facing combat thousands of miles away.
"I was very fortunate. I had orders to go to Vietnam in June of 1972. In May, Henry Kissinger was in Paris and ended the war and canceled my orders," he said. "That was my second most fortuitous career break."
After his commission ended, he returned to Wolverine. Over the next several years, he worked his way up through the levels of responsibility. He became a product manager for the Bates Uniform Shoe division. Next came a stint as sales manager for the Hush Puppies division. Then he was general manager of the Wolverine Boot division.
"I was very fortunate because I never really had a day when I didn't want to get up and go to work," he said. "I was moving through different parts of the company and getting new experiences all the time."
However, his career growth came with a price.
"When I was a young guy in business, I worked … I was a …" he said, pausing. "I would plead guilty to being a workaholic. I was gone constantly as our kids were young. And I wouldn't recommend that to anyone today."
O'Donovan credits Karen, his "saint" of a wife, with making the family a success.
"She really ran things when it came to our family. She has just provided a tremendous level of support. Some women might not have been up to the task and would have told me to get lost," he laughed.
After taking time off to raise their two sons (Kevin, 32, and Ryan, 29), Karen earned her master's degree at MSU. She taught and served as the president of the Forest Hills board of education for 12 years. Now she volunteers for the Grand Rapids Public Schools, working on fundraising and other projects.
The O'Donovan family also had the support of Tim's parents, who moved to Grand Rapids after his father's retirement in the early 1980s.
Staying rooted in the area has been a boon to O'Donovan's personal and professional success.
"My job was always right here in Grand Rapids. We raised our family my entire career right here in the Grand Rapids community," he said. "I talk to people who have moved 15 times and have to pull their kids out of school. We never had to deal with that."
In 2000, with the children grown and beginning their own careers, O'Donovan was faced with the biggest challenge of his professional life. He saw the opportunity to become the CEO of the company. For eight years, he had been enjoying the presidency of the Hush Puppies division. He was comfortable and happy in this leadership position.
"I loved running one of our brands. It's a very exciting business. It moves at a very quick pace," he said. "It was challenging and exciting. I really wasn't sure if I really wanted to go and be a corporate guy and do things on a different scale when I'm really enjoying what I'm doing."
Former CEO Geof Bloom encouraged O'Donovan to take the plunge.
"He said, 'You know, Tim, you like what you're doing today, but five years from now you may feel differently about it. Now's an opportunity to step up and take on the next challenge,'" said O'Donovan.
And as shareholders can attest, he has handled that challenge admirably. Wolverine has continued to grow steadily stateside, while its overseas sales growth has outpaced domestic growth by nearly two-to-one. One of Wolverine's divisions, the outdoor brand Merrell, has expanded its sales more than tenfold during O'Donovan's time as CEO. Much of that growth has been abroad.
Looking overseas is both cause for excitement and worry for O'Donovan. He said that when he loses sleep these days, he's usually fretting about macroeconomic issues, such as the undervaluation of the Chinese yuan.
China itself is both a boon and a bane to Wolverine. The country has gobbled up most of the world's shoe business. O'Donovan said that 84 percent of today's global footwear manufacturing takes place there. In 1980 the percentage was zero. But on the other hand (or foot), the Chinese nouveau riche are hungry for American brands. Wolverine's Asian sales have been steadily increasing in recent years and don't show any sign of slowing.
So while O'Donovan tosses and turns, worrying about international trade pacts and monetary policy, he is also thinking about one more big plan. He and his fellow board members are strategizing how soon Wolverine will double its expected $1 billion 2005 revenues. The plan is called "Project 2.0."
O'Donovan hopes to be around to see the project come to fruition. He won't commit to a timeline, but he is certain that Wolverine World Wide will earn its second billion dollars more quickly than the first. That took 122 years.


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Windows Mobile 7 to Add Silverlight
FierceMobileContent reports that while the prior versions were deployed primarily as a media player and platform within desktop Web sites, version 3.0 will support third-party app development.
"We are 100 percent dedicated to seeing Silverlight across all three screens--PC, TV and mobile," Brian Goldfarb, marketing director for Microsoft's Silverlight team, said in the article. We're still waiting for Flash compatibility on most smartphones, so anything that can display proper Web animation on a handset will be welcome.
Originally posted to the PCMag.com @Work blog.


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Notice about 5 years multiple entries visa for Brazilian citizen.
From 1st Oct 2017, Chinese Embassy in Korea accept 5-year multiple entries visa application for L, Q2, S2, M visa for Brazilian citizen.
(1) Applicant who has an ordinary Brazilian passport.
(2) The submission documents are the same as the requirement for a single entry visa.
Namsan square Chinese visa application service center. 2017.09.28


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Our passion to bring International Entertainment to Charlotte stems from our Puerto Rican background. In our 22+ years of living here in Charlotte, we've witnessed the growth of entertainers who have settled here from all over the world. We have a vision to expose everyone to all of the international cultures through the gift of performance. Our talent ranges from singers, dancers and musicians who have performed here in the states as well as South America and Europe! Our services include major shows for corporate events, private parties, weddings, or intimate lessons for small groups in their specific field of interest. Please browse through our webpage to learn about any of our services. For any inquiries or bookings, please contact Soto's Entertainment.
Marina and Vadim Kolpakov Duo
The Duo of Marina and Vadim is a professional music and dance duet which represents Romany (Gypsy) performing arts, including Flamenco from Spain, Gypsy Jazz from France, Eastern European and Russian-Gypsy music and dance. They perform all over the U.S., as well as overseas at concerts, festivals, and private events. Vadim's repertoire also includes Pop, jazz, classical, Latin and other World music. The audience is always excited when the Duo performs at any event.
Vadim Kolpakov is one of the most prominent and renowned Russian Roma (Gypsy) 7-string guitarists in the world. He was a lead musician of the Moscow Roma (Gypsy) Theatre Romen, where he performed as a guitarist, composer, vocalist, dancer and dramatic actor. To this day, his original guitar compositions are performed in many prominent plays at the theatre as part of the vibrant oral tradition of the Russian Roma culture. Hailing from Saratov, Russia, Vadim graduated from the Roma performing arts school Gilori and studied guitar with his uncle Alexander Kolpakov, the virtuoso Russian 7-string guitarist who served as the musical director of the Romen Gypsy Theatre for over a quarter of a century. At the age of 15, Vadim began work at the Romen Gypsy Theatre, where he worked for 8 years and was the leading guitarist for 7 years.
In 2008, Vadim Kolpakov as a member of the Kolpakov Trio, went on the world tour "Sticky & Sweet" with Madonna. They performed in many European and South American countries, as well as in North America and Mexico, including venues such as Wembley stadium in London, Madison Square Garden in NYC and Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Madonna Sticky and Sweet Tour with participation of Vadim Kolpakov
Rumbao Latin Dance Company
Rumbao Latin Dance Company represents the vision of five Charlotte Latin dancers to provide a fusion of fun and technique for Salsa Dancing. Rumbao combines two key aspects of salsa dance to provide the best performance and instruction possible. Our emphasis is on Rumba and the Tumbao. Tumbao is the percussive beat in salsa music that On2 dancing follows. Rumba implies a party aspect where people get together and have fun. Together the words make "Rumbao". We believe, no matter the rhythm that life plays for you, always take time to find the beat of the Tumbao and get your rumba on!
Rumbao was formed in March 2013 by a group of five talented and dedicated individuals who are passionate about Latin dance and who are always striving to new heights. Each dancer enjoys creative freedom and brings unique talents to the group following an On2 New York Style. Rumbao has been able to present beautiful choreographies full of sabor (flavor) and has quickly made a mark in Charlotte and surrounding cities. In addition to being passionate Salseros, Rumbao dancers are also proud Charlotteans and are committed to the continued growth of salsa
in their hometown.
Movimientos De Samba
Movimentos de Samba Brazilian co. is founded by Iya Silva, in 2009 in Charlotte NC
She has for over 25 years have dedicate herself to learning, performing and teaching Brazilian dances, i.e. Samba, Afro Brazilian, Axe, Frevo, Samba Reggae etc. She has danced with some of the top Brazilian dance companies in San Francisco, California, such as Fogo na Roupa, Aquarela and MaraReggae. In 2003 she was crowed Queen of Carnaval in San Francisco.
Since moving to North Carolina in 2008 Iya Silva has been teaching, and started Movimentos de Samba Brazilian Dance Company in 2009. In 2010 MDS created the annual Brazilian event "A Night in Rio" Brazilian Carnival Ball with Tony Arazza of the Latin American Coalition in Charlotte NC. MDS has dancers both in Charlotte and Raleigh and performed in such events at the Blumenthal Performing arts Theatre for DanceBrasil, The Carolinas Latin Dance company of Charlotte, Chima's Brazilian Restaurant, Latin American Festival in Charlotte, various venues and also Charlotte's annual, "A Night in Rio" Brazilian Carnaval Ball at the Neighborhood Theater!
In 2011 Iya moved to Durham, Iya has brought with her the Brazilian Samba and many other Brazilian dance styles by teaching at Holton community center, Ninth Street Dance Studio and the Terrerio de Arte e Cultura Center and while still performing and directing Movimentos de Samba Brazilian dance company, and teaching in Charlotte.
In the Raleigh area the company has performed for the "International Festival", Ritmo Latino Festival and also the 2014 World Cup events through the Carolinas.
Iya Silva has returned to Charlotte in 2014 to continue directing MDS and teach Brazilian Samba and other forms of Brazilian cultural dances.
Hot New party trend! "La Hora Loca"
La Hora Loca, Spanish for "The Crazy Hour" It's an hour-long show where performers wear flashy outfits, resembling those from Peru's carnivals, including people on stilts passing around glowing lights, party hats, balloons and masks encouraging guests to dance. The show is heavy on Latin and American music using maracas and colorful party-favors making it all part of the party. Add an extra "Kick" to your wedding, quinceañera party or special event!
Call or email us for details!


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This year we gathered at Shazia's place and we themed the food as the PM Office Christmas party. As it turns out, a lot of us have never been to an office Christmas party before: I've never worked in an office and everyone else just managed to avoid them. So here's what we got up to:
Clockwise from the top right - Pass the Parcel (Sprout edition); all our clues for Shazia's treasure hunt; delicious party snacks made by Shazia; me wearing 4 hats; and more delicious PM Office Christmas party snacks.
This is my team during the treasure hunt. We had an amazing time having no clue what was happening.
Here's the other treasure hunt team. They didn't find as many as us, eventhough we were mostly very confused.
Here is the host herself - hoorah for Shazia!
We played Pointless, and despite not knowing any answers, we still won the coveted Pointless Trophy! Hoorah!
And here we all are - PM Christmas 2016 photo. Aww. I look so pleased.
It's always so lovely to see my lovely PMs. Only three of the 6 of us still live in Manchester, but we still meet here every year and usually spend at least 50% of it laughing with or at eachother. As always, I feel blessed to have this group of friends and hope that we will continue to meet every Christmas for many years to come. I'm not sure that other office Christmas parties are like this but I definitely enjoyed my very first one - hoorah! Thank you for an amazing evening, peeps! :) Let's do this again next year! :D


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Conferences, Field Trips, and other groups may apply to visit FHL from September through May, with applications accepted up to one year in advance. Please note that March and September are our busiest months for conferences and those dates fill up quickly. Our quietest months are December through February.
The campus of FHL has three dormitory buildings as well as numerous other housing units of various sizes and kinds.
The dormitories consist of eight single-occupancy and 25 double-occupancy rooms, for a total of 58 single beds. Each dorm room has one or two beds, dressers, and desks. Two of the three dorm buildings have men's and women's restrooms with showers; the third has access to bathrooms through a covered breezeway to the other dormitory buildings. The 15 Huts are small buildings with electric light and heat; each is approximately 125 square feet and furnished with one or two beds, a small desk, and a dresser. The Huts are a short walk from restrooms and showers in the dorm buildings.
Other housing units include twelve (studio, one-, and two-bedroom) apartments, twelve two-bedroom cottages, and eight (one- and two-bedroom) duplex units. All of these units include kitchen, bathroom, living/dining area, and basic furniture, and are equipped with dishes, silverware, pots and pans. These units are available when the dorms and huts are occupied or for those conference participants with families or special needs.
For additional information, please email firstname.lastname@example.com or phone 206-221-4098.
Food Service
Food service is provided by FHL's Dining Hall. All conferences and field trips are expected to have their meals in the Dining Hall except during the occasional times when the Dining Hall is closed. After a group has secured space in our housing facilities, group organizers should contact Laurie Spaulding at 206-616-0698 or firstname.lastname@example.com to arrange for meals. If the Dining Hall is closed, small groups staying in the dorms or huts will be given access to the Commons kitchen for food preparation.
Alcoholic beverages: If a group plans to serve alcoholic beverages at FHL, the organizers are responsible for obtaining the required University of Washington approval AND Washington State permits. They should first submit an Alcohol Service Request to the University of Washington Office of Special Programs. If UW approves the request, organizers must then purchase a Washington State Banquet Permit from the WA State Liquor Control Board. The Banquet Permit and a copy of the approval letter from UW must be posted at each alcohol service location on campus. Please refer to the UW Office of Special Programs Alcohol Service Information for complete details.
Meeting Rooms
Equipment available for use in our meeting rooms includes: LCD projector, slide, and 17mm projectors; PA system; ten bifold poster kiosks, each one with four spaces (47″ wide x 41″ high) for posters; and VCR/Monitor.
The Commons is a large room adjacent to the dormitories, with a maximum occupancy of 75. It has blackboards, projection screen, large folding tables, chairs and a small kitchen. The room can be darkened. If you would like to use the Commons, please let us know in your application how you'd like it to be set up for your meeting: classroom style (table and chairs), stadium style (chairs only), etc.
The Lecture Hall is located next to the Dining Hall, and has a maximum occupancy of 75. It has a whiteboard, projector, screen, and table/chairs. The room can be darkened.
The Dining Hall has a maximum occupancy of 150 people. It is equipped with round tables, chairs, fireplace with upholstered seating, piano, ping pong table, projection screen, and pull-down shades to darken the room.
The Computer Room is in a building adjacent to the Fernald Building. The room easily seats 18 people at tables, and has 15 student iMacs, a larger presenter iMac, projector, and screen. Light from windows is minimal.
The Fernald Classroom is a small room in the Fernald Building that seats 14 around a large table. It has a projector and whiteboard. Light from windows is minimal.
The Conference Room is also in the Fernald Building. It is furnished with couches, a large table that can seat 12, and a projection screen. It can be set up with a projector, and has curtains to darken the room.
Marine Equipment
A 58-foot research vessel, the R/V Centennial, is available for groups. It is equipped for dredging, net hauls, ROV and CTD deployment and water sampling, and has a total capacity of 34 people. For additional information and scheduling, contact Derek Smith (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Rowboats are also available. If your group is interested, contact Kristy Kull (firstname.lastname@example.com) in advance to schedule a rowboat orientation, required for anyone wishing to use the boats who has not attended an orientation in the last six months.
Campus Tours
Tours of FHL may be available during your visit, depending on availability and weather. Please contact Michelle Herko for more information and to schedule a tour.
Costs for Conferences
We have two different rate structures for conferences: UW Budget Conference Rates, for expenses paid directly from a UW budget, and Standard Conference Rates, for expenses paid otherwise. In either case, rates are lower for students than for non-students. Anyone who is not enrolled in a school, college or university will be charged the non-student rates.
Conference Fee: Each conference participant will be charged a daily conference fee in addition to housing and dining charges. Accompanying family members will not be charged conference fees.
Housing Rates: Housing rates are per unit.
Dining Rates: In addition to standard breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, the Dining Hall can accommodate special meal requests, provide fruit or snack trays, coffee service, etc., at additional cost. Please contact Laurie Spaulding for details.
Costs for Field Trips
A field trip consists of faculty and a group of enrolled students who come to FHL in pursuit of marine, field, or laboratory studies.
We have two different rate structures for field trips: UW Budget Rates, for expenses paid directly from a UW budget, and Standard Rates, for expenses paid otherwise.
How to Apply to Hold a Conference or Field Trip at FHL
Start by emailing us the following information (below). After we've confirmed a reservation for your housing and meeting spaces, you can contact Laurie Spaulding at email@example.com to arrange for meals.
If your group needs to cancel or change its reservation, please notify us at least three months prior to the reservation date.
Copy and paste the following questions and email them, with your answers, to firstname.lastname@example.com
Conference/Field Trip Application
- Organization requesting facilities:
- Purpose AND Subject of event (please be specific, and describe activities or attach agenda):
- Contact person – name, position, department, institution, address, email, and cell number (for contact while you are on campus):
- Requested dates of arrival and departure at FHL (preferably provide some choices, in order of preference):
- Est. times of arrival and departure:
- Est. number of high school student participants:
- Est. number of undergraduate student participants:
- Est. number of graduate student participants:
- Est. number of non-student participants:
- Est. number of others (e.g. family members) accompanying above participants:
- Requested type(s) of housing AND whether one or two persons per bedroom:
- Requested meeting space(s):
- Requested A/V or other equipment for meeting space (e.g. poster kiosks):
- If you are requesting the Commons, how would you like chairs and tables (and poster kiosks) set up for your group?:
- Requested lab building(s):
- Requested boat use (rowboats and/or R/V Centennial):
- Will alcoholic beverages be served? (visiting group is responsible for obtaining approval from UW and subsequently purchasing permits from the state):
- Bill to: (name or UW budget #):
- Billing address (MUST include UW Box number for UW budgets):


text: Main Content House Bill 4176 (2019) rss? friendly link printer friendly Friendly Link: http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2019-HB-4176 Sponsors Jeff Yaroch (district 33)Jim Ellison, Beau LaFave, Tommy Brann, Nate Shannon, Hank Vaupel, Cynthia Johnson, Phil Green, Gary Howell, Mike Mueller, William Sowerby (click name to see bills sponsored by that person) Categories Property tax: exemptions; Veterans: other; Disabilities: other; Local government: other; Property tax; exemptions; disabled veteran exemption; hold local taxing units harmless for. Amends sec. 7b of 1893 PA 206 (MCL 211.7b). Bill Documents Bill Document Formatting Information [x] The following bill formatting applies to the 2019-2020 session:- New language in an amendatory bill will be shown in BOLD AND UPPERCASE.- Language to be removed will be stricken.- Amendments made by the House will be blue with square brackets, such as: [House amended text].- Amendments made by the Senate will be red with double greater/lesser than symbols, such as: <<Senate amended text>>. (gray icons indicate that the action did not occur or that the document is not available) Documents House Introduced Bill Introduced bills appear as they were introduced and reflect no subsequent amendments or changes. As Passed by the House As Passed by the House is the bill, as introduced, that includes any adopted House amendments. As Passed by the Senate As Passed by the Senate is the bill, as received from the House, that includes any adopted Senate amendments. House Enrolled Bill Enrolled bill is the version passed in identical form by both houses of the Legislature. Bill Analysis History (House actions in lowercase, Senate actions in UPPERCASE) Date JournalAction 2/13/2019HJ 14 Pg. 134introduced by Representative Jeff Yaroch 2/13/2019HJ 14 Pg. 134read a first time 2/13/2019HJ 14 Pg. 134referred to Committee on Military, Veterans and Homeland Security 2/14/2019HJ 15 Pg. 140bill electronically reproduced 02/13/2019


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It's going to be a rare and magical BLOOD moon SUPER moon
TONIGHT - perfect for making wishes!
Learn the Full Moon WISHING PRAYER
by CLICKING HERE ➡
The prayer helps you to ask for all that you
may be wishing for at this this time.
These two events, which haven't happened together for approx 30 years
will happen late on Sunday 27 September,
and in the early hours of Monday 28 September.
1. The SUPER moon can be seen from this evening - all night.
A Super moon is when the moon is closest to the Earth,
so it will appear bigger and brighter to us all.
2. The BLOOD moon will be caused by a lunar eclipse.
The moon will start going into partial eclipse at 12.07am GMT.
The lunar eclipse will then become TOTAL from 1.11am until 2.23am.
The eclipse will then end entirely at 4.27am GMT
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon passes directly
behind Earth into our planet's shadow, which only happen
s when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in complete alignment.
Then as the light bends around our planet on its way from the sun,
it will turn it red, and the bloody colour of the moon gives it its name.
The degree of colour will depend on the dust in the atmosphere.


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* France made swift about-turn as Ben Ali regime fell
* Repression of fundamentalist Islam made Ben Ali an ally
* France diplomatic role now trickier in Africa, Mideast
By Catherine Bremer
PARIS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - An embarrassed France is scrambling to protect its position as the dominant Western influence in the Maghreb after a last-minute ditching of the iron-fisted Tunisian ruler it backed for 23 years.
Paris was caught off guard by the speed with which a build-up of protests brought down Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, an ally for economic reasons and because his repression of Islamist militants created what France believed was a bulwark against fundamentalism.
Once it saw Tunisia's army and institutions siding with the people against Ben Ali, France cut him off abruptly, mindful of its economic interests in its ex-colony and worried about a backlash by Tunisians in France if it offered refuge.
But its clumsy handling of the crisis, standing behind Ben Ali until the very last moment then dropping him like a hot potato, raises questions about how well President Nicolas Sarkozy and the rest of the political elite is attuned to the popular mood in its former colonies.
One marcher's placard in Tunisian street marches in Paris at the weekend read: "Ben Ali: murderer, Sarkozy: accomplice".
Saad Djebbar, a London-based Algerian lawyer and political analyst, summed up the challenge now facing France, which fought independence wars with both Tunisia and Algeria, the latter a bitter eight-year conflict that still envenoms bilateral ties.
"Our message to France is 'You made the old Maghreb generations dislike you because you resisted their independence. Do not allow the new generation to hate you as well, by opposing their freedom now'," Djebbar said.
Karim Emile Bitar, a fellow at France's Institute of International and Strategic Relations, said France had no choice but to dump Ben Ali because it had realised his support had collapsed. "It's the old debate between Realpolitik and human rights," he said.
Analysts say France and other Western powers would be well advised to reconsider support for autocratic Arab rulers because jobless young Arabs yearning for their voices to be heard may seek to emulate the Tunisian demonstrators.
"France will now likely urge all these regimes to start delivering the progressive reforms people are demanding and warning them that otherwise they also risk being swept away," Bitar said.
Paris has so far called for free elections in Tunisia, offered aid to keep the current transition democratic and has moved to block suspicious asset movements.
Until the revolt, backing Ben Ali had been an easy choice for France as he had brought political stability, championed economic reforms and drew in foreign investment, making Tunisia a leading economic light.
Ben Ali also improved education and women's rights, and — most importantly for many Western powers — he clamped down on Islamist militants, aiding the fight against terrorism.
It was in later years that critics accused him of riding roughshod over human rights and democratic values like media freedom. Faced with more troublesome autocrats elsewhere, however, France turned a blind eye to growing problems.
"There was a shift in authoritarianism since Ben Ali's last reelection which France had probably not fully appreciated," said Axel Poniatowski, a member of the ruling UMP party and President of the National Assembly's foreign affairs committee.
France says it kept a back-seat role as the Tunisia protests gathered pace to avoid being accused of meddling, but Foreign Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie's offer last week to help Tunis with crowd-control tactics prompted howls of protest in the French parliament.
Just two days later, once Ben Ali was already airborne, France made it clear he was not welcome on its soil.
"Suddenly we went into reverse gear on Ben Ali's plane," said political analyst Christian Bouquet, a North Africa expert and geopolitics professor at the University of Bordeaux III.
"There was without question a brutal realisation of the fact that France's initial position was going to hit a wall."
France has long been under pressure to shift away from a past where it blindly supported dictators in former colonies for the sake of safeguarding financial interests and influence.
Yet with the resolutely secular Tunisia a haven of stability between Libya and Algeria, France's support never wavered.
Ben Ali's anti-Islamist stance continued to win him admirers in Paris, even if he misleadingly put Tunisia's peaceful moderate Islamists and the violent extremists of al Qaeda into one category.
"Ben Ali was the rampart against Islamic militancy, they dared not snap it," Bouquet said.
Maintaining its support and letting him enter France would have been a disaster, not only for the future of capital flows between the two countries but for stability in France.
"Tunisians in France were already angry," Bitar said. "They would not have accepted him being here, they would have protested in front of his residence." (Additional reporting by Brian Love and William Maclean in London; Editing by Jon Boyle)


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On Sunday Darin and I again flew out on separate flights to LA. My trip turned into a mega-hassle, having been mysteriously booked a flight with two layovers. One of my connections got hella-delayed, resulting in a 4-boarding pass, 1-ticked off Jackie trip.
Darin got a whole day to work, and once I arrived we just went to bed.
Nine AM was our first showing at The Grand, right next to Darin's future office, where we weren't horrified, but weren't impressed either. We didn't get to see the actual unit up for rent – just a model – and the unit we would've rented had a balcony that only got about an hour of sun a day and had a pretty sad view overlooking more balconies. The common areas were also in need up updating. We left feeling like the only way we'd rent The Grand was as a last resort.
Darin left to go to a meeting, and I wandered around The Galleria – an outdoor mall with no real "roof".
As soon as D was finished we bought him some new shoes at DSW in the Galleria. (It took way too long – he was a total woman about it.) On the verge of passing out from starvation, we headed over to Mel's Drive-In for a very delicious lunch. We talked about our high hopes for the AMLI, our second viewing. (Our original noon appointment had cancelled, so we were waiting for our 2:00 at this point.)
After Mel's we headed over to the AMLI – a huge grey and purple-ish behemoth of a building right on Sepulveda.
I absently remarked at how it wasn't very welcoming and made me kind of uncomfortable, but we went ahead with the tour. The unit available was a "first floor" interior unit, which apparently translated to "kind of underground and really dark".
Other features included a super tiny workout room that I would never use, a small pool in the shade, and oh yeah – a horribly depressing lack of windows. AMLI was even more saddening to us than The Grand had been, and was immediately removed from the list.
We were disheartened at our search so far to say the least, and with only one showing left at five, we were at a loss. Darin was also hurting from his new shoes, and decided to remove them and return them.
After the shoe swap we headed over to Whole Foods (across from the AMLI) and got some ice-cream type desserts. Eating our feelings lessened the pain a little.
As depression kept creeping in we decided to regain our mental stamina by hitting the hotel pool. It was a good idea. Maybe even better than good.
Refreshed and ready to go with lower expectations, we headed out to our last viewing – a privately owned condo on Cedros. Darin encountered his spirit animal on the way there.
Once we got to the condo we were pleased at how normal it looked: not pretentious like The Grand, or dungeon-inspired like the AMLI. A quick tour told us all we needed to know, and we found our place! (Link to the original Craigslist posting.) Since a tenant was currently occupying the space I wasn't able to take any interior shots of the unit, but I was able to get these quick shots of the property:
The unit itself was up-to-date and well-lit. While I'd never really call a one bedroom "spacious", if there was such a thing I believe this place would be it. The balcony is street-facing, so none of this sad, interior view stuff. Appliances are included (there's in-unit laundry!) and there's a nice gated parking garage with a spot for our bikes. It was everything we wanted, and the guy renting it was really, really awesome. So we're signing the application ASAP. Finally contented, we went out to celebrate. Cheers to our new place!
Mission accomplished!


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Maceda was born in Manila, the Philippines. He studied piano, composition and musical analysis at École Normale de Musique de Paris. After returning to his native country, he became a professional pianist. Later, he also studied musicology at Columbia University, and anthropology at Northwestern University. Starting in 1952, he conducted fieldwork on ethnic musics in the Philippines. From about 1954, he was involved in the research and composition of musique concrète. In 1958, he worked at arecording studio in Paris which specialized in musique concrète. During this period, he met Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis. In 1963, Maceda earned a doctorate in ethnomusicology from the UCLA. He began pursuing a compositional career more vigorously. At the same time, he held concerts in Manila until 1969, in which he performed and conducted. This series of concerts introduced Boulez, Xenakis and Edgard Varèse to the Filipinos.
As an ethnomusicologist, Maceda investigated various forms of music in Southeast Asia, and produced numerous papers. In addition to that, he made his own pieces for Southeast Asian instruments. His notable works include: Pagsamba for 116 instruments, 100 mixed and 25 male voices (1968); Cassette 100 for 100 cassette players (1971); Ugnayan for 20 radio stations (1974); Udlot-Udlot for several hundred to several thousand people (1975); Suling-Suling for 10 flutes, 10 bamboo buzzers and 10 flatgongs (1985). From the 1990s, he also composed for Western orchestra and piano. The examples are: Distemperament for orchestra (1992); Colors without Rhythm for orchestra (1999); Sujeichon for 4 pianos (2002).


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If you have obtained or will obtain a diploma or degree certificate from a Dutch educational institution, please follow the steps below to apply for this programme.
The application deadline for applicants with Dutch prior education is 1 May 2019.
All students who have obtained a VWO diploma from a Dutch secondary educational institution are eligible for the Bachelor's in Media and Culture.
Students who have completed the first year or first phase of a relevant degree programme at a HBO institution are eligible for the Bachelor's in Media and Culture.
Please be aware that many students find the move from a HBO to a university degree programme to be a challenging transition. If you are currently enrolled in a HBO degree programme, you may opt to complete the programme before transitioning to a university Bachelor's programme. Depending on the completed HBO degree programme, you may receive an exemption of up to 60 ECTS for certain parts of the Bachelor's programme.
Please note that if you have already completed a Bachelor's in the Netherlands, the higher institutional tuition fees apply.
A colloquium doctum is a special admission procedure for people who are not eligible for the Bachelor's in Media and Culture on the basis of their obtained diplomas, and who are aged 21 or older.
More about colloquium doctum (in Dutch)
All students must be able to read textbooks, understand lectures, take part in classroom discussions and write papers in English. It is therefore essential that students have a good command of the English language, which must be supported by a sufficient score on an English language test or one of the exempted diplomas, such as the VWO diploma or a HBO propedeuse (non-EU students with a HBO propedeuse are not exempted).
Before you can apply to the UvA, you will need to submit an enrolment application in Studielink. Studielink is the national online system for students who would like to pursue a degree programme at a Dutch university.
Applicants for the English-taught Bachelor's Media and Culture need to register in Studielink for Media and Culture or Media en cultuur.
A DigiD (Digital Identification) is an online ID (username and password) that provides access to government administration websites.
Before starting your enrolment application in Studielink, read the 'Step-by-step guide to Studielink'.
After submitting your enrolment application in Studielink, you will receive an email with your UvAnetID. Follow the instructions in the email to activate your ID as you will need it to complete your UvA application.
After you have registered in Studielink, you take part in UvA Matching. This way, you will get acquainted with the study programme and you can test whether this Bachelor's programme truly suits you.
UvA Matching: general information (in English)
The intake form is mandatory for all students enrolling in a Bachelor's programme and will ask you to reflect on your academic background and motivations for enrolling in the programme. The link to the intake form as well as additional information about the intake process will be sent to you by email.
A student ID card is a personal card which serves as proof of identity for examinations or borrowing library books. You will receive instructions on how to request your student ID card.
You will need to pay the tuition fee in order to complete your enrolment for a degree programme at the UvA.


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Mon 14 Nov 2016
Student Support and Resources During a Challenging Time
Posted by Anonymous Senior under E-mails at 7:45 pm
Good Evening,
We understand that this is an uncertain and challenging time for our community and wanted to reiterate our support for the student body and our interest and investment in student safety.
We wanted to take the time to remind you of the resources available to us all during this difficult time:
1. Peer Health (Call-In-Walk-In hours Sun-Thurs from 7-10pm in Paresky 212)
2. Campus Safety (available 24/7 at 413-597-4444 and can direct you to other resources)
3. Davis Center
4. Chaplains
5. Deans
6. Psych Services
7. Office of Student Life
8. Student Groups/Peers
9. Additionally we want to make ourselves available as another resource for support. Please feel free to text, call, email, or stop us: Michelle (email@example.com; (414) 793-5727); Caitlin (email@example.com; (845) 803-6854).
Please contact any of these resources at any point. Also, please look out for one another—we've been so impressed by the student support being shown and hope to see that continue.
We also hope you'll consider these two events tomorrow as well:
You Are Not Alone– This is an amazing evening of solidarity and support for students who have been impacted by issues affecting their emotional, psychological, or social well-being, organized by Mental Health Committee from 7-8:30 tomorrow in Goodrich. We highly encourage your attendance, as it is an incredible way for our community to show support for one another.
Open College Council Meeting w/ V.P. Klass and Dean Sandstrom– We had already planned for Dean Sandstrom and V.P. Klass to come to our meeting tomorrow, but as always our meetings are open, so if you have any questions, ideas or concerns, especially in light of recent events, we will be meeting with them both at 7:30pm in Hopkins 001 tomorrow evening.
We recognize these events unfortunately overlap, so please attend whatever feels most helpful for you at this time. If you don't make it to the CC meeting, feel free to reach out to your class reps and the exec board, or attend our next meeting on Tuesday, 11/29.
Again, we are here as a resource as well, so feel free to reach out. Please take care of yourselves and look out for one another.
Michelle Bal & Caitlin Buckley
College Council Co-Presidents
|« student support
|Notes for the Record on Griffin Vandalism »
One Response to "Student Support and Resources During a Challenging Time"
John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:
I'm really starting to worry about the status of the Williams College students who supported Trump.
I've been giddy with happiness for days. At the gym, I got a crisp $100 bill from a fellow who bet me that Trump would lose. I've got that $100 bill posed above my fireplace right now. I want to take a picture of it and put it on my blog site.
I can't imagine the pressures on a young, conservative Williams College student who must suppress his/her absolute triumphant joy simply to fit in and get along on this odd little campus.
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Speculations and rumors were spreading over past several weeks regarding the official release of the Xperia XZ1 successor. Sony unveiled Xperia XZ1 to the public at annual IFA event held in August this year. Now its successor is expected to be launch at Mobile World Congress which is going to occur in the month of February 2018 at Barcelona. Sony will offer four distinct versions of the handset for various markets with model numbers H8296, H8216, H8276, and H8266. Last day the Sony H8266 was viewed on Geekbench and exposed its key features such as Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor combined with 4GB RAM and Android 8.1 Oreo. Now more features of the Sony H8216/H8266 have been exposed through Weibo.
As we can see in the exposed spec sheet, It clearly mentioned that the handset will carry a Full HD Triluminos Display with the 5.48-inch screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It appears like the handset is not going to feature an 18:9 Full vision display screen as we spotted dimensions at 157 x 78 x 8.1mm. Hence, It ensures the earlier spec leak that proposed the 16:9 display for the handset. The H8266 model will include 6GB RAM with an internal storage space of 128GB whereas the memory components of the H8216 model will be 4GB RAM with 64GB internal memory. Moreover, the storage space will likely be extended up to 256GB through a microSD card. Both these models going to have Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, But the battery capacities are likely to be varied as Sony H8216 battery power while H8266 will get 3,240mAH power.
If the reports are valid regarding the official launch of this model, we can expect more leaks on this model as there are still a lot of days left until the launch event.


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Season's Greetings!
I am pleased to share with you Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute's (CZMAI) final issue of its CoastlineNewsletter for 2014. Many thanks to the CZMAI staff for their dedication towards preparing the newsletter, and to Denvor Cayetano of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) Belize Chapter for his contribution to the guest column. Please do not hesitate to share the newsletter with your colleagues, stakeholders, and partners.
All the best for 2015!


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Microsoft award winner: .NET proves its value
One winner of a new Microsoft awards program recognizing .NET Web service development says that several advantages offered by .NET make the platform worthwhile.
Microsoft Corp. may have been coyly lauding its own products when it recently announced the winners of its .NET Best Awards, a new competition to recognize XML Web services developers, but one winning company has discovered that development advantages offered by .NET are their own rewards.
Storage Point Corp., a San Diego-based provider of online backup and storage services for businesses, won the award for best .NET tool or utility. It was one of seven organizations recognized by Microsoft.
Storage Point's .NET Web service allows third-party software developers to add Storage Point storage services to their applications.
Scott Zimmerman, chief executive officer of Storage Point, said that to be considered for an award, an organization had to demonstrate that it had built a Web service based on .NET, registered it with Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI), supported full Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Web Services Description Language (WSDL) specifications and offered a high value proposition for end users.
In order to build the Web service, Zimmerman said his company had to "start from scratch" by redeveloping the C++ Storage Point application in C#, the programming language at the heart of the .NET platform.
Though it was an expansive undertaking that kept about 10 developers busy for more than a year, Zimmerman said that the redevelopment effort allowed his company to build its Web service and quickly build in additional functionality when it was necessary.
For example, Zimmerman said moving to .NET allowed his company to incorporate support for WebDAV, a standard for collaborative editing and file management on the Internet, to its application.
"This protocol is built into a number of new applications by Xerox, Adobe and IBM," Zimmerman said. "It allows users of our service to open up Windows Explorer and drag and drop their files into their Storage Point account, or open a document in Storage Point in Word or Excel."
C# allowed Zimmerman's developers to take advantage of managed code, which simplifies memory management. He said that Web services server applications usually need to be available 24x7, and managed code increases the likelihood that memory allocation will be performed correctly, without server-crashing memory leaks.
"If you've got 10,000 users of your Web service, and over time [a server] is slowly leaking memory, your server could run out of memory and go down on the second day or the second week, whenever you're not expecting it," Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said that moving to .NET is not necessarily cheap or easy because of the learning curve required for his C++ and Java developers to learn C#. However, the company estimates that it will save 50% on its research and development budget over the next 14 months as a result of moving to .NET.
"Our customers are finding our Web service is beneficial to them because it's more affordable than them going out and worrying about their own storage mechanism," Zimmerman said. "The value proposition is significant for them and we in turn are making a profit from that."
CLICK for exclusive analysis from the451: .NET tools mark new Web services battle
CLICK for more on Microsoft .NET in SearchVB.com's .NET Info Center


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Meet Diana Joy
Diana is a Psychic Medium and Reiki Master in Monroe, NC who is clairvoyant (can see beyond this physical realm), clairaudient (can hear sounds beyond the physical ear) and clairsentient (can feel past, present and future energies). She uses physical touch and crystals as a method of healing, as well as to enhance your reading.
A meeting with Diana is very relaxed and she will put you at ease immediately. You will quickly realize that she is the cool neighbor you'd grab a drink with! Someone you would share your secrets with and trust with the most intimate details of your life. She is respectful, funny and above all values each person for their unique individuality and circumstances.
A reading with Diana includes both psychic information (information received through your energy) and mediumship (information received from the Holy Spirit) to give you the best possible reading. The message she receives from Spirit is delivered to you in straightforward, everyday language that helps direct your decisions. The experience is very much like having a conversation with your best friend.
As a psychic and medium, Diana's goal is to be of supreme service as a conduit of Spirit that lights your life path.
If you have trouble finding a spot in the posted schedule that works for you, Diana will consider after hours readings. Please use the number on the site to schedule a special appointment.
Our Story
When Diana Joy moved to Charlotte, NC in 1998 she had no idea how quickly her path would propel her for a life of service. After meeting her husband, having 2 children and living a picket fence life, her best friend died very suddenly and tragically.
Soon after, she started to notice that birds were dive bombing her car and her hands and feet were abnormally hot. After no luck searching Web MD, and many internet searches, she found a group of friends that helped develop her long forgotten natural gifts of healing and connection to the Other Side.
Years of study and intense training has led Diana Joy to a life of service by providing readings, classes to help others develop their gifts, hypnosis, a huge selection of crystals and Reiki.
Ready for Your Personal Reading
Book your appointment now!


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Anybody who ever attended one of my courses (or is an astute reader of this tip series) knows I absolutely love keyboard shortcuts.
One of my favourites is ALT + TAB (the 'boss key' ) to quickly switch between open windows. (See Tip 21 if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about.)
During a recent course, one of the participants (thanks, Miguel!) shared a different method, that might actually become my new pet way to flip through open windows. (That is, once I've changed my habit, as – at the moment – I'm still pressing ALT + TAB.)
Here's how:
- Press WIN + TAB to display a stack of all your open windows.
- Keep your finger on the WIN key and continue to press the TAB key, until you reach your desired window. (In case you overshoot your desired window, press SHIFT + WIN + TAB to cycle the other way. )
- Release the WIN key.
This feature is called AeroFlip 3D (don't ask) and might not work if you have customised your desktop theme. For example, I had my favourite picture on my desktop, and it didn't work. So if you like the sound of this tip, stick to one of Microsoft's Windows 7 themes.


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Pocket Lucca Vintage Brown XXLarge
CategorySmartphone Cases Universal
Type of ProductPocket Case
Inner Dimensions143,4 x 71 x 7mm
Article number 910939
EAN-number 8718858910939
Some in stock
Delivery time: 3-4 weeksDisplay price €19,99
€ 19,99 €13,99 Included 21% VAT
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Valenta Pocket Lucca Vintage Brown XXLarge Phone Case. The Valenta Lucca is a stylish pocket case that protects your smartphone. The stud flap with magnetic closure provides extra security. Your mobile device fits perfectly in the case, making it extremely compact. The distinctive character of Valenta's vintage leather is obtained bij scratches and other minor imperfections which give the unique distressed look. The Valenta Lucca pocket case is made of durable, genuine leather. Your smartphone smoothly slides in to the case and because of the Easy Out System, the smartphone gets out just as easy. There is a belt loop at the rear side of the case, which gives you the possibility to attach the cover to your belt. The compact shape of the pocket not only offers a perfect fit for your smartphone, it makes it extremely easy to put it into you inner pocket. Valenta is known for her passion for leather and quality. The use of real high quality leather and the attention to detail guarantee a long-lasting satisfaction. Every single product is handmade to ensure a perfect fit and maximum protection which extend the life span of your device.
AppleiPhone 7
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NokiaLumia 1020
SamsungGalaxy A3 2017
Galaxy A5
Galaxy Active
Galaxy J3 2016
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Galaxy S5
Galaxy S5 Neo
Galaxy S6
Galaxy S6 Edge
Galaxy S7
HuaweiP8 Lite
SonyXperia X
Xperia XA
Xperia X Performance
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KazamTrooper 450 L
MicrosoftLumia 640
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Dry Cutting salon offering full color services as well as makeup and styling.6 Park Place, Hudson, NY 12534
SaLune is Hudson's go-to salon for chic, stylish hair that grows out looking better and better. This new approach to cutting hair works with each person's individual growth pattern, so it is cut before the hair is washed, as it most naturally lays. This allows it to arrange itself in its own unique manner, the cut working with it instead of against it, requiring minimal to no heat styling.
We are a group of hair artists, who love what we do and extend that enthusiasm to each client we see. Whether it's cutting, coloring, blowdrying, styling, or applying makeup, each guest is given one-of-a-kind service.


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If you like my writing, there's a new way you can enjoy it! I'm very happy to announce that the ACX audiobook version of Hotel Himalaya: Three Travel Romances is now out and available. It's up on Amazon, Audible, iTunes and wherever you get your audiobooks, and according to my information it could even be free if you sign up for a free trial of Audible.
Here is the link to where you can get it on Audible.
I'm also pleased with it because I narrated the stories themselves. I have never read a book I've written out loud from beginning to end before, and it was a really interesting experience.
Hotel Himalaya, which came out in ebook version and paperback in 2016, is a collection of three stories all about strangers finding romance and connections while traveling. The first, a short story called "Hotel Himalaya," is about time and memory, and how what we remember–especially about the people we love–might not always match up with what really happened. The second is a novella, "Wacken," which takes place at the Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival in Germany, where an American woman, Daria, falls in love with a Hungarian man with whom she can barely communicate. The third story, "Mountain of Shadows," is what you might call a "bromance." Two men, Christian and Rob, find themselves hiking the same Western trail and sharing the intimate details of their lives–a process that brings them together in unexpected ways.
Here are some excerpts from Hotel Himalaya: Three Travel Romances.
If you like audiobooks, pick this one up! I hope to do some audio versions of my other books too, although it's a laborious and time-intensive process. Big thanks to Karl-Georg Kay, who mixed and edited the book.


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Site: Leighton Buzzard
Works required:
Following the supply of a surveyor's report detailing the works required and the considerable wear and ageing of the Grade II listed building which was built in 1866 and the restrictions regarding any works required.
As per the photographs below the fabric of the building was in a very poor state of repair with numerous years of patching and temporary fixing. We were tasked with bringing the external area up to an as new condition in keeping with the local area.
There were various issues surrounding this works as access to the public is required which includes a car park area. The rear of the building is shared with a hotel/bar where access for customers is required at all times, this works required liaising with local council offices as well as the Hotel building management company.
Scope Of Works:
- To attend site and set up a site area within the designated area
- To install access equipment
- To strip back and assess all timber works
- To cut out all areas of timber we are unable to save
- To splice in new timbers
- To fill all areas required
- To sand down and prepare all areas
- To apply undercoat to all timber
- To apply 2 x coats of top coat paint
- To remove high level windows
- Install new bespoke handmade sash windows
- Prime and paint as required
- Make good any area after install
- Excavate and remove the old tarmac areas
- Relay new tarmac areas with 60mm compacted base with 40mm top coat
- Repaint all white lining and hatching in Thermoplastic paint
- Rake out all areas of pointing where required
- Install 500mm helix bars and resin seal
- Repoint walls to match using relevant materials to match
- Strip back and repair roof structure as required
On completion the site was visited and assessed by the local conservation department to check all works, this was signed of as completed and approved.


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Kingston's history is a tale ripped from the pages of a western novel. Geronimo's Apache tribe once roamed the rugged and beautiful Gila wilderness, including the lush creek-fed valley where Kingston was founded. The Apache clashed with prospectors and ranchers who came to forge a new life on the western frontier. Eventually, more than three million acres of this region's wild, natural beauty was preserved and protected as the Gila National Forest and Wilderness.
During the 1880s, Kingston became the center of a thriving mining district that included Hillsboro and Lake Valley, when rich silver strikes attracted thousands of prospectors from all over the world to the region, seeking their fortunes. With blood, sweat and tears, miners dug hundreds of holes in the ground, and produced millions of dollars worth of silver.
Soon this wild-west boom-town was populated with merchants, saloon-keepers, and madams. Kingston boasted an opera house, a church, a school, a bordello (on Virtue Street), three newspapers and twenty-some saloons. Visited by the famous and infamous, such as Mark Twain, Lillian Russell, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Kingston became known as "the Gem of the Black Range."
But life was not easy – the fledgling community suffered from Apache raids, hunger, illness, and each other. Some did strike it rich, some were swindled, and when silver was demonetized in 1893, the price of silver collapsed, and the boom went bust. From thousands of residents, just a few hundred remained in Kingston by the turn of the century.
In 1924, an act of Congress declared the magnificent forested mountains to the west "The Gila Wilderness," as the world's first designated wilderness. Today Kingston is a gateway into the Gila National Forest, Wilderness, and the Gila Cliff Dwellings.
A walking tour of Kingston includes the handsome stone Victorio Hotel and the brick Assay Office (now both private homes) and the Percha Bank Museum and Gallery, open on weekends and by appointment. There is a new museum in its c.1891 Schoolhouse. Relive its early days through artifacts, old photos and stories.
The Black Range Lodge bed-and-breakfast offers comfortable accommodations, including stargazing from an outdoor hot tub, with massage and spa treatments available.
To the west, the Gila National Forest is just a short walk or mountain bike ride up Main Street. A longer hike along the Crest Trail leads to Hillsboro Peak. Hop in your car for a scenic drive up to Emory Pass, where a spectacular view awaits the explorer, just off the beaten path.
Planning an unforgettable experience in New Mexico is easy with a free New Mexico True Adventure Guide. View the guide online, or request to have one sent to you.Get the Guide