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How To Use Detergents Correctly
Why you're probably using it wrongly getting poor results and wasting money
We know, we hear it all the time on TV in some thirty second adverts that one detergent is better than another and it's a battle slugged out for hearts and minds by the major brands that we all know so well.
But what they can't do in thirty seconds is tell you what you actually need to know.
You see most people couldn't give a fig about detergents or washers, instead what happens is that you fire the clothes in the washing machine and just assume that the washer will just clean your clothes.
Well, in real life, things don't just happen like that. For years we've told customers that the detergent that you use is as important as the machine you use or choose to buy as the two to work in harmony with one another and each forms an important part in the results that you will get.
And we hear all the time that killer phrase, "I've been washing this way for years", but the thing is, technology changes and moves on. Washing machines have advanced, detergents have advanced and the materials used for clothing have advanced but people's attitude and methods often have not.
With so called "designer clothing" now being so popular the last thing that anyone wants to do is to only get a few uses from any one article of clothing, you want to get the best from it for as long as possible to get value for money. Apart from which there is the real environmental concern about throwing away clothing prematurely or indeed washing articles more than once to get them clean.
That's only the start of it though. People are massively confused by all the products out there, just as with the machines that you use and, just like the machines, there's little guidance on offer to you.
So if you want to be ahead of the pack and a bit more in-the-know about it all this article is designed to give you the things you need to know better and save money.
Now that you know that much you have a simple choice to make, you can read all about the chemistry and other bits and bobs that explain why we think all this is important, which to many people will most likely be really boring unless you happen to be interested. Or, you can just read the quick tips here to get decent results, it's your call.
Top tips for results are as follows:
Sort Your Laundry Before Washing
Make sure you separate whites from colours. Seriously, you'd be amazed at the number of people that don't bother doing this and it really is crucial. Think about it, if you wash a white Calvin Klein shirt with pink socks things really isn't going to go well for the shirt.
At the very least you need to sort white/lights from darks and colours and, that's the bare minimum.
Not doing this is just inviting problems with open arms.
Colour And Normal Soap Powder Or Liquid
The reason you have colour detergent is that there is no bleach in it, okay there's more that that to it but it's as much as we normal people need to know as this stops the colour getting bleached out of your clothes.
After one or two washes you won't notice the difference, but trust us, after as little as ten washes you will.
Thankfully after receiving this little nugget of information dark shirts are safe from becoming bleached out.
Dose Powder Correctly For Your Washing Machine
Hot topic this one. But basically most people, for most everyday clothing will need to wash them as being "medium soiled".
Light soiled means a garment lightly worn not next to the skin.
Medium soiled is something that has been worn next to the skin, in other words, most things.
Heavy soil is something that is really mucky or has been worn under physical duress and will be full of sweat etc., like sportswear, tea towels and the likes.
This also affects the likes of the "quick wash" programs as they are not geared to clean anything other than lightly soiled clothing, a kind of refresher program. So your clothes may not be as clean as you would like, or think that they are in reality.
As people are fed up with long program times manufacturers are starting to play on this and offering, in my opinion, stupidly fast "quick washes", one is now offering a machine with a fifteen minute cycle. We simply fail to see how this can get clothing clean and, like most other claims made by washing machine manufacturers there seems to be little, if any, evidence to support the claims.
The Correct Washing Machine
On some washing machines however the need for detergent is hugely reduced, essentially the better performing ones and they can save you a fortune in detergent costs which is way, way higher than the cost of electricity per wash. The choice of machine and how well it performs is important in all this as well.
In the trade it never ceases to amaze us how so many people go out and buy a cheap washing machine then expect it to outlast a few pairs of designer jeans that cost more than the washer did! That's just insane.
What's also a bit nuts is that a lot of people also expect a £200 washing machine to perform the same as a washing machine cost over £800. By that analogy a milk float should perform like a Ferrari, but we all accept that isn't the case.
Don't Overload Your Washing Machine
The deal here is that if you overload then the clothes can't move properly in the drum, so the detergent doesn't get to the clothes and so you get a whole host of problems, the major one being that clothes aren't washed properly, which isn't good. Apart from not getting your clothes clean you can also do some serious harm to the machine itself, again, not good.
Try to leave 10cm or about a hand-width between the top of the clothes and the top of the drum otherwise it's not going to work properly and you'll get poorer results and very possibly wreck your machine or stop it doing stuff it should.
Washing Machine Maintenance Wash
Once a month, please, please run the machine through a boil wash with a full dose of powder or tablet detergent to clean it out.
Use detergent because it kills germs if you use a biological (which we'd recommend for normal use anyway for whites) and the "builders" in the detergent will remove limescale. This is a lot cheaper than using some ad-on products such as Calgon.
To find out more, click this link
Fabric Care Labels For Washing Machines
Follow them!
They stop stuff ending up "Action Man" size, stops the fabrics getting prematurely worn, stops colour bleed and a whole host of other nasty stuff that can make your clothes just horrid or looking "done" after only a few washes. So please take the time to read the labels and use the appropriate cycle on your washing machine to accommodate them.
If you follow all the above then you're off to a good start.
We know it all this may seem a lot to do just to clean clothes, but modern machines and clothes are fickle things (especially the clothes) and if you make a mistake it can cost you dearly. With the popularity of designer wear and non-traditional fabric mixes this is vital if you want that £60 or more shirt look good beyond the first few times that you wear it.
Doing things right wil mean your clothes last much, much longer so you save loads of cash on that alone never mind the detergent.
This also means that you have to choose the correct cycle or program to correspond on your machine by following the care labels.
The simple tips above are enough to make sure you don't have any major disasters and, if you're really interested or just curious there's a whole load more that we can tell you about this subject which is actually pretty fascinating and it explains a lot of the above.
If you've gotten this far, congratulations we've obviously not bored you death with all this quite yet, so we'll continue.
One of the single biggest problems with detergents is the bewildering array of them on the shelves which makes it so very easy to get confused. Many people don't even know what they are buying and, because there's little or no information out there, you are simply left to guess at what's best for you.
We'll try to explain it as briefly as we can and help you make a more informed choice.
Bio Soap Powder vs Non-Bio Soap Powder
The difference is simple, bio has enzymes in it and non-bio does not. The enzymes are "biological" in that they target certain types of organic based stains and remove them extremely effectively. They occur naturally and pose no threat to humans.
There's an argument that you get which says that non-bio is better for your skin, well, maybe in about 0.0002% of people or some other such insignificant odds. You've more chance of winning the lottery six weeks running than suffering some form of skin problem due to a modern name-brand detergent as the science and testing that goes into these products is just absolutely staggering.
Quite honestly after studying detergents this seems nothing more than a myth and an easy way out for the medical profession who should really do a proper skin test if you suffer from irritation to find out what the actual problem is instead of just guessing.
Funnily enough we were recently informed that the UK was the only country in the world where there was bio and non-bio available. Amazing how the rest of the world doesn't suffer the same alleged skin irritations isn't it?
But, again we go back to the machine, is the rinsing performance good enough for you? Most people don't even consider it when buying a new machine or, even ask.
Soap Powder, Tablets And Liquids Confuse People
Confusing isn't it? So many different formats and hardly a single scrap of information on the supermarket's shelves to tell you what's what, the big problem is that the detergent manufacturers also seem a tad reluctant to tell you as well. And, of course, competition is so fierce most are keener to sell you something that to explain it to you.
Well above are the three basic formats which we will explain briefly without getting at all technical.
Powder is the original detergent format and to this day it has all the technologies available in it, you get the full cadre of cleaning power in a powder so after that it only comes down to how good it is. We know it's potentially messy and harder to get home but it really is the best and well worth the effort.
Tablets are different as most are hard pressed by a stamp, it's basically just powder though that is highly compressed. The big problem is that some take quite a while to dissolve and therefore you can't use them in the soap drawer, except Ariel tablets. You will also need a net or bag for any bar Ariel tablets as otherwise, since they don't dissolve so fast, they can sit on clothes and the bleach makes short work of any coloured items. So tablets are good in some ways, poor in others.
Liquid is the most convenient in many ways to a lot of people as you just pick up a bottle and pour it in. well, that's the theory at least.
In practice liquid can cause a lot of trouble, especially for service engineers.
You see, it's easily overdosed and this can cause no end of harm to a machine and that goes back to the tip about dosing on the first page, it really is vital to get it right or expect a bill for the engineer as manufacturers generally do not cover for detergent misuse which is the way they view these problems.
If the dosage doesn't get you then the smell might, liquid detergents do not and cannot at this time contain a bleaching agent (nor is it ever likely to) so the bacteria doesn't always get killed in the machine. This can congeal and for a rather smelly mass which is not good for your nose or your machine and that's one of the reasons why we recommend a maintenance wash and why it has to be done with powder or tablets, so that theres a bleaching agent to remove any bacterial build up in the machine.
Additives That Make Laundry A Chemistry Lesson
For the past few months at the time of writing we've seen many, many adverts on TV for what we refer to as additives, things like Vanish and Calgon. Well, if you use a quality detergent and use it correctly then there is absolutely no need for these products.
We would argue that they are marketed to solve a problem not created by stains or whatever, but to compensate for people's lack of knowledge about the subject and how to use both their detergent and washing machine together properly. And the companies that sell such products do very nicely out it.
For example look at Vanish. If you actually look at what's in the tub on the ingredients label the two that stand out for me are bleaching agents and enzymes, basically it's a big tub of bleach with a few other goodies thrown in, but it sells at a massive premium for such a small amount over even a premium detergent.
But, if you think about it a bit, if you put Vanish into a coloured wash then you just added bleach and a lot of it. You wouldn't put bleach in with your best blue shirt would you? Some people do unwittingly because this isn't explained in the marketing for such products, only that they magically somehow remove stains, but there's no magic at all, just chemistry.
And of course there's the enzymes. This one really makes us cringe when you open a customer's cupboard only to find non-bio detergent sat beside a tub of Vanish or similar as they have, totally unwittingly, added exactly what they wished to avoid without realising it, again only because it isn't explained and it's not the person's fault really.
It's also kind of weird that no doctor has ever, that I've heard of, asked if the person suffering from some skin irritation uses any additives in their wash, they only suggest the detergent. Funny that, isn't it?
And as for being environmentally friendly, how can buying more stuff you don't actually need be kinder to the environment? All that product, packaging... just sheer waste.
Of course with all this new found knowledge you won't make that mistake, or at least we hope you won't and that you'll get better results without spending more money than you have to.
Recommended Soap Powders
Yes we recommend the use of Ariel products and we're very open about it. We do this simply as they are the best product for the job and we've proved it both in the lab and in the field and it really is that simple.
We proved in an independently monitored test over several days that Ariel was superior in terms of stain removal and, in field tests with normal day-to-day use that the products are also superior to other brands.
Couple this better performance with the knowledge to get the best from both the washing machine and the detergents used and the results are often staggering to people. Many didn't think that such performance was possible and all it took was a little bit of information on how to use and, not to use, the products that they already had.


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Blog Archives
The Blog Tag!
Hey everyone
I was kindly nominated for the "blog tag" by Natalie of PursueInspire http://pursueinspire.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/blog-tag/
Are you named after someone? Not someone I personally know but I am named after Queen Esther in the bible.
When was the last time you cried? I can't pinpoint exactly but maybe a week or two ago, watching the news on Israel and Palestine 😦
Do you have any children? Nope, no children yet.
If you were another person would you be a friend of yourself? Yes I think I would. I think I'm a good friend :-p
Do you have any guilty pleasures? I have a sugar addiction. I have been fighting to give up chocolate, it's an ongoing battle.
Do you like handwriting? Yes, it can be quicker that starting up the laptop and handwriting has more character.
What's your favourite cereal? I can't really remember as I don't really ever eat cereal. I like porridge and Belvita biscuits through I have now given them up 😦
What's the first thing you notice about people? Their hair, the way they are dressed and their shoes.
What's the colour of your eyes? Dark brown
Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings all the time. I like to feel happy, inspired and ready to conquer the world after watching a film
Favourite TV Show? There are a couple. Recently got into orange is the new black. I quite like new girl. Just started watching scandal and that is also looking rather good.
Winter or summer? Summer, sunshine and warmth over snow anytime (though I love snow)
Hugs or kisses? Hugs! 🙂
Special talent? I enjoy singing and I dabble in fiction writing and song writing.
Where were you born? East London, UK
Hobbies? Reading, shopping, listening to music and now the gym, LOL
Do you have any pets? Nope, had some goldfish when I was quite young but no pets after the goldfish died
Favourite movie(s)? That I can remember off the top of my head Coming to America, Madam Dearest (Nollywood Movie)
What colour is your car? The colour is pending, soon arriving, 🙂
What do you want to do when you grow up? I grown up and still growing up. I'm not totally decided to be honest, still giving it a good bit of thought
Ok, I nominate Trudy of Flash In Lites http://xflashinlitesx.blogspot.co.uk/
And I nominate Kehinde of Perfectly Imperfect https://justsoperfectlyimperfect.wordpress.com/tag/kehinde-adeogun/
Yours Always

subset: commoncrawl


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We finally were able to schedule our "pack out." Pack out is when a team of packers and movers descends on your house, boxes up all of your stuff that you swear you need, and takes it away. We get 600 pounds of UAB, which is unaccompanied air freight. This is for things like clothes, toys, the stroller, golf clubs, etc. that we will want when we arrive in DC. We also get up to 18,000 pounds of HHE (house-hold effects) which State pays to have stored for us until we need it when we move from our temporary post in DC to wherever we are assigned abroad. We can take some or all of it, depending where we are stationed.
Our pack out will start on Tuesday. We are not allowed to pack a single box. For insurance reasons, we have to let the movers pack, pad, and seal everything. Once our house is empty, we will move into a Marriott in town and clean our house on Wednesday (well, Jen will while I go to BYU-I to talk to some business law students with the judge). I will work until Friday, make my way to Logan to say goodbye to family one last time, and then drive to Washington March 5. Our trip is just over 2,100 miles and crosses through a litany of states I never particularly wished to visit.
We will get to see the bustling metropolis of North Platte, NE, stop to see my sister in Des Moines, IA, visit Notre Dame and Touchdown Jesus in South Bend, IN, spend one last night in Pittsburgh, and then make it to DC just before training starts. It's a big production to move everybody in the State Dept and there are people whose jobs are dedicated to making it happen. Somebody makes my travel orders, sends them to budgeting, sends them back to the creator who then sends them to me and my advisor who forwards them to the moving people who I had to call to set up my pack out. All in all, my orders authorize a grand total of more than $17,000 for moving and per diem expenses. I have read that from my FSOT to the oral exam to my background check and through training, State pays almost $100,000 to hire and train me before I ever step foot in an embassy.
It's going to be a hectic two weeks. Training will last from 8-5 every day and then there are after-hours activities most nights. I can't wait for family to visit us and to get out and explore the area around DC. There probably won't be a lot of time/big news to write about here (except our new home!) until flag day, so hopefully Jen keeps you all updated on the diplobug.


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As part of his five-day trip to Africa, Swiss Foreign Affairs Minister Ignazio Cassis visited a copper mine. Now he faces criticism.
The trip began in Zambia on Monday with a visit to the Mopani Copper Mines, whose majority shareholder is Swiss-based multinational Glencore.
The head of Swiss diplomacy wanted to see for himself the working and employment conditions in this sector, which is responsible for 15.4% of the country's GDP, according to foreign ministry figures.
On Twitter, Cassis said he was impressed by the efforts to modernise the plant and to train young people.
Later that day, Allianz Sudexternal link, an interest group that monitors Swiss policy in the field of sustainable development, questioned whether Cassis had met any local critics.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Swiss public radio, SRFexternal link, reported on the controversy, noting that according to human rights interest group Public Eyeexternal link, Glencore has not consistently been paying taxes in Zambia. The story, which cited field reports from an SRF editor, also mentioned that emissions from the copper mine were making locals ill and criticised the foreign ministry'sexternal link reliance on emission information from Glencore.
Human rights guidelines
In November, the Swiss governments published human rights guidelines for firms operating in the commodity sector. Separately, it issued a report looking at the the ongoing challenges and emerging trends in this sector of strategic importance for Switzerland.
Glencore, the world's biggest mining company with headquarters in the Swiss canton of Zug, comes under regular criticism from Swiss watchdog groups over environmental and human rights issues linked to copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The focus of the trip is strengthening political and economic relations with Zambia as well as Zimbabwe and South Africa, according to the foreign ministry.
During his stay in the African continent, Cassis has also visited projects supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), particularly in the field of HIV/Aids prevention and treatment.


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On friday the 2nd of September 2016, Max drove with the halo for the first time in Italy. The much discussed cockpit protection will be introduced by the FIA in 2018.
The installation lap Max drove with the halo was with unmarked tyres, which are also underneath this unique 1:43 Minichamps model. The fixation of the halo on the side of the cockpit is also very good visible. Lastly the flat rear wing configaration is notable, a typical setting for the high speed track that Monza is.
- This is a limited edition of 1000 pieces. All models have a unique number
- Scale models will be delivered in random order


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Join the Friends of the Templeton Fire Department
–The Templeton Fire Department is inviting interested local individuals, business owners and organizations to join our new Friends of the Templeton Fire Department as Community Ambassadors. The Friends of the Templeton Fire Department will be an advocacy group which will help spread the message about the department's challenges, opportunities, services and goals. Each ambassador will play a key role in educating family friends and neighbors as to what the department does and what its needs are to continue to keep our neighborhoods safe, healthy and protected.
If you are interested in being a part of this grass roots effort to support the Templeton Fire Department, please email Fire Chief Bill White at firstname.lastname@example.com or call (805) 434-4911 and provide your contact information. Once we have a list of supporters, we will provide information on how you can be involved with our organization.


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Font Family: MFC Bindi Monogram, Number of fonts: 1*OTF + 1*TTF, Type Foundry: Monogram Fonts Co., Designer: Brian J. Bonislawsky, Design date: 2016
The inspiration source for Bindi Monogram is a 1915 publication by Cartier-Bresson of Paris containing classic and modern monogram patterns for embroidery.
This Art Deco style monogram has been redrawn, balanced, and brought forward into the digital age for your type-setting use and enjoyment. Like so many monograms from this period, it is only a two letter monogram format, but this particular monogram comes with an accent color block character to add pop! A PDF guidebook for MFC Bindi Monogram is included in the font package.


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WHAT: Theme: Change is the only constant.
You cannot step twice into the same river.
—Heraclitus, Greek philosopher
Landscape design is a spatial design discipline which is close to nature. Landscape is typically a composition of natural elements—land, water and vegetation—through which an artist or a designer conceptualizes and finally realizes a creative endeavour. Visualized to fulfil various aesthetic and functional uses, they provide a framework to a site within which the designer works. Having the natural attributes of a living medium, landscapes are born {or, conceptualized}, they grow, and they decay to be
reborn again, following the processes of nature, its rhythms and different moods throughout the year.
In the order of nature, they are true reflection of time, changing with each season as well as over the years, decades, and centuries, with a unique, dynamic and real quality which is ever changing and never
permanent. Observing the journey of water in rivers, the changing water level in reservoirs, the growth of plants and trees, and evolution and disintegration of rock, earth, and sand over the years is evidence that impermanence is an integral part of the aesthetic experience of a landscape.
Landscapes should be viewed with a deep understanding of their temporal dimension which makes the art of landscape design relate to the larger reality of the world that everything in the Universe, governed by the laws of thermodynamics, is in transition.
"Landscape: Change is the only constant" is an attempt to provoke and encourage students to explore and expand the idea of the 'impermanence' in our landscapes. It is an attempt to trigger their thoughts to look at landscapes through the lens of temporality, recognizing their inherent relation with natural processes,
hence time, which is always in a transient mode.
Key words: sense of time, transition, permanence, evergreen, instant, ready-made, fast-growing,
contextual, regional
The competition is open to all students of spatial design disciplines
{Architecture, Landscape, Urban Design, Planning, Conservation etc.}, Design and Art studying in Undergraduate or Post-Graduate full time degree / diploma courses.
Indian Entrants: INR 1000 {Indian Rupees One Thousand Only}
Entrants from Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka: INR 3000 {Indian Rupees Three Thousand Only} or equivalent amount.
The fee is to be deposited at the time of the submission of the entry.
The registration fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
DETAILS & REGISTRATION FORM: For students from India.
DETAILS & REGISTRATION FORM: For students from Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka
Iftikhar Mulk Chishti, Architect & Designer, New Delhi
Saurabh Popli, Landscape Architect, Bhopal
Freddie Ribeiro, Landscape Architect, New Delhi
First Prize INR 50,000
Second Prize INR 30,000
Third Prize INR 15,000
Shriya Anand Award INR 21,000
*Shriya Anand, landscape architect based in New Delhi passed away in a tragic road accident on 30th December 2007. Since then, an award has been constituted in her memory by her family.
Plus upto FOUR Jury Special Mention Certificates.
The winning entries shall be featured in LA, Journal
of Landscape Architecture.
Submission Deadline: 10th October, 2016
Last date for the Registation Fees and Entries
to reach the Foundation Office in New Delhi
Jury Meet: 19th October, 2016
Jury Session and Declaration of Results
Exhibition of all entries: 20th-21st October, 2016
Planning Block, School of Planning and Architecture,
New Delhi
CONTACT/ Submission Address
Landscape Foundation India
C-589, Vikas Puri, New Delhi 110018 India
Tel: a+91-11-28547652, 0-98106-00754, 0-98102-52661
Email: email@example.com, email@example.com
Web: www.landscapefoundation.in


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Transitioning to Medicare Part 2
Westminster | Website
This event occurred in the past.
For adults. Are you eligible for Medicare? Come and find out how to make the most of your Medicare health benefits. This seminar focuses on Medicare Supplement/Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans. Learn about the different Medigap plans and your period of guaranteed issue rights under original Medicare. These secondary plans can cover some or all of Medicare's out-of-pocket costs. We will discuss a different way to obtain all services covered by Medicare and more: Medicare Advantage Plans.


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Our school videos are best viewed on either our school Facebook page or YouTube page.
Here are the links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2hVWajdTMOgulAuCSM1QSQ
If you search on Youtube for us, remember to look for Goldfields School, Paeroa as there are a number of schools with pages called Goldfields.
Please feel free to share these with your friends and family/whanau.


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Plot 1 - Oxen Craig, The Grange, Jackstown Rothienorman, Inverurie, AB51 8UR
Aspc ref: 324349
Sold date 09/10/19
Price over £145,000
Sold date
Plot with planning permission for erection of 3 bdrm dwellhouse with garage. Services available. Price over £145,000 Entry by arr. Viewing contact solicitors.
The Grange at Jackstown is an exclusive development of three house plots/new build houses providing a rare opportunity to purchase/build a contemporary, sustainable and comfortable luxury family home in rural Aberdeenshire. Each of the three generously sized plots extends to over half an acre or thereby and enjoys wonderful views over the rolling countryside including Bennachie and woodland towards the coast. Jackstown was formally a dairy and arable farm and the seller is Mackie's of Scotland, a family business which makes ice cream on their neighbouring dairy farm at Westertown.
The Grange at Jackstown is situated on a hillside a short drive from Rothienorman and Oldmeldrum, both charming rural villages designated as Conservation areas.
Other local villages include Daviot and Fyvie, and so the area is well served with schools, local shops, services and restaurants. The larger town of Inverurie is only 9 miles away and offers a wider range of local and national shops, services, pubs, restaurants and leisure pursuits including swimming and bowling. There is a primary school in Daviot with secondary education available at Meldrum Academy. Inverurie railway station has an excellent rail service to Aberdeen (only 20 minute journey) an easy commute for schoolchildren attending one of the schools there.
The properties will enjoy the idyll of countryside living with wonderful views and many outdoor pursuits are readily available in the area – including golf, horse riding, hill walking, fishing, shooting and coastal walks. There are several local golf courses, including an 18 hole championship golf course and 5star hotel at Oldmeldrum, Links course at Cruden Bay and Trump International at Balmedie. Also within easy driving distance lies the thriving city of Aberdeen (26 miles) and the airport at Dyce, in addition to the excellent rail and bus links from Inverurie.
Aberdeen is a vibrant centre with popular shopping centres, a variety of restaurants, bar and clubs, universities, entertainment and culture – music hall, theatres and cinemas, in addition to a busy beach front.
The proposed detached dwellinghouses have been sited to maximise the views and privacy. Each has master bedroom en-suites with dressing room/wash room facilities, south-facing glazing with north-facing openings, options for open plan living room and interesting spaces for books/artworks and the like. It is proposed to use a range of natural materials including slate, dry-stone walling, pale wet-dash render, home-grown timber cladding and painted timber windows and doors.
Garden rooms, or even whole dwellings, would feature solid timber flooring in oak or douglas fir. Boundaries would be elegantly landscaped and planted to age gracefully and screen neighbouring properties without the need for tall fences. It is intended that the finished dwellinghouses are environmentally friendly. Renewable measures, including heating and hot water, will be supplemented by a wood bruning stove in each dwellinghouse. Furthermore, the houses are to be super-insulated with low "U" values well beyond that required by our current building standards, possibly incorporating solar panels to the garage roof areas depending on specification.
Notwithstanding the orientation of the properties, a southerly aspect is provided to all three properties. None of the properties are overshadowed and all plots have fine views over the surrounding countryside. The plots will be well screened from each other and surrounding properties. Courtyards are to be formed between the garage and dwellinghouses with covered entrances and shelter from any winds.
As plots, each site will be serviced as follows:
Power, water and telephone lines will be provided to the site boundary; the water will be fed from a private water supply. Details available on request.
NB Drainage will be by an individual septic tank within each site boundary.
Plot 1 – Oxen Craig
A modern take on traditional steading, 4 bedrooms family home offers generous south facing, double height living accommodation, with fine southerly views and mature trees and attractive countryside beyond. The plot extends to approx. half an acre offering mature countryside living.
Accommodation on a single level extends to some 283m² with an additional 45m² for the garage.
Ground Floor:
Covered front entrance to Lobby, through Hallway to open plan:
Kitchen/Dining/Conservatory Room
Separate Living Area with an open fire
A generous Master Bedroom including bath, wc and wash hand basin
A further Three Double Bedrooms, one of which is En-Suite
A separate Garage to the rear of the property forms an enclosed rear garden
Architects Michael Gilmour Associates, the award winning practice, are based in the West End of Aberdeen. The practice specialises in carrying out design-led projects with an emphasis on sustainability.
Planning Full planning permission – APP/2012/0579 – was granted on 19/07/13 for the erection of three dwellinghouses with garages. Copies of our planning permission can be seen online at Aberdeenshire planning or are available from selling agents.
Purchase Options: It is anticipated that each owner may have their own ideas which they would wish to be incorporated into the design of their house with a view to realising the potential of these superb plots. Additionally, it is appreciated that each purchaser may wish to be involved in their build project to a greater or lesser degree. With this in mind, each plot is available with the following options:
Option 1: The plot only, with water and electricity services taken to the plot boundary and with the benefit of full planning permission
Option 2: As Option 1 above, but with plans, planning permission and building warrant to the purchaser's own specification (subject to Local Authority approval)
Option 3: Fully completed house built in accordance with approved plans
Option 4: Fully completed house built to purchaser's individual specification (subject to Local Authority approval)
Further Options: The existing planning permission is for the house described above but it may well be that potential purchasers of the sites may wish to consider a different design. Details of alternatives such as the Bruntwood or Watch Craig may be viewed on the dedicated website or by application to the selling agents.
37 Langstane Place Aberdeen AB11 6EN
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The foregoing particulars are being distributed on behalf of the Selling Solicitors by Aberdeen Solicitors' Property Centre Ltd. of 40, Chapel Street, Aberdeen AB10 1SP (Tel: 01224 632949). Whilst the particulars have been prepared with care and are believed to be accurate, no liability for any errors or omissions therein or the consequences thereof will be accepted by the Selling Solicitors or Aberdeen Solicitors' Property Centre Ltd. © Aberdeen Solicitors' Property Centre and Selling Solicitors.
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text: The Battle Creek Country Club has been a integral part of the community for over 95 years. We offer a tradition of championship golf and tennis, the best dining experience in town in a casual atmosphere, and a great environment for family recreation. If you are considering becoming a member of the club or would simply like more information, please contact Steve Rebhan or Maribeth Szlaga in the main office, (269) 962-8734.


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Making changes on your website can be scary.
What if your conversion rate goes down? What if you involve a designer to make all the changes (which will cost a lot) and just end up hurting your business?
All of these concerns are totally valid. And I'm not here to defend conversion optimization either. Every business has its risks. And if you really want to improve the conversion rate of your website, you should have the heart to explore new territories with calculated risks at least.
So, if optimizing your website for better conversions is new for you, implementing conversion rate optimization best practices from the industry is a great way to get started with minimal risk.
After all, these practices are called "best" for a reason. They work for majority. But again, every website has its own unique visitor set and the results can sometimes be surprisingly unpredictable.
This is why, it is important that no matter what changes you implement on your website, you track it in your A/B testing software to see how it is working out for your website's audience.
[Related post: 100+ Essential CRO Terms to Help You Conquer Conversion]
Given below are 21 conversion rate optimization best practices that you can test to improve the sales, leads, and profits of your website:
1. Reduce Form Fields
Eliminate unnecessary form fields. Don't try to make your work easy by adding extra fields to be filled in by your customers.
Ask yourself again — do you really need their company's name, zip code, CVV code of their credit card, reconfirmation of their password/email id? A company reduced their 11-field form to 4 fields, which increased their conversions by 160%. Follow their example.
2. Use a Contrasting Color for Your Call-to-action (CTA) Button
You may read case studies that say, red color call-to-action converted better than a green one, and so on. But this doesn't mean that you should use the red color CTA to improve conversions.
It's all about which color pops up better on the background of your web page. So, when I tell you that changing the button color from green to red improved conversions by 32.5% for Performable, you know that I'm taking about the better contrast and not the actual color that improved the conversion rate.
As an additional tip, I would recommend that you choose a CTA color that hasn't been used anywhere on the page so that it stands out well and draws the necessary attention.
3. Get Rid of Your Automatic Image Sliders
You might think that it's cool and all, but almost all conversion experts suggest that you remove these sliders as they reduce conversions.
Image carousels do not allow users to explore the site at their own pace, they create banner blindness, and there's so much more that's wrong with them.
Popular conversion experts, like Peep Laja strongly recommend that you get rid of them. You can replace these sliders with a profitable, static offer. To know more about replacement alternatives for image carousels, read this article.
4. Stop Using Cheesy Stock Photos
There's nothing right about them except the quality. They look phony and reduce the credibility of your website. Remember that the purpose of a website is not to look pretty, but to achieve certain objectives.
This Market Experiments case study showed improved conversions for a website that replaced a cheesy stock photo on their homepage with a picture of their Founder. This increased their signups by 35%.
People like to deal with humans, not websites. So, try using real people on your website instead of stock photos or even models. Let normal people like your own employees, pose for you. It will help people relate better and make them more willing to do business with you.
5. Test Your Call-to-action Button Text
Instead of saying something like, submit, or sign-up, use your button text to tell your visitors what they should expect on the next step after clicking that button.
Below, you can see how the conversion expert, Michael Aagaard implemented this in one of his A/B tests:
According to him, it is highlighting the benefit, "Get started" in the button text that improved conversions.
6. Place your CTA above-the-fold
Unbounce A/B tested their landing page and hypothesized that shifting their pricing call-to-actions above the fold should boost their conversions. And their hypothesis proved to be right. The treatment page with call-to-actions visible above the fold increased their clickthroughs by 41%.
7. Add a Video
Show your product in action, make an instructional video if you offer something complicated. There are so many ways to use videos to improve website conversion rates.
Vidyard added a video on their landing page, which gave them a 100% conversion lift. Be sure that you're using a 2-3 minute video and not the lengthy videos that bore people to death. Keep it short and sweet. No one has the time to watch long videos.
8. Make Sure You Have a Clear Headline
Headline is usually one of the most noticeable things on a landing page and getting it right can boost your website conversions to a great extent. See how Movexa made its headline more clear by adding one word, which increased their conversions by 89.97%:
Michael ran a similar headline test for his client, Bettingexpert.com, which increased their sign-ups by 41.14%.
9. Create Urgency
Offer a limited-time incentive. Give them a reason why they should bother to take action now and not after a few days? Simply Hike provides delivery on the next working day as an incentive to their prospects if they order right away (see the timer):
Or, you must have seen eCommerce stores displaying text like, "Last 2 items left" on their product pages. You can try that too.
10. Display Your Phone Number in Huge Font
It's usually best that you add your number in your homepage header so that it isn't missed by your site visitors. This adds credibility and also assures people that you are easily approachable if they have any problems or concerns during their purchase process.
OzScopes' phone number is easily noticeable in its homepage header:
11. Change Your CTA Link into a Button
Text links are often lost with the rest of the text, making it difficult to spot them on the page. Do yourself a favor and change them into huge buttons that stand out on the page. See below:
Bet you didn't spot the tiny text links on the left page. Look closely, they are right under the product images.
12. Use the Magical Word "FREE"
One of our customers made a quick AB test in our tool to add the words, "It's free" with their call-to-action and this increased their conversions by 28%. You can read the complete case study here.
The word "FREE" has contributed to the conversion rate of a lot many websites. Give it a shot, if you haven't already. It shouldn't take more than 2 minutes to create this test in our tool. And yes, you don't need a designer or HTML knowledge for that.
13. Add Value to Your Offer
As long as the perceived value of your offer is not greater than what you are asking from your customers, you cannot make them convert.
One great way to increase the perceived value of your offer is to add benefits in your copy. Answer the "What's in it for me?" question of your visitors, and they will happily convert into leads or sales.
You can see how Onboardly highlights the benefits of signing up for their newsletter in bullet points:
14. Add "Real" Testimonials
By testimonials, I don't mean this:
I love your website. Your dresses are so cool. ~ Amanda, USA
There are so many websites that display fake testimonials like the one above. Anyone can write and put them up. Your testimonials should have full names, and pictures of your customers to go with it.
The best testimonials are the ones that do the selling for you by saying what is unique about you and emphasize benefits of your offer. See these testimonials below on Neil Patel's website:
15. Show Off Your Award Badges
One of our customer's website was honored with an esteemed "WOW" badge in his industry. He proudly displayed it in his homepage header, resulting in a 72.05% increase in their conversions.
Webtogs displays its awards in the left sidebar:
16. Figure Out Your Value Proposition
What is it that distinguishes you from your competitors? What gives you an edge over them? Think about it and use it to optimize your conversion efforts.
Below you can see the value proposition of a popular hair salon brand, Tony & Guy:
Conversion experts swear by the importance of having a good value proposition for all your marketing channels, and not just your website.
17. Add Trust Badges
If your business has some great reviews on Trust Pilot, you can just get in touch with them to add a Trust Pilot widget to your website. Express Watches did this and witnessed a 58.29% lift in their sales.
You can even boast about reviews from Glassdoor, Yelp, and Better Business Bureau. These badges are like word of mouth advertising online.
18. Add Security Seals
Security seals are quite expensive but they reduce anxiety among consumers and assure them that their credit card details are secured. In a case study, adding Norton security seal increased sales by 11%.
19. Add Live Chat
Virgin Airlines use their live chat support for upselling and not to sell their tickets. People who use their live chat feature have a 15% higher average order value than other customers.
20. Use Relevant Images
Images on your website have a purpose, i.e to push your visitors toward the conversion goal. If you're using them just to break the monotony of the text, you're not doing it right.
Exact Target tested an image to lend better clarity to their offer. The image aligned well with their conversion goal, which gave a 40.18% boost to their conversions. You can see the comparison image below:
21. Give Them a Price Match Guarantee
People want to be sure that they are not getting ripped off. Assure them that you can give them the best price in the market. If possible, show them a comparison of your prices with your competitor's prices.
Best Buy offers a selective Price Match guarantee on their items:
Finally, make sure that you do not have too many call-to-actions on one page. Ideally, it is best to have only one call-to-action per page. Studies have shown that too many choices can confuse people and eventually reduce conversions.
In the end, all methods to increase website sales and leads come down to better relevance, improving clarity, fewer distractions, reducing anxiety, and increasing urgency. When you take care of these, you should have good hypotheses to start off your tests.


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Adapt CPU holders are designed to lift the PC from the floor, reducing the risk of damage and static build-up from carpets, whilst preserving valuable worktop space. In addition to space saving and protection, a further major benefit is the improved access to the front and rear of the CPU, providing numerous time saving and health benefits. We offer a selection of compact and unobtrusive CPU holders capable of holding up to 15kg, with a range of mounting and bracket options.
Why Use A CPU Holder?
Lifting the PC off of the floor reduces static and dust build-up, helps to keep the PC cool by allowing air to circulate, lowers the potential of the PC becoming damp if liquids are spilt, and therefore improves performance and prolongs life. It also reduces the chances of the PC being damaged accidentally, by being kicked or bumped with cleaning equipment, for example. Some CPU holders also offer a security feature, reducing the risk of the PC being moved without permission.
By removing the PC from the desktop, your working space is increased and the office can generally look less cluttered and more professional. Lifting the PC off the floor also makes cleaning and vacuuming under the desk easier and more effective – particularly important in 'clean room' environments, such as laboratories.
Mounting the CPU holder under the desk keeps it within close reach and avoids the need to bend down under the desk, hurt your back, or get your clothes dusty! The addition of a track and rotate plate to the CPU holder can also allow the PC to be pulled out in front of the desk and provide up to 360 degrees of rotation, improving access for both the user and IT staff.
CPU holders are also useful if you work at a height-adjustable or standing desk, as your PC and all its cables will move with the desk as you adjust the height, avoiding anything from becoming accidentally unplugged, or damaging connectors and cables.
Elevator CPU Holder
Compact and unobtrusive
Thin Client Holder
Ideal for thin clients


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Reviewed by: Daniel Thompson
|Gerard Butler (Kable), Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Michael C. Hall, Kyra Sedgwick, Logan Lerman, Milo Ventimiglia, Alison Lohman, Zoe Bell, John Leguizamo, Amber Valletta, Terry Crews, Keith David, Aaron Yoo, Efren Ramirez, Johnny Whitworth, Sam Witwer, Ashley Rickards, Mimi Michaels, Jonathan Chase, Kate Mulligan, Joseph D. Reitman, Christine Price, Jade Ramsey, Brighid Fleming, Kisha Sierra, Nikita Ramsey, Daniel J Gonzales, Sadie Alexandru, Pamela Finley, Dylan Kenin, Jarvis W. George, Michael-David Aragon, Stephanie Mace, Henry Hayashi, Jack Brunacini Jr., Scott C. Voss, Josie Iller, Dan Strakal, Med Abrous, Jai Stefan, Ramsey Moore, Jera Askey, Julie Barbarito Craig, Hayley Derryberry, Christian Di Salvo, Sean Halvorson, Jamie Haqqani, William E. Marshall, David Mate, Breanna Perera, Paul J. Porter, Don Smith, Lewie Wickham, Paul Zepeda
|Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
|Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Gary Lucchesi, James McQuaide, Neveldine, Michael Paseornek, Eric Reid, Tom Rosenberg, David Rubin, Taylor, Skip Williamson, Richard S. Wright
"In the near future, you don't live to play… you'll play to live."
False accusations of murder, controlling life, and the definition of reality all sound like interesting subjects for a movie. In fact, one would think that any film with these elements would require multiple layers as well as a good deal of depth. Leave it to the film makers of "Gamer" to prove that theory wrong. In this shallow and poorly made effort starring Gerard Butler of "300" fame, these intriguing elements come together as a mishmash of gore, sex, and almost incoherent dialogue leaving a film that is easily the worst movie this reviewer has seen all year.
The story takes place in the near future where gaming has been taken to a completely different level. Because of the development of some high tech nano-chips that are injected into the brains of humans, gamers can now pay to dictate the actions of another person. They do so in a game called 'Society' where they can make people act in various social settings, and also in a game called 'Slayers' where death row inmates are put in war scenario 'battles' and are controlled by gamers. If a slayer survives 30 consecutive battles, they are given their release from prison.
No one has ever earned their freedom from Slayers, but player Kable (Butler) is three battles away from doing so. The creator of this technology, Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall), is a billionaire who revels in the idea of one human controlling another. It seems there is a hidden history between Castle and Kable regarding the invention of the technology, and the ethics behind its use.
The problems with "Gamer" are numerous. First of all, the story is anything but airtight. All plot reveals are either completely obvious, or seem to be made up on the spot by one character spouting off dialogue that just so happens to explain what just happened. The action sequences are shot with the 'shaky camera' effect but don't mount any tension in the process. The acting is at poor at best. Gerard Butler's work here, which consists mostly of staring really hard, makes his work in "300" look Oscar-worthy. John Leguizamo is fine, but only seen in about three scenes. Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges and Kyra Sedgwick are cardboard cutout characters, at best.
The positives in the film are very few; in fact, there is only one, I can't think of more than one. That bright spot belongs to Michael C. Hall. Known more for his roles on television shows like "Dexter" and "Six Feet Under," Hall is diabolical as the villain and does the most with his limited screen time.
Even more disconcerting for moviegoers is the amount of objectionable material in "Gamer." The ce in the film is omnipresent, racking up a body count well into triple digits. The sexual content is extreme, with many brief glimpses of nudity mostly coming in the 'Society' game where people are "controlled" to have sex.
For all the garbage you endure in "Gamer," you will get very little that is redeemable. With extreme content and poor film making, there isn't a good reason to see this film. Skip "Gamer" at all costs.
Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Extreme
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


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Suitable for beginners and the more experienced, this introductory course in fusing is designed to explore glass fused design using the inclusion of glass sheets, frit/ powder, copper and ceramic fibre paper to create intricate fused and embossed relief forms, textures and designs.
Students will learn how to cut coloured glass and use ceramic fibre papers to carve and emboss into the glass and use colour frits powders and copper inclusion to create unique designs ready for kiln fusing.
The work produced will be fired in a kiln for several days. Materials and equipment will be provided. Additional glass can be purchased to demand and depending of scale of work.
Things to bring for the course: Bring your own ideas, sketches or patterns to start working from.
Course Bookings
Booking course dates and times are subject to availability and may alter. The booking time is an approximate time and may be subject to change due to availability and the hand made glass-making processes which may run slighter over.
We recommend you arrive on the hour to watch a demonstration or at least arrive 5 minutes before the booking time. Please see Terms & Conditions.
Glass work can be collected the following day once cooled down. Alternatively P&P can be arranged
Clink links Collection of Glass Work and P&P and Preparing for Courses for further course information.
SALT's Gift Vouchers for Glassmaking Courses make a fantastic gift
For further course details contact SALT or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Please see Terms & Conditions.


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We bridge the gap between customer satisfaction and employee safety. Established in 2007, our training curriculum prepares all professionals to identify and react to hostile situations while balancing HR policies with customer service. Our training and curriculum applies to all types of professions.
The Gray Ram Tactical Team consists of attorneys, SWAT operators, military personnel, and other law enforcement experts. Many trainers are instructors of state and local law enforcement academies. ALL INSTRUCTORS have undergone extensive training and are vetted to ensure they are the most qualified personnel to instruct your agency.
Do not be caught off guard. Ensure that you have proper safety and security measures implemented so you can lower your liability and lessen your chances of an incident involving your entity. We will work with you to create and implement an emergency management plan to be able to prevent, detect, and respond to violence.
September 16, 2019


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Hyderabad: Bengaluru-based Lithium Urban Technologies, which launched its operations in 2014, with just 10 cabs has today over 400 cabs crisscrossing the roads of Bengaluru and Delhi. Each of these vehicles traverse 200 to 300 kilometers per day, which means close to 1,00,000 kilometers of transport that is hydrocarbon emission free, non-renewable fuel free and pollution free. The company has recently forayed into Hyderabad as the city is looking for new urban transport solutions. The company caters to corporates and is keen to continue targeting the B2B market.
Praveen Salins, Operations head, Lithium Urban Technologies, told Telangana Today, "Electric vehicles are seen as the future of urban mobility, and Lithium identified this opportunity in the transportation sector, with an aim of not only bringing in electric cars into this sector, but also reducing the pollution levels in the atmosphere. Keeping this in mind, Lithium has initially served Bengaluru and New Delhi to aid in the reduction of pollution levels. We have launched our operations in Hyderabad last month and will be foraying into Pune, Chennai and Manipal shortly. Pune could be the next city after Hyderabad, and operations in other cities will be rolled out every three months."
On the cost perspective, he says, though the capital cost is high with the electric vehicles while buying them, operational and maintenance costs are low. In the case of conventional fuel based vehicles, drivers have to work hard, but in the case of electric vehicles, the vehicles have to be run more to bring in operational savings. Most of the corporates are going renewable way, so adoption of electric vehicles is becoming easy.
Asked if creating charging infrastructure for the electric vehicles is a challenge, he explains, "Catering to the corporates in the B2B format, we can plan the trips and routes. We have a planned operation based on the roster given by the companies. We have put charging infrastructure at client's place.
Lithium was co-founded by Sanjay Krishnan and an ex-NASA scientist Ashwin Mahesh. Chetan Maini has also joined in as a board member. The company's angel investors include Robin Chase, Narayan Ramachandran, KPIT Technologies promoters' group, Kewal Nohria, Cognizant's Lakshmi Narayanan, H V Prasad Subramaniam and Subrata Ghosh. The company has been providing comfortable and safe transportation to the employees of about 15 large corporates, mostly MNCs, in Bengaluru and New Delhi.
Pan-India strategy
"We have raised our fleet size to 500 now Pan-India and will grow to 1,500 by the next 12 months, while also helping more than 3,000 employees reach their organisations on time. Bengaluru has 400 cars while Delhi has close to 100. Around 1,000 drivers are working on a full time basis with us and we will be adding another 1,000. We depend on our in-house fleet management technology, which minimises the chances of error. We have got four-door vehicles now, while we initially operated with two-door vehicles. Our vehicles are fitted with telematics giving insights on 200 parameters. We are also using algorithm to study various functional aspects. We are on the verge of signing more contracts with more companies," he informed.
Companies such as Wipro, Adobe and Google are some of the major clients for the company. Not just IT and BPO companies, firms from across sectors are adopting including pharmaceuticals. The company gives trained drivers to the companies along with efficient vehicles. It has also offered defence training to drivers with the help of an Austrian company. Lithium also offers data-driven compliance systems for corporates that give insights on traffic data.
On the battery availability, he said, "We are procuring vehicles from Mahindra. Our OEM has been supportive on the serviceability and most of our cars had crossed three years of usage. We were the first to do testing of electric vehicles. We have crossed 25 million kilometers through our fleet. We will be touching 100 million in a year's time, when we would be in six cities. We could also raise funds very shortly as we are in talks with investors, to meet our expansion needs."
Praveen Salins said, in future, "We will remain EV-based. We will not venture into hybrid models. We are looking at logistics and other avenues. We are in talks with e-commerce companies for possible partnerships. With more options of other electric vehicles to be available in the coming years, we will see other opportunities. Companies such as Mahindra and Tata are working on new models, which we could use. We are also in talks with Nissan and tested their vehicles. We can more and longer trips with the EVs."
The company provides driver insurance and girl-child education to make drivers inclusive of their growth.


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Wall Street execs talk slots, Isle sale, Caesars' next move
Money talks, and when those who handle the money talk, casino leaders listen.
Such was the case earlier this month when four experts gave Wall Street's perspective of the gaming market during GameOn, a two-day conference for casino gaming operations executives across the country, presented by AGS at the MGM National Harbor near Washington, D.C.
The news was mostly good. They say casino fundamentals are strong, with a boost from table games. Some more mergers and acquisitions are forthcoming. And even though skill-based games have yet to provide a solid revenue source, investors will continue to be interested.
"The past couple of years, from a gross gaming revenue standpoint, it's been at GDP or just a little short," said Chad Beynon, an analyst with Macquarie Capital. "The trends are pretty positive, although earlier this year there were some weather issues in certain parts of the country. But the data we've seen so far is pretty good."
Beynon said he also is encouraged by the upcoming gaming products he has viewed at shows.
"There's a lot of good stuff out there," he said, citing IGT's new products, but adds projections can be indefinite until the games are actually played.
"If Whole Foods has a new lower priced concept and 1,000 units, that's a tangible number you can put into your number. That doesn't quite translate to our product."
Brad Boyer, associate VP of equity research for St. Louis-based Stifel Nicholas, said investor sentiment is also strong, with a "nice tailwind" behind Macau, fueled by VIP play, as well a wave of consolidation.
And he agreed with Beynon, expanding on his thoughts.
"On the equipment side, I think investors have become too focused on the numbers and not on the legacy model of the industry. Relationships and creativity are important. I don't know if the folks I talk to appreciate that slashing your R&D budget is sustainable over the longer term.
"Creativity basically determines the long-term viability of a business in this industry; I think some of these folks who have come in from outside of the industry and try to treat these companies and start marking drastic change can make things look pretty for a quarter or two but there are long-term ramifications.
Todd Ellers, a partner with Ellers and Krejcik Research LLC, noted that recent casino numbers show Native American and commercial casinos producing nearly equal revenues.
"Half the market is tribal and the markets that aren't the sexiest. The tribal market has fared much better than the traditional market in the past five years. But investors are smart. They pick it up pretty quick."
Beynon noted that the revenue increases for Native American casinos has meant gains for slot manufacturer Konami.
"Konami became a more important company in our universe because of what they're doing in Native American casinos," he said.
The low cost of capital fueled a very busy first and second quarter for mergers and acquisitions, notes Joel Simkins, managing director of gaming and leisure investment banking, for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
"I'd say right now we're in a bit of a logjam," Simkins said. "Everyone is very proud of their assets right now. There will be more mergers and acquisitions going forward."
Beynon, who does equity research in casinos, hotels and movie theaters noted that Caesar's emergence from bankruptcy in mid-August could bring more action.
"They'll have $1.6 billion or $1.7 billion to buy other casinos or use a REIT as a partner to burn down a multiple," he said. Meanwhile, he praised Eldorado's acquisition of Isle of Capri casinos.
"It was certainly a big one and everyone believe Isle needed to be part of something bigger and Eldorado needed to be part of something bigger. So that was a good marriage."
Ellers noted that table games revenue has become a larger piece of the pie, rising from 15 percent of gaming revenues to about 20 percent.
"A lot is driven by live tables being added [because of overall casino expansion] but even if you strip that out, you're seeing a gradual increase in table game revenue," Ellers said. "Maybe that speaks to the younger demographic."
Simkins also sees possible growth via regional casinos adding amenities.
"They're asking what they can bring in to attract new customers," he said.
That conversation, naturally, led to the prospect of millennials and the prospect for skill-based games. AGS President and CEO David Lopez, addressing the panelists, noted that companies such as GameCo and Gamblit "are cutting the trail for the future. Someone's going to break through."
Boyer said, "As long as people out there are talking about skill-based games they'll attract capital from private investors. People are willing to come in hope to crack the golden egg."
Added Simkins: "It's no different than why you play that progressive jackpot. It's risk capital."
As a side note, Boyer says he sees a trend of committing more capital dollars to non-gaming and less to the casino floor in regional casinos.
"Having a new restaurant and getting some revenues there or from some other entertainment is just a better return opportunity," he said. "It kind of ties back."
Twitter: @NickSortal


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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 20, 2013 – Brazil's coach Luizomar de Moura has named a squad of 26 to begin their build-up to the FIVB Women's U20 World Championship 2013.
Brazil will be out to win the title for the seventh time following success in 1987, 1989, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. In 2011 they finished with silver after losing to Italy in the final and Luizomar expects them to add another medal to their tally in the Czech Republic later this year.
"The main goal is to win a place on the podium," he said. "This generation finished sixth in the World U18 Championship in 2011, but last year they developed well as a squad and displayed a great attitude and character in the Pan-American under-23 Cup and the South American Championships. We can definitely complete for a medal, but starting now we must have total focus."
The FIVB Women's U20 World Championship, which first started in 1977 and changed from every four years to two years in 1985, features a revised format having been expanded from 16 to 20 teams, made up of the hosts and 19 qualifiers and matches will take place in Brno and Prostejov from June 21-30.
The Brazilian squad enjoyed success in 2012 with gold at the South American Championships and silver at the under-23 Pan-American Cup. The training camp will begin on March 4 and takes place at the Brazil Volleyball Federation's Centre for Development in Saquarema.
"These girls are under constant review," Luizomar said. "I know the squad from last year and have made changes to improve our weakest points. At first we won't have the players who are playing for their teams in the Superliga, but even so the work will now begin in pursuit of our goal at the World Championship."
Russia (three titles), Cuba (two) and Korea are the next most successful countries after Brazil at Women's U20 level.
Squad for the training camp beginning on March 4:
Beatriz Martins, Mariana Nardi, Marina Scherer, Naiane Rios, Isabella Batista, Mariana Oliveira, Linda Jessica, Saraelen Ferreira, Juliana Mello, Simone Scherer, Valquiria Dullius, Amábilie Koester, Anna Carolina Grasso, Domingas, Fabiane Gontijo, Maira Cipriano, Natalia Fernandes, Giovana Gasparini, Rosamaria, Sara, Milka, Raquel de Oliveira, Gabi, Paula Mohr, Daniela Terra, Juliana Paes
30.06.2013 23:37:05
China paint it red for second time in history
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – In front 4,000 thrilled spectators, world No. 1 China clinched their second FIVB Women's U20 World Championship ... More...
30.06.2013 22:52:20
China coach Jiande Xu: There is no secret for China's success in this age category. It is just hard work
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – China coach Jiande Xu and Japan coach Yasuhiro Fukuda shared their emotions at the press conference after Sunday... More...
30.06.2013 22:33:36
China win gold beating Japan 3-0 at Women's U20 World Championship
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – The gold medal at the Women's U20 World Championship goes to China, which was missing it since their first victo... More...
30.06.2013 22:03:25
Brasil Rosamaria Montibeller: We wanted the gold, but we are very happy for this bronze medal
... More...
30.06.2013 21:09:55
My team had the possibility to finish in the top eight, says Bulgaria coach
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – In today's last match at Brno's Vodova hall, it was Bulgaria who emerged victorious versus Chinese Taipei in str... More...
30.06.2013 20:26:34
Bulgaria sign off with 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – Bulgaria prevailed against Chinese Taipei in the fight for ninth spot at the 2013 FIVB Women's U20 World Champio... More...
30.06.2013 20:21:36
Bronze for Brazil, their 12th medal in 17 editions
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – Brazil, the only team to participate in every edition of the World Championship U20 so far, got the bronze on Su... More...
30.06.2013 18:30:30
Czech Republic captain Lucie Herbockova: For the first time in this tournament we could please our coach
... More...
30.06.2013 18:15:17
Czech Republic smile after the tie break with Peru
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – Czech Republic concluded their World Championship played in the home venue Kajot on Sunday and they wrote No. 11... More...
30.06.2013 17:48:29
The key point of the tournament was our loss against the Dominican Republic, says Colombia captain
Brno, Czech Republic, June 30, 2013 – Colombia prevailed 3-0 over a mild Egyptian team who could hardly find their rhythm. We won today but I do not f... More...


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When renovating your back garden, think about how you want to use the back garden and if there are any limitations to the space you need to consider e.g. large trees, existing structures, council regulations etc.
Once you've decided this, there are some things you might want to include in your back garden. Check out our tips and ideas below:
A deck can be a great addition to any back garden. Not only does it provide a space for outdoor furniture and a BBQ, it can provide a real focal point for the overall backyard design and be a great play and entertaining area.
The deck framing and support, brackets and fasteners and what type of material to build the deck out of are all important factors to consider.
Paving in a back garden can be both functional and very decorative. Paved paths can easily lead people around the back garden, in and amongst flower beds as well as define areas for play and entertaining.
material should be non-slippery, weather resistant, be comfortable to walk on and ideally complement existing architecture and landscaping for a unified design. Concrete, bricks, loose pebbles or rocks even wood can make for terrific paving in the back garden.
When planning the shading for your back garden, consider nature, man-made structures or a combination of both to help provide either temporary or permanent, shading solutions.
Canopy's of trees and creepers weaved over structures provide a beautiful natural shade solution. More permanent man-made shading structures like pergolas, shade sails, cantilevered umbrellas and gazebos are other shading options.
Like shading, there are several natural and man-made screening options that will provide adequate privacy for your back garden.
Trees, mass plantings or climbing plants are a wonderful screening option. Likewise, a hedge works very well as a screen but like all plants, these options take time to grow and mature.
For screening that's more instantaneous, man-made options are suitable. Before erecting anything, be aware that local councils usually have restrictions on both the size and material your screen can be made from.
As such, before building any form of screening, be sure to check these regulations.
Retainer Walls
Retainer walls are structures that are designed to restrain soil to unnatural slopes.
Retainer walls are common in back yards where shaping for a specific purpose, like the inclusion of a flower bed, elevating a play area etc. is required.
Gravity, cantilevered, sheet piling and anchored are all common construction methods for retaining walls. Retainer walls can be made from a number of materials such as timber, concrete or natural stone.
Depending upon the look of the retaining wall you are wanting, will be dependent upon the material you ultimately choose.


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Pilot season is still going as the Networks decide which comedy will move into their TV line-up.
At NBC
Already picked up for a series is the single-camera comedy GO ON, starring Matthew Perry. staffing orders were given to several other comedies. The single-camera comedies, THE NEW NORMAL and SAVE ME. Another NBC comedy hopeful is 1600 PENN, which just began making staffing offers, moving it closer to a series pickup. Greg Daniels' comedy pilot FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER was given the same green light. Rumor has it that the Jimmy Fallon-produced multi-camera comedy GUYS WITH KIDS was given a go.
At FOX
The UNTITLED MINDY KALING comedy pilot may be in Fox's schedule as a companion to New Girl. Other series orders MAY be, NED FOX IS MY MANNY, and Steve Levitan-produced REBOUNDING. Other Fox comedy pilots may get in the line-up; LITTLE BROTHER and GOODWIN GAMES, as well as EL JEFE and PRODIGY/BULLY.
At ABC:
Pick ups should include MODERN FAMILY, THE MIDDLE and SUBURGATORY. ...APT. 23 has gotten great reviews and ratings so it'll be picked up by another network if ABC does the unlikely and passes. Tim Allen's LASAT MAN STANDING has a fan base that will most likely assure it's return as well. COUGAR TOWN isn't set but has other networks flirting with it too, so it will be on - if not ABC - a cable channel.
New comedies in the mix at ABC. MALIBU COUNTRY starring Reba McEntire, AMERICAN JUDY, HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS, UNTITLED MANDY MOORE, ONLY FOOLS & HORSES, RED VAN MAN, PRAIRIE DOGS and UNTITLED DAN FOGELMAN are all vying for pick-up.
At CBS
CBS ordered the MARTIN LAWRENCE comedy and it's getting some buzz. In the running at CBS are the Max Mutchnick and David Kohan's PARTNERS, the NICK STOLLER comedy, and BERLANTI/MALINS.
No new comedies set but word is the network plans to let out several project on an off-season schedule.
In general...
It's a scramble to the small screen and we can only hope the best comedies get on!
PS Also looking promising are the Louis CK/Spike Feresten project and NBC's Kari Lizer project.
For all comedy news order The Comic Bible Magazine www.thecomicbible.com
stand UP and read THIS™ the update blog for The Print Comic Bible™ Magazine - "everything comedy - everywhere"™ Pick up the magazine at a store near you or get the mobile edition. Check out www.thecomicbible.com. READ this blog for updates...


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Winter star,
so frozen where you are;
in some glazed galaxy,
how far is your lofty eminence?
Shine you will,
in your celestial world,
perhaps your rays more ancient
than Earth's first darkling crib;
Where once none had been.....
No earthly eye to behold thy majesty;
shearing darkness 'til what final wall?
Keith O. J. Hunt is a Classic-Romantic poet who generally prefers the older styles which he finds the greatest way to express his thoughts. He loves people, nature, spirituality and all things beautiful. Keith lives in Ottawa, Canada and has been writing poetry for 15 yrs.


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Your #1 source for Heather Maloney tickets. Find tickets to upcoming Heather Maloney events. We have plenty of great seats at all different price points. Our Heather Maloney upcoming event calendar is updated daily so you can find tickets quickly and easily. We even have tickets to sold out Heather Maloney (concerts, games, events or shows). Please note that we also have premium front row Heather Maloney tickets. In most cases we will have Heather Maloney tickets the same day of the event. All Heather Maloney tickets can emailed, will-called or delivered the same day as the event, game, show or event.
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New Canaan
Jan. 9 – Feb. 13, 2015
The Eat Breathe Thrive community program is a six-week program that helps people help one another overcome food and body image issues. By integrating yoga, group-processing and community-building exercises and service projects, Eat Breathe Thrive presents a unique opportunity for connection and support.
cost: $349 for six-week series


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VMware High Availability and Fault Tolerance
Set up a vSAN 2-node cluster for small or remote deployments
Use a vSAN 2-node cluster for small and branch office deployments. Use a cluster with two physical hosts for data storage and a third server as a witness appliance. Continue Reading
Prevent software failures with vCenter Server High Availability
New to vCenter Server 6.5, VCHA ensures high availability for a vSphere deployment with minimal impact on vCenter Server and vSphere host performance. Continue Reading
VMware FT features new engine, better latency in vSphere 6.5
VMware made some major changes to its Fault Tolerance feature in vSphere 6.5, including better latency, a new engine for syncing VMs and a new licensing limit. Continue Reading
Protect hosts from hardware degradation with vSphere High Availability
New to vSphere 6.5, Proactive High Availability helps protect hosts from hardware degradation by partnering with hardware vendors to detect problems and evacuate VMs. Continue Reading
VMware vCenter Server 6.5 improves uptime for High Availability
Downtime can be costly and dangerous for businesses. The latest version of VMware High Availability, included in Sphere 6.5, seeks to reduce downtime, but still needs a little work. Continue Reading
Using VMWare vMSC with legacy applications for a more flexible data center
The need for higher availability with legacy applications makes for a significant design challenge when using the vSphere Metro Storage Cluster feature. Continue Reading
Some admins mourn vCenter Server Heartbeat's sudden death
VMware announced vCenter Server Heartbeat licenses can no longer be purchased, which may mean other high availability options could be approaching. Continue Reading
Running VMs without a VMware HA safety net? There are other options
If you don't have VMware HA to protect your virtual machines, then you'll be pleased to know there are some worthy alternatives. Continue Reading
Help prevent starving VMs with a proper vSphere HA configuration
The vSphere HA feature protects reservations on VMs, not the consumption, so a proper configuration is key to maintaining the required performance. Continue Reading
VMware High Availability and high availability: What's the difference?
For novices to virtualization, there may be some confusion about the term high availability and how it differs from VMware High Availability. Continue Reading
Prevent vSphere High Availability woes through a proper configuration
Until vSphere High Availability settings have been tuned to your environment, virtual machines may not restart after a failure. Continue Reading
Correcting misconfigured ESXi shared storage settings
IT shops that started small may find they need to update their ESXi shared storage settings to prevent significant issues when a host fails. Continue Reading
Analyzing VMware vSphere cost and benefits for a small business
The free VMware vSphere Hypervisor might seem like the perfect virtualization tool for SMB IT. But spending the money for vSphere Essentials pays off. Continue Reading
Fine-tuning host and VM high availability in a vSphere deployment
VMware vSphere High Availability ensures host and VM uptime. You can set VM monitoring, constraints and other thresholds for HA with a few clicks. Continue Reading
Navigate VM availability acronyms: VMware HA vs. FT and SRM vs. VADP
VMware's options for virtual machine availability and backup can look like an alphabet soup. Get a handle on VMware VADP, SRM, HA and FT features. Continue Reading


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St James C of E School
We are proud to support St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School and the Parish Church is represented on the Governing Body by several Fundation Governors. The Rector serves in an ex officio capacity.
Find out more about this excitting school http://www.stjames-weybridge.surrey.sch.uk/


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Books - H
It should not take any explanation that when a musical revolutionary, political agitator, alcoholic (reformed), drug addict (reformed), jailbird, poet and father decides to release an autobiography, it makes for essential reading. When that person has the driven commitment which created the legend that was The MC5, well, it becomes pretty much mandatory reading. Wayne Kramer has lived a life that's of legendary proportions and this expertly written tome reveals a great deal about the man, his madness, his inspiration and his drive.
Following a prologue/ scenario in which Kramer is party to a full-on insurrectionist riot, he takes us right back to the 1920s, with the birth of his parents. It's clear he has a lot of respect for his mother, and less so his father albeit until they get reacquainted later in Kramer's life. His early childhood was spent on the rural Harsens Island, 50 miles north of Detroit and a location Kramer appeared to love. In fact, had his parents not split up and his mum took him back to Detroit (a move the young Kramer abhorred), much of what follows may never have happened.
Once in Detroit, like many others, he discovered cinema, music - and petty theft and in turn alcohol and drugs. Of course the formation and rise to prominence of The MC5 takes up a large percentage of the book, as does their demise into a drug-addled shadow of their former selves. It's clear that Kramer had a single-minded determination to make the band spectacular, something that was genuinely revolutionary and through a number of contacts and the right musicians, he succeeded. However, there was also a hedonistic streak to Kramer which in turn lead to drug and alcohol dependency in preference to the band.
From there, we get graphic and insightful accounts of his tenure in prison, of drug deals and drug usage, failed marriages (until he met his current wife, Margaret, with whom he appears blissfully happy), the short lived GANG WAR project with JOHNNY THUNDERS and his solo recordings having hooked up with Epitaph Records. There is also mention of his Jazz album and the Jail Guitar Doors project with which he worked with BILLY BRAGG, taking music back into prisons. We get moving accounts of the passing of his parents and how he made recompense following his estrangement due to his wanton lifestyle, the passing of too many people (Fred Smith and Rob Tyner most specifically) too young and of the DKT/MC5 project.
What is most endearing about Kramer's narrative however is his humility and honesty. He doesn't flinch from identifying his own failings, the times he let people down and hurt them. There is a brutal honesty about the power of his addictions, his failed attempts to get clean and of the ultimate final low of hitting rock bottom. He emphasises the importance of service in the road to sobriety - service by doing good for others. It's a cathartic story, and one that is life-affirming when considering all of the substance abuse that Kramer self-inflicted and now, here he is, 70, fit, healthy and a proud family man.
It's also clear from Kramer's narrative that he is an intelligent man; from the references to history and art through to the language he uses. There are observations, memories and opinions loaded with insight and pathos.
The book is filled out with 16 pages of glossy, monochrome photo pages.
Yes, Kramer is a legend and this autobiography does justice to that status, without aggrandizing himself, without ego-tripping but being proud and honest of his past, and of the legend that he created. A genuine story of one of Rock 'n' Roll's greatest - and seemingly nicest and most intelligent with it. (23.12.18)
JUDAS PRIEST... Probably along with BLACK SABBATH they represent the definitive Heavy Metal band. Songs about sorcery and science fiction, sex and cars. Studded leather and spandex. Guitar solos and screeching vocals. Not really the kinda thing that appeals to the average Punk. However, I received this book and, I have to say, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
If you didn't know, K.K. Downing was the guitarist and founder member of JUDAS PRIEST. This is his telling of the band's story, often funny and constantly genuine - even to the detriment of some of his former band mates.
K.K. grew up in West Bromwich - a rather impoverished area of England's Birmingham area. His father was abusive due to a mental illness, especially to his mother, and squandered all of the family's money on betting. It was an existence that the young K.K could not wait to escape - and he found that escape through music and, specifically, a life-changing experience of seeing JIMI HENDRIX live.
From there, it's the telling of how JUDAS PRIEST came into being, from the small take-anything gigs of the early days through to mega-stadiums in the 80s. There's a lot of interesting stuff here. It's refreshing to read that the dynamic of being a Heavy Metal band with a gay singer (which was apparent to the band long before Rob Halford came out) was never an issue nor discussed. In the macho Metal world, I wonder how many other bands would have been as accommodating? The band's feud with IRON MAIDEN is also interesting, with MAIDEN acting as arrogant and dismissive while being given a ride up the ladder of success by PRIEST. The opposite can be said of the likes of AC/DC, UFO and LED ZEPPELIN, all of whom get praised in both musical and personal circles. There's also some interesting friction between K.K and other guitarist Glenn Tipton. Seems Glenn wanted all the guitar solos and slowly but surely manipulated the band to working his way.
Of course, there are moments of great hilarity. Malfunctioning stage sets, Metal bravado and tales of Rock 'n' Roll excess (buying a mansion, a Rolls Royce, recording on Mediterranean and Caribbean Islands, drinking sessions and sex). I'm sure even the most ardent PRIEST fan couldn't help but chuckle at some of what is written. Punk Rock even gets a mention, albeit rather a rather disparaging mention with the comment, "It was just the UK that had an infestation of 'ugly stuff' as far as we were concerned."
The book is filled out with 16 glossy monochrome photo pages that span from K.K's childhood through to his post-PRIEST life.
Generally, I wouldn't be interested in a book about JUDAS PRIEST, but given this is written by the band's founder, it made for insightful reading. What's better is the fact that K.K seems a really genuine, easy-going fella. His narrative is direct, unflinching without being vindictive (and in some cases, he'd have every right to be) and very easy to read.
Props should be given to the fact that K.K worked at PRIEST for over 40 years and can register combined album sales of over 50 million. However, for all the work put in (and that includes meticulous songwriting procedures, artwork, live sets etc), the narrative does indicate that this was very much a business also - an income. I'm sure if the albums 'British Steel' and 'Screaming For Vengeance' meant something to me, this could be quite gripping. As it is, it's an entertaining and witty (probably not intentionally) autobiography. (30.06.19)
HIT SO HARD - Patty Schemel {290 pages, Da Capo}
For those who don't know, Patty Schemel is best known as the drummer of HOLE, although she has played in a number of other projects. She was a close friend of Kurt Cobain, who introduced her to HOLE. She was also prone to an addictive personality - be that for music, alcohol, drugs or sex - and frequently all at once.
From childhood, she was exposed to the effects of addiction as both her parents were recovering alcoholics and hosted AA meetings. From the age of 11 she had her first drink and was immediately enchanted by its intoxicating powers. The divorce of her parents sent Schemel spiralling into alcohol, aggression and a new-found love of Punk Rock. On top of all of this, she had to battle with her lesbian sexuality.
From there, it's a two-fold account of her time: first within Seattle's Grunge scene, befriending Kurt Cobain and joining HOLE. Secondly, it's an account of her addictive side - of getting addicted to Heroin, followed by Crack Cocaine, alcohol in their absence and a range of sexual encounters which frequently went to destroy the relationship she was in at the time.
Both sides of her story make for gripping reading. Musically, she possessed a desire not just to be a drummer in a band, but be one of the best drummers around. Her tales of life in HOLE, from auditioning, recording and touring are laden with insight and of Courtney's whims and outbursts. Much of her HOLE experience runs parallel to her burgeoning use of drugs, which probably takes up a greater part of the book.
It should be noted that Schemel does not in any way glamorize drug usage. She openly states her addiction cost her friends and relationships. She sold possessions to fuel her drug cravings. She was kicked out of HOLE due to her failing health and drug-addled performance. She frequently went into detox and rehab before working with the band, only to rapidly get back to her loaded, pre-rehab condition. At her drug peak, she had lost her identity completely - homeless, prostituting herself to feed the habit, getting arrested and, finally, discovering the drugs had lost their effect and she now had to take them just to function. She describes with clarity her all-encompassing need for drugs, a need which supplanted all other needs, which lead her to befriend very dubious characters and find herself in squalid places. It's frank, brutal and disturbing yet eloquently written and free from any form of egotism.
Although there is a lot of darkness in this book, including death (Kurt, HOLE bassist Kristen Pfaff and SOUNDGARDEN's Chris Connell to name just the biggest three names), it does have a victorious, cathartic finale in the fact Schemel is now clean (and has been for many years), has a wife and a child. She is proud of who she is and of what her life has become, but does not flinch from, or sugar-coat her past.
The book is filled out with eight pages of glossy photos (including childhood, Kurt, HOLE and post-addiction happiness), an index and a page of acknowledgements. Have to say too, it was refreshing not have to wade through an 'inspiration' preface!
Schemel's narrative is very readable. There is no pretension in her words, no eulogizing or self-aggrandizing her status as someone who has been part of a platinum selling band and toured the world. Nor does she hide her sexual misdemeanors where she cheated on her partners for no other reason than because she could. She writes in a conversational yet brave tone and, without a doubt, is inimitably likeable.
There's a lot to absorb from this memoir. You have the fantasized wish of just about every musician of being in the right place at the right time as Schemel was when Grunge exploded. You have the highs of what such a life can bring, and the very dark lows. You have a virtually sadistic story of going as far down the tracks as one can go before the catharsis of getting, not just back on track, but of personal happiness and liberation. And amidst all that there is the one basic: It's a damn good book!! (15.04.18)


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Laws and Regulations Pertaining to the Organization of the Texas Rangers
Organization of Jack Hay's Company of Rangers
From 1836 to 1874 ranging companies were called into temporary service to deal with specific threats. These companies of "mounted gunmen" and "rangers" were activated for short periods and disbanded after the crisis — or when funds ran out.
In 1844 problems with Comanche raids and the threat of invasion from Mexico made it necessary to defend the western and southwestern frontiers. Texas turned to a notable and dashing young Ranger commander, John Coffee Hays.
Hays established himself as a natural leader whom grizzled veterans, it was said, would follow to their deaths if asked. Hays and his men would literally save the Republic of Texas on more than one occasion and rescue the U.S. Army in the coming war with Mexico.
Hays formed the Texas Rangers into an unorthodox, highly effective "special force" capable of moving fast and operating behind enemy lines. He incorporated Indian guerrilla tactics, adopted centuries-old Hispanic styles of frontier horsemanship, and introduced new technology such as Colt's five-shot revolver and revolving rifle.
Authorizing John C. Hays to raise a Company of Mounted Gunmen, to act as Rangers, on the Western and South-Western Frontier.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That John C. Hays is hereby authorized to raise one company of mounted gunmen and that the said John C. Hays shall command the same, and the said lieutenant, shall be elected by the members composing said company; the said company shall be organized by the first day of February, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and forty-four, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and so soon as organized and reported, shall be received by the President, for the services herein expressed.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That each man admitted into the service of said company, shall be well mounted and well armed, at their own expense.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That the said company shall range on the Western and South-Western frontier, from the county of Bexar to the county of Refugio, and westward, as the public interest may require.
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That the Captain of said company shall receive the sum of seventy-five dollars, per month; the Lieutenant the sum of fifty dollars per month; and each private the sum of thirty dollars per month, while in actual service; and that each member of said company shall receive pay for his services, at the expiration of every two months; and the Captain of said company is, hereby, made the disbursing officer, on his giving bond and security, to the amount of five thousand dollars, for the faithful performance of his duty.
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That the Secretary of War and Marine be, and he is hereby authorized to draw on the Treasurer every two months, in advance, in favor of the disbursing officer of said company, for such sum, as will meet the expenses, as estimated
for rations and forage, and that the sum of seven thousand one hundred and forty-one dollars and sixteen cents be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, to carry into effect the provisions of this act.
Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, That the said company, shall be enrolled for the term of four months from the time of organization, and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to retain the services of said company for a longer term,
should he in his judgment or opinion, believe the public interest or safety requires it, and in such event, a sum sufficient is, hereby, appropriated to carry the same into effect, according to. the estimate, terms, and provisions, of the foregoing recited act.
Sec. 7. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect, from and after its passage.
Approved, January 23rd, 1844.
Laws Passed by the Eighth Congress
of the Republic of Texas by Authority, Houston: 1844.