text:
Or How I Realised I Could Never Be a Journalist.
Alright, folks, what's happening?
I've had a right mare of a day today but I'm back and fully(-ish) functioning and ready to tell you all about my weekend at Cheltenham Literary Festival.
Well, I say ready…
I'll start from the beginning because it's a bit of a long story… well, it's not.
It will probably surprise you when I say I am fond of tangents.
I learnt a lot this weekend and in the next couple of days I'm going to attempt at sharing this knowledge with you lovely people.
I'll start with the first thing I learnt this weekend: I would make an absolutely rotten journalist.
I'm OK with this because it's probably the only career that I haven't decided that I simply must go into or else I will die. Also, I can't even fold a newspaper without getting in a pickle so god knows what would happen if I tried to write an article….
Let me explain.
Remember when I told you that I had bought myself a ticket to go and see Patrick Ness and Jason Wallace talk about their books and I was giddy as a kipper?
WELL, I woke up early and I went into a WHSmiths to get myself a fresh notepad (because I forgot mine) and some new pens (because when I went to write with them they didn't work) and made my way to The Studio (I actually got lost on my way there and had to ask someone where the venue was and they looked at me for a moment before pointing behind me where the biggest sign in the world announced 'The Studio'.)
(See? Jo = oblivious and under prepared = bad journalist)
(Also, I use too many brackets which could annoy bosses at newspapers and my readers)
And I was terribly early but I went in straight away and settled myself in the front row with the best seat in the house… or, um, the tent.
But it was only when Mr Ness and Mr Wallace had finished their discussion and the audience had stopped laughing (and crying…. I'll explain about that later) and the lights came on that I realised I had a problem.
I had been too busy laughing and hanging onto their every word that I hadn't written a single one.
The good thing is, though, I actually remember a great deal about what is said so I'm about 89% sure that I can write an intelligent post about their fantastic discussion.
Also when I got to my brother's house (who lives in Cheltenham), he announced that he had bought me a ticket for a 'How To Get Your YA Book Published Masterclass' .
Which wasn't nearly as ominous as it sounds.
For the whole day beforehand I had been breaking out in cold sweats and scowling at my brother because I had visions of every person in publishing sitting behind a desk and watching me as I read out my entire manuscript as I trembled in the spotlight that shone in my face.
Needless to say…. It wasn't like that.
And I'm quite possibly mental.
It was actually amazing and it gave me a fascinating insight on British children's publishing.
On the panel were Barry Cunningham (of the Chicken House fame… oh and yeah, he launched J.K Rolwing's career! :-| ), Zoe King (A literary agent with The Blair Partnership who now represent JK Rowling and are responsible for Pottermore) , Amanda Craig (Literary critic for The Times), Sophia Bennett (author of the Threads series) and Melvin Burgess (general bamf of YA fiction).
Um… yeah.
It's safe to say I was in good hands.
Also, my brother is the best.
Anyway, I made sure my shiny new notepad and my shiny new pens were out as I took my seat in the theatre and was already planning how fantastic my post would be and how everyone who read it would bombard me with e-mails that said : "JO! THANKS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE AND I LOVE YOUR BRAIN."
But that was before I was plunged into darkness.
That's not me being metaphorical about getting writer's block.
I mean literal darkness.
They turned out the house lights and I couldn't even see my shiny new notepad, never mind write in it.
I managed to manoeuvre my notepad into this weird, random shaft of light that only I seem to have been able to see and I wrote down as much as I could. It was only when the lights came back on, and we all blinked wildly like startled moles, that I realised the majority of my sentences were written over the top of the previous sentence and some words were half-written on the page and half on my tights.
So yeah, my notes for the masterclass became this kind of palimpsest of literary excitement and knowledge which I will have to decipher and try and make sense of so I can share with you.
Also, there are doodles.
Which have no relevance to the topics discussed but I'll take pictures anyway and include them in my post.
For giggles.
Does this happen a lot? Should I have been more prepared?
I mean… do journalists carry torches around with them?
I just don't know.
So basically… to cut a long story short-ish…. I will write about both of these discussions but it may take me a while because of my shocking handwriting/ my inability to focus when authors come into my eye-line/ my goldfish memory and the fact that the publishers and agents believe that it is a vital skill for aspiring writers to be able to write in the dark.
ALSO: Stay tuned and get excited for Wear the Old Coat's first giveaway/competition. The prize is amaaaaazing, if I may say so myself.
Don't worry…. It's not a photocopy of my notes from the aforementioned sessions.
Although that does give me an idea…


text:
Are you sure?
This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?
In 1940, at just 15 years old, small-town baseball star Gene Moore was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who saw in him the potential to become one of the great catchers of all time. Before that could happen, though, WWII intervened. Gene's story, a surprising paean to the power and humanity of a game, is told here by his son, a first-time author who exhibits the confidence and pacing of a pro. His gripping material certainly helps: after several years overseas in the Navy's touring baseball team, Gene was brought back to Louisiana and assigned to guard secret German POWs, whose U-boat was captured just days before the storming of Normandy. There, Gene teaches his German captives how to play baseball, with a number of unintended and life-altering consequences. When Gene's finally able to return home to Sesser, Ill., he's "on crutches, depressed and embarrassed," holing up in the local bar and prompting one bartender to lament, "he's become one of us, when we were hoping he would make us like him." Gene's journey from promise to despair and back again, set against a long war and an even longer post-war recovery, retains every bit of its vitality and relevance, a 20th-century epic that demonstrates how, sometimes, letting go of a dream is the only way to discover one's great fortune.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I am a motivational author, trainer, and blogger… but when disinformation and miscommunication are released by the government to hide the truth, someone has to speak out! The latest unemployment rate, according to the government, fell from 9.4 percent to 9.0 percent last month. Hogwash !
Either the data is inaccurate or the government better find an accurate and truthful method of measuring the "unemployment and underemployment misery rate" (BLS U6)!
NBC News reported on February 4th that only 36,000 new jobs were added in January. This is a troubling number given we have 14+ million unemployed Americans and 25+ million unemployed, underemployed, and those who have given up looking for jobs. And where did the minimal 36,000 jobs come from? What industries? What jobs? At what pay? They don't tell us that!
And while we're at it, how many jobs were lost? How many people have given up looking for jobs? How many Americans are off the unemployment radar because they don't receive unemployment checks any more? And how many people were terminated and ineligible and/or didn't collect unemployment and thus, aren't counted? One thing is for sure, no one believes the employment situation in America is improving – unless they live in Fantasyland!
Fox, CNN, NBC, and CNBC
Fox News reported that the government is now tracking people who have been out of work for as long as 5 years; something that's never been done before. CNN reports that the average length of time it takes to secure a job today is just over nine months… an all-time record !
"We haven't seen anything like this since the Great Depression," said Heidi Shierholtz of the Economic Policy Institute. "Having this severe job loss that's lasted for this long has translated into unprecedented lengths of unemployment."
Reginald Richardson, PhD, of the family Institute at Northwestern University was interviewed on NBC Nightly News, February 4, 2011, and claimed that the jobless problem is leading to a host of other societal problems. "As a result of unemployment we see greater related symptoms like rage, depression, self doubt, and a sense of hopelessness."
Steve Liesman, CNBC Senior Economic Analyst doesn't view the "statistics" or government data as altogether accurate. "Though this is the lowest unemployment rate we've had in two years, it is primary due to people not collecting unemployment and people who are discouraged and have given up looking for jobs. They don't show up in the statistics. We were looking for 134,000 new jobs in January and got 36,000. Jobs in the business sector are underperforming but what is really surprising is a persistent decline in government jobs."
The bad news doesn't seem to affect Wall Street at all. This is because Wall Street knows that corporate growth and earnings, at least in the short term, doesn't need lower unemployment numbers. So long as automation and outsourcing control costs, and there is an international market in addition to our domestic market to maintain revenues, profits will be solid as well… for now.
What is the REAL unemployment rate?
Mary Engel of MSN Money says, "When the underemployed and the discouraged are added to the numbers, the unemployment rate rises to 16.6%. And the truth is, even this 16.6% doesn't include the broader measure of unemployment or fully capture how difficult the job market is for U.S. workers. It doesn't include self-employed workers whose incomes have shriveled. It doesn't look at former full-time employees who have accepted short-term contracts, without benefits, and at a fraction of their former salaries. And it doesn't count the many would-be workers who are going back to school, taking on more debt, in hopes that advanced degrees will improve their chances of landing jobs."
Is it outright manipulation of Americans,
or just egregious patronizing of the public at large?
John Williams, of Shadow Government Statistics (shadowstats.com) says, "You can see the problem almost immediately with the "official" numbers touted by Washington and the talking heads on television. Most mainstream news you watch or read will provide information only on the U3 (Traditional tracking based on those on the unemployment roles). They stop short of going to the next BLS number, referred to as the U6 (That includes the broadest unemployment measure, including short-term discouraged and other marginally-attached workers as well as those forced to work part-time because they cannot find full-time employment)." Williams runs numbers each month, and according to his most recent report, he claims, "we are actually hovering at around 19.8% or higher."
We can't fix what we can't measure, and we can fix what is measured incorrectly.
I have been in the employment industry for over 20 years and can say with absolute certainty that the "unemployment numbers don't add up." We are in crisis.
To properly fix the "lack-of-quality-jobs" problem, the public must demand that 1) we are told the truth about the employment crisis and 2) a comprehensive, collaborative plan is developed and implemented to restore manufacturing jobs and create / expand industries which are labor intensive.
Jay Block is an industry pioneer and the nation's leading motivational career coach. Jay is a best-selling author of 15 books, including his latest blockbuster: 101 Best Ways To Land a Job in Troubled Times (McGraw-Hill). He has a 20-year record of success for creating and recreating the career management industry. His website is: www.jayblock.com


text:
We expose our hands and face the most to damaging chemicals every day we're cleaning the house, putting on some makeup or affecting even more skin by just getting dressed in the morning. Laundry detergent can have damaging effects when exposed to your skin day after day, especially if you have a specific allergy to a chemical in the product. It's not that you're covering your hands in the stuff, but it's really the effect of the laundry detergent and fabric softener left in your clothes after you've washed them.
Neatly folded away in your laundry baskets could be bundles of skin irritants just waiting for you to wrap your body into. Laundry detergent includes ingredients such as surfactants dissolve in water and "lift" dirt and oils from the laundry. The enzymes lurking in the detergents are designed to break down stains made up of organic proteins, such as blood and grass. Chlorine bleach removes the color from fabrics while simultaneously disinfecting and deodorizing the laundry. Oxygen bleach will bleach clothes but is less powerful and safer for fabrics than chlorine bleach. How do your clothes get so bright? The whitener chemicals could even be brushing you the wrong way. Whiteners, also known as "optical brighteners" absorb invisible forms of light and re-emits it as blue light, making clothes seem brighter. And the finishing touch of fragrance can mask the chemical smell of the detergent, but if it irritates your skin, it won't matter how nice it smells. Switch to powder detergent or try different brands with various ingredients in order to narrow down the irritant, make a note of it and avoid it when purchasing future products.
Still stuck with itchy red patches or blisters? It may not be your laundry detergent. Check under your sink. Some of the cleaners you may have around the house that can irritate your skin: All-purpose cleaners can include ammonia, trisodium phosphate (TSP) and other hazardous chemicals are designed to break up grease and remove stains from porous surfaces. If your skin is generally sensitive, this could be the culprit. While limited skin exposure to these chemicals may not seem to affect the skin, prolonged exposure can have quite damaging rashes and red marks that dry out and break down your skin's surface.
Window and glass cleaners typically include ammonia and isopropanol, which may not only be caustic to the skin but can also irritate your eyes and nasal passages. Make sure when using these products you're in a ventilated area, preferably with open windows. Dishwashing detergents can leave your hands dry and flaky with significant use but usually aren't harmful to the skin because they're designed for daily contact. The more concentrated detergents for automatic dishwashers are more harmful and can cause your skin to burn and itch.
Move into your bathroom and toilet cleaners and mold and mildew removers have pesticides that are highly caustic. Sometimes they even include bleach, which also has dangerous fumes. Drain cleaner main ingredients include lye and sulfuric acid, which are high skin irritants and have been known to cause dangerous fumes.


text:
Field hockey players (irrespective of their level) must follow an adequately structured and planned field hockey strength training program specifically designed to combat stringent demands of the sport. Most successful players believe that leaving strength training out is a strong indication that you are ignoring a wide range of potential. Strength training is fundamental at
Complete Reading


text:
owner & hairstylist
Lisa has been a talented stylist for over 25 years. She is extraordinarily acclimated in all areas of hair design. Lisa has always managed her own business and is commited to inspiration, continuting education, and client satisfaction. Lisa is considered an artist in all aspects of her career. In Lisa's free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and being at the beach. So, if you are looking for that one of a kind hair cut or a stylist to bring out your inner beauty and personality, you will want to schedule with Lisa.


text:
Page content
Current Exhibitions
at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
The Carolina Room
The Rex and Pat Lucke Gallery is home to a remarkable room from the Alexander Shaw House. A modest Scotland County, North Carolina, dwelling, its rooms were painted to simulate costly building materials such as cabinet-grade wood and polished stone. The pine doors and wainscoting were grained to look like bird's eye maple and rosewood, while the baseboards and mantel were painted in imitation of colorful marble. Paint decoration at the top of the walls resembled the exuberant wallpaper borders of that day. Most unusual is the "Vue of New-York" above the mantel. It shows the city's dockside in flames and was inspired by the fire that destroyed New York's waterfront in 1835. The decoration was the work of I. M. Scott, who signed and dated the room August 17, 1836.
The woodwork recently underwent complex conservation to preserve, clean, and reveal its original decoration. The work took seven years and was carried out in the Colonial Williamsburg conservation labs. The project consisted of several phases. In the first, conservators reattached loose paint flakes. Next they carefully removed 1950s overpaint to reveal the 1836 decoration below. Soot and grime imbedded in the original paint were removed concurrently. Finally, losses to the decorative scheme were sparingly in-painted. Visitors today will find evidence of this exacting work on exhibition labels and in one area of the room, where the paint was cleaned but not in-painted. Come and inspect the room and the conservation for yourself and see the 180-year-old decoration looking much as painter Scott intended.
The conservation of the Carolina Room was made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Rex A. Lucke of Elkhorn, Nebraska, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional conservation support is provided by the Mildred and J.B. Hickman Conservation Endowment and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowed Conservation Fund.
Ongoing exhibition
Down on the Farm
This popular exhibition follows the story of Prince, a carved wooden dog, as he sets out on a journey to find his cousin. Rhyming label text tells of his adventures as he travels through the countryside. Colorful folk art paintings by such artists as Mattie Lou O'Kelley and Edward Hicks set the stage for a look at country life as this city dog tries to find his way. On his search, Prince encounters a pond full of carved decoys, a hen yard of toy chickens and a barn complete with wooden owls and a cat. Weathervanes in the shape of farm animals populate the room. Within the gallery, guests can spend time drawing their favorite scene or color pages from Prince's story.
In the Penelope P. and Dr. Sergio V. Proserpi Gallery.
Ongoing exhibition
Navajo Weavings: Tradition and Trade
"Navajo Weavings: Tradition and Trade," in the McCarl Gallery features over twenty rare, colorful and pictorial Navajo weavings created by anonymous Navajo women working on hand looms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition showcases a variety of pictorial designs, materials, and symbolic imagery. The earliest object is a man's traditional wearing blanket from about 1860. Later weavings from the early 20th century began to depict the influence of the Anglo world including the incorporation of trains, American flags, and livestock.
The Navajo weavings are on loan to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg from Rex and Pat Lucke. The exhibit is made possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor.
Folk Art Underfoot: American Hooked Rugs
For the first time, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum will feature an exhibition on the art of hooking and sewing rugs, featuring about twenty hooked and sewn rugs. The craft of making non-woven rugs has been called "America's one indigenous folk art." It was in Maine that rug-making techniques originated and grew from their 19th-century origins to a national activity. Rug making gave housewives with no academic art training a way to create an everyday household object with decorative interest and beauty. A special component of the exhibition is a video showing the rug hooking technique.
The American hooked and sewn rugs are on loan to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg from Joseph Caputo. The exhibit is partially funded through the generosity of Larry and Cynthia Norwood.
We the People: American Folk Portraits
In this anniversary year, the Folk Art Museum celebrates with a new exhibition featuring a wonderful collection of American folk portraits. One of the first folk art pieces Mrs. Rockefeller acquired was a charming painting of a child. From there, her collection grew. On view will be images of children with their favorite pet or toy, companion portraits of husband and wife, and paintings of individuals. These early American folk portraits are treasured for their historical significance as well as their aesthetic appeal. Without folk painters, the faces of many members of the middle and, sometimes, lower classes would not have been recorded. The portraits reveal much about ordinary people: how they lived, what they valued, and how they wished to be remembered. Folk portraits give us glimpses of the countless people who shaped America as vitally and lastingly as her better known movers and shakers. The artists too left something of themselves. They did not achieve their occupation through formal guidance or direction from others but, instead, through inborn talent and intuition. On view will be old favorites from the collections as well as new acquisitions never before exhibited.
This exhibition is made possible through the generosity of Don and Elaine Bogus.
In the Jan Curtis and Frank J. Spayth Gallery
Related Programming
Introduction to Folk Art - Discover whimsical and fascinating paintings, sculpture, and textiles from Mrs. Rockefeller's collection on this guided tour. These pieces are the basis of the museum's original collection. Offered daily.
From Forge and Furnace:
A Celebration of Early American Iron
Can iron and art be used in the same sentence? Absolutely! This hard, often black or gray, metal was used to make everything from stoves and hinges to andirons and weathervanes. As with most folk art, though, the makers of these utilitarian pieces chose to embellish their work to make them interesting and attractive although no more functional than if they left them unadorned. A stove could still heat a room whether it was a simple iron box or iron cast into a statue of George Washington. This exhibition highlights these decorative, yet useful, objects made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Iron mining and iron production were established in the colonies almost as soon as settlers arrived. By the American Revolution, Virginia had several furnaces providing the iron that was made into firebacks, stoveplates and a myriad of household items like ladles, toasters, trivets and tammels.
In the Peebles Gallery
America's Folk Art
As the oldest museum in the country devoted to American folk art, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum has exhibited art for over 60 years. America's Folk Art celebrates this long history of collecting and displaying folk art, but also pays tribute to Mrs. Rockefeller who began collecting folk art in the 1920s. Her keen eye and appreciation for the art of the common man created a collection of over 400 pieces that were eventually given to Colonial Williamsburg. Over the ensuing years, the collection has grown to over 4000 objects that date from the 18th century to the present day. This exhibition showcases iconic images from Mrs. Rockefeller's original collection, like Baby in Red Chair, as well as some of the most recent additions, like the colorful Peaceable Kingdom by artist Malcah Zeldis.
In the Spayth Gallery
American Ship Paintings
This exhibition of 5 paintings from the Folk Art collection highlights the popularity of ship portraits. In the mid-19th century, ship captains and owners commissioned artists to depict their sea-going vessels in all their glory. Included in the exhibit are 3 large paintings by James Bard, one of which depicts the schooner yacht America, the first winner of the trophy now known as the America's cup. Steamboats plied the rivers of 19th-century America and are represented in the exhibit in two paintings, one of which is over 6 feet long, giving an impressive, detailed view of the side-wheeler. Each portrait depicts a specific ship with a story to tell.
Sidewalks to Rooftops
Ever wonder what it was like to stroll down the streets in late 19th-century America? Looking up, one might see a carved and painted oversized pair of glasses or a weathervane atop a building in the shape of a fish. On the sidewalk, one might encounter a life size wood figure of an Indian maiden or a Cuban lady standing outside a shop advertising tobacco within. Strolling down by the wharf, one could admire the carved figureheads and wooden eagles that decorated many of the wooden ships at dock. In the 20th century, some of these signs disappeared from the landscape while others took their place. Large whimsical carved animals awaited riders on carousels. Fanciful whirligigs and wooden ornaments adorned people's yards. These 19th- and 20th-century works survived the elements and bear witness to the creative spirit that once enlivened the American landscape.
This exhibition was made possible in part by a gift from Barry M. Boone in loving memory of his wife, Linda.
In the Leslie Anne Miller and Richard B. Worley Gallery


text:
When you're looking to move, turn to iMOVE to discover the highest-quality moving companies that Lisbon Falls has to offer. Just provide us with a few details about your situation, and we'll locate the movers in The Pine Tree State that are sure to get the job done right.
The statistics show it: Lisbon Falls, ME is a great place to live and work! iMOVE has moved thousands of people in and out of your city. Not only is iMOVE your source for fairly priced moving quotes, but we offer expert advice and moving resources to help your move go smoothly. Below are some great things we've learned about Lisbon Falls over the years. We hope this helps you get excited for your upcoming move!
The median cost of rent in Lisbon Falls is $760 making rent below the national average.
The median cost of a home in Lisbon Falls is $182,900 making home costs below the national average.
199,725 K-12 students in Lisbon Falls attend public school; 24,944 attend private school.
Lisbon Falls enjoys these parks and open spaces:
Whether you're doing the packing and hauling yourself or you're using a moving company, it's always a breeze when you use iMOVE for your moving needs in Lisbon Falls. We make the process easy and fast by offering a wide range of moving products, such as:
All our agents and partners are BBB accredited. They're movers you can trust.


text:
Hide Forgot
Description of problem:
In the boot log, we find the following lines:
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:00:0a.0[A] -> GSI 12 (level, low) -> IRQ 12
3c59x: Donald Becker and others. www.scyld.com/network/vortex.html
0000:00:0a.0: 3Com PCI 3c905B Cyclone 100baseTx at 0xdc00. Vers LK1.1.19
divert: allocating divert_blk for eth0
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:00:0b.0[A] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
0000:00:0b.0: 3Com PCI 3c905C Tornado at 0xe000. Vers LK1.1.19
divert: allocating divert_blk for eth1
sis900.c: v1.08.07 11/02/2003
ACPI: PCI interrupt 0000:00:04.0[A] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
divert: allocating divert_blk for eth2
eth2: Realtek RTL8201 PHY transceiver found at address 1.
eth2: Using transceiver found at address 1 as default
eth2: SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet at 0xbc00, IRQ 10, 00:0d:61:5d:47:f9.
As one can see, the ouput of the sis900 driver is marginally more useful,
as it prints the device name and MAC address. Shouldn't the "3c59x" do so,
Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
This isn't a bug, and not something we should spend our time on.
The initalization strings printed when a driver is inserted into the kernel
provide whatever information the author deems relevant during the initzliation
process. While printing the set of mac addresses that a card may contain may be
usefull, this strings are generated within individual drivers, so this is not a
scalable to large numbers of drivers, and as such is not usefull for much beyond
sysadmin interest.
There are several standard methods for retrieving MAC addresses from interfaces
in existance already. ifconfig provides MAC address information, as does the
use of lspci in conjunction with the sysfs interface. udev rules can be added
to automatically trigger the printing of this information to the syslog in a
consistent manner if you need the information during boot.
If you really feel strongly about the addition of this feature to the 3c59x
driver, you can propose it upstream (for which there will likely not be much
resistance) and then we will incorporate it in a future RHEL release, but shy of
that, you already have better, more consistent and standard methods for
obtaining this information.
Don't forget ethtool...
> If you really feel strongly (...)
No, no, as I said it's "picky". I agree that consistency on driver
initialization output is not exactly top priority.
Thanks for the extensive clarifications.
Best regards,
-- David


text:
Aaron performs a variety of clerical support, receptionist duties, database and intake functions. He also provides Bilingual Clerical Support to the team.
Aaron has a passion for equality and social justice. Aaron is an AmeriCorps alum were he got the opportunity to work with two great agencies with are Walkers Point Community Clinic and NAMI Greater Milwaukee, which have assisted him in giving the insight to know that there is so much more work that needs to be done to assist or aid our community.


text:
If you want to learn to play croquet the Come-and-Try days are the best starting point.
They are usually held on the club lawns at Coronation Drive, Yarralumla, next to the Hyatt Hotel on the
first Sunday of March and August at 1pm, but the date may change if a conflict with a special event occurs.
The next session is listed on our home page or if in doubt you can phone the
Croquet Club (02) 6273 1030 or
If you are thinking of bringing a large group please contact us as a private hiring may be more appropriate.
Parking is available off Flynn Drive, around the back of the Hyatt past their tennis court.
Flat-soled shoes are required for walking on the croquet lawn and a hat is strongly recommended because you will be out in the open during a Come-and-Try Day.
At a Come-and-Try day you will be shown first how to hold and swing a croquet mallet. You will then introduced to the harder aspects of croquet that involve hitting a ball through a narrow hoop and manoeuvring other balls to your advantage. For the rest of the session you will be playing the game usually in a group of four.
Croquet is not as easy as it looks and you will find it a challenging experience. It can be played by anyone as physical strength is not required - the challenge involves combining skill and tactics.
Last updated JG:
26 February, 2019


text:
ISSF World Cup
New-Delhi, IND
15 Mar - 26 Mar 2020
ISSF World Cup Final (Al Ain) 2019
President's Trophy Mixed Team Trap (Watch LIVE at 13:35)
President's Trophy Mixed Team Trap
President's Trophy Mixed Team Skeet (Watch LIVE at 15:20)
President's Trophy Mixed Team
Final Trap Men (Watch LIVE at 13:35)
Final Trap Men
Final Trap Women (Watch LIVE at 12:20)
Final Trap Women
Final Skeet Women (Watch LIVE at 15:05)
Final Skeet Women
Final Skeet Men (Watch LIVE at 16:20)
Final Skeet Men
The ISSF Academy is proud to announce the launch of its new book on coaching, the ISSF Academy Official Coaching Guide to Olympic Trap. Read the description.
Find the book in the shop.
New ISSF Safety flags - now available on the ISSF Shop!


text:
National Lampoon's The Legend of Awesomest Maximus
Blu-ray A - America - Image Entertainment
Review written by and copyright: Ethan Stevenson (9th April 2012).
The Film
Some guys are awesomer.
So says the tagline on the cover of The Legend of Awesomest Maximus, and to that Ill add: some movies are awfuler er. Awesomest Maximus is f**king awful, plain and simple. Its easily one of the worst movies Ive seen in a while. And I say that having sat throughand even publishing a review ofFreerunner (2011), which was an amateurish movie if there ever was one; an icon of incompetence that was patently horrible in basically every way. So, hold onto your butts, because, in some ways, Awesomest Maximus is worse. Its true. In fact, in most ways its worse, which I didnt think Id be writing about another movie anytime soon. Awesomest is a terrible, terrible filmin most part a needless parody of 300 (2006), with a splash of spoof shot in the direction of Troy (2004), director Ridley Scotts Gladiator (2000), Mad Mel Gibsons proto-Gladiator, Braveheart (1994) and, dare I say, of all things, the totally terrible and crazy Caligula (1979). Certainly, the modern sword-n-sandal-and-musclebound-shirtless-warriors genre is worthy of attack. But not an attack as blunt and boneheaded as the one put forth by a comedic force as base as National Lampoon.
Awesomest Maximus (Will Sasso, the guy from Foxs SNL (1975-Present) knock-off, MADtv (19952009), most famous for playing Kenny Rogers on that sketch show as, for some reason, a mildly retarded person) is slovenly, stupid, and surprisingly supple in a man-boobish way. Hes also, somehow, the top General in the Trojan army. Hes married to Hottessa (Kristanna Loken), the power-hungry and probably bisexual daughter of King Looney (Rip Torn). Looney is coming to the end of his reign, looking to hand his crown to someone more worthy than his overly effeminate son Orlando (Gary Lundy). Awesomest might just be the man for the job, but he has to prove himself first, which he does by bringing Orlando back from gay Greece on orders from the king. Unfortunately for all, when he returns, Orlando hooks up with Princess Ellen (Sophie Monk), convincing her to act as his so-called beard in hopes that Looney will think his son is straight and crown him king. One problem: Ellen belongs to the God-King of Greece named Erotic (Khary Payton), a, closeted but clearly homosexual, villain dressed in bondage gear, who, half the time, sounds like hes doing a bad Rosie Perez impersonation.
Infuriated by Ellens betrayal, Erotic sends his armylead by his best fighter, Testiclees (Ian Ziering), an immortal warrior who also once had an incestuous fling with his mother, Milfia (Tiffany Claus)to Looneys lands, in one scene housed in a Trojan horse shaped like a giant cock (seriously). Awesomest and his army of 300 men nearly defeat Erotic in battle because the vain Testiclees fails to show up to the fight. But, in a bit of fitting stupidity, the Generalwho is almost universally hated by his soldiers, including contemptuous Quantas (Kevin Linehan), his second in command, and a black midget amongst the ranks named Minoritees (Tony Cox)is pushed off a cliff by his own men and dies before he can claim victory. Or, so the Trojans and Erotic, quite happily, believe. In reality, Maximus survives and washes up on a distant shore and is enslaved by Approximo (Eddie Pepitone). Hes made to fight to the death in a gladiatorial showdown with other slaves like Jamal (Deon Richmond), whom he befriends. Eventually, Awesomest realizes his awesome potential or something and then the movie just sort of ends.
Throw actual mythology out the window. Logic too. Nothing about Awesomest Maximus is the least bit serious, but thats not the problem really. I have no problem with silliness. The problem here is that Awesomest Maximus is just cripplingly stupid. The character seems like he might have been kicked in the head a few too many times. Or dropped as a baby even. And the filmmakers bringing the characters story to screen dont seem much brighter. The script, by Jason Burinescu, is lazily written, full of sophomoric jokes and plotted with obvious, unfunny, attempts at pointless parody, with little consequence to structure, coherency, or anything. Humor is, as always, extremely subjective. And Im sure theres an audience that will lap up the slop that is Maximus. But, eh, I think this might be the least funny comedy Ive had the displeasure of sitting through in some time. At times its even offensiverelying on homophobic, sexist, or just, and perhaps most grossly, generally misguided attempts at humor, which I suppose might fly in some frat houses but are actually quite idiotic in an arena that doesnt demand constant drunkenness.
Then again, why did I expect anything other than ridiculous fraternity follies? Awesomest is the latest from National Lampoon, and they havent made anything good since the eighties, really. And, actually, Animal House (1978) and the first three Chevy Chase Vacation (1983-1989) movies are anomalies, so scratch that. Those four films are aberrations in the cinematic catalog of National Lampoon. Theyre good-ish, not because of the National Lampoon presents preceding the title, but because John Landis and Harold Ramis used to make good movies.
Sadly, director Jeff Revenge of the Nerds Kanew once made a good movie or two too. Awesomest isnt his finest hour, to say the least. With a minuscule budget, Kanew has mounted a poor parody of much better, or at least better-financed, films. His attempts at aping visual cues and the slick stylization of the likes of Gladiator, 300 and Troy come off poorly because of the projects low-budget digital-video origins, and so, much of the film comes away looking no better than your garden variety Youtube. Kanews use of green-screen is much more inept than Zach Snyders, and the CG to fill in the budgetary gaps is obviously low rent, again little better than what an amateur could do in their bedroom with a Mac Pro and the appropriate software. Is that part of the joke? (IMDB does list another tagline as Epic? Fail? You decide.) If it is all intentionally bad, that still isnt funny.
The jokes are tired. The whole premise is lame. It looks terrible, is beyond poorly acted, and most of the gags are random, crude and eye-rollingly awful. At the end of the day, you have to wonder why Awesomest was even made. Its certainly not relevant. The 300 parody has been done to deathand rarely well; see Meet the Spartans (2008). The other movies it mocks are even older, and said mocking is not clever, nor well done in any way.
Id say that The Legend of Awesomest Maximus is a black mark on the résumé of everyone involved. But, aside from Rip Tornwho, here, is awkwardly shown having fellatio performed on him at least once during the film (for no reason other than, I assume, to make some obscure reference to Bob Gucciones pornographic inserts shoved into Caligula; on second thought, no, thats too clever; the knob-gobbling is just another unfortunate and unfunny vulgarity thrown in, cause, why not?)does anyone in the cast or crew actually have a reputation to tarnish? And the good things people associate with Torn, much like National Lampoon, really are the exceptions of his career. Sure he was nominated for an academy award but that was in the eighties. Awesomest is absolutely, abominably, awful, but its still not the absolute worst thing in ol Zeds collective body of work. After all, he was in Freddy Got Fingered (2001).
IMDB incorrectly lists the film negative format as 35mm. Wrong. The Legend of Awesomest Maximus is digital through-and-through: a fact confirmed by the Shot on RED logo in the end credits. Even if the logo werent there, youd still be able to peg Maximus as a digital byproduct. It has that grainless, lifeless, dull-but-clean sheen. In the right hands, RED One (and RED MX and EPIC) footage looks amazing. In the wrong hands well, it looks sort of like Awesomest does.
Mostly, the 1.78:1 widescreen 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded presentation is mediocre. Detail is average, with some scenes showcasing strong clarity and satisfying sharpness, but many other scenes look, if not exactly indistinct, decidedly less impressive, like a really good up-converted DVD. The increased resolution of Blu-ray doesnt do the cheap visual effects any favors, and the scenes that employ green screen look exceptionally false. Some of the CG appears to suffer from faint aliasing and banding too, probably from the inferior source materials. Generally speaking, whites run hot but contrast is weak, with an inconsistent black level and limited depth.
Colors are all over the place, sometimes intentionally, but oft-times because of what I can only assume was incompetence. Skin tones can occasionally appear a little tanned as a result of the warming filter applied to a scene, but elsewhere faces take on purplish, greenish and bluish, or even overly pasty white, tones. Sometimes this happens within the same scene, varying from shot to shot. Noise is an issue late in the film, especially during Sasso and Lokens sordid sex scene, with the screen infrequently awash with artifacts and mosquito noise.
In an attempt to further parody Snyder and Scotts visual styles for their respective films, Awesomest features both excessive speed ramping and, during the gladiator scenes, high-frame-rate photography, neither of which translate well through a digital lens. The ramping features noticeably smeary slow motion, while, inversely, the high frame rate stuff looks choppy, almost jerky, in motion.
Its hard to say where the faults inherent to the original photography end and the flaws of the encoding begin, so Ill just leave it at this: Awesomest is an exceedingly underwhelming Blu-ray, filled with intermittent visual flaws and odd anomalies. Stylistically and technically, it can be pretty ugly, but its not totally terrible. Its just, at best, incredibly mediocre.
Two words: Dolby, Digital. Yep, the Awesomest soundtrack is so awesome it isnt even lossless. Instead, Image offers up a bog-standard English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, encoded at 384 kbps. Thats squarely within DVD specs, for those who care. (Actually, a little worse than). The track is a spartan affairweak, and filled, mostly, by dialogue and mildly amusing-but-eventually-irritating faux-Samuel L. Jackson narration. Effects, the generic score and most everything else makes no mark. I'd praise the occasionally effective low-end bass, but it seems a bit too booming. The mix does sound a little thin in spots, and it might have been beefed up by a DTS-HD MA encode but, honestly, Im not sure lossless would improve the quality in any considerable way. Then again, Im not going to lose sleep over the lossy nature of the disc. I just don't care enough. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are also included.
Thank the Gods! Aside from a theatrical trailer (1080p, 2 minutes 33 seconds) there are no extras on the disc. A pre-menu bonus trailer for some atrociously awful thing called Division III: Footballs Finest (1080p, 2 minutes 20 seconds)a sports comedy starring Andy Dicklooks to easily contend with Maximus for the title of Most Offensive Crime Against Cinema, Humanity and Everything.
The Legend of Awesomest Maximus sleazes its way onto Blu-ray, though no one asked for it, in a simple single-layered BD-25, eco-cased package from Image Entertainment.
The Legend of Awesomest Maximus is not awesome. Its a very bad, very stupid movie. Painfully unfunny and occasionally offensive, I cant imagine this will find much play outside of the lowliest of frat houses. The Blu-ray from Image, well one might wonder, this is a Blu-ray? The disc has exceptionally underwhelming video and a near loser of a lossy audio track. Luckily, there are no extras to further waste your time. Skip it. Youll be glad you did.


text:
The Museum of History and Ethnography is a division of the Institute of Jamaica and is located at 10 East Street, Kingston, Jamaica W.I.
The Division operates five museums along with the galleries at 10 East Street, these include:-
Port Royal (Fort Charles Museum,
Lucea (Hanover Museum),
Spanish Town (People's Museum of Craft and Technology),
Montego Bay (Museum of St James),
Taíno Museum of the First Jamaicans (Currently closed. A Taino artefacts display is available at 10 East Street)
Advisory role in the development of Jamaica Military Museum, Up-Park-Camp
and the Education Museum, at the Mico University College.
Please see links in the sidebar at right


text:
Captain's log Stardate: 70731.8 (Dec 29th, 2013)
Time flies and passes by. Sometimes we see it moving too fast that we can't hardly catch up. Sooner or later, that will be the day. 2 more days to go before we welcome the new year 2014! Like I always wrote before the year comes to an end, let me share with you the best highlights that I had enjoyed and fulfilled in 2013! =)
Location: Boat Quay
Date: 17th February 2013
Been planning for quite some time. And soon, it came true where eight of us were at Boat Quay for a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers special photoshoot. But not entirely in full suit. Just in our ranger hoodies. Of course, with the helmets along! Yes, we managed to get a full crew for the original 6, especially for the pink and yellow. But among us one of them will suit up as the Gold Ranger hoodie from Power Rangers Zeo.
Let's just say, we considered him as our special guest appearance. hehe…
Location: Haw Par Villa
Date: 24th February 2013
Formally known as "Tiger Balm Gardens" the park was built in 1937 by the Burmese brothers, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Book Park. Its been seven years since I've last visited this place. I remember how peaceful and serenity the place is. So in order to recap, I join in for another one of SPI historical tour to this once popular theme place.
Lead by our SPI historian, who was a former employee of the place, he shall share with us the history, the Chinese folklore, legends and Confucianism teachings to 11 excited participants who had join in the tour.
Location: Jurong Point Mall
Date: 16th – 17th March 2013
The moment I read the event name, I knew for sure it got something to do with Japanese culture. All about their traditional elements and just about everything "MADE IN JAPAN." Best for those who are into this culture. More or less like any other anime or Japanese-oriented events. Its just anime anime everywhere nowadays! =P
The event space is relatively small. With all the crowd gathered there, there's hardly much space to move around. But nevertheless, we enjoyed our time there cosplaying, rather than rotting at home! =D
Location: Dhoby Ghaut Sakura Restaurant
Date: 6th April 2013
A day that can never be forgotten. Finally get to meet my old classmates from Ping Yi Secondary School (PYSS) all this time since we graduated 12 years old.
Time flies and time changes after all those donkey years. All of us had own lives to settle with. Some of us were married and had kids. Some still single.
But still, the bonding is why we are there together. That's the most important part in everyone of us to maintain that friendship after so long of not seeing one another. Facebook had help us to meet back our old friends. But its always better if we were to reunite by meeting old friends once again.
We laugh, joke about, reminiscing of our schooldays. That's just so much to talk about! So much to share! Good times good times…
iFLY SENTOSA SUPERHERO COSPLAY COMPETITION
Location: Sentosa
Date: 9th June 2013
Me and my gang of superheroes took a leap forward and set foot on Singapore's favourite tourism island, Sentosa. All of us are there for a cosplay competition, which was jointly organized by costume talent company, Movia Mania and iFly Sentosa. The competition was set for superheroes only. NO villains are welcome! =)
Initially, the competition was stage only for DC and Marvel superheroes. But it was soon change that ALL superheroes are welcome. But still, DC or Marvel superheroes are preferred.
And so, I had decided to take this opportunity and to compete as Kyoryuger Red. A character from the latest Japanese Super Sentai series. So far this is my 3rd time taking part in a cosplay competition.
However, I did not win. But I'm not all disappointed. Cause to me, having fun with my friends there is more than enough. That's what I'm aiming for at the most. Besides, I know myself that my new Kyoryuger Red is a success! =D
Location: Downtown East, Pasir Ris
Date: 6th – 7th July 2013
The most lovable and favourite cosplay event has finally landed again at the heart of Downtown East at Pasir Ris. An event that I really hate to miss! Everybody is looking forward for this. An event where you can get to meet new cosplayers also. Happy and be carefree while having fun cosplaying! =)
On the 1st day, I will be cosplaying as Kyoryuger Red from the latest Super Sentai series. The 2nd day, I will be the all-time favourite and veteran Red Ranger. To me, I will choose the last day to be the epic one! =)
Location: Holland Village
Date: 29th August 2013
When a friend of mine introduced me to this very old mosque which is located in the heart of Holland Village, I became very interested and wanted to plan a visit there. Its still retains its kampong appearance, and sits quietly next to a carpark within this small busy enclave of Holland Village.
Sadly, the holy place wouldn't be there for long. After operating there for the past 40 years, it will cease operations by this year end. Initially the mosque was marked for redevelopment. But however some time later, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore or MUIS (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura) had make it clear that it have to make way. It has stated that it has been informed by the Housing Board that the mosque licence, which is temporary would not be extended further after the end of this year. The mosque had been under this scheme since 1991.
I'm really glad that I managed to take one last look at it before its gone. I thank one of the religious teacher for the tour and hospitality. Can't help to say the least, that some things are never meant to be there forever….
Location: Marina Bay Sands
Date: 30th August – 1st September 2013
The Big Bang of all cosplay events has crash landed once again in the heart of Marina Bay Sands! There will be fresh new faces that will showcase their work of talents and special effects. A new blast with a wide range of activities and awesome collectible figures throughout the line of booths and exhibits.
Apart from that, there will be an Iron Man Hall of Armor. This is a great news for Iron Man fans here. Its shows an exact replica of the Hall of Armor from Tony Stark's Malibu mansion. There are life-size display, just like in the movies. Seven Iron Man armours, from Mark I till Mark VI, with the Mark XLII as the centerpiece. Truly an epic exhibition from this year's STGCC. Infact, seems like every corner there's Iron Man. Like as though this year's STGCC focus a lot on this epic armored character.
For this year's event, I cosplay as the so-called American "Powerful" Ranger seen in Akibarangers. The usual me as Red Ranger, but dons the American flag collar and belt which I had custom-made. Hahaha!
Location: Gardens By The Bay
Before the year comes to an end, there will be this cosplay community that will make sure we have the final month of endless fun and something worth remembering.
Short as EOY. Concentrating on what's in store ranging from anime, manga, games, pop-culture, fashion, music, etc. And if you are a fan of chocs, lollies and candies, this event is just for you as there will always be tons of sweet goodies to fill up your stomach. All imported from Japan. By each year end, they will have a summary of what you can't miss, as well as what you should do to make EOY the greatest event of the year for you!
And this year's EOY, I had cosplay as the Wild West Red Ranger. Its one of the episode seen in season 2 of MMPR. Red Ranger's great great great grandpa from the 1880s who travel into the future and to spend the fun with the heroes of that time. Pretty cranky eh? Hahahaha!
So there you go my fellow bloggers. All the fun and time spend that I had been through in 2013. The best moments of my life and I hope it would be more interesting once the new year starts. That's what I want if you ask me whether I got any new year resolution. Other than the rapid change in the environment and network that affects our daily life, each year still feels like the same for me. We celebrate at the beginning, then all resume back to normal life afterwards. All I want to do is to achieve in my goals, do what I can to be a better person. Hope for the best for myself, family and friends. Most importantly, stay healthy! =)
Now, looking forward for the break of the dawn. 2014, here I come! Power up!


text:
Discover Moraitika
The beach resort of Moraitika lies on the south east coast of Corfu in Greece and is separated from the neighbouring resort of Messonghi by a river. With a long sand and shingle beach and an excellent choice of evening entertainment, this all-round holiday destination is a perfect choice for your summer holiday this year – so book now!
Moraitika beach holidays
Head to the long sand and shingle beach on your beach holiday, pick that perfect spot to put your sun bed and relax in the warm sunshine. With warm and shallow waters you have the peace of mind that the children can safely swim and paddle in the sea whilst you catch those all-important rays. Why not try your hand at some of the water sport activities such as windsurfing, snorkeling, jet skiing and water skiing. Or for those of you who want to learn how to dive, head to the dive centre and explore the seabed on your beach holiday in Moraitika.
Explore Moraitika
Take a walk up the hill and see the original village of Ano Moraitika, walk through the narrow streets and check out the views of the bay below. Why not head to the neighbouring resort of Messonghi or hop on a bus to Benitses. If you want a taste of history on your holiday, Moraitika is home to the remains of a Roman bath or why not take a trip to the Achillion Palace in Gastouri – you won't be disappointed. For a great cultural experience, book a boat trip to Corfu Town where you can shop till you drop, visit some of the archaeological sites there or simply admire the Venetian architecture.
A family holiday in Moraitika would not be complete without a visit to Aqualand Water Park, which will surely keep the kids busy all day. If that's not enough, then take them go-karting or on a glass-bottomed boat. You could take a boat trip around the island and learn about the legends of Corfu and see some of the great sites. In the evening you could head to a local taverna or restaurant then hit the bar and nightclubs for a lively evening out.
For a cheap holiday in Moraitika, loveholidays offers a range of cheap flights and accommodation to plan your perfect summer holiday this year.
Top Corfu Destinations
Love the sound of Moraitika? Here is what else Corfu has to offer:


text:
Example: "Summer temperatures reached an all-time high"
Example: "They stood on high and observed the coutryside"
Example: "They took drugs to get a high on"
Example: "I'm on a permanent high these days"
Example: "The east coast benefits from a Bermuda high"
Example: "He goes to the neighborhood highschool"
Example: "A high mountain"
Example: "A high temperature"
Example: "People in high places"
Example: "He climbed high on the ladder"
Example: "He lives high up the river"
Example: "Prices have gone up far too high"
Example: "He lives high"
Related words...
(New!) Usage examples...
Related quotations...
Descriptive words...


text:
Don't just take our word for it.
See what others have to say about Cedar Green Apartments!
And feel free to submit your own testimonial at the bottom of this page!
When I moved to Cedar Green over a year ago, I was impressed with the huge rooms, cleanliness, and peace and quiet. Everyone was nice and I felt right at home. Whenever I have a problem or need any help, all I have to do is call Jeff, the manager, and he takes care of everything right away.
Carol A. Devoe-Degenhardt
Resident at Cedar Green Apartments
Cedar Green has been home for the past 2 yrs. It's quiet and peaceful setting, along the friendly neighbors make it so easy to stay here and call it home. Close to bike path and park make this a great location.
Tenant at Cedar Green Apartments
I've lived at Cedar Green for four years. I love the location and the fact that we have on-site management. Nice area to live in. Friendly neighbors. So convenient to the Square and library.
Satisfied tenant for 4 years and counting
The thing I miss most about Cedar Green Apartments is the location of my apartment. It faced toward the woods, where just past that was the bike trail and Twining Park. The apartments were in close walking distance to my daughter's school, which was nice because we could walk or bike there and back. My apartment had the feel of a nature resort almost, with local wildlife right outside my door and windows and with the sounds of nature inside and out. Also, the people there are great! I made a lot of good friends at Cedar Green Apartments!
Former tenant
The apartments are nice to live in. And the other tenants are friendly to get along with. And also, the grounds are well kept!
Dan and Melody Judkins
Satisfied tenants
Very clean. Nice people. Quiet.
Lori Merwin
Great location! You have a bike trail, park, diner, and convenience store nearby!
Dan Benway
Tenant for over 12 years
Nice place to live, and close to park.
It's close to Kwik Trip and a restaurant. The Land Lord is really nice. I'm downstairs and the laundry facilities are on 1st floor and I'm physically disabled. It makes it a lot easier.
Patti Swaziek
We know how hard it is to find a place to fit all your needs, especially if you have a pet. Cedar Green Apartments are pet friendly. The apts. are good size with plenty of storage and the people living here are family friendly and so nice. The manager will work with you to get just what you need.
Harry and Sherry


text:
Nature's Bounty Flaxseed Oil 1200 mg Omega-3 540 mg Softgels
125 ctUPC: 0007431213321
Purchase Options
Located in Aisle 27 in Your Store
The Flaxseed Oil 1200 mg is an edible oil derived from the seeds of the Flax plant (Linum usitatissimum) and is one of the best sources of the Omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid available. It also provides one of the most concentrated plant sources of Omega-3 fatty acids found in nature. This product contains three important Omega fatty acids, Omega 3, 6 & 9.
- 25% More FREE
- Natural Cold Pressed
- Supports Heart & Cardiovascular Health
- Rapid Release Liquid Softgel
- Natural Omega-3


text:
Winter Park's Trestle Bike Park is only US stop in new 2013 Enduro World Series
Winter Park's Trestle Bike Park will host the only U.S. stop of the first-ever Enduro World Series next summer, buttressing its position as the nation's top bike park.
With enduro riding exploding, the Enduro Mountain Bike Association in October announced the creation of its own, UCI-free World Series, a seven-stop international tour tying together the largest events in enduro racing – France's Enduro Series, Italy's Superenduro races and the Whistler-born Crankworx contests. The group released the series' race stops and dates last week.
Winter Park's Colorado Freeride Festival – July 27-28 – will be the fourth stop of the international tour. This year's festival featured a five-stage contest that drew dozens of enduro racers. They raced long downhill courses traversing Trestle's biggest features and singletrack in contests that required some uphill. Enduro – while popular in Europe – is surging stateside and especially in Colorado, where the Mountain States Cup launched its inaugural enduro races last summer.
2013 Enduro World Series
May 18-19: Superenduro PRO – Punta Ala, Italy
June 29-30: Enduro Series – Val d'Allos, France
July 6-7: Crankworx Les 2 Alpes – Les 2 Alpes, France
July 27-28: Colorado Freeride Festival – Winter Park, United States
August 10-11: Crankworx Whistler – Whistler, Canada
August 24-25: Enduro Des Nations – Val d'Isere, France
October 19-20: Superenduro PRO – Finale Ligure, Italy


text:
19.75" x 28" Custom Jigsaw Puzzles
Pick one to get started
or choose from our categorized designs to start personalizing:
Personalized 20x28inch puzzle sets include:
- Size: 19.75" x 28" (501.6mm x 711.2mm).
- No. of pieces: 1000 pieces.
- Thickness: 1.9mm.
- Material: Sturdy cardboard with lamination and a glossy finish
- Packaging: Includes a standard gift box or a personalized box printed with your photo and design on lid.
- Box size: 9.25" x 6.75" x 1.75" (235mm x 172mm x 45mm).
- Puzzle comes in box unassembled.


text:
|Hello dear reader! This article is in need of some care and attention and may contain errors or inaccuracies. If you spot anything out of place, please let us know!
Sweden (1936-1941)
Light tank – 219 built
Blueprint: The Stridsvagn L-10 m/31
Before the Stridsvagn m/31 was first drawn up by AB Landsverk, the only tanks in Swedish service were the post-WW1 German-built Stridsvagn m/21-29. However, the company almost went bankrupt and was re-capitalized by German investors, who took 60% of the shares. Otto Merker was named chief engineer. Under his supervision, the successful L180 armored car family was built, as well as the Danish Pansarbil m/39 Lynx, and the L120, the only Norwegian tank.
But the first real light tank, designed both for export and the Swedish army, was the L-10 m/31. The 31 signifies the year of completion, but the first trials only occurred in 1932. This was an advanced design, with an entirely welded hull and a crew of 4, sufficient armor (8-24 mm/0.31-0.94 in), a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) and a well-balanced suspension (a forerunner of the torsion-bar system).
The armament comprised a high-velocity, fast 37 mm (1.46 in) Bofors gun, with excellent armor piercing capabilities for the time, coupled with two 0.303 (7.7 mm) Madsen machine-guns. Weighing 11.5 tons, measuring 5.20 m length, 2 m width and 2.22 m and height (17.06×6.56×7.28 ft), it was propelled by a Maybach DSO 8-cyl 150 bhp engine. This power unit was deemed so unreliable that after years of service in drilling tactics with the Swedish army, the three m/31s built were dug in as fixed border bunkers when the war began. The experience gained was used in a new design, the L-60.
The L-60: First with a torsion-bar system suspension
Probably the most innovative tank in 1934, the L-60 was the first equipped with a torsion-bar suspension system, an invention brought from Ferdinand Porsche. It was quite revolutionary for the time, providing a far smoother and efficient ride than the old leaf springs, and proved more reliable and sturdy than the Christie system. It was largely based on the previous L-10 m/31, and no less than ten versions were drawn before the first prototype was built. It was a light tank, but with larger front drive sprockets, four double road wheels of the same diameter as the idler wheel, and two return rollers.
The hull was entirely welded. The L-60 weighted only 7.9 tons, with light armor (15 mm/0.59 in max), and a 20 mm (0.79 in) Madsen QF autocannon, assisted by a single .303 (7.7 mm) ksp m/36 machine-gun. It was propelled by a Bussing-Nag V8 cylinder 7.9-liter engine developing 150-160 bhp at 2500-2700 rpm. The first two were ordered by the Irish government, followed by a single prototype for Austria, and one for Hungary in 1937.
A slightly revised, 8.5-ton heavy version with a Bofors 37 mm gun, entered service with the Swedish army, the m/38 S/I. 15 were ordered in 1937 and delivered between 1938 and 1939. Later, during the war, they received a second m/37-39 machine-gun in the turret mantlet.
Evolution: The Strv m/39
The Swedish Army ordered a better-armed version from AB Landswerk in 1939. The factory designation was L-60C, with Otto Merker designing a revised gun mantlet and turret to accommodate a Bofors 37 mm (1.46 in) gun with better armor-piercing capabilities. This new model had the army designation L-60 S/II m/39, and 20 were delivered in all until 1940. They had two coupled Madsen 8 mm (0.31 in) ksp m/36 machine-guns. Like the previous model, the crew was comprised of only three men.
Top speed with a Scania-Vabis 1664 cc, 142 hp engine was 45 km/h (28 mph). During the war, they received additional welded armor, up to 50 mm (1.97 in) on the glacis and turret mantlet. Fuel capacity was 240 liters.
War production: The Strv m/40L and m/40K
Wartime evolution dictated many changes in armor and storage facilities. These came along with a longer hull (10 cm longer) and a weight nearing 9.11 tons, and even 9.36 tons with the additional 50 mm (1.97 in) appliqué welded armor. The turret was modified with a new mantlet, side hatches and a commander cupola. The armament was still a Bofors 37 mm (1.46 in) m/38 coupled with twin Madsen Ksp M/36 8 mm (0.31 in) machine-guns. The vehicle received the factory designation L-60D.
The suspension remained unchanged. Fuel consumption was 10-12 liters/mile, and up to 20-24 on rough terrain. The Stridsvagn m/40L (which stands for "Landsverk"), or L-60 S/III, was produced until late 1941, 100 units being delivered in all. A single prototype, largely upgraded, the S/IV, was a 12-ton model, equipped with an 180 bhp Scania-Vabis engine and three machine-guns. The third gun was placed in the frontal glacis. The project never materialized, and the production shifted to the new S/V, or L-40K, which stands for "Karlsverk", the second builder. Instead of receiving appliqué armor, this model was directly fitted with a frontal and turret armor of 50 mm (1.97 in), although most of the tank remained lightly protected.
The turret roof and hull bottom were just 4 mm (0.16 in) thick. To cope with the additional weight, which rose to 10.9 tons, a new Scania-Vabis 160 bhp engine was installed. Dimensions also increased to 5.97 m in length, 2.08 m in width and it stood 2.13 m high (19.6×6.82×7 ft). The twin machine-gun was also upgraded to the m/39 model. 80 were ordered in 1942 and were delivered until 1944 by Karlstads Mekaniska Verkstad, a sub-contractor of AB Landswerk. It was also involved in other projects, like the medium tank m/41.
Exports and influence
Ireland received two L-60s, practically the first vehicles built. The second arrived in 1937. They formed the backbone of the Irish armored force along with a Vickers Mk.D, in the 2nd Armoured Squadron, before and during WW2 and well until 1960. Specifications included a Bussing-Nag V8 7.9L 160 bhp engine and light armor. One of these survived and is now exposed at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks (Dublin).
Austria also received a single L-60 for trials (n°49), originally ordered in 1936. It was shown and widely tested but lost due to an accidental engine fire.
Hungary ordered a single L-60 and the license to built more at Sexe. Env. Staatliche Eisen and Stahl-und Maschinenfabriken (together with a modified L-62). The final design gave birth to the Toldi, the most prolific Hungarian tank of WW2.
The L-60 torsion-bar suspension was largely influential to German tank design, (notably the Panther, which used this system to its best) as well as Russian tank designs.
The L-60 in service during World War Two
Sweden remained neutral during WW2 and had sufficient provisions of men, armor and tanks to prevent any hostile action from either the Soviets in the east or the Germans in the west. Total L-60 tank force was 215 units, added to 219 m/41 and 282 m/42 medium tanks in 1945. The Stridvagn m/40 also served as a basis of an AA version SPG, the Luftvärnskanonvagn L-62 Anti II, originally developed for Finland, but which was also produced by Hungary as the 40M Nimrod.
Postwar service
Twenty L-60s were sold by Sweden to the Dominican Republic in 1960. They were refitted and modernized and took part in offensive actions following the Dominican Civil War in April 1965. The rebels, backed by a US Marines force, clashed with some Dominican regular army tanks, ending with three L-60s being destroyed by AT fire, M50 Ontos and M48 Patton tanks. The remaining twelve were later modernized to US standards and remained in service until 2002.
Links about the Stridsvagn L-60
The Stridvagn L-60 m/38-40 on Wikipedia
Stridsvagn m/40L specifications
|Dimensions (L-w-h)
|4.80 x 2.07 x 2.05 m (15 x 6.9 x 6.8 ft)
|Total weight, battle ready
|9.11 tons
|Scania-Vabis V8, 1664 cc, 145 bhp
|Top speed
|45 km/h (28 mph)
|270 km (168 mi)
|Bofors 37 mm (1.46 in) m/38 gun
2x Madsen cal.303 machine-guns
|From 5 to 50 mm (0.2-1.97 in)
|Total production (all types)
Swedish Stridvagn L-10 m/31, one of the three prototypes built by AB Landswerk. This one is seen with its wartime livery, but all three were quickly dug in as static bunkers.
Irish L-60 now exposed at Dublin Museum.
Swedish Stridvagn L-60 m/38, factory designation L-60A (armed with a 20 mm/0.79 in gun). This was the first model built for the Swedish army, delivered in 1937-39.
Stridvagn L-60 S/II m/39 (factory designation L-60C) armed with the 37 mm (1.46 in) Bofors, new mantlet with added armor, and twin 8 mm (0.31 in) ksp m/39 machine-guns.
Stridvagn L-60 m/40L (L-60D), or S/III. These improved versions formed the bulk of the production, with 100 delivered until 1941.
Stridvagn L-60 m/40K (L-60D), army designation S/V. Karlsverk produced some 80 of these tanks until 1944.
Swedish Stridsvagn m/40K, the last version of the L-60, at the Hässlehoms Museum, near a Volvo armored truck.
Stridsvagn m/40 on static display at Beredskapsmuseet (Helsingborg) – Credits: Wikipedia commons, Koster.


text:
The DiSTI Corporation
DiSTI is synonymous with advanced 3D virtual environments for maintenance trainers and virtual training simulators built with VE Studio; GL Studio is the de facto GUI design standard for building high-fidelity 3D cockpit instrumentation, dashboards, and controls. Our proven content production platform and consultative services can bring your immersive training solutions to life faster with reduced change management risk. DiSTI tools and expertise can move you into the future of virtual training solutions, now.
Brands: GL Studio
VE Studio
VMT Services (Virtual Maintenance Training)
Reserve Your Glass!
The DiSTI Corporation, the world's leading provider of 3D virtual training solutions and graphical user interface software, has been awarded a contract N61340-18-D-5007 for the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division's (NAWCTSD) Training Systems Contract IV (TSC IV) Multiple Award Contract (MAC). The TSC IV MAC, inclusive of all awarded contracts and ordering periods, has a not-to-exceed value of $980,000,000. All delivery orders will be placed pursuant to the procedures at FAR 16.5.
DiSTI was one of 10 small business award winners among the 23 award recipients – significant as it allows these companies to compete on a level playing field among the largest industry defense contractors for services on the contract to provide training device and training systems design, development, production, test and evaluation, delivery, modification and support. TSC IV's evaluation included vendor delivery capabilities for virtual and augmented reality technology, opening the door for more SMB contractors that have been driving innovation and leadership in this area.
"Being included on the award validates DiSTI's well-rounded capabilities to deliver high quality training programs to the U.S. Navy. I believe we stood out in two ways. First, DiSTI has superior technology in the area of virtual maintenance training; and secondly, our past performance on other government contracts proves we are capable of succeeding. Those two elements combined are really what the Navy was looking for," said Joe Swinski, President of DiSTI.
DiSTI's VP of Services, Steve Jackson adds, "Over the past 15 years, DiSTI has consistently delivered operator and maintainer training solutions to the U.S. military and commercial customers. We have the expertise, processes and technology leadership with developmental tools like VE Studio and GL Studio to deliver cutting-edge training solutions, quickly and economically."
TSC IV's objective is to establish a long-term competitively awarded contract vehicle to support NAWC TSD's acquisition of training system devices, complementary ISD products and Training Systems Support. Contract deliverables include development and production of new training systems, modification of existing training systems, and purchasing additional quantities of existing training systems. The pre-selection of award recipients identifies contractors that have demonstrated capability to meet Fleet requirements by: shortening training program development and delivery times, delivering high-quality programs to the field, maintain a responsive customer support team, and deliver at reasonable prices.
Questions regarding our company's involvement in the TSC IV program can be directed to Steve Jackson (email@example.com).
DiSTI successfully delivers Counter – Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM), Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) Operator/Maintainer Trainer (OMT) powered by VE Studio, the leading Virtual Maintenance Training (VMT) development platform.
Orlando, FL (September 26, 2018) – The DiSTI Corporation announces their successful completion of their $2.8M contract award from the U.S. Army's PEO STRI for the development of the C-RAM LPWS OMT developed on the VE Studio platform.
C-RAM was developed to protect ground forces and forward operating bases from the threat of rockets, artillery and mortars. Live operational training with the C-RAM LPWS system can be dangerous and expensive with the various physical aspects involved like missile engagement, extreme weather conditions, ammunition cost, and safety restrictions.
The C-RAM virtual training solution enables air defense artillery teams to practice procedures for operating and maintaining one of the Army's most complex weapons systems in a safe and controlled environment; including clearing ammo feed jams – a task difficult to repeatedly replicate during live training.
Student safety and lowering the cost of training were key considerations for the development of the training solution. The OMT assists students with training on the C-RAM LPWS by simulating scenarios in a virtual environment that includes over 105 operator and maintainer procedures and instructional modes that support free play, tutorial, practice and assessment. The OMT's Instructor Operator Station (IOS) provides instructors within the classroom the ability to remotely demonstrate procedures, assign lessons to students, and evaluate student performance.
A key feature is animation of C-RAM's gun belt feed system in action while the weapons is firing and the simulation of seven different feed jams soldiers could encounter in the field. The OMT provides operators and maintainers with an in-depth view of the inner workings of the weapons system with see-through views – unlike anything they would be able to replicate with physical training without risking the soldier's safety.
The C-RAM LPWS OMT program used the latest release of DiSTI's commercially available VE Studio development platform that provides a proven, patented process to efficiently create interactive 3D content rendered using the Unity game engine. Unlike using Unity by itself, VE Studio offers a database-centric production pipeline to efficiently manage 3D virtual environment development; reducing program development cost and risk while enabling the Army to issue future procedural updates, system variants or integrate AR/VR capabilities at a considerable reduction in production cost.
"This is by far, one of the most complex examples of how a state-of-the-art OMT solution can deliver an immersive, life-like simulation capable of training students on very complex and dangerous procedures that they could not easily perform in the real-world. It will pay dividends in maintenance and operational practice when lives are on the line in the field," says Steve Jackson, VP of Business Development of the DiSTI Corporation.
The U.S. Army estimates 2,000 students per year will pass through the five electronic classrooms. Thirty-nine Unit configurations consisting of ruggedized laptops will also be distributed to actively deployed units – offering remote training and variant upgrade modules in the field for the life of the program.
About DiSTI The DiSTI Corporation is the world's leading provider of 3D virtual training solutions and graphical user interface software.
Our flagship product, GL Studio, delivers advanced high-performance 3D user interfaces to the aerospace, automotive, medical, and training industries. Leading global manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin choose GL Studio for its performance, fidelity, and reliability in interface development and deployment. Whether for avionics, instrument clusters, infotainment systems, medical devices, or flight simulators, GL Studio exceeds the developer's interface demands.
DiSTI's user interface technology also expands into 3D virtual maintenance training solutions. DiSTI's VE Studio is the world's leading platform for managing the development of complex 3D virtual environments for use on desktop, mobile, and virtual and mixed reality training applications. VE Studio manages the entire development process including requirements analysis, content development, and automated software builds and regression testing.
Combine multiple geo-referenced map imagery formats, DTED elevation data, and user-defined symbology into a real-time 2D moving map display allowing users to create any tactical map display.
Runtime features include:
• Pan/Zoom/Rotate • Offsetting • Layer Visibility • Contour Lines • Elevation Banding • Threat intervisibility
Copyright 2018, a2z, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
How the Changes to the SOC Process Will Affect Life Safety Compliance
On July 13, 2016, The Joint Commission issued the following statement:
"Effective Aug. 1, 2016, changes will become effective to the Statement of Conditions™ (SOC) process that will affect the survey of Life Safety (LS) chapter requirements. Following Aug. 1, 2016, the following changes to survey will occur:
- The open Plan for Improvement (PFI) items will no longer be reviewed by the survey team.
- The open PFI will no longer be imported into the Final Report.
- All Life Safety (LS) chapter deficiencies identified during survey will become Requirements for Improvement (RFI) with a 60-day Evidence of Standards Compliance (ESC). For those deficiencies that require more than 60 days, a Time-Limited Waiver process is available.
- Only equivalency requests related to survey events will be reviewed.
The Joint Commission has had the SOC as part of its accreditation program since 1995. The SOC was originally created to allow organizations a process to develop a plan for improvement to correct deficiencies they self-identified within a justifiable time frame based on budgeting and scheduling needs, with Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM) to ensure patient safety. Initially, these self-identified actions were not documented during survey because the SOC already documented the deficiency. The Joint Commission also created the ILSM process to mitigate risk while resolving the deficiencies. This allowed the SOC process to be the method for organizations to create and submit their Plan for Improvement (PFI), with an amount of time to make the correction that the organization could manage, while still providing a safe environment. Occasionally, an organization would need additional time to complete the corrective action, and The Joint Commission granted extension requests. Many of these extension requests occurred during the six-month automatic extension period.
CMS has identified required changes to the SOC process, including:
- No longer allowing the SOC to document self-identified deficiencies, instead, taking the self-identified deficiencies and converting those to RFIs by the surveyor
- No longer allowing more than 60 days for corrective actions unless approved by the CMS regional office
- The surveyor citing all deficiencies replacing the extension request component with a Time Limited Waiver process, using the Survey-related Plan For Improvement (SPFI) process that will be managed and tracked by the CMS regional office
- Managing the survey-related equivalency process, as defined by CMS, using Salesforce and the SOC to manage and track the CMS regional office action
- Removing the six-month automatic extension
- No longer granting requested extensions
- Joint Commission leadership, after reviewing the restrictions being placed on the SOC, has determined that the Basic Building Information and PFI components of the SOC no longer fit the quality assessment program it was originally designed as, and will become an optional management program and will not be a part of the survey process. Post survey, the CMS Time Limited Waiver and equivalency components of the SOC will be used to manage survey-related deficiencies. All questions should go to The Joint Commission Department of Engineering at 630-792-5900."
This is another sad event for patient safety caused by a federal agency that cannot see the positive that the SOC / PFI process had for healthcare organizations. This action by CMS is not a knee-jerk reaction that was not carefully considered; rather this decision by CMS to not allow the hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to have a process of self-identification of Life Safety Code deficiencies and an incentive to be proactive has been long-coming for years.
Back in 2008 when Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Healthcare received deeming authority from CMS, the new accreditor wanted a system similar to the Statement of Conditions PFI list, but was told by CMS that they could not. Similarly, in 2012 HFAP applied for a system similar to the PFI list but was also denied by the federal agency.
In 2014 when CMS issued their proposed rule to adopt the 2012 Life Safety Code, the public responded with many comments. Quite a few commenters mentioned that CMS should keep the SOC/PFI system and allow all of the accreditation organizations a chance to utilize it.
When CMS issued their final rule on May 4, 2016, they made it very clear that there will not be any Plan For Improvement list in the way that Joint Commission was operating. That was the writing on the wall and it became clear that the major hospital accreditor would have to discontinue its use.
This is a very sad event, because now it is feared that many hospitals will no longer be proactive and self-identify their own Life Safety Code deficiencies because any incentive to do so (i.e. not citing the deficiency on the survey report) has been removed. CMS has struck harder and put a stop to hospital self-identifying the projected completion date, and now makes all LSC deficiencies cited during a survey to be resolved within 60 days of the end of the survey.
Since major LSC deficiencies cannot be resolved that quickly, CMS is now requiring the healthcare organizations to request a time-limited waiver through the accreditor. This is another example of CMS tightening their grip on the accreditation process. In this case, it reduces the level of safety for the patients. Where is the logic in that?


text: Events on Wall Street Can successful investors predict changes in the markets? Some can but others miss the market's signals. Share | Have A Question About This Topic? Name Email Address Question Thank you! Oops! Related Contents Global and International Funds Investors seeking world investments can choose between global and international funds. What's the difference? Asset Allocation Consider how your assets are allocated and if that allocation is consistent with your time frame and risk tolerance. Keys to Investing for Retirement There are some key concepts to understand when investing for retirement.


text:
This is my daughter Glee. We chose "Glee" because it sounds Asian but it is a real English word which has a lot of meaning to us because she brings so much happiness into our family. Since she is CBA (Canadian Born Asian) we thought "Glee" would be just right.
Both my husband and I are entrepreneurs, so life before Glee was much easier because we had full control of our own time and schedules. Our only "children" were our little companies. We didn't plan our meals; we just went out, ordered in or grabbed whatever was at hand. Work was always our primary focus.
When I found out that I was pregnant, I knew that it would be a life changing event. Boy! Was it ever life changing! She became our highest priority in every aspect. Being a mother has taught me many things, but particularly patience and acceptance. I was lucky that we were in-between projects, so I could take time off to be a mother.
Having tried homemaking full time for over a year, I became more appreciative and deeply respectful of all you stay-at-home mothers and fathers out there because your patience and love are tremendous! My heart goes out to you for all the things you have done and are still doing for your family!
This website is dedicated to you and helping you share delicious, loving family dinners with everyone you love; simply, easily and happily!


text:
Have you ever noticed that when you look at a particular painting or piece of art, that you start to feel a certain way? You might look at the cheerful and bright sunflowers in the Vincent Van Gogh painting called "Sunflowers" and feel transported to a warm summer's day, without a care in the world.
Art has special powers that go beyond just showing you something pretty, interesting, or objectionable. Art can make you feel things, depending on how you interpret a particular piece. It can influence your mood for the better or worse and can make you think about things that never crossed your mind before.
When you look at an art painting that is done in certain colours, most likely your mood will be altered. Certain colours can inspire certain feelings, for example:
- Yellow can make you feel energised, positive and elated. Yellow is often equated with the warm sun, which gives everything on the Earth vital energy and rays of sunshine are seen as comforting. Use paintings with primarily yellow in your bedroom to brighten up your mornings.
- Red can make you feel powerful and confident, like you can conquer the world. Use red art paintings in your bathroom or kitchen to inspire you while you are getting ready in the morning or making breakfast.
- Blue has a calming and tranquilising effect on a person. Use paintings that have primarily blue in bathrooms or spare bedrooms, to relax your guests.
Art and the many colours used in works of art can really influence the moods of people in the same room. When you look at a specific colour, certain emotions may come to the surface. Utilise the effects of the power of art by placing certain art paintings that showcase one particular colour in rooms where they will be needed.
Visit Art Paint King's Online Store for our works of art.


text:
Earn around $500 advantage money backside with Cash One® Relish greeting cards By Emily Sherman | Published: Nov 28, 2018
The editorial information here is dependent only for the unbiased examination of our authors which is not influenced by promoting $ $ $ $. Having said that, perform have salary if you click url links to solutions from our spouses. Learn more about our advertisements insurance coverage
The information in this posting is appropriate at the time of the putting up date. You should critique our listing of very best bank cards, or use our CardMatch device to discover credit cards coordinated towards your wants.
Earlier this holiday season, Cash One introduced an updated version with the SavorAndreg; Hard cash Advantages credit card fashioned particularly with foodies planned. The benefits level for eating out expenses elevated to 4 per-cent, providing cardholders to earn all the more when going out to restaurants.
The card also obtained a lot large warning sign-up bonus offer, now among the best you can find at a cash back again card. For those who invest $3,000 from the initially 3 months, you'll get $500 advantage cash back. While renovations towards the Relish unit card happen at a cost – an additional $95 twelve-monthly fee – the fee is waived the primary yr.
Together with the adjustments to the Savor unit card, Money A single also unveiled the SavorOne? Income Advantages charge card as an alternative $ 12-monthly fee option. Without as amazing since the Enjoy card's $500 added bonus, the SavorOne card's $150 introductory provide you with is still substantial for notes of their type.
Both Savor and SavorOne notes offer you top notch tier perks rates with extra cash again on dinner, fun and shopping for groceries. As opposed to some cash backside credit cards with benefit categories, there are actually no limitations on the level of gains you can generate. The warning sign-up rewards both for cards may also be great, allowing buyers to create a minimal extra income the very first yr.
Savor Dollars Advantages Mastercard
SavorOne Hard cash Incentives Plastic Card
Perks level
Warning sign-up reward
Twelve-monthly expense
Estimated earnings in first year ($1,325 regular devote)
In spite of its much higher incentives rate, the Relish charge card carries with it an eventual $95 12-monthly rate that could control your generating opportunity. The bigger warning sign-up reward will let you have residence extra during the first year, but you'll should spend much of your funds on dinner and fun each year after that to remain to bring family home extra incentives after a while and compensate for the annual cost.
Since news of renovations on the Funds 1 Enjoy charge card and also the start from the SavorOne, there were no alterations with the indication-up extras on possibly card. They can be each of those fairly new choices, so there pozyczki na raty wolsztyn could possibly be some limited time gives you down the road.
In an effort to receive the cash backside introduction offer you for sometimes the Relish or SavorOne credit card, you need to initial match the card's software program qualifications. Equally notes call for job seekers to experience really good to wonderful consumer credit (above 670) together with a regular monthly salary at the very least $425 around your book or house payment.
Capital One also limits the number of credit accounts you could have opened. If you already possess a few or over plastic cards while using the standard bank, you won't be prepared to apply. In addition to that, current and former accountholders most likely are not qualified for the indication-up reward.
To create the $150 cash extra for the SavorOne charge card, you only need to pay out $500 with the first 90 days. Using the Savor card yet, you'll have to pay out $3,000 in the primary 3 months to acquire the $500 added bonus. It is a tougher expend threshold to contact, therefore if your regular monthly invest is under $1,000, you happen to be happier together with the SavorOne.
At one time you've earned funds rewards for your Capital A single Savor or SavorOne card, you now have a handful of diverse redemption choices, like the standard announcement credit rating after demand. You can also setup automated redemption either at the established time each and every year or at thresholds anywhere from around $25-$200. Otherwise, you possibly can redeem your returns for your examine or gift idea charge card.
The signal-up extras for that Budget An individual Savor and Funds 1 SavorOne credit card don't transformation often, so there is absolutely no burden to use as soon as possible. But in case you are wanting to make more hard cash rear with your cusine expenditures, the latest Funding A person Savor provide is a great option. With getaway store shopping springing up, it is additionally an excellent time of the season to put on and make ample buying from the to begin with three months to meet the $3,000 commit threshold for your good $500 Savor dollars lower back introduction offer.
See connected: Funding A single shows upgraded Savor® charge card with $500 bonus, Generate nearly $2,000 advantage funds rear with Spark Cash for Business cards, Funding A person Quicksilver compared to. Money One QuicksilverOne


text:
Sustainable Growth the Nordic Way
WEB MAGAZINE - November 2017
Nordic countries push the switch – from fossil fuel subsidies to sustainable energy investment
Nordic PMs prioritise fossil fuel subsidy reform
When the Nordic Prime Ministers launched their joint initiative Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges in April 2017, fossil fuel subsidy reform was presented as a key priority of Nordic Climate Solutions, alongside Nordic Green to Scale, an initiative that explores the potential of scaling up 15 existing climate solutions by 2030. To put the magnitude of fossil fuel subsidies into context, these solutions could reduce emissions by 4.1Gt in 2030 at a cost equal to a mere nine days of the current global fossil fuel subsidies.
"USD 425 billion is a huge amount, which could be used much more wisely,"
says Laura Merrill
of the IISD's Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI).
Most of the amount, USD 325 billion, is spent on consumer subsidies aimed at keeping the price of fossil fuels down, while the remaining USD 100 billion are government subsidies that keep costs of production artificially low.
"It's worth noting that there's still a large energy access gap that hasn't been filled, despite these subsidies," Merrill points out.
"Fossil fuel subsidies are inefficient at targeting support for, for example, people in poverty and women in developing countries, and in delivering efficient energy access."
The switch – using reform savings to promote sustainable energy
The Nordic countries' approach to fossil fuel subsidy reform focuses not only on the emissions reduction potential and economic savings of phasing out harmful subsidies, but also the positive effects governments can achieve by reinvesting the savings.
"Countries often use the savings from fossil fuel subsidy reform to provide other compensation subsidies or support mechanisms, or invest them in welfare state services, such as education and healthcare,"
says Hans Jakob Eriksen,
Special Adviser at the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate.
"While this is entirely legitimate, we encourage them to redirect some of these subsidies towards sustainable energy systems – renewable energy and energy efficiency."
Previous research conducted by GSI for the Nordic Council of Ministers modelled the emissions-saving potential of fossil fuel subsidy reform in 20 countries, showing that they could reduce their national GHG emissions by an average of 11% by 2020. These reductions would be even greater if the savings were invested in sustainable energy measures.
"By redirecting the savings into sustainable energy, we would increase the mitigation potential and the emissions saved," Eriksen explains. "As an additional benefit, we would become more decoupled from future increases in oil prices, which would substantially enhance the long-term sustainability of the energy system."
From political intentions to implementation
Nordic countries are members of the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (FFFSR), a group of countries committed to promoting global political consensus on the importance of the issue. In 2015, the group launched the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué, which recognises reform as "an important climate change mitigation policy with clear economic, social and environmental co-benefits". Forty-three countries and many businesses and organisations, including OECD, IEA and the World Bank, have endorsed the Communiqué
"Gathering global political support is still an important part of our work," says Eriksen. "Currently, however, our focus is shifting towards actual implementation – providing advice on the steps that countries need to take to reform their subsidies. One of the obstacles is that there's virtually no international standard on how to review these subsidies."
In June 2017, the Nordic Council of Ministers published Making the Switch a report written by researchers at IISD's Global Subsidies Initiative and Gaia Consulting. The report describes the concept of switching savings from fossil fuel subsidy reform towards sustainable energy, energy efficiency, and safety nets.
"It also provides potential switch outlines for Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco and Zambia," says Merrill. "We've created roadmaps to help these countries identify their subsidies and the reforms that could take place, and where they could reinvest the savings to bring down emissions and help finance their energy transition needs."
Cost-effective green transition in the Nordic region
According to Merrill, the research also demonstrates areas in which Nordic countries have successfully introduced government policies to encourage the transition to sustainable energy, including incentives to shift households towards heat pumps in Sweden, Norway's push to promote electric vehicles, and integration of wind energy in the Danish energy system. These examples, and many others, are described in more detail in the report
Learning from Leaders , which looks at Nordic and international best practice regarding fossil fuel subsidy reform
"All Nordic countries are fully aware of the kind of subsidies they have and how they could be removed and used for better purposes," says Erikson. "This is the result of a long tradition of an intergovernmental process to analyse and structure incentive schemes, identify mitigation potentials across all sectors, and finding the most cost-effective ways to mitigate emissions.
"Sharing this knowledge with other countries would be highly beneficial," he continues. "This process and the ways in which the analysis plays into political decision making has enabled us to steer the green transition in cost-effective ways, without compromising economic growth."
Photos: Johannes Jansson/norden.org
and Sigurður Ólafsson/norden.org