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A is for The Apartments – We're a family run, boutique serviced apartment company with over sixteen years experience, in two of London's most sought after locations, Chelsea & Marylebone.
B is for Bedrooms – All our apartments have beautiful cosy bedrooms and comfy double-beds, perfect for a good night's sleep. The second bedroom in our two bedroom apartments can be a double or a twin.
C is for Chelsea – Chelsea is one of London?s most desirable locations, with its former reputation as London's bohemian quarter, and the haunt of artists, radicals, painters and poets. World renowned for 60's swinging Chelsea, it?s shopping and football club, our Chelsea serviced apartments are located right in the heart of Chelsea, just seconds from the King's Road.
D is for Dining Out – All our apartments in both Chelsea and Marylebone, are within easy reach of many of London's premier restaurants. Our favourite, the Michelin star Locanda Locatelli (under head chef Giorgio Locatelli), is situated just minutes from our Marylebone serviced apartments.
E is for Eating In – Each our apartments have beautiful, fully equipped modern kitchens.
F is for Family – Our two bedroom, two bathroom apartments are ideal for families on vacation.
G is for Gloucester Place – Our Marylebone (Regent's Park) apartments are located on Gloucester Place, just a few minutes walk from Marylebone Station, Baker Street, Lords Cricket Ground, the Central London Mosque and Regent's Park.
H is for Home – We have many regular returning guests at The Apartments, they call us their 'home away from home'. Come and find out why.
I is for Independence – One of the joys and advantages of staying in an apartment over an hotel, is the ability to be truly free and independent. We offer great value when compared to London hotels, and you get an apartment all to yourself.
J is for Junior – Each of our apartment types are available as Junior (and Senior). Junior apartments cost a little less and are little smaller.
K is for Kitchen – All our apartments come with fully fitted kitchens and modern appliances.
L is for Linen – Come and have a great night's sleep in our comfy beds and freshly laundered linen. We change that linen for you every week, guaranteed.
M is for Marylebone – Marylebone has become one of London's most desirable and trendy areas. Our serviced apartments in Marylebone are split between Marylebone Central and Marylebone Regent's Park. The Marylebone Central apartments are situated on Chiltern Street and Crawford Street, and the Marylebone Regent's Park apartments are situated on Gloucester Place.
N is for No Nonsense – That's us. We're just a straightforward, family run, boutique serviced apartment business with over 16 years experience. We're here to help!
O is for Online – It's very easy to book our apartments online, and that's also where you'll find our special offers. Of course, we're always happy to speak to you too.
P is for Pets – We do allow small dogs in just a small number of specific apartments. Apart from that we don't normally allow pets, sorry. However, that doesn't mean we don't love them as much as you.
Q is for Questions? – Everything you need to know is at our serviced apartment FAQ's – or just give us a call and we'll be pleased to help.
R is for Relocations – A short-let serviced apartment is perfect for those relocating.
S is for Serviced – We specialise in Serviced Apartments. This means you get all the freedom of your own apartment, complete with modern bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens, but with a housekeeping service, just like you get in a hotel.
T is for Transport & Transfers – All our apartments are very close to many London transport links, making them ideally located to access the whole city. Also, ask about airport transfers, we do those too!
U is for Underground – All our apartments are close to London Underground stations, making it very easy to get around.
V is for Vacation – Both our two central London locations are perfectly located for exploring the whole city, making them the ideal holiday home.
W is for Wifi – We offer complimentary wireless broadband in all our apartments.
X is for X-ray – We hope you never have to come to London for medical reasons. If you do, all our Marylebone apartments are a short walk to London's prime medical centre centred around Harley Street. Our Chelsea apartments are within easy reach of Chelsea & Westminster hospital, the Royal Marsden and the Lister Hospital.
Y is for You – Our priority is you. Our friendly staff are here to help, in person, on the telephone or online. We even have a 24 hour helpline for emergencies for guests. You can take a look at our staff here – https://uk.pinterest.com/theapartmentsuk/the-apartments-team/
Z is for Zebra – Just like Zebras, we've earned our stripes. We?ve been doing what we do for over 16 years, come and find out why our regular guests call us their 'Home Away From Home'.
Hopefully you found our A to Z of serviced apartments both interesting and useful. If you do have any more question or are interested in booking give us a call on 0843 218 5060 and we'll be able to assist.
The Apartments by Prestige
8 Hansard Mews
London W14 8BJ
Email UsCompany No: 10909202 Registered in England and Wales
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Corporate Membership is for three members of the same organization with one member being a National APA Member. Each additional member up to three pays $40 each for a total of six per Corporate membership for a total of $260.
New Membership
NOTE: The application for membership is a two-step process.
You must complete the membership form AND submit payment via PayPal.
Please click here to apply for an individual membership. Please click here to apply for a corporate membership.
Renewal of Membership
For renewals, please pay via the PayPal buttons & update your information as necessary in the Member Area.
Kindly forward a copy of your PayPal receipt to [email protected]
$65 ATL Chapter Membership Dues (Natl APA Mbr)

subset: commoncrawl


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For Release: Friday, May 12, 2017
DEC Issues Guidance to Keep Drugs out of New York's Waters
New Guidance Will Help Public, Pharmacies, and Health Care Facilities Properly Manage Unwanted or Expired Pharmaceuticals
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today issued guidance for pharmacies and the public to keep unused drugs out of New York's waters. The guidance was prepared in consultation with the State Department of Health (DOH) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The guidance is available on DEC's Don't Flush Your Drugs website.
"Safely disposing of unwanted medications is an easy way for pharmacies, health care facilities, and the public to help protect water quality and safeguard public health and safety," said DEC Commissioner Seggos. "Many New Yorkers want to properly dispose of their unwanted drugs, but collection events and locations are not always convenient."
DEC urges all pharmacies to become authorized collectors of unwanted drugs, under the United States Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Controlled Substances Disposal Rule and to install collection boxes to accept unused pharmaceuticals from the public. Alternatively, pharmacies can provide free or low cost mail-back envelopes to the public.
The new guidance will assist the public, pharmacies, and health care facilities to properly manage unwanted drugs. It also reminds pharmacies, other retailers, and veterinarians of requirements to post notices to comply with New York's Drug Management and Disposal Act.
Earlier this year, DEC announced two related initiatives to assist retail pharmacies protect public health and the environment. DEC launched a pilot pharmaceutical take-back program earlier this year. In the program, DEC will purchase medication collection boxes for participating pharmacies to install in their retail businesses. DEC will also cover the cost for pick-up, transport, and destruction of all collected waste pharmaceuticals by a DEA-registered reverse distributor for a period of two years.
Under the second initiative, DEC invited pharmacies to participate in a special Environmental Audit Incentive program to improve hazardous waste handling. As part of the Audit Agreement, participating retail pharmacies are required to make a good faith effort to adopt a system for collecting waste pharmaceuticals from consumers. This includes the installation of DEA-compliant medication collection boxes.
"The state, and nation for that matter, are in the grips of an opioid epidemic," said DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. "By disposing of unwanted medications appropriately, we can cut down the availability of these drugs as well as others. Allowing unwanted drugs to languish in medicine cabinets raises the risk that they will land in the wrong hands."
The DEC guidance asks the public to return unused, unwanted, or expired pharmaceuticals to pharmacies or Law Enforcement stations that offer collections or to use mail-back returns. If neither option is possible, the drugs may be disposed of in the trash following instructions in the guidance. The guidance also provides detailed recommendations for the public and certain health care institutions to properly dispose of unwanted, unused, or expired medications. Furthermore, it reminds retail businesses that sell prescription or over-the-counter drugs, including pharmacies, grocery stores, and veterinary offices, of the need to comply with the provisions of the New York State Drug Management and Disposal Act. Specifically, they must post a notice wherever prescription or over-the-counter drugs are sold.
Until recently, consumers were told to flush unwanted drugs. With technological advances and increased water quality research, low levels of medications have been detected in lakes, streams, and rivers. Many drugs pass largely unaltered through wastewater treatment plants and enter rivers and other waterways. Drugs from heath care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, and farms can also reach the water. Although the health and environmental consequences are still being studied, current research is beginning to show correlations between continuous exposure to low levels of medications and adverse impacts to the health of affected fish and other aquatic wildlife.
In addition, the use and abuse of prescription medication is on the rise and can result in addictions to illegal drugs such as heroin. Properly disposing of unused, unwanted, and expired drugs cuts down on the chances that these pharmaceuticals are used inappropriately.
Senator Tom O'Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats), Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, said, "Ongoing efforts at the local, federal and state levels to encourage and facilitate the responsible and safe disposal of unused prescription drugs are critical to the fight against heroin and opioid abuse and addiction. As a member of the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, I appreciate every state-level initiative to complement and support the efforts of our local law enforcement leaders to further encourage the proper collection and disposal of unwanted drugs."
Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Port Jefferson), Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee, said, "Properly disposing of pharmaceuticals provides benefits for both public health and the environment - helping to prevent drug abuse and contributing to water quality. Protecting water quality is a priority and helping to prevent contamination, as is the case with effective drug disposal, is an important component. It is always better policy and less expensive to prevent pollution than to have to pay to remediate it."
DEC continues to proactively address this issue though the 'Don't Flush Your Drugs' campaign and targeted collections by DEC Law Enforcement professionals at long-term health care facilities in the New York City Watershed and on Long Island.
For more information on Safe Medication Disposal for Households, including drop box locations, visit DEC's website.


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Krikorian: Problem with Haiti- slavery ended too soon
Over the past ten days much has been written about Haiti's troubled past, the ramifications and causes of it's crushing poverty and political instability, and the historical role many nations have played in perpetuating it's suffering.
Of course coupled with these lessons in colonial, and post-colonial geo-political history have been the expected wingnut assertions like those of Pat Robinson about Haiti's "pack with the devil"
But now, thanks to Mark Krikorian, of the Center for Immigration Studies, a far-right "think tank" opposed to immigration, we get this little tidbit of neo-colonial/white-man's burden analysis of why Haiti remains the poorest nation in the hemisphere:
From NRO:
Why isn't Haiti like Jamaica or Barbados? Those places certainly have their problems, but they're not dystopian like Haiti.....
My guess is that Haiti's so screwed up because it wasn't colonized long enough. The ancestors of today's Haitians, like elsewhere in the Caribbean, experienced the dislocation of de-tribalization, which disrupted the natural ties of family and clan and ethnicity. They also suffered the brutality of sugar-plantation slavery, which was so deadly that the majority of slaves at the time of independence were African-born, because their predecessors hadn't lived long enough to reproduce.
But, unlike Jamaicans and Bajans and Guadeloupeans, et al., after experiencing the worst of tropical colonial slavery, the Haitians didn't stick around long enough to benefit from it. (Haiti became independent in 1804.). And by benefit I mean develop a local culture significantly shaped by the more-advanced civilization of the colonizers.
According to Krikorian, if only the pesky Haitians had abandoned their fight for freedom (as the only successful slave revolt and revolution in history) and remained under the whip for another 40 years like their counterparts in other former slave colonies, they would have had time to absorb the greater wisdom and culture of their oppressors, and their nation wouldn't be the basket case of the western hemisphere it is today.
No mention made of the harsh reparations the ex-slaves were forced to pay their former masters (equal to $21 billion in today's dollars) that took from 1825 to 1947 pay and crippled Haiti's economy for more than a century. No acknowledgement that a successful slave revolt and revolution of colonial peoples of color in the late eighteenth-early nineteenth century was more frightening to the ruling powers of the time than any Taliban or Al Qaeda could ever be today, and all efforts were made to isolate the tiny nation in order prevent the spread of revolt and revolution to the rest of the occupied world. No insight into the years of foreign interference, domination, and manipulation of the Haitian political system by European and US government and corporate interests.
Nope... The Hatians, like their black brothers and sisters in certain areas of deep dark Africa, just never managed to absorb the wisdom and knowledge of their white colonial benefactors according to Krikorian.
But, thankfully, Mr. Krikorian offers up a solution to this lack of proper schooling of the poor, ignorant Haitian people in the white mans ways.... return them back to paternalistic colonial control until such time as they can make it on their own.
So what can we do about it? As much as we'd like to go back to ignoring the place, we can't, if for no other reason than a continually dysfunctional Haiti means boat people in Miami.....
But if Haiti's problem is a stunted, dysfunctional culture caused by an interrupted process of colonial development, then it follows that a solution would be to resume colonialism...
...but, as we've found in Iraq, Americans just don't do colonies very well. In fact, the time of conventional colonization is past — it's not just that the Haitians value their independence, nominal though it might be; it's that there's no developed nation who'd want to bother.
Instead, Haiti needs to become a like U.N. Trust Territory, essentially putting it into receivership. Unlike past examples, Haiti wouldn't be administered by a single nation but rather collectively, perhaps by the OAS, since the U.N. is almost as feckless as Haiti itself. This is the de facto situation now, with the complete absence of national government, but by formalizing it, the needed "intrusive paternalism" might be more likely.
As ridiculous as Krikorian's assertions are, his mere spouting off of this kind of archaic, white-mans-burden drivel, raises one very serious question:
Why is this nut, and the organization he runs, still viewed as in any way credible on any issue.
Why is he called before Congress to testify as an expert witness on anything. Why are his groups "studies" and statements taken at all seriously by anyone in both the media or government.
How much longer will it be, and how many times must we listen to his lies, racism, and distortions before he and the rest of the puppets in the Tanton network of anti-immigration front groups are finally discredited and relegated to the dustbin of history, just like his paternalistic, colonial view of the world.


text: jamespetts 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2016 I need a new backup solution at home as my current 1Tb backup drive is full. I also do not currently have any offsite backup capability, which is a vulnerability. I do, however, in connexion with my work as a barrister (lawyer) need to backup confidential information and information that is subject to the Data Protection Act, which means that it needs to be encrypted, either self-stored or stored with a reputable provider, and in any event, not stored outside the European Union. That information is not very great in volume (a few Gb at most, but it will grow over time; I need to be able to erase it completely after six years but not before). Less sensitive but much more bulky are the products of my hobby of photography, and my large and increasing number of pictures stored in RAW format, as well as my Lightroom catalogue, etc. It is this later category that has exhausted my backup capability. I currently use a WD MyBook which is in my house, connected to my desktop computer through a second network interface port in the computer, and not directly connected to the internet. The data on it are not encrypted, but it has an element of physical separation from the internet. There are two independent CAT-5 connexions going from my under-stairs cupboard (where the MyBook and router both are) to my study (where my desktop computer is). I also have a Synology DiskStation (a 215j, I believe), which is connected to the internet, and which has a further copy of my professional files (encrypted), and some other miscellaneous things, but was not intended for general backup use, but rather as personal cloud storage for my professional data to synchronise with my tablet and desktop computer in chambers. It has 2Tb of storage space, which, whilst enough for my photographs now, may well not be enough a few years in the future, and I should in any event prefer additional redundancy. One solution that I had contemplated was to obtain a further two Synology NAS devices, and install one in my understairs cupboard and one in my parents' house (they have the same sort of WD My Book as I for backup), and use each others' NAS for offsite backup for both of us. However, my parents' internet connexion has only 1Mbps upload and 10Mbps download (which could be improved to 1.9Mbps and 21Mbps respectively with a fibre connexion), and I suspect that this, especially the upload speed, will not be enough. I find the WD MyBook to be unreliable at times: sometimes it will stop responding and need to be reset, and other times it will not be able to be found on the network for a while. The software that I use (Oops! Backup) is also not very good in that the versioning does not seem to work: iI tried once to recover an old version of a file that had become corrupted, and the system purportedly had the delta of the old version stored, but it refused to restore it, giving an incomprehensible error message. Does anyone have any recommendations? How might my parents take advantage of offsite backup given their poor upload speed (mine at home is rather better)? What sort of device might better replace my full MyBook? Can anyone recommend good backup software that will handle both onsite and offsite backup simultaneously? It should be noted that my desktop at home runs Windows 7 and my parents' desktop computers run Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (which is likely to be upgraded to 16.04 LTS when that is released). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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FHSU celebrates diversity with Chinese New Year celebration
HAYS, Kan. -- Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Fort Hays State University with several events that will bring Chinese dance, music and food to the Hays community.
As part of the celebration, several events are planned for Feb. 13 in the Black and Gold Room in Memorial Union on the FHSU campus. A dumpling party from 6 to 7:30 p.m. will kick off the evening. At 7:30 p.m., Chinese students will ring in the new year with a special performance. Following that, a Chinese New Year video will be viewed. Admission is free and no ticket is required.
The Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center will host a myriad of performances in honor of the Chinese New Year on Sunday, Feb. 14. Performances include a peacock dance; traditional opera; a love song for Valentine's Day by the Chinese Student Association; a performance by Jackie Creamer's Dance Studio of Hays; music by local band "Crossfire;" a performance of three dances from the central region of Mexico by Los Girasoles; a demonstration of Tae Kwon Do by Sun Yi's Academy of Hays; and a traditional Turkish belly dance by the Turkish Student Association.
Tickets for the Feb. 14 performance are free, but capacity is limited. Tickets are available at the Student Service Center in Memorial Union, the Hays Public Library, and the Hays Daily News offices.


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Tuesday, December 28, 2010
It's A Wonderful Strip
I have shown and confessed my appreciation for and fascination with the work of Stan Lee here before. Although he was never the innovator the media have made him out to be, he was a remarkable man and a driven and sometimes inspired writer. Lately, his reputation has suffered somewhat of a backlash for his and other's claims that he created the Marvel Universe. His distractors usually start out by proving he isn't much of a writer by pointing to his many failures before he started working with Jack Kirby. This trend is a disservice to comic book and comic strip history, as he has created several things worth noting in both areas. His comic book work in the early fifties is not nearly as bad as it is made out to be by some. And in some cases, his stories are better written than those of his peers. Especially when he gave himself one page more than those other writers got. His 1956/7 Mad magazine imitation Snafu is not only very funny, iy has some of the best John Severin and Joe Maneely art you have ever seen. If Stan was good at anything, it was picking the right artist for the job and writring to his strengths. The same goes for his'forgotten' strip, Willie Lumpkin, which he did with Dan deCarlo. Lee had worked with deCarlo for many years on the 'dumb girl' books. DeCarlo's sexy girls and Lee dumb puns were a winning combination. For Willie Lumpkin they revived the dumb jokes, but weren't able to include the sexy girls, which may explain why it only lasted 15 month. Yeah, 15 months, not 'just over a year' or 'not even a year' as most biographies claim. As I said, the disdain poured over Lee's work has not done comic strip history a service.
I could and should write a larger article about this strip some day, but let me stick to the highlights here. Willie Lumpkin was started when Stan Lee read Mel Lazerus' new and modern strip Miss Peach an thought 'I can do that'. That though was the impetus to many of his projects, it seems. Miss Peach was not only drawn in a vigourously modern style, it also featured a new kind of gag. The strip was only one panel and the dialogue 'traveled' from one character to the next, until the last one gave the punchline. Stan Lee decided to try that principle for himself , probably when DeCarlo asked him to come up with something. Their first concept was about a cop on a street corner. A perfect fit for the Miss Peach style. People walking by on the street would have said stuff and Barney, the cop, would have been given the last word on his street corner. A great way for Stan Lee to practice what he was best at - people coming back with a witty reply to whatever was said. This way he could write the thing without looking for gags. They would just come to him.
Unfortunately, Barney was deemed to much of a big city figure, so Lee and DeCarlo moved the whole operation to a small town and instead of a street corner cop, they created a postman. He works outside as well, doesn't he? And he has a position of authority, hasn't he? Unfortunately, this didn't really work out. The whole one panel and traveling dialogue with comment idea was skipped after a few months and Lee and DeCarlo tried to make it into a more normal strip. Unfortunately, they didn't have a supporting cast for Willie, who was designed to be an outsider commenting on the people walking by. If he had been Clacy, the city street cop, it may have been more natural for there to be new people to comment on every day. But now he had a main character living in a small town. He had to know the people there and we would have to get to know them as well. But that woud mean Lee would have to abandon his plan of creating a format where he could just introduce any subject he wanted and make a joke about it. Instead he needed to create characters and have the humor come from them.
He tried with a family and for a short period, the strip started looking and reading like Hi and Lois. He also created a cast of co-workers for Willie, which were okay. But it was to late. The strip had lost too many papers. After 15 months it ended in april 1961 and Stan Lee had to think of some other way to try and get out of that dead end comic writing job of his...
But more about that later. Here are the first few strips from december 1959. When this strip was reprinted by Lee in some of the Marvel books, he always left out these early ones, which show the Miss Peach influence. Stylisticly it is interesting as well. Dan deCarlo's style before this looks a lot more like his style after this. So he may have been trying something new here, although I am not quite sure what it was. Unfortunately, I haven't got the Sundays for this period. Those that I have (and have shown earlier) show both deCarlo and Lee at their best. I hope one day someone will do a book of all of these. I couldn't think of a better reason to write my full article.
Mybe I'll even get to meet my hero, Stan Lee. Who, without my consciously knowing, has his 88th birthday today. Happy birthday Stan. May you stay as young as you appear.
2 comments:
- Brett Koth said...
In the 12/10 strip at the right end of the bar, that sure looks like Arthur (or his head, anyway) from the Miss Peach strip!
Wonderful samples!
- The Seditionist said...
I'm with you Ger. Given the volume of work during the Timely and Atlas years, and given his impeccable taste in artists and nearly so in storytelling, not too mention the Marvel Age, Lee is clearly one of the great comic book editors. For roughly the billionth time, the Lee/Kirby/Ditko gestalt is historic, and one of those 1+1=3 situations.
As a writer, what's interesting and somewhat overlooked is that he was in fact a second rate superhero writer (I mean including plotting -- as a scripter he's one of the greats). He was, however, a terrific humor writer and good soap opera-type writer -- which served him well. Even when he hacked it out, the scripting was still above average.
So he takes undue credit. Big deal. Some of it's ego, some is, well, crypto-legal. But as someone or other repeatedly has said: The work speaks for itself. 'Nuff said.


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Monday, November 28, 2016
Ben Murray-Bruce :Reduce Politicians' Salaries If Nigeria Must Work
Murray-Bruce is calling for the reduction of the salaries of political office holders.
"A leader opens himself to ridicule when he preaches made in Nigeria at a conference then is escorted to board his convoy of foreign cars! The recession is caused by the mentality of our leaders. If we want our healthcare to improve then let us stop paying politicians like me jumbo pay and instead pay doctors jumbo pay. If we want our education sector to improve let us stop paying politicians like me jumbo salary and rather pay teachers maximum allowances," Murray-Bruce said.
Posted by Leye Omole at 3:33 PM
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GB2RS and RSGB Christmas Schedule
There will be no GB2RS news readings on 29 December or 5 January. Normal service will be resumed on Sunday 12 January. RSGB HQ will close for the Christmas and New Year holiday at noon on Tuesday 24 December and re-open at 8.30am on Thursday 2 January.
Category: GB2RS Headlines


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Our youth are vital to the future of our community, which is why the City of Barrie provides youth friendly services and support.
Now, you can have your say and suggest youth services and programs that you feel would benefit someone in our community.
Find out what types of services are available to our youth, and click here to make a suggestion.
Other links:
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If Kristen Bell's generous gestures can teach us anything, it's this: Always be nice to your little sister.
The "Frozen" and "Good Place" actress recently teamed up with Houzz to surprise her big sister Sara with a brand-new basement--and it's all because Bell says she's always admired her older sibling.
"A little sister always looks up to her big sister, no matter what age you are," Bell told Houzz in the latest episode of their "My Houzz" webseries. "She's honestly, in my eyes, a superwoman."
Together with Houzz, Bell worked with Meadowlark Design+Build in Ann Arbor, Mich., to completely transform the basement of Sara's Detroit home into a family area for Sara, her husband Tom, and her four children.
"Sara hasn't had the time to reimagine it for the kids," said Bell, telling Houzz that her sister originally moved into the three-bedroom home 12 years ago, before she and Tom had kids.
As part of the renovation and remodel, Houzz reports that Bell removed walls, added a family area, created a nook under the staircase, built another bathroom, and installed a study space for Sara's kids. In addition, Meadowlark's contractors removed the drop ceiling, giving the rooms an extra 8 inches in height, and then painted the exposed rafters a brighter color.
Bell and the design team at Meadowlark also purchased nearly all the new furnishings for Sara's family's new space.
"I have been wanting to do something like this for my sister for a very long time," said Bell.
In the end, Bell's sister and all of her children were ecstatic with the family-friendly remodel.


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7:00 – 8:30 pm on Tuesday, Jan 16, 2018
Mountain Gear Headquarters (not the retail store)
6021 E Mansfield Ave, Spokane Valley
Jeff Lambert and Chris Kopczynski will present the past and present of the Dishman Hills as the Wild Heart of Spokane. The Mountaineers have recreated in the Hills since the 1920s! We will provide an update on the latest acquisitions. This event is sponsored by the Spokane Mountaineers and is free to everyone.
Chris starts with his story about how the Dishman Hills changed his life starting in 1964 with a chance meeting with the Mountaineers. The history of the Hills and the Mountaineers is intertwined with climbing & other recreation and conservation of a beloved area.
Jeff describes the successful efforts to protect conservation land after Tom Rogers founded the DHC in 1966. Jeff will also update everyone on the current status of land acquisitions to complete the conservation corridor linking the existing conservation areas.
Spectacular videos and photographs will accompany the presentation.
This free event is open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Thanks to Mountain Gear for providing the use of their beautiful atrium at their giant headquarters and warehouse facility at 6021 E. Mansfield Avenue in the Spokane Valley near Felts Field. It is located 3 blocks north of the intersection of Trent Avenue and Fancher Road. The entrance is on the south side of the building.
Call Jeff Lambert at 509 999-5100 for more information.


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Here's the problem with Spirit Airlines' new $5 fee for printing a boarding pass, according to Dennis Tucker. Not everyone has access to a PC and printer when they're on the road.
"And if you're in a hotel somewhere and your flights change, how are you supposed to do that?" he asks.
Well, there's a silver lining for printer-less passengers. Until next year, they can use one of Spirit's airport kiosks to print their paperwork at no extra charge. After June 26, 2012, it'll cost $1.
But Tucker is essentially right — if you don't have a PC, you'll have to pay.
There are no posts. Why not be the first to have your say?
Christopher Elliott has been called one of the world's leading travel experts. But his focus isn't on the destination, or ev…
Although being separated from my kids on a long flight appeals to me on one level, I am sensitive to the fact that it could be another passenger's worst nightmare.
Being separated from your family while you're traveling is every child's worst nightmare. Every parent's, too.
Mary is an in-house reservation agent for an upscale, full-service hotel in a major American city.
Anyone who thinks tarmac delays are dead was in for a little shock this week...
Three days on Isla del Sol, in Lake Titicaca; natural beauty and Inca legends
Differences in daily life between Canada and Peru
Iquitos: the largest and most popular jungle destination in Peru
Madrid's Festival of San Isidro has morphed from a religious procession to a full scale arts festival


text: Contents Field Service Management Previous Topic Next Topic Pick up an unassigned task Subscribe Log in to subscribe to topics and get notified when content changes. ... SAVE AS PDF Selected Topic Topic & Subtopics All Topics in Contents Share Pick up an unassigned task Agents can assign themselves nearby unassigned tasks directly from the agent task map. About this task Agents can assign themselves nearby unassigned tasks directly from the agent task map. This might be necessary to complete a schedule when a another task is cancelled or a fixed task window cannot be met. Make sure the task's scheduled start time and duration fit into your route and that the travel time is realistic. If the task does not fit into the available time slot in your schedule, the ServiceNow system blocks the assignment and displays a warning. Procedure To pick up an unassigned task, click a red icon near you and open the task record. Under Related Links, click Assign to me. If the task can be assigned to you, one of the following occurs: If you belong to more than one assignment group, you are asked to select a group. Only the assignment groups that belong to the dispatch group of the task are displayed. If you belong to only one assignment group, the system assigns the task to you and enters your assignment group in the Work Order Task form. If the assignment is allowed, the task state changes to Accepted, and the icon on the map turns green. In the task form, the Start Travel and Start Work links appear under Related Links. On this page Send Feedback Previous Topic Next Topic


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Shaded And Braided Resort Watch
$ 57.95
For the golden times when you are midst of nature, under the colorful skies, near a crystal blue Ocean..
Set the Shaded And Braided watch for Beach Time as it feels like a luxury Resort wear because of it's sweet and exotic combination of colors.. what a lovely way to look at time where you live each passing second with tranquility and truly wish the time stops forever..!
Now is the time to get one or more of these Resort Watches in various colors and you can sing Red, Pink, Purple and Blue, Make all my dreams come true..!
- The Watch has Quartz Movement with a second hand.
- It is made of Vegan Leather straps in variety of colors.
- The straps are braided together and decorated with tiny little shimmering crystals in three different shades for each watch.
- The strap generously measures 16 inches Long with 3 press buttons for adjustable closure.
- The dial is 1 inch Wide with Golden casing and Stainless Steel back.
- It comes in beautiful colorful combinations in BEAUTIFUL BEIGE, CROWN BROWN, ORCHID PINK, HOTTEST FUSCHIA, GOLDEN TIMES, POMEGRANATE RED, SUNSHINE ORANGE, CLASSIC BLACK AND TRUE BLUE.
- It comes in a gift bag for safe keeping and gift giving.


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Sass and Belle Enamel Do Something Amazing Today Fox Mug
Sass and Belle Enamel Do Something Amazing Today Fox Mug
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Sass and Belle Enamel Do Something Amazing Today Fox Mug, This retro enamel mug is quirky and cool, and will make all your friends jealous why sipping on your hot chocolate around your camp fire
The Enamel Lifes Do Something Amazing Today Fox Mug is a delightful and quirky mug.
This all-purpose enamel mug is unbreakable and therefore ideal for camping, picnics or for a gardening break! With a retro style print and a metallics rim, this lightweight and eye-catching mug is the perfect gift.
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Not for microwave use.
- Dimension - 7 x 9 cm
- Material - Enamel Coated Tin
- Colour - White/Cream, Red
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I should probably think twice before I toss around words like "ultimate"—there are a lot of raw mushroom burgers out there, and this is but one of them. With that said, it's probably my favorite raw burger so far, and I've got a bunch that I love: most recently, I posted a raw spinach burger that was pretty delicious. What I like about this burger is its "meatier" texture (most of my burgers are a little crumbly) and the earthy taste that comes from mushrooms and seasonings.
To be honest, I could have gotten a lot more creative with this burger. That is, I could have added more seasonings, more spice, more…stuff. But with my raw recipes, I nearly always come to a moment where I do a taste test, and in spite of knowing that I could do a lot more, I feel really good about the recipe just the way it is. Minimalism and raw eats go hand and hand.
So on that note, I'll skip the chatter: let's talk raw shroom burgers!!
Raw, Vegan Mushroom Burgers (vegan, raw, GF if you use GF tamari)
Serves 4
3 large portobello mushroom caps, chopped
2 tbsp tamari (I use low-sodium) or nama shoyu
2 tsps liquid smoke
1 tbsp agave
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup chopped carrot (or carrot pulp)
1/2 cup chopped celery (or celery pulp)
1 tsp rosemary or thyme
1) Mix the tamari, liquid smoke, agave, and ACV in a bowl. Add mushrooms and try to mix them well into this marinade. Let sit for about 2 hours.
2) In a food processor fitted with the S blade, grind pumpkin seeds till smooth.
3) Remove mushrooms from the marinade (reserving it) and add to the processor. Process till the mixture has very little texture, but isn't as smooth or uniform as a nut pate. If it's overly pasty, add a few tablespoons of water or your leftover marinade.
3) Add the carrot, celery, and thyme, and pulse to incorporate it all, still leaving some texture.
4) Shape into four patties and dehydrate at 115 for about 2 hours, flip, and keep dehydrating for another 3-4, or until they're the texture you like. Alternately, you can bake these at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, flipping once. Serve over greens, on some raw bread, or in a wrap sandwich!
No matter how you serve, these are a delicious and satisfying part of a meal, and especially appropriate for this time of year.
These are also a great use for carrot pulp, if you happen to be tired of making carrot cake muffins (which I'm so glad you guys liked!).
And now, it's time for me to wrap up the express post and get back to some biology. Till tomorrow, folks!


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Mangano deal would give Wang control
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and New York Islanders owner Charles Wang have reached a tentative agreement that could give Wang control of the entire 77-acre parcel of county-owned land surrounding Nassau Coliseum, people close to the talks said.
Under the terms of the preliminary deal, Wang would get the site exclusively for a new hockey arena and surface parking -- far less expensive to build than a garage or underground parking -- and no other development, according to two members of the Hub Advisory Committee, which was charged by Mangano to offer options for the project. However, terms of the agreement might still change because of objections to its lack of mixed-use, the sources said.
Nassau County administration sources said that future mixed-use development may be possible, subject to a request for proposals process that would be opened to developers other than Wang. But, the administration sources said, any additional development would have to replace the parking spaces on which it would sit.
In exchange for use of the site, Wang would provide a percentage of Coliseum revenue to the county. The deal includes a minimum annual payment, the sources said. The county has not released details on the size of the payment but has promised to do so in mid-June.
Nassau County spokesman Brian Nevin had no comment. Islanders Senior Vice President Michael Picker was unavailable for comment.
Advisory committee members expressed concern that the deal might result in a new arena and a parking lot -- and nothing else. The Islanders' current lease expires in 2015 and Wang says he potentially would move the team if a new Coliseum isn't built by then.
One committee member said the county executive has told several people "there wasn't going to be any development."
"Instead of being faced with the choice, 'Do you want a renovated Coliseum and smart growth development,' the issue now became, 'You can have the Islanders and nothing, or the Islanders had to leave,' " said the committee member, who asked not to be named. "With this, he might lose some of his really important supporters for that referendum. They want jobs and economic development."
The county has scheduled an Aug. 1 referendum to determine whether to borrow as much as $400 million to build a new Coliseum and a minor league ballpark.
Area business leaders interviewed expressed concern about a plan that didn't involve housing, commercial and office space, or retail.
"We should be concerned about paying $400 million by the taxpayers without getting a true mixed-use development," said Rich Bivone, the Nassau chairman of the Long Island Business Council and an advisory committee member. "We don't want to sign on to something and in five years or 10 years, we say, 'How did we get here?' "
At the center of the issue, several people said, is the cost of garage or underground parking. Structured parking lots cost $25,000 per space. The Coliseum area now houses almost 7,000 outdoor parking spaces, adding up to a $175 million price tag.
"Surface parking is always the cheapest," said economic consultant Martin Cantor, who is being paid to advise Nassau County on the Coliseum redevelopment. "All developers hate parking because they're losing the economic potential of the land."
Hub committee members said an arena and surface parking alone is not enough.
"To maximize or optimize development there, you're going to need structured parking," said John Cameron, chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Council and a committee member. "Otherwise you're looking at a sea of concrete."
Surface parking alone, he said, "would be a major mistake that would limit the economic development potential of the site."
Cameron, who noted that parking could be shared between area employees during the day and arena users at night, said he was hoping for high-tech or education-related development, which would complement the area's colleges.
And some said there could be room for such plans.
"At the end of the day, there will be development around there -- all of the details just need to be worked out," said a source close to the discussions.
But a Hub committee member said if there was the opportunity for development, it would only be because objections were recently raised.
"It's my belief that if nobody questioned it, we'd have a tremendous parking lot with no housing," the member said.
The details came as the Hub Advisory Committee postponed its first meeting, scheduled for Thursday. In an email to the committee, chairman Frank Zarb said "the extent to which any land remains available for other economic development" was "unknown."
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Willis wants to stay in F1
|Thursday, August 24th 2006, 15:13 GMT
Former Honda technical director Geoff Willis says he wants to stay in Formula One following his exit from the Japanese team this season.
You have viewed over 15 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.


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Managing Endangered Species
by John P. Rafferty
— Our thanks to the editors of the Britannica Book of the Year (BBOY) and John Rafferty for permission to republish this special report on the conservation of endangered species. This article first appeared online at Britannica.com and will be published in BBOY in early 2016.
The year 2015 was a challenging one for Earth's plants, animals, and other forms of life.
A report written by Mexican and American scientists supported what many ecologists had feared for a number of years—namely that Earth was in the midst of its sixth mass extinction. The most-recent mass extinction, the K–T (Cretaceous–Tertiary) extinction, occurred some 66 million years ago and ended the reign of the dinosaurs. While most scientists had not commented on whether the sixth extinction would end humanity's tenure on Earth, they had stated that multitudes of other forms of life, including several well-known plants and animals as well as species as yet unknown to science, might succumb.
In the study the authors assumed that the background (natural) rate of mammal extinction was 2 species per 10,000 species per century. The data that they observed, however, showed that the extinction rate for vertebrates as a whole since 1900 was between 22 and 53 times greater than the background rate. For fish and mammals, the authors estimated that the extinction rate was slightly more than 50 times greater than the background rate; for amphibians the rate might have been as high as 100 times above the background rate. …


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At Ochno we are reshaping the way the connected world looks and feels. Our vision removes the clutter and complexity of today's technology and offers plug and play benefits for everything. By building on cutting edge technology we are creating a new, yet familiar, experience unlike any other. Workplaces instantly up and running as soon you put a single cable into your computer or phone, lighting dynamically adapting throughout the day, and real time data streams painting pictures you have never seen before.
Utilizing the capabilities of the USB-C protocol we are innovating an infrastructure that not only powers your devices with everything they need, it also allows for control with incredible precision, a versatile platform to boost security and has substantial environmental benefits.
Ochno offer three main focus areas, about which you'll be able to read more shortly. Ochno Flexible Workplace means that Ochno is addressing the new workplace trends requiring personalized experience with people first approach. The target for Ochno Flexible Building is property owners who today face shorter lease time and encounter more tenants who need customized solutions. Ochno Sustainable Building is focused on property owners aiming for sustainability through alternative energy sources and optimized efficiency.
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More info coming soon!
More info coming soon!
Ochno was founded by Rayhan and Olof Ermis, who envisioned a much simpler and more versatile connected future. Today they have been joined by a team of dedicated shareholders and have set out to disrupt the current landscape of solutions. We are happy to invite new employees on our voyage and offer both the possibility to become a shareholder and a favorable options program that will make sure that you benefit from the commercial successes of our company.
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At the heart of Ochno is a team determined to change the world. Every single member is crucial and while our wide range of expertises vary remarkably, it is the drive to challenge and surpass ourselves that unites us. Come join us in reshaping the way the connected world looks and feels.


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FUNA tradional pub for all the family
On those sunny days eat, drink and make merry in our wonderful country garden. We have a play area for the children and more than enough green space for a game of football, to let off steam and let the imagination run wild!
For those quieter moments we also have drawings waiting to be coloured in.
Whether you want to be absorbed in the padded luxury of the leather sofas or relax at the bar whilst the children play in the children's outdoor play area, there is something for the whole family to enjoy.
Don't Be Shy. Get In Touch.
For more information or to make a booking please email us via this website or call us on 01934 835558
A member of our team will be happy to help with your enquiry.


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Mitsubishi Motors has presented an ambitious growth plan for the next three years, called "Drive for Growth". According to this plan, the brand will invest more than 600 billion Yen (€ 4,5 billion / US$ 5.3 billion), of which R&D spending will increase by 50% to € 1 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) to develop six all-new models (including the recently launched Eclipse Cross crossover for the US and Europe, and the Xpander MPV for Indonesia) and significantly update five existing models. As a result of this product offensive, worldwide sales should increase by 40% to 1,3 million units in 2020 and the company expects to return to profitability with a profit margin of 6% by the 2019 fiscal year. This is the first business plan by Mitsubishi since Nissan took a controlling 34% share in its struggling rival in 2016. According to Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko "this is an ambitious program to maximize our strengths in growing product segments, especially four-wheel drive, and to pursue growth in markets where our brand has strong potential, particularly the ASEAN region." [Read more…]
Paris Auto Show premieres: Hot or Not?
Next weeks the doors of the oldest auto show in the world will open its doors to the public again: the biennial Paris Auto Show. Despite breaking through the 1 million visitors barrier the last time around in 2014, a number of brands have cancelled their stands this year, most notably Ford, Mazda and Volvo, but also many exotic brands: Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce. Still, there's plenty of news with 4 major premieres and a bunch of interesting concept cars. Bart and Kriss will give their vote of Hot or Not to the most relevant of them. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Audi Q5
After 8 years it's time to replace the very successful Audi Q5, and why change a winning formula? As we've come to expect from Audi, the design of the new Q5 is very evolutionary, with the overall shape staying the same, but a stronger and more swooping crease in the sides and a more pronounced grille. The Q5 sheds some weight compared to the outgoing version and the interior is even more refined.
Bart: So-so
It's not ugly like the Q2 and Q7, what was good in the old Q5 has been left alone and they've improved the things I didn't like too much. Impressive how an 8-year old design needs just such subtle changes to remain fresh. But it's just not very sexy or mindblowing, so I struggle to call it Hot.
Kriss: Hot
It's no secret that I am a fan of evolutionary design, something that's normal for most high-end consumer products (think appliances, fountain pens, Apple products, eyewear) but somehow gets lambasted for cars. The new Q5 is a perfect example of that – it takes what was good about the previous model (stance, proportions, gently bulging fenders) and gives it a more modern touch with sharper creases, a clamshell bonnet, and Audi's new "3D" grille it now gives its crossovers. That it's lighter and roomier is just the icing on top of the cake.
Nissan will control Mitsubishi. What's going to happen next?
It shouldn't really surprise anybody that Mitsubishi finally got taken over by a larger auto maker, the brand was simply too small and too irrelevant in the world's most important markets to survive on its own. But the way Nissan played its cards was a stroke of genius, whether intentional from the get-go or just improvising on the opportunity at hand. Mitsubishi has supplied its bigger rival with Japanese market minicars ("Kei" cars, as described in my article on the Japanese auto culture) since 2011 and when Nissan was testing the pre-production next generation cars they found some irregularities with the reported fuel economy figures. This led to a public scandal in which Mitsubishi had to admit some of its engineers had been using a trick with tire pressures for the past 25 years to overstate fuel economy of its Japanese market cars (and perhaps some cars sold outside of Japan), causing Mitsubishi's share prices on the stock market to almost halve. Nissan then scooped up 34% of these shares at the heavily discounted price for a controlling stake to become Mitsubishi's largest single shareholder. It'll take a few months to complete the takeover, and there are still quite a few issues to be handled before the deal will be finalized, but looking ahead: what will Nissan do with Mitsubishi? [Read more…]
IAA Frankfurt report: Crossovers
Bentley Bentayga
The Bentayga is the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world according to Bentley, a statement which could very well be true. The production version of the EXP 9 F Concept is based on the platform of the new Audi Q7, but designed, engineered and handcrafted in Crewe. It sits on the 2,992 mm wheelbase of the Q7, while the overall car length is 5,141 mm, its width is 1,998 mm and height 1,742 mm. It can be selected with four- or five-seat configurations. The four-seat version features two individual rear seats that adjust in 18 different ways and include massage and ventilation functions as well as footrests. The storage space features a leather-trimmed folding seat that matches the style of the cabin seats, according to Bentley "Ideal for those wishing to stop for a moment and enjoy a spectacular outdoor environment or pursuit". A 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine with a power output of 608 hp and 900 Nm torque powers the SUV, with which it could achieve a top speed of 301 km/h and accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. The engine is mated to an eight-speed transmission, while the CO2-emissions are 292 g/km. In the future Bentley will launch diesel and hybrid variants.
European sales 2014 January – September Midsized SUV segment
The midsized crossover segment is still enjoying a healthy growth pace, increasing sales 11% in the first three quarters of 2014, as 14 models in the top-20 have sold more units than they did in the same period last year.
The first model to lose sales is the Nissan Qashqai which has suffered from a model change-over to its second generation. I had expected the new model to have picked up the pace by now and to have returned into positive territory by now, but it has fallen below 20% segment share instead. Considering the last quarter of the year is traditionally the slowest, the Qashqai may fall below the 200.000 annual sales mark for the first time since 2009. But even if it does so, it won't be by more than 5.000 units. Perhaps the successful introduction of the 7-seater Nissan X-Trail as a replacement to both the outgoing X-Trail and the extended wheelbase Qashqai+2 is hurting sales of its smaller sibling. The X-Trail has already more than doubled its volume of last year and was up into 13th place in September, ready to move past the C4 Aircross and Forester by the end of the year. [Read more…]
European sales 2014 January – September Compact segment
After nine months, the European compact car segment is still up 10%, outperforming the market and, with over 1,7 million units sold, still the second largest segment of the continent.
As expected, the VW Golf continues to lead over its rivals by a large margin, and even increasing its share of the segment to 23%, which means almost one in every four compact cars sold in Europe is a Golf. The Ford Focus had an excellent month of September thanks to the strong UK market, but it was outsold by the Skoda Octavia in both July and August. With Octavia sales up one third and Focus sales stable year-to-date, the Focus desperately needs the upcoming facelift to fend off its Czech rival next year.
The Opel/Vauxhall Astra is still waiting for its replacement and is in danger of losing its fourth place to the Peugeot 308 next year, as the latter is coming closer and closer. However, the 308 can't afford not to look in its mirrors, as the Seat Leon is charging ahead as well, now having passed the ageing Renault Megane for sixth place. The Megane was also outsold by the Toyota Auris in August and September and may lose another spot by the end of the year. That should give some consolation to the best selling Asian compact, which has been kicked down from 6th to 8th this year.
The Hyundai i30 and Kia Cee'd lose more than 10.000 units of their volume each, although their replacements won't be due until at least 2016. [Read more…]
European sales 2014 first half Midsized SUV segment
The success of small crossovers is not hurting sales of midsized models, as these types of vehicles enjoyed an increase of 10% in the first half of 2014, exactly the same growth rate of compact cars, the segment most buyers of these vehicles are expected to switch away from.
The new generation Nissan Qashqai, the traditional leader of the segment, has helped the model reduce its sales decline to just 3%, which will undoubtedly be turned into a sales increase by the next quarter, let alone by the end of the year. The Qashqai is on its way to a record year, breaking the 208.649 units it sold in 2011, the second of four consecutive years (and counting) above the 200.000 mark.
The Volkswagen Tiguan continues to impress and is enjoying its best first half ever, which means 2014 could be a record year for the already 7-year-old model. [Read more…]
European sales 2014 first half compact segment
The compact segment is up 10% in the first half of 2014, despite rumors that consumers would leave the segment in droves to buy crossovers and SUV's.
Among the biggest gainers of the segment are the VW-Group siblings Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia (up two spots to an amazing third position) and Seat Leon, together accounting for over 94.000 of the segment's 104.000 units growth. On top of that, the slightly smaller Skoda Rapid has gained another two spots thanks to the introduction of the Spaceback hatchback version to make it 4 VW-Group cars in the top-10.
The Golf is still the biggest gainer of the segment in absolute numbers, and it's on track to sell over half a million units in Europe for the first time in 10 years. Other notable gainers are the European Car of the Year Peugeot 308, with the recently introduced station wagon version boosting sales even further, although I don't expect it to threaten the Opel/Vauxhall Astra for fourth place. [Read more…]
Peugeot trimming its line-up a smart move?
Unlike many other brands, which are adding models to fill up every possible niche, Peugeot has changed its strategy to focus on fewer models, and focusing on segments in which the brand can compete successfully across the globe, increasing economies of scale. Carlos Tavares, the new CEO of PSA Peugeot-Citroën who is responsible for bringing the company back into profitable territory, has outlined a number of strategies to turn the company around, and one of them is to increase transaction prices.
This strategy is designed to evolve Peugeot from a regular mainstream brand into an upper-class mainstream brand, to avoid the buzz-word "premium", as every mainstream manufacturer appears to be aiming for a premium image. Tavares wants to be able to raise transaction prices of Peugeot cars in Europe to match those of its competitor Volkswagen, whereas they are trailing the German brand by almost 7%. His aim is to decrease this deficit to 4,7% in 2016 and to less than 3% in 2020. These increased prices should contribute directly to the company's bottom line, as production costs remain at a similar level. According to Tavares, the technology and quality of the 208 subcompact, 2008 small crossover and 308 compact are already on par with Volkswagen's and therefore help improve the Peugeot brand image. [Read more…]
European sales 2014-Q1 Midsized SUV segment
Sales of midsized crossovers and SUVs in Europe keep on growing, up another 8% in the first three months of 2014. And underscoring the stability of the segment, the top 5 ranking is stable, with the Nissan Qashqai still firm in the lead, despite sales down 13% due to run-out mode for the outgoing model while deliveries of the new generation have just started. This new generation will undoubtedly keep the British-built crossover in first position for the full year, and get it back into positive territory as well, selling over 200.000 units for the fifth straight year.
Surprisingly, the already over 6 years old Volkswagen Tiguan manages to outperform the market at +15% to stay in second position, well above its South-Korean competitors Kia Sportage and Hyundai ix35, both being updated this year with minor exterior changes and more fuel efficient engines. The Ford Kuga is the biggest gainer in the top 5, fighting off the still charging Mazda CX-5 which manages to increase it sales by over a third after already almost doubling last year. The CX-5 has therefore moved up the charts from 11th position in 2012 to 6th in the first quarter of 2014. [Read more…]


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All information related to your account will be removed based on existing Tropo Privacy Policies, which in general specify that most data will be deleted 30 days after account closure, but billing information may be kept much longer in order to reconcile any final payments and refunds. However, in this particular situation we will maintain account data for up to 60 days to ensure you're able to retrieve all necessary files before the account is deleted. Please refer to our Privacy Data Sheet for more details.
What happens to the information Cisco knows about me after Tropo closes? Are log files, cdrs, user account info, credit card info, etc being stored or deleted?
akalsey -


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Manufacturer: Kloster-Veilsdorf Porcelain Factory
Modeler: Wenzel Neu
Date: c.1764-1765
Overall: 13.7 x 6.3 x 6 cm (5 3/8 x 2 1/2 x 2 3/8 in.)
Medium: hard-paste porcelain, enamel, and gold.
Credit Line: Gift of George and Helen Gardiner
Origin:Germany, Thuringia, Kloster-Veilsdorf
Object number: G83.1.894
DescriptionA Kloster Vielsdorf figure of Harlequin by Wenzel Neu, shown bending forward and leaning against a green tree trunk with the right hand raised to his ear. He is holding a hat and sword in his left hand and wears a black cap and long jacket painted in pale purple with flower-patterned trousers. There is a moulded base.
In Collection(s)


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It's official. I. am. a. grown. up.
30 feels like a proper grown up age doesn't it? It's an age that has always felt really far away.
It's the age I always looked to when thinking about my life goals and aspirations - the things I want to achieve "before I'm 30". My list was always the standard - marriage, house, babies. I'm sure those of you who have read my old diary posts will not be surprised by the fact that my goals revolved around finding a man and settling down.
Based on those goals I'm pretty sure teenage me would be disappointed that I'm not living in a big house with my husband and 3 kids, but I'd tell her that it really doesn't matter. These things will happen when they're meant to happen.
As I said in my Reasons to be Cheerful post, it's really all about how you look at things. If I were to focus on the fact that I'm not exactly where I hoped I would be when I turned 30 then I'd spend my birthday feeling pretty shit about myself. But I'm not. I'm thinking about all of the things I've achieved over the last 10 years, about all of the exciting things I've got to look forward to, and about the fact that I'm happy. Really really happy. And that's the important thing.
When I think back to being 20 it's crazy how much my life has changed in 10 years. When I turned 20 I was in my second year of a Psychology degree at Edinburgh University, living with friends and juggling a couple of part-time jobs (Debenhams home department, the ticket office & cloakroom at the student union, and Residents Assistant in uni accommodation), and I spent several nights a week drinking WKD's at Cav and The Big Cheese.
In the next few years I'd graduate university, get my first proper job in digital marketing, fall in and out of various relationships, eventually meeting "the one" at 23, within six months we'd be living together and then six years later, the day before my 29th birthday, we'd get engaged.
In the next few years I'd graduate university, get my first proper job in digital marketing, fall in and out of various relationships, eventually meeting "the one" at 23, within six months we'd be living together and then six years later, the day before my 29th birthday, we'd get engaged.
On a personal level I've grown up a lot over those 10 years and I feel like my twenties were definitely about finding myself. And yes I realise how cheesy that sounds. In my early twenties I was very much a people pleaser, I'd say yes to anything and was happy to just go along with what everyone else wanted to do. I didn't really hold any strong opinions about anything, I didn't read the news and had no interest in current affairs or politics (I didn't even vote!). I was super laid-back and easy going about everything - happy to just float along and take life as it came.
As I turn 30 I feel like I'm some ways I haven't really changed at all, but in others I'm a completely different person. For the most part I think a lot of the elements of my personality have just grown and matured over the years, which I guess is the same for most people. So yes I'm still a bit of a people pleaser, but I won't just blindly go along with a group and I definitely make my opinion heard a lot more. I'm still pretty laid-back, but at the same time I'm a serious planner and am known for being super organised. I'm a lot more strong minded and opinionated, but without being loud or outspoken. My interests have also matured, sometimes I even choose to watch Newsnight ;)
I feel like I'm moving into my 30's with a clear idea of who I am and where I want to be, it might be different to how I expected, but hey that's ok.
So teenage me, I'm sorry that I didn't get married at 25 like you'd hoped - but do you realise how unrealistic that was - have you got any idea how expensive weddings are?!
I'm sorry I don't have a little brood of kids yet - but I'm not quite ready to give up my Sunday morning lie ins or hours spent on the sofa watching Netflix, or random weekend adventures, or last minute pub nights, or selfishly spending my wages on clothes and makeup. There's no rush!
I'm sorry I don't own my own house - but hey if something in my flat breaks all I need to do is call the landlord and he'll send someone out to fix it FOR FREE.
And I'm sorry that I'm not a size 10, but at least my chubby little face still looks young (and bonus - no wrinkles).
You might be further disappointed to learn that I've had to start dyeing my hair blonde again to hide my increasing greys.
And that the last time I went to a nightclub I actually said "I mean this isn't even music, it's just noise".
And that I couldn't name or recognise any songs in the current top 10.
And that these days I choose holiday destinations based on the food and culture rather than nightlife.
So I might not be in the exact place I thought I would be by the time I'm 30, but what I do have is a job that I love where I have great prospects and get to travel; a loving family; great friends - some that I've known for a decade, some I've just met in the last year (yeah, who knew you could still make new friends at 30!); and last but by no means least, a wonderful fiancé who loves me more than I thought possible, who makes me laugh every day, who I'm excited to come home to every night, and on the 19th of September we will become husband and wife and it won't matter what comes next, because the important thing is that we be together for the rest of our lives. How's that for exciting?


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Today in the ArtZany! Radio studio Paula Granquist features the 2018 Northfield Sidewalk Poetry Contest winners and Poem in Your Pocket.
Art Zany! Radio for the Imagination 04-27-18
2018 Sidewalk Poetry Contest Winners
The Arts and Culture Commission of Northfield, in partnership with the Friends and Foundation of the Library, announce the following winners of this year's contest: Becky Boling, Avery Eastvold, Steven McCown, Julie Ryan, Marie Vogel Gery.
The winning poems will be on display at the Northfield Public Library and City Hall. They will also be posted on the ACC page of the City of Northfield website and on the website of the Friends and Foundation of the Library. Copies of the poems will also be shared with local media. Poems will be installed in City sidewalks over the spring and summer, as weather permits. Following the installation of this year's winning poems, a Sidewalk Poetry celebration will take place on Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 7 pm on Bridge Square in downtown Northfield.
2018 Poem in Your Pocket
This week marks the fifth year of Northfield's Arts and Culture Commission's participation in the national Poem in Your Pocket Day, as established by the Academy of American Poets. In sixteen locations, Northfielders will have the opportunity to select poems to take with them for sharing with others. Included in the boxes are not only poems penned by the winning poets in Northfield's Sidewalk Poetry Competition, but those of well-known poets of long ago, as well.


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12 March 2018 at 3.53pm | 10 Comments
With a huge amount of stage time and some hefty vocal numbers, performing in the Chorus in Bizet's Carmen is tough work for even the most experienced choristers.
In The Royal Opera's new production, Director Barrie Kosky has added further challenges for the singers: the 60 members of The Royal Opera Chorus are required to run up and down a huge set of moving stairs as they sing, dance and act.
'It's very difficult to do the kind of singing we do with that much choreography,' soprano Emma Smith explained, in an interview first broadcast as part of the cinema broadcast of Carmen.
'We've been told to dance off the beat and use lots of hand gestures, and when you're so in tune to the music it's so difficult to do gestures off the beat!'
Kosky shared the rationale behind his unexpected staging and choreography: 'I don't like choruses to be treated as anonymous, all the same costume, all doing the same movement - that's boring, and they find it boring,' he said.
'This is an incredible job, and doing something like Carmen – this particular Carmen – has been great,' said tenor George Freeburn. 'It's just been one big laugh.'
Carmen runs until 16 March. Tickets are now sold out, but returns may become available.
Supported by
And staged with generous philanthropic support from Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet, Yvonne and Bjarne Rieber, Alan Howard, Trifon and Despina Natsis, The ROH Young Philanthropists, and the Friends of Covent Garden.


text: Bea is a part of our front desk team. She is currently a student with degrees in the sciences working towards completing her PhD in clinical psychology. She has been a long term client prior to joining our staff and is interested in skin care. By being a part of our team her goal is to further her knowledge in regards to products and treatments that can aid other's in achieving healthy and happy skin. She strongly believes this contributes to boost one's self-esteem and in turn improve one's overall health physically and mentally.


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The best guitar magazines
Just a quick post to look at the guitar magazines we recommend and that make you a better guitar player.
The following magazines are usually always found in your typical newsagent or WHSmith.
Total Guitar –
I used to buy this all the time when I was a teenager. Great for Rock, metal and whatever is trendy with the kids in the music scene and always up to date. it usually features a fair few songs to learn as well as riffs and interviews.
Great for beginners to intermediate players
Guitar techniques
This is my favourite magazine currently. It caters for more competent and advanced musicains and always has a load of varied content. It covers every type of music imaginable from country to dance to shred and you will always be inspired and motivated by at least something in each issue.
Good for anyone wanting some motivation or inspiration for something new
Guitarist magazine
This is a magazine often focused more on news and reviews rather than playing. Good if you want to read while travelling or something like that. It always has informative articles.
Good for reading rather than playing tips


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Singin' Sea Creatures™ 3D Sneaky Puzzles® . I was lucky to be among the first to try out this new product. The puzzle contains 46 brightly colored pieces, along with a cutely shaped pair of 3D glasses. I was a bit surprised by the large size of each puzzle piece. The puzzle is intended for children aged 3 and above, but I don't think such large pieces would constitute any choking hazard for younger toddlers under proper parental supervision. As soon as we received the puzzle, my son and I started putting things together on the floor. It took us about 15 minutes to complete it without referring to the clues provided in the package. Take a look.
The finished puzzle is 2 x 3 feet big. It features a good variety of lovely sea creatures like fish, octopus, crab, and sea turtle. When we looked at the picture through the 3D glasses, the fish seemed to be swimming toward us. My son was totally amazed by this unique visual experience! But the fun doesn't stop there. Hidden in the picture are all the letters of the alphabet and numbers 0-9. That's why it's called "Sneaky Puzzles". Cool, isn't it? It's a fun and engaging way for my son to learn letters and numbers as well as creatures under the sea. This great product has an incredibly low price of $14.99! Patch Products will soon add two more 3D Puzzles to the collection, featuring a lightning bug theme and safari theme. You may stay informed of those new releases by following the company on Facebook and Twitter.
5 Second Rule®. Since I haven't personally played this game, I've copied the manufacturer's description below. You may have a chance to try out this game for free if you enter the giveaway that follows.
It should be easy to name 3 breeds of dogs - but can you do it under the pressure of 5 seconds twisting down, and with the other players staring at you, waiting for you to get flustered? Time's not on your side, so just say what comes to mind and risk ridiculous answers slipping out as time twirls down on the unique twisted timer! It's all in good fun with this fast-paced game where you have to Just Spit It Out!™ For 3 or More Players. Ages 10 to Adult. Price: $24.99
Early Learning Centers developed by Patch Products. They include so many nice features that will sure make learning a lot more fun!
Patch Products has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers a Singin' Sea Creatures 3D Sneaky Puzzles or 5 Second Rule Game! Winner's choice!
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Francesco Bruni stands on the brink of becoming the first Italian to capture the ISAF Match Racing World Championship at this month's Monsoon Cup but remains undaunted by the task that awaits him.
|Bruni Racing team battle it out at the Portimao Portugal Match Cup 2011
Photo by Chris Davies - WMRT
Should he win the title, the 1994 Laser World Champion and Olympic and America's Cup campaigner says it will be a career defining achievement. The popular skipper started the 2011 World Match Racing Tour in great form with podium finishes at his first three events but followed that with a series of lackluster performances before fighting to third place at the Argo Group Gold Cup to give his season a timely fillip.
In the ISAF rankings he holds the bragging rights as the World No. 1 and in the Tour Championship he sits just six points behind 2-time Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar.
The scene is set for a three-way showdown between Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat, Williams and Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing. While the likes of Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing and Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team can still mathematically capture the 2011 world title in Malaysia, Bruni believes
In the ISAF rankings he holds the bragging rights as the World No. 1 and in the Tour Championship he sits just six points behind 2-time Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar.
The scene is set for a three-way showdown between Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat, Williams and Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing. While the likes of Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing and Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team can still mathematically capture the 2011 world title in Malaysia, Bruni believes
"it's unlikely that Torvar, Ian or myself will sail badly enough that none of us make it to the quarter-finals."Ironically, Bruni's worst win rate amongst the Tour Card Holders is against his two chief rivals however the Italian isn't fazed by those statistics:
"Yes, we have made some mistakes against these guys this year which have cost us points but I'm not scared about our matches against them. We aren't really worried about taking on any team particularly, we just have to sail our best."Both Williams and Mirsky have placed a lot of emphasis on their team spirit and Bruni is no different, citing his experienced and close team mates as good reason to be confident:
"Experience definitely helps in dealing with pressure. We've had moments like this already this year so hopefully they will help our team get through it. It's not going to be easy, our opponents are very tough but we've been working a lot as a team and feel confident. We will feel the pressure obviously but we've been through a lot this year as a team so that will help us."This is Bruni's first full season on the Tour and he will be relatively inexperienced to racing in Kuala Terengganu compared to his two nearest rivals. Bruni also accepts that he gives further ground to Mirsky when it comes to the boats, the Italian saying
"Torvar definitely has a big advantage as he's from Perth and he's grown up with these [Foundation 36] boats so he knows them very well."So where does Bruni feel his advantage lies?
"Malaysia and the Monsoon Cup are noted for light winds which are conditions we are confident in – so we will get even on that. We get good boat speed and everyone else needs to be careful of that. The big boats also suit us - it's no secret that our best events are in big boats."Last year, Ben Ainslie chose the high risk option to take on the then Championship leader Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team at the earliest opportunity in the knock out rounds. If he lost that was his Championship challenge over. Ainslie took the match 3-1 and went on to capture both the Monsoon Cup and the World Championship – Bruni though, would not be drawn on whether he'll do the same if given the option:
"It all depends on how well the others are sailing, it's too early to say what we would do. We will go out there and do our best in the Qualifying rounds and then decide after that. Hopefully we will be lucky enough to have the choice of opponents."Pundits have all said Bruni's season will be deemed a success whatever happens in Malaysia however the Italian says he has raised his expectations since the start of the season when he said:
"Honestly, this season we're looking at the top three – we have to get there."Just eight days from the Monsoon Cup, a determined Bruni re-assessed his goal:
"We are definitely aiming for the win now, we can't accept third - we can't think third would be a success. We never expected to be heading into the Monsoon Cup with such a strong chance of winning so this season has been a big success for us already but it would be silly to think that's enough."Bruni is certainly determined and unfazed and while he holds some advantages over both Williams and Mirsky, they can say the same about him. So could it come down to his superstitious cap – the Match Race Germany cap he has worn all season since his victory there in May?
"The hat was one of my first ones and it's been lucky for me at times but not always! I will wear it in Malaysia but will alternate it with a new hat!"The 2011 ISAF Match Racing World Championship will be decided at the Monsoon Cup which takes place from 22-27 November in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
Overall Championship Standings – after 7 stages: 1. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar – 106pts
2. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Bruni Racing – 100pts
3. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) The Wave Muscat – 99.8pts
4. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing – 78.8pts
5. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Mekonomen Sailing Team – 75pts
6. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 74pts
7. Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team – 73.2pts
8. Jesper Radich (DEN) Adrian Lee & Partners – 71.2pts
9. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team – 69.6pts
10. Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing – 64.4pts


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N° 8–1998: Present and future ESA/UK space activities: Press conference in London on 16 March.
3 March 1998
John Battle MP, UK Minister for Science, Energy and Industry, and ESA Director-General Antonio Rodota' will hold a joint press conference in London on current issues and future activities in space on Monday 16 March in London.
The press conference will take place immediately after Mr Battle officially opens the Science, Engineering and Technology exhibition which marks the beginning of the Science, Engineering and Technology week where Research councils and Government departments will be exhibiting new technologies and demonstrating new initiatives.
The press conference will take place at the DTI Conference Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H0ET. Press activities will start at 9:15 am.
Media representatives wishing to attend are kindly requested to complete the attached accreditation form and to fax it back to the British National Space Centre (BNSC) Press Office in London, on fax. + 44 171 215 0936.
ESA at Oceanology International '98 - 10-13 March, Brighton. ESA will be present at an exhibition during the Oceanology International '98 conference (10-13 March at the Brighton Metropole) and will show Earth Observation satellite applications and User Services, in particular those of the ERS satellites which have paved the way for a new generation of global ocean observing systems.
The ERS satellites are amongst the most successful Earth Observation programmes ever developed, providing all-weather, day and night, high resolution radar images of the earth's surface as well as global and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds, waves, temperatures and topography. As a result of worldwide achievements in scientific research and applications developed over the last few years under the ERS Announcements of Opportunity and Calls for Application demonstration projects, new innovative marine information services are now becoming available, examples of which will be presented on the ESA stand.
Information will also be available on the new Announcement of Opportunity open until 31 May for projects which will exploit the full potential of ESA's new generation of Earth Observation satellites, Envisat-1 to be launched at end 1999. Envisat-1 will provide new sets of observation of the earth's atmosphere and marine biology, as well as continuity with the ERS measurements, providing coherent data sets which may extend over a period as long as 15 years, thus offering an unprecedented opportunity for studies of long-term environmental problems and climate issues, and a solid basis for the development of operational and commercial applications. For information before 6 March please call ESA/ESRIN, Tel: +39-6-94180951 From 9-13 March please call the ESA stand at OI '98, B332, Tel: +39-335-8245543
For more information on ESA, visit our Internet site at: http://www.esa.int


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Stars line up for John Denver tribute album
It wasn't till the late '70s, after he had spent five years in John Denver's Aspen-based band, that Steve Weisberg began to see that his former boss was sort of cool. Weisberg was backstage at a John Denver gig at Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheatre when Christine McVie, from Fleetwood Mac, asked Weisberg who he was. When Weisberg said he had been in Denver's group, McVie – who was on top of the pop world at the time, just after the release of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album – was impressed."She said, 'Oh, I love John.' And I said, 'You? You're too cool for that,'" Weisberg recalled. "I didn't understand how cool John was. He told corny jokes that would make me cringe."Weisberg wasn't alone. Denver, who lived most of his adult life in Aspen till his death in 1997, wasn't a model of hip, not with his simple, from-the-heart songs and granny glasses. But Denver's cool quotient is due to get a significant upgrade early next year. "The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver" is due for release in February on ATO Records, a label co-owned by Dave Matthews that has been home to Phish's Trey Anastasio, Primus and the Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. The album will spotlight Denver's folky, sentimental songs done by popular and generally fashionable artists: My Morning Jacket doing "Leaving on a Jet Plane," Brandi Carlile singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads," Train covering "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, who were featured on a recent cover of the jam-band magazine Relix, handling "Wooden Indian." Matthews will contribute a cover of "Take Me to Tomorrow," and other musicians scheduled to appear on the album include Lucinda Williams, Brett Dennen, Josh Ritter, Amos Lee, Old Crow Medicine Show, Blind Pilot and J. Mascis.A portion of the proceeds from album sales will be given to environmental initiatives in Denver's name.Weisberg, who lived in Aspen through the '70s and has been a regular participant in the annual Tribute to John Denver concerts at the Wheeler Opera House, isn't surprised that Denver's music is being kept alive. "At John's memorial, Milt Okun (Denver's producer) said it was his mission to make John's music recognized as the classic Americana that it is," Weisberg said from New Jersey, where he was playing a handful of appearances focused on Denver's songs. "Milt was made rich by John, but before he got rich on the publishing, he was John's biggest fan. He understood what John was doing and bet on him and nurtured him."Back in the '70s, Weisberg would watch as models and actors scrambled to get front-row tickets to Denver's concerts. He couldn't quite grasp the attraction."I used to be surprised when a musician who was really hip would show up backstage. One thing John wasn't is hip," Weisberg said. "Paul Simon was hip. James Taylor was hip. John Denver was sweet and sincere."It hasn't taken having the likes of My Morning Jacket and Dave Matthews covering Denver's songs for Weisberg to re-evaluate his perception of Denver. As Weisberg has matured, he has come to see Denver's gifts – generosity, concern for people and the environment – in a different way."Was it corny? S—, yeah. Was it human? Oh, ever so much," Weisberg said. "I failed to grasp what was going on as a kid. Now I don't have a leg to stand on to deny it. It's not about 'Is the music cool?' John's music makes people feel things. John understood the human condition. John was a populist. His message was of the people, of the masses."Weisberg notes that Denver's songs reflect a persona that on the surface was simple but reflects universal human experiences. He brings up "Back Home Again" (which will be covered on "The Music Is You" by the gritty, old-timey group Old Crow Medicine Show) and says it's a song that any traveling musician can relate to, the desire to ditch the craziness of the road and settle in back home."They're doing it because they're listening to the music and going, 'Yeah, this is a great song,'" Weisberg said of the artists appearing on the tribute firstname.lastname@example.com
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Kitchen confidential: A peek into Aspen's restaurant inspection program
Natalie Tsevdos, who is in charge of inspecting roughly 116 food establishments located in the city of Aspen, said violations typically are corrected on-site.


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Though translations of the poems of Ronny Someck have appeared in a number of recent anthologies in the U.S., the range of his voice in The Fire Stays in Red, his first collection in English, will surprise by its metaphoric leaps that can contain the serious, the profane and the comic. Someck is well-known to audiences in Israel, not only in print and but in performances of his work with accompanying musicians.
His voice is Sephardic at its roots: born in Baghdad, Soomeck grew up in a transit camp for immigrants in Tel Aviv's working class neighborhoods – his language evokes the bustle of southern Tel Aviv, with its small shops, garages, cheap restaurants, its gangs and Arab workers. As translators Moshe Dor and Barbara Goldberg write, "Someck's poems can be hot, erotic, comic, tragic – they are agape at the wonders of a tear and a tattoo, a snapshot and a bra. In what other poet do we find Tarzan, Marilyn Monroe, and cowboys battling with Rabbi Yehuda Halevi for the hearts and souls of Israelis?"
Poem of Longing
I long for Grandpa's acrobatics
as he leapt
from one sidewalk
to another. There, at Herbert Samuel Plaza
on freezing slabs of pavement
by the orange banister
near the sea.
Where Grandpa talked
and dreamed, dreamed and talked. Now
I don't remember about what, but
words flew round his lips
like a record spinning
on an old gramophone at 78 rpm, and Grandpa
bowing his head to cut the wind.
And drops of brandy from the day's celebration
shining on his lips where we were talking, each
in a different language
about the same girls, the same breasts
our rough fingers pinched and where
we snuffed out our last cigarette
in the same ashtray.