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Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort
Discover a magical family getaway just beyond the glow of Chicago at Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort. Nestled in the Starved Rock area of Illinois, Grizzly Jack's is an oasis of relaxation and adventure - a destination where water park fun meets natural wonder. Escape from the big city and enjoy a vacation in the scenic Northwoods at Grizzly Jack's - an unforgettable place to unwind, play, meet, dine and explore with family and friends.
Nestled in the beautiful hills of the Shawnee National Forest, Timber Ridge offers something for everyone, from families and honeymooners to outdoor enthusiasts. Enjoy some Southern hospitality while staying in a real log cabin or one-of-a-kind tree house. Each of the units, including the tree house, is equipped with a bathroom, kitchenette, heating and air conditioning. Physical Location: Karbers Ridge, IL 62955 GPS: 37°33'52.18?N 88°20'17.03?W
Full-service Conference Center in Starved Rock State Park. Dining room, bar, veranda, outdoor dining, indoor pool (for Lodge guests). Retreats, meetings, banquets, reunions and all-inclusive dream weddings. The Lodge has 69 rooms and 21 cabin rooms in a rustic, wooded setting.
KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort
KeyLime Cove offers a year-round tropical resort experience. The massive indoor water park features a wave pool, body and tube slides, a lazy river, waterfalls and whirlpools. Besides the splashy fun, KeyLime Cove offers a variety of restaurants and entertainment options geared to both kids and parents. The family will enjoy the Riptide Reef Arcade and Dude's Black Light Tropi-Golf. Grab a little "me" time and indulge in the luxurious Paradise Mist Spa, or pamper your princess at The Enchanted Lagoon Kids Spa.
Called "deliciously rustic" by the New York Times, Irish Hollow is located on 500 rolling acres in the Galena countryside on the site of a former whistle stop. The accommodations include rooms at the historic inn, as well as private English-style cottages with beautiful gardens. Indulge in a massage or hike the miles of trails that pass by a 1,300-acre nature preserve. Irish Hollow is known for its gourmet country breakfasts and dinners made with seasonal ingredients from its own organic gardens.
Private log cabins in a wooded setting. Hot tub on covered back deck. Full kitchen including dishes. TV/VCR. Linens and paper products supplied. Fireplace. Loft.
Experience our exclusive facilities when planning your next business meeting or social gathering. Let us accommodate you with our exclusive on-site catering and high-speed wireless internet. 10 miles west of Peoria via I-74, exit 82. Also enjoy our unique overnight accommodations located in the park, including a cabin, cottages, cabooses and stables. Children welcome!
Starved Rock Adventures Harbor Villas and Suites
Waterfront family villas and suites. 1-2 bedroom housekeeping units. Deluxe and unique. Open April through October. $$
Egyptian Hills Resort is your passport to the Ultimate outdoor family vacation. Whether you are into waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, sport fishing, or pleasure boating; the Lake of Egypt is a boater's paradise. All within a stone's throw of your cabin. Within minutes of your cabin, your family can enjoy guided expeditions such as; horseback riding, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, geo-caching, wildlife photography and many other outdoor activities. Whether planning a single activity or multiple activities for your group, we at Egyptian Hills are your personal concierge in planning your ultimate outdoor family vacation. Whether onsite or through one of our partner guides, all activities are tailored for all ages and experience levels.
CITY:Creal Springs
Tucked away in the beautiful rolling hills of Southern Illinois, the cabin location rests on the highly acclaimed Southern Illinois Wine Trail. Pinnon Lake is five minutes from the edge of Shawnee National Forrest. We are only three miles off Interstate 57 at exit 36. Moments from anywhere yet feels like miles from it all. On any given day you may observe deer in the field, geese landing on the lake, a family of wild turkeys at the edge of the woods. In the spring you may even take a peek at our new baby calves, as the property is a third generation working family farm.
The 34 cabins offered at Giant City State Park include 12 one-room cabins and duplex cabins nestled in the bluffs near the lodge, featuring a living room and deck overlooking the woods below. An outdoor swimming pool is on site. Giant City Lodge's full-service restaurant features a popular all-you-can eat chicken dinner. Closed Dec. and Jan. every year.
Enjoy recreation on 385 acres, much of it forest, with a state park lodge and provisions for tent and trailer camping. It is also noted for its vine-covered limestone bluffs.
CITY:Mount Morris
Big Creek Cabins is the perfect place for a romantic weekend or quick getaway from the busy rush of daily life. The moment you check-in to our fully furnished luxury log cabin, you can't help but to slow down and relax. Unwind and get chin deep in the hot tub on the large cover decks overlooking a private pond all situated on 20 very secluded acres. Perhaps enjoy a game a pool on the executive pool table by the fireplace with family or good friends. There are many reasons why Big Creek Cabins is quickly becoming the most popular cabin retreat in Southern Illinois, but we want to personally invite you to a place where memories are made and experience them first hand.
The largest man-made lake in Illinois (26,000 acres), is a premier location for outdoor sports. Known to sailors, it is one of the best and most challenging for sailboats. There is also boating, fishing, hunting, bird watching, sand beaches, and camping areas. Hotels, cabins and golf courses make the area a true outdoor lover's playground.
Aaron's Cottages & Cabins at the Goldmoor
Luxurious cottages and cabins on the magnificent Goldmoor estate overlooking the Mississippi River and featuring elite amenities, dining, spa services and beautiful gardens.
The Nest at Palisades Cabins offer secluded luxury cabins designed to provide charm, quiet luxury and romance. We're located on a wooded acreage high above the Mississippi River minutes from Savanna, the Palisades State Park and an easy 20 minute drive to Galena.
On the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, Rustle Hill winery features an amphitheater bandstand for live music, great wines and beers, restaurant and cabins for rent.
Ski along scenic slopes at Galena's Chestnut Mountain Resort, perched high above the Mississippi River. Rated by Ski Magazine as one of the top ski resorts in the Midwest, Chestnut Mountain goes all out with a snowboarding park and night skiing. Stay at the rustic 120-room lodge, which has three restaurants, including the fine-dining Sunset Grille. There are fun non-skiing activities in the summer as well, including boat cruises on the Mississippi Explorer and the exhilarating Alpine Slide, which speeds 2,000 feet down a hillside. Or try the new Segway Mountain Adventure Tours, a three-mile guided ride through rolling terrain.
Located deep in the woods just 5 miles from historic Mt Carroll, Timber Lake Resort offers 120 campsites including pull-thru RV sites with water, sewer, and electric hookups. We also offer deluxe log cabin rentals and beautiful lakeside rustic camping. Other amenities include a 1,800-square-foot pool, large group pavilion, recreation center, general store, lakeside deck, two spring-fed lakes, biking & hiking trails and Timber Lake Playhouse, Illinois' oldest professional summer stock theatre, is located next door within easy walking distance.
CITY:Mount Carroll
Noted in Midwest Living magazine as "a riverside retreat for the romantic," Tara Point Inn is known for its incredible accommodations and breathtaking views of the Mississippi River. Atop the palisades bluffs above Grafton, visitors can choose either the main inn or a secluded cozy cabin escape to what some call the most pleasantly memorable getaway experiences in the Midwest.
Historic lodge nestled in Starved Rock State Park. Open daily, on-site bar, indoor pool; hotel and cabins in the woods, free WiFi, restaurant & seasonal, outdoor dining. A great part of your all-inclusive wedding celebration.
A nature lover's dream, Rim Rock offers cabins with all the amenities in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest, adjacent to the popular Rim Rock Recreational Trail and Garden of the Gods. Rim Rock's is within short driving distance of all Southern Illinois has to offer, and features its own private hiking trail on its 77-acre site.
High on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, these uniquely built log cabins can sleep six and are situated right next to the Mississippi Palisades State Park with nature trails connecting the two. Cabins have 1 or 2 lofts, bathroom with shower, kitchens, heat/AC and TV. Open year around.
Anchoring the eastern end of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, our winery offers you "The Romance of Italy in the Hills of Southern Illinois". We are open year-round, 7 days a week, to provide great Illinois wine. Please join us for wine tasting, a variety of hearty sandwiches, soups, pizzas, and snacks, as well as wine-alternatives such as beer and non-alcoholic beverages. Come enjoy our large indoor seating area and two beautiful outdoor terraces that overlook our vineyard and the rolling countryside.
Relax, reflect and unwind in this private guest house that is a turn-of-the-century cottage completely restored with modern amenities. Located high above the confluence of the Mississippi & Illinois Rivers, it offers a quiet retreat with a spectacular view, yet it is only one block from village shops, marina, restaurants, bike trails and the scenic byway.
The Champagne Lodge & Luxury Suites
The Champagne Lodge is an independent boutique hotel featuring luxury spa suites that offer seclusion and privacy while pampering you with all of the contemporary conveniences of modern design. Private, irresistibly convenient, yet a world away from the everyday.
Magnificent full-service inn celebrating more than 30 years of hospitality. Featuring elite amenities, dining and spa services in a romantic setting overlooking the Mississippi River.
Both cabins have air & heat and each has its own private shower and rest room. Each cabin has a picnic table and fire pit, and best of all - firewood. Linen and towels are included with the rental. One cabin has a Queen Size bed and loft area with table and chairs. The other cabin has a full size and a single bed with a loft area. Our log cabins are nested next to The Great River Bike Path and hundreds of acres of Illinois Fish and Wildlife Reserve that offers excellent fishing, bird watching, hunting, biking, hiking, and wildlife enjoyment.
Landers House is located a half a block from charming downtown Utica, home of historic Mill Street. We are country lodging in a truly unique setting geared to pamper. We have four cottages with 2 person whirlpools, fireplaces, large bathrooms with two person showers, loft bedrooms with down filled bedding and sky lights, cable TV, CD Players, wet bars stocked with coffee and teas, glassware and dishware for two. Our suites and rooms are designed with our guests comfort in mind. We encourage you to indulge in your fantasies, revive your romantic nature and relax in a secluded atmosphere.
Cave-in-Rock State Park Lodge and Cabins
Lodging nestled in the Shawnee National Forest on Pirates' Bluff, units have a private balcony providing a breathtaking view of the Ohio River. Duplex cabins include a large living area containing two queen beds and Sat TV/VCR, Bath has full tub and shower facilities. Within walking distance to the "Cave" of Cave-in-Rock, and the Ohio River free ferry to Kentucky Amish Country is nearby. Kaylor's Restaurant located in the cabin complex, is open seven days a week and offers an outstanding view of the river. Offers year round lodging. Concessionaires: Annie and Marty Kaylor.
If you like to fish, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, for boating, hiking, relaxing rent a cabin that puts you right on the edge of beautiful Kinkaid Lake, Muskie fishing at your fingertips!
At Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa go golfing on one of four championship courses, horseback riding along hilly wooded trails, boating on the sapphire waters of Lake Galena, or soaring over the countryside in a hot air balloon with Galena on the Fly. Relax in the luxury of the resort's Stonedrift Spa with a pampering massage. Eagle Ridge offers a wide variety of lodging that ranges from traditional inn rooms to golf villas and distinctive homes.
Located in Northwestern Illinois, near Oregon and Rockford, White Pines Inn resembles a pioneer village with 25 authentic one-room log cabins with gas fireplaces. Set among the towering pines, the cabins have beautiful hardwood floors the color of maple syrup. Each cabin has a queen, hand-hewn log bed with a double bed trundle underneath, and a private bath. There are 13 one-room cabins with open-beamed ceilings. There are 12 additional cabins built in groups of four under one roof.
CITY:Mount Morris
Bruce Goff Castle Bed & Breakfast
The Castle is a premiere architectural delight atop a forested bluff in the area of the Shawnee National Forest. Accommodations for up to three acquainted couples. The Castle has a sunken tub and is a great 'outdoors' experience.
Jumer's Casino & Hotel - Rock Island
Jumer's Casino & Hotel is one of the largest land-based casinos in the state of Illinois. Jumer's is where Art Deco meets 21st Century gaming. The all on one level casino floor features the latest in gaming fun. Over 1,000 slots, 25 table games, and a live Poker Room. In addition, you will enjoy a night club, sports bar, and four distinct restaurants featuring everything from steak and seafood, to outstanding buffets, and deli-style menus. The luxurious hotel offers 205 hotel rooms, an indoor pool, fitness center, and a full-service Spa. We're the perfect place for leisure travel and for meetings, conventions, parties, or banquets. Our luxurious hotel has all the modern amenities guests expect. Oh! What a feeling! You are going to love the new Jumer's Casino & Hotel.
CITY:Rock Island
Skyline View Cabins invite you to Southern Illinois to enjoy the most beautiful view in the area. From your cabin front porch, you can see the rolling hills of the Shawnee National Forest, Bald Knob Cross and lots of wildlife. In the Winter and early Spring there are 20 acres of hillside woods to tromp through, The property joins the Quetil Walking Trail, into Alto Pass. Both cabins have vaulted ceilings in the living room, kitchen and bedrooms, with real fireplaces, satellite TV and DVD player. Cabins come furnished with leather look sofas, chairs with ottomans, and a dining table that seats 4 people. Local art has been used to decorate both of the cabins.
Stay the night at the DeSoto House Hotel on Galena's Main Street, which dates back to 1855 and is Illinois' oldest operating hotel. The DeSoto has hosted such notable guests as Abraham Lincoln (who spoke from a hotel balcony to the assembled crowd below) and served as the presidential campaign headquarters for Ulysses S. Grant. The hotel features 55 Victorian-style guest rooms, three restaurants and boutiques.
A spectacular 2-bedroom/2.5-bath lakeside cottage in Galena Territory. Private, romantic, pristine and upscale. Hot tubs, sound systems, three stone fireplaces. Enjoy Eagle Ridge Resort amenities. See our website photos to appreciate.
Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel
Featuring 1,100+ slot machines, most Video Poker in town, 25 table games, and WSOP Poker room. Experience exceptional dining at the Reserve steakhouse and luxurious comfort in our hotel.
Tuscan Hills Winery, recently opened in 2011, is on Historic Hills Drive, directly behind the Harley Barn. This winery is located on eight picturesque acres which helps bring an Old World Tuscan feel to the heart of Effingham. The owners are focused on creating elegant, approachable, and perfectly balanced wines of the highest quality. Wine tastings, along with space available for reservations makes this a must stop for group tours. Tuscan Hills Winery wants you to "Come as our guest, but leave as our friends." We welcome you to plan your next event at Tuscan Hills Winery - whether it's a beautiful wedding in our vineyard or book the space for your next meeting.
With 473 luxurious guest rooms, two championship golf courses, a renowned spa, award-winning dining and entertainment, three pools and extensive meeting and conference facilities, Pheasant Run hotel in St Charles IL is the perfect setting. And, while you're getting that special spa treatment or enjoying a romantic dinner or play, your children can have a great time in our Kid's Klub. This special program offers supervised activities for children ages 3 to 11 years. Activities include playing games, watching movies, and making crafts to take home. Plus, every Saturday you can visit the craft corner where Mom and Dad can join in on the fun and make some seasonal themed crafts with their kids. Board games are also available for check-out through the Activity Desk.
CITY:St. Charles
Pere Marquette Lodge and Conference Center
As a centerpeice of Pere Marquette State Park, the lodge and restaurant are an attraction for visitors from miles around. Visitors can spend a day at the park and explore the Great Room of the lodge, dine in the restaurant or even spend a night in a cozy lodge room or cabin. The centerpeice of the rustic timber 1930s Great Room is the 700 ton stone fireplace and life-size chess set. The Great Rooms beckons visitors to pull up a chair and a glass of wine with a view of the Illinois River. The Lodge restaurant is known for its family-style chicken dinner and season Sunday brunch buffets. Spend the afternoon or a weekend for an unforgettable experience.
Your "Cabin at the Lake," fully furnished cabins. Enjoy a peaceful, wooded country setting on over 20 acres bordering U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom units include full kitchens, porches, and patios, grills, and campfire rings.
Kite Hill Vineyards Bed and Breakfast
Kite Hill's B&B is located on a 30-acre estate with a five-acre vineyard, all surrounding Kite Hill Lake. Start your day with a full three-course breakfast followed by a stroll through the vineyards or around the lake. After a full day of Southern Illinois activities, enjoy a complimentary wine tasting at the winery.
Located in the heart of the mid-west in Monroe Center, Illinois, just a 20 minute drive south from Rockford, a quiet, majestic dwelling sits among the trees that seclude Kilbuck Creek from sight of even its closest neighbors. This secluded sanctuary in the wilderness could be the location of your upcoming wedding, family reunion, church or business retreat or romantic getaway.
CITY:Monroe Center
The Vineyard Chalet cabins are nestled across the valley from the winery, overlooking the pond and amphitheater. Some of the amenities include: Cathedral ceilings, Full kitchen, King size bed, Upstairs loft with six windows, 2 fireplaces, Central heat and air, Wrap around deck. The cabin is designed for a single couple...but can sleep 4 to 6.
This beautiful lodge is located in the woods along the shores of Lake Shelbyville. It is 50 yard walk down a forested pathway to the lake and also a short walk to the Coal Shaft Bridge public boat launch on Lake Shelbyville. The lodge is family built and operated. Located at 916 Coalshaft Bridge Rd. right off of County Highway 11 & Lakeside Villa.
The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show
The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show is very different from traditional murder mystery dinner shows. We will hide non-costumed actors in the audience that are pretending to be part of the crowd. This results in a much more social and interactive evening than with other shows. Our shows are set during the present day and take place in real time. Over the course of the night, our costumed Detectives will uncover clues, interrogate audience members that may or may not be part of the show, and help everyone get closer to solving the mystery.
This beautiful 715-acre state park with a 40-acre lake derives its name from a combination of the town of Lena and the Latin work for water, aqua. Lake Le-Aqua-Na offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities including more than 10 miles of mult-use trails. The large tracts of wooded land include oak, hickory, walnut and pine trees. Woodland flowers are on display, especially in the spring and early summer, and wildlife is abundant. There is boating, fishing, a children's fishing pond, swimming, picnic and playground areas, shelters, trails for mountain biking, hiking and cross-country skiing, equestrian trails, sledding, hunting and camping.
If you're looking to get away from it all, you've come to the right place. At Doc's Lakeside Cabin we'll give you the most spectacular view in Southern Illinois. Doc's Lakeside Cabin was built in 2012 and is located in beautiful Southern Illinois. Accommodations include: 2 bedrooms with queen size bed in each room, 1 Full Bath with Shower, Fully furnished kitchen, Living/Great Room, Spacious Hot Tub, ?and, Screened Balcony. Guest are welcome to enjoy a leisure time of fishing in our lake.
Two cabins. Located off the southwest side of Rend Lake complete with full kitchen, two bedrooms, satellite TV, washer and dryer, front porch with swing, fire pit, barbecue grill and just 15 minutes off of Interstate 57.
In the shadow of Starved Rock, Kishauwau Country Cabins features cabins that have been beautifully renovated to blend country charm with modern convenience. Enjoy fully equipped kitchens and outdoor bonfire pits.
Villa De Bertolino welcomes you with a peaceful, friendly and exciting getaway. Relax by your private saltwater pool and 6 seated hot tub, day and night. The villa is an open, family-style environment and sleeps 8 comfortably, with capacity of 12. Enjoy nature exploring the live creek on our 28 wooded acres in the heart of the wine country!
CornerStone Cabins is a group of luxurious Southern Illinois cabins surrounded by bluffs, wildlife, and a fabulous view of the stars. Our cabins are ideal for a romantic getaway plus we have accommodations for groups of up to 35 guests. We provide a unique lodging experience and we're only minutes away from all of the finest Southern IL attractions.
Pyramid Acres Campground & Marina
Offers gas, bait, tackle, ice, beer, groceries, contour maps and camping with water and electricity. Open all year. Located at the northeastern edge of the lake.
Camp Shaw was established in 1956 and is the best kept secret in all of beautiful Kankakee County! Camp Shaw is also a wonderful place to hold a variety of outdoor and indoor events. It provides overnight accommodation; horseback riding, guided trail rides or group lessons and weekend packages are available. It is also an outdoor, environmental science education program encouraging interest and participation in the balanced management of natural resources.
Six roomy guest suites with individual thermostats, breakfast bars with personal refrigerators, private large Jacuzzi baths and amenities for discerning travelers. Personalized breakfast served in kitchenette, evening wine and cheese soiree. Business center with DSL (WIFI) and workout room. Full catering and beverage services available, classical architectural detail and interior design. Hospitality in a Grandeur Way.
Robin Hood Woods Resort & Campground
This resort and campground has 5 Cabins and over 200 campsites located in a wooded area with water, electricity, and sewers. There is an Inground outdoor pool, 2 bathhouses, pavilion, gameroom, playground, and a store on the property. The Rental cottages and log cabins come with air, kitchens, and bath. The Nine cabins also have satellite TV. The resort is 2.5 miles from Lake Shelbyville. Open April 1st - October 31st each year. Wi-Fi Access.
Patty and Bill's Riverfront Cottage
Make it a romantic get-away or a unique family stay with two comfortable bedrooms in this fabulous "home away from home". Bathe in our theraputic air bubble bathtub while you look out onto breathtaking views of the Illinois River, then step out onto an Italian porcelain tile heated floor. Our Swedish Memory Foam mattress will make you want to stay forever! Enjoy our great room with cathedral ceilings and comfortable furnishings, or step out onto the deck where you can enjoy your coffee or tea while taking in the panoramic views. It's a nature lover's paradise right in the very heart of Peoria! The wildlife is year round; from bald eagles to white pelicans as well as the reliable ducks and geese. Fishing poles and bikes are available for a small fee and prior reservations. We know where to find the finest bakery goods, meats and seafoods. We have a fully equipped kitchen where it is a pleasure to cook. We look forward to sharing our cottage with you.
Located near Giant City State Park and along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. Features 1 and 2 bedroom units with kitchenettes, outdoor grills and fireplace.
Eaglewood Resort & Spa offers a luxurious retreat whether you arrive for a conference or relaxing getaway. The architecturally stunning resort, constructed in Frank Lloyd Wright- influence Prairie-style architecture, features upscale hotel accomodations, luxurious amenities, sophisticated technology, and a myriad of recreational options.
Four-bedroom home on 15 acres overlooking a stream and a pond. Over 4,000 square feet with a fully exposed, walkout basement. Fireplace, huge two-level cedar deck, big-screen home theater center, and many antiques. Perfect for corporate and private retreats, holiday parties, wedding parties and as a vacation home.
Fully furnished cabins in the Shawnee National Forest. Wooded paths wind up and down the hills past rock formations. Enjoy the screened in porch at dusk and view area wildlife. Relax in the hot tub under the stars.
Enjoy a relaxing retreat at Sara's Sanctuary. Every retreat offers a different health and wellness experience, which includes therapeutic massage, aromatherapy, yoga or meditation, reflexology and Reiki. Each session has a limit of eight participants and four sleeping rooms.
Walk the floors shared by Lincoln and Grant in this 1845 home. Stroll the gardens where Grant trained his troops. Relax in the screened porch or in the cozy parlor. Walking distance to Main Street, our inn has five beautifully decorated guest rooms, several with fireplaces and views of our garden.
Camp Wokanda, acquired from W.D. Boyce Council of the Boy Scouts of America, offers a beautiful 316-acre woodland setting, including a lake for fishing. The camp, with dining hall, sleeping cabins, program buildings and tent camping, offers a variety of naturalist tours, environmental education, and rental options to groups interested in a secluded, close-to-nature gathering. Located just 20 minutes from downtown Peoria, this Peoria Park District site has been providing fond memories for its young campers since the 1920s. Primarily used as a facility for group camping events, Camp Wokanda's overnight accommodations include cabin and primitive camping, as well as a central lodge and dining hall. Camp Wokanda hosts events including guided tours, environmental education programs, retreats, and even weddings.
Hilton Chicago Oak Brook Hills Resort and Conference Center
Overlooking expansive grounds including a beautiful 18-hole championship golf course with waterways, this IACC-certified resort features 386 guest rooms, over 42,000 sq ft of meeting space, multiple restaurants and group activities.
CITY:Oak Brook
Moraine View State Park Campground
Moraine View State Park offers 137 Class A trailer campsites with electricity and a sanitary station. Water is available in several locations in the campground. 102 sites can now be reserved in Gander Bay campground. A boat launch and dock is also situated in this area. Alcohol is prohibited in all campgrounds. The shower buildings are closed by November 1st (may be earlier if bad weather) and reopen May 1st (may be earlier - weather depending). Catfish Bay camp area and Tall Timber backpack trail provide 32 primitive class D sites. Timber Ridge group camp has 3 sites. Timberline Ridge horse camp has 30 Class "A" campsites complete with water, electricity, and hitching racks. Ol' Orchard group camp is currently closed.
Located near the convergence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers is Grafton - a little town steeped in history. In the heart of that history is the Ruebel Hotel. The Ruebel was built in 1884, caught fire in 1912 and was rebuilt and completely renovated in 1997. The Ruebel Hotel has a magnificently restored bar from the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis. The Ruebel Saloon offers excellent food and a great variety of beer and wines.
A full service resort, located on 175 naturally wooded acres of Chicago's North Shore, offering an ideal setting for retreat-style meetings, romantic getaways, weddings and fun-for-the-whole-family vacations or reunions. Enjoy the 18-hole PGA championship golf course, award-winning Marriott Theatre, tennis club, along with several on-site restaurants, a lounge and Starbucks. While staying in one of the 383 rooms or 6 suites, enjoy a swim in the indoor or outdoor pool, work out in the fully equipped fitness center and relax in the whirlpool. There are also 26 meeting rooms totaling 40,000 sq ft. available for any planned event.
Explore Springfield from the contemporary Hilton Springfield hotel, located in the heart of downtown Springfield and just minutes from many popular attractions. The excellent downtown location of the hotel allows guests to enjoy the many historical attractions, quaint shops and cozy bistros that downtown Springfield offers.
The Wabash Valley Wine Trail is made up of five wineries located in the southeastern part of the state. Visitors to this area can enjoy the scenic Wabash River Valley, historic towns, and quaint bed and breakfasts.
Nestled in the Shawnee National Forest this inn is located just 1/2 mile south of the Makanda Boardwalk, adjacent to the Giant City State Park and only 15 minutes south of Southern Illinois University. Featuring four guest rooms, and 3 cottages, each designed for privacy & comfort. This eco-friendly lodging establishment features peaceful settings with modern touches ideal for business travel, romance, adventure seekers, wine lovers, and SIU Alumni, parents and visitors.
Downstate Illinois' largest center is a four-building complex with a 12,000-seat arena. With 110,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 2,200-seat theater, a ball-room seating 1,500 for banquets and 16 meeting rooms this venue can house it all. As the premier entertainment facility in downstate Illinois, the Civic Center plays host to a variety of concerts, family shows, sporting events and Broadway Theater Series each year.
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is located primarily in Williamson County, with small extensions into eastern Jackson and northeastern Union counties of southern Illinois. At almost 44,000 acres and with three lakes (Crab Orchard, Little Grassy, and Devils Kitchen,) endless opportunities abound for watching wildlife, hiking nature trails, photography, swimming, fishing from the bank or by boat, and hunting. Four seasonally operational campgrounds are open from April-October and offer full hook-up, water, electric, or non-electric sites. Refuge staff and volunteers at the visitor center welcome visitors and sightseers 7 days a week from 8am-4:30pm. Visitor activities such as guided hikes, bald eagle tours, and monthly F.U.N. programs help connect families with the diversity of flora and fauna that Southern Illinois has to offer. The Refuge provides many opportunities for wildlife-dependent outdoor recreation for the nature lover in us all.
Located close to most of the award winning wineries of Southern Illinois, the Boars Nest will be off the beaten path yet still close to town in a peaceful atmosphere. All non-smoking cabins with packages available, including meals, drinks, transportation.
Beall Mansion - An Elegant Bed & Breakfast Inn
Indulge yourself at the Beall Mansion, a sumptuous Bed and Breakfast Inn located 12 blocks from the Mississippi River. Designed by Lucas Pfeiffenberger and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this elegant mansion features 18 ionic columns, eleven and a half foot ceilings, crystal chandeliers and marble and bronze statuary throughout. Let us pamper you with sumptuous feather beds, whirlpools for two, 24 hour "all you can eat" chocolate buffet, and optional gourmet breakfast in bed. Free Wi-fi. In room massage, spa, golf and corporate packages available.
Peace of Earth (an eco-friendly lodging experience) offers you the chance to relax and enjoy nature in a comfortable homey atmosphere in all seasons of the year. Guest rooms, cabins, and the ever-popular Tree House include queen-sized beds and a sitting/ reading area. All our lodging accommodations are television, telephone and internet free. Our great room in the Lodge includes a common area and dining room, both of which feature amazing wildlife viewing through the south-facing forty-foot-long window wall. Cedar decks wrap the Lodge and offer tree-top dining or relaxing. Take Highway 24 north of Rushville Middle School to Route 4 (Ray Road). Lodge is mailbox 41 on Ray Road.
Located in the heart of Utica, The Foster Suite has a King bed, Queen sleeper sofa, 50" Plasma TV, fire place and Jacuzzi and more. Also offer wireless internet.
CITY:North Utica
The State House Inn - An Ascend Collection Hotel
Located in downtown Springfield, the State House Inn is right across the street from the Illinois State Capitol complex. The hotel is within walking distance of many historic sites, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, as well as gay-friendly bars and restaurants.
Class A campground with separate tent and trailer camping for equestrians. Also, a youth group camp and primitive walk-in tent sites.
Full-service facility. A total of 166 guest rooms, accessible to downtown Chicago. Banquets up to 100, small meetings, parties.
Lodging nestled in the Shawnee National Forest on Pirates' Bluff, units have a private balcony providing a breathtaking view of the Ohio River. Duplex cabins include a large living area containing two queen size beds, satellite TV and VCR. Bath includes full tub and shower facilities. Within walking distance to the "Cave" of Cave-In-Rock, the Ohio River free ferry to Kentucky Amish Country is nearby. Garden of the Gods, Tower Rock, Rim Rock and all the rest of the natural wonders Southern Illinois has to offer are minutes away. Kaylor's Restaurant is right in our cabin complex, is open seven days a week and also offers an outstanding view of the river. We offer year round lodging for Southern Illinois travelers. We now have two private homes available with full cooking facilities.
CITY:Cave In Rock
Nature center, nature trail and dog park. Free admission, cost for some activities.
CITY:Wood Dale
Hilton Garden Inn Chicago Downtown / Magnificent Mile
Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, the new Hilton Garden Inn is two blocks from the "Magnificent Mile," home to some of the world's premiere retail stores, specialty shops and restaurants.
The Tremont Chicago Hotel at Magnificent Mile
Our Magnificent Mile hotel is nestled in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood is located just a few footsteps away from its namesake: the city's world famous one-mile stretch of Michigan Avenue, where exclusive shops, museums, restaurants and bars attract shoppers and sightseers from near and far. Close to Rush Street and near many of the city's top attractions, our hotel is perfectly situated for exploring Chicago.
Relax in the elegant Par-A-Dice Hotel with its beautiful art deco interiors, overlooking the scenic Illinois River Valley and the beautiful Peoria skyline. 208 spacious guest rooms including (12) jacuzzi suites. All rooms include a variety of amenities and express check-out. Complementary parking. 20,000 square feet of plush ballroom and meeting space, complementary parking, state of the art audiovisual, award-winning menus and experienced professional planning service. Plus the finest service for functions up to 1,000 guests.
CITY:East Peoria
White Tail Crossing Cabin Village
Eighteen units are available with 1-5 bedrooms. All cabins are very nice, spacious and well-appointed with kitchens, fireplaces, front porches. There are 2 swimming pools, 2 fishing ponds, private hiking trails, 3 hole golf course and much more. Five full hookup campsites are also available. Open March to December 20th every year.
Located on the northeast corner of Johnston City, this 35-acre lake includes a paved boat ramp for fishing, walking path, and campground. Only electric motors and canoes are permitted. You will find largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, and channel catfish in this small reservoir. Pedal boat rentals are available from July-September.
CITY:Johnston City
Grand Chain Lodge & Campground
The lodge offers four spacious suites, each furnished with two queen-sized beds, a Jacuzzi bath tub, and access to the Observation Deck with a spectacular view of the Ohio River. If you want even more privacy or have a larger group. you can stay in one of our two fully equipped cabins that also offer Jacuzzi tubs, private decks overlooking the river as well as full kitchens and a loft bedroom. Each cabin sleeps six and offers, not only a beautiful panorama of the Ohio, but close up observation of an area teaming with wildlife.
CITY:Grand Chain
Coyote Cabins Retreat and Farm
Our beautiful 22-acre property has an alfalfa farm at the front of the property where our larger cabin (a log home), is a stone's throw from our 3-acre pond. Our 2 log cabins are nestled next to the Army Corp of Engineers ground in central Illinois. This provides many opportunities for nature walks and bird watching.
Enjoy a one-of-a-kind overnight stay at Wildlife Prairie Park in one of the Santa Fe Train Cabooses!
CITY:Hanna City
Egyptian Hills Resort is your passport to the Ultimate outdoor family vacation. Whether you are into waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, sport fishing, or pleasure boating; the Lake of Egypt is a boater's paradise. All within a stone's throw of your cabin. Our cabins and chalets sit next to soothing, running streams and waterfalls – with breathtaking lake front views. Each cabin/chalet features a full kitchen, living room, large deck, full bedroom, 2 loft bedrooms and full bath.
CITY:Creal Springs
Couples Getaway Vacation Cabins, perfect for a romantic wine trail getaway, outdoor adventure vacation, or just to reconnect with your loved one in your private wooded retreat.
The Drake is a cityscape landmark and has been a symbol of white glove elegance for eighty years. The pride of all Chicagoans, it has been the first choice of celebrities and Heads of State since its opening in 1920. Scenes from several movies were filmed at The Drake Hotel including Risky Business, My Best Friend's Wedding, What Women Want, Continental Divide, Flags of Our Fathers and Wicker Park were filmed at the hotel.
Creekside Vineyards Wine Terrace & Inn
Enjoy this vineyard and B&B combo located just a few minutes from major attractions in the Quad Cities. Vineyard tours are available by appointment. Lovely Inn located in a beautiful country setting, yet minutes from entertainment, dining and shopping. Wine tastings offered throughout the year. Check website for complete details on wine tastings, special events, and to book a room at the Inn.
CITY:Coal Valley


text:
Its out: http://www.mangainn.com/manga/chapte...d-behind-blast
Yama is pissed. Yeah saw the outcome of that fight coming a mile a away.
Again everyone be civil to each other. No bullshit this week either or its a nice vacation.
l5l Excellent
l4l Great
l3l Average
l2l Bad
l1l Terrible
Its out: http://www.mangainn.com/manga/chapte...d-behind-blast
Yama is pissed. Yeah saw the outcome of that fight coming a mile a away.
Again everyone be civil to each other. No bullshit this week either or its a nice vacation.
Last edited by Jaiden; 04-11-2012 at 01:33 PM.
Manga reading list: Bleach, Naruto, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, One Piece, Code Breaker, Gamaran, Kuroko No Basket, Fairy Tail, The World God Only Knows, Kimi No Iru Machi, Good Ending, Medaka Box, Nisekoi, D.Gray-Man, Ao No Exorcist, Freezing, Magi - Labyrinth of Magic, Soul Eater, Rosario Vampire Season II, Iris Zero, Ubell Blatt, Bloody Cross, Sun-Ken Rock, and Infinite Stratos,
My question is: will the ss trust Ishida and his father? Or will they try to lock them safely until the war is over?
This and...the enemies are really powerful. that guy defeated the tres bestias in an nstant, and two lieutenants couldn't even scratch them in the previous arc! I think we'll need squad 0's help with these vanderthings
Good good, at least we know there are only a few star quincy, the rest are disposable.
Aggravate, Anger, and Piss off
I'm not surprised those 3 were defeated, there were never Espada level to begin with. I just hope the Quincy Captain doesn't do a runner like the other guy when he loses.
It actually makes sense that they need to recruit the arrancar given that quincy numbers are supposed to be low n short on manpower. Actually i dont really rmb those 3 engaging in a real fight given that their releases was basically allon.
Man nice to see yama take the initiative n get the ball rolling. a pissed yama...that just spells bankai all over it i just hope they dont cockblock it with the ability of theirs
Great chapter! I'm starting to like the quincy captain guy. Kirge Opie vs Ichigo will be good.. And Yamamoto is more excited than Kenpachi?
...You Know?..
The way kubo drew yama-ji's face he is really pissed... and its smart of him not to trust the "5day attack" declaration...it was BS from luders which got him killed lol....
The thing i hate here again is the translation ex. mayuri explanation there are lacking words(though i know what he meant but still)....also when i read naruto there are some parts that are't complete or misguiding... my buddy also said something lacking in translation in one piece chapters... i do wish that mangazone or mangapanda would translate them better like mangastream did
Good luck taking on Ichigo, Nazi-san -.-

subset: commoncrawl


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Matty's Chesham Wedge Sandal
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 269496
Carry on the color block trend in this hot wedge sandal from Matty's. The Chesham has a strappy silhouette and details you won't be able to pass up.
- Patent and stretch fabric upper
- Heel strap with elastic insert for secure fit
- 1½" platform, 4¾" wedge heel
- Synthetic sole
- Imported
By: Tiffanys68
Location: Roseville, CA
January 16, 2014
Super cute and comfy!
"I loved the look of these shoes but worried that the large elastic band might cut into my foot, but it doesn't. It keeps the shoes in place and is very comfortable. I love these shoes and am very happy with my purchase! Highly recommend these shoes!"
By: tolly20003
Location: minneapolis, MN
December 04, 2013
So Cute
"I was skeptical buying this wedge because of the colors. But the colors in real are actually not bad at all. Though I'm not a fan of the elastic in the middle. But I still like it anyways."
By: sparklebling1
Location: miramar fla
November 18, 2013
"cute wedge"
By: stilettolover13
Location: MI
August 14, 2013
So cute!
"I bought these in the nude/yellow color. Personally, I would call it more of a lime green than yellow, though. However, I love them! They're very comfortable despite having a high wedge heel. I receive numerous compliments every time I wear them! I definitely recommend them."
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Due Process and Targeted Killing of Terrorists
Afsheen John Radsan
William Mitchell College of Law
Richard W. Murphy
Texas Tech University School of Law
March 1, 2009
Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 31, p. 405, 2009
William Mitchell Legal Studies Research Paper No. 126
Texas Tech Law School Research Paper No. 2010-06
Targeted killing is extra-judicial, premeditated killing by a state of a specifically identified person not in its custody. States have used this tool, secretly or not, throughout history. In recent years, targeted killing has generated new controversy as two states in particular - Israel and the United States - have struggled against opponents embedded in civilian populations. As a matter of express policy, Israel engages in targeted killing of persons it deems members of terrorist organizations who are involved in attacks on Israel. The United States, less expressly, has adopted a similar policy against al Qaeda - particularly in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the CIA has used unmanned Predator drones to fire Hellfire missiles to attempt to kill al Qaeda leaders. This campaign of Predator strikes has continued into the Obama Administration.
This Article explores the implications for targeted killing of the due process model that the Supreme Court has developed in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld and Boumediene v. Bush for detention of enemy combatants. Contrary to a charge leveled by Justice Thomas in his Hamdi dissent, this model does not break down in the extreme context of targeted killing. Instead, it suggests useful means to control this practice and heighten accountability. Our primary conclusion in this regard is that, under Boumediene, the executive has a due-process obligation to develop fair, rational procedures for its use of targeted killing no matter whom it might be targeting anywhere in the world. To implement this duty, the executive should, following the lead of the Supreme Court of Israel (among others), require an independent, intra-executive investigation of any targeted killing by the CIA. Such investigations should be as public as is reasonably consonant with national security. Even in a war-on-terror, due process demands at least this level of accountability for the power to kill suspected terrorists.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 47
Keywords: due process, targeted killing, enemy combatant, war-on-terror, Boumediene, Hamdi
Date posted: February 26, 2009 ; Last revised: February 26, 2010
Suggested Citation


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Bill Fulton is the founder of Ronin User Experience. He started and led Microsoft Game Studio's user research group.
Bill Fulton of Ronin User Experience describes his empirical yet emotional approach to game design and how it relates to customer engagement.
Interview conducted by Alan Morrison and Galen Gruman
PwC: When you look at how games are being designed and how game design approaches could be improved, what shortfalls are you seeing?
BF: The problem is that the people who are most competent and best situated to design and develop games—and this is true of all kinds of designs, not just game designs—are the least qualified to remember what it's like not to know what they know. The curse of knowledge is that you know so much you can't remember what it's like to be ignorant of the topic.
PwC: So what's an antidote to the curse of knowledge?
BF: One antidote to the curse of knowledge is to do empirical testing of the intended target market. It's not good enough to let people who understand linear algebra and programming make Excel for Microsoft. Excel is a product for people who don't know linear algebra, don't understand matrices, and aren't programmers. And yet they need to be able to use that product to crunch numbers for themselves.
That gap in knowledge leads to massive frustration on the part of end users who often simply can't understand the instructions they've been given. So the antidote is to constantly check yourself and make the experts acknowledge that their target is not as educated as they are.
You do a test and see where things break down, where people don't understand instructions, where they don't understand feedback, where symbols don't mean the same thing, and where icons don't mean the same thing.
PwC: How do you engage the right people with what you've just empirically designed?
BF: One of the limitations that business puts on itself is that it cares only about a few things, and not the whole thing. For instance, profit maximization is obviously a goal, but business generally takes a very narrow approach to how to accomplish that. A squishy psychologist like me would say that happy workers are better workers, but it's very hard to quantify how that's going to maximize profit.
But it doesn't make it not true. If companies fail to measure that happiness and work on it, then they'll maximize profit in the short run, but they'll wonder why they're not getting more out of it. Over the long term, they will have unhappy workers, and their turnover will be terrible.
Game designers try to engage the whole person and not just a narrow slice of a person. They look at the range of human experience, which can be broken down into three components: feeling, doing, and thinking.
In the same way that every color we see can be broken down to red, green, and blue components, every human experience can be broken down into those three experience components. One of the things that game designers do to maximize engagement is try to use all three of those components as opposed to just one or two.
PwC: And businesses, by contrast, stay focused on just one thing?
BF: In most places in the business world, the focus is solely on behavior and a little bit on thinking, and almost nothing on emotion. That's essentially like trying to paint a picture using just yellow. You could, but it's not going to be as good a picture, or it's going to take a lot more skill to make a just-yellow picture interesting compared to one that has a full range of color.
If game designers are going to pull a person away from every other voluntary social activity or hobby or pastime, they're going to have to engage that person at a very deep level in every possible way they can. And so they try to engage thinking, doing, and feeling at the same time.
PwC: If businesses haven't really thought about design in terms of engaging customers from an emotional standpoint, how do they start?
BF: First of all, start with it as a goal—not a lip service goal, but a goal. The goal is this: People should love our product.
Most businesses want people to see the value or benefit of their product, and not consider price. They never come to the conclusion that it would be better if people loved their products.
It's much harder to pull away customers who love your stuff. But that love is not an explicit goal and therefore no one ever works toward that. Even if you make it an explicit goal, then you're at the point of asking, "How do we do that?" Well, that's where you start to get into some other very squishy things.
User experience designers ask themselves, what would cause someone to love this? If every car came in matte black, there would be a lot fewer people who love cars. The designers know that color and shape, things completely separate from a car's usefulness as transportation, play a large role in whether one loves a car.
To get a healthy chunk of sales and a lot of customer loyalty, car designers know they need to inspire love. Now this is true in some cases and less true in others. With a sports car, it's absolutely true. Perhaps with a very sensible four-door sedan, it's less true.
PwC: Should every situation be a fully engaged situation?
BF: Every situation certainly doesn't have to be. If you're a key designer, investing all the effort you can into making sure your customers love their house keys, for example, is just a waste of effort. But if there's not a reasonable amount of liking even mundane designs, then you're in trouble.
Let's take a look at instant messaging [IM]. That's just a communication tool. But people developed emoticons in e-mail, and then IM turned them into even more interesting-looking things. They have more funny pictures of emoticons in IM. It sometimes seems like over half of the development effort is spent making emoticons look good, animating them, and so on. Emoticons have nothing to do with the strict requirements of communication, but they have everything to do with a fuller, richer, human communication.
And people grow attached to emoticons. They dislike it when the emoticon they want to pull out doesn't look as good in this IM client or that IM client. Their feeling about emoticons becomes a reason not to switch IM clients.
PwC: Where do businesses choose to apply this emotional approach besides products and services? Inside the enterprise there are training activities, for example. Should there be an emotional component to the training that folks have to do?
BF: Absolutely. The problem is that there is an emotional component. If you don't design it, then you're not controlling the emotional component. So in other words, training is a very, very emotionally fraught scenario.
For one thing, if you're a participant, the need for training means you're ignorant at something or else they wouldn't send you to training. For another, there's a reason you're there, whether it's fear of losing your job or motivation to try to move up or improve your skill set. And then there's the post-training aspect of it. Did the training actually help me? Did I use my time well? A whole slew of emotions occur in something like training.
And if an instructional designer doesn't try to shape that into something that is a positive and good experience, then people will wish they hadn't taken the training. They'll bad-mouth it, perhaps, or they won't take full advantage of it, because they're not prepared emotionally to maximize the value of that training.
PwC: Can you give us an example of a service where the emotional component has been controlled effectively?
BF: Sure. Let's take the airlines Virgin America, which shows a video of the announcement for using seatbelts and other safety measures. The company uses a little humor in the video, and it uses some very pleasing graphics. Virgin America spared passengers the attempt by flight attendants to be friendly and funny. Those attendants have given that speech 1,000 times and can't imagine anyone doesn't already know it, and so they have to become these great actors or desperately look for some way to keep it fresh. Instead, Virgin made one really good short video, which is actually amusing enough that I still watch it more than I ever watched the other flight attendants present the information manually.
Virgin thought about the emotional experience at the beginning of a flight, where the first major thing travelers think is, "Great, we have to try to act like we're paying attention, but we're not." Virgin flipped it around and with just a little bit of humor and a little bit of investment, changed it to a minor positive for the experience of flying on Virgin America.
PwC: You've published before on incorporating social functionality into games. You've seen the evolution of so-called gamification as it relates to social platforms. What are you seeing right now? What's happening in that space that our readers should be aware of?
BF: I'd say that the social world is still underappreciated and misunderstood. We are slowly fumbling toward better social software, and Facebook is a step. It is one of many possible steps. Despite its clumsiness, I'd argue it's a huge social benefit to people.
The great frontier that people are fumbling their way toward is helping people socialize with others who like the same things they already like. We see this on Twitter: you can follow comedians or famous people or whatever and can already share a like of them. You can't quite socialize with other people as much, but there is an aggregation of people around common interests. Pinterest is another one that's beginning to aggregate people around common interests and let you socialize with people who already like what you like and love what you love.
One of the things I love about games is that you already share a love of a particular game and then you have the opportunity to socialize with people who also love that thing.
PwC: It seems that some of the shallower approaches to gamification could seem like manipulation. What about the negative feelings that might result from just a partial solution to the problem, say in a social context?
BF: Yes, poorly designed social is very dangerous. Poorly designed emotion in general is very dangerous. Humans are very good at detecting disingenuousness. Clumsy emotion design will feel terrible. It feels worse than doing nothing. But it doesn't have to be bad or heavy handed. You can find designers who can think about that aspect of design.
I would very, very carefully test game mechanics applied to business processes before you release them. Make sure that the goals you had for the emotions you're trying to achieve are in fact being achieved. But that's what you do for everything. If you want to make a car that can go 40 miles per gallon, you must test it to see if it gets there. And if it doesn't, you must revise it until it does.
Designing for emotion is definitely in its infancy. I'd say a great number of companies don't even have it as a goal yet.


text: Image gallery (0) Add an image Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total votes: 175 3 March 31, 2002 - 2:58pm 1 Cheat available for Lamborghini's American Challenge, see below Cheats Lamborghini's American Challenge - 6000000 (Super Nintendo) Add new comment Add new comment Your name (Login to post using username) Your name Subject Comment * CAPTCHAThis question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. (3) Spend all your money with itens and betting then let the police arest you , you will earn lots of cash. 3 yes no 1 reply report  hola chao 0 yes no 1 reply report  Super CheatGet pulled over by the cops and the push start then select to gain an almost infinte amount of money. works randomly 0 yes no 2 reply report  Add new comment


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The secret to The Grommet's breakout video
A video showcasing collar stays has attracted more than 61,000 views on Facebook—more than 10 times the number of shoppers who watch The Grommet's ...
The secret to The Grommet's breakout video
A video showcasing collar stays has attracted more than 61,000 views on Facebook—more than 10 times the number of shoppers who watch The Grommet's ...
As online grows, Kohl's looks to smaller stores
Executives at the retail chain say web sales grew in the mid-teens and about a third of Kohl's Q4 online sales were either shipped ...
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Amazon doesn't always offer the lowest price, but it is the most aggressive in changing prices to stay ahead of competitors, according to data from 360pi. Rivals are catching up.
The holiday season is extremely competitive for retailers—the entire year boils down to a battle for consumer attention and sales. This year was no exception, and many retailers applied different pricing strategies and tactics to win holiday revenues and margins. From a couple of weeks before Black Friday to the end of the holiday shopping season, 360pi closely compared retailers, such as Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Newegg, Costco and others, to Amazon and its assortment in order to analyze how these online and brick and mortar shopping destinations competed for the sale. This is what we learned.
Lesson 1: Black Friday deep discounts are a myth. Are aggressive discounts on Black Friday a thing of the past? We think so, based on the data that we gathered. On the week leading up to Black Friday, we found that Wal-Mart steadily increased prices and actually raised its average prices across eight categories in the sampled assortment, including TVs, tablets and more, by about 5 percent on Black Friday. Toys R Us was another retailer who used such strategies with their action figures—in mid-November, they were on average 37 percent higher priced than Amazon and steadily raised prices until Black Friday, when they dipped slightly. Overall, we witnessed only a few retailers dropping prices on only a few categories during the popular shopping day.
Lesson 2: Amazon was the price leader only 80% of the time. Many found this fact surprising. Our data showed Amazon was not always the retailer with the best price. In fact, they were not as competitive in the traditional electronics category within the sampled assortment. Amazon was only the lowest price 48 percent of the time in TVs, 57 percent of the time in tablets and 67 percent of the time in digital cameras during the holidays. They excelled in action figures (88 percent) and power drills (84 percent), however, which tells us that prices shift radically between categories.
We were surprised to see that, overall, other retailers are playing and winning on Amazon's "home turf", or product assortment, 20 percent of the time. Our analysis shows that Amazon does have weak spots and that retailers can compete with the online giant, especially if they can beat Amazon on other non-price purchase factors.
Lesson 3: Dynamic pricing is a strategy dominated by Amazon. During 2013, most retailers only made daily price changes on about 5 percent of their product assortment. During Black Friday, retailers were a bit more dynamic in pricing, making daily changes on about 10 to 15 percent of their assortment. However, Amazon went from a daily price change average on 10 to 15 percent of its assortment to 32 percent on Black Friday. Extrapolating from our pricing observations of 8000+ Amazon-carried products over the holidays, Amazon made 3 million daily price changes in November and the actual number could easily be ten times greater.
Amazon is the clear leader today when it comes to successfully executing dynamic pricing. Amazon's strategy is not necessarily to be the price leader, but to be the fastest follower of the price leader—i.e. when a retailer drops its prices, Amazon quickly follows suit. Price aggressive retailers that do not have a firm understanding of the competitive pricing landscape inadvertently work against themselves by accelerating a "race to the bottom" with Amazon. A much better, more sustainable pricing strategy would be to be competitively priced, but not the lowest price.
Other retailers are attempting to execute dynamic pricing, but don't have the insight into their own product assortment to do so successfully. Sears, for example, already has the lowest price on certain appliances, but it slashes prices to encourage sales and loses profit margins unnecessarily and perpetuates the downward spiral observed above. Sears is a competitively priced retailer, but the company (and consumers) may not know this.
Lesson 4: Pure-play online retailers were not the most price-competitive retailers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For holiday shopping days that seem geared towards the "shop from home" consumers, we were surprised to see that multichannel retailers actually had the most competitive prices. In the consumer electronics category, for example, multichannel retailers like Best Buy were on average 4 to 10 percent lower priced than online-only retailers, such as Tiger Direct, Buy.com and Newegg on Black Friday weekend. For retailers that don't have as much overhead costs as multichannel retailers, we expected the online stores to be more competitive, but we witnessed the opposite.
Overall, we saw that some retailers, such as Target, Home Depot and Best Buy, are catching on to the value of dynamic pricing. Given that our data is based on products drawn from Amazon's own assortment, you would expect Amazon to be the most price-competitive retailer. However, when you factor in different retail competitive strategies such as carrying a different assortment, leveraging private label, delivering targeted customer promotions, and creating unique customer experiences in addition to price leadership, it certainly appears that retailers are learning how to compete with Amazon.
360pi monitors millions of products from hundreds of retailer web sites to deliver price intelligence to its clients.
Amazon is increasingly demanding of the retailers and brands that sell it products.
Posted 02/28/17
Just since 2015, 300 lawsuits have been filed in or moved to federal courts regarding ...
Posted 02/28/17
The key takeaway: Start early, because sales tail off in the last few days before ...
Posted 02/27/17
Every piece of data you collect can help you serve your audience exactly what they ...
Posted 02/24/17
The Supreme Court is surely going to find this question right back on their doorstep next year."


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|Posted by hj on December 02, 2003 at 18:20:32:
|In response to Re: Bent flange on a leaky toilet
Are you really sure the problem is the flange. At this point, given what you have done so far, I would be looking for a defect in the toilet. The flange will eventually be a problem, but as long as the wax seal is compressed by the toilet, there should be no leaks at this time.
: I have a leaky toilet that I have unsuccessfuly tried to fix 3 times. The toilet itself seems fine (no cracks) and the pipe doesn't seem to have any cracks.
: However, the flange on the pipe (the ring where the bolts connect) is bent up slightly at both places where the bolts were.
: I have replaced the wax ring 3 times and I am still getting a leak. Should I double up on the wax rings or try one of those new No-Wax seals.
: Both of these options were offered in the past when the flange was below the floor but I do not know if anyone has had a problem with the flange bending up above the floor.
|Replies to this post
|There are none.


text:
Trying to impress your friends and family with your extraordinary cooking skills? Well, we have a recipe that will blow them away—and the best thing is you can make it anytime, even in an emergency, just using your food storage supplies. (And you don't have to be a great cook!)
A few of us here at the office decided to see if we could impress our co-workers with our cooking skills using this Cajun Chicken and Pasta recipe—because really, sometimes yummy food is just the best way to celebrate on an uneventful Tuesday.
Cajun Chicken and Pasta (4 servings)
2 cups Provident Pantry Freeze Dried White Chicken, reconstituted
1 cup Provident Pantry Freeze Dried Red Bell Pepper, reconstituted
½ cup Provident Pantry Freeze Dried Celery, reconstituted
2 TBS MyChoice Freeze Dried Green Onions, reconstituted
½ cup MyChoice Freeze Dried Mushroom Slices, reconstituted
1 cup reconstituted MyChoice Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
1 TBS Provident Pantry White Flour
1 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided* (or add more to taste)
2 TBS Clarified Butter or Red Feather Canned Butter
½ tsp MyChoice Basil
½ tsp Provident Pantry Iodized Salt
3 cups cooked Provident Pantry Egg Noodle Pasta
Parmesan cheese (optional)
*You can make your own Cajun seasoning by blending ¼ tsp MyChoice Onion Powder, ¼ tsp MyChoice Garlic Powder, ¼ tsp paprika, ½ tsp Provident Pantry Iodized Salt, and ½ tsp cayenne pepper.
- Reconstitute first six ingredients. Drain and reserve excess water
- Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
- In skillet, sauté vegetables in butter and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Cajun seasoning.
- In a separate bowl, sprinkle chicken with a little of the Cajun seasoning as well. Add chicken into skillet with vegetables and toss to coat with butter and seasonings.
- Mix in basil.
- Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir.
- Add milk and stir well until thickened. If there is any Cajun seasoning left, add it to the chicken mixture. Taste for seasoning; if it's not spicy enough for you, add more Cajun seasoning to taste.
- If the sauce in the chicken mixture becomes too thick, thin it with a little of the reserved water.
- Fold chicken mixture into the cooked noodles.
- Add about ½ tsp of salt and mix well.
- Top with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Here's What the Emergency Essential's Team Had to Say
We tried to impress our co-workers with this savory meal and…it worked! After everyone had a taste, check out what they had to say:
"This has just the right amount of spice. I never would've guessed in a million years that this was from food storage!" --Scotty
"Extremely flavorful with a slight kick. I would definitely eat this…" --David
"This is a great meal that's easy and fast to make! It gives you an exotic food storage meal that's different from the traditional food storage meals." --Angela
"Delicious! It had just a little bit of a kick, but not too spicy. It was just enough to say 'Mmmm!' I never thought this would've come from food storage." --Becca
"It was good—a little spicy for me—but good." --Sairey
"I love the flavor and the spicy factor wasn't too high so even though I'm a wuss, I could still handle it—Delicious!" --Sarah
Try out this delicious recipe with your food storage to make an impression at any celebration, or just for a flavorful meal at home. Come back and let us know what you think!
Also check out these other delicious recipes that will have people coming back for more:
Oriental Chicken Salad
Food Storage Super Bowl Recipe Roundup
Spicy Chicken
Chicken A La King
Linguini Chicken with Vegetables


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Top Definition
The craziest of metaphorical INTERNET vehicles that takes you directly to lulz without passing go.
Internet Pedestrian: wtf i hate you!
lolbike rider: HAR HAR HAR, silly netped, dont be such a n00b
lolbike rider: HAR HAR HAR, silly netped, dont be such a n00b
by LoLex July 29, 2009
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.Buy the mug
The Urban Dictionary T-Shirt
Smooth, soft, slim fit American Apparel shirt. Custom printed. 100% fine jersey cotton, except for heather grey (90% cotton).Buy the t-shirt


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Faith and Food Equal Fun and Nutritious Eating in Oregon
Cross posted from the Know Your Farmer Know Your Food blog.
The Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) is a statewide association of Christian denominations, congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners. Their comprehensive efforts around food started in 1994 with a mission to promote community food security among faith communities. Aided by a USDA Community Food Projects Grant in 2005, EMO started the Interfaith Food and Farms Partnership (IFFP). Read more »


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Both Joe Simpson and Nick Robinson return to Wasps' starting XV from injury for Sunday's Premiership clash with Leicester Tigers.
After time out with injury, both Joe Simpson and Nick Robinson return to Wasps' starting XV for Sunday's Premiership clash with Leicester Tigers.
There is also good news in the back row with Jonathan Poff returning from injury to take the starting seven shirt, alongside Ashley Johnson at blindside and Billy Vunipola at eight.
Phil Swainston will earn his first Premiership start, lining up in the front row alongside Tim Payne and T Rhys Thomas. James Cannon and Marco Wentzel start in the second row.
Outside Simpson and Robinson, Chris Bell and Elliot Daly are paired in the centres, with flyers Christian Wade and Tom Varndell on the wings and captain Hugo Southwell at fullback.
Young prop Will Taylor and London Scottish loanee Josh Brown are included on the bench having impressed in the LV=Cup and are both in line for their first Aviva Premiership appearance if they feature.
Director of Rugby Dai Young expects a difficult assignment.
"We know that we have a tough task ahead of us this weekend," he said.
"Leicester have a very strong squad of players and despite having some members of that squad away on international duty they have quality players who can come in.
"Our form and results at Adams Park have been very encouraging and the players will be doing their utmost to keep that going this Sunday."
Meanwhile, Anthony Allen and Thomas Waldrom go straight into the starting line-up for Leicester on their return from England duty.
Waldrom played for England in the opening two Tests of the autumn but returns to the Tigers No8 shirt this weekend, while EPS member Allen starts at centre for the trip to Adams Park.
Fellow England internationals George Chuter, Louis Deacon, Jordan Crane and Mathew Tait are also included in the Tigers line-up.
Club captain Geordan Murphy is named among the replacements after missing the last three games, and prop Michael Holford is included in the matchday 23 as Tigers are without international front rows Dan Cole, Martin Castrogiovanni and Marcos Ayerza, and the suspended Boris Stankovich.
Form: London Wasps last seven matches in Aviva Premiership Rugby have all been won by the home side on the day. Wasps have a 100% winning record at Adams Park in all competitions this season. Leicester Tigers last seven competitive games have also all been won by the home side on the day. Tigers have slipped to three straight away defeats but haven't lost four in a row on the road since 2009. The last seven games between the two sides have all been won by the home team, whilst Leicester have not won at Adams Park since 2007.
The teams:
Wasps: 15 Hugo Southwell, 14 Tom Varndell, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Chris Bell, 11 Christian Wade, 10 Nick Robinson, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Jonathan Poff, 6 Ashley Johnson, 5 Marco Wentzel, 4 James Cannon, 3 Phil Swainston, 2 T Rhys Thomas, 1 Tim Payne.
Replacements: 16 Tom Lindsay, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Will Taylor, 19 Josh Brown, 20 Sam Jones, 21 Charlie Davies, 22 Tommy Bell, 23 Lee Thomas.
Leicester: 15 Mathew Tait, 14 Niall Morris, 13 Matt Smith, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Adam Thompstone, 10 George Ford, 9 Sam Harrison, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Jordan Crane, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Louis Deacon (c), 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 George Chuter, 1 Jonny Harris.
Replacements: 16 Rob Hawkins, 17 Michael Holford, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Ed Slater, 20 Richard Thorpe, 21 Patrick Phibbs, 22 Dan Bowden, 23 Geordan Murphy.
Date: Sunday, November 25
Kick-off: 14:30
Venue: Adams Park
Referee: Sean Davey
Assistant referees: Gareth Copsey Kevin Stewart
Television match official: Graham Hughes
Timekeeper: Bob Ockenden
Assessor: Ed Morrison


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Charles Krauthammer: Obama's ode to collectivity
The media herd is stunned to discover that Barack Obama is a man of the Left. After 699 teleprompted presidential speeches, the commentariat was apparently still oblivious. Until Monday's inaugural address, that is.
Where has everyone been these four years? The only surprise is that Obama chose his second inaugural, generally an occasion for "malice toward none" ecumenism, to unveil so uncompromising a left-liberal manifesto.
But the substance was no surprise. After all, Obama had unveiled his transformational agenda in his very first address to Congress, four years ago (Feb. 24, 2009). It was, I wrote at the time, "the boldest social democratic manifesto ever issued by a U.S. president."
Nor was it mere talk. Obama went on to essentially nationalize health care and 18 percent of the U.S. economy – after passing an $833 billion stimulus that precipitated an unprecedented expansion of government spending. Washington now spends 24 percent of GDP, fully one-fifth higher than the postwar norm of 20 percent.
Obama's ambitions were derailed by the 2010 midterm shellacking that cost him the House. But now that he's won again, the revolution is back, as announced in Monday's inaugural address.
It was a paean to big government. At its heart was Obama's pledge to, 1) defend unyieldingly the 20th-century welfare state and, 2) expand it unrelentingly for the 21st.
The first part of that agenda – clinging zealously to the increasingly obsolete structures of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – is the very definition of reactionary liberalism. Social Security was created when life expectancy was 62. Medicare was created when modern medical technology was in its infancy. Today's radically different demographics and technology have rendered these programs, as structured, unsustainable. Everyone knows that, unless reformed, they will swallow up the rest of the budget.
As for the second part – enlargement – Obama had already begun that in his first term with Obamacare. Monday's inaugural address reinstated yet another grand Obama project – healing the planet. It promised a state-created green energy sector, massively subsidized.
The playbook is well known. As Czech President (and economist) Vaclav Klaus once explained, environmentalism is the successor to failed socialism as justification for all-pervasive rule by a politburo of experts. Only now, it acts in the name of, not the proletariat, but the planet.
Monday's address also served to disabuse the fantasists of any Obama interest in fiscal reform or debt reduction. This speech was spectacularly devoid of any acknowledgment of the central threat to the postindustrial democracies (as already seen in Europe) – the crisis of an increasingly insolvent entitlement state.
On the contrary. Obama is the apostle of the ever-expanding state. His speech was an ode to the collectivity.
For Obama, nothing lies between citizen and state. It is a desert, within which the isolated citizen finds protection only in the shadow of Leviathan. Put another way, this speech is the perfect homily for the marriage of Julia – the Obama campaign's atomized citizen, coddled from cradle to grave – and the state.
In the eye of history, Obama's second inaugural is a direct response to Ronald Reagan's first. On Jan. 20, 1981, Reagan had proclaimed: "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem." And then succeeded in bending the national consensus to his ideology – as confirmed 15 years later when the next Democratic president declared "The era of big government is over." So said Bill Clinton, who then proceeded to abolish welfare.
Obama said in 2008 that Reagan "changed the trajectory of America" in a way that Clinton did not. He meant that Reagan had transformed the political zeitgeist, while Clinton accepted and thus validated the new Reaganite norm.
Not Obama. His mission is to redeem and resurrect the 50-year pre-Reagan liberal ascendancy. Accordingly, his second inaugural address, ideologically unapologetic and aggressive, is his historical marker, his self-proclamation as the Reagan of the Left.
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The Studio
New York
315 Hudson St.
8th Floor
8th Floor
Book Now
New York native Jill Garland has always had a passion for style and jewelry, but it wasn't until she moved to LA that she made a career of it. She has been selling a glittering assortment of jewelry and accessories from names like Chanel, YSL, Christian Dior, Gucci, Givenchy, and Judith Leiber for many years now. Her main focus when buying her one-of-a-kind pieces is to choose what she would like to wear herself.


text:
By PATSY STODDARDEditor
The commissioners elected a new chairman for 2005 at the commission meeting on Jan. 18. Commissioner Gary Kofford nominated Commissioner Ira Hatch to be the chairman for 2005. The motion was seconded and approved. Commissioner Drew Sitterud went over the list of commissioner responsibilities for the year. Sitterud: Association of governments, assessor, Canyon Country, Division of Wildlife Resources, IT department, justice court, public lands, RC&D, recreation district/fair, recorder/archives, TV/communications, and sheriff's office.
Hatch: airport, BLM, clerk/auditor, ECSSD#1, extension office, personnel, road department, senior citizens, public lands, travel councils, workforce services, weed/mosquito, and historical preservation committee.
Kofford: ambulance/EMTs, animal control, attorney, chamber of commerce, county facilities, planning/zoning, treasurer, USFS, homeland security, fire district, landfill, library, mental health, public lands, COG, ambulance, economic development, and wildland fire.
Delena Fish from the workforce services was on hand to discuss worksite learning opportunities for the county. She described different programs that clients for workforce services can be involved. Nonpaid interns, paid interns, on-the-job training and apprenticeships were cited. Fish presented information to the county to gauge their interest in being involved with the workforce services and their clients. She said the program is for low income individuals without a lot of work experience. The jobs are used as a training ground for these individuals to develop marketable skills. An employment counselor also works with the individual to help alleviate any problems they might have with the job.
The Division of Workforce Services pays the wages of the individual except with the on-the-job training where the county would pay half of the wages. A time sheet is to be submitted to the DWS for the employee. The DWS also picks up any related expenses with the employee like liability insurance and unemployment benefits. The DWS also supervises the employee. Workers learn to come to work on time and follow directions. Some of the on-the-job training might lead to full time work. The internships are usually just temporary learning experiences. Workers are available anywhere from 10-40 hours per week.
The DWS also offers a summer employment program for the youth where they can gain work and socialization skills. Fish suggested the county come up with a description of a job and what would be required and the DWS would match individuals to the job.
The commissioners determined they would bring the matter up in the elected officials and department head meeting next month to see if any job opportunities exist and they would get back to Fish on the matter.
The commission discussed a box to hold the crosswalk signs in Orangeville. They want to keep the box behind the Orangeville library sign. The commission approved the request from Orangeville.
Commissioner Hatch said the terms have expired for the members of the Emery County Historical Preservation Committee. He requested approval to begin advertising to fill these positions. The committee is currently working on two projects, the Muddy Creek Bridge and the San Rafael Swinging Bridge.
The commission approved the cooperative agreement with the Utah State Extension Service for 2005.
The awarding of the filter bid went to Bookcliff Sales in Price.
A public hearing has been set for Feb. 1 at 5:30 p.m. to hear public comment on a proposed ordinance to establish a reliable and consistent system of addressing property in Emery County. Written comments will also be taken at the clerk's office until Feb. 1 at 5 p.m.
Commissioner Sitterud spoke of a letter being sent to Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert about the consistency review of the BLM resource management plan and also the forest revision plan. This consistency review is the last step before the documents are sent to Washington for final approval. Herbert requested a letter of recommendation from the counties on what he should look for in the review. The letter has been prepared including 11 pages with 82 different items pointed out.
The commission approved the beginning of the grant process for a new ambulance for Castle Dale.
The commissioners gave their reports; Hatch said he had met with the travel council and had good discussion. The county is now collecting its own transient room tax. The appropriate letters and forms have been sent to all of the vendors so they can submit these taxes to the county.
Hatch said he also met with Mark Mansfield on the Hunter Plant interchange. They are working on a plan which they will submit to the county and to UDOT for their consideration.
The airport improvement plan will be discussed at a public meeting, the plan has been prepared by Jones and Demille.
Kofford said the legislature is now in session and he can get copies of bills being introduced and if anyone has a question on the legislative bills they can contact him and voice their questions and concerns. Feb. 4 will be the Utah Association of Counties day at the legislature where you can meet and speak with your representatives. Kofford also mentioned that Sen. Mike Dmitrich will be currently unable to attend the legislature due to a recent surgery.
Sitterud said he had attended the Green River Greek Festival and awards banquet for their city's volunteers. Green River has the most volunteers per capita in the state of Utah.
He also said they had met with the BLM on the Wedge and the BLM proposal for the Wedge is more favorable than the one first presented.
Improvements to the camping and road are being considered. Sitterud also reported the fence has been moved at Temple Mountain to reopen the road that was fenced off.
This road was designated open in the route designation plan.


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Statement by
H.E. Ms. Melanie Schultz van Haegen
Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters
New York, 6 March 2013
Your Royal Highnesses,
Your Excellency Mr Secretary-General,
Your Excellencies,
ladies and gentlemen,
We have just heard some compelling stories from different countries on different continents. And first-hand accounts of recent disasters. We all remember the tragic images of hurricanes, cyclones and tsunamis. I am unable to share any such stories with you today. Because the last major water-related disaster in the Netherlands happened six decades ago, in 1953. But I can share a different experience with you: our experience of dealing with the risk of disaster.
Sixty years ago, in 1953, much of the southwestern Netherlands was flooded as severe storms raged on the North Sea. More than 1,800 people died. Until now, that disaster has been the last in a series of great floods that have hit our country over the centuries. Although high water levels in our rivers did almost lead to severe flooding in the 1990s. Those calamities taught us valuable lessons and have given us centuries of experience in dealing with water.
Almost one-third of our country lies below sea level. Almost two-thirds of the country is vulnerable to flooding. These are the areas where most of our people live. And where most of our GDP is generated.
These facts make flood safety an everyday topic in the Netherlands. But this doesn't always make it as urgent an issue as you might expect. Because after decades of investing heavily in flood safety, the Dutch are often too quick to conclude that we are now safe forever. That, of course, is not true. Because there is no such thing as a world without risk. As we know, the only constant factor in our world is change.
I see three major changes that are affecting how we deal with water.
First, demographic change. Cities are growing rapidly, worldwide. Second, increased knowledge and resources. Innovation and technology are expanding our scope for action.
And third, climate change. We are seeing more and more extreme weather: more droughts in some areas, more rainfall in others.
Now that we know this, what can we do? We believe that the most crucial thing to do is anticipate what's ahead. Of course we can't prevent every flood. But we can be prepared for worst-case scenarios. We can provide our citizens with adequate information. We can make sure that we have emergency plans ready and up-to-date. And we can make sure we know when, how and where to evacuate people. This enables us to combine prevention with other measures: early warning, preparedness, disaster response and evacuation.
In this way we can minimise the consequences of water-related disaster. We can reduce the physical impact of floods and drought. And ensure fewer human casualties. Today I would like to highlight three valuable flood safety lessons from the Netherlands. Not as a model to copy blindly. But rather, we hope, as a source of inspiration.
First: what we've learned about how to practically anticipate.
Second: what we've learned about how to organise governance.
And third: what we've learned about the role citizens, companies and engineers can play.
First, the practical lessons.
After the floods in 1953, our government carried out a large-scale Delta Plan. Major public works were built to close off sea inlets. By now, we can proudly say that we have one of the safest deltas in the world. But we cannot rest on our laurels. Because the world is changing constantly. Our first Delta Plan was based on risk levels last updated in the 1960s. A lot has happened in the meantime. Our economic capital has increased enormously. And we now know that climate change will raise sea levels. And change storm and rainfall patterns.
Hurricane Katrina was an eye-opener in this respect. It showed that the perfect storm can hit us anytime. So three years ago, we launched a new Delta Programme. It takes an active approach to preparing our nation for the impact of climate change. We don't know exactly what to expect. But we know that we'll need to cope with rising sea levels, more intense rainfall and longer periods of drought. So we've developed an adaptive approach to flood safety and fresh water supply. Of course many deltas in the world are facing similar problems. Dutch companies are active on this issue all over the world. For example in in Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Mozambique. We are lucky to be working with so many other countries. Not only to share our knowledge. But also to learn from others.
Second, what have we learned about governance?
To begin with, flood management does not start with levees, dykes or dams. It starts with people who cooperate and set up a proper organisation. To illustrate this, let me take you back more than seven hundred years. Long before there was a Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Dutch started organising themselves around independent water boards. The first one was founded in 1255. Our independent water boards function effectively to this day. Even so, responsibilities and tasks related to water are often scattered over many different government agencies. Here again, proper cooperation and coordination are the first necessity in effectively reducing the number of water-related disasters. The best way to organise this coordination will be different for every country. The Dutch government has appointed a special Delta Commissioner for the new Delta Programme. He has sole responsibility for connecting the various levels of government. It is his job to keep the process up to speed and everybody on the same page. To guarantee this, the Delta Programme is part of a special Delta Act and financed through a special Delta Fund.
In managing such projects, the involvement of regional and local governments is critical. Several Dutch flood safety projects are run by a municipality, province or water authority. Even if the national government covers most of the costs. We have learned that this can be a highly successful way of organising the work. Independent evaluations show that most of the projects are on schedule and will stay within budget. This taught us that a bottom-up approach is sometimes the best way to enhance flood safety.
Third, I would like to address the role of citizens and companies in enhancing safety.
Of course, stakeholder participation can be seen as an inconvenient source of delay.
But we have learned that the earlier we involve citizens and companies in our plans, the more quickly we are able to implement, operate and maintain our flood works.
An excellent example of this made its way into the New York Times a mere three weeks ago. It's the story of Nol Hooijmaijers. He is a Dutch farmer who was told to give up his farm, because the area had been designated as a spillway for a nearby river. However, he did not want to move. In direct talks with local and national government, he came up with an excellent alternative. Elevating part of the area allowed him to keep his farm where it was. When the nearby river overflows, Mr Hooijmaijers and his family are safe on their elevated farm. This kind of participation is only part of the solution, however. Good governance is impossible without professionals. I firmly believe that we have to rely more on public-private partnerships. They help us make better use of the private sector's skills and experiences. And we create scope for private financing.
Most importantly, I believe that we can never achieve an adequate level of safety without a proper plan and a strategy for the future. In the Netherlands we have learned that planning should integrate water with other priorities. Because we can never keep our feet dry by focusing on water alone. It always has to be part of a bigger picture. Including economic development, nature conservation and spatial planning. In fact, flood safety begins with spatial planning.
This principle is vital in enabling us to combine the different functions of water in a single area. Like irrigation, water supply and hydropower. But also to combine flood safety with urban development. This does not mean that planning has to solve every detailed problem.
Because that is impossible. But we can take uncertainties into account by using different scenarios for economic development and climate change. Flexibility must be our key asset.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Anticipating what's ahead is the main way of reducing disaster risks. If we don't look forward, we can't adapt to changing circumstances. Of course, we cannot look forward without cooperation. Among people, companies and governments. As you know, 2013 is the International Year of Water Cooperation. In two weeks' time the Netherlands will be proud to host World Water Day. Cooperation will of course be the main theme of this important event. An event that is in the good hands of an excellent host: His Royal Highness, the Prince of Orange.
So I hope to see you all there.
And I offer you our full cooperation in making our world safer.
Thank you.