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Social Media INFOGRAPHIC: 10 Groovy Facts You Didn't Know
The fine folks at MainStreetHost have put together a great social media infographic with 10 useful data points for us social media and content marketers. If you want to see it in its entirety, click here: social media infographic
As follows are sections of the infographic for easier reading, and some "ah-has" that came out of it.
As someone who has spent the bulk on my career in community and relationship marketing disciplines, this particular data point was interesting: as a brand, your best influencers don't necessarily have the biggest social media followings. Quality is better than quantity, and honest engagement is better than vanity metrics. When you start looking at the new nature of online influence and how to build a social community marketing program, this is important to understand – and, probably, you're going to need some sort of social media marketing tool that helps you identify who your influencers are allows for direct engagement. (Click the following link for more on finding your online influencers.)
The big takeaway on 2-4, for me, is the one on immediacy of response: customers on Twitter do use it to engage directly with a brand, and they expect a quick response. In our comprehensive e-book on social listening, we go over social listening for customer support – and one big tip is to be sure to set expectations for your customers. If you're setting an expectation that your Twitter feed is a two-way street with your customers, put something in your profile that tells people how long they can expect to wait before you get back to them – preferably, per this infographic, within the hour! (For a more thorough explanation of social listening for business, check out our social listening webinar.)
Happy Friday! Facebook's biggest engagement day comes at the end of the week. This isn't a huge surprise, really, given that Monday mornings are full of meetings and catching up on email, and Tuesday through Thursday are inevitably full of work. Friday is a work day, of course, but it's the end of the week and it would seem that we're all a little more prone to checking our Facebook feeds. So if you have a killer piece of content and you really want it shared, why not try a Friday release and see what happens?
These last few facts were things I hadn't seen before, and here's what stood out for me: Pinterest, of all the networks, actually has topical trends by day. Huh. Another thing worth noting is that Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter are also all female-dominated (LinkedIn is the only social network with more active men than women using it), so this makes sense given all the studies that tell us that women engage more overall on social networks than men do.


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Dedication to Uncle Bill
Some very personal insight into Dianne Porchia's early influences leading to her unique holistic approach today:
"My childhood was greatly influenced by my "cool," Uncle Bill Jacoby, a doctor of psychiatry and psychoanalysis, who all my friends affectionately called Uncle Bill, and who went by the artist pen name, Cosmic Surfer. Uncle Bill was a Renaissance man who studied astronomy, physics, mythology, neurology and Freud and was editor of the Psychiatry Association Newsletter. He kept a close cut crew cut, neatly trimmed beard, smoked a distinguished looking pipe, wore horn-rimmed glasses, turtle neck shirts and listened to "long hair" classical music.
Then mid life, Uncle Bill got caught up in the sixties, switched over to wire frame Ray Bans, tie dyed pants with embroidered Indian shirts, grew his silvery grey hair down to his mid back along with a wildly long and straggly beard and added Aquarian Age long hair rock n' roll music to his extensive classical album collection.
Uncle Bill took me to my first Doors concert when I was too young to realize why it was so smoky inside. Love-Ins in the park and the Renaissance Faire were where he collected large beef bones which after getting bleached by the sun in his "graveyard" would become interesting necklaces and pieces of jewelry in one of his numerous work stations throughout his house where he lived in the San Fernando Valley. Bill hung out, danced, took photographs and made scores of line drawings at all the notable Hollywood clubs on the Sunset Strip, The Brass Ring, Gazarris, Whiskey A-Go-Go, Galaxy, Kaleidoscope Hullabaloo, Sea Witch, Starwood, Pandora's Box, Sneaky Pete's and Jessie Jame's London Fog.
Uncle Bill not only hung out back stage with pre-celebrity status names such as Jimi Hendricks, Janis Joplin, Bonnie & Delaney, Spirit, Stepin' Wolfe, Jefferson Starship, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Strawberry Alarm Clock and others at the clubs, outdoor concerts and Love-Ins of the time, but at any given evening some of these people would be hanging out at his house in a rural part of the San Fernando Valley. When I got older I developed his color slides and black & white film of these rockers and possess many unique photos the public has never seen.
My uncle's house was literally a maze of pathways with stockpiles of organized and sorted "stuff" aka "potential" materials for future art projects lining either side of the pathway, interspersed with an occasional work station for jewelry making, print making and press, film developing and darkroom, etc. Wildly colorful canvas portraits hung on the walls whether there was open wall space or not.
When we ran out of canvas, the furniture became ground for creative expression. We spent hours painting pictures on his grand piano, chest of drawers and any other piece of furniture we could access.
A collection of defunct washing machines and dryers acted as a fence as well as objects for art and the bottoms of aluminum soda pop cans were collected and saved for their concave reflective qualities, while their bodies flattened out and stored elsewhere and pull tops made into chain links. One of my favorite Pop Art pieces was a piece he made out of an old Clorox bottle, hung upside down with a painted face and cassette tape spilling out the bottom spout. This was titled "Nixon Choking on Tape Shit."
This seemingly mad man collected computers back in the day when their housing took up the space of an entire table and would rewire circuit boards to create interactive art pieces. Bill also set up a lazar, played around with the refractive qualities of glass and plastics and hung mirrors for the lazar beam to bounce off of throughout the house. Uncle Bill, like my globe trotting grandmother, loved convertible Cadillac cars and even this became material for sculptures and a skeletal roost for peacocks. Today he would be called obsessive compulsive but back then he was simply referred to as our eccentric and quirky Uncle Bill.
The one thing that frustrated me about Bill was his stubbornness about physical health and diet. He absolutely hated me trying to teach him anything about fitness, exercise, yoga, eating and preparing healthy foods. He refused to stop smoking until his emphysema and bronchitis landed him in the hospital. We all thought he would die. I understand now that this was his rebelling against a tyrannical and abusive father but at the time I only saw a stubborn man.
Despite his stubborn streak, Uncle Bill was always encouraging, supportive, non-judgmental and loving with me as well as with my many school friends who also came to hang out with him, receive his consultation and advice. Professionally, his peers at Woodview Calabasas Psychiatric Hospital at which he was a staff physician admired him and his patients came from all walks of life, from hippie musicians to straight businessmen and housewives. Uncle Bill touched, guided and enriched many lives with his vast knowledge, creativity and artistry, free spirit and passion for living. In my opinion, he died too young and I wasn't ready to let go of all the wisdom he had to share with me.
My Uncle Bill never lived to see me graduate art school, obtain my masters in spiritual psychology or grow into the healing path I am now on. However, I realize as I write this brief dedication that the spirit of this Cosmic Surfer still lives on inside my heart and my soul and continues to guide and inspire me in the holistic work I do today. What a blessing!" (link to Holistic Approach)

subset: commoncrawl


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The Multiversity #1 Review
By: Rob Neil Gruszecki
In the cosmic bleedspace between universes a vessel with designates of multiple Earths travels from reality to reality to eliminate bizarre and formidable threats. The Monitors are dead and Harbinger has embodied an operating system to gather heroes from infinite worlds. Welcoming the representatives to the Monitor Watch Station, "Valla-Hal", Harbinger calls out a plea as the Multiverse needs a House of Heroes.
You think this is just a comic book, but it's bait…
Returning to his wheelhouse of the mad cosmic DC multiverse is Grant Morrison, the architect of Final Crisis, Batman Incorporated, Seven Soldiers of Victory, All-Star Superman and the Filth. One of the most imaginative, complex and multi-faceted writers continues to carve labyrinths of mythology and insanity throughout the infinite world of the DCU and with the first installment of his long awaited saga in the Multiversity finally out it is clear that this passion project from the creator will be him firing at all cylinders. Nix Uotan, Mandrak, Harbinger, the Monitors, Captain Carrot, Stubbs, Earth-23 Superman and countless other apocryphal characters from the depths of the DCU are at the forefront of the Cosmic Neighborhood Watch. In what feels like an indirect sequel to his crossover event Final Crisis, we are taken between the margins of reality to examine all the multiple Earths waving in the Bleedspace as a patrol of summoned superheroes try to fix the broken and poisoned multiverse.
Much of Morrison's writing in the DC universe is perceived as convoluted or impenetrable and at times his work can be seen as obtuse and confusing however I would argue differently as ultimately his conceits are simple. In Final Crisis, Darkseid has come to Earth with the Anti-Life equation and plans to conquer the planet. Will the Justice League stop him? Probably. In Seven Soldiers of Victory seven champions gather together to defeat a powerful evil. Will they succeed? Probably. It's the same with The Multiversity. Chaos has erupted between the multiple worlds of the DCU and a misfit band of heroes from backwater Earths must be gathered together to face it. Will the win? Probably. It's in the way Morrison tells his stories with insane casts, high-concept science fiction elements, crazy tripped out kaleidoscope environments, channel flipping rapidity, esoteric prose and unapologetic weirdness that make him unique, complicated and divisive. It's these elements that I think make him one of the best writers in comics and have made him a creative force unlike any other. These very facets of his talent are at the forefront of The Multiversity. The warped mind that conceived the mind-bending, fourth wall breaking Animal Man and The Filth is being exercised again here.
Superman Beyond, a two issue mini-series in the middle of Final Crisis (which is canon for the series and integral to the overall narrative) was a universe hopping story where Superman searched the cosmos for a cure for Lois Lane. This was the first taste of the craft that hops between universes used again in the Multiversity and I was so excited to see it used again here. I bring this up simply because many of the elements in Multiversity are devices used before in previous Morrison series so although it isn't a book that has a reading list of previous material required to understand it it is certainly one that benefits from having read books like the Crisis trilogy (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis) before hand. Again, not so you can understand what happens here, this is an episodic comic which stands on its own, but more so you can get a greater flavour of the overall tone and players.
The first issue in the Multiversity saga is illustrated by the detailed and overwhelmingly talented Ivan Reis. His pencils here are gorgeous, flowing, emotive images and seeing him illustrate Morrison's crazy imagination is a perfect fit. His artwork and storytelling, especially for the first few pages that delves into some very self-referential and fourth wall breaking panels, are unreal and Reis' pencils keep the narrative very direct and confident which is imperative in a meta journey such as this one. Reis adept storytelling direction keep this very wacky cosmic adventure calculated and grounded enough so it doesn't just read like stream of consciousness babble all the while looking like a sci-fi epic like no other. The Multiversity will have many other installments throughout the months with a different artist on each issue including Frank Quitely, Chris Sprouse, Doug Mahnke, Cameron Stewart and more so definitely expect more artistic beauty in future issues.
This is Grant Morrison at his best, playing with meta textual ideas in the cosmic infinite of the DCU. His writing is madcap brilliance in the Multiversity. Ivan Reis' contribution to the first issue is an exemplary premiere and I am glad to say that all the hype I had put behind this book was well deserved. Definitely satisfying and unlike anything else you will read in mainstream comics today.
Additionally, if you are curious, I had written a review of Final Crisis years ago for my website www.Geekstampede.com and if you're interested you can check it out here http://geekstampede.com/2013/04/dear-ghost-factory-what-should-i-read/ . If it sounds like something you'd be interested in, order a copy from Chris at Alpha to bring into the store for you. It comes with my highest recommendation.
Rob Neil Gruszecki is a writer, musician and Wednesday warrior
Follow him on Twitter @Ghost_Factory
Listen to his music www.Ghostfactory.bandcamp.com, read his comic series with Shae Frank, www.wildrosecounty.com or follow the Weekly Comics Round-Up Podcast www.Geekstampede.com


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Vitamins during a pregnancy play a crucial role in the physiology of the pregnant mother and the developing baby. It is important that you get an adequate supply of these pregnancy vitamins, not just during your pregnancy and breastfeeding period but also before your pregnancy.
So, make sure a good intake of these especially planned pregnancy vitamins through your diet as soon as you have planned to become pregnant. Their importance in pregnancy, the recommended daily allowances (RDA) for adult women between the ages of 19 years to 50 years, and the food sources are explained below.
The American Pregnancy Association advises an increased intake of 300 calories per day during your pregnancy.
Vitamin A
You require Vitamin A during pregnancy for a good vision and to maintain the integrity of the body cells of the developing baby.
Vitamin A is a vitamin, which is soluble in fats and therefore, requires fat to be metabolized. It is an important vitamin that is required during pregnancy. It is stored in the liver and is of two types:
Preformed Vitamin A is the most common form and can be directly used by the body. It is called retinol or retinoids and is found in foods of animal origin like milk, eggs, and liver.
Provitamin A carotenoids or beta-carotene, which is converted inside the body into usable vitamin A and found in red, yellow, orange and dark green fruits and vegetables.
If an adult stopped having vitamin A in his diet, it would take about 2 years for signs of vitamin A deficiency to manifest. This speaks highly of vitamin A stores in the body (liver).
Recommended daily allowance (RDA) = 770 micrograms.
Why you need vitamin A?
In pregnancy, the mother and the growing baby both require vitamin A for the growth of the baby's lungs, heart, eyes, bones and for the integrity of the body cells.
Vitamin A also helps in the development of the nervous and circulatory systems of the fetus. It promotes fat metabolism and the resistance to fight infection.
Similarly, it also helps to have good vision, promotes tissue repair after giving birth and increases the immunity of the mother.
A normal diet gives you a good amount of vitamin A. It is necessary not to increase your vitamin A requirement with supplements as too much of vitamin A can cause birth defects and liver toxicity.
Vitamin A dosage during pregnancy
In a pregnant woman under 18 years of age, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 750 mcg (micrograms) and in pregnant women, 19 years and above the RDA is 770 mcg.
In breastfeeding mothers, the RDA increases and is 1200 mcg in a pregnant woman under 18 years and 1300 mcg in women above 19 years.
Vitamin A Foods
Fruits include Carrots, Watermelon, Mango, Tomato juice, Pumpkin, and Prunes
Vegetables include Broccoli, Spinach, Sweet potatoes
Animal foods such as Liver from beef and chicken. Kidneys Fish liver oils, Eggs.
Dairy foods such as cow's milk, cheese, and ice-cream
Other food sources include Fortified cereals and Butternut
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin B1 during pregnancy is 1.4 mg.
Why you need vitamin B1?
Vitamin B1 is needed for the development of the baby's brain and the nervous system and also to increase the energy levels. It also contributes significantly to the development of other organs of the baby.
Food sources of vitamin B1
Whole grains, Fortified cereals, Wheat germ, Organ meat, Pork, Rice, Eggs, Pasta, Legumes, Nuts, Berries.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
RDA: The RDA of vitamin B2 during pregnancy is 1.4 mg.
Why you require vitamin B2?
It is necessary to give good eyesight and a good skin to the baby and for high energy levels.
Food sources
Fortified cereals, dairy products, meats, poultry, fish.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
RDA of vitamin B6 during pregnancy is 1.9 micrograms
Why is Vitamin B6 required in pregnancy?
It helps to reduce morning sickness and also to promote the formation of red blood cells in the baby.
Food sources of vitamin B6
Fish, chicken, eggs, liver, pork, soybeans, cabbage, peas, beans, broccoli, spinach, wheat germ, brown rice, bran, oats, sunflower seeds, bananas, peanuts, and walnuts.
Folic acid (vitamin B9)
Folic acid is essential for proper development of the nervous system of the baby and for a healthy pregnancy. Its role is important in the formation of cells, development of DNA and formation of tissues.
It also promotes the formation of red blood cells. Taking adequate folic acid reduces the risk of neural defects in the baby by 70% and also greatly reduces the risk of preeclampsia in the pregnant woman. Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition in which the pregnant woman develops high blood pressure.
Vitamin C
RDA = 80 to 85 mg.
Why you require vitamin C in pregnancy?
It helps to absorb iron and prevent anemia in the pregnant woman. It is an antioxidant thereby preventing damage to body tissues. It also helps to improve the immunity of the pregnant mother.
Food sources of vitamin C
Citrus fruits like oranges and lemon, strawberries, papaya, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, potatoes, bell peppers.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for absorption of calcium in the mother and helps in the calcium metabolism in the baby.
RDA = 5 micrograms
Why you require vitamin D during pregnancy?
Vitamin D helps proper absorption of calcium and phosphate in the body. Calcium and phosphate are essential for strong bones and teeth. Sufficient levels of vitamin D reduces your risk of diabetes, cancer and multiple sclerosis besides increasing your resistance to infections.
Insufficient calcium in a pregnant mother can result in low calcium in the developing baby, which can cause weak bones and teeth in the baby.
Food Sources of Vitamin D
Exposure to sunlight, green leafy vegetables, Egg yolk, Butter, Fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, Fish oils, Fortified milk.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E helps to promote pregnancy and prevent abortions.
RDA = 15 mg.
Vitamin E and pregnancy – Use caution
The requirement of vitamin E in pregnancy has to be approached with caution because high doses beyond the requirement can be potentially dangerous. And therefore, any separate and additional supplement of vitamin E is to be avoided because your diet will give you enough of it,
High doses of vitamin E increase the risk of bleeding, which can be dangerous in pregnancy. Some studies indicate that high doses of vitamin E increase risk of death for reasons that are unknown.
Food sources that contain vitamin E
Avocado, Soybean, corn and canola oils, Sweet potatoes, Sunflower seeds, Wheat germ, Codfish, Shrimp, Tofu.
Vitamin K
RDA = 90 micrograms.
Why you require it?
Vitamin K is essential in the normal process of clotting of blood and its deficiency can lead to neonatal bleeding. Its deficiency is rarely seen and is very rarely required to be given as supplements. Vitamin K helps to prevent neonatal hemorrhages
Food sources of Vitamin K
Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, Spinach, Leafy green vegetables, Cabbage.
Besides vitamin other nutrients are also required for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, which are described in the subsequent posts.


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Essential Rib Jumper
Essential Rib Jumper
Product code: AKK98950
$119.00 $59.00
Color: wine
US Size: M/L
- Xs/s
Style Notes
The jumper that'll give you an instant confidence boost. Featuring a ribbed knit which smooths and flatters, it comes complete with a round neck and long sleeves.
Details & Care65% Viscose. 35% Polyamide. Machine Wash.
Shipping infoAny import duties to be paid by the customer.
Shipping option Shipping times Shipping cost USA Standard Shipping Up to 7 business days $9.99 per order USA Express Shipping 3 - 5 business days $14.99 per order Canada Standard Shipping Up to 9 business days $11.99 per order Canada Express Shipping Up to 6 business days $29.99 per order
Click here for further information.
Returns info
We hope you are satisfied with all of your purchases but if you ever need to return an item, you can do so within 60 days from the date your parcel was dispatched.
Please note, we cannot offer refunds on pierced jewellery or on swimwear if the hygiene seal is not in place or has been broken.
Click here to view our full Returns Policy.


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Toilet transforming providers in Plant City, Lakeland, Winter Haven, FL and surrounding areas. Purpose enough why a bathroom transform is one of the greatest issues you are able to do for you and your private home. Preserving the toilet layout the identical, so you don't have to maneuver the plumbing, and selecting merchandise that don't require a huge quantity of installation labor," Mr. Howery stated, are a number of the best methods to keep prices down.
The tiler and painter will come later after the installation is complete, however the plumber might have to come back to put in the shower head and faucets and the electrician might want to set up energy factors, switches and lighting. Our lavatory transforming services can fit any budget and we provide personalised service with a free consultation.
Peruse beautiful bathrooms from the pages of Architectural Digest and discover inspiration in your own bathtub renovation. From taps and towel rails to frameless shower screens, the precise fixtures and fittings are sensible inclusions that complement the design of the rest of the lavatory.
60{a11963b22bcf901c231952032250c8416119e31c7439a99e6db93506d8b9fb6a} of the room should be your foremost color, like white tiles in your wall and glazing on your bathtub or sink. A design professional may help make sense of what lies within the walls, underneath the floors and above the ceiling. Because it's often less drastic, renovating a house usually costs less than remodeling, although it still enhances resale value with the added aesthetic appeal.
Relatively than completely substitute the wall and floor tiles, Messina refinishes the tiling and makes it white for a crisp, updated look. The builder-grade cupboards and basic tile flooring make this feel extra like a generic hotel bathroom than a welcoming visitor tub.


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Blog posts by That Facepainter RSS
Merry Christmas to all for 2013! 16th December, 2012
As we count down our sleeps until Father Christmas is here, I know my household is gearing up with loads of excitement for the day. I would like to thank you all for your support and business for 2012. It has been fun-tastically awesome; here's to 2013, where I hope the weather will be a little less relentless. Merry Christmas & all the festivities. To a wonderful 2013 xBx
A Spotty Dotty Delight. 20th November, 2012
When it comes to hashing out a design, I admit and hold my hand up to the design not being entirely my own. There are some designs out there that are utterly gorgeous and you just have to replicate it as it is, then you get ones where there are only certain elements you like from it. This could be a matter of things, placement of a flower, angle of… (read more)
Humble Beginnings 19th October, 2012
My face painting journey has been more than I could have ever expected, anticipated or even dreamt of! As my husband knows, I love crafty things such as the quilling box set that I urged him to drive out to a craft store for; adamant that I was going to take it up .. but as you guessed it, I've not really completed a quilling project – that was 8… (read more)
Clean Brushes? .. Yes Please!!! 10th October, 2012
As a face painter, your brushes are essentially one half of what you do so in my opinion it is important that they're kept in the best nick possible. In the past I did a post on reshaping your brushes using boiled hot water, personally I still stand by this and do this to my brushes every 2 to 3 weeks. But before I reshaped the brushes, a clean would… (read more)
Hair Appointment For March 2013 3rd October, 2012
Fast forward to March 17 2013: I will be 35 and for my 35th Birthday I'm to get a haircut; a haircut that I hope will perhaps contribute some way to help with cancer patients at the Rosemere Cancer Foundation. Whether it's someone's parking for their radiotherapy sessions, coffee and biscuits for supporting carers – just a little something. Almost seven years ago, it was Tom and I that would… (read more)Jump to a pageFIRST0102030405060708LAST(08)


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TY - JOUR T1 - Transcriptional Complexity and Distinct Expression Patterns of auts2 Paralogs in Danio rerio. JF - G3 (Bethesda) Y1 - 2017 A1 - Kondrychyn, Igor A1 - Robra, Lena A1 - Thirumalai, Vatsala AB -
Several genes that have been implicated in autism spectrum disorders are large and have multiple transcripts. Neurons are especially enriched with longer transcripts compared to non-neural cell types. The human autism susceptibility candidate 2 (AUTS2) gene is ~1.2 Mb long and is implicated in a number of neurological disorders including autism, intellectual disability, addiction and developmental delay. Recent studies show AUTS2 to be important for activation of transcription of neural specific genes, neuronal migration and neurite outgrowth. However, much remains to be understood regarding the transcriptional complexity and the functional roles of AUTS2 in neurodevelopment. Zebrafish provide an excellent model system for studying both these questions. We undertook genomic identification and characterization of auts2 and its paralogous genes in zebrafish. There are four auts2 family genes in zebrafish: auts2a, auts2b, fbrsl1 and fbrs The absence of complete annotation of their structures hampers functional studies. We present evidence for transcriptional complexity of these four genes mediated by alternative splicing and alternative promoter usage. Furthermore, the expression of the various paralogs is tightly regulated both spatially and developmentally. Our findings suggest that auts2 paralogs serve distinct functions in the development and functioning of target tissues.ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Intracellular Signaling Molecule Darpp-32 Is a Marker for Principal Neurons in the Cerebellum and Cerebellum-Like Circuits of Zebrafish. JF - Front Neuroanat Y1 - 2016 A1 - Robra, Lena A1 - Thirumalai, Vatsala AB -
The dopamine and cAMP regulated phosphoprotein of apparent molecular weight 32 kDa (Darpp-32) is an inhibitory subunit of protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1). Darpp-32 activity is regulated by multiple ligand-activated G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). This protein is coded for by the protein phosphatase-1 regulatory subunit 1b (ppp1r1b) gene. Here, we provide experimental evidence for the presence of multiple isoforms of ppp1r1b in zebrafish. We show that these isoforms are differentially expressed during development with the full-length isoform being maternally deposited. Next, with a custom polyclonal antibody generated against the full-length protein, we show that in the adult, Darpp-32 is strongly expressed in principal neurons of the cerebellum and cerebellum-like circuits. These include Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum, Type-I neurons in the optic tectum, and crest cells in the medial octavolateralis nucleus (MON). We confirmed the identity of these neurons through their colocalization with Parvalbumin 7 immunoreactivity. Darpp-32 is seen in the somata and dendrites of these neurons with faint staining in the axons. In all of these regions, Darpp-32-immunoreactive cells were in close proximity to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive puncta indicating the presence of direct catecholaminergic input to these neurons. Darpp-32 immunoreactivity was seen in Purkinje neurons as early as 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) when Purkinje neurons are first specified. In sum, we show that Darpp-32, a signaling integrator, is a specific marker of principal neurons in the cerebellum and cerebellum-like circuits in zebrafish.VL - 10 ER -


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Our founder, Andy Law, started Mecoptron in 1986 after working as a design engineer at several Silicon Valley firms, which include Spectra Physics and Matrix Instruments. A graduate from UC Berkeley (MSME), Mr. Law's background includes design on laser instruments and on film based scanner/digitizer equipments with application in medical radiology. Through his earlier work in products design and production, he gained detailed understanding for the supports that the technology industries will need. This allows him to plan and organize Mecoptron to provide the most appropriate support for his customers.
From the very beginning, Mecoptron chose to work with the customers in partnership fashion. Our goal is to help our customer succeed by helping them reach their goals faster and better. We believe in participatory problem solving and that our achievement is best measured by how successful our customers are.
Our staff is the most outstanding aspect of the company. Some of our senior craftsmen have over 30 years of experience, while others average 8-10 years of experience. On top of the experience, they are also responsive, inquisitive and meticulous to your requests. Many of them have stayed with the company for 10 years or longer. Their expertise, dedication and stability are the reasons why we can support our customers consistently, even for the very demanding projects.


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Office Location: Illinois
Lucino Sotelo
Chief Marketing Officer
Lucino Sotelo serves as Chief Marketing Officer, Managed Leasing Services Group, for KemperSports. Lucino is an accomplished marketing, digital, analytics and customer experience executive, having previously led high performance marketing teams to deliver transformational results for companies such as Grainger, BMO Harris, Grant Thornton, HSBC and others through his management consulting contributions. Lucino's passion and relentless focus on the customer provides the ongoing actionable insights to continuously deliver world-class customer experiences and exceed corresponding expectations for customers and clients alike. Lucino has an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelors of Science degree from DePaul University. Lucino was recently recognized as one of the country's 2018 Top Latino Leaders by the National Diversity Council.
We own, lease, operate and develop facilities. Contact us to learn more about our service solutions.


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Dr. Sanjay Mehta
Ph.D. in Education from M.S. University, Dr. Sanjay Mehta is a visionary educator who thinks 'Out of Box'.
A recipient of many awards in the field of education and culture, Dr. Sanjay Mehta has been bestowed with Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Education Excellency Award 2018, Jagadguru Shankaracharya H.H.Sri Jayendra Saraswati National Award 2003 with a Gold Medal, Best Paper Presenter Award at National Conference on Development and Sustainability – Oct. 2015 at Vavrachna to name a few. His research thesis is 'Perception of Teachers and Trustees towards Secondary School Principal's Leadership Qualities'. 'Developing Principal's Leadership Qualities', published by Lambert, Germany is among the Best Sellers of 2017.
Bringing in 19 years of rich experience in the field of education, Germany, Singapore and Finland are some of the countries he visited to enrich and enhance his knowledge to impart world-class quality of education to our students. He serves as a member of various educational committees like Core Member of SRK Knowledge Foundation, Surat, Member of Academic Committee, SGCCI, Surat, and Member of Selection Committee- N.C.R.D. in Education, Science & Technology and also Director of GTTP India.
Swapna Menon
Empowered with 18 years of experience in various areas of education like Teaching, Leadership and Counseling, Swapna is a Double Post Graduate in the field of Commerce and in Education Management along with Degree in Education and Post Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counseling and Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Business Management.
She strongly believes that the strength of a nation is the Quality of Education based on Principles and Values imparted to the students at the early stage of learning and grooming them into productive citizens. She is an educationist and brings in a rich experience of working with schools like Delhi Public School, Ryan International, AVV.
Her adage is 'M.A.D…Make A Dream, Make A Desire and Make A Difference'.
Sheetal Mukherji
An English Literature Graduate and B.Ed. in English, Sheetal, brings in almost 16 years of teaching experience. She is a Certified Trainer in CBSE Scholastic and Co Scholastic Training and Masters Training in Classroom Management and efficiently applied her skills while serving as H.O.D and English language Educator in schools like Vibrant International and Tapti Valley International School. Her zeal to learn is seen where she has attended and certified herself for various Programmes like Child Health Care, New Horizons to improve the scholastic performance of ADHD and LD Children.
Her allegiance to the work is commendable and she believes in the quote – 'There are no shortcuts to Success'.
Avani Shukla
Avani is PGDGC–Post Graduate Diploma in Guidance & Counseling, a Family and Community Science Graduate from M.S. University along with Early Childhood Care and Education-ECCE, and Post Graduate Diploma in Education Management. She has expertise in teaching Phonics. She brings in a rich experience of 9 years from School Tender Feet- St. Kabir International School.
Equanimity and systematic approach with absolute patience and politeness is the identity of Avani.
She believes that a Kindergarten Teacher should plan according to the student's moods and interest in order to get optimum results.
Nirali Bhagat
Nirali is a graduate in Child Psychology specialised in Children with Special Needs and is also trained in Multi Intelligence. She brings in 7 years of rich experience of teaching students in schools Prayas Holistic Education, Anand Niketan, Ryan International to name a few.
A firm conviction and a sensitive touch is Nirali's USP.
She believes that Teachers can develop cooperative learning through class discussions, open-ended questions and thereby create a highly integrative classroom atmosphere.
Isha Choudhary
Isha is Post Graduate in English along with Bachelors in Education, and Post Graduate Diploma in Teacher Training. She enjoys designing Innovative lesson plans, worksheets and presentations. She has a natural flair to be with young learners and conducted and coordinated various Club activities, events and celebrations
Having adaptive and systematic Approach towards any broader spectrum is Isha's way of functioning.
She believes that developing creativity and adaptive and conducive atmosphere and thereby nurturing the students to become successful citizen.
Vinita Chauhan
Vinita brings in 5 years of rich experience of teaching pre primary students in schools like KCG, Humming Birds and is a Commerce Graduate with MONTESSORI Training with Distinction. She has a flair for dancing and won Awards in Dancing and Sports while studying.
A unique style of imbibing absolute patience, sincere approach and sunshine warmth is Vinita's USP.
She believes that Teachers can inspire the students to learn and grow.
Pooja Punjabi
Pooja is a self motivated, dedicated Commerce Graduate along with Early Childhood Care and Education-ECCE with almost 3 years of experience from schools like Jaipur Seedling Pre Nursery, Radiant English academy. She teaches through Activities and believes in pampering students for their betterment and their overall development.
To give in her maximum efforts to learn is the method followed by Pooja.
She believes that a Teacher should become the mother for her students and make a child comfortable.
Karishma Torani
Apart from being a Graduate in Karishma has done her Bachelors in Education along with Montessori Training and course in Spoken & Teaching Methodology. She brings in a rich experience of 6+ years in teaching students.
Hard work and humility are the stepping stones of Karishma's success.
She believes that a Teacher has to satisfy with suitable answers to all the questions raised by the student as their grasping power is high.
Amisha Mujadia
Apart from being a Graduate in English along with Bachelors in Education, Amisha has also to her credit DOA & FA PGDCA. She brings in a rich experience of 15+ years in teaching students.
Adaptability and consistency is the method followed by Amisha.
She believes that only bookish knowledge is not sufficient for the growth and development of students and the current education should focus on producing leaders.
Pooja Bhatia
Apart from being a Graduate and Bachelors in Education, Pooja has done her Montessori and ECE. She has almost 8+ years of enriched experience in teaching.
Passion for working and Consistency is the reflection for Pooja.
She looks forward to learn novel things with the potential of being a fast learner.
Reeta Paliwal
Rita is a Graduate in Psychology along with a Post Graduate degree in Economics and Montessori Training. She brings in along with her a rich experience of 5 years. She is passionate about teaching and able to interact with children effectively and effortlessly.
Passion for Creativity and consistency is the way for Reeta's success.
She believes that learning is a continuous process and wishes to continue learning while teaching.
Aditi Parekh
Apart from being a Graduate in English along with Bachelors in Education, Aditi also exhibits her extraordinary talent in Art and Craft. She has been Honoured by Madhavbaug School for designing their Annual Programme, Conducted workshops for Teachers for 'Easy Craft', also has Headed mega exhibitions of Pre-School.
Passion for Creativity and dedication are the stepping stones of Aditi's success.
She believes that the field of education is the arena to nurture future generation in a creative way by exploring and developing their skills for overall development.
Sheetal Solanki
Sheetal has Distinction in her B.A. Honours from Orissa. She is a Diploma holder in Computer Softwareand has a natural flair for teaching and a nurturing appeal towards the children.
Being as bubbly as a child with loads of love and affection for her kids is what Sheetal is made up of.
She believes that building a warm environment for Children will help them grow naturally.
Sherrye John
Sherrye is an M.Sc. in Physical Chemistry with excellent communication skills and ability to mix with students effortlessly. She brings in 2+ years of experience in Teaching.
Dedication and perseverance goes hand in hand with Sherrye.
She believes that being passionate about teaching is the prime necessity for being a good Teacher.
Nejal Gandhi
Nejal is a graduate from Mithibai College Mumbai and Trained in phonetics. She believes that School moulds a child's good manners, working parallel with their home environment. She likes to conduct innovative activities.
Being active is the best practice for Nejal.
She believes that Pre primary School is the place where we nurture little children to become good human beings.
Sweta Gandhi
Sweta is B.C.A. with B.Ed. and has almost 3 years teaching experience in schools like Tejas Vidyalaya. She finds her way to prove her ability with hard work and perseverance.
Hard work and sincere approach is the way for Sweta
She believes that 'World is innovative and creative and an effective teacher needs to make her way through it'.
Palak Sonalia
Ability to drive the entire group to work on one to one basis is the unique qualities of Palak who has done her Masters in Computer Application along with Masters Degree project. She brings in a rich experience of 2 years.
A soft smile and a lovable disposition is the key to Palak's identity.
She is diligent, effective communicator and proves to be a resourceful Educator who has ability to enhance students.
Manisha Barot
Apart from being a Graduate in English along with Bachelors in Education, Manisha has also done her PTC. She exhibits her talent in Dance, Art & craft and student counseling and brings in 2 years of teaching experience.
To immediately adapt to situations and work with an absolute pre planned approach is the story of Manisha's success.
She believes that the education can develop the young minds and give shape to their future.
Unnati Pandya
Apart from being a Graduate Unnati is Bachelors in Education. She was awarded for her efforts in Teaching in the year 2016 and brings in a rich and varied experience of 4 years in teaching.
Passion for Creativity and serene approach is the style of Unnati.
She has a keen interest in observing the behaviour of children and facilitate accordingly, recognising their strengths and areas of improvement.
Jaytali Mutha
Encouraging diverse groups of children to investigate, inquire and collaborate while engaging with a variety of hands-on materials, Jaytali, believes to support a Child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical development in making the child an empowered individual. With her experience from Kangaroo kids, Jaipur, she is a Graduate in English Literature, along with B.Ed. And Early Childhood Care & Education-ECCE and Certified in International Level Dancing.
Industrious nature and Innovation is the key to Jaytali's progress.
She is passionate about developing the Child's Foundation.
Arti Dave
Apart from being a Post Graduate Arti has done her Bachelors in Education. She has also been trained in ECCE, Differential Instructional Strategies. She brings in a rich experience of 13+ years in teaching.
A cheerful, sincere and unswerving approach is imbibed by Arti.
She believes that the field of education is the arena to nurture future generation in a creative way by exploring and developing their skills for overall development.
Arti Kishnani
Apart from being a Graduate in Arti has done her Bachelors in Education from Mumbai University. She has also done her P.G.D.C.A. and brings in a rich and varied experience of 12+ years of teaching.
Passion for teaching and a cheerful disposition is the speciality of Arti.
She believes technology can aid in teaching and be helpful for both the students and the Teachers.
Yogita Singh
Yogita is M.A in English along with Bachelors in Education. She brings in 5+ years of teaching experience.
Humble approach and good communication skills enhance Yogita's well balanced personality.
She believes teaching to be an opportunity to impart knowledge to students in an innovative manner.
Deepa Kataria
Apart from Diploma in Early childhood and education, Deepa is a graduate with B.Ed. from S.N.D.T. University. She is skilled in Computer Languages, Capacity Building Program on CCE as per CBSE norms. She brings in a rich experience of 8 years from various schools like Delhi Public School, Mount Litera Zee School, Ryan International.
Her serenity, hard work and dedication are her USP.
She aspires to facilitate each child's social and intellectual growth by creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and open communication.
Kavita Gajjar
Kavita is a Graduate in Engineering along with Masters in Computer Application. She brings in a rich experience of 19+ years in teaching Mathematics and Science.
Focussed approach and humility is the style of Kavita.
She firmly believes that knowledge of Mathematics can build in the confidence in a child and can be a catalyst for overall development.
Dharini Dave
Apart from being a Bachelors of Engineering Dharini has done her Bachelors in Education. She brings in 5+years of experience in teaching students
Being Self motivated and self starter with positive attitude is the uniqueness of Dharini.
She believes in sincerity, hard work and consistency which drives her to success.
Krupali Patel
Apart from being a Graduate in Krupali has done her Bachelors in Education. With 3+ years of experience, Krupali has sound knowledge of Computers.
Systematic approach and consistency is the mantra for Krupali.
She is passionate about her work and believes that being soft spoken allows her to be a very pleasant teacher favoured by students.
Yogeshree S. Hedau
The attitude of dedication, hard work and sincerity has led her to become the Topper in the Institute in her M.Sc. She is B.Ed., enjoys being with children and believes that with love and understanding, one can bring out wonders with children. She is a recipient of 'Best teacher' in Udaipur School and also was selected for Student Exchange Programme in St. Francis College, Hyderabad.
Organised behaviour, Motherly nature, 100% sincere approach and patience is the strongest reflection of Yogeshree.
'There is no substitute to 'Hard work' is the motto which Yogeshree practices. With her tranquil, amiable and lovable nature, she transforms the teaching –learning process into an enjoyable aura.
Amita Jayesh More
Amita is M.Sc. B.Ed. having almost 8 years of teaching experience in Primary grades. She bagged 'Student of the Year' while in school and 'A' grade in N.C.C. She is passionate about teaching, cool headed and believes that students give her strength, satisfaction and happiness.
Her Meticulous nature of working and dedicated approach gives strength to Amita.
She feels gratified when she meets her students who always have been her source of inspiration.
Nilam Modi
Apart from being a Post Graduate in Commerce along with Bachelors in Education, Nilam brings in 4 years in teaching and organizing camps at student level.
Knowledge and leadership skills make way for Nilam.
She exhibits a flair for reading and believes that communication is the key to child's success and to build a great parent-teacher relationship.
Anjali Sinha
Having who is pursuing her Ph.D has worked as Lecturer in Swami Vivekanand College, Anjali is a Post Graduate in Political Science along with her B.Ed. is an MBA in human Resource Topper from Sikkim Manipal University and owns a Diploma in Computer Software. She is a National level Debate holder and is passionate about the Current affairs.
Anjali's urge to upgrade herself is remarkable.
She believes in the statement – 'Life never stops Teaching'.
Anita Lodha
Anita is Post Graduate in Hindi and done her Bachelors in Education. Bringing in experiences from schools like Carmel School, Trinity Public School, she has received 'Sanman Patra' from Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Bhasha Hindi Prachar Sangh for her creating awareness about Hindi Language and also Runners up for 'Vanchan Shivir'.
Working silently with precision and meticulous planning of the tasks is the unique attitude of Anita.
Anita is passionate about teaching and exhibits a natural flair for Languages.
Ranjana Sharma
Ranjana is a Post Graduate in Sanskrit and Hindi along with her Bachelors in Education. She has been awarded with 'Hindi Nibandh Lekhan Award 2006' and received Teachers Training Certificate in Tithal. She has also in her bag 'Certificate for Singing'. Her father is a Sanskrit Teacher, which reflects her flair for Languages and value for education.
Careful steps to grow and constant sincere efforts to learn is the method which Ranjana follows.
She believes in hard work and honesty towards teaching profession.
Bharti Sukheja
Bharti has done her B.A. along with Diploma in Education and completed her CTET. She brings in a rich experience of 10+ years in teaching students.
To be able to deal with students of different aptitudes is the unique ability of Bharti.
She believes that challenges are the path to achieve goals.
Triloki Pandey
Triloki Pandey is M.A in Hindi has done his Bachelors in Education. He brings in a rich experience of 15+ years of experience. He has developed MLL in Hindi for the learner's benefit.
Consistency and commitment to teaching is the essence of Triloki's success.
He believes in team work and is a person with strong analytical and leadership skills.
Nidhi Verma
Having done her B.C.A, Nidhi is pursuing her Ph.D after her M.B.A. She also is awarded with Certificate in Principles of Human Resource Management from IIT Kharagpur. She brings in a varied experience in Teaching and working for 10+ years.
Churning oneself to upgrade oneself is the style adopted by Nidhi.
She believes that life is a continuous learning process and wishes to contribute her academic qualifications and personal skills towards the success of the Country.
Tarak Desai
Apart from being M.Sc. IT, along with Bachelors Computer Science, Tarak is well versed with programming languages. He brings in a rich experience of 20+ years. He has been recognised for completion of a decade of his service in J.H. Ambani School.
Solemnity towards the work and persistent approach is the uniqueness of Tarak.
He believes Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Tanvi Sant
Tanvi is a Graduate in German from M.S. University, Vadodara and has Distinction in her Bachelors in Education. She received Scholarship from Germany and was selected from All over India to get training in Goethe Institute, Bonn, Germany. She has participated in the symposium "DEUTSHE 3.0" which was a part of celebrations of 100 years of Teaching German in India at Goethe Institute, Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai and also has attended workshop for teachers of German in Schools.
She believes that 'Language should not be a barrier to fly'.
MAD TEAM [Music Art Dance]
Aagam Jain
Driven by the passion for Music and inspiration from his mother, Aagam, decided to keep aside his Engineering Degree and pursue his love for Music for which he has been receiving training since Grade Four. He is a Visharad in Harmonium and Vocal and done his Masters in Performing Arts.
He believes in applying his engineering skills in teaching music – Indian/ Classical/ Light/ Fusion.
Aagam was one of the Toppers in Academics during his schooling. He enjoys composing music and loves to read books on Science and technology apart from pursuing his hobby of reading books in Philosophy and Psychology.
Subtle behaviour and acquiescence to Music is the fragrance of Aagam.
Suhani Jagirdar
Suhani is Masters in Commerce, B.A Visharad in Bharatnatyam, and pursuing her Bachelors in Kathak and vocal. She has bagged innumerable accolades in fields of dramatics, dance music like Best Actress 2019 in Chitralekha Natya Spardha, Mumbai, CC Mehta Best Actress Award 2019- VNSGU. She is also has been bestowed with Sarvajanik Vidhya Sadhak Award 2018-2019.
Creativity and enthusiasm for ones work is the definition for Suhani.
She believes that key features of her dream Pre primary school includes Defence, Books, Aptitude and Social bonding.
Bharat Patel
Bharat has done his Diploma in Drawing and Painting with Distinction and is passionate about his style. To name a few Bharat has won Conaseema Chitrakala Parishad Best art Teacher Award (2008), Art Village Best Art Teacher Award (2009) and so on. He brings in more than a decade of experience in teaching Art and is passionate about it. He brings in a rich experience of 13+ years.
Creativity and being composed is the style of Bharat.
He believes that a Teacher can mould and inspire an artist in a child.
Purvi Soni
Purvi is B.A Visharad in Bharatnatyam and brings in a rich experience of 8 years. She has won many acclaims and has in her bag the power of conducting Annual Events and loves to learn new things.
Style with substance is the mould of Purvi.
She believes in 'The power of Dance'.
Jyoti Tiwari
Jyoti is a graduate in Physical Education and also in Psychology. She is a National Level Gymnast and recipient of Sardar Patel Award (awarded by Shri. Narendra Modi) and Jaydeep Singh Award(awarded by Shri. Nanubhai Vanani). In her credit Jyoti has 6 National medals for Gymnastics, she stood All-round First in State for 12 consecutive years, 15 National participation in Gymnastics, stood Second in Taekwondo inter college and 4th place in Acrobatics Gymnastic Nationals.
Hard work is the key to success is the policy of Jyoti.
Surekha Ahir
Surekha is a graduate in Physical Education and also in Commerce. She has represented in All India Inter University in Cricket and Kho Kho, BCCI Champions-Surat District. She represented and won championship award in Handball and Runners-up in Volleyball and Champions in Kho Kho and Football in Khel Mahakumbh and State Level in women's Hockey.
Slow and steady wins the race is the art of Surekha.


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£7 per session
More Contact Details
Remember to Quote "CLUB HUB" and contact via:
Phone: 07870 685596
Email: [email protected]
Days: Thurs
Times: 10.00am
Suitable for ages 2 and a half upwards, these classes are an exciting introduction to the world of dance and creative movement for both boys and girls. Classes will teach the basics of ballet, improve coordination, musicality, flexibility and concentration in a fun and comfortable environment.
Please note there is a uniform required for this class, details of which can be found here: //www.balletnorth.co.uk/#/uniform/4565198817
If you are trying the class out to begin with and do not yet have the correct uniform, something comfortable to move in such as leggings, t-shirt and bare feet is suitable.


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Winner's Circle
Sunoco Canned Fuels for Small Equipment Available in March 2019
Sunoco, LLC, has partnered with Old World Industries, LLC maker of PEAK®, BlueDEF®, HERCULINER® and other leading brands, to develop a new small engine fuel for 2-cycle and 4-cycle engines.
These fuel blends ensure great small engine performance for lawn mowers, chain saws, generators and other equipment with motorsport level of fuel quality standards. These products are ethanol-free to ensure an extended shelf life. The 2-cycle products are pre-mixed with premium synthetic oil for superior engine protection.
The product portfolio will consist of the following:
•32 oz. 40:1 2-Cycle Fuel Blend Mix
•32 oz. 50:1 2-Cycle Fuel Blend Mix
•32 oz. 4-Cycle Fuel
•110 oz. 40:1 2-Cycle Fuel Blend Mix
•110 oz. 50:1 2-Cycle Fuel Blend Mix
•110 oz. 4-Cycle Fuel
The entire lineup of products will be available on retail shelves in March 2019.
# # #
About Sunoco Race Fuels
Sunoco Race Fuels is a division of Sunoco LP, a master limited partnership distributes motor fuel to convenience stores, independent dealers, commercial customers and distributors located in more than 30 states at approximately 10,000 sites.
Sunoco is the Official Fuel of NASCAR, NHRA, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, ISOC Snocross, IHRA and other major racing sanctioning bodies. Their 18 racing fuel blends are sold to racers around the world. Sunoco partners with over 60 racing organizations and sells fuel at over 500 tracks. SUN's general partner is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer, L.P. (NYSE: ET).
About Old World Industries
Old World Industries, LLC headquartered outside of Chicago in Northbrook, IL., was founded more than 40 years ago. Today, Old World Industries is the leading supplier of automotive and heavy-duty coolants and has the largest Diesel Exhaust Fluid brand in the United States. Old World Industries has significant business in LATAM, Asia and Europe. For more information, visit www.oldworldind.com.


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Thinking about marriage but concerned about protecting your assets and income in case of divorce? An antenuptial agreement (i.e. "prenup") is a written contract between people who are engaged to marry which predetermines how assets and liabilities will be allocated in the event of divorce or death, and can also address spousal maintenance in the event of a divorce. But to be enforceable, these agreements must comply with several complex legal rules under a recent 2018 Minnesota Supreme Court case.
New Requirements for Antenuptial Agreements
In Kremer v. Kremer 1, the Supreme Court refused to enforce a prenup for two reasons. First, the challenging spouse did not receive sufficient value or "consideration" in exchange for signing away her claims to assets and spousal maintenance in the event of divorce. Second, the Court also determined she signed the agreement under duress because she received the agreement just three days before a destination wedding thousands of miles away.
Significantly, the Kremer case presents several criteria which must be satisfied if a prenup will be enforced. Was there reasonable access to legal counsel? Were the financial disclosures sufficient? Were the terms of the prenup fair both at the time it was signed and at the time of enforcement? Among other things, the question of fairness assesses whether the challenging spouse received adequate consideration at the time the prenup was signed and at the time a party seeks to enforce the prenup (e.g. at divorce). The court, therefore, examines whether any changes in the parties' lives (the birth of children, a disability, etc.) would make enforcement of the agreement "oppressive and unconscionable."
The Kremer case proves that the prenups are not simple cookie-cutter contracts. Instead, prenups involve complex issues which require the judgment and drafting skills of an experienced family law lawyer.
With more than 35 years of experience in Minnesota divorce law and prenuptial agreements, Kathleen M. Newman Family Law offers compassionate legal guidance and family law resources. Our goal is to understand the facts you bring to us as they relate to your unique situation. To learn more about our legal services, contact our firm to schedule a consultation.
1912 N.W.2d 617 (Minn. 2018).


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Remember local travel agencies? The internet has clearly changed the industry, putting powerful travel tools directly in the hands of consumers. Here, three leading advisors, and MoneyShow.com contributors, look at upside opportunities in the online travel market along with a bearish assessment for one leading China-based travel site.
John Staszak, Argus Research
We are raising our rating on
Booking Holdings Group, well known in the U.S. for its Name Your Own Price system, offers a variety of online booking services, including airline tickets, car rentals, cruises, hotel rooms and vacations.
However, more than 80% of bookings are international (primarily in Europe). In August 2014, Booking Holdings increased its investment in Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency. In July 2014, Booking Holdings paid $2.6 billion in cash to acquire
In May 2013, it paid $2.1 billion in stock and cash to acquire Kayak Software Corp. Kayak searches travel sites to obtain the lowest hotel room and airline ticket prices.
In 2012, the company paid $109 million for TravelJigsaw, a provider of rental car services in Europe. In 2007, it acquired Agoda, an online travel company offering hotel bookings in Asia, for $158 million.
We think that management's efforts to expand its services and diversify geographically have enabled the company to gain market share over the past five years. Although some of its competitors entered Europe before Booking Holdings, savvy acquisitions have, in our opinion, enabled the company to become a leader in the European market.
On February 27, Booking Holdings reported fourth-quarter revenue of $2.8 billion, above the consensus estimate of $2.7 billion, and adjusted EPS of $16.86, up from $14.21 a year earlier and above the consensus of $14.13.
Their bookings rose 19% to $18.0 billion (up 14% in constant currency) and topped the consensus forecast of $17.4 billion. In 2017, revenue increased 18% to $12.7 billion and adjusted earnings totaled $77.03 per share, up from $65.63 in the prior year.
We expect revenue to increase nearly 12% in 2018, to $14.2 billion. Despite currency headwinds, we expect Booking Holdings to benefit from higher volume and moderate price increases and look for improving economic conditions and effective marketing to boost usage in Europe.
Reflecting a strong 4Q17, offset in part by higher advertising spending, we are raising our 2018 EPS estimate from $85.00 to $87.00 and setting an estimate of $100.00 for 2019. Both estimates are above consensus.
We believe that the stock's current valuation inadequately reflects growth in the company's core online travel agent (OTA) business and strong market share. Its Booking.com brand has the opportunity to expand in Asia, Latin America and North America while continuing to grow in Europe, where it is a market leader.
The company also has the ability to grow its alternative accommodations business, which includes bed-and-breakfasts and home rentals. Over the long term, we believe that continued investments in marketing and advertising will enable Booking Holdings to maintain its position as the leading online travel agency.
We believe that Booking shares are undervalued at current prices near $2,100. The shares are trading at 24.1-times our revised 2018 EPS estimate, near the high end of the five-year historical range of 8 to 28.
We believe that the current valuation inadequately reflects the company's strong market share and prospects for global growth. At current prices, our target price of $2,520 offers investors the prospect of a 20% return. As such, our long-term rating remains Buy.
Todd Shaver, BullMarket.com
The company has relationships with over 200,000 hotel suppliers in 200 countries, 300 airlines and offers packages, rental cars, cruise, and other travel options to its users, which averaged 50 million unique visitors globally per month.
The company books around 200 million room nights per year. Expedia has continuously gained share of the $1 trillion global travel market and the company is investing to gain a greater share of the international travel market.
The firm's portfolio of brands also includes Trivago, a leading online hotel metasearch platform; HomeAway, a global online marketplace for the vacation rental industry, which also includes VRBO; Orbitz and CheapTickets, as well as ebookers, Travelocity, Hotwire and Egencia.
Domestic bookings exceed $20 billion annually, as Expedia has a 12% share of the domestic market. Across its domestic business, air travel represents the majority of overall bookings, but given relatively low revenue margins associated with air, most of Expedia's domestic revenue is from hotel bookings.
Expedia is aggressively investing in its international offerings, with hotels leading the way. Expedia currently has a presence in 200 countries and is primarily focused on gaining share in Europe and building share in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, both relatively nascent markets. Expedia is investing in Europe and Latin America through its core Expedia and Hotels.com brands, and also with the Trivago brand.
In Asia-Pacific, the company is approaching this market through its core brands, its 50/50 JV with Air Asia, and in the Chinese travel market, through its 67% stake in the eLong travel agency. Importantly, the company's platform E-3 has significantly enhanced Expedia's ability to launch (and re-launch) new products and services, as the company has relationships with over 200,000+ hotel partners globally.
While Expedia has many different contributing segments, hotel revenue currently makes up the majority of the company's revenue. The hotel business is a larger overall market than air travel as there are more hotels and rooms available than there are flights and Expedia is aggressively investing in building its share of this market globally.
While air travel is a significant portion of domestic bookings, it represents about 10% of total revenue. The air business operates on relatively fixed fee commissions and increasingly, airlines are investing more in supplier direct bookings.
Although air is a lower margin business overall, it is a strategic priority for Expedia as air bookings often create hotel and car rental reservations, and as Expedia revamps its packages business this year, it could become an increasing part of the overall mix.
Expedia has many different contributing segments. We need to think about them in terms of revenue and in terms of bookings. Some segments drive a lot of bookings, in other words, traffic to the site, but not much revenue. Other segments don't get as much traffic, but when they do, the revenue comes pouring in.
So you see that air travel is the most significant driver of bookings for the company. Everybody comes to the site to make travel plans booking airfare. This is a great funnel of customers to the website. But interestingly this is not where Expedia makes the most money.
It is when people do the add-on purchase of booking the hotel, the hotel purchase has much higher margins and actually accounts for the bulk of the company's revenue. It's a well-designed machine optimizing traffic to the site and generating significant revenue.
Egencia is the company's business travel segment, serving small-sized and mid-sized businesses to Fortune 100 companies throughout Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. It is the fifth largest corporate travel management company in the world, and with the acquisition of Via in 2012, Expedia has been investing in this segment.
4Q17 bookings of $20 billion came in-line with projections, revenue of $2.3 billion just missed the consensus, and EBITDA of $400 million was nearly 10% below consensus. Expedia began ramping investment around hotel supply growth in 4Q, performance marketing and the transition to the cloud.
This weighed on profitability. Room nights booked grew in the mid-teens, which was a point of optimism. This report caused the stock to fall from the $130 level to the $100 level and we feel this is the perfect time to accumulate this powerhouse in the travel industry.
The market cap is only $16 billion, so is really quite small in the whole scheme of things. The stock actually hit $161 last summer and we expect this high to be reached in the future. We are placing a Price Target of $125 on the stock to start, with a Sell Price of $90.
Here are the facts. This company is the largest online travel agency. It books over $20 billion worth of travel per year. It fills 200+ million room nights per year. Hundreds of thousands of hotels rely on the site for occupancy. EPS is set to grow 10%-20% per year for the next few years on low-teens revenue growth. Revenue just cleared $10 billion this past year. EPS is closing in on $6.
Management decided to make some investments for the future and lower near-term profit expectations, which sent the stock down to 52-week lows. When these investments pay off, the return to a reasonable low-20s P/E multiple on $6 worth of EPS is going to generate us pleasant gains. Travel with us to the land of big gains in this stock!
Elizabeth Harrow, Schaeffer's Investment Research
Even closer at hand, the stock's 20-day moving average has tightly underlined the equity's year-to-date rally, which currently rings in at a healthy 27%.
Despite the bullish price action in TripAdvisor, there's still plenty of pessimism that could unwind to push the stock higher. Short interest accounts for a steep 18.4% of the stock's float, and the stock's dogged rise up the charts could shake loose some of the weaker bearish hands.
If so, a possible short-covering rally would take over a week to fully play out, at the stock's average daily volume.
And there's ample room for analyst upgrades, too. Among the 25 analysts tracking TripAdvisor, only one calls it a Buy, with the remaining brokerage firms split between Hold and Sell suggestions. Plus, the average 12-month price target of $40.85 represents a discount to the equity's current perch north of $43.
As the post-earnings momentum continues to play out to the upside for TripAdvisor, the stock looks poised to capitalize on a capitulation by the both the shorts and the brokerage crowd.
On the bearish side, Shanghai-based
The big headline from the fourth-quarter earnings report was actually a dismal revenue forecast for the first quarter. As the company moves to unbundle value-added services from its bookings, Ctrip.com is targeting year-over-year revenue growth of 9%-11%, well short of the consensus estimate of 15%.
Analysts seem to be taking the soft forecast in stride. Broadly speaking, optimism from analysts is nothing new for Ctrip. The stock has racked up 22 Buy or better ratings, compared to 10 Holds and zero Sells. Meanwhile, the average 12-month price target of $53.26 represents expected upside of 9.3% from the Wednesday (March 14) close at $48.73.
The stock remains pinned below resistance at its 160-day moving average, which has come back into play following the stock's recovery from its February lows around the $43 level. Notably, this longer-term daily moving average marked the intraday high for Ctrip.com stock back on Oct. 19, when the shares staged a bear gap.
The 160-day trendline recently dropped through the round $50 level, which could emerge as a roadblock in its own right. This area marked multiple highs for the Ctrip shares back in the first quarter of 2017, before switching roles to provide a floor in mid-August and early September.
Now that the shares are back below $50, this level is not likely to fold without a fight — particularly since a 50% retracement of the decline from the July 31 closing high at $59.73 to the December closing low at $42.98 is located very close by, at $51.35.
So while analysts remain generally unbothered by Ctrip's technical struggles and revenue challenges, shorts may view the lackluster earnings reaction as an opportunity to rebuild their stakes against the stock.
Short interest fell by nearly 10% over the most recent reporting period, but still totals a substantial 30.17 million shares — equivalent to 7.6% of the share float, or 8.9 times the equity's average daily trading volume.
With the stock's bounce from the February lows stalling out near potentially formidable resistance, a resumed pile-on by the bears could generate more downside pressure in the near term.
MoneyShow — an industry pioneer in investor education since 1981 — is a global, financial media company, operating the world's leading investment and trading conferences.…
MoneyShow — an industry pioneer in investor education since 1981 — is a global, financial media company, operating the world's leading investment and trading conferences. Each show brings together thousands of investors to attend workshops, presentations and seminars given by the nation's top financial experts. The company also offers exclusive seminars-at-sea, with the investment industry's leading partners, such as Forbes. In addition, MoneyShow operates the award-winning, multimedia online community, Moneyshow.com and publishes free Investing and Trading newsletters, which provide individual investors with exclusive ongoing access to the latest investment and trading ideas from the nation's most respected and trusted financial newsletter advisors.


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By Diane Stein
"By the research, experimentation and perform of ordinary therapeutic, girls are altering and charting the way forward for wellbeing and fitness care. regardless of heavy resistance or loss of acceptance from patriarchal drugs, they're however making confident alterations that would proceed and bring up. Women's emphasis on one-to-one paintings practiced in mutual contract and participation is particularly assorted from mechanized and big-money medication, and has effects and successes a long way past expectancies. The emphasis on self-healing returns health and wellbeing care to the patron, to women's lives and our bodies, for the 1st time in centuries. The scientific method can't regulate a stream held within the fingers of ladies, even though it can try out. ladies are taking keep an eye on back of therapeutic, our daughter-right, for the 1st time because the matriarchies and the Inquisition."—from the creation
Read Online or Download All Women Are Healers: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Healing PDF
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Extra resources for All Women Are Healers: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Healing
Example text
Emotional releases may start here, the woman becoming quieter at first. Follow her moods with caring. For the throat chakra and across the shoulders, my primary gemstone is chrysocolla, an all-healing energy I recommend to most women. The stone is an internal healer, mood raiser, throat chakra opener and creativity stimulant. Unlike Katrina Raphael, I prefer the soft form, especially from Peru, to the crystalline gem silica. When these stones are being placed, many women begin talking about their issues.
The Goddess religion survived, hidden, despite devastating persecution from patriarchal tribes, governments and male religious forces. In the burnings of the ancient matriarchal libraries before the tenth century, in the decline of the great African and Egyptian trading empires, in the European witch burnings of the thirteenth through seventeenth centuries, and in the christianization of North and South America, much healing knowledge, and knowledge of all facets of women's civilization was lost.
Then begin with colored gemstones placed on the chakras, working from the feet up. I use a velvet bag for my healing stones and pour them out on the blanket beside the woman. The stones are a mixture of forms—rough, cut, cabachons, bead necklaces, tumbled pieces and gemstone eggs. There are several stones for each chakra/color, and half a dozen or more of thin Brazilian quartz crystals three to five inches long, single terminated. Beginning with the feet, I place a smoky quartz crystal between the woman's ankles on the floor, other pieces on her thighs of smoky quartz, black tourmaline or hematite.


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Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is the most senior team in the organisation. The role of ELT is to provide leadership within the organisation by:
- ensuring that the organisation continues to make a difference to the lives of Queenslanders and supports Government community objectives
- determining the corporate vision and strategic direction
- building organisational capability
- ensuring the future sustainability of the organisation
- being responsible for organisational governance including risk management.
Membership of the ELT is determined by the Public Trustee and is as follows:
- The Public Trustee of Queensland and CEO (Chair)
- Official Solicitor
- Executive Director Investment & Finance Services & CFO
- Executive Director Client Experience & Delivery
- Executive Director Digital & Technology
- Senior Director Governance & Risk
- Senior Director Human Resources
- Executive Director Office of the CEO
View the Public Trustee Organisational Executive Structure as at November 2019 (PDF, 199KB)


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Looking for a Luxury Vacation?
Luxury Travel
Costa Rica is well known for its incredible wildlife, biodiversity and pristine beaches, but some may think they have to sacrifice luxury for a glimpse of the jungle. No so! You can have it all! Fine dining, pampering spa treatments, attractively designed rooms with breathtaking views and still have an adventure in the jungle. There are luxury hotels and resorts but there is a growing trend toward the use of "green" and eco-friendly materials and practices with the idea to interact with nature not hide from it.
Car rental agencies offer a range of top-end vehicles, such as the Toyota Prado and Nissan Pathfinder for traveling in comfort and style.
Our suggested locations for a luxury vacation in Costa Rica:
The sumptuous surroundings of Arenal Volcano are the ideal place to soak away modern-day stress in thermally heated hot springs with a view of the three thousand year old cone shaped volcano. The best resorts offer natural healing pools of varied temperatures, swimming pools, and swim-up bar for freshly made fruit juices or alcoholic beverages — all within carefully tended tropical gardens. Local spas provide relaxing treatments with volcanic mud or chocolate for the ultimate pampering.
Suspended bridges, sky tram or even zipline allow the visitor to experience the lush vegetation, animals and birds of the area without a sweaty hike through the rainforest. Fishing and watersports enthusiasts should head to Lake Arenal for windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding, or try a gentle boat ride on the lake's waters to view a magical sunset.
Arenal is a three hour drive from either international airport.
Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio remains popular worldwide for travellers due to its trinity of white sands, clear waters and rain forest. Walk beautiful trails watching white-faced monkeys swing from the trees, learn about colourful tropical plants, surf or stand up paddle board or just lay back relax and enjoy a day at the beach. Explore the jungle and stroll along miles of beaches then head back to your boutique hotel to watch the sunset from a cliff top bar with a cocktail. Cliff top hotels overlooking the ocean and national park with breathtaking panoramas offer accommodation for a more discerning guest.
Activities abound in this dynamic location, but what could be more indulgent than a sunset cruise on a catamaran to enjoy a sundowner cocktail from an onboard jacuzzi at a colorful day's end. Dolphins and whales may even be spotted in the surrounding waters. For more active water activity, consider jet ski hire to explore the tiny islands nearby and snorkel in Biesanz Bay to look for schools of parrotfish, angelfish and starfish.
Get away from the crowds with an ATV tour through forests and local villages to find hidden waterfalls and pools to cool off.
Manuel Antonio is a three hour drive from San Jose and almost six from Liberia.
Papagayo Gulf
For those who prefer an all-inclusive vacation, the Papagayo Gulf in Guanacaste is the location for world-class luxury resorts in Costa Rica with Culebra Bay being the most exclusive area. The Papagayo Gulf coastline features a string of little coves and inlets with white sand beaches lined with palm trees to shade beachgoers from the sun and calm emerald-green waters. Fly directly into the International Airport in Liberia to drive on well-paved roads to your destination in less than an hour. All offer top quality accommodation, gourmet cuisine, luxurious pools & Jacuzzis, and on-site spa treatments and of course, beach access. Catering to upscale clients, the area offers amenities such as beach clubs, golf course and a marina.
Sports fishing enthusiasts can head to Playa del Coco and hop on board with an experienced captain to the best local spots for a chance to catch mahi-mahi, tuna, jack, mackerel and marlin.


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Our new Web Wallet, simply going by the name DECENT Wallet has been developed and thoroughly tested not only by our own team but also by our miners and community members to ensure a fluid user experience. Some of the features are:
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The wallet is freely accessible to everyone who creates a DECENT Wallet account and also to our decentgo.com users - if you have an account on decentgo.com only, you can use your email to login to DECENT Wallet.
You can find an easy step-by-step tutorial on our Documentation page here: https://docs.decent.ch/snippets/wallet/index.html


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Last Wednesday, Demsoc Manchester hosted the first Greater Manchester Democracy Hub, with The Politics Project. Aiming to identify, map and connect everyone working in the Greater Manchester region to improve democracy in innovative ways, we organised an event for those people to meet, share their work and network. Whilst there is a lot of wonderful work happening in this area, it seems that no one is aware of all of it, and even those with similar plans and ambitions haven't crossed paths. We wanted to rectify this, as we think that collaboration and communication is a great thing, and can prevent missed opportunities and unnecessary duplication of work.
At this first event, there was a really great atmosphere amongst those who took part, with lots of conversations happening before we even kicked off. After introducing the aims of the Democracy Hub, we invited everyone in attendance to take the floor, for up to three minutes, so they could give a brief insight into their work, talk about upcoming plans, introduce a subject they wanted to talk about more or just introduce themselves. We had contributions from almost everyone in attendance, which was fantastic and very interesting. These pitches enabled attendees to get a better idea of who they wanted to connect with and so afterward we allowed people to break away and delve deeper into ideas that had been raised. Simultaneously we had printed an enormous map of Greater Manchester to physically pinpoint where good work was taking place – we asked attendees to write on a post-it note and stick it to where they or another organisation or individual they knew of was based, giving us a better idea of the spread of this work around the area. We also asked people to write on flipchart paper their feedback about the event and how they would like to take the Hub forward and stay in touch. The idea is that this is a collaborative effort from the very beginning so we want to continue the project in a way that works for all those involved. If you have an opinion on shaping the GM Democracy Hub, you can share it by filling out this survey: https://bit.ly/2uokOqc.
The next Greater Manchester Democracy Hub event will be in January 2019, as we aim to meet every 6 months. We will release details closer to the time, but are looking for input and ideas to help us shape it. If you want to stay in touch, drop a quick email to firstname.lastname@example.com and we'll keep you in the loop about plans for this event. Feel free to also get in touch with any questions or comments about what we're doing.
We look forward to seeing you at the next event.


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Category Archives: Croatia
Day 38: Trilj to Lake Blidnje (Border crossing! Into Bosnia and Herzegovina)
We started the day by riding out of the flat basin we'd camped in uphill to the border crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina. This took most of the morning, we got up to the top of the ridge of hills where the border was a bit after 11.
The border was dead compared to the crossing into Croatia which had cars backed up on both sides. Here, only maybe three or four cars passed through the border while we were there.
On the other side we stopped for some food and revised where we would finish for the day. We found out that there was a big mountain lake a reasonable distance from where we were so we figured might as well head for it. We descended a short way down from the border and then arrived at the shore of another lake.
Following this lake around brought us to a ridge where the flat land around the lake rose up into hills. After climbing over the ridge we rolled down onto another open plain of almost perfectly flat land. Here we stopped for a little while at the town of Tomislavgrad to get out some local currency. We followed a road out of town along the flat. This we rode along for about 20km before starting to climb up into the mountains.
Lake Blidnje was situated up at 1100m so we had a bit of climbing to do to reach it. It was all very gradual though, so not too difficult, just get down to the granny gear and spin it out. The road was pretty good most of the time, but once we started to descended it went from sealed tarmac to loose gravel. It made the riding a bit more challenging, but it was a good sign for us, it meant we were getting out to a remote area.
Just before we arrived at the lake we passed a Shepard herding his flock up the road. He gave as a wave a and a toothless smile as we passed by and then down out to the lake, and what a sight! It wasn't huge but it stretched out across a flat plateau that almost completely barren and two huge peaks rose up behind it.
There was a sandy shore not far from the road where we set up for the night. Across the road there was a stand of pine trees. We had a bit of time to kill as we had finished up a bit earlier than normal so we gathered some wood and lit out first campfire of the trip later that evening.
Day 37: Split to Trilj
The early ferry got us into Split at 9. Finn went off to find a mechanic to fix his bike and got back, good as new, just before noon. We then went out to the post office to see if anything had arrived and, unfortunately, nothing had.
Leaving the post office a bit dejected we rode to nearby Lidl to pick up some food and started out of Split not long after that. Split rose up into mountains almost as soon as we left the coast, so for the first hour of the ride we were climbing back up to about 400 meters above sea level.
Almost as soon as we emerged on the other side of the mountains very thing suddenly became a lot quieter, more dispersed, more rural. We rode along a road that followed the motorway for a bit. This road then turned into a rocky, unsealed surface for almost 5km for a while, which made for some interesting riding.
We turned back onto a bigger road shortly after this though, crossed a big gorge and then followed the river all the way down into the sleepy town of Trilj. Here the land was flat for miles around, ringed by some small hills with a river snaking through the plains. We followed a dirt track out along the river for a while until we found a small grassy bank where we could camp. It was a good nights sleep, the grass made a welcome return after all the rocks we had been laying down on for the night the week before.
Island hopping, from Split to Vis and Korčula
Our stay in Split was brief and restorative. We went out the night we arrived (and, of course, met a bunch of other Irish people). The next day we made full use of the room and in the evening went out to the old town – right outside our front door, and to go pick up some stuff from Poste Restante.
We needed some things sent to us, and not having a fixed address for the trip we used the Poste Restante in Split. It worked pretty well, most of the stuff arrived (including replacement tent poles) but one of Finns packages was still on the way.
We had planned to leave Split tomorrow and head out to Havar to cycle on along the length of Crotia, but we decided to pop out to Vis for a day or two and give the last package a chance to arrive.
Next day we took the afternoon ferry to Vis, about a thirty minute journey. We took our bikes and planned to spend the next day cycling around the island. Vis had a very pretty old town right by the shore where visiting boats could tie right up into. It felt sort of old world Mediterranean.
We had a few setbacks on Vis but despite them we really enjoyed our time there. I came down with a cold the night we arrived and spent the next day laying down in the shade. Finn went off on his bike in the afternoon to potter around the Island but blew a tyre out. There was a big rip in the tyre and the key used to unlock the secure skewer was mislaid so there was no way to get the tyre off.
As I said though, despite these small inconveniences our time on Vis was really enjoyable. We left on Saturday morning to get back into Split where we could repair Finns bike and see if the package had arrived.
Back in Split though, it turned out none of the bike shops were open past two (our boat got in at three) and they would be closed all day tomorrow, a Sunday.
So we turned around and marched right back to the port and got a ticket to another island that had been recommended to us: Korčtula.
The ride to Korčula took a bit longer, three hours. It left Split at 6 and got us in at 9. It was dark by the time we arrived so we had a quick poke about the town of Vela Luka where the ferry left us( nice, like a bigger, busier Vis) and then wheeled our bikes off to find somewhere to camp.
The next day we left our bikes locked up in town and went for a hike out along the coast of the bay. There was a narrow walking trail that went out from the town of Vela Luka all the way to the headland and the end of the bay, about a two hour walk.
We spent the afternoon at the headland and then went back into town for dinner. That evening we rolled our bikes out to our same camp spot, an empty construction yard by a football pitch and went to sleep. Next morning we were going to be leaving early, getting the boat at six back to Split
Day 36: Šibenic to Split
We woke to find that we had pulled off a lot closer to the road than we thought, and the bush that had seemed so big that we sheltered behind was half the size in the light of day. We got dressed quickly as cars whizzed passed us under a thankfully clear sky.
In the morning we followed the road along a beautiful stretch of coast, all rocky bays and inlets. The road wound around the creases in the coast and the clear turquoise Adriatic looked extremely inviting. This continued for fifty-odd kilometres until we cut inland for a short while.
After our brief overland excursion we arrived at the back of another inlet. The last few kilometres to getting back to shore had been a bit difficult as the inlet and the mountains functioned as a funnel for the wind which blew in off the sea and was concentrated on the road we were travelling.
After lunch at the inlet we started on the last leg to Split. It had gotten quite warm in the afternoon and instead of waiting it out like we normally would we pushed on through. There was a big climb out of the inlet that tuckered us out, but from there it was a long descent and then flat almost into Split.
The last few kilometres before Split was on a busy three lane road that oftentimes narrowed to one as road workers were frequent but dispersed. This made the riding, especially in this dusty heat, pretty unenjoyable.
When we finally arrived at the centre of Split, the magnificent ancient site of Diocletian's Palace we were wrecked. Tired, dusty and sweaty we wheeled our bikes though the narrow streets crowded with tourists trying to find the accommodation Caroline (Finns mum) had booked us.
Well, Caroline had done a great job (Thanks Caroline!) the place was right in the centre of the palace ruins. We got the room key and were greeted with the refreshing blast of an air conditioner and – what a treat – two comfy beds and a shower. After getting clean for the first time in a week we collapsed on the beds for a long nap.
Day 35: Mali Lošinj to Šibenic
We had most of the day to kill, what with our ferry not leaving until 4.30. We just sort of bummed around, did some admin putting up blog posts, sorting through photos etc.
We knew that we were going to have to cycle into the night once we got off the boat so taking it easy in the morning seemed like a good idea. The ferry ride was going to be long, about 7 hours as it stopped at a lot of smaller islands along the way and wouldn't get into Zadar until 11.
We boarded the ferry and found somewhere we could lay down for a nap. Maybe halfway through the trip a Croatian guy, another passenger on the ferry came around and asked if we wanted to pass the time playing board games with him and some other passengers he had rounded up. The rest of the trip did, indeed go by much quicker sat around one of the small tables on board playing games with this motley crew of international passenger: Germany, Canada, Ireland and Croatia.
We got into port a bit before 11. I don't really remember much of the ride, there wasn't that much that stood out in the dark. We then rode through the night sixty kilometres until 1.30 and then pulled over into a field by the road and fell asleep. It rained for the majority of the ride and through the night as well. It was enjoyable though, riding in the cool of the night. We didn't get to see much of the view, but I suppose that's the trade off. We were happy to go for it anyway, knowing that tomorrow night there would be a bed waiting.
Day 34: Osor to Mali Lošinj (Lošinj Island)
Down into Osor in the morning where we got food from a bakery in the small town. It was a nice little place, it was Sunday morning when we rolled in and the square was busy with people milling about after church.
Our plan today was to ride to Mali Lošinj, a town on the island right next to Cres and we get a ferry from there. It was a short ride from Osor along the coast and up over the low land of the island.
We got into Mali Lošinj and got tickets for the ferry, it was leaving at 4:30 so we had a bit of time to look around. Now, we had planned to go hang out by the shore for a bit, have a swim then head out to Lidl to get food for lunch and dinner. A big storm blew in at 2 though – all the restaurants and cafes by the shore rushed to get their stuff indoors.
The storm continued for hours, and in the excitement of it all – or at least in trying to take shelter from it – we sort of lost track of the time. An ill advised last minute rush to the shop to get food for the 7 hour ferry trip after the storm cleared resulted in the boat leaving without us.
Normally this wouldn't be to bad, just take the boat tomorrow. This time though, we actually had somewhere to be, a timetable to keep. Finn's mum had booked some nice accommodation in Split and we were supposed to be arriving the day after tomorrow. With the only sailing to the mainland at 4.30 (arriving at 11) the next day we realised the only solution was going to be a night ride tomorrow evening.
We went back into town for the rest of the night, it had gotten busy now the storm had passed over. When it was time to sleep we rode our bikes over to the other, uninhabited side of the coast only 10 minutes from town and camped by the shore.