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500% increase in Brazilian hotel rates during the 2014 World Cup?
Brazil's tourism board has notified the justice ministry after its research showed that rates will be up to 500 percent more expensive during the World Cup in some hotels offered by the agency MATCH
Brazil's tourism board has notified the justice ministry after its research showed that rates will be up to 500 percent more expensive during the World Cup in some hotels offered by the agency MATCH Services on Fifa's website.
The Brazilian government is concerned that some hotels listed on Fifa's website for the 2014 World Cup plan steep price hikes during the tournament and is reportedly considering investigating the Fifa-appointed agency in charge of accommodation.
"It's probable that MATCH is exercising intermediation fees that are a lot higher than usually exercised in the tourism market," the board said in a document obtained by The Associated Press, "harming the rights of potential consumers."
MATCH denied any wrongdoing on Saturday, saying it "provides a totally transparent price structure."
"With a small number of exceptions where MATCH Services has had to accept higher than normal rates, all other participating hotels have accepted and agreed to embrace Fifa's and MATCH's policy to provide reasonably acceptable rates," it said in a statement.
The Swiss-based company is primarily responsible for contracting and delivering accommodation for the Fifa community, including its officials, delegates, guests and staff. It also sells rooms to Fifa's commercial affiliates, the media and customers of the official hospitality program. Rooms are offered to the general public through the Fifa website operated and maintained by MATCH.
The study by the tourism board, known as Embratur, compared prices in several dozen hotels in the 12 host cities. It was conducted through researching prices announced on booking websites, the hotels' sites and Fifa's official web page.
Embratur did not say exactly how many hotels were compared, but of the 65 hotels listed in the study's results 22 increased prices more than 200 percent, with six offering rates at least 300 percent higher. The biggest increase was by a hotel in the northeastern city of Salvador, which will charge $509 per night during the World Cup, a 583 percent increase compared to the $75 it charged this July.
The host cities with the smallest increase in rates are Recife and Sao Paulo, with hikes of about 100 percent on average. The capital of Brasilia had the most expensive hotel in the study, with certain rooms costing $639 per night, a 376 percent increase compared to the current price.
The study showed that the average cost for a room in Rio de Janeiro during the World Cup will be $461, more than double the rate in Johannesburg for the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.
Embratur said it wants to negotiate better prices in part because it's afraid that excessive rates during the World Cup may hurt Brazil's tourism in the long run.
"Raises without limits may satisfy the profit expectations of some, but they are bad for the sustainability of the business," Embratur president Flavio Dino said in a statement sent to the AP. "We are hosting these mega events in Brazil to help increase the flux of tourists in the country in the long run. The government will do everything possible to protect the image of the country and of the industry itself."
Pricey hotel rooms became a hot topic last year during the Rio+20 UN conference, when the hotel sector took advantage of the spike in demand to charge exorbitant rates. The average cost of a room in Rio during the conference rose to nearly $800 a night, prompting a barrage of criticism from conference delegates. The European Parliament cancelled its entire 11-person delegation due to the costs.
President Dilma Rousseff's office got involved at the time and negotiated with the hotel sector to reduce some of the prices.
In its letter to the justice ministry, which is responsible for handling consumer rights issues, Embratur also criticized MATCH for imposing minimum stays of at least two nights at the World Cup hotels. The document dated June 17 was obtained by the AP on Friday.
MATCH may also reportedly be targeted by Brazil's antitrust agency for potential violation of free competition rules. The Valor Economico newspaper has said that prosecutors have already asked the agency to investigate the company's operations.
MATCH has vehemently defended itself, saying that "it is incorrect to suggest" that the hotels it signed a contract with in Brazil are overcharging.
"The rates secured by MATCH Services from its partner hotels and those it offers to its customers are in the vast majority of cases reasonable and compare well to rates available outside of the Fifa World Cup," it said in a statement. "(Hotels are) acting in a fair and reasonable manner taking into account the market forces and the investment made by them."
It added that higher prices were already expected in Brazil during a major event like the World Cup.
"These prices are dictated by the prices MATCH Services have been able to secure from the hotels," it said. "They are not the product of an abuse of a dominant position held by MATCH Services, but rather the fact that the Brazilian hotel industry by tradition over many decades has enjoyed high yields per room night during major events, whether it is a major conference, Carnival, New Year or Formula 1 racing."
The president of the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry downplayed the Embratur study, calling it opportunistic because nearly all of the rates had already been set a long time ago. Enrico Fermi said the prices were established when MATCH signed agreements with more than 800 hotels right after Brazil was picked as World Cup host in 2007.
"Fifa told us that the prices here are acceptable and compatible with the international market," Fermi told the AP in a telephone interview.
The average price of a room in Johannesburg for the 2010 final was $200, while in Berlin in 2006 it was $300, according to Embratur.
"To compare room rates in Sao Paulo and Rio for the 2014 Fifa World Cup to those that MATCH Services provided in Johannesburg for the 2010 Fifa World Cup does not make sense," MATCH said in its statement. "All it would prove is that the difference is in line with the difference at any given time between the cost of accommodation in Rio or Sao Paulo and Johannesburg."
Brazil ranks 33rd in the list of most expensive hotel rates in the world, according to Fermi.
The local World Cup Organizing Committee and Brazil's sports ministry referred all requests for comment to Embratur. Fifa said only MATCH would comment.


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A blog to compile what I have learned (and what I am learning) about Mandriva (and GNU/Linux in general) since 2009, when I migrated. Current distros I'm using: OpenMandriva Lx 4, Mageia 7, PCLinuxOS, MX 19, PicarOS, Elive 3, and AntiX 13.
sábado, 8 de enero de 2011
Pardus 2011 RC, impressions from a common user
This interesting OS is yet to be released in its final version, but it is available for testing as a release candidate in two DVDs. Hasankeyf (its code name) gives the user the possibility of choosing a Live DVD for testing the system and a DVD installer.
Pardus 2011 RC Installer DVD
The DVD boots and you see a feline on the screen: it is the Pardus splash screen. Then, the user is given the opportunity to select the language. I selected Spanish and the translation is pretty neat. The following step is to read and accept the open source licenses.
After this, there is an optional step that I have not seen in any other distribution: Pardus checks the integrity of the software packages to make sure that you will not get installation errors. That is pretty nice for beginners, in my opinion... For a computer newbie attempting to install an OS, nothing is as scary as getting an error message due to corrupted software!
Next, Pardus selects the best keyboard layout and the user can test the keys. The following step is to select the time zone.
Up to this point, the process is as easy as it can be. Nevertheless, what is coming is a touchy operation: partitioning. Pardus give the user the three usual choices (use entire disk, use free space, custom partitioning), but they are a bit confusing and there are not visuals as in other distributions to grasp the idea. Even so, one can manage. I selected custom partitioning and guessed my way out of the stage.
Pardus then proceeds to ask you if you want to keep a standard KDE configuration or if you want to customize it. I chose the default option (standard KDE). Pardus then shows you a summary and you can always go back if need be. If you decide to continue, the system installs the grub and software packages. In the mean time, you can read some informative slides about Pardus and open source software for about 15 minutes. The ones on Dolphin were rather interesting!
The system tells you that the installation was successful and asks you to re-boot. You do so and...surprise! Your new OS is there. Simple, clean, and ready to help you create your user account. You input your name and password and, as a funny side note, before you can go on, the system, very politely, tells you "before we can go on, we have a question: you do remember your password, don't you?". I found that a lot nicer than simply spitting "don't forget your password!"
Before you can use the computer, you get to meet the Kaptan, an effective configuration assistant that guides you through the process of customizing your desktop. So, you choose the KDE theme, icon set (I picked the Pardus official set), whether or not you want a KDE 4 or KDE3 desktop, the quantity of virtual desktops, your menu (Lancelot, simple and KickOut are available) and your user avatar.
Right there, you get to interact with Smolt, a system summary that reports your information to someone out there in cyberspace. Again, this step is optional, if you are concerned about your privacy.
Differently from the Pardus Live DVD, you also meet PiSi, the cute kitten that happens to be the software manager of this beautiful OS and, thus, many software packages are available for you through the little paws of this mini-feline.
I tested the performance of this Linux distro and, to be a release candidate, I found it stable and impressively efficient. Consequently, I'm avidly waiting to download the final version.
Only one word of advise for Mandriva Linux beginners (like myself): if you have a dual boot (Mandriva-Windows) and you install Pardus, you lose your access to Mandriva because the Pardus grub won't let you see Mandriva. Likewise, after I restored the Mandriva grub, I couln't find Pardus. I'm sure there must be a way to triple boot, but that is right now beyond my limited knowledge.*THIS IS SOLVED (Thanks to Megatotoro). All you have to do is copy the entry for PARDUS (which you find on the GRUB file of PARDUS at /boot/grub/grub.conf) into the GRUB file of Mandriva (/boot/grub/menu.lst), or the other way around.
To finish, I'd like to recall some words I read in the Pardus slides that, in my opinion, summarize my experience with this release candidate that works better than some final versions I have tried: "La experiencia con Pardus es un desfile de esplendor y poder de software libre y abierto". It cannot be more accurate than that.
9 comentarios:
I also tested the Live DVD and I must say that Pardus simply rocks! I want to install the final release as soon as it is out.ResponderEliminar
If you're interested, I can teach you how to manually edit your Grub so that you may see both Pardus and Mandriva. It's simple. (I got that knowledge from my interaction with Mepis and Mandriva :P)
By the way, is there a way to get the model for that 3-D paper pardus cat?
I got the links for the paper model:ResponderEliminar
That Pardus paper cat is amazing!ResponderEliminar
- Anónimo9 de enero de 2011, 1:06
the only problem is no doftwareResponderEliminar
- Anónimo11 de enero de 2011, 10:31
I you want to look of some nice Pardus wallpaper themes you find many here:ResponderEliminar
Hey, thanks for the link! Nice wallpapers, too!ResponderEliminar
An interesting "discovery" about the new Pardus: You can have FISH!! They don't come with the system, but you may install them...and they grow!! :PResponderEliminar
Pardus! As a gateway to freedom.ResponderEliminar
From the first day I follow
Thanks for the post. It was very interesting and meaningful.ResponderEliminar
Vee Eee Technologies
It's the Ides of August!
In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Roman general Julius Caesar is given an ominous message by the Soothsayer. The message is a simple warn...
I bought a new headset for my laptop two days ago. Since the store did not have many options available, I went for a Combat Argom Tech piec...
On Feb, 24, I upgraded my Fedora install from 27 to 29. Well, it turns out that Fedora 30 was released two days ago, so I decided to upgrad...

subset: commoncrawl


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I like it.
It was good. I would like to see it back some time.
Dave 7:49pm Thu 13 Aug Report Abuse
I liked it
i thorght it was good, new none crude comedy
Ed 3:50pm Tue 3 Mar Report Abuse
It still hurts
My eyes are still burning after watching this absolute rubbish. Poorly written by someone who decided that one dimentional characters are funny. Certainly one for the unlettered.
Kmanman 2:48pm Tue 6 Jan Report Abuse
Lab Rats
I thought it was a good show. Hope Carl Cooper and Chris Addison write some more.
Dave 1:20pm New Years Day Report Abuse
the most appallingly bad, dreadful, unwatchable, unfunny, embarrassingly dreadful 'comedy' i've seen. Poor scripts, poor characters, poor acting - very, very poor with no redeeming features whatsoever
Dreadful 9:47pm Thu 14 Aug Report Abuse
It's good... but is that good?
Lab rats i do enjoy watching but should it be on at 9 in the morning on kids t.v then on at 9, because it has no reason to be on at 9. but it is really good!!!! lol
Download08' 8:59pm Thu 14 Aug Report Abuse
worth a peek
ah come on now, what have you got to lose? Made me chortle once or twice. I hope for a series 2.
:) 6:41pm Thu 14 Aug Report Abuse
Not funny
Not funny Not funny
Get the Idea? 5:39pm Fri 8 Aug Report Abuse
Lab Rats
The longest half hour of my life. Like a surgical procedure minus the anaesthetic. Your average amatuer dramatics society puts on more cohesive, entertaining and witty performances than this. Those responsible for the production and commissioning of this waste of the television licence fee should seriously consider if a career in 'light entertainment' is one to which they are suited.
Dan M. 10:15pm Thu 7 Aug Report Abuse
Utter Rubbish
Please make this awful programme go away.
kvarme 10:03pm Thu 7 Aug Report Abuse


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Welcome to Oman Air's Baggage Services Information Page
Irregularities involving your baggage, such as delay or damage should be reported in person to the baggage agents prior to leaving the baggage collection area upon arrival at your destination, who will ask you to provide the information pertinent to contents of the baggage which assists in locating your baggage. The baggage agent will also assist you in filing a Passenger Irregularity Report. All reasonable efforts shall be made to locate and return your baggage promptly.
All tickets, boarding cards, baggage identification labels or receipts and the completed Passenger Irregularity Report (which includes a file reference number for you to refer to in any correspondence or reference to your claim), must be kept safe with you in order to include them with any subsequent claim.
This link here will lead you to Oman Air's liability coverage for checked-baggage, and contacts of our Central Baggage Services.
Central Baggage Tracing
P.O. Box 58
Muscat International Airport, PC 111
Sultanate of Oman.
All About Your Baggage
Upon delivery of your baggage, which you wish to check-in, we shall take custody of, and issue a "Baggage Identification Tag" which will be placed on each piece of your checked-in baggage.Know more


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|Hugging Cookie Monster
(dressed as a clown)
Fall is my favorite time of the year. There are so many fun family things going on in the Philadelphia area! One special thing we did again this year was a visit to the "land of Elmo". My children are still reliving the incredible day we had Saturday (Oct 6th) at The Count's Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place in Langhorne! We brought a friend too, and the two 3.5 year olds plus my 2 year old were all in heaven!!! Even my 5 month old baby in the carrier was fascinated by the characters we saw and laughter we heard. So, as you can imagine, this Halloween celebration at Sesame Place is perfect for children and is not spooky at all!
|Vapor Trail
For those who haven't visited this local attraction, here's what you need to know. It's the nation's only theme park based entirely on Sesame Street. Sesame Street comes to life at Sesame Place through whirling rides, water slides (obviously seasonal) and exciting shows. Dance and sing-a-long with everyone's favorite furry friends in the amazing Neighborhood Street Party Parade with day and night performances. Join the fun and celebrate being a kid – or being a kid again! And even better, if you visit between September 29th and Sunday, October 28th, Sesame Place will be transformed into a not-too-spooky Halloween haven featuring two themed mazes, a Sesame Street character hayride, three Halloween shows (we saw The Count's Not-Too-Spooky Howl-o-ween Radio Show and LOVED it) and everyone's favorite Sesame Street friends dressed in their Halloween attire.
The highlight to our visit was probably the show. The girls enjoyed the songs and the moms were entertained as well, especially by the finale! The Count's Not-Too-Spooky Howl-o-ween Radio Show is sure to entertain the whole family. In this Halloween show, The Count Von Count serves as the master of scare-emonies on an old-time radio show. With help from his Sesame Street friends—Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Grover, Oscar and Elmo—The Count produces a not-too-spooky Halloween radio show. The WSME Howl-o-ween show features, song and dance numbers that get everyone involved comedy sketches with Elmo and Oscar, a few magical surprises from everyone's favorite fairy, Abby Cadabby and a cooking segment with Cookie Monster that goes awry. The show ends with a special finale that is sure to be a "Thriller."
|Peek-A-Bug Ride
|Trick or Treating
New in 2012 is Ernie's Rubber Duckie Costume Party- a non-stop, fun-filled time, where everyone's invited to dance their day away! Moving lights and fun, upbeat music will make you feel as if you've arrived at a Sesame-styled disco. Back for its 2nd year is the Neighborhood Street Party Halloween Parade. The entire parade takes on a not-too-spooky-feel from candy corn in Cookie Monster's cookie jar to Bert and Ernie dressed as a rubber duckie and pigeon for Halloween. The last parade stop features "spooktacular" music and performances by the Sesame Street characters and is not to be missed. During The Count's Halloween Spooktacular, families are encouraged to come dressed in costume as they enjoy Sesame Place. Our girls enjoyed putting on their animal headbands and trick-or-treating at one of the many stations around the park. They received free treats such as potato chips, a marshmallow rice cereal treat, and a tooth brush! In addition to the park's Spooktacular-focused attractions, Sesame Place's dozen dry rides are also open for guests to enjoy. I highly recommend the Peek-A-Bug ride. I think it produced the most giggles from all 3 girls! And if your family is looking for even more Halloween fun, Sesame Place will be hosting special events such as The Count's Halloween Party, Abby Cadabby's Fairy Pumpkin Party and their annual Halloween Costume Contest. Check out the website for more details! www.sesameplace.com


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Atlas Copco, a leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions, has agreed to divest its concrete and compaction business to Husqvarna Group's Construction division.
Our commitment to the construction industry remains as strong as ever; moving forward we will have a more streamlined product portfolio through which we can more deeply focus our resources to add further innovation and productivity for customers. We believe that Husqvarna Construction will be a good home that can develop the concrete and compaction business further.
Građevinska oprema i prenosiva energija


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Spa Valley Railway »
Visitor Information »
The Spa Valley Railway offers a number of refreshment options to passengers. These include our static buffet car 'Emily' at Tunbridge Wells, the refreshment bars at Groombridge and Eridge, and of course our award winning Bar Car 'Kate', which we endeavour to run on green timetable trains, plus during many special events.
Dining in the WealdIn addition to our catering outlets, we run a wide variety of dining services throughout the year - more information on these can be found here.
Emily - With FREE wifi!'Emily' is an ex-mainline train buffet car, and now lives in the platform at Tunbridge Wells. The menu includes teas, coffees and soft drinks, hot pasties, bacon sandwiches (when available), sausage rolls, sandwiches and crisps, as well as a range of cakes.
We now also have free wifi in 'Emily' which is available for all our visitors whilst they enjoy a fine pot of tea!
Kate'Kate', our award winning on train Bar Car, was refurbished in 2018 and can be found in most green timetable trains, with her staff serving a range of refreshments as you roll along through the Kent and Sussex countryside.
Converted from a former passenger coach, Kate sells teas, coffees, beer, wine, spirits and light snacks (sandwiches, crisps, chocolate and cakes). On some special days, real ale from local breweries is on tap.GroombridgeThe Groombridge Station Refreshment Kiosk has been developed by the FROGS (Friends Of Groombridge Station!). This building was formerly a farm shop selling asparagus near Tunbridge Wells. It has been completely refurbished to meet current standards, and sells a full range of light refreshments.
« Back To Visitor Information
Booking with vTicket


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Most people on Wall Street don`t believe these numbers. They are arguing they are an aberration, that we should ignore them, that it is an outlier, that is inconsistent with the data. The truth is, its very consistent. We have been getting mixed data. Everybody is looking at the economic glass as being half full. They are ignoring the bad data but the reality is whatever good data we have, is a direct result of the quantitative easing that the Federal Reserve is now threatening to taper.
Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.
Jan 11, 2014
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- If The Federal Reserve Withdraws Itself From The B...
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San Fran
I'm happy to announce we are headed to San Francisco tomorrow! St. Regis Hotels is sending us to experience their new Family Traditions at St. Regis which includes activities tailored for families with small ones.
With Israel having just turned 4 and another soon to arrive in January, the timing of this trip is perfect. We've been wanting to get away just us 3 before baby comes and hearing about all the nice features the this program provides, we're all looking forward to some family time.
In keeping with the traditions and traveling I wanted to share a bit of our process for traveling. We've never gone far with Israel and this will be his first plane ride so I think we'll be making up traditions as we go along. I will of course be bringing my trusty Yvonne Kone bag and also packing the mini Kanken with quiet toys, books and snacks. A few of my favorite little things as well, some La Bruket hand cream, Binchotan toothbrushes (a favorite), sunglasses & case and my phone, which will be doing most of the picture taking.
Although I'm not quite sure how smoothly everything will go, I'm happy to be getting away with the boys for some r&r.
One more noteworthy piece is that tomorrow begins a giveaway for a chance to win your own family trip to a St Regis Resort, at a destination of your choice no less! Just follow @stregishotels on Instagram and make sure to hashtag your family photos with #stregisfamily to enter!
I'll be posting a trip wrap up once we get home of the local sights and sounds but in the meantime you can follow me on Instagram. If anyone has some must see suggestions feel free to leave a comment.
Other Stories
10 comments:
Awesome! Have fun! Can't wait to see pictures. Love the iphone case!!!ReplyDelete
Lovely photos as always! Have fun in SF, can't wait to see the photos (hoping you'll post them here and on your Instagram)! xxReplyDelete
who makes the iphone case?ReplyDelete
Great post, everything is so chic! and awesome! I'll be looking out for the giveaway, sounds so cool.ReplyDelete
Our boys (5 & 8) LOVED the Exploratorium ... I thinking all kids do as it's all hands on experiments for children. Very well organized and a beautiful building by the bay.ReplyDelete
Enjoy your trip!
Wonderful post, I'm loving your toothbrushes. I've been thinking about getting a mini Kanken for awhile now for my daughter (she's almost two). How does your boy like it? Good luck on your trip!ReplyDelete
Beautiful pictures, have fun in San Fran!ReplyDelete
Places to see: exploratorium, academy of sciences, legion of honor, land's end, painted ladies, embarcadero, de young (if only for the 360 degree view at the top), ocean beach, crissy field, and the store Paxton's Gate (taxidermy, succulents) in the mission (they have a kid's one, too) .. and so many more that I can't think of right now.ReplyDelete
The St Regis at 3rd Street? If you need a quiet morning or afternoon close to home base, that's just two quick blocks from 111 Minna, my favorite art gallery in the world.ReplyDelete
Then grab a bite at either Darwin's or Garaje on the way to tree-lined South Park (just another two blocks) for some swingset time.
- AnonymousOctober 27, 2013
Ahh, hope you have a great time!ReplyDelete
I spent 3 weeks in SF this summer and loved it. I don't have kids, but the Exploratorium is great in my opinion, so fun, and they have great smart toys for kids.
I also think Palace of fine arts might be interesting, it's nice to walk around, there are swans there, and you're really close to the beach and GG bridge. :)
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


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TruBlue Launches First Texas Franchise to Bring One-Call-Does-It-All House Maintenance to Tyler
TruBlue Total House Care is expanding into Texas with the launch of Scott Jacobs' franchise to serve Tyler and its surrounding communities by providing lawn care, maid service and household maintenance through one company. "It's one-stop shopping," Jacobs said.
Tyler, Texas (PRWEB) May 02, 2013 - With the launch of his TruBlue Total House Care franchise in Tyler, Texas, Scott Jacobs is bringing together his work experience and his personal passion to assist home and property owners in a new and unique way. With TruBlue, clients can get all the help they want to care for their homes without all the usual hassles.
With just one phone call, a TruBlue client can receive maid service, lawn care, routine and emergency repairs as well as holiday decorating, gutter cleaning and whatever else is needed.
"It's one-stop shopping," Jacobs said. "A lot of companies do one of those services, but none brings everything together like TruBlue does."
That concept of service was the primary reason for his decision to buy the franchise, he said.
"I was looking for a challenge – something that would fit my personality, background and passion," Jacobs said. "I've always been a people person and liked helping others. My business philosophy has always been to be honest and provide high quality services to earn my customers' trust and provide them with peace of mind."
"When I considered TruBlue, it all came together because my hobbies have always centered on the home – yard work, landscaping, repairs, upgrades, remodeling, designing and decorating. TruBlue was the perfect choice."
Jacobs' enthusiasm is matched by that of his operations manager, Tammy Dennis.
"My background is in sales and marketing, mostly in home health care and rehab," she said. "When I heard about TruBlue, I immediately could see the potential. I've mostly worked in the senior community providing non-medical, in-home care. By putting the focus on the house and property, TruBlue is a great supplement to those services."
Larsen Sharp, vice president of operations for TruBlue, said company officials reached the same conclusions before deciding to add the franchise opportunity.
"Our Home Helpers franchise assists people with their personal needs," he said. "What we found was that often the house itself had become a problem. By putting our focus there, homeowners and their families gained peace of mind about the safety and security of the home. Seniors wouldn't have to give up the house they loved to move into a condo or apartment just because they can no longer take care of it the way they once did. With TruBlue, they can remain in that home for as long as they want."
After the franchise launched, the company learned that the one-call-does-it-all concept was popular with a host of other clients as well – especially busy families.
"People are busy," Sharp said. "Families are juggling schedules for Mom, Dad, each of the kids, and often parents and grandparents. Life can get really hectic. With our system, families can eliminate tasks that they don't enjoy or don't have the time or ability to do correctly, so they can focus their attention on the activities and events they prefer."
Dennis said that broad-based appeal was obvious to her as well.
"As a busy adult myself, I immediately 'got it' because it's just the society we live in," she said. "Like a lot of people, I don't have an 8-to-5 job. I've got a spouse and two children, including a teenager. We have to set aside time to get the household chores done. I think a lot of families need help managing their households. And, one of the best things about TruBlue is that clients select which services they want. As a mom who has to live on a budget, I think it's great that you can get the help you need without breaking the bank. TruBlue appeals to a wide variety of households."
Like Jacobs, both she and Sharp noted the convenience of TruBlue as well.
"We have tons of companies offering home and lawn care services, but nothing as comprehensive as TruBlue," she said. "Like Scott said, one call takes care of everything indoors and out."
Sharp said that convenience has been a major selling point.
"Clients love it," he said. "They don't have to contact multiple agencies, schedule interviews, take bids, supervise the work, and go through all the hassles of finding different people for different jobs. We've done all that for them. They and their families – often children who live across the country – appreciate having a reliable, single point of contact. TruBlue makes sure the work is done correctly by the right person at the right time. And all TruBlue employees are bonded and insured and pass background checks."
To learn more about TruBlue Total House Care of Tyler, Texas, or to schedule a free consultation for services in Tyler, Whitehouse, Flint, Hideaway, Lindale or their surrounding Smith County communities, call 903-508-4894 or visit http://www.TylerHouseMaintenance.com.
About TruBlue House Care's
TruBlue House Care's corporate franchise offices are based in Cincinnati, Ohio. To learn more about the franchise system, call 800-291-0771 or visit the corporate website at http://www.TruBlueHouseCare.com.
Larsen Sharp
TruBlue House Care
800-291-0771 523
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The Last Christian
A.D. 2088. Missionary daughter Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her 34 years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village. Abby goes to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out. A curious message from her grandfather assigns her a surprising mission: re-introduce the Christian faith in America, no matter how insurmountable the odds.
But a larger threat looms. The world's leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form. Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether...but at what expense?
As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father's unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance: the spiritual future of all humanity.
In this futuristic thriller, startling near-future science collides with thought-provoking theology. The Last Christian is a provocative "what if?" novel from David Gregory, best-selling author of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger.


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Herd cats through a waterfall
Posted by RRC on August 15, 2007
In Reply to: Herd cats through a waterfall posted by pamela on August 15, 2007
: : : : So has anyone heard this one? "It's like trying to herd cats through a waterfall" which is to say this is very difficult to almost impossible.
: : : I haven't heard that one, but there are several phrases like it, such as "to mind mice at a crossroads", which is traditional in Ireland (and probably quite a few other places as well) (VSD)
: : In the U.S., "like trying to herd cats" is heard often, without the qualifying "through a waterfall." Perhaps we just haven't heard the qualifier, or perhaps it doesn't significantly add to the difficulty of herding cats.
: "Like trying to nail jelly to a wall" is my favourite. I to have heard heard the herd cats sans the waterfall. Pamela
: By the way - the "jelly" is made with jelly crystals, it is not the "jelly" that US speakers use for our "jam". Pamela
I had to look that up, I think you're saying it's jello - flavored gelatin - rather than fruit preserves. We have both jam and jelly that are not jello. I haven't actually tried it, but I think it would be much easier to nail jello jelly to a wall than jam jelly.


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Fixed now.
Colin,thank you for the report: sorry that you are having trouble. I have now updated the links to the new Simutrans-Experimental FTP service very kindly provided by Isaac - tell me if those work for you :-)
The first link is http://ftp//experimental.simutrans.us/public_ftp/Simutrans-Experimental%20Complete.zip it should be ftp://experimental.simutrans.us/public_ftp/Simutrans-Experimental%20Complete.zip. Also, even with the corrected link, I still get an empty file. The 2nd link works, but the download is semi-slow.
I fixed the broken FTP links in James' first post. Or rather hope that I found all of these links.Forum is being stubborn and thinks it knows better than humans. For ftp links, use [.ftp.] instead of [.url.] and it will give in (sans the dots of course).
I meant to say that I fixed the first post, nothing beyond that. The correct link from what you posted (last) is this:ftp://experimental.simutrans.us/public_ftp/simutrans-experimental.zip
For the record, it would be better to upload into public_html. Most people find http links easier to deal with.
Nobody uses FTP anymore :(.
many people load the files for the homepage with ftp in the net.
Thanks to Isaac's assistance, I have now resolved the problem with the downloads - hopefully all of the downloads should now be working properly again. Apologies to everyone for the inconvenience when they were not working last week. Happy downloading!
Colin,I'd be interested to see your saved game if you don't mind uploading it.


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Manicure Monday: wHet Nail Polish in Facetious
Happy Manicure Monday! I recently discovered wHet, a GORG new line of vegan and cruelty-free nail polish. Their entire collection is also "three free" (doesn't contain formaldehyde, toluene, or dpd a.k.a. dibutyle phthalate), chip resistant, full of mega shine, and is made right here in the USA. Yahooooooooo!
The shade I'm rockin' is Facetious ($15), a vivid, eye-catching cobalt blue. I'm maaaaaadly in love with this color. ♥ ♥ ♥ I seriously can't stop staring at my nails. This shade nicely complements my pink hair, too! 😉
BTW, the nail decal on my party finger is something I scored at the 99 Cents Only Store (no name, generic brand). I read the ingredients on the packaging, and they were accidentally vegan. WOOT. 😉
What do you guys think of this vibrant, sexy blue shade? Lemme know in the comments below. xoxo
About Sunny (Sunny's Profile)Longtime vegan, hardcore compassionate beauty junkie, serious cake aficionado, and lover of all things floofy and sparkly! If there's something in particular you'd like me to review, drop me a line at email@example.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Google +.
Filed in: vegan nails
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Hi Sunny! That is a luscious color…too poor for this right now tho…I hope they expand enough to allow them to stock in some stores! Gawsh, I love blue!
Nice to know their is a cruelty free polish


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Dream a Little Dream
This story appears in the October 2005 issue of Entrepreneurs StartUps Magazine. Subscribe »
Not so long ago, the act of turning in the keys to your company car or clearing out your desk on retirement day were unmistakable signs you had come to the end of your useful life. Now, they're symbols of the new kind of career freedom people over 50 are experiencing in increasing numbers.
Recent studies show that 1 of every 5 people contemplating retirement wants to start a business, and these people are launching businesses directly related to their previous careers.
According to Paul Edwards, co-author with his wife, Sarah, of Finding Your Perfect Work, professional service businesses are among the hottest startup choices for today's senior entrepreneurs. Among the services most in demand: anything related to elder-care services, such as geriatric-care management; professional services like tax preparation, financial planning and technical communication; and consulting in virtually every field.
"We use a lot of consultants in this country, so using the skills, talents and capabilities you used in your professional life in a fresh and original way can be a viable way to forge a livelihood in retirement," says Edwards.
In fact, the Institute of Management Consultants lists nearly 280 different types of management consultants, so chances are, whatever your specialty was in corporate America, there's a pressing need for it today.
Susan Bock, 54, a Huntington Beach, California-based executive coach, business consultant and motivational speaker, can relate. She turned a lengthy career as a corporate executive into a thriving business she now runs from her home, on her own schedule and at her own pace-which she finds exhilarating. "If you thrive on unpredictability, challenge and [the opportunity] to find your own inspiration and creativity, then self-employment is a great opportunity for you," she says. "However, hope should not be your only strategy for success. You have to go in with your eyes wide open."
Doing something you love, rather than doing something merely to survive, is the key to making a post-retirement career a success. Edwards refers to the tasks that fire your imagination as "mental food," because these activities feed you in terms of personal satisfaction. "I've seen people practically sprout endorphins sorting paper, because it's what they love to do," he says. "When you do something you truly love, you won't even think of it as work anymore-it becomes a joy."
So how do you find your perfect job? Edwards believes it's as simple as asking, What do I really want to do? "Too many people worry about what they could do, what they should do or what's the best thing for them to do," he says. "Instead, decide what you want from life and what you want your life to be about. Think about your destination, then build your work around what's important to you."
Bock suggests mapping out your career strategy in detail once you've determined which career path you wish to follow. "You can't just put a billboard on top of your house that says 'Hire Me,'" she says. "You need to know what steps are necessary to reach the goals you've set for yourself, then follow them as you would a road map."
Eileen Figure Sandlin is an award-winning freelance writer and author who writes on business topics.


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Ever notice that when the price of a barrel of oil goes up , that the price at the pump goes up with it? But when the price drops, they have more reasons why it won't be going down for another month or two. Doesn't make sense does it. :
The price of oil recorded its biggest weekly drop ever, and a gallon of gas finally pulled back from its record high. So is it time to declare the energy bubble popped?
Experts won't go that far just yet.
"It's too early to say we've seen the worst of it," said Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst of the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, N.J. "We would be Pollyannish if we believe one week represents a trend."
Still, with oil recording yet another drop on Friday, some industry experts who just days ago thought there was more juice left in oil's meteoric run are reconsidering.
"If this is not the bubble's implosion, than it's a reasonable facsimile," analyst and trader Stephen Schork said in his daily market commentary. "Time will tell. Nevertheless, for the time being we no longer care to hold a bullish view."
Light, sweet crude for August delivery fell 41 cents Friday to settle at $128.88 on the New York Mercantile Exchange well below its trading record of more than $147 a week earlier.
The average price of a gallon of regular gas fell about a penny for the day, to $4.105, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. Diesel prices dipped three-tenths of a cent to $4.842 a gallon.
Some analysts said a nationwide average of $4 or even lower could be in the offing almost unthinkable in a summer when there has seemed to be no relief at the pump although they cautioned that there is no guarantee prices will stay low.
"We're going to see some relief from that relentless march higher," Kloza said.
Gas may be getting just a bit cheaper, but major changes in how Americans live and drive are already in motion.
Car buyers have been fleeing to more fuel-efficient models. U.S. sales of pickups and sport utility vehicles are down nearly 18 percent this year through June, while sales of small cars are up more than 10 percent.
While slashing production of more-profitable trucks and SUVs, automakers have been scurrying to build their most fuel-efficient models faster.
Toyota Motor Corp., which hasn't been able to keep up with demand for its 46-miles-per-gallon Prius hybrid, said last week it will start producing the Prius in the U.S. and suspend truck and SUV production to meet changing consumer demands.
Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. also have announced plans to increase small car production, and GM has said 18 of the 19 vehicles it is launching between now and 2010 are cars or crossovers.
Some brave traders used the week's pullback in oil prices as a chance to buy barrels that suddenly seemed to be on sale. But oil analysts were advising investors to beware.
"Buying here is an opportunity if you are a deep believer in $200 (a barrel), otherwise we think that caution would be better applied," analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland said in a research note.
If oil buyers sense that the slide was overdone, you'll probably notice at the pump quickly.
"If (oil prices) rebound, you're going to see a quick reaction at the gas station, because their profit margins are so stretched," AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom said. "They may be very fast bringing prices back up."
In other Nymex trade, heating oil futures fell 5.23 cents to settle at $3.6915 a gallon while gasoline futures edged up 0.73 cent to $3.1709 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 3.3 cents to $10.57 per 1,000 cubic feet.
In London, Brent crude futures for September delivery rose 88 cents to settle at $130.19 on the ICE Futures Exchange.
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Ever notice that when the price of a barrel of oil goes up , that the price at the pump goes up with it? But when the price drops, they have more reasons why it won't be going down for another month or two. Doesn't make sense does it. :
Sure it does.... if you're selling oil!Originally Posted by J. ZIMM


text: Interview at the Hessentag 2013 Kora Jul 3rd 2013, 8:11pm - Maria Mena, Fanclub & Community, Interviews +1 At this years Hessentag we had the pleasure to do an interview with Maria Mena. We talked about her new album "Weapon in Mind", Instagram and concerts in Germany. Have a look! We hope you like it.


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The habaneras singing in Calella de Palafrugell is possibly one of Palafrugell's best-known events
The habaneras singing in Calella de Palafrugell is possibly one of Palafrugell's best-known events. Dating back to 1966 with a meeting of singers in the Can Batlle pub, it was immediately successful and obliged the organisers to repeat the event on Calau beach (Calella).
In 1969, the Association of Friends of Calella, which were the organisers of the singing at that time, decided to move it to Port Bo Square, where it is held today.
Next edition: 53st Habanera's singing festival of Calella de Palafrugell – Saturday 6st of July 2019.
Tickets on sale two months befaure (May)
€30 , with lateral view
More information and program in www.havanerescalella.cat
TOURIST SURVEY Welcome to Palafrugell! To continue working and improving the services in our municipality and region, we would like to know your opinion about the BAIX EMPORDÀ as a tourist destination. COMPLETE THE TOURIST SURVEY HERE Thank you for your collaboration and we hope you will enjoy your holiday!+ MORE
ACTIVITIES IN PALAFRUGELL SEPTEMBER 2020 Activities for the month of SEPTEMBER 2020 in Palafrugell (Calella, Llafranc, Tamariu, Llofriu, Ermedàs). Music, theater, concerts, markets, exhibitions, guided tours, crafts, art, competitions, workshops and much more! We're waiting for you in Palafrugell! We also can follow in www.facebook.com/turisme.palafrugell or to www.palafrugellcultura.cat ACTIVITIES OF SEPTEMBER 2020 Click here [...]+ MORE
PALAFRUGELL+ DAY OUT From June to September 30 The Palafrugell+ Day Out is a self-guided activity to do from 1 June until 30 September in the six sites in Palafrugell+. Can Mario Modernist Water Tank Cap Roig Botanical Garden Josep Pla Foundation Vila Casas Foundation – Can Mario Museum Cork Museum Sant Sebastià de [...]+ MORE
FROM 1 AUGUST TO 11 OCTOBER 2020 Xavier Miserachs Photography Biennial is held in Palafrugell and aims the promotion and the dissemination of the documentary photograph, understood as a useful photo and respectful with the reality. It is also a necessary tool to know, feel and think about the different visions of our past and our [...]+ MORE
XXVI Costa Brava Jazz Festival Another good excuse to visit Palafrugell and its beaches FESTIVAL DE JAZZ 2020+ MORE
Embarrassed, I apologized to those seated around me as I sat down to what I can only describe as one of the most memorable meals of my life… http://thewanderinggourmand.com/flors-violes-festival-in-palafrugell-spain/+ MORE
10 SIZZLING REASONS TO VISIT PALAFRUGELL Apearl in the middle of Costa Brava, the city of Palafrugell includes the picturesque beachside towns of Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc and Tamariu. A short transfer from Barcelona or Girona airports, here are 10 reasons why this slice of Costa paradise should be top of your destination wish list. [...]+ MORE
SPAIN'S HIDDEN GEM – LA PETITA COSTA BRAVA BY George Keegan Stretching along Spain's eastern seaboard in Catalonia (spelt Catalunya in Catalan) is the very beautiful Costa Brava. There are some 220km of coastline stretching right up to the French border containing many areas of natural beauty. It has a mild Mediterranean climate meaning [...]+ MORE


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More than 10,000 people are killed each year in front-end crashes in the United States. While most cars offer protection in front-end accidents, overlap crashes, where the car is not hit head-on, are a different matter entirely. Until now overlap crashes, which account for nearly one in four of the front-end crashes involving serious or fatal injury to front seat occupants, have not been tested by the government or other independent testing facilities.
Read: America's Most Dangerous Luxury Cars
On Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released test results of this new type of crash safety test for 11 of America's popular midsize luxury vehicles. Only three models passed. Eight models failed. Like studies before it, it will change the way automakers approach building their vehicles.
Since 1995, when the IIHS began testing American vehicles, it has expanded its safety ratings to four major categories: front, side, rollover and rear. As each new test has come out, IIHS spokesman Russ Rader told 24/7 Wall St., most cars failed at first, but eventually vehicles were built to pass the test. To date, the vast majority of popular vehicles passed each of the other four test categories with full marks, including perfect scores for most of the cars on this list.
Interest in the overlap test was motivated by concern that front-end crash safety measures remained inadequate. "Even though we've had all this improvement in frontal crash protection through the testing the institute does and through the testing the federal government does," Rader explained, "we still have 10,000 people getting killed in frontal crashes, and we wondered 'why is that?'"
The small frontal overlap test is, according to Rader, likely going to change the way automakers approach building their cars for safety. "We expect that other automakers are going to add this to their development process because this is a competitive market, and all the manufacturers strive to get the highest safety ratings."
The new test, called the "small overlap frontal crash test," involves only one quarter of the front of the car hitting a rigid barrier at 40 MPH. In traditional front-end tests, half of the vehicle hits a barrier. The new test measures what happens to a front-seat driver or passenger when this kind of crash happens. The scores are the same as for the agency's other tests: good, acceptable, marginal and poor.
The IIHS tests pointed to several common problems with this type of impact, including the failure of side airbags to deploy, car parts trapping the driver's feet or causing the door to shear off. Another common problem involved the driver's head sliding off the airbag — or even missing it entirely — and hitting the corner of the car.
The IIHS put mid-sized luxury models through the new test first because, Rader explained, those are the automobiles that "tend to get the most advanced safety and engineering systems first." For example, according to Rader, the institute's research showed that at least one luxury model, the Volvo S60, was built with this unique type of accident in mind. In the test, the S60 was one of only two vehicles, along with the Acura TL, to receive a "good" score.
The eight cars on this list are generally well-built, but are not designed to deflect small overlap frontal crashes. In addition to IIHS's rating, 24/7 Wall St. also looked at several other measures of overall safety and quality for these vehicles, such as Consumer Reports ratings and J.D. Power's overall Initial Quality report. While some have received poor quality scores, the majority perform well. These cars are, for the most part, well-built but are not designed to deflect small overlap frontal crashes.
Unless these automakers make improvements to these models to address this safety flaw, the already flagging sales figures of these cars could decline further. Already, sales of six of the eight models on the list have fallen in the past three years, according to sales data provided by Edmunds. Sales of the BMW 3 series has declined by 32.9% between 2007 and 2011. In that same time frame, U.S. unit sales of the Lexus ES 350 have declined by more than 50%.
Also Read: The Most Dangerous Cars in America
Two of the models listed in this study, the TSX and the TSX Wagon, were tested separately, bringing the total number of vehicles tested by IIHS to 11, and the total number that received a poor rating to nine. However, as they received the same overall score, a "marginal," we refer to both vehicles in the same study.