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Growing up gay
Bostonians open up about the homophobia, fear, and isolation they endured as teens — and how they made it through
A spate of gay teen suicides, including that of 18-year-old Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, has focused attention on homophobic bullying and resulted in the "It Gets Better'' project, a YouTube campaign aimed at offering support to gay teens and young people. We asked several well-known Bostonians to share their memories of growing up gay, and they accepted, revealing the fear and loneliness they lived with and the strength they've achieved. Here are their stories, in their own words.
Gregory Maguire
Author of many books, including 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'
I always wrote. Took my cue from "Harriet the Spy'' in fifth grade and never looked back. But like many kids, I wasn't introspective. Didn't question my own identity. I came of age in a liberal time (early '70s) in a progressive Catholic environment (not always an oxymoron) among good people who were tolerant of many things as long as they went unnamed. So I remained basically clueless about myself.
For a while, in high school, a cadre of friends caught my writing habit. We scribbled approximations of our real feelings in the safety and pretend anonymity of our journals. Then we circulated these notebooks for peer review, scrawling appreciative comments or jokes in the margins. A way of sharing private apprehensions and affections in a safe environment. A pre-electronic community blog, you could call it. Nixon-era Facebook.
I'd always gone about my own business, a cheery loner of sorts, enjoying female friends who were never, somehow, girlfriends. I'd never been part of a team or a male mob. Junior year, this seemed to change; I started hanging out with three musicians, teenage guys. One February afternoon, after a basement jam session, we took some hot chocolate into the parlor. One of the boys I later realized I'd had a crush on closed the doors. They cleared their throats and the spokesfellow said, kindly as possible, "We've been thinking about it, and we've decided that guys writing in journals is a faggy thing to do. We're going to stop and we think you should, too.''
What happened next? I suspect I left the house with a polite excuse, masking my shame and the pain of rejection. I didn't hesitate, though. If to be a writer meant to be a loner, I would be a loner. I cried all the way home.
Years later, I would hear Elphaba sing on Broadway, "Something has changed within me. Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game.'' Sing it, sister. Now, I realize I committed myself to becoming a writer that awful afternoon.
Of course, it wasn't just a writer I was choosing to be. I was choosing to be myself.
Ryan Landry
Actor/playwright and cofounder of theater group The Gold Dust Orphans
I thought of suicide many times as a teenager. I grew up in a factory town in Connecticut, where the only fun to be had was either sex or stealing your mother's car. There, like so many places with no imagination, "faggot'' was the worst word you could use.
The first time I heard the word "faggot'' of course it was directed at me. Who else? I was 12 years old. It was summer, I remember, because I never wore shoes in the summer, even to the movies. Walking barefoot along a guardrail, a sort of bridge from my house to the candy store, I remember thinking myself a great acrobat. I always had these thoughts, that I would somehow escape the torture of being what I was, a sort of swishy "halfbreed'' among spitting, strutting "cowboys.''
They were the "real'' people, these high school sports stars with their glossy cheerleaders dragging two steps behind. They owned the world where I didn't belong. Because of this, it was naturally their birthright to despise me, mock me, the moment I came into view.
The beer bottle hit me just above my eye and yet it didn't break until it hit the pavement below. It hurt a bit but not much. Then the word "FAGGOT!'' screamed from another hero's window as they passed, speeding on into adventures and secrets not meant for creeps like me.
And so it went. Most of my time in high school was spent not learning but working out my plan of escape. Through which door would I exit the building today? Who would be waiting there to slap my back, shove me down, spit at me? Should I try the front door, in plain sight of the bus drivers? Would they stamp out their cigarettes today? Grow a lion's heart for the moment it would take to protect me? No.
Should I just go for it, then? Throw down my books and run? How many times can you pray for rain, if only for that hour at the end of the school day? Rain enough to get you home. They don't follow you home in the rain.
And when you get home and they ask why you are crying, what do you tell the woeful father? The frustrated mother? The ones that only see you as a letdown. For I am not the high school sports star. Me, dressed in wet clothes I despise, covering a body I'm ashamed of in a house that turns its back on something it really doesn't care to understand. Suicide? . . . As the cowboys say, "Sounds like a plan.''
David Brown
Meteorologist, WCVB-TV Channel 5
Growing up in Waterloo, Iowa, I thought I was the only gay kid. In junior high I was picked last in gym class, made fun of for playing the piano, and tormented by the older kids. I moved after the seventh grade to a suburb of St. Louis, with a hope that things would improve for me. It wasn't any better. I didn't fit in because I was the new kid. I didn't fit in because I joined the choir and not the football team. Deep down I knew the reason why I didn't fit in — it was because I was gay. Still, I wanted to fit in more than anything.
In junior high I was beat up in the halls because I was different. Coaches who were supposed to be looking after and supporting students mocked me because I would rather be in school plays and choir than run track.
It slowly turned around in high school. I was president of my senior class. But it wasn't until I came out to myself and my family that it got better, and that wasn't until after I graduated from college.
Life improved, and continues to do so. I have a wonderful partner, two incredible children, and a career and activities that I love. Although I was mocked for performing in student plays rather than running track, I'm happy to say that in the end, the mocking didn't matter. I just completed my second marathon last week. I have the life that I dreamed about in junior high. I'm happy to say that it gets better.
Tiffani Faison
Chef at Rocca Kitchen & Bar, former contestant on 'Top Chef'
My teen years were spent in northern California. While the majority of the California population is seen as flag-waving liberals, the flags I was most aware of were the Confederate ones affixed to pickup trucks that burned rubber pulling up to the school parking lot. There was an inherent fear that I felt around all of those young men.
At the time, I didn't openly identify as gay, but there was a brotherhood of bigotry. It made me nervous and I steered clear. I knew I was different, but saying the word meant target. It meant zero assimilation; no cheerleading, no prom, no sleepovers, no parties. It meant self-imposed exile in the day-to-day life of high school that was already socially and emotionally unbearable.
It was only 15 years ago, but in the progression of the social and cultural landscape of America, it's been a lifetime. Not one of us came out until after high school. It was as liberating as it was difficult then, but any earlier would have been sheer hell. We weren't cowards; we were trying to survive and fit in. Even when you stand out in high school, you still want to fit in.
In the last few years young people are finding courage to say the word — gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender. Maybe there are no Confederate flags, but there is still quiet opposition, sneering, name-calling, bullying, and worse. These kids are heroes. They need support, love, and kindness. They need friends that stay, parents that love without judgment, teachers and community leaders that provide resources and safe spaces. Gay youth need mentors that they can talk to, relate to, and remind them that it does get better.
The world is full of infinite possibilities and hope. I just got engaged to the love of my life. I am happier than I have ever been and cannot wait to become her wife. The American dream is for all of us. Stay with us, define it for yourself. There's so much love and joy just around the corner. It truly does get better.
Bryan Rafanelli
Event planner, oversaw the recent high-profile nuptials of Chelsea Clinton
My defense mechanism for growing up gay was to be the best little boy in the world. The shame I carried with me for years was suffocating. For so much of my childhood I was often running from the fact that I felt different.
It was not simply that I was not as fast or tough as the other kids, it was an underlying feeling that I was different. Coupled with the fact that so many people around me would confirm this as well. I excelled at most things "artistic.'' Singing, painting, acting, and the like. Often I would hear statements like: "Bryan is 'special.' '' "Bryan is not like the other boys'' was a frequent pronouncement.
I could be convinced that those statements were genuine and that I was a special kid. But for some reason, I always felt there was something between the lines, and it was not necessarily a good thing to be different.
I was intimidated by athletics and would shy away from competition. Coming from a family of five kids there was plenty of competition to go around, and plenty of Little League, pee wee hockey, and basketball. I was pretty terrible at all three and still am, but it has taken me a long time to figure out it had nothing to do with whether I liked girls or guys.
I think we can all agree that shame can be a deadly weapon at any age, but incredibly damaging when you are a teenager. Feeling different can be both empowering and devastating. I managed to turn my shame into strength, but many around me growing up were not so lucky. I have twice experienced friends turning to suicide because they could not cope with being gay. One is still alive, and one is not.
Sure, I was definitely bullied by the boys (and girls) at recess for being different. Some experiences were more painful than others, but I survived, and, in fact, I think I came back a stronger, more powerful person because of it.
I have learned to forgive those around me for not understanding how painful it was to be treated as though I was not good enough. That being gay made me somehow less of a person and that because I was gay I would never be as "happy'' or successful as they would turn out to be. For me, feeling less than or not good enough somehow gave me strength to prove everyone around me wrong. I want to be the best at what I do (whether I am gay or not).
Melissa Ferrick
It wasn't until I was 16 that I was able to confront my sexual orientation. I am one of the fortunate ones who was completely accepted by my immediate family, and was encouraged to seek outside help for my own emotional health during the last two years of high school.
I have a specific memory of being harassed in Boston. I was probably around 17 or 18 years old (see the picture). I was in the Harvard Square T station waiting to catch a train when a young man coming up from the train reached over the rail and smacked me yelling, "Faggot . . . [expletive] lesbian . . . [expletive] gay freak.'' I was terrified. I felt completely powerless and lonelier than I have ever felt. No one did or said anything. No one asked me if I was OK. No one stood up for me. It became very clear to me that I was alone in this. I sometimes still am.
Feeling afraid to be who you are for fear of your life is a terrible way to live and no one deserves it. I believe being true to who I am has made me a more accepting and compassionate person and for that I am grateful. One day I hope everyone will realize that hating others does nothing but breed anger, fear, and more hatred. It is a constant challenge to live securely enough in yourself to be able to accept others as they are, but if we, as adults, don't stop hating each other for being different, what else would we expect from our kids?
Jarrett Tomás Barrios
President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Like the other Barrios kids, I was a late bloomer. Hit my growth spurt when I was 15. Shaved for the first time when I was 17 on the day of my first date.
His name was "Teddy.'' At my friend Samantha's birthday party the week before, he had spied me across the room and got Debbie, Samantha's girlfriend, to make an introduction.
"Hi'' was all he said as we stood over the RC Cola and ginger ale bottles. The crooked smile plastered across his face was an invitation for me to say something. Goofy, I thought as I walked away.
He followed me out to my car a half-hour later. "Hey.''
I turned around and saw the crooked smile. I smiled. "Hey,'' I answered. It was a "hey'' that said I was happy he had said "hey.''
"Want to go to a movie next weekend?'' He looked at the ground as he asked me.
We spoke a couple times on the phone that week. He was 21, I learned, and had dropped out of school when he got an offer to become the shift supervisor at the Kmart. His parents had kicked him out of the house, and he lived with a girl who he called Fred. At the movies the following Saturday, he paid for the movie tickets.
When I got home, my mother was waiting in the front room. "Who'd you go out with?'' she asked. "A friend.'' I lied. My smile must have betrayed something more.
Teddy and I talked Sunday about music. He was all about Prince and I rambled on about Morrissey. On Monday, he told me about his dad's drinking problem and I told him about my college plans. On Wednesday we made plans to go to a party the next weekend.
After doing the dishes on Thursday, I ran to my room and called him. He was telling me some story about a crazy customer at Kmart when another voice on the line spoke up: my mother. It was an icy voice. "Jarrett, who is this man you're talking to? Get off the phone right now and come here.''
It was the last time I ever spoke to Teddy. By the time my mother came to accept and understand me, I had already gone to college.
I think about Tyler Clementi, who took his life after having his most personal experiences broadcast over the Internet to the world. Part of the tragedy has been discussed broadly as bullying. But there's more there still about what society denies gay kids and what gay kids learn to conclude about themselves as a result: that they aren't OK. I remembered Teddy as I read about Tyler, and lament the losses — not just the lost lives — of the countless gay teens.


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2012 finishes as a fantastic year for startups in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. How can I say that when we haven't launched a Google or two here yet? I can because the region's entrepreneurial culture shifted into high gear and gains momentum every day. Traditional measurements of how much venture capital investment or startup payrolls or revenue figures do not show our real spirit. These indicators lag the exciting work that happens daily in startups and the support organizations like the Brandery, UpTech, HCBC, QCA, GCVA, VFA, CincyTech and Cintrifuse. The fact that we have so many acronyms compared to a decade ago demonstrates the progress we have made.
In 2001, Bob Herbold, former COO of Microsoft and executive vice president of P&G marketing met with the original Regional Technology Initiative team (forerunner of CincyTech.) With his intimate knowledge of Cincinnati and Silicon Valley, he relayed to us that Rome and the Valley wasn't built in a day. Redmond, Washington became the center for all things Microsoft because that's where Bill Gates was born. Research Triangle Park became a center for technology and pharmaceutical research in the 70's because of a vision to develop the real estate began in the 50's. His advice to our team was simple: begin laying the foundation for entrepreneurial development and be patient.

subset: commoncrawl


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Request a workflow automation & document management software demo today
©2019 Genesis Technologies, All rights reserved.


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I know that everybody from the polo community saw this link,
but we are really closed to the 2nd edition fo GreifMasters and I realized that I never post this nice photo gallery, I know about you is a photo project from our friend Alexander Schindel about the european polo family.
see you next wee guys!
P.S. I know!… Mattia was a bit different in this picture..


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Heineken UEFA Champions League
We were challenged to develop a platform that leveraged consumer engagement in a way that drove brand awareness, sales, and viewership of Heineken's biggest global sports property and connected Heineken's key Hispanic Male target. The solution was an integrated below-the-line campaign as wells a digital engagement app that proved to be the most downloaded app in the history of Heineken USA. Aside from the Heineken Champions App the elements created included a 15 and 30 second promotion TV spot, on- and off-premise POS, on-line banners, Youtube pre-roll ads, Facebook and Twitter postings.
Frito Lay Dia De Los Muertos
Cheetos and Brisk Tea wanted to leverage the popular Mexican tradition of Dia De Los Muertos with their core Mexican consumer. We created a fun and interactive opt-in program that included a retail promotion with a digital interaction. We also created in-store POS and a digital toolkit for retailers. Over 500 stores participated. The program culminated with activations in the 2 largest markets on the weekend of Dia de Los Muertos.
AT&T Corazon De Campeon
AT&T wanted to connect with Mexican national Soccer team fans through 2 passion points: Soccer and Music. We created a platform that joined the excitement of Mexico's National team with the music of Grammy Award winning duo Jessie and Joy. Jessie and Joy created an Anthem called Corazon de Campeon. Through various touch points that included media, PR, consumer sweepstakes, digital engagement experiential and influencer outreach the Corazon de Campeon song and platform exceeded all expectations and KPIs.
Heineken Latin Grammys
The Latin Grammys is one of Heineken's core properties for Hispanic Men of the World. Our objective was to entice shoppers to engage in an interactive display to activate an augmented reality video and an offer to enter for a chance to win an all expense paid trip to Las vegas to walk the Green Carpet, watch the Latin Grammys live and attend the Heineken after party.


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Laurel E. Crittenden grew up in Portola Valley, taught in Portola Valley schools as a substitute teacher, and helped design gardens there from her outpost at the Ladera Garden Center, where she worked for about 10 years.
Ms. Crittenden died March 18 at her home in Washington state, relatives said. She was 58. A memorial service is set for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 17, at the Valley Presbyterian Church at 945 Portola Road in Portola Valley.
Washington, D.C., was Ms. Crittenden's birthplace, and the University of California at Santa Barbara her alma mater. She graduated college in 1973 and lived in Portola Valley from 1985 to 2005, her daughter Roxanne told the Almanac.
Ms. Crittenden was a popular substitute teacher. "She filled up her calendar completely because she was so much in demand," her daughter said.
Ms. Crittenden spent a lot of time outside, whether hiking, long-distance swimming or working in gardens. She swam at the Alpine Hills Swim & Tennis Club for about 15 years, her daughter said. She also did open-water swimming in San Francisco Bay and occasionally competed in the swimming leg of triathlons.
She was "an especially devoted mother" who knitted sweaters for her young relatives and made stuffed animals for sale, her daughter said. She loved the companionship of dogs, particularly Labrador retrievers.
Ms. Crittenden is survived by her daughter Roxanne of Berkeley; and sisters Beth Schwarzman of Cape Cod, Joan Crittenden of Jackson Hole, and Susan Zoller of Portland, Oregon.
The family is asking that donations in Ms. Crittenden's memory be made to the Sempervirens Fund at 419 South San Antonio Road, Los Altos CA 94022, or to the Puget Sound Labrador Retriever Association at www.pslra.org.
Go to www.westfordfuneralhome.com to share memories of Ms. Crittenden.


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Bulls To AFL Middle East Grand Final
Sunday, January 22 2017 @ 11:02 am ACDT
Contributed by: Wesley Hull
Views: 1,274
In one of the closest ever battles to reach finals in AFL Middle east history, the Multiplex Bulls are the first team guaranteed to play in this season's decider. The competition returned from its winter break with a double header with the top four teams in battles which would possibly decide their 2016/17 fate.
The first match saw a rampant Dubai Dragons go within an ace of guaranteeing their grand final spot when they downed the Abu Dhabi Falcons. Going into the match, both teams were in the mix, but the falcons are now out of contention with just one win from three matches and a poor percentage. The Dragons would have to be incredibly unlucky to fall from second place with a big percentage boost making them very nearly safe.
Final score: Dubai Dragons 17 10 112 d Abu Dhabi Falcons 4 8 32
In the later match, the Multiplax Bulls and Entertainer Dubai Dingoes played out a thriller. The match was vital for both teams, but arguably more so for the Dingoes. A win for the Bulls would secure top spot. A win for the Dingoes would see them equal with the Dragons in top spot and the winner of their Round 8 clash would go to the grand final. But the Bulls hung on by just three points to secure top spot and first team into the big dance, leaving the Dingoes the near impossible task of downing the Dragons by upwards of 10 goals to supplant them for a final berth.
Final score: Multiplex Bulls 11 7 73 d Entertainer Dubai Dingoes 10 10 70
The remaining games will see the sole Round 7 clash between the Doha Kangaroos and Abu Dhabi Falcons. Then in Round 8 the Doha Kangaroos will host the Multiplex Bulls whilst the Dubai derby will see the Dragons and the Dingoes in what will be a fascinating match.
The grand final will be held at Seven's Stadium in Dubai on March 10th. At this stage it looks again like a Bulls v Dragons affair – but maybe the Dingoes can provide one last twist to what has been a very tense and exciting season.


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ADRIAN, Mich. – It was win and you're in heading into the regular season finale for the Adrian College men's basketball team on Saturday. The Bulldogs took the court already knowing that Olivet College lost to Calvin College so a win would give them the fourth-seed in the MIAA Tournament. The Bulldogs got a test from last-place Albion (6-19, 2-12) but in the end it was sophomore Eric Lewis and senior Sean Gallant leading the Bulldogs to the victory. Adrian actually tied for third in the conference standings with Trine, but the Thunder owned the tiebreaker for the third-seed.
The pairings are now set for the MIAA Tournament beginning on Thursday, Feb. 21. Adrian will travel to Calvin and Trine will visit Hope. Both games will tip at 7:30 p.m. The Bulldogs dropped both regular season meetings with the Knights, but both games were very competitive. Adrian fell 56-50 in Grand Rapids on Jan. 3 and got nipped in the final seconds, 50-47, on Jan. 26.
Lewis scored a game-high 23 points with equal distribution scoring 11 in the first half and 12 in the second half. He was very efficient in this one going 10-of-17 from the floor with five rebounds and five assists. Gallant scored 15 points and snagged seven rebounds. He went 5-of-11 from the floor and also had two assists, steals and blocks.
The game featured three ties and six lead changes, but those were all in the first half. Adrian gained a 29-24 halftime lead and the Britons got within one at 13:33, but the Bulldogs responded with a 15-2 run over four-plus minutes to lead 50-36 with 8:45 remaining. Albion cut the lead down to six with 3:17 to play and could have cut it further but missed a field goal and allowed an offensive rebound on a bonus situation.
The game was put away when Brad Hohman scored with 1:58 left and senior Cody Barnes got an inbounds steal and fast-break layup with 1:39 left to give Adrian a 58-48 lead. Albion went 34.6 percent from the floor and were just 3-of-15 from the arc. Adrian shot 42.1 percent from the floor and were 4-of-8 from the arc. Barnes scored nine points and grabbed six boards in his final home game.


text: Grandfather and his spunky dog Roo set out on another silly and over-the-top adventure, which this time takes these two unlikely explorers from England and across the United States in search of Roo's (in)famous grandfather, Old Blue. In their travels, which are characterized by calamities and last-minute escapes, the pair find themselves roped into such humorous situations as being stuck on a Greyhound bus with a pack of misbehaving greyhounds and being trapped in a town overrun by outlaw wild horses. Readers familiar with Horse's work will recognize familiar elements and themes, including the duo's uncanny ability to escape hair-raising situations and the cast of offbeat anthropomorphized animals that they meet along the way. As in the other Grandfather and Roo tales, this text is a series of bite-sized letters addressed to Grandfather's gender-neutral grandchild, a technique that makes the whole both palatable and approachable for transitioning independent readers. Imaginative and fun. (Fantasy. 6-8)


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No, there's nothing illegal going on here… honestly! Rather, this article is about the amount of money you could save by riding your bike to work, instead of either taking a car, or public transport. Bikes are relatively cheap. In fact if your general travel is within say 10 kilometres of you, it would be far cheaper to ride around on a bike and get to work and various other places, than it would to use a car. Let's get down to the number crunching:
Cost of riding a bike:
If you were to ride a bike it might cost you around 1000 dollars for the initial start up costs over the year (this is Australian dollars I'm talking here). The cost of the bike (as with a car in ways), will of course depreciate with time and once you've bought the initial investment. I know from personal experience that my bike cost me $500, and it was more than ample for the task, in fact it works pretty damn well. You could easily go and spend much more on a better quality bike, but I'm really comparing what the average sort of person would be looking at spending. On top of this its worth investing in a basic pair of sunglasses (you'd be surprised by the amount of crap that finds its way into your eyes otherwise!), a decent pair of bike gloves, which will stop you shredding your hands if you ever have a tumble, and of course a helmet. Investing in some panniers would be a good idea too. Panniers are essentially bike racks that typically go over your back wheel, so that you can attach two bag like storage containers on your bike. There essential if your ever going to ride with anything more than what you can fit in a small backpack. So the bike was $500, then the gloves, sunnies and helmet would be about $100, the pannier system might total 100 to 150 dollars (I got mine second hand from my father, but his model only costs about 105 dollars now) and then you might take the bike in for a couple of checkups each year costing maybe another 200 in total.
So our total for bike riding costs for the year is: roughly a 1000 dollars for the first year, but keep in mind that this is only the first year and that its an investment that will pay off long term (more on this in a moment). Now of course this is rather basic cycling gear were talking and you could easily quintuple this by buying the best racing bike and the best pannier system in the world, and so on and so forth. But for the average commuter it can be done, and done well for just under 1000 dollars a year. What's more the costs will begin to depreciate as years go buy. Chances are that a 500 dollar bike may last a good 5 years and more. So suddenly you take out $500 for the next four years. Admittedly you might have to repair it a little more, so maybe we end up paying an extra 100 or 200 dollars for extra repairs as it ages per year, but even then you're still saving more and more. Likewise the pannier system, the gloves and the sunglasses will all last a long time if you look after them. This insures that in successive years you only really have to pay for repair costs, as your initial investments should still be road worthy. Therefore over a 5 year period riding a bike would probably cost you something like:
Year: Cost: Total Cost:
1st $1000 $1000
2nd $200 (repair costs only from here onwards) $1200
3rd $250 $1450
4th $250 $1700
5th $300 $2000
So after five years we have a running total of 2000 dollars, which works out to be only 400 dollars per year! Now you could argue that when riding you have to eat more and you would have to buy more food, but I'd probably just laugh loudly, as we (in the western world) all eat much to much anyway, and its unlikely you'll need to up your food costs. Plus condensed energy is so cheap in our society, a loaf of bread a week would supply you with HEAPS of excess energy, and maybe cost you a buck or two! So $400 dollars a year for transport, keep that in mind, and you could also argue that some even argue that commuting allows you to do away with your gym membership because of all the exercise you get through traveling.
Now onto the car costs:
Car costs can vary quite a bit more than bike costs, because of so many things like insurance and whether you get parking fines and speeding tickets or not, the cost of the original car varies much more as do repair costs. So I decided to have a look at a few other sources. Here is an American site and the link can be found here (the info I quote about half way down the websites page if your looking for it): http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/almanac.html
Principal on car loan $3579
Finance charges on car loan 359
Gas & Oil 1279
Insurance 819
Maintenance & Repair 662
Licenses, Parking, & Misc. 534
Total Yearly Costs $7,232
"Annual costs of car ownership in the U.S. is over $7000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics gave the breakdown shown in the table at right in 2001. AAA of Minnesota puts the annual cost at $7,754 for 2003 for a vehicle driven 15,000 miles. Cost per mile is $0.517"
So were looking at around seven grand there. However again we must realise that the costs would depreciate once the car had been paid off. As it all gets a bit confusing using other people's figures I thought I would make some conservative figures as to the cost of a car:
Suppose an average car costs you around $3000, the insurance and maintanence and repair and licensing costs cost you around $1500 per year, Petrol (which is becoming ever more expensive) probably costs you a good $2000 per year (you would be seriously surprised how much people actually spend on petrol). Even these relatively conservative figures come up to be $6500! (This is also providing that you pay for your car outright with no loan!) Of course once the car has been bought the costs decrease as would be expected, but repair costs will also slowly increase, so heres a five year look at a car:
Year: Cost: Total Cost:
1st $6500 $6500
2nd $3500 (cost of car taken out from here on) $10000
3rd $3750 (Repair costs now begin to rise slightly) $13750
4th $3750 $17500
5th $4000 $21500
So after five years we have a running total of $21500! Wow, that's a bit of money isn't it? It ends up being an average yearly cost of $4300!
The Comparison:
Now I don't know about you, but I think that's a fair bit of a difference to the $400 per year to pay for a bike! In fact its over ten times as much. Needless to say not only can you stay fit and healthy as well as help the environment by reducing carbon emissions through riding a bike, you can also save yourself a small fortune over a few years!
The same website mentioned above from "bicycleuniverse.info" then goes on to provide some more interesting information by comparing the money saved by cycling to the time that would have been necessary to spend earning it:
"One interesting thing we can do with the car costs is convert the car costs into time. The average American earns about $17/hr., or $14/hr. after federal taxes. So $7,754 in annual car costs takes 554 hours to earn. That's over three full months of work each year. Just to pay for the car. And cars are supposed to be saving us time? Drive to work, work to drive."
Now, even using my more conservative figures of an average cost over five years of $4300, and an average income of say $20 dollars an hour (we'll say after tax too for simplicities sake) we still find that we'd need 215 hours of work to pay it off!!! Whereas to pay off the average costs of a bike over five years (at $400 per year) would only take you 20 hours!
By these figures if you rode a bike instead of driving a car you would save yourself (215-20) 195 hours of time each year!!! Alternatively you could still work for the same amount of time and either have more spending money, or have more money to save up with!
So by cycling you can save yourself money (or time as the old axiom goes) and also keep yourself healthy. We could also argue that by keeping fit and healthy you'd reduce the cost of needing medication for various problems like diabetes and obesity and so on. Exercise has great benefits for both the body and the mind (see "The Many Benefits of Exercise, Part 1" for further details) and leading an active lifestyle such as cycling promotes will pay great dividends throughout your life. This too could save you money in a sense, although here I think we get to a much more important argument, that is to say what of those things which are priceless?
No value can placed on a human being, nor on the environment, these things are simply to sacred to be commodified like a table or a chocolate bar. Cycling as a form of transport promotes both a healthier body and a healthier environment, really these are the greatest benefits cycling gives. However, for those are concerned with money and perhaps somewhat greedy maybe the above argument will persuade them to start cycling. Alternatively, for those who don't have money as their primary objective in life it's simply nice to know that what you do isn't only ethically good, but also financially viable.
04 January 2008
Pedalling Money - Saving Money by Cycling:
No, there's nothing illegal going on here… honestly! Rather, this article is about the amount of money you could save by riding your bike to work, instead of either taking a car, or public transport. Bikes are relatively cheap. In fact if your general travel is within say 10 kilometres of you, it would be far cheaper to ride around on a bike and get to work and various other places, than it would to use a car. Let's get down to the number crunching:
Posted by SEB at 12:24 PM
Labels: cycling, Ecological, Exercise, Global Warming, Money
3 comments:
I'm a cyclist as well, never needed to own a car.
A friend of mine started cycling after doing a similar calculation, basically figure out how much time you spend on your car, not only driving it, but also working to pay for it. To make the math easy, say you spend 10 hours driving every month and you go 400 km. 40 km an hour right? If your car costs you $100 a month and you make $10 an hour, you are spending 20 hours on your car and going 400 km. That's 20 km/h.
When my friend worked that out for himself, he ended up with 14 km/h. You can go a lot faster than that on a bike. That was his motivation.
- January 12, 2008 at 8:39 AM
- Megan from Imaginif said...
I have many friends that only own a bike and use buses when they need to go longer distances. I am a total wimp though - I live in Cairns where it is dreadfully hot and wonder why bikes here don't come with an umbrella????
That's a great breakdown of the cost savings. Biking is also a nice way to take the control back from the oil companies and show them the real power of people power.
Thanks for submitting to the Carnival of Australia
- January 16, 2008 at 11:06 AM
- GoGirlfriend said...
Love this idea. Not only is riding a bike good for you, it's so good for the environment.
More good reasons for biking it: http://www.gogirlfriend.com/reviews/hertz-green-collection-%E2%80%93-reserve-conserve-690
I work about 25K from work and I'm seriously considering riding my bike back and forth once the nice weather gets here. still not sure if I can do it though!
- January 20, 2008 at 9:15 AM


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US singer Tom Petty is seriously ill in hospital after a suspected heart attack, according to US reports.
Website TMZ said the Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers frontman, 66, is "clinging to life" after the heart attack on Sunday.
CBS News originally reported that police had confirmed the singer's death but the Los Angeles Police Department later said details had "inadvertently" been given out and the force had "no information".
The LAPD said on Twitter: "The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty.
"Initial information was inadvertantly (sic) provided to some media sources.
"However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter.
"We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting."
TMZ had previously reported that Petty was taken to hospital and placed on life support after being found unconscious and not breathing at his home in Malibu on Sunday night.
Representatives for Petty have been contacted.


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They are foregoing their body worn video and facial recognition products for this deployment. Law enforcement professionals from all around the US and world have traveled to disaster-ravaged Japan offering their help. And while they will not be using any cutting-edge biometric products that they are used to using here; their hands, strength and determination will be put more to the test than with any law enforcement product they have previously used.
Immediately after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit on March 11 near the coast of Honshu, Japan, relief efforts began. More than 70 nations offered their help in rebuilding the devastated region. But first, there were survivors to be rescued and people to be accounted for.
Twelve days later relief and recovery efforts are still underway. Help from near and far
has enabled the search and rescue to fan out widely among the many towns that are utterly unrecognizable. In the midst of these teams are several task force teams from the United States and abroad. California and Virgina elite search and rescue groups, as well as teams from France, Britain and Germany are all apart of the efforts - searching through rubble hoping to find survivors.
We offer our support to these elite groups of rescue professionals, as well as our sincere empathy and condolences to those affected by this tragedy. We are proud to be a part of the public safety community of which the special task forces initiated.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Old Fashioned Strength and Determination Rather Than Cutting-Edge Products Aided in the Search for Survivors in Japan
Posted by Hunter Systems Group at 1:20 PM
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The network | Where we are and contacts | Newsletter | Languages
Dolcetto is one of the area's most typical indigenous vines and is cultivated just about everywhere. It grows best in calcareous marly terrains on hillsides from between 250 m and 600 m above sea level, but can ripen successfully even above 700m in altitude. Its ideal terroir is found in the Langa and, in fact, for centuries this vine has accompanied the people of the region through good times and bad. Despite not being particularly vigorous nor possessing special resistance to vine diseases, Dolcetto's popularity has persisted owing to its versatility: the grapes are good to eat raw or can be cooked to obtain a kind of jam, called 'cognà' which is eaten with local cheeses. And, of course, Dolcetto wine is a simple but delicious product of the local hills. Historically, it was the wine used for bartering with the peoples of the Ligurian seaboard, in exchange for olive oil, salt and anchovies – which formed the ingredients of one of South Piedmont's most famous dishes, 'bagna caoda'. Dolcetto wine was also taken to the plains of Cuneo and bartered for veal calves which were then raised in Langa hill farms to ensure a plentiful supply of meat.
Dolcetto had its heyday during the 1970s and '80s, when vineyards were extended owing to increased demand for the wine in factory canteens. These days, consumption of Dolcetto has somewhat decreased, although it still remains a staple among local people, who wouldn't dream of including any other wine on their dinner tables.
The vine's name derives from the exceptional sweetness of the grape but is misleading as far as the wine is concerned, as this is definitely dry, moderately acidic and possesses a pleasant bitterish after taste. The vine can give rise to both fresh, light wines capable of adaptation to any meal, or fullerbodied and well-structured ones that tolerate up to seven years of ageing – all according to the area of cultivation and to how they are developed in the winery.
During the 1920s and '30s, Dolcetto grapes were used as a health cure – the so-called 'grape therapy' -when grapes were consumed for their health-giving properties. Dolcetto was popular because of its low acidity and tannins and sweet flavour and was supposed to have a "diuretic, laxative, decongestant and purifying effect on the liver."
* If vineyard and geographical name are included on the label, yield is reduced to 7200 Kg/hectare (grapes) or 5040 litres/hectare (wine) and the minimum natural alcohol content is increased by 0.5%.
** If vineyard and geographical name are included on the label, yield is reduced to 6300 Kg/hectare (grapes) or 4284 litres/hectare (wine)and minimum alcohol content is increased by 0.5%.
Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani
VAT n.: 02410110049 | Company information
Tax Code and Number of Business Register of Cuneo: 90021400040 - REA CN 213442
Corso Enotria, 2/c - Ampelion - 12051 Alba (Cn) Italy - Phone: +39 0173 441074 - Fax: +39 0173 361380
Email: email@example.com
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Luxury Relaxer Chair
Item number 6RJHJ
Luxury Relaxer ChairChill out in the sun with this Luxury Relaxer Chair.
Designed for optimum comfort, it can be used as a standard chair or as a luxurious lounger. It's easy to wipe clean and fold away for easy storage too!
Kick back and relax on this ergonomically designed anti gravity reclining chair for maximum comfort.


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See PDF
Dr. Elizabeth Goldentyer 8/15/11
920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 2000
Raleigh, NC 27606
Dr. Goldentyer,
I am writing to you today to file an Official Complaint against the Harvard
Medical School (14-R-0019), and to insist that serious punitive action be taken
against this facility for recent violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
In a USDA inspection report dated 7/19/11 this facility is cited for multiple
violations of the Animal Welfare Act including a citation for Unqualified
Personnel. This citation for unqualified personnel resulted from the overdosing
of a primate during surgery resulting in untreatable renal failure, which made
euthanasia unavoidable.
As you know, this is the second incident of negligence related to the death
of a primate at this facility in just over 1 year. On June 29, 2010, Harvard
received five USDA citations for violating the Animal Welfare Act. The
violations involved unqualified personnel inadequate veterinary care, and
inadequate cleaning/sanitation procedures. This inspection report recounted an
incident in which a primate was found dead in a cage that had just gone through
the cage-washing system.
It is clear that the staff of this lab, according to the inspection reports
of the USDA is UNQUALIFIED. This has not changed in over a year. Why has serious
action not been taken against this facility? How many more animals have to die
due to negligence before the Eastern Regional Office of the USDA does something
about it?
I know that your office considers major violations of the Animal Welfare Act
to be very serious in nature, especially when these violations take the lives of
animals. The treatment of animals at this facility illustrates attitudes of
carelessness and negligence that must be punished so that meaningful changes can
be made. Therefore, I also insist that you take the most severe action allowable
under the Animal Welfare Act and immediately begin the process of issuing a fine
against the Harvard Medical School.
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future about the fate of this
Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T.,
Executive Director, SAEN
Attachments: USDA - Inspection Report - 19 Jul 2011
Rats, mice, birds, amphibians and other animals have
been excluded from coverage by the Animal Welfare Act. Therefore research
facility reports do not include these animals. As a result of this
situation, a blank report, or one with few animals listed, does not mean
that a facility has not performed experiments on non-reportable animals. A
blank form does mean that the facility in question has not used covered
animals (primates, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, pigs,
sheep, goats, etc.). Rats and mice alone are believed to comprise over 90%
of the animals used in experimentation. Therefore the majority of animals
used at research facilities are not even counted.
We welcome your comments and questions
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text: I'm translating names in order to then fuzzy match them against a list - is there any way I can improve this matching probability with RNT? Declan Trezise May 07, 2019 13:46 Updated Follow RNT supports several translation paths for translating a name from one language to another and it is possible that a different path will be more appropriate for your list matching; the features of these are explored in our documentation and elsewhere. However RNT's sister product RNI is designed explicitly for cross-lingual name matching without translation with very high accuracy. Take a look here: http://www.basistech.com/text-analytics/rosette/name-indexer/ Related articles How do I translate a name using the RESTful (JSON) web service? Are there any sample apps using Rosette Cloud? Which language pairs does RNT support? Comments 0 comments Please sign in to leave a comment.


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|My ouchie.
In December of last year, I set a pretty lofty goal of 1,500 miles. I decided that I wanted to start the sport of Triathlon and would add total amounts for all three disciplines. The 1,500 mile goal made me swallow hard. Learning how to swim laps without choking mid-lane made me swallow harder.
I decided to break it out into monthly goals and try to achieve those smaller portions. I did fairly well, but missed my running goal by 43 miles.
Here's how it broke down:
Swimming - Goal: 68 Actual: 76
Cycling - Goal: 900 Actual: 1292
Running - Goal: 600 Actual: 557
Totals Miles for 2012 - 1,925 miles
I am really surprised to have exceeded my mileage goal! David and I trained for and rode our first Century Ride, so that really helped the cycling miles and bolstered the overall total. I am sad that I missed my running goal - but keeping track over the course of the year sure showed how I need to be more consistent!
|DailyMile.com is where I kept track...and on a spreadsheet. Only minor discrepancies.
I was so close to 2,000 miles in 2012, that I think I'm going to go for it in 2013. In 2012 I completed two Sprint distance triathlons (500 swim, 12 bike, 3 run) and one Olympic (1500 swim, 25 bike, 6 run), a Half Marathon, and a Century Ride. In the upcoming year, I would like to do two Olympics and a full Marathon along with at least one Century Ride. I really think 2,000 miles is an attainable goal.
Another thing I would like to do within the yearly goal, is to really pay attention to the monthly totals. I can really see where I muddled up my running goal mileage. I spent a lot of January and February in the pool, and much of May and June on the bike, preparing for events. I need to maintain my running while training for non-running events.
Fitness wise, I'm very happy with 2012. Frankly, the athlete that I was last year at this time couldn't keep up with the me of now. I am still slower than most - but I'm faster than I was and that's saying a lot!
I'm ready to make progress again in 2013!


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Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN) up 0.62% to close at the price of $21.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.42 Billion however its outstanding shares are 114.16 Million. The company's beta value stood at 1.85.
Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN) has an ABR of 1.5 which is the combined stock view of 8 analysts poll results. As per Zacks simplified descending rating scale the ABR rank is displayed in the range of 1 to 5 where 1 represents Strong Buy and 5 a Strong Sell. As the name implies that ABR will show you the Average of Brokerage Recommendations on a given stock. It helps you quickly get a picture of where Wall Street stands on a stock without reading huge research reports. The smaller number of ABR is the more favorable. The modest value of the stock is known as the current ABR of the stock.
However out of 8 analysts 3 suggest Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN) a Strong Buy, 6 suggested Buy, 3 Hold and 0 Sell, while 0 analysts recommend the stock a Strong Sell.
Analysts are expecting average earnings estimates of $0.4 for the current quarter based on the opinion of 10 analysts, relating to high earnings per share estimates of $0.43 and low estimates of $0.36, however Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN) reported $0.48 earnings per share for the same quarter last year.
For the current quarter Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN) has average revenue estimates of $1.3 Billion, a total number of 11 analysts provided estimations over revenues. However the low revenue estimates for the company are $1.3 Billion versus high revenue estimates of $1.31 Billion. A year ago the company's sales were $816090 while its sales growth yearly estimates for the current quarter are 59.6%.
Taking a broader look at the analyst consensus, brokerage firms have a price target of $30.64 on Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN). Brokerage firms on the street have price targets on the name ranging from $25 to $36 based on 11 opinions.
Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN) as of current trade, has shown weekly performance of -0.7% which was maintained at -2.93% in one month period. Year to date performance remained at 12.69%. During the past three months the stock gain -14.64%, however six months performance of the stock remained at -27.13%. Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN)'s price sits -7.52% off from its SMA 50 of $22.02 and -20.59% away from the SMA 200 which is at $23.52.
Currently Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN)'s shares owned by insiders are 1.4%, whereas shares owned by institutional owners are 94.9%. However the six-month change in the insider ownership was recorded 0.16%, as well as three-month change in the institutional ownership was recorded 0.09%.
The stock is trading -42.49% away from its 52 week high of $36.90 and 22.66% far from the stock's low point over the past 52 weeks, which was $17.30.
The price-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) is the ratio for valuing a company that measures its current share price relative to its per-share earnings. Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN)'s price to earnings ratio stood at 20.06. A high P/E suggests that investors are expecting higher earnings growth in the future compared to companies with a lower P/E. A low P/E can indicate either that a company may currently be undervalued or that the company is doing exceptionally well relative to its past trends.
The PEG ratio is used to determine a stock's value while taking the company's earnings growth into account, and is considered to provide a more complete picture than the P/E. Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN) has a current PEG of 0. Penn Natl Gaming Inc (NASDAQ:PENN)'s price to sales ratio for trailing twelve month stands at 0.68, whereas its price to book ratio for the most recent quarters is at 3.3. However the company's price to cash per share for most recent quarter stands at 4.2. Its price to free cash flow for trailing twelve months is 5.05.


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How to Invest in San Diego Real Estate from an Agent's Perspective
source In my 35 years as an investor I've personally bought fixer-uppers, repos, new construction, and all types of properties. I've flipped properties for a quick profit, held a few short term, and I'm now holding some long term. I've learned that there is a season for each style of investing. You might hear someone on TV saying to go buy a fixer-upper and you'll make money. That's true in some places and at some times, but not in all places and at all times. You have to know the market.
follow link I frequently get inquiries from the Midwest and back east about investing in San Diego real estate. The important thing is not to expect that investing here is the same as investing elsewhere. For example, in many parts of the country it is possible to buy real estate for 5 or 10% down and have it break even. This is impossible in San Diego since our land values are so high.
enter site Another example is the idea of buying a duplex, living in one and renting out the other. You might have in mind the idea of a duplex or triplex in a very nice residential community. While this is possible in some areas, it is very rare. Most areas that are zoned multi-family are near the freeway, or in some other area unsuitable for single-family residences. Since residents in these areas are almost entirely renters, it may not be an area that you would want to live in. And we don't have any mixed zoning, where you might find a duplex mixed in with single-family homes.
canadian viagra generic My favorite is the caller who wants a fixer near the beach for $250,000. Right. The problem is that the land alone, with nothing on it, is worth twice that. They don't understand that around here the land is usually worth more than the buildings on the land, so the fact that the house is a fixer doesn't reduce the price by all that much.
source url Investors here are typically looking for growth, not cash flow. The appreciation over time is so desirable, that investors are willing to accept negative cash flow, or a high down payment, in order to participate in it. The low-down payment investor is forced to look in another county or out of state.
here see An Example of a Real Estate Investment in San Diego.
acquistare tadalafil online generico Now let's look at a typical house in say, Oceanside that we want to buy for an investment.
|Down payment
|Loan amount
|80% 1st mortgage at 4%
|Taxes at 1.2%
|Homeowner Fees
|Total monthly payment
source This property will probably rent for $2100 a month, leaving you with a break even with 20% down.
Note that this is just a simple cash flow calculation, and does not take into account principle reduction, tax savings, vacancy, management or appreciation.
So why invest in San Diego? Investors buy here because we have the finest climate in the country, we are landlocked by National Forests, the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, and Camp Pendleton, and prices continue to rise, sometimes rapidly. Many buy here just to have a "stake" in this market because they want to eventually retire here, and are afraid they'll never be able to do it unless they buy now. It's not an investment for first timers, but if you can afford it, San Diego will be an excellent performer over time.
Another big plus is our property tax structure. Propsition 13 limits taxes to a percentage of your purchase price, typically 1.2%, and then they can only go up 2% a year. So if your taxes are $300 a month, you know that next year they will be $306. This stability is a great advantage to the investor. Compare this with Florida, where they have a hurricane and your taxes go from $2000 to $4000 a year just like that. I can tell you from personal experience, it knocks the heck out of your cash flow calculations.
So what to do? If you have only a little to invest, say $20,000, you will have to focus on investing out of the county. There's nothing wrong with that, and there are some amazing cash flows to be had in nearby Riverside County right now.
Where Should I Invest in Real Estate?
Many times I get emails asking me to give specific advice about where to invest in real estate, or I get phone calls from people who want me to tell them what to do. Well, here's my answer about real estate investment.
On my bookshelf I have over 25 of the latest books on real estate investing, and I've read (and understand) them all. I've listened to countless hours of training audios. And I've invested thousands of dollars in real estate investment coaching from several organizations, including Rich Dad. And the answer to the question of what to do next is this – do whatever you want.
Now I don't mean to be flippant here. Clearly, there are some mistakes you should avoid, but most of the time the choice is between one good thing and another good thing. Like should I invest in Florida or Salt Lake City or San Diego, California? The best answer is of course, "All three", but what if you can only pick just one? There is a way to decide, and I'll talk about that in a minute. But investing is kind of like the Garden of Eden, "of the trees in the garden you may eat freely", except for the tree with the bad apples.
Increase Your Real Estate Investment Intelligence
So where should I invest? Do I invest in condos, houses, apartment buildings or commercial? Really good questions. I'm learned some thing along the way, and just to let you know, even when I'm hanging out with very experienced investors, they keep asking themselves the same questions. That's because markets constantly change, but more importantly, the personal situation of the investor changes. In other words, as time goes by, your goals change, your net worth changes, your experience grows, and so the type of investment you're looking for changes to match. And so you see it really is impossible to give any "one size fits all" advice about what kind of investment to make.
And even more to the point, listening to other people telling you what you should or shouldn't do doesn't teach you anything. Exercising your investment intelligence muscles and trusting your own instincts is the only way to go.
Rules Of The Real Estate Investment Game
But I can give you some guidelines.
When you're first starting out, most real estate investors go with single family residences for capital gains. That means buying 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes in areas of rapid appreciation. If possible, buy in areas you like to visit, so you can write off your trips as business expenses.
At some point (you'll know when it is) start trading some of the houses for multi-unit properties. In Monopoly this is known as "4 green houses, 1 red hotel". Units will generate more cash flow, depreciation, and leverage. This is also the way to retire, since you can't live off "break-even" properties. Sooner or later, you will have to have cash flow.
Avoid negative cash flow, except for short periods of time in highly appreciating property.
Start with small deals to get your feet wet and gain experience. Then graduate to larger properties. This is because there is no substitute for experience and building up your own financial intelligence. If you're impatient and "go for broke" you might actually succeed in getting there.
In a buyer's market, find undervalued bank owned properties or foreclosures that you can fix up. You can then refinance to get your cash out, keep the property and buy another to do it again. Or trade it for two more fixer properties.
In a seller's market, buy new construction, with occupancy as far in the future as possible. In this case, you will have instant equity when you take possession. Tie up as many properties as you can.
When an area appreciates, you'll find that the numbers don't make sense anymore, meaning it takes too much capital to achieve break-even. I call this "game over." That means it's time to find a new area to invest in. Other "game over" situations occur when the builders won't sell to you unless you live in the property, or other investors are buying up all the lots for cash so you can't buy one using a construction-to-perm loan. There's always opportunity someplace, but there really are windows that open and close in certain areas. That's another reason why you usually can't follow other investors – what I did 3 months ago, you probably can't do now, because the game is over in that market.
Risk vs. Reward
One method I've learned to use when making a decision is to weigh the risk versus the reward. If risk outweighs the reward, you don't do it. If reward outweighs the risk, then it's a go. For example, should you run a red light? The reward is you get there a minute sooner. The risk is you get a ticket, or get in a car crash and are crippled or die. So since the risk clearly outweighs the reward, you don't run the light.
Now let's talk about real estate. To buy a house in Florida, your risk is $10,000, your net worth increases each month as principle is paid down, and you get a depreciation write-off. There is no negative cash flow. The market appears to be at the beginning of an expansion cycle, and you expect the property to go up in value $20,000 next year. Should you do it or not? How about one in Bend, Oregon? You can buy a new house for $280,000. With 10% down plus closing costs, your investment is over $30,000. The property will only rent for $1000, costing you $600 a month in negative cash flow even if you do interest only. Also, you believe that the market has peaked, and the chance of appreciation is low. So you're risking $30,000 plus $600 a month, and your reward is only depreciation. Is the reward worth the risk? As you can see it's important to know where to invest in real estate and doing the math to determine viability.
Investors face questions like this all the time. Should I do a 1031 exchange or should I just sell and pay the taxes? Should I buy in San Diego or Hemet? Should I buy a single family or units? By looking at the risk and the reward, you can decide which decision is right for you at this stage of your investment career.
Feel free to contact me to discuss your investment goals. If your thinking of investing in San Diego real estate I can help you. Whether it's San Diego County, less expensive areas of California, or even out of state, Just call/text me at 760-889-2272, or email me any time.


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NASA scientists find 'impossible' cloud on Titan—again
The puzzling appearance of an ice cloud seemingly out of thin air has prompted NASA scientists to suggest that a different process than previously thought -- possibly similar to one seen over Earth's poles -- could be forming clouds on Saturn's moon Titan.
|The hazy globe of Titan hangs in front of Saturn and its rings in this natural color view from
NASA's Cassini spacecraft [Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute]
Decades ago, the infrared instrument on NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft spotted an ice cloud just like this one on Titan. What has puzzled scientists ever since is this: they detected less than 1 percent of the dicyanoacetylene gas needed for the cloud to condense.
Recent observations from NASA's Cassini mission yielded a similar result. Using Cassini's composite infrared spectrometer, or CIRS -- which can identify the spectral fingerprints of individual chemicals in the atmospheric brew -- researchers found a large, high-altitude cloud made of the same frozen chemical. Yet, just as Voyager found, when it comes to the vapor form of this chemical, CIRS reported that Titan's stratosphere is as dry as a desert.
"The appearance of this ice cloud goes against everything we know about the way clouds form on Titan," said Carrie Anderson, a CIRS co-investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and lead author of the study.
The typical process for forming clouds involves condensation. On Earth, we're familiar with the cycle of evaporation and condensation of water. The same kind of cycle takes place in Titan's troposphere -- the weather-forming layer of Titan's atmosphere -- but with methane instead of water.
A different condensation process takes place in the stratosphere -- the region above the troposphere -- at Titan's north and south winter poles. In this case, layers of clouds condense as the global circulation pattern forces warm gases downward at the pole. The gases then condense as they sink through cooler and cooler layers of the polar stratosphere.
Either way, a cloud forms when the air temperature and pressure are favorable for the vapor to condense into ice. The vapor and the ice reach a balance point -- an equilibrium -- that is determined by the air temperature and pressure. Because of this equilibrium, scientists can calculate the amount of vapor where ice is present.
|This graphic illustrates how scientists think "solid state" chemistry may be taking place in ice particles
that form clouds in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan [Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC]
But the numbers don't compute for the cloud made from dicyanoacetylene. The scientists determined that they would need at least 100 times more vapor to form an ice cloud where the cloud top was observed by Cassini's CIRS.
One explanation suggested early on was that the vapor might be present, but Voyager's instrument wasn't sensitive enough in the critical wavelength range needed to detect it. But when CIRS also didn't find the vapor, Anderson and her Goddard and Caltech colleagues proposed an altogether different explanation. Instead of the cloud forming by condensation, they think the C4N2 ice forms because of reactions taking place on other kinds of ice particles. The researchers call this "solid-state chemistry," because the reactions involve the ice, or solid, form of the chemical.
The first step in the proposed process is the formation of ice particles made from the related chemical cyanoacetylene (HC3N). As these tiny bits of ice move downward through Titan's stratosphere, they get coated by hydrogen cyanide (HCN). At this stage, the ice particle has a core and a shell composed of two different chemicals. Occasionally, a photon of ultraviolet light tunnels into the frozen shell and triggers a series of chemical reactions in the ice. These reactions could begin either in the core or within the shell. Both pathways can yield dicyanoacetylene ice and hydrogen as products.
The researchers got the idea of solid-state chemistry from the formation of clouds involved in ozone depletion high above Earth's poles. Although Earth's stratosphere has scant moisture, wispy nacreous clouds (also called polar stratospheric clouds) can form under the right conditions. In these clouds, chlorine-bearing chemicals that have entered the atmosphere as pollution stick to crystals of water ice, resulting in chemical reactions that release ozone-destroying chlorine molecules.
"It's very exciting to think that we may have found examples of similar solid-state chemical processes on both Titan and Earth," said Anderson.
The researchers suggest that, on Titan, the reactions occur inside the ice particles, sequestered from the atmosphere. In that case, dicyanoacetylene ice wouldn't make direct contact with the atmosphere, which would explain why the ice and the vapor forms are not in the expected equilibrium.
"The compositions of the polar stratospheres of Titan and Earth could not differ more," said Michael Flasar, CIRS principal investigator at Goddard. "It is amazing to see how well the underlying physics of both atmospheres has led to analogous cloud chemistry."
The findings are published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Source: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory [September 21, 2016]


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PetSmart has a new and exclusive Tommy Bahama Pets line of toys and apparel. This collection features Tommy Bahama's well-known hibiscus flowers, palm trees and camp shirts.
"For 20 years Tommy Bahama® has invited everyone to enjoy the island-inspired lifestyle and for many, that includes pets as part of the experience," said Rob Goldberg, SVP Marketing, Tommy Bahama. "This pet collection was inspired by the important role pets have as part of our families and our desire to help pets that need it most."
Whether your pets are enjoying a tropical vacation this summer or just hanging out in the backyard for some fun in the sun, pets can enjoy a life of leisure with tees, dresses, beds and toys.
My dog, Oscar, and I had the chance to try out this tropical line and received a Tommy Bahama shirt and toy to review.
The Tommy Bahama Lucky Shores shirt is blue in color with the lucky shores signage and hibiscus design on back. It has Velcro straps at front for a comfortable fit and comes in small, medium and large sizes. It's more of a fun shirt for casual days with your special furry friend.
The Petsmart Tommy Bahama shirt fit well and was easy to dress him in as he runs out the door. This actually offered some great protection from the black flies that are prevalent this time of year. Oscar didn't seem to mind wearing it. One downside: the shirts are hand-wash only and I'd much prefer them to be machine washable. But on the plus side, I did find it easy to spot clean.
We also received the Tommy Bahama® Large Velboa Animals Pelican toy to try out. The long, durable rope legs are great for tugging and the built in squeaker added loads of fun for Oscar.
Oscar loves his toy and is still playing with it as I'm writing this review. It's held up well to his wear and tear and spot cleans easily.
To make this cute product line even better, PetSmart will donate 5% of Tommy Bahama sales to charities that help pets!
My dog and I enjoyed trying out the PetSmartTommy Bahama line and I encourage you to check it out at PetSmart too!
Win It!
1 lucky winner will receive apparel and a toy from the PetSmart Tommy Bahama product line!


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A nondenominational rosary for the New Age. All 62 Child's rosaries conducted by Elizabeth Clare Prophet as revealed by Mother Mary. Each rosary is approximately 15 minutes long.
The rosary has the power to transform your life, your family, your community and your nation.
Mother Mary has requested that we daily give the rosary for the saving of Earth and her people:
"These are not words. These are the energies upon which the very salvation of…this hemisphere and the planet rest. The garland of the rosary that you weave is the very rope of Almighty God whereby he intends to rescue Earth."
Mother Mary asked Elizabeth Clare Prophet to teach us to pray the Hail Mary for her intercession now and at the hour of our victory over sin, disease and death, thereby drawing our attention to the hour of victory over all conditions of time and space which her Son Jesus proved in his life and in the hour of his victorious ascension.
Following the recitation of the rosary of your choice you can also offer the prayer for The Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary followed by the Fatima Prayers. You can also meditate on a song of your choice either before and/or after reciting the rosary. These have been placed throughout the CD for your convenience.
The rosaries on these CDs have been adapted from longer scriptural rosaries, which are published in the first two books of Elizabeth Clare Prophet's beautiful three-book collection, the Golden Word of Mary series: Mary's Message for a New Day and Mary's Message of Divine Love.
2 MP3s: 18 hour 47 minutes DISC 1: 9 hours 31 minutes DISC 2: 9 hours 16 minutes
A five-panel altar: the Chart of Your Divine Self with portraits of Jesus Christ, Saint Germain, Kuthumi and El Morya printed on heavy card stock.
A powerful devotional service for healing to Jesus Christ and the ascended hosts with prayers, songs and decrees.
A one-hour service of prayers, decrees and hymns to Archangel Michael for the resolution of personal and planetary problems and the binding of the forces of Evil.
A pocket-size booklet with color images, meditations, affirmations, mantras, prayers and decrees. Increase the power, wisdom and love of God in your heart.
The 14th Rosary, the Mystery of Surrender with a dictation by Mother Mary. Booklet included.
Twelve 15-minute Child's Rosaries to Mother Mary with scriptural readings. Prayers for personal and world peace conducted by Elizabeth Clare Prophet.
Mother Mary gave these scriptural rosaries to Elizabeth Clare Prophet as meditations upon the Mother flame. Rosaries for the 7 rays and the 5 secret rays.
Over 12 hours of the Enoch Rosary, includes a lecture by Mark Prophet, four dictations from the ascended master Enoch, songs, invocations and mantras.


text: When handling a family law case involving a party in the military, attorneys should know about pertinent rules that may be unfamiliar to the typical family law practitioner. These involve special rules for establishing jurisdiction and service of process to initiate a case; setting up custody, visitation, family support, and division of a military pension; and using the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act at any stage of a family law proceeding. With this knowledge, an attorney can both advocate better for a military client and know how to observe the special rights of a military party on the other side of a family law matter.Download this article


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text: Hi On Sat, Apr 14, 2007 at 01:50:50AM +0200, Baptiste Coudurier wrote: > Michael Niedermayer wrote: > > Hi > > > > On Sat, Apr 14, 2007 at 12:38:48AM +0200, Baptiste Coudurier wrote: > > [...] > >>>> and setting height *= 2 is then > >>>> wrong, correct is to set it to container height. > >>>> Since height change every field, do that for every field, not only for > >>>> first picture. > >>> what the 2nd patch seems really to do is > >>> 1. correct a bug where half the init code was only exceuted for width/height > >>> changes during the first frame, this worked fine with even interlaced height > >>> but with odd interlaced height the height changes after every field and so > >>> the init code gets executed after every field but due to the bug just half > >>> of it gets executed ... > >>> 2. replace frame height= jpeg height*2 by frame height= container height > >>> why this is hidden under a million of conditionals is unclear > >>> also its unclear what will happen with mov style w/h missuse for croping > >> You are maintainer of mjpeg.c, you should know, > > > > i should know the effects of YOUR patch? > > you should know "why this is hidden under a million of conditionals is > unclear", currently the code multiplies height by 2 that has to be hidden because it well is wrong for non interlaced content, but setting height to the container height like after your patch is a different story, why this is still under the set of if() for interlaced content is not clear and thats your code not mine ... > you also should know what will happen with mov style w/h CORRECT cropping, > aren't you also mov.c maintainer ? well i think mjpeg after the 2nd patch from you will break with mov cropping, which would mean your 2nd patch is buggy > > >> anyway consider that as > >> a bug report > > > > ok, then write a proper bugreport > > You are aware of the problem now, you have the sample. iam a volunteer, if people dont provide proper bugreports i wont look at the bug, and giving me a sample and a patch i dont understand is not a bugreport > > >> and feel free to fix it the way you want. > > > > i dont have time to fix this (for me quite unimportant bug) > > That's not an acceptable answer. my awnser doesnt has to be accpetable to you, your awnsers also arent acceptable to me ... > All bugs are important, then why dont you fix H264-PAFF ? > it's amusing how much you can flame gcc about bugs not fixed but how you are > reluctant to fix ffmpeg bugs, i primarely flame gcc for pretending that their code is not buggy and for closing bugs without fixing them or rather changeing the specification (docs) instead of their code and similar ... > and your own bugs sometimes (r_frame_rate > bugs, compute_pkt_fields bugs) i dont know what you are talking about, r_frame_rate is a guess it CANNOT be always correct even less so in cases where even humans dissagree which framerate is the correct one and the docs clearly say that r_frame_rate is a guessed value > > >>> what the 3rd patch does is still unclear to me ... > >>> > >>> > >>>> ODML specs specify the use of AVI1 tag, and meaning of polarity (0 for > >>> what does ODML have to do with mjpeg? is this series of patches related to > >>> mjpeg in avi? the sample file whos location we dont knoe is a .mov not avi > >> RTFSpecs. ODML (MJPEG DIB) > >> > >>>> prog, > >>> prog? you mean progressive, if so write progressive > >> why ? > > > > well, if you want your patch in svn it has to pass review and that means i > > must understand what it does and why, if i dont, i wont approve the patch > > now if you write random brain dump with a bunch of "RTFS" even though you > > either know what the patch does but dont tell or you dumped random hacks > > on ffmpeg-dev either way patch rejected > > It's in my tree and that means one less bug for me, considering that the 2nd patch introduces a bug i dont think so > but still a problem > for you. no thats false > > >>>> 1 means encoded from first field, 2 means encoded from second > >>>> field), > >>> so you speak about a variable somewhere in the ODML-avi container spec > >>> which stores a progressive/interlacaed and temporal field order or is it > >>> rather spatial order flag? hows that related to mjpeg and how to the patches? > >> RTFSpecs again. > > > > i already said i dont have the time to do YOUR work, the person submitting a > > patch is the one who has to explain what and why not point at 2 several 100 > > page specs with some not understandable comments > > I explained what it does, now if YOU don't understand that's your > problem, and you should at least download the sample and try it. That's > what I do for the bugs related to the files I maintain, and every > maintainer should do the same. i maintain a lot and simply dont have the time to do this with every file someone mentions in some mail i think you know what you patch does and why and its not unreasonable to expect you to explain this to me instead of asking me to go over a few 100 pages of manuals ... > > >>>> and only set polarity when first field is being decoded, use of > >>>> new second_field in context. > >>> this makes no sense, iam i supposed to read the jpeg and odml specs and then > >>> reverse engeneer what the patch does? your comments are as usefull as > >>> /dev/random > >> Up to you, fix bugs in the code you are maintaining if you don't want to > >> review patches. > > > > iam not aware of any proper bugreport > > You are just lying. no its the truth that iam not aware of any proper bugreport related to this if you are aware of one why dont you provide a link? also you cant expect me to remember every bugreport ... either way, the amount of time i spend in idiotic flamewars with you is unaccpetable, every time i ask a question or reject a buggy patch from you you start a silly fight > > > also i did review your patches but you dont awnser questions, provide no > > hint on what the patch does and i dont have a whole day to figure out the > > things you refuse to tell me > > Im not really inclined to answer voluntary aggressive and evasive questions. it was not my intent to be aggressive, so if any question seemed aggressive iam sorry it was not intended that way iam not a native english speaker ... > > >>> its not even clear which of your comments relates to which of the patches > >>> that is without looking at the patches ... > >>> > >>> also the 3rd patch contains cosmetic changes! > >>> > >>> and each patch should be in a seperate mail > >> Where is it mentioned ? > > > > maybe it isnt in the docs, i will change this, thanks for noticing > > Changing policy at your own will without asking other > reviewers/developpers ? Is that democracy or tyranny ? you are free to start a vote, i will revert the change if the majority wants it [...] > >> Btw, Im still asking for full svn dump. > > > > yes and you have my full support, but as said i dont have access to the > > svn admin stuff > > You have power to request removing of someone's access but not to ask > for an svn dump ? i had to threaten root with moving ffmpeg away from mphq before they removed uotis write access to ffmpeg svn [...] -- Michael GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. -- Voltaire -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 189 bytes Desc: not available URL: <http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/ffmpeg-devel/attachments/20070414/b00af7a1/attachment.pgp>


text: Garden of Eatin' Sesame Blues Chips Only $1.42/bag August 29, 2009 at 10:12 pm by Cindy Livesey | Coupon Codes 0 comments And another organic deal.Garden of Eatin'® Sesame Blues Chips, 7.5-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12) (regular price: $3.38)Bags are 7.50 oz. bags. 0sharesShareTweetPinEmail The links in the post above may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.


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I thought I had taken these pictures before but I can't find them anywhere, I'm actually missing a few "colors" and masks as we're slowly running out (waiting for a package from my mother-in-law XD). Besides these I also have a "box" of Japanese face masks (in blue):
The second brand I think I've only used once, it was not as good and has a medicinal smell to it. Yobo always gets these "Chinese herbal" masks for eye and face because they come highly recommended, but I like to leave my masks on for as long as I can tolerate them (or until they dry) and I don't want to have to smell like Salompas for half an hour or more.
Near the 99 Ranch market there's a really big cosmetic store (I should show you?) with Korean masks that I sometimes get. I think I'll get them next time and show you. They come in big packs and individual packs, but with ziplock so they remain fresh and juicy! What type of mask do you use?
Wednesday, May 26
Recommended: Face masks from China
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Archive for May 11, 2016
The Gift That Keeps on Giving Back to the Community and the Environment Why Donations of Clothing Are So Important
Just about everyone who wasn't born yesterday has heard the sage, Biblical advice that it is better to give than it is to receive. But what does that really mean? For some people, the thought of being on the receiving end of a gift, a pleasant surprise, or good news is right up there among some of the best feelings in the world! For others, the experience of being in a position to bring joy to another trumps the experience of receiving a gift from someone else. In fact, one could argue that giving a gift that helps another or otherwise brings joy is almost a gift unto itself.
Science has only recently begun to confirm what many people have long thought was true; it truly is better to conceive! Several research studies from a variety of independent sources have indicated that volunteering i


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Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Here's our full Advertising Policy.
Redeeming United Airlines miles is a fantastic way to travel for nearly free on United Airlines and Star Alliance partners, like Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.
United Airlines' website is a convenient way to search for and book award seats on United Airlines and their partner airlines. Because United Airlines typically releases more award seats than other legacy US airlines, their website is a great place to plan your next trip.
Better yet, United Airlines doesn't add fuel surcharges to their own or partner award flights, which means you'll often pay much less in fees compared to redeeming other airlines' miles!
We'll show you step-by-step how to search for and book award seats with United Airlines miles, and share some tips on how to find the best award seats.
All-New Ultimate Guide to United Airlines Miles Series Index
- Part 1 – Introduction
- Part 2 – Step-By-Step Guide to Opening an Account
- Part 3 – Navigating the Award Chart
- Part 4 – How to Search for and Book Award Seats Online
- Part 5 – How to Unlock More Available Award Seats
- Part 6 – Make the Most of the Excursionist Perk (Free One-Way!)
- Part 7 – Converting Flexible Points to United Airlines Miles
- Part 8 – Pitfalls of the Program
Rules for Booking Flights With United Airlines Miles
1. General Rules
You can book one-way or round-trip travel with United Airlines miles on United Airlines or partner airlines. You can even visit multiple cities using the Excursionist Perk, which allows you to book complimentary stopovers.
United Airlines uses a region-based award chart, which means flights are priced based on which regions you travel between. For example, any flight within the continental US and Canada would be considered as within one zone and priced equally.
2. Award Pricing
Link: United Airlines Award Chart
United Airlines and their airline partners release award seats at different pricing points based on season, demand, and other market factors. This means that award seats over the holidays can be considerably more challenging to find than during low season.
Further, partner airlines only price at the "Saver" level, while United Airlines award seats have different price points:
- Economy – Saver
- Economy – Everyday Award
- Business – Saver
- Business – Everyday Award
- First – Saver
- First – Everyday Award
Saver awards are the lowest-price award seats and can be booked by any Star Alliance frequent flyer program. In Star Alliance, these generally are "X" class for coach, "I" for Business Class, and "O" for First Class.
Everyday awards are more expensive awards that give you expanded award seats on United Airlines by paying more miles. These are NOT generally a good deal, unless you absolutely need to be on a particular flight.
If you hold certain United Airlines credit cards, like the United Explorer Card, you will have greater access to Saver award seats on United Airlines. Partner airline frequent flyer programs can NOT book these expanded seats, so it's an exclusive perk with the right credit card.
Note that partner award seats in Business Class and First Class generally cost more miles than award seats on United Airlines, while coach seats at the Saver level are the same price if on United Airlines or a partner. For example:
- One-way Saver award on United Airlines from the US to Europe is 60,000 United Airlines miles in Business Class, but 70,000 miles on a partner airline
- One-way Saver award on United Airlines from the US to North Asia is 70,000 United Airlines miles in Business Class, but 80,000 miles on a partner airline
3. United Airlines Partners
Link: United Airlines Partner Airlines
United Airlines partners with 26 Star Alliance partner airlines, on which you can earn and redeem miles with United Airlines:
- Adria
- Aegean
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian
- Avianca
- Brussels Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Egyptair
- Ethiopian
- EVA Air
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- TAP Portugal
- Thai
- Turkish Airlines
They also have 10 non-alliance partners:
- Aer Lingus
- Aeromar
- Air Dolomiti
- Azul
- Cape Air
- Edelweiss
- Eurowings
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Juneyao Air
- Silver Airways
All partner airline award seats can be booked on United Airlines' website. Check out this post for more expert tips on how to book award flights with United Airlines miles!
Some particularly valuable airlines to consider are Austrian and Lufthansa, which generally have high fuel surcharges through other frequent flyer programs. United Airlines doesn't add fuel surcharges on any airline.
4. United Airlines Award Booking Fees
There is a $75 per passenger booking fee if you book an award flight less than 21 days prior to departure, but that can be avoided with a simple trick.
If you are a United Airlines Silver Elite member, the fee is reduced to $50, and it's $25 if you're a Gold Elite member. If you hold Platinum Elite status or above, there is no close-in booking fee.
How to Search for Award Seats on the United Airlines Website
Link: United Airlines Website
Step 1. Navigate to the United Airlines Website
First visit United Airlines' website to start your search.
You do NOT need to have an account to search for award seats, but if you hold a United Airlines credit card, you should log-in to see expanded available award seats.
Step 2. Enter Your Search Terms
On the search engine, enter:
- Whether it's a one-way, round-trip, or multi-city trip
- Origin and destination
- Departure and return dates
- Number of passengers
- Class of service
- Select "Search for award travel"
You would use the multi-city search function if looking to use the Exercusionist Perk. For example, you could fly from Chicago to Rome, then from Rome to London, and then from London to Chicago.
If you only want non-stop flights, you can select "Nonstop" to only see non-stop options. The "My dates are flexible" button will show you award seats over a monthly period, rather than on a specific day.
And finally click "Search" and you'll be redirected to award seat search results.
Step 3. Deciphering the Award Calendar
You will see a calendar that shows available award seats over a one-week period. You can click on a date to see available seats, and the price shown is the lowest available price on that day. You can change your search to Business Class or First Class by changing the cabin menu to "Business/First":
You can see available award seats on a monthly calendar by clicking "View 30 day calendar":
If you only want to see non-stop flights, you can select "Show only nonstop flight availability in the calendar":
Step 4. Select Desired Flights
You'll see a list of available award seats. If you find a desirable award seat, you can click "Select" to book.
Note that Saver and Standard coach seats are in the same column, so you should use the United Airlines award chart to learn what the lowest cost should be.
You can NOT filter between United Airlines or partner airlines, so make sure you pay attention to the award price and the operating airlines.
Step 5. Log-In and Book Your Award Flights
If you haven't already done so, log into your United Airlines account to book your trip.
After selecting your flights, you'll be given a summary of the total award cost and fees. Don't forget to confirm the travel dates, flight numbers, and departure times before you continue.
Note: If you don't have enough United Airlines miles in your account, you won't be able to proceed past this step. But remember, you can instantly transfer flexible points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to United Airlines if you need to top-off your account.
After this step, you'll be asked to provide passenger information.
You'll then have the option to select seats.
Finally, review your flight details and choose whether you want to insure your trip. Then, enter your method of payment and click "Purchase" to complete the booking.
After booking, you'll receive an email confirmation of your flights and receipt.
Bottom Line
Searching for and booking award flights online with United Airlines miles is simple. And because United Airlines doesn't add fuel surcharges, it's often a cheaper option compared to redeeming other airlines' miles.
It's also easy to earn United Airlines miles through co-branded credit cards or by transferring flexible points from Chase.
In the next post, we'll show you how having a United Airlines credit card can help unlock more available award seats and help you find more options for travel!


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Indian Mario Singh - Can We Say Nintendo Copyright Infringement?
We are all aware of the many spin-off or copycat games that are introduced on the market once something "sells" but how far is too far? I found the latest spin-off Indian Mario Singh available on the Google Play Store by MangoFroot.com thanks to the gaming group Gamecentral Lives! on Facebook. It's a free-to-play game available on your mobile device.
Now I went ahead and downloaded this game--it screams Mario by Nintendo, absolutely everything except that he's wearing a turban. Really?
Singh is king. Singh is Bling too. This game is dedicated to all Singh community across the world!!! Indian Mario Singh is a fun-filled game. It has Jump and Go style filled with six levels. Help Indian Mario Singh to face the hurdles and reach the target. Collect coins on the way to win points. Enjoy this game.
Does any of this look "slightly" familiar?
If it does, you'd be correct, nothing in this game is original. A turban on Mario's head and some color tweaks; that's about it. Does this cross the line where copyright infringement is concerned? Well, what is copyright infringement you might be asking?
Copyright infringement is the use of works protected by copyright law without permission, infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, such as the right to reproduce, distribute, display; or perform the protected work; or to make derivative works. The copyright holder is the work's creator, a publisher; or other business to whom copyright has been assigned. Basically, MangoFroot.com copying Nintendo's hardwork without explicit permission in writing.
There is still no word yet from Nintendo as to what actions (if any) will be taken against MangoFroot.com. It will certainly be interesting to hear what their reaction will be.
Keep it tuned to GameSkinny for all your gaming news, tips, and guides.
Si_WJuly 20, 2014, 11:04 amAs it's free to play, what are the legal ramifications for this?
I can understand if the creators of Mario Singh were making money from this, but if not, what's the big issue? Are Nintendo losing revenue from this?
Venisia GonzalezJuly 20, 2014, 1:22 pmFeatured ColumnistDo you have a proper understanding of copyright infringement? If you did you wouldn't ask. It's not just about "money," as you think.
Mary YeagerJuly 20, 2014, 3:15 pmSenior InternIt's theft of property whether or not they are making money or not. Mario and his world belong to Nintendo. And yes, Nintendo could potentially loose revenue. They still sell the original SMB that this is modeled off of.
Si_WJuly 20, 2014, 3:21 pmI realise that it's not just about money, I just don't see the huge deal over this.
Saying that, do Nintendo get any acknowledgement at all from the creators of this version?
Venisia GonzalezJuly 20, 2014, 3:51 pmFeatured ColumnistNo they don't and they didn't have permission--that's theft.


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Hacking To Build Secure Apps
If recent headlines aren't enough to convince you as to the importance of security, consider how much time and money your company will spend in response to a data breach, and the damage it will cause to your company's brand and reputation. Some larger companies have spent over a billion dollars recovering from a hack that only lasted a few minutes. Chances are pretty good that your company does Read more