text:
15 December, 2007
Yes it's been a while since we updated, sorry Doug, nice to see your comments back, we missed you, how's the Earnslaw?
From Bali we took a wee trip north, to Paris for the Rugby World Cup. Why you ask, good question. By the time we arrived I (Shane) was down with the bot, the weather was freezing and the rugby, well what can you say. The only up part was that the French were so embarrassed with the win and the ref, call the man a ref?, that they bought us drinks and were quite embarrassed by the whole thing. Needless to say we then got behind the Froggies, "Allez Les Bleus". Alas, they then crashed and burnt. Maybe we should support Aussie???, (with the new coach….who knows) Despite all that it was great to catch up with two of my bros in a tiny apartment in Paris. We also managed to catch up with two of Heather's old work mates, Geoff and Simon, and brother Kim in a very smoky pub for the final.
Plus, Heather caught up with a (won't say old) friend; she had last seen here on a school exchange in Tahiti…..well some years ago (like over 30 years). They were great and took us for a tour of their area including a nice little estate we thought we might buy at a later date, much later.
Thanks again Eric and Dominique. After Indo the budget took a bit of a hammering in Paris, two beers, about $30. Ouch!! Oh, and it was sooooo much fun being there during the first of the metro strikes. Fortunately we could walk to the middle of town from where we were staying in the apartment, but what a mess the traffic was. Now, as most of you would know, I might be accused of tending a shade to the left, but really, those Metro (train) workers, working a 35 hour week and retiring around 50, get real guys.
While the world cup was on NZ must have scored one of the best advertising coups I've ever seen. Smack in front of a really big aerial where everyone was visiting (The Eiffel Tower), a huge football shaped pavilion advertising 100% Pure NZ. Very smart
Aunty Helen was there to open it. I was sick in bed so missed the opening complete with the mandatory Haka and blessing but Heath trouped along with Kim and his new, as in just proposed to in Paris, fiancee Diana. After a few days and some good medication I started to come right just in time for Heath to get crook for a few days. Still we did manage to see all the usual sights, The Louvre, Palace of Versailles, etc. Brother Campbell and wife Ande even got me back to the Picasso Museum to try and awaken my love of modern art. Alas, it still lies dormant. We found good lattes still hard to find …but… if ever in Paris, go to Maccas, Champs Ellysses and you can get very good coffee for about 2.5 euros and sit outside for free. Best deal in Paris.
Thence on to Santorini in Greece. We were there about a month after the main holiday season. A lot of stuff had shut down and the following week just about the whole place was due to close for the winter break. Had the odd cruise ship still coming in with the grey brigade, but very quiet. Beautiful town though built on cliff edges.
Now I still can't get more than five photos on one blog so carry on reading below!
And that was the end of Europe.
Getting back to the warm weather in Bali was nice and coming around the corner in the cab and seeing "Enzwell" still afloat was very comforting. Home again. We didn't hang around too long as we still had a few hundred miles to go before our visas ran out so after a couple of stops, headed off to Kumai at the bottom of Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. This is one of only a couple of places in the world where you can see the Orangutan wild…ish, in the jungle. We hired a river boat and crew to take us up the river for an overnight trip.
The first day we visited the conservation station which was set up some years ago to study the orangutan in the wild and has since become well established. Each day the ranger puts bananas and milk out to supplement the orangutans' diet. Here we saw quite a few orangs come down and grab a feed, nearly all with young ones.
Pretty cool and the babies are always cute.
Staying on the boat in the river that night was really great. Beautiful food dished up by the cook, sitting out chatting and having a couple of beers with the crew of three serenaded by the cicadas and frogs. Now if anyone tells you about the serenity of the jungle, they have never slept there. What a racket. You could not believe the noise those tiny animals made!!!!! Fortunately they only keep it up until about two hours after sun down. Next day we visited a couple more feeding stations and a river village. At the last station the big alpha male came down. This guy was huge! And very full of himself. When he climbed through the trees quite a few branches broke off. And he knew he was kingpin.
Another male was in the trees but wouldn't come near the feeding platform because he knew what would happen. He didn't appear too happy about this and snorted and bellowed and ripped branches off the trees he was in. Now this was seeing them, as they should be. Very impressive. When the big fella had his full he moved away about 40 meters and then just "hung" around, literally. The other males stayed well clear but one female came down with her young one and munched away quite happily, goes to show who really holds the power eh. All in all a great experience and certainly one of the highlights of Indonesia.
From there it was time to seriously get bailing out of Indo. Had a rotten trip for the first couple of days, bashing into a sharp chop and fighting 2-3 knots of current meant we were only making about 2 knots over ground at times. It was about then while thinking back to the lovely calm river voyage we considered selling the boat flying to Europe buying a canal boat and making it all very easy. Not a bad idea actually and we may consider it. Still after a couple more stops we checked out of Indo and now sit blissfully in a flash marina in Singapore at Sentosa Island with the gym and pool nearby. Fortunately amnesia is a wonderful thing and the horrid trips are just an unpleasant memory.
Singapore is soooooo nice after Indo. Talk about extremes, just 15 or so miles between them but about 50 years apart. Singers is spotless, as I said at the start, no rubbish, no tagging, no graffiti etc. It really is a very rich country with building going on everywhere. Massive housing, shopping and the biggest casino complex going up here at Sentosa. The main occupation here seems to be shopping which we have managed to do quite nicely. We will leave in a couple of days and head about 50 miles to another flash resort, with golf course attached, at Sebana Cove, Malaysia. We will spend Christmas there; and with that all there is to do is wish all and sundry a very Merry Christmas wherever you are and hope to catch up in the new year (we're planning a trip back home in February/March.
Shane and Heath.
08 October, 2007
We had a fun last day in Bali contributing to the local police retirement fund. Corruption is alive and well in Indonesia but one comes across it personally when hiring bikes. It goes like this. They pull you over for some minor, if not imagined offence and ask for and International driving licence. We couldn't produce one, so they start writing a ticket and fine you 200 000 rupiah (about $NZ30) for no licence and another 200 000 for your offence, and you have to go to Denpassar, or, you can pay them now. We had been wised up by a mate prior that the going rate to 'pay them off' is about Rp50 000, about $NZ7.50. You open your wallet having already made sure that you only have Rp51,000 inside, and after much hurrumphing and saying sorry, off you go less your money and the cops split the money, three ways in our case. Oh well, the up side is we have had some fantastic meals in very flash restaurants in Bali, and paid about $25 for two mains, two entrees and two drinks.
We have seen and done so much it's hard to put in one blog, so we'll split it into three and put some photos in as well. One of the highlights of our journey so far would have to be seeing the Komodo dragons.
Giant monitor lizards that only live in a couple of islands in Indo. Very slow during the heat of the day but they can sprint at about 30km per hour over short distances. They have been known to attack wild buffalo and a couple of humans have met their demise from them so they should be treated with a fair bit of respect.
We saw a couple of small ones on the beach at this anchorage at the south of the island of Rinja, but saw the big fellas in the National Park on the north coast of the island. This anchorage also provided a great feed of big luscious oysters.
The diving and snorkelling here is fantastic with great coral and clarity of water. It's like diving in an aquarium and with the vis at up to 50 feet plus you just slowly mooch around checking it all out.
Plus in a number of these great anchorages we have gone ashore at night, had a BBQ on the beach with a few other yachties in the rally, and watched the glorious sunsets that you get in Indonesia.
Indonesia has been very diverse. We have covered the whole spectrum, from dirty dusty cities such as Kupang where we started; traditional native villages that hardly ever see tourists; great anchorages with fantastic coral and snorkelling; through to Bali which is full-on tourism and very westernised. Although it has been great most of the time, you do realise that you are in a third-world country, with all the associated issues such as pollution, risk of disease (e.g. malaria), and lack of access to some things that we take for granted at home (clean water and good standards of hygiene).
Kupang was our entry point into Indonesia; it didn't have anything else going for it really. The local transport in Indo is the 'bemo'; small vans that you squish into the back of, with drivers – some who look barely old enough to be able to drive – and most with noisy stereos blaring out with the bass turned up to maximum volume. Shane thought he would sit in the front seat on one trip to get a view out the front window; fat chance when this is the view he got from the front seat!
Indonesia has been very diverse. We have covered the whole spectrum, from dirty dusty cities such as Kupang where we started; traditional native villages that hardly ever see tourists; great anchorages with fantastic coral and snorkelling; through to Bali which is full-on tourism and very westernised. Although it has been great most of the time, you do realise that you are in a third-world country, with all the associated issues such as pollution, risk of disease (e.g. malaria), and lack of access to some things that we take for granted at home (clean water and good standards of hygiene).
Kupang was our entry point into Indonesia; it didn't have anything else going for it really. The local transport in Indo is the 'bemo'; small vans that you squish into the back of, with drivers – some who look barely old enough to be able to drive – and most with noisy stereos blaring out with the bass turned up to maximum volume. Shane thought he would sit in the front seat on one trip to get a view out the front window; fat chance when this is the view he got from the front seat!
Keep going, there are two more updates below as we can only get five photos per blog;
After a few days there it was back to join the rally at Lembata. We did a tour to a village that they call 'Nature's Kitchen', a lot like Rotorua where they cook/steam the food in the ground.
As well as checking out the cooking, we intermingled with the villagers. Here I am sitting with one of the ladies, as she sits spinning her fine wool on to a spool. The locals got quite a bit of amusement out of me; what with my blonde hair I was somewhat of a novelty, and they continually pointed at my nose as us Europeans have quite big noses compared to the Indos. At least I didn't get my nose pinched, as one of the other Kiwi yachtie ladies did – mind you, her nose was even bigger than mine!!
One of our next stops was at the village of Waimalung on the island of Flores. The afternoon we arrived, some of the locals came and visited us on their small dug out canoes. They were quite fascinated with the yacht and asked to come onboard. Conversing was a little limited, so Shane got his guitar out, and sang a couple of songs. They then proceeded to try and show him up, by displaying their musical skills. They were pretty good too!
Here's a bike loaded down with the supplies to take off to sell at market. It's absolutely amazing what can be squeezed on to one small motorbike……..
The last big city we visited before Bali was Bima on the island of Lombok. It was the first time Bima had been a stop on the Sail Indonesia rally, and they went all out to impress. The people were lovely, but again, Bima is just another dirty, grimy Indo city. One of the great things there though was the local transport, horse and cart, which were known as 'Benhurs' – don't ask us why!
As you can see, as well as passengers, they also get loaded up with other things, in this case plastic water bottles. The bottles packed on to the back of the Benhur are like 'water cooler' bottles from home, and is how you buy drinking water in Indo. Twenty litre bottles, which sell for anywhere between the equivalent of $NZ 80 cents to $4. In the photo all the bottles are empty, but it was still quite a load for the poor old Benhur. The Benhurs had lots of bells around their neck; riding on them reminded me a lot of the donkey ride I had in Tijuana, Mexico. I don't know quite how they made it to Indo, but…..
After Bima, we carried on further west, towards the Komodo dragon tourism industry and Bali, and you could sense you were approaching western civilisation again…..
Then it was off to Bali. The rally fleet normally stops down the south of Bali – near Kuta and all the action – but with the number of yachts this year, there just wasn't room so we were all up north at Lovina Beach. Lovina has a much slower pace than down Kuta. We went to the markets in the nearby city of Singaraja – lots of fresh fruit and veggies, and chickens ready to purchase.
Not quite packaged like Tegel do it, but at least you could see what you were buying! Note Fido hoping to find something of interest below the chicken stand! We had earlier in the trip, bought two chickens at the Bima market. They were quite tasty, and we lived to tell the tale!
At each venue we have been to, the local Regency (government) hosts a 'gala dinner', and Bali was no exception. Usually the gala dinners take the format of speeches, dinner, and then entertainment from the locals. Most have been great, but sometimes the dancing gets a little monotonous and goes on a little long.
Lovina was no exception – as far as the format of the gala dinner went – but the dancing was spectacular, as were the costumes. The dancers performed on the beachfront. They were the national champions, and had performed most recently prior to us, to the President. Describing the dancing on the blog would not do it justice, but hopefully this photo of some of the younger dancers gives you an indication of what a spectacle it was. It was like they were straight out of a Cirque de Soleil show.
On their heads, the women each had a basket, especially stacked with fruits and other food to take to the temple. The parade was impressive to watch, as was the later dancing and celebrations at the temple.
We did a tour while in Lovina, of the northern part of Bali. There are lots of terraced rice paddies, and beautiful waterfalls. We also visited the processing plant for 'Bali coffee', and saw cloves being picked, dried and processed for export around the world. We saw a beautiful temple on the lake, and went to the local produce and clothes market. The locals are still doing it hard tourism-wise after the Bali bombings, and were almost pleading with us to buy their wares.
Lovina was a great stop, there was enough there to keep us busy, and we found a great spot to watch the All Blacks vs Scotland game at the Rugby World Cup. One of the Kiwi yeachties met up with a keen rugby supporter, who owns a resort in Lovina. He invited us around to watch the game, so we sat in the bar at the resort until start time, then 20 of us piled in to one of the villas – as he didn't want us making a racket in the bar and disturbing all his paying guests! It was a good night, with a good win to the Abs.
After Lovina it was time for us to say farewell to the rally and head south to Serangan (near Kuta) to leave the boat while we went to Europe. We did the trip south in a two day hop. We set off on day two for the last 40 miles of the trip at about 6 a.m. in the morning.
So after five days in Serangan – surfing, drinking, eating great food, shopping, and inhaling lots of smoke and grit that comes with thousands and thousands of motorbikes being on the road – we are leaving the boat for a month, and flying off to Europe, to hopefully see the All Blacks achieve what they haven't managed for 20 years…… victory at the World Cup. Paris will certainly be a contrast to Indonesia, but we are both looking forward to it; a change of climate and culture, and to catch up with Shane's brothers.
09 August, 2007
Sorry folks but after spending over an hour to upload photos in the internet office with a little mouse running in the wheel to make it go, we gave up so when we get to a faster internet somewhere in the world, its storey only:
First up – (not) a photo of the rally yachts taken from the Darwin Sailing Club. We had to anchor about a mile offshore, as the tides in Darwin are so big. It made for a long tender ride ashore; it took us about 8 minutes! The Sailing Club was in a great location, and it was neat looking out and seeing the yachts at anchor.
We got away from Darwin on 21 July. We had a champagne breakfast in the morning with non-rally cruising friends, and got back to the boat at 10.30 am. The rally start-gun went off at 11 am; suffice to say that the crew of Enzwell were still getting ready and we crossed the start line fashionably late by ten minutes. There were still plenty of yachts still to come behind us – after all, we were in a rally not a race! In past years, rally participants have had to motor most of the way to Kupang due to the lack of wind, but we will lucky, we had great sailing conditions on the first day. We did have to motor at night though. On that first night, we had at least 25 other yachts near to us; with all the navigation lights on it was like we were sailing in the middle of a Christmas tree! About the only thing of interest that we passed were two oil wells during the second night. The burning flame was pretty impressive and could be seen for miles. I found the passage quite rolly at times and not pleasant, so was pleased when we got to Kupang, 75 hours after we left Darwin. We were 23rd boat in, out of 115 odd who started, so we were pretty happy.
Formalities were up first, and we needed to get cleared by Customs, Quarantine and Immigration. We got in to find they had only cleared two yachts, at least 20 were still waiting, and another ten yachts had come in around the same time as us. Nothing in Indonesia works to a schedule or strict time keeping.
There was another small problem in that Customs didn't have a boat to get out to see us all. After about an hour, they found one boat, so split into about three teams, they started to visit the yachts. We were lucky; they got to us early and did all the necessary paperwork, but then they couldn't get to the next boat as their boat had disappeared. No problem, Shane told them to jump in our tender, and he became the 'taxi' to get them to the next yacht! After we had cleared, it was off to shore to explore.
The first official rally function in Indonesia was three days after we got to Kupang. The Governor of the district hosted a dinner for the rally participants; there were the usual speeches and traditional dancing. Each boat crew was given a gift on arrival – a plaque and woven scarf – and then they called for a representative from each country to go and get a further gift. New Zealand was first; no one went up (we thought someone had been chosen to receive the award) so on the second calling of NZ Shane went up and got another woven scarf and plaque. So, Shane is now the official NZ rep. Here he is with the representatives of all the countries participating in the rally. (no he's not)
During the days in Kupang we had a good wander around. It is typically third world; dirty and dusty, the seawater is dirty, there is rubbish everywhere; but as it is off the regular tourist trail all the locals are very friendly. Particularly the younger kids. They loved practising their limited English vocabulary on us; everywhere we went it was "hullo mister", "hullo missus", "bye bye". They had very infectious laughs and giggles. The local transport is the 'bemo' – a small mini-van with a row of seats along each side inside, and with a stereo system where it is mandatory to have the base and sub-woofer cranked up the maximum possible level. The noise got to us a bit after a while.
Sitting in the front seat of the bemo was good; you could see a bit more. In saying that though, the bemo windows were all covered with big transfers – most of them either soccer orientated or to do with the latest fashion trend – it's a wonder the drivers could see out the front to see where they were going! Each bemo had a driver and 'conductor' – who collected the money. Some of the conductors were as young as 11 – obviously their schooling has given way to learning the art of Indonesian commerce.
We managed to find internet cafes, although they are a lot slower than what we have been used to for years, and firewalls and virus protection are unheard of. Eating out was super-cheap in Kupang; we went to the local night food markets just across the road from where we were anchored and could get nasi goring for both us for $1.50. Suffice to say I didn't cook in Kupang and we ate out every night! I got an upset tummy – the nasi goring I had for lunch one day was a touch on the spicy side – so I stuck with Western faire the following day. Quite a few people got sinus and sniffles in Kupang; the air was very dusty, and there were burn offs ashore so we would wake each morning to thick smoky air. I got a bad throat infection, but got on to antibiotics straight away and got rid of the worst of it fairly quickly.
There are excellent markets in Kupang. Quite by accident, we stumbled across a very big fruit and vegie market, where all the locals go. We stocked up on fruit and veggies; a bunch of bananas was 80 cents and a bag of tomatoes 20 cents, so as you can see, it is very cheap here.
Kupang has been great and everyone really friendly, but it will be good to get to lovely islands where the water is clear and the air fresh and clean…….
In Kupang there were two tours organised, but we thought rather than do a tour with 300 other people, we would do a tour with only a few of us. On our first day in Kupang, we met Marco, one of the locals. He had spent a year working at Kakadu National Park in Aussie, and his English was pretty good. He offered to organise a tour for us.
So, on our last full day in Kupang, eight of us headed off in a bemo with Marco. On our way to the first stop, we called in at a fishing village where the local fishermen were building new fishing boats.
The boats were made of the local wood, with the bark between the strips of wood for sealing. Shane asked and they also used epoxy – so even though they build the boats in the traditional way, they still resort to white man's magic! It was pretty amazing to watch them make these local craft; seeing the boats at sea sometimes made you wonder how they stayed afloat. But I guess they don't have seas like Cook Strait to contend with…..
The first stop on our official itinerary was a monkey cave where the monkeys were roaming free. Some of them were extremely tame and loved being fed peanuts. So much so, they tugged at the legs of my shorts for more! Then it was off to a cave with a fresh water pool. We had to walk across a field, and then down into the cave. It was pretty slippery, so it was down on hands and feet to crawl down into the cave.
The water was a beautiful green and very clear; it was also nice and warm. We were all hanging out for a swim; we hadn't been able to swim in Darwin (crocs) and the water where we were anchored in Kupang was filthy.
During the day we went to a waterfall for yet another swim; we visited the last King's widow at her house (what a lovely old lady); and went to some small villages. We passed these kids who obviously get trained very young to take the family's produce to market. People here seem to work very hard, but are happy with their 'lot'. The day finished with a meal at a slightly more upmarket restaurant, for which we paid the princely sum of $US11 each. Shane and I both ordered fish; unfortunately it came out covered in chilli sauce and Shane couldn't eat his at all. I persevered for a while on the side that wasn't covered with chilli.
The following day we headed south to the island of Roti. Roti is known worldwide for great surfing spots, and we knew a few other boats from the rally had gone there. We went to the village of Nembrala. Nembrala was a complete change from Kupang; the water was lovely and clean, the air was fresh, and the village and houses were certainly of a higher standard than Kupang. We found out that Nembrala harvests a special type of seaweed which is sold to the Japanese and Chinese for use in cosmetics; this seaweed has made the village reasonably affluent compared to a lot of Indonesia. Nembrala has leased off blocks of land - $A30,000 for 30 years. A few lots have been leased to Aussies and Americans. They have built lovely (and thankfully not ostentatious) houses right on the beachfront.
We found one other gem in Nembrala, it has a bakery. The bakery made fresh bread, focaccia, and banana and chocolate cakes amongst other things. We put in an order, and got two loaves of bread, two small donuts, and two cakes for $NZ14. A bargain. Now all I needed to find was a café that made good flat whites…..
Here's a shot looking out from the beachfront. All the local fishing boats tie up close to shore. You can see us yachts in the background. We are anchored in between the two coral reefs. Shane was able to get up first thing in the morning, take his surfboard in the tender over behind the reef, and surf to his hearts content. Meanwhile I was back on enzwell…. Cooking, cleaning……. A lot of the guys were getting in three surfs a day. Heaven……
You may also note Mr Piggy wandering along the beach. It's a funny thing here, the pigs are all fat and healthy, but the poor dogs are all pretty scrawny. We haven't quite worked out why.
On our third day at Nembrala, five of us hired three motorbikes and went for a tour around the bottom part of the island. We saw some beautiful little bays on the south side of the island, as well as more great surf beaches. Some of the roads were a little tricky, so we had to take it easy in parts. On our way back across the island, we came across the local road works gang.
This is how they make roads in Roti. Lay out even sized boulders on the road, try and make the surface as flat as possible, heat up the tar in a big drum in the adjoining paddock, and then pour the tar over the top of the boulders. Fascinating to watch, it just shows how it can be done without the use of big trucks and other first world means.
We have had a great time at Nembrala. It has been wonderful to relax and take it easy, at a lovely island. Unfortunately though, we are back to Kupang to sort some business, and then after that we are heading to Lembata to catch up with the rally.
We'll update you further along the track in Indonesia; probably when we come across the next internet café.
OK it's getting way too hard. Here are the photos from the second part of the blog.
02 July, 2007
We left Cairns on 6 June, for the big trek up the Queensland coast and over the top to Darwin.
First stop was Low Isles, two sandy cays just off Port Douglas. We caught up with Di and Brendan from the yacht Sunburn, who we hadn't seen since last October in Cairns, and got in a bit of snorkelling. Then it was off to Cooktown. We arrived at the start of Queens Birthday weekend, and the biannual celebrations commemorating Captain Cook's landing there in 1770. Cook spent about 45 days in Cooktown making repairs to the Endeavour after it was damaged on Endeavour Reef, and it is recognised that he and his crew were the first white people to spend time in Cooktown.
Shane was not too interested about seeing a few blokes ponce around in fancy dress, but I dragged him along to the re-enactment and we both enjoyed it. A bit of humour introduced to the show made all the difference. Here is a photo, showing the scene just as the Union Jack had been hoisted, and a cannon fired to declare the land had been proclaimed in the name of the King of England.
Lizard Island has two lovely bays; the southern bay has a lovely resort, and the northern bay is where all the yachties anchor. We found out that the rooms at the resort start at $900 a night, going up to $2500 for the most expensive! There was great snorkelling at Lizard; we saw some amazing giant clams. We also went ashore to the Marlin Bar (the staff bar at the resort) and watched the second State of Origin game (continuing on in our theme of latte-hopping and watching international sporting fixtures…..).
After Lizard we did a 24-hour run, going between the inner and outer reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. It was quite eerie at night; there was no moon so it was as dark as the ace of spades, there seemed to be flashing lights everywhere, indicating parts of the reef and who knows what else; and ships were passing us, that didn't appear to be travelling in the shipping lanes. All in all a little unnerving……
After a couple more stops, we made it to Escape River, our last anchorage before going "over the top". Shane put a couple of crab pots out when we arrived, but he misjudged the depth of water and the buoy was below water level. We both set off again in the tender to attach more line, both being extremely paranoid about any crocs that might be lurking in the nearby mangroves. All in all it was a wasted exercise, as when Shane went to get the pots in the morning they had gone!
The following day we got to Cape York, and had the obligatory photo to say we had made it to the northern most part of Australia.
Then it was off to Seisia, a small settlement just around from Cape York, to get a few last supplies in before we sailed over the gulf. A cargo shop arrives every Monday night in Seisia, having taken two days to get there from Cairns. We arrived Tuesday morning, so the supermarket shelves were well stocked. I grabbed a couple of magazines (New Idea etc) until I saw the price $8.20 each – and promptly put one back. I told Shane I would read every word twice in the one I bought, to get my money's worth!
Our trip across the Gulf of Carpenteria was not much fun. The first day started off calm, but by that afternoon it felt like we were in a washing machine, stuck on the wash cycle. Although it calmed down a little, it wasn't a lot more pleasant for the next two days either. I had to summons for a bucket at one stage….. I was pleased to reach Cape Wessel at the end of day three and get that part of the trip over. While we were doing this trip, and for the next few days, most of Australia was having lousy weather. We continually had strong winds and grey skies. We even had to get the duvet out for the bed!
We had a few short hops down the Wessel Islands and along the top of the Northern Territory coast. By this time we were travelling with another catamaran; Grant the skipper is recently from Havelock North and knows my sister and her ex – small world!!! Grant is now living in Perth, and had bought the cat in Southport and is sailing it home with crew.
Grant is a keen hunter and fisherman, so we have all spent a bit of time hunting out crayfish and oysters. We have been successful on the oyster-front (enjoying a couple of nights of Oysters Kilpatrick) but we have dipped out on the crayfish. After a couple of dives, Shane got very paranoid about the crocs, so gave away looking for them. (Shane…… Yeah!! After Grant told me he saw croc tracks on the sand about 500m from where I had the dive. Visibility was about two feet and I kept imagining Mr Croc behind me……...).
Since we left Cape York, we have been 'buzzed' about 4 or 5 times by the Coast Watch/Customs planes. This part of the coast is where many illegal immigrants try and get into Australia. The planes call us up, get our details, and then let us carry on our way. One of the choppers got so close to us, Shane managed to get their photo, while they were probably taking ours!
We are currently one day out from Darwin; tomorrow will also be the 365th day since we left Brisbane on the boat. We have timed our arrival in Darwin perfectly as we arrive tomorrow afternoon (just in time to watch the NZ-Australia Tri-nations rugby at night!). We are travelling in the company of Grant and his crew, and another Kiwi (Frederick) who is in the rally with us. We had planned to anchor in a bay today, and catch up for lunch. And Grant was going to bring over a fresh loaf of bread that one of his crew had baked. But with the lunch stop cancelled, how would we get the bread? There was mention of getting alongside and hurling it across, but we figured we were likely to end up with a loaf of soggy bread. Instead, Grant brought his cat right up behind us, and dropped the loaf into the tender. Here is an action shot just as he had deposited the cargo safely!! The bread was lovely and warm out of the oven, thanks Georgie!
04 June, 2007
We are now back in Cairns having made stops after we left Sydney at Brisbane for a week, plus various other spots for a day or two. We have been in Cairns for two weeks, getting a few jobs done and antifouling the boat. We could have done it in Darwin but as there will be about 150 boats there heading to Indonesia on the same day we think it will be a mad-house so we are getting all set here. Yes 150 or so boats, there are 110 on the Darwin-Kupang rally plus another rally leaves for Ambon on the same day and we are pretty sure there will be some hangers on as well. It's going to be crazy but we're sure it will be loads of fun as well.
So, the adventures, getting to Brissy was the first one. If you remember "Finding Nemo", you will know there is a very strong current running down the east coast of Australia called "The Eastern Australian current". As it runs at up to three knots we were motoring up against it or we would have been going nowhere fast. About 10 pm I was watching a DVD with the headphones on while on watch, and I heard the motor stop. When I take off the headphones I also hear a lot of water sloshing around……….panic!!! So here we are, wind blowing us onto a rocky shore about a mile away, no motor and water sloshing about!! The water…… Our stern gland (that keeps the water out) has been leaking a bit (we got a new one here in Cairns). Water was always dribbling in which is fine because the automatic bilge pump takes it out – but the auto part had packed up. I turned on the manual switch, water gone, first panic over. Good thing about a yacht is the sails, so I hoisted them and sailed away from shore, not quite in the required direction due to the current and wind against us but to safety. Check the motor, no oil, what!! I just changed the oil in Sydney and couldn't see 5 litres slopping about in the bilge. Go to other tack, boat leans the other way, the oil comes back. Yes I know, how could you trust such idiots to go to sea, well, we are learning. Check the fuel. Twin tanks, both empty, or close to it. According to our calculations, at 350L per tank we should do X miles. To cut a long story short - we carry two 20L drums for just such an occasion and so we motored happily to Southport (Surfers). When we filled up we found that our 350L tanks are actually 320L tanks of which we can't get to the last four or so litres to use. Yes we learn a little more every day.
Anyway, a couple of days later we were back in the Brisbane River saying goodbye to friends. After a week we pottered off heading for the Whitsundays as our first stop. Due to lack of wind we decided to stop off at Lady Elliot Island, a small coral cay with the clearest water we've seen so far. It is the only time we have dropped anchor and seen it go all the way down and hit the bottom 50 feet below.
True to our mission of "Latte hopping around Aus" we wandered ashore for a coffee at the resort and saw they where having a "turtle hatching excursion" that evening. Unfortunately we discovered that it was at the end of the season for the hatchings but we tagged along with the resortees and managed to see three of the little mites dig their way out of the sand and head off in the direction of the light given off by the moon. Given there where about 10-15 of us taking flash photos they had a bit of trouble deciding which light to head to but did make it eventually.
That's one thing we have seen an abundance of here, turtles. Lots of them around the Whitsundays and we have seen them snorkelling sometimes, us that is, not them, they don't need snorkels.
Another stop on the way back was at Middle Percy Island. We visited last year when we were heading south and loved it so decided one more visit would be worthwhile. Went for another bit of a snorkel and for the first time I decided to lay the anchor face down instead of its edge. About 6am we woke up to the sound of a glass breaking and the boat was really rocking about. That wind must have really got up in the night we thought…... We were rocking and rolling and the tender was banging the back of the boat all the time. Got up to clean up the broken glass. Holly S…… where the hell are we. One mile out to sea as it turned out, fortunately beside another island and not on it. First time we have really dragged. Don't think I will adjust the anchor again!!!! (See above …."How can you trust such idiots" etc).
That's most of the dramas. We spent a week at Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays catching up with Patrick and Elizabeth on LaBarque who we spent time with at Sydney and Brisbane. Heather managed a spectacular fall leaving a café at Airlie and had the bruise to prove it for some days.
And so to Cairns. While here we have managed to cross off most of our jobs to do and still catch up with some friends from our last visit here, and watch the All Blacks beat France last night. We watched the game on the big-screen at the casino. To celebrate we went to a really good restaurant on the Esplanade with Helen and Ian and a couple of their friends. They have stayed and worked here through the summer to get more cruising coupons and will head to The Philippines in August.
23 April, 2007
A nice shot of Sydney Harbour Bridge to start with......
When we last wrote, we were about to head back to NZ for three weeks to see family and friends and attend to a bit of business.
The first night in NZ I managed to get to see the Hurricanes play at Wellington stadium, and snatch a last minute win from the Blues! Thanks to Helen for getting me a ticket to the game. While I was at the rugby, Shane went to a 40th birthday party for one of his fireman mates at the surf club in Lyall Bay. During the evening he went out on the deck to have a cigarette and felt the full brunt of a southerly wind coming straight off the Southern Alps – welcome back to Wellington's weather!!!!! To be fair, the weather was pretty good for the three weeks we were home, except for the last couple of days in Auckland.
The trip home went well; it was great to see everyone again after having been away for nearly a year, and we were certainly racing around trying to fit everything and everyone in.
Mid-March and it was back to the boat. Sydney had two major thunderstorms while we were in NZ, but 'enzwell' came through them unscathed. We went back to our anchorage in Balls Head Bay, and caught up on all the goings-on from our English friends, Patrick and Elizabeth.
We have had a couple of trips to Manly for Shane to get a surf in. Unfortunately our most recent trip there a couple of weeks ago proved fruitless. We went ashore and over to the beach two days and on both there was hardly a wave to speak of. Later on the second day though, the beach got closed as they were on 'tsunami alert' after the big earthquake in the Solomons.
As you can see, Manly isn't a bad spot to spend a bit of time…..
We had our first lot of visitors in a while just after we got back from NZ. Wendy and Jim came to stay for a weekend. Wendy has been a friend for years, and flatted with me in Wellington for three years back in the mid nineties. They moved to Jim's hometown of Canberra last year. Over Easter we went down to Canberra and stayed with them. Shane and I hadn't been to Canberra before, and we were very pleasantly surprised. Canberra is a lovely city – wide boulevards, a fantastic War Memorial, lovely lake in the middle of the city, and at this time of year the autumnal colours of the trees were spectacular. We have to say that Canberra is well worth a visit, and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip there.
We have been busy doing a bit of 'organising' in the last month. We have entered the Darwin to Kupang rally which starts on July 21st. Wendy and Jim are down to crew with us, so we will see a bit more of them in three months! It took a little bit of effort to get the entry in, as we had to plan our itinerary through Indonesia for our cruising permit. But we are in the rally, along with 76 other yachts, and the number of entries is still rising! They will take a maximum of 100 yachts, plus on the same day that rally leaves, the Darwin to Ambon rally starts as well so there will probably be about 150-200 yachts scrambling to get out at once. Should prove interesting ????
The other thing we have been busy organising is our trip to Europe in October. Two of Shane's brothers decided it sounded like a good idea to go to Paris while the Rugby World Cup is on, and hang out there and take in the atmosphere. So we decided we should join them too……. Tickets to the games are both hard to get and out of our price range, so we have our spies out to track down a good sports bar to watch the games, particularly the final in which the All Blacks will come through victorious (she says with fingers tightly crossed…….).
After two and a half weeks in Paris we are heading to Athens and Santorini, and then back to Bali where we will have left the boat. We'll carry on through Indonesia in November, and probably look at spending Christmas in Singapore. After that, it will probably be to Malaysia, either the states north of Borneo or up the eastern coast of the mainland. We will see how things go, and pick up tips from other yachties on where is good to visit.
But in the immediate future, we are about to head off from Sydney. We are getting the last bit of work done on the boat on Monday, and our last inoculation shots, then it will be off to Manly for the night (and one last final surf!) and out the heads and on to Brisbane on Tuesday. Sydney is starting to get a little cooler now, so we have decided to head off to the warmer climes of Queensland!
It should take us about five days to get up to the sunshine state. It will be the longest trip I have done, but it will be good experience for what lies ahead over the coming months. I just hope that the seas aren't too rough, and that sleep deprivation doesn't get the better of me…….. We'll have a few days in Brissy, and then the next stop will be the Whitsundays.
Not too sure where our next instalment will come to you from; probably Cairns where we (hopefully) will be painting the boat's bum before we head over to Darwin.
Till next time,
Shane and Heather


text:
Base line: Even when you Imagine This could perform for A few other application, don't encourage these providers by getting these products and solutions. Buy anything especially designed for your needs.
In some cases there's some legitimacy to your claim (a carseat can be productively examined with a product installed) but sometimes there's just no solution to know very well what that means.
Get tips about preparing for the little one's to start with flight, including when to schedule your flight and no matter whether you might want to purchase a ticket...
This restraint program need to only be used in autos with adequately put in car or truck lap belt techniques which can be tightened securely. Belt devices that will NOT function involve, but are usually not limited to: Unexpected emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) belts, an automatic/passive automobile seat belt program, and auto seats that pivot or have a again that folds ahead w/out a lock Guide belts and seat belts that come out with the door, aspect of your car or truck, or middle on the seat cushion will likely not work with this particular restraint.
Our vision - to produce an item that not just appears to be fantastic, feels excellent but will also inclines the person to provide the solution with them.
Together with the Ride Safer Vest your son or daughter can journey safely without having a vehicle seat or booster from 3 years and 30 lbs. Think of it like a "wearable belt-positioning booster seat" you could pack in the skin pocket of one's carry-on. Just after your flight, have your son or daughter place it on outdoors baggage claim When you wait in line on your taxi. She will put on it like a normal vest, or insert the optional crotch strap for the protection of a five-level harness–something you received't get from an everyday booster, as well as the comfy detachable head rest.
A further dad or mum, Mr Dharma Lim, also programs to acquire taxis along with his baby daughter just for prolonged journeys. The 36-yr-old supplier acquired a Cybex Aton car or truck seat and base from the infant shop below for $199 a few several months prior to his daughter was born last December.
Fantastic products & wonderful customer service. We just lately experienced a vehicle accident & the bubblebum helped retain my son Harmless, when I emailed to provide some positive suggestions, the CEO phoned me from her trip to The us to inquire for more information over the incident & allow me to know about the security testing on the seats. Are unable to advocate this corporation sufficient. Thanks bubblebum!!
They're not out there in Singapore, but can be bought on line from Amazon. They are often put in in most taxis below.
A suggestion when having cabs within the Caribbean is to truly vet your cabs. Some will have seat belts plus some is not going to.
When automobile assistance Uber resolved they wanted to offer child auto harnesses to their buyers, they turned to IMMI to help you them ensure it is happen.
Hence, many of us frequently sat within the again seat with the youngsters inside our laps. So long as you Have a very sense of humor and allow additional time to get from location to place, it might be an excellent practical experience for everybody. I found that little toys (e.g. Vacation Magnadoodle), coloring pencils and guides, and stickers had been practical for passing time throughout the touring sections. Panda
It isn't constantly practical–or doable to provide alongside your child's auto seat or security booster when touring. But you will find safer alternate options than touring without the motor vehicle seat see this page in any way. Here's the most beneficial car or truck seat alternate options obtainable for vacation by taxi or automobile, in addition to by airplane.
Despite the fact that taxis Here i will discuss exempted from little one-basic safety seat necessities, they don't experience Risk-free travelling without a person for their son. They acquired the Joie Gemm journey method in a little one good for $360 about per month immediately after their son was born.
Portable Car Seat Things To Know Before You Buy
Base line: Even when you Imagine This could perform for A few other application, don't encourage these providers by getting these products and solutions. Buy anything especially designed for your needs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
THE television landscape is a universe of opposites. The Travel network (get up and go someplace!) is the opposite of HSN (sit on your couch and buy stuff!). Syfy (fantastical things that haven't happened yet) is the opposite of History (moderately interesting things that have already happened). The Golf Channel (sedentary activity watched by sedentary old duffers) is the opposite of Nick Jr. (frenetic activity watched by frenetic young children).
But one pair is more striking, more revelatory, than all the rest: Spike versus Lifetime. Guys versus Gals. XY versus XX. And with each channel offering new fare this month — Spike introduced the gross-out comedy "Blue Mountain State"; Lifetime fired up a new season of "Project Runway" — it seems a good time to compare and contrast these two cable franchises. What do their programs tell us about the sexes? What deep-seated yearnings drive the male of the species? What hopes and fears motivate the female? Is one smarter than the other, and if so, by how much?
Spike, part of MTV Networks, used to call itself "the first network for men." Lifetime, owned by the A&E Networks, once used the tag "television for women." Neither is quite so blatant now, but spend a few minutes with either one's original programming (as opposed to the avalanche of repurposed shows from other sources that both use to fill air time), and there's no mistaking which viewers are being trolled for. Back in 2005 Spike even shoved out Albie Hecht as president because he had attracted too many female viewers. Or so the news was played at the time.
No, there's no getting around it: Spike (average prime-time viewership: 1.05 million, according to the Nielsen Company) is Guy Land; Lifetime (1.1 million) is Gal Land. And here is what can be learned by studying them.
Lifetime is big on original movies (it recently started a separate, movies-only channel), but a large proportion of those films work one basic plotline: a woman (sometimes with spouse and/or children) is in danger; is she intrepid enough to save herself? Description of "The Accidental Witness": "A murderer goes after a female attorney when he thinks that she has witnessed one of his killings." And "Break-In": "What begins as a leisurely romantic honeymoon in a tropical paradise quickly turns into a tension-filled crisis as intruders break in during the middle of the night and take the honeymooners hostage." You get the idea: In Gal Land you are never, ever safe.Continue reading the main story
You are never, ever safe in Guy Land either, but only because you're not very bright. We learn this from one of Spike's original shows, "1,000 Ways to Die," which was introduced in spring 2008 and is still around. The title says it all: Each episode features dramatizations of real-life fatalities that were odd almost beyond imagining. A man driving drunk leans out the window to vomit just as the car is passing a mailbox; head and mailbox collide; head ends up on the ground. A drunk man in Honolulu tries to join in one of those twirling torch dances staged for tourists; he catches fire and burns to death as people applaud, thinking it's part of the show.
By "things" here we mean, basically, "women." Spike's shows are full of women who could easily be in Playboy and probably have been: gorgeous in that hourglass way, hair full and perfect. On Lifetime there is "Sherri," a sitcom introduced last fall starring Sherri Shepherd, who is what is generally called full-figured. There is also "Drop Dead Diva," in which a thin model who dies young gets sent back to earth but is placed in the body of a large-ish woman played by Brooke Elliott.
Plump women are almost never seen on Spike, and hotties are almost never seen on Lifetime. It's a tough call as to which is the more cynical ploy: brazenly playing to a female audience that probably could stand to lose a few pounds or shamelessly playing to a male audience that likes to fantasize about women more gorgeous than actually exist in real life.
But if women weigh more on Lifetime, so do their brains. The title character in "Sherri," for instance, is smart, and the show is witty enough that it could play in network prime time. The women on Spike are roughly as bright as the ones in "Jersey Shore," and the shows are often written for men whose sense of humor never made it out of junior high.
When "Project Runway" moved to Lifetime from Bravo last year, it was a tacit admission: Once the novelty of this reality show had worn off, and it was down to the hard-core fans, it was a women's show.
Why? Because "Project Runway," in which fledgling designers compete to please a panel of judges, isn't really about the designers or the judges. It's about the garments. And heterosexual men, as has been well documented, aren't generally smart enough to dress themselves. It is women who thrive on the intricacies of wardrobe and thus are going to care about which designer's gown is the most hideous and unwearable.
Spike, on the other hand, used to have a show called "Stripperella," and removing clothes is never far from anyone's mind on the network. The second episode of "Blue Mountain State," a comedy about a college football team, featured a plotline in which the star running back, who had been given a promise ring by his girlfriend, loses it in a strip club. (Where exactly he lost it is beyond printable, as is much of what is on the show.)
If the point needed further elaboration, which it probably doesn't, the online games section of Lifetime's Web site offers one game called Fashion Solitaire and another called Hostile Makeover: A Fashion Murder Mystery Game. In contrast Spike's site has Babe Hunt, in which you hunt for the differences in two almost identical pictures of nearly naked women.
This month Lifetime offered a new movie called "The Pregnancy Pact," an earnest film inspired by a spate of pregnancies among high school girls in Gloucester, Mass., in 2008. The movie, which stars Thora Birch, takes a forthright look at serious issues like peer pressure, the lack of opportunities for young people and the role schools should play in providing sex education and birth control. It is a commendable effort to educate about and generate discussion of a subject with far-reaching implications for teenagers and society as a whole.
The Spike version of this semi-public-service programming is a show called "Manswers." It too seeks to educate about and generate discussion of certain subjects, but those subjects have no far-reaching implications for anyone. Each episode answers (in a voice-over that is screamed like a used-car commercial) a half-dozen or so questions that probably didn't need asking. These, for instance:
¶What is the biggest strip club — strippers again! — in the world? (Answer: Some joint in Las Vegas.)
¶How many nonalcoholic beers (which have a smidgen of alcohol in them) would you have to drink to get legally drunk? (About 40.)
¶Is a rayon, lambskin or cotton cloth best for drying a car? The research on this one was done by three buxom women in halter tops — one top made out of each material — who rubbed their breasts over a wet car, then wrung out the halter tops to see how much water they had absorbed. Winner: Cotton.
We can, from these observations, construct the perfect day as imagined by a gal and by a guy.
In the gal's perfect day she is kidnapped on the way back from putting the kids on the school bus but vanquishes the kidnappers in time to go for a fattening lunch with her single-mom pals, at which they lament their lack of dates before donning designer gowns to go to a school board meeting where they successfully address all major educational problems.
In the guy's perfect day he awakes and, still sleepy, sticks his hand down a running garbage disposal trying to retrieve the bottle opener he has dropped in it; an ambulance crew made up entirely of strippers rushes him to the Hospital for Advanced Trauma Care and Stripping, where naked but highly trained female surgeons sew his hand back on, then take him home and wash his entire house as well as his car with their breasts while answering questions like: Does being spanked make a woman want to have sex?
So, clearly, members of one sex are living in a sad, unrealistic fantasy world, trying in vain to compensate for the drabness of their day-to-day lives. Members of the other are living a rich life of the imagination, at peace with their self-image and excited by what the future might hold. Which is which goes without saying.Continue reading the main story


text:
The Wallkill Valley Land Trust (WVLT) invites you to volunteer for its 8th annual historic house tour, Houses on the Land: Plattekill's Rural Treasures: Houses, Hamlets, Crossings and Byways. This year's tour explores the fascinating history, families, agriculture, and cultural heritage of the town of Plattekill winding through richly varied countryside via its many crossings and hamlets - New Hurley, Modena, Ardonia, Clintondale and Plattekill, a rarely explored and little-known land-locked region between Gardiner, Shawangunk, Marlboro and Lloyd. The day begins with registration and a tour of the beautiful New Hurley Reformed Church. Featured houses are among the town's most interesting and unusual vernacular treasures from the 19th to the 20th centuries, highlighting the Greek Revival aesthetic and its diverse vernacular expressions. A great adventure awaits us!
As a volunteer, you will join a small team of docents for one of two shifts at one of the houses on the tour. Docents help to monitor and safeguard the homes, direct traffic flow, enforce rules, and share their knowledge of their assigned home's history and architectural features, thereby enhancing the tour's reputation as an interesting, enjoyable and smoothly run event. As a thank you for your service, volunteers receive admission to the tour and the reception following.
- Early-May: An orientation package will be emailed (or mailed if you don't have email) to you about three weeks prior to the tour. It will include the history of the township, a description of your assigned house, a map of the tour route with specific directions to the house, and a list of fellow docents.
- Saturday, June 2: All docents are to arrive at their assigned house by 9:45am where they will receive their registration materials, any final instructions, and an orientation tour of the house.
First Shift: 9:45 – 1:45 (9:45-10:45 All Docents' Registration & Orientation)
Second Shift: 1:45 - 4:30 (arrive 9:45 for orientation; leave at 10:45; return at 1:30)
Reception: 4:30 – 6:00 at a private home (optional)
Want to participate?
We hope you will join us in supporting this important endeavor and look forward to hearing from you. It will be an interesting and fun experience!


text:
Dead Sea Purifying Clay Mask
By superdrug.com = £0.99
Easy to open sachet, contents: quite a lot inside. Quite a bargain for at least 2 applications. Easy to apply. The smell was very minimal.
Wasn't too keen on how this facemask felt on my skin at first, it felt kind of strange as it quickly began to get very hot, which for me is really strange because I can usually take hot things well but this seemed to feel hotter than I expected & not In a nice comfortable way either. That's really my only downside to it.
Other than that it left my skin feeling very soft after I washed it off & I did love the funky Hulk green shade on my face.
Not a great experience if I'm honest. Not something I would go out of my way to buy again.
It just seemed a bit too much for me. I'm happy with the way it has left my skin feeling though.
With Facemasks I prefer a deep cleansing, tingly feeling because you know it has really done something good to your skin & left you feeling refreshed but unfortunately this didn't leave my skin feeling that.
Thankyou for taking the time to read my blog, any Feedback, Likes & Comments are greatly appreciated.
Much Luv.


text:
This item from Rare Finds is now in the Shop Backroom.
More from Rare Finds
Previous Next
Item ID: RF0316-2
The mark on this Hummel is known as the 3-line or "3LM" and was primarily used from 1963-1972. She is known as the "Weary Wanderer". She has one shoe missing and is carrying flowers and a sack called a poke. She is about 6" tall and is in perfect condition.
If you were the pending buyer of this item, go to My Account to view, track and check payment for this item.
M.I. Hummel Little Girl with Flowers Figurine – 1960's
Questions about this item?
Email Shop
Email Shop
Rare Finds
Mara Balusek
Find Additional Unique Items Especially for Men at Dobie's Delights - Link Below
We ship within 24 hours of payment!
Platinum RatingPlatinum
Exclusive Ruby Lane Member since 2002


text:
product description page
Course in Behavioral Economics (Paperback) (Erik Angner)
about this item
A Course in Behavioral Economics is an accessible and self-contained introduction to the field of behavioral economics. The author introduces students to the subject by comparing and contrasting its theories and models with those of mainstream economics. Full of examples, exercises and problems, this book emphasises the intuition behind the concepts and is suitable for students from a wide range of disciplines.
Number of Pages: 318
Genre: Business + Money Management
Sub-Genre: Economics / Theory, Economics / Microeconomics, Economics / General
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan Higher Education
Author: Erik Angner
Language: English
Street Date: January 18, 2016
Item Number (DPCI): 248-07-5158
guest reviews
Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store & online. See our price match guarantee. See how a store is chosen for you.


text:
Activist groups staged protests during the annual shareholders meeting of sportswear giant Adidas on Thursday to protest the German company's sponsorship of the Beijing Olympics.
"Clean Clothes Campaign" activists protested against the exploitation of low-pay labor
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) gained the right to attend the shareholders' meeting in the central German town of Fuerth by buying shares in the company.
RSF called company executives to consider the implications of its brand being linked with human rights violations in China.
"Adidas has a moral responsibility," said RSF executive officer Elke Schaefter.
Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer said he took human rights very seriously, according to the text of his speech at the meeting.
He nevertheless criticized human rights organisations as "moralists who just emit rhetoric."
The Paris-based RSF used the same tactic in order to attend the annual general meeting of Coca-Cola last month in the United States. The company is also sponsoring this summer's Olympics.
Business or politics?
The CEO of the International Campaign for Tibet in Germany, Kai Mueller, said Adidas should work on improving human rights in Tibet.
The Adidas chief, however, said that his company was combining profitable growth with social and environmental responsibility.
"I don't think that what's going on in China is good," Hainer said. "But Adidas has nothing to do with it."
Earlier this week, the brand with the three stripes reported a big jump in profits for the first quarter of 2008, driven by double-digit growth in sales.
Net income attributable to shareholders increased 32 percent from the same period a year ago to 169 million euros ($260 million), the company said in a statement.
First-quarter sales in Asia increased 25 percent on a currency-neutral basis, driven by particularly strong growth in China and Korea, the company said.
In addition to sponsoring the Olympic Games in Beijing, Adidas will be represented at this year's European soccer championship to be held in Austria and in Switzerland, as well.
The Beijing Olympics sponsors need to find ways to prevent international outrage over the situation in Tibet from morphing into a backlash against them. DW-WORLD.DE spoke to one of their advisors about what can be done. (25.04.2008)
As the UN's top human rights body faces calls to break its silence over China's crackdown in Tibet, DW-WORLD.DE spoke to a German political expert about the protests and what action the international community can take. (21.03.2008)


text:
Yesterday we went up to Munising to see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It is a very remote area much like northern Maine and we experienced fall like weather. We were able to see a great deal in just one day.
I have always known the Great Lakes are well big…but this is the first time I have really experienced them and had a better understanding of how vast they are. Lake Superior is really like the ocean. The waves were very high and rough which would explain the high number of shipwrecks. It is amazing to me to think that the fur traders in the 1700 and 1800s paddled their canoes full of furs across these lakes. Especially when you consider that modern-day 65 foot long vessels are grounded when the lake becomes too rough.
The kids are getting a little tired but they are being good sports. Today was their "down" day, they relaxed while I drove 8 hours to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. They were bickering a little bit and I started to call them Edith and Archie and they had no idea what I was talking about. They have since pulled themselves together and are enjoying a nice swim in the pool.
We are back at a KOA. I am afraid it has become like Wal Mart and like our home away from home or a place I love to complain about but at least I am familiar with it. I called a Jellystone campground and they were going to charge $75.00 for a primitive site (no water of electricity)…no way I was going to pay that! Then I got a reservation at a cheaper place…we pulled up and the campground office was a bar! And, we were the only people there! Yikes! As I was peeling out of that driveway I was on the phone with the KOA and we are settled in nicely.
Tomorrow we are going to a water park. Friday we are planning to head to South Dakota.


text:
1. He is painstakingly kind. To the point where I feel ashamed to be his wife sometimes when I whip off my sarcastic comments and call myself hilarious. He sees the good in everyone, and Lord knows I need that.
2. He has a fascinating love for cereal. Every morning, he has a bowl of Cheerios. If he's feeling bold, he'll spring for some Mini Wheats. Most nights before bed, his choice of snack (OR EVEN DESSERT) is more cereal. It's astonishing.
3. While Andrew adores our German shepherd more than anything else on the planet, his favorite dog breed is a Golden retriever. That will be what we get next, and Andrew gets to pick one out and choose the name. :) (Although I'm pretty sure we've already agreed on Charlie.)
4. If I was sitting on the train tracks next to a cinnamon roll from Old School Bagel Cafe and a train was coming, I'm not 100% sure which of us he would save. (I'm kidding, of course. He'd save both of us because he's clever.)
5. If a movie exists, he's heard of it. I can't even begin to fathom the absurd amount of movie trivia Andrew squeezes into his brain. He loves movies more than any person I've ever met.
6. He is a ridiculously good man. He's the kind of man I didn't know existed, but thank God I waited long enough. He treats me better than I deserve, works harder than most people I know, loves his family, and melts me to the core when he is snuggling and laughing with the dog child. He is just good.
7. He has Captain America blonde hair and bright ocean blue eyes – both things that let me know I made the right decision in choosing him to be the father of my future children. (Yes, I realize our children will be like a little Aryan race with their blonde hair and blue eyes. I promise we love the Jews.)
8. Andrew has only two major fears: snakes and Ursula the octopus thing from The Little Mermaid.
9. Nothing can stand between Andrew and eating 5 flour tortillas at Ted's Mexican restaurant. Nothing.
10. If he could go anywhere in the world, he would go to New Zealand. He would cruise through Milford Sound listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and make fun of me while I take pictures. He would find the closest thing to an American hamburger and fries and be outrageously joyful.
Love you handsome man. Bring me home a pizza. ;)


text:
If you provide computer support, you can easy access your customer's computers from anywhere in the world and resolve helpdesk issues remotely! Your customers don't have to pre-install software or execute complex procedures to get remote helpdesk support. UltraVNC software allows you to remotely control a computer over any TCP/IP connection. UltraVNC emulates the destination computer to make it look as if you were in front of it.
UltraVNC key features include FileTransfer, Video Driver, Encryption Plugins, high performances, JavaViewer, MS Logon, mouse and keyboard emulation, good Security and Text Chat communication."


text:
|By Tony Bizjak, The Sacramento Bee,
Calif.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
February 27, 2010 --A member of the Maloof family, owners of the Sacramento Kings, confirmed Friday that they sat down with creditors to renegotiate a major loan for their hotel and casino in Las Vegas.
George Maloof declined to comment, however, on an online report that the family had breached contract covenants on a $380 million loan for the Palms, their Las Vegas hotel and casino, or that the owners of Harrah's may be zeroing in for a takeover.
Maloof characterized the debt restructuring as a typical move during tough times afflicting many in the gambling business.
"As far as our financing, every casino company over the past year has gone through amendments on their loan agreements or is going through amendments," Maloof said. "We're no different."
Las Vegas gambling consultant Bill Lerner of Union Gaming corroborated Maloof's comment about the struggles of Vegas casinos.
A report on debtwire.com this week citing unnamed sources said Texas Pacific Group, a co-owner of Harrah's Entertainment, is buying some Palms debt, possibly positioning itself for a takeover.
Maloof said private-company loan discussions are covered by confidentiality agreements, and indicated his family plans to continue to own and operate its showpiece hotel and casino.
Texas Pacific Group declined comment on the debtwire.com report.
The Maloofs recently put their long-held New Mexico beer distributorship up for sale.
Estimated at nearly $200 million, the sale is expected to be final in the next few weeks, Maloof said.
He said the family had been thinking for several years about selling the New Mexico business because family members no longer spent much time there and the family business was more focused on the Palms, the Kings and other ventures.
He acknowledged that the sale frees up cash, and said, "Some will be used at the Palms."
Maloof said the Palms debt restructuring does not affect the Kings or the team's $69 million loan with the city of Sacramento.
City Treasurer Russ Fehr said his review of the Kings' books tells him the team is capable of paying its annual $5 million-plus debt here.
Maloof said team finances have stabilized this year and "the Kings are in good shape. Our revenues are up."
The Kings and NBA face a critical juncture.
Officials want to reduce player salaries after the current contract expires in 2011, and there has been speculation that could lead to a season-canceling lockout in 2011.
Maloof said the Kings are positioned for that possibility. "If there is (a lockout), we are going to be strong," he said.
Call The Bee's Tony Bizjak, (916) 321-1059. Staff writer Dale Kasler contributed to this story.
To see more of The Sacramento Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sacbee.com/.
Copyright (c) 2010, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email email@example.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.


text:
If anyone needs a break it's the people in Ferguson Missouri. After the last fee months they've been through, I would think everyone who resides there would need a break or two.
While they might have to wait to get a moment to relax and reflect, the students of Columbia Law School will get the chance to mourn properly.
The schools interim dean Robert E. Scott issued an email to all students Saturday, citing policies to help students who feel their performance could suffer after distressing experiences such as viewing the video of Eric Garner being choked to death by police.
The email read:
"The grand juries' determinations to return nonindictments in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases have shaken the faith of some in the integrity of the grand jury system and in the law more generally," the email reads.
"For some law students, particularly, though not only, students of color, this chain of events is all the more profound as it threatens to undermine a sense that the law is a fundamental pillar of society designed to protect fairness, due process and equality."
Several faculty members and a trauma specialist scheduled special office hours this week for students who would like support or to discuss the implications of the grand juries' decisions.
I wasn't the only one who found this utterly ridiculous.
Conservative Power Line blog, which first picked up the story said this about the prestigious schools decision:
"The video of Garner is certainly disturbing," the post reads. "But anyone so unstable as to be incapable of preparing for and taking exams due to grand jury proceedings not involving themselves or their families should be given an indefinite leave of absence in which to get better."
A spokesperson for Columbia Law School confirmed to Yahoo News that a small fraction of its students rescheduled their exams for later this month but feared that this matter could divert attention from the real issue: "how to ensure a criminal justice system that protects fairness, due process, and equality."
Source: Yahoo! News


text:
In an email exchange with The Denver Post's Politics West Editor Stephen Keating last night Stephen informed me that they had added me to their Colorado Blog Roll. This was an entirely unsolicited move on their part and I'd like to thank Stephen publicly for the add.
Politics West is a great resource, I check it regularly (a few times a day) and appreciate the effort they've made to highlight non-professional bloggers like Josh Sharf and Ross Kaminsky, even if I disagree with their ideology.
So thanks again to The Post, Politics West and Mr. Keating and welcome to any of you who are finding me via the link on the Politics West website.
Well, I Dreamt I Went Away on a Steampowered Aereoplane I Went and I Stayed and I Damm Dear Didn't Come Back Again - John Hartford
Friday, April 25, 2008
4 comments:
- Phil said...
Nice work! Congrats.
- April 25, 2008 at 8:20 AM
- Steam Powered Opinions said...
- April 25, 2008 at 10:04 AM
- Matt S said...
Nice, man! I really enjoy your blog. Keep it up. Way to hand it to Ross K, too. He's always annoyed me with his cherry picked "facts." He's obviously extremely ignorant, or just a bald faced liar. I tend to believe the latter. My background is in evironmental science and all I can say is well done! Very well presented and hard to refute, though certain nimrods will always try.
- April 25, 2008 at 12:26 PM
- Steam Powered Opinions said...
Thanks Matt, really appreciate that
- April 25, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Shannon Harper -
About Shannon Harper
Shannon Harper and is interested in Energy, Retail, Specialty Retail.
Not the person you're looking for?
Find more results for Shannon Harper
Find more results for Shannon Harper
Quick Profile Summary
Name: Shannon Harper
Link: http://www.salespider.com/p-4473131/shannon-harper
Link: http://www.salespider.com/p-4473131/shannon-harper
Explore using SaleSpider
Shannon Harper's Business Connections
Find more information on the Company
Business Spotlight
Locksmith Roselle


text:
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy covers how Odyssey Shipping Ltd. collects, uses, discloses, transfers and stores "Personal Information", which means any information which relates to a natural person and allows that person to be identified. (Personal Information does not include the name, title or business address or telephone number of an organization's employee.) Please read this Policy carefully before using Odyssey Shipping Ltd. website, mobile website, mobile applications, and any other distribution channels owned, controlled or operated by Odyssey Shipping Ltd. (hereafter collectively referred to as the "Site").
In this Policy:
"You" refers to the user, viewer, customer, merchant or individual accessing the site.
"Odyssey Shipping" refers to the provider selling services to customers through the site.
This Policy covers the following aspects:
Acceptance of Policy
Information Collected and Stored
Cookies and Tracking Devices
Sharing Information with Third Parties
Revisions and Modifications
Security Safeguards
Applicable Law, Jurisdiction and Dispute Resolution
Acceptance of Policy
This Policy applies to all Personal Information collected or submitted through the Site. By doing business with or interacting with Odyssey Shipping Ltd. in the manner described in this Policy or otherwise using the Site in any way, you are accepting the practices described in this Policy and you expressly consent to the application of this Policy to the collection, storage, use and disclosure of all your Personal Information as described. If you do not agree to the terms of this Policy and to follow all applicable laws, you should leave the Site immediately.
This Site is marketed for and directed towards use by our Customers, Vendors, Agents and interested parties. Should Odyssey Shipping Ltd. learn that those not authorized or permitted to use the Site have provided any Personal Information to Odyssey Shipping Ltd. or on the Site, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. will remove that Personal Information as soon as possible.
Information Collected AND Stored
The collection of Personal Information will be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified in this Policy. In order to enter information on the Site, you will need to create an account with the Site. This account is password-protected and can be used, among other things, to Create Bookings and Quotes, Submit B/L Instructions, Contacts Us, Make a Rate Request or provide contact data. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. recommends that you do not share your password with anyone. Because any information you choose to post will be available online, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. can make no assurances that others will not use, or misuse, that information.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may receive and store Personal Information you enter or provide through your use of the Site. For example, you may enter or provide Odyssey Shipping Ltd. Personal Information that Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may receive and/or store when you register, make a booking or quote, submit B/L instructions complete your profile and preferences, complete a contact us form, participate in any services provided to you by Odyssey Shipping Ltd. or the Site, or send Odyssey Shipping Ltd. an e-mail or other type of correspondence. This Personal Information may include, but is not limited to:
Mailing address
E-mail address
Mobile and office Phone number
Preference information you provide to Odyssey Shipping Ltd. regarding Bookings, B/L Instructions, and other information
Personal Information you provide to Odyssey Shipping Ltd. about other people, submitted through the Site
You may have to enter your credit card (or other payment method) information in order to complete any transaction. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. does not maintain or store your credit card information. Whenever you choose to enter or store credit card (or other payment method) information in order to complete a transaction using the Site, such credit card information is received or stored by payment processing providers of Odyssey Shipping Ltd. Credit card transactions are operated, and related credit card information is received and stored, by payment processing providers, which may also receive other information from Odyssey Shipping Ltd. for verification and processing of payments. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY RELATED TO THIS PROVISION OR RESULTING (DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY) FROM THESE SERVICES.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may receive Personal Information about you from other sources allowing Odyssey Shipping Ltd. to improve the level of service offered to you through recommendations other service providers.
Your Personal Information will not be added to any e-mail distribution channels of the Site unless and until you first establish your own customer account with the Site as well as your expressed opt-in to said e-mail distribution channel. All transactions and communications with such you (including, without limitation, receipt of such e-mails and/or use of the Site) are subject to this Policy, the Terms and Conditions of Terms of Use, as each may be amended from time to time by Odyssey Shipping Ltd.
The purposes for which Personal Information is collected are identified by Odyssey Shipping Ltd. in this Policy. For example, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may use your Personal Information to:
Provide superior customer service
Conduct research and perform analysis in order to measure, maintain, protect, develop and improve Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s products and services
Administer promotions or surveys
Communicate with you about special offers, events, or new products or services that may be of interest to you
Customize and enhance the Site and advertising
Make communications necessary to notify you regarding security, privacy and administrative issues
Manage Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s business;
Better understand Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s users to be able to provide service that better relates to your likes, dislikes, needs and interests
Every user that has an account on the Site is responsible for (i) keeping his or her account password confidential and secured, (ii) avoiding unauthorized access to his or her computing device; and (iii) keeping the e-mail address associated with that account current. Personal Information must be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used. For instance, you acknowledge that it is important that you keep the e-mail address associated with your account current because although you may be able to log into your Odyssey Shipping Ltd. account using an old e-mail address, you will not receive messages from Odyssey Shipping Ltd. about your transactions and inquiries or other matters.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. encourages you to promptly update your Personal Information if it changes. You may ask to have Personal Information on your account deleted or removed; however, because Odyssey Shipping Ltd. keeps track of past transactions, you cannot delete information associated with past transactions on the Site. It may be impossible for Odyssey Shipping Ltd. to completely delete all of your information because Odyssey Shipping Ltd. periodically backs up your information and certain information is maintained and stored solely by Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s third party vendors.
Upon accessing the Site, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may receive, collect and record information that your browser sends whenever you visit a Site including, for example:
the name of the domain and host from which you access the Internet
the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computing device you are using
the date and time you access the Site
the Internet address of the site from which you linked directly to the Site
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may use this information to monitor the usage of the Site and as necessary for Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s business. This information does not include Personal Information.
You agree that your Personal Information may be transferred, stored and processed outside the province of Quebec, Canada. The data protection laws may be different in the country from which you are visiting the Site. By doing business or interacting with Odyssey Shipping Ltd., you are consenting to the transfer of your Personal Information to facilities located in the United States, Canada or other facility locations selected by Odyssey Shipping Ltd.
Cookies AND TRACKING DEVICES
In addition to the Personal Information collected as set forth herein, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may receive and/or store information received from you through your use and interaction with the Site, such as, but not limited to, information obtained through the use of "cookies" or alphanumeric identifiers that Odyssey Shipping Ltd. transfers to your computing device through your web browser. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may use "cookies" to obtain information when your web browser accesses the Site.
Cookies are small files that are placed on your computing device to collect information about your activities on the Site. Cookies help Odyssey Shipping Ltd. to: (i) speed navigation, keep track of items you select and provide you with the content that is tailored to you; (ii) remember information you provided to the Site so that you do not have to reenter such information for future use thereof; (iii) determine the effectiveness of certain marketing efforts and communications; and (iv) monitor the number of visitors, pages viewed, banners displayed, bookings made purchased and B/L instructions submitted.
Browsers are typically programmed to create cookies automatically. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. does not require you, as a condition for using the Site, to permit Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s use of "cookies" and you can choose to utilize software or other programs, provided by you at your own risk and cost, which are designed to allow you to access the Site anonymously. The "help" function of most web browsers can provide you with specific information about how to prevent your web browser from accepting "cookies". Some of Odyssey Shipping Ltd. features and services may not function properly, or at all, if the cookies are turned off.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may utilize the information obtained from "cookies" for reporting and analysis purposes, to determine the performance of any marketing efforts undertaken by Odyssey Shipping Ltd., and the delivery of relevant marketing messages, and advertisements.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may also use other industry standard technologies like pixel tags and web beacons to track your use of the Site pages and promotions, or may allow Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s third party service providers to use these devices on Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s behalf. Pixel tags and web beacons are tiny graphic images placed on certain pages on the Site, or in Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s e-mails that allows the Site to determine whether you have performed a specific action. Pixel tags allow the Site to measure and improve Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s understanding of visitor traffic and behavior on the Site.
Sharing Information with Third Parties
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may share certain information with third parties in order to provide special opportunities, which may occur in, but is not limited to, the following circumstances
In the carrying on of their enterprise, Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s may grant access to your Personal Information to its authorized mandatories or agents or to any party with whom Odyssey Shipping Ltd. has a contract for work or services if the information is needed for the performance of their duties or the carrying out of their mandates or contracts.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may release Personal Information to third parties when it determines, in its reasonable judgment, that it is necessary to: (i) comply with the law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request; (ii) enforce or apply the terms of any of Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s policies or user agreements; or (iii) protect the rights, property or safety of Odyssey Shipping Ltd. or Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s employees, customers, users or others.
If Odyssey Shipping Ltd. becomes involved in a merger, acquisition, or any form of sale of some or all of its assets, Personal Information may be provided to the entities and advisors involved subject to a confidentiality agreement, and Odyssey Shipping Ltd. will provide notice before any Personal Information is finally transferred if, as a result, it becomes subject to a different Personal Information protection policy.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may use third party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit the Site. These companies may use information which does not constitute Personal Information about your visits to this Site and other sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services that may be of interest to you.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may also use third party service providers to track and analyze usage and volume statistical information which does not constitute Personal Information from its users to administer Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s Site and constantly improves its quality. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may also publish this information for promotional purposes or as a representative audience for advertisers. This does not constitute Personal Information, only general summaries of the activities of Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s users. Such data is collected on Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s behalf, and is owned and used by Odyssey Shipping Ltd.
The Site may contain links, resources, or produce search results that reference links to third party Sites ("Third-Party Sites"). These Third-Party Sites have their own policies regarding protection of personal information. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may have no control over, and assumes no responsibility for any sites or resources that are provided by the Third-Party Sites, or the content, privacy policies, or practices of any these third-Party Sites. If you visit one of these Third-Party Sites, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. recommends that you review the Personal Information protection policy for that Third-Party Site. In addition, you may have linked to the Site through a Third-Party Site. In such cases, the Third-Party Site you linked from may collect Personal Information from you. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. recommends that you review the Personal Information policies on those Third-Party Sites to understand how they collect and use the Personal Information they collect.
Revisions and Modifications
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. reserves the right at all times to modify this Policy (as posted on the Site and amended from time to time) as Odyssey Shipping Ltd. deems necessary or desirable. When these changes are made, an updated version of this Policy will be posted on the Site. In Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s sole discretion, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may notify you of material changes by sending you an e-mail to the e-mail address that is registered within your Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s account. You agree and consent to such procedures. You understand that you should check this Policy regularly for changes.
Any changes to this Policy will be effective upon the earlier of (a) Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s dispatch of a written notice to you, at least thirty (30) days before the amendment comes into force, drawn up clearly and legibly, setting out the new clause only, or the amended clause and the clause as it read formerly, the date of the coming into force of the amendment and your rights to refuse the amendment and rescind or, in the case of a contract involving sequential performance, cancel the contract without cost, penalty or cancellation indemnity by sending Odyssey Shipping Ltd. a notice to that effect no later than thirty (30) days after the amendment comes into force, if the amendment entails an increase in your obligations or a reduction in Odyssey Shipping Ltd. obligations, or (b) Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s posting of notice of the changes on the Site, provided that these changes will not apply to your use of the Site and Vouchers purchased prior to the effective date of such changes.
You understand and agree that if you use the Site after the date on which this Policy has been changed, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. will treat your use of the Site as acceptance of this Policy as modified, and any additional or different terms will apply to you. If you object to any such changes, your sole recourse shall be to cease using the Site.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. shall have the right at any time to change or discontinue any aspect or feature of the Site, including, but not limited to, content, tools, account features, hours of availability and equipment or software needed for access or use. Further, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may discontinue disseminating any portion of information or category of information, may change or eliminate any transmission or transaction method and may change transmission speeds or other signal characteristics in its sole discretion.
Security Safeguards
Personal Information is protected by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. takes significant and appropriate security measures, including physical, technological, and procedural measures, to help safeguard your Personal Information and to prevent unauthorized access and disclosure. While Odyssey Shipping Ltd. is focused on the security of your Personal Information and follows strict standards, processes, and procedures designed to protect your Personal Information, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. cannot promise, and you should not expect, that your Personal Information will remain secure in all circumstances.
The Site uses Secure Sockets Layering (SSL) to encrypt your personal information, including passwords and your credit card number, before it travels over the Internet. SSL technology is the industry standard for secure online transactions. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. will utilize third party vendor maintenance and support for processing transactions and storage of credit card data.
No data transmission or submission over or by way of the Internet or a wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while Odyssey Shipping Ltd. employs commercially reasonable security measures to protect data and seeks to partner with companies which do the same, Odyssey Shipping Ltd. cannot and does not guarantee the security of any information transmitted to or from the Site, and is not responsible for the actions of any third parties that may obtain any such information.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. shall have the right, but not the obligations, to monitor the content of the Site at all times, including any chat rooms and forums that may hereinafter be included as part of the Site, to determine compliance with this Policy and any operating rules established by Odyssey Shipping Ltd., as well as to satisfy any applicable law, regulation or authorized government request. Without limiting the foregoing Odyssey Shipping Ltd. shall have the right, but not the obligation, to remove any material that Odyssey Shipping Ltd., in its sole discretion, finds to be in violation of the provision hereof or otherwise objectionable.
Applicable Law, Jurisdiction AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
This Policy, and your relationship with Odyssey Shipping Ltd. under this Policy, shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Québec in Canada, without regard to its conflict of law's provisions. You and Odyssey Shipping Ltd. agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within the Province of Québec in Canada to resolve any legal matter arising hereunder. Notwithstanding this, you agree that Odyssey Shipping Ltd. shall still be allowed to apply for injunctive remedies (or an equivalent type of urgent legal remedy or relief) in any jurisdiction.
You agree to submit to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the courts located in judicial district of Montreal in the Province of Quebec and waive any objection to the laying of venue of any litigation in said courts.
You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users. Odyssey Shipping Ltd. reserves the right, but has no obligation, to become involved in any way with disputes between you and other users.
You can always choose not to provide Personal Information, although it may be required to engage in a certain activity on the Site.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. may send you notifications:
"Administrative Notifications" relate to your activity on the Site, and include e-mails regarding your user account, requests or inquiries and purchases of services. Administrative Notifications, from which you cannot opt-out, are used by Odyssey Shipping Ltd. to send you information regarding your account activity and purchases as well as updates about Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s services.
"Promotional Notifications" advertise Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s goods and services, including exclusive sales and other offers, and/or services of Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s, If you do not want to receive Promotional Notifications, you may elect to opt-out of receiving them or some of them at any time after registering by (i) contacting Odyssey Shipping Ltd. at the address in Article 8.4 (please indicate your name, address, e-mail address, and what Promotional E-mails you do not want to receive), or (ii) going to your Notification Settings in your account and unsubscribing from any one or all email or other notifications.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. will never request any username, password, credit card details or any other Personal Information from you through e-mail. This is an attempt, known as "phishing", to acquire Personal Information (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. If you receive an e-mail that looks like it is sent by Odyssey Shipping Ltd. and is asking you for any type of Personal Information, you should delete the e-mail and refrain from responding.
Odyssey Shipping Ltd. has designated an individual or individuals who are accountable for Odyssey Shipping Ltd.'s application of this Policy. All notices and communications to Odyssey Shipping Ltd. shall be sent in writing to:
Odyssey Shipping Ltd.
E-Mail: email@example.com