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There are so many money-making ideas that involve maximizing income. While this is a great way to change your financial status and pay off student loans, there are more fundamental steps to improving your financial life. One of the most important is to improve your credit – a concept that is poorly understood by many people who would benefit from it. We'll cover the reasons why credit repair is vital for financial health, as well as some of the best ways to accomplish it.
Why Does Good Credit Save You Money?
Credit is the borrowing of money to spend on things for which you don't have the available cash. Credit history is exactly what it sounds like – a record of all of the ways you've used credit in the past. There are three different companies that keep track of this information for every consumer. They are called Credit Reporting Agencies, and they each assign you a three digit credit score. The credit score is what lenders look at when they are deciding whether or not to grant you a loan.
This is where it gets interesting. If you have a bad credit score, you'll likely be denied your loan request. That's because the lender thinks it's too risky to lend you money. You might not pay it back. For people with mediocre credit however, a loan will likely be issued, but with very high interest. Interest is the way a lender accounts for the possibility that you will not pay back their money. By collecting interest from lots of borrowers, they have the extra money in the bank when a borrower does default on a loan. The lower your score, the more you'll pay in interest and fees. For large loans like mortgages, you may pay tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars more during the life of your loan, than would someone with a great credit score.
How to Improve Credit Scores
There are good companies that will repair your credit for you. Credit repair service reviews are available. However, it's also possible to do some of this work yourself. First you need to access your credit report, from one or more of the three credit reporting agencies. If you have bad credit history, you'll likely see negative items on these reports. Each of these is a record of some time when you didn't pay a bill on time, borrowed too much money in a single credit card, or otherwise used credit irresponsibly.
You can pay off the debts in question if you are able to afford that. You can then dispute the negative marks on your credit report. When you do this, it is the job of the lender who issued the complaint to recreate the transaction history of the debt. This requires a lot of homework on their part. If you have indeed resolved the issue, they will have to remove the item. But even if you don't remove the item, they may just remove it because it is not worth their time to review the necessary documentation.
Whatever you do, get your credit score up. It'll allow you to keep more of your income for your entire career.


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General-Election Cycle Draws Near for Dems
The Morning Brief, a look at the day's biggest news, is emailed to subscribers by 7 a.m. every business day. Sign up for the e-mail here.
However premature reports of the Clinton campaign's demise have been all spring, this early-summer week may finally offer the Democrats closure and a chance for Barack Obama to focus all his attention on John McCain and the fall.

subset: commoncrawl


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Editor's Note: Welcome to "Eye Catching: Let's Chat," a blog series featuring contributions from members of the ophthalmic community. These blogs are an opportunity for ophthalmic bloggers to engage with readers with about a topic that is top of mind, whether it is practice management, experiences with patients, the industry, medicine in general, or healthcare reform. The series continues with this blog by Joshua Mali, MD, a vitreoretinal surgeon at The Eye Associates, a private multispecialty ophthalmology practice in Sarasota, FL. The views expressed in these blogs are those of their respective contributors and do not represent the views of Ophthalmology Times or UBM Medica.
After reflecting on this past year, I felt inspired to write an article on a topic that I hope will be interesting and helpful to a particular subset of people: professional/physician couples. To establish my credibility on the subject matter, it is essential for me to present our background. When my wife and I got married, I was in my final year of ophthalmology residency training at Albany Medical College and about to start my upcoming retina fellowship in Albany as well.
My wife was completing her medical internship and started ophthalmology residency at Albany Medical Center as I was just completing it. If you do the math, I would complete my two-year fellowship while she would still have one more year in residency training. At the end of fellowship, I was presented with an offer for my dream job as being the retinal specialist for The Eye Associates in Sarasota, Florida.
At first, I was not even going to consider a long-distance relationship for obvious reasons. However, after consultation and weighing the decision very carefully, I realized it was an offer I couldn't refuse and it was an opportunity for my wife and I to conquer a challenge together as a team.
More from Dr. Mali: 5 things interviewers look for in residency candidates
In the medical field, it is very common to see long distance relationships amongst healthcare professionals including medical students, residents, and fellows, who are often in different training programs across the country.
The key is remembering that it will only be a temporary situation. Therefore, as we have successfully managed our long distance relationship this year, we thought we would share some tips that can be helpful to others.


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Getting your team and operations on board with new cloud processes is equally important to us as getting the tech right.
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We help you lay the foundation for DevOps practices in the cloud with infrastructure automation, deployment automation, and configuration management.
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Our cloud infrastructure needs to be highly available, meet strict PCI requirements and rapidly scale to meet the demand of our global user base. Working with Logicworks to manage our infrastructure, running on the AWS Cloud, enables us to continually innovate, provide superior customer service, and focus on our core business.


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Streamline the look of your home with the best quality custom garage cabinets in Phoenix. You can't go wrong with Arizona Garage & Closet Design!
The garage is your hub for outdoor activity. Whether you have a collection of gardening tools, hardware or sports equipment, it helps to know your things are organized properly. And when it comes to keeping your things organized, safe and secure, nobody does it better than Arizona Garage & Closet Design. We offer the largest selection of custom garage storage and organization systems in Arizona. With nearly 200 standard sizes of garage cabinets, including blind corner cabinets, center-divided tall cabinets and sink bases, we have something to suit any taste.
We offer endless ways to customize your garage cabinets for a completely unique look that matches your Arizona home.
Our traditional garage cabinets are anything but boring. There are endless ways to personalize the look and feel of your installation while maintaining our signature quality:
- Color Selection: Traditional cabinets come in seven classic colors so you can match your garage cabinets to your personality! Choose from matte white, solid slate, maple, coco, metallic silver, windswept pewter, or metallic bronze.
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Our commitment to quality goes all the way to our installation methods. Garage cabinetry is anchored directly to your garage wall about six-inches above the ground. This will protect your cabinet from flooding, scorpions and the occasional dust storm should you forget to close the garage door.
Quality is our priority when it comes to the life of your garage cabinets. Don't believe us? Believe our lifetime warranty: if any wood product breaks within normal use during the life of the product, we'll replace it for free – no questions asked.
It's time to love your garage again. Request a complimentary in-home garage design estimate today and experience the industry's leading custom garage organization system for yourself.
View our photo gallery below to get more ideas for your custom garage cabinets.


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Just like Derek said in his recent article, I have also been away from writing for a bit too long. We've been looking to go in a rather different direction with the website and Twitter account so we've been handling all of that business, but alas I am back!
Today's 5-game slate should shape up to be rather chalky, as I see one lineup and one lineup only for cash games and the core four today is going to be rather pricey.
With that being said, here are my four building blocks for my NBA DFS lineup on Fanduel this evening.
LeBron James | $9,900
The fact that arguably the best player in basketball finds himself below 10k on Fanduel is an absolute joke and a clear sign that he should be your first lock of the night tonight. As Derek alluded to in his article, his points per game are down, but his peripheral stats are right in line with the standard he's set recently. He's currently averaging 22.9 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.9 rebounds per game in about 37 minutes of action per game. If you recall the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors, LeBron averaged 26 points, 6.7 assists, and 8.5 rebounds per game to go along with 2 steals and 1 block per game while shooting 62.2% from the field. This is bound to be the most competitive game of the night and expect the King to be at the center of it.
Jimmy Butler | $8,600
Well, contrary to preseason predictions, the Bulls' additions of Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade haven't seemed to slow Jimmy Butler down much at all. In his last three games, Butler has top 60 FD points twice and has averaged over 38 minutes per game, 32 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7 assists, and 4 steals per game. On the season, Butler is actually averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game and has an enticing matchup with the up-tempo Portland Trail Blazers tonight. The current over/under for the game is sitting at 213 and the Bulls have an implied team total of 105. With Rajon Rondo now questionable, even more responsibility could be thrust onto Jimmy Butler to lead the offense, and all signs point to him being up to the task.
Karl-Anthony Towns | $8,400
Man, I love a god narrative and today happens to be KAT's 21st birthday! Take that however you want, either good or bad, but my guess is he will be doing his celebrating tonight after the game…thank God. KAT is by far and away the best play at the center position today for a handful of reasons. The most expensive center, Hassan Whiteside ($8,500), faces a tough test against Dwight Howard while Towns is likely to be guarded by a combination of Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky, and Spencer Hawes. Yeah…I like those matchups. Towns has also posted 3 consecutive performances of at least 20 points and at least 10 rebounds and has seen at least 39 minutes in two of his last three games. $8,400 for the best young center in the NBA is a steal. Don't pass this up.
Tyler Johnson | $4,900
I told you that the core four were rather expensive today, which means we need to find some nice value plays to compliment the studs. Bring in Tyler Johnson. He has not started in place of Goran Dragic while he's been nursing an ankle injury, but Johnson has excelled in the sixth-man role this season. Last night against the Spurs, Johnson contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal without committing a single turnover. Tonight he gets the Atlanta Hawks who currently rank 28th in the league when it comes to defending the point guard position. Don't expect Johnson to start tonight, but for $4,900 he offers an extremely high floor and a rather high ceiling for such an affordable price.


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His mission is to provide every customer with the best truck for their transport needs. If that means he does not have what is perfect for your company, he will not offer you something that is less suitable. Every client is different, and the only way to really help someone is to listen. For Peter a relationship built on trust is the secret for success. If you are looking for the honest advice of someone with a passion for and expert knowledge of trucks, Peter is your man!
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||New Jersey| Willie Moretti
Birth: 1894 - Bari, Italy
Death: October 4, 1951 - New Jersey
Guarino "Willie" Moretti was an Underboss of the Luciano family and a cousin of Frank Costello, who was the boss of the family from 1946 till 1957.
New Jersey kingpin
Born Guarino Moretti in Bari, Puglia, Italy in 1894, Moretti came to America in the early 1900's to join his family in New Jersey. In his youth he became a close friend of Frank Costello and Costello's brother with who'm they formed a gang. From 1933 to 1951, Willie Moretti, the supposed Mafia boss of New Jersey, was the muscle behind Frank Costello. During the 1940's, he (in association with Joe Adonis & Abner Zwillman) ran lucrative gambling dens in New Jersey and Upstate New York from his Monmouth County home. At the hight of his power Moretti controlled a gang of about 60 viscious enforcers. He also became very involved in narcotics trafficking where he would work together with Adonis, Costello and Luciano.
Although married, Moretti was known to have seen many cheap prostitutes, preferably, ethnic ones. Eventually, he contracted syphilis, which was said to have caused Moretti brain damage. Tellingly, it is believed that he placed bets on non-existent horses, told runaway stories that led nowhere and may have even let slip Syndicate secrets to the press. Along with other members of the Costello gang, Moretti was called to appear at the Kefauver hearings; however, of all the gangsters who showed up to testify, Moretti was the only one who cooperated with the committee. Moretti's cohorts repeatedly pleaded the Fifth Amendment, whereas he told jokes, talked candidly, and generally played it up for the cameras. In doing so, he was violating the Mafia code of silence, known as omertà.
Final years
In 1951, members of the National Crime Syndicate met to discuss Willie Moretti's loose tongue. While Frank Costello and Joe Adonis were strongly opposed to it, Vito Genovese and Albert Anastasia demanded Moretti be killed. On October 4, 1951, the latter two took matters into their own hands. Three of Anastasia's hitmen bought him lunch, then shot him repeatedly in the chest. He was 57 years old. Frank Sinatra was also allegedly personally linked to Willie Moretti. His first wife Nancy Barbato was a cousin of one of Moretti's senior henchmen and he sang at his daughter's wedding in 1948. According to testimony from Moretti, Sinatra received help from him in arranging performances in return for kick-backs. It is also rumored that Moretti got Sinatra out of his contract with Tommy Dorsey by threatening to kill Dorsey if he did not let Frank go. Sinatra found a paternalistic Mafia godfather in Willie Moretti.
In September 1951, Moretti had also become acquainted with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis while they were performing at Ben Marden's Riviera nightclub in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where Moretti and Longy Zwillman kept an eye on things for Marten in the club's cardroom. Martin and Lewis did a command performance at the wedding of Moretti's daughter and were supposed to have lunch with him on the day of his death. Lewis had learned that morning he had the mumps and they had forgotten about their lunch engagement with Moretti. While trying to reach him to apologize and explain, they learned of his lunch-time murder from the television news (Lewis 2005).
In popular culture
In A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno, Bonanno referred to Willie Moretti as Frank Costello's "strength", which would later be compared to the relationship between Mario Puzo's character Luca Brazi and Don Vito Corleone's "strength." in the Godfather saga.
.:Back to American Mafia:.


text: Right now the NFL is showing 62 degrees, 90 percent humidity and winds out of the south at 17 mph. Winds will vary inside a stadium, of course. The tape on the goalposts is waving pretty steadily. The players are on the field for the coin toss. I'll be scarce until after the game, but we will provide news updates during the game (injuries, etc.). We definitely see sheets of rain falling, too.


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A man was left with a gunshot wound to his leg after being shot by the pillion passenger of a moped.
13:29, UK,Tuesday 15 March 2016
Footage has been released of a gunman jumping off a moped and chasing a group of young men down a street as he fires at them.
Police say three friends had been walking along Tulse Hill in Brixton, south London, when the pillion passenger on a passing moped jumped off the bike and opened fire.
The three young men flee but the attacker chases them and takes a second shot before running back to the moped, which is ridden off towards Norwood.
A 20-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to his upper thigh during the attack, which happened at around 7pm on Sunday, 7 February.
The rider of the moped was described as wearing a light-coloured helmet, while the gunman was wearing a black, full-face helmet with white flashings and dark trousers with white stripes on the leg.
Anyone with information can call police on 020 8247 4863 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


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Aug 5, 2018
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BRING people to Christ - BUILD them up in the faith - SEND them out to share the gospel.
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Meet at Zion Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 106 N. Lincoln
Join us on Sunday
Coffee @ 10:00 a.m.
Worship Service 10:30 a.m.


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- Tests without changing leads


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The Fort Johnston-Southport Museum and Visitor's Center is a popular destination for visitors in Brunswick County. It overlooks the mouth of the Cape Fear River and showcases the area's history, heritage, culture and natural beauty.
(910) 791-8070EEO Report Closed Captioning
Fox Wilmington
910-343-8826EEO Report Closed Captioning
322 Shipyard Blvd.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 791-8070
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Pens team total OVER 2.5 (-160)- Don't like the juice, but this looks like a complete no-brainer to me. Malkin has been playing overseas, Crosby is raring to go, and I believe that Pens score at least 4 here.
Blackhawks (-110)- Am sure Chicago would like to spoil LA's party today, and with Kings' Kopitar out & goalie Quick just getting over back surgery, they have a good chance to do so. 25 points of line movement in Chicago's direction also encourages, as they opened as +115 dogs.
Salami OVER the total--no line yet, but gotta go to work today! Don't see the goalies ready yet, as I've written about here previously.
Good luck,
Salami line is up, total is 72.


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Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Calin Peter Netzer Stars: Luminata Gheorgiou, Bogdan Dumitrache, Natasa Raab, Adrien Titieni. We don't get an opportunity to see much cinema from Romania outside of film festivals here, and those few we do see (like 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days, etc) are often fairly grim and highly critical of society. Child's Pose is one of those rare films from the new wave of Romanian cinema that has emerged onto the international scene, and has been garnering great reviews and lots of praise. And its leading lady Luminata Gheorgiou, from The Death Continue reading
posted by Greg King Leave a Comment
Filed Under: C, Drama, Film Review, Foreign Language Tagged With: Adrien Titieni, andrei butica, australian film reviews, berlin film festival 2013, Bogdan Dumitrache, calin peter netzer, child's pose, child's pse film review, cinema nova, greg king, Luminata Gheorgiou, melbourne international film festival 2013, Natasa Raab, ravzan radulescu, romanian cinema


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Welcome back to the 2017/2018 school year!
This year promises to be an exciting year of new adventures for our children, the staff of Battalion Park School and ourselves, the parents.
Research has shown that one of the strongest indicators of student success is parental involvement. I strongly encourage you to get involved and get to know other families at our school. It builds relationships, connects you with other parents, builds a sense of community and shows your child that you value their education. Whether you have 20 minutes or 2 hours, your contribution makes a difference and benefits everyone involved!
As I enter my third year as Battalion Park School Council Chairperson, I would like to say a sincere thank you to all the volunteers who help at our school. It is the power of parents working together that allows us to create the kind of school community we want for our children.
One of Council's goals for this is year is: To work with students and staff to build a new and re-imagined sense of culture for the "New Battalion Park School".
It is a unique opportunity and I look forward to working with all the families of Battalion Park to achieve this goal.
Jennifer Bradley,
Chair, Battalion Park School Council


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APD or CAPD
Auditory Processing Disorders (APD), sometimes referred to as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), have recently come to the forefront of many educational and professional debate in recent years. Because of this, there has been a lot of confusion as to what qualifies as APD and what does not. Some people believe a child has APD because they have trouble processing language when in reality, they may just have difficulty with receptive language skills and not auditory processing.
APD refers to how the central nervous system uses auditory information. It is an auditory disorder and not caused by other cognitive or language disorders.
One of the first steps to rule out APD is to have a hearing test. An licensed audiologist will perform this measure, usually before the auditory processing evaluation. It is important to know that other disorders may mimic APD. These include hearing loss, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and even Autism. Individuals with ADHD will typically have poor listening skills and have difficulty with memory, but their central nervous system is not affected. In other words, the attention deficit is affecting their ability to process the auditory information.
APD is diagnosed by an audiologist after a detailed case history and hearing evaluation. The audiologist will administer a series of tests in a sound-proof room. Many audiologists will wait until the child is 7 or 8 years of age as some of the assessments require a minimum age due to the variability in brain function of young children.
If you child is diagnosed with APD, the audiologist will typically refer you to a speech-language pathologist for treatment. The audiologist will make recommendations for therapy based on the type of APD revealed by the evaluation.
If you have concerns about auditory processing in your child, please use this link to find an audiologist in your area: Find Audiologist
If you have already received a diagnosis of APD or CAPD and need to have a language evaluation completed or treatment initiated, please contact us here.


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Finnean Convergence Zone
|Finnean Convergence Zone
At Least 50 Light Years
- See Also Finnean Convergence Zone Map
The Finnean Convergence Zone was discovered in 2371 by the USS Vasco de Gama.
Following Starfleet's agreement to construct Deep Space 15 in orbit of Finnea Prime, various starships began to explore the sector, focusing particularly on the Moray Nebula. The USS Vasco de Gama was the first to detect the Convergence Zone and catalog it.
Noting the anomaly featured many characteristics as the fabled Delphic Expanse from the 2150s, the Vasco de Gama did not attempt to enter. In fact, shortly after arrival, an starship emerged from the expanse which quickly sounded a distress beacon. The Vasco de Gama attempted to come to the ship's aid, only to find that every evidence of biological material melted as if touched by warp plasma coolant. Nothing aboard the ship survived.
The Vasco de Gama continued to study the anomaly, even to the point of making first contact with the Chabanlons, living on a planet residing just outside the Convergence Zone. Under guidance from the Chabanlons, who had several times attempted to study the anomaly themselves, the Vasco de Gama planted warning beacons around the anomaly, warning any starship coming through the area not to enter.
Every couple of years, a ship will attempt to exit the zone. All but one of these attempts were met with failure, the only success was at the hands of the Aketi. Other ships, including the arrogant Rakhari have tried to enter. Those attempts have always ended tragically. Still, the Vasco de Gama has carefully collected information about each attempt in the event Starfleet needs to enter.
Behavior & Features
The Vasco de Gama has fired probe after probe into the Convergence Zone, each time telemetry not lasting for more than a thousand Astronomical Units. Although the telemetry was always received in fragmented fashion, the Vasco de Gama has been able to determine that multiple spatial phenomena reside inside the zone including:
- White Holes
- Black Holes
- Occasional detection of Chroniton Particles.
- Evidence of lifeforms
- Evidence of planets
- Subspace eddies and fissures
Without complete data, it is nearly impossible to determine exactly what is happening inside the zone.
Known Species & Lifeforms
| Finnea Prime • Deep Space 15 • Finnean Convergence Zone • Map of the Zone
Rakhar • Chamra Vortex • Raey • Moray Nebula • Bellogeer VI
|Alpha Trios
|Aten II • Aketi • Triosians • Followers of Dolmoqour • More Coming Soon...
|Coming Soon...


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Time to give you some news from the Little Theatre Management team;
Local business sponsorship is really encouraging, with much support continuing, from all business sectors.
We are currently finding and booking shows that will add to the other attractions our town has to offer, and put Picton Little Theatre firmly back on the entertainment map.
Meanwhile the venue carries on as the headquarters for Table Tennis every Tuesday from 10 am to 12 midday. The cost is $3 and if the tea lady/man turns up, there is even a cuppa half way through. Need any further information give Chris Davies a call on 573 8131 – otherwise just turn up on Tuesday and make yourself known.
Picton Wine Club are meeting on the first Friday of each month and enjoy the atmosphere that the Theatre brings. Over the years they have assisted with donations that have gone towards improving the facility and we value their ongoing support. Contact James Wilson 573 6334 for more information on the Wine Club.
The Little Theatre is a versatile venue as is demonstrated by another of our long term hirers, The Picton Scottish Country Dance Club, which meets every Wednesday night for most of the year. Dianne Gullery – phone 573 7784 would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in finding out more details.
We are of course always on the lookout for people interested in the Stage, be it Drama, Musicals, Pantomime, Acting, Directing, Sound and Lighting or any other aspect of the Theatre.
Appreciate your support,
Don McDonald
- 14th February 7:15pm, Little Theatre AGM, at the Little Theatre.
- 25th February, "Ma Bell & Friends" –
- 10th March, "The Nukes"
- April
- May
- June 30th "NZ Guitar Quartet"
- July "Palace of Varieties" Riccarton Players (date to be confirmed)
- August
- 9th September "Bill Massey's Tourists"
- 13th October "Andrew London Trio"
Here are links to the other Theatre Groups active in our region.
Boathouse Theatre, Blenheim.
Havelock Theatre Company, Havelock
Marlborough Civic Theatre, Blenheim
Stand Up Comedy Night with our biggest name yet!
In November, we have Cori Gonzalez Macuer, Nik Bruce Smith, Sam Foster Grubb and Dan Shenton performing at Picton Little Theatre.
Picton Little Theatre Incorporated, is a registered Charity and is owned by its members and has been home to Picton Drama Club for 50 years.
The theatre can accommodate 100 people in the Auditorium and is available for hire by Community Groups, touring
or Commercial organisations.
A History Thumbnail
From the "Picton News" July 1964
In the winter of 1953 a meeting was called by Mr T.A.Tarrant to form a Drama Club. From this emerged Picton Drama Club, and a long tradition was established.
Initially the Club held rehearsals in the Regent Theatre, thanks to Mr R Dawkins, the proprietor. But on the Regent changing hands in 1957, the Club moved to Flood's Joinery in Ken St ,for rehearsals, but freezing temperatures drove them to the home of Mr & Mrs T.R Harrison.
Play readings were held once a month in the Methodist Hall, until In 1958 they obtained rooms behind the Marlborough Express Newspaper office (which was on the land now occupied by the "Z" Petrol Station). Always in the background was the goal of having their own premises.
In 1962 the Picton Borough Council offered the Club a section of land and plans were afoot to build a theatre, but then the newspaper advised the Club, their tenancy was finished.A member suggested the Club approach the owners of the Forrester's Hall, the New Zealand Labour Party. The outcome of this was a lease to buy agreement.
When the Club opened its own Little Theatre to the public on 22nd July 1964, the Mayor of Picton, Mr A.E.Greig said "With only a little money and a lot of hard work, the Picton Drama Club had earned everything it possessed by it's own efforts and also provided the town with an asset"


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Hotels in Sparkman, Arkansas
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Where to stay in SparkmanWhether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Sparkman has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Sparkman with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our maps display the areas and neighborhoods around all Sparkman hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Sparkman hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
When to visit SparkmanWondering when's the best time to visit? Here are seasonal norms to help you plan your trip:
Seasonal temperature averages
- January-March: 71°F day, 29°F night
- April-June: 91°F day, 45°F night
- July-September: 93°F day, 55°F night
- October-December: 70°F day, 30°F night
- January-March: 13.27 inches
- April-June: 14.96 inches
- July-September: 10.75 inches
- October-December: 10.51 inches


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Dahlonega in Lumpkin County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Lumpkin Court House
From its steps in 1849, Dr. M.F. Stephenson, assayor at the Mint, attempted to dissuade Georgia miners from leaving to join the California gold rush. His oration gave rise to the sayings: "There's millions in it," and "Thar's gold in them thar hills."
Erected by Works Progress Administration (WPA). (Marker Number 19 B-7.)
Marker series. This marker is included in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects marker series.
Location. 34° 31.94′ N, 83° 59.08′ W. Marker is in Dahlonega, Georgia, in Lumpkin County. Marker is on Public Square South 0 miles east of South Chestatee Street (Business U.S. 19), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Public Square South is the parking area for the stores on the south side of the square. Marker is in this post office area: Dahlonega GA 30533, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Public Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Singleton/Wimpy/Gaillard Homeplace (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dahlonega Mustering Grounds (approx. 0.2 miles away); Price Memorial Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Consolidated Gold Mines (approx. 0.6 miles away); Findley Ridge (approx. 0.9 miles away); "Gold Diggers' Road" (approx. 2.9 miles away); Calhoun Gold Mine (approx. 3.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dahlonega.
Categories. • Antebellum South, US • Government • Natural Resources • Political Subdivisions •
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on May 18, 2010, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 967 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 18, 2010, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.


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Indian head massage, exercise and craft classes, reflexology, and even a musical performance are just some of the fantastic activities on offer at the Community Health and Wellbeing Hub Open Day on Tuesday 22 September.
Taking place at Wallace House on Windermere Road, we've organised the Open Day to celebrate the newly refurbished Community Health and Wellbeing Hub and you're invited to come along and see that transformation for yourself!
From 11am to 3pm we're welcoming the whole community to come along to meet staff and sample some of the activities the Hub offers to older and disabled people across Cheltenham.
Throughout the open day demonstrations and free taster sessions will be taking place including:
- 11am -1pm & 1:30-3pm: Experience the benefits of The Bowen Technique
- 11am – 1pm & 1:30-3pm: Indulge in your taster session of either an Indian Head Massage, Hand Massage, Reflexology & Mini Manicure
- 12 – 12.45pm: 'Move It Or Lose It' seated exercise
- 1-1.45pm: Performance by Gloucester Strings Ukulele Club
- 1-3pm: Knit and Natter * AND * Art & Craft Club
- 2-2.45pm: Egyptian Spirit Belly Dance
Also coming along to provide information and advice to visitors will be Managing Memory 2Gether Service, Gloucestershire Deaf Association, Healthy Lifestyles, 'Get Ready for Winter', and Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Wallace House is easily accessible by the D Bus route, with a bus stop right outside.
The Wallace House Community Health and Wellbeing Hub currently offers a range of activities including: lunch clubs, knit & natter, art & craft club, singing & music therapy, emotional wellbeing courses, gentle Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi & 'Move It Or Lose It' seated exercise classes and a therapy room for salon holistic and health services.
Early booking for taster sessions is recommended to avoid disappointment. Please call 01242 774610 or email: email@example.com
Notes for editors
Cheltenham Borough Homes:
- CBH is one of the top rated ALMOs (Arms Length Management Organisations) in the country. ALMOs are not for profit companies that run social housing services for their local council
- Currently CBH manage and maintain around 5,000 tenant and leasehold properties with high satisfaction and performance levels, when compared nationally with other housing providers
- CBH put their customers at the heart of what they do; working with them to shape services and ensure the company focuses on local need
- CBH deliver more than high quality core landlord services: they have an ongoing programme building new homes and regenerating communities; they support people to find work and employment; work to improve financial inclusion and develop stock to make it more energy efficient
Press contact: Catherine Best e: email@example.com t: 01242 775317


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Paytm FirstCry Cashback Discount Offer
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For complete details and terms & conditions don't forget to check out the Paytm FirstCry offer page properly.


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Apartment Story
The Indytute hosts all kinds of events from poker masterclasses to knitting sessions, and talks with local artists such as Camille Walala. They have been hitting up The Hox since 2014, making full use of the multi-functional space and our central, easy-to-get-to locations.
For them, The Apartment offers all the flexibility they could want: whether they're doing a talk, a hands-on workshop, or an active session, we adapt the space to suit their needs whether that's moving walls, rearranging the seats, or taking them out altogether so that their events always run seamlessly. We love having them, and they love coming back — well suited you could say.


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Monday, January 12, 2015
Friday, January 9, 2015
Can Am Renegade vs Outlander
This seems to be a hotly debated topic, and why shouldn't it be. These are two of the hottest machines on the market. I have owned both so I think I have a good point of view and will throw my opinions out there for debate.
One of the first things that to address which might come as a shock to many of the uneducated, is that they are the same machine. If you were to take an 800 Outlander and and 800 Renegade, strip the plastics and and stand back 20 feet, only those with a very well trained eye would be able to tell the difference. Sure there are some tweaks here and there that are different, but the frame geometry, the riders stance, the weight distribution, the suspension geometry, the engine are all the same.
So the main differences between the two are aesthetic. The Outlander is classified by Can Am as a "Recreation-Utility" ATV, it has more squared lines to accommodate front and rear racks and overall more of a traditional utilitarian appearance. The Renegade is classified as a "Sport 4x4" and has jagged, angled lines with no racks and more tires exposed. I don't understand the psychology of it, but if you expose the tires on an ATV it does give it more of a sporty look. Many of the race quads have very little fenders if any at all. Which brings me to my first deficiency with the Renegade:
|Prepare to "wear the trail" on a Renegade
Fender CoverageThis wasn't a concern for me when I purchased my first Renegade, but it became one. My first Renegade was a 2007 800R, you can read my full review here. On my first ride where we encountered mud it became very clear how little fender protection I had. We were at a camp and it had rained for three days before we got there and it rained the entire first day. Everything was muddy and mucky. We were using our ATV's to get to various areas in the camp that were connected by dirt road. I had brought boots with me but for comfort I wanted to keep my shoes on, besides, it's not like we were going mudding. Boy was I in for a surprise. Driving slowly I started getting clumps of mud thrown off my front tires and onto my shoes, so I slowed down and put my feet on top of my front fenders. Even that didn't make much difference. The sticky clay road we were on constantly sent clumps of mud coming off the front and rear tires skyward and raining down on me like an artillery barrage.
When we arrived at our destination I was covered in mud, but my friends were not. In fact they were dry as a bone. Check out my "Mud Virgins" video to see first hand the mud flinging. Buying a set of fender flares was the first thing I did when I got back.
My second bad experience with fender coverage was during a wet cold spring ride with my 2009 Renegade 800X. The sun was shining and the snow was starting to melt, it was still pretty chilly though. Mindful of the temperature, I wore my snowmobile suit which was water resistant, not water proof. We encountered many very large ice crusted puddles on that ride, needless to say I was soaked like I have never been soaked on a ride before, right down to my underwear. Terribly cold and uncomfortable. I installed fender flares as soon as I got back.
In contrast the Outlander has fenders that cover the tires and more and provide amazing coverage. You'll still get wet, but not soaked to the bone.
Fender Flares
|Renegade 800R with flares freshly installed
The other consideration is appearance. After installing the flares on my 2007 800R I found I didn't like the way it looked as much any more. And after installing flares on my 2008 800X I un-installed them later for the same reason.
Many models of the Outlander come with fender flares already installed.
RacksHaving entered the 4x4 ATV world from a sport quad I was used to not bringing any supplies with me on my rides. But that started to change when I got my Renegade, at first I just wanted to bring a cold drink and a snack but later on I want tools, extra clothes ect. and the Renegade has nowhere to put anything. My 800X at least had some loops behind the seat but my 800R had nothing and I ended up using a backpack which I found uncomfortable and difficult to clean. So I started looking into rack options.
On my 07 800R I got a Rubberdown Customs bracket that allowed me to use an Outlander rack.
|2007 Renegade 800R with Outlander rack
|2008 Renegade 800X with PRM rack
Both of these rack ended up costing nearly $400 when all associated costs were calculated.
The Outlander comes with both front and rear racks from the factory, no need to adapt an after market solution.
Nowhere to pushThis may be a minor point but still needs mentioning. If you plan on taking your Renegade in areas where you might get stuck, you really don't have many areas to push. I can recall a time we did a group ride and all of us were getting stuck in an area where the snow had really blown in. When I got stuck I had three guys some over to give me a push, but they had nowhere to push. The rear grab bar is pretty much useless although one guy can somewhat get under it the other two couldn't do anything. I ended up having to use my winch to get out.
The Outlander has racks and brush guards that are very sturdy and provide many areas to grab onto for a push.
Rad RelocateIf you plan on doing serious mudding with your Renegade you will find out very quickly that your Radiator will plug up with mud in it's current location and you will forever be overheating and put into limp mode. From my research there are only two manufactures that are making rad relocates for the Renegade with the exact same design, Wild Boar and Gorilla. My personal opinion is that these are butt ugly and completely ruin the sporty look of the Renegade, but with the design of the front plastics you really have no other option for a rad relocate design.
|An otherwise gorgeous Renegade build ruined by an ugly rad relocate
|Ironically after all my modifications I found that I wasn't happy with the look
ConclusionAll of this has brought me to this final conclusion, buy an Outlander. Why go through all the cost and problems to customize a Renegade and basically turn it into an Outlander. I feel that if I was only riding dry trails I would likely still own a Renegade today but mudding is just too fun to ignore.
Both are awesome and you will have an exhilarating ride with either, but if you are in the market to purchase and are weighting the options between the two hopefully this has given you some food for thought.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Using a GoPro on your ATV
I haven't made a ton of GoPro videos, at present I have approximately 20 videos on my channel. My relationship with the camera hasn't been all bubbles and sparkles, and to be honest I have a bit of a love\hate relationship with it. For this article I am going to point out some of my beefs with the GoPro and point out some of the problems you may have when using your GoPro to film you ATV adventures.
How to Mount
|Chin mount I made from a bracket I found in my garage
|Traditional top mount, very vulnerable around trees
BatteryWhen ATVing I have noted that my average ride is 4-5 hours, I found out very quickly that to be filming for the entire ride is pretty much impossible no matter what battery you use, and for the sake of editing it isn't very wise anyways. But even with switching the camera on and off I still would barely last for an entire ride. To solve this I purchased a GoPro Battery Backpac which combines it's own power with the internal battery and more than doubles your battery life. If I turn the camera on and off between filming sessions I have found that I can get through an entire ride with both batteries pretty much spent at the end of the day. The Battery Backpac was an additional $80 to the cost of the camera, and was an expense I was not prepared for.
|The Battery BacPack clips onto the back of the camera and includes a larger
rear housing for the case
RemoteMy Hero 3 Black came with a remote, even before I got the GoPro I knew that it would be essential for turning the camera on and off while riding. As promising the remote control sounds, it is an imperfect device. It also has a battery that needs to be charged (if you are keeping track we are now up to 3 batteries) but does have a reasonable battery life. But it only works half the time. I'm not sure what the problem is, something to do with the connection between the two but often times it will just stop connecting to the camera in the middle of the ride. I have tried to get it to reconnect, but this is a difficult task when you are wet and covered in mud. When this happens I end up powering it off and try and use the beeps the GoPro makes to know if it has responded. With an aftermarket exhaust it is almost impossible to hear the GoPro over the engine noise, the problem is exacerbated because your ears covered by a helmet. Often times when I think it's on, it's off and vice versa.
|The remote that has given me much grief. Note the cradle which uses
a GoPro sticky to mount it to your ATV
No ViewfinderThis isn't really the GoPros fault, it just wasn't designed with a screen (at least not this model). But it would be really nice to know what you are filming.
I tend to ride around a lot of water and mud, and when you get a chunk thrown onto the lens protector or it gets wet and the view is impeded there is almost no way of knowing without talking the helmet off to look at it. I started to make it a habit to constantly wipe the lens protector with my glove which has helped and is the only real solution for the time being that I can think of. Unfortunately it does scratch the lens and am now having to replace mine.
|That's one dirty lens
As of the time that I am writing this review I am contemplating the purchase of the Sony Action Cam Mini POV camera (HDRAZ1VR). Two major advantages of this camera are that it has image stabilization and it has a remote with a screen on it that you strap to your wrist so that you can see what your filming. It does have a couple other minor features that interest me but I will address those in an article if I end up buying the camera.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Bruno SK ATV Rally Review - 2014
As mentioned, it was a bit later in the year, October 18th to be exact but thankfully the weather was cooperating. It wasn't hot by any means, but with chest waders and a waterproof jacket it was just right. Our crew met on the outskirts of Saskatoon and traveled as a group to Bruno. Total distance is only 91kms, so we were there in less than an hour. This is the closest ATV rally to Saskatoon and the short drive was an absolute bonus.
My GoPro video of the rally
We arrived around 10:00, which allowed us time to have a nice pancake breakfast before heading out. I would estimate that there were already around 200 machines and riders at various points of unloading, getting ready and having breakfast. Breakfast was served in a small rec center and it was crowded. We started by purchasing our poker hands, getting some tickets for the door prizes and 50/50 draw. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed, lots of socializing going on and nobody seemed to be in a huge rush to get out.
|Bruno Rec Center where meals were served
|Trucks and ATV's plugged up the rather large Rec grounds in Bruno
|Families weren't an uncommon sight in Bruno
Another difference was the rural feel of the rally. You could tell this event was a huge draw from all of the surrounding areas. Many of the machines I saw looked like they had just been loaded up from the farm and brought over. Lots of stock Honda's and Yamaha's and some machines that looked like they were held together with chicken wire and duct tape.
|A map of the 40 mile route cross country and through farmers fields
Another contrast to Foxford was that snorkeled mud machines were in the minority.
|Saw quite a few dirt bikes
|Our group getting ready to ride out
We loaded up out machines and hit the....er trails? Yeah no trails here, you are riding cross country from field to field, your only guidance is stakes in the ground with orange tape spaced about a quarter mile apart. For the most part we found our way pretty easily, but there was the odd time that we got off the path and had to search for that next stake.
Fields were combined, so there was nothing but stubble on the ground. It was fun to bomb through the fields at high speeds for a bit, but we wanted mud.
We came across our first slough and played around in the mud, I was worried that would be the only one but boy was I wrong. It seemed like every quarter mile there was another mud hole. Around some of the mud holes there would be a group gathered, many of them socializing among themselves and being entertained by the other guys get muddy.
|The typical gathering around a good water hole
|It was amazing how most of the sloughs were no more than rack deep, although there were exceptions
I ended up blowing a belt just before the check point and ended up having to get towed in. They were selling hotdogs so we grabbed a bite and did a quick belt swap. Again there were a ton of machines and people, I would guess around 200 ATV's a the half way point alone.
|Large gathering at the check point
|Hot dogs and pop were available
Thankfully the check point was a little more than half way, because I was running low on fuel. We were started to get tired and blowing a belt took some of wind out of my sails, I was less inclined to hit every mud hole we passed.
|This guy got even muddier than I was
|Looks like somebody got a little too deep
We loaded our machines, had some burgers and fries at the same facility we had breakfast, and called it a day.
Crazy fun! What an enjoyable day, played hard, had some breakage but nothing major, had an awesome group of guys I was riding with. Couldn't have asked for more. The Bruno Lions club did a great job of organizing and put on a great event. If you are one of the landowners that allows the rally to cross your land, thank you.
I did have a couple concerns; one was the amount of alcohol being consumed and drunk drivers\riders, the other was seeing a number of people without helmets. These issues plague pretty much every event of this sort.
If your looking for nice tight technical trails, probably not the best rally for you. If you enjoy bombing across stubble fields and socializing with friends and enjoy getting muddy, then absolutely Bruno is the place for you. Looking forward to 2015.
Photo credits to: Michael John Charbonneau, Roger Mah, Corrinne Arnold, Matt Sutton, John Lamon, Bryan Kambeitz and others (sorry if I didn't list your name).
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Foxford Run a Muck Rally 2014 Review
There are a couple of Saskatchewan ATV rallies that have a reputation for not disappointing, and the Run a Muck rally in Foxford SK is one of them. Foxford is a tiny village of only a couple of houses located just 45 minutes east of Prince Albert. I'm not sure how this tiny place can host one of the provinces largest ATV rallies, but they do it and do it well. This year I was told they had 291 ATVs registered.
My video of the ride
Foxford was the first ATV rally I've ever attended, which is weird as I've been ATVing most of my life. Most of my riding has been on 2 wheel drive sport quads which I figured weren't really rally friendly, and in the case of Foxford that is absolutley correct. Being that it was my first rally I had no idea what to expect. I did know that Foxford is not know for being dry, it is known for tons of water and muskeg, and I wanted to see what all the hype was about.
I picked up my 2009 Can Am Renegade 800X in January 2014 and it was bone stock. I knew I needed to get prepared for mud, so I wired up a winch, added some 30" Silverback tires, chest waders and even got it snorkeled.
|Picking up my machine from Mad Mechanics in Martinsville
I took my machine to Mike at Mad Mechanics in Martinsville to get the snorkeling done. I almost didn't get it done in time because of my procrastination but Mike managed to get it done the night before leaving to Foxford. Talk about cutting it close.
|A panoramic of the parking area when we arrived in the morning, even the parking lot was muddy. By the time we got back this area was plugged full of truck and ATVs.
The Experience
I drove up with my friend Jonathan who was not only a rally newbie, but also an ATV newbie. I let him use my Yamaha Bruin 350 with the intention he would go on the dry trails and I would go on the wet.
I met up with an old friend at the rally that I rode with when we were teenagers, it just so happened that we both had Can Am's and were both heading there so I asked to ride with him and his group as he had been to Foxford a couple of times and knew what to expect.
It had rained for a number of days before the rally on June 1st and without a doubt it was going to affect the conditions. The organizers said that many of the smaller water holes had filled up and joined with other smaller holes creating even bigger holes. At this point I was very thankful I had snorkeled my quad.
We registered and got our tags which are used to monitor who has made it back safely, and if they need to send someone out to search. The organizers mapped out 3 routes and put them into the following categories; Dry, Wet and Extreme. In our opinion, they should have been more like;Wet, Extreme and Completely Retarded.
The group I was going to be joining with my friend was planning to ride the Extreme trail, ugh.
|Ostacruiser was one of the guys in our group. That should tell
a lot about the kind of riding we were in for
I cannot express enough the shock I was in once I saw what we were in for. I had been in some deeper water with my Renegade but they were just water. I had never experienced anything like the sticky thick gumbo muskeg (skeg) in the stinky sloughs of Foxford.
I very much felt in over my head, but when your with a group of guys you put on your game face and just do what you need to do.
|My new Kolpin jerry can adorned the rear of my machine, by the first
mud hole it was gone.
Lots of comradery with the groups. Even if you didn't know the other guys you were riding with they were all there to help. You had a rough idea of how many guys are supposed to be with you and when you were through the hole you waited until the other guys made it through before you contining on. If they needed a push or a winch, you did what you could and the other guys did the same. Even though everybody was helpful you still didn't want to be the one holding everybody else back, or worse being the one that was always stuck and needing help getting out of pretty much every hole. On this ride unfortunately, I was that guy.
|A sample of the thick gumbo muskeg we encountered
|Waiting for the rest of the group, thankful to have made it through
I was not at all prepared for the Foxford experience, it was a hard exhausting day. It was fun, but just a little overwhelming. It was hot that day, my new chest waders made me confident I would stay dry but they sure didn't help to beat the heat. I actually appreciated it when I got sprayed with some nice cool mud when I hit the water a little too fast. When you do get stuck and have to get off to push every step in the sticky muskeg is a struggle, your boots almost get glued into the stuff so you have to point your toes up and pull with your calf muscles....ugh it was exhausting.
By the half way point the crowds had subsided, I think a number of people had turned back. We didn't run into any more traffic jams at the mud holes but we would see the odd smaller group of maybe 3-5 guys making their way through.
|Somewhere under this water there is, or was a trail
|Stuck and winch pulled off its spool
One of the hardest parts of the rally for me was the fear of swamping my machine. It was mentally exhausting. We were nearing the end of the extreme trail and our group had reduced in size down to only a handful of guys. For the first time I got left at the very back of the pack and got stuck, and there wasn't anybody behind me. I got off and started pulling my winch cable out to the nearest tree, but the nearest tree was pretty far. As I pulled the line out father than I had ever pulled it before I noticed the tension dramatically decrease, and to my dismay I realized I had pulled the cable right off it's spool. I went from being a little stressed, to being right out afraid for my safety. The rest of my group wasn't too far ahead and were waiting for me, but I didn't know that. To make matters worse I was down to the last bit of fuel. Pictures of camping out in the swamp over night flashed through my mind.
The fear got my adrenaline kicked in and I found new energy and strength to get myself unstuck. Finally free, I was now presented with another problem, I didn't have other ATVs ahead of me to help me determine how deep this water hole was. And this was a huge water hole. I slowly creeped my way ahead and half way through my left side wheels slipped off an underwater ledge and the quad tipped over to that side. I jumped off just in time as my snorkels were only inches away from the surface of the water. How much more of this can I take? It was at this point I said I am done! I had my adventure and I was ready to go home. I was taking my first exit back the truck. I met up with the rest of my group who were sitting around, gabbing, and eating their sandwiches with little knowledge of the physcological torture I had just endured. We continued on and I found the exit I was looking for, the rest of the guys continued on and I headed back to the trucks by myself.
Ironically, I wasn't done yet. To get back to the trucks I had to go through the "wet" trails, which I thought would be a cake walk compared to what I had just gone through. Nope, more water, winching and boots getting stuck in the mud.
Eventually I made it back to a gravel road where things finally were dry. I headed to my truck where I met up with Jonathan, he reported that the "dry" trails were not at all dry and that he was pushing through deep water and winching as well with my little Yamaha Bruin. He had quite the adventure as well.
|Me, very weary from a hard days ride, happy to be back in one piece and
that my machine made it through
ConclusionI wasn't prepared. I was a mud virgin and I didn't know what to expect. Honestly I don't think anybody could have described to me what I was about to get myself into. I think it would be a little bit like trying to explain so someone what war is like if you have never been in one. At the end of the day I was tired, physically exhausted and I kept asking myself "what was the point of that?" If ATVing wasn't fun, why would a person do it? This is medieval torture. But now that I have had some time to reflect and experience more deep mud situations my opinion is changing.
The trails at Foxford were a crazy challenge, but I rose to the occasion and completeld the task before me. Of the 291 registered riders I am one of the few that can say that I completed the extreme trail, and that feels pretty good. I learned a lot about mud riding and have been able to continue to use that knowledge. Thank you Foxford for challenging me and being great hosts, see you in 2015.
Click here to see the route on EveryTrail
Here are a couple other videos that I came across that I just happen to be in
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Iron Horse Trail Review
Whats up? Isn't this the "Sask" Trail Riders blog? Isn't the Iron Horse Trail an Alberta trail System? Yes it is, and no I haven't become jumped ship. The reason I am writing about the Iron Horse Trail (herein referred to as IHT) is because I wanted to experience what a provincially funded, maintained trail system is like, and we don't have anything like it here in Saskatchewan. It is by far the closest maintained ATV trail system, only 363kms from Saskatoon. The majority of which is on double highway.
|Heinsburg was our starting point on the trail
|The entire Iron Horse Trail in red
So what is the IHT? It is an old railway line that was abandon and turned into a multi-use trail. You are welcome to use almost anything on the trail other than cars\trucks. The promotional videos show people walking, biking, snowmobiling, riding horse and of course riding ATV's. The trail system receives funding from the government, tourism and from the proceeds of ATV license plates which are mandatory in Alberta.
|Rig mats being placed over mud holes so that the trail
will not erode. Photo courtesy @IronHorseTrail via Twitter
One of the first things people ask me about the trail is if it is boring? I likely get this question a lot because many of the ATVers I hang around with are hardcore mudders. I am not so sure how to answer that question. It is a very different experience. The trail is an old rail system, so it is pretty level. The trails are covered with gravel, so that even when it gets wet it isn't too mucky. In many ways it is like driving on a gravel road. And there are some part of the trail that are straight trail for kilometers at a time which can get pretty boring. But that is not really the point of the IHT.
So what is the point then? It is about getting onto a trail, with your ATV, away from cars and other traffic. Getting into the heart of nature and seeing some amazing sights along the way. It is about using your ATV as a mode of transportation to get you to where you are going rather than your car. It's about being where the local culture not only accepts ATV use, but encourages it due to the tourism dollars it brings to the communities. There are many trails off of the IHT, and if you search hard enough you may find a couple mud holes but they will be few and far between. Keep in mind leaving the trail is discouraged because the land adjacent to the trail is privately owned. So, if you are a hardcore mudder and that what you are looking for you will likely be bored.
|Embracing the railway heritage is the theme at the heart of the entire Iron Horse Trail
I found that one of the most difficult parts of planning this trip was trying to figure out how much distance you can cover on ATVs when you don't know what speed you will be able to travel and what the terrain will be like. We decided that we would camp in St Paul, so we would need to travel 65kms from Heinsburg. We needed to allow time to get there and set up camp which was easily accomplished.
|One of the nearly 100 cattle gates we crossed during our trip
Some of my favorite parts of the trip
Heisnburg to LindberghThis area was gorgeous. We had the river to our left and huge green rolling hills on our right. Absolutely one of the most scenic areas of the trail
|The river is in the background and I am standing on a hill. The trail runs along the center of the picture.
|A fun washout to ride through
|The Windsor Salt plant in Lindbergh which is right along the trail
Lindbergh to Elk Point
I didn't get any pictures of this part of the trail because it was just too much fun. The trail was a little but wider in this area, so I cracked open the throttle an let the ponies out. Again this area was very beautiful, the deep forest green to either side of the trail blocked the sun and provided some much needed shade from the heat of the day. There were a couple areas of the trail that had been built up for the rail line and had 20-30ft drop offs on either side. A nice little bonus along this section of the trail was a very large gravel pit just East of Elk Point. I imagine that they get much of the gravel they use on the trails. There were large signs saying "do not leave the trail" and "keep out" but the boys in us got the best of us. If you do explore this area, do it with extreme caution and at your own risk as it is not a safe area.
|Testing out my snorkel system, which unfortunately failed and my CVT was filling with water at this very moment
Elk PointElk Point was the first larger town we encountered. We pulled in, got gas. Beside the rest stop was a car wash where I was able to spray out my mud plugged radiator from a previous ride. There was also a Pizza Hut and other fast food restaurants nearby.
|Each major town had these beautiful rest stops with nice green grass and picnic tables.
Elk Point to St PaulThis leg in my opinion was the most gorgeous, even though we had already seen some beautiful areas. As soon as you leave Elk Point you are in the middle of the woods again and eventually down into a valley. This valley had the most gorgeous green rolling hills to either side, sloughs with beavers and again some much needed shade from the sun.
|This is very typical of the trail terrain on the entire trail system
|One of the many rest stops
|A nice couple we met along the way.
St PaulWe were surprised at how large a city St Paul was being that we were not familiar with the area. We expected a small sleepy town but were greeted by a metropolis complete with traffic and large stores and even a movie theater. We got ourselves a map and found our campground, which was on the other side of town from where we entered and a fair distance off the trail. Stranger yet, we had to ride on paved residential streets to get there.
|St Paul's contribution to the rail theme
We found our campground which was directly beside the RCMP regional detachment.
|Our campsite, RCMP depot in background
|Supper at Boston Pizza? Sure
|A Timmy's coffee in the morning proved too irresistible for my addicted colleagues
The Trails beyond St PaulThe scenic trails seemed to end at this point. With an entire day to explore the area, we left our trailer at our campsite and were able to significantly pick up our pace. Unfortunately we didn't find that much to explore. As we headed West out of town the trail got very straight and rather than being engulfed in trees and forest we had relatively flat farm land to either side.
|Typical farmland to either side of the trail after St Paul
|The Abilene junction
|The Mallaig rest stop
We continued east and made it as far as Bonnyville, and in retrospect I wish we had pushed further up to Cold Lake to see the Beaver Trestle Bridge. But when we saw the terrain wasn't getting any more exciting we decided to head back to the Abilene junction and head west. We stopped for a hotdog roast in Ashmont and shortly after encountered some minor mechanical issues. We may have pushed further but the terrain was still dull and pending mechanical issues didn't give us enough incentive to push further, so we headed back to St Paul.
|The very rustic fire pit beside Ashmont's rec center, where we roasted hot dogs
ConclusionWe had a great time. What we wanted to accomplish on the trip, we did. Heinsburg to St Paul was gorgeous and although the trail was flat and not challenging, the surroundings made it well worth it. After St Paul not so much. It was a stark contrast between the beauty of the valley's, forest and the shade of the trees and then out in the middle the rural farm land without a speck of shade anywhere in sight. But it was an adventure and I do not at all doubt we will head back there again in the not too distant future.
It has been brought to my attention that had we pushed further west, around Bellis there is the Bellis North Natural Area. This is a sandy natural forest area that has quite a few trails and a couple lakes. Looks like some good riding here. I would like to visit this area on our next trip.
Had we pushed on North East towards Cold Lake we would have been able to see the burnt remnants of the Beaver River Trestle Bridge. This gorgeous piece of history was burned in 2012 by arsonists. Before the fire you were able to cross the bridge by ATV. Currently the Riverland Recreational Trail Society and the Municipal District of Bonnyville are trying to raise money to rebuild the bridge.
If you would like to see our route, click on the link below to view it on EveryTrail.com
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text:
...Just in time to capture all of the hoopla of the IBMA's World of Bluegrass festival in Raleigh, NC with a few extra curricular bluegrass events along the way.
Niall says it'll be bluegrass 24/7 and advises that fans in Ireland should contact the tour company ASAP, as the number is limited to just 50.
Niall will be your escort on a visit to many of the iconic places associated with Bluegrass Music, including Jerusalem Ridge,
Bill Monroe's home place, Ralph Stanley's home, and the IBMA Festival over three days in Raleigh, NC. Full details are now available at the Tour America website. CLICK HERE!
Tour America, a 100% Irish owned travel company celebrating 20 years in business, is based in Dublin and Cork.
Managing Director Mary McKenna says the company "takes pride in forming great relationships with their customers" and she attributes the fact they have a 42 percent repeat business statistic to that philosophy.
Niall also mentioned that there is a possibility that he'll be doing some showcase gigs in Raleigh during the Bluegrass Tour and that he'll probably bring his full Irish Band along.
On a Side-note, Niall is currently working away on the Documentary on my life in Music with Director, Ciaran O'Connor, of New Decade Media TV. "I didn't realize that I had done so much over the past half-Century!" Hopefully, the results should be ready for broadcast sometime soon..


text:
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text:
He breaks a promise on the road to Firenze.
You will not speak to him all through
the drive in the Tuscan hills,
the rented Alfa Romeo bitches
but the poplar's got your tongue,
long and green and aloof.
You abandon the car and walk
into a Roman afternoon,
you know how to kill your father,
he knows how to kill you.
The wind is waving little white
handkerchiefs wilting in the heat,
they are for tears and for truce
but your eyes are still red for quarrel.
Your head is being kneaded
like dough in the noon
baker's hand. Your flesh
sizzles in the skewers
of your bones. Then evening
comes like a nervous sweat,
as anger condenses
dew in cool grass.
You are alone on the highway to the
Your north american eduction
has taught you how to kill a father,
but you are walking down an Italian
way, so you will surrender
and visit him in the hospital
where you will be accused
of wishing his death
in wanting a life
for yourself.
A scorpion's sting darkening
your heart buries July in Italy.
Mary di Michele
I'm sure this has happened to everyone - especially at a younger age and especially in school where you are beginning to travel down various paths to self-discovery. A particular writer or philosopher will truly resonate with you and then that light will turn on in your mind and suddenly you'll think that you understand everything - finally! But then as you get older - you realise - er - no that's not quite the case.
However, the work of Italian Canadian poet Mary Di Michele has stayed with me - I've read everything she has written and I love her work. Her poetry is full of stories of familial conflict and tales of immigrant tragedy and pathos but also sensual discoveries and most of all a search for identity. When I was in school I was so taken by her work and the poetry of Mennonite Canadian poet Di Brandt that I did a term paper comparing their work. The title was: The Intersection of Feminism and Ethnicity in the Poetry of Mary Di Michele and Di Brandt. I firmly believed at the time that the two notions could not co-exist in a peaceful and harmonious manner. When feminism and ethnicity intersect there is always conflict. I believed that immigrants cocooned themselves to the point of isolation in many cases and their children - those born in L'America or those who came over at a very young age - essentially straddled two very different worlds. Those transplanted cultures grew into something different and unique from their mother country but there was much conflict between generations and that conflict was felt very acutely by the children - and I will go further to say - even more so by the daughters.
Obviously, as time marches on and immigrants assimilate all of this shifts and changes but the past is deeply rooted in our minds as children of immigrants. I could go on and on about this - but I must also add that it wasn't all bad or negative - and I don't want to give the impression that I am not thankful to be Canadian nor that I am in constant conflict with my family or my cultural roots. This is art after all - and art magnifies and intensifies life. But I know that for my parents - leaving Italy at such a young age with absolutely nothing and coming to a strange and very cold country where Italians were not wanted, liked or accepted - was not a great experience. The fact that they worked - physically worked - very hard- all their lives - and made huge sacrifices is something that I am acutely aware of. This is what Mary Di Michele is aware of as well - and it's what she beautifully addresses in her work.
What struck me so much about Mary Di Michele's work -well aside from the fact that she is from the same region in Italy that my family is from - so there are even more connections - is her ability to both depict love, anger and respect towards her family in equal measure at the same time. Even though she wrote about metaphorically killing her father (and I know her work was very personal and very much connected to her own background) her work is also imbued with dry humour and a kind of shoulder shrug at life:
Horns blare as tires squeal around a fast corner
at Clinton an College
Voices compete for what's left of the air
frequenting a sidewalk café where I nurse
an espresso in honour of the full moon.
Men come in packs of five or six
like cheap cigars, wine-dipped.
Laughter crinkles their eyes
as they talk and blow smoke
and keep the shine on their shoes.
They admire, very much, each other's suits.
They have forgotten their work-clothes
with their wives.
Tonight they want women they can buy
with champagne and cherries.
Their wives are okay
but they're like money in the bank,
gathering interest, not to be touched.
I don't want to question anybody's love too closely.
Mine keeps my back straight and my legs crossed.
I order an espresso and drink
one for myself and then one for the man
I've been waiting for,
who won't show up.
Summer though makes it all right.
I love that so much of her imagery is inspired by the Mediterranean. Even in her more sensual poems there is always that dark undercurrent of disconnection/despair/alienation/ and ultimately the notion of dual identity - or split identity that children of immigrants have.
His limpid skin is green gold as he reclines
in a shade that crowns him with the leaves of vines.
As smooth as the golden skinned grapes his firm
thighs are about to burst their denim husks,
the golden thighs of a man of bronze.
Eyes of pale amber, with the bite of brandy.
Lips that kiss her lady's shoe, her knee,
the liquid outward curve of her hip,
lips that call her madonna,
his dream of a bright aproned jewel for his
he polishes it there in the long grass of August
until he rips her leisurely as a silk,
and she cries out caught
with one bare foot in a village in the Abruzzi,
the other busy with cramped English speaking toes in
she strides the Atlantic legs spread
like a Colossus.
Photography of a girl dressed as a gypsy,
child waist pinched by a red girdle,
for Carnevale,
in another world, wearing the black academic gown,
a rabbit skin about her shoulders,
she hangs on the wall of a suburban bungalow.
Hope you've enjoyed my poetic trip down memory lane. I don't write much poetry but I enjoy reading it. I find it quite challenging because it requires such a precise and deceptively simple use of language to convey such complex and profound ideas - well the poetry that I like anyway. I also like promoting the work of lesser known artists and writers which is why I wanted to write about Mary di Michele today. That and because I'm in a reflective mood. ;)
Ciao for now.