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Michael Faraday, British physicist
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Sacramento to Cucuta FlightsBook Sacramento to Cucuta flights at cheapest prices. Approximately 8 flights of different airlines fly between Sacramento and Cucuta. On flights from SMF - CUC, travellers can earn ixigo money of upto ₹5000 and use 100% of earned ixigo money on future flight booking.
only indicative - actual prices may vary
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- What is the approximate aerial distance between the metropolitan cities of Sacramento and Cucuta in a direct flight. Also, what is the frequency of flights?The aerial distance from Sacramento to Cucuta is 5958 km. Approximately 8 flights fly on this route on everyday basis.
- How to check the hand luggage limit on Sacramento-Cucuta flight? Does it vary from airlines to airlines?To check the hand luggage limit on Sacramento-Cucuta route, check the website or call the concerned airlines.
- How many flights fly on Sacramento to Cucuta route each day?8 flights fly on Sacramento to Cucuta route each day. Choose any of these flights as per the preferred timings.
- Can internet help in booking a flight from Sacramento to Cucuta?Yes, it is simple! login to https://www.ixigo.com/flights & search for the destination, i.e., Sacramento to Cucuta with dates, choose the best fare, provide the personal details and the flight will be booked.
- Came across ixigo? Know how it is different from online travel agents?Based in Gurgaon, ixigo is a travel search engine. ixigo helps get the best deals on flights, train, hotels and much more.
- For Sacramento to Cucuta flights, what are the check-in baggage limits?The check-in baggage limit for Sacramento to Cucuta flights varies from airline to airline. So check with the airline before booking a ticket. It is usually 7 kgs.
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- How to change travel dates after booking has already been done for a Sacramento to Cucuta flight. Please help!It is possible to change Sacramento to Cucuta travel dates. Simply call the airlines and they will do the needful. Happy travels!
Sacramento Airport Details
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subset: commoncrawl


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Life is a roller coaster and it is our beliefs that keep us connected to the tracks. Those who have strong positive beliefs that influence their actions and choices will thrive in life, while those with weak beliefs will not have foundation to build their lives upon. I believe that everything in this world happens for a reason, even if that reason is not apparent at the time. My belief has helped me learn from my mistakes, recover after the negative experiences, shape my life, and cultivate my goals for the future.
There have been several instances in my fifteen years that I cannot explain nor understand. I do not know the reason why my father was born with clinical depression and later committed suicide. I cannot comprehend why my beloved horse, my partner of four long years, contracted a disease that she may never recover from. Just a few days ago, my tooth was dislodged after being struck by a field hockey ball and I am unable to explain why I deserved this fate. The only thing I am certain of is that these painful experiences occurred for a reason. My father's death has caused me to have more knowledge about mental health diseases and to be more aware of the signs of personal anguish. As heartbreaking as it is to watch the first horse I ever own deteriorate in front of my own eyes, I can be comforted by the fact that there is a reason that she will have to be retired. This incident has taught me to value the special animals in my life and has made me a better horsewoman. Almost losing a tooth because of a field hockey ball has taught me and my teammates the importance of a mouth guard.
I have always seen myself as an optimistic person and it is this characteristic that has allowed me to support this belief. My mother, being the wonderful teacher that she is, was the one who told me after my father passed that every event in life happens for a reason. After realizing that his death made me a stronger and more mature young woman, I wholeheartedly allowed my belief to grow. This belief gives even the little experiences in daily life meaning and is the answer to any grief I may possess. I am able to accept the unfortunate and the fortunate experiences with a positive outlook, knowing that everything has a significant and life-changing consequence. Life is a journey and we should enjoy every event and the reasons why they occur.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc.


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In the world of open source, when it comes to monitoring, Nagios is the most preferred choice. But managing multiple Nagios screens can be a daunting task. while looking for a simple solution i came across NagCen.
NagiosCenter is a centralized viewer to show data of several (more than one) Nagios server spreaded in different networks. It uses therefore a parser in python and also an PHP Mysql Web-fronted.
Lots of people use web server for various tasks, but not all of them need a full-fledged web server which will take a lot of time to configure (if you are a naive) and will eat up system resources.
So, when you just need a webserver with GET and HEAD request handler, then you can use a module in python …


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Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka face off at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday in the final of the Tri-nations series, the home team having effectively dispatched India earlier with two high scoring victories.
They also beat Sri Lanka in their final series match on Monday, winning with conviction by eight wickets and 13 balls to spare, a result they hope to carry forward and one which Sri Lanka want to confine to dusty record books.
Man of that match Brendan Taylor struck his second career ODI century to add to two previous half centuries in the series.
He is undoubtedly the Sri Lanka target man, and not least because when he was out for just two runs against them in Bulawayo last week, his only failure, the rest of the team folded to 118 all out.
But the overall question to this final is whether the absence of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya and Lasith Maringa, all rested for this African winter safari, gives the Sri Lanka replacements a little too much to do. Or whether their absence more or less balances the teams up.
Just what a Zimbabwe victory will mean in terms of their international status will be debated here, at the ICC offices in Dubai and among cricketing pundits around the world.
The wicket appears to be full of runs and the bowlers, as in most other previous matches, will consider their roles to be economists rather than wicket snatchers.
Except, that is, during the dangerous first half an hour or so, given the early start because of an early dusk.
Sri Lanka captain Tillekeratne Dilshan won the toss and he has invited Zimbabwe to bat.
Zimbabwe all-rounder Greg Lamb is considered fit after missing the match against Sri Lanka on Monday with a hip problem. He replaces Chamu Chibhabha.
Sri Lanka make three changes. Thisara Perera drops out for Nuwan Kulasekera, having been a real disappointment so far. Ajantha Mendis replaces Thusara Mirando and Angelo Mathews comes in for Lahiru Thirimani.
The teams:
Zimbabwe - Elton Chigumbura (capt), Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Greg Lamb, Tatenda Taibu, Charles Coventry, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price, Chris Mpoful.
Tillekeratne Dilshan (capt), Upul Tharanga, Tilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapudegera, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suraj Randiv, Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (RSA) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM). Match referee Jeffrey Crowe (NZL).
Zimbabwe take on Sri Lanka in Tri-series final
Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka face off at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday in the final of the Tri-nations series, the home team having effectively dispatched India earlier with two high scoring victories.


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19 August 2012
Lost hope
I am happy.
But...you don't deserve to be happy.
Why not?
The sun is shining and I am embracing it, twirling around.
My heart soars
Life has never been better.
I can do anything.
I have finally become free...
That is what you think.
Icy streams surrounding me
Slowly choking out the happiness
Blackness filling my days
But....I was happy.
For weeks, I've struggled with everything.
First, eating. I'll either not eat, or not eat healthily.
It is if I don't deserve full nutrition, full recovery.
I don't want to always think about food.
It is weird. Sometimes I can eat without free.
But then FEAR comes roaring back.
Then there is this thing called life.
Cleaning. Laundry. Bills. Answering e-mails. Grocery shopping. Talking to people. Calling family. Visiting. Attending church. Volunteer work.....
I can't do this.
So I stay up until 2, 3, 4 a.m.
Too afraid to got to bed.
Mindlessly wandering the Internet.
No thoughts.
It feels like a binge.
A binge of the online world.
Designed to cross-circute my emotions.
Do I even have any?
Why can't I cry?
Oh, I will sometimes squeeze out a few hypocritical tears.
Look, I am crying. I feel sad. I feel...
So I isolate.
This passive-agressive approach to life at full-tilt.
My cell phone voicemail full.
A week's worth of mail stuffed inside the mailbox.
Does the mailman think I'm dead?
Does he even notice?
Days sat huddling in my house,
I am embarrassed to be in my nightgown at 2, 3 in the afternoon.
I wish I had a drink.
Or two.
Or three...
Then I could oh-so-fashionbly sip my glass(es) of wine while twirling said nightgown.
I wouldn't be a loser, then.
Instead, I could say that something important kept me up and by God I deserved to sleep until noon, 1, 2 p.m.!
And the wine would seductively slide down my throat.
I sometimes miss starving.
The feelings of emptiness.
Heart racing.
Sick, isn't it.
Sometimes I think if one more person tells me I look good, I'm going to fucking scream.
Look good=you're fat
I mean, does anyone ever ask someone if she has gained weight?
I sit, hopeless, in front of my computer.
Too scared to move.
I want to throw myself on my knees and beg God to take this feeling away, take it all away and open me to new life.
A life that is tantalizingly out of reach.
My fingers hovering, trying to grasp it before it falls apart.
Worthwhile work
I feel unworthy. Lonely. Full of hopelessness.
I admitted that to my psychiatrist the other day (of course after he already called me out on it.)
I feel as if my dreams have fallen apart.
Damn it, I'll just admit it — I am envious of women whose spouses have stood by them, whose husbands cherish and love them...till death do they part.
Husbands who have KEPT their vows, who believe that the words meant something, not just to be thrown away like so much trash, like scrapping gum off of the bottom of a shoe.
What is wrong with me???
Why can't I inspire that kind of devotion?
Will love ever be a part of my life again?
Romantic love, I mean.
And...will laughter and happiness and fulfillment and all the hopes and dreams that threaten to bubble up and overwhelm me ever become part of my life?
In the meantime, my world continues to crash around me. Dishes are again piled in the sink. Laundry is half-done. The upstairs needs to be vacuumed. Three weeks worth of garbage sit in the garage. There are piles everywhere.
I mean, where does this crap come from, anyway??? Is there a clutter fairy who drops off junk at my house at an alarming rate?
Books. Books everywhere.
I mean, I love books. But I don't love tripping over them every five seconds.
Bottles of nail polish on my desk, clothes piled on the dryer, threatening to topple. The spare bedroom crammed with an overturned Christmas tree, complete with bulbs still attached.
My bicycle remains untouched, my bow and arrow no longer getting any practice time.
Months worth of vestry minutes untyped.
You get the picture.
Then, I sleep until 10:30 a.m. on Friday. The day I need to drive more than two hours to my psychiatrist's office.
Who needs nine, ten hours of sleep?
I do.
Because sleep has become my escape.
Really, I would stay in bed all day if I felt like I could.
Nothing can touch me when I'm in bed.
Sort of like nothing could touch me when I had anorexia.
I miss...
I miss me.
I feel as if I want too much.
Please God, are my wishes and dreams unattainable?
I know that only I can move forward and reclaim my life.
Then why is it so hard?
I want more...
5 comments:
I honestly do not know what to say, but I still wanted you to know that you're in my heart.
Your life is important,
- August 19, 2012 at 2:39 AM
- Ophelia said...
Yes, I understand.
I can only offer you my understanding and my love xxx
- August 19, 2012 at 4:13 PM
- Joanne Shortell said...
Shared on Facebook and Google+ by me and by my service dog's pages on each service. I don't think I've ever read a description of depression that was so authentic and well communicated.
Joanne Shortell, Maeve's service human
- August 19, 2012 at 5:08 PM
- Zena said...
I have no words except, you put how I feel everyday in better words then I ever could. Even in your darkest moments you write with passion, a gift is what you have. Thinking of you and praying that it gets better for you and well for us all...XX hugs darlingXX
- August 20, 2012 at 2:46 PM
- Erin said...
I just so relate to this... it's hard. But I know you're going to get through, Angela. You will.
- August 21, 2012 at 2:00 PM


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Tag: Catholic University of America
At a briefing at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, this professor of liturgical studies at the Catholic University of America describes some of the pre-conclave rituals.
Holy Week events begin with honoring the entry of Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem and end at his resurrection. R&E's story of Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and is told by three narrators: Monsignor John Meier of Catholic University in Washington; Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest in Georgia; and Reverend Charles Adams of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit.


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"Saturday, 27th September
Oxford Pro-life Witness, prayers in reparation for abortion, and for all unborn babies and their Mothers & Fathers.
At the entrance of the JOHN RADCLIFFE Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford.
We meet outside the Church of St Anthony of Padua (Headley Way) which is just behind where we witness.
3pm - 4pm
Exposition throughout the hour inside the Church and the Rosary/prayers are led by Fr John Saward.
God Bless ~ please keep praying for the witnesses, especially for all the Drs and nurses at the JR involved in anti-life exploits."
Can I also ask for prayers for my fellow homeschooling mum friend who helps organise these events. Without the work of people like her, I think people would forget the massive slaughter of babies in this country.
(I am not ready to reblog here yet-but I hope to return some time. God bless)


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Tin Can Bay
Rainbow Beach
A short history of Gympie
A public meeting was held to consider Queensland's separation from New South Wales in 1851 and in 1859 Queen Victoria gave her approval to establish the new colony of Queensland.
Queensland now had its own Constitution and became a self-governing colony with its own Governor, a nominated Legislative Council and an elected Legislative Assembly.
The 6th of June is now celebrated by Queenslanders as the day acknowledging the birth of Queensland.
On the 10th December, Queensland's first Governor, Sir George Ferguson Bowen, officially proclaimed Queensland to be a separate colony from New South Wales.
Queensland was bankrupt and when James Nash discovered gold in the area in 1867, Gympie became 'The Town That Saved Queensland'.
When Nash struck gold in a creek bed, the Gympie gold rush had began and for a time the town was known as 'Nashville'. James Nash made £7,000 from the goldfields.
In 1868 Nashville was renamed Gympie, after a local stinging tree the Aboriginals called 'gimpi'. All that existed at that time was a mining shanty town with tents, many small stores and liquor outlets.
Within months of the name change, 25,000 people were on the goldfields. Gympie was proclaimed a municipality in 1880, became a town a decade later and was a city by 1905.
Gold mining continued until 1925, when the city then became the most important regional centre for having a rich variety of agricultural activities.
Gympie is now the centre of the Mary River Valley agricultural district, in which beef cattle and pigs are raised, tropical fruit and vegetables are grown and an active dairy industry operates.


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''It has become a very hard war,'' said resistance commander Ahmed Shah Massoud as he sipped tea in a well-concealed cave adorned with rugs and blankets. ''Far harder than before.''
During an interview a month ago in his mountain stronghold only a rifle shot away from the nearest Soviet observation post, the young leader paid little attention to the sullen roar of artillery and mortar shells exploding on the rocky escarpments. He looked up only when a Soviet MIG-27 jet fighter streaked in low to bomb a guerrilla position and a dashaka (heavy machine gun) on a nearby ridge fired in response.
''Militarily, the Soviets have failed to achieve their objectives,'' Massoud explained, referring with constantly restless hands to a large satellite map of northern Afghanistan spread out before him. ''Every time they have come into the valley, they have tried to destroy the mujahideen.
''But we have always managed to elude them and then hit them from all sides. Their commandos (heliborne troops) have learned a great deal about mountain guerrilla warfare and are fighting much better than before. They have caused us some serious problems, but we have learned to cope with them.''
It is a much different story for the civilian population.
''Unfortunately,'' he said, ''we are in danger of losing our people. This is where the Soviets may succeed. Failing to crush us by force, as they said they would with each offensive, they have turned their wrath on defenseless people, killing old men, women, and children, destroying houses, and burning crops. They are doing everything possible to drive our people away.''
Considered one of Afghanistan's most influential commanders, Massoud is one of at least a dozen young men who have emerged as key leaders among the country's broad patchwork of guerrilla fronts.
When this reporter first met him in August 1981, he was virtually unknown to the outside world. But the former engineering student had established an impressive resistance organization by Afghan standards.
In contrast to numerous partisan groups elsewhere, those in the Panjshair Valley operated their own semiautonomous Islamic state along well-defined social and political structures: a local government, a court system, a finance department to collect taxes and support families whose men had been killed, schools, mosques, a hospital, and most significantly, a ''military academy'' for the training of mujahideen.
On several occasions since the December 1979 invasion, the Red Army has launched major offenses to wrest the Panjshair from resistance control. Each time, however, the combined Soviet-Afghan government operations have failed. To the chagrin of the Kabul regime, Massoud's military prowess and organizational abilities not only enabled the Panjshair to survive, but also boosted it as a leading symbol of the resistance.
It was exactly this sort of success that caused the frustrated Soviets to step up their efforts to crush Massoud once and for all. In late spring 1982, when this reporter returned to the Panjshair for the second time, they had launched their fifth and largest offensive, involving more than 12,000 troops.
When the assault, which had been widely publicized by the regime as its final thrust against Massoud's ''counterrevolutionary bandits'' began to falter, the Soviets launched yet another offensive at the end of summer. This achieved little, and the guerrillas continued to operate with relative impunity. In an unprecedented move, the Soviets approached Massoud in December 1982 offering a cease-fire.
Massoud accepted, despite acrimonious charges leveled by some guerrilla groups that he had sold out. But the young commander justified his actions by arguing that both the valley and his men needed a breather. The Soviets, for their part, were hoping the cease-fire would not only keep the Panjshairis out of mischief but also would discredit them with the rest of the resistance.
The Soviets soon realized the truce was not going to work. As expected, the Panjshairis used the 16-month respite to rebuild their villages, cultivate their fields, set aside food supplies, restock ammunition, and train guerrillas.
More to the point, however, Massoud met with guerrilla commmanders from throughout the northern provinces in an effort to forge a more coordinated regional movement against what he now regarded as a conflict that ''could last 40 years.'' While abiding by the treaty in not conducting military operations inside the Panjshair, his men continued to wage war elsewhere, notably in the Salang and Kohistan regions.
On April 20 of this year, the Red Army ended the truce. In nationwide operations against prominent resistance areas such as Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kandahar, it launched its seventh offensive in the Panjshair. At least 20,000 Soviet-Afghan troops backed by massive air and ground suppport were reported to be deployed.
According to Massoud and other sources, the Panjshairis were fully informed of Soviet plans at least one month before the operation. As in the past, resistance sympathizers in the government continued to provide the Panjshairis with usually reliable information on military operations.
Several days before the offensive, Massoud ordered the evacuation of the valley. Most inhabitants sought refuge in neighboring areas.
At the same time, mujahed groups began moving into position. While some established themselves in the side valleys to conduct commando actions and lay mines along the roads, others traveled farther afield toward Kabul or toward the Soviet border to operate with other regional fronts.
''These groups had orders to launch coordinated attacks to distract the enemy ,'' said Massoud. ''What was extraordinary, however, was that both the Khad (Afghan secret police) and the KGB (Soviet secret police) had no idea about our tactical retreat.''
In an effort to preempt last spring's offensive, guerrilla groups began ambushing government convoys and blowing up bridges along the strategic Salang highway, which is the main supply link between the Soviet Union and Kabul. For some two weeks, the route was blocked. Others sought to harass communist military forces in and around Gulbahar near the mouth of the Panjshair.
In their first attack, the Soviets carpet-bombed the lower half of the virtually deserted valley for three successive days. In addition, they bombed parts of Andarab, Khost, Nooristan, Kohistan, Nahreen, and Salang, leaving as many as 1,000 civilians dead.
The Panjshair commander maintained that the Soviets also used a form of white gas which they dropped by air in large barrels at both ends of the valley.
''You can still find the empty barrels,'' Massoud noted. ''But as the mujahideen were already on higher ground, they were not affected. When they came down from the mountains, they found a lot of dead foxes, chickens, and birds.''
During the initial stages, the government forces reportedly suffered heavy casualties from mujahed mines. Western diplomats and other sources observed a significant rise in the number of dead and injured being brought to the capital for burial or hospitalization.
The guerrillas also claim to have knocked out hundreds of vehicles plus as many as 40 planes and helicopters, more than during any previous offensive.
But since the Soviets seek to remove or destroy damaged equipment to prevent it from falling into the hands of the guerrillas, such assertions have been difficult to substantiate. Neither has it been possible to confirm mujahed losses, estimated by Massoud at 150 dead.
Nevertheless, the communist forces soon demonstrated that they intended to stay in the valley.
By burning and looting houses, shops, and mosques as well as disrupting much of the irrigation system, the Soviets seemed intent on making it impossible for the villagers to return unless willing to accept government tutelage.
From Kabul, the authorities launched an extensive propaganda campaign, much of which was duly reported in the Western and third-world press.
As on previous occasions, Radio Kabul insisted that the Panjshair resistance had been annihilated and the ''bandit'' Massoud killed. The valley, it maintained, was under firm government control and conditions were returning to normal. Because of communications problems as well as poor organization, the resistance failed to counter these claims.
When this reporter visited the Panjshair in August this year, at least two-thirds of the valley remained occupied. An estimated 15,000 Soviet-Afghan troops were garrisoned at six major bases stretching from Anawah to Panjrow. Every day, however, small groups of Afghan deserters managed to sneak out of their heavily fortified camps to guerrilla lines.
Holding the side valleys, most of the ridges, and the upper Panjshair, the guerrillas were conducting a bitter war of attrition against the communists.
They had cut off the road in several places and forced the Soviets to supply at least one base (Payshgar) by helicopter and parachute. They were also stepping up attacks elsewhere such as the Salang and Kabul regions in an effort to oblige the Soviets to spread their forces.
But while the mujahideen appeared to be faring well militarily, it was obvious the civilians would have an arduous if not impossible task in getting reestablished. Although some 200 civilians had returned to Dashti-Rawat, a resistance-held town at the northern end of the valley, virtually every house had been damaged or destroyed.
Massoud told this correspondent, shortly before I left the region, that he was expecting another series of Soviet assaults within the next 20 days, or at least before the onset of winter.
On Sept. 5, less than a week after my departure, the Soviets dropped heliborne troops at Dashti-Rawat and other strategic points after heavy bombardments in another large-scale effort to dislodge the guerrillas. With little reliable information emerging from the Panjshair, the situation remains confused. Radio Kabul once again announced a string of mujahed defeats, while some diplomatic reports referred to high guerrilla casualties. Usually reliable sources, however, indicate that the latest offensive failed.


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Minnesotans For Sustainability©
Sustainable Society: A society that balances the environment, other life forms, and human interactions over an indefinite time period.
U.S. Natural Gas Interview*
David Pursell1
1. Can you tell us how you
see the Present Natural Gas Situation in North America?
1. Can you tell us how you see the Present Natural Gas Situation in North America?
NB: Tell us, how do you see the situation with U.S. natural gas?
One of the issues with the U.S. or North American gas market is that it has changed dramatically from 3-4 years ago in that 3-4 years ago there was lots of construction of gas-fired or planned construction that ultimately materialized gas-fired power generation units, both fine cycle baseload units and simple cycle peakers that are used mainly in the summertime. Why natural gas? It's cheap, it's clean environmentally; on the power side, it's units are lower capital costs, gas is plentiful, we're not importing gas from anywhere other than Canada, our best friend to the north, etc. If you want to grow supply, all you do is drill more wells.
Where we are today is a much a different picture where we have figured out pretty quickly that we can't drill our way into more supply. We found that out in dramatic fashion in late 2000 and early 2001. We have a situation where our neighbor to the north Canada is probably going to experience gas production decline in 2003 for maybe the first time in a very, very long time and the outlook is for further decline in 2004. If you extrapolate that, Canadian production will be down, then imports from Canada to the U.S. should be down as well.
When we look into Mexico, four years ago people expected Mexico to be a net supplier of gas to the U.S., that picture again has dramatically changed, where Mexico is now a net consumer of U.S. gas, on the order of ¾ billion cubic feet a day. In fact, the most recent data which expands the second third quarter of 2002 shows that we shipped on a net basis more gas to Mexico than the U.S. imported via LNG.
NB: In case anyone listening doesn't know, LNG stands for liquefied natural gas.
So LNG imports are not even offsetting U.S. exports of gas to Mexico. That's a materially different situation today than we found ourselves in. The U.S. natural gas industry is actually in fairly tenuous ground because if you can't supply demand growth, then you can't have demand growth. It's relatively simple economics.
NB: So what will happen to demand, then?
You still build these power plants and the electricity sector to the end user of that power is probably less price sensitive than the average guy, so to the marginal consumer of gas is the industrial sector – your petrochemical plants, your glass plants, your rubber plants, paper, paper products, lumber, those folks who in a relatively weak economy, as we have now, probably have very little margin to begin with, and then we throw significantly increased higher input energy cost at them. So some of those guys are going to go away. Petrochemical plants are going to go elsewhere. That trend has happened and the higher gas prices go, the more accelerated the pace you'll see over the next number of years.
2. What is the Outlook for Natural Gas Situation in North America for the Rest of the Year?
NB: How do you see the North American natural gas outlook for this year?
When you look at the gas market, gas storage is the buffer where in the wintertime demand exceeds supply so we pull gas out of storage to meet incremental winter heating demand. In the summertime there's more supply than demand and gas is injected in the ground in anticipation of increased winter heating demand. So the injection season is very important to make sure there's enough gas in the ground in front of winter. We think there's certain minimum storage requirements that need to be filled before winter starts. Our sense was that even before this winter where we modeled, conservatively, a relatively warm winter, our view was because of the issues with supplies, supply declining and imports likely to decline, that there was no room for industrial demand expansion in 2003. The industrial demand is roughly 20 – 25% of the total demand, depending on how you count it. Probably 25 is a good number to use. Where are we now?
Winter has been colder so we've used more gas in storage or we've used more of the surplus, if you will. When we've finished the winter, there will be a bigger need or bigger demand to fill storage during the summer injection season. In fact, as we run our supply and demand model, if we keep industrial demand static, you can't get there. You can't fill storage. So what does that imply? That implies that either the supply side has to be materially better than we think, and that probably isn't going to happen, or you're going to have to cut some demand out of the system to free up some gas to inject and that's what's precisely we think will happen.
And how does that demand get removed from the system? It gets removed via price.
It's exactly what happened two years ago. Whether gas goes to $10 again, is very, very tough to call, but ultimately gas prices will have to go high enough to price enough demand out of the system to ensure that there's enough gas available for injection. If you think about it, the industrial consumer is all about economics. The local utility who's buying and injecting gas in the summer doesn't really care because that entity has ability to pass all of their costs through to the consumer and they don't want to go to their local or public utility commission and explain why my grandma's heating bill has gone up, but they sure don't want to go in front of that public utility commission at the end of winter and try to explain why grandmother didn't have enough gas. They are absolutely the least price sensitive or the most inelastic group of buyers out there and they will compete with the industrial customer. They will push the industrial customer out of the system.
NB: Does that have implications for power generation, like this year?
Well, it may, to the degree that reduction in industrial capacity impacts electricity generation, but most of the industrial consumers who are levered, who are most susceptible to high gas prices are those folks who use natural gases as feedstock, so if you're making methanol, or ethylene, or ammonia fertilizer, you're going to use natural gases as an energy input and a feedstock. So if you're making basic fertilizer, as an example, even in good times, natural gas may comprise 80% of your total cost of finished goods. So when prices go to $8-10, you can imagine the impact on those companies, particularly given that in the global petrochemical business, there's a glut of capacity and that capacity can be imported. So if I don't produce fertilizer on the Gulf Coast, I import it. And that's precisely what happened two years ago.
NB: Would you say that we see this as an example that shows that natural gas is a much more regional hydrocarbon than say oil?
Yes, if you try to compare and contrast the natural gas market, it's pretty interesting when you juxtapose gas against crude. Here's crude oil where there's excess capacity globally on the supply side, and OPEC has almost all, if not all of the excess capacity in the world, and they try to manage the supply and demand balance by regulating supply. So in the global oil market, supply tends to be the relief valve. Prices go up and OPEC adds more supply; prices go down and OPEC takes supply away. Quite frankly, they've done a pretty good job over the last little while doing that.
In the gas market, supply is relatively fixed. U.S. supply was down last year; it's going to be down again this year. Canadian supply is down as a function of mature basin, mature assets and the inability to drill where the most promising reservoirs are. Whether that is a good or bad public policy decision is not my case to make, but the fact is you can't get blood out of a turnip – you keep drilling the same basins over and over again, there's no supply growth.
So what happens? Demand has to be the relief valve because LNG imports at this juncture are insignificant. 5-10 years from now, that's probably a different story. At the end of the day, LNG imports are kind of the one supply side swing factor, they're not enough to matter on the margin so you have the demand side that tends to regulate a tight market or a market that's over supplied and demand responds to market pricing signals. So you've set up a regional market on a very big regional market, North America, where by definition of gas prices is going to be very volatile because the market is working.
NB: In the light of what you're saying, where are the
hundreds or thousands of new liquefied natural gas ships and the dozens of
terminals that will be needed to support them? Are those being built in the
U.S. now?
3. Canadian Production has Peaked: How do they fit into the North American Natural Gas Picture?
NB: The production and exporting to America of Canadian natural gas has been an important factor in the U.S. hydrocarbon picture for some time. But now it appears that Canadian natural gas production has peaked and has moving into decline. Can you say anything more about that?
Yes. I think a declining Canadian production in 2003 will be a bit of a watershed event, a wakeup call. You can look at Canadian production over the last few years and clearly all of the growth has been driven by two areas: one, a field in the western basin called Lady Fern, and the east coast development called Sable Island. Between the two, they comprise over a bcf of combined capacity. Sable is experiencing water problems and will probably plateau or even decline in 2003. Lady Fern is on a very well documented high decline rate. The two engines for supply growth in the last 2-3 years aren't there anymore so now you're stuck with the majority of the western Canadian sedimentary basin which is fighting some of the same maturity issues that much of the U.S. is and so you build a pipeline up to the MacKenzie Delta. I think the prospects for growth out of Canada continue to be somewhat illusory.
4. How is the American Consumer Going to React to "a Tightening Market" or Shortages, to put it Another Way?
NB: How do you think Americans are going to react when they discover that there is not after all boundless and infinite amounts of natural gas in North America and that's it's not so easy to import?
You know, Americans are consumptive pigs, right? We consume 20 billion barrels of oil a day, over 25% of the global oil demand. We consume a huge amount of natural gas.
Quite frankly, the Americans in general, are not educated about where those resources come from and what the implications are. You think that's crazy, having fought 10 years ago in the Middle East because Saddam Hussein took over a key oil exporting country and the situation we have now in Iraq. But quite frankly, the American consumer is a bit of a whiner. They don't care until prices are high. There are many unfortunate outcomes of the Enron and the trading scandals but I think one of the most unfortunate outcomes is John Q. Public saying that the whole energy crisis was a figment of Enron's imagination.
I'm not sure there's a real recognition that we have a shortage, a tight market out there and it will take another run on prices to make that happen, I'm afraid.
5. If the U.S. is Going to be Short of Natural Gas, Why is it Exporting it to Mexico?
NB: The informed American observer may look at the situation and think, but the U.S. is exporting natural gas to Mexico. If we're short of it, why are we doing that?
It's the free market – they're willing to pay Houston ship channel prices for the gas, so they get the gas. Right? NAFTA says that if they can pay for it, they'll get it.
NB: Does that mean that NAFTA is working the wrong way this time?
Or the right way, depending on… I'm a free market guy so I
wouldn't say that it's not working. It's working, but again, the issues are
striking with regard to who is ultimately going to be able to pay for the gas,
and who's not.
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Sunday, September 26, 2010
Autumn Bliss
Posted by Lisa Wilson at 9:39 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Autumn colors, Bridal Veil Falls, Kids, Wildlife, Wilson Peak
Friday, September 24, 2010
Chasing Autumn
Tuesday I wanted to get out and take some fall photos, and we ended up all over the place and hiking 9 miles. First we started out driving on Last Dollar Road.
Posted by Lisa Wilson at 9:00 PM No comments:
Labels: Autumn colors, Gondola, Hiking, Valley Floor, Wilson Peak
Monday, September 20, 2010
Playing Around Last Dollar Road
Posted by Lisa Wilson at 5:14 PM 2 comments:
Labels: Autumn colors, Kids, Wilson Peak
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Labor Day in Ouray
Posted by Lisa Wilson at 10:01 AM 2 comments:
Labels: Ouray
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The Alburtis Police Department has complained to state officials that Conrail left a tank car containing a hazardous chemical parked unattended in the borough over the New Year's Day holiday.
Police chief Ken Solomon said the tank car was parked dangerously close to homes and the Main Street crossing and was blocked with sticks against the wheels. He said a small lock was the only thing preventing the bottom valve from being opened. He said information on the tank car revealed that the car was built in 1968 and last tested then.


text:
Date: December 7, 2017
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Photo #270: September 27
Had a really awesome lunch at The Sci-Fi Cafe and then visited 103.5 KLite for the first time. Got to meet some of the DJS there like Max Speed, Carl McFly, Mondo, Jacob, and Tim Kong. Super fun day!!! ❤
Photo #52: February 21
Watched the seventh episode of Once Upon a Time Season 1: "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." My heart definitely got sad because of this episode. 😦 Why?! 😥 *Sigh* The Huntsman here is one of my favorite characters, and James Dorman portrays him well. He has a nice Irish accent. ♥ I hate the Evil Queen even more. Ugh.
Photo credit:http://awesometothe3rd.tumblr.com/post/17356754332/once-upon-a-time-the-huntsman-1×07
Photo #254: September 11
Happy birthday to my ultimate favorite Fighting Maroon, Toti Almeda!!! ^^ Kinilig naman ako sa reply niya hihi ^^
Before, anything else, allow me to apologize for the hiatus I had in blogging. I've been busy kasi lately, particularly because of my lovelife! haha! 😀
Last June 23, I started hanging out (watching movies, having lunch/dinner, checking out bookstores, etc.) with my office crush, Leo. Apparently, my absence because of the oral surgery I had made him realize how different office life is without me. (Leo, you can ask me to edit this part if you think I'm incorrect haha! mwah!) The first time we watched a movie together, I was fervently hoping that it would happen again. The first time he lent me his jacket, I wanted to hug him then and there. The first time we ate beside each other, I wanted that moment to last forever! I didn't want to go home! haha! 😀 The first time we held hands while walking (yes, hhww is still very much alive!), I was so kilig, I wanted time to slow down! Haha! 😀 Basically, I was so overwhelmed because I was about to give up on even hoping that we could be together because I heard that he was interested or at least he planned to ask a different girl out on a date. Little did I know that I was so wrong. 🙂
Anyways, last Friday was probably one of the luckiest days of my life.
First, I won an iPod shuffle from the Garnier Light promo on The Morning Rush. It was the LAST of ten iPod shuffles they have been giving away for nearly two weeks. Basically, Chico or Delle had to choose the best definition of complete. Thanks to Blue Ritz, I was able to get a copy of my air time. Interested to listen to it? Then click HERE. 🙂
Second, I had a surprise interview at work at around 10:30am. I won't go into the details, but I can tell you that the interview was for something good.
Third, at around 12:30pm, my head supervisor again asked to talk to me. Thinking that it had to do with the earlier interview, I clearly had no idea that I was about to receive a better prize than an iPod shuffle. She did start out with work-related statements and then biglang, "Actually, may ibibigay ako sa 'yo…" It was a VCD, covered by a postcard, and a necklace. Here's what the postcard says:
O, I dare you not to get kilig! Haha! Grabe, I had to read it a lot of times before nag-sink in sa akin – Leo asked me to be his girlfriend! It was so unexpected! I didn't get to answer him right away, because hiyang hiya ako sa kanya, I couldn't even look at him! We had lunch first and then we talked…and hugged. We caused quite a commotion at work as our colleagues were also celebrating with us. They were very happy, as most of them supported us all the way – giving pointers/advice, teasing us, and simply being there for us during our.. "dating period." 🙂
Simply put, I am very lucky to have Leo and having him trumps all the other prizes I have won from RX!
And I couldn't think of a better way of ending this blog entry with this: Mahal kita, Leo 🙂
We had our company outing last June 4 over at Island Cove, Cavite. We played obstacle course, tug-of-war, and sack race. Nakakapagod pero super saya. I did not go swimming but I did take a lot of pictures, some of which I will be sharing in this post.
After the outing, some of us had an overnight at a junior supervisor's house in Parañaque. We were welcomed with a sumptuous erm…close to midnight meal! Then we had lots of kuwentuhan, tawanan, and tuksuhan! 😀
To be honest, I was really, really happy because I got to have a lot of kilig moments with my crush. Haha! 😀 Hay, if he only knew how special he is to me. He's kind of geeky but I find him extremely interesting and I really like it when he laughs because of my jokes. I wish that I had the opportunity to be on his team – see, he's a junior supervisor. Unfortunately, we QAs are under the head supervisor. *sigh*
Anyways, here are some of the pictures:


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The U.S. hotel industry has been flying high for most of 1998, but industry observers say it may be headed for a soft landing.
During the last few years, the hotel industry has experienced phenomenal new hotel construction along with more mergers and consolidations than any period in history. Occupancy levels and room rates have continued to rise, resulting in record profits for public and private hotel companies. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) have acquired new properties at a record pace.
But the scenario has changed in recent months for hotel developers, owners and investors. Public lodging companies have taken a hard hit on Wall Street, and some are scaling back development plans. Many projects are on hold because of lack of capital, says Robert Mandelbaum, the Atlanta-based director of research for PKF Consulting, a San Francisco-based hotel consulting firm.
"We are entering a period of slower growth," Mandelbaum says. "Projects that were sure things in August and September are not coming through because of the capital crunch."
The slowdown comes after five years of steady growth. For the first time since 1991, U.S. hotels in 40 major markets will experience a decline in occupancy, according to PKF's State of the Hotel Industry report. As a result of oversupply in some markets, hotel occupancies are expected to drop from 73.9% in 1997 to 72.8% in 1998, the survey says.
Of more concern is the slowdown in growth of room rates, which have risen along with profits since 1994. Room rates, while projected to rise faster than inflation in 1998 and 1999, are projected to rise at a rate less than inflation in several hotel segments. The slower rate increases are expected to affect hotel profits.
To be sure, the rate of growth in room rates is still 50% higher than it was in 1990. Rates and profits have been growing at an extraordinary pace but are now expected to continue at a normal rate, according to Mandelbaum.
"We are entering a period of normal growth," he says. "The industry shouldn't think that the growth we saw in 1995 through 1998 is standard."
The lodging industry may not be the only industry to experience a slowdown in development, nor are its public companies the only ones to take a hit in recent months. But the industry is usually one of the first hit when an economic downturn occurs and suffers immediate results, according to Len Wolman, chairman and chief executive officer of Waterford Hotel Group Inc., based in Waterford, Conn. Unlike retail or apartments, which rely on leases, hotels rely on daily check-ins and check-outs, he says.
"If a guest doesn't stay in a hotel, it loses income immediately," Wolman says. "Guest rooms are the most perishable income you have. If you don't use it today, it's gone."
Although Wolman doesn't expect a slowdown in development or a decline in occupancies to lead to turmoil, his company is positioned to thrive during slow growth periods and recessions. During the last downturn, Waterford helped manage hotel assets that had been taken back by banks.
If the slowdown continues and a downturn occurs, he says the company would step in to help with divestitures and management. It would also consider the possibility of forming financial alliances with other companies.
"We've built foundations and positioned ourselves for a downturn," Wolman says. "I wouldn't predict gloom and doom, but it could be a tough period when everyone has to focus on operations and generating the best cashflow they can."
Wolman says that Waterford's profits are up this year over last year, and he expects the trend to continue. The company is beefing up its operations staff to prepare the company to grow through management contracts and acquisitions.
Acquisition plans slow as well Meanwhile, other companies are slowing plans for acquisitions. The industry has been in an acquisition mode that has changed the face of the industry over the last few years. In fact, lodging industry observers agree that the industry is coming out of the biggest period for mergers and acquisitions, fueled by the desire to establish global brand names to appeal to travelers.
During the first quarter of 1998, mergers and acquisitions totaled $32.2 billion, according to the Lodging Research Network, PricewaterhouseCoopers' Internet-based resource for data and information. That's more than three times the $8.9 billion that occurred in all of 1997.
Among the significant hotel mergers and acquisitions announced or completed in late 1997 and early 1998 were: Promus Hotel Corp.'s merger with Doubletree; franchising giant HFS Inc. and CUC International's merge into Cendant Corp.; the merger of FelCor Suites and Bristol Hotel Co.; CapStar Hotel Co. and American General Hospitality's merge into MeriStar Hospitality Corp.; Patriot American Hospitality acquisition of Arcadian International, Interstate Hotels, Summerfield Hotel Corp. and Wyndam Hotel Corp.; and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's acquisition of Westin Hotels & Resorts and ITT Sheraton.
CapStar Hotel Co. and American General Hospitality was a first for the industry in which a C Corp. and a REIT formed a formal alliance, according to Bjorn Hanson, the New York-based chairman of the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP's lodging and gaming group. Each company had benefited from its independence when others were consolidating, and then the two decided to form their own union.
In addition, the MeriStar merger set a standard in the industry by forming a paperclip REIT, which is a REIT where two organizations are joined through an intercompany agreement and share certain senior members of management.
All have not been perfect marriages, though. The $4.7 billion merger of Promus and Doubletree, which was billed as a union of equals, has been rocky. A handful of top executives left after conflict between executives at the top. After the $11 billion Cendant merger, accounting irregularities in the former CUC triggered a drop in the company's stock price and concern from industry observers and analysts.
One merger announced earlier even fell through. The union between Memphis, Tenn.-based RFS Hotel Investors and Equity Inns fell apart partly because the stock price fell too low before the proposed merger.
Despite furious consolidation this year, frequency of mergers and acquisitions is expected to slow during 1999, according to Hanson. Smaller companies may merge with stronger companies to gain more marketing power and to stay afloat. Hanson refers to these mergers as "survival mergers."
There may also be some stock-for-stock mergers in the near future, according to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. And for companies with available cash, stock buybacks are possible, the report says.
Since share prices for public companies are down 50% since August, says Dana Ciraldo of Hodges Ward Elliott, they're finding that buying their own shares is better than buying other properties.
However, mergers are likely to cool off because the stock prices of public lodging companies have plummeted in recent months. The inability to use stock as currency will significantly reduce the amount of merger and acquisition activity, Hanson says.
Hotel stocks have fallen more than the market as a whole because prospects for growth and acquisition are minimal, according to Frank Nardozza, a partner and national hospitality industry director based in Miami and New York for KPMG Peat Marwick.
"Mergers could be problematic because the stock prices of lodging companies are not necessarily the appropriate value of the company," Nardozza says. "Many lodging stocks are trading below their net asset values."
The alternative: going private With their stock prices and price-to-earnings ratios of public lodging companies falling, many hotel companies may consider going private, industry observers agree. The C Corps. and REITs, which have been the most active bidders for hotel assets in recent years, will have to be more selective because of less access to capital.
During the last two years, the majority of mergers and acquisitions have been accomplished with public capital. There have also been a substantial number of initial public offerings (IPOs) of lodging companies.
But since stock prices of public C Corps. and REITs have tumbled and opportunities for IPOs have dwindled, more opportunities have been created for private capital.
Private groups with significant cashflow like Blackstone, Whitehall Street Real Estate Limited and Northstar Capital Investment Corp. could consider buying hotels and portfolios, Nardozza says. Low stock prices of public lodging companies have created an opportunity for private companies or investment funds to acquire companies and assets at a significant discount, he adds. Shareholders win, too, by receiving a premium over current share prices.
PricewaterhouseCoopers' Hanson explains, "If the share price of a company is $10 dollars, and the value of a company is $20, if an outside investor offers shareholders $13, the shareholders get a 30% premium, and the management company is getting a $20 company for $13 per share."
Already, some private companies are beginning to purchase separate assets and will likely make bids for whole portfolios while prices are low, Hanson says.
The most significant drop in price for individual hotels will likely be in the limited-service sector, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report. Full-service and luxury hotels are not as likely to experience such substantial price reductions, the report says.
Companies that have merged with other companies unsuccessfully are included in the mix of companies that are likely to go private in the next few quarters, Hanson says. These companies are struggling to generate profits partly because they may have paid too much, he adds.
"When everyone was wrapped up in growth, a merger made sense," Hanson says. "Now it doesn't make sense."
Some public companies have already reached a point where opportunistic private funds are considering taking public companies over, says Bill Hodges, a principal with Hodges Ward Elliott.
"We hear about meaningful conversations companies have had where they have considered going private," Hodges says. "Public companies whose stock prices have not declined are in a good position to buy hotel assets from companies willing to sell."
And although talk of big mergers has quieted considerably and companies struggle to find financing, the situation is likely to be short-lived, Hodges says.
"Once the current inventory and loans are ingested, the investment firms and banks that pulled out of late will be back in the market," Hodges says. "(Mergers and acquisitions) activity will pick up in 23 or 36 months."
But meanwhile, some say companies may find debt and equity hard to come by. Tom McConnell, senior managing director of Insignia/ESG Hotel Partners says the current situation is different from the way it has been in recent years: Debt is increasingly hard to find, while equity is available if you look hard enough.
"Anyone lending now would rather do something less risky," McConnell says. "And debt is the catalyst that greases the industry and keeps it running."
McConnell expects the market to respond to the lack of public capital with more traditional lending. He anticipates that traditional banks will rule the market for the next three quarters.
Banks like Wells Fargo are more likely to lend to lodging companies than First Boston and Capital America, he says. Capital America, Japan's biggest broker, has suffered losses related to the yen, and it has cut its staff and closed many offices.
"The banks are back in the driver's seat," McConnell says.
More than 150 industry experts to speak at UCLA's Hotel Industry Investment Conference The UCLA Extension's 14th Annual Hotel Industry Investment Conference, January 12-14, at the Century Plaza and Tower in Los Angeles will feature more than 150 chairmen, presidents and CEOs of major hotel companies and financial institutions leading the 35 panels, workshops and general sessions.
The general theme of next year's conference focuses on business strategies in the new millennium. Sessions include "The Un-Hotel - Unique Lodging Experiences for the 21st Century," presented by Lou Dobbs of CNN's Moneyline Newshour; "The Outlook from the Top ... Hotel Leaders Speak," featuring several leading industry executives; and "A Hospitality Industry Success Story - Starbucks," presented by Starbucks Coffee Co.'s president and CEO, Howard Schultz.
Special events at this year's conference include the presentation of the "Lifetime Achievement Award" to Jay Pritzker and his family, the founders and owners of Hyatt Hotels. The International Society of Hospitality Consultants' Pioneer Award will also be awarded.
Other companies featuring speakers at the conference include AIG Group, Credit Suisse First Boston, BT Alex. Brown, Morgan Stanley Mortgage Co., GMAC Commercial Mortgage, ORIX USA Corp., Arbor International, Finova Realty Capital and Merrill Lynch & Co.
UCLA Extension's Third Annual Latin America & Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Forum precedes the conference Jan. 11-12 at the same location.
For more information, call UCLA Extension's Real Estate Center at the Department of Business & Management, 310/825-9971 or 818/784-7006; by fax, 310/206-3223; or by e-mail, [email protected]
McConnell says part of the problem with public capital is that many of the REITs may have paid too much for properties. "During the last few years, REITs were outbidding private companies by up to 15%," he says. "Now the equity of private companies such as Hyatt and Radisson remains the same, while stock in many lodging REITs such as Hilton Hotel Corp. have fallen up to 50% or 60%."
Arthur Adler, managing director for Sonnenblick-Goldman Co.'s lodging and leisure group, expects debt lenders to lend aggressively once the market stabilizes. The decline of public money creates opportunities for players that have been watching on the sidelines, Adler says.
However, some private equity funds are waiting to see if pricing goes down further before stepping in. He predicts that capital will be freed up by the first quarter of next year.
"Public markets are a double-edged sword," Adler says. "When there is a cloud on the horizon, they react quickly. Before, institutional capital wasn't as quick to turn the spigot off."
And although financing is hard to come by lately, the industry is likely to emerge from a slow-growth period into a more advantageous position. The industry is more regulated now and less likely to experience overbuilding, Adler says.
1998 Hotel Occupancy Outlook * Hotel occupancies expected to drop from 73.9% in 1997 to 72.8% in 1998.
* Nearly half of the 40 major markets surveyed by the firm is expected to experience occupancy decline in both 1998 and 1999.
* Cities that are expected to have the greatest drop in occupancies:
Salt Lake City
Nashville, Tenn.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Austin, Texas
* Cities expected to experience occupancy increases:
San Antonio
Portland, Ore.
San Diego
Source: PKF Consulting
Looking at the bright side Meanwhile, a slowdown in new hotel construction likely will force REITs, which have pleased Wall Street in the past by acquiring new properties, to concentrate on operations, PricewaterhouseCoopers' Hanson says.
"Companies can cut expenses by reducing spending on capital improvements and advertising, looking to other departments for revenue such as food and beverage, and charging fees for guests to use banquet rooms," he explains.
In fact, construction is already beginning to slow, giving markets in danger of being overbuilt a chance to breathe. Companies such as Extended Stay America and Prime Hospitality Corp., which were in expansion modes earlier this year, have postponed some of their planned developments. Other companies are struggling to find financing for projects already in the pipeline.
The slowdown is so evident that PricewaterhouseCoopers amended its projections for new room starts in October. The firm is predicting a 23% drop in new hotel rooms, a steeper decline than the firm's projection of 26% earlier this year. The company expects that 113,700 rooms will be started in 1999, down from its original projection of 147,000.
The company also revised its projections for the year 2000 from a 25% drop to a 35% drop, or 96,000 new room starts.
The number of hotel rooms that have opened in recent years has risen sharply partly because of the trend toward extended-stay and limited-service hotels, which are easier to build. These extended-stay properties cater to workers on location or other transients who plan to stay for a week or longer.
Although some markets are oversaturated with these properties and limited-service hotels, they are likely do well during a downturn because their profit margins are much higher than full-service hotels, research shows. In addition, upscale properties are more likely to suffer as business travelers scale down to cut expenses.
Slowdown could help in the long run In the long term, less development could benefit the lodging industry, observers say. The reductions in hotel supply could ease occupancy declines and temper the slowing growth of room rates, according to PKF Consulting.
Supply has been outpacing demand in the hotel industry since 1996. This year, demand is expected to grow by 2.8%, while supply is expected to rise 3. 8%, according to Smith Travel Research in Hendersonville, Tenn. During 1999, th e margin is expected to widen to 2.6% growth in demand and 3.9% supply.
Although supply may not be outpacing demand in every market, nearly half of the 40 major markets that PKF surveyed are expected to experience an occupancy decline in both 1998 and 1999.
Philadelphia, Colorado Springs, Colo., Austin, Texas, Salt Lake City, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn., are expected to have the greatest decline in occupancy, while Portland, Ore., San Antonio, San Diego and Boston could see occupancy increases, according to PKF Consulting.
Urban markets have escaped a decline in occupancy, according to PKF's Mandelbaum, because they are insulated from competition from new hotels. The lack of new hotel growth often boosts profits for existing hotels. And in some markets, it even makes sense to build a new hotel, Mandelbaum says.
But even though growth is slowing and occupancies are falling, hotel owners and operators may still have high levels of profitability, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Hanson. Through research, Hanson found that break-even levels are considerably lower than they were in the late 1980s. The break-even level dropped from 63% in 1993 to 55% today, after dropping only three percentage points between 1980 and 1993, he says.
"In 1987, the lodging industry had 86 employees for every 100 rooms, and now there are 74 employees for every 100 because of greater limited-service, employee empowerment and technology," Hanson says.
Supply and new competition have also affected room rates, but not as much as occupancy. Room rates grew at a rate less than inflation during the downturn between 1989 and 1993, but they have outpaced inflation since 1994. PKF Consulting estimates that room rates will be up 6.8% to $112.96 in 1998, compared with $105.75 in 1997. Rates are only expected to increase 4.9% to reach $118.52 in 1999, according to PKF.
In the past, markets with declining occupancy rates were able to counter their declines with strong room rate growth, according to Mandelbaum. But eventually, decline in growth of room rates, coupled with declining occupancies, could mean lower profits for hotels, he warns.
During the last few years, the ability to raise room rates has resulted in double digit profits. Despite a .3% decline in occupancy, a 7.4% increase in average room rates allowed for a 13.2% growth in operating profits, according to PKF.
The average daily room rate has increased the most in the Northeast, at 9.8% in 1998, and the least in the south central area of the country, at 3.5%. The markets projected to have the least growth in room rates are Colorado Springs, Baton Rouge, La., Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Tucson, Ariz.
Mandelbaum notes that a slowdown in the growth of room rates does not necessarily mean consumers will find bargain hotel rates. Hotels will continue to raise rates during peak times for travel, the PKF report says. Yield management systems and revenue management systems will keep rates up.
Growth in revenue per available room has also slowed since peaking at 9% in 1995. This year, revenue per available room is expected to grow at a rate of only 5.3% in 1998 and 4.2% in 1999. Total revenues per room are expected to reach $42,284 in 1998 and $43,975 in 1999, according to PKF.
PricewaterhouseCoopers projects that profits will increase by slightly less than 10% next year.
"That's really impressive, but three years ago it was 35%," Hanson says.
Last year, industry earnings hit $17 billion, according to Smith Travel Research. This year, the number is expected to reach $22 billion. That number could change, depending on development and the economy, observers say.
Staring in the face of recession Rates and revenues could be in danger if a slowdown in the industry couples with an economic recession, which could throw projections off. Compounded with an oversupply of hotel rooms, it could mean turmoil for the industry, PKF's Mandelbaum says.
The economy affects the industry more than overdevelopment. If corporate executives and vacationers quit traveling, occupancies take a dive. If the market is overbuilt, the effect on profits is compounded.
If corporate executives and vacationers reduce travel, the oversupply of hotel rooms combined with travelers' intolerance for higher room rates could prompt rate reductions, according to PKF.
Most industry observers don't anticipate a recession, but many are somewhat prepared if it comes. And many believe the industry is better equipped to handle a downturn or recession than it was in the late 1980s. Property types and locations are more diverse than they were then, and the landscape of the industry has changed, Mandelbaum says.
"Most markets have absorbed supply, and the fundamentals of development are stronger," PKF's Mandelbaum says. "The industry does not have tremendous debt to cover, nor does it have profit pressures. If there is a slowdown, we'll see a healthy industry, not one that is fabulously growing."
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Gulf War, high fuel prices and increased operating expenses compounded with the oversupply of hotel rooms created bleak business. This time around, industry observers think it will take more than an overbuilt market to drag the industry down.
Bobby Bowers, president of Smith Travel Research, says the fluctuations in supply and demand are all part of a cycle and that the industry is nowhere near where it was in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"We are continuing to see pretty good profits because the industry has restructured in a way," Bowers says. "Hotels then were relying on debt refinancing, and now more are publicly held and debt has been financed at better rates."
Mike Leven, president and CEO of U.S. Franchise Systems in Atlanta agrees. "I think it has got a long time to run until it hits the wall," Leven says. "A recession would deteriorate profitability, but because of the financial underpinnings, (the industry) should be able to withstand a recovery. Our rate base is high enough that when occupancy drops, we're still going to see a profitable business."
Lodging company executives are observing the world economy closely and watching for additional problems that could have a psychological impact on the industry.
But an industry slowdown can be broken down to both location and segment when considering how much a property could suffer. Hotels, which base business on group meetings, are not likely to be seriously affected during a slow time, says Bob Sales, president of Tishman Realty Corp.
During the last recession, the company kept solid profits because people were canceling leisure trips, not group meetings, he says. Despite worries about the industry, business at Tishman is strong, while publicly held competitors are putting development plans on hold, he says.
"I think 1998 has seen the largest number of hotels built since the mid-1980s," Sales says. "A lot of that is because the limited-service hotels are easier to build. We haven't seen as much development on our end in four-star and convention hotels."
While Sales has seen some meeting planners and companies cutting back expenses, the company has booked meetings as usual for 2000 and 2001. "In terms of group bookings, we haven't seen adverse effects," he says.
The company has felt the effects of a slowdown in its attempt to finance the nearly $300 million E Walk hotel on 42nd and 8th streets in New York. The hotel is part of a mixed-used complex, which will include entertainment venues and retail space. Tishman plans to begin construction on the hotel in 1999 and is slated for completion in 2001.
"Less people are interested in securing construction," Sales says. "People are just nervous about how deep that market is based on risk aversion."
USFS's Leven says the fundamentals of the industry are strong, and he anticipates few problems with new development. While signs of a slowdown are apparent in the midscale sector, his economy hotels have not been affected, he says.
"It's a healthy industry, but I wouldn't call it a dynamic growth industry," Leven says.
Leven adds that construction may take longer, but he is selling the same number of Microtel Inns and Suites and Hawthorn Suites. Financing is not difficult to secure because the company deals with small lenders, he says.
But Leven, who has more than 37 years of experience in the industry, most recently as head of Holiday Inn Worldwide (now Bass Hotels & Resorts), prepared USFS for harder times with the recent acquisition of franchise rights to Best Inns & Suites.
Unlike the company's Microtel and Hawthorn brands, which are new-builds, franchisees convert older hotels to the Best brand. The company has experienced incredible growth with new Microtel franchises, but if hard times hit, conversions make more sense than new-builds, Leven says.
In general converting an existing hotel is quicker than new construction, which can speed up the time between signing a franchise agreement and when the hotel begins paying royalty fees.
"It was a strategic decision on our part," Leven says. "You have to change your strategy when the landscape begins to change."
In addition, USFS is using the Internet for distribution and marketing, which is somewhat uncommon in the budget hotel segment. Leven hopes the Internet will boost efficiency, which will help overall operations.
"What people have seen now is that when Wall Street is in love with you, you can do no wrong," Leven says. "When they're not, you can do no right. It's not easy for everyone to be successful. When the going gets tough, the cream rises to the top."
Other companies are preparing for a downcycle in the United States with across-the-border acquisitions. Opportunities cross-border are huge, says HWE's Ciraldo, who calls emerging markets a contrarian play.
"People forgot that why you put real estate in your portfolio is to be countercyclical," he adds. Since European stock markets are highly connected to the United States, he suggests that investors diversify two ways by investing in real estate - not stocks - in emerging markets.
Although HWE is taking steps to expand operations into the Pacific Rim, Ciraldo says, not a lot of Asian owners are willing yet to admit they need to sell. Until that happens, he says, the best emerging market is Latin America. In particular, Ciraldo points to Mexico, which, since the peso crisis in 1994, has done everything the IMF asked. "The effects are just now starting to hit," he adds. "Mexico paid the price; now it's ready to skyrocket."


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I picked up some BPA-free plastic popsicle molds and broke out the food processor. I have a juicer too so I juiced a bunch of carrots to yield about 1 cup of carrot juice. In the food processor I blended together about 6 ounces of fresh baby spinach, two cups blueberries and a banana. Then I added the carrot juice and soon had a gross-looking slop in front of me. I poured it to almost of the top of the popsicle molds and froze them. The next day my daughter devoured hers. Fortunately the blueberry taste is what comes through the strongest, so other than being a slightly different consistency than traditional store-bought popsicles, they're not bad. Best of all, my daughter thinks she's getting a special treat!
What's great about making homemade popsicles, aside from being much healthier and knowing all the ingredients in them, is you can use up what you have on hand. Wondering what to do with that enormous watermelon you bought or looking to use up the stash of sweet potato puree in the freezer from your baby's pureed food days? No need to have fruits and veggies go to waste when you can use them to beat the heat!
Ann J. is a cloth diaper fanatic and mom to an 18-month-old girl with the cutest cloth diaper butt on the block!


text:
Radio Delivers More Live Programmingthan Cable News or Sports
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Radio, one of the largest major-market broadcast media operators in
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text:
Mason, James, 1909-1984
From Library of Congress Name Authority File
Mason, James, 1909-1984
Instance Of
Scheme Membership(s)
Collection Membership(s)
Fuller Name
Additional Information
Birth Date
- (edtf) 1909-05-15
Death Date
- (edtf) 1984-07-27
Birth Place
Death Place
- male
Exact Matching Concepts from Other Schemes
- found: Monaghan, J.P. James Mason, 1947.
- found: NUCMC data from Boston Public Lib. for Allen, F. Papers, 1927-1966 (James Mason; actor; 1909-1984)
- found: Internet movie database, Sept. 21, 2011 (Born: James Neville Mason May 15, 1909 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK ; Died: July 27, 1984 (age 75) in Lausanne, Switzerland; Actor (153 titles), Producer (6 titles), Writer (5 titles); Great English actor of British and American films. He should not be confused with the American actor Jim Mason (1889-1959), aka James Mason, who appeared in silent films, particularly Westerns in the Twenties and Thirties) .
Change Notes
- 1980-08-25: new
- 2017-01-25: revised
Alternate Formats


text: Guest Rowan Dream Report post Posted December 8, 2009 *sneaks in and hopes she landed in the right place* Hello all, just wanted to introduce myself and while doing so give you all a very BIG and WARM welcome back hug Okay I am Rowan (points to the name next to the post) and I am the silly bean of Gryffindor AKA the pain in the butt (or so I call myself). I am an ickle second year at HOL and in real life I am 21 years old. I love purple, yellow and surprises. Anyway, it is good to be back in my house *sniffs red and gold air in* and I do hope you all have a good time. HAHA, let us put the A in awesome, the F in fabulous, I in insane and the R in Rowan. Last one was a joke but my sin is vanity, so, no need to comment that *waves out* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year! xx
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
City Girl's Christmas Gift Guide: Food & Drink
Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for my recent absence. I haven't been too well over the last week, and with a rapidly growing 'bump' and Christmas fast approaching, I've been one exhausted girl! You may have finished all your shopping (hoorah!), or you may have found that despite your impressive organisation, there still remain a few pesky presents on the list. Edible gifts can fill the gaps nicely and provide a crowd-pleasing choice for stocking fillers, or even a main gift. The true domestic gods and goddesses in your life will love all the accessories that can be gifted alongside. Here's my selection of edible gifts for Christmas. Enjoy!
- Not long ago, I chose my top 'Top 10 Things to do in London' for Time Out, one of which was the Konditor & Cook cake shop at the Curzon Soho. For edible Christmas treats that taste as good as they look, Konditor & Cook have some seriously tempting offerings, including their 'Cranberries and Chocolate' Boston Brownies. Delicious! Order by 10am on Thursday 22nd December, to guarantee Christmas delivery.
|'Cranberries and Chocolate' Boston Brownies by Konditor & Cook, £14.95 for 10.
- Jermyn Street is one of those magical London addresses that exudes history. Any visit must include a stop at the Queen's cheesemonger, Paxton & Whitfield. Dating back to 1742, Paxton & Whitfield's reputation means that the tiny shop is almost always full, but once you have sampled the cheese and the staff's impressive expertise, you'll be jostling to get inside. You can also buy traditional ales to enjoy with your favourite cheese. How about a Christmas stilton? Or this Alpine Fondue Set?
|Alpine Fondue Set by Paxton & Whitfield, £80.
- Jamie Oliver's Recipease food and kitchen shops are fantastic places to browse for gifts, whether for amateur cooks or those more accomplished. Homely gifts and simple yet tasty fare will aid those less-than domestic goddesses (like myself) in making their kitchen an inviting place to be. My top picks? Jamie's terracotta nested bowls. Or maybe some wine glasses and a carafe?
|'Matti Terracotta Nested Bowls' by Jamie Oliver, £26.
- Having lived in LA, I am a huge fan of California's bountiful bakeries, cupcake shops and 'cookie and ice cream sandwich' shops (my favourite!). If I was longing for something sweet, it was only one block or two until I was greeted by tantalising treats. At the Beverly Hills Bakery in Knightsbridge, the sugary taste of California is within reach. This Beverly Hills Christmas Bakery basket would make someone very happy indeed!
|A Beverly Hills Christmas Bakery basket, £29 for 32 mini pieces.
- Whether you prefer muffins or mince pies, the Christmas cupboards are bound to be stocked with copious edible goodies. Once your guests arrive, why not present them in the most enticing way? This 3 Tier Vintage Doily Cake Stand from Oliver Bonas would also make a gorgeous gift!
|3 Tier Vintage Doily Cake Stand by Oliver Bonas, £29.50.
Will you be treating anyone to edible gifts this Christmas? What Christmas shopping is still on your list? Good luck!
Posted by City Girl (EC1) at 4:58 pm 2 comments Links to this post
Friday, 9 December 2011
City Girl's Christmas Guide: Stylish Accessories
Sorry for the slight delay in posting my last gift guides everybody! Here is my edit of some of the most stylish accessories out there, for those fashionable girls in your life. Of course, if you're anything like me, you might find it hard not to treat yourself at the same time! I hope you enjoy the selection.
- I have been longing to tell you about the beautiful bags made by a lovely friend, Rachel Galbraith, under her label Bronte Bags. Combining luxurious vintage linen and leather local to Sussex, Rachel hand-makes every one; the detail and finished product are stunning. Here is one of my favourite Bronte Bag 'Shoppers', available at Rockett St George.
|Silver Leather Handbag Shopper by Bronte Bags at Rockett St George, £145.
- Darkroom on Lamb's Conduit Street is an extraordinary haven of unique, one-off accessories, for men, women (or both) and the home. It was also one of our picks for the Vogue Secret Address Book. If you haven't already discovered Darkroom's jewellery, now is the time. Many of them statement pieces - or even objects of art - they would make a standout Christmas present.
|Ebony and Sycamore clip on earrings by Darkroom, £35. Darkroomlondon.com
- ASH footwear has recently become a fond personal favourite, mostly in the form of the popular ASH trainers. Casual enough to feel relaxed in, but 'distressed' in a somewhat smart way, they exude cool and could be paired with either jeans or a dress/skirt, particularly if you opt for the heeled wedge trainers.
|Chestnut Virgin High-Top Trainers by ASH at My Wardrobe, £119. My-wardrobe.com
- THE OUTNET is always a trusty site for designer bargains and when there's an OUTNET clearance sale (as from today, Friday 9 December - Monday 12 December), things that were never within our grasp, suddenly become so. I strongly recommend you scour the site (clearance and non) before all the glamorous goodies have gone. Accessories are a great place to start.
|Mushila brass and cord bracelet by MADE at THE OUTNET, £23.
- ASOS is a one-stop shop for lots of items, but most shoppers (or gift buyers) probably don't remember that the online giant holds a massive collection of belts. At a pinch of the price that belts can go for these days, ASOS' belts would make a fashionable and thoughtful stocking filler. Now all you have to decide: what shape, material, colour and brand would you/your gift recipient like? How about ASOS' own label?
|Pastel Skinny Belt by ASOS, £6. Asos.com
- My final choice is equal to those accessories above, because you will want to carry it around with you (although, being in hardback, that could be difficult). Carine Roitfeld, former editor of Vogue Paris, made her lasting mark on the fashion world with her indisputably chic and fearless style, represented both by her own coveted wardrobe and those of her renowned shoots. Carine Roitfeld: Irreverent is an audacious look at the woman herself and her inspiring career. Magazine addicts will love the many covers and tear sheets from Vogue et al.
|From Carine Roitfeld: Irreverent at Amazon, £42. Amazon.co.uk
My final Christmas gift guide, for all lovers of food and drink, will be posted soon!
Posted by City Girl (EC1) at 3:09 pm 1 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
City Girl's Christmas Gift Guide: Cover Girl
You can't go wrong with beauty gifts for us girls at Christmas. Whether it's a spot of pampering, or the tools for an entire makeover, there's something about the promise of a glamorous festive period/New Year that's indulgently irresistible. But, faced with an ever-burgeoning beauty market, promising younger, softer and more 'natural' skin, it's difficult to know what should make the cut. Read on for my selection of special, different and long-lasting beauty products, perfect for Christmas.
- While working on Vogue's Secret Address Book, I fell in love with the exquisite bath products from Farmacia Santa Maria Novella. The two London shops (1 Piccadilly Arcade and 115 Walton Street) are tiny outposts of the famous 600-year-old Florentine pharmacy and you can sense the grand history as you walk through the door. Hand-written and hand-wrapped pomegranate bath salts, perfumes and Acqua di Colonia are a must-try, for men and women.
|Acqua di Colonia by Farmacia Santa Maria Novella. Santamarianovella.com/br
- Since I received Eve Lom gifts last Christmas, I have been a huge fan; I cannot recommend the Eve Lom Cleanser enough. A seemingly solid, crystallised cleanser, it melts onto the skin, exfoliating and cleansing along the way. The blend of four aromatherapy oils will refresh and delight. Team with Eve Lom's famous muslin cloths (1 included), and you'll feel spa-fresh every single morning. I promise!
|Eve Lom Cleanser, £30 for 50 ml. Evelom.com
- You may not be familiar with Glossybox, but it is causing a stir in the beauty world. A mail order subscription service which you can buy for the beauty lover in your life, Glossybox will send an elegantly packaged box every month, containing 5 luxury beauty miniatures. The box also contains product information, application notes and beauty tips and tricks. The perfect chance to enjoy high-end brands and a monthly treat. There is also now a Glossybox for Men.
|Glossybox subscription service, £10/month. Glossybox.co.uk
- I was recently introduced to mineral make-up brand BellaPierre at Good Results' PR day, and have been keen to try it for myself ever since. Tuning into the trend for quality, pure skincare, BellaPierre has only been available in the UK since 2010, after the brand was developed in LA. From the gentle, super-soft foundation primer to the popular, blend-able shimmer powders, all products contain 100% pure MICA powder and no other ingredients or additives.
|Foundation primer by BellaPierre, £45. Bellapierre.co.uk
- Body moisturisers make an unbeatable beauty gift and one of my top favourites is from trusty L'OCCITANE. Their products always take me back to Provence and the aromas, textures and quality can't be disputed. One item I always ensure is in my bathroom cabinet, is L'OCCITANE's Verbena body lotion. Its zesty lemony-ness lingers on your skin, without overpowering your perfume. Simply delicious.
|Verbena body lotion by L'OCCITANE, £18. Loccitane.com
Posted by City Girl (EC1) at 9:00 pm 0 comments Links to this post
City Girl's Christmas Gift Guide: Cosy Comforts
Over the next few days, I will be posting my selection of Christmas gifts for a variety of relatives/friends/personalities. I hope you enjoy them! As London's weather is becoming more 'Christmassy' and icy by the day, it wasn't difficult to choose my first Christmas gift theme. 'Cosy comforts' are those perfectly seasonal presents which can't help but please any recipients keen to stay warm and put their feet up over the festive period. As a mum-to-be seeking a final two months of 'me-time', I am a particular fan of this category! Let me know what you think of my choices and please feel free to suggest similar gifts below.
- Avoca is an Irish family-run hand-weaving business that spans one of the world's oldest surviving manufacturing companies. Available at John Lewis in the UK, you will find colourful and supremely cosy fashion and interiors, including this 'Baby it's cold outside' hot water bottle.
|Dream Hottie by Avoca, £35. Johnlewis.com
- Brora equals beautiful cashmere and lambswool. You may have seen that I recently selected the 'Cashmere Marl Sloppy Joe' jumper by Louise Gray for Brora, on City Girl's Facebook page. Another of my favourites is Brora's Lambswool Rug, below.
|Lambswool Rug by Brora, £45. Brora.co.uk
- If you find yourself in Liberty (as I often do) but can't decide on a gift, tweet Liberty's Gift Fairy for ideas (as mentioned on City Girl's Facebook Advent Calendar). These Eloise Print Oven Gloves would make the perfect stocking filler - don't forget the mince pies!
|Eloise Print Oven Gloves by Liberty, £14.50. Liberty.co.uk
- Hush is one of those irresistible websites that makes lounging look infinitely better than getting dressed up, any day. Their cashmere tunics and shawls are gorgeous, as are these Vintage Rose Pyjamas.
|Vintage Rose Pyjamas by Hush, £49.50. Hush-uk.com
- If you do venture outside, Jack Wills has lots of treats for girls and boys. This Burchale Bobble Hat would look fantastic on either - with 100% lambswool, it's guaranteed to ward off the chills.
|Burchale Bobble Hat by Jack Wills, £29. Jackwills.com
- The White Company can be relied upon for great gifts year-round, and there are plenty of warm and snuggly offerings come Christmas time. If you have children to buy for, check out The Little White Company. This soft knitted Girl's Fairisle Bag will be cherished.
|Girl's Fairisle Bag by The Little White Company, £16.50.
Posted by City Girl (EC1) at 6:30 am 1 comments Links to this post
Monday, 5 December 2011
City Girl Reports: Vogue's Online Fashion Week
Today, Monday December 5, marks the beginning of British Vogue's Online Fashion Week 2011. Lasting for 24 hours a day, from Monday December 5 - Friday December 9, this is Vogue's first ever Online Fashion Week, in association with Give as you Live. Give as you Live allows shoppers to raise money for their favourite charity - simply nominate as you pay for your purchase from one of Vogue's featured retailers.
|Florence Welch opened Vogue's Online Fashion Week at 9am
Vogue's Online Fashion Week celebrates shopping on the web and the timing for Christmas present-buying is perfect. Every participating company (think designer labels like Chanel and Alexander McQueen) to high street brands (including Topshop and Reiss), is offering special online events, prizes, discounts or free gifts. Celebrity wish lists and 'favourite fashion moments' are guaranteed to get you in the mood. How about starting with Anya Hindmarch's online snowglobe hunt? Find all five globes around Anya's site and you could win this gorgeous Valorie clutch...
In the vein of Vogue's Fashion Night In (but for a whole week!), this is another chance to be involved in an innovative, one-of-a-kind event from British Vogue ... and get that festive feeling. Here are some Online Fashion Week shopping highlights:
|Valorie clutch in glitter fabric by Anya Hindmarch - to win!
- Throughout this week, Urban Outfitters will offer flash sales on products revealed every day in the Online Fashion Week blog. Until midnight tonight, choose from a selection of heels and bags, at 15% off. Shoppers will also be entered into a draw to win £500 to spend online. Checkout code: VOGUEFW.
|Jute Shopper at Urban Outfitters, original price: £28
- For any brides out there, Jenny Packham is offering a 10% discount on all items, until midnight on Friday December 9. All shoppers will also be entered into a prize draw to win a dress from Jenny's A/W 2011-12 collection, up to the value of £1,500. Checkout code: VOGUEJP01.
|Jenny Packham Anisette II Bridal Headdress, original price: £305
- If you've fallen in love with the trend for fashion illustration, why not adorn your walls with a print by David Downton or Bobby Hillson, from Fashion Illustration Gallery? You'll get free shipping throughout this week, and 10% of sales will go to charity. Checkout code: ONVOGUE.
|Valli, 2008, by David Downton at Fashion Illustration Gallery,
original price: £300
- One of my favourite footwear brands (a girl who loves her 'flats') French Sole, is offering a 20% discount on a different shoe style each day. Keep your eyes peeled to their site! Today: Large Glitter Henrietta. Checkout code: n/a.
|Large Glitter Henrietta in Multi by French Sole, new price: £80.80
- Also updating every day, Anthropologie will be unveiling five special discounts on a selection of their exclusive collaborations and collections. Today: 10% off all items by Anthropologie and scarf designer Lousada Heyhoe. Checkout code: n/a.
|Lousada Heyhoe & Anthropologie collaboration, £various
To stay on top of the special offers and events (updated constantly), tune into the Vogue.com Online Fashion Week blog. Here is a full list of retailers. Many offers are time-limited, so be careful not to miss out! I'd love to hear what you buy...
Images: British Vogue.
Posted by City Girl (EC1) at 12:50 pm 0 comments Links to this post
Thursday, 1 December 2011
City Girl's Advent Calendar, December 2011
Happy December, everybody!
|Christmas labels by Lazy Oaf, £5.50
I hope you have enjoyed a super start to the month. My Christmas gift guides will be following shortly, but in the meanwhile, do check out City Girl Diaries' Advent Calendar on Facebook, for a festive treat every day. Highlights will be shared here. First up, we have these gorgeous Christmas labels by Lazy Oaf. All you need to make your cards and pressies stand out and sparkle.
Lazy Oaf is an independent graphic and illustration label, combining clothing, accessories and stationery. There are some fab tees and jumpers, definitely worth a peek at their site.
Posted by City Girl (EC1) at 7:03 pm 0 comments Links to this post
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text:
Help prevent sewer gas from entering your home while you vent your drain line with the Oatey 1-1/2 in. ABS In-Line Cheater Vent. This spring-loaded vent uses negative pressure to open and positive pressure to close. Also replaces secondary stack venting.
- ABS construction
- Use to vent drain lines
- Helps prevent sewer gas from entering your home
- Push to connect
- Spring-loaded to open with negative pressure and close with positive pressure
- NSF-24 listing for use in recreational vehicles
- California residents see Prop 65 WARNINGS