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The following story is a composite and does not depict an actual event. Rather, it was inspired by events that happened a long time ago in a land far, far away. If you think this story is about you, it isn't. All possible identifying data has been removed and details have been changed. It's also important to note that the following scenario is a rare exception to the rule of healthy childbirth. I wore my cutest scrubs (I'm aware of the oxymoron) that night, hoping the pediatrician with the sexy Clark Kent glasses who had been flirting mercilessly with me for the past three months would be on call. I was scheduled to work newborn nursery, an assignment I usually relished. Sadly, my swarthy doc was nowhere in sight. The nursery was eerily quiet until the loudspeaker cackled overhead."Code blue, Labor and Delivery. Code blue, L&D."Working in a hospital, you grow accustomed to hearing cardiac arrests announced over the loudspeaker, such as "Code blue, ICU." But jaws drop when there's a code someplace like Labor and Delivery. I soothed my inner distress by telling myself it must be a false alarm.A few of the more experienced nurses on my unit rushed toward the L&D unit, but I couldn't leave the nursery since we had a baby under the warmer. I stood frozen in place. Seconds later, the phone rang through the silence. A nurse from L&D was calling. Her breath came in gasps. "I'm sending you the baby," was all she said.Within 15 minutes, a nursing assistant pushing a hospital bassinet knocked on the nursery door."They're still coding her mom," she said miserably as she handed the unlucky baby off to me. I glanced at the clock, cringing as seconds ticked away. Despite the ominous circumstances of her birth, the baby in my arms looked like your typical newborn—a pee-and-poop machine in a deceptively adorable package. I unbundled the kiddo and assessed her from her head down to her perfect 10 little toes. She was in the calm post-birth "zen baby" state, and she didn't even cry when I poked her heel to draw blood for a routine blood check. Somewhere in the middle of the baby's first bath, the nurses who had bolted to L&D to assist with the code returned to my unit with their shoulders slumped and heads hung low. The mother had died. I pieced together bits of the story here and there. The woman's heart had stopped suddenly. They had rushed her to the operating room and done everything possible, but to everyone's shock and horror, nothing worked.I asked if any family members would be coming for the baby. Apparently the baby's mother had come to the hospital alone. She had come alone to birth her baby, and she had died. The returning nurses described the scene in L&D. The obstetrician wept. Everyone else fell silent. The staff was shaken but had to pull it together and get through the night to help deliver the other babies safely. A night that had started out slowly was soon flooded with new patients.Newborns began arriving at a breakneck pace. They were brought to me for their checkups before going back out to their mothers, but the baby whose mother now lay in the hospital morgue remained in the nursery with me. She slept in the crook of my left arm while I charted. She gobbled down her very first bottle and then cheerfully spit up on my new white shoes. Her bright eyes took in new sights as I brushed her wispy bird hair into a baby mohawk. As I held her, I tried to feel the significance of the situation—one life passed out of this world to safely deliver another into it. I tried to imagine how this baby would feel when she was old enough to learn the story of her origins. But my brain was unable to grasp something so elusive, and so I lost myself in the workflow of a busy nursery.In a country populated with iPhones and cubicles, it's difficult to imagine women still die during childbirth. It's so rare, even people who work around birth every day are stunned when we lose someone. Nationwide, 569 women died in 2006 from complications directly attributable to pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2009 National Vital Statistics Report. This amounts to an average maternal death rate of 13.3 for every 100,000 live births. That's well above the Healthy 2010 goal of less than 3.3 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Our national mortality rate reached a record low rate of 7.1 in 1995 before going back up. The increase over those low rates in the '90s may be attributable to the fact that data collection and reporting methods have changed since then. Yet some people are alarmed that the mortality rate has not continued to drop but rather appears to be either holding steady or climbing. Some blame our failure to achieve the Healthy 2010 goal on our high rates of C-sections and other obstetrical interventions that carry inherent risks. Others point out that more women are having babies later in life. Most agree that a lack of access to health care results in inadequate prenatal care. Meanwhile, women are entering pregnancy with more risk factors due to the increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetes and hypertension in this country. In reality, many factors probably contribute to our unsatisfactory rate of maternal mortality, making this a complex biosocial battle that must be fought on multiple fronts. But the fight begins with awareness and vigilance.At the end of my shift, I learned that our social worker had contacted the mother's family in another city. The family was now en route to the hospital. Relieved, I transferred my patients to the day-shift nurses and slumped toward door, desperate for sleep. As I lugged my heavy heart into the elevator, I found myself looking back over my shoulder at the baby girl in the bassinet. The bittersweet image stays with me.
Miss Diagnosis
If you are expecting or trying to start a family, please don't fly into a panic over sad stories like the one I just told. The vast majority of births result in healthy moms and babies. If you want to help write your own happy ending, the CDC recommends the following measures for a healthy pregnancy:• Food and vitamins: A nutritious diet that includes a supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid is essential for any woman who is pregnant or may become pregnant. A reputable prenatal vitamin is your best bet. Sadly, Frontier rolls and Dion's ranch dressing are not good sources of folic acid.• Weight: A very low or very high pre-pregnancy weight can be a strong predictor for problems. Try to aim for a Body Mass Index between 19 and 25-ish before becoming pregnant.• Blood pressure: Problems with blood pressure can reduce blood flow to the placenta, which is the organ that supplies oxygen and nutrients to the baby. Blood pressure problems can also cause headaches, kidney problems or liver problems for mom. A healthy pre-pregnancy blood pressure is around 120/80.• Smoking and alcohol: C'mon, nobody likes seeing a pregnant lady with a cigarette dangling from her lip and a bottle of booze in her hand. Unklassy.• Diabetes: A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent this pregnancy buzzkill.• Prenatal care: CDC data shows that women who receive no prenatal care are nearly eight times more likely to suffer maternal mortality than women with adequate prenatal care.Go to cdc.gov for more information
Despite its brilliant name, this column is not intended to prevent, diagnose or treat herpes. Or any other diseases, for that matter.


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WHERE'S THE REGULAR WEB SITE???!!!??? ((SORRY, BUT WE ARE HAVING TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH WOODTURNERSGUILD.COM)) The forum for members of the Woodturners Guild of NC
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Holiday Cottages for romantic breaks in Western Loire
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Oceanian House Holiday Cottage in West France
Holiday Cottage in Lucon, Vendee, France
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15 Jul, 2009
GM sanctioned 2009 SEMA Camaros list announced
Posted by: admin In: Main
The 2010 Camaro is one of the most anticipated cars for this year's 2009 SEMA show (November 3-6). Last year's show saw GM bring a lineup of its own concept design cars (see post here). For the 2009 SEMA show, the GM Design Team has chosen and awarded the following 8 car designers/tuners each their [...]


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- Home
- Top 7 AI Travel Assistants to Use for Your Next Vacation
Northern girl Laura is the epitome of a true entrepreneur. Laura's spirit for adventure and passion for people blaze through House of Coco. She founded House of Coco in 2014 and has grown it in to an internationally recognised brand whilst having a lot of fun along the way. Travel is in her DNA and she is a true visionary and a global citizen.


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Pro Tools + SoundCloud
Love Pro Tools? Love SoundCloud? Now using them together just got easier. Avid's latest update to their cutting-edge audio production software includes sharing to SoundCloud – from creation to utilizing your online community, Pro Tools 10 has you covered.
Pro Tools 10
Pro Tools is one of the most popular audio production software choices for recording, composing, editing and mixing both music and sound used by leading music studios and Hollywood sound editors (e.g. Pro Tools was used in the making of movies such as Gladiator and Mission Impossible 2). The SoundCloud integration offers audio makers the freedom to collaborate and effortlessly share their works, whether it be a hit single, the soundtrack for a TV commercial or the sound effects for your favorite video game.
With SoundCloud baked into Pro Tools 10, audio producers from all fields can share their sounds privately with collaborators for feedback or share polished works to the world. Throughout the creative process, Pro Tools and SoundCloud make audio production and promotion easier.
In addition to SoundCloud, other key features in the update include Clip Gain, multiple file formats supported within one session and higher resolution sound with more headroom. Find out about all the new features in Pro Tools 10 here.
"SoundCloud's integration with Avid lets professionals collaborate and share the sounds they create more easily with colleagues and clients," said Alexander Ljung, founder and CEO of SoundCloud. "As someone who has worked extensively with Pro Tools, it's also a personal achievement to see SoundCloud integrated so well with the latest version of the leading audio production software."
Hear more of Alex's thoughts on Pro Tools 10 & SoundCloud:
SoundCloud and Avid are giving away a copy of Pro Tools 10 to an active member of the SoundCloud community who can let us know how SoundCloud sharing in Pro Tools will help improve your work flow. Share your recorded explanation with SoundCloud.com/pro-tools-


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US budget deficit grows 27% through July
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government's budget deficit rose by $183 billion to $867 billion during the first 10 months of this budget year as spending grew more than twice as fast as tax collections.
The Treasury Department say the deficit for the current fiscal year through July is up 27% from the same period a year earlier.
Spending rose 8% to $3.73 trillion, and tax revenue rose 3% to $2.86 trillion.
President Donald Trump's $1.5 trillion tax cut and new spending agreed to last year have swelled the gap between what the federal government spends and what it takes in.
The Congressional Budget Office expects the deficit to begin exceeding $1 trillion a year in 2022.


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Do you know what your future holds? Explore Shut Eye's 360 quiz to reveal the truth. All new episodes are now streaming on Hulu: https://hulu.tv/AllNewEps
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Joy Ride Is An Extremely Raunchy And Hilarious Comedy
Joy Ride is an extremely raunchy and hilarious comedy that takes the mantle of ensemble risky
comedies that at times, leave your mouth on the floor. Joy Ride focuses on two best friends
Audrey and Lolo (Ashley Sullivan and Sherry Cola) end up getting roped up into a trip to Asia,
they end up on gals pal cross-continent trek to find Audrey's long lost birth mother so she
doesn't lose a huge business deal.
The chemistry in this movie is superb. Every character has their moment to shine and there's
rarely a scene where you don't get a belly laugh. I was shocked at how crazy and bold this
movie got, continually pushing the line to get a laugh. The movie does a good job of getting to
the point and getting to the scenes that really make you chuckle. There are some editing choices where the story flies by some stuff, and it feels a little incomplete, but never at the expense of really enjoying being around for the journey.
I thought that this was a sleeper for this year and certainly a movie worth watching with your
friends some weekend. It's great to throw on if you want a laugh and really just enjoy some
great actors riffing off each other. The focus on culture was a nice touch and really elevated the movie to another level. While I would say if you're easily offended, this movie is not for you – if you're looking for a no holds barred comedy, Joy Ride is a trip worth taking.
Who Doesn't Want To Wear The Ninja Suit Of Snake-Eyes Or Dress Like The Mandalorian?
Hasbro has had their pulse app out for a while now. It allows for access to items to buy, preorder, and a look into future projects and releases. It also allows for a very cool thing most nerds (a group of which I am a proud card-carrying member) have always wanted, the ability to make yourself into an action figure. I've contemplated making one for a time but, I finally got my chance to get my hands on one at Comic-Con this year. Now, of course, I had to wait in line as it was a pretty sought-after item. Who doesn't want to have themselves wear the ninja suit of Snake-Eyes or dressed like a Mandalorian? I was approached by one of the booth staff as I was showing my nephew all the cool ways we could get him his own MIles Morales action figure with his face (as he's a massive fan) and invited to take a seat and scan our faces into the Hasbro Pulse app with the help of their awesome team and make this dream a reality. My wife was with us, so of course she got in on the fun too. We scanned our faces in and it was very simple and quick. Then we all selected our figures to add our heads to. We all chose Power Rangers(Me as the Black Ranger, my wife chose the pink ranger and the nephew got the red ranger). Then we were told that we needed to wait about 4-6 weeks and we'd have our custom action figure team in our hands. This was a major part of our Comic-Con adventure and definitely, a memory my wife and nephew won't forget (as it was both of their first Con ever). Thank you to Hasbro for being so generous(also getting me brownie points that home) and I highly suggest checking out Hasbro Pulse and all the cool stuff it has to offer.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter: Double-knock on wood!
Adapted and written largely from the Captain's Log chapter of Bram Stoker's magnum opus Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the story of Dracula's journey by ship from Carpathia to London, and what happened to her crew in the interim.
So here we are in Bulgaria, middle of 1897, and Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) of the Russian schooner Demeter is here to take on some strange cargo from some unknown client and transport it to Carfax Abbey in London. In need of some extra hands, the Captain sends out his capable Second Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) to scout for some, and initially the roving black doctor and aspiring philosopher Clemens (Corey Hawkins) is passed over in favor of more work-roughened men. The adorable cabin boy of the Demeter, Toby (Woody Norman), narrowly misses being crushed by the mysterious dragon-marked crates being loaded onto the ship, saved by Clemens himself and switched out with the superstitious sailors running from the Demeter like they had been poisoned by the sign of Dracul. And now, armed with some nine or so crewmen, Doc Clemens, and Captain Eliot himself, the twenty-four strange what looks like coffins adorned with dragon signs brought mostly safely aboard, the Demeter can make for open water and the Hell that awaits them there.
The duty of showing Clemens around the ship falls to a cheerful Toby, who proudly shows him the living areas, the Captain's quarters, the very-large cargo hold, the galley and kitchen where the overly-devout Joseph (Jon Jon Briones) cooks the crews meals, the various above decks, even the sails, and the rigging are all at least touched on, and the livestock pens that Toby himself is in charge of, including the handsome good-boy doggy Huckleberry, or just Huck. We the audience get a very clear feeling of what it's like to actually be aboard the Demeter, just how large she really is, and what living on a ship for months at sea is really like, the reality and practicality and the dangers of it.
Everyone more or less settles in for a hopefully uneventful voyage, taking mess around the common table and exchanging ideas or aspirations for when they arrive in London early thanks to the fair winds, and receive a handsome bonus for their troubles. But that involves being alive and making it to London to spend said bonus and pay, and the coffin crates spilling dark soil from the motherland and disgorging all sorts of other nasty secrets, have some serious plans to the contrary.
First, it's the livestock, innocent and shrieking in their locked pens as a monster takes great furious bites out of their necks, and of course, the creature just straight up ruins poor doggy Huck. Then there's the fully grown girl that gets dislodged from an open coffin-crate, covered in bite scars and as pale as death, she eventually starts interacting and talking after several blood transfusions from Doc Clemens, Toby learns her name is Anna (Aisling Franciosi). And then, as the weather turns foul and the winds begin to be a serious problem, the attacks turn toward the remaining humans onboard the Demeter.
Most people these days are familiar with Dracula, that gorgeous cunning vampire Elder who can supposedly transform into a bat or a wolf, seducing women to voluntarily offer up their veins like an unholy sacrament, a being at once beautiful and powerful, but also horrific and murderous if given half a heartbeat to smell your blood. This is not Dracula.
Instead, the creature that hunts the humans occupying the Demeter is an absolute monster, not a single human feature left to it, barely even recognizable as humanoid-shaped, instead boasting not just full-length bat wings but an entire exo-skin of bat membranes that can be used for feeding, a mouth full of needle-like teeth akin to a predator of the deepest darkest parts of the ocean, those yellowed Nosferatu eyes that will not tolerate light in any way, and of course giant pointy bat-ears. This is a thing, a grotesque straight from the depths of Hell, and no amount of glamor magic can make this Dracula (Javier Botet) seem like anything other than what he, is – a parasitic demon who only wants your blood. There is no reasoning with it, no trapping it, not even really any talking to it (kinda hard to talk when your throat has been ripped out), and, like the much more frightening Dracula stories of old, no amount of pure faith behind a symbol does anything other than give false hope.
Coming face to face with an actual abomination does different things to different people. The formerly delightfully foul-mouthed Abrams (Chris Walley) dissolves into a blubbering mess; poor Larsen (Martin Furulund) didn't even get to see his own death coming; and it turns out Olgaren (Stefan Kapicic) wants to live so badly, he'll suffer becoming a blank-eyed Renfield if that's what it takes. All of Cook Joseph's purported pure faith didn't stop him from trying to take the coward's way out and didn't save him anyway when the sound of unnatural bat wings descended on him. I find that kind of irony delicious. Dear Anna, resigned to her fate to be eternal food for the horror that terrorized her village, nevertheless wants to try and save whoever is left of the Demeter with her own sacrifice, and there aren't many. Wojchek of course wants to kill Dracula, but for all his logic and solid practical nature, has no experience whatsoever with this sort of thing, and sure doesn't want to sacrifice the Demeter, the beloved ship he called home that was promised to him by Captain Eliot himself, in order to destroy that demon. Even poor sweet Toby isn't safe from the creature's clutches, and what happens to the cabin boy of the Demeter is what finally sends Captain Eliot over the blooming edge. And who could blame him? For this sort of thing to happen during the last voyage of such a proud, solid ship as the Demeter, is some serious bullsh*t.
To leave such a film open for a potential sequel, especially when called the last voyage of something, was a pretty hefty ask, and somehow the filmmakers managed it. I personally think a different version of Van Helsing, the infamous vampire hunter, teaming up with a certain black doctor who nurses a serious grudge against Dracula, could be a kickass sequel. Until then, experience the doomed final journey of the Demeter and her poor crew in all it's bloodstained glory, in theaters now!


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Understanding the New Google+ Layout
On April 11, 2012, Google unveiled the latest changes to its increasingly popular online network Google+, the largest set of updates since the network was first introduced to the world in June 2011. As with any change to a popular product or service, this premiere garnered praise and the subsequent gathering of pitchforks—a situation all too familiar to the creators of Facebook. However, as the dust settles from this move, I'm stoked to report that the network has a stronger, cleaner, and more polished user interface than nearly any other social network (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 The new Google+ Sign In page.
I recently spoke with Bradley Horowitz, VP of Product Management at Google+. He told me that the team of Google+ designers and engineers went down to a pixel level, page by page, when designing the new look. This fact helps to explain why, even though a few sections of Google+ still look the same, they feel different.
When I'm working with web designers to update or change the look of websites for the photography companies I run, I always ask for the same basic principles: Simple. Sleek. Fluid. If this is the level at which I judge the new look of Google+, it has exceeded my expectations.
Home Page
The first difference you'll notice in the Home page is that the Google+ navigation bar is no longer at the top of the screen; it now resides in the left sidebar (see Figure 2). This change is great not only because your mouse has less distance to travel to move throughout Google+, but because the navigation bar is customizable. Do you visit your Circles page more than your Photos page? You can easily change the order with a simple click-and-drag.
Figure 2 The new Google+ Home page.
Notice that the content is also aligned on the left side of the screen. Next to it are three main sections:
- Trending on Google+ shows topics that have high levels of activity on the network.
- You May Know helps you to find individuals with whom you might want to connect.
- You Might Like lists Google+ business pages that might pique your interest.
If you happen to have an open invite for a Google+ hangout, it will appear in the same column, as shown in Figure 2.
The Google chat menu has moved to the far right of the screen, balancing out the look of the page. Just above that section is a Start a Hangout button that you can use to create your own custom Google+ hangout.
Finally, your Circle filters are represented at the top of the home page. The first three circles that you've set up via your Circles page are shown here (see Figure 3). Clicking any of these options applies a filter to the content stream, allowing you see to screen out everything but the content from the individuals in those circles. You can access the rest of your Circle filters by clicking the More button.
Figure 3 Circle filters in Google+.


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Definition of monkey suit
monkey suit
- a business suit.
I hate that I have to wear a monkey suit at my new job.
Last edited on Jul 11 2010. Submitted by Walter Rader (Editor) from Sacramento, CA, USA on Sep 09 2009.
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Other terms relating to 'monkey':
|Definitions include: to be or act totally stupid
|Definitions include: very cold.
|Definitions include: a silly or ineffectual person.
|Definitions include: extremely intoxicated.
|Definitions include: a Frenchman.
|Definitions include: a person who writes (source) code; "programmer".
|Definitions include: a person who has a menial job and who works at a desk.
|Definitions include: a funky person.
|Definitions include: to care a tiny amount, always used in the negative
|Definitions include: to severely injure someone.
|Definitions include: a mechanic.
|Definitions include: This theorem has been traced to the mathematician E'mile Borel in 1913, and was first popularized by the astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington.
|Definitions include: One who cleans up ejaculate at a peepshow.
|Definitions include: someone with muscles who looks big and macho.
|Definitions include: This describes one who is handy and skilled at stimulating penises.
Other terms relating to 'suit':
|Definitions include: nudity.
|Definitions include: a tuxedo.
|Definitions include: the upper management of any business
|Definitions include: pejorative term used for management / consulting / executive types, who are more likely to wear business suits than the average worker.
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The richest people on earth became $1 trillion richer in 2017, more than four times last year's gain, as stock markets shrugged off economic, social and political divisions to reach record highs.
The 23 percent increase on theBloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world's 500 richest people, compares with an almost 20 percent increase for both the MSCI World Index and Standard & Poor's 500 Index. {restrict]
Amazon.com Inc. founderJeff Bezos added the most in 2017, a $34,2 billion gain that knocked Microsoft Corp. co-founderBill Gates out of his spot as the world's richest person in October. Gates, 62, had held the spot since May 2013, and has been donating much of his fortune to charity, including a $4.6 billion pledge he made to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in August. Bezos, whose net worth topped $100 billion at the end of November, currently has a net worth of $99.6 billion compared with $91.3 billion for Gates.
More from Bloomberg.com: What Ever Happened to Donald Trump's Wall? It's in Pieces, in the Desert
George Soros also gave away a substantial part of his fortune, revealing in October that his family office had given $18 billion to his Open Society Foundations over the past several years, dropping the billionaire investor to No. 195 on the Bloomberg ranking, with a net worth of $8 billion.
By the end of trading Tuesday, Dec. 26, the 500 billionaires controlled $5.3 trillion, up from $4.4 trillion on Dec. 27, 2016.
"It's part of the second-most robust and second-longest bull market in history," said Mike Ryan, chief investment officer for the Americas at UBS Wealth Management, on Dec. 18. "Of all the guidance we gave people over the course of this year, the most important advice was staying invested."
More from Bloomberg.com: Analysts Cut iPhone X Shipment Forecasts, Citing Lukewarm Demand
The 38 Chinese billionaires on the Bloomberg index added $177 billion in 2017, a 65 percent gain that was the biggest of the 49 countries represented.
Hui Ka Yan, founder of developer China Evergrande Group, added $25.9 billion, a 350 percent jump from last year, and the second-biggest U.S. dollar gain on the index, after Bezos.
Technology billionaireMa Huateng, co-founder of messaging service Tencent Holdings, became Asia's second-richest person when his fortune nearly doubled to $41 billion.
The number ofAsian billionaires surpassed the U.S. for the first time, according to a UBS Group AG and PricewaterhouseCoopers report.
The U.S. has thelargest presence on the index, with 159 billionaires who added $315 billion, an 18 percent gain that gives them a collective net worth of $2 trillion.
Russia's27 richest people put behind them the economic pain that followed President Vladimir Putin's 2014 annexation of Crimea, adding $29 billion to $275 billion, surpassing the collective net worth they had before western economic sanctions began.
It was also a banner year fortech moguls, with the 57 technology billionaires on the index adding $262 billion, a 35 percent increase that was the most of any sector on the ranking.
Facebook Inc. co-founderMark Zuckerberg had the fourth-largest U.S. dollar increase on the index, adding $22.6 billion, or 45 percent, and filed plans to sell 18 percent of his stake in the social media giant as part of his plan to give away the majority of his $72.6 billion fortune.
In all, the 440 billionaires on the index who added to their fortunes in 2017, gained a combined $1.05 trillion.
The fortune of French telecommunications billionairePatrick Drahi fell $4.1 billion to $6.3 billion, a 39 percent drop.
PrinceAlwaleed Bin Talal, the richest person in Saudi Arabia, dropped $1.9 billion to $17.8 billion after he was detained in a crackdown against corruption led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that targeted royals, government officials and business leaders.
There were 60 billionaires who fell from the ranking, including South African retailerChristo Wiese, whose fortune dropped to $1.8 billion from a peak of $7.7 billion, in August 2016, after news of an accounting scandal at his Steinhoff International Holdings NV broke onDec. 5.
Sumner Redstone, 94, also fell off the list as CBS owner Viacom Inc. continued to grapple with a bitter battle for control between his daughter and other executives, whileRupert Murdoch, 86, sidestepped succession concerns with a December deal to sell much of 21st Century Fox Inc.'s entertainment assets to Walt Disney Co. Redstone shed $90 million. Murdoch added $2.7 billion.
In all, the 58 of the 500 billionaires who saw their fortunes shrink in 2017, lost a combined $46 billion.
New Wealth
The Bloomberg index discovered 67hidden billionaires in 2017.
Renaissance Technologies'sHenry Laufer was identified with a net worth of $4 billion in April. Robert Mercer, 71, who plans to step down as co-CEO of the world's most profitable trading fund on Jan. 1, couldn't be confirmed as a billionaire.
Two fish billionaires were caught: Russia's Vitaly Orlov and Chuck Bundrant of Trident Seafood.
A Brazilian tycoon who built a $1.3 billion fortune with Latin America's biggest wind developer was interviewed in April.
Two New York real estate moguls were identified,Ben Ashkenazy and Joel Wiener.
Several technology startup billionaires were identified, including the chief executive officer of Roku Inc. and the two co-founders of Wayfair Inc.
Investor euphoria created a number of bitcoin billionaires, includingTyler andCameron Winkelvoss, with the value of the cryptocurrency soaring to more than $16,000 Tuesday, up from $1,140 on Jan. 4. The leap came with a chorus of warnings, including from Janet Yellen, who called the emerging tender a "highly speculative asset" at her last news conference as chair of the Federal Reserve, on Dec. 13.
With wealth surging to new highs, billionaires may quickly learn that a billion dollars doesn't buy what it used to. The price of housing has topped$300 million, the cost of divorce has hit $1 billion and a rediscovered painting by Leonardo da Vinci sold for $450.3 million at a Christie's auction in November, the most expensive work ever sold.
"Would you believe it?" Eli Broad, who has a $7.4 billion fortune and his own museum in Los Angeles, said after the sale. "It's wild." [/restrict]


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The sell-off in Apple stock continued Tuesday, with shares falling below $500, amid concerns that demand for iPhones may be waning.
Apple (AAPL)'s stock price fell 3.1% to end the day at $485.92 a share. It was the first time Apple closed below $500 a share since February 2012.
Apple shares drifted below $500 on Monday, following reports the company had cut orders for certain iPhone parts due to weaker-than-expected demand for the latest version of the popular smartphone.
The selling continued Tuesday after analysts at Nomura Securities lowered their earnings estimates for Apple and warned that profit margins on the iPhone "are unsustainably high and will fall."
"We are cutting our Apple estimates this morning to reflect weaker-than-expected sales of the iPhone 5 as indicated by our checks," Nomura analysts wrote in a report.
Nomura now expects Apple to earn $45.54 per share in 2013, down from a previous estimate of $51.68 per share.
Apple's stock has been trending lower since September, when euphoria over the iPhone 5 debut pushed shares to an all-time high close of $702.10.
While the company has predicted record sales for its most recent quarter, Apple has been facing increased competition from rival smartphone makers, such as Samsung, Nokia (NOK), HTC and LG.
In October, Apple reported mixed results for its fiscal fourth quarter, saying it sold just shy of 27 million iPhones, up 58% from a year earlier. At the time, Apple was having trouble keeping up with demand for the iPhone 5.
Apple will release its fiscal first-quarter results on Jan. 23. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect earnings to decline 4% from the prior year, although estimates vary widely.
Apple has not reported a drop in quarterly earnings in nine years.


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1953 Bentley R-Type 4.5 litre inline six from North America
Get one now before prices get out of reach...
Nothing thus far!
Servicing is doable by a competent DIY'er, however specialist attention may be required for certain jobs, so be sure you don't live too far from someone with know-how! Also, spares prices aren't bad (by Crewe standards), but some bits, as with any vintage car, can be difficult and/or expensive to obtain. Just go into Bentley ownership with your eyes open, set aside some maintenance funds, and there won't be any surprises, as these cars are incredibly well built, and sturdy as can be.
General Comments:
I've owned several Bentleys, but this is my first R-Type. I was fortunate in that the previous owner unloaded about $40K (USD) of his hard earned money on a complete engine and gearbox overhaul by one of the best specialists in the UK. I had a '60 Cloud II, which I thought was one of the worst cars to drive (but nice to be driven in), so I wasn't sure what to expect with the R-Type, but it's a much smaller car, and has turned out to be most enjoyable to pilot.
The paint and leather are still original and are 'patinated', shall we say... but everyone loves those characteristics about the car, and furthermore, I'm not afraid to drive it wherever and leave it in a car park.
The engine is what you would expect from a Crewe-built automobile; sweetly silent and smooth. The gear change snicks between ratios with rifle-bolt precision, and there is loads of torque on tap for easy pootling around town.
The Yale locks still all operate with lovely, smooth precision, there is no sag from the doors, and the car is amazingly easy to drive at 70mph with the regular flow of traffic.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 30th October, 2012


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OCEAN CITY – Mayor Rick Meehan was re-elected on Tuesday before the first ballot was ever cast in the first election after the filing deadline passed with no one opposing his campaign. This is the second time that the mayor has been elected in this manner, the first being the October 2006 election after he took over for former mayor Jim Mathias who vacated the position that July.
Meehan has served in public office in Ocean City since 1985. Therefore, in a political campaign year that seems to judge its candidates on either the "change" or the "experience" ticket, Meehan seems like the latter, but The Dispatch sat down with him at his City Hall office for an exclusive interview to see if he thinks that any changes need to be made in Ocean City, the town's reaction to current economic conditions, the You Tube sensation and who he wants to see elected to the council, among other things. The following is a transcription of that conversation.
Q: You are officially re-elected by virtue of being unopposed. Do you think that is a result of the job you are doing, the fact that no one may want the job, or if people think that you might be unbeatable if they campaigned against you?
A: I don't understand why no one would want the job, because it's a great job. It's an honor to serve, and it's something I'm very dedicated to, and the fact that I'm unopposed I hope is a result of people being confident in my abilities and are happy with the job I'm doing as mayor of Ocean City.
Q: Your resume kind of speaks for itself as far as experience. My question is what keeps you wanting to do this after 23 years of public service?
A: I was first elected in 1985 with the desire simply to get involved. It wasn't to overthrow the government or anything, I was a young businessman I saw along with my contemporaries that came down here in the late sixties and early seventies, that saw a great opportunity in Ocean City and opened businesses and wanted to get involved with its direction for the future. It was a challenge and it still continues to be a challenge. There's very little that we do the same now that we did in 1985.
Q: Ocean City is built off the biography of being the small fishing town with simple roots that has grown into something much bigger. How do you stay true to values and traditions of "old ways" while still keeping Ocean City current and with the times?
A: It's interesting. I think some of the values are still here like being a family resort, but it's a much bigger family resort now. We are lucky to live here year-round, and we have a great increase in people that have moved here permanently. One of our great challenges is to balance the needs of our residents with those of our visitors.
Q: We are facing huge economic struggles and it appears not to be on the upswing for some time. What's the challenge of city government to help keep bringing visitors and continuing to give people the "Ocean City" experience.
A: People book their vacations differently now. They don't book months in advance, and sometimes they don't stay as long as they used to, but they are still coming. Ocean City welcomed just over 4 million people in the summer of 2007 and we hosted just shy of 4 million this past summer. We need to continue to improve our Internet presence for online reservations and show people all of their options to enjoy our town as we cater to the more hectic schedules of families. The money we gained from the room tax hike helped us greatly in the way we marketed the town this year. Today, more than ever we need to be proactive and Ocean City can't rely on what it did yesterday.
Q: What about the arguments that it's getting a bit pricey to visit Ocean City?
A: There are different price ranges of Ocean City, and our improved Internet presence will show that. We are a one of the top drive-to destinations (by AAA) in the country, and within a few hundred miles of three huge metropolitan areas. If you look at other areas, you'll see that the prices of Ocean City are not out of line. We are on the ocean, and you can spend the whole day for free on the beach. Where else can you go and spend all day together with your family and not really have to spend a penny?
Q: Is the way we market this town to the masses one of your top priorities for the next term?
A: It is one of my priorities. I'm on the Tourism Committee, and I've been booked to go on all the major radio and TV shows in Baltimore and DC to promote all the events and keep Ocean City on the minds of people that live in metropolitan areas. There are talks that they are going to be sending me to promote the town in other markets as well.
Q: So you've become a bit of an Internet celebrity with the release of the "End of the World" You Tube campaign. Did you ever expect to get such a response from it?
A: That wasn't my idea. Our advertising agency (MGH) came up with it and proposed it to the tourism commission when I wasn't there one day. When I came back they told me everyone loved it, and I had to do it. You have to be a good sport, you know, but the great thing is that the spot went on all major networks all the way from Virginia to New York, and the response was phenomenal. For the 30 day period following that ad, the hits on our website increased by 10 million. We did something to get the attention of people that wouldn't have been impressed by the same old thing as far as advertising goes. It got people's attention and that's what it was supposed to do.
Q: You took a lot of criticism with the firefighter merger earlier this year. Are you happy with how it all panned out?
A: I think it worked out better than we all could have expected. It needed to be addressed, and there was an opportunity to make the quick and perhaps popular decision, but I think sometimes what you need to do is take a step back and really evaluate where you are and where you need to be, and sometimes, you take criticism for taking the time to get something right. We knew changes needed to be made, and we wanted to do it right. We talked to paid firefighters and volunteer firefighters all over the country that had been through mergers like this before, and we put together a group including the head of the Maryland state fireman's association that represents the volunteers, and he proposed this strategy and we spent a few days discussing this with everyone involved and came to what I think is the right decision. In the end, it's amazing what you can do when everyone buckles down, puts the guns on the table, and sits there and really listens to what can be done and accomplished. I think what we ended up with was way better than what a quick decision would have gotten us, and we've chartered a path to the future that's going to serve Ocean City for a long time. I think as we look back on this, I think it will be considered one of the best decisions for the town.
Q: What's the biggest issue that town government needs to come together on and "buckle down" on in the next term and address head on?
A: I think our biggest thing as it always should be is the budget. That's really our major responsibility, and it's also the most difficult thing we do. We've tried very hard to keep the tax rate as low as possible, and we've worked hard on the tax differential issue. Though we weren't granted the whole amount for tax differential, the county commissioners did increase the grants that Ocean City gets by $2.2 million and we were able to put that directly into the general fund and reduce the tax rate by a penny and a half. We truly used that for tax differential, and that's a start for the direction we need to be going in.
Q: It would make sense that after the assessments come back, the amount allotted is going to be significantly less than last year with the state of the economy. How will government deal with that?
A: The assessments are going to go down, and what will offset that is new construction. We need to give the budget a new look as well. We've already instituted a hiring freeze, and we need to reevaluate how all the different departments run and how we do business and see what cuts need to be made to keep our tax rates in line with our assessments. That will be our top priority in 2009.
Q: Most people know that you have been actively involved in the real estate market in Ocean City in addition to being mayor, how drastic will the lagging market effect our way of life?
A: Well, it will have an effect on the assessments because it will cause them to go down. The market itself is pretty well near the bottom. Actually, the market has been a bit more active in Ocean City than it's been in awhile. We are seeing the activity in lower priced properties, where folks don't have to acquire jumbo loans. People want to buy second homes, but they are just waiting right now.
Q: Some have argued that development was too widespread and now thousands of units sit vacant and unsold, should there be a stop put on building while the economy scrapes the bottom?
A: Ocean City has been very lucky to rebuild our city as we went along rather than have to do it all at once. While some places grow old all at once and then have to rebuild to stay current, we've been lucky to replace buildings that had run their course and become outdated with modernized buildings like the new Hilton for instance, that visitors desire. It's become cliché for people to complain that we are losing restaurants for condos, and if you really look at it, most of them like the Hobbit that went away for awhile, have come back and new ones are springing up all the time.
Q: This is a great family resort if the weather is good, but if it's raining, there are few things for families to do. With that in mind, what is Ocean City lacking in your mind?
A: It's a good point and it's a challenge because you have to rely on private enterprise for that. We are fortunate to have some of the amenities that we do in town. There's talk of building a new indoor aqua center in town, which I think would be great and very good for the town. I fought for that fifteen years ago, but lost out on that one.
Q: When I first read about the half-million-dollar concession stand at Northside Park, I thought the price was outrageous, and the city has taken some heat over spending money on that type of a project. How do you justify it?
A: When it was first spoken about it was called a "press-box", so everyone thought it was for you guys (the press) to sit around and eat doughnuts and drink coffee. When you really look at it though, that is the most functional building for all the activities in the park. It's also where the restrooms are, that weren't handicapped accessible before, and now they are. The concession stand is now code compliant and improved the second floor where all the scorekeepers sit. The concession stand brings in about $50,000 in revenue a year, and after we assessed it, it made more sense to tear it down and start over.
Q: You can understand why people would grumble over that amount of money being spent on something like that though, right?
A: Absolutely, but I think that it just wasn't explained properly.
Q: Do you think Ocean City needs to stay ahead of the curve on alternative energy sources or catch up after something is proven to work?
A: I think anything that involves the environment should be addressed and looked at closely because we are essentially an outdoor resort. We need to look into new forms of energy. I don't think we need to necessarily take the first step, but I think we need to pay attention. We should certainly be on pace and in the game, such as paying attention to the things going on in Delaware with windmill energy. We should be ahead of the game in protecting the environment because we are a recreational community that relies on the environment and it's resources.
Q: If you could have a do-over concerning any issue in your first term, what would it be?
A: Well, the firefighter merger was the toughest issue that we faced, but I can't say I would have done it differently. As I look back on it, I think that as hard as it was, it was the right decision.
Q: Will you be supporting all the incumbents on the council that will be running for city council and will you actively campaign for them?
A: I think Mary Knight, Jay Hancock, and Jim Hall have all done a great job and been extremely open minded and worked well together to make great strides. So, yes, I will be supporting those individuals.
Q: As the town braces for a stretch of economic struggle, how will you ease the minds of the residents that you will help get them through this locally?
A: Our goal is to maintain the budget and reduce government costs. On a smaller level, we can do those things better than what government can on a large level, and we can show you how we do that. Rest assured, I will be vigilant in keeping us on course as a town.


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"Did you sleep well last night?" It's a common enough question if you are meeting with people at home or at a conference, polite but also rather intimate. Be careful how you ask – for some people it's heard as an invitation to tell you their dream life over breakfast.
Behind the question is the disturbing statistic that eighty percent of Americans are chronically sleep-deprived- and as we all seem prone to catch American malfunctions it probably applies in part to us all. Sleep is a desert experience. We move away from the bustle of daily life into a realm of consciousness where we pass through often turbulent dream-emotions and concerns into a dreamless state of calm and rest. If we cannot sleep well because our minds are too agitated or our lifestyle does not respect the body-mind harmony we will not reach this place of tranquility where we are energized and recharged by the pure dynamo of stillness. Our behaviour next day will tell the tale.
When we meditate we go into a kind of wakeful sleep. ('I slept but my heart was awake', as the Song of Songs, 5:2, puts it). The first and good stage is relaxation but if we are very unused to relaxation we may be quickly overwhelmed and fall asleep or battle with drowsiness. Posture, food-management, timing and practice will help balance alertness with relaxation. Let the muscles of your face relaxed like a baby sleeping but sit with the back straight.
Reciting the mantra is an act of faith and a work of attention and wakefulness. The journey to the place of rest and purification, to the oasis in the desert, is this essential work of attention which is the heart of all prayer. When awake at this level what do we recognize that we were closed to before? Relationship that is without attachment. Silence that is truth.
Laurence Freeman OSB
Listen to the Lent Daily Reflections Podcast HERE


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By Daria Mokhnacheva, Thematic Specialist at the Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division, International Organization for Migration (IOM), with contributions by Dina Ionesco, Head of the Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division (IOM) and François Gemenne, Executive Director of the Politics of the Earth Programme at Sciences Po, and Senior Research Associate at the University of Liège – Hugo Observatory
Environmental migration is a fact. Most countries experience some form of migration associated with environmental and climate change, or forced immobility for those populations that end up trapped. Sudden-onset disasters as well as slow-onset environmental change taking place around the world, whether natural or manmade, profoundly affect migration drivers and migration patterns, even though the relationship between concrete environmental factors and migratory response is seldom direct and linear. Indeed, environmental migration or immobility results from the interplay of intricate economic, political, social and environmental dynamics, where the environmental component is sometimes hard to identify but is nonetheless critical.
Making sense of the debate and current evidence about environmental migration is challenging. Research on this timely topic has improved considerably, but gaps in quantitative data still exist. Currently, no financial, legal or governance frameworks specifically dedicated to environmental migration exist. Indeed, it is hard to identify environmental factors as primary drivers of migration, to quantify such population movements and to predict future environmental migration given the numerous uncertainties of climate patterns and policies. Our understanding of local-level needs, trends and impacts is limited and often focused on a few "hotspot" countries.
The Atlas of Environmental Migration[1] helps fill this knowledge gap by shining a spotlight on environmental migration. The numerous and diverse case studies featured in the analysis show that environmental migration is a multi-faceted phenomenon that takes different forms in different contexts, depending on the economic, political, development, social and environmental specificities. Policies and governmental responses play a part in determining the positive or negative outcomes for communities and individuals, shaping their vulnerability as well as their ability to stay, to migrate (inside the country or abroad) and to return. Thus, no one solution to address environmental migration exists but rather different, tailored, context-specific solutions need to be designed for each particular situation.
While migration can increase the vulnerability of individuals and communities, it can also help reduce it. More and more experts in the academic and policy fields recognise migration as a possible adaptation and risk reduction strategy to environmental stressors. Migration out of areas at risk can save lives, reduce pressure on the environment and on fragile resources, and provide households with access to alternative, more secure livelihoods. Migrants also can contribute to development and adaptation both in areas of destination and of origin. In fact, many studies demonstrate the benefits of migration for economic development in countries of destination and origin. New research and practices show that migrants can be involved effectively in climate change adaptation, environmental conservation and disaster risk reduction back home by investing their skills and remittances into such programmes.
So what is necessary to link human mobility, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and development to address environmental migration?
First, evidence. The evidence needs to be improved to better inform policies and action and ensure that responses meet actual needs. More efforts should be made to strengthen local research capacity and expertise to improve data at the local level. Understanding the impacts of migration on migrants, on communities of origin and on communities of destination must be improved to better assess whether and how migration can contribute to reducing vulnerability or, on the other hand, to fuelling increased risks and precariousness. Policies need to be designed accordingly. Given climate change, demographic, economic and geopolitical trends, different factors of migration are likely to become increasingly interrelated, defying traditional interpretations and categorisations of migration and making existing migration governance systems obsolete. The key to addressing such challenges effectively is to design comprehensive responses based on thorough and reliable information and evidence.
Second, integration. Migration and social concerns should be better integrated into environmental, climate, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development policies and, conversely, environmental and climate concerns should be better acknowledged in migration policies. This could mean, for example, facilitating international seasonal labour migration to respond to seasonal climate variations through bilateral or regional agreements. It could mean recognising the potential of migrants to contribute to sustainable environmental management or climate change adaptation in their countries of origin and providing a supportive environment for the diaspora's "green" investments, or addressing the specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants in local/urban development plans. In other cases, this could mean improving resource management, rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, creating alternative "green" employment opportunities, and improving key public services to prevent out-migration that will allow communities to stay and migrants and displaced populations to return.
Third, collaboration. At the institutional level, responding to environmental migration requires stronger dialogue, coordination and co-operation between institutions and actors working on the environmental, sustainability and climate tracks and those working on the migration and humanitarian tracks – whether in the intergovernmental, public, academic or private sectors. In parallel, improved dialogue between research and policy communities will be essential to ensure that action meets real needs. The effectiveness of our response to existing and future challenges associated with migration and environmental change will depend entirely on our ability to effectively talk with one another, combine different areas of expertise and join forces.
Finally, balance. Efforts to promote a more balanced discourse on migration must continue. Too often, the positive aspects and benefits of migration are overlooked, and its negative effects exaggerated with migrants perceived as a threat. Coupled with improved integration measures, what's needed is a stronger recognition of the positive aspects of migration to dispel the stereotypes about migrants and migration and to ensure a better acceptance of migrants in receiving countries and regions. At the same time, what's equally key is supporting the many people who do not want to migrate and to leave their land, their homes and their communities through policies making it possible for them to stay.
Environmental migration is a phenomenon with complex dimensions. Whether its outcomes are positive or negative largely depends on how it is managed, and on the policies and resources that are or are not applied. The time is now not just to recognise but also to address environmental migration with constructive, effective and innovative measures that build on and go beyond traditional approaches and existing frameworks.
Development Matters is kicking off the New Year with a series of blogs during the month of January that focus on international migration and development. This is the second blog in the series.
Read the first blog of this series : Migration: An overlooked tool for local development, by Cécile Riallant.
Find out more about the work of the OECD's Development Centre on Migration and its Perspectives on Global Development.
1) In 2016, the International Organization for Migration and Sciences Po Paris released the Atlas of Environmental Migration, a publication co-authored by Dina Ionesco (Head of the Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division at IOM), Daria Mokhnacheva, (Migration, Environment and Climate Change Specialist at IOM), and François Gemenne (Executive Director of the Politics of the Earth Programme at Sciences Po, and Senior Research Associate at the University of Liège – Hugo Observatory). A product of collaboration with numerous universities, cartographers, international agencies and experts worldwide, the Atlas of Environmental Migration is a ground-breaking publication presenting key aspects of the migration-environment nexus through more than 100 informative maps, infographics and case studies.
The French version was released on 17 March 2016 (http://www.pressesdesciencespo.fr/fr/livre/?GCOI=27246100083690), and the English version of the Atlas was released on 19 October 2016 (https://www.routledge.com/The-Atlas-of-Environmental-Migration/Ionesco-Mokhnacheva-Gemenne/p/book/9781138022065).


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This article is about the geography and geology concept. For other uses, see Ridge (disambiguation).
A ridge or mountain ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size.
There are several main types of ridges:
- Dendritic ridge: In typical dissected plateau terrain, the stream drainage valleys will leave intervening ridges. These are by far the most common ridges. These ridges usually represent slightly more erosion resistant rock, but not always – they often remain because there were more joints where the valleys formed, or other chance occurrences. This type of ridge is generally somewhat random in orientation, often changing direction frequently, often with knobs at intervals on the ridge top.
- Stratigraphic ridge: In places such as the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, long, even, straight ridges are formed because they are the uneroded remaining edges of the more resistant dipping strata that were folded laterally. Similar ridges have formed in places such as the Black Hills, where the ridges form concentric circles around the igneous core. Sometimes these ridges are called "hogback ridges".
- Oceanic spreading ridge: In tectonic spreading zones around the world, such as at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the volcanic activity forming new plate boundary forms volcanic ridges at the spreading zone. Isostatic settling and erosion gradually reduce the elevations moving away from the zone.
- Crater ridges: Large meteorite strikes typically form large impact craters bordered by circular ridges.
- Volcanic crater/caldera ridges: Large volcanoes often leave behind a central crater/caldera bordered by circular ridges.
- Fault ridges: Faults often form escarpments. Sometimes the tops of the escarpments form not plateaus, but slope back so that the edges of the escarpments form ridges.
- Dune ridges: In areas of large-scale dune activity, certain types of dunes result in sand ridges.
- Moraines and eskers: Glacial activity may leave ridges in the form of moraines and eskers. An arête is a thin ridge of rock that is formed by glacial erosion.
- Volcanic subglacial ridges: Many subglacial volcanoes create ridge-like formations when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet.
- Shutter ridges: A shutter ridge is a ridge which has moved along a fault line, blocking or diverting drainage. Typically, a shutter ridge creates a valley corresponding to the alignment of the fault that produces it.
See also
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ridges.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/22/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.


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Getting Married Abroad FAQs
Do I need a Wedding Planner to have a Wedding Abroad?
No you do not. You are absolutely able to do everything on your own and under your own steam if you want, and go direct to the Danish Agency of Family law Government office for the application (Familierethuset). But it can be very difficult, long winded and fraught with delays and hold ups, and who wants stress and administration with their wedding day?
We will do the official part for you with the Danish Agency of Family law Government office for the application (Familierethuset) and organise and book the wedding ceremony and registry office for you.
Then you can simply add on whatever wedding services you would like (not everyone likes wedding cake or wants flowers!) but we can usually put you in touch with suppliers for a Wedding cake, Wedding Photography, Wedding flowers. But we are not affiliated with anyone, and they are not services that we sell, so you are not going to get pressured into "additional extras" from us - we really do want to keep it simple for you!
Do you work with Same Sex Gay marriages?
Yes we do! read our blog - as Same Sex marriages, transgender, Gay, LGBT - all and everything are legal, common, recognised, and celebrated in all countries and venues we work with, we are all about the love! Denmark and Gibraltar are among the top 10 in the worlds best same sex and gay wedding destinations. And we only work with same sex and Gay friendly suppliers and town halls, we are strong LGBTQI supporter wedding planners in Denmark.
Do you offer Wedding packages or wedding elopement packages?
In order to keep the process and experience simple, we do not offer set specific packages, as people have different budgets, timeframes and requirements. But we do work with vendors and suppliers in each location and can offer you information and contact details for most things that you may require. We do like to keep it easy so you can Marry Abroad Simply and have exactly what you want - rather than what we think you want!
What is the cheapest way to get married?
The cheapest way to marry abroad is to be happy to do part of the administration yourself and make the Government fee to Denmark directly - this would mean you are getting married in Denmark, and is the Handheld service in Denmark which is €295 plus the Government fee.
We help and support you do everything, but it is a partnership between us and you, more than a full service and management of your wedding, unlike the Everything service.
You can still get married anywhere in Denmark, including a wedding on the Danish Islands, Jutland, near the Danish border or getting married in Copenhagen City Hall.
How much does it cost to get married abroad?
For a registry office/town hall wedding, the cheapest possible total cost is in Denmark, and is € 512 (handheld service of € 295 plus the Government application fee of € 212).
This will include everything, there are no hidden extras, everything is included such as taxes, 2 copies of the International marriage certificate (In Danish, German, English, French & Spanish).
The only other costs you need to factor are your personal costs of Hotel, Travel, wedding Flowers, wedding cake wedding Photographer - if you want them. So the cost can be as little as € 512 or as much as you want it to be!
Where is the best place to get married in Europe?
We believe Gibraltar and Denmark are the best places to get married in the world! This is because they are accepting of all forms of love, low cost, easy - yet stylish, and are legally recognised worldwide with minimal paperwork and documents, and no lengthy residency requirements.
How quickly can I get married?
If you are looking at getting married quickly we would advise you look at Getting Married in Denmark initially, as there are almost 100 town halls where you can marry.
In Gibraltar and Sweden the availability of appointments, venues and registrars is not as great. We can however, pre-book ceremonies in Denmark & Sweden allowing for a quicker approval to ceremony time.
For Denmark, from when the application is submitted, in some situations the Government can issue approval in 5 days, and once issued you can immediately book a ceremony. So we can proceed as quickly as you can get us the documents, as we are FAST.
If you are flexible on location, you can marry just a few days ahead, and we have helped couples marry in under 10 days from application to ceremony! Please note this is situation dependant, and also dependant on the Government office processing time.
Getting Married in a Registry Office, what's involved?
A registry office wedding is a 10 minute verbal civil ceremony that goes with the paperwork part, and you need to have both of these to be legally married. You will be asked short questions and asked to confirm you would like to be married.
When do I get my marriage certificate?
You will receive the marriage certificates straight after your ceremony. If you wish to have them Legalised this takes longer, but we usually have them back to you by courier within 7-10 days after we receive them.
How Long do I need to be in Denmark, Sweden or Gibraltar before my wedding?
This varies from town hall to town hall in each country, however generally in Denmark and Gibraltar you will need to be there one working day before the ceremony and in Sweden it is same day presentation. Please note that there are some Danish venues that will accept same day presentation, please contact us for more information.
Do I need an Apostille Stamp on my certificate?
Your International marriage certificates issued in Denmark and Gibraltar are legally recognised worldwide, but for some government or immigration purposes you may need the further optional maximum level of Legalisation available on any document.
The Apostille stamp is a verification of authenticity by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some countries outside of the EU, USA, Canada, Australia may require this, we always recommend that you check with the offices where you are using the certificate to be certain. In all cases we can help with this. It is likely to be required if you live in Germany, or if you are NON EU.
Can I change my name on my wedding day?
In Denmark and Gibraltar you can't change your name on the day (unless you are Danish), but once you register the marriage in your place of nationality and/or residence you can change it then with your certificate. You can only change your name on your wedding day if you are Danish in Denmark. But it is really easy to change your name and register the wedding when you return home, just check with the office of "Births Deaths and Marriages" or with your Embassy if you are living somewhere other than your home country.
Can anyone marry in Denmark and Gibraltar?
Anyone can marry in all countries and venues we work with - as long as you have the relevant visas to be in either Gibraltar or the Schengen area for Denmark & Sweden and you have the right documents.
All situations are accepted and celebrated, and same sex marriages, transgender, all are legal - not only legal but encouraged and welcome!
In fact Denmark and Gibraltar are two of the top Same Sex wedding destinations in the world. And both locations are number 1 choice for International couples, there is minimal residency (1 night only), no marital status documents, and International Marriage certificates are issued that are legally recognised worldwide.
What are the ceremonies like, how do they work?
The ceremonies are short, registry office ceremonies that are conducted by a registrar, they will last about 10 minutes. Usually there are some words spoken by the registrar maybe a poem, then the legal vows are exchanged (you can write your own vows too) and then the signing of the registrar. All locations have beautiful ceremony rooms where the wedding will take place. Couples are marrying for varying reasons, some couples will marry in jeans and t-shirts, some in traditional clothes and others in tuxedos and wedding dresses, it is completely up to you.
How do I register my marriage after my wedding?
After your marriage you will have 2 marriage certificates that are internationally recognised worldwide, you can have this Legalised with an Apostille if needed and then once you return to your place of residence or your place of birth, you can register it at the registry of births deaths and marriages office, or check with your Embassy if not residing in your home country.
When should we start planning our wedding abroad?
We advise all our couples to start the process as soon as they have a date in mind. In Gibraltar we can book at any point, and can book up to 1 year in advance.
Denmark and Sweden your 'permission to marry' or "Certificate of Marital Status" issued from the Familieretshuset office (which is the Danish office of Family Law) will be valid for 4 months (visa depending) from the date of approval and you will have to marry in that time.
We can start the process and get your file together before hand and then submit the application 4 months before - to give you greater chance of getting a specific date if you have one in mind, especially Copenhagen City Hall on a Saturday.
In Sweden we can pre-book the ceremonies, however they are not confirmed until we receive the approvals.
Do I need witnesses for my wedding ceremony?
It is a legal requirement that 2 witnesses are required in attendance for every wedding ceremony in Denmark & Gibraltar, these can be family or friends, or they can be arranged with the town hall. In Denmark witnesses are always organised for you if you need them in any Town Hall for a weekday ceremony - there is no extra charge for witnesses on a weekday.
There are certain Town Halls that will require you to bring 1 or 2 witnesses for a Saturday (Not places like Copenhagen City Hall or Aerø though, these are always provided for you at no extra charge). You will always need to provide 2 witnesses for your marriage in Gibraltar, so if you are travelling just the 2 of you Denmark may be a better option.
Can we have a ceremony outside of the town hall?
You can certainly have a ceremony outside of the town hall in a venue of your choice, there are a variety of choices whether it be beach, garden or a venue of your choice. This is not included in the Everything service though, and there are extra fees involved with this - that are paid directly to the registrar and Town Hall for attendance and travel expenses and you would need to have your own witnesses, please ask for more details if you are interested in this.
What is an International Wedding Certificate?
Once married in any of the town halls in Denmark you will be issued with 2 multi-lingual International wedding certificates; They will come in 5 languages Danish, English, German, French and Spanish; On the day, yourselves and the 2 witnesses will sign the document that is kept by the Danish Authorities for 50 years and you will be given the 2 copies of the certificate. For use in foreign countries you may possibly need to have an Apostille stamp on the certificate (which we can help you with obtaining through our Legalisation service), and we do advise you contacting whichever Government or Immigration office you will be using and registering the Marriage in after you return home to ask if this is required. To find out more about the Apostille convention have a look here.
What documents do you need for a wedding in Denmark?
It depends on your individual situation, but you do not need many. You no longer need a Marital Status document nor your birth certificate
You will need - Passports or EU ID. Residency permit if you are living in a country that is not your home country. VISA for entry into Denmark. Decree or Death certificate if you are previously married.
It is advised that you contact us for a free no obligation documents list on [email protected], as dependant on your situation you may need to write a relationship document (which we guide and support you through writing).
We help you with the application form (and do it all for you if you take the Everything service!).
How quickly can I get married in Denmark?
We work very quickly and are expert wedding planners in Denmark for every situation and circumstance. You can marry in as little as 2 days after your file is approved! And in certain circumstances we are able to marry you in under 2 weeks from when you have instructed us and sent your documents and your file is complete! We also work with venues that you can turn up, marry and leave the same day.
Do you do all the Danish Government office (Familieretshuset) contact for us?
Yes we do!
As part of our service we issue you with a Power of Attorney to complete, sign and date, and this means we can speak to the Danish office of Family Law - or "Familieretshuset" on your behalf. As an agency we have different routes of contact via phone and email. It is notoriously difficult to get through if you are not an Agency and can be on hold for hours, so an Agency really is worth its value just for that!
With the Everything service we also make the €220 payment to the Familieretshuset on your behalf, so there is absolutely nothing to pay over and above the €745 service charge. With the €295 handheld service you would need to make the payment to the Government office yourself as this is not included.
Do I need a Single Status certificate?
No you do not need a single status certificates for Denmark, Sweden or Gibraltar.
Can I get married in Denmark near the German Border?
Yes you most certainly can! Unlike any other Agency we work with all the Town Halls in Denmark, which includes the ones near the German Danish border at Flensburg. So we can find you a venue and a date to suit no matter what you want or where. And you also have the option of external weddings in places like beaches, lighthouses, gardens (there is an extra cost for this and you will need to provide your own witnesses). Places like Aabenraa are only a 35 minute drive from the German Border, and you also have other places like Tønder, Sønderborg, Ribe, Ejsberg, Haderlev - which are all really close to the German border and under 1 hours drive. So you can get married in Denmark whilst being a short convenient distance to Germany. And some venues offer same day document presentation and marriage - so you can have breakfast in Germany, lunch in Denmark and then back home in Germany for a wedding night celebration! As expert wedding planners in Denmark we can help you with whatever you want and need.
What to do if my wedding in Denmark is cancelled because of COVID 19 Corovirus?
We know that due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in Denmark there is widespread panic and confusion amongst the International couples who were travelling from all over the World on set timeframes with parties booked around the Legal wedding part, had guests flying in, permits and VISAs running out, dreams and countdowns all up in the air and turn from excited anticipation and full preparation to worry and uncertainty over night. Weddings in Denmark and the affect on them due to Coronavirus is big if you are marrying soon.
And you are now thinking 'How do I reorganise or reschedule my Danish Wedding?" "Who do I contact to help organise or reschedule my wedding in Denmark?" "Is it going to be possible to change the date?" "It is possible to move to a different Town Hall in Denmark and get a faster or easier date?" "Will the venues be opening when they say they will and how will I get an update?" "Is there anyway I can contact the Agency of Family Law Familierethuset and speak to anyone" "Due to coronavirus which town halls are open in Denmark and when will they reopen in Denmark?" 'How do I find out which weddings are affected by coronavirus lockdown in Denmark?"
We can help you with all of those - so please do contact us, whether you went direct and already have your approval, or are in the process, we have a service that is called the SOS service and is only €345 which answers and deals with all of these questions, and is worth the money for peace of mind and contact for the most important day of your life.
How to contact the Danish Wedding Office Familieretshuset
It is very difficult to contact the Agency of Family Law as an individual, and during COVID they have closed all of their phone lines and communication is purely through email. So if you have made an application yourself direct you are likely in the dark at the moment or at best have received an automated email.
And the only way to contact via email the Agency of Family Law Familierethuset office is via an Agency as we have a different contact route that we have exclusively for Agencies. We can help reschedule your wedding in Denmark that has been affected by the Coronavirus lockdown, extend a file, or if not during COVID if you want anything discussed about your file, venue changed or problems sorting out. This is the SOS service.
How do I change my Danish Wedding date?
Town halls are closed until the 10th of May at time of writing due to the Coronavirus lockdown, please see our update page for further information.
All ceremonies up to that date are cancelled.
We can contact the town halls on the date that they re-open to re-book the cancelled ceremonies.
If you are already approved and have had the Marriage license or "Prøvelsesattestendens" issued, and you cannot marry because of Denmark still being on Lockdown - once lockdown is lifted we can have your file reopened and extended. If you have a VISA or permit or passport expiring you will need to obtain a new one and send this scan in for it to be added to your file.
If your file is already in but not approved you can request the file be put on hold, to give you time to exit the Schengen area, or add a newly longer residency permit or VISA to the file and get married at a later date.
When the lockdown is over, if required we can have your file moved to a Town Hall with better availability, and can do this by contacting the Agency of Family Law Familierethuset Government office on your behalf and having the electronic file moved.
Who can I talk to that can help me with my Danish Wedding during the lockdown COVID 19?
We can help you with all of those - so please do contact us, whether you went direct and already have your approval, or are in the process, we have a service that is called the SOS service and is only €345 which answers and deals with all of these questions, and is worth the money for peace of mind and contact for the most important day of your life.
As of March 12th the Danish Government have announced that due to the Covid 19 Coronavirus pandemic all Country wide all Danish schools, creche's, Universities and Government offices (which includes the Kommunes town halls that the weddings are held) are closed with immediate effect until the 30th March (at time of writing).
Which includes the Government office that runs the weddings, files and licenses called the Agency of Family Law Familierethuset office.
This date of expected re-opening is only a provisional date that is given today, due to the global pandemic of Coronavirus the situation is evolving on a daily basis and we are unable to provide any fixed dates at this time as we have not been given any. We will post updates on our page daily, but if you would like any further information or have specific questions then please feel free to contact us.
At the moment the Agency of Family Law have closed all of their phone lines and communication is purely through email. And the only email available is the one that is used with and for the Agencies. So if you have made an application yourself direct you are likely in the dark at the moment or at best have received an automated email.
And the only way to contact via email the Agency of Family Law Familierethuset office is via an Agency through a different contact route that we have exclusively for Agencies. We can help reschedule your wedding in Denmark that has been affected by the Coronavirus lockdown.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you have made payment, the application and process is underway and work on your file has started cancellation and then refund for anything other than the Legalisation service (if you have paid for it and not initiated the service yet) is not possible.
If your application is in with us already and you wish to postpone - you must let us know and we will do this at no extra charge, for as long as the Familieretshuset will allow you to be postponed.
With Covid 19 and Coronavirus, we will help at no additional cost for you to rebook your ceremony to a date within your license date range, or move Town Halls. But if you are unable to marry within the license date range for whatever reason we are unable to reimburse you and you will need to speak to your Travel Insurers for recompense.
If you wish to rebook your ceremony in the event of an expired license and move forward with another ceremony, we will not charge you another full fee, but there will be a non profit cost €295 fee to cover the new fee we have to pay to the Danish Agency of Family law and the new file and application work we need to do.
Can we get married by Skype in Denmark or Gibraltar?
No it is not possible to get married in a legally binding ceremony on Skype in Denmark or Gibraltar. If you are wanting to get married in Denmark or Gibraltar you both need to be present in person.
It is usually possible with advance agreement of the registrar (via your wedding planner in Denmark or Gibraltar) for you to have Skype on during the wedding. So that guests who are unable to attend in person can at least see you on your wedding day and attend via a Skype call - so they can be present in some form. As long as this does not negatively impact the Registrar and the service in time, duration or ability for the Registrar to deliver the service they need to they are more than happy!
Is getting married in Denmark with a Tourist VISA possible?
Yes, getting married in Denmark with a tourist visa is possible, as long as you have legal entry into Denmark you can get married in Denmark. We see many types of Tourist Visas, Work Visas, Student Visas, residency permits for Eu countries that give you entry into Denmark.
Anyone can get married in Denmark even if you are not a resident or Citizen of Denmark - as long as you can enter the country you can have your wedding in Denmark.
Can foreigners get married in Denmark?
Yes! Absolutely!
International couples, non Danish residents &citizens, foreigners, people from all over the world come to Denmark to get married as it is easier to do this and travel to Denmark and thus avoid bureaucracy and long administrational processes in countries of residence. And as the marriage certificates are International, Legally recognised and issued in 5 different languages and the weddings are fast, it makes Denmark one of the best countries for a fast and easy wedding in the world after Las Vegas. Around 15,000 couples come to marry every year.
Are you the best option for Foreign and International couples?
We consider ourselves to be the best option for Foreign and International couples who are looking at Getting Married in Denmark, and have helped over 4000 Foreign and International couples get married in Denmark in legally recognised civil ceremonies that are recognised worldwide.
Many couples are worried that their situation is complicated, difficult, unusual, unique, complex and are quite stressed about it. But there is no situation that we have not had, and we help all manner of NON EU and EU citizens marry that are residents and citizens all over the world. Different Decrees from all over the world, different permits, visas and situations. We are experts in this field and the document requirements for Getting Married in Denmark, Getting Married in Sweden and Getting Married in Denmark. And to date there has been no situation or couple that we have not been able to help, with a fast turn around, so we can help you marry in less than a month as we have complete faith in our expertise, knowledge, efficiency and experience. So we can confidently say that we believe we are the best agency if you are looking at Getting Married in Denmark, Getting Married in Sweden or Getting Married in Gibraltar.
We also ensure we work with truly International wedding photographers, Florists, hair and make up artists - who between them and us speak English, Danish, French, German, Romanian, Polish, Spanish, Ukrainian & Russian.
Contact us on HERE for a free no obligation documents list and chat about what you need to get get married quickly in Denmark as a Foreign, International or Same sex couple.
Can you help couples with complicated or difficult situations get married?
Yes we absolutely can!
There is no situation for Getting Married in Denmark, Getting Married in Sweden or Getting married in Gibraltar that we consider to be a complicated or difficult situation. To date we have helped over 3000 International and Foreign couples get married in Denmark, and we have processed documents from all over the world for the wedding paperwork and applications.
We see documents, decrees, residency, citizenship, death certificates, permits, VISAs and situations from all over the world, there is no situation that is too complex, individual, different, complicated or problematic - we have not had a couple, situation or citizenship to date that we have not been able to help get married.
We are so confident that we can help all complicated and international couples get married quickly that we do not charge any extra for fast weddings in under a month. So if you want to get married quickly in Denmark that is all part of the service. We have helped some couples in as little as 4 days, from start of the process to the actual wedding day!
What does a Danish Legalisation look like?
The Legalisation in Denmark is an Apostille which is attached to the original document. The Apostille is always in Danish and English and is recognised worldwide.
As Denmark is in the Hague convention it is only the Apostille that is needed rather than the full 3 stage legalisation in non Hague convention country issued documents.
Although the marriage certificates are legally recognised worldwide, the Legalisation is the full, further and maximum level of verification and legalisation that is possible on any document.