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Tour en bateau rapide autour des îles Vestmann
Partez à la découverte des grottes et de la beauté de la côte des îles Vestmann en bateau en Islande ! Le bateau est un excellent moyen d'accéder à des lieux difficiles d'accès sur ces îles.
L'excursion débute au port d'Heimaey, la seule île habitée des îles Vestmann. Votre guide vous équipe puis vous montez à bord du bateau rapide. Vous mettez le cap vers 5 grottes. L'une des grottes visitées s'appelle Klettshellir connue pour la qualité du son, des échos à l'intérieur de la grotte. Vous découvrez également le rocher ayant la forme d'un visage éléphant : le plus grand au monde ! Vous naviguez autour des petites îles où vous pourrez apercevoir des macareux, des goélands, oiseaux marins, des eiders et des phoques en période estivale. Et si vous êtes chanceux, vous pourrez même voir des baleines !
Réservez-vite cette excursion en bateau à la découverte des îles Vestmann depuis Heimaey en cliquant sur "choisir une date".
Bon à savoir
- Disponible : Mai. - Sep.
- Durée : 1 heure
- Activités : Grotte, Baleines, Visite naturelle, Bateau, Oiseaux
- Difficulté : Facile
- Langues : English, Icelandic
- Lieux phares : Sud de l'Islande,
South Iceland is the most popular part of the country amongst travellers and contains some of Iceland's most beautiful natural attractions.
Amongst these are the sites of the world famous Golden Circle, and the features of the South Coast, such as the beautiful Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.
The south of Iceland can be roughly split into two areas, the lowlands in the west, and the east.
The South Icelandic lowlands
The South Icelandic lowlands stretch nearly 100 kilometres (over sixty miles) from Hellisheiði in the west to Eyjafjallajökull in the east. This region is flat and fertile farming land, and home to many Icelandic horses and sheep.
The whole area is geologically very young, formed during the last Ice Age by the lava flows from numerous volcanoes in the area. The lowlands are surrounded by volcanically active mountains, notably the aforementioned Eyjafjallajökull and Hekla.
The most notable features of the South Icelandic lowlands are the three on the Golden Circle, the country's most popular sightseeing route.
These consist of the Geysir Geothermal Area, where geysers erupt and hot springs bubble, Gullfoss, a powerful two-stepped waterfall, and Þingvellir National Park, an oasis of forests and lava located between the tectonic plates.
The fissures and lava landscapes of this latter feature reveal the extent to which earthquakes and eruptions have shaped the region. The area is still very active; take, for example, the 1975 eruption in the Westman Islands that nearly destroyed the town and formed a new island.
It should be noted that Þingvellir is not just a site of natural, geological wonder. It was also the original site of the parliament Icelanders formed in 930 AD. This was a convenient place, considering the fertile lands of south Iceland meant that many settlers populated it.
Unlike most early Icelandic settlements, few of the communities formed in the south were based off fishing. The only town with a significant harbour in the south is Þorlákshöfn, where the ferry to the Westman Islands leaves.
Other towns in the lowlands are Selfoss, Hveragerði, Hella and Hvolsvöllur, all conveniently located by the Ring Road.
In terms of culture in the lowlands, it was once home to the ancient bishop seat of Skálholt. Also, Iceland's most famous saga, Njal's Saga, takes place in the region.
For sports, horse riding is popular, as is fishing for salmon and trout, hiking, snorkelling, sightseeing and river rafting.
Eastern South Iceland.
The areas south and east of Mýrdalsjökull, the glacier that covers the volcano Katla, are considered the eastern part of south Iceland. Glaciers, volcanoes and the Highlands dominate the view.
This landscape has also been shaped by volcanic eruptions, although these were much more recent, and thus the area looks dramatically different. Vast expanses of black sand stretch from the Highlands to the sea, part of several glacial outwash plains that flood during a volcanic eruption.
Some agriculture is found here, with farms nestled in the mountains, but because of the glacial floods, they are few and far between.
A few large glacial rivers flow through this area, creating incredible features such as Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. These are hardly the only sites in this part of the south worth seeing, however.
Sólheimajokull is a beautiful outlet glacier, a tongue of the greater Mýrdalsjökull, that you can hike on so long as you are with a guide. Skógar has a very interesting museum that discusses national traditions during Iceland's development. One of Iceland's most famous hiking routes, Fímmvörðuháls, cuts through the area.
Southwest of the village of Vík is one of Iceland's most spectacular beaches, Reynisfjara. Near the promontory of Dýrholaey, and boasting incredible views of the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, it is a marvellous stretch of black sand.
Even further east is the Skaftafell preservation area, an area so beautiful it was once a national park in its own right. Today it is part of the greater Vatnajökull National Park, which covers parts of the south, east, north and much of the Highlands.
Just a little further from here is the incredible, world famous Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, a deep lake that fills with icebergs. At the adjacent Diamond Beach, they wash upon the shore.Vestmannaeyjar,
The Westman Islands, or Vestmannaeyjar, are an archipelago of 15 islands and 30 rock stacks off the South Coast of Iceland. Aside from their incredible natural beauty, the islands have the world's largest population of nesting puffins in summer, and a fascinating history.
History of the Westman Islands
The history of the Westman Islands is as dark as it is intriguing, beginning at the very start of Iceland's history, with the first family to settle here.
The first person renowned for permanently settling Iceland was a man called Ingólfr Arnarson (although it should be noted that he hardly came alone; he was accompanied by his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttr and several slaves). His half-brother joined him in the country, a few years later, but met his death at the hands of two of his own captured men.
These slaves attempted to flee and hide, to escape Arnarson's vengeance. They reached the Westman Islands, but unfortunately, were found by 'Iceland's father' and killed in retribution.
The islands since have been named after these men; they were Irish slaves, and at the time, the Irish were called 'Westmen', as Ireland was thought to be the westernmost landmass before Iceland's discovery.
This brutal beginning would be a hint at the later events to occur on and shape the archipelago.
The largest island, Heimaey, was settled in the early era, and the people on it lived off the fertile oceans, puffins, and eggs. Life was challenging but manageable, until a terrible tragedy occured in 1627.
At the height of the Ottoman Empire, it was Barbary Pirates from Algiers who ruled the seas, and they managed to find their way to this little island. They took control of it for three days, before setting off back home with 237 slaves.
The vast majority of these lived out the rest of their lives in bondage, though some were ransomed back in 1638.
The trials of the voyage and their captivity was captured in a novel by a priest who managed to escape in 1628.
Unfortunately, this was not the last major calamity to befall the islands.
In the 20th Century, it seemed that the Westman Islands had overcome their hardships, modernising and better connecting to the mainland. That, however, was to be overturned in 1974.
At 01.55, on January 20th, a fissure tore open in the middle of the town of Heimaey and the previously unknown Eldfell volcano began to violently erupt. In hours, it had torn across the island, spurting fountains of lava height in the air and pouring noxious gasses into the atmosphere.
Unbelievably, however, no-one was killed. There was an emergency plan for a situation such as this, and thankfully, storms the days before meant that the whole fishing fleet was docked in the harbour. The entire population of the island was taken to safety.
That is not to say, however, that the work was done. 5,300 peoples' homes were in the town, and the Icelandic authorities were desperate to do what they could to help protect them. At the time, the US had a NATO base in the country, and their help was enlisted.
By pumping seawater onto the great lava fronts, it was possible to cool the molten rock, slow it, and change its direction.
This innovative, previously unused technique was particularly effective when it came to protecting the harbour. It seemed at one point that the eruption may have closed it entirely, effectively destroying the island's economy, yet by spraying the lava, the harbour was actually enclosed more and improved.
When the eruption ended, the island slowly repopulated to about 85 percent of its previous population; about one fifth of the buildings were destroyed.
The town, however, now had a long stretch of new land to build a runway on, and a volcano in its centre to draw guests. Ever since, the Westman Islands have recovered as a popular tourist destination.
The Westman Islands today
Today, the Westman Islands attract thousands of visitors of years, for a variety of reasons. Many wish to visit the Eldborg crater and learn about the eruption in depth at the Eldheimar Museum. Others come for the incredible nature opportunities.
First and foremost amongst these are the chances for puffin watching. Ten million puffins nest in Iceland between May and September, and more of them come to the Westman Islands than anywhere else.
They nest in the cliffs, crags and sea-stacks, and can be easily seen by travelling on foot or by boat. Towards the end of the season, many of the pufflings get confused by the lights of the town as they try to make their way to the ocean, and end up in the streets; it is thus a local tradition amongst the children to collect them and throw them in the sea.
Some business-savvy young ones used to even collect them up, and 'sell' them to tourists to release.
The puffins are just one of the thirty or so species that nest on the islands but by far the most abundant.
The Westman Islands also boast some of the best whale-watching opportunities in the country, with Fin, Minke and Humpback Whales seen often in summer, and Orcas throughout the year.
Heimaey itself is home to the worlds first beluga whale sanctuary. In exchange for a donation fee to the charity, visitors can meet Little White and Little Grey in their home in Klettsvik Bay.
Getting to the Westman Islands
The ferry Herjolfur sails to the Westman Islands from the town of Landeyjahöfn, on the south shore of Iceland, for the shortest journey. In poor conditions, particularly between November and March, it may instead leave from Þorlákshöfn. It is also possible to fly to the islands from Reykjavík Domestic Airport.Heimaey
Heimaey is the largest island of the Westman Islands, and the only one that is inhabited. It has a population of approximately 4,000 people, and a fascinating, dark history.
Slaves, Pirates, Volcanoes and Heimaey
The first people known to make landfall on Heimaey were two escaped slaves, and they would not live their long. The two men, who were Irish and captives of the foster brother of Reykjavík's founder, Ingolfúr Arnarson, killed their master and fled here in order to avoid vengeance.
Arnarson, however, found the body before they could make a clean escape, and saw their boats headed to the uninhabited islands off the South Coast. He followed them and hunted them down, killing one and driving the other to throw himself to his own death off of a cliff.
As the Irish were then known as 'Westmen', the islands of the archipelago that include Heimaey have been called the Westman Islands ever since. The hill that the slave threw himself off has since been named after him, as Duffy's Hill, or Dufþekja.
It is possible that there were settlers on Heimaey before even these slaves reached it, as a recent archaeological dig showed evidence of homes from around 800 AD (years before Ingolfúr was even born). According to the Book of Settlements, however, the first person to make a permanent home there did in 900 AD.
The population of Heimaey slowly grew, as more settlers arrived, families expanded, and the fertile fishing waters around it became known. The Danish established buildings there once they took control of Iceland, showing its significance as a port.
However, tragedy would strike in 1627: pirates. Likely hailing from the Algiers, and part of the Barbary Fleet that the Ottoman Empire used to terrorise the seas at the time, they raided Iceland's coasts and islands. While, on the mainland, Icelanders could flee into the nature, on Heimaey they had nowhere to go, and 237 people were captured.
Less than a hundred returned to Iceland; most of the rest sold on the slave market. The terror and pain the people captured endured was written about by a priest who miraculously survived.
The struggles endured by the people of Heimaey would not end there, although no major incident would arise on the island for other three centuries. When it did, however, the results were explosive.
In 1973, the residents of Heimaey woke up to an eruption tearing through the middle of their town. Fissures over a kilometre in length snaked through the houses, and lava and ash destroyed over 400 homes. As unexpected and terrible as it was, the response was incredible, and all 5,300 residents were whisked to the mainland safely. Only one is thought to have died as a result of the eruption.
To limit the spread of lava, US troops and Icelandic rescue services pumped seawater on top of it to hasten its freezing. This technique not only saved the harbour from being closed off - which would have destroyed the town's economy and future - but it actually improved it.
Heimaey Today
Today, Heimaey is a cheerful, vibrant place that draws locals and visitors alike. Its history can be learnt about in the museums, with the most notable one being the Eldheimar Volcano Museum, which discusses the 1973 eruption of Eldfell. It is also possible to walk up to the Eldfell crater.
The main reason people come to Heimaey, however, is because more Atlantic Puffins nest in the Westman Islands than anywhere else in the world. Many boat tours take visitors out to see them from May to September, and on many of these, it is possible to see several types of whale and dolphin.
The puffins can also be seen in land, and, in August and September, even in town. The pufflings get confused by the town lights, and thinking it is the ocean, wander in. It is a tradition for the children to find them and throw them safely in the sea (or to collect them up and charge a tourist to do so).
Heure de départ : 09:30. 12:00, 14:30, 16:00,
Merci d'être prêt au lieu de départ de l'excursion à l'heure. Si vous avez besoin d'assistance pour le trouver : n'hésitez pas à demander à la réception de votre hôtel ou directement à l'opérateur de l'excursion.
Combinaison flottante pour les enfants
Gilet de sauvetage
A emporter avec vous :
Bonnet et des gants
Appareil photo
Bon à savoir :
Sortie non recommandée pour les personnes ayant des problèmes de dos ou les femmes enceintes.
Consultez les avis
Il n'y a pas encore d'avis dans cette langue / pour cette note.,


text: I recently spent a long weekend on the island of Anguilla documenting the wedding of Jillian & Kevin, an amazingly fun and beautiful couple from the east coast. Their wedding took place at the beautiful Cap Juluca resort (which Enna and I get to visit again in just two weeks) which is a Moroccan themed resort resting on the crystal clear blue water of the Caribbean. The weather was amazing and Jillian and Kevin enjoyed sitting on the beach for a few days with their closest friends and family and then being able to celebrate their wedding late into the night right on the water. Everyone sat together at one table for the reception dinner and the setting was drop dead gorgeous. The party was crazy fun with an island dj named DJ Sugar, lots of local rum, and fireworks. Thank you Jillian and Kevin for inviting me to be there for you and I hope you had an amazing honeymoon! ~Matt

subset: commoncrawl


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The Varsity Comets improved to 2-0 on the season after defeating Momence 12-2. Trevor McLaughlin earned the win on the mound allowing just two hits in 4 shutout innings, while striking out 8. Jack Stellano threw the final two innings, giving up one hit and 0 earned runs with four strikeouts. Gavin Grace led the way offensively with a 3 hit game, adding two stolen bases. Jack Stellano added two hits, while Caleb LaGrange chipped in a hit and 3 RBI. Nate Smith, Trevor McLaughlin, and Danny Fierro rounded out the offense with a hit a piece.
Another combined shutout for the JV Comet baseball team, this time it was Joel Hunt and Danny Shepardson. The offense came out swinging with Hunt and Robbie Fordonski having 3 hits each. John Cowie, Hunter Doherty and Andrew Catoire had two hits each and Clayton Newbrough and Jarrett Godwin both had one hit. Comets beat Momence 16-0 and move to 2-0 on the year.


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The name of the game, with any water consuming item, is efficiency. Toilets often try to get fancy, but at the end of the day you just want something that works, works well, and uses the best standards on the market. I've had this toilet installed in multiple bathrooms and I haven't had any crazy issues with them yet.
I was lucky enough to come across these shower heads from a friend of mine who performs energy efficiency audits in Massachusetts. I had huge concerns with how these would feel, as they only flow 1.5 GPM. I can honestly say this is now my go to shower head. It's got a couple different flow modes and it really does the job quite well. You can't even tell that it's "low flow" when compared to another standard shower head.
I'm a big fan of faucets that work. I'm an even bigger fan of faucets that are an all metal construction. This faucet by Delta has been installed in more than one of our bathrooms and I haven't had any complains so far. We try to go for simpler looks, and I think the design tends to go with anything. While our preference with bathrooms is Chrome as it seems to stay clean easier, the faucet also comes in a stainless steel option.


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We continued to lose missionaries as the transfers began.
Sister Hodge giving her last testimony to the District. We have a tradition that those going home are given the opportunity to share #5 things they learned that can aid other missionaries in their work. They end their lesson by sharing their testimony one last time.
Sister Hodge gave these five things:
- The Atonement is REAL. It has the power to change lives and to give missionaries power.
- Teach people, not lessons. Each person is different, so rather than teaching a rote lesson, tailor each lesson to the person you are teaching.
- Love people for who they are. The Gospel unites people of very different backgrounds. There is no reason to judge others, or to demand they change to become something they are not–by living the Gospel, you bring out the best part of yourself.
- Don't DENY yourself. This is referring to a saying from Pres. Mehr: disobedience brings with it the loss of blessings. Don't deny yourself the blessings you could receive by obeying the commandments. "I will not be denied!" (God's blessings)
- It will all work out. No matter how difficult life becomes, or how many trials you are forced to face, it will all work out: God loves you and makes all things work toward good. Often it takes time, but even our most difficult trials will someday become our greatest blessings. Elder Harding giving his last lesson and testimony. These are his #5 lessons:
- The Atonement: the enabling power of the Atonement is available to aid you when you need it.
- Christ-like attitudes. Your attitude towards life and your mission makes all the difference! If you have a positive attitude you will be more successful.
- The Spirit Teaches. The spirit will prompt you to teach the same lesson differently to each person, because they are individuals who learn differently.
- Fight & be fully invested: you need to be willing to fight–through the trials given you, and fight off the 'natural man,' or the tendency towards our baser instincts. And you have to be fully committed to the Gospel and the work.
- The Church is true. Which makes all things possible, and all the work, trials, and problems worth the effort.
- Then it was picture taking time for all those leaving: Eder Pape, Sister Hodge, Elder Harding, and Elder Mills (Elder Broadbent left already) Elder Spencer (one who is staying with us) playing the keyboard Elder Pape and Elder Mills When taking Elder Pape and Harding to the airport, we had time for one last visit to Maho beach, where the planes fly in. The timing was good, as the big 747 KLM plane was leaving just then. Terri, Elder Pape and Elder harding Terri with Sister Hodge (leaving) and Sister Robinson (staying)


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Tour Duration : 7 Days- 6 Nights
Tour Destination : Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer
Day 1: Arrival Jaipur
Arrive Jaipur and check-in at your hotel. Evening visit Birla Mandir. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 2: Jaipur
After Breakfast Full day Jaipur sightseeing (Visit City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Amber Fort And on the way Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 3: Jaipur to Jodhpur (330 Km/ 6-7 Hrs)
After Breakfast Proceed to Jodhpur Via Ajmer/Pushkar. Check in at your Hotel. Overnight Stay.
Day 4: Jodhpur to Jaisalmer (330 Km/ 6-7 Hrs)
After Breakfast Proceed to Jaisalmer, check-in at your hotel. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 5: Jaisalmer
After Breakfast Jaisalmer local sightseeing (Visit Patavo Ki Haweli, Sonar Fort, Nathmal Ki Haweli etc.) Evening visit Sam Sand Dunes. Overnight at Swiss Tent.
Day 6: Jaisalmer to Jodhpur (285 Km/ 6-7 Hours)
After breakfast proceed to Jodhpur and check-in at your hotel. Jodhpur local sightseeing (Visit Mehrangarh Fort, Umed Bhawan, Mandor Garden). Overnight Stay.
Day 7: Departure Jodhpur
After Breakfast Drop at Jodhpur Railway Station or Airport.


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He's a St. Louis Guy, Too!
Cathedra Unitatis posted a link to a series done on the history of Vatican I and the definition of papal infallibility. Bishop Kenrick, former bishop of St. Louis, is mentioned at one point as a "fiery" opponent to the ultramontanist definition of infallibility. From what I'm told by one of the history buffs at Kenrick-Glennon, he was quite an important theologian at the Council.
See the article in which Kenrick is mentioned here.


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Woolrich Prescott Parka
The limited-edition Prescott Parka is the flagship item of Spring/Summer 2018: the completely waterproof, laminated cotton is a canvas which allows the embroidery, threads, beads, glass and metallic sequins on the arms and shoulders to stand out in relief. Navajo motifs, now synonymous with the blankets made at the historic Woolrich Mill in Pennsylvania, mix with geometric patterns inherited from Aztec culture. A voyage from the city to the desert, drawing inspiration from the work of American painter Georgia O'Keeffe, features flowers that evoke none other than those of her buen retiro to New Mexico. Woolrich transfers O'Keeffe's symbolism onto fabric, taking this imaginary journey and adding a stopover of Made-in-Italy excellence: the embroidery is done by the designers of Jato, the historic embroidery house in Bologna. The limited-edition Prescott Parka will be distributed to the best multi-brand boutiques in Europe, the USA and Asia and in Woolrich flagship stores worldwide.


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Everyone has seen the effects of inflation in one way or another. Simply watching the price of things like housing rise over the years is one basic example of inflation. Of course, inflation affects more than just home prices. The cost of goods, services, and the value in your bank account could all be affected by inflation.
Still, inflation is often a concept that many people cannot put directly into words. People understand inflation on a basic level but they cannot relate inflation to their own lives. Inflation may not change your life between today and tomorrow. But it could have a major effect on your finances in retirement.
In this article, we will look at how inflation affects retirement savings and how retirement planning can help you stay ahead of inflation.
What is Inflation?
Simply put, inflation is a general increase in prices for goods and services. Typically, inflation is tracked country by country. For instance, the United States has its own inflation rate while other countries have different, unique inflation rates that reflect their economy.
As the price of goods and services increase, the purchasing power of a dollar decreases. Currently, the United States is projected to experience around 2% inflation throughout the coming years. If this were to hold true then $100 today would only have about $89.59 purchasing power in 5 years. As you can see, this could be very alarming for someone saving for retirement that's still many years away.
Luckily, proper retirement planning ensures that your savings do not end up being worth less than when you put the money aside.
Outsmart Inflation by Investing
The main method that retirement planners use to avoid the costly effects of inflation is investing. With the right risk management strategies, investors can outpace the rate of inflation and watch their savings grow despite inflation.
For example, an aggressive portfolio that earns a 10% rate of return this year would outpace inflation by 8%. Even after factoring in the rate of inflation, this investor has come out ahead. That's by simply by choosing the right retirement planning strategy.
Of course, not everyone has the ability to invest in an aggressive portfolio. People who are nearing retirement simply cannot risk their savings in the markets the same way someone in their 20's or 30's could. For these people, evaluating risk management is important. Even conservative investments can still outpace the inflation rate.
By working throughout your working years to adjust risk management, you can come out well ahead of inflation. Take on more risk in your younger years to enjoy greater gains while taking on less risk later in life for smaller gains. The net result is an investment portfolio that has still increased in value beyond the rate of inflation.
No matter what age and risk tolerance you have, retirement planning and investing can ensure you stay ahead of inflation. This allows you to enjoy your golden years the way you have always dreamed of.
Create Smart Investment Withdrawal Strategies
Of course, the effects of inflation do not stop once you have entered retirement. In fact, inflation could quickly eat away at your retirement savings, if you do not have a plan for your money in your retirement years.
One of the most important parts of retirement planning is creating investment withdrawal strategies. This is for the years when you finally need to begin using the savings you have worked so hard to set aside. As people begin to enjoy longer lives, they need to ensure they have the money whenever they need it.
A common rule of thumb that people use for creating investment withdrawal strategies is the 4% safe withdrawal rate. This rule allows investors to take 4% of their savings out per year, while still being invested in a conservative portfolio.
By using the 4% safe withdrawal rule, retirees can ensure their funds will last for years after they work their final day. Funds will continue to grow at a small rate as they begin to draw money for their living expenses. Inflation will still have an effect on the funds but this effect, once again, is mitigated by smart investing.
Depending on needs, some retirees will opt for a 3% or 3.5% safe withdrawal rate. This is a more conservative take on the 4% safe withdrawal rate. Again, with smart investing, the effects of inflation and withdrawals can be greatly reduced.
Begin Retirement Planning Early and Assess Goals Often
For those who take retirement planning seriously, the rate of inflation will be a very small concern. Begin to save for retirement early and adjust risk management strategies throughout life. This will have a much greater effect on retirement savings than inflation.
People who begin investing in their 20's will enjoy compounding interest throughout their life. As they continue to invest throughout their working years, their nest egg will grow even more rapidly. These massive, positive effects on an investment plan are far greater than the minimal negative effects of inflation.
If you are unsure of how to get started with retirement planning then Mooney Lyons is here to help you. From beginner investors to retirees looking to create investment withdrawal strategies, Mooney Lyons has the expertise to guide you along every step of the way.
Saving for retirement does not have to leave you stressed or worried. Let us create a plan that allows you to enjoy life to its fullest today and when you enter retirement. Contact our retirement planning experts to learn more.
Investing involves risk including loss of principal and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.


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Engaging volunteers is a mix of art and science. On one hand, you've got the social aspects of working with people who aren't getting a paycheck and on the other, you need to have systems in place to manage many moving pieces. In this webinar, we'll go over the volunteer management cycle and understanding volunteerism before exploring best practices in recruitment, database options, and risk management necessities.
Learning Objectives
You will be able to:
- Begin building a vocabulary for why volunteers are important to your organization's mission
- Understand basics of position description design and volunteer recruitment methods
- Consider options for volunteer databases
- Recognize and plan for acceptable risk when involving volunteers in your work


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Acrylic Crochet Hooks
Wholesale Acrylic Crochet Hooks - is a type of needle with a hook at one end used to draw thread through knotted loops? Only one crochet hook is needed to make crochet stitches. Typical materials for crochet hooks are wood, plastic, casein, or aluminum.
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A full set of four relay teams in addition to six individual athletes have been added to the Australian athletics team that is bound for Taipei to compete at the 29th Summer Universiade (World University Games) this August.
The announcement today confirms the place of seventeen student-athletes to the previously announced team, bringing the total Australian team size to 49.
One who has been added to the team is University of Sydney sprinter and returning Uniroo Jin Su Jung who will run in the 100m.
Jung will also play his part in the men's 4x100m team alongside Rohan Browning (The University of Sydney), who has already been named in the 100m and 200m with Simon Greig (The University of Queensland) and Nicholas Bate (The University of Newcastle).
Two years ago at the Gwangju Games, Jung was a finalist in the 100m, finishing 7th, before leading off the 4x100m relay team that finished a nail-biting 4th place.
"It's hard not to get excited about this year's team," Jung said.
"Rohan is such an exciting young sprinter that is still very early in his career. Put him in green and gold and we are likely to see something special."
Jung says he learnt a lot from his first World University Games experience and will benefit from it in Taipei.
"I was very nervous going in the heats in 2015 and perhaps ran it a little too fast than I needed to. This time around I am hoping to run a more controlled campaign rather than go guns blazing from the beginning," he said.
The 23-year-old is finishing his combined Commerce (Finance) and Law degree at The University of Sydney this year and finds studying and training at the same time rewarding but at times arduous.
"I've enjoyed my time at Law School as it is completely separate from running which allowed me to keep a healthy balance," Jung added.
"Having said that, it is not without its challenges - It hasn't been the easiest to wake up at 5.30 in the morning, work all day, go to training, come home, eat and then study or do assignments till late hours into the night."
With both men's and women's 4x100m and 4x400m teams, Taipei will be only the second time Australia has had four relay teams compete at Summer Universiade, with Beijing in 2001 being the other example.
On a larger scale, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Daegu 2011 World Championships are the only major competitions in recent times to have four Australian relay teams.
In a sign that bodes well for the future of Australian sprinting, Athletics Australia Head Coach Craig Hilliard said the World University Games is a great platform to develop relay skills at a major championships.
"It's important to provide opportunities for athletes where possible and we've had the chance to do that with the relay squads at the World University Games this year," Hilliard said.
"Our hope is that athletes use the experience to spring board their continued development."
Other athletes that have been added to the team include US-based distance runner Clare O'Brien (Boise State University) in the 5000m, Isaac Hockey (The University of Melbourne) will run the 1500m while Riley Cocks (Flinders University) and Isobel Batt-Doyle (University of Washington) will both tackle the men's and women's 10,000m.
Headlining the previously announced Australians heading to Taipei are Rio Olympians Michelle Jenneke (The University of Sydney, 100m hurdles), Rachel Tallent (The University of Canberra, 20km walk) and Matthew Denny (Griffith University Gold Coast, discus and hammer throw), who all won medals in Gwangju two years ago.
Also selected in the team is fellow 2016 Olympian Jenny Blundell (The University of Sydney, 1500m, 5000m) with seven track and field athletes competing for the Australian Uniroos at their second consecutive World University Games.
In the field events, Taryn Gollshewsky (Central Queensland University) and Nicola McDermott (The University of Sydney) return for action in the discus throw and high jump respectively.
2015 world championships representative Nicholas Hough (The University of Sydney) starts in the men's 110m hurdles, along with Angus Armstrong (The University of Sydney, pole vault) and Kyle Cranston (Australian Catholic University, decathlon).
Lora Storey (The Australian College of Physical Education) will compete in the women's 800m after a stunning victory in the women's two lap race at the 2017 Australian Athletics Championships, with national long jump champion Chris Mitrevski (RMIT University) also set to make his Uniroos debut.
"The World University Games provide a fantastic opportunity for Australia's up and coming athletes to be exposed to the rigours of international competition, and with this in mind the overriding selection principle has been to select a team that features all qualified and eligible athletes," Dion Russell, Athletics Australia Chairman of Selectors, said.
"Athletics has a proud history of success at the Universiade and I am confident that the selected team can build on this tradition. The athletics section features three medallists from the event two years ago returning for competition and many national champions or championship medallists keen to make their mark on the world stage."
One of the largest sporting events in the world, the Summer Universiade has launched the careers of an abundance of track and field stars including Shirley Strickland (100m, 100m hurdles), Ralph Doubell (800m), Alison Inverarity (high jump), Emma George (pole vault), Dani Samuels (discus throw) and Kylie Wheeler (heptathlon).
At the 2015 edition in Gwangju (KOR), Australia's athletics section won an impressive five medals.
Dane Bird-Smith (Qld) led the way to gold in the men's 20km walk in a time of 1:21:30. He has since won bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
This great result was joined by a silver medal to Matthew Denny (Qld) in the men's discus throw and bronze to Naa Anang (Qld) in the women's long jump, Michelle Jenneke (NSW) in the women's 100m hurdles and the team of Rachel Tallent (Vic), Stephanie Stigwood (NSW) and Nicole Fagan (NSW) in the women's 20km walk.
The Summer Universiade is held every two years under the banner of the International University Sports Federation. Athletics has been a fixture of the competition schedule since the Universiade began in Turin (ITA) in 1959.
Eurosport will broadcast highlights of the Games in Australia, but to best keep up with the action follow the Australian Uniroos on the web, Facebook and Twitter.
Note: It was previously reported that James Nipperess and Jack Bruce were included in the updated team but they have since withdrawn. Nick Andrews, Jordan Gusman and David Brock have all withdrawn as well.
Note: It was previously reported that James Nipperess, Jack Bruce and Brianna Illarda were included in the updated team but they have since withdrawn. Nick Andrews, Jordan Gusman and David Brock have all withdrawn as well.
Athletics Section – 29th Summer Universiade
19-30 August 2017
100m: Rohan Browning (The University of Sydney), Jin Su Jung (The University of Sydney)
200m: Rohan Browning
800m: Steve Knuckey (RMIT University)
1500m: Adam Pyke (The University of Melbourne), Isaac Hockey (The University of Melbourne)
10,000m: Bryce Anderson (University of Canberra), Riley Cocks (Flinders University)
110m hurdles: Nicholas Hough (The University of Sydney)
High Jump: Joseph Baldwin (The University of Melbourne)
Pole Vault: Angus Armstrong (The University of Sydney), Stephen Clough (The University of Western Australia)
Long Jump: Chris Mitrevski (RMIT University), Liam Adcock (The University of Queensland)
Discus Throw: Matthew Denny (Griffith University Gold Coast)
Hammer Throw: Matthew Denny
Javelin: Liam O'Brien (The University of Queensland), William White (The University of Queensland)
Decathlon: Kyle Cranston (Australian Catholic University)
Half Marathon: Dylan Evans (The University of Tasmania)
4x100m relay: Jin Su Jung, Rohan Browning, Simon Greig (The University of Queensland), Nicholas Bate (The University of Newcastle), Nicholas Hough (Reserve)
4x400m relay: Daniel Mowen (The University of Queensland), Taylor Burns (Queensland University of Technology), Tristan Robinson (The University of Melbourne), Harrison Roubin (Deakin University)
800m: Lora Storey (The Australian College of Physical Education), Georgia Griffith (Monash University)
1500m: Jenny Blundell (The University of Sydney)
5000m: Jenny Blundell, Clare O'Brien (Boise State University)
10,000m: Isobel Batt-Doyle (University of Washington)
100m hurdles: Michelle Jenneke (The University of Sydney), Elizabeth Clay (Griffith University)
3000m steeplechase: Stella Radford (The University of Melbourne), Paige Campbell (The University of Sydney)
High Jump: Hannah Joye (Griffith University Gold Coast), Nicola McDermott (The University of Sydney)
Discus Throw: Taryn Gollshewsky (Central Queensland University)
Hammer Throw: Lara Neilsen (University of Southern Queensland)
Javelin: Kathryn Brooks (The University of Melbourne), Mackenzie Little (Stanford University)
Heptathlon: Alysha Burnett (Australian Catholic University)
20km race walk: Jessica Pickles (The University of Queensland), Rachel Tallent (University of Canberra)
4x100m relay: Larissa Pasternatsky (The University of Newcastle), Gabriella O'Grady (University of Technology Sydney), Jasmine Everett (The University of Notre Dame Australia), Elizabeth Hedding (The University of Melbourne), Michelle Jenneke (Reserve)
4x400m relay: Lora Storey, Alexandra Bartholomew (Macquarie University), Alicia Keir (The University of Newcastle), Jess Stafford (The University of Sydney), Gabriella O'Grady (Reserve)


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Western Addition Beacon Center's Sylvia Hom Joins Rise Board
Hailing from the Midwest, Sylvia Hom moved to Berkeley, California to attend law school at Berkeley School of Law. After practicing law for a few years, she wanted to spend her time and life doing something else.
She ended up working as an operations administrator at a small Oakland nonprofit and after a short time, realized that this was the call on her life and has worked in the nonprofit sector ever since. Her interest in kids and education began in earnest with two events in her life: she was hired as the first Chinatown Beacon Center Director at Jean Parker Elementary School and she had her first child.
For most of the past 20 years, she has worked part-time in the San Francisco Beacon Initiative, in schools or at the initiative office. She also spent a great deal of time raising her kids and volunteering at their schools, serving as classroom volunteer, PTA Co-Secretary, fundraiser, and School Site Council Chairperson.
Sylvia is a member of Redeemer Community Church.
Sylvia joins Tacing Parker (Associate Executive Director of Bayview YMCA), Danny Fong (Pastor of Redeemer Community Church), Olive Rubio (Teacher at Highlands School), and Kirk Davis (Families and Community Pastor at First Pres Hayward).


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As a freelancer, you get invited to write all sorts of weird shit. It's part of the deal when you sign up.
It keeps you on your toes and strengthens your useless knowledge arsenal for the inevitable eventuality of being a contestant on Pointless one day. It totally will happen, Richard - I'm coming for ya.
There's no problem with writing content that adds something genuinely valuable to 'the conversation' (not sure who's having it or where, but it's happening). But when brands want content written for content's sake and churn it out like there's no tomorrow, it ends up having an adverse effect.
Content should take note of arguably the world's most creative institution, the BBC - it seeks to inform, educate and entertain with every piece of its output.
The same goes for cracking content. Take a look at what you've written - is it useful for a reader? Does it repackage a difficult concept and make it clear? Will your audience be engaged?
Concentrate on a content strategy that's confident, savvy and cuts through the rest of the crap online.
Let me help: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Build your own tie dye kit! Choose your own colors!
**IMPORTANT: If you have a large project it is not efficient to order 3+ tie dye kits. Please contact us at 1-800-697-1566 and we will assist you in getting the perfect amount of supplies for your project**
Kit includes:
14"x16" Cotton Shopping bag- to be dyed and reused again and again!
4- 1 oz. Jars Reactive dye powder. Colors are:
Fuchsia #8
Lemon Yellow #38
Turquoise #51
Concord Grape #62
(You can choose your own combination of 4 colors if you would like - just leave us a note in the comments section on your order!)
1- 1 lb. "Dye Fixer" (soda ash powder)
4- Pipettes
8- Large Vinyl gloves (4 pairs)
Easy to use instructions.
Kits Created and Packaged in the USA.
Professional Quality Beginning Tie-Dye Kit!
Have you been disappointed with those "one step" tie dye kits you bought in a retail store?
Our dyes and kits give FAR SUPERIOR results to "one step" dye kits.
High Quality Reactive dyes are the worlds Best Dyes for Cotton, linen, rayon, hemp, or other plant based fabrics.
This kit comes with Easy to Follow Instructions and has enough dye and dye fixer to tie dye a whole bunch of projects! Plus it's packaged in a Reusable Cotton Shopping bag that we want you to Tie-Dye and use again and again.
Kit comes packaged in the bag- we call it "Tie Dye Kit in a Bag"- The first photo shows what comes in the kit. The tie dyed backdrop is just for the photo and not included.
Q. "Why don't you have pre-measured squeeze bottles in your kit?
A. We don't have pre-measured bottles in our kit because we teach you how to mix different colors using different dye concentrations. For example with fuchsia in the kit, you can make a strong red shade, or a nice baby pink, it's all in how you mix the dye. We give you pipettes (big eye dropper tools) to use to apply the dye to the fabric. These are the tools we use for small scale projects that you will be making with these kits. Pipettes are much easier to use and far more effective at applying dye.
Q. "Why don't you say how many T-shirts you can make with this kit?"
A. In reality, this kit contains FAR MORE dye and the fixer chemical (soda ash) you need than other kits available at retail stores. In our estimation at bright shades, this kit will make about 16 t-shirts. Other kits we've seen say they have "1/3 pound of soda ash", and can make "up to 15 projects" Our kit contains a full pound of soda ash - 3x's more than other kits, but since we are tie dye experts, we KNOW that there is NO WAY you can make 15 t-shirts with their 1/3 lb. of soda ash. Since we tell the truth in our advertising, we cant' compete with their outrageous claims. Just know, our kits contain MUCH more usable product than other similarly advertised kits.
Posted by Rose on 17th Jul 2015
This is THE place to get all your tie dye materials. Staff was incredibly helpful and accommodating. The kit delivers as promised, the colors are gorgeous, the instructions right on the money, and it was an exceptional experience all the way around, plus the cost was extremely reasonable. My son was tie dying shirts with his band section and no one can believe they made the shirts themselves because they turned out so great. We had purchased a tie dye kit at a craft store and the results were lame. Grateful Dye's results were AWESOME! And the staff person we dealt with was incredibly nice. I did get a couple extra colors which I think is a good idea, I also got the bottles to use instead of the pipettes and was glad I had. We also purchased tshirts from Grateful--what a bargain they are! I will say they shrunk quite a bit but they are 100% cotton so we took that into consideration when ordering them. Thanks for a fantastic experience!
Posted by Bluejuniper72 on 25th May 2015
I have always been interested in tie dying and wanted to incorporate tie dying t-shirts into my daughter's 4 year old birthday party. After exhaustive research, I decided to order 3 of these kits (along with 16 oz applicator bottles). The kit's pipettes are really probably sufficient, but I wanted to make it easier for the kids. The instructions that came with the kit are detailed and easy to follow. The party went well and the kids and parents seemed to enjoy it and were impressed. We ended up only using 6 of the 12 colors (I chose other colors for my other two kits), and we have lots of dye left over. I have ordered more clothes, and I'm excited to do it again now that I have a sense of how it is supposed to work. I love having the flexibility over mixing the colors as to how dark or light I want them. The cotton bag is a great extra too. Overall this kit is a great value and a great introduction to tie dying.


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We found 1 episode of Two Hundred A Day with the tag "status".
Episode 35: The Empty Frame
June 17th, 2018 | 1 hr 30 mins
1970s, 70s, angel martin, art, bloody, helicopter, james garner, jim rockford, p.i, rockford files, status, storming the winter palace, television, tv
Nathan and Eppy discuss S5E8: The Empty Frame. We finally meet Angel's brother-in-law Aaron as he's being feted as the new Police Commissioner - but a cadre of socialist revolutionaries breaks up the party and steals the art of the hosts, John & Jeff, right off the walls! Jim is hired to track down the paintings while the police conduct their own investigation, but each thing Jim discovers leads to new questions. He has to untangle a dense web of motivations to solve this one, an effort hindered by Angel's newly-found position of influence, but aided by Lt. Chapman's fall from grace... it's a great episode! Funny and emotionally impactful, well-structured and full of great characters. Recommended!


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By Abimbola Fashakin, LagosÂ
The Private Telecommunications & Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) has called on telecommunication giant, Globacom to reconsider the retrenchment of 54 workers, calling for their recall.Â
The indigenous telecom firm sacked 54 of its engineers and the union has called for their reinstatement within 14 days to prevent industrial action against Globacom.Â
In a statement signed by its National President, Oladapo Moses on Wednesday, PTECSSAN said the company did not give any reason for the sack.Â
"On 15th July, 2016 the media was awash with the news that Globacom sacked 54 of its engineers. It is disheartening to note that these workers having put in years of rigorous and highly committed service were sacked without any misconduct.Â
There was no reason alluded in the disengagement letter for the sack which is against Section 20(1) of the Labour Act as it bothers on redundancy,†the statement stated.Â
"Moreover, how will the company with gross abuse of Expatriate Quota explain the sack of its locals when it has in its service foreigners in their hundreds who have spent more than five years working in the country despite having competent locals who can do the jobs well.Â
"This persistent arbitrary sack of workers in Globacom and other telecommunications and communications sector will no longer be condoned by Private Telecommunications & Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN). We are posed as a Trade Union to see that the interests and rights of workers in this sector are protected and enhanced.
The union however said, "We demand the immediate re-instatement of these workers within 14 days failure to do an industrial action shall be taken against Globacom. While we await Globacom to do the needful we urge workers in the company in general and the sacked workers in particular to remain calm.
"We also solicit support of workers in the sector to co-operate immensely with us to ensure set goal and objectives of our Union are achieved. They should not wait until they are sacked before seeking out the Union for help,†it added.


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It's been quite the turn around this week. Pressed pretty much sums it up, pressed for time, pressed for money and pressed for ideas. Although with a few (many) late nights and a lot of coffee my work so far is on the up.
I have been struggling with a few things in my main current project but everything is starting to come together a little clearer. Fortunately I have been able utilise the very minimal time I have to tackle a few problems and get things back on track.
These pressed flowers are a little snippet towards the imagery I am making, and more progress to follow next week!


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... though again, not technically overseas. Today I went to do some baking with my good friend Shellie!
We had talked about making these Red Velvet Cupcakes for the past, what was it.... 6 months. And today we finally got our backsides into gear and made them. Check out the results.
If you want the recipe you'll have to check out Shellie's blog. Andy gave them a very enthusiastic two thumbs up! Will definitely be making these again.


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Paws and Stripes provides service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, providing service dogs for free, at no cost to the veteran to enroll.
Paws and Stripes recently moved into a new facility. Join us as we make tug toys for the service dogs and help clean up the outside grounds.


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P/PA/0035 Carmel: Carmel Road Play Area
P/PA/0051 Whitford: Play Area at Upper Downing Road Playing Fields
P/PF/0053 Whitford: Playing Fields Adjacent To School
P/SGC/0016 Whitford: Tennis Courts at Upper Downing Road Playing Fields
* Please note that any assets highlighted in yellow are subject to a lease and therefore only available to the existing tenant at this time.
Flintshire County Council ©


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You can add this to my list of things not to buy in the future: German dogs. Today, Ripley made her fourth trip to the vets for the year. She has some sort of infection in her leg and was put on antibiotics. For that and some other reasons, the doctor also recommended a thyroid test. ka-ching! If she keeps this pace up, they'll be able to add the "Ripley Law Memorial Wing" onto Richland Veterinary Hospital next year. All kidding aside, Ripley is a wonderful dog and I will definitely get another doberman in the future. Just not a doberman puppy. I can't afford to buy all new furniture again.
Today, we're having our last hurrah of the summer season. Looks like it's going to be a nice day for it, too. Lish & Brent, and possibly his son are coming for a cookout later today. Should be fun.
I don't know what's gotten into Brian today. He's washing the car and the truck. I've never known him to wash a vehicle voluntarily before. The only thing I can figure is that he's perfecting his washing technique before he gets his motorcycle! motorcycle! motorcycle! next year. He's even been reading how to wash a motorcycle on the Harley Davidson site, for goodness sake!
And speaking of Brian...Is it just me or is he in way too many bands? Here's the complete list:
1. Rottenstone: Brian & me
2. Garden of Ashes: Brian & Shawn
3. East of Eve: Brian, Shawn, John & me
4. Temple of something or another (see, he's in so many bands that he doesn't even know the names of all of them): Brian, Slim, Shawn, & Rob
And, if you were really stretching, you could add Stone Rotten to that list. That's an acoustic cover "band" consisting of Brian and me. I guess you could say that I'm in three bands, but it's not like I ever go to practice, so I'm really more of a session player. Or maybe just a lazy musician. It's too early to tell.


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Krista Anderson's sculptural installation "Histories" was granted the International Sculpture Center's Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award this summer; as part of the award, her work is featured along with 15 other award recipients in an article in Sculpture magazine's October 2016 issue.
Contact the artist for high resolution PDF files of the full article, featuring all 16 artists.
Krista Anderson's sculptural installation "Histories" was featured in an ad for the International Sculpture Center 22nd Annual Exhibition at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ in the October issue of Art in America.
Published June 16, 2016 in the Rockford Register Star of Rockford, IL - the artist's hometown.


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Most often, when I get sent all those 'hilarious' emails or FB messages, I either delete them or just glance at them whilst passing. But every so often one makes me laugh out loud and so, in the spirit of Comic Relief day, I share with you a joke sent by a good friend:
Prince Charles is visiting an Edinburgh hospital. He enters a ward full of patients with no obvious sign of injury or illness and greets one. The patient replies:
"Fair fa your honest sonsie face, Great chieftain o the puddin race, Aboon them a ye take yer place, Painch, tripe or thairm, As langs my airm."
HRH is confused, so he just smiles and moves on to the next patient.
The patient responds:
"Some hae meat an canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we hae meat an we can eat, So let the Lord be thankit."
Even more confused, the Prince moves on to the next patient, who immediately begins to chant:
"Wee sleekit, cowerin, timrous beasty, O the panic in thy breasty, Thou needna start awa sae hastie, Wi bickering brattle."
Now seriously troubled, Charles turns to the accompanying doctor and asks, "Is this a psychiatric ward?"
"No," replies the doctor, "This is the serious Burns unit."


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More about Hainault Forest
Once a hunting forest providing venison for the King's table, this beautiful ancient woodland is home to a wealth of wildlife and plant species. Adjoi...Read more
Hainault Forest is made up of a broad range of habitats. These include ancient woodland pasture, native broadleaf woodland, mature scrub and open grassland, heathland and former arable fields. Wetland habitats include streams, drainage ditches and woodland ponds.
Hornbeam is the dominant tree species with English oak common in some places. There is some ash in the wet areas, and on the edges of the former plains you will find grey poplar, hawthorn and blackthorn. The areas that were once open have been colonised by birch and there is also some beech, planted in the early 20th century. The undergrowth is mainly holly and bramble.
Ground flora includes hairy wood-rush, butcher's broom, bluebell, forget-me-not, red campion, greater stitchwort, cow parsley, herb robert, wood speedwell, sanicle, and wood avens. The wet areas support wetland species such as the bulrush and hop and other woodland flora such as wood sorrel, bugle and false-brome.
The heathland component is a particularly uncommon habitat in Essex and regionally rare plants include dwarf gorse, petty whin, lousewort, water chickweed, sallow, broad-leaved helleborine, common centaury, black poplar, ramson and barren strawberry. Other plants include petty whin, gorse and lousewort. Grassland species include lady's smock, field madder, lesser trefoil, sheep sorrel, and common vetch.
The site also supports 335 species of macro-fungi and slime mould, including the clouded and fly agaric, green elf cap, oyster mushroom, spectacular rustgill, southern bracket, birch polypore, turkeytail, common puffball, buttercap, clubfoot, trooping funnel, stump puffball, ochre brittlegill, drab bonnet, common earthball, scaly earthball, lilac bonnet, glistening inkcap, cinnamon bracket, sulphur tuft, birch mazegill, dead man's fingers, bicoloured deceiver, beech and birch woodwart, hairy curtain crust, branching oyster, oyster mushroom, split porecrust, common puffball, variable oysterling, beech woodwart, brown rollrim, red cracking bolete, coral spot, russet toughshank, snapping bonnet, leopard earthball, clouded funnel, mild milkcap, slender club fungus, angel's bonnet, deer shield, candle snuff, beech tarcrust, beech mazegill, wrinkled crust, witches butter, and the rare clitocybe Americana.
There has been little or no woodcutting or grazing since the turn of the century but in recent years a phased programme of opening up and connecting these open areas has been undertaken.
Approximately 40 acres of former arable land at Park Farm Havering has been converted to grazed grassland, with eight British short-horn cattle with calves introduced in 2007. Ultimately it is planned that grazing will be extended from these fields into Hainault Forest itself.
Once a hunting forest providing venison for the King's table, this beautiful ancient woodland is home to a wealth of wildlife and plant species. Adjoi...Read more
As many as 158 bird species have been recorded on the site, including: marsh tit, bullfinch, tree sparrow, nightingale, firecrest, linnet, turtle dove...Read more
Hainault Forest is one of the few remaining sections of the former Forest of Essex, which had its origins in the forest that covered much of Britain a...Read more


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In 2009, I packed up a borrowed van with My Father's Religion and headed to Grand Rapids Michigan to participate the the first year of Art Prize, an event designed to open the world of art to any artist and to bring this world to the populus, by having viewers vote for their favorite art work. Highly controversial in concept and noted for awarding enormous amounts of money in prizes,it has grown in popularity and respect. The year I participated, I selected my venue by on line descriptions, thus not seeing the space until arriving. It ended up being difficult to access via a back of the building freight elevator, and otherwise off the beaten track, so I wondered if anyone even saw it, let alone voted for me. I was however very pleasantly surprised when buying a vest on the way home in Saugatuck, MI, to discover that the clerk in the snappy boutique had gone to Art Prize and had actually both seen and liked my work.
Below is a photo of me installing the work. (If you look very closely at my left arm you can see the hardware of the "external fixator" holding my broken wrist in place. I removed the splint from my right arm because it kept catching on the wire. I had broken both of my wrists two and a half months earlier, and my beloved Jessica knit many of the trees for me to complete the installation. Thayer helped extensively too, specializing in branches.)
Since that first year, Art Prize has garnered much attention and has grown in attendance, and has become increasingly competitive. Last week the very prestigious Juried Grand Prize, awarded not by votes but selected by distinguished jurors, was won by Sonya Clark. The $200,000 purse was split with her co-winner, Anila Quayyum Agha, who had the extraordinary experience of not only tying with Sonya Clark, but also winning the popular vote, leaving her with $300,000. Her piece Intersections, looks stunning and likely creates a transformative experience. Kudos to them both.
But I am so very excited that Sonya Clark, chair of Department of Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, won this award for her Hair Project, which examines gender, race,culture, and society.
She has been a favorite artist of mine, and a stunning example of what's happening and being taught in the field of contemporary fiber arts.
In 2012, she was part of a show at Carlton College, A Complex Weave. That show was an exciting collection of artists exploring feminist issues via fiber and materiality.
Check out more about Sonya Clark here: http://sonyaclark.com/bio/biography/
and ArtPrize here: http://www.artprize.org/


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Another bittersweet parting from our latest climbing comrades. The past few days of climbing and Food Ranching have been full and wonderful. We've had days of climbing amid repeated waves of snow flurry armies, a visit to the museum in nearby Castle Dale, and yesterday the most productive yet playful circuit day in ages with the perfect blend of Canadians and Southerners (even though we're all considered "southerners" to Canadians, eh?).
Monthly Archives: March 2014
Joining the Giddy Squad!
Drexel and I are so excited to announce that we've joined the Giddy Squad!
What is Giddy? "Giddy, aka #GiddyOrganics, is an outdoor lifestyle brand with a strong focus on sustainability and adventure."
Giddy makes the organic Cedar Mint Balm that we lather our hands up with on rest days. Check it out!
Quote of the Day
Greg Child: Near the foot of the mountain we visited a yogi who dwelled in a hollow tunneled beneath a boulder. He pondered our notion of climbing Shivling and said: "First travel, then struggle, finally calm."
The Must Haves and the Must Have-Nots (of Packing)
Whether you are going on a weekend climbing trip, or perhaps a full-fledged year long road trip, there are certain items that should be packed, and others that would be better off left behind. Everyone has their unique needs, but this is the list we've settled on after 3+ months rock climbing and living in a minivan around the country.
Continue reading The Must Haves and the Must Have-Nots (of Packing)
Butterfinger Donuts for Dinner
It was blue skies and golden sun when out of nowhere the wind picked up and blew in snow. On such a nice day, the white flurries looked like a team of perfectly choreographed fairies doing synchronized swimming across the desert. This lasted for maybe 5-10 minutes, and then the day returned to normal and we kept climbing.
Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop the feet
"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." – Jimmy Dean
We got to Joe's Valley Sunday afternoon and played around on some fun classics like Angler (v2) and slipped off the super polished Big Joe (v7). Unlike most of the other places we've climbed on this trip, Joe's Valley's boulders are scattered around the sides of two different roads. Similar to 221 in Boone, you have to drive, park, and hike a couple minutes to get to any of the dozens upon dozens of boulders. After you finish your project (or give up) , you get back in the car, drive to another area, park, and repeat. It will take us a while to figure out the lay of the land. The only Joe's Valley guidebook is poorly written and covers about 1/3 of the total actual boulders.
Continue reading Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop the feet
Arkansas Video
Here's the video from our time in Arkansas. This includes climbs from Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Cowell, and Area 74. Hope you enjoy! Let us know what you think in the comment section below.


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Birds Everywhere/
Birds Everywhere
Birds are very much a part of my garden. In addition to being welcomed to nest in a variety of bird houses throughout the hillside property, they are part of my bug patrol, helping to keep unwelcome bugs in check and adding a wonderful dimension to my certified wildlife refuge,
I wasn't thinking about that when I decorated this Christmas tree this year but there was a tribute to my outside helpers in the white artificial doves I added.
It wasn't until I took this picture that I realized they looked like they were flying in from the outside, so appropriate for my house since right now my potted plants are wintering over inside, giving my house a decidedly wild jungle theme.
From my very green house to yours, may you have a very Merry Christmas!


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Bunny Pino Grabbing Toy by Kathe Kruse (74447)
Bunny Pino Grabbing Toy Bunny Pino Grabbing Toy is a wonderful premium European-made soft toy for newborns three months and older to engage and stimulate sensory development. The sweet face of Bunny Pino on his easy-to-grasp body engage baby to grab, shake and teethe on the long floppy ears. Made of 100% natural single strand terry cloth, Bunny Pino will keep baby safe from catching a nail and pulling a thread and is super safe for teething.
|Manufacturer Part #:
|Product Care:
|Gentle machine wash on cool temperature
|How much will shipping cost?
Shipping on orders $50 or more is FREE to the Continental US. We will find the most economical and safe way to ship your order, usually via the United States Post Office (USPS) using Priority Mail or FedEx Ground. All orders are carefully checked for accuracy by our staff and even get a handwritten thank you note included with them! For more details, please visit or Shipping Information page.
|How should I clean my Kathe Kruse Toys?
To clean product, use soft cloth, soap, and warm water to remove dirt then wipe with clean, moist cloth to remove soap. leave to dry then brush gently.
On items WITHOUT musical movements, internal wire, and paint decorated surfaces may be washed by washing machine not exceeding 30C.
Our customer service staff is standing by to answer your questions 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. You can also e-mail us any time or call 516.665.2730.
|Does kathekrusestore accept Purchase Orders?
YES, kathekrusestore accepts purchase orders from Educational Institutions. Please fax your PO to: 516.855.0689 or click here for more information.
|When does my credit card get charged?
Your credit card will NOT be charged until we ship your completed order. When you place your order on-line, kathekrusestore.com gets only an authorization from your bank, but no charge goes on your credit card at that time. When we process your order, pack it and actually ship it, you'll receive a shipment confirmation e-mail and that is when your credit card is actually charged. In the case of partial shipments, your credit card will be charged only for the cost of the items being shipped and their shipping costs (if any). When the remainder of your order ships, the balance due will be charged to your card.
|Does kathekrusestore ship outside the US?
Yes! kathekrusestore gladly ships WorldWide! Your shipping costs will be calculated as you add items to your cart. Click on the link "Click Here to see more shipping options, including International and Expedited" when adding items to your cart to see costs for all shipping options. For more details, please visit our Shipping Information page.


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Nearly every automaker is doing their best to get self-driving cars on the road as quickly as possible, but Honda wants to raise the bar even further. With help from SoftBank, the development of a self-driving Honda car that can discuss your feelings with you might be in the future.
Their impressive plan is to create a car that can sense the emotions of its driver, and then have a calm conversation with him or her. This could provide an additional sense of support and could potentially even reduce accidents.
In the future, if robots could become supercomputers that detect emotion, why couldn't self-driving cars do the same? That's the question that SoftBank Founder Masayoshi Son asks, adding that Honda will be at the forefront of this technology.
Of course, this self-driving Honda car that can offer your emotional guidance is far off into the future, but we would love to see this dream come true. If you want to learn more about what Honda currently has in store, feel free to visit us anytime at Union Park Honda.


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If you have seen MacGyver –the television series in the late eighties then you will know what the hell I am talking about. MacGyver could do anything with the things around him -even create bombs out of deodorant cans, vaseline and other household stuff.
MacGyver was a non-violent action-adventure hero. Armed with only a Swiss Army Knife, a roll of Duct tape, and whatever materials happen to be lying around, the ex DXS agent was the field operative for the Phoenix Foundation, MacGyver applied common sense and basic principles of science to imaginatively outwit his adversaries.
And there I was watching Joseph K do something pretty much like what MacGyver would have done.
Joseph K casually demonstrated how a small electronic USB enabled Digital Camera can be altered by modifying its flash memory to have a full fledged bootable operating system. With that he could directly access files on the hard disk bypassing system logins and permissions. Yea, he could do the same with a mobile phone or an MP 3 system. It was a cool thing to do.
He took me straight into a secret society- where guys with code names – published how security systems could be hacked. They got their thrill this way. They were harmless though-cause they did it for fame in the virtual world.
There is a whole society and a subterranean society in the virtual world: A world with its own language and culture: A world filled with hackers and crackers: A world with no boundaries or geographical contours.
And Joseph Kodiyil is into Information Security Management and Cyber Crime Investigations. He's got one hellava comfortable chair at home –where he spends most of his waking hours navigating the neural networks of the virtual world- visiting virtual crime scenes, researching exploits and safeguarding the numerous servers that come under his purview.
It all began…..
In the early eighties, as a twelve- year- old kid, Kodiyil was rewriting programs for his computer games so that he could become invincible- so that he would never lose a game. (That was long before cheatcodes were freely available on the Internet.) He later dropped out of an electronics engineering course to research vulnerabilities and got a job with an Internet Hosting company at Bangalore. He began to record and document exploits used to breach the security system of his servers. He would often capture the data packets used for the attacks and file cases at the Cubbon Park Police station but with no IT Act in place then, the cases were dropped. When the Information Technology Act came into place in 2000, the IG at the Corps of Detectives, Bangalore Police asked Joe to train the first batch of officers to the new Cyber Crime Police station. He is now a Technical Consultant and Cyber Crime Investigator under the IT Act 2000 for the Karnataka Police.
``There is a information war going on the virtual world and crackers are up to date with the present day vulnerabilities. If you are unaware about the vulnerabilities in your system, then there is a hacker out there who may be scanning your systems for exploits to either enter your system to get the information or to use your system to hack other systems. Your system can be used for e-mail spoofing, identity theft, etc. And you have to constantly up date patches and check your IT resources for known vulnerabilities. No system is absolutely secure and there may exist a vulnerability in your system. The best way to check for these vulnerabilities is by penetration testing and vulnerability analysis."
And he also supports the cyber crime cell of the Kochi City Police to track down people who misuse computers for forgery, defamation, black-mail fraud. For Joseph K this is just another game. A game that he loves playing.
A few Dos and Donts for Corporates and Individuals
1. Make your passwords strong and frequently change them. Don't use a dictionary word or a combination of dictionary words as a password. There are programs to break such passwords in a short period of time.
2. Remove unused or unneeded devices like modems, floppy drives USB ports, CD drive etc in a Corporate environment.
3 Have a good firewall.
4 Keep systems updated and Patched.
5 Routinely audit systems and networks (Know your vulnerabilities)
6 Have proper Policies and Follow Secure Practices.
7 Do Not Download applications or accept software, CDROMS etc. from an untrusted source.
8 Educate users in Information Security Knowledge.
9 Encrypt all Wi-Fi Communications otherwise you are susceptible to War Driving. The open wireless networks are extremely vulnerable and a hacker within Wi-Fi range can easily get into your network. Many Wi-Fi users today use open wireless networks without knowing the risks involved
10 Have backups of critical data and systems.
11 Use a good Anti Virus software. Update virus signatures regularly
(First published by The New Indian Express. Changes have been made)


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RIP – Adam West.
He kept my generation glued to the screen as kids. RIP Mr West and thanks.
My youngest brother is 16 years younger than me and we were discussing just yesterday how in my high school years and his pre-school years we both loved to watch Batman together. It was a corny, campy, and very fun show with jokes and innuendo for all ages. ~~dru~~


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The vertical logic of the Logframe clarifies the causal relationship between the activities and the objectives. Assumptions and preconditions are also specified, which must be true for the success of the project:
If you carry out the activities as intended, then you will arrive at the expected results
If you achieve the expected output, the you will meet the specific and ultimately at the overall objective.
The indicators and sources of verification (horizontal logic) should be "SMART". Make sure that the sources of information you will use to measure project progress are really a good indicator to measure the progress.
Specific terms are used in the log frame:


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Best Valentine's Day Event Themes
Valentine's Day is a popular holiday for parties and events. While the options for creative themes may seem limited compared to other holidays like Halloween or Christmas, there are actually a number of ways you can get creative for your Valentine's Day event. There is no reason why your Valentine's Day event has to be ordinary. While there is surely a traditional approach to Valentine's Day party themes, your event can really be anything you want. Like any event, you can customize every part and incorporate what works for your tastes and disregard what doesn't. Here are a few top Valentine's Day event themes to help you craft a unique approach to the holiday.
All You Need is Love Theme
This is a popular theme for a Valentine's Day event. As a reference to the classic song of the same name, this party theme is a perfect option for a traditional Valentine's Day party. The inclusion of heart decor and red, pink, and white colors is recommended to complete the classic decor. For food, hor d'oeuvres and colorful cookies or cupcakes are a great option. Dessert tables are always a good approach to any Valentine's Day event, just make sure your selection is pretty.
Modern Theme
For a cleaner, more contemporary theme for your event that preserves elements of the Valentine's Day color and mood, a modern event may be just the option. This theme should be a classy affair. Colors can be a mixture of pinks, white, and silver sequencing. Flower arrangements are a must, and candles are always a nice touch for some elegance. Consider the venue for this type of theme. Any large, open space suits the modern style well. Decor can be minimal with photography, a bar, dessert table, and a variety of seating from couches to group tables.
80's Rock Theme
The 80's are a great party theme no matter the occasion. For Valentine's Day, an 80's rock love theme is a great way to have a fun and casual event. Incorporate bright colors and music/rock n roll themed elements into the design. The focus on love and romance can take a back seat to a fun, music oriented approach to the theme. A stage, live DJ, cover band, or some other musical entertainment is a great touch. Incorporate the music theme into your food presentation, such as using record shaped serving trays or novelty guitar decor to embellish the surroundings.
Valentine's Day Tea Party
A unique approach for your Valentine's Day event is to make the party a tea party. Tea parties are classy, easy to put together affairs that anyone can get behind. Finger food, a good tea selection, delicious desserts, and some basic decor are all you need to pull off this elegant event. Tea sandwiches, tarts, cookies, and a selection of different teas are the basics of any good tea party. If the weather is nice, you can hold this party as an outdoor event. If not, decorate with flower arrangements and nice china.


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Courtesy photo
The physical world of Amazon Books has made it to Texas. The online retailer today opens its first store so far this year and it's in Austin's Domain Northside.
The store is designed to hold all the books considered great reads by Austinites and more put together by a team that culls customers' online preferences to fill the racks with books. All books face out in Amazon's version of a bookstore. Below the book is a review card saying why customers said they loved the read.
Prices are on the back of books and there are price scanners around the 4,800-square-foot store, but Prime members are encouraged to bring their phones to find their prices, said Mariana Garavaglia, director of stores for Amazon Books. "Prime members get the same prices in stores and online."
The stores are all about discovery, "the voice of the customer" and more than 20 years of online retailing experience, she said. Amazon Books has a team of curators who decide on what's on the shelf by looking at customer reviews, ratings, Kindle e-book reading behavior, sales and pre-orders, plus "the team's depth of knowledge and passion for books," she said. On average, books in the stores have a rating of 4.3 stars. Stores also stock "hidden gems," which Garavaglia said, is similar to the online experience where shoppers are alerted to lesser known books with similar tones, settings or plots. All stores have local features. Austin has a children's section and
Amazon opened its first bookstore in its headquarters city of Seattle in 2015 and now has 14 in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Other planned stores for this year are also in new markets: Long Tree, Colorado and its first two in the Washington D.C. area, in Georgetown and Bethesda, Md.
Amazon calls its bookstores a physical extension of its online bookselling and says it reflects more than 20 years of its online customer-focused business. The stores are supposed to integrate "the benefits of offline and online shopping," Garavaglia said in an interview Monday. Stores also sell Amazon's electronics.
The real estate strategy for opening new stores for bookstores years ago was the number of college graduates in a 5-mile radius. Garavaglia said Amazon has so much of its own data, its customers shopping patterns tell it where to put a store.
"We work backwards from our customer. We know Austin is a vibrant book community and that Domain is a shopping destination," Garavaglia said.
Simon Property Group opened Domain in 2007 and there are now four hotels on the property. The area has a daytime population of more than 630,000 and is surrounded by more than 415,000 households with average household income is more than $92,000.
Amazon is growing its bricks.
In its last earnings call, Amazon started breaking out revenue from physical store sales now that it owns Austin-based Whole Foods Market. There's more.
The Amazon Pop-Up, which is a shop mostly in malls that stock the full range of Amazon's brand of electronics, the Echo, Fire and Kindle devices, number 62 and counting including a few so far in Whole Foods stores.
Finally, Amazon is inside Kohl's stores started last year. There are 84 of those with Pop-Ups and areas to make Amazon online purchase returns. Kohl's said last week that that program is being evaluated for expansion.
Garavaglia wouldn't say if Amazon has plans for a bookstore in Dallas. How many more are in Amazon's future?
"As many as make sense," Garavaglia said.
Twitter: @MariaHalkias


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Hey all RP here!
So have you all heard about the newest FPS free to play game released in Jan 2014? Well we have your first 15 minutes on the Loadout gameplay here! We will have more videos to come, but here is the first to show you some of the explosion madness! Enjoy!
Happy Gaming!


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Try Drake Accounting
Using the Drake Accounting software requires an account with Drake Software. If you do not have an account, one will be created for you. If you do have an account, use that account information when installing the software. Do not create a new account, as accounts cannot be linked.


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Lights Out for Incandescents
nanny-state America strikes again
December 3, 2010 updated
Holly Deyo
This is a reminder if you want to continue using incandescent light bulbs, now is the time to stock up. More nanny-state America is about to descend on us.
When first reading World Net Daily's article four years ago, 2014 seemed light years away, if you'll pardon the pun. Now phasing out incandescent bulbs is a few short months from kicking in. Californians will begin their goodbye to incandescent bulbs in 30 days; the rest of us have next year as grace period.
Some U.S. retailers have already quit carrying our old standbys. They are no longer obtainable in any wattage at our brick-and-mortar Sam's Club though they can be purchased through them online. Other retailers have not been so quick to hop the ban bandwagon and they can still be bought for reasonable costs at Walmart, K-Mart and most hardware stores.
Here's the phase out schedule for all 49 states and territories, except California:
Effective Date
(Mfg. on or after)
Effective Date
49 states and territories
(Mfg. on or after)
January 1, 2011
January 1, 2012
January 1, 2012
January 1, 2013
January 1, 2013
January 1, 2014
January 1, 2013
January 1, 2014
Panic Buying Starts
Don't wait till the last minute to set in a supply of incandescent bulbs. In America, 100-watt bulbs are first to get the axe. Next year is your last to buy them so now is the time to lay in a supply.
Take a lesson from Europe. Europeans have already begun 'panic buying' since their phase out of 75-watters began in 2009. Next year their 60W bulbs get axed. Australia led the pack with an outright ban this year. As usual Aussies are not ones to complain.
Most Canadian retailers will quit selling incandescents by 2012, except for IKEA Canada. They began eliminating incandescent bulbs starting August 1, 2010 and will complete their all-out phaseout in 2011.
Not a Bright Idea
Stan and I are not sold on the CFLs (compact fluorescent lamp) for several reasons and apparently we are not alone. Looking at Sam's customer reviews on GE Soft White 60W bulbs, they get a 5-star rating. However, GE Energy Smart 13W Light Bulbs (yes, these (pictured below left) replace the current 60W bulbs) only get 3 stars.
Three years ago we starting using CFLs in a storage room and for overhead lighting in the garage. The CFL is supposed to last many times longer than their incandescent counterparts, but we haven't found this to be the case. It seemed that within months I was shinnying up the ladder to change them. Burned out. Dead. Kaput. Not impressed with their '5-year life span' as stated on the packaging. Cost begins to add up when they burn out early on these pricey 'improvements'.
Here is another testimony that the new CFLs do not last long when lights are frequently switched on and off:
In my master-bath, the light fixture holds six bulbs which, at one time, held six 100 watt bulbs. My wife would mention (not complain ;-) the heat from the incandescent bulbs. She wanted these (GE Energy Smart) bulbs installed. I mentioned to her that heavy switching is not good for the long life of any fluorescent bulb; she said they would be alright (not what I was thinking). My wife is a "heavy" switcher; she turns off lights when she leaves the room. This is great but in the mornings she leaves the bathroom every five minutes for an hour or better.
Out of the six bulbs, only two are still burning after about seven months. We bought two packs of the GE Energy Smart bulbs. The other pack I placed in other light fixtures throughout the house, including my reading light. These other light fixtures are not switched as "heavy" and are still going strong.
I would recommend these bulbs (and any other) fluorescent bulb for any indoor application where the fixture is "on" for about one hour or more. Your mileage may vary."
Another man wrote:
Bought this product to save money. It does use less wattage, but it doesn't last 5yrs only lasted 7 months. They were placed in the bathroom so usage was very small and to make it worse, they expect you to send it back by mail. Postage on package $3. The cost of a bulb in package $8, which comes to $1.50 each at the store. What a scam. Don't want to send it back because of cost. They win.
And a third complaint:
Yes, some of these bulbs have not lasted 7 years. I have called GE twice for bad bulbs. I gave them the UPC on the box, and TWICE they sent me a coupon good for a new package of bulbs.
Fluoro Failures
A retired engineer, Alan Andrews, wrote saying that he believes that "an EMP event would take out CFL's (they fail a lot with ordinary power surges already) leaving most people in the dark."
An EMP attack is a very real concern, one that many people are turning a blind eye to thinking it either unlikely or one larger than life. Over the past decade, this issues gets media attention in dots and dashes, but the problem is neither solved nor going away. Be sure to read the Chapter 48 in Dare To Prepare on Electromagnetic Pulse and how to shield against its effects.
Such an unthinkable event would have negative impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. Only the most undeveloped countries would remain relatively unaffected. Indirectly they would be impacted when countries they depend on for food and medical handouts are rendered useless. If power nations are incapable of suppling their own needs, they surely can't help others.
Fluoro Freeze Out
Another reader just wrote in to share that cold weather is very hard on CFLs. Here's what he's observed:
Compact fluorescents do not work in super cold weather. In Barrow, AK, for instance, if you want a deck or porch light it must be on 24/7 in the winter because the bulb will not relight after being turned off. The CF bulbs, which have their own "housing" glass/plastic around them, seem to work best. Also, at -40 with wind chill at -65, the bulb cools so quickly they break even though they are low heat bulbs.
Dimmer Idea
In the mood, but fluoros are wrecking the atmosphere? Switches that worked fine with incandescents are frequently incompatible with fluoros. Rather than reinvent the wheel, this following explains the incompatibility problem best:
Dimmers work by breaking up the amount of electricity reaching the light fixture. Though invisible to the human eye, the staggered electrical current is actually making the light flicker. This is fine for an incandescent (traditional) bulb, as it simply reduces the amount of heat produced by the filament.
CFLs, however, do not use heat to produce light. Instead, a fluorescent bulb contains a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light when excited by electricity. The light hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb and the coating changes it into light you can see. In this process, CFLs regulate power through the tube, which is not compatible with the dimmer's intervals of electricity interruption. So when working with a standard CFL, a dimmer would cause the CFL to dim, and eventually go out altogether. It shortens the CFL's life and, in rare cases, a dimmer operating a CFL could result in fire.1
A related problem with CFLs and dimmers is that they only reduce light to about 20% of the rated lumens. If you turn to turn it down further, the fluorescent bulb turns off completely.
For dining rooms, bedrooms and other ares where you want adjustable lighting make sure to purchase dimmable CFLs and replace your old dimmer switch with a high-quality compatible switch that reduces current flow.
Dimmable CFLs don't last as long as regular fluoros. I'm not picking on the MaxLite brand, but want to give you point-of-reference comparisons. MaxLite product information states this bulb burns for about two years yet costs about $13 + shipping. Get ready for sticker shock as dimmable CFLs are significantly more expensive than even regular fluoros. Dimmables switches aren't cheap either . Lutron's CFL Diva Dimmer runs about $55 and Leviton's Programmable SureSlide Wall Switch is abour $60.
Additionally, CFLs are generally incompatible with photocells. These are the switches that automatically turn on lights when it gets dark. One solution is to use a timer.
More Grievances
Annoyingly, CFLs take a while to attain full brightness unlike incandescent bulbs. Brits, who are already well acquainted with these news bulbs, call their light output "sickly".
As World Net Daily pointed out in this article, CFL bulbs contain mercury so you have to be careful when disposing them.
Of lesser importance CFLs have a certain ugly factor going on. I am not in love with these curlicue squiggles of invention. They replace little pieces of lighting magic, where you could peer inside and witness a small miracle with cold, ugly, hard lumps of progress.
Whoever thought a person would wax fuzzy over light bulbs with internal antennae.... Oh for the good ole days when PC only referred to your computer and government wasn't always choosing what was best for us.
Like anything there is a short learning curves of what type fluorescent light bulb works where. If you're confused, here is a guide to help with the transition.
Source: 1 Dim and Dimmer, www.pathnet.org/sp.asp?id=23506
© Holly Deyo, 2010, redistribution is granted providing ALL links and images, and the article itself is fully reproduced in its entirety, unaltered.


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Irish 2017 VHF/UHF Contest/
IRTS VHF/UHF Field Day takes place over the weekend of 1st and 2nd July, with contesting covering 5 bands 50, 70, 144, 432 and 1296 MHz.
The Open Section covers all 5 bands, and there is a Restricted Section for contesters operating on just one bands.
The contest, which runs for 24 hours from 14:00 UTC on Saturday, coincides with similar contests in the UK and continental Europe, so it provides a great opportunity to work some DX on the higher bands.
Note that this is a field day contest with site and power supply requirements for anyone entering.
Full Details - http://www.irts.ie/contests


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Cavallero on Smith Street in Collingwood for breakfast on a Saturday (mid/late) morning is a good idea if you like organic oats with stewed fruit, and some of the best freshly squeezed orange-juice in town, but not if you're in a hurry, or if you need a cosy, comfortable, quiet start to your day.
The service is unpredictable (20mins for toast and no apology for the delay (I think they actually *forgot* to place the order with the kitchen)) and the staff a bit too important to engage eye contact while taking your money. It can get a bit pricey too - at $6 for two slices of toast, it's just as well it's bloody nice jam!
The space is nicely arranged though, with several different areas depending on if you're in the mood for a booth, the bar, or a shared large table. A fair-enough start to your weekend, but Cavallero won't end up being your favourite breaky spot.


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A bizarre livestream by A$AP ROCKY took place yesterday as promotion for his newly completed album Testing. It was definitely weird yet pretty awesome and entertaining to watch. The live video starts off as your typical listening party for about 15min when suddenly an alarm breaks out and a group of people in hazmat suits gather around a glass box resembling a science lab testing room where A$AP ROCKY is revealed. The video goes on where scientist run a group of test and ask ROCKY a list questions about the process of creating this album. The first song you hear is a sample of Moby's Porcelain which is used in his song 'A$AP Forever' and You can also see scientist bring out A$AP FERG, A$AP TWELVYY and Dev Hynes for quick collaborations.
A$AP ROCKY goes on to post the album cover on instagram with the short caption 'ALL DONE.' We can definitely say we are excited to listen to it when it is released.


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Promotion worth the (short) wait for Blash
SAN DIEGO -- Two home openers in two days? Yeah, it's been a busy 24 hours for Jabari Blash."I'll take it," Blash said with a smile before the opener at Petco Park on Friday. "Definitely wanted to be here for this one."The Padres selected Blash's contract Thursday, placing Hector Sanchez
SAN DIEGO -- Two home openers in two days? Yeah, it's been a busy 24 hours for
"I'll take it," Blash said with a smile before the opener at Petco Park on Friday. "Definitely wanted to be here for this one."
The Padres selected Blash's contract Thursday, placing
The righty slugger certainly earned his promotion during Spring Training. He posted a .986 OPS with seven homers in the Cactus League, and he was one of the most surprising omissions from the Opening Day roster.
"Those are the types of decisions you really can't think about," Blash said. "I had a really good spring, started in El Paso, and at the end of the day, that's all it was. I was hoping to be back at some point."
Blash got back rather quickly. And unfortunately for the Padres, it came at the expense of Sanchez, who has dealt with concussion issues in the past.
Sanchez seems to take an uncharacteristic number of knocks. Earlier this spring, he missed time in camp after fouling a ball off his foot. While in San Francisco, he earned the nickname "El Iman," or "the Magnet."
"For some reason, I take a lot of hits," Sanchez said. "I don't know why. I've been asking myself that for a lot of years. The scariest thing are the hits to the head."
The extent of Sanchez's current ailment remains unclear, and the Padres will monitor his situation over the next week.
Dickerson slowed
To clear room for Blash on the 40-man roster, the Padres moved Alex Dickerson to the 60-day disabled list. The left fielder has been out since mid-March with a bulging disk in his back.
"It's just a move that's going to force me to really take my time," Dickerson said. "I think it's going to be good that it just slows me down, makes sure I do this right. It takes it out of my hands, as far as the timeline."
The Padres had initially hoped Dickerson could return in April. But the earliest date he would now be available is June 1. The club is optimistic Dickerson will hit that date and will be available for a Minor League rehab stint a week or two beforehand.
Friedrich on the mend
In positive injury news, tests on
The Padres haven't yet put together a recovery plan for Friedrich, so there's no timetable on his return. But he will head back to their Spring Training complex in Peoria, Ariz., on Sunday.
Friedrich said his arm never quite kicked into full gear this spring. He suffered the lat strain before a Cactus League start against the Dodgers. Then, he said he overcompensated a bit during that outing, causing the back of his elbow to swell.
"After that outing, I felt like, 'OK, I'm making this situation worse by throwing,'" Friedrich said. "It was the best-case scenario that it was a strain in my lat. But there was some tearing. So now after two weeks, I feel like I'm good to go."
AJ Cassavell covers the Padres for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajcassavell.