text:
|Account type
|Minimum deposit
|Minimum trade size
|Maximum leverage
|Average Spreads
|0.6 pips
|0.2 pips + commission $3-$5*
*commission is calculated per standard lot per side and is based on trading volume
**The IG branch in Singapore offers maximum leverage of 1:50.
IG offers spread betting and CFD services with the same spreads. CFD accounts are two types – Standard & DMA. The Standard one is commission-free, while the DMA account provides lower spreads, as prices are offered by liquidity providers, plus a variable commission, based on the client's order size.
The broker does not offer micro lots for trade (0.01 lots), so some traders may find it difficult to manage the risks associated with high-volume trading.
Founded in London in 1974, IG (formerly IG Index) is a pioneer broker, that actually created the concept of financial spread betting. Furthermore, IG was the first spread betting firm to introduce online dealing in 1998.
Currently, the group of companies offers wide range of products for online trade, available on a selection of platforms: contracts for difference (CFDs) on currency pairs, indices, commodities, stocks, financial spread betting (in the UK and Ireland), as well as binary options. In 2014 the broker also introduced execution-only stockbroking in the UK and Ireland, later rolling it out to the Netherlands and Germany.
The IG Group also owns the North America Derivatives Exchange (Nadex), the premier and largest regulated online US exchange, offering binary options and spreads.
In addition, the group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the FTSE 250. In fact, it is currently the largest forex broker listed on the LSE in terms of market capitalization.
Its UK head office is located in the heart of the City of London, and the group has sales offices in 15 other countries.
IG is a trading name of IG Markets Ltd. and IG Index Ltd, authorized and regulated by UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). For binary bets IG Index Ltd. is also licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission.
UK's financial watchdog is famous for applying strict requirements to brokerage firms. Licensed companies are required to comply with certain rules and procedures covering client funds, order execution, minimum capital requirement of €730 000 , regular report filing, etc.
In relation to security of clients` funds, we would also like mention that FCA-regulated brokers fall under the umbrella of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which protects consumers up to £50,000 per person, in case the company goes bankrupt.
Except got the two abovementioned firms, the IG Group has units regulated by the respective authorities in a number of countries.
|Countries of regulation
|New Zealand
Minimum Initial Deposit
Clients of IG are not required to deposit a certain initial amount in order to open an account with IG, however they have to fund their accounts in order to initiate a trade. For instance, in order to buy 1 lot GBP/USD (1 contract is £100,000 and the margin rate is 0.5%), one has to deposit at least £500.
Average Spreads & Commissions
IG offers competitive low spreads, averaged to 0.6 pips on EUR/USD on commission-free accounts, and even less on DMA ones (which involve a commission). Such pricing is really good, as we find most brokers offer spreads within the range of 1.0 – 1.5 pips.
In comparison, FxPro offers average spreads as low as 0.4 pips on the EUR/USD for its cTrader accounts and charges $4.5 per lot. For further information, you may also check out the real-time spreads of 15 major brokers here.
The maximum leverage levels offered by IG are up 1:200, which is considered average. Yet, many FCA-regulated brokers provide higher leverage ratios: FxPro, for instance, offers leverage up to 1:500.
We would like to remind traders that higher leverage involves higher risk, not only the probability of multiplied profits earned on a small deposit. It is a double-sided coin.
This broker offers a selection of robust platforms: its proprietary IG platform, web-based ProRealTime, a special DMA platform – L2 Dealer, as well as the industry's standard MetaTrader 4 (MT4).
The web-based ProRealTime has customisable layout and is equipped with several charting packages, Over 100 indicators covering everything from price to volatility, automated trade options and extensive historical data.
For those who want full market depth with Direct Market Access (DMA) for FX, share dealing and equity CFDs, IG offers the downloadable L2 Dealer platform. It provides greater liquidity on shares trading through access to primary exchanges, market makers, brokers and MTF dark pools. With L2 Dealer, traders can place basket trades using the Excel-compatible 'Watchlist Pro' function, autotrade by using algorithms they have created in Excel and to make well-informed decisions due to the market-linked news feeds and live charts.
In addition, traders who are used to the good old MetaTrader 4, are able to use it with IG.
IG UK`s clients are able to make deposits and withdrawals via credit/debit cards or wire transfer. Popular e-wallets, such as BPay, China UnionPay and Paypal, are also available as payment methods with this broker.
Being part of a large international group with more than 40 years of experience in the industry, IG is a reliable and well-regulated broker, offering competitive conditions for trading in wide range of financial instruments on several platforms. To sum things up, here are the advantages and drawbacks with regards to IG:
|Regulated in multiple jurisdictions
|No micro lots available
|Competitive tight spreads
|Limited payment methods
|No minimum initial deposit required
|Wide range of trading instruments & platforms
|Part of a large publicly listed group with more than 40 years of experience
Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2YA
Country: United Kingdom
Regulated by:
|Account type
|Minimum deposit
|1: 15
|Max 0.15% for BTC
BitFlyer is one of the most popular cyptocurrency exchanges in the Far East. It is also among the world leaders, in terms of volume.
|bitFlyer, Inc.
|JFSA, NY BitLicense
BitFlyer is based in Japan. The local regulators have made some changes in the way they treat cryptocurrencies in the past. Currently, they are treated as assets, upon which capital gains (profiting from the price movement) is taxed. BitFlyer was one of the first companies to received the JFSA (Japanese Financial Services Agency) license, along with the major competitors from QUOINEX.
Update: BitFlyer also received has the regulatory approval of the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) in November 2017. The company is set to start offering Bitcoin trading vs the USD, while adding altcoins in the future. We will update this review, when the service is fully implemented.
The company has been around since 2014 and has not had any hacking issues yet. The most important thing to note, from a western trader's point of view is that trading is done (mostly) against the Japanese YEN (JPY), unlike most exchanges where you can trade cryptocurrencies against one another, the US Dollar and occasionally the Euro. You may need an account with a forex broker, such as FXTM, just to hedge your currency risk.
The user reviews on BitFlyer (written in English) are mostly positive. This is a good sign, as the company maintains multilingual support.
Trading instruments (cryptocurrencies)
As mentioned above trading at BitFlyer is done against the Japanese Yen. This applies for the plethora of Bitcoin instruments, which include Spot BTC trading, Margin BTC trading, and BTC Futures (not to be confused with Bitcoin Cash Futures). Furthermore Etereum is available for trading, against Bitcoin.
Minimum initial deposit
BitFlyer does not give any guidelines about a minimum deposit level. Forex brokers, on the other hand usually announce their minimum entry barriers. For instance, you can open an account with XM, with only $5.
BitFlyer offers a maximum leverage ratio of 1:15. However, in order to be allowed to trade on margin, one must go through a tougher verification process. This type of ratio may sound very small to someone who is used to forex trading, as lots of brokers provide 1:500 or even higher levels.
Do keep in mind cryptocurrencies often move far more wildly than fiat currencies. While a major pair will rarel move more than 1.5 – 2% percent per day, the Bitcoin often has gains or losses exceeding 10%. This explains the lower leverage offering by BitFlyer, which by the way is one of the highest offers provided by crypto-exchanges. For a full comparison of trading Bitcoin with a forex broker and on an exchange click here.
Fees at BitFlyer vary slightly for the different services, which they provide. They offer directly exchanging JPY to BTC, the fees for which go as high as 0.15% for the lowest volume traders. As a comparisson, Bitfinex charges this type of fee only for the market "makers", while takers pay a slightly higher one. The maximum fee for ETH/BTC is 0.20%. Here is the full information, as provided by the company (click to zoom-in):
Lightning FX stands for the margin trading of BTC/JPY. Futures on the other hand are similar to exchange traded futures. However the liquidity in them appears to be far lower, which is to be expected. We would not recommend them to inexperienced traders.
BitFlyer provides two trading platforms. They are both web based, which is not unusual for cryptocurrency exchanges. One of them is the so called Bitcoin Easy Exchange, which serves, to facilitate direct JPY to BTC transfers. It is what people, who want to get their funds converted to Bitcoin, before transferring them would use. Albeit simple, it does the job. Here is a preview (click to zoom-in):
The company also offers the BitFlyer Lightning platform. It feels much more like a forex trading platform, as it is designed with the trader in mind. This is the platform where the 1:15 leverage ratio is provided. Here is what platform looks like (click to zoom-in):
There is a chart on the left, with lots pre-loaded indicators. The order book looks pretty solid (in the middle) and the tape is locate on the right. Several more fields are located below these, similarly to the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) terminal. Charting appears to be decent, with several technical indicators in place. Furthermore the charts can be set to full-screen mode.
There are multiple themes available, if you do not like the black and orange feel. One thing we must mention are the maddening sounds, which are turned on by default. Every time a transaction is made, more importantly, every time there is a movement of a bid/ask in the order book, play a sound. Luckily, these can be turned off quite easily.
BitFlyer accepts Bank Transfers, Credit Cards issued in Japan and Bitcoin transfers. Although the company has a clear focus on its internal market, a foreigner can still use their services, albeit not with his credit card. Users of online payment systems, such as Skrill are also left out.
BitFlyer is the number one cryptocurrency exchange in Japan. It also rates pretty highly among the global volume charts. The most specific thing is that trading is done against the Japanese Yen (JPY). There are multiple platforms and services available, including margin trading. Despite being focused on its domestic market, the company appears to be reaching out to the rest of the world and with commission levels so low, customers will come. Here is a summary BitFlyer's pros and cons:
|No major hacks yet
|Trading against JPY
|Accepts Bank Transfer and Japanese Credit Card
|Does not accept Credit Card, from countries other than Japan
|Competitive commissions
|No altcoins available (ex. ETH)
|Relatively nice trading platform
|Allows margin trading and futures


text: Yes, it is true. We have started on our arduous journey to prepare for the course. But, even though we have a lot of work trying to collect the right literature, determine and carefully delineate the parameters of possible debate, we also find time to enjoy the semester holiday. We hope you do so as well.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Analyst Michael Linenberg at Merrill Lynch expects the shares of Continental CAL, +0.92%, and the rest of the airliner sector, will move higher on the news that it was planning a restructuring that includes a domestic capacity reduction. Continental is trading up 88 cents, or 11 percent, to $9.25 and the Amex Airline Index $xal is ascending 0.9 percent. Earlier, Continental said it was cutting capacity by 4 percent, grounding airplanes and raising fees in response to "dramatic changes in the marketplace." The company expects to save $350 annually once the restructuring is fully implemented. Among other airline sector members, American Airline parent AMR AMR, -2.42% is up 9 cents at $9.35, United Airlines parent UAL UAL, +1.50% is easing 7 cents to $3.22, Delta Air Lines DAL, +0.68% is rallying 52 cents to $16.68.


text:
$9.99 $15.99
LP Lug Lube is a necessity for any conga, bongo, djembe or other drum with lugs. This highly recommended mineral-oil based lubricant protects the threads of lugs and nuts without odor or mess. Proper lubrication of tuning lugs will extend life and reliability.
Special Order Item: Please allow extra time for delivery.


text:
Futsal-Saturdays with a T-shirt
Futsal-Saturdays with a T-shirt
SATURDAYS (Dec 2nd-Dec 23rd) - $12 added for a logo t-shirt
Saturday 9am U7-U8 boys
Saturday 10am U7-U8 girls
Saturday 11am U9-U10 girls
Saturday 4pm U4-U6 boys and girls (please note that this program requires parent's participation)
Saturday 5pm U9-U10 boys
Saturday 6pm U13-U15 girls
4 sessions $60 + $1.74 (processing fee)
$12 tshirt
Payment for futsal clinics is refundable with a written request, less a $20 administrative fee until 14 days prior to the start of the first session. No refunds are permitted thereafter.
Time Option:
Add To Cart


text:
Advice: Unlike promise to lose weight, stick to financial goals
We're coming to the end of January, right about the time that New Year's resolutions are being conveniently forgotten.
Even before the recession, improving money management was a common goal with each passing year. Now with the slow recovery still lingering, it has taken on greater importance for many people.
But will those resolutions fail? The Herald-Leader spoke with two prominent Lexington money managers and got their advice on what you can do this year to succeed in growing your investments.
For those of you who didn't resolve to better manage your money, you have plenty of time to decide that. After all, said Nancy Barron II, founder and president of Nancy Barron & Associates, plenty of folks with resolutions don't even come to see her until February.
"That's when their New Year's resolution to go to the gym has faded," she said, laughing. "Then they get around to us."
Be realistic
"The most important thing is, the goals have to be realistic," said Dale Ditto, financial consultant with the McIntosh-Ditto Wealth Advisory Group of Hilliard Lyons.
Ditto said it's important in the case of shared finances that both people buy into any goals. Those goals should be worked up into a strong plan to put in place.
"It's one thing to say I want to get out of debt this year," he said. "But it's totally another thing to figure out how you're going to do it and be disciplined enough to implement the time."
Barron said people should have realistic goals about what they can earn and expect of their investment managers.
"Last year was an extremely volatile year," she said. "After all the ups and all the downs that made everybody crazy, ... we were basically flat even.
"Nobody knows what's going to happen."
Barron said she often asks people new to her business whether they're leaving another broker "because they think we have all the answers."
"I tell them the market was the same for all of us last year," she said.
Be patient
Barron encourages clients to use retirement funds for investing because of the "painless" nature.
"If you put it in every month and you don't try to time the market, it works best," she said. "The stock market is not a one-year proposition.
"It's a five-year proposition, and I'm starting to think it's a seven-year."
Ditto said he often finds that "people want immediate gratification, and they're not willing to do without things that they need to do without in order to get out of debt and be able to save and invest."
He said, "If it's not long-term money, I won't invest it for people."
"Because over the short term, we don't know for sure what the market will do," he said. "Over a three- to five-year period or longer, things will work out well.
"People have to have a long-term perspective in order to be able to invest in (stocks) because they fluctuate greatly."
Invest in stocks
Despite the fluctuations, Barron said, those resolving to improve their finances need to focus on stocks and not get too nervous during the swings.
"Without stocks, you would be lost," she said. "No one can make any money putting money in CDs or bonds.
"Even older people need the stock market."
Barron said she puts all her own money in stocks, emphasizing that interest rates are so low now that it's not likely that bond values will rise due to further rate cuts.
Barron and Ditto emphasize the need to diversify your holdings as part of any changes you make this year.
"If you diversify and keep investing and keep doing it regularly, you will prosper," Barron said.
Oftentimes, that prospering is what can get some people to stop thinking so much about their finances, she said.
"If the market gets better, all of a sudden you're not that interested in it anymore," she said. "Most people just want to think they have done the adult, mature, right thing.
"After that, they start to lose interest with it."
But if along the way, investment managers can help their clients, that's the best reward, Ditto said.
"I love the work I do for people," he said. "It's fulfilling for me to see us put together a financial plan that works."


text:
NEW YORK CITY, New York - A few months ago, I snapped a picture of this lounge at work. It was labeled the "Lactating Room" and had a leather couch inside.
It has been rebranded - it is now the "Women's Lounge" and the leather couch has been replaced with a fabric one.
I don't know if I'm now more allowed to use this room, or less allowed. There's no "Men's Lounge" but I'm not inclined to be litigious about these things.
Still forbidden territory
Posted by Jeff at 2/27/2008 02:33:00 PM


text:
The BBC's 'Money Programme' is to broadcast on massively multiplayer game 'Second Life', making it the first programme by the corporation to feature in the online game.
'Money Programme' will broadcast in digitised form, featuring the programme's reporter Max Flint as a spiky-haired alias MP Masala. It is understood the 'Second Life' broadcasts of 'Money Programme' will cover all financial news in the game, which claims to have a worldwide community of more than 2.3m.
The BBC said Flint would travel to San Francisco for 'Money Programme' to interview 'Second Life' creator Philip Rosedale, who is chief executive officer of the game's developer Linden Lab.
Flint will also report on how Reebok is operating a virtual shop in 'Second Life', and will visit Rivers Run Red, the London-based virtual reality marketing agency.
It is not the first time a financial news service has appeared in 'Second Life' -- Reuters opened a virtual bureau featuring a reporter called Adam Reuter in October last year.
Channel 4 Radio also launched a service on 'Second Life' in November 2006, claiming it is the first broadcaster to do so. Nissan, Calvin Klein, Sony and American Apparel already sell virtual products in 'Second Life'.
The 'Second Life' edition of 'Money Programme' will screen on BBC2 on June 1. Gamers will be able to access the broadcast by taking their avatar to the River Runs Red Cinema on the same evening.
Return to marketing news headlines
View Marketing News Archive


text:
Accessories & Parts
Reuse, repair and carry.
Looking for a lid, plug or other KeepCup part? Want to replace a well-loved or lost component? They're all here.
We can't find products matching the selection.
Shop By
Now Shopping by
- features Replacement Parts Remove This Item
- Size Six 6oz / 177ml Remove This Item


text:
We specialize in electronics including components and sub-assemblies.
Aerospace + Defense
We have over 40 years of experience working with companies in the aerospace and defense markets.
Low Smoke Zero Halogen
LSZH materials and components such as power cords made from LSZH polymers are our specialty.
LT Requisitions is a veteran owned distributor of industrial products for the aerospace and defense industry located in a certified HUBZone. We have over thirty years of experience managing contracts and the procurement process. Our team provides products and support to aerospace and defense manufacturers and service companies. We currently specialize in power cords, wire harnesses, bulk wire and cable, wire and cable accessories and welding/cutting equipment and supplies. However, we are always looking to expand our product lines. If you need to purchase an item through a veteran owned distribution company, check with us to see if we already carry it OR if we can add it to our line card.
Cage Code: 7TRL6
Call Luis Teixeira at 413-664-9377 today for more information.


text:
Classes and signings all weekend!
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: April 30Brentwood Arts Festival - all along San Vicente
Later Event: May 19Santa Ynez School Visits and Signings
Derek is always available for shows and signings at book fairs, book stores, book festivals and other events. Schools can also schedule a free SKYPE classroom visit anywhere in the world. Write to email@example.com to schedule your visit today!
Classes and signings all weekend!


text:
Follow These Simple Guidelines For A Lovely Home Inside
Being aware of the right way to set up household furniture and pick eye-catching colors for your house is an critical element of fantastic residence inside design. In this article are some superb concepts to aid you get commenced. Looking… Read more >


text:
Brand: SOFAS AND MORE
Color: Grey
- We don't Deliver to Northern Ireland / Scottish Highlands / and any other Islands
- Two Men Delivery and Assemble Included in Price
- You will get 12 months manufacturer warranty with every product
- Back cushion Covers are Removable / All Materials Used Comply with British Fire Regulations
- If You Need Different Colour Please Check Our Other Listings or Contact with Us and Let Us Know.
Publisher: meble roberto sp zoo
Release Date: 2018-06-06
Details: Very Stylish Corner Sofa in a choice of colours( Cream, Brown, Grey)Finished in Soft Fabric. Available in Left or Right Side. The seats have well filled cushions. Back cushions are attached on velcros , foam filling for extra softness and comfort. Wooden feet and screws are supplied. The sofa comes in 2 pcs. Dimensions: length: 195x264cm, height: 90cm, depth: 90cm.


text:
Before searchers can find your content, search engines need to be able to find and understand it. See how optimizing for crawling, rendering, and indexing is the foundation for your SEO!
XML Sitemaps are a huge help to your website's SEO--that is, IF you do sitemaps right. Mistakes in XML sitemaps can send confusing signals to Google. Read on and discover how to avoid the 5 biggest XML sitemap mistakes.
A handful of sites are already being tested in the mobile-first index and there's now a method for understanding if your site has moved: SEO log file analysis!
With the impending mobile-first index and almost 60% of searches being conducted on mobile devices, now's the time to define your mobile SEO strategy.
SEOs know that optimizing crawl budget for large and complex websites is critical for organic performance. But how can you find your own crawl budget? And once you understand your site's crawl budget, how can you impact it?
How much potential for organic traffic is lurking in under-optimized pages? Chances are, your site has valuable content hiding in strategic segments, not generating the organic traffic that it could. Discover how much of your site could be improved - and how much additional SEO traffic you could be driving!
On a Publishing site, you're already monitoring basic SEO metrics for your most strategic pages. These Top 5 SEO KPIs fro Publishers take your technical SEO analysis to the next level with detailed looks at precisely how your content and pages are performing and perceived in the eyes of Googlebot.
SMX West 2017 was another stellar conference this past week out in San Jose, CA. Botify was excited to attend and give two talks on how SEOs can improve crawlability and indexation from search engines. If you missed it, here are our Top 5 SEO Takeaways we heard discussed in sessions, over lunch, and in the halls throughout the three-day event.
Like any budget, Crawl Budget is a strategic resource to be managed to achieve your goals. Actively monitoring can prevent you from wasting it on pages that aren't helping you drive more traffic and revenue. You decide what is allowed to be crawled and organize your website to influence Crawl Ratio and Frequency...
Generally speaking, the structure of an E-Commerce site brings with it a distinct set of useful KPIs to add to the foundation of technical SEO metrics. First, you must identify which are the most strategic pages and areas of your site, from an SEO perspective. Here are the Top 5 KPIs to watch for E-Commerce SEO
Sign up for our newsletter to receive expert insights and SEO news from Botify.


text:
The Art Institutes offer students a wide selection of accredited programs in Design, Media Arts, Fashion and Culinary. Each year in June, Ai campuses nationwide also welcome high school students during the Summer Studio sessions.
In 2014, the Marketing Coordinator at The Art Institute of Colorado asked La Bulle Designs to design the 2014 Summer Studio T-shirt.
The negative space within the design elements gives the logo design a modern look. The information is cohesive and the bright colors make it easy to read.


text:
Cyber-100 15 anniversary special Export edition
Read review by well-known UK magazine HiFi+ here:
Read review by New Zealand e-zine www.dencoaudio.co.nz here:
The well known Consonance M100 model was sold worldwide for 15 years from 1993 to 2008 with great following. Stepping into 2008, Opera audio and its satisfied M100 users, including some of its long time international distributors, worked together developed a 15th anniversary amplifier that would completely conform to the special concept of what a push-pull pentode integrated amp should sound like. This model today inside Chinese market is sold as '20th anniversary" but the Export version maintained the title of 15th anniversary to honor their international distributor's contribution.
The pursuit of the Cyber100-15 anniversary edition is music purity and the most natural reproduction of sound in an affordable integrated amp that can possibly be achieved. This amp has a superb and enchanting midrange, the result of the harmonic balance that Opera Audio has always strived for and possesses an extraordinarily smooth balance throughout the spectrum, providing a stronger impression of live music. The exterior of the Cyber 100 -15th anniversary version comes with an aluminium top cage, wood deck and a 15 anniversary logo.
The amp by default comes with EH KT88 tubes. Self-biasing KT88 works at Class A, UL operation, with a well designed NOS tube drive stage and a time–proven rectifier circuit consisted of the 5AR4 EH rectifier tubes and Philips electrolytic capacitors (for audio). Every component chosen has been carefully selected for better audio clarity, that even goes for the German made power switch. Although the KT88 aren't triodes but, if properly applied as such in a circuit with 35 push-pull watt output, they can exhibit surprisingly good linearity, steady performance and approaching that of the real thing – something you'd expect from triode units running single-ended and powerful enough as well.


text:
I received this thank you card from my granddaughter Caroline. She calls me graham crackers. When she was here last summer she started calling me grams and then it became graham crackers. She's chocolate and Christian is marshmellows so we can make S'mores. Kevin is the fire. I sent them a microwave S'more maker for Christmas. I can't wait for them to come for the summer again. I like to keep them for as long as I can-a month or more. CariSu and JuanLuis are going to Spain for 3 weeks in July so I think I get the kids from the last of June until the end of July. We always have so much fun. They love to play with their cousins Tyson, Jackson, Lexie and Tommy and CariSu and JuanLuis have fun just being a young couple in love. It's a win-win for everyone.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Caroline's Thank You Card
Posted by sistersue at 7:02 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels:Kid Quotes, The Daily Grind Caroline
Friday, January 15, 2010
Lily-Bad Dog!
My sister Leisa just left my house. She came over so I could rub her back. She has a big knot on her right shoulder blade and I spent about 15 minutes rubbing it out. Her son, Tyson (age 7) came with her. He had never seen Connor's house so he went next door to see it and Connor's dog, Lily, bit Tyson in the face. It was really more like a scratch but it bled and scared Tyson. We can't figure out why she did that unless she was just being protective of her turf. I went grocery shopping tonight so I won't have to leave my house tomorrow. I plan on staying in my pj's all day long and cleaning and sewing and reading and doing whatever I feel like. That's my idea of heaven.
Posted by sistersue at 8:57 PM No comments: Links to this post
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sick Day
I just got home from work. We had a training at 6:30 pm and it was great. Holly Whitworth came and talked about classroom environments. Inspiring! I'm not feeling well again so I'm going to bed. I had mom check my glucose levels and they were normal so it's not blood sugar related. Oh, I almost forgot, Jackson went home with his teacher Brittney last night and now he calls her his mom. Leisa thinks it's funny, which is good. I'm glad her feelings aren't hurt because it is kind of cute. Andrea gave him a magic wand that he sleeps with. He tried to turn the couch into a Thomas bed. What a kid!
Posted by sistersue at 7:39 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels:Kid Quotes, The Daily Grind Jackson
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Stake YW Meeting
I just got home from my monthly Young Women meeting with the Stake. We are in charge of a large 4 stake Mia Maid/Teacher pre-dating activity. We talked about several ideas and then Sis. Hunter offered the idea of a pre-dating speed dating night. I think the kids would LOVE that! I would have at that age. We are also planning a Youth Conference for July 22,23,24 that will be a handcart trek. We are going to Chesterfield, Idaho and pulling handcarts in pioneer dress to similate and authentic trek. I went on a trek at Ensign Peak in Salt Lake City several years ago for a Youth Conference and I swore I'd never do that again. It was so HARD! Ultimately, it was one of the best experiences of my life but it was HARD! I really appreciate my pioneer ancestors so much more but have I told you that it was HARD! I also learned to never say never because here I am planning on going on another one. I guess I learn the HARD way!
Posted by sistersue at 8:59 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels:Kid Quotes, The Daily Grind handcart trek, youth conference
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Kid Quotes
OK, so yesterday one of our employees picked up the Latchkey kids from school and when she pulled into the parking lot, one of the second graders was standing at the curb holding a sign, grinning from ear to ear, and waving at everyone that passed by. When she got on the van she asked all the kids "Who wants Geiko?" This is the picture she was holding. Check out the spelling on insurance. It's hysterical!
Posted by sistersue at 5:21 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels:Kid Quotes, The Daily Grind Geiko, kid quotes, Latchkey
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sick Day
The last half of the day I've been getting sick and I'm going to bed right now (even if it is only 6:30). Sleep helps me heal. So this is all I'm going to blog tonight but tomorrow I have the funniest story about one of our Latchkey kids.
Posted by sistersue at 5:34 PM No comments: Links to this post
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Birthday Party
Today we celebrated my niece, Lexie's birthday. I can't believe she's 10 years old. She is growing into quite the young lady. She performed the cutest dance to a song by Selena Gomez (I don't remember what it was) but she wasn't brave enough to do it in front of her cousin Aaron who is 15. She made him leave the room. We got talking about when my youngest, Connor, was baptized. The whole family came to see him as well as the Primary President and of course the Bishopric. He was in the dressing room getting into his white clothes when everyone arrived and when he came into the room and saw everyone he asked "What are they doing here?" I told him they were here to see him get baptized. He said "Oh, no, I'm not getting baptized with them here. Make them leave!" and he was serious. He wouldn't calm down until we cleared the room. The only one he would let stay was his brother Taylor. He even made me leave. I didn't care, as long as he wasn't freaking out it was OK with me. We all stood in the hall and laughed about it. His dad baptized him and his Grandpa Potter was a witness. It was quite a memorable day!
Posted by sistersue at 10:34 PM No comments: Links to this post
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
If you are chatting or hanging out on sites like Facebook or MySpace regularly you are often inclined to spice up your messages. Many users make use of so called emoticons like :) to express feelings or their state of mind, some on the other hand would like something special, and that's where special characters come into play.
The basics are always the same to write a heart or other symbols in chat, text editors and practically any place with text input on the Internet. Hold down the ALT key on the keyboard, press a number on the numeric keypad afterwards and release the ALT key again. Laptop users often need to press Fn instead for the same effect.
Special characters are available on numbers 1 to 31, here is the complete list.
The number in front refers to the keys that need to be pressed to create the special character. Desktop users need to use the numeric keypad for this, laptop users without a numeric keypad need to locate the blue keys on their keyboard which substitute the keypad.
The easiest way to test them is to click in the address bar of the web browser, and start testing the characters in there. To write a heart symbol one would press ALT, then the 3 on the numeric pad before releasing ALT again. The character appears after the ALT key is released.Advertisement
Advertising revenue is falling fast across the Internet, and independently-run sites like Ghacks are hit hardest by it. The advertising model in its current form is coming to an end, and we have to find other ways to continue operating this site.
We are committed to keeping our content free and independent, which means no paywalls, no sponsored posts, no annoying ad formats or subscription fees.
If you like our content, and would like to help, please consider making a contribution:
It's broken in KDE:
Works fine in Gnome, though, thanks!
Doesn't work in Gnome. But it works in Windows…
Better to use an app like "mapofchars" to get the ALT codes:
To say this works in "Windows" is not specific enough or accurate. Yes….it works when typing the characters into the Firefox address box, but it doesn't work (for one example) when creating a document in WordPerfect.
Works in Chrome (Windows 7 Ultimate x64) ☺
Doesn't seem to work for me, might be because I've got other languages installed though.
Worked Ty So Much ♥♥☺☻♫
Please click on the following link to open the newsletter signup page: Ghacks Newsletter Sign up
Ghacks is a technology news blog that was founded in 2005 by Martin Brinkmann. It has since then become one of the most popular tech news sites on the Internet with five authors and regular contributions from freelance writers.


text:
Posts by Professor John Yarnold
Professor John Yarnold studied medicine at Middlesex Hospital Medical School, University of London.
After several years of postgraduate training in general medicine, radiotherapy and oncology, he was appointed Senior Lecturer at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Honorary Consultant at The Royal Marsden in 1980, where he has remained.
His clinical practice and research interests have concentrated on the role of radiotherapy in breast cancer and he has led 17 randomised clinical trials testing advances in treatment for cancer patients.
The Royal Marsden, together with its academic partner, the ICR, is the largest and most comprehensive cancer centre in Europe and the only National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre dedicated solely to cancer. It's a centre of excellence with an international reputation for ground-breaking research and pioneering the very latest in cancer treatments and technologies.


text:
A certain commentary conversation was getting veeeery interesting, so I have to bring it to the light of day. High Noon day that is. I had fingered Gary Cooper as a Man Worthy of Emulation (at least on the silver screen). Cooper's Everyman Marshal Kane is willing to risk all for the sake of duty. And an unpopular duty it is: he is faced with having to confront the town bullies all on his high lonesome—the fine upstanding members of the community have abandoned him.
The ending scene is striking: after the shootout the marshal strides out into the empty street to be with his wife. They are the only ones on the street, which becomes a stark landscape of harsh shadows and light, bringing their isolation into sharp black-and-white right/wrong focus. Doing the right thing has never seemed so thankless and so difficult. Yet so necessary.
Cue American presidents, who, according to the word on the range, choose this movie over many others to view and re-view (not Mr. Smith Goes to Washington? To Kill a Mockingbird? Rambo?). There have been pages and pages of High Noon/Cold War commentary, but what about this particular western grabs western world leaders by their virtual spurs?
People like the mysteriousness, the sense of knowing what they're doing though no one else does, that happens in [High Noon]. The central character is the mysterious one. No one else in the movie knows what they are going to do, except the central character and the viewer. This opens up possibilities to those in power, like presidents… to feel like the all-knowing all-seeing viewer, along with the power to change the outcome that the central character has.Mythic power. The mythic power is something that has been lost with the onset of the new hero, the youthful and/or bumbling one, that is prevalent today.
So spake batboy42.
On Marshal Kane's furrowed brow is the mark of Cain—a mark that sets his moral persona off from the rest of bumbling townspeople-humanity. But he is not alone: he is joined by none other than the viewer, who has been tipped into Kane's point of view by the subtle action of the camera. And so the viewer feels that Kane's choices—as difficult and heart-wrenching as they are—are choices that he/she would make. Is making. And will make. The Everyman becomes the Hero. We become the Hero. Life has meaning. Mythic power indeed, to instill such heady stuff into everyday life.
Then I have to take a stiff shot of whiskey because truthfully, I'd be the guy hiding behind the barrel of pickles in the general store, wishing I would have the guts to do the right thing. What would it be like, to feel so firmly, with such unshakeable faith, that my actions could have meaning? (On good days I feel they might, but on bad days, fuhgeddabout it, pardner.)
Is the reason there are so many movies with bumbling heroes nowadays because it is so hard for the everyperson to visualize one's actions as having meaning? Do world leaders need a dose of black-and-white mise–en–scène to get them through announcing troop escalations or vetoing health insurance bills? Perhaps we all need to return to the time of myth and meaning. Is it possible? Or will we each be doomed to always be one of the townspeople, saying "Who was that masked [heroic] man?"


text:
Mankey is a Spanish artist now living in Berlin who is challenging himself to study and learn from artists and culture to find his own distinctive voice. Combining elements of comics, animation, primitavism, deconstructed graffiti, abstraction, Miro, Picasso, and Basquiat, the energy powering his assembled exploration is a professed desire to learn from and to talk to an audience.
"Going Big" is what a lot of street artists and muralists are doing today, and this title is probably as sarcastic as it is directive. Mankey questions the testosterone fueled impulsive behaviors of man, even while observing them in himself and this figurative raging stallion, powered by an electric abstraction in his loins is pushing out into your field of view and as far off the wall as it can get with fury and possibly fear.
His bio says Mankey contemplates social topics such as hierarchies, male chauvinism, anthropology, racism, and respect for the environment – it is interesting to see how those concerns are expressed in this aesthetic context.
He says the purpose of his work is to start a dialog through art. See if you can break it down.


text:
I use a Blackberry. In fact, my Blackberry is integral to my life–not as valued as Jonathan or my daughters or Cocoa or even my church or friends, but many days I refer to it more times than I talk to them.
Thanks to BB (when I was a kid, that stood for Brigitte Bardot, not a gun–I was not into guns), I am more organized and more in touch with the totality of my world. Some people report feeling like captives of their BB, but I do not. It does not run my life, but it helps me organize it and keep it organized.
It seems amazing to me that it in 1984 I used a PC for the first time–to write my Master's thesis, using three 5.25 floppies to record the magnificent creation (and figuring out how to number the pages consecutively between floppies). Now, I attach a 4 gigabyte flash drive (smaller than my old rabbit's foot) to my belt, and send and receive emails from my phone (barely bigger than a PC mouse).
This is all grand. I am even thinking about an iPhone, or its like (although generally I adopt new technologies slowly).
I still pray the old way. God does not require new technology for connection–although BB helps me remember when I have scheduled time to hook up with God.


text:
Rule Breton……..Breton Rules The Waves
April 21, 2010 -
John Heald
Yesterday we were at sea and according to the Capers there were a total ………oh bugger …………….. according to the Fun Times there was a total of 63 activities, 4 shows and a deck party to enjoy. So, lots do then right?
Guest: Mrs. ——–Ref: ______
Cabin: _____ Booking#: ______Added-Changed: 04/20/10 – 04/20/10
Mrs._____– came to the GSD and said that she was bored and that there were no activities for her to do. GSA showed her the Fun Times and guest said that there had been more to do on her Royal Caribbean cruise. GSA called Assistant Cruise Director Bonnie for assistance.
I spoke with Mrs.________ and she did not want to attend any of the shows or planned activities, trivia's or fun stuff. I asked her what she wanted and after telling me how she enjoyed other cruise lines more than Carnival she asked me for a jigsaw puzzle and I gave her a 1,000 piece jigsaw of Mount Rushmore. I will check with her again every day.
So, she didn't want to see my Marriage Show or pool games or super trivia or afternoon karaoke or the wine tasting or art auction seminars. She didn't want to go to bingo, the game show, laser tag, name that tune or learn how to take great photos at our digital photo workshop. She poo pooed the idea of taking part in the Scavenger Hunt of laughing at the Men's Knobby Knees contest and there was no way she was going to the deck party or the Carnival Legends auditions ……all she wanted………all that we had to do to make her happy…..was give her a sodding jigsaw.
I didn't know people did jigsaws anymore. I remember I bought my nephew one a few Christmas ago of Spiderman and I thought my the 7 year old nephew would enjoy it as he was really into Spiderman………..ummmm……..wrong.
"A jigsaw, what's that?" said my nephew.
"Oh, you spend a couple of weeks putting all the pieces together so you end up with a picture." I replied
"Then what happens?" he asked.
"Well, you break it up again and put it back in the box."
"Why didn't you buy me Zombie Death Monsters 3?"
If he had known or understood the words "bugger off" I am sure that's what he would have said.
I understand why some find jigsaws boring as it's much the same story with crosswords. If people with beards could harness the brainpower spent every day on trying to find the answer to 18 across "ugly Norwegian will not float your boat " (4 letters) then maybe mankind might have invented a jet engine that can fly through volcanic ash or a pair of self cleaning underpants.
Jigsaws and crosswords are from a bygone era. It is nice to think that we all have time to do a jigsaw or a crossword but the reality is that we have a heart attack if the stop lights stay red for too long or the elevator doors fail to close the instant we're ready to go.
Answering-machine messages are the thing that gets my blood pressure up. We now have answering messages on the cabin phones in all the crew cabins and this drives me crazy. I want a name and a number, and that's it. I don't have time to sit and listen to where you'll be at 5 pm tonight and who you'll be seeing and why you need to talk before then. And even if I do pick up the phone personally, I don't want a chat. I'm a man. I don't do chatting. Say what you have to say and bugger off.
And this is why Heidi and I will never ever agree on movies either. She likes those where the characters spend hours developing the plot where as I would rather watch everyone get hosed down by a helicopter gunship and where the action stops only while our hero has a bit of rumpy pumpy…………….. with a Latvian.
Anyway, we will keep an eye on this guest and do all we can to make sure she is not bored. I should have spoken to her myself but I still have this sodding cold and used that as an excuse not to. My head is a little better today but my nose is blocked up so I sound wonderful and have bugger all sense of smell. If Heidi were here she would tell you that my sense of smell is always questionable and that I can never smell my own bodily odors, an overflowing garbage bin or a blocked sink yet I become a sniffer dog when there she is cooking dinner. By the way, do you know I have never seen the house fairies, you know, the one that does all the washing up and laundry and that takes the garbage out and replenishes stocks. …………strange that.
Time for today's questions………..let's crack on.
Tim Robinson Asked:
Hi John, I met you on the Conquest this last week in a doorway by Henri's Disco. We talked a few minutes about the M&M we had the day before. Just wanted to let you know I did notice there was not much happened on Saturday. I understand you are busy but do want to thank you for at least talking with me. It was a pleasure. I would also like to say that Nate is Carnival. He is the one person who made our cruise so much fun! Please tell Nate again we do appreciate all his hospitality and the fun times we had with him….I will always consider Nate a friend! I also enjoyed the Carnival Legends Show…Nate will explain.
John Says:
Hello Tim Robinson
I am very impressed with Nate. He is exactly what we look for in our entertainment staff. I am glad we got to meet and that you had fun and thanks for taking the time to write about Nate, I will make sure he gets to see your words of praise. I understand you will be back with a big Cruise Critic group soon so please let me know if you would like me to organize a meet and greet.
Best wishes
Jeff D. Asked:
Please reply
Hi John, we are Platinum cruisers who seem to miss you each time we book. We just missed you on the Liberty, Freedom and Dream in their inaugural seasons. However, we have booked the Magic for August 2011 and hope that you will be joining us then. If not, we may start to believe it is something personal!
Anyway, I am an everyday reader of the blog but thought our recent experiences in Jamaica might be interesting to some readers.
Prior to our March cruise on the Liberty this year, we had only visited Jamaica once – on our first cruise to Montego Bay four year ago. We were a little put off by the experience of pushy taxi drivers and vendors and, like many, ascribed to the theory that Jamaica was an unsavoury (spelt correctly) destination.
However, during our port stop in Ocho Rios this year we got a true flavour (spelt correctly) of the country and its people. Yes, people did ask us repeatedly if we needed a ride. I stopped and talked to one driver and in a lengthy conversation he admitted that the US dollar was the driving force behind the theatrics and salesmanship but that he and many others really had a passion to make sure that tourists got a true feel for their beautiful island. I developed a new respect for these locals and appreciated their candor. Even in rejection they were cordial and wished us a pleasant stay in their homeland. One guy went as far to say in his signature Jamaican accent that the cruise lines wanted an "arm and a leg" for their tours. He simply wanted a fingernail and he would give me a Band-Aid.
We finally decided on our course of action for the day and went to Dunn's River Falls, shopping and back to Margaritaville. It was the best port of our cruise and one of the most naturally beautiful places we have been. I would have to agree with you that people are missing out on a spectacular, authentic experience if they choose to sit out these Jamaican ports.
Hope to see you on the Magic!
Jeff D.
John Says:
Hello Jeff D
I think this might be fourth time lucky and I will have the honour (spelt correctly) of seeing you on the Carnival Magic. I want to thank you for taking the time to write about Jamaica. I know that it can be a little disconcerting at times having people try and sell you everything from a taxi ride to a wooden carving of a penis……….but it is as you said, a wonderfully colourful and stunningly beautiful place.
Thanks you for spelling flavour correctly and for being such an avid blog reader. I am very grateful.
Best wishes to you and the family
John R Asked:
Hi John, (Please reply)
I have to say that your Kye is just such a beautiful little girl. Are you sure you're her father?
I was wondering if you actually manage to have the time to read all of the posts on the blog or do you just read the "please reply" posts?
Glad to hear that Carnival is making some positive changes with the comment cards as well as the photos.
Keep up the great blog and cannot wait to find out when BC4 will be – so hoping I can squeeze it in!
John R
John Says:
Hello John R
I often look at Kye and wonder if indeed I am her Dad……..but then I look in her diaper and realize that she is her father's Daughter.
I read every single comment………what I tend to is look at a blog I have written 2 days after the fact because by then the 343 Stephanies have posted the relevant comments to the blog thingy. It's 8:15am and I have just read the comments for the blog called Boston Illegal. It is very important that I read the comments. They are the lifeline of the blog and it is important to read what people are saying and for me to forward relevant suggestions and concerns to those with beards in the Miami office.
Keep reading the blog and there will be news on BC4 soon.
Best wishes to all
Mike & Denise Dick Asked:
Hi John,
I can't believe I just found your blog about a month ago. I love it! We are celebrating our 25th anniversary on May 11 by sailing on the Carnival Dream on the 8th. We've been saving for this a long time and have reserved a balcony cabin (7C)! We can't wait. We love Carnival. We tried the "royal" one three years ago and there is absolutely no comparison. Carnival beats them all the way from the food to Bingo. lol
I feel bad for the squabbling couple but more for the other guests! Mike and I may argue some, but never to that extent. I guess after 25 years, you realize what is important and what mostly isn't.
Please keep up the good work and I can't wait to read more. This is my first reply but expect more. I hope to meet you in person someday!
Please reply.
John Says:
Hello Mike & Denise Dick
I am very glad you found the blog thingy and congratulations on sailing on your Carnival Dream for your special anniversary marking 25 years of togetherness. Everyone argues, that's life. But it's how you resolve the argument and how quickly into the argument that you realize that the person you are screaming at and that the person who is screaming at you is the person who you love. It is amazing though how quite a few couples on our ships make their arguments extremely public. I will be sending you a little anniversary gift.
Have a brilliant time.
Best wishes
Wendy Jackson Asked:
Hi to all! I have been on a couple cruises myself and have finally convinced my husband and two teenage children to go at Christmas time. It will be their first time. They really wanted to go to Belize, so we are looking at two different ships. The Legend out of Tampa and the Valor out of Miami. We live in Texas but the Conquest doesn't go to Belize. My daughter is 15 and my son is 14. Which ship would everyone recommend? And since my two kids are close in age, would they be allowed to be in the same kids club?
John Says:
Hello Wendy Jackson
Belize is a great place and may I suggest you take the family cave tubing; it will be something they will never forget. It's a tough choice but I am going to go with the Carnival Valor. I love the kids' facilities there and the big screen on lido will also be a great addition during the Christmas holidays. We have to be very strict about what age we allow kids to attend the 3 different age groups but please can you remind me nearer the time of sailing and as they are brother and sister I will certainly ask the youth director about this.
Have a look at www.carnival.com/valor and if you have any further questions please let me know here on the blog thingy.
Best wishes to you all
Zabnee Asked:
Please reply
Dear John, I've just recently found out about your blog thingy, and find myself checking for new posts often! Keep up the wonderful updates on your thoughts and the happenings going on around in our great ol' world of Carnival! My husband and I will be sailing on our Dream in June to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, and we are both looking forward to it greatly!
Last we sailed was on the Triumph in January of 2006, and I do believe that you were our CD then. I'm sure that Todd will come close to your antics, and we look forward to enjoying our time on our Dream!
John Says:
Hello Zabnee
Welcome to the blog thingy. It is always great to say hello to new readers and thanks so much for taking the time to write. You will love your Carnival Dream. From the Ocean Plaza to the Pasta Bar and from Dancin in the Street to the Comedy Club the ship and her crew will provide you with the very best vacation. I was indeed the CD on the Carnival Triumph in 2006 and maybe one day we can sail together again soon. Why not come and see me in Europe on the Carnival Magic in 2011?
Until then, have a brilliant time on your Carnival Dream.
Best wishes to all
Gonzo Asked:
John Reply please
How do you skip the dreaded emergency drill? I'm sick of going to those life boat drills every time I cruise. Has anyone here ever skip it? How did you do it? (I get claustrophobic with so many people in such a small area).
John Says:
Hello Gonzo
I am going to hope that this is a joke and that you are not serious? If you are, I apologize but I am just shocked that anyone would ask me this and expect me to tell you. I guess the only way for you to skip the safety drill is for you to not take a cruise. I realize that it can get a little claustrophobic at the muster station but surely knowing how to save your life in a real emergency is worth that 15 minutes of feeling a little uncomfortable……………..isn't it?
Each and every state room is checked by the stateroom stewards and anyone found not attending will be asked to do so after we sail. Remember, the drill is held within the requirements of international maritime law and under United States Coast Guard regulations. So, unless you can fit in the safe………..we are going to find you.
Best wishes
Brett Romano Asked:
***John Please Reply***
First I would like to say I really enjoy your blog thingy! I am also in the hospitality industry and we have morning meetings with all of the staff …. We have incorporated your blog into our meetings as we feel we can relate! You are a funny chap!
I will be sailing on the Dream on 4/17/10 with my partner for his 30th birthday. I have called several times to inquire about getting an upgrade. I know at the hotel that I work at they will upgrade based on availability … or offer a small upgrade fee. I have not had any luck with calling carnival. It's been a nightmare!!!
Is there anything you can do to help me? I'm really stressed about this. Thank you
John Says:
Hello Brett Romano
Good morning to you and your staff. It is a true honour (spelt correctly) that so many of you are looking at my thingy first thing in the morning. Please don't be stressed as upgrades are unfortunately a rare commodity at Carnival. My Cruise Critic mates call the person that calls "the upgrade fairy" and he or she occasionally calls our past guests and Platinum card holders who are people who have been on 10 cruises or more. Anyway, I know you are already on the ship and I have no idea if you got upgraded but I do know you are having fun and enjoying your Carnival Dream.
Please write back when you get home and let us all know about your cruise.
My best wishes to you and your partner and your work colleagues
Jackie Grayson Asked:
John, please inform me of what the problem seems to be on the Triumph. I am sailing on her for the first time Aug 21st and am very concerned about all the negative posts that have been on the Funville pages lately, Picked the Triumph because I have decided it is easier to drive to the ports (Not to mention less expensive since I have to pay for all those bags) and have done the Ecstasy twice and the Conquest once mainly because I live in Houston and it is so easy. So picked the Triumph for a change and also a chance to spend some time in New Orleans before the cruise. Have also sailed on the Sensation and many years ago the Jubilee. You remember the Jubilee don't you? Also on a couple of sailings on other cruise lines, I won't mention the names because I came back to Carnival because they were not as much FUN!!! Now don't get me wrong I am going on this cruise and no matter what I am going to have Fun and nothing will stop me from that, just wondering if the beards at Carnival have been seeing these same posts as I and is it being addressed? I am going aft for the first time on this cruise and it will be Fun! Enjoy your time of the Conquest I will be back on this ship soon.
Sincerely Jackie Grayson
John Says:
Hello Jackie Grayson
Please don't worry. I have not read the comments on Funville but I would like to remind you that for everyone negative there are many, many positives. The Carnival Triumph has always been a great ship and that the people who sail on her out of the Big Easy are a lot of fun. The new CD of the ship is "Big Sexy" who is a fantastic Cruise Director although he is about as sexy as toilet brush. Please remember that cruise reviews are opinions and that everyone has one. Some will be positive and one or two will not be. What you need to do is go onboard with an open mind ready to have the best cruise vacation of your life. You know Cruise Critic always has a fair balance of reviews and I thought you should have a look at what people are saying over there. Here is a link thingy and have a read of this still remembering that a cruise is what you make of it. So, please get ready for a brilliant time and that is exactly what you will have.
If you have any more questions or concerns please let me know.
Best wishes
JIMC Asked:
John Please Reply-
Hey John, question for you. Has Carnival ever considered going to a paperless photo system? Instead of printing out a million dead trees worth of photos, invest in a card reader/marker system where the guests could have their sign and sail card swiped at the time the photo is taken. Then you could just have a couple of computers to display the images when a guest swipes their card. Guests could then order prints of whatever pictures they wanted. You could even tie it into the cabin menu/info system and let people see/order the photos on their cabin television.
Every cruise I go on I see piles of un-purchased photos stacked up. It seems a terrible waste. Going to a tagged photo system would save both the environment AND lots of money as well as free up space on the ship that is now used to put up pictures.
I have to believe it would be much less expensive for Carnival to only print out pictures that are wanted. You COULD pass on the savings to the guests (my wife would buy a lot more photos if the price was less than it is now) but even if you didn't you could claim to be more environmentally friendly (at least until Greenpeace discovers the pile of dirty underwear you have in your cabin…).
John Says:
Hello JIMC
We do throw away the unwanted photos yet it seems that the current way guests have of finding and choosing the photos they want is still popular. However, you are also correct that times are changing and that is why we are currently looking at some other alternatives. I will make sure I keep you informed about this and if Greenpeace ever came to my cabin I am sure they would not be happy with the bio hazard that my underwear most certainly is.
My best wishes to you and your wife
JoAnn Paules Asked:
John – Please reply
My husband and I have been home for a couple of hours from our first cruise. We were on the Pride and we truly enjoyed ourselves.
I'd read several reviews beforehand, good and bad. Now that we've "been there, done that", I'd like to say PBBBBBBBBBBBBT! To the naysayers.
No, the cruise wasn't perfect. We had bad weather on our first and last sea days. Not Carnival's fault. It rained a bit in Freeport. Not Carnival's fault. We had good food (could have been a little hotter but feeding 2000+ guests is a challenge). We had absolutely delicious desserts – I blame that on Wellington Dias!
I took the "Behind the Fun" tour yesterday. What an eye-opening experience. Hats off to the crew for their hard work. They perform a job that I couldn't and they do it 7 days a week. I enjoy my job (most of the time) but if I had to deal with my coworkers every single day for months at a time, I'd find myself a guest of the state. If I was lucky, I'd get to choose the color of my straightjacket.
We had a great time and are already talking about our next cruise. 🙂
John Says:
Hello JoAnn Paules
This is brilliant and the perfect antidote for Jackie's post above who seems worried about a few negative comments about the Carnival Triumph. Thanks then for this honest and passionate review and I am so glad you took the Behind the Fun tour and that it gave you a wonderful insight as to what happens behind the crew only door.
I hope this will be the first of many Carnival cruises and I hope that maybe one day we will get to cruise together. Please let me know if you have questions when you come to plan cruise number 2.
Best wishes to all
DaveG Asked:
John –
I can't figure out how to send you a message to ask you a question on this new-fangled contraption of yours, so I'll try leaving it here.
Here's the deal: the wife and I are scheduled for our first cruise EVAH, departing May 23rd on the Carnival Legend. As neither of us has cruised before, we're in a conflict as to how to best maximize our time onboard the ship. As the 23rd is our 18th (hold on, gotta take off my shoes to make sure I counted that correctly… yup, 18) anniversary, I thought it would be nice to dine in the Steakhouse that evening. As it turns out, my cruise naivety was on exhibit; embarkation day is apparently quite hectic for you hard-working folks and the earliest reservation I could get was the 24th.
That's not a problem in and of itself, but the back & forth communication with the very helpful cruise folks went to my home email and ruined the surprise. Since the cat was out of the bag, I suggested that we also make a reservation for our last night on the cruise since their will surely be something else on the menu that I wasn't able to try the first time. She's reluctant to do that, though, because she's afraid that we might miss out on some fancy dinner in the main dining room. Her fear comes from a trip to the Grand Lido in Jamaica many years ago when we accidentally missed out on Lobster night. So, here's the first of two questions regarding the main dining room:
– Do they have extra-special nights that we would be at risk of missing, or is every night pretty much the same?
My other question about main dining is one of seating arrangements. This being our anniversary cruise and myself already being somewhat in the dog house for somewhat carelessly laughing off her idea that we might renew our vows again (myself thinking something along the lines of a three strike rule), I was wondering if there is a way for us to be assigned to a smaller table where we can be a little more alone with each other rather than at a bigger, more crowded table.
Ok, fine. You got it out of me. I'm a reclusive hermit in training. Either way…
Thanks for your consideration, and if this is not the way to get a message to you, well, it was still fun trying to work with this blog thing.
John Says:
Hello DaveG
Just before I answer your questions I have to ask you one……….what's EVAH?
You have chosen a great ship for your first cruise. I had the honour (spelt correctly) of bringing out the Carnival Legend from new in 2002 and she has always been one of my most favourite vessels. Let's look at the itinerary.
As you can see I have added the elegant nights so you can see when they are. Every night in the dining room is special although the ever popular lobster is served on the first of the elegant nights. I have added my two favorite nights to dine in the Steakhouse as well so maybe you might want to change your reservation which you can do online or once you are onboard. Please send me your full name and your state room number in the same way as you sent this posting and I will ask the Maitre D to help you with your table request.
Have a fantastic cruise.
Best wishes
That's all for today, there will be more Q and A tomorrow.
When you walk around the ship you see happy go lucky guests enjoying the fun for all atmosphere of a Carnival cruise. Yet, if you take the time to look behind the smiles there are stories, happy ones……………and some of very sad ones indeed…
So, Volcano Bastard's farting saved someone from going to Paris…..they have no idea how lucky they are. And then there was the poor lady whose sad tale of the house fire really moved me.
I met Sandy after my marriage show and I have to admit that it was hard not to react when I saw the severe burns that had left a permanent memory of that terrible day on her face and arms. She told me how she had raced into the fire which had started in the kitchen yet………she could not save her. She cried as she told me……………… and I did my best to console her.
Yep, there is always a story and the morning show dedication seems to have become an outlet for those stories to be shared and a chance therefore for me……..to do all I can to make their cruise vacation extra special.
As I mentioned, I still have a cold and the last time I had a cold this bad I ended up with that sodding Bells Palsy thing and I would rather put my thingy in a blender and turn it on full power than have that again. Anyway, I have been taking Nyquil which has given me recurring nightmares. The first is that I am having rumpy pumpy with a Latvian model when suddenly the curtain goes up and the showroom is full of people laughing hysterically………….and then I look down at my Latvian model to find that she has morphed into Judge Judy who winks at me, slowly and seductively licks her lips and then suddenly a knife appears and just as she is going to stab me I wake up………………..screaming.
The second is that I'm on a plane in a storm and both pilots have a heart attack (what are the chances?). A gorgeous stewardess (what are the chances?) rushes through the cabin asking if anyone knows how to fly a plane and, before I can stop myself, my hand shoots up.
Why I do this is unclear……….. Perhaps it's because she's Latvian…………….but the next thing that happens is that I'm sitting in the cockpit. At the exact moment the Latvian hostess (now naked and sitting on my lap for encouragement) realizes I have grossly exaggerated my flying abilities, we crash into the side of a mountain. I wake up………………screaming.
As you know, I hate flying and it used to bother me when I would board a plane and hear "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Patricia and I'll be your captain today." Kidding, of course. Flying a plane must involve fiendish multitasking and for that……..female pilots are clearly preferable.
It is now common place to have complete role reversals on planes. A lady captain and a male chief flight attendant…….notice I am ignoring the obvious jokes there. But in the world of cruising (as I think I wrote about a few months ago) change is some areas can be slower than a tortoise who has just smoked a palm tree.
But there is one cruise line in the corporation who is boldly going where no woman has gone before………….and I don't mean Elton John's bedroom.
Meet……………. Sarah Breton, Captain of P &O's beautiful Artemis.
And here is her story.
1,200 passenger ship Artemis is on a 'maiden' voyage of a different kind, as she set sail yesterday with P&O Cruises first female Captain, Sarah Breton, at the helm.
Captain Breton, from Essex, was officially welcomed as Master of the ship by P&O Cruises first female managing director, Carol Marlow. Marlow commented:
"We are delighted that Sarah Breton has been promoted to the role of Captain on board Artemis. Sarah has worked on board P&O Cruises ships for many years and truly deserves to be Master of Artemis. We wish her every success in her new role."
Captain Sarah Breton said: "Growing up near the water I always loved boats and the ocean, so it really does fulfill a lifelong ambition of mine to be a Captain with P&O Cruises. It is made even more special to be Captain of the first cruise ship I ever served on, after joining P&O Cruises as third officer back in 1989."
Sarah, now 45, has served on board Royal Princess (now Artemis), Sky Princess, Canberra, Pacific Princess (the original Love Boat), Grand Princess and Star Princess as third officer, second officer, navigator, first officer and safety officer. She was first promoted to staff captain in 2001 on the original Pacific Princess and then went on to serve onboard Coral Princess, Tahitian Princess, the new Pacific Princess, Artemis and most recently Ocean Village.
Captain Breton lives on the Essex Coast and when on leave spends her time in the garden, sailing – whenever the weather permits, and watching Six Nations rugby and Formula One motor racing.
One of the photos showed her with P&O President Carol Marlow who must be very proud of Captain Breton's achievements as am I because she comes from my home county of Essex and lives about 20 minutes from where Heidi and I live. Maybe this will open the door for other female cruise ship captains and please join me would you in wishing Captain Breton calm seas and proud times at the helm of the good ship Artemis. I hope to meet my fellow Essex ship mate one day and wish her continuing success.
So, snotty nose and chesty cough aside all is going well and despite my frequent nose blowing the audiences at my shows this week have been brilliant…….just like last week. The weather has been superb and it looks like another beautiful day here in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The worst part of this life on a cruise ship thing though is coming back to an empty cabin. I had a super show last night and the audience laughed their everything's off…..but words cannot explain how awful it is coming back to an empty cabin……….I know I am probably boring many of you with this as I have said it time and time before…….but …….well……sometimes it's hard you know.
It doesn't make it any easier when nba.com tells you that not only did my precious Miami Heat lose to the Boston Bastards tonight……….they got their arses well and truly beaten. Sometimes it's hard being a fan of a sports team isn't it? I mean, look at what happened tonight. We lost 106 – 77. Why do we watch a bunch of overpaid nancy boys some with idiotic tattoos run around a court attempting to throw an inflated sheep's pancreas into some netting?
They lost. They go home to their Lamborghinis and Latvians and I come home to an empty cabin unable to rejoice in a win for my team and instead suffer………alone.
Yet, we love our teams and in the morning we truly believe that they will be back and that they will win.
I'm a fan of the Miami Heat and we will win this series. The AmericanAirlines Arena is my church. The men who play there are my Gods and victory will be ours……..if they don't win I am going to cry……….like a big girl. By the way…….a message to Jermaine O'Neal……..you played like total bollocks and if I was the coach I would trade you for Stevie Wonder!
Talking of girls…………..how about this comment
Guest: Miss ——–Ref: _______
Cabin: —- Booking#: _____ Added-Changed: 04/20/10 – 04/20/10
Guest came to the GSD and said that she had been charged $15 for a box of 20 Tampons which Miss___- said was too much. Guest said that 2 bottles of Bacardi was only $21. Guest said that the ship should have free tampons.
Tasked to Gift Shop Manager
Comparing Bacardi to tampons……………brilliant!
It has been a strange sort of blog. We have covered basketball, jigsaws, a female cruise ship captain, comedy, tragedy, emotion, and tampons…………how the heck do I finish a blog like this? Well, in an unusual way……………with a joke…………..you will see why.
So, there are three young boys aged around 9 years old. They are walking down the road when one sees a $5 bill lying there. He picks it up and gets very excited.
"Look" he says "I have found $5, let's take the money and go see the Miami Heat play. We can watch the game and have hot dogs, it will be great."
"Don't be stupid" says the second little boy…….."You can't get the three of us to go and see the Miami Heat for $5, that's not enough money."
So he takes the money and says "Let's take the $5 and go to the movies. We can see the new Transformers vs. Hemorrhoids and have popcorn, it will be great."
"Don't be stupid," says the third little boy…….."You can't get the three of us in the movies for $5, that's not enough money."
So he takes the money and says "I know, we will take the $5 and we will buy a box of Tampax."
The other 2 boys look at him and say "What?"
"Yes," says the lad…….."I saw it on television. You buy a box of Tampax, you can go swimming, horse riding, skating, mountain climbing………….it's a vacation……….in a box."
Your friend


text:
Gift of Transformation: Labradorite
Product Description
Exceptional Labradorite Copper Necklace
Breathtakingly gorgeous, this one-of-a-kind beauty is deigned and made with much love and it shows!
Labradorite is a stone of change, transformation, cosmic energy, awareness, inner wisdom, self-discovery, protection, and good luck
Combination with Copper, being a great conduit for transitioning the energy of the stone to the wearer, makes this piece even more powerful, not just stunning.
Product Details
- Product Type: Necklace
- Brand: Solful Gifts
- Collection: All Crystals


text:
Cross Woven case lining provides the ideal alternative to more traditional materials such as reinforced and polycoated kraft union or roofing felt.
We can supply case lining in 6' and 12' roll widths. Case Lining is typical used to line export cases to protect from rainwater and to resist U.V. degradation during transportation offering extra protection around your barrier foil packaged product.
Further Information
- Tear Resistant
- Waterproof
- Resists U.V. degradation
- Helps to prevent product damage.
- Export Cases


text:
There will be a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Public Utility District No. 1 of Okanogan County on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, commencing at 5:30 p.m. in the District's Auditorium located at 1331 Second Avenue North in Okanogan, Washington. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed Design-Build Agreement for the Enloe Dam Hydroelectric Project.
The special meeting will also include an executive session to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment, pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(g), and to discuss with legal counsel representing the District legal risks of current or proposed action, pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(i). The executive session is expected to last one hour, with no action anticipated.
- Call to Order
- Regular Session
- Discuss Enloe Dam Hydroelectric Project – Proposed Design-Build
- Agreement with Max J. Kuney Construction / Tetra Tech Engineering Services
- Executive Session
- Adjournment


text:
Customization is our speciality
Henry's Designer Warehouse, a division of Carpet One By Henry, has a long history as an authority of installation of fine broadloom carpets coupled with superior customer service.
In-Stock Rolls
Henry's Designer Warehouse, located within the Carpet One by Henry showroom in Greensboro, NC, offers one of the largest selections of over 200 in stock woven wools and synthetic pattern rolls from which to choose. In addition, there are hundreds of remnants for you to choose from – from area rugs that we can custom make within our workroom to customized installation for staircases, hallway runners as well as wall to wall installations.
Easy as 1, 2, 3.
First, select the carpet/remnant that you want to use. Second, determine your finished overall size of your rug. Third, choose the type of finish that you want to use around the edges of your new rug or runner. Leave the rest for us to complete to your satisfaction. Once completed, we will contact you to let you know that your rug is ready for pick up or to set up a time for delivery, that is convenient with your schedule.


text: The BX-3 Mojave™ Series' open bridge design is touted as being lightweight, ergonomic, and easy to use. We combined the open bridge and modern styling with an optical system that will impress even the most serious binocular users. Cold mirror coated prisms combined with a fully multi-coated lens system give you peak brightness and resolution, true to life color fidelity, and exceptional contrast--in all lighting conditions. Rugged, waterproof, and dependable, BX-3 Mojave binoculars are covered by the Leupold Limited Lifetime Warranty.


text:
WESTFORD — Sarah Dorman of Townsend and Christian Angelucci of Pepperell, both seniors, have been selected as September's Students of the Month at Nashoba Valley Tech.
Sarah, daughter of Brian and Maureen Dorman, is a senior in the Design & Visual Communications program. She is an honor-roll student and serves as a Kick-Off Mentor, helping incoming students adjust to Nashoba Tech. Sarah is a member of the yearbook staff. She is a captain of the girls soccer team and also plays softball for Nashoba Tech in the fall. She was inducted into both the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society as a junior.
Sarah was nominated by Design & Visual Communications Instructor Derik Rochon for the work she did over the summer to help get the school's computers ready for the new school year.
"I was pretty much here every day of the summer doing IT work, helping to install computers and get everything up and running," she said.
Sarah hopes to become a veterinary technician and to attend Mt. Ida College next fall.
Christian, son of Stephen and Dina Angelucci, is a senior in the Programming & Web Development program. He is a high-honors student and was inducted into both the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society as a junior. He is taking three Advanced Placement courses this year: English, Biology and Government.
Christian was nominated by AP English Instructor Bruce Sullivan, who wrote: "Christian is an outstanding student in and out of the classroom. Despite taking a rigorous course schedule filled with AP and Honors courses, Christian has continued to excel academically. Christian writes at a high college level, and always contributes valuable insights in his AP English class. Christian is also one of the many here at NT, who has already hit a qualifying score on his AP English Language and Composition class, and he continues to hold himself to a high standard. His senior project topic: 'The Growing Threat of Cyber Warfare on a Technologically Dependent Society,' is both timely and compelling."
Christian plans to major in Criminal Justice at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and then to work for a governmental law-enforcement agency.


text:
Published at Sunday, January 13th, 2019 - 10:19:29 AM. metal. By Ailbe Busch.
Composite doors are made up of combination of materials like UPVC, Fibreglass and are an alternative to wooden doors. With their wide range of colours and designs and high durability and security features, composite doors are a great choice for improving the look and feel of homes, offices as well as garages. On
Especially now that homeowners have become extremely budget conscious, manufacturers such as Hormann, have thus begun producing doors that suit every client's technical specifications and budget considerations.
Fresh Posts
Tag Cloud
About ▪ Contact ▪ Terms of Service ▪ Privacy Policy ▪ Cookie Policy ▪ Copyright ▪ Sitemap
Any content, trademark's, or other material that might be found on the AeroPunk website that is not AeroPunk's property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does AeroPunk claim ownership or responsibility for such items, and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner.


text:
At the tender age of 4, budding Yankees fan Alecia Solorzano got a sneak peek inside the House that Ruth Built and the Bombers' dugout.
Almost 10 years later, Alecia will be stepping into the new Yankee stadium and onto the Kentucky bluegrass right next to her pinstriped heroes.
"Just to be able to have the experience of standing on the field next to the players is amazing," the 13-year-old told the Daily News.
Alecia is one of nine winners of the Daily News' Field of Dreams contest. The youngsters were tasked with writing an essay about what New York Yankees traditions mean to him or her.
The grand prize winners get to attend the Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays matchup on Aug. 17 and stand on the field with the players during the singing of the National Anthem.
Alecia said the prize is even sweeter because she was a runner-up in last year's contest.
"I entered this contest last year and didn't succeed," she told The News. "But my love for the Yankees, which I share with my family, has pushed me to persevere and win this contest."
The teen, who lives in Wallkill, Orange County, plays softball and said she often draws on inspiration from her favorite player, Derek Jeter, even though he retired in 2014.
"It just motivates me to have them as a team," Alecia said. "They are always on my mind when I am playing."
In her essay, "Yankees Tradition: Togetherness," Alecia wrote about the shared experience of watching a Yankees game at the stadium or home with family. She also credits her parents with giving her a love of baseball and the Bronx Bombers.
"It all starts through a love of baseball and it progresses from there," she wrote. "We come together for one sole purpose, to support our team as they work for our enjoyment."
Here is the essay in full:
Alecia Solorzano
Over the many years that the Yankees have been a team, I've seen that they've helped people in many ways. When I think of New York, I think Yankees, I think of people gathering together in a big illuminated stadium at night, around a TV with family, or anywhere they can watch a game. Yankees tradition is a little thing called togetherness.
The first way that I have seen this quality is Yankee Stadium. Imagine going to a baseball game, you're in a crowd with thousands of other Yankee fans, your team scores a run, and they win! You jump out of your seat along with everyone else and you're cheering for your team with glee. Watching the game at the stadium can bring many fans together. It all starts through a love of baseball and it progresses from there. We come together for one sole purpose, to support our team as they work for our enjoyment.
Another way that I have experienced this quality is watching the game on TV. It doesn't matter if I'm at a restaurant or if I'm at home with my mom or dad. I get my love of the Yankees from my mom. My dad is the one who taught me to love baseball, but the Yanks are something my mom and I will always be able to share, because it's brought us closer as the time has passed.
The last example is within the team. Over time, the Yankees have grown, lost players, and gained new ones. But I have come to observe that the Yankees have to be accustomed to their life with their team, being with each other all of the time. Take my favorite player of all time for example, Derek Jeter. He led the Yankees as Captain since 2003 right up until he left the team in 2014.
To me, Yankees tradition means togetherness. People being conjoined by something they have in common, in this case the New York Yankees. They've brought people together within games at the stadium, at home, and throughout the team of the good old New York Yankees.


text:
The Book of Eli Pulls No Punches
I slipped out late on Sunday night to catch this new Denzel Wasington movie The Book of Eli. I didn't really know what to expect but walked away really impressed with a movie that shot unerringly straight at deep divide between faith and religion. And I hope this aint news to you – but the two have nothing in common.


text:
- Rotating Hydraulic Cylinder with Two Independent Pistons
- Equal Piston Area and Stroke
- Up to 70 bar
- Central bore for air, coolant or oil
- Stroke control via proximity switch or LPS
The DCE Hydraulic Double Piston Cylinders feature equal piston area and stroke. They are for a variety of applications including actuation of 2+2 power chucks with two piston actuation, actuation of power chucks with part ejectors, and actuation of power chucks with power operated centering fixtures.
Product Features
- Double piston cylinders with 4-way oil manifold for separate actuation of the two cylinders
- Pressure range: 8 - 70 bar
- Horizontal or vertical installation
- Stroke control on each cylinder, safety valves
- Central bore for coolant, oil or air with threading for rotary union
- Mounting from the rear side with bolts
- A 10µm filter in the pressure line is requested
- Use oil HM32 ISO 3448
Standard Equipment
- Double piston cylinder
- Mounting screws
- Stroke control on each cylinder
- Proximity bracket (without proximity switch)