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Pests Raise Concern For Pallets and Lumber Market!
Export Rules: Global Standard in the Works for Wood Packaging.
By Chaille Brindley
Date Posted: 4/1/2001
What goes on across the world may be of little interest to you. But tiny bugs causing chaos half-way around the world may require profound changes in the U.S. hardwood lumber market and the pallet industry. Recent outbreaks of pests have been traced back to transport packaging, which has led governments around the world to start cracking down on solid wood packaging including pallets, dunnage and crates.
The International Plant Protection Organization (IPPO) has brought the world one step closer to a global standard for solid wood packaging. The IPPO, a division with the United Nations, recently settled on a draft standard that would require all solid wood packaging - both hardwood and softwood - to be heat treated at the core to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and be marked indicating the proper treatment.
The decision has been hailed as a partial victory for the hardwood lumber industry because the initial draft standard called for lumber used in wood packaging, such as pallets and crates, to be kiln dried to less than 20% moisture content. By removing the 20% moisture content requirement, the treatment time would drop from weeks to days for cants and days to hours for pallets. Still, the creation of a heat treatment requirement for lumber used in international packaging may cause market shifts and changes in cutting practices in the hardwood lumber market and, at a minimum, minor changes in the pallet industry.
According to the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA), approximately 4.5 billion board feet of hardwood lumber is used annually for containers and pallets, which is almost 40% of all hardwood produced in the U.S. About 72% of all pallets are manufactured using hardwood lumber, most of which is low-grade material. The heat treatment requirement would create an opportunity for softwood lumber to grab more of the pallet market because a significant amount of softwood pallet lumber is already kiln dried and therefore meets the draft standard. No one really seems to know how much hardwood lumber is used for export packaging, which has made it difficult to estimate the potential market impact of the proposed regulations.
The draft IPPO standard must still go through a number of steps, including review by each country, before being adopted. The goal for the approval date is spring 2002, according to Mike Hicks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture�s trade policy coordinator for the solid wood packaging issue. Implementation would take place after formal adoption of the global standard.
Europe�s Emergency Measures - Get Ready
In addition to the IPPO standard, the European Union (EU) is imposing emergency measures on coniferous-based solid wood packaging in order to stop the spread of the pinewood nematode. The emergency measures in Europe do not cover hardwood lumber. Outbreaks have become a problem in Portugal, France, Finland and Sweden, forcing other countries in the Common Market to react. The EU has expressed intentions to require heat treatment (56/30 standard) for all coniferous-based solid wood packaging starting Oct. 1, 2001. He went on to indicate that although the implementation date is Oct. 1, implementation is expected to be gradual over a 9-12 month period. Strict enforcement is not expected until October 2002. But this does not mean that the U.S. industry can ignore the situation. The EU measures indicate that pressure treating and fumigation may also be allowed in certain circumstances.
Shipments that do not comply may be refused at the border. More than likely, loads would be transferred to an approved shipping platform, and the non-compliant packaging would be destroyed, all at the shipper�s expense.
According to John Mead, a European pallet industry consultant, requirements limiting the presence of bark, the size of bore holes and the moisture content of solid wood packaging have been in place across the globe for many years. Many of these restrictions have not been enforced. But the pinewood nematode outbreaks have raised concern, mobilizing the entire region to act. Restrictions may vary from country to country. For example, Germany has laws restricting the entry of chemically treated pallets for some years.
Pallets must be marked to indicate proper treatment; the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) is working with other organizations to develop a marking system that can be used. The tight deadline has everyone involved scrambling to implement a system. The mark will identify the country origin, the mill, and the treatment method. Also, it will include some commonly recognized symbol indicating that the packaging is pest free. "We are probably a year late to be looking at this," John said at a recent NWPCA meeting. Both new and repaired pallets are covered by the emergency measures. Any repairs to pallets must be done with lumber treated according to the standard. Pallets originating in Canada, China, Japan and the U.S., - countries where the pinewood nematode has been a problem - are covered under the emergency measures.
The spread of pests poses a great threat to plant health worldwide according to experts. For example, the Dutch elm disease spread to the United Kingdom in 1972, and it wiped out the entire elm tree population in a 12 year period.
Impact on the Pallet Industry
What does all of this mean for the typical wood pallet company? Look for the development of two different classifications of pallets - one for domestic use and one for international shipments. The international pallet will be made of heat treated lumber and properly marked according to specifications outlined by the new rule. Expect these pallets to fetch a premium on the market.
"Interaction with customers will change because pallet suppliers will need to know what customers plan to do with pallets," said Bob Peters of the NWPCA. Typically, most pallet suppliers do not keep tabs on customer use. But the new standard would require occasional audits for sawmills and paperwork for pallets. The standard will be overseen by the American Lumber Standards Committee.
Lumber Market Impact
The lumber market may experience a paradigm shift because much of the softwood lumber is already being treated according to the standard while most hardwood lumber is not. The initial draft standard requiring low moisture content would have given softwood lumber even more of an advantage because it is easier to dry. "The difference in heat treatment between hardwood and softwood lumber is small if you are only talking about heat treatment and not drying," said Dr. Fred Lamb of Virginia Tech�s Department of Wood Science and Forest Products. Therefore, the market transition from hardwood to softwood may not be as great as initially predicted if hardwood producers can respond with treated product. Some alternative materials, such as corrugated, plastic and engineered wood products, may also increase market share. But it is still too early to tell how drastic any market changes will be.
Many countries, including the U.S., lack the kiln capacity to handle the coming demand for treated pallet lumber. Look for growth in the kiln market to continue. "Kiln capacity is relatively tight in the hardwood region," said John Fisher, general manager of Tri-State Lumber. "In the short run, there would be a significant supply shortage if the proposed regulations go through."
As hardwood mills scramble to add kiln capacity, how will the market change? Of course, prices will likely rise. As mills seek to recoup the investment of a new kiln or other treatment facility, will they change their cutting practices? Will mills want to dedicate 20% of a new kiln�s time to pallet material or will they look for ways to find higher grade material out of what they are already cutting? They will probably not dry cants in the block form because it takes more time. This might give birth to a secondary market or a shift in the cut stock market, either by employing cutting practices used on the West Coast or changing the entire process east of the Rockies. If a significant portion of the export pallet market shifts to softwood lumber, what will happen to many small hardwood mills? Although there is not a huge amount of profit in low-grade material, it can be hard to justify killing the cow just for filet mignon when there is no market for the rest. There are no apparent markets for the windfall of low-grade hardwood lumber if export pallets jump ship. Softwood lumber prices have been in the tank; the standard might help breathe a bit of life into it. But there are just too many uncertainties right now to really tell what will shake out.
Certification may create a problem for some producers, especially hardwood mills. Currently, the grading/certification processes for softwoods and hardwoods are vastly different. The softwood lumber market uses a number of agencies around the country to inspect mills for the quality of their manufacturing operations. The softwood industry has significantly more inspectors in the field than the hardwood industry. NHLA, a national hardwood industry association, employs 20 inspectors, who mainly ensure certified lumber graders are adhering to the standard. All certified lumber graders must pass a detailed course offered by NHLA. In the hardwood market, lumber is graded for the quality of the wood not the manufacturing process as is the case for softwoods. The pest issue will add inspection fees, inspections, and additional record keeping activities that will add more to the cost of hardwood than softwood pallet lumber.
Science of the Matter
The draft regulations do not actually require the wood to be dried but to be heat treated to the 56/30 standard. The wood could be heat treated with either a dry kiln or a steam chamber. According to Dr. Lamb, heat treatment in a steam chamber would likely be faster and more cost effective because the heat is much hotter than a traditional dry kiln and there is no drying of the wood. However, steam chambers, which are used for applications such as bringing out the dark color in walnut lumber, are not very common in the U.S. Most kilns used in North America are steam-based and are capable of meeting the heat treatment standard.
By only requiring heat treatment instead of actually drying the wood, the standard does not call for the physical properties of the wood to be drastically changed. One of the major objections to the original draft language was that drying would cause quality concerns for assembling wood packaging. The ends of kiln dried hardwood boards may split, and it can be difficult to drive a nail into kiln dried hardwood lumber. But even with heat treatment, the process may affect wood properties. Paul Houghland of the NHLA said that there needs to be more research to explore the change in wood properties caused by heat treatment to know the exact impact that regulations would have on pallet lumber quality. Initially, drying was the favored approach because it would stop re-infestation. Heating wood kills pests in the lumber but does not prevent re-infestation.
Implementation of An International Standard
Lumber manufacturers and pallet suppliers are trying to gear up for any changes. However, it will take the market time to add treatment capacity and react. "We have been dealing with the Chinese restrictions for more than a year, and there are still people who are doing it wrong. Implementation will take some time," said Peters of the NWPCA.
Global standardization will eliminate headaches for shippers. Regulations are not consistent around the world, and pallet users are having to manage pallets by destination, which is a problem. Multi-national companies must weigh the cost of using various pallet specifications on a country-by-country basis versus having one standard. The pest protection standards create an opportunity for companies to evaluate packaging on a global scale.
Not every country will be able to comply with the regulations due to the lack of kiln capacity. Third-world countries may be allowed to fumigate shipments, according to the draft IPPO standard. There is a mechanism in the draft standard for importing and exporting countries to allow other approved treatment methods beyond heat treatment. However, experts stress that fumigation will become the exception, not the rule.
Politics and History of the Pest Issue
The insect infestation issue has been brewing for several years. The primary culprits are the pinewood nematode and the Asian long-horned beetle. Several European countries, especially Sweden, targeted the issue after outbreaks of the pinewood nematode were detected in pallets shipped from North America. The U.S. joined the party after an outbreak of the Asian long-horned beetle led to the destruction of scores of hardwood trees in New York and Chicago neighborhoods. The U.S. government established regulations restricting shipments from Asia in an effort to stop spread of the Asian long-horned beetle. Shortly thereafter, China responded with restrictions on imports using coniferous-based solid wood packaging from the U.S. and other countries, citing the need to stop the spread of the pinewood nematode. A barrage of countries establishing restrictions to stop one pest or another has created a confusing maze of nearly 220 different international standards. All of this has led to the effort currently under way by the United Nations. A global standard for treating solid wood packaging seems inevitable.
The U.S. remains in a fairly unique position. Forests in Europe and many of the other industrialized areas of the world are dominated by softwood species, not hardwoods. The dominance of hardwood lumber in the U.S. pallet industry will cause challenges as the standards take effect. Pallet companies should work to get ahead of their customers by learning about the standards. Look to source material from accredited suppliers and be prepared for possible wild lumber market swings. Lumber providers should start to learn about the issue, review current customer demands including how much of the pallet lumber is used for export packaging, and evaluate treatment options, include using dry kilns to meet the coming regulations. The issue will likely become a concern starting in the spring of next year and become an even more important issue as the standards take effect across the world in the next two years. Assign somebody in your company to become the point man on the pest management issue. If your company supplies pallets or lumber for export shipments, you will be impacted by these pest standards.
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ebel needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 21 designs submitted by 7 freelance designers.
History of X
We're launching a website for selling a vast collection of history books to the home market.
Our products are generic history books, covering many diverse history topics, e.g. "History of Europe", "History of Islam", etc. We're not aiming for the professional historian, or the scholar, but the home, or amature market. Our books are factual and nonfiction, more like an encyclopedia, than a story.
We'll be selling our history books over the web. We need a simple landing page designed to promote our product. There'll be one page per book, and we need that one generic page designed. Each page will have a heading of the book, and then some text about the book / subject, and a link to the purchasing page, which is on another web app (which is already done).
The 'heading' / 'title' of each page must be the title of the book, eg "History of France". Since we will have hundreds of these, it must be possible or easy for us to replace this text.
We want to use this design for books that are being sold now and for books we're thinking of selling. Ideally there should be 1 big button that could either be "Buy Now" or "Find out more"/"More information"/"More info", etc.

subset: commoncrawl


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Many business decisions can lead to a club's downfall. Some decisions can come before the club grand opening, some can come after. Either way, the decisions can turn an energetic club into an empty facility with boarded-up windows.
Although it's difficult to tell how many clubs go under annually, small businesses do close with alarming frequency — and many clubs fall under the small-business category. According to the most recent statistics from the American Institute of Small Business, 590,000 new small businesses were started in 1999. At the same time, 530,000 closed.
Don't let your club become one of these casualties. To help keep your business alive and well, Club Industry asked the experts to dissect the practices that frequently cause clubs to fail.
Diagnosis: Bad Location
Location, as they say, is everything, and the wrong location can be the "kiss of death" for a club, says Bruce Carter, founder of the Longmeadow, Mass.-based consulting firm Optimal Fitness Systems.
Location means more than just the club's address (although an operator probably shouldn't settle for a facility hidden behind several storefronts off a rural country road 10 miles from the nearest neighborhood). Rick Caro, president of the consulting firm Management Vision and part-time chair of Spectrum Clubs, points out that an operator should also take into account the demographic density of the area. In other words, is there enough demand (i.e., prospects) to match the club's supply?
To answer this question, consultants and other experts can analyze the potential location and determine whether the area will bring success or failure. Unfortunately, club owners skip this step, looking at price instead of nearby demographics.
"What happens is people will choose a site because of very low rent," explains Joe Cirulli, the owner of the Gainesville Health and Fitness Centers in Florida.
In addition to picking a site rich in prospects, operators should look for a location lean in competition. "If you go in the same as the competition, but the competition has been there longer, why should anyone switch?" argues Cirulli.
Diagnosis: Poor Business Planning
A bad business plan is all too common with many entrepreneurs — whether they are opening a fitness club, restaurant or antique shop. This is because the entrepreneur may lack business experience to back up his passion.
Frank Margarella, the president of Premier Club Consultants in Tampa, Fla., gives this example: "People who like to play golf and have a little money think they want to open up a golf club…. They don't really understand it takes a lot of work."
Similarly, in our industry, people passionate about fitness may decide to open a health club. Yet they may not have the slightest idea what a functional business plan entails.
"They think that the club is driven on fitness, but it's not," Carter says. "It's driven on business."
And that drive includes a sound business plan. In fact, companies with business plans are 50 percent more likely to succeed than those without one, according to Max Fallek, director of the American Institute of Small Business.
Potential entrepreneurs who don't know how to put together a business plan can still open a club — as long as they work with someone with the proper education and experience. Operators new to the business of operating a club should hire senior staff with plenty of expertise, Caro recommends.
Diagnosis: Inadequate Capital at Launch
Ill-prepared club operators can suffer from a number of financial constraints during the business's early days — all potentially lethal. "This might mean that they had inadequate capital to complete the hard costs [of opening the club]," says Caro. "Or they finished it, but they finished it poorly."
Consider this scenario: An entrepreneur envisions a 60,000-square-foot, high-end, multipurpose club, but then finds she can only afford a 10,000-square-foot, fitness-only gym with no amenities. Unfortunately, her marketplace is already saturated with small, fitness-only clubs, so her 10,000-square-foot facility won't be able to compete. Therefore, she decides to go ahead with her initial ideas, but borrows too much money from the bank in order to launch the business.
The day the club opens, the owner is already over her head, and she can't hope to cover the cost of the club. Soon, the facility and its equipment begin to look unkempt. Members start leaving. This is the beginning of the end.
Most owners should expect to make back their initial financial investment within 12 to 18 months of opening the club, Caro claims. However, operators who don't include savings to help them through the first few years may never survive.
The morale: Budget wisely and realistically. "Most people get so giddy about their clubs' success that they become overly optimistic about the budget," Margarella explains. "Most developers understand the first year or the first two years are not going to be financially lucrative or [will] even be in the red ink."
On the plus side, clubs that make it through those first two critical years triple their chances of survival, according to Margarella.
Diagnosis: No Reinvesting
In addition to setting aside enough capital during the club's infancy, operators must earmark money for crucial reinvestments later on. Clubs need to reinvent their look every three to five years to remain a player in the fitness industry, according to Carter.
"One of the main reasons that clubs are going out of business is because they're not updating — they're not remaining competitive," he says.
Owners who don't adequately prepare their budgets for reinvestments may witness waning retention and membership sales. "If you're the same club five years later, you're dead in the water," says Dan Horan, co-owner of Hatfield Athletic Club in Hatfield, Pa., and a board member of the Delaware Valley Alliance of Health & Sportsclubs. "You need to have enough money for the initial investment as well as for reinvestment."
When clubs become "dead in the water," it's only a matter of time before they get eaten. As Margarella points out, "It's a shark pit out there."
If you don't want to be chum, don't be complacent. Most clubs are, according to Margarella.
"Clubs don't stay up with the times," he explains. "They don't challenge themselves to be on the cutting edge.…"
To keep your club's business razor sharp, clubs must invest in regular upkeep, such as adding new equipment. Owners also need to consider their club's "look." Even something as simple as a new coat of paint can reinvigorate the atmosphere.
Sometimes more drastic measures than fresh paint or new equipment are needed, however. Carter describes how he "reinvented" one failing club, and subsequently saved it from extinction. He had the facility redecorated, re-equipped, re-carpeted and re-painted. In addition, he updated the marketing and sales systems, plus he streamlined the financial controls.
Reinvention may apply to people as well. Carter once consulted with a club that was doing badly, yet the staff resisted change.
"I had 33 people, and I fired 31," he says. "We needed new blood."
Diagnosis: Failure to Evolve
During the course of a club's life-span, its demographics and market will probably change. If clubs don't change too, they risk failure.
"Sometimes you have to evolve into something else," says Cirulli.
Cirulli speaks from experience. During the course of his career, Cirulli watched six clubs where he had been employed go out of business. This was because the clubs didn't budge when market conditions shifted.
"Doing nothing will kill business," Cirulli says.
Just as Cirulli has seen inaction destroy clubs, he has seen evolution save clubs. He offers this personal example: One of his clubs drew most of its membership from the student body of a nearby university. He learned that the school planned to open a new, state-of-the-art recreation/fitness center — free for students. This new competition could destroy Cirulli's club.
"I had to think about the worst-case scenario," he remembers.
Cirulli considered turning his club into a rehab center if he lost much of his student clientele. In the end, however, he saved his business by raising member prices. Why?
"If I was going to get less people, I had to get more money [from each person]," he says.
Diagnosis: Killed by Competition
A big part of remaining competitive is, in fact, understanding your competition. As the old proverb states, "Keep your friends close at hand. Keep your enemies even closer."
While the neighboring club down the street isn't your enemy, you should still keep close tabs on it. You can take a long, critical look at the competition by paying the club a visit. Your staff can visit too. However, don't just go into the club looking for flaws.
"Most of the times you go snickering around about the things they're doing wrong, but that's easy to do," Margarella says. "Go look for things that they do right that you're not doing at all."
Besides taking a look at the competition, take a look at yourself. In fact, hire a fresh pair of eyes to examine your club. Arrange to have a consultant or even ask a respected industry friend come into the club to take a trial membership.
Since employees tend to be on their best behavior when the boss is nearby, the person should come into the club when you aren't around — just to see what the club is like when you're not there. The goal is to have the person report the things your club does well — or the things that need improving — with an unbiased view.
When inviting this sort of scrutiny, club operators must be willing to accept criticism. "They really have to be open to what mistakes they may be making to be open to the solutions," says Carter.
Diagnosis: Lack of Niche Marketing
Lack of niche marketing is synonymous with suicide. Small clubs that try to compete with large, low-priced chains and not-for-profits by offering the same services at the same rates are killing themselves.
When faced with big competitors that sell inexpensive memberships, small clubs should differentiate themselves and find a niche. Operators can look outside the fitness industry for examples of successful niche marketing. Consider the restaurant business.
"Think about all the restaurants there are," Cirulli says. "If there was just one kind of restaurant, they'd go out of business. If you're not the biggest [club] in town…, you just have to become something different."
For instance, if you open a club in an area predominantly populated by large, coed facilities, perhaps your club should cater to women only. Or if the competitors draw single men and women, gear your programming toward families.
Above all else, offer personality. "Provide an exciting, beautiful, motivating decor," advises Carter. After all, many chain clubs and not-for-profits feature a "generic" look, and offer standardized programming, according to Carter.
This standardized way of operating can offer small clubs an edge. The typical small-club owner doesn't need to answer to a board of directors. She can change hours of operation or implement new services that the competition doesn't offer — without setting up meetings or waiting for approvals.
"You have the ability to make instantaneous decisions and break the mold, and think outside the box," Margarella says.
Another advantage for small-club owners: People may feel insignificant in a larger club, so they may prefer a smaller club with personal service. This can be a plus for small clubs that favor a hands-on approach.
"If you can offer more personnel or a higher level of service that [larger competitors] cannot…, then you can run with those clubs in that type of market," Margarella states.
Diagnosis: Cheap Memberships
Membership dues are the lifeblood of a club. Yet many club owners insist on weakening this vital cash flow by either undercharging or selling highly discounted, paid-in-full memberships. These sales practices won't simply put your financial ledgers in the red; they'll make your ledgers positively anemic.
Historically, clubs that utilize monthly dues systems are more successful than those that rely on paid-in-full memberships, Horan claims. Why?
"You've got cash flow each month," Horan answers. "You don't live and die by the sale.
"Too often if clubs do have paid-in-full memberships, they don't allocate [those dues] over the next 12 months."
Members who pay in full can become a liability since, essentially, club owners won't be getting any money from them until next year's contract. And that's if they sign up again. Often they won't. As Carter points out, clubs with monthly dues systems in place have better retention rates than those that sell paid-in-full, long-term memberships. This is because members who pay in full for a yearly contract may come up for annual renewal at a time where they are low on funds — or on motivation. Therefore, they may not rejoin.
Members who pay with monthly EFT of credit card transfers, on the other hand, don't get annual reminders to renew their membership, and they are not forced to re-evaluate their memberships. This "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" philosophy means better retention — and more money — for health clubs.
Cheap memberships can be as deadly as paid-in-full contracts, even if the memberships come from monthly dues. And cheaper memberships are ubiquitous. Unfortunately, many clubs try to sell memberships through price-driven ads, which cheapen the image of the industry as a whole. Because the industry is perceived as cheap, clubs feel they can't compete with their competitors unless they lower their prices. But, according to Horan, club owners need to look outside this industry for selling techniques.
"People will go into a bar or a restaurant and blow $20 to $30 in an hour and not even think about it," he explains. "Why? Because of perception."
Therefore, clubs must teach prospects to perceive their value. Instead of selling on price, operators must sell on service and quality, Horan advises. And he should know. When he worked for a price-driven club that charged $19 a month, he saw people leave and go down the street to join a club charging $18. Cheap members are not loyal members.
As a club owner, Horan has raised rates consistently, and he encourages other owners to do the same. Don't panic and drop your prices because your competition does. If you offer more, you should get more.
"Make sure you charge what you're worth," Horan says. "It's that low-priced perception that holds us back."
Industry consultant Michael Scott Scudder, of Taos, N.M.-based Fitness Focus, is a big believer in raising rates. Whether just starting out or reinventing an existing business, club operators should increase prices, according to Scudder.
"If building a new club, go in with a solid, well-financed business plan and higher-than-average-in-your-area monthly dues," he says. "Do not discount. Sell predominantly monthly dues memberships. If running an existing club and already in trouble, re-market your club, pick your niches, up your prices and stop selling cash.
"Cash memberships should not equal more than 25 percent of total revenues," he adds.
And don't rely solely on memberships to generate profit. Clubs should also look to personal training, pro shops and other internal profit centers to make money from existing members. Do that, and your club can expect a long, happy life.
Budget Basics 101
A good business plan must include a budget. According to the Small Business Association (SBA), a start-up budget should cover:
- personnel (salaries/wages/training)
- legal/professional fees
- occupancy
- licenses/permits
- equipment
- insurance
- supplies
- advertising/promotions
- accounting
- income
- utilities
- payroll expenses
And don't forget the operating budget. The SBA outlines the following essentials:
- personnel (salaries/wages/training)
- insurance
- rent
- depreciation
- loan payments
- advertising/promotions
- legal/accounting
- miscellaneous expenses
- supplies
- payroll expenses
- utilities
- dues/subscriptions/fees
- taxes
- repairs/maintenance
For a step-by-step outline of a business plan, visit the SBA's online tutorial at www.sba.gov/starting/indexbusplans.html. The American Institute of Small Business also has published a model business plan (Business Plan Example) that could be helpful to club owners. For more information, visit www.visi.com/~aisb or call (800) 328-2906.


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The play "Chimerica" and the Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon" were the big winners Sunday at the Laurence Olivier Awards in London. The annual awards — Britain's equivalent of the Tony Awards — were held at the Royal Opera House and featured a celebrity-heavy guest list of talent from both sides of the Atlantic.
"Chimerica" by Lucy Kirkwood won for new play. The topical drama tells the story of a photographer who becomes obsessed with a picture he took during the Tiananmen Square massacre showing a lone man confronting a row of tanks.
The play, which debuted at the Almeida Theatre in London and later moved to the city's West End, also won for its director, Lyndsey Turner.
CRITICS' PICKS: What to watch, where to go, what to eat
"Mormon" took four awards, including best new musical and the leading actor prize for Gavin Creel. The production at London's Prince of Wales Theatre opened in 2013, two years after debuting on Broadway.
The Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along" won for musical revival. The staging at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London was broadcast to cinemas in the U.S. last fall.
The Almeida Theatre's "Ghosts" by Henrik Ibsen won for best revival of a play, and Lesley Manville won for lead actress in a play in the production.
Manville prevailed over Judi Dench in John Logan's "Peter and Alice," Hayley Atwell in Alexi Kaye Campbell's "The Pride," and Anna Chancellor in a revival of Noel Coward's "Private Lives."
PHOTOS: Arts and culture in Times pictures
It was the first Olivier win for Manville, a veteran of Mike Leigh's movies, who was previously nominated for Leigh's play "Grief" two years ago.
Rory Kinnear took the prize for actor in a play for his role as Iago in the National Theatre's production of "Othello." The category featured two other Shakespearean performances — Tom Hiddleston in "Coriolanus" and Jude Law in "Henry V" — as well as Henry Goodman in "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui."
Zrinka Cvitesic won the Olivier for lead actress in a musical for "Once" at the Phoenix Theatre.
The ceremony Sunday included a performance by ABBA musicians Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, celebrating the 15th anniversary of "Mamma Mia!" on the West End.
History on stage: My, but the past looks a lot like today
'Bakersfield Mist,' from Los Angeles to London's West End
Andrew Lloyd Webber musical 'Stephen Ward' closing in London
PHOTOS: Hollywood stars on stage
CHEAT SHEET: Spring arts preview 2014
PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures


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Each and every day infants across North America are shaken and abused because the person caring for them became frustrated with their crying. Many times the abuse could have been prevented had the person caring for the infant only known that early infant crying may be normal.
CLICK for Babies is a North America initiative to help educate caregivers about normal infant crying, how to cope with crying and the dangers of reacting to crying in frustration by shaking or harming an infant.
Knit 1
Knit or crochet a soft to the touch purple colored cap! Send your completed caps to the address listed on the map by September 30, 2018. Caps will be distributed to families in November and December alongside the Period of PURPLE Crying program.Get Started
Tell 2
Spread the word about CLICK for Babies, the Period of PURPLE Crying and Shaken Baby Syndrome verbally, through social media and/or by hanging up flyers around the community. Visit your local organizations's social media page for local information to share.Learn How
Give 3
Monetary donations will be used to help prevent shaken baby syndrome and improve the overall care of infants. Give a local crafter soft-to-the touch washable yarn. Or give your time and volunteer!Donate Now


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Capital Chasing "Safety" Of Sale-Leasebacks
Demand for sale-leasebacks is only expected to intensify as investors continue to search for a safe haven for investment dollars. This investment niche has earned a reputation for delivering steady returns. The long-term lease guarantees by the seller/tenant perform much like a corporate bond. "As the global economies and domestic economies continue to be volatile, pilule I think we will see more money coming into the market for hard assets in the U.S., ampoule and that is going to improve pricing for companies doing sale-leaseback transactions," says Jeffrey Shell, executive vice president of corporate finance at Grubb & Ellis in Grosse Pointe, Mich.
The biggest stumbling block for investors is a shortage of core sale-leaseback properties—those assets located in major metros that are occupied by investment grade tenants with 15- to 20-year lease terms. Such deals are scarce, because firms with stellar credit have access to very cheap capital.
For example, Target Corp. recently issued $1 billion in corporate bonds at incredibly low rates–$350 million at 1.13% and another $650 million at 17 basis points over the 3-month LIBOR rate, or a current cost of funds of less than 0.5%. "That speaks volumes," says Paul Domb, an asset manager at United Trust Fund, a Miami-based investment firm. Even companies that don't normally issue debt are doing so, because it is essentially free money. "So the top-tier companies in America are sitting on a mountain of cash, and the net result is a deterioration of credit quality of sale-leaseback candidates," he adds.
So far, buyers remain wary of the higher risks associated with acquisitions of lower quality deals in second- and third-tier metros. Instead, investors are aggressively bidding for top—even mediocre—quality sale-leaseback properties. Buyers are willing to commit to both higher prices and more flexible lease terms in order to win deals.
Competition boosts prices
Although a variety of factors go into pricing sale-leasebacks—such as tenant credit, the real estate and length of the lease term—cap rates have compressed about 50 to 75 basis points for good quality, well-located properties over the past 12 months. For example, the cap rate on a sale-leaseback with a BB credit tenant committing to a 10-year lease has experienced a significant drop from a 9.5% or 9.75% 18 months ago to a rate of 8.25% today, notes Shell.
Cap rates for investment grade tenants, such as top-flight drugstores, with a long-term lease of 15 years or longer are approaching the same cap rates that the properties were generating at the height of the market in 2006 and 2007, which was below 7% for top credit deals. For example, during second quarter, the median asking cap rate for net leased McDonald's properties was 5.4%, according to data from The Boulder Group, an investment and brokerage firm specializing in triple net lease properties based in Northbrook, Ill.
In addition to pricing, companies are taking advantage of market conditions to obtain greater flexibility and more beneficial terms in how their leases are structured. "The flexibility that we try to build into deals relates to enhanced subleasing and assignment rights, attractive renewal rents, and a shorter lease term, if possible," says Brian Scott, senior managing director of the Sale/Leaseback Group at CBRE in New York.
Traditionally, sale-leasebacks are structured on long-term, triple net leases. But the 15- and 20-year lease terms that were once the norm are now shrinking in many cases to 12-, 10- and even 7-year terms due to the competitive bidding situations. For example, packaging company MeadWestvaco sold a 75,000-sq.-ft. office building in Dayton, Ohio earlier this spring for $81 per square foot or a cap rate of 8%. The deal was structured with a 9-year lease, according to The Boulder Group.
"In order to win a deal, investors are agreeing to take on more and more risk—not only with a shorter term, but also by offering greater flexibility to the lessee," agrees Shell. For example, the owner or investor is assuming more liabilities, such as maintenance to the exterior of the building, including the roof and outer walls. Tenants also are negotiating for earlier terminations with lower penalties than what they have been able to secure in the past. "All of that benefits the lessee in today's market, which makes the transactions more attractive," he adds.
Creative deal-making
Despite the stiff competition, limited supply of deals and falling cap rates, the sale-leaseback market is not all doom and gloom for investors. Veteran investors such as United Trust Fund are working harder to find—and land—deals. "You have to be a little bit more creative and utilize your relationships. But if you do that, a lot of times deals will create themselves," says Domb.
For example, in July United Trust Fund closed on a $203 million, forward funded, build-to-suit sale-leaseback. United Trust Fund is financing the construction of a 196,000-sq.-ft. orthopedic hospital in Springfield, Mo. and a 225,000-sq.-ft. medical office building in Edmond, Okla. for the Sisters of Mercy Health System. The deal provides Mercy with very low-cost construction financing and a long-term, low cost of leasing. The deal was unique because the group wanted "one-stop shopping"—a buyer who would fund construction and the sale-leaseback. Although the transaction did include a few extra steps, it did meet the main objective for UTF, which is buying an income stream, notes Domb.
Buyers such as New York-based W.P. Carey & Co. also are finding success by continuing to focus on its sweet spot–sub-investment grade companies that are rated BB+ and below. "We're digging real hard all around the country and all around the world to find those credits and find companies who are willing to sign up for long, 15- to 20-year leases." The investment firm expects its sale-leaseback investment activity to be on par with recent years. The company has already completed $450 million in transactions as of August, and that volume will likely grow to nearly $1 billion by year-end.
The fact that financing for sub-investment grade tenants remains challenging gives low-leverage buyers such as W.P. Carey an advantage when it comes to clinching deals. "It is really hard to go out and get 75% leverage on a sub-investment grade sale-leaseback these days," says Gino Sabatini, managing director at W.P. Carey. Today's buyers have to put up 40 to 50% of the purchase price in cash for the more risky sub-investment grade deals.
One of W.P. Carey's publicly held non-traded REIT affiliates, CPA®:17 -Global, closed on the $51 million acquisition of four industrial facilities leased on a long-term basis to Flanders Corp., a top producer of air filters. The four facilities, totaling 1.4 million sq. ft., are located in Bartow, Fla.; Ardmore, Okla.; Smithfield, N.C. and Momence, Ill. Sabatini declined to disclose a cap rate on the Flanders deal. However, he did say that quality sub-investment grade deals, such as a BB credit with good real estate, are getting done in the high 7% to low 8% range.
Growing pipeline?
Favorable pricing is helping to spur activity as companies look to tap capital that is locked up in real estate. Although sale-leaseback activity is still well below the high water mark of 2007 when $16.1 billion in sale-leaseback properties traded hands, transactions have increased over the past 18 months, according to Real Capital Analytics. After hitting a low of $3.7 billion in 2009, nearly $4 billion in sales closed last year and another $2.6 billion had occurred this year as of August 15, according to Real Capital Analytics.
Unlike a traditional mortgage, which often finances 70% to 80% of the property value, a sale-leaseback allows a company to get 100% of the value from the real estate "We are seeing much more activity and interest on the part of corporations exploring sale-leasebacks and actually taking them to market than we have seen in a few years," says Scott.
CBRE is working with an investment grade client to put together a sale-leaseback transaction for a headquarters campus that will likely fetch more than $100 million. "We are going to take full advantage of what we see as a very good market for pricing by driving down cap rates and building in as much flexibility in the lease for the corporation as we can," adds Scott.
Many in the industry are hoping that the attractive pricing and terms will help to bring more deals to market in the coming months. "A year ago, a lot of companies were looking at sale-leasebacks as a way to fortify their access to capital," says Shell. Now that capital is more widely available, the impetus for companies to initiate sale-leaseback s is the attractive pricing and terms generated by the crowded field of buyers.
"It is hard to imagine how any company can think that they have enough cash, given all of the dark clouds that are out there," says Shell. "So I think that more companies will take advantage of the increasing demand." (credit ,b mattson,teig, nrei)


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Ferries - Customer service
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- Before your trip, ensure you have adequate travel insurance that includes cancellation and curtailment cover in case of an issue.
- Monitor weather reports before your crossing and check to ensure there are no cancellations or delays to service.
- You are entitled to compensation if your ferry is delayed unless it is caused by poor weather or other unforeseen circumstances
- If you cannot resolve your issue with a ferry company then you can take your case to ABTA for independent assessment
Ferry cancelled
When a sailing is cancelled because of adverse weather conditions, tidal conditions, unforeseen operational or technical reasons or other circumstances (basically where 'force majeure' applies), then the operator is not required to give you a refund if you choose to find other travel arrangements.
Been made aware
You must be informed of any delay 30 minutes prior to your booked departure time and given the estimated departure and arrival time as soon as possible.
Industrial action
If there is a strike action or blockade of ports or other similar issues, your ferry operator may not be required to refund the ferry fare.
Ferry delays
Under Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010 the rights of ferry passengers are legally protected for ferries operating to, from or within the European Union. If your sailing is delayed or cancelled, you are entitled to assistance and in certain cases compensation.
- Ships certified to carry fewer than 12 passengers
- A ship with fewer than three crew members
- If the service distance is less than 500 metres, one way
- Excursion and sightseeing tours
Food and drinks to be provided
If your ferry is delayed for more than 90 minutes from its departure, the ferry operator has to provide you with refreshments.
- 90 minutes and then every 90 minutes: light refreshments
- 4 hours or more: a light meal
- 8 hours or more: a hot meal
Alternative sailing
You should also be provided with the choice between taking the earliest available sailing or a full refund, payable within seven days.
If your ferry is delayed over night or cancelled and you have no alternative but an overnight stay, the ferry company must provide accommodation for free. This can be on the ferry or ashore. If it's on shore, then transport to and from the ferry must also be provided.
Accommodation is limited to a maximum cost of €80 per night for a maximum of three nights.
If the issue is caused by weather conditions that would endanger the lives of those on board or the safety of the ship, then the ferry company is not obliged to provide compensation or accommodation.
Compensation offered
You are entitled to a refund of 25% of the ticket price if the delay is as follows:
- 1 hour for journey scheduled to last 4 hours;
- 2 hours for journeys scheduled to last between 4 and 8 hours
- 3 hours for journeys scheduled to last between 8 and 24 hours
- 6 hours for journeys scheduled to last over 24 hours
If the delay is more than double this delay then you are entitled to a refund of 50% of the ticket price.
If you have a return ticket, any compensation will be calculated based on the cost of the leg you are on that is disrupted. If the price of the ticket is not broken down for the outbound and return legs, the compensation will be calculated based on half of the total ticket price.
Timescale for payment
The ferry company must pay the compensation within one month of your application for compensation. The compensation must be paid in money if you request this, otherwise the compensation may be paid in vouchers for future travel provided the conditions are flexible regarding the period of validity and the destination.
If the amount of compensation due is less than €6, the ferry company is not required to pay the compensation.
Missed on-going travel plans
If you miss a connecting transport service due to a delay or cancellation your ferry operator they must make all "reasonable efforts to inform the passengers of alternative connections".
The ferry company does not have to pay you any compensation for any missed connections.
Disabled passengers
Disabled people or those with reduced mobility cannot be refused a reservation and must be charged the same price as any other passenger.
Ensure before you travel that you have travel insurance. This will cover you in case of a delay or cancellation of your travel.
If you make a claim under your travel insurance and if the issue is not resolved after eight weeks, you can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service who will look at your case from the perspective of what is fair and reasonable and provide for free a decision that is binding on the company.
The majority of cruise companies will include a clause in their terms allowing them to change the schedule.
Changes prior to departure
If the changes to your cruise are significant, you have the right to request a refund, or to request an alternative package. If the package is of a lower cost, you can request a refund of the difference.
Post-departure changes
If there is a change you can complain, however, the cruise company will have a clause to allow for changes to the itinerary, as there can be a number of reasons for the change in the itinerary.
If there is a significant change then you can make a claim. The cruise company is required to make alternative arrangements or to compensate you.
Complaints process
All ferry companies must have a complaints process and ensure consumers are made aware this.
Unresolved complaints
If you are unsatisfied with the response you receive contact ABTA. ABTA is the voluntary complaint-handling body for ferry passengers arriving or departing by ferry from England and Wales.
Cruise complaints
CLIA UK and Ireland is the complaint-handling body for cruise passengers in England and Wales.
If booked in France
If you made your holiday booking through a French travel agency, and if you should remain unsatisfied with the response you receive from the ferry company and the French travel agency, you could then contact the French equivalent of ABTA. This body is called 'SNAV'.
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DIRECTIONS: This product disperses in liquid oil and oil based products. Incorporate color into formula slowly, using amount as desired. Adding this color to white bases will produce a pastel colored product. Adding this color to a clear base will allow for a more darker clear colored product.
TIPS: Using too much color may cause staining. Test your final product to insure optimal performance and no staining. Protect work areas and clothing when mixing.
STORAGE: Store in an airtight, cool, dark location. When stored properly, best used within 1 year from date of purchase.
CAUTION: Approved for general cosmetics, lip and eye products. For external use only. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not inhale.
Canwax Inc. cannot be held responsible for your finished product using our supplied ingredients.
Customers are cautioned to test products in small batches before purchasing larger quantities and before selling or distributing products to the public.
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Enameled half-frame accents punctuate the cool, rounded silhouette of gradient-lens sunglasses with UV400 protection.
Inspired by the unique beauty and architecture of Paris train stations, this timeless frame features an intricate combination of modern gold-dipped palladium with accents of Ahlem's signature acetate. Handmade by artisans in Oyonnax, France. Palladium frames dipped in 3 microns of gold/ Mazzucchelli cellulose acetate. Christian Dalloz Cridal 2 Base Lenses with an interior anti-reflective coating. 100% UVA/UVB protection. Flex Hinges with a lifetime guarantee. Ceramic nose pads. Signature vintage acetate temple tip .
Enameled half-frame accents punctuate the cool, rounded silhouette of gradient-lens sunglasses with UV400 protection.
Red acetate 'Lucia Surface Coral' sunglasses from Retrosuperfuture. This item comes with a protective case.
Handmade in Italy and designed in New York, Illesteva has cornered the sunglass market since 2010 with its unique, boundary-pushing designs and distinctive downtown style. The Leonard—one of Illesteva's most iconic styles—is rendered in a translucent, rounded yellow frame with striking brown lenses. Acetate 2" frame height; 5.5" frame width Translucent yellow frames; signature logo detail at temples; 100% UVA/UVB protection
Simple, classic GARRETT LEIGHT sunglasses. Frosted frames. Hard case and cleaning cloth included.Round frame.Non-polarized lenses.Imported, China.MeasurementsWidth: 5.5in / 14cmHeight: 2in / 5cmLens Width: 50mm A manufacturer's warranty for this item can be requested from Customer Service. X WARRANTY REQUEST You will receive a response within 24 hours. Email address SEND REQUEST
Garrett Leight California Optical is a brand that personifies the California Lifestyle through eyewear. Metal frame. Made in China. Lens measures approx 55mm. Bridge measures approx 20mm. Arm measures approx 145mm
These round sunglasses with rose gold mirrored lenses are truly eye-catching. In rosegold-tone metal. 100% UV protection. Made in Italy.
Split frames have polished metal bottoms and round uppers. Non-polarized lenses. Keyhole bridge. Measures: 49-21-145. In brown. Imported.
Chic wayfarer sunglasses in sophisticated black with polished logo at the temples. Logo inlays on both arms. 100% UV protection. Measures: 43-23-150. In black. Imported.
Iconically structured round frame gold tortoise sunglasses from Komono. Features UV400 protection, scratch resistant lenses, and internal metal core with handmade Italian acetate frames. UV400 protection High Quality Optical Hinges Polycarbonate Lens Solid Smoke Moldable temples Cleaning Cloth and Hard Case Included
The Pop Control from CRAP Eyewear features a classic-fitting wayfarer silhouette, with roots planted somewhere between Saigon and old Hollywood. Lens: CR-39 with 100% UVA/UVB protection (UV 400) Frame: Injection molded polycarbonate Hardware: Five-barrel metal hinges Logos: Silver dagger temple logos Measurements: Bridge: 26mm Eye: 46mm Stems: 141mm Fit: Medium / Large
From the Tilda Swinton X Gentle Monster Collaboration. Metallic titanium round sungasses with silver mirrored lenses. 61mm lens width; 143mm bridge width; 154mm temple length. 100% UV protection. Silver mirrored lenses
From the Rainbow Collection Gradient metal sunglasses with triangular crystals. 52mm lens width; 47mm bridge width; 140mm temple length. 100% UV protection. Adjustable nose pads
A little retro and superchic, these Italian-crafted sunglasses feature a distinctive geometric topline and cool reflective lenses. Free shipping and returns at Nordstrom.
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Scaled-down Illesteva sunglasses with two-tone frames and a keyhole bridge. Pouch and hard case included.Round frame.Non-polarized lenses.Made in Italy.MeasurementsWidth: 5.5in / 14cmHeight: 2in / 5cmLens Width: 48mm
Scaled-down Illesteva sunglasses with mixed-material frames and a keyhole bridge. Pouch and hard case included.Round frame.Non-polarized lenses.Made in Italy.MeasurementsWidth: 5.5in / 14cmHeight: 2in / 5cmLens Width: 48mm
Heart-print acetate sunglasses are something to lust over. Oversized semi round shape. 100% UV protection. 53mm-19mm-140mm. In black/red. Made in Italy.


text:
Helen Spittle
School Manager
School of Geography and Planning
- Email:
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Telephone:
- +44 (0)29 2087 5285
- Location:
- Room 2.63, Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA
As School Manager within the School of Geography and Planning, Helen is responsible for overseeing the administration of the School to ensure that academic functions are supported effectively. She is a member of the School's management team and contributes to planning and strategic development. The role involves managing and controlling School finances and financial planning, leading the team of administrative support staff, management of HR processes, supporting internal and external quality reviews, and ensuring that the School complies with relevant University policies, legislation and requirements of professional bodies.


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European Commission
Press Release
Brussels, 9 July 2013
Commission acts to improve consumer rights for 120 million holiday makers
As the summer season kicks off, the European Commission is taking action to improve protection for holiday makers by modernising EU rules on package holidays.
The 1990 EU Directive on package travel has served as the bedrock for the protection offered to EU holidaymakers. It guarantees comprehensive protection to consumers booking pre-arranged package holidays which involve combinations of, for example, flights, hotels, or car rentals. The protection includes the right to receive all necessary information before signing the contract, making sure that a party is liable for the performance of all services in the package and the reassurance of repatriation in case a tour operator goes bust (see Box 1 in the Annex).
The reform responds to a fundamental transformation of the travel market: Citizens are increasingly taking a more active role in tailoring their holidays to their specific requirements, notably by using the internet to combine travel arrangements rather than choosing from ready-made packages out of a brochure (see Graphic 1 in the Annex).
Today's rules are difficult to apply in the internet age where consumers are increasingly booking customised packages online (either from one trader or several commercially linked traders) – which leaves buyers uncertain if they can count on protection and traders unclear of their obligations. Therefore, today's update of the 1990 rules is essentially about bringing the Package Travel Directive into the digital age. It means that an additional 120 million consumers who buy these customised travel arrangements will also be protected by the directive.
The reform further bolsters protection for consumers by increasing transparency and strengthening protection in case something goes wrong. Businesses will also benefit as the Commission is scrapping outdated information requirements such as the need to reprint brochures and making sure that national insolvency protection schemes are recognised across borders.
"In the 1990s, most Europeans picked out a pre-arranged package deal from a brochure and booked it at their local travel agent," said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner. "Since then, European legislation has helped millions of people enjoy stress-free holidays. But times have changed and we need to update the rules to keep pace with a changing market. EU package travel rules need to be fit for the digital age and meet consumers' expectations. Today we are boosting protection for millions of consumers booking customised travel arrangements. The EU is acting to provide a safety net and peace of mind for holiday makers if something goes wrong."
"Tourism is an important source of growth for our economy, representing today some 1.8 million businesses and approximately 9.7 million jobs, while employing a significant proportion of our young people," said Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner, esponsible for Industry and Enterprises. "If tourists feel safe purchasing and using travel services in package format – for example when buying a flight and arranging car hire or accommodation all via the same provider - the industry will growth even further and faster. This is the main goal of today's proposal: to support all travel packages both on- and off-line while ensuring a balanced set of rights for travellers."
In addition to extending existing protection to customised packages, the reform brings new benefits for consumers and businesses.
For buyers of traditional and customised packages, today's proposal will bring:
For buyers of other customised travel arrangements, today's proposal entails:
For businesses today's proposal will cut red tape and compliance costs by:
The 1990 Package Travel Directive (90/314/EEC) has successfully been protecting consumers booking pre-arranged package holidays for over 20 years. It protects European consumers going on holiday and covers pre-arranged package holidays combining at least two of the following services: (1) transport, (2) accommodation (3) other tourist services, such as sightseeing tours, when the services cover more than 24 hours or include an overnight stay.
The existing Directive provides protection covering: information requirements and liability of tour operators for the performance of travel services, which means that tour operators have to ensure that all services included in the package (e.g. flight and hotel accommodation) are provided and are up to the required standard, as well as protection (reimbursement of pre-payments or repatriation) in the case of a tour operator going bust.
The rules need to be updated as more and more travellers put together their holidays on the internet meaning that holiday makers are not always sure of protection if something goes wrong. Around 23% of consumers book pre-arranged traditional package holidays - which are already covered by the 1990 EU Package Travel Directive. But another 23% buy customised holidays which are put together by one or more commercially linked traders to suit the needs and preferences of the customers. For example, consumers might book transport and a hotel from the same operator, or rent a car via the website where they booked their flight. Today's rules either simply do not cover such arrangements, or do so only in an ambiguous manner, leaving consumers unsure of their rights and traders unclear of their obligations (see Graphic 2 in the Annex). As a result, in a recent survey, 67% of EU citizens mistakenly thought that they were protected when buying such travel arrangements when they were not.
The aim of the reform is therefore to make sure that all those buying customised holidays are suitably protected, either as packages or as a new form of protected arrangement.
Today's reform is the result of extensive consultations. The Commission launched a public consultation on the revision of the Directive in November 2009 (IP/09/1824). The consultation focused on possible ways of solving the main limitations of the existing package travel rules.
On 22 April 2010 the Commission held a stakeholder workshop and on 5 June 2012 a conference with stakeholders and Member States on the revision of the Package Travel Directive. In January 2013, the Commission met with consumer groups and business leaders of the travel industry to discuss the review of the current EU legislation on package holidays (MEMO/13/42).
For more information
European Commission – package travel directive:
Homepage of Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner:
Justice Directorate General Newsroom:
Box 1:
Graphic 1: Distinction between combined travel arrangements and pre-arranged packages
Graphic 2: Scope of the 1990 EU Package Travel Directive (PDT)
The figure illustrates the scope of the Directive in relation to different travel arrangements.
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The Iron Crypt of the Heretics
Iron Crypt of the Heretics is a d20 Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure written for Dungeons & Dragons by Harley Stroh. In 2006, Iron Crypt of the Heretics was released in a 1e version at GenCon Indy. The 1e release included new encounters by Harley Stroh, and the 1e conversions by Jon Hershberger. After all copies sold out the first day of the convention, the 1e version was printed a second time.
|Rules required
|d20 3.5
|Character levels
|Campaign setting
|Generic D&D
|Harley Stroh
|First published
|Linked modules
|Dungeon Crawl Classics
For character levels 11-13, DCC #12.5 send the PCs into a forbidden crypt rife with deadly traps and challenging puzzles.
The first printing of the 1e version of the adventure is highly sought after, and sellers sometimes misrepresent the original 3.5 version, and the second 1e printing as the true GenCon first printing.[1]
Identifying characteristics of the 1e version (either 1st or 2nd printing) is the starbust on the cover that mark the adventure as an ENnie nominee. Identifying characteristics of the true 1e first printing are the mis-numbered area key on the map on the inside cover. Buyers should be careful and wary if they believe they are purchasing the true 1e first printing.
DCC #12.5 received a nomination for Best Adventure, ENnies 2006.[2]
|This Dungeons & Dragons article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Friday after developing a "massive" blood clot.
"She was complaining this morning of pain in her leg and swelling," said publicist John Blanchette.
Doctors examined Gabor at her Bel Air home and determined that she had developed a massive blood clot, and they feared it could move to her heart, Blanchette said.
She was taken to the hospital around 1:30 p.m., according to Blanchette.
Gabor, 93, fell out of bed and broke her hip July 17. She underwent hip-replacement surgery and was sent home about a month later, but she went back to the hospital two days later after developing blood clots.
Gabor was given last rites at the hospital Aug. 15 and was brought home to her Bel Air Road mansion the following day after declining any more procedures.
She was taken back to the hospital Aug. 31 after her husband, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, found her unresponsive. She was stabilized at the hospital and returned home.
Zsa Zsa is the last of the three glamorous Gabor sisters, all of whom had careers in show business. Magda, the eldest, died in 1997 at age 82. Eva, who starred in the 1960s CBS sitcom "Green Acres," died in 1995 at age 76.
Gabor's mother, Jolie, lived to be 101 years old.
Born Sari Gabor on Feb. 6, 1917, in Budapest, Hungary, she was unable to pronounce her first name as a child, calling herself Zsa Zsa instead. She was discovered by opera tenor Richard Tauber during a trip to Vienna in 1936 and was invited to perform in "Der Singende Traum," or "The Singing Dream." She arrived in the United States about 1941. In 1936, she won the Miss Hungary title, but was not able to participate in the Miss Europe pageant because she was underage.
By the early 1950s, she was appearing in films, including John Huston's version of "Moulin Rouge" and Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil."
She made headlines in 1989 when she was arrested for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer who pulled her over for a traffic violation and spent three days in jail.
In 2002, she was partly paralyzed in a car wreck in which her hairdresser was driving, and in 2005 she suffered a stroke.


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"Change your thoughts if you wish to change your circumstances. Since you alone are responsible for your thoughts, only you can change them. You will want to change them when you realize that each thought creates according to its own nature. Remember that the law works at all times and that you are always demonstrating according to the kind of thoughts you habitually entertain. Therefore, start now to think only those thoughts that will bring you health and happiness.
Thinking, reading and repeating statements of truth with a deep attention will help to clear away negation and to establish a positive attitude in your mind. Repeat your prayers and affirmations with deep concentration until you establish a habit of thought, until it becomes as natural for you to think in the right way as it previously was for you to think negatively."
Paramahansa Yogananda
Thinking is actually one of the hardest things to do. It's requires true effort and focus. The benefits are well worth the energy because what you focus on is what you create. Your thoughts and vibration ripple out and attract similar energy. It sets the creative energy of the universe in motion. Choose positive, uplifting and empowering thoughts and before you know it, that is what you are feeling and those are the actions you are taking.
🙂 Lee
The Mega Coach


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I have a promo code
Promo codes offer access to special offers or otherwise restricted seating. They are usually limited time offers distributed by LA Opera to select groups such as season ticket subscribers, previous buyers, e-newsletter subscribers, followers on social media, community circle partners, Opera U subscribers and others.
© 2019 Los Angeles Opera. All Rights Reserved


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This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.
High Contrast Reflective Coat - Screen Goo acrylic coating allows one to transform any smooth paintable surface into a high performance screen. Its paintable attribute allows users to create practically any screen imaginable, in any size or shape, ranging from curved to extremely large screens.
Note: Topcoat also needed to complete the system


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Photo by Shutterstock
In arid areas, clean flowing water is always in short supply. However, once temperatures cool at night, mists and fogs nourish plant and animal life. Inspired by species of beetles and spiders that have adapted to gather droplets from the air, a team from the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a cotton fabric coated with a special polymer that collects and retains moisture. The team, who will publish their results in the journal, Advanced Materials later this month, found that with the coating the fabric was able to absorb 340% of its own weight as compared to 18% without the polymer. Up to 93 degrees Fahrenheit, the material strongly attracts water. Once above that threshold, the microstructure changes, becoming completely closed and releasing pure water wherever it is placed.
Photo by Shutterstock
The cotton coated with the PNIPAAm compound has the further advantage of also being inexpensive. As a basic material, cotton can be grown and processed locally, and the coating can be added for roughly 12% of the entire cost of production under current conditions. Able to be placed directly on the ground to irrigate plants, the coated cotton does not need to rely on wind to drive moisture collection.
Researchers are also considering altering the the fabric for use in camping equipment and sportswear. Led by John Xin at PolyU and Dr. Catarina Esteves at TU/e, the scientists plan to further maximize the efficacy of the material and expect to be able to adjust the temperature at which the material switches from a water-collecting to a water-releasing state. The coated cotton has great implications for irrigation and hydration of arid regions, eliminating the need to transport water over long distances, purification systems, or containers.
+ Press Release
+ Eindhoven University of Technology
[Via ScienceDaily]


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HealthDay Reporter
Latest MedicineNet News
TUESDAY, March 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than 4 million Americans have signed up for health coverage through state and federal insurance marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration announced Tuesday.
About 4.2 million people had selected a health plan through the end of February, and there's less than a month to go before enrollment ends March 31, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.
That includes 2.6 million sign-ups through the federal marketplace at HealthCare.gov, and 1.6 million through state-operated marketplaces.
"Now, during this final month of open enrollment our message to the American people is this: you still have time to get covered, but you'll want to sign up today," Sebelius said in a news release.
The number of people who have signed up for one of the new marketplace health plans is still short of some predictions, however. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office had projected 6 million sign-ups in 2014.
The troubled October launch of the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace website, and technical difficulties experienced by some state exchanges, made enrolling almost impossible in the early days and weeks of enrollment last fall.
Obama administration officials argue that they have turned things around, and they expect a surge in enrollment as the days tick off to the end of open enrollment.
They specifically pointed to numbers showing the percentage of young adults who chose a plan in February -- 27 percent, which is three percentage points higher than it was from October through December.
Young adults' participation in the Affordable Care Act is considered crucial to the success of the controversial health reform law, because their premiums will help to cover older adults who tend to be more prone to illness and disease.
Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: March 11, 2014, news release, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services


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2012 AGM Reminder
To: All members of the Vancouver Curling Club
2012 Annual General Meeting
June 6, 2012 at 7pm
Location: The Last Draw Lounge at the VCC (4575 Clancy Loranger Way)
Our annual general meeting is coming up in two weeks and the Board of Directors encourages your presence. The AGM provides VCC members an opportunity to learn all that went on at the Club over the past year, to ask questions and to provide input into future decisions. As a membership-driven organization, your input is critical.
In addition, there are four positions open on the Board for next year so I encourage you to think about how you can help move the VCC forward. Our Club relies upon the dedication of the Board and a great group of volunteers to work with our skilled staff to ensure successful operations.
The formal notice of meeting, complete with the meeting agenda and AGM package, was emailed to all members on May 23. If you are a member of the VCC and did not receive a copy of the AGM package, please click here to send through an email request.
Look forward to seeing you at the AGM,
Scott Allen
Vancouver Curling Club


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Transcend's DrivePro 230 dashcam was designed with both style and safety in mind. The DrivePro 230 features a Sony image sensor to capture high-resolution videos with extremely fine tonal gradation even in low light. In addition, it features a GPS/GLONASS receiver, a built-in battery, a handy snapshot button, and Wi-Fi connectivity. More than just a safety device, Transcend's DrivePro 230 is a fellow traveler ready to explore more of the world with you.
The DrivePro 230 uses a Sony sensor to capture high-resolution images with superb, rich color even in low light. Its built-in Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology balances the light and dark areas of captured images, ensuring that every critical shot is as clear as possible.
The DrivePro 230's GPS/GLONASS receiver can log coordinates, date, and time into recorded video footage. The coordinates precisely locate where an incident happened so that emergency road services, police, or an insurance representative can respond more quickly.
The snapshot button allows you to take photos while still recording video. During an incident, you can remove the DrivePro 230 from the vehicle to create a photographic record of collision damage.
A built-in Li-Polymer battery ensures uninterrupted power to the device. Video will continue to be recorded and stored in the event of an accident or when the engine is off.
In the event of a collision, the DrivePro 230's motion G-sensor detects the impact and triggers emergency recording mode. This prevents overwriting of the file being recorded at the time. This feature can also be manually activated by pressing the red button on the side of the unit.
The DrivePro 230 features Wi-Fi connectivity that works with the exclusive DrivePro App to provide real-time footage playback and download. This means ease of access to video evidence for reporting incidents to law enforcement and insurance companies without the need to pull out the memory card.
In addition to on-the-road safety, the DrivePro 230 stands sentry when the vehicle is parked at a public parking lot. While the vehicle is parked, you can enable the parking mode or the time-lapse video recording function. The former activates recording when motion is detected; the latter enables you to get right to the heart of the matter without needing to view hours of incident-free footage.
Note: These two features require external power supply after the car engine is switched off.
The Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) helps to prevent accidents by issuing a warning when a vehicle veers out of a lane. The system monitors lane markings, and displays an onscreen alert while making a warning sound whenever the vehicle's speed exceeds a preset value or when the vehicle deviates from its path.
The Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS) warns the driver when the driving speed exceeds a preset value, such that the vehicle is getting too close to the car ahead. The system will in either case alert the driver with a warning sound and an onscreen alert.
When the DrivePro detects poor lighting conditions, for example at dusk, or in dark places such as a tunnel and basement, the headlight reminder will automatically activate.
To help prevent tired drivers from getting into an accident, the driver fatigue alert regularly reminds the driver of the need to rest after driving for a preset, driver-determined period of time.
In addition to playback, Transcend's DrivePro Toolbox features a sorting function to quickly locate video clips by file name, recording date, or group. The DrivePro Toolbox also provides a screenshot function allowing for the capture of a single frame. For DrivePro models with a GPS/GLONASS receiver, the Toolbox can display driving paths on maps along with the recorded video.
The DrivePro 230 comes bundled with a Transcend memory card built of high-quality NAND flash, and tested under harsh environmental conditions.
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In his radio address to the nation this past Saturday, Vermont Sen. Peter Welch laid out the Democrats response in this election year on the war in Iraq: In short, President Bush, his administration and this Republican Congress have been irresponsible and accountability can only be restored by electing a Democratic House and/or Senate in November.
Unless we have a change in power in Congress in 2006, Welch said at the Addison Independent offices last Friday afternoon, none of the big questions facing the nation really matter because the Republican-led Congress has not exercised its role to oversee the executive branch and has instead rubber-stamped most of what the White House has dished out — including cover-ups and gross mismanagement of the war effort.
Welch, who was chosen to deliver the response to the president's weekly radio address, couldn't be more on target.
What Americans have seen for much of the past six years under Bush and this Republican-led Congress has been an incredibly irresponsible approach to governance where substantive discussion on the issues has been replaced by political calculations. Bush and company have preferred staged theater to real accomplishments and falsified reports to sway a far-too gullible public.
Consider the war effort. Since Bush declared three years ago the mission in Iraq was "accomplished� aboard the U.S.S. Lincoln (grand theater staged for a egocentric nation), nearly 2,500 American soldiers have died fighting in Iraq and another 18,000 have been wounded. And since Vice-President Dick Cheney declared a year ago that the insurgency was "in its last throes,� there have been an increasing number of deadly attacks throughout Iraq as stability has continually eroded.
Consider also the theater surrounding the national deficit. Since Bush took over the fiscal fortunes of the country have deteriorated faster and further than at any time in the nation's history, yet Bush continues to push tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans as the nation's infrastructure deteriorates, federal aid to states declines, the nation's natural resources are being sold and plundered for pennies on the dollar, and the gap between the rich and poor grows wider and wider. Despite the stark evidence to the contrary, the Republican rhetoric is that deficits don't matter and the economy is stronger than ever.
Consider, too, that the cost of the Iraqi war is not included in the budget, at a request of the president, so a true picture of the nation's fiscal health has been purposely clouded in an effort to keep the headlines from shocking the public.
Welch noted Saturday that Bush wants Americans to "stay the course,� but counters that Bush's course is only more of the same with no exit strategy in a country gradually sliding into civil war.
Rather, Welch said Saturday, "Americans have had enough and it's long past time to change course.�
That change, Welch said, is to ensure that 2006 is "a year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty. We must establish clear benchmarks for the Iraqis to take care of their own country and defend themselves, so that we can transition our troops out and move to fight a smarter war on terrorism — including doing a better job of securing our ports and our borders.�
It's ironic, Welch told the Independent, that Bush's plan is to promote nation-building in Iraq — via occupation, the establishment of military bases, and a continued military presence there — when he and conservatives throughout the country ridiculed Al Gore in the 2000 campaign for humaniÂtarian campaigns in foreign countries they wrongly cast as nation-building.
We need to defend our national security, Welch said, but not try to dictate the politics of another country, and that's what Bush is trying to do in Iraq.
"Families in Vermont and all over America are frustrated and rightly so,� Welch said in his address. "At a time when all the Bush administration offers us is an open-ended commitment in Iraq, with no real strategy to meet America's goals, the last thing we need in Washington is another Bush Republican who simply rubber stamps this administration's misguided policies on Iraq. It's time for accountability, credibility and competence when it comes to Iraq.�
How Welch's Republican opponents Martha Rainville and Mark Shepard — and other Republicans around the nation in their respective races — answer those charges will play a significant part in the outcome of this November's election.
Angelo S. Lynn


text: On Wed, 20 Jun 2001, Douglas Eadline wrote: > On Mon, 18 Jun 2001, Josip Loncaric wrote: > > > Tom's Hardware idea of a water cooled CPU: > > > > http://www4.tomshardware.com/cpu/01q2/010528/index.html > > > > Interesting, although they missed the most obvious benefit of today's > > hot CPUs: waste heat could be used to keep your coffee warm. Now, if > > only someone would start building P4 systems with built-in coffee > > warmers... > > This was my idea 2 years ago. Why not connect the cpu heatsink > to the underside of the top of a tower case. Coffee warmer, > hot plate, etc. Now if you were really ingenious you could have > liquid lines to heat the water for your coffee go through the > cpu heatsinks to use the heat to make hot water (rgb note: this is not > a liquid cooling method discussion - I'm talk'n coffee). Then you could Oh, I appreciate good coffee all right. And some of the newer CPUs look like they'll heat the water to just the right temperature...;-) > Ah but I have given away to much. I am off to patent the > "one click coffee maker workstation case"... ...For the computer geek who has everything. rgb -- Robert G. Brown http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/ Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305 Durham, N.C. 27708-0305 Phone: 1-919-660-2567 Fax: 919-660-2525 email:rgb at phy.duke.edu


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The other night I came across an announcement from the U.S. State Department that began:
We are dismayed over reports that the Iranian courts are requiring Youcef Nadarkhani to recant his Christian faith or face the death penalty for apostasy – a charge based on his religious beliefs. If carried out, it would be the first execution for apostasy in Iran since 1990.
If this is a big enough story for the State Department to issue a warning, certainly it's newsworthy, right? But apparently the "repent or die" sentence of a Christian convert in Iran is not that interesting to the media.
The Christian and human rights press is all over it. But the only mainstream treatment I saw was from Agence France Press.
Here's their headline:
Iran 'annuls death term' for Christian pastor
So if a court told someone who was facing certain death that he only faced certain death if he refused to recant his faith, would you say that's an "annulment" of the death sentence? I wouldn't.
Here's the story:
Iran's supreme court has overturned a death sentence handed down to Yusef Nadarkhani, a Christian pastor accused of apostasy for having converted from Islam, his lawyer told AFP on Sunday.
"The supreme court has annuled the death sentence and sent the case back to the court in Rasht (his hometown), asking the accused to repent," Mohammad Ali Dadkhah said.
Nadarkhani, now 32, converted from Islam to Christianity at the age of 19 and became a pastor of a small evangelical community called the Church of Iran.
He was arrested in October 2009 and condemned to death for apostasy under Iran's Islamic Sharia laws, which however allow for such verdicts to be overturned if the convicted person "repents" and renounces his conversion.
The lawyer himself has been sentenced to nine years in jail and a 10-year ban on practicing law or teaching at the university for "actions and propaganda against the Islamic regime."
I get that the lawyer is saying that all Nadarkhani, married father of two, has to do to avoid the death penalty is repent. But AFP should figure out that this is not a legal victory for Nadarkhani. And other media outlets might want to pay attention to Iran's thinking on executing Christian converts and imprisoning leaders of Baha'i and flogging of Sufis.
Image via Present Truth Ministries.


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Description:PC Board : Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition II - Remote management adapter - PCI - EN Fast EN - 10Base-T 100Base-TXPart Number(s)
Option Part# 227251-001
Alternate Part# 232386-001
Alternate Part# 011283-001
Overview:Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition II delivers an embedded hardware-based graphical remote console capability that provides virtual presence to servers in data center and remote sites giving full control of remote server display keyboard and mouse. It seamlessly supports text and graphics modes displaying all phases of remote server activities (shutting down starting up loading OS operation) and is OS independent (Microsoft Windows and .NET NetWare RedHat and SuSE Linux). It works with a standard browser; no additional software is required on the remote server or client. The Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition II is based on a 200-MHz processor that now provides significantly faster performance in the Graphical Remote Console. The Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition II provides secure remote access to the host server by providing 128-bit encryption of the remote console data stream.


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The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) announced improvements to its resonance charging model recently, raising the standard to 50 watts to cover certain laptops, tablets and other peripherals. The group, which is made up of Qualcomm, Intel and a number of other industry leaders, announced the news at the Computex 2014 trade show in Taipei, where it plans to show off the new technology with a series of demonstrations later this week.
The A4WP's wireless charging brand, called Rezence, works using resonance technology, which can pass through other materials. That means you can strap a Rezence device to the bottom of a table and then charge multiple phones, tablets and even laptop computers by simply placing them on the table's surface. It's impressive technology in theory, but Rezence hasn't actually hit the market yet. Meanwhile the Wireless Power Consortium's Qi standard is already in use and comes built into a number of flagship smartphones and cases.
You can check out of video of Rezence in action just below, though there's no word on when this technology will actually be available to purchase for individual consumers or larger businesses.


text:
Hello, and welcome to October! It's a spooktactular month, full of tricks, but there are no tricks here for you!
Terrible jokes aside, I'm so excited to show you this month's daily download. Before I do, if you missed any piece of September's kit, created by the wonderful Chere Kaye Designs, it's available in the store now!
Now it's time to preview October's Daily Download. It was created by Wendy Tunison Designs, and it looks amazing!!


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European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 19 July 2013
Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of MEI by Crane, subject to conditions
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of MEI Group by Crane Co., both of the United States. MEI and Crane both manufacture various unattended payment systems. The clearance is conditional upon the divestment of a range of products and related assets in Canada and Germany. The Commission's preliminary investigation showed that the proposed transaction, as originally notified, would have raised competition concerns for certain types of unattended payment systems in the European Economic Area (EEA). The commitments submitted by Crane address these concerns.
The Commission found that the proposed transaction, as initially notified, would have given the merged entity very high market shares in the EEA without sufficient constraint from competitors for the following types of unattended payment systems: coin changers, used predominantly in vending machines, as well as banknote recyclers and acceptors for transport applications, for instance ticket vending machines in public transport and pay-on-foot terminals in parking lots. The remaining competitors would have had market shares far below the combined market share of the parties.
In order to address the Commission's competition concerns, Crane offered to divest several products and related technologies:
Crane also committed not to close its proposed acquisition of MEI before concluding a binding agreement for the sale of the divestment businesses to a suitable purchaser approved by the Commission. The Commission's investigation showed that the divested businesses would be viable and that the commitments would resolve all identified concerns.
In view of the remedies proposed, the Commission concluded that the transaction, as modified, would not significantly reduce competition in all or part of the EEA. This decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments.
In the other markets, where the parties' activities overlap, the merged entity's market share would remain relatively limited and it would continue to face a number of credible competitors.
The transaction was notified to the Commission on 31 May 2013.
Companies and products
Crane is a diversified manufacturer of highly-engineered industrial products and is headquartered in the US. Crane is active, among others, in unattended payment systems and in a related market for vending machines.
MEI is headquartered in the US and is active, among others, in unattended payment systems.
Unattended payment systems enable transactions around the clock (24/7) by handling coin, banknote or cashless payments via machines where generally no attendant is present. Examples of machines containing unattended payment systems include vending machines for drinks or snacks, self-checkout machines in supermarkets, gaming or slot machines, public transport ticket vending machines.
Merger control rules and procedures
The Commission has the duty to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds (see Article 1 of the Merger Regulation) and to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the EEA or any substantial part of it.
The vast majority of notified mergers do not pose competition problems and are cleared after a routine review. From the moment a transaction is notified, the Commission generally has a total of 25 working days to decide whether to grant approval (Phase I) or to start an in-depth investigation (Phase II).
More information is available on the Commission's competition website in the public case register under the case number M.6857.
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