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Paulo Sergio last night accused Kenny Shiels of trying to provoke him by offering a handshake as their bitter feud continued.
Killie boss Shiels twice attempted the role of peacemaker in the hope of drawing a line under their recent war of words.
But his Hearts counterpart refused to shake his hand prior to, and after, Saturday's fiery 1-1 draw.
Sergio remains incensed by Shiels public criticism of him last week and reckons the Ulsterman has plumbed new depths with his outspoken stance on Tynecastle team affairs.
The Portuguese manager said: "I wish him all the best but you have to understand I don't want to shake the hand of the guy who's been saying what he has about me.
"When he came the second time to shake my hand it was just to provoke me and get a reaction from the crowd. It's a new provocation.
"I did not speak to Kenny Shiels. I did not want to. You have to understand that it's not just about this week.
"This is the fifth or sixth time he has done that and this time he has sunk so low I don't have words to describe it.
"I have been too soft with him in the past. But it was time to give him a lesson because he's not doing it just with me.
"He's doing it with everybody. I don't know his style but he should respect people. He speaks about principles but he has no ethics or respect for anybody."
Sergio was involved in an angry confrontation with Shiels' son Dean at the end of the match when the pair had to be dragged apart.
He said: "The kid gave his hand to me then said a thing and I took my hand off. I'm not going to repeat what he said and I hope nothing happens to him.
"I don't want any punishment. I understand Dean's reaction but he can understand mine. He's a clever boy, a good player with a future.
"I wish all the best to Kilmarnock. I respect their fans, board, everybody. This is a separate situation between me and their manager."
And Killie assistant Jimmy Nicholl insisted he had no problem with Sergio's stance.
He said: "I wasn't disappointed with his reaction, I expected it. It's not disrespectful if you feel that strongly."


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There is an entire chapter of writing dedicated to people like me called "They stopped in time." I am not someone who fits the typical alcoholic/addict profile. I am a scholar athlete, a hard worker, a positive person, take great care of my health and never have engaged in confrontation nor been involved in an altercation.
I grew up in a loving household, my parents got divorced when I was young, but nonetheless my brother and I were loved and given the attention we needed. My parents always did the best they could and I still consider my parents my best friends. My dad taught me everything he could to prepare me for my future and inspires me still today. I excelled in sports and academics in high school and college. I also graduated college with honors.
So how could a person with no significant trauma, excuse or symptoms become an alcoholic? I have the genetics for this disease. My grandmother was an alcoholic and died an alcoholic death, her body was found with four loco bottles surrounding it. My mother is an active alcoholic but she too maintains a job and is a loving, selfless woman.
When my grandmother died I knew that was the end of my drinking. It had to be because I did not want to end up like her. I promised on my grandmother that I would never touch another drink. I saw what socializing in college and drinking had already done to me.
My drinking led me to dating a very verbally and physically abusive woman for two years. Being exposed to such negativity led me into depression and ultimately hating and questioning my life.
My grandmother's death was an awakening for me to start a new beginning. Soon after her death I ended my unhealthy relationship, put my focus on my interests such as golf, started attending church again, and started volunteer coaching the Special Olympics.
I got sober by keeping busy with work, hobbies, God and helping others. I was two years sober when I met my now fiancé off a dating website. This woman I will soon call my wife introduced me to a 12-step fellowship, where she got sober and introduced me to others like us.
Her story and my story are complete opposites. I never got into trouble because of my drinking. I never hit an extremely low bottom and never had to experience the pain many others have had to on their journey. I learned early from fear. Fear of becoming like some of my family members.
Today, I live a beautiful life and I am proof that stigma's don't apply to many people in recovery. We are all different. We all took different paths to get to where we are today. It is our journey's that make us unique and the lessons we take that determine our future. I am blessed to be on the path I am today and think many people use this stigma as an excuse to keep using.
People often think just by admitting they are an alcoholic or addict means that they are a bad person, and if people are going to judge them that way, they might as well just keep using. I think that stigma's are ridiculous and are used for many as a crutch.
I wish people knew the only way to recover is to embrace love and forgive every aspect of yourself, and this doesn't need to be done alone. We all were on separate paths, but now we all come together to build a better future.

subset: commoncrawl


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ZURICH, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Switzerland ran a federal budget surplus of 2.94 billion Swiss francs ($2.92 billion) in 2018, 10 times greater than planned, as tax revenue overshot projections and the state kept a tight grip on spending, the government said on Wednesday.
Including extraordinary income, the surplus topped 3 billion francs, provisional figures from the finance ministry showed.
"The outlook for 2020-2022 has improved given the good development of revenue, so from today's perspective no savings measures will be needed in 2020," it said in a statement.
Drawing up planning for the next budget process, it projected a structural surplus of 400 million Swiss francs in 2020 despite an anticipated 1.4 billion-franc hit from tax and pension reforms.
It pencilled in structural surpluses of 1.1 billion francs in 2021 as proposed changes to taxation of married couples kick in a year later than envisioned, and of 200 million francs in 2022 as Switzerland abolishes industrial tariffs.
$1 = 1.0053 Swiss francs Reporting by Michael Shields, editing by Larry King


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Past Point exclusively spoke to ex-West Indian captain Jimmy Adams.
Past Point: You've played club cricket all your life and for an international captain that's quite unusual, why? Will you be playing any club cricket in the future?
Jimmy Adams: When I was touring during the winter months with the West Indies, I did not want to then play every day for another 6 months. Club cricket allowed me a bit of competitive cricket on weekends but with enough time during the week to explore other interests. I do not see myself playing club cricket in the future.
PP: What was it like being 2nd to Don Bradman after your 1st 12 matches with 1,132 runs at an average of 87?
JA: I was happy to be contributing to our international efforts at the time.
PP: It must of been frustrating when you were injured in the middle of the 1990's, do you think this effected your game?
JA: I don't think it had to much of an effect outside of keeping me out for about 7 weeks.
PP: Being captain of the West Indies must have been a massive honour, what was it like and do you think you were a good captain? And also being captain after Brian Lara must of put pressure on you.
JA: It was an honour to be asked to captain our international team. I think I did a fair job given the players avaliable. I didn't feel any more pressure for having captained after Brian.
PP: You played county cricket for Nottinghamshire and you also played South African state cricket which was the more appealing and which was a better standard?
JA: I enjoyed both environments with the standards being roughly similar.
PP: You're currently commentating for Sky Sports was this something you wanted to do after retirement from the game?
JA: I can't say that I planned it while I was playing. It has sort of worked out this way.
PP: The standard of West Indies cricket at the moment has been publicised a lot recently what do you think of it? Do you think all of the criticism is unfair? Also what do you think the future of West Indies cricket is like?
JA: The standards in the West Indies are pretty low right now. I think our future depends a great deal on how quickly we can get the standards right across our game lifted a lot higher.
PP: What are your plans for the future?
JA: I am involved in private coaching projects which I hope to see grow in years ahead.


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Maserati's 6th generation Quattroporte won't make you double take. Nor will you confuse it for another car. And, that's a good thing. In keeping with a growing tradition, Maserati's kept aesthetic changes to a minimum, instead focusing on improving the interior quality. One exciting item in the new Quattroporte is the Ferrari-built V8 engine. At first we were thinking that we couldn't give you a prediction regarding the output of this whip, but then we noticed the license plate that reads "QP 530 HP." We're going to go out on a very sturdy looking limb and tell you that this Ferrari V8 will make 530 horses; a big upgrade from the 400 to 450hp in the current car.
The car will get a full debut at the Detroit Motor Show next January. It is the first in a full refresh for the brand, which will include the smaller mid-size Ghibli sedan and Levante SUV in an expanded line-up…all leading to the 100th anniversary of the brand in 2014.
[via Autocar]


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Amazon Bestseller for WordPress uses the Amazon Product API and displays a bestseller list on your WordPress posts and pages. You can easily use the plugin on several pages including different categories and lengths.
- Automatic updates via your WordPress dashboard supported
- Use the shortcode and display your desired Amazon bestseller list
- Create bestseller lists for every product category or keyword you want (e.g. "mainboards" or "usb 3.0 cable")
- Diversify the maximum amount of entries (e.g. top 3, top 10 lists)
- Shows current price, sale and star ratings
- Show a disclaimer in order to comply with Amazon terms of service (currentness of data)
- Every product link will include your tracking id to receive sale commissions
- Compatible to the following Amazon pages: .de / .com / .co.uk / .ca / .fr / .co.jp / .it / .cn / .es / .in / .com.br
- Full responsive functionality
- Different Styles + additionally Customizable by using CSS
- Configuration page
- Easy configuration. No expert knowledge needed!
- Help us translating the plugin here
You need more features?
- Place single boxes for specific products
- Templating for your own structure and styles
- Widget support
- Developer license for unlimited sites
- and more!
Take a look at Amazon Affiliate for WordPress and be far ahead of your competitors!
- Automatic backup
- WD discovery software for WD backup; WD security and WD Drive utilities
- Password protection with hardware encryption
- Auto backup with included WD Backup software
- Password protection with hardware encryption
- Reimagined design
- 2TB storage capacity
- USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 compatibility
- Up to 5 GB/s data transfer speed
The product information above (especially the current prices) are not real-time and will be refreshed every 24 hours. Last update: 2018-06-05
More live demonstrations can be found here.


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The key players in the industrial alcohol market include Cargill (U.S.), Raizen Energia (Brazil), Green Plains Inc. (U.S.), Cristalco (France), and MGP Ingredients Inc. (U.S.). Other players include The Andersons Inc. (U.S.), Sigma-Aldrich Inc. (U.S.), Grain Processing Corporation (U.S.), Greenfield Specialty Alcohols Inc. (Canada), and Flint Hills Resources (U.S.).
Strategic acquisitions and organic expansions were the core strengths of the leading players of the industrial alcohol market; these strategies were adopted by the players to increase their market presence. They also helped the players diversify their businesses geographically, strengthen distribution networks, and enhance their production capacities. Market leaders such as Cargill (U.S.), Raizen Energia (Brazil), Green Plains Inc. (U.S.) and MGP Ingredients (U.S.) successfully tapped the potential markets through expansions, investments, acquisitions, and agreements or joint ventures.
Cargill (U.S.) is a leading company in food, agriculture, financial & industrial, pharmaceutical, and personal care products & services with more than 150 years of industry experience. The company has established itself as an international food conglomerate, with its wide range of offerings covering most of the sectors of food & beverage industry. The company is one of the leaders in the manufacturing of alcohol and distilleries for both, beverages and industrial purposes. Cargill works in close cooperation with its customers to meet their requirements, enhance the products, and ensure consistent quality. The company manufactures varied standards of ethyl alcohol, which finds application in the beverage industry, as well as in the pharmaceutical, energy, food products, chemical, and personal care sectors. Cargill has a well-developed global presence and aims to increase its business in emerging markets to develop a significant global network by adopting strategies such as expansions and joint ventures. The company adopted expansions as its business strategy to secure its position in developed countries in North America and Europe. The main focus of the company is to enhance its production capacity by opening new plants and signing joint ventures, so that the increased demand for ethyl alcohol is met. For instance, in December 2015, Cargill entered into a joint venture with USJ group (Brazil), to install a technology system, fluid quip process technology, which helps the company to integrate corn ethyl alcohol production with sugarcane ethyl alcohol facility. This investment by the company on installing new technology in their production facility, aims at maintaining the ethyl alcohol production capacity, irrespective of the feedstock available, so that the supply and demand scale is maintained.
Raizen Energia (Brazil) is a leading energy company, formed as a result of a merger of assets from Cosan and Royal Dutch Shell in Brazil. It owns a fully integrated process for the sugar-energy industry, including all the stages-sugarcane cultivation, sugar & ethyl alcohol production, internal logistics, exportation, distribution, and marketing. The company mainly focuses on the domestic market and strategizes investment plans in order to improve the production capacity of the company. For instance, in January 2015, Raizen enhanced the production of second generation alcohols, using straw and bagasse as the feedstock, by investing in establishing seven ethanol plants at Piracicaba. Raizen has a large production capacity for the fuel sector, thereby leading the Brazilian biofuel market
Related Reports:
Industrial Alcohol Market by Type (Ethyl, Methyl, Isopropyl, Isobutyl, Benzyl Alcohol), Source (Sugar & Molasses, Corn, Grains, Fossil Fuels), Application (Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Fuel, Food, Chemical), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022
UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ
Magarpatta city, Hadapsar
Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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We currently have pregnant females available for sale plus top quality stud males that have been skin tested for density, length and primary(guard hair) fibres.
We also have a second level of herd sires that are suitable as herd sires.
Please contact us to arrange an inspection.
Wethers as herd protectors from $350
We have a range of females for sales to suit varied budgets so please contact us for the current list of females available.


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- Your shopping cart is empty!
- Products (997)
- Accessories (30)
- Beats Headphones
- Boombox (3)
- Headphone Extension (1)
- JVC Headphones (31)
- Kingston Gaming Heaphone (2)
- Maxell Headphones
- MP3 Players
- Panasonic Headphones (20)
- Sennheiser Headphones
- TDK Headphones (14)
- Speakers (1)
MobileLite is a compact, portable, multifunctional card reader that lets you easily transfer digital data, photos, games, music and more stored on memory expansion cards between all kinds of digital devices. Designed for use with different types of SD/SDHC, microSD/SDHC memory cards, MobileLite lets users carry a single device to store, transfer or read data on any USB host device while using a variety of Flash cards for mobile phones, digital cameras, Netbooks, computers, MP3 players and more.
Ideal for personal or professional use, MobileLite will quickly become an essential part of your mobile gear. It's ultraportable, plug and play and requires no external power source. MobileLite has retractable covers on each side to make it compact and protect the USB connector and the Flash memory cards from damage. It also includes a USB extension cable that allows you to plug the MobileLite into USB slots that are harder to reach.
- Versatile multi functional USB card reader that works with SD/SDHC,microSD/SDHC cards
- Portable easily fits in your pocket to take it with you
- Easy just plug and play into any USB 2.0 or Type C Port MicroUSB port
- Interfaces/Ports
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Media Adaptor
- Secure Digital: Supported
See our Capacity Table for Memory Cards
Our Offers
Contact Us
- KVJ Fairdeal LTD 76 Whitechapel High Street London E1 7QX
- +44(0)20 7247 6029
- firstname.lastname@example.com
Contact Us
- KVJ Fairdeal LTD 76 Whitechapel High Street London E1 7QX
- +44(0)20 7247 6029
- email@example.com
Total Blank Media © 2019


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This year marks the 25th anniversary since the release of Road Apples. To celebrate, K-Rock 105.7 in Kingston has produced a special radio program that includes stories, song analysis, and interviews with Gord Sinclair, Dan Aykroyd, Hugh Dillon, and John-Angus MacDonald from The Trews.
The show will air on Sunday, March 20th at 5pm local time in Kingston and on the following Canadian radio stations.
Road Apples 25th Anniversary Radio Show: Sunday, March 20th at 5pm local time
Kingston K-Rock 105.7
Ottawa CHEZ 106
Winnipeg 92 CITI FM
Sudbury Q92
North Bay 101.9 The Fox
Timmins Q92
Medicine Hat Rock 105.3
Grande Prairie Rock 97.7
Lethbridge Rock 106
Fort McMurray Rock 97.9


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Tag: driving tips
135 Posts
Dec 26, 2014
A Wellspring of Misinformation!
Today: Marc's dealership told him that if he wants to avoid getting stuck on ice in his front-wheel drive Nissan Altima, he should always make sure to park with his right tires on the dry pavement. Is this how front-wheel drive cars work, or does his dealer have his head up his differential? Car Talk explains, right here.
Jun 12, 2014
Husband to Blame for Bad Gas Mileage?
Lois's husband gets terrible gas mileage when he drives, and Lois wants Tom and Ray to explain why. Her theory: That her husband's jackrabbit starts at lights are causing the drop in MPG. Whose side will Tom and Ray take? Find out here.
Jan 24, 2014
Winter Driving with the Pros: Alta Ski Area
We asked a driver who makes daily trips up and down the single most avalanche-prone road in North America for his best winter driving tip. What is it? (Other than, "Don't get buried!"?) Find out, right here.
Feb 17, 2014
Cars and Cold Snaps: FAQs
How's your car holding up this winter? We've compiled some of Tom and Ray's wisdom on the subject of getting your car started and keeping it going on frigid mornings.
Mar 11, 2013
God Save the Clutch
Tesa has been driving stick for years but still harbors traumatic memories of learning to drive with her dad. She recently moved back to her home town and her dad thinks he's still obligated to remind her not to ride the clutch (which she wasn't doing anyway, thank you very much.) Is her dad right, or is he just being a pain in the tuchus? Find out what Tom and Ray think.
Sep 12, 2012
Bad News for Lynnay: Her Mother Is Right
Lynnay's mother is adamant that there is a right way to park, and equally adamant that Lynnay is doing it wrong. Tom and Ray explain how the transmission and the parking brake work together and weigh in on whether Lynnay is really destroying her transmission like mommy dearest says.
Dec 27, 2011
Could driving a vehicle at higher RPMs be more efficient?
Marie and her buddy both love to drive manual transmission vehicles, but their driving styles couldn't be more different. Which one of them is getting better gas mileage?
Aug 01, 2011
Today: What's the best way to approach a speed bump?
I live in a gated community with lots of speed bumps to deter speeding I am always amazed at the ingenious techniques people use when they go over speed bumps There is the one-wheel technique the diagonal technique and of...
May 27, 2011
Memorial Day Memo: Don't Drive Like an Idiot (or My Brother)
I prove that it's not hard to drive like a complete moron this holiday weekend. But you can also drive smart and actually save bundles of money at the pumps.
May 01, 2011
What's the best way to approach potholes: fast or slow?
Every year we face the pothole issue. However, this year seems to be the worst in recent memory. Potholes are so big this year where I live that they've been given names, like the craters on the moon. Did I...
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Soccerkid Rudy SIgns Deal with Leyton Orient.
Coaching Report for 2018, The plan so far ...
SK Sports, Football Academy Coaching Report For Spring Seasons from January 2018 through to April 2018.
Success for George at Leyton Orient FC!
Conratulations to George upon a Successful Trial with Leyton Orient
Xmas Sports Camp @ Pemberley School
Upcoming Sports camp at Pemberley Primary School in Harlow. SK Sports and FlickTrick Sports will be hosting the 2-day camp delivering coaching games and sessions in Rugby, Football, Basketball and Dance ... Dates: 21st & 22nd December - BOOK BEFORE 24/11 FOR DISCOUNT!
Tuesday Night School Football - Super League Review
SK Sports Presents a round-up of season 3.
Match Day 5 - Harlow Leisure Zone Tuesday Night Youth League
Under 7's and 8's Tuesday Evening School and club 5-aside football league - Registration Available now for season 2 (April 18th)
Match Day 3 - Harlow Leisure Zone - U8 Tuesday League
Match Report / Media Gallery / Results / Fixtures / League Table / Trial Match v Colchester
Match Day 2 - Harlow Leisure Zone U8 Youth League - Review
Match Report / Media Gallery / Results / Fixtures / League Table
Match Day 1 - League Openers at the Harlow Leisure Zone
Match Report, Results, Fixtures, Media Coverage
Harlow Schools & Club, Midweek Youth League - 2017 - Season 1
Start Dates, Ethos, Registration details, Info
Harlow's 70 - St Clare Youth Football Cup - U6, U7, U8, U9
Details of the Harlow's 70, School and Club football competition for St Clare Hospice .. March 26th
SK Super Cup 2016
NEW! SOCCERKIDS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE @ PARSONAGE LANE - 3:30 to 4:15 - Thursdays
Bishops Stortford - New Class Information
Colchester United Development Academy: Trial Match Review
Trial Match review, Pictures and Successful Soccerkids during the event ...
Chelsea Scout Coming to Town!
Chelsea Scout attendance during week 3 of the 2015/16 summer season
Charity Football Day - May 1st
Sawbridgeworth Town FC - Mayday Charity Football Event - May 1st
NEW! SK U7 & U8 Elite
West Ham United will be coming to watch, coach and talk to the children and parents from our newly forming team....the coaching for our boys and girls starts Feb 3rd & 7th....with West Ham following up on the 11th!
Coaching days will be scheduled every week on Tuesdays @ Mark Hall Sports Centre , from 5:00-6:00.....and Saturdays @ Leventhorpe Leisure Centre , from 9:00-10:00 (TBC).
Our Fixture List will be available to the parents once our the team has been established.
Ages: 5 (invite only), 6, 7, 8.
Note: our SK Development Structure is in place to give all children the opportunity to come and have fun in a pressure free environment as well as providing them with an opportunity to progress as far as their ability will take them. We now have a number of venues operating locally that provides any child of the relevant age a suitable club in regard to their own personal and physical development.
Call, Email or Text us for more information and come along for a free taster session!
Accreditation Award
SoccerkidzLTD have been awarded the accreditation for being the official Child Development program for Sawbridgeworth Town FC's 2-7 years.
Chairmen Steve Day says... "Soccerkidz have been providing the community with a great new footballing concept designed for children from 2 years old. We have implemented a pathway system designed to benefit child development in football. We are happy to associate our club with the coaching and support they have been providing along side our own coaching team".
Welcoming Coach Mason!
Soccerkidz Announcement:
We would like to welcome our newly inducted member of the coaching team, Coach Mason.
Soccerkidz..... "Mason has shown over the last month that he has the fundamentals of what it takes to be a Soccerkidz Coach."
Coach Mason...."I am really pleased to have been given the opportunity to coach as a part of this developing club. I look forward to learning all I can with the aim of owning my own Soccerkidz franchise a few years down the line."
Coach Profile:
- Studies at Harlow College
- Sawbridgeworth Town Fc 1st Team
- 2 years coaching experience
- FA Qualified
- DBS checked
- Looks Like Beckham of 98
Can you help SoccerKidz grow?
Can you help SoccerKidz Grow?
Can anyone Help get this message to nurseries and schools?!
Coach Ben......Hello, I hope your having a good day.
As the company director of a newly established local toddlers football club we would like to inquire about the potential of me personally coaching the children "football" at your nursery or school.
we started Soccerkidz in England 5 months ago as a Saturday club with the aim of coaching the ages 2 to 5 years for the purpose of fun and development. Due to my experiences I choose this age because I excel at coaching this group, plus it gives me great satisfaction knowing I am making a positive difference in their lives. I aim to implement my own concepts into the club with our main focus channeled on supporting healthy child development.
In the terms of "Healthy child development" I refer to:
- Basic motor skills
- Integration
- Team work
- The Soccerkidz Child development System
- And the most important aspect of all FUN!
I would like to offer you the opportunity of having Soccerkidz come to your nursery or school to put on a free taster session as a promotion attempt for our company. At the same time you can assess the Soccerkidz brand to see whether or not it would be worth your while having us attend on a regular basis. There will be no hard feelings if you was to say we're rubbish or not interested.
You can check out a Video of us in action via the Soccerkidz Facebook page,
If your interested then please message firstname.lastname@example.com or call 07813557347.
To find out more information about our weekend sessions look on our Facebook page, for development updates follow our Twitter @soccer_kidz.
SoccerkidzLTD is a registered company, we hold public liability insurance, coaches are DBS checked and FA qualified.


text: BMW Motorbike I randomly met Felix with his old BMW motorbike. He was ok with riding up and down the road a few times for me in exchange for some images of his bike. - Thanks dude! Axel BrunstOctober 29, 2016motorbike, bmw, travel, roadtrip, summer, bike, germany, deutschland Facebook0 Twitter Pinterest0 0 Likes


text: Eastover offers spacious workshop and program rooms with multiple meeting and studio facilities for teachers, groups, company retreats and training. Eastover offers a wide spectrum of accommodations with comfortable lodgings from simple to luxurious. You can be our Relax and Rejuvenate guests to find it all and enjoy it all. Wellness consultations and treatments including Traditional Chinese medicine, Jazz, country music, or staying here and visit Tanglewood music center or Kripalu Yoga center which is 10 minutes away, we are right here at the center of Lenox, MA


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Let's talk about VAPOUR ORGANIC BEAUTY/
**Use my code ROSEWATER for 10% OFF of your Vapour Purchase!!**
I am seriously impressed with this brand. And seriously in love.
Favorite foundation? Check.
Favorite concealer? Check.
Amazing cream blush? Check.
Best clean deodorant? Check.
I mean. Come on. And as if I didn't love them enough, Vapour just extended their Atmosphere Foundation line to 19 different shades and Illusionist Concealer to 18 shades! So many skin tones are represented. This makes me so happy! Not to mention, the Soft Focus Foundation now comes in glass bottles!! The BEST!
How to get this look:
I apply my Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation (I wear shade s115) with my Beautyblender. I wet the Beautyblender with water or rosewater and apply with soft strokes. I then apply my Illusionist Concealer (I wear shade 015) to my undereyes with my finger. The concealer has such a reflective property, that I don't feel like I have to use very much because it reflects so much light and makes my undereyes appear lighter. Next, I swipe my Beautyblender on my Aura Multi-Use in Courtesan. I dab the color to the apples of my cheeks for a beautiful blush. I use my finger to apply a little of the color to my lips.
The Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation (I wear shade s115) is a medium-to-full coverage foundation that is the dewiest and glowiest! It's so pretty - I just feel like I look healthy and youthful as soon as I put it on!! The Illusionist Concealer is pretty full coverage, I feel like a little goes a long way! Like I said, it is super reflective, so light just bounces off of it like crazy! I have the Aura Multi-Use Blush in Sultry and Courtesan - they blend in so well, giving the prettiest flush to my cheeks!
Now, let's talk about this deodorant. I use the AER Next-level Deodorant in Ginger Grapefruit and I got mine from Aillea Beauty. It is a gel-to-powder formula that works. Everyone's chemical makeup is so different and you really have to find the deodorant that works for you. The AER is mine. I don't feel like I constantly need to reapply and it is really working for me! Bonus - it smells SO GOOD.
Don't you just want to try it all??
**Use my code ROSEWATER for 10% OFF of your Vapour Purchase!!**
xoxo Lauren


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The Toy Cot
We'd always thought our Jumbo must have been incredibly sweet when he was little, who doesn't adore baby elephants? During our launch week pop-up we thought we'd have him around both big and small and have to confess, it was one the biggest attractions!
So we've gone crazy nostalgic and decided to have him around permanently, and his name is Jumbito. We think you can clearly see the likeness, can't you?
Jumbito is a charming toy cot, perfect for your child's teddies and other toys. This small cot is the ideal size and weight to encourage interaction and creativity and makes for a perfect addition in your child's toy collection at home. Our toy cots have interchangeable animal faces so your kids can turn their Jumbito into a Zorro in no time! And as a bonus for parents, it looks great anywhere at home!
Jumbito means "little Jumbo" in Spanish. It's just an endearing way of referring to someone ;-)
- Jumbito is extremely simple to assemble and putting it together can be a great game for both you and your child. It requires no screws at all, every piece is made of plywood and comes together easily by sliding the pieces together and inserting a wooden pin. Please read the instructions provided carefully.
- Our toy cots interchangeable faces means you can take a separate animal face home and swap characters easily!
- Jumbito is custom made in the UK using the highest quality materials always sourced from responsibly managed forests in Eastern Europe (PEFC and FSC certified). The wood is hand finished with natural products and water based paints to better preserve the wood and avoid it from staining.
- This toy complies with the relevant European safety standards for toys (EN 71) so you can be assured your child will always be safe. We are parents ourselves so we wouldn't have it any other way.


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August 22, 2018
Chorkie is the type of cross breed dog resulting between Chihuahua and the Yorkshire Terrier. This is a lively and playful companion dog that inherits a swagger from both parents. Chorkie sometimes called Chiyorkie, York Chi, Yorkie-Chi, Yorkchi and Yorkiechi. Chorkie content overview History Different names Appearance and Characteristics Personality and Temperament Health & problems How


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TG328 - Geothermal Steam Turbine Generator Maintenance| Print |
4.5 days - 2.9 Continuing Education Units Awarded
HPC Technical Services' course on Geothermal Steam Turbine Generator Maintenance is a more specific version of one of the most popular courses we offer, TG301. The course targets those individuals who have a need to better understand the maintenance process. This includes engineers (who have not yet received formal training on this topic), experienced-mechanics, mechanical maintenance foremen, planners and management.
Today, steam turbine generator outages are subject to much debate. Much of this debate is centered over the desire to shorten the outage length. Here at HPC we understand and appreciate this goal. The accomplishment of this goal should not be, however, at the sacrifice of properly inspecting and evaluating components that are critical to the return to service and achieving a long run cycle. Over the past couple years the most commonly received comment is, "I wish I had taken this course 10-years ago." That may be true, but taking the course now is better than never by a longshot!
Topical Outline includes: Planning, Scheduling and Decision Making; Maintenance of Shells, Casings & Rotors; Journal and Thrust Bearings; Couplings, Steam Valves; Generator Maintenance; Steam Path Alignment; and Job Wrap Up.
Upon successful completion of this Seminar the participant should be able to:
Upon successful completion of this Seminar the participant should be able to:
- List steam turbine-generator operational and safety issues that typically cause the scheduling of a maintenance outage.
- List the considerations that must be included when developing an outage plan or schedule.
- Describe the major considerations when making a replace/reuse/repair decision.
- Describe the procedures necessary for the safe and effective disassembly and reassembly of steam turbine generator components.
- Describe the purpose and operation of the major steam valves.
- Describe the disassembly and reassembly of the major steam valves.
- List the five (5) most common causes of steam path damage and their possible affects upon future operation.
- Describe three (3) common causes steam path defects and their impact upon turbine efficiency and reliability.
- Describe the type and purpose of clearance and alignment measurements commonly taken during the disassembly and reassembly of a steam turbine generator.
- Describe the measuring instruments used to determine steam turbine generator component clearances.
- List and describe the various non-destructive examinations performed during disassembly of the steam turbine generator.
- Describe the common procedures for cleaning and inspecting steam turbine generator components.
- Describe the criteria used to evaluate steam turbine generator defects.
- Describe the common repair methods for repair of steam turbine components.
- Describe the purpose of conducting a steam path audit, and how that audit would be accomplished.
- Describe the common types and operation of journal and thrust bearings.
- Describe the common causes of bearing damage.
- Describe the measurements required to determine oil clearances.
- Describe common bearing inspection and repair procedures.
- Describe the considerations to be taken into account when evaluating alignment of steam turbine generator components.
- Describe the methods used to properly align steam turbine generator components.
- Demonstrate the ability to perform the necessary calculations to align steam turbine generator components.
- List and briefly describe the electrical tests often performed on generator components.
- State the purpose of each electrical test listed.
- Monday
- Planning, Scheduling and Decision Making: This presentation is intended to provide participants with an understanding of those major items that must be considered PRIOR to commencing a scheduled turbine-generator outage. Discussion will also include those items we need to consider when making repair/replace/reuse decisions.
- Turbine Shells, Casings & Rotors: Two hours into the course and we're into the meat! This lecture is intended to prepare the participant to safely and efficiently disassemble/reassemble major turbine components, as well as to improve inspection/repair techniques, communications on equipment, and make better replace/repair/reuse decisions. Presentations include specific discussions on the different types of distress typically found on these components.
- Tuesday
- Turbine Shells, Casings & Rotors: continues for ½ day.
- Journal & Thrust Bearings: Learn the different types of bearings and their applications, disassembly/reassembly procedures, inspection techniques, and typical types of distress as well as causes.
- Couplings: Learn what types of couplings are used on T-G sets, how torque is transferred, how to properly disassemble/reassemble, how to inspect, what measurements to take, and what they mean.
- Wednesday
- Steam Valve Maintenance: Learn the purpose of the various steam turbine valves, how to properly disassemble/reassemble, how to inspect, what are the typical types of distress, what measurements to take, and what they mean.
- Generator Maintenance: Learn how a large AC generator is constructed, how to disassemble major components, what are the typical types of distress, how to clean, routine repair, and why generator inspection/testing is so important. This presentation also includes an introduction to the various electrical test techniques.
- Thursday
- Alignment: Learn how to properly take clearance/alignment and how to evaluate. Discussions include how to calculate and make moves for stationary equipment. Discussions also include how to take coupling rim/face readings, how to calculate moves to correct for coupling misalignment, and how to calculate and make moves to bearings to accomplish alignment objectives.
- Friday
- Alignment: Continued
- Job Wrap-Up: Learn what kind of data should be recorded following the outage, and what checks to make as we prepare to return the equipment to service.
- 1 copy of HPC Technical Services' textbook, Geothermal Steam Turbine Generator Maintenance, a $195 value, as written by Ray Militello and Harold Parker, with technical support by TurboCare. This text contains a significant number of equipment photographs, graphics and data tables. It is a valuable desktop reference in addition to being able to enhance the learning process.
There are two levels of certification (Both levels require this course):
- Engineer
- Mechanical Technician
Those who attend this course are automatically qualified to take HPC Technical Services' Certification Examination. This examination is offered at no additional expense to the participant. An 80% passing grade is required. The examination length will not exceed 2-hours. Those who complete this examination will receive a revised "certificate of completion" that recognizes this accomplishment along with two-copies of a "To Whom It May Concern" letter that states their accomplishment. (Two copies are provided, one for the participants' employer and one for the participants' personal file.)


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Weekly Feature…Vampire Fiction Serial (Click to read week 9)
Dry leaves crunched under a pair of well-worn athletic shoes as my quarry ran through the deserted park. The faint whisper of music played through tiny earphones, but it didn't interest me enough to tune into the song. Instead, I was consumed by the rhythmic pounding of her heart as blood rushed through her veins, and the change in the atmosphere as her lungs expelled white clouds of breath in metered blasts. The runner was fearless even as the deep velvet shadows enveloped her. She had no idea I was behind her.
Effortless strides kept me close, but far enough away to keep from drawing attention to myself…until I was ready. And I wasn't ready just yet.
My tongue darted out to taste the air. The cool night was flavored with sweat…sweet and salty…along with a trace of lavender skin and rosemary hair…and warm, damp cotton. My fangs shot out, pricking my lip. The coppery flavor did nothing to suppress my growing hunger. As her feet pounded the hard ground, I closed the gap between us. My breath invisible…my heart still.
I needed the hunt to take my thoughts away from Sebastian and Claude…and the daywalking.
To think Sebastian expected anyone to believe he had traveled so far without more than a day's worth of his potion was ridiculous. Claude was right to accuse him. I would have done it myself if he hadn't said something first.
"Lies!" Claude's face twisted into a mask of fury I had never seen before as he faced Sebastian in my kitchen. "I don't buy it. Not for a minute."
A sly smile flickered at the corners of Sebastian's mouth. "Your distrust is understandable, but misplaced. I don't have the required ingredients."
My mouth hung open as I watched Claude pick through the plants. Sebastian leaned calmly against the far wall, seemly unaffected by the display of rage he was witnessing.
"Why would you come all this way without enough of your tonic to make it through more than a few days? Especially when this so called ingredient is so hard to come by?" Claude gripped the edge of the counter so fiercely, I was sure the marble would crumble in his hand.
Sebastian pushed away from the wall to pluck a sprig of oleander from my fingers. "The drink must be made fresh each day and I had no idea I would be supplying tonic to so many." He crushed the oleander into a fine dust and brushed it into a pot of water.
"So what do we do now?" I wanted to ask who would sleep in the casket while the other two walked freely in the day. I wondered what plan percolated behind Sebastian's calm façade. I was in full agreement with Claude…there was something he wasn't saying. I wasn't sure I really wanted to know.
"Your fledgling can stay in while we go fetch the amulet."
"Oh no he won't." Claude chipped off a corner of the marble and let it fall.
I quickly stepped between them as my eyes darted from Claude to Sebastian. "I don't know where the amulet is…I've told you that."
"And I'm not inclined to tell you just so you can retrieve it…then open the lid with the sun high in the sky," Claude said.
Sebastian had the audacity to bat his thick lashes at me. "Now, Victoria…would I do something like that?"
"You know damn well you would do something exactly like that," Claude answered.
"Is your name Victoria?" Sebastian frowned.
"Can't we stretch the formula enough to get three doses? It's October…the sun sets earlier every night," I said.
"It's a dangerous risk. One I'm not inclined to take. Well, not with my skin." Sebastian grinned widely at Claude. "Maybe yours."
"You're going to have to come up with something, Sebastian. You have less than twelve hours to figure it out. I'm hungry…I need to feed." I turned on my heels and strode out of the room.
That was three hours and two runners ago. And I still hadn't fed.
I let the first two go when it was apparent something was off about them. My penchant for the perfect meal was always my undoing. There was too often a hint of an unpleasant disease, or perhaps a fondness for chemicals, that tainted the blood. But my current prey…I sniffed the air again…was perfect.
I circled around through an outcropping of trees to arrive further down the path ahead of her, where I waited, leaning against a mature sycamore. A smile split my face as I thought about her reaction. What would she think to see a slight young woman dressed in a form-fitting silk sheath and bare feet in a remote section of the park after dark? Would she be afraid? It wasn't likely. She would be shocked, I was certain; although, my manner of dress was inconsequential to me. I was just as comfortable in anything as nothing. But dressed as I was, I was well aware I looked fragile. I wasn't.
As I expected, she came around the trees and skidded to a slow stop as soon as she saw me. Her eyebrows pulled together for an instant then she smiled. "Are you lost?"
I tilted my head slightly to the side but said nothing.
She looked around and when she saw no one else she approached me tenuously. Her brows knitted together this time and she lowered her voice as if she was speaking to a small child. "Are you hurt?"
I pulled away from the tree fluidly. "I'm fine." My smile faltered slightly as the first whiff of fear crossed my path. "I'm just so hungry."
Until the next time…I'll be getting ready for Halloween!


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Setting up a Chart of Accounts
Forum Responses
From contributor L:
I would suggest three expense categories: Direct Materials, Indirect Materials, and Shop Supplies. Items that go directly to a specific job get put into Direct Materials. Items like glue, screws, poplar, and etc. that make their way into all jobs go into Indirect Materials. Items you consume in the shop that don't make their way into a job like sand paper, propane for the fork lift, etc. go into Shop Supplies.
Once you've got enough data, you know what percent to tack onto each job estimate for Indirect Materials and Shop Supplies. (Of course, you have a lot more overhead to add into that as well, and for tax reasons you want a bunch of other expense categories like rent, office supplies, repairs, subcontract expenses, etc. so you can't simplify too much). I tried using job costing in QB, but gave up. Too much work, and a nightmare to track items that get bought in bulk (like a unit of birch), and get dispensed over time to various jobs.
From contributor J:
Here's what I would suggest. First sit down and figure out what you want to be able to track about your business. Then take the list to your book keeper and set an appointment with him/her to discuss your list and the additional details he/she thinks you could benefit from either for assisting with your taxes or for analysis of your business. If your book keeper is a CPA they are trained to advise business owners in manners like this. Arrange to meet with your accountant quarterly to review the data you are collecting and work together to fine tune it until you reach the best balance between the realities of your time and your needs to be able to analyze your business.
My accountant and I have worked together to develop the specific categories I need to use to code all my expenses and revenues so that I can maximize my tax strategies and also better understand the effects of any changes in my business activities. Yes I have spent some money to do this but, I am trained to build beautiful furniture not to reduce my taxable income or to be able to handle the ins and outs of my financial details. I take time every Friday morning to post all my activity for the week into Quickbooks and then send an email to my CPA. She downloads my data and updates everything so that when we meet each quarter we can discuss my financials and she helps me keep things on track. We've worked together for the last 25 years and it is some of the best money I spend every year.
From the original questioner:
Thank you for all of the in depth answers. They are very helpful in that I am going to minimize the amount of accounts, highlight the areas I actually plan on studying, and ask my accountant if he has any recommendations.
From contributor M:
Don't overlook the possibility to look for another accountant or CPA if you have doubts about what you are being told. All change, but especially something like this, can be daunting. No need to ask me how I know.
From contributor I:
Yes, CPA and find the right one. Yes it is a hard pill to swallow, but worth it if you are running any kind of gross sales. Mine comes in to my office quarterly and goes over accounting with my office manager, tweaking as needed.
From contributor G:
Job cost everything. You will be surprised which projects are not profitable. Your most expensive cost is your labor, but there may be other expenses that are slowly spiraling out of control. Find a good CPA to set up your Chart of Accounts. Then have the bookkeeper maintain it. If she can't keep up, start looking for her replacement.
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Larkin Reed
Kelly Moore wrote the first draft of Amber House in the late 1980s. When her daughters Tucker and Larkin Reed discovered the manuscript a few years ago, the three decided to revise it together. Tucker currently attends the University of Southern California, while Kelly and Larkin live in Jacksonville, Oregon, in a house full of antiques.
Please visit their website at www.theamberhousetrilogy.com.
Books by Larkin Reed:


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As part of the Sheridan County Comprehensive Plan, the County hired a consulting firm in the fall of 2009 to conduct a mapping project of the riparian areas of Sheridan County. The results of that study were presented to county officials at a meeting Tuesday at the Fulmer Library.
That's Sheridan County Planner Mark Reid, who explains that regulation of riparian areas within the county will need to go through the proper channels before being implemented.
One aspect of the consultants study focused on the importance of taking a proactive approach to preserving the natural scenic resources within Sheridan County. Reid said that staying ahead of the curve on preservation of riparian areas will save the county from unneeded expenses in the future.
Who cares,the county is to
Who cares,the county is to spineless to stand up to developers in the first place.A riparian zone won't stop development in the least.


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WBUR Poll Analysis: Romney Candidacy Would Bring Risks For Both Trump And Clinton
After a deeply fractious primary, most of the GOP seems to be making their peace with Donald Trump as their nominee for president.
But for a few hardy souls dedicated to stopping Trump, the struggle continues. The Washington Post reported over the weekend that a small faction, including former Massachusetts Gov. and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, is actively exploring a third-party bid. Romney himself is being considered as a backup candidate if the group cannot convince another, like Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, to jump in.
If Romney (or another right-leaning third-party candidate) does end up running, our new WBUR poll (topline, crosstabs) of New Hampshire shows his impact is not a clear win for the "Never Trump" movement.
Read more on WBUR.


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Thin Tall Tony was evicted last Sunday and he already has returned to Lagos some few hours ago. He has started his media tour already and we are so proud of him.
Recall, he revealed while answering questions from Nigerians that he made a deal with his wife, also revealed his reasons for nominating Efe all the time..and also wants "A lady" to win the N25m.
His wife, Laraba has shared an update on her Instagram page welcoming him home and thanking all ThinTallTony's fans.
3T's wife maintains her husband is an amazing husband and father, despite the fact that he denied her and their kids over and over again on international TV and publicly made out with one of his fellow housemates, Bisola.
Laraba can't wait for ThinTallTony to come babysit the kids while she takes a break.
The show is over for her man now, she has enabled comments again on her Instagram page again.
Some reactions:


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Looking for the 25% off discount bundle? Go here.
Fearless Fresh Cooking Cheat Sheets were designed with ease and creativity in mind. They make cooking so easy that it requires zero skills and almost no thought.
Available in two formats (printed/laminated pages or digital PDF) these colorful easy-to-read recipe tables allow you to mix and match ingredients so you can:
- Easily cook dinner without a recipe, with basic ratios where you just fill in the blank
- Instinctively know what flavors go together and exactly what to expect when you cook
- Make better cooking decisions for health, flavor, and what's in the fridge
What's in Fearless Fresh Cooking Cheat Sheets Series #1:
» Instant Vinaigrette to Win Any Salad
This guide lists a ratio and tables of possible ingredients you can use to make a vinaigrette salad dressing, so you can mix and match to create a dressing that fits your own personal taste. I've included sample recipes at the bottom to get you started, but soon you'll be creating your own recipes on the fly. Woot!
» Creamy Dressings for Epic Salads
The creamy dressings guide follows the same format as the vinaigrette guide, but for (wait for it…) creamy dressings. The sample recipes at the bottom will teach you to create some classic salad dressings, like ranch, Green Goddess, and blue cheese, but the tables at the top will guide you to making your own signature creamy dressings to suit your personal tastes.
» Oil Smoke Point Cheat Sheet
Some oils burn faster than others, and burnt oil not only makes your food taste bad, it's super bad for your health. Use this guide to decide what sort of oil will work best for your cooking task. Oils are listed from top to bottom in order of smoke point; the oils at the top are the most heat-resistant, while the ones at the bottom should not be used for high-heat cooking. Example — frying temperatures can get as hot at 400°F, so you'll want to pick an oil from the top half of the list when frying food.
» Cooking Oil Shelf Life Cheat Sheet
Oils are surprisingly fragile, and bad oil smells/tastes AWFUL. Seriously, it can ruin your dish. This guide will show you exactly how to store your oils for longer shelf life, and the accompanying chart will help you determine at what point you need to replace your cooking oil. Simple as that!
» Culinary Cuts Cheat Sheet
This is my favorite guide! Since this illustrated sheet is laminated, you can use it to gauge how your chopping skills are coming along by placing your cut vegetables right on the sheet to measure them against the example. Sweet! Instant feedback is awesome, isn't it?
» Herb Cuts Cheat Sheet
Chopping herbs can be confusing, so this guide was crafted to explain exactly what you need to know about each kind of herb you'll come across in your kitchen. It includes tips for general chopping, as well as illustrations that show the difference between different kinds of herb cuts.
» Compound Butters — The World's Easiest Sauce
Compound butters are simple to make while allowing for LOTS of creativity, so you can change your sauce according to your main dish. Page 1 contains a chart of entrees + matching flavor pairings, which allows you to pick what will go best with your dish. Page 2 works in the opposite direction, with a chart of ingredients + the kind of foods they accentuate. Pages 3 and 4 tell you exactly how to make and use compound butters, with no confusion. Yay!
» Pasta Measuring Cheat Sheet
This guide will remove the guesswork from measuring pasta and help you figure out exactly how much pasta to make for dinner. Page 1 works with short pastas, like penne, which can be measured by cups or weight (as well as box size — like 1/2 box). Page 2 helps you measure long pastas, like spaghetti, by placing them on the colored dots to tell you exact how many servings of pasta you've got in your hand. I've also included both 2- and 4-ounce serving sizes, to fit your dietary needs.
Printed + Laminated Cheat Sheet Details:
- Virtually indestructible: Constructed with heavy-duty lamination and card stock. 💪 Clean up easily with a quick swipe of your dish towel. 💦
- 3-hole punched to accommodate any standard binder. 📒
- Comes with a 6-month indestructible guarantee (see terms and conditions). 🏆


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Before the 2013 Man of Steel reboot of Superman made the Big Blue Boy Scout a viable big screen franchise again, X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer gave it a shot with the 2006 film Superman Returns. We remember that film as a disappointment now, but at the time it was met with generally favorable (if not exactly enthusiastic) reviews and earned $391 million worldwide on a production budget of roughly $270 million. Now, that might not sound like much of a disaster, but when you take into account marketing, percentage of ticket sales that went back to theaters, and back-end deals, the film likely wasn't all that profitable at the box office.
On paper, it must've sounded like a surefire hit: the celebrated director of The Usual Suspects, who ushered in the modern superhero blockbuster with X-Men and X2: X-Men United, would take on the most iconic hero of them all, picking up the continuity established by Richard Donner's 1978 Superman: The Movie and the Richard Lester-directed Superman II.
Bryan Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris would ignore the last two films with the late, great Christopher Reeve in the role but follow in the original series' footsteps by casting a talented unknown (Brandon Routh) as Clark Kent/Superman and a veteran star as nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey). It didn't really work.
In the wake of Man of Steel's success, Bryan Singer has chimed in (again) on what he might have done differently, looking back. While talking about his return to the X-Men universe with Days of Future Past, Singer was asked how he feels about the ongoing perception of Superman Returns as one of the worst comic book movies ever made. He told Empire Magazine (via CBM):
"Half of that I understand and half of it I never will. It was a movie made for a certain kind of audience. Perhaps more of a female audience. It wasn't what it needed to be, I guess."
And if Singer could do it over again, what kind of changes would he make? He had this to say:
"I think I could lop the first quarter off and start the movie a bit more aggressively and maybe find a way to start the movie with the jet disaster sequence or something. I could have grabbed the audience a little more quickly. I don't know what would have helped. Probably nothing. If I could go again, I would do an origin. I would reboot it."
This is not the first time Singer has talked about his film in relation to Man of Steel, and it seems he intended Superman Returns to be more accessible to audiences who generally prefer to stay away from superhero movies. Unfortunately, it seems he went about it in the wrong way.
When it came time to cast the Man of Tomorrow, Singer had a very specific type in mind for Superman Returns, and while he evidently knew Henry Cavill at the time, he didn't cast him for a reason:
"Um...I think Henry Cavill is great. I knew Henry. He and I were friends years ago. Oddly enough, the reason I didn't cast him was because I was making a sequel to Christopher Reeve and I wanted somebody who embodied Reeve more."
As mentioned above, Singer's sequel would've shared the title of Zack Snyder's, but not the villain. Singer originally wanted Jude Law to play General Zod in Superman Returns, but when Law turned down the role, Singer dropped the character altogether. As for the sequel, Singer opens up on the idea they were kicking around:
"We did explore it a little. Just hammering out ideas. I think Darkseid was going to be the villain. It was pretty world-destroying, actually."
One of the main problems many fans had with Superman Returns was the emo tone and generally passive nature of its hero. We longed for a movie which showed Superman actually throwing a punch - pitting Supes against Darkseid, a powerful New God from the planet Apokolips, probably would've leveled the playing field and given fans a good fight.
A good fight is what fans witnessed with the city-decimating finale of Man of Steel, and while Superman's neck-snapping defeat of General Zod proved rather controversial, the eye-popping level of destruction had a purpose to it. Bryan Singer ultimately sings his praises of Zack Snyder's vision, but hints at criticisms as well, saying:
"I am in awe of the world building and the scope of that picture. It's tough for me. I'm not a critic and it starts to get into a weird thing where one director is talking about another director. I know how hard it is to make a movie, especially one of these movies and especially a Superman movie, and there was so much I was impressed with in that movie. There were things I might have done a little differently just because of the way I view the character. Don't misinterpret that as me not liking something. It's not 'Bryan Singer's review of Man Of Steel'!"
Bryan Singer is a great filmmaker, with no reason whatsoever to feel insecure or inferior, but he seemingly can't let this Superman thing go. He has made similar comments about X-Men 3, but his defensiveness with Man of Steel feels more personal. To his credit, Singer never tries to argue that Superman Returns was misunderstood or blame its current unpopularity on fans or critics, but he perhaps just won't face the fact that it's a mediocre film at best. Is it a Batman & Robin-level debacle? No, actually - Superman Returns was clearly crafted with love of the world and character and respect for its lore and fans.
Superman Returns was well-intended, but so many aspects of it were miscalculated, from the inclusion of a bland and miscast Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane to keeping the age-old (clearly dated) screwball comedy dynamic to Lois and Clark's relationship. Man of Steel had its flaws, but it contained many sharp, logical updates instead of rehashing or paying homage to a forty-year-old film.
Singer at least has a chance to channel these frustrations through the X-Men universe, and perhaps signing on for Days of Future Past was a way to exorcise his Superman demons. We're looking forward to it, at any rate.
Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past hits theaters May 23rd, 2014. The next Superman film, Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman, hits theaters May 6th, 2016.
Source: Empire Magazine (via CBM)


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My friend, mentor (the goddamn whippersnapper), colleague, and former boss Marco Arment wrote three posts about producing podcasts and the value of podcast networks over the last month, two in the last day, that I think warrant a response that is milder than you might imagine. He and I have gone hammer and tongs on Twitter about this at times, but his latest posts come closer to what I believe the statistics show it's all about. (His posts are about Mule Radio shrinking [May 29], "Podcast Networks Are The Wrong Model" [June 22], and "The Elephant In the Podcast Studio" [June 23].)
Podcast networks rose, as Marco notes, when things were hard. He made two main points yesterday related to blogging that he says are now true for podcasting:
Writers don't need blog networks to be successful today because of two major shifts since blogging began:
The tools required to host and publish are now widely available and free (or very cheap).
Services now exist for publishers to make money without requiring them to be a member of a network.
(What he doesn't precisely mention, and I'll talk about it a bit much later, is that very few podcasts reach a level at which being in a network is an option. Chris Gale, who produces a podcast, explains that quite well in a blog post today.)
I've been part of two podcast networks in different, probably unique relationships because of the point in their development at which I joined, as well as because I've always owned my show.
Let me talk about those points in turn, and then move on to subject matter and advertising.
Means of Production
Every single part of podcasting except the actual speaking part was a pain in the ass or expensive for a long time.
Skype remains the worst best way to record podcasts with one or more remote guests, which is the case in, I wager, most podcasts outside of radio networks or publication-produced ones. Dan Benjamin has written over the years about how in order to achieve quality on Skype, he built a system that committed one Mac to each remote guest running its own copy of Skype! That was mixed in the studio to the host and back to guests.
This sounds like crazy anal behavior one level, unless you record from Skype regularly. Then it starts to sound sadly reasonable. Dan was building a network, and this reduced so many variables that it was a perfectly sensible investment. He made what was an unreliable crappy-sounding experience for most of us into something good and repeatable. (I believe that Leo Laporte's separation of remote participants is similar for his audio/video network. Mule Radio had a studio for its in-house recordings, but wasn't involved in recording the initial audio for many of its programs, such as The Talk Show.)
(Skype hasn't gotten any better, but the "double-ender" recording method has become more sensible as audio tools have gotten cheaper and better. With double-ending, each party (two or more) on a Skype or other kind of call record their own isolated mic stream into a local file. We do this for New Disruptors, and my audio engineer mixes those into a track. It can sound almost radio-studio quality when all goes well. And we record Skype as local/remote isolated tracks as a backup, too, using Audio Hijack Pro. Jason Snell just had 11 people on a recent The Incomparable call! More about The Incomparable later.)
Bandwidth was certainly a cost issue a few years ago and remains so unless you hook into the right place. Libsyn is dedicated to podcast hosting and SoundCloud has a long-running beta alongside its bigger interest in supporting musicians. Squarespace has an excellent combination of web hosting and podcast features. I use Squarespace to host my personal blog, The New Disruptors podcast, and The Periodicalist podcast, and host all my audio files on SoundCloud. Libsyn has fees in some cases above monthly rates (for some kinds of organizations, for podcasts that have advertisers, etc.), but all three offer essentially unmetered, unlimited bandwidth for a low monthly subscription price.
These firms' business models let me pay them a flat rate and then consume $200 of Amazon S3 bandwidth — where most of these companies turn to cloud storage — because most customers only use a couple bucks' worth, if not. (Marco, Casey Liss, and John Siracusa's ATP and John Gruber's The Talk Show each eat about $2,000 of monthly S3 fees.) There are other cheap options, too. I have virtual private servers (VPSes), virtualized instances of servers running on high-end hardware, at Linode. The cheapest option it offers at $10 a month includes two terabytes of data transfer.
So sophisticated web hosting is easy and cheap: Squarespace's unlimited bandwidth plan is $20 per month, and it's simple to find other similar offers elsewhere. Audio file hosting is essentially free or very cheap, or you could DIY and run a VPS.
Maybe equally importantly and less obviously, audio tools started to dramatically improve a few years ago, and there are many good options, along with Adobe's rental option with Creative Cloud. GarageBand (Mac) and Audacity (many platforms) are free; other tools are modestly priced, like Amadeus Pro. They're all much easier to learn to use for basic editing and many have good options to clean up spoken audio, too. (Check out Andy Affleck's newly revised Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac ebook.)
I've seen what Marco is talking about here happen directly. (I first told this story in a Squarespace sponsorship spot last spring when they advertised on New Disruptors.) My friend Swoozy had an idea for a podcast and picked my brain by Twitter and then on the phone for maybe 30 minutes. She had no previous podcast experience and no real audio-editing background.
After we talked, she set up a Squarespace account, and filled in the details to create an iTunes-listed podcast. Later the same day the podcast showed up in the iTunes directory. Swoozy recorded an episode, used Garageband to edit it, posted the installment via Squarespace and, voila, she was a podcaster. It cost her nearly nothing except time, and it sounded pretty good. She rapidly improved with the editing over a few episodes — and grew to hate Garageband like the rest of us. (Like many people, real life's demands intruded on side projects, and she put the podcast on hiatus, but plans to resume it eventually with a co-host.)
The Network Effect or Lack Thereof
I've been part of two networks with the same show: Mule Radio and Boing Boing's podcast family have both hosted The New Disruptors, although I have always owned the show outright and maintained my own website for it to ensure I could post other items, full show notes, maintain archives, and be portable if I chose to be. I've also talked to many, many other podcasters privately about traffic, networks, ad dollars, and the rest, but I can't reveal any of that, and I would hate to tell you to "trust me"; this is my experience calibrated against what others have found, too.
Despite any public pissy-ness between Mike Monteiro and me about other matters (mostly our personality mismatch), he, Jim Ray, Caleb Sexton, Angela Kilduff, and David McCreath (to mention just a few) were instrumental in encouraging me to create the show and fostering its ongoing production. A combination of moral support, managing the hosting and bandwidth and content-management system, and, initially, editing the show gave me the room to turn it into something I'm really proud of. Episode 81 goes up this week.
And, of course, they got their piece of the action, as they should. I had no dispute and still don't about what their percentage was. I don't want to disclose details, because I came on early, and I don't know if my deal (which changed over time) was better or worse than anyone else's. I did have substantial ad sales thanks to my friend Lex Friedman (more about him in a moment, too) during the spring and summer of 2013.
Did Mule build the audience for the show? It's hard to tell. Certainly, I received attention from being part of the network and when there were somewhat fewer tech podcasts in late 2012 than there are now, this led to more people trying me out. But I believe it was the guests I had on the show and the personal networking I do that led to most of the solid base of listeners. Each guest would bring via his or her or their network more first-time listeners, and that has helped sustain the program, to be sure. (I picked a hard show format, too: every week is different! Which means listeners pick and choose, as opposed to shows that focus on the same subject or have the same people each week, even if there is an occasional guest.)
I felt like I'd hit a threshold in listeners at about 5,000 to 8,000 regular downloads. And, months before, I'd taken over audio production with my brother in law, who has 20 years of audio engineering under his belt and a day job in the field. We were delivering a distribution-ready item, and the network wasn't delivering value in continuing to help increase the audience size.
Mike wrote in announcing retracting Mule Radio to ad-free, in-house shows, they had hired a full-time, dedicated employee, but "it really wasn't a real business. It was a side project. A side project that was now playing with real-ish money." Mule's main business is as a design studio. I felt this. They worked hard for me, but it wasn't core to what they do, they weren't building a publicity and marketing arm, and their own in-house ad sales (which were modest when I arrived) came on fully months after I left.
I was the first show for which Lex Friedman sold ads outside of his own program, Unprofessional, and he went on to sell sponsorship across all of Mule Radio. I had purchased The Magazine in June 2013, and wanted to bring everything under that umbrella, hoping for my own personal network effect, and it didn't make sense to have the podcast in someone else's space. I needed Lex for ad sales and also had to conserve as much expense as possible to run The Magazine.
(However, because I am not an asshole — or at least don't think I am — I didn't leave quickly. I knew many thousands of ad dollars were booked in June and July, and I set a date two months later (August 1), to make sure Mule got its piece of the healthiest period in sponsorship for the show so that they reaped more of a reward of their initial investment of support and time. I used that period to research and set everything up for the transition. And, as I noted then, Mule was a class act: they supported me in the move and helped ensure my RSS feed was redirected to my website so I wouldn't lose subscribers.)
For me, that's the sole remaining measure of a network: can it deliver more listeners to some effect, which is typically the reach required to increase sponsorship value and thus revenue.
A few months after I left Mule, Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing, who had appeared on an early episode of the show, asked if I wanted to be part of their expanding network. I agreed, and again kept my independence and my own feed; they were more like a distributor than a network, and I appreciated having more reach. I saw an immediate increase in downloads: 15,000 for the first episode that was hosted there (about a movie about Dr. Demento); that episode now has a cumulative 21,000 downloads.
From about October to May, I was also distributed on Boing Boing, and again don't want to disclose my deal with them as it's private, and the dollars aren't precisely relevant. But what was interesting to me on the ad side was the response from sponsors: despite downloads having leapt to 12,000 to 15,000 downloads over eight weeks at Boing Boing for most episodes compared to about 8,000 to 10,000 on my own after leaving Mule, sponsors were clearly not seeing an impact proportionate to the increase. People got my podcast through the main Boing Boing feed, but it wasn't a good fit and they were likely hardly listening to it. (Boing Boing has a pretty amazing set of podcasts across a lot of creative, geeky, brainiac, and sci-fi/fantasy topics that you should absolutely check out.)
I went fully independent again a few weeks ago, again with no hard feelings: a fit is a fit or not. The number of downloads of episodes had already declined substantially at Boing Boing (to 7,000 to 8,000 per episode after a couple of months), and I thought, once again, better to be fully my own animal than to hook up with a network. Current listenership is about 4,000 in the first few days after an episode posts, and tracking towards 8,000 over eight weeks, the time period generally used to calculate ad rates.
The Quantified Joys of Lex (Friedman)
Can everyone go it alone as Marco suggests? No, but the bar is so much lower than it used to be, as he describes. The early rise of podcast networks can easily be attributed to the complexity and expense. Marco, John Siracusa, and many others joined up with networks where a host handled the interview because they weren't experts or specialists yet.
As time passes, none of us needs to be as much of an expert — note my friend Swoozy, certainly a technically adept person, but not a programmer, and the ease with which she launched her show. But we still have to be willing to take on those tasks. (I custom tweak my RSS feed, for instance, because the automatically generated ones at Squarespace and SoundCloud don't include everything I need or in the right format.)
What we get into isn't really about independence at this stage in podcast evolution. It's about money and percentages. Podcast networks as presently constructed and — to my knowledge about the standard arrangements of either ownership or revenue sharing they engage in — simply want far too much relative to the value that they add for shows that a creator could produce without network help.
Podcast networks, including the tech ones I'm familiar with and those like Earwolf, an exceedingly popular comedy network that pupped off The Midroll, which sells my ads, are constructed too much like old terrestrial radio production companies, and not enough like the loosely federated nature of Internet association in which the means and methods of production and distribution have become simple and cheap.
My area of interest at The New Disruptors centers on new ways to fund, manufacture (goods) or produce (digital), and distribute. If your podcast doesn't require a lot of equipment and expense, and you can handle the production, distribution is a snap. If you goal is to make money, you need bring in much less, perhaps by a factor of two or three, than in any podcast network to achieve the same net results. And you own the upside, if and when that occurs, and anything else you want to do with the program: T-shirts, conferences, partnerships, and the like.
This idea dies hard. Alex Blumberg, one of the folks behind Planet Money and executive producer of This American Life just announced the formation of a for-profit podcast network. He will raise a bunch of money, but the creative folks will be partners or contractors, not independent owners:
Blumberg aims to give podcast creators partial ownership of their shows, possibly via individual contracts, while serving in an "editor-developer" role himself.
That seems ridiculous to me in 2014, but Blumberg is trying to create radio-style shows in podcast format in which the overhead for writing, reporting (and thus salaries or fees plus travel expenses), and production will be quite high, and require a significant investment and significant risk. If they're in the mold of the two other shows he's involved with, the iceberg's top is the podcast; the part underneath that one never hears "on the air" consumes a lot of cash.
For me, the value lies in advertising networks, which is apparent in that most podcast networks have split off their advertising portions and new ad-only networks have formed. Earwolf pupped The Midroll, which purchased Lex's Podlexing (named by yours truly; you're welcome), and brought Lex in as an executive. Dan Benjamin runs Archer Avenue to sell ads against shows in and out of the 5by5 network. Dave Wiskus's Standard Broadcast launched with The Talk Show, Unprofessional (his co-hosted show that itself launched Lex's ad career), and, surprise, Accidental Tech Podcast!
These ad networks take significant but highly varying percentages to handle the part that is still tedious and hard: finding advertisers, dealing with legal stuff, signing contracts, shmoozing, making phone calls (horrible), billing, and the nasty occasional part of collection, which reportedly does not involve the removal or rearrangement of kneecaps.
They take a much smaller portion than a podcast network, because they don't deal with production or typical handle marketing to or growing an audience. Their part of the value chain is well defined, hard, and useful.
Now a small sidebar. When Marco says anyone can do this, it's true. Can anyone sell ads and make good money from a podcast? No. It takes an audience and the right skills and persistence. Building an audience is tough. Marco notes that the Neutral car podcast that he, John, and Casey Liss launched as an experiment only hit about 1,000 regular listeners after 10,000 downloads of the first episode. ATP has climbed way up to 75,000, and it sells sponsorships at $3,500 each, three per show — $10,500 per episode, or $40,000 to $50,000 gross per month. They have a dedicated, highly professional audience that buys stuff. Very, very few podcasts gross anything like that amount. (Some public-radio shows have hundreds of thousands of downloads per episode.)
New Disruptors, over its history, has grossed from about $0 to $5,000 a month, with about $1,500 to $2,000 seemingly stabilizing as about the most sustainable amount, including Patreon patronage, The Midroll sales, and the Cards Against Humanity underwritten indie ads. (My brother in law and I put in about six to eight hours an episode, or roughly 25 to 40 hours a month collectively.)
You need several thousand listeners and to be in the right market for most ad networks to be interested in you, and you have to be able to deliver results for your advertisers. There's no way to do that except only pick advertisers that you think align with your audience, do good ad reads with good copy, and hope listeners find the products and services appealing. Those are all uncontrollable factors. Advertisers typically want results; a few act as true sponsors, trying to make great things happen by providing underwriting without any particular return in mind. MailChimp underwrote a pilot season of six episodes of The Periodicalist, for instance.
At times, Marco has implied or stated outright that people could sell ads themselves, as he has done at times, but the time and effort involved in learning to sell ads and doing so effectively is going to be outweighed by the potential return for most podcasts. Neutral would have been a poor investment for Marco of time to sell sponsorships against; I imagine (he hasn't said explicitly) that the combination of a lack of potential revenue and the notion of having a relatively small amount of interest led to that.
Not all shows need to sell ads, though, which is the broader point, and relatively few people make a large part or their entire living from podcasting outside of folks who come from celebrity or mass-media culture, such as Adam Carolla and the like. Podcasting can be an important and interesting component in a career, a great side project that's fulfilling, or something important for a business getting the word out.
An Incomparable Value
Is there any sense to being part of a podcast network, then? Is it just taking money you don't need to give it (in the most horrible construction I could put on it) or providing expertise that people mostly no longer need?
There's definitely a value to be had, but as with so much of the Internet, it comes from loose affiliation and general independence (a federation of anarchies) rather than from strong affiliation and lack of ownership.
I'd point to Jason Snell's The Incomparable Radio Network that he's been building slowly for fun over years. The flagship show, on which I'm a frequently appearing panelist, will shortly distribute its 200th episode. Our "bonus tracks" of outtakes developed a following and have their own separate feed now. More recently, after some Incomparable D&D episodes, Total Party Kill appeared, in which participants play through a game.
Teevee is the new flashcast format for talking about TV programs right after they air, that any of us can host at will. And more recently, Not Playing with Lex and Dan (two other regular Incomparable panelists) migrated from Boing Boing, and Scott McNulty launched Random Trek, in which he talks about a randomly selected episode across all Star Trek series with a guest.
Jason started The Incomparable as a fun thing to do with friends in his spare time, and it's become a well listened-to program with a really wonderful fan base, with whom we all regularly interact. (The difference between us and fans is minimal, and sometimes fans become panelists!)
Jason is launching shows of his own interest and helping others promote their programs through both the association and a master feed for all shows. In this case, it is abundantly clear that The Incomparable as a podcast has contributed to these shows gaining listeners quickly; the complement of The Incomparable as a network allows fans of one show or panelist to find these other projects easily.
I believe we'll see more of this in which a percentage of revenue isn't what's important; Jason here is sharing back-end infrastructure he built with people he already knows and enjoys. Rather, building an affiliation of interest brings listeners the value of recommendation and one-stop shopping in subject areas or genres. (One could argue that the Podcast Thing recommendation site is a kind of loosely affiliated network of the sort I mean, even though it doesn't involve the participation as such of any listed podcasts.)
I would gladly bring New Disruptors back again into a network in which I felt that I and the other programs could cross pollinate and cross contribute. And I believe such networks are being built.
Podcast networks have a future, but it's in casting off more of the shackles and models that continue to constrain them. And this future vision may be so different from what we currently understand a podcast network to be that Marco may be right: the new model may need a new name that better defines its purposes. A pod of podcasts, not a network.


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#include <synch.h> (or #include <thread.h>) int rw_wrlock(rwlock_t *rwlp);
Use rw_wrlock(3THR) to acquire a write lock on the read-write lock pointed to by rwlp. When the read-write lock is already locked for reading or writing, the calling thread blocks until all the read locks and write locks are released. Only one thread at a time can hold a write lock on a read-write lock. (For POSIX threads, see "pthread_rwlock_wrlock(3THR)".)
rw_wrlock() returns zero after completing successfully. Any other returned value indicates that an error occurred. When any of the following conditions occurs, the function fails and returns the corresponding value.


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Remember those rainy days as a kid with no broadband and a dull selection of TV channels that didn't even hit double digits? When you genuinely looked forward to taking out a piece of illustrated cardboard, dotting it with pieces of plastic and letting your imagination provide the narrative? Yes the era of board games.
With the return of those rainy days wouldn't it be great to forgo the broadband, phones, apps and screens in general and recreate the entertainment of antiquity - face to face with other people?
Although we've already seen the halcyon days come and go for the best of them, there have been some gems over the decades that will never lose their appeal, in fact, it might only have increased with age.
Outside of the staples like chess, checkers and Monopoly these are some of the games that you might have forgotten about - or never played but really should.
Guess Who? (1980s)
A charades-like game where each player starts with a board that includes cartoon images of 24 people and their first names with all the images standing up. Each player selects a card of their choice from a separate pile of cards with the same images.
By asking probing questions, the object of the game is to be the first to determine which card one's opponent has selected.
Trivial Pursuit (1980s)
The game that challenges every demographic of the family with general knowledge trivia that covers Geography, Entertainment, History, Arts & Literature, Science & Nature, and Sports & Leisure.
The original version is known as the Genus edition (or Genus I). Several other general knowledge editions (such as Genus II) have followed. Some include, Junior Edition (1985), All-Star Sports, Baby Boomers, 1980s, All About the 80s, and 1990s.
Risk (1960s)
Risk is a game for those of imperialist leanings.
Played on a board depicting a political map of the Earth, divided into forty-two territories, which are grouped into six continents, the object of the game is to occupy every territory on the board and in doing so, eliminate the other players. Players control armies with which they attempt to capture territories from other players, with results determined by dice rolls.
Snakes and Ladders (Forever)
It needs no introduction and no matter the edition or jurisdiction it's always the same concept and probably the best introduction to board games for kids. Seriously addictive.
Connect 4 (1970s)
It was pretty much an extended version of Xs and Os and accessible to all ages. The game was known under several different guises but the objective was always the same: to connect four of one's own discs of the same colour next to each other vertically, horizontally, or diagonally before your opponent.
Mouse trap (1960s)
Mouse Trap was one of those games that never seemed to go quite as well as it appeared to in the ads, at least in my experience, though the ads were brilliantly produced.
Apparently the game was one of the first mass-produced, three-dimensional board games. Over the course of the game, players at first cooperate to build a working mouse trap. Once the mouse trap has been built, players turn against each other, attempting to trap opponents' mouse-shaped game pieces.
It's definitely one of the more interactive games and is a great game to get the sprogs away from the screen.
Cluedo (1950s)
It's still a family classic but you'll be disappointed if you were expecting to find all the original characters in the latest edition as makers Hasbro has just killed off Mrs White and replaced her with Dr Orchid, who has a PhD in plant toxicology and was home-schooled by Mrs White herself.
Hungry Hungry Hippos (1980s)
Admittedly I was a sucker for the ads which will forever be ingrained in my memory: featuring a series of brightly coloured cartoon hippos dancing in a conga line and singing, "Hungry Hungry Hip-pos!" to the beat.
The premise is very simple, each player controls the jaws of a chomping colourful, plastic hippopotamus operated by levers on their back to reach out a telescopic neck and gobble down as many plastic balls as possible. The game continues until all marbles have been devoured, and the winner is the player with the fullest gut of plastic balls.


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* Please note, for Saturday weddings there must be a minimum booking of 3 people *
Bridal Pre Wedding Trial
Makeup OR Hair only - £50
Bridal hair & make-up - £80 **
**Includes Airbrush makeup and optional lashes.
Wedding day
Makeup OR Hair only - £100
Bridal hair & make-up - £160 **
**Includes Airbrush makeup, Touch up kit and optional lashes.
I also offer assistance with the dress free of charge if required
HD Airbrush foundation - £10 **
False lashes - £5 **
Tattoo Covering with airbrush makeup - From £20
**Included in the brides makeup
Trial -
Bridesmaids/Guests trial hair OR makeup- £50
Bridesmaids/Guests hair & makeup - £70
Wedding day -
Makeup OR Hair only - £60
Hair & make-up - £80
Flower Girls/ Young Bridesmaids
Under 10 - Hairstyle with minimal makeup - £20
11 - 14 - Hairstyle with minimal makeup - £40
15+ - Please see adult bridesmaid prices
Special Occasion/Party hair & Makeup
Makeup OR Hair - £40
Makeup & Hair - £70
£50 per hour
Travel Costs
Travel costs are included within the first 10 miles of OL2 6SQ. Thereafter, Mileage is charged at £0.45 per mile.
An immediate deposit of £50 is required in order to secure the brides booking of both the trial and the wedding day - This is fully redeemable from the final balance.
For all extra people added to the wedding day booking a £20 advance payment must also be made to secure their booking, this is fully redeemable from the final balance and is non refundable upon cancellation.
Payment for your trial is required on the day of your trial.
Full payment for the wedding day must be paid 3 weeks prior to your wedding.
Booking fees are non refundable upon cancellation. Please read the terms and conditions for more information.


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Off World's On-Going Space Technology Research
Listed here are some of technological advances we are building upon, as we inch closer to our Interstellar Space Technologies goal.
Off World Investment Institute Inc. comprised of these divisions: the Extreme Velocity Research Corporation, Bio-Autonomic Systems, Deep-Space Communications, Quantum Defensive Technologies, Background Power Systems, Off World Investments, Kona Coffee and Earth Seed Bank.
Expanding Establishment
The current research and development structure comprises the extreme velocity research center which designs the space hardware systems for all R&D divisions of each company; have been re-evaluated with the expansion resulting establishment of three new space technology laboratories and one new space research center.
Corporate Space Research Laboratories
The first of these Space Laboratories is the Bio-autonomic Systems Lab, which is responsible for researching bio-autonomics and developing advanced artificial electro-mechanical autonomic environments capable of sustaining life in space as well as developing autonomic software for all Space Research Divisions. The Deep-Space Communications' division is responsible for reliable long range communication development along with the new Intergalactic Positioning System Lab. Background Power Systems lab is redefining superconductors technologies for use in space. The Quantum Defensive Technology research center conducts advanced Space Tcehnology research and development for acquisition, deflection, repulsion and particle absorption technologies.
Deep Space Communication
The Deep Space Communication division has two components; the first has been to research Advanced Space Communications with neutrinos resulting in the prototype being ready for use in space. Our neutrino tracking system is the Future of Communications in space. The research thus far on this topic is available for review. The second, is to conduct Space Research through our Intergalactic Positioning System using spectrum analyzing radar, a linked system fires neutrinos then uses SA radar to scan the pattern they created around objects as small as a single atom.
We have developed a magnetically shielded, ion injected propulsion system that has laser acceleration with controlled plasma ejection and requires only electricity as it runs in a vacuum on vibrationally acquired, electrically stimulated virtual particles. In the most recent test, the ejection velocity reached 37257.6 miles per second in a process that took approximately 0.3 milliseconds to reach its full output velocity. A Space Propulsion System specifically designed with four propulsion ejection ports; giving spacecraft unparalleled maneuverability. This star hop Space Technology along with its external power system is revolutionary, and its influence will ripple through Space Technology Industries for years to come.
Quantum Defensive Technology
To protect crews as they travel through space, we have created and patented a brand new advanced shield technology. This shield technology incorporates two of our previous designs to maximize crew safety. Infused with the A.I. balance control system of a stealth aircraft to keep two very different Space deflection Technologies synchronized. It also uses 90% less power than other comparably capable Defensive Deflection Systems. This technology is revolutionary and ready for use in space now. . .
Intergalactic Positioning System
This is similar to a global positioning system, but they are designed as Special Space Operation Probes. Our three different Inter-galactic Positioning System Beacons use pattern specific neutrino communication, two with deflection technology, one has a 100+ year internal power source and one that scans the surface of a planet to show the ideal touchdown area, then lands, two with field intensity and acute large object avoidance systems controlled by spectrum analyzing radar, and they also assist spacecraft autopilot in finding a way back to our planet.
Background Power Systems
Background Power Systems is a superconductor lab that researches New Space Technologies using all known aspects of electromotive force at or near -455 (°F) degrees or -2.96 (K) Kelvin. Space Research components are: Space Battery Technology, Integrated pure Power Surfaces, Superconductor Systems Integration and Cold Energy Extraction Technology.