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What to Pack for Your Icelandic Adventure
Iceland might be one of the trickiest destinations to pack for, as the weather is so temperamental. In Iceland, they have a saying: "If you don't like the weather in Iceland… wait five minutes!" This is because the weather is constantly changing, and can go from sun to rain, hail, sleet, pure darkness, and back to sun all within the range of an hour while driving along the Ring Road. As they say, wait five minutes and the weather will change.
Depending on the month you are traveling, you're going to want to pack most, if not all of these essentials for your Iceland trip.
Year Round Packing List
- Comfortable, Waterproof Hiking Shoes or Boots: Rain is not scarce in Iceland, so keeping your feet dry with a pair of waterproof hiking shoes or boots is going to be the best move you make for your trip.
- Thermal/Wool Socks: Similar to above, keeping your feet warm will help keep the rest of you warm!
- Waterproof/Windproof Jacket: The wind can reach very high speeds in Iceland, so having a waterproof and windproof jacket will make for a happy traveler.
- Lots of Layers: Since the temperature can change on a whim, bringing long and short sleeve t-shirts, a sweater or cardigan, a jacket or a scarf to layer-up and layer-down is always a smart idea.
- Gloves/Hat/Scarves: Yes, you'll want to pack all of these winter items even in the summer – temperatures can fluctuate and drop quite low in the summer, and it's great to have these on hand, especially depending on what activities you'll be doing.
- Smart Clothing: If you're planning on going out for a night on the town, it's good to remember that Reykjavik is a cosmopolitan city, and dressing smart-casual is a good idea.
- Personal Toiletries: Though some hotels will have basic amenities, it is always a good idea to bring what you need as the stores in Iceland do not necessarily carry the same essentials as we find in North America.
- A Swimsuit: With an abundance of geothermal hot springs and nature baths – and of course the Blue Lagoon – a swimsuit should be at the very top of your packing list!
- Quick-Dry Towel: Towels are available to rent at most swimming facilities, but if you have room, it might be a good idea to bring your own quick-dry towel to save yourself the hassle.
- Power Adapter: Iceland uses the Europlug socket, which has two round prongs – having a power adapter and converter on hand is much easier than trying to find one once you're traveling, especially in the more remote areas.
- A Good Camera: Though this one may be obvious, it has to be said – Iceland is one of the most picturesque destinations in the world, which means you do not want to leave home without a good camera.
- Sunglasses/Sleep Mark: During the summer Iceland is home to the midnight sun, so sunglasses are a must. Since it may still be light at night when you're trying to get some shut eye, it's also a good idea to bring a sleep mask if you require complete darkness to sleep. Most hotels, however, will have blackout curtains.
- Insect Repellent: If you're travelling to areas near lakes and streams in the summer, small insects like midges will thrive in these areas so a small bottle of insect repellent may be a good idea. Otherwise, Iceland doesn't have many insects so they shouldn't bother you.
For your reference, take a look at the guide below to find out the average temperature and hours of daylight for the month you are going to Iceland – this will help you plan your clothing accordingly.
By: Alessia Piccolo
Travel: as a writer, it's been my pencil; as an inquisitor, it's been my teacher; as an adventurer, it's been my influencer; as an explorer, it's been my compass. It's taught me lessons you can't find in books, brought me places you can't find in dreams, and has changed my perception of everything that surrounds me.
I can't wait to share my passion and expertise with you in this wonderful world of travel, and help you live out experiences that will change your perception of the world too. Contact me at email@example.com to start planning the Icelandic getaway of your dreams.
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People are trying to put something in a community ("investment") and get something out ("return") without any sense of the complexity and richness in between. Early psychologists felt the same way about the human mind - 'avoid this subjective experience nonsense'! Stimulus, response.
As a result, empty metrics are passing for ROI. Page views, photos uploaded, unique visitors are used as proxies for dollar amounts. People are confusing value and return. Beyond the fact that ROI needs to reflect money gained/lost vs. money invested, there's social value not being captured in a very social medium.
Now this doesn't mean we all need to chase the illusory grail of engagement... lest we prove it a sound construct. My point is, the innards should not be ignored, even if they chalk up to "soft," intangible value that doesn't enter your ROI calculation. Often, there are emergent outcomes.
Philosopher/Scientist Bruno Latour discussed why it's a problem to blackbox:
"When a machine runs efficiently, when a matter of fact is settled, one need focus only on its inputs and outputs and not on its internal complexity. Thus, paradoxically, the more science and technology succeed, the more opaque and obscure they become."Our intuitive sense that a community is running smoothly could paradoxically lead us to ignore what makes it tick. Let's not make this mistake. Web 2.0, by any name, stands for the opposite of black box thinking. It's about exposing and creating value from the inner components; glass box thinking.
Lastly, let's not misunderstand this argument: Again, the metrics that tap into the depth of members' immersion in a community are not ROI per se. I recommend measuring something social; use that to predict your business goal (e.g. Retention, Satisfaction). Then, calculate your ROI ratio.

subset: commoncrawl


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International recording artiste Jessie Chung is taking over the international music scene by storm! Released back in August, Jessie's debut album There You Are stormed into two of Taiwan's most authoritative and prestigious music charts, taking a top 2 position in Five Music's International Chart and another one in i Radio's International Chart. Jessie Chung ranked above many international artists on Five Music's International Chart, including Sia, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, etc., and placed right next to Lady Gaga. On i Radio's International Chart, Jessie Chung even surpassed Lady Gaga. She is the only Malaysian singer to enter Taiwan's Five Music's International Chart, and to add frosting on the cake—the total music video views on YouTube for Jessie's latest album surpassed 3 million within two months.
There You Are boosted Jessie Chung's popularity and pushed her sales to unprecedented heights. Seeing potential in her, Jessie's record label decided to wrap up the production of Be Strong and release it in advance. Be Strong is set to be released on December 15th.
A few days earlier, Jessie Chung journeyed to the shores of Lancelin and the Pinnacles Desert in Cervantes, WA to get her "Be Strong" music video filmed. In the desert sparsely populated by pinnacles—weathered pillars of limestone—Jessie stood under the scorching sun for more than eight hours and even stretched out her body on the sand. At the end of the session, her skin was severely sunburned, and she had to be sent to the hospital to seek medical attention.
Jessie mentioned that before shooting, a staff member reminded her to put on sunscreen and carry out other measures to get adequate protection from the sun. However, she didn't take any action upon hearing the advice since she was in a rush. She found out afterwards that all personnel had taken some form of protective measure. During filming, the possibility of getting sunburned never occurred to Jessie at all, since a deceptive, chilly breeze blew from all sides. Not until the filming completed did Jessie realize that there was a tingling sensation in her skin. While inspecting, she realized that her skin had started to redden, peel, and swell as a burning sensation erupted throughout her whole body. The staff immediately sent her to the hospital for treatment, and the doctors who treated her told her that her sunburns were dangerously severe, and that it would take a while to heal.
In another scene, Jessie Chung had to brave the waters. "The wind was fierce and unforgiving, and the towering wall of waves rolled in constantly. Standing in the water and getting beaten by the waves soaked me down to the skin. I was so cold my whole body shivered uncontrollably. On a few occasions, I barely got swept away by high waves. Sigh! I thought I'd taken a toil while filming the previous music videos, but this one blew all of them out of the water. I endured many hardships this time, I really feared for my life!"
The director also asked Jessie to run barefoot on the shore. However, the beach's surface was uneven and hidden with sharp rock fragments and seashells, and Jessie paid the price for the romantic scene. While running on the beach, her feet was slashed by razor-sharp fragments in the sand multiple times, causing her to lose her balance and fall. Her palm and knees were also scratched, and the unbearable pain forced tears out of her eyes.
Afterwards, Jessie saw a few messages left by fans on Facebook, telling her to be careful while staying under the sun. Although the accident had already taken place, she was nevertheless grateful to everyone's concern for her. Since her sunburned areas will need some time to recover, her schedule would have to be delayed, and she would not be able to meet her fans temporarily.
P.S. December marks the beginning of summer in Australia, which means that the Southern Hemisphere is closer to the sun. "Be Strong" was filmed near the Antarctic area, which has an immense ozone hole above it. Long term exposure to UV radiation without a layer of ozone protection will result in serious consequences, and may even lead to skin cancer. Every year, around 1,200 people die from skin cancer in Australia.


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Fully Solar Powered RV
A question was put to me today in the iTechworld store in Perth.
"What do you think is the future of RV travel?"
Its an interesting thought as the transportation industry is being flipped on its head by taking two of the most basic essentials—the driving experience and fuel—out of the equation entirely.
Self-driving vehicles and rechargeable technology is changing the landscape of driving. That market has been expanding beyond everyday vehicles with advances in things like electric-powered semi trucks. We have also seen the rise of the tiny home market, where solar panels and other green technology is often utilized. Motorhomes have been largely left out of this discussion. That's for understandable reasons. A vehicle synonymous with the wide-open road (and, inherently at odds with the idea of frequent EV charging stations) has no obvious place in the electric market. Until now.....
Having a few minutes spare time I quickly had a search on Google about the future of RV's and came across something that our very efficient German friends have developed. The company responsible, Dethleffs have come up with something quite remarkable but at the same time something that seems so obvious. An electric motorhome built for the open road, with a sleek design and covered head-to-toe in solar panels. This gives us an electric vehicle that is not dependent on charging stations as the solar panels keep it powered.
The "e.home" was on display at last years Caravan Salon Düsseldorf 2017 throughout September. The marketing team at Dethleffs were cheeky enough to announce it just in time to steal the thunder from Volkswagen's Kombi van announcement. Clever.
Keeping a motorhome and all its components powered up requires an extensive amount of energy as we all know. To meet that requirement, Dethleffs has covered virtually every inch of the e.home with solar panels, not too dissimilar from the iTechworld 100w flexible solar panel. The RV is built on the company's Iveco Daily Electric chassis with a 107-horsepower electric motor. The motorhome would have a range just shy of 100 miles if it wasn't covered in solar panels, but it is. Those babies can make up to 3,000 watts of electricity for its huge battery bank. In other words, you're all going just keep going and going and going.
The cabin is fully fitted with all of the amenities of a modern motorhome, with all electric appliances, several sleeping areas, a kitchen, a bathroom, etc., but also includes some cutting-edge components that are aimed at increasing the efficiency of the heating system and augmenting the privacy and comfort of the residents of the e.home. By incorporating "latent heat accumulator plates" made with a phase change material that can absorb excess heat and store it to be released after the sun goes down, and by integrating infrared heating elements in the floor and furniture, the e.home is designed to feel cozy to the occupants without consuming excessive amounts of electricity. Two different applications of a foil-based technology, in both the lighting and the windows, one of which allows for "a bright planar light" inside the cabin, and the other enables the windows to be "electrically dimmed" for both sun and heat protection as well as for privacy.
Dethleffs has added some 31 square feet of thin-film solar cells to the exterior of the e.home, creating a 3 kW (peak) solar array and adding a little bit of energy autonomy to the e.home. However, there's at least one major issue with the solar array, which is that it's on all sides of the vehicle, so no more than half of it can be exposed to direct sunlight at any given moment. Perhaps that's intentional, as it would allow some solar electricity gains to be had during the day no matter which direction it's facing, but there's no indication of what the average solar output from the array is, nor how long it would take to charge the e.home battery pack from solar alone.
The Dethleffs e.home concept vehicle isn't for sale, and there are no current plans to put this particular model into production, but it is being used to showcase the future of electric mobility in the caravan sector, which might be coming sooner than expected.
Living in Australia this would seem ideal as the conditions are perfect for this type of vehicle, the only real thing I would be worried about is how hot the solar cells would get on the outside. Exciting times ahead. Our light weight flexible solar panels are already in use around Australia today. Check them out HERE.
Article author


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Karen & Ben
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Jolanda planned the most wonderful couple of days, with fantastic suppliers and kept us well within budget. And in the lead up, Jolanda was always on had to answer any questions, by email or on Skype. We couldn't have done it without her - thank you Jolanda!


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CREDAI throws an Ace in Affordable Housing Projects
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI) has launched 352 real estate projects across 17 states. These will be developed in 53 cities with a total budget of Rs 38,003 crore. More than 2 lakh affordable homes are expected to be built with the help of these affordable housing projects.
The official CREDAI statement says that the housing projects will be taken up by CREDAI members. It will be the first mass investment by private entities in the affordable housing movement. These projects were launched by M Venkaiah Naidu, the Minister of Housing and Poverty Alleviation.
Among the Indian states benefiting from this move, Maharashtra gets the cream. The CREDAI investment will have over 1 lakh affordable houses built across Pune, Mumbai, Satara, Solapur, Malegaon, Jalna, Ahmednagar, Nagpur, Banm, and Nashik. The cost of developing these affordable housing projects is calculated to be Rs 15,576 crore. Gujarat follows Maharashtra in the second spot with a plan of 28,465 homes. These will be constructed in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Mehsana, Bharuch, Navsari, Vadodara, and Palanpur. The total investment in Gujarat will be Rs 9,525 crore. The national capital region comes second with 41,921 houses to be built on a financial plan of Rs 6,211 crore.
Each house will cost an average of Rs 18 lakh. Moreover, the ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) has authorized the construction of 17,73,052 affordable houses as well. This will be done under the Prime Minister's Awas Yojana. Each beneficiary of the yojana will be provided with an assistance of Rs 1-2.35 lakh for the residences.
The CREDAI affordable housing projects and Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana projects in combination might bring a realty revolution. The central and state governments shall assist in the fruition of these projects. Earlier, real estate projects were scattered inconsistently with little accountability on the part of the developers. With the central and state government involved, construction and deliveries of affordable housing projects are going to be easier and faster.
Suggested reads: Joint Development Agreements Will Reduce Tax In The Housing Sector
One Comment to CREDAI throws an Ace in Affordable Housing Projects
[…] two years. With low interest rates and various policies in place from government, the demand for affordable housing in India has increased and development firms are now looking into this segment with keen […]


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Taking digital further
The E.W. Scripps stations have been making the move to digital, with seven stations on air in digital and three more due to be up with DTV by the end of the year.
According to Vice President of Engineering Mike Doback, the financial resources committed to the DTV conversion have caused other station projects to be put on hold. But that doesn't mean that he'll be going to NAB without areas to investigate.
For example, the stations have been built for pass-through of DTV signals. Two, WPTV(TV) West Palm Beach, Fla., and KJRH(TV) Tulsa, Okla., also have HD cameras and production capabilities. KJRH recently worked on some HD commercials aired during the Olympics.
"We're replacing obsolescent analog equipment with HD hardware where the price differential is reasonable," says Doback.
Other HD gear that he will be looking for includes editing and graphics equipment.
"We've put in place editing systems that can be converted to HDTV," he says. "We really want to see where things are going in HD, and NAB is an opportunity to talk to our associates from other groups and see what implementations are working."
Scripps also has two digital newsrooms, WEWS(TV) Cleveland and WXYZ-TV Detroit. Doback says, although using different hardware, both are based on TCP/IP transfer architecture.
"We're very encouraged by the technology we've used in Detroit," he says. "The newsroom system talks seamlessly with master control, and that system talks to our commercial-playback system, which is on file servers. They all interconnect nicely with graphics and creative service for file sharing."
WEWS(TV) uses Grass Valley Group Profiles and Vibrint news-editing systems; WXYZ-TV is based on SGI servers, Panasonic NewsByte editors and, recently, Macintosh computers with Final Cut Pro.
One new technology he will be investigating for the newsroom is disk-based cameras. At NAB last year, he saw very promising demonstrations by Sony and Panasonic hopes to see products available soon.
"It does seem to be the market trend. It's a good one because it has a lot of implications down the road for the stations," he says. "That's especially true if it's a compatible DVD format that could be viewed on office DVD players or DVD jukeboxes that are available and affordable."
With newsrooms making the move to digital, Doback says, inquiries for vendors change to questions of bandwidth or desktop architectures.
"Also, if you're integrating products from a number of vendors, you still run into the problem of tying those systems together," he says. "So it still requires third-party software to keep it running."
The move to computer-based equipment is a double-edged sword, he adds. Broadcasters can take advantage of technology that has been put through its paces by IT engineers.
On the other hand, as equipment is increasingly PC-based, broadcasters suffer the problems that people with home PCs deal with. "Unstable platforms and all those issues really impact reliability and how robust our systems are," Doback says.
Among other technologies to be investigated at NAB is COFDM microwave for transmission from news vehicles. Scripps is testing COFDM gear at WMAR-TV Baltimore, and Doback says the group is taking a hard look at what the various suppliers have so that the equipment can be implemented as analog gear needs to be replaced.
Archiving will also get a closer look. "We're interested in cost-effective systems for the stations," he says. "As the cost of storage has come down, the line between nearline and online has really blurred, and the model is changing as far as what we really need for nearline. The DVD jukeboxes are very affordable, and there's a lot of software that can be adapted to run those."
The television industry's top news stories, analysis and blogs of the day.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Photo: Singer Harrysong shows off a pile of cash
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15 Cool Oversized Products.
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lamp takes things to a much grandeur scale. Its on/off switch is located on its power cord. Buy Now: $6,750 - $7,290.
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Pencil lets you write big, and is best suited for fun work station. It's also a part of its super size stationary from Germany for design brand Donkey Products. Buy Now.
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Peppermill looks more of a baseball bat, the peppermill measures 3'-tall, and holds over 2-lbs. of peppercorns. It features an indicator on the top that lets you adjust from a fine to coarse. Its made from hardwood with a satin ebony finish, measure 36" H x 4" D and weighs 7 lbs. Buy Now: $180.
Oversized Objects: 1 | 2. Advertisements Using Oversized Objects: 1 | 2 | 3.


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Some 100,000 humans, mostly muslims, have now been killed in the islamic religious "monotheist" sectarian violence in Syria that is backed by the Saudi, Qatar, Turkey etc islamofascist leaders.
When muslims dislike other muslims they call them takfiri, i.e. an apostate who is not a true muslim, i.e. who believes in the wrong Allah.
And to make it impossible to decide whose Allah is the "right" one, islam has made Allah redundant in its praxis.
So the only function left to these Allahs is as a reference to why one commits what would be classified as atrocities etc. under Human Rights.
There are no "right" or "wrong" humans in Human Rights!
Because of islam's inherent incompatibility with Human Rights the Saudi based Sharia organization OIC with 57 member states introduced islamofascist Sharia via UN as an excuse for violating Human Rights.


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"As of February 2012, the [United Auto Workers] trust holds a 41.5 percent stake in Chrysler and a 10.3 percent stake in General Motors," according to Politifact.com. Eventually, the trust will own 39 percent of General Motors and 55 percent in Chrysler once the trust is fully funded. Given this ownership stake, was the government bailout of the auto manufacturer's a giveaway to unions by the Obama administration, as many conservatives argue?
As background, unions made significant concessions in the years prior to and during the bailout to restore the auto manufacturers to profitability. Eye care coverage and dental coverage were lost and significant wage reductions were conceded as well, "including lower wages for new hires who now make about half the $29 that longtime union workers make." (As of last year, the wages of new hires were increased to $17 an hour.) Instead of guaranteed annual raises, the unions now get profit sharing, which means they get nothing in unprofitable and lean years. An infamously unproductive job bank was eliminated, where laid off workers sat getting paid for doing nothing often for months at a time until work picked up again. Cost of living adjustments were suspended and overtime no longer paid until workers worked over 40 hours. Pensions were eliminated and replaced by 401(k)'s for new hires. Strikes were banned at GM and Chrysler under the terms of the government bailout.
How much were these concessions worth to the companies? "Chrysler reportedly won health care concessions granted to Ford and GM in 2005 that were valued at $340 million annually for the automaker." Factory wages and benefits now cost the Big Three automakers around $20 less an hour per worker than they did four years ago, "bringing labor costs and benefits in line with non-union auto manufacturers like competitors Honda and Toyota." Specifically, Chrysler has managed to reduce its hourly labor costs in the past four years from $76 per hour to $49 per hour through buyouts of union workers who have been on the job for many years. As a result of this restructuring, GM will lower its 'break even' point to 10 million annual car sales from in excess of 16 million before the restructuring. While concessions in salary and benefits were significant, it is important to remember that labor costs make up only ten percent of producing a new vehicle.
Then why were unions given such a large ownership stake in the auto manufacturers? Businessweek.com notes that "The UAW won't directly own equity stakes in the car companies. The shares will be owned by a Voluntary Employee Benefits Trust, or VEBA, which invests cash and manages a portfolio to pay union healthcare benefits."
According to The Washington Post:
What happened is that the unions agreed in 2007 to set up an independently-managed trust fund to take over the burden for retiree benefits, which were crippling the Detroit automakers. Chrysler and GM agreed to pay about 65 percent to 70 percent of what they'd promised toward those benefits before, but they didn't have the cash to meet that obligation in 2009. Instead, they offered stock, which is how the union trust ended up with so many shares of the companies.
The VEBA gets GM and Chrysler out of the health care business. Such legacy costs were a significant burden on the company.
"The health care trust GM established would pay about 70 percent of GM's $51 billion obligation, or $36 billion into the VEBA. If the VEBA's investment appreciate in value, 340,000 pensioners will have their pension obligations met and , if not, the UAW will be at fault." The UAW must make a 7.2 percent annual return on investments to meet its future pension obligations. Chrysler will pay about 55 percent to 60 percent of what it owes, estimated between $10 billion and $11 billion, which will cover 82,000 retirees including future retirees.
The UAW could sell its shares in GM at any time, but is stuck with the shares of Chrysler for now since it is not a publicly traded company.
But should Chrysler recover and offer its stock to the public, and should that stock appreciate in value, and should the UAW ever choose to sell those shares for cash, it would have to turn any amount in excess of $4.25 billion to the U.S. Government. The terms of the Cerberus deal valued the firm at $9.25 billion just two years ago. Obviously that was an inflated price, but it does give some idea of what a recovered Chrysler might be worth. At that level, the VEBA's 55 percent stake would be worth $5.1 billion. So, basically the VEBA would be denied any serious participation in Chrysler's recovery. -- Doug Henwood, "The UAW's Chrysler stake: how 55% = 0%"
Also, the UAW has no right to vote its shares. "It gets just one seat on the nine seat Chrysler board and it will be required to vote its shares in accordance with the direction of the Independent Directors on the Chrysler Board," according to Henwood. Therefore, UAW influence on company policy is negligible.
Now that the UAW will own big stakes of GM and Chrysler some very serious questions arise. For example, should the fortunes of the auto manufacturer's decline the share price will lose value, meaning its health care obligations to tens of thousands of retirees will go unmet. In fact, GM shares have dropped by slightly over 25 percent in value since the initial public offering last year. (GM and Chrysler still owe toward retiree pensions, a fact that has depressed their stock price despite record profits.) Therefore, the auto unions are taking on a significant risk in this endeavor.
Alternatively, with unions interests more in line with those of management , the union may be in danger of being co-opted. Vision and dental care coverage has already been eliminated from the health care package to cut expenses. The auto union may be more agreeable to eliminating workers than in the past to increase profits. (Although the domestic auto industry as a whole has added 207,000 jobs since June 2009, it has lost over a million members in the last 30 years.) Therefore, union members may have to keep an eye on union officials who see their interests more tied to the profitability of the company than to the best interests of the rank and file.
Finally, what about the bond holders who many conservatives say were shortchanged in the deal receiving just pennies on the dollar of the value on their investment? Well, buying the bonds was a bet that in this case did not pay off and many of the bondholders purchased the bonds at fire side sale prices to begin with.
So, all in all, the auto manufacturers were able to get out from under any future obligations for the health care plans of retirees at 55 to 70 percent of what they owed. Some union handout!
Another conservative myth busted!


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Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
1. A crossroads.
2. A public square; a plaza.
[French, from Old French carrefor, from Latin quadrifurcus, four-forked : quadri-, quadri- + furca, fork.]
1. (Human Geography) a rare word for crossroads
2. (Human Geography) a public square, esp one at the intersection of several roads
[C15: from Old French quarrefour, ultimately from Latin quadrifurcus having four forks]
car•re•four(ˈkær əˌfʊər, ˌkær əˈfʊər)
1. a crossroads.
2. a public square; marketplace.
[1475–85; < French; Middle French quarrefour < Late Latin quadrifurcum, neuter of quadrifurcus with four forks]
See also related terms for roads.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
|carrefour - a junction where one street or road crosses another
street corner, turning point, corner - the intersection of two streets; "standing on the corner watching all the girls go by"
junction - the place where two or more things come together
grade crossing, level crossing - intersection of a railway and a road on the same level; barriers close road when trains pass


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Using a laser scanner to record an object requires a profound knowledge of the equipment and the scanning process. Some of the steps of the scanning process are quite automated while others are still labour intensive.
There are a lot of companies who are just starting to work in 3D. DelftTech has several consultancy programs including: Sensors, Laser scanners, photogrammetry and edutainment. With its broad experience in advanced 3D software and hardware DelftTech also provides specialized consultancy in every step of the laserscanning process as shown in the figure below.


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Several years ago, I 'met' Amanda Wills on social media. We both write pony stories and, as far as I can remember, she got in touch because she'd just self-published her first book and, as I'd started off self-publishing my books, she wanted some advice.
A while later, we met properly at a conference about horse and pony books that was held at Cambridge University. It was a wonderful occasion. We got on really well and joined up with several other authors, including (what a thrill!) my favourite author of all time, K M Peyton.
Now Amanda is an incredibly successful author and her Riverdale Pony Stories have a huge following, so I'm the one asking her for advice!
The good news is that there's another Riverdale Pony Story coming out on 20th March, so I asked Amanda if she'd write something about the series and her new book for this website.
If you haven't yet read any of Amanda's Riverdale adventures, you've got a treat in store as you can start at the beginning with The Lost Pony of Riverdale and work your way through all seven (soon to be eight!) books. And if you're already a fan you can pre-order her new story, The Mystery of Riverdale Tor from Amazon here.
Over to you, Amanda:
When I began writing my first book, The Lost Pony of Riverdale, back in the summer of 2012, I knew where it would be set even before I had nailed down the plot.
I could have set the story in the pretty corner of Kent where I live. But the craggy tors and vast, dramatic skies of Dartmoor were calling. It was always a done deal.
I first fell in love with Dartmoor when I was about seven, during a family holiday to Devon. As pony-mad as my heroine Poppy, I loved being so close to the wild Dartmoor ponies. I couldn't for the life of me understand why my long-suffering parents weren't prepared to smuggle one home in the boot of our estate car.
Every summer for years we went back to Devon, staying in a bed and breakfast on a working farm where the nearest thing to a pony was an ancient grey donkey who patiently put up with my attentions.
Little wonder that decades later I should decide to give Poppy an elderly donkey to look after in the Riverdale books!
Years passed, and visits to Dartmoor were few and far between until I met my husband, Adrian. He grew up in Plymouth, just a short drive from the south west reaches of the moor, and we spent many a happy hour walking across Dartmoor during trips to see his parents. Adrian even proposed to me on Dartmoor!
That was twenty years ago. Luckily our two teenage sons, Oliver and Thomas, love the place as much as we do. So many happy family memories have been made there.
So it was inevitable that Dartmoor my happy place became the setting for the Riverdale stories.
Readers sometimes ask if the locations in the books, such as Barrow Tor, Highwaymans Hill, Hickmans Wood and the village of Waterby, where Poppy and her best friend Scarlett live, are real.
But although real places such as Tavistock, Princetown and Okehampton get a mention, most of the locations for Poppys adventures are fictional, created from my imagination but inspired by the places on Dartmoor I have visited over the years.
The tumbledown Witch Cottage, for example, was based on a real cottage, Nuns Cross Farm, which stands high on the moor above Princetown.
The farmhouse was built in 1901 and is every bit as eerie and mesmerising as my fictional Witch Cottage.
My latest book, and the eighth in the series, The Mystery of Riverdale Tor, was inspired by one of the most famous books to be set on Dartmoor The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Poppy, like the great Sherlock Holmes, must turn detective and uncover the identity of a mysterious dog that has been terrorising the moor.
Dartmoor is the perfect setting for rollicking good adventure stories, with its abundance of old quarries, ancient woods, fast-flowing rivers, craggy tors and long-abandoned ancient settlements.
And although they are written 250 miles away in a corner of my dining room in leafy Kent, as soon as I begin a new Riverdale book I am instantly transported onto the windswept moor with the plaintive sound of curlews calling in the distance and herds of wild ponies on the horizon."
You can visit Amandas website here: https://www.amandawills.co.uk/, find her on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/riverdaleseries/ or follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/amandawillsauthor/?hl=en


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Tag Archives: entrainment
Dancing Cockatoos and a Possible Link to Speech
This video is hilarious and also fascinating. We once thought that humans are the only animals to "lock in" (entrain) in order to dance to a beat. However, Snowball the cockatoo has proven us wrong. In research by neuroscientist Aniruddh … Continue reading
Entrainment: How to Affect Your Mood Through Music
One of the coolest things about music is the way that our bodies respond to rhythm. Have you ever noticed your body start moving to music without conscious thought, such as tapping your toe or dancing? The act of locking … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged entrainment, rhythm, tempo Leave a comment


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Academic Information on Issues
Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse
Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA)
Australian Institute of Family Studies
Level 20, 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
Tel (03) 9214 7888 Fax: (03) 9214 7839
Australian Institute of Criminology
CASA HOUSE (Centre Against Sexual Assault)
270 CARDIGAN STREET CARLTON VIC 3053 Australia
Ph: +61 (03) 9347.3066
Fax: +61 (03) 9347.1505
Time for Action: The National Council's Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, 2009-2021
Economic cost of violence against women and their children March 2009
Domestic Violence Laws in Australia June 2009
Indigenous domestic violence / family violence web resource
Kurongkurl Katitjin, Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Edith Cowan University
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Journal Articles and Research Papers
Mulroney J (2003) Australian statistics on domestic violence
Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, University of New South Wales
'New responses to domestic violence' Calder, Rosemary (2001)
Disabled victims
A framework for influencing change: Responding to violence against women with disabilities 2007-2009. Victorian Women with Disabilities Network Advocacy Information Service.
NPC abuse - Non physical contact abuse
McKinnon, L. 2008 Hurting Without Hitting: non-physical contact forms of abuse
Other articles:
Working it out: Domestic violence issues and the workplace 2008 Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse UNSW.
News Articles
SBS Podcast
Personal Information, Services and Advice on Issues
Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria: [http://www.dvirc.org.au]
CASA HOUSE (Centre Against Sexual Assault)
270 CARDIGAN STREET CARLTON VICTORIA 3053 Australia
Ph: +61 (03) 9347.3066 Fax: +61 (03) 9347.1505
Information for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Assault:
Jacaranda Project
Information for educators in high schools:
Understanding and Teaching About Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse
Information for Young People:
Bursting the Bubble [http://www.burstingthebubble.com]
Reach Out [http://www.reachout.com.au]
Information for Gay and Lesbians:
Another Closet [http://www.ssdv.acon.org.au]
Information for people with a disability:
SADA (Sexual Assault in Disability and Aged Care Action Strategy project)
Information for men:
Male Family Violence Prevention Association [http://www.ntv.org.au]
Available Services:
Crisis/Help lines telephone numbers:
National Helpline for the Violence Against Women.
Australia Says NO campaign phone: 1800 200 526. [http://www.australiasaysno.gov.au]
South Australia: Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 800 098
The Domestic Violence Crisis Service 1300 782 200
Yarrow Place Rape and Sexual assault Service 1800 817 421 (free call)
8226 8777 or after hours emergency line 8226 8787
Relationships Australia 1300 364 277
Second Storey Youth Health 8326 8777 TTY 1800 817 421
Mensline Australia 1300 789 978
Organisations raising awareness of issues and lobbying for change
CALD - Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women's Domestic Violence Action Group
(NESBDVAG Inc. SA) Non English Speaking Background Domestic Violence Action Group
[http://www.nesbdvinfo.com.au] email: ua.moc.ofnivdbsen|ofni#ua.moc.ofnivdbsen|ofni
Contact: Desi: 0411 187 478 Monica: 8444 0700 Ornella: 8239 9600 Isis: 8365 5033
PO Box 369 MARDEN SA 5070
Lesbian Domestic Violence Action Group (Inc.) 8384 9555
PO Box 437, Noarlunga Centre, 5168
International Days and Campaigns
White Ribbon Day November 25th [http://www.whiteribbonday.org.au]
My oath[http://www.myoath.com.au/]
"My Oath - The White Ribbon Campaign aims to end violence against women by encouraging men and boys to take positive action to create change."
Disclaimer: The Women's Studies Resource Centre is not responsible for the content of these links. All websites are provided on an understanding that they will attempt to address the information request of the user and are by no means exhaustive.


text: Long-Term Care In our golden years, we often need support to complete everyday tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing, and moving around. Home health care companies, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes will address these needs, but at a price. The AVMA offers members access to long-term care insurance plans that help cover medical and non-medical costs for services such as: Custodial and non-skilled care Assistance with normal daily tasks Professional medical care Apply Now We've partnered with the Nation's Leading Long-Term Care Insurance Specialists LTCR. LTCR serves millions of members from over 650 alumni and professional associations. Learn More → Or call 800.616.8759 for more information. "AVMA LIFE provides one-stop shopping for a variety of insurance needs. I felt the agent was honest and concerned for me and my family." —Dr. David McMillon, Former owner of Hoisington Veterinary Hospital


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The German National Tourist Office (India) conducted its annual four city roadshow to introduce its theme – Palaces, Parks and Gardens for 2017.
Eight German partners ranging from German state tourist boards, airlines, hotels and cruise lines participated in the roadshows, conducting B2B meetings with the Indian travel agents on latest offers, highlights and attractions for Indian travellers. Germany recorded over 500,432 overnights from India for the period of January-August, 2016, corresponding to a 4.4 per cent growth over the same period in 2015, informs Romit Theophilus, Director of Sales and Marketing, GNTO (India), adding that of this, 50 per cent tourists are leisure travellers while the rest are business travellers. He adds that the tourist figures may actually be higher as there is no definitive data yet for the overnights in alternate accommodations like Airbnb, river cruises and apartments. "At present, India ranks 20th in our global figures for the top 20 source markets for Germany. We want to reassure the Indian travel trade that we are very serious about promoting leisure and business tourism to Germany. We had both the Ambassador and the Visa Counselor with us to share their experience, encourage the travel trade to book more holidays to Germany and that it is the most affordable destination in Europe." Germany is concentrating on its theme-Palaces Parks and Gardens in 2017. "We have launched our Facebook page – Germany Tourism for the India market and look forward to it becoming a hub for discussions relating to travel to Germany, sharing itineraries, exciting travel finds in the country and lots more. We are focusing more on online promotional strategy to promote Germany in India. In 2017 we are expecting anywhere between 3-5 per cent growth year on year."


text: On Mon, Jun 11, 2012 at 6:42 PM, Christian Heimes <lists at cheimes.de> wrote: > Am 11.06.2012 08:09, schrieb Nick Coghlan: >> Right. Given the time frames involved, it's probably best to target >> this at 3.4 as a simple way to do >> rainbow-table-and-brute-force-resistant password hashing and >> comparisons, defaulting to PBKDF2, but accepting alternative key >> derivation functions so people can plug in bcrypt, scrypt, etc >> (similar to the way hmac defaults to md5, but lets you specify any >> hash function with the appropriate API). >> >> I think Armin's already created a good foundation for that, but >> there'll be quite a bit of work in getting a PEP written, etc. > > Python already has an excellent library for password hashing: passlib > [1]. It's well written and documented, contains more than 30 password > hashing algorithms and schemas used by major platforms and applications > like Unix, LDAP and databases. The library even contains a policy > framework for handling, recognizing and migrating passwords as well as > counteractive measures against side channel attacks. > > IMHO it's not enough to just provide the basic algorithm for PBKDF2 and > friends. There is still too much space for error. Passlib hides the > complex parts and has a user friendly API, for example > http://packages.python.org/passlib/lib/passlib.context-tutorial.html#deprecation-hash-migration Thanks for the link Christian, it does appear this particular wheel has already been thoroughly invented. I'll be recommending passlib for use by others in the future and look into adopting it for my own projects. However, password hashing is an important and common enough problem that it would be good to have some basic level of support in the standard library, with a clear migration path to a more feature complete approach like passlib. It would be good if someone was willing to do the work of raising this discussion with the passlib authors, and looking to see if a suitably stable core could be extracted that is API compatible with passlib, and could be proposed as a standard library addition for 3.4. Regards, Nick. -- Nick Coghlan | ncoghlan at gmail.com | Brisbane, Australia


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Report NEP-EFF-2013-04-20This is the archive for NEP-EFF, a report on new working papers in the area of Efficiency & Productivity. Angelo Zago issued this report. It is usually issued weekly.
Subscribe to this report: email or RSS.
Other reports in NEP-EFF
The following items were announced in this report:
- Ab-Rahim, Rossazana & Kadri, Norlina & Ismail, Farhana, 2013. "Efficiency performance of Malaysian Islamic banks," MPRA Paper 46238, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Xiaoyang Li, 2013. "Productivity, Restructuring, And The Gains From Takeovers," Working Papers 13-18, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
- Subhash C. Ray, 2013. "Nonparametric Measures of Scale Economies and Capacity Utilization: An Application to U.S. Manufacturing," Working papers 2013-09, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
- Jose Miguel Albala-Bertrand, 2013. "Evolution of Structural Indicators. China and Regions: 1981-2010," Working Papers 701, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
- David A. Rivers, 2013. "Are Exporters More Productive than Non-Exporters?," University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP) Working Papers 20132, University of Western Ontario, Centre for Human Capital and Productivity (CHCP).
- Gemmell, Norman & Kneller, Richard & McGowan, Danny & Sanz, Ismael & Sanz-Sanz, José F., 2013. "Corporate Taxation and Productivity Catch-Up: Evidence from European firms," Working Paper Series 2705, Victoria University of Wellington, Chair in Public Finance.
- Bertoni, Marco & Brunello, Giorgio & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2013. "Does Mental Productivity Decline with Age? Evidence from Chess Players," IZA Discussion Papers 7311, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
- Esther Goya & Esther Vayá & Jordi Suriñach, 2012. ""Do intra- and inter-industry spillovers matter? CDM model estimates for Spain"," AQR Working Papers 201207, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised Sep 2012.
- Kaitila, Ville & McQuinn, John & Siedschlag, Iulia & Zhang, Xiaoheng, 2013. "International Investment and Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Small Open Economies," ETLA Reports 6, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
- Wixe, Sofia, 2013. "The Impact of Spatial Externalities: Skills, Education and Firm Productivity," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 306, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
- Item repec:ilo:ilowps:470847 is not listed on IDEAS anymore
- Johannes Pöschl & Neil Foster, 2013. "Productivity Effects of Knowledge Transfers through Labour Mobility," FIW Working Paper series 117, FIW.
- Anne Neumann & Maria Nieswand & Torben Schubert, 2013. "Estimating Alternative Technology Sets in Nonparametric Efficiency Analysis: Restriction Tests for Panel and Clustered Data," RSCAS Working Papers 2013/13, European University Institute.
- Das, Arabinda, 2013. "Estimation of Inefficiency using a Firm-specific Frontier Model," MPRA Paper 46168, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Mitsuo Inada, 2013. "The Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Industrial Growth: Evidence from a Regulation Change in China," KIER Working Papers 856, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
- Item repec:old:wpaper:351 is not listed on IDEAS anymore
- Agnese, Pablo, 2013. "Offshoring and Productivity Revisited: A Time-Series Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 7323, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).


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KU Geology graduate student receives award from SPWLA Foundation
KU Geology graduate student Fan Zhang has been awarded a scholarship and a grant from the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts Foundation for the 2018-2019 academic year. Zhang is pursing a Ph.D. In addition, the SPWLA Foundation awarded Zhang a complimentary membership. Selection of awardees of SPWLA scholarships and grants is based upon a competitive evaluation of applications. In the 2017-2018 academic year, the Foundation gave out six grants and ten national scholarships.


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The Best of the North and South meet to create the Grand Slam Package.
Combine 2 rounds at Barefoot Resort Norman, Love, Fazio or Dye with True Blue and Caledonia and you have a dream golf vacation of 4 Major Courses in Myrtle Beach.
5 out of the six courses to choose from are seen on Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" rankings.
Is 4 rounds of golf not enough? Then check out the 6 round Ultimate Grand Slam Golf Package. Play each of the 4 Barefoot courses along with Caledonia and True Blue for the Ultimate golfing experience.
Discounted package rates are offered when you book any combination of 2 rounds from True Blue or Caledonia or one of each with any combination of 2 rounds from Barefoot Resort Norman, Love, Fazio or Dye Courses or 2 on the same course.
***Rates are subject to change without notice. 1% Administrative Fee will be added to all advertised Golf Packages.


text: CULTURE Critic's Notebook: One Final Political Push on the Sunday Morning Shows Before It's All Mercifully Over 1:34 PM PST 11/6/2016 by Frank Scheck FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME YOUTUBE The hosts, panelists and campaign representatives all seem to be suffering from combat fatigue. The Sunday morning political talk shows — or as Donald Trump likes to call them, "the shows" — were in fever pitch two days before the presidential election. Watching Fox News Sunday, Meet the Press and Face the Nation back-to-back is not to be recommended to any but the most passionate political junkies, and even then, should only be undertaken in consultation with a therapist. Fortunately for this viewer, the fourth network show, This Week, was preempted until later in the day because ABC instead covered the New York City Marathon, which is a race that people actually enjoy watching. We're now in the home stretch of the campaign, and the candidates were in overdrive as the poll numbers tightened. Trump was racking up frequent flier miles crisscrossing the country. He took time out to grab and kiss a baby, only proving that when it comes to his groping, no one is too young. And during one of his rallies he was rushed offstage by Secret Service agents, which ironically only made him look more presidential. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, seemed to be on more of a concert tour than a campaign, cavorting onstage with the likes of Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Jay Z. Trump would have tried the same approach, only Ted Nugent and the Oak Ridge Boys weren't available. One of the weekend's biggest stories was the dramatic surge in early voting among Hispanics, who were apparently taking time off from raping and murdering to send Trump a message. The programs all featured campaign representatives, with Fox News snaring an exclusive with Mike Pence and Tim Kaine appearing on CBS' Face the Nation. Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace pushed hard on Pence, who bizarrely denied that he was worried about the Hispanic vote by saying he had recently had a cup of Cuban coffee. "Donald Trump is literally everywhere," Pence declared, which is certainly true if you include people's nightmares. "Our secret weapon is the American people, who are saying enough is enough," he boasted, although he left unclear what exactly "enough" means. Pressed about whether he and Trump would concede if they lost the election, he grudgingly admitted that they would, but only if there is a "clear outcome." As evidence of Clinton's travails, he pointed to a New York Post story about her Filipino maid printing out classified e-mails, which only goes to show, to quote the musical Hamilton, that immigrants get the job done. Speaking with Face the Nation's John Dickerson, Kaine repeated a variation of the phrase "We feel really good, but we're taking nothing for granted" three times. It basically meant that the Clinton campaign is confident, but aren't exactly feeling the need to take any laxatives. He spun FBI director James Comey's announcement about reopening the investigation into Clinton emails like a true politician, making the dubious argument that it had "generated energy" to the campaign. Discussing the election on Fox News Sunday, Clinton strategist Joel Benenson declared, "It's not over until the fat lady sings." "I want to ask you a question about the emails," Wallace then told him, which is a phrase that journalists should by now have printed on their t-shirts. Confronted with several damning quotes, Benenson ducked the questions, hewing to the well-practiced but slippery position that he wouldn't "authenticate" any emails that had been "hacked by Russians." Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, who seems to have aged 10 years since the campaign began, told Dickerson, "I don't think anyone can say that 2016 has been normal," which in terms of political analysis falls under the heading of "Duh!" Projecting the sort of confidence that only comes from endlessly practicing self-delusion, he painted a rosy picture of Trump's election chances, pointing to "the heck of a bad narrative" currently plaguing Clinton's campaign. Both Wallace and NBC's Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd hosted their show from their networks' new "Election Headquarters," with Fox's so garish it made Las Vegas casinos seem drab by comparison. Their set also featured a "Data Deck" in which a numbers-crunching analyst delivered electoral scenarios using a touch screen. Todd used the same sort of device, with the giddy pleasure of someone who's seen Minority Report too many times. The most wonkish of all the hosts, Todd actually said at one point, "I've got counties that I'm watching," which is either a sign of diligent professionalism or that he has too much time on his hands. He also referred to Sunday's program as a "Special Edition," without making clear what exactly made it special. Each of the shows featured their usual panel discussions, with most of the participants looking like they were in the final stage of the Bataan Death March. When Dickerson asked journalist John Heilemann what was going on in the race, he wearily responded, "It's almost over, John." Karl Rove presented Wallace with a sunny outlook on Trump's chances of being elected, which would be more credible if he hadn't famously insisted that Mitt Romney had won the last election. Bob Woodward described the FBI's recent behavior as "extraordinary," saying it would take years to get to the bottom of it ... or, at least until he writes his next book. Tom Brokaw had a particularly dim outlook, pointing to the "tribal warfare" currently taking place and saying, "All over the country, there are people in fetal positions right now." Newt Gingrich was similarly apocalyptic about how the divided nation will fare after the election, although he ascribed all the blame to the "elite media" and "the Democrats and their unions." You practically needed an advanced math degree to keep up with the facts and figures thrown around on all three shows by analysts parsing both the presidential and senatorial races. The general consensus seemed to be that Clinton has it in the bag, but not by so much that viewers should, heaven forbid, stop watching between now and Election Day. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME YOUTUBE Frank Scheck firstname.lastname@example.com @thr


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STMicroelectronics Publishes its Annual Sustainability ReportGeneva / 22 May 2019
STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) , a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, announced the publication of the Company's 2019 Sustainability Report. The 22nd report contains details and highlights of ST's sustainability performance in 2018 and presents the Company's ambitions and longer-term goals for 2025 in alignment with the United Nations Global Compact[1] Ten Principles and Sustainable Development Goals.
"Sustainability is fully embedded in STMicroelectronics' values, which is reflected in how we enable innovation for our customers and consumers, as well as in the way we operate as one team of 46,000 engaged employees around the world.
Our approach contributes to addressing challenges presented by ever more dense urban environments, more complex mobility systems, safety, increasing energy demands, security of data, smart manufacturing, and more," said Jean-Marc Chery, President and CEO of STMicroelectronics. "At ST, our longstanding commitment and achievements over the past 20+ years have brought us a number of accolades in 2018 and I am convinced our updated sustainability strategy, looking toward 2025, will enable us to seize additional opportunities, continue to minimize risks and create value for all our stakeholders."
ST's sustainability highlights in 2018 included:
Company & Business
- Delivered year-over-year revenue growth of 15.8%, outpacing the growth of the markets we serve. Our product strategy leveraged our proprietary technologies, such as our differentiated Imaging technologies, Silicon Carbide (SiC), Gallium Nitride (GaN), and MEMS technologies to name but a few;
- Invested a total of US$1.4 billion in R&D in 2018 to support innovation;
- Included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices World and Europe. With a total score of 81 points out of 100, ST was ranked in the top 10% of the global semiconductor companies that were invited to participate in the indices; and
- 50% of our new products recognized as "Sustainable Technology" in terms of eco-design and positive environmental or social impact, a 16% increase compared to 2017;
People and communities
- Strengthened our safety culture by reinforcing safe behaviors, which contributed to reducing our incident severity rate from 2.10 in 2017 to 1.8 in 2018;
- Increased employee engagement index by 5 points compared to last survey, with 75% of our employees recommending ST as a great place to work in 2018;
- Extended our third-party RBA audit program to all our manufacturing sites, one of the steps towards our 2025 goal;
- Strengthened the "Women in Leadership" program with the objective to recruit a minimum of 20% women in management positions while attracting new talents with more than a half of non-manufacturing employees hired with less than five years' experience; and
- Continued to support education, with 80% of voluntary initiatives linked to Education supporting our STEM program;
- Achieved a successful transition to the new ISO 14001:2015 standard for all our manufacturing sites, including our R&D site at Grenoble (France);
- Reduced our GHG emissions by almost 15% and our energy consumption by more than 19%, both compared to the 2016 baseline;
- Improved our water efficiency achieving a 5% reduction in our water consumption per unit of production compared to 2017 and recycled 41% of our water, reusing it for a variety of different purposes;
- Reused, recovered, or sent for recycling 93% of our waste, exceeding our annual target of 90%, allowing us to remain on track to reach our goal of 95% by 2025; and
- Involved deeply in the clean energy transition with a firm commitment to use more and more green energy in our manufacturing operations.
The 2019 Sustainability Report (2018 performance) can be downloaded here.
More information about ST's approach to Sustainability is available here.
You can also read our blogpost at https://blog.st.com/2019-sustainability-report/
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global semiconductor leader delivering intelligent and energy-efficient products and solutions that power the electronics at the heart of everyday life. ST's products are found everywhere today, and together with our customers, we are enabling smarter driving and smarter factories, cities and homes, along with the next generation of mobile and Internet of Things devices.
By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.
In 2018, the Company's net revenues were $9.66 billion, serving more than 100,000 customers worldwide. Further information can be found at www.st.com.
[1] The UN Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the environment and anti-corruption. More information on the UN Global Compact is available at: http://www.unglobalcompact.org/aboutthegc/thetenprinciples/index.html
For further information, please contact:
Céline Berthier
Group VP, Investor Relations
Tel : +41.22.929.58.12
Alexis Breton
Corporate External Communications
Tel: + 33 6 59 16 79 08
Upcoming Events
Related Links
Related Documents


text:
During the instant cable car challenge students were introduced to the design process that engineers in the industry use to brainstorm, build, test prototypes, and launch a final product. In a team of three or four, using only the materials provided, students were to design and build a device or vehicle to move a small figure (or other object) as far as possible across the room on the fishing line cable.
At the conclusion of the activity students had to answer and discuss the following reflection questions: Why do you think brainstorming is helpful when solving a problem? How did testing improve your design? With respect to designing the solution of a problem, what are some important characteristics of a successful team?
STEM Schools > STEM Showcase >


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I don't find all the TV channels in my area
The Movie Cube TV Box is equipped with a DVB-T1 tuner and might not be able to support the paid TV channels which require a subscription.
Please check that you have an aerial antenna at home and that the cable is properly plugged into the Movie Cube "Antenna In".
Please run the channel scan again, select "Europe " as country and uncheck "Fast scan" option.


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The Tri Sage team lost a coworker and friend on January 6th, 2018.
Harry will be remembered by his coworkers, associates and friends as a true professional land surveyor. He will be greatly missed.
In Memory of
Harry Ericson
15 Years Strong Utility Support
WBE & DBE Certified
At Tri Sage we work as a team with our clients toward a common goal.
We assist within our expertise to ensure the highest quality product
by completing their projects on time and within budget.


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Finally, you get to prove what an awesome writer you are!
#3 of the 3 stages of a manuscript – for writers who want to actually finish something – and for readers who want to know why writers are crazy.
In recent conversations with writer friends, I've described a working mantra that helps me get over my mental impediments and get a manuscript or short story to THE END.
The mantra is: "Done; Right; Good."
Sufferers of the of the malady Writophrenia can identify with the symptoms and use this simple remedy to work through it.
In Stage 1, we talked about how to just plow through the work to get the first draft Done without a ton of concerns and no excuses – because if you don't have a manuscript that's done, you still only have an idea. Stage 2 is about getting facts, details, and adherence to the rules of your story world Right. If you've done those, then you're at:
Stage 3: Good
You've put in a lot of work. You're chomping at the bit. You're ready to show the world – or at least yourself – that you really can write. So, what can you – the writer, the artiste – do to polish the manuscript and get it ready for a debut?
Make it Good.
What does "Good" mean?
Two words come to mind when I ask that question: Precise and Authentic. I'll hit 0n a few aspects of each as examples of how I manage Stage 3 in my own work.
Precision can also be called Economy. Ask: "Am I as the writer saying what needs to be said with the least amount of words necessary?"
This does not mean that every book/story needs to read like a haiku. The word necessary means the least amount of words for your genre, universe, style, characters, etc. – not junked up with a bunch of big words, flowery language, and great side notes and ideas.
Usually at this stage my answer to that question is "No" and I get to fix it. Here are some places to apply Precision.
Shorten the scene setting and descriptions.
I'll admit this is one from me as a reader. I just don't have the patience for trying to digest every single detail of every single scene.
As a writer, I don't have the patience to write it – yet I still tend to have too much. There's a sense of investment in the story and the world it takes place in that creeps into every chapter. I feel like I did all this research and thought up all this stuff and it should be in the book. And I'm usually wrong about that.
Not quite enough (from the writer's point of view) is often enough for the reader. They're smart and they're recreating the world in their mind. Give them some room to do it.
Shave off extra words.
I'm from Minneapolis and have seen John Sandford, author of the exceptional crime thriller Prey series, speak several times. He's a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist with decades of experience, so I was surprised to hear him say that at this stage in his writing he's learning to do little things like shave off the extra two words from each sentence.
His example: She closed the door behind her. If the narrator described her stepping into her apartment, are the extra two words "behind her" really necessary?
I was amazed by his analysis and it changed my writing. This is something I do now at the Good stage. Sometimes those extra two words are appropriate, but as I read through the manuscript I examine each sentence and delete them where they're really not needed. It's less burden for the narrative to carry.
Delete unnecessary or repetitive narrative.
Ugh! I hate this – because this is the step where I realize what a crappy writer I am sometimes. Usually, I'm trying to stay in the head of my narrator and – in a passive way – I'm trying to remind the reader that we're seeing only what the narrator sees. So I overuse phrases like "I think"; "I see"; "I know"; "I realize" (replace I with he/she for third-person narrative).
When I write the first draft, I try not to worry too much about these bugs because it will slow me down getting to the Done stage. But, God help me, the gnats swarm in the Good stage!
Repeating words in close order become a distraction quickly for the reader and seem lazy to me as a writer. I try to eliminate and rewording them where possible – time to use my vocabulary and my thesaurus!
One other major thing I must look for is setting up and re-setting up a scene, an action, or a conversation. Often I find that I've doubled my work and, in Stage 3, must take the chapter apart and trim and combine the duplicate setups or dialog.
Eliminate passive language.
Passive language apologizes for what you're writing. Stop it! You're the writer, you have my attention, now get rid of the passive language and get BOLD – say what you intend to say!
One easy way to spot passive language is to look for -ing words: running; saying; reaching. These words always come with an auxiliary verb (I had to look that up) that flatten the power of your narrative: is running; were saying; am reaching.
Which sentence is stronger?
He was running across campus.
He ran across campus.
[By the way: I revised the first sentence in this section because of passive language. Which is stronger?
Original: Passive language is apologizing for writing what you're writing.
Revised: Passive language apologizes for what you're writing.]
Here are 3 variations of another common example – with a hidden -ing word:
I am not going to go to the store.
I am not going to the store.
I won't go to the store.
Another way to break passive language is to commit to an action or point of view:
He was running across campus as fast he could.
He raced across campus, legs burning with the effort.
The second sentence says "as fast he could" with one word – raced – allowing me to eliminate passive words was, as, and could and add another layer to the experience that connects the reader with the character's pain (legs burning).
Click here for J.T. Evans' great and simple system for checking passive language in your writing.
Those are a couple of basic passive language elements to look for. Strong language is yet another skill that comes with a lot of writing and editing practice.
Authenticity is a quality about which most people would say, "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it." I'll use the same cop-out because I don't have time to sit and contemplate a definition.
Your readers know when Authenticity is missing but they usually can't say why. Prospective agents and editors, because of their experience, can spot Authenticity (or lack of it) immediately – like in the first sentence of a manuscript. So, being "real" on the page is a crucial part of knowing the craft of writing. To achieve Authenticity in your writing, you can:
Ask: Would this character say/do that?
Uncharacteristic actions and words clutter the relationship your reader has with the characters you're presenting. When a reader has to work hard to figure out what a character is saying/doing and why, the magic of the reading experience is broken.
You owe it to your reader – and your characters – to be consistent within the story and not take cheap shortcuts to advance plot or elicit phony connections. The harder work is making sure that everything gels naturally. That's your job as the writer.
Punch up the dialog.
Observe the shorthand people use when they talk in real life (NOT ON TV!). Go to the mall or the grocery store and listen. Evesdrop on one side of someone's cell phone conversation. People don't often talk in complete sentences with perfect grammar. Even so, they understand what the other is saying, don't they?
One thing I see in a lot of new writers is very stiff and correct dialog that in no way represents the way their characters would actually talk. It sounds more like a grammar textbook than a novel. There are lot of places in our writing where we must walk the line between being realistic and being clear – dialog, in my experience, is the un-engaged battlefield.
Good dialog that says just enough between people to advance the story and keep it moving (pace) is GOLDEN. Learn how to use it well – and by that I mean listen, listen, listen; write, write, write; edit, edit, edit!
[Note: Be careful about realism. One problem I tend to have when trying to be realistic, for example, is too much "Um …" "Uh …" and lots of repetition. People really do talk that way, but I need to get the flavor of realism without slowing the dialog down and sludging up the pace of the story.]
Dedicate to a Point of View.
A major part of Authenticity is choosing a Point of View for your story and sticking with it. This is also an issue of passivity – being afraid to choose the narrator's and characters' attitudes, their ways of expressing themselves, and how they experience the world.
How to choose a point of view? Ask what your character/narrator wants. If you and your character/narrator want different things to come of the story/situation/scene then you'll have to adjust one or the other.
I honestly believe that trying to negotiate and meet in the middle is a huge mistake because what ends up on the page is a mishmash of (at least) two different people's points of view – the character/narrator's and the author's – and neither is entirely clear or fully developed.
A lot of new writers I've read have this identity crisis with point of view. They have an opinion they want to get across through their characters and story and don't make room for the surprise of a character speaking for themselves. Some people who write for years without success have the same problem – sticking to the writer's point of view rather than investing in and expressing the unique experience of the character. This is sometimes called "editorializing".
My best advice – developed through years of experience – is that if your character/narrator and you disagree on what to say and how to say it – GO WITH THE CHARACTER/NARRATOR. Believe it or not, this is a person trying to express themselves.
Point of view is the first layer of Authenticity in a story and it's what agents, editors, and readers crave.
Develop your Authentic Voice.
Authenticity also includes your Authentic Voice. I won't go deeply into Voice here because I'll post about it later – it's a crucial element for writers who want to succeed. And it's something that typically only comes through hard work over a long period of time. I'll just say here that "being yourself" on the page is something to consider in Stage 3: Good. It's also something that comes naturally to the page once you develop it. Look for more on Authentic Voice later.
Keep working at it!
One pass through Stage 3 won't be enough for new writers. Good may take several drafts. Get used to the idea that in the early days you'll work your manuscripts over multiple times. What you're really doing, Daniel-san, is making these elements more automatic so you can unleash your inner power and unique expression.
This is the phase where you work, work, work and learn, learn, learn. A frustrating feature of this stage is that you think you're finished and that all this editing is cramping your creativity. I've been there – still am there sometimes! But I try to keep in mind that there is a lot of work to honing one's craft.
It's not the reader's job to meet the writer halfway in their development. If one truly wants to connect with readers on a deep level – that is, to be an Author – then the writer is the one obligated to learn the craft.
Once it's Done, Right, and Good then you're ready to submit it to agents and publishers and bring it to writing conferences. Congratulations!
Next week, the writophrenia clinic continues with a discussion on Authentic Voice. Come on back for coffee and day-old donuts.
Now, here's the cheese on this Brain Burger.
3 simple joys of a Good manuscript:
- You can tell your high school composition teacher to suck it! (But not to their face, because you might still get detention.)
- You can take a day off from writing and do something – if you still remember how to have fun.
- Rereading a passage or two that you especially like but that no one else will ever notice.


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For clouds of blue colour at your next fun run or colour event. Also great for gender reveal photos. These cannons contain up to 3 times as much holi powder as our completely concealed gender reveal holi cannons.
Want to see it in action? Check out who's tagged us on Instagram or our Google Profile.
Please note that the see through top plastic cap must be removed prior to use. Please see our Concealed blue holi if you require the colour to be hidden as this product may leak.
Please see our Concealed blue holi if you require the colour to be hidden.
We will send an email, Facebook Messenger or Webpush when product available. Your email address will not be shared with anyone else.
Stockify application @2020 by Nitro Apps


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Cyberstalking's a word that's frequently bandied about in the news.
But the real deal really does hurt. These recent reports ("Leandra Ramm's cyberstalker gets 3 years' jail", CNA, 20 Dec 2013; "Cyber stalking case: American singer harassed by Singaporean has written an e-book about it", Straits Times, 4 Dec 2013; "Singaporean who cyber-stalked US singer Leandra Ramm jailed 3 years", Straits Times, 20 Dec 2013) bring to light the psychological consequences of exposure to online harassment: symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder ("He kept me in a virtual prison", Straits Times, 23 Dec 2013).
But it can be suggested that two emails of harassment, of any nature, are already one too many. Actually, two too many. Given the serious consequences of cyberbullying on mental health, it's important to know what to do in that situation.
The case above also raises the issue of being alert to situations in which interactions involve hurtful communications and unhealthy relationships. We may not be stalked by someone with an antisocial personality disorder, which as defined by the Mayo Clinic, is "a type of chronic mental condition in which a person's ways of thinking, perceiving situations and relating to others are dysfunctional — and destructive", but we may have come across or had to deal with someone who, to some degree, shows poor respect for others, lacks compassion for others, and is manipulative towards others. It may be someone we spend time with regularly (Psychology Today offers advice on how to gently let go of a toxic friend). It could be someone with whom we have had only online contact with. Either way, we need to recognize a situation for which we want to do something about.
A CNN report offers advice on how to deal with stalkers on the Facebook platform ("How to handle a cyberstalker", CNN, 21 July 2010), while Yahoo has general tips for dealing with a cyber stalker. And WikiHow has an excellent step-by-step guide. The advice from www.bullyingonline.org succinctly states, the first rule is not to engage. It's excellent advice, but in this digital age, you can protect yourself with one more thing you can use to your advantage: Emails can be automatically filed in a folder you've created specifically for the purpose of a) not reading it and b) documenting all correspondence, using keywords in a rule or filter in your email client. The canned response function on gmail is one such example. Finally, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) offers wonderful advice we should heed. Stay safe!


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Just think: it's August, inching closer and closer to triple digits, and your air conditioning unit dies. It just dies. Doesn't work. No more air conditioning, no more cool air to combat the summer heat and keep your home comfortable. It's finished.
So you call an air conditioning company to come take a look and they confirm what you already knew – it's time you purchased a new AC system. And then they explain something you didn't know – a new system is going to cost anywhere from $7,000 to $70,000, factoring in the type of air conditioner(s) you desire, the kind of home(s) you have, and the type of energy source you'd like.
Okay, what now? Spend the hottest time of the year soaking in sweat and blowing fans over ice? Or shell out all your savings (and maybe sell an organ) to cover the cost of a new air conditioner?
But what if there was another option? Enter financing.
The number of people who are planning on financing their latest home improvement project is at 70%. When you remember that the average consumer in the United States has under $5,000 they can get ahold of, it makes complete sense. So when life happens and things malfunction, and unexpected expenses such as an air conditioner repair or replacement is required, it is essential that we have affordable financing options available.
At Parker Pearce Service Experts we have multiple financing options for homeowners looking to replace their heating or air conditioning systems. The first category of options are a part of our promotional financing programs, which include no interest or deferred interest. Promotional shoppers are those that will most likely have the available money to pay off the loan short term, typically within 12 months with no interest charges, so long as the amount financed is fully paid off during or before the promotional period ends.
Parker Pearce Service Experts also offers financing options with a lower monthly fixed payment and a decent interest rate. This is for consumers who may not have the full amount as quickly but can afford a lower monthly cost. A standard program includes a 7.99% APR for either 60 or 120 months. A new, high efficiency HVAC system can cost around $10,000. Choosing the 7.99% 120 month loan option can cost as little as $121/month. This payment schedule makes a new heating or air conditioning system more affordable, while also getting an efficient system that will help reduce energy bills while providing home comfort.
The financing programs at Parker Pearce Service Experts are as follows:
With so many choices, what are you waiting for? Call Parker Pearce Service Experts today for a free in-home home comfort analysis and we will help you determine which heating and cooling system is right for your home AND which financing option is best for your life. We can't wait to get started!


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We've updated this classic with dried cherries and spinach in place of raisins and lettuce. Apples are key, but make sure you use a crisp snacking variety such as the heart-shaped Gala apple with its yellow-orange skin and red stripes.
How to Make It
Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in apples, celery, and cherries; toss to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Arrange spinach leaves on serving platter; top with chilled apple mixture, and sprinkle evenly with pecans.


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Louise Neathway was hit with a 52-count indictment Friday, including charges of harassment and stalking, in her alleged shake down of Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
The single mom accused of shaking down Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was socked with a 52-count indictment stemming from charges she harassed the baseball bigwig and five other men, court records unsealed Friday show.
Louise Neathway, 36, threatened to go public with her affair with the Bombers exec if he didn't cough up $6,000, prosecutors charge. She allegedly told Cashman she was pregnant with his child and tried to get him to cough up another $15,000 for a "medical procedure."
Prosecutors claim she took at least $50,000 or more from one of her victims, who a source said was not Cashman. Regardless, the alleged theft — the top charge of the indictment — carries up to 15 years in prison.
Cashman declined comment.
Neathway's "Fatal Attraction" M.O. is nothing new, her ex-husband and former flames said.
Todd Hawk, 29, a Wall Street trader said that Neathway, who also goes by the surname Meanwell, tormented him for four years after a three-week fling. He said she violated numerous orders of protection and clogged his phone with hundreds of text messages.
"It was four years, nonstop — literally every single day," he told The News after she was charged. "She used every avenue to get to me that you can think of."
Neathway spent 40 days in jail last year after pleading guilty to trespassing on his mother's property.
No fewer than 13 people have filed restraining orders against her since 1998 — including Cashman, his wife, his two kids, former beau Thomas Walsh, Hawk, her psychiatrist, ex-husband Jason Bump and his wife and mother.
Out of the 52 charges, the grand jury hit her with 21 counts of aggravated harassment — 10 of which were over the phone — and five counts of stalking.
Neathway has also been charged with perjury, which a source told The News is related to her grand jury testimony.
Her lawyer did not respond to calls for comment.


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I needed to make a batch of Thank You cards so I decided to mix and match the patterns from the Delicate Dots Designer Paper (FREE during Sale A Bration!) and I came up with these quick Thank You notes:
I used the "Note Cards" package – pg 157 (3-1/2"x5" cards with envelopes) and scalloped the edge with the Eyelet Border punch then added stamped images and die cuts and ribbons.. quick and easy!
Here are close up views of a few of them..
Remember.. you get 16 sheets of this neat paper when you choose the Delicate Dots DSP as your FREE Gift during Sale a Bration! (More info, click HERE)
I learned the ribbon body for the butterfly technique from one of my talented Luv 2 Stamp Group stampers, Saundra. Thanks, Saundra!
This one didn't use the DSP but same design:
Want to see more of my samples using the Delicate Dots DSP ? Click HERE.
Need to see the Sale A Bration catalog? Click HERE.


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Hot Mess Cutting Board
By putting tomatoes in the picture I know they want us to think that it's tomato juice, but I know blood when I see it. I've made enough messes in my life to know what blood looks like. You can also get it in a spoon rest, but that's not fooling me either. Get yours here.


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February 23, 2016
Have you been dreaming of do-si-do? Wishing you could swing your partner round and round? Well, come on down to ArtStarts, folks! This weekend, Paul Silveria is leading free square dance workshops for kids and families in Vancouver and New Westminster. No experience is needed, and even if you have two left feet, Paul will have you promenading in no time!
Paul Silveria is a unique and versatile performer who engages audiences of all ages with interactive traditional music. Paul has been playing banjo and calling square dances across the west coast for over 10 years. He'll get beginners up dancing in minutes by teaching dances right on the floor!
Join us either in Vancouver or in New Westminster:
Admission is free! No registration necessary, but do come early as this is a popular program. Each 45-minute workshop takes place twice, at 11am and 1pm. All ages are welcome!
Learn more about ArtStarts on Saturdays and ArtStarts at River Market, and discover upcoming workshops.
AIC Projects | Arts Integration in Action | ArtStarts Artists | ArtStarts Team | Community Events and Engagement | Exhibitions | Grants | Guest Blog | Infusion Pro-D | Knowledge Philanthropist | Meet a Community Art Star | Showcase | Supporters | The Next 20


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Seas that sparkle in every shade of emerald and turquoise draw visitors from all over the world to Cancún, the most visited vacation destination in Mexico. The magical Caribbean waters, along with gleaming white-sand beaches, spectacular sunsets, and fantastically preserved archaeological treasures, set the scene for a truly electric escape.
So, visitors can dive into endless action like golf, nightly entertainment for children and adults, including live shows and music, plus snorkeling and an introductory scuba diving lesson in the pool. Guests can also travel through time at some 1,200 archaeological sites scattered along the Yucatán (including major sites at Tulum, Coba, and Chichén Itzá) and don their disco duds for the after-dark dance clubs, bars, parties, and festivals.
Recommended: 5 Reasons Why We Can't Get Enough of Cancun & Riviera Maya
With all this activity, it makes sense that savvy travelers should choose one of the best resorts – set along one of the best beaches – to spend their precious vacation time.
Brand New in Cancun – Riu Dunamar
Opening in December 2, 2017, the stunning new Riu Dunamar opens directly onto the golden sands of heavenly Costa Mujeres. It's a tropical destination that offers innumerable amenities and services designed with families in mind. In short, it's the best of Cancun.
Float away in five shimmering swimming pools or luxuriate under the warm Mexican sun from the comfort of a beachfront lounger. Get wet with complimentary non-motorized water sports like kayaking, sailing, and snorkeling while the kids are occupied with fun-filled activities at RiuLand Kids' Club.
Recommended: 3 Benefits to Booking Travel Early
Unwind at Renova Spa – a retreat within a retreat – with tranquil massages and other indulgent treatments (there's also a sauna and Jacuzzi). Pull up a chair for gourmet à la carte dining, from Asian to Italian to steakhouse. After the sun sets, get down to live shows and music, and dance the night away at Pacha disco!
All is prelude to the ultimate relaxation you'll find in your double room or suite, which are complete with all the latest tech amenities (like complimentary Wi-Fi) and open to breezy private balconies or terraces.
Looking for a higher level of service? Head to the Riu Palace Peninsula, a lively family-oriented resort featuring adults-only villas and facilities, all set on the soft white sands of Cancun's famous Hotel Zone.
Contact your local travel agent today to start planning your next getaway to Cancun and your first to the brand new Riu Dunamar.
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