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When GPS was invented for military use, the designers could scarcely have imagined some of the applications civilians would eventually come up with for the technology.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system, a network of two dozen orbital spacecraft that was put in place between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s by the U.S. Dept. of Defense [sources: Garmin, GPS.gov]. But the Pentagon soon allowed civilians to take advantage of the system's ability to pinpoint precise locations. Today, GPS-equipped gadgets -- from those cheery talking maps mounted on our dashboards to chips in our smartphones that help us to find nearby restaurants -- have become a part of our everyday lives.
And those uses were just the beginning. The real transformational power of GPS is evidenced by the myriad offbeat uses that people have dreamed up for it. Grocery retailers use GPS-equipped shopping carts to track consumers' movements inside supermarkets, to scrutinize their shopping habits [source: Lindstrom]. Farmers use GPS tracking to determine which areas of land need to be fertilized [source: Crop Nutrition.com].
Here are 10 of the more unconventional uses for GPS technology.
Preventing Shark Attacks
Ever since the movie "Jaws" came out, beachgoers have been terrified by the idea of a great white shark showing up and taking a bite, even though such attacks actually are rare [source: Lee]. But hopefully it will ease their minds to know that nearly 50 big sharks have been tagged with GPS devices, so that an organization called OCEARCH can pinpoint each of their locations at any given moment.
When the sharks get close to shore, an alarm is sent to lifeguards, who then tell people to get out of the water. But the tagging also is yielding new information about the mysterious species' movements and behavior. For instance, researchers have learned that sharks don't only stay in cold water, as expected; some go as far the Gulf of Mexico in the summer. You can track the movements of the tagged sharks by going to the OCEARCH website [sources: Mearian, LiveViewGPS.com].
Tracking Stolen Prescription Drugs
Robbers and burglars have been targeting drugstores in an effort to obtain oxycodone, a powerful and addictive painkiller popular on the black market for non-medical use and sold under brand names like OxyContin. In an effort to thwart drug thieves, New York City police came up with a technologically advanced variation on exploding dye packs that are attached to cash banks hand to robbers. The police stocked pharmacies with decoy oxycodone bottles concealing GPS tracking devices, which detectives use to track criminals.
The bottles are weighted and rattle when shaken, so that thieves won't recognize that they contain trackers. "We would anticipate the burglar and robber will take numerous bottles, and among them will be the bait bottle," the police department's chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne, explained to the New York Times in 2013.
Mobile Performance Art
Baltimore artist Michael Wallace has come up with a way to turn his city into a sort of giant Etch-a-Sketch for his electronic drawings. Wallace, who uses the nickname WallyGPX, rides around on a bike equipped with a GPS tracker and mapping software, drawing on the computerized map with his movements. He uses the grid structure of city streets in southeast Baltimore, and rides through a large local park to create curved lines.
Wallace's work varies from an intricate picture of the Titanic, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of the ocean liner's sinking, to a giant map-portrait of Omar, a character from the Baltimore-based TV series "The Wire." He's also done simpler stuff, such as a scene from the game "Angry Birds" [source: Jauregui].
Investigating the Secret Lives of House Cats
Ever wonder what your cat does when you let him or her outside? A group of researchers from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University are eager to answer that question for you. They're hoping to equip more than 1,000 cats — some in the Charlotte area, others as far away as Australia and Germany — with GPS-enabled transmitters on harnesses, which will allow them to track the movements of outdoor cats in 2014. They're augmenting the GPS data with other info, including analysis of cat feces that they're encouraging owners to collect. Just so that they won't cause a privacy scandal like the National Security Agency experienced, they're allowing owners to list their cats under aliases [source: Price].
The research may clarify the extent to which cats pose a threat to birds. But it also may yield other surprises. When a British TV program tagged cats with GPS, it discovered that they spent much of their time at other cat owners' houses, trying to steal cat food [source: Rice].
Staging a Treasure Hunt
Since the early 2000s, GPS enthusiasts have used the devices to set up high-tech treasure hunts. Geocaching hobbyists hide caches of trinkets such as souvenir coins or toy plastic animals in various locations that they've plotted on treasure maps, and then post the maps online on sites such as Geocaching.com, so that others can search for the prizes.
Some Geocaching events are staged in parks, but there also are treasures secreted in urban neighborhoods as well. Geocaching participants can use mobile phones or iPads in their search, but the truly serious invest several hundred dollars in hand-held GPS units that have greater accuracy [source: Caldwell].
Mapping Your Daily Run On a Cruise Ship
These days, there are a ton of websites where you can track the movements of cruise ships on various voyages. But how about tracking your own movements on a ship as its plying the seas? A triathlete and blogger who calls himself DC Rainmaker wrote in 2011 that, while on his honeymoon cruise, he became curious about how his daily runs on the ship's circular 10-laps-to-a-mile running track would look on a GPS map, since the ship also would be moving.
When he did a 3-mile (5-kilometer) run and then plotted the results on Google Maps, he found that he could see a peculiar wavy pattern, almost as if he was running in one direction but veering from side to side, instead of in a circle. But the ship's forward motion also augmented the speed displayed on his Garmin wrist running tracker. "The way I see it, I just set a new 10-mile [16-kilometer] PR [personal record] at 26 minutes and 12 seconds," he joked [source: DCRainmaker.com].
Safeguarding Nativity Scene Figures
Who could forget that painfully funny scene in the 1982 movie "Diner," in which Kevin Bacon's inebriated character happens upon a nativity scene from which thieves have stolen the baby Jesus figurine, prompting him to undress and climb into the crib?
Fortunately, we may not have to see a real-life repeat of that, thanks to the GPS tracking devices that Brickhouse Security, a New York-based firm, has been providing to churches and other religious organizations free of charge since 2005. If the Jesus figurine is stolen from the manger, the device will either send a text message or email the figurine's owner to let her know, as well as give off a signal so that police can track down the thieves [source: Schapiro].
Guiding Driverless Cars
Visionaries have been imagining driverless robotic cars for decades, but one big, difficult question was how they would navigate the roads safely. Google's program to develop driverless cars, which began to shift into high gear in 2014, depends upon a synergy of GPS, sensors and cameras to accomplish that feat.
The GPS device plots the car's location, speed and direction relative to the destination, while a laser on the roof helps create a digital 3-D model of nearby objects to tag possible hazards. Cameras scan traffic lights, road signs and other visual markers. The technology has one significant limitation — it's only safe to use on roads that Google has mapped digitally in careful detail. And the cars can go no faster than 25 mph (40 kph) to ensure they're scanning that information [source: Sun].
Keeping Watch on People with Dementia
As the U.S. population ages, there are growing numbers of elderly people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. But their caregivers may have an easier time going forward, thanks to an ingenious application of GPS technology that conceals tracking devices in inserts in patients' shoes.
GPS SmartSoles, developed by footwear company Aetrex and technology firm GTX, cost $200 to $300 per pair and were scheduled for sale in summer 2014. The devices allow caregivers to call any time and get a wearer's location, or even to set up geo fences that will send an alarm if the wearer leaves a designated area [source: Schiller].
Birth Control and STD Prevention
Public health officials in most countries are eager to get young people to use condoms, as a means of preventing both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. They also know that young people are really, really into their smartphones. So it's only natural that officials would try to use GPS-enabled phone apps to reach them.
The English county of Kent, for example, began offering an iPhone app in 2012 called Kent C Card, which guides local teenagers to the nearest clinics where they can get both condoms and advice on how to maintain their sexual health [source: Todd].
People Still Use Fax Machines, But, Um, Why?
HowStuffWorks finds out why anyone still bothers with faxing in the 21st century. It's not just from inertia.
Author's Note: 10 Unconventional Uses for GPS
For much of my journalism career, I navigated around the country using old-fashioned paper road maps, the sort that would gradually turn into coffee-stained, wrinkled origami sculptures from being crumpled and stuffed into my briefcase or tossed under the passenger's seat enough times. I grew surprisingly adept at reading the tiny print and tracing faint blue lines, and retaining an image of that information in my working memory as I drove. These days, though, I use the GPS chip and a map app on my iPhone, which instructs me on each turn in a calm yet authoritative female voice. That usually works pretty well, but somehow, I felt more in control when I was reading the maps myself.
Related Articles
- Associated Press. "GPS Technology Protecting Baby Jesus." Cbslocal.com. Dec. 4, 2010. (July 19, 2014) http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/12/04/gps-technology-protecting-baby-jesus/
- Bains, Lee. "8 Weird GPS Devices." Switched.com. June 1, 2009. (July 19, 2014) http://www.switched.com/2009/06/01/8-weird-gps-devices/
- Brandon, John. "Six Innovative Uses for GPS." TechHive. June 23, 2007. (July 19, 2014) http://www.techhive.com/article/133361/article.html
- Caldwell, Dave. "Modern Treasure Hunts for the Whole Family." New York Times. Dec. 9, 2010. (July 19, 2014) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/technology/10geocache.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A9%22%7D&_r=0
- CNET. "Nine fun things to do with your GPS device (photos)." Cnet.com. Dec. 18, 2009. (July 19, 2014) http://www.cnet.com/pictures/nine-fun-things-to-do-with-your-gps-device-photos/5/
- Crop Nutrition. "Soil Sampling." (July 10, 2014) http://www.cropnutrition.com/efu-soil-sampling#overview
- DC Rainmaker. "Fun with a Garmin GPS while running on cruise ships at sea." Dcrainmaker.com. Aug. 2, 2011. (July 19, 2014) http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/08/fun-with-garmin-gps-while-running-on.html
- DVice.com. "NYPD baiting pill bottles with GPS tags to track stolen painkillers." DVice.com. Jan. 17, 2013. (July 19, 2014) http://www.dvice.com/2013-1-17/nypd-baiting-pill-bottles-gps-tags-track-stolen-painkillers
- Florida Today Staff. "Shark Katharine departs Gulf of Mexico." Florida Today. July 17, 2014. (July 19, 2014) http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2014/05/11/great-white-shark-katharine-lingering-off-brevard-coast/8967911/
- Garmin. "What is GPS?" Garmin.com. (July 20, 2014) http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/
- Goldstein, Joseph. "Police to Use Fake Pill Bottles to Track Drugstore Thieves." New York Times. Jan. 15, 2013. (July 20, 2014) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/nyregion/ny-police-to-track-drugstore-robbers-via-decoy-bottles.html
- Gps.gov. "Frequently Asked Questions." Gps.gov. Feb. 11, 2014. (July 20, 2014) http://www.gps.gov/support/faq/
- GTXCorp. "GPS SmartSoles: The Next Big Step." Gtxcorp.com. (July 19, 2014) http://www.gtxcorp.com/platform/products_and_services
- Guizzo, Erico. "How Google's Self-Driving Car Works." IEEE Spectrum. Oct. 18, 2011. (July 19, 2014) http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/artificial-intelligence/how-google-self-driving-car-works
- Jauregui, Andres. "Baltimore Biker WallyGPX Makes 'Angry Birds' GPS Art." Huffington Post. April 18, 2012. (July 19, 2014) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/baltimore-biker-wallygpx-makes-angry-birds-gps-art_n_1435343.html
- Kaiser, Tiffany. "Study: GPS Units Cause Memory and Spatial Problems." Dailytech.com. Nov. 16, 2010. (July 20, 2014) http://www.dailytech.com/Study+GPS+Units+Cause+Memory+and+Spatial+Problems+/article20169.htm
- Leach, Anna. "NHS unfurls condom app – for iPhone-toting teens." Theregister.co.uk. Jan. 31, 2012. (July 19, 2014) http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/31/kent_iphones_will_stop_teenage_pregnancies/
- Lee, Jolie. "Despite More Great White Sharks, Attacks on Humans are Rare." USAToday. July 9. 2014. (July 20, 2014) http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/07/07/california-shark-attacks-great-white/12283761/
- Lindstrom, Martin. "Shopping Carts Will Track Consumers' Every Move." Harvard Business Review. Dec. 9, 2011. (July 20, 2014) http://blogs.hbr.org/2011/12/shopping-carts-will-track-cons/
- Liston, Barbara. "Researchers track migration of great white shark around Florida." Yahoo! News. June 2, 2014. (July 19, 2014) http://news.yahoo.com/researchers-track-migration-great-white-shark-around-florida-213315476.html
- LiveViewGPS. "GPS Tracking Device Alerts of Great White 5 Miles Offshore." Liveviewgps.com. March 11, 2014. (July 19, 2014) http://www.liveviewgps.com/blog/gps-tracking-device-alerts-great-white-5-miles-offshore/#sthash.62vkB7X6.dpuf
- Lovelace, C.J. "Boonsboro area to host "Super Bowl' of geocaching next year." Heraldmailmedia.com. July 18, 2014. (July 19, 2014) http://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/boonsboro-area-to-host-super-bowl-of-geocaching-next-year/article_6b52c77e-b893-5dd2-812e-6386885f7f2c.html
- McNicoll, Arion and Glass, Nick. "Future of transport is self-driving cars, says GPS inventor." CNN. June 7, 2013. (July 19, 2014) http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/07/tech/self-driving-cars-inventor-gps/
- Mearian, Lucas. "Forget Shark Week: Researchers tag n' track great whites." Computerworld. Aug. 28, 2013. (July 20, 2014) http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9241939/Forget_Shark_Week_Researchers_tag_n_track_great_whites
- Mohler, Brendan. "Move over Shot Tracker. Here's an app that lets you map out your round like a tour pro." Golf Digest. April 18, 2014. (July 19, 2014) http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2014/04/a-app-that-works-like-your-ver.html
- Pennington, Bill. "A Caddie in Your Pocket, or on Your Belt." New York Times. May 27, 2012. (July 19, 2014) http://onpar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/a-caddie-in-your-pocket-or-on-your-belt/
- Price, Jay. "NC project exposes the secret life of cats." Newsobserver.com. July 11, 2014. (July 20, 2014) http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/11/4000595/nc-project-exposes-the-secret.html
- Rice, Carolyn. "GPS: From launch to everyday life." Bbc.com. Feb. 14, 2014. (July 20, 2014) http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26153506
- Schiller, Ben. "Hiding GPS Inside Shoes To Keep Track Of Wandering Alzheimer's Patients." Fastcoexist.com. Feb. 7, 2014. (July 19, 2014) http://www.fastcoexist.com/3025268/hiding-gps-inside-shoes-to-keep-track-of-wandering-alzheimers-patients
- Shapiro, Jeff. "Saving Jesus: GPS Tracks Stolen Jesus Figures From Nativity Scenes." Christian Post. Dec. 3, 2011. (July 20, 2014)http://www.christianpost.com/news/saving-jesus-gps-tracks-stolen-jesus-figurines-from-nativity-scenes-63894/
- Sun, Leo. "Google Plans to Launch 100 Driverless Cars by Next Year." Motley Fool. May 30, 2014. (July 20, 2014) http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/05/30/google-wants-to-launch-100-driverless-cars-by-next.aspx
- Thomas, Emily. "Parents, This Gadget Is More Than Just A Colorful Watch For Kids." Huffington Post. March 18, 2014. (July 20, 2014) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/child-gps-watch-hereo-app_n_4980465.html
- WallyGPX. "Welcome to WallyGPX.com...The Online Home of my Virtual Geoglyphic Adventures!" Wallygpx.com. (July 19, 2014) http://www.wallygpx.com/
- Arachne.org.au. "Austrarchaea raveni Rix and Harvey, 2011 D'Aguilar Range Assassin Spider." Arcache.org.au. (July 6, 2014) http://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2131


text: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has served the credit reference agency Equifax with a monetary penalty of £500,000 for global security failings in 2017 which compromised the personal data of 15 million UK data subjects. Data Protection Advisor Jon Baines said "It is important that, because the failings in question were from 2017, the applicable law was the now-repealed Data Protection Act 1998, and not the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). £500,000 was the maximum "fine" available under the old law, whereas the maximum under GDPR is E20m or 4% of global annual turnover (whichever is higher). Equifax will no doubt be smarting from this regulatory action, but also counting themselves fortunate that GDPR did not already apply, with its potentially much higher sanctions. The worldwide effect of the security breach involved 146 million people, and other regulators will be observing the ICO's action with interest. It took ICO eight years to serve a maximum penalty under the old law – one wonders how long it will be before we see signs of the increased "fines" under GDPR emerging". Related links Verdict RiskXtra Law360 Silicon

subset: commoncrawl


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On the morning of July 1st, 2017, close to 250 racers gathered at the corner of Macon and Graham in Louisville KY ready to run for a great cause. The 4th Fest 5K Walk and Run, benefitting Active Heroes and the work that they do to benefit veterans and military families.
When Gary Borders, owner of Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Marketing, learned about Active Heroes and the work that they do in Louisville he knew they would be a great charity to partner with for a 5K event. In 2016 to organizations joined forces to host the first 5K event, and after a tremendous amount of positive feedback, knew they needed to host a similar event again in 2017. Active Heroes is a 501c3 charity whose main goal is to end veteran suicide and provide support for military families. Active Heroes organizes and hosts a number of events around the country that not only raise money and awareness, but provide military families with support. Through events like the 4th Fest 5K, veterans, active duty military, and their families are able to connect and meet other people in their community who can relate to their situation.
At this event, racers ran or walked a 3.1-mile course around the St. Matthews area in Louisville. While it looked like it might be a rainy race, to the volunteers and racers surprise the rain held off. "There was a great atmosphere the day of the race. Runners were glad to be out there and were happy to support Active Heroes", said Borders of the event. Says Jeremy Sneed, manager of events and volunteers for Active Heroes, of the event, "People continued to come up to our booth and tell us how grateful they were that Active Heroes was trying to make a difference in the lives of veterans and military families." As runners finished the race they received an event t-shirt, finishers medal, and a goody bag.
Borders and his team at Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Marketing hope to continue coordinating more events with Active Heroes in the future. They are in talks to have another race, hopefully during the fall season, in Louisville or a surrounding community. These events are a great way to reach out to a community and raise awareness for the military families living in the that community.
To hear more about the event and watch the racers in action, watch the WHAS11 coverage of the event at http://www.whas11.com/news/local/active-heroes-highlights-awareness-of-veteran-suicide-in-kentuckiana/453593136. If you are interested in learning more about Active Heroes or check the schedule for upcoming events, please visit activeheroes.org.


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Tag Archives: Art Contest
RE:FORM SCHOOL Contest – Second Prize Winner
My "Character Explosion" painting, was selected for the online exhibit portion of the RE:FORM SCHOOL Show. What's this show all about? Raising awareness for American Public Educational System Reform. View all the snazzy artists involved in the show here. The RE:FORM SCHOOL … Continue reading


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This is a placeholder for an article describing balancing polarities while constructing.
Geomag the company coyly refers to The Secret of Geomag in their user manual. What they are refrerring to is that joints between rods are much stronger if they contain the same number of North poles as South poles.
How much stronger? Experiment to be done.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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The legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice once said, "Golf gives you an insight into human nature, your own as well as your opponent's." Attendees who love golf would undoubtedly agree with Rice. The nature of the game, especially its casual pace, allows business people to bond while sharing the fun and joyous frustration of a very trying game.
That's why golf is often a centerpiece of meetings and incentives. Many attendees need golf to make their experience feel complete or special. Even attendees who aren't avid golfers want to participate if only to network and advance their careers.
Over the years, Charisse Duroure, the spa director at the award-winning G Spa & Salon at MGM, has developed a keen interest in all things that promote wellness for the body and mind. A 30-year fitness veteran, Duroure started her career managing athletic clubs and spas. All told, including the four years under her belt leading spa activities at G Spa at Connecticut's Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Duroure has witnessed firsthand the evolution of the spa/wellness field.
No longer just a pampering luxury, spa treatments can be an integral part of a corporate meeting and event. As companies began to retreat from the ubiquitous cocktail party and search out more fitness and wellness-related activities, especially non-alcoholic ones, the resort spa took on a new life and mission.
And as Duroure points out, spa activities are held primarily indoors, whereas golf programs are subject to Mother Nature's fickleness. When rain spoils the day, Duroure and her staff get to work and move schedules around to accommodate the deluge of additional attendees.
Even during the economic woes of the last few years, Duroure notes that those client companies that never ceased rewarding and incentivizing their employees with spa treatments continue to thrive. After all, spa treatments are designed to reduce stress, improve productivity and bolster positive outlooks.
Duroure works very closely with resort sales teams to coordinate the appropriate spa treatments to meet the company's objective. The spa menu includes chair massages post-meeting or on the golf course, modern hydra facials, a session in the rejuvenating private waterfall room, steam room and relaxation time in the beautiful and spacious setting. Also, customized massages from among a menu of more than a dozen offerings such as sports massage are available. Corporate attendees are assured that fellow patrons will be of the same ilk — only those 21 and over may use the G Spa; families are welcome at their sister spa — Norwood Spa at Foxwoods.
Duroure fondly remembers an event she staged for 20 spouses of attendees (19 women and one man). After a healthful breakfast hosted in the pool area, Duroure presented an educational talk on wellness and an engaging demonstration of a hydra facial. Participants also received a Foxwoods gift bag as a token of appreciation. Duroure received an outpouring of positive feedback, and the planner already booked a similar program on their next visit. By the way, Duroure notes that men are so enthusiastic about spa programs that many of them nowadays choose spa services instead of an afternoon on the links — unheard of a decade ago!
Five Tips for a Successful Group Program
Duroure and her staff aim to please their corporate clients. They also want to make the spa visit a memorable one; thus, they advise planners and attendees to consider these five important tips, one or more of which can transform a GOOD experience into a GREAT experience for a corporate group.
Simply including golf on the agenda doesn't guarantee that a meeting will be memorable. What's the key to success? Create a golf outing that is fun, drives home meeting objectives and goals, and strengthens business relationships.
Golf is the planner's ultimate networking tool. "People like to do business with people they like," says Donna Collins, senior account executive for Total Event Resources, a meeting and event planning firm located in the greater Chicago area. "When people do things they like together, opportunities surface. A golf outing brings the boardroom to the fairway, greens and 19th hole. Competition, fresh air, good food and drinks work together to break down barriers to reinforcing relationships, making the sale and mining new opportunities."
Planners always want golf to be an ideal mix of networking, fun and enjoyable competition. But the mix can differ according to meeting goals and the make-up of groups.
Networking and fun were primary considerations for a three-day meeting in April for 325 executives, staff and distributors of Glenview, IL-based Beltone, a leader in patient-focused hearing technology for more than 70 years. Grace Defilippis, trade show and business meetings manager, planned the golf tournament before the business meetings started at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Tucson, AZ. "Golf is a good way for us to kick off the meeting and allow our people from around the U.S. and world to get reacquainted and learn from each other," says Defilippis. "Golf develops camaraderie and team spirit. For example, our Canadian attendees all wore the same pants and polo shirts. People from the Northeast all wore the same color shorts."
Defilippis says the resort's improvements enhanced the attendees' ability to network as well as their overall enjoyment of the event. The Westin La Paloma recently rejuvenated all of its 487 guest rooms and suites as well as its 60,000 sf of ballroom and function space. In addition, the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course was upgraded with new bunkers and greens.
Defilippis undertook several efforts to make the tournament memorable and run on time. "We developed a flier that we sent to attendees. We told them we would pay for shoe rental and greens fees," she says. "We told them what type of shoes and attire to wear and to bring sunscreen. Attendees were told to arrive at the club by 7 a.m. for a shotgun start at 8 a.m. About 70 golfers showed up. We used a shotgun start because we had a big group. It keeps everything moving because everybody tees off at the same time at different holes and finishes at roughly the same time."
Players competed for prizes such as closest to the pin, longest drive and longest putt. They also enjoyed box lunches and beverages, and a professional photographer snapped photographs. After the meeting, Defilippis sent photos of the foursomes and award winners to the players.
Beltone also took several steps to connect its brand with the enjoyable experience of golf. "We gave away shirts to every golfer with our logo and that of a sponsor. We put logos on golf balls, tees and tee packs. We wanted to keep our name in front of them," says Defilippis.
Some groups focus more on competition and challenging golf courses when planning golf programs, such as Oasis Outsourcing, a West Palm Beach, FL-based PEO — professional employer organization. The company held its annual national sales conference for 180 attendees in May at the 379-room PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, FL. It was the meeting's fifth consecutive year at the AAA Four Diamond property.
Oasis chose PGA National partly because attendees were impressed by the resort's many amenities, including a 40,000-sf European spa, 19 tennis courts, nine restaurants and lounges, and 39,000 sf of meeting space. However, it is the resort's five championship golf courses that keep the group returning. Oasis encourages attendees to hit the fairways on their own starting the day before the meeting begins.
Larry Doiron, director of sales training and meeting planner for Oasis, says attendees take golf to heart and constantly want to sharpen their games. As a matter of fact, Doiron says the group is composed of avid golfers. "We have a lot of golfers around the country with four and five handicaps among our salesforce," says Doiron. "These people are very serious about their golf, so when they get here they want to take advantage of the PGA. That's one reason why we moved to the resort. We can also keep the golf and everything else on property without paying to shuttle people."
In addition, Doiron is very satisfied with the value he receives from PGA National. "We now have a two-year contract that we signed a year ago. I'm the one who negotiates the contracts, and we got a good deal. It's an absolutely gorgeous facility. It has been a first-class experience, and I don't ever intend to leave," says Doiron.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, the site of the 2012 PGA Championship, was selected as the site for a technology company's three-day sales incentive because it hosted the PGA Tour event. "That was a huge selling point for us to take our guests where the pros played," says the event planner. "It's an exciting and challenging course that was a treat for them. Location was also a factor, and the fact that the resort pays such attention to detail from the salesperson and valet to the housekeeper. Some people who don't golf hadn't heard of it, but they were impressed upon arriving. It has that Old South feel that everyone loves."
The 280 attendees found the golf experience to be memorable, partly because of exclusivity. "We did a buyout and had the course to ourselves. You don't want other people starting ahead of you or in the middle of your group. You want the experience to be pretty exclusive. That's typical of most group golf outings," says the planner.
No matter which resort a planner chooses, a key to making golf memorable involves knowing attendees' golf skills and pairing them according to ability and other factors.
That's exactly what the technology company planner did. "We handled the pairings within the company," he says. "We paired according to ability and people wanting to make connections and network. Some people were paired with spouses, others with friends. It ran the gamut. We turned the list over to the course when we were done, and they helped us facilitate everything. They were great to work with and very knowledgeable about pairings."
Beltone took a similar approach. The company's sales director handled the pairings, sometimes with input from regional sales managers, who wanted to put certain salespeople together with clients in the same region. The pairings were then turned over to The Westin La Paloma's golf pro.
Golf experts say that some groups aren't paired well because planners, or whomever in the company does the pairings, aren't familiar enough with the group's golfing abilities. "You have to know your group, first and foremost," says Kent Instefjord, general manager of La Paloma Country Club. "You tailor the pairings generally around ability and remember that the goal is to have fun."
Instefjord suggests that planners determine attendees' skills by sending a golf questionnaire to attendees prior to the meeting. He advises asking the following questions:
Do you play golf? How often do you play? What do you usually shoot? Are you left- or right-handed? Do you need rental clubs and shoes? What size? Also offer a reminder of the golf course's dress code. "It's helpful to planners if they turn over the results to the facility and let them do the pairings with input from the planner," says Instefjord.
Pairings also depend on meeting goals and the preferences of executives and attendees. "If the goal is for everyone to have fun, then ability may not be as important," says Instefjord. "Or it may be more important for networking or friendships to pair certain people with others, and abilities have nothing to do with it. You may want to pair certain salespeople and clients. But you don't want to pair your best clients with salespeople if there is big difference in their golf abilities."
A great golf experience also depends on providing pairings to the resort on time. "Sometimes facilities get pairings or rental club information an hour beforehand, and you have 30 people who need them, which makes the resort have to scramble," says Instefjord. "The more info the facility can get to set things up, the better the experience will be. There are always last-minute changes and cancellations, but they are easier to deal with if the information comes a day or two before the event."
Play format is another key to a successful golf outing. A scramble is one of the most popular formats, especially for larger groups.
In a scramble, each foursome consists of players with four different skill levels — A, B, C and D. Every player tees off but members of each team play their second shots from where the longest drive lands. A scramble may fit a group with mixed golf abilities because it awards one score for each foursome. The format also moves play along to help planners keep attendees on schedule, says Instefjord.
A scramble also helps attendees with limited golf abilities feel more comfortable. "If you aren't a golfer but willing to have fun and be part of a team, the scramble is very attractive because if you mess up most of your shots it doesn't matter. Sometimes, if you don't use that format, you lose a lot of players, or some may play but get frustrated and have a bad experience," says Instefjord.
Conversely, skilled groups may find a scramble less enjoyable. "Let's say you are a really good golfer, you are going to a course you've always dreamed of, and you are playing a scramble. Memory of that experience might be less than it could be because you aren't playing your own ball," says Instefjord.
Groups with many advanced golfers may benefit from a best ball format. In this setup, all foursome members play their own balls. However, the best score for each hole is the team score. This format appeals to highly competitive golfers. Using more than one format is also an option. Instefjord has worked with groups that used two different formats — one for competitive groups who want to play their own ball and another that will use a scramble or another easier arrangement.
Attendees' golf skills and level of passion for the game are among several factors planners should consider in choosing a golf resort and planning golf events. Planners and golf experts offer the following tips.
• Identify the golf event's goals and objectives, including the desired return on investment. Keeping within the budget, "create the experience from the moment they drive up in their car to when they depart. There are endless opportunities to customize the golf experience," says Collins.
• Consider a course's size and level of difficulty because they impact the pace of play. Usually, planners want to challenge players without making play too difficult.
• Provide amenities during play. Collins suggests "neck massages at one hole, strawberries and champagne at the next, cigar rolling at the next, and soothing music at the next to calm the nervous golfer." Also, ask the golf pro to give pointers to golfers who may be waiting for the group ahead of them.
• Is the course on-property or is transportation required? Paying to shuttle employees to and from a course increases meeting costs as well as the time it takes to complete a tournament.
Location and reputation are key factors, too. Take for instance one of the golf capitals of the world: Myrtle Beach, SC. The area boasts 14 million visitors annually who come for the beautiful beaches, challenging golf courses and fresh local seafood. As leisure-only vacation areas cater more and more to business travelers and groups — a trend that some call 'bleisure' travel — planners are quickly learning that the destination is ideally suited for meetings and events. The Southern charm and hospitality of the area blends with modern amenities to provide the best of both worlds. For example, the expanded and renovated Myrtle Beach Convention Center features the 100,000-sf Exhibit Hall; the 18,000-sf Grand Ballroom; 20 meeting rooms; spacious, sunlit, glass-enclosed prefunction areas; an adjacent 400-room luxury hotel; and more.
With nearly 100 championship golf courses in the greater Myrtle Beach area, the 200-unit Marina Inn at Grand Dunes' claim to fame is to have two of those best golf courses located onsite — The Resort Club and the Members Club at Grande Dunes. Also, the Marina Inn is centrally located within a short drive to the best of the north and south Myrtle Beach golf courses.
Non-golfing activities help make meetings even more memorable, which is why they are a staple of meetings at golf and spa resorts. Oasis Outsourcing's sales meetings have included an onsite themed event for the last seven years.
This year, Oasis' meeting featured a Key West-inspired, Margaritaville-themed event. "A street sign saying Duval Street was in the foyer where people walked across a 60-foot boardwalk three inches off the ground and about four feet wide," says Doiron. "They go to the end of the foyer where they pass a buoy and walk into the reception with a steel drum band. The ballroom was set up with burlap table cloths, tropical foliage, a 40-foot tropical mural and ceiling decorations. We had real and artificial palm trees. A band played Jimmy Buffett songs. The stage had a tropical feel and looked like something that Buffett would play on."
Beltone's meeting also featured a themed event. "We held a biker-themed bash in The Westin's Grand Pavilion. We hired a DMC to bring in three Harleys, and biker apparel such as helmets and leather jackets," says Defilippis. "We gave out Harley t-shirts. Folks could sit on a Harley and take pictures and get (temporary) tattoos. The room was themed with Route 66 signs and old tires. People also could play pool, foosball and electronic darts. We also had dinner and a live band."
The 316-room Cheyenne Mountain Resort, located in Colorado Springs, CO, recently completed a major $3.8 million renovation of its Pete Dye-designed 18-hole championship golf course. The slightly longer course is now more challenging as all of the bunkers were rebuilt and tee boxes were elevated in keeping with the original Pete Dye-style of design. The driving range also was updated. Of particular note, the course is more eco-friendly as a new state-of-the-art irrigation system has been installed and approximately 15 acres of irrigated turf have been eliminated and replaced with native grasslands.
Also, 125 non-indigenous, low-water-use trees have been planted throughout the course, and more are planned for the future. It is anticipated that the combined impact of these conservation initiatives will result in a 30-40 percent reduction in water use. Located alongside a private, 35-acre lake, Cheyenne Mountain Resort also offers 18 tennis courts, racquetball and squash courts, a fitness center and an Aquatics Center, all of which are available to country club members and resort guests.
The 720-room Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, located near Orlando, FL, opened a new 55,000-sf conference center that brings the facility's total indoor meeting space to more than 128,000 sf. The conference center includes a 28,000-sf ballroom divisible into eight flexible meeting rooms, an event lawn and open prefunction area. The AAA four-diamond, 15-acre property features two championship golf courses, the world headquarters of the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and the full-service Mokara spa.
The 598-room Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, located in Destin, FL, and well known for its four championship golf courses and The Dunes, a putting course, renovated its 32,000 sf of meeting space, accommodations and fine-dining restaurant.
The hotel's Serenity by the Sea spa was recently recognized as one of the "Top 270 Spas in North America, Caribbean, Mexico and at Sea" in the Condé Nast Traveler 2013 Readers' Poll.
The 508-room Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, TX, recently completed its new Westin Workout Fitness Studio. One of the studio's innovative features is its blue-light technology that uses energizing fluorescent lighting to positively impact guests' workouts.
The 998-room Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, FL, just debuted its Heavenly Spa by Westin. Measuring 14,000 sf, the new spa includes 10 treatment rooms and offers a Halotherapy salt steam room, a Vichy shower, a relaxation area featuring a "Wall-of-Rain" and a spa café.
The 1,500-room Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando offers a wide range of golf-related services to help groups plan successful golf tournaments and outings. The resort's onsite 18-hole course at Shingle Creek Golf Club offers five sets of tees to allow players to adapt their play to the appropriate level of difficulty, and a customized website can be created to help organize and keep track of the tournament. The course also has a state-of-the-art GPS system that makes it easy for organizations to recognize hole sponsors and distribute tournament notes.
Meeting planners continue to meet the challenge of planning memorable golf events, even for attendees who have "seen and done it all" when it comes to golf and spa resorts. While many resort activities and amenities shape the attendees' experiences, it is usually golf that leaves the most lasting memory, says Defilippis.
When asked what attendees remember the most about golf resort experiences, she says, "Probably the shots they should have made." C&IT


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Home Equity Loans for Debt Consolidation – What to Consider
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.
Written By
Updated on Wednesday, October 3, 2018
If you need money fast, a home equity loan might be a good option. A home equity loan can provide you with a lump sum of money in a matter of weeks; the borrowed amount can then be paid off on a monthly basis for a fixed rate. It can be especially helpful to use this type of loan to help consolidate your current debt. A home equity loan can combine debt from various lenders, such as different credit card companies, and place it into one convenient payment.
However, a home equity loan might not always be the best option for everyone. It's important to understand how it works before making a final decision. This guide will help you learn what a home equity loan is, how it can be used, and how to qualify for one, so you can decide whether this loan product fits into your financial plan.
Learn about home equity loans by clicking below:
Pros and cons of a home equity loan
Using a home equity loan to consolidate debt
How to qualify for a home equity loan
Where to find home equity loans
Home equity loan vs. HELOC: What's the difference?
What is a home equity loan?
A home equity loan allows you to borrow money from a lender (usually a local bank) and uses your house as collateral for repayment. The interest rates can either be fixed or variable with a set repayment term of usually around 10 to 15 years.
"Home equity loans allow you to take out a lump sum up to a maximum percentage of the home's value," said Demond Johnson, a loan officer with Guild Mortgage based near Fort Worth, Texas. While the borrowed loan amount varies by each lender, it usually doesn't reach over 80%.
You can use this loan for just about anything. However, it's usually best when used toward an investment that will help you in the long run, like consolidating your current debt, and not used on something frivolous, like a luxurious vacation. Remember: You will need to pay this loan back — if you don't, your house can go into foreclosure.
Pros and cons of a home equity loan
It's important to understand the pros and cons of a home equity loan before considering applying for one. Consider the following.
- It may be your cheapest option: Home equity loans typically have lower rates than a credit card or other loan product, said Johnson.
- You may have a lower tax liability: The interest on home equity loans may be tax deductible.
- You could lose your home: Home equity loans might not be a great option for those with poor spending habits. Since your home is on the line, these loans are best suited for disciplined borrowers who won't miss payments.
- You may accumulate more debt: Even though you're consolidating your debt, you're not debt free. Those who overspend and are not smart with their finances can continue to rack up more debt as time goes on, causing an even heavier financial burden than before.
- You could misuse loan funds: A home equity loan can be used for just about anything, and that may be problematic for borrowers with poor spending habits. You may, for instance, want to pay for an upcoming vacation or wedding, but that will only result in more future debt without any return on your investment. Home repairs or renovations are a better use of funds, as they can increase your property value.
Using a home equity loan to consolidate debt
There are many solid reasons why someone might want to use a home equity loan to help consolidate debt.
Johnson said it makes sense to use this type of loan to help consolidate high interest debt such as with various credit cards because "the savings can be significant." Using home equity loans to pay off other debts, such as student loans might also be wise, said George Burkley, owner of American Mortgage & Financial Services in Indiana — "[the] rates are usually much lower."
Burkley also stated that if you're looking to do home renovations or repairs on the house, or are interested in buying a second home, a home equity loan might be a good option to consolidate that debt, as opposed to using a credit card.
How to qualify for a home equity loan
When applying for a home equity loan, there are a few things a borrower will need to consider in order to qualify.
Borrowers will need to have substantial collateral. For a home equity loan, your house is the collateral. If you can't make the payments each month, the lender can take away your house.
Credit score
Lenders usually look at your credit score when you qualify for any type of loan, and a home equity loan is no different. A borrower's credit score can play a significant role when qualifying for a home equity loan. Johnson said borrowers usually need a 680 (or higher) FICO score to qualify, but scores can vary depending on each lender.
A borrower's equity can help determine how much funds can be borrowed with a home equity loan. According to Burkley, equity usually cannot exceed "over 85-95% of what the house is worth."
Debt-to-income ratio
Lenders will look at your income and current debts, such as credit cards, current mortgage, and student loans, to determine whether you're able to take out a home equity loan. Lenders want to ensure you can pay back your debt so if you already have a substantial amount, you may not be an ideal candidate. Burkley said borrowers should have around a 40% to 45% debt-to-income ratio to qualify for a home equity loan.
Where to find home equity loans
A home equity loan might be a good option for you. If you're looking to find a loan, LendingTree might be able to help. With its online marketplace, you're able to use one form to potentially be matched with up to five offers from lenders at once. First choose the type of property you need the home equity loan for, such as a condo, single family home or a townhouse. Then finish completing the form by adding your personal information and you'll instantly receive offers available to you.
LendingTree also has a convenient home equity calculator that can help determine the estimated amount you're eligible to borrow. This can help you to decide whether a home equity loan might be useful for your financial needs or if another option might be more efficient.
What to consider as you shop home equity loans
When searching for home equity loans, there are a few important aspects to keep an eye on. Here are a few of the most common aspects to watch out for.
- Interest rates: Rates vary from each lender. It's important to compare interest rates with all lenders to ensure you get the best possible rate for your financial needs. Keep in mind, some lenders are more likely to provide lower interest rates to those with excellent credit.
- Origination fees: Some home equity loans can come with fees, such as origination fee that is applied when processing the loan.
- Prepayment penalties: Lenders can also charge a prepayment penalty for when you want to pay off your loan early. It's important to check with each lender to see which fees are tacked on.
- Lenders: Search for a lender you feel most comfortable working with. You want to be able to actively discuss your financial needs with a lender so you can learn how their offers will fit for your budget and your lifestyle.
Home equity loan vs. HELOC: What's the difference?
A home equity loan and home equity line of credit (HELOC) have a few similarities. For example, they are both backed by the equity in your home. The borrowed amount is also based on your home equity, which is normally around 80% to 90%.
However, there is a distinct difference between these two financial products: While a home equity loan provides funds in one lump sum, a HELOC is a revolving account. With the latter, you'll be able to take out money you need during a certain time frame.
Johnson said it's a good idea to consider a HELOC as "a VISA with a very large limit." You'll be charged interest on the money you borrow, and you'll be able to pay off the HELOC and charge more to the account in the future.
However, Johnson warned that rates can change on a HELOC. That is something to consider when determining whether a HELOC is right for you.
Alternative ways to consolidate debt
Using a home equity loan to consolidate your debt might be the best option for you. However, there might be something else out there that's an even better fit. To determine which is the best for you, it's always smart to learn about all offerings so you get exactly what you need.
Debt consolidation loan vs. home equity loan
A debt consolidation loan (which can also be a personal loan) might be a good option for those who have a lot of debt from various lenders. Instead of paying a high-interest rate to each lender every month, you can consolidate the monthly payments into one lump sum. Often times, these rates can be much lower than what you were paying before.
Lenders usually look at your credit score for both a debt consolidation loan and a home equity loan. However, sometimes lenders can be more lenient with debt consolidation loans in terms of your credit score; oftentimes, borrowers can have less than stellar credit and still be approved for a personal loan or debt consolidation loan. However, those with excellent credit will be more likely to obtain lower interest rates with debt consolidation loans than those who have fair to poor credit.
And unlike home equity loans, debt consolidation loans don't use your home as collateral, so you won't have to worry about losing your home to the lender even if you can't make payments. Find the best debt consolidation loans with our table below!
As low as 3.49%
Credit Req.
Minimum 500 FICO®
24 to 60
Origination Fee
on LendingTree's secure website
LendingTree is our parent company
LendingTree is our parent company. LendingTree is unique in that you may be able to compare up to five personal loan offers within minutes. Everything is done online and you may be pre-qualified by lenders without impacting your credit score. LendingTree is not a lender. Terms Apply. NMLS #1136.
As of 17-May-19, LendingTree Personal Loan consumers were seeing match rates as low as 3.49% (3.49% APR) on a $10,000 loan amount for a term of three (3) years. Rates and APRs were based on a self-identified credit score of 700 or higher, zero down payment, origination fees of $0 to $100 (depending on loan amount and term selected). Terms Apply. NMLS #1136
Balance transfer card vs. HEL
A balance transfer card with a promotional 0% APR can be ideal for those with high-interest credit card debt. However, qualifying for a credit card with a low balance transfer rate and promotional APR can be difficult.
While a home equity loan can be used to consolidate a variety of different debt, including home repairs, a balance transfer is strictly used for credit card debt.
Some balance transfer cards don't come with a transfer fee, especially for those borrowers with excellent credit. However, many cards charge a fee equal to a certain percentage of your balance.
Home equity loans can sometimes allow borrowers to combine a larger amount of debt than with a balance transfer. However, a home equity loan requires you to have equity in your home. As a result, some homeowners may find that they don't qualify for this type of financing.
A home equity loan can be a great option when you need money fast for debt consolidation, such as combining credit card debt or other debt accumulated by home renovations and repairs. But these types of loans aren't always the best fit for everyone and should be well-considered before making a decision.


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Spanish professional esports organization G2 Esports have signed two new players to their CounterStrike: Global Offensive team.
French players Audric 'JaCkz' Jug and Lucas 'Lucky' Chastang have officially joined the roster on November 26, keeping intact the all-French squad that also features longtime G2 players Richard 'shox' Papillon, Alexandre 'bodyy' Pianaro, and Kenny 'KennyS' Shrub.
The two new players come in as replacements for 'SmithZz' and 'Ex6TenZ,' both of whom were placed on the inactive list as they presumably look to move elsewhere.
Lead by our King @G2shox, our Ace @G2kennyS & the veteran number @G2bodyy, we will fight for the CS:GO throne!
Today, the #Reshuffle begins.
Welcome to the #G2ARMY @LuckyCSGO_ & @JACKZ_CSGO! pic.twitter.com/94CUol2vke
— G2 Esports (@G2esports) November 26, 2018
Lucky and JaCkz both join after having been members of the same team 3DMax, with whom they placed first at the ESEA Season 28: Premier Division - Europe minor tournament.
The pair has 13 first place finishes between them, including JaCkz's victory with Team EnVyus at the Gfinity Elite Series UK - Season 2 Major in December 2017.
- Read More: Tarik opens up about recent struggles following MiBR's heartbreaking ECS loss to Astralis
G2 will hope that the arrival of these two teammates will rejuvenate a squad that hasn't featured in a competition since placing 5-6th at the Finals of the Esports Championship Series Season 5 back in early June.
As far as roster moves go, G2 have not made many in the past two years. In fact, they had only made two moves since February of 2017, which was to sign SmithZz and E6TenZ in June after 'NBK-' and 'apEX' were placed on the inactive list.
In addition to the player reshuffle, the org made one more move on November 26, assigning Damien 'maLeK' Marcel as coach of the active squad while former coach 'NiaK' stepped down from the position earlier in the day.


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Men not allowed beyond this point
The first opportunity I had to reflect on the concept of embodiment of my research findings and my own research journey was the Work-In-Progress Exhibition at the Royal College of Art in January 2018.
In this installation, I wanted to re-activate the notions of closeness and exclusiveness that exists within a wider public space. Indeed, the Ladies Pond is a tightly closed space within a public park, which should allow everyone to enjoy its ground. I recreated the 'Women-only' green sign that welcomes every swimmer at both entrance gates. Those two words are so powerful that they are enough to exclude many individuals from entering the 'sacred space', the 'sanctuary'. It increases this sense of exclusivity, being part of the 'chosen' ones that can enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of the Pond. The nature of the sign is even more exclusive because of its binary aspect. Women only, it doesn't leave much space for non- binary individuals. What is the alternative then? 'No-Men allowed'? But are they even thinking about an alternative? I was curious of people's reaction to that, especially in a College/Art context. I had many interesting feedbacks during the exhibition opening hours. Many males were wandering around, tempted to go in. "It is not a castration machine" I said, jokily. However, mainly females entered the space and got to interact with the work. I asked people to leave a note, a sentence, a remark. I had an interesting feedback saying: 'Gender is a construct', where another person then wrote 'Oh come on'. It is quite representative of the current debate about gender.
Folding screens, or 'paravents', were first used in China centuries ago. Then, the concept got imported in Europe by British colonists. Folding screens were used in households: women could get undressed without being seen, even by their partner. Also, they were useful to retain the warmness of a room. In the upper classes of the 18th century, folding screens were richly decorated by artisans: gold, ivory, porcelain, velvet… 'Paravents' are gendered object that carry a 'feminine' and even erotic connotation. It is easy to see in popular and visual culture: one can think of Cinderella getting changed with her birdy friends, or Brigitte Bardot sensually getting undressed. At the beginning of the 20th century, folding screens loose most of their utilitarian aspect to become a symbol of taste and wealth, a luxury. After 1940, it was more of an antiquities collector object, seen as 'kitsch' and 'outdated' even if certain folding screens were in display in some museums30. For the last two decades, it seems like folding screens have completely lost their utilitarian aspect, at least in visual arts, to become an object reinvented by contemporary artists, such as David Hockney or Helen Frankenthaler.
In the Kenwood Ladies Space, there are some individual changing cabins, but most women use the open-air area to get changed. Others even get undressed on the meadows. Same for the showers: one can close the curtains of the shower in the corner, but most women shower without hiding, naked. Therefore, the 'paravents' in my display can be moved around: closed or open, they capture the ambivalent aspect of the Pond space and the relationship between women and nudity. One is given the choice to 'protect' their nakedness, their 'sacred body'.
The photographs displayed within the folding screens stand as visual documentation of my ethnographic journey. Each wall gives a certain thematic narrative: there are three different elements that are essential, which are Bodies, Nature and Borders/Structures. None of them were really taken inside the Pond area, to emphasise the rigidity of the institutional rules within the space.
Given the ban on taking photographs in the Pond area, I had to find a way to represent what cannot be explicitly represented. Visualising the absence in a way. This is where the green bathing suit intervenes. It is quite an old one, with my name sewed on it by my mum for when I used to go to swimming training camps. This is also the key autobiographical aspect of this installation. Synchronised swimming was a big part of my teenage years and the critics my team and I got from our team trainer regarding our teenagers' female bodies are probably the reason why so many of us still have body- related issues. As a result of those body-related critics, I started to develop strong bulimia around the age of twelve. Our bodies were constantly on show, we had to be careful about not being too fat, being perfectly shaved, wearing a lot of makeup that can be enjoyed by the audience seating above the swimming pool. Apart from that, I have many incredible memories, especially the feeling of belonging to a community, sharing our teenage years, learning from the older girls. But I guess my body is still recovering from those years.


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Learning From Nature
If you walk down the street in any neighborhood less then 20 years old in the Edmonton or Sherwood Park area, and you'll notice a recurring pattern. Planting beds with plants that individually are beautiful, but together create a dull or lac luster planting bed that just isn't quite right. This is because for years' people have been embarking on planting bed design considering each plant as a separate feature to the bed. People often try to mimic nature but miss the mark. In nature, the planting in any ecosystem exists almost as one large organism. From blanketing the forest floor to extending high into the tree tops, planting in nature appears so beautiful because every plant that you see is right where it wants to be. If we think about the way plants grow in the wild, it helps us understand how different our gardens are. We arrange plants as individual objects in a sea of mulch. Effectively placing them in solitary confinement.
If you are ready to take a stand against the run at the mill planting bed, that has for too long has failed to provide any worth while addition to our landscapes, here are some steps we can all take towards a greener future.
Start by looking for bare soil. It is everywhere in our gardens and landscapes. Large expanses of bare soil are incredibly high-maintenance. It requires multiple applications of bark mulch a year, pre-emergent herbicides and lots and lots of weeding. The alternative to mulch is green mulch — that is, plants. This includes a wide range of herbaceous plants that cover soil, like clump-forming sedges, phlox, and self-seeding columbine or thyme.
When you plant in communities, you manage the entire plantings, not each individual plant. This is a pretty radical shift. It's O.K. if a plant self-seeds around a bit, or if one plant becomes more dominant, as long as it fits the aesthetic and functional goals. We can do much less and get more. To do this, we need to pay attention to a plant's shape. Its shape is often an indication of where it grows in the vertical strata of a plant community. Upright plants with low or minimal basal or spiky upright plants have adapted to growing through other plants. Horizontally spreading plants have adapted to grow underneath others.
Mulch is a good natural ground cover, but there should not be vast expanses of any groundcover between planting, if you want the planting bed to have a cohesive composition. Further more, when mulching around trees, it has long been thought. Individuals continue to believe that eight to 12 inches of mulch piled around a tree trunk is a good idea remains unclear, but the fact of the matter is they've sentenced the plant to a slow death. Mulch is by no means a bad idea. It has many beneficial qualities, but like everything else in life, it should be used in moderation. When applied correctly it protects the tree from lawn mower or string trimmer damage, while keeping the soil moist and stabilizing the temperature in summer and winter. Organic mulches also eventually decompose and improve the soil structure. The proper way to mulch around a tree appears more like a doughnut. The depth of the ring should be two to four inches max. For soils that are poorly drained, like clay, only use two inches of mulch.
Now that you armed with more information go out there get dirty and keep bringing your outdoor living dream to life!


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i-tri spends approximately $700,000 to provide our girls with all the hands-on lessons, coaching, equipment, training and transportation that they need. We can't do this without your support.
We have been challenged to raise $100,000 by October 24 — and if we do — one donor has pledged a gift of $20,000. Please help us reach this goal so that together we can ensure that our girls have all they need to be successful!
|Sunday, October 6-Thursday, October 24, 2019
|Everyone who believes that our girls are worth your investment


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I just ate there tonight and bartender went out of her way to ensure my burger would be prepared correctly. She went back to the kitchen and informed the cook. They have gluten free buns and the burgers have no fillers. No cross contamination.
This place is great for a drink but it is not a good option for those with Celiac. The restaurant is fine otherwise. But this is the FMGF app, not Yelp.
they were very nice, but do not have anything gluten free except buns. They do not have Gf fries. everything is in the same fryer. Also, I do not think that they take any precautions for cross-contamination. My daughter got a grilled cheese on a Gf bun, but it was stacked on all the other gluten baskets.
I went here on a whim while at Grapefest and was pleasantly surprised! They don't have a gf menu, but the manager came out and addressed any concerns I had. The servers were all friendly and knowledgeable too!!! They have separate friers for fries so all those are gf. I had a grilled chicken sandwich on a gf bun and tater tots and I didnt get sick!
— Very
— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu
— Some
The gluten-free bun is so worth the extra two dollars on the most outstanding, extraordinary, delicious mushroom Swiss burger I have ever eaten.
The outdoor seating is lovely charming and clean. The servers are delightful helpful and friendly. I love this place and I can't wait to come back
Adore Jakes. Been coming to this location for about a year now. We are regular enough staff recognizes us. Delcious food! For me, completely celiac friendly. The gluten free buns are typical gluten free fair (dense, slightly dry). I do stick to chicken or turkey due to other allergies. Fries and tater tots have never caused an issue.
The turkey bun with the gluten free bun was fantastic.
The gluten bun is delish. I had the blue cheese burger it was the best ever!
Bread is everywhere and my gluten free bun that is $2 extra had particles of their normal bread on it. Returned it and got a refund. Only one fryer so nothing is really g free.
The only option is the gluten free bun. There isn't breakfast at this location and all sides are fried in a shared fryer. No kids meals so not sure why it's marked as kid friendly.
They really only have a gluten free bun and the burgers are pre made with species. I might go elsewhere for more options if you are celiac.
always loved their burgers enough to eat them without a bun til they brought in gf buns. Bun usually falls apart as I'm eating, so not the best gf bread, but those sweet potato fries and mallow dipping sauce are gf and to die for. So I often still do the burger salad thing without a bun and just have extra lettuce with a bread less burger on top. great service and top notch patio
Previously a review was posted stating dedicated fryers and gluten free products for celiac people, however upon visiting this location they do not cater to celiac people besides stating they can clean the grill. All wheat and non wheat products are cooked and prepared on same surfaces and only 1 fryer for all food products. Service was adequate as we were sat quickly, yet waitress did not have any knowledge of menu items and had to leave frequently to seek help with management. I was with other non-celiac patrons and they thought food was ok (3/5) and quality of food was par for a burger joint. Overall an adequate experience however beware yes gluten free products but all prepared and cooked with other non GF items.
Chat with brands, watch cooking demos, join educational presentations. Sep 24-26


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Cheri L. Neal has been the Zion Township Supervisor since May of 2001, where she is the acting CEO and treasurer, overseeing a budget of nearly $1,000,000 and a staff of amazingly diverse, dynamic people. She is responsible for ensuring compliance with laws and mandates, creating networks and relationships to support her team in accessing resources for residents, developing future community leaders for the sustainability of the Zion community and collaboratively addressing systematic issues that affect Zion residents.
She holds a Masters in Management and Certificate in Leadership through NorthPark University, a certificate in Nonprofit Marketing and Communication through Northwestern/Kellogg, a double Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Human Behavior in Society, an Associate of Arts through the College of Lake County, is a certified Life Coach through iPEC and accredited through ICF, and a member of the National Speakers Association. Cheri has earned the numerous awards including: TOI Supervisor of the Year (2001), ZBTHS Local Hero Award (2005), YWCA Community Leadership Award (2007), LC Enriche Camarino One Person Can Make A Difference Award (2007), LC Most Influential African American Freedom Award (2008), Ammadyia Muslim Community Pillar of the Community Award (2008), Coalition for Healthy Communities Member of the Year Award (2009), Catholic Charities Monsignor Holbrook Award (2011), Boys and Girls Club of LC – ZB Unit Founders Award (2013), Zion Elementary District 6 Dedicated Partnership Award (2013), and the Lake County Women's Coalition Woman of the Year (2017). Cheri also serves on countless boards and coalitions.
Cheri's most grateful for God and her children, Billy and Britney, and the ZT Team. She raises Monarch Butterflies and loves to garden (especially Zinnias – she is a Champion Ribbon Winner at the Lake County Fair), golf, jog and pit crew for hot air balloon festivals. Cheri is a professional speaker and published author of Seeds of Joy, Growing Zinnias and Your Zest for Life and Messages of the Monarch, How to Find Your Wings and Fly!


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In "Station Theta Black" we find Poe Dameron back on the scene. Though the episode opens with Yeager and Tan, we only get the briefest of glimpses of Kaz's found family before being whisked off on a classic Poe & Kaz Excellent Adventure. General Organa sends them to find out what is going on at deep space coordinates, where they find a station being primed for demolition. That puts Poe, Kaz, and BB-8 on a race to find information before being caught by Phasma and her First Order cronies.
Swapna: I really enjoyed this episode as a midseason finale! It was nice to see Poe and Kaz together in action again.
Preeti: Yeah! With some actual stakes thrown in. And I liked that there's a nod to the Poe we see in The Last Jedi, a little too headstrong and ready for a fight.
Swapna: For sure, it kind of sets up the conflict in The Last Jedi. Leia was at the end of her rope with him because he'd disobeyed her so many times before in his eagerness to engage the First Order. I did laugh out loud when he was pointing the blaster at the explosives.
Preeti: Ha ha, same. I also loved that Kaz is, again, so counter what we've come to expect from our Star Wars heroes. That specific exchange was great because when Poe was ready to go, Kaz was like "Ummm, no thank you, there is a man pointing a blaster at me." Which… honestly, that felt like something I would do.
Swapna: SAME. I am smol and am a wuss.
Preeti: We would be totally useless scaredy-cats together, don't worry.
Swapna: Let's recall that when we met Darth Vader at Disney World, I actually hid behind you.
Preeti: Oh my god I can't be the brave one in our friendship, this is going to end so poorly for us.
Swapna: Speaking of things ending poorly, I laughed so hard when Poe was looking for Kaz and BB-8 at the end after the explosion, and he was worried about Kaz but was REALLY WORRIED about BB-8, you could tell from his voice. (Things did not actually end poorly of course.)
Preeti: The whole episode had a wonderful pacing to it. I didn't know what they were going to find, and I was on the edge of my seat as soon as BB sees that weird murder-bot. It wasn't quite the reveal of the Empire mining kyber crystals, but it was a good one because they were presumably mining that material for the big blast at the end of The Force Awakens.
Swapna: Right? It's gotta be for the weapon on Starkiller Base. Again, this had so many echoes of Rogue One in it, like the Rebels knowing the Empire is mining kyber crystals but not why. You have to wonder how much deja vu Leia is experiencing as she watches the rise of the First Order.
Preeti: I was fairly depressed by that notion, to be honest. Star Wars is what it is by nature, and I'm looking forward to seeing the end of the Skywalker Saga next year, but my heart goes out to Leia who has experienced all of this, and will have to experience so much more.
Swapna: You and I have talked again and again how Star Wars is a tragedy, and that's quietly evident in this episode.
Preeti: They brought it into the tone in a really lovely, subtle way. Within Leia's speech to Kaz at the end, were all the things that make Star Wars what it is: hope and tragedy all bundled together. You can tell that Kaz hasn't quite learned that lesson, and I'm wondering when he'll be ready to do so.
Swapna: Looking back at the first season so far, I think the show has established itself pretty well. It feels like Star Wars at this point.
Preeti: It does! I wanted to mention that having Phasma show up in this episode felt smart (rather than delegating to that gold stormtrooper whose name I can never remember). She's ruthless, and Gwendolyn Christie gets so much across with just her voice. It's a terrifying joy.
Swapna: That's a thing we haven't talked about much, just because I feel like we take it a little for granted in Star Wars cartoons at this point — but the voice acting for this show has been so good. A shoutout especially to Christopher Sean, who does an amazing job making Kaz earnest and excitable without ever becoming annoying.
Preeti: Christopher Sean had so much weight on his shoulders as the lead character of this show and he really settled into the role to give us a Kaz that is relatable and compelling. Also, Oscar Isaac is always a delight.
Swapna: Absolutely. The show returns in January, and we already know one of the plotlines: Doza has to give the First Order an answer. I wonder if the Resistance will get involved, now that they have the terms of the agreement thanks to Kaz.
Preeti: I think maybe the resistance on the base will grow to include the rest of Kaz's team, maybe. It was a line he said at the end of this episode, that people would join up if they knew the stakes. I'm hoping it means he'll pull more people into the fight from the characters we already know. Tora seems ready for action! Tag her in!
Swapna: That's my hope for the rest of the season as well. And with that, we're signing off — see y'all in the new year!
Preeti: MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU *cheesiest of grins*


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Intelligent stops and transport network. Wi-Fi in vehicles and stops. GPS route planning and transport position check.
4 تعليق
It's not clear to me if you are talking of personal cars or public transportation? Are they self-driving cars as well?ترجمة
Thank You for this question! I'm talking about public transport. With this idea i take contribution in this contest https://konkurs.danepowarszawsku.pl/pl/projekt/inteligentne-przystanki-i-siec-transportowa where Orange have also share. I receive many e-mails and calls form people, who want work with me (also from companies).ترجمة
Currently this project is in final stage for winners of another Polish contest. My idea merged with another idea https://konkurs.danepowarszawsku.pl/pl/projekt/smarttram.ترجمة


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Hey, folks!
The last few days saw an increased number of connectivity issues in all versions of Trove, but it was especially bad in the EU. While we've taken all the necessary steps to make sure the worst of these issues are behind us, we felt it was appropriate to offer a little something more to help make things right.
So, all Trovians who log in between 11 AM UTC December 22nd 2018 and 11 AM UTC on December 26th UTC, will be able to claim three Empowered Gem Boxes.
For anyone still experiencing any connectivity issues, they are likely to be separate issues from what was impacting the EU in recent days. Please make sure to submit a ticket to our support team immediately, as the wait is longer than we'd like for a response, so we want to get to everyone as quickly as possible.
Thanks very much


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Rowntree Park
Rowntree Park is a 20-acre (8.1 ha) park in York, England open to the public, featuring children's playgrounds, tennis courts, bowling greens, basketball court, skateboarding area and general areas for picnicking. The park also features a large lake, a canal and a water cascade, and is home to many ducks, swans and Canada geese. The park's outdoor swimming pool was demolished in the face of strong public protest in the 1980s.[1]
It was created in memory of employees of Rowntree's who died in World War I, and was opened in July 1921 by local entrepreneur and philanthropist Joseph Rowntree. The gates at the riverbank entrance are eighteenth-century and were given by the company as a memorial to the people of York who died in World War II. Rowntree Park celebrated its 85th anniversary on 16 July 2006 with an open day.
In 2006 the park won a Green Flag Award.[2] This is awarded for reaching the English and Welsh national standard for parks and green spaces.
Entrance from South Bank
- Evans, Antonia (ed) (2002). The York Book. York: Blue Bridge. ISBN 0-9542749-0-3.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rowntree Park.
- Tourism and Information Website
- Location and history of park
- Friends of Rowntree Park
- Rowntree Park Tennis Club
Coordinates: 53°56′50″N 1°04′57″W / 53.94722°N 1.08250°W
|This York location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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The project on chlorpyrifos was first published 17th of June 2019 in EUObserver covering warnings from scientists because of its effect on humans, spread of the poison in food, the legal battle in EU and the fact that it was becoming banned in more and more countries. At the same time, market analysts predict the market to expand in the next five years. Chlorpyrifos might be banned in the EU from the beginning of next year. On the same day all the material was released on this website with the overview of the team-members. Le Monde, France, uncovered how only one study from Dow looked into the neurotoxicology of chlorpyrifos. Continue Reading →
Recent Posts
One study only paved way for chlorpyrifos
Chlorpyrifos has been used in EU despite the manufacturer's study on developmental neurotoxicity is criticized for being invalid. Photo Marcos García Rey. The EU-approval of the pesticide chlorpyrifos was based on one single study concerning possible damages on the developing brain, commissioned by the producer Dow in 1998. Dow has been asked to provide a new study on developmental neurotoxicity, but rejected to comply. A spokesperson for EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) says to Le Monde:
"We can confirm that during the evaluation of chlorpyrifos in 2013 the only one available study on developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) was from 1998 and had several limitations (e.g. lack of findings in the positive control, exposure period from gestational day 6 to lactation day 11 (instead of 21), lower number of individuals for neuropathology (6 instead of 10) and for learning and memory (8 instead of 10), etc.)."
Spain is acting as the Rapporteur Member State for the UE in the renewal procedure which will end in January 2020. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Investigations, Pesticides
National tests show we eat insect poison
Updated 07.26 on 17/6 2019. European citizens continue to eat and drink the insect poison believed by scientists to cause damage to children's brains. Data for the year 2016 from all member states sent to the food safety agency EFSA shows that out of 76,200 samples 3,371 contained chlorpyrifos and 839 chlorpyrifos-metyl. In total they accounted for 5,5 percent of all the samples. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
The NGO Pesticide Action Network Europe has analyzed the same data and narrowed the analysis to only look at randomly sampled unprocessed plant based food products in EU. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Investigations
Team-members in the environmental investigations
Eva Achinger is a reporter working for the public German broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (ARD). In 2016 she joined the investigative unit BR Recherche/BR Data. Her investigations mainly deal with environment, agriculture, animal welfare and human rights. Lorenzo Bagnoli is investigative reporter at IRPI – Investigative reporting project Italy. He is focused on transnational organized crime. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Investigations
Citizens pay for EU ghost offices – not used and not on the map
Each member of the European Parliament gets 4 342 euros every month, mainly to fund an office in their own country. But offices for 249 MEPs do not exist or seem nowhere to be found. So far 133 out of the 748 current parliamentarians told what they pay in office rent, an investigation shows. Each MEP receives a so-called General Expenditure Allowance (GEA), costing the EU around €40 million annually. It is intended to provide for national offices, but following research by journalists at 'The MEPs Project,' it seems the funds are potentially being misused. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Investigations, MEP, #Officespotting, European Parliament, Members of the European Parliament, MEPs, The MEPs Project
Drug resistance: How superbug-infected pigs from Denmark get into Britain unchecked
Pigs infected with the superbug MRSA can be freely imported into the UK due to regulatory loopholes, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reveal. An investigation has established that there is no mandatory screening for live breeding pigs leaving Denmark – where MRSA is rife throughout the country's herd – and entering the UK. Experts are warning that if no action is taken, the UK's pig herd could rapidly become infected. Such an epidemic could have a serious impact on human health, according to leading Danish microbiologist and MRSA expert, Professor Hans Jørn Kolmos. Thousands of people have contracted the livestock-associated strain of MRSA in Denmark and six have died from it in the last five years. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Agribusiness, Investigations, MRSA
Poor results: Giving up on resistant bacteria in Danish pigs
In Denmark, there are more than twice as many pigs as humans, and twice as many antibiotics given to the animals as well. A perfect breeding ground for resistant bacteria – to which politics have failed to respond.
In November 2013, a 63-year-old man with diabetes and end-stage kidney got fever because of inflammation. Samples of blood grew the resistant pig-bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, CC398. Three weeks later the man died. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Agribusiness, Investigations, MRSA
Here is where pigs infected with MRSA live
If you are a pig farmer and are looking for breeding animals that are free from MRSA, you will find here the first list ever showing farms whose pigs have officially been tested by the authorities and found to be infected. You will have to take extra precautions if you want to deal with these farms. You can demand that they produce a recent MRSA attest so you can know if their pigs are still infected. If you are looking for a job in the farm sector, the list can be used to find establishments which have or have had problems with bacteria in the workplace. For producers, neighbors and the local population in the vicinity of pig farmers, the list also provides clear and honest information about the presence of infection, as the Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) investigated it in 2011 and 2014. See the list over 205 pig farms where there was found MRSACC398-bacteria in the period 2011-2014
In the latest investigation from 2014 there are 181 larger pig production units, which either produce piglets for sale or pigs to be slaughtered. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Agribusiness, MRSA
Her lever de MRSA-inficerede svin
Er du svineproducent og søger MRSA-frie avlsdyr, så kommer her den første liste nogensinde over virksomheder, hvis svin officielt har været testet af myndighederne og fundet smittebærende. Du skal derfor udvise ekstra omhu, hvis du vil handle med disse virksomheder. Du kan forlange, at de fremlægger en aktuel MRSA-attest, så du kan vide, om deres svin stadig er smittebærere.
Søger du arbejde i landbruget, kan listen bruges til at finde virksomheder, der har eller har haft problemer med det bakterielle arbejdsmiljø. For leverandører, naboer og lokalbefolkningen omkring svinevirksomhederne på listen rummer den også åben og ærlig besked om smitteforholdene, sådan som Fødestyrelsen undersøgte dem i 2011 og 2014. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Agribusiness, MRSA
Her lever de rene svin
Er du svineproducent og søger MRSA-frie avlsdyr, så kommer her den første liste nogensinde over virksomheder, hvis svin officielt er testet af myndighederne og fundet rene. Søger man arbejde i landbruget, kan listen bruges til at finde virksomheder med styr på det bakterielle arbejdsmiljø. For leverandører, naboer og lokalbefolkningen omkring svinevirksomhederne på listen rummer den også åben og ærlig besked om smitteforholdene, sådan som Fødestyrelsen undersøgte dem i 2014. Se listen over de 82 svinefarme
Der er tale om 82 større svinefabrikker, der enten producerer smågrise til videresalg eller slagtesvin. Sammen med 196 andre blev deres dyr grundigt testet i 2014 for den smittefarlige stafylokok, der er kendt unden betegnelsen MRSACC398. Continue Reading →


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What does this have to do with first past the post? No one is suggesting some form of proportional representation at the municipal level. We all know that PR gives parties way more power to pick and choose who becomes your representative. If you try to apply this municipally, a party system will immediately have to form and there goes the relative independence of our Councillors.
City of Victoria - 2014-2018 Mayor and Council General Discussion Thread
Posted 31 October 2018 - 03:24 PM
Posted 01 November 2018 - 08:22 AM
The new council is sworn in at 11 am this morning. I guess we'll soon see who are the Queen fans, and I'm not talking Freddie Mercury. That's it for this thread--87 pages of fun and frivolity--so long and thanks for all the fish.
- rjag and Awaiting Juno like this
"[Randall's] aesthetic poll was more accurate than his political acumen"
-Tom Hawthorne, Toronto Globe and Mail
Posted 01 November 2018 - 09:37 AM
The 2018-2022 discussion can here found here.
Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.
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|Terri's neat & colorful QOV loaded and started quilting
|Quilting SOAR eagles around Stars
You'll remember, I used this same eagle motif on another of Terri's quilts, her gorgeous Blue/Gold/Cream QOV Log Cabin, and it worked out really well. However, it was a bit hard to see in photos but, Terri liked it so that's the most important thing, right?
Decided to do some ruler work coming off some of the points of each pieced star:
|Ruler work w/alternating w/waves
Still working out all the details for the final ruler work and background fill but I do believe it will satisfy my desire for my quilting to honor this special quilt. I'll keep you posted w/updates. ;-)
|And of course, had to do some McTavishing in the borders ;-)
|Red/Gold/Cream H & H Blocks
|Blue/Cream Hearth & Home Blocks
|Red Stars w/Cream Hearth & Home
If you would like to learn how you can participate, Please visit this link: http://www.qovf.org/Pdf_Files/HearthHome_BlockPatternB.pdf for all the details, including the F R E E download of the Quilts of Valor Hearth & Home block...Thanks!
23 Hearth & Home Blocks and counting...just 3 more to go to satisfy my commitment of 26...Yippee!
Time to get back to it...


text: Lookalikes Jun 24, 2008 18:03:10 GMT -5 Quote Select PostDeselect PostLink to PostMemberGive GiftBack to Top Post by Ersatzjack on Jun 24, 2008 18:03:10 GMT -5 I think I've discovered a lookalike to Franz on these boards. The giveaway will be if Franz can sing and dance. Hmmm??BTW - I think it is cool to look like someone famous. Better yet if it is Eddie Cantor.


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STOMP it anytime, anywhere.
Download the new STOMP app today.
Lydia Lam
The Straits Times
Mar 6, 2017
If you have received a WhatsApp message claiming that "new legislation passed in Parliament" rules that anyone caught using a mobile phone while driving will lose their driver's licence for three months, dismiss it.
The message, which has been going viral on chat apps, is false.
It claims that anyone using mobile phones while driving, or while the engine is running, will lose their driver's licence on the spot for three months.
Read the full story at The Straits Times.


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Cloud Software Central from Electrono is compatible with multiple OS platforms for online access: WAN/LAN. Students, developers, teams, and businesses of all sizes can benefit from our solutions for the development, management, and app scaling.
CSC is a tool to access softwares remotely.A person who's institution is registered to CSC can access the portal,book session for a particular software ,lauch it and use the software.