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As the business world tries to "commoditize" insurance, there are more and more opportunities to differentiate and stand out. All risks are not created the same and you need to look a little deeper in those "contracts" you are selling (Yes, we are ultimately non-lawyers selling contracts). Different industries have different exposures and what may be a "hot" issue for one class of business, may not be for another.
One of the industries we specialize in is the Records Storage Industry. This class of business was a natural off shoot of our messenger and courier program since a number of the clients we write, are in both areas of the industry. One of the unique exposures of the records storage industry is the potential amount of time it takes to "recover" from a significant loss (Keep in mind that specific to this industry is a pricing structure where storage facility makes so much per box stored). Take the scenario of a records storage warehouse having a large fire. It will take time to do the debris removal, set up and operate a temporary location and rebuild the warehouse. All this is similar to other types of businesses. What is different is that the 10,000 boxes of records you had stored (that were lost in the fire) do not "instantly" show up when the warehouse is rebuilt and ready to open. In fact, it can take years to amass those 10,000 boxes of records and have the same "revenue stream" that you had prior to the fire. Many carriers that will write record storage firms offer extended period of recovery of up to 18 months, which most of the time is insufficient to protect these type of firm and leave the insured in a precarious position. Offering an option for longer extended period of recovery will help the client cover the deficit they will have till they accumulate more boxes of records. We were able to negotiate an extended period of recover of 3 years in our program.
It never hurts to ask if an endorsement can be modified or deleted (bought back). The worst thing the carrier can say is no. If you are able to get that enhanced or modified endorsement are you then adding value to your services to the insured? YES!!! Helps you to keep accounts too when you can point out enhancements to the coverage when going up against competing quotes. Many times it is worth taking the time to find out what the "pain" is in their current program and what keeps them up at night.


text: Gibson will host Gibson Tech Talk from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday February 7 at the Gibson Guitar Studio, 29-35 Rathbone Street, London W1T 1NJ.This event is designed to provide guitarists and musicians the chance to ask some of the U.K.'s leading session musicians questions related to gear, instrumentation, sound, tone, guitar parts and so on, and to experience demos of new Gibson gear in the Gibson Guitar Studio. A selection of Gibson Lifestyle Gear will be given away to all attendees.You can watch video of a previous Gibson Tech Talk here.For Gibson.com readers based in the U.K. who would like to attend this first public event, just click "Like" then add your name on the Gibson Guitar U.K. Facebook page and Gibson will try to get you in. But hurry, there are limited spaces!

subset: commoncrawl


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Rate This Movie SYNOPSIS: A group of troublemaking, yuppie, high-schoolers are on the way camping when they get lost and stranded in an unnaturally fogged bit of forest. Inside the forest they find a tavern with strange, glowy-eyed locals and a beastly looking glass cauldron filled with money and valuables. They discover that the vessel is there for the purpose …Read More »
Home | Tag Archives: Gianmarco Tognazzi


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So I recently read a comment written by one of our readers, Jason, he made an interesting point when he said (paraphrasing) at what point can we take a house and stop it from consuming, to producing. This is a very interest notion, traditionally houses and their systems require resources to operate, to maintain, to use etc. Now being a producer could mean the house itself produces, a system within the house, the person who lives in the house; how can we turn this negative into a positive?
So it left me wondering how could I have a house that doesn't consume, but produces; while this might actually be impossible if you start looking at the laws of physics it might be a more accurate statement that a house that can offset the inputs with it's outputs. But is this even possible?
The average American home creates 4 tons of waste in just its construction, the average house produces almost 90,000 pounds of carbon emissions. Now a Tiny House will drastically reduces the amount you have to offset, but it will still be a good bit. Here are some ideas that could help us get closer to making our house a producer, not a consumer.
Reduce your usage right off the bat
First and foremost I would urge you to first reduce what you consume, being conscious of what you consume, if you have to purchase something, think about how you can extend the life of it or if you can use something that you have to preform the function. Finally if you have to use something, recycle or up-cycle it.
Grow your home
How about instead of building a home, you grow one! Here are two idea, the first is a real example that is being used already, the other is a concept that is grown from protein structures.
Green Roofs
Not only does the roof process CO2, but it can grow food and drastically reduce cooling and heating costs. This isn't a new concept but still an attractive concept.
Green Power
Now obviously it take energy and resources to produce solar panels, geo-thermal taps, and wind turbines, so you have to take into account how much you have to produce to just offset the production, but I would suspect you could make up the difference and then some over the lifetime of the products.


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Nice one Guys, this is the best TVIO app i have got. Can you please pass thanks onto all the clever people who made this possible.
Ok, I'm having a "Blonde" moment, I;ve copied the 3 files to /mfs-ftp, made them exce with chmod. but when i do ./mfs_ftp.tcl i get "No Such File or Directory" ?
I have missed somthing here, i can run the app by doing /tvbin/tivosh msf_ftp.tcl, but it stop when i try to download as it cant run the other file.
Please call me stupid as i'm sure it a very silly mistake that i have made.


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- ESPN UFC Podcast
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Plus, we start to look ahead UFC London with Cub Swanson and back to the brutal knockout on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
To have your questions answered on the podcast, please use the hashtag #espnufc on Twitter and we'll do our very best to answer on the show!


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Systems Engineering, Inc. (SEI) is a privately owned North Carolina corporation. SEI has been in operation for over 40 years,
with no change in ownership, offering various products to computer users in a broad range of businesses. From its inception,
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Navica Revolution serves as the foundation for an extensive suite of tools to serve the real estate professional on the move. Various database management applications also exist to meet the needs of the MLS/Association staff.
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With current transmission methods like RETS and FTP, our Data Services allow you to move listing data to any Third Party application.


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June 25, 2013
Live demos/Q&A's this week
Thursday at 10am Pacific, Creative Cloud for Video Pros:
- Use the powerful new Creative Cloud Desktop for managing your CC applications, file access, Behance integration, and more.
- Take your preferences with you with Sync Settings in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects
- See the top newfeatures in Adobe Premiere Pro CC and After Effects Pro CC
- Learn about Photoshop and Camera Raw workflows for video.
Friday at noon Pacific, Creative Cloud for Web Designers/Developers:
In this session Evangelist Paul Trani will take you through how Creative Cloud helps both web designers and developers work faster and smarter than ever before when building content for the modern, responsive web. Learn how to collaborate and share files and folders as well as new ways to work with web fonts on the desktop. See the latest in Photoshop, Illustrator and Reflow when creating web content, as well as discover the latest in Edge Tools and Services. A session not to be missed.
You can register here. (time zone convertor)
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


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See earlier background article. Please note that I have been unable to reproduce exactly the tables and graphs in my painstakingly edited version below but you can find them, as part of an infinitely preferable PDF version of the paper exactly as presented, at http://content.worldwidewine.com/clients/winepressclub/ACFcombinedmedia&report.pdf.
It seems to me that the paper as presented was rather more even-handed about the weighing up of the possibilities of reduction as opposed to the risks of oxidation and accelerated ageing. Are we happy that wines under efficiently airtight screwcaps might age more slowly than they have done up to now under wildly varying natural corks, I wonder? See your turn for some correspondence on this between Jeffrey Grosset and me.
The Role of Oxygen in the Ageing of Bottled Wine
by Allen Hart, Andrew Kleinig of Southcorp Wines Pty Ltd, Moyston Road, Great Western, Vic 3377; 2 1,2 current address; Tarac Technologies, PO Box 78 Nuriootpa SA 5355
There are many factors, which are important in the evolution of wines during aging in bottle. Whilst it is accepted that the interaction of limited amounts of oxygen with bottled wine (via closure ingress) will not benefit white wine, it is widely held that limited amounts of oxygen will benefit robust red wines. As consumer acceptance continues of many different forms of wine bottle closures, the need to better understand the role of oxygen during red wine aging in bottle has become paramount, particularly for red wines intended for long term maturation. We have analysed both still and sparkling red wines held in bottle for up to 20 years to determine how the maturation process evolves with varying amounts of oxygen available to the wine.
From this, we have been able to demonstrate that red wine will continue to mature and develop both with and without additional oxygen being available to the wine. However, increased availability of oxygen greatly increases the rate at which a red wine will mature, and hence shortens the drinking life of the wine. In an anaerobic environment such as a bottle of red wine sealed with a screw cap or crown seal, some wines may develop reductive characteristics. In contrast, bottled red wine stored in a more aerobic environment such as with a synthetic closure, will prematurely develop oxidised characters.
1. Introduction
All wines will receive some bottle aging before consumption. For the majority of wines, this may only be intended for several months while the bottle progresses through the supply chain to the consumer with the producer's objective to maintain the wine in the condition in which it was packaged. However, for many premium wines, the situation is somewhat more complex, as bottles may be matured for several years prior to release, and may then be expected to cellar for several decades. During cellaring, the wine is expected to progress through three distinct velopment phases (7); viz a maturing phase followed by a mature or peak phase, and then followed by a declining phase. Whilst a range of factors may influence the rate at which a wine evolves during its bottle aging (e.g. initial wine composition, storage temperature, light exposure), this study focuses on the effect of oxygen (or its practical absence) during bottle maturation.
The uptake of oxygen by wine is slow and prolonged under normal wine conditions (1). Singleton (19) suggested that the consumption of oxygen would continue unabated in wine exposed to air with spoilage oxidation by around 10 saturations (60 mL O2/L) for white wines and 10 to 30 saturations (60 – 180 mL O2/L) for red wines.
Whilst such high levels of wine oxygenation (and subsequent oxidation) are rarely encountered in practice, it is widely accepted that limited oxygen exposure, particularly early in the life of a red wine is desirable for phenolic development. The mechanisms of oxidative reactions in non-bottled wine have been subject to thorough review (1,6,19) with the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde (via hydrogen peroxide) widely accepted as a major factor (6). This reaction followed by subsequent reactions of the acetaldehyde with tannins and anthocyanins to form ethyl-linked structures is very complex. It is affected by a range of wine parameters including phenolic content, temperature, pH, sulphur dioxide concentration (bisulphite) and light penetration (5,6,9,11,19,23). In addition to the oxygen mediated reactions, other reactions involving phenolics but not oxygen, also take place in bottled wine (18). These reactions include polymerisation and condensation of tannins, breakdown and condensation of anthocyanins, and precipitation of larger polymers. In addition to reactions that affect colour and tannin structure, the presence or absence of oxygen also influences wine aroma development. Ribereau-Gayon et al (18) suggest that the bouquet of a majority of great wines develops as a result of reduction, whereas in contrast flatness (particularly attributable to aldehydes) is an oxidative phenomenon.
The requirement to better understand the practical role of oxygen in determining wine style during bottle aging has been brought to the fore with the increasing use of alternative wine bottle closures by the Australian wine industry (15). Previous research on bottled wine has generally been limited to white wine, ranging from 25 years ago (17) to the more recent closure trial conducted by The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) (10). These two studies focussed on white wine, and inparticular aromatic wine styles. Rankine et al. (17) compared wines bottled with screw cap and cork closures, and concluded that white wines matured better under screw cap than under cork but did not elaborate any further than this. The AWRI study used screw cap, synthetic and cork closures, and also found that screw cap preserved the wine better than both synthetic and cork based closures. However, they found the wines stored under screw cap showed a reduced character, probably due to the limited amount of oxygen in the wine's environment (10). Further studies at the AWRI by Kwiatkowski et al (13) have found that red wine bottled with ullage heights of 4 and 64 mL respectively showed no significant differences for reduced characters after 18 months of storage.
A recent article by Stelzer (22) has shown that winemakers have many and varied opinions on whether oxygen is necessary for red wine maturation in bottle. It is now very evident that the wine industry requires additional information, particularly in the area of full-bodied red wine (15). This study investigates:
• The effects of oxygen ingress via natural cork, screw cap (roll on tamper evident, ROTE), and synthetic closures on a super premium still red wine, evaluated over 7 years post-bottling.
• The effects of oxygen ingress via crown seal closures on sparkling red wines over a 20-year period post-bottling. The results reported will contribute to the understanding of the 3 phases of development and maturation of red wines in both slightly aerobic and virtual anaerobic conditions, in a practical and commercially relevant format.
2. Methods
Bin 389 – A Penfolds super premium (Bin 389) still red wine from the 1996 vintage was subjected to standard commercial winemaking and storage conditions prior to bottling. The wine was a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from various vineyards within South Australia and matured in new and used American oak casks for 14 months prior to bottling (July 1996 to September 1997). Copper fining was used to remove any sulphide residues in the wine after fermentation (May 1996).
A selection of closures were used in commercial bottling equipment, consisting of ROTE, natural cork (44 x 24 mm reference 2) and 2 commercially available synthetic closures. Chemical analysis of the wine immediately post-bottling (December 1997) is summarised in Table 1. All chemical analysis was conducted in accordance with methods outlined by Iland et. al. (12) at Southcorp Wines' Nuriootpa laboratory.
Once bottled, all wines were stored on site at Nuriootpa in an underground cellar prior to assessment. All bottles were stored on their side, except ROTE, which was stored upright.
Table 1 Chemical Analysis of Bin 389 at point of bottling (11/12/1997).
Anolyte Concentration Anolyte Concentration
Residual Sugar (g/L) 1.7 Fe (mg/L) 2.1
Alcohol (%) 14.2 Ca (mg/L) 55.5
Free SO2 (mg/L) 30 Na (mg/L) 98
Total SO2 (mg/L) 87 K (mg/L) 1217
pH 3.54 Acetaldehyde (mg/L) 20.5
Titratable Acidity (g/L) 6.5 Ethyl Acetate (mg/L) 79.5
Volatile Acidity (g/L) 0.73 Methanol (mg/L) 135.5
Malic acid (g/L) 0.09 Turbidity (NTU) 0.2
Cu (mg/L) 0.05
Chemical and Spectral Analysis (20) of the wine was conducted at 2.5, 4.5 and 6.5 years following bottling. Sensory analysis was also conducted at the same time using panels of between 8 – 12 Southcorp Winemakers. Each replicate used for tasting was a blend of equal proportions from 3 bottles of that replicate and a randomised block design with ranking (16). Panellists were instructed to rank wines from 1 ("most developed") to 4 ("least developed"). Data was analysed using a nonparametric Friedman-type statistic, and a nonparametric analogue to Fisher's least significant difference (16).
An additional tasting using descriptive analysis was conducted at 7 years following bottling (December 2004) at the AWRI using a trained panel, consisting of 7 members of the AWRI and 3 Southcorp winemakers. The panellists were both male and female, all had extensive experience in wine tasting and in some cases descriptive analysis.
Prior to formal assessment, a session for term and attribute selection, as well as judge training was held. The list of agreed attributes necessary to describe the wines was fruit intensity, spicy, caramel, chocolate, developed, reduced, oxidised and tri-chloroanisole taint (TCA). Each panellist was then presented with 4 randomised single glass samples (30 mL aliquot) each representing a wine from a closure type. Panellists were isolated in single booths with sodium lighting and were asked to score each attribute on a scale from 0 to 9 for each tasting sample. Results were registered and analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and XL.Statistics (2).
Sparkling Red Wine – All fruit for the sparkling red (SR) wines was sourced from the Seppelt Great Western vineyard over a period of 20 years. Base wines from the 1984, 1987, 1994 and 1999 vintages were processed and fermented with standard winemaking practices. Base wine was held in large oak vats for approximately 16 months prior to secondary fermentation in crown sealed bottles. All wines were stored in the underground cellars at Seppelts, Great Western in constant temperature (15°C) until the point of evaluation. Wines were disgorged 4 days prior to sensory evaluation to remove yeast sediment. All SR wines analysed had been stored in a virtual anaerobic environment through the sealing capacity of a crown seal. Chemical analysis for all base wines was conducted at Southcorp Wines Seppelts laboratory in line with current industry practices at the time of analysis. These wines were also held under constant pressure (approximately 6 bar) for the duration of their storage period, which in some cases spans 15 – 18 years. A summary of the base wine analysis is shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Summary analysis of SR Shiraz prior to secondary fermentation.
Vintage Alcohol % pH TA VA RS
1984 10.8 3.01 8.3 0.22 1.7
1987 12.0 3.67 5.1 0.6 2.1
1994 12.1 3.57 6.2 0.45 2.0
1999 12.9 3.61 6.0 0.62 1.8
Sensory analysis of SR wines was conducted through descriptive analysis using the same 10 trained members from AWRI panel and Southcorp Wines in December 2004. Tasting protocol, attribute selection and analysis of results were conducted using the same methods as outlined for the Bin 389 trial but with some modification for attributes. The list of attributes scored for the SR wines were as follows; fruit intensity, spicy, chocolate, developed, leesy, dimethyl-sulphide (DMS), reduced, aldehyde and bitterness.
3. Results and Discussion
The amount of any additional oxygen seen by a wine during bottle aging is determined by the effectiveness of the oxygen barrier created by the bottle's closure. For natural cork, indirect measurements of oxygen permeability have been determinedto be several tenths of a mL of O2 in the first few weeks after bottling, several hundredths of a mL of O2 in the next four months; but as high as several mL of O2 per year for bottles stored upright (Ribereau-Gayon cited in Casey, (3). An internal study by Southcorp Wines (8) found that the permeability of natural cork could be highly variable; the (log-normal) distribution observed for 35 randomly selected natural corks is shown here in Figure 1.
0.9 1
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10
Permeability (CC O2/Closure/Day)
Fraction of Closures
Raw Data
Gaussian Fit
Figure 1: Distribution of closure permeability (measured in situ in cut-off bottle necks after insertion with a production corker) for 35 randomly selected 44 x 24 mm reference 2 natural cork closures. Whilst the degree of variability seen in this population (from < 0.001 to > 1.0 CC O2/day) should not be considered typical, it is certainly not unusual for natural cork.
Other alternate closures examined by Southcorp in this study found that ROTE was an effective oxygen barrier (< 0.001 CC O2/closure/day) while the synthetic closures available at the time of the study showed measurable amounts of oxygen permeability (typically 0.010 CC O2/closure/day) but without the variability seen with natural cork (8).
Bin 389 Chemical Analysis
Chemical analysis results obtained at each assessment are summarised in Figures 2,3,4 and 5 below. The results for free SO2 (Figure 2) show a greater rate of loss of free SO2 for synthetic closures than for natural cork and ROTE at the first assessment (2000). This difference continued to be observed at the following two assessments, with the synthetic closures having lost all free SO2 by the 2002 assessment.
Bin 389 Analysis / Free SO2
1997 2000 2002 2004
Synthetic 1
Synthetic 2
Figure 2: Changes in free SO2 concentration over time for Bin 389 (average of 3 bottles).
The results for total SO2 shown in Figure 3 show the same trends as free SO2 (Fig.2) with the synthetic closures having retained the least total SO2, ROTE the most, and natural cork with intermediate levels. For all closure types, more SO2 was consumed over time during the first 3 years after bottling. This may be due to a combination of early SO2 loss reactions (e.g. dissolved oxygen and other oxidative species in the wine at bottling) and also reduced SO2 reaction rates (oxidative and non-oxidative) due to the reduced concentration of SO2 limiting the rate of reaction. The continual loss of free and total SO2 occurring in the ROTE bottles may be due to small but finite levels of oxygen ingress, or through other non-oxygen related SO2 reactions.
Whilst the concentrations of total SO2 in the wine were relatively consistent between bottles for the synthetic and ROTE closures at all tastings, the natural cork had highly variable total SO2 results (eg individual bottles had levels of 22, 38, 41 mg/L in 2000; 12, 21, 27 mg/L in 2002; 13, 13, 18 mg/L in 2004), with the highest total SO2 results comparable to the ROTE total SO2, and the lowest total SO2 results comparable to the synthetics total SO2. This variability in SO2 levels observed in individual bottles under cork is of particular interest as Casey (4) has argued that "random oxidation" is more about the level of oxidants present in a wine and incorporated at the point of bottling rather than the closure type used. The evidence presented here confirms that there is the potential for considerable variability within cork populations to oxygen ingress and that this variability is a most likely contributor to "random oxidation". Moreover, it was noted by Godden et al (10) that natural cork closures were more variable in physical properties than either synthetic or ROTE closures.
Bin 389 Analysis / Total SO2
Initial 2000 2002 2004
Synthetic 1
Synthetic 2
Figure 3: Changes in total SO2 concentration over time for Bin 389 (average of 3 bottles).
The results for wine colour density in Figure 4 and wine hue in Figure 5 show that by 2000, the synthetic closures had the greatest expression of wine colour due to decreases in SO2 bleaching and increased brown (A420 nm) colour. However, this colour declined rapidly between 2000 and 2004, with the increased brown colour and decreased red colour (A520 nm) resulting in an increased hue or browning of the wine (A420 nm/A520 nm). In comparison, the ROTE samples showed a small loss of wine colour at each assessment (due primarily to loss of red colour) and a minimal increase in hue. The natural cork samples had an intermediate colour result between that of the ROTE and synthetic closures. By 2004, the wine colour density of all samples was relatively similar with trends suggesting that the wines bottled under the ROTE closure will continue to have a lower hue in subsequent assessments, and with their more stable colour density, will soon have the highest colour density of the four wines.
Bin 389 Colour Density
1997 2000 2002 2004
Synthetic 1
Synthetic 2
Figure 4: Changes in wine colour density over time for Bin 389 (average of 3 bottles) P< 0.05.
These results show that for wine bottled with ROTE closures, the phenolic reactions that influence wine colour are still progressing even in the practical absence of ongoing oxygen for reaction. This allows the wines colour and tannin structure to continue to evolve with time.
Bin 389 Colour Hue
1997 2000 2002 2004
Hue (A / A )
Synthetic 1
Synthetic 2
Figure 5: Changes in wine colour hue over time for Bin 389 (average of 3 bottles) P< 0.05.
Bin 389 Development Ranking
Sensory evaluation rankings for the Bin 389 trial wines are summarised in Table 3. Interestingly, at the first assessment in 2000, there was no significant difference in the "development" ranking for the 4 closure types. Development was defined as the stage a wine was at in relation to the 3 phases of a wines maturation cycle (7). Differences in the wines were due to more subtle changes, e.g. slight reductive character with ROTE, and flatness with the synthetic closures (possibly oxidation). However, by 2002, the wines bottled under synthetic closures were clearly ranked as the most developed, ROTE the least developed, and natural cork with an intermediate level.
This would indicate that the synthetic closure wines had probably reached their peak by 2002 – showing rich, chocolate palate structures, however, they lacked the primary fruit characters observed in the ROTE and natural cork wines. By 2004, the two synthetic wines were again clearly ranked as most developed. However, the synthetic wines were probably well into their decline phase, with definite oxidation problems, whereas the ROTE and natural cork wines had very similar average ranks
Table 3: Development ranking for each closure type (1= "most developed", 4 = "least developed").
ROTE Natural Cork Synthetic 1 Synthetic 2
Average Rank
August 2000
2.2a 2.8a 2.4a 2.6a
Average Rank
June 2002
4.0a 3.0b 1.5c 1.5c
Average Rank
July 2004
3.6a 3.4a 1.4b 1.4b
* Average ranks between the 4 different closure type wines with the same superscript not significantly different to each other (P< 0.05).
Clearly, this similarity in rankings between ROTE and natural cork could not have occurred if the ROTE closures had not allowed development of the wine, comparable to that achieved with natural cork. These two samples had retained much more fruit character, but still clearly showed evolution of colour, nose, and structure during aging. In short, the wines evolved irrespective of oxygen availability to the wine.
Descriptive Analysis
Bin 389 – A summary of the descriptive analysis for the 1996 Bin 389 is shown below in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Attribute scores for Bin 389 trial wines.
Closure Type
This data excludes one of the bottles sealed with a cork which was TCA affected and shown to skew the data.
The major points observed from the Bin 389 descriptive analysis are as follows;
• Wines utilising cork and ROTE closures were rated as having retained significantly higher levels of fruit intensity than either wines under synthetic closures.
• The wine with a ROTE closure was rated slightly higher for Spicy than the wine under synthetic 1, but was not significantly different to wines with cork or the synthetic 2 closure
• There was no significant difference observed for the Caramel attribute between all wines under all closures.
• The wine with a cork closure was rated slightly higher in Chocolate than the wine under synthetic 1, but was not significantly different to wines with ROTE or the synthetic 2 closure.
• Wines sealed with both synthetic 1 and 2 closures were rated as significantly more developed than wines sealed with either ROTE or cork closures.
• The wines sealed with ROTE were rated as significantly higher for reduced characters than any other wines. (This could be attributed to winemaking conditions prior to bottling with either, sulphite and sulphate being a source of hydrogen sulfide formation during vinification (21). The levels recorded were not considered to be unacceptable for commercial wines.
• Wines utilising synthetic closures were rated as significantly more oxidised than wines using either cork or ROTE closures.
When conducting ANOVA on the data obtained from the descriptive analysis session, the program did not allow for separation of the TCA affected cork data and it was therefore excluded from the following summary. The observations are as follows; Bin 389 ANOVA results (excluding all cork data)
• Wines sealed with ROTE had significantly more fruit aroma than either wines using synthetic 1 or 2 closure type **
• Wines sealed with ROTE had significantly more spicy character than either wines using synthetic 1 or 2 closure type *
• There was no significant difference in wines sealed with all closures for caramel or chocolate attributes.
• Wines under both synthetic closures were rated as being significantly more developed than the wines sealed with the ROTE closure **
• Wines sealed with ROTE were rated as having significantly more reduced characters than wines under synthetic type closures ***
• Wines under both synthetic closures were rated as being significantly more oxidised than the wines sealed with a ROTE closure ***
These results concur with the findings from the development ranking and show that oxygen availability to the wines through ingress via a closure will simply accelerate the maturation process and lead to premature oxidation of the wines.
Sparkling Red
SR Descriptive Analysis – A summary of the descriptive analysis for the SR wines is shown below in Figure 7. This data includes all bottles, however, one of the 1999 Sparkling Shiraz had considerable aldehyde levels in comparison to the other.
Figure 7: Attribute scores for SR Shiraz
The aldehydes should be viewed in context as part of the maturation process. The major points observed from the SR descriptive analysis are as follows;
• Wines from both 1994 and 1999 were rated significantly higher in fruit intensity than 1984 and 1987.
• The 1994 vintage wine was rated as having significantly higher spice character than the other 3 wines.
• The 1994 wine was rated significantly higher for chocolate character than 1984 and 1987, but not for 1999.
• Wines from 1984 were rated as being more developed than 1994, but not 1987and 1999. This changes if you exclude the sample rated high in aldehydes from 1999 (data not shown here). In this instance there is a gradient from most (1984), to least (1999) developed in line with expected trends.
• The 1984 wine was rated as significantly higher in leesy character than the other 3 vintage wines.
• Wines from 1987 were very high for DMS character and it should be noted that vintage and climatic variations are most likely the major contributors for this character.
• One of the bottles from the 1999 vintage allowed a significantly higher aldehyde character to be recorded in comparison to the other 3 vintage wines.
The levels of aldehyde present in the youngest wine (1999) with limited oxygen and sulphur dioxide present would suggest that these compounds were a by-product of secondary fermentation in bottle. It has been noted previously that yeast strain, pH, nutrient availability, SO2 levels and temperature are among the many variables that can influence the production of acetaldehyde during fermentation (1). Also of note for the SR wines was the absence of any high levels of reductive characteristics. It was noted by some panellists that in some of the wines there were very low levels of reductive characters, but in general there was a lack of strong attributes in this area.
This was a little surprising given previous comments and reported findings (10,22). This may be due to the preparation of the base wines following primary fermentation and a yeast with low nitrogen requirements utilised for secondary fermentation. Alternatively, absorption by dead yeast cells and subsequent riddling and disgorging may also have contributed to a lack of reductive characters along the lines suggested by Lavigne-Cruge and Dubourdieu (14).
SR Spectral Analysis (20) of the wines was shown to have similar trends with results attained by descriptive analysis. Results of wine colour density and hue in Figure 8 show that the older vintages have the highest hue but lowest density due to increased brown and decreased red colours. This agrees with expected trends for a series of vintaged wines ranging from very old to very young. These results are also interesting in that some SR wines were matured over a long period of time in an nvironment free from any significant levels of SO2 or oxygen, but are very similar to the Bin 389 colour analysis trends. This implies that bottled red wines with limited SO2 and oxygen available during the maturation process will continue with influential phenolic reactions for wine colour in a similar way to wines bottled with commercial levels of SO2 available to the wine. However, it must be noted that the possibility of different levels of colour at the finish of initial vinification for the SR wines must be taken into consideration and may have influenced the results presented in Figure 8.
Sparkling Shiraz Wine Colour
1984 1987 1994 1999
Vintage Year
Figure 8 Wine colour density and wine colour hue of SR Shiraz (P<0.05)
Although it is almost certain that each wine will have had an initial colour difference, the trend displayed between wines in Fig. 8 is quite clear. The wine from 1984 has the highest hue and therefore brown colour, while the 1999 wine has the highest wine colour density, lowest hue and therefore, red colour. If the role of oxygen was critical in the reactions necessary for wine colour evolution over prolonged periods then the observed results in Fig. 8 would be unlikely. A summary of the recorded levels of wine colour density and hue from the different vintages suggests;
• Wines from 1984 and 1987 were not significantly different to each other in either wine colour density or hue, but were different to 1994 and 1999 wines.
• Wines from 1994 and 1999 were not significantly different to each other in either wine colour density or hue.
• Although vintage variation should be considered, the trends observed in the analysis would suggest that the wines were maturing in accordance with expectations even in the absence of oxygen in the wines environment.
From this study it is apparent that oxygen was not a vital component for the ongoing evolution and maturation of these red wines after bottling. It is clear that access to small but measurable amounts of oxygen (eg synthetic closures, approximately 4 CC O2/bottle/year) will accelerate the evolution and maturation of red wine through oxidative reactions. However, red wine will continue to evolve without measurable oxygen ingress via a closure, primarily through what is assumed to be anaerobic reactions. Some bottled wine may express "reductive" characters in such an anaerobic environment, in contrast to the wine developing oxidised characters in a more aerobic environment. Given the low ranking scores for reductive characteristics observed in the Bin 389 trial wines, the low levels recorded in this instance are not considered to be commercially unacceptable.
(1) Boulton, R.B., Singelton, V.L., Bisson, L.F. and Kunkee, R.E. (1996) Principles and Practices of Winemaking. Chapman & Hall, New York.
(2) Carr, R. (2000) XL.Statistics 5.73. XLent Works, Australia).
(3) Casey, J.A. (1998) The cork paradox. The Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker, 1998 Technical Issue, 15-20.
(4) Casey, J.A. (2003) Controversies about corks. The Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker, No.275, 68-74.
(5) Castellari, M., Arfelli, G., Ripon, C and Amati, A. (1998) Evolution of Phenolic Compounds in Red Winemaking as Affected by Must Oxygenation. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture. 49:1, 91 – 94.
(6) Danilewicz, J.C. (2003) Review of Reaction Mechanisms of Oxygen and Proposed Intermediate Reduction Products in Wine: Central Role of Iron and Copper. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 54:2, 73 – 85.
(7) Dubourdieu, F. (1992) Les Grand Bordeaux de 1945 à 1988. Mollat, Bourdeaux.
(8) Duncan, B., and Kleinig, A. (1999) Oxygen Transmission Analysis of Wine Bottle Closures. Southcorp Wines Internal Project P9703.
(9) Frivik, S., K. and Ebler, S.E. (2003) Influence of Sulphur Dioxide on the Formation of Aldehydes in White Wine. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 54:1, 31 – 38.
(10) Godden, P., Francis, L., Field, J., Gishen, M., Coulter, A., Valente, P., Hoj, P. and Robinson, E. (2001) Wine Bottle Closures: physical characteristics and effect on composition and sensory properties of a Semillon wine 1. Performance up to 20 months post-bottling. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 7 : 64 – 105.
(11) Gonzales Cartagena, L., Perez-Zuniga, F.J. and Bravo Abad, F. (1994) Interactions of Some Environmental and Chemical Parameters Affecting the Colour Attributes of Wine. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 45:1, 43 – 48.
(12) Iland, P.G., Ewart, A., Sitters, J.H., Markides, A. and Bruer, N. (2000) Techniques for chemical analysis and quality monitoring during winemaking. WineTitles, Adelaide.
(13) Kwiatkowski, M., Skouroumounis, G., Cozzolino, D., Francis, L., Lattey, K, Kleinig, A. and Waters, E. (2004) Impact of ullage volume under screw cap (ROTE) on chemical composition and sensory properties of a Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Australian Wine & Research Institute Poster. Australian Technical Conference, Melbourne 2004.
(14) Lavigne-Cruege, V. and Dubourdieu, D. (2001) The aptitude of wine lees for eliminating foul-smelling thiols. The Australian Grapegrower and Winemaker, July 2001 : 37-44.
(15) Madigan, A. (2004) The screw cap revolution rolls on. The Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Journal, 19(5): 59-65.
(16) Meilgaard, M., Civille, G.V., and Carr, B.T. (1991) Sensory Evaluation Techniques. 2nd edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
(17) Rankine, B.C., Leyland, D.A., and Strain, J.J.G.(1980) Further Studies on Stelvin and related wine bottle closures. The Australian Grapegrower & Winemaker No 196. April 1980.
(18) Ribereau-Gayon, P., Glories, Y., Maujean, A., and Dubourdieu, D. (2000) Handbook of Enology Volume 2: The Chemistry of Wine Stabilization and Treatments. John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester, England.
(19) Singleton, V.L. (1987) Oxygen with Phenols and Related Reactions in Must, Wines, and Model Systems: Observations and Practical Implications. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 38:1, 69 – 77
(20) Somers, T.C. and Evans, M.E. (1977) Spectral evaluation of young red wines: anthocyanin equilibria, total phenolics, free and molecular SO2, chemical age. Journal of Science, Food and Agriculture 28, 279-287.
(21) Spiropoulous, A., Tanaka, J., Flerianos, I and Bisson, L., F. (2000)Characterization of Hydrogen Sulphide Formation in Commercial and Natural Wine Isolates of Saccharomyces. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 51:3, 233 – 246.
(22) Stelzer, T. (2004) Red wines and long term development. Practical Winery and Vineyard. July / August 2004 : 87 – 90.
(23) Wildenradt, H.L. and Singelton, V.L. (1974) The Production of Aldehydes as a result of oxidation of polyphenolic compounds and its relation to wine aging. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture 25:2, 119 – 126.


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We still do not have all the details or precise specifications, but according to our sources AMD is preparing a new Southern Islands HD 7000 series mid-range graphics card for an April launch. The new card should end up under the HD 7790 brand and will fit snugly between the HD 7770 and the HD 7850.
As far as we know so far, the new HD 7790 graphics card will be based on the Bonaire XT GPU and should come quite close to the HD 7850 in terms of performance. The performance estimate comes from the fact that partners were told by AMD not to do factory overclocked versions as these would probably cripple the HD 7850 sale numbers.
The new HD 7790 will be part of AMD's recent plan to introduce new HD 7000-series additions in 1H of 2013 and although it will not show up at Cebit 2013, at least not officialy, we are sure that AMD will have at least something else lined up for the show in order to keep its partners happy.
Of course, we will most likely see more info as we draw closer to the month of April.


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NEH Celebrates Literature and Reading at the National Book Festival on Saturday, September 25, 2010
For the tenth year in a row, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports the Library of Congress' annual National Book Festival, which will be held Saturday, September 25, 2010. This celebration of literature and reading takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The festival and the day's events are free and open to the public.
The National Endowment for the Humanities is a long-time contributor to the annual National Book Festival, and provides funds to the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress for its festival-related activities and for participation in the Pavilion of the States by nine humanities-based state centers for the book.
NEH will join the Centers for the Book for Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia in the Festival's Hall of States from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, NEH staff will distribute copies of a newly-published booklet, 150 Years Later: The Civil War Remembered. Festival-goers are invited to hear about NEH grant opportunities in the humanities for researchers, libraries, museums, and education institutions, and to learn about many other NEH-supported programs and events, especially those marking the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, which include:
About the Library of Congress and the National Book Festival
The National Book Festival is a keystone event of the Library of Congress promoting literacy and creativity. The Library, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website; the National Book Festival website can be found here.
- DVDs of the NEH-funded Ken Burns series The Civil War: A Film will be distributed to 4,000 school and public libraries as part of the 2010-11 We the People Bookshelf on "A More Perfect Union." With seventeen books on this theme, NEH invites reflection on the idea of the United States as a "union" in time for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Begun in 2003, the We The People Bookshelf is an annual program conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA) that provides libraries serving K-12 students with collections of books for young readers on themes related to American ideas and ideals.
- The exhibit An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia which focuses on Virginia's central role in the military and social revolution that framed the way Americans today approach the issues of freedom, liberty, patriotism, and nation. The exhibition will open in Richmond in 2011, and travel to six other cities in Virginia, after which a smaller version will circulate to other venues.
- A two-hour documentary exploring the life and reputation of Robert E. Lee, to be broadcast on PBS' American Experience in 2011.
- Four traveling exhibits on Abraham Lincoln, including "Lincoln, the Constitution and the Civil War" which explores three Constitutional crises Lincoln faced as President: slavery, secession, and civil liberties. Created by the National Constitution Center, this exhibit is currently on tour to 25 sites across the United States.
- Several summer seminars and professional development workshops for K-12 teachers and college faculty on Civil War-era topics, including a summer institute for school teachers to be held in 2011 at the Rhode Island Historical Society examining the role of slavery in the development of New England's commerce, industry, and culture in the years before the Civil War.


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The Community of the Cross was founded in 1972 in an effort to create a
place where Christians of many denominations could come together to
share more fully in a life dedicated to Jesus. We believe the gifts of
the Holy Spirit are available today and that Jesus wants to have a
personal relationship with each of us. Our community is based on the
principles of the first century church, where people's lives were
intertwined with each other in a community setting and not just once a
week in a church. We meet three nights a week, on Fridays at 8:30 pm,
Sundays and Mondays at 8:00 pm at our chapel at 7 Madison Ave.


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President Barack Obama accused members of the military who perpetrate sexual assaults of "betraying the uniform" they wear after the Pentagon reported Tuesday that there are more than 70 sexual assaults involving members of the armed forces each day.
"They may consider themselves patriots, but when you engage in that kind of behavior, it's not patriotic, it's a crime," Obama said at a joint press conference with South Korean President Park Geun-hye that also touched on conflicts in Syria and North Korea.
Obama said he's asked Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to "not just step up our game, we have to exponentially step up our game to go at this thing hard" to combat sexual assaults in the armed forces.
"If people have engaged in this behavior, they should be prosecuted. And anybody in the military who has knowledge of this stuff should understand this is not who we are, this is not what the U.S. military is about, and it dishonors the vast majority of men and women in uniform who carry out their responsibilities and obligations with honor and dignity and incredible courage every single day," the president said. "Bottom line is, I have no tolerance for this."
"…I don't want just more speeches or, you know, awareness programs or training, but ultimately folks look the other way," he said. "We find out somebody's engaging in this stuff, they've got to be held accountable; prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period. It's not acceptable."
Obama also responded to critics unhappy with lack of direct U.S. intervention in Syria's civil war, saying there's no easy answer to the conflict there, but that he's seeking the right way to get involved. "In the end, whether it's Bin Laden or Qadhafi, if we say we're taking a position, I would think at this point the international community has a pretty good sense that we typically follow through on our commitments," he said.
Obama and Park also addressed concerns about North Korea's latest provocations, leaving the door open for a fresh round of diplomacy.
"The days when North Korea could create a crisis and elicit concessions, those days are over," Obama said. "Our two nations are prepared to engage with North Korea diplomatically and, over time, build trust.
But President Obama also repeated the administration's readiness to take military action if needed. "I want to make clear the United States is fully prepared and capable of defending ourselves and our allies with the full range of capabilities available, including the deterrents provided by our conventional and nuclear forces. The commitment of the United States to the security of the Republic of Korea will never waver."
Obama also joked about Korean culture. "My daughters have taught me a pretty good 'Gangnam Style,'" he said, referring to the song and dance by South Korean musician Psy.
Park's visit to the United States is her first foreign trip since taking office in February. She was in New York on Monday and met with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a fellow South Korean, who praised her "firm but measured" response to recent provocations from North Korea.
The trip comes as North Korea appears to have stepped back a bit from its latest round of bluster, removing ballistic missiles from a site in the eastern part of the country. Still, Pyongyang has continued to voice threats, warning ahead of Tuesday's White House meeting that drills in the Yellow Sea could, under certain circumstances, provoke a response.


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BOSTON — Glen Davis and Brandon Bass met at TD Garden's midcourt stripe about two hours before the Orlando Magic faced the Boston Celtics on Monday.
Davis and Bass were good friends long before this season, and they continue to be good friends after their lives changed last month. Davis agreed to a four-year deal with the Magic, and then Davis and Von Wafer were traded to Orlando for Bass.
"It was a shock," Bass said before tipoff. "Usually, you hear about a rumor. I didn't get a rumor. When I was traded, that's when I heard I was traded. So I was shocked. But that's life. It's life in the NBA. It happens, you make your adjustment and then you move on."
Bass said he is still adjusting, but he entered Monday averaging 11.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for Boston.
Davis' adjustment also is still ongoing.
On Monday, he had no idea how Celtics fans would respond to him.
Davis joked that Bostonians hadn't reacted to him on Sunday or before tipoff on Monday.
"I don't think people recognized me," he joked. "They said I've lost a lot of weight."
But he received a warm response when, during a timeout with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter, the arena's video board displayed a tribute of him.
The vast majority of fans gave him a standing ovation, and Davis walked onto the court. He smiled and pumped his fist. Dwight Howard clapped.
Davis and Bass were born in Baton Rouge, La., just eight months apart, and grew up in Louisiana's capital city. They even spent a year together as teammates at LSU.
That's what made the trade so strange for Bass.
"It was weird, man," he said. "It was just so weird that you'd get traded for your childhood buddy in the NBA. I just thought that was so crazy. . . . I'm happy for him, and I know he's happy for me. And after we finish playing, we can talk about this once we retire years from now."
Turk's backHedo Turkoglu returned to the Magic's starting lineup and played for the first time since he tweaked his back last Tuesday in a game.
The Magic employed their regular starting lineup of Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson, Ryan Anderson, Turkoglu and Howard.
Layups•Howard was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
•Boston starters Ray Allen (ankle) and Rajon Rondo (wrist) did not play.
•Magic CEO Alex Martins accompanied the team on the first leg of its road trip and attended Monday's game. He said he is scheduled to go to NBA headquarters today in New York to introduce the Magic's new chairman, Dan DeVos, to NBA Commissioner David Stern.
•Magic General Manager Otis Smith did not attend Monday's game. It's rare for him to miss a road game, but Martins said Smith was under the weather Sunday and then couldn't get to Boston on Monday because of airline mechanical problems.
•The Magic did not hold a shootaround at TD Garden. Monday started a stretch in which the Magic will play six games over eight days.
•A new episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel will premiere tonight and will feature a segment about Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and his brother, ESPN analyst and former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy. A recent rough cut of the segment sent by HBO to the Orlando Sentinel included Stan saying that Jeff is the person with whom he would most love to spend a day. The segment also included Stan's and Jeff's recollections of the infamous postseason fight between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat in which Jeff clung onto Alonzo Mourning's lower leg.
•In yet another one of the 2011-12 schedule's strange quirks, the Magic will play the Celtics again Thursday night. The game will be held at Amway Center.
•The Celtics entered Monday with 43 dunks this season; Howard started the day with 34, according to CBSSports.com.
firstname.lastname@example.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.


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From A Day In The Garden on the original Woodstock site (Yasgur's Farm) in Bethel, New York.
Drummer Brian Blade accompanies Joni on Moon at the Window.
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Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A courageous, open-hearted prayer", "enables Jesus to perform miracles, because "everything is possible for he who believes", even today, if we succeed in defeating that "piece of disbelief" that is in all of us. This is Pope Francis' lesson during Mass celebrated this morning in Casa Santa Martha, taken from the Gospel passage that tells of the intervention of Jesus when his disciples fail to heal a child.
Jesus laments the disbelief of those present. Responding to the child's father's pleas for help He says "everything is possible to one who has faith ". Pope Francis noted that often those who love Jesus don't risk much on believing in him nor entrust themselves completely to Him. "But why this disbelief? I believe that it is [when] the heart will not open, when the heart is closed, when the heart wants to have everything under control". It is a heart, then, that "does not open" and does not "give control of things to Jesus" - said the Pope - and when the disciples ask him why they could not drive the spirit out of the boy, the Lord replies that the "this kind can only come out through prayer. " "All of us - he said - carry a little bit of a disbelief, within." Strong prayer is needed, humble and strong prayer that enables Jesus to carry out the miracle. Prayer to ask for a miracle, to ask for an extraordinary action - he continued - must be an involved prayer, a prayer that unites us all".
To further underline his point, the Holy Father told the story of a young child in Argentina who at only 7 years of age fell ill and was given only a few hours to live by doctors. Her father, an electrician, a "man of faith," started "acting like madmen - said the Pope - and in that state of madness "took a bus to the Marian Shrine of Lujan, 70 km away". "He finally arrived after 9 pm, when everything was closed. And he began to pray to Our Lady, with his hands gripping the iron fence. And he prayed, and prayed, and wept, and prayed ... and that's the way he remained all night long. But this man was struggling: he was struggling with God, he struggled with God Himself to heal his daughter. Then, at 6 in the morning, he went to the bus station, took the bus and arrived home, in the hospital at 9 am, more or less. And he found his wife weeping. And he thought the worst. "What's happened? I do not understand, I do not understand! What has happened? '. 'Well, the doctors came and they told me that the fever is gone, she is breathing well, that there is nothing! They will leave her for two days more, but I do not understand what happened! This still happens, eh? Miracles do happen".
But we need to pray with our hearts concluded the Pope. "A courageous prayer, that struggles to achieve a miracle, not prayers of courtesy, 'Ah, I will pray for you,' I say an Our Father, a Hail Mary and then I forget. No: a courageous prayer, like that of Abraham, who struggled with the Lord to save the city, like that of Moses who held his hands high and tired himself out, praying to the Lord, like that of many people, so many people who have faith and pray with faith. Prayer works wonders, but we have to believe! I think we can make a beautiful prayer ... and tell Him today, all day long, 'Lord, I believe, help my unbelief' ... and when people ask ask us to pray for the many people who suffer in wars, all refugees, all of these dramas that exist right now, pray, but with your heart to the Lord: 'Do it!', but tell Him: 'Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief 'that is also in my prayers. Let us do this today. "


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The "Super Blue Blood Moon" is seen behind the business tower Lakhta Centre, which is under construction in St. Petersburg, Russia, January 31, 2018. Skywatchers in some parts of the globe got to see a rare combination of three unusual events -- a blue moon (the second full moon of the month), a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse.
Credit: Anton Vaganov / REUTERS
A supermoon rises over buildings in Bangkok, Thailand, on January 31, 2018.
Credit: Roberto Schmidt / AFP/Getty Images
The moon sets behind the Staten Island Ferry, seen from Brooklyn, New York, January 31, 2018.
Credit: Eduardo Munoz / REUTERS
The first full moon of 2018 rises behind festive seasonal lights on display on January 1, 2018 in Wells, Somerset, England. This full moon was also a supermoon, meaning that it coincided with the moon's closest approach to Earth, known as the perigee. January 2018 will see a second supermoon as well as a lunar eclipse on 31st of the month.
Credit: Matt Cardy / Getty Images
People admire view the supermoon from the Terrazza del Pincio, in Rome, on January 1, 2018.
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A plane flies in front of the supermoon on its approach to London Heathrow Airport on January 1, 2018.
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The supermoon takes on a striking red tone as it rises on December 3, 2017 in Washington, D.C. This was the only supermoon of 2017. It was also the first in an unusual string of three consecutive supermoons, with the next two coming on Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2018.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the closest approach to Earth in the moon's orbit, making the moon appear as much as 30 percent brighter and 14 percent bigger than normal, NASA says.
Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA / Getty Images
Birds alight on electric lines with the supermoon in the background, near Yangon, Myanmar, on December 4, 2017.
Credit: Ye Aung Thu / AFP/Getty Images
A plane taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport is seen passing in front of the supermoon as it rises on December 3, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
The supermoon rises over a highway near Yangon, Myanmar, on December 3, 2017.
The only supermoon of 2017 sets over the church of Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion at dawn in Olvera, near Cadiz, southern Spain, December 4, 2017.
Credit: Jon Nazca / REUTERS
The third and final "supermoon" of 2016 shines through a display of Christmas lights decorating Penzance main street in Cornwall, England, on December 13, 2016.
A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the closest approach to Earth in the moon's orbit, making the lunar disk appear as much as 30 percent brighter and 14 percent bigger than normal.
Credit: Matt Cardy, Getty Images
A jetliner flies past the supermoon over Beijing, China, on December 13, 2016. The smog that often blankets China's capital city and most of the industrial north in winter subsided for the evening, allowing a stunning view.
Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
An extra big, bright supermoon rises over Heho, in Myanmar's Shan state, on November 14, 2016.
The supermoon seen in November 2016 was the closest the moon has come to the Earth since 1948 -- a distance of 221,523 miles (356,508 kilometers).
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The supermoon rises behind the Propylaea above the ancient Acropolis hill in Athens, Greece, on November 14, 2016.
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The supermoon rises above the Old Town square in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 14, 2016.
The moon won't be this close to Earth again until November 2034.
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The supermoon lights up the night sky over the Bahwan mosque in the Omani capital, Muscat, on November 14, 2016, when the moon was at its closest position to earth since 1948.
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The moon rises over the village of Marbach am Neckar near Ludwigsburg, southwestern Germany, on November 14, 2016.
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A wind turbine spins in the foreground, illuminated by a bright supermoon, in El Poris de Abona on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife, November 14, 2016.
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The supermoon rises amid a fireworks display over the Sikh Shrine at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, on November 14, 2016.
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Kuwaitis observe the supermoon in Kuwait City on November 14, 2016.
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The supermoon looms behind the Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft on the launch pad at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 14, 2016.
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The supermoon is pictured above the Temple of Apollo in ancient Corinth, in Greece, on November 14, 2016.
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A supermoon rises behind the a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Marina Beach in Chennai, India, on November 14, 2016.
The gravitational pull of the full moon, combined with its closest approach to Earth in decades, can increase the risk of extreme high tides and flooding in coastal areas.
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An unusually large and bright moon -- the closest "supermoon" to Earth since 1948 -- adorns the night sky in Santiago, Chile on November 13, 2016.
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A man stands on a balcony of a building of Madrid as the moon rises in background on November 13, 2016, the eve of a supermoon.
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The supermoon is pictured rising over the desert in Dubai on November 14, 2016 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The moon won't be this close to Earth again until November 2034.
Credit: Tom Dulat, Getty Images
The supermoon rises over the sails of the Sydney Opera House in Australia on November 14, 2016.
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The supermoon rises above a statue of the ancient Greek god Poseidon in Corinth, Greece, on November 14, 2016.
A supermoon rises over Washington, D.C., November 13, 2016.
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A supermoon rises behind small sculptures on the roof of a tower in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, on November 14, 2016.
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People watch as a supermoon is seen rising beyond a ferris wheel in Hong Kong on November 14, 2016.
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A supermoon, obscured by hazy clouds, next to a crescent atop a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 14, 2016.
Credit: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images
The supermoon, also known as a perigee moon, rises over houses in Olvera, in the southern Spanish province of Cadiz, July 12, 2014.
Credit: Jon Nazca/Reuters
As the moon rises behind them, fans watch a game between the between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., July 11, 2014.
Credit: Ed Zurga/Getty Images
The full moon sets in the fog behind the Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, July 12, 2014.
Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA
People stand and look at the moon one day ahead of the supermoon phenomenon from a bridge over 42nd St. in New York City, July 11, 2014.
Credit: Carlo Allegri/Reuters
The so-called supermoon, or perigee moon, rises behind the historic Mount Wilson Observatory northeast of Los Angeles, July 12, 2014. The observatory founded by George Hale houses the 60-inch Hale telescope, built in 1908, and the, formerly world's largest, 100-inch Hooker telescope built in 1917.
Credit: David McNew/Getty Images
The moon descends behind the statue of Christ the Redeemer, lit with the colours of the Brazilian flag, atop Corcovado hill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13, 2014.
Credit: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesYASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images
A young girl plays on a sandcastle in front of a perigee moon, also known as a supermoon, as it appears at Nauset Beach in Orleans, Mass., July 12, 2014.
Credit: Virginia Mayo/AP
A perigee moon, also known as a supermoon, rises above a Chinese pavilion in Beijing, China, July 12, 2014.
Credit: Ng Han Guan/AP
The supermoon rises behind fans during a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Saturday, July 12, 2014.
Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP
Traffic streaks by the supermoon as it rises behind the Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC, July 12, 2014.
Credit: J. David Ake/AP
People watch the supermoon as it rises in the sky above Manhattan and One World Trade Center as seen from the Eagle Rock Reservation in New Jersey, July 12, 2014.
Credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Supermoon is seen over the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada, July 12, 2014.
Credit: Blair Gable/Reuters
A woman checks her mobile phone while a super moon rises in the sky above Manhattan and One World Trade Center, as seen from the Eagle Rock Reservation in New Jersey, July 12, 2014. The astronomical event occurs when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, making it appear much larger and brighter than usual.
A swollen "supermoon" is seen during the stages of a total eclipse in Caracas on September 27, 2015. For the first time in decades, the double spectacle of a swollen "supermoon" bathed in the blood-red light of a total eclipse can be seen. The celestial show, visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa, west Asia and the east Pacific, will be the result of the Sun, Earth and a larger-than-life, extra-bright Moon lining up for just over an hour
Credit: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images
People walking along the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) are silhouetted against the supermoon as it rises in Ronda, southern Spain, December 3, 2017.


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Variator springs - A sadly underestimated capitel of optimal Variator adjustment is the Variator back pressure spring. This spring puts back pressure on the back converter ("Speed Drive/Torque Drive"). This in turn influences the "behavior" of the variator When the fan belt starts to slip, or the torque changes when accelerating or when the motor, despite variator adjustment with roll sets, just doesn't reach optimal rpm's; then it's time for variator springs. After being installed, variator rolls, and if necessary, clutch springs should be re-adjusted; we find this the only way to coordinate the whole system.
The springs available from MALOSSI for the converter unit (driven pulley) are constructed using a silicium steel alloy which guarantees extra stability during use under extreme conditions and operating temperatures. This is reached through a high proportion of carbon in the steel alloy and a special tempering process for the outer surface. In addition MALOSSI variator springs are dynamically balanced and specifically developed for individual demands.
They are available in three categories:
SIP TIP : The MALOSSI converter grease was specifically developed for use at higher motor RPM. It is available in two versions : MRG grease and Racing grease.
OEM Numbers (for the purpose of comparison)


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Gold bugs are fretting. Although gold (GLD) has been up for 11 consecutive years, 2012 has been a bumpy ride.
Since the beginning of the year, gold has recorded a gain of around 6.11%, which is less than the S&P 500's (SPY) surge of 12.20%. Likewise, the beloved yellow metal is even underperforming broader precious-metals exchange-traded products, which include sliver (SIVR), and platinum (PPLT).
From a technical angle, gold now trades below both its 50 and 200 simple day moving average, which in Star Trek talk basically means to abandon ship. Is the bull market in gold over?
"Lost Decade" and Beyond
The 2000-10 performance for the S&P 500 has been called the "lost decade." because buy-and-hold investors of this particular stock index fared worse than bonds (AGG) along with other major asset classes like gold (IAU).
Investors that owned dividend-focused stock ETFs, like the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index Fund (DVY) or emerging market stocks (VWO) did much better than S&P 500 investors. Going back to 2000, a dividend stock strategy experienced average gains of almost 8%.
Gold bullion began the year 2000 at $318.70 per ounce and closed 348% higher at $1,421.40 per ounce at the end of 2010. However amazing that gold's bullish run has been, it still doesn't solve one of gold's biggest shortcomings; it produces no income.
What Gold Doesn't Do
A shortage of retirement income is one of the biggest predicaments facing Baby Boomers. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College pegs it as a $6.6 trillion conundrum. The Center's analysis included major sources of retirement income like Social Security, traditional pension plans, personal savings, and 401(k) retirement plans.
What have investors been doing to fix this? Instead of tackling this $6.6 trillion problem head-on, too many retirees have been making the fundamental mistake of concentrating their investments in gold – an asset that produces zero income.
Observant financial advisors should be quick to point out this predicament to retirees who have converted to the goldbug religion. If generating income is their primary financial goal, why are they overleveraged in non-income producing assets like gold?
The Federal Reserve Bank's distorted monetary policies over the past several years have had a perverse effect upon the investing public. Sadly, it has induced many investors to take more risk with their capital than they know.
Although gold is often sold as a "safe haven" trade, that argument begins to vanish when gold prices sink.
The fact is any substantial decrease in gold prices will undoubtedly massacre these unsuspecting folks. And while they wait for gold prices to recover, they'll get nothing in exchange for waiting. At least S&P 500 investors got dividends during the "lost decade!"
For anyone that doesn't think a decline in gold prices is problematic, tell that to the people who bought gold at $834 per ounce in 1980 and sat on dead money over the next 27 years.
Ron DeLegge is the Editor of ETFguide.com and Author of "Gents with No Cents: A Closer Look at Wall Street, its Customers, Financial Regulators and the Media." (Half Full Publishing Group, 2011)


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Old Home Day
1638 - Town of Hampton - 1961
624 Exeter Road [now 10 Gale Rd.]
This stately house is located in the Bride Hill section of Hampton. [Note: This house is today located in a new neighborhood at 10 Gale Rd. and is no longer accessible from 624 Lafayette Rd.] (Joseph) Dow, our local historian, tells us that the origin of this place name is obscure. He writes, "Tradition says it was in honor of a marriage rite performed in the open air. Off from the (Exeter) road, some fifteen or twenty rods, down a sharp decline, stands a beautiful lyre-shaped elm, towering high above a young pine growth. This is called the 'bridal elm,' for under it, it is said, the happy couple stood while the minister joined them in marriage -- a very pretty conceit, but spoiled by finding that Bride Hill is mentioned in the town records as early as October 12, 1669, when the bridal elm was not even a seed, and ministers were not authorized to marry."
The original part of this house, a Greek Revival type, was built by the Sanborn family and moved to its present location twenty-five years ago when it was incorporated into the construction of the much larger house.
Surrounded by spacious grounds this house has many features to commend it. Visitors will want especially to note the unique freestanding staircase in the entrance hall and, in the same room, the Zuber wall papers depicting a French hunting scene. These papers have been printed in France from the same blocks for more than two hundred years.
On the well-kept grounds which surround the house are a garden of early spring flowers and that institution of a bygone day, an herb garden. Also on the premises is the old family burying-ground where members of the Sanborn family were buried.
At this home, those interested in old paintings of the Hampton area may view the exhibit of paintings of Great Boar's Head from Dr. Bryer's collection.


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Namaste, I wrote this some time ago on another forum, I am relatively new to Trekinifo.com.
The had been a discussion that turned heated regarding the (silly) use of trekking poles as used by many tourists/trekkers in Nepal, in my opinion. As the discussion got more heated I thought I would try to diffuse the situation somewhat with a true story that happened to me and was marginally connected to the subject of trekking poles.
A Trekking Pole (kind of) Short Story
"Over thirty years ago while living and working in Nepal I was posted to a rural area not near any trekking route and as any westerner would have been at that kind of location and era was often considered a curiosity and attracted the attention of the locals wherever I went. One day I had set off for a hike somewhere and was happily walking along in an area new to me and noticed a group of about 10 or 12 Nepalis working in a field about 50 meters or so from me and slightly below my elevation. It was a beautiful sunny day and the colors of the saris and clothes of the Nepalis really stood out. They had noticed me too and had stopped work to look at this stranger and strange looking person, I imagine thinking .who is this weird looking guy with big boots, a large red backpack and longish unkempt hair, and what is he doing here??.....
I dont know if any of you readers of TT have noticed in Nepal what we in America call bumble bees---black and yellow stripped, kind of furry looking bees about 2 or 3 times the size of regular honey bees. Anyway in Nepal they get gigantic, like very small birds, only really slow and noisy while flying. They are so big and heavy they cant fly with their bodies parallel to the ground; their backside hangs down about what seems like 60 degrees to horizontal as they wallow along, seemingly ready to fall out of the air. Kids used to capture them and put a string around their bodies and have a flying toy as the bee droned along in slow circles attached to the string.
Anyway as I was walking along, my head turned about 90 degrees to the side looking at the Nepalis in the field as they looked at me, walking some ways like this on a wide level easy trail, I turned my head forward again to see where I was going and was startled by this huge bumble bee about 3ft in front of me at eye level and coming right at my face. I instinctively lurched backwards to avoid it, my back arching, arms flying outwards etc and became overbalanced backwards due to my backpack. Then began what seemed like (in my mind a slow motion, time expanded) long futile effort to regain my balance. Arms and legs flailing, trying to get my feet under me, I continued lurching uncontrollably backwards on the very edge of falling over but trying to recover before the inevitable. But I was going faster and faster backwards and leaning further and further. This went on for some time until I finally lost it completely and crashed to the ground at a high rate of speed ass over tea kettle bamboo trekking pole flying, arms and legs akimbo, then finally feet flying up in the air and probably a cloud of dust, I dont remember.
More embarrassed than hurt I got up, got myself together and noticed the Nepalis all laughing hysterically. I thought they must have been at first rather stunned by the whole spectacle before breaking out in laughter. This was of course because as far away as they were I am sure they couldnt see the bee and had only noticed this weird westerner (under the best of conditions) walking along peacefully then suddenly and for no apparent reason lurch back, spasmodically running backwards and finally crash to the ground. And my trekking pole did not help me."


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For anyone who's ever suffered from depression or even some good old-fashioned self-doubt, it's nice to know that you're not alone. Even the uber-successful and amazingly talented Rachel Maddow has her moments of getting down on herself and feeling depressed. She told Rolling Stone that she often turns on herself:
Yesterday was like a four-star show, I was totally into it. Today and Monday -– like, blaagh. Like, doesn't get any worse. I've been doing this for four years! Why do I still have one-star shows? It's me — failure.
She added, "Oh, another bad thing about myself is that I've allowed you to see that I'm hard on myself. The fact that you're seeing me sweat is like, 'Ah, well, I'm failing on that, too.'" Sound at all familiar? However difficult she might find it, Maddow has been open about the fact that she's long suffered from what she calls "cyclical" depression, and she talked a little bit about how that plays out for her:
One of the manifestations of depression for me is that I lose my will. And I thereby lose my ability to focus. I don't think I'll ever have the day-to-day consistency in my performance that something like This American Life has. If I'm not depressed and I'm on and I can focus and I can think through something hard and without interruption and without existential emptiness that comes from depression, that gives me — not mania. But I exalt. I exalt in not being depressed.
As for where she thinks a lot of her depression and anxiety originate, she says, "I see my job as making a TV show. I fail at it — constantly. And that's all I can think about." Of course, on the outside, it's easy to see that she's anything but a failure, and in fact most of us would probably say she's constantly succeeding, but that's the devilish thing about self-doubt and depression: they keep you from seeing yourself the way others see you.
Rachel Maddow Candidly Discusses Her 'Cyclical Depression' With Rolling Stone [Mediaite]


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Mobility and Big Data Analytics Provider NuWare Announces the Appointment of Rohit Shyam as Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 07, 2013
NuWare Technology Corp., a leading provider of Mobility, Big Data Analytics, and Cloud Infrastructure Management solutions to Life Sciences, Capital Markets, and Retail industries announced today the appointment of Rohit Shyam as Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer.
In his 20 years with companies such as IBM, CSC, Booz Allen & Hamilton, Accelrys, and SAIC, as well as innovative tech ventures, Mr. Shyam showed flair for transformative change and for shaking up the status quo.
Mr. Shyam has proven experience in growing technology businesses through effective marketing. Most recently, Mr. Shyam served as Partner at a Private Equity Firm focusing on Healthcare, Big Data & Cloud Computing space. Prior to that he was the Chief Marketing Officer at Accelrys Inc. where he led marketing, innovation, strategy, and M&A and ushered the company into verticals such as Life Sciences, Energy, and CPG. Prior to joining Accelrys, Rohit has served as Partner for Computer Sciences Corporation. Rohit was a Principal at IBM, where he helped launch its life sciences practice. He also led strategic consulting initiatives as a Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton and as Senior Vice President of SAIC and has had success as a start-up company entrepreneur.
Commenting on Mr. Shyam's appointment, Venk Krishnan NuWares Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer, said: "This is a strategic appointment for NuWare and signals the next phase in our evolution as a global business. NuWare is at the point where we need someone to focus full time on corporate development, M&A, strategy, branding, and marketing. Rohit's background and expertise in the Life Science and CPG/Retail markets and understanding of the applications of Cloud Computing, Big Data Analytics, and Mobility make him an excellent choice for this role. Its a pleasure to have such an experienced professional in place and leading this critical part of our business and driving forward our strategy to capture the commercial benefits presented by changing technology and customer requirements and to achieve our growth ambition.
Mr. Shyam holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
About NuWare Technology Corp.
NuWare is a leader in Cloud based Solutions, Infrastructure Management, Mobility and Social & Big Data Analytics. Our Innovation accelerates the competitiveness of our clients. NuWare develops solutions and provides professional services for Capital Markets, CPG/Retail, and Life Sciences industry verticals. Our solutions are used by Sales & Marketing, Operations, IT, and Supply Chain professionals for gaining deep insights from their data silos, rapid mobilization of both legacy and SaaS applications, remote infrastructure management, and social analytics. Our technology and services are designed to meet the needs of today's leading organizations. Several organizations in Life Sciences, Capital Markets, and CPG/Retail use our solutions.
NuWare partners with leading and innovative companies such as QlikView, Talend, MongoDB, CouchDB, Veliq, Cadis, MarkIT, Salesforce, Workday, Hortonworks, Greenplum, Oracle, Amazon AWS, Riak, Cassandra, Actian, Fonemine, Membase, MapR, Tableau, HBase, Datastax, Redis, and Valgenesis.
NuWare has offices in San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Iselin, Bangalore, and Macau. For more information about NuWare, visit its website at http://www.nuware.com
CONTACT: NuWare Technology Corp.
Samantha Adlard, 650.539.4001
# # #


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Most of the talk regarding Canada's flag bearer in Sunday's 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremonies has been about figure skater Joannie Rochette, speed skater Clara Hughes or Alexandre Bilodeau, the freestyle skier who won Canada's first ever Olympic home soil gold medal on Sunday, Feb. 14.
Nicolien Sauerbreij captured the Netherlands first Olympic snowboarding medal by winning the women's parallel giant slalom event Friday at Cypress Mountain.
Alexa Loo started snowboarding before Sidney Crosby started, well, breathing.
Matthew Morison's definition of a hero is simple: "Anyone who gives back."
Name: Jasey-Jay Anderson
Name: Amelie Kober


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Strikeforce heavyweight prospects Shane Del Rosario (9-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) and Lolohea Mahe (4-1-1 MMA, 0-1 SF) will indeed square off in the cage, but it will take place a little later than was originally thought.
Strikeforce officials today announced Del Rosario and Mahe will headline Strikeforce Challengers 9, an event that was first reported earlier this week by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Strikeforce women's welterweight champion
Sarah Kaufman (11-0 MMA, 3-0 SF) also defends her belt against Roxanne
Modafferi (15-5 MMA, 0-1 SF), while light heavyweights Ron "Abongo"
Humphrey and Mike Kyle will also tangle on the evening's
main card. The Showtime-broadcast event takes place July 23 at Comcast
Arena in Everett, Wash.
Del Rosario and Mahe were originally expected to meet at next week's "Strikeforce: Los Angeles" event.
Del Rosario, an EliteXC and M-1 Challenge vet, made his Strikeforce debut this past November and scored a submission win via the rarely seen omoplata lock over Brandon Cash. The fast-rising prospect is 9-0 with nine stoppages, and eight have come in the first round (seven via knockout).
He now meets Mahe, who also recently made his Strikeforce debut. In the main event of a March Challengers event, Mahe suffered a second-round TKO loss to Lavar Johnson. Prior to the promotional debut, he went undefeated on the Hawaiian fight circuit, which included a draw with UFC vet Scott Junk at a February 2009 X-1 event.
Kaufman, who makes her fourth-straight Challengers appearance, has
not fought since her unanimous-decision win over Takayo Hashi in
February. The victory earned the Canadian fighter the first-ever
Strikeforce women's welterweight belt and extended her undefeated streak
to 11 fights.
Although Kaufman opened her career with eight consecutive knockout wins,
all of her Strikeforce victories have gone to decision.
Modafferi, meanwhile, fights for Strikeforce for the second time.
Serving as a late replacement for Erin Toughill at this past November's "Fedor vs. Rogers" co-promotion, the Japanese-based
American moved up a weight class and ultimately suffered a first-round
submission loss to notable Marloes Coenen.
Since that loss, Modafferi scored a submission win over Molly Helsel at a
King of the Cage event, and on May 21, she edged female standout Tara
LaRosa (18-1 at the time) via split decision in a heavily praised
"Moosin: God of Martial Arts" pay-per-view bout. Modafferi has now won
eight of her past nine fights.
A former cast member of BET's infamous "Iron Ring" series, Humphrey earned first-round knockout stoppages in each of his first six bouts. Humphrey then made his Strikeforce debut against a much-larger Brett Rogers in April 2009 and was handed the first, and to date only, loss of his career. Humphrey rebounded from the result with a submission win over George Bush in March at Strikeforce Challengers 7.
Kyle returns to the Strikeforce cage for the first time since a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum in August 2009. Since that loss, the three-time UFC veteran has reeled four-straight wins outside of the promotion, including victories over notables Tony Lopez, Jon Murphy and Travis Wiuff.
For more on Strikeforce Challengers 9, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Shane Del Rosario)


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Things are not always what they seem...
Kidnapped 15+1530210067
- by savay12
- Rating:
- Published: 15 Feb 2014
- Updated: 4 Apr 2015
- Status: In Progress
Working at a bakery is fun even if it is with one of the punks from the group one direction(Harry styles).i did not know it is the place where I get stalked at by two lads.
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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Thai-bamboo Guesthouse Resort Thailand Cha-Am / Hua-Hin
Über uns & Kontakt
Preise und Buchung
Partner Awards
Das Resort
Jetzt Buchen
Our special offer
01.september till 15.october stay 3 nights pay two
Like Thai bamboo on facebook !!!
LIKE and share us on www.facebook.com/chaamhotel or in english www.facebook.com/thaibambooresort
The night market
wednesday night market promotion! book 2 nights over wednesday and you get a free shutle to the night market!!
Resort for rent or sale
for more infos please send a e mail
Thai-bamboo Guesthouse
Thailand holidays in the garden paradise Thai Bamboo Guesthouse in Cha-Am / Hua-Hin!
Prices and bookings
Holiday homes
Our four cottages are built according to Thai Bamboo Thai style but in German quality, they have international and high standard. Your bungalow is on stilts and the distance to the next bungalow is at least 15 meters, enough space for your privacy!
The Resort
The Thai Bamboo plant in Thailand Cha-Am was built at the foot of the mountains in a 6400qm large mango grove, many other tropical trees and flowers make this property a charming little paradise!
Location & Maps
Experience the vicinity of Cha-Am and Hua-Hin, be it as a weekend tourist from Bangkok or Thailand ... newbie. there is much to discover! We will advise you, help you organize and book a taxi for you, that will accompany you in English all day
The resort is surrounded by Thai farms. A tour with our bikes or mountain bikes leads to good roads from adjacent rice fields and small villages and temples.


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Finding true ecotourism companies isn't easy. While the tourism industry worldwide has latched onto the term 'ecotourism,' in many cases it's more propaganda than reality. Especially in heavily-touristed areas—like the Caribbean Islands—it's difficult to find efforts that are actually low impact, sustainable as possible, and educational. However, some companies are beginning to make headway in a region known for all-inclusive resorts and big cruises. One such company is Explora! Ecotour in the Dominican Republic, run by passionate young naturalists, Manny Jimenes and Olyenka Sang.
"We originally started out as well, explorers, just as our name says. We loved nature and wanted to get out and explore everything that our country had to offer, it wasn't until we started seeing the amazing natural resources and biodiversity, that we automatically felt a sense of responsibility," Jimenes and Sang told mongabay.com. "A responsibility to put these places on the map for locals (believe it or not most Dominicans don't get out and see the rest of the country) and to help preserve them or turn back the time, if possible, on some of the damage already caused."
Explora! Ecotour, which was recently named one of the top 50 green brands in the Dominican Republic, offers over two dozen day trips that explore the wide variety of the Dominican Republic's ecosystems, as well as overnight and custom trips. Visitors have the chance to see some of the 30-plus endemic bird species on the island, explore the rich marine life, spot rare reptiles, and encounter a stunning variety of landscapes. Read the rest of this entry »


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Any gamer who plays at night knows how important it is to have a solid set of headphones. We've looked at solutions in the past for Xbox 360 like the Turtle Beach X4s and the all-in-one Tritton AX Pro. If PlayStation 3 is your console of choice, you may want to check out the Ear Force P21. While they don't offer true 5.1 surround sound, they're very comfortable and offer plenty of customization features to suit your individual gaming needs.
The P21s come in all black plastic. The adjustable padded headband connects the earcups, which are covered in a shiny black shell. Each cup is cushioned with a mesh cloth that we found comfortable over long rounds of PlayStation 3 gaming.
When held, the headset does feel a bit cheap, especially where the earcups attach to the headband. There's a certain hollow characteristic to them--fortunately this did not carry over to the headset's overall performance, more of which we'll get to later on.
Out from the left earcup protrudes the boom mic. It's quite long and completely adjustable, so you'll have no trouble getting it placed perfectly. The tip of the microphone has two listening areas, one for your voice and one for ambient noise, which the headset itself will deflect. We really liked the fact that the boom can swivel 360 degrees out of sight when not in use.
A few feet down the connecting wire rests the in-line control box, which can be clipped onto your clothing if desired. On the box you'll find various switches and knobs allowing you to mute the mic, control chat, game, and bass volume, in addition to enabling Expander mode (which tries to give you fuller overall sound). That said, we enjoyed our game time better with the mode turned off.
Setting up the P21 headset is simple enough thanks to its bypass-capable RCA analog audio connections. The ports can attach right where your PlayStation 3 wires hook into your TV or receiver, preventing the need to constantly switch out wires when you want to use the headset. The cable length is also very generous, giving you up to 16 feet to work with. An included USB extender allows for the headset to hook into your PS3 when chatting.