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The Earth has turned another full circle and in a private corner of southern England I sit enjoying the warmth from the sun on the patio whilst I drink my mid morning coffee and reflect on a summer blown too early into autumn. A chill wind has forced the Bishop to lay spreadeagled across the lawn although his scarlet-red flowers are still vivid and bright, many more still to open. The hanging baskets are forlorn and limp, ripped by the wind, the last few flowers holding on in a blaze of orange and purple. The geraniums in pots around the koi pond and patio are still wonderful in fiery splashes of red and white and pink. Yellow, red and orange nasturtiums light up pansies and begonias against background foliage; whilst under the shrubs, wild cyclamen poke out their white heads, a sure herald of the shortening days.
I've seen far more creatures in the garden this year but perhaps that is because I have had the time to sit back and look more than in previous summers. Butterflies have visited in profusion. Red admirals, peacocks and commas, holly blues, and for the first time an orange tip danced and fluttered in the sunlight, enjoying the buddleia and erysimums, teasing the frogs that hop in the flowerbeds.
A little field mouse decided to take up residence under the stone sink in which carnivorous pitcher plants dwell. He's become quite tame. What was once a quick dash to grab a few seeds put down for him is now a carefree amble as he comes close enough for me to stroke, but I refrain, content to just watch and admire him.
My family of sparrows patiently await their turn on the bird feeder. It's such a pleasure to watch them communally splash in the birdbath; some prefer to sit below on the grass to wash in ensuing shower of water droplets instead. Despite reports that sparrows are in decline, they certainly are not in my garden. Their number has risen from six to twenty during the summer. They're cheeky little birds and will come and tap on my patio door if the feeder is empty or to tell me the birdbath needs refilling. When the sparrows have finished playing in the water the robin jumps down from his favourite perch on the obelisk to take his bath before flitting to the bird table to breakfast on oats and mealworms.
There have been lots of birds in the garden this summer, blackcaps and dunnocks, blue and great tits, greenfinches, bullfinches and a garden warbler. Most days a sparrow hawk rests on the fence or up in the neighbour's cherry tree to catch his breath. He's used to me sitting here, as are the other birds. They don't seem to mind my company.
Soon the sun will no longer rise above the roof and my garden will be in constant shade until next March. I shall miss not being able to sit in the garden but it will still delight during dark winter days with white and purple hellebores, sweet-scented yellow mahonia and the bright yellows, blues and reds of the primulas until the snowdrops and crocus emerge, heralding a new spring.
"A poor life this if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare."
William Henry Davies


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Find general hospital contact information and maps
Welcome to Logan Regional Hospital! If you are having trouble locating any of our services please see one of our greeters located in the budge or a volunteer. If you need additional assistance please call (435) 716-000 for assistance.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Head out from Harajuku station, battle past the crowds, crepes and touts on Takeshita Street, ignore the multitude of designer and fast fashion chain stores clinging to Meiji Dori and head straight for the backstreets of Harajuku – 'Ura-Harajuku'. The real beating heart of this area, here you will find a plethora of small independent boutiques and generally quirky stores sprouting from every side of maize like back streets. Whilst not completely unknown to tourists, the local crowd you will find here are somewhat different to that of the more popular (and busier) spots in Harajuku. It feels more real.
In the middle of all this, down a side alley and on the corner of a quiet street you will find 'Hola', an Okinawan themed taco café – not a bunch of words you often find together in the same sentence, but all the better for it.
Hola's owner was born and raised in Okinawa and it is clear from the bright greens and reds which adorn the artistic facade to the chilled out atmosphere within and menu itself, that a little piece of tropical Okinawa has found all its way to Tokyo. Even when the world is damp and cold outside
It may be surprising to link Japan's most southerly and tropical prefecture, Okinawa, to 'tacos', but the dish 'taco-rice' (since its conception in the 80's) has cemented itself as a popular Okinawan cuisine and a firm favorite all over Japan. It may be even more surprising to find out that the dish contains no tortilla, but is instead essentially the filling of a 'taco' (ground beef, tomato, lettuce, salsa, cheese etc.) served on a bed of rice, often flavored with condiments reserved for more `Japanese` cuisine, such as soy sauce. It was originally conceived with the idea that replacing tortilla with rice would add more volume to the dish – therefore enticing more hungry cash strapped U.S marines to eat outside of base, as at the time a strong yen had hurt the purchasing power of the dollar badly. However it was not only just a hit with the marines but also with the Okinawan locals, and its popularity soon quickly spread all over Okinawa and eventually even to the mainland.
Inside the cafe has a capacity to seat around ten people at most, has a very cozy and laid back atmosphere.
The walls are adorned with art works and posters from yesteryear, as well as photos of what seems to be regulars – adding to the character and 'homeliness' of the cafe.
Food and Drink
For handmade food of this quality in the setting it is in, the prices are more than reasonable. The menu quite simply consists of a selection of taco rice (¥600) and (handmade) taco dishes (¥400) plus a few side dishes (¥300-600) for good measure. Drinks such as coffee, teas, sodas and fruit juices are also available, all reasonably priced at ¥350.
For those looking for a bit of value and wanting to try a selection of what is on offer the set menu is very much recommended.
Set Menus
Taco Rice + 1 Taco + Drink ¥900
Taco Rice + Drink ¥700
1 Taco + Drink ¥500
2 Taco + Drink ¥800
*Taco rice, Tacos and Drinks are all able to be chosen from those on the main menu
Chili Cheese Potato
'Original' Flavor Taco
Dry Curry
Taco Rice
It goes without saying that Hola has great food at great prices in a great atmosphere and, tucked into a quiet corner of a must visit tourist hotspot, is an all-round no brainer. Whether it's raining outside, or even blisteringly hot, walk through the doors of Hola to sit down for an authentic piece of Okinawa, any day of the year.
Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 3-27-3
10 minute walk from JR Harajuku station
Opening Hours:
Lunch 11:30 ~ Dinner 16:00 ~ Mon-Sun Open Holidays


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Quade new Cubs manager
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry had a quick answer when asked why he stuck with Mike Quade as manager of the ballclub.
"Mike Quade earned the job," Hendry said Tuesday after reintroducing Quade to Chicago.
The Cubs may have surprised some people, but Hendry and the Ricketts family, which owns the team, seemed firmly convinced the right guy will lead the Cubs on the field.
Quade, 53, and the Cubs agreed to a two-year deal with a club option for 2013 to allow this Chicago-area native to finish the job he started so well in the final weeks of the 2010 season.
According to Hendry, it wasn't just the 24-13 record Quade led the Cubs to after he took over from Lou Piniella in August, when Piniella resigned to take care of his elderly mother.
"The record is nice, Hendry said. "And winning never hurts you. But it's what he did behind the scenes and the way he ran the game and the way he handled the players, the way he controlled a lot of issues that could have snowballed … I don't think that anybody here didn't write that at 5-20 before Mike took over that we were an abysmal Triple-A club playing it out and that we'd probably lose 100 games.
"The record was not just the winning and losing. All the things that he did really made the record.
What Quade did was take a lifeless-looking club and get it to play inspired-looking baseball down the stretch, finishing 75-87 when it was on pace to lose 96 games in August.
In doing so, he beat out a field of candidates that included as finalists Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg and former major-league manager Eric Wedge.
Hendry said he came to his final decision Friday after he and owner Tom Ricketts interviewed all three finalists at least twice.
Quade is an Evanston native who graduated from Prospect High School in Mount Prospect in 1975 (he was wearing a tie Tuesday that featured Prospect colors). He has 17 years of managerial experience in the minor leagues, and he served as the Cubs' third-base coach under Piniella since 2007.
"No. 1, we wanted a manager who wanted to be a coach, Ricketts said. "Anyone who has seen Mike on the field working with the younger guys and know his history knows that Mike is just that.
"Secondly, we wanted a manager who knows what it's like to be a Cub. Mike grew up in the area. He grew up as a Cubs fan. He's been with the organization for eight years.
"The third thing we were looking for was someone who is committed to the organization for the long haul. Mike has proved that he's got a focus on winning today and to building our organization for the future and over the long run.
Quade got a huge vote of confidence from veteran pitcher Ryan Dempster, who attended Tuesday's festivities.
"I was telling Jim I don't understand, and it's not a knock on anybody who had their name in … it's a great thing that it was given to somebody who took advantage of the opportunity, said Dempster, a frequent booster of Quade.
"On Oct. 19, he's been the second-best manager since he took over, and he hasn't even had a chance to go through spring training and just do what he wants to do with this team.
"That's the one thing I noticed about 'Q' that really stood out, that he was in on every single pitch. He was in on everything. He gave great respect to the veteran guys. He gave some young guys opportunities. I think he helped a lot of young guys even in ways that might not show up in a box score.
"What bad happened for the Chicago Cubs today? Nothing. Something great happened for a great man and a great manager.
Quade was as polished before the media Tuesday as he was all season, but he made a point of thanking all those involved in helping him secure his first big-league managing job long term.
"I got an opportunity with six weeks to go that Jim was good enough to give me, he said. "I'm so thankful for that. He gave me an opportunity, I think, to do what I always believed I could do but to prove to myself and maybe to them that I could do it, as well.
"Without that, I don't know where we're sitting today. But I was treated so well in the process.


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Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Overview
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Providers in Rapid City & Spearfish, SDMillions of American suffer from some form of musculoskeletal - bone, muscle or joint - dysfunction. When it hurts to walk, bend over, climb stairs, type or write, raise your arm or bend your knee, it's time to see an orthopedic specialist.
At Regional Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, we are here to help you. With board-certification and years of experience, our specialists can bring you the advanced services you're looking for to help you on the road toward better mobility.
Whether your joint problem was the result of a work injury, repetitive-motion stress, sports injury, accident or fall, our team of experts is standing by to diagnose and to treat your injury with some of the most advanced treatment options available.
Team ApproachOur comprehensive orthopedics and sports medicine team includes:
- Athletic trainers
- Dedicated orthopedic nurses
- Occupational therapists
- Orthopedic surgeons
- Surgical podiatrists
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians
- Physical therapists
- Spine rehabilitation specialists
- Sports medicine specialists
Not Just Joints & BonesIf you've suffered a concussion or other type of brain injury, our orthopedics and sports medicine team can provide you with some of the best care available to help manage your recovery in the days ahead.
Full Service LineUsing some of the latest techniques and equipment, our orthopedics and sports medicine specialists offer a wide range of services including:
- Advanced orthopedic surgery
- Arthroscopy
- Concussion management
- Minimally-invasive, image-guided injections and procedures
- Occupational therapy
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- Physical therapy
- Podiatry
- Regenerative non-operative and operative orthopedic treatments
- Sports medicine
- Surgical and non-surgical spine care
- TENEX minimally-invasive procedures for tendon injuries
Help Is One Call AwayIf you've been suffering from a bone, joint or muscle condition, or if you've been injured and need to see a specialist, don't suffer any longer. Our goal is to help you return to work and play, enjoying life to its fullest. Call today for an appointment in Rapid City at 605-755-5700 or Spearfish at 605-644-4460.
Physical Therapy
Slowing down is no fun. When it hurts to walk, to get in and out of the car, to sit or stand, or to reach for something, it's time to look for solutions. A wide array of painful mobility issues can be addressed with a licensed physical therapist in a top quality program.
Sports Medicine
Being benched from your favorite sport, exercise program or recreational activity is no fun. No one wants to be sidelined by pain. If you've suffered an injury and are trying to get back in the game, we've got the advanced sports medicine care that you need.
Concussion Management
A concussion, head trauma or brain injury is a condition that requires comprehensive care and careful management. At Regional Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Rapid City and Spearfish, S.D., you'll receive top quality care with some of the most advanced treatment options in the region.
Regenerative Medicine
When you're injured or sick, have you ever wished you could harness the body's natural healing powers and speed your recovery? Our Regenerative Medicine specialists are dedicated to helping restore damaged tissue to get you on a fast track toward healing.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
When you've suffered from a debilitating bone, joint, muscle, brain or central nervous system injury or disease, or if you have a disability, an experienced physiatrist - a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) - is the person you want going to work for you.
When your foot or ankle is hurting, it affects everything you do. When something is wrong with your lower extremities, you need a world-class specialist on the case.
Orthopedic Surgery
When you've injured a joint, bone or muscle, the pain can be debilitating and the loss of motion can be a real problem. If you've suffered from a torn ACL, torn rotator cuff, hip injury, arthritis, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, sprained ankle, bone fracture or torn ligaments, you want to know you're being treated by the best orthopedic specialists in the region.
Advanced Treatment Options
Same Day Total Joint Replacement
Regional Health offers outpatient/same day joint replacement for knees, hips and shoulders — the first in South Dakota.
Foot and Ankle Specialists
Our podiatrists are Board Qualified and Board Certified in foot and Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle surgery.
Cutting-edge Techniques
Our providers can treat patients with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and Lipogems, part of the emerging area of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine directs and enhances the body's own natural regenerative powers to restore and heal after injury.
Specialists for Every Condition
You will be cared for by a comprehensive team, including specialists for feet, knees, hips, shoulders, hands, complex cases, sports medicine and pain management.
I'd been having a lot of hip problems. I used to walk on uneven terrain and I'd be really sore for a few days. It wasn't a matter of if, but when I would need both of them replaced. Dr. Miller looked me in the eye and said recovery's in 2-4 weeks, probably closer to two. I said, "Sign me up." Everything about it was relatively painless and the transition to getting back to normal life was very smooth. Dr. Miller is a good guy and your recovery is amazing. Regional Health exceeded my expectations.
Greg D.
I tore my ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus and fractured my kneecap. With Dr. Jensen, I just knew I was in the right hands.
Zane R.
I was worried that a broken metatarsal was the end of my skiing career. Dr. Johnson's surgery was the right thing to do and a great success. I had a full season this year.
Joe L.
About four years ago I started having trouble with my knee — moderate osteoarthritis. Dr. Sole's PRP therapy has made it a lot easier to walk and allowed me to travel extensively, which is great!
Paul S.
I went into the hospital at 6:30am for a knee replacement and was home that afternoon. It feels great and I can put a lot more miles into a day, thanks to Dr. Gould.
Roxi D.
Regional Health Orthopedic & Specialty Hospital
Regional Health Orthopedics, Spearfish
Regional Health Orthopedic & Specialty Hospital
1635 Caregiver CircleRapid City, SD 57702
Regional Health Orthopedics, Spearfish
2479 East Colorado BoulevardSpearfish, SD 57783


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WATCH: Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey is itching to play with 'fantastic' signing Alexis Sanchez
ARSENAL midfielder Aaron Ramsey is itching to get back in the Premier League hunt with the Gunners as he teams up with 'fantastic' new signing Alexis Sanchez.
With the Welshman not featuring in the World Cup he admitted it's been a long break for him and he is desperate to get started domestically.
Ramsey said: "Obviously I didn't play in the World Cup so I've been itching to get back.
"I've been itching to get back"Aaron Ramsey
"Now we're back involved again and getting ourselves ready for the season and I can't wait for that moment to come along again."
Arsenal have a marquee new signing to help their title push this season.
Alexis Sanchez joined the Gunners from Barcelona for £32m and the Welsh midfielder is thrilled by the prospect of lining up alongside the Chilean.
"Fantastic signing," Ramsey continued, "He had a great World Cup with Chile as well so we're all looking forward to that [working with him].
"I'm sure he'll settle in just fine."


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Sabine Ment
The long-term integration of Sabine Ment´s work in organizations is made possible through a value-based and innovative HR-Management approach, including the corresponding HR instruments.
Strenghts-based coaching for executives and coaching-based manager development programs are used to enhance leadership in order to strengthen the corporate culture.
Furthering health, fitness and well-being of employees and leaders is another area that Sabine Ment is involved in, as it plays a major role in creating a values-based culture in companies.
Sabine Ment spent the last 20 years in management-led and family-run businesses as an HR-professional. She is experienced, competent and has a complete "hands-on" mentality.


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Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Calculator
You expend energy no matter what you're doing, even when sleeping. Your Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories you would burn if you did nothing all day except stay in bed.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR), and the closely related resting metabolic rate (RMR), is the amount of energy expended daily by humans and other animals at rest. Rest is defined as existing in a neutrally temperate environment while in the post-absorptive state. In plants, different considerations apply. The release, and using, of energy in this state is sufficient only for the functioning of the vital organs, the heart, lungs, nervous system, kidneys, liver, intestine, sex organs, muscles, and skin. Read the full article >


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Royal Wedding could tarnish Britain's images as outdated island
Professor Alan Fyall, Head of Enterprise at Bournemouth University's School of Tourism, comments on the upcoming Royal Wedding, specifically looking at UK vs overseas tourism interest.
"A possible negative side effect is that Britain will be viewed internationally as this odd little island stuck in the past at a time when the London 2012 Games is trying to promote a youthful, modern and contemporary Britain.
"In term of domestic interest it is difficult to gauge for a number of reasons. There's been a lot royal interest caused by the King's Speech but the poor press of a number of royals (Prince Andrew especially) in recent years has probably diluted interest among many.
"With the 29 April being a Bank Holiday a long weekend will mean increased levels of 'stay-cation' rather than everyone watching TV or doing 'royal' things. Family visitor attractions are likely to have a very good weekend, especially if the weather is good!
"The current economic difficulties and planned strikes in the Public Sector may reduce the number of those interested in the UK …. Then again, Charles and Diana wedding was in the middle of the riots of 1981 and the event was a massive success globally.
"From overseas, there's likely to be an increase in visitation to UK built heritage sites with royal connections, such as palaces, castles, historic houses as well as towns/cities with strong royal connections like Windsor, Balmoral and St Andrews. There will be a heightened royal interest in London especially with increased visitation at all core sites – particularly among US, Middle Eastern and Asian markets where Monarchy is of particular interest."


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This section contains 7,510 words
(approx. 26 pages at 300 words per page)
SOURCE: Hackett, Nan. "A Different Form of 'Self': Narrative Style in British Nineteenth-Century Working-class Autobiography." Biography 12, no. 3 (summer 1989): 208-26.
In the following essay, Hackett emphasizes the didactic and socially critical functions of narrative in British working-class autobiography of the nineteenth century.
Francis Russell Hart noted that "Memoir is the autobiography of survival,"1 yet working-class autobiographers' techniques of survival have caused their works to be ignored as literary works; they have been left to historians for use as documents of social history. John Burnett and David Vincent2, singly and now together, have written about British nineteenth-century working-class autobiography. Their scholarship has been responsible for the retrieval of many interesting books; their introductions discuss how childhood, courtship, domestic life, education and work are presented in hundreds of autobiographies. However, their conclusions are drawn primarily from the content of the works. These historians use the autobiographies as social history artifacts rather...
This section contains 7,510 words
(approx. 26 pages at 300 words per page)


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I graduated in 2011 from Fujian Normal University, China with a master degree in Chinese Education. I'm a teacher of Chinese literature department in the University Al-Azhar Indonesia, mainly taught Listening Chinese and Reading Chinese.
I also had experienced as an interpreter and translator in some business meetings or commercial events in Indonesia. My job experience and academic background have contributed significant improvement to my ability and skill in dealing or communicating with client from China and Taiwan.


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On October 11th, 2007, the S&P 500 reached its intraday pre-crisis peak.
The market as a whole certainly has been on a wild ride since then.
Now, let's consider a stock like Altria (MO).
It also had quite a ride since then -- I mean, few stocks were completely immune to the volatility -- even if it was somewhat less intense than the market as a whole.
Yet let's look at the overall results if Altria had been bought, rather unfortunately, at the peak on October 11th, 2007.
Well, those who purchased Altria's stock on October 11th and hung in there actually experienced a very nice result.
In fact, shares of Altria bought on that far from ideal date produced -- including the substantial reinvested dividends -- an annualized total return of roughly 17%.*
At that rate of return, and over that time frame, the value would have increased to nearly 3x the original investment.
Not a bad result considering that the starting point was on what was a very inopportune day. Naturally, some additional buying as the crisis unfolded -- as the stock price was getting cheaper -- could have only improved the result.
Of course, Altria's stock wasn't going to be immune to the nasty market price action that arose during the financial crisis, but the increasingly cheap shares were an ally to the long-term oriented owner. In fact, it was beneficial to continuing shareholders even if -- other than dividend reinvestments and buybacks -- no incremental purchases were made as the shares became cheaper.
Additional purchases by a continuing shareholder, at the temporarily reduced prices, would naturally also have been beneficial.
The point is that the lower prices can be a benefit, through the wise use of a company's excess capital, even if the shareholder decides to NOT purchase incremental shares.
(A dividend, of course, is excess capital produced by the company that's distributed to the owners but, unlike excess capital used for buybacks, the decision to invest in more shares must be made by each individual shareholder.)
The key is that market prices became reduced but per share intrinsic value did not. That's a very good combination for long-term owners. It is a permanent and substantial drop in per share intrinsic value that creates a real problem for investors.
More on this in a bit.
First, some context is in order.
Altria produced a 19.88% annual return (incl. reinvested dividends) over a roughly fifty year period that ended in 2006.
A 19.88% return over such a time horizon will turn a $ 10,000 initial investment into over $ 80 million.
The stock, including the impact of reinvested dividends, has -- much like what happened since October 2007 though not surprisingly somewhat better -- more than tripled since the end of 2006.
So that would put the tally on the initial $ 10,000 investment at something close to ~ $ 280 million. The power of compounding and a long time horizon.
There are, in my view, reasons why future results likely won't be nearly as favorable for Altria. Some of this comes down to whether the shares will again sell at a low earnings multiple. As it stands now, that's not the case. The stock often has sold at a low multiple over the decades and that had a lot to do with the investment outcome.
(While I intend to remain a long-term Altria shareholder, additional shares in the company are of little to no interest near current prices.)
Still, lots of useful investment lessons can be learned from Altria -- some of them counterintuitive -- then applied elsewhere if the opportunity arises.
Even if the stock itself happens to be of little interest, it can serve as a useful investment case study.
At least that is my view.
Some will argue, maybe correctly, that eventually all the things working against Altria (legal and regulatory risks, taxation, volume declines etc.) are finally going to catch up with the company and its investors.
It's also possible, however, that many of the inherent business strengths continue to at least mostly be there.
Now, lets get back to market prices, intrinsic values, and the implications for long-term investors. A big part of the explanation for Altria's high returns over the decades is that the stock was often rather cheap (price < intrinsic value). That resulted in per share intrinsic value growing faster than the overall intrinsic business value. How? Well, in effect, the less patient -- shorter term oriented -- owners and traders were transferring a portion of the per share intrinsic value to continuing owners over time. This intrinsic value transfer happened because they were consistently selling their shares at a discount to value. This meant, over time, that additional shares could be accumulated below -- maybe even far below -- per share intrinsic value through corporate buyback activity as well as dividend reinvestments.
(Buybacks can make sense when both more than sufficient funds are available to meet all operational/liquidity needs of a business AND the stock is cheap. The decision to pay a dividend -- by the board/management -- should come down to whether the business needs are covered while the decision to reinvest that dividend -- by the investor -- should be based on whether shares sell at a discount to value.)
Well, that transferred value doesn't just disappear, it ends up in the hands of continuing owners, and boosts total return.
Again, as noted above, the long-term investor in Altria could also decide from time to time to accumulate additional shares whenever they became cheap and it made sense in the context of the overall portfolio.
Yet, lacking incremental purchases, the dividend reinvestments and buybacks alone can benefit the long-term oriented owner greatly if the stock often sells nicely below per share intrinsic value.
This is how per share performance can exceed business performance, and sometimes to a substantial degree. Altria's businesses did just fine; its shares did even better.
The compounded effect is not at all a small one. It does allow per share intrinsic business value to outrun overall intrinsic business value. The power of this dynamic is, at least at times, more than a little underappreciated. It at least begins to explain the gap that can exist between business performance and stock price performance.
So, for long-term owners, the low prices that came about as a result of the financial crisis were a very good thing. Returns since 2007 were enhanced greatly by that drop in the stock price. This is why the price declines were actually an "ally" to those in it for the long haul. At the very least, something to consider the next time a sound long-term investment goes up in price in the near-term (or even intermediate-term).
Most end up feeling pretty good when they see their stock going up.
That's actually not the logical reaction unless one is, in fact, selling soon.
Unfortunately, Altria's shares are much more fully priced these days. If this situation were to persist going forward -- or worse, become priced even more highly relative to per share intrinsic business value -- it would lead to, all else equal, reduced future returns.
It's understandably tough to convince traders to think this way.
It should be easier to convince those with much longer time horizons but, well, it's just not.
Beyond the often low stock price relative to earnings power (and intrinsic value), these high equity returns also came down to the company's historic competitive advantages, and attractive core economics, across many of its businesses.
(Which, of course, once included food products and international tobacco products.)
These advantages contributed to pricing power and high returns on capital.
That pricing power, at least up to now, has generally made up for long-standing volume declines in Altria's core smokeable products business.**
Volume declines that have been substantial since 2007 alone, and, well, are generally expected to continue. For Altria in its current form, only U.S. volumes have been relevant since the Philip Morris International (PM) spin-off.
In any case, exciting growth is mostly not at all behind these results; it's just not a big part of the story.
Quite the opposite.
The question is whether Altria still possesses inherent advantages that will mostly persist going forward. The volume declines likely aren't going away anytime soon. The company -- other than the SABMiller (SBMRY) stake -- no longer has meaningful exposure to international markets. At some point will these things hurt investors? Will technology (e-cigarettes) change the competitive landscape and, more importantly, the business economics? A new technology can be an opportunity but doesn't only offer economic upside. Fundamental change can just as easily cut the other way; it can upset what had previously been excellent and sustainable business economics. So the future could offer a very different set of circumstances for Altria. As with any investment these kind of things must be considered. Of course, the future need not be quite as favorable as the past for the risk versus reward to still make sense.
At least if the price is right; if the value can still be estimated within a narrow enough range; if, going forward, the stock often sells at a discount to value so continuing owners can benefit from the intrinsic value transfer.
Altria's long-term past performance promises nothing about the future, of course. Still, the dynamics and factors that created the outcome, at the very least, seem well worth understanding.
So the assumption that growth is a required ingredient for high returns just isn't correct. For investors, this mistaken assumption can be costly.
How could growth not be a good thing? Well, sometimes growth is a very good thing. It's just not always a good thing.
Some seem to assume that all growth is of the high return variety.
Some seem to assume that the only road to high returns comes in the form of high growth.
Neither assumption is necessarily correct.
It's also clearly not about the timing; it's about how price compares to well-judged value, and how that value is likely to change -- considering the specific risks -- over the longer run; it's about identifying businesses that can maintain attractive core economics.
In other words, getting the price versus value judgment mostly right is difficult enough. Attempting to also time things consistently well can lead to unnecessary mistakes. The addition of timing to the equation is a distraction that's easy to do mostly in theory. Even if there surely are exceptions, it seems that more talk (or write) about timing things well than actually get results this way. Well, building an approach based upon the exception seems hardly wise. I'm guessing some who tried to cleverly time things -- who were given many chances to own sensible things at big discounts -- might now be having a rather difficult time finding stocks to buy. In fact, they may now be chasing things that are no longer selling with a sufficient margin of safety (or worse).
At a minimum, some skepticism is more than a little warranted when it comes to those who claim they can time things in a consistently effective way.
On the other hand, it is possible to turn the market dynamics -- sometimes driven by cognitive and emotional factors but barely related to economic value -- that tend to move prices near-term into an advantage. When something that was already cheap gets temporarily even cheaper this is hardly a disaster. The same goes for something originally bought cheap that goes to the other extreme.
Otherwise, better to ignore the near-term noise.
More in a follow-up.
Long positions in MO and PM established at much lower than recent market prices. As noted above, no intent to buy or sell near current prices.
Other related posts:
Altria: Timing Isn't Everything, Part II - Jul 2014 (follow-up)
The Growth Trap: IBM vs Standard Oil - Jun 2014
Asset Growth and Stock Returns, Part II - Mar 2014
Asset Growth and Stock Returns - Feb 2014
Buffett and Munger on See's Candies, Part II - Jun 2013
Buffett and Munger on See's Candies - Jun 2013
Boring Stocks - Jun 2013
Aesop's Investment Axiom - February 2013
Grantham: Investing in a Low-Growth World - Feb 2013
Buffett: Stocks, Bonds, and Coupons - Jan 2013
Maximizing Per-Share Value - Oct 2012
Death of Equities Greatly Exaggerated - Aug 2012
The Quality Enterprise, Part II - Aug 2012
The Quality Enterprise - Aug 2012
Stock Returns & GDP Growth - Jul 2012
Why Growth May Matter Less Than Investors Think - Jul 2012
Ben Graham: Better Than Average Expected Growth - Mar 2012
Consumer Staples: Long-term Performance, Part II - Dec 2011
Consumer Staples: Long-term Performance - Dec 2011
Buffett: Why Growth Is Not Necessarily A Good Thing - Oct 2011
Defensive Stocks Revisited - Mar 2011
Grantham: High Growth Doesn't Equal High Returns - Nov 2010
Altria Outperforms...Again - Oct 2010
Altria vs Coca-Cola - Jul 2010
Growth & Investor Returns - Jun 2010
Buffett on "The Prototype Of A Dream Business" - Sep 2009
High Growth Doesn't Equal High Investor Returns - Jul 2009
The Growth Myth Revisited - Jul 2009
The Growth Myth - Jun 2009
GM vs Philip Morris (Altria) - Apr 2009
Defensive Stocks? - Apr 2009
* The Philip Morris International (PM) spin-off needs to be accounted for the get the return calculation correct. In other words, actual returns would naturally depend on whether or not the Philip Morris International shares were sold after the spin-off. It actually did work out somewhat better so far -- excluding tax implications -- if Philip Morris International shares had been sold and the proceeds were used to buy more Altria shares. Yet, either way, the investment outcome worked out just fine. Also, the two stocks have different risks that have to be considered. Keep in mind that these return numbers don't account for tax considerations.
** Smokeable products is the biggest driver of value for Altria in its current form. Smokeless products and the SABMiller (SBMRY) stake also make meaningful contributions to value. Wine is a very small contributor. Before the Kraft and Philip Morris International spin-offs, food products and international tobacco products were once a big part of the story.
This site does not provide investing recommendations as that comes down to individual circumstances. Instead, it is for generalized informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. Visitors should always do their own research and consult, as needed, with a financial adviser that's familiar with the individual circumstances before making any investment decisions. Bottom line: The opinions found here should never be considered specific individualized investment advice and never a recommendation to buy or sell anything.


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This weekly replace options rising roles of human genomics, testing and interventions in a wide variety of noncommunicable ailments across the life span, together with, birth defects, new child screening, reproductive health, childhood diseases, cancer, continual illnesses, pharmacogenomics, household health history, pointers and suggestions. The weekly sweep also includes news, opinions, commentaries, tools and databases. This, then, is the good humanistic, historical civilized job of the oppressed: to liberate themselves and their oppressors, who oppress, exploit, and rape by advantage of the their energy, can't find on this energy the power to liberate both the oppressed or themselves. Solely energy that springs from the weakness of the oppressed can be sufficiently robust to free boththus, perhaps, bring about civilization and civilized societies.
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So, Maryland, I'm asking to your assist. (Applause.) I would like your help. (Applause.) We might have some very effectively-funded opponents. We might have some very talkative opponents. However you are going to be one of the best, most credible messengers to unfold the phrase about this legislation and all the benefits that the American folks stand to get and have earned. Anybody in America that desires authorities health care can get it just by shifting to the state of Massachusetts, or lobbying their state to move such a legislation.
Delicate coconuts are one of the wealthiest wellsprings of electrolytes, chlorides, potassium … Read More ...


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It only hurts when you're thinking about it. Seriously. You feel the pain only when you're paying attention to it, and focusing on your pain just makes it more intense. As a Life Coach and Law of Attraction Teacher, I am often explaining to people that what we focus on expands. My recent painful experience with my lower back gave me the opportunity to really test this out.
The biggest "Wow! It really works," came in the midst of making love with my husband one night. Suddenly I realized that I was feeling absolutely no pain in my body. Nor did it return before I drifted off to sleep that night. I'm sure the bio-chemical responses associated with sex might explain the pain relief. It was the thoughts I was thinking, however, that were triggering those chemical responses and my lack of attention on the pain that removed it from my consciousness. So…if you're able, I highly recommend sex for temporary pain relief.
Here are several additional healthy pain relieving tips and techniques that helped me through my 9+ pain last year: Read More
I thought about naming this article, "Can I Get a Do-Over for 2015?" That was the first thought I had when I began thinking about what I want for 2016 and realized that the "list" was basically what I wanted for 2015.
We create our own reality through our thoughts, intentions and inspired actions, so I fully expected to easily achieve my goals. Along the way, however, the road got quite rocky. I won't bore you with the details, but long story short…by the second half of 2015 an old back injury became so painful (9+ on a 10-point scale) that it significantly reduced my level of engagement and activity in every aspect of my life.
Most people know me as typically being very positive and hopeful, but this pain caused me to experience a lot of unwanted negativity:
I did not want this negativity to attract other similar experiences, so I found ways to relieve the pain temporarily so that I could focus on thinking more positive thoughts. Read More
A healthy body is all about thought alignment. If you don't have the body you desire, it is because your thoughts are aligned with what you do NOT want rather than what you do want. For instance, you may believe that in order to have a healthy, fit body you must eat only certain foods, monitor or restrict what you eat and work out to specific routines or for a certain amount of time. Over time, however, you have been unable to integrate these changes into your day-to-day life and so you have the body you would EXPECT for someone who does not diet and exercise appropriately. Your current physical state is because you BELIEVE you must do certain things to achieve balance with your natural health and well-being. You BELIEVE that health and well-being are conditional…and in this example the conditions are diet and exercise.
How do you explain then all those fit and trim individuals (like my son and my husband) who do not diet or exercise? They eat what they enjoy and they do with their bodies also whatever they enjoy. Read More


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Thank you for considering
Tucson Country Day School
for your
Public School Tax Credit Donation!
Making a public school tax credit donation to Tucson Country Day School is easy. You can mail your donation, deliver it in person, or make it online. You can make your donation in cash, or with a check or credit card.
We appreciate you!
Your tax credit donation will be used to supplement many of our highly popular extracurricular programs like Spanish, music, physical education, art, technology, after school sports, drama, garden club, choir, band and orchestra, to name a few. Despite significant budget cuts from the State, your generous tax credit donations enable us to continue providing educational, interesting and fun program like the one listed above.
This year, your tax credit donations will also help us to purchase COWS – computers on wheels – that we can use for afterschool tutoring programs and in class rooms so students can have access to some of the amazing computer-based programs that are available to us. Imagine what it would be like to have a laptop or notebook in every child's hands at some time during the day? The academic benefits would be enormous!
Thank you for making these things possible at TCDS.
Click here to make your donation online!
Need more information about the Tax Credit Program?
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Now You Can…
The Tucson Country Day School Tax Credit for Kids program is in full swing!
Remember, you get the money you donate to Tucson Country Day School back at tax time! It's like donating FREE money to benefit all of our kids.
Unlike a tax deduction, a tax credit is matched dollar for dollar. If you owe money, the credit reduces your debt. If you get money back, it increases your refund. It's like a savings account that gets spent to benefit your child(ren), and then gets returned to you. Your family receives money back on your taxes, and your child benefits from an enhanced educational experience.
Anyone who pays Arizona income tax can participate. This includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, friends, employers… the possibilities are endless.
Some employers, such as Raytheon, will match their employee's donations dollar for dollar. Please check with your employer to see if this benefit is offered to you.
We believe that everyone would like to provide their child(ren) with the best tools and resources possible. The Tax Credit for Kids program helps us reach that goal.
You can make your tax credit donation to Tucson Country Day School in one single contribution or in several monthly contributions. You can send in cash or a check or make your donation online. It couldn't be easier. Just tell us how much you want to contribute. You can even choose to have your contribution made directly from your checking account, debit card or credit card.
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Click Here To Make Your Donation Online
If you want to know more about our school and/or the Tax Credit for Kids program, please give us a call at (520) 296-0883, or send an email to info at tcdcharterschool.com (please excuse the odd format, we're trying to avoid having our email address picked up by the SPAM robots).
We appreciate your interest in our school and your support.


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Put down that beer and pick up that rifle!
Why 21? Really is there anyone that honestly thinks that people are any more mature at 21 then they are at say another randomly decided benchmark like 18? Even if there are some people that this might hold true for I can assure you that most people drank anyway, so what is really the point of a law that does little aside from turn normal adults into criminals?
The drinking age was raised to 21 so that in theory people would be older, wiser, and most importantly more responsible when it came time to down a whiskey sour. What I want to know is, if someone truly follows the law and never takes a taste of booze until that magical 21st birthday, how can they possible handle the situation better then had they done it at 18? We are assuming here that this person has never drank in his life, therefore it is safe to assume that even if our imaginary friend has read countless articles on liquor and asked every single drinker in their family, they have zero idea what it does to them. The first time having an experience with any mind altering substance will always be dangerous regardless of the age in which they start.
With the age being set at 21 we have set up situations in which the first time drinking happens (in theory of course we all know better) when you are old enough to be living somewhere that is not with parents, so the support group for ensuring that one drinks responsibly are left somewhere between college party mates and friends, who are more then likely far more interested in having fun then watching out for you ensuring that you do not drink yourself into a stupor or get so drunk you start to make foolish dangerous decisions.
Of course it isn't just that I feel that it is more dangerous to not drink at home around people who are biologically compelled to look out for you, but what really gets me furious is that our government considers us old enough to be drafted into war but not responsible enough to drink a beer. I find it difficult to think of a more insulting law that they could pass. I don't know about anyone else, but I really don't like the idea of someone that is so irresponsible that they cannot drink a beer without harming himself and others holding a gun. Would you want Private I Cannot Handle My Beer covering you in a firefight? Or would you prefer Lance Corporeal Hey Turns Out I'm Responsible laying down the suppression fire?
When you treat people as if they are brainless idiots then why should they bother to act in any other way? The sad part about this, is that the law accomplishes very little aside from annoying responsible people with bad luck. Irresponsible people who would drink themselves into an intoxicated stupor when they are 18-20 and then drive around like Duke's of Fucking Hazard will do so at 21 if they haven't managed to kill themselves already. They do this because irresponsible people have no respect for anything or anyone, including drinking age laws. There will always be people that cannot handle the awesome responsibility to act like a responsible adult and we should set up our laws and punishments to punish them, not the people that are perfectly capable of acting like an adult.
The punishment for driving drunk should be something akin to never being allowed to drive AGAIN. Once proven that you cannot act responsible enough to handle both the right to drink and the right to drive that should be it. Furthermore the punishment should be enacted quickly. For example, a friend of mine just lost his license a month ago for a DUI he received over a year ago. Despite knowing that my friend has in fact learned his lesson and stopped doing such foolish things, it does change my stance at all. He should be punished, and punished in a far more effiecent manner. What if my friend was one of those careless drunks that just wants to drive about with no care to the harm they put others in? An entire year was allowed to pass in which he could have killed someone in a drunk driving accident. I find that unacceptable.
I'm digressing from my point. I find that few people tend to agree with some of my more outlandish society ideals such as zero gun control, legalizing every drug, and lowering the age to drink, however in this case it seems some prominent schools are actually agreeing with me for once.
The article explains in far more detail then I am going to go into but the short end of it is that 100 or so colleges have started rallying against the government to lower the drinking age back down to 18 to combat binge drinking on campus. As it turns out, students that get to campus are drinking way to much without any supervision. It is my opinion that learning to deal with how alcohol effects you should be done at home, with your parents there to make sure you are OK.
The article has someone that accuses the schools of looking for an easy way out of a greater problem. Shouldn't we be looking for easy answers always? Who the hell wants a difficult one? Besides the schools have a valid point, we assume that by 21 the students will be responsible enough to not drink themselves to death, but if they have yet to drink then how could they ever reach that level of responsibility with something they have never used? Are 21 year old people better and more responsible with everything? Are they by rule of age capable of using band saws in a safer way then an 18 year old would? No! They aren't, the age of a person does not magically confer some sort of responsibility when handling anything. Further more, students drink anyway, they can easily acquire booze from any 21 year old student, and by keeping it illegal we only make people want to do it more often, and because of the very nature of illegal activities, do so in dangerous ways where help cannot easily be found, especially if there is any fear that one will be in even more trouble after the fact for involving themselves in the activity in the first place. In short, making anything illegal makes it more dangerous they it ever need to be.
I have already decided that I'm going to get my children drunk, so that they wake up with an awful hangover and hopefully understand that drinking large amounts of any liquor has some pretty shitty consequences. Hell, my dad gave me beer when I was eight years old, it was never taboo in my house, and now that I'm much older, I don't drink a drop of beer, it tastes awful. My point is that since it was never taboo for me, I never felt a need to go binge drink with friends, cause there wasn't any mysticism attached to it. I was allowed to have a drink at home when I wanted to, so I never had to go sneak out and engage in theft to get liquor to go drink it somewhere that might be dangerous. People are going to do what they want to do, silly laws like the drinking age just makes innocent people criminals.
Our laws should be based off what people will do, instead of what people should do. Should is a relative term that is different to every single person on earth. For example, I think we should get past all this religion stuff so that we can have one less thing to breed hate in our world. Other people think I should go to church. Japan has a law that states that video games cannot be released on a weekday. Because kids will cut school to go buy it, and instead of trying to fight that social norm of their society, they just altered the rules to accommodate it. As far as I am concerned if we are going to set an age for adulthood, then with that age should come all rights and privileges associated with it. People will drive drunk, that is certain, but lets simply punish those people, not punish the 18 year old adults that have yet to do anything wrong and for all anyone knows might never do a damn thing wrong when it comes to drinking.
One Response to "Put down that beer and pick up that rifle!"
[…] and write about religion, which seems only fair since he took a page out of my blog and wrote about alcohol (don't worry, dear readers, my thoughts on that article are forthcoming. I was distracted […]


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An Exploratory Analysis of Response Rates in the 1990-91 Schools and Staffing Survey SASS.
An Exploratory Analysis of Response Rates in the 1990-91 Schools and Staffing Survey SASS. - Download this document for free, or read online. Document in PDF available to download.
The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is a periodic, integrated system of sample surveys on elementary and secondary schools in the United States that collects information on school and district administrators and teachers in public and private schools. This technical report is one in a series of methodological studies relating to the SASS of the National Center for Education Statistics. The report examines nonresponse, not as an indicator of survey data quality, but for the purpose of understanding potential biases in response data with an eye toward changing survey operations in the future. The analysis is exploratory in that it refers to the multivariate analysis of nonresponse. The four main goals of the report are: (1) summarizing known technical and evaluative information about response rates in the 1990-91 SASS round; (2) exploring the differences between respondents and nonrespondents through intensive study of the data; (3) identifying gaps in knowledge about nonresponse; and (4) suggesting priorities for future SASS research. Results indicate that the operation of the SASS is of the highest caliber, but that it can be improved in some ways. Notable among these is the suggestion that the SASS begin a methods test program to keep abreast of the changing nature of school reporting issues. Appendixes present a modeling example and basic response rate tabulations by SASS component. (Contains 87 tables, 7 appendix tables, 31 figures, and 79 references.) (SLD)
Descriptors: Educational Finance, Elementary Secondary Education, Evaluation Methods, Multivariate Analysis, Research Methodology, Response Rates (Questionnaires), Sampling, School Districts, School Personnel, Statistical Bias, Tables (Data), Teachers
U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.
Author: Scheuren, Fritz; And Others
Source: https://eric.ed.gov/?q=a&ft=on&ff1=dtySince_1992&pg=10343&id=ED402357


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Social Media, Customer Service and Project Management -- 2 - 10/01/2018 22:59 EST
Бюджет $30-250 NZD
We are a sports management company based in New Zealand that specializes in rugby recruitment.
Our agency is currently looking for a talented Social Media Manager to administer our social media accounts. You will be responsible for creating original content specializing in rugby and managing posts. You will manage our company image in a cohesive way to achieve our marketing goals.
As a Social Media Manager, we expect you to be up-to-date with the latest digital technologies and social media trends and experience working with influencers. You should have passion for sports, excellent communication skills and be able to express our company's views creatively.
Ultimately, you should be able to handle our social media presence ensuring high levels of web traffic and customer engagement.
Job Duties:
- Managing the company's website blog and social media channels for marketing purposes;
- Content management: Create unique and relevant content that will help increase new organic visits to our website;
- Ability to think independently developing and implementing a social media marketing plan;
- Create whitepapers and articles making it valuables for social promotion by developing an influencer program and adding expert commentary to maintain our thought leadership;
- Create content calendar one month ahead;
- Create content ROI reports to better understand the return on our content marketing efforts;
- Task may include: basic graphic design, basic video editing, interviewing rugby players, write articles;
- You will publish 4 weekly posts in Facebook, 4 weekly posts on Twitter, 1 fortnightly blog post in our website;
- Improve our presence in Linkedin by creating a marketing strategy
Candidate will possess the following skills/traits:
- Speak English and Spanish fluently
- Able to improve our lead to customer conversion rate
- Exceptional IT skills
- Great communication skills
- Have reliable internet
- Strong self-motivation
- Design/Creativity skills
- Passion for sports and marketing (strong knowledge of rugby is not essential but a great advantage)
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of social media platforms
- Excellent writing and language skills
We provide:
- Training and support
- Opportunity to get a part-time permanent position
- Flexible working hours
- 10hs a week (minimum) - NZ$3 - NZ$5 per hour. Up to 15 hours a week.
THE OFFER IS NZ$ 120 - NZ$200 per month. You will be spending an average of 2-3 hours working every day (4-5 days a week) carrying out the duties of this position. No need to work on the weekends.
We look forward to hearing from you. PRE SELECTED CANDIDATES WILL BE INTERVIEW AROUND THE 5TH OF JANUARY
3 фрилансеров(-а) в среднем готовы выполнить эту работу за $168
Hello Sir, I am expert in Internet Marketing. My expertise are in Social Media Marketing, Google Adwords, Bing ads, Display Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Facebook Marketing, Google Webmaster tool, Google Analytic Больше
Hi For the last 4 years I have been working as a lead gen specialist for various organizations. And I have just worked as a lead gen specialist for Rain local where I have converted four major clients (unilever, coca Больше


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T.G.I. Friday's in Muscat.
American tex-mex casual dining restaurant located in Al Khuwair in the City Seasons Hotel right on the highway opposite the Ministries District in Al Khuwair.
Place Categories: American, Burgers, Mexican and Restaurants
2 reviews
TGI Friday's is much of a muchness no matter where you go. Generally good food accompanied by very friendly service and hospitality:) I've tried BBQ Spare Ribs (angus beef) and I highly recommend it. But generally in my opinion you can find a lot better places to eat in Muscat for the same price or less.Overall RatingAmbiance
Value For Money
Great place for families to eat , nice and colourful place. I advice everyone to vidit this this restraunt. Great food my mouth was watering when my dish game. Everyone is very happy inside the restraunt.I just need them to fast servicing.
GREAT WORK FRIDAYS YOU IMPRESSED MEOverall RatingAmbiance
Value For Money
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By Darci L. Graves, MPP, Health Power Editor
I recently responded to a fellow cancer blogger's post entitled "I'm Sulking", with the following advice:
"It's ok to wallow, but don't let it take over. Give yourself a time frame. Like, I'll wallow until Wednesday. On Thursday begin to make a plan to climb back out. Attitude is a huge part of the fight and that is what we all must do at this point.
E responded with this:
A time frame would be good. That being said, I have chemo again Monday and Tuesday, so who knows how I'll feel after that. I've just been started on Zoloft. That will take probably a whole month to kick in, but once it does, hopefully I'll feel more like myself again.
I get it and I don't fault E for responding that way. Her case is completely different from mine. She is younger – in her twenties. She has been diagnosed with two different Stage 3 cancers. I can only imagine the disillusionment and even despair that would come with those kinds of life changes.
That said, I wish I could convey to E that health is composed of so many elements. For my day job, we define health as being composed of physical, mental, social and spiritual wellness. All four must be treated and addressed to achieve ultimate well-being.
I want to tell her that although her physical health is suffering, that she can work to strengthen her mental, social and spiritual selves. And that by strengthening those elements of her health it can help ease her physical ailments – not the cancer obviously, but the impact of the treatments.
As I've said throughout these months and even in recent days, the support I have gotten from my social network has been an overwhelming blessing. So that hasn't required any nurturing – – you all have taken care of me in that regard. I have found a healthcare team that I have faith in and I have entrusted my physical health to them. That leaves me the responsibility of my mental and spiritual health.
I have struggled with issues of depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. (Teachers as early as first grade noticed my anxiety too). So that is something that I take daily medicine for and have to work on regularly. I know all too well that when I am experiencing a bout of depression or anxiousness that anything troubling me physically becomes that much worse.
So throughout my cancer journey, I have had to be diligent in nurturing my mental health Even with the medication, it isn't always easy. Tessa (the dog) was a huge part of my daily therapy. She kept me from being too lost inside my own thoughts. So losing her, I have had to work even harder to stay afloat. The days that I feel sad or anxious are also the days I feel tired and achy and have a more difficult time concentrating. The days I feel strong mentally, I feel better physically. I don't think that it is a coincidence.
Everyone nurtures their spiritual health differently. I define spirituality as how you find meaning in your life – – what helps get you out of bed each morning – for some it is religion, for some family, for others its nature or volunteering. For me it's a combination of all of those things – – the work I do for others, the love of my family, how I want to live my life. My post-cancer manifesto is my spiritual aspiration and affirmation.
I hope the Zoloft does help E. I hope that she finds ways to nurture her mental, social and spiritual health so that the physical impact of her chemo is not as traumatic. I hope that others realize how complex good health is and what a balancing act it is to achieve it. We and those around us play huge parts in enabling ultimate health. So please, look around you and within you – – and determine what you can do to help improve your health as well as the health of others.
Also, remember that when you reach out to give someone a hug, you generally get one in return.
1 month ago
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Indonesia, Australia Share Common Love for Batik
Australian and Indonesian batik practitioners and craft experts shared their common love for batik and discussed innovations in batik market development and production techniques in Semarang recently, according to the Australian Embassy here.
Three respected figures from Australia's textile and craft world were in Semarang to attend the inaugural Semarang International Batik and Craft Festival.
The Australian trio comprised Vice-President World Crafts Council Asia Pacific Kevin Murray, batik specialist Tony Dyer and Associate Professor Liz Williamson, the head of Design Studies at the University of New South Wales.
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty said the Australian Embassy Jakarta was pleased to support the group during its four-day visit to Semarang.
"The Semarang International Batik and Craft Festival is a wonderful opportunity for some of Australia's leading figures in craft and textiles to strengthen their relationships with their Indonesian colleagues," Moriarty said. "This is also a valuable chance to foster and promote cross-cultural exchange between Indonesia and Australia through a shared interest in batik and textiles," he said.
The festival attracted participants from across Indonesia and from overseas. Murray said the festival was a chance to welcome Indonesia back into the World Crafts Council.
"Through the World Crafts Council, Indonesia will get opportunities to be part of workshops, conferences and exhibitions organised by the council," said Murray. "I am really pleased to see so many artists involved at the Semarang International Batik and Craft Festival and the quality of their work. What is most exciting is the power of craft to bring Indonesians and Australians together, despite any language barriers," he said.
Associate Professor Williamson hoped to assist the Indonesian batik practitioners to expand the market for their products and thereby boost their incomes. "I am hoping to facilitate visits by Australian designers to work with Indonesian artists to show them how to integrate new elements and different skills into their work. And also to raise their awareness of the preferences of other markets overseas, such as the use of easy care fabrics," Professor Williamson said.
She said that he also thinks people would be very interested to know the meanings of the different motifs. "I think people would like to look it up on a website about batik motifs," she said.
"There are some really exciting batiks here in Semarang, reflecting traditional designs that have been adapted and have a contemporary feel. Personally, I really love the traditional designs," Dyer said.
"At the festival, there is a warm link between the batik practitioners: a feeling of mutual support and understanding based on our love of batik that goes beyond language," Dyer said.Filed under: Travel & Culture


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First off, the RSS Feed. Monkey King set this up for me, and reports that about 28 people are currently pulling it from my site. This, of course, weirds me out mildly, since I cannot think of 28 people (including relatives) who would want to read a semi-daily essay on my basic geekness.
Now the odd thing is that the last RSS got garbled in transmission, deleting about four paragraphs between the appearance of an ampersand in the text, up to the appearance of a semicolon. This leaves the 250 words sent out on the feed looking more bizarre and disjointed than usual. All I can say for the moment is, to the Feedsters, if it sounds like I'm making less sense than normal, hit the link to the main site (I may still not be making sense, but at least you know its not a problem with the feed).
Oh, and yes, the time codes seem to be mangled up as well. I suppose the management will have to look at that as well.
But, in any event, I want to pass along that we got physical copies of The Dragons' Return in the mail yesterday, which has storied by myself and the Lovely Bride (appearing here under her professional name, Kate Novak). Kate hasn't written anything for publication in, well, it seems like forever, so I'm delighted to see her return to the game. The book should be meandering its way to the your better bookstores in the very near future. Enjoy.
More later,
TSR Games Library (Lake Geneva Days) - So, recently I came across some pictures of gamers gaming that I thought I'd share. These were taken in the old Games Library in the TSR building sometime ...
14 hours ago


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PROTECTION AREA STATISTICS* for Time Period 0800 thru 0800, 09/06/12 thru 09/07/12
NE Area – 0 fires
EC Area – 1 fire burned 8 acres (Cause: Equipment)
SE Area – 1 fire burned 5 acres (Cause: Lightning)
* Protection Area Statistics do not reflect local fire department's fire run information. Statistics are for the ODAFF-Forestry Services' eighteen county Fire Protection Area in eastern Oklahoma unless otherwise noted in the Discussion section of this report.
FIRE DEPARTMENT STATISTICS** FROM www.firereporting.ok.gov for Time Period 09/06/12 thru 09/07/12
2 fires burned 16 acres (Causes: 2-Debris Burning) Reporting Department(s): Cedar Country FD and Roosevelt FD
** - These statistics are from Fire Departments that have reported their information on the Oklahoma Forestry Services web-based Fire Reporting System. Totals do not reflect the total acres burned or total number of fires that have occurred in Oklahoma.
Statewide Discussion: No requests for State assistance were received yesterday from outside of the Protection Area.
Fire danger will be high to extreme across the state today. A strong cold front is expected push into the state today through this evening. As of 8:00 a.m. this morning the front has already crossed into Cimarron County with northwest winds from 20-25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Winds behind the front today are expected to be from the northwest, sustained at 25-35 mph with gusts from 40-50 mph. The front is expected to reach the I-44 corridor late this afternoon into the early evening. Temperatures prior to the frontal arrival are expected to climb into the low 100 degree range and drop rapidly after the frontal passage. Relative humidity is prior to the frontal arrival is expected to be in the 20-30% range and will climb immediately after the frontal passage. Some areas may receive beneficial rains.
The fire danger tomorrow and Sunday will be moderate to high. Calm winds and cooler temperatures will help to moderate fire behavior for the next two days. Regardless, be extremely careful during any outdoor activity due to the very dry nature of the wildland fuels resulting from the extreme to exceptional drought conditions.
SPECIAL NOTE TO FIREFIGHTERS: If responding to a fire today prior to the frontal passage, establish a strong anchor point when beginning suppression operations. Make sure that the south and east flanks of the fire are mopped up and secure before moving out of the area to prevent the fire from escaping when the strong winds arrive.
As with any fire that is exhibiting resistance to control, take advantage of a favorable change in fuel, terrain, or weather to help gain control. The change in weather today is that the extreme winds following today's frontal passage are expected to diminish rapidly after sunset. Be aware that in advance of the flaming front that the only safe suppression operation may be point protection. Continue to have resources work from the anchor point, going as direct as possible and plan to stop the head of the fire at the change in weather, terrain or fuel.
Use of suppression aircraft may not be possible today due to the strong winds and extreme gust spread.
SPECIAL NOTE TO THE PUBLIC: A Governor's Burn Ban remains in effect for the entire State of Oklahoma. For information concerning this ban click on the following link:
Report any suspicious wildland fire activity on the Arson Tip Line: 1-866-662-7766 (1-866-NO ARSON).
Prepared by: Mark Goeller, Ass't Director, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry - Forestry Services


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Analysis Notes
The Mystery Cat
by T.S. Eliot
interpreted by Brian Rock
Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw--
For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair;
For when they reach the scene of the crime -- Macavity's not there!
Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime -- Macavity's not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air -
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!
Macavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;
His coat is disty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.
Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may seem in the square--
But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!
He's outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard's.
And when the larder's looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke's been stifled,
Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair--
Ay, there's the wonder of the thing! Macavity's not there!i
And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty's gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,
There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair--
But it's useless to investigate -- Macavity's not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:
"It must have been Macavity" -- but he's a mile away.
You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,
Or engaged in doing complicated long-division sums.
Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare:
At whatever time the deed took place -- MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!
And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!
Poet: - Born in St. Louis, lived from 1888-1965
Studied at Harvard, lived mostly in England
Very influential poet
Works include The Waste Land and The Journey of the
Vocabulary: Fakir - Moslem or Hindu beggar
who claims to perform miracles
- Graceful politeness
Type of poem: Narrative, traditional
Speaker: Author, storyteller
Audience: anyone hearing or reading the story
Tone: Very light mood, humorous folk tale
Meaning: - Probably written just as a humorous tale more than
anything else.
Macavity sounds like cavity, which describes the cats
Cats are usually sneaky and sly creatures
Author commenting on societys way of having a scapegoat for all
without a solution, always blaming it on Macavity.
Structure of poem: - Made up of quatrains,
sestets, and octaves
Rhyming pattern of couplets (AA,BB,CC)
Examples of poetic techniques used in the poem:
Connection between the poem and the poet's life and/or
times: - Mostly a humorous, fun poem
- T.S. Eliot enjoyed cats, wrote many poems on them
Most memorable quote from the poem:
are nothing
more than agents for the Cat who all the time Just controls their operations:
the Napoleon of Crime!
© Smelli Notes 2001


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Now-a-days many accidents are taken place at train crossing gate. This is because of railway gate man carelessness or it may be the problem of station master, who fails to pass information to the gate man about the train arrivals. Consider, there are three train crossing gate points between two stations. The station master should pass the information about the train arrival to all train crossing gate points one after another. If he fails to send information to gate man leads to train accidents at train crossing points.
To avoid such accidents, this project provides better solution for railway gate control. In this project, at each train crossing point a SMS based gate control system is implemented. In which, a GSM modem is used to receive user command as SMS. The station master himself monitors all the train crossing gates points between two stations in the control panel. If the station master finds the arrival of train to the stations, then he will send command to close the gate as SMS to the first crossing point. Whenever the gate is closed at the receiver end, a sensor detects it and sends an acknowledgement to station master as a feedback about the gate close. After acknowledgement is received, the station master provides the green signal to the train. If the train crosses the first crossing point, then the station master sends next message to another crossing point and this process continues until the train reaches the next station. If acknowledgement is not received by the station master, the message is sent again to particular crossing point. Until a valid Acknowledgement is received, the station master will not give green signal to the train. Each resending messages are identified with sequence of numbers, by using those numbers the station master is waiting for corresponding acknowledgement.
A GSM modem is used to receive commands as SMS from stationmaster. The microcontroller based circuit process the SMS validation and drives the DC motor to close or open the gate. The DC motor is controlled by using PWM technique. An IR or magnetic sensor is used to detect the gate close or not and sends the status to the microcontroller circuit. Then the controller circuit formats the acknowledgement as SMS and sends it to station master.
Block Diagram for GSM and Microcontroller based automatic railway gate control system with feedback provision
|GSM and Microcontroller based automatic railway gate control system with feedback provision
Tags: GSM modem, automatic railway gate control, IR transmitter, IR receiver, magnetic sensor, DC motor, DC motor driver, PWM control DC motor, pulse width modulation, station master control board, 8051 microcontroller, SMS, train crossing gate point.


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Following closely upon yesterday's news about 'My window faces the south', Lilly Drumeva reports from Bulgaria that her band Lilly of the West has released a further live music video, also recently recorded in live performance at 'Music Division', the number one music shop in Sofia.
The new video is 'Walkin' after midnight'. As with 'My window faces the south', Lilly of the West performed this number with electrical instruments, giving a more country music feel. The band featured Michael Sishkov (pedal steel), Yasen Vasiliev (lead electric guitar), Svoboda Bozduganova (stick bass), Ludmil Stoynev (fiddle, with electric pickup), Paul Malini (drums), and Lilly Drumeva (vocals, acoustic guitar).


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Gordon's upbeat and energetic delivery combined with his fantastically funny observational comedy and quick witted improvisation has secured his place as an audience favourite.
"one of the best in the business... A quick wit and onstage vibrancy... Be prepared for more than a few good laughs." DB magazine, Adelaide
"Hugely talented… Very funny" Time Out
"Worth the admission price alone" City Life


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My Mother's Lover
Urs Widmer
Translated by Donal McLaughlin
5 x 8 inches, 130pp. October 2011
Rs 425.00 (HB)
It's Switzerland in the 1920s when the two lovers first meet. She is young, beautiful and rich. In contrast, he can barely support himself and is interested only in music. By the end of their lives, he is a famous conductor and the richest man in the country, but she is penniless. And most important of all, no one knows of her love for him; it is a secret he took to his grave. Here begins Urs Widmer's novel My Mother's Lover.
Based on a real-life affair, My Mother's Lover—the first part of a much-loved trilogy—is the story of a lifelong and unspoken love for a man—recorded by the woman's son, who begins this novel on the day his mother's lover dies. Set against the backdrop of the Depression and World War II, it is a story of sacrifice and betrayal, passionate devotion and inevitable suffering. Yet in Widmer's hands, it is always entertaining and surprisingly comic—a unique kind of fairy tale.
Urs Widmer (1938 – 2014) was a Swiss novelist, playwright, essayist and a short story writer. He was the co-founder of Verlag der Autoren, an author-owned publishing house focusing on texts related to the performing arts. His other works published by Seagull Books include My Mother's Lover, In the Congo, The Blue Soda Siphon, My Father's Book, On Life, Death and This and That and That of the Rest and Mr Adamson.
Donal McLaughlin is author of An Allergic Reaction to national Anthems and Other Stories (2009) and has specialized in translating Swiss fiction. Known for the stage version of The Reader (with Chris Dilan, 2000) and Shards (2003), the bilingual edition of the poems of Stella Rotenberg, he has also translated Widmer's My Mother's Lover (2001), My Father's Book (2012, nominated for the Best Translated Book Award 2012) and On Life, Death, and This and That of the Rest (2013), all available from Seagull Books.
Swiss List


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Straightforward Exercise To Obtain To The Target
August 2, 2015 Comments Off on Straightforward Exercise To Obtain To The Target
Physical fitness is a very pleasurable and fulfilling process that anyone can take pleasure in. Nonetheless, to get a beginner, that piece of equipment or that exercising may be an extremely intimidating to understand. So, what should a novice do today to learn to make use of it properly? Well, study the following, obviously!
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Hitting the gym lacks to become a job, dull, or aggravating. The information previously mentioned have provided you with valuable information regarding environment and hitting fitness goals. Obtaining fit and healthy does not have to become difficult once you find something you love doing.


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First, the dive logs
I'm writing this in the car on a long journey home from Khor Fakkan. We were there diving with Scuba 2000 run by old friend and sometimes border policeman Hassan, whom we know from long ago as owner of a dive shop we used to use repeatedly many years ago. We stopped only because our interests pointed north to Musandam, but difficulties crossing into Oman caught up with me the past 6 weeks so I've been prevented going there. Accordingly I discovered some very nice dive outfits south of the border, Blue Planet Divers where we were two weeks ago, and now a return to Scuba 2000, which is just as restful as it always was.
The five hour drive gave me plenty of time to log our dives. We were joined late yesterday evening by David Muirhead and Peter Trollope, both friends from Al Ain. We had nightcaps at Scuba 2000 and went to bed, to be joined next morning by two big-camera guys we knew from Nomad, Michel and Chris just driven down from Dubai.
We were told Michel and Chris were hoping to do a deep dive on the Inchcape 1, the one near Aqa'a beach, a 30 meter challenge for advanced open water student divers, but too redundant for their instructors. Fortunately there was an Inchcape 2 sunk to make a dive site at 22 meters near Martini Rock, off the newly expanded KF port. This dive is similar in scale and in sea critters to the almost identical wreck to the north, but not so deep, and so we had the possibility of combining it with a fin along the bottom to the shore. Michel and Chris were ok with that, and we let them choose the second dive site.
The dive on the wreck was quite nice. Sea life seems to be bouncing back all along the coast after the double whammy several years ago of cyclone Gonu and the 6 month red tide, plus as in the case of the sites of Khor Fakkan, the silting from all the harbor works, and over-diving by people who on YouTube can be seen cutting off coral souvenirs on Martini Rock and stuffing them in their BCD pockets. So we weren't sure what to expect, which is nice when what you find exceeds expectations.
On these wrecks I always like to drop to the sand and see what's under the nose, stern, and gunwales. The Inchcape 2 lies in a NW/SE direction with its nose in the NW position. It's tilting toward the SW so on the NE edge animals can get under the edge that's slightly off the bottom. Here we found interesting creatures, in one tableau a pair of small crocodile fish in the sand and a pair of green morays just behind them, lion fish decorating the way in, and scorpion fish sitting unobtrusively in the sand just outside the wreck. Rounding the bow at the NW we found more morays and scorpion fish, and so it went as we circled to the stern and came up to the deck, where there were nudibranchs, snails with glistening smooth mottled shells, fine glass shrimp in the tires, more morays, and huge puffer fish lurking in the companionways.
About 25 min into the dive with still 150 bar in our tanks, Dave, Peter, and Bobbi and I finned across the sand where I had told everyone to be on the lookout for jaw fish, what David calls whop-a-moles. We had failed to see them since Gonu and the red tide, so Bobbi and I didn't have great expectations, and when we came in site of the rock wall, and went back to look for them, we didn't go far enough back. But David and Peter had seen more than one, and we were glad to hear they were there since they were a plus feature of our Inchcape 2 dives.
We ended in the rocks on the wall, heading into the shallows after an hour diving. It was comfortable diving with more nudibranchs, scorpion fish and morays, including one balled up in the sand looking almost like a snake that poked out its head and almost hissed at us as slithered under a rock, and and we ended by coming on a flounder which only ruffled its fins when I scratched it no matter how close I got with my GoPro.
Back on the boat we noticed it was December by the chill wind while we searched for sunbeams to warm us up. We chilled for an hour and then went to Sharq island for a dive that, if you start on the south side, can be done either wall on your right or wall on your left. We planned wall-on-the-right but when we went down about 9 meters, we all headed out wall-on-our-left to get more depth than that. At some point passing 10 meters I noticed David and Peter heading up the reef to head back the planned way, but Bobbi and I were beckoned by the clarity of vis at depth and the shoals of snappers schooling there, not to mention the prospect of finding rays in the sand (no such luck). Heading north into the sand at the end of the reef we found more rocks appear in the gloom ahead, and perched at the top of one of those was a honeycomb moray who left his perch and rippled along the reef looking for shelter, putting on a great performance for our cameras in the process.
On the way back we crossed paths with Michel and Chris who had also opted to dive that way, but we never caught up with David and Peter who made it all the way to the staghorn coral and found turtles there. Bobbi and I almost made it that far but we ascended at the end of the hour after some entertainment by a family of clown fish rather than keep people waiting. All in all we had two enjoyable dives in compatible company.
Now, the drive logs
It takes us less than 3 hours to get from Al Ain to Dibba, but another half hour to go from there to Badiyah, known for the oldest mosque in the UAE and lit up in National Day splendor the night we arrived. Hassan's place is just off the roundabout just before there (it was a new roundabout, which was how we missed it and continued on to the mosque that night). Hassan's place is on the beach down a packed sand road at the far right of the beach from town. When we went there we found a film crew just wrapping up for the day. They had been to Sharq Island and were finishing the day with a feast catered by Hassan's restaurant. They had left a lot of food and we were invited to tuck in. That, free wifi, and a comfortable bed for the night made us happy campers when we finally got to sleep.
But as I'm writing this we've been 4 hours on the road coming back from there and we haven't even reached Madan yet. It's been maddening. We were leaving Scuba 2000 just after 3:00 after a couple of fine and hassle-free dives, and were heading the way home we know, the one that gets us there in 3.5 hours, a little more distant than the direct way, going 120 to 140 kph most of the way, when we noticed our GPS was telling us the best way home was the opposite way. It had been a long time since we'd been south from KF on the coast, so we decided to try it. Right away we hit small towns, a traffic jam just past KF where a national day parade passed with flag bedecked elders on foot and a platoon of highnesses on horseback, and the tedious stretch along the oil storage zone into Fujaira. There we found we were being routed via the Fujairah way back up to Masafi and into Dhaid, Madan, and Shuwaib, a way we normally do not like to go.
So I thought we should try the new road to Wadi al Helo with its tunnels which I recalled took us near to Al Ain. The only trouble was it was almost to the Oman border south of Fujairah, past Kalba on the coast, and inland from there, so it was almost 4:30 when we reached the start of the road, an hour south of where we'd turned around north of Badiyah. Then we found the speed limits to be unnecessarily low, no more than 60 km, and 40 km in the long uphill stretches (giving out to 80 km entering the tunnels, go figgah??). We followed our GPS up winding roads between mountains as the sun set, 60 km speed limits the norm, and lots of speed bumps in the tiny hamlets. It was dark when we emerged from there onto a 120 kph stretch that went through a chain of built up towns – why ridiculously slow speeds on the 4 lane mountain roads, and equally ridiculous fast speeds where no telling who might be crossing the road or pulling out into it and where? We whizzed along until well after 6 pm we came unexpectedly on a border checkpoint.
We would need at least an exit visa here. This was the small stretch of road crossing Oman territory from Hatta to Madan. Before, we used to drive it unhindered, but now there were checkpoints with tailbacks we were stuck in until just short of the border where we found a u-turn and managed to extract ourselves and head back the opposite direction. We drove all the way down to Hatta looking for a way home and asked at the guard at the gate at the Hatta Fort Hotel for advice. He said 6 km back there was a road for Sharjah-Kalba, we should take that.
This road was so new it didn't show on our GPS, and though it was new, 4 lanes, and empty, its speed limit was huh?? 60 km !!? We could see from our GPS that it was taking us north around where the Oman border bulged into UAE. I guess it was built to give people an alternative to having to drive the much shorter way through the two border posts.
We crawled, compared to going the 120 we were accustomed to, around the bulge and picked up other roads taking us to the Dhaid-Madan road. Once we reached that we at least knew where we were, and by 7:30, four hours after turning around at Aqa'a just north from Bidaya, we were in Madan and heading home the familiar way, at speeds of 60, 80, and finally 100 km per hour.
I finished writing this as we were pulling into our neighborhood in Al Ain at around 8:30, 5 long hours on the road driving home. :-(