text:
'Caught off guard:' Houston area residents stunned by storm's sudden swing-back
Ruby Powers prepared all week for heavy rain and flooding. But when the weather seemed to take a turn late Wednesday -- clouds retreating to reveal a luminous pink sky at dusk -- she, like many Houstonians, figured it was over.
The immigration attorney sent her two children to school Thursday in the Woodland Heights and instructed her staff to come into her office near Interstate 10 and T.C. Jester Boulevard, where they had several client consultations scheduled. She went to a meeting downtown. When she emerged at 10 a.m., it was pitch dark. She turned on the radio to hear Mayor Sylvester Turner encouraging residents stay in their homes.
"I was like, 'OK,' " Powers said. "I had already sent my kids to school. The office has staff in it."
Tropical Depression Imelda's sudden swing-back stunned thousands of people across the region, even those hardened by Hurricane Harvey's destruction two years ago. They had sighed in relief Thursday morning, thinking the worst had passed.
It had not.
The intense rainfall prompted high-water rescues, forced the evacuation of more than 1,200 Harris County residents, and stranded children in schools. Some parts of Jefferson County recorded as much as 43 inches of rain, with totals in the teens more common in Harris County.
The downpour shuttered the region's largest public transit system, with most services on local bus and Park & Rides suspended throughout much of the day and HOV lanes closed.
Many faced troubling decisions of whether to head home now -- and risk a dangerous commute -- or wait it out, but for how long?
SEE: Two deaths links to Imelda as hundreds flooded throughout Southeast Texas
Four of Powers' staff left work, but one turned around because the downpour was too severe. Another, 27-year-old Cynthia Milian, tried to get on Interstate 10 to reach her house in Spring, but the access road was flooded.
She turned into the Heights, where many streets were surging with water. Her car stalled near Heights Boulevard and West 20th Street, likely because water had seeped in. She had to abandon it, waiting hours outside a nearby Walgreens that had closed at the last minute for employees to go home.
Finally, a friend with a truck rescued Milian, though she is certain her car is destroyed.
"I probably should just have stayed at the office," Milian said.
And therein lay the problem.
The sudden, dramatic rainfall seemed to surprise everyone -- except for the meteorologists -- ambushing the region with its dramatic comeback.
"We were telling people not to let their guard down, because we could see that there was the potential for additional rainfall," said Jeff Lindner, the Harris County Flood Control meteorologist who had urged residents to remain vigilant Wednesday night. "We had been lucky until (Thursday) morning."
He said people likely grew less concerned as three days came and went without a serious hit to Harris County, and as areas east in Beaumont and Winnie bore the brunt of Imelda's wrath.
"People get up, they look out the window, it hadn't rained, so they went to work," Lindner said. "Now we have a situation that people have gone to work that can't necessarily get home from work."
Juan Sorto, a civic leader in the Lakewood neighborhood near the confluence of Halls and Greens bayous in northeast Houston, said his workplace closed early, but he was stranded by flooded roads.
"We were all caught off guard," he said . "Every one of us pretty much either sent our kids to school or went to work just like it was any other day."
Now, he said, "we know different."
If there was a positive message, Sorto said, it was how repeated adversity had bonded Lakewood residents. Harvey drew them closer, underscoring the value of community. Technology helped, too.
"No matter where the members of our community are at the moment, we have a sense of what their status is," Sorto said. "That's helped reduce a lot of the anxiety. We've been trying to make sure everybody is at least calm."
By 1:30 p.m., Becky Edmondson, a civic leader in the southwest Houston neighborhood of Westbury, was finishing an update to post on the club's Facebook page. She checked the online flood gauge at nearby Willow Waterhole: Just shy of 54 feet.
"Harris County says 'flooding likely' at 54.25," Edmondson said. "Historically it's taken until about 55 before homes flood."
She sighed, recalling that this is the sixth straight year Westbury has struggled with flooding.
"It's wearying," she said. "The most frustrating part of it is you're just sitting and watching the water rise."
In the 10 minutes since she had last checked the flood gauge, it had risen once more, to 54.14 feet.
"We do need solutions, and in the Westbury area we do have some projects pending, but we need to get them past pending," she said. "People can't continue to live like this. People are panicked."
She paused, then added: "I used to love a rainy day."
Keith Downey, a Trinity Gardens civic leader in northeast Houston, went as far south toward Hunting Bayou as he could before flooded streets stopped him. He feared many homes in neighboring Kashmere Gardens – much of which sits in the floodplain along Hunting Bayou to the south – are inundated yet again.
"The water was rising in the yards, making ditches disappear," he said. "I think we're seeing unprecedented amounts. Areas that didn't flood during Harvey are flooding now."
Waiting at a Valero gas station for roads to clear, 46-year-old Johnny Bocanegra said his Hidden Valley home near Halls Bayou was still dry -- for now.
"It rose closer to our house than Harvey did," Bocanegra said.
Major streets between Interstate 69 and Interstate 45 were largely impassable, or clogged with commuters desperate to get home. Some said it was a reminder that storms can -- and do -- return with a vengeance.
Often, a first soak is just that.
"You think it's going to be OK, and then the next thing you know, it's like this," said Freddy Moreno, 30, as he took shelter beneath an awning, waiting to get to his home near the Hardy Toll Road.
He had been there for two hours, trying to make the half-mile trip along rain-soaked roads.
"If I would have walked, I'd have made it," he said.
The few fortunate parents who could do so walked to retrieve their children from school. Some were able to drive and pick them up, but across the region, one of the biggest complaints was that school districts had not cancelled classes much earlier.
Instead, many put out alerts throughout the day, telling parents they could pick up their kids if they wanted. By that point, many were not able to reach them because of the weather.
The element of uncertainty rendered yet another sobering lesson -- even for those who considered themselves Houston storm veterans.
"You don't know if it's going right or north or if it's going to stay longer on top of you," Powers said. "It's like you just have to be on guard the whole time."
Houston Chronicle reporters Dug Begley and Dylan McGuinness contributed to this report.


text:
You may also be interested in the following
Govt. Girls High School No-1 Hafizabad has been serving in the field of education since 1946 as a middle school. The school is spread over an area of 9 Kanals and 14 Marlas with a covered area of 7 Kanals and 11 Marlas. The school enjoys a historical place in the city of Hafizabad with an academic history spreading over 75 years. In 2010 after promulgation of the PDS & CEA Act, the school being one of the important institutions was nominated to be converted into Centre of Excellence on the approval of Competent Authority and named as Centre of Excellence Govt. Girls High School No-1 Hafizabad under the umbrella of PDS & CEA. The construction of the new building commenced in 2010 and was completed in 2014 at the cost of Rs. 69.503 Million. On 12 March 2013, the new building was inaugurated Classes however, commenced on 18 December 2014.The school has 50 x class rooms, 4 x laboratories, 4 x staff rooms and 1 x play ground. For a competitive environment and uniform evaluation and in order to improve administration further academic/non academic staff including Assistant Admin Officer is being provided to the school.
Ms. Syeda Irum Sherazi took charge as Principal COE (Girls), Hafizabad, on 13 July 2015. School Council was converted into Governing Body and comprises of 10 members. School staff consists of total 73 faculty members (57 academic and 16 non academic staff). Currently the student strength is 1,537 having five academic levels, from grade six to Metric.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Japanese sanitary ware brand INAX launched its new bathroom concept on the world stage that is Milan Design Week
Starting life as a manufacturer of ceramic tiles in the 1920s, INAX is part of the LIXIL Group Corporation, the largest bathroom products company in the world – one that also includes Grohe and American Standard. In April, INAX made its European debut with 'Rituals of Water': part exhibition and part product launch, using water to demonstrate the brand's rich history. The concept was inspired by Japan's waterscape that forms the heart of its culture, where for centuries people have used water to purify themselves both physically and spiritually.
In April, INAX made its European debut with 'Rituals of Water': part exhibition and part product launch, using water to demonstrate the brand's rich history
The exhibition, held at the SuperStudio show during Milan Design Week, was a clear statement of what Bijoy Mohan, CEO of LIXIL Group Asia Pacific, describes as a way for INAX to sharpen its proposition for expansion and position itself as a leading bathroom brand."We understood the whole essence of the brand – Japanese lifestyle, Japanese tradition and Japanese design," says Mohan. "Many consumers around the world have the affinity for this proposition. LIXIL has the channels across the world, we are in a very good position to take this proposition to consumers." The brand has now set its sights on expanding in Asia, its fastest-growing market, and then in America.
Since its invention of Japan's first commercial shower-toilet in 1967, INAX has focused its design aesthetic on the human experience matched with the support of technology. This is described as 'humanitecture' by Yasuhiro Shirai, general manager, Design & Advanced Technology Center of LIXIL Water Technology Japan. "The range of products reflects INAX's core design values of essence, sophistication and thoughtfulness," says Shirai. "Design is for humans, but to realise the design, we collaborate with architects and put technology behind it. We want to have an appeal that's not just aesthetic but also holistic."The brand's three signature elements: Tension, Squoval and Volcano, represented by a symmetrical curve, a hybrid shape of square and oval, and the flow of one surface to the next, are overtly evident in its two new collections presented in specially curated scenes at the exhibition, informed by a calming ambience. The S600 line, featuring a full range of shower-toilet, bath, washbasin and shower, was displayed in a Japanese rock-garden setting accompanied by a bonsai tree, creating a sense of Zen harmony; the S400 range was housed in a set-up that emphasised a clever use of space and an interplay of light and shade.
We want people to know it's a brand that makes positive contributions to physical wellbeing and mental well-being
While ceramic tiles completed the spatial design of both bathroom settings, they serve more than just decorative purposes. The brand has turned its 100-year tile-making experience into innovative technology of its sanitary ware such as Aqua Ceramic and Cerafine materials. The functional side of the tiles was also highlighted at the INAX Tile Lounge. "The porous nature of the tiles can regulate humidity, filter odour and purify the air," says Shirai – an important benefit for true wellness. Adds Mohan, "We want people to know it's a brand that makes positive contributions to physical wellbeing and mental well-being."


text:
Download Now
2mb ZIP file
Secure, instant download
Sold by lucky7 on Tradebit
The world's largest download marketplace
3,000,620 satisfied buyers
Master Web Graphics With PLR
You\'ve purchased this product with Master Resell Rights. You are free to sell it and keep 100% of the profits.
10 Quick Steps To Becoming A Web Graphics Whiz...
I\'ve put together for you ten very quick and easy steps that are guaranteed to make you very confident working with web graphics of all shapes and sizes.
You\'ll be able to create your web sites quicker, make them look even better, help to sell more of whatever you\'re selling online, create even better looking eBay auctions ... even perhaps rent out your graphics services for a fee!
Not sure if these ten quick steps are for you? Then take this following quick quiz. If you don\'t know the answers *instantly*, then grab a copy of this product today and you\'ll get all the answers:
Which is the best type of graphic to have on your web site - a Bitmap, a Jpeg, or a Gif?
Which graphic format is the highest quality?
How do you make your web graphics quicker to load?
What\'s the easiest way to take \"screen grabs\"?
Why would you want to \"crop\" your graphics?
Why could the number of colors a graphic has be a problem?
To get the answers to all those questions, grab a copy of this product today...
I\'ve bundled these ten quick and easy steps for you into a product called How To Master Web Graphics In 10 Easy Steps:
A Great Product + Resale Rights = BIG Profits For YOU
I\'m sure you know there\'s a ton of eBook resale rights around these days. BUT - if you really want to make money selling an eBook you have rights to, you need:
A very high quality product.
An effective sales letter.
A professionally designed website with great looking graphics.
Now - this eBook is brand new. Get a copy now, start promoting it immediately and you\'ll make the most profits. Wait a day or a week or a month, and literally more and more profits will pass you by.
Now, I\'m certainly not saying this to brag, but I wrote this sales copy, and my copy has sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of products online, if not millions of dollars worth. AND - from very affordable eBooks like this one.
Don\'t believe me?
Then search Google for \"Louis Allport\" and see what you find.
Now, the Google index does fluctuate for many reasons. But right now (as I\'m writing this), I see up to 804 websites selling my products. And what\'s more - when I search Yahoo I see up to 2,820 selling my products, and even more on MSN! For whatever reason, Google just gives a small sample of what\'s actually happening out on the web.
Even if each one of those sites is selling just one copy of a $20 eBook a week that I wrote the copy for, that adds up real quick. My copy and products have made many people a LOT of money over the past two years. They can make YOU money too - all you need to do to get started is grab a copy of this product.
And just by having a copy of this product, you can sell it or present it pretty much any way you choose. You can even turn it into a physical product by putting it onto a data CD or a DVD. This would make it a good way to sell on eBay. It\'s totally up to you!
Tags: plr, web
File Data
This file is sold by
, an independent seller on Tradebit.
Contact lucky7
More Files from lucky7
File Size
2 megabytes
File Type
Our Reviews
© Tradebit 2004-2020
All files are property of their respective owners Questions about this file?
Contact lucky7
DMCA/Copyright or marketplace issues?
Contact Tradebit


text:
School Sport: Rugby teams lead way at Robert Clack
PUBLISHED: 10:00 07 December 2017
Robert Clack School's rugby teams have been at the forefront of the school's sporting success lately.
The year seven boys team started things off when they went undefeated at the RFU's under-12s festival last month.
The under-13 girls were up next as they beat East London.
A group of 45 girls from Barking & Dagenham were in the crowd to see England's women take on Canada, before Clack's year 10 boys defeated Wisbech Grammar 45-12 in a very physical contest.
The year nine squad followed suit defeating the same opponents by a 49-19 margin, ahead of a superb 53-5 win over Davenant in the Essex Cup.
The under 15 girls went undefeated at the Essex festival, ahead of their clash with Eastlea, while the future senior team ran out 45-0 winners over Woodlands school.
Rugby isn't the only sport to have seen success, though, as the under-16 boys' badminton team won bronze in the borough championships, while the girls finished with silver.
Finally, the year seven A and B netball teams both defeated Dagenham Park in their opening fixtures of the season.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Barking and Dagenham Post. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


text:
Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
It is always fun to take a peek at the role-playing groups such as History Recreated. There you discover artists like Benoit de Montgelas whose photos show a strong effort to be historically accurate. I was drawn to this picture which is called "MdM Spring Collection" even though it clearly advertising his own creations by the cherry blossoms. They are opening here in Portland and the streets are brilliant with their blossoms along with the magnolias and camellias.
Continue reading "Cajsa's Daily SL Flickr Pick: Benoit de Montgelas' Photographs French Royalty Roleplay" »


text:
The failure of Asia-Pacific financial regulators to develop a unified approach to cybersecurity has left the "weak links in the chain" vulnerable to attack, warns Deloitte.
A new report from Deloitte has highlighted the regulatory challenges for financial institutions in the Asia-Pacific and says regulators in the region must work with institutions and across jurisdictions.
Australian cyber security regulation has been described as "scattered" and financial systems across the Asia-Pacific must develop a unified strategy to overcome "fractured and localised" regulation, according to Deloitte's Cyber regulation in Asia Pacific report released today.
According to the report, the security of one financial institution "can be heavily influenced" by that of another financial institution, such that an institution with stronger cyber risk practices could be compromised by an attack on an institution with poorer cyber procedures.
Because financial systems were interconnected, "facilitating information sharing" across the Asia-Pacific was "the core endeavour of new regulatory proposals" regarding cyber security, the report said.
Commenting on the report, Deloitte Asia-Pacific cyber risk leader James Nunn-Price told InvestorDaily, "If someone attacks the weak link in the chain, they can get access to everything."
For Australian banks operating in the Asia-Pacific region and vice versa, being impacted by varying regulations in different jurisdictions could be a disorienting experience.
"It's incredibly confusing and introduces not just challenges, but also the customer experience can be impacted," Mr Nunn-Price said.
"If you have someone who moves from one country to another country for work or other reasons, the ability for all of that data to be shared or protected by the same standards will be different based on the country they're in and where they're going."
To make matters more difficult for regulators, Deloitte Asia-Pacific Centre for Regulatory Strategy global leader Kevin Nixon said regulators were struggling to keep up with the fast-moving pace of change.
"Cyber is so rapidly evolving. It's being defended by smart people, but there's lots of smart people on the other side that are well-funded, well-resourced, very confident in thinking of new ways and looking for new loopholes," Mr Nixon said.
"And so, it is not something that you are used to dealing with from a regulatory perspective, or from a bank risk management perspective.
"It's a very rapidly changing environment."
One key part of the report's proposed Global Cyber Strategy Framework was "implementing effective governance", starting from the top level down.
"[The framework] ensures that support for, and oversight of, risk management and key decisions on cyber security sit with senior management," the report said.
In this respect, Mr Nunn-Price said investors also had a part to play in ensuring their financial institution had adequately considered cyber security risks.
"You should ask good, probing questions of management about: 'what are they doing to protect against cyber risks?'" he said.
However, the consideration of cyber security was not limited to only financial institutions: regulators, too, would need to consider the strength of their cyber security system.
"Let's say you're a regulator in Australia. With this, I'll include all the regulators: the government, the Reserve Bank, ASIC and APRA," Mr Nixon said.
"You see one bank go down, and suddenly another bank go down, another bank go down, and it's no longer the bank's problem. It's a major problem.
"There has to be a readiness. And just as individual companies, asset managers, insurance companies need to be resilient, the regulators need to play their role, too, and they need to be cyber-ready so they can have teams that are ready to go when this stuff happens, to calm the markets and manage the situation that needs be.
"It's not about setting regulations and leaving it up to the institutions."
Central banks are becoming less independent and losing faith in their ability to achieve inflation targets, according to Wellington macro st...
The Fed has moved to keep rates on hold for three years, but now faces a rocky road to its goal of 2 per cent inflation. ...
The FSC has signalled some of the largest global fund managers are seeing excessive red tape in Australia as an issue, as it implores the go...


text:
Just how crowded are B.C. beaches? Pictures highlight how perspectives can mislead
VANCOUVER -- Pictures of people flocking to parks and beaches during the COVID-19 crisis have caused waves of frustration on social media, but sometimes there's more to seemingly outrageous crowd photos than meets the eye.
That's the point Vancouver landscape architect Jeff Cutler set out to prove late Sunday afternoon when he headed down to Kitsilano Beach with a number of different camera lenses and a drone.
"There can be a lot of people on the beach and it can look quite crowded," said Cutler. "It's not until you get into the air and look down that you can really start to get a true picture of how people are behaving."
Cutler took pictures of the beach using a 35 mm lens, a 70 mm lens and a 200 mm telephoto lens – the latter capable of compressing a scene and making faraway objects appear closer than they are – and compared the results.
The shorter the lens, Cutler noted, the more spaced out beachgoers looked.
"A 35 mm is closer to the human eye, and that's a much wider angle view. When you look at that, you can start to see spaces between people a little bit more," he explained.
But the starkest contrast came when Cutler captured the beach from the skies using his drone. The image shows people by and large maintaining a safe physical distance.
Of course, not everyone was following the rules diligently. While British Columbians were supposed wait until the Victoria Day weekend to begin increasing their social interactions and meeting a select few friends or extended family members for physically distanced picnics, there were some large groups congregating in Vancouver on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The park board said rangers handed out nearly 2,000 warnings to people who weren't keeping their distance over the weekend, which led officials to reverse their decision to reopen parking lots.
But provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said she believes most people were following her recommendations.
"The vast majority of people are doing the right thing and taking this to heart, and I thank them because that's how we're going to get through this," Henry said during her daily virus briefing on Monday.
"I think we can sometimes get caught up with the small minority of people who are maybe having too much fun and are disturbing those of us who are trying to keep a little bit separate."
California decided to close some of its beaches after images surfaced showing huge crowds of people out enjoying the sunshine. Cutler, who designs parks and other public spaces for a living at space2place, said part of the reason he shared his images was to avoid an outcome like that in B.C.
"It's of particular interest to me, and I've just watched during the pandemic how valuable public spaces are," he said. "If they were closed I think that would be really difficult on people."


text:
- Toni Kenyon
Wonderful Wednesday & flying umbrellas
Wonderful Wednesday:
Sometimes it's hard when you're feeling as if the world is crashing in on you to find the wonder in the world.
That's why practising gratitude is so important to me.
There was a gust of wind here the other day and it lifted an umbrella into the air. This little umbrella caused such a stir...laughter echoed all around as something that's not supposed to fly took flight.
The simple (and unexpected) act of flight by this little umbrella made me step outside into the garden and that action brought a smile to my face and lifted my spirits. That chain of events wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been curious.
What does curiosity have to do with this?
Let me explain:
I was told to "stay curious," when I was first getting sober. That was a hard thing to do at the time. I was digging myself out of a hole of black depression and self-centredness that I'd been living in for such a long time and I didn't understand what I was being told to do.
Now I understand!
Being curious means that I have to constantly look outside of myself. It means I have to take notice of the little things. "God is in the details," I was also told.
You should all know by now that I use the word God generically. Please insert, whatever your version of the word is for God...
So, God was having a laugh. Playing with a little umbrella and bringing joy to a handful of people who were watching.
The flight that little umbrella took brought some light relief into what was being a difficult day for me. It brightened my mood and I was grateful for the reminder that it's not all about me.
Remember to look for a little thing to brighten your mood today.
Much love & gratitude,


text:
Can we please have a [6 VS 6] PVP Event?
FeralStripes, in General Discussion
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new account
Sign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now


text:
Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim just three short weeks ago, and the game has been received well by fans and critics alike. While some problems have been plaguing the game, adventurers have journeyed forward nonetheless, enjoying the freedoms that the game offers. For PC players, those freedoms are about to get even better as Bethesda readies the Creation Kit for the game.
Bethesda Game Studios announced today that the Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim should be downloadable in January.
"Beginning in January, PC players will be able to download the same development tools we used at Bethesda Game Studios to create Skyrim. In tandem with the Creation Kit's release, we will roll out a new Wiki and videos to help you get started." – Bethblog
BGS has also been working with Valve to integrate the "Steam Workshop" into the Creation Kit for TESV. What this means, is those looking to experience user created content will be able to do so at the push of a button.
- This article was updated on:December 4th, 2017


text:
The UK government is firming up plans to make substantial cuts to British aid to India, worth £280m a year. International development secretary Justine Greening says it's better to refocus Britain's relations with India on trade.
UK aid to India has long been contentious. In 2011 a group of British MPs said that despite its huge economic growth India should receive aid until 2015 to ensure it meets the millennium development goals.
Yet many have questioned whether UK aid is working. Pranab Mukherjee, then the Indian finance minister, said in February that Delhi did not need UK aid but had agreed to accept it under pressure from Britain.
What do you think? Vote in our poll and join the conversation in the comment thread below.


text:
A Latino pastor who at one point condemned President-elect Donald Trump's "deplorable rhetoric on Hispanics" has been invited to attend the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony – and he says he is happy to attend.
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, leader of the largest Hispanic Christian organization in the country, said in statement he has enjoyed getting to know Trump and his team over the last few months.
"As a pastor, I know that faith holds our nation together and I count participating in the Inauguration of our nation's 45th president as not just a patriotic honor, but as a sacred duty," wrote Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC).
"We will stand not only before men, but before God Almighty Himself to seek His blessing and guidance. Let us begin now to pray for our new president and his administration, and imagine together a bright future for our exceptional nation."
Rodriguez is among…[READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/01/04/latino-pastor-once-critical-trump-invited-to-inauguration-day-ceremony.html ]


text:
Sorry, this vacancy is now closed and applications can't be submitted!
- Salary Voluntary Role
- Location NR6, Norwich
- Job Type Voluntary
- Category Social Care/Development , Trustees
- Sectors Youth/Children
- Job Reference : TRVOL3369
Job Description
Trustee Vacancies (with Children's Social Care experience)
Could you help steer and govern a prominent, dynamic East Anglian charity to new heights?
Are you committed to improving young lives?
If so, we have an exciting opportunity to join our organisation as a Trustee (voluntary position).
On this occasion to balance the skills mix within the board applications are specifically invited from individuals with professional or academic experience of the delivery of Children's Social Care.
Break offers a wide range of services for vulnerable children, young people and their families and we are looking to further develop and diversify to increase the depth of our support and geographical spread.
We are a learning organisation striving for constant improvement and require passionate, dedicated and enterprising individuals able to contribute fully to the Board functioning in an ever evolving sector.
Break is changing young lives across East Anglia by supporting children, young people and families in key areas and we continue to grow and diversify to meet changing needs.
Our Vision is to be the leading children's care charity in East Anglia striving for the best outcomes for young people on the edge of care, in care and moving on from care.
We will do this by offering a pathway of connected specialist support services to ensure young people have the care they need, when and where they need it, for as long as they need it.
We will continue to innovate and develop always striving to be best.
Our national profile will grow, and our fundraising and retail will flourish as we become ever more skilled at evidencing the difference that we make to the lives of the young people we serve.
We have exceptional outcomes for children, young people and families who use our services.
Trustees – What we offer
An opportunity to join an experienced and dedicated Trustee Board.
The scope to work strategically alongside a professional and skilled Senior Management Team that lead an agile and highly qualified workforce.
The confidence of joining a financially stable organisation.
Break has 49 Charity shops, with a wide geographical spread, which are a vital source of non-statutory funding, together with outstanding fundraising operations.
Break employs around 470 staff and 900 volunteers, the majority of the latter in its shops. The staff are located primarily in Norfolk, with the main administrative offices in Norwich. Break is Investors in People gold accredited and has featured in the Times Best Companies list.
Break has an exceptional training provision for internal and external customers that has a reputation for being interactive, innovative and of high quality and is leading the social pedagogy agenda within the region.
The Trustee candidate:
The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate their ability to:
Help steer a large and complex organisation through further development of its strategic direction.
Understand the difference between governance and executive management roles.
Think strategically and creatively.
Set clear objectives and effectively performance manage.
Be a role model and committed to the values of the Organisation.
- Have a track record of motivating others to strive for excellence.
The successful applicant needs to be a highly influential, mentally agile individual, ideally with commercial experience and preferably with some knowledge of the commissioning or delivery of services within the Children's Social Care sector.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
We would welcome applications from individuals who have personal experience of being a beneficiary of care services.
If you would like an informal chat with our Chair, in the first instance, please contact Sally Butler via the details found on our website.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.


text:
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Simple Sticker Tut (No Scraps)
*-*-NOTE! Mine has a gradient background only for the purpose of showing the dropshadow. Yours does not have to have it *-**-*
I was working on a tag earlier and decided to do something funky that I haven't done in a long time and made a sticker out of a name. A lot of people don't know how to do this, so I thought, what the heck? LOL In this tut you will learn how to make a sticker.
**This tutorial was created by me on 2/28/10 and the concept is my own. Any resmemblance to any other tutorial is by pure coincidence.
Let's get going!
No plug ins needed!
Open a new transparent canvas layer of 500x500, we can always crop when we're done.
Choose what ever font you like, personally I like script-fancy fonts lol. For this I used MeaCulpa with font size set at 24. Choose your color you want. I used a bright color to really show it off, but your welcome to use a gradient glow or even a pattern. Type out the name you want to use and click ok. Convert this layer to a raster layer then go to edit, cut then edit, paste as new layer. This centers it back in to the canvas evenly. It drives me nuts if it's not done this way lol.
Next we're going to add an inner bevel. Go to effects, 3d effects, inner bevel. I used these settings:
I chose to keep the color setting on a gray, only because if I change it to white, it distorts the color. You can change it to whatever color you like.
Now go to selections, select all, then float, selections defloat. You should see dancing ants around the font. Go to selections, modify, expand by 4. This should give you a bit of a room around it to make it look like a decent sticker.
Add a new raster layer and move this below the font layer. Using your flood fill tool, flood fill with your choice of color. I chose white just as a default example. When satisfied, go to selections, none.
On the sticker layer, go to adjust, add/remove noise, add noise. These are the settings I used:
Now go back to the font layer, add a drop shadow you like. Make any adjustments you need to. If your satisfied with what you have done, crop and save it as a .png!
Thanks for trying my tutorial!
♥ Shani
Posted by Shani - Wicked Princess at 1:58 PM
Labels: Tut -No Scraps, Tutorial FTU
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Blackpool Hotel Free Parking
Blackpool is a wonderful location for a short break or for your annual holiday, either with the family, as a couple or to enjoy between business meetings.
The Canberra Hotel is in a great position, close to the seafront and all the attractions, such as the Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Tower and the Golden Mile.
We are a family operated, fully licensed Hotel and have a lovely, relaxing bar area where you can enjoy a few drinks after a busy day of sight-seeing and enjoying yourselves.
We offer bed and breakfast with optional evening meal and a Dining Room, serving up a wide variety of tasty options, and catering for food intolerances / preferences.
If you are looking for a central, licensed hotel in Blackpool and with Free Parking for guests, then please do get in touch with us today!
Free Parking in Blackpool
As with most tourist areas, parking charges can really add up in Blackpool. We are delighted to offer free parking at our central Blackpool hotel for our guests, ensuring your money goes further!
"Our policy is for all our guests to enjoy Blackpool and to have a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable visit to the Canberra Hotel."
Where Are We?
We are situated in a prime location within the South Shore area of Blackpool, making us ideally situated for a wide range of local amenities.
We are a stones throw away from the Promenade and only a short drive from the Blackpool North train station which is also served by local bus & tram routes.
The world famous Blackpool Pleasure Beach is also just around the corner as well as a wide range of amusement arcades and other fun things to do on the 'prom.
Get in touch with us if you have any enquiries to make or would like to make a reservation.
Enquiry Form
Use the form provided to make your enquiries, we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Use the form provided to make your enquiries, we will get back to you as soon as possible.


text:
Commercial Cleaning
Our cleaning services can help with maintaining your space and keep it in tip-top shape! Our experts will have your business space immaculate and professionally neat and tidy in no time, using the latest and most effective solutions.We will ensure an understanding for what you desire, and the ability to meet and exceed each and every one of your office cleaning needs. To take advantage of professional assistance from the best commercial cleaning company in town, contact us at B&S Home Improvement Environmental Universal General Services LLC today.


text:
Harry Potter Hogwarts ScarfProduct # RU9710
Product Includes
- Harry Potter Scarf
Purchase Product
Product Description
Let everyone know you love Harry Potter with this Hogwarts scarf! The flannel scarf is purple with gold, horizontal stripes. The ends of the scarf have fringe. Wear this Harry Potter Hogwarts scarf long after Halloween is over!
- 100% polyester
- Officially licensed
- Purple w/ gold horizontal stripes
Recommended Accessories


text:
NHS Digital runs services which support the NHS. Information about our services can be found on this website, including information which solves most queries.
If you cannot find the information you need about a specific service, our customer service centre may be able to help. We are unable to assist with enquiries about the wider NHS.
Our customer service centre is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, except on public holidays.
NHS Digital service desks
NHS Digital also operates some other service desks, which may be able to help with technical enquiries.
|Service desk
|Deals with enquiries about
|Cyber security
|Report cyber security concerns
|0300 303 5222
|Exeter helpdesk
|0300 303 4034
|NHS national service desk
|Spine, Secondary Uses Service (SUS) and National Back Office
|0300 303 5035
|Information standards service desk
|Coding products including SNOMED-CT and ICD
|0300 303 4777


text:
Will & Trust Contests
What Is a Will or Trust Contest?
A will contest is a formal objection raised against the validity of a will which argues that the document does not reflect the actual intent of the person who made it. Similarly, a trust contest is a formal objection raised against the validity of a trust, which argues that the existing document does not accurately reflect the intent of the settler (person who made the trust). Typically, two classes of persons are eligible to contest the validity of a will or trust:
- Those who are named in the will or trust (i.e. any beneficiary);
- Those who would inherit from the person making the will or trust if the document was held invalid.
The grounds to contest a will or trust include, but are not limited to, evidence of:
- Lack of capacity
- Fraud
- Undue influence, duress or menace.
Things to Consider Before Challenging a Will or Trust
It is possible to add a "no contest" clause to a will or trust which forfeits the right of any person who contests to receive anything. However, because this clause is within the trust, if a challenge is successful the clause will become meaningless. But if, on the other hand, a person falls short in his or her challenge, then the challenger could lose the benefits that were given under the trust or the will.
Before contesting a will or trust, it is important to know that courts do not necessarily look to "fairness" during will or trust contests. The creator of the will or trust has a legal right to dispose of his or her assets in any way that is legal, so "unfair" does not factor into a document's legal validity. In addition, challengers should know that the large number of will and trust contests each year make judges cautious about reviewing any such cases. This is particularly true when the document in question involves the willing of assets to charitable organizations.
How Our Estate Planning Attorneys Can Help You
At times when litigation concerning a will or trust is unavoidable, our legal team can represent your interests. At Baker, Burton & Lundy, our attorneys take the time to explain the litigation process in the simplest possible terms, lay out your options and help you make a decision based on the potential risks and rewards of pursuing litigation.
The extensive litigation experience and quality reputation of Brad N. Baker and Albro Lundy III will give you peace of mind because you know that the other side will need to take you seriously. The ability to be successful at trial is the foundation upon which reasonable compromises can be based. We take pride in bringing common sense to the emotionally charged arena of contests. No one wants the attorneys to be the only winners.
We have a measuring stick here at Baker, Burton & Lundy: If we do not feel we can add substantially more value to your position then you are probably going to pay us, we will not take your case. We are pleased to say that our clients have been helped substantially more than we have benefited. We look forward to helping people in their time of need, and we thank you for considering us.
Learn more about Estate Planning:
To learn more about how Baker, Burton & Lundy's experienced attorneys can represent or advise you, please call (310) 376-9893 or fill out the form below.


text:
1. Jared Leto and Courteney Cox
Jared Leto is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and director. After starting his career with television appearances in the early 1990s, Leto achieved recognition for his role as Jordan Catalano on the television series My So-Called Life. Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, producer, and director.


text:
What Does It Take to Succeed at Online Arbitrage?
There are so many ways to make money online. One of the best, and with the highest potential for realizing high returns, might just be online arbitrage.
In this article, we will be discussing what it takes to succeed when setting out on your journey through the world of online arbitrage.
We will be discussing which skills you need, what you will need to know about the relevant aspects of the products you are going to sell, tips around pricing up the products you're going to sell, and the different tools that will be useful, hopefully doing some of the hard work for you.
Before we get down to business….
What is Online Arbitrage?
Online Arbitrage is the act of buying products online for a low price (mostly from retail stores' websites), and reselling these products on Amazon or via different marketplaces for a higher price.
What are the principles behind online arbitrage?
It's simple really, you just need to identify where products are for sale online at a lower price than they're selling for on Amazon or elsewhere.
As simple as it sounds – and in practice is – there's a lot of analytical insight and research behind it.
Luckily for you, some tools are available that will act as a valuable asset to help you identify these products and calculate what's potentially profitable and what's not.
Must Have Tools for Online Arbitrage
To succeed at online arbitrage, you will need to be able to keep an eye on a number of different pieces of data, including sales history, sales ranks, and pricing.
These insights are helpful to see the true potential of a product before you purchase it. The tools below will be a great help in your online arbitrage adventure:
Tactical Arbitrage
Tactical Arbitrage may become your best friend as you travel through the world of online arbitrage. Tactical Arbitrage automates the whole product research process and makes it easier for you. It has features like an online arbitrage module, Amazon Flips module, Reverse Search module, and a Wholesale module.
The best part of Tactical Arbitrage is the simplicity of how it works. You add a filter to your search, profit levels, lookup for any discount or coupon available. It scans more than a thousand sites giving you the products that match your search criteria.
Revseller is a Chrome extension that displays information about products you're searching on Amazon. It directly shows you the insights on the page. It's pretty handy for different niches, with a lot of variations around the data you can review and choose to focus on.
Skills You Need to Sharpen Up to Take Your Online Arbitrage to the Next Level
While the above tools and others will do some of the job, you can't expect them to do everything for you. There are some skills you will need to sharpen to increase the likelihood of achieving high online arbitrage profits.
Research Skills
Research lives at the core of successful online arbitrage. Without conducting the proper product research and gaining the know-how to allow you to see some of the aspects we discussed earlier, you won't go very far with online arbitrage.
With your research, you'll be able to answer crucial questions such as What to buy? Where from? And, how much should I pay for it?
If the tools don't give you the answer, you might need to find some of the answers yourself.
Most importantly, you need to trust the research so that you don't buy something you think will sell well, despite the data suggesting the opposite.
A Willingness to Learn
While the tools we've spoke about will do a lot of the job for you, there's a lot to learn about online arbitrage and specifically around selling on Amazon and using the Amazon FBA program.
You need to commit yourself to learning as much as you can about this in order to give yourself the best chance of succeeding and potentially changing your life with online arbitrage.
You can search for tutorials, guides, videos, and join Facebook groups where you can learn so many new things about online arbitrage and selling on Amazon using Amazon FBA.
Patience is key. You're not going to master online arbitrage and make huge profits in the first month. If you don't be patient and aren't prepared to take the time to let your online arbitrage business grow, you'll probably blow a lot of money and decide pretty quickly that online arbitrage isn't for you.
Don't give up on online arbitrage after a month! If you do it for six months and decide the outcomes aren't worth the efforts, then fair enough, but you owe it to yourself to give it some time in order to see if it works.
In Conclusion
Online arbitrage is a great way to start making money online.
Yes, it takes time, and no, it isn't a get rich quick scheme, but if you commit yourself to the time needed to source and sell products, you could find yourself growing a business that in time allows you to make a living, quit your "real job", and enjoy a range of potential lifestyle benefits.


text:
Mono Lake Committee travels to St. Lucia, South AfricaMonday, March 16th, 2009 by Arya, Communications Director
This afternoon I'm traveling to South Africa to visit one of the lakes in the international Living Lakes network, St. Lucia. Funded by a private grant secured together with the Wildlands Conservation Trust, I am going to St. Lucia in support of connecting people at non-profits–the people who do the on-the-ground work of lake protection around the world. This is both a dream come true and the opportunity of a lifetime. Armed with my trusty notebook I will be posting to The Mono-logue as opportunities arise in the next seven days of work and travel. (more…)


text:
SV Glass has built an excellent reputation for quality products, expert installation and excellent customer service since the company was established in 2003.
We manufacture our own designer products to look stylish, to function properly throughout their lifecycle, and to withstand water, erosion and other elements.
SV Glass owner Sandro Viti draws on more than 20 years experience to provide excellent end-to-end project management: no run-around, no hassles and reliable maintenance for every client.
If you demand high quality, call SV Glass for Perth's finest glass, screens, windows and doors today.
SV Glass has built its success on outstanding customer service and excellent product quality.
See what our client have to say about us.
The wide range of SV Glass clientele includes major shopping center, luxury coastal homes, factory units and corporate offices.
SV Glass has built its success on outstanding customer service and excellent product quality. Providing architect-designed, commercial grade products for a wide range of clients in Perth, Western Australia. At SV Glass we manufacture our own products to ensure they are well built and durable, including all moving parts.


text:
KnowledgeWhat happens? This is the rote memorization, basic recall of information. Here a student learns some information (or recalls from prior knowledge) and can restate it exactly.
Synonyms (for Objectives): Recall, Identify, Examine, Define, List, Tell, Describe, Label, Match
Questions: Any question that has a yes/no, objective answer Example:
Who won the war of 1812?
What causes photosyntheis?
Is this a right triangle?
Activities: lecture, note-taking, textbook reading, filling out a graphic organizer ComprehensionWhat happens? The mind is able to take the information and summarize it. Thus, rather than simply being able to identify the definition of racism, a student could explain what racism is. This is the point where a student can transfer knowledge from one context to another.
Synonyms (for Objectives): Summarize, Interpret, Discuss, Explain, Estimate, Generalize
Questions: Questions which require the summary of information. Example:
What is another example of __________?
Can you put that in your own words?
Roughly speaking, what is ___________?
Who do you think ____________?
What was the main idea of ______________?
Activities: Write a summary, join a discussion, state in your own words, generate a group definition ApplicationWhat happens? A student at this point is able to take what has been learned and use it in another context. There is a greater sense of action here.
Synonyms (for Objectives): Demonstrate, Use, Solve
Questions- Example:
Given a case study, what would be the best _____?
Given an example, what would you ___________?
How would this apply to ______________?
What would have happened if _____________?
If you were in that situation, what would you have done?
Activities: service learning project, interactive activity, lab, critical thinking questions, case studiesAnalysis What happens? This is where a the mind separates out different ideas and "picks them apart." Many people confuse this with synthesis, but analysis is not creating an organization, but rather using organization to separate out some other knowledge.
Synonyms (for Objectives): Differentiate, Categorize, Organize, Order, Classify, Arrange, Infer Compare, Contrast, Discriminate
Questions - Example:
What is the difference between _____________?
How is this different from _____________?
Which category would this fit best in?
How are these similar?
How could this be modified to be like that?
Activities: deconstruction paper, categorizing experiences, concept maps, Venn Diagram, SynthesisWhat happens? This is where the mind works like a web. Ideas connect and combine to create a new, coherent whole . This is also the creative, more intuitive aspect of Bloom's Taxonomy. Here the mind works as a creative force to generate something new and different based on prior knowledge. Synonyms (for Objectives): Create, Generate, Combine, Integrate, Compose, Formulate, Plan, Design, Invent
Questions - Example:
What would happen if __________?
What would be the best solution for __________?
What would be a compromise for _______________
Activities: poster, play, poem, video, website, mural – anything that involves the creation of something newEvaluationWhat happens? The mind judges whether something is true, valid or accurate. There can even be a moral component to this. Synonyms (for Objectives): Judge, Defend, Rate, Predict, Assess, Test, DefendQuestions - Example:
What is the best?
What is the worst aspect of ______?
What is the top _________?
Why is this _________?
What do you believe about __________?
Activities: Socratic Seminar, debate, discussion,
Modifications of the Theory
Others have attempted to modify Bloom's Taxonomy. The most common revision changes the terminology slightly, from adjectives to verbs. The idea is that, in learning, humans are doing rather than being. The mind is active at work. Personally, I doubt that people really needed to see "apply" instead of "application." Besides, in describing levels of thinking, it is perfectly reasonable to use adjectives. More recently, data-driven theorist Marzano created a revision that changed the knowledge category, skipped application and split synthesis into generating and integrating. Marzano's terminology was:
information gathering
Although Marzano's theory was a genuine revision of Bloom's Taxonomy, The benefit of this initital theory was that it viewed knowledge as an earlier process of investigation. Teachers have seen how a student failing to "focus" or "information gather" will struggle through the higher levels. The failture of his theory was that it left out application and viewed learning as too traditional. It assumed that prior knowledge was not a part of learning. Also, as Critical Pedagogy would point out, there is little application and action. In the end, the final revision read: knowledge, organizing, applying , analyzing, generating, integrating, and evaluating. Thus, it was basically the same as Bloom's Taxonomy; which attests to the durability of Bloom's theories
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Bloom's Taxonomy: Cognitive Theory
Posted by Unknown at 9:03 PM
Labels: Benjamin Bloom, Bloom's Taxonomy, Cognitive Theory
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Medical Front Office Assistant - OBGYN
CU Medicine is dedicated to providing healthcare and administrative support to the University Of Colorado School Of Medicine's nearly 3,000 providers. We are seeking two highly motivated Medical Front Office Assistants to join our team at the CU Rocky Mountain OB/GYN clinic location.
The Medical Front Office Assistant is responsible for providing outstanding customer service to both physicians and patients in scheduling patient encounters within the CU Rocky Mountain OB-GYN practice. The individual in this position will perform a broad spectrum of duties related to the effective and efficient scheduling of patients for outpatient visits and procedures in the CU-RMOBGYN patient office. This includes maintaining precise interactions with nurses, physicians, and any other departments or functions involved in the delivery of patient care services. The Medical Front Office Assistant will schedule outpatient visits, including data entry into Epic, prepare all necessary documentation within medical record for physician(s) to review, determine and complete any needed insurance pre-authorization, and mail information packets to patients as necessary. Schedule and/or attend various meetings to facilitate communication of key information regarding patient scheduling or other activities related to the accomplishment of the Division's clinical activities. Obtain referrals and authorizations as necessary for all clinic patient encounters, procedures and surgeries which may require interactions with insurance companies and a working knowledge of various types of insurance along with CPT and Dx coding. Coordinate clinical workload for physicians and nurses to include answering patient phone calls and directing them appropriately. Perform other duties and assist with special projects as assigned.
Requires a high school diploma or equivalent with a minimum of 3 years' experience in a health-care setting including exposure to complex patient scheduling in an electronic medical record system; bachelor's degree may be considered in lieu of experience. Must demonstrate expertise with various computer programs including all MS Office Suite applications. High level of verbal and written communication in conjunction with professional telephone etiquette is essential. Exceptional customer service skills with the ability to maintain a positive attitude at all times and work with diversified customer clientele is required. Must be flexible and capable of handling multiple and shifting priorities. The ability to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner is required. Must demonstrate the ability to act independently, have excellent interpersonal skills, and be able to maintain positive working relationships. Broad knowledge of medical practice front office operations and medical terminology is required. Familiarity with insurance plans, ICD-10/CPT coding and the prior authorization requirements for procedures and tests is a plus.
All applications MUST be submitted via our website.
CU Medicine is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our staff and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees prior to their employment. Additionally, drug and health screenings may be required for some positions. We are an equal opportunity employer.
CU Medicine supports a Tobacco Free Workplace Environment which prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco products on CU Medicine property, Anschutz Medical Campus and adjacent business locations.
Other details
- Pay Type Hourly
- Required Education High School
- 4500 E 9th Ave, Denver, CO 80220, USA


text:
Norwegian banks' operations abroad
Norwegian banks' branches abroad
The coverage level for bank customers who have deposits in Norwegian banks' branches abroad is EUR 100,000 or an amount equivalent to EUR 100,000 (eg. SEK 950,000). This applies, for example, to customers in the branches of DNB and Santander in Sweden and Denmark.
Cross border activity
Some Norwegian banks have organized their foreign operations within the EU as cross-border activity. This means that the business abroad is operated by the organization in Norway. This applies for example to Bank Norwegian, Instabank, Monobank and BN Bank. The coverage level for Norwegian banks with cross border activity has previously been NOK 2 million.
From 1 January 2019, the coverage level of EUR 100,000 or an amount equivalent to EUR 100,000 (eg. SEK 950,000) will apply to all customers with deposits in Norwegian banks' operations in EU countries, regardless of organization (branch or cross-border activity).
Transition rule
Some of the banks with cross-border activity have offered deposits with fixed interest rates. The coverage level of such deposits will still be NOK 2 million until the expiration of the fixed rate period.


text:
School trips to parks
Our events and activities for schools help pupils gain a better understanding of wildlife and the natural environment.
We offer Ranger led school trips to parks, or you could opt for a self-guided trip. You can also arrange for a Ranger to visit your school.
Ranger led Education Sessions at a park - Sessions take place outdoors and are normally quite active. There's plenty of walking and hands-on activity. We offer a wide variety of activities, all of which can be adapted to your school or group's needs.
Ranger visits to your school or group - a Park Ranger can come to your school or other location to deliver a session. Many of the activities we offer can be adapted so they can be carried out at your school grounds.
A half day (2.5 hour) Ranger-led trip costs £190. A full day (5 hour) Ranger-led trip costs £310.


text:
The Concertgebouworkest is collaborating with three leading Dutch musicians. Jaap van Zweden is conducting Stravinsky's groundbreaking ballet music Le sacre du printemps, a new work by Martijn Padding and Britten's Violin Concerto with Simone Lamsma as soloist.
Having recently assumed the post of music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden is an ardent advocate of Dutch music. He will be leading the Concertgebouworkest in the world premiere of Martijn Padding's Softly Bouncing. Another leading Dutch musician will then take to the stage – Simone Lamsma – who is performing Britten's melancholy Violin Concerto.
Stravinsky's exciting ballet Le sacre du printemps, with its angular, obsessive rhythms and dissonant harmonies, unequivocally marked the death of nineteenth-century Romanticism. Following the riotous 1913 premiere, Le sacre embarked on an unprecedented triumphal procession, one which persists to this day. Thanks to its unparalleled ingenuity, Stravinsky's compelling masterpiece still sounds fresh and vibrant.


text:
410 Acres | $574,000 | UNDER CONTRACT
Jenrette Tract is located approximately five miles east of Longs, South Carolina, just over the border into North Carolina. It is less than 10 miles from Little River, South Carolina and Calabash and Sunset Beach, North Carolina. The property has frontage along River Road with logging access from Hwy 905.
There are approximately 194 acres of mature hardwood along the Waccamaw River; the balance was harvested 10 years ago. Jenrette Tract has the bonus of approximately 1.7 miles of frontage the Waccamaw River.


text:
The worlds best female freeskiers met up in the Austrian Alps on Sunday for the second annual Suzuki NINE QUEENS, a next-level women's freeski event. Virginie Faivre of the O'Neill International Team sent out the invitations and everyone gladly accepted the call to Serfaus, Fiss, Ladis including: Kaya Turski, who had just won another impressive X Games Gold medal, Anna Segal, Emilia Wint, Ashley Battersby and Keri Herman, all of whom had also made the long trip from the European X Games. The biggest names in the European scene also joined them including Caja Schöpf, Eveline Bhend and many more.
The event started on Sunday evening with a classy welcome dinner at the Community Hall in Ladis. In the awe-inspiring ancient basement, the event organizer Nico Zacek officially welcomed the Queens and set out a rough plan for the upcoming week. All the best photos of the previous year hung on the walls, inspiring the QUEENS, who each received a Baby-G watch as a small welcoming present. The atmosphere couldn't have been better and one could feel the excited anticipation for the upcoming kicker session.
However the weather gods did not feel like accommodating the queen's anticipation much, on Monday. High snowfall and an impenetrable fog made even an inspection of the jump impossible. Disregarding the adverse conditions, all the ladies made sure to complete a sightseeing tour of the "Chateaux", as the impressive jump had been named. Emma Dahlström and Julie Bénard of the Marker Völkl International Freeski Team even sessioned the rails at the Chateaux for a little while.
The first big day of the event was on Tuesday, when the clouds parted and revealed the impressive "Chateaux" with a fresh coat of white snow to brighten the day. The shapers of the world renown Schneestern Crew first needed a few hours to clear the snow around the complex structure and bring the jump back into top form. The Queens finally got to hit the jump just before lunch, however mother nature still wanted to meddle a little with the play of things: a strong and variable wind made things a little too dangerous to continue the session. When almost all hope had been lost, the wind subsided and the session on Virginie Faivres' Chateaux was able start proper.
The Queens proved quickly why they are considered the best in the world, needing only a few warm up jumps before their styled out tricks started to draw yelps of joy from filmers and photographer alike. Yet the media contingent was not alone in their exhilaration, "The Jump is just perfect!" said Australian Anna Segal, "It is without a doubt one of the best kickers I have ever skied". With the warm light of the dying sun as a backdrop it was truly a breathtaking session to behold.
A number of special photo and film shoots are still planned until the big day, however, one will have to wait a little longer to see the finished products that the small number of invited camera professionals will present from these epic sessions. With the public Big Air contest, the release of the photos and videos, as well as the afterparty on Saturday, it is going to be a very exciting week!


text:
As Horobox, we continue our factory visits as much as possible. This time, the invitation came from Zenith and it did not take long for us to prepare our bags with Emre Şişman. We spent a short but fullest time in the place where the "Manufacture" concept was born.
Le Locle, located in Switzerland's Jura district, was a watchmaking city of small workshops in the 19th century. Until 1865 when Zenith's founder Georges Favre-Jacot emerged with his innovative idea. Favre-Jacot succeeded in making the production more efficient as well as contributing to the development of watchmaking, ensuring that all these processes were carried out under the same roof from the raw material stage to final packaging.
Celebrated its 150th anniversary back in 2015, the brand, which renovated the facility with its all 19 buildings, can do all of its operations from R&D stage to the last finishing without requiring anything from outside. Zenith is one of the rare brands in the world with this concept that we call "Manufacture". With nearly 250 employees, many legendary models including the world's most famous chronograph caliber El Primero are produced at these plants.
Le Locle, which we arrived after a
Our team, welcomed by dear Romain
At the outside of the main building, seeing the initials of the brand's founder is a proof of how much attention the brand has paid to its history. During our tour from one workshop to the next, the large and wide windows designed to take the daylight as much as possible draw attention.
Many of you have heard about the hard times of mechanical watchmaking after the invention of Quartz movements. There have been several Swiss brands that tried to develop newer Quartz movements. Zenith is undoubtedly one of the brands that have been affected most at that time. The inventor of the first integrated automatic chronograph caliber in 1969 decides to limit the production
I can say that we spent the most meaningful minutes of our factory tour in the room where all the equipment was stored. I must say that the minutes that we had the chance to witness the history, have become more delightful with the details we have been informed by Romain
I have visited several major brand factories before. I can say that the trip to Zenith was a little different. It is possible to say that we have a very friendly and real experience throughout the whole trip. At the end of the factory tour, we came together for an interview Mr. Julien TORNARE the CEO of Zenith where he also agreed that we had a chance to feel the real Zenith spirit as a visitor.
We spent time in the production stages with different personalities like the Turkish origin lady at the calibration section and the sympathetic Jojo who is working as a master watchmaker at the Zenith factories for 35 years.
You can also find the pleasant interview with Julien TORNARE on Horobox TV.
We would like to thank Turkey's Official Zenith Distributor Konyalı Saat family and especially its General Manager Mr. İrfan Nalçacı who was with us during the trip, for this ultimate experience.
See you


text:
Lauren J. Russell
Key Expertise
Personal & Professional Litigation
503.224.7324 Fax
Lauren Russell is an associate who practices primarily with Dunn Carney's Litigation Team. Her practice focuses on employment-related matters – both plaintiff and defense side – and commercial litigation. Lauren has also represented corporate and individual clients across a diverse range of industries including insurance, rail transportation and health care. She participates in every phase of litigation, including research, drafting and argument of substantive procedural motions, discovery, and preparation for mediation, arbitration and trial.
In addition to her legal experience, Lauren's persuasive written and oral advocacy skills make her a valuable asset to her colleagues and clients. Prior to law school, Lauren worked as a daily newspaper reporter and freelance writer in her home state of Montana. Through this experience, Lauren learned to craft a well-written narrative to fit a target audience, as well as how to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds.
As a law student, Lauren clerked for the Oregon Department of Justice's Appellate Division and externed for the Hon. Ann Aiken, then-Chief District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
Lauren enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest on foot, by ski, and by boat and takes every opportunity to do so with family and friends.
U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
University of Oregon School of Law, J.D.; Oregon Law Review, Articles Editor
University of Montana, B.A., Journalism, summa cum laude
Published Work
"Dunn Carney's IDEA Squad fosters open discussion; Don't be afraid to make mistakes," The Oregon State Bar Bulletin, August-September, 2019.
"Make the Most of your Relationships with Senior Lawyers", The Young Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association, Spring 2018
Author, Shielding the Media: In an Age of Bloggers, Tweeters, and Leakers, Will Congress Succeed in Defining the Term "Journalist" and in Passing a Long-Sought Federal Shield Law? 93 Or. L. Rev. 193 (2014)
Practice Areas
Personal & Professional Litigation
Professional Affiliations
Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
Oregon Women Lawyers
Multnomah Bar Association
Legal Aid Night Clinic


text:
2freehosting Server and e-mail issues
You might be visited this page because you are facing some issues with 2freehosting servers, you are not alone mate because they have good amount of active users and we get over 2000 new e-mails from other free hosting provider's that they are experiencing some trouble with free hosting account including x10hosting, nazuka, byethost, 5Gbfree and many others.
Our aim
We decided to provide free support to all clients without thinking about they are users from other free hosting providers. And if you have knowledge of web host and web masters services then JOIN us today to start helping others for this you will get rewarded exiting gifts from us.
Are you customer 2FH ?
Need help ? Don't worry we will help you because we understand better because couple of years ago even I was a client of a hosting company.
All you have to do is create a thread on our forum at https://googiehost.com/forum and we have dedicated team to resolve your queries however sometimes we take couple of hours to respond and please try to understand free servers are overloaded so we request you if you are facing any usual error then kindly wait for at least 24hours and try again.
If still not resolved you are free to create forum thread.
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Let us improve this post!
Tell us how we can improve this post?


text:
An online check of the water quality should be as much a part of a trip to the beach as sunhats and sunscreen.
That's the advice of Auckland's Regional Public Health Service after unsafe levels of human waste were detected at a popular inner-city beach with many beachgoers unaware of the risk.
Regular council testing revealed water contamination from human faeces, triggering an online alert, but there were no signs on the beach warning swimmers of the danger.
The council says warning signs go up when necessary at Auckland's busiest but it's not feasible to put them at the more than 20 which are prone to contaminated water overflows.
Water quality's not just an Auckland problem, it's an issue confronting councils nationwide as they struggle with population growth and the massive cost of replacing ageing stormwater and sewerage systems.
"Often, not always, after a heavy storm or rain we will see within the first week or so after that an increase in reported gastroenteritis," David Sinclair, medical officer Auckland public health, told 1 NEWS.
Work's underway in Auckland on a long-term, billion-dollar solution that will eventually see all waste water carried to the Mangere treatment plant.
In the meantime, the advice is to stay out of the water for 48 hours after heavy rain and to check the Safeswim website.
But for those who can't stay away, the advice is swim more than 50 metres offshore as the nasty bugs lurk closer to shore.


text:
"Kill the plot-driven story with fire."
By Millie Ho
See her fiction in Vol. IV #6
A plot-driven story sucks. It is not a story but a sequence of events. It is a terrible thing that will make you claw your hair out trying to make all the details fit while retaining reader interest. I had a tough two weeks plotting my Long-Suffering Manuscript (LSM) because I was exercising too much control over the story instead of transferring that control over to my characters.
And it's all because of something I call The Found Situation.
For example: a character suddenly finds him or herself in a Situation, and spends the rest of the story navigating that Situation instead of being an active participant. This is a popular formula in stories about institutions, such as students going to a special school, or stories where you are assigned a task and forced to follow instructions on how to reach the objective.
The latest plot of my LSM followed The Found Situation formula. Things went according to plan. Logic preceded emotions. Characters did X because without X, they couldn't get to Y, and Y had to exist so that nothing went off the rails.
A character does not just find him or herself in a situation.
They drive, run, walk, or crawl there.
When I removed the intricate step-by-step plotting and focused purely on characters (traits, motivations, goals, conflicts), the plot started coming together. The characters had more agency. They allowed themselves to make mistakes. Small details I'd been struggling to link together or use in future chapters suddenly became inconsequential.
Why was I doing all that extra work?
The plot is not where the heart of the story is.
Characters. It's all about the characters.
Characters pull the trigger and stab you in the back.
A plot does not.
Characters are unpredictable and irrational.
A plot is not.
I'm currently plotting Chapter 9 out of (roughly) 28.
I'm now following characters, not calculations.
And it's never been more face-meltingly fun.


text:
Airbus has released photographs of its Airbus BelugaXL super transporter on the production line and is getting the aircraft ready for the electrical power-up milestone. The new-generation specialised transport aircraft will make its maiden flight next summer. Five BelugaXLs super transporters are being structurally assembled at Toulouse-Blagnac in southwestern France – home to Airbus' primary industrial facility.
Eric Belloc, who heads the BelugaXL final assembly activity, said all elements for the aircraft's specially-designed tail section have now been received. These are due to be integrated on the No.1 airframe once systems, mechanical and electrical integration – which currently is underway – is completed. The next major step will be assembly of the front main deck cargo door, which is scheduled for the beginning of December.
The first BelugaXL's first take-off is scheduled for next summer, ahead of a 10-month flight test certification campaign. The second aircraft will start final assembly process in December, and the remaining three airlifters will be produced at a rate of one per year.
"While challenging, this really is a great project," Belloc noted. "The Beluga is a very special aircraft – a symbol of Airbus – and we're proud to be working on the next-generation version."
The BelugaXL was launched in November 2014 to address the transport and ramp-up capacity requirements for Airbus beyond 2019. Derived from the freighter version of the Airbus A330-200 jetliner, the BelugaXL is six metres longer, one metre wider and has a payload lifting capacity six tonnes greater than the current Beluga A300-600ST. When operational, the fleet of five BelugaXLs will take over transporting complete sections of Airbus aircraft among the company's production sites around Europe and to final assembly lines in France, Germany and Spain. BelugaXL is due to enter service in 2019.


text:
Accelerator Program
Five things that are crucial for a successful weXelerate application
May 17, 2019
Over the course of the last two years almost 180 startups and scaleups participated in one of the four weXelerate batches. They all have one thing in common: a tempting offer for the weXelerate ecosystem – most notably our corporate partners – that makes them stand out from the masses of applications. Here are five crucial things that we have learned make a difference whether to get one of the much sought-after batch spots and get picked by our corporate partners or end up unlucky.
1. Do research about the industries, strategies and products of our corporate partners.
weXelerate is an innovation ecosystem built around its core of corporate partners. Large, well-established, well-financed and experienced Austrian legacy corporates that are looking for innovative and useful solutions for the future of their businesses. They want to do so by working together with startups and scaleups, henceforth these startups and scaleups have to fit into the industry, product portfolio or growth strategy of our corporate partners. A good first way to check is to ask yourself: does my startup or scaleup already serve customers similar to the weXelerate corporate partners or other stakeholder groups from the weXelerate ecosystem?
Have a look at out diverse innovation ecosystem.
2. Honestly analyze the potential of your product. Can you make a difference and add substantial value?
This one is of course closely intertwined with the first point. The weXelerate Startup Team is always looking for interesting solutions and the next big thing for our corporate partners in various fields but the main topic always remains the same. Every participating startup or scaleup in one of our batches is solving a real problem that has real business implications for their very real customers, and they do so successfully with at least some credible traction and presentable success cases, for instance with companies that are comparable to our corporate partners (or maybe even their competitors).
3. Be aware of the use cases your product or the underlying technology can have in other industries. Are there any stakeholders in our ecosystem that are interesting for you?
Some founders often think too narrow and are too tied down in a very specific niche or sub-branch of the industry they are operating in, thus overlooking other potential use cases their product or even the underlying technology could have in other industries, countries, markets, or customer segments. If you don't have the feeling you are a perfect fit right away, ideate if you wouldn't see a fit with other corporate partners in our ecosystem – maybe you realize you have a true cross-industry solution!
Read about how our two Batch III Startups Zapiens and TextUnited joined forces.
4. Tackle your weaknesses. Be strict with yourself and your offer, the business model and the differentiation towards the competition.
This all boils down to the one question: Why should your intended customer do business with you? What do you and your startup or scaleup do better than all your competitors? Very thoroughly work out your USP and the actual business benefits with as much back-up in the form of strong cases and real traction as possible and make your application stand out, for instance by dedicating a couple of slides to a specific business case with a corporate partner you want to persuade to pick you, thus showing professionalism, preparedness, and grit.
5. Have a plan. Why are you applying for the weXelerate program? Have a mission when you plan on coming here and make sure it is conveyed by a compelling, professional and trustworthy application!
If you have answers to all the above-mentioned questions, that's perfect. But make sure what your plans with regards to weXelerate fit your strategy and that you have an idea of how to persuade not just us but especially our corporate partners to be absolutely thrilled to be able to conduct a project with you during weXelerate's Batch 5 starting in October 2019.
By adhering to all these points you should have a good chance for our upcoming batch. Still, remember that industries are changing quickly, as strategies and the competition do, so even an unsuccessful application hurts, always remember that a no is only a no for now.


text:
LAKE NONA, Fla. – In front of a packed crowd of over 2,000 people, the Florida State men's tennis team defeated the No. 8 Florida Gators for the second consecutive year during the USTA's College MatchDay.
This was the first time under head coach Dwayne Hultquist the Noles have defeated the Gators in back-to-back matches, and his 17th win over a Top-15 team.
"This feels great," said Hultquist. "It was an unbelievably tough match. It was just a battle."
The men fell behind early in doubles after losing court one 6-2 but rebounded well. Senior Guy Iradukunda and sophomore Alex Knaff tied it up at one in their first doubles match of the spring together. The pair defeated the Gators No. 10 ranked doubles pair 6-4. With the doubles point up for grabs seniors Terrance and Terrell Whitehurst pulled out a huge victory on court three. They were up 5-4 against Florida's No. 11 ranked doubles pair. The Gators tied it at five. The Noles once against took the lead this time 6-5, but once against Florida tied it up. In the tiebreaker, the Whitehurst twins grabbed an early lead and did not look back as they clinched the Noles eight doubles point of the season.
"It was a battle to win the doubles and I thought that was important for us to get," said Hultquist. "We were able to beat two of their three teams that are all ranked Top-15 in the country."
Florida State did not get off to a great start in singles and fell behind to the Gators 3-1 after losing on courts three, five and six. The Seminoles were able to turn the momentum back around to come back and stun Florida. It started on court four as Knaff turned his match around after a 6-1 first set loss. Knaff went on to win the final two sets 6-4, 6-2 to keep the Noles in the match.
"They really took it to us in the first part of the match," said Hultquist. "They got four first sets and we were just holding on, on courts one and two and were fortunate enough to get the tiebreakers on those. We just battled, and I am really proud of Alex Knaff. He lost the first set 6-1 and has been hurt. He played lights out the last two sets and got us to 3-2."
It came down to courts one and two and Florida State showed their toughness and fight. Iradukunda battles in a 12-point first set tiebreaker and won the second set 6-3 against Florida's No. 8 Johannes Ingildsen to tie the match at three. Lucas was in a fight of his own on court two. Poullain won the first set in a tiebreaker and while cramping in the second set did the same to earn his first match-clinching victory of the season.
"Guy did a great job of finishing it quick," said Hultquist. "Lucas has such heart. He is such a winner."
"It was an unbelievable feeling," said Poullain. "That was the biggest match of the year and I was able to clinch it. I was so happy. All of the guys played hard and clinch it was such a great feeling and so special."
To keep up with the Seminoles, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, or keep up with the team on social media through Twitter (@FSU_MTennis), Facebook (/FSUMTennis), and Instagram @FSU_MTennis).
Tennis Match Results
#8 Florida vs #22 Florida State University
Feb. 3, 2018 at Lake Nona, Fla.
(USTA National Center)
Florida State University 1, Florida 0
1. #22 Guy Iradukunda (FS) def. #8 Johannes Ingildsen (UF) 7-6(10), 6-3
2. #24 Lucas Poullain (FS) def. Oliver Crawford (UF) 7-6(4), 7-6(5)
3. #39 Durate Vale (UF) def. Jose Gracia (FS) 6-4, 6-3
4. #59 Alex Knaff (FS) def. Andy Andrade (UF) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
5. Chase Perez-Blanco (UF) def. Chase Wood (FS) 6-3, 6-0
6. McClain Kessler (UF) def. Rana-Roop Singh Bhullar (FS) 6-2, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #1 Alfredo Perez/Johannes Inglidsen (UF) def. #8 Lucas Poullain/Jose Gracia (FS) 6-2
2. Guy Iradukunda/Alex Knaff (FS) def. #10 Durate Vale/McClain Kessler (UF) 6-4
3. Terrell Whitehurst/Terrance Whitehurst (FS) def. #11 Oliver Crawford/Chase Perez-Blanco (UF) 7-6(3)


text:
On Thursday, the House passed the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 by 83 votes, with 255 representatives, including nineteen Democrats, voting in favor of the bill and 172 representatives voting against.
If passed in the Senate, the bill would strip the EPA of its power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Its passage would also render null the 2007 Supreme Court ruling requiring the EPA to regulate the same.
Representative Upton (R-MI), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, introduced the bill with the stated intention of preventing the EPA from implementing a "back door" cap-and-trade system.
Cap-and-trade refers to the bill defeated in the Senate two years ago, within which a maximum emissions level would have been set. This maximum level would have been maintained through a market where large-scale polluters could purchase pollution permits from those who polluted less, and therefore had surplus permits. Senator Upton voiced concern that the EPA's power to regulate large-scale polluters would enable it to establish a similar system.
"This is the same debate we had last year when both Congress and the American people soundly rejected the cap-and-trade regulatory scheme. The rules supported by EPA seek the same ends as cap-and-trade and are no less costly in terms of lost American jobs and higher energy prices," he stated.
Critics of the bill argued that its passage represented a backwards step in addressing both harmful greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Stated Representative Peter Welch (D-VT), "Supporters of this legislation are following the long-established tradition we humans have, the ability to disregard the obvious and proven when that conflicts with our ideology."
Representative Welch was joined in his criticism by other members of Congress, numerous environmental non-profits, and health organizations including the American Lung Association. In a press conference held before the House vote, an official with the Union of Concerned Scientists referenced a letter signed by 2,500 scientists urging Congress to defeat the bill, stating, "this bill would legislatively overturn the overwhelming scientific evidence showing that carbon emissions pose a clear threat to public health."
Passage in the Senate is unlikely however, as the bill currently does not appear to have enough votes to prevent a filibuster. A similar bill introduced by Senator McConnell (R-KY) was defeated in the Senate last Wednesday, receiving only 50 votes and therefore falling short of the filibuster-proof 60 votes.
President Obama has vowed to veto any legislation which seeks to impinge upon the EPA's ability to regulate emissions. The White House released a statement supporting the Senate's rejection of Senator McConnell's bill, stating,
"By rejecting efforts to roll back E.P.A.'s common-sense steps to safeguard Americans from harmful pollution, the Senate also rejected an approach that would have increased the nation's dependence on oil, contradicted the scientific consensus on global warming, and jeopardized America's ability to lead the world in the clean energy economy. The Clean Air Act is a vital tool in protecting our families — particularly children — from a wide variety of harmful pollutants that cause asthma and lung disease, and the administration remains committed to protecting this important law."
However, the debate regarding the extent to which the government should regulate carbon emissions remains contentious, with members of congress occasionally crossing party lines in votes. The bill defeated in the Senate last week included four votes in favor from Democrats.
Democrats themselves are also sponsoring legislation offering more moderate options to those outlined in the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011. One such bill, though defeated, still received 12 Democratic votes.
Commenting on the bipartisan support for the bill, Representative Upton stated, "From the outset, it has been my goal to advance a sensible, bipartisan plan through both the House and Senate so we can stop the EPA and put Congress back in charge of our energy future."
However, critics of the bill site re-election concerns when referencing Democratic support. A New York Times piece examining the Democrats who voted in favor of the bill found that many won their re-election bids by small margins or are facing difficult 2012 re-election campaigns.
Representative Upton and Senator McConnell have both indicated that if the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 fails to pass in the Senate, new legislation will be drafted.
Image courtesy of Oregon Environmental Public Health Tracking


text:
I've asked Goecker for Shooters (danish retailer) if I could test this camera as soon as it arrives to Denmark. They agreed and suggested that also Sony was present during the testing. This is my own personal experience with the camera and nobody pay me for testing this camera of for telling about it. The files you see in this test are not cropped, it's the full file - it's the JPG-file run through CaptureOne + Photoshop for correcting white-balance, contrast, colors and adding a little bit of sharpness - as I would do with files from my Nikon.
First of all - this is not a test with all kinds of technical specifications and what the menus in the camera can do for you, you can read about that elsewhere. It's not a test going nerdy about the file, the chip, the colors, skintones, highlights, shadows etc. etc.
It's a test with an overall impression of how it's working during a football game because this kind of camera is different from the cameras I've been using for the last 15 years - and perhaps even 30 years….so it's mainly a AutoFocus test.
I've got an 90 minute introduction to the camera - Hung from Sony Denmark and Kenneth, Goecker for Shooters (Goecker.dk) run through the different menus in the camera and we got the camera settings as ready as we could for shooting sports - there are some different autofocus settings (as you know it from Nikon/Canon) in the camera and I need to spend more time testing the settings in order to know what works best for me.
The A9 has a build-in transmitter and a slot for ethernet cable so if you need to transmit pix from the pitch it can do that - we did not test it. However, the A9 doesn't come with IPTC function (file-info/caption) in the firmware, so this is a problem for the way I work these years.
After the introduction we went to a danish 1. division football game (second highest level) nearby and I used the camera for 75 minutes - until the 64Gb card was full….
Before and during the match I shot with 4 different Sony lenses:
24-70/2,8 + 2,0 extender
300/2,8 (with an adapter)
500/4 (with an adapter)
To be honest - the 500+adapter and 300+adapter lenses was a solution that I wanted - in order to test the lenses up against the Nikon 400/2,8 that I work with normally. The lenses are not build for the A9 - it worked quite well shooting the game, but looking at the files afterwards there was way to many pictures out of focus - even the "easy" action pictures where the players was in a long distance away from the camera.
So let's stick to the 70-200/2,8 + 2.0 Extender - this makes a 140-400/5,6 and this is a much better option because the lens is build for this system. Much more in-focus pictures, also when the players was close to you.
We all know how a zoom-lens with an extender is working compared to a 300 or 400mm - it's always a little bit slower and also not as pin-sharp - at least this is how it use to be with Nikon and Canon - I would be surprised if it was any different with Sony but we don't really know. The challenge testing A9 up against shooting sports with a Nikon D4S / D5 or Canon EOS-1DX is that Sony at this moment don't produce the long pro lenses 300/400/500/600 for the A9 so it got to be the zoom-solution - and that might be unfair to Sony but on the other hand this is also the major reason why the A9 at this moment isn't ready to be the camera for a pro-sportsshooter. Soon Sony will introduce a 100-400 zoom - think it will be a 3,5-5,6….
The camera itself is small - at least compared to Nikon/Canon. Even with my small hands it's a challenge getting a good grip on the camera-body because you don't know where to put your your little finger. The camera-body need to be bigger - at least in the future when Sony - hopefully - will make the bigger lenses. The turning and twisting during a game with a small camera doesn't feel good when the lens is big (as with the Sony 500mm).
What I like A LOT about the camera is what you see through the viewfinder is what you get - not only is there no mirror going up and down but the image you see is also how the picture is exposed - it's like shooting video. No need to shoot a testpicture anymore, taking the camera away from your eye and looking at the back of the camera - you can see all you need in the viewfinder. That could be game-changer.
One thing that means a lot to me is how fast is a camera - not only the 20 pix/second and the autofocus itself - but how soon is the camera ready when you put the camera to your eye, focus on the action at once and want to shoot the picture right away - it seems that there are a tiny delay - perhaps nothing crucial and perhaps it's a question of knowing the camera better. But compared to my Nikon, which is ready all the time, there was a few times where I was a micro-second to late for the action.
We did make some changes during halftime in the AF-settings that seem to work out better - more in-focus pictures and a bit faster. If I should compare the AF to my Nikon (and also a 70-200 + 2,0 extender solution) it's pretty much the same - perhaps with a little advantage to Nikon, but as I said - I would need more testing and to get used to the camera.
The AF worked fine - better or worse than my Nikon? Not better, but it was acceptable for a first time use - more games and photographing other kind of sports would be needed to draw the final conclusion.
Is the A9 a game changer?
No - but it is probably the beginning of a game changer. Within 5 years a pro-sportsshooter could very well be working with mirrorless cameras.
Would I change my Nikon for this camera?
Three reasons to why not:
- Not enough pro-lenses
- No IPTC in the camera ( this could be solved with a firmware-update)
- Not enough accessories
If Sony come up with the pro-lenses they will be in the same league as Nikon and Canon.