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Rwanda introduces MICE to bolster the tourism industry
- Details
- Last Updated on Thursday, 15 May 2014 16:59
Kigali, May 13th, 2014 – The tourism sector in Rwanda has continued to record impressive growth over the last 5 Years. Rwanda achieved growth of 12%, far above the global average of 3% to 5%. In order to accelerate this growth, a new strategy for the sector focusing on the area of meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) has been developed and is being implemented.
Speaking at an event to introduce the MICE strategy and the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), the RDB's Head of Department for Tourism and Conservation Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi said that; "the economic potential of the MICE sector for Rwanda is immense. Total revenues based on MICE tourism in 2013 were US$49m. This is projected to triple to US$ 150m in 2015, which is 16% of all national export earnings and 34% of the overall tourism receipts."
While leisure tourism remains a vital part of the national tourism strategy, business tourists have been shown to spend up to three times more than leisure visitors. Rwanda's share in the international meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry is presently minimal. International Conference and Congress Association's (ICCA) latest research ranks Rwanda as 21st in Africa. The Rwanda Convention Bureau is a destination marketing arm whose sales and marketing plan is destined to see Rwanda enter Africa's top 10 by the year 2016. With this growth in MICE tourism , Tour Operators, Hotels, Restaurants, Professional Conference Organisers (PCO's) and Event Managers, - who form part of the nationwide tourism value chain, will be required to create enhance their product offering to service delegate demands.
Tremendous efforts have been exerted on availing infrastructure and investment in new international meeting, conferencing and accommodation products, the iconic Kigali Convention Centre and the development of transport links through Kigali International Airport. In addition, Bugesera International Airport, a new World Class airport is planned which will provide extra capacity for passenger transport and cargo freight.
In addition, Rwanda offers soft infrastructure such as biodiversity, city management, peace building and reconciliation as well as gender and health making it a role model for the respective themes.
The National MICE strategy is in line with diversifying the current tourism product offering while complimenting existing gorilla tourism, eco-tourism, cultural and community based tourism that are the mainstays of Rwanda's economy. The Rwanda Convention Bureau has a stand and will be introduced to the global meetings and incentives marketplace at next week's IMEX International Meetings Exhibition tradeshow in Frankfurt as Africa's newest Convention Bureau.
Launch of the East Africa Tourist Visa at Indaba Fair, Durban-South Africa
- Details
- Last Updated on Monday, 12 May 2014 16:13
11th May, 2014 Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda made an announcement on the East Africa single joint visa, which took effect on 1st January 2014. The Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda Ministers, High Commissioners, Heads of Tourism Boards, Tour operators and other private sector tourism stakeholders officially graced the launch of the new cross-border visa during Indaba Fair, the Top Africa's Travel Show that is held annually in Durban-South Africa.
The tourist cross-border visa between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda costs USD $100. The single tourist visa resulted from a joint initiative and decision made by the Heads of State of the respective countries. Before the establishment of the single entry visa for Kenya was USD $50 (approximately £30), for Uganda was USD $50 (approximately £30) and Rwanda was USD $30 (approximately £18).
Kenya's Minister for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Mrs Phyllis Kandie applauded the joint tourist move, 'This will enrich the tourist product offering in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The region will benefit from an increase of tourists and number of days spends in these countries that have a wide range of products. The region is bound to harvest a much larger share of the over 50 million tourists visiting Africa each year'.
The Rwanda Ambassador to South Africa H.E Vincent KAREGA said "This Single Tourist Visa is a benchmark in our journey and commitment to making the three countries the best and competitive destination and putting our region on the world travel map. It is also a success story and great signal that our three Heads of State are conscious that tourism is at the forefront of economic development. We are confident and proud of this integration endeavour that comes at the right time and will benefit tourists by eliminating multiple visa process thereby boosting tourism revenues and investments in the region"
"The launch of the East Africa single tourism visa at the Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya tripartite meeting is a strong signal of the East Africa commitment to the integration process and marketing East Africa as a single destination. The visitors from our source markets will be able to benefit from the Multiple Entry Visa provision to tour the sister countries." Hon. Dr. Maria Mutagamba, the Uganda Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiques confirmed.
Uganda is delighted to join her neighbours in providing greater value for the tourists and facilitating the movement of people through the Great Rift Valley states that share much commonality but provide a diverse range of natural and cultural attractions. The minister further notes that this initiative will make the region more competitive and is bound to reduce the cost of doing business in the region.
The introduction of the Joint tourist visa has so far boosted regional travel, adding value to the tourism product offerings of these countries and highlighted the diversity of East Africa.
- Details
- Last Updated on Thursday, 18 April 2013 08:54
In line with the Government effort to continue to improve quality of services and standards in the accommodation sector, Rwanda Development Board is in preparation for the second phase of classifying other accommodation establishments.
In this regard, Rwanda Development Board conducted inspection on likely classifiable accommodation establishments to establish their status. One to one meetings with the owners/Managers of those establishments were also held and it was jointly agreed that the missing essential items for classification should be fulfilled before November 2012 so that by the time the second classification exercise starts, accommodation establishment will have prepared your for better star ratings.
Through this awareness and consultative seminar, the current status of the likely classifiable accommodation will be presented to prepare accommodation establishment owners for the planned classification exercise.
The meeting took place on 27th February 2013 in Kigali City at Chez Lando Hotel.
Rwanda wins best continental exhibitor award at Tourism Fair in Berlin
- Details
- Last Updated on Monday, 12 May 2014 15:49
Berlin: On Rwanda's 13th participation at the ITB, for the first time, Northern corridor countries Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda shared one pavilion in which they launched the single tourist visa. This came as a result of a Heads of States summit that was held in Kampala recently where it was agreed that the single Tourist Visa, which will ease travel for visitors going to the region, be launched at the ITB-Berlin, 2014.
The 3 countries were ranked among the top 5 countries at the ITB Berlin Fair where each of the countries showcased different iconic attractions and traditional dancers revealing diversity of the East African destination.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation that represented Rwanda at ITB- Berlin, 2014; the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza said that;
"This recognition is important as it is evidence that the market is responding positively to our region. Being in the top 5 among 200 African exhibitors is proof that our region is a preferred destination on the continent. We will continue to work together to reap fruits from these new arrangements in the northern corridor."
Rwanda, represented by Rwanda Development Board, was selected best continental exhibitor at the ITB (Internationale Tourismus Börse) yesterday in Berlin. Others in this category include Burundi (2nd), Kenya (3rd) and then followed by Uganda (5th).
Countries were evaluated according to numerous criteria such as; interactivity, authenticity, creativity, sustainability, design of the stand, and service quality, among others.
Speaking about what made Rwanda shine; Ambassador Rugwabiza pointed out Rwanda's exhibitors that were knowledgeable, interactive with clients, approachable, the uniqueness of the stand, the ambience and the traditional dance entertainment from the Rwanda National ballet.
Rwanda also emerged top continental winner at the ITB Berlin Tourism Fair in 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007. In 2009 it was the only African country to be honored with one of the seven outstanding awards at the World Travel Market (WTM) Exhibition in London for excellent Customer service, professionalism and doing business atmosphere at the stand.
Last year, the Rwanda Tourism sector attracted over 1,137,000 visitors and generated US$293.6 million USD which indicated a 4% increase compared to the same period in 2012.
RDB steps up for the second phase of grading and classification of accommodation establishments
- Details
- Last Updated on Thursday, 21 February 2013 12:38
|Participants at Lemigo Hotel during the training
In preparation for the second phase of classification and grading of hotels in the country, Rwanda Development Board through Tourism and Conservation department organized a three day seminar to train hotels that have been identified to be assessed for the star awarding.
The seminar was held at Lemigo Hotel in Kigali City from 10th to 12th October 2012 and it attracted about 60 hotel managers. While officiating the training Mr. Werabe Emmanuel Head of Quality and Standards Division in RDB stated that "the primary objective of the training seminar was to prepare the managers of accommodation establishments for the second phase of grading and classification of accommodation establishments and also to make them aware of the standards for services delivery and customer care.
The classification system brings out different aspects of service delivery essential for customer satisfaction. It covers both physical and tangible characteristics of accommodation establishments such as location, dimension of rooms, supplies in the rooms, frequency of change of linen as well as non-tangible elements such as style, elegance, comfort, finish and luxury. The criteria also cover social contacts such as staff qualification, grooming and communication skills
Classification and grading of hotels is one of the tools that will continue to raise standards in the hospitality industry. Rwanda has so far seen 31 accommodation establishments graded and awarded stars ranging from One Star to Five stars.
Hotels form an integral part of the Tourism industry and the government of Rwanda has prioritized the Tourism sector as one of the key pillars for our country's economic development and indeed Tourism has been the leading foreign exchange earner since 2007 having generated $251M in 2011.


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- Pennsylvania Among 'Terrible 10' Most Regressive Tax States
- February 4 Non-Partisan Training: HOW TO RUN FOR ELECTION BOARD IN 2013: HOW TO RUN FOR COMMITTEEPERSON IN 2014
- Republican Governors Opt-In to Medicaid Expansion
- The Reports of Unions' Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
- Ask Allyson Schwartz to run for Governor
- Mind the gap: Opting Out of Medicaid Expansion Leaves Low-income Families Behind
- Jan. 14 Workshop:HOW TO RUN FOR ELECTION BOARD IN 2013; HOW TO RUN FOR COMMITTEEPERSON IN 2014
- Seth Williams on Guns, Jasmine Rivera on School Closures @PFC Meetup Wednesday
- PA Revenue Strong Midway Through Year; Tax Cut Could Have Big Impact
- What to Make of the Fiscal Cliff Deal?
Joan Markman
Getting The Story Straight on How Decisions Were Made at The School DistrictSubmitted by LisaHaver on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 10:20pm.
Already the news articles and columns have begun attempting to paint former Superintendent Arlene Ackerman as the victim in recent events. Opinions are being expressed that she must have been telling the truth about her role in the Martin Luther King High School debacle. Annette John-Hall even offered an open apology to Ackerman in her Inquirer column last week.
Before we all appear to have been flashy-thinged by the Men in Black, let's take a reality check here. We are being asked to believe that all of Ackerman's testimony in the recent report issued by Mayor Nutter's Chief Integrity Officer is true. We are being asked to believe that her story, unchallenged by any credible witnesses, is gospel. However, the only others present at meetings described by her—State Representative Dwight Evans and his associates-- refused to give testimony; those present during phone calls were colleagues and staff whose interests lie with Dr. Ackerman.
We don't need to turn back the pages of recent history too far to remind ourselves of all the prevarications, disingenuous answers and outright lies uttered by Dr. Ackerman during her reign in Philadelphia.
When the story of the backroom meeting with SRC Chair Robert Archie and Dwight Evans broke this past March, Ackerman's spokesperson maintained that she knew nothing about it. After a month of rumor and speculation, Assistant Superintendent Leroy Nunery finally admitted —through his representative— to being the "unnamed district representative" present at that meeting in Martha Woodall's April 24 Inquirer story. However, Dr. Nunery's testimony in the recently published report states not only that he was there but that he immediately reported the events to Ackerman, describing the meeting to her as something out of "the Godfather". Begging the question: Was she lying then or is she lying now?
Let us recount just some of the incidents over the years in which Dr. Ackerman has been less than honest. Her excuse for not immediately dealing with the crisis at South Philadelphia High School was that an Asian student actually incited the violence by harassing an African-American disabled student, a story for which she offered no proof and which has never been verified. She claimed to be out of town when the attempted silencing and termination of teacher Hope Moffet began; she used that same excuse when the District tried to change the acceptance process for magnet schools without parent notification (she has no phone or email?). She initially denied playing any part in the no-bid contract scandal in which business was diverted from one company, which had already begun the work, to another (non-approved) company. When caught in that lie, she said that she was only trying to help out minority businesses. She held an awards ceremony at Roosevelt Middle School after test scores rose fifty-three points in just two years, a feat which she must known was statistically impossible. She has yet to explain how she allowed several administrators, including South Philadelphia High School Principal LaGreta Brown, to be appointed by the school district without full accreditation. Throughout this past summer, Ackerman insisted that she was not leaving, telling her own supporters "I'm staying" while simultaneously negotiating her exit contract. She violated that same contract by subsequently engaging in public slander against her former colleagues.
Let us not forget the most egregious lie of all: that she did not know that the school district was heading towards a massive deficit which has had a disastrous effect on every school in Philadelphia. She offered her highly questionable explanation in an interview given after she resigned: "I didn't understand the numbers."
So when Dr. Ackerman says in the city's report that she did not know that Melonease Shaw, to whom she paid thousands of school district dollars for "consulting", was affiliated with Representative Evans, I believe that some skepticism on the part of the public is to be expected. When we hesitate to take seriously her assertion that she never knew that politics was involved in running a major city school district, can you really blame us?
Some crucial questions remain unanswered: how did Mosaica, whose CEO John Porter is a identified in the report as a colleague of Dr. Ackerman's at the Broad Academy (a privately-funded institution which schools future superintendents according to a pro-charter, pro-voucher curriculum), come to be a finalist on the list of providers at Martin Luther King High? And how is Ackerman shocked, shocked at Chairman Archie's actions in overriding the wishes of a school community after having done the same herself in more than one instance? When the West Philadelphia High School community protested the unexpected takeover of their school, Ackerman's response was to accuse the parents of a having a conflict of interest. When students, teachers and parents protested the unjustified giveaway of Audenreid High to Kenny Gamble's Universal company, their wishes were ignored. Now we are to believe that she found this recent overriding of parents at King "tragic".
Dr. Ackerman's account of recent events should be investigated in a follow-up report. The inappropriate, possibly illegal, acts of Chairman Archie and Rep. Evans are brought to light in this report and both should face the consequences for those acts and the subsequent cover-up. Why should we spend the time and energy doing the same regarding Dr. Ackerman's possible transgressions? First, we must ensure that no future superintendent will be allowed to take on the mantle of royalty and go unchallenged by her own superiors. And the most important reason: because the public has a right to know.
Lisa Haver is an education activist; she recently retired from teaching middle school in Philadelphia.

subset: commoncrawl


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Preventing HIV in Crisis Zones
All people everywhere need information, supplies and services to protect themselves against HIV and other sexually transmitted inventions. But in times of crisis, many factors – the breakdown of social and information networks, the disruption of families, a lack of condoms, the increase in sexual violence and high-risk behaviour, and exposure to tainted blood – leave individuals especially vulnerable to contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Confusion and despair heighten this vulnerability.
Refugees need HIV prevention and care services appropriate to their language, culture and current situation. But they are almost always overlooked in national HIV/AIDS initiatives, and policies to meet their special needs are scarce.
As a member of UNAIDS, the Joint UN Programme on AIDS, UNFPA is assigned key roles in information and education, condom programming and strengthening the HIV/AIDs response in the context of security, uniformed services and humanitarian crises.
Information and education
Information about HIV and AIDS can be especially critical for those affected by crisis because their vulnerability may increase at the same time that traditional information networks break down. Refugee camps provide opportunities as well as challenges, in this regard, as education and outreach can be linked to other structured camp activities.
Within UNAIDS, UNFPA is assigned the lead role in providing information and education related to HIV prevention. In crisis zones, the Fund uses a variety of strategies to empower displaced people with the knowledge they need to stay HIV-free. These include mass media campaigns, life-skills education, voluntary counselling and testing, and the creation of 'safe spaces' where adolescents can freely access information, services and peer support networks. UNFPA strongly advocates for linking HIV prevention with all other reproductive health interventions, such as maternal care.
UNFPA programmes also promote delayed sexual initiation among young people and help prevent transmission from new or expectant mothers to their babies. The Fund's advocacy to prevent sexual violence in the aftermath of humanitarian crises is another aspect of reducing vulnerability to HIV.


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Victoria Beckham. Despite her numerous achievements since the days of Girl Power (fashion designer, super-mum, in fact, pretty much everything apart from singing…) most of us still think of her as the tight-lipped ice queen from the Spice Girls. Part of this is undoubtedly down to her unfailing ability to never crack a smile when faced with paparazzi, screaming fans, or David Beckham's bod. (If we woke up to that face every morning, we'd find it pretty much impossible to stop smiling).
However, recently Victoria seems to have made a conscious effort to shed her Posh persona; speaking out against the public perception of her, and even being a little bit (dare we say it) funny? In a recent feature in Interview Magazine, VB explained that she's 'very different' from how people see her, saying: 'They really believe I'm like that. And when I see these photos, I feel the same way. I look at them and think: 'Oh gosh, you moody cow.'
She even went on to poke fun at herself, commenting that music might not be where her talent lies: 'Was music my talent really? No, I don't think I was particularly talented... With the other girls, the five of us all really worked together. But talented? I sound a bit odd to myself.' VB, we love you, but we could have told you that years ago.
And in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Victoria opened up and told how she'd done a bit of a David Cameron and left Brooklyn behind in the kitchen instead of taking him to school: 'So I jump in my Range Rover, put the car seat in, put my iPod on—obviously very important—and I drive to school. And then I realize, I'd left Brooklyn in the kitchen. I was driving along, talking away, and all the sudden, I looked at the front seat, and I was like, "S**t! S**t! I've forgot something!'
And then of course, there are VB's infamous twitpics, where she paps herself in various 'amusing' situations. Most recently, she treated us to one of her pretending to drive a plane and even one of her almost smiling whilst posing with fans. Let's not forget we've also seen the designer playing an air hostess, serving coffee at Starbucks, grabbing BFF Eva Longoria's breasts and, most brilliantly, cupping her hubby's golden balls.
So what do you think? Is our VB actually human after all and not just a superhuman-superskinny-supertalented robot? Scroll through our gallery of her most recent twitpics above and decide for yourself. Or just fawn over the stupidly cute photos of her dog Harry rolling around in one of her dresses.


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Braided Cable Pillow Cover – Oatmeal (14"x26")
No longer available
Close knit. The chunky knit of our Braided Cable Pillow Cover brings to mind rugged fisherman knits and our favorite woolly sweaters. Use a couple to turn a bed, chair or sofa into the coziest spot in the house.
100% cotton in Oatmeal.
14"l x 26"w.
Accommodates a 14"l x 26"w. Pillow Insert (sold separately).
Zipper closure.
Dry clean.


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"Post script is usually written when a writer forgets to write something on the main body of the letter and wants to add on to what he had written on the letter." But in this age of email and word processors, why would anyone want to use P.S.? Is its usage still relevant and any particular reason for it?
I usually use it purposely to add something related to the email, but that I don't want to mix with the rest, likely to let the reader to focus more easily on the part of the email I think it's more important; I like to use it like a sort of "side note", placed after the written text (lit. latin "post scriptum" can be translated as "after the written (text)")
The postscript is indeed of limited use, but it might still be useful when one has something else to say, but doesn't want to compose the email all over again.
People still do compose letters from time to time, and send them on paper. I do it maybe once a year, and I can see it coming up where I have something to add, but don't want to print the letter again.
There may well come a time where people don't know what "P.S." means, just as some people don't realize that "R.S.V.P." means to reply soonest, please.
Love, Neil.
P.S., It also might be useful if one is mimicking an old-style letter format.
It seems perfectly acceptable to include a PS in a body of an email for various reasons. The two I can think of are:


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Consortium for Policy Research in Education
CPRE unites seven of the nation's top research institutions in an effort to improve student learning through research on education reform, policy, and finance. CPRE at UW-Madison focuses on Educator Effectiveness, Human Capital Management and Educator Compensation. In addition, CPRE at UW-Madison provides technical assistance, conducts program evaluations and policy support in their focus areas.
CPRE collaborates with other units at UW-Madison including projects within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER), the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA), and the Value-Added Research Center (VARC).
The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has produced a series of papers that addresses the compensation aspect of the strategic management of human capital in public education.
Project on Talent and Human Capital in Education
In this project, we seek the strategic redesign of human capital management systems for teachers and other leaders in the nation's largest 100 public school districts. The link to the complete SMHC website can be found here: http://www.smhc-cpre.org/
New Book by Allan Odden, February, 2012
Improving Student Learning When Budgets Are Tight was published by Corwin Press in February, 2012. It is now available at www.corwin.com or www.amazon.com.
A how-to manual for achieving excellence despite budget cuts
This book offers a comprehensive framework to enhance student achievement in good times and in bad. The author provides a school improvement action plan and then shows how to target resources to implement that plan. More than just a "theory" book, this text describes concrete, specific actions that can be taken immediately. Key strategies include:
- Using data to support boosting student performance
- Focusing on effective instruction
- Setting goals to drive resource allocation priorities
- Setting priorities for situations that require budget cuts
- Hiring top teachers and providing ongoing professional development
- Providing needed technology resources
Book on SMHC by Allan Odden, January, 2011
Allan Odden's newest book, Strategic Management of Human Capital in Education, was published by Routledge Press in mid-January. It is now available at www.routledge.com or www.amazon.com.
Strategic Management of Human Capital in Education offers a comprehensive and strategic approach to address what has become labeled as "talent and human capital." Grounded in extensive research and examples of leading edge districts, this book shows how the entire human resource system in schools-from recruitment, to selection/placement, induction, professional development, performance management and evaluation, compensation, and career progression- can be reformed and restructured to boost teacher and principal effectiveness in ways that dramatically improve instructional practice and student learning. Strategic Management of Human Capital in Education guides educators toward putting more effective teachers, teacher leaders, and principals in the country's schools-especially in poverty-impacted urban and rural communities-equipping those teachers and principals with instructional and leadership expertise, and rewarding and retaining those who are successful in attaining these objectives. Drawing from cases, experiences, and deliberations from a national task force, this book outlines a comprehensive framework for how to transform current human resource management practices into authentic, strategic talent management systems in order to improve student achievement.
"This important new book clearly and comprehensively addresses the new work in school reform that is changing the face of human resources in school systems." -From the Foreword by Carl A. Cohn, Professor and Co-Director, Urban Leadership Program, Claremont Graduate University
2009 SMHC National Conference - Washington, DC - November 3-4
2009 SMHC District Reform Network Invitational Conference, Chicago, IL March 24-25, 2009.
New Book on Doubling Performance by Odden and Archibald. Click here for more information.
2008 SMHC-CPRE Invitational Conference
New Materials
The CPRE group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has just issued new materials, all of which are available as downloads at no charge.
February 21-22, 2007 Conference, Chicago, IL
New Approaches to School Finance, School Improvement and Teacher Compensation: The Results of Fifteen Years of Research and Policy Development
Task Force: UW-Madison Study to Focus on Funding of Wisconsin Schools
What does it cost to adequately fund K-12 education in Wisconsin? A nationally recognized expert in school finance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is leading an effort to address this critical question.
The Wisconsin School Finance Adequacy Initiative Final Report
Moving from Good to Great in Wisconsin: Funding Schools Adequately and Doubling School Performance
Wisconsin State Journal Article: Squeezing Schools
Squeezing Schools Part 2: UW-Madison professor has a vision for school funding. Odden is lead author of a new state report pushing a radical idea: Wisconsin schools should get enough money to adequately educate all children, including those with special needs, to actually meet the state's own education standards. In the process, he said, the state could significantly increase the numbers of students attaining proficient and advanced ratings on standardized tests.


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I went into La Maison du Chocolate near Rockefeller Center thinking I'd get some small macarons. They only had GIANT macarons in. My baby macs were sold out!
What to do? No question. I invested in 4 Big Macs.
For art's sake of course :)
La Maison's Xmas theme is "Cubism" after the artwork of Sonia and Robert Delaunay. You can buy their sapin/Fir tree made entirely of chocolate "cubistic" designs.
A most unusual tree don't you think?
Look! Geometric Abstract Bûche de Noëls!
Your average French Bûche de Noël looks like a faux frosted, rough log of wood, covered with mushrooms and mistletoe and other woodsey accoutrement.
La Maison du Chocolat is not afraid to break an old tradition and take it to new heights...
My family always "hid" the chocolate box in the bottom drawer of a small chest in the living room. The square caramels were always M.I.A. (missing in action)...
La Maison du Chocolat Big Macaron, watercolor, 9" x 11 1/2"
La Maison's macarons are flown in from France several times a week, so there's a nice element of risk when you go there. At least you know you're getting the real thing. I've developed a serious addiction. 1 Big Mac = 4 small macs in my estimation :(Round the corner from La Maison du Chocolat on 49th street is 6th Avenue with all it's splendid decorations!


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Varun Dhawan, who will be seen next in Sriram Raghavan's 'Badlapur', was shooting the last leg of the film's schedule in a Mumbai studio. What happened next left his co-star Vinay Pathak in a hospital and Varun guilt stricken! Shifting away from his chocolate boy image, Varun Dhawan will b
Times Literary Carnival 2012 Day 2
vinay pathak News
The terrific trio is back to entertain us, again! After the super success of Bheja Fry, Ranvir, Vinay and Rajat gang up for Mithya . This time, though, the roles are completely different and on a much more ambitious scale. Raj


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James Righton keyboard player of the Klaxons has surprised everyone by giving an interview in which he speaks out about hos low-key wedding in the South of France to actress and Chanel muse Keira Knightley.
Music magazine, NME asked James whether he thought the perception of Klaxons would change now he was half of a celebrity couple with Keira. He said; 'I just fell in love with someone who happens to be amazing. We had a beautiful wedding and there was a lot of love. The music is the music. That thing is going to be there because of who she is but I'd say we're a pretty established band.'
The pair posed separately at the Anna Karenina premiere
How sweet! The band are undergoing a bit of a comeback this summer, performing their new material at festivals like The Great Escape in Brighton, last weekend.
Klaxons singer Jamie Reynolds in the band spoke about the wedding itself, saying: 'It was the greatest day ever, it was fantastic. We're still high from it. It was about two weeks ago, it was a big party.'
Sienna Miller was among the guests at their gorgeously sunny, low-key ceremony in the South of France, where Keira re-used a Chanel tulle-skirted frock, and the couple drove from the ceremony to the reception in a Renault Clio. Apparently it was Alexa Chung who introduced the newlyweds originally!


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here is an idea for a gold sink. reset gold to a set even amount for everyone when an xpac comes out like pve and pvp.
here is an idea for a gold sink. reset gold to a set even amount for everyone when an xpac comes out like pve and pvp.
Remember this isn't JUST about gold sink ... it sounds like they are trying to create a contested and interesting place for both factions to squabble over (kind of like the individual gobln towns were supposed to be back in vanilla). I sincerely hope they pull it off and make an interesting enough place to encourage this (BMAH won't be enough, will have to be some other unique and important vendors there as well).
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For example, when a patch drops, the demand for goods (forget serivces, 10-20g tip has remained pretty standard for the 4 or 5 years I've been playing) sky rockets and prices take off - Cardinal Rubies 3,500g - 5,000g; BoE drops 25k - 30k; VP gear 5,000 - 7,500g, stack of elementium ore 100g - now that the patch is mature, and people have geared up Cardinal Ruby 800g, stack of elementium ore 35g, vp boots 1,000g; boe drops 1,000 - 2,500g. And things like herbs and fish go up and down based on who's been farming what; sometimes a stack of Cinderbloom will be 90g and sometimes 20g and so it goes.
Sure things cost more, but gold is much easier to get so the price rise seems to be in line with earning power. What I think most people miss is that there is no gold in the system that needs to be taken out of the system because there is no central authority controling the system, the gold just appears. It's not like Blizz sells debt or buys debt to regualte the amount of money in the system - the gold just appears.
I agree with Lore people are more likely to make gold to save up for that thing they really really want on the BMAH and if enough people do that it will have a deflationary effect as buyers dry up and become savers, then commodity prices have to come down to draw out buyers.
All told, I think the BMAH will be a novelty that will have no effect whatsoever on server economies. The biggest effect will be the troll factor since they'll be in a pvp area - get on your biggest drake, get flagged, sit over the auctioneer and watch all hell break loose.
It should be a decent goldsink. I'm not sure exactly what problem they are trying to fix though that needs a gold sink. If the idea is that people get temporarily priced out of markets for 'necessary goods' as a result of waves of cash flows from people hording gold then it might help by reducing some of those hordes. If the idea is that people are systematically priced out of the market for such goods then I'm not sure what could even cause that - either gold is being duplicated illegally and dumped into the market or there is sustained lack of gatherers driving up the price of basic commodities. If its the latter market forces can be expected to fix the problem (hey some of you take a gathering profession if you don't have enough gold for enchants) unless people have just decided en masse that gathering is too boring.
Your options are to suck it up until the level cap (so much for that fancy mace or those legs you got leveling through Underbog) or spend time gathering to earn gold instead of questing (hooray! skinning bears in darkshore!).
I toughed it out because you can get by without that stuff, but it's fair to ask what's the point of giving people the ability to use glyphs if they can't afford them for 75 levels.
I also think you'll see an influx of money due to all the other things you can do. I think they're expecting more gold to be in circulation. I think it's also to GET people to do more things (to possibly save up for BMAH stuff) so that people stick around the game more. But doing that results in more money in circulation. Do I care about the BMAH? Not really, I only get enough gold to sustain my raiding habit then stop worrying about money after that. Who knows... this might encourage me to spend more time trying to get money.
You know what they say about economists though: There's two kinds of economists, micro economists and macro economists. The difference being that micro economists are people who are wrong about specific things and macro economists are people who are wrong about things in general.
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Goldwise I do what Agg does, make enough gold to feed my raiding habit on 9 toons and keep a cushion in my personal guild bank, for a rainey day.
Will the BMAH force the harcore progession raiders to spend a ton of gold for BiS equipment? Kind of like some guilds were requiring players to buy all epic gems at the top of the market? Kind of nasty side effect of the BMAH.
I like the idea just not current implimentation - TCG loot is ideal for BMAH as it allows access to cool little items for those that don't play or want to sink cash chasing the rare cards. Mounts, I am really dubious about as it seems to give the message rather than go play old content just farm some gold - although drop rate will be a big factor in this. Heroic gear - I am not keen on, not because it effects me but because it removes the reward from trying harder content. I personally would actually like to see new art on heroic gear, it was kinda cool to be able to spot the progression focused raiders - rather everyone one in the same just recoloured.
As for the economic factors, well the economy in wow is a mess. Lots of incoming gold very little in the way of effective sinks, especially for those that want to play the auction house. If anything I can see this having a negative effect - as the main AH traders will probably want more gold so will try inflate prices, I know supply and demand will moderate this but considering the inflation of prices at the start of Cata on my servers it seems highly likely. Removal of the Daily cap may have an effect on the overall equation - given if you have free time you could farm a lot of gold from running them on multiple characters. If they believe there is an economic issue within the game they should follow EVEs example and bring in an economist to sort the whole system.
In short nice idea but it feels half baked - atleast to those without access to Blizzards master plan.
And how does it do that, exactly?Heroic gear - I am not keen on, not because it effects me but because it removes the reward from trying harder content.
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Wow, same result, eh? So you get full heroic raid loot, achievements, titles, mounts, and the accomplishment of having cleared the content, all from the BMAH? And everyone gets that?Because it allows an easier path to the same result,
That's weird, my information must be wrong.
Removes was putting it too strongly, but it does diminish the effect although not as much as going to recoloured art did.
I was trying to make the point let heroic gear be for heroic raiders - as Lore said, provide other rewards for this.
Although I am not sure why someone not attempting heroic raids needs heroic gear.
I personally don't mind I do normal raids as that is what fits with me and my guild, if we decide to go for heroics seriously (unlikely as not all raiders are interested in that) it still wouldn't bother me as I would do it for the challenge. Although I do think that the ulduar model of hard modes was superior as an aside. The issue is that it risks driving heroic raiders away - and that is not healthy for the game as a whole, just the same as driving any significant proportion of the player base away would be bad. People play WOW for a whole raft of reasons, and therefore how players percieve changes is as/if not more important than the effect of those changes as it can drive masses away from the game.
I really disagree with the second, as I think circumventing the incredible boredom of old content farm ad nauseam for rare drop mounts is a great use of the BMAH. I would agree with Lore that overall playing the AH is less difficult than raiding, but I also can't see how anyone could claim that rolling high and managing to catch a pug with a small enough number of carries in the group to plow through old content you radically overgear (i.e. the current method for obtaining old content rare mounts) could be seen as requiring the same type of skill as playing the AH.
The presence of the BMAH will only have a negative effect on anybody's game experience if they allow it to.
For those of you who see this as the tempest in a teacup that it is, you win.


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Haste is a good stat for rage generation, but I can think of better trinkets.
ok so here is my warrior http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...&cn=Bigbadgoom i am new to fury spec so i am not sure, but i see a few well geared fury warriors on my realm (zuljin) using the harkumi war token, i didnt think haste was a good stat for warriors, is it? or are they just using it to boost there GS? also, any other constructive critisim on my toon would be much appriciated. thx a lot.
Haste is a good stat for rage generation, but I can think of better trinkets.
RNGesus - Saving you unreliably since BC.
it's not that good of a trinket, definitely not worth the 60 frost badges. they are either using it to boost their gs or they don't know any better.
gear looks pretty good, over hit cap but probably because you just got the mace and it's got alot on it. try to get your t10 helm next, and then either get the leather badge belt and wait for voa to drop the tier legs or buy them and then the belt.
you are at ~78% arp passive with nes, so try farming reg trial 5 man at least once a day for banner of victory to replace it while you wait to get deathbringer's will and switch your str gems to arp and head towards arp hard cap.
also, switch your str rep ring for the agi version, it's a bit better.
Not sure why you guys say it's a bad trinket. The war token is amazing for any melee dps. It's WAY better than greatness or banner of victory or any other trinket besides mjolnir runestone (if you are softcapping), DV/DC, whispering fanged skull, or DBW. For a lot of warriors, it's about on par with non-heroic DV/DC and normal WFS.
Unless you plan on getting Death's Choice or Deathbringer's Will sometime soon, i'd drop the needle-encrusted scorpion for the war token in a heartbeat and start really pushing for hardcapped armor pen.
**Also, google "landsoul's dps spreadsheet" and go to the first link that pops up. It should be a thread at elitistjerks.com. Download the spreadsheet (you must have microsoft excel) and use it to figure out what gear works best for you. I see some choices you've made that aren't ideal, and the spreadsheet will help correct those flaws.**
ps. If you must know what those choices are, I was talking about your belt (leather badge one is better), your ring (agil one is better), your neck (get the triumph badge agil/armorpen one), and the fact that you are over the softcap with an arp proc trinket (but like i said, replace the scorpion and go full arp).
Last edited by Dragaan; 03-13-2010 at 10:11 AM.
Haste is not an ideal stat for warriors, but it's far from being worthless or bad. There's usually a LOT of competition for physical dps trinkets, and the war token is a great trinket to use until you can finally get one of the few better trinkets. It's definitely worth 60 frost badges if you don't have anything better, especially if fury is your offspec and you don't see yourself getting one of the best trinkets anytime soon.
As prot warrior with a fury offspec im still using greatness card and banner of victory. Landsoul spreadsheet shows this list of trinkets so im probably gonna pick it up as well when i have nothing else to spend my emblems on.
1. Deathbringer's will
2. Whispering fanged skull
3. Herkuml War Token
4. Death's Choice
5. Comet's Trail
6. Banner of Victory
7. Greatness card
i would list death's choice and, depending on your arp, banner of victory over the war token
/wave from Zul'jin
I will have to agree with destruyen here, I would not spends 60 emblems on Herkuml unless you have nothing else to do with frost emblems and still dont have better trinket. For now just farm banner from TOC 5 man and wait till you get DBW from Saurfang 25. Replace NES ASAP as you are at 80% arpen and most of the proc is being wasted. Also you should really push for arpen hard cap.
Second thing you need to replace ASAP is Glyph of mortal Strike to Glyph of Heroic Strike.
3rd replace str ring to agility ring.
4th, you really should be using the leather frost emblem belt and the plate has sucky itemization and you are already like way above hit cap (all you need is 164 hit).
IDK what triumph neck dragaan is talking about but AFAIK necks are from conquest emblems not triumphs. Ony head reward agility neck is pretty good to use.
Also feel free to PM me in game if you have any questions(armory link in sig).
Last edited by gabbu; 03-15-2010 at 10:44 AM.
Compare the AP buff.
Banner of Victory gives 1008 AP for 10 seconds with a 50 second internal CD (from whats posted on Wowhead), which averages out to 168 AP/min.
War token, gives you 17 AP/hit stacking to 20 stacks or 340 AP. In a 5 minute fight you're going to see an AP bonus per minute of ~320 AP (because it's going to take some time to land all 20 hits). Which is double or so that of Banner of Victory and guaranteed if you keep hitting rather than random like Banner.
So then you're looking at Token's 153 Haste versus Banner's 84 Arm Pen.
So even though Token has haste, it's nearly double AP bonus (and non-spikey) in extended fights lends it to being better for boss fights.
Banner is probably better for soloing or shorter fights with breaks in them (trash pulls, etc) or if you're near the soft or hard ArP cap.
At least, this is if I've read up on the items correctly. But it really looks like you ought to carry both and swap 'em depending on the fight.
take into consideration that attack power has half the sep of arp above 70% passive (more the closer to 100% arp you get with banner).
Hey! Welcome to fury
These easy changes should boost your dps a lot. The main problem is your arp is too low,
arp starts to really be worth it in that last stretch!
1) Always have hearty rhino buff
2) Switch NES to War totem (we're taught to hate haste, but it actually totally rules. i use it.) till you get DBW
3) Switch 264 expertise ring to festergut25m ring
4) Switch ramaladni's to SE and put SE in the main hand.
5) Switch badge belt for togc10 arp belt
6) Switch neck to togc10 1st boss arp neck
7) Lose mining for any other profession that gives a dps increase
8) get legplates of painful death.
there's better trinkets other than war token until they can get dbw and wfs. it's really not worth using 60 frost badges on until after you get 4 pc t10, plate gloves, cloak, and the leather belt.2) Switch NES to War totem (we're taught to hate haste, but it actually totally rules. i use it.) till you get DBW
waste of crafting mats for fury imo since the tier legs are best in slot until heroic icc 25 for the spec.8) get legplates of painful death


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