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Thrill as Victor Tugelbend ("Can't sing. Can't dance. Can handle a sword a little.") and Theda Withel ("I come from a little town you've probably never even heard of") battle the forces of evil and cinema advertising...
Scream as Gaspode the Wonder Dog nearly saves the day...
Eat popcorn as you watch the filming of Blown Away, the oddest Civil War picture ever made... "A Passionate Saga set Against the Background of a World Gone Mad! With a Thousand Elephants!"
(And afterwards, why not dine at Harga's House of Ribs, for the best in international cuisine; only two minutes from this book...).
Browse all novels of Discworld.
© 1997 Terry and Lyn Pratchett; (P)1997 Isis Publishing Ltd.
"Philosophical humor of the highest order." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Unadulterated fun. Pratchett parodies everything in sight." (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Funny and smart. Escapism at its best."
Nigel Planer does an amazing job bringing Terry Pratchett's characters to life. From Gaspode the Wonder Dog's dry wit to Victor's inept heroism, Moving Pictures is full of belly-quaaking laughs. If you have enjoyed other books in the Discworld setiers, I am sure you will be equally pleased with this one.
If you haven't read any Pratchett novels, I started the series at Audible with Rincewind in the first book. Moving Pictures is my twelfth (and defintiely not the last I will read) in the series. The Discworld series does an incredible job of lightening my usually heavy reading list of serious non-fiction. So I heartily recommend this and the rest of the Discworld series.
"The narration really adds something"
As the other reviewers noted, Nigel Planer adds something special to the narration of this audiobook.
Although I'm a Terry Pratchett fan, I never thought much of "Moving Pictures." I feel the book is an uncomfortable transition from his earlier Discworld novels, where he mostly parodied the characters and themes of typical fantasy novels, to his later Discworld books, in which he satirizes aspects of modern society. "Moving Pictures" is a rather unsubtle poke at the movie industry; I think Pratchett has done better.
I've listened to Nigel Planer read other Terry Pratchett books, and I thought I'd give this one a try. I'm glad I did. Somehow, Planer's itnerpretations smooths out Pratchett's rough spots. I enjoyed listening to "Moving Pictures" much more than I enjoyed reading it years ago. This is a case where a skilled reader can make a big difference in how you appreciate a book.
There's always something to read in my purse
"Great as usual"
Nigel Planer adds a whole layer to this book that I didn't do while reading it. I am usually reading so fast that I miss some of the smaller details, such as the accent that Rock and Morrie have. It's the same as Fat Bastard from Austin Powers, and I would never have 'read' it that way from the printed text.
My interests run to psychology, popular science, history, world literature, and occasionally something fun like Jasper Fforde. It seems like the only free time I have for reading these days is when I'm in the car so I am extremely grateful for audio books. I started off reading just the contemporary stuff that I was determined not to clutter up my already stuffed bookcases with. And now audio is probably 90% of my "reading" matter.
"A new fantasy twist"
No one is more imaginative than Pratchett at creating pastiches of different fantasy worlds. Incorporating the budding years of the movie industry into Discworld was a brilliant idea. Early Hollywood was all about fantasies and dreams and Pratchett takes advantage of all the opportunities to play on the possibilities of Hollywood fantasies on top of "traditional" fantasy fiction. That said, the underlying story is one Pratchett has used multiple times. That doesn't keep it from being entertaining. Pratchett has always been more about sheer inventiveness and verbal playfulness than about original plots. There are only 7 plots anyway, right?
"just like life, except more so"
As usual, Pratchett astonished me revealed Realtors hitherto unknown, and tells the truth about how life in and out of the studios really works.
"Just Fabulous!"
I got into Terry Pratchett because of my ex, and I just can't stop reading! Nigel Planer just does the most amazing voices that really pull you into the Discworld!!
"Movie Mayhem"
I loved the sideways movie references. The performance was outstanding. A satirical look at how movies and television can take over our lives if we don't remember its not real.
"detritus finds love"
always good to hear Nigel Planer doing detritus the troll. love his take on it!
"Fun, but would be better if I knew Hollywood"
For whatever reason, I loved the dog voices by the narrator in this one. It made the book really fun and added extra humor beyond the story itself.
The story is really funny in how it finds a way to make moving pictures work in the world of discworld. Seeing the merchants, wizards, and alchemists bicker over things added a nice dimension.
The dogs! It was great having an extra layer of humor with the excellent voices for the different characters.
Film studio ruins the planet in a world gone mad.
"Moving Pictures - Terry Pratchett"
Quite Quite brilliant. Every cliche in the book, but with wonderful twists. References just about every Hollywood classic movie that you have ever seen or heard of. Gaspode is a creation of genius, although a great deal of credit must go to Nigel Planner here. The best Pratchett I have yet come across, and I have enjoyed them all so far.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


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MURIETTA, Calif. - Husqvarna Motorcycles announces a new contingency program for amateur and pro-level racers in North America, starting next year.
"Racing is a core value of Husqvarna Motorcycles," said Husqvarna Racing Manager Andy Jefferson in a company announcement. "We believe in the value of supporting Husky racers not just at the factory level, but at the grassroots level, as well. Our new Husqvarna Contingency Program is aimed at doing just that, with rewards for motocross and off-road racers in the US and Canada. We're excited to get this program started on Jan. 1, 2015, and looking forward to building a strong community of Husky racers in North America."
Specifics of the Husqvarna Contingency Program, which will be hosted through Hookit.com, will be announced in the coming months, including the races supported, eligibility and payout details. Look for details at www.RaceHusky.com - the online portal to Husqvarna's all-new Contingency Program.
"We are really excited to introduce the Husqvarna Contingency Program," said Marketing Manager Steve Lawler. "This is a big step for us to once again be a big player in off-road and motocross racing. With our new structure and model lineup we feel confident that we will quickly become a prominent competitor in these racing segments. We have the most premium bikes available today and are excited to get back into high-level racing. We are committed to our engagement in factory racing with AMA Supercross and an expanded off-road effort."
From a press release

subset: commoncrawl


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3 Week League - March 1, 8 and 15, 2014
Registration includes a First Year Membership for Milwaukee Curling Club. (See March 1, 2014 session to register)
Membership includes eligibility to attend or play in an bonspiel or event through the end of the 2013-2014 season.
Beer membership is additional for $25.00.


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More Information
Venice restaurant group plans to hire 100 workers
Published: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 5:22 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 5:22 p.m.
VENICE - A family-owned company that employs 150 at its three waterfront restaurants in the Venice area intends to hire 100 more workers — and quickly.
CLICK HERE to see a slideshow on changes coming to the South Sarasota County restaurant scene.
Venice Pier Group says it needs servers, greeters, bartenders, line cooks and prep cooks for Sharky's on the Pier, Snook Haven and its soon-to-open Fins at Sharky's.
"These are service-sector jobs — but I don't want to discount anything about these jobs," said John Ryan, president of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce. "We are a tourist industry economy. We need to embrace that. It's progressively getting stronger and stronger."
For every retiree who moves into a community, seven service-sector jobs are created, Ryan said.
"We're seeing an uptick on the construction side" for employment and the creation of 100 new service-sector jobs also should be regarded as "a positive sign," Ryan said.
Ryan believes both are indicators that the local real estate market is on the rebound.
Manufacturing jobs in Venice are also on the rise, Ryan noted.
PGT Inc., a window and door maker, is about to build a glass plant that will need 50 to 60 workers for two shifts.
In exchange for a partial property tax exemption from Sarasota County, drinkware manufacturer Tervis Tumbler committed to adding 154 jobs by 2016.
On the retail front, the recent opening of Publix-anchored Plaza Venezia is expected to lead to more job openings as the shopping center begins to lease more space to new tenants.
Venice Pier Group scheduled two afternoons of job applicant interviews for next week. Applicants should bring resumes.
"It's kind of nerve-wracking to hire that many people," Justin Pachota, co-owner of Venice Pier Group, said. "But we're excited."
Sharky's on the Pier, 1600 Harbor Drive S., pays rent for its location on the Venice municipal pier and shares a percentage of its gross revenues with the city of Venice.
Voters in a recent online poll named Sharky's as Florida's "No. 1 beach bar."
In December, Venice Pier Group intends to open Fins at Sharky's, an annex still under construction. Fins, which will be upstairs, will have a more upscale ambience and offer a higher-priced menu than downstairs Sharky's.
Venice Pier Group also operates a concession, which specializes in barbecue, at Snook Haven, 5000 E. Venice Ave. It pays rent and shares a percentage of its gross revenues with Sarasota County, which owns the fish camp on the Myakka River.
Snook Haven is closed while it is being connected to county water and sewer lines. It reopens Friday.
Pachota says job openings will be at all three locations.
Of Venice Pier Group's current 150 employees, 22 have been with the company for more than 10 years and 28 have been on the payroll for more than five years.
Venice Pier Group offers a matching 401K retirement fund, health insurance and a free YMCA membership.
It also offers an interest-bearing savings plan.
For most of the year, especially during the busy tourist season, a portion of employees' pay can be set aside in an interest-bearing account. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, they can get that money "to use during the holidays," Pachota said.
"The holidays hit right after our slow time of the year," Pachota said.
Venice Pier Group also offers an emergency fund for employees.
"If they fall upon hard times, it can help them get back on their feet," Pachota said.
Employees can apply for help from the emergency fund in case they need surgery, have an unexpected death in the family or undergo a setback such as a house fire, Pachota said.
All new employees hired between next week's interviews and Dec. 1 will be eligible for a $1,000 drawing on May 31, if they are still employed by Venice Pier Group on that date.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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A powersports retailer carrying 10 brands of vehicles in a 60,000 sq. ft. store with 61 employees runs the risk of devolving into being just another bland "big-box" behemoth.
But what if that store is packing 60-plus years of history as a major contributor to the local — and national — powersports community, and features a management team intent on keeping the product mix interesting, employees well trained, customer satisfaction high and its events chock-full of energy?
What you might get is a store like Fay Myers Motorcycle World, a Top 100 dealer whose presence has dominated its market just south of Denver since its namesake owner founded the business back in 1948. Over the years the store has grown and evolved, hitting a few roadblocks along the way — a fire that gutted the store in 2002 and a snow-caused roof cave-in a year later — but has emerged as the kind of destination point that attracts people from surrounding counties and even out of state.
"The history of the store is very strong, and we do a good job of trying to keep the mystique alive," says Jason White, Fay Myers' GM. "There are a lot of multiline stores, a lot of big-box stores, and we get categorized as being one at times. But we're pretty unique because we carry some unique brands."
Among those brands: Ducati and MV Agusta. Many of Ducati's models are strong sellers this season, especially the Diavel — not the typical commodity product associated with bigger stores, especially one that sells more than 2,000 units a year (4,000 a year before the recession hit).
"It's called Fay Myers Motorcycle World for a reason. We attract and bring traffic through the door. Guys want to come in here and see the newest, greatest motorcycling piece. That's what's cool," White says.
What are the logistics of running a store with 10 brands — and representing them well? It's not easy, White explains; it requires a well-thought out execution and a broad and diverse sales staff.
For example, the showroom's "Euro-land" keeps the European brands segregated from the others. Motorcycles are spaced further apart ("It gives it more of a comfy, Euro feel," White says), and the area is staffed by sales employees who know more about the European marques.
The knowledge diversity of the staff is key to the dealership's success, White says, given that its customer base is so broad and varied. In addition to geographic variances, the staff can relate to riders of all ages. One salesman is 75. Another is 22. Passions are different. Customer relations skills vary. All these differences combine for a strong employee mix.
"We try really hard to not be a normal big-box store," White says. "We try to do volume, but we also try to do more of a boutique, friendly feel. It's just different."
About six years ago, Fay Myers Motorcycle World was sold to the Ralph Schomp Automotive group, one of the highest-volume BMW, Honda and Mini dealers in Colorado, and one of the Denver area's oldest family-owned firms. The ownership change caused barely a ripple; indeed, the new owners opted to keep the Myers name.
"We decided to leave it Fay Myers because it had been there so long and it was established," says Mark Wallace, who co-owns the dealership with his wife, Lisa Schomp. "The store has always tried to [take care of customers] and has always tried to maintain a good name. All we tried to do was keep it that way."
The dealership maintains its long history of community involvement by sponsoring race teams and individual riders, local youth sports leagues, and the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, a statewide OHV access advocacy group. White says that staying involved with so many different aspects of motorcycling keeps the business close to its customers and the sport.
Fay Myers was an early sponsor of professional stunter Jason Britton. It also works with the Denver Broncos — the team's mascot, for example, rides a Fay Myers-wrapped ATV, as do workers at the Broncos training camp.
The dealership is also well-known for its wide range of events, especially its annual open house, which is more of a big giant party than a big "sales event," White notes.
"We [also] do Kids' Day where we bring in tons of dirt and build a dirt track out front. Danny Walker from American Supercamp comes out and trains kids all day long on how to ride bikes," White says. "You can bring a 2-year-old or a 12-year-old. He has them riding out front in a few minutes. We've got face painters, balloon makers, the Broncos' mascot, dunk tanks, rock climbing walls, pop-up slides and bounce houses."
The dealership also maintains a large meeting room open for use, free of charge, for any group involved in motorcycling. The room has a separate access so it's available even if the dealership is closed. The concept was something started by the Myers' family.
"We started supporting youth sports groups," White adds. "We say, 'Bring your baseball and football teams in here for meetings.' We used to only focus on motorsports, but from a grassroots marketing perspective we're now bringing in kids with their parents who are going to walk through our store."
Supporting so many vehicle brands means the dealership has to make a big effort to make sure employees stay up-to-date on products. In an industry where employee education is essential but seldom pursued on a grand scale, Fay Myers takes great pains to make sure its workers are trained. This philosophy stretches from the service department all the way to the front of the store, and is a key marketing point for attracting customers near and far.
The dealership, for example, employs a large crew of factory-trained service techs, probably one of the strongest in the state. The service department, which is a Honda Red Level service center, also includes multiple Gold Level-trained Suzuki service techs, two KTM Orange Level techs and two Ducati Master Techs.
White recalls that when he started at the dealership (in 1994 in the finance department), the back shop wasn't much to speak of. "It was horrendous," he says. Management then made a concerted effort to get the service department back up to speed by putting everyone through training, from OEM classes to those offered by such companies as Dynojet.
The training philosophy eventually expanded to include all employees, with spiffs tied to training to encourage participation. Winter months are reserved for the big learning push.
"Service techs can get an extra dollar an hour for every certification they achieve, [and] we'll tie spiffs to sales staff that complete training," White says. "We really push, but we do miss some stuff. Having 10 brands it's extremely difficult, but it's been our push.
"I have the opinion that you invest in your people and they invest back in you. That's really worked out for us. They are really, really solid."
White has heard the argument from other dealers who balk at educating employees who, they maintain, will just leave and take that training with them. But he wonders: If they're going to leave, do you really want them? And why are they leaving in the first place?
"If they want to leave, then you're doing something wrong. You need to figure out what's wrong with your dealership. What's wrong with your processes. What's wrong with your management team," he explains. "Because if people want to leave than there's something fundamentally not correct."
Admittedly, it's not always easy. It took Fay Myers roughly four or five years to filter out the bad seeds. They go through a weeding-out exercise every year.
"The key is the people. This is a brick-and-mortar business. We've been lucky that Fay Myers has a great name and the Myers family did a great job of being a big part of motorcycling, not just in Colorado, but in the country," White says. "I believe we've taken it to the next level. We've not just said, 'OK, we're the best.' We've fought to continue to stay the best around."
Back when F&I was in its infancy, Fay Myers Motorcycle World was implementing cutting-edge processes like automatic approvals and direct log-ins to banks. Now that these are common practices, the store is pushing to be progressive in how it writes paper.
"We try to be the one-stop shop. We try and be everything the customer needs to get handled while they're here," says GM Jason White. He has a background in credit unions and currently serves on the board of a local one. "We can write the insurance, do your financing and sell you a motorcycle. We try to make it easy."
When it comes to financing customers, the dealership's goal is to develop and maintain a strong, long customer relationship. The same goes for its partnerships with local lenders.
This is an approach that served them well in the credit crunch that had such a devastating impact on the business.
"We really build long-term relationship with our local lenders. We stay in tune with what's going on," White says. "We try to take care of our financing sources as much as they take care of us.
"It's not that challenging, but you have to build it in the good times. To bridge that gap now is very difficult. We take special interest in the profitability of our lenders." It's a give and take partnership that needs to be nurtured. He discourages others from taking the short-term approach just to maximize profits. White notes that the dealership event has tried to talk customers out using revolving credit programs because they don't want to burn a residual customer. If the customer insisted, they'd go through the transaction, but try to educate the customer in the process.
"You try to do what's best for your customers," he says. "We're looking for customers for a lifetime. We're not looking for customers for the short term."
This story originally appeared in the Dealernews July 2011 issue.


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SIMS and Woodward at Copper
SIMS sponsored summer session #6 up at Woodward at Copper last week.
Tons of stoked out little campers signed up to learn new tricks
in the barn and practice their skills on snow. Nothing like sliding snow in July! SIMS pro, Bryan Daino, popped in to ride and hang out with the campers. Daino was handing out SIMS boards like they were candy and every camper left with a ton of free giveaways. Thanks again to the awesome Copper crew for making this another great SIMS session!


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MARIETTA - The deaths of three ducks found this week at Buckeye Park in Marietta are being investigated by police and humane society officials.
Lowell resident Walter McBride, 54, who cares for a female mallard at the park, is concerned the ducks were purposefully hurt, as was the case with a pet duck in Vincent last fall.
"Someone had carried those ducks," said McBride of two white ducks found near the road.
McBride believed the ducks had been beaten.
However, it is still too early to tell whether the ducks were maliciously killed or died due to weather or accidental circumstances, said Misty Carpenter, humane officer for the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley.
"If they were killed on purpose, they were very obvious about it," said Carpenter, who retrieved two of the ducks Tuesday from the spot where they were found near the street.
Another dead duck was found on the pond.
While a criminal act has not been ruled out, it is possible the ducks could have frozen, starved or been hit by a vehicle, said Carpenter.
It would be unusual, though not impossible for an area duck to freeze, said Dawn Hewitt, managing editor of Bird Watcher's Digest.
"Ducks can survive winter temperatures just fine. Of course they need open water...but the Ohio River rarely freezes over," she said.
As there are no native wild white ducks in the area, the two white ducks found would have been a type of domestic duck, she said.
"They may have been accustomed to being fed by humans," said Hewitt.
Carpenter said someone she interviewed confirmed that the white ducks had been pets of a nearby family that moved.
Carpenter was uncertain if animal abandonment provisions are in place for domestic ducks.
Residents around Buckeye Park routinely feed the ducks, she added.
McBride is concerned that many of the ducks that he regularly sees at the park have been missing lately, he said.
The missing ducks include McBride's mallard and two other white ducks.
The Marietta Police Department is also investigating the dead ducks, said Capt. Jeff Waite.
"We'll investigate and find out what killed them if possible and then take it from there," he said.
If someone killed the ducks, that person would likely face an animal cruelty charge, he said.
Animal cruelty is a first- or second-degree misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances.


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Even though we ARE Nikon lovers,we are NOT affiliated with Nikon Corp. in any way.
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4 posts
hi i am new to this forum and also new to dslr. i just bought my new d3000 yesterday. i have noticed the differences of the shutter when the VR is on or off. when the VR is off, when i click for a shoot, right after i hear the shutter, the image in the view finder is steady... but when i turn ON the VR, after i hear the shutter, the image in the view finder move a little then have the capture image. is it normal that the image move a little?? coz if not, i will return for exchange of my lens.. sorry i am very new to this. thanks for any replies.
Chicago, US
6739 posts
#1. "RE: VR on and off question?" | In response to Reply # 0
What you are seeing the VR stabilization activating and engaging. Your technique should be let the VR remain on (except for those situations where it is not needed), half press the shutter release to engage the AE, AF and VR electronics, and after the VR has engaged then fully depress the shutter release.This technique is covered in the instructions for the VR lenses along with other usage information:"¦Notes on using vibration reduction mode• Wait until the image in the viewfinder stops vibrating before fully depressing the shutter release button after you have lightly pressed the shutter release button.• Due to the characteristics of the vibration reduction mechanism, the image in the viewfinder may become slightly blurred after releasing the shutter. This is not a malfunction.• Do not turn the camera power OFF or remove the lens from the camera while thevibration reduction mode is in operation. (Otherwise, the lens may emit a chattering noise if the camera is shaken. This is not a malfunction. Turn the camera power ON again to correct this.)"
GeorgeMy Nikonian Galleries
31610 posts
#2. "RE: VR on and off question?" | In response to Reply # 0
Hi Brando,Welcome to Nikonians!RELAX!!!! Don't worry the VR mechinism is working normally. As George noted above, when you have VR On press the shutter release button half way and allow eneough time for the VR to settle before releasing the shutter.Good Luck and Enjoy your Nikons!
Best Regards,Marty
#3. "RE: VR on and off question?" | In response to Reply # 2
thanks for your replies. im just bothered because the whole image in the viewfinder move right after the shutter everytime the VR is turned ON. but when its turned off, it is steady. so my lens is good and no reason to return it for exchange. i really appreciate your immediate replies. this made me decide to stay in this forum. worth it!
#4. "RE: VR on and off question?" | In response to Reply # 3
i really hear a click sound like inside the lens is loose when the VR is ON when doing the half press of the shutter then releasing it. but when its VR OFF its not doing the same thing. is it doing the same as yours guys?and also i tried my camera on tripod without moving. i compare the shot when the VR is ON and OFF. i focus it correctly. and the i noticed that there is a difference on the centering or alignment of the picture. when VR is on it makes the picture too high. is it normal? coz i got bothered with that "movement" which i can also feel the vibration like its loose.
#5. "RE: VR on and off question?" | In response to Reply # 4
it really makes me anxious if this only happens to my cam.. =(
#6. "RE: VR on and off question?" | In response to Reply # 4
That is how the VR system works.The VR system moves a lens within the lens to keep the image centered and this movement is done by a motor with in the lens and the VR lens has limits for its movement.When mounted on a tripod, you should have the VR "OFF", this is stated in the instructions for the lens.


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Bolton Wanderers Message Board
- Miguel by Miguel Mar 2, 2013 21:55 Flag
Now that´s what I call how to play football! Well done all at LFC. Can´t wait to see Sturridge, Suarez, Coutino and Gerrard develop as the season winds down. Great stuff!
- Reply to
Rodgers substitutionsby Loki Feb 22, 2013 08:35Miguel Miguel Feb 22, 2013 17:30 Flag
Good point Dave, you might be interested to take a look at the "Different take on Zenit games" thread to widen the discussion a bit. My point there, and here, is that for me the most damning statistic for LFC is a failure to score more from the record chances we´ve created. Do that, and no-one would care too hoots about substitutions, gaffs, formations, selections etc etc. Cure that one fault and we´d still be in the FA cup and fourth or better in the league. See the other thread for reasons.
- Reply to
A different take on the Zenit gamesby Miguel Feb 22, 2013 16:36Miguel Miguel Feb 22, 2013 17:18 Flag
True Loki but I think we´ve created 503 chances in all competitions this season so far!
If we´d scored one in five of those, we´d have 100 goals for. For me thats an easier thing to rectify than "we cut those (mistakes) out". It´s easier for me to up the score rate than avoid mistakes - which every human makes. As you said, no team has 100% conversion, but we need only to up the conversion ratio from around the current 10% to around 15%.to make a HUGE difference.Even with the mistakes we have made, that would put us in fourth or better.
Of course, both are important but we are more wasteful in front of goal than we are in conceding. Wouldn´t you agree?
- Miguel by Miguel Feb 22, 2013 16:36 Flag
Whilst the focus has all been on Jamie´s gaff and Brendans substituions, I´d like us to remember that we spurned at least three clear chances in the away leg and managed only one goal in open play last night. Could I therefore suggest that the real reason we lost was down to an inability to put the ball in the net. Something we´ve been guilty of all season from the record number of chances this team have created. I believe we are something like second in all European leagues on chances created.
For me, this is most encouraging. I think if we get Sturridge, Suarez, and a Borini replacement really going, we will be a hard team to defeat. Ok, so we need to sort out the defensive errors, but who cares if we concede if we are able to step up our conversion ratio just a few percent?
- Reply to
Team to beat Zenit at Anfield?by Hobitez Feb 20, 2013 11:23Miguel Miguel Feb 20, 2013 19:13 Flag
No quibbles with that selection if it includes Hendo and not Allen. That Brazilian Hulk is just too much power for the latter to contend with. Regards the outcome, I fear they will get an away goal leaving us to score four which is just a couple maybe too far in the absence of Sturridge. Agree, if Suarez ups his score ratio, they can be got at but he is woefully wasteful and will need approx twenty attempts to score two. Just so long as he gets some support in the box and isnt left with no option but to have a shot himself. Sadly though, I guess we are going out. Hope I´m wrong
- Miguel Miguel Feb 15, 2013 16:07 Flag
Tell you what Hobs, that selection wouldn´t do much worse than our last few team performances! Some of those might at least show some of the chronically missing passion and backbone we are so short of when things go wrong.
I hope we can get three points against Swansea and, history dictates we´ll sail back from the last three performances by giving them a three or four goal thrashing - in which case I will scream in frustration, calm down and once again hope that our season can once more kick off to a better conclusion.
Oops, but I forgot, we´ll lose 2 - 5 to Zenit at Anfield on the back of a victory over the Swans. What a roller coaster of a season!!
- Miguel Miguel Feb 15, 2013 14:52 Flag
Sorry, can´t resist this in my current mood
--------------------------------Reina-------------------- --------
----------------------Gerrard---------Gerrard--------------- ----
-------------------------------Sturridge------------------ -------
and I only left Johnson and Enrique there because Carragher can´t
play all four defense positions!!
- Reply to
LS7 - 2011by Jason Feb 14, 2013 22:38Miguel Miguel Feb 14, 2013 22:46 Flag
Jason, tome it´s clear that Suarez is out of control.
If I were Rodgers, I´d lambast him privately and tell him to wise up, stop trying the spectacularly impossible and start playing sensibly. In short, he is being allowed to get away with murder week in week out and I bet it´s not just us supporters he´s frustrating!
Clearly Rodgers can´t control him. Hate to say it but he needs a Fergie to sort him out and turn him from profligate to effective.
- Miguel Miguel Feb 14, 2013 22:25 Flag
Read this after my comments above re BR´s post match opinion
"Rodgers said afterwards it was "a perfect away performance, apart from 10 minutes", and if that is how he views the standards set by Liverpool supporters he could well find himself in trouble".
Seems even the press are at it now and no more than such stupid comments deserve!
- Miguel Miguel Feb 14, 2013 22:17 Flag
I watched the first half then we had folks in for dinner so had to switch off with the score at a flattering nil nil as far as we were concerned. No matter, I told the Mrs what the outcome would be and am glad I didn´t have to watch yet another capitulation, (actually I reckoned we´d lose three one), and say bye bye to another possible trophy. Not even the consolation of an away goal.
They will definitely score at Anfield which means we need to score at least four goals to go through. Not a hope in hell.
This is getting to be beyond belief. The chances we did create we spurned and, once again, there appeared to be no cohesive belief in the squad. That has to be down to the manager and though I´ve tried to be as well as call for patience in the past, enough is getting to be enough.
BR is not getting the steady improvement he claims and the players as a bunch are certainly collectively more talented than those playing for teams who are regularly beating us.
I fear for our remaining fixtures and lest anyone says we shouldn´t judge on one result, I´m not! There have been far too many poor results for it to be put down to the bad luck BR is constantly claiming. That is in fact an insult to us supporters who see the flaws. If only he would come out and say "we simply weren´t good enough" I´d cut him even more slack but he won´t.
Once again, disappointed and disgusted.
- Miguel Miguel Feb 14, 2013 15:12 Flag
I know, I know! And, it´s not as if other teams don´t rely heavily on one player or another. I guarantee if you took RVP´s goals out of the Them performances this season, City would be far closer to the title. Likewise Barcelona and El Messi, Tottenham Balespur, etc etc.the list goes on.
If only the Gerrard shooting sights were working better as well as those of a certain Luis, we´d have a bundle more points in the bag!
- Miguel Miguel Feb 14, 2013 13:56 Flag
Noo Noo, that´s Chinese water torture! Just rubs in the irony of where we find ourselves viz 9th in the league and out of the FA cup. More seriously, it´s a measure of just how insipid our finishing has been.
- Miguel Miguel Feb 14, 2013 11:55 Flag
Trouble with that balanced view is that as a club, we play things close lto our chests. The owners make no real comment, means we all try guessing what the vision is or how long/short term.
If the club have anything to answer to it´s supporters for, it´s the lack of comment.
A good leader takes his troops with him, keeps them in the loop, informs them of what he is trying to achieve, repeats the message regularly, kicks ass when needed and praises even when things get tough.
Don´t see much sign of that at Anfield so the guessing games will go on I reckon. Meantime, I´m trying to be patient in the absence of any short term info from the club and have to trust that we will continue to develop in the right direction.
Winning our remaining fixtures is a big ask as I see us at the moment. So, even more important to keep a level head and keep supporting. Just hope the management are trying to instill the same confidence into the players and that as confidence rises, so too will our league position.
- Miguel Miguel Feb 14, 2013 10:19 Flag
Noo Noo, good post I thought.
Certainly it´s a (very) long term view but you are right when you make the point of longevity being equated with long term success. I haven´t done it and stats are not my thing, but it would be interesting to look at the Premier League alone as an example.
No rocket science needed. Looking like 20 titles for Them and if someone graphed the number of managers per club relative to finishing position (averaged) over the PL years, I have a strong feeling there would be a noticeable trend in support of your argument.
For hypothetical example:-
Man U
managers 1
av finishing position (say) 2
managers 6 (?)
av finishing position 12
etc etc?
- Reply to
Still on course to improve on last year.by Loki Feb 12, 2013 12:49Miguel Miguel Feb 12, 2013 16:54 Flag
Loki, I think it´s not so much the defeats as the manner of the defeats.
We draw at Arsenal and City then the same team turns up at Anfield and puts on a truly insipid performance against WBA to quote the most recent example - of many.
All of a sudden and without any apparent reason, we concede 2 goals after 80 minutes of nil pressure by WBA and 80 minutes of constant toothless pressure by us going the other way. It´s enough to baffle anyone.
Totally inconsistent and therefore highly frustrating I´m sure you´d agree. Not good enough for the squad we have and so it is very difficult for we supporters to find meaningful excuses. Hence the bile on this board I suspect. I can understand it.
- Reply to
What the manager says in publicby Loki Feb 12, 2013 13:08Miguel Miguel Feb 12, 2013 15:04 Flag
"sorted the attack out" ??
Bar the headed goal we conceded followed by the "caught on the break" one which followed, our defense was hardly troubled all night. On the other hand, we make 19 scrappy and insipid attempts on their goal, penalty included, (keeper was good on four of them admittedly) whilst they have 4 attempts and score 2. We lost any impetus the moment we got within thirty yards of their goal and, the woefully wayward Suarez excepted, no-one seemed to know what to do - pass or shoot or dribble..
Our attack is far from sorted! If it was, we should have scored five or more with that ratio! We couldn´t hit a barn door last night let´s be honest!
Without Sturridge last night we looked like we did all last season and for most of this! Based on last night´s performance, next season is going to look much the same given that the competition will probably match us on signings and strengthening in the summer. It´s becoming clear to me we also need a good old fashioned tall, meaty bruiser with the ability to head the ball to complement our central strike force. This is the premiership and it´s against brawling scrapping heavyweight defenders in mid table that we need to take maximum points, not Arsenal and City and their flowing football. A draw against them, especially away from home, is not a problem at this stage in our re-build.
Anybody agree?
- Reply to
Luis Suarezby A Yahoo! User Feb 11, 2013 22:02Miguel Miguel Feb 12, 2013 14:47 Flag
Any form of cheating is both undesirable and unacceptable. Suarez is of course a high profile player who is certainly far from alone in cheating but who is more "newsworthy" than less highly profiled players. Hence the circus which commences after every "Suarez" episode and not every time a player cheats, which is all too often week in week out
So, no defending Suarez here from me. That said, perhaps it would be more balanced , if un-newsworthy, to highlight these incidents every time they occur? I think perhaps morally yes but in reality it ain´t going to happen!
- Miguel Miguel Feb 11, 2013 22:21 Flag
I hate to admit it but I was so confident we´d slip up I bet on WBA to win.I´ve won too many bets this season in similar fashion and I don´t bet unless the odds are as attractive as they were tonight which is a funny way of backing what I said earlier this week, it´s the mid team tables that cause us the biggest problems!
We were as usual odds on to win. Even the draw was 4 to 1 and WBA nearly 8 to 1 against! Disgraceful!
- Miguel Miguel Feb 11, 2013 22:00 Flag
I said we´d lose this a week ago. We were due on of those awful backward steps and here it was.
21 attempts at goal v 3 by WBA says it all. We couldn´t score to save our lives never mind get three points.
That´s fourth definitely gone and seventh looking likely only if we promptly halt this latest rot.
Enrique was generally terrible, Johnson not on song, Gerrard wayward, Suarez all over the place and ineffective etc etc. At times we looked like we were just not interested.
I reckon we could have had 40 shots and Foster would have saved ten of them. We just can´t score against him. Pepe? Well just about average bar one good fingertip save.
Pathetic performance and please....no excuses please Brendan. Just do something about it!!
- Miguel by Miguel Feb 10, 2013 16:51 Flag
Conceding two goals to them before half time one from Manchester n Persie helps us. " Unfortunately" as I'd still like to see "Them" slip up!


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The State of
Public Education, 2013
Welcome to the new and improved State of Minnesota Public Education report. As you can probably tell, we did things a little differently this year. The 2013 edition of our annual analysis of Minnesota public schools is designed to be leaner, cleaner and easier for you, our fellow advocates, to use. With lots of easy-to-read graphs, it presents facts about virtually every facet of our public schools—from the kids they serve to the funding they receive to the policies that govern them.
But even with a new look, the data still tell the same story, one in which Minnesota's achievement gaps remain inexcusably wide. Black and Latino eighth-graders trail 37 percentage points behind their white peers in math. Low-income eighth-graders don't fare much better, coming in 32 percentage points behind more affluent students. Only half of black and Latino students graduate from high school. And while black and Latino graduates make up 10 percent of all Minnesota graduates, they only make up 5 percent of graduates who left high school having taken at least one Advanced Placement exam. Of those graduates, only 3 and 2 percent, respectively, took an AP exam—compared to 83 percent of white students.
Many of the facts in this report are grim. Enraging, even. But they are also empowering. In the two years since MinnCAN launched we've proven that when armed with the facts, we can build a powerful case against the status quo.
Together we will build a Minnesota in which all children have access to great schools. Because great schools change everything.
Daniel Sellers
Executive Director, MinnCAN
There are 824,333 students in Minnesota. They differ in race, economic standing and native language, but every one of these children deserves a great school.
There are 52,524 teachers, 333 school districts and thousands of schools in Minnesota's K–12 system. Each one of them is responsible for providing our children with a great education.
Great schools begin with access to pre-K, but the National Institute for Early Education Research rates Minnesota near the bottom in pre-K accessibility for 3- and 4-year-olds. This is unfortunate because children who received pre-K education have stronger vocabulary skills, higher attendance rates and better reading and math test scores.
At last count, our policymakers allocated $10,685 per pupil on K–12 education. That places Minnesota near the national average of $10,615 in per pupil education spending.
But what are Minnesotans getting in return for their investment in public education?
State assessments show that by eighth grade, nearly 40 percent of our eighth-grade students aren't proficient in math and nearly 30 percent aren't proficient in reading.
The Nation's Report Card is another barometer of student achievement that allows for state-to-national comparisons. Its proficiency rates are expected to mirror student mastery of the Common Core State Standards in English-language arts, which our teachers will begin implementing this year. The Common Core State Standards are a state-led initiative to adopt clear academic standards that will better prepare students for college and the workplace. If the Nation's Report Card is any indication, fewer than 40 percent of our eighth-graders will be able to meet that level of rigor.
The ACT also tests students' college and career readiness. Over the past five years, Minnesota's ACT participation has remained steady and the number of students who are college-ready across all four subject areas has risen to 36 percent. That's more than 10 points above the national percentage, but there are still far too many kids unprepared for college.
Minnesota's black students trail their white peers by 30 percentage points in reading and 37 percentage points in math. There are similarly pronounced gaps between Latino and white students. Our state also contends with sizable achievement gaps between Asians and whites. In the past two years, we've made no progress in narrowing these divides.
Percentage of students proficient or above in Math
Percentage of students proficient or above in Reading
The Nation's Report Card indicates that Minnesota's eighth-grade achievement gaps in math proficiency exceed those of the nation. The math gap between our state's Native American students and their white peers is 44 percentage points, nearly 20 percentage points wider than the national gap. Meanwhile, our Latino students are 37 percentage points behind their white peers in math, compared to 23 percentage points nationally.
Math (in percentage points)
Reading (in percentage points)
Advanced Placement courses give high school students a taste of college-level rigor and an opportunity to earn college credits by scoring three or higher on an end-of-year exam. But success rates on the AP exam reveal a clear college- and career-readiness gap between students of color and their white peers. Black, Latino and Native American children score a three or higher at less than half the rate of white students.
The ACT performance gaps between whites and students of color are alarming. Most worryingly, only 8 percent of black students are college-ready across all four subject areas, compared to 39 percent of white students.
State and national assessments of student achievement confirm that many of our eighth-graders are entering high school behind. Unsurprisingly, this fact bears out in Minnesota's four-year high school graduation rates. Though there are few dropout factories in Minnesota, a disturbing number of black, Latino and low-income students aren't graduating from high school in four years.
Preparing our children for college is critical to their future success. In 2018, 70 percent of all Minnesota's jobs will require some level of education beyond high school. Yet the graduation rate from our two-year colleges is only 33 percent, and the graduation rate from our four-year colleges is only 59 percent.
Minnesota is making progress. Our state's winning Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge application, waiver from federal education requirements, adoption of English Language Arts Common Core standards and student-centered teacher evaluation system are all promising steps toward better schools. In addition, our charter school law ranks among the best in the country. But we need to keep pushing for increased accountability and equitable access to funding and facilities.
Great schools need great leaders. The governor, his education commissioners and key legislators make the laws and regulations that affect students, teachers and administrators every day. The success of our schools hinges on their leadership.
This report shows we have a lot to celebrate as a state, but also a lot to improve upon.
With Minnesota eighth-graders scoring near the top in math and reading on the Nation's Report Card, our public schools are, on the surface, some of the most successful in the nation. Yet that success is only relative, because three out of five of our eighth-graders don't read on grade level. And the numbers only get worse for our black, Latino and low-income eighth-graders, who trail at least 30 percentage points behind their white peers in math.
We know that simply pouring more resources into the system won't be enough to close those gaps: Minnesota already spends more money per pupil than any neighboring state. If we really want to close the gaps between the haves and the have-nots, we need to muster enough political will to enact the policies that will allow every child access to a great public school.
That's where you come in. Please share this report with your family, friends, neighbors and elected officials, and then visit www.minncan.org/join to sign up for updates on other ways you can be part of our 2013 campaign.
It will take an entire movement of Minnesotans to enact the change our schools so desperately need. We hope you join us.


text:
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Critter Cinema provides family funUPDATED 12:17 PM CDT Mar 11, 2014
Critter Cinema costs $30 per child, and space is limited.Video Transcript
FURRY FRIENDS TO THE MOVIES WITH US ON A REGULAR BASIS -- HOWEVER THIS WEEKEND THAT'LL ALL CHANGE... WDSU KWEILYN MURPHY JOINS US THIS MORNING TO TELL US ABOUT AN LA- SP-CA EVENT -- THAT'LL HAVE THE WHOLE FAMILY GIVING TWO PAWS UP... Today: Scattered to numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. High: 70. Wind: Southeast 5 - 10 mph. Tonight: Cloudy and mild with a stray shower. Low: 60. Wind: Southwest 5 - 10 mph. Tomorrow: Cloudy and windy with an isolated shower early, then afternoon clearing. High: 59. Wind: Northeast 15 - 25 mph. WDSU NEWS THIS MORNING IS YOUR HOME FOR WEATHER AND
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Stock Quotes
Atlanta 9/21/2011 10:24 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)
Airstrikes In The Middle East May Have Killed ISIS Leader
Strong Earthquake Hits Northwest China, Dozens Killed And Hundreds Injured
Zetas Leader Miguel Angel Treviño Morale Captured
More than two years after their arrest, American hikers Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal have been released from Evin Prison in Iran. CNN reports Bauer and Fattal were released to an Omani official Wednesday after each posted $500,000 bail. Iranian officials say their 8 year prison sentences have been commuted. The men will spend several days with their families in Oman before they return to the United States.
Fattal and Bauer were sentenced last month when a court found them guilty of espionage and illegal entry. The pair, along with their friend Sarah Shourd, was arrested in July 2009 while hiking in Iraq's Kurdish region near the Iranian border. The trio has previously claimed they entered Iran by mistake after being waved over by a soldier. Shourd was released from custody last September after posting $500,000 bail.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised Bauer and Fattal's released last week in an interview with NBC's Anne Curry. He called their release a "humanitarian gesture."
Click here for more World News
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text:
Hengshuai Yao
Ph. D. Candidate
Department of Computer Science
University of Alberta
Room 305, RLAI Lab
Short Bio
I am a Ph.D student in the
Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Intelligence Lab
University of Alberta
. My advisor is Professor
Csaba Szepesvari
. I received my Master of Engineering's degree in Computer Science and Engineering Department of
Tsinghua University
in 2006. I received my Bachelor of Science's degree in Mathematical Department at Shandong University of Technology China in 2003.
My research interests include reinforcement learning, machine learning, information retrieval and data mining. I enjoy studying and inventing efficient algorithms for learning and inferring from big data. My past experience include projects about prediction and control, robot soccer, link analysis, personalization ranking and battling spams, recommendation systems, trending topics detection, and large scale computation, etc.
Our daughter YingYing was born on March 22, 2014.
Our paper for trending topic detection was accepted by WWW 2014.
I was on Yahoo! FYI on October 30, 2013. Marissa anounced our team won the CEO challenge award.
I presented our internship project "Trending Now" to Marissa with a teammate, October 2013.
Internship at Yahoo! extended another three months.
I started an internship at Yahoo! Search since July 22nd, 2013.
Our linear action model based approximated policy iteration algorithm was accepted by AAAI, 2012.
Our son Alexander was born on November 25, 2011.
Yao, H., Szepesvari, Cs., Pires, B. A., and Zhang, X. 2014. Pseudo-MDPs and Factored Linear Action Models. IEEE Symposium on Adaptive Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning (IEEE ADPRL), Best student paper nomination, Orlando, Florida, USA.
Lee, C., Yao, H., He, X., Su, C., and Chang, J-Y. 2014. A System to Predict Future Popularity: Learning to Classify. WWW (poster), Seol,Korea.
Yao, H., Szepesvari, Cs., Sutton, R., and Bhatnagar,S. 2014. Universal Option Models. NIPS. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Yao, H. and Schuurmans, D. 2013. Reinforcement Ranking. arXiv:1303.5988.
Yao, H. 2012. MaxRank: Discovering and Leveraging the Most Valuable Links for Ranking. arxiv 1210.1626.
Yao, H. and Szepesvari, Cs. Approximate Policy Iteration with Linear Action Models. Twenty-Sixth Conference on Artificial Intelligence. AAAI. Toronto, Canada. 2012.
Yao, H. Off-policy learning with linear action models: an efficient "One-Collection-For-All-Solution". In workshop on "Planning and Acting with Uncertain Models" at the 28th ICML, Bellevue, Washington, USA. 2011.
Yao, H. Linear least-squares Dyna-style planning. Technical Report TR11-04, Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta. 2011.
Yao, H., Bhatnagar, S., and Diao, D. Multi-step linear Dyna-style planning. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) 22, Vancouver, BC, Canada. 2009.
retyped pdf
Yao, H., Bhatnagar, S., and Szepesvari, Cs. LMS-2: towards an algorithm that is as cheap as LMS and almost as efficient as RLS. The Forty-eighth IEEE Control and Decision Conference (CDC), Shanghai, China. December 2009.
Yao, H., Sutton, R. S., Bhatnagar, S., Diao, D., and Szepesvari, Cs. Dyna(k): A multi-step Dyna planning. Abstraction in Reinforcement Learning. Montreal, Canada. June 2009.
Yao, H., Bhatnagar, S., and Szepesvari, Cs. Temporal difference learning by direct preconditioning. Multidisciplinary Symposium on Reinforcement Learning (MSRL), Montreal, Canada. June 2009.
Yao, H., and Liu, Z-Q. Preconditioned temporal difference learning. The 25th International Conference on Machine learning (ICML), Helsinki, Finland. June 2008.
Yao, H., and Liu, Z-Q. Minimal residual approaches for policy evaluation in large sparse Markov chains. The Tenth International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics (ISAIM), Fort Lauderdale, USA. January 2008.
"Trending Now" Internship winner (CEO challenge award); project presented to Marissa, 2013.
Yahoo! Invention Award. December, 2013.
J Gordin Kaplan Graduate Student Award, University of Alberta, 2012.
Hong Kong Government Scholarship for graduate students. 2007.
Fourth place, simulation league of World RoboCup, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004.
Champion, The 2001 and 2002 Shandong University of Technology Mathematical Modeling Contest.
Professional Activities
WWW 2015, pc member (on web search)
The First Workshop on Heterogeneous Information Access at WSDM 2015, pc member.
NeuroComputing, reviewer.
IEEE Symposium on Adaptive Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning(ADPRL) 2014, pc member.
Journal of Machine Learning Research, reviewer.
Pattern of Recgonition Letters, reviewer.
Last Updated: November, 2014


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Cultural Discovery Tour of Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia
Discover three fascinating countries on this two-week trip, including one of the world's newest countries: Kosovo. Independent since 2008, Kosovo is often referred to as 'newborn.' Along with Albania and Macedonia, this is a region that is off the beaten track and most travellers still know little about. On this trip you'll have the chance to get to know them by exploring their varied treasures from their rich history to their incredible scenery including dramatic mountains, lakes and pretty valleys.
Tour Highlights
- Balkan Capitals - Discover the capitals of Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia
- Valbona Valley - One of the most beautiful alpine valleys in Albania
- Decani Monastery - Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Prizren - Explore the postcard pretty town of Prizren by wandering along its cobbled streets
- Rahovec Wine - Enjoy wine tasting in Rahovec, the wine cellar of Kosovo
- Lake Ohrid - A stunning lake and mountain setting boasting many cultural monuments
1Join tour in Kruja
2Visit Kruja bazaar; drive to Shkodra and visit Rozafa Fortress
3Drive through Kosovo whilst travelling to the Valbona Valley
4Alpine hike in the scenic valley and meet a local shepherd's family
5Enter Kosovo and visit the Decani Monastery on the way to Peja
6Explore the Peja highlands and the church complex of Peja Patriarch
7Visit a waterfall, war memorial and monastery en route to Pristina
8In Rahovec we visit local wine makers before driving to Prizren
9Explore historic Prizren and visit the Tzar Dushan Fortress
10Walk in Sharr National Park; arrive in Skopje in Macedonia
11Discover Skopje, Teovo Mosque and drive to Mavrovo National Park
12Explore Lake Ohrid and Saint Naum Monastery; arrive in Pogradec
13Drive to Tirana and take a walking tour
14Tour ends in Tirana
Trip notes
Each departure date has it's own dedicated trip note, detailing all you need to know about that trip. Whether you've already booked, or weighing up your options, please choose carefully the relevant itinerary for you.
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Hotels in Chelsea Bridge
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Westminster30 John Islip Street, London 4.0 out of 5.0
Located in Victoria, this hotel is within a 15-minute walk of Tate Britain, Big Ben, and Houses of Parliament. Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square are also ...
The Strand Palace Hotel372 The Strand, London 4.0 out of 5.0
Located in Soho, this eco-friendly hotel is steps from Lyceum Theatre and Covent Garden. King's College London and Trafalgar Square are also within 10 ...
Best Western Victoria Palace60-64 Warwick Way, London 3.0 out of 5.0
Located in Victoria, this hotel is within 2 mi (3 km) of Victoria Palace Theatre, Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben. Tate Britain and Sloane Square are also within ...
Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel & Spa354 Queenstown Road, London 4.0 out of 5.0
Located in Chelsea, this spa hotel is within 2 mi (3 km) of Battersea Park, Harrods, and Buckingham Palace. Sloane Square and Saatchi Gallery are also within ...
Park Plaza Victoria London239 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London 4.0 out of 5.0
Being situated next to Victoria station makes the travel easy. Buckingham Palace and the famous Harrods are also close by. Whether your visit is for business ...
St. James' Court, A Taj Hotel, London45-51 Buckingham Gate, London 4.0 out of 5.0
Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral, and Big Ben are among the many popular attractions within 0.8 km (0.5 mi) of this central London hotel. Victoria Station ...
Park Plaza Riverbank London18 Albert Embankment, London 4.0 out of 5.0
Park Plaza Riverbank London is across the river from the Tate Britain gallery, close to Westminster. The London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are all ...
Lancaster LondonLancaster Terrace, London 4.0 out of 5.0
This 18-storey London hotel stands on the edge of Hyde Park, offering a breathtaking view and lies a 5-minute walk from Paddington Underground Station; West ...
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London200 Westminster Bridge Road, London 4.0 out of 5.0
This fantastic new hotel is located on the South Bank, near London Eye. Waterloo and Westminster stations are within 5 minutes walk, making easier to travel ...
DoubleTree by Hilton London Victoria2 Bridge Place, London 4.0 out of 5.0
Located behind Victoria train station, this contemporary London hotel is 200 metres from the Apollo Victoria Theatre and 300 metres from Westminster ...
No matter what type of traveler you are, there's likely a hotel in Kensington - Chelsea that will meet all your needs. Orbitz has 103 of them here, most of which rate highly for Location and Hotel Staff. Stay as long as you'd like — you won't want to miss Grant Museum of Zoology, Holland Park, Natural History Museum and The Wallace Collection.Where to shop in Kensington - Chelsea
While traveling, not all events are planned, but Kensington - Chelsea has you covered. Pick up new clothes or any forgotten essentials at Topshop, Harrods and TK Maxx High St Kensington.
Garrard, Muji and Boots are on hand for picking up gifts, the latest tech gadgets and more.Getting to Kensington - Chelsea
The most direct path to Kensington - Chelseais through Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport.Arts and culture in Kensington - Chelsea
Anthropology, history, fine art — there's no limit to what museums can offer. Enjoy an educational and fun afternoon in Kensington - Chelsea at Grant Museum of Zoology, Natural History Museum and The Wallace Collection. Natural History Museum, Foyles and Imperial College offer a taste of culture and learning.Things to do in Kensington - Chelsea
Looking for fun in Kensington - Chelsea? The silver screens at Cineworld Cinemas - London Chelsea and Vue Cinemas offer up afternoons of classic entertainment and more.
Sports enthusiasts can head to Craven Cottage to enjoy some athletic feats with their refreshments.
Virgin Active Chelsea offers a chance to pamper yourself and relax during your travels.Where to eat in Kensington - Chelsea
Start your day right with some breakfast at restaurants like Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Tom's Kitchen and The Windsor Castle, or stop by for a treat while you're buzzing around town.Best times to visit Kensington - Chelsea
Kensington - Chelsea is always welcoming to new visitors and old friends, but February, March and January are the most budget-friendly times to visit. During these months, you'll save approximately 32%, 31% and 25%, respectively.Where to party in Kensington - Chelsea
Don't want to turn in early? Grab a cold brew or mixed drink at Hollywood Arms, The Roof Gardens and Wellington Club.Things to do in Kensington - Chelsea
Looking for fun in Kensington - Chelsea? The silver screens at Cineworld Cinemas - London Chelsea and Vue Cinemas offer up afternoons of classic entertainment and more.
Sports enthusiasts can head to Craven Cottage to enjoy some athletic feats with their refreshments.
Virgin Active Chelsea offers a chance to pamper yourself and relax during your travels.Getting to Kensington - Chelsea
The most direct path to Kensington - Chelseais through Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport.
Cities near Chelsea Bridge
- London (1.85 mi)
- Wembley (8.02 mi)
- Slough (19.27 mi)
- Southall (9.78 mi)
- Kingston Upon Thames (7.62 mi)
- Hounslow (9.39 mi)
- Chessington (11.31 mi)
- Twickenham (8.65 mi)
- Harrow (10.74 mi)
- Brentwood (22.01 mi)
- Brentford (6.81 mi)
- Ilford (11.95 mi)
- Uxbridge (15.17 mi)
- Enfield (12.86 mi)
- Sevenoaks (20.5 mi)
- Bromley (10.13 mi)
- Bexleyheath (12.75 mi)
- Weybridge (15.48 mi)
- Cobham (15.86 mi)
- Epsom (12.09 mi)
Top Points of Interests in Chelsea Bridge
- Imperial College London (1.54 mi)
- London Dungeon (1.85 mi)
- Selfridges (2.09 mi)
- London Bridge (3.12 mi)
- Tower of London (3.64 mi)
- Big Ben (1.51 mi)
- Buckingham Palace (1.28 mi)
- O2 Arena (6.63 mi)
- Royal Albert Hall (1.67 mi)
- St. Paul's Cathedral (2.97 mi)
- Trafalgar Square (1.88 mi)
- Olympic Stadium (6.83 mi)
- King's College London (2.33 mi)
- Harrods (1.2 mi)
- London Eye (1.88 mi)
- London Zoo (3.55 mi)
- London Aquarium (1.82 mi)
- Hyde Park (1.73 mi)
- Covent Garden (2.26 mi)
- Tower Bridge (3.52 mi)
More to Explore
* Prices reflect the lowest "base rate" found over the next 30 days. Rates are subject to change and may not include taxes and fees, hotel service charges, extra person charges, or incidentals, such as room service. All rates are displayed in USD unless otherwise noted. Converted rates are provided for your convenience. They are based on today's exchange rate, but the hotel will charge you in the local currency.


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INDIANAPOLIS -- Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Barger Cooper, formerly of Charleston, Mo., celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Dec. 6, 2006, at their son's home in Indianapolis.
The surprise party was attended by family and friends who shared in the special occasion.
Mrs. Cooper is the former Linda Kay Griffin and is the daughter of the late Rev. Howard and Mrs. Dorothy Griffin. Cooper is the son of the late J.T. and Edith Cooper.
The couple have two sons, Brett Cooper of Indianapolis and Bart Cooper of Phoenix; and four granddaughters and two great-granddaughters.
Cooper's passions are genealogy, fishing and spending time with family and friends. He is retired from Indiana Steel and Wire of Muncie, where he worked in management for many years.
Mrs. Cooper enjoys interior decorating, writing poetry and making family memories.


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Murder on the Orient Express
by Agatha Christie
Analysis: Narrator Point of View
Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?
Rather than being a character in the story, the narrator is an omniscient third-person voice. The narrator is fairly unobtrusive and sticks to giving us the facts. The narrator also gives us multiple points of view and switches between, for example, the point of view of Poirot, and the point of view of other characters, such as Mary Debenham.
How would this story be different if it were told by Poirot? What if it was told by M. Bouc, Poirot's sidekick, like how Watson narrates the Sherlock Holmes stories?


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The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Negros Oriental and the Bais City government, yesterday sent personnel to verify reports of "strange" deaths of groupers or "lapu-lapu" that have baffled fishermen in the Bais Bay and nearby Tanjay City.
Ricky Soler Jr., a sport fishing enthusiast who runs a charter boat business in Bais, brought the matter to BFAR attention after seeing the fish foundering outside the Bais Bay last week.
The grouper, weighing about nine kilos, was bloated and gasping, Soler said.
Other boatmen reported similar encounters with the groupers they had seen or retrieved.
Julie Cabu of Bantay Dagat Bais City said reports about the odd and sporadic sightings of seemingly-ill groupers started two weeks ago, but no one paid much attention to them.
None of the groupers retrieved were taken as samples and submitted to the BFAR for laboratory testing since no one gave the incident a second thought or have it investigated, Soler said.
Outgoing BFAR provincial chief Leonardo Aro sent Allan Marco, fishery technologist, and Alvin Apostol, community resource management specialist, to Bais City to do a probe. The two, however, admitted that it was difficult to investigate with no concrete evidence.
Marco also instructed Cabu to continue monitoring the area in case other cases of unusual deaths of groupers occur, and to take samples preserved and examined in the BFAR laboratory.
The BFAR is not certain whether cyanide poisoning, as feared by some in Bais City, had killed the fish since there were no indication of blast fishing in the area.*JFP
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UPDATE: "The Flash" Hasn't Cast Savitar, Says Berlanti
TV, Comic Books
Showing results 1-31 of 31
A new crossover teams Spider-Man, Captain America and other Marvel heroes with their counterparts from the insanely-popular Tsum Tsum toy line.
Disney's hit line of "Tsum Tsum" stuffed toys come to comics with the "Marvel Tsum Tsum" miniseries from Jacob Chabot and David Baldeon.
IDW is resurrecting the beloved '80s toyline-turned-comic series "Micronauts" as an ongoing series. Take a look at the first issue's covers here.
The Web Warriors face off against Electros from across the Spider-Verse in order to help Gwen Stacy in Costa & Baldeon's "Web Warriors" #2.
Mike Costa and David Baldeon's "Web Warriors" #1 "is just too much fun not to like."
The publisher has revealed which creators will helm the '80s properties' return to comics in 2016.
With a lead story by Dan Slott & Giuseppe Camuncoli, and a number of back-ups, "Amazing Spider-Man" #1 will "satisfy practically every Spider-fan."
Peek into Marvel's future with art from "Ms. Marvel" #13 by Takeshi Miyazawa, "Superior Iron Man" #6 by Laura Braga and "Nova Annual" by David Baldeon.
Gerry Duggan discusses current and future plans for "Nova," including a battle with Kluh, a confrontation with Carnage, a tie-in to "The Black Vortex" and more.
Best-selling video game "Skylanders" continues its comic book adventures at IDW in a new issue by Ron Marz, David A. Rodriguez and David Baldeon.
Hulk's inverted counterpart Kluh clashes with a battle-weary Sam in this exclusive preview of Gerry Duggan and David Baldeon's "Nova" #24
Ron Marz, Mike Bowden & David Baldeon talk turning Activision's "Skylanders" into a comic, confirm its ties to the upcoming "Trap Team" & more.
Gerry Duggan & David Baldeon's "Nova" #18 is "yet another solid issue" that takes Sam Alexander through "Original Sin."
Rovio's gaming sensation comes to comics, and CBR has an exclusive preview of Jeff Parker and Paul Tobin's "Angry Birds" #1! UPDATED with new art, full credits!
"Original Sin" rocks the life of Sam Alexander as the young hero faces a mystery in Marvel's "Nova" #18 by Gerry Duggan and David Baldeon, on sale June 18!
Gerry Duggan talks about "Nova's" "Original Sin" tie-in, which finds Sam Alexander dealing with the Watcher's death, financial troubles the Nova Corps' secrets.
Ron Marz, Mike Bowden and David Baldeon will adapt the bestselling "Skylanders" video game franchise into a comic book for IDW Publishing.
"Nova" writer Gerry Duggan discusses Sam's team-up with Beta Ray Bill and the series' direction as it heads into Marvel's "Original Sin."
Chris Yost looks back at his run on "Scarlet Spider" and how the finale impacts Kaine Parker's role in the upcoming "New Warriors" series.
Marvel Comics' December 2013 solicitations reveals that "Scarlet Spider" is ending its 25-issue run and recent "Suicide Squad" writer Ales Kot joins Nick Spencer as co-writer on "Secret Avengers."
CBR spoke to "Scarlet Spider" writer Chris Yost about the arc beginning in today's issue #21, "Into the Grave," and pits Kaine against Kraven the Hunter and his dead clone "brother" Ben Reilly.
Father and son writing team R.A. & Geno Salvatore discuss their latest collaboration, "Dungeons & Dragons: Cutter," featuring dark elf Tos'un Armgo and the sentient, sadistic sword Cutter. Plus, exclusive art!
CBR spoke with "X-Men: Legacy" writer Christos Gage about his plans for the series' lead character, Rogue, including a battle with the Phoenix Five and a trip to a bizarre alien world.
Christos Gage answers your questions on writing both sides of the AvX conflict, the status of Rogue and Magneto's relationship and "The First X-Men." Plus, exclusive AvX throwdown art from "X-Men Legacy" #269!
CBR News spoke with "X-Men: Legacy" writer Christos Gage about his plans including a battle with Exodus, an encounter with two former Dark X-Men, and an "Avengers Vs. X-Men" tie-in.
"X-Men: Schism" is over and a new era has begun for mutants. Following the announcement at NYCC, CBR News spoke with new "X-Men Legacy" writer Christos Cage about exploring this era.
Marvel has announced "Avengers Academy Giant-Size" #1, an 80-page original story by Paul Tobin and David Baldeon with a cover by Ed McGuinness. The oversized one-shot hits in May.
Firestar, Araña, Gravity and other young heroes team up with Nomad for a Heroic Age ongoing series set to define a new generation of Marvel heroes, as the Young Allies battle a coalition called the Bastards of Evil.
Archives: All | Comic Books | TV/Film | Video Games | Web Comics


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Book your room at Econo Lodge Alachua
Get an overview of this hotelHotel in Alachua with free breakfast and outdoor pool
Situated in Alachua, this hotel is within 12 mi (20 km) of San Felasco Hammock Preserve, Poe Springs Park, and Meadowbrook Golf Club. Sante Fe College and Devil's Milhopper Geological State Park are also within 12 mi (20 km).
Hotel Features
This hotel features an outdoor pool, coffee/tea in a common area, and a seasonal outdoor pool. Free continental breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking are also provided. Other amenities include laundry facilities.
Room Amenities
All 60 rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves, plus free WiFi and cable TV. Guests will also find coffee makers, hair dryers, and phones.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
Econo Lodge Alachua15920 Nw Hwy 441 Alachua FL 32615
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A complimentary breakfast is offered. High-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. This Alachua hotel also offers an outdoor pool, coffee/tea in a common area, and laundry facilities. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
- Total number of rooms - 60
- Number of floors - 2
- Laundry facilities
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free breakfast
- Free self parking
- Outdoor pool
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Free WiFi
Family Friendly Amenities
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Pay movies
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Phone
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Microwave
- Cable TV service
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 10 per night
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Optional extras
- Pet fee: USD 10 per night
Hotel Name
- Econo Lodge Alachua
- Econo Lodge Hotel Alachua
- Econo Lodge Alachua Hotel
- Alachua Econo Lodge
We should mention
Children 18 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.


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Often, those that deal with symptoms of tonsil stones wonder for years what is wrong with them, what it is that they are coughing up on occasion. And, if there is such a thing as tonsil stones, then why the small particles smell so awful. If you have been wondering about small particles coming out of the back of your throat, here are some ways to tell if they are tonsil stones:
- Bad Breath Tonsil stones are usually accompanied by chronic bad breath. One study found that 75% of people with stones had very high quantities of bad smelling sulfur compounds in their breath. This is a difficult situation for many who struggle to find ways to be social, even though they know others may discover their bad breath.
- White Stones Tonsil stones can often be diagnosed by white debris being dislodged from the back of one's throat. This can sometimes happen unexpectedly when a person coughs, but sometimes these small stones must be coaxed out with gentle pressure to relieve discomfort.
- Tonsils Swelling Tonsil swelling can be a direct result of these stones. Because the stones are made of calcified debris, they tend to be somewhat rigid, and may cause irritation to the tonsil.
- Hard Time Swallowing Some with tonsil stones describe a feeling of having something stuck in their throat and not being able to figure out what it is. This sensation may cause them to be unable to eat or drink without discomfort. While none of these symptoms are life threatening, many people search for answers on what causes the stones and what can be done to get rid of them. Treatments vary from at home remedies and medical procedures to daily treatment options.