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Reviews of Onguma The Fort
They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
Onguma Plains Camp review
It's difficult to express how wonderful this place was. The location is stunning with a view in the distance of Fishers Pan and a wide plain set out below and in front of the rooms and main building. This made for some fantastic sunsets to watch in the evenings, and there was a constant stream of animals to and from the waterhole in front of us. One morning we were woken by the sound of zebras hooves galloping past our window!
Our room enormous and stunningly designed in a north african style with a huge terrace which had an outdoor shower and bath. Two walls of the room were canvas and rolled up to open up the room to the terrace and the plains. The service here was exceptional, and the food was consistantly stunning, from breakfast through to a four course dinner - the chef is brilliant and also very friendly!!
On our second day we returned from our nature drive to find a dinner table for two set up on our terrace with candles lit and champagne on ice...the chef came over to our room to describe the menu to us and we were served a candlelit dinner on our terrace under the stars. The staff even came over to sing to us at the end of our meal! Simply a wonderful honeymoon memory...
The only negative feedback would be that at the entrance gate as we arrived the guard tried to persuade us to give a lift to two people into the reserve. We didn't really have room due to all our luggage and it made us feel a little uncomfortable. Not quite the luxury welcome we had expected!!
Onguma Plains Camp review
Great stay but bugs were horrible this time of year! It would have been a little nicer to have lamps or other bug repellants at least during dinner.Read more about the whole safari
Onguma Plains Camp review
You can regard the positioning of an imitation adobe Moroccan fort on the plains of southern Africa either as inspired design or as Disneyland kitsch. Either way the design of the building with its multiple water features, curtains and air vents works beautifully and the site overlooking the western park with a water hole is stunning. Compared to Okaukeujo the water hole was not so busy, but there are not many places in the world that you drink a cocktail sitting in a swimming pool while watching deer, warthogs, wildebeest and jackals.
The camp features in one of the "100 great destination" guides - deservedly, as the ambience is fabulous. By the time we arrived we had been on the go for two weeks and had seen plenty of animals, so we gave the game drives a miss and chilled out all day around the pool, lazy but most enjoyable. Staff did everything possible to make our stay comfortable. Dinner was served in a leisurely and elegant fashion, and was very nicely presented although the overall quality did not quite match the standards to which it aspired.
As walkers we found the need to drive from rooms to main building irksome, but preferable to being supper for the local lions.
Onguma Plains Camp review
Lovely view, especially of the sunset and great place to stay. Very nice architecture that fits in well with the surroundings. The lighting in the rooms is very dim and could be a lot better, this is also true of the verandah where dinner is served.
Good staff, although some need a little more experience, but this does not take away from the fact that they are polite, friendly and welcoming. The menu is read to you, and it can be difficult to understand accents and this can cause confusion over what is to be served. Suggestion to manager that a printed menu along with being read the items was accepted, but we were told the owner disapproved, as it took away from a personal service. The service was personal, but being confused about the food was not very good.
Very relaxing place, we could easily have stayed longer. Really lovely to be able to open the side of the room to the sunset and use the outdoor shower.
Fabulous lodge
This was an excellent lodge in a lovely setting - definitely the best on the trip. Our little 'private fort' with its view of the fairly active waterhole was lovely and had a huge bathroom. The swimming pool was really fantastic and the first one we found where you could actually swim lengths rather than just cool off. The food was without a doubt the best we had anywhere in Namibia and the service was very good.
Although we chose to drive ourselves around Etosha rather than take the organised trip, the guides were still very happy to give us tips on where to go. Because Onguma is so close to the gate we were able to get into Etosha as soon as the gate opened and we ended up being a lot luckier than those on the main trip (who left a lot later) and saw white rhino, two leopards as well as lots of lions all within two hours. We also did a night drive on Onguma's own reserve which was excellent - with a very informative and enthusiastic guide.
One small suggestion would be to have mosquito nets over the beds as we were innundated with moths as the netting at the side of the building had quite big gaps under it. The roof also leaked when we had rain but it didn't detract from the overall experience.
Expert Africa comments
Onguma Plains Camp have subsequently reported back that custom-made mosquito nets are in the process of being manufactured and as soon as they arrive will be put into place.
Also, the roofs at the lodge have now been sealed so rain water can no long get through.
onguma plains
one of the most stylish hotels we have stayed at - particularly villa. air conditioning a very welcome indulgence.
room and communal areas excellent. good welcome, and staff - whilst still training in some cases - pleasant. food well presented, but only average compared to other lodges.
activities a little disappointing in terms of animals seen, although not for lack of effort by guides . the afternoon drive was too late, arriving back just before dinner . needs to be shorter or start earlier.
separate email sent concerning these activities as confusion over whether or not included in the package.


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Jun Vs. Armadio, the endless struggle.........
Jun Vs. Armadio, the endless struggle.........
Feb 9 2004, 02:29 AM
Post #1
AF Pro
Group: Members
Posts: 1,993
Joined: 1-January 04
From: Australia
(BTW this story is completely original and is copy righted by me just like all my other stories on AF)
as many of u r aware of me n armadio have a lil score 2 settle but this a story if we were 2 encounter each other in real life.
Jun VS Armadio
On a cold summer morning around 6:00am the sky was still dark ,all that could be seen were two shadowy figures standing on a bridge above a freeway though not a car could be in sight the only thing on besides them on the bridge was two bags on either end. Eyeing each other carefully. As jun and made armadio made their way across the bridge two each other the only thing that could be heard was the gravel crunching under their feet.
Only two feet away fom each other after long examination of each other which only lasted a minute seemed to be an hour to them."I can't wait to see you squriming on the ground then after you Cevil is next" whispered Armadio.
Jun looked at him in the eye and replied "Fine".
A smirk came across Armadio's face "Jun you don't know how long i've waited for this moment" Armadio hd threw the first punch during the sentence. the punch was so unexpected that jun fell straight to the ground after being hit at his right cheek.blood trickled out of Jun's mouth.
With no remorse Armadio lefted his foot right up in a formation of an axe kick and slamed his foot down towards Jun. with quick thinking Jun rolled to his side narrowly escaping an unfortunate fate. Then tried a sweep kicked at Armadio who easily avoided the attack by jumping. Jun then after turning only 180 degrees then jumped in the air once reaching 360 degrees and swung his right foot with full force at Armadio's left check.
Armadio had lost a bit of balance but quickly regained it. The resumed staring at each other with in dying hatred until a drop of blood from Armadio's mouth had
fallin to the ground. "Give up jun and I will give you an easy death!" threatend Armadio. "Not a chance" answered Jun. With that responce Armadio walked to the bag on his side and held something long and silverish "Oh fu-k" said Jun in shock.
Jun walked to his bag and grabbed out his masamune. Armadio walked with his katana close by his side.
Armadio said calmly "It's already came to this............" All Jun kept thinking was "how did i get myself in this position?" The pair started slashing each other ferociously knowing that if one can get just one slash in it could make ll the difference. It was unfortunate for both that they were using extreme caution which made the fight more tense. Finally Armadio knocked Jun's sword out of his hand. He then kicked Jun to the ground and held his sword to Jun's neck.
"Jun I have all ways been better......" said Armadio "I can't beleive this is it........."
said Jun expecting his fate to sealed but a horn blew Armadio saw a truck speeding their way Jun took seize of the moment and quickly got up.Armadio was ready to run but Jun grabbed a hold of Armadio from behind in the struggle Armadio dropped his sword. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" screamed Armadio in panic.
Armadio heart beat was beating harder and harder. Jun smiled and said grimly "We will both go........." "Wait Jun i wasn't gonna kill you! plus if we both die it will be a draw plus this is unfair!we both know i would've finished you off before" said Armadio in a desperate voice. "wrong my friend i had away of getting out"
the truck driver saw the two and slammed the bakes but the truck was still skidding towards them. "good bye Jun.........." "good bye Armadio we shall finish this in the after life"
so wat did ya'll fink about it???? i decided that it wouldn't b fair if only one of us won so i made a draw
This post has been edited by Jun: Feb 2 2005, 01:45 AM
Feb 20 2004, 12:47 AM
Post #2
AF Pro
Group: Members
Posts: 1,993
Joined: 1-January 04
From: Australia
Armadio looked up at the dark cloudy sky and vowed "I will have revenge for the both of us.........." Armadio looked at his watch, the time was 2:06 AM "what's taking Jun so long?!" said Armadio angrily to himself. Jun reached the roof top of AF. He saw Armadio on the opposite side of the building staring at him. Jun wasn't keen on fighting Armadio but knew he had no choice,Armadio's and his fate was now going to be decided. "Armadio........i don't want to fight anymore can't we put the past behind us?" called out Jun. "i don't no......." answered Armadio. "please" pleaded Jun. Armadio started laughing Jun didn't know if this was a good sign. Armadio held out his hand "sure buddy" replied Armadio merrily. Jun could hardly believe his luck now he and Armadio wouldn't have to die. Jun walked towards Armadio and shoke his hand.
Armadio then knee'd Jun at his stomach. Jun fell to his knee's clucthing at his stomach. It began to rain heavily. "Fool" remarked Armadio as he kicked Jun which threw him on his back. "do you know what it is like to have a close friend take away someone you hold dear!" interigated Armadio "that is why i will never forgive your sin!" continued Armadio. "fight me now!" demanded Armadio. Jun started to recover from the two unexpectible blows and gavered enough strengh to get in a fighting stance.
Jun ran towards Armadio and threw a staight forward punch at his head but Armadio caught Jun's fist. So Jun threw his left hand towards his target but Armadio also caught the second fist. Jun tried to release his fist's from Armadio's grip. "let go!" commanded Jun. "fine" smirked Armadio as he jumped up in the air and dropped kick Jun at the chest. Jun was thrown a few feet by the force but was able to keep his balance. Armadio started getting up of the ground but Jun ran at full speed towards Armadio and fly kicked Armadio's face. "Arrrrrgggggghhhhh" yelled Armadio in pain. Jun walked towards Armadio as he lyed on the ground hopelessly. Then suddenly Armadio sweep kicked Jun which leaded him falling onto the ground. The pair both
flipped them selves of the ground and where back on gaurd.
Armadio went in an Axe kick formation. "YES! it's always the same move everytime with him! making him quiet prodictible" thought Jun to himself as Armadio forced his foot down. Jun raised
his arms in a x-formation which caught the blow head on "what" said Armadio who was shocked that Jun was able to block the incredibly powerful blow. Jun then tripped Armadio which made him fall on his back. "Armadio.............i dont want to kill you but you leave me no choice..."
said Jun. Armadio quickly got him self off the wet ground. "I WILL WIN!" replied Armadio with new found energy. Jun tried a round house kick but Armadio swiftly ducked then as Jun's back was turned, Armadio quikly tackled Jun before he could deliver another kick. They were both
now rolling towards the edge of the building. Jun noticed that Armadio was about to throw him off if he didn't do anything so he pocked Armadio's eyes. Armadio was clutching his at eyes
"YOU BASTARD!" cursed Armadio.
Jun drawed out his sword and slowly walked towards Armadio. Armadio could see again but was now faking to lower Jun's gaurd. Armadio now drew out his sword and slashed at Jun's ankle "Aaarrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh" exclaimed Jun he steped backwards he was lucky it was only a cut. Armadio laughed as he stood up with his katana. "still using the masamune blade eh?"
remarked Armadio "when i kill you i'll claim your sword as my own" informed Armadio. Armadio started walking towards Jun. Jun keeped his gaurd and was waqiting for Armadio to take the offenceive. Armadio went for a kick stab for Jun's chest but it was navigated away by Jun's sword. It was like de ja vou they now started were fighting viciously against each other. Their swords were blocking one another and they were now in the postion that their swords were held together as their owner's tried to push each other. "give up" stated Armadio "yeah right" replied Jun as he kicked Armadio to brake the connection between their swords.
Armadio started stumbling backwards the edge of the building but was anable to stop himself. "WATCH OUT! yelled Jun as he ran towards Armadio hoping to avoid him from falling. Armadio dropped his sword as tripped over the edge. "Im sorry i counl'dnt forfill my vow" whispered Armadio as he was about to fall rapidly to his death. "Nnnnnnoooooooooooooo" yelled Jun as he grabbed Armadio's hand. Jun used all his might to lift Armadio back on top of the building.
After Jun saved Armadio he layed on ground resting. "why did you save me?" asked Armadio
puzzled. "i guess.......i.....didn't have.....the....heart.....to let you fall' said Jun gasping for air.
"i tried to kill you so many times whilst you stll chose to save me.........." said Armadio as he stood up. "look im going im sick of this" replied Jun as he walked towards the exit.
Jun heard aloud bang and saw the door infront of him now had many cracks. Jun quikly sun around and saw Armadio with a handgun. Rage now burst through Jun "I SAVED YOUR LIFE AND THIS IS WHAT I GET!"bellowed Jun with fury. "you really didn't think i was going to let you live on did you?Plus we are even now because i saved your life from the car crash remember?"
laughed Armadio as he raised his stolen gun again and fired another shot at Jun. Jun responded by grabbing his sword and sliced the bullet in half. Armadio fired another shot and the same result happended. Armadio aimed for Jun's right shoulder and got a hit "fu-k!" hellowed Jun
in pain as he dropped his sword. Then he found another two bullets piercing through his skin.
It was the most excruciating pain he felt in his life. Armadio reloaded his gun that was the
last image Jun saw before everything thing became blury. Jun fell staight to the ground everything went black the only thing that he could feel now was the hard cold raindrops but that started to fade away everything was now black.
Jun left his body and saw Armadio staring up at the sky with triumph. "Jun......" said a familer voice. Jun spun around to see a face smiling at him it was her. Jun smiled and was happy that he was able to see her again. "oh my good im so happy to see you!" replied Jun "Jun im sorry about the trouble iv'e caused you" apoligised the girl "no" said Jun shaking his head "I should be sorry it was my fault about your early demise. "but it is because of me you are here Jun....and i don't think it was your fault i died.after all me and Armadio pushed you to race"
reasured the girl. "at least im with you i don't care anymore" replied Jun smiling he had missed her soft and gently voice. "you arn't ready yet" informed the girl as she went towards Jun's dead body. "what do you mean?" asked Jun "I mean i will bring you back to life" answered the girl as knelled over Jun's body. "please don't if you do i'll kill myself" pleaded Jun "please....kill Armadio i love him like a brother but i can not forgive what he has done to you" asked the girl
"If you decide to stay then remember i will always look after you" promised the girl "don't worry i'll be back" claimed Jun.
The girl placed her hand on Jun's heart and forced it to pump again. Jun was dragged back to the body and opened his eye's to see Armadio still looking up to the sky in silent prayer. Jun grabbed his sword and stood up and sneaked behind Armadio. Jun held his sword above his
head. Armadio heard foot steps behind him and turned around to kick Jun. Jun fell on to his stomach. "darn he knew i was behind him" thought Jun. Jun got to his knees and felt something smooth and cold being place at the back of his head. Armadio stood there with his gun placed at Jun's head "this will end once and for all" annouced Armadio. "this is for her" thought Jun as he grabbed his sword and stabbed himself. Armadio was about to pull the trigger when he felt something wet slice through his skin. Jun continued to push the blade through his body so it could go through Armadio. Blood started pouring out of Jun's mouth the same happened to Armadio. Jun then pulled the blade out of both of them and fell onto the ground and started smiling "I............did.......it" he said wearily. Armadio was still in shock that he was stabbed and walked to the edge of the the building. Jun watched him from where he was lying,
Armadio turned around and whispered "I shall wander ever on.........Searching for you.Because I know, As long as you, Are out there.I can never,Rest in my grave.I will find you,And make you pay." after his last words he fell of the building. Jun couldn't beleive it was over. He looked at the sky and to his surprise he saw it had stopped raining and it was sunny. Jun smiled at the sky and said his last words "All right...........im coming"
This concludes Jun vs Armadio i hope you guys enjoyed reading it
|Lo-Fi Version
|Time is now: 24th October 2016 - 01:01 AM

subset: commoncrawl


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104 Windsor Rd
Staten Island, NY 10314 Phone number & directions
104 Windsor Rd
Staten Island, NY 10314 Phone number & directions
License & Identifications
A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor's specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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In a lot of ways, Courtney Farrell is on par with Lena Dunham's Hannah. She's learning how to live in New York City, indulging in a mindfully crafted martini or two, and engaging in affairs with older men. On top of that she has the hots for her—also older—female teacher at boarding school. Consider that Farrell, the main character of Pamela Moore's Chocolates for Breakfast, is 15 years old, and that she first appeared in 1956, and suddenly the sexcapades of any given 24-year-old on Girls seem less shocking than culturally overdue. It's as good a time as any for a reissue of this racy classic. Real-life Brooklynite and author Emma Straub (Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures), who penned the new edition's forward, will headline a series of readings from the book and conduct a Q&A with Moore's son, Kevin Kanarek.
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Set the mood with this creamy cocktail. With just one decadent sip, your lover will definitely be ready for an evening of true romance.
- 1 ½ oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- 1 ½ oz Frangelico
- ½ oz Dry White Rum
Step 1
Chocolate shavings (garnish): Carefully draw a vegetable peeler across the broad surface of a bar of semisweet or milk chocolate. This works best if the chocolate is at room temperature. For narrower curls, use the side of the bar.
Step 2
In a cheater tin, add Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Frangelico and White Rum.
Step 3
Fill the cheater tin halfway with ice and shake for about 8 seconds.
Step 4
Strain the cocktail into a coupe and garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve.


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Raiders Can Be Better Within AFC West
Stop the run. For all the criticism the Raiders have gotten for some of their off-season moves, their linebacking corps is one of their stronger suits. They'll need veterans Miles Burris and Nick Roach to lead promising rookie Sio Moore to close down running lanes and hold opposing offenses to fewer than three yards a carry. Denver running backs Ronnie Hillman and Knowshon Moreno are potent threats, running for 330 and 525 yards last season, respectively. Ryan Mathews had 707 yards for the Chargers.


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Every week since December, Wally Hart has watched members of the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce drop insurance coverage as they, like other policyholders in the Capital Region, face double-digit premium increases. "They're taking the chance of going without insurance coverage because they can't afford the payment," said Hart, president and CEO of the chamber. "They're not going someplace else." Fulton County's average 2010 increase, 23 percent, was the highest in the area. Albany County's ...
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This is a 10" round chocolate cake with buttercream icing and mmf decorations. It is my version of the one in a Wilton book. I also covered the pillars in mmf and they are hot glued to the cake board and to the cake plate.
That is such a cute and cool cake.
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A Guide To Get You Started In The World Of Blogging
If you are interested in starting a new blog but do not know the ABC's of blogging, fret not. Here we provide you with the basics of blogging. You must know details such on how to start a blog, if you would like to create a free blog or a paid blog and other such elemental info. You must find answers for some of the below mentioned questions before you start creating your own blog.
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A specialty CRO focused solely on the unique needs of small to mid-sized oncology companies and medical device and diagnostics companies.
Because …
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We are guided by three pillars, which are flexibility, customer service and transparency in everything we do.
Parent Company
In 2013, we were acquired by Quintiles. As a standalone unit, we continue to focus on oncology and medical device companies with personalized attention and specialized service.
Commitment to Quality
In 2004, Novella achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification, a global standard for quality management, and was recertified in 2008 and 2013.
Global Footprint
We serve our customers globally through offices in North America and Europe. Located in the heart of Research Triangle Park (RTP), our corporate headquarters is in Morrisville, North Carolina with support from regional offices throughout the United States. In the United Kingdom, we are well-positioned in Stevenage, just outside of London.
Our Focus …
Advancing Trials. Improving Lives.


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Anna Wintour's Tears of Fashion?
Anna reportedly "choked up" during the meeting about 'Men's Vogue' cutbacks.
We've been wondering how Anna Wintour took the news about the cutbacks at Men's Vogue. UnBeige reports, "One Condé staffer told us that during the meeting to announce the layoffs and scale backs at Men's Vogue even Anna Wintour choked up." Aw. [UnBeige/Media Bistro]


text:
Ghostship Part 2 guitar pro by The Fall of Troy, added: March 10th, 2007
Profile History
or get $10 off Welcome BonusGet welcome bonus
can someone tab this out on powertab? Part 2 is my favorite song and my guitar pro evaluation period is over.
hey great tab! a couple small things i noticed in the intro:
instead of
and the end of that riff
other then that, solid tab. keep up the good work.


text:
Check rates!
Wired internet is available in all areas and is free of charge.
No parking available.
From 14:00 hours
Until 12:00 hours
All children are welcome.There is no capacity for extra beds in the room.
Pets are allowed on request. No extra charges.
This property only accepts cash payments.
Like this one, but not quite sure yet?
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Properties nearby – Yinchuan Xinlong Inn
Nearby Cities – Yinchuan Xinlong Inn
Top Destinations: China
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text: The hotel offers a range of services and facilities for holidaymakers and business guests alike. The accommodation features rooms with a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. A balcony is included as standard in most rooms, offering additional space for relaxation. Guests can enjoy a good nights' sleep on the double bed. Features include a fridge, a washing machine, internet access and WiFi. The bathroom offers convenient facilities including a shower. The establishment offers non-smoking rooms. Copyright GIATA 2004 - 2016.


text:
(Washington, D.C.) The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) is enlisting the power of moms across the country to help encourage their young adult children to visit Healthcare.gov and enroll in coverage through the health insurance marketplace, NWLC said today. "Word of Mom" is an innovative new tool, video and website allowing moms to gently nudge their adult children via Facebook, Twitter or email to learn about their new health insurance options and get covered. Moms also can sign up to be part of a collective reminder to adult children on November 1st.
"Even as adults, many young people still turn to mom for guidance and good advice," said NWLC Co-President Marcia Greenberger. "As enrollment in the health insurance marketplace begins, who better than mom to remind their kids to take care of their health by getting covered? The Center is proud to be a part of the nationwide effort to help women and their families get the health care they need and to provide them with the tools and information to enjoy the full benefits of the health care law."
Starting today, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will enable millions of women, men and their families to choose and enroll in a new, affordable health insurance plan, with coverage effective as soon as January 1, 2014. In every state, Americans will be able to select between comprehensive plans that cover essential health services like maternity care, prescriptions and a variety of preventive health services.
The Center is joined on this project by national organizations such as Enroll America, MomsRising, Planned Parenthood, MoveOn, SEIU and others, who are spreading the Word of Mom to their members and supporters.
Word of Mom can be found at: wordofmom.org/. More information on ACA enrollment is available at: www.nwlc.org/enrollment.


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Lindsay Island
Mullaroo Creek at Mullaroo No 1 0.93km
Mullaroo Creek at Mullaroo No 3 0.97km
Websters Lagoon Turn Off 1.06km
Mullaroo No 2 Turn Off 1.12km
Mullaroo No 3 Turn Off 1.14km
Mullaroo No 1 Turn Off 1.28km
Mullaroo Creek at Mullaroo No 4 1.37km
Mullaroo No 4 Turn Off 1.71km
Lindsay Island 2.09km
Websters Lagoon 2.89km
Murray River at Lindsay Is 2.93km
The Caravan (Mullaroo Creek) 3.06km
The Caravan Turn Off 3.51km
Mullaroo Junction Turn Off 3.58km
Mullaroo Junction 3.58km
Murray River Access Turn Off 3.66km
Lindsay Bridge 4.24km
Murray-Sunset National Park Sign 4.33km
Mullaroo No 5 Turn Off 4.4km
Mullaroo Creek at Mullaroo No 5 4.5km
Stoney Crossing 4.73km
Lindsay Island Turn Off 4.95km
Toupnein Creek Reference Area 5.68km
Broken Back Bridge and Lock 7 Turn Off 5.79km
Sanford Track and Lock 7 Turn Off 6km
Nampoo 6.06km
Murray-Sunset National Park Boundary Sign 6.45km
Mullaroo Mouth Turn Off 6.66km
Lindsay Island Information Booth 6.79km
Lock 7 Road Old Wooden Bridge 6.91km
Lake Walla Walla Reference Area 7.06km
Mullaroo Creek Barrier Bouys 7.52km
Mullaroo Mouth 7.62km
Berribee 7.7km
Lake Wallawalla 8km
Berribee Tank Track - Old Mail Route Road 8.6km
Lock 7 - Murray River 8.64km
Berribee State Forest Boundary Sign 9.75km
A state map of Victoria for touring and reference that has city and regional maps on the reverse. There are camping and rest areas,...
A state map of New South Wales at a scale of 1:1,500,000 with touring information and relevant regional and city maps. Ideal as a wall map....
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The essential atlas for the professional driver that includes a 16-page information section for truckies....
Sold as a pair of two poles - Combining the adjustment ease and security of FlickLock® Pro with excellent balance,...
Discover Australia's largest state with the Western Australia Road & 4WD Track Atlas. Plan and navigate your trip with state-wide atlas mapping,...
An atlas, whiteboard and activity book all in one, there is more fun between the pages of the Kids Wildlife Atlas than you can poke a dowsing ...
The new edition Cape York Atlas & Guide features an expanded 15 4WD trips written by Carlisle Rogers – Publisher & Editor of 4WD Touring Australia ...
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This book includes a detailed road atlas for WA; a campsites directory including phone number, what facilities are available,...
Whether you're a 'desert lover', or just looking to tackle some of Australia's favourite 4WD destinations,...
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James Scott Campbell is a Bigger Dick Than Your Boss, Poisoned Housekeeper's Ice Cream
James Scott Campbell, 68, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty today to one felony count each of poisoning and possession of a firearm by a felon, charges that earned him a four-year prison stretch.
But it is the actual nature of the crime that proved what a dick of a boss Campbell was. After making sexual comments to his live-in housekeeper, he brought the 48-year-old woman a free bowl of ice cream--loaded with the sleeping pill Temazepam.
As the Orange County District Attorney Office conviction statement after the jump reveals, a police search of Campbell's home also turned up "sex-fuel" pills. Meanwhile, the booking photo of Mr. Dreamboat reveals why he'd need to knock someone out to get them to fuck him.
November 4, 2010
SANTA ANA - A man was sentenced today to four years in state prison for poisoning his live-in housekeeper by putting sleeping pills in a bowl of ice cream in order to render her unconscious.
Shortly after 9:00 p.m. on July 15, 2008, 48-year-old Jane Doe, a live-in housekeeper for Campbell, went to her bedroom. Campbell knocked on her bedroom door and offered the victim a bowl of coffee flavored ice cream. He had surreptitiously mixed Temazepam, a type of sleeping pill, into the ice cream to drug the victim and render her unconscious. After Campbell left the room, Jane Doe began to feel dizzy and disoriented. The victim became concerned because Campbell had made sexual comments to her in the past.
Jane Doe left the house and went to the hospital, where she was given a drug test that came back positive for Temazepam. The ice cream also tested positive for the same drug. The case was reported to the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD), who found a bottle of prescription Temazepam, "sex fuel" pills, and several firearms in Campbell's home. Campbell has a 1989 prior felony conviction for grand theft.
Deputy District Attorney Robert Mestman of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted this case.
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Tasting Notes
Bright and detailed aromas of black cherry, red raspberry and autumnalspices introduce this complex and intense Pinot Noir. On the palate, thewine's juicy mouthfeel is supported by centered acidity building withintensity through the mid-palate, and on to fine grain tannins at the finish.Balanced and precise, this Pinot Noir drinks well upon release, improvingwith bottle age and drinking beautifully for five to eight years.
Technical Notes
Total Acidity: 0.59 g/l 14.2% abv pH:3.68


text:
Contribute to the Collection
Fonts in Use is a collaborative project. Create an account and submit your own work or other examples of typography.
Mille Bornes Card Game (1960 Parker Brothers Bilingual Edition)1960
- Joseph Le Callennec
Contributed by Chris Purcell
Staff Pick
Setton RS 220 Receiver1977
- Pierre Cardin
- Allain Caire
Photo(s) by Stephen Coles on Flickr.
Staff Pick
Ray Charles Commemorative Stamp2013
- Ethel Kessler
- Neal Ashby
- Yves Carrère
Contributed by Chris Purcell
Schoolhouse Steel Planter and Magnetic House Numbers
- Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.
Contributed by Stephen Coles
Coquette opening celebration cake2016
- Manuel Wesely
- mmm
- Silkes Backzauber
Contributed by Manuel Wesely
Liechtenstein postage stamp: Europa horn1973
- Leif Frimann Anisdahl
Photo(s) by "Karen Horton" on Flickr.
Letterpress perpetual calendar2014
- Maurizio Piacenza
- Archivio Tipografico
Contributed by Maurizio Piacenza
1970s Petter Pepper 10-inch wall clockc. 1975
- unknown
- Peter Pepper Products
Contributed by Stephen Coles


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Dr. Barfield graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2002. He works in Granville, OH and 1 other location and specializes in Neurology. Dr. Barfield is affiliated with Mount Carmel St Anns Hospital and Mount Carmel West Hospital.
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine; Graduated 2002
Please verify insurance information directly with your doctor's office as it may change frequently.
*This physician has multiple office locations. See Office Information for details.
1916 Tamarack Rd
Newark, OH 43055
1900 Tamarack Rd Ste 1908
Newark, OH 43055
1916 Tamarack Rd
Newark, OH 43055
1272 W Main St Bldg 2
Newark, OH 43055
5040 Forest Dr Ste 300
New Albany, OH 43054


text:
Views and Missions in Space
This learning module compares early and recent missions to Mars as well as familiarizes students with a common instrument used in NASA mission payloads.
Learning Goals
Students will be able to:
- Become familiar with mass spectroscopy, a common instrument aboard NASA missions
- Compare the Viking and MSL-Curiosity missions in terms of advances in technology
Context for Use
This learning module is meant for adaptation in an introductory earth science course and/or planetary science course. Students will only need prior basic knowledge of Mars to understand the significance of sophisticated technology.
Description and Teaching Materials
Compiled In-Class Activities and Homework
- Instructor Version (Acrobat (PDF) 373kB Apr7 16)
- Student Version (Acrobat (PDF) 230kB Apr7 16)
In-Class Activity
- In-Class Activity 1: Measuring the Tiny
- Student Version (Acrobat (PDF) 209kB Apr7 16); Instructor Version (Acrobat (PDF) 228kB Apr7 16)
- Homework 1: Viking vs. MSL-Curiosity
- Student Version (Acrobat (PDF) 219kB Apr7 16); Instructor Version (Acrobat (PDF) 248kB Apr7 16)
Teaching Notes and Tips
- Homework 1 may be used as an In-Class Activity if desired.
- If your institution has a mass spectrometer in-house, schedule a visit for the class to view the instrument. Most lab mass spectrometers are at least 10x's bigger than spectrometers used on rovers and/or satellites orbiting Mars.
Each In-Class Activity and Homework set has its own measure of assessment/evaluation.
References and Resources
- Image File: Views and Missions in Space (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.1MB Nov5 13)
- Mass Spectrometer YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L4U6ImYSj0
- Viking Mission Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggjD3i7efKU
- Curiosity Rover trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNVZ6cJYYcY
- MSL Curiosity 7 minutes of terror: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2I8AoB1xgU


text:
- Score:
- rated 4.34 / 5 stars
- Views:
- 141,736 Views
- Share Links:
- Genre:
- Music Video
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Credits & Info
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If you liked this, check these out!
Author Comments
Rated 0 / 5 stars
its still abit choppy and more cleaning, and that dogwoman speaks like a man!!! @.@
Rated 4 / 5 stars
I was about to blow the whistle until i saw it was you. I've always liked this flash, but your right, the animation needs serious work, but it's never really bothered me. Although i don't remember the pupils. (the extra scenes are great too :P)
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Firsti think this is one of th ebest flashes out there the reason is this, Its one of the orgnials and the idea it self it is to. Me' and my freinds want to do a cosplay to this song. of course you would be mention in this for the idea. So if i ever see you irl may i glomp you for the epic job you did??
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
Overal good
i like the chiose of song. but the animation that you used seamed kind of repetitive
Rated 2.5 / 5 stars
Don't realy get the point of it


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Skia (typeface)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Matthew Carter
|Apple Computer
Skia is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Matthew Carter for Apple Computer in 1994.[1] Skia is Greek for "shadow,"and the letterforms take inspiration from 1st century BC Greek writing. The typeface was the first QuickDraw GX font, featured in System 7.5 and higher, including Mac OS X. It is the only font Apple has shipped with their OS which makes use of TrueType variable axes (a feature akin to Adobe's "multiple master" technology).
Skia was also the code name for the QuickDraw GX project.
- ^ "Matthew Carter". Design Museum + British Council. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Skia.
|This Apple-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
|This typography-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


text:
I guess I'm a baby...I just love to be read to.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the life of 4 friends. It's a classic character driven novel that has a cast of really likable characters. What could be better?
"What does it mean to have a big life?"
After her father dies of pancreatic cancer, Julie Jacobsen's Long Island mother sends her––on scholarship––to Spirit In the Woods, a summer camp mostly populated by the artsy teen spawn of privileged Manhattanites. Julie is surprised to be adopted into a circle of kids above her sophistication level, appreciated for her acerbic wit and christened "Jules" by them.
In the self-styled "Interestings" group are sister and brother Ash and Goodman Wolf; son of a Joan Baez-ish folkie, Jonah Bay; and fellow scholarship camper and aspiring cartoonist, Ethan Figman. Ash, warm-hearted, beautiful and earnestly feminist, will become Jules's best friend. Ethan is awkward and goofy, but warmhearted and hugely talented.
All of the Interestings have ambitions; Jules expresses it as wanting to have a "big life." We follow the group from their teenage days, during the Watergate era, through to their middle age, and see what happens as they grow into their adult lives, some of which are far bigger than others––at least if you're measuring by name recognition and money. As the old saying goes, though, life is what happens while you're making other plans, and we see that play out in this story.
Anchored in its time and place, the tale spans the bad old days when Manhattan was filthy and crime-ridden, the beginning of the AIDS era, the Moonies, foodies, the rise (and fall) of the yuppie and the investment banker and 9/11. All the personal landmarks are the real story, though: career achievements and disappointments, marriage, children, friendship, loss, illness, death. Biggest of all, the slow growth of the idea that happiness, or at least satisfaction, can be found in a life that isn't so big or interesting.
Audio: Jen Tullock was not a good narrator. Her voice was nasal and she often delivered character voices were in an inappropriately whiny and singsong-y style. It was grating and detracted a lot from my enjoyment of the story. During the middle of the book, there was a long period when it sounded like she had a lozenge or gum in her mouth.
"Not so interesting all the time"
Ok I remained loyal to the book because I got into the story and wanted to find out more of the character's story but it seems that only Ethan's storyline sprung up. It was ok
This book reminds me of the self-absorbed writing I did in my 20's. At that age, you believe all your ideas are interesting and somehow profound. The characters in this novel make the mistake of thinking they are interesting, and the author makes the same mistake with her story. To quote a famous line from an old commercial, I have to ask, "Where's the beef?" I found it all rather tedious, and gave up after an hour.
"Terrific writing, delivery and story!"
The Interestings, especially as presented by Jen Tullock, is an intriguing, absorbing, funny, poignant story. Avoiding cliches and focusing intently on questions of belonging, class, creativity, and money, it tells the story of four main young people (two peripherals) who meet at a summer camp and stay in contact as they mature. Wolitzer's observations of our expectations of ourselves, parents' dreams for their children, how wealth cushions or complicates our lives, are all trenchant and thought-provoking. A bonus is the storyline following Ethan, the oddball cartoonist who creates the "Figland Empire," a media creation that bears close parallels to "The Simpsons." Highly, highly recommended--and hats off to Jen Tullock, for her amazing narration.
"Good contemporary fiction"
Spans the lives of privileged and not-so-privileged NYC kids who become NYC adults and have lives that intertwine and things happen that are both good and bad and people have regrets and do some awful things to one another but we love them anyway. Just like life!
I read and listen to books. I drink tea. I sleep like a cat and wished I lived in Hawaii.
"Interesting in a quiet way."
This book follows 6 people that live in NYC (but only 4 intensively) that met at a summer camp for the arts in the 70's when they are teenagers. They become best friends and stay connected throughout the next 40 or so years. The book is mostly told thru Jules Jacobson's eyes, the most normal one of the bunch. Jules and her friends are all interested in becoming artists of one form or another, but only one of them actually becomes famous for his talents. They all differ in their levels of talent and creativity and we see how this affects each of them. There is not a ton of plot in this book unless you count normal life as a plot. People get married, have babies, become famous, don't become famous, experience death of loved ones, and a whole slew of other life experiences. I guess the getting famous part or knowing anyone famous isn't really part of any normal life, but the rest of the book is about "normal" life occurrences. There is a bit of heavier drama that happens between 2 of the friends early on in the book, but it isn't really the main focus of the story. I found all of this to be interesting, even though I think "The Interestings" is a bit of a misleading title for the book. The friends decide to call themselves this while attending Spirit-In-The-Woods, the summer camp. These people are semi-normal with flawed personalities and I think that's what makes them interesting to me. These friends differ widely in money, class and fame, especially in relation to Jules. She is not as talented or rich or as beautiful as the others and sometimes this matters and sometimes it doesn't. As in real life, secrets exist and the reader is left to ponder the morals/ethics behind them. Wolitzer created interesting (no pun intended) enough characters that I ultimately cared what happened to them even if there wasn't terribly engaging plot twists along the way. I thought there was a bit a of hole in the book when Jules' and Ash's children are growing up… somewhere in the early teenage years. I felt that the rest of their lives was explained more thoroughly, but that was only a minor bump I found in the road of "The Interestings." Wolitzer provides a lot of flashbacks from the past as she moves forward through the story and it can be confusing at times to keep up with the timeline, but after a while I got used to this writing style. Also, she is pretty amazing when it comes to imagery.
Ce n'est pas grave!
"Nothing Interesting Here"
Although I am a Meg Wolitzer fan, she really dropped the ball on this one. The story is so boring and implausible that I can barely slog through the last 10 % of the audiobook. The idea of a well known musician drugging a young kid with LSD on numerous occasions to harvest his inherited song writing talent is ludicrous. This book reads like formulaic bad young adult fiction. The good are so good and the bad are so ridiculously portrayed ( I.e. the naughty and nubile Kathy Kiplinger, with the unfortunate you gotta hate her story line of being a fake rape victim) that the only real seeming character is Jule's hapless husband. I must say that the story was not aided by the "Valley Girl" accents and simpering parents' voices created by the narrator. I have come to the conclusion that, with the exception of the occasional character part ( raspy smoker's voice or unique accent) the best narrators do not go overboard on voices because the "man voice" or " lady voice" or "teenage voice" can be so distracting as to alienate the listener and ruin the author's intent for the character. Of course, this is a fine line and not all narrators can pull it off but this already weak book was weakened further by the unlikable voices used. I really didn't feel anything for any of them except for a irritation.
"Not for everyone"
No. Just not a book that will interest the typical reader. Think the professional reviewers got a bit carried away with their asessments.
Maybe. Not a horriible book, just way under achieved expectations based on gushing reviews.
The End
Be more selective in book selection. Exercise Audible's return guarantee.
"A terrible reading of a very dull story."
I gave up about halfway through. The reader is clearly not an actress, merely a reader. Every voice, regardless of age or gender, sounds the same. The only way you can tell who is speaking is if she says the name. Although the book is set in the northeast, everyone has a "Valley Girl" accent, which is especially annoying. I was looking for a good, absorbing story and this is definitely NOT it. The absence of character development and drama makes for a very dull read.


text:
Ed Miliband: 'The terrible death of Lucy Meadows shows the trans community still face prejudice'
Post your comment
Comments on this article are now closed.
Reader comments
And the fact that the GOVERNMENT prosecutes trans people for having sex while stealth. Interpersonal prejudice is not he only problem!
While I agree that the recent High Court judgement is incredibly problematic, it's worth noting that it's the judiciary, not the Government, which is choosing to interpret the law on sex by decption in this way.
Indeed: this is the courts applying the 2003 sexual offences act
Will Ed Miliband be then criticising elements of his own party who have, in their positions of power, given special dispensation and council resources to transphobes to perpetuate transphobia?
Miliband is deliberately avoitding the main point.
Britain needs to implement the Leveson inquiry findings in their entiretyto prevent a tragedy like this recurring.
All party leaders are too scared of the press to do so.
Nice of one of the parties to register that the T part of LGBT are still being very much short-changed. When the equal marriage dust settles we need to maintain our lobbying until the legal discrimination against the transgendered is removed.
The task ahead is to eliminate social prejudice.
Now that will be a massive task.
Maybe if your party hadn't legislated to *remove* hard-won rights from trans people, Ed…
Consistently fought for equality my ****!
Totally agree with your comment SteveC, human rights regarding the Trans community has been kicked under the bus for far to long. Respect …
These comments are un-moderated and do not necessarily represent the views of PinkNews. If you believe that a comment is inappropriate or libellous, please contact us.
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text:
FDDI will be conducting an entrance test (AIST 2012: All India Selection Test), which will be followed by Group Discussion, Personal Interview and Creative Ability Test.
For admissions to its various UG & PG courses, Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) will be conducting an entrance test (AIST 2012: All India Selection Test), which will be followed by Group Discussion, Personal Interview and Creative Ability Test.
If you are applying as an Industry sponsored candidate you need not to appear for written test you will be directly called for Personal Interview and Creative Ability Test.
AIST 2012 would be Online (Computer-Based)
- The entrance test would be conducted through a computer based online mode. In this each candidate would be provided with a computer and individually allocated User-ID and Password.
- Using the allocated User-ID and Password, the candidate would be able to access the test paper.
- The test papers are downloaded at the test centre local server from the main server. The question contained in the test paper would be rendered one at a time on the computer monitor.
- The candidate submits his / her answers by inputting through a mouse and keyboard.
- The entrance exam would be conducted over multiple sessions in a day and the test would be scheduled for all the candidates.
- The short listed candidates would be communicated about their test centre, session and test time details individually through admit card.
- It is mandatory for the candidates to bring their Admit Card (with photograph) to the allocated test centers along with any other valid identity proof document such as Voter's ID card, Passport, Driving License, identity card issued by previous institution etc.
AIST 2012 Exam Pattern
The All India Selection Test (AIST 2012) taken for admission to the UG & PG programmes of FDDI has the following exam pattern:
FDDI entrance test will be of 2.5 hrs (Two and half hours) duration and would be conducted in English language. There would be a total of 150 objective type questions. Multiple choices for these questions will be available and candidates are required to choose the right answer.
AIST 2012 Exam Pattern for Post Graduate Programmes of FDDI:
No: of Questions
Quantitative Aptitude & Reasoning
General Awareness
Business Aptitude
AIST 2012 Exam Pattern for Under Graduate Programmes of FDDI:
No: of Questions
General Science
General Awareness
Each question would carry 1 mark. There is no negative marking. The questions in the test paper will be selected from a Question Data bank. The time allotted for the test will be shown on the screen as Time Left to finish the test. The time will start to tick as soon as the candidates click the Start Test button. On completion of the test, the candidates can exit by pressing the Submit button. The candidates should attempt the entire questions within the stipulated test duration of 2.5 hours to avoid being timed out.
FDDI Sample Tests - UG
FDDI Sample Tests - PG
Source: Official Website of FDDI
Related Articles:
- FDDI (Footwear Design & Development Institute) 2012 UG & PG Courses: Admissions Notification
- FDDI 2012 Admissions: Important Dates & Exam Centres
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A British grandmother is to stage an 11th-hour appeal against her execution in Texas as her lawyers tell judges today that she has been the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice.
Linda Carty, 51, was convicted and sentenced to die by lethal injection for the murder of Joana Rodriguez in 2001. Three men broke into Ms Rodriguez's apartment in Houston, assaulting her partner and demanding drugs and cash before abducted Ms Rodriguez and her four-day-old son. The baby was found unharmed in the back seat of a car, but Ms Rodriguez suffocated after being locked in the boot. Ms Carty's legal team claim she was convicted following a flawed trial in Texas after it was alleged that she ordered the kidnapping. Reprieve, the human rights charity representing Ms Carty, alleges that her trial lawyer failed to properly put the case for the defence.
Reprieve's director Clive Stafford Smith said: "Linda's legal representation at trial was appalling, and she would not be on death row today if she had received an adequate defence."
He added that only last week a US judge made it clear that someone who is innocent can be executed, so long as it can be shown they had a "fair" trial.
"Linda is dangerously close to the execution chamber, and the British Government needs to do everything in its power to save Linda's life," he said.
If Ms Carty is unsuccessful in her appeal, her case is expected to be handed back to the Governor of Texas. Since he succeeded George Bush as Governor nine years ago, Rick Perry has only granted clemency to one death row inmate: Kenneth Foster in 2007.
Linda Carty was born on the Caribbean island of St Kitts to Anguillan parents and holds a UK dependant territory passport. She worked as a primary school teacher in St Kitts until she was 23.
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Steve Zipay is an award-winning journalist who has covered events from Super Bowls to World Series and issues
During his exit interview last April, coach John Tortorella could sense Marian Gaborik's disappointment. "He was not happy with his year," Tortorella said. "He was not happy with people questioning him."
In an injury-plagued 2010-11, Gaborik, who had scored at least 40 goals twice and at least 30 six times, skated in 62 games and scored 22 goals.
The turnaround was noticeable in September. "From Day 1 of camp, he's been there,'' Tortorella said. "He has not had any really bad games where you can't find him, and that's both offensively and defensively."
The result: Gaborik is 39-34-73 in 78 games and plus-17, the second-highest among the top 10 scorers in the league.
"Everybody has to buy into a system, including myself," Gaborik said Saturday. "It's not just all about goals, but to try to play an all-around game, to play away from the puck . . . It's more subconscious. At times you have to focus on playing defense first, and offense comes off it."
Skating with center Brad Richards and speedy rookie Carl Hagelin has helped, especially in the last month or so, but Tortorella said: "He's a pro. He's been a high-quality player in this league, and sometimes they tend to be a bit high-maintenance. He's not high-maintenance. It's been positive. I've kicked him along the way, he understands why, and he just continues to try to improve as a player . . . I think he's grown mentally. After the scrutiny last year, he deserves a lot of credit."
Down the stretchThe Rangers close the regular season, as they did last year, with four games in April.
Last year, in winning three of the four to make the playoffs, they scored 12 goals. But only five were from players currently in uniform: Brandon Dubinsky, Ruslan Fedotenko, Brandon Prust, Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan. Seven goals came from players no longer with the club or injured: Vinny Prospal 3 (Columbus), Wojtek Wolski 1 (Florida), Chris Drury 1 (bought out), Bryan McCabe 1 (unsigned) and Michael Sauer 1 (injured).
Heard and seen . . .
Playoff schedules aren't set, but Thursday, April 12, and Saturday, April 14, are likely dates for Games 1 and 2 of the first round at the Garden. The Knicks play on the 13th . . . Of the potential first-round opponents -- Ottawa, Buffalo, Washington and Florida -- the Rangers were 3-1 against the Sabres and Panthers and 1-2-1 against the Senators. They are 2-1 against the Capitals, whom they host in the season finale Saturday . . . Two playoff-ready T-shirts were sighted at practice. Prust wore a blue one with the message: "Stepan is my wingman." Dubinsky's shirt had the word "Bork" on it, which Prust said was a nickname that Hagelin was called at the University of Michigan.
Picture perfectA string of terrific old photos of the Maple Leafs hangs in a corridor in the pressbox in Toronto. Anton Stralman, John Scott and Jeff Woywitka, all healthy scratches one night last weekend, were admiring them like visitors in a museum. They thought one player was Rangers assistant coach Mike Sullivan, and to be fair, the facial resemblance was very close. Someone mentioned that Sullivan was much younger and never played in Toronto, and one staffer set them straight. "That's Tim Horton," he said.
And the winner isThe envelope, please . . . The New York Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association has voted for team MVP and the annual John Halligan Good Guy Award; the winners will be announced next week. Note: Previous winners Henrik Lundqvist and Ryan Callahan are ineligible for the Halligan, which honors cooperation with the media.


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RAIT Financial Trust (NYSE:RAS)
Q2 2011 Earnings Call
July 29, 2011 10:00 am ET
Andres Viroslav – IR
Scott Schaeffer – CEO
Jack Salmon – CFO
Good day ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the second quarter 2011 RAIT Financial Trust earnings conference call. My name is Chris and I will be your conference moderator for today. Presently, all participants are in listen-only mode. Later we will facilitate a question-and-answer session (Operator Instructions).
At this time, I would now like to turn the conference over to your presenter for today Mr. Andres Viroslav, Director of Corporate Communications. Sir, you may proceed.
Andres Viroslav
Thank you, Chris and good morning to everyone. Thank you for joining us today to review RAIT Financial Trust's second quarter 2011 financial results. On the call with me today are Scott Schaeffer, Chief Executive Officer; and Jack Salmon, RAIT's Chief Financial Officer.
This morning's call is being webcast on our website at www.raitft.com. There will be a replay of the call available via webcast on our website and telephonically beginning at approximately 1:00 PM Eastern Time today. The dial-in for the replay is 888-286-8010, with a confirmation code of 18649139.
Before I turn the call over to Scott, I'd like to remind everyone that there may be forward-looking statements made in this call. These forward-looking statements reflect RAIT's current views with respect to future events and financial performance. Actual results could differ substantially and materially from what RAIT has projected. Such statements are made in good faith pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Please refer to RAIT's press releases and filings with the SEC for factors that could affect the accuracy of our expectations or cause our future results to differ materially from those expectations.
Participants may discuss non-GAAP financial measures in this call. A copy of RAIT's press release containing financial information, other statistical information and a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is attached to RAIT's most recent current report on Form 8-K, available at RAIT's website, www.raitft.com, under Investor Relations. RAIT's other SEC filings are also available through this link. RAIT does not undertake to update forward-looking statements in this call or with respect to matters described herein, except as may be required by law.
Now I'd like to turn the call over to RAIT's Chief Executive Officer, Scott Schaeffer. Scott?
Scott Schaeffer
Thank you very much Andres. I thank all of you for joining us this morning as we present RAIT's second quarter 2011 results. We are pleased to report another quarter of progress at RAIT. I would like to take this time to review some of the key highlights. We are reporting $4.4 million of operating income, our third consecutive quarter of positive operating income. We are also reporting AFFO of $0.22 per share. GAAP earnings for the quarter were negative driven by non-cash mark-to-market adjustments of $26 million to our Legacy Taberna portfolios Jack will discuss this in more details shortly.
We received $106 million from loan repayments in asset sales during the quarter. We originated and funded $52 million in first mortgage loans purchased a $30 million first mortgage loan to $25 million and executed term sheets to fund $32 million in new loans over the next 30 days. Our newly formed CMBS group structured the sale of approximately $61 million first mortgage loans into a third party CMBS securitization. The closing originally scheduled for yesterday has been delayed due to S&P's internal review of the CMBS ratings methodology. We expect these loans to be sold during the third quarter.
Independence Realty Trust is RAIT's first non-listed REIT subsidiary. Independence is focused on acquiring a portfolio of multifamily properties. During the quarter, the SEC declared Independence's registration statement effective for its issuance of common stock. Independence is now positioned to begin its capital raising efforts as we seek to enter into selling agreements with Independent broker dealers.
In our owned real estate portfolio, we continued to experience positive trends in both occupancy and rental income. In our loan book, we are reporting lower NPLs [ph] and reduced provisions for losses of $950,000 for the second quarter as the portfolio has stabilized. And as you can see in the press release, we continue to pass all of our CRE CDO coverage tests with dramatic improvement in the rate CRE CDO II over collateralization test.
During the quarter, we continued the deleveraging process. We repurchased $16.8 million of our 6.875% [ph] senior convertible notes $6.7 million of RAIT CRE CDO debt and we retired $15.7 million, which was the remaining outstanding of our 10% senior secured notes due in 2014. Our Board authorized a 1 for 3 reversed stock split during the quarter, which went into effect after the market closed on June 30, 2011. And lastly RAIT's Board reinstated its review of the common stock dividend to a quarterly basis and declared a second quarter common dividend of $0.06 per share. This is the first quarterly common dividends since October of 2008 and its being paid today.
At this point, I would like to turn the call over to Jack. Jack?
Jack Salmon
Thank you, Scott. The financial highlights for the quarter ended June 30,2011 include a GAAP net loss of $20.1 million primarily caused by the changes in fair value of our financial instruments and an $8.5 million income or $0.22 per common share of adjusted funds from operations, which (Inaudible) $0.03 per share in AFFO over the first quarter of this year.
I'm going to summarize the consolidated results for operations, which has shown significant improvement this quarter in comparison to the same quarter last year and on the year-to-date basis as follows. Rental income of $22.1 million, increased $4.4 million or over 25% compared to the $17.7 million during the same quarter in 2010 and it's up almost $10 million year-to-date. Rental growth reflects the increase in occupancies from 74% to 83% since the second quarter of 2010.
The related real estate operating expenses in this portfolio of $13.8 million were $400,000 higher this quarter, compared to last year as new properties came on stream. The increases in rent net of these operating costs resulted in $8.3 million of property and operating income, which is $4 million higher run rate than in 2010.
Interest expense of $22.3 million for the quarter and $45.7 million year-to-date is running 9% lower than the comparable periods in the prior year. Since we've reduced the aggregate amount of debt outstanding thereby lowering our total borrowing costs. Compensation expense of $5.7 million this quarter and $12.3 million for the first six months of the year is running $2.6 million or 18% lower year-to-date than in 2010.
G&A expense of $4.4 million is $900,000 lower this quarter versus the second quarter of 2010 and 8% lower on the year-over-year basis despite the incremental costs associated with the acquisition and launch of Independence Realty Trust this year.
Continuing improvements in our CRE loan portfolio from a credit perspective have resulted in lower provisions for loan losses of $2.9 million for the first half of 2011, compared to $24.9 million in the first half of 2010. During the quarter, we converted two multifamily loans into owned real estate.
Total expenses for the quarter are $54.5 million represent a 16% reduction from the second quarter of 2010 of $65.0 million. As a result, we generated $4.4 million of positive operating income this quarter, which was the $9 million improvement over the second quarter of last year and for the first six months of 2011 we've generated $6.1 million of operating, which was a $16.9 million improvement over 2010.
During the second quarter, we generated $4.3 million gains on sales of assets and debt extinguishments this year compared to $24.9 million in similar gains for the same quarter of last year. We also experienced a large change in the net fair value of mark-to-market adjustment this quarter, which was the net charge of $25.7 million. This non-cash amount is comprised of $2.1 million of asset pricing improvements on our Taberna securities offset by a $6.8 million increase in the non-recourse debt financing of these portfolios and further reduced by a $21 million increase in the related interest rate hedges, reflecting the high volatility in long-term interest rates that we had experienced recently.
This change in fair value was the primarily cause of a reported GAAP net loss of $20.1 million this quarter. The change in fair value of these financial instruments impacts the reported GAAP earnings and our FFO, which was the non-GAAP measure of operating performance. However, adding back the $25 million non-cash charge together with other adjustments as shown on schedule one of AFFO resulted in AFFO of $8.5 million this quarter and $15.5 million for the first six months of 2011.
Our AFFO per common shares increased each of the past three quarters from $0.15 at 12/31/2010 to $0.19 at the first quarter of this year and $0.22 at June 30. In comparing the $0.22 of AFFO this quarter to the $0.26 in the second quarter of last year it should be noted that we reported a one-time gain on sales of our management contracts of over $7.6 million in 2010, which contributed significantly to the prior year AFFO.
Turning to our assets, our $1.2 billion CRE loan portfolio has continued to perform better and loan product picked up as we received $38 million of loan repayments and funded $52 million of loans this quarter. As a result, our two CRE loan securitizations CRE I and CRE II are meeting all their interest coverage and OC requirements. And as with the recent payment cycle the most stringent OC test for CRE II was at 123.6% versus a trigger of 116.2% and for CRE II it was at 118.9% versus a trigger of 111.7%. CRE II has only one $4 million non-performing mezzanine loan outstanding today. Recently a $20 million mezzanine loan was brought current by the borrower, returning it to performing status and thereby dramatically improving our OC test.
The total NPLs [ph] is $94 million are down from $121 million at March 31, 2011 and represent 8.1% of the unpaid balance in the CRE loan portfolio. We have approximately $50 million or 53% of the current NPL [ph] balance available in reserves against any future losses.
In our CRE I portfolio $862 million of assets has increased $58 million during the quarter, primarily from the additional of two multifamily assets arising from loan conversions. And then one transaction, we purchased from a third party a $30 million senior first mortgage at a discount and then converted that into our owned real estate.
We have also completed the sales of two multifamily assets this quarter with gross proceeds of approximately $67 million thereby creating new lending liquidity in our CDOs. Turning to our debt capital, we began the year with $143.6 million of our 6.78% [ph] convertible debt outstanding, after repurchasing an additional $16.8 million this quarter, we now have approximately $38.8 million of this debt outstanding.
During this quarter, we also purchased $6.7 million of our CRE CDO non-recourse notes payable, which generated gain on debt extinguishment of $4.2 million. And turning to our bank debt, at quarter end we have $19.7 million of recourse debt outstanding on a secured bank credit facility, which we expect to refinance during the coming quarter.
In April, we prepaid the entire $15.7 million outstanding balance of the 10% senior secured notes that as in April 2014 maturity date. As a result of these actions we've reduced our recourse debt during the quarter by $32.5 million to a caring value of $245.5 million as of June 30, 2011.
Our total debt-to- equity ratio was 2.2 times at quarter end, compared to a ratio of 2.3 times at December 31, 2010. In the next week we will file our quarterly report on Form 10-Q and we also expect to file a new self-registration statement on Form S3 to replace the current self-registration, which is expiring.
With that, I will turn the call back to Scott.
Scott Schaeffer
Thanks Jack. Operator, I think at this time we would like to open the call up for questions.
Question-and-Answer Session
(Operator Instructions) our first question comes from the line of (Inaudible) from Compass Point. Ma'am you may proceed.
Unidentified Participant
Hi guys, just two quick questions. With the commercial loan balance, the increase in the commercial loan balance this quarter in any way related to the transfer of properties into Independence Realty or the two loan conversions that were completed during the quarter?
Scott Schaeffer
No, it really is a result of the net effect of the loan repayments against the loans that we funded and or repurchased.
Unidentified Participant
Okay, thank you. And then also can you provide the approximate size of the fees generated from the $61 million in commercial loan origination in the CMBS JV? And were they reflected in this quarter's results?
Scott Schaeffer
First of all they were not reflected in this quarter results it was a sale that was expected to be consummated, I think it was yesterday and we had estimated the gain to be a little over $2 million, of course it got caught up in the S&P delaying their ratings for all CMBS issuances.
Unidentified Participant
Okay, thank you.
Scott Schaeffer
You're welcome.
Jack Salmon
Thank you.
Our next question comes from the line of Richard (Inaudible). You may proceed.
Unidentified Participant
Hi, guys. Just a couple of things, you mentioned something about a mezzanine loan being paid off that was subsequent to quarter end.
Scott Schaeffer
It was no, you are referring to the $20 million mezzanine loan that was non-performing.
Unidentified Participant
Right, yes.
Scott Schaeffer
No, that's a mezzanine loan that did not payoff, it's one where there was an extension being negotiated with the borrower and the senior lender. And during that extension period the borrower wasn't paying so the senior loan went into default and our loan accordingly wasn't paying. However, the extension was ultimately agreed to the borrower brought all of the loans current including errors [ph] and we agreed to extend as well. And the loan will be kept (Inaudible) forward-looking basis. So it's one where, it was a non-performing loan but it wasn't non-performing because of any issue relative to the property. It was non-performing just because of an extension being worked through between the borrower and the lenders.
Unidentified Participant
Did the borrower come up with more extra fresh cash equity?
Scott Schaeffer
They did, a significant amount, they were somewhere in the area of $14 million or $15 million.
Unidentified Participant
Okay, so you are I mean that measurably approves your position in the capital stack?
Scott Schaeffer
Well, it's the new equity coming in behind us and it's one where we believe all along that the value of the property was in excess of the total debt outstanding anyway.
Unidentified Participant
Scott Schaeffer
It's really not non-performing just because of again the non-payment during the negotiation period to the expansion.
Unidentified Participant
That's good to hear. Hey, I'm sorry I missed a bit of the beginning of the call but is there some kind of apples-to-apples number you got sort of and more sort of looking at your previous quarter, in terms of sort of recurring the cash flow basically, which would to me mean your NOI from the properties plus cash flow from the securitizations from the CDO's.
Jack Salmon
Yeah, Richard. I don't have a breakdown but I think by evidence of the growth in AFFO, you will see this has been reported each of the last year quarters AFFO has increased, which I think is a good indicator of growth in cash flow.
Unidentified Participant
But there's nothing non-recurring in there, in AFFO?
Jack Salmon
It's all on the comparable basis in all quarters that were presented in the same basis.
Unidentified Participant
Okay, good enough. Thank you, those are my questions.
Scott Schaeffer
Thanks Rick.
Jack Salmon
You're welcome.
That was our last question. I would now like to turn the call back over to Mr. Scott Schaeffer for closing remarks.
Scott Schaeffer
Well, thanks I would like to summarize by saying that RAIT is making great progress, what continuous to be a volatile and uncertain market. We are experiencing improving credit trends and real estate fundamentals within our portfolios, particularly in the multifamily asset class. And in the near term we will continue to focus our efforts in two strategic directions, real estate lending with a focus on bridge and CMBS loans and multifamily acquisitions to our Independence Reality Trust subsidiary. I'd like to thank you for joining us all today and we look forward to speaking with you again at the end of the third quarter.
Ladies and gentlemen that concludes today's conference. Thank you so much for your participation. You may now disconnect. Have a great day.
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