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You exercise your body to stay physically in shape, so why shouldn't you exercise your brain to stay mentally fit? With these daily exercises you will learn how to flex your mind, improve your creativity and boost your memory. As with any exercise, repetition is necessary for you to see improvement, so pick your favorite exercises from our daily suggestions and repeat them as desired. Try to do some mentalrobics every single day!
This exercise comes from the book Conceptual Blockbusting by James L. Adams and relates to the idea of stereotyping.
Find someone that you do not know very well to help you do this exercise. Taking turns, say a label that describes you (blonde, student, carpenter, mother, chocoholic, married, etc). Avoid small talk and avoid having a conversation about each label. Just state your label and then continue. It will get difficult to come up with labels after the first few, but keep going for at least five minutes.
This exercise will demonstrate how you label yourself. Notice how each label is a stereotype. People stereotype themselves and others all the time. Without being able to qualify your labels with conversation, you are allowing the other person to stereotype you. How did your stereotypes affect your understanding of the other person? For example, if they said that they were a "marathon runner," what preconceived qualities would you instantly place onto them? Recognizing that you are constantly stereotyping things will allow you to look beyond these labels when necessary.
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Creative Caption Game
Can you make the funniest caption for these odd pictures?


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What is it: OneDrive is the place to store and share your work documents in the cloud. All content you store in OneDrive is private until you decide to share it with other people. View and edit Office documents in Office Online or open them for viewing or editing in their Office applications. Use OneDrive in your web browser or sync it to your computer to access content locally and when you're offline. Access your OneDrive content on all your favorite devices, including Windows Phone, Surface RT, Windows 8, and iPhone or iPad.
How do I get access: To access OneDrive, go to https://gonzagau.sharepoint.com, and login using your GU login credentials. To access your OneDrive library, select OneDrive in the header at the top of any SharePoint page. You will need to have a SharePoint license activated to access OneDrive. If you are unable to login, contact the ITS Support Center at (509) 313-5550 or ext. 5550 so they may verify your license and provide access.
How do I get training: To learn more about OneDrive, follow this link for a video tutorial.
Who do I contact if I have problems: For support, contact the ITS Support Center at (509) 313-5550, ext. 5550 if you are on campus or by email.
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subset: commoncrawl


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More albums you may like
Experience the exquisite beauty of the voice collected here in ABC Classics' sumptuous new collection of opera's truly great arias – Nessun Dorma.
Featuring beautiful performances from some of the world's finest and best-loved opera stars, from Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Renata Tebaldi, Kiri Te Kanawa, Yvonne Kenny and Bryn Terfel to some of opera's brightest and most promising new stars, including Sara Macliver and Teddy Tahu Rhodes.
Sure to delight, the power and majesty of these compositions are brought to life with incredible emotion by some of the greatest singers in the history of opera. The joy, the despair, the love and even the heartbreak are captured perfectly in some of opera's most memorable moments.
Track Listing
1 LEO NUCCI Largo al factotum (Make way for the city's jack-of-all-trades) from The Barber of Seville
2 PLÁCIDO DOMINGO Nessun dorma (None shall sleep) from Turandot
3 SALLY-ANNE RUSSELL Habanera: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Love is a rebellious bird) from Carmen
4 JOSÉ CARRERAS Vesti la giubba (On with the motley) from Pagliacci
5 MIRELLA FRENI Un bel dì (One fine day) from Madama Butterfly
6 KARITA MATTILA Song to the Moon from Rusalka
7 ROSARIO LA SPINA E lucevan le stelle (And the stars were shining) from Tosca
8 MAGDALENA KOŽENÁ Nuit resplendissante (Resplendent night) from Cinq-Mars
9 LUCIANO PAVAROTTI Che gelida manina (How cold your little hand is!) from La bohème
10 STUART BURROWS Un' aura amorosa (One loving breath) from Così fan tutte
11 MARILYN HORNE Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix (My heart opens at the sound of your voice) from Samson et Dalila (Samson and Delilah)
12 PATRICIA PETIBON Je veux vivre (I want to live in this dizzy dream) from Roméo et Juliette
13 OLAF BÄR Birdcatcher's Aria from The Magic Flute
14 JOAN CARDEN Sempre libera (I must always be free) from La traviata
15 FREDERICA VON STADE Voi che sapete (You ladies who know what love is) from The Marriage of Figaro
16 JOHN PRINGLE Non più andrai (No more gallivanting for you) from The Marriage of Figaro
1 TEDDY TAHU RHODES Catalogue Aria from Don Giovanni
2 VICTORIA LAMBOURN Una voce poco fa (A voice I heard just now) from The Barber of Seville
3 TERESA BERGANZA Che farò senza Euridice? (What will I do without Eurydice?) from Orfeo ed Euridice
4 RENATA TEBALDI Vissi d'arte (I lived for art) from Tosca
5 YVONNE KENNY Piangeró la sorte mia (I shall weep for my fate) from Julius Caesar
6 ELIZABETH CONNELL Es gibt ein Reich (There is a kingdom) from Ariadne auf Naxos
7 ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER Le Roi de Thulé (The King of Thule) from The Damnation of Faust
8 MILICA ILIC O mio babbino caro (Papa dearest) from Gianni Schicchi
9 LAURIS ELMS Stride la vampa (The flames are crackling) from Il trovatore
10 CONAL COAD La vendetta (Revenge) from The Marriage of Figaro
11 BRYN TERFEL Se vuol ballare (If you want to dance) from The Marriage of Figaro
12 SARA MACLIVER Ruhe sanft (Rest gently) from Zaide
13 KIRI TE KANAWA In quelle trine morbide (In those soft silken curtains) from Manon Lescaut
14 FRITZ WUNDERLICH Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön (This portrait is enchantingly lovely)


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Garnet Brillante
Omkar 1973 Worli
Kanakia Sevens
Marol Andheri East
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Port Canaveral has surpassed Port Everglades as the world's second-busiest cruise port, further solidifying Canaveral's place as "the cornerstone of Brevard tourism," Canaveral Port Authority Chairman Bruce Deardoff told Local 6 news partner Florida Today Wednesday.
Newly released figures for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 show Port Canaveral with 3.76 million revenue passengers, compared with 3.69 million for Port Everglades, near Fort Lauderdale.
Deardoff said passenger cruises are responsible for about 80 percent of Port Canaveral's revenue, "and are critical in the Brevard economy. Not only do the profits allow us to grow the port, creating thousands of construction and permanent jobs, it also puts heads in beds in our hotels and rears in chairs in our restaurants."
Canaveral Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Stan Payne said moving ahead of Port Everglades in the ranking is "exciting."
Although the Port of Miami remains the world's busiest cruise port, Payne told Florida Today, "We're satisfied with being No. 2, and trying harder."
Revenue passenger figures, a commonly used measure in the cruise industry, count passengers on a home-ported ship two times — when they board the ship at the start of their cruise and when they get off at the end of their cruise. Passengers on a ship making a port-of-call stop at a port are counted once. So the actual passenger totals for the two ports are closer to 2 million.
Port Canaveral inched ahead of Port Everglades following a year in which Brevard County's seaport showed a 21.3 percent gain in passenger counts. There are three Carnival ships, two Disney ships and two Royal Caribbean ships based at Port Canaveral, and Disney announced this week that it will have a third ship based here for part of 2014.
Surpassing Port Everglades is a "remarkable achievement," Deardoff said in comments to fellow Canaveral Port Authority commissioners on Wednesday, as he ended the meeting wrapping up his yearlong term as chairman. He said the ranking caps off "the most financially successful year in the port's six-decade history."
"We must always remember, this is a very fragile business," Deardoff told Florida Today. "Ports lose cruise ships all the time, and it is not always easy to learn he motivation behind the relocations. Port Canaveral is not exempt. We will lose ships in the future, which is why we must remain steadfast in our efforts to constantly strive to take care of our existing relationships, while we work at building new and even-better ones."
Deardoff said a piece of bad publicity can hurt a relationship with a cruise line.
"Our reputation is the key to maintaining and growing" the cruise business, Deardoff said. "We must never do anything that would reflect negativity, in the press, on that reputation. Thanks to the Internet, anything that happens here no longer stays here.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Health Care Reform & Essential Community Providers: Information for Ryan White Providers
Health Care Reform & Essential Community Providers: Information for Ryan White Providers
June 2013
Tip sheet (update from April version) explaining how safety net providers can contact and seek contracts with health insurance plans as Essential Community Providers (ECPs), defined as providers with experience caring for medically underserved individuals. Health insurance plans are required to contract with ECPs, but not all, and as such are unlikely to reach out to safety net providers. Sections cover:
- What is the ECP Policy in My State?
- What Providers Are Considered ECPs in Federally-Facilitated and Partnership Marketplaces?
- Do I Need to Sign Up to Be an ECP?
- What About State-Administered Marketplaces (Exchanges)?
- Plans Required to Contract With Ryan White Providers?
- How Do I Identify the Health Plans Offering Coverage in My State?


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Building the New MOPA Website
The Museum of Photographic Arts recently launched a new website, and we here at the Balboa Park Online Collaborative were privledged to take part in the process. The new site is a testemant to the amazing creativity and tireless efforts of a number of people at MOPA, HollisBC, and BPOC.
The Balboa Park Online Collaborative provided web development, project management, and IT services for the MOPA website project. Under the direction of Rich Cherry, the BPOC team worked closely with MOPA staff throughout the development of the site. Christina DePaolo, BPOC's Director of New Media, not only managed the project and kept everyone on track, but also provided invaluable assistance with content creation and editing, quality assurance, and some awesome home-made cookies. Chris Borkowski, BPOC's Lead Developer, was instrumental in developing several of the sites more complex features. Heather Hart and the rest of BPOC's IT staff provided extensive QA and testing.
Throughout this project, we've had the opportunity to work with some amazing people at MOPA. Vivian Haga was able to assemble the disparate needs and wishes of a number of people into a cohesive singluar vision. Kristine Page was responsible for taking this vision and turning it into a reaility. During every phase of the project, Kristine did all of the heavy lifting when it came to content and workflow. The design of the new site was provided by HollisBC. Don Hollis, Tyler Cristobal, and the rest of the HollisBC staff created a stunning design for the site, and were advocates for design perfection throughout the process.
The new MOPA website was built using Drupal, an open-source Content Management System. In a nutshell, Drupal allows MOPA staff to more easily manage the website content without being distracted by details of the underlying technology. Drupal is popular in the museum community, and is used worldwide to create corporate, political, non-profit, and government sites including whitehouse.gov and data.gov.uk.


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Readers who want to learn more about Julia Child, the iconic American chef and TV personality, should plan to attend Karen Karbos presentation on Thursday, June 5, at the Ledding Library Cultural Forum.
Karbo, a Portland resident, will offer a PowerPoint presentation based on her newest book Julia Child Rules, her fourth book in her Kick Ass Women series.
In her first three books in the series, Karbo profiled Georgia OKeeffe, Katharine Hepburn and Coco Chanel.
Karbo said she wrote about these women because Im interested in how they changed our view of what it means to be a modern woman. Julia, who is most like the rest of us, was the most difficult to get my arms around.
She was just a very tall girl from Pasadena who developed a mania for cooking. And yet, her character, fortitude, stamina and sheer esprit made her an icon. What was it about her? Why do we still revere her? Love her? And, of course, what lessons does her life hold for how we can savor life?
Julia Child Rules takes the reader from the chefs early years to the time when she tried to join the military during World War II, but was rejected.
Child, whose maiden name was McWilliams, then got a job with the Office of Strategic Services, a predecessor of the CIA, and was given the task of organizing huge amounts of data. That gave her the ability to compile complex and detailed recipes. Also, while working for the OSS, McWilliams met Paul Child, who became her husband and biggest supporter.
Karbo is looking forward to meeting her readers at the cultural forum and said that these kinds of author events are important for a community, because anytime were away from our screens for more than a few hours is a triumph. Gathering to discuss pretty much anything, face to face is more important than ever before.
Stir up some fun!
What: The Ledding Library Cultural Forum presents Karen Karbo, author of Julia Child Rules and many other works.
When: 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 5
Where: The Pond House, 2215 S.E. Harrison St., Milwaukie
Cost: Free
More: karenkarbo.com


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SAINT LEO, Fla. – New Saint Leo University men's basketball coach Lance Randall has officially announced his freshman class for the 2011-12 men's basketball season as Taylor Bassett, Cale Girten and Angel Gonzalez will be suiting up for the Green and Gold beginning in November.
"We are very excited about this freshman class," Coach Randall said. "They are all excellent students and we are looking forward to helping them develop as basketball players and as young men."
The three mark the first of a group of new Lions that will take to the hardwood beginning in November which will mark a new era in Saint Leo Men's Basketball. In total, Randall has added nearly 10 new faces in his first year.
Taylor Bassett
6-3 | Fr. | Guard
Syracuse, NY
Onondaga Central High School
Taylor Basset joins Saint Leo from Syracuse, NY where he was a standout performer for Onondaga Central High School. A two-year first team New York All-Star in 2010 and 2011, he was twice selected as an All-State player and was the Patriot Conference's Player of the Year in each of those seasons as well.
Averaging 18 points and seven rebounds per game as a guard, the native of New Haven, Conn. was also well represented for his performance in the classroom with an All-Academic Team selection in 2010. He comes to Saint Leo from a family involved in college athletics as his father, Matt Bassett, serves as the Athletic Director at LeMoyne University.
Coach Randall's Thoughts: "Taylor is a terrific all-around guard who can really score. A coach's son with a high basketball IQ, he had a great senior season and will bring leadership, energy and a gym rat mentality to this freshman class."
Cale Girten
6-6 | Fr. | Forward
New Prague, Minn.
New Prague High School
Cale Girten comes to the Lions as a contributing member of the New Prague High School boy's basketball team in New Prague, Minn. The slender forward was a two-time captain on a team that finished as semi-finalists at the state playoffs in 2011. Named to the Missota All-Conference team his senior year, the Minnesota native played in 31 games his final year, averaging almost 13 points per game during that stretch.
Coach Randall's Thoughts: "Cale is as good as a high school defender as I saw last year. He is a 6'8" forward that can guard at least three positions well. He is a knock-down 3-point shooter who can drive it to the rim to score. He comes from an excellent program where he led them to the Minnesota state semi-finals in the large-school division."
Angel Gonzalez
5-9 | Fr. | Point Guard
Ocala, Fla.
Meadowbrook Academy
Angel Gonzalez has added his name to the men's basketball roster as a semi-local star from Meadowbrook Academy in Ocala, Fla., just north of the Saint Leo campus. The 5'9" point guard was named the Florida Christian Athletic League's Player of the Year in 2011 and was a three-time All-County selection while at Meadowbrook Academy.
He averaged 20 points and four assists per game during his senior season as well as having ESPN Radio Player of the Week accolades in 2010.
Coach Randall's Thoughts: "Angel has been a prolific scoring guard throughout his high school career. He has a good first step and shoots off the dribble with great range. He is a very smart player and a tough competitor."
All three will begin their collegiate careers with the start of the fall semester at Saint Leo in late August.


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Westerdam - Western Caribbean: Westerdam Cruise Review by Jenniferheart
Overall Member Rating
Westerdam - Western Caribbean
Destination: Western Caribbean
Embarkation: Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)
Embarkation: Went very well. We had flown into Miami the day before and spent the night in a hotel in Hollywood. Our coach drove us to the port around 12 noon and having read other reviews about the importance of arriving early, I was expecting long queues. Instead, embarkation was smooth. It was incredibly quick and efficient, and we could benefit from a virtually non-existent queue at the immigration desk for non-US citizens. We were then directed to the ship that was waiting for us. Our baggage was handled beautifully and was duly delivered to our cabin later on as More expected. We were told to help ourselves in the Lido Restaurant, on Deck 9, which we did with no problem and no further queuing in spite of the many passengers following the same advice.
Cabin: We had a deluxe veranda outside stateroom. I confirm that our beds were exceptionally comfortable: only ours at home could match them! This was particularly convenient on our cruise as the first day we had a rough sea and spent most of our time in our cabin resting. Our choice of clothes fitted perfectly in the wardrobes, provided with lots of hangers. Our bathroom had a bath tub, which I found very comfortable for either a bath or a spacious shower. We liked the veranda, where we could sit to enjoy the view or communicate with our relatives next door thanks to the mobile dividers. Unlike what I had read in other reviews, there was neither a rumbling noise, like an engine noise, in our room, nor a sewage odour anywhere on the ship.
Customer service: Was quite effective. We made our reservations as soon as we boarded the ship, but even later on the front desk staff answered all our questions with a smile.
Public areas: The main theatre, the Vista lounge, hosted the evening shows. There were comfortable leather chairs (armchairs!) and sofas and I did not find that there were many seats with an obstructive view. Columns were few. The theatre may have not been the biggest one I had ever seen, but was designed to contain half the passengers (there were two shows for the four dining sittings). A few seats had tables for drinks and waiters came and went for half an hour before the show to fulfill the guests wishes. Not that one would need any other drinks to gulp down immediately after dinner and before a performance. There were a small atrium mid-ship, more for decoration than anything else, plus another nice lounge for various functions, and a number of nice bars with different features. We especially liked the one just outside the Vista dining room, where classical or traditional music was played (violins and piano live music). Music was also played elsewhere, such as in the Northern Lights, a small room used for Karaoke or special theme nights and generally for late night dancing. The Lido Deck was quite nice, with a small swimming pool and lots of chairs and round tables to sit down and enjoy the sun and/or drinks and food or just some live music. There was another swimming pool on the aft deck for adults only, which was also pleasant and less crowded. The gym was good, although we didnt take full advantage of it. I did find it odd that some classes (advanced Pilates, yoga and some others) were for a fee. That had never happened to me on other ships. Most people tend to spend more time in restaurants than in the gym and this would be a further deterrent! This time, it was a deterrent for me as well and I do normally tend to exercise! There was also a spacious internet room which could be used for a fee. Quite a high fee, actually, to use the internet (not that I wanted to see a computer during my holiday!) or to have lessons. We passed by the library, which I found well equipped, although we didnt use it as we had our own books that we enjoyed reading in other areas or on our balcony. There was an art gallery (a real one!) which was nice to have a look at on our way to the dining room. For those who liked it, there were also art auctions. The photo gallery was OK. I didnt find the photos particularly good. Photographers should maybe be a bit more professional. In any case, we took our own pictures, so that was pretty irrelevant. The very first general impression I had when boarding and touring the ship was that there were many corridors, too little natural light and quite low ceilings. Later, though, I got used to this, learned to find the nice spots with a view (or outdoors) and to appreciate the cosy feeling given by those elegant corridors. Food: The Vista dining room was round, quite big without looking like an airport. Organised in a circular way, it had rectangular tables for two, four or six people as well as some oval tables. Nothing like the refectory style of other ships, with very big and long crowded tables. The decor was carpet and velvet, golden railings and gave the atmosphere of a luxury hotel in spite of its size. The food was simply extraordinary. It was served in an impeccable way, always with a smile. The quality of the food was very, very high and I, being Italian, am very fussy about food! Some of the best food I have ever had, in fact. Presentation was imaginative, the choice ample, sophisticated and varied each day, quantity perfect (and for those with hollow legs second helpings could be asked for, which is one of the reasons why I dont understand how other critics could say portions were too small!).
Room service was good. We ordered one early breakfast and were happy with the vast choice of food and drinks offered and the timeliness of service. Croissants were still warm when they arrived!
The Lido restaurant had a buffet-style and provided different sections with great variety of food: Italian, salads, sweets, bistro, oriental, deli, etc. Lots of drinks were also offered free of charge, such as teas, coffee and fruit juices. I found any extra drinks ordered at the bars very good value, and not just because I had London standards! On the Lido Deck there were also burgers, hot dogs and tacos at hand, in addition to a bar.
The only disappointment and a big one - we had was the Pinnacle Grill. A disaster, in fact. Having read all the very good reviews about it, I decided to pre-book a table for us for Valentines Day. I called the number specified on HALs website and an American girl told me that she could help me, but that for a large party I needed to fill out a form. She sent this by email. I filled it out and sent it back. Her answer, four days later, was: Unfortunately, we are not able to pre-book any Pinnacle Grill reservations for February 14th (Valentines Day). All guests wishing to dine on that day will have to make arrangements to do so once they are onboard. We regret to disappoint you in this matter, however, we hope you may understand the reasoning behind this policy. When I asked for a more elaborate explanation, the answer was: The reason we do not pre book special days such as this, is because there would be no reservations left within months of the cruise. For special days, such as this, we were receiving requests months and months ago. If we were able to pre book them, they would have all been booked months ago. I thought that was precisely the reason why you pre-book. Very unimpressive. We then resigned ourselves to book immediately upon boarding. The maitre d was there and told us that he couldnt book anything for us yet (it was Sunday, February 12th) as the menu was not ready yet. The day after, the same scene occurred again. They could not take out booking as they would have to charge us then and they had not yet decided upon the accompanying wines or the final menu, for that matter! The maitre d showed us the rough draft of the menu and said he had been let down by the management. We tried to reason with him, but anything he said was an insult to our intelligence. On Feb 13th early in the evening we saw the manager and he said there was no problem for our booking. Later on, we went to verify our booking with the maitre d. Guess what he hadnt booked anyone in yet because he was still thinking about whether to have a normal menu or a special set menu as originally scheduled! We didnt believe a word of it. He promised he would book us in if we confirmed our reservation at 8 on the following morning. We said that we wanted to confirm it there and then, but to no avail. Feb 14th was the day we were on an excursion very early, so we asked somebody else to try and confirm our reservation, which finally happened. After all this, we thought we had well earned the grandest meal on earth. But more was to come. We were presented with a set menu for $ 75 pp including wine, which we said we wouldnt drink anyway, except some champagne. The staff was less than unimpressive. We later learned that exceptionally there were two sittings that evening and the staff obviously could not cope at all. Not even a smile. But the food! Oh, what an appalling experience! The foie gras was obviously inserted to impress, but failed to do so (also, I would not have put it in a set menu with no alternative options as there are several people who would not like it). The fish was undercooked and as near a Dover sole as I am. The lemon sorbet was a glass full of inedible or undrinkable bits of ice very weird; the meat was the only good thing. The ginger cake at the end was average. We really tried to give the restaurant a chance, but with poor results. As to the atmosphere, there was no touch of romance, we didnt feel *special* and there was absolutely nothing that remotely reminded of Valentines not a single decoration, a rose, a chocolate or a heart-shaped anything or romantic music. The staff was distracted and arrogant. And, after all those difficulties to book us in, we found two female members of the crew sitting at a table next to ours. Either to fill the last table or to enjoy the privilege of being the maitre d favourites. So much for a special evening! I did hope that this would be just an isolated case, but the following days we exchanged our opinions with other passengers who had visited the Pinnacle Grill on other evenings and they also were not satisfied. We also learned that the Vista dining room had been improved. Well done! It was fabulous there. The Pinnacle Grill now needs a serious overhaul if it wants to be superior or even just match the quality of the main dining room. If I can give some advice, do not waste your time and money in the Pinnacle Grill (there is a $20 extra charge per person to have dinner there), the other restaurants are on a different, far more superior planet!
The culinary demonstrations and courses were interesting, too. Shame that such good food seemed to have deteriorated between the kitchen and the dining room of the Pinnacle Grill!
We also appreciated the so-called Chocolate extravaganza, a late evening buffet on the Lido Deck with every chocolate variation possible and ice sculptures. Entertainment was excellent, the best I have ever had on a ship. Our cruise director, Drew Murdock, was incredibly welcoming and pleasant and funny and, above all, competent. I do not know if he is the one to thank for the choice of guests, but if that is the case, then bravo! a big applause for him. We could see performances by Alfreda Gerald (her last cruise on this ship), a very good singer; a ventriloquist who was extraordinarily good and made us laugh to tears; an old acquaintance of mine, Jeff Trachta (remember Thorne in The Bold and the Beautiful?), who sang and impersonated a million people there was also a much appreciated Q&A session where he answered questions and signed free photographs. I met him about fifteen years ago and, well, he hadnt changed one bit! And, of course, there was HALs dance staff not the best dancers (but I am a former ballet dancer, so I have a right to be harsh), but the music and costumes made up for it. I heard that Karaoke and other events and competitions we didn't attend were well run.
The casino was relatively big, varied, well equipped and always full. Shame that people could smoke there. I found it a bit strange that while minors were not allowed entrance, there was no real entrance as one corridor passed right through it. No problem, though, as no minors were ever in sight. CLUB: the Club for children of various ages (till seventeen, apparently) did a great job: we didnt see any children for the whole duration of the cruise and there were some except when they diligently gathered to watch a show or have an ice-cream in the Lido restaurant or a swim on the Lido Deck pool. No screams, no infringement of the adult-only areas. I heard that the Club staff was very well liked. Children of all ages were all taken care of, there seemed to be something for everyone. I saw the golf practice, basketball/tennis court and table tennis tables, but there were also board games and all sorts of extra activities and tournaments organised by the crew.
The Spa: Well, for the first time in my cruising experience I felt like treating myself. The massage and mini-facial I had (my partner also had one!) were relaxing and well prepared. The Spa/treatment area itself had several rooms laid out, at first sight, in a confusing way; changing rooms were spacious and after a while it became easier for me to get my bearings. The hairdresser deserves a special mention: Vladimir, tall and smiling, polite, funny and competent, was a turning point in the life of my hair! I had a cut, colouring and re-styling which were absolutely stunning. I let myself be talked into buying some products; I am using them now and I must admit that they are very good.
Shops: Good size rooms. There was a good selection of clothes, souvenirs and especially jewels and very good-value watches. I dont know if we went at the right times, but we never found the shops crowded. There were jewelry and drinks events during the cruise and some real bargains available.
Crew: Simply exceptional (save the people in the Pinnacle Grill mentioned above). And I do not pay compliments just for the sake of being nice. We were mightily impressed with the staff, particularly the Indonesian ones: Deddy and Ketut who served us in the dining room, Tony the beverage expert, and Yoko for dining supervision. They were very friendly, always smiling (that genuine smile so rare to get nowadays), ready to chat if we liked to, extremely good-natured, always available and even anticipating our needs (they seemed to remember every single preference we had!), without being imposing; nothing was too much for them, everything was possible. And not just in exchange for a tip. We made real friends and felt very special (Pinnacle Grill, learn from them! Id advise to change all of the staff and use Indonesian one instead!). We appreciated HALs tradition to let the Indonesian and Filipino staff have their own evening show for us guests, it was funny and sweet! We learned that they had to rehearse at night, after their twelve hours working day, yet in the morning they were alert and smiling again. Our cabin steward Syam was a smiling wizard. Invisible, but always present and super-efficient. Our room was miraculously made up whenever we were out of it, turn-down service had the touch of chocolates on the pillows and attention to details. Each evening a new animal was created with the arrangement of some towels: ingenious! We agreed on HALs tipping policy. We could tip the staff we met whom we thought particularly good, but the daily fixed $10 tip went to help all the rest of the staff, the invisible hands who cooked, maintained and cleaned the ship so well. They were so good that we wanted to take some of our Indonesian crew back with us! I do hope that this review will be read by the HAL management: in an effort to save us time or the bother (it was all to their credit!), our cabin staff handed in our forms left on our table before we could add our last comments.
Cruisers: They were mainly adults, or at least that is the feeling the expert crew gave us! For the great majority they were American, some Canadian; it was announced that fifteen nationalities were represented on our cruise, but we did not notice the other ones apart from ours!
Shore excursions: After one day at sea (a rough sea, so remember to take tablets against motion-sickness!), we stopped at Costa Maya (Majahual), Mexico. Unlike in the rest of the country, especially the northern parts of it, there were no signs of the past hurricane. The area was undeveloped, but apparently the fastest developing one in the world. The port was only opened to tourists three years ago. After reading so many good reviews and exploring different local sites, we decided to organise an independent tour of the Chacchoben Mayan ruins with local guides. We were docked, so disembarking was easy, although the meeting point for anyone going onshore was a narrow landing on Deck One. Maybe it was meant to speed up access to the gangways. We found the stop a very good choice, although a bit too quick.
George Town, Grand Cayman: We had checked that there would be seven other ships in port, so we eliminated certain excursions that we thought would be too crowded. In the end, we decided to go on an independent tour with a local driver/guide who took us around the western part of the island we saw Hell, the Turtle farm and got an idea of the general landscape as well as some rum cakes to take home and a taste of pineapple rum and other types of drinks. Unfortunately, by the time we docked and disembarked it was too late to go to Rum Point, at the other end of the island, which I had been recommended for spending a relaxing time. On our way back, we stopped at a surprisingly good restaurant on the pier called The Big Black Dick, where I could eat some of the best crab cakes ever. Tendering back was very easy.
Montego Bay, Jamaica: Our two main activities here were horse-riding (on healthy former polo and race horses) in and out of the water a trip organised with the ship - and relaxing on the beach of a private resort. Rum punches and Jamaican music were really good! I was amazed at how friendly locals were. We obviously docked in the safest part of the island, I know that other areas may be very rough.
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas: After another day at sea, we arrived in this paradise island owned by HAL. The weather was beautiful, the water clearer than in a swimming pool, all sorts of activities available, including snorkeling either near the beach, for beginners, or off-shore by boat; a BBQ was organised food was simple and not incredibly varied, but good nevertheless. We saved lots of money by renting (pre-booking at the ships excursion desk) clamshells on the beach instead of cabanas. We had the shade and everything else we needed anyway. The beach was large and very long, a white crescent hugged by the sea with a backdrop of lush vegetation. There was a bar called I wish I could stay here forever that was what all of us thought!
Disembarkation went very smoothly. We liked the fact that we needed to put our suitcases with our coloured tabs outside our staterooms only by 1 a.m. on the day of disembarkation. In the morning, we had the choice of remaining in our cabins or on our verandas until our colour was called, but we suspected that, given our flight times, we would be among the first ones to be called (which was the case), so we went downstairs and waited with our hand baggage in one of the many bars. Nobody needed to be crammed into the lounges, as I read in past reviews. There was plenty of space for everyone, it was possible to wait virtually anywhere on the ship, and colours were announced both on channel 43 of our room TV and in all corridors. Unlike what I read in other reviews, we disembarked in Fort Lauderdale very quickly and with no queues, and immediately found our suitcases in the baggage claim area, so I guess HAL has improved in this department!
The obvious conclusion is that we adored this holiday and are already planning the next one! With HAL, of course. Less
Published 03/31/06
Cabin review: VA8010 Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah StateroomDeluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom (VA) Reviews >>
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June 23, 2014
Overthinking It
Josh Byrnes Breaks Streak; Padres Face Uncertain Future
In March, I wrote about the unprecedented job security major-league general managers have enjoyed over the previous two-plus years. Led by the long-tenured Brian Sabean, Billy Beane, Brian Cashman, and Dan O'Dowd (who was forced to share the throne but hasn't been relieved of his duties), GMs have seen their occupation, historically a high-turnover one in which on-field success was the only sure route to remaining employed, morph into one that comes standard with the owner's commitment to stay the course, even if it means suffering through some lean times. Accordingly, I dubbed the new strain of nearly unemployment-proof GMs the "Duracell GM Generation"—a cohort of front-office head honchos who last.
On Sunday, Josh Byrnes' battery died. Byrnes, the Padres' GM since October 26, 2011, became the first GM fired since the Astros axed Ed Wade on November 27, 2011. That's a streak of 938 firing-free days—by far the longest such streak over at least the last four decades, even though baseball's expansion to 30 teams has created more opportunities for a change to take place.
So what did Byrnes do to spoil the perfect game GMs had going? He didn't stick his foot in his mouth in front of fans or the media, like former Dodgers GM Kevin Malone. Nor did he make an obviously ill-advised trade or signing that was widely first-guessed, like the Vernon Wells'-expensive-remains-for-Mike-Napoli move that did in Angels GM Tony Reagins. He had his fair share of successes, stealing Tyson Ross from the A's and Huston Street from the Rockies, buying low on Ian Kennedy, and (thus far) dealing his predecessor, Jed Hoyer, to a standstill in an Andrew Cashner-for-Anthony Rizzo swap that still inspires debate. (I've reserved a spot on Team Rizzo.)
Like any GM, of course, Byrnes made moves that backfired. The Padres' attempts to get into the extension game, which seemed sensible in the moment, have almost universally fizzled, as Carlos Quentin, Cameron Maybin, Cory Luebke, the now-departed Nick Hundley and, most recently, Jedd Gyorko, have struggled to stay healthy and/or underperformed after agreeing to stay in San Diego. (Byrnes may have dodged a bullet by avoiding a Chase Headley extension, though he likely has Headley's reluctance to forgo free agency to thank for that.) Teams usually spend more efficiently when they lock up their own players to long-term deals, so the Padres' failure to capitalize on the kind of contract that has been a boon to most teams has hit them hard.
The Padres' return in the Mat Latos trade has been similarly disappointing, although it could still be salvaged depending on how Yasmani Grandal, already a fine defensive catcher, develops at the plate. Neither of the minor leaguers Byrnes traded to the White Sox for Carlos Quentin has amounted to much, but Quentin, while largely productive when in the lineup, has been too often out of it for a player who's absorbed a high percentage of the Padres' payroll. Offseason signee Josh Johnson got hurt before he could contribute, which, upside notwithstanding, was a bit too predictable to give the Padres a pass.
Those few paragraphs are all we need to recount Byrnes' big transactions. Even with the benefit of hindsight (which at this point is still somewhat blurry), he has a mixed record—and an inconclusive record, really, given that he was allowed relatively little time in which to work magic. When Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod left San Diego to join Theo Epstein in Chicago, Byrnes inherited a team that had underperformed both its Pythagorean record and industry expectations in 2011, winning only 71 games after a surprising surge to 90 in 2010. The Padres won 76 games in each of Byrnes' first two seasons at the helm—bad enough that they were never a threat to contend, but good enough that they didn't pick higher than seventh in the amateur draft. PECOTA projected the Padres to be an 82-win team in 2014, but they had slipped to a 69-win pace before Sunday, when Byrnes was dismissed.
The primary culprit has been San Diego's historically awful offense. Through their 75 games under Byrnes this season, the Padres' park- and league-adjusted offense ranked among the worst since 1950:
R.J. Anderson examined San Diego's offensive woes on an individual level in May, and not much has changed in the six weeks since. Entering play on Sunday, 11 Padres had accumulated 100 plate appearances or more. Here's how their True Averages (league average=.260) compared to their preseason PECOTA forecasts:
Only Smith (whom Byrnes acquired over the winter in exchange for Luke Gregerson) has significantly surpassed his projection. Maybin and Rivera have exceeded theirs slightly. Other than that, it's all underperformance, with six of the 11 coming in at or well under their 10th-percentile projections.
It's hard to hold Byrnes responsible for the fact that so many players have missed their marks by so much, but the team's inability to stay healthy has compounded their problems:
Padres Injury Totals and MLB Ranks, 2014
The Padres ranked first in days lost to injury in 2012 and sixth in that category last season, so it's nothing new for them to be bitten by the injury bug. Here's how San Diego's casualty list compared to other teams' in Byrnes' two-plus seasons (2012–14):
Padres Injury Totals and MLB Ranks, 2012–14
The Padres lost more games to injury than any other team during their two-plus seasons with Byrnes as GM, and the third-highest percentage of their payroll (though not nearly the most WARP, since their injured players weren't all great to begin with). Is that bad luck? Is it a subpar training staff? Or is it the inevitable result of assembling a roster of injury-prone players such as Quentin and Johnson? How you answer that question determines, in part, how you feel about Byrnes.
We can't dispute President and CEO Mike Dee's statement that "the results on the field have been mixed at best and clearly have not lived up to expectations." And if Byrnes' mandate was to build up the farm system and turn the Padres into a drafting-and-development machine, it's hard to argue that he fulfilled that goal. Byrnes inherited a strong system: The Padres earned the top spot in Kevin Goldstein's 2012 organizational rankings, 4 ½ months after Byrnes became GM. Jason Parks kept them third in 2013, but they fell to 11th earlier this year, as injuries (surprise, surprise) took a toll. They've sunk even lower thus far this season, Jason says, citing an iffy draft, injured and/or underperforming prospects, and "big questions" about their approach to player development.
Byrnes' successors will profit from some of the talent he acquired, much as the Astros are now benefiting from the arrival and flourishing of Wade-era acquisitions such as Jose Altuve, George Springer, Jon Singleton, and Dallas Keuchel. However, he hasn't left them with a clear path to success. The Padres have a core that can't win now and, as a glance at their 2014–19 payroll commitments confirms, plenty of holes to fill before a future Padres team can hope to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. With five weeks to go before the trade deadline, the franchise's interim, three-headed GM (Omar Minaya, A.J. Hinch, and Fred Uhlman, Jr.) will have to decide whether capitalizing on a seller's market by going full firesale and pursuing an Astros-style rebuild is the best way to turn the organization's many question marks into answers ending in exclamation points. And if that's the course they choose, they'll have to hold out for the most that the roster's devalued veteran assets can bring back.
While the Padres raised payroll this year, which has made their inability to score even more disappointing than it would've been otherwise, their payroll still puts them in the bottom third in baseball:
Padres Payrolls and MLB Ranks, 2010–14
2010: $37.8 (30)
The Padres asked Byrnes to win without the payroll room to make mistakes. He wasn't up to that difficult task. Whether because of bad luck or flawed player evaluation, the Padres couldn't win without a margin for error, which serves as our latest reminder that it's really, really hard to be the A's or the Rays. (It's even hard for the Rays to be the Rays, these days.)
Byrnes still might have survived if John Moores, who owned the Padres when he was hired, hadn't sold the team to Ron Fowler instead of Jeff Moorad (who hired Byrnes) in 2012. As I wrote in March, increased collaboration and improved rapport between GMs and owners (who take greater care than ever when picking a person to run their TV-fattened cash cows) has been partly responsible for the slow hooks we've seen over the past few years. Owners are often reluctant to ditch the GM they chose to oversee their investment, especially if they've become close. However, Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler, who took over the team from Moores, inherited Byrnes, who wasn't "his guy." It's not surprising, then, that the relationship between the two "deteriorated" under the strain of a losing season, or that Fowler would have fewer qualms about going in a different direction. Maybe Byrnes was lucky that Fowler didn't try to put his stamp on the team even sooner.
Earlier this month, Slate executive editor Josh Levin determined that the Padres had been the least-discussed team (excluding the NHL) in the history of Hang Up and Listen, Slate's sports podcast. The week after that, Deadspin's Drew Magary dubbed the Padres the least-hated team in baseball. That's not as positive a distinction as it sounds. "You need a resume to be hated," Magary wrote. "You need to have won things that my team hasn't won." We learned last week that Tony Gwynn inspires strong feelings, but his long-time team won't until it wins its first World Series.
Whoever fills Byrnes' shoes will do his or her best to make the Padres a team that we all want to talk about—and, if all goes well, a team that some fans can't help but hate. But like the song said, it's gonna take patience and time, and (like the other song said) a little luck—which is more than the Padres have had lately.
Thanks to Rob McQuown for research assistance.
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
18 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
When you dubbed it the "Duracell GM generation," did anyone point out that "They keep going and going" was actually Energizer's slogan?
Jun 23, 2014 08:22 AM
Byrnes got fired because Fowler wanted his own man in. Otherwise you get more than 2 1/2 years.
Jun 23, 2014 09:15 AM
That makes some sense. Byrners was very well liked by the previous controlling owner, John Moores. I wonder if this goes back to strife when Moores was still at the helm.
Jun 23, 2014 09:41 AM
I guess the reason is: if you could just rely on projections to be a GM, anyone could do it?
Jun 23, 2014 09:39 AM
The projections for the Padres this season were mediocre. Nobody in the Padres front office seemed to notice.
Jun 23, 2014 16:49 PM
Eh, as a Padres fan, I'm more than okay with the firing. I never understood the machinations that went on with the Byrnes hiring -- why anyone would want a GM with such a middling track record.
Jun 23, 2014 10:55 AM
He and the Padres got very unlucky, as far as I can tell. A few starters materially missing projections happens, but an entire infield?
Jun 23, 2014 12:15 PM
I feel like this is just a result of injuries and under-performance.
Jun 23, 2014 12:38 PM
Every team has injuries, the Padres have a lower margin for error in than the other teams due to payroll, but even given that they have under performed. They were a long shot to make the playoffs even if everybody was healthy. If they are to have any chance at competing, they are going to have to go full Astros mode and stockpile enough talent that they can replace key injuries from within. Fortunately, they do have a lot more bargaining chips than the Astros started out with. Smith, Cashner, Ross, and Kennedy should all bring back something in return, and even somebody like Stauffer or Thayer has some value. They aren't particularly young, and the Padres can finish out of they money without them.
Jun 23, 2014 13:13 PM
Are we sure that injuries are a thing that "just happens" to the Padres? Does their training staff deserve some blame? Their player development plans? It could all just be random chance but you're probably talking 2 or 3 standard deviations from the norm.
Jun 23, 2014 13:36 PM
Thank God the talent pipeline back to Boston and Chicago has been cut off at the head.
Jun 23, 2014 16:33 PM
Ben - when I first heard that Byrnes got the boot, I thought of you.
Jun 23, 2014 16:42 PM
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/1/2013 (1684 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A city committee rejected a call to do further study on how to get drivers to slow down on residential streets.
A new report, released this week, recommends Winnipeg not reduce the residential speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.
The report said many studies conducted throughout North America have shown driver speed is affected by the road and not by speed-limit signs. While other cities such as Montreal and Edmonton have lowered the speed limit on some residential streets, the report said a study in Montreal concluded there was no significant drop in the average speeds. Similarly, the report said the results of a pilot project in Edmonton were inconclusive.
The report said some drivers will follow the lower speed limit while others will ignore it, which may increase the potential collisions between slower and faster drivers.
Several members of council said they were disappointed by the report's conclusions, including River Heights Coun. John Orlikow who said rejecting the idea of calming traffic on residential streets a "tragic mistake." This morning, health officials, cycling advocates and politicians told council's public works committee to do further review on how the city could reduce driver speeds and improve road safety.
Council's public works committee rejected the call and voted for the report recommending speed limits not be reduced to 40 km/h on residential streets.
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's Dr. Sande Harlos said the report did not include statistics from other world cities which have seen significant reductions in injuries and fatalities after lowering speed limit, including Norway, which saw a 45 per cent drop in fatal collisions. She said Winnipeg should consider a reduced speed limit along with enforcement, public education and other ways to calm traffic to improve the safety and health of vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists.
"Certainly, it is an ongoing concern," Harlos said.
Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) said Winnipeg needs to do something to make sure drivers slow down. He said the city's plan to reduce speed in school zones will not help reduce speeds near parks and on through streets in older neighbourhoods.
While most drivers obey the limits, Eadie said he's worried about the ones who don't.
"I think we need to do more on this issue," Coun. Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre) said.


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Chatfield working with new economic development coordinator
By Anton Adamek
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 4:23 AM
Chris Giesen
If one is looking to open a business in or around Chatfield and looking for help to get going, with business plan strategies or have any number of issues standing in the way of that ribbon cutting ceremony, then go and meet Chris Giesen.
As the new economic development authority (EDA) coordinator for the city of Chatfield, Giesen is looking forward to helping people with questions of that nature. He is also looking forward to becoming a part of the positive economic growth he sees in Chatfield's present and future.
"I feel like I can help create a better quality of life for the people of Chatfield and the surrounding community through economic development," shared Giesen.
Giesen, 28, was born and raised in Rochester and still lives there while also having plans to move into the Chatfield area. He went to college at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., which is the birth home of Amelia Earhart and considered to be one of the most haunted cities in the U.S.A.
"I lived three houses down from the 'most haunted house' in the city," he said laughing. Despite the conditions, Giesen attended Benedictine College for a political science undergraduate degree.
His first job out of college was centered around political campaigns and he eventually started working at the Minnesota State Capitol for a House Caucus. After going to law school for a short time and realizing it wasn't for him, he got his current job with the Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) and has been working in southeast Minnesota for the past four years. CEDA provides a staff that is able to assist each city's EDA or individual businesses when they need it. They are essentially a library of information for each city to draw upon for their own benefit and economic interests.
Giesen's undergrad and other jobs leading up to his current employment have taught him important lessons in communication and public relations that he has identified as being very beneficial for his current work.
"I think my work then transferred well to working with businesses today," reflected Giesen, "In business, you have to get the job done and you can't wait because time lost is money lost and I understand that. I also gained the skills to help people get to where they want to go."
Giesen has confidence in his communication skills and also in his understanding the needs of local businesses. He has spent the past four years working as the EDA coordinator in Harmony, a position that he continues to serve in.
"Administratively, it's the same as Chatfield," he stated, "Where it differs greatly are in the values and economic philosophy of the city of Chatfield. The way and the process of how things are done are different and I have to work with that."
As an employee of CEDA, Giesen has been able to get to know each community he has served in. "One of my first projects I worked on through CEDA was in Chatfield," he recalled. Giesen has been able to use that expertise and experience in the first two months he has served as Chatfield's EDA coordinator.
Economically diverse is one way Giesen would describe Chatfield. "There are big projects, redevelopment projects, prospective business owners, new and old businesses alike undergoing expansion," listed Giesen. "It's really an economic web because so many of these projects work together in important ways."
He cited the Center for the Arts as an example of a large project that the city has recognized as an economic asset and figured out how to use for both personal and community economic growth. "Chatfield has focused their economic growth with an art perspective, which is great," said Giesen, "Each community has a different way of recognizing what works for them."
Knowing the path the city is taking helps Giesen understand what goals may be most important for the city.
"In the short-term I want to continue to help downtown in the upswing they are experiencing," described Giesen. "We've seen a couple new businesses open up, so we should keep up with that."
He also stressed the importance of not forgetting about or taking for granted the businesses that have already been in the community for some time. "How we help them help themselves," stated Giesen, "is very important."
He also has a goal to see the development of a hardware or variety store business in the future, saying, "I think having that amenity in town would be great."
Long-term goals are more difficult to nail down as there are a lot of "maybes."
Giesen is looking forward to the city receiving upwards of $290,000 because of the half-cent sales tax Rochester reauthorized, but was restructured through a House tax bill written by Rep. Greg Davids that would send a per capita amount of money spent through that sales tax in Rochester back to the city.
The money is tabbed for just economic development, but Giesen says that could include improving industrial land, putting in infrastructure and other economic development projects. The money is being paid back in increments with the first installment expected to be received in July of 2013. Giesen hopes this money may just be the first of many positive economic developments for Chatfield.
With having a scenic location, multiple facilities for events, and a diverse business atmosphere, Giesen is trying to make sure the dominoes are stacked in the right way so the community gets its maximum benefit.
"We've seen an uptick in the local economy in the past couple years and I believe we are on a good path," expressed Giesen.
Any type of program that helps downtown, brings new businesses to the area, assists the schools and improves the overall quality of life in Chatfield is what Giesen is seeking right now.
Any one who wishes to speak with him can do so in person at the city office building on Mondays and Wednesdays or can contact him at (507) 867-1523.
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TOMBALL, Texas - Charges have been dropped against a Tomball High School student who was arrested Thursday after police said they found a 20 gauge shotgun in his pickup truck.
Police said the gun was unloaded, but three shotgun shells were found in the truck, which was parked on school grounds.
Brett Ball, 17, had been charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon in a prohibited place. Prosecutors said the charges were dropped on Friday because the parking lot is not considered to be school grounds.
Police said they found the gun after investigating an off-campus confrontation between two students on Wednesday. Police said Ball got into an argument with another student and both agreed to settle the dispute after school. Police said during that off-campus confrontation one student claimed to have a gun.
Capt. Rick Grassi said Ball never brandished or threatened anyone with the gun.
On Thursday, Tomball ISD officials sent this written statement to Local 2:
"Today, it was reported to an administrator that a weapon was possibly located in a student vehicle at school. Law enforcement officers were immediately contacted and found a 20 gauge shotgun in a vehicle. The unloaded shotgun was immediately confiscated and police officers arrested the student. The student indicated that the weapon was not going to be used at school. We will continue to take every measure to ensure the safety of our students. It is important for parents take a moment to remind their children about the importance of being alert and reporting any suspicious behavior, activities, or rumors to an adult on campus."
School district officials have not said if Ball will face any sort of disciplinary action.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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STAFF at a computer firm at Middlebrook Retail Park were evacuated for more than two hours after a gas leak.
The fire service cordoned off Scan Computers International, on the Enterprise Park at Middlebrook, after their gas main was ruptured.
It is believed that the damage was done by a vehicle, as brickwork surrounding the exterior pipe was also damaged.
Crews from Horwich and Bolton Central were called to the retail park just before 9am, while police also attended to close a nearby road.
Firefighters ventilated Scan's premises and the gas company was able to isolate the leak promptly, allowing the computer firm and neighbouring businesses to reopen.
Scan's staff are on the verge of being allowed back into the building and are waiting for final approval from the gas company.
A fire service spokesman said: "It looks as though it was hit by an unknown vehicle, which was not found.
"We put a cordon of 50 metres in place around the building and requested the assistance of the gas company."


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Topic: My beautiful Patty is at rest
Dear friends,
I have a hole in my heart right now that surgery cannot mend. My beautiful Patty breathed her last breath November 26, 2007. She went to sleep peacefully after telling me the morning before that she would love me forever. I sat beside her bed and held her until her final breath. She had her beautiful smile right up until the end. She will forever inspire me to remember that there is still beauty and love in this world. Patty fought valiantly for one year before cc took her life. She grew to love each one of you, as I would read all the new post to her. Patty had a sparkling personallity and a childlike ehthusiasm for all of the wonderful things of life. Her firm belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and eternal life caused her to have no fear of death. She went to her death with the excitment that we would meet again on that resurrection morning when all tears will be wiped away and we will be together again for eternity. Mine and Patty's prayer is that each one of you will stand firm in that belief and someday in Heaven, we will all meet and know that it was all worth it. We love you all.
Ted (and Patty)


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Job creation may be the biggest issue facing the nation this fall, but it's not what set off the latest test of wills between the White House and Republican leaders of Congress today.
The president's promised speech on job creation could be a pivotal event in itself, but it's not what caused the latest outbreak of stunning childishness in Washington.
No, the spark that got all the Twitter and talk-show flame-throwers back into action was the timing of the president's speech on jobs. That's right, the question of when the president would go to Congress with his ideas for getting more people back to work.
It began when the White House announced it was asking for a joint session of Congress at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7.
That is precisely the hour when MSNBC expects to carry a debate among eight candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. It will be the first debate to include that field's new front-runner, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
The White House called that a coincidence. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called it "a pure political play."
It might have been one or the other or even both. The first day next week when both House and Senate are back at work is Wednesday. The next night, Thursday, is far less appealing because it is the night the NFL kicks off its new season. Friday night? No president who wants an audience ever asks for a joint session on a Friday night, much less a weekend.
So if the president was going to talk to Congress in its first week back on the job, well, it looked like Wednesday night would be the night. That is, if the speech was going to get on TV and have an audience. If MSNBC wanted to schedule the debate an hour later, the Republican hopefuls could enjoy a two-hour rebuttal to the president's speech.
But none of that was washing with Republicans who saw the White House thrust as an evident attempt to undercut their candidates. Their restive reaction soon led to a brief letter from Speaker John Boehner telling the president Wednesday night would not work for the House.
First off, Boehner said, House members were not expecting any votes until 6:30 p.m. on their first day back, so that would be the earliest the chamber could formally endorse an invitation to the president to speak. That would not leave enough time for a security sweep of the Capitol, according to the speaker.
Boehner then suggested the president go for a match-up against the NFL on Thursday night. And he made that an invitation of the "bipartisan leadership" of Congress, even though the offices of the House and Senate Democratic leaders immediately said they had not been consulted.
What followed was the usual finger-pointing festival, all-too-familiar from the debt ceiling wars of five weeks ago. The White House said it had checked the timing with Boehner and gotten an OK. The speaker's office denied it.
For those who have been watching the summer unfold in the capital, it seemed all too plausible that everyone's version of this comical Rashomon had at least some truth in it — and a great deal of defensive self-interest.
But we have also seen before that Boehner negotiates deals he cannot get the House majority to accept. In the past, some speakers have run the House majority. More often in recent years, the House majority runs the speaker.
And, just as sadly, we have seen the White House groping toward a grasp on the new majority culture in the House. The president's inner circle, apparently caught off guard by the debt ceiling crisis, still seems shocked at the eagerness with which House Republicans seized that moment and reordered the fiscal world in a matter of weeks.
We also know that the general public reaction to this summer has been negative to the point of utter disgust. The president's approval rate is at its lowest to date (around 40 percent) and Congress' numbers are less than half that good. The breakdown of the nation's political apparatus was cited as a major reason for the downgrade of U.S. creditworthiness by the S&P debt rating agency.
Didn't the denizens of Washington get the message from this angst-ridden August? It depends on which message you mean.
They did not hear the voices calling for reason, civility, bipartisanship or whatever one wishes to call traditional compromise and consensus.
More likely, they listened to those in their respective power bases who told them to fight harder and never give an inch. Judging by the last day of this wretched month, that is the message from home that the warring tribes of Washington have taken to heart.


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LEE Westwood did not get the result he would have liked for his first game in charge of Woolston Rovers but he saw plenty to be pleased about in Saturday's 20-6 Challenge Cup loss to Ellan at Monks Sports Club.
"I was immensely proud of all 17 players," he said.
"We are obviously disappointed not to have got the victory but there are plenty of things that I can take from the game and we will be even better once the league season starts in five weeks' time.
"I have only been in the job two weeks and there were also several players who were making their debuts so we will all benefit greatly from this and we can look forward with confidence."
He added: "We will be working extremely hard in training over the coming weeks.
"There are things that we need to work on but the lads are really excited about the season ahead and we can't wait to get started.
"Elland are a very good side so there is certainly no disgrace to lose to them. It really was a very close game with not much between the sides and the final score was very unfair on my players. On another day we would have been the side celebrating at the end."


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Police searching for a Colchester student who ran out of a hospital earlier this morning have found a body nearby.
Paulo Junior initially arrived at Stansted Airport at about 11pm yesterday, having travelled from his halls of residents near the University of Essex's Colchester campus.
He was found in a mentally unstable condition which caused police concern.
As a result, paramedics took him to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.
However, the 34-year-old man ran off from hospital staff at 2am today.
A search of the hospital grounds and surrounding area began, with the police helicopter also deployed at 2.30am to help officers on the ground.
An Essex Police spokesman said: "Shortly before 8.30am, the body of a man was found less than a mile away in the grounds of a residential property.
"Officers at the scene believe this to be Paulo Junior and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, which is not being treated as suspicious.
"Although, the body is believed to be that of Paulo's it will still be the subject of a formal identification procedure. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course to ascertain a cause of death."


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PURSUING David Drew's published
letter, dated 9 May 2014 covering
'UKIP scaremongering' the
European legislation of 1972, 1986
and 1993 (swept through the
British Parliament on a tide of
ignorance and intimidation of
MPs) was based on two unprecedented
constitutional procedures:
1. The use of international treaties
to negotiate the internal constitution
of the United Kingdom.
2. The general transfer by our
Parliament of powers to the
'European' Community which legislates
specifically within the United
Kingdom by Directive and Regulation
which the British parliament is powerless
to resist.
The transfer of general powers to
the state to act without the sanction of
parliament is precisely how Adolf
Hitler gained such absolute power
through his emergency laws.
Since 1972 the British people have
The unrestricted right of our parliament
to make laws in our country.
l the supreme right of the British
courts to interpret and uphold the
The British passport.
The right not to be a citizen of
another state without our consent.
Our sovereign Queen who has
been turned into a 'European citizen'.
The exclusive right to decide
through the UK parliament their own
The right to judicial arbitration by
a non-political court.
The right to be governed only by
policies put forward by British political
The right to our internationally
recognised fishing grounds in our 200-
mile territorial waters.
The right to control our borders
and right to decide who can work,
reside and vote in the UK.
The right to decide who from non-
EU countries can have a visa to enter
the UK.
Numerous rights to include Eurohallmarking
causing inferior standards
across the EU, check, control and
quarantine imported animals at our
borders and much more that affected
all our daily lives in the UK.
Never in the history of the British
Nation have so much constitutional
power and as many parliamentary
rights been sacrificed to such disastrous
economic effect.
If our nation, our 800-year-old parliament
and our peaceful and tolerant
society are to survive, the UK must
withdraw from the European Union
and restore self-government and trading
freedom in the 'European
Economic Area' — today's equivalent
to the 'Common Market' which the
British people accepted at the 1975 referendum.
Sadly, at this time, the Conservative,
Liberal and Labour parties cannot
muster the courage to do anything
about it — unless of course a minority
are making some very large sums of
money out of the EU.
John Haw
St Judes House
Balksbury Way


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While many Australians were glued to their television screens to see if Kevin Rudd would oust Prime Minister Julia Gillard as leader of the Australian Labor Party, viewers of the Nine Network were told to "switch over to GEM" if they wanted to see the culmination of a dramatic day in federal politics.
Nine did not stick with live coverage of the unfolding leadership ballot on their main channel.
Instead, they switched to a build-up package for the second State of Origin rugby league match between NSW and Queensland, six minutes before Mr Rudd's win was announced and 13 minutes before State of Origin's official kick-off time.
Nine's coverage, headed by Peter Overton, stuck with the corridors of power until only 7.47pm.
Overton then directly asked viewers to switch to the station's other channel, GEM, if they wanted to see what happened in the leadership spill.
After a short advertisement break, Nine then switched straight into a slow-motion image of rugby league player Greg Inglis.
Even in Melbourne, where rugby league is not the most-loved football game, the network stuck with images of footballers warming up inside their dressing rooms, rather than politicians inside Parliament House.


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Embracing an aging population
Alberta's population, like the rest of Canada's, is aging. As of March 2011, there were about 410,000 seniors in Alberta but by 2031, when the last of the baby boomers reach 65 years of age, it is projected that there will be more than 923,000 seniors - meaning about one in five Albertans will be a senior.
An aging population will have profound and lasting economic and social implications for our province, leading to opportunities and challenges across a wide range of areas. Responding to these opportunities and challenges will require the involvement of a variety of partners in areas such as finance, transportation, housing, health, infrastructure, municipal affairs, community services, public safety and others. It will require action on the part of governments, the private and non-profit sectors, communities, families and individuals.
Email us at email@example.com if you have any questions or comments about the Aging Population Policy Framework.
Statistics Canada population projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories 2009-2036 (medium projection). Extrapolated to 2060.
Statistics Canada population projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories 2009-2036 (medium projection)
In 2008, the Demographic Planning Commission was established to provide analysis and proposals to prepare for an aging population. The Commission's findings were used in the development of an Aging Population Policy Framework. This Framework provides a holistic approach to meeting the needs of Alberta's current and future seniors in effective and sustainable ways. Strategic directions and goals support consistent and coordinated government decision making in 8 key areas including financial security and income, supportive communities, and transportation and mobility.
The Framework's strategic directions and goals complement existing Alberta government directions and strategies such as the Continuing Care Strategy, Vision 2020, Building and Educating Tomorrow's Workforce, and the Strategy for the Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying.
Demographic Planning Commission
To help the Government of Alberta in planning and preparing an aging population, the Demographic Planning Commission was established in May 2008.
The Commission sought the input of individual Albertans and stakeholder organizations about the needs of future seniors and the roles of individuals, families, communities and government in meeting these needs. Over 10,000 Albertans of all ages completed an online survey, and the Commission met with over 100 stakeholder organizations across the province. The results of the Commission's work was summarized in a Findings Report, which was released in December 2008.
This information was used in the development of the Aging Population Policy Framework which will be used to guide future government policy decisions on programming and supports for future seniors.


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SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's basketball team won its sixth-straight game, and 15th overall as the Lions defeated Eckerd College 58-49 in Sunshine State Conference action at the Bowman Center on Wednesday night. The victory improves Saint Leo to 15-10 overall and 9-6 in the SSC while Eckerd drops to 10-5 in conference and 18-7 overall.
"I thought it was a great battle between two very tough-minded teams. I thought they played really well," Head Coach Lance Randall said. "I thought in the second half we did a great job on the glass, and a key part of beating Eckerd is keeping them off the line. They do a great job of getting the ball on the post and attracting a crowd and getting to the free throw line, and I thought our post players did a super job of keeping the ball out of the post, and our help side guys were great as well. It really was a great team win."
It was a night where the Lions would lean on their defense, ranked in the top-5 nationally, to shut down a potent Triton attack that was averaging 76 points per game before they stepped on the Bowman Center hardwood. Eckerd shot just 30 percent in the opening half while Saint Leo again lit up the scoreboard, with 27 points on 52 percent shooting.
In what has become a familiar sight to fans of the Green and Gold, the Lions came out of the gates hot, opening up a 10-2 advantage by the first media timeout. The Tritons would respond by closing the gap to just two points on a Josh Snodgrass jumper with 13 minutes left in the half, but Saint Leo would again spread the gap to eight 10 minutes later. The Lions would carry the advantage into the halftime horn, taking a 27-20 lead into the lockers.
Saint Leo finally opened up the lead to double-digits in the second half when reigning SSC Player of the Week Marcus Ruh drained a trey with 12:08 remaining to widen the margin to 38-28.
Down by two possessions or more throughout the second half, the visitors from St. Petersburg, Fla. pushed for one more rally with time winding down. Wayne Sears Jr. connected on a three-pointer with 2:07 left to cut the deficit to just a single point, but it would be the Lions' prowess at the free-throw line that handed them the much-needed conference win.
With 41 seconds left to play, and clinging to a one-point edge, the Lions assembled an 8-0 run, all at the free-throw line, to close out the game.
Randall added about his free-throw shooters, "A big part of making free throws is having the right guys handle the ball. I thought Trent (Thomas) and Marcus (Ruh) did a nice job of getting the ball quickly. They're excellent free-throw shooters, among the tops in the league, and those guys just knocked down the shots, as did Tom (Neary)."
Meanwhile, the final four Eckerd possessions came up empty as EC turned the ball over and missed three shots, including two 3-pointers.
Four Lions reached double figures with Trent Thomas posting a game-high 18 points as he was 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Shaun Adams added 15 points and Tom Neary had 11, including 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, in addition to Ruh's 10 point night.
Darrien Mack scored 14 points to lead the Tritons in the losing effort, while Alex Bodney added 13 points.
Having closed out the regular-season portion of their home schedule, the Lions travel to Barry in the season's final scheduled game. Saint Leo is slated to tip-off with the Buccaneers on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Miami Shores, Fla. For the latest news, information, and updates on Lions Basketball and all other Saint Leo Athletics, visit SaintLeoLions.com.


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Basic and Clinical Sciences 7 (MDMP5316)
Involves student attachments to the main medical and surgical ward services and associated ambulatory clinics in the teaching hospitals in the various clinical schools. Students will also have some experience in sub-specialty disciplines, such as Ear Nose and Throat and Ophthalmology. About half of each student's week will be spent directly involved in the clinical activities of the service to which they are attached. A progressive increase in clinical responsibility is expected over the total 32 weeks of these attachments.
Our courses that offer this unit of study
Further unit of study information
Undertaken at the student's assigned clinical school
Submission of completed Clinical Attachment forms for each Core Block undertaken in Year 3.
Faculty/department permission required?
Unit of study rules
MDMP5221 and MDMP5222 and MDMP5223 and MDMP5224 and MDMP5225
Study this unit outside a degree
Non-award/non-degree study
If you wish to undertake one or more units of study (subjects) for your own interest but not towards a degree, you may enrol in single units as a non-award student.
Cross-institutional study
If you are from another Australian tertiary institution you may be permitted to underake cross-institutional study in one or more units of study at the University of Sydney.


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David Cameron is to seek to reassure restive Tory activists by promising to foster "aspiration" and give school sport a £150 million cash boost.
The Prime Minister is addressing the party's spring forum after a turbulent fortnight following the disastrous Eastleigh by-election. He has suffered a damaging bout of leadership speculation and pressure to move the party to the right after being beaten into third place there by Ukip.
The speech comes just days before a Budget which is seen by MPs and many party members - along with May's local elections - as a key test of his leadership. Mr Cameron will tell activists his approach chimes with the Tory values of highly-popular figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill as he attempts to steady the ship.
"The global race is not just about GDP," he will say. "It's about saying to the mum who's worried about her children's future, we are building a country where there is a future, so your kids won't have to get on a plane to get on in life, they can make it right here in Britain. It's what this party's always been about - aspiration."
In a swipe at Labour opposition to tough benefit cuts being rolled out as part of the deficit reduction, he will paint them as "patronising people, patting them on the head and putting a benefit cheque in their hands". Instead the Government was "giving people the tools to succeed."
Mr Cameron - who has come under fire from backbenchers over his "posh, male and white" inner circle - will acknowledge the "leg-ups" he enjoyed in life. "I know the leg-ups I got in life. A loving family, wonderful parents, a great school and university. We want people to climb up through their own efforts, yes, but in order to climb up they need the ladder to be there in the first place, the family that nurtures them, the school that inspires them, the opportunities there for them.
"Great Conservatives down the generations have put those ladders in place. When Churchill invented the labour exchanges that helped people into work. When Macmillan built new homes. When Thatcher fired up enterprise so people could start their own businesses. That's what we're doing in the Conservative Party right now."
Home Secretary Theresa May - who last week fuelled leadership ambition speculation with a speech which ranged far beyond her policy brief - is also addressing the forum. She is reported to have been the target of Education Secretary Michael Gove's private warning to Tory Cabinet ministers earlier this week not to undermine David Cameron's position as PM. But her speech is expected to be restricted to home affairs issues.
London Mayor Boris Johnson had earlier told Conservative Cabinet ministers accused of positioning themselves for the post-Cameron leadership to "put a sock in it and back the Prime Minister".
Mr Cameron will come under renewed pressure to abandon moves to legalise same-sex marriage - which opponents warn is leading activists to abandon the party in droves and is losing it large numbers of votes. Several backbenchers spoke out on Saturday in support of the "Conservative Grassroots" group set up to campaign on the issue and for "core Conservatives values" in the wake of a major Commons rebuke to the premier on gay marriage.