text:
In this article I will try to compare Petrochina (NYSE:PTR) in 2001, when Buffett bought a stake, and the Russian company today, to see if there is a similar opportunity to profit from a price mismatch in the market.
Rosneft (OTCPK:RNFTF) is Russia's oil major that, after the acquisition of TNK-BP from BP Plc (NYSE:BP), has become the largest publicly traded oil company in the world, measured by production and reserves, with 4.8 million barrels per day (bbpd) and 24 billion barrels of oil equivalent in proven reserves.
When Buffett bought Petrochina
Warren Buffett made a huge profit off his investment in Petrochina; I can't help to draw parallels with today's Rosneft. Back in 2002 Petrochina was a second tier oil producer from a communist country yet Warren thought it was hugely undervalued and bought a significant stake in the company. In its letter to the shareholders he stated that: "In 2002 and 2003 Berkshire bought 1.3% of PetroChina for $488 million, a price that valued the entire business at about $37 billion. Charlie Munger and I then felt that the company was worth about $100 billion. By 2007, two factors had materially increased its value: the price of oil had climbed significantly, and PetroChina's management had done a great job in building oil and gas reserves."
So how did Buffett value the company to come to the $100 billion figure? I guess he kept things simple and used proven reserves, production and earnings; he also correctly bought into an emerging market oil company at a time when oil was very cheap: in 2002 it was trading for about $30 a barrel, and the oil price rise in the following years has helped him a lot indeed.
With oil lingering around the $100 mark, the same can't be said today although there is no agreement on where prices are headed: while many, including the IEA, say there will be an oil glut in 2014 with prices plummeting from increased production in North America, others predict a necessary surge in prices to keep tar sand production profitable.
Petrochina in 2001
Reading Petrochina's 2001 annual report we find that back then the company had earned $5.6 Bil , had a production of 2.1 million barrels per day and reserves of approximately 10.9 Bil barrels of crude oil and approximately 38.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Since we know that Buffett is not a gambler and avoids unnecessary risks, we can safely assume he didn't base his valuation on unpredictable oil price movements, so he probably used what he knew for sure to put a price tag on the company. Petrochina's 2012 production averaged 4.4 million barrels per day, so its management has successfully doubled the production in 10 years. Yet it still lags Rosneft but has a market capitalization that is more than twice that of the Russian major.
Did Buffett use reserves to value Petrochina? As we saw in 2001 the Chinese company had 11 billion barrels in proven reserves, roughly half what Rosneft reports today and with average oil prices a third of today's, yet he still valued the enterprise $100 Bil.
Did he use earnings? In the first half of 2013 Rosneft has reported profits for about $4.5 Bil which, if replicated in the second half of the year, imply a price-to-earnings ratio below 9, making it a palatable investment. Profits could have been higher, but the company incurred some losses on its bond obligations due to an unfavorable Russian Ruble / US Dollar exchange ratio. Rosneft earns today almost twice what Petrochina earned back then, since in 2001 Petrochina reported earnings of $5.6 billion.
The above data shows that today's Rosneft, with a market cap of only $80 Bil, is twice as profitable and reserve-rich as Petrochina was in 2001 and metric-wise we ought to value it at least $200 Billion, making it an easy double from current prices.
In terms of EV/EBITDA , a widely used multiple to value oil companies, Rosneft appears to be significantly cheaper than its peers.
Expansion strategy
In its 2030 energy strategy Russia stated that it would target a fourfold increase in exports to the Asia-Pacific region and Rosneft has likely become the new national champion at the expense of Gazprom (OTCPK:OGZPY) which has suffered profit losses because of the recent natural gas glut.
Rosneft's CEO, Igor Sechin, has stated that the rationale behind the TNK-BP acquisition is the same that inspired the mergers at the end of the 90's that created the likes of Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron (NYSE:CVX), that is, the larger scale of projects; it faces some hard technological challenges with its Siberian onshore and offshore fields and to that end it has inked partnership agreements with Exxon, Statoil (NYSE:STO) and Eni (NYSE:E).
The company is actively expanding its foothold abroad as well: it recently signed a deal with Venezuelan state owned oil major PDVSA to explore for fossil fuels off the coast of the oil rich South American nation, where reserves are estimated to be 40 billion barrels. It also acquired from Exxon Mobil minority stakes in fields in the Gulf of Mexico and plans investing $100 million in exploration projects off the coasts of Vietnam. Exploration activities are being carried in Algeria and Kazakhstan as well. It is also investing in natural gas infrastructure with the recent acquisition of Cyprus based Itera, one of the largest natural gas producers in the CIS and Baltic states.
Chinese deal
Last June Rosneft signed a momentous $270 billion deal where it is to supply oil to China for a quarter of a century. The company will double its exports to the Asian giant and stands to receive a $70 billion upfront payment, which will significantly help it relieve its debt burden and provide fresh cash for additional upstream operations.
Petrochina made (and makes) most of its money from domestic sales, where gas and oil prices are set by the government, which also holds a controlling stake in the energy giant. So when Buffett assessed the company to be worth $100 billion when the market was valuing it $40 billion, either the Oracle of Omaha had been extremely sure of an expansion of the Chinese economy and domestic energy tariffs or he saw a compelling price mismatch between Petrochina's stock price and its intrinsic value determined by earnings, production and reserves, probably because the stock price was depressed by the risks associated with investing in a government controlled oil company headquartered in an emerging market. Does this sound like Rosneft's story today?
Rosneft is traded in the U.S. over the counter with the symbol RNFTF - if you have access to international markets you can buy it on the London Stock Exchange - ROSN. If you don't want to invest in it directly, you can still benefit from an investment in BP Plc, which holds a 20% stake in Rosneft and seats two members on its board of directors.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in OTCPK:RNFTF over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


text:
NEW YORK {AP} Results Monday of the $14.5 million U.S. Open tennis championships at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows:
Fourth Round Singles Gustavo Kuerten (5), Brazil, def. Magnus Norman, Sweden, 7-6 (7-4), retired.
Cedric Pioline, France, def. Tommy Haas (14), Germany, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
Doubles quarterfinals Andrei Olhovskiy, Russia, and David Prinosil, Germany, def. Wayne Black, Zimbabwe, and Sandon Stolle, Australia, 6-4, 6-2.
Sebastien Lareau, Canada, and Alex O'Brien (11), United States, def. Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde (3), Australia, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-3.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes (1), India, def. Ben Ellwood and Michael Tebbutt, Australia, 6-3, 6-4.
Jonas Bjorkman, Sweden, and Byron Black (7), Zimbabwe, def. Jeff Coetzee and Brent Haygarth, South Africa, 6-3, 6-3.
Singles Quarterfinals Martina Hingis (1), Switzerland, def. Anke Huber, Germany, 6-2, 6-0.
Doubles Quarterfinals Larisa Neiland, Latvia, and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (6), Spain, def. Liezel Horn, South Africa, and Kimberly Po (16), United States, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Chanda Rubin, United States, and Sandrine Testud, France, def. Lindsay Davenport and Corina Morariu (3), United States, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Mixed Doubles Quarterfinals Ai Sugiyama, Japan, and Mahesh Bhupathi (2), India, def. Mary Pierce, France, and John-Laffnie de Jager (8), South Africa, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Alexandra Stevenson and Brian MacPhie, United States, def. Lilia Osterloh and Scott Humphries, United States, 6-2, 6-4.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Memory®, Inc., (NYSE:VMEM), a leading provider of flash storage
arrays and appliances delivering application solutions for the
enterprise, announced today the appointment of Said Ouissal as senior
vice president of product management and strategy. Mr. Ouissal will
report to Kevin DeNuccio (News - Alert), Violin president and chief executive officer.
Mr. Ouissal has an established track record in both hardware and
software product management for well-known, global networking companies,
as well as experience helping companies set corporate strategy and
direction while defining new, potential areas for business growth. In
his new role, Said's responsibilities will include overseeing all
product management, as well as helping to manage future R&D investments
to optimize Violin's short term and long term goals to grow revenue and
build competitive sustainable product advantages.
"Said brings a unique combination of product management and strategic
corporate experience," said Kevin DeNuccio, president and chief
executive officer at Violin Memory. "Said's technical skills and vision
will be critical as Violin delivers new innovations in its next
generation of industry leading flash storage solutions for enterprises."
"I'm very excited to join Violin and to have the opportunity to impact
the company's innovative flash storage product portfolio," said Said
Ouissal. "It is evident that flash is a huge disruption in the storag
industry and I am eager to build on the current product capabilities
that will help Violin lead in this rapidly growing market."
Most recently, Mr. Ouissal served as vice president, product management
for Juniper Networks (News - Alert) where he drove the product management efforts
supporting Junos, Juniper's operating system, as well as the portfolio
management for all of Juniper's routing and switching products. Prior to
Juniper he held the position of vice president, strategy and customer
engagement at Ericsson (News - Alert) where he was responsible for portfolio strategy,
field enablement and sales support for Ericsson's IP and Broadband
Before joining Ericsson, Said held the position of director and vice
president, systems engineering for Redback Networks (News - Alert), Inc. for seven
years, where he lead a global team of technical pre-sales staff that
helped the company triple its revenue.
Mr. Ouissal holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the
Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. He also
invented two IP networking technologies and speaks five languages.
About Violin Memory, Inc.
Business in a Flash. Violin Memory transforms the speed of
business with high performance, always available, low cost management of
critical business information and applications. Violin's All-Flash
optimized solutions accelerate breakthrough CAPEX and OPEX savings for
building the next generation data center. Violin's Flash Fabric
Architecture (FFA) speeds data delivery with chip-to-chassis performance
optimization that achieves lower consistent latency and cost per
transaction for Cloud, Enterprise and Virtualized mission-critical
applications. Violin's All-Flash Arrays and Appliances, and enterprise
data management software solutions enhance agility and mobility while
revolutionizing datacenter economics. Founded in 2005, Violin Memory is
headquartered in Santa Clara, California. For more information, visit www.violin-memory.com.
Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at twitter.com/violinmemory.
All Violin Memory news releases (financial, acquisitions,
manufacturing, products, technology, etc.) are issued exclusively by
Business Wire and are immediately thereafter posted on the company's
external website, www.violin-memory.com.
Violin, Violin Memory and the Violin Memory logo are trademarks of
Violin Memory, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other brand or
product names used in this public announcement may be trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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ITEXPO: February 14 - 16, 2018 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Real Time Web Solutions Conference: February 14 - 16, 2018 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
IoT Evolution Expo : January 22-25, 2018| Orlando, Florida


text:
Firefighters rescued a cat from a burning house in Santa Cruz on Saturday night.
Firefighters responded to reports of a house on fire at 719 Emeline Ave. at about 11:10 p.m., according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.
As firefighters battled the blaze, they found and resuscitated a pet cat, saving the animal's life.
Crews were able to keep the flames from spreading to neighboring homes and the fire was quickly extinguished, though not before significantly damaging the home. Officials said the fire caused about $450,000 worth of damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Bay City News contributed to this post.
Published at 3:46 PM PST on Jan 20, 2013 | Updated at 3:47 PM PST on Jan 20, 2013


text:
By Bill Choy
Triplicate Sports Editor
Chad Freeman gave a broad grin as he described the feeling of being able to toss the pigskin to a teammate once again.
andquot;It's awesome. It's football,andquot; said the starting quaterback for the Del Norte High Warriors last season, as he took part in spring camp practice on Wednesday. andquot;It gets us back into football mode.andquot;
Starting on Tuesday, the team was out on the football field for spring camp, which runs through next Friday.
Head Coach Lewis Nova said the spring practices are vital to get the players back into football shape and get a head start to see what the team is doing well and what needs improvement.
andquot;The practices, which end next Friday, give returning players a chance to get back into football shape by participating in a number of drills and gives newcomers and those who played freshman and JV football last season an idea of what the varsity coaches expect of them. It gives us a feel for the team and to see who is coming up from JV,andquot; Nova said.
Next week there will be a spring camp for the eighth graders who will be freshmen in the fall.
In late June, a number of players will take part in a four day football camp in Gold Beach, Ore., which will feature teams from all over the region and as far away as Idaho.
Nova said the Gold Beach event will give players a chance to participate in scrimmages and work with and compete against a number of different teams.
Through the rest of the summer, team members will partake in a weight training program.
In August, the team meets again for practices and drills in preparation for the start of the season.
The first game of the year will take place on Sept. 7 at Brookings.
The Warriors are coming off a historic year that culminated in going undefeated in Big 5 Conference play and making it the furthest of any Del Norte football team in the North Coast Section playoffs.
The Warriors won two playoff games before losing to Novato on the road to end the year at 10-2.
It helps that Del Norte only lost eight seniors and brings back a large core group of its starters from last year.
Saxon Schultz, who was starting wide receiver last year, said he is ecstatic to begin training for football again and is ready to go out and do well his senior year.
andquot;I want to do better every year and go further,andquot; he said.
The football squad is holding a spaghetti feed June 8 at the high school from 5 to 7 p.m. to help pay for
football equipment.
A portion of funds will go toward the local Relay for Life event.
Tickets can be bought at the door and will be $5 per person and $15 for up to a family of four.


text:
RB FA 5 years ago
Trent Richardson (ribs, chest, finger) is officially probable for Week 11.
T-Rich has admitted he's still not 100 percent, but he got in a full slate of practices coming off the Browns' bye week. He rolled up 105 yards on 25 carries in Week 9. He's Rotoworld's No. 7 running back for Week 11.


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o Mortgage Foreclosure Courtroom Procedures
o Standing Orders for Individual Mortgage Foreclosure Calendars
Link > Foreclosure Judges Directory
o Rules – Local Rule Part 21 (PDF)
Forms on the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Website
· Link to Forms > Clerk's Website http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org/
· Link > Mortgage Foreclosure Courtroom Procedures (PDF)
· Link > Chancery Division Page
You may spindle motions for the post-mediation call in Room 802 of the Daley Center. The following motions are the only motions allowed to be spindled on the post-mediation calls (calendars 68 and 69) (See General Administrative Order 2012-07 and 2012-__ for more detail):
- Motion for Substitution of Judge as of Right on the Post-Mediation Call
- Motion for Substitution of Judge for Cause on the Post-Mediation Call
- Motion to Return Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Case to the Foreclosure
Trial Call
- Motion for Sanctions Relating Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation
In order to participate in the Program, homeowners must be residents of Cook County, have received a foreclosure summons from the Cook County Circuit Court, and live in the building in foreclosure – which may be a single-family home, single-family condominium, or apartment building with four or fewer units.
A defendant needs to make a written motion to the court to officially "get into the Program."
A self-represented defendant, who is in a case in which no Judgment of Foreclosure has been entered should begin the process by calling 1-877-895-2444 (312-836-5222 TDD) to obtain an appointment with a housing counselor and attorney. The attorney will assist the defendant with the preparation of the appropriate paperwork for each individual case.
A defendant who has private representation should file a motion with the Court that is certified under Section 1-109 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure or supported with an affidavit that complies with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 191. The motion must be signed by the defendant and the defendant's attorney. Having a private attorney does not waive the requirement of meeting with a HUD-certified housing counselor.
No. No motion for mediation may be presented orally. All motions must be written and conform with the requirements for the written motion.
No. Mediation is not mandatory. Any party may request mediation by motion. A judge may order mediation over one party's objection. Once ordered to mediation, it will be mandatory for the parties to attend the mediation sessions.
Possible issues to mediate may include, but are not limited to:
A loan modification (either HAMP or in-house) application has been submitted for at least a reasonable time without approval or denial;
a short sale contract has been submitted for at least a reasonable time without approval or denial;
a loan modification has been denied and there has been a change of income status;
an attempt has been made to reinstate without cooperation;
other factual, legal or equitable issues expressed in pleadings (complaint, answer, affirmative defenses, counterclaims and the responses thereto) that have put parties at issue for trial
A dignified exit is also sometimes referred to as a "graceful exit". This means that a defendant cannot (or does not want to) keep the home and understands when and how he or she should leave the property. This may include a short sale, consent foreclosure, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, or "cash-for-keys" programs.
What is a HUD-certified housing counselor?
No. An appearance and answer must be on file at the time of presenting a motion for mediation.
Due to the high volume of foreclosures and limitations on resources, the Program has encountered a backlog. The court is actively working on reducing that backlog and recognizes that the delay is detrimental to both the plaintiff and the defendant. As a result, the court has implemented the case managers to assist in eliminating the backlog and also to assist in facilitating communication and document exchange between the parties at the beginning of the case and prior to referral to mediation so as to eliminate any unnecessary delay that may be caused by mediation.
The Program is designed to work within the timeframes set forth in the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law, 735 ILCS 5/15-1101, et seq., and not to interfere with statutorily available time limits (e.g., redemption date, etc.) for minimal impact to both sides in the foreclosure action. The Program was designed with input from representatives of all areas of the foreclosure industry, representative of the plaintiffs' bar, representatives of the defendants' bar, government agencies, bankers, legal service agencies, and housing counseling agencies so as to minimize delay for the Plaintiffs while preventing any acceleration of the action for the Defendants.
In order to reduce the backlog and to minimize impact of the Program going forward, more resources have been added to legal aid and mediation and the court has hired case managers.
In 2012, the court started using case managers to assist judges with residential foreclosure cases. When a self-represented defendant appears at the case management hearing, the defendant will be referred to the case manager for a brief evaluation. The judge may order a follow-up status date for the parties to exchange and review income documents relevant to any settlement that may be sought by the defendant.
The purpose of this follow-up status date is to bring accountability to both sides and to ensure that only those cases that are ripe and ready are referred to mediation. This will reduce the need for document exchange after the first mediation session begins.
If a defendant, whether self-represented or through a private attorney, presents a written motion to the court at the default call, and the defendant has his/her appearance on file at that time, the judge will order completion of certain document exchange if necessary and set a follow up status hearing. (In the case of self-represented defendants, the case will be referred to a case manager.)
If document exchange is proven complete (or is not necessary) and the judge deems the case appropriate for mediation, the judge may enter a Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Referral Order. The motion(s) being presented by the plaintiff will be entered and continued generally, subject to re-notice by the plaintiff.
If a defendant, whether self-represented or through a private attorney, presents a written motion to the court at the default call, and the defendant has his/her appearance on file at that time, the judge will order completion of certain document exchange if necessary and set a follow up status hearing. (In the case of self-represented defendants, the case will be referred to a case manager.)
If a defendant appears for the first time at a default call, with no motion for mediation referral, each judge will handle the case according to his/her standard courtroom procedures and may or may not be assigned to a case manager.
f a defendant, either self-represented or through a private attorney, makes a written motion for mediation, and the judge deems the case appropriate for mediation, the judge may order the case to mediation over the plaintiff's objection.
If a judge enters a mortgage foreclosure mediation referral order and the parties agree to use the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) as the mediator, a twelve week status date will be set on the Post-Mediation Call. The post-mediation calls are heard on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and a schedule of the calls can be found here (insert link to PMSC schedules).
Yes. Local Rule 21.03(B) allows the court to extend the mediation referral order for further mediation.
Mediators are provided by the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR). However, the plaintiff and defendant(s) may agree to any other mediator to which they may stipulate.
Yes. Parties may stipulate to a private mediator. If parties choose to use a private mediator, the mediator must be compensated in accordance with Circuit Court Local Rule Part 21 (Chancery Division Court-Annexed Mediation)
If you are interested in volunteering to be a mediator for the Program, please contact the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) at (312) 922-6464. You do not need to be a licensed attorney to mediate cases.
If you are an attorney licensed to practice law in Illinois, you may contact Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) at (312) 332-1460 or firstname.lastname@example.com for more information about volunteering.
When a Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Referral Order is entered, a post-mediation status date will be set for 12 weeks after entry of the order. The post-mediation calls are heard as follows:
Wednesdays (calendar 68): Courtroom 2806 9:30 AM and 2:00PM
Thursdays (calendar 69): Courtroom 2809 9:30 AM and 2:00PM
The following motions are the only motions allowed to be spindled on the post-mediation calls (calendars 68 and 69) (See General Administrative Order 2012-07 and 2012-08 for more detail):
Privacy Policy Disclaimer Legal Holiday Schedule Rules of the Court Orders of the Court
Glossary of Legal Terms Illinois Supreme Court


text:
Jon Chait asks an interesting question on his blog: If you clear a parking space in the snow for your car, are you allowed to keep that space?
He quotes from a WashPost piece that considers the matter:
Boston has codified its citizens' right to benefit from their backbreaking snow-clearing labor; a city law says that if you dig out your car in a snow emergency, a lawn chair or trash can renders the spot yours for at least two days while you're away at work. In Chicago, blocking a parking spot is illegal, but city officials acknowledge an informal rule of dibs if you've done the digging.
"I know this is public property, but if you spent hours laboring, I mean, come on, I think you have the right to say that is my spot," said Tanya Barbour, who spent two hours Sunday shoveling free her silver Ford Expedition in the 1500 block of T Street NW. "If someone had clearly taken the time to shovel it out, I would not take that spot because I would not want that done to me."
Tanya, I'm with you. It's sort of a Republican position, allowing for a private individual claim over a public space, but in this case it seems fair to me. Chait sees a Lockean-communitarian tension at play, which is evident, and he comes down mostly on the Lockean side, as I do.
The issue here is sweat equity, we might say. One summer I was in Cambridge, Mass., and I saw a lawn chair placed in the street, along the curb (kerb); the owner of the home with this bit of street frontage was obviously saying that that space was his.
That is well outside the social contract and just piggy and surely illegal to boot.
But throw snow into the equation, and you've introduced the element of human labor -- someone spent time and work clearing a space. That someone should have that space. Two days seems a reasonable limit.
Unfortunately, such a social compact is essentially un-police-able. A cop car drives up and sees a Hummer in a shoveled-out parking space. How does the cop know whether the Hummer owner did or did not do the shoveling? Impossible to know. One can generally assume that anyone driving a Hummer is an asshole, but even assholes occasionally shovel snow, presumably, if it's in their self-interest to do so.
Are there laws in London? Traditions dating to the age of carriages? What would Samuel Johnson do? I would hope and bet that the land of Hobbes and Locke and Hume and Mill, and oh what the hell Burke too, might have worked this problem out.


text:
Take a closer look at Sony BRAVIA technologies TRILUMINOS Display with X-Reality bringing Xperia Z Ultra a wider palette of rich, natural colours to deliver true natural shades, just the way you want to see them.
The ultra-slim, lightweight design makes it perfect to handle, and with LTE support, it's ultra-fast too.
*Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics' SpecTRAX service, as of 19th of June 2013 the Xperia Z Ultra is the slimmest smartphone with a Full HD display, for more information on Strategy analytics results go to:http://www.sonymobile.com/testresults/
Watch more Xperia Z Ultra videos: http://goo.gl/jtYX8
Find out more about the Xperia Z Ultra:http://www.sonymobile.com/xperia-z-ultra
Subscribe to the Xperia YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/VG8x9D


text:
The Sea People, Ed Ghost Tucker, Dogcatcher
Hotel Utah
500 4th Street
San Francisco, CA, 94107
This event is 21 and over
With a sound that could be described as socially conscious disco, or perhaps indie erotica, the Sea People's gritty, punchy, crunchy, and wavy funk-folk-dance-rock soundscapes electrify the limbs of listeners with colorful soul vibes.
The band was formed at Stanford University in late September 2009 by keyboardist Chris Beachy and guitarist Charlie Glick; very soon the lineup included Dan Barden
stein bangin' at them drums and Ella Cooley up front on the lead vocals. In late January of '09, David Kettler, one of Charlie's friends from Delaware, began to slap basses with Sea People.
The People are people who enjoy playing music, eating cereal and taking medium-length walks on the beach; they are people who enjoy making people dance; they are people who want to see people. They are The Sea People.
Ed Ghost Tucker
Ed Ghost Tucker is a five-piece indie/folk/jazz/rock ensemble from San Diego, California blending three-part vocal harmonies over richly layered instrumentation and eclectic time signatures. The band consists of Brian Disney, Ryan Miller, Rutger Rosenborg, and Cameron and Michaela Wilson. While this arrangement was formed in the summer of 2012, the members have a history of playing in and out of different groups together since 1998.
Despite their recent formation as a band, the members of Dogcatcher are lucky enough to recognize the rare chemistry ignited when musicians who know their craft well manage to stumble into the same room, bringing to life an eclectic bevy of jazz-infused riffs, swooning grooves, and meandering instrumental narratives.
Born from the rhythm sections of nameless bands from their quilted pasts, the gentlemen of Dogcatcher do what they do for one reason alone: to make music, and make it well. It's no stretch to say the members of Dogcatcher mine inspiration from the likes of everyone from Andrew Bird to Hank Williams to Josh Ritter. The wistful, intent lyrics of Andrew Heine, the band's primary songwriter and founder, don't at first reveal the hodgepodge DNA that comprises Dogcatcher, but after a couple of listens you'll find yourself identifying with songs like the infectious "Wish You Well," the morosely haunting "A Good Idea," or the brassy grit of "Dusty Trail." All of this is backed by the adroit rhythms of multi-instrumentalist Ryan Kingsmith, bassist Jared Milos – who sports a Lucifer-esque goatee, a sincere smile, a wedding band, beguiling his laid-back manner and fret-flying fingers – and the unfairly gifted Ramon Esquivel. (It's rare that a 22-year-old drummer instantly stands out as an obvious talent; Esquivel does just that.)
Tickets Available at the Door
Upcoming Events
Hotel Utah
Sat, November 18
Ray Vaughn, Blue Madrone (closing set), Pirate Radio
Sun, November 19
D. Henry Fenton & The Elizabethans, Son Ravello, The Rough & Tumble
Mon, November 20
Hotel Utah Open Mic with host Brendan Getzell
Tue, November 21
Amy Guess, LVXE, Shaynie Rhoads
Wed, November 22
The Towns, Matt Mangels


text:
I purchased this rimmel French manicure nail varnish in French ivory from boots quite some time ago. I am not a fan of the French manicure look but just liked the colour. I can't remember exactly what it costs but it was certainly one of the cheaper brands.
It comes in a rimmel standard bottle with a white top and a transparent label which enables you to get a good look at the colour of the varnish. It is also useful for keeping an eye on how much you have used.
On the back of the bottle it claims that this is a super durable polish which will last for 5 days. Chip resistant.
The brush is a good size and quality allowing easy application of the varnish. I would however prefer the handle to be longer to give added control. The Polish is easy to apply although it does look slightly streaky after the first application. I always find that a second coat is required in order to even it out. The drying time is pretty average. No complaints but not as quick as the rimmel 60 seconds varnishes.
The colour as suggested by the name is an off white. The ivory colour is very flat and does not leave your nails shiny or glossy. I quite like the colour but find it yellows within a couple of days and needs to be removed. I quite like this shade, especially when my skin is tanned. However I am surprised that it is part of the French manicure range as I think of French manicure tips to be much brighter white than this.
In terms of the super durability claims, I think they are a little overstated. The polish does scratch and chip within the 5 days but with this being such a pale colour it is not too obvious. Also, as I mentioned previously, I tend not to leave the polish on longer than a couple of days anyway due to the colour change.
In summary this is a relatively cheap polish with average performance and colour.
I came across this product in Boots recently and paid £4.49 for a bottle of the French Ivory colour..
The varnish is in the typical Rimmel branding of a clear bottle so you can see the colour with the Rimmel branding in white.
The brush is a wide sort of flat brush which makes it really easy to apply to your nails whether they are wider or not so its just as easy to apply to your thumb nail as it is your little finger nail.
I must admit that the brush was really nice to apply.. I did apply a base coat and a top coat and the varnish stayed on for just under a week without chipping, but to be honest with the colour I had it wasn't that noticeable when it did chip.
As for giving you that french manicure look, it does make your nails brighter but it certainly doesn't give you that traditional white tip look. Having said that Rimmel do have a white tip nail varnish. I have actually used this and then applied the french ivory over the top and it does make all the difference, however it does chip easier as I think its a bit thicker...
A good product to have in your make up bag if you want to create French manicured style nails.
The packaging is pretty average. Nothing fancy its plain and simple and does what it says on the label. Its not one of the most pretty nail polish bottles but for the price I don't think you would expect that!
Price £3.99 is reasonable. Many of the larger retailers like Boots and Superdrug have 3 for 2 offers which means you can get this and the white tip varnish and a top coat for less than £8 which is a bargain!!
Claims- First of all the nail varnish does not last 5 days without chipping. Probably 2 if you are lucky but for the price you cannot expect anything else. A number of similar products from other brands claim similar and they also do not live out their claims so this product isn't a one off. The only nail polish that lives up to its claims is Channel polishes and you are looking at £17 per bottle!!
Look- the nail polish is a nice colour. The French rose colour is a natural looking pink colour which looks fresh and not a dirty pink colour like some of its competitors. The polish is not as shiny as its competitors and if you do want glossy looking nails then you will need a decent topcoat to achieve really glossy nails.
It's a pretty average product which achieves the French manicured nail look. It doesn't last 5 day without chipping like claimed.
I like to have my nails painted in neutral, inoffensive shades during the day and Rimmel's 'French Manicure' collection comes in a range of fleshy, pearly colours designed to look naturally stunning but understated. I hoped that by using this polish my nails would look similar to the 'falsies' used by my best friend!
I have this Rimmel Nail polish in the colour 'peach melba' which is a pale, baby pink shade. I was worried at first that the colour might be a little insipid and would produce that 'corpse' effect on the fingernails! Infact, when applied, the colour is very transparent and simply highlights and deepens the healthy pink of the flesh underneath my nail. There is a high shine and a sleek finish too.
The polish is available in a 12ml bottle, which I think is a reasonable size. The packaging claims that the polish is "up to 5 days super durable" and chip resisitant. I have found that my nails will begin to look battered and scuffed after a days wear though. It is not so much chipped as simply scratched.
The 'new' formula contains LYCRA. I find that the polish is not too thick and glides onto the nail with ease. The brush is just the right length and pans out when you pull it across the surface, so it gives even, quick coverage. The polish drys very quickly too and although it has a chemically smell it is not too strong.
The polish does not become gloopy after a few uses and mine has stayed fresh and useable.
I do find that with this particular colour I can add a clear, top coat or paint the tips of the nail white quite easily. The polish provides the professional appearance which the brand is aiming for with this range and really does make my nails look like they have had professional attention.
Nowadays you can buy nail varnishes in any colour that you can possibly imagine. Every brand seems to offer a whole plethora of different colours... from subtle feminine shades through to fun, funky neon brights.
I, myself, quite like to try different colours, but I do tend to limit these to my toes as they're not so easy to wear on your fingers. If you have long-ish nails like mine, heavily painted talons can look a bit garish. Not a look that I try to foster!
One look that is classic and easy to wear is the French manicure. They can give your hands a touch of elegance, and is an appropriate look for both the office and for nights out (and everything in between). Or, for a more natural look, a coat or two of pale polish - without the white tips - also gives a nice clean look to finger nails.
... Which leads me onto the subject matter of my review: Rimmel French Manicure with LYCRA® + Minerals... I have this in French Ivory (433).
I apply it in three strokes (middle, side, side). It goes on smoothly and doesn't take long to dry. I normally apply two coats, irrespective of whether I'm painting the tips white or not. Sometimes I will add a clear coat of varnish on top too for protection and extra shine.
Once my handiwork is done, I'm always pleased that I bothered making the effort. Pretty fingers for very little work! That's one great thing about pale polishes - they're very easy to apply - you don't have to be so careful, compared with, say, deep red. (unless of course, you want the white tips.... if you want these, your work suddenly becomes somewhat more fiddly). French Ivory is a nice, glossy pale pink colour - quite translucent. It makes your nails look healthy.
Rimmel claims that it "boasts up to ten days shine, thanks to the never-before combination of shock-absorbent LYCRA® and nail perfecting micro minerals".
Hmmmm, Rimmel's claims for this are a bit on the extravagant side, I must say. This is in common with the 60 second nail varnish that I've reviewed separately. Sadly, the performance always falls somewhat short of the promise...
After several days, the nail varnish has pretty much always chipped on at least a couple of nails. I'd say that, after a week, it really needs re-doing. As well as the chips, I'd also disagree that the shine lasts ten days...
It's funny.... I've bought Rimmel nail varnishes for ages, choosing them on the basis of price, availability (pop one into the trolley while at the supermarket) and 'the better the devil you know'. However, I've never stopped to consider whether they're that great. In fairness, I think they're probably fairly good value for money and they're okay performance-wise. However, they don't really live up to their grand claims....
Hmmm..... Anyone know any really great nail varnishes that aren't expensive?


text:
Based on 5,219 Actual Consumer Experiences
THE GOOD: Featherbeds (also known as feather mattress toppers) are often effective at softening a firm mattress. They typically cost less and sleep hot less than the average mattress topper.
THE BAD: Regular fluffing / shaking is needed to maintain loft and comfort. Lumpiness / clumping is possible. Thickness and cushioning may be inadequate for some people. Feathers may poke through the cover, causing discomfort. Dry cleaning is often required.
THE TOPPER: Despite its name, a featherbed is not an actual bed or mattress but a mattress topper. The product is filled mostly or entirely with feathers from the wings and backs of geese and duck.
THE COMPETITION: Mainly fiberbeds and wool toppers. Learn how featherbeds compare to other topper types.
The ratings below show how featherbeds compare to the average topper as evaluated by consumers. For ratings on individual models, see the following section.
|Prices often range $60-$170. The average price is $91 which is significantly lower than that of the average mattress topper ($145).
|Given their relatively low price and general effectiveness at softening a mattress, most owners say featherbeds are a solid value.
|Durability / longevity
|Featherbeds have longevity / durability similar to other topper types. About 20% of owners report that some feathers escape the topper, especially when shaking / fluffing. The product will lose at least some of its loft and softness over time.
|Less pain
|About 17% of owners with back pain report their featherbed helps to reduce it. However, feathers poking through the cover may cause discomfort and even pain.
|Featherbeds' ability to improve mattress support is below that of memory foam and latex.
|Conforming ability
|While a featherbed can soften a mattress, it performs below memory foam and latex in providing a cradling, cloud-like feel.
|Motion isolation
|Unlike memory foam toppers, featherbeds do not reduce your motion from reaching and disturbing your partner.
|No lumpiness / clumping
|Lumpiness and clumping of the feathers is possible without regular shaking and fluffing.
|Easy to move on
|Featherbeds tend to provide little resistance to changing positions and getting up off the bed.
|No initial odor
|While better than memory foam and latex, odor is still a problem for about 6% of owners.
|No sleeping hot
|Bothersome heat retention is reported by no more than 3% of owners. Featherbeds tend to sleep warm in winter and cool in summer.
|No noise
|The feathers or lining inside may make a soft crunching / crackling noise when compressed.
|Sex friendly
|Mostly well suited, aside from the occasional poking feather.
|Easy to lift, handle, move
|Weight is usually 10-19 pounds (queen) which is about average for mattress topper.
|Proper fit / secure
|Most featherbeds simply lie on top of a mattress without corner straps or elastic skirts to fasten them. If placed between the mattress and a fitted sheet, featherbeds often stay mostly in place.
|Easy to maintain
|Shaking / fluffing is needed to maintain loft and comfort – daily to weekly depending mainly on owner preference.
|They may cause a bed to appear somewhat lumpy and uneven.
|Easy to clean
|Dry cleaning is often recommended.
The following table compares featherbeds that have at least 80% owner satisfaction based on 200 or more consumer experiences.
|Natural Baffle- channel Featherbed
|Super Snooze
|Luxurious Baffle Box
|White Goose Feather & Down
|Owner Satisfaction (sample)
|89% (993)
|87% (2583)
|86% (1023)
|82% (229)
|Contains down (for added softness)
|Weight (queen)*
|12 lbs
|19 lbs
|11 lbs
|14 lbs
|Sizes Available
|twin, full, queen, king, CA king
|twin, full, queen, king, CA king
|twin, full, queen, king
|twin, queen
|overstock .com
|overstock .com
|overstock .com
|Return Policy
|30 days
|30 days
|30 days
|30 days
* Heavier featherbeds tend to be thicker (and softer) than lighter ones. Sleepers will sink in and be surrounded more by a thicker topper.
Owners often compare sleeping on their featherbed to "sleeping on a cloud," and the words "cozy," "soft" and "fluffy" are often used to describe the topper. Those who say that the product makes no difference in comfort often described the product as "too thin" and that it flattens when lied upon. Those who say the product reduces comfort often say it causes pain due to feather poking or lumpiness.
Featherbed manufacturers often tout that they use baffled channels in their products. Baffling is designed to keep the feathers in place and therefore prevent clumping and the formation of peaks and valleys. Owner experience data, however, shows that baffling has limited effectiveness in many cases, and that you should expect some feather clumping whether the product is baffled or not.
The thread count is the number of threads per square inch of fabric. Owner experience data shows little to no correlation between thread count and owner satisfaction. However, a high thread count may be somewhat more likely to prevent feathers from escaping.
The featherbed research is based on over five thousand owner reviews gathered from credible sources, namely review sections on retailer web sites.
– A featherbed is often considered high maintenance. Regular shaking / fluffing is needed to maintain loft / comfort.
– Featherbeds have little or no ability to limit motion transfer, unlike memory foam and latex toppers.
– Buying a more expensive featherbed does not often result in higher owner satisfaction.
– Featherbeds usually do not trap heat or sleep hot. Less than four percent of owners report a heat-related problem.
SLEEP PRODUCT RESEARCH: Mattress Reviews • Mattress Topper Reviews • Pillow Reviews • Bed Sheet Reviews • White Noise Machine Reviews • Sleeping Pill Reviews • Sleep Hygiene Products
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XINXIANG, China, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A person traveling on a Chinese road caught footage of a van driving with one wheel hanging off the axle in a nearly horizontal position.
The video, filmed Jan. 15 in Xinxiang, Henan Province, shows the white van driving with the front driver-side wheel hanging sideways in a nearly horizontal position.
The wheel still contacts the road and spins as the van drives on three wheels.
The van's driver, who proudly points to his damaged wheel, was reportedly trying to avoid paying tow truck fees by driving the van to the repair shop.
A motorist in Yinchuan was recently recorded using a wrench to steer a vehicle without a steering wheel. That motorist was unsuccessful in avoiding towing fees, as he was caught by police and fined $40.


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Inbox: Freeing payroll, finding fault
Inbox: Freeing payroll, finding fault
Reading one of your blog posts about salaries, you said that by trading Lilly, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot and Lee, the team saved about $4.5 million. Doesn't really seem like giving up that kind of talent to save a small portion of payroll is worth it.
-- Nicholas B., Davenport, Iowa
The Cubs didn't just save some money on those deals. Lilly and Lee will be free agents after this season. Let's say they stayed with the Cubs and then left for another team in free agency in the offseason. The Cubs would then be compensated with a Draft pick next June between the first and second rounds because of the level of free agent those two are. But given the option of selecting a Minor Leaguer or two from another team in a trade situation as opposed to picking who's available in the Draft, I'd take the trade. You have more control over the young players you're getting in return, and they've had some time in the Minor Leagues, so you have a better feel for their abilities. Plus, why not give veterans like Lilly and Lee a chance at the postseason?
If you had to point to one thing that is responsible for the Cubs' poor season this year, what would it be?
-- Jeff C., Columbia, Md.
I'd pick the lack of clutch hitting. The Cubs lead the Majors in one-run losses with 30. How many of those games might have been turned around with one big hit? The starting pitchers have totaled 77 quality starts, tied for third in the National League. The middle of the order didn't come through. Look at the top RBI players in the NL. The Cubs don't have anyone in the top 25 (the Nationals have two players and the Diamondbacks three, but they don't have the pitching).
Ryne Sandberg as manager and Greg Maddux as pitching coach -- if only we could get Harry Caray to rise and sing the seventh-inning stretch, we could have my Cubs back.
-- Gene G., Louisville, Ky.
Have a question about the Cubs?
E-mail your query to MLB.com Cubs beat reporter Carrie Muskat for possible inclusion in a future Inbox column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content.
I was hoping you could tell me why Hayden Simpson was signed so early but has not pitched in any Minor League games.
-- Kurt V., Chicago
Simpson, the Cubs' No. 1 pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, had a bout with mononucleosis and was told to go home and get healthy. (Sorry to repeat, but I've received a lot of inquiries about him.)
I see the Cubs are trying to move Tyler Colvin to first to try to fill the void left by Lee. Although I agree the spot needs to be filled, is it possible for them to go out and shop for another first baseman or get someone from within the organization? I think it's such a waste of Colvin's strong arm and good range to move him into the infield.
-- Michael P., Clarendon Hills, Ill.
What the Cubs are trying to do is find a way to get Colvin in the lineup. If you look at the contract commitments for 2011, outfielders Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd and Kosuke Fukudome will all be back.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Summer camps in Minnesota designed for military-connected youth
Spots are filling up for summer camps in Minnesota designed for military-connected youth ages 8-14.
"There are still 50 spots available at several different summer camps at little-to-no cost," said Kirsten Fisher, Youth Coordinator with Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.
In May 2,400 Minnesota Army National Guard service members of the Bloomington-based 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, deployed in support of Operation New Dawn, said Fisher. This summer thousands of youth will be dealing with the separation from a military parent or family member and will benefit from the support they can receive from camp experiences with other military connected youth.
Camps offer an awesome opportunity for youth to process the deployment cycle at their own pace, said Fisher. Although youth are resilient, they have issues related to deployments such as anxiety, stress, confusion, relationship strain and increased responsibility at home. Further, military youth express that their peers don't understand what they are experiencing by being separated from a loved one in the military.
There are several camps all summer long available to Minnesota military families, said Fisher. Some that are filling up fast include;
Minnesota National Guard Youth & Teen Camps run during the last week of July and the first week of August at Camp Ripley and cost $150. The seven-day camp is loaded with activities like hiking onto a Camp Ripley training site for an overnight camping experience and opportunities to swim, bike and navigate using a compass. Registration deadline is June 30.
Voyageur Environmental Center in Mound has a July 10-13 session dedicated as Military Kids Week. Youth ages 8-14 can register for the four-day, activities-based camp at no charge. With archery, canoeing, swimming and campfires, this camp experience can create lifelong friendships and a passion for the outdoors.
Operation Military Kids offers both Family Camps and Adventure Youth Camps in July and August for $20.
Learn more about these and other summer camps currently offered by visiting the camp page at www.BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org/youth-camps.


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REGINA -- Kelly Wiltshire is determined to beat the odds.
Although he can't walk - and won't be able to for at least another month - the gritty Edmonton Eskimo is refusing to leave football behind.
After absorbing a wicked low block from Calgary Stampeder Nik Lewis in early September, football experts thought Wiltshire's career was over. But even though he's 34 and is just coming off major leg surgery, the Montreal native has a burning desire to return to the field next year.
"I'm really going to prepare myself to come back," he said before watching the Eskimos battle the Saskatchewan Roughriders last night. "You have to be aggressive.
"I can be like: 'Well, oh, I just want to walk.'
"(But) no, I'm coming back to play. I'm really going to rehab and attack it as such."
Fueling that desire to play again is the fact he doesn't want the highly-publicized Lewis block to be his last memory.
"I don't want to end this way," he continued.
"I still have another year under contract with Edmonton."
Of course, if he returns to playing shape, there's no guarantee the Eskimos would make room for Wiltshire to play again - and he knows that.
Before he was injured, he had lost his starting safety job and was relegated to special teams. And when the 2007 season starts, the 10-year CFL vet will be 35, an age that scares many teams.
But on the positive side, the Lewis block didn't blow apart the ACL in his right knee, which was the original report from the Eskimos. Unfortunately, that's the extent of the good news on the injury front because his leg is still a mess.
When he went under the knife in September, the MCL became a concern, but more importantly he had a broken tibia - the major bone that connects the foot to the knee.
The Eskimos medical team had to insert a plate and screws into the leg.
Following his rehab assignment, though, Wiltshire has a list of goals, which starts this week when he returns to his Toronto home.
"And my next step is to want to walk and after that it's going to be running and then jumping," explained the two-time Grey Cup champ.
Wiltshire doesn't have precise timeline for when he will be able to walk again and is trying to take it slow.
"My leg feels good and I want to do back flips," he cracked. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to land right. I'd rather stay off my feet for an extra four weeks.
"With ligaments you can put a little pressure on it, but when it's a broken bone, you want to heal and seal up. And it's boring and tough, but it's a mental battle that I'm enduring right now because I feel good."
That certainly wasn't the case when he came out of hospital - but thankfully teammate Will Loftus offered a critical helping hand.
"I don't know how I would have made it if I didn't move here (to Loftus' apartment)," said Wiltshire. "My bed is on the ground (at my place) and my sofa is too small.
"The first two or three days were very, very difficult and he was there for me, feeding me and everything."
But now, Loftus - who's recovering from a less serious hamstring injury - can't keep him still.
"The guy lives like a man of steel," said Loftus.
"He's rolling around the apartment, you can't keep him on the couch."
And in Wiltshire's perfect world, nobody will keep him off the field next year.


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At AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, our diversity in culture, ideas and perspectives has become our greatest asset in developing new and better ways to serve our ever-expanding and diverse membership. We believe diversity is key to staying on top of today's global marketplace and we're making sure that it's in the heart of everything we do.
We support and encourage our employees to participate in our Regional Diversity Councils and Employee Resource Groups, namely: AAA Pride, Asian Pacific Islander Connection, Black Employees Association, Hispanic Employees Association, Disabilities Network, Native American Indian Association, and Women's Initiative Network. These diversity groups help address barriers to inclusiveness and the productive performance of their members within the company.
We foster greater levels of diversity and inclusion in our workforce with our award-winning AAA Volunteer programs. Every year, more than 65% of AAA NCNU employees volunteer thousands of hours of service to the communities where we work and live. Our employees have reached out to local charities and food banks, and participated in hundreds of relief efforts and fundraising events for cancer research and disease prevention.
Among numerous recognitions, AAA NCNU has been awarded Best Place to Work for LGBT by the Human Rights Campaign for five years in a row, as well as the Award of Excellence from the Points of Light Foundation, the most prestigious national award
for volunteerism.


text: I recently moved my Omega D5 (I think) enlarger into my darkroom with the expectation of moving up to 4x5 soon. As I was cleaning off the lenses and turret I gently tried to remove the lens from the turret mounting board, but was unsuccessful. Is it possible to remove lenses off the mounting boards or are they essentially a permanent fixture once attached? In the past I tried removing one of the lenses, but broke the aperture ring in the process. Regards, Martin


text: [ Glenn's Christmas Wish List … Page 1! [VIDEO] By Dubba G December 22, 2011 This bike ROCKS!! Read More Category: Audio / Videos / Photos Tags: beatles, chopper, cirque de soleil, custom chopper, glenn garza, klaq, love, motorcycles, the beatles Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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Pointing out some "anomalies and legal inconsistencies" in the Lokpal Act, the Central Bureau of Investigation has raised a question as to whether the entire probe agency will be divested of all powers if any of its officer was found guilty of corruption or tampering with evidence.
CBI Director Ranjit Sinha while highlighting the "anomalies" in the Lokpal Act and amended Central Vigilance Commission Act in connection with its working has sought clarifications from the Union government.
Sinha said these needed to be thoroughly examined to avoid any litigation as otherwise the entire anti-corruption effort will be weakened.
In a five-page letter to Department of Personnel Secretary S K Sarkar, Sinha referred to some of the anomalies in the Lokpal Act which included Section 38, agency sources said on Wednesday.
Section 38 is a provision to "divest such agency engaged or associated with the Lokpal of all powers" if an officer or employee of the office of the Lokpal or agency engaged or associated is likely to destroy or in any way tamper with the evidence or influence witnesses in corruption cases.
The CBI Director said "clarification is required as to whether for a wrongdoing of an officer, the entire agency can be divested of all powers and responsibilities".
Sinha also referred to another Section 46 (i) of Lokpal which deals with punishment of those who make vexatious complaints, saying this process should be initiated only after the individual against whom the complaint has been made approaches the competent court.
"It is suggested that in case such false, frivolous or vexatious complaint is made against the CBI, then Director CBI should also be authorised to make such complaints in the court," Sinha said.
The much-awaited Lokpal Bill, which was passed during the Winter Session of Parliament last month, got the assent of President Pranab Mukherjee on January one.
The CBI Director also referred to Section 25 whereby Lokpal shall have powers of superintendence over CBI and give directions to it in respect of Preliminary Enquiry and investigations provided by it.
"It is not clear as to in what respect or areas such directions could be given by the Lokpal to the investigating agency in the backdrop of provisions to the section," Sinha said in the letter.
The CBI Director also highlighted a situation wherein same complaint is referred to Lokpal and CVC and both issue directions to CBI.
"Which of the two directions would prevail? The provisions" of Lokpal bill do not answer the query?, Sinha asked.
He said Section 15 of the Lokpal Act provides that in case any matter under Prevention of Corruption Act has been pending before any court or committee or authority prior to commencement of this Act such matter of proceeding shall continue before the same bench.
"It needs to be unambiguously clarified that the CBI is included as one such 'authority' so that ongoing investigation or enquiry of the CBI is not subject to controversy or litigations," he added.


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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peebles, 16th – Pitlochry, 22nd of June
Well over 80 years ago, back in 1929 the Bugatti Owners Club
(BOC) was formed by three enthusiasts in London just a few
years after the first Bugatti was delivered to the island. It is not a
big surprise that the small and nimble cars with the horseshoe-
shaped radiator became very popular in the country of the
sportsmen with countless club racing events, hill climbs and
timed trials and just like the also very active members of the
Bentley Divers Club those of the BOC used their cars extensively
over the decades. The BOC even owns an own hill climb circuit
with the Prescott Hill serving as base for many club activities but
also as head quarter.
... MediaCenter gallery >>>
But certainly Great Britain was not the only country apart from
France were Bugatti were regularly used by their owners and so
the idea of a transregional gathering finally came to life with the
first International Bugatti Meeting in 1963 attracting more than 60
cars from all over Europe and a few from America and even from
South Africa to the Prescott head quarter. Over ten days the
entrants explored the British countryside to end at Goodwood and
the big success of the premiere led to an annual event being one
of the highlights in the Bugatti calendar. In the following years
rallies were organized by various national Bugatti Clubs with the
last meetings in Italy, Austria, Spain and the Netherlands but for
the 50th anniversary this year's meeting was back in the UK, in
Scotland to be more concrete.
On Sunday the 16th of June almost 100 cars from all over the
world arrived at the Hydro Hotel in Peebles, just a few miles south
of Edinburgh. Being a long way from central Europe many of the
participants used the ferry to Newcastle and after the drive up to
the Scottish Borders a whole group of Belgium, Dutch and
German entrants were welcomed by the already arrived British
teams. As most of the entrants are regulars to the International
Meeting it was a big reunion and the first stories from the last
years adventures were exchanged even before the cars were
unloaded from the trailers and lined-up in front of the hotel
accompanied by the traditional strains of the bagpipe, the
Scottish national instrument. Some of the owners have brought a
new acquisition but most of the cars were well known from the
previous years, a colourful mix from small Grand Prix models and
some touring cars from the T40, T46 or T57 series.
A few cars have to be mentioned, for example the T55 with the
typical Jean Bugatti roadster design. This particular car (55208)
was entered in Le Mans in 1934 driven by Zehender before it got
its present body (from another T55) to be used on the road after
the war. The car ended in the collection of the late Bill Serri before
it went to the Mas du Clos Collection of Pierre Bardinon and was
just bought prior to the International Meeting by Peter Mullin as
latest addition to his fabulous collection of French classics in
Oxnard (California) making this car a very good example for the
word "provenance".
Another interesting car was the Bugatti T57S (C) Atalante that
was sold as "barn find" back in 2009 at the Bonhams Auction in
Paris after spending more than 5 decades in the same ownership.
It was first owned by Lord Howe who was one of the first
presidents of the BOC and who is known being a true gentlemen
driver in those days including a Le Mans victory with Tim Birkin in
1931. The story of this particular car (57502) is rather unusual as
most of the Bugatti were used throughout their live and never
taken off the road, in a time long before the classic car
community became an industry of its own this resulted in a lot of
interchanges of parts between different cars to keep them
running. Some say a matching numbers car was never used
properly in time and today the range of cars spreads from
complete original to reconstruction including a varying amount of
genuine parts. Thanks to the records of the different club registers
most of the car histories are well known and some of these
rebuild cars are even listed with a BOC chassis number. As many
of these cars are very well done they are welcomed as well in the
rally to take the small road under their wheels.
The first leg on Monday was a tour to the south-east along the
Scottish Borders to Abbotsford. Being the shortest of the
following stages the warm-up for the week was a relaxing 100
miles drive through the rich green landscape of south Scotland on
narrow country roads free of traffic, the ideal playground for the
vintage cars, especially the more sportive ones. A first challenge
was the way up the steep hill of Talla Linn passing the Talla
Reservoir but all the cars mastered that road to be rewarded with
a spectacular view on the lake followed by a first coffee break by
the St.Mary´s Loch before the lunch at Abbotsford House in
Melrose. The cars were parked on a field next to their
predecessors with a single HP behind the tent were the buffet
lunch was served. Although most of the day was overcast the
weather was much better than the predicted weather forecast and
it went even better the following days leaving a few participants
"disappointed" about the un-typical Scottish weather with sunny
spots on all the following days.
The evening was spent with a dinner at the hotel but several
entrants could be seen in various pubs and restaurants in the
centre of Peebles as not all of them were happy with the dinner at
the reception the day before. Some might say that the British
kitchen is not famous for good food but even a few years ago in
Tuscany some avoided the official dinners showing that a warm
kitchen for more than 200 people is always a problem no matter
where you are.
Whereas the first day was a rather short trip the second days
morning already had 100 miles of country roads to explore on the
way south-east through the Scottish Border region. This area
looks back to a long history of battles between Scotland and
England, unfortunately just a few remains from that period were
seen along the deserted roads. At Carter Bar the border was
passed with a great view over the region, after the drive through
the Northumberland National Park coffee was served on a first
stop at the Otterburn Castle Hotel in perfect sunshine. Being also
the southernmost point of the day the journey led north-east to
the Alnwick Castle for lunch. Alnwick Castle is built after the
Norman Conquest and dates back to the 12th century, today the
castle features a splendid garden remodelled after an usage as
acreage during WWII and restored main buildings. The castle was
the location in various films including several Robin Hood movies
but became more known as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series.
Today the castle and the gardens are a very busy touristic
attraction. The way back to Peeble was the last drive though this
area before the move the following day and led though several
rape fields and along the river Tweed that marks the border
between Scotland and England here.
As mentioned before the Wednesday was the day of the move to
a new hotel. After two days in the south of Scotland the next
day's should be spent in the Scottish Highlands in an area that
corresponds more the view of the foreign visitors of this country.
The day started early in the morning with a convoy to the Scottish
capitol Edinburgh to visit the historic town centre. The cars were
parked on various locations on the Royal Mile, the heart of the old
town connecting the Holyrood House and new Parliament Building
with the Edinburgh Castle on top of the hill. Several cars found
their spot just in front of St.Giles Cathedral, some Grand Prix
cars were parked directly on the High Street that is closed for
cars after a busy delivery morning, the rest was parked next to
Holyrood House. The crews had a day off to explore the city, do
some shopping in a variety of souvenir, Kilt and Whiskey shops
along the touristic mile or visit the castle. Few might have taken
the hill down at the Holyrood Park as the long and weary climb
rewarded with a spectacular view over the old town, the Holyrood
House, the Parliament and even to the harbour in a distance. It
was also easy to see why not all Scots are pleased with the new
parliament built by the Spanish architect Enric Miralles that
contrasts the Queens palace on the other side of the road and
looks a little bit foreign in the historic surrounding.
After the visit to Edinburgh the Bugatti were driven up to Pitlochry
to the Atholl Palace Hotel as base for the next days and the
excursions into the highlands. Not all of the participants were
happy about the change of the hotel especially when travelling
with the trailer as these had to be picked up after the Edinburgh
visit giving some extra miles that evening. But this was just a
small price to pay for the great landscape of the highlands on the
next days.
First on Thursday morning the cars passed the House of Bruar, a
famous shopping centre for all things Scottish and took the
motorway north to get into the highlands. After leaving the
motorway the landscape was still mostly rich green pastures and
dreamy forest roads and we passed the ruins of an old English
military barrack in the heart of Scotland. Lunch was served in a
private lodge of the size of no less than 146 sq km. As the cars
arrived very early because of the motorway passage the crews
had the opportunities to try some fishing and hunting near the
house and in the surrounding park. After leaving the lodge the
landscape soon became rougher passing some plateaus and
glens with very little vegetation, about the surrounding one
expects when thinking of Scotland, this was also the highest
point of the tour with an attitude of about 2000 ft. The afternoon
stop was at the Balmoral Castle, the royal castle in the highlands
and their summer retreat. The cars were lined up in front of the
castle during the visit and made a great addition to those who
came to visit the estate.
The last day of the International Meeting was leading around
some of the local Lochs, the Scottish name for lake. Scotland
was numerous of them and no less than three of them are close
to Pitlochry. Unfortunately the program was changed between the
print of the program and the final road book as to loop around
Loch Rannoch was once in the afternoon on the first version and
in the morning at the second, this resulted in several cars not
driving this part at all. Together with an alternative road choice in
the afternoon several of the cars were not seen the whole day
except for the lunch stop at the MacDonald Rannoch Hotel at the
east side of Loch Rannoch as the cars arrived from all different
directions for the final stop of the week. As the day ended with a
gala dinner the crews were not intended to arrive late at the hotel
so this was a rather short day again. On the way back most of
the drivers took the way over the House of Bruar to do buy some
souvenirs for the beloved at home, just a few took the shorter way
along Loch Tummel to visit the Queens View, a viewpoint
overlooking the Loch and the surrounding mountains.
Arrived at the hotel most of the owners were busy loading the
cars for the journey home the next day and prepare for the gala
dinner but still a few had the time to take a beer in front of the
hotel and recapture the impressions of the last days. One could
see that the Bugatti family is a very close one with some old
friendships from numerous meetings and new ones from the last
five days. Impressive is the cooperativeness, in case of a
breakdown at least five cars stop immediately to get the car fixed
with combined force. As most of the owners are familiar with the
technique of their cars most problems could be solved roadside
and soon the cars are back on their way. This is very refreshing to
see when comparing to the big rallies like the Tour Auto or Mille
Miglia where most drivers have their own mechanic with them, as
some oily hands and a bought beer in the evening are good for the
spirit. Just in case the IBM is also accompanied by professional
mechanics from Gentry Restoration who changes a broken piston
ring already on the first day on the parking lot.
On Saturday they all left in different directions but many of them
might be back next year when the IBM is held in New Zealand.
Certainly the far distance and the shipping cost might be a
problem but it is also a very good chance to visit a new continent
with some like-minded. The British meeting will be certainly held
in good memories as this was almost as good as it gets with
great landscape, very pleasant roads without lot of traffic,
something that is rarely found in central Europe. The good
weather was a nice addition and it almost seemed that Ettore
was holding his hands over the meeting as the expected rain set
in just on Saturday morning after Breakfast on the way to the
We have uploaded a gallery showing the days in chronological
order rather than sorted by car this time to give an impression of
the meeting and the different locations. All participating cars
could be seen at least once on the road driving during the five
days in one of the galleries. Those who took part might find this a
nice souvenir of a great time, all the others hopefully just enjoy
the great cars in a great scenery.
Report & Images ... Peter Singhof
International Bugatti Meeting Scotland (2013-06-25)
001 Bugatti T35B s/n BC135 Dillon/Royer (AUS)
002 Bugatti T57C Stelvio s/n 57661 Longes/Longes (AUS)
003 Bugatti T49 Cabriolet Chiattone s/n 49248 Shellard/Chen
004 Bugatti T50T Cabriolet Weinberger Rep. s/n BC139
Huebner/Huebner (A)
005 Bugatti T22 Brescia s/n 1068 Baele/Herman (B)
006 Bugatti T57S(C) Atalante s/n 57502 Fabri/Lechat (B)
007 Bugatti T44 Torpedo Cattelan s/n 44746
Hanegreefs/Beeckman (B)
008 Bugatti T49 Coupe Uhlik s/n 49274 Hardy/Morettin (B)
009 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43219 Jacqmard (B)
010 Bugatti T35B s/n 4924-R Leyssens/Rubenschuh (B)
011 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37246 Mahy/van Loo (B)
012 Bugatti T44 Roadster s/n 44333 Meeus/Meulemans (B)
013 Bugatti T44 s/n 441085 Follows/Follows (CAN)
014 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37155 Koux/Greisen (DK)
015 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37124 Benoit-Latour/Benoit-Latour (F)
016 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43171 Chambon/Chambon (F)
017 Bugatti T35/38A s/n 4240-R de Waele/de Waele (F)
018 Bugatti T30A Torpedo s/n 4444 Dubrulle/Dubrulle (F)
019 Bugatti T40 Roadster s/n 40699 Elchinger/Elchinger (F)
020 Bugatti T40 s/n BC174 Friedli/Chevriet (F)
021 Bugatti T44 Cabriolet Reuflet s/n 441074 Jaillon/Jaillon (F)
022 Bugatti T44 Novo/Caudron (F)
023 Bugatti T49 Roadster Nyffeler s/n 49555 Porez/Porez (F)
024 Bugatti T38 Torpedo Lavocat&Marsaud s/n 38221
Dimbath/Dimbath (D)
025 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43211 Kreyer/Sievert (D)
026 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37310 Reinold/Rodriguez (D)
027 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43192 Roeser/Roeser (D)
028 Bugatti T35C Grand Prix s/n 4928/4696 Rothlauf/Rothlauf (D)
029 Bugatti T40 Grand Sport s/n 40671 von Ritter/von Ritter (D)
030 Bugatti T35 Grand Prix s/n 4777 Casella/Casella (I)
031 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43230 du Gan/du Gan (USA)
032 Bugatti T13 Brescia s/n 950 Majno/Majno (I)
033 Bugatti T23 Torpedo Jarvis s/n 2559 Pecori Giraldi/Pecori
Giraldi (I)
034 Bugatti T37A Sport s/n 37276 Procovio (I)
036 Bugatti T13 Namiki/Namiki (J)
037 Bugatti T37A/51 s/n 37366 Takemoto/Takemoto (J)
038 Bugatti T35 s/n 4421-R Feltes/Hilger (LUX)
039 Bugatti T49 Cabriolet Gangloff s/n 49563
Kaufmann/Kaufmann-Engel (LUX)
040 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37122 Blokhuis/Blokhuis (NL)
041 Bugatti T57C Stelvio Gangloff s/n 57679 Braam
Ruben/Dessart (NL)
042 Bugatti T44 s/n 44266 Jansen/Tucker (NL)
043 Bugatti T35B/R s/n BC136 Klopper/Klopper-Kes (NL)
044 Bugatti T44 Cabriolet s/n 44694 Klopper/Klopper (NL)
045 Bugatti T40 Grand Sport s/n BC064 Legger/Legger (NL)
046 Bugatti T57 Stelvio s/n 57257 Martens/Martens (NL)
048 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport R s/n BC129 Scholtens/Wolff (NL)
049 Bugatti T38 Cabriolet Figoni s/n 38345 Slijpen/Kohlen (NL)
050 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37256 Sontrop/Sontrop (NL)
051 Bugatti T38/44 Roadster Grad Sport s/n 38101 van
Egmond/van Egmond (NL)
052 Bugatti T55 R Super Sport s/n BC092 Rogers/Rogers (NZ)
053 Bugatti T57 Cabriolet Graber s/n 57483 van Deventer/van
Deventer (NZ)
054 Bugatti T57 Cabriolet Graber s/n 57394 van Deventer/van
Deventer-Woessink (NZ)
055 Bugatti T35C s/n 4918 Bystrom/Bystrom (S)
056 Bugatti T43/44 s/n 441119/43291 Soderberg/Soderberg (S)
057 Bugatti T57 Ventoux s/n 57581 Capra/Thomas (CH)
058 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43164 Grell/Grell (CH)
059 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43160 Huet/Huet (CH)
060 Bugatti T44 Jaunin/Williams (CH)
061 Bugatti T49 Grand Sport s/n 49277 Koenig/Koenig (CH)
062 Bugatti T37A s/n 37221 Meier/Batouskova (CH)
063 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37130 Raess/Raess (CH)
064 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37295 Perego/Perego (CH)
065 Bugatti T51 s/n BC096 Bullock/Bullock (GB)
066 Bugatti T49 s/n 49241/44922 Chadwick/Chadwick (GB)
067 Bugatti T43 s/n 43214 Conway/Conway (GB)
068 Bugatti T46 Roadster Ottin s/n 46501 de Ferranti/de Ferranti
069 Bugatti T57 C Stelvio Gangloff s/n 57824 Dutton/Coyne (GB)
070 Bugatti T39 GP s/n 4604 Hands (GB)
071 Bugatti T37 s/n 37147 Hitchman/Hitchman (GB)
072 Bugatti T49 DHC by Neuss s/n 49428 Housego-
Woolgar/Housego-Woolgar (GB)
073 Bugatti T43A Roadster s/n 43295 Kain/Kain (GB)
074 Bugatti T49 Roadster s/n 49542 Knight/Knight (GB)
075 Bugatti T37A* Lambourn/Lambourn (GB)
076 Bugatti T57 Cabriolet James Young s/n 57391 Marks/Marks
077 Bugatti T51 s/n 51156 Marks/Marks (GB)
078 Bugatti T59 s/n BC059 Marks/Marks (GB)
080 Bugatti T38/44 Grand Sport s/n BC 019 McNab/McNab (GB)
082 Bugatti T37 s/n 37143 Missen/Missen (GB)
083 Bugatti T30 Roadster s/n 4315 Missen (GB)
084 Bugatti T37 s/n 37225 Missen (GB)
085 Bugatti T43 Grand Sport s/n 43239 Preston/Treutlein (GB)
086 Bugatti T37A Sport s/n 37282 Trevelyan/Trevelyan (GB)
087 Bugatti T23 s/n 2804 Trevelyan (GB)
089 Bugatti T37A s/n BC150 Whitaker (GB)
090 Bugatti T44 Grand Sport s/n 44790 Wilson/Wilson (GB)
093 Bugatti T13 Brescia s/n BC004 Bird (USA)
094 Bugatti T57 s/n 57508 Cleary/Cleary (USA)
095 Bugatti T35B s/n 4955 Davidson/Willis (USA)
096 Bugatti T23 Brescia s/n 2243 Greene/Greene (USA)
097 Bugatti T57S Hull/Hull (USA)
098 Bugatti T40 Grand Sport s/n 40793 Mize/King (USA)
099 Bugatti T55 s/n 55208 Mullin/Mullin (USA)
100 Bugatti T37 Sport s/n 37144 Rheault/Rheault (USA)
102 Bugatti T40A Roadster s/n 40837 Stranberg/Stranberg (USA)
103 Bugatti T49 Cabriolet Pritchard&Demollin s/n 49229
Voboril/Voboril (USA)
List compiled with the help of Christian Anicet


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HARRISON, N.J. – Last year, the Red Bulls began the season with something to prove.
In 2010, New York were seeking redemption after a disastrous 2009 campaign in which they finished bottom of the league with the worst record in MLS.
Now, as the 2011 season opener against the Seattle Sounders approaches, they begin the season with targets on their chests.
That's what happens when you finish the regular season atop the Eastern Conference, have two of the league's highest-paid players on your roster and can boast the crown jewel of soccer stadiums.
Expectations — and dare it be said, the swagger — around this team have reached new heights in a single year.
"I feel a definite difference — much more confident this year," head coach Hans Backe told MLSsoccer.com. "It is a different mentality for the club now that we've rebuilt after that tough year and had some success in the league. I think we have that confidence that maybe we didn't have this time last year."
[inline_node:330763]The Red Bulls have plenty of reasons to be confident. They head into the season as legitimate MLS Cup contenders for the first time since 2001. They have two marquee players in their starting XI in former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry and Mexican national team captain Rafa Márquez. Plus, they return most of their 2010 core while also adding European veterans Jan Gunnar Solli, Luke Rodgers and Teemu Tainio.
Clearly, there is room for optimism. But Danleigh Borman, now entering his fourth year with the club, says that optimism is different from arrogance.
"I think the attitude is the same as last year," Borman said. "We know we still have to work hard and can't take anything for granted, even after the success of last year. We're a little more confident. Last year, we had something to prove, but we still feel that way this year."
It could be argued that 2010 may have been tougher on New York, given the weight of a new stadium on their shoulders plus the pressure of eradicating the bad taste from 2009. Expectations for on-the-field success last year were high, despite the poor finish the season prior.
"There was a lot of pressure on us last year, a lot," said assistant coach Mike Petke, who started last year as a Red Bulls player. "Coming off a season like '09, having this stadium finally built, overhauling the team with new players – that is a lot of pressure. Before the opening of the stadium, the game against Santos, my mind was spinning like no other time I can remember."
But now, a season of winning means that the Red Bulls can "no longer fly under the radar," as defender Tim Ream put it.
"I think we're going into this season more motivated with just as much to prove," Borman said. "We can't just slip past teams. Now we need to bring our best every game because we know the opposition will do the same in coming at us every week."
Kristian R. Dyer can be followed at twitter.com/KristianRDyer


text:
Written on: 27/06/2013
Got this card about 2 years after opting for bankruptcy due to unmanageable levels of debt and ludicrously unhelpful lenders.
I went from a £500 limit up to £1000 in 4 months, and then up to £1750 4 months after that.
I use it as my "Spending Money" card throughout the month, and then pay then entire thing off in full at the very start of the billing cycle.
Once a month I check my credit report, and since getting this card, it has steadily risen from the doldrums of BAD up to a fluctuation between GOOD at the end of the month just before paying it off, and EXCELLENT (980+ score) about a week after paying it off in full.
Used wisely, this card can do wonders. Just fear the 39.9% APR, And never plan to have a rolling debt on this card, about you cannot go wrong.
Written on: 03/07/2013
i wish mine would go up a bit,went from 150 to 550 from december and not had any more since,always paid well in advance,always well over min payment
Written on: 04/07/2013
Mine fluctuates quite a lot, depending on the time of the month that I check my score.
Where this is the only line of credit I have, if I check at the end of the month before I have paid the balance, my total used credit is considered very high, dropping my rating like a stone.
Try checking a week or so after you have paid to give the decrease in utilised credit a chance to update.
Written on: 04/07/2013
i mean my credit card limit not my score lol , not intrested in scores at all,just think im a good customer for vanquis and dont get the limit raised much
Written on: 07/03/2014
To get an increas, you need to spend on the card regularly and pay balance off in full, within a year you will have £3000 credit limit.
Written on: 07/06/2014
So you go bankrupt,then apply for credit,people like you don't deserve a second chance! It's a pity your so called spending money didn't go towards your creditors. All you had to do is go to the citizens advice or go to a solicitors ever of them would of advised you. Oh and a score of 980 means nothing try apply for a mainstream lender and you'll be declined,simply because your bankruptcy will still be showing for at least two more years!!
Written on: 07/03/2014
Well done! happy for ya!
Written on: 19/07/2013
You just have to work for them!
They are the worst company ever!
As rated by our community of reviewers
" Beyond poor " Read More
Written by Surfitscu
" Avoid as very poor customer service " Read More
Written by moby79
" Not a very good card " Read More
" AWFUL " Read More
" Aqua Classic " Read More


text:
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My drawing of a Kestrel - 1976
144 pieces
8 comments
45 solvesSolve puzzle
This was my first serious drawing done with pencil crayons. I'd coloured a few drawings, in the past, but never done a drawing. It was a bit ambitious, being done on A3 paper. It was difficult to scan on an A4 scanner, being done with four separate scans and assembled in Paint Shop Pro, with my name added today. I never signed it as I intended to colour the background and add 'prey' in the form of a mouse or small bird, but decided against it. It is drawn from a photograph I took, now lost. The drawing is rolled up somewhere in a cardboard tube. The digital original is very large. This is 768x768. I might print a small version to hang on the wall, or use as a card. The image is my copyright.


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When a string-based source column in an SSIS data flow is smaller than a destination column being populated via an OLE DB Destination, if the ValidateExternalMetadata property for the OLE DB Destination is set to False, SSIS will incorrectly warn that truncation may occur. In this situation, SSIS seems to get the metadata for the source column and the destination column mixed up.
Please wait...


text:
CHICAGO — Daniel Paille scored 13:48 into overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win over the Blackhawks on Saturday night and even the Stanley Cup final at one game each.
The Blackhawks failed to clear the puck along the boards. Tyler Seguin picked it up on the right side and delivered a cross-ice pass to Paille, who beat Corey Crawford on his glove side.
"It was a dirty road win," Boston defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said.
Crawford and Boston's Tuukka Rask were outstanding in goal again after coming up big in Wednesday's opener, a 4-3 triple-overtime win for Chicago, turning away shot after shot in the extra period until Paille scored. Rask finished with 33 saves, Crawford 26.
Jaromir Jagr just missed scoring the winner in the opening minutes of OT when his shot from the right circle hit the right post, his second near miss in as many games. Chris Kelly, who scored in the second period for Boston, had a shot from the slot stopped by Crawford at 5:39.
Rask also stood his ground down the stretch, just as he did in the opening period, when Chicago fired away at him. The Blackhawks swarmed the Bruins and took the lead at 11:22 on Patrick Sharp's ninth goal of the postseason.
Chicago finished the period with a 19-4 advantage in shots.
"If someone watched the first period, they would say 'Give (Chicago) the Cup right now,' " Jagr said.
The Blackhawks continued to dictate the tempo until Kelly tied it with just more than five minutes remaining in the second. Paille skated out from behind the net, beating Nick Leddy with a neat move for a wraparound shot. Crawford made the save, but Kelly crashed the net and knocked in the rebound to tie it at 1.
"My goal was a great five-guy effort," Kelly said. "I just happened to be there to tap it in."
NHL awards: The Capitals' Alex Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy as league MVP voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He finished 32 points ahead of the Penguins' Sidney Crosby in the closest voting in 11 years. Ovechkin became the eighth player to win at least three times. Crosby won the Ted Lindsay Award as MVP voted by the players. The Lightning's Marty St. Louis and Ovechkin were the other finalists. The win was Crosby's second. The Panthers' Jonathan Huberdeau won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, the Blue Jackets' Sergei Bobrovsky the Vezina as top goalie and the Canadiens' P.K. Subban the Norris as top defenseman.
Around the league: Alain Vigneault has reached an agreement with the Rangers to be their coach, according to media reports. Vigneault was fired as coach by the Canucks last month after seven seasons and a sweep by the Sharks in the first round of the playoffs. He would succeed John Tortorella, fired four days after the Rangers' second-round playoff exit last month.
AHL final: Lightning affiliate Syracuse stayed alive in the Calder Cup final for the second straight game, beating host Grand Rapids 5-2 to pull within 3-2 in the series. Game 6 is Tuesday at Syracuse.
First Period—1, Chicago, Sharp 9 (Kane, Handzus), 11:22. Penalties—Ference, Bos (tripping), 6:51.
Second Period—2, Boston, Kelly 1 (Paille), 14:58. Penalties—Bolland, Chi (tripping), 1:19; Boychuk, Bos (holding), 8:15; Seidenberg, Bos (tripping), 17:11; Oduya, Chi (tripping), 19:14.
Third Period—None. Penalties—None. First Overtime—3, Boston, Paille 3 (Seguin, McQuaid), 13:48. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Boston 4-8-8-8—28. Chicago 19-4-5-6—34. Power-play opportunities—Boston 0 of 2; Chicago 0 of 3. Goalies—Boston, Rask 13-5-0 (34 shots-33 saves). Chicago, Crawford 13-6-0 (28-26).
Stanley Cup final
BLACKHAWKS 1, Bruins 1
Game 1: Blackhawks 4, Bruins 3 3 OT
Saturday: Bruins 2, Blackhawks 1 OT
Monday: at Boston, 8, NBCSN
Wednesday: at Boston, 8, Ch. 8
June 22: at Chicago, 8, Ch. 8
June 24: at Boston, 8, Ch. 8 *
June 26: at Chicago, 8, Ch. 8 *
* If necessary


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U.S.C. Title 18, Section 2257 Compliance:


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Shopian violence: CM orders judicial probe
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday ordered a judicial inquiry by a retired high court judge in the Shopian incident, describing it as the need of the hour to unearth the reality and bring facts before the people.india Updated: Oct 02, 2013 08:17 IST
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday ordered a judicial inquiry by a retired high court judge in the Shopian incident, describing it as the need of the hour to unearth the reality and bring facts before the people.
Replying to the adjournment motion moved by the main Opposition party and other parties pertaining to the incidents of Shopian, Kishtwar, Gool, Markundal, Samba and Hira Nagar, the chief minister said various statements pertaining to the Shopian incident issued by the police and other security agencies had created a situation where the judicial probe was necessitated.
Five people, including a Pakistani militant, were killed in a firing by security forces on September 7. While the CRPF claimed those killed were militants, statements from the police revealed that four persons killed on that day had no police record.
Abdullah said he would ask the law department to issue necessary notification in this regard and make the probe a time-bound matter. "People should know the veracity of the event in which five people lost their lives," he said.
"Sweet or bitter, we are bound to tell people of Shopian the truth about the incident. If a security force personnel is guilty, he would be punished by the court, and whatever action was needed would be taken," he added.
Abdullah said he was convinced that one of the victims was a militant, but antecedents of the others needed to be ascertained.
Describing Shopian, Kishtwar Gool, Hiranagar, Samba incidents of different nature, Abdullah said the loss of human lives was most disturbing and painful for any chief minister.
He said whenever any such incident took place he was engulfed with pain. "Any person, who has a human heart, will not remain untouched by the killings," he said, adding that when in the past he used to speak his heart out in this regard, it was misinterpreted as his helplessness.
"The reality is that such statements of mine were the voice of my heart reflecting my deep pain over human killings," he said, referring to his statement in the legislative assembly over the killing of a youth in Baramulla.
"I assure people of Shopian that If in the judicial probe, security forces were found guilty of innocent civilian killings, they would be booked under the law," he said, adding that the impression being given that security forces had a free hand to commit civilian killings was totally wrong.


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SEN Tapware System now available in Australia
The SEN Tapware System designed by Curiosity for Agape is now available in Australia for the very first time.
The Tokyo-based design firm Curiosity, started by French designer Nicolas Gwenael and Japanese marketing expert Reiko Miyamoto, needs little introduction with its innovative work for the likes of Issey Miyake, TAG Heuer, Louis Vouitton to name a few. Sen was originally created by Gwenael for his own influential C1 residence in Tokyo in 2008 and is now considered a design classic that goes beyond traditional tapware.
Crafted from striking black or grey anodized aluminium, Sen means "line" in Japanese and incorporates multiple functions in a line of independent components that can be freely combined.
Options include:
- Wall-mounted taps
- Flexible hand shower
- Shower column
- Surface-mounted taps
- Floor-mounted spouts
- Accessories, including a soap dispenser and towel holder.
Artedomus is Australia's leading supplier of exclusive, high quality stone, marble, mosaics, architectural ceramics and bathware for commercial and residential projects.Learn more
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