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Sao Paulo, Brazil: Since the announcement that the World Cup was headed to sunny Brazil, the government has received harsh criticism and widespread protest. It is the general consensus that the $11 billion could haven been better spent rather than prepare the Brazilian cities for the major event. Unfortunately many of the stadiums, hotels and other building constructed for the World Cup will not have any real use after spectators leave the country in just a few weeks.
In June of 2013, Brazil hosted the Confederation Cup, which was used as a test-run for the much larger World Cup. One of the major problems that has resulted from the dress rehearsal was the lack of waste removal options for spectators combined with poor area residents hunting for the discarded unwanted materials as a source of income. Rather than correct the issue by providing more garbage collection stations, the Brazilian Government took a different approach.
City Officials decided to increase rent around the neighborhoods hosting the World Cup matches, which forced over 5,000 residents into tents and makeshift homes. This has been the fuel of the protest fire and these temporary communities are littered with crime and of course, trash. Fast-Forward to present day and the waste removal problems are still a major problem that seemly gets little attention from those who can potentially solve it. So the soccer spectators have taken it into their own hands.
With no trash cans or recycling bins in sight, the fans attending the World Cup matches are forced to dispose their unwanted materials on the floor beneath the seats. This seems to be somewhat of a common practice around the globe, but that is not how the Japanese fans operate. Even after enduring a hard fought loss to the Ivory Coast, the Japanese spectators took out their garbage bags and began collecting all of the debris scattered throughout the stadium.
Although this is tremendously commendable, these dedicated fans did not spend their hard earned money and travel thousands of miles to clean up trash. It is the responsibility of Brazil to take action and correct these problem, but it is unlikely that any solutions will be implemented. However how was waste removal overlooked when working with an $11 billion budget?
Budget Dumpster service area currently does not extend to South America, yet, but we would be happy to consult the Brazilian Government on to properly manage waste from major events. However it may be just too late at this point. So watch out for Budget Dumpster, the official waste removal sponsor of the World Cup 2018!


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Park upgrades
Martinez and Pleasant Hill held ceremonies for parks that recently received upgrades, including Pleasant Oaks Park, top, and Nancy Boyd, left, and Cappy Ricks parks. At Pleasant Oaks, children enjoy the newly constructed playground at the 11.5-acre sports facility. The renovated International Peace Corps Fountain at Nancy Boyd features stones from every country where the Peace Corps has volunteers. The park is named for Boyd, who was killed in a plane crash on March 2, 1963, during her Peace Corps service. At Cappy Ricks, Lincoln Radke, 2, of Martinez, above, uses the new play structure, one of several features upgraded at the facility, including picnic area, paths, basketball court resurfacing and new restrooms.

subset: commoncrawl


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Carcassonne vs. Settlers of Catan
- Donald DimitroffUnited States
MarylandRight now I am feeling very: turbed, pirited, heveled, combobulated, and not tinguished, so don't you dare "dis" me!
If the popularity of a game is measured by the number of users who own the game, then the two most popular games are Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan. This is even more true if one were to consider all of the expansions, spin-off games, card games, and historical games that are related to both series.Recommend
Included is a simple poll of your preferences.
- Posted Wed Feb 2, 2011 3:10 am
- [+] Dice rolls


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With a busy week behind you and the weekend within reach, there's no shame in taking things a bit easy on Friday afternoon. With this in mind, every Friday TriplePundit will give you a fun, easy read on a topic you care about. So, take a break from those endless email threads and spend five minutes catching up on the latest trends in sustainability and business.
This weekend is all about Super Bowl Sunday. While some people are eager to watch the Carolina Panthers ambush the Denver Broncos, others are in it for the Puppy Bowl. But most everyone wants to see what crazy spots are being dropped in the year's most expensive commercial breaks. Of course, the TriplePundit team couldn't wait to dive in and see how these advertisements fare when it comes to the triple bottom line. Among the top ads, did any of the world's biggest brands choose to showcase their more sustainable product offerings? Did they put a progressive spin on their pitches, or was it the same old same old?
Among the 41 brands that have already released their advertisements, we don't see any sustainable product promotions. But four ads — 10 percent — include a values message. Regardless of who takes home the rings, having so many important causes up on those big screens means sustainability takes the win.
Axe, #FindYourMagic
Axe body spray isn't known for its progressive gender politics. We were excited to see the fragrance company challenge traditional notions of masculinity in the spot below. While the company has done its part to perpetuate gender stereotypes in the past, here it aims to shake things up during the most macho television event of the year.
Colgate, #EveryDropCounts
In Colgate's first-ever spot for the Super Bowl, the toothpaste company tackles one of our own pet peeves — leaving the faucet running while you brush your teeth. With droughts on the rise around the U.S. and 3 to 5 gallons wasted every time you let the faucet run for your two-minute session, kudos to Colgate for using its spot as a teachable moment!
Helen Mirren for Budweiser, #GiveADamn
Budweiser also chose to focus on a material issue: drunk driving.
"I'm Helen Mirren, a notoriously frank and uncensored British lady," Mirren says in the Super Bowl spot. "If you drive drunk, you — simply put — are a shortsighted, utterly useless, oxygen-wasting human form of pollution, a Darwin award–deserving selfish coward."
Pantene, #DadDo
Pantene showcases the #DadDo: hair-dos dads create for their daughters. While this spot could easily have taken a bad turn toward the "dumb dad" meme, this one heartwarmingly emphasizes that active dads make their daughters strong — a message we can all get behind.
Share your favorite ads in the comments!
Image credit: Flickr/Sonny Abesamis


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Pope Francis has spent his first full day as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, showing the same humility that has been winning praise from believers the world over. VOA's Jeff Seldin has more.


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" Manufacturer: Leapfrog "
* Prices may differ from that shown
Join Dora, Boots, and Diego on an amazing wildlife rescue adventure! Play five learning games that introduce essential preschool and kindergarten reading and math skills. Then plug into the TV and play with three animal adventure stories. Learn about different animals, and help them return to their homes! For use with the Leapster L-Max Learning Game System, sold separately.


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With the Indiana Pacers' 93-80 win over the Washington Wizards in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs Thursday night, the NBA season came to an end for all of the local college legends. Here is a look at how the rest of the second round went for each of the players still on the floor.
Andre Miller, Utah, Washington Wizards: Miller didn't see much time in the Wizards' series loss to the Pacers, but he was an effective scorer when he was on the floor. His best effort came in a Game 4 loss when he registered seven points, three rebounds and four assists.
For the season, Miller averaged a career-low 4.9 points on 45.9 percent shooting from the floor, 2.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in just under 17 minutes a game.1 comment on this story
Damian Lillard, Weber State, Portland Trail Blazers: Even though the Trail Blazers were no match for the Spurs in the second round, Lillard cemented his spot as one of the league's best young point guards. Although his shot wasn't falling, He still scored at least 17 points in each game. His best game against San Antonio came in Portland's lone win when he finished with 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting to go along with four rebounds and five assists. For the Blazers' 11-game playoff run he averaged 22.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and one steal in more than 42 minutes a night.
During his second season in the NBA, Lillard averaged 20.7 points on 42.4 percent shooting from the field, including 39.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He shot it best from the free-throw line where he made 87.1 percent of his 426 attempts. He also added 3.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists while starting all 82 games.
Jay Yeomans is a courier by day and a freelance writer by night. He is the creator and lead writer of the website jmoneysports.com. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com. Twitter: @jmoneysports


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Dr. Inderbir Gill, Chairman of the University of Southern California's Institute of Urology at the Keck School of Medicine, talks about performing a robotic outpatient, urethral catheter-free radical prostatectomy for cancer using the latest daVinci Si robotic surgery system.
If you're having trouble watching this video, try downloading the latest version of Flash Player or contacting your IT department.
Have any comments or questions about our SP First Cuts videos? Or do you have a video you'd like to see featured in one of our deployments? Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Related Reads


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The Banner Saga - Kickstarter Campaign
Stoic Studio has joined the Kickstarter brigade for The Banner Saga, which you'll recall from a week or two back. Stoic are asking for a modest $100k, and with $10k under the belt in a few hours, that looks safe. The rewards start from $5, with only $10 getting you a digital copy of the game, due in November.
Some features, to refresh your memory:
i just backed it. after i contacted them and got confirmation that it will be DRM free.
If this kind of thing ever takes off and works as one would hope, it's going to be where I spend almost my entire gaming budget.
I'm all over this, in theory.
Only, the problem with the publisher model as it is - currently - isn't so much the actual model, but how human nature mixes with it. As great as this kickstarter thing sounds, our nature remains the same.
So, I'll have to see the system work - with all the kinks removed, before I start supporting it.
Unless, of course, some ex-Looking Glass dude wants to kickstart System Shock 3.
Looks like this might be a fun game…
I love the art style - worth $10 of speculation, I think.
It's like capitalism. The system in itself could work very well, if it wasn't human nature to seek the shortest path to the greatest return.
We're like water, in that way. We want the path of least resistance.
There are exceptions, certainly, but those exceptions have a way of circumventing the weaknesses in any system. This is why we're seeing "art" even with the publisher model, or in the very similar Hollywood system - for instance.
This "kickstarter" system would seem to be better than the publisher model, but it's not like it can replace true passion and it's not like human nature will change.
Then again, I rarely buy the whole line of "it's all the fault of the publisher". It goes both ways - and some people just don't have the talent - regardless of the restrictions imposed upon them.
But you kinda got my point. There's no connection between passion and a finance system (unless, of course, finances or finance systems are your passion), which is why the only "system" I would actually advocate - is one where finances don't enter the picture.
I'm not sure I can articulate my point much better, though
Personally, I'm still not convinced this will help us a lot in the long run. It only takes a few kickstarter projects down the drain before the concept is abandoned. If there's one thing developers are good at, especially when there's no publisher involved to enforce the dates, it's letting things go on and on until the whole thing is a complete failure.
Bottom line: I fear we'll get more Duke Nukem Forever than Planescape: Torment out of this.
Still, if the right project comes along, I'll invest. It's worth a risk.
I pledged 10. I'm a sucker for grid-based combat and viking lore. :)
Looks good. I am not big fun of Kickstarter incentives of we'll take your banner, we'll write a god based on you or we'll make a statue of you, but can live with that. In fact, better this than dumbed down, generic gameplay that in the eyes of marketing will make the whole world play a game. And definitely looks like it's worth 10$.
Probably the only project that I would fund kickstarter-wise would be Might and Magic 10 or a clone, if the name is still owned by that French company.
I'm too much of a skeptic. It's very easy to start a project, but to stay the course and not lose focus? Much harder. What happens to your donation if the project gets halted 9 months from now and your donation has went to pay some schmucks salary?
I'll pledge $25 so i can get the CE. Since i don't spend money on AAA titles like i used to, i will instead throw my money at games like this and Wasteland 2.
Of course one should have a close look at the project and the people behind it before pledging. With people like Fargo or the Banner devs, that have both experience and a lot of credit to loose on a botched project, I feel the risk is probably limited. But of course, there is always a risk with any "money upfront" deal. And eventually we WILL see failed projects, and there will be much gnashing of teeth.
Still, Kickstarter is about funding something out of enthusiasm that would not likely get funding through other means. Not possible without taking risks.
I agree. I just wasn't a big enough fan of Wasteland to kickstart. Might and Magic? I might very well be one of the $10,000 donators on that one. I loves my Might and Magic series :D Of course, it'd have to be led by a reinvigorated JVC or all bets are off.
Don't see the big fuss about 10$
wow, I might lose 10 bucks, compare paying kickstater 10 bucks, fueling a flame that can create something special, that influences a lot of people, with giving 10$ to buy sodas for a month, or cigarettes, or whatever you guys waste money on.
So er what sort of RPG/Strategy game will this be? I'd like more details before I commit.
In the screens they showed the combat reminded me a little of the new King's Bounty expansion. (Kings Bounty: Warriors of the North)
Boom. Backed it. Now if Obsidian can just get a kickstarter started I'll be happy to spend some more of my hard earned money. Take my money please and give me good games.
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A 5-pack of crash neoprene rubber "felts" improve cymbal sound and more.
Cympad is an affordable and easy to use system for optimizing the sound and performance of all cymbal sizes, types and brands. Cympad is specially designed and made from premium-grade cellular foam to simply and effectively protect your cymbals and control your sound.
The Cympad Optimizer Crash Pads 5-Pack offers increased cymbal protection, while enhancing feel and performance.
Call or click to order today!


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1988 Marcus Allen Starting Lineup- SLU- Sports Figurine - Oakland Raiders - RARE
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This auction is for a 1988 Starting Lineup of Marcus Allen in his Oakland Raiders uniform. This is a rare figure and is very hard to find. The figure is sealed on original card, looks great and is in very nice condition (please see picture). Oakland Raider lineups are always popular, especially in this condition ! Free Shipping ! ! ! PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN 7 DAYS OR ITEM WILL BE RELISTED AND APPROPRIATE ACTION WITH EBAY WILL BE TAKEN....GOOD LUCK TO ALL AND ! We have GREAT feedback so !! Also don't miss our eBay Store - MR WAG's COLLECTIBLES WE HAVE THOUSANDS MORE STARTING LINEUPS FROM 1988 AND ONWARD. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN SLU LET US HEAR FROM YOU ! THANK YOU FOR LOOKING!


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And We're Also Anticipating
The New Normal
Because Glee and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy needed one more TV show (this one's about a gay couple having a baby through a surrogate). And because we're very proAndrew Rannells (Book of Mormon, Girls). Sept. 11 at 9:30 p.m., NBC.
Go On
Because this single-camera support-group sitcom feels like Community Lite, and the law of averages says star Matthew Perry is due for a hit. Sept. 11 at 9 p.m., NBC.
Because if CBS has to make another Vegas-set cops-and-robbers show, at least this one takes place in the sixties and stars Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Sept. 25 at 10 p.m., CBS.
Animal Practice
Because the human stars (Justin Kirk, Tyler Labine) of this veterinary sitcom are great, but Crystal the Monkey (The Hangover Part II) will almost certainly steal the show from under them. Sept. 26 at 8 p.m., NBC.
Because Lucy Liu was so badass on Southland last season that we can't wait to see her as Watson on this modern take on Sherlock Holmes. Sept. 27 at 10 p.m., CBS.
Call the Midwife
Because Downton Abbey won't be back until January, but in the meantime there's this fifties-set British import. Sept. 30 at 8 p.m., PBS.
Because the star of this superhero drama, DC Comics' Robin Hoodesque Green Arrow, is the liberal antidote to Christopher Nolan's conservative Batman. Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., the CW.
Because this earnest family drama warms even our cynical hearts. Lauren Graham and Jason Ritter are so stinking cute together. Sept. 11 at 10 p.m., NBC.
The X Factor
Because Britney. Sept. 12 at 8 p.m., Fox.
Because we've been waiting more than a year for the third season of David Simon's New Orleans drama. Sept. 23 at 10 p.m., HBO.
Because the first season took everything we loved about 24 and added Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, and Damian Lewis (who we're pretty sure is a bad guy now). Sept. 30 at 10 p.m., Showtime.
Because we want to meet Emily's mom, especially if she'll help Emily murder more of the Hamptonites who framed her dad. Sept. 30 at 9 p.m., ABC.
30 Rock
Because it's the final season! Oct. 4 at 8 p.m., NBC.
Gossip Girl
Ditto! XOXO forever. Oct. 8 at 9 p.m., the CW.
Because we want to know if Community can still be Community without creator-showrunner Dan Harmon, who won't return for this fourth season. Oct. 19 at 8:30 p.m., NBC.
Happy Endings
Because this former Friends clone found itself last season, and we're dying to see how they resolve the Penny-Dave-Alex love triangle. Oct. 23 at 9 p.m., ABC.
American Horror Story: Asylum
Because this second season of Ryan Murphy's horror-anthology show is set in a mental hospital, and Chloë Sevigny plays a nymphomaniac.Oct., FX.


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SUGS Application Deadlines
- Fall term: U.S. & Canadian students apply by July 1, International students apply by June 1
- Winter term: U.S. & Canadian students apply by Nov 1, International students apply by October 1
- Spring term*: U.S. and Canadian students apply by April 1, International students apply by March 1
*Very few courses are offered in the spring. Most students are better served by entering the program in the Fall or Winter terms.
Before you apply:
- Make an appointment with Susan Graeber (email@example.com), Academic Advisor/Counselor, to discuss this program and ensure that it fits your career goals and plans. A student may also be referred to a faculty graduate advisor for further services.
- Fill out the Rackham Graduate School online application. Type "SUGS 01551" in the subplan section.
You'll need to provide:
- Personal Statement
- Statement of Purpose
- Names and email addresses for 3 three faculty who'll write letters of recommendation
- $70 application processing fee
General Record Exam (GRE) scores are not required.
Admission is not automatic. Biomedical Engineering faculty will review your application. Your statement of purpose, personal statement, and letters of recommendation are important parts of the admission decision.


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" Brand: CDA / Type: Wine Cooler "
* Prices may differ from that shown
CDA 46cm Integrated In Column Wine Cooler / As true wine lovers know, temperature is the greatest concern when storing wine, but with the CDA Integrated Compact Single Zone Wine Cooler with Double Door FWV450 you can sit back and relax, knowing all your bottles are being taken care of. Light transmission and reflection is reduced with UV-protected smoked toughened glass doors that will preserve your wine for longer, ensuring perfect storage and serving conditions every time! This FWV450 wine cooler features a red digital display that can be conveniently read through the door whenever you want and an electronic temperature control will let you regulate the temperature from +5-ªC to +22-ªC. Interior LED lighting will give your FWV450 wine cooler uniform and pleasant illumination, and since minimal heat is generated by the LEDs, wines can be presented bathed in time over a lengthy period. The FWV450 in stainless steel comes with 3 wooden pull-out shelves that will fit up to 24 bottles and the doors can be reversed to best suit your needs.


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Montreal : 1-514-351-4051
Quebec : 418-622-5474
To maintain our quality standards , Ménage-Aidetm counts on your feedbacks. At each visit, our franchisee leaves you an appreciation form, so you can evaluate the quality of work and give us your appreciation of our service. With 26 years of experience, Ménage-Aidetm guaranties quality and professionalism.


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Sheryl Gay Stolberg: Swine Flu Diary: Caught in a Beijing Dragnet
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, White House correspondent for the New York Times, writes a personal account, together with her daughter, Olivia, of Olivia's experiences being quarantined for swine flu while studying in Beijing. From her introduction:
The phone rang at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, jarring me out of an uneasy sleep. My husband and I had been dreading this call. It was our 14-year-old daughter, Olivia, on a language study trip in Beijing. She is usually calm and upbeat. Now she was frantic and crying:
"Mommy, I have a temperature and I'm coughing, and they're taking me to the hospital. I want to come home."
I told her to take a deep breath, even as I was shaking. We had feared Olivia could get caught in China's swine flu dragnet; now those fears had come to pass in what would become a nightmare of bureaucracy and language barriers, against the sleep-depriving backdrop of a 12-hour time difference.
As a White House correspondent and former science writer for The New York Times, I have a professional understanding of international relations and how epidemics spread. My daughter and I are getting a deeply personal lesson in both. Here — as a mother-daughter journal, with Olivia's dictations from a phone in the hospital — is our story.


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Today's Hobby Lobby ruling on contraceptives may not apply in Oregon
Today's Supreme Court ruling that closely held companies can't be compelled to offer employees birth control if they reject on religious grounds may have no impact in Oregon.
It's not because there's only one Hobby Lobby store in the state (in Albany), but because Oregon has a contraceptive equity law.
"I think Hobby Lobby would be required to provide coverage in Oregon," said David Fidanque, executive director of ACLU of Oregon.
Contraceptive equity laws require that health insurance policies issued in the state and that provide coverage for prescription drugs generally must provide coverage for any prescription drug or device that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a contraceptive, according to the National Women's Law Center.
In Oregon, the law applies to each prescription drug benefit program or offered under a health benefit plan or student health insurance policy, according to the law center.
Fidanque said Hobby Lobby would have to rely on the First Amendment or the Oregon constitution to argue its case. Both have been interpreted to say there is no right to refuse to comply with a generally applicable statute.
There is an exemption for religious employers but those have been defined as only nonprofits, Fidanque said.
All things considered, he said, today's decision "could have been a lot worse."
"The court obviously is conflicted about this issue and today's decision is unfortunate and wrong, but it's also a narrow decision," Fidanque said. "It may not have a lasting impact on access to contraceptives."
Fidanque said if the Obama administration or Congress exempt closely-held corporations from the ACA provision on contraception, just as religious nonprofits are exempt, then such coverage would be picked up by the insurance company at no cost to the employer.


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Graham Taylor thought Alan Pardew would manage England one day.
Now he admits that there is work to do to rebuild his reputation at Newcastle United – although the former England and Aston Villa manager is desperate to see the Magpies back among the Premier League's contenders.
"I thought that Alan Pardew had the potential to go all the way and I'm not sure what happened," he said.
"There seems to have been on occasions publicity surrounding him that could have been avoided. I know exactly what the pressure is on you to comment on things but sometimes you are better off not giving an opinion on certain things.
"I have nothing against Alan and I hope that he manages to turn things around for Newcastle. He is now the second longest-serving manager in the Premier League and deserves credit for that.
"Being up in Newcastle the focus is on him all the time and you do need to win games. But you have to give him credit for how long he has been there."
Like the rest of the football world, Taylor was shocked at the return of Joe Kinnear last summer.
"I was very surprised at what happened when they brought Joe Kinnear in as a director of football," he said.
"I really couldn't understand that one bit to be honest. I just looked at it and thought: 'What the hell is that about?'"
Read more from Graham Taylor:
Graham Taylor on his secret Newcastle visits, his Paul Gascoigne regret and having a black cloud over him every four years


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Power Players: Tom Werner NASCAR drivers feel the pinch Earlier free agency essential for MLB Lefton: Fanatics, NHL goods 'Zero-hour' part of StubHub-MLB deal Power Players: Jim Petersen Power Players: Derrick Hall NHRA highlights attendance gains Comcast to make most of Games A question of timing: College football
SBJ/July 17 - 23, 2006/CareerspeoplePrint All
Kamer takes digital-media experience from NFL to Octagon
Evan Kamer recently joined Octagon after seven years with the NFL. While at the league, Kamer managed the league's digital-media business, brokering landmark deals with AOL, Sirius Satellite Radio and Sprint. Kamer, a founding member of About.com, has more than 12 years of digital-media experience. He spoke recently to staff writer Scott Voelker.
New title: Managing director of digital media, Octagon
Previous job: Senior director of new media, NFL
First job: Cabana boy at El Dorado Beach Club in New Rochelle, N.Y.
College education: Bachelor of science, management information systems, SUNY-Albany; MBA in marketing and international business, NYU Stern School of Business
Resides: Rye, N.Y., with wife Gail and children Michael, Cameron, and Sophie
Grew up: New Rochelle
Brand most admired: Apple — they stay true to the brand and to their customers
Favorite vacation spot: Tuscany, Italy
Last book read: "The Tortilla Curtain," by T.C. Boyle
Last movie seen: "Cars," with my children
Favorite musical act: Phish
What will be the biggest challenge in your new position?
I think it's going to be helping our corporate clients think differently and more confidently about their digital marketing.
What is the biggest risk you've taken in your career?
The biggest risk, definitely, was when I left my job for an Internet startup back in 1996. This was sort of pre-Internet boom — '96 was really early — but I left Prodigy, where I was working, and with a couple of my friends, we started About.com.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment?
Building the value of the digital-media assets for the NFL was a big accomplishment, and that was everything through Internet and broadband — the AOL deal, the Sirius Satellite Radio deal … and then ultimately the Sprint deal we did last summer. They'd never been done before, and it was sort of defining a value on something that had no value before it.
What career advice do you have for people wanting into this industry?
What I would say is, "Practice what you preach." Don't discount the fact that you are also, if you're in the digital-media area, a consumer — you are a user. Take your experience and knowledge to your job.
What is one story you are continuing to watch in sports today?
The new commissionership — that's a big one. I'm also watching closely the satellite radio space with all the discussion about XM and Sirius possibly merging or buying each other — that would be very interesting. The other thing is the evolution of fantasy sports.
The San Diego Padres named Paul DePodesta special assistant for baseball operations. DePodesta was executive vice president and general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Boise (Idaho) Hawks of the Class A Northwest League hired Pete Korstad as a sales account executive.
The Stockton (Calif.) Ports of the Class A California League and 7th Inning Stretch LLC named Pat Filippone president. Filippone was chief executive officer of the Fresno (Calif.) Grizzlies.
The NBA promoted Ski Austin to executive vice president of events and attractions; Rick Buchanan to executive vice president and general counsel; Stu Jackson to executive vice president of basketball operations; Bill Koenig to executive vice president of business affairs and general counsel, NBA Entertainment; Sal LaRocca to executive vice president of global merchandising group; Harvey Benjamin to executive counsel, business and finance; Steve Herbst to senior vice president of broadcasting and general manager, NBA TV; and Danny Meiseles to senior vice president of production and programming, NBA Entertainment, and named John Apostolidis senior director of merchandising-retail group.
The Orlando Magic promoted Joel Glass to vice president of communications, Murray Cohn to senior director of ticket sales, Paul Moletteire to director of fan relations, Bill Mauger to assistant director of fan relations, Jane Mackey to assistant controller, Nina Kovach to senior payroll specialist, Jennifer Lenhart-Belawski to broadcast services manager, Dante Marchitelli to radio manager and Cheryl Alli to project manager.
The Sacramento Kings and Monarchs named Kaci Alexander partner business manager for strategic alliances.
The Toronto Raptors named Maurizio Gherardini vice president and assistant general manager and Marc Eversley director of basketball operations. Gherardini was general manager of the Benetton Treviso basketball club in Italy, and Eversley was player relationship manager for Nike.
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics named Lee McElroy of the University at Albany president. The organization also named Kevin White of Notre Dame first vice president, Joan Cronan of Tennessee second vice president, Randy Spetman of Utah State third vice president and David Stair of Evangel secretary.
The Atlantic Coast Conference promoted Jason Leturmy to associate director of media relations and hired Lindsey Rogers as associate director of media relations. Rogers was assistant director of media relations for Conference USA.
Rice University named Chris Del Conte director of athletics. Del Conte was senior associate athletics director at the University of Arizona.
Sporting Goods and Apparel
Easton-Bell Sports named Dan Jelinek president of the team sports division, Jackie Werblo senior vice president of human resources and Ken Waltrip vice president of manufacturing. Easton Sports named Matt Arndt senior vice president of baseball and softball, Ned Goldsmith senior vice president of hockey, Geoff Sadowy senior vice president and chief operating officer of Easton Sports Canada, Mark Talarico vice president of USA baseball sales and Mark Kuryak vice president of USA hockey sales. Riddell Sports promoted Tom Klepek to senior vice president and named Mike Zlaket senior vice president.
The Greg Norman Collection named Eddie Fadel vice president of merchandising. Fadel was director of merchandising for Ahead.
Sunrise Sports & Entertainment promoted Jarrett Nasca to vice president of corporate marketing, Pedro Goncalves to senior vice president of corporate marketing and new business development, Jason McDonough to director of suite sales and service, Ryan Bringger to director of inside sales, Mike Ragan to director of new business development and Ryan McCoy to director of premium seating.
The Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sports Commission named Michael Benson executive director. Benson is the founder of SponsorIQ.
Maloof Sports and Entertainment hired Jeff Sawyer as an account executive.
Exposoft Solutions hired Greg O'Halloran as an account executive for its sports and sponsorship sales team. O'Halloran was director of development at De La Salle College in Toronto.
The Florida Sports Foundation named Ginger Lindsey director of operations and programs. Lindsey was sports marketing director of the Gwinnett Sports Commission.
Awards and Boards
The Outback Bowl board of directors named Steve Schember chairman, Bernie O'Brien vice chairman; Gwen Mitchell vice chairwoman of Hillsborough County; Mitchell Shriber vice chairman of Pinellas County, Mike Sugar secretary and Glen Shamblen treasurer.
People news
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UPDATE: BMO Capital Markets Reiterates Market Perform Rating, Raises PT on Franklin Resources
In a report published Monday, BMO Capital Markets reiterated its Market Perform rating on Franklin Resources (NYSE: BEN), and raised its price target from $144.00 to $149.00.
BMO Capital Markets noted, "Franklin reported EPS of $2.42, which was ahead of our estimate of $2.34 and consensus of $2.38, owing mainly to lower net income attributable to non-controlling interests. EPS from asset management operations of $2.27 missed our estimate of $2.32, owing to lower-than-expected average AUM and an investment management fee rate of 62.5 bp vs. our estimate of 63.1 bp. Key takeaways include: 1) the slight erosion in the fee rate over recent quarters is from the mix shift toward fixed income and hybrid products as well as toward institutional clients, which all tend to be lower fee, 2) net new asset growth of +$0.3B (0.2% annualized growth) was just below our estimate of +$1.3B (0.7%), owing mostly to weakness in equity flows, which was common across the industry, 3) international net new flows were stronger than the US in the quarter at 2.3% and -0.2% annualized growth respectively; Europe benefitted from improved retail flows given a more positive regional and market outlook, and 4) BEN launched its new RIVA Transfer Agent software solution, which has been under development for five years; this system improves global scalability and may generate future earnings by licensing it to third parties."
Franklin Resources closed on Friday at $139.77.
Latest Ratings for BEN
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© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Congrats Man! GeeZ man....geo hot you're taking on the ps3 and tons of people including me are begging you for an untethered jailbreak for the new iPhone 3gs goodluck and I hope you wake up and change your mind and release an untethered hack....my girlfriend would love you even more lol. I'm stoked waiting for geohot to release either 2 is thrilling.
Well glad you enjoy this stuff...I hope I could begin to know where to start to do the stuff you're capable of.


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Earrings are the essential finishing touch to everything you wear. At Gemvara, we believe that your earrings should be as unique as you. All our stylish earrings are made to order in your choice of gems and precious metals. Choose pearl and rose gold or sapphire and white gold: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from a birthday or holiday to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your white gold sapphire teen earrings with meticulous attention to detail. Sapphire is a very durable gem that wears well over generations. Sapphire is the gem of the soul, a symbol of truth and faith. Sapphire comes in blue, of course, but also pink, yellow and white, which are known as fancy sapphire. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. The most popular white gold alloy, 14-karat white gold is 58.5% pure gold mixed with other metals for durability. Our white gold is rhodium plated for extra brightness. Our wide selection of white gold sapphire teen earrings by Ji Hwang, Jessica Behzad, Ruzanna Davtian, and other talented designers means you can find earrings that are exactly your style. Choose a personalized style from our fashionable and fun teen jewelry collection for a gift she'll wear always. You can choose your favorite earring backs too. Gemvara's fine quality white gold sapphire teen earrings are designed to be passed down for generations to come, crafted by hand in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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Don't have an extra machine handy to try that new beta product? IE7 on XP? Vista? Office 2007? Load it up in a Virtual PC! I've used Virtual PC for a long time now. I found it most useful in my Microsoft Consulting days as it made it easy for me to simulate server environments on my developer workstation.
Recently, I went through the exercises of installing Vista Beta 2 in a VPC. Thanks to the many great posts at the Virtual PC Guy and Virtually Vista blogs my experience was pretty smooth.
Keep these two blogs handy anytime you want to virtualize something using Virtual PC or Virtual Server (which, by the way, is now free!):
Virtual PC Guy: http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy/default.aspx
Virtually Vista: http://blogs.msdn.com/mikekol/
Note: Virtual PC Guy has several fun posts on loading up old and obsolete software, such as MS Bob, as well some really fun video games you might remember from back in the day.


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THE RED arrows will stage a spectacular display over Hampshire tomorrow as the county continues to mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
The 21-minute routine will form part of a major D-Day commemoration at Newtown Park, Boldre, which is near a former airfield used during the build-up to the invasion.
Special guests will include a 92-year-old D-Day veteran who has flown over from the United States.
Herb Simmons, who was stationed at the Lymington Advanced Landing Ground in the weeks leading up to the landings, is believed to be the last surviving member of the 50th Fighter Squadron.
Mr Simmons, from North Carolina, will unveil a new information panel produced by the New Forest Remembers World War II project.
A New Forest National Park Authority spokesman said: "The Lymington airfield was one of five advanced landing grounds - or temporary airfields - that were built in the Forest to support the invasion in June 1944.
"Four of those five were used by the American Army Air Force.
"Despite their temporary nature they were not just little landing strips. Typically each landing ground had two-mile runways and each of the American bases had 1,000 airmen and 75 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter bombers.
"The New Forest was well positioned to support operations over Normandy since it was more or less opposite the invasion beaches.
"Like most of his fellow airmen, Mr Simmons was in his early 20s when he was stationed at Lymington and he would have slept under canvas.
"He remembers the great kindness and generosity shown by the people of Lymington, who gave the servicemen fresh fruit and vegetables."
Hosted by Charles Burnett III, tomorrow's event will be open to the public from 3pm - with proceeds going to the Daily Echo-backed Help for Heroes.
It will include a display of Second World War aircraft including two Spitfires and a Hurricane, together will a collection of military vehicles. The Red Arrows display is due to start at 5.30pm.


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There comes a time when you find yourself in a situation where no matter what you do someone is going to be complaining loudly about the choice you make, so why not just do the most outlandish thing possible and turn a few heads in the process. That's not only how "Born Again" and the resulting alter ego of Black Sabbath dubbed "Deep Sabbath" can be summed up, but particularly how this riot of a song can be summed up. Putting Ian Gillian at the helm was sure to turn a few heads given that Sabbath and Deep Purple were in a rivalry during the early 70s and that the latter had little if anything to do with the former image wise or musically.
"Trashed" is definitely an odd cookie, even when accounting for all the various evolutionary jumps that Iommi took later on under the Sabbath name. It essentially merges the heavy down tuned guitar tone heard on "Master Of Reality" with the up tempo and happy feel of "Turn Up The Night", and throws in good old Gillian with his vocal gymnastics and almost completely out of place lyrics about drinking oneself into an utter state of stupor. But the highly original outcome that occurs has a charm all its own, and is definitely a grower once time is given for the shock at Gillian and Sabbath on the same album together wears off.
The b-side to this very unusual endeavor "Zero The Hero" gets even stranger still, as the style of song has shifted completely away from anything remotely similar to Deep Purple, and Gillian is taking on a somewhat more serious role as lyricist. The main riff that drives the verses of this song was borrowed by Guns N' Roses for their hit song "Paradise City" and given a very different spin. For those familiar with said song, down tune that riff, give it the most evil distortion you can muster without going completely into sludge territory, and put some creepy dissonant drones with a heavily reverb powered clean guitar track and you'll begin to get the idea of where this song is coming from. It's basically the heaviest song ever put out by the band after Ozzy left, and the second creepiest behind "Disturbing The Priest".
The final truth and ultimate charm about the combination that is humorously dubbed Deep Sabbath and their lone studio offering "Born Again" is that it has absolutely no accounting for nuance of subtlety. It's an album that takes every aspect of Sabbath to its ultimate extreme musically, and contains songs that rival such Ozzy era classics as "Black Sabbath", "Symptom Of The Universe", "Children Of The Grave" and all of the other dark and heavy efforts that scared the pants off of everyone in the 70s. Given that the envelope was being pushed further in the 80s by bands such as Venom, the fact that there were songs on this that still could creep people out says something about this band, with or without Ozzy.


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On Billy Graham's 90th birthday, three of the grand kids decided it was time to make a website that could be home to all the wonderful stories they have heard about the way Billy Graham has touched people's lives. They created ThankYouBilly.com
I was at one of Rev. Graham's crusade's in Stockholm Sweden in the late 70's, while living their with my family. It was the day I gave my heart to Christ. A day the seeds were planted for my faith to grow over the years.
So on Rev. Graham's 90th birthday when I heard about the website, I figured it was time to say "Thank you Billy."
I wrote up a short note, about that life changing moment in Stockholm and the gratitude in my heart for Rev. Graham. I discussed the "small world" nature of having been across the ocean when I was saved, and now living in Rev. Graham 's Carolina "backyard" – as a news anchor he can actually watch. And the small world gets smaller! Rev. Graham and I also share the same pastor, Don Wilton, at First Baptist in Spartanburg!
All those moments collided into something very special when Jerushah Armfield reached out to me about four months ago. Jerushah's Billy Graham's grandaughter and has been asked to write a book featuring some of the stories shared on the Thank You Billy website. She was reading through them, when she came across mine. She lives in Greenville and reached out to me to say she'd like to feature my story in the upcoming book!
One thing led to the other, I sent in more details about my experience in Stockholm at Rev. Graham's crusade, I reached out to my pastor, also Billy Graham's pastor. I expressed to both of them how much I'd always wanted to meet this earth angel.
And the next thing you know about a month ago, I was invited to Rev. Billy Graham's 95th birthday bash!
If you would like to say thank you to Rev. Billy Graham, click here.
Did you ever attend a Billy Graham crusade? Tell me about it on my Facebook page.
SEE my ThankYouBilly.com story by clicking here.


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- Google Keep—Save what's on your mind – With Google Keep, you can quickly jot ideas down when you think of them and even include checklists and photos to keep track of what's important to you. Your notes are safely stored in Google Drive and synced to all your devices so you can always have
- Sencha.io Support in Sencha Cmd – Sencha Cmd allows you to perform a wide variety of tasks, including managing how an application is configured and hosted in Sencha.io. As the Sencha.io platform grows and more services and configuration options are added to it, we will continue to add equivalent features to Sencha Cmd, so developers can automate their workflows and test effectively.
- Superhero.js – List of articles, tutorials, videos on how to create, test and manage large JS apps – Creating, testing and maintaining a large JavaScript code base is not easy — especially since great resources on how to do this are hard to find. This page is a collection of the best articles, videos and presentations we've found on the topic.
- Backbone 1.0 is released – The essential premise at the heart of Backbone has always been to try and discover the minimal set of data-structuring (Models and Collections) and user interface (Views and URLs) primitives that are useful when building web applications with JavaScript
- What 420,000 insecure devices reveal about Web security – Using a simple technique, a researcher creates a benign botnet to survey the breadth of the Internet, and finds a back door flung wide open and beckoning the bad guys.
- It's Lose-Lose vs. Win-Win-Win-Win-Win – NYTimes.com – According to the Center for Climate and Electricity Policy at the nonpartisan Resources for the Future, a tax of $25 per ton of carbon-dioxide emitted would raise approximately $125 billion annually
- You are watching your DNS logs, right? – Watching the DNS requests being made by your systems allows you to identify network level indicators of compromise.
- Dave Grohl's SXSW 2013 Keynote Speech : NPR – Dave Grohl has become the unofficial Mayor of Rock 'n' Roll: a gregarious ambassador who wins armloads of Grammys and even directs a music documentary. Watch Grohl's keynote address at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas.
- Splunk as a Big Data Platform for Developers – YouTube – Splunk is a Big Data platform that transforms the massive amount of heterogeneous and often totally unstructured machine data being generated across the enterprise into valuable insights and realtime operational intelligence.
- Does the World Need Another Hadoop Distro? Greenplum Says Yes | SiliconANGLE – Greenplum is challenging Cloudera and MapR with a new Hadoop solution that delivers faster response times and better integration than the competition. Dubbed Dubbed Pivotal HD
- EMC Greenplum Tackles Big Data With Hadoop Distribution – CIO.com – EMC Greenplum debuts its own Hadoop distribution, Pivotal HD, which marries Greenplum's massively parallel processing database technology with the Apache Hadoop framework to create a technology called HAWQ.
- Finally! A Hadoop Hello World That Isn't A Lame Word Count! – So I got bored of the old WordCount Hello World, and being a fairly mathy person, I decided to make my own Hello World in which I coaxed Hadoop into transposing a matrix!
- By the numbers: How Google Compute Engine stacks up to Amazon EC2 — Tech News and Analysis – with Google Compute Engine, AWS has a formidable new competitor in the public cloud space, and we'll likely be moving some of Scalr's production workloads from our hybrid aws-rackspace-softlayer setup to it when it leaves beta. There's a strong technical case for migrating heavy workloads to GCE, and I'll be grabbing popcorn to eagerly watch as the battle unfolds between the giants.
Links for March 16th through March 20th
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text: mich.gov [ You Could Be Eligible For Medicaid In Mid-Michigan State Expands Criteria [VIDEO] By Rod Prahin April 2, 2014 Starting Tuesday 04/08/14 more people are eligible to sign up for Medicaid. Read More Category: Family, Flint News, Health, Michigan News, Newsletter Tags: medicaid Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


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How close are Zydrunas Ilgauskas and LeBron James?
So close that James is expected to be here this weekend when the Cavaliers retire Ilgauskas' No. 11 jersey on Saturday night. He will not have a speaking role in the ceremony, but wanted to be here for his friend. The Miami Heat do not play on Saturday and are at Chicago on Sunday.
"I talk to Z very often, probably once or twice a month,'' James told The Plain Dealer. "He meant everything to me. When you come in as a rookie you try to find a leader, that veteran, that guy who's been around to learn the ropes from. He taught me how to be a professional on and off the floor. That's something you cannot ever take for granted.
"He was everything to me.''
Zydrunas and James played together for seven seasons in Cleveland and one more in Miami.
NBA Headlines
How close are Zydrunas Ilgauskas and LeBron James?


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My father-in-law is thinking of doing this cruise with his son (my brother-in-law). I don't know much about this company or their Russia river ship - the MS Russ. The rooms seem small - 105 sq ft. and I'm not sure there's a separate shower in the bathroom. Is it a wet room?
Here's a link: http://www.gate1travel.com/cruises/ships/ms-russ/
Anyway, any information would be helpful.
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Gate 1 River Cruise to Russia - Know anything about it?
My father-in-law is thinking of doing this cruise with his son (my brother-in-law). I don't know much about this company or their Russia river ship - the MS Russ. The rooms seem small - 105 sq ft. and I'm not sure there's a separate shower in the bathroom. Is it a wet room?
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I just took a quick peek at Gate1Travel website. Says ship has been refurbished 2011. Cabins are very small but they typically are on river cruise ships. It would definitely be pretty compact in one of them; however, where it will be 2 males occupying the cabin, I am sure they will be able to handle the smallness. The bathroom will probably be small also. We did a river cruise Dec. '09 and our cabin was small (larger than 105 sf) but we were able to fit all our luggage in the cabin and they had lots of built-in shelves over the beds. Bathroom was really small but we made do w/ that also.
I would do a comparison of several river cruise lines and see how large the cabins are, what is included for the cost of the cruise (sightseeing tours, wine/beer at dinner, etc.). There are a lot of newer ships on the market now so you may find larger cabins also.
There are a couple of things to be aware of w/ river cruising. One is the water level. If there has been a lot of rain then the water levels will be high and the ships are unable to transit parts of the river. If this happens they have to use busses to transport passengers from one place to another. However, I am not certain of a Russian river cruise and if this would be a problem. We did a Danube cruise and didn't encounter this. I am only giving you the scenarios of what I read on the Cruise Critic Boards, these are not my own opinions.
I have read mixed reviews about Gate 1 travel. I checked them out myself and they do not offer as many inclusions in their cruises as other river cruise companies. By this I mean they may offer limited sightseeing tours through the cruise line, you will end up paying extra for optional tours. This can add up to more money than if you find a company w/ tours included. Viking and Uniworld may offer more options and they should check these companies out also.
I would suggest that you go to: www.cruisecritic.com and look at the river cruise boards. If you are not familiar w/ that site, when you get on it, look for the Boards category at the top left side, click that open, then scroll down and look for Special Interest cruising, then river and canal cruising. You will find a lot of suggestions, reviews of cruise lines, etc. there. This is what I did when researching our river cruise. You can post on the boards but have to register to do so; otherwise, you can just look at the posts.
Let us know how you make out as I would love to do a Russian cruise. We loved our first river cruise and can't wait to do another one. It is totally different from ocean cruise but we loved the intimate atmosphere of the ship, the friendliness of our fellow passengers, etc. Dining is open seating and you sit wherever there is room at a table. Some people do not like this but we did because we had an opportunity to sit and enjoy conversation with many different types of people. Good luck.
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I looked this up on cruisecritic but there is no information.
My husband and I are taking a Viking River Cruise to Russia in October. But the Gate 1 is the one my father-in-law is looking at. Viking is quite a bit more expensive.
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Only used Gate 1 once for a trip to Spain. It is not first class, but all of their arrangements were flawless. They booked our flight, hotel room (equal to a Holiday Inn, but older}. We booked our sightseeing at the hotel-big mistake. Gate 1 was way cheaper for the same exact trip-dollar to euro conversion and a cut for the hotel. If you do not need fancy rooms, but want value, Gate 1 is pretty good.
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Gate 1 has a questioable rep fake touts on the boards frquently including Peru here
Cheap rotgut econo middleman with low qality tours cruises usually.
Cruisecritic.com for reviews providers of quality
Affordabletours.com great comp site
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We used Gate One for 2 week Greece and Turkey. First week was bus tour of mainland. Excellent guide, accomodations, no complaints. 2nd week was cruise of the islands on Aquamarine, a Greek cruise ship. Pretty bad. So, there are good and bad with Gate One. Guess that can be true of all companies. We also want to do a riverboat cruise in Russia, so am interested in the responses here.
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1965 - What was bad about the cruise?
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We have River Cruised with both Gate One and Viking. The Gate One cruise was through Germany visiting the Christmas Markets, The Viking was also at Christmas time.
Viking has slightly nicer accommodations, but Gate One was OK. Tours were equal in my opinion. We, too, are looking at the Gate One Russian Cruise for 2012. It's a fraction of the cost of the Viking cruise, yet offers pretty much the same itinerary.
If you do decide to go with Gate One, please report back. There's not much information about this particular cruise.
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I think my concern about this cruise for my father-in-law and brother-in-law is that the rooms seems very small - 105 sq ft. All of them. Ad there doesn't seem to be a separate stall shower in the bathroom. In the diagram I don't see any. I think I read somewhere that the shower head is over the sink.
For those who have gone through Gate 1 for their cruises - was that your experience with their ships?
I think there is a difference between the ships they use for Western European river cruises vs. Russia.
There is a caveat on their web site:
"As Russian river cruise and tourism industries are relatively young, you will certainly find the physical conditions there are lesser when compared to those of Western Europe. Ships are recently renovated 20-30 year-old vessels. You will find that cleanliness and onboard services are up-to-date."
Gate 1 does not own the ship/boats - they just sell you the tour.
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Kenav-The service was bad at all meals, both Lido and MDR. There were 7 of us seated together at dinner. Had 3 menus between us. On lido for buffet there was no water available and often the iced tea dispenser was empty.Was told to go to bar and ask for a glass of water. Was given a juice sized glass. It was spring break so were some high school groups. The bar staff served them alcohol until bar closing w/o asking for ID's. The shore excursions were disorganized. During the lunch times several groups played cards in the eating area and there were often no tables to eat at. There was an area where they could go for cards and games during that time, but the staff would not ask them to move just until lunch was over. Many diners had to place their trays on a table's edge and eat standing up. Staff was mostly not friendly. We've cruised with Carnival, Princess, Orient Lines,Grand Circle,and have land toured with Trafalgar, and have never had any complaint with any other travel company. We're not at all hard to please.
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1965....which crusie was this on? Was it the Russian Cruise with Gate One, or a different gate One cruise?
Thanks for the info.
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Jim_Tardio-It was a 2 week Greece and Turkey land tour w/ cruise. The first week was the land portion, and it was just about flawless. The 2nd week was the cruise portion. We still very much enjoyed the whole trip, and didn't let the disappointment in the cruise ship and staff spoil it for us. I give Gate One credit for booking a very good tour guide, accomodations, transportation for the land portion. This was 3 years ago, so things may have improved in their cruise bookings.We hope to take a Russian riverboat cruise in a year or two.
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quovadis - How do you know that "Gate 1 has a questionable rep fake touts on the boards frquently including Peru here"?
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We just completed a St. Petersberg to Moscow river cruise with Gate 1 June 21st. While the trip wasn't First Class, it was certainly worth the money.
Yes, the room was small. Yes, the shower head is above the sink. But these are minor inconveniences in my view.
The food was pretty good, especially if you like cucumbers. lol. We had assigned seating at lunch and dinner. Breakfast was buffet. (Get there early -- it gets crowded) The service was good but don't expect much in the way of English being spoken. But that's part of the fun of travel, right?
We traveled with 2 other boats most of the time so there were plenty of people hitting any stops. We were very well organized into English language groups.
About the boats. They were the same size. Maybe the rooms were larger but I doubt it.
I recommend the trip with Gate 1. The price was so much better, the tours were well done, the service was good, the food was acceptable.
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dwr437-May we ask what the cost was? Small inconveniences are a good trade for a good trip and at a good price.
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Thanks dwr437 - I will pass this information on to my father-in-law.
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Room size on Gat 1 boat - 105 sq. ft. for a double. Room size on the Viking River boats - at least 160 sq. ft for a double. So there IS a difference in room size.
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1965 Non-stop Singapore Air from Houston to Moscow, domestic flight to St Petersberg, travel insurance, cruise, transfers and taxes came to just over $6,000 for two people. Does not include on-board tips.
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Our Viking River cruise price -
Cruise: $1999 pp = $4,000
Flight NY - Moscow (non-stop); St. Pete - NY: $597 pp = $1200
Trip Insurance = $365
Visa = (If going through a company) $340. Much less on your own.
Transfers to ship/airport - if you do this through the cruise company = $320 for 2 people both ways. If you get your airfare through Viking the transfers are free. We didn't, though. Not sure if we're taking their transfers both ways.
$6250 approx, total. This does not include anything we may do on our own but does include all the meals, wine with meals, taxes and tours that come with the cruise.
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kenav, think you got a good deal w/ Viking. You got great air prices also! Think I would pick Viking over Gate One if we were booking right now based upon what others have said. Doesn't mean if you book Gate One you won't have a good cruise, just depends upon a person's expectations.
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Luv2 - Yes, we did get a great air price. The price has already risen to $750 pp.
Viking had had a special for July or August at $1999/pp and I called about it. Then decided we wouldn't go because the airfare was so high for that time. I told my customer rep that if they had the same deal for September or October, (best available cabin) to let let me know as we were very interested.
Five days later she called me with this offer. It is not on their web site, nor in the emails or vouchers they send to everyone...yet. I'm guessing that as the date gets closer they will offer better rates than what they are offering now. At least that's what I've heard cruise lines do. For those of you who are cruise enthusiasts (we are novices), is this generally the way it goes?
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We are going in September on the MS Russ with Gate 1 as well. Can you provide some answers for me?
1- What time is dinner? We are planning to do a private tour on our leisure day in St. Petersburg and would like to know when we should get back from the tour. Need this information to arrange with our agent.
2- What attractions does Gate 1 visit on the provided city tour in St. Petersburg?
-Does it include an inside visit of St. Peters & Paul Fortress?
-Does it include an inside visit to Church of Spilled Blood?
3-How much time did they spend at the Hermitage?
4-What kind of electrical outlet does the ship have?
Sorry for the many questions. It's been frustrating to find any reviews/info about the Russia river cruise with Gate 1.
Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
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Hi Kenav,
I think that is how they generally work. We booked GCT 2 weeks prior to cruise departure. I had been surfing around for good prices and GCT called me and said they had special offers. We booked as it was too good to pass up and we can pack and be ready at the last minute as we are retired. However, prices are a lot higher than they were in '09, especially air. I am going to call Viking to see what they might have. We would like to go in Oct. and could possibly do Nov. but I would like it to be warmer this time. I do think that if you can wait til the last minute you will get better deals. Some people don't like doing this. Once you book the cruise I don't think they will honor a lower price. At least this is what I have read. I am talking river cruises, not ocean cruises.
Have fun.
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thuyrnald - Why don't you call Gate 1 and ask them those questions? Hopefully, they will be able to answer them.
Luv2 - I think the difficulty with getting a last minute cruise booking is the airfare will inevitably be higher. That's why the deal we got for the river cruise was so great. Four months ahead of time, and so the airfare was OK. We are not retired so we can't just go at any time. I'm much more flexible than my husband as he has certain very very busy seasons and those times are out for us.
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I took my son and dau-in-law to Egypt on Gate 1. It was great and inexpensive. The hotels were five star. The Nile river cruise boat was dated and not at all like your new ocean cruise ships but it seemed like they were all the same. Clean and comfy and fun. First class guides and great service. I had been on the trip before with another company (local Egypt travel agency) and it was about the same. I'd go with Gate 1 again. I was just on a trip to Peru with Globus. We thought they were great but there were people who said they would never travel with them again. One man's wine is another's vinegar. By the way I check aother company selling the same cruise and it was $500 more. It said the rooms were 85 - 90 sf. Google MS Lenin.
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kenav, you are correct about getting air at a decent price at last minute if you book a cruise. However, the absolutely fantastic thing about our river cruise booking at the last minute was GCT included the air on Lufthansa. Couldn't get it any better than that.
Air is insane right now. Don't think it's changing anytime soon. Guess if you are lucky you might get a decent price. I am checking prices every day. We may wait til next year for our river cruise as there are lots of new ships and a few new itineries I have seen.
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smallmaryc - Glad your river cruise turned out so well. Guess the river boats in Egypt just are what they are.
What were the complaints form your fellow passengers on the Globus tour in Peru?
luv2 - Air is insane, as you said. Getting a good rate through GCT sounds like it was a great break for you. Airfares, I fear , will not go down anytime soon. Guess you have to figure out a cheaper way to do the other things on your (anyone's) trips as the air will take up so much money.
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Just got home yesterday from Gate 1 river trip between Moscow and St.Peters burg. In a nutshell, I would have to say that, generally, things on board the ship were awful. Things on shore were very good to excellent.
This is my third river cruise,the other two having been with Uniworld and Avalon. Both were great, especially Uniword.
First of all the boat. We were on the M/S Lenin. VERY small cabins. The beds are actually built in cots, so if you have back problems this could be a problem. The bathroom is also the shower meaning there is no shower stall. You close the bathroom door and turn on the sink faucet and here is a shower head you use to shower. The whole bathroom gets quite wet. I was alone in my cabin. I wondered how those who had two people to a cabin managed.
Very few of the staff spoke English. It became easier to get your own coffee or tea by yourself rather than struggle through trying to communicate with them what you wanted.
Food was horrible! It is hard to even describe. Assigned seating was mandatory at both lunch and dinner. I found no one on board who liked that - everyone seemed to want to be able to eat with other people in order to get to know them better. Breakfast was the only opportunity for this.
The M/S Lenin was about twice the size of the other two boats I went on with Avalon and Uniworld. Gate 1 boats held about 280 people; the others were 1/2 that.
The other two river cruises I went on had complimentary wine and beer for dinner. On Gate 1 you pay for this. Additionally, you cannot drink the water in the cabins, so you need bottled water. Gate 1 gave you bottled water only for dinner. At breakfast and lunch they conveniently sold bottled water. As I said, the food was eating, not dining.
Speaking of having to buy stuff. The only "amenity" in the rooms was soap. So you had to purchase your own shampoo, lotion, and other toiletries unless you brought them from home. Be sure to do that, as the prices are quite high for theirs. Uniworld and Avalon provided these and they were of excellent quality.
The entertainment were the same four people over and over again. The cruise director was quite officious.
The tours on-shore were very good to excellent. There were wonderful tour guides and we saw some very interesting places and events. About half of the tours were included; the others were optional at quite high prices.
I don't think I would take Gate 1 again (but I never say never). If you are going to use them, you will need to evaluate how important creature comforts are to you. You will need to determine how important the food is and the size of the cabin; how important it is to have staff who speak English. You will also need to evaluate how many of the optional tours you will take to see how much that adds to the tab. Also, evaluate if you drink wine or beer with dinner, how much extra you will pay for this.
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My brother-in-law and father-in-law did this trip in July. My FIL hated the food too. BIL said is was OK. BIL liked the guides very much.
Yes, rooms were very small, but they knew that going in.
The Gate 1 is an agency and the boats are not owned by Gate 1 so there are various groups on board - from various countries who have been booked through individual agencies.
Prices are much lower for this Gate 1 trip than for Avalon, Viking or Uniworld. So I'm guessing that "travel 16--" must have chosen them for the lower price?
You get what you pay for??
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Unfortunately, I let someone else book this trip for me. The person had never been on a river cruise and had never been to Russia, so he had no expectations. He really wanted to go to Russia and he chose this company. I think it was due more to the dates (he has quite a few commitments) than it was the price, although if the price had been way too high he may have decided not to do it.
As I said, you have to evaluate creature comforts, add-ons, and how important to you good food is. As one person at my table said, "This is the first vacation where I will lose weight because the food is so bad."
Having made these evaluations myself, it is doubtful (but I never say never) that I would use Gate 1 again. If I did, I would ask a whole lot more questions and do more due diligence and not rely on someone else to make the plans. You live and you learn.
One other thing I didn't mention in my prior posting was that on two different occasions with two separate people, I saw them sit on a deck chaise lounge and have it break under them. The lounges and chairs were made out of that plastic material. Apparently they were not hurt, but the potential was certainly there. I suggested to Gate 1 that they have crew members check out the deck furniture from time-to-time.
The tours were wonderful and that is really the point of travel - to see new things. But I like a little bit of "nice" too.
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Thanks travelami! I just received an email from Gate 1 offering this same cruise in the fall and 2015 and I wondered how it was, food, cabins, etc. Most of reviews were negative 2011 so glad to hear you had a good experience. I am still not sure I want to go to Russia right now w/ all the tensions between Russia & Ukraine. Did you have any safety concerns or feel unsafe?
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Guess Who's Back? Bobby's Back
Written by Joe Aiello, Posted in General
Before we start the news, a brief personal life rant. We took the kids to Florida about a week ago and went to Magic Kingdom for the day. It's the first time I've been to Disney World since I was a kid. I came away with one main impression followed be a few small impressions. The main thing I came away impressed with was their ability to make you bend over and drop your pants as they robbed you of all known dignity by charging you close to $300 to get in. That paid for me, my wife and my oldest son. Thankfully my youngest boy is only two and my daughter is just a few months old so they got in free. Once I pulled my pants up, we proceeded to pull them down once again at dinnter time and pay almost $40 for dinner in the park which consisted of chicken strips, fries, a BBQ sandwich and a roasted chicken plate. No drinks. The funny thing is, it's not the prices that amazed me. It's the way they end the night. They have a parade right through the heart of the park once it gets dark and then follow it up with some fireworks right over the castle. You end the night thankful for the opportunity to be taken advantage of. It's a weird feeling once we're done, but I'm glad we pulled our pants down. Now on to the news.
The Cubs signed "veteran" Bobby Scales from Japan to a minor league deal. Unfortunately, he still sucks and deserves no place on the Major League roster. He hit .261/.328/.394 with nine homers in 287 at-bats for the Pacific League's Fighters. I don't understand the point of the move other than it adds "veteran" depth in the farm system.
Dave Van Dyke ran a piece in the Tribune over the weekend on Brett Jackson and how he feels he's ready for the Major League team. There was a quote that had me particularly pleased. "I value myself as a team player and someone who can really ignite an offense at the head of the lineup or in the middle. I'm capable of hitting for power and driving runners in, plus there's nothing like getting on base and being driven in by somebody too." I don't think he'll make this team out of spring training, simply because there is no spot for him, but he can make enough of a mark that Theo and Jed look to deal Marlon Byrd sooner rather than later.
Another name competing for a spot in Spring Training is Manny Corpas, who is still recovering from elbow surgery. He was removed from the 40 man roster recently, but invited to camp, to make room for Kerry Wood who signed a deal a week or so ago. I'm not really holding out much hope that Corpas will produce anything, but perhaps when he's fully recovered he can be a pleasant surprise.
John Sickels chimed in with a post that highlighted a couple of grade C prospects to watch in 2012. The Cubs name that made the list was Neftali Rosario:
Neftali Rosario was drafted by the Cubs in the sixth round last June, from high school in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. He didn't receive much attention pre-draft, but there are things to build on here. Although he needs more experience to refine his blocking skills, Rosario is mobile and should be an effective deterrent against baserunners due to a strong throwing arm. He has power, but his plate discipline needs work; he strikes out a lot and doesn't draw walks yet, but he was just 17 on draft day and has plenty of time on the clock. He bears watching. Grade C with higher potential.
In non-player news, Bud Selig announced two things that impact the Cubs. First, the playoffs should be expanded as early as this year to 10 teams instead of the "traditional" eight teams. That means despite having a flaming pile of suck, the Cubs chance of making the post-season and being swept in the first round just increased. Also announced by Bud was that he is now in charge of the compensation for Theo Epstein to the Cubs. What has me nervous about that is an article in the Boston Globe saying "The Cubs and Red Sox will soon meet with a representative of the Commissioner's Office or the commissioner himself to discuss the Epstein compensation issue. The best school of thought on this comes from an AL GM who is not associated with either team: "I think the commissioner will give the Red Sox a significant player. I don't think MLB wants executives leaving their teams before their contracts are up and therefore he will try to deter teams from doing that again."
- Looking for an international player to roll the dice on? View the list of available guys. (Disclaimer: VFTB makes no guarantee on players ages or names)
- Christina Kahrl took a look at what an average player looks like at each position. Since the Cubs may have a lot of names hovering around these numbers it may be worth looking at.
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Release Date: 1975 |
Album Rating: 3.5Give me a moment, let me fix that summary...
Album Rating: 3.5Godddam. I gonna have to shorten it.
Album Rating: 3.5@Kris, that was my first reaction too. Believe me, it's not quite spelt that way. And yes, this group is real. Check it out:
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NWN2 - Mysteries of Westgate Diary # 2
RPGVault has posted their second in a series of developer diaries for the Neverwinter Nights 2 adventure pack, Mysteries of Westgate and the devs at Ossian Studios have provided a few details about some of the factions and NPCs in their upcoming title:
I hate to be debbie downer, but that sounds strangely like the Shadow Thieves.
Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing. Tried googling the Night Masks as it sounded familiar but it doesn't seem to a part of FR canon.
Thanks for clearing that up. I actually have own the CS myself but didn't bother to look it up. As I said a very quick google search didn't reveal much besides a R.A. Salvatore novel by that name.
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Pushing myself to do more impressionistic style! This idea came from a collage I saw by Sandra Lane Galloway, but I tried to make an impressionistic looking drawing ~ more loose with lots of blues! Hope you like it! (Reference used/changed)Smile!
Canvas Draw Created Aug 21, 2011 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2011 Salita.
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here birch trees are compared with girls:) very pretty scene! 5/5
Beautiful draw,Sal :0)
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BOB MOON: There's a move here in California to have the state to jump on the nationwide bandwagon for a new kind of "sin tax." And, we've got LA Times consumer columnist David Lazarus in the studio to talk about it. Good morning, David.
DAVID LAZARUS: Good morning.
MOON: So what is California proposing here?
LAZARUS: Well, a California law maker William Monning is proposing a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages. You're talking soda, you're talking sports drinks, you're talking energy drinks.
MOON: Isn't this going to hit low income people the hardest?
LAZARUS: Well, probably, because many studies show that lower income communities and minority communities tend to be some of the highest users of soda pop. On the other hand, if that's where the obesity crisis is biggest, perhaps that's where you need to target. And right now, what we're seeing is black communities, Latino communities, have disproportionally higher levels of obesity. And over all in America, two-thirds of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese right now, so the problem is profound.
MOON: Now this amounts to a "sin-tax." Do we know how effective it's been in other states that have instituted this?
LAZARUS: You know it varies with that sort of thing. For example in 2009, The New England Journal of Medicine said that these sorts of taxes are a very good way to combat the obesity crisis. On the other hand last year the Rand Corporation came out with a report that said soda taxes that are at their current levels of about 4 percent or so, are not really going to do the job. People will simply pay that extra amount for their sugar fix. On the other hand, Rand found that if you had a soda tax on the 18 percent range, or 18 cents for every dollar, that would have a big impact.
MOON: But a few pennies, does that really discourage consumption? I mean I'm already paying, in some cases, $5 or $6 for a six-pack of sugar water.
LAZARUS: All true, and you'll probably pay whatever you want if you want your fix. On the other hand, if our goal is to try and create resources that would give Americans just better opportunities to be physically fit -- bike paths, basketball quarts, gym memberships -- well that money has to come from somewhere and as with all sin-taxes, you're taking a negative behavior and trying to turn it into a positive.
MOON: Brace yourself, huh, if you're really into that sugar fix.
LAZARUS: Or get up and take a walk.
MOON: David Lazarus is consumer columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Thanks for joining us.
LAZARUS: Thank you.


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Sydney Morning Herald's DOMINIC BOSSI: "I was looking through my cupboard and counted 19 football jerseys. Is this normal?" ... "The worrying thing about that is that I know there are more in the wash, others at my family's place and more that I want to buy. #cray"
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Now I feel like I am living in a haunted house. I have been sleeping in my DD's room (she's away at college) and doing my best to cope. But every day on my drive home from work, I begin to feel sick that I have to enter that place, and angry that WH polluted the place that used to be my safe haven.
I am reluctant to relocate. I have a large, beautiful home which I have worked very hard on to make mine. I have extensive gardens which give me great pleasure. And my kids have never lived anywhere else. Add to that that I would not qualify for a mortgage on my own, so the kids and I would be looking at renting something small and cheap.
I've thought about redecorating and buying new, untainted furniture. Does that help? How about performing an exorcism? Does anyone have any good ideas for me?
[This message edited by doggiediva at 9:41 AM, April 4th (Friday)]
60 years young..
Take back your house and make it a home for yourself again. It is yours. You need a haven, now more than ever.
Definitely get a new bed. If you can, new furniture and décor in those rooms. That way, the rooms won't be at all like they were when they were defiled by those two. Wipe them clean.
I think that will go a long way in at least making your home feel safe to you again.
I'm wondering too whether something like repeating positive affirmations about your home would help you reclaim the space.
Over Christmas, I resolved to try to fight that. I repainted both bathrooms, bought new towels, painted over the awful pink/rose shade she had in the guest bedroom/office, and bought new pictures on the walls of the kitchen, living room, den. New sheets, comforter for the bedroom. New area rugs and runners for the hallway.
I had to cut back on my spending because I was on a mission! I plan to paint the front door a different color when it finally gets warm enough.
While the house still has those moments of haunting, changing the decor did help with the bad memories.
I was really uncomfortable in my home at first and so once I got over the initial shock the clean up began. He wasn't bothering to come to get his stuff so I packed it for him. Tossed it all (was not gentle about it) into hefty bags and hauled them out to the garage. Next I had a bonfire with all of our wedding mementos. I cleaned the house to my liking and rearranged the furniture. All "couple" pictures removed and tossed. And I bought a nice new bed in a bag set for the bed. I don't know if they had sex in our bed but to me it was tainted anyways. All of that really helped remove that Haunted Feeling.
When divorce hit and we were splitting the furniture I told him to keep the bed, which was brand new - king size with a beautiful bed frame. The whole works was worth about $3500. Instead i kept the $50 used bed that was in our spare room. Now the house is sold and though I feel sad because it was the house I built just a year prior (he was no help), I am finding I don't really even miss it. I am happy in my little apartment and LOVE living alone.
Ipad user sorry for any spelling errors or missing letters etc..... ty
We burnt the bed, the couch and moved out of the bedroom. That helped to lessen some anxiety but house is still haunted for me too. I sprayed lysol everywhere and did thorough cleaning. I broke glasses she used.
I relate to everything you've said. My home was my sanctuary too.
This invasion of my home and property still disgusts and mortifies me. I've read some do a spiritual sage cleaning to rid the home of negative energy and evil.
[This message edited by whattheh at 11:20 AM, April 4th (Friday)]
I'd throw the bed out - and him along with it.
I have a daughter, so I know what you mean about not wanting to take kids from the only home they have known. But my DD is 16, so she won't be here much longer. I have to decide if staying here is right for ME.
I might still relocate. If I sell the house, it might give me enough cash to afford something smaller on my own.
Update: attempting to reconcile
I would take every bed sheet, pillow, blanket, basically every textile, and donate it to a woman's shelter (washed of course). Get rid of everything that the mega skank might have left her traces on.
New mattress too possibly. And you may not wanted to sit on a sofa that is contaminated with OW farts.
Then burn some sage or sweet grass in a bowl. In Native American traditions, this is believed to have a purifying effect.
There is no reason you have to give up your home because Whoreasaurus darkened your door. Purge whatever you have to (up to and including WH if you choose) and reclaim your space.
[This message edited by Bravenewgirl at 5:32 PM, April 4th (Friday)]
My therapist told me to make an entire cleansing ceremony out of it which I did.
Burning all of that stuff (and getting all new stuff) was very relieving. I felt like I was making a huge statement and reclaiming myself, my life, and my home. For the past two nights since buying them, I have been able to sleep like a baby on my new bed.
The way I see it, trying to heal from all of this is going to be hard enough. I don't want to make it harder on myself by keeping something that filled me with so much disgust and rage. It simply isn't worth it.
Selling my home is not an option for me. This is the house that I grew up in. I am starting a major remodel as part of reclaiming it but I can only afford to do one room at a time.
Nothing can erase what my WH did, but I can tell you that this has been empowering for me.
This included her dirty underwear in my laundry hamper, a bra in a bag in my laundry area, footies in a dresser drawer, tampons hair dye toothpaste and toothbrush in my bathroom cupboard, an overnight bag by my sideof the bed. I had a hysterectomy years ago so they certainly weren't mine. She was trying to make it look like she was moving in even though I was living there in ignorance that my fWH was cheating on me. I found things gradually which made things crazy. I burnt things I could including sheets pillows and pillow cases. Other things we dropped in rest area trash can.
My fWH tried to dump this CL whore after the first insemination (she tried to get pregnant that one time so he knew she was dangerous early on). But she started blackmailing him and like a fool he kept seeing her but no more IC. She left these things hidden for me to find as she was trying to disclose the previous PA. She would stalk my fWH and me and show up when she saw me go off shopping. One time she even followed me and came up to me in store to make small talk and I didn't know she was an OW at the time.
So I was extremely frightened in my home for a good year.
[This message edited by whattheh at 5:48 PM, April 4th (Friday)]
In addition to begging my WH to fuck her in my bed, OW also befriended my nanny so that she had a legitimate reason to come and go in my home. She got a malicious thrill out of being here under my nose while I remained ignorant. Later, she sent me a note asking me to sympathize with her desire to "be near the man she loved."
[This message edited by Zayda1 at 7:13 AM, April 5th (Saturday)]
I am also toying with having my Wiccan friend do a smudging ceremony for me. Even if it's not real, I like the symbolism of chasing out negative energy. And just having her there to grieve with me would make my home a safer place.
Thanks for all of the ideas.


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PARIS — France said on Thursday that a UN-backed peace mission needed to send at least 300-400 observers to Syria to succeed—higher than previous estimates—and that foreign powers should discuss new ways to end the violence in case the mission failed.
Damascus and the United Nations agreed on Thursday on the terms for observers to enter the country to monitor a ceasefire, called more than a year after the start of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
But many Western powers remain skeptical the mission will have the clout it needs. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier said the Syrian government had not fully withdrawn troops and heavy weapons from towns, as it had promised in a six-point plan to end the conflict and begin a political transition.
"The objective is to ask whether we can deploy an observer mission that is efficient, meaning numerous … at least 300-400 to cover the country," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told reporters ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers gathered in Paris on Thursday under the banner of "Friends of Syria".
"If that is not possible in a certain time frame, we need to look at other measures to end the massacres," he said.
Juppe's estimate of the number of observers required was above the 250 which Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem had said was "reasonable" and the 300 which Ban earlier said was necessary to monitor the shaky ceasefire.
The government of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who faces the first round of a tough re-election battle on Sunday, has long led calls for Assad to step aside and was the first country to recognize the opposition Syrian National Council as a legitimate interlocutor.
Juppe said Paris had absolutely no trust in the Syrian leader or his government. While a truce worked out by international envoy Kofi Annan has held in some parts of Syria, the army has kept up attacks on rebels in several opposition areas.
The Syrian government says it is under attack from armed "terrorist groups".
"I am convinced that if there are several hundred observers, allowed to move around freely, and if Syria allows foreign media into the country, then things will drastically and fundamentally change," said Juppe.
Ahead of the meeting – attended by United States, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other nations – Sarkozy repeated calls to create a safe passage for relief organizations to get food and medicine to about 1 million civilians caught up in the fighting.
"Bashar al-Assad is lying … He wants to wipe Homs off the map just like (former Libyan leader Muammar) Gaddafi wanted to destroy Benghazi," Sarkozy told Europe 1 radio.
"The solution is the establishment of humanitarian corridors so that an opposition can exist in Syria," he said.
One diplomat in Paris for the meeting said there was no plan currently on the table for a humanitarian corridor or buffer zones.
"These options are being looked into in case of an unwanted eventuality. No decision has been made and in an ideal world they would need Security Council backing," the diplomat said.
Under the French plan, aid would be funneled into Syria from its Mediterranean coast, an airport or from neighbouring countries including Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
"We will discuss the need to bring in humanitarian aid as part of (Annan's six-point plan)," Juppe said. "Whether that is done through corridors or other ways is a technical point. What is key is to bring in aid."
Russia, which was invited along with China to the Paris meeting, stayed away because the talks were "one-sided" without representation from the Syrian government, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
He added that Moscow deemed "Friends of Syria" as "destructive" and could undermine the UN-Arab League plan.
Sarkozy, who trails his Socialist rival in polls ahead of the first round of France's presidential election on Sunday, said he was convinced that China and Russia would drop their support for Damascus if the international community showed unity and that Assad's government would fall.
"The Chinese, like the Russians, do not like to be isolated and if we unite the major powers to say 'this is the direction we must go in with our Arab allies' then the isolation of China and Russia on this dossier will not last," Sarkozy said.
© Thomson Reuters 2012