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1 First Steps to a Voyage
The radiant goddess Circe sent a sail filling wind behind us, a good companion for a voyage. We made all shipshape aboard and sat tight: wind and helmsman kept her on her course. All day long we ran before the wind, with never a quiver on the sail; then the sun set, and all the ways grew dark.
- Homer, The Odyssey
A sailor's worst fear arrived before dawn. Under gray twilight I knelt on a shore of coarse pebbles and scattered black boulders and faced a crazed sea. Surf crashed on rocks, filling the air with wind-driven spray that streamed down my face and soaked me through. Numb with fear and cold, I watched my sailboat, my home, now half-submerged, breaking up on the sharp talons of an inshore reef. Waves hammered the boat, grinding away years of work. The mast collapsed with a shudder. I felt sick with fatigue and helplessness.
It seemed my solitary voyage around the world had come to an abrupt end on this uninhabited coast. If my course had been another mile to the south I would have sailed clear of this ship-killing island. Curling up behind a rock, I closed my eyes and gave way to overwhelming physical and mental exhaustion. The ceaseless thundering of waves breaking on the reef filled my semi-consciousness.
When I opened my eyes again I was somehow back aboard my boat, wedged face down into the thin vinyl-covered cushion of the leeward bunk. I turned over to focus on the scene around me while the sound of surf shook the cobwebs from my mind. Was the shipwreck real and this now a dream or the other way around? "Idiot!" I cried as I bolted up the companionway steps....
The series of events leading me to that fearsome island encounter likely began with childhood days watching sailboats gliding across the flat waters of Michigan's Lake St. Clair. I used to imagine they were all bound for distant adventures. Our little lake, deep within the Midwest watershed was, after all, connected by hundreds of miles of rivers, greater and lesser lakes, canals and locks, to the roiling waters of Niagara Falls and on to the sea. Ocean-going ships plowed up and down our lake's deep-water channel daily – proof of our connection to the larger world.
A family trip in our single-engine airplane to the Out Islands of the Bahamas in my early teens gave me a taste for travel among tropical islands. On that trip my father had me sit in the back seat next to the life raft with an open knife in hand with instructions to puncture the raft if it should accidentally inflate inside the cabin. My father taught me to fly small planes by the time I was sixteen, but I gave up the sport soon after, when an electrical fire filled our cockpit with smoke and we made a terrifying emergency landing. Suddenly, sea-level travel seemed more appealing.
Looking back, I can't recall a time I hadn't dreamt of running down the trades on a sailboat to the fabled islands of the South Pacific. I held these yearnings in check, finishing high school and vocational courses, before moving into an apartment shared with friends and scratching about to "earn a living" while searching to discover my purpose in life. I was nearly sidetracked into marriage until my girlfriend concluded I was of the wrong temperament to have children underfoot and a mortgage over my head.
Though motor boating was occasionally involved in a few of our early family vacations, we never had a sailboat of our own. The first boat I almost launched was a 12-foot rowboat, more rot than wood, that a neighbor gave me in exchange for hauling it away. It took six of us kids to carry it down the street to my backyard. We worked for a month on the boat during our summer vacation, rigging a crude rudder and patchwork sail, dreaming of the day we would launch her. My parents thought it unsalvageable and tried everything to discourage me from drowning myself in it. Still, we patched her up.
The day before our proposed launch I found someone had knocked new holes in the bottom. My buddies and I were crushed as it was now beyond saving. At the time we blamed the older bully down the street but in retrospect, my father was not bothered at all about the tragedy and rather too soon appeared with a can of gas and said, "Burn it." The case of the sabotaged boat remains open.
Looking back now I see that, in time, we become more learned and less wise. So it was at the wise young age of eighteen I chanced to read the recently published biography To Challenge a Distant Sea about the life of French sailor Jean Gau. Beginning in the 1950s, he twice sailed alone around the world in his 29-foot Tahiti Ketch, named Atom. Gau lived great adventures – encounters with hurricanes and cannibals, shipwrecks, a love affair with a beautiful Tahitian vahine. Each time he returned to sea was, for him, a coming home. Did Gau's world still exist out there? I was determined to find out.
At the time I didn't know the course I would ultimately take, nor did I dare imagine I would travel across oceans alone. I was no Jean Gau and had no reason to believe I ever would be. Yet, from that time on, dreams of tropical seas and exotic landfalls never ceased. Through his book's pages, I saw myself rediscovering the world from the deck of my own sailboat.
Why I was so permanently affected by this book I couldn't say. It certainly awoke the nagging notion that the promise of a full life was not to be found in my hometown or even on any single continent. What better siren song to capture an innocent youth than romantic visions of being aboard a stout boat anchored snugly in a palm-fringed lagoon, then putting out to sea and running before the warm trade winds to a new landfall where perhaps some vahine awaited.
Like all aspiring sailors of my generation, I had also read the book Dove, about Robin Lee Graham, who sailed alone around the world between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one. His story, too, inspired me to undertake a voyage, but an inward one, an entirely different type of journey. It seems his father and publishers pushed him to continue a voyage he grew to hate, filled with perpetual loneliness and lovesick self-pity. Too much anguish and loathing made Graham's story, in many ways, the antithesis to the path I sought. By the time I got underway, I had the advantage over Graham of a few more years maturity – yet I was still young enough to believe in my own invincibility.
My faraway dreams took on a glimmer of life on one of those frigid Detroit winter evenings when my equally bored, broke and quietly desperate teenage friends gathered around the kitchen table for yet another Saturday night poker game. We'd all had a few beers when I started daydreaming aloud about islands in the South Pacific. I told them condensed and not strictly factual accounts of what I had read; that in those warm tropic seas far to the south were countless volcanic islands and coral atolls peopled by gentle brown-skinned natives who never worked a day in their lives because ripe fruit practically dropped into their hands. And that this paradise lay within easy reach of even a small sailing yacht.
Carried away by my own enthusiasm, I went on to tell them of the unequaled charms of the Tahitian women. "Pure goddesses!" I claimed, adding how they were not too pure to literally throw themselves at visiting sailors. To make up for lack of first-hand experience and make my vision more compelling, I recited descriptions of island girls from romantic stories of the South Pacific by Herman Melville, James Michener, Paul Gauguin and others. Fact or fiction, we believed what we wanted, and needed, to believe.
Staring at me over empty bottles of Detroit-brewed Stroh's beer, my friends appeared spellbound, or possibly just in their normal stupor – it was hard to recognize the difference. "Tell us more about these native girls," someone said when I paused long enough to drain another bottle. After a few more of these Saturday night sermons, they claimed to be as convinced as I that we must go to sea and go quickly. Dying of boredom was the only apparent alternative. Their passions proved shorter-lived than my naivety. Life interfered, as it commonly does.
There were real obstacles to overcome before my shanghaied crew and I set sail. We had no boat, no money and we knew nothing about sailing or the sea. We didn't even know any sailors. And these, I admit, were not our weakest points. Like typical American teen-aged boys, we were impulsive and erratic and lacked the degree of forethought the sea demands.
As a first step we laid out a plan, agreeing to work at our various jobs for one to two years with the goal of saving at least $10,000 each. We would then pool our money and buy the largest, old wooden sailing boat we could afford. Sixty feet long, not counting the bowsprit, sounded about right. To learn about boat building and to save money, we would refit it ourselves, teach ourselves to sail and then set out to voyage around the world together. Knowing the outcomes of teenage schemes better than I, my parents warned me it was another doomed venture, but it seemed doable at the time.
For my part, after finishing metalworking vocational school, I labored almost three years at factory jobs, moving on several times whenever a new position offered better pay. For months I assembled and welded metal cabinets on a production line until my mind went numb. The next job paid better as I made heavy braze repairs on cracked punch press frames. This job required I operate a propane torch the size of a mini flame-thrower while standing on a scaffold atop a half-ton of flaming charcoal – stoking the fires of hell. Through productive labors and self-denial, each week I put away at least one dollar for every two earned. In later years I had the luxury to discover that the only worthwhile work is the kind you would choose as charity work, if circumstances permitted, which has become my goal now and forever.
Back in my apartment I'd lose myself each night in nautical books borrowed from the library; reading whatever I could find, from Elementary Dinghy Sailing to Two Years Before the Mast. Yet there is only so much a book can do. As the Chinese proverb says: "To walk one thousand miles is better than to read ten thousand books."
My first real step to getting under sail was when a friend and I bought an old 12-foot sailing dinghy. Together we sailed most Sundays and holidays on Lake St. Clair, paddling about in the calms and capsizing in any wind strong enough to fully stretch the sails. Because our little boat's overly tall rig carried a mainsail that couldn't be reefed or lowered once underway, we spent windy days clinging to the bottom of the upturned hull.
Eventually, through books alone, I became familiar with the rudiments of boat design, navigation and ocean weather patterns – at least the bookish version, which is far from the real thing. After nights dreaming of narrowly escaped shipwrecks and exotic landfalls, I awoke to the rude buzz of my alarm clock. On autopilot mode I plunged into another winter day's toil in a depressing smoke-filled factory. In my beat-up 1961 Volkswagen Beetle, I slid along ice-covered streets on bald tires in pre-dawn rush hour traffic.
The morning commute brings out the savage in those of us actually awake at the wheel as we drive bumper to bumper, 70 miles-an-hour in all weather – icy streets traveled by ice-encrusted souls. It was not lost on me that most of the people on the roads at that hour were on the way to build even more motorized metal boxes for already-crowded American roads. We were a society of movers. We moved frantically, if not purposefully.
In the factory's smoky welding pit, the days dragged on. I moved like a misshapen gear in a machine determined to ultimately mash my rough edges into a kind of tortured conformity – if I stayed long enough. I recognized it on the faces of the men around me: with each passing year their own hopes and plans faded slightly more into the barely remembered dreams of their youth. Physically, I was here working alongside them, but I was not one of them.
I had confided to a co-worker that I would soon quit this job, buy a boat and head for distant lands. "Sure you will," he told me and passed my secret to the rest of the shop which earned me the ridicule, pity and suspicion usually reserved for the mad. The day my bank account reached the $15,000 goal I had set for myself, I broke free, walking out of that soul-crushing hellhole for the last time. I knew that was as close to rich as I'd ever be in Detroit. It couldn't have felt better if the whole shop had walked alongside me cheering, instead of just following me with quiet stares, the kind that said, "You'll find nothing better out there, fella."
It should have been no surprise that, one by one, my friends lost their enthusiasm for our joint venture. Their lives had moved on in other directions. One of them was said to have dropped out in the drug-cult of California, a lost soul to us and himself. The others had made safer, more practical plans for their futures. One longtime friend, whom I hadn't seen in a year, was engaged to be married and had already signed a mortgage on a new house in the suburbs. He turned his head away when I stood before him as a resurrected ghost of a dream he had quietly buried long ago.
I was now twenty-one years old. I had never owned a real boat and had never even stepped foot on a sailboat larger than a dinghy. Though little problems and discouragements came at me from all quarters, they were nowhere near enough to dissuade me. I decided to buy the best second-hand boat I could afford. If necessary, I'd travel alone, as long and as far as my meager talents could take me.
Through the coldest months of that winter I searched through lifeless boatyards and poked my head under countless snow-laden tarps. Finally, a boat caught my eye as it lay despondently under a blanket of snow, gripped in the ice of a frozen canal. I had no patience to wait for the ice to break up so the boat could be lifted out of the water and properly inspected. In spite of my haste, the marine surveyor reported that this 28-foot Pearson Triton, built of fiberglass in 1963, was solidly constructed, although somewhat neglected and minimally equipped. Though I had some initial doubts due to its small size, I was reassured by its long keel and admired the low sleek profile and handsome lines of the hull.
"You can sail this boat anywhere in the Great Lakes," the broker assured me. Yet these Great Lakes were still only lakes: fine for cruising or beginning a voyage but too familiar to satisfy my growing lust to explore.
"And beyond, I hope," I added.
My parents thought it reckless to spend my limited savings to buy a boat, but they didn't mind at all my plan to sail around the world – because I simply didn't tell them until I was halfway across the Pacific. You can talk about doing a thing until everyone finally talks you out of it or you can actually do the thing.
The Triton had a good reputation among sailors in the U.S. She was designed in 1959 by the skilled Swedish marine architect, Carl Alberg, who was known for his seaworthy designs based on earlier proven sailing craft of northern Europe. Equally important, she was beautiful to my eyes and I could imagine us bound together for exotic places. It was as if the boat spoke to me: "I've been waiting for you. Take me somewhere far away from here and we'll look after each other just fine."
At some point during a boat search you have to put away the formulas of sail area/displacement ratios and the like and follow your gut. A boat, like a woman, has to excite and incite you to dream. If it doesn't, just walk away. Even the name, DOCTOR'S ORDERS, ridiculously taped onto both sides of the white hull in four-inch high black letters did not dissuade me. A name change was the first job I'd see to, regardless of popular nautical superstition. You don't sail into Tahiti and moor alongside world cruising yachts in a boat with a name like that.
After some offers and counteroffers, we agreed on a price of $12,000. This was a fantastic fortune to me since it represented four-fifths of my savings and three years of hard work. The owner later told me he was reluctant to sell but his wife had ordered it. A fair deal some might say; he temporarily saved his marriage and I had my boat.
That first winter I tried living aboard my nameless new boat as she lay trapped in the frozen canal. Soon the constant rain of condensation from the underside of the non-insulated fiberglass deck, caused by using the boat's alcohol stove for heat, forced me back to my apartment. The heady daydreams continued however: with nose pressed against the frosty apartment window, watching snow blow into drifts around my car, I envisioned my little VW as a ship fighting her way around Cape Horn in a mid-winter storm.
The spring thaw brought relief and I recall taking Maria with me on our first sail. By the way, never take your girlfriend with you on your first sail – unless, that is, you want to terrify her so much with your stupidity that she never wants to go sailing again. Since no sailing book had told me this, we went blindly ahead as I helped her fit a raincoat over her jacket and sweater in an attempt to ward off the effects of below freezing temperatures.
A light snow fell from that Michigan-gray sky as we chopped away at the ice in the slip with an ice-fishing spud, then used the inboard gasoline engine to motor out the canal. Once clear of the breakwater, I silenced the rumbling beast then raised the full mainsail and the largest jib. Trimming the full sails to take us close to the wind caused a slight heel and the boat began to glide along effortlessly. Clusters of snowflakes swirled in the air currents around the sails. Now and then I made a sharp turn to avoid the scattered ice floes. It felt good to be the only boat on the water. We were probably the first boat sailing that year, even attracting the attention of a Coast Guard helicopter that buzzed past us. Everything felt fine, yet Maria did not trust my untested sailing skills and looked at me apprehensively as I tacked upwind. Within a few minutes the wind picked up, causing the boat to heel over sharply until waves were spilling over the leeward side of the cockpit and splashing around our feet. Maria demanded to know what the hell was going on as I tied a life jacket around her and told her to go below and close the hatch. I let the boat round up into the wind, pulled down the flogging sails and motored back into the marina, thoroughly chastened.
Safely back at the dock, I wondered why the boat had seemed so unstable. When the wind came up she felt almost as tender as my old sailing dinghy. This was my home: a four-ton boat to carry me across the oceans and here it was, about to roll over and sink in Lake St. Clair! Either this boat had been robbed of the three thousand pounds of lead in her keel or I had not paid attention to the sailing books I'd read.
Later, sitting at a bar next to the marina, a couple of relative old hands at sailing assured me it's the nature of sailboats to "put the rail under" while carrying full sail in a fresh breeze, particularly a boat like mine of a low freeboard design. We were in no danger of rolling the boat over in anything short of hurricane conditions – something unlikely on our 20-mile-wide lake. Once the boat is heeled to about 45 degrees the wind is spilled from the sails and the lead ballast in the keel forces the boat upright. All we needed to do that morning was reef the mainsail and set a smaller jib to maintain balance. Those books I had read discussed reefing sails, I just hadn't realized reefing was required in such moderate winds. Also, the technical words on the pages of ten books were not half as impressing as one minute under sail. What I needed to be told was: "When your ass gets wet, it's time to reef, boys."
Maria remained unconvinced I would make a competent sailor and before long I faced the same choice as the previous owner – the girl or the boat. I thought I loved Maria, but I knew I loved the boat. As painful as it was, the choice was obvious.
The next summer I convinced one of my footloose friends, who had not found employment elsewhere, to escape the coming Michigan winter by joining me on a voyage to Florida and the Bahamas. The second member of my little crew was an older fellow, found through a pay-by-the-word Detroit News advertisement I placed containing these economical words and nothing else: "Sailing south. Share expenses. No experience necessary." None of us had more than limited day-sailing experience, but I figured the best remedy for this was to set aside the sailing books and make our way to the open sea.
The two-man crew I'd managed to enlist made it clear that merely having a boat was not the woman magnet I had imagined. Maria had forced the issue when she told me, "You're going to have to sell that boat so we can buy a house." She had visions of marriage and a $12,000 down payment on a house in the suburbs with a 30-year mortgage. I couldn't understand, and still don't, how people could chain themselves to a house, a job, a bank loan and a discontented spouse when they are still young enough and uncorrupted enough to appreciate the wonders in this wide-open world. Prisons come in many different guises, the most common being filled to capacity by the self-committed.
By September we reached the Atlantic by sailing through Lakes Erie and Ontario and motoring through the New York Barge Canal system to New York City. We reached Florida through a series of short offshore passages and longer detours inland through the Chesapeake Bay and Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).
Like East Coast disciples of Huck Finn, we followed the connected bays, rivers and canals of the waterway on its meandering course south. One misty evening at anchor in the Carolinas, returning fishermen tossed a basket of live crabs into our cockpit for a free dinner. Our journey continued, past the industrial back doors of big cities and the river-facing fishing port towns; past plantation homes set in green forests, primeval cypress swamps and the Georgia salt marsh where slaves once dammed the creeks to harvest rice and King Cotton along the river's muddy banks; and past the shadows of concrete apartment towers lining the canals of southern Florida.
A significant portion of our time was occupied with various schemes to refloat the Triton after running aground when straying from the marked channel. Impatient bridge tenders and road traffic were apparently more annoyed than impressed as we'd try to pass through the opened bridges, under sail, during the frequent stalling fits of the old and cranky Atomic Four gasoline engine. First, the carburetor wasn't getting gas, then it flooded and backfired a ball of flame that singed my eyebrows. Another time it lacked spark. The trouble-shooting and cursing became routine. Living alongside an old engine on a sailboat means you either become a proficient mechanic and a half-assed sailor or a half-assed mechanic and a frustrated sailor.
While on a thirty-six hour offshore passage from Cape Fear to Charleston, I nervously plotted our course and speed each hour as I made wildly inaccurate first attempts at celestial navigation. My first position fix by sextant observation of the sun placed us firmly ashore in mid-Kentucky. I didn't share that with my crew since even they may have noticed a slight error in longitude. A happy ship requires the crew must never lose confidence in their skipper. Keep 'em in the dark if you must. Why advertise your incompetence? Much of it will come out soon enough on its own.
Despite our near total ignorance at the beginning of the voyage, it culminated with an idyllic winter of gunk-holing across the shallow turquoise banks and among the myriad sandy islands of the Bahamas. When the sack of potatoes and three cases of discounted macaroni and cheese we had bought in Miami ran out, we anchored for a while off an uninhabited island, named Great Stirrup Cay, where we fished and collected the leathery meat from conch shells with an intensity tweaked by hunger. Twice each week we walked across the island to where a cruise ship set up a barbecue on the beach. There we mingled with sun burnt vacationers, returning to our boat with bellies and pockets stuffed with hamburgers. Missing our families, girlfriends and a well-rounded diet finally caused us to sail back to Florida where my slimmer, sea-weary friends made their way home.
Back in Ft. Lauderdale I worked a few months part-time apprenticing in repairing and fitting out sailboats around the marinas, but there was a shortage of paid work for inexperienced hands. Here I spent most of my remaining funds on a new, $1,500 Aries self-steering wind vane. During the past year, I had experimented with balancing the sails and various sheet-to-tiller arrangements with mixed success. No matter what I tried, the boat would not remain balanced for long periods with the wind from behind and I dreaded the idea of crossing an ocean with one hand tied to the tiller. With the new wind-vane there was no longer any need for the mind-numbing drudgery of hand steering. Now it seemed possible to sail alone into the South Pacific, even going around the world alone, which I quietly set as my goal.
First, however, I needed to replenish my cruising funds and better equip the boat. With a job waiting for me in Detroit, I decided to make my first long offshore passage alone by sailing the thousand miles nonstop from Ft. Lauderdale to New York City. That ten day autumn passage held some anxious moments as I trained myself to sleep in brief naps and keep a vigilant eye out for shipping and weather changes. On this trip I became moderately proficient in celestial navigation which greatly increased my confidence. Before that passage I had renamed the boat Atom, in the sense of the ancient Greek definition: small, powerful, unbreakable. It was also in tribute to the late Jean Gau, owner of the original Atom, whose writings of adventure first inspired me to challenge my own distant seas.
Back in Detroit, I returned to the daily tedium of heavy repair welding in another smoky shop. For fifty-plus hours a week my lungs were poisoned by toxic fumes and asbestos dust that hung in the air like permanent smog – a far cry from the pure cool winds of the Bahamas Out Islands in winter. My co-workers looked like co-zombies, the older hands wheezing and hacking themselves into early retirement or an early grave. I thought of something I had read about men that are sick of living but too frightened to just lay down and die. They go numbly on about their routines, the forgotten, fiery lust for life turned to ashes. They went on working for the promise of a pension and their "health benefits," which was ironic in that almost any other job would benefit their health better than any doctor's pills. Eventually, their purpose for living disappeared when their jobs moved to China. It's possible I judged them unfairly – expecting others to feel as I do. As for me, between the "In and Out" punches on a time card, I existed somewhere between yesterday's memories and tomorrow's expectations. The time allotted by the gods to a sedentary man with a sedentary mind can be too much; and yet, for a seeker, it is never enough.
In the hours after work and on Sundays I made modifications and repairs to Atom to make her more comfortable and seaworthy. There was little time for sailing. For nearly a year, Atom rested on a trailer in my parents' backyard as I disassembled and refit her from the rudder on up to the mast rigging, or at least as much as my limited experience and resources allowed. Using plywood, epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth, I added bulkheads and reinforced several areas of an already strongly-built hull and deck. Any experienced shipwright would have rightfully pointed out my flawed and inadequate work.
Meanwhile, my parents asked if they would ever have the use of their backyard again. A small crisis came when, without asking, I chopped down one of their beloved trees that crowded my work area and its overhanging branches dripped a red, staining sap on my freshly painted light-blue decks. Atom was then, and remains, a work in progress; transforming, as I do, along with her.
During this time I kept my plans for a solo world voyage to myself. I told friends and family merely that I was planning a trip to the Caribbean and maybe later towards the Pacific. It would be better to quietly get started with the voyage than to worry them or invite more questions than I could answer.
After two years back in Michigan I again quit my job and cleared the decks for adventure. My earlier trip through the Bahamas had taught me that beating down that "Thorny Path" against trade winds and currents in a small boat wasn't the best way to go. Boat and crew took a terrific punishment with progress slow and uncertain. There was no way I could make it around the world unless I followed a carefully planned route, running, for the most part, with the trade-winds at my back. As a last test before the solo voyage, I planned to sail through the lakes back to New York, and from there sail offshore to Trinidad with a stop in Bermuda where I would island hop back to Florida for final fitting out.
After talking my hometown buddy, Mathew, out of enlisting in the army, the two of us set off from Detroit in the autumn, hell-bent for warmer climes like the honking Canadian Geese passing overhead. A northerly gale caught us a few days out of New York harbor, kicking up a surprisingly high breaking sea as we crossed the Gulf Stream current. The motion was as lively as an endless roller coaster – as if we were on tracks running downwind, the wind vane holding her course. Not once did we turn sideways in a broach as boats will do when hard pressed and badly helmed. We rode Atom like a horse, gaining more confidence in her as she charged up and down the hills without stumbling. Sitting inside with hatches secured, I could block out the breaking waves landing on deck and mute the moaning of the wind in the rigging. I believed I was invincible in my cocoon.
Unfortunately, my crewmate saw it differently. Where I was absolutely liberated to be galloping over hills on my steed, Mathew complained he felt he was riding a tire as it rolled and bounced down one rocky hill and up another in an endless dizzying procession. He was also terrified we would be sunk by the high waves that broke harmlessly onto the afterdeck and filled the cockpit with their light foaming crests. Worst of all, he seemed to be terminally seasick. During those seven days he rarely left his bunk other than when I dragged him up on deck, clipped him into his harness and wedged him into a corner of the cockpit. Mostly, he sat crouched down or bent over on his knees with chin over the rail as if in supplication to Allah. Otherwise, he sat in his bunk still wearing his green Army surplus rain gear with a bucket held between his knees and cursing involuntarily. After a few days without eating he heaved up nothing but bits of yellow slime and still, he couldn't stop convulsing. It was remarkable that someone could be that sick and still be alive.
Having never felt mal de mer, I have a bad habit of treating the seasick with heartless contempt. I gave less than helpful advice like: "Pull yourself together, man." Usually I coax and cajole seasick crew into taking a spell at the tiller. This sometimes works because it's hard to concentrate on seasickness when you're trying to follow a compass course and not jibe the sails while getting face-slapped by constant sea spray. Seasickness becomes lost amongst the general fear and misery of the helm.
Strangely, within minutes of arriving in Bermuda, Mathew made a miraculous recovery. Within an hour of mooring alongside the quay in St. George's Harbour, Mathew was sitting up at the table with raised knife and fork as I dished up a sticky pot of macaroni and canned tuna spiced with two heaping spoons of black pepper. That night at the pub he described the trip to the other sailors there as "The Hell Voyage," adding with exaggerated drama: "The storm was incredible! The first couple days I was afraid I would die. After that, I wished I was dead."
In a few days he was on a plane back to Detroit, a place that looked a whole lot better to him than another trip offshore. But time heals a sailor's bad memories just as surely as a new passion cures a jilted lover. I took some satisfaction in hearing that Mathew purchased his own sailboat for use on the lakes a few years later.
By now I had enough basic sailing skills to continue the trip. Still, I wasn't yet entirely comfortable with the idea of going solo and attempted to find replacement crew to share the watch-keeping and travel expenses. While moored along the quay in St. Georges, I hung a sign low in the mast rigging that read: "Sailing to West Indies. Crew needed. Share expenses."
A week later, as I was about ready to depart alone, I awoke to knocking on the cabin top. I stuck my head out the hatch to see a thin young man with stubby black hair staring down at me from the quay. He pointed to my sign and said, "I'm your man. Jon Clark from Manchester."
Jon was on vacation in Bermuda visiting his brother who worked here as a gardener. His sailing experience was limited to some short passages along the English coast. He did have two important qualifications: he had the money to share expenses and his was the only serious response I got. I practically yanked him aboard before he could reconsider. Jon proved to be a great sea companion on the 15-day nonstop passage to Trinidad. Though he was seasick for a few days and doubtless in some misery, you would hardly have known it. He stood his watches without complaint, ate my peppery meals, and then quietly went on deck and spewed them over the side, answering my queries with, "Feeling much better now, thank you."
For two months we sailed the Windward Isles of the Caribbean and climbed the volcanic peaks of nearly every island between Trinidad and Martinique. Our timing was not so lucky when we landed in Grenada in October, 1983, and found ourselves ducking bullets as the Americans attacked to retake the island from a Cuban-backed regime. On the first day of the battle a Grenadian policeman came out to our boat in a small launch and demanded we surrender our weapons. He seemed disappointed to hear we had none. It was unclear whether he was pro-Cuban, pro-American, or as confused as most of the locals. Probably, like most people, he was wisely not going to commit himself until there was an obvious victor. Before leaving he advised us to keep our heads down and not move until the shooting stopped. That is just what we did for three long days.
We weren't much bothered by anyone after that encounter with the police, aside from the U.S. Navy helicopters circling overhead several times each day. At night we watched small arms tracer fire decorate the hillsides like berserk fireflies. In our minds there was always the chance we might be boarded by Cuban soldiers aiming to hijack our boat to sail home. When the fighting was over we sailed north through the islands of the Grenadines and on to Martinique where Jon caught a flight back to England. With new confidence in my sailing skills and my boat, I sailed alone back to Ft. Lauderdale with stops along the way at Guadeloupe, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and a single stop in the Bahamas.
Over several years of sharing my boat with all manner of crewmates, it became apparent that having crew aboard was generally more work than not having them at all. A crew must be fed, consulted, depended upon, humored and catered to in countless ways. Compared to sailing alone, the experience when shared was somehow diluted, less vivid, less memorable. Although I was an only child who had long ago learned how to fill solitary hours, I had never been accused of being anti-social. Still, sailors who choose to go alone on the sea go there to stand apart from society, if only briefly. To those considering a long voyage alone, it should be heartening to know that among the inevitable trials and miseries there is also much to be gained. Only absolute solitude can sharpen the senses and develop a deep appreciation of simple pleasures otherwise lost to the distractions of a companion. In any case, the time of a sailor alone at sea is brief compared to the time he shares with friends in port and ashore. And when he does come ashore from his solitary sojourn he surely can appreciate his friends all the more after experiencing their absence.
That first solo voyage introduced me to a life cruising under sail that suited me perfectly and strengthened my resolve for the ultimate adventure – to sail alone around the world. If you've never felt the lure of Jack London's Call of the Wild, or Herman Melville's romance of the South Seas, or Henry David Thoreau's quest for essential living and self-examination, then there is little I can write now to inspire it, or even explain it.
While enjoying the mild winter climate of Florida, I made final preparations to Atom for the voyage ahead. The thing that concerned me most was the lightly stayed mast, which I watched vibrate and bend a bit more than I thought was safe while beating against heavy seas. The existing rigging was twenty years old and marginally sized as well. I couldn't afford new rigging at this point so I left the original wires in place on the fractional rig and added extra rigging going to the head of the mast that I scrounged from cast-offs in the boatyard dumpsters. This rig would never win a race to windward because of the extra weight and windage aloft, but my voyage was primarily downwind with long stretches far from repair facilities. I was willing to do whatever it took to prevent the mast coming down and leaving me adrift in mid-ocean.
With a hull as solid as the Triton, I didn't let the lack of a life raft worry me, especially since I couldn't afford one anyway. My 6½-foot plastic dinghy had built-in flotation that could be used in an emergency, but only in fairly calm conditions. Underneath the dinghy stowed on deck, I kept a grab bag of survival gear with a jug of fresh water, a jar of peanut butter, fishing gear and flares.
Although a short-wave transceiver was way beyond my budget, I did have a short-range VHF radio for contacting nearby boats or shore stations, and a cheap short-wave AM receiver so I could hear news and get accurate time signals required for celestial navigation. It was just as well that I had no long-range two-way radio since it would have given me a false feeling of security. In U.S. coastal waters, people have gotten used to the idea of instant rescue. In the far Pacific or Indian Ocean, you are on your own and you'd better face that fact right at the start. Besides, I wasn't going to sea to chat with other people. As I mentioned before, there was time enough for that in port where the contrast from the soul-cleansing isolation of being alone at sea gave me reason to appreciate human contact all the more. Confronting myself and my fears alone would lead me towards that liberating state of self-sufficiency I was seeking.
Since I was making such a drastic change in my lifestyle, I chose this opportunity to purge the toxins from my body. I had already quit smoking, drinking alcohol, even coffee, as well as all other kinds of subtly mind-numbing drugs. Gone, too, would be the excessive fats, sugars and meats, and most of the additive-laden foods of my past life. In place of that, I committed myself to at least two years of a vegetarian diet of mostly unprocessed foods consisting mainly of whole grains and vegetables.
This was not a way for me to try to add years to my life – I wouldn't be sailing across the oceans alone in a small boat if that was my goal. I sensed that something in my lifestyle was keeping me from being as fit as I knew I could be, and would need to be, to live the life I imagined.
The major items on my initial provisioning list were: 20 pounds each of whole wheat flour, corn meal, brown rice, dry beans, dried fruit, non-fat powdered milk and oats. I also bought alfalfa and mung beans for sprouting, potatoes, onions, cabbages, limes and an assortment of other foods that keep well without refrigeration. I would bake my bread and grow sprouting seeds onboard to supplement the fresh vegetables available at the native markets along the way. For snacks I had baked enough homemade, toasted granola in the oven at a friend's house to fill a garbage bag. I bought only a few canned goods such as tomato paste and carried none of those expensive meat products. As a protein supplement I took several pounds of brewer's yeast to mix with milk and some dried soybean product called TVP (texturized vegetable protein), which is a good high-protein meat substitute.
I did not entirely forsake modern technology. My most useful electronic gadget was the depth sounder, followed closely by the radar detector alarm I used for collision avoidance. One item that I might have been better off without, but was too unsure of myself to believe it then, was that cranky old Atomic Four inboard engine that, by frequent tuning, I was able to coax into assisting me when entering ports on windless days and to get me through the Panama Canal. When the inboard engine, with its generator, was not being used, a small, home-made wind generator, eventually replaced with a solar panel, kept the single 12-volt battery charged. Later I concluded that a small outboard motor kept in a locker until needed would serve me better. For offshore navigation, aside from a faulty mechanical boat speed indicator, I had only the traditional methods of celestial navigation: a sextant, a compass and a clock. Through necessity, my sense of guessing speed, drift and leeway improved with every passage.
Now that the boat was ready, my biggest concern was that I had only $500 in savings remaining. I didn't expect this would get me around the world. I did hope it would see me across the Pacific. From there I planned to work my way around the globe, taking temporary jobs wherever I found them. Thankfully, I was wise enough, or reckless enough, to refuse delaying the voyage another year or two by returning to work. After all, if lack of money stopped me this year, then other insecurities could just as easily keep stopping me until my instinct to explore faded into that cursed life of regrets I was so eager to escape.
I worked out a budget that allowed me to spend less than $100 a month. This might seem impossible today, but it was not then. It did require a large dose of rashness and ingenuity and just a little in the way of what others might call hardship. An example of this was that a new set of charts for all the oceans and harbors along my proposed track would cost me several hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Even photocopying borrowed charts was beyond my micro-budget and copy machines were still rare in distant ports. I solved the problem by buying a roll of tracing paper for $5 and traced copies from charts borrowed from fellow sailors in ports I visited along the way. Later, I found that sometimes other sailors would pass on charts that they no longer needed. Not that I would recommend this for prudent navigation – just a solution for a desperate young man unwilling to be delayed by excuses.
My plan was to sail direct for Panama, transit the canal and cross the South Pacific to Australia, or perhaps New Guinea, where I would wait out the Southern Hemisphere's cyclone season. The following year I'd cross the Indian Ocean to South Africa and round the Cape of Good Hope during the summer months. The alternative route up the Red Sea and through the Med was out because of the contrary winds and expenses involved. From South Africa's Cape Town it was more or less an easy downwind run across the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea to return to Florida where I'd begun. I expected to make only ten to fifteen stops along the way, partly as a way to reduce expenses, and also because I looked forward to some long, uninterrupted passages. I had already picked out most of these likely stops from research I'd gathered by reading every account I could find of travelers before me. The time limit of a two-year circumnavigation suited the seasonal weather patterns and gave me a goal with a foreseeable end.


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Welcome to the Gang-Related News Articles page. This page provides a list of articles pertaining to gangs and gang-related activities from various U.S. and Canadian news sources. A link to the source of each article is provided. The list of articles can be refined and filtered by date and limited to a specific state or Canadian province or territory.
External Links Disclaimer
The article summaries listed contain links to the sites that host the original articles. These sites are not controlled by the National Gang Center. The National Gang Center does not endorse the organizations or views represented by these sites and takes no responsibility for, and exercises no control over, the accuracy, accessibility, copyright or trademark compliance or legality of the material contained on these sites.
Richmond soccer coach helps kids avoid gang life (Richmond, CA): The way Diego Garcia sees it, once you've gotten in as deep as he was, you never really escape the gang. All you can do is change your lifestyle. For Garcia, a .45-caliber bullet to the chest made that decision easy.
Source: Contra Costa Times Date: June 27, 2011
Shot Bluffton teen might have been recruited by gang, sheriff says (Bluffton, SC) : A 13-year-old boy shot to death early Sunday at a home in Bluffton's Grande Oaks neighborhood might have been recruited into a gang by the teen who allegedly shot him, according to Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner.
Source: The Island Packet Date: June 27, 2011
Police arrest 19-year-old in Caribbean festival shootings (Washignton, DC): A fatal shooting near the D.C. Caribbean Carnival this weekend has been blamed on gang violence, and city police have arrested one of the people shot on a murder charge.
Source: WTOP News Date: June 27, 2011
Police say gangs are more social media savvy (Rockville, MD): Montgomery County Police say more local gangs are using social media to communicate with others, even coordinating criminal activity.
Source: WUSA 9 News Date: June 27, 2011
Four men shot in Long Beach (Long Beach, CA): A gang-related shooting in Long Beach Sunday led to four men being wounded, though none of them suffered life-threatening injuries, police officials said.
Source: BelmontShore-NaplesPatch Date: June 26, 2011
DC-area gangs younger, violent and tech-savvy (Washington, DC): Criminal gangs in the area are increasingly relying on new technology to abet their felonies -- coordinating with fellow gang members on Twitter and Facebook, posting videotapes of their exploits on YouTube, and receiving orders through conference calls with bosses in Salvadoran prisons.
Source: The Washington Examiner Date: June 26, 2011
Judge signals he'll OK Fruitvale gang injunction (Oakland, CA): An Alameda County judge signaled Friday that he will approve Oakland's second gang injunction, a legal order that would prohibit five alleged Norteños from gathering in the city's Fruitvale neighborhood.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle Date: June 25, 2011
Where gangs collide in Lodi: A rash of violence in a 50-block area (Lodi, CA): Gang-related violence has exploded in Lodi since mid-May. But the shootings, stabbings, brandishings and assaults have not been randomly spread throughout town.
Source: Lodi News-Sentinel Date: June 25, 2011
Multiple victims in TL "gang-related" shooting (San Francisco, CA): As many as five people were sent to hospital this evening following a multiple shooting gunfight at Jones and Market streets in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, an area known for narcotics dealing.
Source: Fog City Journal Date: June 25, 2011
Fatal shooting in Surrey gang-related (Surrey, BC): A 24-year-old Vancouver man who police say was well known to them was shot and killed late Friday afternoon in North Surrey. Police said the killing "appears to be targeted and gang-related."
Source: Toronto Sun Date: June 25, 2011
Community meeting to be held Tuesday at Board Auditorium on proposed gang policy (Hagerstown, MD): Washington County Public Schools will hold a community meeting on Tuesday afternoon on a proposed policy that would address gangs, gang activity and similar destructive or illegal group behavior in schools.
Source: The Herald-Mail Date: June 25, 2011
L.A. officials set to announce expanded anti-gang Summer Night Lights program (Los Angeles, CA): This summer, nights in Los Angeles will be a little brighter than in years past. At a news conference on Friday, officials will announce the expansion of the Summer Night Lights program, which keeps parks in gang-plagued communities open during the late evening, when most violent crimes occur.
Source: Los Angeles Times Date: June 24, 2011
Catawba crack house bust nets gang member (Catawba, NC): A pair of SWAT teams raided two suspected crack houses in Catawba simultaneously at 6 a.m. Friday. The Catawba street gang known as the Cat Town Boys was the raid's targets.
Source: Hickory Daily Record Date: June 24, 2011
Gang arrest in Salinas gets $20,000 worth of drugs off the streets (Salinas, CA): Late Wednesday, Monterey County Sheriff's Deputies, on a probation search arrest a known gang member and find drugs with a street value of 20,000 dollars.
Source: KION 46 News Date: June 24, 2011
Possible gang-related fire on West Lincoln (Albany, GA): Investigators believe that a fire in south Albany may have occurred due to a rival gang dispute. Firefighters were called to 1111 West Lincoln Ave. to a house fire started by a Molotov cocktail.
Source: WFXL FOX 31 News Date: June 24, 2011
Two federal immigration agents to help in city's anti-gang crackdown (San Jose, CA): About to lose more than 100 officers to layoffs and struggling with a bloody spate of gang slayings, San Jose police brass leapt at the chance to get for free the loan of a pair of elite federal agents to help them investigate the city's violent Nortenos, Surenos and other criminal crews.
Source: San Jose Mercury News Date: June 24, 2011
Accused Trenton Gangster Killer Bloods leader facing 68 charges including three killings pleads not guilty (Trenton, NJ): A high-ranking Bloods leader accused of masterminding much of the gang violence that rocked Trenton in the summer of 2005 was in court yesterday to answer to murder charges and other accusations stemming from the city's bloodiest year on record.
Source: The Times Date: June 23, 2011
San Juan brothers charged in shooting (San Juan, TX): Two San Juan brothers are on their way to the Hidalgo County Jail. Both men are believed to be members of the Po-Boy street gang.
Source: KRGV 5 News Date: June 23, 2011
California budget cuts slash monitoring of gang parolees (Sacramento, CA) : While state prison officials plan to move tens of thousands of inmates to county jails in a highly publicized budget move, they began another money-saving effort last month: removing GPS tracking devices from hundreds of paroled gang members.
Source: The Sacramento Bee Date: June 23, 2011
Community meets at church to rally against gang woes (Desert Hot Springs, CA): Hope Scott dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she stood up amid the crowd gathered Wednesday at her Desert Hot Springs church to brainstorm how to reclaim their community from gangs.
Source: The Desert Sun Date: June 23, 2011
Disclaimer: The news items and links are provided as an informational resource to you. Each of the linked Web page providers has its own policies and practices regarding how long a link to its news item is available before it is archived or a fee is charged. Also, some of the sites require users to register in order to access materials. We do not guarantee the accuracy, currency, content, or quality of any linked website information, nor whether a link from the website may take the user to unintended or objectionable content. Please contact us to report any problems. Thank you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Three Ways Your VA Can Help With Your Tele-SeminarPosted by Tracy Baker on Jun 17, 2013 in Blog, Virtual Business | 0 comments
What's the difference between a tele-seminar and a webinar? Essentially the former involves interacting with a group of other people via telephone, while the latter uses an Internet connection and allows you to interact visually as well as audibly. There are good reasons why you should consider both as part of your online marketing endeavours. There are equally good reasons to engage a virtual assistant to help you with both promotions, as there's additional work required over and above what you should be focussing on as the provider of the content.
Today there are a number of different services online that allow you to create a tele-seminar event. It's rather easy to participate and all you need to do is to give the telephone number and access code to interested people. You don't need to download any specific software to your computer or to be in front of a computer screen and in fact you don't need to have an Internet connection, which even today isn't a guaranteed situation for everyone.
The virtual assistant can get to work well in advance of the date and time of the tele-seminar. Of course, the event will only be a success if you're to have a sufficient number of callers to make it all worthwhile. You may not be directly selling anything as part of the content of the tele-seminar, but you're certainly aiming to build a following, enhance your credibility and expertise if nothing else. Essentially, you have to make it all worthwhile.
While the virtual assistant works with social media and other channels to get your audience all fired up you can focus on creating the best quality content possible. Remember that anything that takes away from your ability to create content should be delegated to your virtual assistant, without fail.
During the tele-seminar there will inevitably be a number of questions raised and you should ensure that the virtual assistant is transcribing all of this valuable information in real-time. Remember that questions asked can represent "pain points" and you really need to know what these are in relation to your product or service. Some of the issues raised during the tele-seminar might give rise to the need to create additional products and services within your business, after all.
Once the tele-seminar is complete and you have a recording of the entire event the virtual assistant can be engaged to transcribe all of this information into usable format. Now you have material that could be used to produce an e-book, which could be either given away as a valuable free piece of content or be used to generate income. Remember that the people who attended the tele-seminar 'live' will likely not have been able to make copious notes while they were listening. Whenever you're trying to write something down as well as try and listen to somebody it's almost always the case that you miss some of the best stuff.
So we have three distinct areas where the virtual assistant can help you. Firstly in the pre-event marketing to social media and other outlets; secondly through making a note of the pain points in order to come up with a question and answer content piece and thirdly to transcribe recorded work to create an additional income stream.
Had you considered having your teleseminar transcribed?


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About the Expert
Expert Bio
Shannon K. O'Neil is the Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies and Director of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). She is an expert on Latin America, U.S.-Mexico relations, global trade, corruption, democracy, and immigration.
O'Neil is a member of the board of directors of Rassini Sab de CV (RASSINICPO:Mexico) and the Tinker Foundation. She has lived and worked in Mexico and Argentina, and travels extensively in Latin America. She was a Fulbright scholar; a Justice, Welfare, and Economics fellow at Harvard University; and has taught Latin American politics at Columbia University. Before turning to policy, O'Neil worked in the private sector as an equity analyst at Indosuez Capital and Credit Lyonnais Securities. She holds a BA from Yale University, an MA in international relations from Yale University, and a PhD in government from Harvard University.
O'Neil is the author of Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead (Oxford University Press, 2013), which analyzes the political, economic, and social transformations Mexico has undergone over the last three decades and why these changes matter for the United States. She is a frequent guest on national broadcast news and radio programs and her written commentary has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs Latinoamerica, Americas Quarterly, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today, among others. O'Neil has testified before Congress on both Mexico and Latin America, and regularly speaks at global academic, business, and policy conferences. She also blogs on Latin America's Moment, where she analyzes regional policy.
MacroAdvisory Partners, senior advisor for Latin America
Rassini, member of the board of directors
Tinker Foundation, member of the board of directors
Diplomacy and International Institutions
Brazen assassinations, kidnappings, and political intimidation by drug lords conjure up images of Colombia in the early 1990s. Yet today it is Mexico that is being engulfed by escalating violence, and U.S. gun laws, immigration rules, drug control and border policies all have exacerbated the problems.
CFR's Latin America Studies Program outlines the implications of the global financial crisis for Latin America.


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Mohammed Alzinati
My Profile
I hope to find a generous people for giving me a mount of money for me to buy a house becuase I haven't a house and also I need a hand for my father that he need a good care.
Friend Request
has been sent a request to be your friend.
Total money raised so far: £0.00
My Friends
Become the first Charity Choice friend of Mohammed.


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North Carolina vs. Florida State - 1/24/15 College Basketball Pick, Odds, and Prediction
Florida State Seminoles (10-9) at North Carolina Tar Heels (15-4)
College Basketball: Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 2:00 pm (Dean Smith Center)
The Line: North Carolina Tar Heels -16.5 -- Over/Under: See the Latest Odds
The North Carolina Tar Heels and the Florida State Seminoles face off on Saturday at the Dean E. Smith Center in ACC college basketball action.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are 15-4 this season and they have won their last four games. UNC is averaging 79.4 points and they are shooting 46.3 percent while defensively they are allowing 65.3 points and their opponents are shooting 36.8 percent. Marcus Paige leads the Tar Heels averaging 13.5 points per game. Kennedy Meeks is averaging 12.8 points and 8.4 rebounds, Brice Johnson is averaging 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds, and Justin Jackson is averaging 10.1 points. North Carolina is ranked 15th in the nation and they are 7-2 at home this season.
USA TODAY Sports
The Florida State Seminoles are 10-9 this season and are coming off of a win that ended a three game losing skid. FSU is averaging 68.7 points and they are shooting 46.5 percent while defensively they are allowing 68.1 points and their opponents are shooting 41.8 percent. Montay Brandon leads the Seminoles averaging 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds. Xavier Rantham-Mayes is averaging 12.7 points, and Devon Bookert is averaging 10.5 points. Florida State is 1-4 on the road this season and 2-4 in ACC play.
North Carolina is 1-4 against the spread in their last five games, 2-9 against the spread against the ACC, and 4-1 against the spread following a game that they covered the point spread. Florida State is 2-6-1 against the spread following a win, 1-8 against the spread in their last nine road games, and 0-6-1 against the spread following a game that they covered the point spread. UNC has covered the point spread in their last four games against FSU.
UNC is a big favorite here and hey look to be up to the task as well so my free pick is on the Tar Heels to cover the number.


text: I just researched a bit around and found that Canon 60D + kit lens 18-55 + 8gb card and is available at 48000/- approx. which makes it a much better deal with the weather seal and flip screen etc. Flip screen is not much of a thing but some prefer it for odd camera placements while shooting. Nikon D7000 cost Rs. 10000/- more at approx 58000/- but has an 18-105mm lens that offers certain zoom advantage. I am sure local dealers can offer much better discounts on these deals. Best to buy a box packed and sealed item if a dealer can provide fresh stock. - - - Merged Post - - - @Kailash, F-stops are ability to capture more light. Faster Aperture speeds. Meaning less need of flash and more photography in natural light. F1.8 captures more light than F2.8 and so on. It also allows faster shutter speeds. Prime lens mean one which cannot be zoomed. 28mm fixed or 35mm or 50mm or 80 or 100 and so forth. Prime lenses come with better F-stop numbers (faster lenses) Wide lens means at 18mm if say 10 people can be accomodated in a frame at 12mm you could accomodate say 20 people or more. And inversely this applies to telephoto. As the depth increases the distance covered increases, but the Field of View Diminishes. More later.


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Detalii loc de munca - Anglia
Descrierea jobului - Anglia
Lion recruitment is pleased to offer positions for Theatre Nurses who are looking for substantive appointments in the UK. Our clients are spread throughout the United Kingdom and have vacancies for Theatre Nurses with a strong exposure to orthopeadics who are looking to develop their careers within the British Healthcare.
Full NMC Registration or in progress Min. 2 year's post registration experience A good communicator with a high command of English Empathy for vulnerable and sick patients Initiative and ownership Flexible and adaptable Team working


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How to Increase the Domain Authority (DA) of a Website? [Infographic]
- Steven Lord
- Digital Strategy, Infographics, SEO
- 12th April 2016
"What's all the hype surrounding the Domain Authority (DA) of a website?"
Well, the Domain Authority is the single most independently used indication of the quality of a website. DA is a number ranging from 0 to 100 and it is determined by Moz (not Google as some may believe). From an end client point of view the DA, might not matter; after all, they may come to your site to get further information about your products, services, contact information or perform a transaction.
From an industry expert point of view, since the death of page rank as determined by Google, DA is probably the best indicator of how good and authoritative a site is.
The Million Dollar Question
Does a higher Domain Authority get you more search engine traffic?
According to Moz, "the DA predicts how well a website will rank on search engines. Use Domain Authority when comparing one site to another or tracking the 'strength' of your website over time. We calculate this metric by combining all of our other link metrics—linking root domains, the number of total links, MozRank, MozTrust, etc.— into a single score."
So in short, increasing your DA gives you a better chance of ranking higher in search engines but it is also important to understand the DA is not the only ranking indicator; there are plenty of other factors like on page SEO, site speed and mobile friendliness of your website to name a few.
How is Domain Authority Determined?
– Domain Age – how old your domain is a factor in your DA score according to SEO and content marketing expert Neil Patel.
– Number of Backlinks – this is the most important factor influencing your DA and it is the best way to improve it.
– Authority of Linking Domains and Many Other Factors – Your DA will move at a faster rate if the links are from authoritative sites with higher DA compared to smaller sites with DA on the rise. This, however, does not mean you only focus on getting links from high DA sites as you want the link profile to look natural.
Ways to Increase Your Domain Authority
On Site Elements
While on site elements may not directly affect your DA they definitely are part of the search engine ranking factors. If your ultimate goal is to get more search engine traffic then it would be a wise investment to take note and improve your on-site elements. Here is a quick list of on-site elements you should focus on:
– Site Speed
– Internal Links
– URLs should be Short and Relevant
– Focus on User Experience of Your Site
Produce Linkable Content Assets
The best way to move your DA score is by producing valuable content that people will like to read, share and link to. In other words, content marketing combined with great content will get you good quality links that will directly push the DA needle forward. Here are some quick content marketing tips:
– Take Advantage of Social Media
– Promote Your Content
– Leverage Influencer Marketing
– Use Paid Ads and Retargeting
Proactively Work on
In the modern day and age of content overload, it will be silly to expect links to be built on autopilot even if you produce awesome content and have a great content promotion strategy. Link building is mostly a proactive activity unless of course you are an influencer or an established online brand.
Link building is only one side of the coin if your brand or site has been around for some time; chances are you will have some bad / toxic links in your profile. If you have ever received a warning message on Google Webmaster Tools then you have to take action by contacting the site owner / admin to remove the bad link or using a tool like ahref's to "disavow" the toxic link.
Here are some proactive measures to improving your DA:
– Reach Out and Build those Links
– Guest Post for Links, Traffic and Social Following
– Remove Bad Links
Tips on Improving Your DA
Be Patient – Time Factor
Remember, the domain age is a critical factor for your DA and this is not something you can skip on. This, however, does not mean you simply focus on creating mass amounts of content then pray and hope. This is where the next step can help.
Be Consistent – Content Creation, Marketing & Link Building
In the modern SEO world, everything boils down to having a strategy whether it is link building or content marketing. For example, how does one go about building links? You need a link building strategy. You may be creating quality infographics to get links, using the skyscraper technique or even producing in-depth articles and guides that go beyond the 5,000-word barrier which is rich in detail.
Where Can I Find a Site's DA?
– MozBar is a free browser extension so you can see any site's DA without leaving the site.
– Moz Open Site Explorer – This is a free tool to get a little more information about a site's link profile and not just the DA.
– Other SEO Tools like MonitorBacklinks and MozPro. (These are paid tools with free trials)
In Conclusion
DA is not a stand-alone metric but a comparative one. You should use it with other metrics like page authority. The higher the DA, the harder it is to increase it. For example, it is easier to increase the DA of a site from 20 to 30 compared to 50 to 60. You need to be patient and work hard to create quality content that people will link to in order to increase your DA. Creating quality content and building awesome links takes time and this time allows your domain to age.
We have invested in increasing our Domain Authority and this infographic is a testament to that. Contact us if you need help with increasing your DA score to get better search engine visibility and traffic.
Get in touch to find out how we can help you unlock the potential of your business.
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|Scientists think it will be possible to
print a 3-D heart in 3 to 5 years' time.
by Lisa Weeks, Marketing Communications, MasterControl
Editor's Note: This post is an excerpt from the white paper "Five TrendsTransforming the Medical Device Industry in 2015."
As its name suggests, 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process in which objects are made by fusing or depositing materials, such as plastic, ceramics or even living cells, in layers to produce a 3-D object. The concept is not new; 3-D printing technology has existed in some form since the 1980s. However, what was once considered a niche manufacturing process has blossomed into a multi-billion-dollar industry, responsible for fabricating everything from wristwatches to airplane parts.
Until recently, though, 3-D printing had been used sparingly in the device industry, primarily to create surgical guides and prototypes or products that required only simple materials such as polymers, acrylics or ceramics. A lack of qualified materials prevented applications from being used in and around the body. The technology was also considered too slow and expensive for widespread prototyping and design work. However, with the new generation of faster, more accurate 3-D printers, these limitations have all but disappeared. Today, device makers are using 3-D printers to build clinical trial-ready devices in-house to check everything from form, fit and function to manufacturability. In fact, some of the most exciting applications of this disruptive technology are occurring in the medical device space.
Customization of Medical DevicesThe greatest advantage 3-D printing offers device manufacturers is the ability to fabricate customized medical products and equipment. Custom-made implants, prosthetics, fixtures and surgical tools can significantly reduce the time required for surgery, as well as patient recovery time and follow-up care. This in turn reduces health care costs.The technology is transforming the way medical care is practiced and delivered, shifting from a reactive population-based model to a customized one, typically referred to as personalized medicine.
Personalized medicine targets individualized treatment and care based on personal and genetic variation, taking into consideration the patient's genetic make-up, key biomarkers, treatment history, environmental factors and behavior preferences. The treatment model has already had a positive impact on clinical research and patient care, particularly in the treatment of breast cancer, melanoma and cardiovascular disease. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the core diagnostic and therapeutic segment of the personalized medicine market, which is comprised primarily of pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic companies, is expected to reach $42 billion this year.1 However, the full realization of personalized medicine relies on the continued improvement and acceptance of disruptive technologies like 3-D printing among health care professionals, regulators, policy makers and insurers.This article is related to the Whitepaper: Five TrendsTransforming the Medical Device Industry in 2015.To get the full details, please download your free copy.
Additional Benefits of 3-D Printing
Three-dimensional printing enables mass customization, in that multiple individualized items can be produced simultaneously while improving manufacturing productivity. Early adopters of 3-D printing for the mass production of customized medical devices include dental laboratories and hearing aid manufacturers. In fact, the hearing aid industry boasts the highest installed base of customized final consumer devices that have been produced using 3-D printers.
As the technology becomes more cost-effective for small production runs, the use of 3-D printing in mass device production is rapidly expanding. This is especially true for small-sized standard implants and prosthetics used to treat spinal and craniofacial disorders.2 Three-dimensional printing technology is much faster than traditional (i.e., subtractive) methods of making prosthetics and implants. It cost less, too, with the first item being as inexpensive to print as the last. This is especially advantageous for device companies that have low production volumes or produce parts or products that are highly intricate or require frequent modifications.
The nature of 3-D printing data files also offers an unprecedented opportunity for global collaboration among researchers who can now access downloadable .stl files available in open-source databases. In 2014, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the NIH 3D Print Exchange (3dprint.nih.gov) to promote open-source sharing of 3-D printable files for medical and anatomical models. The Exchange allows users to generate high-quality and scientifically-accurate 3-D printable models in minutes, simply by uploading a file or typing in a database accession code.3 Design sharing is expected to accelerate innovation and deliver life-saving products to market sooner.
Challenges 3-D Printing Poses to Manufacturers and RegulatorsClearly 3-D printing has the potential to revolutionize the device industry, but the technology is not without drawbacks. Three-dimensional printers can copy almost anything, making products highly vulnerable to counterfeiting. The use of 3-D printing on a large scale has the potential to allow counterfeiters to manufacture devices in their home market thereby avoiding customs seizures, which could have deadly consequences for consumers.Some experts predict that one day all products will be produced locally, if not in households, making manufacturing as we know it obsolete. Others argue that the technology will have to improve significantly before a 3-D printer is capable of producing realistic fakes made from a single material, let alone composite products made of several different materials, as is the case with most medical devices.
There are a myriad of regulation challenges to confront, as well, acknowledged Steven Pollack, the director of FDA's Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories. For example, in a traditional manufacturing setting, design controls are in place that may be lacking in a 3-D setting. Devices manufactured using 3-D printers may also require additional or different testing than what is performed on products produced using traditional manufacturing techniques. Although 3-D printing techniques have different technical considerations than standard manufacturing, devices constructed using additive manufacturing techniques are subject to the same regulatory review standards as traditionally manufactured devices.4
In October 2013, the FDA released a 63-page report, titled "Paving the Way for Personalized Medicine: FDA's Role in a New Era of Medical Product Development," which is available at www.fda.gov. The report discussed 3-D printing and other technological advancements that have the potential to disrupt the regulatory status quo. The FDA has also created an additive manufacturing working group to explore some of the design and testing challenges posed by the revolutionary technology. On October 8-9, 2014, the agency held a 3-D printing workshop for industry stakeholders, including OEMs, device manufacturers, testing labs, hospitals, and government agencies. The majority of participants agreed that paying close attention to quality control and process validation was essential to their future success.5
Validation and Design Control are the Biggest Areas of Concern
Submission Advice for Designers and Developers
To achieve timely clearance with 3-D printing or other novel technologies, the FDA recommends scheduling a pre-submission meeting, or Q-sub, to interact directly and early with the review team who will ultimately be reviewing the device submission.6 A keen understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the 3-D printing process can also facilitate interactions with regulators regarding device design and testing. These meetings are free. More information about the FDA's Pre-Sub Program can be found here.
(1) "$232 Billion Personalized Medicine Market to Grow 11 Percent Annually, Says PricewaterhouseCoopers," PR Newswire. (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/232-billion-personalized-medicine-market-to-grow-11-percent-annually-says-pricewaterhousecoopers-78751072.html) Accessed March 31, 2015.
(2) Ventola, C. Lee, "Medical Applications for 3D Printing: Current and Projected Uses," Pharmacy and Therapeutics, October 2014. (http://www.ptcommunity.com/system/files/pdf/ptj3910704.pdf)
(3) National Institutes of Health. http://3dprint.nih.gov
(4) Sparrow, Norbert, "An FDA Perspective on the Use of 3D Printing in Medical Applications," Plastics Today, January 5, 2015. (http://www.plasticstoday.com/articles/FDA-perspective-on-use-3D-printing-medical-applications-150105)
(5) Leonard, Shana, "FDA Grapples with Future Regulation of 3-D Printed Medical Devices," MD+DI, June 13, 2014. (http://www.mddionline.com/article/fda-grapples-future-regulation-3-d-printed-medical-devices-140613)
(6) Sparrow, Norbert, "An FDA Perspective on the Use of 3D Printing in Medical Applications," Plastics Today, January 5, 2015. (http://www.plasticstoday.com/articles/FDA-perspective-on-use-3D-printing-medical-applications-150105)
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No Wrong Come Along
Charles Manson
Family Jams - No Wrong Come Along Tuning: Full Step Down I really want to have this entire album tabbed onto guitar pro with vocal arrangements and all. If you have suggestions on how the tabs can be improved or can help tab some songs contact me on the tumblr page I have started http://mansonsmusicandmind.tumblr.com/ Also lyrics may not be correct and are horribly incorrect in places. Q S Q S Q Q Q Q Q .C Q SB e------------------------------------|-----------------| B------------------------------------|-----------------| G------------------------------------|-----------------| D-2---2--2---2---4---5---4---2---0___|_h_2-----0_h_2---| A-2---2--2---2---4---5---4---2---0___|_h_2-----0_h_2---| E-0---0--0---0---2---3---2---0---0---|---0-----0---0---| Q = quaver S = semiquaer C = crotchec SB = semibreve . = dotted note E F# G F# E Esus4 E From the valley of death they come ahhhh-ohhmmm E F# G F# E Esus4 E Fall is brighter than the sun ahhhh-ohhmmm Am can you see the gravestones Bm far much better than slavestone E F# G F# E Esus4 E failure with the poison whip ahhhh-ohhmmm E F# G F# E Esus4 E sung it with the devil son ahhhh-ohhmmm Am can you hear the fires roar Bm standing outside the devils door G A B no wrong, no wrong, come along E F# G F# E Esus4 E Living with the stakes I see ahhhh-ohhmmm E F# G F# E Esus4 E devils breath in-side of me ahhhh-ohhmmm Am demons in the sand Bm fingers on devil mans hand G A B no wrong, no wrong, come along Em talking with the preacher just the other day, what did he say x3 Am said the cities are at war Bm and he wont be coming round your door no more G A B looking for the man, look for the man ahhh-ohhmmm


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So we've had chimneys, plank roofs, and flooring suggested already (all good ideas); but I just wanted to add that all architectural conversion bits would be useful.
To be more specific I'd like to be able to get separate doors (with frames) - medieval, simple 3-plank, Georgian/Victorian and modern, and I would love to see a range of windows - medieval mullions, modern 4-pane, 'Tudor' diamonds, Georgian small panes, etc., all in 4Ground's 'standard' window sizes. Shutters to fit, both the card (to stick on next to windows) and MDF (to block unwanted windows), would be great.
All these things are currently designed and in production, so it would only be a case of making/offering a small sheet of mixed designs ;-)


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Autonomy is something that Socialism and other tyrannical forms of 'leadership' cannot tolerate! They think it's dangerous to allow individuals that kind of independence and opportunity for personal advancement, OUTSIDE the 'system'.
Obama isn't just trying to expand entitlements...he's trying to stamp out individualism.
And I think (well, hope) his effort will eventually bring to himself the wrath of America individuals the way Morsi has earned the wrath of non-MB Egyptians.


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March 27th 2017, Racing Species
Zeze and I talk about Shows stating Alien Race or Races when it's another species.
Zeze and I talk about Shows stating Alien Race or Races when it's another species.
Hello Royals,
I bet you all are doing swell, I hope you are, and seeking friendships out there in the world around you. As you all have heard in my youtube report in I moved to my sister's place. I like to add to that report and maybe make a message to those having marriage issues but both parties love each other:
My Sister and her husband had an issue… one wasn't listening to the other and issues escalated til they break apart for a bit and come back together again. This happened after New Year's as I am pretty clear that it was a clear sign of poor communication and both physical/mental issues that each other have. Which enforced the husband to leave… I had no issues with either party and made clear I wouldn't get involved or damage the process to allow them to fix everything again finally closing their problems and build a better bridge to each other.
As I know they are meant for each other as they complement each other very well. As this wasn't the first time for they went ahead and broke up for a trial period to recover from a fight that was boiling in them. They almost forced each other to seek therapy and friends reached out to help. I moved in to be additional eyes and ears for them to make sure the children (my nephews) would have an adult in the house while they worked or was away from home.
After their sessions and finally taking the time to each other (since most of the stress was removed), they made the choice to finally move back together.
My point is this: "Any fight you have, any battle you face your partner… You need to be able to talk and lay down your arms to come together as the world is your challenge and having someone got your back is great. Would you be Right or having someone on your back?"
Hey Royals, I ponder and hope for a clear "best-soda" because if you love something very much you stick a crown, wings and a horn on it. My favorites are Cokecola and Mountain Dew… what's yours? (Comment below and let me know.)
Hey Royals,
EthanPow here and I went ahead to do a DJ Session which I called "LimitBreak!" which if you played Final Fantasy games you might get the reference. This session is for anime/cartoon covers/remixes… IE like stronger than you, swordland, one punch man opening, and don't forget Dragonball. I will expand more music when I can find them and if they follow the strict no cursing and no mature theme policy I have set for the radio.
If you guys want I will make this a regular thing every Sunday morning (which would be the best time when I am alone at home to do it.) I would like suggestions anywhere so please go ahead and share them here. Maybe I can get a song that was covered by an awesome artist.
I been watching some articles and glancing over others. I hate Election year as its when the most stupid things seem to happen the most and afterwords it seems that people want to forget (really want to forget the hate and in tolerate) that this world places. With people unable to compromise or unable to allow research to see where problems can be fixed our world is now being effected by humanity when it shouldn't. Without going into detail people need to stand down from red alert and be able to think about the good for all than the good for themselves. Greed or entitlement to powers that the populate grant to others. Its pretty big issue that seems to seep into other countries as well… IE dubbed "Americanism" which seems to give horrible effects to world culture I assume not for positive ways.
Now back to America… When I meant entitlement I'm stating that groups of people are thinking they have more ownership over the county or they are the ones to help it the most and in factors they are not correct (and others they might have a point) when your a citizen of the United states or any country that has democracy as their cornerstone… your citizenship is a single share of a company… everyone has a single share… a single voice in a land of many… No one voice should overpower other voices. Some are helpful and some are toxic but we all have equal say to it. When someone claims that your vote doesn't matter or yourself believes it is a way to discredit yourself. If everyone votes every election cycle most likely our outcomes might be better. I feel that we have too many intelligent people not voting and when it goes wrong they can't blame anyone.
but Seriously…. 2016 is a landfill of all the event happened… I only wish whoever is elected does in fact fix the problems then allow them to continue.
Its been too long and honestly I can't wait to see new stuff happen. I been procrastinating and working editing oddjobs I get (I don't make enough, send help!) while I wait… I keep looking at the news (which is depressing) ,Politics (which make me annoyed), Gaming (Its helps… but a sugar pill can only get you so far.) and checking in on some of my friends.
Well some of our stream archives have gotten copyright claims and as such they where taking revenue over music we had Personal permission with the artist. However this claim was done by a 3rd Party that "might" have a agreement with said artist and thought we where using the music unjustly for some reason and all monetized effort went to that company. There was even a rejection to that video when we provided proof of right to use music.
I dealt with the content ID junk before where the music that was being claimed to be on the video… wasn't… but this was music we had permission with to use… and it was used when we where talking. Hell content ID seems to only go after our some of our newest livestreams. I normally have to claim fair use as we where talking and the music was very silent (otherwise I would cut the audio and be done with it… however it didn't fix the issue for some of the newest archives)
I pretty much deleted videos that had this issue… Yet it was only streaming content and we can always make new content… It hasn't effected our other content on our channel (Thank goodness) and therefore hasn't cause any strikes on the account. We just need to change how we stream to reduce or remove further strikes.
Hello every Royal,
I am seeking fanart for our radio in form of headers. We just have the following that must be followed if you wish to submit one:
References (ones I could find… might update later when I get more references):
EthanPow (Human OC) (Ponified)
Delta Pow (Pony OC, Mascot)
(Manager – 11newells)
Pony OC
(Staff – Maizox)
Pony OC
Human OC
(Staff – Rook458)
Reference Unavailable at this time.
(staff – LordPrettyPie)
(staff – SuitedBrony)
Reference Unavailable at this time.
(staff – Xenstroke)
Reference Unavailable at this time.
(staff – PraetorianOverlord)
Pony OC
As our hearts beat for life to flow til the day we can't go any further we all leave behind a path that allows our allies to move forward. Do we have our bad times or for shake for looking at our good times. Seek Judgement or Revenge… Forgiveness and peace? Alas we can't always be sure but if we always second guessing our choices will achieve nothing and stuck in a loop. We can't just live in our desires of bliss if that is even tranquil or chaotic. As our own selfishness can be our own regret as our reset button only works once in a while.
Is it our will to bring war? is it to stand up?, to fight, to defend or perish? Personally I wish I could have the omnipotence to fix things… yet even with great power and the responsibility to use it wisely mistakes will be made. to ensure peace can ensure enslavement… What guiding words when your stuck with an ultimatum that both can't work regardless of best intentions. To accept power is the accept the faults that come with it, hiding from it would become your terror and forever be your downfall unless you own up to them and become powerful to accept the punishment with it.
With sound body and mind… Determination to do good and not be corrupted by greed and selfishness we can do great things for everyone than just ourselves.


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Recent Posts
Error: Twitter did not respond. Please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.
Monthly Archives: January 2011
This blog is now redundant plz refer ONLY to WWW.REALLYFREESCHOOL.ORG Advertisements
Some early photos
Much zhumba zhumba zhumba This work by Alistair Binley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.Based on a work at reallyfreeschool.wordpress.com.
Really Free School
Ah Gove, whats happened to your face? Please, make your own fliers and we will put them up.
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment
Facebook Event is Live / Invite and Disseminate
Temporary (cyber)space
Short post to say, this wordpress is a temporary location for our posts and schedule. We'll have our own domain tomorrow with more LIVE features. In the meantime you can check out the School's evolving schedule by clicking the 'School … Continue reading
Share your knowledge / skills
To submit a class, workshop, discussion, film, music performance etc.. just fill in this form and we will timetable it in and publicize it on the blog
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communiqué #1
January – February 2011 Surrounded by institutions and universities, there is newly occupied space where education can be re-imagined. Amidst the rising fees and mounting pressure for 'success', we value knowledge in a different currency; one that everyone can afford … Continue reading
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Fans of Stranger Things, rejoice! After what has felt like an eternity — and was, in actuality, a mere month and a half — a second season for Netflix's supernatural series was announced this morning.
In addition to the exciting news, Netflix also released all of the episode titles for the upcoming season. Clearly it doesn't take much to get us hyped on this show, because the titles "Madmax," "The Boy Who Came Back To Life," "The Pumpkin Patch," and "The Pollywog" were enough to send the internet into a frenzy.
Sadly, we'll have to wait until 2017 to see what happens to Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will, but fans can keep in touch with the gang via social media in the meantime. The young cast was just as excited as us this morning, as they were en route to Facebook for a live video, and could be seen celebrating the announcement on their Instagram accounts.
Check out reactions from the cast of Stranger Things upon the Season 2 announcement!
Gaten Matarazzo
Gaten Matarazzo, the 13-year-old actor behind fan favorite character Dustin, was the first to break the news on social media. Because he is the sweetest little gentleman in the world, he also thanked his fans for their support.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, posted a cute video of herself mock frantically searching for Will (Noah Schnapp). Despite Brown's protestations, Schnapp lets it slip that his character will be involved in Season 2. Whether Eleven will also return from the Upside Down next year has yet to be confirmed, but it's hard to imagine the show without her.
Finn Wolfhard
Mike Wheeler actor Finn Wolfhard simply posted a screenshot of the Season 2 trailer reading "The Adventure Continues."
Are you obsessed with Stranger Things? Keep up on all the latest news with these related titles:
- The Curiosity Door Is Unlocked: Stranger Things Season 2 Has Been Confirmed!
- Stranger Things Season 2 Trailer Explained - What Do The 9 Titles Reveal?
- 9 Things You Need To Know About Netflix Hit Stranger Things
Caleb McLaughlin
Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Noah and Gaten partnered up to bring us a video announcing the news and flaunting their aptitude for dabbing.
Noah Schnapp
The three boys appeared in yet another video together, except instead of dabbing they slapped themselves to make sure that it was actually happening. Thankfully, we know that Season 2 of Stranger Things is the real deal.
Joe Keery
Initially Joe Keery was pretty unlikable as Nancy's love interest Steve, but by the Season finale he redeemed himself and earned the affections of fans. Rumor has it, Steve wasn't originally set to have that story arc, but Keery was so delightful on set that the Duffer Brothers decided to keep him on the series. And I couldn't be happier that they did!
But seriously, what do we thing his hashtag #bigbrotheristhenewcharacter means?
Shannon Purser
She may be gone, but Barb is far from forgotten. Just yesterday, it was announced that Shannon Purser would be joining the cast of Riverdale, but she wasn't too busy to post the Season 2 poster and give a shoutout to her cast members. After coming away as the show's unsung hero, I was sad to see her statement "I can't wait to watch season 2!" meaning Barb definitely won't show up again. Bummer.
Stranger Things won't be returning until 2017, but I plan to keep re-watching the series an a monthly basis until its release because I can't get enough of this cast.


text: Set on a cliff in the heart of the Amalfi Coast, Villa Treville features luxurious rooms and suites overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. This luxurious property includes a free private beach and gym, plus free Wi-Fi. Uniquely decorated, rooms with private bathrooms are air-conditioned and come with a balcony, a sitting area, a free minibar and flat-screen TV. Some rooms feature a small private pool and terrace. Bar and club lounge access is free with each room. Your full breakfast provides a wide choice of sweet and savory products. Meat and vegetarian dishes, as well as fresh seafood options can be prepared at the restaurant. Treville includes 4 independent buildings situated in a 5-acre estate. You can relax in the gardens or enjoy a cocktail and snack in the Club Lounge bar with terrace. The property is a 15-minute walk from the center of Positano, and 10.5 miles from Sorrento. You can enjoy direct access down to the beach via an elevator cut into the cliff, or marked walking trails.


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Singapore, Singapore (PressExposure) January 11, 2010 -- The main reason behind bringing about the kitchen scales is to make the cooking preparation simpler and less cumbersome for the one who is preparing the food. Food has to be prepared by some one who knows how to prepare the meal in the right manner and to the liking of the person who is going to eat food. The person cooking knows that it is not as easy as it seems to prepare a dish. By using scales one can definitely make cooking more easy to learn and prepare. Not everyone can prepare but kitchen scales makes that possible too.
The digital kitchen scale [http://kitchenscaleshq.com/escali-kitchen-] makes it possible for the person cooking to add in the required amount of ingredients by placing them on the scale and getting the quantity digits. These digits measure the ingredients in the same manner in which a person does it unknowingly and adds as to what he thinks right but it gives the exact amount in which it has to be added.
Salter kitchen scales [http://kitchenscaleshq.com/salter-kitchen-] give proper guidance as to the measurement of the ingredients and provides proper precision regarding the measurements, like 2-g per 2-ml.
Blanca Casey talks about kitchen scales [http://kitchenscaleshq.com] as being one of the bet means of trying out food richly cooked in the required proportions necessary for the stomach. These scales provide in the correct ingredients in the correct quantities required to be added in the food being prepared. These ingredients if not added in the right proportions may either go waste or may not be utilized appropriately as to their nutritive value that it possesses. Thus the money that you have already paid may not any worth for, decreasing its vale drastically. The value readings that they give help you in understanding the amount of ingredients that are needed in the food being prepared and give you proper guidance in the preparation. Step by step procedure always gives you a upper hand in the making of any food.
Electronic kitchen scales work [http://kitchenscaleshq.com] on battery s there is no means of tampering with the weights and changing the original quantity. There is proper safety so there is no harm to children, making its use more secure and comfortable to use. You would also get replaceable lithium batteries is needed.
This new year definitely try out the new means of preparing good food by measuring your way through. Always make sure to check the new equipments that you purchase and be sure as to the product that you buy. Online is always the best means of purchasing as you get the necessary detailed information any you may also know the difference from the rest. There may also be discounts provided that will definitely fit your budget.


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When you join Valpak, you become a member of a professional family of doers, dreamers and decision makers. You join a diverse team of knowledgeable, innovative, creative and fun-loving people committed to the success of the Valpak brand in the United States and Canada. For nearly 50 years, Valpak has led the way in the coupon mailing industry, providing money-saving discounts to millions of consumers and affordable, effective advertising to local businesses looking to reach new customers and strengthen their marketing successes.
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