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Published in University of Pennsylvania journal Confucius Says, Spring 2013 issue
In my field, I am accustomed to exaggerated responses from people when they first hear what I am studying in grad school. This is not without both cause and precedent. Chinese literature has often seemed like a random subject of study, outside of China, to those not within the field of East Asian studies, something they have never stopped to consider. This is less the case now that China has such a large presence on the global scene, which leads many people to nod knowingly at my choice of topic, evidently assuming that it has to do with China's rise as a world power. In this way, I have perhaps an easier time of it than those who study Czech, Japanese, Nigerian, or any other so-called "obscure" literatures. Nevertheless, I definitely still frequently encounter surprised responses from those who wonder how I ever came to pursue such a seemingly-random subject. I understand this kind of response. How could they think differently, in a world where literature written in Western European languages (and Russian) is privileged?
The kinds of responses that really get to me are the incredulous ones, where people seem almost annoyed, or at least bewildered, that I haven't chosen to study something more conventional. "Why in the world Chinese literature?," I have on occasion been asked. "Why not French? German? Italian?" These kinds of responses seems to imply that there could be no good reason to justify choosing Chinese literature over such esteemed literary legacies as those mentioned above. Why Chinese literature, indeed? Is it just some odd-ball subject chosen by academic hipsters who want to be "different" from their peers in literature? Is it chosen primarily because of China's prominence on a global scale?
Perhaps the answer to one or both of these questions is "yes" for some people, but neither is true for me. I can also vouch for the fact that neither of these have been prevalent attitudes among the many graduate students in Chinese literature that I know.The truth is that, like in any other field, people come to the study of Chinese literature for many different reasons. All I can hope to do in this essay is explain my own path for choosing the field, and then from this build an argument for one reason that the study of Chinese literature is important—there are naturally many others as well.
I have always been drawn to literature, practically from before I could read. It was thus always obvious that I was destined to study literature in college and grad school, even if I was sometimes in denial about it growing up (due to our society's propensity to dismiss humanities majors as unimportant, which is another issue altogether). I began to study French, like many Americans, at the young age of eleven or twelve, and I was of course quite familiar with not only American, but also British and Irish literature, since these literary traditions all maintain a fairly strong presence in American public high school English classes. If things had stayed the same, then most likely I would have gone into French or English or Irish literature, and I'm sure my motivation for studying them would have been much clearer to those who would have asked.
But things did change. In ninth grade, a pink slip was passed out to us in English class that announced that our high school would be pioneering a Chinese language program, and would we like to volunteer? I had no intention of dropping French, but still shrugged and signed up for the class without much hesitation. I had never thought much about Chinese before, but it sounded like a neat opportunity. Plus, I wasn't averse to taking two language classes. I left school that day and didn't think about it anymore.
It always sounds melodramatic to say things like "little did I know at the time that that little slip of pink paper would direct the course of my life," but in a way, that's exactly what happened. Isn't it interesting that some of the decisions that turn out to be the biggest of our lives don't seem like much in the moment? In any case, from the first day of Chinese class the next year I was hooked, falling head over heels in love with the language the second I was first introduced to the concept of "tones." I think I liked it because it was totally different from anything I had been exposed to before. It thus made me realize how big the world was and how little of it I knew and understood from my little corner in a Boston suburb. Not even a year into my Chinese language studies, I began to dabble in reading Chinese literature (in English translation), because literature had always been my way of connecting with everything I was interested in. When I entered college, though, I wasn't quite willing to abandon those other literary traditions I adored—English, Irish, French—so I became a Comparative Literature major and studied all of them.
Now that I am in graduate school, though, I study just Chinese literature—I am based in the East Asian Languages and Civilizations department. What happened? You know now how I stumbled upon the "random" subject of Chinese literature, but what led me to eventually give up the academic study of the other national literatures I love and focus on just Chinese? It isn't because China is a world power or because I'm a hipster or because I have some kind of orientalist obsession with "Chinese culture," whatever that means. It is, conversely, precisely because I still receive incredulous responses when I tell people what I study. It is because studying Chinese literature is for some reason still often perceived to be not as "normal" as studying British or French literature, outside of China.
Great Britain, the United States, France, Ireland, Russia, and Germany are all countries with rich, deeply-studied and widely-read literary traditions. I hope that these literary legacies will continue to attract students who are passionate about studying them for years to come. The problem is that there are lots of other countries out there with rich literary legacies as well, which go virtually ignored except by people who come from those countries. Luckily, this is starting to change. Latin American literature has become quite a hot topic, as have the literatures of various Francophone countries, for example.
For a complex variety of social, political, historical, and cultural reasons, literatures written in Western European languages and Russian have come to dominate the literary scene. That is to say, if a person in a given country is familiar with any national literature outside of his or her own, it is likely to be one of those named above. However, literatures written in languages other than those of Western Europe and Russia still tend to be horribly underrepresented outside of their respective countries. Chinese and Japanese literature have fared somewhat better in terms of the number of English translations available of books written in these languages, perhaps because their strong economies make the world more interested in them to begin with. I am willing to bet that few people who do not speak Arabic, Turkish, or Hungarian have ever read translations of literature written in those languages, however, myself included).
To read a country's literature is to acknowledge that country's voice, or rather chorus of voices—for all one has to do is begin to read various books from a country to realize the vast and diverse array of stories that make up its communities. To read a country's literature is thus also to begin to understand it, even if this understanding ironically stems from realizing that nothing about the country is "easy" or "simple" to understand, and that for every generalization that could be made about it, there are thousands of exceptions and complicating factors. These voices are speaking all over the world, and the least you can do is to give now this one, now that one, your undivided attention for a time, so that each one sees that a pair of ears is listening to it, that its voice is heard. Tuning in and listening, through reading, increases the reader's aweareness of all of the different textures that make an individual counry its own unique force in the world.
It is not, as I am trying to emphasize, that more "conventional" literatures such as French, English, and German are not as worthwhile a study as they ever were. For myself, I still enjoy reading works from all of those literary traditions in my spare time. But I personally decided that I wanted to devote my career to doing what I could to continue the process of introducing Chinese literature to the world, so that the import of this magnificent tradition could be felt, finally, by those outside of its borders. That is my personal reason for studying Chinese literature specifically.
In certain ways, the battle for Chinese literature is almost won. The Nobel Prize in literature last year went to Mo Yan, a Chinese writer. Another ethnically Chinese writer who also writes in Chinese, Gao Xingjian, won the prize in 2000 (although he is a French national, so he doesn't technically count as a "Chinese" writer in the nationalistic sense of the word). However, it shouldn't take a burgeoning economy for the world to turn its attention to a country's literature, and I hope that other literatures written in non-Western European languages will begin to garner the attention they deserve as well.
I understand that one factor that keeps readers away from these literatures is the language barrier. Translations of many literatures written in languages other than those of Western Europe or Russia are often hard to come by. This will only cease to be a problem as more people decide to study literary traditions outside of the standard ones, unfortunately. Lack of interest in these literatures thus perpetuates itself in a kind of vicious circle.
Still, although work always remains to be done, English translations available today are more varied than they ever have been. I encourage you, the next time you're looking for a good novel, to consider a translation of a work written in Chinese, or Japanese, or Arabic. Don't give up your taste for French or German translations, naturally—rather, read them alongside each other, and consequently, through thoughtful comparison and careful consideration, learn even more about the world around you.
I would be remiss if I admonished you to read more Chinese literature and didn't give you some direction in accomplishing this goal. Here are some recommendations of books I really like, and their translations, to get you started in your readerly exploration (they're all from the twentieth century. Sorry for the lack of representation—that stems from my own personal reading bias) :
Collected Works of Lu Xun, translated by Yang Hsien-Yi and Gladys Yang
Love in a Fallen City, by Eileen Chang, translated by Karen S. Kingsbury
Soul Mountain, by Gao Xingjian, translated by Mabel Lee
Finally, for those of you who like to go even further and learn to read literatures in their original languages, I can only speak to Chinese. I promise you that the study of Chinese, while difficult, is also immensely rewarding. Pursue the study of the languages of your dreams, no matter how difficult or obscure they may seem! You will be the ones who will carry on this gradual unfolding of literary legacies of which I speak.
In any case, next time you encounter somebody who has chosen to study a national literature that doesn't have a huge presence outside of its country of origin, please don't react with incredulity. All national literatures are worthy of study, even ones whose languages pose challenges for non-native speakers. Recognizing this is the first step to understanding the importance of studying Chinese literature.


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Demographic Change and Employment - A Call for New Corporate Strategies
- Stand: März 2005
- Verfügbarkeit: Verfügbar als PDF
© Fotoagentur FOX/Uwe Völkner
The message has got through: our society is growing older. The number of young people is continually declining; the number of older people is increasing, whilst the overall population figures are dropping. The reasons for this are now also familiar: declining birthrates coupled with rising individual life expectancy.
In the world of work, this demographic change is already being felt. The phenomenon of ageing workforces is already apparent today, and the ageing process will accelerate.
Unlike in other major industrial nations, government, business and the social partners in Germany have for many years fostered a systematic reduction in the age of the workforce. Many companies have already recognised the signs of the time and have developed remarkable approaches towards a demographically appropriate labour and personnel policy. The New Quality of Work Initiative aims to bring together and enhance these approaches and to contribute towards their rapid dissemination in business and society.
With this memorandum and the "30, 40, 50 plus - healthy work into old age" campaign, the New Quality of Work Initiative therefore intends to foster the following:
- that business and society develop a more constructive, realistic picture of the skills and abilities of older people,
- that they deploy and utilise these skills and abilities better,
- that corporate health policy aims to safeguard the work ability of the younger members of the workforce in the long term,and
- that the productive collaboration of younger and older workers develops into a factor driving corporate success.
We are firmly convinced that the New Quality of Work Initiative is the ideal instrument to accelerate the necessary change into "demographics-proof" companies.

subset: commoncrawl


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The PLATINUM STAR AWARD is youth Footballs version of the Heisman Trophy. This honor will be awarded to the nation's most outstanding youth football players from, 6th through 8thgrade. (1 winner per grade) Players will be selected based on film, coach's comments, individual stats, G.P.A., and team and community accomplishments. Players who engage in community service and other productive activities will have a greater chance at winning the award.
Selection Process
To keep the Selection process legitimate, NSR has put together a 11 person, Platinum Star selection committee, with a combined 150 years of coaching and football experience. These football professionals will evaluate the talent and vote for the winner. We also get the fans involved in the process with our social media fan vote. This process allows the fans to Vote via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media outlets making the selection process interactive for the fans.
National Tour
The National Sports Report will travel to the Cities of the winners to present the winners with the most prestigious award in youth sports in their own backyard. Hundreds of Athletes are nominated annually, but the 3 winners, voted by our committee and the fans, must be a winner on and off the playing field. The purpose of this tour to spread the word about NSR and our promotional partners on an intimate yet effective level, while reinforcing our dedication to the development of our youth. Features of the tour will include:
In School Trophy presentation
The National Sports Report will work hand and hand with the recipients school and local media to present the award during school in front of the entire student body. We choose this approach so that the notion of being a "student athlete" remains the most important element of winning the award.
Regional Coaches and youth administrator Meet and Greet
This tour provides us with an opportunity to meet with the local and regional coaching community and introduce our 2017 agenda. This also adds to our growing national coaching databas
Media Day
This gives the youth athletes the opportunity to experience what it's like to play in a premiere event. National and local sports media will be invited to participate.
Fill out the form below to nominate a player today


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Fox Fire!
confusedsoul on July 31, 2008
Right! Away with the hastily done title page and up with the new!
I have actually started this comic now! Woooo! So from today there are another five updates every day this week to get the prologue out of the way. Then I guess I will have to do some proper pages *muse*. In case anyone is confused or seriously bored, the update schedule is explained in the forums.


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Swan River, MN
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Forest History Center
2609 County Road 76
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History: The forests of northern Minnesota have had great impact on the lives of their inhabitants for many centuries. This relationship between p...
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Greyhound Bus Museum
1201 Greyhound Boulevard
Hibbing, MN
Hibbing is recognized as the birthplace of the bus industry in the United States. Visitors can now see and hear the story at Hibbing's newes...
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Judy Garland Museum
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Mission: To engage people in exploring the life and times of Judy Garland. The Museum encourages visitors to learn about this great 20th Century ar...
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Minnesota Discovery Center
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Our Vision:A community treasure that celebrates the past, present and future of northeastern Minnesota.Our Mission:Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC)...
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Posts Tagged 'youtube'
LEGO Millennium Falcon Pedicab (May the 4th)
In honor of "May the 4th" (may the forth/force be with you, get it?), LEGO made a pedicab shaped like the Millennium Falcon and set it loose on the streets of NYC. Here's video of the build, and of Katie Linendoll and Ashley Eckstein taking a ride. Check it out!
New Ant-Man and The Wasp Trailer
New Ant-Man and The Wasp trailer! This movie looks like a lot of fun.
Infinity War Trailer
Marvel's Infinity War trailer. Pant pant pant.
I'll be back to talk about this one, but for now, just watch and enjoy.
Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer
Black Panther is first (February 16) but come summer we get Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6). Here's the trailer.
Related articles (Note: These are offsite links; DaddyTips takes no responsibility for outside content.)
New Black Panther Trailer
Here is the new Black Panther trailer. Watch and enjoy.
BB8 Bows Princes William and Harry
Yes this is cute and yes I'm an idiot. May the Force be with us all.


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Americans are sick of "staycations": this summer they're leaving the home and willing to spend for proper vacations. And travel stocks — hotels, cruise lines, and airlines — are reaping the benefits. July was a stellar month for the sector, which outperformed the broader market. The S&P 500 hotel index is up 15 percent for the month and the Amex Airline index is up some 12.5% for the month.
Bottom line: people are willing to plan ahead and invest in vacations. This is a contrast to last summer, when consumers were wary of spending and anxious to commit to anything too far in advance. Consumers are still watching their dollars, so they're searching for deals and good values. Another factor: gas prices rose slowly, so we don't have any sticker shock that keeps families from hitting the road.
Cruises are certainly profiting from hunt for value: AAA reports a 20 percent jump in its cruise bookings this summer from last year. A number of new mega-ships have hit the water, increasing capacity. And the cruise lines are offering just enough discounts to fill their new berths. Royal Caribbean shares are up 27 percent in July, bolstered by better-than expected earnings last week. Carnival stock is fifteen percent higher.
Hotels are benefiting from a return of both leisure and business travelers. Total hotel occupancy, a key indicator of travel industry health, grew 6.2 percent in the second quarter and continued to improve over the course of July, according to Smith Travel Research. Business travel recovered at an even faster pace. Corporate travel, as measured by mid-week daily occupancy, was up between 7.5 percent and 9 percent over the second quarter last year.
A number of hotel stocks soared this month: Wyndam stock is up over 25 percent, Starwood is up about 18 percent, and Marriott up some 12.5 percent.
Airlines have cut back capacity over the past few years, but this summer seats are packed. Travelocity says its summer airfares are up over 20 percent from last year, a sure sign of higher demand.
One area in the vacation space that's still suffering is vacation ownership clubs. JMP Securities reports that the vacation ownership business is currently running at about 50 percent of peak revenues. Starwood says it doesn't expect those trends to improve in the second half of the year.
Consumers may be spending again, but they're spending carefully, and buying a time share may be too big an investment for this cautious market.
Questions? Comments? firstname.lastname@example.com


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This great race, the last great race in the world, is underway. It is "a race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska." An extreme race without compare.
This is a race that is over 1,150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. The mushers and their dogs have to contend with jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod.
From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover the mileage in 10 to 17 days. thanks to AssociatedPress for the video.
Dick Wilmarth won the first Iditarod in 1973 with a time of 20 days 0 hours and 49 minutes. In 1974 Emmitt Peters took the Iditarod into the world of faster racing with a time of 14 days, 14 hours and 43 minutes. Rick Swenson was the first to break the 12 day time with a winning run in 12 days 8 hours and 45 minutes. After that there was talk within the mushing community about whether or not the Iditarod could be run in 10 days. Martin Buser answered that question for us in 1992 with a winning time of 10 days 19 hours and 17 minutes. It is worth noting that since 1992 the Iditarod has always been won in ten days or less. Doug Swingley broke the nine day barrier. And in 2002 Martin Buser ran the fastest Iditarod ever with a winning time of 8 days 22 hours and 46 minutes.
A thousand miles traveled by sled dogs in 20 days, down to 8 days and 22 hours.
How can it have become so fast?
The basics from the earliest Iditarod are still the same, it's still about the dogs. But a lot of time, effort and experimentation has gone into learning more about how to take care of dogs and to help them reach their top performances.
Mushers have learned more about caring for sled dogs and canine nutrition by working together and sharing their knowledge with other experts in that field and, with the help of dog food manufacturers and veterinarian researchers, better foods and feeding practices have been developed.
Dog harnesses have improved dramatically. In the early days they were made of materials that froze once wet. Mushers worked with harness designers to develop harnesses made of materials that didn't freeze and were more comfortable for the dogs. This process is still going on today.
Changes in dog booties has definitely led to faster race times. When the Iditarod started booties were primarily used to help a dog that had developed a foot problem whereas now booties are used by all dogs to keep their feet from ever getting sore and to protect them from abrasive trail conditions. The materials that the booties are made from has also improved dramatically and newer "high tech" materials that don't collect snowballs and are lightweight so as to not slow the dogs down have been and still are being tested.
Over the years there have been huge changes in equipment from storage of gear that you take with you, to quicker and more economical cooking methods, to hi-tech dried and frozen foods, to better headlamps for night vision, to hugely improved cold weather clothing, and then, of course, some fairly major improvements to the sled itself. One of the most important innovations in sled technology is the quick change runner plastic system invented by Tim White, an early Iditarod racer. The invention uses an aluminum dovetail device to quickly slide different types of runner plastic on to the runners of the sled. Not only was this a faster way of changing runner plastic to keep a slicker running surface but it also allowed mushers to change to different types of plastic for different trail and snow conditions.
A major innovation and a huge contributing factor to racing technology.
All these inventions and improvements, along with improvements to the trail, have been brought about by the mushers themselves, sometimes with the help of outsiders.
If you add all of the changes that have been developed over the years, it's easier to understand how today's Iditarod gets from Anchorage to Nome so much faster.
Reports about the trail this year are that there are light snow levels running up into the Alaska Range but enough for a safe, manageable trail. Snow continues to fall up in the Finger Lake, Rainy Pass area. On the north side of the range there are reports of snow on the areas out of Rohn that often have some of the toughest trail conditions, but there is a short area of trail on the way to Nikolai that is reported to have no snow, just grass and frozen bare ground.
The Iditarod Insider will be providing live, streaming coverage of the Restart around the world beginning at 1:45 pm (AT). The Iditarod Insider Tracker will begin deploying From Willow Alaska as the teams leave the starting line. To find out how to become an Insider, click here.
Good luck to all…


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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thi Thu Giang - Vice President of FTU delivered a speech at the ceremony
The seminar honorably welcomed the presence of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thi Thu Giang - Vice President of FTU. There was also the participant of the keynote speaker from Kansai University (Japan): Professor Curtis Kelly and many students of FTU.
For a long time, the use and cultivation of the language have been a big problem for the students, especially students who are non-professional speakers of language in general and English in particular.
Therefore, in the context of global integration to advance the quality of the workforce and move closer to the requirements of the international environment are a very necessary activity.
Professor Curtis Kelly from Kansai University (Japan) presented his speech at the seminar
The seminar included 3 main speeches:
- Teaching methods for students who have difficulty in learning language - 3Ls psychology application presented by GS. Curtis Kelly - Kansai University (Japan);
- Motivation and attitudes to learn English majors at FTU presented by MSc. Phan Kim Thoa;
- Develop curriculum to promote motivation to study writing skills for non-professional English speaking student in first- year presented by MSc. Do Thi An.
Professor Curtis Kelly exchanged with the Faculty of Professional English of FTU


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I know every infertile who has yet to conceive HATES those who have crossed over to become annoying, complaining pregos.
Well, the truth is: I am one of them.
I am feeling broken down. I worked so hard for years while trying to conceive to eat healthy, get my insides working properly and balance my system.
Now, I feel like a pile of shit.
No one tells you that during pregnancy:
- Morning sickness really means all day sickness and often lasts beyond 1st trimester
- You will pee yourself
- Pulling poop chunks out of your bum is nothing to be ashamed of
- Food is your best friend and your worst enemy at the same time
- Heartburn is uncontrollable
- You will never sleep through the night again
At 14.5 weeks pregnant, my sickness has yet to subside. A full dose of Zofran does curb the all day nausea, but I still puke. Don't even get me started on how well I do with flying (which unfortunately I seem to be doing a lot of lately due to my job). I stole a puke bag from my flight on Friday night and hurled my guts out on the drive home from the airport… which also lead to peeing myself. My body lost control with the consistent heaving. Needless to say, I'm glad to have leather seats and my husband deserves an award for wiping up my piss.
I am taking 2 stool softeners daily to combat the constipation from Zofran, yet I still find myself struggling to push hard marbles out of my ass. I long for the day when it easily slides out again.
My definition of a meal has completely transformed. I used to enjoy food, but now I have to choke down 1 piece of pizza – my former favourite treat. I eat probably 1/4 of what I used to eat per meal. I try to load up on fresh fruits and cold vegetables as much as possible. Fortunately, I'm still craving fruit.
I have immense heartburn that Tums and Gaviscon barely touches (I plan to ask my OB for another remedy). I toss and turn all night long from a mixture of heartburn and the need to pee. I guess this is preparing me for being up with baby, but I haven't slept through the night since I found out I am pregnant. My shoulders and lower back ache from trying to sleep on my left side – a pregnancy recommendation, but also a good step to combat the heartburn.
I've decided to toss the Snoogle aside for a few nights of cuddling. I miss my husband. Having a huge body pillow in between us does not do much for intimacy.
I'm lucky in the sense that I do have glowing skin, but morning nausea means no drive to "get ready". Curly hair or a pony-tail, no make-up and sweats is my usual style these days when I'm not travelling for work.
I can't do as much as I used to. Visiting 3 stores yesterday resulted in a puking episode. My husband insisted we had done enough and I come home to rest.
Most days I just want to curl up in a ball and pray that my symptoms subside. I've gone from a slightly crunchy all natural person to someone who medicates because, without it, there is no relief. No matter what, I still have a job to do, a house to maintain, and a life to live.
As much as I know "it will all be worth it", that statement really did not sink in for me until recently. Another IVF friend, who had her baby 1 month ago and was equally as sick as me, stressed the importance of how she would do it all over again in a second. I just need to keep reminding myself that I will forget all about the pains of pregnancy once my baby is in my arms.
Our road to baby has been far from straight and narrow. So, I'm sending it out to the universe that I desire a quick, natural birth. And I damn well think I deserve it.


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Airport API
The Airport API is used to retrieve information about global airports.
The API enables you to:
- List all major IATA Airports.
Get specific details about an airport using an IATA code.
The Airport API will return the following information:
- Full Airport Name
- City/Country
- Longitude/Latitude
- Time Zone
- Get a list of airports matching a given name or code.
- Get the distance between two airports
- Find airports nearest a given latitude/longitude
Sample API Usage:
The following examples show you how to use the API to:
a) List all major IATA Airports
curl -X GET 'https://airport.api.aero/airport/v2/airports' -H 'x-apikey: '
b) Get specific details about an airport using an IATA code
curl -X GET 'https://airport.api.aero/airport/v2/airport/AMS' -H 'x-apikey: '
c) Get a list of airports matching a given name or code
curl -X GET 'https://airport.api.aero/airport/v2/match/Amst' -H 'x-apikey: '
d) Get the distance between two airports
curl -X GET 'https://airport.api.aero/airport/v2/distance/AMS/CDG?=&units=km' -H 'x-apikey: '
e) Find airports nearest a given latitude/longitude
curl -X GET 'https://airport.api.aero/airport/v2/nearest/52.297097/4.879903?maxAirports=10' -H 'x-apikey: '
XML or JSON ?
The default response type is JSON. To return the response in XML, set the HTTP Header
Accept to


text:
My satisfaction from doing business with you, personally and as a Realtor, is seeing you, the Client, succeed. My background, though originally in Chemical engineering, is largely in the world of business. Through a diverse range of projects in process development, construction, boat building, leather tanning and other commercial ventures, I have developed extensive business, managerial, marketing, administrative, social and negotiating skills.
This has given me the solid background necessary to be effective in the increasingly more complex Real Estate industry. Buying or selling your home or any real property is an important investment transaction requiring to make the right decisions at the right time.
I am committed to providing you with professional, uncompromising and knowledgeable service, using the best available resources, including that of thorough local knowledge. I view working with you as a privilege. Investing your trust in me, as your Agent, is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.
Whether I am searching for the right property for you or listing your existing property, I will work hard on your behalf to assist you in making your plans become reality!


text:
The Answer To Your Cash Needs
Representative 277.5% APR
Representative Example: Borrow £700 and pay £111.27 per month for 12 months at an interest rate of 140% per annum (fixed).
The total charge for credit is £635.24 The total amount repayable is £1335.24. Representative 277.5% APR (variable). Your APR rate will be based on your circumstances
Non-payment could have a negative impact on your credit rating and have increased charges and interest rates.
The Great Things About KnightFinance
Super Fast Process
You could get money directly into your account after just a 15 minutes application.
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Get the cash you need without the usual high costs, because of our wide range of lenders.
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See How Our Competitors Compare
Borrow £500 for 4 Months, Four Monthly Repayments of £215.81 Total repayment £863.24 Interest Rate PA (fixed) 270.10% Representative APR 997%
Loans in the UK: How to Get the Best Deals
Throughout the history of time, individuals and businesses alike have constantly relied on financial services to survive multiple and often varying financial crises. But as the number of both the people and the businesses reliant on loan products and services have steadily increased, so did the number of borrowers who were unable to pay off their loan accounts. In an attempt to address this issue, traditional lending firms and institutions have decided to come up with a system designed to significantly decrease the number of borrowers who are unlikely to pay off the money they owe.
As a result, individuals who either had no means of stable income or had incomes that were deemed unsatisfactory by the lenders were automatically assigned or given poor credit scores. Borrowers who, on the other hand, were either always late in making their payments for their monthly dues, or frequently missed their recurring payments — regardless of whether they were done so intentionally or unintentionally — automatically had their bad payment histories reflected on their records.
As a consequence of this credit scoring in place, individuals who either had poor credit scores and bad payment histories were automatically precluded from securing any more of the loan products and services being offered by the traditional lending firms and institutions. Because of this, borrowers with bad credit were often left with very few — and often downright uncomfortable, implausible or completely impractical — alternatives in times of financial hardships. For many, the first option would be to borrow from friends and members of their families. But while this option always seems reasonable and highly plausible, the truth is, this option is not always available. The reality is that more often than not, friends and family would not hesitate to refuse lending in big amounts — or simply do not have the amounts that the borrowers were asking them to lend.
For others, the only option often left is to secure underground loan agreements from illegally operating lenders. And although procuring these types of loan products and services do offer borrowers the temporary resolution they need in times of urgent financial situations, these often come with generally irreversible long-term repercussions. Because these services are illegal and unregulated by the government, they often come with unjustifiably high interest rates. As a result, borrowers of these types of services often find themselves in perpetuated financial crises.
How to Get the Best Loans in the UK
As the number of borrowers with bad credit continue to pile up, the demand for more flexible financial solutions has also steadily increased — in the process creating an entire new market for borrowers with bad credit. In an attempt to address the needs of this whole new market, lending firms and institutions have decided to come up with a number of different loan solutions especially for borrowers with bad credit. With the emergence of innovative new loan services, borrowers now have access to more flexible, more affordable, and far more secure financial alternatives. And through the continuing innovations in technology and the subsequent evolution of the lending industry, a wide array of financial solutions have now been made easily available in the market.
Applications for most of the conventional piggy bank loans being offered by traditional lending firms and institutions often entail waiting in long lines for long hours just for their submission, as well as even longer waiting when it comes to their approval and release of funds. Applications for these innovative new financial solutions, on the other hand, allows borrowers the convenience of being able to submit their loan applications even right from the comfort of their own homes. With application forms completely accessible online, borrowers now have the convenience of being able to submit their applications entirely online, anywhere, anytime. And with access to countless promotions now easily available through brokers' assistance, borrowers can easily get the best deals even while having their transactions done entirely online.
How to Get Loans for Bad Credit
For individuals with poor credit scores and bad payment histories, securing conventional loans from standard lending institutions is no longer an option. But while borrowers had, in the past, very few alternatives, through the recent and continuing innovations in the lending market, borrowers now have immediate access to many different loan alternatives. With these innovative new loan solutions, borrowers can now avail of financial options in far less time compared to that of procuring loan options from traditional lending firms. Because applications for these financial solutions can generally be completed online, applicants are allowed the convenience of being able to apply anytime. With these innovative new financial solutions, applications are processed immediately after their submission, and borrowers can expect for their approval in as early as just mere minutes. And while the release of funds for approved conventional loan applications typically take weeks-long — because innovative loan solutions are completely done online — the release of their funds can be completed in much shorter time.
But while these types of loan solutions are far better compared to the underground loan agreements that are being offered by illegally operating lenders, these options don't come without disadvantages. Because lenders are taking much higher risks in allowing borrowers with bad credit to avail of their financial services, interest rates associated with these types of loan options are normally significantly higher than that of the conventional loan solutions of standard lending firms.
When to Get Instant Loans
More often than not, problems concerning financial situations require immediate action — a fact that does not sit well with most conventional loan solutions from traditional lending institutions, simply because their processing and approvals often take incredibly long. With instant loan solutions, on the other hand, borrowers are given the convenience to enjoy fast and simple transactions. Because these financial solutions allow borrowers to fill up and submit their application forms online, they can submit their applications from anywhere they want using any device they choose, at any given time. In these type of loan options, borrowers are not asked to submit any more additional requirements, but basic documents are needed in order to allow lenders to establish the borrower's identity and financial capacity.
Just as the name itself suggests, instant loan services can be easily procured, with the processing of applications done immediately following their submission, and their approvals completed in just a few minutes. The release of approved applications' funds, on the other hand, can be expected within 24 hours from the time that the application was submitted.
But while these types of financial solutions make excellent resolutions to temporary financial situations, they do not always make the best resolution in every financial condition. Since these financial options are basically small loan solutions in short term payment conditions, they do not make good solutions to problems that require bigger amounts that need to be paid over in longer terms.
These types of loan solutions make good options, however, in urgent situations that require relatively small amounts — such as those that involve emergency car repair, emergency home repair, hospital bills in relatively small amounts, as well as other similar costs that are usually unexpected. These solutions also make good choices in relatively small purchases — such as those of travel expenses, or the purchase of new gadgets such as laptops, cellphones, television sets, and other similar purchases.
Will Getting Loans from Direct Lenders Yield More Savings?
Because of a common belief that procuring loan solutions from direct lenders would yield far better results, and consequently, more savings — borrowers are often more inclined to secure financial services directly from the lenders themselves. Many of these borrowers believe that by avoiding having to pay for the fees for loan brokers' services, they are actually saving. But what is unknown to many borrowers is the fact that — although they do save a minimal amount when they borrow from the lenders directly — they miss out on the chance of being able to find better deals through the loan brokers' services.
Since loan brokers bank on their network of lenders across many different regions, they have extensive access to numerous different deals and promotions that many different lenders offer across many of their different loan services. Without enlisting the help of loan brokers, borrowers miss out on the access to all these deals and promotions, leaving them vulnerable to whatever they are told to take by the direct lenders. And because loan brokers often give borrowers expert assistance in securing loan solutions that best fit their budget given their financial circumstances — borrowers have more chances of getting more savings out of loan brokers' assistance than they have in borrowing from the lenders directly.
Guarantor Loans: When to Get Them
Guarantor loans are loans solutions which borrowers can only procure with the help of a guarantor. Guarantors can either be individuals or firms and/or institution who exhibit good credit standing and are willing enough to pay off the borrowers' loan accounts in case they fail to repay them for any given reason. Guarantors can not be the borrower's spouses, and must meet all the criteria that the lenders have set before they are even considered to take on these roles. But while procuring loan services through the help of guarantors sounds complicated, there are numerous benefits that borrowers can receive from these types of loan solutions. These benefits include, among others, those being enjoyed by borrowers of conventional loan services from traditional lending firms — such as lower interest rates, lower recurring payment increments, and much longer payment term conditions. Under these types of financial services, borrowers can address much more complicated financial situations without having to endure the disadvantages of higher interest rates and often unaffordable payment increments of short term financial solutions. But while these types of loan options provide borrowers numerous advantages — the sheer difficulty involved in finding individuals with good credit scores who are willing enough to pay off the borrowers' loans often makes them implausible and unfavorable financial resolutions.
How to Get No Guarantor Loans
Because guarantor loans are often extremely hard for borrowers to procure, many lending firms have decided to come up with much simpler financial resolutions. Among these resolutions are no guarantor loan services — which are basically financial services that do not require the help of guarantors to be approved. Through these types of financial options, borrowers have the convenience of fast and simple applications that do not require the submission of any additional requirements. Applications for these financial solutions can be completed entirely online — which means borrowers can fill up their application forms, attach pertinent basic documents for submission, and submit their completed applications without even having to leave the comfort of their own homes. And because these applications can be done online, borrowers have the advantage of being able to submit their applications using any device anywhere at any given time.
Application procedures for these loan services often differ and vary depending on the lender and the policies that they have in place — but these applications are typically completed in just three easy steps:
1. Filling up application forms. In filling up application forms, borrowers are strongly encouraged to make sure that all the information required are provided, and that all the information provided are correct and accurate.
2. Attachment of pertinent documents. Although these types of financial services do not necessitate any more additional requirements, borrowers are still required to submit basic documents. These documents help lenders establish not only the borrower's identity, but also his or her financial capacity. Among the basic documents usually required in loan applications are identification cards or proof of identity, latest statement of account or proof of income, social security, residential number, email address, and a working phone number.
3. Submission of application. In submitting their application forms, borrowers are urged to take extra measures to ensure that their application forms are not only duly filled up, but that the information that they provided in the forms are verified correct and complete; and that the documents required to be submitted are verified authentic as well as complete.
5 most recent personal loan reviews
Review of Colonial Second Charge Loans
I love CSC loans I have been with them nearly three years, need a top up as my son is getting married. They where brilliant as usual, no problems, done so quick - they were my life savers when needed most, thank you.
Review posted by Mary Hartnoll, Canterbury
Customer Service
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As guarantor for my daughters, loan the service we got was quick and efficient, did checks, asked questions and all was sorted very quickly, would definitely recommend Together loans to all.
Review posted by Susan Mills, Darlington
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Brilliant service. The application process was a doddle, the Shawbrook representative who called me was polite, understanding and cheerful. The whole thing (from starting the application process to receiving the money) took around 3 or 4 hours. Very quick and efficient and no long or silly forms to fill out. Just what was necessary. Am very pleased I chose Shawbrook.
Review posted by John Marcus, Surrey
Customer Service
Ease Of Use
Value For Money
Representative 277.5% APR
Representative Example: Borrow £700 and pay £111.27 per month for 12 months at an interest rate of 140% per annum (fixed).
The total charge for credit is £635.24 The total amount repayable is £1335.24. Representative 277.5% APR (variable). Your APR rate will be based on your circumstances
Non-payment could have a negative impact on your credit rating and have increased charges and interest rates.


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1. Let's start with the FAMILY SIZED bag of Hershey's Kisses! Who doesn't love these little treats? I ate about 10 trillion of them right off the bat but I think I should probably take some home to share... Or maybe I can make some more of my famous Snuggles candy??
2. Moving right along to the Red Rose Tea. I love having a cup of hot tea at my desk in the late afternoons. I have to have an afternoon snack and a cup of tea is usually enough. Plus, it warms me up on cold days and also calms me during stressful afternoons! I'm excited about the Lemon Chiffon decaf tea because I can't do caffeine, plus I love lemon, so it's a perfect combo! I'm going to give the caffeinated bags to my brother and sister in law, as they are tea connoisseurs! A $2 off coupon was included so I will be buying more Lemon Chiffon in the very near future!
3. On to the Kiss eyelashes. Truth be told I really like wearing fake lashes. I don't do it regularly but I do for special occasions. I really got into them when my sister was Miss Alabama and we all went to Vegas for Miss USA. I am saving these babies for our next formal event, which is coming up in the next few weeks. I know I'm going to love the "Shy" style of lashes because they are full without being overwhelming. I like to looked amped up, but I like to be as natural looking as possible in the process.
4. Next we have what I consider a full sized bottle of Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask. I really like doing facial masks because I have such junky skin, especially in the winter. First it's peeling because it's too dry. then I moisturize and it get's oily and I break out. There is no happy middle ground. I have been reading about Botanics online and I think that this may be the thing for my hyper active skin. You can check all of their products out for yourself at Target!
5. Last but not least is John Frieda 3 Day Straight Flat Iron Spray. Now I'm sure you all remember my discussion of my hybrid hair so I'm really looking forward to trying this. I may wait to try it until we go on vacation so I don't have to pack my straightener. We shall see how much patience I can have!
I am beyond thrilled with the contents of this box! I know that lots of you also received it and that some of you got different products in yours. Since I haven't really started using my products let me know what your favorite things are!!! Can't wait!
*I did receive this box and the products inside for free but the opinions are all my own!


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AMBRIDGE (KDKA) – Police are investigating a Wednesday morning hit-and-run accident in Beaver County.
Ambridge Police say it mimicked a scene out of a Hollywood movie, but what happened after 7:15 a.m. Wednesday was very real.
"I heard something like a motorcycle racing. It was a high-powered engine," Derek McCarriher, a witness said. "I turn and all I see is a guy on the hood of a car."
Police say 18-year-old Nishawn Stevenson was driving an Enterprise rental car he'd allegedly stolen from a relative with two teenaged girls as passengers.
According to police, something led to a road rage incident along Merchant Street with a car driven by Charles Hawk and his son, Ronald Hawk.
"They came up the one way street the wrong way. Mr. Stevenson turned right on Glenwood, which is a one-way street. He was going the wrong way," said Ambridge Police Chief James Mann. "He saw a police car that was actually doing school traffic. He tried to turn around when Mr. Hawk's vehicle clearly blocked him in."
Ronald Hawk then got out of the car and walked towards Stevenson's, but the 18-year-old reportedly hit the gas.
"He was hanging onto the hood by the windshield wiper, and I don't know how he fell off, but he must have lost his grip, but he rolled under the car," said McCarriher. "I don't know if a tire rolled over him or something."
Police say Ronald Hawk was seriously injured. His ankle was broken and his head cut up. Witnesses say the victim had a portion of his scalp nearly cut off.
Ambridge Police say Ronald Hawk eventually rolled off the car and Stevenson kept driving, running stop signs during a time when children were heading to school.
Stevenson finally crashed the car, injuring the two teens with him.
As for Stevenson, he has a very different account of how things happened.
KDKA's Christine D'Antonio: "Do you feel badly?"
Stevenson: "No, he should've never jumped on top of the car."
More Local News
More Beaver County News
Join The Conversation, Like KDKA On Facebook
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Muslims are upset over Pope Benedict XVI's remarks when he quoted from a conversation that took place in Ankara in the year 1391 between Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on Christianity and Islam.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached," the pope quoted Manuel as saying.
Now Muslims are being furiously stirred up over the quote. They want him to retract his remarks. Is another aspect of Islam to deny the fact of history?
They say that western clerics and politicians are "hostile to Islam." Like duhhh. Does anyone need to know WHY this hostility to Islam is growing worldwide? They say the pope's remarks hurt the feelings of Muslims worldwide and is creating a gulf between religions.
Who IS creating that gulf? Muslim extremists who are killing innocents worldwide? Or people who are faithful to Islam but never utter a condemnation of the extremists savage actions? Doesn't executing someone who sponsored a school for little girls in Afghanistan serve to create a gulf between Islam and the rest of the world?
Will they put out a 'hit' on the Pope for this? Someone has already started bombing Christian symbols in Gaza City. Maybe ask Salman Rushdie where his safe house is. Muslims don't seem to like fiction either.
Many are beginning to believe that WW III has started and it is Muslims against the world.
UPDATE: Sept 18 - MOGADISHU, Somalia -- An Italian nun who devoted her life to helping the sick in Africa was shot dead by two gunmen at a hospital Sunday in an attack possibly linked to worldwide Muslim anger toward Pope Benedict XVI. Sister Leonella, 65, was shot in the back four times by pistol-wielding attackers as she left the Austrian-run S.O.S. hospital at lunchtime. Sister Leonella had lived in Africa for 38 years. Her bodyguard was also slain.
caterwauls are my screams in the night from the back fence, aimed at the inequitable situations in our present society and the ridiculousness of life's paths........ With a little silliness too . . . for sanity.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Islam vs Everybody
Posted by Caterwauler at 8:45 am
4 comments:
- Anonymous8:46 am
it is world war three. muslims are the ones causing shit to happen everywhere. and this is a religion that dont let women drive or work or get educated. piss on them all, we better win this war! i am now a george bush fan.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous8:51 am
If you read that comment that he quoted, it is EXACTLY right even today.ReplyDelete
So what's the big furor about?
- Anonymous10:58 pm
The furor is because the f&$#ing muslims get pissed at everything, it's time we give them something REAL to be pissed about.ReplyDelete
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When it comes to measuring an institution's financial stability, capital is crucial. It works as a buffer against losses and affords protection for members during periods of economic trouble for the credit union. From a safety and soundness perspective, the more capital, the better.
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH scored 26 out of a possible 30 points on our test to measure the adequacy of a credit union's capital, better than the national average of 15.65.
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH had a capitalization ratio of 26.00 percent in our test, higher than the average for all credit unions, suggesting that it's stronger than its peers.
In this test, Bankrate tries to determine the impact of troubled assets, such as past-due mortgages, on the credit union's loan loss reserves and overall capitalization.
Having a large number of these kinds of assets means a credit union may eventually have to use capital to cover losses, diminishing its cushion of equity. Many of those assets are also likely to be in non-accrual status and no longer earning money, reducing earnings and increasing the chances of a failure in the future.
On Bankrate's test of asset quality, SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH scored 40 out of a possible 40 points, beating the national average of 38.09 points.
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH's ratio of problem assets was 0.00 percent in our test, below the national average and suggestive of greater financial strength than other credit unions.
How successful a credit union is at earning money affects its safety and soundness. A credit union can retain its earnings, expanding its capital cushion, or use them to deal with problematic loans, likely making the credit union better prepared to withstand economic trouble. Credit unions that are losing money, however, are less able to do those things.
On Bankrate's test of earnings, SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH scored 18 out of a possible 30, above the national average of 10.11.
One sign that SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA VETERANS HEALTH is outperforming its peers in this area was its earnings ratio of 0.00 percent in our test, better than the average for all credit unions.
Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound Ratings provide a star rating system to evaluate the current financial status of financial institutions. The information gathered about banks, credit unions and thrifts is updated as set forth in the Terms of Use of Safe & Sound Ratings and Reports. The Safe & Sound Ratings information is grouped by categories of banks, thrifts and credit unions.
Bankrate.com evaluates the financial condition of institutions and assigns a one- to five-star rating for each with five stars representing the highest rating. Institutions with satisfactory performance will generally receive a rating of three or more stars. The majority of institutions fall into the three- to four-star range. An institution with an "NR" rating may be too new to rate or may have limited the publicly available information in their regulatory filings. The "NR" is not an indication of financial strength or weakness. The Safe & Sound rating is believed to be reliable, but the information is not guaranteed. In addition, events since the information was collected may have altered the institution's financial condition.


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Nanocrystalline cellulose is a fundamental building block of cellulose, the most abundant organic polymer on earth. Cellulose contains both crystalline and non-crystalline (amorphous) regions — NCC is obtained by chemically removing the amorphous cellulose, leaving behind tiny, nano-scale needles.
The first potential benefit is that NCC offers a way of harnessing the waste products from agriculture and forestry.
NCC can be used in development of new bioproducts to replace or supplement petrochemical supplies. By replacing just two percent of the polymers that are now made from petrochemicals, we could significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
In addition to its strength and durability, nanocrystalline cellulose reflects light, which makes it suitable for use in optically reflective films found on passports, credit cards and paper money. And since this material is biodegradable, you could use carboxylated NCC for targeted drug delivery by hooking its carboxyl handle to a drug.
NRC-BRI technical officer Sabahudin Hrapovic says that the "LVEM5 proved itself as a crucial tool for characterization of nanocrystalline cellulose. It gave us the ability to assess and discriminate structure and morphology of the fibers on various stages of processing, to evaluate and optimize the fiber sources. The TEM imaging with LVEM5 is very fast and provides particularly high contrast on unstained fibers, which we simply could not achieve before with conventional, 100kV TEM equipment."
NRC-BRI technical officer Sabahudin Hrapovic uses a LVEM5 benchtop transmission
electron microscope to observe the size and distribution of nanocrystalline
cellulose particles.
For more information please see:
National Research Council of Canada:
Highlights – Nano-polymer could reduce carbon footprint


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No Excuse
The opening of this post may seem odd, but if you read it in its entirety, I'm fairly certain it will become clear.
I have had a great many setbacks throughout my lifetime: depression, obesity, and a rare brain disease to list a few. I am also a childhood survivor of sexual abuse. The impact of abuse is long lasting. For me, the abuse violated my understanding of and relationship with the world and created within me many trust issues.
In 2008, I attended a survivor of sexual abuse retreat at the Women's Wilderness Institution in Boulder, Colorado. . The Institute provides an ideal environment for women to reconnect with their inherent strengths and sense of well-being. It is my belief that there is healing in nature.
Myself, along with six other women set off on a primitive camping expedition. Growing up in Florida, soft sand and beaches were my playgrounds. I had no experience camping, and I did not know that rock climbing was even an activity.
Today I came across photos from that trip. In one photo, I was so cold that I needed two sleeping bags, and I didn't drink nearly enough water. As with life, I survived.
Weighing in at 365 pounds, the traditional equipment did not fit me appropriately. The other women assisted me in tying knots to make a safety net of sorts. Wearing a make-shift harness, I scaled my way up the side of the mountain. It took a lot of courage to reach the top, but once there I fell in love with nature and knew I had the strength to do anything.
I finally understood the old Negro spiritual, "Rough Side of the Mountain" and I felt liberated. A year later I developed symptoms of what would be diagnosed as the rare brain disease, Pseudotumor Cerebri /Intracranial Hypertension (IH).
My journey has never been an easy one, but the years following that trip were especially difficult. Now, fifteen surgeries (eight of which were brain surgeries) later, I am reminded of the first day I fell in love with nature.
I hear a lot of, "I can't," "I would but," "With my condition it's not possible," or "I'm not able" when I talk about my ventures. At first, I tried to be empathic of others' situations, and then I recall having the physical strength at 365 pounds to lift myself up a mountain.
I remember waking up the morning after one of my brain surgeries eager to go for a run (at the time I'd not run in over 15 years). I am reminded of my childhood and the courage it takes to not only trust others but trust myself.
I am doing what no one has done before, hiking the PCT with a neuromodulator. Now, when I hear a list of excuses they are just that, excuses. My motto has been "I can, I must and I will." If I can, you have no excuse.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!
To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.
Comments 6
"I can. I must. I will." A great motto, and one I will be using as well, if you don't mind. I'll give you telepathic credit every time I use it. (: Keep up the great posts!
Beautiful. An inspiration…
What an inspiration you are!!!! My sister suffers from PTC. It has tortured her for nearly 20 years. I think it's incredible what you were doing. I was also abused for years, I still battle with my feelings from all of that. I have definitely found refuge in nature. I am a avid plus size hiker/backpacker with really bad arthritis in my spine and knees. The pain makes every step very difficult but it's worth it and I love it. I can't wait to read about your adventure. I am looking to hike 1000 miles of the AT in 2017.


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After I wrote what the heck is a net zero energy building? not a few people complained that I was getting hung up in the details and missing the big picture. Or as professor and author Tony Denzer noted in a tweet, "Too much worry about the fringe of the garment, in my opinion. (And I enjoy obscure things.)" Others complained that it sounded like I was against the whole idea.
I am, in fact, very much in favor of the concept and believe that every building should be net zero energy, defined by architect and author William Maclay as "producing more energy than it consumes on an annual basis using only renewable energy in the process." Reading his book, "The New Net Zero," I learned that he shares my view of the fundamental issue with most net zero standards: that they are nit-picky, and that they don't care about the building and how well it's built, just that they are net zero. Meaning you can have a huge, poorly insulated home but if you throw enough solar panels on the top or buy enough wind power, it can be called net-zero.
These typical definitions for net zero buildings do not put a limit on energy consumption as long as the consumption is matched by renewable production on the property… This means that new or existing buildings that consume high amounts of energy can qualify as net zero just by adding large numbers of renewables on the building site.
Furthermore, the power that is fed back to the house is not necessarily clean green power, so the bigger the system, the more fossil fuels that must be burned to offset it. Maclay reiterates the point that Elrond Burrell made, that we should be first aiming for what he called "radical building efficiency." Maclay writes:
The first step to a net zero society is load reduction — the reduction of society-wide energy consumption. Instead of focusing singularly on the metric of net zero, we should focus on the energy performance of all new and existing buildings.
A net zero project is one that meets the net zero ready/micro-load energy conservation standard and then adds enough renewable energy production specifically for the project to cover annual building energy consumption. Seems simple, right?
A reasonable compromise? (Photo: The New Net Zero)
Interestingly, Maclay does not go all Passivhaus on us, but looks tries to "optimize energy conservation levels," looking for a cost-effective balance of insulation, energy performance and renewables. This addresses a common criticism of the passive house/Passivhaus movement: that it costs too much to build to Passivhaus standards and that it doesn't make sense with the current price of renewables. It's not an unreasonable argument, sometimes known as "the pretty good house."
In fact, Maclay makes totally reasonable points throughout his chapter on defining a new net zero. He concludes:
We have been looking at net zero from a narrow energy input-output model because we believe that energy concerns will be the single greatest challenge to civilizations and living systems in the twenty-first century. However, a more inclusive definition of net zero buildings takes into account that these buildings protect the environment, pay for themselves through improved efficiency, provide stable energy costs, and avoid the need for fossil-fuel-based energy sources.
My only problem with Maclay's book is that it provides Too Much Information. It's a big, beautiful and expensive book with a ton of detail on how to build an efficient net-zero building, which the publisher says "is geared toward professionals exploring net-zero design." However the introduction and the first part, "What is Net Zero?" define a standard for the New Net Zero that should be read by everyone who cares about the subject. It actually makes Net Zero make sense.
Related in MNN and TreeHugger:
- At the NIST Net Zero test facility, the residents are virtual
- ROSE Cottage: A net-zero energy home for all seasons
- New certification finally defines what net zero really means


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Bucs Sniffing ShoopFebruary 8th, 2012
Chucky's old QB coach John Shoop (2004), a former Bears offensive coordinator (2001-2003), is the latest name to swirl around the Bucs and their many coaching vacancies.
Alex Marvez at FOXSports.com — does this guy have One Buc bugged? — recently Twittered that Shoop is interviewing with the Bucs today for the offensive coordinator gig.
At least Shoop lived and breathed quality NFL football with the Bears back in 2001, when Chicago went 13-3 with Jim Miller and Shane Matthews as QBs before losing to Philadelphia in the playoffs. Coaching under Dick Jauron, Joe suspects Shoop was no puppet for his defensive head coach. Shoop was fired after the Bears went 7-9 in 2003, when they tried to revive Kordell Stewart's career — bad idea.
Does this mean Ron Turner is a no-go? Joe sure hopes so.
Hopefully Shoop believes the Benn'd around play is something that should only be seen at Mons Venus.


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Progress of Alex Poythress is Key to Kentucky's SuccessPosted by Brian Joyce on October 23rd, 2013
Kentucky's freshmen receive all the accolades. Kentucky was declared the number one team in the land by the coaches. NBA scouts may think James Young is the best player on Kentucky's roster. Julius Randle may be the only bona fide NBA prospect and the best player in the SEC. The other freshmen, including the Harrison twins (Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison) and Dakari Johnson, may snatch up the other college basketball headlines. Yep, John Calipari's latest freshman class is talented and deserves the publicity, but Kentucky needs to look to its not-so-distant past in order to mimic the program's success with one-and-dones. When Kentucky achieved tremendous results (think Kansas, not Robert Morris), it wasn't relying solely on first-year players.
A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a 6'9″ 18-year old freshman stepped into Rupp Arena and poured in 25 points in his first game in a Kentucky jersey. While Lexington certainly seems like a distant supernova in the basketball world, this moment in time wasn't really all that long ago. It just seems like it was after a dismal 2012-13 season that resulted in a trip to the NIT. The freshman was Terrence Jones and the season was 2010-11. Jones went on to have a stellar first year in blue, dropping 29 points just two games later against Oklahoma, scoring 27 on Notre Dame, and in his second SEC game he put in 35, the most points ever scored by a freshman in Kentucky's storied history. Jones was somewhat inconsistent that season, because after all he was a freshman; but the very next season, he was a key leader and "veteran" sophomore on a national championship team starting three freshmen.In his sophomore campaign, Jones improved his scoring and rebounding on the way to becoming a much more efficient player. He got to the rim a lot more often (48 percent of possessions in 2011-12 as compared to just 31 percent in 2010-11, according to Hoop-Math), and more importantly, he took better shots (decreasing his shot percentage from 27.2% in 2010-11 to a more manageable 22.6% in 2011-12, according to KenPom). Sure, he had some moments where one could question his progress, but in the end he became a key cog on a driven and determined machine. Though Kentucky's freshman class was immensely talented, it would not have won six games in a row in March without the efforts and experience of Jones, Doron Lamb, and Darius Miller. With one of the best incoming classes in NCAA history entering the landscape this season, Kentucky looks to repeat its 2012 success. However, John Calipari also needs improvement from his top returnees, which brings us to sophomore forward Alex Poythress.
Poythress had some flashes of brilliance in his freshman campaign. He scored 20 points and snared eight rebounds in his second game against Duke, en route to four straight 20-point performances to start the season. At the time, Calipari even called the 6'7″ freshman a "beast." But then came plenty of low moments. He failed to score in double figures in nine of the Cats' 16 SEC games. Nor did he reach double figures in any the Wildcats' SEC Tournament loss or the Cats' lone NIT appearance. And of course, Kentucky failed to reach its lofty preseason expectations. If the Wildcats are to reach those championship levels of success and not suffer another disappointment, they will need to see progress from Poythress. We have critiqued his offensive game and found three areas where Poythress needs to improve in order to become the leader-by-example Calipari needs on this roster:
- More aggressiveness with the ball: Poythress had a solid offensive rating (110.9) and demonstrated he was capable of big games, but his possession percentage was an average 21.5 percent and his share of shots was just 19.5 percent despite leading the team in true shooting percentage and logging an impressive effective field goal percentage above 60 percent. Despite all the talent around him this season, he has to demand the ball more often and be more aggressive with it when he has it in his hands.
- Improve his mid-range game: Poythress got to the rim a lot (on 58 percent of his shots) and shot well from beyond the arc (42.4%), but his mid-range game struggled. As a freshman, he took 27 percent of his shots from this area, but he made just 23 percent of those attempts. That won't draw much respect from defenders backing off his 12-footers to prevent another one of the "beast's" monster dunks.
- Cut down on turnovers: Finally, Poythress needs to cut down on his mistakes with the basketball. Archie Goodwin was seen as out of control and wild by most of the Big Blue Nation last year, but it was Poythress who had the higher turnover percentage at 21.6 percent. He needs to make the most of his limited possessions, and giving the ball away twice per game is way too many.
Calipari could easily start at least three freshmen again this year, but for Kentucky to be as successful as it was in 2012, it needs Poythress and fellow sophomore returnee Willie Cauley-Stein to fill the experience and leadership roles that the Cats sorely lacked last season. The freshmen will perform well, but only with great contributions from the sophomores will Kentucky have a favorite's shot to cut down the nets in Arlington.


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There's no doubt that video content can do wonders for your marketing strategy. Whether you want to create a website similar to YouTube or DailyMotion or use video instead of traditional blogging, video can not only improve your search engine rank, but it can also help create awareness about your brand and generate leads.
One of the easiest ways to create a video-sharing website is to use WordPress. Thanks to its ease of use and a plethora of video WordPress themes, you can have your site up and running in no time.
Here are a number of great video sharing WordPress themes that you can set up on any quality hosting provider that supports WordPress. Managed WordPress hosting can make a lot of sense. In this case the host takes care of security, updates, and a lot of the other behind-the-scenes stuff, leaving you to focus on producing great content and building your audience. Envato has a partnership with SiteGround that offers you up to 70% off managed WordPress hosting.
20 Best Video Sharing WordPress Themes for 2019
In today's roundup, we're featuring the best video sharing WordPress themes that have an attractive design and allow you to share videos in multiple ways. Not only do they boast the video post format, but many will also use videos as backgrounds, and even allow your visitors to submit video content.
1. Bimber - Viral Magazine WordPress Theme
Top-selling viral theme "Bimber" saw version 7 released in March 2019; a version which the authors describe as being "all about video". It includes a pile of new video features, plus a demo styled around YouTube itself. Features include being able to build a custom video playlist, and all the viral add-ons which have made this theme so successful.
2. VideoFly - Clean Video Sharing and Portal Theme
Try VideoFly if you want to foster a community feel and allow visitors to upload their own videos. This theme is a great choice for video blogs or tutorial websites. VideoFly features a clean design, however, it does come with a plethora of customization options and different layout possibilities. Additionally, you can sell advertising space on your website and earn extra income.
3. Candy - Business Video WordPress Theme
The Candy video sharing WordPress theme is a perfect choice for business owners or freelancers that want to use video as a part of their marketing strategy. Not only can you use video backgrounds, but you can also use the video post format to share case studies, past projects, client testimonials, and more. The theme can be used as a one page or multi-page theme and it includes beautiful parallax effects that are sure to grab the attention of your visitors.
4. Gags - Responsive Video Sharing WordPress Theme
The Gags theme has an unusual name, but all the right features to make its way on our list of the best video themes for WordPress. The WordPress video theme allows you to create a community site where users can upload gags and memes in both video and image format. The theme is fully responsive and easy to customize and includes a custom plugin to help you manage all the media users submitted as well as a user-voting system to boost the engagement rate. Customers praise the features and flexibility of this theme:
Love this theme it's fun to work with! Support rocks!
5. Videoly - Versatile Video Blog Theme for WordPress
The Videoly theme is a beautiful video blog theme suitable for bloggers, YouTubers, and vloggers. The theme has nine pre-made demos and comes integrated with the Visual Composer page builder, so you can easily modify the layouts and create your own.
Key features of this video blog theme for WordPress include:
- Six different hero types
- Fully responsive
- Google Font integration
- Optimized for speed and SEO
6. goWatch - Sleek WordPress Theme for Video Site
The goWatch theme features a sleek and elegant design suitable for video sharing sites and portals. It comes with a built-in mega menu, 12 different layouts, several custom post types, and tons of customization options. This WordPress theme for video site is also translation-ready and includes the ability to rate videos and save them to favorites lists. On top of that, goWatch includes AdBlock detector and complete integration with MailChimp.
7. Waves - Modern Video WordPress Theme
The Waves theme is a modern, one-page WordPress video theme with video backgrounds and headers that are perfect for capturing the attention of your visitors and standing out among your competition. The theme is perfect for business owners, freelancers, or agencies and comes with a filterable portfolio, team layouts, and gorgeous parallax effects perfect for calls-to-action.
8. VideoMag - Powerful Video Streaming and Video Sharing WordPress Theme
The VideoMag theme is a great choice if you plan on sharing a lot of content from sites like YouTube, DailyMotion, Vine, Twitch, and others. The theme will automatically generate thumbnails for videos and it includes a stunning banner system that allows you to have complete control over your site's banners. The theme is also responsive and comes with a variety of shortcodes that will help you add extra elements to your content.
9. Durja - Simple WordPress Theme With Video Support
The Durja theme is a great choice for bloggers that features a clean and simple design. The simplicity of the design puts more emphasis on your content, which means your videos will be easy to see. Main features include:
- Fully responsive
- SEO optimized
- Full video support
- Masonry layout
- Google Ads support in header
- Built-in Post Share Buttons
- And more
10. Vlog - Sophisticated YouTube WordPress Theme
The Vlog theme features a sophisticated design and offers full support not only for YouTube but also for Vimeo, Dailymotion, and other common video sharing sites. This theme comes with a custom video importer plugin and the ability to group your videos and articles into playlists, which is perfect for tutorials and similar serial content. Customers praise the design as well as technical aspects of the theme:
I'm impressed by the theme functionality. It works great and is easy to adjust. The way of showing the content is clean and fast. The page speed is impressive.
11. Creatink - Creative WordPress Video Theme
Try the Creatink theme if you want a creative theme that will allow you to incorporate video into your site without too much effort. The theme is fully responsive and supports video post formats. It also includes hundreds of features and elements that allow you to create unlimited layout combinations. The theme is also fully optimized to load fast and rank better in search engines.
12. Anni - Elegant WordPress Video Theme
The Anni theme is easy to use and features an elegant design that will put your video content front and center. On top of being fully responsive, the theme is optimized for SEO and comes with premade demos which can be imported with a single click. You'll also find built-in social sharing and the ability to add your social media links as well as a number of custom page templates that will help you create all the necessary pages for your site.
13. Tinos - Fresh WordPress Video Theme For Freelancers And Agencies
Try the Tinos theme if you're a freelancer or an agency that wants a fresh and modern theme along with the ability to capitalize on video content. The theme comes with multiple layout options and allows you to customize every aspect of the theme. Aside from video features, other notable features include:
- Multiple layout options for Portfolio page
- Powerful admin panel
- Drag & drop page builder with Visual Composer plugin
- Online Shop with WooCommerce
- Mailchimp integrated
- Numerous shortcodes
- SEO optimized
- And more
14. VideoTube - Multipurpose YouTube WordPress Theme
The VideoTube is another great option for building a YouTube-style website. The theme allows you to easily import videos from both YouTube and Vimeo as well as other video sites. You can easily customize the homepage with built-in widgets and encourage interaction with a built-in like and share system. On top of that, visitors can easily submit their own videos. Customers especially love the features as well as the customer support:
great support! great video theme with many features!
15. Koala - Super Fast WordPress Video Theme
The Koala theme is a perfect choice for any video site because it was optimized to load fast, which means your visitors won't have to wait around until the videos on your page have loaded. Aside from video support, the theme also comes with plenty of shortcodes, customization options, and several premade layouts as well as the ability to use built-in social sharing and Google AdSense integration.
16. Bucket - Magazine and Video WordPress Theme
The Bucket theme makes it easy to create an online magazine as well as a video site. The theme allows you to engage visitors with reviews, latest videos, breaking news, and more. All the pages are easy to edit thanks to the custom page builder and you can customize pretty much every aspect of your site with the powerful admin panel.
17. Optima - Unique WordPress Theme With Video Support
The Optima theme comes with 25 unique demos that can easily be imported with a single click. Aside from being able to use video content, you'll be able to create an online store with ease thanks to WooCommerce integration. You can also use this theme for a business website and easily insert team bios, testimonials, portfolio, and more.
18. Elletta - Flexible Video Magazine WordPress Theme
The Elletta theme comes with several popular WordPress plugins that are meant to help you increase the number of leads and social shares you get. The theme is very flexible and allows you to create a traditional blog or magazine as well as a website that's more focused on sharing video content.
19. Pisces - Easy to Use Video WordPress Theme
The Pisces theme is perfect for anyone looking for an easy-to-use theme. Pisces comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop page builder, which makes it easy to create unique layouts for your pages as well as customize the premade ones. Thanks to the powerful admin panel, you can customize colors, fonts, and more.
20. Kickcube - Membership & User Content Sharing Theme
The Kickcube theme allows you not only to share videos but also music, audio content, and photos for a true multimedia website. Your visitors can submit their own content and easily login using an existing social media profile. The theme also comes with 1-click demo installation, extensive documentation, responsive design, and tons of customization options.
4 Tips to Make Sure Your Video Website Stands Out
Once you know which video sharing WordPress theme you want to use, take some time to optimize your videos before you add them to the site. This means you need to optimize them for search engines, but also make sure that the finished video is in line with your brand. The following tips will help you out.
1. Begin With Keyword Research
Whether you plan on making videos yourself or embedding existing content, make sure to do your keyword research first and use videos that are related to your overall topic. If you're recording your own videos, ensure that your title and description contains relevant keywords.
2. Use a Short Intro
When branding your videos with a logo opener, don't spend too much time on creating a long intro. Consider keeping your opener no longer than 10 seconds so you don't have to worry about visitors losing interest.
3. Include a CTA
Include a call-to-action at the end of your video, depending on what you're trying to accomplish. If your primary goal is for visitors to share your content, invite them to share the video, otherwise consider asking them to subscribe to your channel or better yet - offer a freebie and send your video viewers to a landing page where they can subscribe to your email list.
4. Use an External Hosting Site
Lastly, consider using an external video hosting site for your videos. Doing so will ensure that your site loads fast. You won't run into potential problems with your host because you used up all the space or went over your allotted bandwidth.
Launch Your Website With Video Sharing WordPress Themes
Thanks to WordPress video themes, creating a video-focused website has never been easier. Browse our collection of video themes for WordPress over on Envato Elements and on ThemeForest to launch your website quickly.
Envato Tuts+ tutorials are translated into other languages by our community members—you can be involved too!Translate this post


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COVID-19 Update: We're here for you. These are uncertain times but one thing that is certain is our commitment to you. As an online business, we're set up to help you remotely so you can still take care of your mortgage decisions.
Darcie Lloyd has had little sleep, or peace of mind, since historic floods hit southern Alberta 10 months ago.
Darcie Lloyd has had little sleep, or peace of mind, since historic floods hit southern Alberta 10 months ago.
The bungalow she and her ex-boyfriend own a few hundred metres from the Bow River was badly flooded on June 21, 2013. The dirt basement filled with water, crumbling the structure supports and making their home unfit for habitation. It is now set for demolition.
As far as Ms. Lloyd knows, the house, built in 1954, had never flooded before last year. Assessed by the city at $425,000 in early 2013 – before the floods hit – the property's latest valuation was pegged at $250,000, less than what's still outstanding on the mortgage, before any insurance and disaster-aid payments.
"That was a real kick in the crotch," said Ms. Lloyd, 38, an electrician. "I still have no idea how I'm going to come out of this."
Ms. Lloyd and her boyfriend split up in part owing to the financial and emotional stress of the flood. Neither has been able to pay their rents and the mortgage at the same time. Now, the home, listed for sale at $300,000, is being foreclosed on.
Alberta real estate is booming thanks to the province's strong economy, but the pockets where the flood damage was severe inhabit a completely disparate reality. A number of experienced Calgary real estate agents say some disaster-affected homes have seen price drops of 10 per cent. And for houses in the hardest-hit neighbourhoods with the worst damage – including homes that saw water slosh through their main floors or structures that need to be torn down – prices have plummeted 25 per cent or more.
Now, as the high-water season looms, these markets are in a state of limbo. The normal spring season of buying and selling has been marred by uncertainty about whether flood-mitigation dams and tunnels will be built, the city's proposed new rules for building in flood-affected areas, and delays and disappointments in the size of payments coming through the province's Disaster Recovery Program. In the town of High River, Alberta's hardest-hit community, the market is far from rebounding.
In Calgary's flood-affected neighbourhoods, desolate houses and empty lots now sit next to properties undergoing full renovations. Almost 2,000 homes in 15 neighbourhoods, or 0.4 per cent of all city homes, saw some sort of market value reduction due to both physical flood damage and the "market view," according to city assessment rolls released earlier this year. The average lost value in each of these homes – some in the most expensive neighbourhoods in the city – was $209,000. The high waters hit some of the most desirable and wealthy neighbourhoods in Calgary.
Since the disaster, the process of buying a house has become more onerous. Real estate agents say lenders have demanded extra proof of flood repairs, even in neighbourhoods far away from any river. RBC is asking some clients to confirm whether the property was damaged or not. Toronto-Dominion Bank is using postal codes as a guide, and in some cases is requiring an inspection and extra documentation.
But there are signs the high demand for houses and Alberta's booming economy is creeping back even into the flood market. The city's chief property assessor Nelson Karpa said he has already noticed property values depressed by the flood are slowly starting to inch toward their preflood prices.
Simon Lord is one buyer attracted by the discounted prices. He bought and renovated a century-old bungalow in a fashionable section of inner city Calgary that he'd wanted to buy into for years.
The Calgary defence lawyer believes the home's just-under $1-million price tag was a "bargain" that would have been several hundreds of thousands dollars higher one year ago, before the tree-lined neighbourhood and the bungalow itself – located one block away from the Elbow River – were swamped by last year's historic flood. The previous owners "didn't have the heart" to renovate again and face the potential of another flood, said Mr. Lord, who will be standing by with sump pumps and a generator at the ready in June.
"If there's another massive flood this spring, I'm an impetuous fool. And if there isn't, then I'm a real-estate genius," Mr. Lord said.
Donna Rooney and Gary Cronin, Mr. Lord's real estate agents, say they have been involved in almost half of the postflood sales in the hard-hit Calgary neighbourhoods of Roxboro, Elbow Park and Rideau Park – affluent, centrally located bastions near the winding and usually lazy Elbow River. Today there are a small smattering of "for sale" signs on streets packed with construction and renovation company trucks as the postflood work continues.
"Assuming we get through this June, which is our wettest season, I think again you'll see the demand increase," said Mr. Cronin. "Within four years we'll be fully back to where we were."
But in the northwestern neighbourhood of Bowness the picture is decidedly less sunny, according to real estate agent Ken Richter.
The area was steadily creeping toward gentrification in recent years, especially on Bow Crescent where huge lots with long, lush yards back onto the Bow River. While some properties damaged by sewer backups during the floods have been moving, Mr. Richter said he hasn't seen any sales of homes directly hit by overland flooding. "It's going to take a long time to heal," he said.
In an ideal world, Ms. Lloyd, whose property is also located in Bowness, would like to use some of the government aid to make her mortgage payments for a few years until the market rebounds, and then sell the land. But she believes her mortgage lender First National Financial LP will push for a quick sale at a rock-bottom price.
But Robert Inglis, chief financial officer of First National, said the lender extended a three to six month mortgage amnesty to dozens of Alberta customers following the floods. For the few whose mortgage is greater than the current value of their properties, he said lying in wait for a potential real estate market rebound isn't feasible.
"We can't move forward with a proposal that doesn't make any sense," Mr. Inglis said. "Waiting three years for the market to change is not a good bet for us."