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The Service World Changed - Did You?
Technology is advancing at an exponential rate and the service desk needs to ensure that it stays ahead of the curve. Join Howard Kendall in this interactive webinar to discover the practical steps required to excel in configuration, change and release management and the process, people skills update required to move your service strategy to the next level. Make sure that your change, configuration and release strategies are adding real value to your support operations and are making an ongoing contribution to service quality and resilience.
Jun 16 2011
47 mins
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Presented by
Howard Kendall, Founder, SDI; Jenny Woodhams, Swinton; Barclay Rae, Industry Expert
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IT Service Management
DevOps + ITSM : A Merge Request
Nov 7 2019
1:00 pm
60 mins
Rob Akershoek, IT Management Architect, Fruition Partners, a DXC Technology Company
Traditional ITSM practices such as ITIL are being challenged by DevOps teams. Does a DevOps team still need an ITSM system? Can we not just use one single backlog to manage all our work including incidents and requests? Do we still need a CAB for change approvals? Is the traditional CMDB suitable for the dynamic cloud environment? Learn all about how ITSM needs be transformed to leverage the DevOps way of working.
Save your seat
Inside ITIL® 4 – the Digital Perspective
Nov 5 2019
9:00 am
45 mins
Mark Smalley, the IT Paradigmologist
How does ITIL 4 contribute to the digital enterprise?
What is a digital enterprise, for that matter, and which digital capabilities are required?
How does the digital operating model contribute to transforming the enterprise?
What's the importance of planned and emergent continual improvement in keeping up with dynamic digital demand?
How is the role of management changing?
Which resources and practices do ITSM practitioners have at their disposal to co-create value from digital investments?
This talk will explore these questions and more.
Save your seat
CCS[Ep1]: Next-Generation Cybersecurity - Success Metrics, Best Practices & More
Sep 5 2019
3:00 pm
60 mins
Johna Till Johnson, CEO & Founder, Nemertes Research
Cloud & Cybersecurity Series [Ep.1]: Success Metrics, Best Practices & More
What does it take for enterprise cybersecurity teams to "up their games" to the next level of cybersecurity? What does it mean to be a "successful" cybersecurity organization, and what technologies and practices does it take to become one?
This webinar presents the highlights of Nemertes' in-depth research study of 335 organizations in 11 countries across a range of vertical industries.
We separated the best from the rest, and took an in-depth look into what made the most successful organizations that way. Participants will come away with best practices, tools, technologies, and organizational structures that contribute to success. Most importantly, they'll learn how to measure cybersecurity success--and their progress towards it.
Save your seat
ICE [Ep.2]: Top 5 'Must-Haves' for Your Next-Generation Contact Center
Aug 29 2019
3:00 pm
60 mins
Robin Gareiss, President & Founder, Nemertes Research
Intelligent Customer Engagement Series [Ep.2]: Top 5 'Must-Haves' for Your Next-Generation Contact Center
Contact centers are changing--drastically and swiftly. If you're not keeping pace--or exceeding it--you'll be at a competitive disadvantage.
Learn what successful companies are doing with areas such as agent experience, interaction channels, and emerging technologies.
Based on Nemertes' brand new, detailed, Customer Experience research study with 518 organizations, this webinar will explain the five crucial items that must be on your priority list to ensure your contact center is positioned to deliver successful customer experiences.
Save your seat
[Panel] The New Era of Proactive Problem & Incident Management in the Enterprise
Aug 22 2019
58 mins
Elisabeth Thomas, Mohan Kompella, Christoph Goldenstern, Beverly Weed-Schertzer
As AI-enabled tools continue to make a mark on IT operations, the face of proactive problem and incident management in the enterprise is starting to change.
From making IT staff roles' easier to encouraging self-service, there is a broad range of AI-powered solutions on offer. Join leading ITSM experts as they debate the complexities, functionalities, benefits and considerations of next-generation cloud and hybrid problem and incident management tools.
Moderator: Elisabeth Thomas, Launch Product Marketing
Panellists: Christoph Goldenstern - VP, Kepner Tregoe; Mohan Kompella - VP, BigPanda and Beverly Weed-Shertzer - ITSM Author
Watch now
[Ep.1]: AI Drives Measurable Success in Customer Engagement
Aug 21 2019
60 mins
Robin Gareiss, President & Founder, Nemertes Research
Intelligent Customer Engagement Series [Ep.1] AI Drives Measurable Success in Customer Engagement
Nearly 50% more companies are using or planning to use AI in their customer engagement initiatives.
Nemertes recently studied how 518 companies are using AI and analytics to improve their customer experiences. This webinar details:
• how these companies use AI
• what measurable improvements resulted.
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Cloud Burst your Application Performance Testing Needs
Aug 14 2019
60 mins
Robert Linton, Russ Inman
This webinar is brought to you by the Vivit US Government Solutions Special Interest Group.
Objective: Learn how to leverage the Cloud for realistic Performance Testing.
Cloud Burst, a Micro Focus performance testing solution, is the only product on the market today that can automatically support your scalable performance testing needs in the Government FedRAMP Cloud environments.
See how your testing can be hosted in a Private Secure Gov Cloud environment to automatically execute performance or stress test completely within the Gov Cloud environments, or from various cloud regions around the world, simulating real user's experience during the performance test.
Watch the live demo running in the FedRAMP Gov Cloud regions to see how easy, quickly and affordably you can plan, design and execute your application performance testing requirements.
This offering with flexible pricing, allows clients to leverage their investment in the Micro Focus ADM software solutions, increasing their ROI, while reducing risk and adding value to their organization's internal and external users.
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Previewing the Storage Developer Conference EMEA in 2020
Aug 13 2019
29 mins
Alex McDonald, Vice-Chair SNIA EMEA, and Office of the CTO, NetApp; Paul Talbut, General Manager, SNIA EMEA
The SNIA EMEA Storage Developer Conference (SDC) will return to Tel Aviv in early February 2020.
SDC EMEA is organised by SNIA, the non-profit industry association responsible for data storage standards and education, and the conference is designed to provide an open and independent platform for technical education and knowledge sharing amongst the local storage development community.
SDC is built by developers – for developers.
This session will offer a preview of what is planned for the 2020 agenda ahead of the call for presentations and will also give potential sponsors the information they need to be able to budget for their participation in the event. If you have attended previously as a delegate, this is a great opportunity to learn more about how you can raise your profile as a speaker or get your company involved as a sponsor. There will be time allocated during the webcast to ask questions about the options available. Companies who have significant storage development teams will learn why this conference is valuable to the local technical community and why they should be directly engaged.
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The Problems with Your IT Problem Management – And How to Solve Them
Jul 18 2019
55 mins
Bill Talbot, Mike Bombard & Ryan Schmierer
There are tasks being performed and called "IT problem management" at every type and size of business. But most of those fall short of the goals of true, proactive problem management – to resolve incidents, identify and address their root causes, and reduce occurrence and recurrence of incidents and problems.
How best to ensure your IT people, processes, and technologies are adequately prepared to deliver proactive problem management?
Learn more from experienced experts at this informative, valuable one-hour webinar.
• Bill Talbot – trusted adviser to more than 150 companies over more than 20 years, focused on IT asset management (ITAM)
• Mike Bombard – Chief Operating Officer, Virima Technologies
• Moderator: Ryan Schmierer, a recognized industry thought leader in the areas of Digital Transformation, IT Strategy, Service Management and Operations.
If you are an IT decision maker, or a change, configuration, or incident manager, you'll want to attend this event. Bring your questions and experiences for a spirited discussion, and leave with ideas you can use.
Watch now
Problem Management - it's not the bottom drawer of your filing cabinet
Jul 17 2019
44 mins
Kirstie Magowan, Service Management Consultant
Does your problem management practice resemble a disorganised filing cabinet, with a mess of potential problems, mixed in with complicated incident and some service improvement suggestions thrown in for good measure? Don't worry, you are not alone, and with some good assessment and planning activities, a helping of patience and an analytical mindset you can work your way out of what seems like a dire situation.
Problem management is an ITSM practice that has the potential to pay huge dividends when it is managed properly, you can get a rapid return on investment by concentrating on removing the biggest pain points for the organisation. Learn how to make incremental improvements in your problem management practice that will really make a difference to the value of service management in your organisation.
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Service Desk by The Numbers
Jul 17 2019
45 mins
Roy Atkinson, Sr. Analyst, HDI
HDI conducts comprehensive annual research on almost every aspect of the service desk, from hiring, staffing, and salaries to metrics, frameworks, and technologies. This webinar will explore not only the statistics around the service desk, but what they mean in terms of industry trends and changes. How successful has the "do more with less" approach been? Are service desks hiring, or reducing staff? Is the workload shrinking or growing? What are the top metrics being gathered, and what do they mean?
Attendees will learn:
- What do service desks consider "must-have" technologies for supporting customers/users?
- What contact channels are being used by customers to get support and request services?
- What percentage of organizations are hiring for expansion of the service desk?
- Which frameworks and methodologies are being used?
- What are some areas where improvement is needed?
HDI's 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Roy Atkinson is one of the top influencers in the service and support industry. His blogs, presentations, research reports, white papers, keynotes, and webinars have gained him an international reputation. In his role as senior writer/analyst, he acts as HDI's in-house subject matter expert, bringing his years of experience to the community. He holds a master's certificate in advanced management strategy from Tulane University's Freeman School of Business, and he is a certified HDI Support Center Manager.
Follow him on Twitter @RoyAtkinson
Watch now
[Panel] The State of the Service Desk
Jul 17 2019
44 mins
Roy Atkinson, InformaTech | Barclay Rae, Barclay Rae Consulting
From the impact of automation to the rise of self-service, the service desk is changing as fast as customer expectations.
Join ITSM professionals as they discuss the State of the Service Desk in 2019 - including where it's headed, how to accurately measure performance and where investment should be focused to maximise employee experience.
Panelists include:
Roy Atkinson, Sr. Writer/Analyst | HDI and ICMI | InformaTech
Barclay Rae, Consultant and Author, Service Management, at Barclay Rae Consulting Ltd.
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The anatomy of the future service desk
Jul 17 2019
45 mins
Barclay Rae, Consultant and Author, Service Management, Barclay Rae Consulting Ltd.
With continued automation of routine tasks, decline of the break fix model, and eradication of technical debt, what will a future service desk look like? Is there a need for service desks at all? In fact there is still continued growth in this areas – both in the vendor market and in the recruitment of service desk people. What is the essence of the work and value delivered that constantly seems to defy the industry predictions?
This session looks at the key elements that make up the human and business side of service desks – and why we will always need them (for some time at least..)
Watch now
The Future of IT Service Management
Jul 16 2019
48 mins
Simon Dorst and Michelle Major-Goldsmith - Kinetic IT
Our industry is experiencing massive change in the shape of the 4th Industrial Revolution. With it come the challenges of new business and engagement models, the exploitation of technology for competitive gain and the ongoing pressure of speed to market. The question is, are service management practices sufficient to support digital enabled businesses?
In this session,Simon and Michelle will explore the role of some of the latest best and enabling practices particularly ITIL 4, DevOps, Agile, SIAM and VeriSM. They will consider the future of service management, and the promises made by the emerging practices within our industry and consider their ability to support this digitised and frenetic environment.
Watch now
ITSM and Digital Transformation – the Business Benefits
Jul 16 2019
43 mins
Mark Smalley, the IT Paradigmologist
If we didn't have IT service management, we'd be in a right mess. But how do you identify and articulate the benefits of ITSM in terms that business people understand?
Starting with familiar ITSM notions such as utility and warranty, this talk explores how these relate to tangible business benefits such as more sales, higher prices, and lower costs and risks. Is ITSM just about keeping the lights on, and is it just as difficult to relate ITSM effort to business benefits as it is to say how much the cleaner's broom contributed to last month's sales? This talk lets you decide for yourself.
Watch now
[Panel] ITIL 4, Four Months On: What Now?
Jul 11 2019
45 mins
Marcel Foederer - ITpreneurs; Barry Corless - Global Knowledge; Ole Westergaard - Westergaard
The launch of ITIL 4 in March 2019 set out to reimagine IT Service Management as we head into 2020.
With some reviews wishing it had been more revolutionary, and some saying the updated framework has paced itself well with the progression in the industry, there has been much debate about its reception and impact.
Join this BrightTALK panel as Service Management experts discuss and debate the key updates and implementations you need to be aware of.
Watch now
Overcoming Key Barrier to SD-WAN Adoption in the Enterprise Journey to the Cloud
Jun 24 2019
53 mins
Rajesh Ghai Research Director, Carrier Network Infrastructure IDC, Rajesh Ghai Director, Carrier Network Infrastructure
Enterprises have embraced cloud computing to unlock the opportunity offered by digital transformation. The cloud's flexibility and agility enable enterprises to grow their business without borders and ensure productivity and efficiency.
While enterprise applications continue to migrate to the cloud, the necessary change in the wide area network (WAN) is often overlooked. The hub-and-spoke WAN architecture that served the needs of the enterprise when applications were delivered from the datacenter, must evolve to serve the needs of the era of cloud applications. Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) is the WAN's response to this paradigm shift in application traffic to the cloud.
While SD-WAN has emerged as a key enabler of secure and seamless direct cloud application access with the benefits of transport independence, better security and path selection, it has brought into focus the importance of the transport underlay and the technology investment — both past and future — that an enterprise needs to consider before adopting SD-WAN.
This webinar spotlights two critical success factors for driving mainstream enterprise adoption of SD-WAN:
*Predictable and robust Internet connectivity
*Investment protection (of installed legacy network equipment or in new technology) as the WAN evolves to support applications delivered from the cloud.
Join us at this webinar as we make sense of SD-WAN adoption for your company.
Watch now
Ask the DevSecOps Expert: Software Security in DevOps & CI Environments
Jun 6 2019
14 mins
Moshe Lerner, Checkmarx | Yotam Gutman, Cybersecurity Marketing Community
The increased complexity of software and the need to keep up with fast-paced release cycles create new types of risk in the form of Software Exposure.
Join this interactive 1-2-1 discussion where product strategist and industry expert, Moshe Lerner will share insights including;
- Why you should consider software security as non-functional issue?
- What are the key challenges for managing software security in general and in DevOps environments?
- Best of breed vs Best of suite – Which is the right approach?
- The difference between interactive application security testing (IAST) and dynamic application security testing (DAST)? Can IAST replace DAST?
- How to manage and reduce application security risk at scale
Moderated by Yotam Gutman, Founder & Community Manager, Cybersecurity Marketing Community
Watch now
How We Approached Evaluation of ALM Octane and Now Run Agile Testing
May 16 2019
60 mins
Gerd Fladrich, Risang Sidik
This webinar is brought to you by the Vivit Testing Quality ALM Special Interest Group (SIG).
Join this webinar that will demonstrate how BNP Paribas started and performed evaluation of ALM Octane and is now using the tool to run complete agile testing lifecycles. The testing lifecycle will be presented as a live demo that follows Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) methodology and uses Gherkin notation for defining test suites.
The testing lifecycle starts with definition of requirements and user stories, heavily builds on test automation and advanced reporting, manages and synchronizes defects across tools, and feeds learnings from testing back into the requirements. It uses an integrated development and testing infrastructure including products like Confluence, Jira, Micro Focus ALM, Micro Focus ALM Octane, Jenkins, GIT, Cucumber, IntelliJ, TestCafe, and others.
BNP Paribas's journey with agile test automation using ALM Octane started in 2017. The webinar presents in a nutshell how evaluation of ALM Octane was approached and conducted. It explains how new methods were introduced with the objective to leverage full tool functionality. The initiative has soon helped to increase testing efficiency and created important business value.
Webinar participants will learn:
• How BNP Paribas has conducted evaluation of ALM Octane
• Why ALM Octane is much more than just a successor of ALM/Quality Center
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• Why methodology like BDD shall precede tools, and not vice versa
• How Gherkin establishes a common language for the entire agile development lifecycle that helps integrating business, development, and testing
• How to use ALM Octane for pipeline management, reporting, defect synchronization, import of performance testing and BPT results, integration of in-sprint testing etc.
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Turning a Service Management Support Engineer Effortlessly into Learning Content
May 9 2019
50 mins
Anna Marie Jupp
There are many challenges facing those who work in the ITSM field. It seems the most significant challenge is the constant changes, whether they are within the tools and customers you are supporting, the on-and-off boarding of employees, or the changes in your ITSM solution from upgrades or total replacement. The Micro Focus Adoption Readiness Tool can help you guard against these changes affecting your business.
• How to stop your knowledge leaving the building when the SME's move on
• How to put together a knowledge repository and maintain your content efficiently
• How to create new content on the fly
• How to make this knowledge available for everyone at the point of need
Watch now
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IT service management forms the backbone of any forward looking IT infrastructure. Whether it's the latest trends, techniques or strategies, the content in this channel will help you optimize your organization's IT operations.
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Title: The Service World Changed - Did You?
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Jun 16 2011 12:00 pm
Presented by: Howard Kendall, Founder, SDI; Jenny Woodhams, Swinton; Barclay Rae, Industry Expert
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The Service World Changed - Did You?
Howard Kendall, Founder, SDI; Jenny Woodhams, Swinton; Barclay Rae, Industry Expert
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July 09, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Judy D. Olian, dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management has been appointed the 2007-2008 chair of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. AACSB International has been the premier accrediting body for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting since 1916.
"Management education is now a global enterprise, with responsibility to prepare individuals to grow and lead organizations in communities across the world," said Dean Judy Olian, who began her AACSB term July 1. "AACSB has an obligation to set the standard for the ingredients of quality management education worldwide. It must also look to the horizon for emerging challenges that will impact how we prepare individuals for leadership in organizations around the world, and how business schools can impact markets and societies."
Olian has already left a mark on AACSB, having chaired two important industry commissions - one on the future of management education, and the other on the looming crisis surrounding shortages of doctorally trained business faculty. She has been an AACSB board member since 2001. As chair, she will continue to champion critical initiatives such as addressing the doctoral faculty shortage, enhancing the impact of business research, documenting the societal and market influences of business schools worldwide, and helping define what global education means.
Since taking the post as dean and John E. Anderson Chair in Management at UCLA Anderson in January 2006, Olian has led the school in shaping an ambitious strategic plan, currently in its first year of implementation. She is also engaged in an aggressive growth strategy, hiring a record number of faculty from the world's best research institutions and leading an ambitious fund-raising campaign. Prior to her UCLA appointment, Olian was the dean of Pennsylvania State University's Smeal College of Business Administration where she guided a $68 million fund-raising campaign and spearheaded comprehensive overhauls of the undergraduate and graduate business programs.
Olian is Australian born, receiving her bachelor of science in psychology from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and her master's and Ph.D. in industrial relations from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is published in many academic journals, has spoken globally on management, authored a weekly syndicated newspaper column and hosted a monthly television show on current business topics. Among her honors are the American Council on Education Fellowship and the Maryland Association for Higher Education Award for Innovation.
About UCLA Anderson School of Management
UCLA Anderson School of Management, established in 1935, is regarded among the very best business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty are ranked #1 in "Intellectual Capital" by BusinessWeek and are renowned for their teaching excellence and research that advances management thinking and practice. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides management education to more than 1,600 students enrolled in MBA, Executive MBA, Fully-Employed MBA and doctoral programs, and to more than 2,000 professional managers through executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 35,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.
About AACSB
Founded in 1916 by a consortium of business schools including Harvard University (Harvard Business School), the University of Pennsylvania (The Wharton School) and Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management), AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. The non-profit association is also the business education community's professional development organization, conducting a wide array of conference and seminar programs at various locations around the world. The mission of AACSB International is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership.

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Double celebration for disabled young adults
Young disabled adults are having a double celebration this week, with a brand new place to learn and a more secure future for their education service.
Learners who attend the Vine education service will be joined by special guests to celebrate the official opening of their new premises.
Vine is an education service for young people aged 19 to 25 who have a variety of complex needs including physical, learning and health needs. It is provided by Leeds City Council in partnership with Leeds City College.
An official opening event is taking place on Friday 12 October to celebrate their move to new purpose built premises. Councillor Judith Blake, deputy leader of Leeds City Council and executive member for children's services will be performing a plaque unveiling. She will be joined by staff and learners from Vine and Leeds City College, as well as surprise guests from Leeds Rhinos (who might bring along their Super League Trophy!).
Media opportunity:
When: Friday 12 October at 10.45am (Plaque unveiling at 11am)
Where: Queenswood Education Centre, Foxcroft Close, LS6 3NT
What: Members of the media are invited to attend the opening ceremony. Staff and learners from Vine will be present, alongside Cllr Judith Blake and Leeds Rhinos guests.
There will be a number of local organisations at the event holding information stalls and interactive workshops. Leeds City College catering students will be providing a buffet lunch and other refreshments.
Vine has been running for almost 35 years, originating in Meanwood Park Hospital, after a number of moves to less than suitable accommodation, the former Beckett Park Primary School was identified as a potential new home. After much work to remodel and refurbish the building, the new accommodation for Vine now includes three personal care suites, an accessible teaching kitchen, two sensory rooms, a sports hall, and six well equipped classrooms, there is plenty of outdoor space too, including a football pitch.
Councillor Judith Blake, executive board member responsible for children's services said:
"Vine provides a valuable service for some of Leeds most vulnerable young people, so it is fantastic that they have been able to move to this great new home.
"It is so important that young people with such complex needs are able to have access such great facilities and a modern, well equipped learning environment.
"We are very pleased to be joining forces with Leeds City College to enable this fantastic service to continue for years to come, and with their support, the young people will be able to achieve beyond their expectations."
As well as moving into a new home the service is also celebrating having a secure funding future after Leeds City College came on board as partners. Vine learners also benefit from the partnership by being enrolled as Leeds City College learners and all the additional support services this provides them with.
Anne-Marie Spry, Vice Principal Adult, Community and HE at Leeds City College said:
"The College is delighted that we have been able to work with Leeds City Council and Vine over the last couple of years to secure funding and support for this very vulnerable group.
"The wonderful facilities provided by Leeds City Council at Queenswood, the sustainable funding achieved and the multi-agency partnership give us a real opportunity to provide a high quality learning with support programme for young people with complex needs in the area.
"The young people and staff are working with the college to gain qualifications, with some very exciting projects underway thanks to the creativity and enthusiasm of the experienced staff team. We look forward to continuing to work together so the provision can go from strength to strength."
For media enquiries, please contact:
Emma Whittell, Leeds City Council press office, on (0113) 2474713
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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European Commission - Press release
Road safety: Progress in cutting EU road deaths falls to 2% in 2011
Brussels, 29 March 2012 – Progress in cutting road fatalities significantly slowed last year (to -2%) compared with a very promising EU-wide reduction throughout the last decade (on average -6%), according to new figures published today by the European Commission. Worse still, some EU Member States, like Germany and Sweden, who have very strong safety records, now show a significant increase in deaths. In other Member States, like Poland and Belgium – already lagging behind in road safety – the number of deaths went up. The problem of motorcycles – where fatalities have still not fallen after more than a decade – still persists.
Vice-President Siim Kallas, with responsibility for transport, said, "These figures are a wake-up call. This is the slowest decrease in road deaths in a decade. 85 people still die on Europe's roads every day. This is unacceptable. We will need to sharply intensify efforts at EU and national level to reach our goal of cutting road fatalities in half again by 2020. I am writing to ministers in all Member States to ask for information about national road safety enforcement plans for 2012. I want to be reassured that even in tough economic times this important work, which is so central to road safety, is not being scaled back. At EU level, I intend also to target specifically fatalities on motorcycles in 2012, we need to see the current trend reversed and these deaths start to fall."
The attached table – "road fatalities per country" – shows progress since 2001, with EU-wide figures and a breakdown per country. It includes the most recent figures for 2011.
Over the last decade, under the Road Safety Action Plan 2001-2011, major progress has been achieved. Road fatalities were cut by almost 45% and more than 125,000 lives were saved. EU road deaths decreased by on average 6% each year. And in some years the decrease has been as much as 11% (2010).
EU road safety action plan 2011-2020
In July 2010 the Commission adopted challenging plans to reduce the number of deaths on Europe's roads by half in the next 10 years. Initiatives proposed in the "European Road Safety Policy Orientations 2011-2020" range from setting higher standards for vehicle safety, to improving the training of road users, and increasing the enforcement of road rules. The Commission is working closely with Member States to implement this programme. The road safety action plan sets out a mix of initiatives focussing on making improvements to vehicles, infrastructure and road users' behaviour.
There are seven strategic objectives:
Detailed measures for each strategic objective are listed in MEMO/10/343.
See also: MEMO/11/483
What happens next?
The work to implement the EU's Road Safety Action Plan 2011-2020 will intensify. In addition, Vice-President Kallas announced his intention to intensify efforts relating to national enforcement and to vulnerable road users using motorcycles.
*Preliminary data based on the last available data. United Kingdom and The Netherlands estimations based on data from January to September. Italy and Spain estimations based on data collected by police, excluding urban areas.
Table 1. Trends in fatalities on EU roads (all users) 2000–2010
The table shows that while fatalities for cars, pedestrians, bicycles and mopeds have all decreased since 2001, this is not the case for motorcycles.
Side Bar


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Much of what you are told about covered call writing, even by many so-called "experts," is wrong – or, at least, less than 100% accurate. This week, we explore ten myths about covered call writing that you may have heard. Perhaps the key word here is "always," as in always explore your alternatives - rather than always pursue exactly the same strategy.
This a good strategy if you know for certain that the stock is not going to move. But nothing in life is certain. Bristol Myers Squibb Co (BMY), for instance pays a dividend yield of 4.47% per annum. With the stock at $28.70, you can write the September $31 call against it and bring the yield up to 7.36%. But this might not be the best strategy. According to our model, the call is priced way too cheaply with a premium of only $0.12 versus our estimated premium of $0.45 (see Figure 1 below). Over the past year, BMY has traded over a 12% range, having hit a low of $24.95 in April and a high of $29.56 on July 21st. The call offers only 1.07% downside protection, which is not much considering that BMY has incurred monthly losses of more than 2% in 23 of the 84 months of the past seven years.
Figure 1 - Options Profile on the BMY September $31 Call
Many investors assume that all options have their fastest rate of time decay just before expiration. That is not always the case with out-of-the-money calls. Often they tend to reach a low premium "junk" level several weeks before expiration, offering little in the way of further yield or downside protection. The cost of rolling these calls can be a lot less than many people think, especially if the bid/ask spreads are reasonable. Often, one can narrow the spreads even further by entering a price limit on your rollover order.
Often investors are reluctant to incur a cash loss closing out a short call that has moved in-the-money, and are therefore willing just to let their stock get called away. You do not need to do this, however. Even if the call is in-the-money, there is a good chance that you can roll it to a later expiration for a credit, and not have to spend cash. Often, you can find the new positions that have attractive combinations of yield, protection and profit potential.
Shorter-term covered at-the-money covered calls offer you the best results if the stock doesn't move very much. However, there are plenty of instances where the shorter-term covered call will underperform the longer-term covered call on the same stock with the same strike. If the stock rises sharply, the longer-term covered call is less likely to give up some of the upside, while if the stock falls precipitously, the longer-term call will, in most cases, give you more protection.
In fact, they rarely are. Most studies show that covered call writing is less risky on average than just owning stocks, with steadier cash flow and fewer losses. However, covered calls have some risks of their own. The first risk is the so-called "opportunity risk." That is, when you write a covered call, you give up some of the stock's potential gains. One of the main ways to avoid this risk is to avoid selling calls that are too cheaply priced.
Another risk to covered call writing is that you can be exposed to spikes in implied volatility, which can cause call premiums to rise even though stocks have declined. However, you still will be able to keep the original premium at expiration.
Because it involves owning the stock, many investors assume that covered call writing is always preferable to writing cash-covered puts. True, there may be some cases where it might be easier to exit a covered call than a put write, but in most instances, the risks are the same. Often, the yield and the protection offered by the premium can be the deciding factor on whether to do the covered call or the comparable cash-covered put.
Also, the strike price of the option and your expectations are important. If you expect the stock to end up below the strike price, then you might prefer writing the covered call, since if things go as planned, you do not have to buy back the call. Alternatively, if you expect the stock to end up above the strike, then the cash covered put may be preferable because the put expires worthless.
In many cases, early exercise of your in-the-money short call can be a gift. This is because you are getting more money delivering the stock at that strike price than you get if you simultaneously sold your stock and bought back the call. The only time you stand to lose is when there is a ex-dividend before expiration. If the call gets exercised before the so-called "ex-dividend date" (i.e., the date in which the holder of the stock is identified to receive the dividend), then you lose your right to collect the dividend.
Often selling premium, when the rest of the world is buying it in panic, can be the best thing you can do. First of all, there are times when put buying is just too expensive, and the only viable hedge is to a write a call on your stock. Often, the reward/risk potential of such a transaction is very attractive. Our track record tends to show the best performance for covered calls following dips in the markets.
There is no reason why covered calls cannot be combined with other strategies. For instance, many investors write a portfolio of covered calls and then hedge themselves against stock market risk by buying less expensive index options. Other investors combine put and call purchases on other stocks along with their covered calls. Our track record data suggests that such allocations can help the portfolio when stocks make a big move in either direction.
Quite the contrary! Covered calls are almost ideal for retirement accounts such as IRAs, since they offer income and protection. Moreover, the unwanted tax consequences that can occur with covered calls in regular investment accounts are almost never a problem in retirement accounts. Most brokers allow covered calls and cash-covered puts writing in IRA accounts, and many allow option purchases and limited risk spreads as well. (See "Using Options in Your Individual Retirement Account," Ot090323.pdf in our Reports Archive.)
Prepared by Lawrence D. Cavanagh, email@example.com
At the time of this writing, the analyst had no positions in any of the companies mentioned above
Figure 2 - Some Useful Option Strategist Reports


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i get 3 weeks for summer this year because im taking GAY biology classes all summer long.
but at least i get 3 weeks.. i can't complain that much. i went to a rodeo roping last night..
my boyfriend is awesome at everything, he always wins and always looks sexy doing it:)
i got to hang out with all my best friends last night, im so glad we were all together for just a little while. i miss seeing them all the time. my precious little sisters birthday is tomorrow, she will
be 15. geez.. she's getting old, which means im getting older. she's like my world i don't know what i would ever do without her.
anyways, life is perfect right now. i love life when its like this. i wake up to an amazing roommate
and boyfriend, go to work, get home to my beautiful awesome dogs, eat dinner with my boyfriend, and hang out with my friends at night. life doesn't get better.
until than,
Friday, May 15, 2009
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Newbie Seeks Advice
Hi everyone. I'm making this post here since it seemed like the intuitive place to put it, though if it needs to go somewhere else the admins are free to move it as suits their fancy. It's going to be a long post, for which I apologize. What I want to do is to provide some background about myself, why I want to role-play, and hopefully find some help in achieving this goal.
I'm coming "back" to roleplaying after about 20 years of "absence," and I've taken the plunge and am making my first post on an RPG forum! I'm looking for one or both of two things 1) advice, 2) information on online games to join (here and anywhere else--the web presence of RPGs is overwhelming to say the least!) I'm also hoping that, if I share a little bit about my role-playing background and interests, DMs who read this and who are looking to recruit and who have similar interests might take me under their wing or keep me in mind when they have a game coming up. I know there is a recruiting thread here, and I'll keep my eye on that, but there don't seem to be many new games started on this particular forum.
Anyway, some background: I'm 35, and my last role-playing experience was when I was around 16 and my cousin and I finished our last campaign of Iron Crown's MERPS (Middle Earth Role-Playing System). I had actually "caught the role-playing bug" about three years prior to starting MERPS, when I purchased the D&D Red Box set, and I've never "gotten well" again, since for whatever reason the D&D rules, imagery, artwork and general culture really set my imagination on fire, in the subtle but profound ways that are usual in childhood. These things became almost archetypal for me, in my imagination. Sadly, with D&D, I spent a whole lotta time reading the books, making characters and dreaming, and a "whole little" time actually playing, since I couldn't find anyone to play with me, and I was rather shy to go hang out at hobby stores, etc. Remember, this was before the internet.
When I finally purchased MERPS and my cousin took an interest, it was a great joy to me. We soon became rather obsessed with this game for about three years, and throughout that time, all we ever talked about was the game, our characters, and the situations we were currently in or had previously been in. We were actually frequently "in character." My cousin was always the GM, and I had one character that I always played. His brothers also had characters, though we rarely all played together. This is where I really caught a glimpse of the imaginative possibilities of role-playing. We didn't take ourselves too seriously and had a lot of comedic fun, but we also often wandered into the realms of epic and serious high fantasy. Also, we had such a blast coming up with stuff out of our heads and just telling stories that I strongly suspect that my cousin didn't worry too much about the MERPS rules when rolling the dice or doing any activity, which didn't decrease the enjoyment in any way.
Anyway, when we got a little older we got away from role-playing. For about two years I basically had no impulse to role-play; or rather, whenever I had the itch, I would play a video game like Final Fantasy. I also tried Interactive Fiction and text adventures. However, they're just not the same.
So over the years, I've kept this part of my imagination alive mostly by being an enthusiastic reader of fantasy and science fiction, and here I am. Just recently, I've felt this deep urge to get back into role-playing--as player and/or DM--in a sort of serious long-term sort of way, not so much--or not "only--as a way to "pass the time," but rather as a way to develop my skills as a fiction writer, and to furnish my imagination with ideas, characters, scenarios, and images that could serve as an inspiration for stories of my own.
Ever since coming upon Tolkein in the sixth grade I caught the "world-building" bug, but this, again, is an itch that I rarely got to scratch and has remained dormant for many years. I feel that educating myself about and immersing myself in role-playing, as a character and as a DM, will provide me with some of the tools I need to built realistic fictional characters and worlds.
As for my genre/reading interests, I'm a big believer in the almost unlimited potential of fantasy and science fiction to to explore profound themes in ways that non-"genre" fiction cannot. However, since I've spent a lot of my life studying such non-genre literature, as a profession, and seen what literary art can accomplish, I always find it rather difficult to find fantasy that really satisfies me these days (although this isn't so difficult with science fiction). In addition to Tolkein, I enjoyed the Earthsea books, as well as George MacDonald's stories and those of William Morris and Dunsany. I'm a deep admirer of Gene Wolfe's brilliant Book of the New Sun, about which I could probably write all day, in celebration of its awesomeness. Dune was a joy to read and experience, though I never felt it necessary to read past the first book. I'm looking forward, hopefully, to getting into the Culture novels of Banks in the future. I appreciate Gibson/Sterling-esque cyberpunk, and I'm really getting into comic books these days as well. I was never able to really get into the hordes of Tolkien clones since they seemed just that--Tolkien clones, without the inspiration or skill. That being said, I have a real desire--again an "unscratched itch"--to read all the R.A. Salvatore books and the others about the Forgotten Realms. I do respect the stories of Robert E. Howard and especially Clark Ashton Smith; Lovecraft also, but more for possible role-playing themes, archetypes and settings than actual reading pleasure, since I find him to be at times a terrible and repetitive writer. In addition, I'm rather drawn to "low fantasy" as a genre (basically stuff in Howard's footsteps), such as the books of Glen Cook. I also read most of the Elric series when younger, which I don't remember much other than, again, to say that I liked the concepts/images more than the actual writing. Game of Thrones doesn't do it for me. I found China Mieville's Perdido Street Station quite impressive--he's obviously someone who's played his share of D&D :-) I'm also deep into mythic and legendary material such as Malory's Arthurian stories and the Volsunga saga. However, at the same time, I like to often spend a free evening or afternoon reading wacky or even crazy stuff--it's the "non-snobbish" part of my brain. Any sort of weird SF/fantasy from the 70s or 80s I can find in the bargain bin of my local Half-Price Books. There's just a part of my imagination that craves these things. In addition to all of the above, I also enjoy "weird stories" of all kinds (i.e. in addition to those of "the big three" mentioned above), especially horror and the Weird West. Moreover, I'm sort of obsessed with post-apocalyptic fiction. Last but not least, King's The Dark Tower has long haunted me. So I'm open to all these types of things.
Having followed me this far, reader ;-), I hope you will forgive me for being so wordy and self-indulgent in my introduction. I just want to give a good idea about the kinds of things I like so I have a better opportunity of getting good advice as to where/with whom/what to role-play. My guess is that if you've read this far, you might be the sort of person who is able to point me in the right direction.
As for systems, I'm open to everything, especially those systems which cater to more eclectic settings (like New Sun and Dune--i.e. "science-fantasy"), and those which have the potential to support real deep, intelligent, even symbolic storytelling as opposed to merely "roll-playing" or adventures of the "party enters dungeon to find treasure and slay necromancer" variety (those these latter can be fun as well). Don't get me wrong, I also like the idea of going around slaying monsters, exploring cool places and collecting cool items/weapons to use in future adventures :-) Something tells me that GURPS might be the ideal system to cater to my eclectic interests, but I still have to read up on the system, as I know next to nothing about it save what I've read here and there. In the meantime, I'm probably going to scratch the role-playing itch by playing some Tunnels & Trolls solo adventures and learning/relearning the rules of various systems like GURPS, D&D and its clones, Traveller and D6, just so I'm reasonably prepared if/when I ever find a game to join. Although I'm intrigued by the creative-writing potential of PbP, I'm also open to Skype-type live games, etc.
With sincere thanks for listening. Please feel free to PM me or send an email if you prefer to talk "off the record."
If you're a spambot this is the most epic spambot ever. Well done.
Sadly, if you're not a spambot I can't tell what you're after.
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
Not a spam bot, I sent him a PM which he replied to.
His post isn't exactly clear, but he's not a spam bot.
2013 Avatar of the Year Winner
That's what they want you to think Link, but you can never trust these things. You think you know someone, you've been married for ten years and have three kids, you think you have them figured. And then BANG! Turns out they're a spambot.
Hell, you could be a spambot without even knowing. One day you just wake up and want to start telling people about great deals on viagra and wowgold.
@}-`-- Coffee + Hate = itches
, no I'm not a spambot, although I certainly understand that my giant post is probably pretty overwhelming to say the least. I'll try to summarize:
I'm introducing myself and "putting myself out there." I want to role-play after about 20 years of not role-playing. I'm looking for open games and suggestions as to where to find them online. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the RPG resources online and am hoping people on here might be able to steer me to sites/groups that they find useful.
I'm interested in all genres but especially fantasy and science fiction and all "cross-breeds." I'm also open to all systems. I'm more interested in complex and intelligent stories/role-playing and world building than hack n' slash and dungeon crawls. I like the idea of PbP, but am also open to live games via Skype, etc.
I'm open to all systems, although I have a special fascination with GURPS because it seems to have a lot of potential for eclectic and unusual settings.
I have a lot of learning/re-learning to do about the rules of various systems, and am looking for DM's/groups that are willing to take on someone who may need a lot of help.
If anyone has any advice/suggestions related to any of these things, or in general as to how to get started role-playing online,--or if you know of any relevant games opening up--please let me know either here or via email or PM.
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Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) protests have broken out at dozens of stores across the country, but lost in the commotion is the reality of the work life at Wal-Mart -- and what the Bentonville, Arkansas mega retailer saw happen with unions at Hostess Brands, maker of Twinkies and Ding Dongs, now in bankruptcy liquidation.
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It would be a coup for the union movement to get "Big Labor" in the door at the nation's biggest retailer, which employs about as many people as are on active duty in the U.S. military. The union attacks have picked up in intensity as Wal-Mart has moved out of the non-union south to build stores in pro-union cities, such as in the northeast.
The Wal-Mart protests are timed for Black Friday, which Wal-Mart calls the "super bowl of shopping;" but they've mostly been a non-event.
Wal-Mart U.S Chief executive Bill Simon said in a statement: "Only 26 protests occurred at stores last night and many of them did not include any Wal-Mart associates," adding, "We estimate that less than 50 associates participated in the protest nationwide ... about the same number of associates [who] missed their scheduled shift as last year."
Here's the reality. The facts are, many workers come looking for jobs at Wal-Mart from heavily unionized grocery stores and supermarkets, where they get paid much less in the way of benefits, and where labor infractions and on-the-job injuries are significant. Wal-Mart has said about a third of the company's hires come from other grocers or places like McDonald's (NYSE:MCD), in search of better wages and benefits.
The average annual wage at Wal-Mart is about $20,744, compared to about $20,200 at grocery stores, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 50% of its workers had no health coverage before joining. Nine out of ten workers now get insurance through Wal-Mart or elsewhere -- meaning their spouses' coverage. There have been complaints that Wal-Mart's plans are too pricey for workers, while the company says it offers an array of plans -- plus mini-med plans, the low-cost, cheap plans now outlawed by health reform, so this could change.
Yes turnover is high, about half of Wal-Mart's workers quit every year, however, that's lower than the 65% national average for retail workers, according to the National Retail Federation. Even elected officials in crunchy Burlington, Vermont. have told me they like their Wal-Mart because it has created a lot of economic activity and jobs for the area, including new shopping hubs, art galleries, new restaurants and retail boutiques. Employment in Burlington has risen because elected officials made decisions like accepting Wal-Mart.
Meanwhile, where are stores like Grand Union, Pathmark, A&P, Winn-Dixie, Montgomery Ward, Caldors and Ames? Shoppers and Wal-Mart are putting inefficient businesses out of business.
Yes critics can argue that Wal-Mart gets its products cheaply made in China, wrecking jobs here. That's a legitimate point. However, does anyone seriously think shutting down Wal-Mart will stop that trend? Also, dozens of Wal-Mart workers conduct hundreds of inspections of overseas factories to ensure they meet United Nations standards of safety and pay.
Compare the union attempts at Wal-Mart to what happened at now bankrupt Hostess Brands, maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Dolly Madison cakes and Wonder Bread. The 82-year old business will now be liquidated after a national strike by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Union, the company's second -largest union that started on Nov. 9. This is the second bankruptcy in a decade for Hostess, as sales plummeted from $3.1 billion in 2006 to just $2.45 billion in 2011, a 20% drop, according to PrivCo, a financial research company. Hostess's balance sheet was underwater, carrying debt of over $1.43 billion, $2 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and just $40.4 million in cash. Net losses nearly tripled from 2006 to 2010, from $128 million to $341 million, PrivCo says.
But while Hostess hammered out an eleventh-hour agreement in bankruptcy court with its largest union, the Teamsters, to cut workers' pay and benefits, the bakery union balked and went on strike.
The details are ugly when you see what was going on behind the scenes at Hostess. It reportedly was dealing with 372 separate collective-bargaining contracts, 80 separate health and benefits plans, and 40 different pension plans.
Union rules said no Hostess delivery trucks could have both bread and snacks on board, despite the fact the goods were going to the same stores. Drivers were not allowed to load the snacks onto their trucks, certain workers could only load snacks not bread, and vice versa. PrivCo notes that potential suitors for Hostess may include the owner of the Sara Lee, Entenmann's and Arnold brands, and Flowers Foods, which owns Tastykakes, Nature's Own, Dandee, and Sunbeam brands. C. Dean Metropoulos, a private equity firm, has been hovering too -- it owns brands like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, Chef Boyardee and Bumblebee Tuna. PrivCo estimates Hostess' brands "could fetch about $1 billion in an asset sale based on comparable private M&A deal multiples on the PrivCo data platform." The unfunded $2 billion pension liability "will be picked up by the government controlled Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp. (PBGC), as well as other corporations participating in its multi-employer pension plan," PrivCo notes.
PrivCo CEO Sam Hamadeh said in a statement: "As Americans both cut back spending on baked goods as well as move toward healthier eating options, Hostess Brands failed to innovate and offer fresher, healthier baked goods, resulting in 9 straight years of revenue declines. With just $40 million in cash remaining, over $1.4 billion in total liabilities, its high fixed cost and distribution structure – which Hostess was unable to reduce due to strict legacy union contracts - and another $2 billion in unfunded pension obligations, Hostess was doomed without significant concessions from its unions."


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Gwyneth Paltrow Is People's Most Beautiful Woman 2013
Gwyneth Paltrow Is People Magazine's Most Beautiful Woman!
It's official — Gwyneth Paltrow has been named People magazine's Most Beautiful Woman! She takes over the title from close friend Beyoncé Knowles, who won the title last year. Jennifer Lawrence, Kerry Washington, and Zooey Deschanel also earned spots on the list. In an interview with the magazine, Gwyneth revealed that she isn't as glamorous as she is on the red carpet when she's at home with her family. She said, "Around the house, I'm in jeans and a T-shirt. I don't really wear makeup. That's what they're used to. [Chris will] make a joke about it. If I've gotten fully dressed up, he'll be like, 'Oh, wow! You're Gwyneth Paltrow'."
Gwyneth has already had a great start to the year, including her upcoming role in Iron Man 3 and her new cookbook, It's All Good, which was released earlier this month. She has been busy on the press trail for Iron Man 3 over the past few weeks, attending premieres and doing promotions in Germany and the UK. Tonight, she'll hit the red carpet with costar Robert Downey Jr. at the LA premiere of the new action flick.


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Dead Eye Targeting is a game mechanic present in every installment of the Red Dead series, which slows down time to allow the player to get more accurate shots on enemies. After marking targets, normal time resumes and a flurry of bullets are released in quick succession.
Red Dead Revolver
Red Dead Revolver introduces the Deadeye system (spelled as a single non-hyphenated word in that game). The player begins with three slots in the Deadeye meter, with each slot representing a single use of the mechanic. The slots are gradually refilled as the player gets kills, with headshots refilling the meter faster. The player can add more slots to the meter by meeting challenges and by purchasing items.
When using Deadeye, the weapon crosshairs cycles between three positions - a wide yellow cross, a slightly narrower red cross, and a tight red cross. The latter provides a critical hit which reduces the enemy's health more significantly. Shots are marked by using the R1 or RT button. The ammunition capacity of the weapon determines how many shots can be marked. The player can use the R2 or RB button at any time to end deadeye and to cause all marked shots to be completed.
Red Harlow, the main playable character, uses deadeye while other playable characters have different skills that use the same meter. Jack Swift uses a form of Deadeye, with the difference that all shots are automatically marked and completed very rapidly, up to the maximum ammunition capacity, rather than being marked by the player.
All duels use Deadeye, but with a limited duration that varies based on the level of the enemy.
Red Dead Redemption
There are three levels of Dead Eye in the story mode of Red Dead Redemption, each level being unlocked as the storyline progresses. Marston is invincible while in Dead Eye and incoming shots do no damage. Dead Eye can also be used within the Undead Nightmare DLC.
Dead Eye level 1 is acquired during the second mission "New Friends, Old Problems" for Bonnie MacFarlane. Level 2 is acquired during Nigel West Dickens mission "You Shall Not Give False Testimony, Except for Profit" and Level 3 from Landon Ricketts in Chuparosa, in the mission "The Gunslinger's Tragedy".
Sniper rifles, such as the Carcano Rifle and Rolling Block Rifle, only slow down time and do not allow marking of targets, therefore the three levels are equivalent for these weapons. These weapons are not generally available before reaching level 3 in any case.
The Dead Eye meter is refilled by hitting enemies, with headshots refilling the meter faster. Consumables also refill the meter as noted below.
Level 1
Slows down time while the player moves the reticle over targets and manually fires each shot.
Level 2
While in Dead Eye mode, moving the reticle over an enemy automatically places marks on that specific location. As soon as the fire button is pressed, all of the marked locations will automatically be fired at, even if the opponent has moved behind cover when the sequence started. It is therefore advised to target enemies close to cover first. If Dead Eye is exited without any marks placed, no shots will be fired.
Level 3
While in Dead Eye mode, the player can press the RB/R1 button to mark enemies manually. Pressing the fire button after enemies have been marked will automatically make the player fire at the targets in the order they have been placed. Shots marked while enemies are out of cover will be attempted regardless of whether the enemy is still visible.
Attempting to fire without placing a mark will send one bullet towards the target and end Dead Eye at the same time. With the exception of certain weapons, you cannot fire and remain in Dead Eye without queuing shots. Weapons with a magazine size of one, namely the Buffalo Rifle will make the player go out of Dead eye, while the two scoped weapons, the Rolling Block Rifle and Carcano Rifle, will still stay in slow-motion after being fired, initiating the reload sequence.
Dead Eye Targeting is activated by holding the "Aim" button (L2 on PS3, Left Trigger on Xbox360) and clicking the right analog stick or R3 (PS3) / right stick (Xbox 360).
While in Dead Eye targeting mode, aim with the right analog stick and fire with R2 on the PS3, and RT(Right Trigger) on Xbox 360.
At Level 3, targets can also be manually "painted" using the R1 button (PS3) or RB (Xbox 360). This allows the player to select the exact point in which the bullet will hit, providing extra precision, should it be required.
To exit Dead Eye targeting and return to normal aiming mode, simply click the right analog stick or R3 (PS3) / Right Stick (Xbox360). The player will return to normal aiming mode once the Dead Eye meter has been emptied.
Dead-Eye Restoration
The following items restore the Dead Eye meter, as with other consumables they can only be used in singleplayer.
- Snake Oil
- Chewing Tobacco
- Moonshine (also makes the Dead Eye meter be unlimited for 10 seconds)
- Tonic (can be made after completing the Level 10 Survivalist Challenge)
Dead Eye can be used in Redemption Multiplayer, but does not slow down time. It can be used to paint targets automatically on other players as in level 2. This allows players to dispatch multiple enemies quickly. Dead Eye is recharged by killing players or NPCs or finding dead eye chests scattered across the map. These appear as a small, bright green light.
In Free Roam, there is an invisible circle encompassing the Dead Eye Recharge and the Ammo Crate. This is a safety zone from animals. Animals will charge at the player while within this circle, but will stop at the edge and walk the perimeter. This is an easy way to kill dangerous animals. Just stay within the circle and shoot them from safety. The player can still be injured by NPCs and other players.
The Deadly Assassin Outfit allows the player to regenerate Dead-Eye twice as fast. This was one of three contenders for the outfit pre-order bonus. The Deadly Assassin outfit won and was available at selected retailers when pre-ordering a copy of Red Dead Redemption. The outfit was subsequently included in the Game of the Year Edition and released as DLC on the PlayStation Store and Xbox LIVE for the cost of $0.99 or 80 Microsoft Points.
Obtaining the Legend of the West Outfit by completing the Single Player Challenges grants the player a greater amount of Dead Eye. Wearing the outfit itself has no effect.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Dead Eye Targeting in Red Dead Redemption 2 is similar to how it was in Red Dead Redemption: The first level, earned in Chapter 1's "Old Friends" mission, allows the user to slow down time and drag the red x target across the enemy, autotargeting them. During the Chapter 2 mission "Pouring Forth Oil IV" mission the second level, which allows the user to manually target enemies, is unlocked. The third level, unlocked in the Chapter 4 mission "Urban Pleasures", lets the player stay in Dead Eye mode even after firing shots. The fourth and fifth levels unlocked in Chapter 5's "Fleeting Joy" and Chapter 6's "Goodbye, Dear Friend" missions respectively, allow the player to see the vital organs of their enemies, with level four showing the heads and hearts and level five pinpointing their lungs and stomachs. Firing at these areas will result in dramatically more damage.
Red Dead Online
|To be added.
- Activating Dead Eye will lighten up dark places.
- Activating Dead Eye will also reload the currently equipped weapon to a full magazine, perfect for shortening reload times (with the exception of Red Dead Online).
- Using Dead Eye targeting (level 2 or 3) on targets with Throwing Knives, Fire Bottles, Dynamite or Tomahawks will cause a "homing effect" whereby it will follow the target until it hits, much like a homing missile. This can create a rather comedic effect if Dynamite or Molotovs are used on birds. (This does not work in multiplayer)
- Dead Eye can be used to help complete various objectives from the Master Hunter Challenges and Sharpshooter Challenges. In hardcore mode, Dead eye is very useful for fending off pursuers on horseback, due to expert aiming (free aim) being set to permanent in the mode, making it often difficult to get a hit on enemies moving fast.
- Sometimes in Dead Eye when the player marks a target and then marks another enemy 180 degrees of him, he will shoot his first enemy on target then shoot his second enemy while he is turning and the bullet will travel towards him and hit him. When Dead Eye is activated, the player is invulnerable to all to all forms of damage.
- In Free Roam there is a Dead Eye pick-up/ammo box on top of an unscaleable cliff southwest of Escalera.
- In Red Dead Redemption 2, when playing as John, the Dead Eye ambient sound is the same as it is in Red Dead Redemption, while the ambient sound is different from the first game while playing as Arthur.
- While using Dead Eye's first level, either by a cheat or not, in combination with the Infinite Dead Eye cheat in singleplayer, it is possible that your Dead Eye meter will not drop. The time will advance at normal speed, but the sepia colourscheme will let you think that you really are in Dead Eye. However, if you release the LT (X360) or L2 (PS3) button, you can press it to aim again.
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1 June – 31 August 2019 -
Quandamooka Festival, held over three winter months, returns in 2019 to coastal region of East Brisbane with up to 55 events including whale watching cultural tours, Kunjiels (corroborees), Indigenous sports, music, eco boat tours, art exhibitions, fibre art and weaving workshops, bush tucker dining, arts and cultural talks by specialists and new events featuring international acts and First Nations dancers and performances - something to suit all ages!
The festival invites all to visit and experience the Quandamooka Coast - the sands, seas, lakes, creeks, catchments and creatures found across the region as well as embrace Quandamooka peoples' perspective of these unique environments.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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Fight brewing over Ark. abortion law
Abortion rights groups are gearing up for a legal fight against Arkansas's new law banning abortions after 12 weeks, the most restrictive early abortion ban in the nation.
The Republican-led Arkansas House voted Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe's veto of a bill that bans most abortions after 12 weeks. The Senate upheld the ban Tuesday.
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Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, called it "the most restrictive ban on safe and legal abortion in the country."
The law, known as the Human Heartbeat Protection Act, bans abortions at 12 weeks into pregnancy if a heartbeat is detected, with exceptions for cases of rape or incest, to save the life of the mother or for a lethal fetal condition. It will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns.
Abortion rights groups said they plan to challenge it in court within the next few weeks and predicted it would be easily overturned as the 12-week limit flies in the face Supreme Court precedent established in Roe v. Wade.
It's the second veto override of an Arkansas abortion measure in two weeks. Last week, both Republican-controlled chambers voted to override Beebe's veto of a separate bill setting a 20-week limit on most abortions.
That law, which went into effect immediately, prohibits abortions after 20 weeks except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. That law does allow abortion if the woman has a health emergency but does not make an exception for a lethal fetal condition.
Together, abortion rights advocates say, the two laws create some of the most stringent restrictions any state has attempted in years.
In his veto statement Monday, Beebe had said the 12-week limit — roughly the first trimester of pregnancy — "blatantly contradicts" Supreme Court precedent because it would impose a ban on elective, nontherapeutic abortions before a fetus reaches viability, or the ability to survive outside the womb. That is usually considered around 23 or 24 weeks — earlier than when Roe was passed 40 years ago as neonatal care has advanced.


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Manassas, First
Other Names: First Bull Run
Location: Fairfax County and Prince William County
Campaign: Manassas Campaign (July 1861)
Date(s): July 21, 1861
Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell [US]; Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard [CS]
Forces Engaged: 60,680 total (US 28,450; CS 32,230)
Estimated Casualties: 4,700 total (US 2,950; CS 1,750)
Description: This was the first major land battle of the armies in Virginia. On July 16, 1861, the untried Union army under Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell marched from Washington against the Confederate army, which was drawn up behind Bull Run beyond Centreville. On the 21st, McDowell crossed at Sudley Ford and attacked the Confederate left flank on Matthews Hill. Fighting raged throughout the day as Confederate forces were driven back to Henry Hill. Late in the afternoon, Confederate reinforcements (one brigade arriving by rail from the Shenandoah Valley) extended and broke the Union right flank. The Federal retreat rapidly deteriorated into a rout. Although victorious, Confederate forces were too disorganized to pursue. Confederate Gen. Bee and Col. Bartow were killed. Thomas J. Jackson earned the nom de guerre "Stonewall." By July 22, the shattered Union army reached the safety of Washington. This battle convinced the Lincoln administration that the war would be a long and costly affair. McDowell was relieved of command of the Union army and replaced by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, who set about reorganizing and training the troops.
Result(s): Confederate victory
CWSAC Reference #: VA005
Preservation Priority: III.1 (Class A)
National Park Unit: Manassas NBP
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Debra Ann Wolf
DERBY —Debra Ann Wolf, age 56, loving daughter, wife, mother, Nana, sister and realtor, passed away Monday, Dec. 10, 2012.
Visitation is 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday with family present 6 to 8 p.m. at Smith Mortuary, 1415 N. Rock Road, Derby. Funeral service is at 2 p.m. Friday at Eastside Community Church, 14242 E. 21st St. N., Wichita.
Debi was preceded in death by her mother, Pat Lynch. She is survived by her father, John Lynch of Marion, Kan.; husband of 20 years, Larry Wolf; children, Jeremy (Shannon) Hurt of Wichita and Crystal (Heath) Rochester of Memphis, Tenn.; stepsons, Michael (Wanda) of Horton, Kan., Christopher (Kristie) of Wichita and James (Trang) Wolf of Wichita; grandchildren Jaxson, Maverick, Avery Hurt and Mia Rochester; seven step-grandchildren; one step-great-grandson; brothers, Ronnie Lynch of Phoenix, Ariz.; Bob (Kristie) Lynch of Wichita and Gary Lynch of Wichita; many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Victory in the Valley or Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice. Send condolences via http://www.smithfamilymortuaries.com.
Last modified Dec. 13, 2012


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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
The Value Line Entertainment Industry is comprised of a set of diversified companies. They are mainly television network and station owners, and are typically involved in programming and production of content, including feature films. It is a constantly evolving group, with prospects in certain subsectors being much better than in others. Revenue trends in certain core segments, including broadcast television and radio, tend to vary with consumers' and advertisers' preferences towards new forms of media. Several conglomerates control a large proportion of the industry, somewhat limiting competitive pressures.
The trend in advertising spending is an important factor affecting this group. Indeed, a large proportion of this industry's top line is derived from ad expenditures, on both the national and regional levels. Strong demand in the upfront (advance) market occurs during an economic upturn, indicating bright prospects. Auto manufacturers are the largest advertisers, while retailers and financial services companies also play a large role. However, when these firms slash spending, it hampers the earnings of entertainment companies heavily reliant on advertising. Meanwhile, a television station owner's ad income tends to fluctuate in tandem with viewership ratings. In addition, ad pricing can be affected by various metrics. Examples would be the level of airtime inventory, occurrences of local and general elections, and the Olympics. Finally, other forms of revenue may consist of affiliate fees from cable television providers, the sale of syndication program rights, film box office receipts, as well as sales of physical media (such as DVDs) and downloadable content.
A flourishing economy will help broadcasters by way of higher corporate ad demand and more personal spending. During a slow economy, corporations are likely to cut their advertising spending. However, entertainment companies can often mitigate the effect through initiatives such as higher affiliate fees, which work to support the top line. Reviewing a company's earnings history should be indicative of how well it has navigated economic slumps.
Technological advances also play a role in the industry. Products, such as namely digital media and high-definition (HD) content, have widened consumer choice, which tends to spur competition. On point, subscriber acquisition costs, consisting of programming, production, distribution and marketing expenses, are likely to increase.
When evaluating a media firm, consideration should be given to the businesses in which it operates and the proportion of revenues accorded to each endeavor. For instance, cable television and outdoor advertising (billboards) may be seen as having better prospects than radio. Companies with larger, more diverse holdings are often capable of realizing revenue and cost synergies that mitigate some risk. In addition, operating margin improvement is usually driven by cross-platform tie-ins of popular brands through various outlets, such as consumer products (namely toys) that market popular films.
Buyouts and divestitures are common among industry participants seeking to achieve the ideal structure. Popular areas for purchases can include, but are not limited to, video gaming, digital, and online properties. The deals may not be immediately beneficial to the bottom line, though, because of increased R&D and content development expenses. In the meantime, divestiture of traditional radio properties is a common thread in the industry. Finally, regulations, including those pertaining to restrictions on the ownership of multiple television stations in one market, impact the composition of the industry and foster competition.
Consumer preferences often change, and successful media companies periodically review their portfolios, while taking action to improve their product mix. The creation of quality content is becoming increasingly important, as is international expansion. Large conglomerates with strong balance sheets, access to cheap capital, and strong distribution capabilities are best positioned for overseas ventures. Smaller companies, operating in one or two subsectors, may be ill-equipped to invest in operations that will boost their profit growth potential. Meanwhile, the growth of emerging markets is a positive for the industry. Indeed, many companies have taken a foothold in these markets, and continued expansion in this regard is likely.
A healthy financial position is vital in determining the ability of a media firm to make the right investments. A moderate amount of leverage is seen as being favorable, since borrowings are often required for investments in small acquisitions or new projects. Restraints on available credit might hinder a firm's ability to enter new sectors. Cash flow is an important metric, and should be evaluated to determine if a firm can easily fund its expansion initiatives, as well as pay down debt and repurchase shares.


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Sure, why not.
Sick new music out 2019
The chaos of the show
Ode to RIFFS
Legen (wait for it) dary!
Take your chances with Gus.
Lorna? Sure!
Permutation loop Permutation loop Permutation
Emphasis on "Monster"
Beam me up, Scottie!
What doth ye covet?
We thought we had seen
What petals is he using?
Calling beyond this world.
I won't Stan for this!
Dave knows axes.
Cow go "moo", bass go
Q them As, Anthony!
Is this real life?
Anything this iconic can never
An hour-long conversation with the
On this edition of Ask a
Take a walk (ing bassline).
The age old question has
Connect the dots to epic
Can't afford a giant ceiling-mounted
Bachelor life is the natural
Do you agree?
He may have discovered the
Prevention is the only effective
Time to take your 7-string
bUt DoEs It DjEnT
Tips and tricks from the
We talked to the man
As part of Overdrive week
We got advice from a
A tale as old as
Head to head (or, should
Ye Olde Proe Tooles
So many options
What could possibly go wrong?
Drum it up, brother!
Special guest Glenn Fricker of
The many faces of Trey
We ask the Gear Elder
I really Mith'd-ya!
Yew cahn dew et!
Oh, waddah Dame!
Less is more.
Oh mon Dieu!
Sheer skill, man!
Desperate times, desperate riffs.
Arbiter of RIFFS
Every song must end.
Heal me up!
On the hunt for TONE
Cow go "moo", bass go "djunn"
Easy there, young padawan.


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Scented Richland Votive Candles are one of our most popular choices from Quick Candles UK! With a 10 hour burn time, these candles are truly one of a kind. Made in the USA but shipped from the UK.
Please remember to use a holder; votive candles liquefy.
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Milton homes for sale is one of the hottest markets for young couples and families looking for beautiful homes, larger yards and great neighborhoods. With many young families moving into the neighborhood you can be sure the schools are top quality and that your child is getting a great education.
With lots of new construction most homes for sale in Milton are move in ready, with no work or renovations to be done before you can move in and enjoy. There is also a large variety of homes available on MLS Milton to suit anyone's budget whether you are looking for a detached home with a large backyard, a nice semi detached home or a smaller townhouse, there is a something for everyone's needs in Milton.
Located in the Halton Region of the GTA, just north of Oakville and west of Brampton, Milton is its own quiet neighborhood, while not being too far away from the rest of the Greater Toronto Area and easily accessible with HWY 401 and HWY 407. Milton's newest shopping mall, Toronto Premium Outlets, has the rest of the GTA coming to Milton for the best deals on high end brands! Other Milton home attractions include the beautiful Crawford Lake Conservation Area for a nice outdoor escape. During the summer the kids will love Kelso conservation area with beautiful beach and park areas to enjoy the summer sun in!
Along with the growing home development and population, Milton homes for sale are also a great investment. When making one of the biggest purchases you'll ever make, you want to make sure you're putting your money in a safe and what to look for to make sure your home value in increasing. Also contact one of our agents to find out more about our innovative home buying process which turns regular home buyers into seasoned investors, all by making carefully calculated purchases at the right times and the right places especially houses for sale in Milton.
For more information on MLS Milton homes please contact one of our knowledgeable Real Estate Consultants to help you find exactly what you're looking for in your new Milton home. Purchasing a new Milton home can be overwhelming without the help of an experienced professional walking you through every step of the way!


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Newsletter : Be informed of POMA news
POMA is a world leader in ropeway transport systems carrying passengers and goods. This safe and low-pollution means of transport contributes to the economic development of the regions in which it is installed within a spirit of sustainable development.
Extranet Access to your customer space


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SHOWTIME(R) BREAKS RECORDS WITH SEVEN WINS AT THE 2010 Primetime Emmy(R) Awards
Nurse Jackie's Edie Falco Becomes First Actress In Emmy History
To Win Both Comedy And Drama Lead Statues
Showtime Honored With More Original Series Wins Than Any Other
Cable Network
New York, NY (August 29, 2010) - It was a momentous evening for SHOWTIME as the network's stars and series were honored with multiple wins at the 2010 Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. With seven Emmy wins, SHOWTIME collected more of the coveted awards than ever in its 34-year history, and more original series wins than any other cable network.
Edie Falco, was honored as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as "Jackie Peyton" in NURSE JACKIE. The honor marks her fourth Emmy win, but her first in the comedy category, making her the first actress in Emmy's 62-year history to win both the lead comedy and drama statues. Actor Carroll O'Connor won for both "All in the Family" and "In the Heat of the Night."
In addition, Steve Shill took home the statuette for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the fourth season finale of DEXTER titled "The Getaway," Showtime's first win ever in the category.
Last Saturday at the Creative Arts Ceremony, John Lithgow was named Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his bone-chilling, edge-of-your-seat turn as serial killer "Arthur Mitchell" on the Emmy(R)-nominated and Peabody Award-winning series DEXTER. The SHOWTIME original series WEEDS, THE TUDORS and NURSE JACKIE garnered wins for Cinematography, Art Direction, Costumes and Main Title Theme Music.
The Primetime Emmy(R) Awards celebrate excellence in national primetime programming, awarding top honors at the annual Creative Arts and Primetime Awards ceremonies. A symbol of peer recognition from over 15,000 Television Academy members, more than two-dozen peer groups vote for the category of competition in their field of expertise.


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Swimming Pool Blog
by Leslie Douglas, Guest Blogger ~ May 5, 2010
How to Open Your Pool for Spring
The snow has melted, the days are warming up, and it's time to get your pool ready to use again. I always wish this step could be magically done for me, and I can go straight to sipping margaritas. In fact, it can be done almost as easily as that, by hiring a service to do it for you. Pool service companies maintain pools for a living, so the process will go much more quickly for them. A pool service can save you a lot of time and effort. What it won't save you is money, as it can typically cost a several hundred dollars.
The downside to using a pool service is you'll have to pay for it, and depending on the condition of your pool and how much work it requires to open and get it ready for use, it can be expensive. You have to decide if the expense is worth the time you'll save. If it is, great! If you'd rather use the money for other things, opening a pool is something you can DIY.
Of course, this is a much simpler process if you took the proper precautions to prepare it for winter. If you live in the snow-belt like I do, winterizing is required to protect your pool and equipment from leaves, moisture and freezing. If you didn't, you could have a big mess on your hands.
Getting Ready to Open
The first thing I do is recruit help. I'll plan to have a pool opening party and invite some of my friends. I always provide refreshments and promise a pool party later in the summer for everyone who helped. It is a great motivator that they can come over and enjoy the pool they helped prepare. If you have kids who are old enough to do the work, get them to help out. My kids (ages 11 and 15) like to have a few pool parties of their own, so I make their helping to get the pool ready a condition to be able to use it.
Removing the Cover
Leaves, dirt, and even water may have accumulated on a solid pool cover over the winter. Sweep up the leaves leaf skimmer or broom, and use a small pump to remove any standing water. You don't want dirty, stagnant water from the cover to fall into the pool when you remove the cover. It will just make more work for you to get the pool water clean and clear. Carefully remove the cover, and set it aside to be cleaned and stored until next winter.
If you have a mesh pool cover (like I wish I had), there is much less maintenance to do and the process of cover removal is easier. The pool shown in the picture needs to have it's water level lowered. With all of the spring detrius on top, this pool cover is acting more like a tea bag! If your cover looks like this, use a small cover pump, or start a siphon going with a garden hose. Be sure not to pump out too much - just down to the bottom of the tile line.
When the water is lowered, the wet spot won't occur in the middle and the debris will blow off the cover. If it's too late, and you are opening your pool to a messy mesh cover, loosen a few of the cover springs and use leaf nets to clean as much of the debris off as possible. Then, as you're folding your mesh cover, use a garden hose and/or blower to clean off remaining bits of debris as you remove the cover from the pool, folding it accordian style.
Reassembling the equipment
If you live in an area that experiences freezing temperatures during the winter, you will have used expansion plugs, also called freeze plugs, in the skimmers and wall returns. Remove them and discard any that are cracked or dried out. I always store the remaining ones in plastic zipper bags to be used again next fall, and keep the bag with my winter cover so I don't lose them. Attach the return line eyeball fittings and drop in the skimmer baskets.
Also if you live in a colder area, you most likely disassembled the pump, filter, and heater. Reassemble them by replacing drain plugs and checking that all clamps are tightly and correctly installed. Lubricate the pump lid o-ring and fill the pump basket with water. Open all the lines and the filter air relief before starting pump. Pumps and Filters do well outside, but I prefer to remove mine from the equipment pad and store them indoors during the winter. This also gives me the chance to inspect everything to see if I need to replace any parts. If you live in one of the sunbelt states, you can skip these steps and just turn the pump back on to get the water flowing.
Watch the filter pressure guage as you start the pump, with your hand on the pump power switch. If the filter pressure jumps up very high, shut off the pump immediately and look for a closed valve, or plugs left in the return lines. If you have a DE filter, add the DE powder immediately upon filter start-up.
Once it's working, check for leaks around the pump, and the filter as well, and repair any you find. After making sure the pump, the filter, and the heater are working properly, and move on to cleaning.
Cleaning the Pool
Even with the cover on, some dirt and leaves may have made it into the water as you removed it. I get my kids to skim the water to pick up leaves and insects, then I vacuum the pool. If the pool is really dirty, you may need to backwash the pool filter after cleaning. When the skimming and vacuuming is done, then I give the pool a good, strong brushing. This also helps to circulate the water and chemicals.
After the pool is clean, I use a spring chemical kit to shock the water. It's important to make sure that any bacteria that may have built-up over the winter is killed. Add the chemicals as directed for your size of pool, remembering not to mix directly any pool chemicals. Store them tightly out of reach of children.
Getting Ready for Summer
Finally, once the pool is open for business, get the area around it ready for that party you promised. I get all my patio furniture out of storage and hose it off. Also check umbrellas or awnings for tears, and clean the deck around the pool. My cover always leaves a grimy ring around the pool deck, so we use a scrub brush on a pole and a garden hose. I let my kids do this part. Later, after shocking the pool, I use a bucket to rinse the deck again, and the chlorinated water helps lighten and brighten the concrete pool deck.
I live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes and other insects, which find the pool inviting. I have tried plants like Citronella placed around the pool that repel those insects, but decided to invest in an effective trap like the Mosquito Magnet to ensure my time spent around the pool is as enjoyable as possible.
I also make sure to stock up on some new pool toys and noodles for the kids, and we're set for a great summer around the pool.
Now, it's time to have fun!


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Kalymnos - ET
E.T. is the latest addition to Kalymnos, suitable for climbing on hot, sunny afternoons. E.T. is located in the fertile valley of Vathy (or Vathys), just above the village of Metochi and offers gorgeous views over the valley, the fjord of Rina and the Turkish coast.
Viewed from a distance, the cliff resembles a giant face, exactly like Steven Spielberg's E.T. - the caves on either side and at the foot of the cliff form the eyes and mouth.
E.T. was equipped in April 2010 by the tireless Frenchman – and permanent Kalymnos resident – Claude Idoux. Over the last 3 years Claude has equipped more than 70 routes on Kalymnos; his routes follow the rock's natural line, his bolting is meticulous and he dedicates a significant amount of time to the exemplary cleaning of each route from vegetation, dirt and loose rock. You may have noticed the artistic hand-painted rocks marking the names of many of his routes. The crag still holds potential, so expect some new routes in the near future.
Approach: Follow the Arginonda – Vathy road toward Vathy. Pass the col; at the entrance to the village of Metochi, opposite the football field, turn right onto the narrow road next to the cemetery. Follow the road to the first junction (~ 400m) and turn right onto a dirt road. You will see the cliff which looks like E.T.'s face straight ahead. Park at a point where the road levels off; continue on foot along the same road as it gets rougher and begins to ascend. Pass behind the stone cistern. Close the gate behind you and continue for 150m. Go toward the right and walk uphill along the fence. When you reach a gate, climb over it using the stepping-stones and continue to the crag. There are some cairns along the way. Total walking time: 20 minutes.
Climbing is predominantly on smooth slabs or clean-cut walls teeming with good pockets and pockets. Climbing is delicate and balancy, and good footwork is imperative. Routes are long and sustained, and despite the numerous bolts they feel positively alpine. Some of the 6a-6b routes at E.T. compete for the title of Best Route on Kalymnos in this category. Some routes feature 2 pitches, from which you descend by abseil. The bolting is very good, albeit a bit spaced in some easy sections of the routes. On the righthand side of the crag there is a 20-30m hgh cave with excellent quality tufas and a huge potential some very difficult routes. As yet there are no routes in the cave, but we are confident that this hard-core crag will soon be developed further.
Kids: At the moment the approach is not easy for kids, as the path is still unclear. However, it is expected to improve as climbers visit the crag. There are many flat areas for children to play close to and beneath the crag.
Kalymnos Rock Climbing Guide 2016 Edition. Aris Theodoropoulos. 3000 rock climbs, English
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The Florida Youth Soccer Association houses all of our documents in this one location for the entire website. Some of our forms include coaching course materials, registration forms, rules, meeting minutes and much more. You can search for the document you need by using keywords in the search box below. If you are unable to locate a certain form, please feel free to contact the state office by phone at 863.268.8220.
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Cow Voyages and Contemplates Her Mortality (1998 - 1999)
Born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1971, Vivian van Blerk has lived and worked in Paris since 1997. By inventing fictions that unfold in parallel worlds close to our own, his photography exploits our tendency to read photographs as truthful documents. To make these photographs Vivian employs many medias. Sometimes he arranges found objects before the camera while for other images he will entirely construct, sculpt, model, and paint a scene and its actors. He also collages and montages imagery in the studio and darkroom, often retouching negatives and using alternative printing techniques to make strange his photographic universe. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town and currently lives and works in Paris.