text:
For centuries, heraldry has represented power and is closely connected with the monarchy, recording shifts in power through time. In 1953, the entrance to Her Majesty The Queen's coronation at Westminster Abbey was guarded by ten sculptures that were over six foot tall – The Queen's Beasts – which represented the heritage and traditions that Queen Elizabeth II inherited that day.
The Queen's Beasts have been revisited for a collection that celebrates remarkable royal times and brings the art of heraldry to life with contemporary designs. The series began in 2017 with coins for the Lion of England and Unicorn of Scotland, both struck in the year that Her Majesty marked her Sapphire Jubilee. Now, the latest release in the series has been struck in the year The Queen celebrates the 65th anniversary of her coronation, and it features the fierce Red Dragon of Wales.
The official United Kingdom coin struck for the Red Dragon of Wales is available in a number of editions, struck in base metal, fine silver and fine gold and finished to Brilliant Uncirculated and Proof standard. There is also a Brilliant Uncirculated edition presented in bright and informative packaging that reflects the vibrant art of heraldry.
About the design
Dragons are one of the best known mythical beasts. They are associated with strength, wisdom and power. The Red Dragon was an emblem of Owen Tudor, the grandfather of Henry VII. Henry's troops carried a fiery red dragon standard at the Battle of Bosworth.
Series Highlights:
- The third release in a dynamic coin series, approved by the Palace
- Celebrating Her Majesty's rich heritage and unprecedented royal times
- Both the obverse and reverse of the coin features designs by Jody Clark, the Royal Mint coin designer who created the current coinage portrait of Her Majesty The Queen
- A collection of coins struck in base metal, fine silver and fine gold, finished to Brilliant Uncirculated and Proof standard
- Struck in strictly limited numbers – the previous coins in the series sold out in a number of editions
- There is also a Brilliant Uncirculated edition presented in vibrant, informative packaging
Additional Info
|Metal Content
|28.28 g
|Brilliant Uncirculated
|United Kingdom
|Royal Mint
|Diameter (mm)
|Queen's Beast
|Box & Certificate
What are your shipping fees for international shipments?
International shipments of collectible products over $500USD are shipped for free.
Hong Kong and Macau shipments of collectible products over $1000HKD are shipped for free.
For orders under these amounts please use our shipping calculator.
What are your shipping fees for local shipments?
Local collectible orders are shipped for free.
Is my shipment insured?
All shipments sent by LPM are insured, however orders are only covered while in transit. Coverage is terminated upon arrival of the package (marked as delivered or notice of signature from carrier).
What if I have a mixed collectible and bullion order to ship?
Collectible orders will be shipped for free if they meet the minimum requirements but the bullion portion of the shipment will need to be paid by you.
Can I track my shipment?
Yes, you will be given a tracking number by email once your order has been shipped.


text:
Fantasy Fashion: Fairy Tail [HACK Money/Hearts/Bucks] v 39.0.1
Weight: 37 mb
Android version: 2.3.x
Build a beautiful magical castle in Fantasy Fashion: Fairy Town!
Dress up & Makeup your fairy tail town with stunning decorations.
Check out our fairy farm and build skyscrapers of fruits and vegetables.
Sparkling fairy dust everywhere to see.
Grow fairy magic poison potion and scare off the village witch.
In Fantasy Island you can build your very own fairy kingdom.
Girls and Boys play fantasy fairy kingdom island with family and friends.
Discover the unicorn kingdom of fairy friends.
Rescue your fairies from the big bad witch.
Be not the princess in the game but a beautiful flower Fairy
Be one of the fantasy heroes , come on Join us in Fantasy Fashion: Fairy Town to enjoy every fairytale moment ever after.
Design your imagination island of dreams! Meet and care for cute lovely creatures! Make beautiful magic potions and dresses!
Play the best imagination island of dreams game and have fun!
Meet and care for a fairy helper, a fairy tale queen, and a witch! Meet their friends!
Design & explore beautiful fairy castles, find secret treasures, meet new types of lovely creatures!
Build the perfect fantasy kingdom & fairy house for your fairies!
In Fairy Fantasy Island everyone lived in harmony together, all young fairies enjoyed going to school to learn new magic potions recipes. The nasty witch from the valley of darkness didn't enjoy seeing how happy everyone was. On a very beautiful summer's day, the witch decided to enter the village but she knew she had to disguise herself, because the witch isn't allowed in the Village. The witch disguised herself as a music teacher and told all the village kids in town to follow her into the forest of magic. Suddenly the beautiful day turned stormy, one fairy got afraid and ran back to the Fantasy Island to ask for help. When the parents arrived in the fantasy forest of magic the witch had snatched all magic potion recipes and flew away into her valley of darkness. The little fairy in the fantasy story that ran away still had one recipe in her pocket. The last hope of recreating Fantasy Island lies with you!
Play the magic tree of fortune to earn fantastic gifts. Enjoy our whack a witch game and protect your village. Discover fairytale island with many different magic potion factories to build. Experience a family fun kids adventure in our fairy tale game! Magic fairy island awaits your arrival! Be quick, the fairy makers want to explore fairy world with you!
Watch the Fairy's Mix with their Friends & have fun
You'll love the fairies in this game more than the disney fairies
Play with your friends and visit their magic island in the sky, too!
* PLAY OFFLINE! No internet connection required
* Design beautiful coral reefs
* Meet fairy helper, a fairy queen and a witch
* Discover beautiful and cute lovely creatures
* 2 FREE mini games to enjoy!
* DAILY FREE GIFTS to send to your friends & family!
* UNLOCK more decorations & lovely creatures to meet as you level up your magic island in the sky!
* Explore & DECORATE your own fantasy kingdom just the way you want it!
Make your visitors happy - show them your beautiful fairies, magic gardens and decorated beautiful fairy castles.
See you all soon in the fairy tail game and don't forget to come and visit my imagination island of dreams!
In this game, you will meet beautiful fairies, explore, build and design fantastic-looking beautiful fairy castles & fairy house in a imagination island of dreams. Design, plan and build your own fantasy kingdom! Populate it with many fairy helper, fairy queen, and all kinds of fairies you can think of.
Decorate your magic island & Magic garden in the sky and have fun meeting new types of fairies. Show your magic island in the sky to your friends, too! Invite them to play with you and explore the fantasy kingdom together.
Fantasy Fashion: Fairy Tail is like a Princess game for Girls except there in no Princess but a fairy. This Fantasy Story in the Fantasy Town has a Happy Ending!
Download Fantasy Fashion: Fairy Tail for Android:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
[It's Miami-West Virginia in the Russell Athletic Bowl]
[Richt, Holgorsen talk Canes-'Eers matchup]
[Unranked Miami a slight favorite over No. 16 WVU]
[Flashback: The 5 best Miami-WVU games ever]
[Ahmmon Richards: The Fastest Hurricane]
['Commissioner Richt' would expand College Football Playoff]
Judging by the immediate reaction on social media, most Miami players seem happy to be heading to the Russell Athletic Bowl.
They'll be pleased to know they're about to get — and be able to give — some outstanding Christmas gifts.
One of the perks of playing in a bowl game is the bowl-game swag, which includes branded apparel and usually one or two centerpiece gifts. Sports Business Journal does an annual breakdown of all the stuff, and the Russell Athletic Bowl always comes in near the top.
This year, Miami and West Virginia players will get a $300 Best Buy shopping trip, a watch from the Timely Watch Co., sandals from ISlide, a beach towel and an athletic performance pullover (from Russell Athletic, obviously).
And not to trash any of the other bowls, but that lineup includes by far the best "wow" gift of the ACC's top-tier games (as in, the games that could have selected Miami).
The Pinstripe Bowl hands out "a variety of New Era products," and that's cool. Hats are great. The Belk Bowl provides a shopping trip to its namesake department store, and if you are in need of khakis, my friend, you are in luck. The Sun Bowl has a "gift suite," which means a variety of products. Who knows.
Shout-out to the TaxSlayer, which gives out a very cool custom product: a bobblehead with a player's face, name and uniform number. Original is good.
But look, nothing's beating that Best Buy gift card.
When Miami went to the Russell Athletic Bowl in 2013, the most popular items among the Hurricanes were Beats by Dre headphones, XBox One gaming systems, iPad Air and Samsung Galaxy tablets and various DVDs. The hottest items this year, according to Best Buy, are blu-ray players, iPhone 7s, Powerbeats3 headphones, Apple Watches and ChromeCast Ultra.
In 2013, players treated themselves, but also took care of family members. That's the best part, really. While mom will appreciate that Ogio backpack with the Sun Bowl logo, she'll really appreciate an Apple Watch.
Filed under: 2016 season, Football, Matt Porter Tagged: caneswatch, Miami Hurricanes, sports, sportsfront


text:
The "Peto Paradox" asks why elephants, the largest and among the longest-lived mammals, have such a low incidence of cancer. In this analysis in 150 seconds, F. Perry Wilson, MD, discusses a recent study that sheds light on the mystery.
F. Perry Wilson, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. He earned his BA from Harvard University, graduating with honors with a degree in biochemistry. He then attended Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. From there he moved to Philadelphia to complete his internal medicine residency and nephrology fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. During his post graduate years, he also obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an accomplished author of many scientific articles and holds several NIH grants. He is a MedPage Today reviewer, and in addition to his video analyses, he authors a blog, The Methods Man. You can follow @methodsmanmd on Twitter.


text:
On a roll
Danbury 10s claim second straight state title
MERIDEN -- Winning championships isn't exactly getting old for the Danbury 10-year-old Cal Ripken team.
Danbury's players showed the thrill of victory is still worth a hearty celebration Thursday after a 4-1 win over Newtown clinched the Cal Ripken Tournament title for the state championship.
The team mobbed pitcher Brandon Backman after he struck out Newtown's Patrick Conte for the final out of the game at Habershon Field. They dumped a Gatorade bucket in the vicinity of manager Ted Linstrum and then posed for pictures with broad smiles after collecting their trophies.
"It feels better every time we win it," said Danbury catcher Mike Halas, who was a member of the 9-year-old team that won the state and New England crowns last year.
Linstrum, who also coached the team in 2008, said Danbury played at a high level in compiling a 7-0 postseason record.
"Right now they're playing unbelievable -- pitching, catching, the defense and the offense," said Linstrum, adding that Danbury outscored its opponents by a 40-3 margin. "Everything's clicking on all cylinders for sure."
Next up for Danbury is the Cal Ripken New England Regional Tournament, which begins on Aug. 1 in Southbury.
Danbury scored all it would need after plating two runs in the second inning. Kevin Murphy singled to start the two-out rally. After infield singles by Jared Volpe (2-for-3) and Ryan Koelhoffer, Halas knocked in two runs with a single to right field.
Newtown, which advanced in the losers bracket and could have forced another game for the title in the double-elimination tournament, got a run back in the top of the third inning. Leadoff hitter Jake Oliger tomahawked a 3-2 offering from Rocco Swenson over the left field fence for a solo home run.
Danbury tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth, however, to put the game away. Swenson, who was 2-for-3, singled in a run in the fourth after an infield error by Newtown. Another error in the fifth was followed by an RBI infield single by Volpe.
Swenson started the game on the mound for Danbury. The right-hander struck out four over three innings, allowing just two hits. Backman pitched the final three innings, striking out two and allowing two hits as well.
"We played good the whole tournament," said Swenson. "Today we played really good."
The loss was a familiar scene for Newtown (3-2) and coach Lou Blanco, who also fell to Danbury in last year's 9-year-old tourney.
"They're a tough team," said Blanco. "We played them three times last year and went 1-2, and this year we were 2-2, but they won all the ones that counted."
Volpe turned in the defensive play of the game in the second inning. The Danbury third baseman made a diving stop of Bobby Haskin's hot grounder in the hole, got up and fired to first for the final out of the inning.
"We never give up," said Linstrum. "Last year we always had to come back. We were always in the losers bracket. This year we haven't lost a game in any of these tournaments."
Newtown 001 000 -- 1 4 3
Danbury 020 11x -- 4 8 0
BATTERIES: Newtown: Austin Kasbarian, Mitch Sovoca (4), Jamie Cochraine (5), Matt Gerics (5) and Chris Blanco. Danbury: Rocco Swenson, Brandon Backman (4) and Mike Halas. WP: Swenson. LP: Kasbarian. SO: Kasbarian 1, Gerics 2, Swenson 4, Backman 2. BB: Savoca 1, Backman 1.
HR: Jake Oliger (N). RBI: Newtown: Oliger. Danbury: Halas 2, Swenson, Jared Volpe (D).
Contact Dan S. Cohen at (203) 731-3379 or email@example.com


text:
There are creatures on this earth that live and die in one day. Born beneath stones in fast-flowing streams, the change of season sees them float to the surface in bubbles, like ghosts crossing the void. These are the mayflies of the order Ephemeroptera – the ephemerals.
He nods, pretending to understand.
"They lack even the mouthparts to feed," she says. "So they can't consume once they've metamorphosed. They just buzz around for a bit and party and mate."
"All the important stuff then."
"That's how we should be."
"What, mating?"
She blushes and smiles. "We should be born without mouths, so that we can't do any damage to the earth or to each other. So that we focus on the present."
He thinks of a few people he wouldn't mind seeing silenced forever. Like his boss, the prick. Not just a surface-layer prick – a deep prick. The kind who buys a Porsche while firing half his staff. Some people are just unsalvageable.
He'd say, "Siyanda, you'll action this, OK?" as if the vagueness of the verb masks the lack of meaning in the work.
Wodwo wonders about these people who begin and end in office block coffins, who eat at places called Tashas and speak about boutique wine bars and the new BMW series. When the dizzying emptiness of their lives comes to dizzy them, rolls back their eyes, kicks them in the balls, what do they feel? They've convinced themselves that life is simple, like a menu, shutting out anything that's not lifestyle. Wodwo wanted to feel more than comfortable.
He had found her on the street, plastered to the trunk of a robot, beneath the poster: PENIS ENLARGEMENT. A meek scrawl saying Lost Soul? Be found. There was no number but a strange address: A delta in the heart of Joburg, a Walden by the pond. He called his boss and told him to go action himself.
Wading through tall grass, he crawled through a gap in the fence, into an area set aside for birds. In a clearing, hidden from sight from the surrounding joggers and dog-walkers, was a crude bivouac made from branches lashed together with satin ribbons and dusted with thatching grass. A wisp sat over a potjie humming some sort of pop song. When she saw Wodwo coming she grabbed a sharpened stone and braced herself – he thought he heard snarling.
"Hey sorry – I'm not a tsotsi – I'm here for your ad? I'm a lost soul?"
"What's your name there, honey?"
"Wodwo. The wanderer."
"Come on, that's not a real name."
"It's my tribal name," he said. "All right, it's my spiritual name."
She eyed him slyly.
"Would you be more comfortable if I was called Matt? That's racist."
She laughed and lowered the flint. "I'm Aquamaria. The sangoma."
"You're a pretty pale-looking sangoma."
"Racist," she grinned.
"So what now, sangoma?"
"I dunno. Do you want to look at some birds?"
And now she's telling him to listen, really listen. He gets down on his hands and knees and nestles his ear in the undergrowth.
"I don't hear anything."
"Exactly. The vegetation should be teeming with small creatures like Dendromus mysticalis, Dasymys incomtus, Suncus infinitesimus," she says, incanting the Latin names like a sorceress, "but their habitats are too degraded."
"Suncus infinitesimus – that's a cool name."
"The Least Dwarf Shrew."
"What does it do?"
She shrugs. "Probably just tries to survive."
"Much like what we're doing?"
"To be present and not to dissipate. That's the goal."
He likes that. They're not hanging out – they're eking out.
She takes his hand and leads him up the path, explains that shrews need intact habitats to survive, that their bodies are little furnaces funneling through the veld, blazing micro-trails, igniting the insides of owls. The facts are biological, as if she were once a scientist, but her tone heretical, as if she'd been exiled from the academe for demonising the data.
"Besides, it's not what they do that's important – it's about all of us existing together, allowing each other to flourish. Did you know the extinction rate is a thousand times what is should be? Think of rhino poaching, climate change, fracking in the Karoo fucking up the Riverine Rabbits – all these interesting creatures buried beneath concrete and greed. Pretty soon the rich and powerful will have erased all features on earth, leaving us no choice but to stay at home or go shopping. Which is of course exactly what they want."
She's pretty cute, all nerdy and apocalyptic.
Her favourite mornings were those looking out from her bedroom window and watching the wind move the leaves in waves of shadows and listening to the birds syncopating their calls from unseen perches and her knowing that the world can be a beautiful and peaceful place and her trying to hold onto that feeling before it drained away with the flow of the day. She was a little princess lost in a world of bushveld trails. But she got a job like the rest and she met some boys with whom she could have married and made children and they would have had names like Jack or Matthew or Sarah and they would watch TV on the weekends so mommy and daddy could get some fucking rest and they would become ungrateful little monsters just like their parents and the cycle of reproduction would start again. She was sucked into routine back then. She started being aware of herself saying things like "It's Monday and I'm already tired" or "I work hard too, OK?" or "Did you have a good weekend?" and she was so hateful. Every time she looked at those fat cows in her office her eyes stung and she wanted to fight. She couldn't let go of all the water it took just to sustain their lifestyles. The kind of people who eat lunch on principle.
One summer she got a research internship following birds around the Kalahari Desert, gathering data on their behaviour. She learnt basic survival skills. She would speak with the birds while they foraged, asking them Am I crazy? Am I fucking crazy? She was happy. She decided she liked speaking with the birds. So when she returned she didn't go to the interview her dad had arranged. She started squatting in Delta Park, spinning little sticks together to make fire, trying to grow her own vegetables and when it all got too much she would sneak in some tins of spaghetti and feel guilty.
When Wodwo saw the empty Macaroni packets, he said "So you're just a tramp?" and it hurt her because at least she was fucking trying. She told him that by the time she was done with him they would both be sweet little Buddha mystics, eking out with all the other creatures.
They find a bench by a small pond. There's a hard-yolk sun nesting in the sky and if you keep your line of sight to canopy-level or above you might just convince yourself this is natural. But picnickers sprawl out amidst the dog shit and debris and look past each other, look past other picnickers, look past everything into personal voids. Some of them have babies and she stares at the small creatures clambering stupidly through the grass. The deep well of hatred sloshing around in her belly is a gravitational force; it stoops her, a furtive, bird-like foreigner transfigured by terror of offspring.
"The greatest gift we can give our children," she says, "is to make sure the other children aren't born."
Wodwo turns to her and sees her seriousness. "That's a pretty harsh statement."
"These kids are just growing up to want more and more."
He nods, understanding. His gaze drifts over the picnickers and he sees a young girl sitting amidst the Cosmos flowers with a blue light glowering across her face, eyes sucked into her iPad. They call it information, but it's disembodied. Taliban beheadings, arctic drillings, motorised dildos – they all converge on the same soft grey spot in the brain. As if lives now are paper thin, pulp fiction.
He says, "What we need to worry about is not the multitudes coming into this world, but the multitudes who don't give a damn about the world. That's our problem – the bored."
"The ever-widening gyre of consumerist shit."
"What rough beasts."
"I get it."
"Thoreau said the whole world is a canvas for our imagination."
"Sounds like a bumper sticker."
"Shut your face," she laughs. "It's deep. The art of life is to stay interested. Be present."
"To not own iPads."
"Let's promise to always be mystics together, to not have mouths."
She holds out her pinky finger for him to interlock but he leans in to kiss her instead. He feels his whole life has been standing by a river waiting for the chance to get to the other side. But now he wants to ooze back under the water, crawl beneath a stone, wait forever while uncertainty passes by.
"Mouths are good for some things," he says.
Her nose twitches, testing the air for sarcasm. She smiles but she's afraid. His kiss ignited in her that ancient impulse for sex, love and family, but she won't go back to bourgeois. A helicopter drones above, and now the noises of humanity leak back into the scene – barking, shouting, crying. They look at each other as if they were the first two species flung together, treading water in the primordial swamps while the whole world turned predatory. The meek will always be there, he thinks, a pile of bones beside the powerful, inheriting the failures from above.
"What do we do now?" he asks.
"We keep fighting to survive. To live."
"Never start a fight you can't finish," he says reflexively, but he knows fights never finish, no matter how many you start, no matter how strong you are or how many Sudoku puzzles you can do, no matter the self-help books and rich inner lives lurking inside you, fights manifold are there to roll you over and send you tumbling back into the oil-thick waves. Never start a fight you can't let fray and unravel into the tedium of groceries, dogs, misinterpreted texts, gnawing emptiness. Maybe never start anything at all.
"OK, well, it's not fighting exactly," she says. "It's more like being happy with just being."
He smiles, stands up and takes her hand. "Come. Let's drift back across the delta."
They pick their way through the picnickers, trying to keep the line of vision to canopy-level or above.
"Here's a thought experiment for you: say we were lovers," she side-glances him slyly, "and we were walking through the wilderness."
"Where would we have sex? Is that the game?"
She laughs and blushes. "No, idiot. Say we're walking and we come across a porcupine quill and I pick it up and tap you on both shoulders and say something like 'I hereby knight you, Sir Wodwo' – "
"– shut your face. That memory would form part of our mythology. It'll add meaning to our lives. Help us notch time. But we can't do that if the interesting creatures aren't around."
Now all he sees is dog shit. He wonders whether that's part of someone's mythology.
"I'll always pick up porcupine quills with you."
She smiles and blushes as they crawl back through the hole in the fence.
There's a land of beauty and peace hidden somewhere. Perhaps it's already been pulverised to dust and they have to push it back together, one speck at a time. The newspaper they use to light the fire says "Global Markets Sink" and he thinks it sounds like Atlantis fabling around them; the great economic fairy kingdom finally returning to fantasy.
She strikes a match and says, "The only reality is the landscape – with the trees and the soil and the birds and us". She spins in the hovel, singing and spilling beans, squelchy on the floor, overcome with raw happiness, the kind that lava-flows from deep magma core. Wodwo watches from his corner, shrew-like and near-blind with bliss. The Suncus infinitesimus, sunk in love, an infinitesimal in the ecosystem and okay with it. A couple of ephemerals eating each other's hearts to live for a few days on earth.


text: Plans to offer hundreds of new web addresses as alternatives to .com have been criticised by the US government.The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which oversees net addresses has floated plans for the radical change to the existing system. But the US Commerce department has questioned both the benefits and the costs of such a scheme. Officials have also raised concerns about whether the plans will destabilise the current system.


text:
welcome to our to buy other products Welcome to our shop!if you are a dealer,pls contact us ,i believe we will do a happy transaction from now on..also if you are buyer.i will mark your parcel as the gift parcel,.it will be a good gift for you or your friends.
ATTENTION(Pls note)
- Due to your different monitor setting and lighting, it may has some color difference from the real item.But we guarantee that the style is the same as the picture showing. thanks and please kindly understand.
- Any questions please feel free to write to us, we'll reply within 24 hours, your satisfaction is our first goal.
Package Contents: 1 x phone cases
USD 1.45-1.62/pieceUSD 1.02-1.07/pieceUSD 1.83/pieceUSD 1.83/pieceUSD 1.42/pieceUSD 2.53-2.63/pieceUSD 1.61-1.69/pieceUSD 1.42-1.49/piece


text:
Beginner's Guide to Google Analytics
The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Google Analytics
Kristi Hines June 24th, 2015
- How many people visit my website?
- Where do my visitors live?
- Do I need a mobile-friendly website?
- What websites send traffic to my website?
- What marketing tactics drive the most traffic to my website?
- Which pages on my website are the most popular?
- How many visitors have I converted into leads or customers?
- Where did my converting visitors come from and go on my website?
- How can I improve my website's speed?
- What blog content do my visitors like the most?
a Google Analytics account. If you have a primary Google account that you use for other services like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google+, or YouTube, then you should set up your Google Analytics using that Google account. Or you will need to create a new one.
Big tip: don't let your anyone (your web designer, web developer, web host, SEO person, etc.) create your website's Google Analytics account under their own Google account so they can "manage" it for you. If you and this person part ways, they will take your Google Analytics data with them, and you will have to start all over.
go to Google Analytics and click the Sign into Google Analytics button.
Google Analytics offers hierarchies to organize your account. You can have up to 100 Google Analytics accounts under one Google account. You can have up to 50 website properties under one Google Analytics account. You can have up to 25 views under one website property.
more on Google Analytics in this IMS blog


text:
Mauritius SO Sofitel
At the end of January, I hopped on a plane and headed off to one of my favourite destinations… Mauritius! If you're a regular here on StyleScoop, you probably already know my…View Post
Mauritius Wild South
One of my favourite experiences on our Mauritius trip, and one that felt – truly Mauritian – was our little rum tasting tour and touring the Mauritius Wild South. Since we did…View Post
Experience Mauritius: A Visual Story
It's been over a month since our magical holiday to the island of Mauritius, and judging by my Instagram feed, you can tell I'm still not over this paradise island. We had…View Post
TUMI Travels To the the Mediterranean
How amazing a little trip to the Med would be! I miss those blue waters so much and would give anything to go back this summer! Well, by "this summer" I mean…View Post
London Photo Diary with River Island
I always wanted to go to London. So when I found out I'd be traveling to London with River Island, a hot British fashion brand new to SA, I was over the moon! There was a…View Post
Products That Rocked 2012! TUMI Tegra-Lite Luggage
I've done my fair share of air travel this year, and one thing that has really made it so much better, has been travelling with my TUMI TEGRA-LITE Carry on bag. It is such…View Post
Tumi Fall 2012 Lookbook
Some of my fave pieces from the Fall 2012 Collection by TUMI, makers of fine luggage and my personal favourite travel luggage brand! The Holiday Collection Perfect for travel! The TUMI Holiday Collection…View Post
Packing and The Last Day of Winter
Well, for me anyway :-). I'm off with the Hubz to enjoy some fun in the Sun in Europe today and I can't hardly wait. We're off to Greece via Dubai for…View Post
TUMI: The Only Way To Travel
If you do a lot of traveling you know the importance of having a good quality travel bag. A bag that will make your trip from A-B seamless, comfortable and if you're a…View Post
There's a new Tumi in Town – The TEGRA-LITE
I absolutely love my TUMI. It's my most fabulous travel companion. The only problem with it, sometimes on local flights, is it's a bit heavy to take on board with me; so…View Post
Why I love Travelling with my TUMI
Travelling for beauty launches and events sounds like a lot of fun, and it is, but the actual packing part can sometimes be a nightmare. I hate having my clothes messed up…View Post


text:
Best Practice•
7 steps to fostering effective leader internal communications
The role of internal communications was once simply pushing a message top-down through an organization – and assuming it had been understood, no matter who (or what type) leader was sending it. Today, the leader – ranging from senior management to team managers – is responsible for ensuring they have effectively communicated to either their entire workforce, business unit or team. Poorly communicated information hinders employee engagement. It's almost worse than not communicating at all!
To prevent any barriers in effective communications, Internal Communicators must now ensure structures are in place that enable consistency of the message sent to a distributed workforce spanning business units, skill levels, languages, regions and cultures. The modern IC professional enables and empowers organisational leaders to communicate effectively – whether it's good or bad news.The all-in-one platform,
specifically built for internal communicators.Try it free!
Here are seven essential elements that Internal Communications professionals need to review as part of fostering effective leader internal communications.
- Have a clear vision, strategy and goals This almost goes without saying, but let's say it. If you can't explain your own internal communications strategy simply and effectively to others – you are part of the problem. You need to be able to communicate with and engage your lead communicators so they in turn have a clear understanding of the company direction and goals and can effectively communicate it to others in the organization.
- Understand the value of good internal communications skills A recent Willis Towers Watson report found that most employees don't think senior managers commhttp://www.towerswatson.com/unicate openly and honestly; and an employee's most trusted source of information is their line manager. Some of this may come down to corporate culture, but much of it stems from poor communications. And, just because someone is in a senior position, or communicates regularly with a team, doesn't automatically mean they are effective communicators! Managers must be able to explain, update, simplify, guide, support, listen, empower, develop and inspire.
- Have a place at the top table IC professionals should be striving to move from simply pushing out information to strategic partnership with stakeholders. Having this relationship with the decision-makers allows the IC team to get the buy-in and trust they need to both implement a communication strategy, and roll out a plan to identify and work with leaders to enhance their communication skills.
- Align leader and audience with message – The '8 types of leader' listed in the cartoon nicely shows how everyone has different styles of communicating. That's part of what makes a leader unique, however it doesn't work if they can't speak clearly, are off-message or don't craft the message to suit their audience. IC teams should work with leaders to tailor a specific communication or campaign to the communicator's style AND think about who the audience is.
- Create informed conversations – Using social business tools can be very effective in this context. Opening up an informed conversation between the senior management and employees can foster extremely engaged conversations that enhances the understanding of the communication. By opening up a two-way communication channel you will also create 'our door is open' feeling – which leads to true understanding of the information being imparted.
- Measure, identify and align – Use measurement tools available to you to create a crow's nest view to measure engagement across the organization; department by department, by region, by country – and by leader. Creating a leader profile will help you spot engagement and internal communications issues at that level, which can be taken to the face-to-face level with individuals.
- Share results with stakeholders – This allows you as an Internal communications professional to be in an advisory position, you'll be able to share measurement of engagement, and where the blockers are. Not only this essential to ensure you have a place at the table and are able to help shape the IC strategy.
We have created a white paper on delivering internal communications that deliver ROI through employee engagement. Download your copy of Delivering Effective Internal Communications here.


text:
The money raised by this fundraiser will be spent on assisting our community to organize, participate in and enjoy Art in the Miners Park 2017
Art in the Miners Park 2016 is a summer long outdoor art exhibition on a one mile walking trail at the Miners Memorial Heritage Park in Ironwood.
For 2016 we had interactive and historic exhibitions. For 2017 we want to open Art in the Miners Park for full community participation. Individuals, community groups, organizations and businesses are invited to:
– bring in kid's groups to identify trees, conduct nature scavenger hunts, learn about out mining heritage
– conduct music, storytelling, and art events at the Aurora Pond
– hold nature and public art appreciation and photography classes
– conduct dog walk, sports health & exercise, and outdoor gear demonstrations
The opportunities for our active, connected, collaborative people to participate are endless.
The Miners Park is a center for nature, history and recreation. Let's make the Miners Park a center for community events next summer.
The money raised by this fundraiser will be spent on assisting our community to organize, participate in and enjoy Art in the Miners Park 2017. The money will help with
– providing support and services for individuals, groups and businesses as needed to participate
– making the trail friendlier and accessible to people of all ages and disabilities
– increasing publicity to make the efforts of participating organizations, businesses and artists more valuable and profitable
Your contributions to this fundraiser helps show Ironwood and all the cities of the Gogebic Range as the friendly, great destinations they are with a rich story to tell.


text:
After reading Kathleen's first book in this series it was good to read another one as the story is full and engaging so keeping children hooked until the end. I love her imagination and the history that is thrown in and you don't even realise you are learning. Great characters full of descriptions so you can really get to know them and follow their adventures.
I love the way you never know when the story is going to end, so you keep going and more things happen. Great book and I am sure most children would love it.


text: Vehicular traffic is out of focus to give more emphasis to the edge of the foot path. Traffic on Tank Bund, Vehicle drivers switching on their vehicle lights in the evening. Buses, Cars, Scooters, Bikes, Autos can be seen. A person walking by and another person stopping to answer a cell phone.


text:
150th Anniversary In Waterbury: On September 8, Cathy, an associate from Chicago, attended the 150th anniversary of five CND sisters coming to Waterbury, CT from Montreal. Cathy is a graduate from Waterbury Catholic High School and was asked to speak during the celebration dinner. Below is an adapted excerpt from Cathy's speech talking about her gratefulness and joy in knowing the Sisters of the Congregation de Notre-Dame and her mission as an associate to carry on their spirit.
"A little over three years ago in Chicago, Sisters Regina DeVito and Darlene Mayo invited me and three other women to join a group to learn about the life and teachings of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. In May of 2018, we made our first commitments as associates in the Congregation de Notre-Dame. Part of our preparation was a letter we had to write to express our intention and request to be associates. I want to read you a few sentences from the closing of my letter…"Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't add to my request my gratefulness and joy at knowing the Sisters of the Congregation de Notre-Dame. My four years at Waterbury Catholic High School were the best of my life educationally and spiritually. The Congregation de Notre-Dame women who dedicated their lives to us during those years followed St. Marguerite Bourgeoys's call to action and faith. Their attention and inspiration changed my life. I have carried in my heart that inspiration, the friendships with sisters and fellow students to this day. Their lives have added quality to mine. In some small way, choosing to be a Congregation de Notre-Dame associate feels like a gesture of thanks to them as I help to carry on their spirit."
Associate Retreat: 25 associates, candidates and friends gathered at Quonnie from September 13-15 for a retreat given by Sr. Kathleen Deignan: Marguerite's Beatitudes: The Blessing Way. Through prayer, talks, and sharing, retreatants reflected on Marguerite Bourgeoys's life and how she walked and lived "the Blessing Way" - - - in visitation, service, and sacrifice. At the end of the retreat, each person was invited to write and share a beatitude they felt they could live in the spirit of Marguerite Bougeoys' Blessing Way. We offer a special thanks to Sisters who joined us on the Quonnie weekend to prepare meals for all to enjoy—Marilyn Doucette, Pat Jamele, and Mary Ann Rossi!
Back to the news index All the news


text:
Their debut album reached number one in 16 countries, and on their way to chart success the five members of One Direction have provided ample material for gossip columnists. But on Monday Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne attracted attention not for their hairstyles, fashion sense or love lives but because the £5m they each earned last year was described as "mad" in a debate on high pay in the City.
The business secretary, Vince Cable, was dragged into discussing the wealth of the boy band – a creation of the X Factor franchise – after he appeared to agree with remarks by the head of the Institute of Directors, Simon Walker, who is a high-profile critic of City pay.
During a debate at which Cable had been highlighting the situation of the low paid on the national minimum wage, Walker attacked the "greedy sins of those who demand and secure rewards for failure", and digressed to the pay of pop stars and footballers to put top bosses' salaries into perspective.
"I think it's mad that members of boy band One Direction made £5m each last year," Walker said. He made clear that he did not think that the government should intervene or that their pay was any of his business, and said shareholders should clamp down on executive pay.
Cable, sitting alongside him, later clarified remarks he had made supporting Walker's general thesis on executive pay, telling Sky News: "I don't want to attack One Direction, this is one particular group who are apparently very popular and very successful so I have nothing against them.
"But there is a general issue of chief execs in particular who are paid well beyond what can be justified in terms of the performance of their companies, and that's something the government is now trying to address."
The wealth of the five pop stars – the oldest of whom is Tomlinson at 21 – was calculated this weekend for the Sunday Times young music rich list, on which they featured for the first time. Breaking into the US, where two albums made it to number one, helped generate the band's wealth.
Walker, who last month attacked £1m payouts to 523 bankers at Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays, said: "When the ordinary, hard-working people who are the workforce, customer base and often shareholders in our companies see value destroyed in scandals like Libor fixing, or the collapse of HBOS, they are shocked. When those who oversaw such disasters get multimillion-pound payoffs rather than public censure, they are horrified and angry, And rightly so."
Cable has begun investigating whether the three individuals criticised for running HBOS into the ground – Lord Stevenson, Sir James Crosby, who is handing back his knighthood, and Andy Hornby – can be struck off as company directors. "I've got an open mind of whether the system of sanctions is strong enough," Cable told the Guardian.
He is against a cap on bonuses but at a time when the top rate of tax has been cut to 45% from 50% he admitted he would "be more radical in taxing wealth".
The business secretary outlined rises in the minimum wage of 1% for those below 21 and by nearly 2%, or 12p an hour, for adults to £6.31. The Resolution Foundation calculated that this constituted a real-terms fall for a fourth year in succession, taking the minimum wage back to the same level as in 2004.
Cable acted in line with recommendations by the low pay commission, except with regards to apprenticeships where he raised the hourly rate by 3p to £2.68 despite the independent body's call for the rate to be frozen. The rate for 18- to 20-year-olds will rise by 5p to £5.03, and for 16- and 17-year-olds by 4p to £3.72.
Cable said there would be a crackdown on abuses of the minimum wage, pointing to the cash economy of unrecorded wages, restaurateurs making assumptions about tips and other employers making deductions for uniforms.
He faced criticism from the public sector Unison for not using a "living wage" as the baseline for pay. "It is a disgrace that 28,000 hard-working local government staff now earn less than the rate which the government accepts is the minimum any worker in the UK should be paid," said Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, pointing to council workers who earn £6.30, 1p below the new adult minimum.
Cable called for a debate about the living wage campaigns – in London the rate is set at £8.55 – which he said needed to be "grounded in evidence rather than based on rhetoric and political point-scoring".
With debate about high and low pay continuing, investors are under pressure to embark on another "shareholder spring" of revolts. Robert Talbut, chief investment officer at Royal London Asset Management, told the conference that remuneration was the responsibility of boards, and called for less complex bonus schemes and less emphasis on "lottery payouts".


text:
Doe B's management team member DJ Frank White has issued a statement to HipHopDX about the Grand Hustle rapper's passing, which was reported on earlier today (December 28).
"The world has lost a great person and a genius artist way to soon," DJ Frank White says in a statement to HipHopDX.
In the statement, DJ Frank White also says that there is more music by Doe B which has yet to be released.
"Doe's work ethic was incredible," DJ Frank White says. "He still has over 200 unreleased hits. His memory will live on."
DJ Frank White also confirmed that Doe B was shot three times.
The Blueprint Group Issues Statement On Doe B's Passing
Others have also extended their condolences. The Blueprint Group, which has worked with Doe B, issued a statement on the rapper's passing as well.
"Doe B was an amazing young man, in every sense of the word," The Blueprint Group says in a statement. "A truly talented artist, a loving father and a dedicated member of the Hip Hop community at large, he touched the lives of the many people who had the privilege of knowing him. The Blueprint Group offers our condolences to our Doe B label partners Interscope / Hustle Gang, his management DJ Frank White and Brooklyn Knights, and most of all his family, friends and fans at this very difficult time. We ask that you remember him not by his untimely death, but by his love of life and the music he left behind."
RELATED: Doe B Passes Away


text:
We (CRS Software Ltd) collect and hold personal information from you when you register for and use any of our products and related support services (collectively, the "Services") or otherwise interact with us in relation to those services.
Your personal information is used to help provide services to you, to analyse and monitor use of our services, to inform you of any products, software, services or information that we believe you may be interested in and for any other purpose we specifically tell you about or that you have otherwise authorised.
Under the Privacy Act 1993, you have rights to access and correct any of your personal information that we hold.
If you haven't correctly provided your information to us, we may not be able to properly provide the Services to you, or charge you correctly.
This Privacy Policy is subject to, and should be read with, our end user license agreements (EULA).
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time by placing an amended version of the Privacy Policy on this website. Please check the website regularly for any changes to this Privacy Policy. Once the Privacy Policy has been changed, your ongoing use of the Services confirms your acceptance of the changes.
If you have any questions or concerns about the personal information that we hold about you please contact us.
This website uses the Google AdWords remarketing service to advertise on third party websites (including Google) to previous visitors to our site. It could mean that we advertise to previous visitors who haven't completed a task on our site, for example using the contact form to make an enquiry. This could be in the form of an advertisement on the Google search results page, or a site in the Google Display Network. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on someone's past visits to the CRS Software website. Of course, any data collected will be used in accordance with our own privacy policy and Google's privacy policy. You can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Preferences page, and if you want to you can opt out of interest-based advertising entirely by cookie settings.


text:
"AC360º" returns to the Gulf Coast region a year after the worst oil disaster in U.S. history, at 10 ET Thursday night. What has been done to clean up the mess, and who is accountable?
Washington (CNN) -- As they furiously typed computer code through the night in a small Capitol Hill office, little did they know they were about to change the way Americans would view what has become known as the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
The handful of staffers from Rep. Ed Markey's now defunct Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming had just received word from oil giant BP that they would be given a live feed of the underwater cameras monitoring the spewing oil from 8,000 feet below the Gulf of Mexico. The date was May 19, 2010, nearly one month to the day that the Deepwater Horizon well had exploded, killing 11 workers and causing oil to stream unabated into the Gulf.
"This was like a tornado but under the water, which people could not see," Markey, D-Massachusetts, told CNN this week.
Up to that point, BP had only released short snippets of video from the robotic cameras. Markey and other congressional Democrats had been pressuring BP to allow them to see the live pictures.
Photos: Gulf oil disaster a year later
As Markey's staff worked to post the live feed on their website, they debated what to call it. Finally it was decided that "spillcam" was the most descriptive.
By 9 a.m. the next day, the video feed went up on the committee website. Within 24 hours a million people had seen it. The demand was so high, it not only crashed the committee's website but the huge volume also temporarily crashed the House of Representative's Web system.
"Spillcam" was a game-changer.
"Once they saw it, once they could understand the damage that it was doing to the environment and to the livelihoods of the people in the Gulf of Mexico, that's when the spillcam became something that changed the whole course of the way in which the government and BP was responding to this disaster," Markey says.
The video eventually was viewed by many more millions around the world as CNN and other networks broadcast the images.
Estimates of just how much oil was gushing into the Gulf ballooned. Initially BP and the government announced 1,000 barrels a day was leaking into the Gulf from the well. Those estimates continued to climb from 5,000 barrels a day to 12,000 to 19,000 and eventually up to 60,000 barrels a day. Spillcam allowed teams of government scientists to calculate better estimates.
Gulf oil disaster still puzzles scientists
But one year after the Macondo well explosion, Markey, who became the face of Congress trying to hold BP accountable, says nothing has changed.
"Congress has not passed any legislation yet to respond to the lessons which we have learned from that spill," he says.
Markey blames Republican senators and the Senate rules requiring 60 votes to pass legislation to strengthen safety rules regulating offshore drilling. But, when pressed, he concedes that some of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate joined the majority of Republicans to defeat the House bill in the last Congress.
The oil industry itself and the Department of Interior have taken the lead in putting new safety and preparedness measures into place since the explosion. The much-maligned Minerals Management Service, previously under investigation for being too cozy with the oil industry it regulates, was shaken up in the wake of the spill. Now the newly named Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement has split its regulatory divisions so the people who monitor safety and leasing for oil drilling are not the same division that collects royalties. The government has also implemented new, tougher standards for well design.
In addition, oil companies must now certify to the government that they can respond to a spill. Some of the technology developed in trying to cap the BP spill is now part of some of those certification plans.
Rig survivors' wives, kids also victims
But Markey, whose party is now in the minority in the House, lost another battle in February. That is when the Obama administration once again decided to allow deepwater drilling with the support of Republicans and some Gulf-state Democrats who argued that drilling means jobs.
Markey thinks the administration might have moved too quickly.
"I am saying that they have to be very careful. It (deepwater drilling) should only be limited, it should only be out to certain depths, and it should only be with a guarantee that they can go out and to cap it as quickly as possible."
He says he still has real concerns about safety. "The reality is that there are still inherent problems with blowout preventers, that an accident can still occur and that we haven't been able to pass all of the safety legislation necessary that would serve as a deterrent to a repetition of what happened last year."
Stories from the Gulf, one year on
This month, Markey's Republican colleagues passed three new bills out of committee that would allow oil companies to get permits faster to drill offshore, open new areas of the United States to offshore drilling and increase offshore drilling in the Gulf. With gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, Republicans say these bills strike a balance between safety and the demand for oil.
Markey says they're acting as if the spill never happened.


text:
Anxiety attacks in children: Is your child at risk?
As we enter the exam period, how do you know if your child is able to cope with the added pressure or if he is heading towards an anxiety attack? Here is what you should know about anxiety attacks in children.
Exam season is here and a lot of children in Singapore are feeling some stress from academic anxiety, parents' expectations, peer pressure and family problems.
So is all the added pressure pushing your child to the brink of an anxiety attack? Can children even have anxiety attacks? What are the warning signs to watch out for? And how can can we, as parents, help our children through it? Read this article to find out.
Can children have anxiety attacks?
It is perfectly natural for children to feel nervous or anxious about changes in their life such as starting a new school, moving to a new home, or making new friends or exams.
Children of different age groups tend to experience different kinds of anxiety such as:
Separation anxiety
Fairly common in younger children, separation anxiety develops when they are around six months old and they feel this way because they are still learning to be fully independent and self-reliant so become anxious if separated from their parent or primary care-giver.
Social anxiety
Being shy is normal for children and teenagers, but having social anxiety makes it difficult for them to go out in public, make friends or even participate in various activities. This condition may arise in children who have gone through puberty.
School-based anxiety
Your child may sometimes complain and grumble about going to school – which is pretty normal for most children – but if it gets to the point where they are crying, appear to be extremely tired in the mornings, and constantly complain about tummy aches and pains, then they may have more than just a bad case of nerves.
If your child's anxiety gets to a point where it affects his behaviour and ability to properly function on a daily basis, then this may be a red flag that you need to look out for.
What are the triggers?
There are different factors that contribute to an anxiety attack in children, which include:
Unhealthy diet
If a child has poor nutrition and consumes a lot of junk food, processed food, sugar and caffeinated beverages, it could actually increase stress and even possibly cause depression.
Lack of exercise
Regular physical activity and adequate exposure to sunlight can help with overall stress management. Children should be encouraged to participate in a sport or activity of their choice so they can get some exercise while doing something they enjoy.
Sleep deprivation
Sleep loss is detrimental to your child's health, emotions, memory and academic success. Ensuring that your child gets a good night's sleep is important for him or her verbal creativity, performance in school, ability to concentrate better and problem-solving skills.
Exam stress
Children in Singapore experience a tremendous amount of exam-related stress and the high expectations they have for themselves coupled with their parents' demand for perfection can cause their anxiety levels to spike.
Family problems
A child needs to grow up in a stable home environment in order to thrive in school and in life. If parents are constantly fighting in front of them, it can affect their psychological health and even cause trauma.
Traumatic event
Certain life events such as a loss of a loved one, getting a physical injury, a car accident, the discovery of an illness, any form of abuse, or even having to undergo surgery can contribute to anxiety.
How to recognise it
It's normal to feel nervous or anxious from time to time, but if your child seems to constantly be on edge then they might have an anxiety disorder or be heading for an anxiety attack.
The signs you should look out for include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Intense fear
- Excessive worrying
- Pounding heart or palpitations
- Nausea
- Dizziness or light headedness
- Sense of helplessness
- Repeated negative thoughts
- Increased muscle tension or muscle aches
- Choking sensation
What impact will it have on your child?
An anxiety attack shares similar symptoms to a heart attack so can be a very frightening ordeal for anybody experiencing it and can attack people of all ages including children and teenagers.
Anxiety triggers a person's fight-or-flight response where there is a sudden release of chemicals and hormones such as adrenaline into the body's system.
If a child is constantly feeling anxious or stressed for a prolonged period of time, his body might not get the signal to resume normal functioning which can then weaken his immune system, leaving him more vulnerable to viral infections.
An anxiety disorder may also cause your child's digestive system to suffer, increase his risk of getting a chronic respiratory disease (COPD), the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and just general poor health.
How can you help as a parent?
Healthy lifestyle
Ensure that your child has a well-balanced diet of nutrient rich food as well as sufficient amount of exercise to keep fit and healthy. Allow him to participate in activities he enjoys, rather than just mugging away at his studies, homework and tuition classes.
Positive reinforcement
Give your child the reassurance that he is loved unconditionally regardless of his academic achievements or general behaviour. Focus on the bright side of things and what your child does right, rather than pick on him for his shortcomings and mistakes.
Relaxation techniques
Help your child cope with stress and anxiety by teaching him various relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and the use of guided imagery to calm his senses.
Seek professional help
If you are concerned that your child may be suffering from anxiety, you should immediately seek for help from a healthcare provider, professional counselling or support groups such as REACH for Students or The Singapore Association for Mental Health.
Do you think that children in Singapore suffer a lot of stress and are at risk of getting anxiety attacks? We would like to hear your feedback in the comments section below.


text:
Ultra-Thin Condominium Tower
Living at the 10th floor might be a little scary, but Norman Foster has took this in another level. We can see that day after day the buildings are becoming more tall
, the land is more expensive and sometimes we can do nothing but live in the higher floors. Foster thrusts a 61-story in an Ultra-Thin Condominium Tower.
"Simplicity of design is often the hardest thing to achieve but in a sophisticated marketplace, people appreciate the timeless beauty that comes from it. Our design philosophy has always extended through the entire building and we will look to create interiors that blend seamlessly with the exterior approach".
The 213 meters tower might look like a toothpick from a great distance, but who knows what Foster has saved more for us under that 91 luxury units encased within a pure white glass facade.
"It's not simply about our new building, but about the composition it creates together with one of the 20th century's greatest. In contrast to Seagram's dark bronze, our tower will have a pure white, undulating skin. Its proportions are almost impossibly slim and the views will be just incredible", said Chris Connell at Foster and Partners.
First, the project was revealed in 2005, but due to the financial crash of 2008 it
was postponed to late 2017. Till then the render will 'pick' our imagination.
Project Information:
Architects: Foster and Partners
Location: 610 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, USA
Project Year: 2017
Developers: RFR Holding LLC, Vanke, Hines


text:
Endurance 75
Technical Skills 85
Climbing 65
Crashing 10
Expert Mountain Biker
- 2016 Racing Age: 40
- Height: 5'3
- Racing Since: 2006
- Hometown: Leesport, PA
- Current Town: Alexandria, VA
- Bikes: Specialized Epic; Raleigh Single Speed; Trek 5200
- Favorite Trail: Vineyard Trail, Patapsco Valley State Park, Ellicot City, MD
- Favorite Food: Sushi and Red Wine
After many year of marathons and rowing, Jen picked up mountain biking one fateful day in 2006. A few laps around Wakefield Park and Jen was hooked. She began racing later that year. Jen prefers uphill to downhill, single speed to geared and 29″ to 26″ (after all, bigger is usually better!)
Major Cycling Accomplishments
Major Cycling Accomplishments
- 1st Single Speed Duo 12-Hour Cranky Monkey 2010
- 1st Sport Female Camp Hilbert XC 2010
- 1st Sport Female Wakefield Cranky Monkey 2010
- 1st Single Speed Duo / 4th Duo Open 12-Hour Cranky Monkey 2008
2014 Results
2014 Results
2010 Results
2010 Results
- 1st Place Cranky Monkey #1 Wakefield Sport Women
- 1st Place Camp Hilbert Sport Women
- 1st Place 12-Hour Cranky Monkey Single Speed Duo


text:
Red Velvet Cake Roll with its spirals of creamy cream cheese filling is the perfect dessert for Valentines Day. Since we have been iced in for the past three days, I have been thinking of all the yummy treats that I would like to make for Valentines Day.
I already made red velvet cheesecake brownies and red velvet whoopie pies and I knew that I wanted to make a red velvet cake. After looking through several recipes, I wasn't finding what I wanted. I then thought back to the delicious Pumpkin Roll that I make every Thanksgiving.
That was it-a red velvet roll! This delicious festive cake roll is perfect for Valentines day, Christmas or for just whenever!
Source: adapted from Domino Sugar
Red Velvet Cake Roll
For the Cake:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
For the Filling:
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
- In a large bowl, sift together salt, baking powder, cocoa powder, and cake flour; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs for five minutes. Slowly add sugar and oil. Beat until combined. Add buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and red food coloring. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off wax paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool, seam side down, on wire rack .
- To make the filling cream cheese, combine powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.


text: This Countryman cap mounts onto the E6 microphone and provides a hypercardioid polar pattern. The hypercardioid polar pattern is the most effective in minimizing noise and feedback at the off-axis sections of the microphone capsule. The caps are available in variety of matching colors; this model features a tan finish.


text:
Courthouse Security UPDATE
In the beginning of October, the Bosley Avenue entrance to the Baltimore County Courts Building will be closed permanently. Once we have a firm date, we will notify you. This is being done to enhance security. Security experts all agree that buildings with one entrance are more secure than those with multiple entrances. In addition, having an entrance that is so accessible to a busy street is also a risk. Bosley Avenue will still be used for deliveries, but they will have to be let in by a sheriff after ringing a bell.
The fountain entrance will be upgraded with additional metal detectors and employee swipe stations. There will also be additional monitors placed against the back wall to assist people in finding out where their case is being held. Attorneys with proper identification will still be able to enter once they show their ID to the sheriffs.
Handicapped parking will be added on Pennsylvania Avenue and the walkway from Pennsylvania Avenue to the front door is going to be upgraded. We are exploring ways of making the Bosley Avenue cutout short-term metered parking for the quick filing of court papers.
The ultimate goal of all of this is to get more sheriffs in the courtrooms, which will enhance safety for all who utilize the Baltimore County Courts Building.


text:
TOKYO – Game developer Tecmo has rejected a friendly take-over bid from game giant Square Enix, Tecmo announced on Thursday.
Instead, Tecmo has stated merger talks with rival developer Koei. "In the present (harsh business) environment, we intend to use our mutual strengths and superb financial standings to enhance profitability, while striving to build our business base and aggressively develop as a leading world company. To that end we have started merger talks," the companies said in a statement. The new partners plan to hammer out a merger agreement by the first part of November.
Tecmo is currently ranked twentieth in worldwide game sales, while Koei ranks 9th. Together they could surpass Sony Computer Entertainment to take the 8th spot.
On August 29 Square Enix announced its merger bid, offering to buy Tecmo shares at 930 yen ($8.73) apiece, a premium of 30 percent over the then latest asking price — a bid that could have been worth as much as $206 million. Square Enix gave Tecmo until September 4 to accept the bid or reject it. Square Enix said at the time that it would not pursue the bid if Tecmo rejected it but on hearing of the Tecmo-Koei talks, Square Enix issued a statement challenging the decision and demanding an explanation for why the Koei merger deal was better for Tecmo shareholders.
Founded in 1967 Tecmo has created such hit games as Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden and Tecmo Bowl.
Launched in 1978, Koei is a game developer and publisher best known for its historical simulation and action games, including Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors.


text:
"Thrivalist, How to Thrive After the Collapse, is a methodically transcribed history broken down in black and white of why our lives are the way they are today- while remaining a full color forecast of a clear front foot forward to our future and not only how to best pursue it, but rather how to institute a dynasty of everlasting prosperity for those who wish to indulge in it.
Within his pages lies a tightly woven case for silver that traps current geopolitical trends, spun by layers of the most relevant historical supporting evidence and weaves a new purpose for one of the earth's most valuable commodities.
It is a literary eight ball that both begs the crucial questions and divulges the dire answers that any American alive today needs to ponder, if not at the risk of their own, almost immediate demise.
Every ounce of it, is pure revolutionary."– Nick C.
"Chis Duane's message is one of the most eye-opening to the truth of our current world. Truly enlighten and educational." Eugene K.
"Chris, what you've presented has resonated more with me than anything similar I have seen." Michael S.
"So many tell us of the impending collapse, few tell us how to prepare, only one tells us how to mentally prepare and thrive after the collapse, thanks Chris." Evan P.
"I was one of the original 100 to join the group. Im a huge fan of Chris and excited to read his latest work. Thank you Chris for all of your thoughts, research and hard work. " Michael S.
"CD. I have enjoyed your videos and although many see problems, you see solutions. Eager to to read Thrivalist." – LC
"I teach at a Polish university, trying to wake up as many as I can. Chris Duane is fantastic. One of the most respectable voices for me. I very much appreciate every video. In fact, one of Chris' videos will be played in class tomorrow:)" Chris F.
"Chris, you have taught me a lot. Keep doing what you are doing." Cedric S.
"Thank you for everything you do Chris. I have been a follower of your blog for a good while and proud to say I own everyone of your medallions (except the stolen designs, I never bought any of those). I especially enjoy your messages of love and peace. There is so much doom and gloom in the prepper world. I can't wait to read your book. Thank you so much for making it FREE! " Benjamin C.
"Chris Duane's excellent work is one of the main reasons for my awakening from this Debt and Death Paradigm. The videos are priceless. Thanks Chris!" Soehardy Z.
"KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK" Jeremy B.
"Looking forward to getting my hands on the 2oz freedom girl. Keep up the good work :)" Anthony S.
"I'm a big fan of Chris on youtube and watch pretty much every video he uploads to The greatest truth never told.
I just watched a video in which he mentions the free book and came to get it straight away.
I also own one coin from SBSS (i know, i'm a barman and just started getting into silver very late this year and for the first time in my life)
Sorry i'm not giving any donations at this time, I will certainly do so once I've read the book and depending on how much I like it. I really would love to donate rather after than before reading it. Hope this is understandable
Many thanks and looking forward to read Thrivalist!
Best wishes" Pablo S
"Thank you for sending my family a copy of 'Thrivalist' . It is greatly appreciated and will help us prepare." KW
"I have been listening to Chris Duane for a couple of years. His message resonates with me, and I appreciate the time, effort and passion that he puts into his projects. I look forward to reading his book. Thank you." Ben H
"Simply great work Chris. I have learned a lot because of your work and I regard highly your attitude when you had to deal with some criminals robbing your business. Keep it up and I'm looking forward to be part of a community with accurate knowledge." Walter F.
"I have been away for a while, but am sure I will appreciate Chris' insights and suggestions in this book." Robert H
"IF i MAY TAKE A MOMENT OF YOUR TIME, MR DUANE ; EVEN AS i LIVE IN ISRAEL i CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THE BENEFITS OF LISTENING TO YOUR PROGRAMS, AND HAVE BEEN DOWNLOADING YOUR "LIBERTY SEMINARS" AND SPREADING THE IDEAS AMONG THE PEOPLE i LIVE WITH ALSO. A BIG AND WARM THANK U FOR YOUR EFFORTS, MAY G-D BLESS THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS, AND MAY WE SEE FROM THEM SALVATIONS OF ALL SORTS FOR THE TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN CONDITIONS IN THIS WORLD AS WELL AS ALL NEXT ONES ."


text:
Memorial for Melosina
Melosina Lenox-Conyngham, who died last autumn, was a well-known broadcaster, and writer who lived in Kilkenny. Melo loved to travel both in Ireland and further afield. and many of the articles she wrote which appeared in, amongst other publications, Ireland of the Welcomes, Cara and The Irish Times and her broadcasts on Sunday Miscellany reflected this in her own humorous style.
Melo loved walking. The walk along the river from Lavistown to Bennettsbridge was one of her favourites.
Her family and friends plan to commemorate her life by placing a solid stone bench inscribed with her name and dates on the bank of the river Nore just below Lavistown.
This bench will be in place by the summer and it is hoped will further enhance the Nore Valley Walk and provide extra pleasure for the increasing number of people using the lovely network of walking trails in the Kilkenny area. Anyone who would like to contribute to The Melosina Memorial Fund should send a cheque to Gillian Butler at Cooltrand, Bennettsbridge. If funds raised exceed the cost of the bench the extra money will be donated to The Irish Cancer Society's 'Action Breast Cancer Fund'.


text:
Whitewater Baldy Complex Fire Now 37 Percent Contained33.3N 108.7W
Crews continued on Monday to patrol the perimeter of the nearly 280,000-acre Whitewater Baldy Fire (upper right quadrant), in New Mexico, USA, mopping up where needed and cutting off any pockets of fire found along containment lines. The fire is now 37% contained (click here for previous images of the blaze), although other fires can still be burning in other parts of the state (see lower half of image).
The Whitewater Baldy Fire burned in several drainage basins within the Mogollon Mountain Range in the Gila Wilderness. Burned drainage basins are subject to flooding, erosion, mud and debris flows, landslides and other earth movement because the protective cover of vegetation is missing that normally intercepts rainfall and holds the soil in place.
Until vegetation becomes reestablished in the burned area, water and debris will run off at an increased rate in adjacent drainages. Depending on the intensity and amount of rainfall, the drainages may not be able to withstand the water and debris, and flooding may occur. Homes, businesses and other downstream values will be at increased risk until vegetation returns to the burned landscape.


text:
Showing all 8 results
£899.00 Inc VAT
Bring fashion to your life with the spacious, feature-packed Innov-is NV1300 sewing and quilting machine. Its large workspace lets you take on larger tasks in comfort, giving you the space you need to be precise with your stitches.Add to basket
Best suited to intermediate and advanced sewers and embroiderers who want a light-weight option for easy stowing and transportation. Turn your hand to fast, accurate sewing, quilting and embroidery with this feature-packed machine that offers beautiful results. For even embroidery, smooth quilting and a variety of stitches in a light and compact machine, you can't go wrong with the Innov-is NV2600.Add to basket
With the Innov-is V5, you'll no longer be held back by the poor functionality or fiddly, tedious mechanics of your previous machines. Create beautiful embroidery, quilting and home décor with this accomplished and elegant all-in-one machine which makes the complex tasks easy.Add to basket
Allow your creativity to reach new heights with the Innov-is VQ2 long arm sewing and quilting machine. Enjoy smooth, precise stitching on all types of fabric, from silks to heavy denims, with a large workspace and intuitive features.Add to basket
Creating beautiful sewing and embroidery is easier, faster and more intuitive than ever with the Innov-is XV. Enabling you to convert scanned images to embroidery data in just a few seconds, this expertly-crafted machine lets you bring all your creative ideas to life with all the crisp accuracy you need.Add to basket
£10,999.00 Inc VAT
Creative perfection has never been easier. The Luminaire Innov-is XP1 is the new ultimate in luxury sewing experience. Packed with cutting-edge technology found nowhere else, it frees you to realise your sewing, quilting and embroidering dreams.Add to basket
£1,249.00 Inc VAT
This computerised free arm sewing machine is designed for every type of sewing and is perfect to take your sewing to a new level. It has all the essential features for dressmaking, quilting, crafting and home furnishings with stitches and settings at the touch of a button plus lots more to give you an easy professional finish!Add to basket
£7,999.00 Inc VAT
The incredible Memory Craft 15000 v2 is Janome's latest flagship model, now with 510 built-in stitches (previously 500) and a number of subtle changes to this very exclusive model. It incorporates all the best features for sewing, embroidery, quilting and craftwork and has the largest work area of any equivalent model available. And it is the first machine of its kind to have WiFi, the first to work with an iPad and the first to have its own Apps! Just one more thing… it has the largest and fastest touch screen on the market.Add to basket


text:
Martha Marcy May Marlene centers on a cult, and by the movie's end you feel as if you've been indoctrinated. Not into the cult, exactly, but into the fearful, paranoid mindset of its central character, a young woman who has fled an abusive commune in upstate New York and struggles to assimilate into the normal world.
Elizabeth Olsen plays the title character (the various names reflect not only her shifting identities, but also her fluctuating psychic state). It's an astonishing performance, especially in terms of its physicality. In flashbacks to life on the commune, Martha seems confident and authoritative, a self-possessed women who is possibly in her 30s. After she escapes to the lake house of her older sister, shaken and unsure, she expresses a vulnerability that suggests she's 12. And then there are the many times in the movie where she is unpredictably, dangerously in between.
If Olsen ably depicts Martha's fractured psyche, it's writer-director Sean Durkin who makes us feel as if we're right there inside her swirling head. Subtle techniques abound. Often a tiny detail in the lake house will spark a memory from the commune, and before we know it the movie has transitioned from one place to the other. Another trick makes use of focus. Often we're following Martha from behind as she walks into a room, with her back clearly in focus. The people and objects she's walking toward remain blurred for a few beats longer than we're used to in a movie. Like her, our sense of place and space is often groggy.
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a psychological drama, but Durkin includes a few horror elements here and there which only increase the dread. Every scene on the commune has a sickly tension, never more so than when John Hawkes, as the gaunt leader of this ragtag group, is in the frame. Zeroing in on his followers' insecurities and then exploiting them for his own gain (in a variety of ways), Hawkes' Patrick is an insidious presence. Pound for pound, Hawkes might be the scariest actor working today.
Martha Marcy May Marlene has one of those abrupt, inconclusive endings that some viewers find so infuriating, but it's actually quite a fitting place for this particular story to stop. I won't give away the details, except to say that the way it makes you feel confirms the movie's powerful influence. By the final frame, you've adopted the alarmed, suspicious mental state of Martha Marcy May Marlene.


text:
A new series for 2020 Photo London.
For many years I have looked for intense, peaceful moments in landscape. This quest has led me to many corners of the British Isles. For the most part I have gravitated to woodlands, rivers and salt marsh, generally avoiding higher ground. The reason for this is not because I dislike a good view, but rather because this camera and lens has a fantastic ability to make you feel you are part of the scene you are photographing. It's to do with perspective I think; the complicated relationships between foreground and background
In these new pictures I have become intrigued by how far you can pursue this idea of immersion when looking at vast open spaces of simply air water and cosmic activity.
They are all taken close to home overlooking the North Sea at moments of intensely high atmospheric pressure.
The fleeting nature of 'place' in tidal landscape.
More cosmic than organic.
2016. A series of drawings and photographs of saltmarsh in North Norfolk.
Book available here.
From the press release.
He explores the eastern lowlands of the British Isles, an area which holds deep traces of the old as well as the new, the ancient and future and the world that lies in between. Each image hints at these dichotomies. In Plate I. Cathedral (2015) the thick pillars, archways, vaulted ceilings, with the stained glass held by them, make up the nave of this venerable space. Through removing many of the characteristics associated with images of its everyday functionality, this empty space becomes one of universal contemplation where future possibilities can be glimpsed and grasped.
Hey Charlie is a celebration of fifty years of Cory Wright's involvement with a particular bend in a river and the field beside it. These joyful images are the culmination of a lifetime of experience of the place in which he grew up and to which he has stayed connected throughout his life.
As reflected in the title. Cory Wright calls his brother's name – a child's shout, an adult's beckoning – to coax him into causing a stir in a place they know so well. They are allowed once again to be little gods. They create interruptions in the otherwise placid landscape; set off rockets into an evening sky; peer inquisitively into a haze of smoke creeping around a river bend. These striking and transient impulses, and the photographs in which they are captured, were intended to shake off the burden of the past and of nostalgia, and to provoke the making of new memories; to re-imagine, reshape and reawaken a much-loved place.
Pabbay is an Island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. All pictures are taken with the 10×8 inch camera.
A six month circular tour through the landscape of the British Isles. Starting off at the spring equinox in Shetland, down through the borders into Northumberland, Yorkshire then out west to Cornwall. The journey started off as document to list the variety of sights we see in the British landscape, but soon became a personal of quest to find its very heart. Southern England through a hot midsummer before back north west to the black granite of Skye and all its sense of place and prospect.
"This camera reveals a strong sense of place. I am intrigued by its ability to drink in and reveal such detail. In this series I want to use this almost tangible, realistic quality of the photograph to explore notions of the imagination, the ethereal and the unspecific. What are the places we think and dream of? What are the landscapes of our mind? I chose to photograph places therefore that I had a strong perception of even before I had been there.
This is therefore less about specificity, time and place… more about breadth, emotion, preconception… and having a 'place in mind'"
+44(0)20 7823 5540
Website by King's Lynn web design


text:
Call us: (+34) 952-811552
Email us: email@example.com
View Our Site in Your Language
Short-term lets are set by the week and are typically regarded as holiday rentals. Periods longer than three months generally fall under the terms of long-term rentals.
It can be difficult to choose directly from a website as there is such a large choice, so we recommend that our clients contact us. Once we know your requirements with regard to time, location and what you want from your rental property we will send you a focused selection of properties that comply with your preferences and fall within your budget. We can even cater to special needs such as wheelchair-compliant or child-friendly homes.
Once youve chosen a property and reserved a period with us you can rest assured that everything will be ready for you when you arrive so you will find your holiday property spotless, fully equipped and waiting for you to enjoy it. Whats more, if you have any special requirements just let us know and well make sure its taken care of, whether it is an extra bed, a fully stocked fridge or an airport pickup.
We can arrange all these services, so let us know if you would like us to book a round of golf, extra maid service or even catering at your holiday property. We are here to help make sure you can focus on what you came here to do enjoy yourself and we have the infrastructure and experience to do it well. After all, Nordica is the holiday rental specialist in Marbella!
We are also contactable if you do have a problem. If it happens out of office hours you can get hold of us through our evening and weekend emergency number.
A property is reserved for you once the booking form has been completed, signed and received by us, and a reservation deposit of 40% has been paid within five working days of receipt of the booking documents. See our Terms and Conditions for details.
Should you wish to rent for a longer period, say between one and three months, the normal weekly holiday rates will not apply. The exact reduction in rate depends on the length of the rental period, but if you email us your requirements we will negotiate with the homeowner in order to obtain a reduced rate that is agreeable to all.
We look forward to hear from you so that we can assist you in finding the ideal property for you to enjoy your holiday!
Warm Welcome to visit our office in Nueva Andalucia, next to the Golf Club Los Naranjos!
Nordica Rentals & Sales
Avenida del Prado s/n,
C.R. Lorcrigolf, Locales 5 y 6,
Supermanzana G,
29660 Nueva Andalucía
Marbella Malaga Spain
Tel : +34 952 811 552 Fax: + 34 952 812 071
Email : email@example.com


text:
IKEA wants to form strategic partnerships with Russian companies to expand its online business in the country.
According to Reuters, the retailer's Country Manager Pontus Erntell said the furniture chain plans to open more than 100 pick-up points in Russia this financial year, which started on Sept. 1. IKEA already owns 14 hypermarkets in 11 Russian cities, and is trying to entice more customers to shop online, which now accounts for 8 percent of its Russian turnover.
Sales at IKEA furniture stores in Russia rose 2 percent in the fiscal year through August, while visits to its eCommerce site went up 12 percent.
In addition to expanding in Russia, the company is also opening its first brick-and-mortar location in India. The store, which will be in the city of Hyderabad, marks a departure from the retailer's do-it-yourself business model, as IKEA plans to have a 150-person assembly team at that location. The company decided to create the team after research showed that many consumers in the local market would not want to assemble furniture on their own.
Beyond assembly services, the new location will also stock products that are geared toward the preferences of the local market, such as lunchboxes that can accommodate multi-course meals and mattresses with coconut fibers. In addition, the store's restaurant will offer chicken or vegetable meatballs, as local consumers don't eat pork or beef.
And IKEA is making other moves in international markets: To reach more consumers and foster more eco-friendly operations, the brand is testing out renting its furniture offerings in Japan. The furniture rentals are geared toward customers who might not be ready to purchase those items, many of which could cost hundreds of dollars. In addition, IKEA plans to make the initiative environmentally friendly by recycling furniture that consumers might otherwise throw out. Both the rental and recycling programs aim to extend the lifecycle of IKEA products into a loop instead of a straight line.
The How We Shop Report, a PYMNTS collaboration with PayPal, aims to understand how consumers of all ages and incomes are shifting to shopping and paying online in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research builds on a series of studies conducted since March, surveying more than 16,000 consumers on how their shopping habits and payments preferences are changing as the crisis continues. This report focuses on our latest survey of 2,163 respondents and examines how their increased appetite for online commerce and digital touchless methods, such as QR codes, contactless cards and digital wallets, is poised to shape the post-pandemic economy.


text:
NYC May Launch Taxi-Hailing App
New York City may introduce an app that would let New Yorkers hail yellow cabs with their phones, according to reports in the Daily News and The New York Times.
The proposal is being voted on by the city. Here is more from The New York Times: "The commission had been expected to vote Thursday on a proposal permitting New Yorkers to request a yellow taxi ride on their smartphones and allowing drivers to receive requests and confirm pickup locations, negating the need for passengers to raise arms toward oncoming traffic. David S. Yassky, the commission chairman, said it was now probable that a vote would be held instead on a pilot program with similar features."
This isn't the first time that New York has had an app for hailing taxis. Uber, the company that hoped to connect car services with passengers via a smartphone app, gave up its New York City business after only six weeks, claiming that they faced challenges with NYC transportation unions.


text:
Welcome To Grandview Golf Course
Grandview Golf Course is one of the oldest and finest municipal golf courses in the state. Built in 1925, the course offers 5,554 yards of rolling terrain with a variety of challenges around each turn. Grandview Golf Course welcomes golfers of all ages and skill levels. Come and play with friends or make some new acquaintances. A golf professional is on staff to assist with technique pointers and tips. You can also schedule private lessons or sign up for group clinics. Enjoy a fully stocked pro shop and restaurant.


text:
In the film classic The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy follows the yellow brick road to see the magical Wizard, who supposedly has the powers to grant her wish to return home. But upon her arrival in the Emerald City, the Wizard's curtain opens to reveal nothing other than an ordinary man carrying out a charade. Investors find themselves taking a similar look behind the market curtain as we move into the third quarter of 2011.
The Fed's stimulus program – known as QE2 – came to an end on June 30. The idea behind the Fed's effort was to provide support to the U.S. economy until it had recovered enough to stand on its own. Back in April 2010, investors had their first opportunity to look behind the market curtain when QE1 came to an end. And they did not like what they had found. The economy remained far too weak and the threat of another financial crisis was emanating from Europe. Stocks quickly plunged as a result. But unlike in the Wizard of Oz, the curtain was quickly pulled shut with the introduction of QE2. The message from the Fed – come back a year from now in June 2011 and the magical economy you've been waiting for will finally be here.
Upon drawing the curtain back a second time in July 2011, investors are still not bound to like what they've found. The economic recovery remains sluggish with job creation over the last few months all but stalled. The urgency of the crisis in Europe has spread from smaller countries like Greece to much larger nations like Italy. And all the while the U.S. government is deadlocked in a debate over raising the debt ceiling, only adding to the uncertainty.
Stocks have been remarkably resilient to this point in the face of mounting risks. But for how much longer? The stock market has a lot of air under it, as strong gains over the last few years have been justified by expectations that the economy would eventually recover strongly enough to support it. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. And the Fed's QE stimulus that has helped lift stocks higher to this point has now gone away. As a result, it could be a very difficult time for stocks in the coming months. And the same is true for industrial and agricultural commodities for all of the same reasons.
Fortunately, stocks are only one of many asset class categories available in investment markets to capture opportunity and generate strong returns. And a variety of asset classes have attractive prospects as we move on in the Post QE2 marketplace. I've provided a brief summary on each below.
Gold – Although the yellow metal has risen strongly for many years, further upside is likely as long as global economic instability persists and major currencies such as the U.S. dollar and the euro suffer from a lack of confidence.
U.S. Treasuries and Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) – If stocks come under pressure, particularly due to a weakening global economy or the threat of a crisis in Europe, investors will likely continue to migrate to the relative safety of Treasury bonds. TIPS are up +7% so far in 2011 and Treasuries have been rallying since February and are already up +1% in the first few days of Q3. These positions have a generally short-term focus, however, particularly if the Fed starts talking about QE3 in the coming months.
Non-Financial Preferred Stocks – These are essentially bonds from electric utilities that trade like stocks on an exchange. They have yields in the range of 6% to 8% and have performed well both during periods of market calm as well as when the market has entered into pullback and even crisis phases.
Investment Grade Corporate Bonds – A consistently strong performing asset class regardless of whether stocks are in rally mode or in a pullback phase. Highlighting this point, the category is up roughly +40% since the beginning of the financial crisis while stocks are still working their way out of negative territory. Corporations are flush with cash, which bodes well for future outperformance. However, if the situation currently brewing in Italy breaks out into another full-blown financial crisis, allocations here will likely be reduced or sold altogether until the dust settles.
High Quality Defensive Stocks – While the current outlook for stocks in general is currently poor, certain sectors are set to perform well. These include companies from the Food, Household Products and Utilities industries. Regardless of how the economy performs, people are still going to eat, use soap (at least we hope) and turn on the lights. Of course, just like with corporate bonds, if a full-blown crisis phase erupts even stock positions in these defensive industries will likely be exited until stability returns to markets.
So although stocks in general may come under pressure as we move through the summer, many other asset classes that even includes some selected stock industries are set to perform well.
It promises to be an interesting summer for investment markets, and I will keep you updated along the way.