text:
Dan Markel
Food and Restaurant Blog
VJMS Dining, LLC
Dan Markel is a California-based entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and restauranteur who has excelled in a variety of business offerings, one of them being a life-time of success in the restaurant industry. Owning and operating one of the most successful franchises of Jersey Mike's Subs in the nation, his love of sandwiches and all crave-able food led him to create the holding company VJMS Dining, LLC, to own, operate and offer his favorite foods to people that come to his restaurants. To that end, he has agreements with Dog Haus and Hummus & Pita, Co. from NYC to expand throughout the state of California and beyond. In the past year, Markel formed a new holding company known as Pure Blue Group. The company was shortly formed after getting in touch with USC business school classmate, Dennis Wang. Together, the two formed the company in 2019 and the company oversees all of of Markel's businesses in all industries
VJMS Mission Statement:
"Crave-able, fast casual food concept with a fun-loving and unique experience for all customers who step foot in our restaurant locations. For equity partners VJMS will offer direct ownership in proven franchise concepts offering consistent, long term cash flow – all while carrying on a philanthropic culture within every community in which we operate."
Business and Market Overview
By aggregating four (4) exceptional, complementary and proven "fast casual" concepts, through the newly established parent company, VJMS Dining, LLC, a California Limited Liability Company (VJMS), this offering will provide a small group of investors the opportunity to invest directly to multiple proven restaurant concepts. With five (5) years of a proven track record and three (3) years of due diligence on other concepts (of which fully negotiated and executed agreements are in place), VJMS is perfectly positioned for expanded success in arguably the most attractive market for fast casual in the country – Southern California. The net distributable cash flow from each location will be utilized to finance growth and offer consistent attractive distributions to all limited partners. For marketing and Operations, the company has procured an elite team to execute the plan. Additionally the company has enlisted industry experts in the fast casual market to attract and procure the best operating team for all brands as the company expands its concepts throughout California and beyond.
Dan Markel with VJMS has executed Franchise Agreements with Jersey Mike's, Dog Haus, Hummus & Pita, Co. and City Wok. Specifically, with Hummus & Pita, Co and Dog Haus, he also has broader Area Representative Agreement giving VJMS expansive growth opportunities that would allow for the development of hundreds of restaurant locations in prime California counties.
VJMS Competitive Advantage
- Best Market in the world with Southern California
- Blue Oceans ahead with successful, complimentary brands
- Experienced Management Team with Proven Track Record
- Diversification and Ability to Pivot mitigates risk
- Repeatable models of 1,200 to 3,000 sq. ft. locations for all brands
- Ability to diversify and pivot quickly with concepts
Our Brands
Jersey Mike's
Dan Markel was first introduced to Jersey Mike's after nearly five (5) year search for a crave-able sandwich concept in which to invest. As an admitted sandwich freak/addict, he knew when he began his search "default" eating an option like Subway, as an investment that he could be passionate about, Subway was not going to cut it. So, when Markel had his first #13, Original Italian Sandwich from Jersey Mike's on a random night out with friends he knew immediately it was a winner. After unwrapping the masterpiece sub with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and the "liquid cocaine" of oil and vinegar spilling out of the sandwich he knew he had found his sandwich concept. Now after 5 years of opening his first Jersey Mike's location (that he immediately turned into one of the Top 10 locations in the country) Markel is excited to expand throughout Southern California and beyond. The special mouthing watering thought of Oil and Vinegar "tang" coupled with a killer, memorable customer experience Markel has positioned VJMS Dining to open and acquire another 30-50 Jersey Mike's in the next 5 years. Jersey Mike's will be a one of the pillars of success as a core concept for VJMS Dining.
Company history
The company started back in 1956, in this actual storefront location and was originally called Mike's Subs. Mike opened the small shop in the sea-side town of Point Pleasant, New Jersey. You have to remember that in 1956, there were very few franchise restaurants or hamburger chains. No chain pizza, chicken or taco restaurants, either. In 1956, proprietors of mom-and-pop businesses would open their stores in basic storefront locations like you see here. To survive and thrive, they had to offer exceptional quality products, coupled with unparalleled service. In 1956, Mike was unique in that the product he was offering was a relatively new item in American society – the submarine sandwich.
Mike also benefited from the geographic location of his store. Point Pleasant, New Jersey is centrally located in the state on the legendary Jersey Shore. It is approximately 1 hour south of New York City, 1 hour east of Philadelphia, and about 3 hours north of Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C. For over a century, the people that lived and worked in these metropolitan areas would flock to Point Pleasant to experience the sun, surf, sand, boardwalk, salt water taffy, and all the treasures that made up the legendary Jersey Shore experience. Mike capitalized on the influx of vacationers, visitors and residents by offering them his unique new product – submarine sandwiches. But what really differentiated his restaurant was the experience he gave his customers. Recognizing them by name, and knowing the sandwich they were going to order, because of their frequent visits. People would line up throughout the summer to buy the sub sandwiches that Mike was selling, and to enjoy the experience of coming into his shop. For over half a decade, he built the business into a thriving landmark, and was a pioneer of the authentic subs sandwich.
In 1971, Peter Cancro was a high school student in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. He began working at Mike's Subs at the age of 14. Peter loved working at Mike's. He loved authentic submarine sandwiches. But even more, Peter loved working behind the counter, interacting and talking with the customers. He liked learning about where they were from and their summer vacation experiences. He took pride in knowing which authentic sub sandwich his loyal customer would order as they entered the store. When Peter was a senior in high school, he overheard the owner ofs Mike's Subs discussing selling the business. He thought to himself, "I love the food, I love working in the store, maybe I'll buy the shop." Pretty ambitious for a 17-year-old kid. Peter approached his football coach and said "Hey coach, Mike's Sub shop is for sale, and I'm interested in buying it. Can you help me out?" It didn't hurt that his football coach was also a banker. The football coach came through for Peter, and backed his loan. So, at the tender age of 17 – before he was legally able to slice a sub – Peter Cancro became the owner and proprietor of Mike's Subs.
Shortly after buying Mike's, he married his former wife Linda and they opened a couple more local outlets of Mike's Subs. He expanded upon the phenomenon of Mike's Subs. Teaching the crew to interact and talk with the customer, to share a passion for getting to know the customer. He spent the next decade building on the cult-like following that Mike's Subs already enjoyed. They would have customers lined up out the door in the summertime waiting to get the authentic sub sandwiches that Mike's was famous for.
In the mid-eighties, Peter heard more and more people say, "Peter, we're going to miss you and your subs this winter. We sure wish you would put a Mike's where we live!" People would come in at the end of the summer and get several giant subs wrapped for travel, to carry back to their homes across the country. This got Peter thinking, and he started researching the possibilities of franchising the Mike's concept. In 1987, Peter began franchising. He changed the name from Mike's Subs to Jersey Mike's Subs to capture the authenticity of where the authentic sub sandwich was born.
Today, Peter Cancro is CEO of Jersey Mike's Franchise Systems Inc., overseeing more than 1,500 locations open and under development. Despite the title, Peter still jumps behind the counter to test his skills and demonstrate his passion for the product and the customer. He tries to instill that passion in every store he enters and with every franchisee he meets.
Today, the authentic taste – served Mike's Way® with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, oil, vinegar and spices – is available nationwide. Our secret? Everything about Jersey Mike's is high quality. Our MSA Grade top round beef are trimmed and cooked right in the store. Our meats and cheeses are all top-quality premium brands. Our bread is fresh-baked each day on the premises. And of course, everything is prepared right in front of you. It's what makes Jersey Mike's the most authentic tasting submarine sandwich available, and it's a tradition of quality we'll never outgrow.
The Hummus & Pita, Co.
Dan Markel and Narek Khudabakhshyan started their love of Mediterranean food on their respective honeymoons. Both went to Greece with their wives (Kathleen Markel wife for 26 years and Mariam Bagdasaryan) where their mutual love of Mediterranean food was born. With Narek's Armenian heritage growing up with eastern Mediterranean food, he took his love for the food all the way to the top with chef's training at Le Cordon Bleu. It was in 2014 while working with Markel, they first discussed expanding their work together into other concepts. Narek, with his chef's training and deep understanding of the "line" concept's (after a successful time managing one of the busiest Chipotle locations in the country), explained to his owner, Markel, that a Fast-Casual Mediterranean concept would do incredibly well and to date no company had done it. Markel recognized the market opportunity and shared his love of Mediterranean for its heritage and healthfulness and started the due diligence process of either, 1) starting their own concept or 2) finding the right concept early on that VJMS could grow with.
Markel, with his background in private equity and national expansion experience he began researching the opportunity. The success of Chipotle, Blaze Pizza and Panda Express as fast casual ethnic cuisines, all have shown tremendous success and broad demographic appeal, a Mediterranean fast casual concept became a clear opportunity! So, the plan was initiated to find the right concept to take a food group with thousands of years of history of foundation of freshness, health oriented staple diet for millions of people around the world and bring it to the hungry public in a clean, warm, fresh, modern Fast Casual concept.
And after researching hundreds of locations in several cities and going deep down the road of creating their own concept, Markel and Khudabakhshyan took a trip to New York City to give a new concept one final try before launching their own concept.
Well needless to say, the trip to NYC to meet with the founders of H & P, taste the food and see the restaurants, led to a wonderful partnership and the opportunity to own the rights to the state of California with another winning concept for VJMS.
Company History
The company was founded by Dave and Steve Pesso in New York City in 2012 after growing with up with a Greek father and Mediterranean mother, The Hummus & Pita, Co (THPC) have created a best in class operators of fast-casual restaurant created to offer Mediterranean cuisine. The company's restaurant, serves 100% homemade, classic dishes from across the Mediterranean region and combines a variety of healthy and flavorful favorites with modern-American service.
Dan Rowe was riding in an Uber about four years ago when he saw a line out the door at The Hummus & Pita Co., a concept he hadn't seen before.
The CEO of Fransmart, a franchise consulting firm, stopped the car, got out and stood in the lobby to watch all of the activity. He then made a pitch to David Pesso, whose family founded the chain. Pesso said no, the brand wasn't ready yet.
"I stalked David for months trying to make a deal, and I couldn't," Rowe said. "I was talking national from the moment I saw them."
Pesso said the brand is ready to take that step now. And now, with four popular locations, The Hummus & Pita Co. doesn't just have help from Fransmart, but from an investment infusion from Kitchen Fund, an investing fund Rowe helped found, along with Greg Golkin.
Kitchen Fund is investing in the chain by helping it build an infrastructure that will enable The Hummus & Pita Co. to start franchising. "They bring a lot to the table," Pesso said. "The capital is a small part of it. They have a wealth of knowledge in fast casual and franchising."
Janice Axelrod founded The Hummus & Pita Co. in 2011, based on her recipes, and got her family involved, including her sons, David and Steve Pesso. The kids grew up eating hummus and pita. "That was part of our diet," in the early '80s, David Pesso said. "As the years have gone on, we've seen it more and more. Hummus went from being on a small Middle East shelf [in the grocery store] to aisles full of 20 different brands of hummus and pita." Axelrod had been involved in finance and owned a mortgage bank. She sold it in 2008, and dreamed of opening a restaurant. She put her recipes together and the family launched the restaurant. She was in her mid-60s and said, 'This is my dream, my last hurrah, and I want my family to be involved,'" Pesso said. The restaurant serves a menu from a mix of Mediterranean dishes — Greek, Turkish, Palestinian, Moroccan — including shawarma, gyros and 12 different flavors of hummus, along with steak and chicken made in a clay oven. The menu also includes vegetarian and vegan options. The family deliberately gave the concept a basic, Americanized name, with modern décor inside the restaurant. "We didn't want it to be something ethnic, or something Greek like Athena," Pesso said. "The only ethnic part is the authenticity and the food, but it looks and feels like you're in an American place." The first unit opened in 2012, in New York, with 2,200 square feet and 62 seats. "It was a hit," Pesso said. Just three months later, Dan Rowe showed up. "He loved the food, saw the lines and loved the feel for the place," Pesso said. "For the past five years, two or three times a year, he would email or call and ask if we wanted to take the next step. But No. 1, we had to have proof of brand first." Rowe then approached them and told them about Kitchen Fund.
Rowe and Golkin, a financier who has worked with Goldman Sachs and Maverick Capital, among other places, started Kitchen Fund last year. They've made investments in a handful of startup concepts, including The Pie Hole, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse and Inday. They started the fund to make early-stage investments in restaurant concepts. "There is a shift going on," Golkin said. "Consumer demands are changing more quickly than maybe they ever have in the food space."
Many of these concepts are in "a tricky part of the growth curve," Golkin said, because they are too small to get institutional investor attention, but are too big for friends and family to help. "It's harder money to raise," Rowe said. Kitchen Fund's goal is to identify concepts connecting with those consumers and to help them grow. "The Hummus & Pita Co. is really the perfect thesis for us," Golkin said. "Over the last few years, they've opened four successful units in New York as a family business. Now they have the operations, infrastructure and menu, all in a way that prepares them for really rapid growth at this point."
Dog Haus
One of the very first Dog Haus locations opened in Burbank, California just minutes from Markel's home in Toluca Lake, CA. He thought, "a hot dog" joint? Good luck! It has also had taken over the lease of an old Taco Bell that was in a coveted location right across the main gate of Warner Bros Studio. He would try the food eventually as the colors and the design looked interesting. It wasn't until months later while driving near University of Southern California with his wife visiting their son on campus when they saw a second DH location and decided to stop in as Kathleen Markel was having a hankering for a good hot dog. From the moment they stepped into the hip, fresh and cool design, they knew they were seeing something different.
The food was magical! We ordered a sample menu offering five different dogs, sausages and burger sliders and everything was off the charts. All crave-able, different food with a hip millennial, GenX biergarten/sports bar setting -right in the sweet spot of VJMS concepts – crave-able fast casual concept delivered with unique, fresh, fun customer interaction.
Markel called the Franchisor headquarters from the location and two months later owned the rights to open locations in Southern California with his founding partners in VJMS. We currently have multiple Letters of Interest out on prime SoCal locations and believe our first location will be open early next year with several more in development.
Company history
OLD SCHOOL, NEW TWIST — Remember when you were a kid and hot dogs were your favorite food? We've always loved a good dog and we've taken that love to a new level—ensuring that same level of fun and enjoyment for hot dog lovers of all ages. In less than 3 years, we've gone from an idea to 3 stores, national acclaim and the best guests a restaurant could dream of.
Dog Haus is the premier hot dog, sausage and burger joint where freshly-made food and a fun environment are combined with the best fast casual dining experience around. From day one, we've put our energies towards creating a concept that brings guests back for more and creates unbelievably positive word of mouth.
We opened our first store in October 2010 with a vision of making hot dogs, sausages and burgers that were more than just food by making them a complete experience that lives on in the memories of our guests and ensures our place at the top of our industry. Our concept resonated with what people want to eat, as well as the kind of experience they want when eating a casual meal with family and friends. It was such a success that we opened a second location a year later and a third six months after that.
People love our hot dog, sausage and burger creations. Dog Haus' combination of sweet and savory in every bite, as well as our unique combinations, have created a cult following that extends across the United States. All of which flow directly from our mission of providing uncompromisingly fresh, quality food and a clean, energetic and fun environment coupled with excellent service. Our fresh ingredients, proprietary recipes and made to order items have garnered glowing press locally and nationally—always in the context of how fun a trip to Dog Haus is.
The Dog Haus experience emphasizes fun, personal connection and community engagement, not just for our guests, but for our staff as well by creating a work environment that encourages commitment, teamwork and personal advancement. This is another example of commitment to the Dog Haus mission, which includes creating a successful corporation that pays forward to the community while maintaining the most desirable work environment possible by valuing our team and ensuring them opportunities for their personal and professional growth. Simply put, there is no place quite like Dog Haus. It's the haus that everyone wants to be in.
Achievements and Experience
Some career achievements are as follows:
- Proven leadership & communication skills gained from many years' experience with national expansions of two different companies he founded.
- Highly skilled in executive leadership, branding, profit and loss management, pricing strategies, staffing, purchasing, menu, marketing, real estate, & franchising.
- Known for People Development, Team Building, Training, Goal Setting, & Motivation
- Oversaw the acquisition, ownership and management of nearly 4,000 apartment units around the country.
- Founded and expanded revolutionary treatment centers for alcohol and addiction patients.
- Acquired franchise agreements for four major brands (Jersey Mike's, Dog Haus, Hummus & Pita, Co. and City Wok) for California totaling over 300 units including airport opportunities around the country.
- Realizing national exposure and expansion of Hummus & Pita, Co. by bringing the brand to the most attractive trade area in the country for healthy fast casual – Southern California.
- Acquired a team of operators under a new model that provides all of them equity from VJMS Dining with opportunity for them to be truly owner/operators.
Food Service Experience:
- Ranch Bowl, Omaha, Nebraska. I started as a busboy and pin setter at age 13 and later managed the entire facility.
- Catch A Rising Star, New York City, four years, Bartender and Doorman
- Chumley's, New York City, Bartender
- The Blue Moon, New York City, Investor
- Sushi Roku, Katana Steakhouse, Las Vegas, NV, Investor
- Nick and Willy's Pizza, Franchisee
- Jersey Mike's Franchisee/Owner of top store
Dan plans to expand his impact in this sector nationwide, branching out to franchise even more quick-serve restaurants. He created this blog to share news about this part of his career, as well as to provide insights into the food/restaurant sector overall through his newly formed company, VJMS Dining, LLC. He currently owns the Orange County territory for Dog Haus and rights to the entire state of California for the new Mediterranean Fast Casual concept "Hummus & Pita, Co." founded in New York City.
More About Dan
Beyond this sector, Dan has 20+ years of experience as Managing Member/General Partner of over 30 Private Placements offered through his firm, DT Securities, Ltd. He has overseen all aspects of acquisitions, development, securities, and investor relations.
In commercial real estate, Dan's focus has been on multi-family since founding DT in 1996. His leadership and expertise with adaptive reuse projects in Los Angeles was recognized by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal with the award-winning DT Noho Lofts project. He also founded and managed the real estate brokerage firm, DT Real Estate Investments in Studio City, California from 2004 to 2008.
Dan also founded MyLife Recovery Centers, the leader and pioneer in addiction recovery and the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. MyLife includes the long lasting Naltrexone implant as part of its holistic approach to treatment, particularly in the crucial first six months. At the moment Markel is working with an international group of doctors and investors to bring yet another life-changing patented treatment into the wellness industry. The goal is to to introduce a new treatment to Southern California by 2020.
Dan received his Bachelor's Degree with honors from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he was an adjunct professor in investing, financial planning and entrepreneurship. He earned a Master's Degree from New York University and has completed one year of his Executive MBA at the University of Southern California. He resides in Toluca Lake, California with his wife Kathleen and their four children Vivian, Jackson, Max and Stella. He is an avid golfer and youth coach for his children.


text:
International IT Support Company increases visibility and improves customer service through the fast deployment of ERP solution from The NAV People
Newbury, UK – Europlus Direct has chosen Microsoft Dynamics NAV from The NAV People to optimise efficiency, improve workflows through the automation of manual processes and provide a scalable platform as the company expands its international business operations. Deploying Dynamics NAV has enabled Europlus Direct to extend business operations and deliver 24×7 customer account facilities through the development of a customer portal. The optimised Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution was integrated with essential business applications, including e-commerce and Spindle document production, and deployed in just 6 weeks!
Rob Goodair, IT Director at Europlus Direct explains; 'From the initial conversation with The NAV People it was clear they understood what we required and they outlined the options and the associated costs. With the information and direction they provided, we were able to turn around the project, going live within 6 weeks.'
Information is now shared quickly and accurately throughout the business, enabling finance to invoice according to the customer's preference, be it multiple invoices or multiple lines on one invoice and in one currency.
Since deploying the optimised Dynamics NAV solution, Europlus Direct has continued to evolve their systems and currently has a customer portal in development, which when launched will deliver 24×7 account access to customers. The portal will allow customers to manage orders, renewal requests and complete transactions online at a time convenient to them.
Ian Humphries, Managing & Product Director at The NAV People commented; 'Microsoft Dynamics NAV is an incredibly flexible solution that can work for virtually every business environment and industry. Understanding the customer's requirements is the key to successfully delivering a project in a transparent and cost effective manner. Europlus Direct had clear objectives and since deployment have continued to gain more functionality from their solution and achieve even greater business benefits.'
A copy of the full Europlus Direct case study can be found here:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Timber & buns bag awards
On March 5, TY students from Knockbeg went to Carlow IT to display their Mini Companies as part of the Student Enterprise Awards, alongside students from all other schools in Carlow.
Two Mini Companies entered and both came back with awards.
Conor Stapleton and Michael Kennedy won the School's Award plaque for their baked goods.
David Farrell, Brendan Byrne and Darragh Byrne won a prize of €150 for the Most Environmental Product with their company ByrneFarrell's Timber.


text:
Khelo India: Haryana stay on top of medal tally, Delhi second
Haryana stayed on top despite not adding any gold medal to their overnight tally as Delhi narrowed down the gap with an impressive show from their athletes today
Gold medal winner Manu Bhaker (Jhajjar), the silver medal winner Anjali Choudhary (Karnal) and the bronze medal winner Tanu Rawal (Karnal) at the prize distribution ceremony of 10M Air Pistol event, at the 1st Khelo India School Games in New Delhi on Monday. Pic/PTI Photo
Haryana stayed on top despite not adding any gold medal to their overnight tally as Delhi narrowed down the gap with an impressive show from their athletes today. Delhi added a yellow metal each in boys kabaddi and volleyball to swell their gold medal count to 18. Maharashtra were third with 16 gold while Karnataka have 15. Haryana still occupy top spot with 20 gold medals.
West Bengal opened their gold medal count with two successes today. The Bengal girls won the volleyball title and then added one more gold through weightlifter Shrabani Das in girls 48kg category. Of the four weight categories in weightlifting, Assam (Sidhanta Gogoi in boys 56 kg), Odhisa (Bhaktaram Desti in boys 50kg), Bengal (Shrabani Das in girls 48kg) and Manipur (Konsam Ormila Devi in girls 44 kg) shared the honours.
In weightlifting, the star of the day was Konsam Ormila Devi of Manipur, a Commonwealth Youth Championship winner, who won the 44 kg category. The Commonwealth Youth Championship winner lifted a combined total of 137 kg, four kilogram better than 133kg she achieved at Gold Coast in the Commonwealth meet last September. Today, Ormila lifted 59kg in snatch and 78kg in clean & Jerk for a total of 137kg.
In volleyball, Delhi and Bengal grabbed the gold medals in the boys' and girls' sections. In the boys' final, Delhi beat Uttar Pradesh 3-2 while Bengal defeated Maharashtra 3-0 in the girls' section. Kerala beat Uttarakhand for boys' bronze while Gujarat defeated UP for girls' bronze. Delhi won the kabaddi gold for boys beating Uttar Pradesh in the final, while Himachal Pradesh defeated Delhi in the girls final.
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here
Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go
Trending Video
Sign up for all the latest news, top galleries and trending videos from Mid-day.comSubscribe


text:
PhotoExpo & CameraInsurance.ie are coming to Killarney & Cork.
Following on from the great success of the 2 shows last year we are back with new training seminars
We kick off our series of country wide training seminars with Killarney and Cork on the 8th and 9th of March next. Learn about Lighting with Podge Kelly and about Printing with Sheldon Long.
Supported this year by Bespoke & Co., CameraInsurance.ie, PhotoValue, Fine Art Papers, 3XM Solution, and Podge Kelly Training.
Book your places here.


text:
According to Court documents filed on November 21, the plan to recommission the vessel is part of a creditors' compromise approved by Judge Hugh Williams.
Pacific Schooners Ltd director Garth Broadhead confirmed by conference call to the court that he expects the vessel to resume operations in January 2018, subject to sourcing a crew, but no later than the end of March 2018.
The company is said to owe several creditors and shareholders more than $2.4 million, and it plans to make repayments through a forecast 10-12 voyages a year.
Broadhead said the company should generate sufficient profit by the end of 2018, or early 2019.
Payment within one month of the approved scheme will see funds given to immediate priority creditors including: crew and staff, a $10,000 partial settlement to fuel supplier TOA Petroleum, owed more than $55,000 and a $4,000 partial payment to Ports Authority, owed more than $36,000.
Once operations resume, payments will also be made to TOA Gas, Raromart and Prime Foods amongst many other prioritised creditors, including BCI bank and CI Cruise (ANZ), both owed around $200,000.
With the arrival of the 2017/18 cyclone season, Pacific Schooners Ltd were earlier under pressure to prove the vessel could be removed from the harbour under its own propulsion.
It successfully left the harbour two days before an October 10 deadline under its own propulsion but not without incident, having a minor collision with the Lady Moana, also moored at Avatiu wharf.
If the vessel was unable to be moved Ports Authority were next going to look at sinking the ship.
In December 2016 Broadhead said the company hoped to make around eight trips to the outer islands in 2017, but these never eventuated.
The vessel last sailed to the northern group in June 2016.
The progress of the recent compromise agreement will be monitored by the court.


text:
Examples of Employee Work Tax Deductions
Tax deductions are not exclusive to self-employed individuals and employers. Employees also can deduct qualified expenses to reduce overall tax liability. For instance, many employees of small business owners pay out of pocket for certain business expenses and qualify for tax deductions as a result. Unreimbursed expenses such as home office costs, travel and entertainment, and meals and uniforms are fully tax deductible. Although the examples listed here refer to federal tax deductions, individual state tax codes may allow for additional deductions.
Business Expenses
As an employee, you may deduct various business expenses that have not been reimbursed by your employer. The cost of equipment and supplies are examples of business expenses. For instance, if you purchase a computer and printer to use exclusively for business, you may deduct a portion of the cost. Also, if a portion of your home is used for business purposes, the IRS allows a home office deduction if such use is required as a condition of employment.
If you pay out of pocket for a uniform, that cost can be deducted from your income tax return. The cost of clothing, shoes and protective gear may be deducted, as well as safety equipment such as goggles and gloves. The costs of dry-cleaning and uniform maintenance also are deductible.
An employee may deduct the cost of travel while away from home for business purposes. Business travel expenses include the cost of meals, tips and hotel accommodations. If you travel to a temporary work location for mandatory training or a conference, for example, the mileage can be deducted. Mileage expenses also can be deducted if you regularly use your personal vehicle for business purposes.
Job Search
Job search activities are tax-deductible expenses. For example, if you pay a professional recruiter or resume preparation service, those fees are tax deductible. Transportation costs to and from job interviews also qualify. If your job search takes you outside of your city or state overnight, those travel expenses qualify as well.
Photo Credits
- Manager 7 image by Olga Komarova from Fotolia.com


text:
401W08 Vera Wang inspired Diana Princess Cut Wedding Dress Kuala Lumpur
Sweet heart neckline wedding dress with pleated organza bodice and cute ruffles train.
A very stunning design that shines perfectly in photograph.
Available for rental or custom make
Wedding Dress Silhouette: Princess
Wedding Dress Style: Sweet Heart
Wedding Dress Color: Off white
Fabrics and Materials: Soft Organza
Designed and Custom made by:That White Dress
Inspired by: Vera Wang
That White Dress - Malaysia Couture Bridal Dress Designer
Specialises in custom design and custom make wedding dress. Wedding gown rental service available.
Long Sleeves designs suitable for Muslimah Bride/ Hijab Bride are available.
Plus size Wedding Dressavailable for Plus Size Bride.
More details @About Our Wedding Gowns.


text:
Our Let's Hide Enamel Pin comes to you packaged on a backing card in a clear sleeve. Get all the pins at a discounted price from our 'Let's Hide & Seek' Enamel Pin Collection Series Here.
- High Quality Enamel Pin (Let's Hide Enamel Pin)
- Approximate Pin Size (W30mm x H30mm)
- Vegan Friendly (Animal Cruelty Free)
- Collectible Enamel Pin (Let's Hide & Seek Enamel Pin Collection Series)
We'd love to see your enamel pin in use. Tag us @soapyjafflecks on Instagram and @soapyj on facebook and you might find your post shared on our page.


text:
Price: £15.00
Quantity: 1 available
8vo. pp. xi, 150; illustrations. Boards, Fine in quarter leather. Limited to 750 copies this is a facsimile reprint of the 1949 edition. One of a few deluxe copies. Yorkshire::West Yorkshire
Title: Huddersfield Highways Down the Ages.
Categories: North East,
Publisher: Huddersfield: Kirklees Leisure Services, 1988.:
Item: 1.00 Item
Seller ID: 24115


text:
12:32pm PT by Lesley Goldberg
'Glee' Preview: 10 Things to Know About 'Shooting Star'
Glee returns from its three-week break with an episode that unites New Directions in a way unlike the series has explored in its four-season run.
Here are 10 things to know about Thursday's emotional "Shooting Star" episode of the Fox musical:
PHOTOS: 'Glee' Season 4 in Pictures
1. It delves into current events, including the Catfish phenomenon that showrunner Ryan Murphy first hinted at on Twitter as Ryder (Blake Jenner) grows impatient to meet the woman on the other end of the texts and instant messages.
2. Despite the timeliness of the Catfish story line, that doesn't hold a candle to the story line at the center of the episode -- which is one of Glee's most intense hours to date and continues the show's history of exploring issues that teenagers are sadly forced to contend with in today's society. In the past, Glee has addressed socially relevant issues including eating disorders, dyslexia, pregnancy, coming out, bullying and suicide.
3. The episode takes place entirely in Ohio, and the event above impacts everyone at McKinley. Certain faculty members will be affected more than others.
4. Brittany (Heather Morris) helps set the theme for the week when she fears an asteroid is headed for Earth (again). The theme: Last Chances.
5. One couple gets back together, two different pairs will share "I love you" moments and Artie will film his most poignant piece yet.
PHOTOS: 'Glee's' Season 4 Premiere Party
6. Kitty (Becca Tobin) makes a long overdue confession to Marley (Melissa Benoist) -- and it brings them closer together.
7. Coach Beiste (Dot Marie Jones) returns and takes New Directions' Last Chances theme to heart to profess her feelings for someone who played a big role in her romantic life while sharing a Lady and the Tramp-themed dinner.
8. Lord Tubbington comes between Brittany and Sam (Chord Overstreet), the latter of whom finds a creative way to resolve the conflict -- and grow closer to his girlfriend in the process. It's another big episode for Overstreet, who continues to be McKinley's MVP this season.
9. Mr. Schue (Matthew Morrison) threatens to rap again and nearly everyone cries during the hour. (Don't worry, these are unrelated teasers.)
10. A familiar face last seen during Glee's May 2010 "Bad Reputation" episode reappears as a potential suitor for [spoiler].
Hit the comments below with your thoughts. Glee airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Fox.
Lesley firstname.lastname@example.com Snoodit


text:
i'm living without tomorrows.
it happens when i travel. i'm the most organic, existential version of myself. life feels pure and sure. and i think about ordinariness – my breath shortens. i swallow hard.
right now, you know, this is what there is, this is what there needs to be.
this is what
i want.
endless todays. where love shows up in so many things.
how it all makes me feel.
a quarter-life-crisis. perhaps. or maybe the epiphany i've needed all this time.
well, then. what's more wild than love?


text:
Cardi B 'Carpool Karaoke' is 14 minutes of pure, hilarious chaos
By Sam Haysom
There's so much that happens in Cardi B's 14-minute Carpool Karaoke episode that it's sort of hard to break it all down.
It starts with an energetic rendition of "Bodak Yellow", then quickly moves on to what may be the world's most chaotic driving lesson — before ending with an enthusiastic performance in Culver City Senior Centre.
A bumpy ride, but definitely an entertaining one.


text:
This quiz tests your ability to:
Go to jsfiddle.net, and paste in the markup given below into the HTML area.

GRADER

panda

Now enter just enough CSS (no HTML or JS!) to make the output look exactly like the following:
Hit 'Save' in the JSFiddle toolbar, which will redirect you to a unique URL for your work. Paste in that URL below.
Make sure this checkbox is checked (yes, it's somewhere here).
Download this PDF and, using the command line, generate PNG thumbnails that are each exactly 200px wide. Your solution should not be more than one line. Paste in your command below.
Have you worked with Ruby on Rails before?
Consider the following two models:
# == Schema Information
# Table name: users
# id :integer not null, primary key
# email :string(255)
# login_count :integer
# created_at :datetime not null
# updated_at :datetime not null
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
has_many :assignments
validates :email, presence: true
# == Schema Information
# Table name: assignments
# id :integer not null, primary key
# user_id :integer not null
# title :string(255) not null, default("")
# created_at :datetime not null
# updated_at :datetime not null
class Assignment < ActiveRecord::Base
belongs_to :user
For the rest of the questions, assume you are in the Rails console.
You are about to run this code:
user = User.create!
assignment = Assignment.create!
Write one line of code to return the number of users with a 'berkeley.edu' email address.
The following code should get the set of assignment titles (no duplicates) that belong to users who have logged in more than ten times.
Using the dropdown below, describe how well the code performs this task.
Assignment.select { |a| a.user.login_count > 10 }.map { |a| a.title }.uniq
Suggest a fix or improvement.
Here is a Python function to compute a histogram of data,
with equal-sized bins.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work correctly, as you'll see in the stdout section when you run the code.
The output of the broken version is shown below.
> data = [-3.2, 0, 1, 1.5, 1.6, 1.9, 5, 6, 9, 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 5, 6.7, 9]
> print("Correct result:\t" + str([1, 6, 4, 6]))
> print("Your result:\t" + str(histogram(data, num_bins=4)))
Correct result: [1, 6, 4, 6]
Your result: [7, 12, 17, 17]
Your task is to make minimal changes to make it work correctly, and paste in the unique URL that is generated when you "Run" the code.
Tell us about something you've built that you're proud of.
If you can, please include a link (to a demo, pictures, code, etc.).


text:
Twenty-five: 10 things on my wishlist
September is almost around the corner, and with it the annual celebration of my existence. hooray! i'll be blowing out candles in exactly one week. i never really know what to answer when asked the question "what would you like for your birthday?". but since i'm turning 25 – which automatically makes me old and wise -, i started pinning potential bday gifts weeks in advance. you're welcome.
1. a subscription to vogue nederland – and the awesome sweater you get when subscribing. €25 for 6 issues on vogue.nl.
2. hope in a jar. because since i'm turning another year older, i need all the help i can get from a bottle. €37.94 at ici paris xl.
3. mac matte lipstick in 'kinda sexy'. even though i went to the mac store in hasselt to try on a particular shade of lipstick, the sales girl told me to try this one on as well. i loved the colour, it's a really good nude for my skin type so it definitely made it onto the wishlist. €18.50 at mac stores.
4. essie nailpolish in sand tropez. this perfect shade of taupe will be worn a lot – i know this because my first bottle is completely used up. €9.90 at kruidvat.
5. balenciaga city giant 12 gold in gris pyrite. the ever-recurring item on every single one of my wishlists. my all-time favourite bag is the perfect company to step out as a twenty-five year old. that price though.. i doubt i'll be finding this on the kitchen table on the 5th, but i will be saving up for this one. €1345 in selected stores.
6. maison scotch wool scarf. perfectly oversized and available in three different colourways. would look awsome with a masculine grey coat. €49.95 at scotch & soda stores.
7. dogeared jewellry. last christmas i got a delicate silver bracelet by dogeared from my boyfriend. the best stackable jewellry to adorn my wrist with.
8. malin + goetz candle. makes me think of a lovely trip to london a few years ago. the 'cannabis' candle smells so good. €52 via cosmania.nl.
9. a doggie rug. oh and a nova scotia duck tolling puppy. if everything went as planned, this one shouldn't be on the wishlist any longer. but nature has its own ways, so i'm hoping to add a little ginger cutie to the family really soon. €/ at #dontbuypuppiesonline!
10. zara gift card. the zara winter collection is looking goood, so i wouldn't mind a gift card to raid the store with.
okay, enough with this materialistic rant. all i really want is a happy jolly healthy time with the people i love. and maybe some flowers ;)
what items made it onto your wishlist? any suggestions to add to mine? follow my gimme-gimme-gimme's on pinterest.


text:
Besides classic public relations with influencers, we're focusing increasingly on micro-influencers. Who are your most valuable ambassadors? Employees (employer branding) and clients (consumer influencers) are your most important brand lovers. We design and develop sustainable programmes for your employees and clients in order to enhance the credibility of your message as well as to increase employee and client engagement. Or we can simply manage social customer relations in order to generate leads and conversions.
For successful content seeding, we use a software that allows real-time monitoring, meaning that you will have access to your own brand dashboard at any time. This enables us to learn from the data collected and optimise the content.
In every case, we integrate your influencers in your owned-media activities and interlink all tools.
Contact us via the contact page for an individual consultation. We'll be pleased to tell you what you should consider when dealing with your influencers, and to develop customised influencer concepts.


text:
Monday, November 7, 2016 - On Friday, November 4, Reverb.com joined over 350 guests at Chicago's Lacuna Lofts to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The People's Music School (TPMS.) With the help of donors, attendees, and sponsors - including in-kind sponsor, Reverb.com - The People's Music School raised $230,000.
The People's Music School is the only completely free music school, delivering over 100,000 hours of music mentorship every year to more than 500 underserved students. Money raised at the event will cover a significant portion of the school's operating costs, enabling the organization to provide tuition-free music programs to over 600 students across Chicago this year.
Paying homage to four decades of impacting more than 10,000 students, the event featured five performances from TPMS student artists, culminating in a finale performed with Smashing Pumpkins Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who was honored at the event. Reverb.com sponsored the event photo booth, providing several vintage instruments to be used as props.
To support the role that music can play in building future leaders and citizens of character, you can make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here or texting TPMS to 243725.
About Reverb
Reverb.com is the online marketplace to buy, sell and learn about new, used, vintage and handmade music gear. Since launching in 2013, Reverb.com has grown into the world's most popular music gear website with more than seven million monthly website visits. At any given time, the site has roughly half a million listings ranging from electric, acoustic and bass guitars to effects, studio gear, synthesizers, drums, DJ equipment, orchestra instruments and more.


text:
Handlebar Tempe Today
Every Monday, The Handlebar in Tempe holds a Kick the Keg party to get rid of one keg by offering beers at super-low prices. But this week, it's going to host a special Arizona Beer Week "Kick the Keg Special Edition Hangover Party". All day long, it's discounting any beer left over from Arizona Beer Week, so think of it as your chance to try rare and exclusive beers for at cheap prices. For more information, check the Kick the Keg Special Edition | Post Beer Week Hangover Party! Facebook page.
See also: Chef Josh Hebert of Posh Restaurant to Host James Beard House Preview Dinner
Caffe Boa Wednesday, February 26
Prior to hitting Natural Winemaker's Week in New York City next week, two organic winemakers from Slovenia will hold a tasting for the public Wednesday at Caffe Boa in Tempe. The Rojac Family Winery and and Emil Tavčar, both certified organic winemakers, will be at the restaurant to sample wines and answer questions about their organic products and processes. Guests will sample eight wines for a $10 cover charge, and small bites will be available. The event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cover charge also can be applied to a dinner bill, and bottles of wine will be on sale for 25 percent off. For more information, call 480-968-9112.
ASU Lunch Food Truck Court
Every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Valley food trucks gather in Tempe for ASU Lunch, a mobile food truck court featuring a handful of trucks. This week you'll be able to choose from: Mojo Bowl, Aji Mobile Foods, Burgers Amore, Hey Joe, Q UP bbq, Emerson Fry Bread, Short Leash Hot Dogs, Mamma Toledos pie, Pizza People, and Satay Hut. The trucks will be located at the southwest corner of Forest and 6th Streets, near ASU's Tempe campus.
Super Chunk Sweets & Treats Thursday, February 27
Every Thursday, pastry chef Country Velador keeps her sweet shop Super Chunk Sweets and Treats open extra late to host Dark Side of the Moon Pie, in conjunction with Scottsdale's weekly art walk. Each week features a different pie available by the slice for $5, and the restaurant will be rocking out to a mix of Pink Floyd, classic rock, New Wave 80's classics, and underground indie music. The event goes from 6 to 9 p.m., and while you're there, don't miss her handmade caramels, black licorice, and, of course, her signature caramel corn. For more information, visit the Super Chunk Sweets and Treats website.
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
Engaging with our readers is essential to Phoenix New Times's mission. Make a financial contribution or sign up for a newsletter, and help us keep telling Phoenix's stories with no paywalls.
Support Our Journalism
Barb's Bakery
Fat Tuesday is almost here, which means you don't have much time left to celebrate Carnival. If a king cake is part of your party plans (which it should be!), then you should know that there are several Phoenix-area bakeries willing to make one for you. Barb's Bakery is known for its extravagant king cakes, which come in two sizes and four flavors. The cakes come with green, purple, white, and gold frosting, beads, and, of course, a baby figurine baked inside the cake. A regular king cake serves between 10 and 16 people and costs $25.95, while a Royale king cake serves between 20 and 24 people and costs $39.75. You can order yours in any of the following four flavors: almond, apple, cinnamon, or raspberry. Place an order by stopping by the bakery or calling 602-957-4422.
For more king cake ideas, check out our list of 3 Places to Get Your Mardi Gras King Cake in Metro Phoenix.


text:
The 2012 London Olympics officially got underway Friday with a grand (if a bit eccentric) opening ceremony conceived by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle.
2012 Olympics: Check out the stars to watchWith the help of celebrities including Daniel Craig , Kenneth Branagh, J.K. Rowling, David Beckham and Sir Paul McCartney — not to mention a buzzy cameo by Queen Elizabeth II herself — Boyle's spectacle paid tribute to the history of the host country and its people.Mixing filmed pieces with live-action scenes played out in Olympic Park, Boyle explored the "Isles of Wonder." The peaceful green countryside (which felt a bit like The Shire from Lord of the Rings) soon gave way to the "loud and thumpy" urban boom of the Industrial Revolution, during which the actors forged the Olympic rings in fire. After a quick pause to acknowledge the lost soldiers of World War I and World War II, viewers were treated to a video clip of Craig's James Bond escorting the Queen to the stadium in a helicopter. (Thanks to some Hollywood magic, the queen also "parachuted" into Olympic Park.)Another portion of the opening ceremony paid tribute to Britain's famed children's literature (Mary Poppins vs. Lord Voldemort!) while another followed a love story from the '60s to the current digital age.
Look back at the most memorable Summer Olympic MomentsThe latter was a fitting choice, given the amount of buzz the opening ceremony created on Twitter. Whether reacting to Bob Costas' factoids during the Parade of Nations or McCartney's rousing closing performance of "Hey Jude," there was plenty being said. Check out some of the funniest tweets from the opening ceremony below. (And keep following the funny during the games with our Olympic Witstream!)
"'Really? This is it?' — China #openingceremony" --Thomas Towell (@thomastowell) on WitStream
"My favorite part of British history is the breakdancing aristocrats. #Olympics" --Joe Veix (@joveix) on WitStream
Olympic Hotties: Check out the London games' sexiest athletes
"Instead of James Bond, I wished they'd picked Doctor Who, so he could take us all back in time before we started watching this. #Olympics" --Buck Singleton (@buck_singleton) on WitStream
"Yes, because when I think sports, I immediately think Meredith Vieira. Was Joy Behar unavailable? #olympics #openingceremony" — The Sklar Brothers (@sklarbrothers) on WitStream
"This commentary makes me yearn for the insightful observations of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. #olympics" --Anthony DeVito (AnthonyDevito) on WitStream
"If drunk dancing is an event, the independent Olympic athletes have to be favorites."--Chapin Clark (@ChapinC) on WitStream
"Look at the Queen's glorious frown during the anthem!" — Andy Cohen (@BravoAndy)
"When Twitter was invented, those who produce Olympic Opening Ceremonies must have uttered a collective "F*ck!"-- Seth Meyers (@Sethmeyers21)
"Watching London's opening ceremonies. Hard to believe my ancestors were conquered by theirs." — Conan O'Brien (@ConanObrien)
You can't always win! Check out some Olympic crying faces
"This Olympics Opening Ceremony is like a cross between Masterpiece Theater & Braveheart. Where are the Chinese guys with the drums?" — Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks)
"I know they're elite athletes, but you can't tell me walking around and carrying a flag doesn't wear those guys out." — Michael Ian Black (@Michaelianblack)
"The Olympics is when America learns about world geography from sports announcers and morning show hosts." — Rob Lathan (@RobLathan) on WitStream
"So Comcast buying NBC means I'm gonna have to watch Seacrest pretend to care about Modern Pentathlon. I miss anti-trust law."-- Guy Branum (@GuyBranum) on WitStream
"Rumor: Maggie Smith will light the Olympic torch with one of the Dowager Countess' most FIREY zingers! #OpeningCeremonies" — Ritch Duncan (@RitchieD) on WitStream
"They thought it would be hilarious to have Mr. Bean do a bit about PRETENDING to be bored at the opening ceremony. Let that sink in." — Guy Endore-Kaiser (@GuyEndoreKaiser) on WitStream
"I bet China feels dumb now for not booking Paul McCartney for its Opening Ceremony." — Rob Lathan (@RobLathan) on WitStream


text:
Thank you for supporting Ambler Farm
To the editor:
On the weekends of Dec. 5 and 6, and Dec. 12 and 13, Ambler Farm decked-the-halls with a forest of green with approximately 400 fraser and balsam trees, 200 wreaths and an abundance of pine roping for the Annual Holiday Greens Sale. Families enjoyed hot cocoa, cider and treats, and catching-up with Santa Claus, while spending time with friends and leaving with freshly cut trees.
On behalf of Ambler Farm, thank you to everyone for supporting this annual tradition, and our largest annual fundraiser, which benefits the Farm's ongoing programs and the restoration of the historic Raymond-Ambler Farmhouse. We'd also like to express our sincere appreciation to the more than 100 amazing volunteers, including Wilton Key Club members and apprentices from Ambler Farm, for your efforts in making this event seamless and tremendously successful — as we sold all tree and wreath inventory! A special thank you to those who made generous charitable donations by purchasing more than 25 trees for Wilton Social Services families.
We hope everyone enjoyed the holidays, and that we see you at the farm soon!
All the best in 2016!
Emily Humiston and Kerrie Scofield,
Friends of Ambler Farm,
Holiday Greens Sale Co-Chairs


text:
Isle of Palms
Located between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway, Isle of Palms is truly one of a kind. On this island, palm trees are plentiful and beach views are breathtaking. The secluded beaches stretch on forever, and the streets are lined with luxurious seaside homes and Isle of Palms vacation ideas.
Family-friendly Isle of Palms is perfect for anyone that wants a quiet beach retreat where you're never far from an oceanfront restaurant, shop or bar. Peaceful and picturesque, Isle of Palms is a vacation destination where you can have as much activity or relaxation as you desire. The beach is always dog friendly, and many of our rental properties allow your furry friend to tag along!
Our Isle of Palms beach house rentals boast oceanfront views and proximity to the beach, and many have pools or pool access in the community. Isle of Palms villa rentals are available in gated communities like Wild Dunes, and have golf course views or are just steps from the beach. Isle of Palms luxury rentals are exceptional properties designed to please the most elegant of tastes.Read More
Read More
- Shipwatch Villas
- Shipwatch Villas is a beautifully landscaped ocean-side property on Isle of Palms. Isle of Palms villas and accommodations are available with 2 bedrooms or more, and every villa includes a deck with views ranging from partial ocean to oceanfront. Guests enjoy free access to the community pool, as well as Wild Dunes golf, dining and bike trails.
Jam Out with a Band at the Windjammer
Sit back in an adirondack and enjoy the sounds of summer. This beachfront music venue and bar is the perfect place to hear some local music while enjoying a cold beverage.
Set Sail with Aqua-Safaris
Step aboard this private charter for an unforgettable sunset sail. Receive $2 off per person by using your Wyndham Privileges Card!
Explore Barrier Island Eco Tours
Schedule an excursion for a day filled with deep sea fishing, plan a beachside cookout on a private island, or discover dolphins on a sunset cruise. Eco Tours has it all! Let experts plan your boating excursion and receive 10% off with your Wyndham Privileges card.
Dine with a View at Morgan Creek Grill
Dine with a view of the Intercoastal Way at Morgan Creek Grill. It's located conveniently next to the Isle of Palms Marina! You'll receive $10 off your bill of $50 or more with your Wyndham Privileges card.
Spend The Day on the Water at the Isle of Palms Marina
Be your own captain for the day at the Isle of Palms Marina! You'll receive $10 off any boat rental, because you're a Wyndham Privileges member.
Take a Swing at the Wild Dunes Harbor Golf Course
Golf one of the most scenic Isle of Palms golf courses. Wild Dunes Resort has two golf courses with breathtaking views of the marshes, Intercoastal Waterway and ocean.Read More
There is no time like the present to save on your next getaway! Grab a great Charleston's Islands vacation deal with money-saving offers on accommodations. Check the Vacation Deals page for our best lodging deals in South Carolina. Book your stay today, and be on vacation in no time!
There is nothing like a Lowcountry winter — fly south this winter and live like a local. We offer a variety of rental types to choose from on Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island or Isle of Palms. Take advantage of the cooler weather, uncrowded beaches and holiday events, the Southern way.
Did you know you can always get the best deal available by Booking Direct? Let us show you how we can make your booking experience great! Booking Direct will give you access to our local team of experts, lowest rates, and no additional 3rd party fees. Book direct and save, every time.Read More
Let the Wyndham Vacation Rentals Privileges Program be your Digital Concierge to all that the LowCountry has to offer. With discounts for everything from boating excursions to private chef dinners, the Privileges Program is your guide to our team of local experts' favorite things in the Charleston area. This program offers our guests benefits at a number of local restaurants, tours and attractions throughout the islands and beyond.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals Privileges is your passport to even more fun and excitement on Charleston's Islands. Simply stop by one of the Wyndham Vacation Rentals check-in offices to pick up your Privileges Card during your stay, and present it at any of the participating local businesses.Read More
Local Events in Charleston's Islands
October 2019
12th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair at Magnolia Plantation
October 12-13, 2019
Magnolia Plantation (Closer to Folly, IOP, Sullivans)
October 12, 2019
Folly Beach
Garden Brothers Circus
October 18, 2019
North Charleston Coliseum
Charleston Jazz Orchestra: Saxophone Ledges
October 19, 2019
Charleston Music Hall, Downtown Charleston
Alison Krauss Concert
October 22, 2019
North Charleston Coliseum
November 2019
Coastal Carolina Fair
October 31 - November 10, 2019
Ladson/North Charleston
48th Annual Charleston Scottish Games
November 2, 2019
Boone Hall Plantation, Mt Pleasant
Charleston's Holiday Market
November 8-10, 2019
Charleston Convention Center, North Charleston
Holiday Festival of Lights Begins
November 9, 2019
James Island
Hot Air Balloon Festival & Victory Cup Polo Match
November 15-16, 2019
Mullet Hall on Johns Island
Charleston Lobster Festival
November 15-16, 2019
Waterfront Park, Downtown Charleston
Bohicket Half Marathon and 5K
November 16, 2019
Bohicket Marina, Kiawah/Seabrook Island
Steeplechase of Charleston
November 17, 2019
Stono Ferry Racetrack, Hollywood, SC
The Goo Goo Dolls Concert
November 17, 2019
Gaillard Center, Downtown Charleston
Freshfields Village Sip & Stroll
November 21, 2019
Freshfields Village, Kiawah Island
Manheim Steamroller
November 26, 2019
Gaillard Center, Downtown Charleston
42nd Annual Turkey Day Run (5K)
November 28, 2019
Marion Square, Downtown
Thanksgiving Day Golf Cart Parade
November 28, 2019
Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms
December 2019
Disney's The Lion King Musical
Various dates, December 2019
North Charleston Coliseum
Phish in Concert
December 6-8, 2019
North Charleston Coliseum
Elf the Musical
Various dates, December 2019
Dock Street Theater, Downtown Charleston
Wine Under the Oaks
December 8, 2019
Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant
Christmas at Boone Hall Plantation
December 8, 2019 – January 1, 2020
Boone Hall, Mount Pleasant
Charleston Christmas Special
December 13-22, 2019
Charleston Music Hall, Downtown
Kiawah Island Marathon/Half Marathon
December 14, 2019
Kiawah Island
A Christmas Carol
December 18, 2019
Charleston Gaillard Center, Downtown
Freshfields Village Sip & Stroll
December 19, 2019
Freshfields Village, Kiawah Island
Yorktown Countdown — NYE 2020
December 31, 2019
USS Yorktown, Mount Pleasant
New Year's Eve Flip Flop Drop
December 31, 2019
Folly Beach
New Year's Eve Celebration at Wild Dunes
December 31, 2019
Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms
New Year's Eve Family Celebration
December 31, 2019
Night Heron Park, Kiawah Island
Kid's Night Out: New Year's Eve Bash
December 31, 2019
Sanctuary Hotel, Kiawah IslandRead More
A Perfect Partnership
We've all heard the saying, "You get what you pay for," but with Wyndham Vacation Rentals, you get more. Much more.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals is the world's largest professionally managed vacation rentals business. As part of the Wyndham Destinations family of brands, more property owners trust Wyndham Vacation Rentals to market, manage, and maintain their rental properties in the U.S. than any other professional vacation rental management company. Our commitment is to help our homeowners maximize their property's income potential and provide an overall relaxing experience for you and future rental guests.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals in Isle of Palms continually strives to make your homeowner experience one of individual attention and professionalism and to help your property realize its full investment potential. We pride ourselves on having a local team with global support, making us the best of both worlds and the perfect partner to manage your vacation rental. The high standards to which we hold our people and our properties form the basis of our Vacation Rental Bill of Rights® — a list of six key commitments that every traveler can expect when booking a vacation rental stay with us.
Our goal is to drive your revenue further by creating a strategic marketing plan. Through this plan we will enhance your bookings and generate the results you expect by optimizing distribution channels. In other words, our marketing doesn't start and stop here. We proudly and successfully partner with several other distribution channels and maintain your property there as well—putting more money in your pocket.
- VRBO.com
- Homeaway.com
- Flipkey.com
- Airbnb.com
- RedAwning.com
- Booking.com
- Tripping.com
- TheKnot.com
- ...And More!
Our success as a property management company begins with the trust our owners place with us. We work hard to help our owners get the most value possible from their rentals. Our fantastic team of detail-driven staff takes personal pride in inspecting, managing, and maintaining each property.
If you've got a property on Isle of Palms and you're looking for personal service, powerful marketing, and exceptional property management, we welcome the opportunity to speak with you.
Contact our local Business Development Manager, Dee Bruggeman, to join our program or for any additional information or questions you may have.
Rental Destinations
- Seabrook Island
- Kiawah Island
- Folly Beach
- Isle of Palms
- Sullivan's Island
- Wild Dunes
Dee Bruggeman
Business Development
(843) 996-6388
firstname.lastname@example.com More


text:
Interpreting realized pollen flow in terms of pollinator travel paths and land-use resistance in heterogeneous landscapes
Widespread ecosystem change has led to declines in species world-wide. The loss of pollinators in particular constitutes a problem for ecosystem function and crop production. Understanding how landscape change affects pollinator movement, effective pollen flow, and plant and pollinator survival is therefore a global priority. In this study we investigated patterns of effective pollen flow, using wild cherry tree (Prunus avium) progeny arrays, to address two questions in three case studies: Do land-use types present different resistances to pollinator movement? Which pollinator travel path best explains the pollination data (straight lines, weighted straight lines, least cost paths or pair-wise resistance)? Trees and progeny arrays were genotyped and effective pollen flow and pollinator movement were estimated using the Spatially Explicit Mating Model.
We found that pollinators did modify their travel paths in response to land-use type and arrangement, but the travel path that best described pollinator movement and the resistance rank of the land uses depended on the type and size of land-use patches and the landscape context. We propose a novel theoretical framework rooted in behavioural ecology, the Resource Model, for interpreting pollinator behaviour in heterogeneous landscapes. We conclude by discussing the importance and practicality of conservation and management strategies in which native and non-native land-use types together provide functional habitat and support ecosystem services across economic landscapes.


text:
Integrating Access and Functional Needs in Community Planning for Natural Hazards
Nnenia Campbell
Populations that are rendered socially invisible by their relegation to realms that are excluded—either physically or experientially—from the rest of society tend to similarly be left out of community disaster planning, often with dire consequences. Older adults, persons with disabilities, linguistic minorities, and other socially marginalized groups face amplified risks that translate into disproportionately negative outcomes when disasters strike. Moreover, these disparities are often reproduced in the aftermath of disasters, further reinforcing preexisting inequities. Even well-intentioned approaches to disaster service delivery have historically homogenized and segregated distinct populations under the generic moniker of "special needs," thereby undermining their own effectiveness at serving those in need.
The access and functional needs perspective has been promoted within the emergency management field as a practical and inclusive means of accommodating a range of functional capacities in disaster planning. This framework calls for operationalizing needs into specific mechanisms of functional support that can be applied at each stage of the disaster lifecycle. Additionally, experts have emphasized the need to engage advocacy groups, organizations that routinely serve socially marginalized populations, and persons with activity limitations themselves to identify support needs. Incorporating these diverse entities into the planning process can help to build stronger, more resilient communities.
Public Participation in Planning for Community Management of Natural Hazards
Andrea Sarzynski and Paolo Cavaliere
Public participation in environmental management, and more specifically in hazard mitigation planning, has received much attention from scholars and practitioners. A shift in perspective now sees the public as a fundamental player in decision making rather than simply as the final recipient of a policy decision. Including the public in hazard mitigation planning brings widespread benefits. First, communities gain awareness of the risks they live with, and thus, this is an opportunity to empower communities and improve their resilience. Second, supported by a collaborative participation process, emergency managers and planners can achieve the ultimate goal of strong mitigation plans.
Although public participation is highly desired as an instrument to improve hazard mitigation planning, appropriate participation techniques are context dependent and some trade-offs exist in the process design (such as between representativeness and consensus building). Designing participation processes requires careful planning and an all-around consideration of the representativeness of stakeholders, timing, objectives, knowledge, and ultimately desired goals to achieve. Assessing participation also requires more consistent methods to facilitate policy learning from diverse experiences. New decision-support tools may be necessary to gain widespread participation from laypersons lacking technical knowledge of hazards and risks.


text:
I don't know who is up for the job, maybe a big man whisperer. Maybe Iyanla Vanzant has a version of Fix My Basketball Life. This much is clear. Nerlens Noel has issues. But they are issues the Dallas Mavs care nothing about because Noel has just been suspended for taking a banned substance (allegedly marijuana) for the third time. His Mavericks career is over and when you do the math you realize Nerlens Noel has been underwhelming and a bore, minus the entertainment memes factor when Noel went for food at halftime and found himself in the media room searching for, what he called, energy. Let's start the Noel highlight reel.
Last summer he was offered a nice ($70 million) deal by Dallas, turned it down because of greed, then tried to walk back the turn down but was rebuffed by Mark Cuban and had to settle for the qualifying offer which was about $66 million less than the offer he turned down. Noel tried to spin it by saying he was going to use the 2017-18 season to prove his haters wrong. He'd get paid in the summer of 2018 or so he wished. Everyone would recognize his greatness. But because he is Nerlens Noel, there was that stretch in November where he played 7 minutes in three games, after playing 28 minutes against Minnesota and New Orleans. Add in Rick Carlisle's cryptic "minutes are earned" remark and you had a season already bordering on apocalypse or mutiny. Noel, who has a sense of entitlement because [ I am not sure why], takes brooding to a new level. Whatever thin honeymoon existed (after a humbling financial summer), it was over pretty quickly for Noel and for the Mavericks.
What about when Noel wandered into the media room during halftime wanting a hot dog because he needed energy. He then hurt his hand and was out indefinitely which brings us to the banned substance intended to do what? Other than make Noel super chill and forget he has underperformed his entire career? (Getting caught three times is straight up stupid).
As part of the Process, Noel was supposed to join the Embiid, Saric, Simmons ensemble. But, he doesn't haven't much offensive talent other than being tall and running the floor. He is worthless outside of five feet.
Nerlens Noel was drafted with the sixth pick in the 2013 draft and in 5 years has amassed these totals: 2,067 points, 1,615 rebounds. He has played in 223 games or to really break it down, he's missed 46% of his career.
It was clear early on that Rick Carlisle didn't trust Noel. Dirk Nowitzki was on fumes, career low numbers, making Noel's minutes more likely to go up, not down, but they went down anyway because, you know, it's Noel.
Carlisle said back in November, "If you go outside the system and start breaking rules wlly-nilly, there's not going to be help built in for you and then there's problems and you have to get guys out of the game". Carlisle was referring to defensive principles. Which goes back to Carlisle's "minutes have to be earned" theology. Here is what Carlisle expects from his bigs.
- Defensive Intensity on pick and roll.
- Not sleepwalking when the offense is not about you.
- Pay attention to details.
- Lose nonchalance on screens.
- Exhibit a competitor's heart.
Noel was someone who complained in Philly and that got him shipped out. On the one hand, he sulks. On the other hand, he says the things you want a player to say. You know, all the stuff about playing hard. But in Dallas, something was lost in translation. When Noel was hurt, it was a breath of fresh air.
Carlisle and every NBA coach has a responsibility to put the best team on the floor. Dennis Smith Jr. was developing this season. Dirk Nowitzki was hanging on. In the middle of it was Nerlens Noel whose role diminished month after month. At this point in his career, he is a bust.
Fact: Noel is boring. He lacks touch and offensive skill once he moves away from the basket. He isn't the stretch big man the NBA is in love with. He is pretty old school as far his game being the rim or nothing. But he doesn't make up for his deficiencies by setting hard screens and rolling to the basket. He doesn't always compete which was a problem in Philly too. It's one thing to lack versatility. It's another to not play hard and ignore the details.
What the Mavs wanted was Noel to protect the rim, finish in the paint, not gamble on defense, set screens, read his man.
For the Mavs, the season was always about getting Dennis Smith Jr. the reps and experience that he needs to go forward since he is the Mavs point guard and star of the future and the Mavs were intent on setting themselves up for the lottery where there are a bunch of bigs who do what Noel cannot. Score. Rebound. Block shots. So in that, they were successful.
At rehabilitating Noel, they were not.


text:
Deplorables, Hypocrites, and the Liberal Dilemma
Good But Not Nice: Deplorables, Hypocrites, and the Liberal Dilemma
I've spent DAYS, months, YEARS not saying what I think about politics, sex, a dozen other things so I don't offend, alienate, or hurt people…the same people who don't give a good goddamn if their behavior hurts someone else (me). This is the liberal dilemma. The fight to be inclusive, means letting assholes be assholes.
The other day, Hillary did something ugly. She called a spade a spade. No, it isn't *nice* to call half of Trump's supporters a "basket of deplorables." But I'm starting to think, like Sondheim's Cinderella, that it might be good.
Because, let's face it. There really isn't another word for people who think that "extreme vetting" of Muslim people, "stop and frisk", and automatically slobbering "inner city" when a black man asks you a question are genuine solutions to anything. People go to jail for forcing sexual attentions on nonconsenting women, and I promise you if anyone ever grabbed ME by the pussy, being called deplorable is the nicest thing that would happen to them. Frankly, I suspect I'd be the one who ended up in jail in that scenario, which tells you pretty much everything you need to know about this election cycle.
Let's be good, not nice, and tell the truth. Let's suppose that everything Trump says about Clinton is true and vice versa, and then ask ourselves who we'd vote for.
Hillary's a warmonger. And Trump supported the war in Iraq.
Hillary deleted 35,000 emails after directed not to by a US court. Trump lets all his emails, tweets, and (possibly legal) avoidance of taxes hang out. But lies about his bankruptcies and businesses.
Hillary savaged a group of women who accused her husband of sexual assaulting them. Trump grabbed women by the pussy, kissed them without their consent, ran a modeling agency that's been repeatedly accused of sexual trafficking (and Barbara Boxer has called for an Senate investigation). And calls much of it "locker room banter".
Hillary's friends with bad guys (all of whom seem to be Jewish) who make a lot of money. Trump is friends with Vladimir Putin and John Casablancas, a modeling "guru" who openly engaged in sexual relationships with and expressed a preference for very young women and may have gotten away with several murders.
Hillary engages in pay to play politics and uses some of the money donated to the Clinton Foundation for her own benefit. Trump has filed bankruptcy multiple times and stiffed lots of people who performed labor for him.
This list goes on. Feel free to mentally add all the statements I've left out. But now look at the balance sheet.
Most of Trump's allegations against Clinton amount to "she's a hypocrite." I'll add that she's also shamed, triggered, and disrespected a lot of people carelessly. A fairly substantive argument can be amassed that he's no less of a hypocrite than she. He also alleges that she's a liar. So's he. And whatever can be said about Trump's insults and triggering (lurking behind a woman speaking out about your impropriety, what?), it's only careless in the sense that he genuinely doesn't give a fuck if he offends or frightens you.
She's a warmonger–against people who are more than arguably a danger to large segments of the human race. He's personally declared war on Muslim people and half the population (women, if you're not following). She savaged a group of women who attacked her husband (normally we call that loyalty or hurt feelings) and hypocritically disbelieved their charges of sexual assault (I'm not going to name them because sexual assault is horrific enough without being dragged out in the name of politics). He's savaged women who have next to nothing to do with him – Alicia Machado, Rosie O'Donnell, Megyn Kelly, Kristen Stewart, Carla Bruni, Ariana Huffington, Gail Collins, Sara Jessica Parker, Ruth Bader Ginsburg…oh, and paraded the women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault in front of the cameras–to attack *Hillary* Clinton to save his flagging political campaign.
Both of them have lied/misbehaved/misled people in their areas of expertise (politics for her, business for him). She deleted emails, many of which may have been classified (instead of letting them become quasi-public knowledge, hmmm). He stiffed thousands of workers of money that was rightfully theirs.
Even if you believe every terrible thing about Hillary Clinton (some of which are actually about her husband), if you believe even half of the terrible things about Donald Trump, your choice basically boils down to a woman who fights nastily and carelessly to protect what matters to her but otherwise engages in a war for social justice and human rights and a man who fights nastily because he does and has never done a day of public service in his life.
Hillary Clinton called a spade a spade. If you believe a man who thinks it's okay, even in a locker room, to say he's grabbed women by their genitalia, who has declared personal wars on women who say not-nice things about him (which, by the way, is the substance of his campaign against, surprise, a woman who says not nice things about him), is a better choice for president than a woman who has dedicated her life to public service and admittedly done some pretty unpleasant things… that's your right. But if you believe those things are okay or you'd do them yourself, she's right. That is deplorable.
Hillary should have said that the attitudes were deplorable and left the people out of it. But her mistake is pretty much every liberal's dilemma.
* * *
PS – I ran out of stamina for linking everything. Google works just as well for everyone as it does for me.
PPS – If you don't like my politics, you probably won't like me or my books anyway.
PPPS – No, Mr. Trump, immigrants do not increase crime rates. In fact, first and second generation immigrants have consistently been proven to engage in LESS criminal delinquency than their nativeborn peers (studies from 2000 and 2015, for example).
PPPPS – As deflective as it sounded, Hillary Clinton was telling the truth about public and private faces and "the Lincoln thing", not to be confused with Mr. Pence's Mexican Thing or his LGBT thing.
PPPPPS – Don't troll. I'm not interested in the hate in your heart. Only the use of your brain.


text:
We understand the pressures of life can sometimes mount up creating low self-esteem or lack of motivation to exercise. Injuries, illnesses and little self-belief seem like everlasting obstacles. These factors will become a distant memory and the results you desire will become reality.
The training methods our team use are realistic, tried and tested, making an immediate difference to the quality of your life. We utilise our methods for everyone to bring out the best in you. Any previous obstacles will become a distant memory. The combination of our knowledge with your willpower will give you those results you desire.
All sessions can be provided in any environment and are suitable for all ages and abilities. They will all have the same positive outcome. Please click on our 'Services' page for more details.


text:
$8.00 $10.00
Artist: 2Pac // Album: R U Still Down? [Remember Me] //
Original Release Date: 1993
Label: Death Row Records (2) – 92279-2, Death Row Records (2) – 7 92279-2, Interscope Records – 92279-2, Interscope Records – 7 92279-2
Cover is VG+ // CD is VG+ // *Includes 2 CD Set*
Tested and plays great
1-01 Redemption
1-02 Open Fire
1-03 R U Still Down?
1-04 Hellrazor
1-05 Thug Style
1-06 Where Do We Go From Here (Interlude)
1-07 I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto
1-08 Nothing To Lose
1-09 I'm Gettin Money
1-10 Lie To Kick It
1-11 Fuck All Y'all
1-12 Let Them Thangs Go
1-13 Definition Of A Thug Nigga
2-01 Ready 4 Whatever
2-02 When I Get Free
2-03 Hold On Be Strong
2-04 I'm Losin It
2-05 Fake Ass Bitches
2-06 Do For Love
2-07 Enemies With Me
2-08 Nothin But Love
2-09 16 On Death Row
2-10 I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto (Hip-Hop Version)
2-11 When I Get Free II
2-12 Black Starry Night (Interlude)
2-13 Only Fear Of Death
Shipping from United States
Processing time
1-2 business days
Estimated shipping times
- North America : 1 - 2 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Payment Options
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept returns
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
I don't accept exchanges or cancellations
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
- Items on sale
Conditions of return
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.


text:
Every baseball player has his own shelf life in this game. Some know when their time is up. Others stick around long past their prime.
For Paul Konerko, his mind and body will know exactly when it's time to retire, and it might come sooner than you think.
Konerko has two years remaining on his contract, and while he's focused on having another big season for the White Sox, he gave his first hint that 2013 might be his last in a big league uniform.
"No doubt it could be," Konerko said in an interview with Comcast SportsNet. "Yeah, in all reality I would see it ending after next year or maybe another year. I mean, at some point you got to go home and be around your kids and have other things to do."
At a time when most players see their hitting numbers decline, Konerko has been exactly the opposite. The 13-year veteran has had a career renaissance in his mid-30s, especially in the last two seasons in which he has averaged 35 home runs and 108 RBIs. Can he keep up that pace at age 36 and 37? That's a mystery. Will he continue playing the moment he sees his skills diminish? That isn't.
"There's obviously this year and I have another year left on the contract, and I would not have signed up for that if I didn't think I could pull it off," Konerko said. "But at that point I'll be 38 years old going into the following year. If someone wants me, and I'm willing to do the work it takes through the offseason, and through spring training and through the year, then I would be willing to play.
"But if any of those things don't exist, I would never just play to say, 'Well, this team wants me and I can kind of hang on for another year and kind of go through the motions here,'" Konerko explained. "I have to be doing what I know it takes for me to play. Otherwise, it's not for me. I have to do the crazy amounts of preparation. It has to be there. If I'm not willing to do all the grind, then I've got some other things I'd like to do."
When Konerko does retire, he will be sorely missed. Not just for his play and leadership, but for his keen perspective on the game. Few people see things the way he does. Even fewer can actually articulate them.
Let's start with the lost season of 2011:
"I don't think there was a moment last year from the word go where at anytime did we feel like, 'This is kind of special' or 'This is inspiring baseball.' There's always going to be a couple teams every year that has that happen to them, and unfortunately we were one of them," Konerko said. "You'd be hard-pressed to find four or five days in a row where it felt like things were starting to go. We'd have two or three maybe. That was the most we ever had. It was a grind. It was not what you're looking for."
If the 2011 regular season was bad, the current offseason appears to be worse. The Sox have lost Mark Buehrle, Sergio Santos and Carlos Quentin, and have question marks replacing all three of them. Fans and media sense utter doom. What does Konerko think?
"If I was one of the options, then Robin was a heck of a hire!-- Paul Konerko.
"The only time I have won a World Series, the offseason leading up to it was kind of similar to this where there were a lot people not happy with the moves that were made. A lot of people saying, 'What did we do this for?' And then we went out had a great year and won a World Series. I'm not saying that's going to happen again, but I always keep that in the back of my mind. Anytime you think on paper something is supposed to happen the next year."
Many thought the playoffs would happen for the Sox last year. Clearly that didn't happen. They got off to that terrible 11-22 start and finished 16 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. Excitement and attendance nose-dived, leaving the franchise stumbling to get back on its feet. For the fans to return, Konerko knows exactly what the White Sox need to do: Win.
"It's kind of like we're starting fresh. We're really like at zero, and we have to build it back up and earn people's, the fans' trust to come back out and see us. The whole thing," Konerko said. "We're kind of just starting out at square one again, but that doesn't mean that you're conceding anything. I just think it means you're looking to get a fresh change, and just start everything all over again."
That means taking baby steps forward, starting with Opening Day in Texas on April 6. For the White Sox to make it back, Konerko believes it will have to be a slow, methodical climb throughout the season.
"I think for us, I think we should focus more on small goals. We're going to start off playing meaningful games Opening Day and let's just see how long we can be playing meaningful games. Not say that we're going to make the playoffs, not say we're going to do this or that. Let's just see how long we can play the game right, and stay in the mix, and if it gets to September or August, and we're in the mix, then great. Just start off with more smaller thoughts about how we're going to do everything is my opinion."
You wonder why Kenny Williams actually considered making Konerko the White Sox player-manager this season? This is why.
So what did Konerko think when he heard that idea? He chose to take the humorous, sarcastic route.
"I know that when they hired Robin Ventura everybody was like, 'Robin was a great big league player,' and what I'm hearing about his experience is that he coached his son's high school team for a while. That's his experience at managing or coaching. And then it comes out that they were considering hiring me as playermanager. Then you look at Robin and you say, 'That was a great choice,' because if I was one of the options, then Robin was a heck of a hire!"
But would Konerko ever consider managing?
"I'm probably going to be like Robin 10 years ago and say I'll never manage," Konerko said.
And then you'll manage?
"I don't know about that."
What we do know is that Konerko's playing time is running out. Knowing Paul, he's going to make the best of what's left and walk proudly into the sunset.
Few players leave the game just before their expiration date. Konerko seems poised to be one of them.


text:
PULLMAN, Wash. — Kyle Sweet got out of the cold rain that greeted the first day of spring practice for Washington State and threw on a black baseball hat with a '3' affixed to the side.
On the day spring ball started for the Cougars, Sweet's hat represented the most outward, notable tribute to Tyler Hilinski.
"I think about Tyler every day as I'm sure all of us do. But right now we're trying to move forward. We'll never forget him but we don't want to just keep being stuck in one spot," Sweet said after the nearly three-hour practice. "We love Tyler and he was a great person but we're trying to move forward."
There will be benchmark events for the Washington State program following Hilinski's death in January. Thursday was one of them, the first full team practice since Hilinski took his life on Jan. 16.
"Our team has talked about it from beginning to end and none of that we're going to share with you guys," Washington State coach Mike Leach said.
The 21-year-old was expected to be Washington State's starting quarterback for the 2018 season, the next in a line of standout passers to play for the Cougars. His death rattled the Washington State campus and shocked college sports — a player who seemingly had everything going for him deciding to take his own life.
"We've all been together. We've talked about it. We've had people to talk to about it," safety Hunter Dale said. "He's always going to be in our minds. He's always going to be on the field with us."
Hilinski's death was a crisis situation for Washington State's athletic department. What's come out of it is a strengthened focus on mental health and perhaps more of a willingness campus wide to speak about personal issues.
Dr. Sunday Henry became the director of athletic medicine for Washington State last fall. It was Henry along with Jerry Pastore, a mental health counsellor, and psychiatrist Dr. Kate Geiger — all employees inside the Cougars' athletic program — that were the spearheads of a plan to help Hilinski's teammates and the entire athletic department cope with the shocking death. Henry and her team worked from the inside out, starting with the football program, then the rest of the athletic department, if nothing else than to be an ear to listen. It required collaboration and co-operation across the tight-knit campus, and borrowing counsellors from other areas of the campus to be available for those who needed help in the immediate aftermath.
"We just didn't know what to expect. That's part of it. When you say there's no script, we didn't know what to expect," Henry said. "My approach was I didn't want to have some sort of scenario where you'd say, 'Can you wait?' … The entire campus felt this. They continue to feel this and we continue to feel this. We are still having people surface. There has been a lot of emotional and mental things going on since then. As an entire campus we're still feeling it."
Jordan Frost is the president of the Associated Students of Washington State and has heard the stories of how Hilinski's death has impacted the student population. Student government was already working on an endowment to fund peer-based sexual assault prevention education and mental health awareness prior to January. Since Hilinski's death, the efforts have ramped up and the endowment could be in place soon.
"I hate to say it, but because he was a notable popular person it's helped us get our message to more people," Frost said. "I don't think people don't care about the issues, but people get busy, your life is crazy, there's a lot going on. But this has really engaged everyone and they're staying engaged in the conversation rather than kind of leaving."
The evaluation of how the football program is handling Hilinski's death is an ongoing process. Henry and her staff had a mental health evaluation of the entire football team done within the first two weeks following Hilinski's death, a move Leach fully supported. The start of spring football is one of those important moments, Henry said. So will the start of fall camp in August and the Cougars first game on Sept. 1 at Wyoming and even more so a week later when the Cougars host San Jose State.
"I think then moving forward from now, when you talk about no blueprint, we've taken care of enough of that acuteness," Henry said. "Now we can see what can we do for the future both here at Washington State but also to push that culture change, how do we make a change nationally and help turn this really sad thing that happened into something positive."


text:
WSOF 5 Weigh-In Results: Arlovski and Kyle set for Headliner
By FCF Staff
Here are the official weigh-in results for the latest World Series of Fighting event, which will take place at the Revel Resort and Casino tomorrow night in Atlantic City.
In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski will battle Strikeforce and UFC vet Mike Kyle. Arlovski weighed in at 240 for the bout and Kyle came in at 218.5.
The card will also feature the opening round of the promotion's middleweight tourney, which will see Dave Branch fight Danillo Villefort, and Elvis Mutapcic battle Jesse Taylor. All four made weight for their bouts.
Waylon Lowe and Jimmie Rivera came in slightly overweight for their featherweight and bantamweight bouts respectively, and have an extra hour to cut the weight.
The main card for WSOF 5 will be broadcast throughout the U.S. on the NBC Sports Network.
Main Card (NBC Sports Network, 9 p.m. ET)
Andrei Arlovski (240) vs. Mike Kyle (218.5)
Middleweight Tournament Semifinals
Dave Branch (185.8) vs. Danillo Villefort (185)
Elvis Mutapcic (186) vs. Jesse Taylor (185)
Rest of Card
Rolles Gracie (249.2) vs. Derrick Mehmen (246.8)
Georgi Karakhanyan (145.2) vs. Waylon Lowe (146.4)*
Rick Glenn (144.8) vs. Artur Rofi (144.6)
Ozzy Dugulubgov (160.2) vs. Andrew Osbourne (160.6)
Gregor Gracie (170.6) vs. Richard Patishnock (170.6)
Sidemar Honorio (136) vs. Jimmie Rivera (136.6)*
Darren Costa (186) vs. Neiman Gracie (185)
*fighter has one hour to cut additional weight


text:
The primer series for Sparrow Squadron continues with the final events leading up to the beginning of the novel. This post covers the lead up to World War II in Europe and the first two years as Nazi Germany's war machine sweeps past its opponents.
Primer: The Start of World War II
Primer: The Russian Revolution and the Early Soviet Union
Today marks the start of a series of background primers to introduce readers to the historical setting of Aelita's War and the first novel in the series, Sparrow Squadron. While I've written this with people who have little knowledge of this time period in mind, I invite those with more knowledge to take a look and give feedback. It's not easy to squeeze an immense amount of complex history into a series of short blog posts!
An edited version of this primer will appear in the published novels (i.e. minus the lengthy preamble and the pictures with snarky commentary.)
For the first post, I wanted to introduce you to life in Aelita's home country, the Soviet Union, before the war, but I didn't think I could do that without talking about how it came to be.


text:
08 Ocak 2011
Mercan Transport is able to offer cross-dock service or arrange warehousing. All warehouse locations are controlled by mercan Transport and only accesible for mercan Transport staff. Our facilities have security systems and procedures. We can store your general cargo or valuable cargo in different ways. It is possible to re-label, pick & pack, re-pack or repair during the transportation period. We aim to offer a fast and efficient moving additional service during the logistic process. By means of new techniques such as digital-camera's, e-mail and the use of internet we can visualize our service more to our customers, which enables our clients to get the feeling we,as partners, are in control of their investment.
The mercan Transport staff is trained and experienced to check every piece and re-stack your cartons as per requirement. Labels (especially scanning labels) are turned to the outside and cargo is checked upon its condition. Our philosophy is to do it right from the start, which will reduce problems at the end of the chain.