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Pacific Rim (US - BD)
Matt takes Warner's recent Blu-ray disc for a spin and tries to hold all of his geeky, manchild happiness firmly in check.
In Pacific Rim legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, have started rising from the sea, beginning a war that takes millions of lives and consumes humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes--a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)--who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.
I really enjoyed Pacific Rim when I saw it in the theater back when it was a bit warmer out than it is now, and after sitting down to watch it again my feelings towards it really haven't changed all that much. The characters are still a dash stereotypical and a little too broadly drawn for my tastes and the dialogue is often mired in cliche and delivered with the hammiest of fists, but if anything I actually enjoyed it more the second time around. After you've been assaulted with this much ridiculously giant action and mind blowing, awesome sauce eye candy once, your system quiets down from the shock of it all you can really take the time to look in the corners of the screen and check out the extremely expansive world building on display. If nothing else the world of Pacific Rim is swathed in rich textures and details, which is an aspect of director Guillermo del Toro's films that I enjoy the most. Sure, giant robots hitting giant monsters is cool as hell, and if you're like me and my 13 year-old you'll be trading high fives a few times, but it's the little things in the background--the intricate design of a logo here and the pipes and electrical systems cascading down a wall there--that really make the film come alive and this futuristic world a place you'll want to revisit time and time again.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's 1080p, AVC encoded 1.78:1 video transfer of Pacific Rim is outstanding and one of this year's best looking discs. Originally filmed using the Red Epic camera system, del Toro's film is full or intricate detail in both the practical surroundings and digital effects, and this transfer handles it all easily with consistently deep black levels, fine, sharp detail and color with enough pop that it practically leaps from the screen and into your lap. The transfer is given a fairly decent bit rate, and I didn't notice much in the way of ugly anomalies such as banding, macroblocking, aliasing or edge enhancement. Though contrast is near perfect, crushing blacks did pop up a couple of times, but really weren't anything to worry about and the effect was gone fairly quickly. Pacific Rim is a newly released theatrical film, and I'm assuming that the source used for the transfer is coming straight from the digital files, so there aren't any problems with dirt or debris that might hinder a less perfect source print. Overall this is an exceptional video transfer on Blu-ray.
That's the best, one word description I can give for Pacific Rim's 7.1 and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. I haven't had an aural assault like this in quite a while, maybe not since The Avengers Blu-ray release last year, and I loved every minute of it. Directional effects are outstanding and the surround channels are given plenty to do over the course of the picture with nearly every scene giving you the sense that you're actually there, and your LFE channel will need to take a breather after the pounding it's going to take from the deep bass throughout. None of the sound design and fun effects come at the expense of crisp, clear and always intelligible dialogue however, so you won't need to worry when it comes to being able to understand what's going on. Overall, and like the video transfer, this is a demo worthy presentation that needs to be heard and not just read about--turn it up and annoy the neighbors.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has assembled a fairly decent selection of high definition special features that are spread across two Blu-ray discs:
Disc One:
- Audio Commentary with Guillermo del Toro - This is one of the geekier commentaries you're ever going to listen to, and it's an absolute blast. del Toro gives what is basically a lecture on the history of the Japanese Kaiju and mecha genres while cramming every detail that he can think of pertaining to his own movie over the course of its roughly 130-minute running time. This is one of those tracks that you wish would continue after the credits on the film have come to a complete stop.
- Focus Points - Just over one hour's worth of featurettes are also included on the first disc, ranging from topics such as director Guillermo del Toro, special effects, the actors and characters that inhibit the film and several other facets of the movie making process. It a nice batch of stuff that should keep you entertained as well as informed. Featurettes include: "A Film by Guillermo del Toro", "A Primer on Kaijus & Jaegers", "Intricacy of Robot Design", "Honoring the Kaiju Tradition", "The Importance of Mass and Scale", "Shatterdome Ranger Roll Call", "Jaegers Echo Human Grace", "Inside the Drift", "Goth-Tech", "Mega Sized Sets", "Tokyo Alley Set Visit", "Baby Kaiju Set Visit" and "Orchestral Sounds from the Anteverse".
Disc Two:
- Director's Notebook - This feature is basically a virtual version of director del Toro's notebook and includes handwritten entries and illustrations that can be more closely scrutinized and looked over and can lead to larger galleries of artwork and notes. Also included in the notebook are more featurettes--by my estimation totaling another 25 minutes worth of content--with del Toro covering the process of bringing the picture to life. It's a little clumsy, but a neat and novel idea that's definitely worth checking out if for no other reason than to check out the additional video segments.
- "Drift Space" (5 minutes) - A strange breakdown of the drift sequences in the film that slows each of them down to point out what the images and memories in each mean. Disappointingly the one I wanted to check out--the drift sequence focusing on the "aliens" of Pacific Rim--is absent.
- "The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim" (18 minutes) - A nice, in-depth look at the special effects work that del Toro and ILM accomplished on the film.
- The Shatterdome - An archive of animatics and design art used throughout the film. Impressive stuff.
- Four deleted scenes (4 minutes).
- Blooper reel (4 minutes)
The package also includes a standard definition copy on DVD (this version also includes the audio commentary) and a code for an UltraViolet version of the film for streaming and download.
Thanks to the miracle of home video you can now watch Pacific Rim frame-by-frame to your heart's content, and don't even try to deny the fact you'll do exactly that more than once with this one. It's a lot of fun, and if you can look past its few shortcomings you'll walk away very pleased and with a big, goofy grin on your face for the rest of the day. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's Blu-ray presentation is as flawless as these things get--the video and audio are both demo worthy and the special features are very good, especially if you are a fan of the genre and Guillermo del Toro's work as a director. Overall this is one of the year's best new theatrical Blu-ray releases and it's definitely more of a buy than a rental, but either way you should be sure to check it out as soon as you can.
The screen captures throughout this review were taken from the Blu-ray disc, but due to .jpg compression may not be truly representative of the high definition quality of the release.
Not official, but too awesome not to include here...
Review by Matt Joseph
Disciple Member Join Date: April 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 775
Is this region free or locked?
Matt Contributor Join Date: October 2004 Location: United States Posts: 2,113
It's an all region disc.
Disciple Member Join Date: April 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 775
Matt wrote: It's an all region disc.Thanks Matt! I know it's a Warner release, but you never know. It doesn't say on the back of the cover from what I've seen.
legalbeagle Member Join Date: April 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 118
What a film! Really one of my favourite films of the year so far... Have it on 3D Blu (US Import) and its a truly outstanding disc! Better 3D than even Life of Pi and Avatar for my money. PQ & AQ are excellent... Pick it up. You'll LOVE it!!
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
Disc Details
Release Date: 15th October 2013
Discs: 3
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: Yes
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: Yes
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 & 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French & Spanish
Subtitles: English, French & Spanish
Extras: Audio Commentary, Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, DVD Copy, UltraViolet Digital Copy
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi
Genre: Action, Adventure and Sci-Fi
Length: 131 minutes
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If you've ever placed a seed or seedling into the ground, tenderly cared for it and watched it grow to produce beautiful blooms or nutritional vegetables, you know the value of gardening.
You might even say gardening is a treasure. It gives you exercise, reduces your stress, saves you money and restores your soul as you spend time cultivating and appreciating its beauty.

subset: commoncrawl


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Facebook, 'Grey's Anatomy' win GLAAD awards
The social networking site won the Special Recognition Award at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's 23rd annual Media Awards.
Other honorees at Saturday's ceremony in San Francisco included "Grey's Anatomy" for drama series, "Days of Our Lives" for daily drama series, Max J. Rosenthal of The Huffington Post for digital journalism article, Wells Fargo for the Corporate Leader Award and "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes for the Golden Gate Award.
The awards salute fair, accurate and inclusive representation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives in the media. Other winners from among this year's 35 categories were honored at ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles earlier this year.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.


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The U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth remained on lockdown status Tuesday. But the lockdown could end as early as today, a prison spokesman said.
The U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth remained on lockdown status Tuesday. But the lockdown could end as early as today, a prison spokesman said.
"It's looking favorable," Thomas Sheldrake, public information officer for the USP, said Tuesday.
He said as it stood Tuesday afternoon, USP officials were planning a delayed work call this morning for inmates, which would result in a return to normal operations. But he said the plan could change if something happened Tuesday night.
The prison was placed on lockdown at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday following a fight earlier in the day on the recreation yard and a subsequent fight in one of the housing units.
A couple of inmates received minor injuries and were treated by medical staff at the USP. No employees were injured.
Sheldrake said officials have confirmed the initial fight was sparked by what he called a disrespect issue over a basketball game. He said the later fight was in retribution.
"It was pretty isolated," he said.
He said the people involved have been placed in the prison's special housing unit pending an investigation and disciplinary action.
Inmates initially were not allowed to leave their cells during the lockdown. They were allowed to leave their cells Tuesday but were restricted to their housing units. Sheldrake said this allowed inmates to make phone calls, send emails and shower.
Sheldrake said the warden visited each housing unit Tuesday morning and outlined what inmates could anticipate.
The lockdown has impacted only the main prison. The neighboring camp has maintained normal operations, according to Sheldrake.


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You're almost big enough to have your own chair, but not quite big enough to see over the table. Not a very comfortable eating experience, right? Thanks to the Mutsy booster seat you're back in the game again!
The Grow-up booster seat is very light so you can easily bring it with you on holiday or when visiting friends and family. What's more, it is made of quality materials that are easy to clean
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The Ravens promoted rookie outside linebacker Adrian Hamilton to the active roster from the practice squad today.
The transaction was first reported by The Baltimore Sun and later announced by the team.
The Ravens placed linebacker Jameel McClain (spinal cord contusion) on injured reserve, ending his season.
They also announced that veteran middle linebacker Ray Lewis won't be activated for Sunday's game against the New York Giants. Lewis is still recovering from a surgically repaired torn right triceps and has dealt with some atrophy to the muscle.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh declared McClain out for the season Monday, but the roster move wasn't made officially until today.
Hamilton was signed by Baltimore to the practice squad after being cut by the Dallas Cowboys during the final major roster cutdown prior to the regular season.
Despite a solid preseason, Hamilton didn't stick with the Cowboys.
He battled knee and wrist injuries during training camp and fell victim to a numbers game in Dallas where DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are entrenched as the starting outside linebackers and the Cowboys drafted Kyle Wilber in the fourth round.
Hamilton broke Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Mathis' Southwestern Athletic Conference single-season record with 20 1/2 sacks last season at Prairie View A&M.
Despite recording 81 tackles, six forced fumbles, being named a Football Championship Subdivision All-American and putting on a season-long hit parade captured in this highlight video, Hamilton went undrafted.
Hamilton is a 6-foot-3, 257-pounder with 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash who began his collegiate career at Texas Tech before transferring to a junior college and then enrolled at Prairie View.


text:
A Smaller Cadillac Is Still a Cadillac
Stay Engaged
Under the legislation (which passed the Senate with all but one Republican vote and the House with all but five), schools and local governments won't be allowed to spend more than $15,000 per employee for a family medical insurance plan. To most people that sounds like a lot of money, and they're right: It's still 46 percent more than what the average employer in
Plus, government employers can actually blow past these caps and still comply with the new law, so long as their employees pay 20 percent of the premium. For example, according to documents obtained by the
Still, this is progress, and hard-pressed taxpayers will take whatever relief they can get. But the Legislature should be prepared to answer this question: Why should government employers spend more on medical insurance on average than their private-sector counterparts stuck with paying the bills?


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God's Love We Deliver
166 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10013
Tel: 212.294.8100
Fax: 212.294.8101
Joan Adler
Carol Alexander
Mitch Applebaum
Victoria Arzano
Gayle Balsky
Vered Behr
Joan Bennett
Lydia Brown
Edward Coffina
George Cominskie
Deborah Corenthal
Brenda Curtis
Debbie Deitcher
Randy Deutsch
George Dussan
Lynda Feld
Daniel Feldman
Richard Fink
Martin Friedman
Kathie Gershuny
Roslyn Gilbert
Denise Gilson
Lisa Glover
Norma Grant
Eleanor Guiterman
Scott Hayter
Joe Hooper
Brian Hotaling
Gerardo Huertas
Kathy Hunt
Linda Irby
Kyler James
Phyllis Kirschenbaum
William Komar
Jicky Leidicke
John Lemien
Irv Lerner
Wing Tat Leung
Dennis Luczak
Laurie Machson
Charles McEwen
John Moore
Michael Morrissey
Don Newcomb
Li Ng
Keith Nicholson
Richard Ophals
Martha Palma
Ann Parker
Edward Prostak
Vincent Rada
Aimee Ross
Judith Schasberger
Evan Schwartz
Raj Singh
Patrick Smith
Suzy Sobel
Angelo Sperrazza
David Stern
James Strickland
Monica Tarver
Klaus Villa
Sylvia Vogelman
Kim Wainwright
Bob White
The third floor at God's Love We Deliver is where the Volunteer Department, lounge and Volunteer Terrace are located. Volunteers are the lifeblood of God's Love We Deliver. More than 10,000 strong every year, we simply couldn't do what we do without their dedication, every day, to our mission. The volunteers at God's Love We Deliver outnumber our staff 100 to 1, which is absolutely amazing. Additionally, our volunteers save us much-needed funds -- more than $2 million annually!
Anna Wintour has been a great supporter of God's Love since the late 1980s, when she began mobilizing the fashion industry to fight AIDS. Anna chose God's Love as one of the early recipients of funds raised through 7th on Sale and has since raised more than $17 million for AIDS-related charities.
In recognition of Anna's dedication to the mission of God's Love, John Idol, Michael Kors and Lance LePere and the Michael Kors Company have made a significant gift to name the volunteer center at God's Love We Deliver The Anna Wintour Volunteer Center.
Tel: 212.294.8142
Fax: 212.294.8101
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Does God's Love accept non-traditional gifts like cars, artwork or property?


text:
Fans, scribes and musicians have been describing Jeff Beck's unparalleled mastery on the guitar for decades, but the phrase that most accurately fits his playing is "effortless genius." His attack, invention, energy, ferocity and imagination seem instinctual. His instruments, whether the 1954 Les Paul he used during his historic Blow By Blow era or the array of guitars that have followed, are extensions of his body, and he makes them bark, howl, cry, moan or purr with something akin to a flick of the wrist.
At his core, however, Beck — who turns 68 on June 24 — is as much a blues player as a rock maven and a student of jazz. His musical roots embrace not only Les Paul and Cliff Gallup, but B.B. King and Steve Cropper.
• "Blues Deluxe": Beck's first turn as leader was the Jeff Beck Group, an outfit that brought both him and singer Rod Stewart to international prominence. And the blues was the backbone of their newfound stardom. The Group's 1968 debut album Truth hosts several of Beck's greatest blues performances, including this song, which evokes the sound of the classic '60s line-up of the Muddy Waters Blues Band with Nicky Hopkins' Otis Spann-inspired piano work and Beck's intriguing musical shorthand. His phrases and rhythm are implied rather than overtly performed until nearly the five-minute mark, when he jumps into a solo that evokes Muddy's protégée Buddy Guy on a rabid tear.
• "You Shook Me": Both Beck and Jimmy Page borrowed this gem from the catalog of the famed blues songsmith Willie Dixon. The Led Zeppelin version is considered definitive, but the Jeff Beck Group was there first. The difference between both versions is that Beck's rendition on Truth is an ensemble performance — again, more beholden to the Chicago blues tradition — and Zep's, which is a tour-de-force for Page.
• "I Ain't Superstitious": Another brave entry from Truth is the Group's take on Howlin' Wolf's "I Ain't Superstitious." It's Stewart's best performance on a blues tune, and one of Beck's truly epochal works. It defines his ken for sonic experimentation with a series of dot-and-dash wah-wah exhortations, radical bends and keening slide. After nearly 45 years this cut still must be heard to be believed.
• "Sweet Little Angel": This studio out-take from 1969's Beck-ola sessions surfaced in 2006 for the disc's CD reissue. The tune was composed and recorded by the electric slide genius Robert Nighthawk before B.B. King used Lucille to put his stamp on it. Beck goes for contrast here, injecting the song's sweet lyric with six string menace via an ungodly heavy tone and his barbed wire call-and-response with Stewart's voice.
• "Going Down": Some consider the Jeff Beck Group's 1972 version of this song, cut for their eponymous album, to be definitive, but that honor rests with Gibson ES- 345 and ES-350 legend Freddie King, who put this tune by Memphis songwriter Don Nix on his 1971 steamroller Getting Ready. Nonetheless, Beck's take on this juggernaut tune was a staple of FM rock radio for decades — and wait for the absolutely insane whammy bar maneuvers just past the three minute mark. It's the most demented twang bar work-out since Ike Turner's '50s ripper "Prancin'."
• "Black Cat Moan": The short-lived union of Beck, Vanilla Fudge bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice produced one of '70s rock's greatest bands, the aptly named Beck, Bogert & Appice. Their eponymous album from 1973 is a diamond and Beck brings his slide guitar prowess to the fore on "Black Cat Moan," a track that challenges Z.Z. Top's early blues 'n' boogie primacy.
• "I'm So Proud": BBA also tackled — although a better word is caressed — Curtis Mayfield's romantic "I'm So Proud" on their debut album. Beck put the blues in this soul masterpiece, carefully weaving single-note lines and graceful, floating chords around Bogert's sweet 'n' mellow voice
• "'Cause We've Ended As Lovers": Stevie Wonder's ornate blues composition got the complete soul guitar work-out in Beck's hands on his career-defining hit album Blow By Blow in 1975. Beck's version is a tribute to Roy Buchanan and borrows from Buchanan's vocabulary of bends, long-held notes, abrupt ripping phrases and volume swells. Overall, it's a study in Beck's most sensitive and eloquent playing.
• "Farther On Up The Road": This live performance from 1981's Secret Policeman's Other Ball charity album is an over-the-top duel between Beck and his fellow British blues titan Eric Clapton. Beck wins handily, but both players slash and burn while still keeping the heart of this Bobby "Blue" Bland classic beating.
• "Brush With the Blues": Beck's 1999 Who Else! album was mostly a flirtation with electronic experimentation, but this track is an unabashed return to his roots. This time Beck's the lead voice, since the track's instrumental, and he favors variations on a single note melody while still pushing the sonic envelope, defining the space between edgy and soulful.


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Proposals to Further Regulate Michigan's Electricity Market: An Assessment
More than a dozen bills are pending in the Michigan Legislature to expand regulation of the electricity industry and to impose new environmental requirements on energy production and sales. As a group, these legislative proposals assume the necessity of government intervention in the production and distribution of energy. This report details the drawbacks for consumers and the economy of substituting political forces for market forces in electricity service.


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Help the Gingerbread Man make his way through a candy-filled wonderland!
Gingerbread Man Run is a FREE, simple and addicting game that's fun for all ages. Help the Gingerbread Man (or Gingerbread Girl!) jump from platform to platform as he collects candy to keep him going!
How long can you run through this magical candy land? How much candy can you collect? Be sure to jump over those lollipops and candy canes that are in your way!
Collect enough candy and you can unlock the awesome "Ninjabread Man" or "Skaterbread Man" for even more fun!
* Incredible endless gameplay means a new game every time
* Collect candy to unlock more characters
* Simple game controls good for both kids and adults
* Amazing graphics
* Game Center enabled
* Universal app supports iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch
Download Gingerbread Man Run right now while it's 100% FREE!


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2019 Cricket World Cup
Escorted Tour Packages
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All Finals
Semi Final 1 (1 v 4)
Semi Final 2 (2 v 3)
The Final
Pool Game Packages
Australia v South Africa
England v Australia
India v Australia
India v Pakistan
New Zealand v Australia
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Isle of Man Road Races
2018 Isle of Man Classic TT® - Results, Statistics & Highlights
2019 Isle of Man Classic TT®
5 Night Escorted Tour
9 Night Escorted Tour
2018 Isle of Man TT® - Results, Statistics & Highlights
2019 Isle of Man TT®
9 Night 'Platinum' Escorted Tour
9 Night Escorted Tour
Race Break 1 (Race Days 1 & 2) - 5 Night Packages
Race Break 2 (Race Days 3 & 4) - 4 Night Packages
2018 Japan MotoGP™
5 Night Escorted Tour
2018 Malaysian MotoGP™
InterContinental, Kuala Lumpur - 4 Night Package
InterContinental, Kuala Lumpur 'MM93' - 4 Night Package
Intercontinental, Kuala Lumpur 'VR46' - 4 Night Package
2019 Assen MotoGP™
2019 Catalunya MotoGP™
2019 Japan MotoGP™
2019 Malaysian MotoGP™
2019 Australian MotoGP™
2019 Italian MotoGP™
2018 Australian MotoGP™
3 Night Phillip Island - Pre-Pitched Tent
4 Night Phillip Island - Pre-Pitched Tent
4 Night Phillip Island MotoGP™ Experience
4 Night Ultimate MotoGP™ Experience
2018 Thailand MotoGP™
5 Night Package
2019 Thailand MotoGP™
2019 Ulster Grand Prix™
2019 North West 200
7 Night Escorted Tour
2019 Bathurst 12 Hour
3 Night Tent City Packages
4 Night Hotel/Motel Packages
4 Night Tent City Package
5 Night Tent City Package
Netball World Cup 2019
10 Night Australia Supporter Packages
10 Night Australia Supporter Packages (The Shankly Hotel only)
3 Night Closing Weekend Packages
3 Night Opening Weekend Packages
Rugby League
2018 NRL Grand Final
2 Night Package
3 Night Package
9 Night - NRL Grand Final & Bathurst 1000
2019 State of Origin
Game II, Perth
2019 NRL Grand Final
2019 Brisbane Magic Round
2020 Brisbane Global Rugby Tens
RWC2015 Facts & Stats
Rugby World Cup 2019, Japan
'Match Break' Packages
Australia 'Match Break' Packages
England 'Match Break' Packages
Finals 'Match Break' Packages
France 'Match Break' Packages
Ireland 'Match Break' Packages
Japan 'Match Break' Packages
New Zealand 'Match Break' Packages
Opening Ceremony Package
Scotland 'Match Break' Packages
South Africa 'Match Break' Packages
Wales 'Match Break' Packages
'Mix and Match' Packages
Escorted Tours
All finals tour (QF 1 & 3, SF's and The final)
All finals tour (QF 2 & 4, SF's and The final)
Follow Australia - 2 Pool Games Tour (Aus v Fiji & Aus v Wales)
Follow Australia - 4 Pool Games Tour
Follow New Zealand - 2 Pool Games Tour (NZ v South Africa and NZ v Repechage Winner)
Follow New Zealand - 4 Pool Games Tour
Semi-finals and The final tour
Flight & Ticket Packages
Match Schedule
Princess Cruise Packages
'Japan to Vietnam' Cruise - Departing 15 Oct, 15 Nights
'Korea & Japan' Cruise - Departing 02 Oct, 5 Nights
'Sea of Japan' Cruise - Departing 23 Sep, 9 Nights
'Southern Islands' Cruise - Departing 04 Nov, 8 Nights
Stadiums and Cities
2022 FIFA World Cup
Special Events
2019 Super Bowl LIII
3 Night DoubleTree Hilton Package
3 Night Hilton Hotel Downtown Package
4 Night Aloft Atlanta Packages
2018 Mundine vs Horn
1 Night Packages
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2019 Tour de France
Australian Open 2018 Winners, Brackets & Scores
2019 Australian Open
Semifinals Packages
Quarterfinals Packages
P&O 'Pacific Eden' Cruise Package
Final Five Sessions Package
First Week (Sportsnet Super Suite) Package
Men's and Women's Finals Package
Middle Weekend Package (Rod Laver Arena)
Middle Weekend Package (Sportsnet Super Suite)
Pick & Choose Package
2018 Hopman Cup - Results, Statistics & Highlight
2019 Hopman Cup
2 Night 'Mix'n'Match' Packages
3 Night 'The Final' Packages
9 Night All Tournament Packages
2019 Wimbledon Championships
Sports Cruises
5 Night 'Pacific Eden' P&O Cruise Package
2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival - P&O Cruises
2019 Formula 1® Monaco Grand Prix – Travel Packages
Princess Cruises • Rugby World Cup 2019™, Japan
HORSE RACING: Sportsnets Derby Day Cruise to Flemington Racecourse
HORSE RACING: Sportsnets Melbourne Cup Eve Gala Dinner
MOTOGP: Sportsnet Malaysian MotoGP Riders Dinner
SUPERCARS: The Sportsnet Friday Night Legends Dinner
SUPERCARS: Sportsnets Gold Coast 600 Dinner
2019 AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Sportsnet Super Suite
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Facebook Rating
Sportsnet Holidays
Aidan Shields
Thailand moto gp ! Wasn't the first and definitely won't be the last trip booked with sports net ! Absolute legend
crew who catered for every need ! accommodation and transport were great. All in all was yet another perfect package which made the experience amazing !massive shout out to Brooke, Will and Becsee you next year !
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Ryan Anderson
Very professional and great time had by all 6 of us in our group. Will definitely recommend to anyone.
Tamara Smith
What an amazing trip to the Bathurst 1000. It was our first time and the support I received from Sportsnet and Jodi was
so well organised from the motel to the drivers dinner,national museum and paddock pass was awesome. Throughly enjoyed our trip thanks Sportsnet.
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Tony Heidrich
Great service and organisation meant I could focus on the fun stuff!
Mark Pedder
Recently attended the Singapore GP with Sportsnet and what an experience. The event itself is brilliant and the team
at Sportsnet made it even better. Hassle free booking, kept up to date at every stage about accommodation and track passes plus the lunch on Friday with Mark Webber was simply awesome. A big thanks and I hope to do it all again next year.
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Clint Leary
The whole experience was fuss free, the Sportsnet team especially Babs we're very helpful, and you had the room to
make small adjustments yourself, highly recommend Cheers Clint
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Leisa Logan
Attended Formula 1 at Singapore. Everything was so easy
Judith Pearson
What a fabulous trip to the TT on the Isle of Man with a superior travel agency! Would go again in a heart beat!
Mel Yip
We travelled to the IOM TT 2018 with Sportsnet Holidays and from the very beginning we knew it would be an amazing
holiday. The excitement of reading about the inclusions in the package was hugely outdone by actually being there and experiencing it all. From meeting the riders, having the best vantage points, being able to do a lap of the course (twice for us as I won a fast lap in a course car!) meeting so many lovely people and being looked after so well by our tour guides (Glynn, Bec, Brooke and Maria). I would highly recommend Sportsnet holidays as the experts in the business. Awesome!
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Martin Dowson
Fantastic trip the host's were very helpful, Avery well organized tour, will be back in 2020 .thanks sportsnet and
cheers to one and all....
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Shannon Burtenshaw
My father and his mate travelled to the isle of man tt this year and this was their first overseas trip. From the very
first phone call to sportsnet the service provided by Brooke in the booking process was exceptional. She did everything she said she was going to do and made the booking process extremely simple and stress free. The information provided prior to the trip and during the trip ensured everything ran like clock work. Brooke Glynn and Bec were highly professional and friendly and could not have asked for a better level of service from them. The trip itself was terrific and you wouldn't change a thing. One of the highlights of the trips was the lap of the tt course provided in the tour . By far both dad and his mate agree it was the best trip they have ever done and would recommend to anyone to use sportsnet holidays to visit the isle of man as their inside knowledge and connections have you experiencing things you would not be able to do on your own. They are still in disbelief as to what they saw. Thank you for a trip of a life time
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Debbie Hamblyn
I took my Husband on the State of Origin Cruise to Melbourne, it's was just the best!!! Sportsnet (Brodie) looked
after everything for us, he is very good at his job. The buzz on the ship was great & we meet lots of new friends.We had transport from the ship to the stadium and back which made it all to easy. Can't wait to book my next holiday. Thanks Sportsnet & 'UP THE BLUES'Debbie Hamblyn
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Stuart Glennie
An AWESOME journey from start to finish !!! First time overseas for me and I struck gold !!! 100% gold !!! The whole
team at sportsnet were very friendly professional and helpful on any given day !! I will never forget my holiday to the Isle Of Man 2018 perfect weather unbelievable racing and an awesome Island totally mind blowing !!! Thanks so much Sportsnet !!! Memories for a life time !!!
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Adam Taylor
We went to Darwin for the supercars only a few weeks ago organised all via Sportsnet. From the moment I made an enquiry
right through to the trip everything was very well planned, accommodation excellent and basically a superb experience. I will be booking another trip very soon. Cheers Guys!!
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Trish Best
I have recently returned from the Isle of Man having done my booking with Sportnet. Travelling alone from NZ they made
the whole trip so easy for me.Thank you so much
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Sheryl Mcnaughton
4th of June we were taken to State of Origin in Melbourne with Sports Net and it was absolutely amazing they organized
everything from pick up to game to pre match party.Thank you to the crew at sportsnet especially Glynn you were so helpful.Will definitely travel with you again.
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Glen Fuz
I've just completed a trip to the Isle of Man TT organised through Sportsnet with my 79year old father & the service
provided by this company & its staff was second to none. We had a fantastic time & I'll be going back for sure. The information provided & the help we received before leaving Australia & from the time we arrived was faultless. The events we attended & the days on the track were just fantastic, all you had to do was walk out the front of the hotel & straight onto the bus & off you went.The small things that Sportsnet provided, such as mobile phones, deck chairs & a number of other things just made managing things a piece of cake.The guest presenters at the functions that Sportsnet put on were truly special, who would of thought that we would get to meet a legend of the sport like John McGuiness. To all the crew at Sporstnet a big thank you for providing me with the trip of a lifetime with my father.Going to the TT, go with Sportsnet, you be mad if you didn't.
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Shaun Clancy
Communication was great from my initial enquiry until departure. The IOM trip is itself exceeded our expectations and
provided some memories that will no doubt last a lifetime.Highly recommend
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Kathryn Ambrose
My wife and I booked a Sportsnet packed holiday to the State of Origin in Melbourne 2018 and the support we received
from Ian and Sportnet was fantastically easy to organise they took care of everything. We received al our documents in a butterfly presented carry case a couple of weeks prior to departure.We will be useing Sportsnet again in the near future.Robert Ambrose.
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Margaret Thomas
We just came back from a cruise to the State of Origin in Melbourne. We booked with sports net and from beginning to
end it was organized perfectly. I didn't need to follow up anything I was always informed by either emails or phone calls regarding our trip. Would highly recommend sports net due to their excellent service. And the Blues won so awesome all around.
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Terry Page
My partner and I traveled to the Isle Of Man with Sports Net this year 2018. This was our first time traveling over
seas , we inquired with Sports Net about the Isle of Man TT and from that moment on they made the whole experience so easy from the easy payment system to keeping us updated along the way. Even the ability to change our return flights to allow us to extend our holiday. The itinerary was perfect from the minute we left till the minute we got home. The Sports Net itinerary allowed us to do thing that we would never have been able to arrange our self's like a guided lap of the TT coarse and meeting of several riders. I wouldn't hesitate to travel with Sports Net again, there staff conducted them self very professionally and it's a holiday we will never forget. Thank Ian Hill and Sports Net Holidays.
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Gary Franklin
We got our trip organised before Xmas fo game 1 2018 State of origin! We asked what we wanted and Sportsnet did the
rest great tickets fabulous trip on the p n o explorer have already enquirer for 2019 trip
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Peter Olsson
Always wanted to go to the Isle of Man TT. On the bucket list.Finally bit the bullet booked with Sportsnet.Glynn was
my contact nothing was too much trouble and if he wasn't there he phoned back quickly.Everything about the trip exceeded expectations, from the VIP tent to the exclusive meet the riders night. All food and drinks complementary. Talks from the riders,question time and autographs signed.The staff were with us all the way and a greater group you could not find.Best trip ever.
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Bev Padberg
This is not the first time we have called upon Sportsnet Holidays to put a package together for our family - most
recently- Melbourne Grand Prix. I can honestly say it wont be our last. Yes one can argue that you can source tickets, accommodation etc yourself but why would you when you have expertise staff that will to do all the work for you. Their 'inside knowledge - you cannot put a price on. Our consultant Glynn was attentive to our requirements & his recommendations (things I had not thought of or would not have known) only enhanced the event. An invite to lunch/dinner hosted by Sportsnet prior to the event is a highlight of the package. Having special guests such as Dick Johnson, Alan Jones (racing driver champion), Damon Hill (Singapore Grand Prix) to name a few, leaves you in awe of such legends, not to mention the autographs & photos you can have with them. Sportsnet provides you with an experience that leaves you with memories that last a life time.Our seats at the Grand Prix were exceptional. Great location, view & access to other facilities. Great choice Glynn.A huge thank you to Glynn & all the lovely staff at Sportsnet for making our Grand Prix fuss free, enjoyable,& most importantly - memorable.
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Steve Paxton
Just want to thank Glynn and the team, we had a fantastic time at the Melbourne f1, including fantastic seats, loved
the dinner and would certainly use sportsnet again
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Melissa Muller
Everything for our trip to the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix was amazing! I can't recommend Sportsnet Holidays more. Every
detail was communicated excellently and the entire booking process was smooth from beginning to finish.We certainly can't wait for our next sporting adventure with Sportsnet Holidays!
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Ellie Jade Kennedy
Had a great holiday to Adelaide 500. Everything taken care of to accomodation to passes and experiences. Didn't have
to worry about a thing and all run smoothly. Would recommended going through sportsnet holidays, we are already looking at our next holiday!
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Cam Wilson
Went to see my first WSBK on my first trip to Phillip Island. Ended up buying a bike. So this package, being three days
at the track and some little add ons staying at the Ramada was the cheapest part of it all. No issues with the tickets. No issues with the accommodation. Brekky included and this was a god send. Looking forward to another package with these guys, when I've paid off the bike :) thanks for the help in getting this happening lads and ladettes. I had a ball.
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Suzy Threadgold
Just wanted to say a massive thank you for an amazing trip to the 12 hour race at Bathurst. We had such a fantastic
time. Absolutely everything went so smoothly and the extras of the pit walk, behind the scenes tour and pre race dinner topped it all off brilliantly.As we were coming from the UK it is always a little worrying about what you are actually booking but I can honestly say the arrangements you made far outweighed our expectations. Once again thank you and we hope to use you again soon
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Ian Dickson
After a disastrous experience at the French Open a few years ago with another company, it was a joy to use Sportsnet
for the AO this year. They kept in regular contact with me throughout, secured great tickets in exactly the area we requested and the Wrap on Southbank hotel was very comfortable and brilliantly located (we walked to the tennis and also to the city centre). For someone travelling 10,000 miles from the UK for the event all of this was very important. Well done and a huge thanks again.
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David Bradley
Used Sportsnet for the recent Bathurst 12hr. Already looking at future events to book through them.
Nick Straschko
Libby Hartwig
From the first phone call until the completion of our trip we had fantastic service from Sportsnet. We had talked for
years about attending the Australian Open so had high expectations and we were not disappointed for a moment. Our consultant Glynn was always happy to respond and make changes to create the perfect package for us. I was hesitant about choosing to have our tickets etc left at the hotel for us to collect on check-in as it was a Saturday but needn't have worried they were all there in a secure package. Based on our experience I would highly recommend Sportsnet and would use them again. Thanks for making our AO experience spot on!
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Al Graham
After booking with Sportsnet Holidays for Rugby World Cup 2015, I just knew that for RWC 2019 in Japan, I had to book
with them again. I have now done so. Thanks to Ian and the crew – you certainly know your stuff!
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Jill Robinson
We recently had a trip on P&O Cruise, Sydney to Melbourne to watch Australia Open. Totally recommend that to others.
Great experience, stress free holiday all organised by Sportsnet Holidays! 😉😃😄
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Carmel Henderson
Sportsnet team were fantastic, great package for the Australian Open 2018! Really enjoyed the airconditioned comfort
during the very hot days. Thanks team for a great few days.
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Amanda Kemp
My son and I attended our very first and super exciting Australian Open through Sportsnet. I cannot recommend them
highly enough! Friendly, flexible, meticulous organisation of our accommodation and tickets to the most fun we've had in ages! Access to the Hisense lounge was a fantastic bonus. Can't wait to go again, and yes, we will be organising through Sportsnet! Bravo!
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Barbara Cashman
How easy this holiday was, excellent helpful staff, loved all the options and how friendly everyone was. Will book again
Tracy Burn
Attended the Australian open could not fault oir tickets for the tennis or the accomodatiin. All our dealings when
booking the package was excellent.
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Luke Frampton
They organised my tickets and accommodation. I subsequently realised I had booked hotel accommodation on one night when
I was in mid-air. No problem, they cancelled and I got my refund within the week. The icing on the cake was the hospitality at Hi-Sense which I had not expected. It was excellent as I watched the matches I wanted to anyway but in great comfort. Service there was excellent. Would certainly use them again!
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Carol Reeves
My husband and I used Sportsnet in 2016 for a wonderful experience in Melbourne for the Australian Tennis Open
tournament.We booked our hotel and quarter final 2 days tickets through them and from the moment we arrived had a wonderful experience.The hotel and staff were excellent and the seating was just as we had requested. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Sporsnet for any future holidays in Australia.
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Adrian Byrt
Linda McGregor
Michéle Michéle
Excellent service from all Sportsnet staff especially from our consultant Brooke. Very organised. Thoroughly enjoyed
the 2017 Malaysian MotoGP package.
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Ian Rigby
I have been with Sportsnet twice now, Phillip Island MGP and the Malaysian MGP, I can't speak highly enough of how we
were looked after.
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Tanya Larkin
We used sportsnet for our 2017 Australian open trip and couldn't have enjoyed it more! We purchased tickets to the
men's final day brunch which was awesome, a really well organised and fun morning � the team was also very helpful with all of our enquiries
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Renea Quine
We have booked 2 sporting events through Sportsnet Holiday and both have been amazing (Australian Open 2016 and Grand
Pix 2015).The staff are excellent, helpful, friendly, give you options and advice. Their prices are excellent:competitive, service is fantastic, they do all of the hard work organising a great experience for you (accommodation, tickets, special events) .. all we needed to do so was sit back and relax! Their experience in these events give you options you would be none the wiser if you tried to book on your own. Both of our experiences were seamless and I would highly recommend Sportsnet Holidays to anyone. Well done � Sportnets Holidays !
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Barry Nicholson
Booked a Moto GP corporate package in Malaysia � for four people, everything went as planned , great accomodation at
the Sama Sama Hotel and three days at Sepang motor circuit for the GP. Will be doing another GP soon !
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Karen Rohweder
This was my second year with sports net holidays, and what can I say another year with the Moro Gp, and what a fabulous
time we had again, and the paddock pass was included again this year and is worth all of it, I would use sportsnetholidays again in the future, I dealt with Brooke and she was fabulous the last 2years dealing with her, very prompt with responds to all your needs. ��
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Elena Eton
We recently attended our first MotoGP at Phillip Island through Sportsnet Holidays. I think your team did an excellent
job of organising our trip. Glynn's advice on where to stay and where to get good views of the races were very good and we had an amazing time. We are already discussing which one(s) to go to next year and will definitely be using Sportsnet Holidays again for wherever we decide to go.
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Donna Hansen Weight
Trudy Norman
Mark Norman and I had the best experience ever at the Malaysian 2017 MotoGP. The seats at the race were fantastic. The
hotel was beautiful and much nicer than expected. The planning that went into the transfers to and from the track were so well done. Everything was organised extremely well and there were no hitches. Riders dinner was an awesome experience being able to rub shoulders with Jack Miller a highlight. We would recommend Sportsnet Holidays to anybody, and would use you guys again without hesitation.
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Tama Knowles
My First Bathurst trip, My First trip To Sydney all went off without any hitches.Thankyou to all the staff who made
our V8 Holiday truly memorable.A special thanks to IAN HILL at Sportnet for all your help.I would highly recommend sportsnetFor your next sporting adventure.
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Aidan Hanafin
This year I went to the Isle of Man with Sportsnet. Was an amazing trip and have been telling everyone about since I
got home.Could not get over how well organised the package was and how friendly and helpful all the Sportsnet staff were.Normally a solo traveller who does all his own bookings etc cannot recommend this pacakge enough and am looking to go to the IOM with them again in the future
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Nicole Walton
My husband and friends went to The Cox Plate and are already planning to go back again next year. From the first quote
to the boys checking into their amazing accommodation was just so simply. Meagan and Barbara certainly had it all under control.
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Kym Scamp Courtenay
We have used Sportsnet for three Supercars packages in the last few years - Bathurst, Townsville and Darwin. Each time
everything was organised very well for us so we just had to check in to our accommodation (which was delightful) and enjoy our time at the racing. All of our tickets, passes etc were received weeks ahead of our holiday so no last minute chasing around. We would recommend them for organising a getaway any day! Kym & Gary.
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Jayne Johnston
We have just returned from our (maiden) Melbourne Cup experience booked through Sportsnet Holidays. Oh WOW! What a week
we have had! I can thoroughly recommend this package, we chose our accommodation, upgraded tickets to what we wanted, stayed the time we wanted and could not fault anything! From the initial booking, to them making sure we had our tickets in plenty of time before travelling. Staff were always friendly and helpful, before hand and at the functions and everything was just fabulous! We met some lovely people at all of the functions/race days and shared lots of fun and laughs (and drinks lol) with them, which was great as we travelled as a couple. Can't thank you enough and have already put your name out amongst many friends who are planning 2018 :) Biggest 'bucket list/50th Birthday' tick ever! Thank You again!!! Bring on your Bathurst Package :) :) :) Just Awesome!!
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Rachael Beale
Bathurst 17 was my first year and I loved it! All the staff were so helpful whenever I rang asking questions. The
weekend was amazing, the dinner in thurs night, corporate marquee above the start line, bus ride around the track was so much fun. We were well fed and looked after the whole time. Thanks guys can't wait for next year �
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Catherine Askew
Hi glynn, OMG they had the most amazing time, loved every bit of it, they were both so very pleased with being in a
tour group, it really helped them relax! Thank you again so much for all of your help, we appreciate you going above and beyond for helping me out!!
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Tracey Miffy
My name is Tracey Mifsud and for the past few years we have dealt with Glynn for our Australian Open tickets. Not only
does he get us great packages that my kids and I will remember for a life time but he always follows up any request. He is helpful, friendly and informative. I hope that his supervisors acknowledge his wonderful customer service and how much it is appreciated. Kind regards, Tracey Mifsud.
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Tony Wheeler
I also had the opportunity to travel with sportsnet Holidays My first time to the Malaysian moto Gp What a great
company to travel with Glynn our agent was absolutely superb to deal with.So easy on mind and stress free to have everything organised for usAs a long term tour operator myself Europe and nz such a pleasure to have a company do it all for us with ease ! See you guys next year Glynn VIP definality next year Tony
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Mandy Barnard
Bri and Glynn were fabulous. Please give them our sincere thanks for everything they did for us, they were brilliant.
Very attentive to our needs. Thanks guys.
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Angela Martin
I loved the fact that we were on the 18th Floor on the Mantra, the view from both the ocean and mountains were
beautiful. We did not use the Q1 ticket purely because we ran out of time, but we do live locally so will go down to the coast in the near future and use them. Possibly add a couple of breakfast coupons, otherwise, the package was great. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment.
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JimandJanet Ryan
Thankyou so much we had a great time and my experience was positive all the way through the transaction ..from my first
phone call and we had our needs catered for at every turn my daughter and her husband are very keen to go next year because we were so happy with all of our trip ...and we loved that the Eels and the Bulldogs were staying in our motel too..was an
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Rob Fair
Overall a great package and didn't have to do a thing accept for my friends and myself to just turn up.
Sue Spencer Mcculloch
I would like to say a massive thanks to the Sportsnet team especially Glynn,he was so helpful and on call all the time
if any problems where to come up.myself and my husband went to Malaysia for the first time for the moto GP,omg what an awesome time we had,couldn't say a bad word about anything,only the time went too fast.The riders dinner was awesome got up close with the riders and got to take lots of photos.our accomodation was very flash and they would go out of there way to do anything for you.we celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary and the hotel and sportsnet made that very special for us.it was really good having our transport sorted to and from the airport and also to the track on race days.We have the bug now for the sportsnet packages,and we already have registered for the pre sale for Thailand next year.Much appericated for everything again thanks GlynnCheers
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Kay Crooks
Team Sportsnet "You Rock" . I had the pleasure of talking not to one member, but several and each one provided service
second to none. Emails and phone calls were answered immediately. As a senior member of the community I am truly grateful for the service you provided. Your attention to detail and excellent communication skills made our experience better that expected. In the words of my 19 year old grandson "The best weekend I have ever had" Thank you
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Marg Kudla
We had a great time at the 2017 Malaysian MotoGP in the VIP Village with Sportsnet. Brooke & Glynn were fantastic, and
gave us some great tips to make our holiday a memorable one. We will definitely be attending another MotoGP with theses guys again!
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TrinaPaul Wright
We had a well organised trip thanks to Glynn ( and originally Jacob). No hassels or problems. We are still buzzing and
we are recommending it to everyone.
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Karen L Black
thanks to all at Sportsnet for another awesome bathurst experience - You do a fanstastic job - dealt mainly with Glynn
- had a few issues along the way but Glynn was able to assist with all of them and it was great to meet him at the Thursday night dinner - look forward to attending Bathurst again next year with you.
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Julie Comini
Booked the Motogp with Sportsnet holidays it was the first time we used them and we had a great experience. Would
definately recommend them to anyone looking to book a holiday
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Danae Williams
Bathurst tent city october 2017 was fantastic well worth the money great accommodation a motel in a tent great cooked
breakfast very well organised.charging stations for phone legends dinner excellent great bus service to and from the track. The crew do a brilliant job. nice hot showers clean toilets a truly magical weekend. Every one should do it at least once but it is addictive grat job sportsnet well done just booked our 3rd yr looking forward to 2018
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Leigh Newton
From first contact with Ian Hill over the phone to last contact with reps at departure, everything was handled in a
friendly, efficient and professional manner. The connections with riders, venues and accommodation which Sportsnet provided made the trip so much more inclusive than could ever be achieved by an individual tourist.
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Jo Knight
Thank you for an excellent Bathurst 1000 adventure! Glynn was a pleasure to deal with throughout numerous emails and it
was a pleasure to meet him in person at the Bathurst dinner, he is a credit to your business. This was our first trip with Sportsnet - No hassle, excellent service, value for money... So glad to have found you and can't wait to travel with you again!
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Anita Reay
Glynn was amazing! He assisted us with tailoring a package to suit our specific needs. Having my partner in a
wheelchair some of the listed packages weren't going to be suitable and with his knowledge from previous years of Bathurst he was able to help me make sure we paid for everything we could get access to and opted out of things we couldn't. His attention to detail was spot on! Can't wait to deal with him in the future!
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Steve Donkin
Bathurst 2017 was a great trip with a good bunch of guys made all the better by the Sportsnet package and drivers
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Michael Newitt
Can't thank the guys enough brooke, babs and will were unbelievable they made an awesome trip even better i really
appreciate the effort they put into the trip and can't thank them enough for the excellent job they did and look forward to seeing them on another tour. It was a great tour thanks to all the staff at sportsnet.
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Hylton Jones
In general a great once in a lifetime trip. Megan has provided terrific service and always responded to emails quickly
and with excellent information, a pleasure to deal with Sportsnet. The daily transport passes were superfluous in that you do really need your own transport to see the circuit. Once roads close you are stuck for the day unless you have a car. The bus tour of the circuit was a very good option with commentary from a TT rider really brought home the reality of racing on this circuit. The Heros dinner was good but very expensive for what it was. Noisy venue made it difficult to hear the speakers however I understand that much of the organisation is being taken over by Duke Marketing from now on so they should be able to make the dinner a better option.
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Brian Lappo Lapidge
Was a great experience at Bathurst thanks to Sportsnet Holidays. I cannot recommend them enough. Thank you for a great
time had by all.
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Sharon Benson
Had a great trip to Bathurst 1000. Tent City was very well organized and much more comfortable than I thought. Met some
great people.
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Mark Paul
Unbelievable experience at Bathurst 2017 couldn't asked for a better organised package
Nicholas Guidotto
Bathurst 1000 was an awesome experience thanks to Sportsnet Holidays. First time attending the event and first
experience with Sportsnet and it was nothing but positive. Highly recommend both Sportsnet and Bathurst 1000 and hope to do it again at the same event or any others.
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Michàél John
These guys were great, fantastic in communication, easy to deal with and more than happy to answer any questions we had
from the day we first planned to go to Bathurst (late 2016) up to the actual weekend (2017).
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Janina Herbie
So easy to book with. I couldnt recommend them more. �
Garry Bridgewater
What a fantastic trip to the 2017 Malaysia F1 GP. Very well organised and great accommodation. Would definitely travel
with your company again. Thanks to all of the staff for a wonderful experience.
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Joyce Barnes
Jenny Maney
Very efficient, Provided excellent accommodation, Everything went very well with no hiccups. We dealt mainly with
Megan, but when she was not available all the other staff were able to help straight away and all were very pleasant people to deal with. Highly recommend sportsnet.holidays. Chris Maney
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Allan Morris
Oktay Mert
I would like to pass on my appreciation to the whole team at Sportsnet Holidays and in particular Brooke. She was
tremendous help with organising the package for the Battle Of Brisbane, Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn fight.I must say this was the best holiday EVER! The package included accommodation, weigh-in, pre fight dinner and to top it off, I requested a certain area/seat near ringside and my request was met.During the weekend I was able to meet Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, Shane Mosley Jnr, Joseph Parker, Jeff Fenech, The Col. Bob Sheridan, Michael Buffer and the list goes on..Thanks again guys!
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Paddy Mlynarczyk
Jimmi Hoey
well looked after met loads of great people kind friendly willing to make your holiday great the TT is the greatest
race in the world with all the best spots to go to on the road with great food and accommodation in a casino wow nice rooms not dog boxes great food after a tyring day on the road seeing motorcycles flat out sidecars spinning out right in fount of ya relaxing back at hotel feet up before hitting Douglas for the night out with so much to see I have to go back to see what I missed out on great bikes parked everywhere great motor museums to visit in peel or Douglas racing on the beach the spills the jumps the fireworks makes a great trip to go on so when are you going to the TT its great too much in a short time but the isle is a beautiful place at any time of the year but comes alive for the TT so get their this year book now so you don't miss out what u waiting for go book you wont be sorry
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Aaron Vanessa Adcock
Awesome service, will definately use them in the future
Scott Rodger
Tristan Broadby
Craig Taylor
Had a great time at the Auckland nines with Sportsnet would recommend them and will travel to other sporting events
with them
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Linda Carlon
had a great time at the bathurst 12 hour,stayed at tent city at sportsnets recommendation and enjoyed it very much,good
tents and a great breakfast,the toilets and showers were under a bit of pressure on the sat and sunday though.would not recommend the uncovered grandstand its in the sun all day we sat there for only a couple of minutes and were sunburnt,everything went smoothly with the tickets and sportsnet were very helpfull and efficient.
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Colleen Wade
An amazing company whom organised myself and friend the best tennis experience Melbourne,2017The professionalism,
communication maintained during the planning was well above expectionGlynn, you are amazing and I look forward firstly to AO 2018. And of course more sporting events.I can honestly say I have recommended you to all my sporting friends for you to assist their needs. Thanks is not enough I can convey to you ��
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Gino Demeer
Dani Eldridge
Back home after spending 5 days at The Australian Open. Thank you Sportsnet it was very well organized. Brunch with
Alicia Molik and Todd Woodbridge was fantastic and Tony Jones what a great funny host he is. We got a little lost one morning but were lucky enough to run into Glynn, what a helpful charming young man he is, Once again thank you Sportsnet had an awesome time and to top it off my man Roger won
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Cathy Flohr
What a sensational 2017 semi/finals package. Thank you Sportsnet. What a blast from the past, didn't think we would
ever see the level of competition like that again. Upgrade package was well worth it. Les and Cathy Flohr.
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Amy Cole
Thank you! Our package to The Melbourne Cup was fantastic! Highly recommend!
David James Smith
It was fantastic, I have no negative comments/ The experience was fantastic and the guides were a credit to Sportsnet.
Everything was as they promised. A very happy camper here. Thankyou Glynn and Brooke.
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Ted Schloithe
4 of us took the Sportsnet trip to Sepang in Malaysia for the MOTOGP. What a great experience. Everything was
excellent. Transport, hotel, itinerary and Marquez Tribune Stand.Would recommend without any hesitation. Well done Sportsnet.
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Denise Kiernan
My first trip overseas (Malaysia Motor GP ) I can tell you now it was amazing I will be doing many more trips around
the world with Sportsbet .
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Danny Rebel
Malaysia MotoGP was greatSportsnet do it right .... again (my third trip with sportsnet)If u like sport of any kind,
then go see your favourite sport abroad Well worth it and great times had by all
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Mark Gillibrand
Just back from Malaysian Moto GP. 1st trip with Sportsnet. Im very impressed. Everything was well organised and ran
very smoothly. Will definitely be using them again and recommending to my friends.
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Tim Kendell
Just completed Phillip island moto gp and Sepang gp back to back all organised by sports net. Everything went
smoothly from hotels to transfers and track access. Brooke was very helpful and supportive with every phone call and email I sent in the lead up. Glynn and Brooke also made great efforts in Malaysia ensuring it all went smoothly. I did the VIP village in Sepang and it is awesome. The gp dinner with a meet and greet was also a highlight. When I do Phillip island again I think I might VIP village it there too.... I did the 3 grandstand pass and the weather was sketchy. I'm spoilt now after Sepang.Thanks Sportsnet for making a dream trip come true.
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Brian Hegarty
Mike Owens
Michael House
Great assistance to organise our trip, fun dinners and a great time overall, highly recommend Glynn and the Sportsnet
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Claire Thornhill
We had the most amazing time at Bathurst thanks to Sportsnet . So easy just got on the plane in Auckland NZ and
everything else was put in place for us. Thanks Guys for the Great memories. Definitely book through you again
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Jodi Anne
Ingie Cosca
Hi Glynn (and the team at Sportsnet Holidays),I would just like to commend you all on a wonderful service you offered
to my husband and me for Bathurst this year.We had a fantastic time and the package we purchased from you was brilliant.The accommodation at The Country Lodge was very clean and suitable and Henry from The Country Lodge was very friendly.The Driver's Dinner at The Panthers Club was great and the food was very good.Our seats in Grandstand #8 were perfect.The whole process of booking our trip with you was so simple and friendly.We will be highly recommending Sportsnet Holidays to all our family and friends, and we will definitely be using you again for our sports holidays in the future.Once again, thank you for a wonderful time we had at Bathurst this year.Cheers,Ingrid �
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Matthew Linnane
Paul Fisher
I have booked and travelled to multiple events with this company and highly recommend there services for tours both in
Australia and overseas. �
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Rob Batt
Alan Gardner
Just completed the SingaporeF1 Thanks guys had a ball was a well organised event no hassles and will be doing more with
your company as it is a "Plug and play" deal just fill out the paperwork and all the rest is done for you Great when you are busy and just want things organised on your behalfThanks again look forward to meeting again in the future.
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Leota Jay Ioelu
Kevin Geake
Fantastic trip, the organisation was faultless and the access to some amazing venues will bring me back again. 3 tour
hosts were lovely people and so helpful. Highly recommend.
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Peta John Tropiano
We have had 3 fabulous experiences that were done through sportsnet holidays . V8 Supercars Darwin in corporate
Formula 1 in Singapore and stayed at marina bay sands awesome ! And a meet and greet dinner night with v8 superstars We had a ball ! And all organised by Ian Hill. So professional and did it exactly what we wanted !Thanks Sports net
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Justin Edgell
Jules Harmer
Thankyou for our wonderful package for Melbourne Cup Day, my mum organised it through you for her 77th birthday and my
sister and I were blessed to join her for a once in a lifetime memory or as mum said 'off her bucket list'. Everything ran like clockwork from the moment we arrived. The gala breakfast was amazing and the staff were pleasant and helpful, who can actually say drinking bubbles and dancing with my teenage idol at 800 in morning is wrong, you rocked Darryl Braithwaite. A very enjoyable two nights and Melbourne we will be back, people, public transport and even the weather shined. Thankyou
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Landi Bradshaw
Sportsnet are great! I dealt with Jacob Seeary to get my partner and his mate tickets to the UFC in Melbourne.
Jacob's response was always super quick and there was plenty of follow ups when he needed certain details from us. The process was made simple for me to book things in and he explained everything in great detail to make sure it suited my boyfriend and his interests well! We had a few changes along the way after we had booked and these were sorted out with no trouble at all. Will definitely be using Sportsnet again in the future.
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David Beynon
Danni-Lee Thompson
Absolutely fabulous! We did a 5 night package for Derby Day and Melbourne cup. Craig the consultant was incredibly
helpful when I booked and kept me up to date with changes and booked seating etc for me when it became available. We Loved the cruise to derby day. We were able to relax and enjoy a drink with good friends and make some new ones along the way. The Melbourne cup gala breakfast was definitely a highlight! Thoroughly enjoyed being entertained by cosentino. Having the hair and make up parlour was a nice touch. Darryl Braithwaite was absolutely fantastic! It's not going to be a bad day when your up dancing to his classics at 8:30 in the morning!! Our seats in the hill stand on both days were excellent. Will definitely book through sportsnet again and have been and will continue to recommend to friends and family. Thank you for a fabulous trip.
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Mikaela Maree Whitton
Daniel Killen
Always a great event and the staff always make you feel like a valved customer from start to finish. Thanks and cya at
the next event Sportsnet
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Robyn Mcnama
Darwin cup was fantastic. Megan planned a fantastic holiday for us .i highly recommend them and will use them again
Bradley Smith
Hilary Tams
I would highly recommend Sportsnet Holidays to book a holiday package through. I booked a flight/ticket package for the
Rugby World Cup in England, and Sportsnet were so helpful in making sure I had the flights and rugby tickets which suited my travel plans - the whole process was made incredibly easy! I would definitely book another holiday through them again. Thank you Sportsnet!
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Darren Sheldon
Elaine Noyes
It was a grate night last night thanks to Sportsnet
Victoria Crawford
Amazing from start to finish !!! Jacob was so helpful and gave us such an amazing deal. He answered all my questions
with ease and never made me feel like I was being pain. Responses from him and the invoicing department were always within the hour. Just received the documents and far out so much effort has gone into it. Will definitely be using you again and referring you to everyone we know. Ps I use to be a travel consultant for Flight Centre and they need you guys on their wholesale list !!!
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Paul Hutchins
Just did the isle of man trip head he facilities were fantastic however the tour guides I feel need improvement being
new to this I felt they could have done more
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Tammy Kinsey Barich
Awesome time at the Australian Open quarter finals! Thanks so much Sportsnet!
Rose Mary
Wow, Wow, Wow! Documents just arrived for Australian Open! 11/10 for presentation and service! A huge thank you to Ian
and the team for making this happen. Very excited about going to the finals! :D
read more
Brandan Morris
Jennifer Dunne
Highly recommend booking through Sportsnet Holidays, we just spent a girls weekend in Melbourne for Derby Day,
everything planned for us, staff from the 1st call I made was so helpful and very friendly, also the staff on the river cruise were wonderful, will do it again for sure, thank you.
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Lockie McPherson
Wicked night can't believe I jumped in the pool for ppl the have a laugh :)
Basar Pekin
Awesome weekend, thanks sportsnet
Adele Learmonth
Linda Hainsworth
Had the best holiday thru sportsnet. Had 5 days in melbourne at the Australian open. Best time ever. Great hotel great
package , great value .. thank you .
read more
Naeya Henare
Joeel Dawson
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With server hardware getting more and more powerful, consolidation projects are becoming more and more popular. You can now run many SQL Server databases on a single large database server instead of running them on lots of database servers. Let's look at the reasons for consolidating and what you need to consider when planning a consolidation project.
Reasons to Consolidate
In the long term, a SQL Server consolidation might financially help companies a few different ways:
- Consolidation can reduce licensing costs if you're using SQL Server 2012 Enterprise. The Enterprise edition has moved from socket-based to core-based licensing. Having servers with more cores than they actually need isn't a luxury that most companies can afford anymore.
- Consolidation can reduce power costs if you have your own data center. By replacing five or six servers with a single server, you can save on the power costs associated with running and cooling those servers.
- Consolidation can reduce rental costs if you're using a rented data center (e.g., colocation facility). Each server that you remove from the rack saves money, because you might be able to remove racks from your rental agreement. Or perhaps more realistically, you won't need to add more racks as your data needs grow.
Consideration 1: Consolidation Strategy
When planning your consolidation project, you first need to figure out how you want to consolidate the databases. Possible strategies include:
- Having multiple instances, with each instance on a separate virtual machine (VM)
- Having multiple instances on a single physical machine or VM
- Having a single instance on a single physical machine or VM
There are a couple of factors that can help you decide which consolidation strategy will work best for your environment. The first factor is SQL Server version requirements. If you have several applications that require older versions of SQL Server (e.g., SQL Server 2005) and some that can be upgraded to SQL Server 2012, having a single instance won't work. You either need a couple of instances on the same machine or a couple of VMs, each supporting a different version of SQL Server.
Related: Wait Before You Consolidate
The second factor to consider is the permission requirements of the applications running on the SQL Server instances. If an application requires that the login to the server be a member of the sysadmin fixed server role, you probably don't want to place that application's databases on an instance with other applications because that application could access the other data. Many third-party vendors say that their applications require sysadmin rights, but often the applications don't. With a little persistence, you can find out from the vendor the rights that are actually needed for an application to function correctly.
Consideration 2: Hardware Requirements
When planning a consolidation project, probably the most important consideration is whether the consolidated server's hardware is able to physically handle the new combined workload. To ensure that the server can handle the workload, you need to check storage I/O, memory, and CPU requirements.
Storage I/O requirements. Storage is pretty much always going to be the big bottleneck, unless SQL Server is configured using all solid state disks (SSDs). Thus, you need to take great care when configuring a consolidated server that'll be housing many databases from various servers.
You should start by looking at the I/O workload for each of the current servers. The amount of I/O that's currently being generated probably isn't going to go down after the databases have been moved to the new server, unless the current servers are woefully misconfigured.
After you've gathered the current metrics for all the servers to be consolidated, you need to combine those numbers. For example, if there are five servers being consolidated and each generates 500 read I/O operations per second (IOPS) and 200 write IOPS, the consolidated server will need to support at least 2,500 read IOPS and 1,000 write IOPS. Will the consolidated server's storage system be able to handle that much I/O? Can the host bus adapter (HBA) or PCI bus that will be used to talk to the storage system be able to handle that much I/O? If the answer to either question is no, the project needs to be stopped until those problems are resolved.
Memory requirements. When consolidating multiple database instances on a single server (or instance), memory needs to be taken into account when designing the consolidation solution. Otherwise, the databases might end up with less buffer cache and less plan cache than they had before, which will increase the amount of I/O that's being generated or increase the amount of CPU power needed by the databases.
For example, if you consolidate five instances, each of which has 16GB of RAM, on a single server that has 48GB of RAM, many of the databases on the consolidated server will have less buffer cache and plan cache than they had previously. Instead, you should consolidate these five instances on a server that has at least 80GB of RAM (16GB per server ´ 5 servers) so that no database will have to shrink its buffer or plan caches.
Memory consolidation is one reason why the consolidation strategy might need to be changed from a single instance on a single server to multiple instances on a single server. When all the databases are being consolidated into a single instance, SQL Server treats the buffer pool and plan cache as a single resource. Thus, there's no way to control how much memory each database has access to. If you want to guarantee that each database has a specific amount of memory available, you need to put each database on its own instance.
CPU requirements. The CPU workloads of the current servers and the CPU capacity of the new server need to be evaluated, much in the same way that the storage I/O capacity is evaluated. Without reviewing the current workloads of the servers to be consolidated, there's no way to know whether all the databases will fit on the consolidated server. You can obtain some of the information needed by looking at the % CPU Used counter in Performance Monitor on the current servers. You also need to find out the number of cores on the current servers and the amount of processing power that each core has.
Consideration 3: High Availability Requirements
In a server consolidation, you need to group together the applications with similar high availability requirements. This has probably been done already, with the applications grouped into tiers (e.g., tier 1, tier 2, tier 3) or grouped using some other strategy. You'll probably end up with all the tier 1 applications on one server, all tier 2 applications on another server, and so on.
When configuring these applications and looking at their recovery time frames, you need to look at the high availability options for the SQL Server version and edition that you'll be using. For example, if you need multisite failover with no possibility of data loss on SQL Server 2008 R2, using asynchronous database mirroring wouldn't be the correct solution. You would need to use either synchronous database mirroring or multisite clustering (using a stretch Virtual LAN -- VLAN) with storage array synchronous replication.
Consideration 4: SQL Server Edition Selection
Microsoft would love if everyone purchased SQL Server 2012 Enterprise for all their database applications, but the reality is that not every database application needs it. You need to take a long hard look at the applications that'll be placed on the database server you're consolidating to see if any of those applications actually need the Enterprise edition. Although having features such as AlwaysOn Availability Groups, online index rebuilding, and table partitioning are nice, typically tier 3 applications and even some tier 2 applications don't need these features, so the Standard edition can run these applications without issue.
Consideration 5: Application Maintenance
One consideration that people often don't think about is that consolidating databases can make scheduling maintenance windows much more complex. Before consolidating applications that are used by different business units on a single server, it's highly recommended that you meet with the managers of the affected business units and come up with a regular maintenance window that works for everyone. Although you might not need the maintenance window every week or month, having the window available and agreed upon in advance will make taking the system down for patching and other routine maintenance much easier.
Consideration 6: Partially Contained Databases
SQL Server 2012 introduced the new partially contained database functionality. It has two features that can help with consolidation projects: contained users and temporary table collations.
Contained users. This feature lets you create a user within a database and give that user a password. As a result, there's no longer a need for an instance-level login. When an application takes advantage of contained users, moving that application to another server is much easier because you don't have to copy the instance-level logins to the new server. Although this feature won't necessarily help you with your current consolidation project, it'll help you with future consolidation projects if you need to move that database to another instance.
Temporary table collations. Unlike contained users, temporary table collations can help you with your current consolidation project. The temporary table collation feature gives you the ability to host databases that have a different collation than the actual instance, without giving errors when attempting to join temporary tables with physical tables in the database engine.
To understand how this feature works, you need to understand why these errors occur. When a user creates a temporary table, it's created in the tempdb system database and therefore uses the tempdb database's collation. If the user attempts to join the temporary table with a table in a user database, a collation error occurs because the user database has a different collation than the tempdb database. However, if you put the user database into partial containment mode, temporary tables are created with the collation of the user database instead of the collation of the tempdb database, so a collation error doesn't occur.
Consideration 7: User-Defined Server Roles
When you're consolidating several servers together, you usually end up with a mish-mash of permissions that need to be migrated and managed. In SQL Server 2008 R2 and earlier versions, there isn't an easy way to do this because instance-level permissions must be granted to logins. In SQL Server 2012, this problem is resolved with the introduction of user-defined server roles.
User-defined server roles let you create a role at the instance level and grant instance-level permissions to that role. The logins can be placed within the role, making instance-level permissions much easier to manage. For example, if you have various development teams that need the VIEW SERVER STATE permission, you don't need to grant that right to each team separately. You can simply create a user-defined server role named View Server State, grant that role the VIEW SERVER STATE permission, then put all the developers into that role.
User-defined server roles also make the administration of the new AlwaysOn Availability Groups easier because you can grant the rights to manage the AlwaysOn Availability Groups to a user-defined server role. That way, administrators who aren't members of the sysadmin fixed server role (e.g., junior DBAs) can manage Availability Group failover without being given other permissions they shouldn't have.
Not an Easy Task
Although consolidating databases on a single server might seem like an easy task, it typically isn't. The difficulty isn't due to the task's technical complexity but rather due to the fact that there are so many "moving parts" that need to be considered. Any one of these parts can dramatically hurt the success of the consolidation project if the associated potential problems aren't addressed.


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Longtime Hood River resident Steven Gilmore Spengler passed away on Feb. 17, 2009, at the age of 74. Steven spent his last days in the West Linn home of his younger son, surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren.
Steven is survived by his wife, Wilma, of Hood River, Ore.; son, Christopher Spengler, of Dutch Harbor, Alaska; son, Timothy Spengler, and daughter-in-law, Stacey, of West Linn, Ore.; brothers Carl F. Spengler Jr. (Bud), of Redmond, Wash., and Richard L. Spengler, of Thailand; and sister, Lee Barlow, of Duxbury, Mass.; three grandchildren, Max, Taline, and Addison; and many nieces and nephews.
Steven was born Jan. 25, 1935, in New York City to Carl and Gladys (Gilmore) Spengler. He was raised and educated in Fremont, Ohio, and graduated from St. Joseph Catholic High School. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1954 to 1957, and graduated from Olivet College in Olivet, Mich., in 1961.
In 1963 he married his wife, Wilma, a grade school teacher, in Fairbanks, Alaska. Steven and Wilma were married for 46 years.
Steven went on to earn a Master of Education degree, and also a Specialist in Education degree from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. While in Alaska, he taught junior high school English for five years and was a school administrator for 15 years.
Steven retired in 1981 and moved to a farm in Hood River, where he was able to enjoy many of his favorite activities, including farming, raising Norwegian Fjord horses, bird watching, camping and hiking. He was also an avid history buff.
Steven also enjoyed watching his sons play football in high school and college, and he enjoyed attending Oregon State University football games with friends and family. After bypass heart surgery in 1998, Steven built close relationships with friends and staff at the Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Cardiac Conditioning Center.
Steven had very fond memories of his time in Alaska, and asked that his family scatter his ashes on Admiralty Island, near Angoon, Alaska. In the early 1970s, Steven worked with other concerned citizens, natives and environmental groups which were instrumental in later getting recognition for the island's status as a national monument.
A memorial mass will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1501 Belmont Ave., Hood River, Ore., on Saturday, March 7, at 2 p.m. Please join Steven's family at a coffee reception following the service.
The family asks that remembrances be sent to any of the charities that honor Steven's memory and represent his interests, including the National Audubon Society, the American Heart Association, or the Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Foundation in care of Anderson's Tribute Center (Funerals, Receptions, Cremations), 1401 Belmont Ave., Hood River, OR 97031; 541-386-1000. Please visit www.andersonstributecenter.com to sign the family guest book.
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ATLANTA (AP) — An attorney says the elderly man accused of gunning down a Georgia woman after his motorized wheelchair and her car bumped has suffered strokes in recent years.
Veronica Brinson is representing 73-year-old Frank Louis Reeves. He is accused of killing 65-year-old Linda Hunnicutt at a Macon gas station on Tuesday.
Brinson told The Associated Press on Thursday that Reeves is in shock about what happened and didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. She says his family told her he has not been in trouble with the law before. He also is a military veteran and a deacon at his church.
Reeves faces a murder charge.
Police say Reeves' wheelchair came into contact with Hunnicutt's Buick. Authorities say Reeves shot the woman when she got out of her car.


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January 16. 2013 11:05PM
Anheuser-Busch gives new punch to old beer brands
By LISA BROWN
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Two new beers rolling off Anheuser-Busch's production lines in St. Louis carry brand names with a familiar ring.
Tapping into the power of the Budweiser and Beck's names, A-B is offering variations that have higher-alcohol content: Budweiser Black Crown and Beck's Sapphire.
The brewer is betting that the flavor variations with higher alcohol content and new designs will boost the two brands' allure among U.S. drinkers.
"We have American iconic brands and brands that have been part of the brewing tradition going back 800 years," Paul Chibe, A-B's president of U.S. marketing, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "That gives us a great opportunity to deliver on consumers' needs."
The two new beers have 6 percent alcohol by volume compared with 5 percent with the main brands, a new feature clearly aimed at the U.S. market. Even though Beck's is the world's most popular German beer brand, Sapphire will only be sold in the United States.
"The higher (alcohol content) provides a taste portfolio consumers are looking for, which we know from testing," Chibe said. "Those are the ones consumers are gravitating toward."
The higher-alcohol beers come on the heels of Bud Light Platinum, a 6 percent alcohol beer A-B introduced in January 2012 that quickly gained market share.
Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev, is hoping to replicate that success and inject new energy in some sagging brands in the U.S. market.
The launch of Budweiser Black Crown comes as Budweiser, while growing in foreign markets, continues to see domestic sales declines - dropping 7 percent in the United States in its third quarter.
Yet the play is not without risk. Offering another brand extension poses the threat that regular Budweiser could lose shelf space, further deteriorating sales, said Bump Williams, CEO of Stratford, Conn.-based consulting firm BWC Co., an adviser to beer retailers and distributors.
"There's not a doubt in my mind that wholesalers will have Budweiser Black Crown everywhere overnight," he said. "My concern is: Where is that shelf space going to come from?"
Anheuser-Busch started the new year by introducing Beck's Sapphire, a golden pilsner brewed with German Saphir hops. It's brewed in St. Louis.
Beck's Sapphire's sleek black bottle took two years to develop and must go through the furnace twice when it's being formed to give it its black color. The distinctive look is meant to help the beer stand out in upscale nightclubs, bars and restaurants.
That launch was quickly followed up by Budweiser Black Crown, a crowd-sourced beer that will be available nationwide by Jan. 21, A-B announced last week.
As a sign of the new beer's importance, its first TV ad will run during Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3. Budweiser Black Crown is brewed in St. Louis; Los Angeles; Columbus, Ohio; and Williamsburg, Va.
The amber lager, a blend of two-row caramel malt and four types of domestic hops, was the result of a challenge A-B put to its 12 U.S. brewmasters, dubbed Project 12, to create a unique take on its flagship Budweiser beer. Customers sampled the offerings in the past year, and the winning result - developed by Los Angeles brewmaster Bryan Sullivan - was Budweiser Black Crown.


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Craft Beer Benefits Montana's Economy [AUDIO]
Montana's 33 craft brewers represent a growing sector of manufacturing activity in the state, according to a new survey and economic impact study by researchers Colin Sorenson and Todd Morgan of The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
Sorenson says the impact of the industry represents more than 430 jobs, nearly $50 million in private-sector sales, $9.8 million in private non-farm compensation, $1.8 million in government compensation and $1.5 million in state government revenue, according to the UM News Desk.
The story goes on to say that as of the end of calendar year 2011, there were 12 breweries in northwest Montana, seven in southwest Montana, four in north central Montana, eight in south central Montana and two in eastern Montana.
The report was commissioned by the Montana Brewers Association and is titled 'The Economic Contribution of Craft Brewing in Montana'.
Researcher Colin Sorenson