text:
Blake Thornton Wins ASP WQS 4-Star O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Blake Thornton, the 24-year-old from Maroubra, Sydney, surfed the perfect Final in epic Cape Town conditions to knock out local favourite Royden Bryson, and take victory at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 4-Star O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa.
"I am so excited to win this," Thornton said. "Royden fell on his wave at the end. I think maybe the cold was getting to us. I am sorry for him, but so glad I won."
"Thankfully this is a fake jaw," Thornton said of his O'Neill CWC trophy. "Hopefully I won't see any real ones. There was actually a seal swimming around out there with us in the Final. Everyone knows that sharks love seals, but actually in a heat you're only worried about what's going on in the heat."
After a lay day yesterday which saw everyone hiding away from the storms, conditions came together perfectly on the eastern side of the Cape with offshore winds and a solid six-foot swell. The barreling left hand reef break of Kalk Bay provided the dream final day for the first professional surfing event in Cape Town in 21 years - the ASP WQS 4-Star O'Neill CWC South Africa.
And local Cape Town surfer Royden Bryson almost provided the dream local ending. "From the water I could hear everyone supporting me – shouting and honking their horns on the beach," Bryson said. "I don't think I've ever had support like that in a contest. It was amazing."
"I wish I hadn't folded on that last wave, but what can you do," Bryson said. "I will kick myself for about half an hour and then it will be good."
Although eager to win the trophy, Royden hadn't been too keen on the idea of displaying the shark's jaw. "There would be no way I would want to see that thing before I went in for a surf!" he said.
The anticipation of Kalk Bay working for the final day had been building all week, so when contest director Matt Wilson made the call to start at 11am with man-on-man heats, the surfers were ready.
"It was a good decision to have man-on-man heats out there," said semi-finalist Jarrad Howse. "There would have been too much hassling if you had four man heats."
Jarrad was one of the standout performers of the day – actually looking like he was having a lot of fun as he pulled into barrel after barrel on his backhand.
The shock of the day was the early departure of World Tour star and event ambassador, Jordy Smith – knocked out by Glenn Hall in the round of 16.
And the wave of the day came from the eventual winner who pulled into an awesome barrel to score the highest wave score of the competition – a 9.6.
"My first heat was a shocker, I just wasn't understanding the wave," said Blake. "I think in the next heat I was a bit more relaxed and just pulled into that wave and it worked out."
The O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa had been billed as the 'wildest event in professional surfing'. Over the past week it more than lived up to its name.
"O'Neill took a risk to hold an event here in Cape Town in the middle of winter," said Royden. "There can be some pretty huge out of control storms down here."
With howling winds, huge rain squalls, and cold winter temperatures both in the water and out – there were definitely some out of control storms.
And although the sheltered east coast of the Cape provided a sanctuary, it was still quintessential Cold Water Classic conditions.
"I was cold all day," said Blake. "I think it is the adrenaline that kept me going. I cannot wait for a hot shower and a few beers. But that's part of the whole series – battling the elements."
And it's not going to get any warmer next stop on the CWC Series - the freezing colds of Vancouver Island, Canada in October.
O'Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa
1. Blake Thornton (AUS) 1 500 points $12 000
2. Royden Bryson (ZAF) 1 313 Points $6 000


text: I've been digging around the forum and I've found that MMS/SMS does not work on the iPhone 5 with StraightTalk. Does this mean that I won't be able to send/receive texts from non-iPhone phones, or that I can't send/receive picture messages? Are there any other features that won't work with StraightTalk? Thanks!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Category: parenting teens with diabetes
Think About it Staller
Yes, I admit it. I am a "Think About it Staller". I have blamed my son for many of the diabetes messes we have landed in but if I was a much more conscientious Mom and a bit less of a "think about it staller" we may not be in the current predicament.
Last night, we went for an evening walk. My phone was running on fumes so I plugged it in to charge and left it behind for a change. Imagine my surprise when I walked back into the house and saw two missed calls from my youngest son. There had to be trouble. He had left a message but I simply called him instead.
"My pump won't let me bolus. When I need to bolus it screams at me instead."
A lot of not so nice words went through my head as I realized that my son was at his father's, not coming home for another week, and had no spare pump with him. I asked him if he had tried to take out the batteries, restart it and bolus. He had tried everything. Super crap! I asked him for the serial number off of his pump and the support line telephone number. I told him I would get on the phone and we would go from there. In the meantime, he had told me before he left that he had syringes at his father's house so he could inject.
I called the Cozmo support line and was shocked to no longer even hear, "Press 3 to deal with warranty issues". There was just dial the extension or press 2 for clinical support. Eek!! The client list must be getting smaller. I finally spoke to the on-call answering service. I knew she was not a pump person. It took five spellings for her to type out "bolus". It was frustrating but not her fault. I waited to get my call back from the clinical staff (last time I called there was only two of them left).
A woman called me within a few minutes. She quickly said that she would replace the pump. They only have one color–slate grey. They can only ship during office hours. The pump most likely would not go out until late tomorrow afternoon due to many downsizing issues. What can you do when they don't make your pump anymore?
In the meantime, my son had called two more times. He had finally got his pump to bolus…oh and correct that high that had happened because he was eating cinnamon buns. Yes, I screamed. Yes, I reminded him to inject! Yes, I suggested that foods that were not high in fat and a carb counting nightmare would be the best to use until he had a fully functional pump. I then began the search for his old Cozmo 1700.
This was the pump that usually travels with him. This was the pump that I had thought about sending along (and normally do) "just in case". This was the pump that was instead hidden somewhere in the depths of his room. When I finally found the lifesaving pump, I set about the task of reprogramming.
And here would be where further proof of me being a "think about it staller" came in. What were his basal rates? What were his carb to insulin rates? Heck, what was his insulin sensitivity these days? I had no idea! I searched for the log sheets from his last endo appointment. I tried to boot up my old computer that had his Cozmo program running. Neither would have the latest results but after numerous calls and texts, my son was no longer answering his phone or his messages. I had no way of getting the actual, recent rates. Before he left to go away I had thought, "I should write down all of his rates just in case. I should actually keep a book that has the latest changes in it at all times." Of course, that is where it ended…as a thought.
The old pump is in the mail. Because of where my son is staying, the only courier service that has a slight chance of getting to him within 24 hours is through Canada Post. I am crossing my fingers that he gets it tomorrow, if not it will take until Monday. I am kicking myself for not sending it to someone at an address with higher odds of it arriving on Friday but you only think of these things once it is too late.
Lesson learned. This "think about it staller" will never let her son go anywhere without the spare pump. Said pump will have the latest rates programmed in before leaving the house. An updated list of basal, bolus and correction rates will be kept near to me…Hopefully!
|The old standby and one of the old Lean Green Pumping Machines
Waking up is a good thing
My son got off of the plane, stumbled towards me and yawned. He had to be up at 6am and for a teen who likes to sleep until noon, this was just way too early!
After our initial chatter he turned to me and said "You will be happy to know that I now wake up from my lows."
"You mean you woke up more than once?"
"Yeah, I wake up feeling starved. I hate it. It messes with my sleep."
"Waking up is a good thing. The alternative is not waking up!"
"I know but it wrecks my sleep. I would rather have uninterrupted sleep."
"That is not an option. Waking up is a great thing. I hope you continue it!"
"Sleep is a good thing. I would really rather just keep sleeping. That would be great."
I shook my head and attempted to explain that an eternal sleep was not an ideal. My son grumbled some more. He is not nearly as enthused as his mother is. He understands my relief but yet another glitch in his life thanks to Diabetes is not at all welcome.
Oh well! Hopefully we are onto something that lasts!
High Urine…A D-Momma Rant
"Your A1c is good. Your thyroid is fine. Your urine is high. Are you supposed to have a 24 hour urine collection done?" Our nurse asked us and both of us were unsure.
I was still trying to process. Did she say "your urine is high"? High in what? That isn't good. Nothing is supposed to be high. Why was she asking about the 24 hour test? She did say high urine didn't she?
My mind was reeling but I tried not to overly concern my son. He was less than worried. I was sure that there was not a problem but why did she say high?
What was high? Isn't that protein levels? Isn't that bad. Doesn't that indicate kidney issues?
We have been dealing with diabetes for over 12 years but my son is only 14. There could not be a problem. I had to be over-reacting.
His A1c's have always been great. There is no problem. It was just a fluke.
My son said "Didn't Grandma die of kidney failure?"
Yes, but I explained that his previous doctor did not feel it was something for us to be concerned about.
Crap! I have tweeted. I have gone to my trusty CWD parents list and I have chatted with my peeps on Facebook. I am doing my best to go, "yep, it showed up but that doesn't mean anything." (and people are telling me that it does not mean a lot. Even the worse case it is still very treatable with modern medication).
But…Crap I hate this disease! I hate the stress. I hate the fact that I even have to consider that this could be a problem. My son is not yet 15 years old. His kidneys should be lovely, not constantly warding off potential danger because of Type 1 diabetes.
Okay, that is vented. I will get it out of my head and pray that they don't call back looking for more urine either way. No matter what, at least we live in a time when doctors are able to be proactive about these things.
The Full Meal Deal
"Isn't today the day that you need to change your site?"
"I don't think so."
"Let me see your pump. I am sure that you are due for a site change. If not today then you are overdue."
Begrudgingly, my son handed me over his pump. The first thing I noticed was that his battery was stating that it was dying and almost dead. "You need to change your battery…like now. Its on its last legs and I was right! Your site change is today. Get the stuff out and get the site changed."
My son grumbles and heads out of his room.
"What are you doing?"
"I need to get some insulin."
"Holy cow, you are going for the full meal deal tonight! You have a dead battery, no insulin and a dead site!"
I"ts not a dead site. The site is fine."
"Its due to be changed its a dead site. Time for a clean slate!"
Soon we had everything new but sadly he was still high during the night. Can't win them all with Diabetes in the house!
Fears of a D-Momma
I was talking to my mother the other day about my youngest son's lapses in memory concerning his diabetes care. She told me that I was just worried because he will soon be an adult and I will lose all control. He will be on his own.
I laughed at her. I am not worried, I am downright terrified! I am not sure if the terror is magnified because my oldest son is now days away from being 18 and is currently planning his future with little input from Mom. Knowing that the first child has reached this stage means that the second one is only a few years behind in doing the same thing but the second child has a bit more baggage to consider.
I know in my head how much my youngest son has learned over the past few years. I see some small changes. I know that he will learn at his own pace and he will surprise me when need be. I also know that he will be a young man one day. He will drink. He will most likely do his best to ignore his diabetes. He has already stated that he would rather go back on injections than have to continue to visit a doctor on a regular basis to have prescriptions refilled. (I told him that he still had to go back once a year either way. He was not happy.)
He will most likely move to an area where I am not two minutes away. He sleeps through his lows. He answers his phone only when he feels like it. He has no interest in a CGM and I am not sure if I will be able to convince him of its benefits before he goes off on his own.
Its not just about control…being able to tell him to test or to bolus. Its also about complications. Its about not waking from a low. Its about not telling people around you about your diabetes and getting into trouble with no one to know the difference. Its the fact that he doesn't wear his Medic Alert bracelet or necklace unless I tie it to him. The list goes on and my terror grows.
I can't dwell on any of it. It is still a number of years away. I can only hope for the best. I must prepare myself to accept a happy medium and teach, teach, teach without coming across as preach, preach, preach. Let's hope that there is enough wine and hair dye in the world to get me through! Why do I want a cure? To save myself from myself and this list of fears!
Slides are not always fun
I have been trying to give my son space. My boys are growing up and I have to step back and allow them to fall on their own at times. I think that is the hardest part of being a parent thus far. The older they get, the less I can stop them from doing things that could harm them. I have to sit back and be ready to wipe their knees and help them back up again. Diabetes is no exception.
For almost 12 years, I have preached about testing, bolusing, counting carbs, carrying meters, carrying glucose and the list goes on. Now that my son is a teen, its important that he start doing many of these things on his own. It is also important that I don't drone on and on so that he completely tunes me out. Finding that balance is hell!
Now that he is more self-sufficient, I don't think as much about two hour after tests. I go to bed knowing that he will test and if he is not in what we have established as a "good" range, he will either get me up or handle it himself. I know that he always has his kit with him. I know that he usually has glucose somewhere in a pocket.
Being a teen, he can take advantage of that trust…and does. Last night I went through his meter. I knew that we were having a few issues with lows so I had let things go for a few days to see if there was a pattern or if it was human error. As I sat down with meter and paper, I found huge lapses in readings. I really didn't know what to do.
The lapses were during the day. They were sometimes while he was with me. More often, they were while he was at school or with friends. My son is terribly private. I think he is dangerously private when it comes to diabetes. He doesn't want his friends to really "see" his diabetes. He carries his meter but he leaves it in his pocket. He is great at detecting when he is out of range so he uses his internal compass to keep him out of trouble. At night, when he knows he will not wake up from a low, he makes sure that all tests are done.
I was proud of myself. I didn't yell when I saw blank spaces of up to 10 hours with no readings. I wanted to scream but I also wanted to cry. I was failing. I was being too lax. I laid out some new ground rules for the next little while. He will do all of his tests at school. No exceptions. No excuses. He will text me those readings for the next week. I will text him to remind him (in case his pump is not enough of a reminder). If he fails to do this, he will lose all online privileges including his xBox.
I then told him that testing takes about 10 seconds total. It can be done quietly by heading into the washroom or sliding it out at his desk. He does not need to draw attention to himself. He can stay private but he MUST test. He is putting himself in danger. I told him that quietly testing himself will not draw nearly the attention that throwing up from being high or passing out from being low will. Those are big time attention getter's. If he wants to avoid them happening in front of his friends then he must test.
I left it at that. I was sad. I was ashamed. How could I let him go so long with no tests? Because I believed him when he said he tested. I trusted that testing when he got up was routine.
I give him breaks in his care. I test for him. I bolus for him. I help him with carbs. I remind him. I back off and let him remember. I do not ask a reading before asking him how his day went.
Its a struggle. I know we are moving forward. I acknowledged how much I appreciate that he is bolusing. I told him that remembering to test before bed was super important and I was so glad that he was doing that.
He is now in class for the day. I have texted him asking for his reading. He hasn't replied. I am hoping it will happen by their first break. I hate one step forward and then sliding back. I know…its called parenthood. I have to be glad that there is forward movement but… AAAAAAHHHHHHH!! Okay I feel better! Today is a fresh new day.
|I Googled "fear of slides" and this image popped up!
That's a lot of insulin!
"Twenty-nine units! Wow! That's a lot of insulin."
"Its what your body needs for what you ate. If you are worried that its too much, you will find out when you test in a few hours."
This was our conversation after breakfast the other morning. My son had had his usual stack of pancakes. His carb to insulin ratio in the early morning hours is something like one unit of insulin for every 5 grams of carbohydrates, so 100 grams of pancakes equals a LOT of insulin.
I never heard any complaints when he came home later that day suggesting that there was an error or he was low. I think he just realized that he uses way more insulin than he once did. He also eats WAY more food than he once did!
He is a teen. He began this journey when he was a toddler. Way back in time, he would not use 29 units of insulin in a day. When we first began pumping, I would fill his pump to about 150 units and still throw out insulin after a week.
I remember when his basal rates moved from .1 unit per hour to .5 and then 1.0 units. I was terrified. I had to keep reminding myself that this is what his body needs. If he had an internal pancreas, it would be pumping out gallons of insulin as well, its just that I would not have the visual to go with it.
As he grew, his carb to insulin ratios were no longer 1:40 or even 1:20. He now sees ratios of 1:5 to 1:15. Insulin sensitivity is not even a consideration any more but thankfully insulin resistance has not become as much of a problem as it could have been either.
When my son first began to see major changes in his insulin needs, I spoke up to friends and said I was concerned. A wonderful woman who lives with diabetes laughed at me and reminded me that my son was no longer two. He was becoming a man and that journey would be filled with many more empty insulin vials before we were through!
I should have run over a meter
Last week was a bit of a muddle. I injured my foot and spent most of the week sitting on the couch going crazy. I hate being laid up but my foot was not happy if I used it. As I sat, self-absorbed and frustrated, I really did not pay a lot of attention to diabetes.
I yelled out the normal "Did you test?". I asked what he bolused and helped to calculate meals. I hobbled out of bed each night to test. I failed at Reading Review Thursday and swore we would do it the next night, and the next night, and so on. I didn't keep track of when the next site change was due and sadly trusted my 14 year old to actually pay attention to the alert on his pump. Yes, I majorly failed as a parent of a child with diabetes and diabetes got its revenge.
I finally looked at my son's pump after a bolus and decided to check when the next site change was due. My son quickly grabbed his pump back and attempted to escape my limited grasp. I somehow hauled him back and reviewed the screens. The site change was FOUR days over due! I could not breathe. I wanted to beat him with his tubing. What was he thinking? Or not thinking? What the heck was I going to do to get him to remember??
I told him to change his site NOW! No games, no chats, no text. March his butt in his room and change that site before I put one in his tush! I was doing my best to breathe and allow him to live another day. He had been high for the past few nights…now I knew why.
I kicked myself. I should not have allowed things to slide. I should have been on top of things. I have been slack on a lot lately. I had to pull myself together! The next thing was to review the readings.
I had him bring out his meters and a sheet of paper. We were going to get down to brass tacks and review things.
"Mom, we really can't make a lot of changes. My site was really old so the readings won't be accurate."
Thanks! I needed to be reminded of how we failed! I told him that I wanted to check things anyway. I looked at the first meter. It was his USB one. This meter is still so neat but I couldn't remember how we reviewed readings without sticking it into a computer. Finally we figured it out and I began my review. I loved the highlighted highs and lows. The readings were everywhere but the display was so cool that I was oblivious to much else.
Next I moved onto the school meter. There were no readings. None. Nothing. Was he using a different meter? He brought out a second one. It had a few readings but something was seriously wrong. He swore he tested. I checked the dates on the meters. We have a real issue with One touch Mini's changing the date and time. I know that they are supposed to be the most accurate meter on the market but this problem drives me insane.
The meter was off…like by years! It had the time as two hours later than it should be, the year was 2010 and the dates was October. How the heck was I supposed to go back and figure out what he really was and when? He had missed tests so I could not really even take three tests each day and guesstimate. I was frustrated.
We made a small change and I told him we were going to have to be way more on top of this. He had to test at school. We had a problem but I couldn't solve it without the data of those tests.
As he left, I wanted to scream at myself. How could I be so slack? He is only 14 and he is a teen. He forgets. He gets lazy. If I was on top of this days ago, I would have information and would have known that the meters were off. I wanted to cry. I wanted to yell. I should have run over a meter. That just may have helped.
Instead, I promised myself that today will be better. I have circled his next site change on the calendar. I will try to be more proactive. I will work harder to be a better pancreas guide. I have to. We aren't allowed to quit.
"Good" is not a number
Does this happen in your house?
"What was your reading?"
"No, what was your reading?"
"I don't know but it was good."
Arggghhhh!! "Good is not a number. Good is a four letter word. Yes, "four" is a number but good does not necessarily mean "four". "
At this point, my son usually looks at me like I am completely insane. If I am lucky he has figured out that I would like to hear a real blood glucose reading and not his generalization of his take on his reading.
"10.0" (180)
"That is not good. That is actually a bit high since you just woke up and should technically be under 7."
"I like it. Its good for me. I think 10 is a good number."
"And that is why good is not a number. What you define as good and what I define as good are not the same."
The teen years can be trying enough, but a teen with diabetes? Well he may well tip my sanity scale! Time to buy some more hair dye to cope with the dozen new grey hairs he just caused me.


text:
Dave Clarke has a heart to Hartke with a new range of highly portable combos.
Rightly or wrongly, combos falling into the category of 'practice amps' tend to be used in small rehearsal spaces, intimate live settings for acoustic gigs and, of course, for getting a bit of practice. Needless to say, bassists joined at the hip to bombastic drummers, or treading the boards of larger venues, require more powerful setups. However, amps of this stature are a useful addition to any bass player's arsenal and are often the entry point for bassists cutting their teeth. As Hartke is one of bass amplification's big names, I was particularly interested in trying the two smaller models from the US company's new HD combo series. While the range includes more powerful 75w and 150w models, I got to try out the HD25 and HD50, which as their model numbers suggest are 25w and 50w, respectively. Do they cut it? Let's have a look…
Build Quality
The HD combos all come equipped with Hartke's patented HyDrive aluminium and paper hybrid speakers, attached to a ceramic magnet. The HD25 houses an 8" speaker, while that of the HD50 is a 10-incher. The top-mounted amp panel features volume, bass, mid and treble controls, a ¼" headphone sockets and a 1/8" aux input, with the amplifiers protected by a handy built-in limiter. (For the record, apart from the obvious difference in size and power output, the HD75 and HD150's 12" and 15" speakers are backed up by 2" tweeters, a seven-band EQ and, in the HD150's case, an XLR direct output.) Hartke's sleek black and silver aspect, perforated black metal grille and moulded top strap handle make for pretty mean looking pieces of kit, with the lightly pimpled black vinyl covering providing the combos with a neat finishing touch that should provide just enough purchase to stop your phone from vibrating its way onto the floor while you're playing. It's a no frills set-up, but at these price points, it could be argued that you shouldn't expect too many.
Sound Quality
Placing the combos side by side, the HD25 looks tiny compared to the HD50, itself still reasonably small but possessing just that hint of big-brother cool. Sonically, the HD25 delivers an awful lot of punch for its 24.9 pounds. Its robust tone and surprising output was beyond my initial expectations and, after a few minutes, I became aware of my neighbour's estate agent showing a potential buyer around his house. Had the diminutive HD25's relatively big punch just sabotaged a sale? Sure, with the volume cranked up, the 8" speaker was moving like the characters in Roobarb (look it up on YouTube, kids!), and it eventually began to distort with the volume set at 8/10, with the bass EQ turned-up to the max (or 'reggae', as I like to call it). For all the many positives, the HD25 still had the slightly hollow sound that you might expect from a combo of its size, and I never quite achieved a tone I was satisfied with. However, should we expect miracles from a tiny combo costing just over £100? Of course not: horses for courses.
Any doubts as to the anti-social qualities of the HD25 were quickly superseded when I plugged into the HD50. The difference between the two combos is huge, with the superior qualities of the 10" HyDrive speaker blowing its smaller sibling out of the water. I first started playing bass back when Noel Edmonds was still socially acceptable – back then, amps of this size weren't much use beyond your bedroom. Seriously, though, the output of the HD50 is superb, with a warm low end, a tight middle range and the speaker's aluminum section helping to deliver Hartke's trademark crisp attack on the top end. It's all very satisfying and equally impressive. The EQ controls are pleasingly responsive and, in conjunction with the EQ on my bass, I was able to dial in an array of tones to suit the requirements of most genres. The HD50 will comfortably handle a small venue scenario, working on the assumption that John Bonham reincarnate isn't about to make an appearance on drums.
We are lucky to be living in an age where the market is doing an amazing job of meeting modern bassists' ever-growing expectations. Hartke have delivered a couple of rock-solid combos at an extremely reasonable price, and both the HD25 and HD50 possess the ability to comfortably handle just about every drop of power placed under their hoods. In my experience, this wasn't always the case, with many smaller combos of yesteryear sounding like brutal flatulence the moment anyone tried to combine volume with (no pun intended) the bottom end. That's not the case here, particularly with the HD50, which, for an extra £80, is head and shoulders above the HD25. Both are compact units, so I see little reason to buy the HD25 unless you are on an extremely tight budget or live in a cupboard: even then you'd still get great value. The real bang for your buck, though, is in the HD50. It's a gem in its class.
Technical Specification
Hartke HD25 and HD50
Price HD25 £119.99, HD50 £203.99
Power HD25 25 watts; HD50 50 watts
Speakers HD25 8" hybrid cone driver; HD50 10" ditto
Features Volume, Bass, Mid and Treble controls, 1/4-inch input for active/passive bass guitars, 1/8-inch stereo Aux input allows for stereo line level devices (MP3 players, keyboards), 1/4-inch mono headphone output; built-in limiter
Dimensions HD25 19"x17.5"x13.5"; HD50 20.5"x19.5"x15.5"
Weight HD25 24.9lb/11.3kg; HD50 30.6lb/13.9kg
What We Think
Plus Great tones for this price, useful features
Minus HD25 doesn't quite stand out enough
Overall Useful pair of combos, of which the HD50 is easily the best
BGM Rating Out Of 10
Build Quality 7
Sound Quality 6
Value For Money 8
Build Quality 7
Sound Quality 8
Value For Money: 9
Contact Details


text:
The DAC7558 is a 12-bit, octal-channel, voltage output DAC with exceptional linearity and monotonicity. Its proprietary architecture minimizes undesired transients such as code to code glitch and channel to channel crosstalk. The low-power DAC7558 operates from a single 2.7-V to 5.5-V supply. The DAC7558 output amplifiers can drive a 2-, 200-pF load rail-to-rail with 5-µs settling time; the output range is set using an external voltage reference.
The 3-wire serial interface operates at clock rates up to 50 MHz and is compatible with SPI, QSPI, Microwire, and DSP interface standards. The outputs of all DACs may be updated simultaneously or sequentially. The parts incorporate a power-on-reset circuit to ensure that the DAC outputs power up to zero volts and remain there until a valid write cycle to the device takes place. The parts contain a power-down feature that reduces the current consumption of the device to under 2 µA.
The small size and low-power operation makes the DAC7558 ideally suited for battery-operated portable applications. The power consumption is typically 7.5 mW at 5 V, 3.7 mW at 3 V, and reduces to 1 µW in power-down mode.
The DAC7558 is available in a 32-lead QFN package and is specified over -40°C to 105°C.


text: I don't generally buy magazines, but every now and then something interesting catches my eye. Standing in the checkout queue at Whole Foods Market, a cover feature on Paleo magazine (dedicated to the recently popular Paleo diet and lifestyle) drew my attention, "10 Ways To Limit Your EMF Exposure." How curiously timely. I've been struggling


text:
Our blog caters heavily to the marketing end of Best Small Business Startup Advice.
The fact is a new business has a lot more to worry about than just marketing plans and advertising budgets so our post here is geared to help you gain the best small business startup advice.
Before we discuss Best Small Business Startup Advice, I must explain that I have been a multiple business manager and serial entrepreneur for over 20 years. I started my first business at the ripe old age of 14 and culminating in my current marketing and advertising monetized fleet of blogs and websites I own now. Along the way I owned an aluminum polishing business, a retail store, a restaurant, and was co-owner in over a dozen websites since 2003. This included a now defunct search engine and social media hybrid that took 9 years and my leaving to kill it. I know as much about success as I do failure. Through it all I have come out the other end debt free, with a strong reputation, and a fair to good credit rating. Not all Entrepreneurs get off that easy when a business fails.
My Best Small Business Startup Advice.
Do not plan to fail but have an exit plan in place:
By this I mean that you should not making a list of signs your business is failing. You should not question the idea of how to tell if my start up is ready to shut down. Being negative or even studying the topic can give you bad mojo and triple your stress. Instead of seeing down sales as a sign your company is failing see them as a reminder that the real challenge is two fold. Maintain current clients through great service and high value. Recruit new clients to grow sales even when revenues are down. Sometimes the best time to start a new advertising campaign or add a social media marketing profile and plan is when business is sluggish.
[tweetthis display_mode="box"]Do not plan to fail but have an exit plan in place: #business[/tweetthis]
Don't forget to borrow enough to make payments on the loan if seeking outside funding:
A ton of businesses go belly up before their time because they forget to factor in operating cost such as loan payments. Interest, depreciation, insurance minimum requirements set by the bank or loan company are also a factor. It may seem like common sense, but I am reminded of my dad who had 3 BBQ restaurants between Florida and South Alabama. In his business plan not a dime was spent on hurricane insurance. He lost everything with one hurricane that came inland near Panama City Beach. He not only had no insurance but he had no depreciation plan or rainy day fund to rebuild.
Rainy Day Fund is Part of the Best small business startup advice:
Any business a advisor worth their salt will tell you to plan for 2-3 years of business operational cost. Especially when you plan on using borrowed money. They tell you this because a business can take 2-3 years to become profitable. Bills and the salaries of employees must be paid during this time. When bootstrapping a business nobody is loaning you the money to cover such things and you might have your entire retirement on the line.
Regardless of your standing the insurance comes with premiums and DEDUCTIBLES. It will cover things like minimum liability coverage for customers and employees but those deductibles sometimes leave unprepared business owners naked. The things they paid for in that protection or thought they paid for they still have to pay a portion of. There have been many business owners who simply had no funds to pay the deductibles on their insurance. They retired in debt because insurance pays nothing until you pay them. You may also see your risk rating come into play and modify your interest rate on your business loans. This is money not in the regular budget so pay this fund every month until you can cover these cost and 3 months of expenses.
Don't make hiring and firing personal:
I have worked with family for over a decade. During my time in management and through 3 of my businesses I have even fired my own brother once along the way. Firing a member of family can be hard but necessary for business survival so weigh in your ability to terminate family and friends before making snap decisions to help someone close to you. A fellow business owner who I actually picked up his lease to start my restaurant hired his wife as a party planner.
The plan, expand services of his catering business. Being poorly trained his wife failed to do a good job. It caused several disgruntled ex-customers and losing the company nearly 20% of it's business. Dan had to fire her but didn't do so until the lawsuit was filed and when he did it resulted in the end of their 6 year marriage. This left Dan with heavy debts, a failing business that had to be sold to cover lawsuit settlement. It took him 7 more years to be in a position to start a business again. You should consider their potential reaction to being fired as well.
[tweetthis display_mode="box"]Don't make hiring and firing personal: #startupadvice[/tweetthis]
Protect your personal assets ie.. home, car, savings, retirement:
Ask tax and business startup professionals about incorporating in a manner that will protect your personal assets. This allows the business to build it's own line of credit. Where this comes in handy is that you can put yourself on a path to being debt free if your company does fail. Tens of thousands of businesses fail every year. Your company would be sold piece by piece until debts are covered. If debts outweigh funds from these sales they often die with the company with the exception of personal liability suits, and taxes. Most other debts become write offs for the creditors. Judgements due to personal actions will often be handled as a separate issue. Credit Ratings may not be impacted by judgements if structured settlements are arranged.
Best small business startup advice, be an Evergreen Business:
Boom or Bust businesses or event dependent and others are necessities and generate residual income for decades. A Boom or bust business can sometimes run for years before collapse. The business becomes less viable. Other such businesses are anything investment based or in seasonal locations. The last of those examples could also apply to event related but they do recur and can be profitable.
Event related businesses for this purpose would be starting a trial lawyer starting a Law Firm without experience and reputation that would bring immediate clients. This Business requires the types of issues where a person gets sued, dies, needs debt restructuring etc… It can be very profitable to have a event based business. But it takes a ton of advertising and leads to generate new clients with new issues in your niche. An example would be that trial attorney. The best money for them would be in niche specialties such as those Mesothelioma lawyers. They only handle those type cases. A single website visitor can cost them $50 and a lead can require 10-15 visitors. That's $500 to $750 just to secure one prospective client and for a often free consultation. These types of business need more start up cost and have a high rate of failure.
Best small business startup advice
Don't just invest in advertising develop a marketing plan even before your business start up opens:
Advertising and marketing are not the same. You will soon find advertising without marketing is like peeing in the wind and expecting it to rain money. Advertising spreads the word about your company or your product. It tells the user nothing about your brand and culture which is what Marketing does. Without the brand and culture building you have people who never heard of you and can't find information about you deciding if they trust you to offer a dependable product or service. Worse yet if you let disgruntled customers hit go under served. Then watch them hit Angie's List and pray that satisfied customers offer testimonials to counter them. Your reputation may be beyond salvaging. It could be over before you even have a Facebook Fan Page or Twitter Account.
SERIOUSLY THIS IS 2016. You can get the best free press by releasing good press as great content as seen in the next tip.
Our absolute best small business startup advice is control your public image:
Your business will need to control it's image. Stop letting the 1 in 10 who post something about you be the only person saying anything good. The rule of thumb is nobody pats you on the back. But customers will tell a friend when you screw up. Statistically this is 10-12 complaints to every one testimonial. You are need 9 more good things people can find about you on the internet just to break even. A trained content creator or PR specialist does this by having a website for your company with blog.
This person often called a social media marketer can be in house or someone you hire. A professional will take good deeds like sponsorship's and donations in your community and show them off. Thus bringing attention to your business. The content will highlight team building events and happenings like product launches. Christmas parties, and employee anniversaries can also be a woven narrative of company culture and show people the human side to your business. Combine that with those testimonials and it's a lighting rod for business growth.
This list is just a starter of things you need to know and consider best small business startup advice. Saved from being victim of my own hand. These tips have built respect for me as a marketer, business man, and consultant. I offer authoring services, social media marketing and more with a website launching soon to handle sales for this business. For the time being you can use the form on our advertising page to contact me for a quote.


text:
Dock of the Bay
Volume VI Number 35
September 3-9, 1998
Campaign Trail -- 11th-Hour Entry Sets Sights on John 'Gary' Klocko
photo by Betsy Kehne Challenger Tim Shearer, of Shady Side, promises to listen to people's problems with development.
The last time Tim Shearer ran for office, Lyndon Johnson was in the White House and the Grateful Dead hadn't played a note together. Shearer won the presidency - of the senior class of Occidental College in Los Angeles.
Thirty-two years later, thanks in part to disarray in the Democratic Party, Shearer is a candidate once more. He filed near the deadline as a Democrat to take on John Klocko, the council member for the southernmost district in Anne Arundel County.
"I think I can help folks out. I'm a good listener. And I'm at that phase in my life when I think I could contribute something," says Shearer, of Shady Side.
Shearer describes himself as a "part-time lawyer, a homemaker and a full-time dad." But his aw-shucks demeanor belies a background of accomplishments. He was an assistant attorney general in Maryland, handling courtroom duty for criminal cases and complex civil litigation. He was a lawyer for Washington D.C., where he set up the antitrust enforcement program and worked as a go-between with federal agencies.
He was an Air Force officer and an editor for a trade regulation report.
Now, at the age of 52, Shearer says he's ready for public life - and the man he refers to as John 'Gary' Klocko is his target.
"I'm hearing a lot about the problems people are having with John Gary Klocko. What I'm hearing is that he's simply not responsive to what's going on in southern Anne Arundel or even southwestern Anne Arundel," Shearer said.
Shearer's liberty with Klocko's name is based on what he sees as Klocko's close relationship with County Executive John Gary, a fellow-Republican. Shearer contends that Klocko's alliance with Gary is especially noticeable in issues related to development.
"Whenever people talk to me, it gets back to problems of development and the lack of schools, highways, firefighters, medical personnel - all the infrastructure. The developments are being thrown at people down here without first having what is needed before they bring in more people," Shearer said.
Klocko, who was elected in the Republican bumper year of 1994, does not dispute that he often agrees with Gary. But he points to times when the two have parted company - especially over Klocko's efforts to prevent construction of the Riverdale Baptist Church and its sprawling parking lot in Davidsonville.
Incumbent John Klocko, of Crofton, stands on aggressive representation.
"We didn't see eye to eye, but he came around to seeing it like I was presenting it," said Klocko, referring to his successful legislation that forestalled the construction that many locals opposed.
Klocko notes, too, his efforts on behalf of rural land preservation and wetlands protection during debate over the county development plan. "Of the 65 amendments, 47 were mine," he said.
Klocko says he doesn't know Shearer because he hasn't seen him around much. "He's certainly someone who hasn't been campaigning on issues on behalf of the South County of the 7th District. People who want to represent constituencies need to be aggressive on their behalf, not just get tossed in to fill a slot," he said.
Shearer insists that he can unseat the officeholder even though he hasn't run before for public office. "There's definitely a campaign being developed, and I think I've got a good shot at winning," he said. "But I know it will be tough; whatever his name is, it will have incumbent behind it on the ballot."
Who's Here - September's True-Blue Monday
Unlike the Monday holidays the feds created giving us three-day weekends instead of national celebrations on their rightful days, Labor Day remains true blue. Still, the holiday that separates summer from the rest of the year is somewhat diminished by earlier and earlier school openings.
That hard line between summer days and school days, between no shoes and the dawning of shoes is blurred. Now, families shop for school clothes and supplies before the beach towels go on sale. Before the monarch butterflies of summer's end drift our way. Before the last fireflies' light has flickered out. Before the crabs crawl south in the Bay. Maybe even before we have realized all the summer daydreams that can come to us only in a hammock on warm lazy afternoons in our own backyard. Or favorite vacation spot.
From my favorite vacation spot, a clear, cool lake in Maine, school buses already rumble over rural roads. Fall is in the air. Colors change in field and forest. With thoughts of the one true Monday holiday in mind, I ask a Mainer when he thought summer ended.
"When I take my third job," he replied, soberly, in a New England kind of way.
In a rural state in uncertain economic times, Labor Day is not a line blurred but a line crossed when the countdown toward winter challenges begins
As I drift south along with the brilliant monarchs and home to Bay country - where school buses already rumble - I know somewhere along the way I'll cross that line between summer's dreams and fall's realities, between leisure and labor.
Whenever and however we cross that line in our thoughts or on our calendars, most of us will at least have one more day of rest: on a true-blue Monday designed to celebrate the fruits of our labors. And labor itself. After all, a lot of folks in Bay country work three jobs, too.
-M.L. Faunce
More Fishing Fee Flap: Virginians Trump Maryland
John Deering, who used to be mad as heck, is smiling this week. But his place on anger street isn't empty.
Deering -- who splits his living between Virginia and Shady Side and his work between the State Department and charter captaining -- is waiting for the check in the mail. When it arrives, he'll be $350 richer. Until then, the righteousness of his cause is sweet as money in the bank.
It was, after all, a matter of principle. Doesn't Chesapeake Bay water belong to Virginia and Maryland equally?
The equality of both states upon Chesapeake Bay is the principle Deering stood on when, suddenly this summer, Maryland Department of Natural Resources upped Deering's $100 charter fishing license fee by $350.
Virginians who fish here for a profit, our state had decided, shouldn't get free what Marylanders pay for. So last year, according to DNR's fisheries director for legislation, fisheries management and regulations Howard King, the General Assembly decided out-of-staters should pay a "non-resident surcharge to pay their fair share of services Maryland provides and residents have already paid for, such as water quality protection, dredging and habitat improvement."
Somehow, that nice edifice of logic tumbled last week after Deering assaulted it with a stink bomb of outraged letters. Now Maryland's fishing rulemakers have decreed that, at least for this year, charter captains like Deering were not intended to be taxed under the rule raising the cost of out-of-state commercial fishing licenses.
In making this week's reversal, Maryland followed the dictates of custom and prudence. "We wanted to work with Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission to have a licensing system in the best interest of both states," King told NBT.
Were they deluged by complaints? No, said King, but had "even one legitimate complaint raised an issue of something that needed correction, we would have done it."
So Deering is smiling. "I haven't got my check back yet," said the happy man. "But I got my Maryland license today; it says paid, $100.
Virginia, meanwhile, is mad as heck.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission, taking up the matter at a meeting last week, recommended a $350 license fee for Maryland charter captains fishing in Virginia waters.
"Though the final decision has not been made, the commission approved advertising proposals to require charter and head boat operators who are non-residents to purchase a non-resident's harvester license at $350," said Jack Travelstead, Virginia's chief of fisheries management
In addition, Virginia is considering capping its presently unlimited charter and headboat licenses at the number issued in 1999, the first year the fee hike would go into effect.
Both proposals will be voted on at the Virginia commission's September 22 meeting.
Was their action retaliatory, we wondered.
No, said Travelstead. But, he added, "There was certainly disgruntlement expressed by several members of the public who the commission heard. The disparity was brought to our attention by actions Maryland took."
Now that Maryland has retreated from the surcharge fray, what will Virginia do?
That we'll find out next month.
Meanwhile, federalist Deering had his cake and ate it too.
"Pretty quick work for two state governments," said he.
First Person Report: Bonnie Blows By
Kehne meets Bonnie, below.
On a dark and stormy August night, thousands of families of Ocean City vacationers huddled around the television for the latest weather report. The news was troubling but not grim: Bonnie seemed more likely to spoil a vacation than to devastate Maryland as she had the beaches of North Carolina and Virginia.
But you never know with hurricanes, and Bonnie was that twice over.
By Thursday, August 27, she was again wavering between tropical storm and hurricane as she churning northward not far off the coast. At the very least, generous helpings of wind and rain would last until the weekend.
Vacationers talked of heading home. Others, convinced they'd be spending the last days of their vacation indoors, sorted through board games, bestsellers and bags of goodies.
"Hey, I get to ruin my own vacation," commented one who had just heard the news.
As Thursday merged with Friday, Hurricane Bonnie churned by some 100 miles off the Ocean City beaches.
Whitecaps, illuminated by city lights, revealed wave after wave of angry water. The surf thundered in, blowing off blankets of froth. Winds buffeted the dunes. Inside an unair-conditioned beach house where one family vacationed, curtains whipped higher and higher, clinging to the ceiling as if nailed in place by the wind. Rain sprayed through open windows.
At the storm's peak, around 2pm Friday, wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour buffeted the beaches, blowing sand in stinging waves against beachcombers' legs. Dark clouds, steady rain and intermittent downpours kept most people inside. By midnight, most businesses on the boardwalk had closed - early for a Friday night.
In the end, Bonnie told a thrilling - but not terrifying - tale.
"It caused some anxiety, but that's about it," said Buzzy Bayles, assistant coordinator of Emergency Management for the town of Ocean City. "We had a little bit of rain, a little bit of wind, but no damage. No power lines down, no power outages. There was some water in the streets down south at high tides, but that's normal."
Bonnie moved on in less than 24 hours, having done little more than wet down the coast with two inches of rain.
Saturday morning, the skies were clearing, the surf had eased back into an easy rhythm and sunbathers were heading out to the beach.
So Ocean City was spared - this time.
"One of these days it's going to be our turn," Bayles said, invoking Gloria, in 1985, and the big storm of '33 that opened a sea channel in what had been a solid barrier island. "Hopefully, not too soon, though."
Meanwhile, out at sea, Earl is growing.
-Don Kehne
Way Downstream ...
In Virginia, the first big marina to be built in the Washington metropolitan area in 15 years will be located on the Virginia shore of the Potomac River across a tidal bay from the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. The developer, Preston Caruthers, who was able to beat back opposition from local citizens and government agencies, sees the marina as the center of a 325-acre development with businesses and residential development ...
A Delaware Bay study about fish had some good news and some bad. The good news is that new curbs on toxic discharges apparently are behind the rebound of several species, among them rockfish, croaker and the American shad. The bad news, according to the Delaware River Basin Commission study, is that there is still so much mercury, PCBs and other chemicals remaining that many people must watch what they eat ...
In Washington, D.C, the splashing over jet-skis is getting louder. The National Marine Manufacturers Association and the Personal Watercraft Industry recently invited congressional staff to roar up the Potomac River in wave-runners in a drive to cultivate their support. And this week, an alliance of heavyweight environmental advocates began a campaign of their own focusing on the pollution from personal watercraft ...
In England, they call him "Eco Boy." His name is Mathew Williams and he's described as a long-haired 11-year-old who neither reads nor writes, possibly because he lives with his mother in a tree house. She's among protesters in the town of Epsom angry about development of three acres ....
Our Creature Feature this week comes to us from China, where the population of giant pandas continues to dwindle. Researchers estimate that there may be fewer than 1,000 pandas left in the Chinese wilderness, along with another 125 or so in captivity.
Nonetheless, American zoos can borrow pandas once more now that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has lifted a five-year ban on their importation. But there's a catch: Under the new rules imposed last week, zoos bringing in pandas not only must agree to protect the pandas from visitors but also must conduct research aimed at helping pandas survive in China.
| Back to Archives |
Volume VI Number 35
September 3-9, 1998
New Bay Times
| Homepage |


text:
This is the latest bettervisionbetterprices.com coupons, if this does not work, please change a coupon code, the following list is a bettervisionbetterprices.com coupons, we offer a different type of discount,saving more money!
Applies for all selected items.
Online Shop Bettervisionbetterprices.com has 4 available coupons code, Coupons codes are well-loved by shoppers everywhere and a good coupon code can entice savvy shoppers to shop more at stores, our best coupons every week!


text:
Home Aadhaar Card Contact Us
URL Submission
Tour n Travel
Pincode India Search India
Herbalife Club
Fact About Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia borders the Persian Gulf and Red Sea and lies to the north of Yemen and south of Iraq and Jordan, and is mostly sandy, uninhabited desert sitting on top of 25% of the world's reserves of petroleum, the largest holding by any one country
-> Name : Saudi Arabia
-> Capital : Riyadh
-> Area : 1,960,582 square kilometers (756,985 square miles)
-> Time Zone : UTC + 3
-> Languages : Arabic, but English is widely spoken
-> Religions : Muslim
-> Power : 127 / 220 V, 60 Hz
-> Official Currency : Saudi Riyal - Currently 1 SAR = 0.2667 USD $
-> Climate: Saudi Arabia has mostly a harsh and dry desert climate with great temperature extremes between day and night. - Currently 90º, Widespread Dust
-> When To Visit : The best time to visit is during the winter, from November to February, when temperatures are milder, although the Asir Mountains are usually covered in clouds until a little later in the spring. Around March is the Eid al-Adah, a big feast marking the time Muslims depart to Mecca on their pilgrimage.
-> Terrain : Primarily desert with rugged mountains in the southwest.
-> Ethnic groups: Arab (90% of native pop.), Afro-Asian (10% of native pop.).
-> Independence Day: September 1932 (unification of the Kingdom 23 )
-> Legal System : Based on Islamic law
-> country code for Saudi Arabia : +966
-> Government: Monarchy
Important cities in Saudi Arabia


text:
2012-12-16 — econintersect.com
. Indeed, HSBC demonstrates that the SDIs' senior officers are treated by Obama and Cameron as too elite to prosecute. The propaganda meme of the NYT story -- that the SDIs would never again be given special favors due to reforms being adopted by Obama and Cameron -- lasted four hours before it was destroyed by the disgraceful reality of the Obama and Cameron governments' refusal to prosecute HSBC and its officers for their tens of thousands of felonies.
source article | permalink | discuss | subscribe by: | RSS | email
Comments: Be the first to add a comment
add a comment | go to forum thread
Note: Comments may take a few minutes to show up on this page. If you go to the forum thread, however, you can see them immediately.


text:
In the summer of 1945, Capt. Ronald Reagan of the U.S. Army`s 1st Motion Picture Unit ordered a private, previously trained as a professional photographer, on a routine assignment. David Conover, then 26, headed to Southern California`s Radioplane Corp., a company that built small remote- controlled aircraft used in military practice. His job was to shoot morale- boosting photographs of pretty girls doing their job to help the war effort.
As Conover later wrote: ``I moved down the assembly line, taking shots of the most attractive employees. None was especially out of the ordinary. I came to a pretty girl putting on propellers and raised the camera to my eye. She had curly ash blond hair and her face was smudged with dirt. I snapped her picture and walked on. Then I stopped, stunned. She was beautiful. Half child, half woman, her eyes held something that touched and intrigued me.
``I retraced my steps and introduced myself. `And you`?
```I`m Norma Jeane Dougherty.` She smiled and offered her hand.``
To see early photographs of an eventual legend, head for the Helander Gallery in Palm Beach. Through Jan. 22, the gallery presents ``The Discovery Photographs of Marilyn Monroe,`` Conover`s large-scale color exposures taken in 1945.
The 19-year-old Norma Jeane`s appearance and natural ease in front of the camera capitivated Conover, and upon hearing that she wanted to become an actress, he told her that she would need to become a model first.
To give Norma Jeane a portfolio, Conover sought and was granted leave. He spent the next two weeks with Norma Jeane in the hills of Southern California teaching her how to pose, model and ``address`` a camera.
Most of the film was mailed to a processing lab. But Conover retained a few rolls of exposed film. Good thing: The mailed film never arrived and has never been found.


text:
Print selfies off in seconds with new case
There is no doubt about it, more and more smartphone users are in love with the act of 'the selfie', with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian (who has even managed to create a whole book from her collection of selfies) really establishing it as a modern day trend.
Now, it seems that selfie lovers around the world will soon be able to do so much more with their images than post them straight to their favourite social media site as a new French start up company, Prynt, has a rather exciting idea (although the name of the company might just give it away).
Prynt has created a new smartphone case which actually has a built-in printer, meaning that the user can print their selfies straight from the phone in less than a minute – seconds to be precise.
For those wondering how this would work, according to reports, the printer would be digitally connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth. However, Prynt's website states that no pairing to WiFi or Bluetooth is actually required.
Although Prynt's website doesn't have much information about the new case yet (including when it will be released although it is believed to be early 2015), it does include an image which suggests that the smartphone will simply connect to the case by plugging into it.
Prynt has also stated that it hopes to be able to soon print the images out within 30 seconds with the case being able to hold more pieces of paper to actually be able to print on. Clement Perrot, chief executive officer of Prynt said: "At the moment, only one sheet of paper can fit in the case. However, this will soon be increased to up to 30 pieces".
For those wondering if their smartphone will actually fit the case, it has so far been developed to match four-inch screen smartphones, although Prynt is believed to be planning on making new cases for larger devices in the future, including the new iPhone 6 Plus as well as the Samsung Galaxy Note.


text:
The Royal College of Music is to fund three UK students from ethnic minority backgrounds who wish to study for the BMus course at the RCM beginning in 2018/19. UK black and minority ethnic (BAME) musicians are currently under-represented across the performing arts and these scholarships demonstrate the RCM's continued commitment to diversity. The scholarships will be awarded on merit and enable talented students the opportunity to study at the UK's leading institution for music education with financial security. The scholarships will be up to the value of full fees (currently £9,250 a year) and can be used either to cover tuition fees or to help with living costs.
Colin Lawson, Director of the Royal College of Music, said; 'We know that students from under-represented groups sometimes find finances to be the biggest barrier to entry when making decisions about higher education. We believe it is imperative to provide access to excellence for all talented students, regardless of means, and I am delighted that we are able to offer three scholarships covering up to full fees.'
Kevin Porter, Deputy Director of the Royal College of Music, said; 'The RCM is a diverse and welcoming community representing some 60 different nationalities. We are proud of the RCM's diversity and these scholarships for BAME students continue our commitment and are central to the RCM's ongoing strategy.'
The RCM is the UK's number one institution for the performing arts (QS World University Rankings), has trained some of the world's leading musicians from all backgrounds and offers a range of courses in all aspects of music including performance, composition and research.
All UK BAME applicants will automatically be considered for these scholarships when they apply for admission to the RCM BMus – no separate application is needed – just apply for a place on the RCM BMus via UCAS Conservatoires, declaring your ethnicity.
Applications open on 19 July and the deadline to apply for the BMus course starting in 2018/19 is 2 October. Please apply via UCAS Conservatoires.


text:
About Us
Founded in 1957, the Hellenic American Union is a public-service institution with an international focus and strong community commitment, dedicated to providing opportunities for a diverse range of audiences to encounter and benefit from innovative educational programs and cultural events. These programs are developed independently by the institution or in partnership with European and American educational and cultural organizations and aim to directly address emergent social or economic needs.
The institution is a not-for-profit association with historic ties to the United States and program links to Western European, American and Balkan institutions but is wholly autonomous and self-financing. Its non-profit status enables the institution to use income earned in its fee-bearing activities to subsidize a large number of free community-service activities and resources, such as its program of cultural events, its Library, youth outreach programs and teacher training seminars.
The Hellenic American Union is committed to providing equal opportunities for all members of its public and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, physical disability, or veteran status in its student admissions, recruitment, employment, evaluation, and advancement policies.
Since its establishment, the Hellenic American Union has encouraged the creation of a multicultural atmosphere in all its activities, welcoming students and visitors from all over the world. It is estimated that to date 2,700,000 persons from approximately 75 countries have enjoyed its services.
The Hellenic American Union:
- provides accessible, market-relevant, results-oriented training programs that lead to broadly recognized certification and draw upon innovative developments in educational technology and methodology. These programs range from basic skills training in foreign languages and computer literacy and vocational training programs to continuing professional education and higher education degree
- provides executive and diplomatic training to Governments and Embassies from member states in the European Union, including Greece. Additionally, over the years, Hellenic American Union expert trainers have trained groups from a variety of professions to function effectively and communicate in a range of diplomatic and international relations settings
- organizes high-visibility conferences and workshops that bring together policy-makers, technical experts, journalists and other professionals from Greece and abroad to address pressing social, economic and technological issues of current concern
- forges partnerships with organizations, institutions and individuals in Europe, Asia and the United States to promote an awareness of innovative cultural and educational developments in these countries and foster an appreciation of cultural diversity and pluralism, and at the same time to promote similar developments in Greek society and culture abroad
- develops, publishes and disseminates learning resources, including educational textbooks and digital learning material, that complement or replace in-class training
- develops, organizes and presents cultural programs in the visual and performing arts, as well as conferences, lecture series, artist workshops and demonstrations
- serves as a responsible institutional citizen in Greek society, both at the local and national level, by making its resources and facilities available to community-groups, offering training programs that draw upon institutional expertise and enhance the professional effectiveness of public - and private - school teachers and by providing life-long learning opportunities for neighborhood residents and in particular young people.
Recent Awards and Distinctions
Center for Applied Linguistics and Language Studies (CALLS) Accreditation
At its August 2015 meeting, the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation reviewed the report of the Center for Applied Linguistics and Language Studies. The Commission has granted the site nine-year continued re-accreditation. CALLS is the only accredited by CEA Center in Greece.
The Center for Applied Linguistics and Language Studies, Hellenic American Union is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation for the period August 2015 through August 2024 and agrees to uphold the CEA standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency for English language programs and institutions in the U.S. For further information about this accreditation, please contact CEA, 801 North Fairfax Street, Suite 402A, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 665-3400, www.cea-accredit.org.
The Academy of Athens honors the Hellenic American Union for its 55 years of exceptional service
Hellenic American Union celebrated the anniversary of its 55 years of operation by receiving an award from the Academy of Athens, the Highest Educational Institution of Greece. The Award was received during the annual ceremonial session held on 28th December 2012 and is considered to be the highest recognition for the Hellenic American Union's 55 years of service to the country's educational and cultural life. The Hellenic American Union received this award not only for its educational and cultural work in Greece, but also for the preservation of Greek language, among Greek expatriates, through multifaceted activities it launched.
European Language Label
The European Language Label is a European Union initiative that gives awards to innovative programs which focus on foreign language learning. The Hellenic American Union participated in the category of the competition entitled: "Language Skills and Labour" and received an award for the program "Greek on the Go" iPhone Application. Twenty projects were submitted from Greece, of which four, including the Hellenic American Union's, were awarded the European Language Label. The award ceremony took place at the city of Kavala on Thursday, March 1st, 2012.
ETS 2011 Best Contribution to Market Research Award
During the 2012 ETS EMEA Regional Conference of the Educational Testing Service, the Hellenic American Union was selected among 75 organizations to be awarded the 2011 Best Contribution to Market Research Award for its contribution to the piloting of the TOEFL® Junior™ Test. Read more about the pilot study
View the current organization chart of the Hellenic American Union.
In this section:
Stay Connected
Exams Support
Services & Programs
in Northern Greece
Accredited Programs
Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
Center for Applied Linguistics & Language Studies
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Center for Applied Linguistics & Language Studies, Center for Examinations and Certifications, Operations and Vocational Training
Where to find us
Massalias 22
10680 Athens
Tel.: 00302103680900
Fax: 00302122222629
Fragon 14
54626 Thessaloniki
Tel.: 00302310557600
Fax: 00302310553925


text:
Monday, July 14, 2008
Gender Differences
I have written up my findings and I plan to go over some of the more interesting aspects of the research here in this blog over the next few months. But in the mean time I wanted to share one particularly interesting finding.
Building on the overwhelming evidence that women are underrepresented in traditional classroom discussions, which tend to be dominated by male voices, Caspi, Chajut, and Saporta (2006) conducted a study in which they examined the relationship between gender and participation in both face to face and online discussions. Relating overall participation to the baseline attendance ratio they were able to determine whether women were underrepresented or overrepresented in terms of their contribution to discussion in each environment.
Not surprisingly to those of us who have run class blogs ourselves, women were significantly underrepresented in face to face discussions and yet were actually overrepresented in terms of their contributions to online discussions. Why females prefer the online forum is not yet entirely clear, but the implications for anyone wishing to run an equal-opportunity classroom are obvious. Though neither is a perfect forum for discussion, providing opportunities for both types of discussion to take place in a classroom is the best way to ensure the greatest number of voices will have a chance to be heard. Relying only on old-fashioned face to face discussions in a classroom is simply not a recipe for equal participation.
3 comments:
- rambandgeek said...
I have two theories as to why girls prefer the online discussion. One is the anonimity of it. Unfortunately there are still a lot of girls who think that in order to fit in socially, they can't be "smart". An online discussion let's them get there thoughts out there without it seeming like they are showing how smart they might be in the same way a live discussion would. The second theory is based on research that shows that girls use language more than boys. An online discussion allows them the time time to craft their words. Time that may not exist in a live discussion.
Just food for thought.
Stupid Fort Collins High School!!!!! ;-)
- July 14, 2008 at 8:32 PM
- rambandgeek said...
Okay, I can tell it's summer and the brain isn't working.
I do know the difference between there and their. Truly I do!
- July 14, 2008 at 8:33 PM
- Natalie said...
JC - thanks for the comments on my blog, I had pretty much given up even checking it because no one seemed to be keeping up with anything - so your comments were much appreciated.
Interesting thoughts on male/female interaction, it begs more research.
As of yesterday I finished my commitment to the CSUWPAI when I sent off my completed journal article for review (YEAH!). I had two smaller articles published in the state art education publication, but this recent submission was for "Art Education," better known as the big khahuna in my field.
Keep up the good work - I'd love nothing better than to be proven wrong. :)
- August 3, 2008 at 5:43 PM


text:
This question was asked by Sondheim acolytes when it was announced that Doyle would be directing Company for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Here's a show about a bachelor named Robert and his interaction with his married friends and girlfriends, all of them living in Manhattan circa 1970. Of course, Company is not written in an entirely realistic style if only for the fact that it's a musical, and people don't tend to break into song in the middle of Manhattan dinner parties or right after having sex in someone's well-appointed apartment. But the show's book, by George Furth, consists of a series of vignettes in which people speak in a way that more or less apes naturalistic, contemporary conversations. So it's difficult to explain why the concept of actors playing musical instruments while taking part in the action -- and, at other times, while seated around the periphery of the stage -- works at all in the Cincinnati production. But it sure does, in a wonderfully metaphorical way. And the fact that the performers usually look at the audience rather than at each other during their dialogue exchanges is an apt metaphor for the disconnectedness of modern urbanites.
The production design is all of a piece with Doyle's vision. I've always thought of Company as irrevocably tied to the time period when it was written and set; the hilarious pot smoking scene and references to answering services, the Seagrams building, etc. in the lyrics would seem to pin the show to 1970 (or within a few years of that). But Doyle and set designer David Gallo have effectively placed the action in a more or less timeless space that suggests a trendy Manhattan loft on the night of a swanky social gathering. Other than a grand piano, the main features of the set are a white, Greco/Roman column rising from a circular white radiator and several plexiglass cubes on which the performers sometimes sit. Ann Hould-Ward's stylish costumes are virtually all black; this even applies to Amy's wedding dress, but the idea is so beautifully integrated into the show as a whole that it didn't really register in my consciousness until the wedding breakfast scene was nearly over.
Any concerns that Raúl Esparza might be too dynamic a performer for the role of Bobby, who more or less functions as a blank slate upon which the neuroses of his friends and lovers are writ, are dispelled by this extraordinary actor's expertly calibrated performance. He underplays the part with offhand humor and the occasional wry observation until the penultimate scene; when this Bobby shouts "Stop!" to finally silence the nattering of his married friends, it's a primal scream from the soul, so violent and seemingly throat-searing that Esparza's subsequent, gorgeous singing of the cathartic "Being Alive" is all the more astounding. Another stunning Doyle touch: Robert is the only character who never plays a musical instrument during the show (except for one cymbal crash) until he sits down at the piano to play and sing "Being Alive," as if only now able to express his true feelings. (The song "Marry Me a Little" has been restored and is movingly performed by Esparza as a fittingly ambivalent ending to Act I.)
The performances of the actor-musicians who play Bobby's married buddies are, for the most part, exemplary: Kristin Huffman and Keith Buterbaugh as Sarah and Harry, both attempting without much success to control their addictions (she to food, he to booze); Amy Justman and Matt Castle as Susan and Peter, who decide that divorce is the best way to maintain their relationship; Leenya Rideout and Fred Rose as Jenny and David, whose experimentation with marijuana is both hilarious and touching; Heather Laws as the skittish bride-to-be Amy and Robert Cunningham as Paul, her devoted groom; Barbara Walsh as the caustic Joanne and Bruce Sabath as her long-suffering spouse, Larry. Walsh is refreshing as a younger, sexier version of Joanne than we're used to seeing -- although, truth to tell, she doesn't deliver "The Ladies Who Lunch" with the ferocity necessary to make this the knockout 11 o'clock number it's supposed to be.
Now to Bobby's lady friends. Elizabeth Stanley is wonderful as the stewardess April, avoiding the stereotype of playing the character like a bimbo. (She and Esparza give a perfect reading of the "Barcelona" scene, despite the fact that there is no bed on stage for this post-coital number and both performers are fully clothed.) As Kathy, Kelly Jeanne Grant is warm and sincere in her one scene with Robert; otherwise, she doesn't have much to do, since the "Tick Tock" dance is not performed in this production. (It was conceived as a showcase for Donna McKechnie, who created the role on Broadway.) Angel Desai is the right type for the quirky Marta and lands some big laughs with her loopy dialogue, but she has some vocal trouble with the difficult solo "Another Hundred People."
The show simply wouldn't work without the excellent orchestrations of Mary Mitchell-Campbell. One's mind boggles at the effort involved in reorchestrating the superb Sondheim score according to the abilities of the various actors-musicians. (I don't even want to think about what happens when an understudy has to go on.) If Mitchell-Campbell doesn't win a Tony Award when this Company transfers to Broadway, as it inevitably will, I'll eat my hat.
There are very few disappointments in the production. Though Doyle is credited as director-choreographer, there's little actual choreography here, and it is missed in a few places -- most notably in Bobby's girlfriends' Andrews Sisters-esque lament, "You Could Drive a Person Crazy." Thomas C. Hase's lighting could use some fine-tuning. Because the cast members who play instruments that must be blown into can't play while singing, the climaxes of one or two numbers -- particularly the title song -- are quite thin from an orchestral standpoint. And I miss the "Vocal Minority" orchestra voices that were employed in the original production but were expunged from the revised performance edition of Company that was established some years ago. However, these reservations amount to little in the scheme of things.
John Doyle should be profusely thanked by those of us who have reacted badly to other revisionist stagings of great musicals and thus have left ourselves open to the charge that we are stodgy traditionalists, unwilling to accept change in the form of new interpretations of acknowledged masterpieces. As this Company proves, it's possible to present a classic show in a bold, new way that even theatrical conservatives can applaud because it doesn't violate the spirit of the work or the creators' intentions. Bravo to Doyle -- and to everyone involved in this marvelous production, bravi!


text:
Free Streaming Turbo Kid in Top Video FormatNow you can download full Turbo Kid in top quality with duration 95 Min and has been aired on 2015-08-14 and MPAA rating is 44.
- Original Title : Turbo Kid
- Movie title in your country : Turbo Kid
- Year of movie : 2015
- Genres of movie : Comedy, Action, Adventure, Science Fiction,
- Status of movie : Released
- Release date of movie : 2015-08-14
- Companies of movie : Epic Pictures Group, Timpson Films, EMA Films,
- Countries of movie : New Zealand, Canada,
- Language of movie : English,
- Durationof movie : 95 Min
- Average vote of movie : 6.5
- Youtube ID of movie : AFlZ6pVtnv0
- Translation of movie : EN,IT,RO,RU,FR,EL,ES,ZH,DA,CS,PT,DE,
- Actors of movie :Munro Chambers (The Kid), Laurence Leboeuf (Apple), Michael Ironside (Zeus), Aaron Jeffery (Frederic), Edwin Wright (Skeletron), Romano Orzari (Bagu), Orphée Ladouceur (Female guard), Steeve Léonard (Scout), Orphée Ladouceur (Female Guard), Yves Corbeil (Turbo Général), Evan Manoukian (Young The Kid), Anouk Whissell (The Mother), François Simard (The Father), Tyler Hall (Bounty Hunter), Martin Paquette (Giant Warrior), Pierre Sigouin (Frederick's Brother), Yoann-Karl Whissell (Bald Guard)
Movie summary of Turbo Kid :
Full Turbo Kid in High Quality Video with movie plot "In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, an orphaned teen must battle a ruthless warlord to save the girl of his dreams." in best look. Best Turbo Kid in Best Quality by push of the button above.
Now you can watch full Turbo Kid in high quality. Watch full Turbo Kid video with single prepare the kind by hitting the image of the sign in place button. Enjoy each of the albums completely new movie with all favorite movie loading! only play this movie Turbo Kid right now for free access this online movie. This can be truly spectacular and can some of those rare incredible. The excellent was great all around. Management, photos and visual effects had been all extremely innovative as well as brilliant. The pleasure from the script, often humorous and possesses a great deal of heart for many his characters are common very well developed.
... Full Length of Turbo Kid in HD Quality 720p ...
Director : François Simard, Director : Anouk Whissell, Director : Yoann-Karl Whissell, Writer : François Simard, Writer : Anouk Whissell, Writer : Yoann-Karl Whissell, Director of Photography : Jean-Philippe Bernier, Producer : Anne-Marie Gélinas, Producer : Benoit Beaulieu, Producer : Tim Riley, Producer : Ant Timpson, Original Music Composer : Jean-Philippe Bernier, Original Music Composer : Jean-Nicolas Leupi, Original Music Composer : Le Matos, Editor : Luke Haigh, Production Design : Sylvain Lemaitre, Costume Design : Eric Poirier, Executive Producer : Shaked Berenson, Executive Producer : Jason Eisener, Executive Producer : Patrick Ewald, Executive Producer : Jean-François Ferland, Executive Producer : Catherine Nadeau, Executive Producer : Matt Noonan, Executive Producer : Stephanie Trepanier
Yes, now you can watch movie involving Turbo Kid in full length and acquire the url to this movie Turbo Kid in top video format.
Tags: gore, bmx, violence, splatter, woman director, post-apocalyptic,


text:
About Paul Templeman
I am a Project Manager at the Australian Sports Commission in Canberra, Australia. My role is to advise National Sporting Organisations on their digital transformation.
I've held various digital and IT consulting roles, including at; Australian Rugby Union (ARU), Football Federation Australia (FFA), and Ernst & Young. I am currently undertaking a PhD on the digital transformation of sport at the University of Technology Sydney.


text:
One Small Step
In 1969, Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon. Though it has been 45 years since that historic date, mankind has still not traveled beyond Earth's natural satellite, and it is my dream to go beyond that limit and explore the reaches of space not yet discovered by mankind. To this end, I have been studying aerospace engineering at a top engineering school, challenging myself to spend my free time exercising, and making plans to research abroad. Once I have obtained my degree, I will work at one of the many companies researching deep space travel so that I can aid in the creation of the necessary technology. Once I have obtained the required years of professional work, I will enter into the astronaut training program at NASA so that when they send a deep space mission, I will be fully qualified and an attractive candidate. The research involved in bringing mankind to the furthest reaches of space would greatly improve the technology on Earth, and if it ever became necessary for humans to leave Earth, we would not only have an escape route, but also a destination, whether it be a Mars colony or another Earth-like planet. To be able to lead such a great leap in the advancement of our technology and delve into the thrill of the unknown is my greatest dream, and with my determination and perseverance I believe I am fully capable of travelling to the distant stars.


text:
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Metropolitan Urban Gypsy Dress
Elsa wanted a slinky dress for dressing up and down.
She decided on the Hot Patterns Urban Gypsy blouse
Originally we looked at a Style Arc dress. It was beautiful but Elsa's measurement put her over 3 sizes and they only sell one.
Elsa emailed them for help (as suggested on the site) but we didn't hear back.
I have since seen Lara's version and I think we could have got away with it, c'est la vie.
I drafted the size 8 top and and blended it to the 10 at the hips.
I lengthened the tunic to a dress, by 5 inches, at the hip line.
The recommended elastic length was spot on!
I took a lot of care with the ties and hems, taking the time to do a tiny narrow hem.
It took forever and my poor fingers were singed by the iron but it gives a lovely, expensive feel.
The tunic has a very clever, built in, shelf bra.
I was going to skip it but watched a video explaining how a strapless bra is just not as good so I gave it a go.
In a nut shell, the strapless bra falls down and pulls your boobs down, a shelf bra doesn't.
It fits together really nicely and Elsa has a small bust so I wasn't too worried about support (or lack of it)
She reports it is very, very comfortable as well as very secure.
The cleverest part of this dress is the fabric that my very clever daughter chose.
Elsa wanted a floral rayon and I didn't have any in my stash. I did have several metres of pj satin that she ferreted out.
I dissuaded her, remarking it was a 'Nana' fabric.
She asked why we couldn't just flip it, satin on the inside, matte on the outside?
~Elsa's Verdict~
Theres not much to say that the photos don't! Isn't it just amazing?
The length isn't too short that makes the splits appropriate not skanky.
I love love love it and many of my friends want one! Thanks Mum!!!! x
Well, there we are.
I think she looks amazing.
xx N
10 comments:
Lots of clever elements with this dress; pattern design and re-drafting, fabric choice, tiny hems, self-bra and the outcome looks amazing. Second last photo looks like a magazine fashion model.ReplyDelete
Thank you Deb, doesn't she look amazing?ReplyDelete
The self bra fist so well, I don't know how t would go on a bigger bust butElsa said it was far more secure then a strapless bra.
xx N
Perfectly avoiding skanky there, Elsa! Nice one Nicole.ReplyDeleteReplies
I know, one mustn't be 'skanky'.Delete
Thank you!
xx N
I think it looks great in the nanna fabric!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you.Delete
It is a pretty, pj satin, I think I have another 4 m's, would you like some?
LOL Elsa, remarking that the splits aren't skanky (they're not, she's right, the length is perfect). What a nice dress and how cool that it has a built-in bra. I hope your fingers have recovered.ReplyDelete
I wasn't sure how 'skanky' translates, I hope I am not offending anyone but I promised they could write what they wished.ReplyDelete
It is supposed to be honest.
I think my fingers are permanently scorched, I could be the perfect criminal.
Thank you!
xx N
A wonderful look Elsa. Nothing Nana about it ... all rock chick, moo girl. Xx enjoy. You really do look amazing.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you very much.Delete
She rocked with her new RM's (she bought herself)


text: A throwback Thursday special, this 1983 release from American group Cybotron (Juan Atkins and Richard Davis) on Fantasy Records oozes a dark funky synth driven beat. Although generally considered Electro, Cybotron was part of the early evolution of techno music, with Juan Atkins being widely credited as the originator of the genre along with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Cybotron's unique and eclectic combination of influences such as Italo disco, Midwestern funk and synthesizer pioneers Kraftwerk, combined with a bold experimental aesthetic became the underpinnings of Detroit techno.


text:
Welcome to "Invasion from the Front Lines"
The life of a soldier is hard for any civilian to imagine. The experiences of a soldier of the Second World War is thus invariably more difficult to understand. Luckily, records and accounts in myriad formats, from the photographic to the textual to the audiovisual, exist to help paint a more clear picture of life on the front lines.
My grandfather, Frank Vitale Jr., is the child of immigrant parents from Italy. Coming of age in the pre-WWII era, he graduated high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1943, and enlisted in the United States Army. He served the majority of his time in the 52nd Ordnance Group of the First Army, and travelled immediately behind the main advance. His job included supplying troops and processing captured German weapons, munitions, and technology for delivery and testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.
One of the men in the Ordnance Group carried along with him a camera. With it, he captured the scenes around him, from the comical to the stoic. These images, along with others taken by my grandfather and his "Army buddies," ended up in a photo album put together by him and his wife, Katherine. Although photographer information for most of the images is unknown, the photos are featured on this site as both a research tool and a memorial to the many shocking events of the Second World War.
The images featured on this site are powerful. They cover such historic events as the liberation of Paris, France, and the release of prisoners held at the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimer, Germany. However, the photos also capture the daily life of an American soldier in Europe. Both types of photographs tell us more about the Second World War, and help us truly understand this tragic time in world history.


text:
Open to all 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders, Team Read is made up of four 7th graders from Terrill Middle School hosting a service learning project where group members will read to young children, teach them useful reading strategies, as well as facilitate interest in reading! Only at the Fanwood Library.
- This event has passed.
Get Ready to Read! A Free Reading Event for Elementary School Students
May 17, 2014 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
repeated from 2-3 p.m.


text:
Please sign in first.
Create a free account to save loved items.
We use own and third party cookies for the continuous improvement of our content and obtain statistical information on the use of our visitors. If you continue browsing, it is understood that you accept its use. You can change the configuration or get more information.
This message will no longer appear if you click on ACCEPT or close the pop-up window
Create a free account to use wishlists.


text:
Spring Blur Backdrop Layered Adobe Photoshop template Easy to edit and change colors. PSD and 6 JPG files 3000x2500px 300dpi each. Perfect for presentations, digital art, photography, print and web design
{{ pagination.totalCount }} Comments
You must be signed in to post a comment.
{{ comment.nameFull }}
- Purchased
- Staff
- Shop Owner
Need support for this product? Leave a private message for Backgrounds Store:
- How do I contact support?
If you need help with a product contact the shop owner here on the product page! Just click the Message icon by the seller's profile. For anything else visit our FAQ


text:
Over the past month, a steady stream of prospective travelers have called the Modern Travel Agency expecting bargain airline tickets.
"We have people calling about $60 round-trip tickets to the West Coast," says Mary Ann, a travel agent with the Johnstown, Pa., company.
Customer expectations are a bit high, in some cases. But most observers say good deals are in greater abundance than at any time in recent memory - ranging from half-price tickets to tantalizing frequent-flyer perks.
Overall, domestic airfares in September were down 19 percent compared with last year, according to the Air Transport Association.
The largess is not likely to diminish anytime soon. US airlines, experts suggest, will continue to offer fare sales every week for the next several months in an effort to boost revenues. Consumers can already buy significantly discounted tickets for travel up to mid-April. In many cases, passengers are flying across the US for 3 cents a mile, with a cost to airlines of 13 cents a mile.
National carriers that fly out of major airports - such as American, Delta, and United - have been strategically dropping fares across the country. Occasionally, one will lower its fare into a competitor's hub to win a quick flurry of bookings. Competitors respond by dropping their rates out of the carrier's hub, prompting each to raise prices back to previous levels.
But the key to finding the best deals, travel experts say, is to fly out of regional airports that play host to low-fare carriers such as AirTran, America West, American Trans Air, and Southwest.
"Even if you don't buy a ticket with one of them, other airlines in the same airport are forced to lower their prices to compete [there]," says Tom Parsons, CEO of travel website Bestfares.com.
Most coach-class flights from Baltimore to San Diego, for example, now cost $180. That's $170 less than most San Diego trips starting in Washington, D.C.
But consumers who fly discount airlines should not expect premium service. Few serve food, board early, or offer first-class upgrades.
Travelers should also be aware that a number of low-fare carriers stand on precarious financial footing. Spirit, located in southern Florida, and Minneapolis-based Sun Country, are examples of small airlines with shaky finances, according to David Oppermann, editor of the Travel Alert Bulletin in Saginaw, Mich.
Those who forgo discount travel in favor of major-city airports can expect significant delays for months to come, experts say. Mr. Oppermann recently faced a queue of ticket holders extending out the doors of the Detroit Metro Airport when he reached the terminal at 4:30 in the morning.
Parking space at many large airports has been scaled back because of the Federal Aviation Administration ban on parking within 300 feet of a terminal. And many passengers spend nearly an hour waiting for their baggage. Layoffs have in many cases hit ground workers.
Another problem travelers face, with larger airlines in particular, is flight cancellations. United, for example, recently eliminated 30 percent of its flights to a number of destinations. "People need to be checking their flights every week, and then every day the week of their flight," says Mr. Parsons.
Reports of airlines' financial woes, and possible bankruptcies, have many long-time travelers concerned that their frequent-flyer miles may be in jeopardy.
Oppermann recommends those stocking a trove of free miles consider buying frequent-flyer protection.
Frequent Flyer Services in Colorado Springs, Colo., gives $7,500 worth of free miles for members who hold any amount of miles with recognized airlines that go bankrupt. A one-year membership, which includes the company's InsideFlyer magazine, costs $119 per year.
For now, many airlines are attempting to lure customers back with a few added perks. Until Dec. 1, many are accepting 15,000 frequent flyer miles to redeem a round-trip domestic ticket, rather than the customary 25,000 miles. Other bonuses include free side trips. America West, for example, will let you stay up to five days in Las Vegas or Phoenix at no extra cost on round-trip flights headed for San Diego from the East Cost.