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After the demolition of a 1960s extension to the 1840s Denville Hall in Northwood, north-west London, Acanthus LW Architects has designed new accommodation for the Actors' Charitable Trust that is perhaps twice the size of the original. By using and adapting the landscape of its large garden (new landscaping also by the architect), the whole is broken down into a sequence of different prospects that respect the scale of the hall and do not overwhelm it. Indeed, much of the story of this project is about disposing space successfully. New accommodation was needed for a further 40 ageing thespians, 15 of them Alzheimer's sufferers.
Acanthus LW won the job in a 1999 competition, beating Penoyre & Prasad. A key issue was to choose between putting all the residents' accommodation on the ground floor and adopting a more compact two-storey or three-storey option. It favoured compactness, notably because a compact building would be less controversial with planners and more economical to run. It would also keep travel distances for residents and staff to a minimum and allow as much garden as possible to be retained, while leaving more site space for future expansion. The building is essentially two-storey, with a spine of staff accommodation in one extended roof area above.
One of the special needs of Elderly Mentally Infirm (EMI) carehomes is that people should be able to wander at will, without the risk of becoming lost or disoriented. The resolution of this has been to create a corridor loop around a small courtyard. Its curvature lessens the institutional feel and the closure of the loop aids supervision.
A further loop has also been created for the EMI accommodation, which is on the ground floor, taking in a new arc of garden immediately outside. At this point the sloping site has been steeply banked, creating a relatively private outdoor enclave. Beyond this, behind a semi-permeable screen on top of the bank (Alzheimer's sufferers often don't like being looked in on), is another arc of path, with the bank high enough for there to be level access to it from the other 25 rooms on the first floor, connecting them with the rest of the garden.
We can see variations on this approach to walking routes in the care environments of the mental health unit at Highcroft Hospital in Birmingham by Maap Architects (AJ 14.11.02) and the Bon Secours Care Village in Cork by BDP (AJ 10.7.03) Also on the ground floor there is a new, stylish restaurant - none of the look of a community kitchen here. Within the hall itself, changes include a meeting room that has been converted into a flat-floored theatre for between 30 and 40 people for talks and performances, an extended bar and a two-storey foyer created alongside the main stair. This sits not at the entrance but at the new centre of gravity of the total more-public spaces. This should not be taken to imply that no-one ever goes out. Many residents are significantly independent and there is a car park with 40 spaces.
There was also the question of finding an appropriate architectural language. Tom Kimbell of Acanthus LW suggests that achieving this is in some ways more difficult than, say, building new in steel and glass, even if the results will be less striking. Some of the architect's approach comes from reacting to the asymmetrical massing, materials and largescale domesticity of the refurbished hall. In particular, this brick-built building had been cement-rendered in the last century - the render failing and trapping moisture. This render was removed, inevitably with some damage to the brickwork, so it had to be rerendered, now with a lime-based mix to allow the walls to breathe. It looks as though this has been successful, though reaching moisture-stability takes time.
Render is used in the new work, cementbased for cost reasons (though at least the new substrate is appropriate). That said, the architect chose brick as the main walling, making it clear that the new work is a later addition rather than seeking seamless integration. The areas of new render work well on the longish runs of rooms, used to articulate the alternating bays and recessed balconies.
Less successful is the render framing of the large new dining room adjacent to the front entrance, where this render lacks the apparent solidity of the old. Apart from the render and brick, the other main materials, which should also weather well, are roofing of slate and copper (also used for rainwater goods) and cedar boarding. There is, of course, more fenestration to the new element, improving daylight and contact with the surrounding gardens, to which the bedsits are oriented.
The passive stack ventilation system is also expressed domestically, as chimneys - copper along ridges, brick to the gables - which also house soil vent pipes.
The architect has worked to reduce the institutional feel, especially in that most difficult area of corridors. These are 1,500mm wide, with wall-wash uplights and clerestory lighting. The inevitable handrails are of Sapele with stainless-steel fittings crafted on by the carpenter.
Experience shows that care homes need some institutional scale to be viable. Within that, Acanthus LW has created a personal environment that works as a home, with quality and dignity. You might choose it for yourself, or rather your children might choose it for you. Which is why we have to be nice to them.
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Discussion in 'The Adjudicators' Comments' started by DS2014, Mar 24, 2015.
Well, I never!!!!!
Oops!! Easy mistake to make though. One of the Midlands bands had to tell one of their players that he had to miss the contest because for whatever reason the Registry hadn't processed his registration in time and so weren't disqualified! At least the rules are being applied equally to all.
Does anyone know how this affects the grading tables? Are they given maximum points? If so, what would that mean for their section status?
No - they were too high up. However they couldnt afford to do it again......
New Forest Brass have their own provisional grading tables, and theyve updated them already
Affects Hatfield more - they would have been promoted to Championship section had their result stayed. Now theyre halfway down 1st section
And what about Dyke - they'll end up quite low in the grading table, so a 5th/6th next year would see them relegated? I don't know enough about the grading system...
Assuming Dyke don't get disqualified again next year, they'll stay up with ease - 6 bands within 4 points of them at the bottom of the table going into next year, none of them (with all due respect) in the same class. They'd need to come in the bottom few.
You mean, like 13th out of 15? Like 2003 with "Prague" ... ?
Never say never ...
Did'nt Black Dyke Bands management just win a special 4barsrest award for their diligence ??? Don't worry chaps their launching an internal examination, bend over Mr contest secratary and think of England.
Well if they did have another disaster next year, I daresay that "Come on, we're Black Dyke, recent kickers of contesting derrieres at the Nationals, Open, and Europeans, and consistently ranked as one of the best bands in the world for 150 continuous years; does the 1st section really deserve the demoralising task of competing against us?" wouldn't be bad grounds for any possible appeal against relegation...
I reckon they should do a Glasgow Rangers on them and put them in the 4th Section - For trying to pull a fast one!
Looks like they've got form:
They must have thought it was worth the risk, considering the £30 prize available - approx £3300 adjusted to today's value.
Separate names with a comma.

subset: commoncrawl


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This BGR headline from Thursday May 2 caught my eye:
Netflix content chief says piracy drops whenever Netflix launches in new markets
Entrepreneurs take note: You could base a lot of successful businesses on those dozen words.
The content chief in the headline is Ted Sarandos, who says,
The best way to combat piracy isn't legislatively or criminally but by giving good options.
He thus echoes Bob Iger, CEO of Walt Disney, who said,
The best way to combat piracy is to bring content to market on a well-timed, well-priced basis.
Must be a trend!
Of course, Iger made his comment over 6 years ago, so the lesson is taking a while to sink in.
Do you wonder why? I do. I wonder why it is that, in the words of Cory Doctorow, every few years the public must drag the entertainment industry, kicking and screaming, to the money tree, and shake it for them. And I have a theory.
I chalk it up to copyright law. Our baroque (not to mention ba-roken) copyright system fosters a monopoly mindset in the content cartel. When the government defines competition as "infringement", you view your competitors as well as their customers as law-breakers. You sue them, and you spend your money lobbying the government for even stronger laws to protect your struggling business model.
But if your business is based on competition, rather than monopoly, you figure out what your customers want and you find a way to give it to them. If another company already has their business, you design your product or your price or your service to be more desirable than the alternative. Netflix appears to have a winning combination, at least when compared with BitTorrent, and Sarandos has discovered free enterprise.
Another example comes from the current controversy over Aereo. Aereo deploys thousands of tiny antennas to capture free broadcast television signals and retransmits those signals over the Internet to subscribers. The Aereo technology and business model are designed to squeeze through copyright's byzantine intricacies, and last month a court decided they had succeeded. The broadcasters who challenged Aereo and lost vowed to keep fighting. They also threatened to get out of the broadcast-TV business if the courts continued to side with Aereo. News Corp., the parent company of the FOX network, put it this way:
We believe that Aereo is pirating our broadcast signal. We will continue to aggressively pursue our rights in the courts, as well as pursue all relevant political avenues, and we believe we will prevail. That said, we won't just sit idle and allow our content to be actively stolen. We have no choice but to develop business solutions that ensure we continue to remain in the driver's seat of our own destiny. One option could be converting the FOX broadcast network to a pay channel.
Rights and courts, political avenues and driver's seats: The monopolist mind at work.
For a different approach, here's Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt, whose business is also impacted by Aereo:
What Aereo is doing to bring broadcast signals to its customers is interesting. If it's found legal, we could conceivably use similar technology.
The difference couldn't be clearer, could it?


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Thursday, August 4, 2016
I am going to post 300 random things about me you may not know.
JUST kidding...
How about 15 random things!
1. Here is a link to my First 15K Ever
Guess what!? I was having foot pain way back then and I had never run 15K before this race. It seems strange.
2. I am obsessed with Little People Big World. I just am.
3. I always say I am an only child because I grew up alone, but I actually have a half sister, who is an awesome person.
4. One of my earliest memories is stealing a puppy out of a yard and taking it home. My parents freaked out! I had to take it back, but I have always been an animal lover. I cried for hours because I couldn't keep the puppy. I was four years old.
5. Four was a big year for me. I was riding my big wheel with a friend and he got hit by a car....I will never forget it. I can still see the hit, see him getting in the ambulance, see people crying, see him after he came home from the hospital...it was awful.
6. Also when I was four, I was knocked out by a swinging horse on the play ground. I remember it coming at me - then darkness. I am convinced that is why I have never been able to do math. I remember laying in my room, getting sick, and the room spinning for days! I had a really bad concussion.
7. I use to play Nancy Drew in the alley when I was a kid. I would "act out" the story I read, and weave the neighbors into my action.
8. I was in love with Shaun Cassidy! Full blown love...I could not believe it when he married someone else. I even saw him in concert. He was dressed in red satin from head to toe. Wicked awesome.
9. After Shaun married, I fell in love with Scott Baio and collected Tiger Beat's.
10. Seeing Psycho as a kid freaked me out! I would talk to myself and open the shower curtain every five seconds for years when I took a shower.
11. I remember sitting in my driveway crying the day Elvis Presley died. As a kid, his voice was so soothing to me, I listened to his records for hours on end.
12. I had a bone spur on my big toe that grew into a lumpy rock shape when I was a kid, and had surgery. Painful as crap.
13. I moved to VA in 1989 with Kenny, and worked at a brand new mall in the area.
14. The first time Kenny and I left Andrew, we went to NY and saw The King and I - amazing play!! (Lou Diamond Phillips was the King)
15. I was born in 1966. August 10, 2016 I will officially be 50 years old.
Relate to any of my experiences.
Tell me one of your own! or 15 :) I like to hear from you ❤
32 comments:
That story about 4 year old you and the puppy is adorable! 4 was the year my brother was born. I remember my parents bringing him home and not being impressed :)ReplyDeleteReplies
haha, I can totally see at four, thinking who is this stealing my thunder!?Delete
I am still not sure why I thought it was okay to steal a puppy...crazy lol
Happy early birthday! No wonder you are feeling so reminiscent today :-)ReplyDelete
I actually have a step brother from my dad's recent remarriage, and since I've only met him a few times I always forget that fact, I'm not sure why! It's so weird to acquire a sibling as an adult.
I can't believe you stole a puppy! LOL!Replies
HAHAHAHAHA... I can remember being in 3rd grade & everyone had a Shaun Cassidy JACKET & I wanted one so bad but we couldnt afford it. I was heartbroken!ReplyDelete
Did you see Scott Baio at the Republican Convention - he still looks great.
I have an older brother but he is 7 years older than me - we're like from 2 different worlds.Replies
OHHHHHH those beautiful satin jackets with Shaun's face LOL I had t-shirts but no jacket. I am so sad you didn't get one!!Delete
I did see SB - he doesn't look bad, but I no longer love him. I dumped him LOL
Sometimes a big gap in age is weird huh?
The puppy story is totally a kid thing to do. How do you justify with a 4yo lol. Happy birthday and many more to come!!ReplyDeleteReplies
It is!! I saw and took him LOL teachable moment right.Delete
Thanks Richard :)
This is so cool!!ReplyDelete
Aww, a puppy! it must have been awful to give it back, puppies are the cutest!
I'm sorry to hear about your concussion, that sounds really scary!
Shaun Cassidy and Scott Baio! how cool! I love to hear about people's celebrity cruses!
I would have cried about Elvis too. I recently told my son that Selena had been killed.... many years ago. He couldn't take it! he cried... even thought it was 20 years ago and he is only 7. He just asked "how could somebody killed somebody who was so beautiful and sings so pretty!"
Happy Early Birthday!Replies
Thanks Ana!Delete
These were my pre-teen crushes LOL I should added that ;)
I remember when Selena was killed, so sad, and yes she did sing very pretty!
What is up with Jacob on LPBW? It's like they've forgotten their youngest son. It was Donny Osmond for me. Sigh... Have you checked out the Bates Motel series on A&E? It's awesome. Happy early birthday!ReplyDeleteReplies
Jacob became disgruntled over money and moved out as soon as he turned 18. He wouldn't film for a long time. They say he will be back to film some soon.Delete
I liked Donny too. I used to watch Donny and Marie all the time :) and I loved sonny and Cher!
I have never watched Bates motel, maybe i need to check it out.
Thanks Holly :)
You can always make me laugh. Were we supposed to laugh at the story of you getting hit by a swinging horse and no longer being able to do math?????? :) I used to read those Teeny Bopper magazines too! Let's see, when I read them, I had a crush on Elijah Wood, Devon Sawa, and Macaulay Culkin.ReplyDeleteReplies
yes! I got knocked out good by that horse!! It is a good excuse for my math deficit. LOLDelete
I loved the Teeny Bopper mags - it was the only info you could get! I have no idea who Devon Sawa is - see how old I am?! Elijah is a cutey:)
- AnonymousThursday, August 04, 2016 4:12:00 PM
We saw the King & I in DC (before we were married -- not sure we were even engaged yet. With Yul Brynner. I also saw My Fair Lady on Broadway when I was in college with Rex Harrison. So much easier to get tickets to those things in those days . . .ReplyDelete
Oddly enough, even though I'm the big animal lover in the family, my brother was the one always coming home with stray kittens. And he's very allergic.
And who wasn't in love with Shaun?Replies
Seeing Yul Brynner would have been awesome!!! It has changed a lot since the 90's.Delete
I watched all the Hardy Boys as an adult on Netflix and cracked up over how corny it was!! I loved it so much LOL
Love everything about this. You are such a gem.ReplyDeleteReplies
Welll thanks Susan :) I feel very boring 99% of the time.Delete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Oh my goodness happy almost 50th!!! I hope you are going to celebrate in a super fun way!! You and I have lots in common, although I already turned the big 5-0 in 2014. I was also into Nancy Drew series AND The Hardy Boys starring the LOVE of my/our life...Shaun Cassidy! Funny because most of my friends were more into David Cassidy. They didn't get it. So cute. So talented. Thanks for bringing back those memories <3 Boy, you had a few pretty tough and scary situations as a 4 year old. Crazy that you can remember but sounds pretty hard to forget. I did also like Scott Baio but he's no David Sole!! lol Thanks for this fun post! Congrats on your 300th post and THANKS for not posting 300 facts..they were fun but we wouldn't want THAT much fun!ReplyDeleteReplies
You look great Diane :) Running is keeping you young my friend.Delete
Shaun was it!! I liked to watch the Partridge Family so much, but i fell over the top for David LOL
I am cracking up because I can hear Don't Give Up On Us Baby..as soon as I read that name LOL
Thanks! 300 would have been awful;)
I was always afraid that someone would steal my dog from my yard, now I know why...lol. Just kidding!ReplyDelete
I bet that was very scary seeing your friend get hit by a car. I'm glad it had a happy ending and he actually did come home from the hospital.Replies
I felt bad! years later...I didn't get at the time. Crazy LOLDelete
He did come home and had a lot stitches but as far as I know he made it okay.
I love this post! Wow 300 is something! I remember bringing a kitten home and begging my parents to let me keep HIM, well HIM turned out to be a HER and we went through lots of litters! I remember picking out a Donald Duck at Disney they said I was 3 so thats a pretty vivid memory so young.ReplyDelete
Karen I can't believe your 50! You look amazing!!Replies
Thanks Tricia :) I can't believe I have yacked through 300 posts LOLDelete
That is a young memory!! I am not sure if I have anything before 4.
Girl, I promise I look older in person, pictures seem to hide my spots and wrinkles lol
Congratulations on hitting the big 3-0-0!!! This is a huge milestone for you!!! And I absolutely loved reading all these random facts, it's always so much fun to learn more about my fellow bloggers. BTW - Psycho freaks me out, too!!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Emm :) I appreciate it, I always enjoy your posts!Delete
Congratulations on hitting the big 3-0-0!!! This is a huge milestone for you!!! And I absolutely loved reading all these random facts, it's always so much fun to learn more about my fellow bloggers. BTW - Psycho freaks me out, too!!!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you :)Delete
It was such a scary movie!!!!


text:
The Jacks Crying Candles
- Black Skull Candle - $9.95
- Giant Crying Baby Mask - $12.99
- Bleeding Taper Candles - $8.46
- 14 Point Antler Candle Holder - $65.04
- Brain Jell-O Mold - $6.95
A few things about the Jacks. 1) They are candles niftily designed to cry at you. Like a mime or sad clown. Or 2) A sinister skull whose tears stem from his melting braaaaain. Or 3) A bunny. That looks a little like that creepy effed up rabbit from Donnie Darko. Actually, if you bred the skull candle with the bunny candle, the result would look exactly like Frank. 4) There's also a deer. Because apparently a critical mass of consumers wants to incorporate a re-enactment of Bambi finding his dead mom into their home decor.
Anyway, want to see the Jacks in action? Here's a GIF.
Sculpy, a tag team of a 3D artist and a sculptor, created the Jacks. The candle bases are made of ceramic and come in black or white. Skull, Rabbit, and Deer each have their own trademark candles too. The aforementioned brain burns inside the Skull base, while Rabbit gets a pair of pointy Frank ears and Deer an admittedly cool-looking branch of antlers. Candles also come in the buyer's choice of color and fragrances, with Pink/Cocopalm, Blue/Lavender, Yellow/Pure Cotton, White/Vanilla White, or Black/Cacao to choose from. Candles are made from soy wax and scented oil, and have a burn time of around 30 hours for the brain, and 5 to 10 hours for the ears and antlers.
Once your Jack has shed its last tear, the ceramic bases can be reused as planters, ash trays, change bowls, whatever gyrates your pelvis. The Jacks seek Kickstarter crowdfunding through September 23, 2015.


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MCI Suisse SA is pleased to offer a hotel booking service for the ESPEN 2014 Congress to be held in Geneva.
Advantages of booking within the block are countless:
▶▶All hotels are carefully inspected and are MCI-approved >> click here for HOTEL LIST in GENEVA <<
▶▶Negotiated competitive rates
▶▶Possibility to update your reservation online any time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
▶▶Personalised service and support, prior, during and after the event
The majority of the hotels chosen for this Congress are located in the congress centre and in the city centre. For exact location of hotels, please see the map of Geneva.
Geneva attracts many tourists, and due to the high demand for accommodation during this period, reservations will be made on a "first-come, first-served" basis. We recommend booking before Tuesday, July 22, 2014 to ensure availability. Requests received after this date will not be guaranteed. Names of persons sharing rooms must be indicated by e-mail to MCI Suisse S.A.
All rates are in euros, per room, per night, and include service charge and VAT. The rate of exchange between the Swiss Franc and the Euro was set in December 2013. Exchange rates can fluctuate substantially and as such any significant variation of the exchange rate may lead to a retroactive increase in the hotel rates as expressed in Euros. Rates apply for standard room; other room types like deluxe room, junior suite, suite, etc. are available upon request.
If you wish to book your accommodation through MCI, please use the on-line system when registering at www.espen.org . You simply need to make your selection out of the list of hotels available.
We will do our utmost to allocate you a room in your preferred hotel.
We accept the following credit cards: American Express, VISA and Master Card. Alternatively you may pay by bank transfer. Please remember to mention your name as the reference on the bank transfer.
Only guaranteed reservations will be accepted: to guarantee your reservation a deposit covering the first night is required, either by bank transfer or by credit card (deposits will be deducted from the final hotel bill when paid by the participant at the hotel). From Wednesday, August 06, 2014, only payments by credit card will be accepted.
Please be aware that all extras you might incur during your stay (i.e. mini-bar, laundry, telephone, etc) have to be paid directly to the hotel upon your departure.
Please also note that a credit card or cash deposit may be required for potential incidental charges when completing the check-in process at the hotel.
Any enquiries or requests for additional information, modifications or cancellations to room reservations should be addressed to MCI in writing (fax, letter or email).
Please do not contact the hotel directly.
For all hotels except Fassbind Hotels (Nations, Cornavin, Cristal):
In the event of cancellation up to Tuesday, August 05, 2014: no charge will incur.
From Wednesday, August 06, 2014 to 5 days prior to arrival date: 50% of one night will be charged in case of cancellation.
In the event of late cancellations (from 4 days prior to arrival date): No refund will be done.
For Fassbind Hotels (Nations, Cornavin, Cristal):
In the event of cancellation up to Tuesday, August 05, 2014: no charge will incur From Wednesday, August 06, 2014 to 5 days prior to arrival date: one night will be charged in case of cancellation.
In the event of late cancellations (from 4 days prior to arrival date): No refund will be done.
Hotel check-in time is 15:00 or later. If arriving after 18:00, please notify the hotel in advance.
Check-out time is noon.
Large group reservations (more than 9 participants) will be handled by MCI Suisse S.A. with separate contracts. Please contact MCI Suisse S.A. at: firstname.lastname@example.com
Payment of registration and hotel deposit may be made by:
▶▶Credit card: EuroCard/ MasterCard, Visa, American Express
▶▶Bank transfer to the account of MCI Suisse SA
Name of Bank: UBS SA
Name of Account: MCI Suisse SA
Account no: 240-369.393.71L - Clearing 240
Swift code: UBSWCHZH80A / IBAN: CH 18 0024 0 240 36 93 93 71L
Bank Address: UBS SA, CP 2600 - 1211 Geneva 2 - Switzerland
Mention: «ESPEN 2014» and the participant's name.
All costs are to be borne by the ordering customer.
▶▶Payment by personal cheques cannot be accepted
▶▶All payments have to be made in EUROS
For hotel reservation: Additional expenses such as mini-bar, laundry, etc. must be paid directly to the hotel when checking out.


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Social Preferences and Strategic Uncertainty: An Experiment on Markets and Contracts
Cabrales, Antonio and Miniaci, Raffaele and Piovesan, Marco and Ponti, Giovanni (2008) Social Preferences and Strategic Uncertainty: An Experiment on Markets and Contracts. [Discussion Paper]. Koebenhavns Universitet, Oekonomisk Institut, Denmark. p. 51. Discussion Papers (No. 08-06).
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This paper reports experimental evidence on a stylized labor market. The experiment is designed as a sequence of three phases. In the first two phases, P1 and P2; agents face simple games, which we use to estimate subjects' social and reciprocity concerns, together with their beliefs. In the last phase, P3; four principals, who face four teams of two agents, compete by offering agents a contract from a fixed menu. Then, each agent selects one of the available contracts (i.e. he "chooses to work" for a principal). Production is determined by the outcome of a simple effort game induced by the chosen contract. We find that (heterogeneous) social preferences are significant determinants of choices in all phases of the experiment. Since the available contracts display a trade-off between fairness and strategic uncertainty, we observe that the latter is a much stronger determinant of choices, for both principals and agents. Finally, we also see that social preferences explain, to a large extent, matching between principals and agents, since agents display a marked propensity to work for principals with similar social preferences.
|Item Type:
|Report / Paper (Discussion Paper)
|Research documents and activity classification:
|Working Papers > Refereed Working Papers / of international relevance
|Department of Business and Management
|Additional Information:
|The definitive version of the paper has been published in "American Economic Review", Vol. 100(5), Pages 2261-2278, December 2010.
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|Social Preferences, Team Incentives, Mechanism Design, Experimental Economics.
|MIUR Scientific Area:
|Area 13 - Economics and Statistics > SECS-P/01 Political Economy
|Deposited by:
|Maria Teresa Nisticò
|Date Deposited:
|14 Dec 2010 14:08
|Last Modified:
|21 Apr 2015 23:13
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It makes sense that if you want to experience more than just following the same old tourist track, then you would invest in a workshop where your guide is a New Zealand professional landscape photographer. Local, intimate knowledge of the landscape gathered from years of exploring and photographing in all seasons is what separates our workshops, and gives our guests unique opportunities to photograph at incredible locations others don't know about. Each workshop itinerary has been designed by pro landscape photographer Phillip Bartlett, who has shot extensively in the regions you will be visiting. By including specially selected wilderness locations in our itineraries you will end the workshop with a more diverse and exclusive collection of images to take home with you.
"Phillip took me to some incredible locations, many of them very remote. Phillip's local knowledge is extensive and being a photographer he knows each location's best time to be photographed."
We are approved by the Department of Conservation to conduct our workshops in National Parks and Reserves. This means that we have been audited and meet the required criteria to become a licensed operator. In keeping with our concession we are required to follow operating guidelines, including Occupational Health and Safety, and submit annual accountability reports. We also care greatly for the pristine New Zealand environment and have a 'Minimal Impact' policy on our workshops.
Travelling with a small group of only six participants has so many advantages. One of the main ones, which is so important when out in the field, is that we are not tripping over each other's tripods all the time. Also, by reducing the guide-to-guest ratio there is more opportunity to receive one-to-one photographic assistance, which allows guests to improve and fine-tune their craft much quicker than they otherwise might have. After a couple of days we begin to shoot together as a group of friends, sharing tips and ideas, and trying to out-do each other with hilarious travel stories. Some of which actually happen while on one of our workshops. Like the time that an Australian gentleman went exploring at a location where we were shooting, and ended up being asked to help an elderly lady round up her rambunctious sheep. The irony of an Australian herding sheep in New Zealand had us all in fits of laughter.
"The friendship we had with the people on the trip is certainly a highlight and made the time we shared during the trip special."
Everybody is at different stages with their camera skills. Some guests are very new to photography, while others are highly proficient and even professional. Our main goal is to give guests the best opportunities to capture fantastic images during the workshop, and Phillip gives instruction based on guests' requirements. Some guests appreciate one-to-one coaching at every location, while others prefer to work using their normal methods and will request feedback from Phillip once they have taken their photos. Where guests most benefit from Phillip's advice, and see a marked improvement in their photography, is with composition. Composition can make or break an image and training the eye for landscape photography often requires a different approach than other photography disciplines. At each location on the workshop Phillip discusses compositions which will produce the best results, and what guests can do to create more impact in their photographs by controlling the various elements in the scene. Phillip also offers insights into what camera settings to use to achieve the desired effects, and which lens is best suited to the subject being photographed.
"I could genuinely see the improvement in my photos throughout the tour thanks to Phillip."
Landscape photography is an art which requires time to fine-tune the composition, patience to invite the possibility of some serendipity, and awareness of the influence that the light plays in creating evocative, responsive photographs. This is why we allocate ample time for our major shoots, in the morning and evening, to allow you to work with your camera in a relaxed and creative way. We believe that having plenty of time to experiment with compositions is the only way to ensure guests have the best possible chance to make great photographs. Also, as there are only six guests on each workshop, we are more mobile than a larger group, and can pack up and move on quicker if, for example, the weather dictates a change of location would work better for us.
"Phillip always made sure we were at the right place at the right time and that each person was getting the best out of every location."
Taking a photography workshop with us will keep you sane, and give you the best opportunity to capture stunning images. We take care of all of the hassles and quirks associated with travelling in an unfamiliar country, from knowing where to stay, where to eat, to even what brand of muesli bars are the tastiest. With all the logistics, and peripheral snacking items, well taken care of you are totally free to relax and concentrate on your photography. And being a photography workshop there is never any need to try and figure out where you should be for sunrise, or waste valuable time wandering around searching for good locations to photograph at.
"Logistics during the entire trip was perfectly planned, great hotels, good food and absolutely comfortable."
We realise that our guests may only get to visit New Zealand once in their life, and they are putting their faith in us to make it a magical and memorable experience. Great care has been taken in the preparation of each workshop so that we can all enjoy fantastic photography, good company and plenty of laughs together.
"I never did feel like I was a 'tourist' while in your care."
We place great importance on the group's safety, and your guide has completed an advanced driver training course, a four-wheel drive training course and is First Aid certified.


text: After 23 years as Artistic Director of Circus Center, where he has trained a generation of acrobats who went on to perform in starring roles with elite circuses around the world, Master Lu Yi has announced he will retire from active teaching at the end of this summer. I am happy to say, however, that he will be staying in the circus world and the Circus Center family. Lu Yi came to San Francisco to bring Chinese acrobatics training to the United States, and now he is going to pursue another lifelong dream: founding a small, professional performance troupe that will raise the level of acrobatics in America. He is founding this troupe here in San Francisco, and inviting former students and members of his extended circus family to audition and be part of his dream. Circus Center and Lu Yi's new troupe will work together in a close partnership. Circus Center will provide facility, equipment, training, and promotional support, starting with hosting the company's first auditions in early September. Master Lu Yi says that training and performing are two halves of one whole, and both sides will be strengthened by this partnership: students who trained for years at Circus Center will now have an opportunity to perform onstage, and those performances will in turn inspire more people to discover the joy of circus training. Everyone here at Circus Center is incredibly grateful for Lu Yi's long years of teaching and leadership, and we are proud to stand beside him as he pursues one more beautiful circus dream. We love Lu Yi, and if you do too, we invite you to share your message of love and gratitude for Lu Yi on our Twitter or Facebook pages. If you're feeling hashtag-y, we'll be using #circusislove and #thankyouluyi (and, of course, #circuscenter).


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United States basketball star LeBron James has become a minority stakeholder in Liverpool after signing a representation deal with club owners Fenway Sports Group.
The Wall Street Journal claims that FSG has struck a deal to partner the Miami Heat player's sports-marketing firm, LRMR Branding & Marketing, to become his exclusive worldwide representative.
The newspaper said Maverick Carter, chief executive of LRMR, had expressed his desire to build James' portfolio internationally and find opportunities for him to gain equity in companies throughout the world as his commercial interests have largely been limited to sponsorship and endorsement deals.
The report also said James received an undisclosed minority stake in Liverpool as part of the deal.
Source: ESPNSoccernet


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International bank accounts
International bank accounts enable those living and working abroad to access their money whenever they need to.
They are provided by the offshore divisions of UK high street banks and enable expatriates to benefits from all the usual perks associated with an onshore current account such as an overdraft, debit card and, in some cases, a cheque book. Accountholders can also choose which currency they want their account to be denominated in.
That means if you are a British expatriate living in the US, you can choose a US Dollar account, or if you are living in Spain, you can open a Euro account.
However, international bank accounts aren't usually available to everyone, and many of them require you to keep a high minimum balance, or you will be charged a monthly fee, usually ranging from £5 up to £15.
Some accounts come with added extras, such as a concierge service or travel insurance, which is particularly useful for those who travel extensively abroad. Most now offer 24 hour internet and phone banking, making it easy for those on the move to manage their money wherever they are.


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"Clitheroe is a special club and I feel right at home here" Danny Brady
After a difficult start to the season it appears as though Clitheroe's fortunes are beginning to improve. The Blues have won each of their last five matches and have climbed from fifteenth up to ninth in the league table, plus reaching the semi-final of the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy.
Another positive for the club in recent weeks has been the re-signing of centre back, Danny Brady. The towering defender rejoined the club after a short spell with FC United of Manchester, and has since expressed his happiness about his return to Shawbridge.
"I'm delighted to be back. Clitheroe is a special club and I feel right at home here. It was great to see all the boys and to be back training with some of my old friends last week."
Brady reintroduced himself to the Clitheroe faithful in ideal fashion, scoring against Ossett Albion during his second debut for the club in an impressive 4-1 win, so it comes as no surprise that manager, Simon Haworth handed him the captaincy following his return to Shawbridge. The ex FC United man was understandably pleased with his debut goal, and was keen to show his appreciation for the club's decision to make him captain.
"I was very happy to be given the captain's armband and I would like to thank Simon and all of the lads for that. Ian Rowlands has been a great captain for the club so far this season, so I'm looking to match his high standards and help the lads as much as possible both on and off the pitch."
"To score on my return to the club was also a bonus, but of course it was most important that we got the three points and continued our winning streak."
Prior to his return to Shawbridge, Brady was plying his trade in the Vanarama National League North with FC United of Manchester, and the centre half had mixed feelings about his time with his ex club.
"My spell at FC United was a good experience and I definitely feel as though I learned a lot about myself during my time there."
"I was disappointed not to have been given the chance to play in my favoured position for them, but I feel as though I can bring what I learned from the experience into this Clitheroe team, and hopefully that can help us to push up the league table."
Brady's thoughts and ambitions on where Clitheroe should be aiming to finish this season were similar to the thoughts of striker, Kurt Willoughby. The new club captain spoke optimistically and positively about the team's pursuit of the play-offs, and he believes that the positive feeling in and around the club at the moment could prove vital.
"There are still plenty of points to play for and if the boys show the same hard work as they have done so far this season then we may go one better than last season and clinch one of those play-off places."
"There's a good buzz and feeling around the club just like there was last season. Our confidence is high and we need to keep working hard and taking on board the gaffer's instructions in order to maintain the high standard of our recent performances."
"There is a lot of quality in our dressing room, so if we continue to work hard like we have been doing then we can definitely push for a play-off place and be able to look back on another positive season."
Considering Brady's experience of playing at a significantly higher level, and the fact that he knows the club well, the centre back certainly seems an astute acquisition for the Blues.
Whether or not Clitheroe can achieve their captain's target of reaching the play-offs remains to be seen, but considering their impressive recent form along with the re-signing of Brady, there is every reason for the club to feel confident.Updated 10:50 - 7 Jan 2018 by Peter Ryan
|Newcastle Town
|Market Drayton Town
|Glossop North End
|Kendal Town
|Skelmersdale United


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Why we focus entirely on primary, secondary school books, by Ogunbiyi
Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi is no stranger to books; in fact, he has been in a book environment all his life. From academia to journalism and now book publishing, he has seen it all. In a country with acute book shortage, Ogunbiyi, with his Tanus Books Limited, has carved a niche for himself as educational book publisher for primary and secondary schools. In this interview with ANOTE AJELUOROU, Ogunbiyi shares his experiences and insight into his genre of publishing and how fulfilling it has been filling the educational needs of a vulnerable segment of society
Producing books for children must be quite challenging. Could you share with us your experiences in this line of business?
For us as a company, it's been quite challenging and I have had to learn so many things. For instance, children relates to colours differently from adults and in designing books for them, therefore, you must take into account their own interest as kids generally. Younger kids love brighter colours which is quite apart from the fact that in designing books for them you must take into account their own ability to relate to details. You have to learn that some colours work better with children – the more colourful the book is, the more interesting the book is to them.
However, as the classes get higher – that is, when the child gets to senior secondary school level, there is far less colour in the books. Now, that's not an accident, but that's what we have to learn in collaboration with our people in the design department. I don't want to appear boastful here but I think in some ways, our books are very well designed than many books in the market today.
Self-publishing has become endemic in the country, with issues of badly edited and produced books dominating. But as a professional coming from journalism and academic background, what processes do your books go through before being published?
Under the laws of our country, you cannot sell school textbooks without going through the Federal Ministry of Education because the books that we sell generally are based on the school curriculum as designed by the National Education Research and Development Council (NERDC). They design the syllabus and in the cause of designing these books, we take the syllabus as a guide in terms of designing the books.
The way we produce our books is this. When the authors send in the manuscripts to us, we sit down with other teams of editors who take a look at the books again, edit them after which the books are sent back to the authors to see the corrections made. Our people in the office then give them colours and then we design them as books. Once they have done that and the books have been formatted as books, we send them back to the authors who will take a look at them one more time after which we send them back to the editors who look at them again before we send them back to the Federal Ministry of Education for clearing because they have to take a look at them and make sure there are no errors at all. Once this is done, we send copies to NERDC to get their comments and as soon as we get their comment, we begin to sell the books. Our books go through a lot of processes for us to make sure they are almost completely error-free; it's a very tedious process and we can confidently say that the books we sell are completely error-free due to the process they go through before production.
Which stages of schools do you prepare books for?
We do books for primary schools, junior secondary schools and senior secondary schools. We have resisted the attempt to do other kinds of books and we stuck mainly with school textbooks and educational materials. So, that way we are forced to focus entirely on primary and secondary school books. We don't do tertiary education schoolbooks; we might in the end because we are under some kind of pressure to do them but for now, we are strictly on secondary books. We've published one or two books on tertiary institutions, like my own book, Drama and Theatre: A Critical Source book; but it's not our main focus.
Your books are not readily available in the market. What is the target market?
We don't sell our books to bookstores directly; our major targets are the state governments and our second targets are schools. We have avoided bookstores not because we don't like bookstores – at least one or two bookstores carry our books – one in the North and one in Ibadan. But we don't sell books directly to bookstores because once we do that we are open to all forms of piracy which is one of the major problems we face in the industry right now. Most state governments now buy books for their students directly from us and that keeps us happy. We have also found an open market system where we sell books directly to schools. If we start selling our books everywhere in the market you can buy our books everywhere, but even without doing that some of our books are being pirated already. We are victims of piracy and yet we are not selling directly to bookstores. You can imagine what would happen if we start selling to bookstores. Our choice has been to remain with the state governments and schools as we now do directly nationwide. We deal with the Army schools, Navy schools, Airforce school, private schools, Catholic schools and state schools. But we are far less in the East not because we don't like to be there but because we don't have an office in the East as we speak. We have offices in PH, Benin City, Ibadan, Abuja and other places.
You were a former Managing Director of one of Nigeria's biggest newspapers Daily Times and now you are into book publication. How did you make that transition?
It's actually been easy publishing books for me because you're coming from newspaper organization. I don't see more transition. You publish on a daily basis as a newspaper. So, coming from newspapering to book publishing, I'd say it has been quite easy and interesting to me because at the end of the day it's about spreading knowledge and also applying the skills of writing. It's about your skills of being able to judge your readers as a newspaper or a book for students. I find the transition to be very smooth and not difficult at all. In fact, at the end of the day, it's the same realm of profession
Online is the biggest place where published books are found. How accessible are your books online?
If you go online, you cannot only access our books, you can actually buy our books online and pay us online through our portal. You can also download our books online and it's slightly cheaper buying our books online than buying our hard copies. All our books have been formatted to e-books. We have books for primaries 1-3, 4-6, JSS1-3 and those of SS1-3. So, we have four types of` books online for those that like to read online. It's like buying from Amazon.com. Our e-book portal is www.estores.tanusbooks.com; we have the Tanus Digital Reader which is a mobile reading app that allows users Tanus textbooks in an e-book format via a secure and encrypted means running on Android and Blackberry devices. It can also be found on Tanus Books Ltd website, Google store and Blackberry Apple world.
Some of your books are custom made for particular states. Why is this so?
We came to realize that some of the states we deal engage in the free education programme and they themselves realised that most of the books they supply to kids are getting into wrong hands. Some of the books are not just branded we have a little security code on them. If you buy the books and look at the covers you will discover that there is security imprint on them. It means you cannot resell them; so what we do is to say that the books are specially produced for Rivers State, for instance. The other reason why the books are branded is that sometimes some books are redesigned to suit a particular state.
How do you source your authors? Do you commission them to write for you?
Basically, some of our authors are my former colleagues in the university; some of them are persons who approach us to write for us. We also have the consulting team headed by Prof. Ibidapo Obe. He would sometimes recommend authors to us, gives us a list of names to pick from. We equally have in some of the universities key consultants; we enter into an agreement with them. Some of them we also pay off. In one or two cases, we pay them royalties, but that's based on the arrangement. So far we have about 40-45 authors and then we have another 30-40 editors because the guys who write the books don't edit them for us.
Coming from the background of storytelling and journalism, how much of storybooks do you have for children?
We have about 50 classics and these are old classics like Alice in Wonderland, Oliver Twist and we have those copyrights for almost seven years now. Some of them are Shakespeare books and they have been adapted for younger readers. We are trying to see whether we can acquire some African titles and some African classics like Things Fall Apart and The Jero Plays but the classics we have now are mainly English classics.
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Sun staff photos can be ordered by visiting our SmugMug site.
It was a big deal in 2013 when the iconic Bob Dylan played the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. As in front-page news. Think Springsteen at Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
But for those folks in the crowd that night, April 9, 2013, it was the opening act that stole the show. Dawes only played seven songs, but the Los Angeles-based folk-rock band had those in attendance wanting more.
Well, Dawes has been back to Massachusetts in the years that have passed, including a show this past weekend at the Orpheum in Boston, but they haven't returned to Lowell.
That will change, however, when Dawes plays Boarding House Park on Sunday, Aug. 6, at 7:30 p.m., as part of the 2017 Lowell Summer Music Series. Tickets go on sale Thursday, March 16, at www.lowellsummermusic.org and are $42 in advance, $142 premium seating in the first two rows. Dawes will play two sets that night with no opening act.
Dawes is touring behind their most recent album, "We're All Gonna Die," which came out in September. It is the band's fifth studio album, the last four of which have reached the top 100 of the Billboard album chart.
Dawes joins an already announced 2017 lineup that includes Michael Franti and Spearhead on Friday, June 16; Vince Gill on Saturday, June 17; Graham Nash on Friday, July 21; and Stephen Stills and Judy Collins on Sunday, August 20. All shows are at 7:30 p.m.
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed a pair of Sunday shows in the lineup, which is a departure from previous years, when shows would take place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
I asked Peter Aucella, assistant superintendent with Lowell National Historical Park, who works with John Marciano to put together the LSMS lineup each year, about the Sunday schedule, and here's what he had to say:
"There are some acts we really want and we debated at length about doing them on a Sunday, the only date when they were available," Aucella said. "Concerts at other venues happen any day of the week, so we think these will work. We are making sure they end by about 10 p.m. or so to be sure they don't go late."
I'm sure music lovers and LSMS devotees will agree that this is a welcome change. Doing whatever it takes to build the best possible lineup is something that should be music to the ears of LSMS concert-goers.
More announcements are expected soon, so as always, stay tuned to The Sun and www.lowellsun.com for the latest news on the 2017 Lowell Summer Music Series lineup.


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2012 BMW M3 Competition Edition revealed
Looking appropriately cool in its Frozen Silver exterior finish, the 2012 BMW M3 Competition Edition soon will be heading to America, albeit in very limited numbers. Only 40 of these exclusive upgrades will be on offer here, to help commemorate the 40th anniversary of the automaker's fabled "M" performance division and the role that the M3, in particular, has played in reinforcing BMW's well-justified claim to being the Ultimate Driving Machine. Unlike previous M3 special editions, each of these Competition-spec vehicles will be allocated, one each to the first 40 BMW dealers who opt to become M Certified Centers.
Each of the new 2012 BMW M3 Competition Edition models will be identical with respect to their cosmetic and mechanical makeup. To complement their satin-metallic Frozen Silver finish, the cars will feature black hood intakes and dark chrome exterior trim set off by black 19-inch M3 GTS alloy wheels. The performance-themed interior is highlighted by Black Extended Novillo Leather with unique palladium silver accents, an Alcantara-covered multi-function M steering wheel, carbon-fiber dash and console trim bits and a bevy of M3 checkered flag logos.
No changes were made to the M3's standard 414-horsepower/4.0-liter V8 engine, which is backed by BMW's primo seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT), a combo that will allow Competition Edition models to blitz from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. However, handling gets sharpened courtesy of the Competition Package that drops ride height by 10mm in addition to netting the wider-offset M3 GTS rims as well as enhanced mapping on its standard Electronic Damping Control coupled with higher-threshold programming for the M Dynamic Mode.
Rounding out the lengthy roast of standards on the 2012 BMW M3 Competition Edition's are both the Cold Weather Package and the Premium Package. Pricing for this super-exclusive coupe is $81,600 - roughly $20,000 beyond a standard 2012 BMW M3 Coupe.


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With audience numbers shrinking, ESPN is now left with bloated contracts (and hosts) and a product that no longer jibes with the audience's taste.
Ratings in a decline for the better part of a decade, ESPN is making cuts that will affect more than just the back of the house. Word spread Monday that The Network will spread its cost-cutting measures all the way to on-air talent and there is no more an illustrative recent departure than that of OG Chris Berman.
Berman, for those who came of age in the ESPN halcyon days of early pay cable, hosted everything from roller derby to ping pong to monster truck rallies all with the hop-skipping enthusiasm of a trail blazer and nary a hint of a comb over — he happily swam upstream in uncharted waters of a new media age in a chartreuse Century 21 junior agent blazer.
Back in 1979, the year of ESPN's founding, the recent Brown graduate carpetbagged his way to Bristol in lieu of slaving away at a local newspaper or figuring out how to squeeze five days of work into two at a local State Farm. Berman broke the mold for what was required of one to be in front of the camera lens. At an athletic 6'5″, he wasn't quite a schlub, but you could just as easily picture him handing over a slice of honey baked ham at the deli counter and asking whether that cut was thin enough.
His quotidian ethos stirred up action where there was none. The rote and referential nicknaming gimmick would come later, but the man we'd come to know, to invite into our living rooms, was the smart, genial kid who never completely curried favor of the teacher, nor did he draw much ire. He was, after all, the one who could get you in — and out — of trouble.
Berman is gone now and not just metaphorically. The venerable host of Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown and the opening night NFL draft coverage has left the building. Alas, it was time. Berman, now 61, was ready to move on and thusly so was the network he helped grow into a $50 billion sports-driven data juggernaut that has been in steady recent decline numbers- and revenue-wise.
In the fall of 2016, ESPN cost cable subscribers $7.21 per month. The Network, which boasted 100 million subscribers in 2012, is now in the 88-million-and-shrinking range. Media consultants Magid Advisors reported 5.7% of respondents to a cable/satellite survey age 18 to 64 years old said they were "very likely" to discontinue their cable-TV or satellite subscription in last year. That's up from one percent in 2012 and 3 percent in 2015. Expect that number of cutters to continue to increase exponentially in 2017 and beyond as the Millennial dollar stays far away from trap institutions like pay cable, new car buying, suburban jumbo mortgages and beer that's not locally brewed.
To compensate, ESPN has had a recent history of quiet(ish) layoffs. In 2015, it parted ways with on-air and web talent Keith Olbermann and Bill Simmons, both with bloated contracts and shrinking audiences. Later that year, it laid off more than 300 employees, or about 4% of their workforce, to balance out the balance sheet. Last year, Disney demanded The Network cut more than $100 million from its budget and for the remainder of 2017, the Mouse wants an additional $250 million worth of heads to roll.
ESPN is quickly going the way of the local sportscast and the metro sports section that it helped demolish. Buoyed by personalities like Berman, the prep school bully smarm that has defined The Network and gave a voice in sports and pop culture to the baby boomers has grown cold. Unless one is held captive in a hotel lobby bar at the wrinkled-oxford and saggy-socked end of a 16-hour sales conference day, looking bleary-eyed through that last pint of Goose Island, there is no reason to tune in to see what the talking heads of ESPN have to say.
The Network's daytime sports blab shows featuring the likes of newsroom barnacles like Woody fucking Paige, JA Adande and, I dunno, Frank Isola, disagreeing sweet nothings over contract disputes, post-game fashion statements and made-up locker room disputes is simply the white in salami. ESPN, for its part, gave life to the early days intenets notion that the more content the better and stronger their toe-hold would be. Now we know more is not necessarily better. And their dearth of originality and quality, save for the occasional magnificent anomaly like OJ: Made in America or this rocknrolla about batshit Tiger Woods, has created a stagnant and predictable voice that glazes over viewers' eyes and causes them to turn or click elsewhere.
Shuffling around stale on-air talent won't be the answer either. In this current cost-cutting state, ESPN college football reporter Sam Ponder will be the new host of Sunday NFL Countdown and Suzy Kolber will fill in for Berman on the Monday Night run-up. Holdover from the '90s Trey Wingo should also see his role expand to help fill Berman's shoes. Blech.
But the real problem is not with the roster of warmed-over talent coloring up the game, but with ESPN's erstwhile cash cow, the NFL. ESPN's monumental contractual obligation to the league bloats in time to waning public interest in professional football. In 2011, ESPN paid $15.2 billion to renew its contract for Monday Night Football through 2021. Last season, MNF ratings took a huge shit, falling off 24 percent from 2015, which only compounded atop the 9 percent they fell off from 2014.
The slump in prime time ratings for the once-venerable, highest-rated weekly show on cable is due to both an increase in competition and a decrease of intrigue. Be it due to slow play, an interminable number commercials/pauses, a revolt against concussions or too many bingewatchable seasons of Black Mirror, the NFL's TV ratings dropped a cumulative 14 percent in 2016.
Ironically, ESPN was the first network to artificially pump up these ratings scorching the Earth as the only 24-hour sports network and the alternative to waiting for one special locally televised game a week. Suddenly, scarcity was nil and a seemingly endless menu with access to every region gave rise to fantasy leagues and fan interest across time zones. As a result, the professional leagues saw unprecedented audience growth and could demand huge TV contracts, which led to higher salaries and added commas and zeros to the valuations of franchises. Now there isn't a single MLB, NFL or NBA franchise not worth at least one billion dollars with the Detroit Lions' current valuation ($1.44 billion) is among the lowest across all leagues.
ESPN is not completely done yet. It is seeing an increase in viewership of MLS games as well as steady numbers if not a slight uptick of MLB and college basketball audiences. And they still are in position to bring in younger, more compelling talent that has stock lines you don't hear from your dad.
But The Network and its parent company must recognize that viewership metrics as we know them are kaput.
We live in a time when driving your new F-150 to Outback after you peruse the Best Buy and Home Depot to put stuff in your three-car garage as you crack a Bud and sit-down mow your .32-acre lawn before you tune into Sunday NFL Countdown as you fire up the outdoor kitchen is no longer the dream. It's now ride your fixie to get a pour over as you meet up with friends at your rising metro's version of Greenpoint Playground to talk about opening an artisanal cheese shop next to the one that closed four months ago because they only imported, yours will be made onsite. If someone has an Odell Beckham Jr.-sized one-handed-grab highlight cued up on their phone, great.
If not, no biggie. Ain't missing out.
Andrew J. Pridgen is the author of the novella "Burgundy Upholstery Sky". His first full-length novel will be released in late-2017.


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from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- v. To mix or saturate with naphtha.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- transitive v. To mingle, saturate, or impregnate, with naphtha.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To impregnate or saturate with naphtha; enrich (an inferior gas) or carburet (air) by passing it through naphtha.
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Sorry, no example sentences found.


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When the Internet was first conceived and developed, the speed of data transfer was very slow. Today, however, you can not only enjoy super-fast Internet data transfer from all over the country, but also enjoy at your home or office. So, how did the industry make the leap from slow, wired connections to a blazing wireless connection?
What Determines Internet Speed?
Internet speeds are based upon the bandwidth that your service provider has allotted you, often based on how you pay each month. Download and upload speed tests may provide you with a specific number, but the truth is that Internet speed tests will often be biased. This is because they typically take a small data sample and use it to determine where you stand.
The problem with this is that Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, tend to treat traffic differently. A user who is accessing live streaming video may be categorized differently than someone who is accessing a web page. The streamer may receive priority because he or she is gaining access to a greater amount of data, whereas someone who is pulling up a web page may be left to wait because he or she isn't hogging a lot of data. This is not always the case, but ISPs use advanced technology and software to ensure that data is routed properly.
How Internet Download Manager Fights Against Limits
One of the main benefits of Internet Download Manager is that users can schedule downloads. This option means that you can choose a large number of downloads at once, schedule them to download on a specific timeline, and get them on by one. Using this resource, you won't have to fight for data bandwidth, and you will also receive your downloads when you want them to be delivered.
Furthermore, if your ISP issues constraining limits to your downloading ability, Internet Download Manager provides the ability to set limits on how many connections are in use at one moment and how much data can be downloaded within a certain amount of time. This can help to stave of ISPs that are serious about data caps, allowing you to download what you need over the course of a period of time.
To learn more about downloading, check out Free Download Manager through Softonic!


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The advancements in the online business industry brought about the emergence of online banking systems. Here are very vital things that you should know about online banking, if you are considering transacting through these platforms.
10. The online banks have a wide variety of features. Due to the availability of a wide variety of features on the online banking platforms, you should determine the exact features that you are looking for before choosing the right online banking option.
9. Most of the online banking options don't have branches as the physical banks do. If you are used to getting paper checks then you should consider choosing an online bank that has presence in the physical world.
8. Some of the online banks have limits on the amount of money in the transactions that you can make. Although some of the online banking options don't offer limits to the number of transactions, you should determine whether you will be charged some extra fees when the limits are exceeded.
7. The available accounts vary a lot. The number and type of accounts available on the online banks vary from one bank to another. You can find banks offering checking accounts to their customers or money market accounts, while other offer different types of accounts. In other words, determining your exact needs before selecting an online bank is extremely important.
6. Deposits and setting up an account may take longer than it is the case in physical banks. Depositing using money orders and checks can also take a longer time. This is because these instruments ought to be mailed and can thus take up to a week before being credited into the accounts.
5. The online banks are usually cheaper in terms of costs. Because the online only banks don't have some of the overheads that physical banks have, they tend to pass on the savings to their customers. Over a period of time, you will realize that the online banking options will help you save loads of money.
4. You can schedule your payment of bills in such a way that they are automatically paid through the online banks. This kind of bill payment will help you avoid the tedious processes of writing checks and using stamps.
3. The banks use websites that are securely encrypted so as to protect their customers' financial information. Therefore, you have to ensure that the online bank that you choose doesn't predispose your confidential information to thieves and put your savings at risk.
2. You ought to compare various online banking options before choosing the most suitable one for your needs. You shouldn't choose a bank just because it offers a free toaster without doing some background check on it first. Actually, you shouldn't sign up to the first option of online bank that you come across; instead you should make careful comparisons between some of the most established online banks before choosing one or two from the shortlisted banks. Settle for nothing but the best option.
1. The interest Rates vary significantly. There are certain online banks that offer better interest rates than others. It's therefore your duty to take out enough time to do some digging so as to be able to make an informed decision.


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QUINCY – The company looking to open a medical marijuana dispensary in West Quincy is expected to unveil its plans to the city next month.
Ermont Inc., a nonprofit out of Provincetown, has filed an application for a special permit with Quincy's zoning board of appeals that asks for approval to open a dispensary at the warehouse at 216 Ricciuti Drive.
The zoning board's approval is required before the Quincy dispensary, one of 11 in Massachusetts that has received preliminary approval from state officials, can open.
Noreen Murphy, clerk for the city's zoning board, said Ermont will likely appear before the board during its Oct. 7 meeting.
Though John "Jack" Hudson, president and CEO of Ermont, met with city officials and some members of the public during a community meeting in March, the zoning board meeting will be the first time his company will present specific building and operational plans with the city.
Ermont has proposed converting the 34,000-square-foot facility on Ricciuti Drive, next to the Granite Links Golf Club, into a dispensary that grows and sells marijuana to patients who have received permission from their doctors to use the drug.
Medical marijuana was legalized by state voters in 2012.
A spokeswoman for Ermont has said she hopes the dispensary will open in early 2015.
Ermont originally wanted to open the dispensary this summer, but the state Department of Public Health delayed the process when it decided to review the applications of 20 dispensaries that were initially cleared for licenses in January.
In June, the state whittled its list down to 11 dispensaries that can move to the next round of approval, including applicants in Quincy, Brockton, Newton and Brookline.
Patrick Ronan may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow on Twitter @PRonan_Ledger.
Potential pot shop owner to reveal plans in Quincy soon
QUINCY – The company looking to open a medical marijuana dispensary in West Quincy is expected to unveil its plans to the city next month.


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Put a Picture on 'My' Kitchen Backsplash Tile Mural
Custom photo tile murals for kitchen backsplash, shower tile, decorative tiles
personalize your kitchen backsplash with a photo or art
Use any picture you want for a kitchen backsplash tile mural. Custom printed tile murals are unique focal points over the kitchen cooktop, sink, on a bath shower wall, or anywhere you want to express a decorative theme or display a cherished picture. We produce backsplash tile murals from a photo, postcard, painting, or logo. Therefore, anything which can be photographed or scanned can serve as your backsplash image. Enjoy your unique choice of decor on this durable, high value, and functional kitchen surface. Price & ordering information here.
Order your custom printed kitchen backsplash tile mural with pictures from a special vacation or event, fine art, or reproduction of your family crest. Also, see our tile mural picture gallery for more picture backsplash tile ideas. We specialize in producing your picture choice on ceramic, glass, or tumbled marble or porcelain backsplash tiles. Our tile murals are suitable for bathrooms, showers, kitchen walls, and restaurants.
Mural Tile Durability
Kitchen backsplash tiles have a protective glaze with excellent stain resistance – therefore, unaffected by strong household cleansers. We have thoroughly tested the kitchen backsplash tile and bathroom mural tiles (digitally printed indoor wall tiles) and they exhibit excellent resistances to stains and chemical cleansers. Your custom kitchen tile backsplash mural will be easy to clean and safe from food stains. RESTAURANTS: Our tiles are NSF and UL compliant for food prep and food servings areas. Thus, extra strength agents such as bleach and Pine Sol do not harm these custom printed tiles.
For the most aggressive environments including countertops and flooring, use our glass tiles. Choose any art or photography (as with our custom ceramic, tumbled porcelain, and tumbled marble). The image is placed behind the glass. The glass tile mural surface fully protects the custom mural from chemicals, abrasion, and impact, surpassing ASTM and ANSI standards for commercial floor applications.
More pictures are here and pricing/ordering is here. We also produce custom ceramic floor tiles, glass floor tiles, and fade-resistant outdoor tiles which are weather proof and graffiti resistant.
Browse our website for detailed information, pictures of tile murals and kitchen backsplashes, as well as testimonials from our many satisfied domestic and international clients. Calculate kitchen backsplash tile needs.
Assistance from the Outset with Kitchen Backsplash Tile Mural
We make the planning stage easy. Call us or email us with the dimensions of the installation area you have in mind. We can aid in the selection of the size and type of tile appropriate for your Kitchen Backsplash Tile Mural. At this early stage, send a picture (or use one from our tile gallery) to evaluate the size and width/height ratio for the best fit into your mural. These services are done with no obligation, hence, are offered to make our job easier, as well as yours!


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Keeping You on the Road
Audi Service: You can now benefit better superior service from the leading Audi dealer in Pune, avail our exclusive packages offering a wide range of services, and genuine Audi parts. Regular check-ups ensure that your Audi is always in top form and your Audi experience is always enjoyable, even on the most challenging roads.
The USP of Audi Pune servicing team is the troop of world class high profile engineers who not only fix the matters but also suggest for advance maintenance methodologies that can bind and retain more customers.
Care and Maintenance
Audi Service Schedules: Keeping up with your vehicle's scheduled maintenance is the best way to keep your Audi delivering all the performance and passion you love.
It's also a great way to help protect the value of your vehicle and your investment. Audi recommends you take your vehicle only to authorized Audi dealers to ensure that vehicle repairs are performed to the highest specifications.
Our efficient team takes the charge to train you as a customer about the relevance of routine maintenance and also remind you the moment your vehicle would require a servicing.
Audi Workshop
Buying an Audi is just the start of a delightful relationship. We at Audi ensure that you receive excellent care and attention throughout your ownership experience.
With Audi Technicians who have undergone extensive training and more importantly, believe in the 'Vorsprung durch Technik' philosophy, as well as only using Audi Genuine Parts, Audi Pune ensures your vehicle keeps performing to the highest of its capabilities.
Just a couple of the reasons these top class facilities maintain the durability, performance, efficiency and safety you would expect.
Genuine Audi Parts
"As precise as the original."
If you're looking for the equivalent of Audi Genuine Parts, the closest thing you'll find is its reflection. Especially if you value precision, quality, safety & durability, only a true original will fit seamlessly into the complex interplay of Audi technologies. And, only precisely fitted parts possess the quality you expect, and the perfect fit.
Audi is a royal brand and we ensure that each and every minute spare part holds top level quality in terms of genuineness and originality.Our customers never complain, rather praise for our repeat servicing and replacements.


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| Accessories Dodge
2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab- With four doors, this quad cab pickup looks ultra sharp, This truck is versatile. You'll be able to tow your winter and summer toys, get work done, or just look great as you hit the streets around town. This truck is sure to go fast. Come in and check it out!
Details include: 8 cylinder 5.7L, Automatic Transmission, Dual Front Airbags, Four Wheel ABS, Power Steering, Air Conditioning, Power Door Locks, Power Windows, Power Mirrors, Tachometer, Cruise Control, Intermittent Wipers, Tilt Wheel, Towing Hitch, MP3 Capability.


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We had his 6 month check yesterday and his current stats are:
- 17 lbs & 7.4 oz - He's just slightly over 5oth percentile in weight.
- 27 in long - He jumped up to 75th percentile in height. I told Brent this will probably be the only time he's considered "tall" or he isn't taking after his daddy.
Here's what's been going on the past month:
- He is really good at scooting himself around on his belly. He mostly turns in circles, but he is learning to move forward a bit too.
- He loves, LOVES the pups now. We have fun chasing the dogs around and he loves letting Maeby kiss him.
- He is sitting up really well when assisted and can even hold himself up for a few minutes on a good day.
- He still really loves grabbing his feet. He especially pulls on them during diaper changes.
- His hair is slowly increasing, but is definitely lighter than it was at birth. He's actually got quite a bit now, but it all seems to be in the back and it's slowly making it's way to the front and top of his head.
- He is still sleeping through the night great! Bedtime is around 7:15 and we are up around 7am. He's started waking up earlier, but he plays happily in his crib which is wonderful.
- We transitioned from nursing to formula this month. I officially stopped nursing a couple weeks ago and he seems to be doing great with the formula.
- We are eating veggies! We've introduced squash, green beans, carrots and peas. We're about to get started on some fruits as well and we still do a little rice cereal or oatmeal. It has been a hilarious process to watch!
- Along with the veggies, we've started using the highchair for the first time. It makes me feel like he's growing up so fast to see him in a "big boy" chair.
Other than Halloween we haven't had any new major activities this month, but Brent and I are spending our first night away from Fisher tonight. Ah! We are doing a late anniversary celebration (now that I'm no longer nursing) and my parents are coming in town to spend the night with Fish. I'm very excited, but it will be a bit tough to leave my little man all night. I just love seeing that little face before bed and first thing in the morning. (tear)
Here are some pictures from the past month:Check out more pictures of my cutie on Brent's blog www.snapfisher.blogspot.com.
Until next time...


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How It Works
Thanks for printing! Don't forget to come back to Rhino Shield of Georgia for fresh articles!
Close your eyes and imagine you never have to deal with painting the outside of your house. . . for at least the next 25 years. Rhino Shield can help! We show you every step involved so you can virtually experience the entire process. You will learn how the Rhino Shield coating is done properly and the quality materials involved to get the job done right.
Request a Free Estimate Today!
The steps below represent the typical application method a professional painting contractor would use to apply the Rhino Shield product. Every home is unique and some steps may be done differently or additional steps may be required. The goal is to get the job done right the first time.
- Step 1. Thorough Inspection from beginning to end.
- Step 2. Power wash with fungicide
- Step 3. Repair
- Step 4. Sanding and scraping
- Step 5. Caulking
- Step 6. Masking
- Step 7. Priming
- Step 8. Apply the finish coat
- Step 9. Detail finish touch-up
- Step 10. Clean Up
- Step 11. Final Inspection
12 Reasons to Have Rhino Shield on Your Home This Year!
25 Year Warranty
Our 25 year warranty on workmanship and quality ensures that your investment is protected. If you happen to sell your home in the next 25 years, the warranty transfers to the new homeowners, potentially earning you more in the sale.
Bonds Completely
With typical exterior paint, moisture can penetrate the paint film and get behind it and cause the wood to swell, leaving blisters, cracking, or peeling. Rhino Shield exterior paint bonds completely to the surface of your home, so you don't have to worry about peeling and repainting. Our APS primer is unlike any primer on the market in terms of adhesion, penetration, and water sealing.
Helps Repel Water
Rhino Shield is a high build formula that meets the Miami/Dade wind driven rain specification. This helps protect your home from the strongest storms and is ideal for coastal environments.
Can Help Reduce Energy Cost
This ceramic coating system offers an R-value equivalence of 6.89 and is classified as a LOW E coating. This helps to insulate your home which can lower your energy bills, saving you money.
Resists Fading
You may think that after 25 years your home's color would fade from sun damage. Due to colorants used in the paint, some colors feature UV protection to help resist fading making sure your home's color stays bright and vibrant.
Resists Algae and Mildew
Additives in the multi-layered exterior paint provide superior algae and mildew resistance to avoid causing harmful damage to your home that leads to time-consuming and expensive repairs.
Allows Wood To Breathe
Although Rhino Shield exterior paint bonds completely to your home's surface, it also allows the wood to breathe which is how it prevents chipping, cracking, and peeling common with other paints.
Looks Like Fresh Paint
Our exterior paint gives your home a beautiful, natural look. Our endless variety of color options ensures that your home will look as beautiful and fresh on Day 1 as it will in 25 years. That's our guarantee!
BASF Tested
Rhino Shield has been extensively tested and certified to ASTM standards by top laboratories including BASF, Momentum, Atlas Labs, and UL certifications. Ongoing testing ensures consistent quality and performance. Rhino Shield exterior paint testing includes accelerated aging tests and confirmed that our product performs as well as we say it will.
Class "A" Fire Rating
Rhino Shield exterior paint received a Class "A" fire and smoke rating. In areas prone to wildfires, building with this rating may qualify for discounted homeowners insurance.
Unlimited Colors
Georgia Coatings offers a wide range of vibrant colors of Rhino Shield exterior paint. We can also match colors from other brands and home improvement stores so you're sure to find the right look for your home.
Won't Chip, Crack, or Peel
Rhino Shield's waterproofing and bonding capabilities mean that it will protect your home from the elements while still remaining fresh and vibrant without chipping, cracking, or peeling.