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by Stargazerm31
Eastern Caribbean
February 25, 2002
In order for my review to have meaning to you, I think it is important to try and understand what type of person and cruiser I am. This is my eight cruise and second aboard Princess. I have done the Ecstasy 96, Galaxy 99, Mercury 99, Sea Princess 00, Millennium 01, Zenith 01, and Grand Princess 01.
In order to better understand my review, I think it is important to know the type of person that I am and the type of vacation that I like. I am a type A vacationer who likes to snorkel, sail, and walk and look at shops. I rarely use the casino, and I am not a big bar/disco person, so bars are not high on my list. My wife and I cruise to dine, meet other people, and to see the ports and relax. Service is important, but I do not expect people to be perfect all the time. I am not, so why should they have to be. I just expect them to try and give their best effort. I also understand the difference between 5 start cruise cuisine and I don't confuse or compare it to 5 star restaurant cuisine. The ship has to feed 800 to 1700 people per seating where a restaurant only feeds 200 a night.
With that said, I will give my humble opinion of the Celebrity Summit.
This is our fifth Celebrity Cruise and second on the Millennium class ship. Princess is a great line and I would not turn my nose at cruising on them, but I still prefer Celebrity. We did the 11-night Ultimate Caribbean. We chose this because of the line, ship, and itinerary. We have never been on a cruise over 7-nights so we were looking forward to this cruise. Seven night cruises seem like you just get on and get relaxed and it is over, and I don't have the time to do a 14-day yet.
Pam and I are doing this cruise for our 10th anniversary and we were going with my brother and his wife who just celebrated their 25th anniversary.
Our cruise was on a Monday, but being in the Mid-west, flying through Chicago, we decided to go down on Saturday. Yes we suffered. Two days in Florida instead of Indiana in winter. We suffered. LOL. We flew American because I am Platinum with American.
Ft. Lauderdale
We chose to stay at the Best Western Ocean Side Inn that is only a mile from the pier and it is on the beach on A1A. We had never stayed there but got the room for $95 a night.
Flew out on Saturday afternoon on American Airlines through Chicago. Everything went smoothly and both flights were on time. Arrived in Ft Lauderdale at 9 PM. Our checked bags made an earlier flight and they were waiting on us at baggage claim. Picked up a Hertz rental and we were at the hotel by 9:30 PM.
I would not include the Best Western Oceanside as one of my choice places to stay. It is okay. Here were the problems that we found. I provide this not to complain, but to give you and idea of what our room was like and whether you would want to stay there. First, there were nacho chips under the bed but very visible standing up. The cleaning person made no effort in her sweeping. The sink in the bathroom would not drain. The main thing is the noise. There were parties going on till 3 AM and the road noise from A1A was very loud. We take earplugs because we expect this, but even the earplugs would not block the noise enough to sleep.
We ended up moving to the Marriott Harbor View on 17th Street. This is a very nice facility. Next time, we will stay here and skip the rental car. You really don't need it. Most things are within walking distance.
We ate lunch at Bimini Boatyard. It is a great place for lunch. It is located on 17th St between the Embassy Suite and the Marriott. In that same area there are a couple of grocery stores and a couple of liquor stores. The Crown Liquor has the best selection of wines, beer and other liquor. We finished the day with dinner at the 15th Street Fishery. The Fishery is very good and we really enjoyed the breads.
We took the Marriott shuttle to the pier and arrived at 10:30 AM. The shuttle service is great because they take names/reservations. There was not a mad dash to fight on board the shuttle like the Amerisuites.
The pier was great. There was only the Summit and the Rotterdam in port that day so it was not crowded. When we arrived, Celebrity was still moving the bag handlers out, but we were through the curbside check in 5 minutes tops and into the embarkation area. You go in and they give you a returning form with your post cruise travel options to fill out. Suite and Captain's Club members go to the left and the rest go straight. They started boarding the suite and Captain's Club members at 11 AM. Took a few minutes to clear security and then they had a couple of dozen staff persons waiting to check you in. All in all, it took about 10 minutes and we were on the ship by 11:20 AM.
Our room wasn't ready, by Miguel let us put our carry on bags in the room. We wondered the ship and then went and made our Normandie Restaurant reservations and up for a pizza lunch. The pizza was the normal great Celebrity pizza and it was good and hot. I then had some desert at the buffet and we went to the grill for some fries. Celebrity has very good fries as long as they are hot and these were hot.
Went to our room at around 1:30 and 4 of our 5 checked bags where there so we started unpacking.
I would have to give Celebrity an A+. I'm not sure how it could have been done better.
The Ship:
Deck 2 (Continental) - all staterooms.
Deck 3 (Plaza) - Half of this deck is occupied by staterooms from mid-fore to mid-ship. The Celebrity Theater stage level is on this deck but there is no access to the theater from this deck. You have to go to deck 4 and deck 5 to enter the theater. The lower level of the Grand Foyer is here. Guest Relations is on this level as well along with Shore Excursions. The Cinema/Conference Center is on this level along with the Specialty Restaurant (Normandie). In comparing the Normandie to the Olympic on Millennium, there are several differences. The Olympic, wood panel front room on the Millennium is beautiful, but I found the back half plain. The wine cellar in the Olympic is very beautiful with all the solid wood shelves and racks. The Normandie is very elegant all over. It is not divided into two distinct rooms like the Olympic. The wine cellar is, well, just a wine cellar. Nothing special about the wine cellar.
Deck 4 (Promenade) - This deck is not even close to a true Promenade deck. It does not go around the front or back of the ship. It is rather disappointing because Pam and I always like to stroll around the Promenade before and after dinner. This is a very busy deck on most ships, but on the Summit it is not used much. The lack of Teak wood takes away some of the charm that you would normally associate with the promenade.
Starting from the fore of the ship is the main entrance to the Celebrity Theater. A main problem is it gets a little tight entering here because you have the Photo Gallery on the starboard side and Michael's Club on the port side. The Celebrity Theater is beautiful. In my humble opinion, it is the nicest afloat. The sight lines are very good and the seating is very comfortable. Moving toward mid-ship you then enter Fortunes Casino. The casino is very large and has all the standard slots and table games you expect on a ship this size. Celebrity did not make the Summit casino as crammed as the Millennium. I think that it has more style that it's sister ship. It was normally very crowded. You then enter the second level of the Grand Foyer. As you move toward the aft of the ship, you enter the Rendez-Vous Lounge. This is a wonderful place to meet and have a drink and listen to music before dinner, and is a main staple of Celebrity ships. The main entrance to the Main Restaurant connects to the Rendez-Vous Lounge. I love the Celebrity Dinning room. The large windows on the aft are wonderful to watch the world go by while you eat! We were seated at table 471, which was a table for ten. The key thing I hate is that it was up towards the entrance and our seats were right on the major traffic path for all the waiters. It was very busy and noisy. The bad part was that you could not see the central dinning area or the upper level. My opinion is you really want to be on the upper level. When you get your table assignment, if it is a 400 number you are on the 4th floor and if it is a 500 number you are on the upper level. If it is an odd number you are seated on the port side and even numbers are on the starboard side. The dinning room itself is very elegant especially the stairs that go up to the second level. One down fall in certain areas (we happened to be in one) is that they put the table very close together so when everyone is seated at both tables, it is hard for one server to get through and it is compounded when there are two staff teams assigned to the different tables.
Deck 5 (Entertainment) - This is another of the main traffic decks. The balcony level entrance to the Celebrity Theater is at the fore of this deck. Moving from the theater towards the middle of the ship, you enter the specialty shops. Celebrity allocates a large amount of space for their shops. At mid-ship, you enter the Grand Foyer. You can see down to the other two levels but there are no stairs going down to them from this deck. There are the glass elevators on the port side that can take you up or down from here. Moving towards the aft from the Grand Foyer, you will enter one of my favorite places. On the port side, you enter The Champagne Bar and on the starboard side, you enter the Martini Bar which is another staple of the Celebrity ships. There is a large, circular hole in the middle between the bars that you can walk around to get to the other. The whole allows the crowd and the music from the Rendez-Vous Lounge to come up to this deck from deck 4. It is great. The music is not as loud, so I found it a better place to hold a conversation.
Deck 6 (Penthouse) - This deck is completely made up of staterooms. The loan public area is the The Tower at mid-ship by the glass elevators. They do not have CD's here anymore but there are listening stations that you can select songs or albums and listen to them in there.
Deck 7 (Vista) - This is also made up of staterooms. Again, the lone exception is The Tower at mid-ship.Deck 8 (Panorama) - This deck is all staterooms except for Words at mid-ship.
Deck 9 (Sky) - This deck is the last deck with staterooms. Words is located at mid-ship on this deck as well.
Deck 10 (Resort) - During the sea days, this is a very busy deck. In the fore of this deck is the Aquaspa, Salon, Weight Room, and Treatment Center. The weight center is very nice and has a large selection of weights (a few free weights), treadmills, stationary bikes, steppers, and rowing machines. Right off the Aquaspa is the Aquaspa Cafe for those that are looking for a more health conscious lunch. Going from the Aquaspa, you go outside to the main Pool. The pool is normal size for a cruise ship and there are 4 hot tubs along with the standard lounge chairs and tables with chairs. Going from the pool area to the aft of this deck, you enter the Waterfall Cafe where buffet style breakfast and lunch are served. At the very aft is the Grill and you can take your food from either offering out on to the open air back area and eat, drink, and watch the world go by. You also get pizza and ice cream in the cafe area as well.
Deck 11 (Sunrise) - This deck has the Revelations lounge on the fore of the deck. It is enclosed by glass windows and is a nice place visit. Mid-ship on this deck is open to the pool below. The jogging track circles this opening and goes back to the aft of the ship. The Video Arcade and Ship Mates Fun Factory (for kids) is on the aft of this deck.
Deck 12 (Sports) - Not much of a deck. The basketball court is stashed away up here and that is about it.
Overall, I really enjoy the Millennium class ship. It fits me personally along with my tastes. It may not fit everyone's tastes but that is okay. Yes, they use artificial plants and flowers, big deal, I thought they looked nice. The art work is a little strange, but then, I am not there for the art. They had a much better selection in their Galleria than on the Millennium. This class of ship really puts the others that I have been on to shame.
The only time I felt crowded ones once on deck 4 coming out of the Celebrity Theater, it was hard getting through the casino. Otherwise, it rarely felt crowded and you could always find deck chairs somewhere.
We booked almost a year ago and took advantage of a great prepay deal. We booked a CAT 3 on the aft. We were in room 7199 on the Vista Deck. This room was in a great location. I found the sound of the wake very relaxing. There are rooms above and below so it is quiet. To get to the room, you go down a short hall and then turn left into the room. This helps keep the room very quiet.
This room is huge. I feel bad having this room for only two people for a few minutes, but that lasted only a few minute. Since Pam and I have been to three of the seven ports before, we were treating our room as several shore excursions. LOL
The room is really three distinct areas. There is the entry area with the closets and bathroom, the main sleeping area and the back sitting/sleeping area. Over all, the cabin measures 283 Sq. Ft. The entry is 86 sq ft, the main bedroom is 97 sq ft and the back area is 100 sq ft. The back room and the main room are divided by a partitioned wall with sliding door.
The closet space and drawer space is beyond belief! No joke. There are 5 (yes 5) closet doors. Four of them are for hanging clothes from hangers. We had a his and her space. The other is the area with drawers and the safe. The safe was great! You could use your room key to lock and unlock it or you can enter a code everytime. There were 20 drawers spread out through the main bedroom and the back bedroom. A huge desktop table was in the main room. This was the first time that I did not lack for counter space. I could type on the computer, sit the wine up on the shelf, Pam could plug in her curlers and have plenty of room left over.
The main bedroom had two twins pushed together as a queen. Pam is tall (5'8") and I am 6'1". Our legs were longer than the bed which was a very minor problem. It keep me awake about an extra 30 seconds. The main room has a Standard TV and there is a VCR along with the standard stocked refrigerator with food they charge you for. The back room had a two seat love seat and a three seat couch with a counter and a second TV. The room is a light wood color (not white). The carpet is burnt orange with white spots. It all seemed to fit very well.
Have to give our room an A+. My fear was we would get upgraded to a suite which I didn't want.
The Staff:
I found the staff to be the normal Celebrity staff, which I like. They are very efficient and are very willing to help you. They are not buddy-buddy with you, so many people think they are arrogant or unfriendly. Our cabin steward was Miguel. He did an excellent job. On our first day, we had several things we needed or wanted done and he did they quickly and efficiently. This continued through out the cruise. Probably one of the best room stewards we have ever had.
Our waiting staff was Joseph and Cinbar. They did an outstanding job. They worked very hard and were very friendly. Our table was a table for 10 and we were with a group of 6 that really wanted to be at a table of 6. They were fine, but I always had the feeling we were intruding so it was a little uncomfortable. Half way through, they changed to first seating and a table of six. This left Paulfredo, Dixie, Pam and I at a huge table for 10. This was great because we set by the window and we were out of the major path of the waiters in the aisle. I felt bad for Joseph and Cinbar with the group leaving because I don't know if they tipped them for the first half of the cruise. Again, the service was first rate.
The food:
The food is what brings us back to Celebrity. First, we have our expectations set correctly. It still amazes me that they can produce the quality of food when serving 1000 people per setting. This was the first time that we choose to take the 2nd seating for dinner. We like to eat about 7 but we hate missing the sail aways.
Upon arriving, you can choose between the buffet at the Waterfall Cafe on deck 10 or they have Pizza by the Waterfall Grill or there are hamburgers and fries on the grill by the pool on 10. The buffet looked good, but we opted for the famous Celebrity pizza. It was hot and is the best pizza at sea (sorry Princess fans, JMHO). We then had a helping of the French fries. They are excellent and they were hot. Hard to beat that. Finished the lunch off with the frozen yogurt cone which was great. Tasted like true ice cream.
Dinner was excellent the first night. The fish and the veal were excellent. Deserts were to die for as well. I love the traditional swan puff and the apple desert was great as well.
The breakfast buffet at the Waterfall Cafe is good. It is a standard buffet. I like the French toast. They have a very good selection of fruits, cheese, breads, hot dishes, and cereals. There is an omelet station back by the Rainbow Grill that makes fresh to order omelets as well.
Lunch's at the Cosmopolitan Restaurant were very good. We ate there on Key West Tuesday and the Rock Fish and the Thai dish were very good. Some may thing the Rock Fish is over cooked, but it wasn't. Rock fish has a firm to hard texture and it can come off as dry or over cooked. In this case it was prepared excellent. The mango cheese cake is very good as well.
In order to keep the review short (LOL), I will omit the other items. I found the meat dishes to be excellent especially the lamp and steak. I did not have any chicken so I can't really say how it was. The fish seemed a little drier than I remember it in the past. The sad part was I have now noticed a down grade in the Celebrity dinning experience. These are small points, but none the lease they have started cutting costs. In cruises past, the ice tea in the dinning room was freshly brewed. They have now switched to a mix from a machine in order to feed so many people they say. Right, that is cost cutting. The other thing I noticed was the bread in the dinning room was not as good. It was not as fresh and many times it seemed to be day old. Again, nothing major, just a change.
The Normandie
Okay, I have to eat crow (and if it is from the Normandie, I'll love it.) I have always made fun of those that dished out $25 a person to go here. I didn't go to the Olympic on the Millennium. My stance has been that I paid for food once, why should I pay for it again.
Now for the crow. We decided to try it on the first semi-formal night. After that, Paulfredo held me down and made me go back two more times after that! Honest, I really didn't want to go, they made me!
Ladies and Gentlemen, that was true, restaurant 5 star dinning. I have never been so pampered or entertained. The food was outstanding as was the service. I have heard that Celebrity really doesn't make any money on the fee the charge and I believe it.
You only get four courses. The first time, I started out being disappointed because you get 1) choice of soup, salad or appetizer; 2) main course; 3) choice of cheeses; 4) desert. There were so many items in course one I wanted to try, but couldn't. I thought I would leave hungry. Wrong! The cheese souflee is to die for. It may not sound good or appetizing, but it was out of this world. The Caesar salad is huge and is authentic. The onion soup was wondrous per Dixie and several others were outstanding as well.
The main courses were excellent. Some are strange like the vegetable lasagna. The sea bass was very good, but I think the best review was of the rack of lamb and the beef tenderloin. They were prepared excellent. I can still taste them!! The veal was excellent as well.
The cheese course was outstanding especially with good wine. We brought our own wine most of the time and were charged the $6 corkage charge. The deserts are out of this world! The vote was for Michael six desert sampler. The chocolate souflee was great but very rich! The crepes suzette were very good and they make them in front of you. The white and chocolate mouse that they served on the Normandie was outstanding. Yes, they had to roll us out of there three times and they knew us by name on the third night.
Shows and Entertainment:
This is not something that we spend a lot of time with. Once you have seen a few production shows (doesn't matter what cruise line), you have pretty much seen them all. We did go and see a few of the solo performers and they where very, very good. The group Metro was very good The sound effects guy, Kirby St. Romain was excellent as was comedian Noodles Levenstein. The vocalist Les Lankhorst and Darbie Pope Korkmaz were both excellent.
Lots of big band and dancing in the Revelation Lounge. Most people that I saw were having a very good time.
Disembarkation was fairly easy. They disembark on the fourth deck for just in front of the casion. We started at 8:40 AM. We were off the ship by 9:10 AM and we were at the airport by 9:30 AM. Since we were the only ship in port, getting a taxi was easy. The only compliant is the passangers ignored the color codes and just went. How rude but then what do you expect. All of our luggage was together. All in all, it was pretty easy.
Ports of Call
Key West (Tuesday) - This was our fourth time to Key West. My main complaint is that you don't have enough time here. It would be great if you could be there until 10 PM. Oh well, maybe someday. We had supper weather. It was sunny and about 80 degrees. This was new in that we docked at the new pier and not the Navy pier. This was great because you could walk right to the downtown area and Duval Street with in minutes and not have to take the trolley. The town is great. Again, wish we could be there latter and longer. If you are looking for quality tee shirts, there are two Crazy Shirt stores on Duval St. The tee shirts are expensive $23 to $27, but they last for years (I have some that are 9 years old). There are shops right on the pier. I like Key West. May have to go back and stay longer.
Cozumel, Mexico - This was our sixth time in Cozumel. We took a cab to town and walked around. It was very windy and cool this day.
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica - This was our first time in Costa Rica. The pier has a shopping area right by it. The shopping is okay. The vendor's bother you but it is not overwhelming. When you leave the pier, there are very few tourist on the streets. I never felt unsafe, but it felt strange to not see other ship passengers. We walked by the Market and by the Cathedral. The Cathedral wasn't much. I wouldn't waste my time.
This was our only ship tour. We did the PL-5 Toruguero Canals tour at 8:45AM. I really enjoyed it. I found it interesting to see the canals, jungles, grasslands, and wildlife. Was it worth it, yes for me. I think Paulfredo, Pam and Dixie would disagree, but I did enjoy it. I am glad I did it once. It was an hour drive to the dock and there ARE restrooms on the buses. There are restrooms at the pier and the line can be long. There are no women's and men so it is a free for all for the 8 stalls. Try and make sure you get a two seat boat instead of the four seat wide boat. Much easier to view from the two seat wide. We had a great guide and he spoke very good English. The poverty is amazing in Costa Rica. You will see that on the ride to the pier. The ride back is only about 10 minutes.
Colon, Panama - Like Costa Rica, this was our first time in Panama. We went out on our own and found a cab that took us to the Gatun locks. This is a must. It was a 20 minute taxi ride there and back. We spent 25 minutes there and there were ships going into the lake and then ships would follow them into the lock. It was amazing. I will do the trip through the canal one day. Our drive did not speak English. Fortunately, Paulfredo knew a little Spanish. We made it there and back without incident. The shopping by the pier is good, but you are hounded every step for taxis, beggars, or people selling things.
Cartagena, Colombia - First time in this country and port. We had read mixed reviews about this stop. Security always concerns me my first time in a country until I get a feel for it. As it turned out, the concern were way overstated. I felt safe in Caartagena. As safe as in Chicago, Dallas, New York, or San Francisco. Yes you have to be careful, it is a big city. I recommend that you don't wear your jewelry. We took a taxi on our own and went to the Monastery and then to the Fort. We beat most of the tour buses. These were great sites and a must see. The only problem is the vendors mob you before you can open the taxi door. There is a white line as approach the Monastery that they cannot pass and they don't so going through the Monastery is hassle free. The only thing there is children beggars stand 12 to15 feet below the wall and hold sticks up with cut open jugs trying to beg dollars. There are restrooms at the Monastery worth using so go there. The fort is huge. There are swarms of vendors there as well. There is a bathroom, but women should not plan on using it. There was no toilet paper and you could not flush it. There were to 55 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans full of water to flush the toilet. It was very hot, but there was a breeze. It was not nearly as bad as many posters made Cartagena out to be.
Oranjestad, Aruba - This was the port that I was looking forward to and wanting to see. Was I excited. Is a seven year old excited on Christmas morning? Lol It was better than I hoped. It is now my second favorite island behind Maui. We rented a car in Aruba via Avis. I recommend that. They drive on the right hand side of the road and the island is small. We went to the North West side of the island to Malmok Beach. The snorkeling was not good. For those that rave about it, you need to go to Maui to see good snorkeling. We then went to the Lighthouse and sand dunes. This was very cool and worth the time. The island is a desert. If you like to golf, the Tierra del Sol course looked great.
We then drove to the north shore to see the land bridge. That is a must see. The restrooms are nice at the landbridge but you pay a quarter but it is worth it. The rocky shore with the water breaks makes for great pictures. Shopping in the main town is great. I would have given anything for 3 more hours there. Pricing is very reasonable. In fact, it was equal to pricing in Indianapolis for gas and food. We had lunch at a traditional Aruba restaurant, McDonnalds (LOL). The cost of a double cheeseburger value meal was $3.50. I would have guessed it would have been a lot more.
Georgetown, Grand Cayman - This would have been our fifth time in Grand Cayman. This is one of my favorite islands in the Caribbean. It was very windy this day and we were delayed getting into the pier by the local authorities. There were six ships anchored there that day. Finally, Celebrity told us that it was too risky to tender passengers and they were pulling anchor and heading to sea. You could see the other ships starting to tender. There have been many people complaining on the boards about that, but personally, it was the right decision. I am not sure that it was too rough, but it was about 11 AM when we could have started tendering and the last tender back was 4:30 PM, there is no way it was worth going ashore. We would have been competing with five other ships of space and we never would have gotten to shore or would have had limited time. by heading out to sea, it became another sea day. They opened the casino and the shops at noon. They gave free rum punch's and buy one get one free drinks from 4 to 5 as comp. Many people gripped, but give me a break, Celebrity didn't have to do that. I felt bad for those that had sting ray city planned for the first time, but heck, every ship goes to Grand Cayman in the Western Caribbean.
This was a fantastic cruise. I still love Celebrity although the food as started to slide a little. I have determined that I like the 11 night cruise over the 7 because it is relaxing. There were very few kids which was kind of nice. Yes the crowd was older (50's through 80's), but we expected that since it was an 11 night cruise when schools were in session. I enjoy the older crowd. Most followed the smoking rules and dress rules at dinner. Oh well, to make up for having to leave, we booked the Brilliance of the Sea for this time next year for 11-nights.
Happy Cruising
(Future Cruises: NCL Star 7/02, Maasdam 10/02, Brilliance 1/03)


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I saw this photo on Pinterest...
See you tomorrow!
A little "paws" is good for everyone...including cats! LOVE THIS!ReplyDelete
Lol brilliant
Jackie x
Aww Vicky, I hope everything is ok. Thanks for the giggle! Hugs! xReplyDelete
Fabulous Vicky....
Hugs Sylvie xx
Enjoy the crazy! Your blog AND readers will be here tomorrow :)ReplyDelete
Aww,Vicky,that is just so cute-and such a fabulous title for the post too!

subset: commoncrawl


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Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
Lai, T. (2011). Inside Out & Back Again. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's Books.
Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
From Saigon to Alabama, Inside Out and Back Again is the story of a year in the life of Hà, a ten-year-old girl who flees Vietnam with her mother and brothers, in hopes of escaping the Vietnam War and building new—and safer—lives for themselves in the United States.
Written as a series of short poems, it is a sparse and honest narrative that follows Hà as she leaves behind the only home she's ever known to travel by boat to America. She may have left war behind, but plenty of difficulty awaits, and Hà and her family struggle to find their footing in the United States. At the end of the year, though—and as the book ends—they're finally getting their bearings, all holding onto hope that life will keep getting better.
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco is a story about two child soldiers of the Civil War who become friends. They are both fighting against the 'sickness of slavery' when Pink finds Say dying on the battlefield. Pink brings him to the slave house where his mother nurses Say back to health.
The boys then prepare to go back to fight for the Union when they are discovered by Confederate 'marauders'. Pink's mother is killed and the boys are later caught in a field heading back to battle. Pink is executed and Say is imprisoned. He eventually is released to live a long life, and the story of Pink and Say is passed down through generations
This story, about how a young black soldier rescues a white soldier, opens young readers' eyes to the injustices of slavery and the senselessness of war. Highly charged emotionally, this masterful retelling of a true story is seen through the white soldier's eyes.
Family is a pretty big deal for any ten-year-old, but for Hà in Inside Out and Back Again, family is all she has left after the fall of her home in Vietnam. And when we say all, we really mean it. With little more than the clothes on her back, and her doll promptly winding up in the ocean after they depart, Hà basically only has her mother and brothers when she arrives in the United States. That her father's been missing since she was just a baby only heightens her awareness of the preciousness of family—his absence is felt by each of them. Understandably, then, Hà holds tight to her family, depending upon them to help her make her way in this strange new place, and cherishing the safety and familiarity they provide.
We never find ourselves in the heat of battle in Inside Out and Back Again, and it's a good thing, too, since our main character is a ten-year-old girl. So unlike other war stories you might have read, this one explores the impact war has on the life of a child. Hà writes about the immediate effects of war on her life, taking us through the period of escape and the experience of becoming a refugee in the American south. Though not a soldier herself, with her father and her homeland lost to war, Hà's life is radically changed by the violence in Vietnam.
Race is a major theme because this story tells the similarities and differences between Pink and Say from Say's point of view. His youthful naivety and innocence makes their interactions charming and lighthearted, in stark contrast to the events of the times and to Pink's experiences. Say had never seen a boy like Pink up close, who he calls the color of mahogany.
Family is a strong theme as Say is invited into Pink's home and treated like family. They tell each other family stories. This story comes from the oral tradition of passing stories down through families. Pink and Say become like brothers during their time together, and Say says Pink and Moe Moe Bay are his family now.
Discussion Questions:
- What are some of the things that stand out to Hà about living during a war? Does she seem scared? Why or why not?
- What kinds of things seem to be affected the most during war? The least?
- How does Hà's relationship with her brothers change over time? Who is she closest with? Why?
- How does her father play a part in this story? Does anything change when they decide he has died?
Lesson Objective: After reading Inside Out & Back Again, students will be able to create a mind map about the Vietnam War.
Lesson Activity: Watch this video about the Vietnam War: https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/vietnamwar/
- Video: first just watch for the gist
- Video: second watch: notice/note
- FYI: – in depth: create a mind map – real life: create a mind map – graphs/stats/#s: copy down the info – arts/entertainment: read
- Make-a-Map: create and submit a map to your teacher
Discussion Questions:
- What was the perspective of both sides, North and South during the Civil War?
- What was it like to be a slave during the War?
- What was life like for a soldier during the War?
- What was it like to be an older child during the War?
Lesson Objective: After reading Pink and Say, students will be able to create an illustrate Civil War ABC book using information collected during unit of study.
Lesson Activity: The first 5 class periods are dedicated to reading Pink and Say and other books about the Civil War. The next 5 would be used to create the Civil War ABC books.
Step 1: Before reading the story, I have my students gather at our reading carpet with a clipboard and a piece of lined paper. I explain to the students that we are going to read a story that took place during the Civil War. I then ask my students to tell me what they think they already know about the Civil War. I begin to create a KWL Chart while the students share their ideas. The 'K' stands for what the students "Think they Know," The 'W' stands for "What we want to know," and the 'L' stands for "What we learned and is confirmed true." As a class, we will continue to fill out the chart as we progress through our studies of the Civil War.
Step 2: Explain to the students that as you read the story you want them to create a list of words and phrases that would help them remember and describe what they are learning about the Civil War. Have the students write "Words about the Civil War" on the top of their paper before reading. I encourage the students to write down any words that come to their mind, not just words found in the story.
Step 3: As I read the story, I stop every couple of pages to discuss what is occurring. I then invite students share some of the words they have written down and how they would describe or explain the Civil War. I also create a class list to help those who might have difficulty finding words. Common words students might write include pain, children, Abraham Lincoln, Union, danger, root cellar, marauders, master, Confederate Army, friendships, slave.
Step 4: After the students are finished reading we discuss what we have learned about the Civil War. For several days after reading the book, my students study more about the Civil War by reading their textbooks and other classroom materials. As they learn more about the Civil War, we continue to fill out the KWL Chart and students continue to add words and phrases about the war to their lists. They also take notes in their notebooks.
Step 5: When I feel the students have accumulated enough information, they break-up into groups of 4-5 students. As a group, they will create and illustrate an ABC picture book about the Civil War. (During this time, I have students look through other ABC books to give them ideas about how to set-up their books.) Students are instructed to brainstorm a word or an idea about the Civil War that coincides with each letter of the alphabet. After that is finished the students write a couple of sentences describing how the word or idea is connected to the Civil War. I find it works best if each student takes a couple of letters of the alphabet to work on and as a group they edit and revise each others work before they create the final copy of the book. During this process, I have my students participate in mini-lessons to bring them through the writing process.


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Main projects:
- Development of tools for modeling and analysis of RNA and RNP 3D structures. We develop software for modeling of RNA structures and for prediction of RNA-ligand interactions. Examples include ModeRNA (for comparative modeling of RNA 3D structures), SimRNA (for folding simulations of RNA), DARS-RNP (for RNA-protein docking), and LigandRNA (for RNA-ligand docking).
- Development of tools for protein structure prediction. We develop software for protein structure prediction from sequence. The pipeline of methods developed in our laboratory includes the fold recognition metaserver, modeling tools, and model quality assessment tools and is available via the GeneSilico TOOLKIT. The most recent addition is QA-RecombineIt, a method for model assembly from fragments combined with model quality assessment.
- Development of databases of nucleic acid metabolism. We developed the MODOMICS database of systems biology of posttrascriptional RNA modification and REPAIRtoire, a database of DNA repair pathways.
- Characterization of novel enzymes involved in RNA metabolism. We predict (using bioinformatics) and characterize experimentally novel enzymes, in particular RNA methyltransferases and RNases.
- Protein engineering. We use computational and experimental techniques to (re)design and create experimentally enzymes with new functions, e.g. restriction enzymes with new substrate speificities. Our recent success is the development of eRNases: restriction enzymes that cleave RNA sequence-specifically.
- Discovery of candidates for new drug leads. We use high-throughput virtual screening in combination with experimental analyses to identify candidates for inhibitors of enzymes from human pathogens (bacteria and viruses).
These research projects are currently funded by:
ERC (European Research Council - EU) - ERC-StG grant
FNP (Foundation for Polish Science - Poland) - TEAM grant
NCN (National Science Centre - Poland) - MAESTRO grant to J.Bujnicki and a number of various grants to Bujnicki lab members
MNiSW (Ministry of Science and Higher Education - Poland) - research, special, SPUB, and PhD grants
6&7 FP (Framework Programme - EU) - EURASNET Network of Excellence


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Shannon - posted on 06/04/2011 ( 8 moms have responded )
My daughter is 7 weeks. When my boyfriend and i are both in bed she sleeps in her crib but once he heads to work i take her to bed with me and breastfeed her in the side laying position i try to stay awake so i can burp her after she eats but about half the time i fall asleep until she fusses because she is hungry again. i always wake to her sound or searching for the nipple but once she is latched it becomes way more difficult to stay awake. is it bad if she isn't always burped directly after she eats? should i feed her sitting up so i don't fall asleep?
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Current Projects
As college completion becomes a national priority, board members must make student success and degree attainment a board priority as well. AGB's work on Board Engagement in College Completion and Attainment is made possible through funding by Lumina Foundation.
Faced with demands for increased accountability, governing boards are called upon to become more attentive to the governance of athletics. AGB is committed to fostering Board Oversight of Intercollegiate Athletics.
The Guardians Initiative is a national campaign to engage college and university trustees in reclaiming the value proposition of higher education and its contribution to both individuals and society.
AGB believes that a critical first step in the transformation of HBCUs is to strengthen governance. The Initiative for Strengthening HBCU Governance and Leadership is a multi-year program that to addresses existing challenges within HBCUs while position themselves strategically, now and into the future.
As the sector continues to face disruption in its business model and delivery of academic programs, Innovation in Higher Education is critical for institutions to advance their mission, ensure their future viability and success, and achieve their aspirational goals.
The Institutional Student Aid Tool focuses on institutional student aid and is undertaken in collaboration with the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
Revitalizing Shared Governance for the 21st Century helps board members, institutional leaders, and faculty understand the state of contemporary shared governance and identifies opportunities to ensuring the effectiveness of shared governance into the future.
Ongoing Initiatives
AGB offers special services and resources for Board Professionals, those professionals in higher education who staff boards of trustees in roles such as assistant to the president, general counsel, secretary of the college, assistant secretary of the board, vice president, and chief of staff.
The Department of Government and Public Affairs' works to strengthen the relationship between state government and public higher education by enhancing the effectiveness of citizen governance and their trustee members. This department offers a variety of services at the state level as well as conducting original research and offering policy analysis.
AGB's work on Institutionally Related Foundations offers foundation chief executives and volunteer board leaders a wide-ranging, results-oriented portfolio of board education programs, resources, and services designed to strengthen foundations.
Now, more than ever, we need boards that provide effective, thoughtful, and courageous oversight that advance their institutions in ways that truly matter. AGB honors boards at the pinnacle of excellence through the AGB John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership.


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Michael Lacey is a well known mathematician. Lacey was born in September in the year of 1959. Before starting his career, Lacey worked very hard to become educated so that he could be ready for his field. Lacey attended the University of Illinois located in Campaign, IL.
Lacey worked hard during his time here and received his doctorate degree. After receiving his degree, Lacey worked under some of the best math specialist to perfect his craft. He also worked on some of the most difficult math problems and solved with without a problem. Learn more about Michael Lacey: http://nyjm.albany.edu/j/2017/23-8.html
Some of these problems include topics like obtaining the probability of Banach spaces and the laws of the iterated logarithm. Even though these topics were difficult, Lacey persevered his way through in order to create perfection. Read more: Michael Lacey |Math Alliance and Michael Lacey | Wikipedia
After he received his degree and earned a little experience as an intern, Lacey begin to work at Louisiana State University. He also begin to teach at the University of North Carolina at the Chapel Hill location. This was a very exciting time for Lacey because while he were in these positions, he worked on the topic of the central limit theorem.
He worked on this project with another mathematician whose name was Walter Phillip. Together they worked hard on vicarious math problems in order to solve them.
After he left these positions he moved on to teach at Indiana University. He stayed at Indiana University for almost ten years before he moved on. While working at Indiana University, he earned a Fellowship for the National Science Foundation.
This was a huge accomplishment for Lacey. Receiving a Fellowship is a huge step's in anyone's career, especially coming from Indiana University, considering this university is large.
After he received this Fellowship, he partnered with Christopher Thiele. Together they worked on some of the most difficult math problems that were invented in this time. In 1996 Chris and Lacey solved the conjecture that was created by Alberto Calderon.
The two men were awarded the Salem Prize for solving this difficult problem. They were both very proud of what they had accomplished. Lacey still adores math as of today


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Twitter hasn't exactly been known for releasing lots of product and feature updates—quite the opposite, in fact. But over the last few months, they've been rolling out new strategies designed to increase user engagement and profitability.
The "conscious recoupling" of Twitter and Google was just the first piece of big Twitter news; here are 6 more you need to be aware of!
1. Tweet Activity in Mobile App
The Tweet Activity Dashboard accessible through Twitter Ads and Twitter Analytics is pretty great, but what if you want a little more real-time information on your mobile device?
Now, you can access activity for individual tweets in a intuitive way, by simply expanding a tweet and then clicking "View Tweet Activity" below the main body of the tweet.
You'll then see the number of impressions and engagments, as well as "engagement highlights," which can include the percent of people who retweeted or favorited, clicked links, viewed a photo or video (embedded media clicks), or clicked to expand tweet details.
This information doesn't appear on plain retweets, but it does on "Quote Tweets" and any other tweet originating from your account.
Initially available exclusively to advertisers, this is now something accessible to all users who have been on Twitter for more than 14 days. Simply log in to Twitter Ads or Twitter Analytics to indicate interest, and it should appear in your mobile app shortly!
2. Group Direct Messaging
I'll keep it short and sweet—Twitter has expanded direct messages to enable private group chats.
Now, you can initiate a direct message with a group of up to 20 people, even if some of those people don't follow each other. That should make a whole bunch of clubs, community organizations, and small businesses pretty happy!
3. Native Video Functionality
This is a big one, particularly for smaller brands that rely on visuals and content, or want to engage on a more personal level with their followers.
Now, you can capture, edit, and share videos from within the mobile app. The feature was launched on Neil Patrick Harris's Twitter account as a cross-promotion with the Oscars:
Check out my Twitter video #Oscar exclusive! I gots me a scoop! pic.twitter.com/SGQ3oJHDqZ
— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) January 27, 2015
Twitter's announcement suggests that native video puts all Twitter users on the same playing field as major brands, which use Twitter to share media they've built elsewhere. This is especially important for small brands, because it helps them get the content and engagement without expensive software and extra staff hours.
Twitter videos can be up to 30 seconds long, setting them apart from Vine's 6-second ones (Vine is owned by Twitter) and making them even more useful to businesses.
If you want to film and edit videos in advance of posting, don't worry: iOS users will be able to upload videos from their camera rolls as well, a feature that will be rolled our to Android users soon.
According to Twitter's blog, "We designed our camera to be simple to use so you can capture and share life's most interesting moments as they happen. In just a few taps you can add a video to unfolding conversations, share your perspective of a live event, and show your everyday moments instantly, without ever having to leave the app. Viewing and playing videos is just as simple: videos are previewed with a thumbnail and you can play them with just one tap."
4. Quick Promote Tweets
The new "quick promote" feature allows businesses to "amplify your best performing tweets" directly from the analytics dashboard, which could drive better performance by helping businesses make smarter choices about which tweets to promote.
According to Twitter, it's designed to make promoted content simpler and easier for small businesses that don't do a lot of advertising on Twitter. It's easy to pick the level of promotion you want, with dollar amounts tied to the estimated number of engagements.
Simply choose an existing tweet from your analytics dashboard (ideally one that already has high engagement), choose a promotion budget, and go! Twitter will automatically target your promoted tweet to users with similar interests to your followers.
5. Twitter Help for Noobs
Released for limited public testing a few weeks ago, Instant Timeline helps new users get started by displaying algorithmically-suggested tweets rather than an intimidating empty feed.
Twitter uses the user's contact list not only to tailor this suggested feed, but also to prompt users to follow people they know and accounts that are popular among people they know. Other changes designed to make it easier for newbies to get started include built-in tutorials about features like direct messages.
These changes may not directly affect marketers, but they're designed to make it easier to join Twitter and jump in with both feet. There are about 24 million Twitter users who never tweet, so ultimately anything that improves engagement makes Twitter a more desirable platform for social media marketing.
6. "While You Were Away…"
A few weeks back, Twitter started showing iPhone users a summary of the top tweets they missed since they last checked Twitter—a feature they're calling Recap. The less you use Twitter, the more frequently you'll see the Recap when you log in.
So which tweets will you see? In their words: "we will surface a few of the best Tweets you probably wouldn't have seen otherwise, determined by engagement and other factors."
Twitter's making some pretty interesting changes these days, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do next! We'll let you know if any Twitter news will affect your marketing.


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Posted by GameDemon in Fall Anime 2013 | 0 Comments
Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai!
Man, I really love this season. So many awesome shows to choose from! Ecchi is especially popular right now, I like that! A show about women's wrestling might be pretty interesting. Wrestling should be a women's sport anyway, seeing as it's not really a fighting sport (men hugging each other is not fighting).
The characters look pretty good, but I'm worried about the quality. I might be an ecchi fan, but I don't want to see mounds, breasts and asses in my screen throughout every episode. That's just too much. It needs to be a lot subtler.
It's an interesting idea; an idol gets dared to step into a wrestling ring, gets defeated and decides to become a wrestler herself. It's interesting, but I'm afraid it's going to be more hentai than anime.
Do I recommend it? Not really. I was barely amused because it's an ecchi anime. I'm pretty sure that ecchi fans will eat this stuff up, but action and sports fans might actually be insulted by this. It's a little out there.
Plot Summary: Hagiwara Sakura and Miyazawa Erena are the leading members of a popular idol group Sweet. One day, Erena is injured by the attack of a female pro-wrestler Kazama Rio during the recording of a TV program. Sakura gets mad at Rio and gives her a dropkick. To avenge Erena, Sakura enters the female pro-wrestling matches.


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Game Credits
|Suikoden IV (2004)
|(Interface Design)
|Kingdom Hearts HD I.5 ReMIX (2013)
|Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded (2010)
|(Texture Designers)
|Final Fantasy XIII (2009)
|(Character Texture Designers)
|Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (2009)
|(Texture Designers)
|Dissidia: Final Fantasy (2008)
|(Character Texture Designers)
|Kingdom Hearts: Re:Chain of Memories (2008)
|beatmania IIDX 12: HAPPY SKY (2006)
|(CG Designers)
|Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
|(Texture Designers)
|Echo Night: Beyond (2004)
|(Development Dept. (2D Section))
|Silent Line: Armored Core (2003)
|(2D Graphic Section)
|Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit (2002)
|(Development Dept. - 2D Graphic Section)
|Bravely Default (2013)
|(Praying Brage Team)
|Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (2010)
|(Special Thanks)
|Kingdom Hearts: Coded (2008)
|(Special Thanks)
|Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (2007)
|(Special Thanks)
|Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004)
|(Special Thanks)
|Shining Soul II (2003)
|(Special Thanks)
|Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit (1994)
|(Special Thanks)
Developer Biography
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Related Sites
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Not only do we carry the best broad spectrum sunscreen online, we also carry a variety of different sun safety and outdoor specialty products as well! From our extremely popular lip balm with sunscreen, to our custom sunscreen wedding favors, we carry it all for you to choose from and more in our specialty products selection. Staying safe from the sun's harmful rays doesn't just end at sunscreen, so we want you to have everything you need to help take that extra step in protecting your skin from the sun.
Our sunscreen lip balm comes in numerous flavors that suit anyone's needs. One of the most exposed places on your body that is prone to sun damage are your lips – so keeping our lip balm with sunscreen on them can help to keep you safe in another way. Not only do we carry our SPF lip balm, but we also carry sunburn relief items, insect repellent, and hand sanitizer so that when you're outdoors or on the
go, your safety and health stays right in your back pocket. In addition, you can also check out our custom sunscreen wedding favors too – so guests at your outdoor wedding stay safe from UVA/UVB rays on your special day. It doesn't matter if you're keeping your lips sealed from the sun's deadly rays or you have sunburn that needs to be treated, our selection of specialty sun and outdoor products can help you lead a healthier life.


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I've written about the Tokina 11-16mm many, many times. In fact, I was temporarily banned from REDUser years ago for backhandedly plugging the Duclos 11-16mm conversion – breaking the rules of the forum. I've since cleaned up my act (sort of). I speak often of the Duclos 11-16mm, and when I do, I always give credit to Tokina for making such a great product. I wanted to take a post here and acknowledge the original lens, it's heritage, influence, and evolution over the past (nearly) decade. Continue reading Tokina's Gateway to Cinema: The 11-16mm
Tag: cinema
Tokina Cinema Introduces New Primes, Refreshed Zoom, and More!
Tokina entered the cinema lens market several years ago with a few zooms and a macro prime which were all ported over from their still photography line of lenses. Originally, their 11-16mm T3 (a lens that we lovingly began the trend with) lacked a PL mount option which it finally gained just recently, while the other lenses featured the PL mount as a factory option. The 11-16mm was accompanied by two additional zoom lenses – a 16-28mm T3 and a 50-135mm T3 and a lonely 100mm Macro prime lens. Last week, Tokina announced that it will begin manufacturing three brand new prime lenses – a 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm, all T1.5, and refreshing the 16-28mm with a version II. Continue reading Tokina Cinema Introduces New Primes, Refreshed Zoom, and More!
Leica Refocuses With M 0.8 Primes
Leica is known world-wide for their classic line of M lenses that have been a favorite of photographers for decades. With the worlds of still photography and motion picture becoming less and less defined as time goes on, it's not uncommon to see a still photo lens being used for motion picture work. Leica took note of this with their extensive catalog of high quality M mount primes and decided to do a bit of blending themselves. Continue reading Leica Refocuses With M 0.8 Primes
Zeiss Revives LWZ Line With New 21-100mm T2.9-3.9 LWZ.3 Zoom
Just ahead of the European trade show trio, Zeiss has lifted the veil on their newest zoom lens project – The 21-100mm T2.9-3.9 LWZ.3. A Super 35 format, 4.7x cinema zoom lens weighing in at a mere four and a half pounds. We've got the scoop on Zeiss' newest light weight zoom lens.
Continue reading Zeiss Revives LWZ Line With New 21-100mm T2.9-3.9 LWZ.3 Zoom
Weekly News Roundup #7
Here's a few bits from around the internet, just in case you missed them. Enjoy! Continue reading Weekly News Roundup #7
Angenieux Reveals New Anamorphic Zoom Ahead of NAB
It was only a matter of time before Angenieux anamorphasized it's 25-250mm Optimo Style and here it is. A 44-440mm T4.5 2X anamorphic zoom. This lens rounds out the rest of Angenieux's anamorphic line-up which consists of a wide 30-72mm T4, and the mid-range 56-152mm T4. Let's take a look at some of the finer details of this brand new anamorphic telephoto zoom. Continue reading Angenieux Reveals New Anamorphic Zoom Ahead of NAB
Veydra Debuts New Mount Options For Mini Primes
Veydra has done very well with their Micro 4/3 mount Mini Primes designed for cameras like the Panasonic GH4 or the Blackmagic Pocket Camera. Until now, the Mini Primes were available only in Micro 4/3 mount. But today they released a short video showcasing the new mount options and the wide range of cameras that these primes will work with. Continue reading Veydra Debuts New Mount Options For Mini Primes
Leica 70-180mm Cinema Conversion from Duclos Lenses
Back in 2009 we began shipping our Tokina 11-16mm cine conversion. We honestly had no idea it would be so successful. About a week after we initially started shipping our 11-16mm lens, customers began asking what our next project was. You see… We don't just convert any lens. We look for something different – something unique. At the time we released our 11-16mm lens, there really wasn't anything else in the same category. There were a few high-end options that were 6x – 8x the price of our lens or some vintage lenses that simply didn't perform very well when compared to the 11-16mm. These days you can find the 11-16mm with cinema features from any number of companies including lens shops in Germany, China, and even from Tokina themselves. I can confidently say that our cinema conversion is still the best option out there by a large margin. So – the next project… Continue reading Leica 70-180mm Cinema Conversion from Duclos Lenses
P+S Technik Conveys Challenges of Rehousing Vintage Lenses
In a recent newsletter, P+S Technik Managaing Director, Alfred Piffl, felt it prudent to bestow a bit of knowledge upon cinematographers keen on having some vintage lenses re-housed – something that I feel is necessary coming from one of the largest lens re-housing operations. There's no doubt about it; vintage lenses have made a huge resurgence in the motion picture world. It's not a fad that I have a solid explanation for. Perhaps it's the fault of modern cameras being so crisp and sharp, a rather clinical look in a world of romance and beauty. Or maybe it's just the hipster trend to use an old lens that would otherwise be off limits. Regardless of the reason, vintage lenses are being refurbished and re-housed in large numbers. But users expectations must be brought back down to earth and kept reasonable. Continue reading P+S Technik Conveys Challenges of Rehousing Vintage Lenses
Canon CN-E Primes – An In-Depth Look
Canon announced their CN-E Primes back in 2011 with only a 24, 50, and 85mm. They quickly added the 14, 35, and 135mm to the line-up providing cinematographers an set of six lenses from 14 through 135mm. The lenses are plenty sharp and built rather well. Duclos Lenses saw the potential of these primes and took action. In this post, we're going to dive into what makes the Canon CN-E Primes such great lenses and why Duclos Lenses chose these particular lenses for modification to PL mount. Continue reading Canon CN-E Primes – An In-Depth Look
Canon Cinema EOS Captures Space In 4K For New IMAX® 3D Film
Canon is really making waves in the professional motion picture world. They have the manufacturing breadth and experience to produce some really high quality products. Professionals have been a bit slow to adopt the new system of cinema cameras and lenses – but it looks like things are picking up. …way up.
In a recent press release, Canon discusses their products being used on an upcoming IMAX film. Check out the press release below.
Continue reading Canon Cinema EOS Captures Space In 4K For New IMAX® 3D Film
P3 Update Looks Into Lenses
If you haven't already, you should grab a copy of P3 Update. After you do that, check out a neat article by James Thompson, that explores what choosing a lens means these days and why shooters make the decisions they do. With feedback from industry professionals such as Richard Crudo, ASC, Steven Poster, ASC, and Jon Nelson, it's a nice article that I feel taps into the direction that the motion picture lens industry is going in that you need to find what works best for you and the only way to do that is experience.
Take anyone of these lenses from any manufacturer, off any shelf in any rental house in the world, and I guarantee it will deliver an amazing image," says Cinematographer Richard Crudo, ASC ("Justified"). "But, what does that tell us? Is it the right feel? Is it the right texture? Is it the right thing for what you are trying to do? And, that you only know when you have a script in hand and a director to talk about it with." That chat with a director will also cover the subject of resolution. "We're already at 4K resolution, which is more than the human eye can handle," explains Crudo. "The only thing that really changes is apparent contrast at that point. [Manufacturers] should be worrying more and putting all their R&D into bit depth and color space [and] black level. That is where we really need to work, capturing highlights [and] the high-end of the spectrum.
Check out the complete article over at P3 Update.
Canon CN-E PL Primes From Duclos Lenses
Duclos Lenses has developed a conversion process for the Canon Cinema Eos CN-E Primes that provides a high quality, stainless steel PL mount that allows the primes including the 14mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 135mm to be used with any PL mount camera. Continue reading Canon CN-E PL Primes From Duclos Lenses
Angenieux Refreshes Optimo Family, New Servo Unit
Not to be outdone by other recent announcements from Canon and Fujinon, Angenieux announced today a new line of Optimo Style lenses that will be added to their extensive, respectable line of professional zoom lenses. The press release details the new lenses as a 16-40mm and a 30-76mm. The two new lenses with be offered with or without their new Angenieux Servo Unit (ASU). No word on the speed of the lenses just yet but it'll likely be between T2.6 and T2.8. If you're familiar with Angenieux's current line of Optimo (15-40mm and 28-76mm) and Optimo DP (16-42mm and 30-80mm) lenses, it may sound like the new Optimo Style line is simply another variation on their existing lenses. The Optimo DP 16-42mm and 30-80mm will be discontinued as individual lenses and available in pairs tuned from the factory as a 3D package. The new Optimo Style lenses will also feature interchangeable mounts in Arri PL, Canon EF, and Panavision flavors. Both new Optimo Style lenses will weigh in at a very nice 4.2 lbs. – almost half the weight of other "lightweight" zooms available. Angenieux goes into more detail noting that these lenses are tailored for high standards of UHD 4K production and will be available Summer 2014.
Other bits included in the press release simply cover existing lenses, shipping soon the new 25-250mm Optimo and their now shipping 56-120mm S2 Anamorphic Zoom. One other detail new to the press release is the Angenieux Servo Unit (ASU) which Angenieux had mentioned about a year ago but has just now officially announced it. the ASU will work with all of the lightweight Optimo lenses. This now makes three manufacturers who have jumped aboard the CinENG train. (I just made that up: Cine + ENG = CinENG get it?) The (ASU) provides control of zoom, focus and iris and is compatible with broadcast remote handles, cinema remote controls and wireless remotes. It generates lens metadata based on the Cooke/i technology protocol. The ASU and lenses are matched and calibrated at the factory.
Read the full press release below and check back often for live updates from NAB where we'll find out what the real details are behind the new Optimo Style line of lenses. New optics? Rebranding? Either way, Angenieux has a reputation all over the world for making top-notch cinema zooms.
Press Release from Angenieux
Thales Angénieux Debuts New Optimo Style Lens Series at NAB
Charting New Course for 4K and Beyond Live TV and Mid-Budget Cinema Productions
Las Vegas, NV (April 4, 2014) – Inspired by the escalating demands for cinematic quality content to meet the rise of multimedia viewing and the trend of Ultra definition television, Thales Angénieux is introducing their new Optimo Style Series of zoom lenses. The family features three zooms – two hand-held and one full size — and provides focal length from 16mm-250mm with ability to lengthen the range with a 2x extender. The two lightweight zooms are also available with the optional Angénieux lens servo motorization system.
"A wider spectrum of production content is migrating to a cinematic look with 4K quality and that trend requires equipment which is adaptable to a large variety of cameras, configurations and budgets," said Pierre Andurand, President and CEO, Thales Angénieux. "The all-new Optimo Style Series addresses those needs and provides a benchmark for quality and price/performance. It takes into consideration the industry's most stringent requirements for ergonomics and versatility for live TV recording. Angénieux is going to exceptional lengths to ensure the first deliveries of this new lens line will be made in Summer 2014."
The 16-40mm and 30-76mm zoom lenses are extremely light weight at only 4.2 pounds each, allowing perfect camera balance for on the shoulder or hand- held configurations. The 25-250mm lens, weighing 16 pounds, is an all-purpose zoom featuring the
desirable 25mm wide angle position and a 10x zoom range to meet a variety of production needs. This lens was previously introduced at IBC 2013 branded Optimo DP.
The Optimo Style series is fully compatible with the latest generation of digital cameras and provides the unique cinematic look of the Optimo line at an affordable price. The lenses additionally feature an easily interchangeable mount (PL, Canon EF, Panavision) for full compatibility with a wide variety of cameras.
The Angénieux Servo Unit (ASU) provides control of zoom, focus and iris and is compatible with broadcast remote handles, cinema remote controls and wireless remotes such as Preston or others upon request. It generates lens metadata based on the Cooke/i technology protocol. To help ensure flawless performance, the ASU and lenses are matched and calibrated at the factory. The ASU will additionally be available as an option for all the Optimo Lightweight Cine Zooms including the Optimo Style 16- 40 and 30-76 and the Optimo 15-40, 28-76mm and 45-120mm lenses.
Cinema Lens Buying Guide
Here at Duclos Lenses we've devised this somewhat satirical guide for buying new cinema lens. Take a gander and see what lens you come up with. Post your results in the comments and five winners will be chosen at random at the end of the week to receive some cool lens geek swag including shirts, hats, cleaning kits, etc.
This guide is all in good fun, but if you really do want some professional advice, contact Duclos Lenses.
Click here or on the image below for a full res version. Enjoy!


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Respawnables MOD APK 4.1.0 Respwanables is a third person action game with cool and colorful vivid graphics and gameplay.a fantastic third-person shooter on Android obviously. The graphics are just top-notch and the gameplay is, well, first-class in my opinion. You know, there's a whole Gears of War thing going on from point of view of being a third person shooter. You unlock new guns you score points, you level up. All the usual things we'd expect from an online shooter. Where this game becomes a little bit more interesting is in some of the weapons that are available as you level up and unlock as well as new gear and bonuses and so on. For instance one of the weapons that you can unlock towards the top end is the Ghostbusters proton pack which is just insane but brilliant and why wouldn't you want to run around with a proton pack? I mean it's just so obviously brilliant. Now. one of the drawbacks to the games as it were, and something I'd like to see the developers improve on is the matchmaking currently tends to put new players in with high-level players and this causes instant death for the new players. Respawnables MOD APK 4.1.0 with unlimited cash gold and money.more often than not and the weapons in the later half the game are most definitely very powerful and put up against a bog standard assault rifle or machine-gun I'm afraid you tend to die very quickly. But that said the gameplay is really fantastic and you know when you get into the swing of things especially if you're playing a team deathmatch stuff you can support your teammates and so on and still rack up quite a few points. It is free to play and it does have in-app purchases although it's not too play to win although like I say the matchmaking bug can make it feel like that at times. Respawnables,well worth picking up on the Google Play Store now. Like I say, free to play game with tons of things to do,missions,achievements and online PVP.
What's New: v 4.1.0
Soccer Madness! Join the event and win lots of prizes for FREE!
– Win the STRIKER EQUIPMENT, the AIR CANNON and tons of Gadgets like the new SOCCER BALL.
– REFEREE EQUIPMENT with the new ZAPP GUN, no one will escape you.
– STRIKER EQUIPMENT become the fastest and skip 3 Tiers.
– Get your country's T-SHIRT and become a true fan.
What's In The MOD:
Unlimited Gold
Unlimited Cash
Requires Android: 2.3 and Up
MODE: Offline
Version: 4.1.0
Download Links:
Install APK,Place data folder in SDCard/Android/Obb/ and play.


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Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Re: Are you a serial killer.
Okay, here's the story on the serial killer test. You must answer the riddle even if it's I don't know. Someone with a proclivity toward serial killing will give a particular answer. So give me some answers!!!!
Posted by Robbi Sommers Bryant at 3:47 PM
2 comments:
- Frank C. Balara said...
Well, I'm not a serial killer - I don't even play one on tv. And I didn't sleep in a Howard Johnson's last night. So, I'm clueless. Don't see how any of the funeral stuff could be connected to the murder. My answers that don't really make sense:
1. The man had been seeing her dead mother and the sister knew about it but didn't say anything until a few days later.
2. The sister was disguised as the man at the funeral and the woman found out a few days later.
3. The man started seeing her sister instead of the woman.
Am I close with any of these? Kind of hope I'm not! Lol!
- May 10, 2011 at 6:57 PM
- Robbi Sommers Bryant said...
I like your answer #2. And no, you are not a serial killer.
- May 11, 2011 at 5:50 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Denim top and silk floral prints short from Zara
Bag : Louis Vuitton Monogram Empreinte
Glasses: Gucci
I went to the Sea Aquarium Sentosa, Singapore. Its is the world's largest aquarium. Step into S.E.A. Aquarium and immerse yourself in a magical marine world seen through our planet's largest window to the ocean. There are more than 800 species of marine animals, the aquarium is home to majestic manta rays, enormous goliath grouper, napoleon wrasse, and other gentle giants of the sea. Come face-to-face with over 200 sharks and uncover the centuries of myths about these ocean predators. Sneak a peek at a moray eel in a rocky crevice or tour an underwater reef community. These are some pictures that I took inside ;)
Follow me on instagram @yovaniturner


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Recently a friend of mine threw a birthday party for her neuro-typical ten year-old son.
I decided to take Zion.
As we pulled up to the party, I could see what looked like a thousand little boys bouncing off the walls inside the house.
It was like walking into a giant air-popper.
Only instead of popcorn it was 25 little boys hopped up on sugar and red dye #40.
As soon as Zion and I walked in, I clipped lapel microphones on every single little boy. I placed Zion in a locked cage, right in the middle of the room. I hooked up four Bose speakers, turned them up to full blast, and pointed them directly at him so that he could hear all 25 of those little boys in full surround sound.
I handed our gift to the birthday boy, and insisted that Zion focus on him and hold still.
Okay, by now you have probably figured out that I'm being ridiculous, and that this didn't actually happen.
Let me tell you the real story.
Zion was 3 years old. We were at a birthday party for a family member. It was summertime, so the party was outside and the kids were having a ball.
Except Zion.
He was standing at the side of the house, by himself, playing with some landscaping rocks and the downspout.
I don't know what hurt worse, watching him play with those rocks, or watching the other kids squeal and play and have fun.
Zion had been diagnosed with autism only a year earlier, and I had no idea how to handle situations like that.
I wasn't the cool, polished mom-machine I am today.
So it comes time for the birthday cake, and the family files into the house. Everyone is calling for Zion to come in, but he ignores them. I decide it's best to leave him alone. He is quiet, so I am fine with that.
Then a family member decides to go out and scoop him up and force him to come in.
(You can already hear the theme from Jaws in your head, cantcha?)
Zion loses it.
Big time.
In a split second he goes from calm and quiet, to a wild and flailing beastie.
Then when I go to calm him down, he head-butts me….WWF style.
We leave the party, and I cry hot, quiet tears all the way home.
End scene.
It took me a while, but what I've learned over the years is that Zion is not most kids.
He is Zion.
We are who we are.
Just because my family and friends want him to participate, doesn't mean he has to.
It took me several birthday party attempts to learn that Zion just cannot handle social situations the way that neuro-typical kids can.
I tried many times to make him wear the birthday hats, and sit at the tables, and play the games, and engage with the other children.
This futility only created havoc and violent tantrums which resulted in us leaving in tears….every single time.
What I had to do for my child, (and for my own sanity) was try to achieve a level of understanding, and do my best to see the world how he sees it.
Once I really started paying attention, I realized that his worst tantrums came from over-stimulation caused by noises, colors and lights.
And what is a child's birthday party?
A hellacious smattering of all of the above.
Imagine how the Zions of the world must feel in a room full of people and noise.
I imagine it is much like the cage I described earlier.
So…these days if we absolutely must attend a large social gathering, we go prepared.
I pack the iPad and the good-quality headphones.
And a big bag of apple slices, applesauce, and apple juice. (P.S. This kid has some regular bowels. See last week's post here.)
I don't ask him to engage or involve in what we are doing.
I just let him be.
When people try to get him to participate, I speak up.
This isn't being rude or uncooperative. This is called advocating for my child. I keep it short and sweet.
"He is happy, please leave him be."
Let me tell you what happened at my uncle's house this past Christmas.
There were 25 people coming for the holiday. As soon as we arrived, Zion picked out a movie and watched it with the other kids for about an hour. Once he'd had enough socializing, he came and asked me for the iPad. He put the headphones on, and proceeded to sit right in the middle of the room for the remainder of the evening.
Did you read that right?
Oh yes you did.
He sat right in the middle of the room.
See, it isn't that he's trying to avoid people. I think he loves being with people.
It is the over-stimulation of 25 voices that he can't process.
It's overwhelming to him.
But when he can shut that out with some high-quality headphones, he can sit in the middle of a room for 3 hours.
I understand that family and friends don't want him to feel left out.
But he doesn't feel left out. If he wants to engage, he will do it on his own.
Even better, is that every little bit, Zion will emerge from iPad world, and take the headphones off. He will come over to me, say "Oh hi dare, Mama," sniff my arm, and ask for a snack. Then once he has had enough stimulation, noise, and well…reality, he submerges again into the iPad.
Is this escapism?
And that's okay.
It's called compromise.
If you look at the photo at the top of this post, there is a little boy in the background looking into a BBQ grill.
That little boy represents the Zions of the world.
We could force him to leave the grill, sit with the kids at the table, and pose for the Pinterest-esque photo.
Or we can just leave him be.
He is marching to his own drum.
Same with my Zion.
I could lock him inside a cage and force him to stay there, kicking and flailing.
Or I can unlock the door, leave it open, and allow him to come out at his own pace.
The choice is mine.


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BAM MTB handlebar is the evolution of BAM XC. It's the ultimate version based on our patented system of customizable inserts. You can also regulate handlebars flexibility by using HARD or SOFT insert kit (included). BAM MTB is manufactured using a specific association of carbon and fiberglass for maximum strength and lightness. Its design and angles are modern to match with the new requirements of off-road riding. 100 % manufactured in France.
BAM MTB handlebar is rigid upwards and flexible and adjustable downwards thanks to its customizable insert system.
Inserts work in compression which makes it possible to regulate handlebar flexibility.
On the upper part, LOCK inserts (high stiffness) are used to block flexibility when you pull upwards.
On the lower part, 2 different insert kit can be used : HARD or SOFT for flexibility regulation.
Combining skiing and aeronautics technologies, BAM MTB is manufactured using a one-piece RTM molding process with a foam core.


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Ranorex on a remote desktop
This chapter deals with creating and running Ranorex tests on another computer through a remote desktop connection. It follows a "dos and don'ts" approach.
In this chapter
Do not Automate via Remote Desktop Window
The first important thing to know is that Ranorex, as every other automation software, is not able to automate via the Remote Desktop window. It is not possible to recognize any controls since the content of the remote desktop is only provided as one big image.
The only way to automate using the Remote Desktop window to work coordinate based or with image comparison. This is not recommended by Ranorex because minimal variances in your system will make your tests fail.
To guarantee successfully testing on remote machines, you have to install and start all Ranorex Tools you need on the remotely connected machine.
Do not Close or Minimize the RDP Window
Remote Desktop locks the screen when you minimize or close the Remote Desktop window. That causes screenshots to be blank/black and automation to fail. Consequently, if you use Remote Desktop, you need to have the RDP window open during automation and not closed or minimized.
Also make sure that the screensaver is not activated on your remotely connected machine as the screensaver will also lock the Remote Desktop's screen.
As a workaround, you can set up one machine having all of your Remote Desktop windows opened. This machine does not do any automation. And while your tests are running on the different Remote Desktops – with the client windows opened on the mentioned machine – you can lock the desktop on this machine. While your client desktop is locked, the Remote Desktop sessions will remain opened and your test will continue.
An alternative to RDP is using VNC or the VMWare Remote Console as these tools will not lock the screen when closing or minimizing the remote client window.
Disable Mouse/Keyboard Activities
As an alternative to locking the screen on your Remote Desktop, you can disable the physical mouse and keyboard on the remote machine. To do that just set the Ranorex Keyboard.Enabled and Mouse.Enabled properties to false. Be careful if you disable both keyboard and mouse because both devices will stay disabled until you set the Enabled property back to true or the automation process ends!
If you want to disable the input for the whole test cycle, you should set the following in the Program.cs file.
But again be careful when using these properties because when you set both to false you cannot abort the test without an AbortKey set.
So also set the following in Program.cs to abort the test if something unexpected (e.g. an endless loop) happens:
You can also use this technique for one recording only. In this case you have to enable/disable the mouse and keyboard controls in user code directly before executing specific actions. As always, don't forget to enable controls again at the end of your recording and to set an AbortKey.
Use same Color and Resolution Settings
If you perform image based automation/validation on remote machines, you have to make sure that color and resolution settings are the same as on the machine you made the test/recording on.
Please also make sure that you have activated the same windows scheme since your application under test might be displayed differently when having different schemes activated.
Increase Timeouts on Virtual Machines
Things might run a little slower on a virtual machine compared to real machine because multiple virtual machines may share the same physical host. Consequently it can take more time on a Virtual Machine to find some elements. You may need to increase repository timeouts for specific elements or alter your tests to check for ready states on your application under test. It's recommended to use the global timeout factor to adapt the timeouts for a specific test run.
Keeping remote session unlocked even if closing it
There is a way to keep the remote session unlocked even if you've disconnected the RDP session.
Find out more here: ⇢ Ranorex Remote FAQ


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Perennials in Poole
Buy your perennials in Poole
Perennials bring a garden to life with movement, colour and scent: an ever-changing tapestry of beauty marking the passing of the seasons and making you smile every time you go outside. You'll find over 2,500 garden centres in the Garden Centre Guide offering a dazzling choice of perennials from argyranthemums to zantedeschias.
Perennial performers from Poole
Long-flowering perennials offer fantastic value, often flowering their socks off for months. Pop down to one of the garden centres here in Poole during normal opening hours for healthy mature plants ready to go straight into your garden.
Ways with perennials
Every gardener's wish list should include perennials. Here are a few good reliable favourites for a year-round display:
- Helleborus x hybridus
- Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve'
- Salvia 'Caradonna'
- Geranium 'Rozanne'
- Gaura lindheimeri
- Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'
- Aster 'Little Carlow'
Please select your local garden centre near Poole below to find out more about the wide range of perennials they offer.
Lytchett Matravers
BH16 6AG Poole
01258 857163
Mannings HeathTower Park
BH12 4QY Poole
0845 6407866
Lytchett Matravers
BH16 6BA Poole
01202 631030
Mannings HeathTower Park
BH12 4QY Poole
0845 6407866
Lytchett Matravers
BH16 6BA Poole
01202 631030
BH21 3SP Wimborne
01202 693256
BH21 3BA Wimborne
01202 603322
BH21 3AP Wimborne
01202 579571


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Source: @DisneyFr
Monday, February 6, 2017
Belle, Beast, Lumiere & more enchant in eight new French character posters
The latest set of character posters feature Belle, Beast, and the enchanted objects, including a new look at Cadenza (Stanley Tucci). Check out all the previous Beauty and the Beast posters here.
Source: @DisneyFr
Source: @DisneyFr
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Point Localization: In the middle of the clavicle, the inferior margin.
TCM Actions: Regulates the flow of Qi in the chest.
Indications: Pain, fullness and oppression in the chest and back. Asthma. Cough. Shortness of breath. Bronchitis. Belching. Hiccup. Intercostal neuralgia.
Target area: Chest.
Point Name and Meaning: Qihu – Qi Door
Acupuncture Meridian: Stomach
Categories: None.
Unitary Channel: Yang Ming (Bright Yang) [LI + ST]
*Acupuncture points may be used safely for acupressure, but should be used with needles only by acupuncturists or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) professionals.


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Please place this form in an envelope and mark it confidential for the attention of the Safeguarding officer and hand it to them. If you wish to remain anonymous please place the envelope in the Red Box in the first office. If you believe a child is in imminent danger you must contact Social Services or the Police directly.
Child Protection Records – Report of a Concern_1


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"Where learning to swim is the best experience you can give your child"
Yes we are different.
We not only teach your child how to swim and be safe around water, we really care about your child and your family. We will go the extra mile to make sure that your child gets everything they need.
Come and join our family!
We are based in Tauranga, New Zealand in the sunny Bay of Plenty. With so much water and wonderful weather, we invite you to join us as we teach your children to swim and survive
You need to learn to swim..doc
Swimming is the only "sport" that may one day save a life.
Your child deserves to have that chance.
We see ourselves as Drowning Prevention People not just swim teachers.
Term 3 23 July - 28 September
Term 4 2018
15 October - 17 December
Check out our new sensory and motor skills activities that have been put up in the orchard.
Stockists of Zoggs children's togs & Aqualine Goggles & caps
Water Safety session each term to educate children on the ways to behave around water. Water survival skills in each lesson
Small classes: 4 per class for school age and 2 per class for
pre-schoolers. Quality lessons at affordable prices.
Beginner and Advanced squads available at the Polytech pool. Join our Facebook page for regular updates.
Come along and
Join the fun!
Jenni's Swim School is focused on providing high quality swimming lessons to all ages and abilities -
we will do everything we can to meet your expectations.
We believe that learning to swim is essential for everyone. We live in a country surrounded by water
and with a drowning rate that is way to high. Swimming is the basis of so many water sports and to enjoy them,
we need to have good swimming skills across all ages.
We have an outdoor 12m x 5m heated pool, open in summer and covered in winter.
We also use the Polytech pool for squads which is a 25m pool outdoor facility.
With a variety of classes to choose from, we're sure you'll be happy working with us.
Look around our website and if you have any comments or questions, Please feel free to contact us.
Phone : 07 5449901
Ever thought of teaching swimming? Are you a teacher or teacher in training who needs some upgrading of your swim teaching skills or want to do something part time and enjoy working with kids?
Give me a call.
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As expected, Packers cornerback Brandon Underwood won't be charged with sexual assault.
As not previously contemplated, Underwood could be charged with solicitation of prostitution.
The latest report comes from Bill Michaels WTMJ in Milwaukee.
According to Michaels, Underwood met the two women who would later claim sexual assault at a "Gentleman's Club" named Chubby's. He allegedly solicited one or both to return to the condo where he and other members of the team were staying.
And so while an "encounter" between Underwood and one of the women was taking place, the other woman tried to rob him.
When the theft was discovered, the women were thrown out — and then they cried rape.
As previously reported, the women initially said they were assaulted by multiple players while being held down by other players. Then, they changed their story, claiming that Underwood assaulted them.
If Underwood ultimately is convicted of or pleads guilty to solicitation of prostitution, he likely would be disciplined by the league office, pursuant to the Personal Conduct Policy.


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Dump Trucks, Logging Trucks, Propane trucks, you can find any of these vehicles driving on Maine Road ways.
On August 29, it was a different story when a dump truck crashed into a train in Hampden.
Police said five out of the eight brakes on the truck weren't working properly, but a State Trooper tells TV5 there are ways to prevent these kinds of accidents and to keep drivers safe.
Lt. Shawn Currie said, "The state police has a commercial vehicle enforcement unit, Troop K, due to the complexity of the inspection process." He continued, "We do a full inspection, a level one inspection where we actually get on a creeper, get underneath and inspect the brakes, the suspension, the frame and everything from underneath."
Steve Whitcomb, the Safety Director at H.O. Bouchard said his company's fleet travels about 650,000 miles a month and has about five to 10 state inspections a week. "You wear out a lot of equipment in that length of time and you have to maintain it constantly."
So who is responsible for truck safety?
Under federal regulations, the driver of the truck needs to inspect the vehicle before, during, and after each trip, but the blame could lay with the company.
Currie said, "If I stopped a truck and found that the brakes were out of adjustment, the company would get the ticket because the company is ultimately responsible for the driver, the vehicle and both of their actions."
The reason for the numerous checks comes down to safety.
"We have a huge responsibility to operate safely to us, to all the people we operate around and all the customers whose goods we carry," said Whitcomb.
For more information on federal rules and regulations for commercial vehicles, head towww.fmcsa.dot.gov.


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In an attempt to revitalize the
franchise and stick with their recently touted AAA MMO ideals, NCsoft
West is hard at work and will be adding more content to the
game in an upcoming update in April. To unveil their content updates to
North American audiences, the NCsoft
West Lineage
dev team called on Ten Ton Hammer to spread the word and showcase the
list of upcoming game additions. This is an exclusive sneak peek at ALL
the features being updated in Episode U, so don't miss out and make
sure you direct interested individuals to Ten Ton Hammer! style="font-weight: bold;">
- Pet PVP Matches
- Now you can test your pet against your friends'
pets to see which one is stronger!
- Prizes exist for the pets who win the matches after
paying entry fees to participate.
- Pets must be level 5 or greater in order to participate.
- Pets cannot be controlled once they are in the ring, it
is up to them!
target="_blank">To check out the exclusive reveal of
Lineage's Episode U, click here!
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Lineage Game Page.


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The ministers may have trouble reaching a common position because the Arab world is split down the middle.
Although most Arab people are angry about the American-led attack, some Arab governments are opposed, openly or in private, to Saddam Hussein.
They are unlikely to support a common statement from the Arab League that condemns the Americans.
'Enemy will be beaten'
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Sabri insisted that his country would continue to resist the American and British invasion.
"We are beating the enemy and the enemy will be beaten and will be buried in the deserts of Iraq," he said, adding that Iraq would continue to aim missiles at US military bases in Kuwait.
Mr Sabri will no doubt be repeating these strong words at the Arab League meeting.
But whether that meeting will unanimously condemn the American-led attack, as Iraq wants, and whether such diplomacy will make any difference anyway, is quite another matter.


text: Jeep Wrangler JK 2007 - 2017 Home / Shop by Brand / n-fab / Jeep Wrangler JK 2007 - 2017 / 07-11 Jeep Wrangler JK 2-Door Nerf step Wheel to Wheel. 07-11 Jeep Wrangler JK 2-Door Nerf step Wheel to Wheel. 07-11 Jeep Wrangler JK 2-Door Nerf step Wheel to Wheel. £576.44 £480.37 (ex. VAT) Information Specifications Reviews Sold as a pair Made In The USA! Wheel to Wheel Nerf-Step All Bolt On Design That Wont Flex N-FAB Patented Drop Step Design Main Bar Extends From Tire to Tire Main Bar Protects Truck From Road Debris Standard Color is Textured Black Powdercoat Solid 1 Piece Construction (Non Modular Design) 3" Main Tube .084 Wall Thickness at 465 lbs Weight Rated Life Time Warranty on Product & 5 Year Warranty on Finish Bar Is Positioned High & Tight For A Better Fit & Cleaner Look Products may be protected by US Patent Law and International Copy Right Law. N-FAB Inc. owned Patents include US Patent Nos. 6588783, 6874801, 7416202, 7717444, 8985606, 9758104 and D717230. Other patents and continuances pending. Product Code: J0746 Not yet reviewed Write an online review and share your thoughts with other shoppers! Be the first to review this product


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- Page 1 Panasonic Viera TX-P50VT20B 50in Plasma 3D TV Review
- Page 2 USB Recording, Features & First 3D Moments Review
- Page 3 3D Features and Performance Review
- Page 4 3D Downsides and 2D Heroics Review
- Page 5 Feature Table Review
- Good 3D performance, with almost no crosstalk
- Freeview/Freesat HD tuners included
- Unbeatable black levels
- Doesn't side-step the usual 3D issues
- Weak 3D glasses design
- No 2D-to-3D conversion
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £2295.00
- 50-inch 1080p panel
- Records to USB (with compatible external HDD)
- 4 HDMI slots (all 3D-capable)
- 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio
- DivX HD playback from USB/SD
The wait is finally over. After countless 3D-related press trips and technical forums, then some frustrating further delays created by the Icelandic ash cloud travel chaos, Panasonic has at last presented us with its debut 3D TV, the 50in TX-P50VT20B.
Thankfully, Panasonic has decided to celebrate – albeit moderately – the launch of its first 3D TV by taking its design blinkers off – or at least, shifting them a bit to the side! For instead of the usual muted black, the P50VT20B enjoys a bronzey brown colour that's more appealing in the flesh than it sounds on paper.
The finish feels slightly plusher than with sets lower down Panasonic's range, too, and the appearance of some bold silver trim to top and bottom doesn't hurt the decently opulent overall look. We appreciated having a few degrees of angle adjustment via the TV's rotating stand, too.
Despite all this, though, set beside Samsung's UE55C8000 3D edge LED model, with its glinting metallic finish and ultra-slim body, the P50VT20B still looks chunky, plain and old-fashioned – bronze colour or no bronze colour.
Connection-wise, the P50VT20B covers all the important bases. Four HDMIs set the ball rolling – and yes, as you'd expect of a 3D TV, all these HDMIs are built to the new 3D-compatible v1.4 specification. Only one of the HDMIs is compatible with HDMI v1.4's audio return channel – but this is fair enough, as it's hard to imagine anyone needing more than one!
The P50VT20B is on the money in multimedia terms too, boasting not one but two USB inputs plus an SD card slot for direct playback of photo, music and video files, including DivX HD.
There's also an Ethernet port for accessing either files on a DLNA PC, or Panasonic's solid though hardly inspiring Viera Cast online service. Alternatively, you can make the TV Wi-Fi-enabled via a USB dongle that's included as standard.
Trending: MWC 2019 | Samsung Galaxy S10
If we wanted to be churlish, we might wonder why the Wi-Fi abilities couldn't just have been built into the TV's chassis. But we're just not in a churlish mood today!
Other connections of note include a D-Sub PC port, an optical digital audio output, and last but certainly not least, both RF and LNB inputs. These latter two jacks are significant because they prove that the P50VT20B carries both built-in Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners. Panasonic is currently the only brand offering such an integrated, all-encompassing free-to-air HD broadcast solution – handy given that currently only a few parts of the UK can receive Freeview HD broadcasts.
The USB Wi-Fi dongle mentioned earlier isn't the only key accessory included in the P50VT20B's packaging. For there are also not one but two pairs of active shutter 3D glasses. This is a significant act of generosity from Panasonic given that the EW3D10 glasses involved cost 100 quid apiece. And it throws into stark relief Samsung's decision not to include any glasses as standard with their 3D TVs (though you can get one pair sent to you if you register your Samsung TV).
Of course, families will still be looking at forking out for at least one extra pair of glasses, but we still applaud Panasonic's decision to include two.