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Standards and Accountability: New Mexico has clear and specific standards for English, mathematics, and science in elementary, middle, and high school. In social studies/history, the standards are clear and specific only in middle and high school.
New Mexico enhanced its grade by including standards-based exams in English, mathematics, and science in all grade spans. The state uses a variety of test questions on its exams across grade levels.
New Mexico has all the components of a comprehensive accountability system. It publishes test data on school report cards and uses the information to rate schools. The state also provides help to schools identified as low-performing, and it imposes consequences on consistently underperforming schools. Such measures include permitting students to transfer to higher-performing public schools. The state also has cash awards for improving or high-performing schools.
Efforts to Improve Teacher Quality: New Mexico boosted its grade this year for efforts to improve teacher quality, largely because of its new three-tiered licensure system. Under the system, teachers must complete professional-development dossiers, which are scored by trained reviewers. Teachers are also observed annually in the classroom. If they perform satisfactorily, they receive advanced licenses and bumps in pay.
Before teachers get to that point, they must pass a basic-skills test to be certified. High school teachers also must pass subject-matter exams. But middle school teachers do not have to do the same, and the lack of such a requirement brings New Mexico's grade down. In addition, prospective middle and high school teachers need to earn only minors in the subjects they plan to teach.
Every novice teacher must successfully complete a state-financed, one- to three-year mentorship program provided by the employing district. New Mexico is one of only three states to require that all parents be notified in writing if their child is taught by a person who is not qualified to teach the grade or subject.
The state identifies low-performing teacher-training institutions through its program-approval and -review process, which is based largely on standards developed by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. But the state does not publish the passing rates of program graduates on teacher-licensure tests by institution.
School Climate: Students in New Mexico are more likely to attend schools where administrators say that physical conflicts between students and a lack of parent involvement are problems than are students in other states, according to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress background survey.
But the state gets credit for being one of 17 states that survey parents, teachers, or students about the climate in their schools. The state conducts the Quality of Education survey, and some of the results appear on school report cards.
The state also provides families with public school choice under a limited open-enrollment policy and a charter school law that the Center for Education Reform deems moderately strong.
The state appropriated money in fiscal 2005 to implement bullying-prevention programs in schools. Beginning this school year, New Mexico no longer has a class-size-reduction effort in place.
Equity: New Mexico visits both extremes when it comes to equity. It has only slight inequities in state and local revenue related to local property wealth, as shown by the state's rank of 13th on the wealth-neutrality score.
New Mexico also scores well on the McLoone Index, with a fifth-place ranking among the 50 states. The index measures what it would cost to bring student spending in districts below the median level for per-pupil aid to that median.
But at 16.7 percent, New Mexico's coefficient of variation still indicates wide discrepancies in spending across districts in the state. New Mexico ranks 40th out of the 50 states on that measure.
Spending: Even with a 9 percent increase in funding from the previous year, New Mexico fell below the national average in education spending for the 2001-02 school year, at $7,407 per pupil. The national average is $7,734. That amount placed the state 33rd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
New Mexico ranks 48th on the spending index, which takes into account the percentage of students in districts spending at least the national average and how far the rest fall below that bar.
Fewer than 2 percent of students in the state attend school in districts with per-pupil expenditures at or above the U.S. average.
New Mexico allocates 4 percent of its total taxable resources toward education, a bit above the national average.
From the Special Report
Quality Counts 2005: No Small Change
Targeting Money Toward Student Performance
Education State Report Cards
Budget & Finance Revenue Limits
Joetta L. Sack, January 4, 2005
Education Table: New York Adequacy Studies


Was a member of the musical quartet, B2K. His favourite food is Jambalaya. Favorite sports are football and basketball. Siblings: Amira, O'Ryan, Arielle, Kira, Tymon and Ukil. Favorite movie is Braveheart. Favorite actor is Robin Williams. Omarion, Marques Houston and their manager Chris Stokes have formed a production company called Franchise Boys. Favorite basketball team is Lakers.
Vesti Omarion e altre celebritá su Stardoll.


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General Discussion: Lukas Kendall personal website
FIRST PRIOR 36 37 38
Posted: Jan 20, 2023 - 4:02 PM
By: betenoir (Member)
Congratulations Lukas, on good sales numbers so far.
Lukas had 1661 listed, I have about 700 listed (started with 1,000) in my "massive sale" thread. There is amazingly little overlap, probably only a few dozen of the same releases in both our lists. That means 2300+ between us.
A few folks have mentioned they missed out on getting some of Lukas' titles, and I would ask them to check my list to see if I have it. There are several of his sold that I still have, at similar prices. Nearly all prices on my list are reduced (some by more than 70%) from what I originally posted them at a year ago.
By all means go to Lukas first (loyalty is valued), but please browse mine again too.
By: Adm Naismith (Member)
By: Lukas Kendall (Member)
Thanks! And of course, feel free to give your link here.
As requested, here is the link:
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=143844&forumID=2&archive=0
Good hunting, everyone.
Posted: Jan 23, 2023 - 8:43 AM
FSM at the Academy! We donated old CD production files to AMPAS, and there's now a finding aid—cool!
https://www.lukaskendall.com/post/fsm-at-the-academy
By: Tom Servo (Member)
That is awesome, so glad this happened!
Posted: Jan 23, 2023 - 10:24 AM
By: CindyLover (Member)
Well the unsold titles go back into storage or will they go into a shelving unit as your deity of choice (where applicable) intended?
REVISED list (omitting sold items) for my CD collection sale! Thanks everybody!
https://www.lukaskendall.com/post/putting-the-physical-in-physical-media
I've been watching the ORIGINAL Lost in Space with my kids. THAT DOES NOT COMPUTE!
https://www.lukaskendall.com/post/watching-lost-in-space
By: Solium (Member)
I'm not going to pretend the stories were good after the first five or so episodes but LIS had amazing set and hardware designs and amazing model work for a television series. Yes, the series centered around Dr. Smith and Will, but John Robinson was one of the greatest father figures in film history. He was smart, compassionate, stern, brave and strong. Something we haven't really seen represented on film since the 60's. Maureen may have been the typical "50's" space house wife but she was also a great character who wasn't afraid to talk straight to her husband (or an alien) when needed. I always liked Judy and Penny as well. Say what you will about the goofy road it went down rather quickly but it had a solid foundation. I admire it for the good parts.
By: Scott McOldsmith (Member)
Yeah, I also grew up on Star Trek but that didn't set the bar for me, it merely opened me up to fantasy and SF TV shows of all kinds. And I usually liked them all, no matter how high or low they aimed. I love original Star Trek endlessly but also love the Irwin Allen shows, classic Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Space:1999 (both years), SeaQuest, V, Planet of the Apes, Logan's Run and countless others.
Lost in Space was like 3 or 4 different series, each with a different tone. I felt the series really found a great balance about a third of the way into the first season, after the dark seriousness of the first five but before the hillbillies and other weirdos showed up. "The Sky Is Falling" is my idea of the perfect Lost in Space episode: it has a good story, a sinister air, solid jeopardy, Smith causing trouble but having a solid point to make, but the family is front and center with John Robinson in the lead.
LIS never aimed high, it was there to entertain every week. Roddenberry may have had the better show, but Irwin had the success that Gene would have killed for. The 60's, man... what a great time for genre shows.
Roddenberry may have had the better show, but Irwin had the success that Gene would have killed for.
Irwin also had a better space hippies episode. Also
I'll take this over The Sound Of Music any time, Angela Cartwright.
By: sales (Member)
And don't forget Collision Of The Planets , it's always interesting to see now US and I suppose UK TV portrayed youth culture in the late 60's I was only 5. I always found LOS some what irritating being a confirmed VTTBOTS fan I do own the 12 disc LOS soundtrack collection LaLa Land Records released back in 2015 as much as I am not really a fan of the show I do like the music !
Posted: Jan 25, 2023 - 12:19 PM
And that episode of "Lost In Space" featured the actor who played Harry Harrison on "Leave It To Beaver" and on the first season episode of "Lost In Space" ("Return From Outer Space") - Keith Taylor.
By: Ado (Member)
Probably most people with disagree with me here, but the new Netflix Lost In Space is actually pretty good, albeit, not nearly has happy and carefree as the original for sure. But I was always partial to original Trek, accepting it's many flaws.
By: other tallguy (Member)
No arguments here. Netflix Lost in Space is amazing. And has an incredible score to boot.
I haven't seen the third season yet, but I did enjoy the first two.
I always found LOS some what irritating being a confirmed VTTBOTS fan I do own the 12 disc LOS soundtrack collection LaLa Land Records released back in 2015 as much as I am not really a fan of the show I do like the music !
Yup, same. I grew up watching LIS but after I discovered Voyage, the Seaview's adventures were more fun for me than the Jupiter 2 comedy.
By: Advise & Consent (Member)
More or less the same for myself, but I'll always a soft spot for Dr Smith and his never ending quarrels with the robot (and those fantastic alliteratives).
very good scores, color me surprised at some other Lost in Space reboot fans
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home /W.D. Frank, translator of Skis in the Art of War
W.D. Frank, translator of Skis in the Art of War
Inklings is delighted to welcome W.D. Frank, translator of Skis in the Art of War.
W.D. Frank is a skiing enthusiast and author of the book Everyone to Skis! Skiing in Russia and the Rise of Soviet Biathlon. His articles have appeared in The Boston Globe, The Journal of Sport History, Ski History Magazine and Pacific Northwest Quarterly. He lives in Yakima.
K. B. E. E. Eimeleus was ahead of his time with his advocacy of ski training in the Russian armed forces. Employing terminology never before used in Russian to describe movements with which few were familiar, Skis in the Art of War gives a breakdown of the latest techniques at the time from Scandinavia and Finland. Eimeleus's work is an early and brilliant example of knowledge transfer from Scandinavia to Russia within the context of sport.
Nearly three decades after he published his book, the Finnish army, employing many of the ideas first proposed by Eimeleus, used mobile ski troops to hold the Soviet Union at bay during the Winter War of 1939–40, and in response, the Soviet government organized a massive ski mobilization effort prior to the German invasion in 1941. The Soviet counteroffensive against Nazi Germany during the winter of 1941–42 owed much of its success to the Red Army ski battalions that had formed as a result of the ski mobilization.
In this lucid translation that includes most of the original illustrations, scholar and former biathlon competitor William D. Frank collaborates with E. John B. Allen, known world-wide for his work on ski history.
Please join us for a reading and signing with W.D.!
Saturday, November 16, 2019 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm
5629 SUMMITVIEW AVE.


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WLR Story & Philosophy
Partners in Success
We Love Reading in the Time of Corona
We Love Reading Program
Children's Books Development
Working with Government
"Motivation is the key: changing mindsets through reading to create changemakers"
Collaboration for the success
Bridging research and practice
WLR in Media
Periodicals & Publications
WLR children books
Story Books Catalogue
Our Latest Book "Mama's Magic"
Resources for digital children books
a Website Contains a lot of interesting children's books
Archive of 6,000 Historical Children's Books, All Digitized and Free to Read Online
Audible Stories: Free Audiobooks for Kids
Children books about the corona virus
WHO children book about corona
Children book from pangeaeducation about corona
Support WLR
Bridging Research and Practices Successfully
Under the patronage of Her Excellency Mrs. Hala Lattouf, Minister of Social Development, We Love Reading in cooperation with UNICEF Jordan, held a seminar on August 6, 2018 in Landmark Hotel, Amman, Jordan, under the title "Bridging Research and Practices Successfully" to discuss and explore the importance of rigorous research to deliver effective and impactful programs to beneficiaries in development and humanitarian contexts. World class neurocognition and behavior scientists from Brown University and NYU as well as local universities presented their research on the impact of the deliveryof the We Love Reading program in Jordan.
Through a panel discussion the seminar explored the challenges and ways to move forward in creating collaborative partnerships between academia and practioneres in the field. The panel members include H.E. Minister of Social development Mrs. Hala Lattouf, H.E. Hamdi Tabba representing the private sector, Director of UNICEF Mr. Robert Jenkins and Professor Dima Amso, Director of the developmental cognitive neuroscience lab at Brown University.
The seminar included a lecture about the Impact of ordinary magic for healthy child development given by Dr. Dima Amso, and another lecture given by Prof. Antje Von Suchodoletz that discussed the impact of We Love Reading Program on Children in their homes and their relationships with the parents. Dr. Randa Mahasneh, discussed her research about how effective is a low cost community program in increasing reading practices and attitude where We Love Reading was the subject of study.
Through the panel, HE Hala Lattouf affirmed the importance of promoting reading among children in early childhood stages, pointing out that the national strategy for national development includes focusing on the concern of early childhood.
Lattouf added, "There is a real need to institutionalize the We Love Reading program to promote children's reading in culture, through programs for early childhood in preschools, or to integrate common reading concepts between parents and their children into programs supported by the ministry. And she stressed that the We Love Reading program should not only be a social movement but a national movement as well"
HE also added, "We have new instructions and regulations for the role of kindergartens that emphasize the importance of developing children's skills and abilities," she said, referring to the most vulnerable children. "Although numbers are important in monitoring the reading situation among children, it is important to follow individual cases, as every child is important, and this forces us to focus more on supporting the right to learning and reading for the most vulnerable children."
Professor Rana Dajani, founder and director of We Love Reading, stressed the importance of the role of the voluntary and private sector in promoting reading skills among children. And commended the decision of the Prime Minister Dr. Omar Al Razzaz who launched the educational endowment initiative which she perceives as a creative idea and a step forward to support Jordanian innovators. "Often philanthropists focus on their donations and charity on specific areas such as feeding the poor. At a time when other aspects are being overlooked, we hope there will be a change in the methodology of donations and charity, so that part of this money will be in support of education and reading skills," she said.
Professor Dajani stressed on the importance of using the human centered design strategy to develop effective programs that are inspired by reality and experience. In turn, Professor Dima Amso, said that it is not right to develop community programs without cooperation with the local community and to study them intensively to develop programs that fit the target environment. She added that the We Love Reading program is a low-cost, high-impact program that promotes pre-literacy skills, executive function and cognitive function.
In turn, UNICEF Representative in Jordan, Dr. Robert Jenkins spoke about the children's reading promotion programs carried out by the organization's centers, stressing the importance of encouraging children to read and instill the love of reading for them. UNICEF has been one of the most important supporters of the We Love Reading program over the last three years.
President of the Association of Businessmen H.E. Hamdi Tabbaa, stressed the interest of the private sector in the field of education and scientific research, pointing to the volume of large investments of the sector in private schools and universities. He also called for a cooperation plan between the scientific research bodies and the Ministry of Social Development.
We Love Reading is launching a new field guide on how to conduct randomized control trials in Arabic adapted from Jameel Abdel Latif Poverty Action Lab at MIT.The seminar also produced a list of recommended good practices to disseminate among stakeholders.
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The Neighborhood Storyteller was selected as the highly commended film at the Orion international film festival
We Love Reading participates in "How can the International Recognition of the Social and Solidarity Economy help achieve the SDGs through social and inclusive innovation?"
We Love Reading Program is Now Implemented in Kenya, Africa
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Gov. Wolf issues green phase order, provides guidance on dining and professional sports
Kevin Moore
On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf issued an order to further explain the reopening process for green phase counties and gave guidance on outdoor dining in yellow counties, dining in green counties, and professional sports in yellow counties.
There are 17 counties that will move to the green phase on Friday: Bradford, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Montour, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Venango and Warren.
There, all previous stay at-home orders will be suspended.
More:Coronavirus updates: Pa. has over 750 new cases Wednesday; statewide total nears 70K
Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine updated existing yellow phase orders with some revisions:
The order includes provisions for businesses that were permitted to conduct in-person operations in the yellow phase, those permitted to operate with some restrictions on in-person operations and those that were not permitted any in-person operations under the yellow phase.
The order also includes guidance on occupancy limits and health and safety orders that businesses must adhere to under the green phase.
Specifics are included on those areas that have raised questions from business owners and residents, including:
Personal care services, including hair salons and barber shops, must operate by appointment only; appointments or reservations are also strongly encouraged for gyms or spas.
Any gathering for a planned or spontaneous event of greater than 250 individuals is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, a concert, festival, fair, conference, sporting event, movie showing, or theater performance.
Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and other places of congregate worship are specifically excluded from the limitations established by the order. These institutions are strongly encouraged to enforce social distancing and other mitigation measures such as masking at their gatherings.
Visitation to prisons and hospitals may resume subject to the discretion of the facility. Visitors who interact with residents and patients must be diligent regarding hygiene. Given the critical importance of limiting COVID-19 exposure in nursing homes, nursing home visitation restrictions will initially remain in place.
Outdoor dining in yellow phase
The Wolf Administration worked with the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association to develop guidance on dining in both the yellow and green phases.
Beginning June 5, restaurants and retail food service businesses located in counties designated as being in the yellow phase are permitted to add dine-in service in outdoor seating areas so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, including maximum occupancy limits.
Indoor areas, including bar areas, of restaurants and retail food service businesses, must be closed to customers except for through-traffic. Non-bar seating in outdoor areas may be used for customer seating. Customers that are served must be seated at a table.
There are some prohibitions. These are not permitted in restaurants and dining areas:
Self-service food or drink options, such as buffets, salad bars, condiments, and drink stations.
Condiments on tables; these must be dispensed by employees upon the request of a customer.
Reusable menus.
Refilling food and beverage containers or allowing implements brought in by customers.
Dining in the green phase
Retail food service businesses, including restaurants, and bars located in counties in the green phase are allowed to provide take-out and delivery sales, as well as dine-in service in both indoor and outdoor seating areas, so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance.
No business is required to conduct in-person operations and should not do so if unable to follow applicable guidance.
More:Coronavirus in Pa.: Governor outlines plans for reopening the rest of the state
The dining guidance also notes that restaurants and retail food service businesses located in counties designated as being in the red phase are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales only and may not allow the service or consumption of food or beverages on the premises.
Professional sports are allowed to practice or play in the yellow and green phases of reopening without on-site or venue spectators if the team (or league on behalf of the team) has developed a COVID-19 safety plan.
A plan must be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and include, among other requirements, testing or screening and monitoring of all on-venue players and personnel.
No fans or spectators may be permitted on interior or exterior venue property.
Professional sports organizations are encouraged to contact the Wolf Administration to share their reopening plans and get them approved by the Department of Health.
Kevin Moore is the Sports Life Reporter for the York Daily Record where he dives into a beat finding stories that have a deeper meaning than sports itself. He can be reached at kemoore@ydr.com, 717-309-4814, or on Twitter at @kevmoore93.
This coverage is only possible through support from subscriptions. Sign up with a special offer for new subscribers


The hotel offers a great deal on luxury accommodation and provides a deeply relaxing time for both business and leisure travellers. This 308-room business hotel offers a comfortable space featuring the warm textures of wood and sophisticated services to ensure a memorable stay. Facilities at this air-conditioned establishment include a lobby, 24-hour reception, lift access to the rooms, a breakfast/dining room, conference facilities and laundry service (for a fee). All rooms are furnished with an en suite bathroom with a... Прочетете повече shower and hairdryer, a double bed with brand-name mattress, LCD TV with satellite/cable channels and free high-speed Internet access. A radio, tea and coffee making facilities, ironing set and individually regulated air conditioning also feature.
The hotel offers a great deal on luxury accommodation and provides a deeply relaxing time for both business and leisure travellers. This 308-room business hotel offers a comfortable space featuring the warm textures of wood and sophisticated services to ensure a memorable stay. Facilities at this air-conditioned establishment include a lobby, 24-hour reception, lift access to the rooms, a breakfast/dining room, conference facilities and laundry service (for a fee). All rooms are furnished with an en suite bathroom with a shower and hairdryer, a double bed with brand-name mattress, LCD TV with satellite/cable channels and free high-speed Internet access. A radio, tea and coffee making facilities, ironing set and individually regulated air conditioning also feature.


"Oh, Dakuwaqa!" - The Shark comics and cartoons: Happy New Year 2016!
This was actually how I spent New Year's. Except that I probably fell asleep in front of the TV watching "Bewitched" and occasionally the fireworks through the window.


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ESA Science & Technology - New roadmap to guide ESA in search for exoplanets
Advisory Structure
SSEWG
Science Programme
Cosmic Vision
Future Missions Department
Missions of Opportunity
Collaborative Missions
AOs and Calls
Announcements & Calls
New roadmap to guide ESA in search for exoplanets
The idea of other planets hidden in the vastness of space has long captured human imagination and there has been a recent explosion in the number of exoplanets discovered, with the total fast approaching 500. As the research community heads towards this milestone, ESA called on them for recommendations on how the Agency could build upon this success. The result is a recently published roadmap from the Exoplanet Roadmap Advisory Team (EPR-AT), which looks at the future of the field and how to reach their ultimate, long-term goal: finding an Earth-like planet with possible signatures of life.
Finding a twin of our own planet has long been the holy grail of exoplanet research. But whilst it represents the end destination for the new roadmap, the journey is equally important as it allows a better understanding of exoplanets and exoplanetary systems themselves. The authors of this roadmap, who come from research institutions across Europe, focus on three key areas: the continued detection of ever smaller exoplanets, the characterisation of their internal structure, and analysing the composition of their atmospheres, including the search for biosignatures.
Biosignatures would provide the best indication yet of life on other worlds but are likely outside of the realm of present-day facilities. Broadband photometry or low resolution spectroscopy from ground-based telescopes can already reveal some molecular species in exoplanetary atmospheres, but detection of actual biosignatures on small, Earth-like planets will likely require future, dedicated facilities, on ground and in space.
"Space telescopes aren't just important because they can find smaller planets," notes Malcolm Fridlund, Secretary for EPR-AT. "They also provide more detail than can be achieved from the ground, such as spectroscopic information about terrestrial atmospheres."
Such research illustrates a shift in emphasis; as space missions like Kepler and COROT detect more and more planets it is no longer satisfactory just to find them, researchers want to characterise them too in order to conduct detailed comparative planetology. Ground-based telescopes, equipped with highly sensitive spectrometers, are also crucial in both following up the initial space-based detection and analysing the planet's characteristics. With this synergy in mind the authors of the report make recommendations across three broad categories: ground, space and technology.
The complete report, A European Roadmap for Exoplanets, prepared by the ESA-appointed Exoplanet Roadmap Advisory Team (EPR-AT) is available to download here.
There may, however, be a catch in one hypothesis underpinning the search for a 'second Earth'; having a terrestrial mass might not necessarily make it an analogue of the Earth. "We cannot make an effective search for terrestrial planets until we properly understand what that term means. Recently two small bodies with approximately the same mass and not too different diameter have been found. One of them has characteristics compatible with its being made of iron and rock, the other of ice and rock: are both terrestrial?" asks Fridlund. By travelling down the route outlined by EPR-AT the community will be able to better define what they are looking for. "Answering this question will help lead us to the ultimate goal of finding out if there is life elsewhere in the Universe," Fridlund adds.
Malcolm Fridlund, Secretary, Exoplanet Roadmap Advisory Team
Email: mfridlun rssd.esa.int
Phone: +31-71-5654768
The Exoplanet Roadmap Advisory Team (EPR-AT) was appointed by ESA with the purpose of advising the Agency on a scientific and technological roadmap to pursue in order to address one of the most exciting goals in modern astrophysics: the discovery and characterization of exoplanetary systems, with the ultimate, long-term goal of detecting biomarkers on habitable planets.
The EPR-AT was led by Artie Hatzes, Thuringer Landessternwarte, Germany, and included Anthony Boccaletti, Observatoire de Meudon, France; Rudolf Dvorak, Institute for Astronomy, University of Vienna, Austria; Giusi Micela, INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Italy; Alessandro Morbidelli, Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, France; Andreas Quirrenbach, Landessternwarte, Heidelberg, Germany; Heike Rauer, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany; Franck Selsis, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), France; Giovanna Tinetti, University College London, United Kingdom; Stephane Udry, Université de Genève, Switzerland; with Anja C. Andersen, Dark-Cosmology Center, Copenhagen, Denmark as external expert, and Malcolm Fridlund, ESA, as secretary.
The roadmap was prepared by the EPR-AT following a consultation process with the scientific community, which included a Call for White Papers, presentations at several international conferences and a dedicated, open workshop at which the draft roadmap was discussed.
https://sci.esa.int/s/wRe1blA
A European Roadmap for Exoplanets - prepared by the ESA-appointed Exoplanet Roadmap Advisory Team
EPR-AT home page


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CRICKET: Ireland to play in Regional Super50
Published:Saturday | December 21, 2013 | 8:53 AM
Ireland have accepted an invitation to play in the West Indies' domestic 50-over competition, which will run from the end of January to mid-February.
The tournament will be held in Trinidad and Tobago, the home country of Ireland's coach, Phil Simmons, a former West Indies player.
Ireland currently hold International Cricket Council titles in all three formats. The team secured qualification for the 2015 World Cup by winning the World Cricket League Championship earlier this year.
They will join seven teams in two groups in the Regional Super50, playing in Zone A alongside Guyana, Windward Islands and Jamaica.
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*Guide service in foreign language is available in Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish only. The minimum number of people required for the foreign guide service is 6, and, in case there are fewer than 6 people, an extra $10 will be charged. For more information, please call us at (415) 123-4567.
Hello. Sometime this weekend, I am planning to visit your art museum with my two kids and two nephews coming from China. I visited your website for some information, but your website is under construction. Could you answer some of my questions?
Please tell me the details on the hours for the museum.
It is closed on Mondays and the last Friday of every month.
On Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, it is open from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, and on Wednesday and Sunday, it is open from 11 am to 7 pm.
How much are the admission fees for children and adults?
Admission to the museum is $1 for adults and $0.50 for children.
If you want a museum guide, the fee will be $2 for adults and $0.50 for children.
I am taking my two Chinese nephews along with my two children. Is there guide service in Chinese available?
The museum offers a foreign guide service in Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish only and it is a fixed fee of $3 regardless of age.
The minimum number of people required for a foreign guide service is 6, and in case there are less than 6 people, additional $10 will be charge.
Q7: We are open all throughout the year except for Mondays and the last Friday of every month. The museum is open from 9:30am to 5:30pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and from 11am to 7pm on Wednesday and Sunday.
Q8: The art museum admission fee is $0.50 for children and $1 for adults. If you want the regular museum guide, it will be $2 for adults and $1 for children. For foreign language guide service, $3 per person will be charged regardless of age.
Q9: Yes, we provide guide services in Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. You need to have a minimum of six people to qualify for the foreign guide service, and if there are fewer than six people, an extra $10 will be charged.
e.g. The museum admission is free on Tuesday.
e.g. Our museum provides foreign guide service.
e.g. They paid $10 per person.
e.g. A minimum number of 12 participants is needed to start the meeting.
e.g. An additional $15 will be charged for the laundry.
e.g. There is a surplus of workers and not enough jobs.
e.g. He runs every day regardless of the weather.
e.g. He had a list of supplementary readings for the class.
e.g. The exhibition has been curated by a famous artist.
e.g. He is a museum archivist.


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Trattoria Buono! #81 (2014.10.18)
By Skoban | October 22, 2014
♪ Buono! – Gachinko de Ikou ♪
Momoko announces that the day after the broadcast, October 19th, would be TOEIC Day. Again, this is to do with some wordplay associated with the date. The 19th day of the 10th month can be set out as 10-1-9, or 'To-I-Ku', which sounds close enough to TOEIC (Airi: 'They really do like to use this sort of wordplay').
Momoko asks the girls if they've used English recently. While Miyabi and Airi haven't, Momoko has a story that happened on the day of the recording itself – she was on the train when a foreigner asked her to help out with directions. She was having trouble explaining the route, even with a map. In the end, she used an app she had on her phone to help her explain.
Momoko: TOEIC is important, but apps are important too.
Airi: They are important. Although it would have been good to speak English too.
Miyabi's happy that Momoko was able to help the foreigner out. Yes, Momoko is proud to have been his saviour. While for the foreigner, it'd be a memory of Japan.
Momoko: And so, we too, would like to study foreign languages from now on too.
♪ Music ♪
Momoko: And so, today's discussion topic. Baron-san?… Baron san?
Baron: Yes. Yes, yes.
Momoko: I'll leave it to you.
Baron: Yes, certainly.
This interaction between Baron and the girls is unprecedented.
Quick introduction to Baron: Baron Yamazaki introduces himself as the owner-chef of Trattoria Buono!'s cafe setting. For the purposes of this radio programme, he's in charge of introducing the discussion topic for the day, reading out the secret voice note messages (and hamming up those readings), as well as delivering the opening and closing lines of the show. He's been around ever since I started listening to Trattoria Buono!, but I've been ignoring his role in these summaries since he's never actually interacted directly with the girls.
Baron introduces the topic for the day: Moments that make you happy, without having to spend a dime. He himself enjoys sleeping, even more than making food, and sleeps for over 12 hours in a day.
The girls are amazed that Baron can sleep for over 12 hours in a day. Momoko ribs at his mention of enjoying sleeping even more than making sandwiches. Baron admits that it might be a bit of an exaggeration, but he does enjoy sleeping, the daily 'switch off' time, where he doesn't have to do anything.
Baron then asks if the three of them enjoy sleeping. Miyabi and Airi love sleeping. Momoko mentions that she took a nap the other day, which felt good. Airi brings up how they had specific napping times during nursery school and kindergarten. While the girls agree that it was awesome, Momoko recalls that she hated it when she was in nursery. She remembers feeling that it was forced on her, having to bring out the futon and being put to sleep, and not sleeping in retaliation (Miyabi:'What's up with that? You really were a troublemaker.'). But she really enjoyed naptime when she got into kindergarten. And now, Momoko loves sleeping.
Airi: It's nice, having time just for sleeping.
Miyabi: I think it would be better if we had sleeping time at primary, junior high, and senior high.
(Laughter from Baron)
Momoko asks if the girls fall asleep in the middle of classes. Miyabi says that she feels free to sleep in class, which shocks Momoko. Perhaps it might just have been Miyabi's school.
Momoko feels like there are a lot of things they can do for fun without spending money. Airi brings up another – searching for four-leaf clovers. If you find one, you'll be happy. At one point in time, it was a trend to go looking for four-leafed clovers. Airi mentions that she heard about people splitting the leaves of a three-leaf clover in make it into four-leaves. Momoko admits she actually did that. They then reminisce about their primary school days, where they'd do things like stick those clovers on bookmarks.
Baron doesn't have any experience hunting for four-leaf clovers – it wasn't a guy thing. But growing up in the countryside, he did go foraging for things like mushrooms and bamboo shoots (Airi: 'And you'd have more things for dinner.'). Momoko suggests that it may have led him towards the path of being a restaurant owner.
Momoko: But in this world, honestly, rather than money, love's what's important!
Airi & Miyabi: Right.
Momoko: Particularly for us as idols! More than money, it's love. Love, that's what it is.
Miyabi: Love!
Airi: Lurve~
Momoko: From now on too, lets live while treasuring that feeling.
Secret voice note
Situation: This message is from a 17 year old senior high school student, who's preparing for university exams. She took a mock test for her university choices, and was really looking forward to her results. But there was a huge difference compared to her expectations. The reason: She had marked her answers in the wrong columns. She's thankful that it wasn't the real thing, but the possibility of making such a blunder has her shivering in fear. 'Please give me some words of encouragement'.
The girls were stifling their giggles while Baron was hamming it up, and Airi points out that Baron's face was completely red by the end of it. He'd given the reading of the message his fullest.
Momoko comments that it's pretty tough when you start going out of position on those marking sheets. After all, missing one would mean that you'd slip up on the ones that come after. But if you've made such a mistake once, you'll definitely be careful not to make it again, checking it twice or thrice. So Momoko thinks that it'll turn out all right. It's a good thing, that she noticed her slip-up at this point.
Baron asks the girls if they've made such careless mistakes before. Airi admits that she has. When doing maths during middle and senior high, she'd get an answer, but when she redid the question she'd get a different answer. In the last three minutes she'd come back to the question, trying to pin down the answer.
Momoko talks about a time when she was doing a writing problem, and she wasn't sure if she should write a small letter 'a' or a small letter 'd'. So she wrote it in a way to make it look like it could be either letter (Miyabi:'Ah-! Sneaky!'). In the end, it turned out that the answer required a 'c' instead, so she was wrong on both counts.
They come back to the usage of marking sheets. Airi points out that you have to darken the choice completely, and it's a hassle to erase when changing your answer. And then you get worried if you're using a dark enough type of pencil. Momoko points out the usage of marking sheets have dropped recently. Miyabi has no recollection of these requirements at all – the limitation to certain types of pencils, or the order to completely fill in the circle.
Miyabi: I don't remember taking tests that were that strict.
Momoko: Wait a second, I'm not sure if you'd call that 'strict'.
Baron suggests that maybe the listener should use something like a charm, a misanga for example. Momoko asks the girls if they normally carry around charms, other than times when they're facing exams. Miyabi's interested in doing so, but she doesn't carry them around once she's done with them. Momoko concludes that in the end, it all comes down to the way the listener looks at things. So if she goes through the test, thinking about how she'll enjoy her university life, it'll be all right. Since it's about the time of the year for university admission exams, the girls wish the listener the best of luck.
♪ Buono! – JUICT HE@RT ♪
Category: Trattoria Buono! Tags: Natsuyaki Miyabi, Suzuki Airi, Tsugunaga Momoko
← We are Juice=Juice #53 (2014.10.14) SS1422 #91 (2014.10.12) (with guest Fukumura Mizuki) →
One thought on "Trattoria Buono! #81 (2014.10.18)"
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President Trump confirmed that the United States would be ending its joint military exercises with South Korea at a press conference after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, calling them "a very provocative situation."
Why it matters: While North Korea has agreed to "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula as its major concession, Trump was light on details about what that process might look like or how it could be verified.
Quote"I gave up nothing. I'm here. I haven't slept in 25 hours. … Only a person that dislikes Donald Trump would say that I've made a big commitment."
— Trump pushing back on the idea that he hadn't secured anything in return for the U.S.
The other big takeaways: Trump touted Kim's agreement to denuclearization throughout the press conference, saying that he had also agreed to destroy "a major missile engine testing site."
But Trump couldn't expound on a framework for international verification of that denuclearization, adding, "It's going to be achieved by having a lot of people there …We're going to have a lot of people there and we're going to be working with them on a lot of other things." He added that denuclearization would be overseen by a combination of Americans and international workers.
Sanctions against North Korea will remain in place but "will come off when we are sure that the nukes are no longer a factor."
The remains of American soldiers lost in the Korean War will be returned to the U.S., according to Trump.
Embassies could be open "hopefully soon," though Trump added that it's a "little bit early for that."
Trump will go to Pyongyang "at a certain time" and "also will be inviting Chairman Kim at a certain time to the White House."
On human rights in North Korea: "It's a rough situation over there. … It's rough, it's rough in a lot of places by the way — not just there."
On Kim taking over as leader at age 26: "He is very talented … I don't say he was nice. Very few people at that age — one out of 10,000 couldn't do it."
On Kim's genuine commitment: "He was very firm in the fact that he wants to do this. I think he might want to do this as much or even more than me."
How he tried to convince Kim: "They have great beaches, you see that whenever they're exploding their cannons into the ocean, right? I say, boy, look at that view, wouldn't that make a great condo? ... Think of it from a real estate perspective."
Go deeper: Check out Axios' live updates on the Trump-Kim summit.


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HomeNews New at AMNT Press release AMNT identifies poor transparency in its review of fund manager voting policies and practices as part of complaint to FCA
AMNT identifies poor transparency in its review of fund manager voting policies and practices as part of complaint to FCA
May 29, 2019 By AMNT No comments yet
Pensions Minister slams fund managers' failure to act on climate change and gender
Findings highlight a market failure and insufficient transparency which hinders consumer choice
Requests the FCA to further investigate and propose remedies to enable pension scheme trustees to develop their own voting policies
As part of a formal complaint to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT) has today released the first detailed review into the voting policies and practices of fund managers across the UK, mainland Europe and the US. The report, 'AMNT review into fund managers' voting policies and practices' found that only a few fund managers had what the AMNT considers best practice public voting policies and guidelines on climate change, gender and ethnic diversity.
The research was prompted by the continued unwillingness of fund managers to accept client-directed voting in pooled fund arrangements - most notably the AMNT's Red Line Voting policies which were launched at the end of 2015. The report's analysis was therefore centred around concerns representing the three ESG pillars of the AMNT's Red Line Voting policies; namely climate change, gender and ethnic diversity, and excessive pay.
The key findings of the report are as follows:
Climate change: of those that publicly disclosed a voting policy (38), over half of the fund managers did not have a climate change-related voting policy or guideline in their voting policy
Gender diversity: of those that publicly disclosed a voting policy (38), over 30% of fund managers made no reference to gender diversity on boards
Ethnic diversity: of those that publicly disclosed a voting policy (38), nearly 75% of fund managers made no specific mention of ethnicity with regard to board diversity
Excessive pay: few fund managers (approximately 25% of those that published their policy) had a voting guideline on tackling excessive total remuneration in some form
Our review demonstrates that there is no real market in voting policy due to insufficient transparency. Too many fund managers' public policies are, in the areas studied, out of alignment with either best practice or asset owners' and societal concerns. A significant number of fund managers are not prepared to publicly state either what their voting policy and/or guideline is. We believe the amount of flexibility being used as an excuse for the lack of transparency is not serving clients' best interests especially in this regulatory environment, and indeed only serves to create doubt as to how serious the fund managers take the issues.
Some fund managers are prepared to provide public reporting after the fact as to what stewardship activities they have undertaken in these areas; however, without the corresponding voting policy or guideline, it is not full transparency and accountability in our view. And whether they state their voting policy and guidelines or not, too many fail to make their voting records easily accessible. This, coupled with those fund managers that only provide public firm-level (versus mandate specific) reporting to their clients, means that even if trustees attempt to exercise consumer choice and compare fund managers' voting guidelines and records against their own policies, this is not a viable proposition.
AMNT has been told that if trustees do not like the policies pursued by their fund managers they can take their business elsewhere. Our review indicates that there is nowhere else to go.
We recommend that the minimum standards regarding voting policies and practices should at least include:
Provision for acceptance of client voting policies to allow them to fulfil their regulatory obligations including within pooled funds
Public disclosure of all voting policies and guidelines
Public disclosure of voting records in a manner that is easy for asset owners to interpret and also accessible
Increased transparency and accountability with regard to the content of their voting policies in one place.
Improved comprehensive (rather than case study-based) stewardship reporting at client/mandate and firm level
The AMNT has therefore requested that the FCA takes urgent steps to investigate this market failure and propose remedies that will enable pension scheme trustees to develop their own stewardship policies and their fund managers to accept them including within pooled funds and operate them at the very least on a comply or explain basis.
"It's utterly unacceptable that most pension fund managers don't have published policies and practices to combat climate change, and public commitments to tackle excessive pay and promote gender and ethnic diversity are all too rare. Being vague or secretive with the trustees and savers they represent is out of order. These obstructive fund managers need to take action now as effective and responsible shareholders."
Guy Opperman, Minister for Pensions
"More and more pension trustees are trying to develop stewardship policies including for their pooled fund investments, but this study shows the scale of the problem that they have when they attempt to assert their stewardship responsibilities over their investments in pooled funds. We spent two years developing the Red Lines, a voting policy based on nationally or globally adopted principles such as the United Nations Global Compact, and which covers a comprehensive range of environment, social and governance issues including global warming. But those that adopted the Red Lines as their voting policy were shocked to find that their fund managers would not accept them even on a comply or explain basis. All but the largest pension schemes are facing an almost blanket refusal by fund managers to accept their voting policies in pooled funds. This means that the fund managers' own policies are the basis on which our shareholder votes are cast at corporate AGMs. The conclusion of our study is that, as things stand, asset owners investing in pooled funds cannot set their own policy and cannot rely on fund managers to reflect it in their policies either. There is no 'market' in voting policies; we have no choice."
Janice Turner, founding co-chair of the AMNT
"Asset owners need to be given the right to develop and implement voting policies through its external managers which the new regulatory requirements expect of them. On the one hand, fund managers welcome a more active asset owner community on matters of stewardship, whilst on the other hand appear to want to prevent them from being so. There is a new reality here that I believe the fund management community must come to terms with; they need to modify their business models accordingly in order to accommodate the future client demand that will come from these regulatory developments. The poor transparency and accountability on their own stewardship approach also contravenes requirements from the EU Shareholder Rights Directive, as well as the proposed changes to the FRC's Stewardship Code. There is a vicious circle here that needs to be broken through increased collaboration between asset owners and their fund managers, in order for us to effectively move forward. Greater transparency and accountability are the first step to achieving this."
Leanne Clements, campaign manager for Red Line Voting
Click here to access and download AMNT's full report.
Click here to access and download our covering letter to FCA.
Click here to access and download this press release.
AMNT
The Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT) is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, set up by and for member-nominated trustees, member-nominated directors and employee representatives, of UK based occupational pension schemes in the private and public sector. Set up in 2010, the AMNT has included nearly 800 trustees in its membership, and together these have represented pension schemes with assets under management of around £750 billion, one third of the total UK occupational pensions sector.
The Association is dedicated to providing those Member Nominees (MNs) with support, which underpins their critical role in ensuring that their pension scheme is governed in the best interests of the scheme members in consultation with their sponsors. The AMNT will enable MNs to build their skills and knowledge, voice their opinions, share best practice, become part of a like-minded community and be better recognised for the good and important work they do.
The AMNT has introduced a new approach to responsible investing, Red Line Voting, which enables pension scheme trustees to play a proper stewardship role with regards to the companies in which they invest, including pension schemes investing via pooled funds meet their fiduciary duties in line with the recent guidance from The Pensions Regulator and the Law Commission, It does this by allowing pension schemes to set environmental, social and governance (ESG) voting policies at "best practice" level. For more details, please refer to: http://redlinevoting.org/what-is-red-line-voting/
Leanne Clements – Campaign Manager, Red Line Voting, AMNT
leanne.clements@amnt.org
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The AMNT provides support, guidance and a collective voice to member nominated trustees, directors and representatives of private and public occupational pension schemes.
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« 2023: Why my family will not support Atiku, Tinubu, Peter Obi – Femi Kuti [VIDEO] | BBNaija: What Phyna, Groovy were caught doing last night »
Somebody's Son' about Jesus not relationship – Tiwa Savage [VIDEO]
on August 13th, 2022.Celebrity gist
Popular Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage has clarified the reason behind her hit song 'Somebody's son.
The mother of one said the song is not about relationships but about Jesus Christ.
Tiwa said this in a viral video during her performance.
According to her, people told her the song was not going to be a hit because it relates to just women.
However, she corrected the narrative because everyone needs somebody's son, 'Jesus Christ'
Tiwa said: "They said this song would not be a hit because only females will listen to it. Men are not going to sing Somebody's son.
"But you know when I wrote this song, I was not thinking about a relationship but Jesus Christ because he's the real somebody's son.
"So I said to doubters that people will relate to this song whether you're a man or woman because we all need somebody's son."
Celebrity gist Tiwa Savage
American rapper 50 Cent set to produce TV series about convicted Hushpuppi
Tiwa Savage ft. Asake – Loaded MP3 Download
Why I'm glad I never knew my biological mother – Tonto Dikeh
2023: Frank Edwards joins other celebrities, reveals preferred candidate
Hoodlums destroy Singer, Portable range rover at Lagos concert [VIDEO]
MORE LATEST Celebrity gist


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Wrong aperture for Tamron 70-300?
Added by Torsten Bronger over 5 years ago. Updated almost 4 years ago.
However, I suspect that the "AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2" from nikonmn.cpp is meant, thus, "4" instead of "4.5" is correct.
I'm not totally sure, but I don't find the "4" lens on the Internet.
Fix issues #942 and #943: Lens name consistency fixes. Thanks to Torsten Bronger for the reports.
Thanks for the report. It was a typo. I have fixed it in the svn trunk.


This is the #BakingWithBetty recipe that scared me the most!
I was so excited to finally get into the Betty Crocker kitchens and start baking. We had to wait until the second day so once breakfast was over I was ready to get started and see what we got to make (and eat).
As we walked up to the first kitchen station I saw the crepes and just knew. I had never made crepes. I had never wanted to make crepes. They are one of those things that I eat at a restaurant so that I do not have to go to all the trouble of making them.
I went into it planning on it being horrible. I figured that they would be really hard to make and I would hate it. They ended up being very easy. Once I got started I just could not stop.
There are two things about this recipe that I was surprised about. I could not believe that you could make really good crepes with bisquick! I also wondered how the filling made with pudding would taste. The recipe turned out to be super easy, beautiful, and very tasty!
In small bowl, beat Bisquick mix, sugar, 1/2 cup milk, the melted butter and eggs with whisk or fork until blended. Grease 6- or 7-inch nonstick skillet with shortening; heat over medium heat until bubbly. Use a small measuring cup to pour a very thin layer of batter into skillet; immediately rotate skillet until batter covers bottom. Cook until golden brown on bottom side. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until golden brown. Stack crepes as you remove them from skillet, placing waxed paper between each; keep covered.
In small bowl, beat sour cream, 1/2 cup milk, the lemon peel, lemon juice and pudding mix with whisk or fork until blended.
To assemble each crepe, spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling on one end of crepe; top with 5 raspberries. Roll up; sprinkle each crepe with powdered sugar. Serve with additional raspberries.
Make sure to also check out more about our Baking With Betty trip and enter our Pillsbury Sweet Moments Giveaway.
Some of the photos from this trip were professionally taken for us by Matt Holland. Thanks Matt!
General Mills paid for my trip. They did not ask me to blog about my trip or give any recipes. It was my choice to do so.
I love crepes but have never tried making them. This really sounds simple. Thank you for the recipe.


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The Last Dragon, at Last!
I loved this film as a child.
Can you taste the 80s? CAN YOU?!
What's it about?
Tonight's nostalgia pic is "The Last Dragon" (Sony/Tristar, 1985). Leroy Green (Taimak) is your typical Harlem youth… Who has spent his life training with a martial arts master (Thomas Ikeda) to learn inner peace -- and butt-kicking.
Pure of heart, bereft of style.
When his master informs him that he has nothing left to teach, Leroy begins his journey to locate the next master in his training so that he can unlock the "glow" (a superhuman mystical power). Returning to the neighborhood dressed in Chinese garb from the 1800s for some reason, he is immediately dubbed "Bruce Leroy" by the locals which catches the ire of local ganglord Sho'nuff, the self-proclaimed "Shogun of Harlem" (played by Julius Carry III).
Pictured: Memorable villain.
Meanwhile, video arcade owner and entrepreneur Eddie Arkadian (Christoper Murney) is seeking to get his girlfriend Angela (Faith Prince) onto the hottest television dance program in New York, "7th Heaven," which is hosted by the beautiful Laura Charles (former Prince protégé Vanity).
I bet you can't tell what decade this is just by this picture.
Eddie's heavy tactics and the goofy nature of Angela's music videos causes Laura to outright reject his business proposition, which leads to Eddie becoming increasingly antagonistic, culminating in him sending goons to assault Laura.
The real villain is always a rich white man. That's not me being sarcastic: THE REAL VILLAINS ARE RICH WHITE MEN.
I honestly don't know what Laura's problem is: THESE ARE GREAT.
Leroy happens upon this confrontation and saves her, resulting in a romantic bond between the two. As Eddie becomes more unhinged, his thirst for vengeance against Leroy leads to a team up with Sho'nuff to take down the emerging hero. Can Leroy save the people he loves and put an end to the villains' reign of terror?
Definitely maybe.
Nitpicks.
I know that description is a little wordy, but there's a lot (and somehow not much) to unpack with this film. This is an oddly out of time mash-up of 70s "blacksploitation" films and kung-fu movies, with very little detail played to either. You'll notice in the introduction that I mentioned that Leroy studies the "martial arts" and not a specific martial art, because the movie makes absolutely no distinction between them; Leroy is trained by a clearly Japanese man but dresses like a stereotypical Chinese railroad worker (unless he's dressed as a ninja and using Japanese weapons).
Pictured: Ikeda, an American man of Japanese descent playing a Japanese man training an American man who thinks he is a Chinese man in Chinese Kung-Fu. Got it? Right.
Sho'nuff borrows his aesthetic heavily from Japanese samurai culture, but his moves are mostly kung-fu inspired. It's almost like the American producers loved watching kung-fu movies but couldn't bother doing the minimum of research on the cultures that inspired them.
Still, he is committed.
Cross-platform integration -- now with more synergy!
This is a Motown Productions picture, so there are a lot (and I mean, A LOT) of music videos and music awkwardly shoehorned into the runtime. Most memorable is El DeBarge's "Rhythm of the Night," where DeBarge is totally there… in his video… being played in the background… not interacting with the rest of the cast…
LIVE! (in video form)
"The Last Dragon" has its own 80s rock theme song, which honestly makes the climax of the film even better. There are also multiple clips of various Bruce Lee movies shamelessly placed throughout the film during the downtime, possibly to distract from the fact that the body of the film doesn't really have much in the way of martial arts action.
DEAD! (but live... in video form)
My opinion: Recommended.
Having said that, let me just say in no uncertain terms that I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Is it a great film? No, but it is the BEST kind of bad movie: It's campy, extremely well-acted (outside of its two romantic leads), and best of all, it's NOT BORING. It's one of the rare instances where I loved the film as a kid and can love it now for completely different reasons. Everyone who saw this as a child (me included) was utterly terrified of Sho'nuff, but as an adult I can appreciate the way Julius Carry absolutely devours the scenery; every single time Sho'nuff and his gang of unrepentant weirdos are onscreen is a delight, a gift from the gods of cheesy goodness.
Pictured: Entertainment in its purest form.
While most of the film lacks action, and Taimak and Vanity for all their beauty can only give passable performances, the supporting cast is so great (Leroy's family is fantastic, especially Leo O'Brien as his brother, Richie -- the kid gives a fantastic performance, easily one of the best in the film) that it more than evens out.
Love interest, but not that interesting.
Oddly enough, Vanity's hotness is inversely affected by the size of her hair.
I'm serious: This kid is fantastic and should have had a long career.
There are even a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos by a few familiar faces (Keshia Knight Pulliam from "The Cosby Show" and Chazz Palminteri to name a couple).
Hm... Can't seem to place him... William H. who?
His character was later murdered by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Seriously.
The final fight of the film pits Leroy against various street fighters in a samurai showdown to find out who is the true king of the fighters. Even the animated special effects at the end are a delight, even if they don't really hold up to today's standards.
Insert coins to continue.
Final boss.
Rating and concerns.
While there is no real body count or swearing in this film, it is rated PG-13 for lots of extreme fighting, implied violence, and the occasional use of the "N" word, so just be aware of this if you're watching with young children or just adult idiots who think that it's okay to use.
I know that cultural appropriation is a more sensitive topic nowadays, but these guys were always a little bit offensive.
Where can you find it?
I watched it on DVD, but "The Last Dragon" is currently streaming on HBO Max, and is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video and VUDU.
Labels: Barry Gordy, Bruce Lee, Film, Julius Carry, Movie review, movies, Taimak, The Last Dragon
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The Absolute Best Hawaii Team House!
By Michael Ciaramella
Pipeline is nice but who's really got the snuff?
Every Hawaii season there are very many contests but one matters more than rest. It is not the Pipe Masters nor the Punani Cup nor even The Eddie. This competition revolves around which team house is the absolute chillest to chill at. Let's break down the 2016/2017 ratings.*
4. The Billabong house is always pretty dank. It's big, ganja green, and right at Off the Wall. What's not to like? This season the Billy Boys threw a few impressive ragers, but the overall vibe seemed a bit edgy — like at any moment someone could bust in the door and smack the living shit out of the team manager. A fun place to get sideways, but overall not super dope.
3. The Volcom house is a North Shore staple, often producing the loudest tunes and meanest grinds on the strip (Kaiborg does a mean BBQ). Local lore dictates that you need expressed written consent to enter the premises, but when you bring a couple kegs over the boys are such legends! Weirdly none of their team riders were around, so Riddle and I just sat around and pounded a few brewskis with a cardboard cutout of Noa Deane. Pretty chill IMHO.
2. The Weedmaps house — new kids on the block! Super stoked to see some open-minded individuals penetrating the authoritarian surfing industry. What more, they got a dank-ass mansion with a pool and surround-sound speakers to blast some vintage Sean Paul! With a plethora of herbs and spices circulating the domain, it's safe to say this was a properly irie dojo. Would chill there again. (P.S. Dirt Nasty you still owe me twenty bucks! Haha just playing he's crazy love that guy.)
1. The RVCA house is like a crazy symphony, man. They've got all these majorly different dudes like Luke and Bruce and Betet and everyone seems to be on their own wavelength which is a little confusing at first but once you really listen to the vibrational cacophony you start to realize how harmonious it sounds and it's fucking trippy, but like in a good way. Just being present in that natural amphitheater made me reconsider a lot of things I was taking for granted in my life, and for that, the RVCA house is my pick for the absolute chillest house on the North Shore in 2016/2017.
Oh and all their team riders can freaking shred that shit too. Peep this crip clip.
*Disclaimer: The author did not, and has never chilled at any of said houses. All characters and scenarios have been completely falsified for the sake of this dope (but untrue) review.
Art: The Inertia's high water mark!
It is an achievement of the human will!
Most artists toil in mediocrity. They have a vision, a spark, some initial drive but it all too easily and all too often gets lost somewhere between idea and reality. This dissonance, though, is what makes great art so great. It is an achievement of the human will. A rare breakthrough. A moment in time that resonates across time and space.
Let's take for example the Mona Lisa, Beethoven's 5th, John Kennedy Toole's The Confederacy of Dunces, Beyonce's Hold Up. Etc.
And The Inertia's Zach Weisberg just reached this plateau. This rarified air. Or rather he reached it a few weeks ago but great art is eternal.
The piece is titled CHEVROLET'S NEW BOLT EV MIGHT BE THE PERFECT ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLE FOR SURFERS
And thus begins:
I might be the least qualified human to test-drive a new vehicle and speak with any degree of authority about the experience. I know jack about cars. I don't drive them for performance, racing, sportiness, etc… or understand much about what distinguishes good from great. I never even learned to drive stick. I realize no self-respecting man should never commit that last sentence to print. Or pixel. But it's true. I grew up in a world of automatics, and for the sake of transparency, felt we should get those formalities out of the way before proceeding further. I'm not an automotive expert.
…This becomes that much more interesting when framed with the question most relevant to our readership: Will Chevy's new electric vehicle work for surfers and outdoor enthusiasts?
Which lead to:
And I was curious about this. Does this car actually work for surfers?
In a very complex form of heavy-duty, professional vehicle testing, I put one of Henry's shortboards in the trunk. It fit! Henry says he also stuffs his 10' paddle board into the car no problem.
Before ending:
So if you can get to the beach and kill fewer things – like your wallet and your earth – in the process, the Chevy Bolt EV is worth a serious look. Right now, the vehicle is only available in California and Oregon, though it will roll out to the rest of the country this year.
And shit! I mean… shit! Art! We have a man who cannot drive a stick shift, a 10 foot paddle board and an electric-ish car on The Inertia.
SHIT! I mean…
Read the entire monument here.
Refined moodiness, a thug silhouette. Former has everything y'little studs need! | Photo: Morgan Maassen
Buy: Former Tees here!
Dane Reynolds and Craig Anderson's label is open for biz! Shop now!
Last week, I think it was Thursday for I remember clouds moving in from LA's twenty-year storm and pooling in the San Bernardino mountains thereby spoiling any chance of a late-winter tan, we saw, briefly, Former's debut collection.
Former is the surf-skate brand created by Dane Reynolds, Craig Anderson and Austyn Gillette. Other people are involved of course, but these are the brand's principals.
The launch was accidental and quickly shut down.
But not before we saw a collection (called Luxury 29.99) that included short-sleeved t-shirts (in black, white and coral, priced between thirty and forty-five dollars), one long-sleeved tee (bone, sixty dollars), one shirt (black, one hundred dollars), three pullovers (black, different graphics, sixty-five dollars), two pairs of trunks (one black, one black-and-white patterns, seventy dollars), a Dylan Reider tribute jacket (black, one-hundred-and-fifty dollars), a beanie, a ten-dollar pair of socks and a pack of Former patches that costs eleven dollars.
Former is the sort of thing you wear when you want to be butch enough for the beach, smart enough for school but glam enough for the club. You can wear the t-shirts tight (like Craig) or you can let them sag in a masculine way like Dane.
I had the Luxury Flower pullover, in medium, and costing sixty-five dollars, in my shopping cart but was stymied at check-out when the site was offed. Another BeachGrit reader and occasional writer Adam Jara sent his order away, was rejected (nicely!) and wrote a story about it here.
Anyhow, now they live.
Before you shop, you can watch an excellent seven-minute short, which includes a track Reeling in the Lies from the classic eighties band Swans, as well as heavy-ish music I'm not familiar with. I'd go with Rammstein, for no other reason than it reminds me of the opening scene in Nymphomaniac.
Former, in my opinion, is what you wear when you want to be butch enough for the beach, smart enough for school but glam enough for the club.
You can wear the t-shirts tight (like Craig) or you can let them sag in a masculine way like Dane.
It's refined moodiness, it's even a little thug (all that monochrome)!
Buy etc.
"Taking food from Mexican babies!"
The scandal at Todos Santos turns into Todos-gate!
A very wise boy once told me, "There are two sides to every story. Neither of them are true." And let us turn our attention, once again, to the scandal at Todos-gate. We heard how San Diego surfer/shaper Gary Linden stopped motorcycle stuntman Robbie "Maddo" Maddison from riding his bike on a wave at Todos Santos, which breaks on an island just off the Baja peninsula, in order to protect the sanctity of the place.
We read Maddo's response. That Gary Linden was "butt hurt" about not being consulted on the project and was not acting as a noble protector of the sea but rather a petulant child.
Yesterday, I spoke with an insider who happened to be there for the entire dance. He said that the real victim is the people of Baja California. The moto scene is already very big down there with the Baja 1000 drawing tens of thousands of viewers and pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy. In his opinion, Todos Santos is a wave that has fallen off the scene.
He told me, "6 people were there when we were out and everyone was stoked on what we were doing except Gary and a half-Peruvian boy he had paid to be with him. He said we didn't ask the locals' permission? We had all 20 locals who actually live there on the payroll for the project! What makes Gary a local? Because he drives down from San Diego to surf it? All he did by shutting down the project was take food from the Mexicans' mouths and take away a great opportunity to showcase Todos Santos again."
"But what about the bike?" I asked. "I think most surfers are concerned that it could get dumped and end up spilling oil on the ocean floor or something else unseemly…"
"No way…" he responded. "Robbie loves those bikes so they are each completely sealed and fitted with an airbag so if it goes down it floats to the surface. We also had 2 ex-Navy SEAL divers on site to assist with any other possible accident. The bike pollutes less than a ski or the boats that sit out there."
But what do you think? Is this a case of a crusty old man standing in the way of innovation or the case of a brave man doing what's right in the face of vicious odds?
Slater Loves Oceans, Hates Sharks!
A call to cull by The King himself!
By now you may have already seen the video, released last week and playing below, wherein Kelly Slater speaks of the horrible, terrible, awful crime that is ocean pollution. In fact Slater hates ocean pollution so much that he decided to sell a shirt with the words "It's Not OK" (a clever play on his "eco-friendly" brand OuterKnown) emblazoned across the chest, with one-hundred percent of profits going to "support protecting and cleaning up the ocean". A wonderful thing for the Champ to do.
Here's that vid.
You may have also heard that another surfer (sponger) died on Reunion Island yesterday by way of shark. It is very sad for friends and family of the victim, Alexandre "Krapo" Naussance, but also for the Reunion community as a whole because their waters seem truly infested or maybe even cursed. These people are living in paradisiacal purgatory.
Jeremy Flores, a Reunion Island native, took to Instagram for the umpteenth time to commiserate his fallen compatriot. He left a wonderful portrait and heartfelt message for Krapo, seen below.
But here's where it gets interesting.
On that very photo, Slater left an intriguing comment. He said:
Honestly, I won't be popular for saying this but there needs to be a serious cull on Reunion and it should happen every day. There is a clear imbalance happening in the ocean there. If the whole world had these rates of attack nobody would use the ocean and literally millions of people would be dying like this. The French govt needs to figure this out asap. 20 attacks since 2011!?
Oh you just know that Derek Rielly and Fred Pawle are foaming at the mouths, reading, re-reading, and massaging their fully-engorged loins in a state of euphoria. The King, free-leader of the aquatic world, has used the words "serious cull", "imbalance" and "literally millions of people dying" in reference to sharks! All of this after his very serious video about how we must protect ocean wildlife!
Now someone will make the case that by culling sharks you're helping protect the over-eaten fish etc., but this is still a little funny, no? At least slightly hypocritical?
And, even if you do agree with the Reunion cull, what kind of precedent does that set? Will the next one be in Ballina, or maybe New Smyrna Beach, FL?
Please feel free to lay out your mutually beneficial (to humans and the ocean) plans below. I'm very truly ambivalent about this topic.
Art: The Inertia's high water mark!
"Taking food from Mexican babies!"


Basic concepts of chemistry and physics.
Diagnostic techniques used to characterize the material components of historically relevant artifacts and the processes that rule the degradation of the materials will be systematically analysed and explained. In particular, not destructive spectroscopic methodologies will be prosed to the students.
During the course, the students will be involved in the study of scientific papers that will be critically analysed highlighting strength and weakness of the proposed researches in order to educate the student to face complex problems and to solve them with powerful analytical methods.
Frontal lessons will be given. Course attendance is compulsory.
During the course, concepts of Physical Chemistry will be proposed and particular attention will paid towards the study of the degradation processes that affect the historical artifacts and monuments.
AA. VV., La Chimica per l'Arte, Zanichelli.
Science and Art: The Painted Surface Editors: Antonio Sgamellotti, Brunetto Giovanni Brunetti, Costanza Miliani, RSC.
Ted Lister, Conservation Chemistry, An Introduction;Royal Society of Chemistry.
M.R. Derrick et al., Infrared Spectroscopy in Conservation Science, Publisher:Getty Trust Publications.


Tying down Senegal forward Sadio Mane to a new long term deal was a statement move, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday.
Mane, who has scored six league goals this season, signed a new contract with the Anfield club on Thursday, following in the footsteps of his fellow attackers Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino who agreed long term deals in the last year, Reuters reported.
"I'm pleased that he's signed this contract. It's a big sign," Klopp said ahead of the Premier League fixture at Watford today.
Liverpool is second in the Premier League standings with 30 points from 12 games, two points behind Manchester City as it chases its first league title since 1990.
Egypt coach Javier Aguirre had speculated that Salah could leave the Reds if they did not win a title in the next two seasons, but Klopp dismissed the threat.
Shifting his focus to seventh-placed Watford, Klopp said he expected a tough test at Vicarage Road where title rival Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 2-1 defeat in September.


this is beautifully horrifying. I love the style of shading. It feels like it matches the subject matter.
Cute, cool, and a little bit eerie. Those eyes really stand out.
I really like that color scheme as well. Really draws the eye in to the details. Very nice design here.
Very cool and cute. Also a good demonstration of how much you can do with just a few frames of animation.
Very unique and striking. It definitely caught me off guard, which I like.
I absolutely love how colorful this is.
Very cute! It's been a while since I thought about Cave Story. I like how you put your own spin on the design, but really kept that Cave Story feeling to it.


Acclaimed by gin lovers since 1999 this gin is the product of the late Martin Miller's desire to create a modern classic gin that used the best quality ingredients and just as importantly the best quality water. After being distilled by Langleys the gin is flown 1500 miles to Iceland to have the purest water on the planet added to bring it down to bottling strength. This is an underrated gin that deserves credit for the wonder that it is.
Click the add to my gin box button to buy Martin Miller online now!
Martin Miller recommended a lime wedge and tonic or try with a few dashes of angostura bitters, a twist of lemon and tonic.
What is the Origin of Martin Miller?
What colour is Martin Miller?
How does Martin Miller taste?


spencer is not a dumb azz, he got a 4.3 gpa & is an ideal cal fit as a true student athlete...he has stated that "academics are really important to me and my family...academics, basketball, coaching and style of play will all be factors"
friday november 11th 2016 an epic night for screaming at haas pavillion, do you got your season tix(s)?
are you gonna make someone smile today?
That ice developed quite rapidly. The first of his two was almost an air ball.
"i had to win the game for my team...it was not about me...i was less nervous about the second one...my legs were cramping and i had to battle thru that but i missed the first one bad which i never do...the second one i knew was all net"
elijah, you are an interesting interview & it's good to hear you're focused on improving your grades & improving your basketball repertoire (both lou richie & ivan rabb have told me you got serious playmaking skillz but gotta play more under control) but why no update on your bod junior prom date?
when are you gonna take home a rescue pet & share the love?
Love that team and GOD I will miss Johnie Dawkins.
what up 89b, any updates?
Used Recycle Dog Rescue. Picked up an amazing 1 year old dog today near San Diego. Pretty awesome guy. The kids are loving him!!! Really chill.
awesome, what' s his name?
except that the kid is his legit Godson, so I don't think slur is accurate. Which of course you know.
But I thought you were "slow-playing" Hickman.
So, which is it? Are you wanting him here or not?


text:
Karate club chalks up 35 years in existence
Chief instructor Dan Remond pictured with Seven Towers Karate Club members in the Leisure Centre, who are celebrating their 35th anniversary this month. See report on page ???????? INBT 19-801H
Published: 08:00 Sunday 15 May 2016
Seven Towers Karate Club is celebrating its 35th anniversary as the longest established martial arts club in the Ballymena area.
Chief coach Dan Redmond 7th Dan has been inundated with congratulations from many parts of the world in recognition of the club';s milestone.
Seven Towers Karate Club members with one of their many successes over the past 35 years.
Dan formed the club in late 1980 and he has been present during its growing days when the sport of karate was just taking off in a bigger way in Northern Ireland.
Dan explained that he did not have aspirations to be a coach of karate and that the decision made to start up a club in Ballymena happened because a few friends asked him to start a club.
He explained: "In those days I remember that Ballymena had a boxing club and the Antrim Forum had a judo club. As I recall that was it.
"I was practising my karate in Antrim, Belfast, and Dublin and then later travelling to England and to France. We practised in some old halls around the town and often outside if the weather permitted.
An early picture from the archives of Seven Towers Karate Club.
"Eventually we got a booking from the previously called Ballymena Borough Council in The Sentry Hill and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Council for its continued support over the years and also to the now retired former Recreation Officer Mr Ronnie Mc Bride.
"I began to advertise the new club in the local press and on the first opening evening 117 people turned up to participate. That number then eventually levelled out to about 60 and the club has held that kind of membership ever since.
"After training at the Sentry Hill for 2 years we moved into the Seven Towers Leisure Centre and again I would take the opportunity to express my gratitude to the STLC.
"Our classes have been held in the Minor Hall each Wednesday ever since. We have a thriving children's class from 7pm to 8pm and then the older members practice from 8pm to 9.30pm.
David Torbitt displays his agility to his club colleagues.
"Over the years our club members have won Northern Ireland, Irish and British individual titles. The STKC team were the consecutive Northern Ireland Team Champions from 2004 to 2009. Club members have represented the Northern Ireland Board at International level and I myself was a member of the 'first ever' Northern Ireland Karate Board team to compete abroad.
"During the early training days in Ballymena we used to take our runs around the block barefooted and that continued for a long time until someone began placing broken glass on our various routes. However we continued to hold barefoot walks for a number of years to usually support a local charity.
"News of the clubs 35th anniversary has found its way onto Facebook and since then I have received best wishes from all over the World. Many of our former members are scattered all around the Globe and they have been contacting me to offer congratulations and to remember their own days at the club. Many of them remember the non-flexible rule of punctuality and of having to be at the club 'before the class started'. That rule is there yet and punctuality is demanded.
"The style of karate practised is WADO-RYU. The club also participates in cross training with other martial arts on seminars where it could be boxing, wrestling, Ju jitsu or pressure point training etc. We have strong links with The British Combat Association and with Iain Abernethy Applied Karate System. All Club Coaches are Northern Ireland Access verified permitting them to work with minors."
Dan has expressed appreciation for continued support he has had from his club coaches, his club members, the parents and the local press.
New members are always welcome and no special clothes are needed to take a free trial class.
Poolpods launched at Antrim Forum and Valley Leisure Centre
Europa League blues for Ballymena United as Malmo fire home seven goals in Sweden
PROPERTY: Magnificent home with sea views
Grab your trainers for a new Parkrun
More from Ballymena Times


Mobile Satellite Services operator, Thuraya Telecommunications Company today announced it is the proud recipient of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Humanitarian Award in recognition of the Company's invaluable contribution to the ITU's global efforts to utilize information and communication technologies to save lives during emergencies. This marks the first time that the ITU presents such an award to an organization.
Thuraya's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Samer Halawi attended the award ceremony held on October 15 in Dubai during the ITU TELECOM World 2012 Conference, whereby he accepted, on behalf of the company, the honor awarded by the ITU's Secretary General, Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré.
Mr. Halawi also spoke at the ITU TELECOM World 2012 Leadership Summit session on the subject of Emergency Telecommunication, where he emphasized the importance of pre-deployment of satellite communications equipment to ensure that countries take necessary steps to equip their emergency centers with satellite terminals for use during times of emergency or disaster recovery situations.
He urged relief organizations to conduct frequent and periodic testing and training of their personnel to ensure preparedness in the event of a disaster. He welcomed the opportunity for Thuraya to continue to work closely with Government agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations to extend the Company's satellite services and products.
Mr. Halawi stressed the important role which mobile satellite networks such as Thuraya play in times of disaster recovery and relief operations. He added that terrestrial networks are often the first casualty during natural disasters and fixed satellite networks are not able to be deployed as rapidly, flexibly, and cost-efficiently as mobile satellite networks.
Thuraya's XT series handheld mobile satellite phones and the Thuraya IP broadband modems are used by dozens of international Non-Governmental Organizations and Governmental institutions around the globe to support relief and disaster recovery operations. The Company's satellite footprint covers 140 countries where it provides critical voice communications for relief teams, which is crucial in early-warning communication for disaster preparedness and risk mitigation. Thuraya's handheld terminals include GPS, voice and GmPRS features which enables location-tracking and supports the coordination of medical services and relief efforts. Combined with Thuraya's state-of-art satellites which can divert additional power over areas struck with disaster, thus providing reliable, rapidly deployable, and effective solutions for the communications needs during disasters and emergency situations.


I cannot say enough about all the positive aspects of cruising (although I'll certainly try). Those who have made the leap to go cruising with their families know what I'm talking about it. It's unlike any other experience you can have on land; it changes you in the best way possible, and I don't regret one minute of our first season as cruisers. But this post is not about that. I've been preparing to write this post for several months….
When moving from a house to a boat you'll be getting rid of a LOT of things, but you'll also be buying a lot of boating related items as well. The list can be very long, but here are some of the things we have on board that we love and use the most!
This month's budget recap is brought to you by… Michael! (Brittany usually writes it). Let me know if you think it's entertaining/funny/awesome.