Hurricane Hugo in 1989 was the most powerful Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage and rainstorm to hit the United States since 1969 when Camille hit the Gulf Coast. Hugo was disastrous and caused extensive residential wind damage, widespread lifeline annihilation, and massive timber devastation in South Carolina. The rainstorm flow from Hurricane Hugo was, at 20 feet, the highest to hit the East Coast this period.
Hugo produced $1 billion in Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage for each of the six hours it moved through South Carolina. Hugo started as a tropical storm on September 10, 1989, 12 days before coming across the South Carolina coast. With wind speeds of up to 160 mph, Hugo was classed as a category 5 hurricane. Soon before midnight on September 22, Hugo, now a category 4 rainstorm with continued winds diminished to 135 mph, came across the South Carolina coast just north of Charleston. Hugo's most powerful Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage now were limited to the Bulls Bay area 25 miles northeast of Charleston.
Winds there gusted up to 144 mph. Hurricane winds covered 100 miles northeast, and 50 miles south. A rainstorm tide of nearly 20 feet flooded the coast as far north as Myrtle Beach. The eye of Hugo passed just east of Columbia, South Carolina, 100 miles inshore, at 3:00 a.m. with winds of 109 mph. By sunrise Hugo, now a tropical rainstorm, had reached Charlotte, North Carolina, with Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage still gusting to 87 mph. South Carolina suffered extensively damage, but little loss of life. Thirteen of the 49 deaths ascribed to Hugo were in South Carolina.
The low death toll was a outcome of timely warnings and clearings. One interesting feature of the wind damage caused by Hugo was the volume of wind damage to trees. There were many regions where the Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage caused considerable damage to trees, while wind damage to houses was small. The main cause for this was that the main tree in the area is pine; pine trees tower 30-40 feet above the earth, where the wind speeds are greater than at ground level. The pine trees served as a wind block that kept the wind from damaging many buildings. Instead, houses were damaged by broken trees and branches.
In general, more buildings seemed to have profited rather than suffered from the Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage trees. Hurricane Andrew was the most damaging natural disaster in U.S. history in relationship to property loss. Andrew started as a tropical rainstorm on August 17, 1992. By August 22, Andrew was a negligible category 1 hurricane, 800 miles east of Miami. Andrew increased quickly, and less than a day later was a powerful category 4 rainstorm with winds of 135 mph. That very same afternoon, winds intensified to 150 mph, Andrew's highest sustained winds, and near category 5 in power.
Andrew was now 330 miles east of Miami, and hurricane warnings went up from Vero Beach, Florida, south to the Keys. On August 24, Andrew hit Florida with continued winds of 145 mph.Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage to Florida farming alone was over $1 billion. One hundred seventeen-thousand homes were wind damaged or demolished and 90% of all homes in Dade County had major roof damage. Only 41 deaths were credited to Andrew, thanks to mass departures prior to Andrew making landfall.Though the rainstorm created a high rainstorm flow and high winds, water damage was limited to a small part of the coastal floodplain.
Consequently, the flood damage from Andrew, not like many rainstorms of its size, was small. Wind damage was customary, though. Andrew caused considerable wind damage to both residential houses and commercial edifices in southern Dade County, Florida.Andrew was a powerful Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage but compact rainstorm. Major Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage to buildings was restricted to an area bordered by Homestead to the south, Coral Gables on the north, the Everglades on the west, and Biscayne Bay on the east. Yet again, rainstorm water damage from Andrew was negligible when matched to Hugo.
Rainstorm flow higher than 10 feet covered about 10 miles north of Andrew's landfall, though the same flow elevation covered 100 miles north of landfall for Hurricane Hugo. Though Andrew created high winds and a high rainstorm flow, the results of the rainstorm Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage and wave achievement were limited to a small area of the coastal floodplain.Flood damage was negligible for a rainstorm as big as Andrew, although landfall happened at high tide. The highest rainstorm flow observed was 16.9 feet at Cutler Ridge, about 20 miles south of Miami.
The flow lessened off quickly, and was only five feet at the north end of Miami Beach. Coastal flooding was restricted to a few spots in Key Biscayne, and a few canal-front cities along the coast off Cutler Ridge. No considerable beach Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage was credited to Hurricane Andrew. This might have been the cause of the compactness of the rainstorm and the overall speed at which it moved inland.Hurricane Iniki was one of the most violent and devastating rainstorms to hit Hawaii in recent history. Iniki's central barometric pressure of 938 mb was the lowest ever logged in a central Pacific hurricane.
A small and compact rainstorm like Andrew, Iniki started as a tropical rainstorm on September 7, 1992, and turn into a hurricane a day later. Iniki followed a Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage trail that traditionally had carried hurricanes south of the Hawaiian Islands, but a low pressure depression turned the rainstorm northward and into the island of Kauai on September 11. By the time Iniki occurred over the north shore of the island and back out to sea two hours later, over 90% of all edifices on the island had been wind damaged, ranging from minor Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage to complete destruction.
Iniki produced $3 billion in Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage in two hours. Over 14,000 homes were wind damaged or demolished. Wind damage was most unyielding on the north, south, and east ends of the island. In spite of the prevalent wind damage, only three deaths were credited to the rainstorm, thanks to sufficient warning and withdrawal.Hawaii is a mountainous state, not like Florida and coastal South Carolina. This complicated topography produced extremely complex wind-flow designs that resulted in high restricted wind speeds, which worsened the destruction in certain areas. According to experts, one 227 mph gust was recorded over one of the higher mountain ridges.
Topological wind intensification caused heavy Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage to houses erected along the island's cliffs in parts such as Princeville on the north shore of the island.Iniki created a considerable rainstorm flow and consistent wind damage. The geology of the Hawaiian Islands provided to one unusual result, Tropical Hurricane Hugo Storm Damage to houses from wave-borne suspended volcanic rock.Coastal flooding was sizeable along the southern beach from Kekaha to Poipu beach. Still-water flood advancements varied from 10.5 to 12.5 feet above mean lower low water (mllw) at Kekaha to 12.5 to over 20 feet above mllw along Poipu Beach.


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Air India divestment: Government officials working on finalising draft preliminary information memorandum
The government is working on finalising a draft preliminary information memorandum for divestment of national carrier Air India and the new Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism is expected to soon hold a meeting to approve the same, sources aware of the development told CNBC-TV18.
As divestment of Air India is part of the 100-day agenda of Modi government, the preliminary information memorandum is expected to be floated next month, said sources. The government is mulling to divest 99-100 percent stake in the debt-ridden carrier, sources added.
As far as the employees are concerned, internal calculations of the airline show that over 90 percent of the employees will be retired around 2021, after which around 1,000-1,500 employees will be with the airline.
The carrier is also looking to activate 19 of its grounded planes by the end of September to add more flights in domestic and international space.
"We are planning to revive two B787s very soon, four B777 by August and 13 A320s by end of September...these will be used in flights to Nairobi, Toronto, Bali and others," a person aware of the development said, adding that an estimated Rs 1,000 crore has been spent on maintenance of these 19 planes, which have been grounded for over a year now.
Referring to the fragile finances of the airline, the government think-tank NITI Aayog had suggested divestment of Air India as part of its recommendations on Strategic Disinvestment of the Central Public Sector Enterprises in May 2017.
"Further financial support in a mature and competitive aviation market would not be the best use of scarce financial resources of the Government," NITI Aayog had said in its report.
28/06/19 CNBC TV18

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mother's Day for 2018 is looming – on the 13th May – so it's time to get your mum's gift sorted already!
Rather than the same old flowers and hankies, why don't you get your mum an experience she'll never forget?
For mothers who live in Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim, and the Sommerset and Lockyer Valleys, you have so many options to get out, spend the day with mum, show her how much you love her and really spoil her.
Show mum the sights in one of Pterodactyl Helicopter's many amazing scenic tours of South East Queensland; here's a selection of out helicopter flight options that we think any mother Brisbane-wide will love!
Because who doesn't love a wine tour? We can guarantee your mum will. Better still, we'll fly in and out of each vineyard so you and your mum can arrive, sample the finest wines the region has to offer, and leave via private helicopter like rock stars, hopping on to the next winery on your tour. Read more about the Helicopter Wine Tour inclusions.
Take mum out for a Mother's Day lunch she'll be talking about for years! Fly in by private helicopter tour to one of our spectacular partner resorts, restaurants or vineyards where you'll be given a sumptuous lunch (or breakfast, or brunch – you choose), fine wines, and a bottle to take home with you per couple (if you choose the winery options). Once you've eaten and drank your fill, we'll fly you out – no sitting in traffic! – so you can just sit back with mum and take in the spectacular views. Read more about Pterodactyl Helicopter's Lunch Tours.
Is mum a bit of a foodie? Then the Flying Food Safari could be perfect for her! We'll fly you both by helicopter to a selection of delicious foods produced and prepared locally, all matched expertly with boutique wines and craft beers. Think it sounds perfect for her? Read all about Pterodactyl Helicopter's Flying Food Safari here.
Your mum like a round or two of golf on a Sunday? Then let's get her to the golf range in style! Our helicopter golf tour will fly your mum straight to one of South East Queensland's premiere golf courses where she can work her way around 18 holes (includes green fees and club hire), then fly her back again. Check out the options for our Helicopter Golf Tours for Mother's Day.
We've talked about which of our tours your mum might love you to surprise her with on Mother's Day this year, but – everybody's different! What suits one mum might not suit the next. Take a look around at Pterodactyl Helicopter's full range of helicopter scenic flights and tours, or give us a call on 07 3201 0005 – we would love to help you come up with a helicopter tour that will help you show your mum just how much you appreciate her.


Now more than ever, businesses operating in Australia should be very careful with any payment surcharges that they charge their customers, after changes to the Competition and Consumer Act (CCA) introduced new prohibitions on excessive surcharges. In November 2017, Red Balloon became the first company to be fined for alleged breaches of these laws.
Since September 2016, the section 55B of the CCA in combination with a Reserve Bank of Australia standard has prohibited "large businesses"* from charging any surcharge amount to their customers that exceeds the business' actual cost for processing a credit card, debit card, or EFTPOS transaction. That cost is calculated as the average cost per card transaction over a 12 month period, having regard to fees incurred by the merchant, such as those paid for card transaction services, the rental and maintenance of payment card terminals and fraud prevention services. On 1 September 2017, this rule was extended to any business that is either located in Australia or uses an Australian bank.
A company in the ACCC's crosshairs recently was the popular online gift and experience retailer Red Balloon who paid penalties totalling $43,200. Following the issue of four infringement notices, the ACCC alleged that Red Balloon charged four of its consumers excessive payment surcharges on payments they made via MasterCard credit, MasterCard debit, Visa credit, and Visa debit that were in excess of the actual cost to Red Balloon for accepting these payments.
How have other jurisdictions dealt with this issue?
Similar regulations have previously been put in place elsewhere. In some US states, it is illegal to surcharge customers paying by card altogether (though some of these laws have been the subject of court challenge). In American states where card surcharges are permitted, surcharges may only be charged to credit cards (not debit cards), and while this prohibition on surcharges has sometimes been inconsistent across America, they have almost always seen any allowed surcharges capped at a maximum of 4% of the overall sale price or not more than the business' processing costs, whichever is lower. As this is an evolving area of law in the US, companies Visa and MasterCard both maintain an up to date display of this requirement on their websites, in order to keep merchants who trade in states in which surcharges are legal fully informed of their obligations. MasterCard's display can be found here and Visa's display can be found here.
Australia has not prohibited any surcharges amounting to more than 4% of the sale price, the effect of capping the surcharge at not more than the business' processing costs effectively delivers the same limitation. It is important to note that under Australian consumer law, in contrast to some US legislation, surcharging payments made through debit cards is permitted – but again, these surcharges cannot exceed the actual cost to the business of processing the payment.
Businesses in Australia need to be mindful now more than ever that, if they choose to issue surcharges to their customers for payments of this kind, these surcharges do not exceed their actual costs of accepting the transaction. While the Reserve Bank has indicated that businesses may incur costs of around 0.5% of a transaction's sale value for debit card payments, 1-1.5% for credit card payments and 2-3% for American Express payments, these figures are only a guide.
Since different businesses may incur different charges from their payment facilitators, it is okay for a business to charge a higher surcharge than these amounts to customers who are making payments using credit or debit cards. However, businesses must ensure that any surcharges do not exceed their actual costs of accepting the payment. If a business charges its customers a surcharge that is higher than the actual cost to that business of accepting the payment, regardless of whether or not that surcharge is lower or higher than the RBA's guideline recommendation, the business will have breached the CCA and will face substantial fines. Depending on the size of the business, fines range from $2,520 to $126,000 per transaction.
What will these charges look like?
To provide an easy example, say a small coffee shop in Sydney charges $0.50 for any card payment under $10. If a cappuccino costs $5.00 at the coffee shop and a MasterCard customer is charged $0.50, ($5.50 total) that equates to a 10% surcharge on the sale price. Now, if we presume that the coffee shop's payment facilitator charges the usual fee of 1-1.5% to the coffee shop for a MasterCard payment, the surcharge to the customer is nine or more times higher than what the actual cost to the coffee shop of accepting the payment was – this is prohibited. Let us say that this is a very slow morning in that coffee shop, with only 10 such transactions, attracting 10 such excessive surcharges, taking place in one morning. Fines to the business for just those 10 transactions would total $25,200.
The Federal Government is taking note of how the new legislation is operating, particularly throughout the busy Christmas retail season. Treasurer Scott Morrison expected initial fines issued under the new regime to act as a "significant wake-up call for merchants", as the government takes further steps to "better protect consumers". We will watch with interest as the ACCC undertakes further enforcement activities arising out of this busy shopping period.
With these regulations now in place and seemingly here to stay, what do businesses need to do as a result of these changes? And likewise, what should consumers now keep in mind?
If you are unhappy with their response, refer your complaint to the ACCC.
* A large business is a business satisfying at least two of the following: consolidated gross revenue of at least $25 million, consolidated gross assets of at least $12.5 million, or at least 50 employees.
Photo credit: "Credit Cards" | Sean MacEntee | CC BY 2.0 Remixed to B&W and resized.
Mac Greedy	is a summer clerk in the Sydney office of King & Wood Mallesons. Outside of the law, Mac has a degree in English and writing which, along with being great fun, equipped him with a superior level of pun-proficiency that serves him well to this day.


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February 16, 2013 – Barbara Evans, "Messages of Universal Wisdom" and Robert Mazur, "Money Laundering"
February 14, 2013 by Barb Adams
February 16, 2013 Archives/Pod Casts Hour 2 – Hour 3
Hour 2: Barbara Evans
Renowned transformational healing artist, author, and international speaker Barbara Evans joins Amerika Now during the first hour to discuss Messages of Universal Wisdom: A Journey of Connection Through the Heart.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a way to release your fear-based negative energies while raising your vibrational frequency to increase physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being?
Barbara is the Founder of Crystal Wings Healing Art and The Eden Method. Her book, Messages of Universal Wisdom is a unique and beautifully illustrated account of spiritual awakening and enlightenment that introduces the Image Keys—energetically active tools for raising consciousness.
Barbara joins me this evening to discuss ways in which we can all raise our frequencies in our lives, homes, and even workplace. As a spiritual thought leader and visionary, Barbara has a deep sense of love for our Planet Earth, which fires her passion for finding a new way of living and being within the world: a way based upon Love and Wisdom. This way of Being supports well being, peace, unity, joy and abundance.
Born in England, Barbara graduated in Biology and Education from the Universities of Liverpool and Cambridge. She has studied multiple alternative healing modalities and is a Visionary Healing Artist, Reiki Master, Crystal Resonance Therapist™ and ordained Minister.
If you would like more information about Barbara Evans and The Eden Method, please visit her website at www.crystalwingshealingart.com.
Hour 3: Robert Mazur
Former DEA Undercover Agent and author of The Infiltrator: My Secret Life Inside the Dirty Banks Behind Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel joins Amerika Now during the final hour to discuss money laundering.
Federal Agent Robert Mazur spent five years undercover as a money launderer to the international underworld, gaining access to the zenith of a criminal hierarchy safeguarded by a circle of dirty bankers and businessmen who quietly shape power across the globe. These men and women control multibillion-dollar drug-trafficking empires, running their organizations like public companies. Accountants, attorneys, and financial advisors, their roots run deep in their communities, and they are laundering billions of dollars a year, manipulating complex international finance systems to serve drug lords, corrupt politicians, tax cheats, and terrorists. In 1987, Mazur began infiltrating BCCI, the bankers behind the Medellín cartel. He meticulously gathered evidence for years until, during a fake wedding, federal agents arrested over 40 high-ranking criminals, who were all found guilty and sent to prison.
His never-before-told story on how he did it will amaze you and allow you access to an undercover world that exists all around our own.
For more information about Robert Mazur, please visit his website at www.the-infiltrator.com.


Discover Seville, southern Spain's most flamboyant city, on a full-day sightseeing tour! With an expert guide on hand, head off by luxury minibus to see top Seville sights such as Plaza de España, and UNESCO World Heritage-listed attractions like Seville Cathedral and Royal Alcazar Palace. Pass through the charming Santa Cruz and Triana neighborhoods, float down Guadalquivir River on a sightseeing cruise, and visit Royal Maestranza Bullring and its museum.
After a pickup from your central Seville hotel, set out on your full-day sightseeing tour around spectacular Seville – the capital of Spain's Andalucía region. As you travel by luxury minibus, sit back and relax, listening to your expert guide explain the history of this charismatic city.
Pass Plaza de España – the lavish square in Maria Luisa Park – and learn of its creation for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition World's Fair. Set in the middle of elaborate Moorish-style gardens, the square was built in a classic Renaissance Revival style, and is now home to several important Government buildings.
As you travel, your guide will point out other top Seville attractions like the Palace of San Telmo and Torre del Oro – an eye-catching building that once held precious metals from America. Continue through Seville's Santa Cruz quarter and you'll soon understand why so many describe it as the city's prettiest neighborhood. Watch out for two UNESCO World Heritage-listed attractions here – Royal Alcazar Palace (or Real Alcazar Palace as it's known in Spain) and Seville Cathedral.
After a break for lunch at your own expense, meet your guide back on board your minibus and then visit the Bullring of the Royal Maestranza. Also known as Plaza del Toros, La Maestranza is widely thought of as the mecca of bullfighting – steeped in history and tradition. After exploring the actual bullring, head inside the bullfighting museum to explore at leisure.
Your afternoon continues with a panoramic tour around Seville's Triana district – easily the city's most bohemian and vibrant neighborhood. Pass the Isabel II Bridge and enjoy views across the glistening Guadalquivir River. Before your tour ends back at your hotel, enjoy a 30-minute sightseeing cruise down the river – allowing you to see all the city sights by water as well.
- Seville Cathedral is closed to the public on Sundays and bank holidays due to religious services. Instead you will visit a different monument.
Sevilla is a very beautiful city. This tour certainly did justice to it, The morning session was a wow, a memorable time We also did the afternoon, this included the boat trip which was uninteresting. The bullring afterwards did rescue it. Do the morning, but the afternoon would be improved if the boat sank in advance of you boarding it.
Our guide was so passionate and knowledgeable about this city, which really made this tour quite enjoyable. While it's very easy to show yourself around town, his narration really made it worth going on the tour.There were two less-than-stellar points; 1) waiting to enter Alcazar and then the amount of time inside the palace - too long. Since these palaces are not furnished like many castles are, the tours can really be much shorter, and become tiring. If I had it to do again, I would end the tour before entering Alcazar, find out when the lines are the shortest and go on my own. 2) The river cruise after lunch has nothing to see but bridges built in 1931 and is very short with rather unsightly scenery. By the time we got to the Bull Ring, we decided to go home and skip it altogether. I do highly recommend the morning portion, though.
A nice tour to visit all the places except the afternoon cruise. There wasn't much to see, kind of wasting time. The visit to the bull ring and its museum in the afternoon was magnificent. We have a problem the tourist guide/operator. This tour was scheduled to commence at 9:15am. A note was left at my hotel the day before advising the meeting time was 9:50am at the front of a close by coffee shop without explanation. We have waited for 15 minutes but still have no sign of the tourist guide. We have to call long distance to the local travel agent and take them 10 minutes to reply us that the coach is on the way. By 10:20am we saw a coach drove by and stop at the local bus stop area about 100 yards from the coffee shop. We did not see anyone coming down from the coach, so we were not sure whether this was it. The tourist guide has not intention to look for us. My wife went to check it out and then the tourist guide came down. The extra 30 minutes wait from 9:50 am made us felt that we might have missed the tour. This was absolutely unacceptable. From our group there were about 10 of us require English. All of us felt that the tourist guide was talking too fast and have difficult to capture all the things that she said. The tourist guide was a small built lady and she has no flag, umbrella or any kind of sign for us to follow. She walked in the front but 95% of the time she would not look back to check on us. In our opinion, this was the worst tourist guide we have experienced. We have planned our evening activities based on 9:15 am pick-up time. The delay has slightly affected our planning. I hope Viator should clearly indicate first pick is at 9:15 am and it may take up to an hour to the hotel that one is staying.
Very good river trip disappointing. Tour guide absolutely fantastic.
There was plenty to see on this full day tour,especially the beautiful mosiacs and tiles.Arabic,Spanish and Italian craftmanship like we had never seen before. Thank goodnessyou have time on your own to take photos because quite frankly I think our local guide LOLA wished she was elsewhere. Jose,who was our quide at the end of the day was the complete opposite.A real gem. Even after the tour was over and he had knocked off for the day,he took us to one of his special little places and even paid the admittance fee himself. He was real good value,so was our bus driver Mario.In all,plenty to see and enjoy. A good day.


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Alamillo Bridge is located in Seville. It was designed by the Spanish architect Calatrava Santiego. He has designed many others in the world. He is well known for its elegant architecture.
In 1989 started the construction of the Alamillo Bridge, it was finished to the world exhibition in the city in 1992. The bridge runs from center of town across the river Guadalquvir to La Cartuja where the Expo was.
The bridge has six lanes and a sidewalk in the middle. It is 250 meters long and has a pillar that is tilted at one end of the bridge.


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Gary V. Ball, Supervisor
Affordable Traditional Funerals & Cremation
| 600 Dunster Street
| Pittsburgh, PA 15226
Meet the Ball Family
Funeral Arrangements Worksheet
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Crystal Poremski
Crystal Anne Poremski, age 40, of Carrick, PA, unexpectedly went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. She was the loving daughter of John Poremski and late mother, Donna L. Poremski. Additionally, she is survived by Donna Lee Poremski to whom she was a crazy little sister. She was a beloved Aunt to Donna Hays and Angela Sacco, and great-nieces Brianna Jacobs, Gia Lenhart, and great-nephew, Kayden Kelley. Crystal, you will forever live in all our hearts and will be missed...
Crystal Anne Poremski, age 40, of Carrick, PA, unexpectedly went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. She was the loving daughter of John Poremski and late mother, Donna L. Poremski....
Argentina Kalvi
ARGENTINA SARA (AVENI) KALVI Age 92, formerly of Brookline passed away on Monday, January 17, 2022, peacefully in her home. She was a beloved wife to the late Louis Kalvi, mother of Stephen (Christina), and the late Michael and grandmother to Anthony. Survived by her brother Louis Aveni and many nieces and nephews. Argie was preceded in death by her twelve brothers and sisters. She enjoyed working at Resurrection Parish in the rectory. She enjoyed singing in Ressi's choir, sewing,...
ARGENTINA SARA (AVENI) KALVI Age 92, formerly of Brookline passed away on Monday, January 17, 2022, peacefully in her home. She was a beloved wife to the late Louis Kalvi, mother of Stephen...
Charles Bursich
Charles Martin Bursich Proudly with grace and dignity, our Mountaineer Charles Martin Bursich entered the gates of heaven on Saturday Jan 15, 2022. Chuck was born March 31, 1943 in Etna, Pa. The loves of his life were his wife Bonnie A Bursich, children Lisa (Phu) Ngo, Charles (Cassie) Bursich, Dana (Michael) Gallaher, Emily (Jon) Androski, Michael (Courtney) Bursich and Jonathan (Liza) Bursich. He never missed an opportunity to enjoy his grandchildren Nick,...
Charles Martin Bursich Proudly with grace and dignity, our Mountaineer Charles Martin Bursich entered the gates of heaven on Saturday Jan 15, 2022. Chuck was born March...
TIMOTHY BIRKEL Age 70, originally from the Southside passed away on Tuesday, December 28, 2021, peacefully and surrounded by his immediate family after a short, but hard battle with cancer. Son of the late Elizabeth and Frederick J. Birkel and proud brother of the late Fred Birkel. Devoted husband to Patti (Serafini); loving father to Lizzy (Danny) Bittner and Krissy (Rich) Ferris. Cherished pappy to Hennasey Bittner and Ella, Timothy and Julian Ferris always making it a priority...
TIMOTHY BIRKEL Age 70, originally from the Southside passed away on Tuesday, December 28, 2021, peacefully and surrounded by his immediate family after a short, but hard battle with...
Timothy Scott
TIMOTHY T. SCOTT Age 53, of Brookline, passed peacefully on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. Beloved son of Susan L. (Miller) and the late Walter E. Scott; cherished father of Tim Scott; dear brother of Michael P. Scott; adoring grandfather of Cameron Scott; loving companion of Chrissy Carter; uncle of Sara and Krystal;special friend to Diane Zilaitis; treasured nephew, cousin and friend to many. Friends and family shall be received Wednesday, December 29, 2021 from 2-4 and 6 pm...
TIMOTHY T. SCOTT Age 53, of Brookline, passed peacefully on Wednesday, December 22, 2021. Beloved son of Susan L. (Miller) and the late Walter E. Scott; cherished father of Tim Scott;...
Edward Gratton, Sr.
EDWARD CHARLES GRATTON, SR. Age 42, of Arlington, passed peacefully on Monday, December 20, 2021. Loving husband of the late Tanya Miller; beloved son of Mary Ann "Mal" (Finnigan) and the late Harry F. Gratton; cherished father of Edward C. Gratton Jr. (Sam) and John M. Gratton: dear brother of Brenda Arms, Harry Gratton III (Lori) and Debby Lewis (Jeff); adoring uncle to Mario Arms (Liz), Megan Stadelman (Nick), Jeffrey Lewis (Sarah), Zachary Lewis (Maryann) and Jamie...
EDWARD CHARLES GRATTON, SR. Age 42, of Arlington, passed peacefully on Monday, December 20, 2021. Loving husband of the late Tanya Miller; beloved son of Mary Ann "Mal"...
William Martinko
WILLIAM JOHN MARTINKO Age 78, of Brookline, passed peacefully on Thursday, December 9, 2021. Proud owner of Galardi's 30 Minute Cleaners in Market Square, where he met his longtime friend and father figure the late Joe Galardi. Husband of Rhonda (Darke) Martinko; beloved son of the late Michael and Julia (Koza) Martinko; cherished father of Marla A. (Jeff Rodgers) and William "Butch" Martinko (Christi), dear brother of Edward Martinko (Bonnie), Chris Shiring and...
WILLIAM JOHN MARTINKO Age 78, of Brookline, passed peacefully on Thursday, December 9, 2021. Proud owner of Galardi's 30 Minute Cleaners in Market Square, where he met his...
Victoria Gandelsman
Victoria (Delis) Gandelsman, age 97, of Pittsburgh, PA, formerly of Lviv, Ukraine, passed away peacefully on December 14, 2021. Mother of Stanislav Boyko and Victoria Kaminsky, grandmother of Igor (Alexandra Susloparova) Boyko, Tanya (Mark) Bernstein and Vladimir Kaminsky, great grandmother of Katherine Boyko, Sophie Kaminsky, Rachel, Benjamin, and Arielle Bernstein. In 1942 at the age of 18, Victoria Gandelsman volunteered to join the Soviet Army as a nurse at the field hospital of the tank...
Victoria (Delis) Gandelsman, age 97, of Pittsburgh, PA, formerly of Lviv, Ukraine, passed away peacefully on December 14, 2021. Mother of Stanislav Boyko and Victoria Kaminsky, grandmother of Igor...
Tiffany Trischler
Tiffany L. Trischler Age 51, of Robinson Twp., formerly of Bridgeville, passed peacefully on Thursday December 2, 2021. Beloved daughter of Claudia (Gaffney) and the late Gregory Trischler; loving companion of Thomas P. Mozuch; cherished mother of Kaitlyn Rossa and Jennifer Mozuch (Chad Stewart); dear sister of Byrin "Beej" Trischler (Shannon); adoring grandmother to Madison Stewart; treasured niece, aunt, cousin and friend; a special friend to many in Beechview. Services...
Tiffany L. Trischler Age 51, of Robinson Twp., formerly of Bridgeville, passed peacefully on Thursday December 2, 2021. Beloved daughter of Claudia (Gaffney) and the late Gregory Trischler;...
Linda Daley
Linda Blain Daley Age 69, of North Fayette, passed peacefully on Monday, November 29, 2021. Loving wife of the late Donald Andrew Daley; beloved daughter of the late David Thomas and Mary Jane (Katarincic) Blain; cherished mother of Andrew Blain Daley; dear sister of Cathy Heinz (Gary); adoring aunt to Brian Williams and Lindsey Kress; treasured friend of many. Services private. Arrangements by Ball Funeral Chapel, Inc.
Linda Blain Daley Age 69, of North Fayette, passed peacefully on Monday, November 29, 2021. Loving wife of the late Donald Andrew Daley; beloved daughter of the late David Thomas and...


Thursday afternoon, parents and children at Madison Elementary celebrated the opening of a new playground, which was funded by grants, donations and the hard work of the Madison parent group and school community.The largest portion of funding came from a Great Outdoors Colorado grant, but local businesses and private donors also helped fund the new playground.
To find the parent organization at your child's school in the Greeley-Evans School District 6, go to http://www.greeleyschools.org.
Parents should make time for their kids however they can. For Mendez, that's the main reason to be involved.
Seeing parents involved at school can make kids more willing to be involved, too. Mendez said her dedication to the school shows her kids that school is important.
Being involved with other parents can help parents as much as it does their kids. Smythe said going to a parent organization meeting can be a lot less intimidating than talking to staff at the school. Once parents feel more comfortable at the school, they're more likely to be comfortable advocating for their kids.


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HOME / Marriott Vacations Worldwide Announces Meeting Date for Special Meeting Regardin …
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Announces Meeting Date for Special Meeting Regarding the Proposed Merger with ILG
ORLANDO, Fla. – July 3, 2018 – Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: VAC) announced today that it will hold a special meeting of its stockholders at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on August 28, 2018 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, 6677 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida, at which Marriott Vacations Worldwide stockholders will vote on the issuance of shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide common stock to stockholders of ILG, Inc. (Nasdaq: ILG) and related matters pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of April 30, 2018 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Marriott Vacations Worldwide, ILG, Ignite Holdco, Inc., Ignite Holdco Subsidiary, Inc., Volt Merger Sub, Inc., and Volt Merger Sub LLC.
Marriott Vacations Worldwide stockholders of record at the close of business on July 13, 2018 will be entitled to receive notice of the special meeting and to vote at the special meeting. The parties currently expect closing to occur on the third business day after the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to closing, including receipt of ILG stockholder approval and Mexican anti-trust approval.
Information included or incorporated by reference in this communication, and information which may be contained in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and press releases or other public statements, contains or may contain "forward-looking" statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or by the SEC in its rules, regulations and releases. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements of plans, objectives, expectations (financial or otherwise) or intentions.
Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation's (the "Company") and ILG, Inc.'s ("ILG") expectations, beliefs, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Among other things, these forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the proposed combination of the Company and ILG; our beliefs relating to value creation as a result of a potential combination of the Company and ILG; the expected timetable for completing the transactions; benefits and synergies of the transactions; future opportunities for the combined company; and any other statements regarding the Company's and ILG's future beliefs, expectations, plans, intentions, financial condition or performance. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such `as "may," "will," "expects," "should," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," or other words of similar meaning.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, our financial and business prospects, our capital requirements, our financing prospects, our relationships with associates and labor unions, our ability to consummate potential acquisitions or dispositions, our relationships with the holders of licensed marks, and those additional factors disclosed as risks in other reports filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those described in Part I of the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K as well as in ILG's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and in the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus included in the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by the Company with the SEC on June 6, 2018, and any amendments thereto.
Other risks and uncertainties include the timing and likelihood of completion of the proposed transactions between the Company and ILG, including the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals for the proposed transactions that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the transactions; the possibility that the Company's stockholders may not approve the proposed transactions; the possibility that ILG's stockholders may not approve the proposed transactions; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the proposed transactions will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that the businesses of the Company and ILG will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the proposed transactions making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred; the ability to retain key personnel; the availability of financing; the possibility that the proposed transactions do not close, including due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions; as well as more specific risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider these and other relevant factors, including those risk factors in this communication and other risks and uncertainties that affect the businesses of the Company and ILG described in their respective filings with the SEC, when reviewing any forward-looking statement. These factors are noted for investors as permitted under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution readers that any such statements are based on currently available operational, financial and competitive information, and they should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's opinion only as of the date on which they were made. Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation to review or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances as they occur.
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to buy, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to or in connection with the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
The proposed transaction involving the Company and ILG will be submitted to the Company's stockholders and ILG's stockholders for their consideration. In connection with the proposed transaction, the Company prepared a registration statement on Form S-4 that included a preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus for the stockholders of the Company and ILG and was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on June 6, 2018, and each will mail the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective stockholders and will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. These preliminary materials are not yet final and will be amended. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for such filings or for any other document that the Company or ILG may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. The registration statement, the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials and any other documents filed or furnished by the Company or ILG with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and the joint proxy statement/prospectus from the Company by going to its investor relations page on its corporate web site at www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com and from ILG by going to its investor relations page on its corporate web site at www.ilg.com.
The Company, ILG, their respective directors and certain of their respective executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the Company's directors and executive officers is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on February 27, 2018 and in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 3, 2018, and information about ILG's directors and executive officers is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on March 1, 2018, and in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on May 7, 2018. These documents are available free of charge from the sources indicated above, and from the Company by going to its investor relations page on its corporate web site at www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com and from ILG by going to its investor relations page on its corporate web site at www.ilg.com. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction is presented in the joint proxy statement/prospectus included in the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by the Company with the SEC on June 6, 2018 and may be included in other relevant materials that the Company and ILG file with the SEC.


This practice test contains 50 multiple choice questions. The pass mark is 43 out of 50. Once you begin you'll have 57 minutes to complete the test. You can review your answers at the end of the test.
Great! You pass this test.
Oh! Sorry you failed this test.
When are passing motorists and pedestrians most at risk when you are reversing into a side road?
When is it best for the pressure of your tyres to be checked?
If you have been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, what will begin to cost more?
Why should the head restraint of the driver's seat be appropriately adjusted before the start of a journey?
What should you do as soon as you have joined a three-lane motorway?
You're driving on a motorway, and the traffic is particularly busy. The driver directly behind your car is closer than the recommended time gap. What is the best way to reduce the chance of an accident?
What is the purpose of a SORN certificate?
Which of the following factors will increase your stopping distance the most?
When driving on roads with icy surfaces, which of the following measures will decrease the chances of your wheels spinning uncontrollably?
Who has right of way when traffic lights are faulty?
What is the minimum distance it would take a car travelling at 60mph to come to a stop?
Which of the following road users can use a toucan crossing along with pedestrians?
What does third-party insurance cover?
Which of the following factors will NOT affect the distance it takes for you to stop?
What is the purpose of a circular sign with a background that is completely blue?
You are in the process of replacing engine oil. How should oil that is no longer in use be disposed of?
Which road crossing has been designed for both cyclists and walkers?
You are driving down a motorway. Towards the left-hand side of the carriageway, what colour are the reflective cat's eyes?
When are you allowed to reverse from a quiet side road into the main road?
You are behind a lorry in traffic. Why should you stay a considerable distance behind this large vehicle?
When is it illegal for a horn to be sounded?
You are overtaking a stationary bus. Why should you proceed with caution?
© 2019 TheoryTest. All Rights Reserved.


When it comes time to own your own home, you want to make an investment that's sound, sustainable and compatible to your needs. At L & M Homes we value these ideals above all others and make it a point to provide all of our customers with mobile houses that they can make into their own homes.
Modular homes: Modular homes can be tailored to meet all of your unique needs and wants, simply because they're designed to benefit you in numerous ways! Modular homes are also set apart by their unique building codes, which allow leniency in regards to inspections while maintaining more stringent quality control during production. The end result for homeowners is a home that's already been thoroughly inspected by a professional and mobile in a setting that places a higher emphasis on using exceptional materials and modern building practices.
Double wide homes: If you're seeking a modular home option that can support your existing family or your future plans to grow, double-wide homes in Sault Ste. Marie, MI are a perfect choice that offers lasting value. These homes can be fabricated to emphasize more space and freedom in a home, while allotting better versatility for those who plan to expand.
Single wide homes: Single wide homes are an exceptional alternative to mobile homes, condos or smaller properties, where extra space isn't a necessity and cost is a primary concern. These prefabricated homes serve the elderly, single homeowners, first time homeowners and retirees diligently, giving them a space to call their own without complicating it.
For more information about the modular home products that we sell or to learn more about what modular home living can mean for you, please don't hesitate to contact us today by calling 906-632-2851.


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Mudslide Ruins Part Of The Tour de France Course, Ends Stage 19 Of Race
This year's Tour de France has been plagued with bad weather, including a hailstorm; officials called off the rest of Stage 19 with about 18.5 miles to go.
Tour de France 2019: How to Watch, Live Stream, Dates and Latest Odds
The most prestigious bike race in the world gets underway on Saturday in Brussels, Belgium, and will end in Paris on July 28.
Tour De France Stopped After Riders Pepper Sprayed
The riders had to stop for 15 minutes after being sprayed by a policeman who looked to disperse protesters.
Events You Can Watch Instead of the FIFA World Cup
What other sporting events are on during the World Cup?
Armstrong Agrees $5M Settlement with U.S. Government
Armstrong faced $100 million in possible penalties.
Tour de France: How to Watch for U.S. Viewers
The world's most famous cycling race begins on Saturday.
A.M. Jolt: Slap Shots From Sally Yates & Alex Ovechkin
Sally Yates shines, while the Caps and Chris Froome survive.
Why Sport's Zero-Tolerance Stance on Drugs is Wrong
Anti-doping has become an arbitrary process, so why not change the rules?
WADA Hack: Fancy Bears And The TUE System Explained
Hackers have been releasing top athletes' medical data.
Wiggins And Froome Named In WADA Athlete Data Hack
The medical details of top British cyclists have been released.
Rio 2016 Olympics: What's Niggling Sir Bradley Wiggins?
The Briton is aiming for his fifth Olympic gold medal.
Tour de France 2016: Meet the Yellow Jersey Contenders
Two-time winner Chris Froome is a favorite to win in 2016.
How a Harley Street Doctor Cast Further Doubt on Sport
Dr. Mark Bonar's allegations have shaken faith in U.K. anti-doping efforts.
Israeli Cycle Team Honors Italian Tour De France Champ
Bartali, who rode as a courier to help the Jewish resistance, is believed to have helped save some 800 Jews.
Wine Producers Threaten to Disrupt 2016 Tour de France
They are not happy that France's race is paired with a Chilean wine.
Froome Made OBE in U.K. New Year's Honours List
Chris Froome leads list of sports stars in the U.K. New Year Honours List
Chris Froome Nabs Tour de France Win
It's the first time a British cyclist has won the race twice.
The Tour de France So Far: Martin on Top, an American in Third
Four stages in, the Tour de France is off to a dramatic start.
Just Three Americans Race in 2015 Tour de France
A look at the American cyclists competing in this year's Tour de France
Tour de France Defending Champ Chris Froome Suffers Stage Four Crash
A spill on the Tour's fourth day renders the defending champion bloodied but unbowed


The extremely versatile iPro Kids car seat has been approved according to the newest i-Size regulation R 129. It is a fully-fledged rear-facing car seat for children with a body size of 40 - 105 cm. This means that babies can travel in rearward-facing direction from birth up to a body size of 105 cm. A newborn insert ensure an optimum hold.
From a body size of 76 cm, iPro Kids can also be used as forward-facing car seat. The seat's inclination angle can be adjusted in 4 different positions, from a seating position to a lying one, in the direction of travel. The headrest has 6 height-adjustments followed by the harness that gets adjusted adeguately.
iPro Kids is fitted with a 5-point harness, as well as new and energy-absorbing materials that are part of a modular side-impact protection. The materials used protect the child in the head, neck, chest, and belly area.
In vehicles, iPro Kids is to be fixed with the separately available iPro Base. This i-Size Base is to be locked with a stand and is easy to attach to the vehicle's Isofix connectors. This same base can also be used for the iPro Baby infant car seat.
The iPro Kids car seat is made of breathable materials of high quality. These ensure your little one's well-being and comfort, while a two-part seat insert offers a good position in the seat. Thanks to its large inner dimension, iPro Kids can be used for a very long time.
The extremely flexible iPro Kids car seat has been approved according to the newest i-Size regulation R 129. It is a fully-fledged rear-facing car seat for children with a body size of 40 - 105 cm. From a body size of 76 cm, iPro Kids can also be used as a forward-facing car seat. Thanks to its large size, the iPro Kids car seat can used for a very long time. In addition, it is part of the iPro Series that consists of the iPro Base, the iPro Kids car seat and the iPro Baby infant car seat.
The iPro Kids car seat disposes of a 5-point harness, as well as a new type of energy-absorbing materials that efficiently absorb frontal and side impacts. These are part of the seat's modular side-impact protection and protect your child in the head, neck, chest, and belly area. And thanks to the steel-reinforced inner part, iPro Kids is particularly safe.
In vehicles, iPro Kids can be fixed only with the separately available iPro Base. The iPro Base is to be locked with a stand and is easy to attach to the vehicle's Isofix connectors. This same base can also be used for the iPro Baby infant car seat.
The little passenger's well-being is also guaranteed thanks to high-quality and breathable fabrics. The seat's inclination angle can be adjusted in 4 positions, from seat to lying position, in the direction of travel. The headrest has also 6 height adjustments. The harness can be adjusted the same in height. In addition, iPro Kids is delivered together with a removable newborn insert and another two-part insert.


I have no clue what that is supposed to mean.
Maybe "biggest" is already an attraction by itself, but that is completely missing the point here.
A history of film-making—the history of Chinese film-making—is itself something worthy of in-depth documentation, serious exhibition and passionate studies.
I feel that the bigness here seems somewhat redundant.
Is bigness the only way to achieve monumentality? I doubt it.
Is bigness the most efficient way to achieve monumentality? Perhaps.
Should bigness be the first category on the checklist for making a monument?
If that's the case, then there must be something wrong. Scale is only one out of many things in a designer's toolbox. I felt that if one is to prioritize SCALE when it comes to designing a monument, then it is almost like giving up design.
Of course, the most important things in a museum should be its exhibitions and collections. The great hall as a prologue should not take over the stage. But I am still not quite able to fully understand why I would think the space here to be too big and empty. By sharing my observations, there might be someone who would be able to help me make some sense out of things.
So here we have the third museum of this series, the grand hall of the Film Museum…..
All museums need a ceremonial axis, even though most visitors would enter through a smaller side entrance with security checks.
The ceremonial entrance is still more important for there are more architectural gestures to be made over there. More story to be told, more intentions to be read, more attention to be captured.
Here we have a red star inserted into the ground, suggesting that this is not a Film Museum of the world but a Museum of Chinese film, and likely has to do with some revolutionary history. And in fact, "red films" with political agendas seemed to be a major aspect of early Chinese films.
Chinese films now are probably less politically based. I wonder if that has something to do with the fact that the box office area is rather pink behind that red star. Entertainment business is probably taking over that revolutionary spirit as the new major agenda. After all, a large portion of this museum is really just movie theaters. Many people are here to enjoy the latest film in the biggest IMAX. There is probably no need to paint red all over the new "Transformer" movie.
Yet one is reminded of the revolution aspect of the museum upon entering the second grand hall that serves as a central circulation space to the museum. In plan, it is simply a gigantic red dot.
Strangely, it is almost like taking New York's Guggenheim and then cutting across all the ramps at one side to make a grand opening. What you are left with is a series of disconnected rings. To further make this circulation space redundant, the access to the ramps is blocked. I suspect, the designers probably had a Guggenheim in mind right from the start, but later realized the massing of this museum is simply too large to fully take advantage of the circular central circulation, and had to introduce a secondary means of circulation, or multiple systems of circulations as a result. By the time secondary systems are introduced, the ramps at the red dot have already become something that is completely redundant, which makes this grand hall something of a joke.
What should one do if this space is not fully functional? Well, you introduce a few more functions.
There seemed to be a jump in logic somewhere? Or am I thinking too much?
Somehow I do not feel quite right. Something is a little strange here. As if all the elements present are simply floating around and not really integrated. Perhaps it is simply because the room is too big?
All photos by Cheng Feng Lau.
This is the last of the Big and Empty series.


Ready for a break? Beach Breeze Motel is the place to come to enjoy tranquility and beach side experiences. Two of our rooms offer a cozy fireplace in a windowed sun porch while you watch the tides, the sunset, the Sandpipers or just listen to the waves rolling in.
We have nine spacious rooms in a rustic setting. Two of these are housekeeping units. Enjoy a swim at the beach or relax in our giant outdoor pool. A barbeque is available for a cookout on the beach while you listen to the splashing sounds of the surf in the sunshine. Be sure to take in the magnificent sunsets! The view at this motel is breathtaking, don't miss it!
Come and relax awhile as you view Canada's highest tides rise and fall. Go for a swim during high tide or a relaxing stroll on the Minas Basin sands during low tide. We are located directly on Evangeline Beach.
This vacation hide-a-way is a paradise for bird watchers! Watch the sky fill with clouds of graceful sandpipers as they look for food in the mud flats when the tide is out or glide across the bay when the tide is in.
© 2013 Beach Breeze Motel. All Rights Reserved.


GlassesShop.com have been very nice to me and have sent me a free pair of glasses for me to try out and review for you all! GlassesShop.com are an eyeglasses shop where you can buy prescription glasses and sunglasses for some great prices. The company is American so if you are going to order prescription glasses make sure you've got all of your details, I went to my local opticians and asked for a physical copy of my prescription.
Anyway, on to what they sent me!
I chose the Aquarius Rectangle glasses in black. On receiving my glasses, they arrived in a little glasses case neatly protected in the cleaner. I also received a voucher code for some money off of my next purchase. To buy this frame with lenses it would come to $35.95 (£26.30). It is a great shop for buying eyeglasses online. Their prescription sunglasses are also pretty cool!
These glasses are unisex (men/women) and made of acetate (a certain material). These particular frames are recommended for a PD (Pupillary Distance) of 49-74mm. These glasses are pretty similar to the design of a pair of Ray-Bans which is pretty stylish. They are sturdy glasses that most likely won't break if I accidentally sit on them like I do most of the time in bed...They look great on as well, obviously!
These are the average measurements for my glasses that I chose, all measurements are featured in the description of all the glasses on the website. As some advice, if you have some glasses already, compare the measurements because you don't want to be going and getting a pair that are way to big/small for you.
I hope you enjoyed this, a massive thank you to GlassesShop.com for helping me out with this post! Go and use you 50% off and spend!
These products were sent to me courtesy of GlasshesShop.com for reviewing purposes.


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Planning a graceful exit1 month ago
Dairy businesses: a how to guide before you exit
Marian Macdonald@@milkmaidmarian
The need for dairy businesses considering an exit might seem obvious but what really needs to be done?
We asked two experts, Morrows director and accountant Alistair Hamblin, and Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria North East coordinator Chris Howard.
DAIRY EXITS: We asked two experts advice on how dairy farmers can exit the dairy industry gracefully if they are planning to do so.
Mr Howard's service is responsible for a quarter of the state and 60 to 70 per cent of its inquiries come from dairy farmers.
"This is my 11th year and there's a level of structural adjustment I've never seen before," Mr Howard said.
He said farmers who were heavily reliant on buying water during the irrigation season or hay would not be viable in 2018/19.
"Most calls we receive are about government support payments or grants and that generally opens up a conversation about the bigger picture," he said.
"The first step is to know your equity and financial performance so you know where you are and how you got there.
"We can help you with sorting out what your key metrics are, with assets and liabilities, profit and loss reports, budgets and cashflow forecasts."
Both farmers and small rural businesses are eligible for free assistance from the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) in Victoria.
The RFCS works with clients for up to three years, sometimes even longer during changing circumstances and Mr Howard has helped many farmers transition their businesses.
Farmers downsizing their herds or selling either land or water needed to consider whether the business could sustain the change.
"We see plenty of farmers selling assets just to stay afloat when the bank refuses to extend any more finance," he said.
"It can make a lot of sense, driving down debt levels and the cost of production.
"At the same time, you need to look at the impact on income and the future viability of the business."
Those considering selling the herd altogether needed to look at what it takes to fund the farm.
"Know the ongoing fixed costs and whether cropping or other enterprises will support that," he said.
"Sometimes people don't plan through fatigue, emotional fatigue or stress.
"And if their backs are against the wall and the banks are having conversations with them about reducing debt or concerns about servicing them, it can be difficult.
"The RFCS can often provide that channel of communication between the farmer and the bank."
In fact, Mr Howard said, many of the referrals to RFCS come via the banks rather than farmers.
"We're often told people can be reluctant to get in contact because it affects how they feel about their own success," he said.
"There will be a friendly voice at the end of the phone when you ring, so don't hesitate."
Mr Howard said the RFCS was especially helpful for farmers who were applying for government support, including the Farm Household Allowance (FHA).
"The application process for the FHA has improved considerably and if you're well prepared with all the information at hand, it can take just a few hours," he said.
"Trusts and other business structures can bring added complexities though."
Mr Howard wanted to make one last thing clear.
"We don't give advice or recommendations," he said, "we offer the how to, so we don't replace accountants, consultants and lawyers."
READ MORE: Dairy farmers planning to exit the industry can access support
READ MORE: Milk production in Northern Victoria could halve again in five years
One financial advisory service and accountancy firm, Morrows, is no stranger to farmers making big decisions.
Mr Hamblin said failure to plan and get advice can produce poor outcomes.
"There are a number of tax concessions available if planned correctly, particularly Small Business CGT Concessions," he said.
"In many cases, subject to passing a range of tests, Capital Gains Tax can either be reduced substantially or completely removed on a sale of the farm enterprise.
"Similarly, with appropriate advice, exiting farmers selling the farm can often make significant superannuation contributions - the Small Business CGT Concessions being a case in point.
"In cases where the exit involves sale of assets to other family members such as succession to children, planning is also required to assess the applicability of exemptions from land transfer duties."
The different categories of assets farmers typically sell when exiting dairying include livestock, plant and equipment, land, leasehold improvements, stocks and water rights.
In some cases, farmers may also have Farm Management Deposits, which will need to be matured.
Mr Hamblin said each of the asset classes would have different tax impacts and applicability in the tax concessions and tests.
"For example, certain asset classes will produce ordinary taxable income (primary production classification if that has been applying to the taxpayer)," he said.
"Others such as land will generally produce capital gains which in some cases may be tax free but in other cases will generally by taxed at a 50pc discount to ordinary income."
The structure of the dairy business was also important, Mr Hamblin explained.
"Business structures are the basic framework that determines who the ultimate taxpayer is," he said.
"Individual, partnerships of individuals and trusts with individuals as beneficiaries will generally see the taxable income and capital gains end up in the hands of individuals who will bear the tax at relevant tax rates.
"Where capital assets such as land are held in company structures, the 50pc general discount normally applying for CGT will not be obtained and a complex wind up would be required to recover some of the benefit lost."
Mr Hamblin said farmers who exited with a surplus could consider investing in superannuation.
"Under the Small Business CGT Concessions, provisions allow for substantial investment of proceeds (and taxable income and gains) into superannuation funds or rollover into replacement assets as part of the process of removing tax consequences," he said.
"Naturally, the rules are complex and expert advice is strongly recommended. Investment of surplus funds should always be subject to advice from licensed and qualified professional financial advisors."


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Tig Notaro Addresses Replacing Chris D'Elia In 'Army Of The Dead' After His Sexual Misconduct Scandal
By Brent Furdyk. 13 May 2021 10:20 PM
TIG NOTARO as PETERS in ARMY OF THE DEAD — SCOTT GARFIELD/NETFLIX © 2021
Tig Notaro is among the stars of "Army of the Dead", the new Zack Snyder-direcged zombie-heist flick set to premiere on Netflix.
Notaro, however, was a last-minute replacement, shooting her scenes after principal production had already taken place. The reason: her character was originally played by fellow comedian Chris D'Elia. When D'Elia was hit with multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, Snyder decided to cut him from the movie entirely and reshoot his scenes with Notaro in the role.
Because her reshoots took place during the pandemic, COVID-19 restrictions prevented Snyder from reassembling the cast; as a result, Notaro filmed her scenes solo, against a green screen, with Snyder digitally adding her performance into the mix.
RELATED: Dave Bautista Turned Down 'The Suicide Squad' To Make 'A Lot More Money' In Zack Snyder's 'Army Of The Dead'
Speaking with Yahoo! Entertainment, Notaro was asked if losing TV and film roles "should be a natural consequence" for actors who face similar allegations.
"That's a big question with a long answer," she Notaro admitted. "But I think there should be consequences for bad behaviour."
Snyder defended his decision to recast D'Elia's role.
"It just seemed like the right thing to do," he explained, praising the uniqueness that Notaro brought to the table.
RELATED: Zack Snyder And Dave Bautista Talk Their 'Self-Aware' Zombie-Heist Movie 'Army Of The Dead'
"We really had a blast shooting with her; she's just hilarious," he added "It's just Tig! All the circumstances are the same, but Tig's take tonally changes everything. I think that if you didn't know [about Chris], you'd just think that Tig was in the movie."
Army of the Dead Chris D'Elia Netflix Tig Notaro TV Zack Snyder


Ver esta receta en español.
Toss the cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
Cover and let stand unrefrigerated for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours.
When you are ready to serve the salad, add tomatoes, onion, fresh herb, and oil to the cucumber mixture and lightly stir.
Serve with a sprig of mint, dill, cilantro, or basil on top.
Allow students to sample a selection of herbs and vote on which one to add to the recipe!


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Alistair Darling plays Chess at Northern Rock
Alistair Darling has developed a counter-gambit in the chess game for the future of Northern Rock. The threat is to nationalize the company and to bring in Ron Sandler, former head and rescuer of Lloyd's of London, to run it
The shareholder meeting is scheduled for Tuesday January 15th 2008. Shareholders have signalled their intentions of opposing plans to find a private owner at a price unfavourable to themselves. They intend to seek motions to prevent the board acting against the interests of shareholders.
These moves are understandable in view of the Treasury's position, which seems to be committed to recouping as much as possible of the billions 'invested' in rescuing the back since the crisis days since September 2007.
The Treasury counter-gambit, if successful, is good for tax-payers, and also protects Darling and chums from accusations of incompetence and worse by that sharp-tongued Mr Osborne.
The Chancellor, while preferring the sale into private ownership to go ahead has to demonstrate that the Treasury is perfectly willing to accept the nationalisation option.
So it came about, that on the Saturday preceding the meeting, the news became public that the Treasury had a well-worked out plan for nationalisation. Why?
Demonstrating that you are serious
Darling has to demonstrate a convincing threat to the shareholders, the group he has identified the biggest threat to his own position, at the battle of Northern Rock. Threats are effective only if they are taking seriously, and not taken as evidence of bluster and weakness. We have written of how the most potent threats are like unsung melodies, shaping events but remaining in the background.
So Mr Darling does not want to nationalize Northern Rock. Neither do the shareholders. But if The Chancellor can convince enough shareholders that he might be forced into a nationalization by their further opposition, it may help avoid the outcome none of the main players really wants.
The threat involves several elements. A signal of intent. Evidence that it is not a shallow move or an idle threat. The signal deliberately leaked is necessary to convey the seriousness. It can be backed up in chess terms (and in military and political terms) if it can be shown that recent moves by Darling have been played to strengthen the impact of the threat if activated.
Once again, the intrepid financial journalist Robert Peston continues his high profile scoops.
So Mr Peston gets his story for the BBC. Mr Darling gets his signal accurately and prominently reported.
According to bankers close to the Rock, the Treasury has a fully developed plan to own and manage the bank, should a commercial solution be impossible.
The BBC has learned that Mr Sandler would become executive chairman of Northern Rock in the event that the troubled bank is fully nationalised.
The former boss of Lloyd's of London is well known to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and worked for the Treasury in developing the so-called stakeholder pension and investment products that were intended to help those on lower incomes save for retirement.
Mr Peston, through a leap of imaginative journalism, or perhaps through the way in which he had been briefed, then links the news with the upcoming shareholder meeting:
The coming week will be a crucial one for Northern Rock. On Tuesday, shareholders will attempt to restrict the ability of the company's board to sell assets without seeking their permission.
Robin Ashby, of the Northern Rock Small Shareholders' Group, said he would not welcome nationalization …
The shareholders' action is regarded by the Treasury as potentially hostile to the interests of taxpayers.
Taxpayers are exposed to the Rock to the tune of £55bn through direct loans made by the Bank of England and guarantees to other lenders made by the Treasury.
A decision will also be taken imminently by the Treasury on whether to pursue a proposal by the investment bank Goldman Sachs to convert up to £15bn of the taxpayer loan into bonds, for sale to international investors.
If that proposal to raise new finance for the Rock flops, it is likely to undermine attempts to organize a commercial rescue of the Rock by either a consortium led by Virgin or by the Olivant Group.
[See how Mr Peston was also struck by the chess analogy in his recent blog where he enlarges on nationalization and partial nationalization options and implications.]
The Chess Game reaches a critical middle-game position
The chess game is reaching a critical position, rich in possibilities. To press too hard risks losing the entire game. Darling has shown he is willing to accept a gambit, and now offers a counter-gambit himself, using the Bank of England to capture Northern Rock for the nation. Making such a move may be risky to the Treasury, but it is even more damaging than other possible outcomes, for the shareholders.
[A counter-gambit: your chess opponent makes an offer as a gambit, which is expected to give you short-term gains for which you risk longer-term losses. You reply with your own gambit, which agagin offers your opponent short-term gains and for which there are the risks of longer-term losses. Playing a gambit often complicates a game. Playing a counter-gambit tends to lead to even more complex positions and greater uncertainties]
That is why I like the efforts made to demonstrate the seriousness of the threat to the shareholder forces. The announcement that Mr Sandler has been lined-up is excellent. Easy to check up on, little lost if nothing further happens. That's what makes it quite a convincing move.
The Chess Players image is of Daumier's masterpiece. It can be found on an excellent site on Combinatorial Game Theory
4 Comments	| Alistair Darling, Chess as a source of strategy insights, George Osborne, Northern Rock, Robert Peston	| Tagged: Lloyds, nationalization, News, Robin Ashby, Ron Sandler, Treasury	| Permalink
What can be learned from the ending of the Brown honeymoon?
The Gordon Brown honeymoon is over. He has seen his party's lead in the opinion polls whither away. His handling of the non-election has been branded cowardly and inept. His rival David Cameron scores overwhelmingly in parliamentary debate. What leadership lessons can be learned from the unfolding story?
This is the current situation. Gordon Brown is widely reported as having lost the initiative he held since his appointment as Prime Minister. The fall from grace can be located in time easily.
Prior to the labour party conference, the honeymoon period was continuing, and the main question was whether a snap election could destroy not just David Cameron, by maybe the Conservative party itself.
During the Labour conference, Mr Brown's speech at worse did not seem to damage his or his party's prospects. Yet the snap-election story continued to build momentum. At the start of the month [October 2007] it seemed to have been settled. There would be an election within a month or so.
Then the Conservative party conference, a well-received speech by David Cameron, and the news stories piled up full of bad news for Brown. The week following the election added to his woes in and out of Westminster.
You learn a lot from what surprises you
Over the last few months I have been frequently surprised by the ebb and flow of political events. So what were the surprises? What was the learning?
Remember the passing of Tony Blair from office? I was surprised at the time by suggestions that portrayed Gordon Brown as a person psychologically unfit to lead his party, or the country. The contrast with business leaders is quite stark. The literature of the dark side of leadership is mounting, and it is easier to find examples of leaders who do not manifest symptoms of narcissism, with a dash of other fancily-termed psychotic tendencies, than to find examples of well-balanced ('abnormally normal'?) individuals.
Then I was surprised over aspects of the so-called Brown Bounce. That nice theory was made almost impossible to evaluate, because Gordon's arrival coincided with a particularly turbulent time, during which the New Prime Minister acted in a competent and reassuring manner. [Remember the joke that had been told about him during his personal campaign to consolidate his election campaign? The trouble with Gordon, the ironic joke went, is that he is all substance. Ho, ho. ].
The honeymoon period is now over. One surprise is that no-one pointed to the curious contrast between the bounce, and the herd-mentality that had dubbed Brown a pathologically-flawed no-hoper for Labour, prior to election. The bounce transcended all those concerns expressed in the media?
Over the last two weeks, I have also been surprised by the speed at which opinions about Brown and Cameron have swung back. The ratings are now [14.10.2007] roughly where they were before Mr Cameron hit policy problems a few months ago. Now, Cameron is as a hot a favourite for destroying Brown politically, as Brown was for destroying Cameron, a few weaks ago.
I was further surprised at the damage politically the Gordon Brown has sustained over his assertion that his decision not to call an election had been nothing to do with opinion-polls in marginal seats. The statement has become taken as evidence that the Prime Minister is irretrievably untrustworthy.
The second event, the afore-mentioned pre-Budget speech by Darling, is similarly taken as a sign of Government duplicity, specifically over Magpie politics. Specifically, like thieving Magpies, the Government has stolen the shiny baubles plucked from the Conservative lips, including inheritance tax from non-doms.
There's enough mud for everyone to play in
The speech from Alistair Darling infuriated the conservatives, and particularly the shadow Chancellor, George Osborne. Alistair is in the Brown mould (measured and a bit, how can I put it, non-dom Scottish). Osborne is more of the smooth but menacing inclination, unafraid to take the fight to the muckier side of the farmyard. His immediate response to Darling's pre-budget statement was a well-mounted piece of aggression at the calumny of his immediate opponent and the forces behind him, all the way up to King Gordon.
The next morning he had simmered down enough to articulate the view that the public would now be able to choose between the party of principled and honourable statesmanlike politicians, (the conservatives) and the cynical duplicitous lot on the other side (labour).
Overall he had had a good twenty-four hours, and is evidently on the way of becoming a dangerous opponent for the new Chancellor. Nice one George. Nice, in the sense of dangerously nasty.
The various outbusts of anger left me conscious of the farmyard metaphor, that there's a lot of mud out there, likely to spread itself liberally on to all concerned. Voters may find it confirms their suspicions if they are repeatedly told that there are a lot of cynical duplicitous politicians (CDPs) out there.
On the other hand, drawing attention to this will not mean they will buy the proposition that all CDPs are to be found among the ranks of Gordon's followers, thus enabling the conservatives convincingly to claim the high moral ground as The Principled Party.
Leadership lessons?
Some are immediately apparent. Gordon Brown contributed to the way in which this story developed. I rather think he moved back towards damage limitation in claiming responsibility for the election frenzy. (However tempting it might have been to bang on about the media).
There was another misjudgment when he insisted that he would not have been influenced by opinion polls in his decision, even if they indicated a majority of hundred after an immediate election.
The leadership principle is to retain some of that valuable commodity, wriggle room, whenever possible. Put another way, practice the art of the Delphic Oracle.
Find a creative way of dealing with the question at two levels.
Avoid yes or no answers when these are over-simplifications (which they almost always are).
No-one will get it right every time, but the frequency of poor moves, and the damage sustained, is likely to be reduced. At least, that's if you believe leaders are made not born, and are strengthened through learning from their mistakes.
2 Comments	| Alistair Darling, Chess as a source of strategy insights, David Cameron, George Osborne, Gordon Brown, leadership honeymoon, Leadership principle	| Tagged: , Brown Bounce, CDPs, leadership lessons, Thieving magpie politics	| Permalink
Message from Northern Rock: Telling it Like it Is?
In a message from its CEO Adam Applegarth, Northern Rock communicates with its customers. The one substantive item is an offer to refund all penalties imposed if they re-invest within two weeks. The message is as revealing for what it does not say, as for what it does
Northern Rock for the moment is the safest Bank for investors in the country. The website, much maligned as an indication of the Bank's inability to respond swiftly, shows signs of recovery. (Although that side-bar graphic of a deep-sea diver gently descending offers a rather unfortunate image of the company's future …)
Mr Applegarth's message suggests just how little wriggle-room there is for a leader in these adverse circumstances. Every scrap of information will be scrutinized minutely. A minimum requirement is the avoidance of any factual inaccuracy. I read it carefully, and was left with the impression of a company doing its best under exceptionally difficult circumstances.
One dilemma is how much honesty there should be about the future. Should the message tell the truth, the partial truth, and only the truth that encourages investors to return to the Northern Rock's offerings?
It is a dilemma, because the marketing and PR impulse is to create the simple brand message. That is the brand imperative. The conventional wisdom is to draft and redraft until the final version has eliminated all traces of 'off-message' signals. In this instance, the short-term need is to get some cash back in.
But we know that these are exceptional times, and there has been plenty of evidence in the last week of the difficulty of finding a way of reassuring customers. Thanks to the actions of the Bank of England, in coordination with the Financial Securities Authority and the Government, Northern Rock can say without falsehood that
The Chancellor has made it clear that all existing deposits in Northern Rock are fully backed by The Bank of England and are totally secure during the current instability in the financial markets
But that truth is unvarnished, and yet carefully polished in the posting. Polished to remove any hint that mistakes might have been made, or that changes will have to be made that will be unpleasant for investors. The dilemma is the inclination to be honest about such matters. To treat people frankly. Doesn't that help build trust? And is it really the case that it will be pretty much business as usual in the future?
A mischievous suggestion
Sometimes it helps to face reality by acknowledging what can't be said. Suppose the reality is that Northern Rock has been in a near fatal accident? At the moment it is presumed to be wrapped up in a financial security blanket and unlikely to return to full health. No-one will turn the life-support system off until arrangements have been made for donation of the various organs. A first message is received from the bedside of the patient.
There has not been much time to reflect on how I arrived in the Accident and Emergency Room of the Financial General Hospital. I suppose I had been feeling a bit off-colour for quite a while. But I had always been in such good health before. Maybe that had prevented me from seeing those symptoms that something was going wrong.
In hindsight, I suppose my lifestyle was unhealthy in some ways. I'm just thankful to all those who helped keep me alive. The doctors tell me that I will make a full recovery. I'm not sure. I'll probably have to change my life style quite a lot. Still, must put a brave face on for the sake of the family. There's a lot more like me. That A&E department is working 24/7. I think I'll say it's business as usual. Except I suppose it can't really be the same business again. Can it?
If you want to sit in judgment …
A lot of effort is going into trying to establish 'who is to blame' in the declining fortunes of Northern Rock. I would prefer to see whether there is anything to be learned from what's going on. Would things have been better, say, if Robert Peston had been in change of Northern Rock? Or Will Hutton in charge of The Bank of England? Or if George Osborne, or Roman Abramovich, or Warren Barton had … Enough of that. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
1 Comment	| Adam Applegarth, Brand, George Osborne, Leaders we deserve, Leadership dilemma, Northern Rock, Robert Peston, Will Hutton, Wriggle room	| Permalink
Match Of The Day: Brown versus Osborne
Many of us missed Match Of The Day, Brown against Osborne, in the Westminster League. Although televised, the match attracted fewer viewers than the Manchester United/ Sheffield United Premiership football clash, which I watched. Sheffield United seemed to drag the front-runners down to their level. Meanwhile, at Westminster …
The Westminster match was a hastily arranged fixture in advance of more serious contests over the coming months. Brown had been challenged to defend his actions of a decade ago. It was to turn into a one-on-one battle between Chancellor Gordon and his Conservative man-marker, George Osborne.
Two hundred miles to the North West, Sheffield's finest were at Old Trafford, where they were fighting for their place in the Premier League against the table leaders Manchester United.
Sheffield Manager Neil Warnock said that his team would be facing the best team in the world. While this would be contested by many fans from teams in the English league and beyond, he was effectively making the point that Sheffield were massive underdogs (you could have placed a bet at 14 to 1 for a Sheffield win).
What Sheffield did at Old Trafford
What Sheffield did at Old Trafford was to compete physically, never giving up, against more talented opposition. Young and energetic defenders followed their manager's plan in man-to-man marking against some of the most elusive and skillful players in the world. Tackles flew in which sidelined United players, and added to concerns about the casualties sustained in recent battles.
The result was as predicted by the bookies a win for the table-toppers and likely Champions. But the win was a narrow 2-0. A week ago, also at Old Trafford, Manchester United had scored seven goals to win a quarter final match against one of Italy's top teams. General consensus was that Sheffield had dragged the Manchester team down to their level.
Meanwhile in the Westminster League …
Please understand: I am just playing with this metaphor to see how a sporting battle might offer insights into a political contest. In this metaphorical sense, Gordon Brown might be seen as the odds-on favorites, entering the field with a ten-year record for financial success. His opponents' tactics (like those of Sheffield United) were to challenge public perceptions of the top dog.
Over a decade, Gordon Brown has been regularly called upon to defend his financial actions, in such matches. He has been largely successful in preserving his reputation as a skillful and prudent Chancellor. (Let's not forget his long-time ally Prudence).
I only caught the highlights in a late night news broadcast, which also indicated the final score had been a comfortable but not overwhelming victory for Gordon Brown. Had the conservatives set up a dogged man-to-man marking system that had minimized the nature of their defeat? Possibly. Had they dragged the Government forces into a scrappier sort of tussle than they would have liked? Again, possibly.
The BBC reported that
The arguments have been well rehearsed over the past few weeks, even years, but shadow chancellor George Osborne was not going to let that stop him .. The "raid" on pension funds had been a con, had devastated the funds leaving Britain with the worst system in Europe and been done in the face of official advice warning him of the consequences ..
The Conservative party went all out on this anti-Brown campaign, even producing a mock newspaper, imaginatively called The Moon, to hand out to rush hour commuters at train stations around the country, and declaring "Gordon Brown ate my pension".
Gordon Brown ate my pension.
Yes, these are the defiant words of a street fighter.
Did the conservative battle plan work?
To the extent that they had shaped the nature of the fight. To the extent that the Tabloidification of the argument may contribute even marginally to a public perception of the Chancellor (shortly to become Prime Minister) as a man of stealth. It may be a dirty battle, but it may not have been totally futile.
In business, I have reflected on smear campaigns for many years. I'd like to see some decently researched evidence. If there's anyone out there with some solid evidence I'd like to hear from you. In absence of such evidence I hold to a business principle. You smear your opponents at your peril. It's a kind of wicked problem-solving. The unintended consequence is to risk a wider reaction of 'a plague on all your houses' among the neutrals. It contributes to the low opinion held of politicians by increasing proportions of voters (or perhaps, I should say non-voters).
These are the leaders we deserve, for as long as we accept the tactics of the playground which too often we are witness to.
It was The Times wot done it. Originally, the story of Gordon the Pension Snatcher was broken exclusively by the Times newspaper. Today, it tucked away its report of the Brown-Osborne battle on page 22. Perhaps the accompanying Parliamentary Sketch by Ann Treneman rarther spoiled the Thunderer's thunder. The headline ran 'Hurricane Gordon sweeps in and demolishes his opponent'. Ouch!
1 Comment	| Football, General Leadership Concepts, George Osborne, Gordon Brown, Leaders we deserve, MUFC, Political leadership, Sporting leadership, Tabloidification, Wicked problem-solving	| Permalink
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Laois County Council has signed a deal with Magnet which will see the council's broadband connectivity increase from 2Mbps to 50Mbps.
Magnet will use the Portlaoise metropolitan area network (MAN) to deliver the 50Mbps connection.
The increased speed will facilitate the provision of a large number of new online services to the public, including a facility allowing users to access planning documents such as maps and drawings from the local authority's website.
The new fibre connection will be fully scalable, supplying potentially unlimited bandwidth. Over the past 18 months, Magnet Business has signed similar deals with Westmeath County Council, Limerick City Council and Offaly County Council.
"This massive increase in broadband connectivity for Laois County Council will allow us to significantly improve many of the online services we offer to citizens. We are delighted that we can now provide members of the public full access to planning documents," said John Forde, head of information systems at Laois County Council, adding that this was only the start of the council's plans for online services.