The report from the Canadian firm Altus, who provide software, data solutions and advisory services to the global commercial real estate firms, gives an overview of the main technology trends impacting the global real estate sector. Notably the report charts an increased take-up of property technology ("PropTech") and a growth with disintermediating technologies. The report also pinpoints a development whereby greater numbers of commercial real estate companies are investing directly in PropTech companies and startups.
The new report is titled "The Innovation Opportunity in Commercial Real Estate: A Shift in PropTech Adoption and Investment", and it parallels the digital transformation processes occurring in other sectors of the economy. The report is based on a global survey of 400 property owners with assets under management of at least $250 million. The survey provides an outlook on technology trends impacting across the sector.
The report identifies the trend of disintermediation (an economic term for the reduction in the use of intermediaries between producers and consumers), and how this is accelerating among commercial real estate firms. The impact of this is disrupting the commercial real estate industry through the elimination of middle steps and processes. The motivation for this is to create greater efficiencies. The real-term effects of disintermediation can be seen in the rise of new business models associated with the sharing economy (such as Airbnb), co-working (as with WeWork) and e-commerce (where Amazon and Alibaba are prime examples).
Furthermore, the survey finds that the majority of commercial real estate executives report that these disintermediating business trends are having a significant impact on their investment and portfolio decisions. With this, 73 percent of Canadian executives surveyed said that the sharing economy is having the greatest impact on their portfolio decisions. This is followed by e-commerce at 68 percent and co-working at 52 percent. A strong example of this is with WeWork, which has widened its ambitions and in doing so threatens to upend the traditional leasing model.
With the PropTech developments, this defines the startups offering technologically innovative products or new business models for the real estate markets. Such companies are generally more in tune with the buying or renting patterns of consumers, in terms of accessing digital technologies than are many traditional property firms. PropTech technologies include the use of blockchain.
Other PropTech firms are experimenting with virtual reality to showcase properties; plus connected objects, 3D printing, mobility technology, big data and so on. Other developments are being implemented in conjunction with smart home technology.
Some of the startups developing such technologies are aiming to support real estate professionals, offering tools to enhance their services or their productivity. Whereas other startups are proposing to replace real estate professionals, which is adding to the dynamism of the commercial real estate market.


3 main rooms, with terrace of 70 m2. possibility of separating and have a desktop or 3 additional bedroom. unit 78 m2 construcion. toilet reception allowance lacquered natural wood & stainless steel Bacha. my sink + taps monocomando fv. construction of excellent quality with class details. very bright. fully equipped kitchen with designer furniture, stainless steel kitchen Domec. mara allowance gray granite, stainless steel sink. my fv monocomando sink and taps. connection for washing machine. baths with ceramic made from quality, health ferrum, fv clamor. front cabinet / closet. tv and telephone outlets in all main rooms. paint quality to move (no paint work). swissfloor floating floor to be dining and bedrooms. Italian individual boiler: Baxi brand main dual triangular heating radiators and hot water. aluminum model white American. reinforced entrance door for added security. Electrical installation of 1st quality. laminated safety glass blisan 3 +3 (side entrance door and lower windows of the dorms). Fixed garage (12.50m2) quincho. barbeque. pool filter. Automatic vehicular gate. hydraulic elevator 1st quality. Close Subway D.


In what is most likely the last entry in our 2010 balcony garden series, how about we look at how our herbs, veggies and flowers fared, what we spent and what we will look to do a little differently next year. Here's a quick shot of our tomato plants - bonus addition of cat in bucket.
We ended up probably getting about 40 or so cherry tomatoes and about 10 romas. They came in gradually and ripened at different rates which was good because we didn't want to be eating salad every single night.
The fruits of our labor were so small that salad was really the only option for them. Of course, we got creative one night and made "tomato, basil, mozzerella in a bowl" drizzled with balsamic when we didn't have any lettuce at home.
I think I've already shared that I won't be attempting flowers from seed next year - they just took too darn long to do anything and I want to be enjoying them in May and June! Luckily, our zinnias finally came in and I love how many colors sprouted out of the pot. Looking back I would have picked shorter plants for this pot as they gave themselves hunchbacks the bigger they grew.
Because it was our first real year of gardening, albeit on a balcony, I think we spent more than we would in a normal year. We had to pick up at least 4 large pots for the lettuce and tomato plants as well as seed starter kits and a couple metal staking systems. I also bought a few smaller pots for the extra basil plants I gave away to friends or kept up myself.
My sister and brother in law utilize this tomato grower extraordinare, the EarthBox Garden Kit. It helps control water distribution and also keeps the crazy vines in check with the staking accessories. We looked into this once our seeds started to turn into something bigger than our smaller pots could handle, but the $50 price tag made us hold off on going to that option this summer - maybe next year?
- Buy flowers at the nursery, not from seed.
- Set up a gro-light contraption over the seed starter kits during March/April timeframe when they are not getting a ton of natural light from inside the apartment.
- Try out peppers or one other vegetable, but probably continue tomatoes and lettuce.
- Plant cilantro early and carefully. After a month of nurturing, I realized I was watering a weed.
- Pick herbs I'll actually use. While basil is easy to find uses for, my chives remain almost untouched.
Now I'll just have to rely on my parents' garden for some fall goodies like squash, zuchinni and pumpkins!


text:
Der Neuvorpommersch-Rügensche Verein zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger war ein Verein zur Seenotrettung an der Ostsee rund um die Insel Rügen. Zum Zeitpunkt der Gründung (Mai 1865) der Deutschen Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger (DGzRS) existierte der Verein noch nicht, denn er wurde Ende 1865/Anfang 1866  in Stralsund gegründet. Nach anfänglichem Zögern schloss sich der Verein 1868 der DGzRS an und wurde zum Bezirksverein der Gesellschaft.

Geschichte
Nach dem Wiener Kongress 1815 gelangte Schwedisch-Pommern als Neuvorpommern zu Preußen, wodurch sich das Staatsgebiet nach Nordwesten erweiterte. Neuvorpommern umfasste das Gebiet nördlich der Peene und westlich des Peenestroms bis zum Fischland mit der Grenze zu Mecklenburg  und beinhaltete die Inseln Rügen und Hiddensee sowie den Darß bis zum Ort Ahrenshoop. In Preußen gab es  in Ostpreußen schon seit Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts staatliche Rettungsstationen für die Seenotrettung. Mit Eingliederung von Neuvorpommern wurden solche Stationen auch in diesem Bereich aufgebaut:

 1854: Darßer Ort
 1854: Prerow
 1855: Glowe
 1855: Neu-Mukran
 1856: Kloster auf Hiddensee
 1856: Wittower Posthaus (Halbinsel Bug)
 1856: Göhren (seit 1856)
 1857: Zingst

Gegenüber der Nordsee mit den großen Flachwasserzonen vor der Küste ereigneten sich an der Ostsee Strandungen von Schiffen vermehrt in Küstennähe, wo auch verbreitet Steilküsten zu finden sind. Damit waren die Havaristen in Reichweite von Leinenschussgeräten. Die preußische Regierung hatte Versuche mit Mörsern des englischen Erfinders George William Manby durchgeführt, um mit den verschossenen Seilen eine Verbindung zum havarierten Schiff aufnehmen zu können und die Besatzung zu retten. Die guten Ergebnisse führten zur Anschaffung dieser schweren Mörser für alle Stationen. Je nach örtlichen Gegebenheiten kamen auch Rettungsboote des amerikanischen Bootsbauers Joseph Francis dazu. Für die Besatzung der Boote und Einsätze der Mörser waren die örtlichen Lotsen zuständig, die die Rettungstätigkeit aber neben ihren Lotsenarbeiten versehen mussten. Daher wurde die Aufgabe nur mit mäßigem Erfolg wahrgenommen. Wenig beachtet lagen die rund 20 Stationen zwischen Neuvorpommern und Ostpreußen in einer Art Dämmerschlaf.

Gründung des Vereins
Nach häufigen Strandungen von Schiffen an den Küsten der Inseln Rügen und Hiddensee erschien am 10. November 1865 ein Aufruf in der "Stralsundischen Zeitung", der die Bewohner des Regierungsbezirks Stralsund zur Gründung eines eigenen Vereins zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger aufforderte. Schon am 24. Januar 1866 fand daraufhin in Stralsund die konstituierende Versammlung zum "Neuvorpommersch-Rügenschen Verein zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger" statt. Gleichzeitig fasste die Versammlung den Beschluss, eine erste eigene Station in Putgarten zu errichten. Dort im Nordosten der Insel Rügen in der Nähe vom Kap Arkona wurde ein heute noch erhaltener 2-ständiger Rettungsschuppen gebaut und ein Rettungsboot angeschafft.

Übernahme der Staatsrettungsstationen

Durch Verhandlungen des Vereinsvorstands mit den staatlichen preußischen Stellen konnten 1867 und 1868 vom Verein die im Vereinsgebiet liegende fiskalischen Rettungsstationen von Preußen übernommen werden, die teilweise heute noch Seenotrettungsstationen der DGzRS sind. Man konnte sich aber nicht sofort entschließen der DGzRS beizutreten, weil befürchtet wurde, neben der Selbständigkeit auch zuverlässige Spender zu verlieren. Erst nachdem Wilhelm I, König von Preußen und ab 1871 Deutscher Kaiser, die Schirmherrschaft über die DGzRS übernommen hatte, erfolgte der Beitritt 1868. Der nun als "Neuvorpommerscher Bezirksverein" agierende Zweig errichtete in der Folgezeit weitere Stationen, die im Laufe der Zeit Rettungsschuppen nach einheitlicher Bauart erhielten.

 1872: Sassnitz
 1874: Lohme
 1875: Dranske
 1875: Stralsund
 1876: Thiessow-Ost
 1878: Binz

Bei den vorhandenen Mörsern zeigte sich regelmäßig der Nachteil, dass durch die hohe Anfangsgeschwindigkeit der Geschosse die angebundenen Leinen schnell rissen. Dies hatte die DGzRS zum Anlass genommenen Versuche mit der Spandauer Raketentechnik durchzuführen. Mit der sich nur langsam steigernden Geschwindigkeit war das Problem beseitigt und die Gesellschaft begann ab 1870 die Rettungsstationen mit Raketenapparaten auszustatten bzw. damit die Mörser zu ersetzen. Mit der DGzRS-eigenen Entwicklung des Deutschen Normalrettungsboots erschuf die Gesellschaft einen neuen Bootstyp, der für die Einsätze in den deutschen Küstengewässern optimal geeignet war und dadurch bei Neubeschaffungen stets zum Einsatz kam. Bis zur Jahrhundertwende kamen im Namen der DGzRS weitere Stationen auf dem Festland im Bezirk Stralsund hinzu.

 1881: Greifswalder Oie
 1887: Wolgast
 1891: Barhöft
 1900: Insel Ruden
 1900: Thiessow-West

Heute vorhandene Rettungsschuppen des ehemaligen Vereins

Weblinks
 Die Seenotrettung auf der Ostsee in vergangenen Zeiten auf myheimat.de

Siehe auch
 Verein zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger in Ostfriesland

Einzelnachweise

Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger
Wasserrettungsorganisation
Organisation (Stralsund)
Gegründet 1866
Schifffahrt (Provinz Pommern)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Like a Moth to a Flame: Janet Jackson's 'janet.' Turns 25
Posted May 22, 2018 by J Matthew Cobb in Features
On the twenty-five year anniversary of janet., we pause and reflect on just how slamming this defining moment in music history was
Janet Jackson performing at the Billboard Music Awards
Janet Jackson performing at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards
Janet Jackson receiving the Billboard Icon Award, becoming the first black female to receive the award.
On Sunday, Janet Jackson, who turned 52 only days ago (May 16), was honored with the Icon Award at this year's Billboard Music Awards, becoming the first black female to win the coveted award. It's also the first time in nine years since the youngest Jackson sibling as dawned a spot on television (after years of undeserved exile due to Nipplegate). Her acceptance speech was perfect for the moment, addressing the #MeToo movement and the need to return to civility, God and world peace. This crowning moment also comes on the heels of the 25th anniversary of one of Jackson's prized albums: the sexually-liberating janet. album.
Certainly Janet's previous albums, Control and Rhythm Nation 1814, were industry game changers. They were landmark successes in her career, showcasing a brilliance of musical growth and glorious ambition unseen in R&B. Because of Jackson's contributions, R&B, (and more specifically, black product) was pushed further to the front, integrating heavily with pop and creating an extra push for dance music through house, New Jack swing and dance-pop. The high-visual concept videos that came also bolstered Jackson's name, giving her equal standing with her rock star brother Michael and Madonna. But janet., her first entry with Virgin after leaving A&M for a stunning $40 million, was more personal, almost exodus-like. The dancing R&B diva craved liberation, a freedom to express herself as a sexual being. She wanted to take even more risks. And with her musical partners, the Minneapolis pair Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, by her side, the journey would be fulfilled.
The legacy of the front cover, playlist
On the cover lies a black and white image of Jackson with hands over head, hair gloriously blessed with wavy curls. The image is actually a cropped version of the ballsy Rolling Stone front cover photograph of Patrick Demarchelier, published much later in September 1993. The original of the now-iconic photo finds former husband, frequent co-writer and music video director Rene Elizondo, Jr. covering her breasts using both hands in a pre-Nipplegate era. In that story, Jackson talked in-depth about this newfound liberation. "Sex has been an important part of me for several years, but it just hasn't blossomed publicly until now," she told journalist David Ritz. "I've had to go through some changes and shed some old attitudes before feeling completely comfortable with my body. Listening to my new record, people intuitively understand the change in me."
WATCH: JANET JACKSON PERFORMING "THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES/IF" AT THE 1993 VMAS
And that change is heard from the jump start of the 75-minute adventure. With the smoldering opening lines of the Number One smash hit "That's the Way Love Goes," a song blessed with Sade sultriness and a sexy urban contemporary jazz cadence, Jackson takes us on that journey. And virtually every stop on the disc is rapturous, almost perfect from start to finish. Yes, there's an ever abundance of ten-second interludes trapped into the disc, but the parade of songs are too good to pass up: The totally underrated "You Want This" (and its bad-ass Motown sample of the Supremes' "Love Child") bangs with New Jack swing fervor; opera star Kathleen Battle transports us into the heavenlies on the edgy, industrial "This Time" using glorious elongated notes. "If" is the bigger sister to "This Time" and it's obviously more commercial, which led to its cannon shot to number four pop and number one dance. It's totally sexy, pushing S&M foreplay to the forefront ("I'd make you call out my name, I'd ask who it belongs to"). "Throb" immediately follows, and Janet's sexual prowess hits a crescendo. Muted orgasmic moans and a call to action by Janet ("Cum for me") are heard on the prelude. Then flows an aggression of house beats, a jubilant dancefloor sweeper that plays like an anthem for gay discos.
LISTEN: "THIS TIME" BY JANET JACKSON
What happens next is just as surprising. With Rolling Stones-esque rock 'n soul instrumentation, Jackson jumps on a forgotten Stax single, "What'll I Do" It's a cover, something Jackson hasn't done up to this point. The Steve Cropper/Joe Shamwell composition, originally recorded by Johnny Daye, gets new life here, and is transported into a joyful, carefree atmosphere that supersedes the original. Thanks to the thunderous drumming of Mint Condition's Stokley, big sassy horns and the hearty backing vocals of Sounds of Blackness alums Ann Nesby and Jamecia Bennett, the rendition flares like a Sunday morning revival. Unfortunately, it was never released as a single, probably because it was a cover, but there's no denying how good the track sounds.
LISTEN: "WHAT'LL I DO BY JANET JACKSON
The rest of the album, mostly ballad heavy, is just as good as its first half. With "Because of Love" echoing the New Jack swing swag that prevailed radio, a tender ballad "Again" (the closing song from the Janet-starring motion picture Poetic Justice), the love-hungry "Where Are You Now" and the seven-minute Quiet Storm wonder "Any Time, Any Place" on board, Jackson exposes us to a more intimate experience, one full of vulnerable emotions and soul-searching ambition.
WATCH: MUSIC VIDEO FOR JANET JACKSON'S "BECAUSE OF LOVE"
In a glorious sense, looking back at the album that celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, janet. is an ambitious fast-forward into the Nineties, pushing past the conservative and repressive barriers of the Regan Eighties. It's an outcry towards sexual surrender, even if she also advocates for safer sex throughout the lyrics, a poignant move in during the peak of the AIDS crisis. It also moved R&B even closer to its now-louder cousin, hip-hop, allowing audiences of both to come together without any compromise. And the critics took notice to it, even praising it louder in the new millennium for its magnetic charm. In 2010, like an inscription done in tribute fashion, Rolling Stone wrote in its book The 90s: The Inside Stories from the Decade that Rocked that by "using soul, rock and dance elements, as well as opera diva Kathleen Battle, [she] unleashed her most musically ambitious record, guided as always, by producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis."
What's next for janet.
Janet. clearly reigns as one of the best albums of the 1990's. It deserves all the accolades that's coming its way from its 25th year celebration. Will it get it? Who knows.
Here's what we do know. In the CD era, the album only was put on vinyl in Europe, pushing decent vinyl discoveries to fetch upward to the $50-100 range. There are no plans yet to drop remastered 180-gram vinyl versions of the disc. That could very well change much later since the Billboard Icon honor has elevated the profile of Jackson some. Her performance at the Billboard Music Awards, meshed with a stunning six-minute medley of janet.-ringers "Throb" and "If" and a fleet of powerful dancers, will certainly give her an extra push of digital and streaming sales. But since the album was released on Virgin (now merged with Capitol) and not by her new home of BMG, it would be their call. In the meantime, pull out that 6x platinum glorious disc featuring six Top Ten hits in whatever form you already have it in. Whether it is the compact disc, digital, the original UK 1993 vinyl or throwback cassette, give it a good play. Do it for the icon and for yourself.
J Matthew Cobb is the managing editor of HiFi Magazine
WATCH: JANET JACKSON PERFORMING "THAT'S THE WAY LOVE GOES/SOMEONE TO CALL MY LOVER/THROB" DURING #SOTW TOUR
ann nesby, billboard music awards, Cover Story, Headlines, janet jackson, jimmy jam, kathleen battle, rolling stone, stokley, terry lewis, virgin records
ann nesby
billboard music awards
stokley
RIP: Jimmy "Big Jim" Wright
RIP: Frankie Knuckles
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Billboard Music Awards 2013: The Aftermath
Google Creates Google Doodle for Luther Vandross's 70th Birthday
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Tina Turner Comes Out of Music Retirement for Unexpected Dance Remix with Kygo
Ringo Starr's Star-Studded 80th Birthday Show Goes Virtual
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RIP: Bonnie Pointer
Who's Zoomin' This? Aretha Franklin's Arista Era Compilation Finally Hits Vinyl
Remembering Lady Red Couture, the 'Stunt Queen' of 'Hey Qween'
RIP: Joe Jackson
Janet Jackson Wishes Fans a Happy Valentine's Day in the Cutest Way. Watch and See!
Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl LII Halftime Show: What's In & What's Out
Dammn Baby: Janet Jackson Roars Through the Magic City With 'State of the World' Tour
Janet Jackson: No Sleeep (feat. J Cole)
Peabo Bryson: Stand for Love
Michael Jackson: Scream
#SHUTUP: Stop Attacking Bruno Mars!
RIP: Edwin Hawkins
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The Case for "Blurred Lines"
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Holiday Album Roundup 2015
Chaka Khan, Mint Condition Brings Funky Soul Revue to Magic City: Concert Review
Kelly Price: Kelly
Jukebox: June 2011

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Attention coupled with good leadership and understanding.
Constantly sharing pack scent (if you spend only 10 minutes a day with your dog your training efforts will be hampered).
Trips out together – walks, going to the corner store; educate and socialize, there is a big world out there. Show it to him!
No interest in the dog's world.
An "Outdoor" dog; not involved with your world at all.
Excessive discipline, or lack of discipline.
This is an important game to play with your dog throughout their life. If you are talking to someone and they're not looking at you, but rather something else, do you think you have their full attention? Understand the importance of this.
First, have your dog in front of you.
Have a treat in your hand, show it to the dog and then hold the food off to the side.
Do NOT say anything to initiate the game.
Wait – this is where patience is needed, especially in the beginning.
As soon as the dog looks at you say "good". If the dog looks away stop talking.
While the dog is looking at you keep talking and give them the treat.
Use a happy tone of voice when your dog is giving you eye contact, this will help to maintain it.
Prolong the reward to gain longer attention.
When the dog understands this game, giving you eye contact almost as soon as the food goes out to the side, start attaching a command word to it; "watch", "look", "eyes", etc.
Playing this game at meal times can help the game progress quite quickly. Play the game as instructed above but using the bowl of food instead of a cookie. As soon as the dog looks at you say "Good" and put the bowl on the ground. The attention game can also be played when you're ready to take your dog for a walk; stand at the door with your hand on the door handle, wait for the eye contact, once it's given, say 'good' and open the door. What you gain from the game is a dog that looks to you to find out what is coming next. The dog views you as important; "I need you to get what I want in this world".
The purpose of a release word is to let your dog know when he has finished an exercise. It also lets him know if he should continue working. When giving this word, break eye contact and turn your head away from your dog's attention. The release word is also the basis of the stay command. You can use words such as "okay", "finished", "clear", "all done", etc.
This is an exercise that does take a lot of consistency on your part to teach your dog. This is an important exercise, as it is for safety and also helps to establish leadership with your dog. This exercise is based on using your "release word". An open door way, open gate, open car door, etc., does not mean that your dog can dart out when he feels like it; there is an "invisible barrier" that is up and is only taken down by you using the "release word"
With your dog on leash, open your front door, if your dog darts out the door, correct by saying "Ah Ah" and use your leg to interrupt your dog from getting outside the door. Once the dog is back in the house, praise "Good dog", give a food reward. If the dog tries to dart out the door again, repeat the correction and praise. Once the dog understands that he/she cannot dart out the door when they feel like it and they are waiting at the door, use your "release word" and let them out the door.
Once the dog understands that an open door does not mean they can dart out, test your dog by throwing food, their favourite toys, etc. out the door. By doing this you are increasing the incentive for your dog to make a mistake; this gives you the opportunity to teach your dog that no matter what is going on outside, they are to remain in the house until you release them.


text:
2021 IndyCar Rookie Preview: Jimmie Johnson
Posted bySpencer Neff April 13, 2021 Posted inNTT IndyCar Series
By: Spencer Neff
IndyCar1909 wraps up our 2021 Rookie Previews with one of the most anticipated new drivers in many years.
After more than 20 years as one of NASCAR's most successful drivers, Jimmie Johnson will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend.
Before he gets behind the wheel of a different No. 48, here's a look at Johnson's career to this point.
Dirt Beginnings
At the age of four, the El Cajon, California native began racing motorcycles on dirt, similar to four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears, one of his childhood idols.
Johnson's first major success came in trophy trucks, including multiple wins and awards across the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group and Short-Course Off-Road Drivers Association (MTEG and SODA)
Pavement Transition
In 1997, Johnson began his time in the ASA (American Speed Association) as his dirt pursuits moved to pavement. A year later, he debuted in the NASCAR Busch Series with ST Motorsports at Indianapolis Raceway Park. That year, he finished fourth on the ASA National Tour.
The next year, Johnson won two ASA races and competed in five Busch Series events with Herzog Motorsports. At the start of the new millennium, the move to NASCAR became full-time.
In 2001, Johnson scored his lone career Busch Series victory at the brand new Chicagoland Speedway. His talent caught the eye of NASCAR Cup Champion Jeff Gordon, who convinced Team Owner Rick Hendrick to sign Johnson to his team.
Johnson celebrates his first career win (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Beginning of an Era
After three races with Hendrick in 2001, Johnson embarked on his first full-time season in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. For the 2002 season-opening Daytona 500, Johnson started on the pole.
In April, he earned his first career victory at California (now Auto Club) Speedway in his 13th start. By season's end, Johnson would become the first rookie to win twice at the same track (Dover) and lead the points, finishing fifth in the season standings. Johnson also won the 2003 IROC (International Race of Champions) event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the series' last of six events at IMS.
Johnson earned two runner-up points finishes and a fifth-place over the next three seasons.
In 2006, Johnson began the season with his first Daytona 500 victory. In August, he won the Brickyard 400 for the first time and earned his first NEXTEL Cup Series title at season's end.
By 2009, Johnson broke Cale Yarbrough's record when he earned his fourth consecutive title and made it five in a row the following year. Three years later, he earned his fourth win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Brickyard 400.
Johnson kissed the bricks at IMS for the first of four times in 2006 (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
In 2013, Johnson earned his second Daytona 500 victory and earned a sixth championship.
Following Gordon's retirement after the 2015 season, Johnson became the active cup wins leader ahead of the 2016 season. During that year, Johnson earned five victories and tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with his seventh championship.
After three wins early in 2017, Johnson tied Yarborough for sixth all-time with 83 wins. Over the final three years of his career, Johnson would go winless. In his final Cup Series start, he finished fifth at Phoenix Raceway on November 8.
IndyCar Switch
After his initial test with Arrow McLaren SP was canceled, Johnson was able to test an IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing on July 26. Following a second delay, the championship driver made his IndyCar debut on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
On September 9, Ganassi confirmed Johnson for a two-year deal with the team. Johnson's deal is for road and street courses only. Later on, his friend Tony Kanaan was announced as the driver of the No. 48 entry for the oval events.
"When I tested Chip's Indy car earlier in the year, it only lit the fire more. I found that I wanted to do it more than ever before. Scott [Dixon] was just incredible to work with and in a short time I found out very quickly why Chip and his teams have won 12 INDYCAR Championships," Johnson exclaimed in the announcement.
"As part of a natural progression, I wanted to publicly show the alignment with Chip Ganassi Racing to kick the sponsorship program into high gear. The goal is to run the full road and street program and today is a very important first step in accomplishing that goal."
Johnson's addition will draw interest from around the motorsports world, something not lost on his team.
"It is always difficult to find great drivers but for them to be great guys too makes it even that much more challenging. To pair Jimmie with the likes of Scott Dixon is quite an opportunity," Car Owner Chip Ganassi added.
"They are truly in rarified air and I think everyone knows by now that 'I like winners'. The goal right now is for us to run Jimmie in an Indy car for at least the next couple of seasons, and we want to show people we're serious about the program. We felt it was important to get the partnership done and start putting the financial building blocks in place to make this a reality. Jimmie's record speaks for itself and we feel a championship-level driver of his caliber can only make our team better."
Header Image By Chris Owens/INDYCAR
2021 IndyCar Rookie Preview: Romain Grosjean
2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES PREDICTIONS


text:
It's now a seller's market in Central Texas, real estate experts say
by Wayne Morgan | Aug 19, 2013
Austin American-Statesman, Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The Central Texas housing market has turned in sellers' favor, with homes going to the swift, multiple offers making a comeback and prices creeping higher, local real estate agents and housing experts say.
Activity continued on an upward trend in April, with home sales increasing for the 11th straight month, the Board of Realtors said Monday.
Sales in the five-county region jumped 16 percent compared with April 2011, with 1,949 homes sold, the board said. And the median sale price saw another "considerable increase," rising about 9 percent to $212,000, said Leonard Guerrero, chairman of the board.
Meanwhile, the supply of homes for prospective buyers continued to shrink, with 24 percent fewer homes on the market in April compared with April 2011, the board said.
The dwindling inventory is coming at a time of rising demand, making for the tightest supply that housing expert Mark Sprague said he has seen in more than 30 years tracking the region's market.
"The market has definitely turned the corner," Sprague said at a recent housing market forecast event in Austin. "The house or apartment you look at today won't be there tomorrow."
Tim Ellis, the real estate analyst for Redfin, a national real estate brokerage based in Seattle that recently opened a local office and tracks housing data in several Central Texas counties, said that "it's no longer a buyer's market" in Austin.
"There's a really tight supply of housing for the demand there is," Ellis said.
The low inventory — the board said Austin had about a 4.4-month supply last month, 2.3 months less than last April — is at the root of the region's "bidding war epidemic," said Rachel Musiker, a spokeswoman for Redfin.
Experts consider a 6 1/2-month supply a balanced market, and prices typically rise when the supply of houses falls below six months.
The region's job and population growth, along with low unemployment — the jobless rate fell to 5.5 percent in April, the lowest since late 2008 — are helping fuel demand for housing, along with historically low mortgage interest rates, experts say.
"It's nuts out there," said Cyndy Stewart, the lead agent for Redfin in Austin. Of the 25 or so offers she has written in the past six weeks, almost all have been multiple offer situations, Stewart said.
"There are typically three to four offers" ahead of us," Stewart said. "We're literally waiting our turn in line. And now we're seeing prices creep up. We're having to compete above list price, and sometimes we're not winning those deals."
Robin Curle, a real estate agent with JB Goodwin in Austin, said the market is being driven by people upgrading to more expensive homes and by newcomers moving to town for work.
"Properties that have been sitting are now selling, and the ones that are newly on the market are selling sometimes in days," Curle said. "People are buying fast, and we're seeing multiple offers."
A Steiner Ranch house priced at $515,000 sold in four days, before Curle even listed it in the Central Texas database of homes for sale.
"Prices have corrected and have been flat, and now they're starting to increase," Curle said. "Buyers feel like they better act now while they can get prices at the bottom of the market.
" Claire and Dave Seeger's home-selling experience this month is a sign of the changing market.
The real estate agent for the couple, who will be moving to Houston for Dave Seeger's new job, posted the online listing for their five-bedroom home in Northwest Austin at 2:30 a.m. on a recent weekday. That same day, there were 11 showings, with the first offer received just after 2 p.m., said Claire Seeger, who works for a local software firm.
"Then we got a second offer that day, and a third offer the next day, and people continued to look at it," she said. Two other people wanted to make offers, but Claire Seeger said their agent told them it probably wasn't worth their time.
The Seegers countered the original offer. The buyers agreed to pay higher than the $279,000 asking price for the 3,062-square-foot home, which has a pool, remodeled kitchen and bathrooms and sits on a three-quarter-acre lot amid 30 oak and pecan trees.
Claire Seeger said she "absolutely" was surprised with the response.
"We love our house, and I guess a lot of other people love or like it too, given the interest in it," she said.
Of the major markets Redfin surveys, Austin recently tied with Washington for the area with the largest percentage of homes selling in three days or fewer — about 1 in 4 — among homes sold from January through mid-April.
April's overall housing numbers "suggest the recovery in Austin's housing market continues to gain steam, said D'Ann Petersen, a business economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas who tracks the local housing market.
"Both existing home sales and pending home sales were up strongly compared to a year earlier, suggesting strong demand," Petersen said. "Declining inventories also reflect the pickup in housing demand and should lead to price gains in areas with the tightest supply."
Austin's economy is outperforming the statewide average, with Texas being one of the best-performing states nationwide in job growth, Petersen said.
Redfin's Ellis said the Austin area can expect it to be a seller's market for the next few years. He thinks prices won't shoot up dramatically, but rather will "more or less" track inflation, rising in the 3 to 5 percent range.
"As more potential sellers see how the market is heating up," Ellis said, "more are going to decide to start listing their homes, and that will alleviate some of the built-up pressure we're seeing right now."


text:
Has the housing market's latest record-breaking run peaked? - Divitis Finance
Has the housing market's latest record-breaking run peaked?
April 29, 2021 /in Uncategorized /by Dylan Salotti
Property prices climbed at a breathtaking pace in early 2021, which has been good news for homeowners and heartbreaking for house hunters. However, there are seven key signs that the pace of capital gains has peaked, says CoreLogic.
Now, it's important to note that CoreLogic is not suggesting that housing values are about to dip.
Rather, CoreLogic believes the housing market is "moving through a peak rate of growth and the pace of capital gains will gradually taper over coming months".
"Overall, we are expecting housing values to continue to rise throughout 2021 and most likely throughout 2022, just not at the unsustainable pace of growth that has been evident over recent months," explains CoreLogic's Head of Research Tim Lawless.
Below are the seven signs they've identified.
1. CoreLogic's home value index indicates a slowdown
CoreLogic's rolling four-week change in dwelling values shows Sydney's rate of growth has dropped from 3.5% (in the four weeks leading up to 21 March) to 2.3% (in the four weeks to 21 April).
Meanwhile, Melbourne dropped from 2.5% to 1.5%, Brisbane from 2% to 1.8%, and Perth from 1.5% to 0.9%.
The only mainland state capital to record an increase was Adelaide, up 1.7% from 1.2%.
2. Auction clearance rates have dropped
Historically, there's been a strong positive correlation between auction clearance rates and the pace of appreciation in housing values, says Mr Lawless.
Recently, however, there has been a slight softening in auction clearance results.
The weighted average clearance rate moved through a recent high of 83.1% in the last week of March, before dropping to 78.6% in the week ending 18 April.
3. Vendor activity has increased
There has been a considerable rise in new listings as vendors look to capitalise on the market's strong selling conditions.
In the four weeks to 18 April as many as 26,470 capital city properties were added to the market, says CoreLogic.
"That's the largest number of new listings for this time of the year since 2016 and 17% above the five-year average," adds Mr Lawless.
4. Housing supply is on the rise
Thanks to HomeBuilder, there has been a significant lift in housing construction activity that will add to overall supply levels in the coming months.
Approvals for new dwelling construction are at record highs, points out CoreLogic, and dwelling commencements over the December quarter were almost 20% higher than a year earlier and 5.5% above the decade average.
5. Population growth has turned negative
Due to current tight border restrictions, it's much harder to get into Australia than usual.
That's led to a decline in population growth, which can also have an impact on housing demand (although it's more likely to have a bigger impact on rental markets, as the majority of migrants rent before buying).
"Population growth, which is an important component of housing demand, has turned negative for the first time since 1916 due to closed borders and stalled overseas migration," adds Mr Lawless.
6. Fewer government incentives and schemes available
You might have heard that applications for the HomeBuilder grant, which started off at $25,000 before being reduced to $15,000, have now closed.
On top of that, JobKeeper has also finished, and JobSeeker has been dialled back.
"Australia is moving into a new phase of the economic recovery where there is substantially less fiscal support which could result in a reduction of housing market activity," says Mr Lawless.
7. Higher barriers for homebuyers looking to crack the market
Last but not least: the higher prices rise, the higher the entry barrier for home buyers.
And the higher the entry barrier, the fewer active house hunters there are, which means less demand to drive up prices.
"For those looking to enter the market, growth in housing values is substantially outpacing incomes, which means a growing deposit hurdle for first home buyers," explains Mr Lawless.
Get in touch today for help overcoming these barriers
As you can see, there's a case to be made that the rate of property price growth has peaked.
But Mr Lawless warns there are still a variety of factors that are likely to keep upward pressure on housing values for some time, including the record-low official cash rate, which the RBA says won't lift "until 2024 at the earliest".
So while prices are expected to continue to increase – and it might feel like you're running on the spot – please know that potential solutions do exist for keen homebuyers.
For example, the federal government's First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is due to accept another 10,000 applications in early July, allowing eligible first home buyers with only a 5% deposit to purchase a property without paying for lenders mortgage insurance (LMI).
For more information, give us a call – we'd love to help you out.
https://www.divitisfinance.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Blog-1100x733-Has-price-growth-rate-peaked_.jpg 733 1100 Dylan Salotti https://www.divitisfinance.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DIVITIS_LOGO_COLOUR_300dpi-1030x438.png Dylan Salotti2021-04-29 07:11:422021-05-05 09:54:03Has the housing market's latest record-breaking run peaked?
Business demand for equipment has hit record numbers Is it cheaper to buy or rent your next home? You might be surprised


text:
info_EN@bestveniceguides.it
FIND YOUR GUIDE
Presences of Mariano Fortuny Y Madrazo in Venice or 'le but de ma vie est l'Art'
Aug 16, 2019 | art, arts and crafts, famous characters, fashion, history, painting, palace | 0 comments
di Loredana Giacomini
Mariano Fortuny was a multifaceted versatile person, a resourceful talent from a wealthy prestigious family.
After the death of his father, also named Mariano, his mother Cecilia moved to Paris with her two children – Mariano Junior and Maria Luisa – and, after a few years, to Venice where Mariano remained until his death in 1949.
Mariano lived the last decades of his life in Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei, now Palazzo Fortuny (photos 1 and 2), which still features his amazing studio (photos 3, 4 and 5), his library (photo 6) and many of his works of art (photos 7 and 8).
photo 1: Palazzo Fortuny façade towards the inner courtyard
photo 2: partial view of the façade overlooking the campo
photo 3: partial decoration of the "enchanted garden" in Mariano's workshop-studio with allegorical figures painted by him mainly using tempera on paper glued to hemp canvasses (Palazzo Fortuny House-Museum)
photo 4: glimpse of Mariano's studio with paintings on easels and Fortuny lamp (Palazzo Fortuny House-Museum)
photo 5: detail of the studio with flower motifs and exotic animals made with a tempera patented by Mariano
photo 6: glimpse of Mariano's library (Palazzo Fortuny House-Museum)
photo 7: scene for Hofmannstahl's lyrical drama; wood, cardboard and metal model (Palazzo Fortuny House-Museum)
photo 8: scene for Bayreuth's theatre made up of cardboard backdrops cut and painted by Mariano himself. This model also presents the possibility of adjusting and spreading the light. Mariano also created many other theatre scale models to experiment his stagecraft innovations down to the tiniest detail (Palazzo Fortuny House-Museum)
Everything is owned by the city of Venice at the behest of his wife Henriette Negrin – or Nigrin – to whom Mariano left his belongings, even the building which is now the Fortuny House-Museum (photo 9).
photo 9: Henriette in a Pompeian costume, tempera on board (Palazzo Fortuny House-Museum)
He had a vast eclectic culture and was a man of learning competent in many disciplines as he designed fashion pieces, interior pieces and costumes. He could photograph with a skilled eye and, as an inventor, he created lamps, fabrics and clothes (photos 10 and 11) including the elegant silk Delphos gown made with the help of his muse and future wife Henriette.
photo 10: clothes displayed on Mariano's staircase with knossos veil in the background in a lovely setup by Palazzo Fortuny in 2016. The name of the veil is a homage to the archaeological findings in Crete during the early 1900s, which were a source of great inspiration for our artist. He was charmed by the "modernity" of Minoan decorations, which he in fact represented multiple times
photo 11: detail of pleated Delphos and printed Knossos veil
The Delphos gown exalted the woman's body, finally freeing it from all constrictions. Mariano himself stated that it was Henriette who, a few years prior, had discovered the special heat pleating technique that resulted in a fabric with minute irregular folds (five folds per cm and no longer one or two per cm).
This extraordinary gown was worn by some of the most famous women of the time including Eleonora Duse, Peggy Guggenheim and Marchioness Casati and was appreciated by writers such as Proust and D'Annunzio. This silk pleated chiton-tunic, inspired by the Charioteer of Delphi, is still very charming, but, unfortunately, the entire production of all garments by Fortuny ended in 1949 with the death of Mariano and was never taken up by the original factory.
Light, in its different variations and applications, was Mariano's main interest: the light-shadow of incisions made with all kinds of tips (some special and soft like those of toothbrushes) used to create different effects, the clear diffused light of photography and the indirect adjustable light of theatres. He was also interested in the intense and often contrasting light in paintings, which were autonomous at the beginning and then created according to a scenic theatrical function.
His creations that have survived to this day include drawings, fabrics, photographs, paintings (photos 12 and 13), theatre models and scenes as well as the famous Fortuny theatre dome, a section of a sphere, i.e. half a dome, a quarter of a concave sphere. It was patented in the early 1900s to concentrate and dilate the light, but also to reproduce the sunrise, sunset and night-time, and to shift or adjust the light onstage.
photo 12: the four elements of nature (air is repeated). Left to right: air, water, earth, fire and another interpretation of air, all tempera on board. There are also additional versions of the four elements not displayed here (Palazzo Fortuny House-Museum)
photo 13: the Flower Maidens. The oil on canvas painting depicts the famous Wagnerian seducers who tempted Parsifal in the enchanted garden
It was a totally innovative concept of lighting technology applied to stage design made also possible by the discovery of electric lighting. In the early 1920s, this adjustable indirect light was employed not only by some important European theatres – German in particular – but also by the Scala in Milan.
Among his numerous interests, fabrics held a place of honour. His passion derived partly from his parents (who had always appreciated and collected them, especially Oriental ones), partly from his partner Henriette (who had already worked in this field before meeting him and who had an extensive family collection), and it was also partly due to his endless curiosity.
On the top floor of Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei (photo 14), still part of the important Fortuny Museum which will not be discussed here, Mariano and Henriette had created a silk printing workshop (also used later on for gauze and light velvet) which eventually employed up to one hundred people under Henriette's management.
photo 14: top floor of Palazzo Fortuny in a 2016 setup. It gives an idea of the length of the hall, among the longest in Venice after the Great Council Chamber in the Doge's Palace
Later on, the Fortuny factory set up an expanded semi-industrial production of printed cotton fabrics on the Giudecca island. The cotton had to achieve an extraordinary lightness almost imitating that of silk, without detracting from the previous manufacture of shimmering damask velvet nor from the gauze or almost-transparent silk used for the famous knossos veils.
Cotton was sometimes processed in a special way to convey the effect of gold or silver with no metallic threads but only using copper and aluminium powders blended with the pigments. The various blends created different hues and remain something unique in this sector.
The cotton was long-fibre Egyptian cotton and the fabric was then dried without using drying machines, therefore impeding the development of the fuzz that takes away its shine, as is still carried out today in the same factory using the same machines invented by Fortuny, the same moulds carved by him, the same wooden pads and the same tools.
The purchase, in 1919, of the area sold to him by his friend and partner Stucky for the Giudecca factory included the old garden of the Benedictine monastery that had been closed over a century earlier by Napoleon. The factory opened soon after and was extended in both height and length in 1927.
The garden went through alternating phases in the 1900s even though it always remained delimited to the West by rio di San Biagio, separating our insula from that of the old Mulino Stucky (now a hotel), and to the South by rio delle Convertite.
One of the most important transformations was the construction of the pool and exedra, with the changing rooms dating back to soon after the middle of the last century (photo 15) where there was also a cavana (a sort of garage-shelter for boats) with a water door. The position is slightly reminiscent of that of the traditional Venetian casino (small house used as a tea-house, library or to host friends in an informal way) which was often located opposite the main entrance and, as in this case, on a canal.
photo 15: the swimming pool surrounded by greenery and hidden by thujas, cypresses and trees
The other formal element added in the mid-1900s was the greenhouse, built by Elsie McNeill Lee and destroyed in the fire at Mulino Stucky in 2001.
Elsie, with her first husband Humphrey Lee, was the person who – at Henriette's request – took over the factory on the Giudecca island after Mariano's death.
Elsie is known in Venice as Countess Gozzi as her second marriage was to Count Gozzi, descendant of the famous Venetian family of writers. She was and is remembered as a "character": just think that, when someone asked her to purchase a small section of a fabric (i.e. a remnant of a Fortuny fabric) she replied that, rather than sell such a little, she would have thrown everything into the water (!!). As a result of this principle, the mono-brand New York showroom can still be entered by wholesalers only.
However, her role during Mariano's life and after his death was essential, as was also the shrewd choice of appointing Maged F. Riad as her successor, the founder of a family that still successfully manages the Fortuny company.
This is an eclectic garden, so we must read the signs from different periods. In the beginning, it was definitely a vegetable plot with maybe livestock, such as those found in monasteries and convents. Flowerbeds used to be a feature up until a few decades ago.
After a courtyard with the traditional well-head (photo 16), a long grassy path (photo 17) along the rose-covered factory (photo 18) leads to a grove (photos 19 and 20).
photo 16: the courtyard with the usual well-head indicating the underground basin easily identifiable by the white outline
photo 17: the path features topiary plants such as the ball-shaped thuja on the left. The Fortuny factory can be seen on the right and the former Dreher beer factory is on the left
photo 18: wall of the Fortuny factory covered in Albéric Barbier roses
photo 19: Fortuny factory with a nice lime tree on the right
photo 20: another view of the grove
The grove, delimited by a lovely photinia (photo 21), was not typical of ancient Venetian gardens, but rather of 19th-century romantic gardens. Here, however, the trees were planted later and are all in excellent condition: cedars of Lebanon (photo 22), Scots pines, Norway spruces and cypresses not to mention lime trees, oaks, magnolias, a lovely sophora (photo 23), and so on.
photo 21: the red colour of the photinia plants delimiting the grove in spring
photo 22: another view of the grove with Lebanon cedar in front of the former Mulino Stucky
photo 23: weeping Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica Pendula) in summer
The trees alternate with the sculptures dotted here and there among which Venus (photo 24) and Adonis (photo 25) stand out and can be seen from multiple angles.
photo 24: Venus, the goddess who won over the others represented as she holds the apple she earned by promising love and beauty. Similar statues are often found in gardens all over the lagoon as, according to legend, the goddess is at the origin of the name 'Venice', with which she shares the birth from the sea as well as her beauty
photo 25: Adonis with the boar that supposedly killed him. It was sent by the jealous gods who also forced him to divide himself between his lovers Persephone and Aphrodite and their respective underground afterlife (i.e. autumn-winter) and terrestrial worlds. Adonis therefore represents spring rebirth
The sculptures are a feature taken from traditional Venetian gardens, where statues often express the strength of nature, or beauty as is the case with Venus, or the regeneration after the "dead" season, as Adonis reminds us.
The garden axes are in this case lateral and parallel, not perpendicular as is usual in Venice, and are partly covered in white and lilac wisteria (photo 26) supported by lovely columns albeit with disproportioned capitals.
photo 26: detail of the pergola covered in wisteria
There is also a rose berceau (photo 27), typical of Venetian gardens, as well as flowers such as camellias, roses (photos 28 and 29), jasmines (photo 30), hibiscus, periwinkles (photo 31) and so on, which inspired Mariano's fabrics.
photo 27: berceau with yellow and pink roses. They include the roses that inspired Fortuny
photo 28: Rimosa rose found in Mariano's fabrics
photo 29: Racquel Renaissance is a recent rose that integrates the wide range of roses found in the garden and fabrics
photo 30: Jasmine (Rhyncospermum jasminoides) covers the corridor leading into the courtyard as well as its walls. When in bloom, it spreads its smell all over the courtyard
photo 31: potted periwinkle plant reminiscent of Fortuny's fabrics
Reintroducing the connection between textiles and flowers or plants was not only a good idea of the recent women restorers of the garden but also a homage to Mariano for his great attention to nature. Some fabrics are reminiscent of his way of repeatedly reproducing flowers, fruits, leaves and branches in stylized form (photos 32 and 33).
photo 32: periwinkle recognisable as the five-petal flowers of the Persepolis blue green fabric
photos 33: the great variety of plants found in the Fortuny production can also be gathered from the cushions
The visit to the garden will be followed by a tour of the showroom where the fabrics will be available for detailed observation of the sample collection both in large rolls (photo 34) and in a big "book" called "wings" (photo 35).
photo 34: some sample rolls
photo 35: the very manageable "book" structure used to display the fabrics. The size makes it possible to better appreciate them
The fabrics feature not only the motifs created by Mariano during the course of his life, but also new or updated ones by the design studio operating within the factory in order to provide its faithful clientele with a wider choice. They are created in line with contemporary trends, more or less traditional or abstract.
See for example the recreation on fabric of the marvellous marble inlay of the Church of the Jesuits (photos 36 and 37).
photo 36: detail of the walls in the Church of the Jesuits
photos 37: this motif, picked up by Fortuny designers and called Navata, is available in various colours. This is the antique green & pale grey version
The recovery and reinterpretation of the military design is also interesting, although it features a renewed subject inspired by photos of the water and islands rather than leaves and is made even more precious by its coppery glimmers (photo 38).
photo 38: the recent Camo isole in army (from camouflage) fabric featuring camouflaged islands
The showroom is also the only place in the world where small Fortuny fabric samples can be purchased, as the other existing stores are only accessible to major clients.
Despite the lack of important historic testimonies such as Mariano's incisions, photographs, paintings, fabrics, etc., which can only be suitably and extensively admired in the Museum of Palazzo Fortuny, the area comprising the garden, fabric building and showroom provides a glimpse – not usually possible – of one of the few Venetian crafts and industrial realities which are difficult to imagine and rare to see.
The visit to the entire complex (excluding the interior of the factory which jealously safeguards the secrets of the Fortuny production) is possible upon request and requires early booking.
Take advantage of the chance to see this corner of Venice with a BestVeniceGuide!
BestVeniceGuides.it
loredanagiacomini@gmail.com
Translations: Français Deutsch Italiano


text:
/*
 * render-cairo.c
 */

#include <xboot.h>
#include <cairo.h>
#include <cairoint.h>
#include <cairo-ft.h>
#include <graphic/surface.h>

struct render_cairo_context_t {
	cairo_surface_t * cs;
	cairo_t * cr;
};

static void * render_cairo_create(struct surface_t * s)
{
	struct render_cairo_context_t * ctx;

	ctx = malloc(sizeof(struct render_cairo_context_t));
	if(!ctx)
		return NULL;
	ctx->cs = cairo_image_surface_create_for_data((unsigned char *)s->pixels, CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32, s->width, s->height, s->stride);
	ctx->cr = cairo_create(ctx->cs);
	return ctx;
}

static void render_cairo_destroy(void * rctx)
{
	struct render_cairo_context_t * ctx = (struct render_cairo_context_t *)rctx;
	cairo_destroy(ctx->cr);
	cairo_surface_destroy(ctx->cs);
	free(ctx);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_save(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_save(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_restore(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_restore(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_source(struct surface_t * s, struct surface_t * o, double x, double y)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_set_source_surface(cr, ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)o->rctx)->cs, x, y);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_source_color(struct surface_t * s, struct color_t * c)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_set_source_rgba(cr, c->r / 255.0, c->g / 255.0, c->b / 255.0, c->a / 255.0);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_fill_rule(struct surface_t * s, const char * t)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	switch(shash(t))
	{
	case 0x7d1c31ca: /* "evenodd" */
		cairo_set_fill_rule(cr, CAIRO_FILL_RULE_EVEN_ODD);
		break;
	case 0x223d8090: /* "nonzero" */
	default:
		cairo_set_fill_rule(cr, CAIRO_FILL_RULE_WINDING);
		break;
	}
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_line_width(struct surface_t * s, double w)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_set_line_width(cr, w);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_line_cap(struct surface_t * s, const char * t)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	switch(shash(t))
	{
	case 0x104cc7ed: /* "round" */
		cairo_set_line_cap(cr, CAIRO_LINE_CAP_ROUND);
		break;
	case 0x1c5eea16: /* "square" */
		cairo_set_line_cap(cr, CAIRO_LINE_CAP_SQUARE);
		break;
	case 0x7c94cdc4: /* "butt" */
	default:
		cairo_set_line_cap(cr, CAIRO_LINE_CAP_BUTT);
		break;
	}
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_line_join(struct surface_t * s, const char * t)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	switch(shash(t))
	{
	case 0x104cc7ed: /* "round" */
		cairo_set_line_join(cr, CAIRO_LINE_JOIN_ROUND);
		break;
	case 0x0f25c733: /* "bevel" */
		cairo_set_line_join(cr, CAIRO_LINE_JOIN_BEVEL);
		break;
	case 0x0feefdc6: /* "miter" */
	default:
		cairo_set_line_join(cr, CAIRO_LINE_JOIN_MITER);
		break;
	}
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_miter_limit(struct surface_t * s, double l)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_set_miter_limit(cr, l);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_shape_set_dash(struct surface_t * s, double * dashes, int ndash, double offset)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_set_dash(cr, dashes, ndash, offset);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_translate(struct surface_t * s, double tx, double ty)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_translate(cr, tx, ty);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_scale(struct surface_t * s, double sx, double sy)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_scale(cr, sx, sy);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_rotate(struct surface_t * s, double r)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_rotate(cr, r);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_transform(struct surface_t * s, struct matrix_t * m)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_transform(cr, (cairo_matrix_t *)m);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_set_matrix(struct surface_t * s, struct matrix_t * m)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_set_matrix(cr, (cairo_matrix_t *)m);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_identity_matrix(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_identity_matrix(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_new_path(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_new_path(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_close_path(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_close_path(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_move_to(struct surface_t * s, double x, double y)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_move_to(cr, x, y);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_line_to(struct surface_t * s, double x, double y)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_line_to(cr, x, y);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_curve_to(struct surface_t * s, double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2, double x3, double y3)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_curve_to(cr, x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_rectangle(struct surface_t * s, double x, double y, double w, double h)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_rectangle(cr, x, y, w, h);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_round_rectangle(struct surface_t * s, double x, double y, double w, double h, double r)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	double right = x + w;
	double bottom = y + h;
	double cp = r * 0.55228474983079339840;

	cairo_move_to(cr, x, y + r);
	cairo_curve_to(cr, x, y + r - cp, x + r - cp, y, x + r, y);
	cairo_line_to(cr, right - r, y);
	cairo_curve_to(cr, right - r + cp, y, right, y + r - cp, right, y + r);
	cairo_line_to(cr, right, bottom - r);
	cairo_curve_to(cr, right, bottom - r + cp, right - r + cp, bottom, right - r, bottom);
	cairo_line_to(cr, x + r, bottom);
	cairo_curve_to(cr, x + r - cp, bottom, x, bottom - r + cp, x, bottom - r);
	cairo_line_to(cr, x, y + r);
	cairo_close_path(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_arc(struct surface_t * s, double cx, double cy, double r, double a0, double a1)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_arc(cr, cx, cy, r, a0, a1);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_arc_negative(struct surface_t * s, double cx, double cy, double r, double a0, double a1)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_arc_negative(cr, cx, cy, r, a0, a1);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_circle(struct surface_t * s, double cx, double cy, double r)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_move_to(cr, cx + r, cy);
	cairo_arc(cr, cx, cy, r, 0, M_PI * 2);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_ellipse(struct surface_t * s, double cx, double cy, double rx, double ry)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_matrix_t m;

	cairo_get_matrix(cr, &m);
	cairo_translate(cr, cx, cy);
	cairo_scale(cr, 1, (double)ry / (double)rx);
	cairo_translate(cr, -cx, -cy);
	cairo_move_to(cr, cx + rx, cy);
	cairo_arc(cr, cx, cy, rx, 0, M_PI * 2);
	cairo_close_path(cr);
	cairo_set_matrix(cr, &m);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_clip(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_clip(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_clip_preserve(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_clip_preserve(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_fill(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_fill(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_fill_preserve(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_fill_preserve(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_stroke(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_stroke(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_stroke_preserve(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_stroke_preserve(cr);
}

static void render_cairo_shape_paint(struct surface_t * s)
{
	cairo_t * cr = ((struct render_cairo_context_t *)s->rctx)->cr;
	cairo_paint(cr);
}

static struct render_t render_cairo = {
	.name	 				= "cairo",

	.create					= render_cairo_create,
	.destroy				= render_cairo_destroy,

	.shape_save				= render_cairo_shape_save,
	.shape_restore			= render_cairo_shape_restore,
	.shape_set_source		= render_cairo_shape_set_source,
	.shape_set_source_color	= render_cairo_shape_set_source_color,
	.shape_set_fill_rule	= render_cairo_shape_set_fill_rule,
	.shape_set_line_width	= render_cairo_shape_set_line_width,
	.shape_set_line_cap		= render_cairo_shape_set_line_cap,
	.shape_set_line_join	= render_cairo_shape_set_line_join,
	.shape_set_miter_limit	= render_cairo_shape_set_miter_limit,
	.shape_set_dash			= render_cairo_shape_shape_set_dash,
	.shape_translate		= render_cairo_shape_translate,
	.shape_scale			= render_cairo_shape_scale,
	.shape_rotate			= render_cairo_shape_rotate,
	.shape_transform		= render_cairo_shape_transform,
	.shape_set_matrix		= render_cairo_shape_set_matrix,
	.shape_identity_matrix	= render_cairo_shape_identity_matrix,
	.shape_new_path			= render_cairo_shape_new_path,
	.shape_close_path		= render_cairo_shape_close_path,
	.shape_move_to			= render_cairo_shape_move_to,
	.shape_line_to			= render_cairo_shape_line_to,
	.shape_curve_to			= render_cairo_shape_curve_to,
	.shape_rectangle		= render_cairo_shape_rectangle,
	.shape_round_rectangle	= render_cairo_shape_round_rectangle,
	.shape_arc				= render_cairo_shape_arc,
	.shape_arc_negative		= render_cairo_shape_arc_negative,
	.shape_circle			= render_cairo_shape_circle,
	.shape_ellipse			= render_cairo_shape_ellipse,
	.shape_clip				= render_cairo_shape_clip,
	.shape_clip_preserve	= render_cairo_shape_clip_preserve,
	.shape_fill				= render_cairo_shape_fill,
	.shape_fill_preserve	= render_cairo_shape_fill_preserve,
	.shape_stroke			= render_cairo_shape_stroke,
	.shape_stroke_preserve	= render_cairo_shape_stroke_preserve,
	.shape_paint			= render_cairo_shape_paint,
};

static __init void render_cairo_init(void)
{
	register_render(&render_cairo);
}

static __exit void render_cairo_exit(void)
{
	unregister_render(&render_cairo);
}

core_initcall(render_cairo_init);
core_exitcall(render_cairo_exit);


Last edited by taydin; Thu 13th Dec '18, 6:00am.
Thank you for the explanation. I thought I would have to display the quite large picture that is also at the top left of this forum, saying "vBulletin(R)"
I have signed up to the vbulletin cloud recently, but I'm starting to think that running vbulletin connect on a dedicated server would work out better for me.
All times are GMT-8. This page was generated at 12:14am.


Our first Design It! program, Cardboard Construction, was so much fun! We filled the Globe Room at the Main Library with lots of cardboard and masking tape and challenged our young guests to create whatever they could imagine. The results were fantastic! Helmets and shields were created, as well as a theater for dolls, a car, a robot, a fancy hat and a birdhouse. One small group worked together to make a campsite complete with a roaring "fire" and played in their campsite for the remaining program time.
Please join us for the next program in our Design It! series where kids will have the opportunity to design and create their own board games. The program will be held on Wednesday, February 14 from 3:30pm - 4:30pm in the Globe Room at the Main Library, and we'll have all sorts of materials to use for this creative project including dice, game pieces, foam board, and plastic cars. Don't forget, all projects designed and created during any of our Design It! programs can be taken home.


The company upholds the philosophy of "Be No.1 in quality, be rooted on credit and trustworthiness for growth", will continue to serve old and new customers from home and overseas whole-heatedly for Axial Adjustable Flow Pattern , Radial Adjustable Flow Pattern , Vertical Adjustable Flow , be sure to call us as shortly as possible!
"Along with the ""Client-Oriented"" enterprise philosophy, a rigorous high-quality control process, superior production products along with a robust R&D group, we constantly deliver premium quality products, exceptional solutions and aggressive costs for Axial Adjustable Flow Pattern , Radial Adjustable Flow Pattern , Vertical Adjustable Flow , Adhering to the business principle of mutual benefits we have won good reputation among our customers because of our perfect services quality products and competitive prices. We warmly welcome customers from home and abroad to cooperate with us for common success.


So you've heard about the world of CPA marketing and how you can make money promoting CPA offers on social media, forums and blogs as well as a multitude of ad networks and other traffic sources.
You've felt the rush of excitement and your eyes light up when you tell your friends about your new line of work.
You're ready to jump in feet first and rake in the money while living the life of a super affiliate.
CPA marketing can be an attractive business model for people who are just starting out in online marketing and for established marketers alike.
Unlimited offers, fantastic ROI and long-term residual income all point to a super high earnings potential.
Add to this a lack of consumer accountability and the flexibility to promote whichever offer you like, and it certainly looks as if you've found the winning formula.
While being a CPA affiliate may look like an attractive gig from the outside, there's no mistaking the fact that it takes a whole lotta work, planning and experience to succeed.
Competition in popular verticals can be fierce and without being adequately prepared and having a strong understanding of the market, you're gonna find yourself in deep waters.
In this guide, I'm gonna take you through each step of the process from start to end, and by the time you're done reading you're gonna be fully equipped with the tools to accept the challenge head on!
So, let's look at what's key when launching a campaign that's set to convert, and also – share effective strategies you can employ right away.
Affiliate marketing's got crazy appeal to newbies because of its relatively low entry barrier.
You don't need a website or a business to start posting links and earning income.
Neither do you need thousands of advertising dollars before the returns start showing up.
That's not to say all traffic sources are free. Native ads, for example, can be expensive to run but can also convert well, depending on the vertical (more on that, in a bit).
CPA marketing is an affiliate marketing business model where you, as the publisher, get paid for actions the user takes on the advertiser's product/offer.
These actions can be capturing leads, filling out forms, product sales or anything else that results in a conversion for the affiliate.
When you first register as an affiliate, you're gonna receive your own unique tracking link through which you'll promote the offer.
Your job is to create campaigns on a traffic source of your choice and pass high quality (converting) traffic to the advertiser.
You're then gonna get paid a fixed value every time a user completes an action on the advertiser page – such as entering their details to win a sweepstake or to download a video.
Because in theory, it is.
But you're gonna also need to make sure you're targeting the right customer demographic for the offer. We can't possibly stress this enough!
Another thing you gotta keep on your mind, like 24/7, is optimization.
It's essential to constantly optimize your campaigns in order to ensure your ROI stays positive while maximizing your earnings per click.
So, what should you optimize?
Everything! Starting with the ad copy through to the landing page content and design. We'll get there in a moment!
Now, you've seen links from friends and family on Facebook, that offer a referral bonus for sign-up, right?
The affiliate CPA niche is very similar to this and here at Mobidea we mostly keep our focus on stuff like sweepstakes, mobile content, coupons & vouchers, videos, games, and more.
Once you become an affiliate and start promoting the advertiser's products with our affiliate tracking link, every time a user performs an action, you're gonna receive a fixed commission from the advertiser for growing their business via your cooperation with the CPA affiliate network.
The sky's the limit as to how much you can earn with mobile affiliate marketing, but to do that you're gonna need a way to stand out from the crowd.
For example, mobile CPA marketing is an extremely hot property right now and a relatively untapped market that you could use to reach a new audience.
Planning your campaign to cover all angles is gonna make all the difference between a positive ROI and losing money, or worse – desperately hoping for a breakeven.
You're also gonna discover that certain offers allow different promotional strategies.
We made a super thorough breakdown of the available affiliate traffic sources so you can start off a tat more prepared. Go check it out here if you wanna succeed as a CPA affiliate marketer.
Anyways, rule number one is to always remember that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and whatever method you choose to promote your offer you're gonna be paying for traffic in either money or time.
Now, let's pop the big question: where do you find offers that match your traffic?
The affiliate network acts as an intermediary between you (the affiliate) and the advertisers.
Affiliate networks play a dual role in communicating with both parties to maximize sales potential and maintain high standards on both sides.
They work on behalf of the advertiser to recommend offers to publishers and – on the other hand – help affiliate marketers source high converting offers for their campaigns.
You're gonna discover soon that not all networks are created equal and can specialize in different verticals and promotional methods.
For example, you're gonna find a network with a lotta health or dating offers, or networks focused on a specific type of CPA model, such as continuity offers or lead gen.
At Mobidea we're all about mobile-based CPA and have over 2,000 top converting offers live on the platform, making us the most specialized network of this kind in the mobile marketing space.
Always remember, tho, that an affiliate network is more than just a place you discover offers to promote.
For many new affiliates joining a network is the end goal.
However, in reality, you should view belonging to a network as the first step in a process that's gonna enable you to get the most out of your CPA campaigns.
You'll also be able to directly benefit from the first-hand knowledge and experience of an expert team who want you to succeed.
With many networks, you'll be assigned your own personal network contact.
Make use of this by speaking to your affiliate manager often about your campaigns and they're gonna work with you to give you every chance of success.
By now, I assume you've researched your vertical and chosen your offer and are working with a network who understands what you wanna achieve.
Your next step is to determine which traffic source you wanna use to start promoting your offer.
Before you go any further – check the fine print, bro!
Are there any deal-breaking traffic restrictions to the offer you've got your eyes on?
Finding these out before you start is gonna save you a lot of headaches and money!
When in doubt, check with your affiliate manager who's surely gonna walk you through all the available options.
As you grow in your career, you're gonna find out that some traffic sources convert much better than others. Spot them and dig deeper!
Finding cost-effective strategies that you can measure and track is an essential part of your role as an affiliate.
It's also the reason why you should always test your strategies to find the best performing elements each step of the way.
I'm gonna cover specific traffic sources you can tap into a bit later, but for now just remember that you're gonna be using these sources to send potential customers to the advertiser's page, so you wanna make sure that the quality of the traffic matches the offer.
I promise this way of working is gonna prevent a lot of nasty situations down the line.
You're gonna have to be aware of the main players in the business – affiliate networks, advertisers, users, affiliates, ad networks – and understand where you fit in.
We already covered the basics of Affiliate Networks, so now let's look at the rest of the players.
These are the guys with the tempting offers that you're gonna promote.
For more visual example, check Mobidea's CPA offer wall.
These are the customers! In technical terms – someone who's a good fit for the advertiser and falls within a segment (Country, OS, Operator) that converts well for the offer.
Choosing the right audience is an important part of the process and one that many affiliates overlook.
Yeah, it's true! People make rookie mistakes, and one of the reasons Mobidea Academy exists is to make sure you stay away from short-sighted decisions!
By reading up on the detailed information in this CPA marketing guide as well as the other articles in the Mobidea academy, you can make sure you won't fall into this trap!
You are the next link in the chain. Your job is gonna be to present the offer to the user and pre-sell it to them. This is commonly known as CPA marketing around here at Mobidea.
CPA mobile marketing is just like any other affiliate marketing model only focused on mobile offers and businesses targeting mobile web.
With more than half of all internet traffic coming from mobile users and over 62% of smartphone users purchasing goods online on their mobile, it's easy to see why mobile marketing is something no one should ignore.
This is a fantastic opportunity for affiliate marketers to connect with and target mobile users when creating CPA campaigns.
This type of marketing can reach potential customers at key decision-making points in their activities.
As a result, there's a world of opportunities open for affiliate marketers to engage with a new and rapidly expanding audience.
It's great news for all advertisers. It's even greater news for you because now you can take this new world of opportunity and reach your target audience easier than ever before.
In fact, if you're not already using or thinking about using mobile marketing in your affiliate campaigns, you're definitely missing out!
First of all, you should make a difference between the different pricing models under which a conversion happens.
In this guide, I'm focusing on CPA marketing, but you can take a look at our article on different types of cost models to get a better understanding of how these fit together.
CPA is generally a cost model that gets rewarded with high payouts from advertisers as they tend to generate higher quality traffic for the advertiser.
As a result, it also makes the offer super attractive to a large number of affiliates in the CPA marketing space.
To compete with these, you'll want to find your edge.
This can be a unique angle for promoting the product that your competitors haven't thought of, or exploiting an untapped traffic source so you can be the first to market.
Our buddy Charles Ngo has written a great blog post about angles, check it here.
An important thing to note here is that to be successful with your campaign, you'll need to qualify the traffic before passing it on.
You need to sell your audience on what makes the offer something they simply can't pass up on.
Linking directly to the advertiser page isn't gonna give you the results you want.
Spend some time to think about the user at the other end. What motivates him to click or subscribe? How does the offer make his life better?
Rule of thumb – always add value!
How does the product I am promoting help the user?
How can this product bring value to their life?
Why do they absolutely need to have this product in their life, right now?
Creating an air of exclusivity and expectancy is gonna play nicely into the buyer's psychology. If you create a need you're gonna get much closer to a conversion than anyone else.
Launch campaigns with your buyer persona in mind!
Thinking of yourself also helps – try to persuade yourself to take the action you are expecting from your audience. If you learn to do that well, you are on your way to CPA success.
I've already mentioned the importance of choosing the right network to find your offers but let's elaborate.
If you're just starting out, you'll wanna choose a newbie-friendly affiliate network with a straightforward application process.
There's nothing worse than spending hours on your form only to get your application rejected.
This happens more often than you'd expect and leaves new affiliates feeling as if they can't pass the grade.
Sure, it helps to have at least a basic understanding of how things work and have a plan, but that's why I've written this guide, to give you a head start.
When approaching a network, always be honest about what your expectations are and what past experience you've got.
Many affiliate networks, such as Mobidea, will be keen to work with new affiliates if they have the right attitude.
We're always on the lookout for fresh talent, so if you think you've got what it takes, hit us up!
You're not going to be excluded simply because you're not a super affiliate right away.
From your own perceptive and security, you'll also wanna choose a network with flexible payment options and great affiliate managers.
Plus, you don't wanna be paying for expensive trackers.
Whatever your network can offer you for free can be of great help. Your main goal meanwhile is to focus on getting the volume you need to have a positive ROI and grow into the super affiliate you are destined to be!
If you're still in any doubt, get active on the forums.
Grab an account at the STM forum and from there start to connect with the community.
These guys are gonna give you tons of great advice and support – something you're gonna have a hard time finding elsewhere.
Once with the network, your next move is to find the best offers.
Before you go rushing in like a kid in a candy store, review all the offers you've got access to.
Is there anything that resonates with you personally?
Promoting an offer you've got an emotional connection with is always gonna work in your favor more than promoting something just for the payout.
Remember, you'll end up working on your campaign for hours at a time, so it's wise if you are actually interested in what you're promoting.
The other thing to be aware of is the decision-making process.
Do you start with your campaign and then choose the offer of vice versa?
While this is largely a matter of personal preference, our advice is to choose the offer first.
Because this way you can be sure your campaign is always relevant to your audience, and that you don't fall into the trap to continuously be swapping out offers for a page just to fit something there.
It also gives you more creative freedom to sell with the right message.
Take a good look around and keep in mind that the payout is only a piece in a big puzzle and shouldn't be the only factor which influences your decision.
Another thing to be aware of is the eCPM (or RPM), which is your effective cost per thousand impressions.
This neat figure takes into consideration both your conversion rate and payout, making it one of the most important factors to look at when planning your campaign.
For example, if the offer is performing particularly well on Instagram, create a story ad.
If it's killing it in CPA advertising on mobile, then buy inventory from the top mobile ad networks and traffic sources.
Let's talk more about traffic sources.
I've already mentioned that different offers allow their own promotional methods and you're also gonna find out that there are several verticals which tend to work best with specific mobile ad formats, so it's usually wise to research on your own before building the campaign.
So now, how about we take a closer look at what these specifications might be and where to purchase inventory.
An ad network sells ad space to affiliates that it buys from a network of publisher sites, where your ads eventually run.
Some ad networks might specialize in banner advertising, while other – in pop or push notifications so you gotta be aware of the benefits each traffic source can bring to your campaign before you actually start promoting.
Let's talk about the various forms in more detail, shall we?
All of the types of advertising listed above are also applicable to mobile CPA marketing.
There are different ways to reach people on mobile: pops, redirects, push notifications, native ads, banners / display ads, and more.
Be careful with your eCPM tho!
You might be limiting your results to mobile traffic only, while desktop might be converting differently for the same offer. So – if you're running cross-platform, analyze each channel carefully.
Many advertising networks work with a variety of formats so it's relatively easy to find a match for your traffic and campaigns!
Wanna know more about them and how to work with them on your campaigns? Read our article on mobile ad formats.
Also, bro, and we can't possibly stress this enough – test everything!
There are literally thousands of ad networks out there and you'll find some will convert much better than others.
Push notifications are a relatively recent technology that has paved the way for new affiliate strategies to appear.
They have exceptional reach and performance and are ideal if you wanna boost your customer acquisition.
Additionally, all push notification traffic comes from real users. Meaning it's bot-free guaranteed so you can measure performance more accurately.
Add to this the fact that users tend to be more engaged with the message and you're gonna see retention rates increase with up to 20%.
They allow for a greater degree of customization and as delivery is instant, you can schedule campaigns to reach your intended audience at the times your message will be most effective.
Plus, with developments in the push notification service, you can now reach users without an app, allowing for more freedom of delivery for performance marketers.
Mobile pops are an innovative ad format which display in a new window either above or below the active window.
For pop-unders, once the main window is minimized, users will be able to see the ad.
Pop-ups are the reverse, with the ad having to be closed by the user to get back to the primary window.
They're an ad format currently trending in the industry and outperforming standard mobile ads on CTR, customer interaction and customer engagement.
Pop-unders are less intrusive than pop-ups, but they are both valid in their own right and can perform differently depending on the traffic source and offer.
They allow for compelling creatives and are perfect for app installs, free trials, lead generation, and mobile content offers.
Tend to give higher CPM rates, making them an effective format for maximizing your ROI and profit potential.
This format mimics the publisher's own content and links to your landing page or offer.
With display advertising, you buy inventory from publishers and use this ad space to promote your creatives.
This is a powerful traffic type for mobile.
A.k.a the traditional PPC (pay per click) where you pay a publisher each time your ad is clicked on.
There's plenty of platforms to test for this traffic, including social media advertising networks.
A no-brainer when it comes to connecting with your audience on a daily basis.
Affiliates track everything from offers to ad creatives, ad copy, landing pages, banner placements and conversions, and that's just for starters!
To run an effective campaign you're gonna want to know which are your most profitable traffic sources, which offers are converting for you, and what your ROI will be.
Fail to track these stats, and you're gonna go downhill. Or your money, that is.
Keep calm! We've got your back!
For newbies, who are already overwhelmed by affiliate information and can't afford a paid service, Mobidea created a tracker that is completely free to use.
As you grow bigger and stronger your needs are gonna change and I totally understand that.
The day is gonna come when you're gonna need a more complex and fully featured tracking solution to track offers from various networks that you're running.
Then, check which is the affiliate tracking platform you like the most.
Voluum is a leader in paid tracking software and is a great solution for CPA affiliates, agencies, and anyone who needs to keep tabs on each aspect of their campaigns.
The tool has an incredibly intuitive interface and presents stats in an easy to understand way. It's a must, in my modest opinion.
If you made it till here – congrats!
You've learned about CPA offers, affiliate networks, traffic sources and formats and how they all make up the affiliate ecosystem (well not the entire ecosystem but definitely the essentials).
You're pretty much ready for your first campaign!
CPA marketing is an exciting business where new opportunities pop-up every day, but with them – so do the challenges.
If you wanna make it big, you always gotta be expanding your knowledge and testing util you get the results that make you proud!
The shiny side of being an affiliate is that you're gonna be working your own hours.
You don't need a website!
It's a business that allows you to bring whatever skills you've got into play. You don't need a ton of cash or even design knowledge to deep-dive and find your sweet spot.
You're passionate about social media?
Use that to connect to the right people on the right platform.
Whatever your flex is, just remember: Focus. Testing. Data.
Those are the three magic words of affiliate marketing.
CPA affiliate marketing is gonna push your boundaries, enhance your skill set and ultimately – get you closer to the life you wanna live.


This is my take on the classic Italian Zuppa Toscana. Its smokey with a hint of sauce'age. I fused the traditional version with the North American version by combining kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, red chili flakes, fresh garlic and replaced the rigatino (an Italian bacon) with liquid smoke and the sausage with fennel to bring the expected smokey flavors to life in this hearty vegan version.
In a medium to large pot. add the garlic, fennel seeds, liquid smoke, and crushed red peppers to 5 ⅔ cups of the veggie broth and bring to a boil.
Reserve the remaining ⅓ cup veggie broth and mix cold with 3 Tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot and set aside. This will be added last to add a thickness to the soup, in place of the traditional heavy cream.
While the soup broth is simmering prepare your veggies. Add the potatoes, kale, onion, carrots, celery & zucchini. Cover and simmer for about 20 mins. Until the potatoes are fork tender.
Lastly, re-mix the set aside ⅓ cup of veggie broth with the 3 Tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot and add to the pot with your cannellini beans.
The soup will thicken within 15 seconds. Let the beans heat for about 3 minutes and your soup will be done.


American Magazine, the first magazine to print in the United States, was published for the first time in 1741 by Andrew Bradford.
Moving picture projector was patented in 1895. Auguste and Louis Lumiere created the cinematograph, and the first film they recorded was of workers leaving their factory.
Madrid Codices, created by Leonardo da Vinci, were discovered in 1964 in the National Library of Spain by American researchers. Da Vinci died in 1608, and these works found their way to Spain by about 1623. They got lost in the library around 1712. The books contain information about science, geometry, and fortification.