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In the mid-late 1990's I, like many had an N64 and as a huge gaming fan I immediately fell in love with 3D platform game Banjo Kazooie. The game had huge, rich worlds, a lot of character and a big dollop of humour that most other games at the time were lacking. Instantly I was a fan of Rare (the company behind the game) and soon bought a number of their other releases including Blast Corps, Golden Eye, Donkey Kong 64, Diddy Kong Racing and Perfect Dark. Everything Rare touched at the time seemed to set the bar higher and higher for video games.
The original Banjo Kazooie was just an excellent but straight forward platform game. You controlled a bear (Banjo) and his friend Kazooie (who lived in Banjo's backpack) as you tried to save Banjo's sister from the evil witch Gruntilda. To do this you had to go around several massive worlds to collect musical notes (to open various doors) and Jigsaw pieces (Jiggy's) to open up various new levels.
In 2008 Rare, now owned by computing giants Microsoft, brought out the 3rd Banjo Kazooie "platform game" (and fifth "Banjo Kazooie" game) in the form of Nuts and Bolts, a platform game that takes a massive step away from regular platforming games and gives you a very unique experience.
As with the original game you still control Banjo and Kazooie, this time however instead of just controlling them you also gain the control of vehicles, vehicles that you design and build yourself. You use the vehicles to perform certain tasks (for example winning a race) around the games massive worlds to again earn jigsaw pieces (Jiggy's) and notes as you attempt to thwart Gruntilda.
Despite being described as a platform game the game is perhaps unfairly treated as a "platform" game as it's much more of an adventure game where you explore things, and even use your brain to try and complete missions using your own creations. Sadly the game was much maligned by the media who likely expected a straight forward platform game rather than a distinct change to the vehicle creation mode of the game, like wise a lot of fans felt let down by the fact it wasn't a straight forward sequel.
Personally however I loved the change. I loved the freedom of being able to create...pretty much anything I wanted, from a rocket powered bike, to a tank, from a submarine to fighter jet and from a helicopter to a hovercraft. The biggest limitation to the game wasn't the game it's self, but your mind, and what you could think of creating. Sadly however this lead to a few of the games issues, namely that a number of your vehicles were only used for a very specific mission or two, leading you to create more and more vehicles.
Despite the change in playing style from a platform game to the vehicular based play, the game actually keeps a lot of other things the same as the original Banjo Kazooie game. We see familiar faces (including Banjo, Kazooie, Gruntilda, Bottles the Mole, Mumbo Jumbo and Humba Wumba), familiar items (the notes, Jiggy's and Jinjo's) and of course the games humour (very self deprecating here and very self referential). However the introduction of new worlds (set in Showdown Town) and a new key character known as LOG (Lord Of Games) as well as the vehicles do a lot to differentiate if from not only the competition but also the prequels.
Whilst it's certainly not a game for everyone personally I love it. I love the depth the game has, the imagination it has and most of all it's character. Sadly however poor sales seem to suggest that we won't be getting a sequel, and in fact rumours suggest that the entire Banjo Kazooie series is dead in the water, a huge shame and an unfortunate punishment for being different.
If you love games, I can't advise playing this enough. It's brilliant and it's unique!
Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts is a fantastic game in my opinion. The adventure style of the game and the way the different levels, the Spiral Mountain main world and the test track are laid out, it will give you many hours of entertainment.
This game comes after the original Banjo-Kazooie on the Nintendo 64. Banjo is a bear, Kazooie is a bird who lives in his backpack, and together they are trying to defeat Gruntilda the evil witch. You control both the bear and the bird together. The game is an adventure style game full of puzzles and challenges. The basic layout of how you move through levels is the same as the original; you still have the concept of collecting jigsaw pieces from levels allowing you to open up new levels. The main difference in this game is that you can use and design vehicles to use in the levels.
The building of the vehicles takes a while to get used to, and is realistic but quite tricky sometimes (for example if you put too much weight at the back the vehicle will tip over etc). I like the way you can build any vehicle you can think of, trucks, helicopters, amphibious vehicles. I think it adds a new dimension and, as you can pick any vehicle you like at any time during levels, it means you can move faster between points or even fly to get to high areas easily.
I love the way Spiral Mountain, the land the levels split-off from, is laid out. As the original Banjo-Kazooie did, there are many puzzles and tasks to entertain you other than those in the levels. I spend hours just travelling around Spiral Mountain messing around trying to pick up music notes (the currency of the game) and complete other puzzles.
There are 6 worlds splitting off from Spiral Mountain, and for each world you can go through different doors to a different set of challenges. In the original Banjo-Kazooie you would have to search around for challenges and puzzles but in this new game they seem to mostly be sign-posted within the levels. I think I maybe preferred the way it was done in the original but it still works well here. Another thing I really liked was that a lot of the original music from the first game (which really sticks in your head all day!) is used in this game in one world, along with some good new theme tunes in the other worlds. In that one world there are a lot of reminders from the original game too, in different areas there are aspects of the worlds which were in the first game and I thought that was a really nice touch for fans of the first game.
I found the controls easy to grasp, although they can be quite hard to pick up again if you've not played for a while!
All in all this is one of my all-time favourite computer games and I could spend hours on it!
I got this game for my sister as she is a avid Kazooie fan, but I have ended up playing just as much as her and found it to be a fantastic game.
The game keeps many of the original characters which is great as after many year gaps between different games it is nice to see familiar faces. The story line is yet again to defeat Gruntilda but this time to be able to claim spiral mountain. While it has familiar faces you meet many news ones as you race, shoot and blow up opponents and gather parts to pimp out your vehicles to the max. There is no end to the varieties of cars/ planes/ boats you can build with so many parts you can make anything you like (providing it can actually work).
The game has unique parts which can create more personal vehicles like wind screens, plant pots, statues and aerial which mix up what you can build by just a square car. You can collect parts by finding mumbo crates around the town which allows for the traditional platform running and jumping to shine through. Which is good at slowly easing the users into a more driving oriented game, after being you to the fact past games have been platformers.
Thoroughly joyous game, you do not even have to like racing games, it is that silly and fun it can appeal to any one no matter watch age.
Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts is the 4th game in the series and the first to use mainly vehicle gameplay. The game focus's on the construction of vehicles for certain challenges such as races and destroying giant inflatable dinosaur balloons.
At the beginning of the game you start with a very limited amount of parts and your starting vehicle. (A trolley with 4 wheels and an engine) As you progress through the game and collect Jiggies by doing challenges in the games 6 worlds, each with 6 separate acts that contain different challenges though retain the same landscape, you will gain access to more parts and vehicle blueprints which can be bought in 2 separate shops for music notes.(the games currency). Eventually you will gain access to over 1600 components including body panels, engines, propellers, weapons, ammo, wings and fuel tanks. You can create planes, cars, helicopters, boats and amphibious vehicles. (Even bikes well sort of)
The game still requires the player to collect Jiggies in order to progress and open up new worlds. In total there are 125 Jiggies to collect.(131 with DLC) A new item in the game called "Mumbo's Magic Wrench" is used to build and move large objects. The Wrench can be upgraded at the gym as well as banjo's health and speed. One of the downsides of this game is that there are not enough abilities to upgrade/buy in the gym. The wrench is also used as a melee weapon by kazooie when on foot.
The multiplayer in the game is average. You can compete in several challenges online these include battles, races and minigames. Xbox live multiplayer also supports guests. The part of multiplayer I enjoyed the most was the offline test-o-track that allowed up to 2 players. This allowed you to create vehicles and test them straight away with a friend.
I would recommend this game to people of all ages as it is fun to play has great graphics and gameplay and at £11.99 from Amazon you can't go wrong.
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is a lesson in how to change a series not necessarily for the better - But to show what a dev team can achieve when they put their mind to it.
Fans of the previous games in the series were up in arms when it was announced that Nuts and Bolts would not be following the series staple diet of running, jumping and floating, and would instead be a mix of platforming actions and vehicle building.
It was enough to make people's blood boil before the game was even released, and it's upsetting to see that most of those people are still up in arms about it after only trying the demo - Because the game is a fantastic slice of alternate gaming.
At the hands of a bizarre entity who wants you and Grunty the Witch (The previous games main rival) to compete in a battle of vehicular nonsense. What this means, gameplay wise, is getting stuck into the superb vehicle construction kit and experimenting with the games core mechanics and physics engine.
Building a car is not as difficult as... Well... Building a car. Simply add an engine, a petrol tank, some wheels and a seat and you've got yourself something that'll drive around in a standard fashion. It's not going to win you any gold medals however, and experimenting with different weight ratio's, building heavy tank-like beasts to reduce toppling over, or even creating a motorbike for slipstreaming is all an options. Hell, why even bother with that? Stick a propellor on top and you've got yourself a helicopter... There's no rules saying you can't after all!
The tasks you must complete range from the mundane (Races, checkpoint races, battle races) to the truly bizarre and fantastic (Basketball, long jumps, etc) and it's these tasks with a different twist that drive the game onward.
Races, which take up the bulk of the game, can indeed be frustrating affairs - Where your car will inexplicably attach itself like a ruddy magnet to anything that so much as breathes at you. Keep well clear of all the other cars and you'll be fine, but the swearies that will fall from your lips as you fail yet again due to the AI's inability to navigate will be explicitly brought forth.
So it's left to the other events then, of which there are many, to brighten up the games atmosphere - It's almost like a physics based puzzle game, where each well-thought out idea becomes a top heavy behemoth that gets you no-where. Tasked with dropping a heavy ball on top of a podium, I built an incredible helicopter-crane beast that lifted the ball up with my own skill an dexterity. Speaking to various friends about the same event, not one of them had used the same tactic, some opting for grabbing machines, some creating flying trolley vehicles... The list was endless, as are the possibilities when faced with these challenges.
Throw in some of the most gorgeous graphics this side of the next-gen, a user friendly interface and some well-hidden extras and you've got yourself a fantastic game willing to do something different with something familiar. Just a shame about those damn races.
Rare have finally resurrected their classic Banjo and Kazooie franchaise last seen during the N64 era with Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts.
With the series main villain Gruntilda, defeated in Banjo Tooie, Banjo has been getting lazy, sitting around and playing his Xbox 360! The intro stars the fat Banjo and is hilarious!
The story is a little weird as you are set challenges from this giant Tetris game called the Lord of Games as you face of against Gruntilda again. You will see some familiar faces from the previous games and the classic Banjo humour is here, but the game spends a little too much time laughing at itself!
The platforming action that was found in the previous games has been stripped way back, you still do a little bit to collect your jiggies and notes but the main way you will do this is now using vehicles you will build.
The departure from the series roots is rather suprising but the game copes very well and there is an excellent workshop where you can quickly and easily fit together pretty much any type of vehicle you want! Flying vehicles, hovering vehicles, jumping vehicles, fast vehicles, floating vehicles, fighting vehicles and more!
There are a few preset ones you can choose but it is far more satisfying to make your own and you will often need to beat the challenges the game throws at you. The only problem is sometimes you can spend quite a long time making what you think will be great and it just wont work!
The graphics are really colourful and interesting and the music is as catchy and enjoyable as ever, a really interesting and fun game.
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is another one of those overlooked, hidden gems that is well worth picking up if you're a fan of the genre. Unlike the Banjo Kazooie games of old, Rare have mixed things up a bit with this iteration and focused more on vehicle based gameplay than the platform style game that the duo are known for, although it is still definately a platform game. I was a bit hesitant upon learning this, as driving games really aren't my forte, but my fears were laid to rest within minutes of playing.
The vehicles in the game are entirely your own creations, and can be literally anything you can think of - from cars, to trains, galleons and UFOs. If it moves in some way, you can create it. You'll have to create a variety of vehicles for various situations in the game; some designed to fly, some for speed, and some to carry heavy loads. The game provides you with stock vehicles to use if you wish, but you're really better off creating something yourself. Fortunately the creation process is ridiculously easy and fun, and you'll become a master after you've created one or two vehicles and learned what makes the game tick.
The world is set out in the same way as most platform games these days, with a central hub which branches out into smaller theme worlds, with each world giving you a few jobs to do to earn game items (in this instance jiggies).
If you're a fan of Banjo Kazooie, or of platform games in general, you really must pick this one up.
Banjo and Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
Format: Xbox 360
Genre: Adventure Platformer
So what's it all about:
In this game we see the return of Banjo the bear and Kazooie the bird making their début appearance on the Xbox 360. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these two loveable characters, Banjo and Kazooie first graced our screens in 1997 on the N64 in a very addictive platformer, set to compete with the likes of Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. However in Nut's and Bolts any similarity to these vintage classics have been surpassed by fully utilising todays modern gaming technology.
In the game we see Banjo and Kazooie facing the genius Lord of Games (L.O.G) who has devised some fun filled games and puzzles for you to solve. You start off in Showdown Town which is the hub from which you can travel to 6 unique game worlds, such as Nutty Acres, Banjoland and the dreaded Jiggosseum!
In order to progress through the game you have to collect jigsaw pieces, otherwise known as "Jiggies" which are earned from completing puzzles and challenges. In order to complete these "Jiggy games" successfully you must collect a variety of vehicle parts in which to create some down right wacky machines. These custom built land, sea and air vehicles are what bring a unique aspect to the game which is sure to keep you hooked for hours.
Unlike a traditional platformer which can be very linear Nuts and Bolts provides you with unique, open landscapes which are only restricted by what type of vehicle you have and whether you can successfully navigate to where you want to go. The controls are very straight forward and there is an in game guide to assist you when playing it for the first time.
The Jiggy games are very absorbing and you will love having to design your own vehicles in which to earn that well deserved Jiggy! In Showdown Town there is a garage and it is here your creations come life, only limited by your imagination and what parts you have available to you. It is very reminiscent of my childhood, where I grew up playing with Lego, making lots of crazy models. I think this is largely why this game appeals to all ages.
Each of the 6 worlds are unique and are all visually very different. There are 100 Jiggy's to collect in total which is guaranteed to keep you going for hours.
Everything I have mentioned so far concerns the single player adventure mode, however quite refreshingly there is also an Xbox Live multiplayer feature to the game. Up to 8 people can participate in action packed races, battles and puzzles all of whom are able to utilise and share the vehicles they have designed.
The graphics in Nuts and Bolts are superb. The worlds are well modelled and textured and all are very vibrant and cartoony. Nothing about this game is serious which makes for a refreshing break from all the violent and destructive games we see flooding the gaming market.
The sounds are basic but that's all you need as you are completely engrossed in the vivid visuals seen throughout the game. Everything about the game is endearing including the cartoon background music and stupid noises that the characters you meet like to make.
To be honest, I bought this game for my 5 year old as a Birthday present which he only started playing recently. I love involving myself with anything he does and he really enjoys playing this game. However I am finding myself sneaking into his bedroom to play the game whilst he is at school as it's so addictive!
The best part for me is definitely making some really imaginative vehicles and then testing them to destruction on the test track. It really brings out the big kid in me. I think this game is really good value for money as it will appeal to both children and adults alike and as it has been out for several months I'm sure it will also be relatively cheap to pick up.
This is an extremely fun, addictive platform adventure game which doesn't take itself too seriously. There is something for everyone to be found in the game and it will provide you and your family hours of entertainment.
Now I normally enjoy what i call "realistic" games such as Fifa, Forza etc...So it was unusual for me to take a punt and purchase what I call a "fantasy game"
Well I am glad that i took that punt!. This is possibly the best game I have purchased all year. Being able to create your own vehicles is such as great feature and really brings out the creative side in you. The game is a great investment as it really does last a long time. I have been playing for a moth and i am about a third of the way in.
As for price I picked this up for £20 for which i considered a bargin as most games now cost £35 + . As you may already know its just £11.20 on Amazon, its a bargain that you really can't afford to miss.
Concluding, its a really fun game, and if you dont like it then you wont exactly have lost much.
Anybody who remembers the original Banjo Kazooie will remember it as 'the other' N64 platform game - for some, the Mario-killer, and for others perhaps a little too off the wall really to take in. I guess you could view it as a 64-bit generation equivelant of the fantastic if not completely ludicrous Toejam and Earl.
I have to admit I loved the original game. It has always been important that series has remained self-aware and each game is clearly crafted with love. The same goes for 'Nuts and Bolts', the latest Banjo installment.
First, a note of surprise - Nuts and Bolts is not a platformer. I fell for this misconception (I really could be more observant sometimes) and was a little confused as I started playing. Soon enough however I was sure that I was not in the least disappointed. Because this game is actually quite unique.
Nuts and Bolts - as indicated by it's title - is based around building vehicles, which you then use to negotiate the challenges that you are presented with. Think of it like Robot Wars, or Scrapheap Challenge... using the bits and bobs available to you, you are given a surprisingly intuitive building screen that gives you quite a few options. A rudimentary physics system keeps things challenging, but more to the point, fun.
I'd imagine that the developers had something in mind for each level that they designed, and sometimes you'll build it, sometimes you won't. Sometimes however it's fun to come up with a completely bizarre way to tackle a level, and when THAT works, you will get a great feeling of achievement!
The graphics here are great - because this isn't a platform game, Nuts and Bolts doesn't face the limitations of platform gameplay when it comes to level design, and enormous lush environments are common place. Everything is incredibly unreal, and the extreme cartoony style is played up and works a treat.
I have briefly tried the multiplayer here, although the single player challenge is more than enough to warrant a good rating. Playing with a handful of strangers I found myself losing very very quickly... that's when I realised my vehicle design was less than ideal!
Overall, I'm pretty happy with this game. It's innovative and fun to play. Top stuff.
You'd be forgiven for questioning what relevance, if any, Banjo and Kazooie have nowadays. A decade after the bird and bear team one-upped Mario with the superior Banjo-Kazooie, sprawling levels littered with pointless items to collect are now considered relics from the past- and rightly so. While the series' trademark irreverent humour and esoteric characters make their long awaited return, I can happily say that Nuts & Bolts is so much more than Banjo-Threeie.
When evil witch Gruntilda challenges the now obese Banjo to yet another inane collect-athon, in swoops the Lord of Games, a disembodied hotchpotch of purple robes and Pong emblazoned TV screen, to call a halt to the outdated shenanigans. As purported creator of all videogames, L.O.G. issues a new decree: both parties must take to land, sea and air in a range of vehicle-based challenges in order to... collect a set of new pointless items! It's as if the fourth wall never existed.
This self-awareness allows Nuts & Bolts to showcase levels such as the LOGBOX720, a glimpse into the next-next-generation where firewalls threaten to engulf the development team, or Banjoland, a museum honouring the now clichéd trappings of ice, desert and lava levels fraught with nonsensical death traps and enemies. Each lavishly rendered world has a unique art style that is stronger than other games are in their entirety, with plenty of exciting routes for your automotive Frankensteins to travel.
Progress is made by completing vehicle-based missions, where the creation system makes Nuts & Bolts something truly special. If you can snap Lego bricks together then you can quickly construct the perfect vehicle for the task at hand. While most races and fetch-quests require logical builds, more novel tasks such as toppling the most dominoes from a high plinth reward creativity and imagination.
My Monstroplane, with its ludicrously wide wingspan and five engines, knocked over enough dominoes to win the arbitrary golden jigsaw piece on offer but not enough to collect a coveted trophy from Trophy Thomas. With more parts being rewarded as you progress as well as those scattered around the main world, I could return to this challenge later and add a few more engines, or perhaps a few more springs which should definitely net me first place and the girl of my dreams (ladies, I'm writing this to fill space).
However, Nuts & Bolts can sometimes get in its own way. On more than one occasion I spent ten minutes building a sumo-wrestling tank only to defeat my opponent in three seconds. It is often hard to judge what exactly is expected from you on the first attempt, however being able to save previous designs means creativity is never in vain.
Nuts & Bolts reminds me of a Pixar movie; although dressed up for kids, the humour and mechanics are clearly pitched at a higher level while on the whole there is always something for everybody. When it fails though, it is like a sad engineer in a clown suit. These moments are rare though as a plentiful supply of missions allows you to pick and choose around the frustration.
It's great to play a game that celebrates silliness and imagination rather than bland carnage and brutality. If you're still not convinced by the series' new direction, you could always follow the game's tip: "Not enjoying the vehicle-based gameplay on offer here? Then you need to go download the original Banjo-Kazooie on Xbox Live Arcade!"
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is the first Banjo game to appear on the XBOX 360, but the question is - is it as good as the previous titles in the series ?
For those of you that had the pleasure of playing Banjo Kazooie on the Nintendo 64 you will remember an excellent platforming experience where you obtained Jiggies & Notes to progress through the witches hideout so you may be a little surprised at what Nuts & Bolts has to offer.
Nuts & Bolts is no longer a platforming game, it is now based around vehicles. 90% of your time will be spent on vehicles, however you still have the option to walk about if you want to and collect the usual notes (which are now used as money to buy things such as upgrades) that we are all used to in the Banjo series so there are still platforming elements present.
Jiggies make a return to this game. Like the old games you are still required to obtain a certain amount of Jiggies before you can progress to the next stage. Jiggies are obtained by completing the various challenges that lay within each game world. Nuts & Bolts has around 131 jiggies in the game to get, so as you can imagine there are plenty of challenges that await you.
Nuts & Bolts requires you to really exercise your brain as most of the challenges in the game require you to build your own vehicle to best suit the challenge ahead. The customization you can do on your vehicles is endless, the only limits are the size of the vehicle and the size of your imagination ! In showdown town (the games 'main' area) you can find or purchase new vehicle parts, so as the game progresses you have more materials to build better vehicles so the game stays fresh as you are constantly changing what you drive.
The game is quite clever in the way every challenge is designed for both the casual & hardcore gamers. The reason for this is for each challenge you given two ways to complete it. The first is if you meet the criteria for the Jiggy and the second is if you meet the criteria for the Trophy.
As you may of guessed, the trophies are much harder to obtain than the Jiggies, so a lot of thought must be put into your vehicles about how they should be built. The learning curve for building vehicles can be quite steep as you really need to pay attention to things such as weight distribution or your ride will be utterly useless - a lot of trial and error is needed when building new vehicles. This can be extremely frustrating as you will constantly find that the modifications you have made to your vehicle are bad choices and you will need to keep returning to the garage to attempt to fix the problems.
By now you may be thinking "what's the point in getting the Trophies when I can complete the challenges by just getting the Jiggies?" Well, the answer to that is for every 4 trophies you earn you actually get a free Jiggy from 'Trophy Thomas'. Also, to get an xbox 360 achievement you are required to get all the trophies as well as all the Jiggies, so for you completionists out there getting the trophies is a must.
Challenges in Nuts & Bolts range from very fun to the down right annoying. You will take part in races, running errands, playing darts, playing dominos, vehicle sumo wrestling, blowing up enemies in a certain amount of time, and much much more.
Some of the missions will leave you pulling your hair out in frustration but when things are looking bad for your sanity, the game comes up with a solution. Nuts & Bolts has a high scores leader board which very conveniently saves the replays of the top 10 people in every challenge so if you get particularly stuck - just hop on the leader board and watch the replays of that particular mission to get inspiration from other peoples vehicles that they used.
More problems surface though as you play the game, and frustration will keep kicking in as you discover how annoying the games physics can occasionally be. Having a random gruntbot that springs out from nowhere roll underneath your vehicle can render your vehicle unusable as it becomes stuck, so this will require you to jump off your seat and manually pick up your vehicle and get back in it - this is not good for your blood pressure, especially when you are competing for the Trophies.
Whilst I am moaning, I may as well get off my chest that the loading times in this game are not exactly on the short side of things. Simply loading the garage to edit your vehicles can take a rather long stretch of time, and sadly installing the game to your Xbox 360's hard drive doesn't solve the problem by much (maybe a second or two)
Despite the obvious downfalls of the game, I had a fantastic time playing it. I felt a real sense of achievement when I earned each of the trophies - even if some of them left me in a rage ! The beautiful thing about this game is that it has a nice balance between being fun & frustrating. The vehicle creator kept me busy for many hours, it's great fun seeing how fast you can make your brand new ride or how many grenade launchers you can stick on your plane. ;)
Multiplayer on Banjo Kazooie is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. It's one of those experiences where if you're winning - it's great , but if you're losing - it's rubbish. When competing against others online, you will always encounter somebody who has built a vehicle that is many times better than your own. However you can select to enter a game type where everybody uses the same vehicle - but sadly not many people play this, so you're mainly stuck with playing with custom vehicles.
The multiplayer game types are far from perfect. You'll find yourself competing in the same races over and over again, and then sometimes in ridiculous game types such as battleships. Seriously - where's the fun in shooting cannons out of the side of your ship when you can't see what you are aiming at ?
Having said that, I did have some fun on the multiplayer when I finally got to compete in the game type where everyone uses the same vehicle. Playing against a friend in a private game was a lot more fun for me than playing against the veterans online.
As far as the XBOX 360 Achievements for this game go - it's great fun to achieve them. I personally have the full amount of points for this game (1000/1000) and it wasn't as difficult as some people make out. Sure, you need to get every single trophy/jiggy in the game - but they are all more than achievable, just use the highscores replays for inspiration and you'll get through them. Other achievements mostly unlock through general gameplay, however the online ones can be quite tricky (you need to win a ranked race by reversing over the finish line !).
Rare made a brave move by stepping away from the platforming genre but in my view it was a good one. Despite the games downfalls it really is an extremely fun game to play with plenty of hours of gameplay to be had. The humor the game provides will keep you smiling even when times become frustrating - I found the "Hag Trolls" clan in the game to be quite funny, as it's clearly mocking the all-girls 360 clan "Frag Dolls".
For those of you that just want to sit down and be spoon fed what to do - Nuts&Bolts is not the game for you. You need to constantly change your vehicles in order to complete the challenges, so regular use of the brain is a must !
Fantastic Vehicle Customization
Many hours of gameplay
The games humor is great
Game stays fresh due to new challenges requiring new vehicles
Achievements are fun
Slow loading times
Sometimes irritating physics
Building vehicles may be too difficult for children (or even adults!)
Below par multiplayer
Nuts&Bolts is definitely worth buying if you're willing to endure the learning curve as you will grow to love the game, however I feel the learning curve may be too steep for children of young ages. If I was able to I would give this title 3.5 stars out of 5, but as halves are not available I must rate it 4/5 stars. Definitely worth a buy, especially as it is now available for around £20 online.
Hope this helps those of you considering purchasing this game. :)
The famous bear and bird duo return with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. The Lord of the Games (aka LOG) is tired of the petty squabbling between Banjo and the evil witch Gruntilda (aka Grunty), and has arranged a showdown to decide the rightful owner of Spiral Mountain. Claiming to have created every video game ever made, LOG has built the game worlds in which the contest's challenges take place. Banjo must complete LOG's challenges to win, while Grunty tries to stop him using every method her devious mind can muster. Throughout your adventure, you create your own abilities by building vehicles for Banjo to pilot over land, sea and air. Vehicle parts, which range from simple devices such as engines and wheels to more unusual equipment such as springs and egg guns, are earned and collected throughout the game. Use your imagination to combine parts in any order to create whatever vehicle you choose.


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While the fast food chain has been actively working to enter the Russian market for some time, no agreements have been concluded, Brian Johnston, Burger Kingâ€™s senior director of development for Eastern Europe and emerging markets, told The St. Petersburg Times.
Kommersant had reported that Mikhail Bazhenov, a co-owner of St. Petersburg-based Adamant Holdings, was to open the countryâ€™s first Burger King outlet, citing an industry source.
Rumors of a deal with Bazhenov are â€œa complete fabrication,â€ Johnston said.
He said Burger Kingâ€™s entry into Russia would involve â€œmultiple partnersâ€ and likely follow the development model used in the Czech Republic, where the company began opening restaurants in November.
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With 2,000 locations open or in development in 15 countries, Snap Fitness is the top choice

domain: news


text:
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Kellan is the Centennial Scholar in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, where he is pursuing a doctorate in health services research with a focus on transgender health and economic evaluation. Previously he was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he worked on LGBT health and data collection policy at the federal and state levels.
Saturday, April 13
1:45 PM – 3:15 PM

domain: medical


text:
Free Movies Box LLC
A program that allows you to watch various genres of movies.
An add-on for movie lovers using Internet Explorer and Firefox.
YouTube Movie Downloader
A movie conversion program for downloading movies from YouTube.
Movie and TV shows cataloger and media player with TMDb and IMDB data support.
Organize your DVD/BluRay movies collection with this free program.
Catalog your collection of DVDs and video files and get recommendations.
Create relative shortcuts which always points to the parent directory.
A Multimediadatabase for films/movies, music and tv-series.
TERRATEC Grabby Pro digitizes films & movies and saves them on a PC or notebook.
Funduc Software Inc.
Directory Toolkit displays a single or side-by-side directory comparison.
digiXMAS Directory Submitter is a semi-automated directory submission tool.
Print Directory is a program that lets you prepare a directory listing.
Fast Directory Submitter is an easy-to-use free directory submission tool.
It's a lightweight program that allows you to generate parent/child records.
Active Directory Janitor helps you cleanup Active Directory.
Quest Spotlight on Active Directory Pack monitors Active Directory performance.

domain: entertainment


text:
Relax Coloring is a fun and casual coloring game. You need to click on the paint to paint each color block with the appropriate color. The game provides multiple line drafts of different styles, and you can choose one to fill in. The paintings in progress and completed paintings will be saved, so you can end the game at any time without worrying about not being able to continue the game. This game can bring you spiritual relaxation by coloring pictures and help you relieve stress. Enjoy!
Click to color.


text:
COON VALLEY, Wis. (WKBT)- Tom and Maxine Jacobs acquired into foster care 36 years in the past, and so they’ve fostered quite a lot of youngsters since then.
“Nicely over 100 children,” Maxine stated.
A alternative they made of their early 20s made them fall in love with serving to foster children.
“Thanksgiving dinner and everybody’s sitting across the desk — that’s regular for us, however not for them. So watching them and seeing their faces and having them undergo that the primary time,” Maxine stated.
Now the 2 are being acknowledged on the state’s highest degree.
“Yearly the state of Wisconsin affords a governor’s award for foster houses who’ve gone above and past and clearly simply have hearts of gold in our system,” stated La Crosse County social employee Kevin Henry, who nominated the couple.
Henry has recognized the couple for about 5 years however says he knew there was one thing particular about them the primary time he met them.
“From day one working with them, I simply knew they had been a particular residence and actually noticed and understood these foster youngsters,” Henry stated.
Being acknowledged means loads to the Jacobs, however the reminiscences and connections they’ve made imply much more.
The Jacobs say their journey has been lengthy. However would they do it yet again?
“Completely. Its been the longest journey of our lives, aside from marriage and elevating our two organic children. It has afforded us to satisfy quite a lot of very fascinating individuals,” Tom and Maxine stated.
The Jacobs don’t plan to foster any extra youngsters, however the experiences and information they’ve gained might be utilized by foster households from everywhere in the county.
COPYRIGHT 2021 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.


text:
We want a society where all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens
You are here:
Welcome to the Disability Rights Commission online library.
You can search the library by entering the
title of an article or keywords below.
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Making Rights a Reality

domain: sociology


text:
The health and business benefits of mindfulness
By Tony Denton
Research on the subject of mindfulness has more than doubled in the last five years1. While earlier research focuses on the benefits of mindfulness for mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, more recently the interest has been in the wider benefits of mindfulness practice, and how it can yield results in other areas. Some of these other areas include blood pressure, arthritis, infertility, learning and memory and emotional regulation2.
The usefulness of mindfulness has even caught the attention of parliament, who are responsible for the publication of the Mindful Nation report in October 2015. In this document the potential impact of mindfulness in education, healthcare, business and the criminal justice system is discussed in detail, with recommendations for further funding to train more mindfulness teachers to meet demand.
It is a practice with millennia of history and yet it is only in recent years that it has attracted mainstream attention and government support. In healthcare, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy has been recommended as a treatment for depression by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence since 2004, but there has been limited availability and visibility.
With the rise of mindfulness this is likely to change, and the numerous studies evidencing the real benefits of mindfulness in mental, physical and emotional wellbeing are changing the perception of a practice that had previously been associated with Buddhist spiritualism.
Benefits of mindfulness in leadership
The wide-ranging benefits of mindfulness and meditation have also been adopted in the corporate world, and now some of the biggest names in business are adopting mindfulness approaches within their company values, including Google and KPMG. The impact on cognitive skills and emotional intelligence also makes mindfulness practice desirable for leaders in particular, since they are often required to inspire and support individuals during stressful and turbulent periods. Being able to maintain focus and balance in a crisis is one quality that every good leader needs.
“A mindful leader can reduce disorder by bringing focus and intent to the situation. By acknowledging and accepting change, the leader can step back, observe and respond with composure and purpose4.”
Studies in the USA on the fire and police services have found that individuals participating in a mindfulness-based fitness training programme have demonstrated significantly less brain activity related to emotional reactivity, anxiety and mood disorders. These studies also revealed improved sleep, better working memory capacity and a stronger immune response5. The intense pressure of these roles is similar to the pressure of being a leader, and the results would be just as beneficial, enabling individuals to cope with the demands of their position.
Mindful leaders benefit their business by guiding with a clear vision. By reducing their stress and increasing their rational decision making skills they are able to take the right actions, and encourage the people they lead to do the same. In Paul Wielgus’ article on “Mindfulness: leadership imperative or leadership choice”, he further explores how mindfulness helps a leader to be authentic and values-centred, linking this to wider benefits for the individual, the organisation, and the world.
Mindfulness and absence reduction
One of the more pragmatic reasons for mindfulness’ absorption into the corporate world is its ability to reduce illness and stress-related absence. According to studies, the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK is mental ill health, and Mindfulness-Based Interventions are acknowledged as effective in the treatment of this.
One study of NHS staff between 2011 and 2014 found significant reductions in mental health related absence following a Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy course, resulting in cost savings of £109,4146.
Savings can also be found in the reduction in staff turnover that is also associated with the corporate practice of mindfulness7. Employees with a greater sense of well-being are more likely to be happy in the workplace, giving organisations the security of retaining key talent and knowledge.
Mindfulness for optimisation in business
Beyond the retention of staff and reduction of absence, it has been suggested that mindfulness can help a business to optimise its people by improving productivity, memory, learning ability and creativity. The full range of cognitive benefits of mindfulness can affect an individual’s overall performance:
“As research in this vein suggests, mindfulness contributes to performance by improving cognitive flexibility and alertness and guarding against distractions and performance blunders. Taken together, these fi dings raise the possibility that workplace mindfulness facilitates job performance8.”
It can reduce ‘cognitive rigidity’, which is a barrier to creative thinking and innovative problem solving9, and allows individuals to refresh their approach to difficult problems.
Findings from specific workplace contexts to evidence these include:
Experienced mindfulness practitioners showing faster reaction times and reduced error responses
Increased likelihood of making a rational choice after completing a short mindfulness exercise
Ability to generate more creative strategies after a short mindfulness exercise
Improvements in emotional intelligence and resistance to bias in decision making10
As the increasing amount of studies on mindfulness demonstrate, it can improve our mental and physical well-being. Until recently, the practice of mindfulness has been an individual choice; people have sought to gain greater self-understanding, or re-order their hectic minds. However the advent of corporate interest has been spurred by an awareness that happy, balanced people make a stronger workforce.
The Mindfulness Nation report warns against mindfulness being used purely as a corporate tool, stressing that mindfulness is no substitute for an appropriate workload and work-life balance:
"While it seems that mindfulness can offer real benefits for reducing stress and absenteeism, it is important to emphasise that as an isolated intervention it cannot fix dysfunctional organisations."
Mindfulness Nation Report Pg. 46
The concern is that organisations may encourage the use of mindfulness to help their people deal with workplace stress, instead of taking steps to reduce the causes of stress such as long working hours or heavy workloads.
Mindfulness, as part of a corporate culture which supports the health and well-being of its employees, can be a very effective way to increase productivity.
For individuals, it can be a way of improving general health, with particular emphasis on mental and emotional resilience. But mindfulness, as any experienced practitioner can tell you, is not a short- term or instant solution to problems. It takes a genuine commitment to make positive change, and this can only happen by thinking about how it can benefit your people, before you think about how it can benefit your business.
At Insights we think that the practice of mindfulness makes Insights Discovery more powerful. By being mindful about the personal preferences of others, you will be able to adapt and connect with them more easily, enhancing relationships and enabling workplace harmony. The self-awareness that Insights Discovery brings can also be enhanced by mindfulness, extending to your awareness of your mind and body, so that you gain deeper levels of self-understanding.
What both mindfulness and Insights Discovery have in common beyond this is their intent; their purpose to inspire individuals to make a positive difference. When individuals are able to think and act positively, this has wider implications for their team, their organisation and society. For this reason, Insights are interested in the practice of mindfulness, and its benefits, and we’ve introduced it to our own leaders.
To discuss this content please contact your account manager or email us on email@example.com.
1 D.S. Black 2014
3 Mindful Nation Report, October 2015
5 Mindful Nation Report, 2015. P22
6 Before the course mental health related absence days were recorded at an average of 14 days. After the course this was reduced to an average of 3 days.
7 Examining workplace mindfulness and its relations to job performance and turnover intention. Erik Dane and Bradley J Brummel, Human Relations published online 3 June 2013.
8 Examining workplace mindfulness and its relations to job performance and turnover intention. Erik Dane and Bradley J Brummel, Human Relations published online 3 June 2013.
9 “Mind the Trap”: Mindfulness Practice Reduces Cognitive Rigidity, Greenberg, Reiner and Meiran, May 2012
10 Mindful Nation Report, 2015, Pg. 22.

domain: psychology


text:
Yesterday I started adding the borders to the Children of the Sea Panel. The first border is a folded pink batik border, which I'd intended to fold out and onto the second border. I didn't foresee the trouble this would cause with the mitered corners of the second border, so instead the border folds in on the panel.
The next border is 8.5" because I'm going be adding biased scallops on to it. The colors will be pulled from two of the colors in the killer whales, a light periwinkle blue, and a darker rich almost navy blue. Once those are complete we'll take a good long look and see what it wants next.

domain: artistic


While you’re shopping for a new stick you might notice that the stick displays two different lengths on it. For example, it might say “96 cm (Total 107cm)” or it might have 100cm in white and 111cm in a different color. In this article I’ll attempt to explain why that is and why I think it’s pointless.
The traditional way of measuring sticks has always been shaft length. That means just the length of the shaft without taking the blade attached to it into account. At some point in the near past we started seeing this second measurement printed on the label of the stick due to an IFF requirement. What this second measurement means is the total length of the stick and blade as one. On the surface that may sound like a better system since it attempts to more accurately tell you the length of the stick you’re looking at, but it actually complicates everything.
First off, it’s more complicated because blades are different sizes. The Fat Pipe Hole blade is very small compared to the Exel Megalomaniac. If you were to take one of each of those sticks (both will a 96cm shaft) and put them next to each other, you’d find that the Exel stick is taller than the Fat Pipe stick even though they would both be marked as 107cm.
Next we have to look at how the sticks are assembled. It’s as simple as attaching the blade to the shaft and screwing it in, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all the blades fit on the shaft the exact same way. Sometimes they’re easy to assemble because it slots right in all the way, but other times it’s a pain and might even require a heat cut to soften the plastic a bit before it can be assembled (and usually just far enough to get the screws to bite). It might not sound like much, but there can easy be a centimeter of difference between two stick of the same manufacturer using the same shaft and blade combination.
Neither of those things seem like that big a deal, but when you combine them you see that the “total” stick length can potentially be very inaccurate. The reason I prefer the traditional length system is because a 96cm shaft is always 96cm regardless of what blade you put on it or what company produced it. Shaft length is a perfectly appropriate starting point for anyone looking for a specific length, and it’s up to them to take the blade into account.
My advice for looking at stick length is to ignore the “total stick length” measurement (or whatever number listed is larger) and only look at shaft length. In my opinion the lengths are more of a guideline than a hard rule. Choose something that feels appropriate for you without stressing about what all the numbers mean.
For any questions or comments feel free to email me at email@example.com.


text:
|Reviewed by jude forese
|as a poet delivers his state of mind and emotion, he often finds he is discussing in creative context, someone else ...|
|Reviewed by William Bonilla
|Brother you are a Poet
Peace be with you
|Reviewed by Karen Vanderlaan
|i like this, i do believe like you that writing can surely help us to focus on the more positive aspects such as love rather than hate--enjoyed|
|Reviewed by john zimmerman
|A good quarter of my poetry is about poetic process. I still know little about it. I know only that when I see a poem I must write it Often I can do little else until I do ..
good write, Poet.
|Reviewed by Chantilly Lace (Reader)
|Yes,sweet sweet man you are a wonderful poet,and I love your writing big time.....have a wonderful weekend and keep smiling..ok darlin...Hugss
Chanti Lace xoxoxo
|Reviewed by Flying Fox Ted L Glines
|"At times I feel like I'm not the poet, but the page."
I have never heard it expressed that way before, but that is the essence of a poet. The muse is the poet, you are the pen, and we readers appreciate you both :-)
|Reviewed by Michelle Kidwell Power In The Pen
|I believe you are definitely a poet, thank you for sharing this poem with us
In Christs Love
|Reviewed by Gene Williamson
|Yes, Gem. A poet by any other name would be the same. -gene.|
|Reviewed by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
|To answer your question, Gem: YES. Yes, you ARE a poet--and a darn good one! Keep on writing; I'll keep readin'/reviewin'!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tx., Karen Lynn. :D


text:
Handmade Wooden Earrings
- Circle design: 1" diameter, with a drop length of 1.5"
- Triangle design: 1" overall, with a drop length of 1.5"
- Cascade design: 1.5" x 1", with a drop length of 2.25"
- Hardware is nickel-free brass
- Treated with a waterproof finish
- Wood may include walnut, maple, oak, cherry, ash, sycamore, mahogany, padauk (African) or purpleheart (South American)
- Wood design varies. Each set of earrings is unique

domain: design


text:
Your cart is empty. Find some cool stuff!
Cross abstract logo template. X vector loop shape. Infinite sign.
Item Number 2036
Subject: Custom work request on item 2036
Teamwork Logo design vector template. Social community team network.
Friendship Logotype. Teamwork co-working concept icon.
Real Estate Logo abstract design vector template. Finance concept.
Stylized Skyscrapers such as Charts diagram of Stock Exchange Logotype icon.
Sphere Abstract vector logo design template. Business Technology circle icon. Sci-fi hitech futuristic style creative concept. – stock vector
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Salamander logotype. Gecko concept top view.
Letter L Logo vector design element template. ABC concept type as logotype. Typography icon line art alphabet
Real estate company concept vector logo design template. Creative business symbol. Skyscraper abstract icon. Corporate sign.
Water Wave Logo design vector template.
Creative Abstract Circle Logotype concept icon.
What will be Illustration trends 2016? The most popular within the last few years FLAT is still the leader. However during this time both the style had undergone significant changes and its derivatives had appeared.
Now we have to take care about HOW logo could be illustrated. Lets expand the visualization process on a few simple steps.
«Great company logo» – what is it? Memorable?! High quality?! Modern?! Minimal?! Trendy?! With a meaning?!


text:
Women who show no symptoms and have no known hereditary risk for ovarian cancer should skip screening for this cancer, a U.S. task force now recommends.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) made the recommendation in “Screening for Ovarian Cancer,” a “statement” published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It updated the group’s previous recommendation for this cancer, released in 2012.
In it, USPSTF notes that the harm from screening for ovarian cancer, which can include unnecessary surgery, outweighs the benefits, and recommends against screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women who are not at high risk of hereditary cancer.
In the U.S., ovarian cancer is diagnosed in 11 out of 100,000 women per year. Despite its low incidence, the disease is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer. Approximately 14,000 women die of ovarian cancer there each year.
Frequently, no symptoms are present in the early stages of the disease, and when they do appear, they are usually nonspecific, including abdominal pain or pressure, bloating, constipation, urinary symptoms, back pain, or fatigue. As a result, most women (88 percent) are not diagnosed until later stages.
The USPSTF recognizes a need for new screening strategies that could detect ovarian cancer early, at a stage when outcomes could be improved. This includes more sensitive and specific serologic tests (to detect antibodies in a blood sample), as well as better imaging techniques.
But the predictive value of current tests for is low, leaving many women with a positive screening test result who do not have ovarian cancer.
USPSTF’s recommendation was based on three large studies showing that screening with transvaginal ultrasound, testing for the serum tumor marker cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), or a combination of both does not reduce ovarian cancer mortality in asymptomatic women who are not considered high risk.
The largest and most recent trial, the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) (NCT00058032), randomized 202,638 postmenopausal women between ages 50 to 74 to receive either annual screening for seven years or no screening at all.
After a median follow-up of 11.1 years, the mortality rate due to ovarian cancer was 0.32 percent for those receiving CA-125 assessments or transvaginal ultrasound, compared with 0.35 percent of subjects receiving no screening.
In a second study, a pilot trial for the UKCTOCS trial called UK Pilot, 21,955 participants were randomized to receive either three annual CA-125 measurements or no screening. Screened participants with a CA-125 above a certain threshold would be referred for a pelvic ultrasonography.
Again, study results showed no significant difference in deaths from ovarian cancer between the groups.
The third study, called PLCO (NCT01696994), was the only trial conducted in the U.S. It randomized 68,557 women to receive either annual screening with both CA-125 testing and transvaginal ultrasound, or usual care.
After a median follow-up of 12.4 years, 0.34 percent of those in the screening group had died from ovarian cancer, compared with 0.29 percent in the control arm.
While women in the screening groups were not less likely to die from ovarian cancer, they were exposed to considerable stress from false positives, the USPSTF statement says. In the UKCTOCS trial, 11.9 percent of women screened in the first round had a positive result without having the disease.
After the 11 screening rounds from the trial, 44.2 percent of women had a positive CA-125 result at some point but did not have ovarian cancer.
Some women underwent surgery to investigate these positive results, and up to 15 percent of them had major surgical complications.
The USPSTF found that screening for ovarian cancer can result in significant harm, including false positive results that can lead to unnecessary diagnostic surgery.
This recommendation does not apply to women with a family history of ovarian cancer — considered “high risk.” Rather, USPSTF recommends that women with a family history of a disease-causing gene mutation (BRCA1 or BRCA2) should receive genetic counseling and, if indicated, undergo genetic testing.
Responding to concerns from the public about possible risks due to late detection of ovarian cancer, the task force “agrees that screening tests are needed that can accurately detect ovarian cancer earlier to prevent deaths from ovarian cancer.” But tests able to do so accurately and safely do not now exist, it said.
Instead, it concluded, “the evidence shows that currently available tests are not able to do so and can lead to harm by causing healthy women to undergo surgical removal of their ovaries when no cancer is present.”
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text: November 30, 2018 - BRANDON GOLDBERGBrandon Goldberg, now eleven years old, began to play piano by ear when he was three. Brandon started by playing the songs he was learning in pre-school on his family’s piano at home. Soon, his parents realized that Brandon had perfect pitch and was able to play anything he heard. Brandon began to take piano lessons for classical music, but his love and passion for jazz, and the creativity it allows, quickly took over. Now, Brandon enjoys composing his own music and listening to his favorite artists. Brandon has appeared on the Harry Connick Jr. Show, NBC’s Little Big Shots... and more!


text:
Two people are taken to a hospital after a driver crashes into several vehicles at a car dealership, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.
A driver went off a road and crashed into seven vehicles at a car dealership in southwest Houston.
Many foods that you think have health benefits may hold hidden dangers for your diet.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Think you're the only one having a bad hair day? You're not alone. There are plenty of celebrities that have had them, too.


text: Welcome to the blogging workshop today for all the students in Dr. Paul Martin’s English 005 course for the Fall 2007 semester. We will be working on posting entries to your group blogs, working with the templates in stylecatcher and finding photos for your blogs using the wonderful FLICKR.com website. Take a look at the Creative Commons section to search for photos that are available for you to post on your site as long as you stick to the outline in the creative commons licenses. Here is an online guide to citing electronic resources on your blog. Happy Blogging!

domain: hobby


text:
Handcrafted 20's Champagne Cream and Purple Feather Headband
A beautiful 1920's inspired handcrafted Princess Anna feather headband! Softly curled champagne cream feathers are adorned with shimmery gold rosettes, vintage lace, golden and clear Swarovski crystals, glitter white snowflakes, and a stunning center purple piece.
Design measures approximately 5 inches. Made with a stretchy frosted glitter headband in white.


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Latest commercial infrastructure remodelings include Surfshark adhering to ExpressVPN as well as NordVPN in relocating to 100% diskless servers, considerably limiting the option for assailants to compromise or even draw out relevant information coming from the system.
Surfshark mentions its own brand-new password innovation will definitely ‘regularly review your security password based upon recent cybersecurity results as well as deliver you a note if it needs to have changing.’ There’s no info on exactly how this works so we can not determine how useful it may be, yet added password-related advise is consistently welcome. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
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Surfshark: Plans and costs
As you would certainly uncover coming from our committed Surfshark price and also offers guide, the service’s month-to-month strategy is actually a lot more pricey than some, at $12.95, and also spending for a six months up-front still just reduces the cost to $6.49.
The year +12 months free of charge strategy is a great deal for the initial phrase at $2.49, though it doubles on renewal to $4.98 for the yearly strategy.
That initial rate tramples throughout most of the competitors. Also Private Web Get access to, among the most ideal market value VPNs about, trails a little behind at $2.69 a month for the very first term of its own two-year planning. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
The long-term $4.98 isn’t as exceptional, however our company think it is actually affordable of what you are actually acquiring, as well as still matches up properly with annual plans coming from numerous other heavyweights (HideMyAss! asks $4.99; Hotspot Shield asks for $6.99, ExpressVPN $8.32, ProtonVPN’s Additionally program is actually around $9.50.).
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Surfshark’s seven-day cost-free trial for Android, iOS and also Mac computer gives you a long time to sample the company for yourself. We would certainly as if something a lot longer, with Microsoft window help, as well, however it seems to be unfair to fuss when lots of carriers possess no trials whatsoever.
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Privacy as well as logging
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That is actually just the begin. Surfshark possesses its very own exclusive DNS on each hosting server to lessen the opportunity of others spying on your tasks. And the capability to use a double VPN jump (hook up to Paris, point out, at that point leave behind the Surfshark network in New york city) makes it much more difficult for anyone to follow your tracks.
Like ExpressVPN, Surfshark is located in the English Virgin Islands, as well as the provider explains that this implies it is actually not demanded to maintain logs of consumer actions.
A Frequently Asked Question page on logging spells this out, mentioning that Surfshark doesn’t pick up: ‘Inbound as well as outbound IP deals with; Exploring, downloading or even purchasing past history; VPN web servers you use; Made use of bandwidth; Treatment relevant information; Hookup timestamps; Network visitor traffic.’.
The only information the firm maintains about you is your email deal with and billing details, the Frequently Asked Question describes. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
The webpage utilized to mention Surfshark accumulated some anonymous, aggregated stats – functionality relevant information, frequency of utilization of the system, unsuccessful hookups, wreck records – yet that information has been actually eliminated. Our experts don’t know why, yet it is actually certainly not only since Surfshark does not videotape this data anymore, as the Microsoft window application Settings container still has a ‘Accumulate confidential collision files’ alternative. Still, if you are actually miserable, you can easily limit this data selection a little through switching the ‘Collision reports’ causing (an alternative you will not get with all VPNs), and also in general, there’s nothing too shocking below.
The Surfshark website includes that it has passed a security review by the German Surveillance provider Cure53. And that holds true, however this was confined to an examination of Surfshark’s web browser expansions, so it can not tell us everything regarding logging or other backside processes. And as it took place in Nov 2018, we are actually unclear that it tells our team everything beneficial regarding the company as it is actually today.
Still, it’s good to view that Cure53 located just two relatively small problems, and also assumed that it was ‘strongly satisfied to view such a tough protection stance on the Surfshark VPN extensions, specifically offered the popular susceptability of comparable products to privacy issues.’.
On balance, Surfshark appears to be stating and also performing the right factors, however our experts will as if even more. An in-depth personal privacy plan would certainly be a great spot to begin, and we would certainly such as bigger and much more constant surveillance review, as well.
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Microsoft window app
Getting going along with Surfshark was very easy. Our company downloaded and install as well as installed the Microsoft window client, opted for the signup possibility, and were actually also capable to select a planning and turn over payment outward the installer, no 3rd party internet browser needed. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
The Microsoft window client user interface is actually more functional than most, adjusting like a receptive website as you resize its window. At its smallest, the client appears similar to some other VPN app, along with a Connect button, condition information and also a list of locations. Grow or make the most of the customer window as well as it reformats to present new boards and also choices.
Acquiring attached is simple. Tap the button, desktop alerts tell you when Surfshark attaches as well as detaches, as well as the interface updates to feature your brand-new digital location and also Internet Protocol address.
The Area list does not show latencies, however hosting server load images highlight your ideal (and also worst) choices, and a Preferences system permits dealing with typically utilized servers.
A Static IP list allows linking to areas in Germany, Asia, Singapore, UK as well as US, and receiving a fixed IP from each one (that is, your IP will certainly be actually coming from the country you choose, however it’ll be the same whenever you link.) That might be helpful if you require to connect to an IP-restricted network while utilizing the VPN, yet consider that every other Surfshark customer can easily use the exact same Internet Protocol, thus you’ll require some added level of authorization.
Clicking on the Surfshark device rack image displays a mini application home window, rather than the usual standard text food selection, enabling you to link to the fastest server, pick one of your very most latest locations, or even open the full app interface.
A MultiHop tab passes your traffic through pair of VPN hosting servers, guaranteeing that even if the leave server is actually endangered, an attacker still won’t possess your genuine Internet Protocol. There are 14 options offered, where the very first web server is your preliminary relationship (possibilities consist of USA, Canada, UK, Singapore, Germany, France, India, Netherlands as well as Australia), and also the 2nd is where you’ll look to the outdoors (France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, UK, UNITED STATES.) The tip is that even though the departure hosting server is actually risked, the attacker is going to still only obtain a confidential IP.
A Whitelister board allows developing whitelists of uses, websites as well as Internet Protocol handles that bypass the VPN (an extended version of the split-tunneling component you’ll observe along with suppliers like ExpressVPN). If using Surfshark damages a particular website or application, including it to the whitelist must resolve the trouble. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
You’re able to establish the Whitelister to option merely your picked apps by means of the VPN. That may be actually more useful if you’re merely using Surfshark for one or two jobs, maybe torrenting; established your gush client to connect via the VPN as well as whatever else will definitely use your routine relationship.
This functioned as marketed for us, and it is actually fantastic to observe a VPN supplier deliver this degree of crack tunneling support on the personal computer. (Some VPNs have divided tunneling-type devices on Windows – ExpressVPN, Hotspot Shield, NordVPN, Private World Wide Web Get Access To, ProtonVPN – yet most conserve the attribute for their mobile phone applications.).
Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature shuts out adds, systems as well as harmful web links. Our team are actually unsure exactly how effective this could be, though, as in our easy exams we found expert devices like uBlock Source shut out a lot more adds as well as provided even more control. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
A NoBorders setting aims to assist you get online in nations where VPNs are commonly blocked out. Surfshark does not discuss carefully what this carries out, yet presumably it tries to obfuscate your traffic in some method.
Even more conventional functions include alternatives to release the VPN alongside Windows, or even shift the procedure to WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2 or Shadowsocks (an alternative technique to direct web traffic with an encrypted passage, generally used to bypass net censorship in China.).
A kill button performs hand to block your world wide web link if the VPN decreases. It functions, too, yet not quite as well as our experts will just like.
Our 1st problem is actually that it is actually merely available in the best excessive type, where the kill switch stops you accessing the internet in any way, ever before, unless you’re linked to Surfshark. It is actually great to possess that additional safe option offered, but our team would certainly also like the potential to have the kill button energetic simply if the link drops within a VPN treatment. If it does start, you still possess the option to shut the application as well as use your regular web connection, as an alternative.
In another issue, although the kill change efficiently blocked our world wide web website traffic when we forcibly finalized the VPN, it didn’t present any kind of notification to inform the consumer. If you are actually surfing and the VPN loses, all you’ll see is your internet link neglects with no apparent reason. This might just last for a few secs, till the app auto-reconnects, but it is actually still potentially aggravating. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
Even though you are actually unaffected by having your net blocked out for a couple of seconds, our team presume the application ought to educate you that the relationship has lost. What happens if a particular hosting server is actually flaky and also it’s doing that every couple of minutes? The user requires to know.
If you don’t possess the kill change energetic, the problem becomes worse. If the VPN loses, certainly not merely will your link stay active, but you won’t find any alert. And as our company located the application occasionally neglected to reconnect, once again without alerting the individual, your identification and also records may be left open for time.
Surfshark’s Microsoft window customer requires a little work, then, yet it’s normally simple to use as well as there is actually a considerable amount of functionality to look into.
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Mobile VPN apps are frequently even more general than their personal computer relatives, however Surfshark’s Android offering is unexpected similar. There’s even more or the same user interface, the very same site checklist, multihop links, CleanWeb’s advertisement and malware barring, as well as split tunneling for apps as well as internet sites along with the Whitelister. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
There coincides WireGuard, OpenVPN/ IVEv2 and also Shadowsocks process support, and also a kill button to shield you if the VPN decreases.
The Android VPN application throws in additional functions, too: a choice of file encryption approaches (AES-256-GGM or even Chacha20Poly1305, possibly providing you much better speeds), a ‘utilize tiny packets’ possibility to boost performance with some mobile phone networks, as well as the capability to immediately connect to the VPN when you accessibility mobile, safeguarded or unsecured systems.
As well as if any of this does not work as it should, you may deliver insect files, raise or even search tickets from within the app (no demand to open your browser and lose time hunting for the best region of the assistance site.).
It’s similar account along with Surfshark’s iphone VPN app: the look are actually really comparable, as well as you still get the kill switch, the option of procedures (OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard) as well as a lot more.
Little yet appreciated recent enhancements consist of the ability to prepare your preferred foreign language outward the app, and reset your VPN profile to possibly resolve connection problems.
It’s an outstanding create, particularly for the iOS end of the variation, which is actually commonly short-changed for attributes in contrast to other systems.
Put all of it with each other and also these go over apps, well applied, simple to make use of, and also an energizing improvement for any person tired of losing VPN capability on smart phones.
Our team assessed Surfshark functionality coming from an US site and a UK data center with a 1Gbps relationship, offering us plenty of extent to view simply what the service can do. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
We mounted the current Surfshark app on our test devices, attached to our nearby place, and inspected download velocities using performance screening websites including SpeedTest (the site and order product line app), TestMy.net and Netflix’ Fast.com. Our company gathered a minimum of five results from each website, redoed each test again consuming to three process, and dashed the full exam embeded in both morning as well as night sessions.
UK OpenVPN outcomes were below average at 165-170Mbps. A lot of best VPNs hit someplace in the 250-350Mbps region throughout latest exams.
Surfshark has a secret weapon in its WireGuard assistance, though, as well as changing methods saw downloads escalate to 550-700Mbps. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
US velocities are disappointing comparative, along with OpenVPN achieving 100-150Mbps, IKEv2 just 40-45Mbps, as well as even resorting to WireGuard just obtained our team 15-210Mbps. That’s dragging effectively responsible for top US performers like TorGuard (410-480Mbps), StrongVPN (590-600Mbps) and also ExpressVPN (490-630Mbps.).
Put everything with each other as well as it seems like Surfshark can easily provide extremely appropriate performance. The rates you’ll observe are going to depend quite on your place and intended hosting servers, however, so it’s important to take the test and also perform performance exams of your very own.
Plex And Surfshark Vpn
Netflix and also streaming
If you are actually tired of VPNs that slightly suggest regarding their shaking off abilities, however certainly never bring in any sort of genuine commitment, you’ll like Surfshark. Not just carries out the provider claim up-front that it unblocks Netflix, but it also names the close to twenty nations where it currently operates (United States, France, Japan, Italy, Australia as well as much more.).
This wasn’t only overblown marketing-oriented peace of mind, either. Our company were able to gain access to United States Netflix from each of our 3 exam locations.
BBC iPlayer can easily occasionally be additional of an obstacle, however certainly not this time. Surfshark bypassed its own VPN obstructing efficiently, providing us access from our three examination UK locations.
The bright side kept arriving, too, along with Surfshark acquiring us in to each US Amazon.com Best and also Disney+, giving it an excellent 100% in our unblocking examinations. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
If Surfshark does not work for you, the help internet site possesses arrangement and setup tutorials, addressing quick guides, FAQs as well as various other information to point you in the best instructions.
There’s lots of helpful information, but organization can be a concern, and also the web site does not always provide the very most applicable files. Click On ‘Begin’, for instance, and as our team compose, the initial short article at the top of the listing is ‘Exactly how to allow dark method?’.
The web page goes on to specify create instructions for several systems, but once more, it is actually certainly not constantly very easy to discover what you desire.
To contrast, click Microsoft window Setup at ExpressVPN and also you’ll see hyperlinks to putting together the app, OpenVPN GUI, or even setting up the solution by hand on Microsoft window 7 or even 8, along with a different resource for Microsoft window 10.
Click on ‘Exactly how to establish Surfshark VPN on Microsoft Window’ at Surfshark and you’ll receive an app installment guide only. There are actually separate OpenVPN as well as hand-operated create short articles, yet they remain in a different Handbook Setup quick guide, and you have to find them yourself. Simple, however it definitely would not be essential if Surfshark did a much better task of arranging and also presenting its own documents.
Fortunately, if you possess any problems, support is actually on call 24/7 by means of live conversation. Our company attempted this while making an effort to identify a relationship issue, as well as had a pleasant reply in under one minute. Also if you’re only straining to discover something on the website, it might be actually worth opening up a chat session– the trouble can be actually arranged out quicker than you could think. Plex And Surfshark Vpn.
Surfshark customer review: Ultimate verdict
Surfshark is a powerful and (in the beginning) low-cost VPN along with an array of advanced features. There are actually some problems, too, on equilibrium the service requires to be on your shortlist.
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Bitget Hot Takes (March 06 - March 12)
Bitget Hot Takes is the exclusive weekly newsletter series by Bitget Academy, the 360-degree onboarding guide for all crypto enthusiasts.
Bitget Hot Takes last week can be found here.
• Indicators suggest that BGB is on another upward course.
• Out of business: Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank; FED emergency meeting on March 13, 2023.
• USDC depegged, causing DAI and USDD to follow suit.
Indicators Suggest That BGB Is On Another Upward Course
After breaking the record for its all-time high twice in February 2023, BGB has been seeing some cooling sensation since the US$0.51613 mark. However, if we take a look at the relative strength index (RSI), and especially the accumulation/distribution (Accum/Dist) line, BGB seems to be on a quiet upward course over the weekend.
And despite the red in the first half of the week, BGB's 7-day volume didn't see any sell-off; a slightly lower volume also hints at investors’ decision to hold the token. Check out this quick guide to know why BGB has become the new staple:
… or devour these detailed BGB analyses:
When The Banks Fail
There are no bigger stories than that of Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank at the moment. Silvergate is, or more precisely, was the most crypto-focused bank with its Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN) - a 24/7 settlement service for big players in the U.S.
On March 04, Silvergate announced the shutdown of SEN with ‘immediate effect', and rumours across the streets said they already saw a big truck with a loading ramp in front of the Silvergate building before the firm ceased its banking operations on March 08, 2023. The meltdown brought Bitcoin price below 20K due to Silvergate's close ties with crypto markets.
In terms of size, Silvergate deposits are a tiny portion of its peers’: Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank. In 2022, deposits at Silvergate stood at US$6,297,000,000, at SVB US$173,109,000,000 and at Signature US$88,590,000,000. When Silvergate failed, crypto institutions turned to SVB and Signature, thinking they had found the safe on-ramp alternatives. Turns out even a positive return on average total equity can't offset the internal bleeding caused by rising interest rates.
Circle is the direct casuality of this chain of events. The stablecoin issuer holds their USD reserve at 8 ‘U.S. regulated financial institutions', including all three aforementioned banks. And the standard Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance is capped at US$250,000 per depositor at each insured bank (SVB and Signature, Silvergate is not FDIC-insured), meaning Circle is currently unable to maintain their 100% reserve for the USD Coin. That explains the FUD behind USDC, which led to insane withdrawal requests and eventually the depegging of USDC.
On March 11, 2023, USDC spiralled down to as low as US$0.878874, equivalent to a 12% value loss. Over-collateralisation stablecoins that use USDC for collaterals experienced a similar depeg; in the cases of DAI and USDD, losses were on par with USDC.
DAI chart. Source: CoinGecko
USDD chart. Source: CoinGecko
• Increase USDC-DAI swap fees to 1% (to avoid USDC dumping and a further USDC depegging)
• Reduce daily mint limit for USDC deposits by 74% (from 950 million DAI to 250 million DAI)
• Reduce daily mint limit for GUSD deposits by 80% (from 50 million DAI to 10 million DAI)
• Increase daily mint limit for USDP deposits by 500% (from 50 million DAI to 250 million DAI)
• Reduce USDC-DAI swap fees to 0%
Why was GUSD caught up in this bloodbath, you may ask? Check out our Annual Briefing here, where we examine the volatility of GUSD, together with other stablecoins. In no way linked to either USDC, DAI or USDD, but GUSD became risky after it lost its peg on March 11 and seems to continue to go down.
GUSD chart. Source: CoinGecko
The way out? FDIC is intervening with the creation of the Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara (DINB), through which insured depositors can access their full deposits by today (March 13, 2023), and uninsured depositors can receive ‘an advance dividend' within the week from March 13 to March 18. Anyone who has more than US$250,000 stuck at SVB should contact FDIC for direct support.
Secured depositors of Signature Bank will also be protected by the FDIC, however, unsecured depositors have to wait for further information from authorities regarding their funds. The Federal Reserve is having an emergency meeting later today to discuss the fallout of SVB, which should impact multiple startups and entrepreneurs who put most (if not all) of their raised funds into SVB.
The Latest Bitget News
Bitget has fully integrated TradingView on our platform to make trading even more convenient for our users. Check out the guide here: How To Use TradingView To Trade Crypto On Bitget. We are also featured on Yahoo here: Bitget Integrates with TradingView For Crypto Derivatives Trading.
Looking for new earning schemes? You have come to the right place: VELO1 is the new Launchpool with a 65% APY and SMART with 60% APY. Both are open for staking at the moment, and two new ones will be available soon. Simply head to Bitget Launchpool and click on Remind Me to make sure you do not miss the chance!
In relation to the incident with USDC, we are currently suspending USDC deposits on several chains to ensure a safe trading environment. USDCUSDT trading pair is added to our USDT-Ⓜ Futures so that our users can take advantage of the situation at any time!
Simply create an account, and start exploring the incredible Bitget-Verse today!

domain: economics


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The word Bronco R has many emotions attached to it as it marks the historic Baja 1000 win from 1969. Manufactured by Ford, the Bronco R model ruled the off-road motorsport race Baja 1000. It left the market in 1996, but it always had a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts who loved it. But the good news is that the beast is ready to hit the market again, Ford announced the Bronco’s eventual return at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit back in 2017, and the announcement was made that the model will again hit the race track within two years. Now the model is ready to be launched making the 50th anniversary of Bronco R Baja 1000 win more special.
It will inherit its features from Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, and many competent off-roaders, and would prove to be a real champion on the toughest terrain. Some of the features that catch your attention on the first glance are like solid front and rear axles and an “Air Roof.”
It has been hinted many times that the final look inspiration for 2020 Ford Bronco comes from Ford’s Brazilian Troller, which you can easily make out when you have a look at its shape. A tapered roof and a spare wheel mounted out back leave you to dumbfound. Now talking about what’s new under its hood, it is expected that it will be powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, which produces 270 horsepower (201 kilowatts) and 310 pound-feet (420 Newton-meters) of torque in the Ranger, paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The newly added feature which adds to the curiosity of Bronco lovers is the reports of it having possibly a removable hardtop and doors. Ford is planning to target the jeep market also apart from it being designed as an all-terrain vehicle. The approximate cost of 2020 Ford Bronco R can be estimated as $30,000 in the United States, and it is likely to debut in spring of 2020.
Driving the 2020 Bronco R would be an excellent treat for ATV lovers, and everyone is hoping that this new model will follow the footstep of it’s and would be able to earn the same fame as the old Bronco did.


The PSA Group revealed electric versions of the Citroen Relay and Peugeot Boxer vans at the CV Show, having made a commitment to offer plug-in hybrid or electric versions of all new vehicles starting in 2019, with electrified variants of each model to be available by 2025.
The large vans are built at the Sevel factory in Val di Sangro, Italy and converted by partner BD Auto. The models on the stand in Birmingham were H1L1 panel vans.
Martin Guerney, PSA director of Fleet and Used Vehicles, said the launch of the electric vans fills what would have been a missing link in the brands’ line-ups with rivals, such as Renault, VW and Iveco entering the market for large plug-in vans.
He said the Relay Electric and Boxer Electric chassis could provide the bases for conversion bodies and claimed they offer payloads of more than 1,200kg, compared with just over 1,400kg for equivalent diesel vans.
Guerney said the large plug-in models would go on sale before the end of 2019 with electric derivatives of the Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert to appear next year.
He claimed sales of the conventional diesel variants of the medium vans had grown 15% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2019 in a market up 8% overall.
Making their first appearances at the CV Show were the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Partner, winners of both the What Van? LCV of the Year and the International Van of the Year prizes alongside stablemate the Vauxhall Combo.
PSA will stop producing the 1.6-litre Euro 6.1 versions of the vans at the end of May to complete the transition to the Euro 6.2 1.5-litre diesel.
Helen Lees, PSA’s head of Electric Vehicles, Connected Services and B2B Communications, said when it comes to LCVs, Citroen and Peugeot are focusing on electric rather than hybrid solutions.
“PSA believes electric is better suited to commercial vehicle customers, it has a guaranteed environmental benefit,” she said.
Lees added the Relay and Boxer Electrics will have a range of 169 miles in long-wheelbase form and 141 miles in short-wheelbase due to the difference in their respective battery packs.
She explained that while there is a “trade-off” when it comes to payload for the EVs, load volume is not affected unless you want to store a spare wheel underneath the van where the battery is fitted. If a spare wheel is required, it has to go inside the load box.
Lees said Peugeot had now supplied 160 Partner Electric vans to the Royal Mail, with the 100 delivered last year complemented by a further 60 in the first quarter of 2019.
When encouraging the adoption of electric vans, she stressed the importance of fleets trialling the vehicles to ensure they are compatible with their operations.
“The worst thing we can do is sell EVs to people they’re not suitable for,” she said.
Lees said PSA’s long-term plan is to bring the development of battery technology in-house for greater flexibility and told What Van? an announcement would be made on this next year. Currently the batteries for the Berlingo and Partner Electric vans are produced with Mitsubishi.
Lees said the goal is to drive down the cost of electric vans until their take-up is not dependent upon government grants and emission-charging fees.
“With ULEZ it becomes a financial no-brainer in London,” she said, before adding:
“We need electric vans to work outside of congestion charging zones in terms of cost.”


Year 6 had a fabulous visit to the New Wear Crossing this week. The new structure looks brilliant and will be finished for Spring 2018. Watch the local press for a fun name the bridge competition coming soon. They were amazed at how many jobs this is going to create for the City.
Home New Wear Crossing