text:
On Saturday, February 11, coinciding with the 33rd anniversary of the anti-Monarchial Revolution in Iran, in a great gathering in Paris, thousands of Iranians, while being supported by a number of prominent European and American dignitaries, reminded that a major development is on the way in Iran and a democratic change, as a solution to avoid an unprecedented regional and international crisis, is at hand.
Speakers to this meeting, presided over by the President of the Norwegian committee of Friends of a Free Iran Lars Rise, included: Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance; Philippe Douste-Blazy, the UN Deputy Secretary-General and former French Foreign Minister; Bill Richardson, former Ambassador to the United Nations and Governor of New Mexico (2003-2011); Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff (2001-2006); Ed Rendell, former Governor of Pensilvania and former leader of the U.S. Democratic Party; Spencer Abraham, former U.S. Energy Secretary under Bush Administration; Ambassador Phillip Crawley, the U.S. State Department spokesman (2009-2011); Robert Josef, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; John Bruton, former Prime Minister of Ireland and former Ambassador of European Union to the U.S.; General David Phillips, Commander of U.S. Military Police (2008-2011) and the commander in charge of Ashraf residents’ safety and security; John Sano, former National Clandestine Service’s Deputy President and member of directorate of U.S. Central Intelligence Agency; emille Blessig and Jean-Pierre Brard, members of French National Assembly; Jean-François Le Garrett, mayor of Paris 1st District; Aude De Thuin, Founder and president of Women’s Economical and Social Forum; André Glucksmann, a member of New France Philosophers; Nontombi Tutu, human rights activist and daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Maryam Rajavi speech on the anniversary of the revolution of Iran
Dear Friends and Compatriots,
Before I start, I would like to salute our brother nation of Syria and the courageous and proud protesters there. I salute the heroic and bloodied city of Homs, a bastion of honor and perseverance against the murderous and cruel dictatorship in Syria.
Let us rise for a moment and applaud the Syrian people for their perseverance and glorious struggle.
The eleven-month-long struggle of our Syrian sisters and brothers has become an inspirational model for all the peoples of the region. The formation of units of the Syrian liberation army in various parts of the country speaks to their unwavering determination to achieve freedom.
This shining struggle has turned 2012 into a turning point in the contemporary history of the Middle East because it has targeted the coalition of dictators and religious fascists throughout the region.
It is a complete nightmare for Khamenei and his allies. That is why they are directly participating in the killing of the arisen people of Syria. The entire nation of Iran resents this despicable act.
The religious fascism ruling Iran officially welcomed the shameful decision by Russia and China to veto the UN Security Council resolution condemning the Bashar Assad regime. And, it is actively participating in the killing of the Syrian people through its Qods forces.
On behalf of the Iranian people and Resistance, we condemn Khamenei’s participation in crimes against humanity being committed in Syria, and underscore the need for urgent and practical measures by the international community to protect the defenseless people of Syria.
We must once again ask, what has become of the principle of Responsibility to Protect? What has happened to the international responsibility to protect? Where is the United Nations?
This is a cry that resonates from the cities of Syria to Ashraf to cities and prisons across my homeland, and it must be heard. The world community must fulfill its responsibility to protect the victims of massacres and arbitrary killings at the hands of fascists and dictators.
I would like to tell my sisters and brothers in Syria that we stand with you. We consider your martyrs as our own beloved martyrs. We share in your grief and suffering with every fiber of our being. Your victory would be our victory.
Yes, we tell them that we consider your martyrs as our own beloved martyrs. We share in your grief and suffering with every fiber of our being. Your victory would be our victory.
Dictators have, of course, no other reaction but brutality and shedding of blood when confronted with Homs and Ashraf.
But we tell them that it is Homs and it is Ashraf that will transform the image of the Middle East by advancing freedom and democracy.
Today, February 11, marks the anniversary of a revolution that brought down another dictatorship 33 years ago; a revolution for freedom that inspired solidarity and hope. But an evil being called Khomeini usurped the leadership of the revolution and engaged in suppression and elimination of freedoms to maintain his grip on power.
At the time, we strongly stood against the establishment of an absolute dictatorship under the guise of Islam and we refused to vote for the clerical regime’s reactionary constitution.
We said then and still maintain today that the Iranian people seek free elections and the establishment of a government based on the vote of all members of society, and not another despotic rule.
The constitution that the Iranian people desired and seek today is based on freedom and popular sovereignty and not the rule of the velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule), whose conduct we have witnessed throughout the last 33 years.
Khomeini, however, imposed his reactionary constitution on the Iranian people in those days.
Nonetheless, we tried to participate in the political process to guide the Khomeini regime towards a path of reform.
Millions of Iranians, members of ethnic groups across Iran, followers of various religions, different political groups and parties, and especially women and youth who backed Massoud Rajavi’s candidacy in the first presidential elections, lent their support to the resistance movement in this arduous and lengthy struggle.
Many still recall Massoud Rajavi’s lectures in Tehran’s University of Technology. His philosophical lectures sought to introduce the truth about a tolerant and democratic Islam while unmasking Khomeini’s reactionary interpretation of Islam. Those lectures, attended by tens of thousands of people, formed a new cultural and intellectual alternative that challenged the totalitarian regime and represented an antithesis to Khomeini’s fundamentalism. Indeed, they laid the foundations for a movement out of which emerged the largest resistance against the monstrous religious tyranny in Iran.
On the opposing end, Khomeini clearly saw the elimination of his power in a democratic environment. He ordered the mass murder of peaceful protesters in Tehran and heralded an era of countless executions, sinking the Iranian revolution in blood and extremism.
He started with domestic suppression and proceeded to set the stage for a destructive war with Iraq, sending a million Iranians to their deaths. And by the time he drank “the chalice of poison” by accepting the ceasefire, he immediately filled the void left by war with the export of terrorism. The mullahs’ attempts to export terrorism signify a war against the international community and the people of the region from Afghanistan to Iraq to Syria and to Lebanon, one which continues to this day.
Last week, Khamenei confessed that it was with the regime’s support that Lebanon’s Hezbollah was created and has continued to survive through the years.
Therefore, this regime’s history proves that warmongering and terrorism are part and parcel of its evil nature and that it can never abandon them.
Another chapter of this regime’s history was the charade of reformism, initiated once as economic moderation, then as political reform, and later in a feigning support for the Iranian people’s uprising.
But these false reformists have never stopped pledging allegiance to the velayat-e faqih constitution, supporting its nuclear program, or defending the regime’s survival in its entirety.
When the regime’s sham reformism was defeated, Khamenei invented the ultra-reactionary project of “principlism” to draw the battle lines against the Resistance and extensive popular uprisings.
He then appointed Ahmadinejad to execute this plan. The “principlism” project sought to find a way out of the impasse for the regime by engaging in international adventurism and distributing money among the regime’s revolutionary guards and Bassij paramilitary forces. He wanted to break the impasse, but he has failed.
Indeed, both the false reformism and the fascist initiative of “principlism” have been defeated. On the opposing side, it has been the democratic alternative to the clerical regime and the religious fascism ruling Iran that has been elevated more than ever before, continuing to take triumphant strides.
Allow me now to use this opportunity to offer a cursory and simple glimpse at the regime’s record:
On the one hand, the execution of 120,000 political dissidents, including the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988, and the catastrophic suppression of women, youth and oppressed ethnic groups and followers of various religions.
On the other hand, the regime has destroyed a vast segment of the middle class and decimated the private sector; At least 40 million people have fallen below the poverty line, the unemployment rate stands at 35 percent, inflation rate is 40 percent, and the national currency is in a free fall. Despite all this, the regime has increased its military budget by 127 percent for the upcoming year in the Iranian calendar.
The record of the clerical regime is ridden with defeats and impasses. But their biggest defeat has been their inability to destroy Iran’s organized resistance.
Yes, the alternative that presents the solution for the future of Iran has over these years passed through the fires of massacres and frightening plots, and now represents the Iranian people’s main asset for achieving freedom.
That is why Ashraf has extraordinary significance both for the Iranian people and the peoples of the Middle East, and also on the opposing front for the velayat-e faqih regime. This is because Ashraf is the inspiration and symbol for freedom; because it has hoisted the flag for the overthrow of the regime and democratic change in Iran during the darkest and the most arduous of circumstances.
A review of the past three decades reveals four fundamental mistakes committed by the West:
First, it wrongly took the regime’s terrorism to be a sign of the mullahs’ power.
Second, it was unaware of the extent of the Iranian people’s hatred towards the ruling mullahs, a resentment that has erupted and has been manifested in recent times in dozens of large uprisings.
Third, it failed to recognize the regime’s inherent weakness and its urgent need for a nuclear weapon in order to avoid being overthrown. This was to the extent that Western governments offered carrots and incentives for years in the hopes of curbing the regime’s nuclear threat.
And fourth, it engaged in a futile search for a moderate faction among mullahs whose regime would implode without relying on velayat-e faqih, suppression, terrorism and the nuclear program.
The important question now becomes: what and where is the main source of such blatant mistakes? And why did Western governments continue to commit these mistakes for years, refusing to believe that their analyses, their outlook and their conducts are all wrong?
The answer is that when it comes to the main issue in Iran’s developments, which is the solution to the situation, they have adopted an erroneous approach, so much so that they participated in the suppression of the Iranian people’s resistance movement for the benefit of the mullahs’ regime. It is regrettable. And how has it done so? By bombing Ashraf in 2003; by attacking the offices of the National Council of Resistance in France in the same year; by transferring the security of Ashraf to the Iraqi government, and by illegally designating the PMOI as a terrorist organization in Europe and the United States.
All the while, the dynamic of the developments of the past three decades has been and still continues to be determined by the struggle to find the right solution. This is while nothing has given a freer hand to the ruling religious fascism and dictatorship more than striking at and impeding the work this Resistance.
Therefore, the history of the past three decades should teach Western governments that:
Averting the regime’s terrorism has only one answer and that is to open the way for the Iranian people’s organized resistance as a solution.
To impede this regime’s infiltration and hegemonic ambitions in the region, one must support this solution, period.
The prevention of this regime from acquiring a nuclear weapon has only one solution and that is to respect the will of the Iranian people for overthrowing the velayat-e faqih regime.
Therefore, allow me to stress that keeping the illegal and unjustified terrorist designation of the PMOI for the past 15 years by the US State Department has been a fundamental mistake. But its continuation in the current circumstances is a mistake which is a hundred times worse.
Yes, keeping the illegal and unjustified terrorist designation of the PMOI for the past 15 years by the US State Department has been a fundamental mistake. But its continuation in the current circumstances is a mistake which is a hundred times worse.
The transfer of the protection of Ashraf residents to the Iraqi government was a huge mistake. But failing to resist Khamenei’s pressures for destroying Ashraf and its residents today is hundreds of times more dangerous.
Everyone is aware that the Iranian Resistance and the residents of Ashraf have thus far exhibited utmost flexibility to advance the peaceful solution.
They have accepted to sacrifice many of their rights in addition to foregoing their right to reside in Iraq, where they have been for the past 25 years, as well as willing to leave the city which they have built on their own.
But, their explicit request, which is to receive the minimum assurances at the new camp, to ensure the safety and dignity of these freedom fighters, especially the women, is an imperative which must be responded to.
There should not be a police station within the camp parameters. The private sphere and property rights of Ashraf residents should be respected. And their freedom of movement should be recognized. Or at least sufficient space should be provided to them so that they can prepare the circumstances appropriately with the least and minimum requirements.
Nevertheless, 400 residents of Ashraf have upon my request accepted to be transferred to the new camp, Camp Liberty, with their vehicles and belongings, as a sign of good will. But, they have emphasized that unless the minimum assurances are given, none of the others will go to Liberty.
You are aware that the United Nations and the Iraqi government signed a Memorandum of Understanding on December 25 without the knowledge and participation of the representatives of Asharf residents.
On January 31, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative announced the readiness of Liberty, the new camp, for the transfer of the residents. But, it then emerged that neither the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) nor the World Health Organization has confirmed that the camp meets human rights and humanitarian standards.
In addition, only one seventh of the new camp is ready and not the entire space.
At the same time, the Iraqi government has repeatedly violated the terms of the MOU, seeking to convert Liberty into a prison. In fact, they want to impose homelessness and forcible displacement on the residents of Asharf.
And in a statement issued on February 1, the UNHCR announced that the Iraqi government has over the past five months obstructed the start of the process of reconfirming the refugee status of people at Ashraf, thereby causing the process to be delayed.
This is while previously they claimed that it is me and the residents themselves who are impeding the work of the UNHCR.
And, by the way, why have they so far refused to respond to the offer and request of 23 U.S. generals and former senior officials to travel to Iraq and inspect Camp Liberty?
They had announced that in order to monitor the first phase of the relocation of Ashraf residents, they stand ready to go there and monitor the situation. So, what explains the silence?
Here I also have to point to the statements by 150,000 lawyers and jurists in Europe, the U.S. and the Middle East, which explicitly demand the UNHCR to insist on its request regarding the voluntary nature of any relocation as well as the freedom of movement within the new camp.
Allow me to once again emphasize that anyone who is sincere about wanting to prevent the failure of the peaceful solution and to avoid another massacre at Ashraf or Liberty, must advocate for minimum assurances.
This responsibility lies with the UN, the EU and the U.S. They must respond to it.
And, moreover, anyone anywhere in the world who wants to confront the immediate threat of this regime must inevitably stand on the side of the residents of Ashraf, because Ashraf is neither a challenge nor an issue; it is the only solution in these critical circumstances. This Resistance is the key to solve the Iranian crisis and it is the key to confront the fascist dictatorship. And if the world wants to reach a logical answer to this crisis, it must inevitably focus on the Iranian Resistance and Ashraf residents.
Dear Friends and Compatriots,
33 years ago on February 11, the Iranian people experienced their immense power when they brought down a dictatorship that was armed to the teeth.
Without a doubt, they will once again display their immense power. But this time it will not only be manifested in defeating a religious fascism but also in building a free and democratic society.
This is a prospect guaranteed by the universe of martyrs: From Ashraf Rajavi and Moussa Khiabani and the martyrs of the PMOI on February 8, 1981 (the anniversary of which was three days ago), to the martyrs of “Ashraf Light” on April 8, 2011.
The result of all the sufferings and the immense blood that has been sacrificed in this period is the unanimous consensus of the Iranian people in favor of establishing a pluralistic republic based on separation of religion and state, gender equality, respect for individual rights, a nuclear-free Iran without the death penalty, and an Iran that will be a guarantor of peace and friendship in the entire region.
Indeed, this is the bright prospect that is before us.
Neither the dictatorship of Bashar Assad in Syria nor the dictatorship of Khamenei in Iran will last.
This is the will of both our peoples and it will triumph.
Yes, this is the will of our peoples and will certainly triumph. Freedom and democracy in Iran and in the region is within reach.
I thank you all.

domain: news


This is my version of a 3D printable case for the Badger 2040 W, a hackable, programmable badge with E-Ink® display powered by a Raspberry Pico W.
This badge is sold by Pimoroni: Badger 2040 W
The case has the following features:
- You can press the five buttons on the front and the two buttons on the back.
- Optionally, use magnets to make the case stick to magnetic surfaces (e.g. on a refrigerator). You can also use the magnets to attach other addons to the case. There are notches on the back to align the case with the add-on.
- The cutout for the display always looks good, even if the e-paper display is not always in the same place due to the production process.
- You can modify the case yourself because STEP files are included.
The case consists of a few plastic parts which are easily printable without support on any 3D printer. In addition to the plastic parts, you only need four 2 mm (pointed) screws with a length of 10 mm and optionally two magnets, each with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of 2 mm.
The magnets are available here: 10x2 mm Neodym Mini Magnets
A set with 2 mm screws, which you can also use for other projects, can be found here: 800 pieces of M2 screws
I provide the STL and STEP files for free. Head over to printables.com to download them.
Stick the display bezel onto the display with thin double-sided adhesive tape. A strip of tape on the short side where there are no buttons is sufficient (on the left side in this image).
If you want to use magnets, put one in each of the holes.
Bottom part with the badger on top
Screw the bottom and top halves of the housing together
If you don't want to wear the badge on a lanyard, you can close the hole for the clip with the filler piece.


text:
A year after throwing its weight behind a bold plan to corner the market for business software rentals, Oracle instead finds itself an also-ran.
Despite chief executive Larry Ellison's message a year ago that Oracle would not partner for software rentals--a route that rivals SAP and PeopleSoft had already taken--the giant slowly began opening up
its tightly held hosting strategy earlier this year, signaling an attitude adjustment.
Oracle's initial strategy "didn't make any sense," said Joshua Greenbaum, an analyst who heads Enterprise Applications Consulting. "They've taken a hit on credibility...and, in retrospect, they clearly made a mistake."
A former Oracle executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, takes it a step further. Business Online, Oracle's own application service provider (ASP) division, "is a meltdown. It's a fiasco."
The ASP market, though poised for huge success, is in flux. Companies in the hyped industry offer to host software and services for a fee so customers don't have to install and run applications themselves. Other players in the young market have not crystallized plans and are still struggling to increase customer adoption of the new model.
According to market researcher IDC, customers are expected to spend $7.8 billion on ASP services worldwide, a huge leap from $300 million in 1999.
Since the launch of Business Online, Redwood City, Calif.-based Oracle not only has shifted gears in its strategy by partnering with several ASPs, including Center 7 and Agilera, but has played musical chairs with top leadership.
Oracle appointed Timothy Chou as Business Online president last November. Former president Chris Russell, who held the role for about a year, abruptly vacated the spot shortly after Ellison's strong declaration.
Adapting to change
After a few months of silence on its application hosting strategy, Oracle recently embarked on an "educational" tour to update the press and analyst community on the progress of the division. The company that charged out of the gates a year ago with a bold message is now just another competitor in a growing field.
"The reason we made the most recent press tour is to bring analysts up-to-date on (our ASP) strategy because things have changed," said Don Haig, vice president for Business Online. "We don't pretend to have perfect foresight" in this evolving market, he said.
Some former Oracle employees have said that the transition has been rocky and that there has been some uncertainty in the direction of the unit.
And while analysts have said Oracle has had difficulty perfecting the Business Online formula, the company is realizing that the strategy shift was probably its smartest move.
Shifting gears on its initial strategy "hurt them a bit and created an impression that they didn't have their act together" in the ASP market, said Art Williams, an analyst at Giga Information Group.
"But they are finally figuring it out," Williams said. "They can't own the whole thing."
AMR Research analyst Dave Boulanger said that while the shift was a blow to credibility, Oracle knows it cannot tackle the ASP market alone.
"You had Larry (Ellison) a year ago saying 'over my dead body, Oracle will partner with other ASPs'...Now he's come 180 degrees," Boulanger said. Customers don't just want hosted Oracle applications, he added, but hosted Oracle financials coupled with Siebel sales force automation and other applications from different software makers strung together.
SAP and PeopleSoft have already partnered with other application hosting companies, like Corio and USinternetworking, to address this customer demand. Several analysts have said that the more hosting partners a software company teams with, the more avenues it has to sell its software as a service, which is one of the major goals.
Now that Oracle is opening its strategy to include a slew of hosting partners, along with systems integration partners and network communication partners, analysts say the giant is on the right path.
"They definitely had a rough start...But on the other hand, the market is very forgiving if at the end of the day (Oracle) can start showing some success," Greenbaum said. "There's so much demand in the market that a software maker like Oracle could succeed despite the start it had."
Oracle's Haig said about 100 companies are using the Business Online service, with the majority renting Oracle financial and manufacturing applications. Haig added that Oracle plans to continue adding partners to the program, especially hosting partners that focus on a niche market or on a particular market that Oracle does not typically target.
"Oracle gets it," said Giga's Williams. "They are on the right track."


This wireless thermostat has been developed to be able to switch electric and conventional heating systems on and off using a set temperature and time.
* Large display can be clearly read with the background lighting.
* Easy to fit thermostat and receiver.
* Five buttons make it easy to use.
* 4 periods of each day programmable
* The display shows the set temperature as well as the measured temperature, time.
* Temperature display in degrees Celsius.
* The wifi thermostat with remote sensor is supplied with a wall-fixing frame, base and a very compact receiver (surface-mounted).
>> Technical Data
Thermostat operating voltage: 2 x AA1.5 V, alkaline batteries.
Backup storage: EEPROM
Receiver operating voltage: 230 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Maximum voltage / (ohmic) load: 250 VAC/10 A.
Frequency: 868 MHz
Channel selection: By programming the thermostat and the receiver.
Switching options: 7day, 4 periods each day.
Receiver switch contacts: NO and NC.
Temperature settings: 5°C ~ 35°C, 0.5°C increments.
Accuracy: +/- 0.5°C
Thermostat dimensions: Surface mounted, 135mm x 87.5 mm x 23.2mm.
Receiver dimensions: Surface mounted, 86mm x 86 mm
IP protection rating: 20.
Certification: CE, Rohs, R&TTE
>> Display and Buttons
>> Wiring Diagram


text: Ever since Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique back in 1963, all of us have been told that women are discriminated against, oppressed, exploited, and abused by men. The barrage of accusations is intense, relentless, and seems to have neither beginning nor end. But are the charges true? Do women really have a worse time of it than men? This volume, one of the very few in any language, takes on these questions head on. Roaming far and wide, it examines many aspects of the problem as it has presented itself from the time of ancient Egypt right down to today’s most advanced Western societies. To anyone accustomed to the tsunami of feminist claims and complaints, the answers will come as a surprise.

domain: library


text:
For parents looking for the perfect lunch bag for their kids packed lunches we love Built NY. Built NY offers tons of different styles for kids of all ages, including adults!
Sarah loves the Big Apple Buddies Lunch Sack and Big Apple Buddies Sandwich & Snack Bags. The bag insulates food on the go for up to four hours (time varies depending on external temperatures).
The durable reusable bag helps cut down on waste with a velcro® closure secures sandwich or snacks in bag. Made with food-safe materials. The soft handle with buckle that unsnaps and attaches to backpacks, book bags or strollers.
Samantha loves the Gourmet Getaway. The nice size allows her to use reusable containers and keep her food organized.
For more information, visit www.Builtny.com.
*A product was provided.

domain: food


text:
Telkwa will be looking at how to improve trails at a public meeting tonight focused on the mobility of elderly in the community.
Liliana Dragowska, a contractor for the Village on the project says it will give them an idea on how to allocate some grant dollars.
“What are potential improvements from an accessibility perspective. what ar the difficulties for people that are ageing, women with strollers…things like that.”
An estimate shows 7 per cent of Telkwa’s population are considered senior citizens.
The meeting will be at 630 tonight at the Telkwa reading centre.

domain: sociology


text:
(Closed) Entry-Level Associate Trademark Attorney Wanted
Update: This position has been filled. Small trademark law firm and legal startup with one founding partner and one associate attorney based in DUMBO, Brooklyn looking for its second full-time associate attorney, primarily to handle federal trademark clearance search, filing, and prosecution work. Position is ideal for a 2018 or 2017 law school graduate.
About this job:
● $60,000 base pay, up to $70,000 if candidate has significant trademark law experience, plus substantial bonus based on individual performance and the growth of the firm.
● Good health insurance and paid leave.
● Excellent remote working opportunities and flexible, reasonable hours. No billable hour requirement.
● Associate will have their own private office in a large, beautiful loft space in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Friendly, hypoallergenic cat in the office about one day a week. Surrounding neighborhood is beautiful and the office is about two blocks from DUMBO’s riverside parks.
● Completely casual dress code.
● High upward mobility at a rapidly growing firm. Great for somebody with an interest in tech startups.
● After initial training, will be given substantial work very early on. The work will be interesting, as our clients operate in a variety of industries.
● Pro bono work for socialist, anti-white supremacy, feminist, LGBTQ, pro-immigrant, and other leftist causes is encouraged, but not required.
About the firm:
● JPG Legal is a trademark law firm and legal startup that primarily serves entrepreneurs and small businesses who find and hire JPG Legal online. The firm has experienced rapid growth over the last year, and now needs to hire its second full-time associate attorney, just four months after hiring the first.
● DUMBO, Brooklyn at 68 Jay Street, Suite 612. Two blocks from the York Street F train stop, ten-minute walk from the High Street/Brooklyn Bridge A and C train stop. The building has elevators and ramps, but is probably not fully ADA-compliant.
● Must be licensed as an attorney in New York or have passed the appropriate bar exam and filed the all of the necessary character and fitness paperwork in order to be sworn in. Please do not apply if this is not the case. We cannot accept candidates who are licensed in another state with plans to apply for admission on motion in New York, nor can we accept candidates who have passed the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), but have not submitted everything necessary to be sworn in.
● Trademark experience or demonstrated interest in intellectual property law strongly preferred.
● To apply, please upload resume, cover letter, references, and unofficial transcript below. We will start conducting candidate interviews in early January. We apologize in advance if we don’t end up contacting you about the position.
● If you applied for our previous Associate position listing a few months ago, you will not be penalized for submitting the same cover letter.
Have questions? Contact Jeremy at (202) 838-7574 or firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: law


Learners examine pictorial drawings used in engineering including sectioned and exploded drawings. A sketching quiz is provided to help the learner create simple pictorial sketches by using orthographic views and an isometric template.
Learners examine the drawing symbols used for counterbore, countersink, spotface, radius, diameter, and depth. In the quiz that completes the activity, they associate these symbols with machining applications.
Learners examine the use of the tolerances displayed in a title block by calculating the minimum and maximum allowable size of a fabricated part. In a brief quiz, students determine whether a part is usable or should be scrapped.
In this interactive and animated object, learners examine orthographic projection and the Glass Box Theory. Front, side, and top view development is demonstrated with pictorial views of each object to help develop 2D to 3D visualization skills.
In this screencast, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing: The Feature Control Frame, learners examine geometric characteristic symbols, tolerances, datum feature symbols, and other control frame information.
In this interactive object, learners examine sectional views used in engineering drawings. The sections shown are full, half, offset, aligned, revolved, and broken-out. Learners match drawings of sectional views with the names of the views.


text:
The New York Yankees head into 2023 as favorites to win the AL East and the second-biggest favorites to win the World Series. Yes, expectations are high for this team, but that’s nothing new. When a brand as iconic as the Yankees fails to meet its lofty season goals, fans get mad. Despite consistently being an above-average team, solid regular season win totals aren’t enough to satiate folks in the Bronx these days. No, those people, much like Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans, demand perfection in every aspect of the game, day in, and day out.
Rodón is aware of that — and likely endeared himself to the fanbase in an interview with NJ Advance Media’s Bob Klapisch.
In the interview, Rodón said, “The fans [in New York] want to win. They care. They care a lot.” He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play for a fanbase that would hold him accountable when he plays poorly, unlike the teams he’s been on before. “Giants fans are invested, but not like in New York,” claimed Rodón. “Win or lose, you’re not going to get booed in San Francisco.
“There was just something about the Yankees,” he added.
The way Rodón frames this statement makes it sound like he’s calling Yankees’ fans a superior fanbase, and from the responses I’ve seen from Yankees fans online, the fans are proud to be thought of in such a light.
Here’s the thing though. I don’t blame them. The Yankees have a reputation for winning. They have a reputation for spending big. They have a reputation for winning by spending big. Spending big is supposed to lead to winning. If that doesn’t happen, I’d be pissed too. I’m not a Yankees fan, but the expectations that come with earning a huge contract will lead to a litany of jeers and boos no matter where you go.
Everyone knows the Oakland A’s don’t like to spend money. Well, there have been times when they’ve circumvented that expectation. The most notable example in recent memory came in 2009, when the A’s blew everyone’s mind by trading for Colorado slugger Matt Holliday. The A’s owed Holliday $13.5 million that year, the highest of anyone on their payroll and more than double the salary of the third-highest-paid player on the team.
Now, if you think back on Holliday’s short time in Oakland, most people consider it a failure. People say he “struggled mightily” with the A’s. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with his swing. He wasn’t living up to his salary. Now, with those statements in mind, what do you think Holliday’s numbers with the A’s were? How horrendous could they possibly be?
The truth is, they weren’t. Sure, they weren’t the numbers that Holliday had become known for but in 93 games with Oakland, Holliday still smashed eleven home runs, drove in 54 runs, and had a triple-slash of .286/.378/.454, good for a .831 OPS and 120 OPS-plus. In a ballpark as spacious as Oakland’s, those are all very solid numbers. For the entirety of the 2009 season, Holliday still finished tied for fourth on the A’s in WAR for the season, tied for third in home runs, and led the team in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. He was definitely more successful in Oakland than people realize.
Fans in San Fran are passionate, too
For Rodón to say the fans in San Francisco weren’t as invested as he wanted seems a bit disrespectful. Sure, the Giants had just come off a 107-win season, posting the best record in all of MLB, but even the most diehard Giants’ fans were aware that season was magic, and most likely wouldn’t be repeated, especially with the absence of Buster Posey and Kevin Gausman as well as injuries to guys like Anthony DeSclafani. Also, no one expected Brandon Crawford to repeat his career 2021 season at the age of 34.
Sure, Rodón was being paid the most of any player on the team, but he not only reached the expectations he carried, but exceeded them, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting. Yeah, the team may not have reached 100 wins again, but why would you expect them to boo you for doing a damn good job on the mound?
Concerning his time in San Francisco, retired southpaw Barry Zito wrote in his book “In the bad games, I was booed much more aggressively than even during my worst games in Oakland. Although I had some great years across the Bay, I had zero credibility with San Francisco fans and had to earn every cheer.”
This was before the Giants had won any of their post-2000 World Series titles. The reputation for winning was not there yet, and still, the expectations and price attached to Zito led to a much greater reaction from Giants’ fans. And that’s to be expected. Even Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow admitted that Rodón’s comments were partially true, claiming that while East coast teams treat their players like children, San Francisco treats them like grandchildren. That doesn’t mean the love and investment aren’t there, it’s just offered in a different way, and I wholeheartedly believe money spent plays a big role in that.
Let me put it this way. If you’re running a company, are you going to be more upset about the small section of said company that isn’t performing at the level you like, or the big section you just dumped a bunch of money into that is now costing you thousands of dollars? Odds are, the latter. The more you invest in something, the deeper your reality is ingrained in it, and nobody likes investing more in their team than the New York Yankees (historically speaking; the Mets have taken hold of that distinction recently).
Yes, Rodón, Yankees fans are going to be more invested in your success than Giants fans were. This fandom expects to win and they haven’t done so in years. They’re angry, and you’re supposed to be the guy to push them over the edge. Even though they’re expected to win the AL East, that won’t be good enough. Unlike in San Francisco, where you were only supposed to replace Gausman, you are now expected to be worth the money the Yankees gave you — aka the fourth-most for any American League pitcher, and one of the three ahead of you is Shohei Ohtani. Obviously, fans are going to be more invested. Don’t pretend the money and reputation aren’t the reasons why.

domain: sports


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Mon 1 Jan 0001 - Wed 31 Mar 2021
Since lockdown began, Found Fiction have brought virtual workshops, digital events, email campaigns and more to their audiences. Now, they are exploring the world of audio by launching a brand new podcast Look Closer: The Found Fiction Podcast.
Every edition of Look Closer is a search for inspiration – literally. Found Fiction’s Steve Clarkson will be joined by a special guest on a creative adventure around their neighbourhood to find material for stories, poems and songs. Along the way they’ll discuss creative processes, habits and learnings.
You'll be surprised how much is going on in our virtual theatre - plays, opera, festivals, musicals - don't miss out!

domain: literature


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Ruger, born Adebayo Michael in 1999, is a young and vibrant, Nigerian singer/songwriter on the rise. He is the lone child of an aristocratic family from Lagos State in Nigeria. The Yoruba-born star is currently contracted to D’Prince’s Jonzing World Records.
Ruger grew up enjoying music as a vocalist in a local church choir and a part of his school’s band and cites Bob Marley, Rihanna, Boyz II Men, Beyonce, R. Kelly, and 2Baba as influences of his sweet melodic vibes.
He began creating songs and performing them at high school functions and neighbourhood performances. With the generous support of his family, Ruger was able to pursue a career in music.
He made his debut in the scene and quickly rose to prominence after signing a deal with Jonzing World Record, which is associated with Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records, on the 18th of January, 2020, as well as in cooperation with Sony Music West Africa and Columbia Records in managing the emerging talent.
On the 20th of January 2020, Ruger came up with his debut release ‘’One Shirt’’ featuring D’Prince and Rema. Following his big break in the Nigerian music industry, the Afrobeat sensation has also made successful hit releases, including his self-named single ‘’Ruger’’.
With his first solo extended play project “PANDEMIC “, released on March 12, 2021, incorporated with melodic tunes such as “Bounce “,” Abu Dhabi “,” Bow “,” Monalisa “,” and “Yekpa “,” Ruger is debuting as one of the best to watch in the music world with high hopes of satisfying his fans in his own unique way.

domain: celebrity


text:
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domain: finance


Skip to comments.Toyota Will Shut Down All Of Its North American Factories Due To Shortages In Japan
Posted on 04/04/2011 12:48:28 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Toyota just announced it will shut down all of its North American factories due to shortages of parts from Japan.
This is a temporary shutdown, which will affect about 25,000 workers. The length of the shutdown is unknown and depends on how fast Japanese parts factories can get back in operation, spokesman Mike Gross told the AP.
Toyota gets about 15 percent of its parts from Japan.
Last month GM's Shreveport plant was shutdown temporarily due to troubles in Japan.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Wonder if this is why Obama seemed indifferent to what’s going on in Japan? Hoping that the disaster would disrupt more US jobs.
Can’t get the parts from China like everyone else?
Wouldn’t make sense to manufacture the parts in the US if they are used here? Japan will never make up what they have lost. Sounds logical to me, from a business stand point.....just sayin.
Watch the stock market go up on the news. Watch the “official” unemployment rate go down after all of Toyota’s hourly employees are furloughed indefinitely.
All news is false. It is 1984.
“Wouldnt make sense to manufacture the parts in the US if they are used here? Japan will never make up what they have lost. Sounds logical to me, from a business stand point.....just sayin.”
Japan is a backwards nation. They still think that it’s WAY better keep some manufacturing jobs at home!
It's future in an Obama world of freshly developed hell on earth, kiss low cost manufacturing good bye.
“Wouldnt make sense to manufacture the parts in the US...”
Liken it to a restaraunt where every meal ordered generates orders for (1) each, of a chicken breast, teaspoon of butter, potato, loaf of bread, plate, knife fork &spoon, and napkin. The suppliers to the restaraunt have seven minutes to get it delivered to the door of the kitchen. Your meal is to be served in ten minutes, and paid for in one hour.
With the more and more Americans out of work, and the price of oil, thus the price of shipping, climbing, that may no longer be the case.
Do you think a Japanese non union worker makes significantly less than the American counterpart?
“Cant get the parts from China like everyone else?”
You can bet that is being ramped up now.
I would rather push a Toyota than ride in a government union motors, so whatever color is available will do..
So where are the Libyan rebels going to get their trucks from now?
you’d think they cover with all the counterfeits out there.
My bet is on Vietnam, South Korea if the idiot to the north drops dead, Maylasia, and the Phillipines.
Made in china put in japanese boxes in japan.
Is it more expensive to manufacture here or go out of business because of mother nature. Most good companies plan for “what if”.
Lots of the auto industry will be impacted by the event in Japan. A lot of parts for the automobile may come from that area and will be disrupted for some time.
From an article a few days ago:
As Japan shutdowns drag on, auto crisis worsens...
Car buyers will soon see higher prices and fewer choices. Some car colors will be harder to get because a paint pigment factory in Japan was damaged and shut production. As a result, Ford is telling dealers to stop ordering “tuxedo black” models of its F-150 pickup and Expedition and Navigator SUVs. It’s also shifting away from some reds. The moves are precautionary, Ford said. Chrysler has stopped taking orders for vehicles in 10 paint colors.
Companies will shut down plants as soon as some parts start running out, which could start happening in the next four to six weeks, he said. “You will see it happen almost daily.”
IHS Automotive predicts that one-third of daily global automotive production will be cut. That means about 5 million vehicles worldwide won’t be built, out of the 72 million vehicles planned for production in 2011.
Although most Japanese auto parts makers are not located in the areas that were inundated by the tsunami, between quake damage, electricity outages and water cutoffs, many factories in the region remain paralyzed.
Suppliers could be running again in April, but it could take until May or June for the entire supply base to be back.
Most companies back in the late 80s and early 90s moved to just in time delivery. The ability to reduce costs by eliminating inventory was a huge, huge profit maker. So, yes, if something disturbs the supply chain, it can disturb the production cycle.
Just in time works, it is almost always effective, except in a once in a hundred year natural disaster like this.
Things will no doubt be back to normal in a few weeks, but in the meantime there are newspapers to sell.


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Prison officials have contained a riot that erupted at Lebanon’s largest prison late Tuesday.
Commenting on events at Roumieh prison, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Tuesday the brief unrest at the prison was sparked by a protest over officers tallying the number of Islamist prisoners held at the detention facility.
“During the counting of Islamist prisoners at Roumieh prison, they expressed dismay at the census which resulted in some form of chaos,” Charbel told a local radio station.
Islamist inmates have repeatedly rioted at Roumieh and demanded speedy trials.
Lebanon’s prosecutor Hatem Madi announced Saturday that the long-awaited trials for dozens of suspected Fatah al-Islam members would begin in February of this year.
Madi attributed the delay in commencing the trials to the completion of the courtroom at Roumieh.
He told The Daily Star Saturday that there are 480 individuals suspected of involvement in the 2007 battle with the Lebanese Army in the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared. Of those, around 200 are awaiting trial in Roumieh, according to Madi. Others are wanted, or have died or escaped from the prison.


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Sex & Relationships
From relationship goals to sex advice: if it's about sex or relationships, share it here.
Oral sex with your SO?
I read that some women don't give their partner bj's at all, I found it weird that for some couples it's a one-way street. I know some girls find it really gross, while others seem to enjoy giving their SO bj's, and some start off not doing it and ending up liking it.
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In a prepared statement delivered on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon, Sen. Chuck Grassley assured FBI employees they were safe to come forward to Congress to reveal problems within the bureau without retribution.
Unnamed FBI employees said they wanted to be subpoenaed before going to Congress about issues they saw on the job, because they feared backlash if they spoke out without being legally compelled to do so, according to a story published by The Daily Caller earlier this week. Grassley pointed out that federal law prohibits FBI higher-ups from firing or punishing employees who disclose information to Congress.
“Congress has the power of the purse, and the bureaucrats need to understand that funding for their salaries comes with strings attached,” Grassley said. “You can’t prevent federal employees from talking directly to Congress. Period. Don’t even try.”
“If unelected bureaucrats have so much contempt for an employee who voluntarily informs the people’s elected representatives of facts necessary to do oversight, then we still have a lot of work to do,” he added. “That kind of thinking is dangerous, and totally contrary to law.”
Grassley sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is currently embroiled in a battle with the Department of Justice over information pertaining to the ongoing, year-old investigation into President Trump and his campaign associates, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
“No FBI agent or other government employee should be afraid to cooperate with Congress or the Inspector General,” Grassley said. “Any FBI agent who has information to provide or questions about their rights to provide it should not hesitate to reach out and ask.”


Hundreds if not thousands of leading corporations have created chief customer officer (CCO) positions in recent years to help them become more customer-centric. Now US federal government agencies are toying with the idea of adding CCO positions and four have already taken the plunge. In my first Forrester podcast, I spoke with hosts Sam Stern and Deanna Laufer about how federal CCOs can help achieve their agencies' missions and dispeled common objections to creating federal CCO positions. For more of my federal CCO research, check out my Executive Q&A: Federal Chief Customer Officers report on forrester.com or my blog post on the subjectRead more
Earlier this year, I spoke with Kathleen Cattrall, interim chief experience officer at VCA Animal Hospitals about the company’s customer experience transformation efforts. VCA is a publicly traded company (fittingly, its NASDAQ ticker symbol is WOOF) that owns and operates more than 600 pet hospitals in the US and Canada. Its work to create more customer-centric hiring processes features in my latest report, "How To Hire And Onboard Customer-Centric Employees."
Kathleen and her colleague Aaron Frazier were gracious enough to answer a few more questions about their progress in building a more customer-centric culture and what they’ve learned about creating great pet-owner experiences. Here are some of their insights.
Q. How did VCA know it needed to improve customer experience? Was there a “burning platform,” or did someone senior at the organization decide it was time to make a change?
A. Art Antin, co-founder and COO, was the real visionary here. VCA was approaching its 25th anniversary, and Art was frustrated with clients visiting less frequently. Our customer retention rate was lower than VCA wanted to see. Complaints were escalating, and they all pointed to a poor customer experience. Art said, “We’ve spent 25 years becoming the leader in veterinary health services. We’ve accomplished more than any other company in that regard. We need to focus the next 25 months on improving our customers’ experiences with us.”
I’m excited to finally be able to talk publicly about our CX Forum East in New York at the end of June. The theme this year is “Boost Your Customer Experience To The Next Level.” We picked that theme because ever since last fall when we published Outside In, our book about customer experience, people have been asking us to show them how to either get started on the path to CX maturity or accelerate their progress. This forum is all about helping people create customized roadmaps for their organizations.
Megan Burns will kick off the first day of the event with a speech about “The Path To Customer Experience Maturity.” The speech will debut new research about companies that successfully adopted new competencies and changed employee behavior. Attendees will be the first ones to get copies of Megan’s new report that details her findings – I’m editing the report and I am really jazzed about what she’d discovering.
Kerry Bodine, my co-author for Outside In, will kick off the second day of the event with a speech about customer experience innovation. Her speech will also be based on new research. She’ll detail her findings into what distinguishes incremental CX improvements from true innovations. She’ll also describe how companies can create innovation engines within their organizations – the “road map” for the advanced class. For those of you who want to leap ahead of the pack and truly differentiate through customer experience, this is a “must see” presentation.
Companies are grappling to maintain their traditional sources of competitive advantage in the age of the customer — a world where empowered consumers, commoditized products, and intense competition stretch organizational capabilities to their limits. Enter the customer-obsessed CMO who can transcend the operational status quo and lead a companywide journey to establish new sources of competitive advantage. In my presentation at Forrester’s Outside In: A Forum For Customer Experience Professionals EMEA in London next week (November 6th to 7th), I will be explaining how CMOs can positively change the corporate culture around customer obsession. I will also be leading the track “Why We Need To Build A Customer-Obsessed Corporate Culture,” which takes a closer look at the challenges involved.
In preparation for the event, I caught up with one of our industry speakers from this track, Veronique Tordoff, UK market customer experience leader, Philips Electronics, to talk about how Philips Electronics is dealing with these challenges. Check out a preview of Veronique’s session in the below Q&A, or join me in London to hear the full story.
Recently we’ve seen a lot of interest in the emotional aspects of customer experience by some of the smartest practitioners we know — chief customer officers. There’s a reason for this. Recent advances in the behavioral sciences now give us a better understanding of how people make decisions, experience pain and pleasure, and recall their experiences.
Maybe you’ve read about some of these studies in books like Predictably Irrationalby Dan Ariely, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, or Switch by the Heath brothers. If you have, then you picked up on the fact that we now know our customers to be inherently irrational, making most of their daily decisions without any particular logic.
For example, we know that people experience the pain of loss more acutely than they feel the pleasure of gain. That’s the reason why people dump shares of well-run mutual funds when the economy turns down, irrationally converting their paper losses to real losses. It’s also why it’s easier to lose a customer than to gain one — people are less likely to forgive you when you inflict pain on them (got the order wrong, didn’t resolve the problem) than they are to love you for satisfying them.
To be candid, I originally agreed to give the speech as a favor to Jim, whose inspirational story kicks off the chapter on chief customer officers in our upcoming book. I didn’t know what to expect of the event and somehow imagined that when I joined hundreds of doctors, nurses, and other caregivers in a big auditorium, I’d get trapped inside an episode of House — and I’d be the only one who didn’t know what the other cast members were talking about.
Was I ever wrong. The event was an extraordinary experience from beginning to end, and the content was accessible to anyone who works to improve customer experience, regardless of industry. As someone who helps put on Forrester's Customer Experience Forum, I even got a little envious.
A few things leapt out at me from the sessions I attended:
Executive-level commitment to customer experience as a business strategy. Dr. Delos “Toby” Cosgrove, CEO of Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Kurt Newman, CEO of Children’s National Medical Center, appeared together on a panel. It was clear from their answers to moderator and audience questions that both of them connect the dots between high-quality patient experience and the bottom line.
Although the book won't be available to the general public until August 28th, attendees of our Customer Experience Forum at the end of June will get digital copies of the manuscript. They'll also hear keynote speeches from some of the people who appear in the book, like Kevin Peters, the president of Office Depot North America; Laura Evans, chief experience officer at The Washington Post; and Laurie Tucker, senior vice president of corporate marketing at FedEx.
If you'd like to get a preview of some of the concepts in the book, check out the video below — and then stay tuned for more announcements!
Over the past few weeks, Paul Hagen, Kerry Bodine, and I have been posting our takes on Forrester’s Customer Experience Forum, 2011. We’ve included video of moments we like from 10 out of the 11 main-stage sessions (sadly, we don’t have video of the Voice Of The Customer Awards, but at least we have a list of the winners!).
One of the challenges in putting together Forrester’s Customer Experience Forum is that we have a very limited number of main-stage speaker slots. And that’s frustrating because as the content champion for the event, I wanted to put the top bank, the top credit card provider, and the top insurance provider on stage.
And that’s why we were so happy to have Wayne Peacock as a speaker.
Wayne is executive vice president of member experience at USAA, where he oversees its marketing, channel management, sales, and service functions. We profiled him earlier this year as part of our series “Conversations With Chief Customer Officers.”
As always, the USAA story is inspiring. As Wayne put it, it accomplishes its mission by focusing on three things that are deceptively simple but very hard to execute well:
Know your customer.
Organize your business around your customer’s need.
Make it about a bigger mission.
To which I will only add: If you do those things, you might also have a year-over-year customer retention rate of 97% to 98% like USAA.
But don’t take my word — listen to Wayne yourself. Enjoy!
I was recently fortunate enough to host a panel of three chief customer officers (CCOs) on the main stage of Forrester’s Customer Experience Forum 2011.
They’re all quite different. Fred Leichter from Fidelity Investments has a background in customer experience, having guided the design of Fidelity websites for many years (and as a Fidelity customer, I can say that those sites are pretty darn good). In contrast, Jim Merlino of The Cleveland Clinic is a practicing surgeon as well as CCO, and Jeff Harvey of SAP (who was recently promoted out of the CCO position) has a diversified leadership background that’s more typical of the customer experience executives we recently studied.
Interestingly, despite their differences, they all spend time as CCOs on evangelizing customer experience, building empathy for customers among their organizations’ employees, and embedding customer-centricity into projects.
Check out this video excerpt from our session and share your own thoughts about this emerging role!


YEREVAN. – Madagascar is impressed with the rate of economic growth in Armenia, said Madagascar’s Foreign Minister Henry Rabary-Njaka at a joint press conference with the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan on Friday.
According to him, Madagascar is ready to follow Armenia’s lead.
“We are interested in Armenian experience. You are cooperating with a 180 million Eurasian economic market,” the minister said.
Henry Rabary-Njaka highlighted Armenian tourism opportunities.
“Madagascar has 5% of the world's biodiversity, particularly endemic species. We need such a friendly country like Armenia, which has the experience of tourism. Come and discover Madagascar. We can also implement programs together,” the minister said.
Edward Nalbandian, in his turn, noted that trade statistic indicators are low.
“That is why we decided to give an impetus to the relationship. Relations between our countries have been established since Soviet era,” said Armenian Foreign Minister.


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Pristina expects "dialogue's epilogue" to be discussed
Ahead of the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, representatives of Kosovo's interim institutions think one of the topics will be its "conclusion."Source: Tanjug
Pristina-based Albanian language newspaper Zeri quotes them as saying that one of the issues will be "recognition of Kosovo's independence."
Opposition parties, however, think this is "impossible in practice."
Kosovo's minister for dialogue, Edita Tahiri, told the daily that the jurisdiction for "the conclusion of the dialogue" belongs to the Kosovo government, while prime minister's adviser Bajram Gecaj believes it is with Tahiri's ministry.
A political analyst and former adviser to Kosovo's former president, Atifete Jahjaga, is quoted as saying that "the conclusion of the dialogue" is in the hands of President Hashim Thaci, who represents Kosovo.


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DETROIT, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — DTE Energy wants to jump-start the adoption of electric vehicles in Southeast Michigan by providing free charging stations – a $2,500 value – to the first 2,500 Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) owners.
“The question isn’t, ‘Where can I recharge my PEV?’ because it’s now right there in your garage,” said Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy vice president, Marketing & Renewables. “Our customers just need to decide what charging option meets their lifestyle needs and budget.”
The first 2,500 PEV owners who sign up for a charging plan between now and December 2013, will receive up to $2,500 of the cost to purchase and install a 240-volt charging station. In most cases, that will cover the entire cost. A separate meter will track electricity used to charge PEVs.
Drivers can charge vehicles quickly and economically using DTE Energy’s special pricing options, which enable off-peak charging at the lowest cost rates.
The electric vehicle rate is a separately metered time-of-day rate that offers lower prices for energy used between 11 p.m. and 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. Customers will save 40 percent off the regular residential rate and can expect to drive their vehicles for the equivalent of about $1 a gallon.
A pilot program that allows PEV drivers to charge their vehicles at any time for a flat rate of $40 per month is also available for up to 250 customers.
Visitors to the North American International Auto Show can visit the DTE Energy exhibit, called Powering Michigan’s Future, which includes an interactive display that calculates actual savings by comparing your current vehicle to a PEV.
The exhibit also features DTE Energy’s SmartCurrents program, which includes advanced electric and gas metering, smart appliances and in-home energy usage displays. The program will allow customers to monitor their energy usage, better control their energy consumption and ultimately, save money on their energy bills.
SOURCE: DTE Energy
CONTACT: Scott Simons, +1-313-235-8808, or Len Singer, +1-313-235-8809


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X-Wing Starfighter Blueprint Cufflinks
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Showcase the versatility and exceptional combat performance of the X-Wing with the Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter Blueprint Cufflinks - a must-have for any Star Wars fan. A Rebel Alliance favorite, most notably at the hands of Luke Skywalker when destroying the Death Star, X-Wing Starfighters have been flawlessly detailed to take your ensemble to a galaxy far, far away. Vehicle also comes with branded Star Wars Gift Box. May the force be with you. Officially licensed Star Wars Cufflinks.
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Usually ships the same business day

domain: hobby


Van der Merwe Reaches ITA Quarterfinals
By ODU Athletics
Oct. 10, 2003
CHATTANOOGA, TN -- Old Dominion's junior Izak van der Merwe (Kempton Park, South Africa) was one of 16 men's tennis players to advance to the main draw of the ITA All-American Qualifier earlier this week and has since advanced to the tournament's quarterfinals.
Seeded 16th in the qualifying bracket, van der Merwe posted straight set wins, which included a win over Conner Murningham of Illinois (6-1, 6-1) and Raian Luchici of North Carolina (6-3, 6-3).
Van der Merwe battled back from a 1-6 first set loss in his first round match-up against 13th seeded Lester Cook of Texas A&M to pull off the upset victory. He won the next two sets, 6-4, 6-2. In the second round van der Merwe posted a straight set win, 7-5, 6-2 against Peter Stroer of Texas and then defeated Michael Rubin of Michigan, 6-3, 6-3 in the Round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals. Rubin, van der Merwe's Round of 16 opponent, had defeated third seeded Tobias Clemens of UCLA.
Van der Merwe, who already captured the Virginia Tournament Title, is awaiting his quarterfinal opponent. Pierrick Ysern of San Diego or William Barker of Rice have been waiting out rain showers to see who will battle the Monarch junior to advance to the semifinals. The quarterfinal is slated to begin on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
In other Monarch men's tennis action, senior Zoltan Csanadi (Timisoara, Romania) upset ninth seeded Karim Benmansour of South Florida in his first round match in the qualifying bracket. Csanadi came from behind after dropping the first set, 2-6, to win the next two sets, 7-5, 6-1 to advance. Csanadi was halted in the second round dropping a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 decision to Erik Nyman of Brigham Young.
Both van der Merwe and Csanadi also will take to the courts in doubles play this weekend. Seeded third, the duo will face Chris Martin and Evan Zeder in their first round match-up.
Qualifying Bracket: Zoltan Csanadi (ODU) def. #9 Karim Benmansour (SF): 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 Erik Nyman (BYU) def. Zoltan Csanadi (ODU): 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
Main Draw Bracket: Izak van der Merwe (ODU) def. #13 Lester Cook (TAM): 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 Izak van der Merwe (ODU) def. Peter Stroer (TEX): 7-5, 6-2 Izak van der Merwe (ODU) def. Michael Rubin (MICH): 6-3, 6-3


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When ever I feel farthest from myself mentally and emotionally, I turn to nature for a cure. I sit with nature and let it cleanse my soul of old thoughts that no longer serve me. For the past year I have been creating snow hearts and nature designs to help me feel more connected with nature. What I have learned the most is that nature reminds me to love myself and my surroundings. To love what is right in front of me and know that I am where I need to be in that moment.
By creating nature art I feel at peace within myself, it is a form of meditation for me. The process of creation empties my thoughts of past and future. My mind is then free to play in the moment with what I have. Once the process is complete, I am filled with a lively attitude to take on anything.
I am grateful of these past few months. Yes, winter was a frigid one this year, but I was able to find warmth within my heart from the snow.
How do you feel after being out in nature? What brings you to a place of calm? What do you love to create?


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Malhamdale Holiday - November 2014
Well we had a lovely mid-week break at the Malhamdale HF house organised by Chris with very reasonable weather as well so the walking was very good. Firstly Chris had organised an afternoon walk with of course a tea shop.
On Monday with all the party a fabulous walk from Burnsall to Linton and back on part of The Dalesway. For some reason we started early on the Christmas jokes and much banter followed in the car! We had lovely scenic walk up the Dale by the river, and eventually crossed over the suspension bridge with many photo shots and fearful faces! The river Wharf was in full flow and on arrival at Linton the waterfalls were absolutely spectacular, their thunderous sounds energising us all. Over the Tin bridge there and a stop for lunch and after a look around Linton Church that serves 4 parishes nearby, we carried on to complete the circle up and over the hills arriving back in Burnsall. A slight hazard in the form of a big ram ready to bump & roll at Chris as he was leading, Ensuring our safety across the field, we left him to deal with it! Fortunately they didn't come to blows!
Great memories of the scone race rally back in the cars, on very narrow dales lanes towards dark, following Sue in what started out as a beautiful white car, now a little muddy. We were met mid-track by a flock of sheep all over the road without a farmer or sheepdog (they looked bewildered), then further along 3 little guinea fowls following their mum across the lane at their own pace, oblivious to the rally! Then there were some big vans coming the other way! Sat navs, map & sign readers battled together to arrive in time for the HF cream tea (scrumptious!).
That evening after an excellent dinner Chris presented his mountain quiz to us, with may I say, not the expected results, but anyway the winners gained a score of 3.5 out of 20! Alison, Shona and Hamida will be displaying their prizes from O.S. tee-shirt department I'm sure on the next walks.
On Tuesday we walked the classic route up to Malham Cove via Janet's Foss waterfall, once again thundering down, (no chance to walk behind into the lady's cave) Then onwards to Gordale Scar which again was too incredibly full to try and climb. We did Tai Chi instead prompted by one of the group, guess who! From there a lovely path took us up to the top and over the pools areas where we had our lunch with a distant view of the Tarn. Then walking over the famous limestone pavement, learning all about the grykes and the clints from Hamida and about the micro climates in the cracks, with rare species. We started our descent down and down into Malham where we joined Rosie and a cup of tea of course in the local pub in front of a warming log fire. This went down very well. We had seen crows trying to mob a buzzard, ravens, a kestrel and a stoat on our walk, plus stunning views. A good day out was had by all.
Once again back at the house, after a lovely dinner (the theme of aqua and turquoise dress around the table), along with another large group we joined in a spontaneous ceilidh with dosey dohs and Oxo dances etc. I retired a little early but I believe Alison, Shona and Hamida continued after the dance with a little Bananagram scrabble and were early birds again at breakfast on our last day which happened to be Alison's birthday!
On Wednesday, a smaller group walked southwards, from the house following the Pennine Way along the beck, which was the start of the River Aire. We looped back to Airton for a tea shop lunch. Walking down a rough walled track into Airton we had to get out of the way quick, as hundreds of sheep were heading our way. We were treated to the spectacle of them racing up the track with a fog above them caused by their hot bodies. After a pleasant interlude in the tea shop we returned to Newfield Hall for our journeys home.
What a lovely comfortable house, abundant food, friendly staff and brilliant walks we had. We would all like to thank Chris for organising it: Sue and Mark, Kath, Alison, Hamida, Shona, Rosie and myself, Margaret.

domain: geography


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[Updated 11/3/2019] I cried tears of joy when we visited Jordan‘s ancient city of Petra, not long after we ascended a secret trail to a cliff looking down on the world-renowned Petra Treasury.
I don’t care how many times you’ve read about this expansive “rose-red city half as old as time” (as poet John William Burgon once described it).
Nothing can truly prepare you for the intense emotion and wide-eyed wonder of seeing this immense archaeological wonder in person.
From the first moment I laid eyes on Al Khazneh (a.k.a. the Treasury)– stopping dead in my tracks to marvel at a tantalizing glimpse from between the sheer sandstone cliffs of the Siq– I was mesmerized by the majesty of this otherworldly desert dream.
But that was not why I wept openly at the morning climax of our private-guided Petra tour…
PETRA TREASURY TRAIL & TOUR TOC
- The Petra Treasury (a.k.a. Al Khazneh)
- Petra History Overview
- Finding Petra’s Secret Trail
- Highlights of Petra Tours
- The Hospitality of Petra’s Bedouins
- The Treasury from Above
- How to Get To Petra
- Petra Weather (Best time to Visit Petra)
- Petra FAQs
- The Best Petra Hotels
PETRA TREASURY (A.K.A. AL KHAZNEH)
Petra is easily the #1 tourist attraction in Jordan, attracting around 600,000 visitors a year. The capital of the Nabataean Arabs is also one of the most famous ancient ruins in the world, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
So we intentionally tried to visit Petra just after sunrise in an attempt to avoid the crowds, thinking we’d get there before the huge groups of Petra tours arrived.
We failed, miserably. By the time we’d paid our Petra entrance fee and made our way down to the Treasury, there were already hundreds of people milling about and posing for photos.
I was strangely disappointed by this inauspicious beginning to our Petra day tour. But I had heard tales of a secret hidden hiking trail– rarely taken by tourists– that led to stunning views from above the Petra Treasury.
I wish I had a picture of the incredulous look on the face of our private guide, Ali Abudayeh, when I told him we wanted to make the arduous trek.
To get there we’d have to climb more than 500 steep stairs, after walking 14 kilometers in the Dana Biosphere Reserve the previous day and another 3 km just to get to the Treasury.
“Are you sure?” he asked, clearly concerned. But if we were game, then so was he.
We stopped briefly to hear an elderly Bedouin musician playing haunting Arabic music on a one-stringed lute. Then we made our way down a street lined with Roman-style façades carved into the richly colored rock while Ali told us more about the history of Petra.
PETRA HISTORY OVERVIEW
Established sometime around 300 BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, the ancient city of Petra was the center of the region’s caravan trade thanks to their ability to control the region’s water supply via dams, cisterns, and water conduits.
After the Nabataeans were conquered by the Romans around 100 AD, Petra gradually began to decline. Over centuries, countless archaeological treasures were stolen from the tombs and some structures collapsed due to flooding, erosion, and weathering.
Petra remained unknown in the Western world until it was “rediscovered” by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. His mission to visit Petra involved a bit of trickery: He dressed as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to lead him to the lost city.
Word gradually began to spread about this wonder of the ancient world, which is consistently ranked among humanity’s greatest archaeological discoveries.
But holidays to Petra didn’t really become popular until the city’s carved sandstone facades were featured in the 1989 film, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. The site was also included in Smithsonian Magazine’s list of “28 Places You Should Visit Before You Die.”
FINDING PETRA’S SECRET TRAIL
Today, Bedouins are the only ones allowed to live within the boundaries of Petra, camping in caves all around the ancient city at night and hawking their various wares to visitors by day.
They’ve been here for centuries. The women of the region were famously enlisted by T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia) during the Arab Revolt to help repel an attack on the city. They ultimately devastated the Turkish and German forces here in the middle of the desert.
Many Petra tour guides rent Bedouin pack mules to carry visitors through the vast city. But unfortunately the donkeys couldn’t go where the hidden trail would take us.
The secret trail to the cliffs above the Treasury is unmarked and rarely traveled– we saw less than a half-dozen other tourists during our climb.
Its base is located directly across from the first of several Royal Tombs: If you reach the Amphitheater, you’ve gone too far.
Look for a roughly 6 x 6-foot, heart-shaped hole in the rocks, then clamber up, through, and over it to find your way.
READ MORE: The 25 Biggest Deserts in the World
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF PETRA TOURS
There are a number of other incredible sights you’ll see on the way up to and after the hidden trail, some of which were not marked on any Petra maps we found.
The Painted Room
The first one you’ll see is known as the Painted Room, which boasts some of the most colorful rock striations we’ve encountered.
These koka (burial chambers carved into rock) were a common form of burial for wealthy people in the Nabatean Kingdom, which flourished in what is now Jordan between the 4th century BCE and circa 106 CE.
These stunning burial chambers line the hills all around Petra, and many were once lined with priceless archaeological relics.
Our hike provided us with an incredible bird’s-eye view of the Amphitheater, a massive open-air theater carved into the foot of the mountain called en-Nejr.
Located right below the High Place of Sacrifice in order to give attendees the best possible view of the elaborate tombs surrounding it, the monument was built during the reign of King Aretas IV (4BC-AD27), with parts later reconstructed by the Romans.
Here, up to 4,000 people would crowd in three sections of seating (accessed by seven staircases) to watch poetry recitations and theatrical performances.
It was impossible not to feel the energy of the past resonating throughout the hillside.
The Petra Monastery
I wouldn’t say we saved the best for last, but the Monastery was easily the second most impressive attraction we saw during our Petra day tour.
Fortunately Ali rented some donkeys to get us up the 700+ steps, as we would never have made it otherwise after our grueling morning climb. Our legs were so tired from all the hiking of the last two days, and my hiking boots were literally falling off from all the wear and tear.
Measuring 154 feet wide by 158 feet tall, the Petra Monsatery ranks among the largest monuments the in Nabatean city. It’s built on the same Roman model as Al Khazneh, but instead of bas-reliefs it has five niches that were once home to massive statues.
Built during the early 2nd century AD during King Rabel II’s reign, the hall was originally used as a religious meeting place.
When we visited it was still possible to enter and see the Christian crosses that were later carved into the rear wall, from which the building gets its name (which is Dayr in Arabic).
READ MORE: The Best Vegan Boots for Women & Men
The Royal Tombs
As we climbed higher, gradually working our way around the entire base of the mountain, we passed monument after monument that looked strikingly similar to the Treasury.
Built over the course of about 70 years in the first century AD, the Urn, Silk, Corinthian, and Palace tombs (collectively known as Petra’s Royal Tombs) were all in varying states of ruin.
The erosion of the centuries was much more evident here than it was at the Treasury. But the Roman-inspired Nabatean architecture remained remarkably impressive nonetheless.
We looked up to see a lone Bedouin man sitting atop his donkey on the summit as the desert sun crept higher into the sky.
Finally, as the heat inched towards its midday peak, we reached the beginning of the 500-step staircase that would lead us to the Treasury overlook.
READ MORE: The Ancient Roman Ruins of Jerash, Jordan
THE HOSPITALITY OF PETRA’S BEDOUINS
I’ll spare you the gory details of our exertion, but you can do the math. We climbed over 500 steep rock stairs, in nearly 100-degree temperatures, after hiking around 4 km that morning and 14 km through the rocky desert the day before.
We were exhausted, but there was stunning scenery along the way, including a herd of goats resting in the shade of a sheer rock cliff several hundred feet above the valley floor. And we knew the exceptional view that lie waiting for us at the summit, which encouraged us to press on.
When we finally reached the top of the stairs, completely exhausted and somewhat dehydrated, even Ali did not seem quite sure of which way to go to see the Treasury.
He admitted that, despite guiding hundreds of visitors through the city of Petra, he’d only climbed this route a few times. If people don’t specifically ask, guides as a rule do not mention the hidden trail.
As we slowly worked our way around the summit, we saw only one other hiker. What we did see was a donkey, a small Bedouin tent, and a young Bedouin man starting a fire to boil some delicious tea. His name was Mahmoud, and he’d grown up in Petra, sleeping in the caves at night.
Mahmoud’s family led tourists up to the Petra Monastery by donkey, but he seemed content with manning his hospitality tent. He catered to the rare Petra tourists who, like us, made their way to one of the most beautiful spots we’ve ever seen in our travels.
THE TREASURY FROM ABOVE
As I shrugged off my heavy backpack and settled into position at the edge of the cliff high above the Treasury, this is the awe-inspiring view that greeted my weary eyes.
As Mahmoud handed us steaming hot glasses of black tea with sage and Ali proposed a toast to our health, those eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
I’d dreamed of travel to Petra for over 20 years– ever since seeing Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade as a boy. So I was simply overwhelmed by the beauty of this ancient archaeological site.
It wasn’t so much the aesthetic appeal of the monument itself that made me cry, but the significance of this Petra tour highlight in our personal and professional lives.
Mary and I have sacrificed so much in the pursuit of this crazy travel blogging dream of ours. We’ve invested so much of our time and energy, blood, sweat, and tears, into building Green Global Travel to be something we could be truly proud of.
There are inevitable moments in the ongoing struggle when you start to wonder if it’s all worth it.
But in that moment– when our passion for ecotourism and responsible travel took us halfway around the world, to the heart of the Middle East, to a sight very few people ever see (whether because they don’t know it exists or are unwilling to make the climb)– it absolutely was.
ON TOP OF THE WORLD
Most Jordan tours include trips to Petra. But for us reaching the top of that mountain was a symbolic moment, reminding us that it truly does pay to work hard, pursue your passions, and dream big.
I’ve been to dozens of hookah bars and restaurants over the years, and have never before had the urge to try it. But suddenly, at that place and time, it felt like the thing to do.
Mahmoud loaded his bowl with fragrant, fruity “Hubby Bubbly” and passed it over to me. Mary and I sat there on top of the world, drinking Bedouin tea, smoking a hookah, and savoring the peace and tranquility of knowing we were exactly where we were supposed to be.
This vida loca we’ve chosen for ourselves doesn’t always offer moments of crystal-clear metaphysical clarity. But our arduous trek up a secret hidden trail in the ancient city of Petra gave us a rare gift.
It not only rewarded us for our willingness to venture down the road less traveled, both in Jordan and in life. But it also confirmed that this insane path is precisely the one we’re supposed to be on.
And that, to quote poet Robert Frost, has made all the difference!
READ MORE: The 100 Best Inspirational Travel Quotes
HOW TO GET TO PETRA
From Amman to Petra
To get from the Jordanian capital of Amman to Petra, you have a couple of options.
If you want to self-drive, there are a number of car rental companies close to Queen Alia International Airport. Jordan car rental will cost you around $35 per day on average.
If you take the Desert Highway, it’s a 3-hour drive to Petra. But the more scenic route down Kings Highway will take about 4 hours. Once you get to Petra, there’s a free car park for visitors near the entrance of the city.
JETT Busses depart from Abdali Station in Amman at 6:30 AM and arrive around 10:30 AM, giving you until 4 PM (or 5 PM in the summer) to tour Petra before the bus leaves.
Buses to Petra cost around $15. Just make sure you’re on time, as there is only one bus per day. You can also take local buses, which run from 9 AM to 4 PM. But you may be waiting a while, as they won’t depart until they’re full.
Many local and international tour operators offer day trips to Petra. They will handle your transportation and lead your tour of Petra, but they will be more costly.
From Wadi Rum to Petra
If you don’t have a rental car, a bus or taxi is the best way to get from Wadi Rum to Petra. Either will take about 3 hours.
Buses to Petra from Wadi Rum leave around 8:30 to 9 AM and cost $11. Taxis run all day if you can catch one, but most will cost you around $55.
From Aqaba to Petra
PETRA LOCATION: The southwestern corner of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, around 240 km south of Amman and about an hour east of Jerusalem.
PHONE: (009) 623-215-7093
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www.visitpetra.jo
PETRA HOURS: Open 6 AM to 6 PM during the summer and 6 AM to 4 PM in the winter.
PETRA ENTRANCE FEE: If you have accomodations in Jordan, a one-day Petra ticket is around $70 US. Two days in Petra costs around $78, and three days costs $75. Children under 12 enter free.
PETRA BY NIGHT: Tickets cost around $24, and are offered every Monday, Wednesday & Thursday. Tourists visiting Petra on a day trip from other countries (and do not spend a night in Jordan) pay $127.
TOTAL AREA: The city of Petra encompasses 101.9 square miles.
DATE BUILT: Unknown, but estimated to be as early as 4th Century BC.
- From Amman: Private Petra Round-Trip w/ Optional Local Guide & Entry Fees via Viator
- From Amman: Petra By Night & Full Day Private Tour of Petra via Viator
- From Amman: Private Trip for Petra Tour via GetYourGuide
- From Amana: Petra Day Trip and City Sightseeing with Guide via GetYourGuide
- From Amman: Private Day Trip via Viator
- From Aqaba: Private Petra Sightseeing Tour with Lunch via Viator
PETRA TOURS FROM ISRAEL:
PETRA WEATHER (BEST TIME TO VISIT PETRA)
What is Petra famous for?
Named one of the new seven wonders of the world, Petra, Jordan, is most famous for its elaborate architecture that’s carved into red sandstone. It was given the nickname “the Rose City” after the blushing color of the rocks.
Perhaps most recognizable from the beloved action film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the most distinguished rock-cut façade is the 2,000-year-old Treasury. This intricate architectural landmark is believed to have been used as a royal tomb.
The Petra Monastery is another one of the most notable monuments in Petra, but it’s a somewhat hidden gem requiring a difficult but rewarding 700-stair climb to view.
There are dozens of other massive tombs located in the ancient city of Petra. Along with the city’s impressive water conduit system and rich archaeological history, they make this world wonder a place hundreds of thousands of people visit each year.
Why was Petra built?
Petra was originally established as an important trading post for myrrh, frankincense, and various other spices by the Nabateans, who largely controlled caravan trade in the surrounding regions.
Eventually Petra became the capital city of the Nabatean Kingdom, and grew to a population of around 20,000 inhabitants.
Recent research has led some historians to believe that the city was built to align with the sun. The Nabateans may have given special importance to solstices, equinoxes, and other celestial events.
Why is Petra called “the Lost City”?
After the Romans took control of Petra around 100 AD, the region’s trade decreased and priceless treasures were stolen. Soon earthquakes caused damage to the city, resulting in its abandonment.
The city was considered “lost” and remained empty for centuries before it was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812.
Is it safe to travel to Petra?
The Best Petra Hotels
Opened in 2019, the Petra Boutique Hotel is a 4-star hotel near Petra in Wadi Musa, just two minutes away from the Visitors Center.
They offer spacious rooms that can hold up to four adults and one child. All are decorated with modern furniture, and offer LED Smart TVs and free Wi-Fi.
There is a complementary halal or breakfast buffet in the Petra Sky Terrace restaurant, where you can delight in delicious food while enjoying the picturesque view.
Most attractive to tourists is the hotel’s airport shuttle and 24-hour front desk service, which offers currency exchange services for guests.
Just a five-minute drive from the main gate, the P Quattro Relax Hotel is another Petra accommodation that’s located in Wadi Musa’s city center.
Their rooms can fit a family of three, and feature luxurious modern décor along with a tiled floor (and, of, course Wi-Fi). If you’re traveling in a larger group, connecting rooms are available.
Airport shuttle services and airport pickup are also available, along with bike and car rental at the hotel. Guided tours are also offered here, including a special discount rate for the Petra by Night event.
If you’re looking to relax, this Petra hotel features a gorgeous landscaped garden as well as an indoor pool and Roof Terrace. There you can enjoy both a hot and cold buffet, as well as a selection of à la carte dishes from the Petra Quattro Restaurant.
Not only one of the best hotels in Petra, the Petra Moon is also among the most convenient. It boasts a prime location just 300 feet from both the entrance gate and the Jett bus station.
The hotel has a wide range of room sizes and configurations, offering twin/double rooms, triple bedrooms, and even family bedrooms that can hold up to five people. The rooms are all soundproof and feature extra-long beds, free Wi-Fi, and satellite TV channels.
The Petra Moon Hotel also offers guests a shuttle to and from Amman and Aqaba.
Wondering where to stay in Petra if you prefer international hotels with loyalty rewards programs?
The Petra Marriott Hotel is only two miles from the ancient city, and offers spacious rooms, many of which come with a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and valley.
Amenities here include a full-service spa offering Turkish baths, saunas, and massages, as well as plenty of dining options (including everything from Middle Eastern specialties to homemade pizza and pasta).
Along with its appealing scenery, the hotel is a certified partner of Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and helps to conserve the country’s rich biodiversity.
–by Bret Love, with additional reporting by Christina Maggiatas; photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett unless otherwise noted
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