text:
It is now 12 months ago we last boarded a plane bound for the UK. At that time Covid was a problem in China and a few isolated cases were beginning to be seen in Italy. If you had told us that this was our last flight home for a year we would not have believed you. Now one year on we would need to take a connecting flight as there are no direct flights between Portugal and the UK and also have to spend £2,400 to stay in a quarantine hotel for 10 days once we arrive in England. Effectively that means we won’t be travelling anytime soon (which is what the government are really wanting anyway). Our Grandkids birthdays will be celebrated on Zoom. In reality that is what would be happening if we were living in the UK anyway so being in Portugal makes little difference. What a strange world we live in, we would have dismissed this situation as extremely unlikely even a year ago.
Christmas and New Year were quiet this year as large public gatherings were prohibited and curfews were enforced over the new year period. Family get-togethers were allowed over the Christmas period and maybe Portugal has paid the price for this over the last few weeks. Sadly we know of a number of people who have passed away due to Covid over the last few weeks both here in Portugal and back in the UK.
For the first few weeks in January life continued pretty much as before. Restaurants and shops were opened and we were able to visit the Sea Museum in Lisbon. The museum was almost deserted as there are no tourists visiting. We also watched the chickens in the park climbing the trees at dusk to roost. I never realised chickens were climbers.
There seems to be a huge number of police in Portugal, we cannot take a trip to the shops without seeing police somewhere. As we live in the marina we are always being stopped by the police and have to explain that we live on a boat in the marina in order to walk back home. Once when walking to Boca do Inferno and were told we could not walk on the path next to the sea. (Other days the police seem to ignore this and people walk along the rocks.) On the spot fines are being issued for breaking the rules and we want to avoid these as they can be as much as 1000 euros. I have included a picture of the Marina pre lockdown by way of contrast to the deserted restaurants now, both pictures were taken on a Sunday.
We expect that these restrictions will continue for at least another 4 weeks.
`Being locked down means we are spending a lot of time on the boat. The weather has also been damp and miserable meaning that we are spending more time inside and outside jobs are taking longer. Graham has spent some of that time sorting through photos and has been working on a new website to show a few of these photos. It is a work in progress but If you are interested you can take a look at it at snaps.eastwick.name. Judith has finished the cross stitch she started in lockdown in the UK. Summer has returned in that last few days and this makes things seem more pleasant. We can get on with some of the outside jobs now.
Brexit has now been completed, the reality of this is we can only travel in the EU for 90 days in any 180 day period. (For us the time in Portugal does not count as we are resident here). This makes it very difficult to cruise Spain and France. There are also complications around the VAT status of boats both returning to the UK and staying in the EU to consider.
We are not sure what our future plans are for this year we may decide to return to the UK this year. This was our original plan but we had hoped to explore more of the Mediterranean last year. We will keep you posted.

domain: travel


Town leaders voted to expand some preferred growth areas east of town last week, citing the fast-growing town’s need to be ready for development.
The preferred growth areas were created in 2007, situated along major roads in town. They signal to staff where to spend money extending water and sewer pipes for future development, and they signal to developers where the town expects or would like growth to occur.
The two new areas that have been added to the map are:
• In the Willow Spring area east of U.S. 401, from Air Park Road in the north to N.C. 42 in the south. The eastern border is curved, abutting Triple W Air Park and following Old Stage Road and then Norman Blalock Road south.
• South of town, in a triangle between Purfoy Road and N.C. 55 along the Harnett County border to where Holland and Purfoy roads intersect, including the now-closed Hidden Valley Country Club and golf course.
The addition of the two new areas passed unanimously. But it also spurred the Town Board of Commissioners to discuss how they need to do more to let the public know of decisions about similar matters.
Recent residential and non-residential developments in some of the preferred growth areas have drawn angry protestors to town meetings, generally upset at the traffic or noise they fear growth will bring.
In each of the two new areas, more than half the area is made of large tracts of land that have the potential to be developed.
Commissioner William Harris said he was concerned that the public doesn’t understand the significance of the preferred growth areas.
Harris said he wants more public discussion of the town’s development processes and growth areas “because it’s going to have a significant impact.
“And property owners – some of them stay on top of what we are discussing here,” he said. “But it seems to me we run into the situation where the public says, ‘I didn’t know it.’ ”
Mayor Pro Tem Charlie Adcock said he agrees because the town spends taxpayer money extending utilities to the preferred growth areas to attract development.
“We need to do a better job communicating with the public, as a whole, what our vision is,” Adcock said.
In previous interviews and meetings, town officials have been clear on a broad vision in favor of increased growth.
They support more of the kind of planned residential developments that have swollen the community and kept its businesses afloat through the recession, as well as a stronger pursuit of commercial and industrial development that would bring jobs to the area.
Mayor John Byrne – who recently learned to how to use Twitter, he proudly announced – said the town should do more on social media to engage with residents. The town’s Facebook page has more “likes” than much larger cities, including Raleigh and Cary, Byrne said, adding that residents clearly want to know what’s going on.
But he also said it’s hard to answer all questions when development’s involved. The town can’t decide where development will occur, even if programs such as preferred growth areas help the town steer developers and anticipate growth.
Plus, there are eight different preferred growth areas surrounding the commercial center of town.
“Now, which one of these is going to be the next one developed? I don’t think anybody knows,” Byrne said.
A main objection voiced by opponents of growth has been the state of the narrow and often poorly maintained roads around Fuquay-Varina, many of which stay congested for hours around rush hour.
Byrne said most roads in Fuquay-Varina are state roads, not town roads, and are the state’s responsibility to maintain. Acknowledging the “terrible” status of many roads around town, he estimated he has spent 100 hours on the phone or in meetings with state officials just trying to get them to pay more attention to Fuquay-Varina.
“We had a call with the governor’s office today,” he said at Tuesday’s meeting. “And we’re trying to get some representatives from the governor’s office to come down and look at our roads. We’re trying to reach the highest levels we can in this process.”


text:
Sex development occurs in stages. A fetus has many opportunities to develop along a path that is not the typical one for a boy or a girl. When sex development follows a less common path, the result is a difference of sex development (DSD*). Knowing at what point the path changed helps us provide appropriate medical care.
*DSD is a term in evolution. Commonly used terms to describe DSD conditions include difference of sex development, disorder of sex development and intersex.
Differences of sex development occur more frequently than most people realize. An estimated one in 4,500 children has such a condition. Many times, these differences are found at birth. Some aren’t found until later in the child’s life, even though the condition was present since early in development.
Human development is a complicated process. Slight differences in the usual process can result in a difference of sex development. Because these abnormal developments occur before birth, they are called congenital.

domain: biology


text:
Combine a beautifully patterned wood top with an unexpected whimsical turned white base and you have created the Brynlee Table. This signature table can be perfect in a dining nook or the top can be raised to create a foyer table! Discover something unexpected, an eclectic blending of colors, textures and materials in a vibrant collection of one-of-a-kind artistic pieces.
We recommend using coasters, placements and trivets when using hot containers with this item. It is also recommended to provide quick cleanup for any spills to minimize exposure to moisture. Doing so will prolong the life and look of the item and provide many years of the quality you expect.

domain: design


voir la définition de Wikipedia
|Junkers Ju 188|
|Role||Tactical bomber/Reconnaissance aircraft|
|First flight||1940 (Ju 88B V1)|
France and United Kingdom (post-war)
|Number built||1,234|
|Developed from||Junkers Ju 88|
|Variants||Junkers Ju 388|
The Junkers Ju 188 was a German Luftwaffe high-performance medium bomber built during World War II, the planned follow-on to the famed Ju 88 with better performance and payload. It was produced only in limited numbers, due both to the presence of improved versions of the Ju 88, as well as the deteriorating war condition and the resulting focus on fighter production.
In 1936, Junkers submitted proposals for the Ju 85 and Ju 88 into competition for the new standardized Luftwaffe high-speed tactical bomber, known as the Schnellbomber (fast bomber). The two designs were almost identical, differing only in that the Ju 85 used a twin-rudder and the Ju 88 a single fin. At the same time, they offered modified versions of each as the Ju 85B and Ju 88B, again similar to the original designs, but using an "egg shaped" stepless cockpit forward fuselage design that was essentially one large window, another example of the "bullet-nose" design philosophy that almost all new German bomber designs exhibited from the time of the Heinkel He 111P onwards. The new nose design for the Ju 88B also tightly integrated the undernose Bola ventral gondola defensive gun position into the newer nose design, when compared to the "added-on" Bola unit pioneered on the Ju 88 V7 prototype and standardized on the Ju 88A, which offered the Ju 88B somewhat lower drag, and better visibility. At the time, this was considered too radical, and eventually the Ju 88A with its simpler fighter-like "stepped" cockpit won the contest.
By 1939, the original Ju 88 had itself evolved with considerably more window area, but in a fashion that was not well streamlined, with a "beetle's eye" faceted bombardier's glazed nose, and a well-framed two-part "greenhouse" canopy for the cockpit, the two assemblies of well-framed cabin glazing separated by the sheetmetal of the upper fuselage nose. The Reich Air Ministry (RLM) was in the process of ordering a "second generation" bomber in a project known as "Bomber B", but this was extensively delayed due to the non-delivery of the large 2,500 PS (1,840 kW, 2,470 hp)-class engines, like Junkers' own Jumo 222 inline engine, that the designs would rely on. Although Junkers' own Ju 288 was currently leading the contest, there was no delivery date on the engines and the Ju 88B project was re-submitted as a stop-gap measure. For this version, they used the latest short-wing Ju 88 A-1 airframe as a baseline with the new stepless cockpit design, but added the new Junkers Jumo 213 engine, which had recently started bench testing and was expected to deliver 1,500 PS (1,100 kW, 1,480 hp). The Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - Air Ministry) also stipulated that the aircraft should also be able to accept the BMW 801 radial engine in a Kraftei (power-egg) unitized installation, with no modification to the existing engine nacelles.
The RLM was not impressed with the new design, as it offered only small improvements over the existing Ju 88A model then in service. However, they did suggest that Junkers continue with the prototype work anyway, but asked that they consider fitting the design with the BMW 139 radial instead. This engine was cancelled only a few weeks later, and all designs based on it moved to the newer and more powerful BMW 801.
The prototype Ju 88B V1, D-AUVS, flew for the first time with the 801A/B engines in early 1940. The fuselage was identical to the Ju 88 A-1, which presented a problem: with the extra power, 1,560 PS (1,150 kW, 1,540 hp), the design could now carry considerably more load than the small bomb bay could fit. An additional external shackle was then added to each wing well outside the engines, although using the rack would seriously hamper performance.
During the summer, a pre-production run of 10 Ju 88 B-0 based on the pre-production Ju 88 A-4 airframes were delivered. The A-4 used a longer wing of 18 m (65 ft 10½ in) span from new rounded wingtips for better altitude performance, when compared to the initial Ju 88A-1's shorter 18.26 meter (59 ft 10.75 in) span, but attention to streamlining and new "pointed" wing tips, somewhat resembling those fitted to the British Spitfire Mks.VII and VIII for their own intended high-altitude flight requirements, kept drag to about what it was earlier. The airframe changes moved the center of gravity slightly, so the glazed "cockpit" area was made slightly longer to re-balance the aircraft, while also offering better visibility for other members of the crew.
Service tests were all successful, and the pilots generally lauded the new cockpit design. However, the RLM still remained unconvinced that the small improvement in performance over the existing A-5's and future A-4's was worth investing time in. Instead, the pre-production models were modified as long-range reconnaissance aircraft by removing the guns, bombsights and external bomb shackles, and fitting fuel tanks into the bomb bay.
Several of the airframes were retained by Junkers for further development. One of these was fitted with the slightly updated 801L engines and a small power-operated turret on the extreme top of the cockpit mounting a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun.
By 1942, it was becoming clear that the Ju 288 was not going to be ready any time soon, and at the same time the Ju 88's were increasingly at the mercy of a rapidly-improving RAF and Soviet VVS. The RLM finally decided that even the small gains in performance in the Ju 88B were worth considering, and asked Junkers for a series of upgrades as the Ju 188.
The sole Ju 88 E-0 was modified with several additional guns, another 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 firing rearward just below the turret, one firing forward through the nose, and the twinned 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 81Z machine gun in the integrated ventral Bola gondola firing rearward. Two other airframes had their engines and outer wings removed to act as testbeds for water ditching, as it was planned to use the Ju 188 in long overwater flights against British shipping. A second Ju 188 test airframe was also built up from another Ju 88 A-4, this one including a larger, more trapezoidal vertical tail surface set to provide more directional control at higher altitudes, a feature also used on future Ju 88 models, such as the Ju 88G night fighters. Originally known as Ju 88 V44, this airframe was later designated Ju 188 V1.
In October 1942, the program was given the go-ahead to start planning for production. A second prototype was delivered in January, which moved the outer bomb shackles to a position inboard of the engines. Both started testing the dive bombing system installed in the 88 A-4 in February. The RLM then asked for another change, allowing the aircraft to mount either the BMW 801 or Jumo 213 engines as a complete Kraftei, or "power egg" unitized engine installation, that would simply be bolted on and hooked up. Concerns about the Jumo 213, now years overdue, were offset by this engine's better altitude performance, so it made sense to delay the aircraft slightly if that meant it could switch to the 213 as soon as they became available. The second Ju 188 V1 prototype was flown in at Rechlin between September and November 1943.
The Ju 188 was designed to be fitted with either the 1,750 PS (1,290 kW, 1,730 hp) Jumo 213A or 1,700 PS (1,250 kW, 1,680 hp) BMW 801 G-2 engines without any changes to the airframe. It was originally intended that both would be known as A models, but the naming was later changed: the Ju 188A model powered by the 213, and the Ju 188E by the 801.
The first three production Ju 188 E-1 machines were delivered with the BMW engines in February 1943, another seven in March, and eight in April. A conversion testing unit was formed up in May, and after testing were attached to an operational unit, with the first mission, an attack by three Ju 188E-1s on a factory in Lincoln, Lincolnshire taking place on 18 August 1943. By the end of the year, 283 Ju 188s had been delivered (including Ju 188Fs), and two new factories were added to the production effort. Most operational machines differed from the prototypes only in having a 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the nose and dorsal turrets in place of the 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131. The MG 131 I was intended to be used in the Ju 188 E-1 or the G-2. But the heavy armament in the A and E series was the MG 151/20. The Ju 188 E-2 was built as a torpedo-bomber, but was identical to the Ju 188 A-3.
Although the A and E models were to have been delivered at the same time, the Jumo engine was still having difficulties getting into production. Nevertheless, the first Jumo powered Ju 188 A-1 versions were shipped only shortly after the BMW versions, albeit at a much slower rate. By the time delivery rates were finally picking up in late 1943, the Jumo was available in a new MW 50 methanol-water injection "boosted" version that delivered 1,648 kW (2,241 hp) for takeoff. With this engine, the planes were known as the Ju 188 A-2, and started deliveries in early 1944.
A modified version mounting a small FuG 200 Hohentwiel sea-search radar set under the nose and shackles for a torpedo for naval strike missions was delivered as the Ju 188 E-2, and with the Jumo as the Ju 188 A-3. The only other difference was the removal of the outer pair of wing bomb shackles.
For all its good points, the Ju 188 was only a small improvement over the Ju 88 it was supposed to replace. The bombload and bomb bay was no larger than the earlier plane, so although it could handle a larger load by mounting externally, doing so hurt performance. Even then the performance was rather poor considering all the effort - only 523 km/h (325 mph) or less. The dorsal turret had only one gun in it, yet the type retained the single-gun flexible position only a few centimeters away from it. In the meantime, the various projects to finally provide the plane with real tail armament were all abandoned.
Delivery problems of the Jumo 213 were never entirely sorted out, and the only model to be built in large numbers were the E series with the BMW 801. Even then so few were available that they were generally given out to Ju 88 units, who flew them on "special" missions where the longer range or better performance would be helpful.
Some 500 Ju 188A and E variants were built up until the summer of 1944, when production ceased.
It was planned all along to skip over a "B model" to avoid confusion with the original Ju 88 B, but in the original planning the A and E models would both be called A's. The Ju 188 C would thus be the next model in line.
The C series was built to the extent of a single example, by modifying one of the few A-1 machines. To this, they added the new power-operated FA 15 turret in the tail. The turret mounted two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131s, aimed with a double-periscope (top and bottom) system mounted in the cockpit.
This modification would have greatly improved defensive firepower, always lacking on German designs, but reliability was so poor it was decided to abandon the system.
In early 1944, it was decided to focus on reconnaissance versions of the A and E models The airframe was modified with the removal of the bomb aimer and the forward gun, and additional fuel cells were added to extend the range to 3,400 km (2,110 mi). The Ju 188 D-1 was otherwise similar to the A-1, and the Ju 188 D-2 fitted nose radar for naval reconnaissance. Similar conversions of the E models were the Ju 188 F-1 and Ju 188 F-2.
One problem with the Ju 88 that carried into the 188 was the lack of internal room for bomb storage. Both carried the majority of their bombload on the outside of the plane on racks under the wing, where it greatly affected performance. This was to have been addressed in the G and H models, which extended the fuselage downward for more room with the addition of a wooden pannier.
This modification also left enough room at the tail to fit a manned turret in place of the C model's remote-control one. However this system proved to be just as limited as the remote-control FA 15, being so small that only gunners could fit into it, and had basically no ability to escape in an emergency. The RLM rejected the manned design and planned on mounting the FA 15 even if it were unreliable. Oddly, the designs still had the nose area extended under the plane for a rear gunner, when this would no longer be needed and its removal would have greatly cleaned up the lines of the plane.
With the Jumo 213s now being sent to fighter production, the Ju 188 G-2 was to use the BMW 801 only, with the reconnaissance conversion known as the Ju 188 H-2. Neither entered production before the war ended.
In the summer of 1944, three E models were modified as night fighters with the addition of radar and either four 20 mm MG 151/20s or two 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 103 cannons in the nose. However, the added visibility of the 188 was not useful in the night role, and because the added drag of the radar washed out any speed difference, the Ju 188 R-0 was not ordered.
In 1943, it was planned to upgrade the entire lineup with even more wing area and a pressurized cockpit for high-altitude work. A single basic airframe would be offered in three versions, the Ju 188J heavy fighter, Ju 188K bomber, and the Ju 188L reconnaissance version. As with the streamlined Ju 88S, all three late model Ju 188 designs did away with the Bola gondola, leading to a cleaner nose profile, and the bomber and recce versions mounted their loads in a long pannier under the central fuselage instead of the deeper fuselage of the G and H models.
Simpler versions of these with no defensive armament and even longer wings became the Ju 188S fighter and Ju 188T intruder. With Jumo 213E-1 engines 2,050 PS (1,510 kW, 2,020 hp) at take-off and 1,690 PS (1,240 kW, 1,670 hp) at 9,500 m (31,400 ft), the Ju 188T could reach 700 km/h (440 mph). Operating at this altitude, the Ju 188S could carry only 800 kg (1,760 lb) of bombs.
Contenu de sensagent
dictionnaire et traducteur pour sites web
Une fenêtre (pop-into) d'information (contenu principal de Sensagent) est invoquée un double-clic sur n'importe quel mot de votre page web. LA fenêtre fournit des explications et des traductions contextuelles, c'est-à-dire sans obliger votre visiteur à quitter votre page web !
Solution commerce électronique
Augmenter le contenu de votre site
Ajouter de nouveaux contenus Add à votre site depuis Sensagent par XML.
Parcourir les produits et les annonces
Obtenir des informations en XML pour filtrer le meilleur contenu.
Indexer des images et définir des méta-données
Fixer la signification de chaque méta-donnée (multilingue).
Renseignements suite à un email de description de votre projet.
Jeux de lettres
Lettris est un jeu de lettres gravitationnelles proche de Tetris. Chaque lettre qui apparaît descend ; il faut placer les lettres de telle manière que des mots se forment (gauche, droit, haut et bas) et que de la place soit libérée.
Il s'agit en 3 minutes de trouver le plus grand nombre de mots possibles de trois lettres et plus dans une grille de 16 lettres. Il est aussi possible de jouer avec la grille de 25 cases. Les lettres doivent être adjacentes et les mots les plus longs sont les meilleurs. Participer au concours et enregistrer votre nom dans la liste de meilleurs joueurs ! Jouer
Dictionnaire de la langue française
La plupart des définitions du français sont proposées par SenseGates et comportent un approfondissement avec Littré et plusieurs auteurs techniques spécialisés.
Le dictionnaire des synonymes est surtout dérivé du dictionnaire intégral (TID).
L'encyclopédie française bénéficie de la licence Wikipedia (GNU).
Changer la langue cible pour obtenir des traductions.
Astuce: parcourir les champs sémantiques du dictionnaire analogique en plusieurs langues pour mieux apprendre avec sensagent.
calculé en 0,047s


text:
No matter how hard you try, you can't escape your mind.
Find a new job. End one relationship and start another. Purchase some more stuff. Move to a different city. Take a vacation and travel the world.
It doesn't matter what you do, because your mind is always there waiting for the "newness" of external changes to wear off.
You can't suppress thoughts and emotions. You can't bury them under motivational platitudes. And, you can't force yourself to only "think positive."
You can, however, change your relationship with your mind.
You can understand its compulsive nature, distance yourself from the inner narrative that comments on and judges everything (including yourself), and learn to stop following it down a path that culminates in habitual behavior.
Most of us go through our day on autopilot, victim to the next thought, emotion, or urge that pops into our heads. This mental noise weighs us down with worry, fear, doubt, and regret. It leads to struggles with stress, anxiety, and depression.
Work and school suffer.
Changing your relationship with your mind is the way out, and we've been helping people do it for over 13 years.
"An owner's guide to your mind."
Lori Becker (New York, New York):
"When you stop letting thoughts and emotions control you, you become a lot happier. Thanks for demystifying meditation and teaching me about my mind!"
This is our flagship program, taken in your own home at your own pace.
Who is it for?
It's for anyone who wants to stop being at the mercy of the drama their mind creates.
What do you learn?
You learn to step off the spinning wheel of mind-made activity, and end the self-imposed suffering that comes from habitual behavior.
Learn more about "An owner's guide to your mind."

domain: psychology


Five current and past US presidents met Thursday for the dedication of the George W. Bush presidential library The conviviality and civility should set a standard for politicians.
Few nations of the world would be able to witness an event like the one that occurred in Dallas on Thursday. Five current and past presidents of the United States gathered like old friends to praise one of their own.
President Obama and Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush were on hand to dedicate the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University.
No politics of personal destruction. No mudslinging. All civility.
The meeting was a rare event of Oval Office veterans. The last such gathering of five presidents was for the dedication of the Reagan Presidential Library in 1991. This one was notable by their common desire to focus on what one president did right and his favorable qualities.
“To know the man is to like the man,” Mr. Obama spoke of Mr. Bush. “He doesn’t put on any pretenses. He takes his job seriously, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He is a good man.”


text:
Mansfield Town manager Steve Evans said he was proud of his players and fans as the Stags were pipped 1-0 by title-chasing Portsmouth today to all but end their play-off dream.
But Evans was left furious by a decision by referee Lee Swabey not to send off Pompey’s Matt Clarke on 48 minutes when, as last man, he hauled down Danny Rose when he was away on goal.
In front of Mansfield’s biggest home crowd since returning to the League - 6,819 - Carl Baker netted the only goal of a very tight match on 57 minutes as Stags slipped to 12th place, two points off the top seven with one game to go but in a queue of sides hoping for Blackpool or Carlisle to slip up.
“There were two outstanding teams out there for me today,” said Evans. “We were the better team on the day but we lost.
“I have to be careful what I say but that was an atrocious refereeing performance today.
“You always look at reactions and I look at their centre half throwing his hands on his head – he thought he was away and so did their bench.
“The Portsmouth staff are feeling for us. We all know what would have happened if that had been us at Fratton Park and it had happened in reverse. I don’t think the referee would have been allowed to leave Portsmouth.
“Paul Cook said to me at the end that was the worst decision he’d seen in his career and I think I join him.
“But they will give him another game next week. This is a referee I was concerned about as he gave an atrocious decision with a penalty at Exeter last week. It’s laughable.
“There should have been a red card for a challenge on Danny Rose too. It was a whole-hearted challenge, he missed the ball and caught Danny Rose’s nose. Between them the officials missed that as well.
“It’s hard to take. But I am proud of the players and the supporters.”
Stags did waste opportunities to level the game, none more so than when Matt Green went clean through and lobbed over the bar 10 minutes from time – a golden opportunity.
“We didn’t take our chances. But I think we all know if we’d had a goalscorer when we walked into the football club we’d be up automatic, not worrying about the play-offs,” said Evans.
“They’ve had two chances today – one they score from off a deflection and then another when we’ve gone six up front. “Other than that they’re not in the game and they’ve been totally out-played. I think their manager will be the first to say that.
“My players have given everything and they are in there bemused. It’s not often you see a full dressing room just struggling to accept what’s happened today.”
Looking at the table, Evans admitted: “I think the play-offs are beyond us now. If Blackpool turn up and beat Leyton Orient they will be partying down the promenade.
“Blackpool have to win – simple as that. If they slip up there will be people waiting to take their place and we’ll be one of them
“Looking at the table it’s very difficult.
“We will apply ourselves properly and do everything right. We will be professional to the end. I’d rather finish eighth than ninth or ninth than 10th. That’s the way I am.
“There will always be the knockers around to say we didn’t deal with the big game, but we did deal with the big game but big decisions went against us. But let’s take nothing away from Portsmouth.”
He added: “Let’s look in house and what we see is missed chances at key stages. Rhys Bennett after three minutes it look easier to score and Matt Green? Well it’s all right being a goalscorer in the Conference, there is a big difference between that and the Football League, that’s the reality.”

domain: sports


text:
Many people don’t put a lot of thought into the frame for their picture. Very often, they’ve paid a photographer a substantial fee for the photograph, and then decide to cut costs by sticking the picture into an inexpensive frame from a discount store. This may save money initially, but within a few years, they’ll most likely need restoration services for that photograph because of displaying it in a cheap, poorly-made frame.
What’s the difference? Simple: the discount frame is made as cheaply as possible by companies who skimp on materials and labor. Unless you’ve worked in the stock area of a discount store, you’d probably be shocked at how many of these frames don’t even survive shipping.
What about frames found at specialty shops or craft stores? They’re certainly more expensive, but the quality isn’t appreciably better.
How can you tell if a frame is made well or not?
Look at the glass.
Are there flaws such as lines, bubbles, or chips? Is the price tag stuck to the glass so effectively that you’ll never be able to get the stickiness off? Is it UV protective? Is it even real glass? Plexiglass is fine if you have concerns about breakage, but I’ve seen frames that had nothing more than the equivalent of a plastic report cover in place of real glass.
Look at the corners.
Do the corners line up perfectly? If you’re looking at a wooden frame, when you turn it over and look at the back, what’s holding the corners together? If you see staples, have they lost chunks of wood in the process of stapling the corners? Is there a gap between the pieces of wood? If glue has been used, has the excess been wiped away or are there drops or smears? Are there chips and dings on the corners?
Look at the frame itself.
Are there dings and scratches? If it appears to be wood or gold leaf, does it still look like wood or gold leaf when you turn it over? Does the “wood” or “gold leaf” dent if you press into it on the back with a fingernail? This often indicates that the frame is actually made of compressed cardboard covered in wood or gold patterned paper.
The best option is to take your photograph or print to a reputable custom frame shop, preferably a locally-owned independent shop. Yes, it may be more expensive, but a frame that you purchase there is generally more durable, made from materials of a higher quality, and assembled on-site by professionals who practice greater attention to detail. It’s an investment that will protect your picture and save you money in the long run.


text:
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.
Need a family friendly easy dinner ?
These Tuscan Chicken Cups come together quickly and simply with the help of Kraft Fresh Take Rosemary And Roasted Garlic Meal Kit!
Each week I face a difficult challenge. How do I make dinner a pleasant experience? What meals do I serve that will satisfy my children’s tastes (which are vastly different from my own) while pleasing the palates of my husband and myself? Typically, each week is split. A few meals cater to the kids and the remaining meals are purely for the adults.
This week I was determined to make the entire family happy. This was no easy task. But when I stumbled upon Kraft Fresh Take in the grocery store (I found this right by the shredded cheese) I had the most profound “ah-ha” moment!
Since the Kraft Fresh Take kit had all the seasoning, all I needed was the chicken and the veggies. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself for coming up with this meal. It was going to come together quickly and easily (a bonus for me) and I just knew it was going to be a hit!
The chicken, the beans and the crescent rolls were for the kids. The sautéed mushrooms, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes were for me! I topped each cup with Italian cheese and hurried them to the oven! Guess what, we at them ALL! I got the flavors I crave in a meal and the kids got to eat dinner with their hands! All’s well that ends well my friends. And this meal ended very well!
NEVER MISS A RECIPE! SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Chicken Cups #KraftFreshTake
- 2 Pillsburry Seamless Crescent Roll Cans 8 oz. each
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
- 2 tablespoon olive oil-divided
- 1 cup mushrooms, diced
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
- 1 cup Canellini beans
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley
- salt and pepper to taste.
- 1 package Kraft Fresh Take, Rosemary and Roasted Garlic 6.oz
- 1 cup Italian Blend Cheese
- Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
- Roll crescent roll dough into a 12 x8 rectangle. Cut each rectangle into sixths. Arrange each square into the cups of your muffin tin, pinching the sides as necessary.
- Toss chicken with Kraft Fresh Take packet. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat with olive oil. Place chicken pieces in skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. You may have to cook chicken in batches.
- In a skillet, sautee mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes, beans and parsley in remaining olive oil until mushrooms soften. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Divide veggie mixture among the crescent roll cups. Top with chicken. Place 1-2 tablespoons of cheese on each cup. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown.
SEE THIS ON MY PINTEREST BOARD!
BE SURE TO CLICK HERE FOR YOUR $0.99 KRAFT FRESH TAKE COUPON!
I’ll be sharing this with these parties as well as with

domain: food


text:
|Title||Multimodal, multiplex, Raman spectroscopy of alcohol in diffuse, fluorescent media|
|Publication Type||Journal Article|
|Year of Publication||2005|
|Authors||ST McCain, ME Gehm, Y Wang, NP Pitsianis, ME Sullivan, and DJ Brady|
|Journal||Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie|
|Pagination||1 - 9|
Optical diagnostics in biological materials are hindered by fluorescence and scattering. We have developed a multimodal, multiplex, coded-aperture Raman spectrometer to detect alcohol in a lipid tissue phantom solution. © 2005 SPIE and OSA.
|Short Title||Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie|

domain: literature


text:
Pay after Deletion means just that, once you are enrolled you only pay when and if items are ACTUALLY deleted from your credit report.
Get answers to all your credit repair questions by joining our credit repair tidbits facebook group
” You need to weigh the cost advantage of paying someone else to do those things for you, versus doing those things by yourself and what your time is worth.” Here’s how credit repair work business work and, if you’re thinking about utilizing one, why you should think about credit counseling initially.
The companies typically guarantee to “handle all the heavy lifting” of working with the credit reporting firms, says McClary. Credit repair work companies are various from credit counseling agencies, which are generally a free resource from nonprofit financial education organizations that evaluate your finances, debt and credit reports with the goal of teaching you to improve and handle your monetary circumstance.
To help avoid fraudsters, it’s crucial to look into any credit repair organization before agreeing to work with it. There are “all sort of ways” to vet credit repair work business, McClary says. Here’s somewhere to start. Steer clear of companies that appear too good to be true. If the business states it can do any of the following, it’s a warning and likely an indication of a rip-off: Eliminate precise unfavorable information from your reports Lawfully create a new credit identity for you The company requests you pay prior to it offers services Assurance enhanced credit Once again, we suggest looking for a credit therapist initially.
Lots of credit repair work business start by requesting a copy of your credit report from each of the 3 major customer credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The company will examine your credit reports for bad marks, like Then, it will set a strategy for challenging mistakes and working out with financial institutions to remove those products.
Beware here. If you’ve had trouble handling credit in the past, a brand-new account might not be the very best alternative. Plus it’s not a fantastic idea to handle more credit if you don’t need it. The amount you’ll pay and how it’s computed will vary depending upon the company, however there’s a rule they have to follow.
Depending upon the company, you may pay a one-time flat charge, or pay for each derogatory mark the company eliminates from each of your reports. This may start around $35 per deletion and could range to $750 or more. The business may also charge by the month, varying from $50 to $130 or more.
Consider how much work your reports require. If there are simply one or two negative items, you’ll likely be much better off applying any costs toward paying for debt and contesting any mistakes in your credit reports yourself. The credit bureau usually has 1 month after getting your disagreement to examine and verify info.
The credit bureau is required to send you the outcomes of the examination within 5 company days of the completion of the investigation. But if the credit bureau identifies the dispute is “unimportant” it can pick not to examine as long as it communicates that to you within five days.
But many consumers don’t know where to begin, states Gerri Detweiler, education director at Nav, which aims to assist entrepreneur understand and handle their service credit. Here are some ways you can work on improving your credit on your own. Customers must “exercise extreme caution” when thinking about dealing with a credit repair work company, McClary states.
Even if you find a business you’re comfy with, the services may not work for your scenario. Plus you ‘d likely conserve money if you challenged any inaccurate information in your credit reports yourself. The Credit Repair Work Organizations Act, or CROA, makes it unlawful for credit repair work companies to lie about their services and outcomes, and sets some additional guidelines.
Credit reporting companies have a number of requirements under CROA, a few of that include Giving you a written agreement that describes your legal rights and the services they’ll supply Enabling you to cancel within three days without charge Satisfying the promised service before charging you or getting fees If a credit repair company declines to answer your concerns, demands payment up front or fails to put guarantees in writing, “that becomes part of the ‘sniff test’ that informs you there’s something incorrect there,” McClary says.
We recommend thinking about credit counseling initially. Eventually, you might be able to reconstruct your credit yourself. Working on your credit?.
Selecting the very best credit repair company to assist you enhance your credit report is a big decision. A common credit repair work service will cost you a couple of hundred dollars and will take up to a year to complete their service. Selecting the wrong credit repair work company can end up losing cash and maybe more importantly, your time.
Improving your credit rating can be the difference between whether or not you get into a new house, automobile, and even a job. A higher credit report might also help you refinance your existing payments so you wind up paying less monthly. A trusted credit repair business can provide their know-how and assist you on your way to achieving these results.
The procedure of fixing your credit can include much more than just challenging your credit with the credit bureaus. You need to make sure to use a credit repair work company that can fulfill all of your credit requirements. When the majority of individuals consider credit repair they believe of a process that has actually ended up being referred to as credit report repair.
This aspect of credit repair has helped lots of people with incorrect, incomplete, or unverifiable information on their credit reports improve their credit history. While credit report repair is a great start, many individuals find that it is not enough. Credit report repair when the credit bureaus are not able to validate that the questionable products in your credit reports ought to be there.

domain: finance


text:
$92.00 NZD $115.00 NZD
This item is FINAL SALE. We do not accept returns or exchanges unless the item is faulty. Please select carefully when making your purchase.
Circulo Essentials Pouch in Cobalt
A small pouch with brass hardware, made from sustainable materials. Designed for your make up, skincare, headphones, stationary, jewellery, and other small accessories.100% Recycled PU exterior, Recycled Cotton Canvas lining
Packaged in a Brie Leon branded cotton canvas dust bag.


text:
Radio, stand-up, sketch comedy and presenting
I started my career as a radio presenter for Absolute Radio, spending two years behind the mic in my own show. I was nominated for a prestigious Sony Radio Award in the process, losing to Jarvis Cocker in the Rising Star category.
In 2011, I moved into stand-up comedy and spent 6 years on the circuit, performing more than a thousand gigs. At the fringe I have appeared in garlanded show-cases ‘The Lunchtime Club’ and ‘AAA’. And have performed three solo hour-long shows, “This Will Only Take a Moment” in 2012, ‘Dear Ray’ in 2013, and ‘My Groupon Adventure’ which was a sell-out smash hit at the Pleasance Courtyard in 2014.
Recently I was the presenter of ‘Voom Room‘ (Sundog Pictures), featuring news, gossip and great guests from Voom 2016 and 2018. Think Dragon’s Den, but with Sir Richard Branson. You can watch my presenting show reel here. I often present events and video content for brands including Esquire and many more. Please get in touch for more information about this.
My 2016 show, ‘The Trunk’, a funny and moving one-man play, was a critical hit at the Edinburgh festival receiving several 4 and 5 star reviews. The Trunk is ‘A resonant story of rediscovering a lost past told with engaging charm’, says Gerald Berkowitz in The Stage, who later picked the show out as one of their top critics’ picks of the Edinburgh Festival. British Theatre Guide herald The Trunk’s balance of ‘Humour with snatched moments of real emotion…A mystery well worth seeing through.’ Whilst The Scotsman hails it as ‘a beautifully crafted story…told with subtlety and compassion through all its twists and turns.’ It was named by Theatre Weekly as one of their top ten theatre shows of 2016.
My second play, ‘The Man on the Moor,’ debuted at Edinburgh in 2017 where it was named critic’s choice in The Times, The Skinny, The Guardian (Lyn Gardner) and The Metro. It was a critical hit gathering twelve separate four or five star reviews. It went on to complete a national tour in the spring of 2018. My third play ‘Kin’ was published by legendary theatre publishers Samuel French in July 2018 and subsequently debuting at the Fringe. In Edinburgh it was named as critic’s choice in The Independent, The Guardian and Theatre Weekly. The List describing it as a ‘taut and riveting examination of the complex nature of sibling love.’
My first book, ‘My Groupon Adventure’, was published in June 2016 by Unbound/Penguin-Random House. It has been featured on Radio 4, Absolute Radio, Virgin Radio, News Talk FM, Real People Magazine, The Irish Examiner, the Daily Star and many other national media outlets. The Irish Examiner writing, ‘This is more than just a funny account of a madcap adventure…it’s full of heart.’
Acting and other writing
I recently appeared in two episodes of Michael McIntyre’s Big Show on BBC1, including the Christmas special which was seen by more than 15 million people on Christmas Day. As a writer and actor, I’ve have written and appeared in sketches on BBC2 (Dick n’Dom’s Funny Business) and Channel 4 (This Just In). I’ve provided material for and starred in a Sky1 pilot for Princess Productions (The Abominable Hoax Men), and also a BBC America pilot for Burning Bright Productions (Almost Royal). Further, I’ve written for Made in Chelsea spin-off Mad on Chelsea (E4). Finally, I’ve sold a radio format to NBC Universal, aswell as having sitcom scripts in development with production companies Zeppotron, Bwark and now Tiger-Aspect.
I regularly perform improvised comedy all over the country and beyond with acclaimed group The Committee. We were recently named by The Times as one of the top improv troupes in the UK, and have a monthly residency at The Miller in London Bridge.
For further information on any of my work, or to see a show reel, please contact my agent Hatch Talent Management.

domain: artistic


Kanye West has been hinting he’s been trying as hard as he can to get North West a younger sibling, and Kim Kardashian just confirmed that they do in fact do the deed a lot. In a trailer for the upcoming series of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the milf says: “I’ve been having sex 500 times a day.” While her statement may be a figurative exaggeration, you never know with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. In additional hip-hop news, Khloe Kardashian talks about kicking her on and off again boyfriend French Montana out of their home. Watch the trailer and the drama unfold below.
[youtube clipid=”NDq9CjNtMWU” autoplay=”0″]


Carrefour hypermarket opened in Yerevan Mall on March 11, 2015.
Carrefour Plans To Handle 5,000 Customers Daily
YEREVAN, March 11. / ARKA /. French retail hypermarket Carrefour that has opened a store in Yerevan today plans to handle about 5,000 customers daily, Christian de Nale, head of Carrefour Armenia said.
The official opening of the store in Yerevan Mall was attended by President Serzh Sargsyan.
"Our goods will be cheaper than those of our competitors. Besides, we will give preference to Armenian products, first of all foods. A look on our shelves is a proof of that," said de Nale.
He said the Carrefour store in Yerevan is cooperating with Armenian ministry of agriculture in order to sell Armenian goods through Carrefour stores around the world.
He said Carrefour plans to open more stores 'because a city like Yerevan needs several such hypermarkets.'
The agreement between Carrefour and Yerevan Mall was signed in May 2014 in the presence of President Sargsyan and French President Francois Hollande, who was on a visit to Armenia.
Carrefour SA is a French retail trade company, the world's second biggest chain of hypermarket after Wal-Mart.
According to the National Statistical Service, Armenia's trade with France in 2014 saw a 21 percent rise from the previous year to about $85 million. Armenian exports to France slashed by 23% to about $5 million, while imports surged by 24.3% to $79.8 million.-0-
|This article contains text from a source with a copyright. Please help us by extracting the factual information and eliminating the rest in order to keep the site in accordance to fair use standards, or by obtaining permission for reuse on this site..|
French Retail Giant To Set Up Shop In Armenia
Ruzanna Stepanian 20.02.2014
Carrefour S.A., a French multinational retail group, will open after all its first supermarket in Armenia later this year following a more than yearlong delay, it was announced on Thursday.
“In about six months we will be operational,” Christian Denal, a senior Carrefour executive, told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) during the inauguration of a new shopping mall in Yerevan which is due to house the big food store.
“We are very happy to be present in Armenia for the benefit of all Armenian people and customers,” said Denal. “This is very important to us.”
The new shopping center, called Yerevan Mall, was inaugurated in the presence of President Serzh Sarkisian and other senior Armenian officials. Its executive director, Vazrik Sarkoyan, confirmed the impending opening of a Carrefour supermarket there, saying that it is scheduled for the third quarter of 2014. He said the French retail group, one of the largest in the world, will occupy one-sixth of the mall’s 60,000-square-meter commercial space.
Carrefour planned to launch its first Armenian store at another Yerevan mall, Dalma Garden, shortly after it opened its doors to customers in late 2012. However, those plans were put on hold for still unclear reasons. The French company cited the need for further “research of the Armenian market.”
Reports in the Armenian press last year accused Samvel Aleksanian, one of the country’s richest men, of using his close ties to the Armenian government and the Dalma Garden owner, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian, to thwart Carrefour’s entry into the Armenian market. Both Aleksanian and the government denied that.
The government has insisted all along that it is interested in having the world-famous retailer set up shop in Armenia, saying that its presence will send a positive signal to other foreign investors.
Denal refused to be drawn on Carrefour’s reported problems with Dalma Garden. “Let’s talk about the future,” he said. “All Armenians are waiting for Carrefour and we will do everything in our power to satisfy them.”
Incidentally, Aleksanian, who owns one of Armenia’s largest supermarket chains called Yerevan City, was also present at the opening of the new mall. The government-linked tycoon declined to comment on Carrefour’s operations in the country. “I don’t engage in business,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Open For Business?: Debate Continues Over French Carrefour's Entry Into Armenian Market
BUSINESS | 02.04.13 | 15:48
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
The potential expansion to Armenia by major "hypermarket" network Carrefour into the oligarchic and monopolized Armenian economy has raised heated discussions despite the government assurances that the legislative field in the country is favorable for foreign investment.
"The Republic of Armenia and the government are interested in Carrefour to be represented and start operating in the Armenian market to offer the kind of services it does all over the world. It is important for our economy in terms of formation of a competitive field, introduction of a new culture, a new type of institutes and infrastructures," stated Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
Management expert Harutyun Mesrobyan conditions the panic in the local business world over Carrefour's opening by several factors. He says, the oligarchic, monopolized economy is fearful, because it is always dealing with bureaucrats, the system, and always wants to have a "preferential" field. It takes over the market by non-market rules, and as a consequence it cannot be competitive.
"Of course, when any new major player joins the game, domestic economic entities have to be protected in our country, but not oligarchs. An oligarch should be put into this difficult position, so that it becomes obvious whether he is that tough in fact, or it's just a show-off," says Mesrobyan.
Le Cafe de Paris former owner Valerie Ashkhen Gortsunian, who was forced to sell her business because of the years-long unfavorable business conditions and leave for France, says that if one does not have a "back" among the authorities in Armenia, no business can be successful here.
The businesswoman says that in order to sustain a business in Armenia, one needs an insider in the Customs House to file bogus receipts and someone in the tax bureau to keep collectors away.
"The situation in Armenia is very dangerous and that's the reality, laws have no force in the country," she says.
Meanwhile, Vardan Ayvazyan, chairing the NA Standing Committee on Economic Issues, is amused over why Carrefour's introduction into Armenia is so politicized. After all, he says, the country's legislation does not prohibit a business's access to the country. The Republican MP is convinced that "the economy is on the right track" now in Armenia and that "monopolies are being overcome".
Karen Vardanyan, heading the Department for Business Environment Improvement at RA Ministry of Economy, says negotiations are in process with Carrefour representatives and most probably the world's second biggest retailer will have opened a branch in Armenia by the end of this year.
The speculations over Carrefour were initially sparked among public by signs at Dalma Gardens Mall (belonging to Russia-based Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan), announcing the network of shops, which later were removed. Further on, news appeared in the local press claiming that the authorities had decided to negotiate with Republican businessman Samvel Alexanyan and convince him to sell his Yerevan City supermarket chain to Carrefour.
"To my knowledge, Carrefour has asked for 35,000-40,000 square meters of space. I have heard that Alexanyan has expressed willingness to sell his premises," says Ayvazyan.
News.am local daily reports that Alexanyan claimed he himself had no business but that he was aware that his family business was offered for sale to Carrefour. The word goes among local media, however, that Samvel Karapetyan suspended the Carrefour deal and that it was allegedly done largely due to Alexanyan's rather productive efforts.
The Carrefour issue was discussed in March at a meeting between Armenian Vice-Premier, minister of territorial administration Armen Gevorgyan, during his working visit to the United Arab Emirates, and Arab Majid Al Futtaim company leadership. (Majid Al Futtaim is a leading company in the Middle East and South Africa specialized in running multi-functional complex shopping and entertainment centers.
In that region it is French Carrefour hypermarket chain's licensed partner.)
Vice-premier Gevorgyan says Carrefour would not only offer new-quality services in Armenia, but would also enable domestic agricultural and processed products to exit into the world market through its huge network as a hypermarket.
US Ambassador in Armenia John Heffern made a related twitter post: "Hear Carrefour wants to open in Yerevan. I used to shop there in Brussels. Would be good for competition here. Hope it happens," he wrote.


text:
Jukung Island in Thousand Islands Regency, Jakarta
Do you have a plan in visiting Thousand Islands Regency? In this case, what you need is a destination. For instance, there is Jukung Island. Another name is Ayu Besar Island. However, it is not considered as major islands in “Kepulauan Seribu”. Still, it is a worthy vacation destination for you. Tourists recognize it as a natural conservation for birds. The most popular ones are osprey and white-bellied sea eagle. Those species are attractive. In fact, they become the main attraction on the island.
Jukung Island is uninhabited. Once you have arrived on the island, there are no people at all. What you can find are trees and wild animals. A shady environment is indeed astonishing. What’s next? It is the beach. The sand is white and the sea is calm. Apart from eagles, you can find other animals like crows, lizards, etc. In some parts of the island, there are mangroves, Casuarina equisetid folia, etc. Sometimes, people from nearby islands come there for harvesting nature resources. They come from Harapan and Kelapa Island. Though, it is a rare event.
Exploring Jukung Island
The location is near to other islands. That means you should explore other locations, too. Jukung Island is famous for its natural attractions. Though, it lacks in facilities. In this case, you can obtain good accommodations and facilities in other islands. Despite its weakness, Jukung has been included in the best list of vacation destinations. Not to mention it is a free land. Everyone is allowed to enter it. No fees are included, at all. It is a perfect location for exploring nature!
Next adventure is in the sea. Jukung Island also has a nautical beauty. It features colorful and abundant corals. Thus, you can perform either snorkeling or diving. Since there are no facilities, you should have prepared your snorkeling gear. For beginners, it is better to come with friends. Hiring an instructor is also recommended. He or she helps becomes your guide to explore the beautiful underwater. For the best experience, you must wear high quality gears. Those provide more comfortable and safer performance, indeed.
The island is the home of several species of eagles. In this case, bringing a camera is a must. It gives you an opportunity to capture beautiful creatures and objects. Another thing to do is island hopping. Make sure to rent a boat for a day. You are going to use it later. Not only the boat, but you are going to hire a navigator. He knows the route to nearby islands. No wonder, you should depend on him much. Thus, don’t forget to give him some tips.
- Kelor Island
- Hantu Island
- Matahari Island
How to Get There
How can you get there? Muara Angke is your first point. It is an ideal location to find good boats. Don’t forget to hire a navigator! Thus, you should have prepared more money. Another location to find a boat is in Marina Ancol. What makes it different? You can find better boats there, which are faster and more comfortable.
Where to Stay
- No hotels


text:
Download helparound app for FREE and ask your own questions
Join our community of helparound
I'm trying to get all the diabettes sites tht I need but I'm confused abt1 which is called diabettes guard I don't kno if I need it or not can any1help me
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
You can go to the diabetes association website
Hw do u kno if u go into a hypo
You may feel weak, shaky or possibly be trembling, hungry, tired, un focused or loss of concentration, sweaty or moody and possibly feel as your going to faint. If you have any of these symptoms you should check your blood glucose immediately.

domain: medical


This week the Badger Trust lost a court case to stop the government killing badgers. The government want to shoot wild badgers to stop the spread of a disease called bovine tuberculosis, which means thousands of cows every year have to be killed.
I don't have a problem with animals being shot to protect the countryside, and it happens to foxes, rabbits and deer. But there is absolutely no scientific evidence that shooting badgers will protect cows from bovine TB, and it might even make things worse. Shooting badgers for no reason is just stupid.
It would happen only in England. In Wales they are planning to vaccinate (give a medical injection to) badgers. It won't affect anything in Scotland, where I live. That doesn't mean I shouldn't care about it.
There is a very good piece about it on the Huffington Post. You can read more about it at the RSPCA website, and also at the Just Do Something website, and also here and here.
You can show your support by signing this petition (over 15,500 signatures so far) or the one at 38 degrees (over 62,000 !), or email your MP and the Prime Minister about it at the RSPCA website. Do it now !
Enjoy this post ? Share it !


By Ed Malik, 25 | October 5, 2022
The National President of Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Uche Ojinmah, has disclosed that worrisome number of doctors have left the shores of Nigeria in the worst case of professional brain drain ever witnessed by the nation and are now practicing in the United Kingdom and other European countries.
Dr. Ojinmah raised the concern during a press briefing on Monday October 24, to mark the 2022 Physicians’ Week in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The NMA lamented that at a time when the health sector was in desperate need of more medical personnel, the country is instead witnessing an exodus of doctors abroad, saying that no fewer than 10,296 Nigeria-trained doctors are currently practicing in the United Kingdom (UK)
The NMA national president who was represented by the Oyo State NMA Chairman, Dr Wale Lasisi, said, “Currently, Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign doctors working in the UK after India and Pakistan.”
“While we are losing our human resources to health in geometric progression, Lassa Viral Hemorrhagic fever, Malaria, COVID-19, Ebola, Marburg, and so on, are still very much available in the face of worsening incidences of systemic hypertension with or without complications, diabetes mellitus with or without complications, osteoarthritis, and so on.”
“We call on our governments at all levels, to quickly declare emergency action in Nigeria’s health sector for the sake of its citizens.”
The NMA leader, while expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of modern infrastructures and facilities for them to operate, also lamented that the general welfare of the members was not encouraging.
He added, “Let me inform you all that a Nigerian doctor is poorly paid, overworked, lacks necessary work tools, and has become a target for kidnapping.”
“We, as Nigerian doctors, have been taken from the lofty heights of nobility to nothingness by the neglect and possible disdain for the health sector by successive governments.”
“The penchant of state governments for seizing or slashing our salaries and paying them piecemeal at their convenience, without interest, has become a subject of folklore and, hence, cannot be allowed to continue.”
In a related development, the NMA Taraba State Chapter Chairman, Dr. Bako Ali, on Monday also decried the pitiable state of healthcare in their state, where he disclosed that the ratio of doctors to patients in the state is conservatively a doctor to about 10,000 patients in the State.
Dr. Ali, painted the glooming picture at a press conference in Jalingo, the State’s capital, as part of activities to mark the 2022 Physician Week.
The Taraba State Chairman explained that there are many challenges facing doctors in the State, such as inadequate manpower and facilities, which he said, are exacerbated by the non-implementation of CONMESS for doctors on the state payroll.
“Another challenge is that the State is yet to start payment of hazard allowance for doctors practicing in Taraba State and they are now moving to federal hospitals while those in the federal service are moving abroad over poor remuneration and conditions of service.”


text:
One Wisconsin gubernatorial hopeful campaigning this year shares his name with one of the more intriguing pop singers to emerge in the 1960s. The musical Scott Walker started releasing teen-pop 45s under his given name, Scott Engel, in the late 1950s, continuing to issue quite a few solo singles through the early '60s before achieving stardom in the U.K.
According to the 2006 biography The Impossible Dream: The Story of Scott Walker and the Walker Brothers by Anthony Reynolds, Engel started picking up various in studio and live gigs around Hollywood as a bass player, including some pickup bands with Gary Leeds, right around the same time they named the group The Walker Brothers.
Along with gaining new stage surnames, Engel and company recorded a couple singles in the second half of 1964, which disappeared quickly in the U.S. Just after these recordings, though, they made the bold decision to move to England, which paid off when the second single took off overseas. Massive stardom on the Continent followed, leading to a pair of U.K.-recorded stateside Top 20 hits that are about all many U.S. listeners are likely to remember -- "Make it Easy on Yourself" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore." Thereafter, Engel and his "brothers" disappeared from American pop radio forevermore.
What makes Scott Walker more intriguing than your run-of-the-mill pop crooner is his meandering path following the group's disintegration in 1967. With an apparent unconcern for re-igniting his star in America by chasing rock trends -- or, for that matter, maintaining his teen idol status in Europe -- Walker amplified the orchestral balladry side of the group's sound. But this new focus also featured a darker side, one that was already sneaking into his work by the time of the Brothers' final LP, Images.
His first four proper solo albums feature many Jacques Brel covers, other pop numbers (both standard and edgy) and, eventually, lots of original songs. The first three were huge hits in the U.K. and predictably ignored in the U.S., where their existence has remained a rumor maintained by an ever-growing cult of admirers spurred by Walker's mysterious and difficult oeuvre since the 1980s. But those records are a story for another day.
Here's a wrap-up of the first decade-plus of Noel Scott Engel/Scott Walker's career.
Take it Easy with The Walker Brothers (U.K.) and Introducing The Walker Brothers (U.S.)
The Walker Brothers' debut establishes the pattern the group would follow for their '60s work: big Spector-ish ballads sung by Scott Walker peppered with the occasional uptempo R&B cover, occasionally sung by John Walker/Maus. There are significant differences between the U.K. and U.S. editions, with four tracks on the former never released stateside, while the latter replaces those tracks with a couple random R&B covers and songs previously released on singles. Since it was created as an album, the British Take It Easy LP flows much better than the American Introducing... LP. Highlights on both versions include the early Randy Newman composition "I Don't Want to Hear it Any More" (later reissued by Smash as an edited single in an attempt to launch Scott's solo career), the Engel co-write "You're All Around Me," and their Wall of Sound retake of "Make It Easy on Yourself," previously a hit for Jerry Butler. The U.K. version also includes the excellent "The Girl I Lost in the Rain," and, what is probably their best Righteous Brothers impression, "Tell the Truth." There are even more early singles sides by the group which didn't make either version of the LP, including "The Seventh Dawn" and a Righteous-esque take on Clarence Henry's hit "But I Do." The group apparently never made much of a pretense that they were brothers, as their real names are detailed in the liner notes for both versions of the LP. (Philips U.K. /Smash U.S., 1965)
On their second album, the group largely aims for big ballads -- including on John's turns at lead vocal on R&B covers -- but there's still occasional beat material, such as on "Saturday's Child" and "Living Above Your Head." They're both singing well, and more restrained orchestration helps keep Portrait from going too far into sticky MOR territory. Engel's interest in more doom-laden material makes a bow on album opener "In My Room," which quotes from Bach's often-used "Toccata and Fugue in D minor." Confirming their pinup status, the original LPs came with a group portrait suitable for framing. (Philips U.K., 1966)
I Only Came to Dance With You as by John Stewart and Scott Engel
This is a cash-in LP released by Capitol subsidiary Tower while "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" was riding high on the charts in the summer of 1966, and on the market before Smash managed to issue a second LP, judging by when these platters showed up on the Billboard new release pages. It collects some tracks recorded by Engel and Stewart a couple years prior to The Walker Brothers, when the duo released singles as The Dalton Brothers, The Moongooners, The Newporters and probably other names. It's unlikely all of the songs on this LP actually involve Engel and Stewart, as their origin was sketchy at best even on release. The subterfuge was clearly on purpose, with covers of "Wild Weekend" being credited to Engel-Stewart, and Dale Hawkins' "La-Do-Dada" credited to Dean Evans; other tracks seem to have involvement by Mac Rebennack/Dr. John. And, it's all instrumentals but for three songs, so the album can be skipped except by the Walker completist. Stewart is neither John Maus (as the cover implies) nor the more famous singer/songwriter with the same name. (Tower U.S., 1966)
The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore/Baby You Don't Have to Tell Me
The U.S. version of their second LP is nearly completely different than Portrait, essentially serving as an odds 'n sods collection of tracks from the group's American singles and, handily, three of the four songs from the U.K. I Need You EP. Neither of the songs in the album title or their flip sides (following Smash's lazy habit of naming albums by whatever the single A-sides were) were on the U.K. album, either. The big title hit is easily the best song here, but the take on Engel's old partner John Stewart's "After the Lights Go Out" and Scott's own "Young Man Cried" are pretty close. There's also a song here that doesn't appear to have been released in the U.K. at all, a cover of Wilson Pickett's "Don't Fight It." (Smash U.S., 1966)
Apart from the Righteous-inspired album opener "Everything Under the Sun," and fuzz rocker "I Wanna Know," the Walkers' third long player is again mostly shy of beat group material. There are lots of solid if unremarkable ballads, occasionally heading in a super-MOR direction like John's lounge-y take on "Blueberry Hill." There are also more signs of what's in Scott's future, both in the form of the dramatic, self-penned "Orpheus" (the best track here) and the straight-up take on "Stand By Me." Perhaps unsurprisingly given the music's mostly non-rocking nature, and the fact that their follow-up singles to "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" sank without a trace, this album went unreleased stateside. There are also four more non-LP singles from around the time of Images. The first, "Another Tear Falls"/"Saddest Night in the World," was their last release in the U.S. It was followed overseas by an excellent double-sider of Engel songs, "Deadlier Than the Male"/"Archangel," both of which would fit comfortably on his first solo LP. Other A-sides include giving the Wall of Sound ballad treatment to covers of "Stay With Me" (Lorraine Ellison) and "Walkin' in the Rain" (The Ronettes). There's even more non-LP material on the Solo Scott/Solo John EP from 1966, much of which I've never heard. (Philips U.K., 1967)
Scott (U.K.) and Aloner (U.S.)
Though Smash bailed on the last Walker Brothers LP, they jumped back on the bandwagon after Engel's first solo album was a huge hit overseas, though they felt the need to re-title it. It's an adult-themed Scott who emerged as a solo act, both in the sometimes risque subject matter and more complex orchestration, particularly the arrangements by Wally Stott. Engel's songwriting voice builds on the promise of his latter-day Walker Brothers songs, with the classic like "Montague Terrace (in blue)," though many of the album's best moments are provided by his frenzied attack on Brel showstoppers "Mathilde" and "My Death." It's hard to say exactly why this record works -- at its base the music is still just orchestral pop, if at times oddly arranged. But the overall mood of somber desperation, reminiscent of the downbeat style encapsulated best by some of Frank Sinatra's '50s concept albums, is garnished with terror on the side via Walker's vision. Both the occasionally over-the-top arrangements and Walker's liquid baritone croon give the listener a feeling of being trapped in a blind alley, with one's pursuers just around the corner. (Philips U.K. 1967/Smash U.S., 1968; LP reissue by 4 Men With Beards, 2008)
The formula worked, so why change it? The weirder moments are perhaps even creepier than on his first solo disc, provided again by the pen of Brel and Engel himself. Their songs here are all essential parts of Walker's canon, and much of the rest sort of floats by thanks to his excellent singing. That leaves the overall mood here perhaps a bit less alienated, with mostly calmer orchestration and a few moments of sunshine nearly glimpsed before the clouds bank in completely. (Philips U.K./Smash U.S., 1968; LP reissue by 4 Men With Beards, 2008)
For me, this is the record where everything comes together perfectly for the first time. A majority of the songs are by Engel, who has assimilated his influences into a storytelling style all his own. Beautiful songs such as "Rosemary" and "Big Louise" show that style has crystallized into something a bit gentler than (though still very influenced by) the Brel songs he'd so far covered. An occasional dissonant gloss in the orchestration helps keep things off-kilter, but that's really about as experimental as this lush pop music gets. The more risque tone of the first two discs is mostly absent as well, and not particularly missed for Engel's song cycle of lonely or marginalized people. The album switches gears a bit by ending with three more Brel covers, albeit a gentler side of Jacques than assayed on Walker's first two albums. Also worth noting: The Smash version omits "30th Century Man" and adds "Lights of Cincinnati," a U.K. single-only track, instead. (Philips U.K./Smash U.S., 1969; U.S. LP reissue of U.K. version by 4 Men With Beards, 2008)
Scott: Scott Walker Sings Songs from his TV Series
By the end of the '60s, Walker was such a big star in England he was given his own BBC television show, and this album features studio versions of the standards he had sung on the show. Fans of abrasive later albums such as The Drift may be very disturbed by the big, brassy production of this album, but I actually find Scott Walker Sings Songs pretty enjoyable; it's fun to hear Walker just singing his ass off without also being sort of scary. While most of his music has resurfaced via either CD or LP reissues over the years, this album has remained on the shelf. (Philips U.K., 1969)
A worthy continuation of 3, Walker's fourth proper solo album features only his own songs for the first time. The album has a lighter feel, though the lyrical concerns haven't changed much, partly due to the fact that many songs are built from a simpler drums-guitar-bass combo rather than full-on orchestration. What's lost in sonic density is more than gained back by opening up space for Walker's expressive vocals. Somewhat ironically, his more straightforward rock approach ended up being the point where Walker lost his audience, as the album sank quickly in the U.K. and wasn't even released in the U.S. at the time. His first LP of the '70s, Til the Band Comes In, was the last to contain any original songs until an improbable reunion by The Walker Brothers in the latter half of the decade. In between would be lots more MOR covers and even a side road into country music! (Philips U.K., 1969/4 Men With Beards U.S., 2008)

domain: entertainment


The Rotary Club of The Villages – Evening has made helping local food pantries a top priority.
Club President Gay Ratcliff-Seamens and Karl Keri, liaison for the Rotary Interact Club at South Sumter High School, recently paid a visit to Hope Ministries Food Pantry in Bushnell after learning that the facility was running low on food items with Christmas quickly approaching.
Hope Ministries Volunteer Coordinator Tammy Jolly welcomed the two Rotarians, gave them a tour of the facility and explained how they serve between 2,000-2,500 Bushnell-area residents per month. She said the pantry distributes food twice a month and the next time is just around the corner on Dec. 16, from 9 a.m.-noon.
“It’s hard to imagine how they will have these shelves filled and ready for so many people in need,” Ratcliff-Seamens said.
Added Keri: “As a Villager, I was not familiar with this rural community. All the food pantries need help, especially this one.”
This month, the Rotary Club has been able to donate $1,000 each to the Hope Ministries Food Pantry, the Christian Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul/St. Timothy’s in The Villages, the St. Theresa Food Pantry in Belleview and the Hope Food Pantry of Weirsdale. In addition, the club gave $700 to the Village View Church Food Pantry.
The last three food pantries mentioned above serve Summerfield and the surrounding area, which is home to the students of Harbour View Elementary School, a major focus of the Rotary Club of The Villages – Evening. For more information or if you would like to help, contact Ratcliff-Seamens at (863) 660-4933.


Stuart Turner has been appointed as national sales manager for ELCO Heating Solutions.
Having worked in the commercial heating industry for over 35 years, he has a wealth of experience and knowledge in all aspects of the sector.
Stuart has joined the company from commercial boiler manufacturer, Hamworthy Heating, where he held the role of national sales manager since 2008.
Stuart will be responsible for growing market share and developing new business for ELCO with consultants, contractors and installers throughout the UK.
“I’m incredibly excited by the opportunities available for the company over the coming years,” Stuart said.
“Our portfolio of products is already really strong, but we also have many new developments in the pipeline, which are sure to make a big impression over the coming years.”


Advances in Organ-on-a-Chip Technology
Technological advances and changes in the regulatory landscape mean organ-on-a-chip systems could soon transform the way medicines are tested.
Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles.
An organ-on-a-chip (OOAC) is a model system containing engineered cells grown inside microfluidic chips.1 Although the concept of an OOAC is not new, technological advances and changes in the regulatory landscape mean they could soon transform the way medicines are tested.
Until recently, every single new medicine had to be tested preclinically in animal models, but now – in the US at least – the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 has paved the way for the use of alternatives, and OOACs are one option being explored for accelerating drug discovery and development.2
“OOACs offer the potential to solve clinical development attrition by providing human models that truly replicate the complex biological, biochemical and biomechanical environments you'd find in vivo, rather than being limited to what you can model in a petri dish,” says Professor Martin Knight, co-director of the Queen Mary Centre for Predictive in vitro Models and the UK Organ-on-a-Chip Technologies Network. “But there [are] key challenges to getting to that stage including how to represent the full complexity of human tissues and organs in both health and disease and identifying ways to validate these organ-chips as preclinical models.”
Organ chips: modeling complexity
At the forefront of organ-on-a-chip models are those used in toxicity testing, where the model replicates a healthy liver or kidney.3 “There's been some really good research beginning to validate those liver models which shows that, when liver or kidney models are incorporated into a preclinical testing pipeline, they actually save money for pharma because they have better predictive power than animals,” says Knight. “But increasingly, organ chips are being explored for their potential in efficacy testing, but we don't yet have enough good, validated models for all the different conditions that are usable by industry.”
There are now a wide range of commercial OOAC platforms available – these include systems with the ability to apply mechanical or physiological forces – which can then be bioengineered to reproduce the characteristics of a model or disease, but this requires building in a level of complexity that is often technologically challenging.
In the Molecular Cell Biomechanics Lab at the University of California Berkeley, Dr. Amin Valiei is taking a step-by-step approach to reconstructing one of the most complex human systems on a chip – the human gut microbiome.
“Most research has focused on finding correlations between microbiome composition and diseases in people using sequencing techniques of fecal samples, but what is lacking is a mechanistic understanding of how the microbial composition and structure contributes to these diseases,” said Valiei. “Our aim is to make a model of the intestine and of intestinal microbiology in the lab. By taking advantage of microfluidic technology, an OOAC will model transport processes such as hydrodynamics, chemical gradients and the continuous flow of nutrients that occurs in the gut, meaning we can address a lot of the shortcomings of simpler techniques such as plate cultures or organoids, which cannot replicate these physiological conditions.”
There are a lot of technological hurdles to creating a realistic gut microbiome OOAC, but improved gut-on-a-chip models now allow prolonged coculture of microbiota and human cells,4 and increasing coverage of microbial community databases and advancements in sequencing techniques are providing a better picture of the gut’s microbial community. Now, Valiei says, they need to build on this to understand the microbe types and culture conditions that reproduce what is seen in humans.
“For example, one aspect is that host cells generally secrete a mucus layer that keeps the bacteria at a distance within the gut, but this secretion is commonly lower in model cells compared to the real human cells,” explained Valiei. “So, we are focusing on modeling microbial structures inside the intestine, understanding and reproducing the optimal conditions to keep these microbes alive. We also aim to induce microbes to form microbial communities in co-cultures with human cells and use computational modeling to understand host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions.”
The goal is to build a stable microbial community that has a composition similar to gut communities and use this knowledge first to better understand disease but also later as a tool for precision medicine, where different people’s fecal samples are tested and the signature of the microbial community can be used to predict, prevent and potentially treat disease.
At the Centre for Predictive in vitro Models at Queen Mary University London, Knight and colleagues are also focused on a range of highly complex OOACs, including a breast cancer bone metastasis model. “You’ve got bone which is a complex tissue and is mechanosensitive, three different bone cell types, vascularization, and then you have to add on the tumor and the tumor microenvironment, so that's a pretty complicated model to build,” said Knight. “We think we're getting closer to doing that.”
Another complicated example is their model of a human synovium-on-a-chip recently reported for studying inflammation in arthritis.5 This chip comprises synovial cells, blood vessels and circulating immune cells to allow researchers to study how immune cells migrate into the joint, causing inflammation. “All the models we're producing allow both fundamental research into disease processes and screening of new compounds and therapeutics,” explained Knight. So, we've produced the vascularized synovium-on-a-chip model, but we're also producing models of the synovial joint incorporating the important interactions between tissues such as cartilage, bone and synovium. These complex in vitro models enable researchers to build up the complexity depending on the question for which the organ-chip is to be used.”
This complexity is not only limited to building in biological features, but also building in diversity. “With medicines currently tested in clinical trials in humans, it's difficult to capture the full diversity of our human population. And it's not just genetic diversity, it’s our lifestyle exposures that also makes us different,” said Knight. “So, we also need to work out how to build that inherent diversity into our OOAC models.”
Validating OOACs as efficacy models
The next major challenge in realizing the potential of OOACs in preclinical development is their validation, i.e., ensuring they are non-inferior to conventional animal models. This is directly related to their complexity, says Knight. “How much complexity do we need to replicate in an organ chip, for it to be effective? That's a difficult question to answer. You can't replicate everything. It would be big, hugely expensive and take ages to develop. But I think everybody agrees we need more complexity to this than a monolayer of one cell type grown on a flat sheet of plastic.”
The first step is for stakeholders – including academia, industry and regulators – to come together to work out how to validate these models for the different organs and different diseases and test whether these OOAC models are better at predicting whether a drug is going to work compared to the gold standard animal model.
The Queen Mary Centre for Predictive in vitro Models brings together academics with representatives from over 50 companies working in this field. This includes major biopharma industry, key regulators such as the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, and industry developing next-generation organ-chip technology. By working in partnership, the group is trying to address these questions to ensure that OOAC technology is going to be robust enough to test whether new therapies will be safe and effective in patients.
“What we need is a consistent approach for validating the models, so you know you've got an approved model that accurately replicates disease biology and can be used for preclinical testing. These models have huge potential to support therapeutic innovation and not just for small-molecule drugs, but also gene therapy, stem cell therapy and all sorts of emerging new health solutions,” said Knight. “If we could use OOACs to better predict which of these solutions will be successful in clinical trials, and even predict which treatment is best for an individual patient, then we'd drive better healthcare and save time and money. As a result it becomes economically viable to develop other therapeutics, even for prevalent diseases. Ultimately, you'd get better and better delivery of new therapeutics for the benefit of us all.”
About the interviewees:
Martin Knight is a professor of mechanobiology and a bioengineer based at Queen Mary University of London. His research examines how living cells and tissues within our bodies sense and respond to mechanical forces with particular focus on organ-chip technology.
Amin Valiei is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on the development of advanced in vitro and in silico models to gain insights into the conditions that promote the health of the human gut microbiome and explore potential causes and treatments for imbalances occurring within this complex system.


Palm Springs businesses split over cancelled biker rally
The cancellation of an annual biker rally in downtown Palm Springs is drawing mixed reactions from local business owners.
Some merchants and restaurant owners say American Heat brought more trouble than it was worth and applaud officials for nixing the event over safety concerns.
But others say losing the October gathering will cost them thousands of dollars just as the tourism season begins.
The City Council scrapped American Heat last week after a group of local hoteliers raised safety concerns. Palm Springs police believed this year's event would have carried a greater threat of gang violence in the wake of a deadly biker shootout at a Texas restaurant in May.
Security for this year's American Heat could have cost the city $100,000 or more, City Manager David Ready told a group of business owners at a meeting Tuesday. That's far more than past years' costs, and it still wouldn't have guaranteed a safe event.
"This was a very serious issue because the stakes are high. The stakes are high on both sides," Ready said."It was a tough balancing act decision of what's in the greater interest of the city."
Randy Burke, president of Roadshows, the event management company that organizes American Heat, said he heard of the cancellation a day before the city council officially made the decision. "And there was no dialogue," he said.
Roadshows is typically involved in 12-15 such events across the country every year, Burke said. Palm Springs is the only city to cancel its event in the wake of the Texas incident.
That was also the case in 2002, Burke said, when city leaders cut the event after a deadly fight at a casino during a biker rally in Laughlin, Nevada.
Some in the downtown business community, including Hair of the Dog English Pub owner Larry Bitonti, have questioned the city's reasoning. Most American Heat attendees, they say, are older professionals — not vicious gang members.
"We've got people that bring in $60-, $70-, $80,000 bikes for this," Bitonti said. "The last thing they're looking for is trouble."
Police have made drug- and weapon-related arrests connected to the event before. But police department spokesman Lt. Mike Kovaleff stressed last week that almost all attendees obey the law.
Some business owners welcomed the cancellation.
"We don't get anything from the bikers except fights," said Dimitri Maras, who owns the Greek Islands restaurant.
Retail shops lose foot traffic throughout the weekend event because parking is impossible to find, said Jerry Sanders, who owns the clothing store British Invasion.
"It's the worst weekend of the year for us," Sanders said. "Our regular customers, regular tourists, stay away during the biker weekend."
Sanders and others said out-of-town street vendors sapped most of their business during American Heat, drawing bikers away from local options.
But some businesses like the Palm Canyon Roadhouse relied heavily on the customers American Heat brought in.
"It's the only event we have left," owner Greg LaRiviere said. He usually hires more than a dozen people to help staff the bar during American Heat.
Police said extra security for this year's event would have surpassed the city's roughly $26,000 sponsorship. But LaRiviere said paying more to bring thousands of people into town would have been a worthy investment.
Burke, the American Heat organizer, said it took years to build the event back up after the 2002 cancellation. Vendors moved on to other events and passed Palm Springs by.
Burke said he'd be open to talking with the city about bringing American Heat back next year.
"I just don't know if I have enough fuel in my stomach to start all over."
Don Simmons wrote a letter to Mayor Steve Pougnet expressing his support for American Heat. The 65-year-old Las Vegas man has visited Palm Springs before and looked forward to attending the event for the first time.
But Simmons said he and other motorcycle owners he knows won't come to Palm Springs in the future - even if the event is rescheduled.
"Most of us will never be back. It's just a town we've crossed off our list of places we would ever go," Simmons said. "I don't think I ever came to Palm Springs without spending a few dollars there. And they won't see me again."
Kia Farhang is a reporter for The Desert Sun. He can be reached at (760)778- 4625, firstname.lastname@example.org or on Twitter @KiaFarhang.