text:
Welp, seems that Maho decided to leave ANGERME and H!P - http://helloproject.com/news/7975/
Posted 31 December 2017 - 03:30 AM
Posted 31 December 2017 - 03:43 AM
Aw, Maho. She sounds so sad in her announcement, she truly did want to come back but her disorder is just still not there yet. I hope she will find peace and happiness, especially now that she is starting to be able to get out more often.
Someone on H!O requested a translation, so I translated Maho's part of the announcement in her own words:
It's me, Aikawa Maho.It's been a long time, everyone.It's been eleven months since I took a break from my activities due to my panic disorder.Because I'm almost finally recovering, and the frequencies of the attacks lessened,this spring, I was able to start attending university again.I'm so sorry for worrying and causing you all trouble.This time, I have decided to graduate from both Hello! Project and ANGERME.The reason why is because I'm very fearful of things returning to the state I was in before, when I'd have attacks during my activities.Because no one can know the timing of when the symptoms would occur,I believe the other members and the staff were at a loss for how to best support me.Due to this illness not having an easily established complete recovery, I'm not able to make what they call a "complete recovery and comeback."More than that, I just can't worry everyone, make everyone wait, or trouble my members anymore, and, thinking of things further down the line, the result was me deciding on this path of graduation.After announcing my illness, I thought I should become a little bit of strength for the other people who struggle with the same thing I do, or other illnesses, after hearing their stories.Joining ANGERME from the Kenshuusei,getting to stand on the same stage with the same S/mileage I had so adored,and getting to meet all of you fans has made me truly happy.I received so much warmth from everyone at handshake events despite having been a Kenshuusei for such a short period of time.I'd receive a lot of comments on my blog updates, and always looked forward to reading them.I'm truly grateful for everyone who supported me despite being inexperienced in singing and dancing.I'm sorry I couldn't directly talk to any of you from the time of the announcement of break until this here announcement.I'm so very happy for the time I got to spend performing as a part of ANGERME.I'm truly thankful for everything.-Aikawa Maho
Posted 31 December 2017 - 05:13 AM
Posted 31 December 2017 - 11:46 AM
Posted 12 January 2018 - 11:00 PM
Ayaka: https://ameblo.jp/an...2340625197.html
Moe: https://ameblo.jp/an...2341156692.html
Unsure if any of the other girls posted about it.
Posted 12 January 2018 - 11:25 PM
Posted 18 January 2018 - 01:04 AM
We were all hoping it wouldn't come to this Q_Q
Posted 18 January 2018 - 03:51 PM
I honestly keep ignoring and consequently forgetting this news. ;_;
Posted 18 January 2018 - 04:43 PM
I'm not surprised at all at this news, but it's sad nonetheless. I would much rather she had managed to recover and return to performing. I really liked her.
Did UpFront provide a therapist at all? I'm guessing no, since that doesn't appear to be part of their organizational model. Would it hurt to hire someone to serve that function when needed?
Here's a shot of her from the end of the Girls Live episode I watched on my first Friday night in Japan nearly two years ago:
Posted 18 January 2018 - 06:58 PM
The news got lost in the 2017 news thead. Could someone move the few posts over to this thread?


text:
Pit of Saron must be the place to meet the people worth meeting!
I don't just mean people…
I mean great people!
Yes, more of those that I was just talking about.
So while I appreciate I could be bringing you more entertaining posts, hell, maybe for once an informative post, I'm going to call out some more WoW heroes!
Frank – Aman'Thul
Frank is in the list for one very important reason (two, but I'll get to that) – he dropped group.
Yeah, we were stuck on boss number one and he took a bullet for the sake of the group because he believed (and yeah ok, maybe he was right), that his DPS was too low. He gave it a good hard crack though.
The other reason is that he is my Gnome-Punting promoting mate, you might know his as Tree Hugger Dave
Prosmona – Aman'Thul
Where to begin…
A Mage's mage…
- He offered food immediately!
- Did DPS without pulling agrro (unlike a certain Gnome Mage we all know… some of us love, the rest Rez him)
- Logged out in RP gear!
Holly Gnome poo… AWESOME!
So happy he got the last drop.. Grats!
Trena – Ner'zhul / Bloodlust
- She's a Lock
- She's a hot Lock!
- Soul stones, health stones, provided without asking
- Great DPS
- Did I mention she's a HOT Lock (this new WoW Armory is the new porn.. PORN FOR GEEKS!)
Aside: Have you ever noticed how hot girl locks look… they give their scantily clad Succubus a run for their money!
Joshii – Frostmourne / Bloodlust
- He's the Tank that is DPS, or
- The DPS that is Tank
- He was our Tank. He admitted that he is DPS tired of waiting for a group, so he's THE Tank – Got it!
- He's a damn good tank, the only thing that's lacking is the gear to give the healer some breathing space… and I don't mean to say he's unhealable.
- Who got aggro – He got aggro!
- He's the man!
Squidly – Aman'Thul
- Pro Healer (not my words… the next guy's…)
- Blogger
- Calling out the WoW Heroes!
- Honest enough to say I can't do it…
- Brave enough to give it a go
Ottomanz – Barthilas / Bloodlust
- He stayed!
Ohh yeah much more to come, but I'll leave it at that for the moment.
What is it that brings me to shower these people with accolades?
1st up, I want to acknowledge Frank, Prosmona and Trena.
This story isn't so much about them, but without them it wouldn't be a story. As in all the great sagas of old there were the heroes and the rest.
These folks may be the rest, but they are no less heroes!
Really the story is about the other two, because it flies in the face of (nearly) everything we have read in the blogsphere and forums since 3.3.
The Scene (briefly I promise)
Pit of Saron
- We wipe on Forgemaster Garfrost twice.
- Frank suggests he isn't helping the party, even though no one has said a bad word, he departs so we can find another.
- Enter stage left: Ottomanz
- Forgemaster Garfrost – one shot
- Ick & Krick – one shot
OK, I will expand a little. No, not on the fight per se, but the behavior of the group. This is one of those encounters where you can identify the bad-standing, situationally unaware, I'm going to DPS, your job is to heal team mates.
They are the ones face down in the green!
Not here, not anywhere in the instance!
You my dear party members are already heroes!
- During the trash on the hill Ottomanz calls me out… as a Pro Healer?
- As far as he is concerned, Joshii and the rest of us should have been feeding the crows, but we weren't so I am a Pro Healer… this is backed up by Joshii.. so OK, I am a pro healer.. got that folks?
- The falling ice gauntlet is a mess 1st time, mainly because I was afk for the 1st 10 seconds… and couldn't catch up.. nearly.. close enough to aggro, too far away to land a heal.
- Scourgelord Tyrannus – Wipe
- I point out I have never successfully healed this, but have dps'd it. Can Ottomanz heal?
- Joshii asks if Ottomanz can tank instead?
- Ottomanz can't do either (purely based on his knowledge of his own gear capability for this encounter), so we give it another go.
- Scourgelord Tyrannus – Wipe
- /bye says Ottomanz
But wait, there's more (no steak knives folks!)
OK, so up until now we have a relatively normal story, this is where the heroes proved themselves…
- Ottomanz has already said his goodbyes, but he hasn't left the party yet.
- Before he goes, he offers some friendly advice about Joshii's gear and particularly health – yes I mean friendly, helpful advice.
- Of course you know what Joshii does… he accepts it gratefully.
- We all thank Ottomanz for his help and patiently wait for him to drop group…
- But he doesn't… he then says…
I remember what it was like to be under-geared. I'll stick with you through this.
Here is a guy that obviously out gears us, that doesn't particularly want to have to bang his head and his repair bill against the wall, BUT he will give it a go because he remembers what it was like.
I was catching up on Dechion's posts yesterday… this rings a bell!
The encounter explained… patiently
Ottomanz then sets about patiently explaining the encounter, makes sure we are all comfortable with what is about to happen, and we go again.
- We ran in..
- We engaged…
- We got lucky, I got the Overlords Brand more often than not..
- We survived.. we ALL survived.
It was one of those moments.
You know how at the end of a random, people hit DE, then teleport out…
We didn't… we just kinda milled about.. satisfied.. maybe even a little proud.
Wrapping it up in a pretty little bow
So to wrap it up.
- 1st I'd like to thank you all for making my life as easy as could be byt playing intelligently.
- 2nd I'd like to say to Joshii… Tanking may not be your preferred spec, but I'm telling you now… if you tank that well in mediocre gear, you will be an awesome tank a couple of hundred badges down the road!
- 3rd I'd like to thank Ottomanz for being a patient, caring supportive member of the party, that gave us a second chance and took the time to educate us and didn't leave us wondering if we would ever thank that bastard dragon rider down.
- 4th I'd like to thank myself for being a Pro Healer… but that's a bit conceited… and not entirely deserved.. I just got lucky.
So if any of you readers are Alliance side on Barthilas, Frostmourne or Ner'zhul, please make sure these guys know they have been called out.. I'll look after the Aman'Thul side of things… I'll even shout Tree Hugger Dave a beer when he arrives at my place next Friday night.
The Best Pugging People in the game
Here is a challenge for ALL of you.
For the next week, well from this point forward, but at least for the next week, I want you to do an attitudinal shift.
- No failpug stories… none! If you have one, draft it and put it aside, see if you still want to post it in a week.
- Actively remember and write about the Best Pugging People in the game
- When (not if) you participate in the "Everyone" activities below, make sure you publicize it via your blog.
- You are welcome to write your Best Pugging People in the comments here, but I want to shift the attitude in the whole game. While I am happy that I get between 600-1,000 readers a day, that's not quite 11-12 million players, so
- Go to your realm forums and start a thread called "The Best Pugging People in the Game".
- Call some people out for being great, write a story if you are so inclined
- Go to their realm forum and do the same thing
- Remember that the Trolls will love this, there is a good chance that your 1st post will become infested… that's OK. Most people aren't Trolls, and we will rise up and put them back in their little boxes.
Speaking of Heroes and DeathKnights…
TyphoonTyphoidAndrew's interview on Twisted Nether Podcast is available for download and a listen right now. I happen to like Andrew and he's an Aussie so he's already off to a good start. However this interview stands on it's own. I think it's one of the best I have listened to (which I did live while trying to capture Best Pugging People stories), now you get the chance to download you own copy!
Gnomer and Out, Squidly and Stout!
PS: I mentioned this on Twitter… there is a reason my feedreader never gets below 1,000+ unread items… it's because of people like Dechion. I read the post, then mark it as unread. Of Dechion's posts that I read yesterday 8/9 remain (marked) unread… the 9th some bullshit about gearing a DK Tank… Actually it wasn't bullshit, but it's not my cup of mana.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Relationships with
Photo Credit: Aarón Díaz's picture is courtesy of MostBeautifulMan. Photographic illustrations of Aarón Díaz are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Aarón Díaz is derived from astrological interpretation of Aarón Díaz's date, time, and place of birth.


text:
TxDOT director: At least $1B a year more needed
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Texas Department of Transportation's executive director says the agency needs $1 billion a year more to keep up with road maintenance.
Phil Wilson told a group of officials Thursday that TxDOT will need an additional $3 billion a year to deal with growing congestion on roadways. The Dallas Morning News reports (http://bit.ly/ZxzT0d) that Wilson said he would let the Legislature decide how to increase road funding and did not support any specific ideas.
Lawmakers have already said Texas will need to tackle road financing as the state's population grows.
TxDOT relies on a 20-cents-a-gallon fuel tax that hasn't been raised since 1991. State officials say they'll soon run out of money for any construction or expansion without changes.


text:
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text:
Here at Born on Third we like to hear what you the fan thinks, because after all we are all fans, and we want to know what's going on in your head regarding the Cubs. Have a comment, want to vent about the Cubs? Then send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will feature it on the blog. Our first entry comes from Stanley Croussett, a die-hard Cubs fan from Philadelphia, PA. Give him a follow on twitter for more Cubs chatter, and please do not hesitate to send us your thoughts!
– George


text: Ahhh, Ohhhh. I was going to buy the fairing mount stuff from MotoBins because it was SS. It is not as good as the BMW mild steel painted stuff? @TINK: Great thread. I'm collecting parts to do my RT as well. Couple of questions: 1) What Jack is that you are using? I looked at HF and didn't see one like it? 2) About howmuch did the paint set you back? I am doing Straight black as well, thought about learning to paint. Also, will my 92 Headlight shell be able to accommodate the ignition switch?


text:
The winner of Chicago's mayoral runoff election will join seven other black women currently serving as mayors in major U.S. cities, including Atlanta and New Orleans.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's reputation as a rising political star and legal crusader was badly tarnished by her office's handling of two celebrity cases involving "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett and R. Kelly.
It will be several weeks before a judge decides whether the public will get a look at the sealed court file in the Jussie Smollett case.
Brittani Rice, 18, and Senobia Brantley, 19, were both killed late Monday in what police believe may have been a "targeted" attack on the South Side.
The three-year funding award will be used to develop population-specific cancer prevention and screening programs at community hospitals and health centers in Austin, Humboldt Park and South Shore.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 370,000 Chicago residents had cast their ballots for the city's next mayor, treasurer and, in some wards, alderman.
And: Composer Alan Menken charms Auditorium audience
Alan Menken performs his delightful one-man show to a packed house in the Loop as his first hit musical, "Little Shop of Horrors," receives a terrific production on the North Side.
Forty years ago, Chicago elected its first female mayor. We remember the historic victory of former Mayor Jane Byrne.
Watch the April 2, 2019 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."
Whether Lori Lightfoot or Toni Preckwinkle becomes the next mayor of Chicago, the 2019 runoff is one for the history books. We take a deep dive into the political significance of this election.
Lori Lightfoot has become the first African-American woman elected mayor of Chicago, defeating her opponent, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, in a landslide.
Longtime Ald. O'Connor defeated by democratic socialist 40th Ward
In an upset, longtime Ald. Patrick O'Connor was unseated Tuesday by former rapper Andre Vasquez. How the runoff played out in other wards across the city.


text:
User:John arthorne.ca.ibm.com
Revision as of 11:01, 2 April 2012 by John arthorne.ca.ibm.com (Talk | contribs) (→Talks and Tutorials)
John has worked on the Eclipse and Equinox projects for the past decade in many different areas. He was the main developer on the resource model for many years, and designed the platform's concurrency infrastructure. In recent years he has focused on the Orion project, provisioning (p2), e4, and overall platform API quality. John is a member of the Eclipse Architecture Council, Planning Council, Eclipse Project PMC, and the Eclipse Foundation Board of Directors. John is a Senior Software Developer at IBM, based in Ottawa, Canada.
Articles and Publications
- Planet Orion
- e4 Technical Overview
- Official Eclipse 3.0 FAQs
- How You've Changed! Responding to resource changes in the Eclipse workspace
- Project Builders and Natures
- Using Images in the Eclipse UI
- Drag and Drop in the Eclipse UI
Talks and Tutorials
- EclipseCon 2012: Extending Orion
- Eclipse EclipseCon 2012: SDK's Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years
- EclipseCon 2011: The Orion Workspace and Server
- [http://www.eclipsecon.org/2011/sessions/?page=sessions&id=2259 EclipseCon 2011:
A busy year for the Eclipse platform]
- EclipseCon 2009: A deep dive into the platform resource model
- EclipseCon 2009: What's the Context? The e4 programming model
- EclipseCon 2007: Cool stuff in Equinox
- EclipseCon 2007: Versioning plug-ins is good for you
- EclipseCon 2007: Eclipse APIs and Java 5
- EclipseCon 2006: Designing Eclipse APIs
- EclipseWorld 2005: Developing Applications With the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP)
- EclipseWorld 2005: Power User Central: Getting the Most Out of Your Eclipse Experience
- EclipseCon 2005: Eclipse Concurrency In Action
- EclipseCon 2004: Writing responsive UIs using the Eclipse 3.0 concurrency architecture


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January 13, 2009
What can we expect from Obama?
The website of President-Elect Obama's transition team outlines some key strategies and plans for higher education in the next 4 years:
- Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama and Biden will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.
- Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid: Obama and Biden will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.


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text:
The Alleghenies brand was launched in January 2006 to establish a strong identity for the region by uniting the participating counties with a distinct purpose, audience and product. The Allegheny Mountain Range of the Appalachian Mountains, the only geographic factor linking all counties, was chosen as a means to identify the region as a destination. Pennsylvania, and this region in particular, has taken ownership of The Alleghenies much like Colorado has claimed the Rockies, the Smokies that have been claimed by Tennessee and even the Alps that have been claimed by Switzerland. The goal of the brand is to provide a name that brings to mind great challenges, natural beauty, rich history and a superb quality of life.
"This Place Speaks to You" is an attitudinal statement that connects readers to the soul of The Alleghenies. Whether for relaxation or to test their skills and push themselves, the roads, trails, waterways, forests and mountains of The Alleghenies seeks to understand the readers and is waiting to thrill, relax and amaze visitors to the region.


text:
Bilingualism has many rewards including enhanced cognitive skills, lower occurrence of dementia in old age, higher paying job opportunities, double the pool of friend and relationship possibilities, and now, free pizza.
A Texas-based pizza chain is getting some backlash over their latest promotion. On June 5th from 5 to 8 pm, Pizza Patrón customers who order in Spanish will receive a free large pepperoni pizza, but this has some monolingual English-speakers feeling a little cheesed off. (I couldn't resist the pun. ¡Perdóname!)
"This is America and in America we speak American when we order Italian food!" said one angry customer, (Okay, I made up that quote, although it's not much of an exaggeration from real quotes I've read.)
Pizza Patrón unfortunately can't claim to be surprised by the reaction they've gotten since they generated a similar response in 2007 when they announced that they would accept pesos as payment.
Regardless of how ridiculous people are being about the promotion, they can't accuse Pizza Patrón brand director Andrew Gamm, of not playing fair – Hungry gringos wanting their share of the pie will not be left out. "If you don't speak Spanish, come on in. We'll give you the phrase and make sure everyone that shows up walks away with a pizza." (By the way, the very difficult phrase customers must learn how to say is "Pizza, por favor." …Seriously people, if you can't say that, you have bigger problems than not being able to get a free pizza.)
Did you notice how "pizza" is spelled in the advertisement above? That is genius marketing at work. Here's an excerpt from a Pizza Patrón press release explaining:
"Collateral materials for the promotion feature the word PIZZA spelled with a "C" resulting in text that reads PICZA POR FAVOR™ (pronounced "PEEK-ZA"). Company officials say many of Pizza Patrón's corporate staff members pronounce words like PIZZA as PICZA or PEPSI as PECSI.
"Nearly half of our corporate staff says PICZA ("PEEK-ZA") instead of PIZZA," says Gamm. "And when we dug a little deeper, we soon realized that a good number of our Hispanic customers also say PICZA ("PEEK-ZA") too. We thought it would be fun to incorporate that cultural component into the campaign."
I have to say, at our house it's pronounced "PEEP-SA", but "PICZA" is close enough that I smiled, recognizing right away what they were up to.
How do you pronounce "pizza" at your house?
Bonus: Check out this hilarious take on the Pizza Patrón news story over at Pocho.com – Speaking Spanish gets you a free pizza – and Pocho Ocho other things


text:
#[Container.ReevooRating]/10 #[Container.ReevooReveiwCount] reviews
Contact us
If you've already booked
To make a booking
Ref: BH2443
As you want to go soon, please call us on 0345 498 6060 so we can confirm price and availability. It'll only take a few minutes.
This accommodation is available on request only. Please call 0345 498 6060 to confirm price and availability. Final price will be verified at the point of booking.
A very modern cruiser perfect for families, combining space, luxury features and comfort. Horizon 4 dimensions: 13.50m x 4.30m (44ft 3in x 14ft 1in).
5 bedroom(s)
Up to 9 people
Safer Stays
2 pet(s) allowed
Boats with dual steering positions feature a choice of two wheels to steer the boat with – one on the raised sun-deck and one inside the main cabin below. This means they are ideal for cruising in all weather conditions.
Aft steering cockpit boats are steered from a position at the rear, with a view through the screen forward over the whole length of the craft. This means they are generally easier to manoeuvre than other configurations. Most boats have a canopy with windows (similar to a convertible car's soft-top roof) which can be pulled forward to enclose the steering position for all-weather cruising, whilst some have a hard top design instead. Aft cockpit boats tend to be smaller than other types- this and their ease of handling makes them a good choice for first-time boaters.
Centre steering position the wheel in these boats is in the main cabin in the middle of the cockpit area. Most styles of this design will have a large sliding canopy over this cabin – making it ideal for cruising in all weathers.
Forward steering position. As the name suggests, these boats feature the steering position right at the front, inside the main cabin area. This means that forward vision is very good. These boats usually feature a spacious and light interior and a single level deck which many parties find more convenient and easy.
Tiller steering position. All canal boats are steered by a tiller, a handle connected directly to the rudder at the back ('stern') of the boat. The steering position is in the open, and there are three types of stern.
This boat has a Flying Bridge with the steering wheel position located on the deck above the saloon, providing a boat with total outside seating for the whole crew.
With two bases on the River Thames; Benson in Oxfordshire and Chertsey in Surrey, you can cruise between Oxford and Kingston upon Thames, stopping off in towns such as Henley upon Thames, Marlow or Windsor. You'll pass by famous sights such as Hampton Court and Windsor Castle, and with Legoland and Thorpe Park en-route, there's something for everyone!Choose from a fleet of stylish and comfortable self-drive cruisers, with sun decks for alfresco dining and perfectly equipped for a great holiday. No experience is necessary - all instruction and guidance is provided on arrival.
Le Boat also operate a similar high quality fleet on the Caledonian Canal see pages 192 - 194.Le Boat also has holidays in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Ireland – please see website for details.One way cruising available to/from Chertsey – supplements apply.A deposit against the cost of fuel is charged.
We have encouraged all of our owners to adapt their cleaning routine. The provider of this accommodation has confirmed they are following the Safer Stays principles, which include:
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Benson - Lechlade - Benson
One week
Start from the small village of Benson in the foothills of the Chilterns and cruise gently upriver to the market town of Abingdon. Then it's on to Oxford with its magnificent university buildings, wonderful Ashmolean Museum and historic Bodleian Library. Continue through the peaceful Oxfordshire countryside to medieval Eynsham and on to Newbridge and the riverside village of Radcot. On your way to Lechlade, which marks the end of navigation on the Thames, you'll pass Kelmscott Manor, summer home of William Morris and the beautiful house and grounds of Buscot Park.
Benson - Oxford - Benson
4 or 5 nights
Start from the small village of Benson in the foothills of the Chilterns and cruise gently upriver to the pretty market town of Abingdon. The museum here is housed in an impressive baroque building that was once the county hall for Berkshire. Then it's on to Oxford with its magnificent university buildings, wonderful Ashmolean Museum and historic Bodleian Library. You'll also find an excellent choice of shops, restaurants, bars and pubs in this historic city.
Benson -Abingdon - Benson
3 or 4 nights
Start from the small village of Benson in the foothills of the Chilterns and cruise gently upriver to the pretty market town of Abingdon, which boasts a picturesque ancient bridge. The museum here is housed in an impressive baroque building that was once the county hall for Berkshire and is well worth a visit.
Benson - Reading - Benson
Starting from the small village of Benson in the foothills of the Chilterns, your cruise takes you down the scenic River Thames to Goring, an attractive town set in a gap between the Chilterns and the Berkshire Downs. Nearby Mapledurham House, an Elizabethan marvel complete with working corn mill, is well worth a visit. The bustling town of Reading offers a wide choice of facilities, as well as an interesting museum.
Benson - Lechlade - Kingston - Benson
Two weeks
Cruise the whole length of the Thames, starting from Benson and going upriver to its navigable limit at Lechlade then back through ever-changing scenery to the historic university town of Oxford, passing through the old towns of Newbirdge and Eynsham. Then it's on to Henley, famous for its rowing, via Abingdon and Reading to Taplow and historic Cliveden House. Moor up at Thorpe Park for some thrilling rides and continue to Windsor with its famous castle, as well as Legoland and nearby Eton College. Magnificent Hampton Court Palace, home of kings, then awaits you before arriving at Kingston, a major shopping centre
Benson - Napton - Benson
Start from the small village of Benson and cruise gently upriver to the market town of Abingdon. From there it's a leisurely journey to Oxford with its magnificent university buildings, wonderful Ashmolean Museum and historic Bodleian Library. Your cruise then takes you on to the Oxford Canal. Call in for a pint at the pub at Thrupp, which featured in TV's Inspector Morse series, before continuing on to the magnificent Blenheim Palace. Next comes the old town of Banbury and then the historic village of Cropredy, famous for its folk festival, before you reach Napton and its landmark windmill.
You don't need a licence to drive a boat. However, like the Highway Code (but much simpler) there are a few basic rules you need to follow. These are all explained in the comprehensive manual which we provide in every boat. Your boatyard will also advise you when you are given your handover tuition.
Absolutely not. When you arrive to pick up your boat, you'll receive plenty of expert tuition from your boatyard staff. They'll provide all the training, help and advice you need until you're happy to take the helm. Your on-board manual gives you lots of tips and reminders, too.
Depending on the waterway, you'll be travelling at a maximum of 4mph to 7mph. Cruising about 4 hours a day means 80-100 miles in a week, and you can travel anywhere in the waters covered by your boat's licence. When you've searched our site for your ideal boat or start point, you can click to see details of suggested cruising routes for 3/4 night breaks and week-long holidays. View our cruising route maps, too.
The manual on board your boat has plenty of information about mooring places, and your boatyard will show you how to moor up. The most popular moorings are those closest to waterside pubs, restaurants, villages and towns (where a small charge is usually made) but there are many quieter places to moor free of charge. Mooring is free at any Hoseasons boatyard, Environment Agency mooring and on any canal towpath.
These are part of the fun. You simply steer your boat gently in, and use the big wooden beams to close the gates behind you. Then you open small paddle doors in the other gates with the L-shaped winding handle provided with your boat to let the water in or out and change the water level. Then you open the gates and drive out, stopping to close the gates and paddle doors before leaving. In Europe, and in Britain on the Thames, Caledonian Canal and parts of the Cambridgeshire Waterway, there are larger locks with lock-keepers to do the work for you. There are no locks on the Norfolk Broads.
Some boatyards (and nearly all on the canals) include your fuel in your holiday price, and the full tank you start with is usually much more than you need for your holiday. If you're charged, you will only be charged for the fuel used, and this amount will be deducted from your fuel deposit when you return the boat. Typical fuel costs for a week's cruising (depending on boat and waterway) are between £40-£100, but in Scotland, costs can be up to £130.
On your boat, of course. Your boat will have a full tank of water and all boats have hot and cold running water for kitchens and shower rooms. You can easily top up your water tank at all boatyards, yacht stations, and public moorings, usually at a small cost. When topping up remember to use "drinking water" only. We strongly recommend that water is boiled before drinking.
All you need to bring with you are sensible non-slip shoes, and you'll receive all the training about safety you need from your boatyard staff when you arrive. We recommend buoyancy aids for children and non-swimmers - these are provided free of charge when you pick up your boat. The boat manual on board your boat contains all the safety information you'll need, too. Remember, though, that boating is an active holiday. At least two members of your party will need to be able to jump on and off the boat to moor up and work the locks.
You must check when you make your booking before bringing any 240v electrical appliances. Some boats have 240v systems, but this does not mean that you can bring any appliances with you. In most cases, it's only possible to use the appliances supplied on the boat. All boats have shaver points for electric shavers, and most have a 12v accessory socket similar to a car. Any electrical items with a car adapter will operate from this socket, including mobile phones, camcorders, digital cameras and chargers for their batteries. You'll need to bring your own connecting plugs and leads, though.
Most boats welcome one or two well-behaved dogs and pets are free of charge at many canal boatyards. There are many excellent walks along the towpaths and in the countryside close to many moorings. For boating in Europe, the Pet Passport scheme is now well established, so you needn't leave one of the family behind! Visit https://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets for more details about what you need to do. You'll find other useful information at www.dogsaway.co.uk
Get shown the ropes and everything you need to know about a boating holiday with Hoseasons. It really is simple - you'll take to a boating holiday like, well, a duck to water!
Cruisers are the boats you will find available in the UK on the Norfolk Broads, the Cambridgeshire waterways, the Caledonian Canal and the River Thames. These waterways are not narrow like canals, so cruisers are of a normal width and overall shape. Cruisers are also available on the waterways of Ireland and Germany, and many of the boats on the rivers and canals of France and Holland are cruisers.
Available on the Norfolk Broads, River Thames and Caledonian Canal. Sizes range from boats sleeping from 2 to 8 people. These boats feature a choice of steering positions – one on the raised sun-deck and one below, so are ideal for all weather conditions.
Available on the Norfolk Broads, these boats are available in a wide range of sizes sleeping from 2 to 8 people. Forward vision is very good from these craft, which usually feature a single level deck which many parties find more convenient and easy.
Available on the Norfolk Broads and Cambridgeshire waterways, these boats are available in a range of sizes sleeping from 2 to 10 people. The feature of this design is a large sliding canopy over the saloon of the cockpit area.
These boats are available on the Norfolk Broads, River Thames, Cambridgeshire waterways and the Caledonian Canal. They are available in a range of sizes sleeping from 2 to 6 people. A folding roof (similar to the roof of a soft-top car) provides all-weather protection for the cockpit area.
AFT cockpit boats tend to be smaller than other styles, and are a popular choice for first-timers to boating. They are generally easier to manoeuvre, since all of the boat is visible forward from the steering position.
Built to fit the narrow canals which formed the backbone of Britain's transport network in the country's industrial past, narrowboats (or canal boats, as they are often called) owe much of their traditional design and construction to the horse-drawn barges of the period. Narrowboats are available on the canals of England, Wales and Scotland and the rivers Thames and Wey with which they are linked. On the waterways of Europe, narrowboats are available on the Canal du Midi in France and from one base in Holland. Elsewhere in France and Holland, wide beam variants of the narrowboat are available, as are traditional style French barges. French barges and some wide-beam boats feature wheel steering from an outside position on the upper deck rather than the stern tiller which is a feature of all narrowboats (see below).
Narrowboats are available in a wide range of layouts, sleeping up to 12 people, and combine their picturesque style with comfortably appointed interiors with modern facilities. Detailed plans are show for each layout so that you can see exactly how your party will fit in on your chosen boat. Narrowboat sterns have three main "shapes" (see descriptions and illustrations below) and all steer by means of a tiller at the back, or stern. There are also wide beam narrowboats on some waterways, and in France some of these have wheel steering, as do French barges.
Features a small, open rear deck providing space for the operation of the tiller.
The rear deck has more standing area than the traditional stern and sometimes fixed seats in the enclosed stern area, which is an ideal safety feature for young children who can be supervised by their helmsman.
This style of narrowboat has a spacious rear deck area, enclosed by a guard rail.
These boats are styled in a similar traditional way to other narrowboats, but are about 50% wider and so offer more convenient and spacious accommodation.
Houseboats are unique, offering you your own floating holiday home! They offer a completely different type of holiday afloat, since they are permanently moored in a choice of picturesque locations, and most offer day launch hire so you can explore nearby waterside attractions and places of interest.
You've Selected
7.8/10 4 reviews
A sporty looking cruiser with raised steering, offering tonnes of visibility.
8/10 1 reviews
Spacious, dual steering cruiser with comfortable sleeping accommodation, well suited to two couples or small families.
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Stylish, spacious and popular boat with luxurious accommodation throughout.
9/10 1 reviews
Sleek modern cruiser with spacious upper deck and large rear saloon.
Cruiser with spacious sundeck encouraging relaxing and socialising for a family or up to three couples.
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Well appointed cruiser with three ensuite shower/WCs.
A very modern cruiser perfect for couples or small families, combining space, luxury features and comfort.
An ideal boat for families and groups of friends holidaying together.
7.5/10 2 reviews
Roomy and luxurious cruiser with spacious upper sundeck.
Ideal choice for parties of up to 10 with spacious upper sundeck featuring fixed table, padded seats, sun canopy and cool box.
A very modern cruiser perfect for families, combining space, luxury features and comfort.
Secure your boating break for only £60* low deposit! Hurry, ends .
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Steve Granitz/Wireimage
Sunday night's red carpet was filled with memorable moments – including Danielle Jonas' barely there baby bump.
Arriving at the Teen Choice Awards in Universal City, Calif., the mom-to-be showed off her blossoming belly in a mini floral printed halter dress while posing for pictures with husband Kevin.
The Married to Jonas stars, both 25, are expecting their first child this winter – and recently took to Twitter to share a sonogram of their little one.
"The nausea has finally subsided," Jonas told PEOPLE in July. "Danielle's feeling much better now in the last couple of days, which is a really big step. She's not sick anymore."
RELATED GALLERY: 12 Standout Looks from the Teen Choice Awards


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Students Anna Dearth and Garrett Anderson talk with a local woman about the horrors of puppy mills
Photographer: George E. Mauzy Jr.
The students made this informational poster for the front of their Baker University Center table
Photo courtesy of: Anna Dearth
Student plays with one of the puppies from the local animal shelter
Photo courtesy of: Anna Dearth
Dec 9, 2013
By Andrea Frazier
Students in an introductory-level political science course are engaging with the local community to raise awareness about the detriment of puppy mills and to make positive change at Ohio University and in the Athens area.
The course, POLS 1600: Engaging Politics, is taught by Assistant Professor of Political Science Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, who encourages her students to recognize that "politics" encompasses so much more than elected officials like Congress and the presidency.
Lopez Bunyasi said that in addition to discourse and decision-making on the national level, politics is pervasive in our everyday lives; it's present in our bedrooms, in football, in fashion, and it is almost always power.
The class is made up of about 20 students, most of whom are freshmen. As one of their final assignments, the students worked as a team to take a stance on an issue and take some sort of political action on it.
The only limitations were that the action could not be illegal or violent.
To fulfill the requirements, the students painted the graffiti wall, and then manned a table outside of Baker University Center last Wednesday to raise awareness about the inhumane way that puppies are treated in breeding factories known as puppy mills.
There, they encouraged passerbys to sign an online pledge on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website, vowing not to purchase pets from the mills or stores that buy from them, like Petland. They also distributed flyers that stated that puppy mills kill 2.5 million puppies every year.
"These animals are being held in terrible conditions, not fed well, a lot of them starve to death," said Ty Herriot, a freshman studying pre-law political science. "I think that engaging in politics and taking political action is important because if you don't take action, nothing is going to get solved or get done."
Kasi Reed, a junior studying journalism, said the students also held on-location education near Petland on E. State St. in Athens on Friday, where they held signs that explained that puppy mills are deadly and encouraged people not to buy pets there.
The classmates had infinite possibilities when they came together to choose their issue and stance, but settled on puppy mills because they could all agree that their inhumane treatment of animals should be stopped.
Once they decided their topic, the class had just two weeks to decide their plan of action and to pull it off. Throughout the process, Lopez Bunyasi reminded them that their goal for the semester was not to change the world, but to draw attention to their cause and make a small contribution to change.
"Maybe some of them will continue on with that form of activism, maybe some won't," she said. "But they'll have the experience of putting themselves out there and having to stand with a cause. And deciding what was worth attaching their name to, that's also a big deal."


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Eileen Ford, Co-Founder of Ford Models, Dies at 92
Eileen Ford, co-founder of Ford Models, has passed away at the age of 92. Ford had been hospitalized since last week after suffering a fall in her New York City apartment, according to PEOPLE.
Eileen co-founded Ford Models with her husband Jerry Ford in 1946, and is widely regarded as a pioneer in creating the modern modeling industry.
Following her graduation from Barnard in 1943, Eileen met future husband Jerry at a drugstore near Columbia University. After he returned from World War II, the couple formed the Ford Modeling Agency after Eileen had worked as a secretary at her father's law firm. Within a year after its start, Ford Modeling had earned almost $250,000 in a year, making it the second or third most successful modeling agency in the U.S. at the time.
Over the years, Ford Models has represented many of fashion's top supermodels, including Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, Vendela, Carol Alt, Elle Macpherson, Christy Turlington and Amber Rose. Other celebrity clients include, or have included, Lindsay Lohan, Lana Del Rey and Courteney Cox.


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I am not sure if I like this new animal friend. I will have to think about this one!
(P.S. I have more Costa Rican animal friends, but will take a break from Costa Rica, and save them for later posts.)
Those rat snakes won't hurt you, but they will make you hurt yourself!
Woo so lead a wild wild life!
Horsies and now rats&snakes!
Wow. Wow. Wow.
That snake looks pretty long. Our glue traps are 4 to a package and each one is smaller. Your traps are bigger and that's a good thing in your case if you are catching snakes that way.
Was the snake still alive?
Your mouse has such big ears. He almost looks cute.
Crikey what's a glue trap. Is that snake stuck there?
Oh yeah if you go to Opy's blog you can read all about the DWB card exchange. JB dont forget to put your name down. Just click on the button on Opy's blog.
Noah x
Aaaaaaah aaaaahhhh aaaaahhhhh!
My mom won't stop screaming. She says she doesn't think you should be friends with that creepy guy. Guh.....
OMG, a snake? Was your Mom scared? My Mommy HATES snakes! How did she get it out of the garage?
Teddy Bear
w00fs, me not afraid of no big bad snakie, heehee but mama sure is..
b safe,
Poor snake. I hope you were able to unstick him from the glue trap and set him free. He probably chased the mouse in there.
I feel sorry for the snake...he only wanted to eat the mouse that youhad caught. I sure hope your neighbor was able to free him from the glue trap.
Coco The Princess
That's a scary sight... and the trap really did kill two birds with one stone... so to speak :)
Licks, hero
Hey JB I like that idea of the glue trap, I should invest in one to trap this damn mouse been bothering us for months now. We trapped one, but her/his friend showed up, lol. I be scared too. You know I witnessed once snake eating frog, it was very sad scenario, but then we all have to eat. So what did you do with the snake after all. Anna :)
Oh my dear god... What a terrible scene... Did they eat something toxic? I thought all snakes with this pictures in the skin have to be venomous...
Mom hates glue traps because the dang meese(mice) are all alive and stuff and then she feels all guilty...but she does NOT want the meese in the house. She wishes she had some rat snakes that would quietly eat them while staying out of her sight! Doesn't want much does she??????
And since it has been so cold for Oct,as you well know, she keeps looking all over for signs of those pesky rodents...urch. One year we had a rat come in....eeewwwww.
Still loving the pics from Costa Rico too!!
Hugs Sunny & Scooter & "the pup with no name yet" aaaannnndd Jamie


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Singapore GP 2013
Friday Press Conference
TEAM REPRESENTATIVES - Franz TOST (Toro Rosso), Bob FEARNLEY (Force India), Tony FERNANDES (Caterham), Claire WILLIAMS (Williams), Eric BOULLIER (Lotus)
Q: Let's start with today's two practice sessions. Bob, if I could turn to you first. Progress made or was it a bit of a struggle for the team?
Bob FEARNLEY: It was a little bit of a struggle but I think we saw a little bit of progress in FP2, so optimistic.
Q: Same optimism for you Franz?
Franz TOST: Yes, if we find seven to eight tenths then I'm optimistic for tomorrow.
Q: Any chance?
Tost: I hope so. The engineers have some time now. It's a wonderful night and I'm convinced that they can study all the data and they will find a solution for tomorrow's set-up.
Q: For yourself, Eric, one of your drivers spent more time on the track than the other. Romain Grosjean had problems.
Eric BOULLIER: Yeah, it's a concern in these early days but it should be fixed for tomorrow. Some issues yes on Romain Grosjean's steering, power steering and hydraulics but still fast, and obviously happy with the second session when we could see on the high fuel pace Kimi was matching the so fast Red Bull cars, so we'll see tomorrow,
Q: At Williams, Valtteri Bottas, driving here for the first time, was slightly faster than his team-mate Pastor Maldonado.
Claire WILLIAMS: He was but I think we're still where we are and I don't think that was a surprise. We had a few changes to the car this weekend that we have evaluated so we have a lot of data to go through and we'll see where we are tomorrow.
Q: And Tony and Caterham?
Tony FERNANDES: As Claire said: we are where we are. Young drivers who get used to the track every practice session and we improve every session, so we're expecting a bit more out of FP3 but we are where we are.
Q: Eric, if I could turn to you next. Not for the first time in Formula One history we've seen drivers and engineers leave Enstone recently to head off to Ferrari. How concerned are you about the impact the departures of Kimi Raikkonen, James Allison and Dirk de Beer will have on Lotus regarding your future competitiveness.
Boullier: Not so high as you could maybe surprisingly imagine. It's true that it's a new chapter for Enstone, we lose valuable people and obviously a very charismatic driver. But as you said it happened twice already in the Enstone and every time the team has been world champion right after. So actually I'm quite motivated saying let's start a new chapter and do as well or as good as happened before.
Q: Claire, you've strengthened your staff at Williams. Pat Symonds, just over a month ago, started as Chief Technical Officer. Have you started to notice differences yet? What areas has Pat identified that you need to make improvements in. And also, will you be looking to bring others in in the future?
Williams: I think Pat started just before Spa, so he hasn't been with the team for a huge amount of time, but already we're seeing the impact he's having. He's a guy that's worked in Formula One for a huge amount of time and he has a huge amount of experience. He's won numerous world championships and of course that's going to bring with it a level of experience we really need at Williams. So he's definitely looking... or spending a lot of time at Grove. He's not here with us this weekend, he's got critical meetings to attend to back at the factory, making sure we are where we want to be next season. But we all know that he's not the magic bullet but he's doing a great job for us so far and we will take his advice and see what we need to do once he's had time to evaluate the business as a whole.
Q: Franz, at the end of the season you and Toro Rosso say goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo, his replacement expected to be another Red Bull young development driver. As team principal, what are you looking for from whoever gets that seat. What qualities do you think a young driver to bring to be an asset to Toro Rosso.
Tost: The best one is always when he finds the right-hand pedal and pushes it - that's quite good. Generally speaking he has to be skilled; he has to have talent. For example, currently the Red Bull drivers, all the drivers from the Red Bull driver pool, have won a championship when they were racing in a lower class. Vettel, for example, in BMW junior. Daniel Ricciardo as well as [Daniil] Kvyat and [Carlos] Sainz won in the Renault 2.0 litre championship. Jean-Eric Vergne won the English championship as far as I know, with the highest number of victories. That means this is a good basis where they showed their talent. This is the first point. The second point: they must be patient. That means if a driver is coming to Toro Rosso he has to live Formula One 365 days a year. There should be nothing around that disturbs him and he has to be 100% concentrated on this job. The next important point is discipline. Discipline does not only mean he arrives in time for the meetings, discipline means also that he, for example, in qualifying does not overdrive the car; that he respects the schedule for his physical training; that he respects all the important facts of nutrition and that he respects what the engineers tell him. The next important point is innovation. He should think first how he can beat, at first his team-mate and for second all the other competitors. That he must think in advance; that he must be well prepared. All these factors together decide together whether a driver becomes successful and wins races and championships or not, and we are looking for this.
Q: On a similar note to Franz, if I could turn to you Tony, is that the same at Caterham? Are they the qualities you're looking at or do you have to look more at the budget that a driver can bring as well given the situation that the Caterham team is in?
Fernandes: I think this year was the first year that we took the budget into consideration. We were trying to save as much for 2014. This is the state of Formula One right now where unfortunately sometimes the budget plays a large part in your decision making. We've got two fairy inexperienced drivers driving for us in the hope that we can put more resource into the 2014 car.
Q: Bob, we were talking to Adrian Sutil here yesterday. It was his opinion the recent dip in Force India's form was related to the change in the construction of the tyres that we saw halfway through the season. Is that a view you share? And if so, what as a team can you do to combat the downturn in results before the end of the season?
Fearnley: I think Adrian's absolutely right: it's not coincidental that the dip in form obviously ties in with the change in tyres. It's very difficult because we're past the time in the season where we've already committed through to the 2014 car. We ideally would need to put the 2013 car back into the system. I think what we've got to do - and it might not be very exciting - but I think we've got to just eke the best of the performance we can out of it, we've got a great team of engineers and I feel sure that they will overcome the problem but we've got to do it on the track and we've only got Fridays to do that. So it's challenging and it's going to be a little bit tough and it's disappointing after what was an incredible start to the season - but we are where we are and we can't change things.
Q: Question to you all next regarding costs in Formula One. We heard from Christian Horner in the FIA press conference in Monza, his thoughts that although teams have been working to reduce costs, 2014 looks like being a very, very expensive year with the regulation changes. In his words, "collectively," he said, "the mistake the teams made was not saying 'no' to the new engines." I just wonder, do you share his view? Have costs escalated beyond what's ideally realistic for your teams to deal with the larger outfits on the grid? Start with you Tony.
Fernandes: I've been consistent since day one I've been in Formula One that costs are too high and every... when I came into Formula One, people talked to me about costs coming down but I don't think there's been a single year it's come down. I think next year will be probably the highest year - so I think there's something fundamentally wrong. I don't think it's just the engine, by the way, I think the teams lost out an opportunity to get costs under control. I think self-interest overrode the sport and we are as much to blame for this problem as an engine.
Q: Franz, is that a fair assessment?
Tost: Yes, as I said, next year's power unit package costs are double the price of this years and we are always talking of reducing the costs. Regarding now that power unit, on the one hand we must say Formula One is the peak of motorsport and we should come with new innovations. I think the new package from another point of view is quite economical and is quite interesting - but it costs us a huge amount of money. But the teams are stupid enough to decide to do tests during the season. This is totally a waste of money because we have eight test days and as soon as the car goes out on the track it costs money. But the teams want to do it. On the one hand they're complaining they don't have money, on the other hand, they throw it through the window. It's a little bit difficult to understand for me but we were voted down because we were against the tests. And who wants the tests? The rich teams. As usual.
Q: I'd be interested in your thoughts now Eric.
Boullier: It's true that Formula One is costing too much money and regarding the next year engine, I do agree with Franz, F1 needs technology, this is the pinnacle of motorsport. I think just rather than blaming engine or not, it's more about the process, about how this technology has been developed and sold to the team, which should have been controlled more. F1 needs technology, we need car manufacturers, we need obviously sponsors but we cannot afford to spend more and more every year. I was not there personally but last decade car manufacturers were in this place and the lowest budget in F1 was around $250m and the highest about $400m. Today it's not the case any more and the smallest budget is around $60m and the highest is around $250m. But still, it's... you multiply by four. If you want to be competitive you need to spend unfortunately some money, because you cannot afford if not, and you cannot be competitive then... This is a circle: you are not attractive, you do not bring in any new sponsors... so where is the balance? I think it's a complicated debate. Obviously all the teams should stick together first, which is obviously something very difficult to do, and also sit down with Bernie and the FIA and make sure the regulations are stable at least for the next few years. I think in the new strategy committee we have a chance to voice what we would like to do. That's going to be the first step, to make sure we go to a sustainable Formula One.
Q: Claire, to you next.
Williams: I don't think I really have much more to add. Everyone's covered the arguments. Williams, you know, we're an independent team and we rely on sponsorships to go racing so the escalation in costs for next year across various different elements of what is involved in going racing, aren't great for us and we have to just push and push to try to get the budget in for next year. But we have high ambitions as to where we want to position the team and to get the team back up the grid - but to do that is going to take more money. So to have more costs piled on top of each other, it's going to be a challenge for us.
Q: Bob, where do Force India stand on the current debate?
Fearnley: I think the teams have demonstrated that they are not capable of being able to agree a cost control, so I think the answer is to take it outside of the team's control. I think it's up to the FIA to decide a formula, bring that in and implement it.
Q: (Chris Lyons - AP) Eric, Kimi said yesterday that one of the reasons he left was that he wasn't being paid his salary. Can you clarify the details of that and does the fact that this has come out damage the brand of the team?
Boullier: I don't think it's damaging the brand of the team to be honest. The truth is that yes, we owe him money so that's true. He's going to be paid, that's true too and if you want to have a little bit more of the story, last year in the same period it was the same story: we were owing him some money but at the end of the year he was fully paid. It's just the way we manage our cash flow. Unfortunately we are not as rich as some other teams on the grid. You can also understand that a team capable of winning this year and fighting for some podiums may not be as sustainable as it should be. We have obviously favoured our people working in Enstone which is understandable I think, obviously the car development because this is the essence of Formula One if you want to keep competing. So there is nothing else behind this story.
Q: Just to lighten it up a bit, in two or words or in the case of Franz, three, can you say who's going to be driving for you next year or who do you think will be driving for you next year? Tony?
Fernandes: No idea.
Williams: I have two: no comment.
Boullier: No.
Tost: We will see. The season's not finished yet. There are some races to go and then Red Bull will sit together and then we will decide.
Fearnley: It's Vijay's decision.
Q: If I could re-phrase the question, do you all have in your own mind an idea of who you would like to be driving for you, or is your mind still wide open as to what your final pairing would be?
Fernandes: I would have one pretty clear and one open.
Williams: Yes, in one word.
Boullier: Yes.
Tost: Of course the Red Bull drivers - da Costa, Sainz and Kvyat - and then we will see where we end up.
Fearnley: No, ours is a process, we can't make those decisions at this point. It's something we do after the Indian Grand Prix.
Q: (Mat Coch) Eric, with Kimi leaving and the state of the team at the moment, are you after a driver to come in on a salary or are you looking for someone to bring funding?
Boullier: We keep the same strategy that we've had for many months. Geni helped us to bring the team to where it is today. We now want to have more finance, more sponsors because we need to step up and guarantee some stability over a few years. That's part of the strategy, this is what we are still working on and we need to deliver on that point. We see the timing was not the right one for Kimi but we still have to deliver this. That would then allow us to chose drivers on merit which is obviously the first choice.
Q: (Kate Walker) Claire, you mentioned earlier about the difficulties of ensuring that you have enough budget, the way that it's an annual process. We've been reading in the papers recently about troubles with the Venezuelan economy. I was wondering if that was going to have an impact on your operating budget next year.
Williams: We have a long term relationship with our friends in Venezuela so no, I don't really have a concern about that at the moment.
Q: (Dieter Rencken - The Citizen) Lady and gentlemen, you're constantly going on about cost-cutting in Formula One, how costs must be reduced but as any housewife knows, there are two ways of keeping the household going: one is to reduce costs and the other one is to maximise income. Claire, you said earlier on that your source of income is sponsorship but I would have thought that the commercial rights holder also pays you something, and the commercial rights holder is obviously recording record profits. Is it not easier for the teams to club together to go and get more money out of the commercial rights holder than it is to constantly bang on about reducing costs and not reach agreement?
Fernandes: I think the team didn't get together. The teams had a wonderful opportunity to try and create a fair, equitable split so that the sport is sustainable. I'm obviously in another sport where I think the difference between the top and the bottom is not as great as between the top and the bottom in Formula One. If you look at the Premier League, the winner of the Premier League share of prize versus the team at the bottom is not as spread out. I think teams had an opportunity but I go back to my very first point: that teams looked at things on an individual basis as opposed to working together in FOTA and trying to find a win-win situation for everyone and create a very healthy environment in a sustainable sport. We screwed it up, it's as simple as that.
Fearnley: I tend to agree with Tony. I think we've had wonderful opportunities and we've collectively failed to be able to bring the deals together. There's a certain amount of greed comes in from the top teams as well and I think they have to take some of the responsibility for that but it is Formula One, it's not something that's new, there's never been any equality in Formula One so you have to go out there and make sure it happens for yourself.
Tost: Each team has got the Concorde Agreement, at least from a financial side and if teams do not accept it, they don't need to sign it. It's as easy as that. And if they sign it, they have to accept it. There's nothing to complain of from this side. I think first of all the teams should try to come down with the costs. It's easy to say yes, we should get more money but give the engineers one million and they ask for two. Give them four million and they ask for eight million. It's something about the discipline within the teams and as I mentioned before, we decide by ourselves to spend the money for nothing as I explain with the testing. If the teams get more money, they go testing even more and in my opinion that's wrong.
Williams: I think everyone's said it all really. In my experience, this is the way Formula One has always been so unless you have a seismic change in the future, then I imagine it will remain this way but as people have said, the teams may have had an opportunity but unfortunately they didn't take it.
Boullier: Well, I think it's been debated and it's true that I share the view of the other team principals that we may have missed an opportunity to just sit down with the commercial rights holder and re-negotiate something which could have been more in favour of the teams but we failed. I think on top of this it's not one more or less costs, I think it should be both of them to be honest, because, as Franz said, the more money you get, the more money we will spend if you don't have any safeguards around you. Your engineers will always try to find out the best way to be competitive and this is why we are paying them to be like this, but at the same time, the more open the regulations are, the more we will spend money and waste money. So it's true that we need both.
Q: On the question of testing, can anyone of you think of a good argument this time next year when Bernie says 'look, you've gone to four tests, you haven't earned any money, why don't we have four more races in 2015?'
Boullier: Four is not enough. Ten more is better.
Q: Could you race more, is that possible?
Tost: This is what I always request. I prefer to have more races where we gain money instead of spending money for nothing, therefore I would prefer to maybe have two races more or three or four races more - I don't care - instead of going testing for eight days where we go out to do some laps for nothing in the end, because reliability - as we can see - is no longer an issue. Ten, 15, 20 years ago we could say OK, we need to do some tests so that the cars become more reliable. That's no longer the case. What we are doing now is to create a new test team, because the theory that the race team will do the tests on Tuesday and Wednesday is absolutely wrong because they have to go home to prepare the cars for the next race. That means that on Sunday, the test team will fly in, then we do the test on Tuesday, Wednesday, then they go back. It's not only testing, it means bringing new parts, because the development will be increase and these are the costs.
Williams: I think there are so many considerations. Like Franz said, the major one for bringing testing in is that you've got to create a new support team. A few years ago, Williams disbanded - whatever the word would be - our designated test team so now we're looking at additional costs to create a new test team because you can't have your race mechanics and engineers working that amount of time but then there are other considerations. Could you use those days for a young driver development programme, for example, that could bring in revenue for the teams? So it's definitely conversations that we're having internally at the moment to see which would be better whereas I don't know whether... you bring in four more races a year or... Eric wanting ten more races. You're going to have to bring in more personnel to support that as well, so I think again, it's all about costs isn't it?
Boullier: Just to comment on this, when I said ten more races, I know we face the same problem that today we have a team sized for twenty races, so if we go one or two more races, I think we would struggle if we could do it, but if you had ten more we would have to have a second team. This is why I said ten actually, because four races would be difficult but it's better to race than test.
Fearnley: I think Eric's got a very good point there in terms of the amount of races, but the advantage you have of testing as opposed to having two or three races imposed on you is if you could make the choice of whether you wanted to go testing. You don't have to do that, you do have to do races.
Q: (Luke Smith - NBC Sports) Eric, since Ferrari's announcement, the two names that have been linked to the seat (at Lotus) have been Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa. Where does this leave Romain Grosjean in this situation; is his future with the team secure or could you completely change your line-up for next season?
Boullier: His future is secure so far because he has a contract with us. Last year was a bit difficult for him; this year he's doing a great job. In the last four races, we have nothing to complain about. He was one hundred per cent up to speed, especially compared to his famous teammate. We just see now and monitor what he is doing and if everything is going as planned, he will have a great future with us.
Q: (Fredrik Af Petersens - Honorary) One question: I might have missed something but you are all talking about a missed opportunity regarding next year. Why did you miss it?
Boullier: We couldn't sit down together and clearly we missed the opportunity by not taking the chance to conclude the process.
Q: (Fredrik Af Petersens - Honorary) Aren't you grown-up enough to do that?
Williams: We're all too competitive.
Tost: We do not only compete on the race track, also behind the scenes, around the green table.
Q: (Fredrik Af Petersens - Honorary) Just a comment, and I agree with Franz when it comes to testing, but your father, Claire, once said, a few years ago when there was a lot of testing, that 'the first race of the year, my car is about half a second slower than the quickest one. Then we go testing. At the end of the year, my car is quicker but still half a second slower than the quickest one.' So why go testing and, as Franz says, spend a lot of money?
Williams: That's true. Yeah. I do think that there is an argument that over the course of a year, if you start the season... to use an example, where we were at the start of this year, if we had had the opportunity to do some test days after the first few races, after Bahrain or Barcelona, it may have helped us, we don't know, so I think there's an argument for both sides.
Q: To pick up on Freddie's original question, Tony is there a feeling among the teams that are represented today that you haven't got the voice that is heard, that missed opportunity that you're talking about. I assume that your opinion was given at various meetings. Was your voice not heard? Was that the problem?
Fernandes: No, I don't think so. I think there were numerous meetings, loads and loads of meetings, loads and loads of proposals but at the end of the day, some teams decided to split and when that happens, it's a divide and rule situation and the whole thing falls apart. I don't think it was anything else but that. There was lots of unity at the beginning but one by one, people decided to do their own thing.
Q: (Dieter Rencken - The Citizen) I would like to continue this particular debate about cost-cutting and maximising income. The general consensus of opinion seems to be that the teams screwed up in not maximising the income they could get from the commercial rights holder. The general consensus of opinion also appears to be that the FIA should control cost cuts. Am I correct in assuming then, that you people are asking the FIA to control something because you people screwed up?
Fearnley: I think that was my comment, actually Dieter. I don't think anybody else made that. My view is that the teams can't agree what day it is, never mind be able to agree cost-cutting measures...
Q: (Dieter Rencken - The Citizen) Tony used the words 'screwed up...'
Fernandes: Yeah, I do. I don't honestly think that if someone mentioned grown-ups etc around here, if we all sat together and agreed something, we wouldn't need anyone to police it. The reality is we can't. In my short period in Formula One it's very clear, so I think someone here suggested the FIA controls that but the reality is that if 12 people in a room can't agree something, then that sounds fairly ridiculous, but going back to Claire's point, the competitive element of it leads us to this position and historically that's always been the case I suppose.
Williams: I don't necessarily actually have anything more to add to it.
Tost: For me, the FIA should not be involved in financial topics, but the FIA can come up with a regulation which helps the teams to cut the costs but then it's obviously up to the teams to spend the money.
Boullier: Nothing else to add, to be honest.


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Military, Products, Services
By By Andrew Drwiega, International Bureau Chief | October 11, 2013
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The Lynx helicopter onboard the UK's Royal Naval ship HMS Lancaster has been busy helping to seize drugs in the Caribbean following a couple of successful operations during early October.
The Lynx Mk8, on 815 Naval Air Squadron, is one of the main assets on HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 frigate. The recent anti-drug operations just days apart resulted in a street value haul of $92.4 million (£58 million) worth of 400 kg of cocaine combined with 1.2 tons of marijuana.
The Lynx is used for reconnaissance away from the ship and to pursue and intercept the high-speed boats used by drug smugglers in the Caribbean. The Royal Navy operates in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard within the Caribbean.
While on patrol the Lynx detected a speedboat that, once aware of the helicopter, dropped 45 packages of marijuana over the side. Although in the middle of a storm, these were recovered and the speedboat harried all through the night until it entered Costa Rican waters, where the crew were arrested.
The second haul, just days later, again involved the helicopter which was called to investigate a speedboat spotted by a Canadian tanker (with U.S. Coast Guard officials onboard). Again the crew began dumping 17 large packages into the sea but did not escape as a sniper in the helicopter shot and disabled the engines.
Said Commander Steve Moorhouse, HMS Lancaster's commanding officer: "The level of cooperation that exists between units and nations working with the Joint Interagency Task Force [Operation Martillo] is second to none."
During its deployment the warship has been involved in six operations to seize drugs. During September £3.5m of marijuana was intercepted, while £100m of cocaine was seized in August.
Related: Military News


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Am I in ur guild bank looting ur purplez?
So..who is that handsome little guy?
Why, you've seen him before…only he was crowded by the Gnome mage and that other gnome…girl.
But wait…that is not the only gnome invading...
This is actually the gnome warrior.
How cool is it that I found a down under concert? OF course…they made a mistake on the title of the song…
Oh and the future Gnomeggedon killer!
So, yeah, not a lot of substance in this post, but hey, it's my first time posting as a gnome. It's kinda tight in here. Can a man get a big chair?
Here's to everyone's favorite Aussie Gnome Fire Mage for letting me invade his little world.


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Table Hopping – May 2012
"Picnic in our Urban Parks"
Cosentino's Market Downtown
10 East 13th Street, 2nd Floor
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816) 595-0050
Green Rooftop Park
Kansas City Power & Light District
10 East 13th Street, 6th Floor
(located next to the Jones Pool)
Kansas City, MO 64106
One of the several green initiatives that the Cordish Company did when they built the Power & Light District downtown was to create a little known public green space on the rooftop of the building that houses Cosentino's market below between 12th & 13th Street on Main. This urban park sits right next to the Jones Pool, and is open 8 am – 8 pm, Memorial Day thru Labor Day. STOP: into Cosentino's to purchase lunch from their deli, hot bar or salad bar for a ready-made picnic to enjoy on the roof.
Bo Ling's (Plaza Location)
4800 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
(816) 753-1718
Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden
4800 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110
Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden is a favorite secret garden near the Country Club Plaza. Open year round from 8 am - dusk, this park features several nooks with stunning fountains, bronze sculptures from Kansas City sculptor, Tom Corbin, benches to sit on, a greenhouse and a rotating seasonal display of plants and flowers that are beautifully kept year round. You won't find a more peaceful spot to picnic in the city. THINK: Chinese, please! Get something portable from Bo Ling's on the Plaza for your picnic and take it over to the garden. Lettuce Wraps and Bo Ling's housemade almond cookies are a great choice.
Dugout Doghouse
Section 208 or 247
Kauffman Stadium
One Royal Way
Kansas City, MO 64129
When the boys in blue take to the field at Kauffman Stadium, going out to catch a Royals game is a tradition in Kansas City. Recent upgrades to the stadium and the food available means that you can now enjoy everything from BBQ to Stroud's inside at the "K". Also new this year is the presence of our own local Boulevard Beer owning about half the taps now at the ballpark. Woo Hoo! YOU: must get a hot dog and a cold beer while at a baseball game. Hit the Dugout Doghouse for a foot long KC Dog or a BBQ Dog topped with pulled pork and slaw to enjoy with your Boulevard Beer.
The Library Café – Nine Muses
First Floor
Central Library Downtown
Rooftop Terrace
Central Library Downtown
14 W. 10th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
(816) 701-3400
Marvel at the old bank building's architecture that now houses our downtown Kansas City public library called Central Library. Once inside, you'll see this urban oasis is a study hub for students, a place where families can watch movies in the old bank vault downstairs and seniors can hear lectures. The rooftop terrace, when not in use, is a fantastic place for an urban picnic. LOCAL: Anderson Restaurant group that owns Pierpont's inside of Union Station also manages The Library Café called Nine Muses inside of the Central Library Downtown on the first floor. Grab a sandwich or a salad from here, and a good book, and head for the roof.
Los Tules
1656 Broadway Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 421-9229
18Broadway Urban Rain Garden
Corner of 18th Street and Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64108
Driving by you may not immediately realize that this urban garden is the first of it's kind in the country. The vision of DST and 360 Architecture, 18Broadway is an urban rainwater-harvesting food garden powered by solar panels and a prototype wind turbine. Boasting five garden tiers and 100 raised beds, the garden produces tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, kale, gourds, pumpkins, onions and more for area food banks, like Harvester's. WALK: just up the hill and across Broadway to family-owned Los Tules Mexican restaurant and get an order of their fantastic cerviche with chips to take back across the street to 18Broadway for a delicious picnic treat.