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Lessons Learned from a Leader
David Plaster, 1949-2010
By Dave Nicodemus
Editor's Note – In the days prior to Dave Plaster's March 2010 death, it became apparent he was leaving a legacy. The beloved Grace Brethren scholar, historian, and pastor had been a mentor of countless young men. Dave Nicodemus, is the pastor of high school ministries at the Grace Brethren Church of Greater Columbus , Ohio, where Plaster was senior pastor.)
My story is like many others. The opportunity I had to connect with Dave Plaster has forever changed and shaped me, not only in ministry, but personally.
I was a high school graduate when I met Dave in 1996, awaiting my fate as a finalist for a scholarship to Grace College. Our interaction was minimal. I was awarded one of the scholarships but ultimately was unable to attend until the following year.
The next fall, as a freshman at Grace, I received a call to meet with Dr. Plaster. I had been in college for less than a month and was being called to the vice-president's office. What had I done?
As it turns out, he just wanted to get to know me. He knew of my decision to wait a year to enter school and he wanted to encourage me. The conversation was not particularly memorable, but the experience of being loved, cared for, and known was remarkable.
Fast-forward to the spring of 2007. Now married with a son, I had resigned from my first full-time ministry position and was contemplating the next step. I felt defeated, thinking I had misinterpreted God's call on my life. I was prepared to move to a secular position.
Then my phone rang. It was Dave Plaster.
"I heard you resigned from your church. Is this true?" I said it was.
"Then it wouldn't be unethical for me to ask you to consider coming to Columbus to be my youth pastor," he said.
We agreed to meet in the coming weeks. Ultimately, I joined him at Columbus as the pastor of high school ministries, largely because Dave believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself.
Not only did Dave become my boss and mentor, but he and his wife, Ginny, adopted us as their kids and our boys as if they were their own grandchildren. They became an incredible example of Christ, and precious friends. Dave modeled a life that spoke louder than any advice or lesson he gave. It reminds me of a favorite verse: "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice." (Phil 4:9 NIV).
I've talked with others about Dave's impact. With each story, the similarities are as striking as the differences. They are similar in that he encouraged, challenged, walked alongside, and accepted so many, but each with a different approach. He was a confidante, often being the only person to ever hear the fears and secrets of the young men he mentored. He was a father, a boss, a mediator, a lifeline, a pastor, a guide, and a friend, not to everyone at once, but to each as they needed. He poured who he was into each individual to help him become more like Jesus.
Dave personally mentored hundreds of young men and had an incredible impact on countless others.
"His influence helped me navigate through so many choices and challenges," says Nathanael Smith, who recently finished graduate studies at the University of Oxford and was mentored by Dave as a student at Grace College.
Sy Belohlavek remembers Dr. Plaster as being the voice he leaned on when making hard decisions. Now headed to work in Central Asia, Sy plans to carry on the tradition.
"I aspire to encourage and build up younger men in the same manner as he did," says Sy. "I will remember an energetic, earnest, committed, faithful, good-hearted man who did not lose his upbeat optimism and energy for fighting the good fight, even though he had been through challenging situations in life and ministry."
More stories of Dave's impact on young men at Grace College and in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.


This four-story craftsman home in Arlington, Virginia is a stunning addition to the Lee Heights neighborhood.
Long & Foster Real Estate has listed a newly constructed four-story craftsman home in Arlington, Virginia. Located at 4009 23rd Street N, the home is a stunning addition to the Lee Heights neighborhood. The property is listed with Allison Gillette, a sales associate at Long & Foster's Alexandria/Kingstowne Centre office, and is being offered for $2.3 million. It includes six bedrooms, six full and one half bathrooms and over 7,500 square feet.
The distinctive home has a wide front porch and beautiful stone foundation. When walking in, visitors are flanked by a formal dining room on the left and a formal study on the right. The vast dining room has double-doors that lead to the front porch and is a beautiful space for large dinner parties or family meals. The entire first floor has folding doors throughout to allow for easy access to the front or back porch, making the space feel airy and close to nature.
Feel like a gourmet chef in the top-of-the-line kitchen with its wifi-enabled black stainless steel appliances, exotic granite-topped counters and marble tile backsplash. Also included on the first floor are a butler's pantry, kitchen nook and a spacious family room that opens up to the terraced back porch, which is wonderful place to unwind during the spring or fall.
Upstairs, an expansive master bedroom has a tray ceiling and custom lighting. Walking through the master suite leads to dual walk-in closets and a magnificent master bath with a modern tile shower. The remaining three bedrooms upstairs all have private bath access and plentiful closet space.
The fourth floor provides a wonderful view of the neighborhood with wide bay windows and a private living area, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the company of others. The basement has plenty of storage space, along with a game room, exercise room, wet bar and extra bedroom. Additional features include the two-car garage and custom mill work throughout the house.
You can learn more about 4009 23rd Street, Arlington, Virginia, and view photos online at Gillette's website. For additional information about this property, contact Gillette at 703-307-5698. For more information about Long & Foster, visit www.LongandFoster.com.
Editor's Note: Additional high resolution photos of the property are available here. Please contact Vicki Bendure at 540-687-3360, or Vicki@bendurepr.com.
The property includes a total of 35.8 acres. The current home is nestled on a 5.2-acre lot and there are five additional recorded lots, each over 5 acres, as well as an out-lot of 4.42 acres.
Take advantage of this opportunity to own a luxury custom home in Potomac's exclusive Merry-Go-Round Farm located less than 20 miles from downtown Washington, D.C.
The Long & Foster Companies, Inc.


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News and Press → RD Legal Funding Forms Partner...
RD Legal Funding Forms Partnership with Consumer Attorneys of California
Cresskill, NJ: RD Legal Funding, LLC ("RD Legal") recently joined the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) as one of the recognized Business Friends. This partnership will allow RD Legal to reach the nearly 3,000 members of the organization, as well as the entire California trial attorney community. This will provide RD Legal with an opportunity to introduce our products and services which are specifically designed to help attorneys. RD Legal offers funding to attorneys who are facing payment delays on their settled cases.
CAOC was started on April 8, 1961. Since then it has been an advocate for the attorneys who fight for plaintiffs in civil court. It has also advocated for plaintiffs and consumers to be able to secure court access and receive fairness in court.
"California has one of the largest trial attorney communities in the country, and through our partnership with the CAOC we will be able to reach out to many litigators," says Joseph Genovesi, President of RD Legal. "After a case settles, attorneys may find themselves having to wait for payment, and the product we offer can shorten the waiting period."
Through the Attorney Fee Acceleration product, RD Legal has been able to help attorneys manage their cash flow issues. Once funded, attorneys can use those funds to invest in ongoing cases or advertise for new cases. Other legal funding companies might be limited in their ability to fund attorneys who participate in certain types of litigation. RD Legal, however, offers funding to attorneys involved in a variety of different practices.
RD Legal has been in operation since 1998. The company was started by personal injury attorney Roni Dersovitz, who maintained a practice for 16 years. While operating his law firm, he experienced cash flow issues which led him to create RD Legal. Since then, RD Legal has grown to become one of the premier legal finance companies in the country.
RD Legal is able to fund attorneys and plaintiffs with settled cases in all 50 states and territories like Puerto Rico. California trial attorneys who are facing cash flow issues and would like to accelerate their fees today can find RD Legal listed in the Business Friends section of the Consumer Attorneys of California website.
For more information about RD Legal and their attorney funding solutions, please contact Joseph Genovesi, President of RD Legal, at 201-568-9007, ext. 140. To begin the application process, please fill out the quick form on this page.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Home›EdTech Futures›What Does a Future Ready Technology Coach Look Like?
The future ready initiative strives to increase access to digital learning for American students. Its principles and resources are a great boon for technology coaches, who are already probably aligned with the mission and approach of future ready instruction.
In fact, the initiative has a wide variety of resources specifically designed to help technology coaches improve student learning outcomes. One key principle is the idea of personalized learning. While most technology coaches are very familiar with this concept, there is still room to increase the personalization of most instructional materials on school campuses. The technology coach is ideally positioned to help classroom teachers learn about and implement edtech tools that make it possible for them to meet the unique learning needs of each student.
The wise technology coach can help teachers understand that personalization might require some substantive set-up time but will ultimately result in a reduction of the teacher's workload—not to mention in improved student learning. Tech coaches can help teachers navigate what can seem like an overwhelming task of providing instruction designed for the unique needs of each student.
A future ready technology coach understands the crucial importance of equity—not just in education in general, but in the adoption of edtech in particular. Tech coaches will want to be sure that teachers have access to resources such as mobile hot spots to ensure that students without access to broadband at home are able to complete assignments. Many students may be embarrassed to announce their lack of access, so the technology coach will need to work closely with teachers in order to be sure that the needs of every student are met.
A future ready technology coach is also aware of the limits of edtech. As the old saying goes, if the only tool that you have is a hammer, then every problem starts to look like a nail. But the awareness of the dangers of excess screen time, especially when combined with what we know about how a variety of learning activities benefits student achievement, means that technology coaches may sometimes need to coach teachers away from edtech, no matter how counterintuitive that seems. But the technology coach is ideally positioned to know what a student is experiencing in all of her classes and to make suggestions that permit a balanced—instead of overwhelming—use of edtech.
Creating future ready students requires not just layering on new edtech on top of what a school is already doing but rather a fundamental reinvention of instructional practices. The future ready technology leader can guide teachers through this transition and provide the coaching needed to ensure that all students benefit from edtech tools.
What Does a Future Ready K-12 Student Look Like?


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Home » Cameras » Akaso V50 Pro 4K Action Camera Review
Akaso V50 Pro 4K Action Camera Review
Before buying Akaso V50 Pro you just need to know how this camera works. Will it be a good pick for you? This review of Akaso V50 is all about it. We cover Akaso V50 pro specs, accessories, quality of pictures, etc.
Akaso V50 Pro Camera Review
AKASO V50 Pro Camera – Complete Buyer's Guide
User interface and control system
Performance and functionality
Video and audio quality
Things We Like (Pros)
Things We Don't Like (Cons)
For amateur photographers and photographers by profession, a good camera is an instrument that makes the difference between optimal or deficient work. Although the skill of the person who executes the shot is also indispensable, the art of a good image includes technical elements that cannot be – and should not – be ignored.
In that sense, it is worth asking: which camera has to be chosen? This decision is influenced by certain aspects. There will be those who take more into account the visual capacity, focus, memory, resolution, or manufacturing material. Everything is valid and exponential when the qualities merge into the same device.
Fortunately, cameras exist by quantity. From recognized brands or small manufacturers that, little by little, managed to gain a place in the market. On this occasion, there will be an Akaso V5O Review to evaluate the features of the Pro 4K Action Camera version.
About the signature, you know enough. Although they have been immersed in the photography industry for just over 5 years, this company is dedicated to the assembly of action cameras of unsurpassed quality, with very affordable prices that allow its customers to capture and share the most important events of their lives.
In these times, AKASO has considered a leader in all branches that it expands around the world, and has managed to sell more than half a million units per year. Their growth prospects impel them to make an effort in the manufacture of new models, such as IP cameras, baby monitors, GPS, and the popular drones – for spectacular resolution aerial shots.
As for Akaso V5O Pro, it is one of the most recent and popular action cameras of the company. Its launch was made just a year ago, but for his exploits has already managed to accumulate a lot of good reviews from the users. Akaso Brave 4 also the latest model of this brand which you buy too.
Due to its condition of "Action camera", the boom of buyers runs from athletes and individuals who need a modern, compact, and light device to capture the most transcendental adventures of their lives.
Initially, GoPro stepped firmly into this modality of cameras, but little by little, companies like AKASO are reaching the stature in professionalism and resistance. There is no drastic and dynamic picture, with a succession of images everywhere that the V50 Pro does not achieve. And for that, precisely, it is worth emphasizing its qualities.
The first action that corresponds to the purchase of a camera is, of course, to unpack it, and to the surprise of the customers, once they are done with a copy of Akaso V50, they notice that they receive a product that goes far beyond what could be expected from one whose price does not usually rise too much.
The package is large, strong, and solid, very similar to the GoPro Hero. However, to this are added accessories, as useful as compact. Those who have faced unboxing – that is, taking their product out of boxes – agree that the result is first class. AKASO does not do anything wrong: its box is elegant and functional, with its waterproof cases, frames, frames, spare battery, and remote control to use as a wristwatch.
The above is summarized in a camera that can reach the most intrepid angles and still capture a gleaming image, with the appearance of having been through and squared for many hours, everything that an action camera should represent.
This stage corresponds to one of the most important after unpacking. It is, nothing more and nothing less, the first meeting between the client and his camera. The visual part, recognized as an interface, narrows the idea of how the relationship between the photographer-device will be from then on.
For this Akaso V50 Revision, the first thing you notice about the interface is its input and output ports. Indeed, USB and HDMI connect the camera with computers, laptops, cell phones, and other smart devices. For this, of course, the box is accompanied by their respective cables.
The screen, two inches, is tactile, LCD IPS. When turned on, it shows the company logo and goes directly to the configuration area. Everything depends on the preferences of the photographer, but the truth is that for those who acquire the product and do not have any notions about the technical issues, it is better to automate the camera.
Another great feature – more inclined towards the control and design system – is the depth at which the Akaso V50 can be submerged. With its protective casing, it reaches 30 meters underwater. Therefore, it is ideal for divers and lovers of capturing marine life.
On the other hand, following the line of technical aspects, the sensor of this camera is Panasonic 32114, with a wide-angle G6 lens. It is armed with a viewing angle of 170 degrees, but this configuration can be modified as often as the buyer decides.
Corresponding to the rest of the interface, enter the hardware that accompanies this device. It has already been mentioned before that it has a waterproof case, but it is also armed with a rear protector, X10 frames, a bicycle kit, another for helmets, two adhesives, the same amount of supports, some bandages, ropes, and cloths cleaning, it's a dual charger and, finally, a predetermined manual in the language of the country that is acquired.
If a person goes directly to an establishment to buy his camera, the workers will insist again and again that the selected model is the best, and that probably there is nothing more than that. For a person who will use the camera for mere hobbies, the optimization of this will not be worth as much as for someone familiar with the language and the qualities that are supposed to correspond.
What is the best way to read objective opinions? Consulting on the Internet, for the advantage of the Akaso V50, the experience is summarized as pleasurable and profitable.
According to the customers, most of the impressions are excellent. In fact, they acquired this camera with apprehensions from past experiences that were not satisfactory. The surprise, needless to say, was more than pleasant.
First, all the settings of this camera are made in a couple of seconds. The system is programmed to perform efficiently and functionally. The menu is grouped into small sections. Therefore, when there is something to look for, users should only press the touch on the option they prefer.
In the same way, the video configuration allows modifying the resolutions, shooting modes, and codes. In that sense, the camera supports h265 / HEVC to stay in top quality but uses less storage space.
The H264 settings, however, are adapted to the best functionality for a longer time. Regarding the stabilization of the image, there is nothing to worry about; it is equally optimized in each of the resolutions.
Akaso V50 Pro Spaces:
On the other hand, "frame per sec" (frames per second or fps) reach 720p. Also, for sharper objectives with high levels of detail, it is possible to seal in FULLHD, with 60 fps.
For video, on the other hand, the 2K and 4K options are available; both record 30 fps and stabilize the image with the same precision as if it were a photograph.
As this section covers many aspects, the Akaso V50 Review covers the most important ones. Those that, manufacturer and user, agree, is why it is worth getting a copy of this camera.
Intuitive IU touch screen: with its two inches built-in, the response to touch is not only direct but instantaneously more. This makes the camera a compact but very powerful artifact, ideal for developing capabilities in photographs. With Akaso V50 configure, previewing is extremely simple.
Solid materials: one of the most outstanding qualities of the Akaso V50 is its impermeability. This is thanks to the composition of its battery, the carbon, and the lightness of its texture, and the compact screen. All materials are designed to take full advantage and offer an unparalleled experience.
Stability: Advanced electronic image stabilization, or EIS, provides uniform 4K resolution frames at 30 fps. Thanks to this, the obturation experience is of better quality, achieving professional results.
External devices: In addition to the cables and all the arsenal of accessories before exposed, the microphone is part of the kit, becoming – due to its optimal sound sensitivity – one of the elements most valued by buyers. It captures the sound of all directions, eliminates the echo and noise of outdoor spaces, and becomes, in its own way, an integral part of the camera.
Configuration underwater: It is the domain among the users of the Akaso V50 its resistance to water. But despite favorable reviews, future users of this device do not become aware of how good quality is.
In the first place, what is most striking is the resolution it handles despite its waterproof lining? Those who use it, agree that the image closely resembles what the human eye could capture by itself. It is an experience so overwhelming that some do not finish believing it.
On the other hand, the Akaso V50, for its constitution and materials, does not sink so easily. The lightness that builds it helps to avoid accidents related to the submerged intake.
Connectivity: Another quality of this camera is its connection level. It not only captures wireless signals but can be operated remotely or from a mobile device. What users should do, in that sense, is to download the application from the virtual store and configure it with the help of package information that all copies must bring.
Finally, in spite of not being a characteristic of construction itself, the customers opt for the guarantee system used by a camera whose affordability is not questioned. This helps them feel more confident and confident about the equipment they are buying. Also, it says a lot about the company that distributes them.
In this world dominated by the visual, a camera that offers optimal resolutions leaves excellent impressions. These, later, are reflected in what people say in blogs and conversation forums. Even in the social networks of the firm.
From this perspective, Akaso V50 is armed with a good record. If already its previous cameras stood out due to the strength of its image, the stability of the frames, and the frames per second, with this Action camera the positive response is overwhelming, praising the sharpness of the photos with the same enthusiasm of the videos. See the latest reviews of the Campark ACT74 camera here.
The microphone is also another event, opinions range from "good" to "incredibly good" to simply qualify as perfect. There will be some objections that, according to these users, are easy to solve in postproduction. But it offers everything it is supposed to offer and does it in a compact, light, and without too many extravagances.
Get Best Tripod 2021 for better video quality. And Best Skateboard Cameras is another good option.
When it comes to action cameras, battery life is a feature that adds up and subtracts much more. Why? Simply, because users intend to spend a lot of time with them in the open air -or failing that, underwater.
Obviously, the time of use of a camera depends on the usability, but the great advantage of the Akaso V50 is that it has a capacity of 1100 mah, positioning it to shoot for a couple of hours without a problem and to last up to a couple of hours if its use is limited to capturing photographs.
Akaso V50 is part of these cameras that revolutionize the world, demonstrating that the size is not proportional to the quality, while it is much to comfort. As a sports camera, he gives what he owes and much more, and extends his qualities to such an extent that it is done with an incredible score in sites of purchase and sale of electronics.
To be more precise, however, a variance must also be made between the pros and cons. Sometimes, the former outperforms the latter, but if there is any negative aspect that customers can not deal with, this is the most effective way to dissuade them without having to spend a penny.
It is unlikely that some disappointment after a purchase occurs with this camera, but given that this Akaso V50 Revision has the objective of evaluating the product in its entirety, it is then valid to compare its benefits and negative aspects.
Thanks to the fact that it is equipped with a Panasonic screen, this camera model will allow people to capture images of up to 20 megapixels.
Its angular lenses and light reflection allow taking shots in the dark with the same resolution and neatness of illuminated environments. This is especially useful for photographers working underwater.
The resolution and recording capacity have already been discussed, adding this to the cameras in reaching FULLHD. However, another advantage that covers the Akaso V50 is the option to record in slow motion. A quality valued by the most creative.
When talking about this camera being an "action camera", it is not a euphemism. It is truly a quality product that resists riding on bicycles and motorcycles, is easily held on several surfaces, and is capable of adapting to all climates.
Of course, the recommended temperatures are included in the instructions, but from then on there is no reason to doubt the adaptability with which it is done. Also, you can submerge up to 30 meters underwater.
It has functions that are normally associated with the most expensive cameras on the market: timer, timelapse, video lapse, dive mode, slow motion, fast camera, exposure, and white balance.
It is economical compared to the other Pro models that are currently available in the market. This is doubly satisfactory because they save a significant sum of money and produce a product with usable long-term qualities.
It can be controlled remotely by attaching it to the mobile phone or operating it directly with the remote control that includes its accessories.
All the extras are included in the original box. With the exception of a few tools, there will be nothing extra to buy. They will have their camera ready for action after a brief configuration.
Each of the accessories that are part of the kit of the Akaso V50 is ready to be used immediately. In addition, they are made of materials of the same quality as the camera.
The relationship between quality and price is unmatched to other cameras.
Some shots, despite their resolution, tend to "bend" or fade once they are exported on computers. This is a minor evil, but for those who hope to share the photos without going through a previous editing process, this is a difficult problem to ignore.
To achieve the configuration between the mobile and the camera, it is necessary to configure both devices. There will be those who take this as a piece of cake, while for other clients it becomes a laborious action.
Supports microSD card up to 64 GB, while adjacent models of the same brand support a capacity of 128 GB. To date, there is no explanation or improvement of this eventuality. Some users assume that some modifications may slow down the entire system.
The system also joins the capacity of the memory. As far as the Akaso V50 is concerned, there is no way to make it work optimally without the microSD being formatted beforehand. This, more than a negative aspect, is a protection measure taken by most digital camera manufacturers.
The remote control is not waterproof. It cannot be submerged in water, even with a shell.
Clearly, with this Akaso v50 Revision, two fundamental aspects have been made clear: it is an ideal camera for outdoor and underwater activities, and what is even better maintains a relationship of quality and price that is unmatched.
Akaso is not GoPro, but neither does he pretend to be. Their products shine for their own qualities, and their "Action cameras" were not, are, or will be the exception. If a person needs a good product and it is not made from a very loose budget, this is not only enough, it is far exceeded.
The decision, as always, is on behalf of each client. However, the qualities described above make it clear that this decision to buy is difficult to repent.
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Джеймс Паттинсон
James Pattinson is a professional photographer who likes to write about what he experiences. He loves to share his honest review with people about photography equipment such as cameras, tripods, lenses, etc.
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We made this simple teacher appreciation gift for Sawyer's Kindergarten teacher and teacher's aide at the end of last school year.
It's perfect for teacher appreciation week or as a thank you gift at the end of a busy school year.
A Cute – But Easy! – Teacher Appreciation Gift!
It's so simple to put together.
Then cut out the tag, punch a hole in a corner, and attach it to the cup with a pretty ribbon.
Now you're all set to thank your teacher!
An Easy Teacher Appreciation Gift – Perfect for Cold Season!
A Cute Painted Letter Craft Gift – That Would Make a Great Teacher Gift!
I love giving teachers gifts that we have made or put together. This is another one I am going to use this year. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this idea! I've been trying to figure out a cute gift for my daughter's teacher that wouldn't just end up in a drawer. I added a wallet sized picture on the back of the printable tag and had my daughter sign it. It looks awesome and I never would have thought of it on my own!
Aw – that's so sweet to add a picture and signature! I'm so glad it worked out for you!!
What a sweet idea to show appreciation for a special teacher.
Such a neat idea. Love it!
Thanks for this! I just realised it was the last day of classes for Nursery School and I needed a gift fast! I already had the cups so all I had to do was print your awesome gift tag and within minutes I was done. This was great. I plan to repeat this for a few more teachers.
I love this! Thank you for linking it up to Mommy Solutions! Congrats on being the #5 most clicked link.
Stop over and see your feature.


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Tiputini Biodiversity Station
This research hub in the Amazon Rainforest is perched amid one of the world's most biologically diverse landscapes.
Wildlife found around the Tiputini Biodiversity Station. Michael Eisen/CC BY 2.0
The main lab at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station. National Geographic Creative / Alamy Stock Photo
Tiputini Biodiversity Station. Backpack/CC BY-SA 3.0
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Vibrant birds and chatty primates flit between the snarls of branches that form the higher canopies. Insects buzz through the air, while spiders weave their tapestries among branches or burrow beneath the soil. Larger animals, like giant anteaters, capybara, and tapir roam the ground. Even predators like the elusive black jaguar lurk just out of sight.
From its perch along the shores of the Tiputini River, the Tiputini Biodiversity Station offers researchers an unparalleled place to conduct their studies of the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. It's located inside one of the most biologically diverse environments in South America, if not the world.
The biodiversity station's remote location, coupled with the lack of local large mammal hunting, make it a prime spot to view animals that typically can't be seen elsewhere. An immeasurable number of creatures live in the area surrounding the station, though most will only become visible long enough for viewers to snag a fleeting glimpse.
The nearby water also boasts a high volume of fascinating fauna. Pink dolphins, black caiman, stingray, and piranhas are but a small sample of the animals that live within the river, which streaks through the landscape like a muddy stain. The plants, too, are their own trove of diverse treasures. The Yasuni Biosphere Reserve has more than 1,500 species of flora per hectare. Many of the plants are medicinal, and have been used by indigenous healers and shamans for thousands of years.
The station was established within the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve in 1995, as a joint project between the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito and Boston University. Though it is primarily used by researchers, it also serves as an education center.
Groups of students or other visitors are welcome to stay at the remote station—in fact, 85 percent of its visitors are organized student groups. Those who do make the trek into the rainforest will find one main two-story research lab, a handful of secondary labs, and even a smattering of cabins containing bunk beds.
Wildlife of the Ecuadorian Amazon
Delve into this equatorial paradise for a week-long journey full of adventure and learning in some of the wildest corners of the Amazon basin.
rainforest biodiversity ecology flora conservation universities trees plants animals
Kerry Wolfe
http://www.bu.edu/cecb/tiputini/
https://www.macewanjouralismtiputini.com/station/
https://voices.nationalgeographic.org/2012/12/26/science-in-yasuni-sheds-light-on-impacts-of-oil-development-in-amazon/
https://highwire.princeton.edu/2016/04/27/conservation-crossroads-tiputini-biodiversity-station-and-the-yasuni-oil-fields/
-0.6381, -76.1498
Sinchi Warmi Amazon Lodge
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Tulcán Municipal Cemetery
Puerto Misahuallí, Ecuador
An exotic jungle hideaway run entirely by indigenous Kichwa women.
Nariño, Colombia
A dangling church built over a Colombian gorge.
Tulcan, Ecuador
This Ecuadorian cemetery is home to a jaw-dropping topiary wonderland.
La Carolina Park
This huge green space packed with activities will make you forget you're in the middle of the Ecuadorian capital.
The most biologically diverse protected area in Africa is also the most dangerous.
Tree of 40 Fruit
A Frankenstein blend of science and art allows one tree to produce 40 different types of stone fruit.
Tambopata, Peru
Tambopata Research Center
One of the most remote lodges in the Amazon offers rare wildlife encounters and undisturbed views of the Peruvian rainforest.
A century-old magnolia tree is the only living landmark tree in New York City.


The Hub and Spokes Programme, now in its Consolidation Phase, provides trade experts to national ministries and regional trade organisations to enhance trade capacity in the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states. It is a joint Programme of the European Union, ACP Group Secretariat, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.
In November 2017, Edmund Paul Kalekyezi, the National Trade Adviser to Guyana, presented a paper discussing why the country's international trade treaties have not always brought about the desired results.
Called "Legal Aspects of Guyana's Trade Agreements (A Trade and Investment Relationship and Perspective)", the paper charted the salient provisions of existing trade and investment agreements Guyana has reached with her international partners, as well as Guyana's investment and international trade legal instruments.
As well as informing participants about the agreements, the paper provided insight into the performance of these agreements. It examined why Guyana's international trade has not necessarily improved with countries it has signed trade agreements with, and why there is no evidence to show that increased investments have flowed into the country because of bilateral investment treaties, despite Guyana signing diverse trade and investment agreements and enacting conducive investment legislation.
By exploring whether bilateral trade and investment agreements necessarily increase trade, participants were enlightened on how to utilise the agreements in order to diversify and grow Guyana's export products and markets.
Emphasis was put on preferential provisions of the agreements intended to encourage more Guyana exports into regional and international markets, as well as provisions in the bilateral investment agreements and legislation designed to boost investor confidence and ultimately increase investment flows. Other factors affecting investment flows were also discussed, since trade and investment agreements do not operate in a vacuum.
The paper presented by the Trade Adviser was part of a five-day workshop on Guyana's Economic Diplomacy and Bilateral Trade organized by the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Canadian Executive Service Organisation.
Participants were drawn from both the private sector and the government agencies involved in domestic and international trade, and investment promotion. The broad focus of the workshop was international trade negotiations, including best practices and useful tips for successful trade negotiations. Participants were also exposed to an overview of Guyana's existing trade and investment agreements, and a deep analysis of some of these agreements. The relationship between trade negotiations and business and trade opportunities was also discussed.
Considering that economic diplomacy is the cornerstone of the government's vision for the country, the focus of the workshop was especially relevant.
Both public and private stakeholders showed interest in the paper and it has raised awareness that Guyana's preferential agreements are an important element of trade policy that once properly understood can encourage and generate economic growth and development.


Product descriptions tell your customers exactly what they're looking at and why it's the best product for them. While they don't have to be award-winning pieces of literature, they do require some forethought. Here are 7 tips to help you make engaging Shopify product descriptions!
Amazon is a titan in the world of ecommerce. With so many people turning to this giant of an online marketplace to sell their goods, Amazon breeds an arena ripe with competition and profitability.
Here are 8 tips you can use to increase your own profits on Amazon and pave the way to success!
There are plenty of options available when it comes to ecommerce platforms, all of which fit various needs and business types. The world of ecommerce is very expansive and accommodating, with no signs of slowing down in its growth.
And that's why Microsoft may be looking to throw its hat into the ecommerce arena.
Shopify is currently one of the largest and most successful ecommerce platforms out there, offering tons of valuable services and features for customers at a reasonable price.
It offers the ability to create a well-designed, easy to use, functional website with tons of products in a relatively short amount of time.
It allows for many convenient payment methods as well as easy social media integration, domain creation (and hosting), as well as content managing and marketing tools.
While Microsoft already has a lot to offer in the way of ecommerce through its Dynamics line, creating a competing platform is something "we're looking at very seriously" according to Shelly Bransten, the vice president of retail and consumer goods at Microsoft.
Microsoft definitely sees the potential (and the profit) that could come with this service, as she also states that many of their customers are asking for them to make one.
While many ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Squarespace are immensely successful and used by many ecommerce businesses, they aren't quite able to reach enterprise-scale customers, leaving a sizeable field for Microsoft to take advantage of.
The world we live in today is digitally dominated.
People spend hours buried in their phones or computer browsing the internet, connecting with friends halfway across the globe, and shopping, all from the comfort of their home.
Online shopping has risen dramatically in popularity, with the world of ecommerce becoming more and more diverse and competitive. While people may not initially equate any sort of relationship between the ever popular world of social media and the expansive realm of ecommerce, they both benefit each other tremendously.
Shopify especially allows for social media to easily integrate into your store, making it a great platform for businesses aiming to take advantage of the social media front.
Here's 4 ways that social media can benefit your Shopify ecommerce business.
People spend a lot of time on social media. Whether they're catching up with friends, following their favorite celebrity, or even following an interest or hobby, social media grabs and holds a large amount of people's attention.
That makes for an ideal arena when it comes to the world of ecommerce, and offers a great opportunity to get your target audiences' attention right now instead of dragging them to your site.
Shopify offers pretty painless integration when it comes to major social media outlets, including a Shop tab in your Facebook page, the option to turn your products' Pins into Buyable Pins on Pinterest, and a Buy Now button added to tweets regarding your products on Twitter.
Have we emphasized enough how drawn to social media people are?
It would make sense then that social media also offers one of - if not the - best place to communicate with your customers and establish your brand.
If you've already established a social media storefront as brought out above, then you now have access to very valuable data you can use to track the performance of your products and your customers' habits and make changes accordingly.
Reaching out to and monitoring your customers for feedback, communicating any valuable information, and taking a more personal interest in your customers (especially if you're a small business) can go a long way towards building trust and a good reputation with your customers and provide a more secure future for your business.
As social media makes for a great opportunity for people's voices to be heard, you can bet any amount of many that if people have a complaint, they'll take to the internet to vent.
While this can be troublesome in some scenarios, majority of the power as to the outcome of these situations actually rests in the hands of the seller.
Customers can be as belligerent and unpleasant as they please, but it ultimately comes down to your reaction and how you handle the situation that can affect your reputation and the trust that exists between you and your customers.
If you handle things in a calm, reasonable manner and attempt to reach a satisfying solution, people will take note of that. Finding some of these unhappy campers on social media can require some vigilance, however.
Be regular in patrolling and keeping an eye on things, and try your best to address any issues as soon as they arise.
4.) Social Media Also Allows For Customers To Build Your Rep For You!
If people often take to social media to vent negativity, then it's guaranteed that the inverse is also true: people also take to social media to sing your praises!
After a great customer service experience or a great deal, a lot of people will excitedly share their happy experience with the world over whatever outlet they use.
If you're regular in patrolling said outlets yourself, then this offers a marvelous opportunity to build even further by expressing appreciation or thanks for the good word!
Another opportunity you have to let your customers build your rep can happen on your own site if you implement the option of allowing them to leave reviews!
This allows you to not only keep connected with your customers and monitor and address any issues as well, but it also gives a nice, centralized location for any visitors to see firsthand your reputation and decide for themselves if they want to buy from you.
Shopify has tons of options when it comes to integrating this feature into your site.
Social media is a powerful tool that can be put to use for great benefit for you and your ecommerce business. Expanding your business into new outlets can reach a broader audience and keep you closely connected with your customers.
Gapstow Design would love to help you accomplish that. As an Ecommerce Consulting firm located in Cleveland, Ohio, we specialize in helping businesses expand and integrate into new channels.
We'd love to hear from you and see how we can help you achieve your goals!
These are the best SEO practices for you to implement and keep up with in order to maintain a high ranking for you and your ecommerce site.
Shopify offers a few convenient payment methods for you and your business, two of the most popular being Paypal and Shopify Payments.
Both offer security and convenience for your customers, and Paypal integrates very easily into your Shopify store. In fact, a lot of businesses have decided to incorporate both into their site, as they work very well together.
However, as with all good things, they are not without cost.
A lot of people find themselves asking then how the fees associated with either item line up? Do they stack on top of each other and compound?
To give you a more in-depth explanation, we'll break down some of the fees associated with both Paypal and Shopify Payments.
While Paypal has no signup fee and is very easy to integrate as mentioned above, there are some seller fees.
When selling in the US, you'll be charged 2.9% of the transaction in addition to a $0.30 flat fee.
When dealing with buyers outside of the US, the transaction fee is increased to 4.4%, and the flat rate is dependant on the currency.
When using Shopify Payments, depending on your plan, you'll get charged a 2.4% to 2.9% as well as a flat $0.30.
So Paypal and Shopify Payments both have their own fees associated with them.
Do those fees stack on top of each other when you decide to use both?
You only pay the fees for whatever method the customer uses at checkout, meaning you can still fully incorporate and enjoy both payment options without having to worry about paying extra fees.
Jet's algorithm takes all of these factors into consideration when you do a search for an item and will list you the best deals. The only 'catch' being that you don't see the sellers, but Jet does this to ensure you get the best deals every time you shop with them. So when you take the three factors above and work them to your advantage, you'll get a better price in the end. For example, buying from a warehouse that's closer to you will lower the price. Buying a larger quantity from the same seller also works to lower your price.
There's only a few qualifications to meet in order to become a Jet Retail Partner: good, quality products, competitive pricing, and quick shipping fulfillment. Once you qualify, you just need to provide your Tax ID, number, annual online revenue, and any shipping details upon sign-up. Selling on Jet is pretty similar to selling on Amazon, but instead of the monthly fees Amazon throws your way, you'll have around a 15% fee for most of the items you'll sell. However, Jet has no admin panel, so you'll have to use an external inventory management program or software. That's where having an ecommerce consultant comes in handy!
Jet is a great option when it comes to expanding your ecommerce business into new marketplaces or multi-channel sales. Check out our page detailing online marketplace expansion for more info on Jet or to see if any other online marketplaces may be of benefit to you!
Amazon offers many ingenious methods and incentives to bring your best as an ecommerce seller.
Whether you're trying to qualify for Fulfillment By Amazon or win the coveted Amazon's Choice label, there's no shortage of opportunities for you to shine as a seller and build yourself a cut above the rest.
The Amazon Buy Box is another one of these methods. It gives a seller a lot of visibility on Amazon when it comes to specific products.
What Exactly Is the Amazon Buy Box?
Third-party merchants make up the second most of Amazon's income. With all the competition going on between these merchants to gain priority for their products, the Buy Box serves as a great opportunity to outshine the competition and gain some major recognition and sales.
When you click on a product on Amazon, it will prominently only feature one seller for the product (the very best seller for that product). Off to the right in the little box with the "Add To Cart" button is where you'll find the name of that seller, along with a link to a page showing other merchants who also sell this item.
Seeing as how most buyers don't dig that deep, the prominently displayed first seller typically gets the win.
This is why winning the Amazon Buy Box is a big deal if you want exposure and high sales.
Amazon has criteria it looks for when it decides who wins the Buy Box spot.
Firstly, you need to have plenty of inventory available for your item, otherwise the box will go to someone else.
Your item condition matters. New items will be given priority over Used or Like New.
Professional Merchant Accounts qualify for the Buy Box. An Individual Merchant account won't be eligible.
When determining your seller ranking, Amazon also looks at your Fulfillment Service. Amazon will trust its own over anything else.
Your Shipping Time and Landed Price are two more important stats Amazon looks at. Fast, free shipping are the keys here.
You can always check your status on the Seller Central Amazon page, but having these criteria met doesn't necessarily guarantee you a spot on the Buy Box.
The good news, however, is that the Buy Box is never set in stone: the spot is always shifting. From day to day, or even hourly, the seller in the Buy Box constantly fluctuates based on the above qualifications. This creates healthy competition between sellers and keeps businesses on Amazon in top shape for customers.
Maintain the areas touched on above, and a spot in the Amazon Buy Box could yet be yours!
Whether you're just deciding to expand into an online marketplace or you're expanding into multi-channel selling, Walmart.com is a great platform to establish a presence for yourself.
Walmart is one of the largest retailers in the world and offers a huge audience for potential customers, bringing in around 110 million visitors a month. It also has many other benefits, including no monthly subscription fees, no minimum or maximum limit on SKUs, the ability to set your own prices as a seller, and a convenient shopping experience for customers.
But just how can you become a seller on the Walmart Marketplace and take advantage of all these benefits?
Here's a step-by-step breakdown of what you need to do.
The approval process can take up to two weeks. Not everyone makes the cut, however. If you don't, no worries! There's plenty of other options out there when it comes to selling your goods online.
Our blog post on Online Marketplaces highlights some of those options as well as tips for success to help you make the best decision for you and your business. You can check it out here!
After you've been approved to sell on Walmart's marketplace, the next step in the process would be to complete your seller profile. You'll need to add your logo, contact info, shipping details, and anything else they deem necessary to complete your profile.
The next two steps will get you financially set.
First, Walmart will deposit a penny into your account to test and make sure everything's set up properly and will work fine so you can get paid from your sales.
After that, you'll have to set up your tax obligations to ensure customers pay proper tax at checkout.
Once all that's done, then you finally get to upload your products! You can edit their info all you want until you get it where you like and feel they're ready to be sold.
After you've completed all of the above, all that's left for you to do is to give Walmart the green-light and they'll make you live!
As your products get sold, you'll get the revenue deposited directly into your account, minus any referral fees.
Walmart's marketplace is a great place to sell your products on. If you find yourself unsure about the setup process, or want your presence established in the best possible way, then hiring an ecommerce consultant would be your best option.
Gapstow Design Company in Cleveland, Ohio can save you valuable time and energy and help your business tremendously in the long run!
The world of ecommerce can be tricky to navigate, and we'd love to help you.
The Walmart Marketplace logo is the property of Walmart.
When it comes to the world of e-commerce, few things will have the impact on your survival and success as SEO.
E-commerce SEO is vital to ensure that your site - and by extension your products - are visible and easy to find for consumers.
When your site is properly optimized, it ranks higher on search engine results page (or SERPs), meaning more organic traffic to your site and - ultimately - more business.
E-commerce SEO can be a daunting and time consuming task; however, any costs or investment in good SEO is definitely overshadowed and outweighed by the benefits and rewards it can have for your business.
We'll highlight a few techniques to good e-commerce SEO and the benefits they can draw.
As mentioned above, good e-commerce SEO gets your site a higher rank on SERPs which draws more traffic to your site and results in increased conversion rates.
As an e-commerce business, one of the chief ways people will find your site - and therefore your products - is through Google searches.
While paid search can work to get you a beneficial spot, ad blockers and other variables can reduce the effectiveness of that method.
We have an entire blog post devoted to the importance of SEO for your e-commerce business. Check it out if you'd like more information!
We've already highlighted why e-commerce SEO is important, now it's time to discuss just how you can put it into practice.
One of the first things you want to do is develop a good strategy.
A good e-commerce SEO strategy will help you efficiently spend your resources and energy in order to yield maximum results for your business.
To start, focus your energy on the products or pages that you want to feature or already generate the most traffic.
In order for your efforts in your prioritized area (and beyond) to have maximum result, you need to plan out what needs to be done.
These are just broader key points of SEO that we'll touch on, each has its own facets and nuances that can and should be touched up as well.
For those bits, we recommend hiring someone with e-commerce SEO experience who knows what they're doing.
If you're having trouble figuring out what direction to go in, a great place to start is to check out your competition, particularly the competitors a little ahead of your league.
Their site is more than likely already optimized, and taking a look at what they've got in that department can give you a number of good pointers and ways to improve your own!
Once you've got your SEO Strategy together, then it's time to take action.
Here's where we'll break down some of the broad key aspects we highlighted earlier.
Content is the backbone of good ecommerce SEO: without quality content, then any SEO you do really won't have anything to work with.
Blogs, news articles, info pages, and more are great ideas for content pages that you can use for your site.
These pages give Google and the other search engines stuff to look through and rank you by.
More quality content, and these search engines will see you as valuable, knowledgeable, and relevant with the topic you're addressing, resulting in a higher ranking on the SERPs.
Where content is the meat of your site, keywords are the salt.
Researching what keywords will work best for your business is its own beast in and of itself. But using them appropriately throughout your site once you have them is an art.
If you use too many keywords, Google will call you out on it and slap you with a lower ranking. But if you use too few, then Google will hardly notice you.
Again, think of salting your food.
If you use too much, then the meal is ruined and you need to eat something else. If you use too little, then your food will still taste bland.
Use the right amount to really bring out the flavor and make the meal more appealing!
Images are another huge factor in good e-commerce SEO, as they work to reduce your page speed.
Your website's page speed is a huge factor when it comes to customer satisfaction and by extension, then, your SERP ranking.
If you use lots of big, hi-res uncompacted images, then your site will take longer to load them. Customers click away from sites that tend to take any longer than 5-7 seconds to load, with the gold standard being less than 5.
Optimizing your images is a fantastic way to decrease your page load speed and keep your website optimized!
Optimizing your descriptions is another important step.
You want to give as much information as you can in as few, carefully selected words as you can manage.
Carefully sprinkle your keywords throughout as well to catch Google's eye.
If not optimized, consumers can lose patience and navigate to somewhere else, and Google could see your site as overcomplicated and rank you lower.
From image alt text to your webpage's snippets, these little bits can be very important for Google to see and rank you higher.
Giving your images alt text lets Google know exactly how they're relevant, and also lets them be sorted more efficiently. The same goes for the other little snippets and such.
E-commerce SEO can be an intimidating process, but with the right method and enough preparation and planning, it can be done efficiently and really boost your e-commerce business's Google ranking!


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Heico presented a complethy redesigned body-kit for the 2007 Volvo XC90. A quantum leap in this case is the material quality: all components are made of brakeproof PU-RIM plastic.
The front skirt is made of three pieces. The center section has got decent air intakes and the outlined side parts are housing the fog lamps. They can be upgraded to a cornering light. The sportive design elements are matching perfect with the overall picture of the XC90 and will be mounted onto the original bumper surface.
The three-piece rear skirt is made of PU-RIM and was modified. The center section - the so called diffuser - serves for a stylish accommodation of the twin-outlet exhaust. Between the endpipes a good locking mesh grill sets accents. The corner parts are showing the same design pattern as the front skirt and creating a powerful rear look.
The center part of the rear skirt is also available seperate and is suggested to use in combination with the twin-outlet exhaust. This ready-to-paint element will replace the original part and can be installed onto the existing fixing points.


text:
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Launches Batman: Arkham City
The wait is finally over for fans to don the Batsuit again! Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced that Batman: Arkham City™, the critically acclaimed and highly anticipated videogame developed by Rocksteady Studios, will be available from October 21 at retailers in the UK for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The Games for Windows version will be available beginning November 18, 2011.
Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players flying through the expansive Arkham City – five times larger than the game world in Batman: Arkham Asylum – the new maximum security "home" for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Featuring an incredible Rogues Gallery of Gotham City's most dangerous criminals including Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze and many others, the game allows players to genuinely experience what it feels like to be The Dark Knight delivering justice on the streets of Gotham City.
"Batman: Arkham City builds upon the critical and commercial success of Batman: Arkham Asylum and firmly solidifies the Arkham brand as a triple-A action adventure franchise," said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Rocksteady has developed a game that includes all the makings of a blockbuster – immersive story, memorable characters and outstanding gameplay, and we are very proud to bring the game to players around the world."
"Getting to work in the Batman universe again has been a privilege for us at Rocksteady Studios. We have worked tirelessly to take Batman from the Asylum into the heart of Gotham City and to deliver the game The Dark Knight deserves," said Sefton Hill, Game Director at Rocksteady Studios. "The response so far has been phenomenal and we can't wait for everyone to experience becoming The Batman swooping through the streets of Gotham."
Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, Batman: Arkham City introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new, all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay.
The game was written in collaboration with Paul Dini, Batman author and five-time Emmy Award winner whose credits include Lost season one and Batman: The Animated Series, and features the incredible voice talent of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. Both reprise their roles as The Joker and Batman respectively. Stana Katic of the popular series Castle joins the cast as the voice of Talia al Ghul.
Fans looking for the ultimate Batman: Arkham City package can purchase the Batman: Arkham City Collector's Edition, which includes extensive bonus content, including a custom Batman statue produced by Kotobukiya, a collectible art book, early access to the Iceberg Lounge Challenge Map and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns skin, Batman: Arkham City – The Album featuring original music by top artists and a bonus DC Universe animated original movie, Batman: Gotham Knight.
Two official versions of a strategy guide for Batman: Arkham City will be offered by BradyGames – a Signature Series and a Limited Edition. In addition, an iOS Map App for locating collectibles and a series of official strategy videos will be available through Brady's iOS Strategy Feed app and through the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360.
Players can also look forward to the Nightwing Bundle Pack on Nov. 1 and the Robin Bundle Pack scheduled for release on Nov. 22. The downloadable content will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 560 Microsoft Points and PlayStation®Network for £5.49.
Batman: Arkham City is based on DC Comics' core Batman license and rated "BBFC 15". Fans can visit www.batmanarkhamcity.com for more information about the game.
Tags: ArkhamArkham AsylumArkham Citybatmanbatman on hill arkham cityBatman: Arkham CityBindc comicDC UniversefreeOriginpcPS3robert strickrocksteadytargetTERAtheparanoidgamer.comUniversewarWarner Brosxboxxbox 360xbox360


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EMILY BOOTH MEETS THE SPACE MONSTERS!
January 30, 2014 by cyberschizoid	in Horror Films, Monster Magazines, Monster Movies, SciFi Movies, Space Monsters magazine and tagged B-Movies, classic horror movies, cult movie, Emily Booth, Emily Booth's B-Movie Boutique, Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster, horror, monster movies, science-fiction, scream queen, Space Monsters Magazine.	| Leave a comment
"Hey! Its me again with my second column for Space Monsters and this time contrary to what the title suggests this is not about Frankenstein getting down with some little green men on Mars, but rather a 1960's semi kinky tale of interplanetary breeding! Have I got your attention now? Good, then I'll begin.
It's 1965, the same year as the first human space walk, the first landing on the moon was still 4 years away but it seemed the one question on everyone's mind in the 60's (apart from where to score some LSD and get laid?) was "Is there life on Mars?" This fertile theme fed our beloved Sci Fi Horror genre for a good two decades and while this little gem starts life out as your typical 'first space mission to Mars gone wrong' movie, it soon takes a rather more kitsch turn…"
You can read the full review of trash classic Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster by the UK's Mistress of Horror Emily Booth in issue 3 of Space Monsters magazine.
If you're wondering where you can grab your copy of Space Monsters (either print or digital) then check out the list and links below to find your easiest option!
Classic Horror Campaign
http://www.classichorrorcampaign.com/space-monsters-magazine/
Dead Good Publishing Ltd (Digital Version)
http://spacemonstersofficial.blogspot.co.uk/
Hemlock Books
http://www.hemlockbooks.co.uk/
The Cinema Store – 5 Upper St Martin's Lane, London WC2H 9NY
http://www.thecinemastore.co.uk/
Blackwell's University Bookshop –
(University of Sheffield, Mappin Street,Sheffield,S1 4DT)
http://stores.blackwell.co.uk/stores/blackwell-university-mappin/
London Film Memorabilia Convention – Saturday 29th March 2014
http://www.londonfilmmemorabiliaconvention.co.uk/dates-and-guests.html
Camden Film Fair – Saturday 22nd February 2014
https://www.facebook.com/CamdenFilmFair
Ninth Circle – various festivals and events throughout 2014
https://www.facebook.com/NinthCircle9
Psychotronic Store
http://psychotronicstore.com/
Scary Monsters Scare Store
http://www.scarymonstersscarestore.com/main.sc
Suspect Video – (605 Markham Street * Toronto * Ontario * Canada * M6G 2L7)
http://www.suspectvideo.ca/
WHAT'S LURKING ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON?
January 27, 2014 by cyberschizoid	in Monster Magazines, Space Monsters magazine, TV SciFi and tagged Barbara Bain, British Cult TV, classic horror, comic strip, Dragon's Domain, Gerry Anderson, Martin Landau, Space Monsters Magazine, Space:1999, TV Sci-Fi	| 2 Comments
The episode of Space:1999 which sticks in people's minds as the most frightening of all is Dragon's Domain which tells of the Alphans encountering a hideous monster within an eerie graveyard of space-ships. The alien creature itself is a memorable creation of flailing tentacles, giant hypnotising eye and a gaping maw which sucks people in then spits them out almost instantly, leaving only an empty husk. The script by Christopher Penfold was originally called Web and was influenced by the spiders webs full of dead moths and flies he used to encounter on his rare visits to his home on the Welsh borders…..
You can read the full article by Rick Gladman on the classic horror influences in Space:1999 in issue 1 of Space Monsters magazine.
Print version available from CLASSIC HORROR CAMPAIGN.
Digital version available from DEAD GOOD NEWSSTAND.
Print version also available on AMAZON.CO.UK
SPACE MONSTERS ISSUES 1 AND 2 – SPECIAL MULTIPACK OFFER!
January 22, 2014 by cyberschizoid	in Classic SciFi, Monster Magazines, SciFi Movies, Space Monsters magazine, TV SciFi, Uncategorized and tagged Dead Good Newsstand, digital, Haunted After Dark, Monster Magazines, Space Monsters digital, Space Monsters Magazine	| Leave a comment
Space Monsters Double Pack!
Still not purchased issue 1 of Space Monsters? SHAME ON YOU!!! It's your chance to redeem yourself. For a limited time, the digital editions of Issues 1 and 2 (Issue 2 is EXCLUSIVELY IN COLOUR IN DIGITAL!) for just £5!
Yes, not only is Space Monsters a print magazine but we now have a full-colour digital edition too! So, if reading your favourite mags on your iPhone, iPad, iPod or laptop is your bag then beam up to the Dead Good Newsstand today and download the greatest monster magazine in the galaxy!
* Also available in print format from the CLASSIC HORROR CAMPAIGN website.
MEET OUR VERY SPECIAL CELEBRITY GUEST – DEBBIE ROCHON – AMERICA'S QUEEN OF SCREAM!
January 8, 2014 by cyberschizoid	in Classic SciFi, Horror Films, SciFi Movies, Space Babes, Space Monsters magazine and tagged actress, Ash Loydon, classic sci-fi, Debbie Rochon, horror films, Lynn Lowry, scream queen, Serial Kaller, sexy, Space Monsters Magazine, Tiffany Shepis, Troma	| Leave a comment
Space Monsters Magazine is very proud to announce our very special guest columnist for issue 3 – sexy Scream Queen Debbie Rochon! This gorgeous Canadian is an award-winning horror actress who has appeared in over 200 movies including Shriek of the Lycanthrope (1995), Tromeo and Juliet (1996), Santa Claws (1996), Terror Firmer (1999), Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000), Won Ton Baby! (2009) and Serial Kaller (2014)! Debbie is also a columnist for the long-running horror magazine Fangoria as well as cult movie mag The Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope.
For Space Monsters issue 3 Debbie discusses her favourite classic sci-fi movies – just wait till you see what's number one on her list! Not only is she a talented actress Debbie has recently finished directing her first feature film Model Hunger, a horror flick starring Lynn Lowry and Tiffany Shepis.
To order your copy of Space Monsters issue three just follow this LINK!


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Daisy (Ronan), a teenage New Yorker, is sent to England one summer to stay with the cousins she has never met. Initially resentful, she soon immerses herself in a dreamy pastoral idyll as she falls madly in love. But this perfect summer is blown apart by the sudden outbreak of a war that none of them understands. The family is separated and Daisy is forced to embark on a terrifying journey to be reunited with the boy she loves.
Director Kevin Macdonald
Writer Meg Rosoff, Jeremy Brock, Penelope Skinner, Tony Grisoni, Jack Thorne
Cast Soairse Ronan, George MacKay, Tom Holland
Producers Alasdair Flind, Andrew Ruhemann, Charles Steel, John Battsek
Production Credits Jeremy Brock - Associate Producer, Rosa Romero - Line Producer, Tessa Ross - Executive Producer, Nicole Stott - Associate Producer, Robert Walak - Executive Producer, Piers Wenger - Executive Producer, Nigel Williams - Executive Producer, BFI, Film Fund, Cowboy Films, Film4, Passion Pictures, Prospect Entertainment, Protagonist Pictures,UK Film Council
Kevin Macdonald's first feature, One Day In September, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2000, then Touching the Void was awarded a BAFTA for Best British Film and the Evening Standard Award for Best British Film. Kevin's first feature-length drama, The Last King Of Scotland, won a BAFTA for Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay. Other feature drama credits include State of Play and The Eagle, while documentary credits include Life In A Day and Marley.
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Following a fight that ended with three people getting stabbed at his London show on Tuesday night (March 12), Roddy Ricch says he might get banned from the city.
The Compton rapper hopped on his Twitter account on Wednesday (March 13) to tell his fans that he could be prohibited from performing in London. "IM SORRY TO MY UK FANS BUT BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT THEY ARE TRYING TO BAN ME FROM EVER COMING TO BAC LONDON," he wrote in a tweet that included a broken heart emoji.
Ricch doesn't specify who might ban him—whether it's the government or the concert hall—but it appears that he's genuinely worried.
According to the U.K.'s Mirror, a fight broke out in the crowd near the end of Ricch's show at the Electric Brixton venue. Police were called to the scene and they found three men with knife wounds from the melee.
The men were rushed to the hospital so their injuries could be dealt with, and they were eventually discharged hours later. Police have made no arrests in the case.
After police cleared out the venue, Ricch, who says he isn't responsible for the stabbings in any way, went on Twitter and addressed the incident.
Check out Roddy Ricch's message about the possibility of being banned from London below.
XXL has reached out to Electric Brixton for comment.


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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. High Plains Blizzard: Discontent on a Montana Highway
Clifford A. Brown
Move across the Great Plains in November and you are chancing sudden, serious winter weather. My parents did this twice in the 1970s with four young children. As we recall, the family dog was flown instead of sharing in the road trip both times. This was before hotels and motels catered to people with animals.
November 1977 found the Brown family convoying west from Fort Knox, KY, to Fort Lewis, WA. Dad had been reassigned from an Army hospital, commanded by a colonel, to an Army medical center, commanded by a one-star brigadier general. This was very good, as it meant he was moving into position to be promoted, as a clinician rather than administrator, from lieutenant colonel to colonel. What was not so good was the weather.
Our two-vehicle convoy's make-up had been driven by family size and the oil crisis. When we had driven east, we rolled in Detroit steel. Then the oil crisis hit, and it was time to consider new vehicles. Dad got himself a Mercedes 240D. "D" is for diesel, the superior fuel economy and fuel price per mile choice at the time. Mom wanted something other than a station wagon around 1975, so she got Bessie the Bus, a VW with a bus shift lever linked to the four-on-the-floor transmission by a long wire. The engine was around 65-70 bhp.
Why a VW bus and not a station wagon? Discontent. You see, the seating arrangement in a VW bus led to matriarchal contentment and sibling survival. Four children could be arranged thusly:
[Mom][___][[Kid]
[Kid][empty]
[Kid][___][Kid]
As you can see, no one is in danger of touching, as in "Mom…she's touching me!" "Am not!" No one can accidentally intrude on a sibling's space, disturbing domestic tranquility. So, the blue-check gingham curtained bus could roll along with a modicum of peace, love, and harmony.
Now we were climbing out of Cheyenne or Laramie, WY, on Interstate 80, up into the hills and high plains. I believe we were planning to make Utah, possible Boise, ID, where we had family friends. Then it started blowing and snowing hard. The lead vehicle was the Mercedes, driven by Dad. Apparently, I was riding shotgun at the time, keeping an ever-closer eye on Bessie the Bus, whose blue-and-white paint scheme was tough to track in the snow flurries. Mom and the three girls were in the entirely manual and very high profile, while relatively light, VW bus. I get the rest of the story from them.
Mom had a death grip on the steering wheel, throwing all 5'11" into keeping it on what she thought was the road. Waiting out the storm on the side of the road was no option. You would either freeze, die of carbon monoxide poisoning, or get creamed by a semi. As we crept along, Mom focused on the Mercedes' taillights.
Leeanna, the youngest of us, was the one without a filter. We passed a moving van bearing the markings of the company moving our stuff. Seeing it blown over on its side, Leeanna asked "is that our stuff?" A bit later, as things went from bad to worse, Leeanna asked: "are we going to die?" Mom is a pretty cool customer, but she couldn't hide the reality of the situation. Finally, she flashed the high beams until I saw the signal and Dad pulled over to stop.
As I opened the passenger door and stepped out to run back to the VW, a wind gust snatched the glasses off my face. Thankfully they dropped near my feet, I snatched them up, and struggled back to the VW. The message was short and clear: "we must get off at the very next town." That message was soon reinforced by a state patrol officer blocking the interstate and waving all traffic onto the Rawlins, WY, exit with flares.
Mom did her mom thing again, immediately on exit, decreeing that we would get two rooms first. Dad was all about completing the mission and wanted to refuel first. Mom was right. We got the last two motel rooms in town. Everyone behind us was put up for two days in gyms and halls. Mind you, Dad was right to want to refuel before hunkering down, as everyone and their dog and cat would be headed to the two or three gas stations in town when the storm lifted and the roads were cleared. He did so, even having to dig out of a snowbank in the process.
After the sky and road cleared, the rest of the trip was uneventful. The winter of our discontent did not end in glorious summer, but in the evergreen beauty of late 1970s western Washington, where moss grew thickly in the lane expansion joints of Interstate 5, and where we had a different glorious view of our mountain, Mount Rainier every day. Some days it even looked like Mount Doom!
Tags: 2020 January Group Writing, Blizzard, Road Trip, travel with kids, Winter of Our Discontent
I was half expecting to see the Donner Pass on the map.
https://ricochet.com/714107/archives/high-plains-blizzard-discontent-on-a-montana-highway/#comment-4691504
February 3, 2020, at 10:40 PM PST
So what happened to your stuff? Was it all smooshed to pieces after the moving van toppled over?
Or was it, fortunately for your family, someone else's moving van?
It was not our stuff. Our movers and our stuff arrived safely at Fort Lewis.
February 4, 2020, at 12:01 AM PST
Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):
Yeah! for you guys.
Yes, Wyoming is bad in winter, Colorado too.
I have a cousin who was riding as a passenger in his pickup pulling a trailer with the wife driving when the wind blew them off the road. He is in a wheelchair for life. That was in Wyoming.
In March 1983 I was driving my family, wife and 3 children, from Kansas City to ski in the Colorado Rockies when we ran into a fog bank in Limon, Co. I had slowed downed because visibility was really impaired but the driver of the 18-wheeler I guess thought he could see okay since his perch was above the fog in which we were immersed in our car. The truck crushed the rear of our car (totaled). Wife's whiplash was the only injury-don't know if she ever got completely over that-but she's still with me. The children were fine in the backseat. My family has truly been blessed. Yours too it seems.
Be careful driving on the highways in winter.
February 4, 2020, at 7:31 AM PST
KentForrester
Cliff, your trip sounds harrowing.
I know the area well. I was stationed in Fort Lewis for nine months, 15 years before you arrived, in 1961-62. I was there because I was called back into the Army (out of college, the University of Oregon) because of the Berlin Crisis. The Crisis blew over, but the Army kept us in long after it blew over, doing nothing. I'm a civilian at heart, so I grouched for nine months, anxious to return to college and my courting of Marie.
The base is now called Lewis-McChord.
My kids and grandkids live in the area around Fort Lewis, in Olympia and Tacoma.
GLDIII Temporarily Essential Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member
Clifford A. Brown: The engine was around 65-70 bhp.
Only from the factory floor, at sea level, could this claim be verified as "truthful"….
The roll off in output on those 60's & 70's air cooled Beetle engines was nefariously quick, especially with the duty cycles American road are famous for inflicting on post WWII European exports.
I never understood the left's love affair with this final gasping product from Germany's renown experiment with National Socialism.
When our kids were young we purchased a used van-pool van that had been modified to have a center aisle. The best thing about it was that everyone could have his own seat separated from annoying siblings. It had individual AC nozzles and reading lights in the ceiling. This is not as much of a novelty now, but as the first vehicle we had with these amenities, it was dubbed the "airplane van".
PHCheese
GLDIII Temporarily Essential (View Comment):
You were lucky to get 60,000 miles on those engines. Of course you could replace it in about two hours. It could be lifted out by one reasonable strong guy or a hell of a strong woman.
This was dad's solution to the family of 7 transportation problem, a 1971 Chevy Beauville.
Stone reliable, logged more than 300K and was last put to service for the youngest's child's aspirational musician rock band mobility solution. He finished it off circa 1998. It was the last standard Chevy we had any respect for after the later purchased tribulations with a Vega, a Monza, and an Old Cutlass Diesels (broke the crank in half after 50K). The earlier purchased 60's Corvettes and Cameros all performed well and lived long lives. My middle brother still has dad's 1969 Convertible Pace car he full restored, as well as his own restored 1969 Camero RS hardtop.
KentForrester (View Comment):
Some wags offered that JBLM should have been renamed McLewis.
Clifford A. Brown: As you can see, no one is in danger of touching, as in "Mom…she's touching me!" "Am not!" No one can accidentally intrude on a sibling's space, disturbing domestic tranquility. So, the blue-check gingham curtained bus could roll along with a modicum of peace, love, and harmony.
My favorite part. It brought back memories. Only we didn't have a VW bus for survival. Great post!
February 4, 2020, at 1:18 PM PST
TreeRat
I remember other-than-fondly a vacation trip, four kids in the back seat of a DeSoto sedan. My argument for a window adjacent position was the threat of a vomitous occasion from motion sickness.
A young couple, close friends back in our hippie dippy days, made several cross country trips in their VW bus.
Each journey had involved multiple stops for repairs, and on one long stopover back on the East Coast, installation of a replacement engine and an overhaul of the clutch. My friend did all the work himself (!).
He later told me that on their next jaunt, he'd overheard folks ask her if she was travelling with her husband, and she'd smiled and said, "No, I'm travelling with my mechanic."
Locke On
In my starving grad student days in Michigan, I owned a '71 VW van with what we called the 'psychic shifter' — you just had to know where the gear was and go there, 'cause Lord knows the linkage wasn't providing any clues. The last vehicle that I did significant work on, from oil change to tune-ups and even rebuilding the distributor. Then one winter day we hit a patch of glaze ice in a heavy cross wind and got blown off the road into a ditch. That wiped out the already rather imaginary heating system, and by the following spring the sliding door rusted off its track due to all the Michigan salt on the roads and that was the end. RIP 'Grendel', its moniker.
@gldiii The answer is in the question.
BTW One of my favorite VW ads had a picture of a Beetle and the caption "0-60, Yes!"
PHCheese (View Comment):
I replaced two VW engines in my life, both with a devoted boyfriend.
The first experience involved being in his super large garage, at a point when it was like 5 below zero. We had one of those "Replacing VW engines for Dummies" guides.
There was a hassle with a nut and bolt. (I mean, a skin being pulled off your gloved fingers type of struggle.) We worked at it for some very very long time. In reality this was probably less than 15 minutes, but when it is 5 below zero and you are lying on a cement floor, it seems a lot longer.
We finally got that damn nut off the engine. We managed a high five and felt like we'd be soon back inside a cozy residence. We had managed all this without suffering any noticeable gangrene from the cold, at least so far.
So we triumphantly turned to the "Dummies" manual to see what we needed to do next.
Our hearts sank when we read in the manual, "Now that you have succeeded in getting rid of nut A, look behind the engine to discover nut B. Simply repeat what you just did, and you'll be almost done."
I don't remember how we accomplished the engine removal, but it was done. I vowed to never again attempt such a task unless it was summer time.
Mike Rapkoch
I grew up in Montana and my wife in Wyoming. Driving in the winter in those states made a man out of both of us (don't tell my wife I said this)-: We're still manly, though the winters of the last 10 years or so have taken their toll and we don't travel much anymore, particularly in the winter.
A bit of advice. If you're passing through Montana–at anytime of the year–stay off US Hwy 2 in Northern Montana. It's a death trap. Second most dangerous highway in the country.
Randy Weivoda Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member
Clifford A. Brown: Move across the Great Plains in November and you are chancing sudden, serious winter weather.
I'd say November-April, myself. Good post, Clifford.