"A book called Caves of Steel by Issac Asimov. It was second hand too, but what made it really special was receiving it as an anniversary gift from someone I loved who knew me enough to give it. I had not read fiction for 10 years and this got my hooked into sci-fi."
"This year I'm craving a good swag. I look forward to doing more camping."
"It is hard to tell the best gift I've given as it requires me to know what others think. But one I'm most proud of that the person seemed to enjoy the most was donating my time to sit side-by-side for a day to help someone start a business."
"The first gift for my partner. Not knowing her deeply like I do now made it harder and there's expectations I set for myself :-)"
"The best last minute gift I got was a massage from my partner. While it was good for the muscles to relax, it shows great love."
"Listen to people throughout the year and show interest in what they want. People give so many clues you can record for when it is time to give."
Jason Debel is co-founder of Australian bodyweight training store Urban Strength. Learn more about Jason and his business at www.urbanstrength.com.au.


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Bubba Golf enjoying mini-revival in 2020
Bubba Watson's bump-and-run leads to birdie at WGC-Mexico
MEXICO CITY – Bubba Watson would seem to have the right sort of game for Club de Golf Chapultepec, but he's never done particularly well at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. His best, in three starts here, is a T9 in 2018. Truth be told, he played better when the tournament was at Doral, with four top-three finishes.
After a winless 2019 in which he finished 81st in the FedExCup, Watson was off to a solid start in search of his 13th PGA TOUR victory after an opening-round 67, two off the early lead.
"I've been hitting the ball great all year after training," said Watson, who finished T6 at the Farmers Insurance Open and T3 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. "I've been working on getting fitter, getting stronger so I can hold positions and hit the shots I want to hit."
No one wanted to talk about what's behind his mini-revival, though. Instead, it was Watson's casual round with singer Justin Bieber after missing the cut at the Genesis Invitational in L.A. The two played at Lakeside Golf Club with Ted Scott, Watson's caddie, and three others, and Watson joked that Bieber is now his mental coach. (Watson has no mental coach.)
The other topic of conversation at Chapultepec has been Watson's putting. He couldn't buy one at The Genesis, but had 13 one-putts in the first round at Chapultepec, and on the often-tricky poa annua surfaces, no less. His 21 total putts in round one were a career low on TOUR.
But while putting comes and goes, and celebrity is its own thing altogether, Watson's revival this season owes just as much if not more to his tee-to-green game.
"I know my ball-striking is where I want it to be," he said. "My mind is where I want it to be and everything. Coming here, I was just hoping I'd get the right bounces and the right breaks. I know I can play around here if I stay committed to all the shots."
Watson ranked No. 1 in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green in 2015, and fourth in that stat in '16.
Then things started to fall off: 74th in '17, and 45th in '18 even as he won three times and finished 10th in the FedExCup. He was 38th in SG: Tee-to-Green last season, which is far from terrible, but 167th in SG: Putting as he plummeted to 81st in the FedExCup.
Self-coached and mercurial, Watson has never been a paint-by-number type of guy. His rises and falls can be hard to predict, or explain. This season, though, it's pretty easy: Watson's stats are up in both putting (51st, despite an off-week at the Genesis) and ball-striking (13th). That's a useful combination, one that has seen him regularly work his way back into contention again after two decidedly lackluster years (2017 and '19) in the last three seasons.
"You know, it's — life sometimes throws you curve balls," he said.
Perhaps, though, not so much in the thin air at Chapultepec, where the ball doesn't curve as much. The ball-striking is there. The putting may be catching up. Bubba Golf is on the rise again.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sparing Use of Call To action: – There is no point in making your visitors confused with an overwhelming number of Call-to-Action buttons or texts. This is ridiculous and it does not serve any useful purpose. You can check out some famous websites such as reuters.com or nytimes.com as reference. They use it at the end of articles and the result is satisfying.
This is a good tactic for increasing the number of page views, and if the Lady Luck favors you, conversion rate can shot up significantly.
Design that Connects: – As a designer, your sole objective is to strike a perfect note with the viewers. Do not try to sing a different tune, as visitors may not find your design interesting. If you can somehow manage to get connected to your targeted visitors, chances are that they may link back to you or spread your message. In short, give your visitors reason to spend some quality time on your website.
Creative and Search Engine Friendly: – Probably you have experienced this thing hundreds of time while browsing net. Sometimes, you just chanced on a website that looks truly impressive but with almost zero search engine visibility. However, thankfully, these websites are fast becoming things of past as a new breed of websites has born, and they are all equally impressive and search engine friendly.
User Badges: – If you wish to encourage visitor interaction in your website, you can let your visitors use badge or you can dole out some points. It will definitely inspire them to spread your message far and wide. By encouraging participation, you can give your brand presence a boost.
The Animated HTML Multiheader: – Use of multiheader is fast becoming a rage in the website design industry. It helps you to feature different things in the home page and it is compelling too. Just make sure that all the headers are visible to search engine. Why should you use multi-headers? Well, the reasons are obvious. It comes with two-fold benefits. Firstly, you need not have to concentrate on other internal pages for communicating your message to your targeted audience. Secondly, if people start linking to you, your home will get the maximum number of linkback.
Use of Infographics: – This is another trend that is smeared in controversy. Some people lauded it and some lambasted it. The good thing about Infographics is that, it can make your website look truly different. It might help you to get some natural links but you cannot deny the fact that it is not an ideal practice from search engine's point of view.
Quite a diverse mix of information on this page but well presented nonetheless..


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Home » Breaches » CRTC announces that Bell Canada has paid a $1.3 million penalty for violating the National Do Not Call List Rules
CRTC announces that Bell Canada has paid a $1.3 million penalty for violating the National Do Not Call List Rules
December 20, 2010 Posted by Dissent Breaches, Business, Featured News, Non-U.S.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced that it has reached a settlement with Bell Canada over the company's unauthorized telemarketing practices. The CRTC has issued a notice of violation, and Bell Canada has paid an administrative monetary penalty of $1.3 million to the Receiver General for Canada.
Between January and October of this year, calls were made to consumers who had registered their numbers on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) or who were or should have been on Bell Canada's internal do not call list. These telemarketing practices are contrary to the National DNCL Rules. The CRTC's investigation found that the calls originated from independent telemarketers hired by Bell Canada to promote and sell its television, telephone, wireless and Internet services.
"All telemarketers must respect the wishes of Canadians who have registered their telephone number on the National DNCL or requested that a telemarketer include their number on its internal do not call list," said Andrea Rosen, the CRTC's Chief Telecommunications Enforcement Officer. "Even though the calls in this instance were made by third parties,Bell Canada must ultimately ensure that the rules are followed. We appreciate Bell Canada's willingness to work with us to address our concerns."
In a separate investigation, the CRTC also found that Bell Canada had used automated calling devices to communicate with its prepaid mobile customers without obtaining their prior express consent. Bell Canada has not admitted fault with regard to its use of automated calling devices. However, upon being made aware of the CRTC's concerns, Bell Canada voluntarily undertook to:
immediately cease making these types of calls, and
make a monetary payment of $266,000 to the Institute for Information and Systems Engineering at Concordia University.
In addition, Bell Canada has undertaken to review its compliance policies to ensure ongoing adherence with the CRTC's telemarketing rules. Some of Bell Canada's improvements have already been implemented and further enhancements are forthcoming.
The CRTC investigates complaints and applies the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, which include the National DNCL Rules, in order to reduce unwanted calls to Canadians. According to the established enforcement process, the CRTC can discuss corrective actions with telemarketers, which may lead to a settlement that includes a monetary payment.
Consumers may register on the National Do Not Call List or file a complaint about a telemarketer by calling 1-866-580-DNCL (3625) or visiting www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.
Notice of violation
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/vt101220.htm
Source: CNW Press Release
Canadian regulator moots complaint about Bell's…
Ca: Why Bell's targeted ad approach falls short on…
A victory against Bell's use of customer information
Ca: Bell TV 'reprehensible' for violating man's privacy
Ca: Telus requests your CV "for the public record"…
Ca: Credit rating agency dinged $5,000 for privacy breach Hell hath no fury like a vengeful teen with a Facebook account?


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Very short comment. Why is it that tuned bane bars cannot be added to the metal bank? Making bane ammo is a great source of fletching XP so I like doing it. But the ore cannot be added to ore boxes, nor can the bars be tossed in the metal bank. it must be smithed and smelted from the inventory. It's annoying. Is there a reason why we can't use it with the tools that were added?
how did you make your tuned bane ores into bars plz ?
You need to use the kethsian forge.


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Need to Know: Will RG3 benefit from an improved Redskins O-line?
Here is what you need to know on this Tuesday, June 30, 30 days before the Washington Redskins start training camp.
A few days a week I'll give an in-depth answer to a question submitted by a fan on my Twitter feed, via the Real Redskins Facebook page, or in the comments section here. On Twitter address the questions to me at @Rich_TandlerCSN with the #NTK hashtag. There will be a comment thread set up on the Facebook page and if you're asking your question here, put "for NTK" at the start of the comment.
I'll also take your Need to Know questions via email. Hit me up rich.tandler+csn@gmail.com with "NTK" in the subject line. Just keep them relatively brief, please.
Let's look at this from a couple of angles here. First, will the line be better? Certainly, it will be different with Spencer Long moving in at right guard in place of the departed Chris Chester, top draft pick Brandon Scherff moving in at right guard with Tom Compton being pushed aside and Bill Callahan taking over the coaching duties.
But will different necessarily be better? Chester was cut for a number of reasons, his age (32) and salary cap number ($4.8 million) chief among them. He wasn't cut because he's a horrible player. Pro Football Focus rated him 15th among front-line starting right guards last year. That's not great but it is not awful either; it's the definition of replacement level or average. Long was given every opportunity to push Chester aside last year and he couldn't do it. The hope is that Long will be better over time and he'll certainly be cheaper. But there is no guarantee that Long will be better in 2015 than Chester was in 2014.
Scherff is likely to be an upgrade over Compton, who was in the lower part of PFF's ranking, right off the bat. But Jay Gruden certainly doesn't expect him to be perfect when it comes to pass blocking. The No. 5 overall draft pick is "going to get beat a couple times by some top-level pass rushers," Gruden said during minicamp. It seems as though Griffin can expect some pressure from the right side.
Callahan has an excellent reputation as an offensive line coach. But so did the man he replaced, Chris Foerster. It may be that Callahan can get more out of the unit but it's not like he's replacing some sort of a hack.
And there are potential issues with the holdovers. Trent Williams played on one leg for a good chunk of last season and missed a game and a half, Kory Lichtensteiger has to adjust to executing power blocks at 296 lb. and Shawn Lauvao was second on the team with 20 QB hurries given up.
I'm intentionally focusing on the negative here to make the point that it's not a given that the Redskins will field a better O-line this year. But if things fall into place, they could be a pretty good line, especially as the season goes on and Scherff and Long get more snaps under their belts. If they do develop into the unit many fans hope they can be, can Griffin take advantage of it?
That remains to be seen. It won't help much if he holds on to the ball too long like he did at times last year. Last year he dropped back to pass 247 times and was sacked 33 times (13.4 percent). Playing behind the same line Kirk Cousins had 212 dropbacks and was sacked eight times (3.8 percent). All of Griffin's issues were not traceable to a shaky offensive line.
If the line is indeed better then that should help Griffin. But even if it does materialize, improved protection will not be a cure for all that ails his game.
—It's been 184 days since the Redskins played a game. It will be 75 days until they play the Dolphins at FedEx Field.
If you have any questions about what's going on at Redskins Park, hit me up in the comments. And I'm always on Twitter @Rich_TandlerCSN.
Redskins offseason Q&A: Who starts at strong safety?


the flow between the three books was well done. even though it was three books, it flowed as though it was only one.
After the treachery and slaughter they met during the raid on Glendalough, Thorgrim Night Wolf and his small band of surviving Northmen have returned to Vik-lo, where Thorgrim again sits as lord of the Viking longphort. But the Northmen are a restless lot, and soon they find themselves eager to put to sea. Loading weapons and supplies aboard the four longships under Thorgrim's command, they set out in search of the rich merchant ships that now ply Irish waters. But not all cargoes are the same, nor all merchant captains easy targets for the Norse raiders.
a wonderful saga that brings you in and provides an gripping tale of a father and his son. one well experience in the world and one learning to grow.
Spring has come to Ireland, where Thorgrim Night Wolf, new-made Lord of Vík-ló, and the 300 Viking warriors under his command have suffered through a brutal winter. Despite having accomplished much during the months of cold and rain, the patience of the men has worn thin, and anger and frustration threaten to tear the ships' crews apart. But just as the men are turning on one another, a local Irish lord arrives with a proposal, a plan for Irish and Norse to join together in a raid.
This was a great way to keep me entertained during a long flight from the east coast to Alaska.


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Steakspeare's Spreads Week 13
NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 18: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New Orleans Saints regular season game on September 18, 2022 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
So now that you've fully digested the Thanksgiving meal and another week of football, we are on to some big weeks post-holiday. The playoff picture is starting to solidify, we have crucial matchups taking place and one singular goal. MAKE SOME MONEY! So who are we riding with and who are we shying away from? Three favorites and two underdogs on tap for this week. One thing is for certain, this is a big week for the NFL, highlighted by our favorite five games!
Minnesota Vikings -3 vs New York Jets
We start with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, 1 pm Kirk Cousins vs Mike White, the latest in the long list of New York Jets starting quarterbacks. It's a little surprising that the Minnesota Vikings are only a three-point favorite at home here when the Jets are in the midst of some uncertainty for the first time this season. Take that and add a great performance from the Vikings this past Thursday night, and three points feel like robbery.
The Jets defense and specifically the secondary is nothing to scoff at. Led by former Bearcat and first-round pick Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, the Jets currently rank fourth in the NFL in points allowed and fifth in passing yards allowed. The firepower of Minnesota will be too much though, with Justin Jefferson and newly added tight end T.J. Hockenson. It may be a nail-biter, but the Vikings should cover three and then some.
Jacksonville Jaguars +1 @ Detroit Lions
Anytime there is a one or fewer-point spread, it is essentially a "Who wins the game?" question. So let's look at these teams. The Hard Knocks stars of the preseason led by emotional head coach Dan Campbell won three straight games and only lost to Buffalo on Thanksgiving due to a field goal at the end of regulation. The Detriot Lions are a team that no one wants any part of currently.
The same can be said though about the Jacksonville Jaguars. When it comes to tightly contested games like this, we need to look at the quarterbacks involved and Trevor Lawrence is the play here. The Lions are currently the 32nd-ranked defense and Lawrence is on a tear lately, finishing as a top 8 quarterback statistically through the last 7 weeks. He now gets a game in a dome against an inferior team. Jags win this game and cover.
Cleveland Browns -7 @ Houston Texans
Beyond all the crazy headlines and controversy surrounding the signal caller for the Cleveland Browns, let's also not forget that prior to his scandal, Deshaun Watson was an absolute stud at quarterback. He now gets a "revenge" game against his former team whom he had contractual issues with prior to his unpopular trade. There will be rust here, he hasn't taken an NFL snap in 23 straight regular season games on top of the immense pressure that this debut will bring.
I still believe that Cleveland is just a better team with a significant advantage at quarterback. This has all the makings of a potential blowout in favor of the Browns and that is the side to bet on this week. Morals be damned, he's playing and that is notable.
Los Angeles Chargers +1 @ Las Vegas Raiders
In another pick 'em game we have this week, we get a divisional matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers. One point means pick who wins, and the Chargers, even with their misgivings, have the better team and quarterback. Justin Herbert the "social media quarterback" per the description of Fox analyst Emmanuel Acho, is playing for the first time in what feels like years with his full arsenal of playmakers seeing as star receiver Mike Williams is set to return and Keenan Allen has overcome his injury.
The Raiders are coming off an overtime win that showed us Josh Jacobs still has what it takes to be considered one of the NFL's best backs, so while the game will be close, the high-powered offense of the Chargers should finish strong. The Raiders aren't as bad as their record shows us, but the Chargers are the better team overall.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3.5 vs New Orleans Saints
The Monday Night game this week features a division rivalry that has proven to give Tom Brady some fits over the course of his short Tampa Bay career. Since joining Tampa, Brady is 1-4, but his most recent game against them was the lone victory. The New Orleans Saints are in the post-Brees and Payton era and are leaning on Andy Dalton, who is notorious for his primetime game woes.
Meanwhile, Brady is seemingly the most equipped to handle these moments of anyone that's ever played the game. Now, we all know there is more to the game than quarterbacks and time of day, but one thing is for certain, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the better weapons here both offensively and defensively. This one was close, but I expect this to be a game decided early that ends in a Tampa Bay win by over a touchdown. Sorry Saints fans, the Bucs are dat!
Let's make a little money, shall we? The games are good but the wins are even better! Whether you're a casual bettor or the degenerate who watches the lines throughout the week, we have just the stuff for you! Follow me on Twitter @Steakspeare and follow @LWOSports for all your favorite sports debates!
Do you agree with this article? Let's see your vote!
Ahmad Gardner
Dan Campbell
Deshaun Watson
Josh Jacobs
Justin Jefferson
Kirk Cousins
T.J. Hockenson
Trevor Lawrence
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Much-loved music and dance group Te Vaka and multi-talented Vince Harder have taken out the top accolades at the 12th annual Vodafone Pacific Music Awards.
Te Vaka's achievement is significant as it secured both the Best Song and Best Album awards, while Vince Harder took home no fewer than three awards – for NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist, Auckland Council Best Pacific Urban Artist and MAINZ Best Producer – showcasing the diversity of his abilities.
Te Vaka has won the APRA Best Pacific Song award for 'Papua I Sisifo', written by band member Opetaia Foa'i. The group also took out the Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album for 'Amataga', its 8th collection of songs released in late 2015.
For more than two decades Te Vaka has occupied a central space in Pacific music and dance, under the inspired leadership of Foa'i. The group has toured the world and performed at important global occasions including America's Cup events in Auckland, the Commonwealth games in Melbourne, the Rugby World Cup in Paris and the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Te Vaka is a regular visitor to the Vodafone Pacific Music Awards podium having won numerous accolades over the years. The group's songwriter and lead vocalist Opetaia Foa'i was noticeably missing from the awards ceremony but for good reason; he is currently writing the soundtrack for the upcoming Disney film Moana.
Vince Harder has won the NZ Music Commission Best Pacific Male Artist and the NIU FM Best Pacific Urban Artist awards for his album 'Rare Vision'. Recognition of his talent as an artist was complemented by his win in the MAINZ Best Producer category, for album 'Rare Vision' and the song 'Start Again' which he co-wrote with Stan Walker.
Vince released his first song in 2008 and has enjoyed widespread mainstream success including topping the NZ Singles Chart with 'Everything', a collaboration with fellow artist P-Money.
Virgin Australia Best Pacific Female Artist goes to industry stalwart Annie Grace for her album 'The Journey'. In The Journey, Annie embraces each challenge and tells her story of hope and triumph, sharing her real life experiences to help bring healing and restoration. Annie is a familiar presence in Pacific music circles and at the Vodafone Pacific Music Awards; this year marks the second occasion on which she has won the Best Pacific Female Artist with the first awarded in 2006.
This year's Flava Best International Pacific Artist award goes to Common Kings for the album 'Hits & Mrs'. Common Kings delivers a collection of inspirations orchestrated in an array of head rocking beats, feel good vibes and emotional fever. The band is known for delivering pop hits with rock, reggae and R&B influences.
Winning the SunPix Best Pacific Language Recording award this year is Tha Feelstyle for his single "Sasa". Real name Kas Futialo, Tha Feelstyle is a multiple award winner who has forged a presence in the movie industry with music in films including Siones Wedding, Number 2 and The Orator. He was also the first to introduce the Samoan language to hip hop music in NZ.
The NZ On Air Radio Airplay award and a Special Recognition Award for outstanding achievement is presented to Savage for 'Freaks', his collaboration with Timmy Trumpet. Savage is the alter-ego of Demetrius Savelio, a rapper of Samoan descent, and a former member of hip hop group the Deceptikonz.
In 2009, he became the first New Zealand hip hop artist in history to have a commercial single ("Swing") achieve platinum certification status in the United States for selling more than one million copies. Freaks topped the singles chart in New Zealand, was a top 3 hit in Australia and was certified triple platinum by Recorded Music NZ.
Another Special Recognition Award for outstanding achievement went to Vika & Linda Bull. The Tongan sisters have been making waves in Australia for 25 years with the Black Sorrows in the late 1980s and then with eight albums of their own. Their next project will see the sisters going back to the deep harmonies and spiritual resonance of traditional Tongan music.
Mikey Mayz wins the Phillip Fuemana Award for Most Promising Pacific Artist. Active since 2011, Mayz made his breakthrough in 2015 with the songs 'Sunshine' and 'Thunder', consolidating his success with 2016's 'Reload'.
Sol3 Mio's 'On Another Note' is the winner of the Radio 531PI Best Pacific Group, while TJ Taotua is the Auckland Council Best Pacific Gospel Artist for his song "Firstly". Both are previous winners in these categories demonstrating continued success in their respective genres.
The Vodafone People's Choice Award goes to Ill Semantics, much loved for their pure New Zealand hip-hop style, and Team Dynamite took away the NZ Best Pacific Music Video for "Cosmos ReUp" directed by Eddy Fifield.
Pacific Underground were recognised with the Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award for their continuous commitment to Pacific Music.
The Pacific Music Awards were thrilled to announce the MAINZ Pacific Scholarship for a Promising Artist at this year's awards. The scholarship provides up to $8,000 in tuition fees towards a qualification from MAINZ.
"MAINZ provides qualifications focused on the music industry, and the recipient is offered the choice of studying music, event management, audio engineering and production, business or live sound and join the growing list of MAINZ graduates gaining prominence in our exciting industry," says Christine Fenton, MAINZ General Manager.
Vodafone Pacific Music Awards Trust chairperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says this year's winners reflect the depth, breadth and enduring popularity of Pacific music.
The Vodafone Pacific Music Awards and performance showcase were held tonight (June 9) at the Vodafone Events Centre in Auckland.


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Creating comics, a challenging task in Vietnam
Hesman, a comic book series written by Nguyen Hung Lan has come to an end after 160 episodes and 23 years.
Belgian comic books on display in HCM City
Vietnamese comic books struggle to rise as market expands
It along with others like Thần đồng đất Việt, Cô tiên xanh, Thằng Bờm, Siêu nhân Việt Nam, Anh trai tôi là khủng long, Cổ tích Việt Nam, and Tý Quậy made many childhood memorable.
But popular though they have been, comic book sales in Vietnam are insignificant compared to their international counterparts.
Anh trai tôi là khủng long was the first comic for children published by Comicola Company.
Its director, Nguyen Khanh Duong, said writing quality comics for children is extremely difficult because an author needs to have in-depth knowledge of just about everything.
Since the writers in his company are mostly young, they usually opt for topics that are relevant to readers their age, he said.
Vietnam, in general, lacks authors that write children's books and comics, he added.
Artist Pham Le Vy said another reason for the limited number of comics is some writers' opinion that they are too lowly.
"But the fact is, to be able to come up with a comic series of the quality of Doraemon requires great skill and knowledge on the part of writers."
Lan, who has written some 700 installments of various comics, said it is difficult to come up with a great plot.
"While unattractive drawings can be forgiven, unattractive plots cannot."
Children from various backgrounds such as rural and urban have different needs and that makes it more difficult for both authors and publishers to create perfect stories for all, he said.
Big investment, fierce competition
Duong said the investment required to publish comics is not small and they face fierce competition from international offerings.
"Readers these days have so many choices from overseas. Some of them have been popular for years."
Lan said with so many foreign comic books available, local publishers have to think carefully about how to produce at low cost and recover their investment.
While it costs only VND20 – 30 million to buy the Vietnam copyright for a foreign comic book, it takes two to three times that money to create one locally, he said.
Besides an author has to spend months and even years to write them, he said.
"Considering it takes a lot of time, how can an author survive on a low monthly paycheck?"
For a comic to recover its investment, it needs to sell 10,000 copies, he said.
Many authors and publishers have published comics online but since they are not popular in Vietnam yet, it is challenging to introduce comics this way.
Vietnam latest news
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Discovering Kon Ha Nung world biosphere reserve
ENTERTAINMENT & TRAVELicon 04/01/2022
Covering an area of about 413,500 hectares, the Kon Ha Nung Biosphere Reserves comprise two core zones - Kon Ka Kinh National Park and Kon Chu Rang natural reserve.
The beauty of water lily season on Yen stream
Yen (Canary) stream is located about 60 kilometres from the centre of Hanoi, also known as Yen Vĩ (Canary Tail), because of its shape like the tail of a canary.
New coach to replace Park Hang–seo at 2022 U23 AFF Cup
Dinh The Nam will take charge of the U23 Vietnam national team at the 2022 U23 AFF Cup in Cambodia, replacing Park Hang–seo to allow the Korean more time to focus on the first team.
Renowned food culture helps promote Vietnamese tourism
As part of the Government's cultural development strategy towards 2030, Vietnam aims to have three cities in the UNESCO's Creative Cities Network across many fields, including cuisine.
Hanoi capital plans only one venue for Lunar New Year fireworks display
The Hanoi municipal administration has decided to put on a fireworks display at an only one venue to welcome in the lunar New Year 2022 on January 31 evening.
Wildlife release tour promotes conservation of nature
"Going home" - a free tour at Cuc Phuong National Park launched in March - allows tourists to release animals back into nature, thereby helping spread the message of nature conservation among the public.
300-year-old craft village makes lifelike paper flowers
Lying downstream of the Huong (Perfume) River, Hue City, the Thanh Tien paper flower making village is 7 km away from the ancient imperial city of Hue and has a history spanning some 300 years.
Well-deserved reputation for Vietnam at global beauty competitions
The past year can be considered a landmark for Vietnamese beauty as local representatives won major prizes at global pageants.
Hue wins ASEAN tourism awards
The central province of Thua Thien-Hue has won three ASEAN tourism awards, which will be presented at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2022 in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on January 19.
Phu Quoc attracts luxury travelers from abroad
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The most interesting product constituting the promotional brand drawing upon the historic and cultural heritage of the Town is so-called 'Tomaszowska Okrąglica'.
It encompasses: Blue Spring, Nagórzyckie Grottoes and the Open-Air Museum of the Pilica River.
NAGÓRZYCKIE GROTTOES
As an element of the integrated tourist product of the Town of Tomaszów Mazowiecki 'TOMASZOWSKA OKRĄGLICA'
CHARACTERISTICS, ORIGINS, ASSETS AND LEGAL PROTECTION
The artificial excavation sites situated in the southern part of Tomaszów Mazowiecki are the remains of an underground sand mine. Sand was excavated here first in order to meet the needs of local households, and afterwards in order to supply glass works (since the end of 18th century until the beginning of the 20th century).
The grottoes are composed of numerous corridors, niches and chambers, formed in the course of the process of the excavation of sand. The largest excavation site, called 'Royal Chamber', is thirty-meter long, twenty-five meter wide and three-meter high. Each and every chamber used to have a different name, for instance: Boczna (Side), Borsucza (Badger's), Ciemna (Dark), Jeziorna (Lake), Niedźwiedzia (Bear's), Taneczna (Dance), Złodziejska (Thief's).
The chaotic gophering of the excavation sites brought about the caving of one of the chambers. This disaster claimed the life of an inhabitant of Nagórzyce, and resulted in the issuance by the Russian Imperial authorities an official law forbidding the excavation of sand. Since that time on, Nagórzyckie Grottoes have become a local tourist attraction. They were forgotten and neglected for several years, and, eventually, closed to tourists due to safety considerations.
The interests of the local authorities of the Town caused initiating, with the financial support with the use of the funds from the European Union, an investment process which will make it possible to make this interesting facility available to large numbers of tourists.
Thanks to the project which was implemented within the framework of the Regional Operational Programme for the Łódź voivodeship for the years 2007-2013 and bearing the name 'Securing the Excavation Sites in Nagórzyckie Grottoes in Tomaszów Mazowiecki and the Adaptation of Them into an Underground Tourist Route', a tourist product unique on a worldwide scale was developed. This is the first facility of this kind in the central part of Poland.
LOCATION AND ACCESS BY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION
Tomaszów Mazowiecki, 2#6 Pod Grotami Street, commune: Tomaszów Mazowiecki, county: Tomaszów, Łódź voivodeship.
Access to the excavation site from the No.8 expressway (E67 international road) in the direction of the town center. From the direction of the town center, along Jan Paweł II Street (county road no. 4327 E) in the direction of Sulejowski Water Reservoir and also the locality of Borki, in accordance with the road signs currently in place and the municipal information system.
It is also possible to reach the excavation site by town public buses (No. 2 from Kościuszko Square and also along the bike path made of mineral pitch and connecting Tomaszów Mazowiecki with Sulejowski Water Reservoir).
PROGRESS OF THE UNDERGROUND TOURIST ROUTE
In Nagórzyckie Grottoes, the underground route has been provided with a traditional, mining chock support made of wood, with its parts at a distance of one meter one from another. The length of the sightseeing route is approximately 160 m.
The route proceeds through the central part of the excavation sites, along the two parallel illuminated shafts, and includes exhibitions devoted to history and such as are thematically connected with the grottoes themselves. The purpose of them is presenting the site and the history of the excavation site, and also the process of taking advantage of the unique sand for the production of glass, as well as making the visitors acquainted with the local legends connected with this place.
Due to the latticework structure of chock support, the entire underground space is visible. Providing the route with illumination of the chosen elements of excavation sites and also the arranged details results in offering exceptionally interesting visual effects.
In the north-west part of Nagórzyckie Grottoes, in the place at which the caving occurred, an escape shaft was constructed. Its depth is approximately 17 m.
AVAILABILITY OF THE FACILITY TO TOURISTS
Length of the route – approximately 160 m.
Sightseeing with a guide in the groups of between 5 and 25 people.
Duration of the tour: approximately 40 minutes.
Temperature inside: approximately 9oC.
Humidity: approximately 65-85 %.
Along the route, electric lighting system is provided.
The facility is adjusted to the needs of the disabled.
Town Office in Tomaszów Mazowiecki
Department of Strategy and Project Management
10#16 P.O.W. Street
97-200 Tomaszów Mazowiecki
tel. +48 44 724 23 11 ex. 274, 275
http://www.tomaszow-maz.pl
http://www.tomaszow-maz.eu/537-GrotyNagrzyckie.html
THE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM OF THE PILICA RIVER
The Open-Air Museum of the Pilica River in Tomaszów Mazowiecki has been created since the year 2000 as a green-field investment – on the area of the former river bed of the Pilica River. This is the first open-air museum in Poland devoted to a river. The facilities acquired by this establishment are of peculiar character due to the history of them, as well as their function and architectural design. The majority of the exhibits have been collected in the most valuable facility in the establishment, namely, a wooden watermill transferred here from the area next to the Luciąża River. The name of the architectural 'pearl' of the Open-Air Museum is well deserved by the monumental small railroad station from the Czarnocin railroad stop. What is also unique, is a small house from Spała on the Pilica River, once upon a time serving as a forest restroom for Tsar Nicolaus II and his retinue.
Among many interesting artifacts in the open-air museum, there are: a German artillery tractor recovered from the Pilica River, a T-34 tank, working models of mills, a collection of millstones (the largest one in Poland), a river barge of the 'Szczupak' type (more than one hundred years old) and an authentic bunker from the times of the Second World War. The establishment is also in the possession of a collection of valuable archival and iconographical materials. The main and consistently pursued objective of the Open-Air Museum of the Pilica River is developing a living establishment, in which the nature and history of the river, and also the cultural space which was created by this river, will be accessible to investigation with use of all senses. Apart from displaying exhibits, the events which occurred on the Pilica River and remained in a close connection with that, are presented here. The Open-Air Museum is a place which attracts children, for whom the establishment offers, among others, educational classes, such as 'Environmental Sources of Energy', 'Road of Grains from Field to Mill' or 'Pilica as Line of Defense'.
The Open Air Museum of the Pilica River
9#11 A.F. Modrzewski Street
Tel./fax.: (044) 723-00-03
E-mail address: info@skansenpilicy.pl
We cordially invite all those who are interested:
- in the period between 1st April and 31st October, from Tuesday to Sunday (the opening hours are: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m);
- in the period between 1st November and 31st March, from Tuesday to Friday (the opening hours: 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.), and also on Saturdays and Sundays) the opening hours: 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.). The Open-Air Museum is closed on Mondays.
Admission tickets:
• Full-price – 5 PLN
• Reduced-price – 4 PLN (schoolchildren, students, the retired and pensioners)
• Guide's service – 25 PLN
• Children until the age of four – admission free of charge.
THE BLUE SPRINGS NATURE RESERVE
The Blue Springs Nature Reserve is located in central Poland, within the area of former Pilica primeval forest (now Spała forest is part of it), on the right bank of the Pilica River, within the administrative borders of the town of Tomaszów Mazowiecki in Łódź Province. The Blue Springs Nature Reserve comprises spring basins, broads covered with alder forest along with canals and islands and part of the pine woods upland.
The Blue Springs Nature Reserve, also called Celeste Springs or Cereulean Waters in the past, have been an attraction in respect of their nature and landscape phenomenon for a long time. The first records referring to them come from 18the century. It was a subject of interest for the owners of that land and founders of Tomaszów – the Ostrowskis family, it was visited by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, numerous natural scientists, sightseers and residents of Tomaszów. However, at that time the surroundings of the Blue Springs were different from what we can see now. After the year 1936 the Municipal Officers started the process of transformation of the Blue Springs into a public tourist and nature park. Until the outbreak of the World War II a lot of earthwork was made, a network of canals were built in, islands were formed, and dikes created. At that time a landscape of that place was formed in the way we know it today. In the year 1961 a nature reserve was created. It is a landscape park covering the area of 28.77 ha.
In the 1950s of the 20th Century, water intake was built on the Pilica River, opposite the Blue Springs with two deep water wells, which caused a substantial decrease in the exsurgent efficiency. At present the wells are practically of no use. Between years 1994 and 1997 the Municipal Office of Tomaszów Mazowiecki implemented a costly program of renovation of the Blue Springs. The program comprised broad earth and water works which were to desluge the reservoirs and to increase the efficiency of the Springs. The program was completed successfully.
For the sake of great nature values recognizable both in Poland and Central Europe, the Blue Springs Nature Reserve was submitted to be a listed site in the Natura 2000 European Ecological Network. The Special Protection Area of the Blue Springs Habitats was approved by the European Commission in November 2007 and identified with code PLH 100005. There are 5 types of habitats in Natura 2000 (rare and valuable in Europe): 7220 - calcareous ground springs with Cratoneurion commutati, 91E0 – riparian forests, 3150 – eutrophic reservoirs with Nympheion, 9170 – Subcontinental forests Tilio-Carpinetum and 91T0 – inland lichen Scots pine forest Cladonio-Pinetum as well as 3 species listed on Annex II of the Habitats Directive: Great Crested Newt Triturus cristatus, European beaver Castor fiber, European otter Lutra lutra.