text:
Where? DVD & Blu-ray » Category » DVD & Blu-ray » Romance
Total 241 jump to: go ‹ previous12345...next ›
The Secret - Dare To Dream (DVD, PG)
The Secret: Dare to Dream centers around Miranda Wells (Katie Holmes), a hard-working young widow struggling to raise three children on her own. A powerful storm brings a devastating challenge and a mysterious man, Bray Johnson (Josh Lucas), into her life. In just a few short day...s, Brays presence re-ignites the familys spirit, but he carries a secretand that secret could change everything.
R-126099-9
The Exception (DVD, R16)
A German soldier tries to determine if the Dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of Kaiser Wilhelm in Holland during the onset of World War II, but falls for a young Jewish Dutch woman during his investigation.
1 Ready to ship - Allow 3-5 days
Radioactive (DVD, M)
Tells the story of Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and her extraordinary scientific discoveries - through the prism of her marriage to husband Pierre - and the seismic and transformative effects their discovery of radium had on the 20th century.
DLNZ8725
Love Sarah (DVD, M)
Determined to fulfil her late mother's dream of opening a bakery in charming Notting Hill, 19-year-old Clarissa enlists the help of her mother's best friend Isabella and her eccentric estranged grandmother Mimi. These three generations of women will need to overcome grief, doubts... and differences to honour the memory of their beloved Sarah while embarking on a journey to establish a London store filled with love, hope and colourful pastries from all over the world.
Dirt Music (DVD, M)
Georgie's living with a man she doesn't love and his young sons whose dead mother she can never replace. But a reckless moment leads to a life-changing encounter with Lu, an enigmatic loner, one-time musician and sometimes poacher, outcast from the community. Georgie will risk ev...erything for this chance of love.
The High Note (DVD, M)
A superstar singer and her overworked personal assistant are presented with a choice that could alter the course of their respective careers.
I Used To Go Here (DVD, TBC)
Following the launch of her new novel, 35-year-old writer Kate is invited to speak at her alma matter by her former professor. After accepting the invitation, Kate finds herself deeply enmeshed in the lives of a group of college students.
MMA6494
Who You Think I Am (DVD, TBC)
Few films have afforded the incomparable Juliette Binoche the opportunity to showcase her remarkable range as the gripping new thriller about female desire and identity, WHO YOU THINK I AM. Binoche plays Claire, a university lecturer and mother of two teenage boys, who is contend...ing with the approach of middle age and remains stung by the betrayal of her ex-husband (Charles Berling), who is building a new life with another partner. Claire has a new lover too, the handsome Ludo, but is under no illusions as to his fidelity. Out of a mix of petulance and curiosity, she impulsively creates a fake Facebook profile in which to keep an eye on him: she's Clara', vivacious, blonde... and 24 years old. Ludo doesn't take the bait, but his close friend Alex (Franois Civil) does, and their online connection soon becomes flirtatious. Titillated by the opportunity to be 'young again', Claire's deceptions lead both of her identities into increasingly dangerous territory...Based on a novel by Camille Laurens, this remarkable portrait part psychological drama, part thriller explores contemporary issues in an intelligent and compelling manner, and will likely spark fierce post-screening conversations.
Long Shot (DVD, M)
Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) is one of the most influential women in the world. Smart, sophisticated, and accomplished, shes a powerhouse diplomat with a talent forwell, mostly everything. Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) is a gifted and free spirited journalist with a self-destruc...tive streak. The two have nothing in common, except that she was his baby sitter and first crush. When Fred unexpectedly reunites with Charlotte, he charms her with his self-deprecating humor and his memories of her youthful idealism. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte impulsively hires Fred as her speechwriter, much to the dismay of her trusted advisors. A fish out of water on Charlottes elite team, Fred is unprepared for her glamourous and high stakes lifestyle. However, sparks fly as their unmistakable chemistry leads to a round-the-world romance that becomes embroiled in a series of dangerous and outlandish incidents.
DNZ0280
Sid & Nancy Classics Remastered (DVD, R16)
The relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group - Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend - Nancy Spungen is portrayed.


"Platform": refers to the digital music distribution platform available at https://songkit.sonosuite.com or your designated subdomain.
You shall indicate through the Platform if Your Content contains "explicit" content. The term "explicit" content refers to content that evokes sexual, racist, violent or any other harmful connotations.
4.1 By using the Service, You shall pay to Us the fees corresponding to the Services contracted, which can be found at any time in the "My Account > Pricing" section of your Account.
Additionally, You will receive 100.00% of the net incomes (deducting expenses and taxes) which We receive from Digital Music Services from the exploitation of Your Content. If applicable, You authorize Us to deduct 0% sales commission percentage from the net incomes received by Us from Digital Music Services.
The abovementioned Service fees, sales commission percentage and the minimum payment threshold for You are listed in the Platform, in the "My Account > Pricing" section.
4.2 All payments and associated claims: (i) will be made through the corresponding "Sales->Balance" section of the Platform; (ii) will be made in the currency stated by Us; and (iii) will be payable via PayPal or bank-to-bank wire transfer to the account designated by You. If any authority imposes a duty, tax, levy, or fee, You agree to pay that amount or supply exemption documentation.
In the event of termination, You must pay all outstanding amounts to Us in a maximum period of five (5) days from the notification date or We will transfer to you any positive balance, whichever is the case. Prior to requesting the termination, You must remove the Content from the DMSs using the "Takedown" functionality that is available to you within the Platform. Moreover, in the event of termination, You authorize Us suspend your account, block your access to your account and delete all the files and information uploaded by You to the Platform. The termination shall not affect the accrued rights and obligations of the parties at the date of termination.


text:
<Home/Articles/Off the Beaten Track: Malawi
Off the Beaten Track: Malawi
By Martha Hales | May 31, 2017
In terms of drawing big crowds, Malawi is hardly overrun with tourists. It's true that the south is fairly well developed - with the option of lakeside lounging around Cape Maclear and forays into Liwonde and Majete National Parks. The south of the country is also home to its commercial hub, Blantyre; Malawi's highest peak, Mount Mulanje; and the bewitching surroundings of the Zomba Plateau - all widely considered Malawi's most popular sites and well worth a visit. Nevertheless, there is much more to this emerald country of lakes and hills than these stops alone.
Perhaps you have already been to Southern Malawi and you're looking for an alternative itinerary for your second trip, or maybe you want to head down 'the road less travelled' in this oft-overlooked country of beautiful landscapes. Whatever your point of view, here are some ideas for getting off the beaten path in Malawi.
Likoma island
Despite being surrounded by Mozambican waters, the islands of Likoma and Chizumulu are Malawian territory. Likoma is a truly delightful destination to visit, peppered with sandy coves and possessed of a charming and mellow atmosphere that consistently bewitches visitors. With a population of 9000, there is plenty of activity to keep you entertained if the twin temptations of beaches and water begin to lose their allure. It may be a bit of an effort to get there, but Likoma is well worth the trip.
Chizumulu island
Only 10 kilometres away from its neighbour island of Likoma, Chizumulu is even more blissfully remote and a real get-away-from-it-all destination situated in Lake Malawi. It's one of those segregated communities where only a couple of ferries run each week and electricity isn't switched on at certain times of day. With no roads and only 4000 inhabitants on its five-kilometre-long landmass, there are beaches, baobabs and lots of chances to experience laid back island life.
Nyika National Park
This highland reserve is far from urban bustle, situated 2000 metres high on the lofty Nyika Plateau. This extraordinarily scenic park is packed full of wildlife with some enticing trails for hikers and bikers alike. Among the grassy expanses and woodland you can expect to see leopards, elephants, antelope, bushbucks and zebras. Impressive birdlife includes rare species such as francolins and wattled cranes. The park is also known for its profusion of wildflowers including some exquisite orchids.
Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve
This is a truly remote location and tourism is still in its infancy here. Swamps and marshland characterise the 1000 square kilometre reserve which includes two meandering rivers and Lake Kazuni. Miombo and mopane woodlands dominate the vegetation, while much of the park is vast and flat. Wildlife in the wetlands includes herds of roaming elephants and a pod of hippos in Lake Kazuni, as well as impala, kudu, roan and hartebeest. Birdwatching is another highlight, as these waterlogged habitats support a number of species of storks and herons. If you are keen to visit Nyika Plateau (above) it is fairly simple to combine it with a trip to Vwaza, which lies just at its foot.
Livingstonia town
More than 400 miles north of Malawi's capital and sat at 900 metres altitude is the missionary station of Livingstonia. Malawi's Scottish missionaries had attempted to set up in two other low-lying locations before settling in Livingstonia in 1894, but were defeated by malaria. The mission was led for more than fifty years by Dr Robert Law, and the house he lived in is now a small museum. What makes this town so appealing is the peace, the colonial brick built architecture, the leafy streets and the spellbinding views down to Lake Malawi.
Nkhata Bay
Pristine white sandy beaches and turquoise water combine at Nkhata Bay to lend a Caribbean flavour to the area. Add in the perennial mouthwatering aroma of fish being grilled over charcoal, the various water-based activities on offer and the overwhelmingly picturesque surroundings, and you have a prime spot to unwind for a few days. Pack your snorkel to explore the clear, clean water teeming with fish, kick back and relax. It's what Nkhata Bay is all about.
Malawi has a lot going for it. Not only the beautiful lakes brimming with colourful fish, but epic landscapes trampled by big game, hundreds of pretty beaches, an intriguing culture and ever smiling people. What are you waiting for? Send your requirements to our local experts in Malawi and they will create your ideal trip.
The best places to go wild swimming
Where to see wildlife responsibly
Where to see the world's most endangered species
What to pack for an African safari holiday

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
What Innate Advantages Do Western Brands Have In China - Part I
Lu-Hai Liang
Lu-Hai is a British-Chinese freelance journalist and writer based in Beijing. He has been published in The Guardian, The National, Daily Telegraph, CNN.com, and Foreign Policy, among others. He is interested in technology, psychology, and traveling to adventurous places.
Here's a list: KFC, Nike, BMW, Apple, Levi's, Microsoft, and Starbucks; what unites them? Not only are they examples of western brands in China who have managed to win both Chinese consumers' hard-earned yuan, but also, significantly, their hearts (though not all of them achieved this without issue… more on that later).
KFC is a good example of a brand with well-localized products and prices.
Western brands are associated with heritage, creativity, originality, and quality, says Wang Sharay, a senior marketing director working in Beijing. "Levi's has a long history of making jeans, with original design, and when the brand is doing marketing communication Levi's has its own global plan and promotion schedule which will make you feel this is a great brand," she says. In other words, as opposed to Chinese brands which come and go and can even disappear after just months in the playing field, western brands tend to be built on decades of hard-earned credibility and repertoire; brands like Levi's (which have existed for 165 years) have learned to use this to progress and expand their companies.
Right now, Sharay is working with Caterpillar, the heavy machinery manufacturer, and says it's an example of brand heritage. She makes the point that although China has lots of brands producing these kinds of machines, too many are following Caterpillar's design and even brand colors.
Ikea uses local dialects in their stores instead of standard Mandarin.
Costa Coffee's campaigns are tailored for Chinese market. They also co-work with local brands.
Western Brands Don't Always Have It Easy In China
Here's another list: Best Buy, Tesco, Ebay, Google, Amazon, Gap, Marks & Spencer, Dunkin' Donuts. What ties them together? They're examples of western brands who have either flopped in China or have failed to be as successful as they have been elsewhere.
Clearly not all western brands have it easy in China, and it would be wise not to assume that having those innate advantages is a surefire route to success. So, what separates the first list from the second list, and how can a western company utilize their brand to optimize their place in the China market?
One of the main failings of western companies in China is not their branding but their slowness or inability to adapt to the local market. Marks & Spencer, a British retailer, was criticized for not having a clear idea of the type of consumer they were targeting and lacking an understanding of the Chinese market (more here).
Tesco and Best Buy did not take into account Chinese consumers' preferences for smaller, conveniently located, supermarkets and instead copied their UK/US models of building large flagship locations. Amazon was hampered by slow decision making as every decision had to go through their Seattle HQ while their local rivals, such as Taobao and JD, moved with rapid marketing and sales plans suited to Chinese consumers.
Knowing your market and target audience is key. "Brands must be very clear who their target audience are," says Sharay, "what their interests, reading habits are, and find the right communication channel."
Luca Li, who co-founded a successful fresh milk company in Beijing with his Czech business partner, says branding is not just about having a western name. "We try to portray it [their product] as a western brand. Especially with milk, this works well in China because of history [China experienced a fake milk scandal ten years ago]. It's also about having professional people on your team. Going to events in an international setting - so for us that's embassies, business partnerships, and hanging out with international people."
However, he warns that emphasizing your western brand comes with certain strings attached: "If you are a high-end brand, then that needs a high-end product or service to back it up. It raises expectations."
For his own company he says being a western-style brand with a forward-thinking product means there is an alignment between product and brand image.
Meanwhile BMW is a good case of a great western heritage brand that's gone a bit awry. BMW has always had great brand recognition and respect in China due to its prestigious associations, but over the past few years the German automaker has been suffering in the Chinese market. Sources, who prefer to go unnamed, say BMW have faced several issues connecting to Chinese consumers.
A senior marketing director, who works closely with auto firms in China, says BMW's brand is no longer clearly positioned: "And there are issues in terms of global vs local communication dynamics," he says, although this problem is an old conundrum affecting many large car companies.
"The moment they leave too much of the communication decentralized it affects the premium-ness of the communication rather badly, which leads them to having to focus on price-based tacticals, rather than proper brand management. Because of this, they create a downward race to the bottom rather than creating, or rather, retaining a core brand premium that they can command. And then, once they centralize, it's in the hands of executives in Munich that have no idea about China."
Another key thing with BMW, and which is a universal problem (or opportunity) for brands in China, is adapting to the changing status and desires of Chinese consumers. BMW was great at connecting to the "old status" with big shiny cars announcing overt prosperity, but they have not yet found a good way to link to the core tenets of Chinese consumers' new status, which is much more about experiences and being able to express the breadth and depth of one's own life.
This new status has been having an effect on brands as varied as Nestle, Converse, Costa Coffee, MINI Cooper, Airbnb, Rolex, New Balance, and Samsung to name a few, while a new crop of online services has been catering to the new tastes and habits of Chinese consumers.
In the second part of this series we will examine what this new status means, and how important it should be for companies seeking to go big in China.
Takeouts
Western brands have innate advantages of being associated with quality, creative, and original products.
But these associations come with higher expectations.
These advantages must be allied with good consumer and market understanding.
Even the biggest of brands can come to struggle in China if they do not adapt.
China is experiencing a change in consumer demands and expectations for brands.
Branding Marketing Strategy


Discussion in 'Community Discussion' started by nbs2, Feb 10, 2006.
I was reading some of the nominations in the Ugliest forum thread, and wondered if there were any "Ugliest website" threads. Searching actually didn't find one. So, I was thinking we should find it. And maybe the more skilled among us (not me) could chip in an maybe give the poor guy some help.
That looks like it was inspired by pre-windows PC graphics. Yikes.
I'd say any website that has a million pop-up windows (smashits.com--haven't visited in a while, but it used to, mp3.com, etc, etc, etc)--especially the sites that have pop-ups that get passed the pop-up blockers.
Holy crap, I think you've got a winner there. I'd redesign his site for free as a public service, just to keep any more people from suffering possible retinal damage.
Now if only he'd throw a dancing baby on there, I'd be right behind you.
That website made my eyes burn.
Can he get any more stuff on his homepage?
In Cancun. Be back never.
If my very first webpage (done on Angelfire back in 1998) was still up and running I'd definitely nominate it. Hopefully I can say I've come a long way since then.
The designer should be in prison.
The irony of this one is that the guy makes fun of other people's terrible websites... but his is pretty ugly IMO. Decent content, but hard to navigate too.


Laughter is known to be the best medicine, and lately laughter yoga and laughter therapy and something laughingly called laughology are springing up, all very laudable to be sure.
But laughter feels so much better when it is triggered by humour. Flat or funny, the people whose business it is to make us laugh must be the bravest souls on Earth.
Founded in 1983 by Gilbert Rozon and with Andy Nulman's collaboration, adding English-language shows in 1985, the Just for Laughs/Juste pour Rire comedy festival has attracted the funniest performers from around the globe and an audience of 2 million every year.
This year's lineup is stellar and prominently features female comics, including Joan Rivers.
La Porte and Cristela Alonzo. Billed as comedy's cultural stew best enjoyed with a grain of salt, these comics with very different deliveries take an irreverent look at the customs and traditions we bring together in this city. July 10-14; 26-27, 7 pm, Club Soda.
Tig Notaro's album LIVE sold more than 100,000 units in just six weeks, a rarity for comedy albums. She will appear in her solo show Boyish Girl Interrupted. July 23-27, 7 pm, Theatre Ste. Catherine.
Broaching a subject dear to Montrealers' hearts and something we really need to laugh about together is The Bilingual Show, hosted by Mike Ward. Some of Quebec's most beloved comics—including Sylvain Larocque, Jean-Thomas Jobin, Joey Elias, Eric Lampaert and others—perform in their official language of choice July 23, 7 pm, 9:30 pm, l'Astral.
Considered to be one of the brightest rising stars of the comedy world, the blonde, innocent and wickedly funny Amy Schumer will present her solo standup July 24, 9:30 pm, Metropolis.
You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the Bar Mitzvah show, hosted by Elon Gold with appearances by Gary Gulman, Jessica Kirson and Ronna (Glickman) & Beverly (Ginsberg) of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame. July 25, 7 pm, Place des Arts, Theatre Maisonneuve.
Audiences may remember Eddie Izzard from The Riches, a television series he wrote and starred in about a family of Irish travelers and con men. He hosts a gala, The United Nations of Comedy, featuring Gad Elmaleh, Trevor Noah and special guest Jean Paul. July 25, 10 pm, Place des Arts, Salle Wilfrid Pelletier.
In what is considered to be his best work yet, Danny Bhoy returns to Just for Laughs in a critically acclaimed solo show, Dear Epson, July 26-27, 7 pm, Place des Arts, Theatre Maisonneuve.
Joan Rivers hosts a gala with comics Lynne Koplitz, Josh Thomas, Jen Kirkman and Ronna & Beverly. July 27, 5 pm, Place des Arts, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
July 27, featuring Wil Anderson, Kyle Dunningan, Tig Notaro and Kyle Kinane at 8:15 pm and Arj Barker, Pete Holmes and Marc Maron at 11pm. Place des Arts, Salle Wilfrid Pelletier.
The Just for Laughs Festival runs July 10-28. For information on venues and programming, visit hahaha.com. 514-845-2322.
Be the first to comment on "Just for Laughs: Immerse yourself in laughology"


Les Crays" means "The Crags," in this case crags of crumbly limestone, on the roasted south slope of the rock of Vergisson. Crushed macadamias, lime blossoms, Mirabelle plums and a faint hoppy note accent this super-zaftig Chardonnay, enhanced by the warmth of the 2015 vintage. "Really Great Stuff" from a true mom-n'-pop shop!


Scion is a marque of the Toyota Motor Corp. that was established in 2003, selling sports compact vehicles. Headquartered in Torrance, California, Scions were produced and sold through Toyota factories and dealerships within both the United States and Canada markets.
In August 2016, Scion vehicles were discontinued, with select models joining Toyota under new names in 2017.
Scion was developed under the Toyota project called Project Genesis, with the goal of appealing to younger buyers within the U.S. markets. This "marque within a marque" project aimed to get young buyers interested in smaller cars produced and sold by Toyota.
First introduced in 2002 and officially launching in 2003, Scion models were released in 105 dealerships in California. The first models included xA and xB. By June 2004, Scion vehicles were available nationwide.
In 2010, Scion expanded to Canadian markets. However, Scion sales plummeted in the 2010s and by 2016, Toyota decided to discontinue the brand. The FR-S, iA and iM models were rebranded into Toyota models with the following names: Toyota 86, Yarus iA and Corolla iM respectively.
To appeal to the younger demographic, Scions were sold at "pure price," meaning the price displayed at dealerships and in advertisements was the price consumers paid. Unlike Toyota models, Scions offered more than 150 accessories to their vehicles.
Additionally, Scion thrived on producing quirky styles, such as square designed models to help appeal to Gen-Xers. The brand focused on implementing new and modern styles in auto design.
Scion also developed an in-house record label, called Scion Audio/Visual that served as a "lifestyle marketing" division of the organization to appeal to Gen-Xers and Millennials. The division promoted various music, art and film projects. Scion Audio/Visual worked with more than 1,500 artists, including ASAP Rocky, Justice, Danny Brown and The Black Lips.
As for the film side of the division, Scion Audio/Visual produced several films and web series, including "Scion Route Project," which featured short films produced by independent filmmakers and "New Garage Explosion: In Love With These Times," a garage rock documentary.
During the course of the company, more than a million Scion vehicles were sold. Popular Scion models include: tC, xD, iQ, FR-S and xB.
The Scion brand has been a part of the motorsport world since its inception. Several tC models participated in drag racing events and Formula Drift events. In addition, Scion vehicles have participated in Rally America as well as in high ranking amateur road-racing competitions.
These are actual average rates for all 50 states. The state with the cheapest average rates for this vehicle is Maine at $64, and the state with the most expensive rates is Louisiana at $190. The overall average is $108.
Shop on our site to see how much you can save on your Scion car insurance rates.


Think of yourself as a map of all that you are, all that you do, and all that is you. As we go through life, our body stores memory of EVERYTHING we do. You are, in fact, a walking Body-Blueprint of yourself.
Things go wrong when stored trauma in the body becomes imprinted into the autonomic nervous system. Somatic, or body, processing utilizes many methodologies to access this dysfunctional tissue memory and restore it back to harmony.
I started dance at age four. I graduated from Colorado University – Boulder with a Dance/Kinesiology degree and a Marketing/Advertising degree. I began teaching yoga soon after graduation because this was the first line in my Dance History textbook, "the oldest movement form is yoga".
I am always interested in the origins of things, so this made sense. One of my yoga students mentioned that I taught yoga like the Somatic Therapists at Naropa University. She was correct.
In 2003, I obtained my Master's Degree in Somatic-Body Psychology. As I began helping others at a deeper level I discovered my intuition for sensing others' needs was spot-on. Then I noticed a pattern of healing that everyone seemed to go through. And it worked. It was successful. Another client said to me, "what you're doing is unique – and you are unique – why don't you call what you do – The Prinzing Method.


This tee quotes Five Finger Death Punch's song 100 Ways to Hate, with a distressed, vintage-look print of the lyrics: "I gave you 100 chances, you gave me 100 ways to hate". Please note this is not official merchandise. Sustainability Message All 8Ball Originals garments are WRAP certified, REACH compliant and Fair Labor Association accredited. They are printed in UK using Oeka-Tex and GOTS certified water-based inks.


Celebrate your Clemson Tigers fandom with this 29" x 43" Glitter Suede House Vertical Flag! This double-sided banner features Clemson Tigers graphics with glitter accents that sparkle and glimmer in the wind. Salute your Clemson Tigers by raising your fanaticism to new heights!


text:
Rakovník () je město ve Středočeském kraji, ležící 40 km západně od Prahy a 45 km na severovýchod od Plzně. Nachází se na okraji Rakovnické pahorkatiny v blízkosti CHKO Křivoklátsko, v členité krajině na dně kdysi mokřinatého údolí, kterým protéká Rakovnický potok. Žije zde  obyvatel. Rakovník je správním, průmyslovým a kulturním centrem Rakovnicka, má postavení obce s rozšířenou působností.

Historie

Nejstarší dějiny
Město Rakovník vzniklo z osady Rokytno, pojmenované podle říčky Rokytka, která tudy protékala. Své dnešní jméno dostal údajně podle báje o velikém hladomoru, který zasáhl kraj. Tehdy pomřelo mnoho lidu a neštěstí by zřejmě pokračovalo dál, kdyby jednu ženu žijící na místech u dnešního kostela sv. Jiljí nenapadlo uvařit svým dětem k jídlu raka. V té době se totiž myslelo, že rak, který získá po uvaření rudou barvu, je jedovatý. Děti však nepomřely, Rokytno žilo z raků a znova se postavilo na nohy. Pravděpodobnější však je, že Rakovník dostal své jméno podle porostu, který kdysi rostl v tamních mokřinách.

Písemně je Rakovník (, ) poprvé připomínán v roce 1252 jako sídlo soudu nového kraje. Základ současné podoby (dlouhé náměstí o rozměrech zhruba 400 x 50 m) město získalo ovšem až někdy kolem roku 1300. Majestátem českého krále Jana Lucemburského z roku 1319 byla městu potvrzena práva, která mělo již ve 13. století (právo mílové, trhové právo). Rakovník měl statut komorního města, které však více než na vůli královské komory bylo závislé na momentálním postavení nedalekého královského hradu Křivoklátu, do jehož panství patřilo. Kolem roku 1352 vyhořel kostel sv. Mikuláše na východním konci náměstí. Byl vystavěn téměř celý nově jako děkanský kostel a posléze zasvěcen tentokrát sv. Bartoloměji.

Nový kostel byl také posléze samostatně opevněn, jak je patrno z bojů roku 1422, kdy byli nuceni město opustit sympatizanti husitství. O opevnění celého města se postaral až Aleš Holický ze Šternberka v první polovině 15. století. V bitvě u Lipan stál na vítězné straně a posléze se přimkl k Jiřímu z Poděbrad. Křivoklátsko s Rakovníkem měl v zástavě až do roku 1453, kdy se oblast vrátila pod královskou komoru. Jiří z Poděbrad povolil v roce 1471 městu výstavbu zděných hradeb. Jeho nástupce Vladislav Jagellonský udělil Rakovníku v roce 1482 znak, v němž se objevil i rak, protože již zřejmě nebylo správné povědomí o vzniku jména města.

Královské město
V 16. století nastal velký rozvoj města. Začaly se stavět kamenné hradby, v nichž zvláště vynikly čtyři nové brány (dochovala se severní Vysoká a východní Pražská), které však nebyly nikdy vskutku dokončeny. Dařilo se chmelařství a výrobě piva, které získalo věhlas i v zahraničí. Na severozápadě za městem byl v roce 1575 založen nový hřbitov a na něm postaven kostel Nejsvětější Trojice se samostatnou zvonicí. I po nástupu Habsburků na český trůn Rakovník stál při panovnících tohoto rodu a snažil se tak vyhnout zvůli toho, kdo právě držel Křivoklát. Až Rudolf II. toto ocenil a po staletích marného čekání povýšil Rakovník v roce 1588 na královské město.

Při českém stavovském povstání v Rakovníku našlo útočiště na konci října 1620 stavovské vojsko pod vedením Kristiána z Anhaltu. V okolí kostela sv. Jiljí a morového hřbitova západně od města došlo ke střetu s koaličními vojsky vedenými Maxmiliánem Bavorským a generálem Buquoyem. Po něm se ovšem obě armády vydaly na cestu ku Praze, kde byla svedena bitva na Bílé hoře, v níž bylo české stavovské vojsko zcela poraženo. Při následné rekatolizaci muselo i Rakovník opustit několik rodin. Mnohem horší však byly důsledky přechodů různých vojsk (Sasové, Švédové, císařští), které se pravidelně opakovaly až do konce třicetileté války v roce 1648. Ve městě zbyla sotva polovina domů a mnoho z nich bylo neobydlených. Ve druhé polovině 17. století město po sto letech postihl mor a na jeho sklonku také velká ničivá povodeň. V severní části Rakovníka, který od roku 1658 připadl Schwarzenberkům, vzniklo židovské ghetto, které se dočkalo synagogy až po skoro sto letech.

Vojska se ve městě zdržovala dlouhodobě i v 18. století. Např. Francouzi si Rakovník vybrali v roce 1741 jako základnu při svém okupování Prahy. Po moru v roce 1726 byla vystavěna na hřbitově kaple sv. Rocha a na náměstí přibylo v roce 1749 mariánské sousoší upravené v roce 1829. V roce 1755 na náměstí pravidelně kázal Koniáš a ve městě byla vybudována kasárna, v nichž byl později v roce 1867 založen pivovar Rakovník. Rozvoj města byl nicméně zabrzděn, protože ho kvůli liknavosti místního představenstva minuly postupně silnice budované z Prahy do Karlových Varů a Chebu.

Moderní Rakovník
V 19. století ovšem začaly být odstraňovány hradby (včetně západní Svatojilské a jižní Lubenské brány i opevnění kostela sv. Bartoloměje, které vytvářelo tzv. Zákostelí), aby se město mohlo rozrůstat. Bylo vydlážděno náměstí a zřízeno pouliční osvětlení. V roce 1833 vznikla v Rakovníku nejstarší reálná škola v Čechách, kterou nejprve vedli piarističtí a později premonstrátští kněží. Dnes je toto gymnázium pojmenováno po spisovateli Zikmundu Winterovi, který zde započal mezi roky 1874 a 1884 svou učitelskou dráhu. Postupně také byly stavěny budovy pro další školy, knihovnu, finanční ústavy a jiné. Od roku 1879 zde začala působit okresní nemocnice. Přes čtyřicet let zde také fungovala botanická zahrada. V roce 1895 bylo založeno městské muzeum, které se po téměř čtyřiceti letech přestěhovalo do bývalého městského paláce cisterciáků z kláštera v Plasích.

Rakovník byl od roku 1855 okresním městem, kde se rozvíjel i průmysl. V roce 1875 vznikla mydlárna Františka Otty, dále byl uveden do provozu lihovar, cukrovar a další nové závody. Fungovala zde také řada mlýnů, pil, cihelen a pískoven. Po těžbě černého uhlí se pozornost soustředila na šamot a jeho zpracování. V roce 1883 vznikl první keramický závod, pozdější společnost RAKO. Díky novým zabydleným předměstím prudce rostl počet obyvatel (v roce 1820 zde žilo 2 200 obyvatel, roku 1870 jich bylo 4 648 a na konci století už 6 620). Město ovšem nejprve minul moderní dopravní prostředek, kterým byla železnice. Až dodatečně zde vznikl železniční uzel, který Rakovník připojil na nedalekou Lužnou, kde procházela hlavní trať z Prahy do Karlových Varů. Dále okresní město získalo přímé spojení s Berounem, Blatnem, Mladoticemi a Louny.

V souvislosti s rostoucí zástavbou byly vysoušeny rybníky, jako byl Podkovářský nebo Trávnický, a narovnáván Rakovnický potok. V roce 1872 ale přišla ničivá povodeň, po níž bylo rozhodnuto posunout jeho koryto dále od centra asi o 100 metrů od bývalých hradeb jižním směrem. Tato regulace stejně jako opravy různých památek pokračovaly také ve 20. století. Starostou v tomto období byl Josef Čermák, po němž jsou pojmenovány městské sady. I v novém století nadále rostl průmysl: rozrůstala se přestěhovaná Ottova mydlárna, pozdější Rakona, a vznikaly nové závody, významnými byly kromě další keramické továrny Keram dvě továrny na stroje Linhart a Vltavský – pozdější TOS Rakovník, nebo továrna Stadion vyrábějící kola, později např. i stejnojmenný moped. Rozšiřovala se rakovnická předměstí Zátiší a Vinohrady, přestavovaly se ovšem také zástavby z minulého století a roku 1929 byla dobudována dnešní Masarykova nemocnice. Po roce 1930, kdy zde za starosty Čeňka Vaněčka působilo např. pět středních škol, sedm finančních ústavů, sedm hotelů a tři biografy, měl Rakovník už 11 tisíc obyvatel.

Po mnichovské dohodě se Rakovník stal příhraničním městem. Za druhé světové války byli i odtud deportováni Židé. Město bylo osvobozeno 9. května 1945 Rudou armádou. Ve městě po válce pokračovala výstavba různých zařízení (letní kino, sportovní hala, bazén, vnitrostátní letiště) i zvětšování obytné zástavby především za pomoci panelových sídlišť (Malá a Velká Bendovka, Pražská, Dukelských hrdinů). Rakovník byl sídlem okresního národního výboru, po sametové revoluci až do roku 2002 okresního úřadu, stále zde působí okresní soud a okresní státní zastupitelství.

Územněsprávní začlenění
Rakovník byl již zhruba od poloviny 13. století centrem Rakovnického kraje, který byl jedním z nejmenších českých krajů, zejména když se od něj oddělilo Podbrdsko. Na počátku 18. století se naopak připojilo Slánsko, ovšem v roce 1849 byl kraj v souvislosti s novou organizací zeměpanské správy Čech zrušen. Vznikl politický a také o něco menší soudní okres Rakovník (součástí politického okresu byl i soudní okres Křivoklát), které přetrvaly jedno století (v období německé okupace patřil do kladenského a pak pražského oberlandratu). Až v roce 1949 byl ustaven jediný okres Rakovník jako součást nově vzniklého Pražského kraje, který byl v roce 1960 nahrazen Středočeským krajem. Po zrušení okresních úřadů v roce 2002 je Rakovník obcí s rozšířenou působností, jejíž správní obvod je totožný s okresem.

Vlastní město se člení na dvě části, historické jádro jako Rakovník I a zbytek města je Rakovník II. Z hlediska římskokatolické správy místní farnost spadá do pražské arcidiecéze, přičemž rakovnický vikariát měl původně 26 farností, od jejich sloučení roku 2004 už jen čtyři. Je zde také náboženská obec Československé církve husitské, patřící do pražské diecéze, vikariátu Beroun. Naopak Českobratrská církev evangelická zde vlastní sbor nemá, území Rakovníku ale i tak patří do jejího pražského seniorátu.

Obyvatelstvo
Podle sčítání lidu roku 1921 zde žilo v 1 016 domech 8 805 obyvatel, z nichž bylo 4 572 žen. 8 711 obyvatel se hlásilo k československé národnosti, 35 k německé a 9 k židovské. Žilo zde 1 766 římských katolíků, 149 evangelíků, 4 796 příslušníků církve československé a 188 židů. Podle sčítání roku 1930 zde žilo v 1 507 domech 11 078 obyvatel. 10 856 obyvatel se hlásilo k československé národnosti a 126 k německé. Žilo zde 2 724 římských katolíků, 259 evangelíků, 5 471 příslušníků církve československé a 153 židů.

Podle sčítání roku 2001 zde žilo 16 695 obyvatel, z nichž bylo 8 607 žen. 16 023 obyvatel se hlásilo k české národnosti a 169 ke slovenské. Žilo zde 1 448 římských katolíků, 67 evangelíků, 318 příslušníků církve československé husitské a 33 pravoslavných. Podle sčítání roku 2011 zde žilo 16 585 obyvatel, z nichž bylo 8 547 žen. 11 484 obyvatel se hlásilo k české národnosti a 178 ke slovenské (4 581 obyvatel svou národnost neuvedlo). Žilo zde 485 římských katolíků, 13 evangelíků, 100 příslušníků církve československé husitské a 25 pravoslavných.

Doprava

Pozemní komunikace
Městem procházejí nebo z města vycházejí silnice II/227 Žatec – Rakovník – Křivoklát, II/228 Jesenice – Rakovník, II/229 Kralovice – Rakovník – Louny, II/233 Plzeň – Radnice – Slabce – Rakovník, II/237 Rakovník – Nové Strašecí – Třebíz. Z města jezdí autobusové linky např. do těchto cílů: Jesenice, Kladno, Slaný, Podbořany, Nové Strašecí, Praha.

Město, stejně jako celá jeho oblast (okres Rakovník) byla integrována do systému Pražské integrované dopravy a dřívější městské linky zanikly. Linka B1 byla nahrazena linkou 561, linky B2 a B4 byly nahrazeny linkou 562 a linka B3 byla nahrazena linkou 581.

Železnice
Město leží na křižovatce železničních tratí 120, 126, 161, 162 a 174. Železniční trať 120 Praha – Kladno – Rakovník je jednokolejná celostátní trať s rychlíkovou dopravou, doprava byla mezi Lužnou a Rakovníkem zahájena roku 1871. Železniční trať 126 Most – Rakovník je jednokolejná celostátní trať, doprava byla mezi Rakovníkem a Louny zahájena roku 1904. Železniční trať 161 Rakovník – Bečov nad Teplou je jednokolejná regionální trať, doprava byla mezi Rakovníkem a Žluticemi zahájena roku 1897. Železniční trať 162 Rakovník – Kralovice u Rakovníka je jednokolejná regionální trať, doprava na ní byla zahájena roku 1899, původně vedla až do Mladotic. Železniční trať 174 Beroun – Rakovník je jednokolejná celostátní trať, doprava na ní byla zahájena roku 1878.

Na území města je odbočná železniční stanice Rakovník, dále na trati 120 železniční zastávka Rakovník zastávka a na trati 161 železniční zastávka Rakovník západ.

Sport

V Rakovníku působí celá řada sportovních klubů. Fotbalové jsou SK Rakovník, hrající českou fotbalovou ligu, a TJ Tatran Rakovník, hrající divizi B. Kromě nich je zde také ženský klub FK Rakovník. K dispozici mají všechny kluby stadiony v Městském sportovním areálu na nábřeží (3500 diváků) nebo v areálu Šamotka. SK Rakovník se může chlubit slavnou minulostí. V sezonách 1942/43 a 1945/46 totiž hrál nejvyšší soutěž, nejprve protektorátní, posléze československou. Na zimním stadionu hraje hokej HC Rakovník, účastník Středočeské krajské ligy, a v místní sokolovně volejbal VK Rakovník a basketbal TJ TZ Rakovník.

Prostřednictvím spolku TJ Lokomotiva Rakovník se provozuje také atletika, cyklistika, florbal (FBC Rakovník), judo (Cobra club Rakovník), kanoistika, kulturistika, pozemní hokej (HC 1972 Rakovník), stolní tenis nebo i šachy. Ve městě dále působí oddíly boxu (TJ TZ Rakovník a FFF Box), rugby (Rugby Club Rakovník), hokejbalu (HBC Rakovník), inline hokeje (IHC Rakovník), baseballový klub (Rakovník Red Crayfish) stejně jako horolezecký klub, oddíl minigolfu nebo na místním vnitrostátním letišti aeroklub. Aktivně v Rakovníku působí Klub českých turistů.

Kultura
Kulturní a společenský život ve městě organizuje příspěvková organizace Kulturní centrum Rakovník, mj. provozuje Tylovo divadlo a letní kino. Každoročně se také pořádá středočeská přehlídka amatérského divadla Wintrův Rakovník, odkud lze postoupit na přehlídku celostátní, i přehlídka inscenací pro děti Popelka Rakovník. Velký význam pro rakovnický region má Muzeum T. G. M. Rakovník s několika stálými expozicemi a v budově bývalé synagogy sídlí Rabasova galerie.

Ve městě se natáčelo několik českých filmů, z novějších Vážení přátelé, ano a Trhala fialky dynamitem. Z Rakovníka také např. pochází rocková kapela Brutus.

Městská knihovna
Městská knihovna je zřizována městem. Z roku 1840 je doloženo povolání týkající se knihovny "Slovo k pánům zakladatelům měšťanské české knihovny v královském městě Rakovníce" napsané rakovnickým vlastencem Matějem Dobromírem Štemberou, který spolu s Františkem Hovorkou měl největší podíl na jejím vzniku. Knihovna byla otevřena 28. února 1841 a prvním knihovníkem se stal kaplan Jerman. V roce 1843 byla knihovna přestěhována do domu měšťana Hanslíka, zavládl v ní čilý čtenářský a společenský ruch. V roce 1851 byla ve městě založena měšťansko-řemeslnická beseda a knihovna byla přemístěna do budovy tohoto spolku. V letech 1861–1930 sídlila v budově radnice, v době svého rakovnického působení byl jejím čtenářem Zikmund Winter. V letech 1922–1930 byl knihovníkem spisovatel František Markup a v letech 1931–1973 Vendelín Punčochář, od roku 1951 ve funkci ředitele. V letech 1951–1991 bylo sídlem knihovny přízemí budovy čp. 165 na Husově náměstí, poté byla přestěhována do budovy polikliniky Na Sekyře (oddělení pro dospělé), ostatní části do zrekonstruované budovy čp. 114 na Husově náměstí a v roce 1992 se zde otevřelo hudební oddělení. V roce 1996 byla knihovna automatizována, v roce 1998 byl zpřístupněn veřejný internet a od roku 2000 je součástí knihovny Městské informační centrum.

Pamětihodnosti

Dominantní památkou Rakovníku je děkanský kostel sv. Bartoloměje na Žižkově náměstí. Kostel byl založen ve druhé polovině 14. století, na přelomu 15. a 16. století byl zásadně přestavěn ve slohu jagellonské pozdní gotiky. Roku 1504 sochař Matyáš Rejsek do interiéru vytesal unikátní kamennou kazatelnu ve tvaru šestibokého kalicha se znameními čtyř evangelistů. Kostel i interiér i přes pozdější úpravy a puristickou obnovu Josefa Mockera z 19. století patří k nejvýznamnějším stavbám pozdní gotiky v Čechách. Dřevěná zvonice u kostela je doložena na konci 15. století, dnešní podoba je z roku 1630, kdy byla zcela přestavěna.

Na bývalém západním Karlovarském předměstí se dále nachází gotický kostel sv. Jiljí a na hřbitově gotickorenesanční kostel Nejsvětější Trojice, vedle nějž stojí také zvonice a hřbitovní kaple sv. Rocha. Na křižovatce dřívějších cest do Prahy a Křivoklátu byla postavena klasicistní kaplička sv. Jana Nepomuckého. Bývalou židovskou obec v Rakovníku připomíná synagoga z 18. století, v níž je dnes umístěna Rabasova galerie, a židovský hřbitov na východním okraji města.

Barokní radnice z let 1734 až 1738 s hodinovou věží stojí na centrálním Husově náměstí, kde je také barokní mariánský sloup. V sousedství kostela sv. Bartoloměje se nachází dům plaských cisterciáků, sloužící Muzeu T. G. M., a budova reálky (gymnázium Zikmunda Wintra). Moderní architekturu reprezentují dvě stavby architekta Otakara Novotného – Lexova vila z roku 1910 a sokolovna postavená v roce 1914, případně realizace F. A. Libry, zejména funkcionalistická obchodní akademie z roku 1929 nebo spořitelna postavená roku 1932 na náměstí. Naopak dřívější zástavbu představuje např. Samsonův dům se zachovanou sgrafitovou výzdobou nebo tzv. Lechnýřovna, poslední roubený dům ve městě. Památkově chráněna je i řada dalších měšťanských domů v historickém jádru Rakovníku, které je od roku 1992 městskou památkovou zónou. Město dříve obklopovaly hradby, z nichž se zachovala jen malá část a ze čtyř původních městských bran zůstaly stát Vysoká a Pražská brána, obě ve správě Muzea T. G. M.

Mezi drobné rakovnické památky patří např. pomníky T. G. Masaryka a Antonína Dvořáka v městském parku, další sloup se sochou Panny Marie u soutoku Černého a Rakovnického potoka nebo na severním okraji Rakovníku socha sv. Vojtěcha a tzv. kamenná panna (torzo smírčího kříže). Stejným směrem, ale již za hranicemi města lze navštívit areál zaniklého hradu Hlavačov. V rámci celého rakovnického regionu pak zejména hrad Křivoklát, zříceninu hradu Krakovec nebo tajemné kounovské kamenné řady. Na severozápadním okraji města leží přírodní rezervace Tankodrom.

Pověsti
Král Vladislav Jagellonský byl ve zdejších lesích na honu a ztratil se. Potkal dívku Svatavu, která mu dala napít a ukázala cestu z lesa. Král jí z vděčnosti slíbil věno, které si měla vyzvednout na hradě Křivoklátě. Když tam Svatava šla, byla v lese přepadena a omráčena rytířem Janošem. Jiřík, otec Svatavy, si myslel, že je dívka mrtvá, a z žalu se vypravil do světa. Šel žebrotou, až došel do Budína. Tam vyprávěl svůj příběh králi Vladislavovi a ten, když vše vyslechl, dal Jiříkovi své věno. Jiřík se vrátil do Rakovníka, a když se dozvěděl, že jeho dcera žije, z radosti koupil za získané peníze městu zvon, který dostal jméno Žebrák.

Rodáci a další osobnosti Rakovníka

 Otýlie Beníšková (1882–1967), herečka
 Emil Burian (1876–1926), barytonista
 Karel Burian (1870–1924), operní pěvec
 Josef Čermák (1853–1917), podnikatel a starosta
 Lucie Černíková (* 1981), herečka
 David Doubek (* 1971), hudebník
 Jan Gebhart (1945–2018), historik
 Jan Grundman (* 1981), herec
 Jan Gryll z Gryllova (1525–1597), purkmistr a spisovatel
 Tomáš Helebrant (* 1974), politik a poslanec Parlamentu ČR
 Jiří Herold (1875–1934), hudebník
 Zdenka Heřmanová-Novotná (* 1930), sinoložka a překladatelka
 František Hovorka (1801–1873), archivář a knihovník
 Antonín Charvát (1899–1930), československý silniční cyklista a olympionik
 Kateřina Jalovcová (* 1978), operní pěvkyně
 Jan Janák (1871–1942), český skladatel a sbormistr
 Tomáš Kaberle (* 1978), hokejista
 Josef Král (1808–1884), lékař a starosta
 Václav Upír Krejčí (* 1955), bavič a herec
 Veronika Khek Kubařová (* 1987), herečka
 Václav Láska (* 1974), právník a politik
 František Levý (1844–1920), regionální historik
 Václav Luks (* 1970), dirigent, cembalista a hráč na lesní roh, specialista na starou hudbu
 Jaroslav Maria (1870–1942), právník a spisovatel
 Karel Mejstřík (1902–1994), novinář a spisovatel
 Ivo Mička (1938–2012), novinář, spisovatel, učitel, kulturní pracovník, hudebník
 Oldřich Nejedlý (1909–1990), fotbalista
 František Nekolný (1907–1990), boxer
 Josef Omáčka (1869–1939), varhaník a hudební skladatel
 František Otta (1848–1939), podnikatel a starosta
 Miroslav Pangrác (1924–2012), sochař a malíř
 Jaroslava Pechová (* 1950), spisovatelka, básnířka, publicistka
 Alexander Pleska (* 1947), hudebník a zpěvák, frontman skupiny Brutus
 Monika Pokorná (* 1967), spisovatelka a publicistka
 Bedřich Procházka (1855–1934), český matematik a rektor ČVUT
 Martin Psohlavec (* 1981), fotbalista
 Vendelín Punčochář (1910–1977), knihovník, kulturní pracovník
 Miloslav Ransdorf (1953–2016), politik a historik
 Jan Renner (1869–1959), archivář, učitel a regionální historik
 Karel Schleyder (1860–1932), starosta, železniční odborník a vynálezce
 Sixt z Ottersdorfu (1500–1583), humanista, překladatel a právník
 Petr Sommer (* 1949), archeolog a historik církevních dějin
 Jan Soukup (1867–1933), etnograf, historik a spisovatel
 Kamila Spalová (1871–1953), učitelka, spoluzakladatelka muzejního spolku a spisovatelka
 Pavel Steidl (* 1961), kytarista
 Matěj Dobromír Štembera (1806–1879), lékař, historik a spisovatel
 Nikol Štíbrová (* 1986), herečka a zpěvačka
 Alois Pravoslav Trojan (1815–1893), právník a politik
 Čeněk Vaněček (1879–1946), starosta

Partnerská města
Partnerskými městy Rakovníka jsou:
  Dietzenbach, Německo
  Kościan, Polsko
  Kráľovský Chlmec, Slovensko

Odkazy

Reference

Literatura

 KÁDNEROVÁ, Jiřina. Založení a počátky městské knihovny v Rakovníku. Středočeský sborník historický, 10. Praha: Státní oblastní archiv, 1975, s. 85-100.

Externí odkazy

 Šumný Rakovník z TV cyklu Šumná města

Okresní města v Česku
Obce s rozšířenou působností
Obce s pověřeným obecním úřadem
Města v Čechách
Města v okrese Rakovník
Městské památkové zóny v Česku
Obce v okrese Rakovník
Svazek měst a obcí Rakovnicka
Bývalá krajská města v Česku
Sídla v Rakovnické pahorkatině
Sídla v CHKO Křivoklátsko
Rakovnické panství

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Saab receives order from Thailand for Chakri Naruebet Aircraft Carrier C2 system upgrade
Naval Forces, Industry News - Thailand, Sweden
The defence and security company Saab has received an order from the Royal Thai Navy for the upgrading of the command and control system on the aircraft carrier H.T.M.S. Chakri Naruebet. The order amounts to MSEK 180.
The contract involve upgrading the aircraft carrier with the latest generation of command and control system, 9LV Mk4. Saab will also supply data-link equipment to the ship, which will allow communication between the ship and the Royal Thai Air Force's Gripen fighter aircraft and the airborne radar system Erieye, carried by the Saab 340 AEW.
"Saab will further strengthen its position as supplier to the Royal Thai Navy through the upgrade of the command and control system on the Navy's flagship. Saab is now on the Navy's three major vessels and with links to the Royal Thai Air Force's Gripen and Erieye, capabilities and resources can used more efficiently," says Gunilla Fransson, Head of Saab's Business Area Security and Defence Solutions.
HTMS Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier, flagship of the Royal Thai Navy
(picture: US Navy)
Saab is the main contractor to the Royal Thai Navy, and as well as supply of its own systems, its tasks will include procurement of third-party systems and responsibility for integration of all existing and new systems.
"This is the second 9LV Mk4 contract signed between the Royal Thai Navy and Saab. It further strengthens Saab's position in the country, which we are proud of," says Gunilla Fransson.
The contract mainly concerns the Security and Defence Solutions business area as
the supplier of the command and control system. The Electronic Defence Systems business area will supply the Sea Giraffe AMB surveillance radar system as well as data-link equipment for communication with Gripen and the Erieye airborne early warning systems.
The contract will run between 2012 and 2015.
Based on the Spanish Navy's Principe de Asturias design and constructed by Spanish shipbuilder Bazán, Chakri Naruebet was ordered in 1992, launched in 1996, and commissioned into the Royal Thai Navy in 1997.


While many of the speakers at each Gospel at Work conference are local, their topics and their insight is far more universal. If you'd like to catch up on the latest presentations from the Gospel at Work conferences, please check out our YouTube channel. You can also find some of them below.
To view the videos corresponding with our Study Guide, visit The Gospel at Work's YouTube channel.
J.D. Greear moderates a panel discussion covering a wide range of personal and cultural issues related to carrying your faith into the modern workplace.
Most Christian businesspeople are bored in church—and in life. How can your calling at work be reconciled with everyone's calling to make Christ known amongst all the nations?
Women in various seasons of life discuss how they juggle home, work and ministry. They also discuss how you can make your marketplace a mission field no matter what stage of life you are in.
How do we use our talents and our resources wisely? How do we turn our energy at work toward King Jesus' goals?
This short-form presentation covers Isaiah 44 and what it can tell us about what to expect from the culture around us in our workplaces.
This short-form presentation covers how to cultivate and practice biblical wisdom as you navigate your work life, including the story of what Bob Doll learned from one of the hardest professional setbacks he's had. Presented at the January 2014 Gospel at Work conference in Raleigh-Durham, NC.
This short-form case study covers how to lead a profitable business according to God's vision for leadership.
This panel discussion brings together Mike Lee, Bob Doll, Dr. Al Mohler and Henry Kaestner to discuss a range of issues related to faith and work. Questions were submitted by audience members and by panel moderator J.D. Greear.
This short-form presentation covers how to cultivate and practice biblical wisdom as you navigate your work life.
Should Christians plan their careers or trust in God to open doors? What are the priorities you should consider when making a job change? Biblical wisdom helps us learn to make practical plans that honor God.
Learn how to effect your marketplace through servant leadership and have kingdom influence at your workplace through effective management and setting others up for success.
What does the Bible have to say about the process of choosing a career path? The entire concept of choosing a job is a modern idea, but that doesn't mean we don't need to do it with the gospel's wisdom and understanding.
If I'm a Christian, why do I hate my job? If you haven't experienced frustration, disappointment and discouragement yet, you will. How do we deal with sweat and toil on the outside of Eden?
The workplace can be one of the most difficult or intimidating venues to share the gospel. This breakout covers what evangelism isn't, common barriers to evangelism and suggest practical ways to share your faith in your workplace.
How do you steward and develop the talents, skills and opportunities that God has given you?
How can you define success—and yourself—in ways that don't depend on your performance in a job?
What does it mean to make your day-to-day work a means by which you learn to follow Jesus and teach others to do the same?
What does work mean? It's a big question, but whatever you say your reason for working is, there's a story you're telling yourself behind that reason. If the fundamental story you're telling yourself is about achievement, success, impact or even provision, you're missing part of God's story of work.
Building a new business presents you with a unique set of temptations, frustrations and opportunities to influence people's lives. The story of the gospel can help us live our own stories differently.
Harry Reeder, senior pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, on bringing the power of the gospel to work historically and biblically.
David Platt discusses the need to see the mission of carrying the gospel into the world around us picked up by the entire body of the church.
Greg Gilbert's keynote talk from the November 22, 2013 Gospel at Work conference in Birmingham, AL.
"God has commanded each of us to make disciples of all nations. We have all been given skills, gifts, and professional experience that He desires to use in order to accomplish His mission. The gospel first spread through ordinary disciple-makers on the wings of trade and commerce. Come hear current examples of how this is happening today and explore how God might strategically use you."
Listen in on an interactive discussion about the ways the gospel influences the way business owners and entrepreneurs manage their work and their relationships with employees, contractors, vendors, customers and clients.
We live in a context where the attitudes, customs and beliefs of the people around us are always shifting. How do we engage the culture around us as a "prophetic minority?"
When we understand our unique wiring combined with our unique experiences we can better connect the dots between what we are passionate about and where God is calling us to have our greatest impact! Ultimately we all play a role in a Larger Story that for most of us includes strategic kingdom building through our work place domain! Come and engage around how to live out your unique role in His Larger Story.
In this breakout, Scott James looks at how those of us whom God has placed in settings that are relatively closed to the Gospel can still be bold witnesses for Him.
Has God called you to your job? What's the difference between our primary calling and our secondary callings?
Proverbs has much to say to those in today's workplace.
What does it mean to worship at work?
See the big picture for Work through the Biblical Storyline.
What does it look like to be an active evangelist in the workplace? How can you talk about Jesus appropriately with your co-workers and even your boss? What are ways we can actually hurt our witness in the workplace? Ashok – who himself became a Christian in large part through the witness of a co-worker – will help you think through how to grow as an evangelist in the workplace.
How can you support business leaders at your church? Come hear this case study on The Business Leadership Group (BLG). The BLG is comprised of ten company owners and senior executives from Covenant Life Church (CLC) who meet on a monthly basis for mutual accountability and business counsel. The BLG is modeled after secular organizations like Vistage, where executives pay thousands of dollars to be a part of a peer advisory group. The group brings together businessmen from various industries (law, finance, technology) with an emphasis on bringing Biblical wisdom to the challenges Christian men face in the marketplace. The BLG meets once a month for half a day and functions like an advisory board for the members. This is a simple model that can be adapted to serve local churches and Christians from various industries. Come to this session to hear testimonies from BLG members, understand how the group is structured and to learn how you can organize a BLG in your local church.
Authority is far better than you think and far worse than you think. Authority can be used to create and shape life, or it can destroy it. What does this mean for the workplace? One of the most important keys to a productive workers and a healthy work environment is a right use of authority. Yet this is one of the most misunderstood and overlooked ideas in the West today because it is so often used poorly. How should we view authority, and how do we use it well?
How should women reconcile the artificial divide between home and work? You may be surprised to learn this is a relatively modern problem. For most of history, the home was the small business unit of the local economy for both women and men. But on this side of the Industrial Revolution, women need to understand the history of female productivity to rightly understand the biblical verses that direct and celebrate the witness of a hard-working woman. Spoiler alert: The location of where you work is not as important as your motivation. Whether you currently labor at home or in the marketplace, you will be encouraged by this perspective that reconciles the tiresome mommy wars battle AND helps women think about productivity throughout their entire lives!
"I'm in it for the money" was the unexpected response Jamie gave to a boss early in his career. How can a Christian say such a thing? Aren't we - of all people - suppose to not be about the money? But a biblical view of work and money will lead you to value money as a motivator in ways you never have before - making you more content with God's provision and more fruitful for God's kingdom. Jamie will draw on his experience as a pastor and a business manager to apply a biblical theology of money to our motivation in the workplace.
Is there anything distinct about a Christian manager? Is it possible to manage your team for high performance while serving those who work for you? Does the Bible offer wisdom for the Christian manager in a high pressure environment? Andre draws form his years of experience as a Christian and senior tech executive to share insights that will challenge you to be a more effective leader and manager in the workplace.
Should Christians 'plan' their careers or trust in God to open doors? Is it a trade-off? What are the priorities you should consider when making a job change? Matt and Dave apply biblical wisdom to help trust God with your future by making God-honoring, practical, and grounded plans.
What does the gospel have to say about productivity? How can we pursue the good, pleasing, and prepared works us? Matt Perman, author of What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done, shares share how God prepared good works in advance for you and how your personal productivity is how God desires you to pursue them.
Will Christians return to the arts, literature and creative fields? What could the implications be?
Pursuing faithfulness requires help, ultimately help from God but also through a team.


DEAL: 20% Cashback on ALL Uber Rides Capital One Quicksilver Card thru 4/30/2016 — Future Proof M.D.
Sign up for Uber ($20 off your first ride when you sign up through my referral link).
Download the Uber app for iOS or Android.
Add or select your Quicksilver card as your payment method—no special enrollment necessary!
If you don't already have a Capital One Quicksilver Card, it's actually a pretty decent cashback rewards card. You can apply for one here.


text:
Online-Vorverkauf für die Spielzeit 2019/20
Buchen Sie exklusiv schon jetzt!
Der offizielle Vorverkauf startet am 24. April!
Sie möchten auch schon früher buchen?
Dann werden Sie jetzt OpernCard25-Inhaber*in oder Abonnent*in und buchen exklusiv schon jetzt telefonisch unter (030) 47 99 74 00 oder direkt an der Opernkasse, Unter den Linden 41, 10117 Berlin.
Sie sind OpernCard 25 - Inhaber*in, Abonnent*in oder Förderkreismitglied? Dann dürfen wir Ihnen mit Freude verkünden, dass Sie ab sofort und vor dem offiziellen Vorverkaufsstart, Karten bis Juli 2020 buchen dürfen. Hier anmelden und sofort buchen!
Select seatsClose
Hier registrieren.
Young visitors
Masterclass Directors
Opera Studio
Under 30?!
We have a stream!
and where
we come from!
Encounters - Selam Opera!
Ivo Hentschel
Ivo Hentschel is Kapellmeister at the Komische Oper Berlin for the 2017/2018 season. Here, he'll be directing works such as Mozart's The Magic Flute, The Abduction from the Seraglio and Don Giovanni, Offenbach's La Belle Hélène as well as the world premiere of the children's opera The Town Musicians of Bremen by Atilla Kadri Şendil.
Ivo Hentschel grew up near Stuttgart. He studied clarinet and conducting at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim under Prof Michael Hauber, Prof Klaus Eisenmann and Prof Georg Grün, graduating in 2007. His artistic development has been fostered by artists such as Peter Gülke, Gunter Kahlert, Kurt Masur, Colin Metters, Jorma Panula, Jac van Steen and Thomas Ungar.
His first professional engagements saw him working as a conductor and répétiteur at the Junges Musiktheater Hamburg, the Schlossfestispiele Zwingenberg, and from 2007 to 2013, at Theater Heidelberg, where he also conducted baroque operas and operas by Adams and Henze. He was assistant to Klauspeter Seibel at the Bundesjugendorchester. In 2013, he attained a position as First Kapellmeister and Deputy Musical Director at the Theater Hof. From 2014 to 2017 he was First Kapellmeister and assistant to the General Musical Director at the Staatstheater Cottbus, where he conducted the entire, diverse repertoire, ranging from Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti, to Offenbach, Weill and Kálmán, through to musicals and philharmonic concerts.
In addition to concerto conducting engagements right across Germany, international invitations have taken him to the Orquesta Filarmónica in Montivideo, Uruguay, and to the Israel Chamber Orchestra in Tel Aviv. He has made concert recordings and CD releases for Norddeutsche Rundfunk and Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg and with the Komische Oper Berlin.
Ivo Hentschel was a prize-winner at the German Conductors' Award 2013, winner of the international Jorma Paula Conducting Competition 2006, and from 2005 to 2013, a fellow of the German Music Council, and included in the list "Maestros of Tomorrow". Last but not least, in 2011, he was awarded the prize of the Freundeskreises am Theater Heidelberg for his theatre education and outreach work.


SFN Group (NYSE:SFN) hit a new 52-week high Friday as it is currently trading at $26.04, above its previous 52-week high of $25.97 with 16,711 shares traded as of 1:19 p.m. ET. Average volume has been 1.7 million shares over the past 30 days.
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- SFN Group (NYSE: SFN) hit a new 52-week high Friday as it is currently trading at $26.04, above its previous 52-week high of $25.97 with 16,711 shares traded as of 1:19 p.m. ET. Average volume has been 1.7 million shares over the past 30 days.
SFN Group has a market cap of $686.9 million and is part of the services sector and diversified services industry. Shares are up 43.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.


We are so excited for the classes we have planned for our 14th season! The schedules are separated by Recreational, Competition and Irish classes.
Tuition details can be found on the Tuition and Fees page.


text:
Home MDWfeatures Meet the Woman Who Lost Nearly Four-stone Through Drinking a Gallon of...
Meet the Woman Who Lost Nearly Four-stone Through Drinking a Gallon of Water a Day After Piling on Three-stone of Happy Weight
Alyssa Lusk / mediadrumworld.com
MEET the weight loss woman who lost nearly four-stone by drinking a GALLON of water a day after she piled on three-stone of "happy weight" in just a year after meeting her husband-to-be.
Third grade teacher, Alyssa Lusk (27) from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA decided to lose weight after she struggled to go shopping without wanting to cry and avoided having her photograph taken. At her heaviest, Alyssa weighed 14st 4lbs and was a UK size 18.
Alyssa who is now a slim 10st 5lbs and a UK size 10 started her journey by tracking what she ate and drinking over 30 litres of water per week, which is double the recommended intake.
"I began dating my now husband, fell in love and gained happy weight," Alyssa explained.
"I put on nearly three stone within a year, I was eating fast food all of the time and didn't work out as much.
"I remember walking around the mall and wanting to cry because I was so unhappy with myself and that is when I decided to take action so I began walking again and watching what I ate.
"I got engaged shortly after losing about a stone-and-a-half so my upcoming wedding really motivated me even more and I continued to lose another ten-pounds before my wedding.
"In preparation for the wedding, I began training in the gym. I totally changed my lifestyle to lose my weight. I created healthier habits such as drinking nearly a gallon of water a day and committing to working out five to six days a week."
Alyssa explained that the hardest thing about her weight loss journey was juggling it with social events but said that she ultimately had to make a decision between temptation and her end goals.
"The hardest part about my journey was blending it with everyday life and social events," she explained.
"Sometimes people didn't understand why I couldn't participate in certain events because I didn't want to be tempted by food.
"You just have to decide what is more important, cravings and temptations or your goals.
"I feel wonderful about myself now. Sure, I am still self-conscious about certain body parts and I have off days but who doesn't, I am only human.
"People are shocked sometimes when they see me and see the progress that I have made. I am often asked for weight loss and fitness advice and I love it.
"My best advice for beginners is to make slight changes first, begin drinking water, start tracking calories and workout three to four days a week.
"Keep it simple so you don't feel overwhelmed."
For more information see www.instagram.com/lose_like_lyss/
Previous articleIncredible Images Show the Breath-taking Homes Built Atop Cliff Walls In the Style of Bird Boxes
Next articleIncredible Images Show the Lighter Side to the Second World War As US Soldiers Keep Their Morale High
Vintage Photographs Reveal Culture and History of Early Twentieth Century Japan
picturedesk - 23rd August 2017 0


text:
Streamers Once Again Dominated the SAG Award Nominations
Networks to Lose $15 Million by Broadcasting Royal Wedding Without Ads
BBC, ITN and Sky are thought to have charged $200,000 per feed to hundreds of networks worldwide.
By Mimi Turner
Mimi Turner
More Stories by Mimi Turner
Will U.S. Viewers Stand for Subtitles on TV Series?
MIPCOM 2011: Steve Van Zandt Talks 'Lilyhammer,' Netflix Deal and the Television Revolution (Q&A)
Kiefer Sutherland: '24' Movie Is 'Very Close'
LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images
LONDON — Royal euphoria is big business, no question. The elegance, charm and excitement surrounding the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton could translate into to a $3.3 billion boom for the British economy in terms of combined tourism, retail and trade over the next year according to some estimates.
The event has put London in the global spotlight and provided an unparalleled spectacle of pageantry, ceremony and confidence from which the nation's economy looks set to benefit for months to come. PHOTOS: Kate Middleton and Prince William say "I Do"
But the event has had its negatives as well. Commercial networks are thought to have lost out on as much as $15 million from running the hour long ceremony ad-free, while the cost of an extra day's holiday for the nation is thought to run into billions of dollars in lost productivity.
However, broadcasters including the BBC, ITN and Sky are thought to have sold feeds of the Royal Wedding for as much as $200,000 per feed to hundreds of networks worldwide. PHOTOS: What Kate Middleton and famous guests wore to the wedding
The British Retail Consortium has estimated that shops alone could reap a $800 million payday from the event, with top sellers expected to be champagne, chocolates and picnic food – intended for street parties, barbecues and celebrations held up and down the country. PHOTOS: Famous royal weddings
And retail research group Verdict has put the amount even higher, predicting a billion dollar boost in consumer spending overall.
Merchandising lines from teapots, tea-towels and even bottled Royal wedding air and ceremonial condoms could add another $75 million to the tally, with travel and tourism accounting for $360 million in income.
PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that the wedding day alone accounted for $178 million uptick financial benefit from visitor expenditure to the U.K., estimating that more than a million people will watch the wedding in London and a million more will watch it on big screens positioned around the country.PHOTOS: The 9 wackiest wedding celebrations
With visitors to the city spending up to $160 per day on tourist activities as well as staying in hotels and using London's array of visitor attractions and restaurants, PwC economist Mark Ambler said that the wedding would foreshadow a boom period for London, which next year will host the Queen's Diamond Jubilee as well as the 2012 Olympics.
"Our survey suggests that the wedding will be a great economic boost for London's economy and a good indicator of the potential economic benefits of the Olympic games when more than ten times this number of visitors is expected," he said.
But it is the wedding's impact on the tourism industry over the longer term following the ceremonial event that has captured the attention of the world that is expected to translate into an even bigger economic boost for Britain that will more than make up for the costs of the heraldry and pageantry of the day.
"We are being very conservative and saying that the day will make around $67-83 million for London on the day," said Patricia Yates, a spokeswoman for Visit Britain.
"But the bigger opportunity it that the spectacle will open up Britain to tourists and the attraction of this couple will really showcase the enormous assets that we have."
Freeform's 'Single Drunk Female': TV Review
First Trailer for W. Kamau Bell's Bill Cosby Documentary, 'We Need to Talk About Cosby'
Fox Plans In-Person "Portfolio" Upfront, Leaves Central Park for Battery Park
'Bridgerton' Releases 8 New Photos from Season 2 of Netflix Series
TV Ratings: NFL Wild Card Games, 'Yellowjackets' Finale Score
Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' to Chronicle Sauron's Rise, Reveals Title


text:
Toxic and Beautiful
I am processing what went down the other night the best way I can, through my writing. Thoughts shook loose and piled upon one another. I'm sharing them with you.
Today, I cannot help but reflect upon the events that happened in Charleston, South Carolina a few nights ago. I refused to immediately process it at all. I deliberated about whether to even comment on it at all. I realized yesterday evening, I was not indifferent to the horror, but I was numb. You see, I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, though conceived in Charleston, S.C. My mother was born and raised in the poor area of Charleston, the equivalent of "The Projects", and there wasn't so much color as there was class. My grandmother, through situation and circumstance, was a divorcee struggling to make ends meet in the late 20s and early 30s, so they fell very much into the poor class. My parents recall the riots and garbage strike in Memphis in the 60s (when I was a mere baby) when Martin Luther King was tragically shot and killed. My father was born of a farming family in Oklahoma and joined the Navy and met my mom in Charleston, SC while in port and they got wed sometime later. Though he never considered himself poor, as most farming folk were largely self-sustaining, they would've definitely fallen into that end of the spectrum. My father worked hard, provided well, and climbed the corporate ladder. My mother never forgot the poor times from her youth and often scrimped and worried without reason. Growing up in Memphis, I saw a lot of polarity among the races. My folks taught me everyone was the same, regardless of social class or color, and to treat them like I wanted to be treated. (In reflection, this was particularly progressive for the region, but not so much factoring in my parents' backgrounds.)
Here's where we loop back to Charleston. I went to The Citadel (like in the book and movie of the same name, The Lords of Discipline). Imagine boot camp and hazing all rolled up into the first week of school and you get HELL WEEK. We were assigned roommates and I recall mine. He was gangly. He wore glasses. He looked kinda nerdy. Those were the details that first caught my attention. With the added, minor notation of "he was black". This last detail informed much of my first year as I got to partake in the targeted attempts to drum him out because of his color as I was included in the excessive hazing "so it appeared okay". That was never directly said, but after talking with other freshmen, this was confirmed. There weren't many people of color at The Citadel. My roommate was the only freshman in my company. Neither of us complained, we accepted that things would just be a little tougher for us both. After that first year, he and I got different roommates and didn't talk much. He was into sports. I was more into reading and gaming. But we would give each other the nod and smile of support we did starting out after that first hazing session. I had family in Charleston and among the islands. I never took the handful of narrow-minded folks as representative of my classmates. On the contrary, most of us embraced unity and camaraderie and a decidedly low tolerance for slackers.
Yet, Charleston, the city, has long been accepting of different people and faiths. When I lived in Charleston and visited friends in other parts of the state, race was never an issue I encountered. Everyone was friendly and mellow, like what you'd expect along the coast in a tourist destination. I did not see the animosity there, that I've seen elsewhere, like in Memphis. There is a wound in Memphis that has yet to heal.
I have walked Calhoun Street. I have walked throughout Charleston, by day and night. I have felt its history beneath my feet. Felt embraced and invited by the warm salt air. I felt safe in a way I have not felt elsewhere. Charleston has always felt like my second home.
Murder has befallen Charleston. Words escape me and I weep for everyone who was personally touched by the tragedy of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Nine people were killed. I weep for a world where this can happen.
If you are so able, consider a donation to help them in this most dire hour.
The world is full of beauty, majesty, trauma, and tragedy.
And suffering and loss. It is a good week when there is little more for us to worry about than who is cast as whom in which show or our collective disappointment about the end of a much beloved series. Even those moments are met by many with sneers of derision or cries of "people are flooding my social networks with too much of this or that". We can opt out of those channels. We can allow ourselves not to be consumed by the consumption. We can separate our true selves from our digital masks. We can live beyond the screen, beyond the twenty-four news cycle.
If you choose to sit in water, you shouldn't complain about being wet.
There are things that reach beyond the polarizing points of politics and beyond the color spectrum. There is good and there is evil. We feel the need to seek reasons in this rational age and are hard pressed when reasons fail us. And even when reasons provide answers, closure is something more often found in movies than in the real world. We want resolution. As a culture, we expect it.
The world is messy and violent and toxic and beautiful.
Some small moments are etched forever in our personal memories: a song, a sonnet, a first kiss. Others are momentous and collective to us all. You can likely think of a few and our wills are strong enough to bear the weight of it all. Yet poets and politicians and philosophers shall draw their conclusions and turn tragedy into talking points to support their positions, and humanity is no better for it. Far better to grieve and strive for the betterment of humanity and let tragedy unite us, rather than tear us further apart.
We cannot go about wearing gas masks for fear of future malfunctions, nor can a weaponized society provide peace and prosperity.
Or can it? Is it illusion, delusion, fact, or fantasy? Words are weaponized these days. Images and soundbites used by the masses to support positions. People expect others to provide due diligence on anything and everything they post, wherever it may be. Perfection is expected and candor is condemned. Wise thinkers silently observe while others violently cry for peace and rant about a need for unity. We have to remember to forgive and not meet hate with hate.
This is an age of insanity, an age of entitlement, masked beneath a thin veneer of reason.
The cycle continues. The snake, as always, devours itself. And we will survive.


One of the most stressful parts about being in a new location is trying to figure out public transportation. Whether it be buses, trains, or getting a taxi it can become quite expensive and when you are also carting your luggage around, the frustration increases. I'm not just talking about your frustration but rather the people around you on the train who have to watch out for your bags that hold the extra shoes you just had to bring. You can avoid this travel headache entirely with a new website by the name of Friend Ryde. This new site is dedicated to helping travelers find a ride for whatever their need may be.
The website has a search engine right on the home page where all you have to do is type where you need to be picked up from, where you are headed, the date you need a ride and the time a driver should pick you up. The website will then go on to ask you what type of car you would like, how many passengers you are traveling with you, and how many bags of luggage you possess. If you leave your email address the people at FriendRyde will let you know when something becomes available. FriendRyde claims, "we provide a ride at a rate that is lower than a taxi, and a service that is comparable to black car limo service." The website does not have a standard price listed on their website but with the money you put forward you are not just buying a ride from the airport, but you are paying to have a more authentic experience.
The goal of FriendRyde is to build a community of travelers or friends that can provide safe and affordable rides. Instead of paying for a tour you can get a ride from a local that has a unique perspective on the location that you are visiting. It is a great service to connect people from around the world. Of course, the first issues that comes to mind is safety. You might be reading this review and shaking your head thinking, "I'm just supposed to trust these drivers!?" FriendRyde is committed to safety and every driver that is hired has to have a clean driving record with a valid insurance and license. The driver's vehicle also must be a 2000 model or newer. If this sounds like your kind of job then FriendRyde is always looking for new drivers in different cities where according to their website you can earn up to $300 a month just by driving your own car!


Villagers in Lickey, Blackwell and Cofton Hackett can have their say on the parishes' future by commenting on a draft of the joint Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP), which is out for consultation until July 16.
The Draft NDP has been prepared by a steering group of parish councillors and interested residents after several years of consultation and research, providing a strong local framework to guide future development in the area.
The document provides information on key issues and planning policies, as well as looking at factors such as built heritage and design, the natural environment, housing and infrastructure.
"Open House" consultation events will take place on Saturday July 7, from 10am-12noon at the Trinity Centre, Lickey; 1–3pm at the Wheel, Blackwell; and 4–6pm at the Village Hall, Cofton Hackett.
There's also a drop-in event at the Wheel, Blackwell at 7pm on Wednesday July 11.
Hard copies can be viewed at the Parish Office at the Trinity Centre on Wednesdays or Fridays 10.30am–3.30pm; Blackwell Village Stores; Bromsgrove Library; and Cofton Hackett Village Hall by appointment with the clerk at Cofton Hackett parish council.
"Our vision for the area for the next 20 years is to sustainably maintain and enhance the life of our community, retaining its rural character and building on its heritage to shape its future," says Lickey & Blackwell parish chairman Nick Forknell.


With the ever increasingly changing IT workplace many IT managers are looking for more than certification from their prospective and current employees. However, we may not all like it, but it's a sad fact that in today's IT market, certification is still essential. Professionals with years of experience are failing to get their preferred jobs if they haven't got the relevant qualifications. Obviously certification alone will not get and keep a job in the IT sector, but it's undeniable that training that combines skills and qualification should be at the top of any IT worker list of priorities.
For some time now the 'boot camp' style of certification has been popular amongst industry professionals. Often theses boot camps will require a large amount of self study prior to attendance, followed by a condensed instructor led training course. Success is often varied, as students with different skill sets will be attending a course which, should really only be attempted by professionals with experience in the workplace. These courses should be for people solely looking for certification as they already hold the skills to perform the complex tasks required in their workplace.
The truth is that today's training companies are in huge competition and presentation of company credentials is paramount. So you can end up with a scenario comprising of a class with beginners and experts being trained together, and the trainer under pressure to get as many pupils through as possible. Not an easy task by any means. Over three-quarters of IT professionals (76%) believe that they digest the equivalent of a degree every six months, with the average contractor spending 45 days a year researching the latest news and views.
One example is the widely respected MCSE qualification. The Microsoft Official Circular (MOC) recommends that instructor led courses should take six weeks, with a pre requisite of at least one year networking experience or A+ and Network+ Comptia exam. Can this really be substituted with 100 hours of self-study followed by three weeks of instructor led training? We spoke to a Microsoft trainer who suggested that beginners often end up re-attending the course after failing their exams. Also, often they don't have the appropriate knowledge required before attending the condensed course, and because less time is spent on each topic some skills will inevitably be overlooked with this teaching method.
Most of these problems can be easily corrected by being realistic with your learning capabilities and being honest with the people who are training you. If you are a beginner then an instructor led MOC course will contain the depth of knowledge required to pass the exam whilst imparting the skills needed in the workplace. If you have three or four years experience and are looking to update or simply certify in the quickest possible time then a condensed course would be more appropriate. The most important thing to remember though when looking for training is to be sure the training company is listening to your needs and shares your realistic point of view. Look for guarantees; so that if you do need more training then it won't be at your expense.


The villagers of Wickhamford have always joined together at times of National celebration and the sections below show how these have been recorded and reported. For instance, The Badsey (with Aldington) and Wickhamford Parochial Magazine of September 1902 recorded that, to celebrate the Coronation of King Edward VII, "the children of Wickhamford were entertained at tea and had mugs presented to them, and sports were organized for them".
In commemoration of the end of the Great War the previous November, children in the village were presented with souvenir mugs.
Commemorative mugs were presented to the schoolchildren of Wickhamford at the Sandys Arms by Frank Banner. This mug was given to nine-year-old Fred Mason (courtesy Val Harman).
The Silver Jubilee of King George V, in May 1935, was celebrated at Wickhamford with great enthusiasm, according to a report in the Evesham Journal. A service was conducted by the Vicar at 2.45 p.m. where there was a large attendance and the singing was led by a choir specially trained for the occasion. Sports, in which young and old took part, followed and a substantial tea was served to all in the Reading Room, which was prettily decorated. A very pleasant part of the days' proceedings was the presentation of an iced cake and bouquet to the village's oldest inhabitant, Mrs Dinah Walters, who was 90 that day. This lady was in excellent health and able to receive the congratulations of many friends and relations. The young people finished the day with an impromptu dance.
Mrs Dinah Walters with the bouquet presented to her for her 90th birthday, which fell on the day the Silver Jubilee was celebrated.
Following death of King George V in January 1936 and the succession and abdication of King Edward VIII that year, King George VI's Coronation was held in May 1937. A special Coronation service held at 10.00 a.m. was conducted by the Vicar, Canon W. C. Allesbrook. The Evesham Journal reported that at 2 p.m. a procession marched from Sandys Avenue to Mr Clifford's field, where Mrs Bertha Drysdale opened the proceedings. She was presented with a souvenir as a mark of appreciation of her assistance. A fancy dress competition was held and all children under 14 years who were not prizewinners received a consolation award.
Childrens' sports were held during the afternoon and later the youngsters adjourned to the Reading Room for tea. Adults' teas followed, after which a sports programme for adults was carried through. From 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. a social was held in the Reading Room, the company listening during part of that time to the King's speech. There was dancing until midnight. A bowling competition was held for a pig during the day.
The people in the picture of the procession are believed to be: (1) Mrs Jack Pitman(?), (2) unknown, (3) Fred Southern, (4) David Southern, (5) Dorothy Cox, (6) Joan Camden, (7) Jimmy Halford?, (8) Walter Johnson (m. Glad Southern), (9) Stan Figgitt, (10) Ruth Thomas, (11) Cecil Brotherton, (12) John Pethard, (13) Vera Halford (Shilham), (14) George Robbins, (15) John Sutton, (16) Stan Taylor, (17) William Hooper, (18) Elsie Walters, (19) Alfred Ockwell, (20) unknown, (21) Sylvia Summers, (22) Charles Heritage.
Alfred Ockwell (19), was the father of Bertram Ockwell of the Sandys Arms. He lived in Poulton, Gloucestershire, but was visiting his family that day.
Following the sudden death of King George VI in February 1952, it was decided, in view of the economic climate, to delay the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II until June 1953. In Wickhamford, Mrs J. Mason planted a commemorative tree at the corner of Manor Close, according to the Evesham Journal. After a fancy dress procession, there were sports in Mrs K. Daffurn's meadow. At tea the children were given souvenir mugs and barley-sugar sticks, later having ice-cream. Adults also had tea, and dancing in the Memorial Hall continues till midnight. A box of food was sent to every person in the village unable to attend the festivities.
Part of the parade from Sandys Avenue to Mrs Daffern's meadow, with a pretend woman's football team including - Mrs Lena Folkes (left); next to her looking at the camera is Mrs Vera Sutton and on the extreme right is Mrs Phyllis Sutton.
Paul Folkes dressed for the fancy dress parade as jockey Gordon Richards.
The picture of some of the Coronation party participants includes:- (1) unknown, (2) unknown, (3) Michael Fry, Pitchers Hill, (4) unknown, (5) Mrs Reid, Pitchers Hill, (6) Mrs Figgitt, Pitchers Hill, (7) unknown, (8) June Cull, Pitchers Hill, (9) Vic Cull, Pitchers Hill, (10) Margaret Winkett (nee Figgitt), (11) Bill Cruise, Sandys Avenue, (12) Rose Franklin, Pitchers Hill, (13) unknown, (14) Lynette Boston, Pitchers Hill, (15) Derek Mitchell, Sandys Avenue, (16) Peter Sutton, (17) Jill Southern, Pitchers Hill, (18) Mrs Hampton, Pitchers Hill, (19) Jack Byron, Longdon Hill.
The Church made a presentation of specially inscribed New Testaments to children attending Sunday School.
As part of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee celebrations in Wickhamford the largest and biggest cake to be cut was a yard long and a foot wide, reported the Evesham Journal. It took Mrs Pam Noyes of Pitchers Hill three weeks to make and among other things it contained 32 eggs, 14 lb of icing sugar and 7 lb of marzipan. It was constructed of 8 cakes joined together to make it large enough. Nearly 200 children sat down to tea in a marquee on the sports field and in addition, every family in the village was invited to a meal.
Pam Noyes about to cut the Jubilee cake.
1. Shane Taylor; 2. Nicky Taylor; 3. Frances Bell; 4. Donna Cole; 5. Caroline Mitchell (?); 6. Elizabeth Poulter; 7. Lorna Carter; 8. James Stanley; 9. Lorriaine Cox; 10. unknown; 11. unknown; 12. Sarah Noyes; 13. Stephen Roberts; 14. Mark Carter or Richard Poulter; 15. Stella Cole.
A Big Lunch at the Sports Club and grounds celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June. The weather was unseasonably cold and it rained for most of the afternoon, causing the abandoning of many planned outdoor games.
Despite the inclement weather around 300 people attended the celebrations and the children participated in face-painting, cup cake decoration and other events took place in the Clubhouse and marquees. The W. I. provided free tea and coffee, the Badsey Society had a display of village celebrations from bygone years and many watched the River Pageant on the Thames on a large screen in the bar of the Clubhouse.
Almost one hundred specially commissioned Jubilee mugs were presented as part of gift packs given to all of the children who came to the celebration.
Around 100 Jubilee mugs were present to children who went to the celebration.
In a rare break in the rain, the under 4s took part in a short race, one of the few outdoor events, organised by Mrs Anne Poulter (in white coat), to get under way.
Thanks are due to the many people who supplied photographs for this article. If any further material becomes available, of these or other village celebrations, the article will be updated.
A check through the Evesham Journals to look for references to events in Wickhamford to celebrate the Golden and Diamond Jubilees of Queen Victoria (1887 and 1897), and the Coronations of Edward VII and George V (1902 and 1911) has found nothing being reported. Similarly there were no mentions of village events to celebrate VE Day or VJ Day in 1945, although at least the former would have taken place. Any additional material to enhance this article would be welcomed.


The recent introductions from both HP and Carbon have not only affected how we can produce functional parts in new print processes but they are also approaching the investment in two very distinct ways. Carbon only leases their solutions for a specified period of time with no true ownership – similar to the way software licenses have gone to subscription models. HP has chosen to create an open powder platform that they believe will drive down consumable prices to lower the cost per print. At a lower cost per print, along with the output being functional, the goal is for new opportunities and applications to displace and/or augment traditional manufacturing processes while speeding up design cycles.
What these new pricing models mean, is the way you look at the total investment for 3D printing, or cost of ownership has changed. As an example, I'll discuss the HP model, since I am familiar with it.
Currently, HP's consumable cost is around $3 per cubic inch and can go as low as $2, based on efficiencies. I'll assume the $3 going forward to err on the higher side. Although this pricing is not uncommon in the production 3D print space with SLS and SLA, it's more typical that part costs are upwards of $8 per cubic inch on traditional jetted technologies – plus the cost of support material.
The traditional jetted 3D printers we implemented had an initial investment of just about $ 110,000 and running cost for material was $8- $9 per cubic inch. Let's assume you are running 500 cubic inches per month of build and support material – that's $4,000 per month in consumable expenses. Compare this to HP which currently has an initial investment of about $240,000 for the print system and, at $3 per cubic inch, the monthly consumable expense would be $ 1,500. This is an estimated $2,500 savings in the material by running HP. Spread out over time, that would have a breakeven point of somewhere around 56 months.
Now, this may seem like a long period, but the real advantage is the new applications that HP (and Carbon) open up, along with the fact that system pricing and consumable pricing will continue to lower as machine adoption grows. Traditional prototype machines are often limited by throughput and material properties, with the production output from these new technologies the breakeven point is often moved up considerably through new applications.
For an example of throughput, take the example of 500 cubic inches of printing per month. The HP technology can print this in a matter of days, where often the typical jetted or FDM technologies would take weeks.
Now, I realize all these numbers are examples, and everyone's true numbers may be different. But, the point I am trying to make is the way we look at total cost of ownership and payback is shifting. Beyond the initial equipment investment, it's important to understand all the costs of supporting a printing process.
Lastly, my example only covers one portion of cost because you also need to look into things such as support contracts, finishing equipment, software resources, etc… so there is more to it and that's the trick – looking beyond machine acquisition expense to fully understand the true investment over the life of the unit.
The game is changing for manufacturing and in my opinion, this is a good shift that will open up new processes and markets for 3D printing.
Why not a subscription for your printers too?
What defines a Wide Format WorkGroup Printer?