IT savvy business often use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to allow employees to connect to the (normally internal) work network while they're traveling or working from home. Many VPNs (once connected) act at the default gateway for your computer. This is effectively like unplugging your computer from your local network and plugging it in at your workplace. This is probably for security reasons, and it's certainly a simple configuration for most, as your computer is truly now on a remote network as if you were at your desk at work. But for some, this is becomes a restriction, and we'll examine some cases and a workaround.
Let's say I'm connected to the VPN. All of my internet traffic goes through the VPN which is a thousand miles away. If I'm streaming a local radio station, that's a long way to go out-and-back for something that is truly local. In addition, all of my local network resources are less usable because the VPN has instructed my computer to use the VPN's DNS servers, so I can now only access them by IP.
It is possible to be connected to the VPN and still have access to local resources, and route (non-VPN) traffic though your normal gateway. Your VPN administrator might say this is poses a security risk, but s/he'll be none the wiser if you don't let on.
This configuration is for Dnsmasq and NetworkManager, which is used by Ubuntu & Fedora. But there's no reason the concepts here can't be applied to other Linux distributions and/or OSX.
Connect to your VPN per normal using NetworkManager. Once you're connected you can probably deduce the default gateway by looking at output from running a traceroute to a known computer on the VPN (such as the nameserver – see below).
The first IP is likely the VPN's default gateway, 10.20.44.253 in this case.
You can find the network address and netmask from the Private Network table on Wikipedia. The metric number should be fine at 10. Check the boxes to ignore obtained routes and to only use this network for resources contained within.
That gets you essentially halfway there, you can connect to the VPN and only requests for resources with network addresses that are part of the VPN will be routed through the VPN connection, everything else will gateway through your normal ISP. You can (and probably should) test this configuration by connecting to the VPN and ping-ing or traceroute-ing to a computer on the VPN (such as the nameserver) just to make sure the custom routing established is indeed working. Once routing is working, we need to fix the DNS as it's kind of useless without it.
The /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d files are executed whenever a network interface goes up or down. The 05vpn file will start/stop Dnsmasq when the "custom" VPN connection is turned on/off.
That's all there is to it. I've noticed some (newer) versions of NetworkManager automagically employ Dnsmasq to let you use any LAN resources, but other traffic (such as streaming music) would still go through the VPN.
Posted in Business, DNS, Ubuntu.Tagged Dnsmasq, NetworkManager.


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Mortgage Tech Series
All specialist finance
Specialist Finance
Is specialist now the new norm?
Pete Thomson
Pete Thomson is sales and marketing director of The Mortgage Lender
Every month we host an online poll on The Mortgage Lender website asking the industry to share its thoughts with us. Our latest question asks whether specialist is now considered as the norm? It's a hot topic, but luckily, it's one I also have an opinion on.
The lending landscape has changed so much in recent years. Previously, the majority of the market could be labelled as 'vanilla' borrowers. They had straightforward financial situations, little risk and unsurprisingly they turned to the high street to fulfil their borrowing needs. Everyone else or, should I say, 'the minority', were labelled as 'specialist'. They had complex situations, some high risk and as such often struggled to get a decent deal in comparison to their vanilla counterparts.
The Mortgage Lender appoints business development manager
Today, however, these lines have become blurred and the labels we previously used in the industry, and felt comfortable with, are in my view, starting to look out of date.
The reality is, today, there are more borrowers than ever before whose circumstances could be considered as 'specialist' and the deals they can take advantage of are far more competitive. They're the new norm.
We're all living much longer and considering lending into retirement. In the UK self-employment is rising rapidly, as is contract work. And the way we choose to manage our money has changed dramatically.
On the one hand labels like vanilla and specialist help us, as an industry, to differentiate. But on the other, they've become restrictive and perhaps even helped gain negative connotations over time in the mind of both the market and that of the consumer.
For me, I think the industry has created a perception of 'specialist' lending that's now out of date. We talk a lot about specialist lending in terms of how much it has helped certain clients to obtain decent finance options. But there is a risk that, by discussing the difference between high street and specialist lending, we could make the latter sound like an inferior choice when in fact, and considering the products and rates available, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Lending successfully in the current climate is about being pragmatic. Understanding the profile of the borrower, the risk and also that each borrower needs to be treated based on their individual circumstances. It's a common-sense approach, plain and simple.
Few people are now vanilla borrowers. Our financial situations now have a bit more colour and complexity – and that doesn't have to be perceived negatively. Therefore, for me, specialist is becoming the new norm and I'm comfortable with that.
Landlords urge government to provide financial support
The Mortgage Lender releases £30m buy-to-let special
The Mortgage Lender achieves record performance in third quarter
House Price Centre
© 2021 CEDAC Media Limited. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Drones, Turkish artillery hit Islamic State in Syria, 34 dead: military
ANKARA (Reuters) - Shelling by Turkish artillery and drones which took off from southern Turkey struck Islamic State targets in Syria on Sunday, killing 34 militants, the Turkish military said.
It said the strikes, in response to Islamic State rocket attacks which hit the southern Turkish province of Kilis, destroyed six vehicles and five Islamic State gun positions.
The border town of Kilis and surrounding area has been hit frequently by rocket fire from Islamic State-controlled Syrian territory in recent months, killing civilians.
In Sunday's strikes, Turkish howitzers and multiple rocket launchers first hit Islamic State targets about 12 km (seven miles) south of the border, then four drones that took off from the Incirlik base in southern Turkey destroyed further targets, the military said.
Turkey has repeatedly fired back at Islamic State positions under its rules of engagement, but has said it needs greater support from Western allies, citing the difficulty of hitting moving targets with howitzers.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying last week that the United States would deploy a rocket launcher system near the stretch of border that has come under attack. A senior U.S. military official confirmed the matter was under discussion but declined to comment further.
Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Seda Sezer and Andrew Heavens


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Looper Director Rian Johnson Talks Batman Reboot
T.J. Barnard Nov 12, 2012 6:30 am 2012-12-02T12:01:48-05:00
At a point in the not-too-distant future, some poor soul will have to take the reigns on a new series of Batman films. Poor soul, you say? What's that supposed to mean? Well, would you want your work to be compared to Christopher Nolan's Batman ventures? Would you like to try and make a better Batman trilogy? No, I thought not. The poor guy should be terrified.
With his recent Looper success in the mainstream territory, though, Rian Johnson's name has been branded about with regards to who might clamber into the Bat Cave for a shot at the title. The director himself, however, was a little more pragmatic on the subject:
"I like that hypothetical. You know, I love Batman, I didn't grow up reading the comics but 'Batman' movies, when that first Tim Burton 'Batman' movie came out that kind of defined, in kind of like a weird way for the generation that I was in, that first 'Batman' movie in a way it defined what a blockbuster was for me, more so than any of the 70s movies. When that first 'Batman' movie hit it was like this cultural volcano that defined what the superhero blockbuster was in a way that was just completely drew me in as a kid. So 'Batman' is definitely the one superhero movie franchise that I'm 100% just completely in love with, and I love [Christopher] Nolan's so much man. Right now I'm just focusing on doing my own thing. And that hypothetical that you mentioned has so many variables to it in terms of what kind of movie they're looking to make and all of that so, you know, that call hasn't happened and in the meanwhile I'm not gonna sit by the phone, I'm just gonna keep writing my own stuff."
What do you think? Would Rian Johnson's style fit that of a Batman movie? Might he re-team with Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a continuation of Nolan's franchise or should he start the whole thing all over again?
Gerard Butler's best-reviewed action thriller hits big on Netflix


After my time in tech, I set about exploring a new path for myself. Thanks to not a few episodes of Call the Midwife and a sudden intuition that I would find happiness in the birth room, I began my career as a doula and trained with Doula Trainings International in January 2015. I attended my first birth in March 2015 and discovered that I loved birth work just as much as I thought I would. Since then, I've attended multiple births each month, immersing myself in the doula world and growing my business. You can learn more about my services and philosophy at my doula website.


These lights now feature C4 LEDs that generate more illumination--160 lumens--and are shockproof with a 50,000-hour lifespan.
Bodies are machined from black-anodized aircraft aluminum and feature deep-dish parabolic reflectors for long range and good peripheral illumination. They offer constant-on, momentary and strobe modes, and the TLR-2 incorporates a red sighting laser.


Sony has posted Sony PS VR core bundle box unboxing video. Sony PlayStation VR core bundle box includes headset, headphones, processing unit, and demo disc. PS4 VR box does not include the Move controllers.
Last month Sony also announced PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro. Sony PS4 is now available and PS4 Pro is coming next month. Sony PS VR core bundle box pre-order is now open and the bundle will cost you $400. Sony PS VR is arriving on October 13th.


Pembroke Pines is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city had a population of approximately 155,000.Its official motto is "Join Us – Progress with Us."Pembroke Pines was incorporated in 1960, and took the name Pembroke from its location along Pembroke Road and the many pine trees in the area. But the name Pembroke dates back much further. The name may have been from an early landowner from Britain known as the Earl of Pembroke.Pembroke Pines offers a great place to stay for executives in the area doing business as it has no less than 6 Golf Courses in the city limits. It is a well planned city, with many convenient shopping experiences. The recently completed Pembroke Gardens outdoor mall is one such shopping Mecca. With restaurants, nightclubs, cafes and wonderful boutiques and high end stores, this is a great place to stroll about shopping and then relaxing afterward with a meal, or drinks with friends.
In terms of the Judiciary, Pembroke Pines is part of the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida. The 17th Circuit is comprised of all the cities and municipalities in Broward County, including; Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Coral Springs, Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Lighthouse Point, Margate, Miramar, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, Tamarac, West Park, and Weston. There are 4 Courthouses that serve the people of Broward County. The Main Broward County Judicial Center is the "Main" or "Downtown" Courthouse, located at 201 S.E. 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Most complex and serious civil and criminal cases in Broward County are handled at this Main Judicial Complex. All "circuit" civil matters as well as all felonies are handled at this location. In addition, there are 3 Regional or Satellite Courthouses; The North Regional Courthouse at 1600 West Hillsboro, Blvd., Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442, the South Regional Courthouse at 3550 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, Florida 33021, and the West Regional Courthouse at 100 North Pine Island Road, Plantation, Florida 33324. Many misdemeanors (depending on where they occurred) and some "county" civil cases are heard at the regional courthouses. Most traffic infractions and crimes are often heard at these courthouses as well. Jury Trials are not held at the satellite courthouses. If a jury trial is demanded, then the case is moved to the Main Courthouse, which accommodates jury trials.
The South Florida Personal Injury Law Practice of Berman & Tsombanakis LLC is located close to Pembroke Pines, Florida. The Pembroke Pines Personal Injury & Car Accident Attorneys at Berman & Tsombanakis are experienced at handling cases at all of the Judicial Complexes in South Florida, having handled numerous injury cases such as automobile accidents, motor cycle accidents, bicycle accidents, boating accidents, victim of drunk driving accidents or injuries, truck accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, dog bites, negligent security cases, and many other types of injury or negligence cases.


Jokey only uses biopolymers from sustainably produced biomass and with internationally recognised certification. We are happy to check whether a biopolymer can withstand the demands of your products and processes. Please call us for more details.


Dr. Lester R Johnson, MD is a Doctor primarily located in Winter Garden, FL, with another office in Valdosta, GA. He has 34 years of experience. His specialties include Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. He speaks English.
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In the United States of America, our medical system, and the well being – care orientation, focuses on what is commonly referred to, as conventional medicine, whereas nearly all of the rest of the world, prioritizes wellness, and balancing, so – called, various medication, with standard ones. Traditional African cures are principally a mix of the use of herbs and non secular energy to cure or stop against ailments. This section offers information about the various kinds of medicine, their makes use of, and their results on the body. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. issued the following assertion criticizing the HSAs "The President's well being care plan shouldn't be about masking the uninsured, making health insurance reasonably priced, and even driving down the cost of health care.
INTRODUCTON – The time period "medical insurance" is usually used in the United States to describe any program that helps pay for medical bills, whether through privately bought insurance, social insurance coverage or a non-insurance social welfare program funded by the federal government. Many medical practitioners deny that among the various medicines for asthma are effective. When people are severely in poor health, naturally Western Medication is the better alternative of remedy. Good vitamin is significant to good health, disease prevention, and essential for healthy progress and growth of children and adolescents.
Majority of the links provided under direct you to subjects and articles on totally different psychological and physical well being situations, including asthma, most cancers, arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy, eating problems, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, illnesses related to pregnancy, childhood, and much more.
You haven't been feeling effectively for quite a while so you lastly resolve you'll go see the doctor. Get diet information and discover how you should use dietary recommendations to improve your well being. Most medical practitioners prescribe chemical medicine or drugs to regulate and handle asthma. Some others believe that HSAs remove wholesome folks from the insurance pool and it makes premiums rise for everyone left.
This is unique in health and drugs, not to mention alternative therapies in health and medication. Integrative drugs includes the mixture of the most effective of standard medication with other healing traditions to enhance general patient care. Reading labels and eating a weight-reduction plan rich in vitamins and vitamins is perfect for healthy diet.
Few would argue that the medical system within the United States is in a healthy place. D) Individuals with persistent situations, disabilities, and others with excessive price medical needs might face even better out-of-pocket costs below HSA-qualified well being plans. Wholesome persons are stronger, are extra productive and extra in a position to create alternatives to gradually break the cycles of each poverty and starvation in a sustainable way.
It is the traditional medical health insurance by which the medical supplier (often a physician or hospital) is paid a price for every service supplied to the patient lined beneath the coverage. This was strongly decided by the 'persistent illness triad', perceived satisfaction with care and cultural health beliefs.


Your account exists but has not been registered to the Respect in Sport for Parents Program for Alpine Canada Alpin. To do so, please click on the "New to this program? - Click here to register now" button and select "Look up" to look up your existing profile and add it to this program.


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HomeArticlesTelstra Shutting Down Australia's 2G/GPRS Alarm Network
ArticlesMonitoringNews
Telstra Shutting Down Australia's 2G/GPRS Alarm Network
Telstra will close down its 2G network before the end of 2016 – that's around 500 business days – and will reconfigure its 900MHz 2G spectrum for 4G technology once the network's existing customers are migrated onto 3G and 4G.
The move will impact on Australia's estimated 30,000 2G/GPRS-enabled alarm panels. All will need to be transitioned across to 3G or 4G LTE. Some monitoring providers have many thousands of 2G SIM cards in their networks and will need to work fast to ensure continuity of service.
In a blog post titled 'It's time to say goodbye old friend', Telstra's group managing director of networks Mike Wright said the 2G GSM network had been in place for more than 20 years and had been surpassed by newer technologies.
Telstra will spend the next two years moving its remaining 2G customers – including both wholesale and personal users – over to Telstra's newer networks.
Wright said Telstra had seen a steep decline in the number of customers on the 2G network since the telco launched its NextG network in 2006.
Traffic on the 2G network accounts for less than one percent of total Telstra network traffic, and the telco had not sold a 2G phone for a number of years, Wright said.
"In the coming years we expect to see this dwindle further as we continue to invest in our 3G and 4G technology so it's time to call a sunset for this world changing network technology."
Telstra's group managing director of networks Mike Wright
Telstra has previously signalled an intention to repurpose the 2G spectrum for its 4G network. The telco used 1800MHz spectrum it had re-farmed from the 2G network for the first phase of its 4G network in late 2011, and has been testing out the combination of 1800MHz 4G and 900MHz spectrum from the 2G network for 4G technology.
A spokesperson said Telstra was considering several options, and a clearer position on the use of 900MHz for 4G would be possible once the Australian Communications and Media Authority released the outcome of its plan to reconfigure the 900MHz spectrum band.
"Telstra is already re-using a portion of our 900MHz spectrum holding for 4G services at selected sites and we are able to comfortably maintain the declining 2G call traffic at those sites on the remaining 900MHz bandwidth not used by 4G."
It's not been announced but Optus is certain to follow Telstra's lead and is likely to issue a statement to that effect in coming months.
Australian Federal Police Look to Biometrics
Security Exhibition and Conference in Melbourne in 2015


Imagine being immersed in beautiful sounds that are healing to your body, mind and soul… A Sound Bath can be an unforgettable sound experience for those who seek deep relaxation, rejuvenation and an acceleration of their inward journey. Time is suspended as you enter a world of vibration, sensation and experience. Physical injuries can be healed and old emotional traumas released. Great insights can be accessed. You feel truly, vibrantly alive.
You will be provided with the space and sounds for you to relax at a profound level. This allows your body to find its natural balance while creating space for insights. People often find resolution for emotional issues and a sense of coming home to themselves.


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Home / fashion / Viola Davis, "Zeropolis", "La La land": the first winners of the award "Oscar 2017"
Viola Davis, "Zeropolis", "La La land": the first winners of the award "Oscar 2017"
27.02.2017	fashion 167 Views
Eastnews
In Los Angeles in the midst of the ceremony, the most prestigious award in the world cinema — "Oscar". Leading 89th ceremony, held at the Dolby theater, was the comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Gianni Versace and other celebrities who became victims of serial killers
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After the red carpet, the stars gathered in the hall below with bated breath to know the names of the winners. The main favourite "Oscar-2017" is a film directed by Damien Chazelle "La La land", nominated for 14 points. However, to beat the record of "Titanic" picture did not succeed — the film lost to the competition in the categories "Best sound" "Best costume" and "Best sound editing".
At the moment, "La La land" received four award nominations: "Best art Director", "Best cinematography", "Best original soundtrack", "Best song".
The award in the nomination "the Best male role of the second plan" has got Maharshal Ali, who played in the movie "Moonlight".
"Oscar" for "Best female role of the second plan" has got viola Davis for the film "the Fence".
"Best foreign language film" — "a Salesman," Iranian Director Asghar Farhadi.
"Best animated feature film" — the movie "Zeropolis".
"Best animated short film" — "the Sandpiper".
"Best makeup and hairstyles" — Alessandro bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson for the film "suicide Squad".
"Best long documentary" — TV series "O. J.: Made in America".
"Best short documentary" — "White hats".
"Best costume design" Colleen Atwood for the movie "Fantastic beasts and where they live".
"Best sound editing" — Sylvain Bellemare for the film "the Arrival".
"Best sound" — the film-makers "For reasons of conscience."
"Best fiction short film" — "Sing" by Hungarian filmmaker Christophe Deck.
"Best editing" — "For reasons of conscience."
"Best special effects" — "the jungle Book".
"Best adapted screenplay" — "Moonlight".
"Best original screenplay" — "Manchester by the sea."
Tags award davis first oscar viola winners zeropolis
Сила декольте в образе невесты
MaryBella – оптовый производитель свадебных и вечерних платьев
Advantages of car rental in Kherson
Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian relax on the Turks and Caicos Islands
Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian Last week 40-year-old Courtney and 34-year-old Khloe Kardashian have presented the …


Bonkadonk! It's a video game!
For about half a year now I have been working on a new game project and it's now getting to a state where I am ready to start talking about it. The game is a competitive multiplayer game, currently called Bonkadonk. Named as such because in the game players will try to bonk and donk their way to victory by smacking other players out of the arena. In the pursuit to become the last ball rolling, players can arm themselves with various powerups to help give them an advantage, such as speed boosts and solid granite balls.
I am planning to post a lot more about this in the future, but for now enjoy this small gameplay video.


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Magistrate Court
The Magistrate Court, also known as the Municipal Court, hears the following types of cases:
Misdemeanor criminal conduct that occurs within the Prescott Valley Town limits, such as assault, trespass, disturbing the peace, domestic violence, and Town Code violations
Criminal and civil traffic offenses
Limited juvenile matters
Petitions for Orders of Protection and Injunctions Against Harassment
The Magistrate Court recognizes deferral programs such as Defensive Driving School (DDS); pre-trial diversion and delayed entry of judgment programs are available in specific cases as a motivational tool for a Defendant to have no further contact with the legal system. Programs such as TASC, substance abuse/alcohol, misdemeanor marijuana, anger management, domestic violence treatment, and shoplifting diversion are utilized by the Court. The Magistrate Court also works closely with other courts. After-hours court proceedings are considered on an as needed basis.
Court Ordered Financial Obligations
If you are required to pay fines, penalties, fees or other financial obligations as a result of a judgement of this court and you are unable to pay, bring this information to the attention of court staff or the judge because payments over time or other alternatives may be available. Do not ignore your responsibility to pay, as this may result in additional penalties and costs to you. For more information, contact the court or an attorney.
Media Coverage of Court Proceedings
Anyone who wishes to use a camera or take photos in Magistrate Court must have the permission of the Court in advance. Permission is granted on a case-by-case basis.
Keith Carson
Town Magistrate
7501 E Skoog Blvd
Window Hours
Arraignment Court Hours
8:30 - 11 a.m.
Pre-Trial Conference Hours
Defensive Driving School
Language Access (Acceso Lingüístico y Servicio)
AZ Court Help


Forums › Forums › Astrology › What's your sign?
If you know the element of your ascendant (rising sign) please post it.
Lest anyone think I actually know anything about this – I don't! I only know what I was told – I was born a Virgo with Virgo rising – which, quite frankly confuses :confused: the heck out of me. And, Cindy, if it's not possible to be Virgo/Virgo, let me know and I'll send you my info.
Pam has 4 planets in the sign of Scorpio…a very sensitive, private, water sign who doesn't trust easily or choose to make themselves vulnerable by openly sharing a lot about themselves. They do it in dribs and drabs over a period of time as they become more comfortable with who they're sharing WITH.
Pam's moon is in Capricorn, a down to earth, pratical and also once again, very reserved sign. It's not an emotional sign for an emotional planet(the Moon) to be in. But it does add to her reticence in sharing her private feelings with just anybody. Her mother should have been a no-nonsense kind of person who wanted her to behave and be responsible. It's sensitive, too, in that it's not comfortable sharing emotion because the natural instinct is to protect the emotions , not flaunt them. When you spend that much time trying to control an aspect that's ,by it's nature not always controllable, by a rebound effect, you're VERY sensitive.
Her Moon and Sun are in nice aspect (angle) to each other…so they help balance each other. Scorpio people scare me…they do! Don't P*** them off, they know how to strike back!
Pam's Mars is in Taurus…what a placement for following through and inner strength. She's as stubborn as a rock and just as easy to move when she doesn't want to. :D It opposes her stuff in Scorpio, so she sometimes works as cross purposes with herself, and she's had to learn the art of diplomacy in getting along with others. But people are drawn to her rock solid feeling of character strength…people ,though ,don't realize how sensitive SHE is with all the Scorpio, so she suffers in silence alone sometimes.
She has a past life tie with John Edward…it's with her North Node in the sign of Libra on his planets in Libra as well. She's also got some other significant tie-ups, but we respect his privacy here so let's just say it's there.
Scorpios , in general, have gone through a rebirth of sorts.With Pam it started way back in the end of 1985 as the planet Pluto started having its way with all her Scorpio planets.All of 1993 was spent being forced to reevaulate what meant the most to her. Very heavy, sometimes painful time. Then as Neptune and Uranus started waltzing with her Moon in Capricorn as well in '94-95…Pam started looking for answers and contentment in metaphysics. Her journey began 20 years ago, her seeking grew from that.
You don't just suddenly wake up someday and say, I'm going to go find John Edward. It's a meandering path we take that brings us all here to this point in time.
I've been reading around the board little snippets that eluded to the fact that John so didn't want his son to be born a Virgo that he held off the birth for a Libran baby…is this true…did anyone actually hear him say that in person?
Please clarify if you know…not by word of mouth…but by actually hearing what John DID say.
Something doesn't add up…it doesn't sound like something John would do for the reasons I'm hearing he did it.
I heard him say it! He was on the radio with Michelle and Vicky – I was listening to it. Angelina has a clip of it on her site. He says that he made sure Justin wasn't a Virgo – and that her studio must be very neat and tidy because she is a Virgo!
Let me know if you want the link!
Cindy, look at page 20 in John's book, "After Life". He held off the delivery date on purpose so Justin would be a Libra.
Thanks, Theresa, for the clip and I'll get back to you shortly. Let me read up on all this.
I believe we ALL, to a person, choose our parents and our birth day. If little Justin had wanted to be born under the sign of Virgo , nothing John could have done would have stopped him.
I believe that in the World of the Spirit and Universal Love…ALL IS CHOICE.
And another thing…I've met A LOT of messy Virgos in my life! And I say this with great affection for the sign because I have a Virgo Moon…(I love to do laundry…I love the heat and the sounds of the machines and the smell of the detergent) Oh, I'm feeling poetic!
My girlfriend was telling me that there are Virgos who are very tidy and there are those who are the opposite. For example, a virgo in my life, went from one extreme to the other extreme. Very organized and tidy to not organized or tidy. You can tell when this Virgo is happy or not, by her surroundings.
I was born on June 10, 1954 at 5:05 AM EDT in Brooklyn, New York.
I've heard it said that your ascendant sign (rising sign) is the mask you wear; the way you present yourself to the outside world. So someone could meet you and think you're an Aries, when actually you're a Libra. Why? Because they see Aries traits in you.
You're still essentially a Libra, but to strangers and people you casually know, you present your "mask" of Aries.
I hope that helps explain what a rising sign is.
It's pretty important to look at your whole chart to understand how astrology works. Astrology is not what you read in the local paper, not really. Those are general 'forecasts' that all people of your sign should be experiencing to some degree at that time. For example, let's say Venus is passing through the constellation of Libra. This would effect all Libras to some degree. There are however other things going on in your chart that could balance that out, or make it worse. Without looking at your personal chart, you cannot say how much or how little that would effect you personally.
I hope that helps. I also hope that it means all you who are interested (even a little bit) will get your charts done (for FREE on Astrodeinst, or Astro dot com) and look at where the planets were at the time of your birth. Remember, these charts can be pulled up as clickable, which means you can learn about what the placement of say Pluto means in your personal chart. :) A trained Astrologist (such as Cindy) can do a forecast for the day, month or year (or longer) based on the same information.


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The Unbalanced Ecologist
Redefining the nature of nature since 2013
At the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest
Photographing the Osa
Photographing the Osa: Form and Function
Photographing the Osa: Sunflecks
Photographing the Osa: Shadows
Photographing the Osa: Backlighting
Photographing the Osa: Animals
Photographing the Osa: Landscapes
Sketches of China
Sketches of China: The Best of the Best
Sketches of China: Xi'an and Surrounds
Sketches of China: The Tibetan Plateau
Sketches of China: Beijing
SciArt
Letters to politicos
Who is The Unbalanced Ecologist?
Resume of creative works
Full academic cv
The unBalanced ecoLOGist: On Editing
May 4, 2017 May 4, 2017 ~ amellison17 ~ 2 Comments
It's been a couple of months since I've written a post. I could plead some normal excuses: just back from a sabbatical and nearly 18 months mostly overseas and returning to an avalanche of house cleaning and office work; getting married two weeks after stepping off the 12th plane flight in seven weeks; or that old stand-by, writer's block. But really, none of them apply.
In fact, I've been preoccupied with meeting a contractual end-of-May deadline to deliver a 29-chapter edited volume—Carnivorous Plants: Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution—to Oxford University Press. I've cross-checked tens of thousands of in-text citations against nearly 1700 references in the combined bibliography. Wanting to avoid future litigation and unfavorable court judgments, I've made sure that the Oxford comma is used uniformly throughout the book. I've made sure all 111 figures are either 600 dpi tiff files at 50% of a B-4 page or vectorized eps files that scale well to any page size; that final versions of chapters by authors from around the world are all laid out on U.S. letter-sized paper (which is absolutely not the same as A-4) with equivalent margins and tabs (note to self: 1.27-cm tabs translate in Word to 0.49″, not 0.5″, tabs, and yes, my eye can tell the difference); that the proofing language of every file is set to English, not Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hebrew, German, Spanish, Portuguese, or Australian; and innumerable other details clearly explained in the OUP style sheet and in detailed letters from me and my co-editor that most chapter authors cheerfully, unknowingly, or willfully ignored.
All that after indeed just returning from a sabbatical that took me, over the course of nearly 18 months, to every continent except Antarctica, to dozens of interesting labs and field stations around the world, to new collaborations with friends and colleagues and new friends, and, at the end of it all, to a wedding in Brookline. But those are all other stories for other times (explore this site for all but the last).
Editing a book (my second; the first, Stepping in the Same River Twice: Replication in Biological Research, co-edited with Ayelet Shavit, was published last week by Yale University Press) is very different from editing for a journal (which I've also done for nearly 20 years, as a handling editor for American Journal of Botany [1995-2004], Ecology [2002-2015], Ecology Letters [2005-2008], and PeerJ [since 2012]) or editing and running the journal itself (which I've done twice, first as the founding editor of Ecological Archives [1998-2001], and second, as the editor-in-chief of Ecological Monographs [2009-2015]).
So I thought I'd jot down seven lessons I've learned from editing a couple of scientific / technical books that might be useful to others who are (or are considering) editing such a book and to remind me, if I'm ever asked to edit another one, that saying no might be the best response.
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Imagine Junet et Caros movie "City of the lost children". The grown ups want to steal the children´s dreams, and the their courage in this battle is described. The costumes by Jean Paul Gaultier reflects the naive and childish in the use of broad stripes in knitwear, visible applied bands and buttons.
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane by herself. Sadly, she disappeared when she tried to fly around the world. She became a mythical heroine in a world dominated by men. Her styles was androgynous. Femininity and masculinity was combined in a sophisticated and unpretentious way.
In this collection the two sources of inspiration are combined. The silhouettes shifts from the outmost naive to the conservative. The use of classical materials and dusty colors unites the two opposites, and leaves a sense of the vulnerability and braveness in the story.


The trail, "Quintas e Ribeiras" begins on the main road, (Estrada Regional), in "Ribeira Seca".
Follow this asphalt road. Next to the old school descend along an old lane that was used of the transportation of grapes to "Pontes".
At the end of this lane turn right and follow the dirt track. Here you will enjoy the unique view over the coastal area of Aguada. Continue along the cost on the street "Rua dos Salgueiros". At the end of this street climb the stairway until you reach the intersection with a laneway and turn left. Follow the lane next to the last wine cellar in the direction of "Pontas Negras".
Continue along this lane until you reach the sign indicating the "Caminho Bravo" and follow this laneway. This section of the trail covers about 1.2 kilometers and this especially important as you will encounter many of the plants endemic to this region.
Follow the signs returning to the regional road (Estrada Regional) and proceed to your left. After visiting the lookout continue a short distance towards the centre of Santa Cruz. Here you can enjoy the tidal pool that was integrated during the reconstruction of the old port which was destroyed by cyclone of 1946.
Turn right on the street "Rua Dr. Freitas Pimentel" and ascend to the "Rua dos Moinhos". On this street you will encounter a stone bridge that has withstood the test of time. Ar the end of this lane and arriving at the regional road (Estrada Regional), turn left and follow the road, "Canada do Mar", which will you back to "Santa Cruz das Ribeiras".
Follow the laneway in front of you (BIscoitos), which will take you to a dirt road that runs along the cost to Santa Bárbara. Climb the entrance and turn left, then turn right on the next lane which will take you to a road that you should follow to your right. Arriving at the regional road (Estrada Regional) you will see a butcher shop. Continue along this road and turn to the right until you come into an area of beaten earth. After a short distance turn right, cross a pasture diagonally and follow the lane. At the first fork in the lane, next to shone house, continue to your left. When you reach the road turn right, after 600 meters, turn left and cross the regional road and follow the lane "Canada da Escola".
At the end of this lane turn left and continue along to the centre of "Ribeiras".


As vehicles are designed with higher levels of autonomy, simulation becomes more and more critical in order to anticipate the needs of drivers. An autonomous vehicle views the world differently than a human driver, and simulation gives engineers crucial information about how an AV will react to certain situations and conditions – before a prototype has even been made.
Need to learn how to customize your drawings in SOLIDWORKS? Take a look over on the SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog.
Discover the benefits of "DELMIA Construction Planning for Construction, Cities & Territories" by watching our latest YouTube video today!
Part 3 on how to create Hex Gear Pendants in SOLIDWORKS over on the Tech Blog.


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Archive for category: Corporate
ICT annual results 2013: substantial increase operating result
12 March 2014 /in 2014, Investor Relations, News Corporate, Investor Relations, Smarter Cities, Smarter Healthcare, Smarter Industries /by ICT Group
FOCUS ON VERTICALS AND PROJECT RELATED BUSINESS PAYS OFF
Key Developments in 4th Quarter and full year 2013:
Full year revenue increased by 2.1% to € 79.5 million (2012: € 77.8 million), this increase was realized in the second half of the year 2013 compared to the second half of the year 2012 (+6.1%).
Compared to Q4 2012 , operating result from ordinary operations in Q4 2013 increased € 1.7 million.
The full year 2013 operating result from ordinary operations before exceptional items increased substantially from € 1.7 million to € 4.9 million. The operating margin increased to 6.2% in 2013 (2012: 2.2%).
Net cash flow from operating activities was € 5.3 million.
Impairment of Improve Quality Services (€ 3.4 million) influenced net result.
Net result amounted to a loss of € 1.1 million (2012: loss of € 5.2 million).
Jos Blejie, CEO of ICT Automatisering N.V.:"The further roll out of our verticals strategy and the continued reduction of indirect costs have led to clear improvements in results in 2013, despite the fact that the market remains dominated by a reluctance to invest. We have signed a number of partnerships with leading players in a number of our key industries. These partnerships are of vital importance for the successful introduction of our products and services. For the coming year, we will further roll out our strategy and boost efforts in promising product market combinations. Our company is well-positioned for further growth, we are confident that 2014 will show a further improvement in the operating result compared to 2013."
Notes to the results
ICT's total revenue raised by 2.1% to € 79.5 million (2012: € 77.8 million). Revenue at ICT Netherlands increased by 6.2% to € 66.0 million (2012: € 62.1 million). Especially in the second half of 2013 ICT realized a substantial increase in revenue compared to the second half of 2012, as a result of increased demand for ICT's services, and a consequent improved utilisation rate. All verticals, except Automotive Germany showed an increase in revenue. InTraffic saw its revenue increase, whereas at Improve, revenue was down considerably. The cost of sales, mostly material, expenses and outsourced work, increased to € 9.4 million (2012: € 9.0 million) as a result of different mix of business.
Personnel expenses, at € 50.0 million in 2013, were down slightly from the € 50.2 million recorded in 2012. This was largely due to the lower average number of employees (minus 19 FTE). As in 2012, ICT incurred one-off costs in 2013. In 2012 this amounted to € 2.6 million and comprised of a provision for so-called onerous contracts, the sale of the Neustadt activities and other restructuring measures. In 2013, this amounted to € 1.4 million. € 1.0 million of these costs concern expenses related to investigations of strategic combinations. The other € 0.4 million exceptional costs were related to the termination benefit of the former CEO who left the company in November 2013.
The focus on the reduction of indirect costs – is now paying off. In 2013, indirect costs – including depreciation on tangible assets – came in at € 16.9 million, down 12% from the € 19.3 million recorded in 2012. Including the depreciation charges on fixed assets, indirect expenses came in at 21% of revenue in 2013, down from nearly 25% in 2012, mainly as a result of lower indirect personnel costs and lower rental costs.
The total operating result before exceptional items for the year 2013 increased to € 4.9 million or 6.2% of revenues compared to € 1.7 million or 2.2 % of revenues in 2012. The improvement in results was due primarily to the improved utilisation rate of our staff as a result of an increase in demand for ICT's services. In addition, the sale of the Neustadt activities (Q4 2012) and the reduction of indirect costs also resulted in improved profitability.
The Verticals Machine & Systems (including Healthcare and Energy), Industrial Automation and Logistics managed to record positive and improved results compared to 2012. The vertical Automotive was loss making during 2013 (€ 0.6 million negative; 2012: € 2.1 negative). However, in the second half of 2013, the operating result of the Automotive Vertical was € 0.1 million positive. Automotive Germany did book improved results compared with the previous year and the first half of 2013. The appointment of new management with a focus on business development, the departure of a number of professionals who could not be deployed on a structural basis, and also the ongoing reduction in the number of indirect employees resulted in a small loss of € 0.1 million in the fourth quarter.
The performance of InTraffic developed positive, while the results of Improve Quality Services lagged. This was largely due to companies postponing training courses in the current economic climate.
The Vertical Automotive Germany and Improve Quality Services were again critically assessed for goodwill impairment purposes. Based on this it was decided to again impair goodwill for Improve Quality Services B.V. for an amount of € 3.4 million.
Taxes in 2013 totalled €1.2 million. ICT devaluated the loans to Germany as a result of losses in Germany for an amount of € 2.4 million. As a result a deferred tax liability was recognized for an amount of € 0.6 million.
Net loss was € 1.1 million, compared with a loss of € 5.3 million in 2012. This translates into a loss per outstanding weighted average ordinary share of € 0.13. The number of outstanding ordinary shares on 31 December 2013 amounted unchanged to 8,747,544.
Revenue in Q4 2013 increased 9.0% to € 21.0 million compared to € 19.2 million in the last quarter of 2012. In the fourth quarter of 2013, an operating result from ordinary operations of € 2 million was realized, a substantial improvement from € 0.3 million in Q4 2012. This exceptional improvement was due to a relatively high number of working days in combination with an improved utilisation rate.
Balance sheet structure
Shareholders' equity decreased to € 30.3 million, mainly as the result of the addition of the net loss for 2013. The trade receivables and other receivables have decreased by approximately € 0.3 million as of year-end 2013 due to effective billing and debtor collection. The balance sheet total decreased with € 0.6 million from € 47.8 million at year-end 2012 to € 47.2 million at year-end 2013. The solvency (shareholders' equity/total assets) developed from 65.9% at year-end 2012 to 64.2% at year end 2013.
Cash flow development
The group's cash position was € 10.1 million at year-end 2013 compared to € 5.9 million 2012. The company continues to focus on proper cash management. The cash flow from operations amounted to € 5.3 million positive in 2013 (2012: € 0.5 million negative). The increase is mainly the result of improved results and income tax received.
The total number of employees in FTEs at end 2013 (751 FTE) was down 2.7% compared to end 2012 (772 FTE). This was largely related to the lower number of indirect employees. For 2014 we expect to grow in FTE in line with our revenue development.
As per 1 January 2013, ICT's strategy is focused primarily on verticals, with a secondary focus on country and regional/office level. Prior to the year under review, ICT reported its results on the basis of two 'Operating Segments', namely ICT the Netherlands and ICT Germany. Effective from the financial year 2013, ICT reports internally on the basis of the segments : Industrial Automation, Machine & Systems (including Healthcare en Energy), Logistics, Automotive, and the participation Improve Quality Services.
The company will continue its strategy of offering innovative effective product/market solutions, enriched with state-of-the-art technology. Each vertical offers market specific solutions in which ICT has a high level of expertise, which allows the company to offer its clients greater added value. This puts ICT in a position to execute projects for its clients independently, making use of the specialist expertise and experience it has gained from previous assignments for its clients. As a result, ICT is able to realise innovative solutions for its clients that are also both repeatable and scalable.
Mr. Jan Willem Wienbelt succeeded Mr. Anno Kamphuis as CFO a.i. as from 1 September 2013. Mr. Carlo D'Agnolo stepped down as CEO on 17 November 2013 and was succeeded by Mr. Jos Blejie on 1 December 2013. His permanent appointment as Statutory Director as well as the formal appointment of Mr. Jan Willem Wienbelt as member of the Executive Board and Statutory Director shall be notified to the Annual General Meeting on 21 May 2014.
Composition of the Supervisory Board
At the General Meeting on 21 May 2014, Mr. Jan Sinoo ́s term on the Board will expire. The Board will submit a proposal to the General Meeting to reappoint Mr. Jan Sinoo for a new 4 year term.
It is proposed to the General Meeting of Shareholders that a dividend be paid out for the 2013 financial year at the amount of € 0.15 per share in cash based on the number of ordinary shares outstanding at year end 2013. This reflects the dividend policy of a payout ratio of 40% of the net profit. For 2013 this net profit was corrected for € 4.4 million of impairment loss and exceptional costs.
Significant events after the balance sheet date
In June DPA Group N.V. (DPA) announced that it had taken a 20.4% shareholding in the company and proposes to combine its business with ICT's. After further discussions with DPA and further assessment of the various strategic options ICT has ceased further conversations with DPA regarding its proposal.
On 18 November 2013, ICT announced it had reached agreement with Brandfort B.V. (Brandfort) on a proposed acquisition of Brandfort. Brandfort is a medium-sized engineering company with 250 employees and annual revenue of € 16.7 million. ICT and Brandfort have an excellent strategic fit and the acquisition will lead to accelerated growth and offers both ICT and Brandfort access to a number of new clients and a stronger relationship with existing clients.
On 18 December 2013 the management and supervisory board of ICT received a letter of DPA in which they requested ICT to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) with the proposed acquisition of Brandfort as voting item on the agenda.
ICT convened an EGM on 11 February 2014 with the proposed acquisition of Brandfort as informal voting as sole agenda item. 73% of the issued share capital was represented at the meeting. 53% of the share capital represented at the meeting voted in favour of the Brandfort transaction. After careful considerations of all remarks of the shareholders the Board decided to continue with the transaction.
In 2013, ICT's focus on Verticals and the continued reduction of indirect costs have had a positive impact on the performance and results of the company. The economic conditions slightly improved but remain challenging due to continued volatility. On the other hand, the range of measures that management took will be felt fully in 2014. We therefore expect 2014 to show a continued improvement in the operating profit from ordinary operations compared to 2013.
The Automotive Vertical develops, sells and implements products and services throughout the entire automotive supply chain. Core business is developing embedded software for automotive systems in the infotainment and telematics market. New deals came from WABCO Automotive, LG Electronics, gConcepts.
Revenue at the Automotive Vertical was down 1.7% at € 19.1 million, from € 19.5 million, excluding € 1.4 million divested Neustadt operations, in 2012. Revenue at Automotive Germany amounted to € 13.5 million, a decrease of 5.7% compared to the previous year (€ 14.3 million, excluding € 1.4 million divested Neustadt operations). Revenue at Automotive Netherlands amounted to € 5.6 million, an increase of 9.5% compared to the previous year (€ 5.1 million).
The Logistics vertical is largely active in port logistics and goods transport. Overall it has been a positive year for the Logistics Vertical, The investment in developing targeted propositions based on our new Supply Chain Platform paid off. At the same time investments in the team ensured that we are well equipped in all types of logistics such as harbour logistics and warehouse logistics. Overall we won more assignments and deals for PostNL (Cloud solution) Zuivelhoeve, Zeelandia and Fedex.
The revenue of the Logistics Vertical increased to € 9.3 million, from € 8.5 million in 2012, an increase of 10.1%, largely due to an increased demand from larger customers, leading to more assignments which resulted in a higher productivity.
As a system integrator, the activities of the Industrial Automation vertical are focused entirely on the implementation of software for primary processes. These are largely processes in the field of water management, plant automation in the Food & Feed industry and the continuous flow chemicals sector. Despite the volatile demand in these sectors, ICT has in the past few years been extremely successful in water management for semi-government organisations. This vertical has performed well over the past few years.
The vertical performed well thanks to increased customer demand. ICT acquired a number of new contracts, such as Waterschap Rijn en Ijssel, Plant One, CSi Industries and Hoogheemraadschap of Schieland and the Krimpenerwaard (HHSK) projects. Revenue increased by 9.0% to € 14.6 million, from € 13.4 million in 2012, due to an increased customer demand for projects, and as a result project related material purchases.
Machine & Systems
The Machine & Systems vertical focuses on the development of total solutions, a significant proportion of which consists of embedded software, as well as hardware. This vertical has also built up specific expertise in Calibration, Performance and Diagnostics (CPD) that it offers to the market as outsourcing services. In addition, the vertical has invested structurally in the development and successful delivery of an end-to-end Connected Devices solution, which provides a total solution, from Embedded right through to the Cloud.
The vertical Machine & Systems is mostly active in the OEM market. While we are facing price pressure from OEM-s, revenue went up 3.2% at € 28.2 million, from € 27.4 million in 2012, thanks to an increase in the overall demand for secondment and the number of projects and services delivered. In addition the vertical saw an increase in the number of direct employees and an improvement of productivity.
For ASML, ICT is now farming out the entire calibration arm, coming from being an outsourcing partner. ICT has made progress are made in connectivity services, a growth market in which we are able to deliver the full range of services.
We expanded our Healthcare operations, that are part of this vertical, last year through a long-term partnership with the PALGA foundation. We also established an international presence through the partnership with the Massachusetts General Hospital. The cooperation with our U.S. partner LogicNets will be key to the new Dutch and international contracts.
In the energy sector we, in collaboration with our partner GreenFlux, work on Smart Charging, which anticipates on the rising popularity of electric vehicles (EVs). In addition we have launched new pilots such as Smart Grid in Balance (with GreenFlux) and PowerMatching City with our partners Kema, TNO, Essent, Enexis and TU/e.
Improve Quality Services
Improve is active in the market for testing services, a segment that has in recent years proven particularly sensitive to reluctance to invest. The year 2013 was a difficult year for training. This market lagged behind expectations, however a small recovery could be seen in the second half of the year. The economic situation led to companies deciding to postpone or cancel training. In 2013 turnover mainly decreased in the area of training, especially in the first half of the year. Interim services and consultancy decreased slightly compared to 2012, due to a lack of highly qualified consultants. In 2013 revenue decreased by 10.6% to € 3.2 million.
InTraffic
The focus of the InTraffic business is on the public transport sector. A significant portion of InTraffic's revenue is generated by development and maintenance activities for ProRail. Revenue at the InTraffic joint venture increased with 3.2% to € 6.9 million in a stable market. The operating result in 2013 has improved tremendously as a result of improved efficiency.
ICT's goal is to simplify and improve our clients' business, production and communication processes and to make them more flexible. We do this by using our high-grade technological expertise. We deploy this expertise in the form of inventive and effective product and market combinations. ICT is organised in line with the markets we serve. Our verticals: Automotive, Industrial Automation, Logistics, Machine & Systems, Healthcare and Energy, offers professionals with specific know-how and expertise of a market's products and processes. For more detailed information on ICT, visit our website at www.ict.eu.
Femmy de Rijk – Marketing & Communications ICT Automatisering N.V. Telephone: +31 (0)88 908 23 05 or +31 (0)6 10 51 3745. E-mail: Femmy.de.rijk@ict.nl Cautionary statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are always based on assumptions and estimates relating to uncertain events over which ICT Automatisering N.V. has no control. They concern, for example, measures taken by the Dutch and other governments, currency movements, price fluctuations, changes in law and regulations, legal precedents and market developments. ICT Automatisering N.V. would like to stress that the contents of this press release are based on the information that is currently available. The reality can always deviate from expectations for the future. ICT Automatisering N.V. has no obligation to update the statements contained in this document, unless required by law.
Auditor's involvement
The full year 2013 and 2012 summary financial information, as set out on pages 8 to 11 of this press release has been derived from ICT Automatisering N.V.'s 2013 financial statements, as included in the 2013 Annual Report (the financial statements), which have not been published. In accordance with article 2:395 of the Netherlands Civil Code, we state that our auditor, Deloitte Accountants B.V., has issued an unqualified opinion on the financial statements.
For a better understanding of the company's financial position and results and of the scope of the audit of Deloitte Accountants B.V., this report should be read in conjunction with the financial statements from which these summary financial statements have been derived and the auditor's report of Deloitte Accountants B.V. thereon issued on March 12, 2014. We plan to publish the financial statements by including on the company's website on April 7, 2014. The general meeting has not yet adopted the financial statements.
Annexes – Consolidated financial statements 2013:
– Consolidated statement of total comprehensive income
– Consolidated balance sheet
– Consolidated statement of changes in equity
– Consolidated statement of cash flows
– Other financial information
Click here to view 'Annex Annual Results 2013'
ICT Automatisering reports improved results in Q3
17 November 2013 /in 2013, Investor Relations, News Corporate, Investor Relations, Smarter Cities, Smarter Healthcare, Smarter Industries /by ICT Group
• Revenue in Q3 2013 up 3% at € 18.9 million.
• Operating result from ordinary operations rose to € 1.0 million in the third quarter of this year, from
€ 0 million in Q3 2012, largely as a result of the focus on Verticals and the measures implemented to reduce indirect costs.
• Machine & Systems, Industrial Automation and Logistics Verticals record positive results.
• Automotive Vertical achieves break-even in the third quarter.
Financial developments
ICT (ICT) announces revenue in the third quarter of 2013 came in at € 18.9 million, from € 18.4 million in the third quarter of 2012. The third quarter is traditionally a lesser period, due to the summer holidays, but thanks to increased demand ICT was able to realise 3% higher revenue compared with the comparable period in 2012. Corrected for € 0.6 million turnover from the Neustadt activities, which were sold in 2012, revenue was up 6%.
Revenue over the first nine months of the year was unchanged from the comparable period last year. Restated for the Neustadt activities (revenue € 1.4 million), which were sold in 2012, and exceptional project results in the first half of 2012 (revenue € 1.1 million), revenue was up 4.0%.
The operating result from ordinary operations came in at € 1.0 million in the third quarter, compared with € 0.0 million in the same period of 2012. The operating result from ordinary operations over the first nine months was € 2.9 million, compared with € 1.4 million in the same period of 2012. The improvement in results was due primarily to improved utilisation rate of our staff as a result of an increase in demand for ICT's services. In addition, the sale of the Neustadt activities and the reduction of indirect costs also resulted in improved profitability. Indirect costs as a percentage of revenue fell to 21%, from 24% in the 2012 period.
(in € millions) Q3 2013 Q3 2012 Δ 9 months 2013 9 months 2012 Δ
Revenue 18.9 18.4 + 3% 58.5 58.6 (0.1)%
Revenue Added Value 16.7 16.0 + 4.3% 51.9 51.2 + 1.3%
Operating result from ordinary operations 1.0 0.0 2.9 1.4
Exceptional charges * 0.3 0.0 0.6 1.3
Operating result 0.7 0.0 2.3 0.1
Net profit 0.5 (0.1) 1.7 (0.5)
* this represents one-off costs or costs that are not related to ordinary operating activities. In 2012, this was a provision for onerous contracts, while in in 2013 it concerns corporate development expenses related to the consideration of strategic options, including the preparations for the proposed cooperation with Brandfort.
The adopted strategy, with its focus on verticals, has in 2013 led to a clear improvement in results, despite the fact that the market remains dominated by a reluctance to invest. The Machine & Systems, Industrial Automation and Logistics Verticals managed to record positive results in the third quarter, continuing the trend of the first half of the year. The Automotive Vertical recorded a break-even operating result in the third quarter, with the Netherlands achieving a modest positive result and Germany a slightly negative result. The performance of InTraffic was stable, while the results of Improve Quality Services lagged. This was largely due to companies postponing training courses in the current economic climate.
Development of revenue at Verticals
Revenue at the Automotive Vertical was down 3.4% at € 4.7 million, from € 4.8 million in the third quarter of 2012. The productivity of our own workforce improved both in the Netherlands and in Germany, while hiring of freelance staff was down.
The revenue of the Logistics Vertical increased to € 2.2 million, from € 1.9 million in the third quarter of 2012, an increase of 14.2%, largely due to more assignments which resulted in a higher productivity.
The Industrial Automation Vertical saw revenue increase by 10.7% to € 3.5 million, from € 3.1 million in the third quarter of 2012, due to an increased customer demand.
Revenue at the Machine & Systems Vertical (including Energy and Healthcare) was up 7.1% at € 6.7 million, from € 6.3 million in the third quarter of 2012, thanks to an increase in the number of projects.
Revenue at the InTraffic joint venture was stable. Improve Quality Services had a disappointing quarter, as a result of low participation in training courses, which account for a considerable proportion of the revenue.
The Verticals that operate from the Netherlands recorded a satisfactory operating result. The German operation is active solely in the Automotive Vertical. The operating result of the Automotive Vertical was break-even, with the Netherlands showing a modestly positive result and Germany a slightly negative result.
In the first nine months of 2013, the focus on Verticals and the continued reduction of indirect costs have had a positive impact. The economic conditions remain challenging, however, due to continued volatility. We reiterate our expectation, barring unforeseen circumstances, of a material improvement in the operating result compared to full-year 2012. Herewith, we expect that the final quarter of 2013 will show a continued improvement in the operating result from ordinary operations compared to the third quarter of the year.
ICT's goal is to simplify and improve our clients' business, production and communication processes and to make them more flexible. We do this by using our high-grade technological expertise. We deploy this expertise in the form of inventive and effective product and market combinations. ICT is organised in line with the markets we serve. We have six verticals: Automotive, Industrial Automation, Logistics, Machine & Systems, Healthcare and Energy. Each vertical offers professionals with specific know-how and expertise of a market's products and processes. For more detailed information on ICT, visit our website at www.ict.eu.
Femmy de Rijk – Marketing & Communications ICT Automatisering N.V.
Telephone: +31 (0)6 10 51 3745. E-mail: femmy.de.rijk@ict.nl
ICT first half results 2013: Continued improvement in underlying operational result
18 August 2013 /in 2013, Investor Relations, News Corporate, Investor Relations, Smarter Cities, Smarter Healthcare, Smarter Industries /by ICT Group
Focus on verticals has positive impact Read more →
ICT Automatisering reports a positive development in Q1 2013 operating result
15 May 2013 /in 2013, Investor Relations, IR Financial, News Corporate, Investor Relations, Smarter Cities, Smarter Healthcare, Smarter Industries /by ICT Group
Restructuring measures starting to have effect
ICT (ICT) realized a revenue of € 19.8 million for the first three months of 2013. This is a reduction of 5.1% compared with € 20.9 million for the same period of last year. The underlying revenue development though was positive. Corrected for three aspects, which are explained below, revenue was up 2.5% compared with the same period of 2012.
The first quarter of 2013 had two working days fewer than the same period of 2012. This had an impact of some € 0.5 million on revenue and operating result.
The second explanation for the reduction in revenue lies in the fact that in the first quarter of 2012, we realized revenue and profit of € 0.7 million on a number of projects for which the main part of the work was carried before 2011.
Finally, the sale of the Neustadt activities as per 1 December 2012 had a negative impact on revenue of around € 0.3 million.
Operating result in the first quarter was unchanged from the same period of 2012 at € 0.9 million. However, profit in the first quarter of 2013 showed an important improvement when corrected for the two fewer working days and the profit realized on the above-mentioned projects.
The measures we took in 2012 in the areas of infrastructure, indirect cost and management are starting to have a positive effect on results. Indirect expenses were down € 0.5 million in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period of last year, largely due to savings on indirect personnel costs and rental costs.
Below we discuss revenue development per vertical, corrected for the above-mentioned effects.
Revenue at the Automotive Vertical was up 8.3% at € 5.0 million, largely due to healthy productivity at the Dutch operations. Revenue from the deployment of internal staff at the German operations was slightly lower and from freelancers higher.
Revenue at the Logistic Vertical rose to € 2.3 million, an increase of almost 5%, primarily on the back of improved productivity.
The Industrial Automation Vertical saw revenue rise 8.0% to € 3.7 million, largely thanks to a higher average yield per hour, the result of more cost-efficient project execution.
Revenue at the Machine & Systems Vertical (including Energy and Healthcare) was down 2.2% at € 6.9 million due to a slightly lower deployment of staff.
The developments at the joint venture InTraffic were positive. However, Improve Quality Services had a disappointing first quarter, largely due to low participation in training courses that account for a considerable part of the company's revenue.
The Verticals that operate from the Netherlands realized a satisfactory operating margin. The German operations are fully active in the Automotive Vertical and have not yet realised an operating profit, though losses have fallen considerably. We continue to strive for a break-even result for the full-year 2013.
We are positive about the development of the group's results for the full-year 2013 and, barring unforeseen circumstances, we expect a material improvement in the operating result compared to full-year 2012.
Telephone: +31 (0)6 10 51 3745. Email: Femmy.de.rijk@ict.nl
Annual results 2012
Q4 operating profit is € 0.3 million, in line with the expectations communicated in November, significantly lower than the relatively high comparative level of € 1.6 million in 2011. H2 operating profit is also € 0.3 million as Q3 operating profit was nil.
Full year operating profit before exceptional items decreased to € 1.7 million from € 4.0 million. The main reason for a lower profit is a decline in utilisation levels.
The German activities in 2012 were again loss making. However the results did show an improvement compared to last year mainly due to the performance in the second half of 2012.
From mid 2012 onwards we have taken drastic measures by closing structural loss making activities, reducing indirect cost and strengthening management. We believe these measures should lead to an at least break-even German operation in 2013 and profitability thereafter albeit at a lower level than anticipated previously.
As a consequence, goodwill for ICT Germany has been impaired by € 2.0 million. In addition, a € 0.3 million goodwill adjustment was made as part of the cost of the Neustadt operation divestment. Furthermore, Improve has been impaired by € 1.5 million.
The costs related to the divestment of the Neustadt operation and reduction of indirect staff both in the Netherlands and Germany amount to € 1.2 million.
The net result in 2012 is € 5.3 million negative (2011: € 8.3 million negative).
Management proposes to pass dividend for 2012.
Carlo D'Agnolo, CEO of ICT: "In 2012, markets were dominated by a continued reluctance to invest in IT, with modest signs of recovery seen in the summer. However, this upturn did not persist and after summer we were again confronted with a decline in demand and a consequent drop in employee productivity. As a result, our revenue for the year was down slightly compared to the previous year, while our operating result showed a sharp decline.
To improve profitability we implemented restructuring measures for both Germany and the Netherlands, mainly to reduce indirect costs. Regarding our professionals we are balancing between keeping the right level of expertise in anticipation of an actual market rebound, and being cost-conscious in the face of the current market reality. In 2013, the focus will be on further implementing the announced measures on the one hand and on pursuing the opportunities we clearly see in a number of our markets on the other hand."
ICT's total revenue fell by 3% to € 77.8 million (2011: € 80.2 million). Revenue at ICT Netherlands declined by 4% to € 62.1 million (2011: € 64.9 million). Where in the first half of the year a slight increase in revenue was realized, revenue fell sharply in the second half, as a result of continuous low demand in IT markets and a consequent low utilisation rate.
In 2012, revenue at ICT Germany amounted to € 15.7 million, a modest increase of 3% compared to the previous year (€ 15.3 million). This increase was realized in the second half of the year, when revenue amounted to € 7.9 million compared to € 7.5 million in 2011. In Germany, ICT was able to improve its average return per hour. In the Netherlands it was raised slightly.
The cost of sales, mostly material, expenses and outsourced work, increased marginally to € 9.0 million (2011: € 8.9 million). Personnel costs increased slightly from € 49.8 million in 2011 to € 50.0 million this year. Operating costs decreased slightly, marketing costs increased but this was more than compensated by a reduction in other operating costs.
The total operating result before exceptional items for the year 2012 declined to € 1.7 million (2011: € 4.0 million). The operating result in the Netherlands fell sharply to € 3.8 million for the full year 2012 from € 6.7 million in 2011. This was the result of lower utilisation levels, especially December showed very low productivity levels. The lower number of direct employees in the Netherlands compared to last year also impacted the result. ICT Germany continued to make a loss also in 2012, but the operating results, before exceptional items, did improve compared to the previous year, from an operating loss of €2.7 million to an operating loss of € 2.0 million.
In Germany the operating result in Automotive has improved in 2012 compared to 2011. The result of the Neustadt operation that focused on non-Automotive activities deteriorated compared to 2011. This operation was divested at the end of 2012. The average utilization rate in Germany was lower than in the previous year, but improved in the second half of the year compared to the first half and was better than the second half in 2011. During 2012, ICT Germany has implemented the same infrastructure, i.e. systems, procedures, etc., as in The Netherlands. This has made it feasible to reduce the number of indirect cost substantially. Also the number of offices has been reduced. The full impact of this will be visible as -per first half 2013.
The operating margin before exceptional items for the group came in at 2.2% in 2012 compared to 5.0% in 2011.
Due to the bankruptcy of real estate company Eurocommerce in the second quarter of this year, ICT recognized a provision for onerous contracts, pertaining to the rent of the building in Deventer. ICT will no longer receive rental income from subletting part of this office building to Eurocommerce.
Early 2013 ICT has reached agreement with the owner of the building to pay-off its rental obligations since a co-tenant has been found. The decision was made to give up additional office space to meet the wishes of the co-lessee. The onerous contract provision at 2012 year-end was re-measured based on this new situation.
In addition, the offices in Braunschweig are no longer used. The total provision taken for onerous contracts amounts to € 1.8 million. The rental cost for these facilities and some other for which the conditions have been renegotiated, will reduce substantially as of 2013.
To enhance the profitability in both the Netherlands and Germany, ICT has implemented a number of cost reducing measures. The implementation of the group ERP system has been one of the preconditions to reduce costs in Germany. It has improved controls and delivery of effective management information. Both in the Netherlands and Germany, ICT has taken measures to further reduce the number of indirect staff notably in support areas such as Finance, IT and secretarial support. Including the divestment costs of the Neustadt activities the total cost are € 1.2 million. In addition, goodwill on ICT Germany was impaired by € 277,000, which reflects the proportional amount of goodwill that can be appropriated to the Neustadt operation relative to the overall goodwill pertaining to ICT Software Engineering GmbH. Including this impairment, the total divestment cost for Neustadt amounted to € 637,000.
German operations did not recover at a level that was earlier anticipated, with the measures explained above we believe the operation is well positioned to reach at least break-even in 2013, and thereafter should generate profits albeit at a lower level than anticipated previously. This view has led to the decision to impair goodwill for ICT Germany for a further € 2 million in addition to the € 10.2 million that was impaired in 2011.
Goodwill for the Improve Quality Services B.V. acquisition was reduced by € 1.5 million in view of the developments of results over the last years and the expectation that its profitability should improve albeit at a slower pace than early felt feasible.
In addition ICT adjusted its 2011 financial accounts to reflect its obligation to purchase the remaining 25% in the share capital of Improve. The estimated liability at year-end 2011 reduced as a result of a lower profit before tax which is the basis for the calculation of the purchase price of the remaining 25%. As a consequence, € 477,000 was recognized as a gain in the profit and loss accounts of 2012.
Towards the end of 2012, ICT reached an agreement with the works council regarding a new pension structure. The final pay pension scheme has been converted into an average pay pension scheme. As a result the pension liability on the restated balance sheet per end 2011 of € 0.7 million was released in the last quarter of 2012.
The Deferred Tax Asset for accumulated fiscal losses by ICT Software Engineering GmbH was written-off. End 2011 we held € 717,000 of carry forward losses on the balance sheet. Following a review of IFRS principles, it was decided to no longer recognize these. This does not imply that carry forward losses cannot be used to compensate any future profits.
The balance of interest income and interest charges increased to € 538,000 in 2012 (2011: € 326,000).
The group cash position was € 5.9 million at year-end 2012 compared to € 8.1 million 2011. Working capital was at a higher level at year end mainly as a consequence of the tax receivable. The company continues to focus on proper cash management, though we are faced with markets in which customers demand longer payment terms.
Relevant events occurring after balance sheet date
On 1 January 2013, 15% of the remaining 25% were acquired of Improve Quality Services. Although the initial contract stipulated that all remaining shares should be acquired, the contract was amended in order to allow the acquisition of the remaining 10% shares at a later date. The fair value for the remaining shares is estimated at an amount of € 580,000. The remaining 10% of the shares will be acquired on 1 January 2015.
At the end of 2012 the company had 772 FTEs compared to 794 at year-end 2011. In Germany, FTEs stood at 161 at the start of the year and 141 at year end 2012. This is essentially the impact of the divestment of the Neustadt operation. In the Netherlands, the number of FTEs went from 619 FTEs at the start of 2012 to 617 at year-end 2012. The number of FTEs in Poland was 14 at year-end 2012, the same as year-end 2011. Staff turnover was approximately 14%, with the turnover in Germany higher than in The Netherlands. Absence due to illness went down to 2.3% (2.8% in 2011).
ICT, in line with the strategy approved by the AGM 2 years ago, focuses on adding value through providing specialised expertise and added-value solutions based on innovative technology. This will enable the company to improve profitability and create growth going forward. ICT has developed a market approach based on verticals (functional application areas). This approach will start on a fully fledged basis as per 2013 and verticals will become the primary operating segment as per early 2013.
To make a shift to being a house with a solid mix of expertise areas including system integrator capabilities, ICT increasingly offers project based solutions which it manages itself or on time & material basis. Where relevant, ICT will continue to offer secondment solutions.
ICT meets the growing demand among its clients for affordable and proven solutions by offering repeatable and scalable innovative solutions that take into account the entire product lifecycle. Affordable solutions are also driven by making smarter use of near- and off-shoring. In addition to its successful recruitment drive in Poland, ICT is exploring options elsewhere.
Retaining and sharing knowledge within the organization is an important element in increasing the added value provided to clients. ICT employees are educated and challenged on a continuing basis, this also creates a positive environment from a recruitment perspective.
Dividend 2012
In view of the reported loss and the resultant cash outflows over the year 2012, management proposes to the shareholders, with approval of the Supervisory Board, not to distribute a dividend over fiscal year 2012. ICT feels it is in the interest of the company and its stakeholders to keep cash available to finance further efficiency measures and organic growth in the key business areas.
2012 was characterized by the postponement of investment decisions by our clients across all our markets, which put revenues and profit under pressure. We expect the economic climate to remain difficult. On the other hand, the range of measures that management has taken are expected to have a positive effect starting early 2013. Given the volatility, ICT feels it is inadvisable to express an outlook for 2013.
Developments per division
ICT Netherlands
ICT BV
On 1 April 2012, HUMIQ was renamed ICT.
As a result of the decline in the number of projects during the year 2012, the utilization levels in the Netherlands decreased accordingly. In addition, the overall number of professionals in the Netherlands was lower due to the selective recruitment policy in combination with some layoffs of professionals with a structurally low utilization rate. This will improve productivity in 2013. The unfavorable timing of the Christmas holidays also impacted productivity. Revenue and consequently operating result decreased, especially in the second half of the year.
To improve profitability of the Dutch activities a number of measures were taken to further reduce indirect costs. These will take effect as from the first half 2013.
The recruitment activities remain focused on selectively hiring new direct employees taking into account the anticipated growth of the activities in the high-tech machine building sector. This has resulted in an increase of the number of direct employees in the second half, from 460 in August to 480 in December.
ICT's vertical Industrial Automation showed favorable developments in the first half of the year, particularly in the area of Water. ICT acquired a number of new contracts in the first months of the year, such as the assignment with Hoogheemraadschap Rijnland. The second half of the year showed a slow down compared to the first half although several contacts were signed such as the contract with Watermaatschappij Limburg. Over the year Industrial Automation showed a positive result.
The Logistics Vertical experienced a slow year, due to the postponement of investment decisions on client side. This resulted in a slow down of new contracts. The second half of the year gained pace. ICT invested in developing targeted propositions based on our new Supply Chain Platform. A partner contract with Motorola was signed. Investments in the team have been made to ensure we are well equipped in all varieties of logistics, such as harbor logistics.
In the vertical Machine & Systems, mostly active in the OEM market, ICT's results suffered from lower utilization. On the positive side, ICT has a large long term customer base providing relatively stable turnover. We invested in the expansion of hardware know-how and we added a know-how cluster for Windows Azure in our Groningen location, to boost the focus on Cloud Computing. We also continued to expand our partner networks, adding CoDeSys to enable us to deliver services such as machine control, product development and software services to our clients more effectively and more quickly.
Within Healthcare a successful pilot was completed with the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven which resulted in the market launch of the innovative application mPACSView.
The Energy vertical serves the upcoming market for sustainable energy. ICT's role in the Power Matching City project as smart grid technology partner and the partnership with GreenFlux for delivery of a platform of charging points for electronic transportation is merely the starting point of ICT's presence in this market.
In 2012 the market for training lagged behind as the economic situation made companies decide to postpone or even cancel training budgets. Improve however continues to invest in developing and updating courses to keep its leading market position. Revenue in 2012 increased slightly, but the operating result decreased as a result of lower occupancy degree of its courses. From 2013 onwards Improve is focusing more and more on consultancy and certifying training. Flexible staffing supports profitability at lower demand levels.
Revenue in 2012 stabilized compared to the previous year, both Prorail related revenue as well as revenue from other clients. The operating result in 2012 was also more or less on the same level as last year. The first half showed an increase in both revenue and operating result which was offset by a slight drop in the second half of the year. For 2013, we expect the revenue from ProRail to slightly grow, as well as the revenue from other customers.
ICT Germany
ICT Germany did not contribute to the operating result in 2012, though its results did show an improvement compared to the previous year. ICT Germany welcomed more than 10 new customers and in addition to that a small number of former customers found their way back to ICT. This was reflected in an increase in revenue.
To further improve the returns of the German activities, a number of cost saving measures have been put in place. This was initiated by the implementation of the same systems and procedures which are used in The Netherlands. Also the number of offices in Germany was reduced. In December 2012, ICT divested its activities in Neustadt as they no longer complemented ICT's core business and were structurally loss making. All remaining activities are in the Automotive Vertical. Although we are confident that the measures taken should lead to an at least break-even operation in 2013, profitability for 2014 and beyond is expected to be more moderate than anticipated 12 months ago.
Heavy emphasis was set on growth through the recruitment of new staff. Staff turnover, however, remained high due to the very tight German labour market. Nevertheless ICT managed to keep the absolute number of staff at the same level. ICT paid considerable attention to the organisation in Poland in 2012.
Last year was a volatile year for the Automotive sector. The drop in sales in the European automotive market and hesitation in other markets such as Asia caused that Tier-1 suppliers and OEMs became more reluctant to hire seconded expertise and to start software engineering projects. As a consequence, we saw delays in projects at Tier-1s and OEMs, which led to delays in the start-up of projects that negatively impacted the average utilization rate. Although volatile, the geographical integration of our automotive activities in both the Netherlands and Germany has shown already first signals of synergy.
In view of the potential of the German market and the position ICT Germany has managed to build, ICT is confident about its opportunities in the German market. Further development of solutions for the Automotive industry will be key in 2013.
Appendices:
Condensed consolidated profit and loss account for 2012, derived from the audited annual accounts
Condensed Balance sheet as at 31 December 2012, derived from the audited annual accounts
Condensed consolidated statement of changes to shareholders' equity, derived from the audited annual accounts
Condensed Cash flow statement for 2012, derived from the audited annual accounts
Turnover third quarter flat; results under pressure
ICT (ICT) announces that turnover in the third quarter of 2012 amounted to € 18.4 million, in line with the same period last year (€ 18.4 million). In the Netherlands turnover decreased from € 14.8 million to € 14.2 million. As of the second half last year, ICT Netherlands encountered continuing challenging market conditions here. This is reflected in the number of projects. Turnover in Germany increased by 5% to € 4.2 million. Operating result for the group was break-even in the third quarter of 2012, compared to € 0.8 million last year. Read more →
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Here's just a taste of places to stay with a twist, check out our accommodation pages to find more.
With her 'hayday' as a home for travelling horses behind her Gertrude the horsebox has been given an oh-so-pretty new look. Decked out with a king size bed and bunks for two kids she's a super cool holiday retreat perfect for those with a soft spot for shabby chic. Meet her pitched up by a stream at the beautifully rustic Elm Farm campsite between Porthtowan and Portreath beaches.
A unique glamping experience, The Park's yurt village offers guests a really magical experience in beautiful secluded surroundings with a gorgeous hot tub, fire pit and clay oven for evening outdoor feasts or sundowners with a stunning backdrop. Situated at Mawgan Porth, The Park comes complete with swimming pools, an incredible café, children's play areas and gorgeous walks.
With oodles of Victorian charm The Old Luggage Van is a classy lady. She spent her early life working the railway but was cast aside for more than 60 years until she was lovingly adopted by Railholidays. With a spot of tender loving care – and the addition of a few home comforts - she's come to enjoy a retirement that she deserves in an idyllic spot next to St Germans train station in South East Cornwall and now spends her days treating guests to a holiday with the romance of a bygone era. The Old Luggage Van is just one of four old railway carriages that have been converted into holiday accommodation by the award winning Railholidays team at St Germans.
Stay in your very own geodome on the edge of Bodmin Moor and enjoy the peace and quiet of the Cornish countryside. At night lie in bed and gaze up into the stars, Bodmin Moor has been given Dark Skies status, so you could get one of the best views in Europe. The geodome can sleep up to four people, has a super king size four poster bed and a sofa that can be split into two singles on request. The off grid pod, is lit by solar lamps and fairy lights and the water to the kitchen and bathroom is provided by our spring.
Down in the far west of Cornwall, an area famed for it's inspirational views, you will find this quirky boutique hotel. Chapel Street in Penzance was once home to the mother of the Bronte sisters, has an Egyptian House, a pub with a smuggler on the roof and a shop with a lifesize Dalek in the window. In amongst all this sits the Artist's Residence with its original decor and 23 rooms, all styled by different local artists.
Situated within the historic Mount Edgcumbe Country Park on the Rame Peninsular in Cornwall, these handsome huts sit on a hilltop overlooking the city of Plymouth, the Tamar Valley and Plymouth Sound, presenting guests with some of the best views in Britain. These elegant, bespoke English Oak huts have a distinctive 1950's theme, with a double fold-out bed and two single bunks, wood-burner and movable kitchen pod.
You're onto a wigwam winner at Tehidy Holiday Park positioned smack bang in the middle of beautiful woodland and just a stone's throw from both the south and north Cornish coasts. The pod-like wooden wigwams are made for kicking off your flip flops and enjoying the luxury of the great outdoors but with the comforts of home - there's even double glazing and WiFi. Yup, wigmans have changed slightly since they were first used by Native American Indians! The facilities of Tehidy Holiday Park are also on hand complete with children's play areas and onsite shop.
Buried deep in the West Looe valley, on the site of a former explosives works, sit Forest Holiday Deerpark cabins. In all shapes and sizes, if you want the true quirky experience choose the Golden Oak Treehouse, a luxury cabin with the addition of an en-suite treehouse, reached by a rope bridge and with views out across the millpond. At the heart of the park is the Forest Hub, where you'll find an eatery and a bar, a store, and the children's play area. There are also activities, including Forest Ranger walks, and bike hire.
And if the Deerpark isn't hidden enough for you, try finding Cotna Eco Retreat! A short distance from the beautiful Gorran Haven, Cotna is tucked away down a track in a magical valley full of apple orchards. Stay in a yurt, a shepherd's hut or a barn built of straw bales. Sit around the fire pit at night and marvel at the stars or have a relaxing massage in the Hobbit-hole styled roundhouse, you can even learn how to make sour-dough bread.
This is just a small choice of the more unusual places we have to stay in Cornwall, there's plenty more in our accommodation pages. Look out for our Quirky Places to Discover in Cornwall blog, coming soon.


What additional terms and condditions should go into a lease when atenant is re-negociating a lease?
I agree with Ralph. Do your best to locate a tenant rep broker that has experience with your product type (Retail, Office, Industrial). This may very well end up costing you nothing, but will certainly save you heaps. The broker can explain this arrangement.


According to multiple reports, more than 50 bags of heroin were found inside actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's New York City apartment after he was discovered dead on February 2nd. Among them were several bearing the brand "Ace of Spades." Philip Seymour Hoffman's death shocked the nation.
As reported by the New York Times, branded heroin is not uncommon. Stamped bags, like those found in Hoffman's apartment, are frequently found in large-scale operation busts. The week before the Super Bowl, for example, one raid in the Bronx turned up some 33 pounds of heroin, many bags stamped with the letters "N.F.L.," a supposed timely tie-in to the big weekend's big game.
The Ace of Spades brand in particular isn't unique either. In fact, just two weeks before Hoffman's death, a man was arrested in Stamford, Connecticut with 44 bags stamped with the Ace of Spade logo. Authorities also tie the brand to previous drug busts dating back to 2009.
Recent reports show that heroin use in the U.S. has risen by nearly 100% in the five-year span from 2007 to 2012, with an estimated 660,000 Americans using the drug in 2012. Worse still, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) says that abuse is also starting at an earlier age.
The DEA suggests that the spike in heroin use is likely related to dependence on pills – namely, prescription pain relievers, which are opioids like heroin. With heroin costing as little as $8 per bag, the drug is considerably cheaper and more widely available than its prescription opioid counterparts. According to a Bloomberg report, OxyContin, for example, can run as much as $0.50 to $1 per milligram, with 10 milligrams being the lowest dose and 160 being the highest. Heroin is simply a cheaper high and an easier score for addicts.
Sadly, the financial costs of addiction are not the only consequences the country is facing when it comes to heroin; in addition to increased availability, the U.S. is also seeing a jump in overdose deaths. Philip Seymour Hoffman's tragic story, it seems, is a loud echo of a growing problem in our country.
Philip Seymour Hoffman's death shows once again that addiction doesn't care who you are. If you or someone you love is struggling with pills, heroin, alcohol or other substance abuse issues, please don't wait to get help. Contact The Watershed today. Our hotline is always open: 1-800-861-1768.