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Black History ArchiveSIGN-UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Walks & Tours
History Walks, Talks, Films & Tours In London
Black History Walks offer walking tours, educational talks and films in London. We work with museums, schools, communities and government agencies to deliver a diverse and engaging programme of educational experiences for students, sightseers, businesses, film fans and anyone with an interest in history and learning.
The dedicated Black History Walks team has been delivering some of the best walking tours in London for over 13 years and has more than 20 years' experience delivering film exhibitions and talks. Our book Black History Walks in London Volume 1, published by Jacaranda, will be on sale in December 2020.Pre order your copy here To see our next online event click here
See Walks & Tours
See Talks
See Films
Black History Walks has featured in national publications and on television, including the Huffington Post, ITV, Channel 4, Teachers TV and the BBC. Conde Nast Traveller listed them in their Best 15 walks in London in 2018. The Guardian put them in their Top Ten walks in 2011. Head guide Tony Warner has written 'Black History Walks in London Volume 1' the first and only book on the topic of Black History Walks in London. The Black History Walks group has also won several community awards.
Our walking tours of London provide the ideal travel experience, learning activity or networking opportunity for everyday walkers and corporate clients
We offer in-person and online talks, delivered by professors and academics who excel in their fields of study. Previous audiences range from the Bank of England and the Houses of Parliament to schools and NHS settings.
The African Odysseys film programme, which offers a monthly spot for Black films (plus Q&A) at the BFI Southbank, curated by BHW and other community activists, has been running for 14 years. It is the only scheme of it's kind in the country and has screened thousands of films to tens of thousands of people.
We have also developed an extensive list of resources to help teachers, pupils and the public learn more about Black History.
Black History Walks is committed to providing exceptional educational experiences that help to uncover the 3,500 years of Black History in London.
Sign up to our free newsletter for updates on upcoming events.
Black History Walks & Tours
There are 12 London walking tours to choose from. The walks take place in ten different areas between February and November and last approximately two hours.
Three indoor walking tours take place in London's top art galleries — Tate Britain, National Gallery and The Wallace Collection.
Times can be tailored to meet the needs of your group and private walks are available on request. Check out the reviews from previous walkers below and join our free mailing list to get advance notice of upcoming events. Ready to book? Check for the next public walk as listed here. If there are no public walks you can request a private walk here.
Black History Talks
We offer a wide range of public monthly Black History talks, which are delivered online or in locations of unique historical and cultural interest.
Click here for a list of the next public talks.
For private groups there are over 40 interactive, short to long, multimedia presentations to choose from. These are suitable for a wide range of settings — school assemblies, university lectures, community groups or staff events. Click here for details of our private and bespoke talks
The venues for in-person talks are chosen with care and have previously included libraries, art galleries and lecture theatres. Talks are available year-round and our popular Queen Nzingha lectures provided by African Caribbean female academics/experts are hosted every month. A full list of upcoming events is available here.
Black History Courses & Resources (Schools)
Senior consultants from Black History Walks produced a mini-documentary in collaboration with Teachers TV in 2011.
This four-part video is available online along with an extensive list of resources (including websites, DVDs and books), designed to assist teachers, pupils and the public in exploring the issues raised in the documentary and general Black History.
Subscribe to the Black History Walks YouTube channel to stay up to date with our latest videos.
About Black History Walks
Black History Walks was set up in 2007. Since then, the company has established a reputation for its diverse programme of high-quality walks, tours, talks, educational courses, resources and film events. Black History Walks is committed to providing exceptional experiences that educate people about Britain's Black history. 'Black History Walks in London Volume 1' published by Jacaranda Books will be out in October 2020. It is the first guided walk book on London's African/Caribbean past.
Black History Walks was founded in 2007. Since this time, the company has developed a collective, which includes a diverse range of contributors, including athletes, teachers, artists, film-makers and academics who collaborate to deliver a programme of walks, talks, films and events throughout the year. The Black History Walks team includes PhDs, authors and professors, enabling us to provide the highest levels of expertise. We pride ourselves on the variety, consistency and quality of the educational events we offer.
We have also teamed with Nubian Jak plaques to install plaques in honour of outstanding African/Caribbean people. Plaques for Dennis Brown,Frank Chrichlow, Dr Harold Moody, Phyliss Wheatley and Emma Clarke have already been unveiled and more are to come. If you would like to sponsor a plaque please get in touch.
Black History Walks in London Volume 1 by Tony Warner is published by Jacaranda Books and will be on sale in October. Pre order your copy here
Upcoming Walks & Tours
Black History Bus Tour
March 14th 2pm
Three-hour bus drive showing London's top tourist attractions from an African/Caribbean perspective. About this Event Join us on our three-hour drive showing London's top tourist attractions from an African/Caribbean perspective.…
Black History River Cruise
April 24th 2pm
3 hour cruise along the Thames from Temple to Greenwich and back showing the thousands of years of African/Caribbean history on display. About this Event Your private, double-decker boat will…
Camden Black History Walk
24th October 10am
This special walk for Camden Black History Month delves into an amazing depth of African/Caribbean history between Soho Square and Russell Square: It features: Ancient African civilisations Black Female entrepeneurs…
Reviews of Black History Walks, Tours & Talks
Don't miss out some of the most fascinating and historically interesting events in London. Sign up to our free newsletter for updates on coming events or book one of our walks and talks today!
It was a wonderful experience and I would recommend it for all
A brisk, informative stroll through the heart of the British Empire. Our cheerful and intellectually generous tour guide, led us through narrow alleyways and past Roman ruins, within halls constructed by powerful guilds; in the process, he revealed to us both the many layers of British history and the often unacknowledged cultural multiplicity at its core. The tour was exciting, informative and allowed everyone across age, interest, and temperament to participate and learn. It was a wonderful experience and I would recommend it for all.
Professor Caroline Brown, University of Montreal, Canada
Black History Walks
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/professor-caroline-brown/
A truly inspiring day
A truly inspiring day, filled with information I may have NEVER been aware of, if it was not for attending this walk. The friendly intellectually amazing tour guide relayed facts that I would have had to research for months to be aware of. I would URGE any and everyone, of all ages to attend - a great, fun, educational day out.
Isschara Maxine, London
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/isschara-maxine-london/
Extremely informative and made it seem all really relevant
I just wanted to let you know that the students REALLY enjoyed the tour yesterday. I polled them in class and everyone overwhelmingly had positive things to say. They particularly enjoyed how you incorporated modern day information into the tour. They said it was extremely informative and made it seem all really relevant. And today it was great listening to them as they walked around central London, noticing some of the things you'd pointed out. So, your work was very well received. Well done and thank you!
Lori Tharps, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Journalism, Temple University, USA
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/extremely-informative-and-made-it-seem-all-really-relevant/
Best element of the trip
You may hear this often, but many of my students named your tour as the best element of the trip last time.
Nancy Comerau, Assistant Professor of English, Ohio Wesleyan University, USA
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/best-element-of-the-trip/
Absolutely brilliant lecture and walk yesterday
Absolutely brilliant lecture and walk yesterday. Students were really energized. Thanks so much.
Bill Mullen, Professor of English and American Studies, Purdue University, USA
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/absolutely-brilliant-lecture-and-walk-yesterday/
A rich and detailed learning experience
Our guide's encyclopedic knowledge of the area, and his passion for black history, made for a rich and detailed learning experience. He was friendly and engaging, frequently involving the students in dialogue and relating his points to places and subjects that are familiar to them. The students were fascinated throughout and learned a great deal. We recommend this tour most highly!
Rebecca Whisnant, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Director of Women's and Gender Studies, University of Dayton, USA
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/a-rich-and-detailed-learning-experience/
The children talk about it for a long time afterwards
I would really like to book two black history walk dates around St Pauls and the Barbican for our two year 6 classes. We have done them for the last two years and the children always learn such a lot and talk about it for a long time afterwards.
Helen Davies, Head of Year 6, John Scurr School, Tower Hamlets
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/the-children-talk-about-it-for-a-long-time-afterwards/
I could not have asked for a better supplement to my Sociology course on race, identity, and culture
Thank you for organizing a wonderful walking tour for my students. You are incredibly knowledgeable, and it was such a joy to hear your take on things. The students loved this field trip. You did an excellent job relating the history, culture, and social contributions of Black and Afro-Caribbean people in a fun and lively way while still emphasizing the seriousness and importance of this often overlooked aspect of British life. I could not have asked for a better supplement to my Sociology course on race, identity, and culture. I really appreciate you helping make the class so special and look forward to arranging another.
William Force, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Western New England University
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/i-could-not-have-asked-for-a-better-supplement-to-my-sociology-course-on-race-identity-and-culture/
Engaging, moving, will keep you asking more questions.
What an amazing tour! It completely moved me to rethink the intricate web of social, economic and political relations that characterize British imperial rule and racial politics. Engaging, moving, will keep you asking more questions. The best way to get to know London.
Alai Reyes-Santos, Professor of Ethnic Studies, University of Oregon
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/engaging-moving-will-keep-you-asking-more-questions/
Nothing but positive feedback
The audience and the panellists had some incredibly positive feedback about your presentation. It went down so well and was an brilliant combination of information, revelation and humour. There were also a number of attendees whose firms or companies had organised a Black History Walk with yourself and also had nothing but positive feedback
Sharon Takhar, Origin Network, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
https://blackhistorywalks.co.uk/testimonials/nothing-but-positive-feedback/
Email: info@blackhistorywalks.co.uk
Sign up to our free monthly newsletter for advance notice of upcoming walks, talks, tours and films
View our archive – 13 years of Black History content
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text:
Q: Spread data by group ID ~ cbind each block with group ID I have several data associated with an period ID which correspond to a period attributed regarding the date.
I would like to build an automatic system to cbind each block associated with a group ID. This is just a sample of my data i have other locations associated with periods and a lot of other weather variables/
Below this is the sample of my data :
>     weatherPer =structure(list(periods = c(1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4,
1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1,
2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4), Year_Loc = structure(c(1L,
1L, 1L, 1L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 4L, 5L,
5L, 5L, 5L, 6L, 6L, 6L, 6L, 7L, 7L, 7L, 7L, 8L, 8L, 8L, 8L, 9L,
9L, 9L, 9L, 10L, 10L, 10L, 10L, 11L, 11L, 11L, 11L, 12L, 12L,
12L, 12L), .Label = c("Auzay-2006", "Brain sur lâ\200\231Authion-2016",
"Brain sur lâ\200\231Authion-2017", "Brain sur lâ\200\231Authion-2018",
"Brain sur lâ\200\231Authion-2019", "Campagne-2005", "Campagne-2006",
"Campagne-2007", "Campagne-2008", "Campagne-2009", "Campagne-2010",
"Campagne-2015", "Campagne-2016", "Campagne-2017", "Campagne-2018",
"Campagne-2019", "Casalmorano-2013", "Casalmorano-2016", "Casalmorano-2017",
"Castelsarrasin-2018", "Chapaeva-2019", "Conselice-2017", "Endoufielle-2016",
"Endoufielle-2017", "Genivolta-2014", "Izano-2018", "Izano-2019",
"Köröstarcsa-2015", "Köröstarcsa-2016", "Krasnogvardeyskoe-2019",
"La Bastide-Savès-2004", "La Bastide-Savès-2005", "La Bastide-Savès-2006",
"La Bastide-Savès-2007", "La Daguenière-2012", "La Daguenière-2013",
"La Daguenière-2014", "La Daguenière-2015", "Le Langon-2003",
"Le Langon-2004", "Le Langon-2005", "Lombez-2001", "Lombez-2002",
"Lombez-2003", "Meilhan-2001", "Meilhan-2003", "Meilhan-2004",
"Mezoberény-2017", "Mezoberény-2018", "Molosso-2014", "Monferran-Savès-2008",
"Monferran-Savès-2009", "Moscazzano-2016", "Moscazzano-2018",
"Moscazzano-2019", "Noilhan-2014", "Noilhan-2015", "Pontonx-2011",
"Pontonx-2012", "Pontonx-2014", "Pouille-2007", "Samatan-2011",
"Samatan-2012", "Samatan-2013", "Sauvimont-2019", "Ste Hermine-2001",
"Thiré-2010", "Thiré-2011", "Turkeve-2010", "Turkeve-2011",
"Turkeve-2012", "Turkeve-2013", "Turkeve-2014", "Turkeve-2015",
"Turkeve-2016", "Turkeve-2017", "Turkeve-2018", "Turkeve-2019"
), class = "factor"), Dewpoint.Temperature.max = c(24.82, 24.31,
23.99, 23.33, 25.65, 24.42, 23.46, 22.19, 24.61, 24.29, 23.75,
23.64, 24.33, 23.67, 23.56, 22.66, 24.89, 24.45, 23.88, 23.83,
24.85, 24.35, 23.5, 23.58, 24.72, 24.37, 23.93, 23.23, 25.02,
24.52, 22.96, 22.78, 24.15, 23.21, 22.68, 22.34, 24.33, 24.21,
23.84, 23.01, 24.96, 24.41, 23.43, 23.01, 25.21, 24.78, 23.75,
23.79), Temperature.max = c(28.92, 28.09, 27.42, 27.2, 28.67,
27.31, 26.25, 24.41, 28.06, 27.28, 27.08, 26.46, 27.15, 26.32,
26.05, 26.11, 28.28, 26.97, 26.27, 25.95, 28.43, 27.92, 26.67,
26.55, 28.46, 27.77, 27.18, 27.02, 28.52, 28.21, 27.1, 26.06,
27.56, 26.47, 26.3, 25.58, 27.33, 27.44, 27.12, 25.93, 28.29,
27.33, 26.77, 25.55, 28.9, 27.81, 27.01, 26.7), Vapor.Pressure.Deficit.max = c(10.687021,
9.631794, 8.979559, 12.584732, 11.020079, 9.380499, 6.795023,
5.8055077, 10.550922, 9.470808, 10.791325, 11.422356, 8.21545,
8.206741, 9.171038, 10.28149, 9.686199, 6.392605, 7.2071304,
7.353756, 11.496166, 11.108919, 9.8492565, 8.664175, 10.241858,
9.6217575, 9.886763, 10.448376, 9.981283, 11.2334175, 13.815418,
8.470074, 9.944298, 9.327803, 11.135061, 7.913679, 12.109056,
9.2556095, 10.473219, 9.0791, 9.969273, 9.392576, 9.093296, 7.923086,
11.310198, 9.246443, 9.706051, 9.757435), Wind.Speed.max = c(5.6849194,
6.484783, 8.015649, 8.518107, 9.463871, 8.034819, 7.592716, 7.3360224,
6.2443833, 7.663488, 7.987683, 7.7891116, 7.131077, 8.027853,
7.293194, 8.160896, 6.6898775, 7.853842, 7.0723906, 7.2770677,
6.583669, 7.4978127, 8.006221, 8.029595, 6.258702, 8.492785,
8.090327, 8.9169445, 6.9531293, 8.830892, 8.904387, 7.870207,
7.2118154, 8.53615, 8.329502, 8.405386, 6.9123783, 8.136524,
9.013042, 8.385395, 7.2226667, 8.086524, 8.451847, 7.629467,
8.390397, 9.166902, 8.754542, 7.8220797), Cloud.Cover.Total.mean = c(21.6705552666667,
24.802344375, 35.3500005333333, 26.181511375, 28.456863, 27.5972222222222,
28.9064821111111, 26.4129642777778, 25.1023805714286, 30.0522227333333,
32.2083346, 29.1186114666667, 26.6502785333333, 25.3466667333333,
29.8933342, 24.8361118, 24.7013881666667, 24.7849367692308, 25.5059030833333,
29.222758, 33.8592948461538, 29.7266027692308, 31.902885, 30.8227573076923,
23.2564103076923, 29.7651781428571, 29.3422613571429, 28.9532741428571,
29.3786112666667, 33.2297226666667, 25.7091675333333, 27.2164065625,
37.16000065, 29.0987506, 33.0527089, 27.8439584, 24.0283332666667,
36.0616664666667, 26.6388894666667, 26.0858338666667, 28.276786,
27.2019451333333, 29.3044452, 19.6738889333333, 22.4424480625,
25.0080889411765, 24.6013021875, 24.5941178235294), Dewpoint.Temperature.mean = c(23.8762221333333,
23.4136724375, 23.1081674666667, 21.8481506875, 23.5936522941176,
22.8560645555556, 22.3810187222222, 21.2194674444444, 23.6746725,
23.2300559333333, 22.6978884666667, 21.9656385333333, 23.5449448,
22.9195002, 22.5098344, 21.7956943333333, 23.6780560833333, 23.6903846923077,
23.0403119166667, 23.1599683076923, 23.7525644615385, 22.9774354615385,
22.5111217692308, 22.0802245384615, 23.8259936923077, 23.6056247857143,
22.8909821428571, 21.5979167857143, 24.0113888666667, 23.1943053333333,
22.0449716666667, 21.989557, 23.14185435, 22.10529135, 21.48256205,
21.18364525, 22.8545552666667, 23.5222784, 22.307806, 21.8091116666667,
24.0137797142857, 23.3254436, 22.5024446, 21.7409172666667, 24.0527341875,
23.3409315294118, 22.7526048125, 22.1225985294118), Pressure.mean = c(1010.95196,
1012.383083125, 1012.24418466667, 1014.710431875, 1012.83724294118,
1013.90580166667, 1014.17571888889, 1014.73749166667, 1012.34075,
1012.398044, 1012.91250266667, 1013.746396, 1011.720292, 1013.600556,
1012.87333666667, 1014.77361466667, 1011.04514083333, 1012.81733384615,
1012.87810083333, 1012.74068230769, 1011.01218769231, 1012.37469769231,
1013.71220692308, 1014.54871538462, 1012.03207384615, 1012.76129285714,
1012.77921, 1015.22201357143, 1011.19640733333, 1011.18028866667,
1013.49386133333, 1014.96224875, 1011.7522905, 1013.816709, 1014.201673,
1014.2712105, 1012.163322, 1013.25557933333, 1013.90890266667,
1015.02249, 1012.06099642857, 1013.61306933333, 1013.49166666667,
1014.40390933333, 1012.31040625, 1011.79900411765, 1014.14636875,
1015.40442), Relative.Humidity.mean = c(80.4391176, 83.1505465625,
83.1818152666667, 80.61810925, 81.5311527647059, 81.7008705,
85.133456, 86.0116727777778, 82.0734179285714, 81.6275006666667,
81.363433, 81.1003484666667, 84.3441953333333, 85.7540380666667,
84.6901137333333, 84.078286, 82.4465179166667, 86.464035, 85.2495825,
86.9968460769231, 83.0805199230769, 80.1526246153846, 80.9706803076923,
81.4566846923077, 80.2394810769231, 83.874552, 82.3113892142857,
78.3532723571429, 81.7885049333333, 80.4320084, 80.0532001333333,
82.4779069375, 84.9907835, 81.958613, 80.2184465, 80.59267855,
81.2794322666667, 85.3465956666667, 79.5406666, 81.9668526666667,
83.1170027857143, 83.0287677333333, 82.5559213333333, 82.8191025333333,
82.1219480625, 81.7881238823529, 80.705515375, 80.8482061176471
)), row.names = c(NA, 48L), class = "data.frame")

This is what i'm doing now :
for (i in (unique(weatherPer$periods))){
    if (i == 1){
      weatherWide = filter(weatherPer,periods == i)
    }
    else{
      DF2 = filter(weatherPer,periods == i)
      colnames(DF2) = paste(colnames(DF2),paste0("sub_per.",i), sep = ".")
      weatherWide = cbind(weatherWide,DF2[,-c(1,2)])

    }

And globally what i would like to do :
I just think that my code is not "efficient", is there an other way to do it ?

A: I guess what you you are looking for is the transformation from long into wide form of your data frame. That is a common point. The post "Long to Wide Data in R" should give you the answers.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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And all search engines look for key words — words that define what your web page is about — in order to know where to put your page when a browser searches for a topic. Use your key words early and often, but don't abuse it by repeating a key word over and over. And make certain your key word is used in the metatags for your web page.
One of the more recent and successful methods developed to drive web traffic to your site is a free newsletter. Who can turn down something that's free? And a newsletter that your users actually sign up for is a way of ensuring that your advertisement is reaching people who might actually be interested in your product or service.


Mayo Clinic Interventional Cardiology Board Review - Viewable on DVD with Syllabus and Audio Flashdrive.
The DVD format comes with 6 DVDs and an audio-only flash drive. These audio files can be downloaded and used alongside the printed syllabus, provided in your purchase, for viewing anytime. The DVD format now has a pre-test on the learning portal to identify areas of strength and weakness and then directing their learning with a personalized study guide that concentrates solely on areas where they need reinforcement. It will then direct the learner to the DVD that they need to view. The DVDs only require a post-test upon completion of viewing the DVDs to acquire AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM and ABIM MOC Medical Knowledge points. The post-test questions are broke down in modules by DVD and credit can be obtained as you complete each DVD. You will have two years to obtain credit with this product.
Content of this course is available for you to view whenever convenient for you. Credit must be claimed by October 18, 2021.
This enduring material is a recording of the Mayo Clinic Interventional Cardiology Review Course for Boards and Recertification (September 7-9, 2018) in DVD format. Physician participation in this activity consists of reviewing the DVD and completing the evaluation. It is estimated that this activity will take 17.5 hours to complete.
Mayo Clinic Interventional Cardiology Review for Boards and Recertification course highlights interventional cardiology topics and information with practical application in studying for board certification in interventional cardiology. This comprehensive enduring course, available on DVD, covers basic aspects of interventional cardiology, including catheterization laboratory equipment, radiation physics and safety, pharmacology, and procedural planning and performance. The program content will integrate specific patient lesion and procedural characteristics are highlighted including a review of challenging cases.
• Determine indications and appropriate use of anticoagulant therapy in patients undergoing PCI.
This course is primarily intended for cardiologists and cardiovascular fellows preparing for the ABIM Interventional Cardiology certification/recertification exam. However, this course also provides a focused state-of-the-art review of interventional cardiology topics for all cardiovascular practitioners and trainees.


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Canada's Vermilion to drill new exploration wells in central Europe
April 15, 2019 EnergyNow Media
ZAGREB (Reuters) – Canada's Vermilion Energy will drill its first two exploration wells in Croatia in June, a senior official from the company said on Monday.
Vermilion won four license in 2015 for oil and gas exploration in Croatia's flat northeastern areas and the drilling will take place on one of these.
"Although we see evidence of gas charge from the new seismic data we have acquired, we'll not know for sure whether any of this is commercially producible until after these initial wells are completed," Bryan Sralla, who heads the unit for central and eastern Europe, told Reuters.
He added that would probably be during mid to late July.
Croatia is currently running two new tenders for oil and gas exploration in the north and in the mountainous southern region.. They are open until June and September, respectively.
Sralla said Vermilion was still considering whether to participate.
"Our team is evaluating the potential of all the Croatian license on offer, but we have not yet made a decision whether we will bid on any," he said.
"Our internal executive review is scheduled for late May. I'm hopeful our team will identify some potential," he added.
In an interview with Reuters last week a senior official at Croatian energy firm INA said it planned to bid for several exploration blocks in the north, but was still considering options for the south.
Vermilion also has a presence in Slovakia and Hungary.
Sralla said the company planned to drill four wells in Hungary this year, two in partnership with Hungary's MOL, and four wells in Slovakia in partnership with Slovakian energy company Nafta.
"We see encouraging signs of natural gas potential in these countries," he said, adding that the drilling results were likely to be announced in the early autumn.
Sralla also said Vermilion could expand into other central and eastern Europe countries as the company was evaluating investment opportunities across the region.
Reporting by Igor Ilic; Editing by Kirsten Donovan
Alberta election promised titanic clash, delivered name calling, bozo eruptions
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Pipeline owner says Alaska spill was less than 3 gallons
Categories Canadian News Tags Tri-Pinned Post navigation
The $18 Billion Electric-Car Bubble at Risk of Bursting in China

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Berliner Zeitung, grundlagt 21. maj 1945, er en tysk avis, der udgives fra Berlin. Avisen er den eneste østtyske avis, der har opnået national betydning siden genforeningen. I 2003 var avisen den største abonnementsavis i Berlin – weekendudgaven udkommer i 207.800 eksemplarer og læses af 468.000 berlinere. Til hverdag er oplaget 184.709.

Efter Berlinmurens fald blev avisen opkøbt af Gruner + Jahr og den britiske udgiver Robert Maxwell. Gruner + Jahr blev senere eneejer og relancerede avisen i 1997 med helt nyt design. Det var målet at gøre Berliner Zeitung til Tysklands svar på Washington Post. Avisen blev beskrevet som en "ung, moderne og dynamisk" avis for hele Tyskland. Gruner + Jahr solgte imidlertid avisen i 2002 til udgivergruppen Holtzbrinck. De tyske konkurrencemyndigheder forbød salget, idet Holtzbrinck allerede ejdede en anden stor Berlin-avis, Der Tagesspiegel.

I efteråret 2005 blev Berliner Zeitung så solgt til britiske Mecom Group og amerikanske Veronis Suhler Stevenson og avisen blev dermed den første i Tyskland, der er kontrolleret af udenlandske ejere. Det anslås at købsprisen androg mellem 1,1 og 1,3 mia. kr. Medarbejderne kritiserede saget og frygtede, at Mecom-bossen David Montgomerys krav om profit ville gå ud over avisens journalistiske kvalitet.

Eksterne henvisninger
 Berliner Zeitungs hjemmeside

Aviser fra Tyskland
Etableret i 1945

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NICKI MINAJ Shows Breasts at New York Fashion Week
Lindsay Lohan Wants to Star in 'The Comeback'
31-year-old former 'Mean Girls' actress Lindsay Lohan has made a proposal to star in a new season of 'The...
LoveAaron Fernandes - May 29, 2017 0
Kim Kardashian Reveals THE EXACT MOMENT She Knew She and Kris Humphries Wouldn't Work Out
36-year-old reality star Kim Kardashian just revealed THE EXACT MOMENT she knew her relationship with younger 32-year-old basketball player...
TechnologyAaron Fernandes - June 6, 2019 0
Kris Jenner Now Runs Rob Kardashian's INSTAGRAM!
'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' stars Kris Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian this week began to ask people to follow...
EntertainmentAaron Fernandes - September 29, 2016 0
Miley Cyrus Was the Lowest Paid Actor on Hannah Montana
Miley Cyrus' ELLE Cover story is getting a lot of press because of the amount of info the star...
Dina Lohan FELL DOWN ON HER FACE During Arrest at Outback Steakhouse
Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina, 57, was arrested yesterday after drunkenly ramming her Mercedes into a Outback Steakhouse location in...
FashionAaron Fernandes - February 19, 2018 0
KENDALL JENNER and Kourtney Kardashian's Chic Night Out!
'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' stars Kendall Jenner, 22, and Kourtney Kardashian, 38, stopped by Craig's restaurant in West...
Kim Kardashian's Limousine Driver ARRESTED!
36-year-old Kim Kardashian-West's limousine driver has been ARRESTED over his connection to her robbery in Paris back in October...
SexyAaron Fernandes - September 7, 2017 0
Kate Hudson Shows Off Her Sexy BALD Head During 'Sister' Filming
BALD IS BEAUTIFUL! 38-year-old 'Sister' actress Kate Hudson is working on her new drama and took time off to...
MusicAaron Fernandes - January 28, 2017 0
Missy Elliot – I'M BETTER New Music Video
45-year-old Missy Elliott is back with a new music video titled I'M BETTER! The song and the video are equally...
James Franco Stars in Gay Thriller KING COBRA, Full NSFW Trailer Here
A full trailer has just been released for KING COBRA and it's full of debauchery - betrayal, gay porn,...
EntertainmentAaron Fernandes - May 14, 2017 0
Katy Perry May Be an American Idol JUDGE!
32-year-old 'Bon Appetit' singer Katy Perry may be heading to American Idol! Perry has reportedly been in talks to sit...
MusicAaron Fernandes - July 30, 2017 0
Kesha 'Learn to Let Go' Music Video
30-year-old 'Learn to Let Go' songstress KESHA just released the music video to the song off 'Rainbow' and it's...
EntertainmentAaron Fernandes - March 20, 2019 0
Lady Gaga Reveals NEW LOGO On All Her Social Media!
32-year-old Oscar-winner and 'Shallow' superstar Lady Gaga has sent a huge wave of excitement amongst her fans! GAGA just updated...
FunnyAaron Fernandes - April 10, 2017 0
Nicole Richie's Sunglasses Get SMACKED OFF During Interview!
35-year-old actress and fashionista Nicole Richie just got her sunglasses SMACKED right off her face during an interview with...
35-year-old 'Chun-Li' rapper Nicki Minaj caught many folks' attention as she put cleavage on display while attending the Marc Jacobs Show at New York Fashion Week.
Also at the event were the likes of Kim Petras and Nina Garcia.
Check out Nicki's look below and let us know: DO YOU LIKE IT? DOES IT CAPTURE YOUR ATTENTION? WAS THAT THE INTENTION?
Nicki Minaj to STOP USING INSTAGRAM After Hidden "Likes" Feature
Technology Aaron Fernandes - November 11, 2019 0
36-year-old rapstress Nicki Minaj says she'll STOP using Instagram after the social media platform announced that they would soon be hiding "likes" from photos...
Nicki Minaj Calls Wendy Wiliams DEMONIC!
Entertainment Aaron Fernandes - November 2, 2019 0
'Queen' rapstress Nicki Minaj just called Wendy Williams DEMONIC! Wendy, 55, brought up Minaj's fiance, Kenneth Petty and his criminal past while discussing their wedding...
Rihanna Releases Trailer for 'Savage x Fenty' NYFW Show
Fashion Aaron Fernandes - September 17, 2019 0
31-year-old singer Rihanna just released a trailer for her 'Savage x Fenty' runway show at New York Fashion Week, held on September 10. The show...
Serena Williams and Diplo Not Allowed Into Rihanna's Exclusive NYFW After-Party!
Entertainment Aaron Fernandes - September 15, 2019 0
Major celebrities like tennis superstar Serena Williams, 37, and musician Diplo, 40, had a hard time getting into Rihanna's exclusive New York Fashion Week...
Rihanna Puts on a Performance For SAVAGE x Fenty Show at New York Fashion Week
31-year-old singer and fashion designer RIHANNA put on one of the hottest shows at New York Fashion Week this year for her Savage x...
Nicki Minaj ISN'T RETIRING, Apologizes For 'Insensitive' Remark
Entertainment Aaron Fernandes - September 7, 2019 0
36-year-old 'Megatron' rapstress Nicki Minaj is apologizing to fans for sending them into panic when she said she was retiring! Nicki tweeted last night: "I'm...
Previous articleJennifer Garner Watches Herself For the Very FIRST TIME!
Next articleGigi and Bella Hadid Wear Sexy Lingerie During Rihanna's Savage x FENTY Fashion Show!
Nicole Kidman on Alexander Skarsgard: "I WANTED HIM BADLY!"
Aaron Fernandes - March 27, 2017 0
49-year-old 'The Others' actress Nicole Kidman spoke with Vulture about casting Alexander Skarsgard in her series 'Big Little Lies.' Kidman says she wanted him: "Yeah, he was so good. I wanted him! I wanted him badly." She laughs then continues: "Come on, HBO, we've gotta get him. They had a relationship with him already . He was really amazing because he wanted to work with Jean-Marc, and it's a great role for him. It's not what it seems, so he followed the spirit and he really captured it, I think. He's obviously got that ability to pull you in and hold you, and he breaks down, you know? He has that whole fragility to him as well — so this sort of dominance and then this fragility; it's a weird mix. And, obviously, he's very tall as well, which is really, really helpful for me. It's not often that I look small. So physically he's very dominating as well, which is frightening, but I take him on." What do you think about Kidman wanting another man despite being married to 49-year-old Keith Urban??
Blac Chyna SUED For $3 Million
Blac Chyna has a very expensive new lawsuit on her hands! The 28-year-old reality star is being sued by two men claiming to be her business managers. Lincoln Hayes and Jason Alston of 'Infinite Grind Multimedia' are claiming that Chyna signed a 10-year contract with them in 2007 in order for them to be her business managers. They claim that she agreed to giving them 50% of her earnings during the contract period. Alston and Hayes claim to have discovered Chyna when she was just a stripper and say that she owes them a bit over $3 million - depending on the deals Chyna made during the contract period. 50% is a big chunk of change, good luck Chyna!
Kourtney and Kim Kardashian: Chaos-Causing Ladies at Paris Fashion Week!
Aaron Fernandes - October 2, 2016 0
Kim and Kourtney Kardashian cause chaos wherever they go! And Paris Fashion Week was no exception. The reality stars were dressed scantily as fans went crazy when the twosome stepped out for a Balmain show after-party on September 29. Watch a video of the commotion below:
Jack Nicholson Returns to Movies in Remake of 'Toni Erdmann'
Three-time Oscar winner and 79-year-old actor Jack Nicholson will be starring in his first movie since 2010 ('How Do You Know') very soon! Nicholson is slated to play the title character in the English remake of the German movie TONI ERDMANN. Nicholson reportedly came up with the idea to remake the 2016 movie and he approached Paramount Studios who were able to secure rights to the movie. TONI ERDMANN was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2017 Oscars and was also nominated for a Golden Globe in the same category. Watch the trailer for the original German version below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0uwi5EPnpA
Cardi B Dresses as The VIRGIN MARY at Met Gala 2018!
Aaron Fernandes - May 8, 2018 0
25-year-old 'Bodak Yellow' rapper CARDI B dressed up as the VIRGIN MARY at this year's Met Gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! The pregnant artist was accompanied by Moschino designer Jeremy Scott, and the dress too was custom Moschino! The Gala celebrates the opening of 'The Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination' exhibition. It will be hosted by VOGUE editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace, Amal Clooney, and Rihanna. Photos of Cardi's look below/above and let us know what you think:
KIM KARDASHIAN Covers Vogue India, Reveals What She Doesn't Like About Her Family!
Aaron Fernandes - February 27, 2018 0
37-year-old 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star Kim Kardashian covers new issue of VOGUE India and in it dishes on her famous family! Kim was asked what quality she would take away from each of her siblings, to which she responded: "Kourtney's stubbornness. And Khloé's getting too sensitive. I would take away Kendall's anxiety, Kylie's 'I don't care, I know what I'm doing' thing and probably my brother's moodiness." Kim was also asked what quality she would take on from each of her family, and she says: "My brother's sense of humour. Kendall's sweetness. Khloé's I-don'tgive-a-f*** attitude. Kourtney's savviness around finances. Kylie's ability to just go for it and not care what other people's opinions are. And my mom's nurturing." Kim was then asked if she would take away a quality from her mother Kris Jenner, to which she responded: "Nothing. She's perfect." See more of Kim in Vogue India here and let us know what you think.
Angela Lansbury Sings 'Beauty & The Beast' Title Track 25 Years Later
90-year-old actress Angela Lansbury performed at the 25th Anniversary Screening last night of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in New York City. The event marked 25 years since the unfinished film was shown during the New York Film Festival. Lansbury surprised the crowd with a performance of the title song with composer Alan Menken playing the piano! Stars of the film including Paige O'Hara (Belle), Richard White (Gaston), and RObby Benson (Beast) were in attendance and even had a Q&A with the audience! Lansbury played Mrs. Potts in the film:
KATE HUDSON Under-Breast On Display During Dinner Outing!
38-year-old 'Something Borrowed' actress Kate Hudson complemented her shaved head with an ALL BLACK look last night as she stepped out for dinner with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa! Hudson complemented her all-black look with a bright red coat over her shoulders and she accessorized the look with a cheetah-print handbag and a big chunky pair of earrings! Photos below/above and let us know what you think:
Samantha Markle Says Meghan is "Turning Her Back on Family!"
Aaron Fernandes - December 18, 2018 0
Meghan Markle's estranged sister, Samantha Markle, still keeps talking about their troubled relationship! Samantha has slammed that Meghan's Christmas cards show that she is turning her back on her family. The Duchess of Sussex released images of her Christmas Card this year, featuring a photo of her and Harry on their wedding day and Samantha is not happy! Samantha took to Twitter to write: "Interesting that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have their backs turned. Is this towards the world or just the Ragland and Markle family. It's incredibly rude to turn your back in a Christmas photo that is meant to share warmth and good wishes with the world. Those that criticize me for pointing out the truth, need to get that brown stuff off their noses. I hear the world's smallest violin playing." Take a look at Samantha Markle's tweets below and let us know what you think: DO YOU THINK MEGHAN HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF HER FAMILY?
Hayden Panettiere Shares Brand New Video Of 2-Year-Old Daugther!
Aaron Fernandes - January 5, 2017 0
27-year-old NASHVILLE actress Hayden Panettiere has a 2-year-old daughter and she just shared brand new video of him with the world! Panettiere appeared on 'LIVE! With Kelly' where she shared a video of her and Wladimir Klitschko's (age 40) spawn. Hayden says that Kaya already knows Russian and has an access whenever she speaks English. Watch below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vRcp9YMW7E
Lady Gaga Calls Old-Friend Tony Bennett When Going Through Heartbreak!
30-year-old PERFECT ILLUSION singer Lady Gaga took the stage at Tony Bennett's 90th birthday party and revealed that he's the one she calls whenever she has a bad day! Gaga explained on stage: "Because sometimes you don't wanna call your mom and air out everything because then she's nervous. Then you call your father, and he gets upset, and he wants to beat the guy up." She adds: "So I say: Who do I call when I'm in heartbreak? I call Tony. I really do. I really do. I call Tony." Bennett has given her some good advice, telling her: "Straight ahead, lady. Just go straight ahead. Because you're a star, and the world loves you."
Bella Hadid Issues Apology After KICKING Saudi Arabian Airplane!
22-year-old supermodel BELLA HADID is issuing an apology after fans in the Arab World claimed to be offended by photos of SHOES she posted to her Instagram Story this past Sunday! Bella posted photos of her shoes while in the background - airplanes from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were visible. It kind of looked like her shoes were KICKING THE AIRPLANES in the photo. This insulted many, forcing Hadid to issue an apology on her Instagram Story that reads: "The photo of my shoe on my story yesterday had NOTHING to do with politics…I never noticed the planes in the background and that is the truth. I would never mean to disrespect these airlines, let alone these amazing countries." She continues: "I want to send a sincere apology…I hope you can understand the misunderstanding. I will be more responsible when bringing awareness to all causes, including my beloved Middle Eastern community." Take a look at Bella's apology below and let us know: DO YOU ACCEPT IT? DO YOU REALLY THINK THE PHOTO SHE POSTED WAS OFFENSIVE TO THOSE IN SAUDI ARABIA AND THE UAE? TAKE A LOOK AT THE PIC OF HER KICKING SAUDI ARABIA AND THE UAE...
Mindy Kaling is VERY SURE How 'The Mindy Project' Will End
37-year-old 'The Mindy Project' actress Mindy Kaling is very sure how the series will end next season! Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Kaling said: "Yes, Matt and I have known for about a year and a half how we want the show to end. For the last season, we've kind of said no new friends, so we've just had people who had been there from the very beginning because we've had so many amazing guest stars, but we've decided in the last year to scale it back and just have the people that are series regulars and our recurring guest stars that everyone has known and loved, like Mark Duplass and B.J. , but we also decided to do that because there's so little screen time but we have some fan favorites coming back for their little swan songs." Pictured above: Mindy in a yellow lace dress by Lela Rose!
Kate Middleton Reveals Plans For More Children in Light of Megxit!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in the mood to have more kids! Or not... Kate Middleton, 38, just spoke to an eager Royals fan who revealed to her that he had sent her congratulations cards whenever each of her three children were born, and asked if he'll have the change to send any more?! Kate then reportedly said to the fan: "I don't think William wants any more." Let us know: WERE YOU HOPING TO HAVE MORE LITTLE KATE MIDDLETONS AND PRINCE WILLIAMSES IN THE WORLD? HAS KATE MIDDLETON KEPT CHILDBEARING PLANS ON HOLD BECAUSE OF MEGXIT?
Nicki Minaj Reveals History of Domestic Abuse
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Nicki Minaj is MARRIED! Nicki is Officially PETTY!
Love Aaron Fernandes - August 17, 2019 0
36-year-old 'Megatron' rapstress Nicki Minaj is officially PETTY! Nicki just changed her Twitter name to Mrs. Petty, the surname of her fiance KENNETH PETTY! Nicki...


The Spice Girls reunion tour just got a little awkward. While chatting with Piers Morgan, of all people, Mel B (Scary Spice) was not coy about the antics she and fellow members of the iconic girl band got into during their heyday. Specifically, Morgan asked about the period in the '90s when the Spice Girls all shared a house, and whether or not the women slept together.
"Did you or didn't you with Geri Halliwell...did you sleep with her?" the host asked during a taping of Life Stories, according to Mail On Sunday.
"Yeah, we all slept in a bed together but not 'like that' all of us," Mel B replied.
"Did you sleep with Geri 'like that'? Morgan pressed.
"She's going to hate me for this because she's all posh in her country house and her husband. But it's a fact," the singer revealed. "It just happened and we just giggled at it and that was it."
She went on to clarify that this only happened one time and that it was just a "fun thing."
"And hopefully when Geri gets asked that, which hopefully she will after this, she won't deny it," she said.
Mel C, who was reportedly in the audience during the taping, was just as shocked as you are to hear this news.
"I don't know anything," she said.
"Oh whatever Mel," Mel B replied.
"This is all new to me."
In the years since being a Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell went on to marry Christian Horner in 2015. The two welcomed their first child, Montague George Hector Horner, in 2017, in addition to Halliwell's daughter, Bluebell Madonna, born May 2006. Mel B divorced husband Stephen Belafonte back in 2017 after a traumatizing relationship and split.
The official Spice Girls reunion will kick off this summer in the UK. While no international tour dates have been announced, this particular anecdote proves the women have a lot more catching up to do.


HSSC Group D Answer Key 2018 PDF: HSSC Group D Answer Key 2018 PDF Download Here!!!. Recently Haryana Staff Selection Commission has out the notification for HSSC Group D. They had announced totally 18,218 vacancies. Written examination held from 10th November to 18th November. A lot of candidates had applied and attended the examination. Now they are eagerly waiting for the HSSC Group D Answer Key 2018 PDF. By checking with the HSSC Group D Answer Key candidates can check their answers. Now the HSSC has released the HSSC Group D Answer Key 2018 in their official site in PDF format http://www.hssc.gov.in/. Here in this article, we are providing the HSSC Group D Answer Key 2018 PDF for all sessions for your convenience. So Candidates kindly utilize this and can check your answers with confidence.
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Candidates kindly visit the official site http://www.hssc.gov.in/.
In the home page, you will find a suitable link regarding the answer key.
Click on the link, you will get the answer key.
Check your answers with the desired answer key.


Join the 100+ Windsor Hills property owners exclusively subscribed to this website and let us take the stress and worry out of finding paying guests for your holiday home.
At Windsor Hills Official Rentals, we do the work for you by showcasing your rental property to thousands of potential customers worldwide, leaving you to relax in the knowledge that your home is being advertised on one of the most popular Windsor Hills rental websites. What is more, we are one of the few property rental websites officially approved by the Windsor Hills Community.
Showcase your property to the thousands of prospective holiday makers who visit this website every year.
Receive high quality enquiries, resulting in fewer time wasters and more paying customers.
Get automatic inclusion on our US website, for even greater exposure for your property.
Let us do the work for you, so you can relax knowing your property is listed one of the best Windsor Hills property listing websites!
Who is behind Windsor Hills Official Rentals (WHOR)?
My name is Stan Nelson. I love Florida and Windsor Hills in particular. After being an owner for over 10 years and being secretary to the Master HOA for 9, I was tired of seeing honest owners being overcharged commissions for rental bookings and good guests being ripped off by non existent and unscrupulous owners. About 6 years ago I set up this website, and it's sister site www.windsorhillsofficialrentals.biz because I understand how difficult and frustrating it can be sometimes to find guests for your holiday home. It is also difficult for guests to avoid scammers. The internet is full of scammers which affects both owners and guests. We verify every owner, but also every inquiry to make sure it is genuine. I believe we are the only site that does this. Today, this website is one of the few property rental websites officially approved by the Windsor Hills Community and has a growing membership from both here in the US and in Europe.
Become a member today and let me help you fill your availability calendar like never before. Membership rates are reasonable (just $200 per year) and most of our members find this easily offset by the increase in guest bookings. Here's what just a few of them think about this website..
I/we Owners of home at Windsor Hills.hereby apply for membership of WindsorHillsOfficialRentals.com (WHOR ) and request you list the above home on your websites. I/we have read, fully understand and agree to the WHOR terms & conditions. I/we further agree that WHOR may make any enquiries they deem necessary to ensure compliance with all necessary licenses, insurances, registration & payments regarding rental of the above home. I will cooperate in any mediation in the event of a customer complaint.I understand these Terms & Conditions may be changed at any time without notice.
To the Management of Windsor Hills community I hereby give the Management of WindsorHills community specific authority to disclose to WindsorHillsOfficialRentals.com the status of my/our home owner's assessments accounts, Now or at any time in the future until I cancel this authority.


Valvoline first came to MapAnything from a recommendation from Interstate Batteries, a partner of Valvoline. Lead by Mike Murphy, Valvoline began doing research into how they could truly understand the landscape of their business which is when conversations with MapAnything really took off.
Introducing our latest UI Improvement!
It goes without saying that our Design and Engineering teams carefully plan every menu and interaction that occurs within MapAnything. But sometimes, the most revolutionary ideas come late at night, when a restless teammate stirs in a moment of divine inspiration, and feverishly scribbles the idea on the nearest pad of paper (lest it be lost).
Our team has grown, our brand has grown, our collective impact has grown and our customer's success has grown. Don't believe me? Here's what some of our employees had to say as they reminisced about 2017 and shared their hopes for 2018.
When most of us make a large purchase in our personal lives, we usually do a ton of research beforehand. The same careful, data-driven, and thoughtful approach should always apply in the professional sphere as well. This includes the crucial task of determining the ideal #GeoProductivity solution for your company, when you've decided to Rethink Telematics.
Since MapAnything is all about knowing where your data is, we often see a lot of focus on correctly placing and prioritizing your data on the map. But did you know that MapAnything is also a terrific territory planning and management tool? Join us on Wednesday, March 14 for our MAU 301 course to learn how.
This 60-minute webinar will examine some of the top trends that are changing the face of telematics and CRM for field sales and service professionals. Join Guest Speaker, IDC Manufacturing Insights Research Vice President Kimberly Knickle and MapAnything's Chief Product Officer Tom DiVittorio in this unique discussion.
Despite the turbulent state of politics and government today, one truth has remained universal and steadfast: and that is that it is the government's responsibility, at all levels, to help service and maintain the lives of its citizens. Crucial to this effort, is a comprehensive and ever-evolving understanding of where one's citizens, programs, initiatives, projects, etc. are located.
For too long, fleet leaders were relegated to monitoring light vehicle data, giving them the ability to only make incremental improvements in fleet costs and resource management. But today's technologies have advanced, and are now capable of integrating traditional fleet telematics data with a whole new world of datasets.
As part of our Schedule Tool mini-series, this blog is going to determine which component of MapAnything is better for your business needs. *Routes vs. Schedule*. Which one should *you* use and why? Perhaps in the end, you will find both to be a crucial component to your day!
During our course on Wednesday, February 14, we will highlight the benefits our Schedule Tool, which allows you to create a list of Salesforce records to visit and plan your days based on your native Salesforce Events. With it, you'll save time each day, ensure all your field activities are added as Events in Salesforce and be able to build out your meetings a week in advance...all from one page.
Welcome to our first-ever MapAnything podcast series! As excited as we are to launch this new resource for our clients and followers, we are equally excited to discuss the topic at hand...rethinking telematics to grow revenue. And the best part is, it's much easier than it sounds.
As part of our 2018 goals of helping you "Reach Your Max," we'll be releasing innovative product enhancements, starting with scheduling improvements. Specifically in this blog, we will delve into the benefits and capabilities of our Schedule Tool - Resource View in more detail.
While we can get behind the fact that Strava likely never meant to reveal the sensitive location of our military around the world, it's a great reminder for those of us in the location-based insight space, to think through every possible outcome of data delivery. Luckily, when it comes to #GeoProductivity software, data security is never an issue.
MapAnything's Winter '18 Release is ushering in some new Geo-Productivity features! Up first is our new Schedule tool. The Schedule tool is an optimization tool for planning your days with native Salesforce Events.


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Lucien Muller (de son nom complet Lucien Muller Schmidt, dit Le petit Kopa, ou Don Luciano en Espagne) est un footballeur français, né le  à Bischwiller (où il débute en jeune amateur jusqu'à 19 ans), de  pour . Brillant meneur de jeu, il s'exila en Espagne dans les années 1960. Il devint ensuite entraîneur, et demeure l'un des deux Français, avec Helenio Herrera, à avoir entraîné le FC Barcelone. Comptant 16 sélections avec l'équipe de France, il participa à l'Euro 1960.

Biographie

Il débuta en Alsace, sa région natale puis se fit connaître sous les couleurs du Stade de Reims avec qui il fut deux fois sacré champion de France. Il prit ensuite le chemin du prestigieux  Real Madrid avec qui il joua une finale de Coupe d'Europe des Clubs Champions en 1964 et fut trois fois champion d'Espagne. Il joua ensuite pour l'autre grand club espagnol : le FC Barcelone. Présenté comme le successeur de Raymond Kopa, ses performances sous le maillot bleu ne furent jamais à la hauteur de ses prestations en club. Il fit néanmoins partie de l'équipe de France qui participa à la Coupe du monde 1966. Il revint à Reims en fin de carrière.

Devenu entraîneur il revint brièvement à Barcelone à la fin des années 1970, club qu'il qualifie en Finale de la Coupe d'Europe des vainqueurs de coupe, avant d'être remplacé par Joaquim Rifé. Il fut ensuite chargé des destinées de l'AS Monaco, à ce titre il vécut le premier match diffusé par Canal+ en 1984.

Clubs

Joueur
 jusqu'en 1953 :  FC Bischwiller
 1953 à 1957 :  RC Strasbourg
 1957 à 1959 :  Toulouse FC
 1959 à 1962 :  Stade de Reims
 1962 à 1965 :  Real Madrid
 1965 à 1968 :  FC Barcelone
 1968 à 1970 :  Stade de Reims

Entraîneur
 1970 à 1974 :  CD Castellón
 1975 à 1976 :  Burgos CF
 1976 à 1977 :  Real Saragosse
 1977 à 1978 :  Burgos CF
 1978 à 1979 :  FC Barcelone
 1979 à 1981 :  Burgos CF
 1981 à 1983 :  RCD Majorque
 1983 à 1986 :  AS Monaco
 1987 à 1988 :  RCD Majorque
 1990 à 1992 :  CD Castellón

Palmarès

Joueur

Équipe de France
 16 sélections en équipe de France A, de 1959 à 1964 (3 buts)
 Demi-finaliste du Championnat d'Europe des Nations en 1960 ( ; ne joue pas la petite finale)
 Sélectionné pour la Coupe du monde 1966

Clubs
 Coupe de l'UEFA (villes de foire) en 1966 (avec Barcelone, 2ème français à remporter cette épreuve)
 Champion de France en 1960 et 1962 (avec Reims)
 Champion d'Espagne en 1963, 1964 et 1965 (avec Madrid)
 Coupe d'Espagne en 1968 (avec Barcelone)
 Trophée des champions en 1960 (avec Reims)
 Trophée Joan Gamper en 1966 et 1967 (avec Barcelone)
 Finaliste de la Coupe d'Europe des Clubs Champions en 1964 (avec Madrid)
 Vice-champion d'Espagne en 1967 et 1968 (avec Barcelone) ( en 1966)

Entraîneur
 Coupe de France en 1985 (avec Monaco)
 Coupe des Alpes en 1983 et 1984 (avec Monaco)
 Vice-champion de France en 1984 (avec Monaco) ( en 1985)
 Finaliste de la coupe de France en 1984 (avec Monaco)
 Finaliste du Challenge des champions 1985 (avec Monaco)

Liens externes

 Lucien Muller, le Petit Kopa, Parlons Foot, le

Notes et références

Footballeur international français
Joueur du Stade de Reims
Joueur du Real Madrid
Joueur du FC Barcelone
Joueur du Racing Club de Strasbourg
Joueur du Toulouse FC (1937)
Entraîneur français de football
Entraîneur du CD Castellón
Entraîneur du Burgos CF
Entraîneur du FC Barcelone
Entraîneur du Real Saragosse
Entraîneur de l'AS Monaco
Entraîneur du RCD Majorque
Naissance à Bischwiller
Naissance en septembre 1934
Personnalité alsacienne liée au sport


After a wee break, Sunday Smiles is back! Well, sort of – I haven't spent much time online in the last few weeks, so there aren't any memes or random entries this week and it's more of a little recap of what's been happening since my last Sunday Smiles post.
So for a start, the world didn't end (in case you hadn't noticed). Which is hardly surprising, but jolly good news nonetheless.
…To Auckland Airport. I'll be honest, I love it. I also got to watch the Hobbit-themed Air New Zealand safety video on an actual aeroplane when we flew back up from Christchurch which was terribly exciting (even if it is rather silly and cringeworthy).
Cherries are in season!! My mum and I were able to get some straight from a producer when we were down in Central Otago, and they were so tasty. Cherries are one of my favourite fruits but seem to be incredibly expensive here so I don't think I'll be eating very many this summer sadly.
Unfortunately, all holidays must come to an end, and after three wonderful weeks, my mum had to go back to Edinburgh. We don't know when we'll next see each other, which is tough, but her departure was made a little easier by the fact that Kat arrived to visit for ten days (although sadly she leaves tomorrow) on her way to Australia, which was super exciting since I haven't seen her since February.
We went on a little Hogmanay wine tour around Waiheke Island which I think might well be the best thing to do on Hogmanay ever. Plus it was sunny and warm and the scenery is beautiful. Oh and the wine was good. And I got photobombed by a bumblebee, which I didn't notice until we got home and I looked at the photos properly.
We watched The Hobbit, which was super exciting since we were in actual NZ (as opposed to not actual NZ…). Have you seen it? What did you think? There were a few niggles and I'm not keen on the high frame rate and 3D thing – they seemed a little gimmicky to me and I'm not really sure what they actually added to the film – but overall, I loved it.
Having watched The Hobbit and re-watched the Lord of the Rings films, we had a bit of a geek-out and went to… Hobbiton! I'll write more about it in a future post, but suffice to say, it was a marvellous day out.
And finally, I'd just like to share this hilarious little gecko* that was just chilling out in his display case at Auckland Museum when we visited. I think it sums up the wonderful NZ attitude pretty well.
*So… I got so distracted by the actual gecko and its little pose that I forgot to note the actual species… I think it might be a Northland green gecko (Naultinus grayii), but I'm not 100% sure about that.
Saturday was a day of much excitement – not only was it World Gin Day (which involved Gin & Tonic scones), but I went to an All Blacks game! I watched the All Blacks play in real life for the first time ever! And at Eden Park, no less – scene of their victory in the World Cup (we'll just skip over the details of who they beat, ahem…). I've wanted to see the All Blacks play in real life for as long as I can remember, so this really was a big deal for me. It was also the perfect occasion to finally bankrupt myself buy an All Blacks shirt, which was quite an emotional undertaking, for personal reasons that I won't go into.
The game was the first of three test matches that the All Blacks are playing against Ireland over the next few weeks, so not a particularly important game, but I wasn't particularly bothered about that. Since it wasn't an important game, I don't really think that many Ireland supporters would have flown over for the matches (since you know, it's the other side of the world and a little expensive to do so), so I was pleasantly surprised by the number of Ireland supporters that were at the game – I had no idea that there were so many Irish here in Auckland. The game itself wasn't the most nail-biting rugby I've ever watched, and with a final score of 42-10 (to the All Blacks) it wasn't exactly a case of not knowing who would win until the very end, but it wasn't bad rugby and Ireland weren't exactly pushovers. My general excitement at just being there more than made up for it anyway.
I really like Eden Park as a stadium. We had seats in the terraces in one of the corners behind the try line, so we got drizzled on a bit, but we were fairly close to the pitch (which is always good), and I think the stadium itself is more or less square, which makes the pitch really wide and gives the impression that the opposite posts aren't actually that far away. The only thing that I found a little disappointing was the haka, the notorious Māori dance that the All Blacks do before every match to scare the crap out of welcome their opponents. This was probably the part that I was most looking forward to. We were conveniently placed so that the All Blacks were facing us when they did the haka, so we could see what was going on, and they transmit close-ups on the big screens around the stadium (which I imagine is what is being televised), but they don't seem to have microphones that pick up the sound and transmit it around the stadium. The haka is significantly less impressive if you can barely hear it. And I know that the haka is for the "benefit" of the opposing team rather than the spectators, but it's such an integral part of watching the All Blacks on TV that it seems a shame to lose most of the effect when watching in real life (on the other hand, perhaps having the haka booming around the PA system of the stadium would be a little too terrifying…).
If you're a rugby fan and ever visit Auckland, I'd definitely recommend checking to see if your trip coincides with any All Blacks games – just the experience of watching the All Blacks play at Eden Park is totally worth it. I'm afraid I can't give you any information on acquiring tickets because somebody else organised that. You can travel by train to Eden Park from Britomart (the train station at the bottom of Queen St) and back again for free with your match tickets. I'm not sure if this is also the case for other train routes in Auckland since we left from Britomart.
One of the things that I love most about moving to a new country is discovering new fruit and vegetables. I've spent the last six weeks enthusiastically discovering the feijoa, a fruit which is completely new to me. Feijoas aren't actually native to New Zealand – they originate from Brazil* – but they seem to grow very well here and are very popular and many people seem to have feijoa trees in their gardens. I read somewhere that they are known as pineapple guavas in the rest of the world, but I'm not sure what parts of the world that would be, since I've never seen them anywhere else. And nor have any of the other international students in the lab, including the South Americans. Have you ever come across them before?
Feijoas fall off the tree when they are ready to eat – how convenient is that? The flesh is quite firm, with a texture that reminds me a little of a grainy pear, but more pleasant, and the pulp bit in the middle is well… rather pulpy. I'm terrible at descriptions (in case you hadn't realised), and I've been struggling to describe the flavour, but I'll do my best. It's like a slightly sweeter version of an apple, but with a subtle hint of strawberry. Which I realise sounds a little odd, but I think that's the closest that I can get (I would make such an appalling oenologist). They're utterly delicious. To eat them, you cut them in half and scoop out the flesh and pulp, leaving the skin. You can also bake and cook with them, so I borrowed a feijoa cookbook from the library (because I'm super cool like that) and decided to make muffins.
The only problem with feijoas is that they're only in season from the beginning of April until the end of May, so you have to make the most of them whilst you can! I actually made these muffins with the very last feijoas of the season, as I've been too busy concentrating on eating them fresh for the last six weeks. Luckily, feijoas are supposed to freeze very well, so I've got some in the freezer to bake with over winter. Perhaps that's the best tactic – eat them fresh whilst you can, then bake with the frozen ones when you can no longer eat them fresh! As feijoa season is only just coming to a close, I'm submitting these feijoa and hazelnut muffins to the Simple and in Season blog event for May, which is celebrating its first birthday this month! The blog event was started by Ren at Fabulicious Food and is being hosted by Urvashi over at The Botanical Baker this month.
The muffins have a surprise dollop of cream cheese in the middle, similar in concept to the pumpkin and cream cheese muffins that I made a while ago, but the cream cheese didn't hold its shape and sort of melted into the muffin, leaving a small cavity in the middle of the muffin (see the photo at the bottom of the post). I'm not sure why it happened – perhaps the cream cheese here is different, or perhaps the oven was too hot – and whilst they were very tasty with the tartness of the cream cheese perfectly cutting through the sweetness of the feijoa, it looks a bit odd when you bite into the muffins and there's a hole in the middle. I made a couple without the cream cheese in the middle and they were just as delicious, so I'd say that the cream cheese centre is optional (though recommended if you can deal with them being slightly less presentable). The flavour of the feijoas really permeates the muffins, which I love – you can taste their subtle sweetness, but it's not overwhelming – and I also love the slightly crunchy topping. I'm totally into hazelnuts at the moment, so I substituted them in for the walnuts that were in the original recipe, and the flavours worked wonderfully together. So if you ever happen across some feijoas and aren't sure what to do with them, I'd strongly suggest tasting one and then baking these muffins!
To toast the hazelnuts, spread them out on a baking tray, place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and roast for 10 min, until they smell toasty (be sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn). Rub the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel to remove most of the skins, and allow to cool fully before using. The cream cheese filling is optional, though I do recommend it if you can deal with having a little cavity in the middle of your muffins. Frozen feijoas would work well for this recipe, although thaw them out before using.
1. Line a muffin tin with 14 liners or set out 14 silicone liners on a baking tray. Pre-heat the oven to fan 190°C.
2. Prepare the cream cheese filling in a small bowl by whisking the cream cheese with the icing sugar until smooth. Set aside.
3. Peel the feijoas and finely chop them (the pulp can make this a bit fiddly. They don't have to look presentable though, so don't worry too much as long as they're in small pieces). Set aside.
4. Sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Stir together.
5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat or in the microwave. Lightly beat the egg in a medium-sized bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix well.
6. Add the wet ingredients and the melted butter to the dry ingredients and fold together with a large metal spoon until just combined (the batter should still be a bit lumpy, with some flour still visible). Gently fold in the chopped feijoas.
7. Transfer about half a tablespoon of batter to each muffin liner or mould (make sure that the batter covers the bottom, but that there is still enough left to cover the cream cheese layer). Add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture in each liner on top of the feijoa layer. Split the remaining feijoa batter between the liners, making sure to completely cover the cream cheese layer. For the topping, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a ramekin. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and sprinkle over the muffins, followed by the cinnamon sugar.
8. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden and well risen. Allow to cool in the tins for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
* I have also read that feijoas originate in Chile. But since the Chilean in our lab says she's never heard of or seen them in Chile, I'm rather more inclined to believe that they're from Brazil. The word "feijoa" also looks more Portuguese than Spanish to me (though I am neither a linguist nor an etymologist).
You may not be too surprised to hear that I love zoos and aquariums. I basically just turn into a super-geeky big kid (because I totally act like an adult the rest of the time, ahem). So I didn't hesitate for even a millisecond when one of my friends asked if I wanted to go to Auckland Zoo… We were incredibly lucky with the weather – it was sunny and fairly warm all day – perfect for a day of wandering outside discovering a new zoo!
Along with the excellently-done part all about native New Zealand fauna, parts of the rest of the zoo are also themed – the African savannah, the primates, Australian fauna and the tropics. Some of the animals seemed a bit randomly placed though, such as the otters that seem to be in the primate section, and the red pandas, of which there are two, but not particularly near to each other. There might be a logic to that, but it escapes me. Most of the paths to get around are twisty, so not ideal if you want to get anywhere quickly since there aren't a lot of direct routes, but zoos are all about sauntering along anyway. And if you are in a slight rush to get to, say, the penguin feeding, it's fairly easy to just knock a few small kids out of your way bypass those that are in less of a hurry.
If you're wondering why those penguins look a little bit blue-ish, that's because they're actually blue. Blue penguins, I know – I totally didn't know they existed either, but how super-cute and adorable are they? I'd really like one as a pet, or even two so that they could keep each other company. Too bad that's totally illegal. Anyway, these little blue penguins (Eudyptula minor) or korora to give them their Māori name, are found in New Zealand. And just like all penguins, they're hilarious to watch. These ones are also all rescue penguins, so a couple of them only have one flipper (which only gives them difficulties when trying to dive, but otherwise doesn't affect them too badly in captivity. Obviously in the wild they'd probably get munched on by something pretty quickly…).
The twisty nature of the paths does make it a little difficult to find your way around, so I would definitely recommend getting hold of a map if you want to make sure that you see everything. Apparently you have to pay for maps, but you can download one for free from the zoo's website before you go if you're feeling stingey. It's also worth checking which animals are being fed on the day that you're there – the keepers talk about the animals whilst they feed them. And the giraffe feeding is a particular treat – it's actually the visitors that do the feeding (though we watched this from afar because the concentration of small children in the queue was a little too high for us to handle). Talking of feeding, there is a café on site (called Darwin's which, can I just say, is a great name) that sells sandwiches, pies, burgers, etc., but you can also bring a packed lunch since there are various grassy areas around the zoo where you could have a picnic.
PS – I had initially intended to post this last Tuesday, but since I took 400 quite a few photos, it's taken me a while to sort through them… I told you I get over-enthusiastic about zoos.
PPS – Any OCD scientists out there that are upset that the binomial species names in the slideshow captions aren't italicised… It stresses me out, too. I tried really hard but just couldn't get it to work.
Today (the 25th of April) is Anzac Day, the New Zealand (and Australian) equivalent to Remembrance Day in the UK or the Armistice in France. 97 years ago today the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed in Gallipoli at dawn, which marked the start of a campaign that, like so many of the campaigns of WWI led to huge losses of life on both sides.
Since WWII, Anzac Day is associated with remembering all those who have lost their lives in military service for their country. The commemorations began this past weekend with a projection of a 12-minute film of archival footage and photographs from the 24th New Zealand Infantry Battalion which was established during WWII, and served in North Africa, Greece and Italy. The film was dedicated to the 522 men who lost their lives serving in the battalion between 1940-1945, and was shown on Saturday and Sunday evening, projected onto the walls of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which was lit in poppy red for the occasion.
On Anzac Day itself, there is an outdoor Dawn Service held at the Auckland Cenotaph, which is just in front of the museum. I think that there are Dawn Services all across NZ (and Australia), but Auckland is the largest in the country, and I think it is also televised. This service is very much a military affair, with the flags of the three Forces flying on the Cenotaph. After the service, the little paper poppies that many people choose to wear are then pinned to crosses or just lain on the Cenotaph in memory of family members who have served. Later in the morning there is also a Civic Service where the military flags are replaced by the New Zealand and Australian flags and the Union Jack (because the ANZAC forces fought under the Union Jack), and wreaths are laid by community groups, religious groups, the various forces and many foreign representatives. Veterans are present at both services, and march alongside currently serving members of the NZ military, and this year there were members of the Australian Navy present as well. Throughout the day the museum is open to the public for free, and there are various tours through the war memorial galleries.
A friend and I decided to go to the Dawn Service, and we duly turned up at 5am in order to get a fairly good view of the proceedings, which started at around 5:30am. Despite the horrific time at which I had to roll out of bed (I'm not really a morning person), it was definitely worth it – I found the service very moving – and we actually spent most of the day at the museum. I don't have any links to the NZ or Australian military whatsoever, but I wanted to go partially because I don't really know anything about the ANZAC forces, and partially because it is an important occasion in the country that is now my home, but also as a mark of respect to those who sacrificed their lives in wars (both WWI and WWII) that didn't really directly affect NZ (as far as I can tell). These young men died so dreadfully far from home, fighting for the freedom that I have always had the luxury of enjoying without question, and which I often take for granted. I apologise if this isn't all that coherent (I was up at 4am after all…) but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. I've rambled more than enough by this point, so I'll finish off this post with various photos from the memorial film projection over the weekend and today's commemorations.
I have some exciting news: I finally have internet at home! Which means that posting no longer involves covert blogging from my desk in the lab (blogging covertly in the sense that all the text was written and photos edited at home and I just had to upload them once connected to the internet – just to reassure my mum that I haven't been spending all the time at my desk blogging instead of working hard. Far from it. Twitter on the other hand… Kidding! Sort of.). I actually can't think of a way of smoothly linking my new internet-at-home situation to the rest of this post, so in an attempt to distract you from that, here's a photo of the Sky Tower, just in case I haven't posted enough of them recently. It was taken two Sundays ago from the Viaduct Harbour whilst waiting for some of the Volvo Ocean Race competitors to arrive.
As you can see, the weather was rather dismal. Pretty similar to the weather we've been having since Monday actually (and due to continue until the end of the week – joy). It wasn't particularly cold (well, in comparison to Scotland anyway), but it was windy and drizzly and just a bit miserable. So why, you might ask, would I voluntarily go and loiter in the harbour for several hours?
I've already given the answer away, but in case you are just skim-reading and missed it: the Volvo Ocean Race, that's why. I'll be honest, I wasn't really aware of it before moving to Auckland, so for those of you in the same boat (badum-tschhhhh), it's a gruelling round-the-world crewed monohull race consisting of 9 legs, which departed from Alicante, Spain in October 2011 and is expected to finish in early July 2012 in Galway, Ireland, covering a total of over 39,000 nautical miles (over 72,000 km). There are six yachts competing this year.
The race's Auckland stopover was from the 8th to 18th of March 2012, between the 4th and 5th legs of the race, and the Viaduct Harbour was transformed into a Race Village for the duration. Although the boats were expected to arrive on the 8th, most of them only arrived on the 11th on account of bad weather, after spending and exhausting 20 days at sea (!) and sailing well over the expected 5,220 nautical miles (9,667 km) from Sanya in China. I completely missed the news about the delayed arrival of the yachts, so when I wondered down to the Viaduct Harbour on Sunday 11th to go see the boats (that I thought had already arrived), I managed to accidentally time my arrival perfectly with that of the PUMA yacht, which claimed 2nd place for the leg. I wandered around (read: took lots of photos of boats and the Sky Tower when it was vaguely visible) waiting for the arrival of the next two yachts, which were battling it out for 3rd place: Telefónica and CAMPER, the Kiwi team. Sadly CAMPER just missed out by 93 seconds – heart-breaking to watch, but they were enthusiastically welcomed back to NZ by everybody with a foghorn anyway (at least that's what it sounded like). In true NZ style, the 11-man crew of each yacht was given a Maori welcome, but I couldn't get any decent photos of that because they had their backs turned to me (so inconsiderate).
The yachts spent a few days hauled out on the docks for maintenance and repairs. I'm always fascinated to see boats out of the water – they always looks so impressive, if a little bizarre. I made a detour via the Viaduct Harbour one evening on my way home from uni to see them – thankfully the weather was much more pleasant. It was definitely pretty awe-inspiring to see these (multi-million dollar) state-of-the-art yachts that are at the forefront of nautical technological advances and design hauled up at such close range.
Each stopover includes an in-port race which counts towards the final results, and a Pro-Am race which doesn't. I wasn't able to watch them, but I do know that CAMPER won the in-port race, much to the delight of the nation. I also missed the start of the 5th leg on Sunday 18th (thanks to the time difference I was up until 6am following the Six Nations rugby – let's not mention the results), which I would have liked to see. The Volvo Ocean Race takes place every four years and the stopovers change, so we'll see if I ever happen to be in a stopover town when the race is passing through at some point in the future.
The next Volvo Ocean Race stopover is in Itajaí, Brazil, with the yachts expected to arrive on the 4th of April, after sailing at least 6,705 nautical miles (12,418 km), making it the longest leg of the whole race. If you happen to be in Itajaí around then, I'd definitely recommend going to watch the arrival if you can!
What self-respecting parade isn't complete without a nod to the Potato Famine?
Saturday was St Patrick's Day – when a large proportion of the Western world pretends to be Irish (aside from those who actually are Irish, obviously), and most of the rest of the world probably spends the day being confused as to what the Hell is going on. I think Auckland is the first place that I've lived where St Patrick's Day is such a huge celebration – there is an annual St Patrick's Festival, which included a St Patrick's Day parade on Saturday morning that I went to see.
This is the first big event that I've been to here in New Zealand, and I was (pleasantly) astounded by how chilled out the whole thing was. The parade went down Queen St (the main street in Auckland's CBD) and then down to the Viaduct Harbour, which is currently set up as the Volvo Ocean Race Auckland stopover Race Village (more about that in my next blog post…). I went to the Farmers' Market before the parade, but was meeting a friend near the start of the parade, so I had to walk most of the length of Queen St just before the parade started. Considering that Auckland is the largest city in NZ (about ⅓ of the country's population live here), I was expecting barriers everywhere, severe traffic disruptions and lots of police officers. The reality was much more pleasant and felt more like a small town parade (I was reminded a little of the Kate Kennedy Procession in St Andrews) – there was not a single barrier to keep the crowd apart from the parade, the traffic was stopped from going down Queen St all of two minutes before the parade got underway and I saw a grand total of 4 police officers the whole length of Queen St. What a wonderful relaxed attitude!!
The parade itself was good fun to watch. I think I'd describe it as a little thrown-together, but not in a bad way. There were four pipe bands spread throughout the parade (waking up to the sound of the bands practicing and warming up about 2h before the start of the parade confused me a lot), various Irish fiddle musicians and groups being towed on floats, and a procession of the crests of all the Irish counties. Nothing unusual there, but there were also a few groups whose main reason for participating seemed to be that they were just wearing green. Various Irish pubs were also represented, and in the middle of all of that the Honorary Consul General of Ireland in a vintage car, along with a random Asian drumming/dancing group (wearing leprechaun hats, which clearly made them Irish). Oh, and the Team New Zealand cheerleading team. I genuinely have no idea why they were there – I'm not aware that cheerleading is a huge thing in Ireland, and they weren't even dressed in green. My personal favourite part of the parade was a group of children carrying sacks of potatoes followed by a carriage of people all in green with ginger wigs – because stereotyping is underrated, clearly. The Kiwis seem to have a general disregard for being incredibly PC, which I must admit I'm a huge fan of – it's wonderfully refreshing! The parade drew to a close with St Patrick blessing everybody, surrounded by snakes and leprechauns (St Patrick was down with the leprechauns, don't you know). Amusingly, the float with St Patrick was pulled by a Guinness-branded car – Ireland in an incredibly stereotyped nutshell?
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you all had an excellent St Patrick's Day!
Until the Reformation, St Andrews was the religious centre of Scotland. St Andrews Cathedral was Scotland's largest medieval church, and was the seat of Scotland's most prominent bishops and archbishops. The site on which it was built had been a place of worship since the relics of Scotland's patron saint, St Andrew, are said to have been brought there in the 8th century AD. The Cathedral was sacked by the followers of John Knox in 1559 and is now in ruins, with only a few parts still standing, resulting in an instantly recognisable skyline consisting of the east gable (in the centre of the photo above) and St Rule's Tower (the square tower on the right).
I'll talk more about the Cathedral in a future post, but today I'm going to focus just on St Rule's Tower, which was part of St Rule's Church, the first church in an Augustinian priory. It was probably built in around 1130, which means that it pre-dates the Cathedral. The tower is one of the few parts within the Cathedral complex that is still standing, and I'm not sure why it wasn't completely sacked and hasn't fallen into ruin. Perhaps the reformers decided that it would make a useful watchtower or something. Whatever the reason, it is still standing today, and you can climb it (you can buy the token required to get into the tower from the Cathedral visitor centre).
Whilst I would definitely recommend climbing St Rule's Tower, I should mention that it does involve a fairly narrow spiral staircase used by people going both up and down (although I've never actually had to pass anybody on the staircase). So if you're claustrophobic or not able to climb up 33m worth of stairs without really having space to stop, giving the tower a miss might be a better idea… Luckily, there's plenty to explore within the Cathedral complex if you're with people who do want to climb the tower. If you're there during Graduation Week at the end of June you can people-watch as loads of Graduates get their photo taken amongst the ruins (gosh, who would ever do such a thing as that…?).


While I appreciated the fact that I had a camera to take pictures with when I went to Pioneer Village with Bob, I wasn't very impressed with the picture quality once I got home and viewed them on my computer.
I made a decision that it was time to rehome my little Kodak point-and-shoot with my mom :P, and get me a new camera.
It was Best Buy's lucky day, lol. I walked into the store ready to buy an upgrade. A very nice gentleman named Sadiq assisted me in figuring out which would be the best camera for me, and after much deliberation (about two minutes worth), I concluded I should leave the store with a new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28.
It was a floor model, so I got a sweet discount on the camera itself, as well as the warranty offered through Best Buy. I picked up a few other things while I was at at, and took my new toy home.
I plugged the battery into the charger, and waited for the next eight hours to be able to use my camera.
You be the judge and let me know if the pictures and videos I post from here on in are of better quality than the previous ones. I'm hoping I made a good choice and didn't just waste my hard earned money.