Due to the popularity of blackjack both in casinos and online gambling sites, the game has given birth to many strategies of playing. If you've been playing blackjack for some time now, you probably searched for the most effective way of playing your hand. Personally, I've explored countless ways of increasing my odds of winning. Although it doesn't work all the time, it's undeniable that having the best blackjack strategy keeps big losses at bay.
Go big or go home, is it worth it?
Over the years of playing blackjack, I've won some and lost some. No matter how big your bankrolling abilities are, always keep gambling in moderation. That way, you won't go broke and you can still keep a straight head during your losing streaks.
However, it's important to know that there's no such a thing as a foolproof blackjack strategy. You'll surely lose some hands, but what's important is you know how to exploit your advantage when the opportunity arises.
Honestly, no. In a conservative perspective of winning blackjack, the go-big-or-go-home betting mindset will end you up broke. Blackjack is no get-rich-quick scheme, you have to know the ropes if you really want to make some serious money.
Also, it's important that you'll have fun. If you're going to be a premature high-roller, you'll feel intense pressure over your large wager. And if you lose all your savings, you're going to hate the casino. We don't want that to happen.
Sure thing, blackjack can get really mind-boggling. But if you grasp the blackjack basic strategy, playing should be easier than being blind at the table. That first starts with betting. If you don't want to lose big, don't bet big. However, things aren't as black and white as this since you also have to win more dollars. This is true especially if you're looking for blackjack strategy 6 deck.
The fear for high stakes is normal for every beginner. Still, who would want to lose a whole fortune while playing?
This is the reason why I like the conservative way of playing blackjack. Even an online casino founder once advised that increasing your bet in small increments would be the wise way of putting a wager.
Remember: winning streaks are only as great as its lasting effect.
This idea of winning and losing streaks can be used as a guide in placing a wager. Whenever you win three consecutive times, increase your bet by one chip. When you're starting to lose, reduce the wager the same way you increased it. This way, you can minimize the losses.
The conservative strategy isn't really a guide for playing your hand but in managing your bankroll. It's up to you to follow this or not.
If you're more of a go-big-or-go-home type, the martingale strategy might work for you. The idea is to double your bet every time you lose. Be warned, though, that this isn't for the weak of heart. If you're not ready to lose a large sum and win it back, you should stir clear of this option. Take note that the martingale strategy will likely end you up with zero money on your pocket. Personally, I don't recommend this system. It's not the best blackjack strategy.
If there's we can call as 'entry level' strategy for blackjack, it would be the basic strategy also known as the Total-Dependent Strategy. This one takes into account the dealer's up card and the hand of the player. There are specific moves for every hand, be it soft or hard. It also indicates rules about surrendering, splitting, and doubling down regardless if it's for blackjack strategy 6 deck.
One major highlight of the basic strategy is the surrender rule. If you think your hand has a poor chance of winning based on the up card, you can surrender half of your wager to the dealer. This way, you only lose half of the bet.
But why surrender if the goal is to win? Well, in some blackjack hands, winning can be a bleak probability. It's a game of chance after all, and the surrender rule allows you to have an escape route, at least for the half of your wager.
Still, not all casinos have the surrender rule. Ask first before playing.
Based on the tenets of the blackjack basic strategy, you should split your hand most of the time. However, it's not wise to do this if you have two 10 cards. On a hard 20 hand, it's best to stand than to split. Splitting is a great money-making option, still, exercise it with enough caution.
Most double down rules vary per casino. But as a rule of thumb, it's best to double down when you have an 11 hand and the dealer has a great chance of getting busted based on his up card. However, doubling down means you can only hit one last card. It reduces your edge so practice this only when there's a chance that the dealer will lose.
After you've mastered the basic strategy, the next thing you should practice is the composition-development strategy. Aside from taking the value of the hand into account, it also looks into the composition of the card. This way, you can have an informed decision whether hitting or standing is a good choice.
A lot of players say that the C-D is the best blackjack strategy. It's probably due to its similarities with the basic strategy. But aside from being total-dependent, C-D gives you more edge than ever.
The composition development strategy takes into account all the cards on the table. This is the biggest difference in the basic strategy. By looking at the composition of the cards, you'll know if you're going to get a good hit or not.
Let's take the 12 hand for example. The total-dependent strategy will tell you that it's better to stand than to hit at this case if the dealer has a low value up card. However, this limits your chances of winning.
When we apply the C-D strategy, we will take a look at the composition. Is it two 6s? If so, split it and make good hands out of it. If you have a combination of 7-5, 9-3, or 8-4, it would be better to stand. Why? Because these combinations bear low-value cards. If you hit, there's a chance that you'll get a ten.
However, the exception here is the 10-2 combination. The presence of one 10 card on your hand means there's one less 10 in the deck. You're more likely to get dealt with a 9 or any lower card. Still, it pays to take a glance at other people's hands. If it's raining 9s and 10s, you can hit with confidence. Some casinos will even allow you to double down on hard 12. Take this opportunity if you're confident that you can win it.
The bold strategy means you're going to utilize all the possibility of having another hand (splitting). For example, if you're dealt with a hard 18 of 9-9 combination, you should always split this. But how about if the dealer has a 2, 3, or, 4 card? Shouldn't I stand already since there's a high chance the dealer will bust? No, otherwise, it won't be a bold strategy.
Splitting your cards means you'll have another potential income faucet. Just make sure that you play extra hands with the same smart technique. Use the blackjack basic strategy when in doubt, especially for blackjack strategy 6 deck.
When you stand with the hard 18 hand, you get a 64% chance of winning the game. If you split it, the winning odds decrease at 60% BUT your potential winnings double. So if you're earning $6 per game, you'd have 12% if you happen to win both the splits.
A bold strategy of playing isn't for beginners. If you're not sure what the consequence of your move will be, just go back to the basic strategy or the composition-dependent strategy.
As another splitting technique, the defensive strategy is about losing less money with the fact that you're bound to lose some. For example, if you're dealt with a hand of 14 (7-7) with a dealer card of 2, you might lose your spirit. However, if you split this into two different hands, you're going to have a fresh start with two 7s.
That's better than settling and standing at 14. Although you'll likely lose one of the splits, your losses will be slashed by a few notches. Overall, going defensive mode is still the best blackjack strategy if you're about to lose money.
As for the offensive strategy, imagine that you have two 7s and the dealer's card is 6. This is a nice chance for you to split and utilize the possibility of winning. By splitting, you'll be able to bridge the losing deficit by almost half.
When you decide to play blackjack online, your strategy will wildly differ than playing in an actual casino. Sure, you can apply any of the hand playing strategies above, but you have a better edge when gambling on the cloud.
First, utilize your books. If you're using a blackjack strategy table or flashcards for practice, keep it handy during your games. This will be your cheat sheet and no one's going to restrict you for using it.
Also, use your bonus properly. Some online bonuses come with a condition which is sometimes not worth the risk. Always study your move and define whether the bonus is bordering into an expensive side bet. Putting money on insurance may not be the best blackjack strategy.
Due to the popularity of this game, a lot of people are coming up with weird suggestions on how to win big. Beware of armchair gamblers who might give you the following tips. It's unlikely to work, if not pure fallacy.
This myth is by far very evident in many blackjack players. However, there's no way a rookie or a 'bad player' can ruin your game. After all, you're competing against the dealer. And if ever the rookie gets good cards by trying to inch close to 21, it's not his fault. The cards dealt are products of pure chance. You probably need to learn how to focus more instead of eyeing other players too much.
A seasoned gambler will tell you that blackjack insurance is a money grabber. Even with an ace, the dealer has a very low chance of getting a blackjack. Also, insurance bets have very high house edges. It's unlikely that you'll win on it even if you've mastered the blackjack basic strategy. Even if you have a blackjack strategy table, winning is bleak.
Nah, the goal is to defeat the dealer. The aim should be to have a higher hand than the dealer so they will pay. Also, you should let the dealer bust first before you do so you still win. Inching closer to 21 all the time will just end you up losing wagers to busts.
Many beginners think that since the dealer rules over the cards means they have the highest chance of winning. Therefore, you should only mimic what they do to win. This is a big, big mistake. However, it's important to remember that most tables will require the dealer to stand once s/he reaches a 17 hand. Also, dealers can't split or double down. Mimicking what they do is a guaranteed way to lose. Use the blackjack basic strategy instead.
The best blackjack strategy is one that suits your style of playing. What matters is you keep practicing and looking for ways to cut the house edge. Regardless if you're a beginner or not, your strategy will dictate how winnable your hands are.
Personally, I recommend the composition-development strategy together with a blackjack strategy table. However, try it only once you've mastered the basic strategy by heart. By considering what your cards are made of, you'll have an educated way of playing your hands.


text:
Shona E. Monge [Founder/Sr. Publicist]
Shona Eladia Monge grew up with music and entertainment all around her, her late mother was an RnB singer and her brother "RC" has a long history in music as a singer-songwriter.
At 19-years-old, Shona was bitten by the entertainment bug when she booked Rapper and Actress Yolanda "Yo-Yo" Whitaker to be a judge at a local talent show. From the success of this event, Monge was able to build relationships with established and up-and-coming artist with their talent booking and talent management needs.
She was introduced to events when her clients were in need of assistance for weddings, birthday parties, releases, industry mixers and eventually developed a knack for Event Coordination. This new found skill came naturally to her with her regular duties of juggling the careers of her clients. Shona now became a go-to for coordinating record release parties, Grammy parties, premieres, screenings, red carpet events, corporate events for companies like True Religion Jeans as well as celebrity-attended parties. These accomplishments motivated her to start Events by Eladia in 2006 officially.
Shona has coordinate and produced events in the Los Angeles, San Diego, Atlanta, and New York with artists and entertainers like Grammy Nominated artist Heavy D, the former NBA Championship-winning Power forward/Center John Salley, Comedian Tiffany Haddish and the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend Event featuring Rick Ross in Los Angeles just to name a few.
With events comes marketing, and with marketing comes promotions. While wearing and or overseeing all of these components while coordinating events Shona eventually incorporated publicity as one of her skill sets. To further her career, she began to take courses in Public Relations, Crisis Management, and Marketing and transitioned her company in 2007 from Events by Eladia into The MV7 Group; which is now a full Public Relations & Special Events Boutique.
Shona's experience has taken her to various heights, from creating and planning events, concerts, fundraisers to creating successful marketing strategies and PR campaigns for many brands and celebrities.
In addition to her work as a Publicist and Event Coordinator for her clients, Shona serves as the Publicist and Board Member for the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment (NABFEME) Los Angeles Chapter. This nationally and internationally recognized organization founded by entertainment executive Johnnie Walker strives to provide a platform for women in the industry to network and raise their profile to increase awareness of women of color in music and entertainment.
Although, Shona has been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She continues to reinvent The MV7 Group to always stay aligned with the fast-paced always changing industry. Just wait to see what's up next!!!
FB: The MV7 Group
Twitter: The MV7 Group
IG: The_MV7_Group
BEHIND MV7

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
American Football International
LIVESTREAM: Eurobowl XXXIII – Potsdam Royals vs Amsterdam Crusaders, Sat. June 8, 6p CEDT (12p EDT)
The Potsdam Royals, currently in fourth place in the German Football League North will face Holland's Amsterdam Crusaders, runaway leaders in the Dutch league, in Eurobowl XXXIII Saturday, June 8, in Potsdam, Germany.
Normally, Eurobowl has been a final between two of the top teams in Europe but due to scheduling conflicts, this year's edition is a one-game final.
The Royals have compiled a 2-2 record in the GFL losing to the Hildesheim Invaders 50-28 and New Yorker Lions 35-14 while defeating the Berlin Rebels 30-17 and the Dusseldorf Panther 34-17.
Potsdam quarterback Jacob Tucker did not play in last week's game against the New Yorker Lions as Paul Zimmermann stepped in throwing for 170 yards and a touchdown.
Wide receiver Keevan Lucas has had 324 yards receiving in four games and is a dangerous target. Running back Gennadiy Adams has given the Royals a rushing attack and has carried the ball 62 times for 311 yards and 5 TDs. Another key addition has been LB Dustin Illetschko who anchors the front seven. He has already recorded 37 tackles in four games.
Amsterdam has dominated the league in Holland winning all nine games so far by lopsided scores and lost to the Cologne Crocodiles 35-14 in mid April.
The Crusaders spent the 2018 season playing only international games. They played against some of the top teams in Europe including the Cologne Crocodiles (Germany) Braunschweig New Yorker Lions (Germany), Frankfurt Universe (Germany), Graz Giants (Austria), Wasa Royals (Finland), Wroclaw Panthers (Poland) and Ostend Pirates (Belgium) compiling a 2-6 record.
Quarterback Jasper Nijland leads the league in passing yardage but will be in tough today against the seventh best defense in Germany.
Watch the game live here. Eurobowl XXXI – Potsdam Royals vs Amsterdam Crusaders, Sat. June 8, 6p CEDT (12p EDT)
Categories: American Football, Amsterdam Crusaders, Europe, Germany, GFL - German Football League, LIVESTREAMS, Netherlands, News
Tags: American Football, Amsterdam Crusaders, Eurobowl XXXIII, Germany, Holland, netherlands, News, Potsdam Royals


Want to avoid getting left holding the bill after a project? Here's the fastest, easiest way not to end up between your production team and a client in a bad situation.
This is a short little case study about something that happened at JH Media Group recently. A developer sent us a quote on a project and had in one section of that quote a block that just said 109 hours.
Clearly, this wasn't going to work.
You should never, ever, ever have a block of 100 or more hours from a developer. We like to break our development time into as little as 15 minute increments and as much as maybe 12 or 15 hour increments. But more than 4 hours is pretty rare.
If something gets much over that then break it down into even smaller increments.
The reason for this is because when developers give it a broad stroke on the quote, it's not going to be right. It's never right, they're always forgetting something.
This can apply to designers, developers, writers, anybody doing production work. If they give you a big block of time they're not thinking about every single thing, unless perhaps they have another document where they've broken down every single little thing. But that would be a different story, and definitely not what happened today.
In this particular case, the project manager and I decided to go back to the developer and tell them they had to break down the cost. We need each individual item that they are going to be doing broken down into little pieces.
The project manager and I started going through the process with the scope of work as we had it from the developer and as soon as we started, we realized immediately there were things missing.
What happens in this situation to you?
Had we let this go, the client would come back halfway through the project and point out items that were not discussed or not written out. The client would more than likely ask for items clearly not discussed or partially discussed to be added or added to. It's reasonable for them. There was nothing saying we wouldn't do those things, and there are a ton of variables that could clearly use improvement.
The developer would come back and quote more money to do items requested. Which they would be within their right to do, even though they had poorly planned the project.
Make everyone write everything out as clearly as possible and quote items granularly. It's as simple as that.
Don't let this happen to you. Make sure that when you put together these estimates you break it down into the smallest possible pieces, otherwise it's going to be a problem.


text:
Springfield, PA (View All Cities)
ZIP code 19064 is located in southeast Pennsylvania and covers a slightly less than average land area compared to other ZIP codes in the United States. It also has a slightly higher than average population density.
The people living in ZIP code 19064 are primarily white. The number of middle aged adults is extremely large while the number of seniors is large. There are also a large number of families and a small number of single adults. The percentage of children under 18 living in the 19064 ZIP code is slightly higher than average compared to other areas of the country.
Female 639 775 803 762 599 519 671 732 825 991 1,080 980 778 588 501 461 487 477
Total 1,341 1,573 1,609 1,601 1,227 1,063 1,256 1,473 1,622 1,909 2,061 1,922 1,506 1,094 883 815 782 722
Under 5 702 639 1,341
5-9 798 775 1,573
50-54 981 1,080 2,061
11,791 48%
Owner 25 647 1,332 1,858 1,763 1,075 897 368
Renter 22 115 126 128 129 79 102 84
Total 47 762 1,458 1,986 1,892 1,154 999 452
65-74 1,075 79 1,154
Male 137 139 156 157 164 150 169 158 157 153 161 163 176 153 183 194 194 161 107 128
Female 116 141 127 130 171 154 152 142 156 160 156 160 176 151 167 189 165 154 87 103
ZIP code 19064 has a small percentage of vacancies. The Census also indicates that there are one or more nursing homes nearby.
The majority of household are owned or have a mortgage. Homes in ZIP code 19064 were primarily built in the 1950s. Looking at 19064 real estate data, the median home value of $290,100 is high compared to the rest of the country. It is also slightly higher than average compared to nearby ZIP codes. So you are less likely to find inexpensive homes in 19064. Rentals in 19064 are most commonly 2 bedrooms. The rent for 2 bedrooms is normally $1,000+/month including utilities. Prices for rental property include ZIP code 19064 apartments, townhouses, and homes that are primary residences.
As with most parts of the country, vehicles are the most common form of transportation to places of employment. Residents in ZIP code 19064 use public transportation to travel to work more than most areas of the nation. In most parts of the country, the majority of commuters get to work in under half an hour. Most commuters in 19064 can expect to fall in that range. Having to travel to work for over 45 minutes isn't uncommon for people who live here.
The area has some of the highest percentages of people who attended college of any ZIP.
1,414 8%
ZIP Code 19064 is in the following school districts: Springfield School District and Private. There are 8 different elementary schools and high schools with mailing addresses in ZIP code 19064.
Richardson Ms
20 W Woodland Ave
Springfield, PA 19064
District: Springfield School District
Sabold Elementary School
468 East Thomson Avenue
Scenic Hills Elementary School
235 Hillview Drive
Springfield Literacy Center
210 West Woodland Ave
Springfield High School
49 W Leamy Ave
Cardinal O'Hara High School
1701 S Sproul Rd
St Francis of Assisi School
112 Saxer Ave
240 N Bishop Ave


The What: Broadcast Pix will demonstrate a number of product upgrades and its new BPswitch RX portable integrated production switcher at IBC2018 (Hall 7, Stand C06), which runs September 14-18 at RAI Amsterdam.
The What Else: BPswitch RX users can customize the BPview multiview on the 17-inch integrated touchscreen display, or use the optional Broadcast Pix Commander customizable touchscreen interface for simplified control. The system also offers secure, browser-based control, including full-motion video and access to all sources and workflow tools, through Broadcast Pix's BPNet IP ecosystem, which is powered through the ioGates cloud-based media management platform.
The Bottom Line: Well suited for sports, concerts, and corporate events, BPswitch RX is ready for the road. Built on a Windows 10 64-bit OS and housed in a durable aluminum alloy chassis, the self-contained system includes four multi-definition video inputs, plus two IP inputs that support RTSP and NDI protocol. Built-in production tools include an audio mixer, three keyers with DVEs, program recording and live streaming to Facebook Live and other CDNs, clip and graphic stores, and NewBlueNTX multi-layer 3D motion graphics CG.


text:
Der SV Hastenbeck von 1947 e.V. ist ein deutscher Sportverein mit Sitz in der Ortschaft Hastenbeck der niedersächsischen Gemeinde Hameln innerhalb des Landkreises Hameln-Pyrmont. Bekannt ist der Verein vor allem durch seine Frauenfußball-Mannschaft, die von 2002 bis 2006 in der Regionalliga Nord spielte.

Geschichte
Der Verein wurde offiziell am 17. Mai 1947 gegründet.

Frauenfußball
Die Mannschaft stieg zur Saison 2002/03 in die Regionalliga Nord auf. Mit 37 Punkten behauptete sie sich auf einem fünften Platz in der ersten Spielzeit. Nach weiteren siebten Plätzen stieg die Mannschaft nach der Runde 2005/06 als Tabellenletzter ab.

Zur darauffolgenden Saison startete die Mannschaft in der Niedersachsenliga, wo mit 22 Punkten auf einem Platz im unteren Tabellenumfeld landete. Aus dieser Liga wurde dann zur darauffolgenden Spielrunde die Oberliga. Hier hielt sich das Team einige Jahre, musste jedoch nach der Spielzeit 2012/13 mit 9 Punkten als Vorletzter in die Landesliga.

Auch hier startete das Team im unteren Teil der Tabelle, nach ein paar Spielzeiten verbesserte man sich und stieg am Ende der Saison 2015/16 als Meister wieder auf. Seither spielt man in der Oberliga.

Weblinks
 Website des Vereins

Einzelnachweise

Fußballverein aus Niedersachsen
Verein im Niedersächsischen Fußballverband
Gegründet 1947
Sportverein (Hameln)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
class AddTokenColumnToInvitation < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def change
    add_column :invitations, :invite_token, :string, null: false
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


U.S. Grains Council, Bill Schreiber of O-AT-KA Milk Products and Kathryn Bamberger of Empire State Development set the table for discussion. US trade policy has evolved dramatically from the 1930s to establish rules of the jungle, according to Dr. Robert Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. With extensive work experience in more than 90 countries worldwide, Thompson quipped that President Donald Trump hasn't read many of these as trade policy between friendly partners and others is now under the microscope and threatened. "The winds of trade have been whipping us," said Thompson, "but that's nothing new. Moving forward, there are many factors that will dramatically alter US agricultural trade policy that will be out of the hands of local producers, such as dynamic changes in global consumption, urbanization, production practices, land utilization, and climate change."
Ag Promotion Awards—Recognizes individuals and groups for their efforts to improve the understanding of agriculture in NYS. Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour: Operating in New York's largest apple producing county, this partner based program drives visitors to the region in October and educates consumers about apples.


Summary This badge is likely made of brass, and was worn by the Other Ranks of the Canadian Provost Corps. It features a lion and crown royal crest standing on a royal crown, all above scrolls inscribed, "CANADIAN PROVOST CORPS". The Canadian Provost Corps was the military police corps of the Canadian Army, founded at the beginning of World War II.
Notes Title by cataloger.; Production date range based on the years that the Canadian Provost Corps was active and the year (1953) in which the Queen's Crown replaced the King's Crown on the badge. However, this badge is likely related to World War I in some way, since it is part of the WWI Hunter collection.
LC Subject Headings Canada. Canadian Army--Military police--Medals, badges, decorations, etc.--History--20th century.
Canada. Canadian Army. Canadian Provost Corps--Medals, badges, decorations, etc.--History--20th century.


Compare and buy tickets for Bobaflex, Artifas, Vault7 in Boise, ID on 07/25/2019: Get your tickets for Bobaflex, Artifas, Vault7 now!
Face-value tickets to Bobaflex, Artifas, Vault7 through TicketWeb: Tickets should be available until Jul 25th, 2019 or until they sell out.
Join us Now and get more choices for Bobaflex, Artifas, Vault7 tickets in Boise sent to your inbox.


The atmosphere essentially is the limit in imitation of it comes to mural painting ideas. Most people just craving a springboard to acquire them thinking in the past the possibilities are fittingly vast. My herald is Michael Cooper and I have been painting murals for not quite 20 years! I know, showing off too long! But I know a matter or two about it and I've seen just more or less all you can imagine!
Here's one thig you have to know virtually murals and muralists gone it comes to large-scale murals once a focus upon trompe l'oeil and one narrowing perspective: If you can imagine it, it can more than likely be created.
I have to take that the popularity of this is exceeding my wildest imagination. It's certainly not child's play! This is big business! Interior designers, retailers, artists, even parents and grandparents are finding a lot of release of discussion in creating the perfect mural for a child's room.
It's my recommendation that all goes in a child's room as it relates to color. It doesn't have to flow in the same way as the land of the colors in your home in view of that just permit your imagination to govern wild. And remember, most children view their rooms as their "fort" or "princess castle" thus don't be too serious. This is their flavor – where they get to be creative and…they get to be kids!
Thanks for visiting our site, article above published by zabelyesayan.com. Nowadays we're pleased to announce we have found an incredibly interesting topic to be reviewed. namely, Lit Mural Montreal. Most people trying to find details about Lit Mural Montreal and certainly one of these is you, is not it?
Related Posts of "Lit Mural Montreal"


text:
#GambleAware #BGC
Play A Night in Paris Slot
Betting industry will 'keep back funds from gambling harm charity'
50% up to $1,000 Signup Bonus
The betting industry has threatened to redirect a quarter of the funds expected to go to a charity tackling harms caused by gambling, the Guardian understands.
The four largest members of the Betting and Gaming Council have in the past pledged to use GambleAware as the main commissioner of any money it gave to tackle problems caused by its activities.
But sources at GambleAware said the charity was informed in recent weeks by BGC that in future, 25% of funds would be kept back to distribute directly to projects chosen by Bet365, Flutter Entertainment, GVC Holdings and William Hill.
The industry-funded charity currently chooses how money is spent to tackle gambling harm – whether that is on research, education and prevention work, or treatment. In its last funding announcement in 2020, the BGC pledged to use GambleAware as the main commissioning agent to spend £100m over four years to 2024 on projects it chose.
The BGC said its position had not changed and that it will have given them £110m by 2024, but sources at GambleAware said there had been a significant shift in plans for how further money tackling industry harm would be spent.
The former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: "The fact that the BGC are taking a unilateral decision to redirect 25% of future funds away from GambleAware to fund its own chosen causes could not set out more clearly why a statutory levy to fund research, education and treatment is absolutely essential.
"This racket of the gambling industry deciding when, how much and now where money is spent to deal with the harm it causes simply has to end."
The threat comes as a government white paper on gambling is expected early this year. Those close to negotiations over its contents say No 10 is actively considering introducing a statutory levy on the industry, which would force firms to pay a certain amount into an independently – run central fund that could commission services.
It is understood the statutory levy was off the table under Liz Truss, but Rishi Sunak is now considering it, which is the reason for the delay.
The gambling industry pays a voluntary levy to fund research, education and treatment (RET), but experts believe the rate needs to be legally binding. Gambling licences are conditional on making an annual contribution but according to analysis by GambleAware last year, the recommended rate of 0.1% of gross gambling yield had never been met. The industry disputes this.
The Labour peer Hilary Armstrong, who sits on the board of GambleAware, said: "I understand that for the next three years, the proposal of the gambling companies is that they very much want a voluntary levy to continue and that about a quarter of what they will give, they will decide themselves which organisations they're going to support, rather than putting it through GambleAware. So there's no accountability. And there's no transparency around, you know, how this money is spent, and whether it is effective."
GambleAware has been criticised for being too close to the industry, for example by focusing in education programmes on the idea of "problem gambling," which some say is a key narrative pushed by industry to deflect from the addictive nature of products they promote. But the charity has been publicly supportive of a statutory levy and experts believe the BGC may be flexing its muscles by threatening to withdraw funds.
Will Prochaska, the strategy director of the charity Gambling With Lives, which supports families whose relatives died of gambling-related suicide, said: "This isn't just about money it's about influence. The industry is warning GambleAware that if they don't toe their line the funding will be removed. Whichever other charities receive the windfall in GambleAware's place will be being rewarded for supporting the industry's philosophy of individual responsibility.
"It would be outrageous for the tobacco industry to control who delivers smoking cessation campaigns, so why is the gambling industry given such sway over who delivers research, education or treatment for gambling-related harm?"
Zoe Osmond, the chief executive of GambleAware, said: "As the leading charity dedicated to keeping people safe from gambling harm, GambleAware has long recognised the need, and been calling for, a more sustainable, long-term funding solution to address gambling harms.
"The current system of voluntary donation is opaque, and we hope that the upcoming gambling white paper will provide a much needed committed and consistent approach to funding."
A spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: "We are determined to protect those most at risk of gambling-related harm and are working to finalise details of our review. The white paper will strengthen our regulatory framework to ensure it is fit for the digital age."
A spokesperson for the BGC said it had gone beyond its initial pledge "and will have provided £110m to GambleAware by the end of March 2024". They added: "The industry has no say on how this voluntary funding is spent by charities, nor does it seek one. However, we are concerned that GambleAware refuses to publicly provide transparency on how these funds have been spent.
"GambleAware were never intended to receive all of the RET funding, only the baseline of £100m over four years, and our members are proud to support a range of initiatives in addition to this, such as the YGAM GamCare young people's gambling harm prevention programme with an additional £10m."
Double Your 1st Deposit Up To $1000
Gambling Insight 24 days
@GamblingInsight
"The fact that the BGC is taking a unilateral decision to redirect 25% of future funds away from GambleAware to fund its own chosen causes could not set out more clearly why a statutory levy to fund research, education & treatment is absolutely essential"
Gambling Insider 5 days
@G_Insider
BGC CEO Michael Dugher in the dark about UK Government gambling White Paper
Focus Gaming News 25 days
@FocusGamingNews
#InTheSpotlightFGN - Labour MP calls for Gambling Act review to support British business John Spellar MP has called on the government to reverse its trend of letting down British businesses.
Play Cleopatra Slots
The betting industry has threatened to redirect a quarter of the funds expected to go to a charity tackling harms caused by gambling, the Guardian understands. The four largest members of the Betting and Gaming Council have in the past pledged to use GambleAware as the main commissioner of any money it gave to tackle problems caused by its…
Gambling Addiction ・ 23 days
Casino Guru
GambleAware unveils launch of Lived Experience Council
The leading charity that commissions research, prevention and treatment services to help create a community free of gambling harm, GambleAware, announced the launch of its new Lived Experience Council (LEC). Last week, the leading charity unveiled additional details regarding the new Council, which will help shape its long-term plans. Ultimately,…
Gambling Addiction ・ 15 December 2022
Gambling Commission launches probe into 10 suicides according to leaked letter
The UK regulator has written to numerous licenced operators - bookmakers and online casinos - asking for their help in "identifying more information" in relation to 10 individuals who took their own lives. Commission chiefs are seeking information on whether gambling firms had accounts open with the victims at the time. The list of those who died…
Gaming Authorities ・ 29 August 2022
GambleAware: White Paper Delays Might Amplify Harms
GambleAware, an independent charity funding gambling treatment, has voiced its concerns about Britain's upcoming white paper. According to the charity, any delays to the white paper's release will put more people in harm's way. The United Kingdom began reviewing its Gambling Act two years ago. Since then, many people have proposed various…
Gambling Addiction ・ 18 July 2022
News From Wales
How will the UK Government Change the Gambling Laws?
Estimated figures show around 30000 Welsh people who experience problems with their gambling. It's figures such as that which are behind moves to review the 2005 Gambling Act. It's a process that has taken at least a couple of years as evidence has been gathered. July is due to see the UK government release the long-awaited White Paper on gambling…
Law ・ 11 July 2022
City A.M.
Stick or twist: Ministers prepare to water down upcoming gambling review
As the review for gambling legislation beckons, it is understood that ministers are rethinking what the industry has called "draconian" measures. As reported by the Sunday Times, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) are planning to water down proposals to crack down on problem gambling. Since the review of the Gambling Act was first…
Sports ・ 29 May 2022
India Education
University of Bristol: Pioneering new Gambling Harms Research Centre launched at University of Bristol
Led by renowned multidisciplinary research experts, the first of its kind research centre will apply a public health approach to advancing best practice research to deepen understanding and raise awareness of gambling harms. The independent hub is funded by a grant awarded by GambleAware, following a rigorous and competitive selections process…
Gambling Addiction ・ 20 May 2022
University of Bristol Opens Gambling Harm Research Centre
The University of Bristol has launched Britain's first academic research centre dedicated to developing multidisciplinary approaches examining gambling harm, addiction and social complexities. Launched as the Gambling Harms Research Centre (GHRC), the unit aims to transform research of gambling harms by developing deeper academic resources and…
May: Gambling Harms Research Centre
GambleAware Publishes List of Annual Donations for 2021-2022
GambleAware has published details of donations for the 12 months ending 31 March 2022. The total for voluntary donations from the gambling industry is £34.7 million. The leading "Big Four" operators are responsible for donating 89% (£30.9 million) of the total donations for the year. This is reflective of their previous commitment to raise the…
Calls for mandatory levy resurface as industry clamps down on gambling harms and cost of living crunch
GambleAware has called for a mandatory one per cent levy on post winning earnings from operators as the government heads for gambling reform. The charity has argued that a levy would "provide stability and the best-in-class solutions to prevent gambling harms", and could be reallocated into longer-term planning and commissioning for problem…
Responsible gambling levy plea from GambleAware
In the United Kingdom and the organization behind the BeGambleAware.org responsible gambling resource has called on the government to implement a mandatory 1% levy to help fund programs tasked with combating and treating gambling-related harms. The London-headquartered GambleAware charity used an official press release to detail that its proposed…
Gambling Addiction ・ 27 April 2022
Hypocrisy of NHS 'Addiction Levy' for UK Gambling
VSO News writer Owain Flanders believes an'addiction levy' for UK gambling firms would be hypocritical given the NHS's rejection of GambleAware cash. [Image: Shutterstock.com] Like most gambling markets across the globe, the UK has its fair share of addicts. Most recent estimates have suggested that around 246000 people suffer from compulsive…
Gambling Addiction ・ 15 March 2022
The Guardian view on the gambling industry: an intervention is overdue
The enormously profitable gambling industry has been on notice for some time. Amid mounting evidence of the severe problems that its products can cause, with hundreds of gambling-linked suicides every year, the government launched a review of current laws in 2020. A white paper tabling its proposals for change is expected soon. Industry lobbyists…
Industry ・ 15 March 2022
Councillors and Commissioners call for greater local gambling powers
Local councillors and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have joined calls for stricter regulatory oversight of the betting and gaming industry, ahead of the 2005 Gambling Act review White Paper. Releasing a joint statement, the Local Government Association (LGA) and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), cited research that 21%…
Law ・ 22 February 2022
iGaming Business
NHS cuts financial ties with GambleAware
The NHS and GambleAware had been working together to deliver clinics at locations across the UK since 2019, funded by donations to GambleAware from the gambling industry. However, NHS national mental health director Claire Murdoch confirmed in an open letter to GambleAware chief executive Zoë Osmond that the NHS would switch to using general NHS…
Incidents ・ 21 February 2022
Betting shops and bingo halls could be blocked by councils in gambling crackdown
New bingo halls, arcades and betting shops could be blocked under plans being considered by the Government to give councils powers to impose quotas on the number of gambling outlets.The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and Local Government Association (LGA) have proposed that councils should be able to refuse applications for…
Bingo ・ 19 February 2022
GambleAware Publishes List of Donations and Pledges it Received During First Three Quarters of Financial Year 2021-22
GambleAware has published the full list of donations and pledges it received during the first three quarters of the financial year 2021-22. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 December 2021, the charity received a total of £16 million. This money was given in the form of voluntary donations from the gambling industry and excludes regulatory settlements and…
Gambling Addiction ・ 15 February 2022
GambleAware donations reach £16.0m in first three quarters
The amount donated in the nine months to 31 December was 255.6% more than the £4.5m pledged in the same period last year, though the previous year was hampered by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), meaning operators did not donate as much as usual. Bet365 remained the leading donator with a total of £4.2m sent to GambleAware, though all of this was…
UK's NHS severs ties with the gambling industry, GambleAware funding takes a hit
Because of potential conflicts with its work, the UK's National Health Services (NHS) will cut all ties to the g ambling industry and the latter's funding of NHS addiction clinics. According to sources close to the negotiations, The Sunday Times was informed by people familiar with the matter that the decision would take effect in the new financial…
Finance ・ 16 February 2022
Daily Mail Online
Online betting is fuelling risk of harm to a MILLION women
One million women struggle with harmful gambling as the'easy availability of online betting' fuels a surge in problems, research shows. Six in ten women gamble in some form, including playing the lottery, going to casinos and betting online. And one in ten suffer some level of harm as a result, such as developing stress and anxiety or borrowing…
Gambling Addiction ・ 31 January 2022
GambleAware awards £300,000 grant for new research into lived experiences of minority communities around gambling harms
GambleAware has announced the outcome of its recent grant award process to improve knowledge of the lived experiences of minority communities - including minority ethnic, religion, and language groups - in relation to gambling and gambling harms. The grant was awarded through a competitive process to two consortia: one led by Ipsos MORI and…
Entain's £2m contribution makes up majority of Q1 GambleAware donations
The total amount donated in the three months to 30 June was 180.5% higher than the £820000 put forward during the same period last year. Entain donated a total of £2.0m to the charity during Q1, significantly more than any other gambling business for the period. The next-highest amount came from Videoslots, which donated £50000, while Broadway…
GambleAware receives £4.5m in donations between April and December 2020
Gambling harm prevention charity GambleAware has announced it received £4.5m ($6.1m) in voluntary donations from the gambling industry in the first three quarters of its financial year. The amount, which covers April to December 2020 and excludes regulatory settlements and additional donations, is based on the charity's request that those who…
The UK's gambling review has to be free of industry influence and political dithering
More than a year after the Conservatives committed to gambling reform in their election manifesto, the long-awaited review of the 2005 Gambling Act is finally here. For years a coalition of cross-party MPs, peers and campaigners have called for the reform of a maligned piece of legislation that botched the liberalisation of the market and opened…
Politics ・ 19 January 2021
Play Raging Rhino Slot


text:
:- module(_, _, [functions]).
:- use_module(library(terms)).
:- use_module(ciaosrc('CIAOSETTINGS')).
:- use_module(ciaosrc('CIAOSHARED')).

:- reexport(ciaosrc('doc/common/LPDOCCOMMON')).

:- reexport(ciaosrc('CIAOSETTINGS'), [lpdoclib/1]).

:- redefining(_).

:- discontiguous fileoption/2.

% -*- mode: Makefile; -*-
% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
%% ignored line: %% include ../../../SETTINGS
%% ignored line: %% include ../../../doc/SETTINGS.COMMON
% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
filepath := ~atom_concat( [ ~ciaosrc , '/library.development/plspeed' ] )|
    ~atom_concat( [ ~ciaosrc , '/library.development/plspeed/doc' ] ) | ~filepath.
mainfile := 'benchmarking'.
fileoption(~mainfile) := '-norefs'.


text:
Ніжність вовків (, ) — німецький художній фільм, трилер, у якому показано злочинний шлях німецького серійного вбивці Фріца Хаармана.

Сюжет
Дія відбувається у Німеччині 1925 року. Фріц Хаарман, гомосексуал, злодій та вбивця з Дюссельдорфу, отримав ліцензію та став співробітником поліції для того, щоб залишатися на волі. Водночас він разом зі своїм «діловим» та сексуальним партнером Гансом Ґрансом займався поставками м'яса на «чорний ринок». Користуючись статусом співробітника правоохоронних органів, Хаарман заманював до свого житла хлопців та молодих чоловіків без певного місця проживання, що мешкали на території залізничного вокзалу в Ганновері, після чого вбивав, розчленовував їх тіла та займався канібалізмом, при цьому відправляв м'ясо замордованих ним жертв на ринок під виглядом м'яса тварин та продавав їхній одяг. Фільм базується на реальних подіях.

Ролі виконують
 Курт Рааб — Фріц Хаарман
 Джеф Роден — Ганс Ґранс
 Маргіт Карстенсен — фрау Ліндер
 Інгрід Кавен — Дора
 Вольфганг Шенк — комісар Браун
 Бріджіт Міра — Луїз Енгель
 Райнер Гауер — комісар Мюллер
 Барбара Бертрам — Еллі
 Райнер Вернер Фассбіндер — Вітовскі
 Гейнріх Ґіскес — Лунґіс
 Фрідріх Карл Преторіус — Курт Фромм
 Карл фон Лібецайт — герр Енгель
 Вальтер Кальтойнер — Шумахер
 Ель Хеді бен Салем — французький солдат
 Рейнер Вілл — Опфер

Нагороди
У 1973 режисер кінострічки Уллі Ломмель був номінований на премію «Золотий Ведмідь» на Міжнародному кінофестивалі в Берліні.

Класифікація
Даний фільм відноситься до категорії «18+»: перегляд його особами, що не досягли 18 років, є небажаним.

Посилання
 Die Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe (1973) — IMDb (англ.)
 Die Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe (The Tenderness of Wolves) (1973) — Rotten Tomatoes (англ.)
 The Tenderness of Wolves (1973) — сайт Horrors.ws (рос.)

Фільми-драми Німеччини
Біографічні фільми Німеччини
Фільми-трилери Німеччини
Фільми німецькою мовою
Фільми Німеччини 1973


When designing your brand, an appealing look matters just as much as leaving a mark. With companies now competing on a global scale, having a brand that stands out from the rest can make your business the go-to in its respective field.
Everything from the font you choose to the color scheme you pick can affect the overall feel of your company, which makes branding a pivotal part of providing good first impressions.
Not only do you need to define your company's goals and values, you also want to show consumers why they should choose your business over others. Doing so will generate revenue, establish credibility in the marketplace and help spread your brand's name.
Your target audience will determine what approach is best for you. For example, if your business is a hotel or resort, giving your brand a respectable and inviting tone will make prospective guests feel welcome. Contrarily, companies that specialize in zipline tours and other types of attractions can use daring designs and bold colors to attract new customers.
It's also important to build an emotional connection between your company and clientele, as this creates a loyalty that goes beyond the product itself. This runs in tandem with the theory of reciprocity, which states we are likely to reward those who perform kind actions for us. In the case of a company, these "rewards" could mean customers purchasing products or investing in one's services.
A key factor in the right branding is consistency. Whether it's through print ads, your website or social media, you want your brand to be unified across multiple platforms. If each of these are drastically different, your identity will become muddled. Another reason why good [and consistent] design matters is to improve brand recognition, which makes it easier for people to identify your product.
That said, many companies have rebranded over the years. As this list from Canva shows, some of the world's largest businesses updated and made changes to their look — mostly for the better. For more recent examples, Instagram, Taco Bell and Uber all underwent redesigns to maintain their modernity.
While unique branding helps with recognition, avoid being different for the sake of being different. Your brand should reflect what your company is about, and straying too far from that can confuse new customers.
It's important to keep your ideas in check when promoting your brand, as well. An excess of innovation can lead to "vampire creativity," a term used for advertising that's too original and entertaining — to the point where people remember the ad but forget the brand itself.
If building the right brand seems like a lot, that's because it is. Fortunately, the designers at Vector & Ink are well-equipped to help you in these creative endeavors. Whether you want to build a brand from the ground up or freshen the look of an existing one, our team has the experience and skills to help you where it matters most.


MORE than 400 supporters and businesses gathered to celebrate the 30th birthday of St Luke's Hospice, where the colour and vibrancy of carnival was brought to Cheshire.
The hospice embraced the carnival theme and threw their 'Party Gras' charity ball on Friday, July 27, at Dorfold Park, in Nantwich, which raised more than £50,000.
St Luke's in Winsford and Winterley Grange near Sandbach will benefit from the generous donations of the sponsors.
The charity's mission to bring the sounds and sights of carnival to Cheshire was brought to life with beautiful palms in the reception area, piñatas by the gin bar, street food inspired stations serving ice cream, coffee and cheese, a vibrantly decorated room of pinks, blues and greens, the show-stopping Toni James Band which played an extended set, plus the nostalgic dodgems outside meant that everywhere guests turned there was the magic of carnival!
After enjoying sparkling cocktails delicious food, the 400 guests were straight onto the dancefloor to join the Brazilian dancers and drummers from Latin showband Tropicalia.
Mike Ridley, St Luke's chairman of trustees, was delighted with the amount of money raised on the night.
Raising money for St Luke's was a key part of the evening and the hospice were delighted that John Pass Jewellers donated an incredible prize worth over £10,000 on the night.


text:
Q: Best way to use Google protocol buffer(protobuf) with Matlab I am trying to import some protobuf binaries in Matlab. I see 2 ways to do it
1) Use protobuf Matlab plugin
2) Use C++ APIs provided by Google and then import data into matlab using mex files.
Since I am working with large scale data,  Which one would be faster to run?

A: Faster to run is likely to be C++, of those two.
I can tell you definitely that coming up to the Matlab-language level for byte, two-byte, four-byte reads or buffer accesses runs a lot slower than you might expect.
And looking in protobuf-matlab/source/browse/protobuflib, I see tons of that type of operation being done in Matlab code.
You didn't list what I would think to be the best of both worlds: the Java API.
If you have any Java code in your project, or a modest level of comfort with Java, I'd strongly consider using the Java API.  Matlab has really good interoperability with Java; it has the big advantage that you can work through examples interactively with methodsview(), etc.  There is some learning curve with javaObject()/javaMethod(), vs. when one can use a more native syntax.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Vancouver-based yogawear giant lululemon and LOVELOUD, a nonprofit founded by Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds that supports LGBT youth, have teamed up to throw PRIDE <3 MUSIC, a charitable concert taking place this Friday (August 3) at the Vogue Theatre in recognition of Pride.
Described as "an evening of music, connection, and celebration of Pride", the event is headlined by up-and-coming pop sensation VINCINT, who was fast-tracked to fame when earned third place on season one of Fox's reality-TV singing competition The Four: Battle for Stardom earlier this year. He'll be joined by indie-pop group Foreign Figures, Vancouver-based artist Omar Khan, and other special guests.
Admission to the all-ages show is by a minimum donation of $1. All proceeds will benefit the LOVELOUD Foundation and the Tegan and Sara Foundation, the latter of which advocates for the rights of and representation for LGBT girls and womxn.
PRIDE <3 MUSIC takes place on Friday (August 3) at the Vogue Theatre. For event details, or to purchase by-donation tickets, click here.


text:
ISIS rooted in Arab Spring, gained momentum due to double standards - Russian Security Service head
© Stringer © Reuters
Islamic State evolved from the Arab Spring and gained momentum due to the duplicity of certain world powers, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has told a meeting of top security heads of ex-Soviet states (CIS) in Moscow on Wednesday.
There are world powers that are using Islamic State (IS, former ISIL/ISIS) as a kind of "terror battering ram" to ensure their interests in Asia and Africa, said FSB director Aleksandr Bortnikov. In pursuing their goals with IS, these countries have put the world on the verge of a global religious and civilizational crisis, he added.
The outcome of this global conflict could be disastrous, Bortnikov stressed
READ MORE: FSB chief urges international campaign to discredit ISIS ideology and leaders
Russia's security agency chief also said that with parts of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan joining Islamic State, there is an imminent threat of the terrorists invading Central Asia.
Putin: 7,000 people from ex-Soviet republics estimated to fight alongside ISIS http://t.co/zn67NuNnBIpic.twitter.com/iIRtraGH5W
— RT (@RT_com) October 16, 2015
"The escalation of tension in Afghanistan is causing serious concern. Numerous IS gangs that are part of the Taliban movement are currently concentrated on the northern borders of that country. Some of them have joined Islamic State, which has dramatically intensified the threat of a terrorist invasion of Central Asia," said the FSB chief.
Terrorists aiming to find foothold in Mideast and N. Africa – Putin
Terrorist forces are attempting to turn the Middle East and North Africa into a bridgehead to destabilize other countries, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Growing terror activities and the merging of radical groups with organized crime presents a threat of special concern, the Russian leader said in a welcome address at the meeting of CIS security heads.
"The terrorists are using the region as a foothold. They are recruiting and training new militants, which could be used for destabilization efforts in other countries," Putin said.
Aleksandr Bortnikov stressed that incidents on the borders of Russia's regional partners are already taking place. Militants returning to CIS countries from various hotbeds are bringing instability back home, he told his colleagues.
"Having obtained practical experience in conspiracy, blasting work and urban combat, these fighters are creating autonomous combat operations cells, ready to stage terror and subversive acts. The terrorists and their sponsors aim to destabilize the situation in CIS countries," Bortnikov said.
After the ineffectual US-led anti-terrorist coalition in the Middle East, Russia responded to pleas from the Syrian leadership and gave military support to Damascus.
"This decision was also taken to prevent the mass return of jihadists to their countries of origin," Bortnikov said, adding that Russia's military operation in Syria "is already bearing fruit."
Bortnikov specifically emphasized the necessity to strengthen border controls in Central Asia. He advocated closer cooperation in cutting off the routes of the militants traveling to and from conflict zones, and eliminating the means of financing terrorism and preventing recruitment efforts in our countries.
LISTEN MORE:


text:
Republican Watch
Posted: Sep 28, 2021 6:11 pm
by Seabass
From the party of individual freedom:
Women can say no to sex if Roe falls, says architect of Texas abortion ban
The legal architect of the Texas abortion ban has argued in a supreme court brief that overturning Roe v Wade, the landmark decision which guarantees a right to abortion in the US, could cause women to practice abstinence from sexual intercourse as a way to "control their reproductive lives".
Former Texas solicitor general Jonathan Mitchell, who played a pivotal role in designing the legal framework of the state's near-total abortion ban, also argued on behalf of anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life that women would still be able to terminate pregnancies if Roe was overturned by traveling to "wealthy pro-abortion" states like California and New York with the help of "taxpayer subsidies".
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/17/texas-abortion-ban-jonathan-mitchell-supreme-court-brief
We've got friggin' robots on Mars, but we still have to deal with this shit. Fucking primitive savages.


I'm currently head down and writing the final part of the next book so it's necessarily been a bit quiet round here. The Swords of Albion series is a departure on many levels from what I've done before, particularly the degree of necessary research ( and if you've read any of my books you know I do a lot of research). But it seems to be coming together pretty well, I think.
Firstly, take a look at the new cover for the Pyr edition of The Queen of Sinister, Book Two of The Dark Age. Once again it's by the astonishing John Picacio.
…from Graeme's Fantasy Book Review. It's the first UK review of The Sword of Albion, out in May from Bantam. Not only did Graeme like it, he made some good comments which I am now addressing in the next book.
Wow, thank you so much, Mark. Really can't express how much that means to me.
I noted with interest that Jamie Hewlett, Alan Moore and Damon Albarn are writing an Opera about Dr Dee.
You may have started something bigger than you know.
Looking forward to reading book two.
Hadn't heard that, Simon, but with those names attached, how could it possibly go wrong?!
You know that's every reviewer's dream. When an author reads something you wrote and actually considers it when writing their next piece…there is no bigger compliment. Congrats Rob, Graeme you just gained another reader.
What a wonderfully expressive cover . The cover does indeed connect with , and reflect the contents of the story : love it to bits. A work of art in every sense of the word .
Flying addictively throught the pages of the trilogy . I`m stood on the brink of the Lava pool at present , with Tom as Gogmagog takes his fiery form ……loving it mate .
Good luck and good writing to you .
So many books to read , and so little time to do it in ; just the way I like it .


text:
2020 Legislature
1. PAINS AT THE PUMPS: LAWMAKERS TODAY HEAR BILL THAT WOULD
SUBSTANTIALLY RAISE GAS TAX
The House Taxation & Revenue Committee this morning will hear HB 173 which would nearly triple New Mexico's gas tax to 45 cents per gallon. Normally, the gas tax goes to roads and infrastructure, but progressive Rep. Matthew McQueen wants the extra tax dollars for other things. New Mexico is taxed enough! We must stop this out-of-control taxing and spending. Call Rep. Matthew McQueen (505) 986-4423 and tell him we are being taxed out of New Mexico.
"So I believe very strongly that gasoline taxes should go to roads, that it is a user fee, and we all know that our roads are completely destroyed; that there's a lot of work that needs to be done," said Rep. Jason Harper, (R)-Rio Rancho, a member of the Taxation and Revenue Committee. "We had $3 billion of excess revenue these past few years. We should've pumped almost all of that into roads, and instead, we're now talking about tripling our gasoline tax."
2. PENSION REFORM MOVES FORWARD BUT PUBLIC WORKERS
WOULD PAYThe Senate Public Affairs Committee wrestled with the state's $6.6 billion pension problem yesterday. Even left-leaning Democrats disagreed about how to deal with the massive unfunded liability. Major provisions of SB72 would tie future annual cost of living adjustments to investment returns instead of providing automatic 3% increases. It also increases pension contributions by employees and employers, with the exception of low-paid workers and state police and corrections officers. This is really scary. Should the market sour, public workers would see less money coming to them. What's makes this even worse is that progressive Democrats want to make local and state workers contribute more into the pension system. Why should the mismanagement and disfunction of our liberal controlled legislature fall to the taxpayers to fix?
After heated debate, the pension bill cleared committee and will now head to the Senate Finance Committee.
3. CALL TO INCREASE SALARIES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS
FALLS SHORT
The Senate Education Committee has tabled a bill that would have increased minimum salaries for special-education teachers by 15 percent. The move essentially killed Senate Bill 13, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Michael Padilla. Supporters said the bill would help fill a shortage of special-education teachers in the state. But opponents argued that school districts should decide on such raises, not the Legislature.
"I think the idea is good and I think we need to put more thought into his bill," said Republican Sen. Craig Brandt.
4. A REPUBLICAN PUSH WILL MEAN MOST TABLED BILLS WILL SOON BE
MADE PUBLIC
In a Republican Caucus call for more transparency, the House Rules and Order of Business Committee voted overwhelmingly to have tabled legislation made public. Minority Leader Jim Townsend sponsored House Resolution 1. Tabled bills are basically killed bills, and Townsend wants citizens to know about such action. The resolution passed 12-1 but not without a stipulation. An amendment was proposed to exclude appropriations, tax and revenue legislation, which members felt was too technically difficult to put on the Legislative website.The Committee agreed, and the resolution cleared with that stipulation. The tabling vote rule change is expected to be heard by the full House in the coming days.
"The Republican Caucus fully backs a transparent and fair legislature," said Townsend. "The public deserves to know what their leaders are doing in Santa Fe. I am pleased that transparency is being discussed at the Roundhouse. By letting the sunshine into the process at the Capitol we are ensuring our citizens have fair and equitable representation."
There are two other pending transparency concerns–HR 2 which reverts the special one-time change that allowed bills to be fast tracked on the Governor's "rocket-docket" and HR 3 that would require the public be given 24 hour notice of any legislation that will be debated by the full House.
"The three transparency changes that Republicans are asking for are solutions to problems that are well known to both sides of the aisle," said House Republican Whip Rod Montoya. "Hearing one transparency change is not enough and our two other transparency requests will dramatically provide the public with more access to the legislative process."
5. DEMOCRATS' BILL DECEITFULLY TRIES TO REVERSE AN ELECTION LAW TO UNDERMINE REPUBLICAN PARTY ELECTION LAWSUIT
There's more to that HB 229 election legislation than meets the eye. That legislation slyly crosses out language deep into the bill that calls for three mandatory items for voter identification for absentee ballots. That's the current law–you must have your name, address and year of birth on the ballot. If this bill is passed, it will lead to absentee voting chaos and fraud. No ID requirements. The political scoop here is that the Republican Party last fall filed suit against the State and the Dona Ana County Clerk for deliberately allowing voters to turn in ballots without the proper ID qualifications. This seems to be a subtle way to void the Party's lawsuit, which demands that the law be followed.
This bill is slowly moving forward. It's now in the State Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee.
This legislation must end. Call bill sponsors Linda M. Trujillo (505) 986-4436 and Daniel A. Ivey-Soto (505) 986-4270 and tell them no to this election bill.
ROUNDHOUSE PROFILES: WORKING HARD FOR YOU
Rep. Jason Harper lives in Rio Rancho and represents Sandoval County. He's a Research Engineer and has been in the Legislature since 2013.
Committees: Transportation, Public Works & Capital Improvements, Taxation & Revenue
Email: JasonHarperNM@gmail.com
Sen. Gay Kernan is from Hobbs and represents Chaves, Eddy and Lea Counties. Sen. Kernan is an educator and has been in the Senate since 2002.
Committees: Finance
Email: gay.kernan@nmlegis.gov
Today the House will reconvene at 10:30am and the Senate will reconvene at 11am.
For more information about bills, lawmakers and happenings at the Roundhouse,
go to the New Mexico Legislature website.
A REMINDER: Head out to the Roundhouse this morning for the big 2nd Amendment rally. We must protect our Constitutional rights and show opposition to the Red Flag bill that's advancing in the Capitol. Stop this bill!
Weekly NM Roundup: Another Legislative Session Hurts New Mexicans
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW LEGISLATIVE SESSION ONE OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND RUNAWAY SPENDING The recent 30-day Legislative Session has been a tax and spend smorgasbord and an arrogant display of behavior by progressive Democrats. Republican leadership has described...
1. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER CRACKS DOWN ON "CATCH AND RELEASE" CRIMINAL PROBLEM Rep. Gregg Schmedes (R)-Tijeras is taking the bulls by the horns when it comes to our judicial system releasing dangerous criminals. Today Schmedes introduced House Bill 203 which will address...
1. HOUSE PASSAGE OF PENSION BILL PUTS NEW MEXICO ON PATH TOWARD SOLVENCY New Mexico could soon be on the road to pension solvency. The House has passed SB 72, the pension reform bill by a vote of 40 to 28. The legislation is designed to fix the state's more than $6...


SAMMY is a truly lovable pooch, with plenty of affection to give! He is a sweet and playful pup in the home, but has a long way to go with his nervousness out in the world. He is very agitated around dogs and new people, but his fosters are confident that with the right leadership, patience, and exposure, he will gain confidence and maturity to handle himself in new situations. We've started socialization training while in foster care and Sammy has benefited immensely from it. His intelligence and positive response to correction have helped him come a long way and he rarely barks or pulls anymore. He's pretty much mastered basic commands (as well as some pretty cute tricks) and is learning to follow instructions and improving daily. Continued training and dedication in his new home will make a huge difference for his development.
A quieter suburban home away from the noise and bustle of the city is the best fit for SAMMY in order to continue to build his confidence. He is definitely not a social butterfly and is not a good fit for a home with lots of people coming & going, or young children. This dude likes a slow pace of everything. Keeping it easy, not too forward. Can you be the advocate that he needs? We know there's a playful dude in there trying to build the confidence to come out, he just needs a strong and consistent leader. If you'd like to be SAMMY's life-long advocate, fill out an application to adopt today!


text:
Why Obamacare May Have Trouble Signing Up As Many Uninsured Next Year
By Jeffrey Young
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 31: Jose Villanueva (L) and Doraisy Avila sit with Maria Gabriela an agent from Sunshine Life and Health Advisors as they discuss pricing plans available from the Affordable Care Act at a store setup in the Mall of Americas on March 31, 2014 in Miami, Florida. Today is the last day for the first yearly sign-up period and Sunshine Life and Health saw a wait of four hours or more for people to see a health insurance advisor. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Obamacare made huge strides in extending health coverage to millions of uninsured people in its first year. Keeping up that momentum could be challenging.
An estimated 54 million Americans are still uninsured. But many of those who haven't yet been helped by the Affordable Care Act might be some of the hardest people to get signed up, according to the people trying to reach them.
"The people the second year are going to be a little bit harder. We got the low-hanging fruit," said Richard Onizuka, the CEO of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, the insurance marketplace for consumers in Washington state.
More than 10 million previously uninsured people signed up after Obamacare enrollment began last October. That group is considered the most eager for coverage. People with pre-existing conditions, who had been shut out of the market under pre-Obamacare rules and needed health care the most, were now able to get covered. Lower-income families were offered expanded Medicaid and subsidized private insurance.
One big hurdle to future sign-ups is the public's chronically poor understanding of how key parts of Obamacare can help low- and middle-income people afford coverage. These include the availability of Medicaid or subsidies for people who earn up to four times the federal poverty level -- or $46,680 for a single person this year. And public opinion about the law itself is negative.
Certain segments of the population also proved more difficult to reach during the initial sign-up period. Sign-ups of Hispanics lagged behind those of other groups, even though the uninsured rate is higher among Hispanics. People who have less education, live in remote rural areas, are disconnected from community or religious groups, are homeless, don't have Internet access or don't consume news often may not always know that new programs are in place. And smaller numbers of people will find they can't afford even subsidized insurance, or will simply opt to remain uncovered.
And as evidence from California suggests, those who have been without health insurance the longest may turn out to be the most difficult to get signed up. Eighty-two percent of those still uninsured in the Golden State have lacked coverage for at least two years or have never had it, according to a survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park, California.
"There's an expectation that the farther along we go, that it will be the kind of chronically uninsured who end up being the hardest to reach," said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the foundation.
No one expected Obamacare to give everyone health insurance in a single year -- or ever.
The Congressional Budget Office projects the law will reduce the uninsured by 12 million through the end of this year, but that just 7 million will gain coverage in 2015.
And the CBO also expects there still will be 57 million U.S. residents without health insurance a decade from now. That equals 11 percent of the population, including undocumented immigrants who are ineligible for government-supported health benefits. Though it's 26 million fewer uncovered people than there would be absent the ACA, the gap suggests the law can never achieve universal coverage.
Besides undocumented immigrants, there's another category of people left out of the coverage expansion: residents of the 24 states that took advantage of a Supreme Court ruling allowing them to refuse expanding Medicaid eligibility up to 133 percent of poverty, or $15,521 for a single person. The uninsured rate fell in states that expanded Medicaid, but barely moved in those that didn't, a July Gallup poll found. According to the Urban Institute, more than 60 percent of the remaining uninsured live in states that opted against expanding Medicaid.
The results of the first year of the coverage expansion, however, can't be denied. The most official national count of the uninsured, from the census, won't be available until more than a year from now. But numerous polls and analyses make plain that the ACA has made rapid progress in reducing their ranks despite the law's rocky rollout last year.
Obamacare reduced the number of people without health insurance by 10.3 million people in 2014, researchers from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Harvard School of Public Health reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in July. The uninsured rate fell 3.7 percentage points to 13.4 percent between last fall and this March, the lowest rate since 2008, according to Gallup.
Kentucky, which expanded Medicaid and operated a state-run exchange, achieved a big reduction in its uninsured rate, largely through Medicaid. With more than one-quarter of the state's residents now enrolled in that program, finding and signing up more eligible people may not be easy, said Lisa Lee, deputy commissioner of the state's Department for Medicaid Services. "It's almost like looking for a needle in a haystack at this point, but we will continue our aggressive outreach," she said.
In states that resisted Obamacare and didn't expand Medicaid, the path to making major progress on the uninsured is steeper, said Jodi Ray, program director of Florida Covering Kids & Families at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
"There's a huge number of folks," Ray said. "To assume we've captured all the low-hanging fruit would be a gross misstatement in a state like Florida."
An Enroll America survey conducted in April provides some insights into why uninsured people didn't get covered, and what might work to get them enrolled. One key finding is that 61 percent of them want health coverage, compared to 15 percent who don't.
Improving public understanding of the subsidies appears to be crucial to boosting enrollment. More than half of the people who signed up were aware there was financial assistance available, compared to just over one-quarter of those who didn't enroll, the survey shows. Likewise, nearly half of people who didn't try to enroll believed they couldn't afford it, according to the survey.
"There was sometimes a mismatch between perception and reality," said Jenny Sullivan, director of Enroll America's Best Practices Institute. "They didn't necessarily have the knowledge that financial help was available."
Advocates believe they can build on their success with methods that have already proven effective, such as in-person help with applications and spreading the word about financial assistance. Groups plan to expand such efforts to more communities and more people.
"We're going to see continued progress there," Sullivan said of the strategies. "It's really leaning into some of those very same messages that worked well during the first open enrollment period and making sure that we get those to an even broader swath of folks."
Jeffrey Young
Business Jeffrey Young on Health Care Affordable Care Act Health Care Reform Uninsured


text:
Good Friday: Passover Meal
Posted by Kenny Conley | Family | 0
One of the stations we were most excited about was the Passover Meal. What happened at this important meal was huge. Too often, the topic of the last supper is cut short. Sure, it's important because that is where Jesus did the first communion and it is where the story gets really interesting when Jesus rats out Judas with his plan to betray him. These are important parts of the overall plot, but there is so much more to this meal than those things and we wanted to capture that in this station. On several occasions, we referred to this station as a seder meal, but there were several who cautioned us against using that term in particular. This meal is very significant to the Jewish faith and we wanted to make sure we didn't dishonor it. Instead, this station was simply about teaching what happened at the Passover Meal.
With the number of kids coming through this event, we considered many options on how to create a meaningful experience. I wanted to do whatever was possible to get the actual food on the table in front of these kids. I wanted to engage their sight, touch, smell and taste. It was a big hit as both parents and their kids walked out knowing so much.
We had fun with this breakout. We decorated the room to look like a 1st century dinner. We got 8 foot tables and put two of them side to side so that we could comfortably seat 12 people at each table. We covered with table clothes and burlap accents. We put the LED candles on every table and adjusted the room's stage lights to light up each table with a soft glow. The room was incredibly inviting. At the front, we set up a cooking station where Chris, our Student Pastor would lead the station. We made it to look and feel like a cooking show. Chris wore what a chef would wear, he had stainless steel tables, food processors and even a cutting board with a "cutting cam." We literally took one of our video cameras, hung it above the cooking area and displayed the image on the screen to the right of the stage. Chris could show the entire room what he was preparing just by holding it over the cutting board. It was so much fun, everyone LOVED it!
The point of the station was to provide some context for what actually happened at the last supper. We explained some of the foods that they would have eaten at a Passover meal and explained the reason why they ate that food, the symbolic nature of that particular item. We had 4-6 different foods that people were able to taste and smell for themselves. Every table had a host/server, so as Chris was talking about a certain item, the hosts came to the front and got the item and came back to their table to distribute to every person.
The final point was to show how Jesus was connecting to the past like the Passover meal is supposed to do, but then he linked what he was about to do through the bread and the wine. The disciples didn't quite understand what he was talking about, but now when we celebrate communion, we do so in a very similar fashion as the purpose of the Passover meal.
Here is a PDF of the notes Chris used to teach this station.
PreviousAllergy Alert: Food Safety at Church
NextGood Friday: Bag of Silver Craft Tent
Introducing Genevieve Pearl
Child Dedication nuts and bolts (Registration process)
Good Friday: Meaning of the Mystery
Being prepared for difficult questions


text:
Crisis holds hope for health care
Posted on February 27, 2009 in Health Debates
TheStar.com – Opinion – Crisis holds hope for health care
February 27, 2009. Carol Goar
Despite his reputation as an iconoclast, Ted Ball sent out his latest health-care report this week with a certain amount of trepidation.
It contained a glaring red flag. He pegged the level of waste in Ontario's medical delivery system at 30 per cent. (The Toronto health-care consultant actually thinks it is closer to 40 per cent but he didn't want to be too provocative.)
He waited for a torrent of angry – or at least skeptical – emails from hospital administrators, health-care professionals and provincial bureaucrats.
But the reaction was surprisingly muted. What this suggests to Ball, who has been arguing for 25 years that Ontario spends too much and gets too little out of its health-care system, is that the message is finally getting through.
He expects Queen's Park to hold the line in next month's budget. And he thinks health-care leaders will respond pragmatically, possibly even creatively.
For Ball, this is a breakthrough moment. "This is perhaps our best opportunity for a long overdue transformation," he says. "I believe the current financial crisis is about to provide the tipping point."
The first challenge, he says, will be to redeploy the roughly $12 billion that is now being spent on unneeded medical tests, inappropriate drugs, redundant paperwork, political lobbying, rivalry between doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals, and competition between institutions.
Putting taxpayers' money where it will do the most good (home care, for example) sounds simple and sensible. But Ontario's health-care system is riddled with vested interests, institutional barriers and processes so ingrained that people consider them sacrosanct.
The next task will be to stop rewarding hospital executives for increasing their patient volumes. Their remuneration should be based on how effectively they work with other partners in the health-care system, Ball says.
This, too, will require a major shift in thinking. Most hospital boards equate spending with success. Most management practices are borrowed from the world of business, where bigger is better.
The third imperative, Ball says, will be to move resources from "sick care" to disease prevention. Ontario has a ministry of health promotion, but it gets a trickle of funds compared with dollars gushing into hospitals, doctors' salaries and drug benefits. Moreover, the government doesn't consider smog, malnutrition, illiteracy or substandard housing health issues.
"What is the point of spending $40 billion annually on health care if we are just getting sicker and sicker?" Ball asks.
Finally, Ontario's 14 newly created regional health boards (known as LHINS or Local Health Integration Networks) will have to show strong leadership, he says. The government has given them a mandate to pull all the players in the health-care system – hospitals, nursing homes, family health teams and community agencies – together. It has offered them the chance to set goals, allocate resources and build relationships.
"We cannot allow any LHIN to fail," Ball says. "If they fail, we all fail."
He sees no need to cut nurses. They're one of the best bargains in the health-care system. Nor does he see any need to redesign, restructure or overhaul medicare. Former health minister George Smitherman came up with a fine blueprint. What is required now is the political will to implement it.
It has become a cliché to say that adversity creates opportunity. But in the case of Ontario's overpriced, underperforming health-care system, it might just be true.
This entry was posted on Friday, February 27th, 2009 at 10:41 am and is filed under Health Debates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


text:
The big boys are coming to town: Mercure moves in on Mudgee
Accor Hotels, the world's leading hotel operator, is on its way to the Australian country town of Mudgee.
Accor announced that the Parklands Resort and Conference Centre in the New South Wales wine region has joined the Accor Hotels portfolio.
The hotel, known as a function/conference centre and wedding venue, will undergo a refurbishment to bring it in-line with the Mercure brand standards and be re-branded as Mercure Mudgee in early 2018.
Parklands Resort and Conference Centre has the capacity to host up to 1,200 people across five event spaces and features 68-rooms, a restaurant and bar, fitness centre, indoor pool and tennis courts.
The resort joins Accor Hotels' growing network of regional New South Wales properties including Mercure Orange, ibis Styles Orange and Mercure Tamworth.
Simon McGrath, chief operating officer of AccorHotels Pacific said: "We are thrilled to add to our network of hotels in regional Australia and welcome the addition of Parklands Resort and Conference Centre to our network.
"Our move into the popular regional NSW town of Mudgee is backed by the growth of tourism in the area thanks to the many wineries and boutique providores that have really helped to put Mudgee on the map.
"The Mercure brand has a strong history in Australia, particularly in regional town centres, and Mercure Mudgee will deliver an internationally recognised, midscale hotel offering which will help drive tourism to the area.
"We are delighted to be working again with the owners, Elanor Investors Group, and we look forward to working with the local community and welcoming guests to the hotel."
The Mercure brand has over 730 hotels in 56 countries. They are usually located in city centres, by the sea or in the mountains.
Accor Hotels is present in 95 countries and manages over 4,000 hotels. For full details see www.accorhotels.com
All change in Adelaide as Pullman hits town
Not just any port in a storm: a sweet Father's Day...
A nifty gadget that's worth its weight for travellers
Why you should check your Telstra bill very carefully
A uniquely Australian experience most Aussies have...
The big boys are coming to town: Mercure moves in ...
New campaign aims to boost sustainable tourism
Hunter star hits the road to showcase seafood and ...
Margaret River winemaker starts an international s...
A special wine weekend on Tasmania's east coast
Central and delightful Sydney accommodation
50th birthday celebrations for Margaret River hit ...
Australia's own spirit links up with fashion icons
New Zealand awards reveal the best of the best
A unique taste of South Africa on the Cape Town wa...
Coonawarra and Tasmanian vignerons hit the road
Jetstar to launch Hobart-Adelaide flights
Parramatta moves upmarket with new five-star hotel
I want nothing this society's got; I'm going under...
A beginner's guide to alternative grape varieties
A landmark Wynns Black Label hits all the right notes
A ridiculous travel bargain in Tasmania's Gourmet ...
What is it that hotel guests really want?
Las Vegas: a magnet for winners, and losers


System Features: or just annoy your neighbours. selling 7 speaker cables for use with a pa system.
Complete PA System, the receiver, 5 speakers, sub woofer, and remote/paperwork.
System Features: reason for selling is i dont play music anymore. great for outdoor, garage or community hall parties and events.
Recently purchased couple nice used Behringer une paire de trépieds yorkville en aluminium. the unit has two 6" main speakers and two 2 3/4 side sub woofers.
Check out these interesting ads related to "pa speaker system"
Used, 800-Watt 2-Way PA Speaker, 12" Woofer, 1.75"
Active + passive pa speaker system kit - dual. I have 2 of them with power cables for sale. "If you were pleased with this transaction, please respond with all stars"
JBL EON206P Professional PA Portable Speaker we have a vintage pa~public address system speaker for sale: .
This is a pa speaker system . Most items are in great condition, some have paint wear. Asking price is 76.98.
Releasing a complete PA system as a lot for a i have 2 of them with power cables for sale. "Please note that we catalogue all outgoing orders to ensure that no damaged, defective or incorrect products are shipped"
I have 2 of them with power cables for sale. This is a pa speaker system , it is in like new condition. Offered at 61.49. Any question Please ask!
System Features: hi there - up for offer is a complete pa active mixer system. used it with our small basement band.
Alto professional trouper compact performance pa. Full size bluetooth pa system rental. "If you have any questions, suggestions or queries, please contact us"
Rockville rpg122k 12-inch powered speakers with. I have to move hurry it'll go fast... "If you wish to return the item for any reason, we are happy to refund you"


If anyone is in the market for a new or used Skiers Choice I strongly recommend giving Ryan a call! I found him to be extremely knowledgeable and a great all around guy to do business with! I just wish he'd quit with the Supra reviews because I love looking at new boats and that can be a dangerous thing!! Welcome to the Moomba forum Ryan!
Hope Ryan offers up more than just selling us a boat brand we already own.....so far 5 posts equal 5 sales pitches.