The buzz about chatbots is loud. Many ask "what is a chatbot" and don't have a clue what this technology does. Others consider it a fad destined to pass sooner or later without a chance to grow into something serious. Here're some facts that help you understand what is a chatbot and if it's worth your attention.
Basic facts about chatbots that show what they are and what they do.
Features that connect chatbots and customer experience.
Chatbot capabilities and major business problems they solve.
First, let's check what a chatbot is. Then, ask yourself if you have ever had a conversation with one. Pretty sure, you have.
Chatbots are the bots that use chat to receive, understand and respond to customer queries. This software uses text or voice interface to interact with users. As a result, chat-like interaction originates conversational user experience, or conversational UX in short.
Chatbots contact users via world-known messengers, e-mail agents, SMS, and can be embedded into an existing web page, platform, system, or app.
Some chatbots are rule-based. They rely on a set of rules to determine how to understand queries and use scripts to respond to them. AI bots, on the contrary, are less limited by pre-designed conversational flows and use machine learning to perform "cognitive" functions. Both types of bots can be sophisticated and "smart" depending on the effort and skills that a chatbot developer puts inside.
This technology is flexible. Chatbots easily integrate with third-party systems, including AI engines and databases, handle user input and able to memorise and process input data for "self-learning."
Customers are already familiar with many chatbots that live in operational systems (Siri, Cortana), apps (Messenger chatbots), devices (Skills for Amazon Echo), Email agents (Amy), etc.
Talking bots have already gained loyalty from Millennial audience and attention from many world leading brands. Today, chatbots serve as an additional channel of communication with customers and automation tool.
Brands rely on chatbots using them as smart personal assistants for customers and agents that augment human team, operate 24/7/365, and provide multiple benefits that eventually turn into competitive advantages.
In other words, chatbots are the bots that use chat interface to communicate with customers one-on-one on behalf of brands. They perform various functions and free customers from the need to learn new interfaces or download new apps.
Gartner research states that 89% of marketers see customer experience as the main differentiator starting from 2017.
In a customer-centric world as it is today, business needs the tool to handle customer service, improve customer experience, and contribute to customer engagement efficiently. Here's how a chatbot becomes this tool.
They deal with customer frustration.
Customers are getting more demanding and at the same time more complicated to deal with. 98% of them switch from device to device daily, according to Google. Still, 87% expect brands to follow up and provide consistent experience. While 89% of customers have to deal with frustration having to repeat queries to various brand representatives, says Accenture. And 84% of customers hate to find out that brand agents simply don't have the information they need.
Chatbots deal with this frustration easily. They work consistently across devices and apps. Having no visual interface as it is, they use familiar chat interface of messengers and popular apps to respond to user queries intuitively and fast.
Integrated with any available system or database, chatbots never lack information. And never make customers repeat twice, since chatbots are able to memorise information and make decisions based on previous input.
MobileMarketer research claims that mobile search already generates 27.8 billion more enquiries than desktop search. However, more than 90% customers claim they struggle with poor customer service on mobile. Granted that 58% are ready to switch brands for better customer service immidiately, and 86% are willing to spend 25% more for better experience, according to RightNow.
Chatbots originally occupy mobile environment. Operating from messengers, social media, SMS, and other mobile platforms, chatbot service applies the benefits of text interface as the simplest, intuitive, and most familiar for a mobile user.
They address customer needs appropriately.
A widely used prediction from Gartner claims that "by 2020 a customer will manage 85% of the relationship with an enterprise without interacting with a human." In this context, to survive competition, brands will need to provide customers with the tools to enable such automated interaction. The tools that will be able to nourish customer engagement strategy of the brand and fulfill customer expectation for immediate response to any query.
Chatbots are possibly the only technology that can provide both automation of customer-to-brand communication and make this communication smooth and intuitive, since it goes through natural language conversation.
In fact, chatbot functionality is limited only by business needs and developer's creativity. These are some common business and customer experience problems and bottlenecks that chatbots crack.
Ask yourself, have you been struggling with any of these? If yes, how much do you spend on it?
Case 1. Lost clients, abandoned carts.
Old as the hills, abandoned carts cause businesses across industries, from B2C Ecommerce to B2B product and service distribution, billions-dollar profit losses yearly. Chatbots are able to eliminate the issue of incomplete orders by providing information, smart recommendations, and even cross and upselling.
First, as smart personal assistants, chatbots collect customer information, user input, and the records of previous purchase behavior to provide personalized recommendations on goods, services, plans, and related products.
Secondly, integrated with various third-party services, bots allow seamless purchase experience from order to check out, payment, tracking, delivery, and feedback.
Finally, chatbots enable excessive informing on purchase procedures, smooth purchase experience, and 24/7 customer support to eliminate doubts and concerns that cause abandoned carts and customer loss in the first place.
Case 2. Customer engagement and acquisition.
To raise brand awareness is not an easy task, but to engage customers into communication, make them interact with your brand is twice harder. Not only do you need to choose the right channel, tone of voice, message and audience, but also be timely and valuable.
Chatbot service can be of use to the brands looking for a solution to brand recognition and customer engagement riddle.
Using these bots, brands attain new and reconnect with existing customers within the channels customers already use for a while. Meanwhile, Messenger, Skype, email and other chatbots talk the same language as customers do, with the tone of voice and purpose that a brand determines designing conversational UX.
Moreover, custom chatbots are able to carefully choose audience, time, message, and channel of communication and act as a more refined, focused digital marketing tool for customer engagement and broadcasting. In other words, these smart digital agents know exactly what to offer to each particular customer, when and where to send this message, and how to talk into buying a product without being pushy or dull.
Case 3. Overload and business process automation.
Poor customer base is a trouble, but work overload and costly customer support is not less a problem for some brands, especially when it comes to hot seasons.
Fortunately, chatbots handle these troubles with their ability to automate, process simultaneous enquiries, and provide personalized service anytime, anywhere. This smart software augments human team significantly and performs simple functions such as Q&A, updating, order processing, search and match, and even recommendation service 24/7/365.
On one hand, the use of this technology releases companies from work overload issues and cuts costs on hiring additional hands. On the other hand, chatbots contribute to brand reliability and customer satisfaction. In the long run, it improves customer retention and enhances trust.
Case 4. Personalization of services.
No doubt, ability to provide personalized punctual service is a serious competitive advantage. However, not every business can afford a custom systems to collect, analyze, and most importantly, convert massive customer data into a valuable asset to take advantage of. Not until this business has a chatbot.
First of all, chatbots are flexible and easy to modify. Integrated with various third-party services and engines, this software empowered with strong AI skills can make data-driven decisions and learn, send collected data for processing, and use the results to tailor services to customer needs, precisely.
Secondly, chatbots themselves become sales drivers, since they can adjust offers and recommendations to customer needs by asking customers what they want, literally. To some extent, using one-on-one conversations, companies provide personal assistance to every customer without hiring actual personal assistants, but developing a one-size-fits-all chatbot solution.
Not sure if you need one? Check what chatbots can do for business and get to know the chatbots Digiteum has built for Oxford Dictionaries and Pan Macmillan Publishing. Possibly, one smart digital assistant is the one you have been looking for. Contact our team to talk about chatbots or hire a chatbot developer right away.


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Todd Gurley Joked He Swapped Shirts With A Ref After The Rams Advanced To The Super Bowl
by: Brad RowlandTwitter January 20, 2019
The NFC Championship Game lived up to the considerable hype, as the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints needed overtime to determine a winner. In the end, the Rams advanced to the Super Bowl on an extremely long field goal and, in on-brand fashion, defensive back Marcus Peters caused a ruckus when he confronted Saints head coach Sean Payton immediately following the victory.
Still, the fireworks weren't done there, as the Rams benefitted greatly from a controversial no-call on an obvious pass interference in the fourth quarter, producing quite a reaction from fans all over the country. After all was said and done, star running back Todd Gurley leaned into the bit, posting an amusing photograph that essentially joked about swapping "jerseys" with a referee following the game.
💀💀💀😂😂😂😂
A post shared by Todd Gurley (@tg4hunnid) on Jan 20, 2019 at 4:52pm PST
In case there was any doubt, this didn't actually happen, but it's also a brilliant piece of social media work from Gurley. It says a lot without expressly laying out his thoughts and, even on a day when he accumulated only 13 yards as a result of limited usage and a potential injury, Gurley got to make waves with the click of a button.
Not everyone will find this amusing and, of course, Saints fans won't find joy in what Gurley chose to do in this spot. Still, he was able to make light of the fact that, yes, the Rams got lucky with the no-call, but Los Angeles is still about to embark on a two-week journey that will end on the brightest possible stage in Atlanta.
Topics: #NFL, #Super BowlTags: LOS ANGELES RAMS, NFL, SUPER BOWL, Todd Gurley

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Tucked away in the heart of New Delhi, in the upmarket Vasant Vihar area, in a locality known as Vasant Gaon, is this temple of Hanuman. A massive Hanuman idol stands tall here. Sculpted out of a single granite rock, it is forty feet tall, and weights a hundred and fifty tons. It is installed on a twenty five feet foundation.
And this was my first visit to this temple. To me it was amazing that I had never been here before. Having spent many years in Delhi, surely I should have known of this temple. How can you miss a 45 foot Hanuman? Well, at least I have moved out of Delhi for some time now, but my friend Ravi, who came along with me now to this temple, has been in this very area all his life. And he too had never visited the temple, although he had heard of its existence. It was one of those things… It was right there, and yet wasn't visible until you cared to see!
What a sight! A tall Hanuman could be seen, right at the back of a long flight of steps that led up to an open-to-the-sky temple courtyard. The sounds of a katha greeted us from the courtyard. Many young Brahmachari students were sitting and listening. They would have been students of the Sanskrit School being run here. Some elders, including priests, were also in the audience. It was informal (Oh the informality of open skies!), one felt like a bird in lazy flight. We were all chakora birds, Hanuman was the full bright moon. In the presence of this massive Hanuman, one felt as secure as a baby in his parent's care.
I had come looking for this temple, having recently read about the amazing sage who founded it.
His name was Swami Prabhudutt Brahmachari.
Sant Prabhuduttji Brahmachari was an Indian guru and freedom fighter who ran a Sanskrit school in Basant gaon, New Delhi. He founded his ashram at Jhusi to organize Kumbh Mela. He became close to Golwalker in nearly 1950 and then Rajendra Singh and Golwalker persuaded him to stand against Nehru on the cow protection platform and against the Hindu Code Bill. In 1951, he openly challenged Jawaharlal Nehru's election to the 1st Lok Sabha from the Allahabad constituency, challenging Nehru's stance on the ideology of Hinduism in independent India.
This all-too-brief description hardly does justice to the persona that he was.
Prabhudutt Brahmachari was born in 1885, in a village in District Aligarh, in a poor Brahmana family. Early in his life, he took deep interest in Sanskrit studies, and also took a vow of lifelong celibacy. Leaving home, he went off to study in Gurukula, in different places, leading up to Varanasi. Swami Karpatri Maharaj was one of his co-students.
He was also drawn by the fire of freedom struggle and became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Becoming an activist, he jumped into the fight for independence, and was interred in jail by the British, undergoing rigorous imprisonment. One of his prison-mates was Jawaharlal Nehru. The irony is that he would later stand against Jawaharlal Nehru, in the first elections held in independent India.
In this seat, (where I do tapasya), well may my body dry up, my flesh and bones decay; But without attaining Self-Knowledge, which is extremely difficult to obtain even after eons, I shall not stir from this seat, whatever it takes.
Taking this upadesha, Prabhudutt ji left for the Himalaya. But after serious Tapasya, he became very ill, and could no longer continue. Breaking his resolve, he returned to the plains, and going to Udiya Baba, he conveyed his state. Baba was a Jnani, who could gaze into the heart, and see such things as eyes of flesh do not see. He was kindness itself, and said – "No problem. In failures, seeds of success lie hidden. You have a pravrtti (predilection) for reading and writing. Go write books".
And so began the writing life of Prabhudutt Ji. And what a library he has written. Starting with the life story about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he went on to write on a whole range of subjects. His magnum opus is Bhagavati Katha. This is a series of 118 parts, each of 200 to 250 pages. The first 68 parts are a rendering of Srimad Bhagavatam in traditional Hindi (Vraja bhasha), including translations and commentaries on key verses of Bhagavatam. Parts 69-74 of the series contain a commentary on Bhagavad Gita. Parts 74 to 106 contains commentaries on 191 upanishads. Imagine this… 191 Upanishads!! This is incredible! Perhaps no one else in history has done commentaries on as many Upanishads. Parts 107 to 118 contain explanations of different schools of Indian philosophy and a commentary on Brahma Sutra.
For writing this magnum opus, he opted for complete solitude. Delegating all his secular work to others, he acquired a houseboat which he anchored in the middle of Ganga river. And there he worked undisturbed, focused fully on his writing work. What a tapasya!
Swami Prabhudutt Brahmanchari's main Asram is in Jhusi, near Allahabad, where he is said to have done terrific tapasya of Gayatri Mantra, standing in a state of Samadhi in the waters of Ganga …. In this Asrama, he held vibrant festivals of Nama Samkeertan, which were attended by some of the greatest sages of North India of those times.
Swamiji felt that Hanuman was the "Kotwal", the Guardian, of the capital of India. And so he had this temple built in Basant Gaon, which then, was in the outskirts of Delhi, on the way to the Palam Airport. The temple was completed and inaugurated in 1990.
Swamiji lived to see the "Kotwal of the Capital' installed. And he passed away the same year, at the ripe age of 105.
Hanuman lands on top of Lambaa mountain in Lanka, crashing through the forest tree carpet, and as he lands, he is covered with flowers, so much so that he looks like an ape made of flowers.
Watch. A ustream recording of the katha narration….
A hello first, from a smiling Hanuman face, lounging in the open….
All right… the main Hanuman is now all set to leave this place… A group of people are hauling a huge rope… The crane is ready.
This is a special form of Narsimha… Modeled on Chatravata (छत्रवट) Nrsimha of Ahobilam… Chatravata Narsimha of Ahobilam is so named because he was originally in the shade of a banyan tree… The story is that when Narsimha had just slain Hiranyakashipu, he was in great anger… In order to appease him, Ha-Ha and Hoo-Hoo, two gandharvas, sang melodious tunes… And Narsimha was so pleased, he started keeping time (Taalam) on his thigh with his left hand… And he was all smiles… The Narsihma idol here is so sculpted that the face is the smiling visage of Chatravata Narsimha….
The consecration of "Vishwaroopa Sankatahara Mangala Maruti" is scheduled for 12-June….
21st of March last year (2010), the carving of a great Hanuman idol commenced… Readers of this blog may recall the post (Click here to read the first post)… And then, end of October, there was a function in Chennai, for energizing the Yantra-s of the idols of Hanuman, Rama, Lakshmi-Nrsimha, for the proposed temple at Alangudi, the third in the great series of Hanuman temple being constructed under the auspicious oversight of Ramani Anna… (Click here to read that post)..
Here is a picture from that last visit, religious ceremony being conducted on the rock to be sculpted.
Like lightning, he was flashing, quivering!
His splendorous body body ablaze like fire, the slayer of foes, glanced with his honey like eyes.
Shall continue with some more pictures, other idols in the next post – the part 3B.


as part of the London Clothes Show fo rthe last past 2years, Untold gives to the designers the opportunity to partcicipate to one of the most attended tade show.
Find also Untold as part of Fashion diversity, during LFW in september, where fashion graduate students,emerging and established get the chance to showcase their work and where the public attend various workshops.
The event sounds really exciting! Hope all the planning is going well?


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Gootau è un villaggio del Botswana situato nel distretto Centrale, sottodistretto di Serowe Palapye. Il villaggio, secondo il censimento del 2011, conta 1.401 abitanti.

Località
Nel territorio del villaggio sono presenti le seguenti 9 località:
Bokuding di 2 abitanti,
Goo-Tau Vet Camp di 4 abitanti,
Gootau Lands,
Marumantsho di 3 abitanti,
Mohibitswane,
Mokaibe di 1 abitante,
Morokolwane di 4 abitanti,
Orukutshane di 6 abitanti,
Peterolong di 5 abitanti

Bibliografia
2011 Census Alphabetical Index of Districts  del Central Statistics Office del Botswana
2011 Census Alphabetical Index of Villages del Central Statistics Office del Botswana
  del Central Statistics Office del Botswana

Voci correlate
Suddivisioni del Botswana
Distretti del Botswana
Sottodistretti del Botswana

Collegamenti esterni

Villaggi del Botswana

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Mommy Mundo is on the go!
Check out Moms, Mommy Mundo will go around the country to reach you!
We moms love telling stories about our days, our birth, our kids, and we'd like to hear from them! Sharing our mom stories online helps us learn from each other, get inspired and just makes us realize how we are all on the same boat on this adventure called motherhood.
We ask moms to share their #themotherhoodjourney stories with us online to get a chance to win a Mommy Mundo Passport x Journey Box Bundle!
#mommymundo Make sure to set your account to public until June 25.
1. 10 winners will be selected randomly via Rafflecopter. Winners can get the Mommy Mundo Passport x Journey Box Bundle!
2. Contest is open to all residents of Cebu and Negros.
4. Winners will be asked to pick up their prizes at the event venue and will need to present 2 valid IDs. If they are unable to pick up personally, they must provide the representative with an authorization letter and the two valid IDs.
5. Prizes must be picked up at the event venue on June 18 and 25. Prizes may be sent via courier or delivery but costs will be shouldered by the winner.
Baby Lab will be having a BUY 1 TAKE 1 on ALL ITEMS, exclusively for the EXPOMOM event this April 29-30.


Now, you can stay connected to your car with FordPass and FordPass Connect, Click here to find out more.
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Command the road with increased ride height and extended wheel arches.
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Smart technologies, including selectable drive modes, put you in control of your own adventures.
Up to seven different driving modes including Normal, ECO, Sport, Comfort, Eco-Comfort, Slippery and Trail.
Further charges may apply subject to mileage and condition. Retail Only. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Freepost Ford Credit. Subject to availability at Chipping Sodbury Motor Company for new vehicles contracted between 1 April and 30 June 2019 and registered by 1 September. Failure to make payments on time may make obtaining credit in the future more difficult. Your vehicle may be repossessed if you do not keep up payments. Other paint colours may incur additional costs. Chipping Sodbury Motor Company is acting a credit broker and not a lender.


Meaning and definitions of alphabet, translation in Gujarati language for alphabet with similar and opposite words. Also find spoken pronunciation of alphabet in Gujarati and in English language.
What alphabet means in Gujarati, alphabet meaning in Gujarati, alphabet definition, examples and pronunciation of alphabet in Gujarati language.


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Doctrine of Equivalents Case Adds Technological ESP to 'Forseeability'
As the patent and technology communities continue to analyze the U.S. Supreme Court's recent opinions pulling back on patent scope and challenging legal standards set by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (the court of sole appellate jurisdiction over patent cases arising in federal district courts), the CAFC on July 7 released the latest assault on patent scope, a three-judge panel decision in the 19-year-old patent case Festo Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Co. Ltd., et al.
By Lynda L. Calderone | Updated on July 18, 2007


Wildlife management is the decision-making processes and the implementation of practices to purposefully influence the interactions among and between people, wildlife and their habitats to achieve impacts valued by stakeholders. Aldo Leopold wrote "game can be restored by the creative use of the same tools which have heretofore destroyed it; the axe, plow, cow, fire and gun." Visit the Conservation Toolbox to learn more about conservation opportunities in Nebraska.
You can assess desired and future conditions to improve upland gamebird populations and hunting opportunities. Develop an annual work plan to prioritize how, when, and where to implement wildlife habitat management objectives.
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of habitat available to pheasants on your land and in the surrounding area.
Improve what is already there (i.e. add a few rows of shrubs to existing woody cover, alter a grazing system, or restore a wetland).
Create new habitat features that will enhance those already available on the landscape.
Nesting and brood habitat can have a very significant effect on pheasant populations. Learn more about the establishing and managing pheasant habitat.
Have a question? Check here first so see if it has already been answered.
Food plots can be established almost anywhere, but well-planned food and cover plots provide a dependable source of high-energy food for local pheasant populations.
Nebraska Pheasants Forever has a series of videos that offer helpful advice on many different perspectives of habitat conservation and management.
Pheasants Forever is committed to educating current and future generations of land stewards and hunters to achieve its habitat mission. We work with farmers, ranchers, landowners, and natural resource agencies to accomplish science-based habitat management practices that benefit upland game habitat. The following fact sheets were developed by our knowledgeable team of wildlife biologists to help address common habitat management topics.


It is hard to write about an eatery when expectations are so high. Firstly, Ka Soh has been around for a long time and is regarded by many as a Singaporean institution. Mention fish head beehoon and har cheong gai and its name would invariably turn up! And then, there is the fact that they are on the listed in the Michelin guide as a Bib Gourmand restaurant! With these two accolades, you won't be blamed for expecting the food to anything less than stellar.
That really is a problem.
If Ka Soh were an ordinary coffeeshop zi char, you would have thought the food was pretty good. Their fish head bee hoon is still made the traditional way where fish bones are boiled till the stock is milky, slices of fresh snakehead fish and bee hoon are added and finally the creamy soup is anointed with a splash of chinese wine before it is served. The thin layer of collagen that forms on the surface is a tell tale sign that milkiness comes from collagen and not from evaporated milk!
Candice, the third generation owner told me that the soups at both restaurants are slightly different. The one at this branch is lighter as the clientele are younger and want to have a soup which they can finish without feeling too full. So the recipe has been tweaked a little to accommodate the different palate.
The food at Ka Soh is good and they do make the effort to make all their sauces and soup stocks themselves. You will have a satisfying zi char meal there if you walked in without any expectations.


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Puvalur is een panchayatdorp in het district Tiruchirappalli van de Indiase staat Tamil Nadu.

Demografie
Volgens de Indiase volkstelling van 2001 wonen er 7.745 mensen in Puvalur, waarvan 50% mannelijk en 50% vrouwelijk is. De plaats heeft een alfabetiseringsgraad van 76%.

Plaats in Tiruchirappalli


Mention "Amish transportation" and the horse-and-carriage immediately comes to mind. Yet most Amish also travel by a variety of other means, including car, train, bus, and by water.
All Amish households have at least one, and sometimes numerous carriages, except for in some cases the elderly who may live near or in small towns in Amish communities. The buggy is important to Amish life as it serves as both a symbolic and literal brake on the pace of life. It also symbolizes Amish identity, serving an important cultural role. Use of the buggy is a key indicator of Old Order Amish status.
Amish rely on the horse-and-buggy to travel short distances, such as to town, to visit family and neighbors, or to travel to church on Sundays. Buggies typically travel at about 5-10 miles per hour, and have a range of 15-20 miles before horses need to be rested. Amish only rarely ride horseback.
Amish universally object to both automobile ownership, and to operating a vehicle, but in most cases permit riding in cars as passengers. Amish acknowledge a need to sometimes travel further than a buggy allows, thus the allowance for automobile travel.
Amish may be driven by friends, non-Amish employees, and in some cases unbaptized or non-Amish children and relatives. Amish also frequently make use of the so-called "Amish taxi" services provided by non-Amish individuals in most Amish areas. Bus travel is another form of transport common among Amish. Read more on the Amish, buggies, and cars.
Bicycle is a popular form of travel, especially among Amish in the Midwest. Some communities are more bike-friendly, for example Arthur Illinois, with its asphalt roads and flat landscape. Holmes County, Ohio features the Holmes County Trail, a byway traversing the county and designed for both bike, buggy, and foot travel.
Other communities rely on the scooter, such as the Lancaster County community, or that of Allen County, Indiana. Most church districts in Lancaster do not permit the bicycle.
Rollerblades have been widely accepted in some communities such as Lancaster County. They are mainly used by youth and children, as a means of recreation as well as to travel short distances. Not all Amish permit rollerblades. More on the Amish and rollerblades.
An exception to the allowance for car travel is found with the conservative Swartzentruber Amish group, who only allow automobile travel in an emergency. When visting relatives in distant settlements, Swartzentruber Amish must travel by bus or train. This limitation also prevents Swartzentruber businesses such as carpenters from working outside of horse-and-buggy range.
Amish travel by train on occasion. In some cases Amish journey far distances by train, for example to Mexico or Canada for less expensive medical treatment, or to visit relatives and Amish in other settlements. Amish may spend three days on a train during longer journeys. Other Amish, such as those in Pennsylvania and the northeast, may make use of regional rail networks for shorter trips.
Amish nearly universally forbid travel by air. Flying is seen as worldly, symbolic of luxury, and unnecessary. Most Amish do permit air travel in emergencies, such as lifeflights to medical centers. Most New Order Amish, representing a small segment of Amish society, permit travel by plane for business or other purposes, however. More on the Amish and air travel.
Amish forefathers originally arrived in North America in the 1700s by ship. Today Amish do not prohibit travel by water. Travel by water is most often a form of recreation for Amish. Amish occasionally may travel by ship to visit Europe.
Some Amish, such as those in Lancaster County, may take recreational deep-sea fishing trips. Also, numerous Amish in communities such as northern Indiana own small fishing boats, and may be spotted on lakes or towing boats by buggy.
Amish value the horse-and-buggy for what it represents, and for the tangible effect it has on their way of living. At the same time, they recognize a need for other forms of transportation, and most Amish Ordnungs permit travel by numerous means, including by automobile, train, and boat.
9 responses to How do Amish travel?
is there a minimum age for an amish person to legally drive a buggy on the road in PA.? Also, must they submit to any type of license or exam and tmust the buggy submit to any type of inspection ?
The laws of driving in the states are mostly motor vehicle related. When a farm tractor or other equipment is on any public road it is exempted as well as any horse drawn vehicles. Therefore the drivers need not to be licensed.
The buggies are not motor vehicles either so do not need inspection. Another question was do the horse need to be tested for emissions. Could you see a horse with a catalytic converter attached??!!! That would take the cake!
Perhaps if a politician is walking on the road they also should have emissions testing and a catalytic converter as well. They certainly have lots of carbon dioxide emissions and it is all hot air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great questions! The ones I know do not have licenses, and the young (but responsible ) school-aged children do drive on the community roads (they are KY state maintained, but not busy highways -they are residential w/ little traffic). I've never seen a youngster driving on the highway.
Bill if you have to have it then you have to have it. My advice is to check with the family beforehand–some Amish don't have an issue with allowing their photos to be taken for these purposes (ID's, etc).
I don't know what kind of trip this is but I am guessing that if this is any sort of "vacation" trip (ie overseas to Europe) the family probably won't be that surprised if at all, and may very well accept it, because they're probably not from the most conservative segment of Amish society.
I am on a train and there are some amish people on here. I thought they were performing in a play or somthing but my mum told me they probably weren't. And I've been searching up amish people the whole ride. My mum says it would be easyer for me to just asked them. But they left on our last stop so now I can't. I wasn't going to anyway.
I am a traveling sales man and cover 75% of the US via car or plane.( Not the NE corridor ) I have driven over 2million miles, drove a commercial truck/ bus and was a commercial limousine driver for 2 years. I live in Wis. but I could offer my service for any customer south of Wi. i.e. Iowa. Please contact me if you have any interest in my services- A resume of my past travel experience and references is available upon request.
Someone clicked to confirm they are not a spammer and yet spammed anyway.
I know, it seems like a very time-consuming way to spam, doesn't it? 🙂 Deleted.
Leave a reply to How do Amish travel?


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Plaza-Oxnard
20532 PC
An aerial view of a grassy square plaza, cut perfectly into 4 pieces by walkways leading to a gazebo at the center of the park. Each walkway starts as a half-circle on the sidewalk. Various palm trees and shrubbery dot the edges of the plaza and the grass within. Behind it are buildings of all shapes and sizes, but presumably commercial, with one directly behind the plaza having a sign that says 'Poggis Drug Store'. Way off in the distance are a pair of smoke stacks let out steam.
[Brakey, J.R. (Logo: Panama, California, San Diego Exposition; Slogan: "On the Road of a Thousand Wonders"), 3092 & A16524]
Brakey, J. R.
Color postcard
Oxnard--Views
Parks--Oxnard Plaza
Ojai (Calif.)
MVC045 Collection of Ventura County postcards
Landscaping, Oxnard Plaza
Brakey, J. R., "Plaza-Oxnard," Research Library at The Museum of Ventura County, accessed February 1, 2023, http://photographs.venturamuseum.org/items/show/2367.


FX Roadlights was born in 2002 in Portugal, as a Light Designers company to meet the demands of an expanding market: it was urgent to solve the gap that existed in lighting and effects equipment in shows / TV studios. Along the years, the company complemented the activity, expanding its area of operation to the video as a visual complement their performances.
In 2006, FX signed a partnership with G-Lec brand extending its area of operation to video as a visual complement of their performances. In 2015 it is chosen by PRG Alliance to be their representative member in Portugal, exponentially increasing the scale of equipment available for hire.
In addition to the technical know-how for 17 years proved in its vast portfolio through an experienced team, FX Roadlights is today a creative company, exploring new concepts of lighting and video in shows, brand events and television shows.
Making the difference in the variety of solutions that offers to host in any kind of show, creating lighting projects that respond to customer premises: create and innovate with maximum quality is the mission of FX Roadlights.


text:
The National Agricultural Library is one of four national libraries of the United States, with locations in Beltsville, Maryland and Washington, D.C. It houses one of the world's largest and most accessible agricultural information collections and serves as the nexus for a national network of state land-grant and U.S. Department of Agriculture field libraries. In fiscal year 2011 (Oct 2010 through Sept 2011) NAL delivered more than 100 million direct customer service transactions.
Seed as an alternative source of DNA for molecular research of inaccessible wild Musa species [2011]
Uma, S.; Saraswathi, M.S.; Anton, D.;
Seed as an alternative source of DNA for molecular research of inaccessible wild Musa species
Uma, S.; Saraswathi, M.S.; Anton, D.
http://www.actahort.org/
Most wild species and wild relatives of banana (Musa spp.) are found in forests and are thus relatively inaccessible. Their inability to establish in places different from their natural habitats further complicates the use of such wild species for routine molecular research. The present study was therefore undertaken to evaluate seeds as an alternative source of DNA for conservation in comparison with the cigar leaf. Usefulness of seed as a major genetic tool for conservation of seeded wild banana germplasm, standardisation of the stage of seed maturity for DNA extraction and standardisation of the seed DNA extraction protocol were studied. The accessibility of seed DNA as an alternative strategy for leaf DNA was confirmed using molecular markers (RAPD and IRAP). Among different methods of DNA extraction, a modified protocol with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was found to be the best. Partially mature seeds with 70-80% maturity were found to be the best stage for DNA extraction compared to 40-50% and 100% maturity. Removal of the seed coat improved the quality of DNA extracted. Uniformity of seed and leaf DNA was confirmed by using 80 random primers and 10 IRAP primers. The paper tries to analyse the extent of deviation between seed and leaf DNA and possible reasons in view of the breeding behaviour of wild species.
[Acta horticulturae]
2014/US/US2014_2.rdf
"Seed as an alternative source of DNA for molecular research of inaccessible wild Musa species"@eng
"Paper presented at the International ISHS-ProMusa Symposium on Global Perspectives on Asian Challenges, held September 14-18, 2009, Guangzhou, China. Includes references"


text:
using Magnesium;
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace Magnesium.Vulkan
{
	[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
	internal struct VkCommandPoolCreateInfo
	{
		public VkStructureType sType { get; set; }
		public IntPtr pNext { get; set; }
		public VkCommandPoolCreateFlags flags { get; set; }
		public UInt32 queueFamilyIndex { get; set; }
	}
}


text:
Postmortem: The Society
This week's blog post is a postmortem on one of my older games, The Society.
The Society was designed to be a 3D third person horror game that put focus on building a mystery and atmosphere rather than rely on more jump scare type horror.
The Society being a third person game is an interesting point as it's only the second third person horror I made after previously working on Tales from Dunwich, which was a 3D point and click horror game. The Society reflected a lot of my influences from games I played growing up. The most noticed influence was that it felt very much like one of the first Resident Evil or Alone in the Dark games.
What Went Right
1. Achieved Atmosphere
The original design was to have a game that felt mysterious and created a sense of atmosphere without relying on the typical jump scare formula. The game succeeded in creating that sense of fear and tension with purely atmosphere.
2.Improved Camera
The camera design in Tales from Dunwich was inspired by the original Silent Hill game but the downside to that was that at times it felt clunky and could prove frustrating during gameplay. The Society favored a set camera perspective that made it easier for the player to navigate the level.
3. Likable Character
one of the key points in the games design was to break the typical trend of the main character being a male and rather have a female character that was normal and not sexulised. The response to this was very positive especially since the character was not made appear weaker just because of her gender.
4. Better Post FX
The visual effects in this game were also better than that in Tales from Dunwich. I made better use of particle effects, lighting and camera processing in The Society.
The design was to make it feel like a PS1 game but the downside to those controls were that it felt clunky to move the character around and the character didn't always move where you wanted her to.
2. Multiple Endings
The Society did have multiple endings but they didn't vary very much so replayability wasn't high.
The Society did a lot of things well in terms of the overall mystery, lore and atmosphere. What it would benefit from is an overhaul of the mechanics such as controls and interactions. All in all the game was received quite well and is a game with lore I would like to come back to at some point.
Until next time!
This week's blog is just a quick little post to wish everyone a happy holiday. The blog will resume next week as normal with more content and news but for this week, I'm taking a little bit of a break for the holidays.
So, I wish you all a very happy holiday and hope it's a good one for all.
Postmortem: The Concierge
In this week's blog, I'm going to do a postmortem post on my 2D point and click adventure horror, The Concierge.
The Concierge is an interesting game for me as I don't normally do 2D games and while it's not my first 2D game, it's the first where I wanted to create a real sense of atmosphere using very minimal art.
Before Imade The Concierge, I made a short 2D horror game called The Restless. This in many ways was the inspiration for crating The Concierge as The feedback on The Restless was so good, it gave me the confidence to go ahead and make another 2D game and try to up the bar somewhat with it.
1. Improved Art Style
The most noticeable difference between The Restless and The Concierge was that The Concierge had a much improved visual style. While it was still a pixel art game, The Concierge had more detail than The Restless did. This made both the characters and environment more visually pleasing. Having the extra detail also made animation more easy as trying to animate an good walk cycle is rather difficult when dealing with very few pixels.
2. Better Lighting
The Concierge also made better use of lighting. The Game made use of backed lighting from the engine as well as some predefined lighting and shadows added to the art in Photoshop. This gave a much better look to the game that added a little extra pop to the overall atmosphere of the game.
3. Better World Building
While The Concierge is a short game with focus on one particular story, it does create a better impression of an overall world outside the current events of the game. It creates a lore that feels like there are more stories that exist outside of the hotel and this is something that I hope to build on in a future game based on the same world.
4. Creative Control
The major upside to creating all your own art for a project is the creative control to make it look just how you want it to with your own style to it.
While every game has its limitations, working in 2D rather than 3D means you have to account for things you normally don't have to in a 3D game. Because the game was in 2D, that meant scenes could only be viewed in 2D space which meant I couldn't add as much as I would have liked to in some scenes but rather had o decide on what layout made the most sense.
While improved lighting was a major plus to the game, I didn't quite hit the mark I would have liked for the game. The shadows seen in the game are static and rendered in photoshop. While this is perfectly normal for most 2D games, I would have liked to have fully dynamic shadows in the game.
3. Animations
While character animation improved greatly in this game, I still wish I had the time to do more animation on it. Even for little things like a door open and close transition for switching scenes. I would have loved to add more environmental animation to make the hotel feel more real. Stuff like smoke from a left cigar at the bar or water dropping from a pipe. These are things I hope to carry across to my next 2D game and improve upon.
While there are some things I wish I had added to the game, The Concierge is still a game I'm very proud of as one of my few 2D games and having received such great feedback on the style, atmosphere and world building, it's left me with the desire to return to the world I've created here and see what other stories are to be told from it.
New blog format for 2018!
This week's blog is a quick update to let you know what I'm planning for the blog after the new year.
I want to put more of a focus on my creative and technical process. So, with that in mind, I'll be doing longer tutorial posts ranging from pixel art, low poly modeling, writing, game design, programming and more. I'll also be posting more game post mortem blogs on games that I've made. The idea is to give a more detailed and better structured look at how I make games. I'm also considering creating an interview style series where I'll speak with other creatives and have that as part of the blog and Youtube channel.
As for news on my current game, I hope to keep to schedule and have an announcement post just before or after Christmas. It's coming along nicely and while it still has a long way to go, it's proving to be a very fun project to work on and one I'm very excited to announce.


The Pemberton is a stunning 2 bedroom home. Featuring kitchen/diner, lounge and WC to the ground floor. The first floor includes 2 bedrooms with family bathroom and the added bonus of en-suite and fitted wardrobe to the master bedroom.
Lime Tree Walk is an exceptional new development of 2,3,4 and 5 bedroom homes located within the beautiful area of Apley, adjacent to the scenic Apley Woods which was formerly a part of the Apley Estate legacy.
Each home at Lime Tree Walk has been cherry picked to showcase distinctive exteriors and thoughtfully designed interiors to seamlessly compliment the existing surroundings.
Interiors have been redefined by harmonising the use of space with our inclusive specification. With well-appointed living and resting areas to generous kitchen cupboards and appliances, en-suites and fitted wardrobes to the master bedroom, these homes offer an unrivalled living experience.
Property descriptions and related information displayed on this page, with the exclusion of Running Costs data, are marketing materials provided by Kier Living - Lime Tree Walk, and do not constitute property particulars. Please contact Kier Living - Lime Tree Walk for full details and further information. The Running Costs data displayed on this page are provided by SmartNewHomes to give an indication of potential running costs based on various data sources. SmartNewHomes does not warrant or accept any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the property descriptions, related information or Running Costs data provided here.


text:
Current Challenges to International Justice: Lean in or Leave?
Duration: 0:53:49 | Added: 25 Jun 2019
This talk was given as part of the Oxford Transitional Justice Research (OTJR) Seminar Series.
Leila Nadya Sadat is the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law and Director of the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute. She serves as Special Adviser on Crimes Against Humanity to the ICC Prosecutor, and in 2008 launched the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative, a ground-breaking project to write the world's first global treaty on crimes against humanity. She is a prolific scholar in the fields of public international law, international criminal law, human rights and foreign affairs, and has published more than 100 books and articles in leading journals, academic presses, and media outlets.
Oxford Transitional Justice Research Seminars
Laila Sadat
Centre for Criminology
otjr
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/
Oxford Transitional Justice Research (OTJR) is an inter-disciplinary network of more than 100 Oxford staff and students working broadly on issues of transition in societies recovering from mass conflict and/or repressive rule. OTJR is dedicated to producing high-quality scholarship that connects intimately to practical and policy questions in transitional justice, focusing on the following themes: Prosecutions, Truth Commissions, Local and traditional practices, Compensation and reparations...
<iframe width="640" height="400" src="http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/embed/4d6b0bb4fb3bb24b311d" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


text:
Inspiration for Steven Gerrard: the veterans who won major silverware after switching clubs
Lee Roden
Updated: 15th November 2012, 11:40 am
Should Steven Gerrard decide to take Zlatan Ibrahimovic up on his advice and leave Liverpool, there's plenty of examples of veteran players who made similair moves and won silverware as a result
PSG and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has advised Steven Gerrard that he should move to a bigger club if he hopes to win more trophies before his career ends, and though the Swede's claim has been met with some derision, could he actually have a point? talkSPORT look at the veterans who won silverware after making the move from their long-term clubs…
Name: Andrea Pirlo
From: AC Milan to Juventus
Years at former club: 10
Age at time of move: 32
Won: Serie A (2011/12), Supercoppa Italia (2012)
Andrea Pirlo was the heartbeat of a hugely successful Milan side in the 2000s, pulling the strings from deep and supplying a host of stars with goals en route to two Serie A titles, two Champions League wins as well as a host of additional cup triumphs. By the time 2011 came around, however, Pirlo was considered past it by the Rossoneri, only making 17 appearances in the 2010/11 Serie A campaign and the midfielder was allowed to leave the San Siro for free that summer. The error proved costly for Milan, with Juventus signing the midfielder and going on to construct their team around his brilliant range of passing. Pirlo went on to make 41 appearances for Juve in all competitions in 2011/12, and his influence was huge in their successful campaign to wrestle the Serie A title from the very team he left. The switch to the Old Lady seemed to revitalise Pirlo, and he would go on to produce a fine and dominant tournament display with the Italian national the following summer at Euro 2012, making it all the way to the final. Sometimes a change of scenery makes the world of difference.
Name: Henrik Larsson
From: Celtic to Barcelona
Years at former club: Seven
Won: La Liga (x2), UEFA Champions League (2005/06)
Henrik Larsson was the darling of Parkhead for seven years, so when he finally decided to leave the Scottish side for Barcelona in 2004, it broke the hearts of the Celtic faithful. For the neutrals, the general consensus was that the move had come too late for the the 33-year-old, but the Swede proved that class is permanent. Larsson only scored three goals in the league during his first season at the club, with a major injury eating in to his time on the field, but the Catalans chose to extend his contract regardless, and he would pay them back in spades the following year. His 10 goals in the winning 2005/06 league campaign were worth their weight in gold for Barcelona, but it was his game-changing appearance in the 2005/06 Champions League final for which he will always be remembered in Catalunya. Larsson's arrival on the field against Arsenal turned the tide for the Catalans, with the striker assisting Samuel Eto'o's equaliser, then providing a further assist for Juliano Belleti's winner. Ask Larsson if he regrets leaving his beloved Celtic for Barcelona, and he'll surely point to his one and only Champions League winner's medal in response.
Name: Gary McAllister
From: Coventry City to Liverpool
Years at former club: Four
Won: FA Cup (2000/01), UEFA Cup (2000/01), League Cup (2000/01), UEFA Super Cup (2001)
More than a few eyebrows were raised when Gerrard Houllier decided to bring 35-year-old Gary McAllister to Liverpool in 2000, but in the end it proved to be the Frenchman's greatest decision at the club. In his first season with the Reds, McAllister played a key role in a cup treble, including the Reds' first European trophy since 1984, and he even had time to help them bowl over Bayern to lift the 2001 UEFA Super Cup. Not bad for an old man. Not bad by any standards, in fact. In Gary McAllister, Steven Gerrard has an example close to home that proves it's never too late to make a move.
Name: Thierry Henry
From: Arsenal to Barcelona
Years at former club: Eight
Won: La Liga (x2), Copa del Rey (2008/09), UEFA Champions League (2008/09), UEFA Super Cup (2009), FIFA Club World Cup (2009), Supercopa de Espanya (2009)
Though Arsenal were undoubtedly sad to see Thierry Henry leave for £16m in June 2007, there was a feeling by some that the Frenchman's best days were behind him, with the striker due to turn 30 before the start of the following season. Henry couldn't have arrived at Barca at a worst time, with the 2007/08 marking the last dying embers of Frank Rijkaard's era at the club and though he would finish the campaign with 19 goals in all competitions, there was still uncertainty over whether he could recapture the form he showed at Arsenal. The next season under Pep Guardiola Henry proved the doubters wrong, forming a deadly, record-breaking front three with Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi and scoring 26 goals in all competitions and assisting 12. That year, Henry got his hands on the one major trophy to have eluded him, the UEFA Champions League, a trophy Arsenal have still failed to win since his departure, proving that breaking Arsenal hearts was worth it for the elegant French forward.
Name: Teddy Sheringham
From: Tottenham to Man United
Years at former club: Five
Won: Premier League (x3), FA Cup (1998/99), UEFA Champions League (1998/99), PFA Players' Player of the Year (2000/01)
At the age of 31, Teddy Sheringham had more than established himself as a Spurs favourite by the time 1997 came around, but without a major honour to his name, the striker was forced to seriously consider his future. A move to Man United followed and in hindsight it's easy to forget that signing a striker the wrong side of thirty was a gamble for United boss Alex Ferguson. His first season with the club didn't bring a trophy or any particularly convincing displays, while a heated relationship with Andy Cole didn't help his cause and despite the arrival of Dwight Yorke the following campaign, Sheringham managed to make 17 appearances in the Premier League and lift his first domestic title. His biggest contribution was yet to come, however, when he scored the equaliser in the dying minutes of United's 1999 Champions League final win against Bayern and the veteran then set up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the winner. A Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League winners medals – the best decision he ever made?
Name: Raul
From: Real to Schalke
Won: DFB-Pokal (2010/11), DFL-Supercup (2011)
Raul's honours list with Real could fill a bottomless hole, but when the Spaniard was deemed persona-non-grata at the club he had given so much to in 2010, he was faced with a big choice. He had the option of going to the MLS, Russia, or Qatar to play out his final days at a less challenging level, but he instead opted for one final challenge at German side Schalke, who had qualified for Champions League football. Raul proved he wasn't in Germany for an easy ride on his debut, netting a brace against Bayern in a 3-1 pre-season win and by the end of the 2010/11 season, the Spainard had scored 19 goals in all competitions for the Germans, including a goal against Bayern to help Schalke reach the DFB-Pokal final for the first time in six years, while his celebrations at the final whistle in the semi-final showed just how much it meant to him. Schalke would win the trophy, adding a domestic cup, one honour he had never won, to his bulging cabinet. He also made a major contribution that season in Schalke's run to their first ever Champions League semi final, scoring twice in the quarter final against Inter to take them through to a glamour tie with Man United. He also added a second trophy to his honours list in Germany, the 2011 DFL-Supercup, in July of 2011. In his time at Schalke, Raul scored three hat-tricks and 40 goals over two seasons, leaving the German side a firm fan favourite, with his parting words summing up the success of his move from Madrid: "I had a wonderful two years here and the club will always be in my heart. I also want to say many thanks to the fans. It will be emotionally difficult to say goodbye, Schalke will always be a part of my life".
Will Steven Gerrard regret staying at Liverpool for the entirety of his career or should he move on while he still can? Leave a comment below and have your say…
Gary McAllister


Online learning has had a massive revolution within the last 5 years. This generation has grown to replace the chalkboard with a smart board, paper with computers, and even grades are entered on computers now. Obviously this trend towards online learning will continue as technology continues to advance, offering more use in the classroom.
The usefulness of technology within the classroom has been riddled in controversial debate, but it is no doubt that some technology is helpful and nearly required. Imagine a math class with no calculators, there ceases to be a math class. If a class does not use google classroom it still functions as a class. Some technology is useful, too much is distracting. Finding the line between not enough technology and too much can be difficult, and this is the debate that teachers around the world seem to be having.
As a student I can say technology has helped me monumentally in my academic life. Without technology I wouldn't be able to write or publish this article as we rely on technology to publish and access our newspaper. Looking at this issue as a student, I would encourage schools to work to adapt with the technological advancements of the ages and implement them with our current learning systems. Certainly many schools and students alike agree as the implementation of Google Classroom is a worldwide phenomenon. Technology is no doubt a gift for mankind, but is it a gift to the classroom?


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FENIP backs increased fish production in Morocco
Shem Oirere
Private fishing and aquaculture companies in Morocco are working together with the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries to increase access to financing, diversify export markets, and boost sustainable production of seafood to ensure the country maintains and improves its global competitive advantage.
The Federation of Industries of Transformation and Promotion of Fishery Products (FENIP), which brings together various industry associations that are engaged in fish packaging, canning, fish meal and oil, freezing and semi-canning along the entire fish value chain, also says strengthening of public-private partnership would ensure Morocco's fishing industry keeps to international market regulations and requirements that have driven demand for the country's fish and fish products in markets such as Europe, the United States, and other African countries.
"We support the private fishing industry players to promote their products, to access financing and also get necessary international certification that keeps them globally competitive," FENIP Director Lamiaa Znagui told SeafoodSource at the Seafex 2019 Expo in Dubai.
Znagui said the Moroccan fisheries and aquaculture export market "has been constantly growing in the last five years reaching to more than 136 destinations around the world."
"We have noted an increase in domestic fish and fish products consumption in Morocco and we have had to import some of our fish, particularly to meet our processing requirements," said Znagui. She said local fish consumption now exceeds 12 kilograms per person annually and could surpass the government target of 16 kilograms by the end of 2020.
FENIP, with an estimated 300 members, has stepped up support for production and processing initiatives by its affiliates to meet regulatory requirements for exports, such as certificate of capture and fish and aquaculture health conditions, which has made it easier for Morocco to expand access to the European market, where it sells up to 95 percent of its fish exports. In return, the European Union has been a leading partner in developing Morocco's fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Currently, Morocco, which is the world's leading producer of sardine pilchardus, is focusing on expanding its canning and freezing value chains in addition to implementing the country's "Halieutis Plan," which aims to increase aquaculture production to about 200,000 metric tons in coming years.
Previous figures by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization estimated Morocco's fish production from its two seaboards of the Mediterranean and Atlantic at 1.65 million tons, with total value of more than USD 1 billion (EUR 896 million). The ongoing Halietus program is expected to push up exports to USD 3.1 billion (EUR 2.8 billion) by 2020 and increase the percentage of seafood produced through sustainable means to 95 percent.
Photo courtesy of Shem Oirere/SeafoodSource
Uganda imposes levy on lucrative fish maw exports
Zambian president pushes for fast-tracking of fisheries fund
Mauritius charts growth path for fisheries and aquaculture sectors
Morocco aims to double value of seafood exports by 2020


text:
> Knesset approves bill blocking visas to boycotters
Knesset approves bill blocking visas to boycotters
MK Magal's law would prevent activists and supporters of boycott from entering the Jewish state.
Hezki Baruch
Boycotts Yinon Magal
MK Yinon Magal Miriam Alster / Flash 90
The Knesset approved in a preliminary reading Wednesday a bill prohibiting foreign nationals who call for a boycott of Israel from entering into the country.
Under the proposed bill, special cases may be given access to enter the Israel, but will need the approval of the Interior Ministry to do so.
For instance, Jews, entitled to make aliyah under the Law of Return, who are also supporters of the boycott movement against Israel, will have to receive special dispensation.
According to Magal, the bill aims to fix the "absurd situation" whereby people who call for a boycott of Israel, or representatives of companies, NGOs and other organizations that call for such a boycott, enter the country and work against it from the inside.
MK Magal addressed the plenum minutes after the EU announced it would mark products made beyond the 1967 "Green Line."
"We will not bend and be silent before people who think that they will mark us," he stated. "That is why this bill says that whoever calls for a boycott will not enter here, and will remain outside. We will make clear to those who hate us that it is over."
Magal claimed that while Zionist Union MKs had signed the bill, he was now receiving messages in which they were withdrawing their signatures.
Minister of Interior Silvan Shalom replied to the bill in the government's name and said that the government supports the bill, on condition that further steps to pass it be conducted in coordination with the government. The bill is "far reaching" and certain restrictions and exceptions must be worked into it, he said.
MK Dov Khenin (Joint List) said that the bill was a "stupid" one that will only encourage the boycott. "According to your bill," he told Magal, "all of Europe must remain outside Israel. In order to protect the settlements, you are willing to pay a price of deepening delegitimization and harm to the tourism industry."


How Bizarre is it? Revoke bid ability after 1st sell, even get positive rating!
How Bizarre is it? Revoke bid ability after 1st sell, even get positive rating(4.4)!
Hope you all doing great. This is my first post (may be also last). I am a new seller in Fiverr. And I have currently 2 active gig in Fiverr. And I face quite a unfortunate and bizarre problem at the moment of my first order complete.
unfortunately he rate me 4.4 (possibly he is unaware). And that's enough to revoke my biding ability in Fiverr (Bizarre rules by Fiverr). And possibly end my Fiverr service before it started. So I am bit disappointed.
I contact with my client for this reason, he replied, he rate me highest. But may be he is new as like me, so he can't able to edit his feedback. As Fiverr's rules less then 90% positive rating, I can't bid a buyer request any more. So as a new seller it is nearly impossible to get order for my gigs.
Hmm…so I request Fiverr support team to help me with re-allow for biding. In worst case remove that feedback. But they reply as it is not possible to remove this feedback without my client's intervention. But may be he is not available in Fiverr any more or months, then what's happen?
Also I have a suggestions that's rules of 90% feedback need some revisions. It is need to apply after 5-10 order complete not from first order.Because there is lot of unfortunate seller who do best of there work but frozen because of buyer make a wrong rating (even buyer is fully satisfied). So, I want help form everyone to rise this issue, hopefully Fiverr officials review this bizarre rules, do what is best for all.
Thank you everyone for patient reading. Hope you all have prospering Fiverr career.
You will need your client to agree to give you a 5 star review, take a screenshot of that conversation if he does agree, then show the screenshot to customer service.
The buyer MUST say he wants to give you a 5 star review and then let customer support know this.
I am a buyer and seller. I place gig request on a regular basis for all sorts of jobs. I look for new talent . I noticed that I no longer have the ability to see sellers bids anymore and only option I have is Fiverr suggested sellers. I don't like this at all. It takes away my ability and forces me to waste my time searching. I love it when I get bigs because I know that the sellers are interested in my projects and are available.


text:
by Samah Sabawi
Critical Stages Touring
Written by – Samah Sabawi
Directed by – Bagryana Popov
Sound Design – Elissa Goodrich
Lighting Design – Shane Grant
Set & Costume Design – Lara Week
Piano – Nahad Elrayes
Original Cast – Priscilla Doueihy, Abdulrahman Hammoud, Claudia Greenstone, Khisraw Jones-Shukoor, Reece Vella
An extraordinary new Australian drama
In a city at war, five young people count down the days before a boat sets sail for a safer place. Who will leave, who will stay, and what will their choices cost them?
Based on interviews with people displaced by conflict, THEM is a fearless and inspiring story of one family on the cusp of becoming refugees as they face the decision to flee their war-torn city. Omar, Leila and their young child are counting down the days. Their idealistic friends enjoy wild fantasies of escape and the arrival of Omar's sister brings a real chance to do so – but will the compromise be worth it?
With moments of unexpected warmth, love, laughter and song, THEM is a fast-paced drama that takes audiences into extraordinary circumstances to unveil a truly relatable humanity in the ordinary moments that shape our lives.
Theatre, Drama
Recommended for ages 15+
No interval
Theatre, Black Box Venue
Performance Seasons
2019 – La Mama Courthouse, 13 performances
2020 – Arts Centre Melbourne, 8 performances
Key Audiences:
Theatre lovers: THEM is an accessible, high quality, play written by an exciting contemporary playwright. It features a compelling narrative; well-drawn and immediately identifiable characters; and it carries with it a contemporary, topical urgency.
Diaspora audiences: Hundreds of refugees are settled in regional cities and towns each year and this is a wonderful opportunity to engage them in a production that reflects the refugee experience with authenticity and integrity.
Schools: THEM is rich in themes and access points for students of English, Theatre Studies and Drama, International and Gender Politics, and History.
Marketing Selling Points
Topical relevance
Quality production (reviews, production history)
Samah and the wider team are available for PR and have personal connections to the stories behind this play. They are confident and compelling speakers on the play's themes and background.
International provenance of the playwright, the team and the story.
THEM enjoyed a sell-out extended season at La Mama Courthouse in 2019 and will be presented at the Melbourne Arts Centre in late 2020. The work was selected for the 2020 VCE Theatre Studies Playlist, was shortlisted for the 2020 Victorian Premier's Literary Award, and has been nominated for four Green Room Awards for Independent Theatre including Best Production, Ensemble, Direction and Writing (announced in March 2020)
"There is no amount of praise that is sufficient to heap on Samah Sabawi's writing and Bagryana Popov's directing… Perhaps the most important piece of theatre you will see this year" The Music
"A drama dappled with humanity and humour" Sydney Morning Herald
"It's simply phenomenal work. It is important. People need to be seeing this play." Theatre Travels
"THEM is a powerful reminder that when it comes to humanity, there is no them but only an us." Melbourne Arts Review
The creative team are experienced with meeting members of local diaspora communities.
Abdulrahman can host poetry workshops and is highly experienced with working in communities in this way.
Schools and VCE Playlist
THEM is supported by excellent education resources designed for the VCE Playlist, and these are easily adaptable to a wide variety of local contexts, such as community-based resources, other courses of study, etc.
About Samah Sabawi
Samah Sabawi is a Palestinian-Australian-Canadian playwright, commentator and poet. Her plays Cries From The Land and Three Wishes had successful runs in Canada; Tales Of A City By The Sea enjoyed a sold-out premiere season at La Mama Theatre in 2014 and an Arabic premiere at Alrowwad's Cultural Theater Society in Palestine. In 2016, Tales of a City by the Sea was remounted and toured to Australian cities and to Malaysia, was selected for the 2016 VCE Drama Playlist, won two awards from Drama Victoria, and was nominated for Best Independent Production at the Green Room Awards. Sabawi is co-editor with Steven Orloff of Double Exposure: Plays of the Jewish and Palestinian Diasporas (Playwrights Canada Press 2016), a groundbreaking anthology about the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, and winner of Canada's prestigious Patrick O'Neill Award. Samah is a cultural ambassador for Melbourne Theatre Company and Multicultural Arts Victoria, and a PhD candidate at Victoria University.


We warmly welcome you to connect with us on social media – we're always thrilled to hear from customers or other design fans, and we're always on the lookout for new things to talk about!
You can find us on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus, but our particular favourite at the moment is probably Pinterest! Please do visit our Pinterest profile to browse some of our latest boards; these include bespoke kitchen designs, boards inspired by our popular 'Design Inspiration' blog series, and key colour trends. Indeed, we've recently added one of our favourite case studies: entitled 'Dream Kitchen Case Study: Modern White', this board contains plenty of gorgeous pins that show different aspects of a kitchen we completed in Westbury-on-Severn – a beautiful design with granite worktops, a feature island, and solid oak cabinetry finished in Farrow & Ball's White Tie.
So, if you are seeking inspiration for a new kitchen project or simply dreaming of delightful interiors, do find us on Pinterest – we'd love to hear from you!
The crowning glory to a gorgeous kitchen may not be quite what you expect: for us at Joseph & Kingsley, the devil is in the detail, and we think that little touches like cornices, pelmets, and pilasters can really make a difference to the overall aesthetic.
Our solid oak cabinetry looks exceptional in luxury kitchens; however, without a pilaster or two, there may still be gaps between doors. There are a wide variety of pilasters on the market which can finish the design perfectly. If opting for wooden worktops, why not try a pilaster in the same timber as your surface? We can provide pilasters in everything from classic oak to the more exotic zebrano. Pilasters can be square-edged or more ornate, depending on your preference, and can also be supplied in the Farrow & Ball colour of your choosing.
Cornices and pelmets can be similarly customised – our solid oak versions are available in lacquered or painted finishes – and also make a great addition to your wall cabinets. Without these extra hints of decoration, wall cabinetry can often feel unfinished, so we highly recommend choosing a pair of cornices and pelmets that add a sense of wow factor.
Feeling inspired? Why not pop into our Cheltenham showroom or get in touch: one of our friendly designers will be happy to discuss your kitchen project and the comprehensive range of options that are available – creating your dream kitchen has never been simpler!


For the longest time, JJ had been mentioning that he wanted to go batting (I played softball a good portion of my life). We were having a home-run derby and I was losing. I was talking so much trash because we both are competitive, I even called my dad up to soft toss to me. I had to end on a home run, so when that happened everyone was telling me to run around the bases. Now, this was Texas at the end of July, I did not want to run around! I finally gave in and went to first.
On the temporary bases that were down, the word WILL was written on it. At first, I didn't think anything of it because it was our high school softball field and I thought it was just part of an inspirational thing. Obviously, I was wrong. I got to second base and my brother in law had flipped it over and it said YOU. By that time, it clicked in my head what was happening. I walked over to third, flipped it over to find the word MARRY. By the time I turned around to head home, JJ was on his knee with home plate flipped over to say me.
We have only been planning for about a month but if I had to choose, I would say it's thinking of ways to make the wedding unique to us. We don't want to do everything traditionally, we want to make it fun and truly show our personalities.
I haven't really been stressed over anything. It helps that I am an organized person. I have small goals and big goals paired with a timeline and due dates. Our families have also been very helpful along the way!
I don't even think we are using Joy to its fullest potential, yet! Play around with everything and know that you can always make changes!
Take everything in stride. The memories that you create with your family and friends while celebrating your love are what it's all about. Enjoy the ride!


Real talk: It's hard, but it's not impossible.
You know that quote about insanity—the one claiming that its definition is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? (It's often attributed to Einstein, but there's no solid evidence of that TBH).
Well, that's basically how it feels trying (and trying, and trying) to lose weight when you have hypothyroidism. The good news: It's not just you, because (the bad news): It really is harder for those with the condition to drop kilos.
A quick primer on hypothyroidism, ICYMI: It happens when your thyroid (the small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck) doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones.
When it's functioning normally, those hormones produced by the thyroid regulate how your body uses energy, keeping the brain, muscles, and organs working; in fact, most people don't even know that their thyroid is there until there's a problem with it, says Dr Marilyn Tan, an endocrinologist at Stanford Health Care's Endocrinology Clinic. But when there's a problem, you'll know it—that little gland can cause a whole slew of issues, like changes in body temperature, skin texture, and, yes, weight fluctuations.
For women with hypothyroidism, it often feels like their hormones are working against them when it comes to weight loss, and, well, that's because they kind of are. In addition to everything else they do, thyroid hormones also regulate your metabolism; and low levels of thyroid hormones make for a slower metabolism, says Dr Elizabeth Pearce, an endocrinologist specialising in thyroid disorders at Boston Medical Center.
"Women with hypothyroidism tell me they're on a 5 020 kilojoule diet and they can't lose weight. In the end, it's much more difficult to lose weight and keep it off," says Dr Caroline Apovian, an endocrinologist, weight loss researcher, and director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at Boston Medical Center.
But that doesn't mean weight loss impossible. Here, a few tips that will make losing weight when you have hypothyroidism a little easier.
First things first: You've gotta get it diagnosed.
If you're experiencing symptoms of hypothyroidism—fatigue, unexplained weight gain, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, and dry skin—it's time to see your doctor, who will do a blood test to determine your TSH levels.
If your doctor finds high TSH levels, you'll likely start treatment for hypothyroidism—and it's a pretty straightforward approach: You'll be prescribed a cheap, safe, and effective synthetic hormone that replaces the one your body should be making on its own. The medication will restore normal levels of TSH.
READ MORE: Just How Worried Should You Be About Thyroid Disease?
Next: Rev up your strength-training routine.
Researchers aren't sure why, but your thyroid hormone affects how your muscles function; in women with hypothyroidism, that equates to abnormal muscle function, which means they'll have a harder time building and maintaining muscle, even after they start meds, according to Apovian. "Women with hypothyroidism have to work harder at every level despite treatment," she adds.
But, working harder to have more muscle will be worth it. That's because muscle burns more kilojoules than fat, so even when you're not working out, having less of it puts you at greater risk of weight gain.
For the best results, Apovian suggests two to three strength-training workouts a week. Each session should last about an hour and work all of your major muscle groups—upper body, lower body, and core. Aim for three sets of each exercise you do, using a weight that's heavy enough to have you maxing out at eight to 12 reps per set.
Pick up the pace on cardio, while you're at it.
Shoot for about 30 minutes to an hour of activity five days a week, suggests Pearce. That can include any sort of activity where you're sweating and getting your heart rate up, whether it's jogging, walking (you get the picture)—whatever keeps you motivated and having fun is the right thing to do.
Finally, add more protein into your diet.
Along with proper exercise, Apovian says protein is the other key to building muscle. Her suggestion is backed by the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management, which recommends a higher-protein diet of 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight for women with hypothyroidism. That means, if your ideal weight is 60 kilograms, you should have 70 to 90 grams of protein daily.
A good rule is to build your meals around protein, but also include lots of veggies, healthy carbs like fresh fruit and whole grains, and healthy fats like avocados and olive oil.
Even with these guidelines, it's worth working with an registered dietician to come up with a personal diet plan for hypothyroidism, as certain foods or dietary restrictions (think: being lactose intolerant or eating a lot of soy) can screw with your hormone levels even more.
Should You Get A Steroid Shot For Your Allergies?


Le Tariquet has been the cradle of an entire family since 1912. First of all, the home of Hélène and Pierre Grassa, who began the tradition with their love of fine Armagnac. Then, the home of their children Maïté and Yves, both fervent winemakers, who have now been joined by Yves' sons, Armin and Rémy, the third generation of winegrowers in the family. Together they manage the Tariquet estate, which has always remained an independent and, now more than ever, family-owned company. They run the property with an eye on the future and have built a business that is well placed to meet market demand. With close to 900 hectares of land, they produce Tariquet white wines and Bas-Armagnac brandies that have won international acclaim.
One might presume that Tariquet's success is simply the result of hard work, dedication and respect for the vine and all things vinous. Yet the small region of Gascony known as the Gers, famed for its Armagnac and quality of life, is also a bastion of Gascon grapes and terroir, where differences are cultivated with a touch of reasoned rebelliousness.
The soil that nourishes the Tariquet vineyards is key to the essence of our wine. The region's temperate climate also plays a crucial role, its mid-August warm days and cool nights encouraging the development of aromatic precursors.
Yet an expert touch is required to make the most of such favourable conditions. The fact that Tariquet wines and Bas-Armagnacs brandies have been acclaimed with the best of their class is due largely to the boldness of one man. Yves Grassa, now an internationally renowned winemaker from Gascony, began 25 years ago by breaking the rules of traditional winemaking, proposing white wines that were consistently characterised by a fresh finesse and fruity elegance.
He was the first in the region to dare to plant chardonnay, sauvignon or chenin grapes, which were far from popular in those days. Worse still, he conjured up combinations of sworn enemies such as chardonnay with sauvignon, or chenin with chardonnay. The Tariquet style was born of contemplation, rebellion and reason, followed by continuous observation and improvement. Both in the vineyard, and in the wine cellar, as only a true winemaker makes wine in the midst of his vineyard.
of The Year in England, in 1987.
The challenge was also to seduce the consumer, which Tariquet has done, defying all tenets of white wine consumption. Reality goes well beyond the wildest hopes of any marketing study. The brand has seduced a wide range of people… from young women enjoying our Premières Grives as an aperitif, then with a meal and for the rest of the evening… to gentlemen savouring a veal shank cooked slowly for 18 hours with our "Classic ", a wine that will never go out of fashion.


Toronto, Ont. - The Canadian Hockey League in association with National Hockey League Central Scouting have announced the rosters for the 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game which takes place on Wednesday January 23 in Red Deer, Alberta.
The 40 players from across the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League selected by NHL clubs to compete in the 24th annual showcase of draft eligible talent have been divided into Team Cherry and Team Orr by NHL Central Scouting.
Team Cherry will be coached by Ron MacLean alongside Dave Hunter and Brent Sutter, with Team Orr to be coached by Kelly Hrudey with Robyn Regehr and Marc Habscheid.
Tri-City Americans forward Sasha Mutala will represent Team Orr at the game. NHL Central Scouting rated Mutala as a 'B' prospect for the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft, indicating a potential second or third round draft selection. The 17-year-old has recorded 9 goals and 13 assists through 35 games this season.
NHL Central Scouting 'A' rated prospects Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants), Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Nolan Foote (Kelowna Rockets), Arthur Kaliyev (Hamilton Bulldogs), Peyton Krebs (Kootenay ICE), Raphael Lavoie (Halifax Mooseheads), Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke Phoenix), and Matthew Robertson (Edmonton Oil Kings) headline the Team Cherry roster. The group also includes World Junior Championship talents in Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat Tigers) from Denmark, and Valentin Nussbaumer (Shawinigan Cataractes) from Switzerland. A total of 20 different CHL teams are represented on Team Cherry including eight WHL, six OHL, and six QMJHL clubs. The home team will feature the host Rebels with forward Oleg Zaytsev.
'A' rated prospects on Team Orr include Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades), Vladislav Kolyachonok (Flint Firebirds), and Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts). The group also includes Brett Leason (Prince Albert Raiders) who was a member of Canada's National Junior Team. The roster breakdown includes nine OHL players, with seven WHL, and four from the QMJHL representing a total of 17 CHL teams. Kelowna Rockets defencemen Kaedan Korczak and Lassi Thomson will compete together, as will London Knights forwards Matvey Guskov and Connor McMichael, and teammates Nikita Okhotyuk and Graeme Clarke of the Ottawa 67's. The Rockets pair will play opposite Foote, Orr forward Josh Williams will face his Tigers teammate Sogaard, and Orr goaltender Hunter Jones will face his Peterborough Petes teammate Nick Robertson on Cherry.
The teams are named in recognition of event builders and hockey icons Don Cherry and Bobby Orr who were instrumental in the success of the event when it was first introduced in 1996. Since 2006, the winning team has been presented with the Don Cherry and Bobby Orr CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Trophy engraved with the names of every player to ever participate in this prestigious event. Teams wearing the Orr crest carry an overall record of 13-6 while Team Cherry holds an all-time record of 7-13 with the extra victory opposite Team Davidson in 2005.


It's that time of year again when we are counting down the days till our first crias (baby llamas) are born. With only a couple of weeks till due dates Orla and Willow are our first females to have their babies this year and here are the expectant mothers with their big bellies!
As Albie was our last baby of 2014 these two new-borns will begin with B & C… All baby name suggestions greatly welcome!!


FeatherApps are designed from the ground up, packaging rich content within single mobile applications.
We generally specialise in reference applications (see our selection) but of course do offer various flavours of mobile applications, including Entertainment too.
Always priced as low as possible, our updates are ALWAYS FREE and we never put adverts in our paid for apps, that is our promise to you.
App content is updated as often as possible - we do encourage your feedback as we rollup suggestions and include them where possible in future updates. All of our applications have an "info" tab or menu bar - which includes relevant application information as well as last and next update dates.
When we release free apps, we do include small unobtrusive adverts which we hope and recommend you will follow - as the banners do include some of the best free Mobile Apps available on the market today.


A former swimmer who is now making tracks in triathlon, Gillian Sefton has developed a passion for motorsport in her professional life. In this latest edition of 'My sporting life', Gillian tells us how much she loves life in the fast lane.
How did you first become involved in sport?
I grew up swimming from the age of about four and swam competitively, training five or six days a week and competing at district level. I also qualified for national competitions.
When I got to about 18 I stopped competing and began coaching at my club but after I finished university and started working that took a back seat. I tried to keep up my fitness by going to the gym but without the sense of team that I had enjoyed with swimming, it got boring very quickly, so I joined a masters club and then found G72 Tri in Blantyre.
Initially I just joined up to be part of the swimming side of things but within three months I had been roped in to the full sport, had a bike by Christmas and I'm registered for a half marathon!
Where did your journey into the world of motorsport begin?
When I left university, I worked in swimming events and development, and at Glasgow 2014. Scottish Swimming offered me a part-time development role, but I had to take on a second job to cover the bills, so I signed up with a car hire company's graduate scheme.
That gave me a bit of experience in the motor industry so when this role came up my sister encouraged me to go for it. I didn't think I stood a chance being a woman and not knowing the sport, but I created a business plan and went into that interview fully prepared and fighting for the role. I think I was more surprised than anybody when I got the job.
What does your role as National Development Officer entail?
We've got over 100 club across two and four wheels, so I had to hone that down to make it feasible. We created a plan to educate clubs on what we do and what we could offer them and invited them to apply to be part of our 'Focus Clubs' initiative.
I've now got nine clubs split across two and four wheels that I work with on an individual basis, tailored to what they need.
Initially I think they thought we were going to be a policing body, dictating what was going to happen, but that's not how it works. I go into the clubs and find out about them, who's involved, what they're there for, what they hope to do. Based on those informal discussions we come up with a plan. It can be really rewarding to see them achieve their goals.
How have you been able to make an impact?
One trials club wanted to increase its youth membership, but everyone involved in the club had been in the sport for a long time and had reached a high standard. When new people tried to get involved they found it too hard and off-putting.
I worked with the club to take it right back to basics, riding on the flat or around cones, and as a result they brought in a whole new youth membership and increased their female membership as well.
Kingdom Off Road Motorcycle Club was set up to tackle anti-social riding - a real issue in Fife.
Through sponsorships and the support of the local authority, the club put on free 12-week blocks with a dozen youths who had been referred by the police or social work. It got them off the streets and they were really engaged but there was nowhere to go at the end of the block.
I worked with the club to create a general membership, we got more coaches involved, and obtained a fleet of bikes to make it accessible for the kids even if they couldn't afford their own bike. They could practise or train regularly and were introduced to the mechanical and engineering side of things too.
We secured National Lottery DCI (Direct Club Investment) funding from sportscotland so the club now has two part-time coaches, one paid through DCI. Last year they won Club of the Year at the Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sport Awards for their work.
That was huge for them, and for the sport, as motorsport has never really been featured before and we were up against some big competition.
At the risk of sounding controversial, the biggest challenge has been breaking down attitudes. This is still a male-dominated sport. Across our membership we see that – it's 80% male, 20% female. The age profile is generally older too. As I'm the complete opposite I do sometimes come up against a bit of resistance but not as much as I thought I might, people are generally friendly and welcoming.
I welcome the challenge. I think that the more opportunities I am given to show that I am genuinely interested in the sport, the more I can evidence my work and prove myself. I am developing stronger bonds and relationships and I really don't see it as a negative, I like to be challenged.
Have you tried the sport for yourself?
I jumped in with both feet, went along to lots of clubs and fully immersed myself in the different disciplines. I've tried trials riding, I've had trials bikes jumped over me, I've done a bit of auto testing and I've experienced circuit racing – though just as a passenger so far. I've also achieved my Level 2 performance coaching qualification this year.
What advice would you give girls who might be interested in motorsport?
Go for it. I didn't come from a motorsport background but I've worked hard, been accepted and earned my place. I love my job, I really do. There's so much variety in it, so much variety in motorsport in general.
You can compete, get involved in engineering, be a mechanic or an official, there really is something there for everyone, just give it a go.


The term "warship" was often used to identify the subclass of starships designed primarily for use as combatants in space warfare, as opposed to civilian use, support or yard operations.
The primary armament consisted of the ship's heaviest weapons, typically heavy turbolaser cannons. These massive weapons drew their power straight from the main reactor to direct a vessel's full power against a target. Often, these systems had limited targeting ability independent of the vessel's hull, which required the vessel itself to maneuver for targeting.
Secondary armament usually consisted of smaller, directed-energy weapons which served as both offensive and defensive systems. These dual-role systems provided supporting fire during offensive operations against planets, mid-range attack capability for ship-to-ship engagements, and some defensive capability against larger targets. Secondary armament systems typically consisted of turret-mounted weapons which could be targeted independently from each other or fire-linked to bring multiple batteries to bear against a single target.
A few classes of combat vessel used "warship" in a more specific sense, comparable to "frigate" or "cruiser". These were typically large combat warships, including the Cal-class warships of the Galactic Republic and most notably the Yuuzhan Vong Miid ro'ik, although the latter may also have been the class of ship designated as a destroyer analog by the New Republic.
While in the real world "warship" is basically a generic term, the examples cited above means that it also has a more specific meaning within Star Wars.


Thank you for your interest in the upcoming Squarespace Course!
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By registering for this course you are committing to attending all 3 sessions. Make-up sessions will not be offered.
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Small house with garden, parking, tarace, barbeque, lots of trees and green fences to make it very private for party inside. Complete garden has 500 sq meters and inside house without tarace there is 40 sq meters. House consists of 2 bedroom with king size bed, living room with sofa, tv , air condition and small table, fully equiped kitchen with fridge, freezer, dishwasher and lots of dishes. 2 Bathrooms with toilet and shower cabin , heater. 100% clean and Fresh sheets and towels are standard.


(Bloomberg) — The world's biggest container line will order new ships for the first time in four years as the industry shakes off its worst crisis in four decades.
The decision marks a shift from the container shipping industry's strategy so far. Vessels built by Maersk Line and its competitors had grown ever larger to save fuel since containerization went global in the 1970s. Maersk Line set itself apart as a pioneer, claiming at least four world records for the biggest ships over the past two decades. Its most recent mega-ship project was in 2011, when it ordered 20 Triple-E class vessels that each carry more than 18,000 containers.
The industry is still suffering from overcapacity. Excess supply in 2009 triggered a slump in freight rates as volumes contracted in the wake of the global financial crisis. Though there's still too much capacity in some parts of the industry, "the situation looks better now than it has for a while," Andersen said.
"We need to get new ships by 2017 if we want to keep up with the growth in the market, and we will place orders this year, probably already in the first half," he said.
Maersk shares rose as much as 3.8 percent in Copenhagen trading and were up 3.4 percent to 15,780 kroner at 12:04 p.m. The stock jumped 9.5 percent on Wednesday and now trades at a record high after exceeding a 2007 peak.
Maersk Line needs its new ships to have a combined capacity of 425,000 standard-size containers in the period 2017 to 2019 to keep its market share, according to its earnings report published Wednesday. That's equivalent to about 23 of the Triple-E ships on the market.
"We may order Triple-E ships, but don't expect an order of 20 or 30 ships this year because we need to time it carefully so we grow with the market," Andersen said. Though the lower oil price makes larger ships less attractive, Maersk is still "looking at both smaller and larger ships and we will probably place orders in both segments," he said.
Maersk Line said Wednesday its fourth-quarter net operating profit after tax more than doubled to $655 million as higher shipping volumes and lower fuel costs more than countered a decline in freight rates.
Maersk Line's shipping volumes grew 6.8 percent last year, as the global market expanded 6 percent, according to an estimate provided by BIMCO, the world's largest international shipping association. The company now has a global market share of 15.7 percent, compared with 15 percent six months ago, according to data from Alphaliner SA.
Maersk Line expects to invest about $3 billion a year through 2019 on new vessels and on retro-fitting current ships. The money will also go toward more containers, according to a September presentation.
Maersk Line will in the next four months get the last five Triple-E vessels it ordered in 2011 from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. The Danish company paid $3.8 billion for the 20 ships, which are 400 meters (1,312 foot) long and 59 meters wide.
"If we should buy Triple-E ships, we would deploy them on the Asia to Europe trade and then move some of the smaller tonnage to other lanes," Andersen said.
The U.S. and India will be the biggest drivers of global economic growth this year, Andersen said.
"Other countries, like the so-called BRIC nations Brazil and Russia, will drag down global growth," he said.