text:
Tag Archives: San Diego 100
2015 San Diego 100
Posted on June 11, 2015 by bobshebest
Free. Your. Mind. >>>>>> Photo Credit: Paksit Photos 2015
In the days leading up to San Diego 100 I kept thinking about that famous Frank Shorter quote, "You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." The event was feeling a bit more ominous than it should have. Two weeks out I had to basically shut down the running and concentrated on a strong finish to the school year; the most challenging one, in terms of classroom management, in my ten years teaching. Throw in coaching and training for a 100mi run and no surprise that my soul's check-engine light came on. Thankfully I had a week to catch up on rest and get my head on straight before the big day in SoCal on June 6th.
Let's just EASE into this… Photo Credit: Josh Spector
Nice to have a direct flight down to San Diego on Thursday before the Saturday race. I got out on the course a bit on Friday to preview the start/finish after a huge night's sleep. The race started to feel less threatening and more like it should—an epic adventure on brand-new trails! First thing I realized was I needed some gaiters to protect my ankles and feet from the plethora of pesky foxtails that were in over-abundance due to recent rains. I'd pick some up at registration later that day and in tandem with a brand-spanking new pair of Hoka Challengers, I'd have zero foot issues for 100 miles. BOO-yah!
Challenger ATR — Greatest. Shoe. Ever.
I'd posted a question on Facebook a few days before the race about what settings to use on my Suunto Ambit 3 Peak and an illuminating conversation thread ensued. I ended up using the 1sec recording interval with "best" GPS accuracy. For this race, I chose not to use heart-rate, not merely because it saves battery life, but because, this time, I wanted to race a 100 without it. Suunto note: upon finishing I had 20% battery life remaining. My back-up Suunto never left its mile-80 drop-bag. I was happy that the Peak's band didn't bother my wrist all day, as it had been doing in training. I prefer the Sport's band since it's softer, but the Sport doesn't have the Peak's robust battery life.
Yukkin' it up early with Spokane's Ben Bucklin, who would go on to win the SD100 solo division.
Racing aid-station to aid-station was the plan from the start; chunking the mind-numbing 100-miler up into bite-size pieces is, for me, mentally advantageous. Thus, I had three pieces of data on my Suunto the entire race: lap-distance, lap-time, and lap-pace. Upon departing each aid-station, I was sure to hit the ol' lap button and do my best to live in that "space" from aid to aid, a task that would grow increasingly difficult as the race wore on and my weary mind would drift to how much racing was still left…
2015 SD100 Aid Station Splits. Click to enlarge. (Strava.com)
2015 San Diego 100 – Strava Activity
Rollin' on the PCT. 23mi in, averaging 8:35/mi. Sunrise Aid-Station. Photo Credit: Billy Yang
On this day, running "within myself" found me in first position after about 15 miles. I can't say I was psyched to be there with so much racing to go but I've learned that I need to run my race at my pace, and this was the reality. I pressed on all day long, thinking about this-that-and-the-other, but returning to Karl Meltzer's sage 100-mile advice, "You gotta be there in the final 25% of the race."
Todd's Cabin. Mile 40. Don't know if Todd was there. Photo Credit: Scott Mills, RD
Mile 51. Meadows Aid Station. Double-Butt-Bottling it, DeNuch style. Photo Credit: Chris Wehan
Race director, Scott Mills, his staff, and volunteers run a tight ship; one BIG reason I chose to run San Diego this year. Communication with athletes in the preceding weeks was excellent. Course-marking was dialed, including confidence ribbon every 3-5min, flour arrows with extra flagging at turns, signage, and critical junctions were often manned with volunteers to ensure weary runners didn't make any knuckle-head mistakes. I previewed the finish route the day before. I could roughly sketch the entire course from memory, including all the connector out-n-back trails. Scott reinforced through multiple email communications, and again at the pre-race briefing, the importance of keeping your head in the game and doing your due diligence with regards to knowing the course. Bottom line for me: I feared getting off course more than anything. Every ribbon spied was a small victory, all day long.
Even at this race, with so much vigilant course-marking happening—before and during the race—there was still a longish stretch, somewhere there in the middle miles, where I'd been running too long without seeing a marker. I knew there'd been no other way to go yet I was starting to get nervous. Down-trail, I saw a wadded up bunch of orange ribbon thrown between some bushes. "Ohhh, sh******t", I thought. Right there, on a log though, near the displaced ribbon, I spied one lone ribbon that had a SD100 note attached to it, explaining to passersby that there was a 100-mile trail-race going on, imploring them to not remove the ribbon, etc.
It appeared to me that someone had found this particular downed ribbon, read the note, recognized its significance and thoughtfully placed it on that log as an act of goodwill. I imagine notes like that appealing to people's humanity, discouraging vandalism on one hand and encouraging others to lend a hand and replace down ribbon. Yet, I didn't fully trust the course-markings for a mile or so, scrutinizing over how each one was attached to a branch, tree, bush, sign, or rock. Vandals had sent us on a wild goose-chase at mile-20 at Gorge Waterfalls 100k in March. Once bitten, twice shy baby. The ribbon thankfully led me to the next aid-station, where I shared the news with a concerned aid-station captain.
It wasn't the hottest SD100 on record, but it got pretty toasty during the afternoon. Photo Credit: Debbie Jett
Upon reaching Pine Creek aid-station I was about 100k in and still averaging about 9:30/mi pace. I'd been riding the line with nausea for hours. Before departing Pine Creek, I asked the volunteers, how far to the next aid. They reminded me, "Eight miles. All uphill." My spirit took a hit. I lingered a bit longer there, drank another 12oz of water, cold-sponged myself, and set to the task of climbing. I would lose about 30sec/mi off my average race-pace by the time I reached the Sunrise 2, at mile 72.
Mile by mile, I was grateful for previous experiences like climbing up Diamond Peak at mile 80 in Tahoe Rim Trail 100 and ascending Peavine Summit from mile 33 to 39 in Silver State 50. In the words of educational theorist John Dewey, "All experiences live on in future experiences." One foot in front of the other. I knew if I didn't suck it up on this section, someone—back there—would happily reel me in, just like the flyin' Frenchman, Jean Pommier, did last year at Silver State.
Somewhere about mile 7 of 8, up this godforsaken climb to Pioneer Mail 2. I was out of water and calories, even after rationing best I could. Both bottles now bone dry. I thought about this hilarious "100 Mile 101" pic my wife shared with me a few days prior. At this very moment I knew I just moved from #2 to #3—"This is shit." What was curious about it was there was something in the back of my mind that now found the situation somewhat comical. The power of these "steps" though wasn't necessarily the lighthearted humor, but the promise of getting to #5 and ultimately #6. I knew I still had to get through #4 though…
#3: "This is shit." With pacer Chris Wehan. Photo Credit: Debbie Jett
At the top I was greeted by pacer extraordinaire, and Inside Trail Racing teammate, Chris Wehan, who told me, "I'm bored," so he was jumping in early. Fine by me! We'd planned on teaming up at Sunrise 2 (mile 79). It was good to have some company. "Soooo… you're walking?, he said." I was having a moment. I soon got over it and started running again. Chris never fails to fire me up. Whether pacing or racing against him, he always brings out my best. At an Inside Trail 50k in Woodside in late April, we were hitting the early, soft downhills there at 4:45/mi pace. We would both subsequently blow sky-high later in the race. Friendly competition at its finest! I found myself thinking how nice it would be to run at 50k race pace to the finish, and get this bullsh*t over with asap.
Chris and I got into a rhythm and I grew quiet, struggling now with fatigue and nausea. Thinking I had at least a 20-30min lead over 2nd place, my mammalian brain attended to its job of slowing me down, since I believed there was no threat from behind. Nausea turned into vomiting. I'd reached #4 – "I am shit." Back moving. Get in calories…
The secret sauce—VitargoS2.
Besides a Picky Bar in the first 10mi, I'd only taken in calories from VitargoS2. I'd premixed nine bottles, each with about 300cal/bottle and placed them in drop-bags that I'd basically hit at every other aid-station throughout the day. Each time I picked up a bottle, I had a 280cal packet of Vitargo rubber-banded to it, to use at the aid-stations in between, where I would not have a drop-bag. As the race wore on, and my stomach was less and less cooperative, I found I had to dilute my 300cal mixture with water to reach a concentration that my gut could sustainably handle. Once beyond 70mi I also started using a 50/50 mix of water and chicken broth in what had been my water-only/cooling bottle (aka: bottle #2). From this point on, I'd use the "steady-drip" method of fueling/hydrating, taking little hits off the diluted Vitargo, chasing it with bigger gulps of delicious, life-giving chicken broth.
Predator-Prey. Ben Bucklin on the hunt, rolling through Pioneer Mail, mile 72. Photo Credit: Billy Yang
Like the song goes, "When the lights go down in the California town / People are in for the evenin'." Not the ultra-runners. We're out there with all the critters that come out at dusk. As Chris and I shuffled up on the PCT to Sunrise 2, we watched the shadows grow long and spied several fox, deer, and later, closer to the finish, we had to run past a juvenile skunk, which evidently sprayed us a bit, since folks at the finish said I smelled kind of skunky. While chasing the sunset, I told Chris about the rattlesnake I almost stepped on in the heat of the afternoon. Biggest rattler I'd ever seen on the trail; coiled up, and rattling to beat the band. I'd given that guy a wide birth and told the RD, upon running into him again at the next aid. I guess I could go without seeing snakes, but all the wildlife throughout the day, added to the wildness of the experience.
I'd been silently dreading Chambers 2 aid-station at mile 88 since about mile 12, when I hit it on the way out. It's tough because you're 88 miles in and you can see the finish from across the lake, that is, if you look left, which I didn't. Chris said what I was thinking, "Let's get in and out of this aid-station fast. You can see from the map that Chambers has an out-n-back connector. We wanted to be back-n-forth before 2nd place came in. And we almost made it.
As we were just about to turn right to head up the first of two climbs to the finish, 12mi to go, we see a headlamp moving along the trail to our left. Without someone ahead to keep me "in the hunt" I'd simply slowed too much, or so I thought. Turns out, Ben Bucklin had been making a charge for hours, getting feedback from aid-stations that I wasn't looking too hot, inspiring him to give chase. With 12 to go, the race was ON!
The adrenaline surged, the temps were dropping, the stomach immediately righted itself and two miles of climb later, we were averaging 10:30/mi pace. Push. We ran everything I could. 5.1mi to the final aid-station at Paso Picacho, where we topped off my bottles, and quickly moved on down the trail. 7.1 brutal miles to the finish. Anything could happen. I had to push on the climbs, stay steady, try to keep calories coming in, and ride the line as best I could. I remember Chris reporting 10k to go, then later 5k to go. How I longed to be running my open 5 or 10k pace at that moment! Get this sh*t over with!
The final two miles into the finish are brutal. Lots of loose, large rocks that make running quickly all but impossible, especially in the dark. Every time we start to push, we'd stumble, or twist an ankle. Adjusting pace, we moved more carefully through this section, sometimes rewarded with a smooth stretch, where I'd open up the stride, imagining increasing the gap to 2nd by a few more seconds. Keep that cadence quick!
Careful to stay on course, we finally arrived at Highway 79, crossed, and made the hop-skip-and-jump to the finish. I was psyched to see 17:09:28 on the official clock and shake Scott Mills' hand. I wanted to be under 17:30 here at San Diego since my 100mi personal best, set at Tahoe Rim Trail 100 last year, was 17:38. I also didn't want to let Scott down by making any major knucklehead navigational mistakes, considering how much energy he and his staff put into marking the course so well.
Ben Bucklin came in a few minutes later, winning the solo-division (sans pacer), the first year this division was offered. I was counting my lucky stars that my pacer, Chris, happened to be visiting family in Los Angeles this same weekend, and so graciously offered up his time to hobble around in the dark with me, while I vomited, stumbled, farted, grumbled, and belched. Bucklin ran a solid race and pushed so hard to close the gap down to within 8min at Chambers 2, at mile 88. His efforts to bridge and get within sight of 1st, put the fear of God into me, which made me dig deep, find another gear, and work so hard to the finish. Competitors will always push us harder than we would otherwise push ourselves. Because of Ben, that final 12mi brought out my best and produced some powerful, and cherished memories. Long live sport.
With Gabe Wishnie (3rd) and solo division champ, Ben Bucklin. Photo Credit: Scott Mills
San Diego 100 – Full Results
With ultra-running legend, Scotty Mills, SD100 Race Director. It was an honor to win and shake his hand at the finish. Thanks to Scott, Co-RD Ang Shartel, and the army of amazing volunteers that make up the awe-inspired event that is The Official San Diego 100mi Trail Run.
Parting shot. Nothing in the world like the breakfast after a 100-miler! With pacer extraordinaire, Chris Wehan.
Faster than Twitter, thanks to my beautiful, loving, and highly supportive wife Amanda for her thankless job [even from afar] as "First Responder." | Thank you to Julbo Eyewear for the beautiful, functional, and comfortable sunglasses. It's GREAT to be working with you! | Thank you to Hoka One One for the their continued support and producing the best shoes out there—#LetsGoHoka! | Thanks to Inside Trail Racing for offering so many fantastic races in great places. | Thanks to Vitargo for the steady energy and SIMPLIFYING my SAN DIEGO 100 nutrition. | Thank you Healdsburg Running Company for the awesome show of support for SD100. HRC rocks!! | Thanks to my friends at Nuya coconut water for the optimal way to replenish after a long (long) run.
Posted in Race Reports	| Tagged Ben Bucklin, Chris Wehan, Hoka One One, San Diego 100, Scott Mills, Suunto, Vitargo	| 8 Replies
San Diego 100 Prep
Posted on May 19, 2015 by bobshebest
Seventeen little days now to San Diego 100 and I'm taking a bit of comfort knowing I've pulled this off before, that is, preparing for a hundo while in the midst of the school year and juggling all my other life pursuits. Pine to Palm 100 last September came about eight weeks post Tahoe Rim Trail 100 and well into the first month of school; the desire to train was no where to be found and I ended up running that one off summer/100mi fitness. This time around it's been a lot better. One hopes…
Cinderella 50k, Oakland, CA (5/9/15) – Photo Credit: Foggy Bay Photos
Gorge Waterfalls 100k in March messed with my head a bit due to the comedy of errors in the final 8mi of that race, resulting in a lost opportunity to qualify for Western States in June. Even though outward appearances suggest a failure, I was quite pleased with my fitness in Oregon, considering I was just coming back from injury. Sucks though to not secure the result you know you're capable of. Gotta keep movin' on down the trail…
One of my two-week training blocks for San Diego 100 + a rest week. Credit: Strava.com
Setbacks, in my experience, always seem to have a silver lining. Injury forced changes to my training, which have actually made me a more balanced runner. Go figure! All my runs now have purpose. In Oregon, I felt increased power and speed and have kept up with my evolved training program while building up for San Diego, continuing to reflect on each week and make tweaks here and there. Training for a 100 miles though, versus a 100k, I've toned down the intensity some for the sake of increased volume and maintaining overall life balance (thank-you Dr. Maffetone). The number of hill intervals have increased and gotten longer in duration. The speed of the tempo run has slowed a bit but has lengthened as well. And the weekends have been dedicated to double long runs, with Saturday being more about enjoyment, leaving Sunday to do a proper long run, focusing on "programming" the mind for the incipient battle that starts at Lake Cuyamaca on June 6th at 0600 hours. "A quiet mind is a powerful mind."
Gritty "Hundo" Hill Session: My 12 x 425′ hill repeats from 5/14/15. Credit: Strava.com
After soaking up some great motivation at Lake Sonoma 50, I put down a high quality two-week training block with lots of climb, then took a rest week to really absorb it. That Friday I found myself feeling good, and with my birthday the next day, I started surfing the web for a race. Why not?! It felt like the right thing to do. It is the Bay Area after all, and I was delighted to find a nice little 50k down in Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland.
Checking the entrants list, I saw Chris DeNucci was also racing. So that sealed the deal—get to race on my birthday against at least one competitor who I knew would push me from start to finish. And that's all it takes—one other runner to keep you honest and working to your potential on the day. As it turned out, there were plenty of guys rocking it on the front, including Chris Castleman and Alex Ho. It won't be too much longer before I won't be able to stay in front of these guys for 50k!
Like Edgar Allan Poe wrote, "Without a certain continuity of effort, without a certain duration or repetition of purpose, the soul is never deeply moved." That right there is why I'm crazy about ultra-running. When I came through the start/finish (for the second time), I knew I had to string together just 4 more miles of continuous effort to complete the final loop to make it 50k. I found myself thinking of Travis Macy's dad, from the book I just read called, Ultra Mindset. In it Macy talks about what the guys from his Dad's era of ultra-runners had instead of comfy Hokas and super-fuels like Vitargo—-and that's grit, plain and simple. And grit is what we need in abundance to run 100 miles. Winning a small, local 50k in course-record fashion on one's birthday feels good, to be certain, but honing one's ultra-running mettle for an upcoming hundo is priceless when we find ourselves at mile 80.
The following Tuesday, Amanda and I went down to support Michael Wardian in his 50k Treadmill World Record attempt, where he successfully lowered his own record of 3:03:56 to 2:59:49. Hoka One One made Iron Mike a literal centerpiece at their two-day sales conference held at the Claremont Hotel in Oakland (no pressure Mike!). Hoka folks got to jump on an adjacent treadmill and run "with" Wardian for a few miles (or minutes). Toward the end, I jumped on after Magdalena Boulet, who had the pace set to 9mph, which I found quite brisk! Mike was running 10.4mph at the time. After a mile or so, I briefly bumped it up to match his pace. I quickly felt the effects from my own 50k from a couple days prior. Volunteers started asking if I was okay. 😉
Much respect for Mike's stout record. He'd just run a 70+ mile race in Australia 10 days prior and just arrived from "down under" that day. Jet-lagged or not, Mike made running sub-6min/mi pace for just about three hours look pretty easy. Smooth and efficient. And talk about "ultra mindset." Mike said after that in order to stay focused he had to go "somewhere else." He said he was "in" his basement back home in Virginia. I had a heaping pile of delicious gourmet food and left for the evening with a heaping pile of inspiration. #LetsGoMike
Okay, so I've shared the basic components of my 100mi prep: training, the mental game, inspiration, and what else?… Oh yeah right, strength. I've been trying to be consistent with a modest strength circuit routine I can do during the week but that won't compromise my quality run sessions. It basically encompasses four exercises (which I vary depending on what's sore that day) that I like to do 3-4 times through. These include some basics like sit-ups and pull-ups as well as some full body stuff with 8lb dumbbells and the TRX. I try to keep it simple and it's no surprise I'm stronger after a recovery week and less strong when I have a lot of miles in me. My feeling with strength training is that a little goes a long way. That's my hope here in 17 days—go a long way, strong. Hold form together so you can "fake it until you make it." !!!
Looking ahead now, I've begun hittin' the sauna with two 20min sessions in the last few days. I'll do this all the way up to San Diego. Temps have been way too cool here in wine country so far this spring, so a little sauna training better go a long way as well! This week's the last structured training week prior to San Diego, which I'll cap off with the Western States Training Runs this Memorial Day weekend with another Hoka teammate, Paul Terranova. I'm hoping to bank 50k of sweet trail running bliss on Saturday and follow it up with 20 on Sunday. And that'll do it. I'll stay sharp with a handful of short runs, work on my race-plan, keep studying the course, strategize, get great sleep, limit my caffeine and alcohol intake, hydrate, stretch, foam-roll, and keep visualizing how I want things to pan out on game-day.
So, about the San Diego 100 course-record… I've been lucky enough to meet and chat with two past SD100 champs in recent months—Jeff Browning and Karl Meltzer—and hear about their experiences on a course that has evolved over the years due to things like forest fires. I contacted RD, Scott Mills, and received a very detailed, appreciated, and fair account on the history of the race, which has helped me create some realistic goals:
The SD course is in its 14th year and over that period we have had 4 major course changes that make records only applicable to the years that it was run over those particular courses. The first 7 years was the easiest as an out and back on the PCT and it was held in Nov. Karl holds that record at 15:48. The next two years was a double loop in the Cuyamacas….it too was an easier course and comparable to Karl's course record so I always considered Karl's time as the course record for this route as well.
Then 6 years ago the race underwent a major change when I inherited the event and we ran a much tougher and more varied course. Over those first 4 years, Jeff Browning won the race twice and held the course record of 16:39….a very solid and impressive time. I feel Browning's time was pretty much comparable or better in terms of difficulty to Karl's record on the old course and it was run in June when it is significantly hotter than the Nov time frame of Karl's.
Then two years ago (just after the 2013 race, a devastating wild fire destroyed our race venue and many of the trails we use so we had to yet again change the course. Last year's and this year's courses are very similar (only a very minor change) and I believe this variation of the course is the toughest of all past variations. Jeff Kozak won last year's event in 19:24 and that is the current course record that you would be competing against.
As you know 100 mile course records are so dependent upon race day conditions and in our case upon route changes. I think this year's course winning time will be below 19 hours but again, too many variables to predict. I will add…the SD 100 course is "sneaky hard" By this I mean it looks very runnable for the entire course but there are some very technical and hard sections that don't appear so on paper. The dry air, wind and low humidity need to be watched closely as well with regards to dehydration.
I'm looking forward to this special opportunity to execute to the very best of my abilities in this long-standing and challenging event. Hopefully I'll have packed enough grit to see me through. #seeyouinsandiego
Parting Shot: Just hangin' out in Mike's basement. Credit: Amanda
Thanks to my beautiful, loving, and highly supportive wife Amanda for her thankless job [even from afar] as "First Responder."
Thank you to Julbo Eyewear for the sweet looking, functional, and super comfortable sunglasses. It's GREAT to be working with you guys (and gals!).
Thank you to Hoka One One for the their continued support and producing the best shoes out there—#LetsGoHoka!
Thanks to Inside Trail Racing for your offering so many fantastic races in great places. | Thanks to Vitargo for the steady energy and SIMPLIFYING my SAN DIEGO 100 nutrition.
Thank you Healdsburg Running Company for opening up in my 'hood. Love the new store and the weekly group runs. It's great to be building community with you!
Posted in Training	| Tagged Chris Denucci, Hoka One One, Michael Wardian, Paul Terranova, San Diego 100, Strava, Ultra Mindset, Western States 100	| 2 Replies


text:
Turner Sports Promotes Janet Abbazia to Vice President of Event Marketing
Monday, January 7, 2008 - 11:57 am
Sports announced the promotion of Janet Abbazia to vice president of event
marketing, where she will continue to have oversight of all event marketing and
hospitality efforts for the organization. Abbazia is based in
and reports to Trish Frohman, executive vice president of Turner Sports Ad
Previously,
Abbazia was director of event marketing for Turner Sports. In her
four-year tenure with Turner Sports, she has re-branded and
grown the group to support not only Turner Sports events, but also
the planning of events for a myriad of Turner Broadcasting divisions
including CNN, Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. Due
to Abbazia's vision, within the past four years the number of
events per year planned by the event marketing group has tripled, with her
staff doubling in size. Among the many events coordinated within the
group, Abbazia is responsible for Turner-hosted events during the
annual NBA All-Star Weekend, British Open Championship, Comedy Festival in
Las Vegas and
the Sundance Film Festival in
Utah.
"Janet's
insight, experience, creativity and service-oriented style continue to prove a
valuable resource to Turner Sports as well as the many divisions her group
supports," said Frohman. "She is a proven asset to all of
Turner and I'm pleased to announce her well-deserved promotion
to vice president."
to joining Turner Broadcasting, Abbazia was a senior events manager for America
Online and also spent three years as vice president of Bandujo Donker &
Brothers. In addition, she served as the corporate sponsorship director
for Bell Atlantic, as well as a national program manager for AT&T's
Business Markets Division. Throughout her career, Abbazia has received
numerous awards for her work, namely a BMA (Business Marketing
Association) of New Jersey Impact Award, Communicator Awards' Crystal
Award of Excellence and a Casie Award for Sponsorship Web Site.
received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the
South Carolina and a
master's degree in corporate and organizational communications from

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Robinson Crusoe meets Apollo 13 in this tale of a smart-ass engineer stranded on the surface of Mars when his mission goes horribly wrong. The near-future novel, written by one of NASA's own, presents an ultra-plausible fight for survival against astronomical odds. Mark Watney caries this problem-solving love letter to the space program with wit, determination, and MacGyver-esque abilities.
The book's weakness lies in its greatest strength, a singular focus on survival. But you won't care. You'll be too busy trying to save Mark Watney. I listened to The Martian on audiobook. The story, mainly told through mission logs, is perfect for this format.
That said, I loved the book enough to order a paperback.
Ridley Scott will be directing a film version, but you should really give Andy Weir's novel a read.
The Martian: Trade Paperback, Audiobook
To say I use my iPad (Air 2) a lot is an understatement. I write novels on it. It holds lecture notes for my college classes. It's perfect for prototyping user interface designs, updating websites, and keeping up with the latest meltdown on the web. The only concession I've had to make is carrying a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard in my bag for long typing sessions.
Reviews, Short Fiction Spotlight
Issue 12 of Shroud includes an interview Mike Knost did with me and a new short story.
"Ghost in the Machine" takes place in a near future where Democrats and Republicans are minority parties, and the Sons of Liberty control the White House and Congress. Third-party politics, torture bans, and a mysterious "Ghost Program" conspire to change the course of the nation.
"GHOST IN THE MACHINE by Jerry Gordon, from the Spring 2012 issue of Shroud magazine. This is my first experience reading a Jerry Gordon short story, and I'll be back for more. (I'm more familiar with Jerry's work as Maurice Broaddus' co-editor on the DARK FAITH books.) In "Ghost," Jerry takes a shot at modern politics in what seems to be a slightly dystopian near-future. We don't get many details of the world: somehow San Diego has been destroyed and in the aftermath, both Democrats and Republicans have fallen in favor to a new party, the Sons of Liberty. The public isn't aware of the use of mind-reading spies to keep various politicians in line .. but our main character, John Wexler, knows just how well they work. Especially once he becomes a target himself. Gordon introduces the concept so subtly that at first I thought he was talking about regular spies (with lines like "well, let the ghosts do their work…"), until the realization hit that these are, in effect, psychic hit-men. I won't give away the twist the story takes, but I will say it was highly satisfactory."
~365 Short Stories
The issue is available from Amazon. Enjoy!
Google revised its search engine algorithms to favor mobile devices this month. The old website was decidedly not phone friendly and already in need of a refresh. So welcome to the new digital home. We built up some equity in the old place and then traded up.
More square footage. Room to expand. You get the idea. For you that means a much cleaner, mobile-friendly interface and more regular updates.
Grab a drink out of the fridge and make yourself at home.
"I will tell you the beginning;
and, if it please your ladyships,
you may see the end;
for the best is yet to do."


text:
require 'rails_helper'

describe 'POST /locations/:location_id/mail_address' do
  context 'when location does not already have an mail_address' do
    before(:all) do
      @loc = create(:nearby_loc)
    end

    before do
      @attrs = { address_1: 'foo', city: 'bar', state_province: 'CA',
                 postal_code: '90210', country: 'US' }
    end

    after(:all) do
      Organization.find_each(&:destroy)
    end

    it 'creates an mail_address with valid attributes' do
      post(
        api_location_mail_address_index_url(@loc, subdomain: ENV.fetch('API_SUBDOMAIN', nil)),
        @attrs
      )
      expect(response).to have_http_status(:created)
      expect(json['address_1']).to eq(@attrs[:address_1])
    end

    it 'creates the mail_address for the right location' do
      post(
        api_location_mail_address_index_url(@loc, subdomain: ENV.fetch('API_SUBDOMAIN', nil)),
        @attrs
      )
      get api_location_url(@loc, subdomain: ENV.fetch('API_SUBDOMAIN', nil))
      expect(json['mail_address']['address_1']).to eq(@attrs[:address_1])
    end

    it "doesn't create an mail_address with invalid attributes" do
      post(
        api_location_mail_address_index_url(@loc, subdomain: ENV.fetch('API_SUBDOMAIN', nil)),
        address_1: nil
      )
      expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
      expect(json['errors'].first['address_1']).
        to eq(["can't be blank for Mail Address"])
    end

    it "doesn't allow creating a mail_address without a valid token" do
      post(
        api_location_mail_address_index_url(@loc, subdomain: ENV.fetch('API_SUBDOMAIN', nil)),
        @attrs,
        'HTTP_X_API_TOKEN' => 'invalid_token'
      )
      expect(response).to have_http_status(:unauthorized)
    end
  end

  context 'when location already has a mail_address' do
    before do
      @loc = create(:mail_address).location
      @attrs = { address_1: 'foo', city: 'bar', state_province: 'CA',
                 postal_code: '90210', country: 'US' }

      post(
        api_location_mail_address_index_url(@loc, subdomain: ENV.fetch('API_SUBDOMAIN', nil)),
        @attrs
      )
    end

    it "doesn't create a new mail_address if one already exists" do
      expect(MailAddress.count).to eq 1
    end

    it "doesn't change the location's current mail_address" do
      get api_location_url(@loc, subdomain: ENV.fetch('API_SUBDOMAIN', nil))
      expect(json['mail_address']['address_1']).to eq '1 davis dr'
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Filter by count of items in Tortoise ManyToManyField I'm trying to make a trending command for my application which gets the recent posts and displays them ranked by amount of likes and comments. Each Post model has a likes and comments field.
likes: fields.ManyToManyRelation["User"] = fields.ManyToManyField(
    "connect.User", related_name="liked", through="like_user"
)

comments: fields.ReverseRelation["Comment"]

The problem I'm having is now I can't find a way to filter by amount of likes and comments, as you can't filter by ManyToMany fields or ReverseRelations.
posts = Post.filter(
    likes__gt=0,
    comments__gt=0,
    created_at__gt=datetime.now() - dt.timedelta(days=7),
    filter__lte=user.config.filter,
)

This doesn't work.
Any help would be appreciated.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The first and most important step of the every successful project. The discovery process is a research phase where we dig deep into the details of a client's business goals, challenges, preferences, and target audiences. It sets the tone for the entire project and the details form the foundation of the project plan.


"Applied Machining Corporation is a precision machining service provider catering to the OEM's and aftermarket sales. They provide their customer with a "One Stop Shop" for their machining needs."
Applied Machining Corporation is a precision machining service provider catering to the OEM's and aftermarket sales. They provide their customer with a "One Stop Shop" for their machining needs.
Applied Machining Corporation will always be Clinet-Focused, innovative and flexible in meeting customer needs and will work to be better and faster with utmost consideration to Quality.


text:
Back to the Milwaukee Bucks Newsfeed
The Monday Morning Media Roundup: December 21st, 2020
Brew Hoop | December 21, 2020
Related Topics: 2012 phenomenon, Milwaukee, Marc Lasry
He's staying.
Let's roundup!
Can you imagine how satisfying this was for the team site's PR flack to write up? I'm sure they had it sitting in "drafts" for a long time, but to finally hit "publish" must've been a sweet relief.
I said it on Twitter immediately after the news broke/Giannis tweeted his decision to sign the extension: It's like we're living through a fairytale.
The Giannis twists, turns and worry: Inside the largest deal in NBA history (The Athletic - Subscription Required)
This is a moment so consequential in team history that it may indeed be worthy of subscribing for even a month to read this long-form breakdown of the twists and turns leading to Giannis's extension.
See full article at Brew Hoop


text:
Xreferat.com » Топики по английскому языку » History of democracy of the USA
History of democracy of the USA
WHAT DO AMERICANS MEAN WHEN THEY USE THE WORD "DEMOCRACY"?
Abraham Lincoln, one of the best-loved and most respected of America's presidents, said that the US had a government "of the people, by the people and for the people". He called the United Slates "a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." No one has formulated a better way of describing the principles of the American political system, as Americans understand it. The Constitution, laws and traditions of the United States give the people the right to determine who will be the leader of their nation, who will make the laws and what the laws will be. The people have the power to change the system. The Constitution guarantees individual freedom to all.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF DEMOCRACY
- Democracy as a form of government disappeared from ancient Greece and, over the centuries, the translation of the principles and ideals of democracy into practice has been very rare throughout the world. Most people have been ruled by kings, queens, emperors or small elite groups and, except for certain members of the nobility, the people have had no voice in their government. That was the situation in Europe in 1492.
- By the 1700s, England had established 13 colonies in the eastern part of what is now the United States.
- Some of the early British colonists had come to the New World in hopes of enriching themselves; others came because. Britain forced them to leave – they were troublemakers or people who could not pay their debts. Some came because of the opportunity, which did not exist for them in Europe, to own land or practice a trade.
- In the course of its long history as a nation, Great Britain had taken several steps toward democracy. England (including Wales) had a parliament winch made laws, and most people enjoyed a degree of individual freedom.
- William Penn, a member of the Religious Society of Friends, founded the colony of Pennsylvania, where he set up laws protecting freedom of religion and speech. Those laws also enabled the Pennsylvania colonists to have a voice in their local government.
- Life in the colonies also helped strengthen democratic ideas. They had to work together to build shelter, provide food, clear the land for farms and in general to make their new home land livable for them. This need for cooperation and sharing, combined with a belief in individualism, strengthened the idea that in the New World people were equal; that no one should have special rights and privileges.
- Each colony had its own government
WAR AND INDEPENDENCE
- The British government required people to pay taxes, but gave them no voice in pausing the tax laws. The British motherland determined what the colonists could produce and with whom they could trade.
- In 1774, a group of leaders from the colonies met and formed the "Continental Congress", which informed the king of the colonists' belief that, as free Englishmen, they should have a voice in determining laws that affected them. The king and the conservative government in London paid no heed to the concerns of the colonists, and many colonists felt that this was an injustice, which gave them reason to demand independence from Britain. In 1775, fighting broke out between New England militia and British soldiers.
- On July 4, 1776, Continental Congress issued a Declaration of Independence, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, a farmer and lawyer from the colony of Virginia. The Declaration described them as "free and independent slates" and officially named them the United Stales of America.The document says that all people are created equal, that all have the right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
-With help from France, England's old enemy, and from other Europeans, the American armies, led by George Washington, a surveyor and gentleman farmer from Virginia, won the War of Independence. The peace treaty signed in 1783.
- During the war, the states had agreed to work together by sending representatives to a national congress patterned after the "Congress of Delegates" that conducted the war with England. It would raise money to pay off debts of the war, establish a money system and deal with foreign nations in making treaties. The agreement that set up this plan of cooperation was called the Articles of Confederation.
- Many Americans worried about the future. How could they win the respect of other nations if the states did not pay their depts? How could they improve .the country by building roads or canals if the stales would not work together? They believed that the Congress needed more power.
- The plan for the government was written in very simple language in a document called the Constitution of the United Slates. The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each. The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president.
- Two main fears shared by most Americans: one fear was that one person or group, including the majority, might become too powerful or be able to seize control of the country and create a tyranny, another fear was that the new central government might weaken or take away the power of the state governments to run their own affairs. To deal with this the Constitution specified exactly what power central government had and which power was reserved for the states.
- Representatives of various states noted that the Constitution did not have any words guaranteeing the freedoms or the basic rights and privileges of citizens. Though the Convention delegates did not think it necessary to include such explicit guarantees, many people felt that they needed further written protection against tyranny. So, a "Bill of Rights" was added to the Constitution.
LEGISLATIVE BRUNCH
- can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect.
• The House of Representatives: two-year terms, each member represents a district in his state according to the population of it, 435 representatives in the United States House of Representatives.
• The Senate: six-year terms each state has two senators, only one-third of the Senate is elected every two years, experienced senators in Congress after each election.
- A bill is read, studied in committees, commented on and amended in the Senate or House chamber in which it was introduced. It is then voted upon. If it passes, it is sent to the other house where a similar procedure occurs. Members of both houses work together in "conference committees" if the chambers have passed different versions of the same bill. Groups who try to persuade Congressmen to vote for or against a bill are known as "lobbies". When both houses of Congress pass a bill on which they agree, it is sent to the president for his signature. Only after it is signed does the bill become a law.
- The chief executive is the president, who is elected to a two-year term.
- The president, as the chief formulator of public policy, can veto (forbid) any bill passed by Congress. The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and House of Representatives. As head of his political party, with ready access to the news media, the president can easily influence public opinion regarding issues and legislation that he deems vital.
- The president is commander in chief of the armed forces.
- The major departments of the government are headed by appointed secretaries who collectively make up the president's cabinet. Each appointment must be confirmed by a vote of the Senate. Today these 13 departments are: State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy and Education.
- The president is primarily responsible for foreign relations with other nations. The president often represents the United States abroad in consultations with other heads of state, and, through his officials, he negotiates treaties with over countries. Such treaties must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. Presidents also negotiate with other nations less formal "executive agreements" that are not subject to Senate approval.
- The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution. In addition, the Congress has established 11 federal courts of appeal and, below them, 91 federal district courts. Federal judges are appointed for life or voluntary retirement, and can only be removed from office through the process of impeachment and trial in the Congress.
- Federal courts have jurisdiction over cases arising out of the Constitution: laws and treaties of the United States: maritime cases; issues involving foreign citizens or governments; and cases in which the federal government itself is a party.
- The Supreme Court today consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. The Court's most important function consists of determining whether congressional legislation or executive action violates the Constitution. This power of judicial review is not specifically provided for by the Constitution.
• If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it. That means the proposal does not become law. Congress can enact the law despite the president's views only if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote in favor of it.
• If Congress passes a law which is then challenged in the courts as unconstitutional. the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect.
• The president has the power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions, including the position of Supreme Court justice. The Senate, however, must approve all treaties and confirm all appointments before they become official. In this way the Congress can prevent the president from making unwise appointments.
- To all Americans, another basic foundation of their representative democracy is the Bill of Rights, adopted in 1791. This consists of 10 very short paragraphs, which guarantee freedom and individual rights and forbid interference with the lives of individuals by the government. Each paragraph is an Amendment to the original Constitution.
- Bill of Rights guaranteed freedom of religion, of speech and of the press. Americans have the right to assemble in public places, to protest government actions and to demand change. They have the right to own weapons if they wish. Because of the Bill of Rights, neither police nor soldiers can slop and search a person without good reason. They also cannot search a person's home without legal permission from a court to do so.
- Bill of Rights guarantees Americans the right to a speedy trial if accused of a crime. Cruel and unusual punishment is forbidden.
- 16 amendments to the Constitution as of 1991: guarantee citizenship and full rights of citizenship to all people regardless of race, gives women the right to vote and another lowered the national voting age to 18 years.
Политическая система США
The political system of the USA. The United States of America is the greatest capitalist country in the world. The USA is the President republic. It means that the president is the head of the country. The President is elected for four years, together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same te...
САНКТ ПЕТЕРБУРГСКИЙ ГУМАНИТАРНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ПРОФСОЮЗОВ КОНТРОЛЬНАЯ РАБОТА ПО ПРЕДМЕТУ: АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК ЗАДАНИЕ Письменно переведите текст Task 9 page 79-80 (Учебное пособие: Just English)
A.Pou ESL67W "… The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Article [II. Amendments to the Constitution Gun control
The constitution of Ukraine
Конституция Украины.
Why was Washington made the capital of the United States?
Почему Вашингтон стал столицей США.
Political system of US
Политическая система США.
Congress of the United States
Congress of the United States the legislature of the United States of America. Congress exercises general legal control over the employment of government personnel. Political Parties and Congress. Senate one of the two houses of the legislature.
USA: Political System
США: политическая систмема.
Capitals of USA
Столицы США.
The people must fight for their laws as for their walls
We should promote the growth of patriotism in the minds of our chidren in order to grow the generation that will be interested in the wealth of its country and will be proud to live in it and give birth to their children in this country.
American Federalism in 1990s.
Американский федерализм в 90-х годах.
English - topics
Несколько топиков по английскому языку.
Political System of the USA
The USA is a federal union of 50 states. The basic law is the constitution, adopted in 1787, which prescribes the structure of national government and lists its rights and fields of authority. Each state has its government and all of them have the dual character of both Federal and State government....
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Томас Джефферсон.
Права человека.
Темы на английском /english/
Парламент Великобритании, конгресс США, деловые поездки, традиции и обычаи, Томас Джефферсон, домашние животные, Вашингтон /округ Колумбия/.
Constitutional Monarchy
Конституционная монархия.
British Parlament
British Parliament Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a monarch as its Head of the State. The monarch reigns with the support of Parliament. The powers of the monarch are not defined precisely. Everything today is done in the Queen's name. It is her government,...
The political system of Great Britain
Политическая система Великобритании.
США /english/
Географическое положение. Территория. Крупнейшие города. Население. Форма управления и государственное устройство.


Austin Crane, aka Seattle's Valley Maker, is currently on tour, with a stop in LA planned for December 11th. He is on the road supporting his recent LP, Rhododenron, a floral release in more ways than one. Images of flowers and growth appear throughout the album, which itself is named after a genus of woody plants that often feature a bright pink blossom. As he sings in the opener, Crane tries to "always see the world in bloom," even if what grows is nothing more than a weed. Grab your tickets to his performance downtown at Resident here.
Rhododenron moves seamlessly, owing some of its smooth execution to producers Chaz Bear (you know him as Toro y Moi) and Trevor Spencer (who has also worked with Father John Misty and Fleet Foxes). The rest of the credit goes directly to Crane, who drew upon his PhD research when writing the new record. He studies Human Geography, and in tracks like "A Couple Days" and "Be Born Today" he explores how we relate to one another, and the nature of our connections. Describing our relationships based on time almost feels foolish ("I missed you by a couple days"), but, somehow, the knowledge that we are all living and progressing in the same dimension is comforting ("Time, it only takes away / I give a little more each day").
The new album is easy to listen to; washed out strums meet sunbleached percussion and the occasional faraway background vocals. Its lyricism winds up and around as if written by Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, offering complex wisdom like "Goodness in the timeless aging / Two become one, one became two." A phantom accompanies Crane in the chorus of the single "Beautiful Birds Flying," which earned its own tinted music video. Crane speaks of abstract loss, in that he seeks the presence of an old friend without explanation as to what caused their separation—are they dead or are we?
Get your tickets to see Valley Maker at Resident on December 11th here. Buy Rhododenron on Bandcamp. Follow the band on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
This entry was posted in Best Concerts This Month, Just Announced, New Music, Recommended and tagged indie rock, Resident, soft rock, Valley Maker on November 27, 2018 by Zoe Elaine.


Whatman ZapCap-CR Bottletop Filter Unit Nylon ... EMD Millipore Steritop-GV SCGVT05RE Polystyrene Bottle Top Vacuum Filter Unit, Radio ... Material Type.
Home>chile whatman filter tube type disc vauum ... or glass used to eliminate or reduce the intensity of given such as a tube or a Disk-type rotary vacuum filters .
Find out all of the information about the Whatman product: liquid filter / disc / vacuum . Contact a supplier or the parent company directly to get a quote or to find out a price or your closest point of sale.


1) Sets up and adjusts machines that bond, stretch, and apply finishing solution to thread to improve sewing quality: Changes charts in control boxes for recording temperature and viscosity strength and turns knob to set temperature control at specified level on oven unit.
2) Turns handles on roller units to adjust speeds of front and back rollers and verifies revolutions, using tachometer.
3) Turns crank to adjust builder motion on takeup rack to facilitate uniform winding of thread on reels.
4) Operates machine for test run to verify adjustments and to obtain thread samples.
5) Conducts standard tests on samples to determine breaking strength, elongation, and weight of thread, using tensile-testing machine, skein winder, and grain scales.
6) Posts results onto quality control reports.
7) Maintains record of samples and customer orders processed.
8) Changes felt covers on rollers and wipers and replaces worn or broken guides and tapes, using handtools.
9) Lubricates machines, using oilcan.
Is being a "BONDING-MACHINE SETTER" your very best career choice?
See the Future Outlook and Educational Requirements for "BONDING-MACHINE SETTER"
End Of Job Description for: "BONDING-MACHINE SETTER"


Chilling in front of your personal machine will truly develop into a pleasant habit, once you know what internet site to follow. We are speaking about the most beneficial site ever, normally the one to think about if you wish to enjoy internet gambling and have no clue how to start. Daftar Bandar Togel 2018 is that one of a kind opportunity you could only dream about, the one you can follow whenever you want to and concern yourself with nothing at all. It's actually the most dependable spot to consider, that one of a kind option to be considered if you want to play and love each single second of the process. You need to simply register online within a few moments and shorten your way to actual wins and many benefits you can find often.
The top online poker chance is here for you, awaiting your online visit and allowing you to leave all of that fatigue somewhere before. We're going to present you with the top end names of trusted on the web Togel Bandar sites out there, making sure you choose the ideal one in seconds. Even though there are thousands of websites out there to consider, you may choose the right one in seconds and never regret anything concerning the decision you've made. Very best and 100% trusted online money online sites in Indonesia are located in here, so wait no more and follow this link without delay.
Daftar Bandar Togel Terpercaya is everything you have been in search of such a long time and much more. This is a actually trustworthy lottery site that has to be followed for sure, without scams and no tricks that will climb onto your path. Pick the right play server today on the web and you'll begin with your fantastic gaming experience straight away. Whatever you should now do is simply browse the hyperlink: www.daftarbandartogelterpercaya.info and get started on your way to real wins and gains. Incredibly famous online websites and all that tremendous playing experiences you need are now in here, check this link now and you'll surely love it.
We are also gonna respect your discretion, guaranteeing you could spend quality time and even win if you are lucky enough. Just forget about all of that challenges that once stood on the way, adhere to this hyperlink right now and you are going to love the game itself and even try your better to win extra wins and cash.
More information about Daftar Bandar Togel Terpercaya browse this useful web portal.


text:
Home›Destinations›North America›USA›Arizona›Central Arizona›Jerome
Things to Do in Jerome
35 miles NE of Prescott; 28 miles W of Sedona; 130 miles N of Phoenix
I'll put it simply: You have to go to Jerome. Few towns anywhere in Arizona make more of an impression on visitors than this historic mining town, clinging to the slopes of Cleopatra Hill 2,000 feet above the Verde Valley.
On a clear day, the view from Jerome is stupendous—it's possible to see for more than 50 miles, with the red rocks of Sedona, the Mogollon Rim, and the San Francisco Peaks all visible in the distance. What's more, in the past decade this iconoclastic arts enclave has come into its own; there are galleries, good restaurants, engrossing museums, and a new wine industry that should intrigue oenophiles of any stripe. Families, couples, and singles will all enjoy maneuvering the streets, which are rugged without being annoyingly so.
Once called the billion-dollar copper camp, Jerome was founded in 1883 and by the 1920s was the fourth-largest city in Arizona. In the early years, Jerome's ore was mined using an 88-mile-long network of underground railroads. But the town's (and the mining industry's) biggest nemesis those days were fires: Jerome burned down with some regularity, and fires in the mines smouldered uncontrollably. Eventually, the mining companies were forced to abandon the tunnels in favor of open-pit mining.
Northeast of Jerome, the Verde Valley is so named by early Spanish explorers, impressed by the sight of such a verdant valley in an otherwise brown desert landscape. Cottonwood and Clarkdale, the valley's two largest towns, are old copper-smelting centers, while Camp Verde was an army post during the Indian Wars. Most visitors here focus on the valley's two national monuments—Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle, both remarkable Native American ruins, preserving the vestiges of Sinagua villages that date from long before the first European explorers entered the Verde Valley. By the time the first pioneers began settling in this region, the Sinaguas had long since moved on, and Apaches had claimed the valley as part of their territory; Fort Verde, now a state park, was established to deal with settlers' conflicts with the Apaches. Between this state park and the two national monuments, hundreds of years of Verde Valley history and prehistory can be explored.
Between 1883 and 1953, Jerome experienced an economic roller-coaster ride as the price of copper rose and fell. By the early 1950s, it was no longer profitable to mine the copper ore of Cleopatra Hill, and the last mining company shut down operations. Almost everyone left town. By the early 1960s, Jerome was on its way to becoming just another ghost town. But then artists discovered the phenomenal views and dirt-cheap rents and began moving in; slowly the near-ghost town developed a reputation as an artists' community. Soon tourists began visiting to see and buy the artwork being created in Jerome, and old storefronts turned into galleries.
As the state has pulled out of the recession of the late 2000s, Jerome has blossomed. On summer weekends its streets are packed with visitors browsing the galleries and crafts shops. The ghost town image lingers, but only in a string of shops playing up the haunted theme.
Jail Brakes?
One unforeseen hazard of open-pit mining next to a town built on a 30-degree slope was the effect dynamiting would have on Jerome. Mine explosions would regularly rock Jerome's world, and eventually buildings in town began sliding downhill. Even the town jail broke loose. With no brakes to stop it, the jail slid 225 feet downhill. (Now that's a jailbreak.)


Banana smoothie recipes are, without a doubt, THE most popular of all and it's easy to see why.
Bananas are a nutritional goldmine: high in fiber, folate and vitamin C, and rich in potassium.
But don't just eat them on their own, whack them into a blender for an instant energy booster. For there is no better way to use bananas than in a banana smoothie. Bananas make smoothies thick and creamy, and are often used as a thickener.
Bananas are probably THE most versatile fruit when making smoothies. They add a fresh fruit flavour to smoothies and can be paired with almost any fruit, from apples, apricots, mangos, oranges, peaches, strawberries and blueberries. They also go beautifully with nuts, peanut butter, chocolate, coffee, coconut and even pumpkin puree. You get the idea – there's not many flavors they don't complement.
They can be used fresh or frozen. Fresh bananas will give your smoothies a foamy, milk-like texture, whereas frozen ones will make them thick and rich with a creamy texture.
Bananas are always picked green and left to ripen, even in the tropical areas where they are grown. If they are left on the plant, the fruit splits open and the pulp develops a "cottony" texture and flavor.
As they ripen the starch in the fruit turns to sugar making the fruit sweet. The riper the fruit, the sweeter the taste.
The fact that bananas are picked green allows them to be shipped great distances, making them universally popular and readily available year round.
When buying bananas, look for fruit which is firm and a bright color, free from bruises. You can tell the ripeness of a banana by its skin color. Bananas that have green tips and practically no yellow color are still green and should be left to ripen. The best time to eat them is when the skin is speckled with brown. The flesh is mellow and the flavor fully developed.
Bananas don't like cool temperatures. You should never place them in the refrigerator. They simply won't ripen properly as the cold interferes with the ripening process.
If your bananas are a little on the green side, leave them to ripen at room temperature for one to three days. Bananas ripen quickly, but if you want to accelerate the ripening process, place them into a paper bag. Adding an apple to the bag will hasten the ripening process.
Peel and slice the bananas and place in the blender. Add the yogurt, honey, wheat germ, milk and nutmeg.
Process or blend until smooth. Taste before serving, you may need to add more honey to make it sweeter. Sprinkle with a little nutmeg before serving.
Place the bananas, almond milk, cashew butter, yogurt and maple syrup in the jug of a blender then blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour smoothie into two serving glasses and top with chopped almonds.


The judges have weighed in, and our community has voted! Go to the UNESCO Hackathon - Climate Change & Sustainable Development gallery to congratulate the winners and check out all of the awesome submissions.
We'd like to remind you the about the objective of the hackathon is to develop innovative apps that help journalists to monitor and report on climate change and sustainable development issues in Asia and the Pacific.
In the link here you can find the access to the UNESCO's Guidebook for Journalists Reporting on Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific which includes information and knowledge on climate science, related international and regional treaties and policy frameworks including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, and tips for journalists for finding and telling stories.


As sourcing techniques become more sophisticated with new and innovative methods of finding people online—for instance, Sourcing Meetup Groups, x-ray searching social networks and leveraging list generation tools—there is still one area that strikes fear into the eyes of many recruiters: Rural America.
Recruiters can precisely and efficiently track down a left-handed nuclear physicist located in Philadelphia, but when it comes to finding a web developer in rural western Kansas—they crumble to ashes.
Demographic trends certainly indicate more people are moving to larger cities, but there are many talented people and many great jobs located outside of urban areas. For even the savviest of recruiters, tapping into rural networks from the outside can be daunting, especially for recruiters fairly new to the trade and/or entering rural locations for the first time.
1. The phone is your friend. Like many recruiters, I'm an email addict, and I rely on the web for most of my sourcing and research. But in rural areas, the phone can be a tremendous tool for uncovering local market information—information often not available online.
2. Work through institutions. Find local colleges, chambers of commerce and other institutions that are related to the role you are seeking to fill. With a limited number of outlets in rural areas, local populations tend to know each other and can help you tap into the network. For example, professors and community leaders—who often know a lot about their areas and the local population—can be very valuable contacts in connecting you to the right people.
3. If you're not already, use Facebook Graph Search. In many rural areas, LinkedIn isn't a necessary social network for local talent; professional networks are a bit smaller and much more is handled in person, locally and non-digitally. Facebook, on the other hand, is widely used as a personal network across all demographics. Facebook Graph Search can be a great tool specifically for identifying quality talent in rural areas. For contact information, make the phone book your first try.
4. Widen your search radius. In wide open spaces, it's not uncommon for people to commute long distances to and from work. If you normally think of a 30-mile radius in a city or more populated region, expand your search to 50 miles in a rural. And take some time to learn about the local geography; perhaps there's an express route from a remote place or barriers hindering close locations. These and other factors will undoubtedly influence where you look.
5. Don't forget to look for telecommuters! Researching local companies as you create target lists is a great place to start, but don't forget about professionals in rural locations who may telecommute and thus work for companies with no local presence. At Cielo, many of our talented employees work from home offices where we have no local presence. Simply looking for talent at local companies can lead to completely bypassing hidden talent pools.
Fundamentally, sourcing in rural areas requires the same recruiting skills that sourcers and recruiters are utilizing throughout their open requisition loads. That said, failure to adjust your searches when dealing with the nuances of rural recruiting can result in long and unnecessarily-frustrating searches.
Post contributed by Adam Godson, Cielo Manager of Technology Analytics. Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamGodson or connect with him on LinkedIn.


The New Era Pinstripe Bowl has been held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx since 2010. The game pairs the fourth-place team from the Big East Conference against the seventh-place team from the Big 12 Conference. In the event the Big 12 lacks an eligible team, Notre Dame will receive its invitation. However, this hasn't been a problem yet as both conferences have managed to fulfil their obligation to this Bowl. As you should know, New Era is a clothing company, their most visible product being their #swag baseball caps that you will probably have seen on the heads of rap musicians and your local scallies down the estate. Last year's game was a defensive scrap that finished 27-23.
The 7-5 Mountaineers opened the season 5-0 and while many inside the team were dreaming of BCS glory, with consensus No.1 NFL draft pick and senior quarterback Geno Smith leading the offense to an average of 52 points, 399.2 yards and 4.8 TDs. His performance in the 70-63 defeat of Baylor (60 minutes game, no overtime mind) was magical, he passed for 656 yards and 8 touchdowns, possibly one of the best quarterback performances I've seen, college or otherwise. During that stretch, his passer rating was 202.38 something astronomical. Then it all went wrong. The Mountaineers dropped 5 on the bounce starting with back to back thumping by Texas Tech and Kansas State by a combined 104-28. Smith's passer rating dropped to 119.13 and it looked unlikely the Mountaineers were going to be bowl-eligible, never mind BCS-bound, and Smith's arrival in Kansas City looked very unlikely. The beneficiaries of a weak schedule, they beat the 6-6 Iowa State Cyclones and the 1-11 Kansas Jayhawks (it's basketball season anyways) to guarantee themselves a spot in this bowl at worst. Smith has a good offense around him, Steadman Bailey has 1501 yards receiving and 23 TDs and announced he'd forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft. On the other side of the field, Tavon Austin snagged 12 TDs along with his 1200+ yard haul, he's added nearly 600 yards on the ground for another 3 TDs. As you'd expect, the ground game hasn't been too sharp, but Andrew Buie has racked up 817 yards for his 7 touchdowns. Defense has been optional on this team, but that's what you'd expect from a team ranked 7th in scoring offense and 8th in total offense. As it is, they're 110th in the nation in total defense, surrendering 469.6 yards a game including 21 sacks and 9 interceptions.
So, Syracuse, well they also finished 7-5, but they only beat one FBS team with a winning record, (21)Louisville whom they beat 45-26, that defeat didn't do much damage to the Cardinals, they still made it to the Sugar Bowl but more of that later. These teams used to meet regularly in the Big East, but when West Virignia left for the Big-12, that rivalry dropped off, but Syracuse have taken the last two meeting between the teams, winning 19-14 in 2010 and 49-23 last season. Geno Smith has been sacked nine times in those losses, throwing just three touchdowns and five interceptions. Interesting as their passing defense hasn't been that great, ranking 65th in the nation, giving up 236.9 yards per game. Syracuse is led by senior QB Ryan Nassib, whose school-record 3,619 passing yards rank 10th in the country. Especially encouraging as they face a Mountaineers defense that's given up 38.1 points per game, 114th in the nation, or 11th worst.
Starting linebacker Marquis Spruill will not play "a significant portion" of this game because of his arrest following a bit of biff with some police officers in Syracuse. Head coach Doug Marrone did not specify how much of the Pinstripe Bowl he'll miss, but he'll be a big miss with 2 sacks and 62 total tackles this season. Syracuse has also suspended sophomore tailback Adonis Ameen-Moore and reserve tight end Max Beaulieu. Ameen-Moore, who was used mainly in the short-yardage and goal-line formation, named THE TANK, gained 108 yards on 30 carries and scored five touchdowns in the six games he played. Syracuse, who head to the ACC next season, are 13-9-1 all-time in bowl games, including winning the innaugural Pinstripe Bowl beating Kansas State 36-34 two years ago.
Strangely for a team which excelled during the regular season throwing the ball, it's their running game that can win this one for them. Once Geno Smith stopped running with the ball, West Virginia started losing. If they can re-establish some form of balance to that attack, Syracuse will struggle trying to keep up. Defense is a problem, well not so much a problem as a disaster. They'll be fine though as despite giving up 457 points, they've scored 499. That wouldn't cut it in the pros, but it's good enough for this game.
Defense? Nah. It'll be an attempt at more offensive, more specifically passing offense. They need to try and keep pace with the Mountaineers, and can't allow them to get into a groove with the ball. They will need to get there hands on Geno Smith, and at worst, close the pocket, and make him beat them just with his arm. While Smith is well capable of doing so, that's where the Orange have had all of their success against this mob, and to continue that success on Saturday it couldn't hurt to hit Smith when they can, though not tackling like Jordon Byas of Duke on Thursday.
Should be a cracker between two excellent passing attacks and two dire passing defenses. Hopefully there will be plenty of big plays, a lot of yards and more importantly a barrow-full of points. Geno Smith unsurprisingly is the key player in this match-up, and if he can replicate anything near his performance against Baylor, the Mountaineers will be far too good for Syracuse.
1 drink: A player on either team is likened to any Yankee player, past or present.
2 drinks: Any mention of Batman or Gotham.
Finish it: When somebody mentions the Mets.


text:
The 2023 edition of the Paddle Sports Show is moving. Next year, the show will take place in the city of Strasbourg, situated on the border between France & Germany. The new, more central location makes travel to and from the show easier for everyone across Europe.
The show is taking place at Le Parc des Expositions de Strasbourg, located along Avenue Herrenschmidt, 67000 Strasbourg. Le Parc des Expositions de Strasbourg could not be in a better location – it is downtown on the banks of the River Hill, with direct flights straight to the heart of some major European capitals.
Located 2km from downtown Strasbourg, alongside the highway, with the airport less than 15-minute drive from the show, a train station three tram stops away, and a tram stop on the show's doorstep, this is a "green" show. Once you reach, Strasbourg there is no need to use a car.
The show is set to take place between September 27-29, with bookings opening on January 15.
Madrid 2023 Cruisers Preview


Natalie Ross' family has received federal rental assistance for close to a decade, but it wasn't until moving to Las Vegas that they enjoyed the housing choice voucher program's fullest potential.
When Ross joined the program in 2009, she lived in a Northern California neighborhood that she described as rife with crime. She came to the Las Vegas Valley in 2017 and now rents a spacious four-bedroom home in a quiet Spring Valley suburb to raise her three sons and one daughter, ages 12, 9, 3 and 1.
According to a new study, the Las Vegas metropolitan area's share of voucher recipients with children living in low-poverty neighborhoods, one-third, is greater than the share of voucher-affordable rentals located in those same neighborhoods, one-fourth. That's possible because affordable rentals far outnumber voucher recipients.
The trend is important because living in better neighborhoods can result in better outcomes for children who grow up poor, said Alicia Mazzara, one of two Center on Budget and Policy Priorities researchers who conducted the study using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The study also found that Las Vegas is the only one of the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas that held such a trend for low-poverty neighborhoods, where fewer than 10 percent of the residents live below the poverty line.
Housing experts offered several explanations for the trend.
Mazzara said voucher recipients may have an easier time moving from Las Vegas's poorer inner-city neighborhoods to more affluent areas because the metropolitan area is served by only one housing authority. That agency, the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, administers approximately 11,000 vouchers to local families.
Chad Williams, the authority's executive director, said landlords embraced tenants with vouchers as a stable source of income during the Great Recession. That foot in the door helped dispel some stigmas surrounding low-income renters, and the landlords kept renting to voucher holders.
"Landlords desperate for tenants might have been willing to rent to people they may typically discriminate against," said Kris Bergstrom, a housing attorney for the Nevada Legal Services nonprofit.
But the study found Las Vegas does not fare as well in housing voucher recipients with children in "high-opportunity" neighborhoods, a description that factors in not only poverty but also school quality, labor market engagement, access to jobs and access to transit.
About 1 in 5 Las Vegas voucher recipients with children lived in neighborhoods with few opportunities; only 1 in 25 lived in high-opportunity neighborhoods.
Mazzara said some families choose to stay in low-opportunity neighborhoods because of nearby family or a job. She added that increasing rental rates may be making it difficult for new voucher holders to find their ideal home in the 60 days before their voucher expires.
"If they can't find a place in time, they need to act fast and maybe rent in a neighborhood that's not their first choice," she said.
Bergstrom said Nevada lawmakers could help recipients move to better neighborhoods by enacting laws prohibiting landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants based on their source of income.
"We don't have that here in Nevada, so there are entire complexes here that can and do flat-out reject anyone who has (a housing choice voucher)," she said.


text:
Home Classifieds Directory Photos About Contact Advertise
Engagements 3/14 - Bullard/Standefer, Bridgewater/Watson, Lamm/Elliott, Kirkland/Bradley
Bullard-Standefer
Roger Bullard and Barbara Francis of DeLand, Fla., and Gordon and Grace Scott of Edgewood announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Lois Ann Bullard of Edgewood to Sammy Standefer of Portales, son of Cookie and Tommy McGee of Elida and the late Tom Standefer.
The couple will exchange vows at 2 p.m. on March 20, 2004, at Victory Life Church in Portales.
The reception will be at the Victory Life Church in Portales.
The bride-elect is a senior at Eastern New Mexico University.
She is employed at College Success Program at ENMU as a college mentor.
The prospective groom is a 1992 graduate of Portales High School.
He is employed at the City of Portales.
The ceremony and reception are open to friends and relatives.
Bridgewater-Watson
Ed and Cheryl Bridgewater of Bloomfield, Mo., announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Mindy Bridgewater of Bloomfield to Jamey Watson of Clovis, son of Tom and Vestana Watson of Clovis.
The couple will exchange vows on May 29, 2004, in Pagosa Springs, Colo.
The reception will follow.
The bride-elect is a 2002 graduate of West Texas A&M University and is currently attending the University of Iowa.
The prospective groom is a 1999 graduate of Texico High School.
He is employed at Toyota Motor Credit Corporation. Invitations have been sent.
Lamm-Elliott
Donna Lamm and Darvin Lamm, both of Clovis, announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Audra Lamm of Lubbock to Jim Elliott of Lubbock, son of Larry and Mary Elliott of Lubbock.
The couple will exchange vows at 4 p.m. (CST) on March 27, 2004, at Lakeridge Baptist Church in Lubbock.
The reception will be at Lakeridge Baptist Church.
The bride-elect is a 2002 graduate of Clovis High School.
She is employed at Steller Managements Co.
The prospective groom is a graduate of Texas Tech.
He is self-employed.
Invitations have been sent.
Kirkland-Bradley
Duke and Rhonda Kirkland of Farwell announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Andi Kirkland of Farwell to Lance Bradley of Clovis, son of Walter and Debbie Bradley of Albuquerque.
The couple will exchange vows on April 17, 2004, at the Terrazza Garden at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nev.
The reception will be at the home of the bride's parents on May 1, 2004.
The bride-elect is a 1996 graduate of Farwell High School.
She is employed at Kirkland Pump Co. and Farwell Banking Center.
The prospective groom is a 1997 graduate of Clovis High School.
He is employed at Lydick Engineer and Surveyors.


text:
January 15, 2009 Life + Outdoors » Field Notes
Undamming the Klamath
By Barry Evans
click to flip through (2)
Kayaking the Lower Klamath at the Route 101 bridge. Photo by Barry Evans
When I'm kayaking the lower reaches of the Klamath, it sure feels like a one big river. Over 250 miles long, the Klamath drains an area of nearly 16,000 square miles, about four times that of Humboldt County. Yet it's puny compared to its big brother on the west coast, the Columbia, which is five times as long and drains an area 16 times as large. It is, however, the second-largest river in California (after the Sacramento), originating in southern Oregon and flowing into the Pacific at Requa, just north of the Humboldt county border.
A fish swimming 200 miles upstream from the Klamath's mouth would encounter a 173 ft. high concrete wall, aka Iron Gate dam, located about 20 miles northeast of Yreka and just south of the Oregon border. According to just about everyone except the owner-operator, Warren Buffett's PacifiCorp, the dam is largely responsible for the near-complete loss of the once abundant annual salmon and steelhead runs.
Last November, an "agreement in principle" to remove Iron Gate and three more hydroelectric dams farther upstream was announced between the federal government, the states of California and Oregon, and PacifiCorp. The agreement calls for a start to be made on decommissioning them by the year 2020, which, if good will and good deeds prevail, will be the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. My fingers are firmly (if somewhat skeptically) crossed.
In the period (between 50 and 100 years ago) when these hydroelectric dams were built, little thought was given to the environmental consequences. Even so, it's hard to imagine what planners were thinking in the early 1960s. That's when an 813 ft. high dam, named "Ah Pah," was proposed near the mouth of the river. It would have flooded not just nearly 100 miles of the Klamath, but 40 miles of the Trinity River, including the Hoopa reservation.
Fortunately, that one never made the light of day. Now all we've got to do is get rid of the ones that were built.
Tags: Field Notes
More Field Notes »
Barry Evans
Barry Evans lives in Old Town Eureka with his girlfriend (and wife) Louisa Rogers, several kayaks and bikes, and a stuffed gorilla named "Nameless." A recovering civil engineer, he is the author of two McGraw-Hill popular science books and has taught science and history. His Field Notes anthologies are available... Barry Evans lives in Old Town Eureka with his girlfriend (and wife) Louisa Rogers, several kayaks and bikes, and a stuffed gorilla named "Nameless." A recovering civil engineer, he is the author of two McGraw-Hill popular science books and has taught science and history. His Field Notes anthologies are available at local bookstores. more
Of Photons and Cormorants
The Two-Envelope Paradox
NASA's Origami Telescope (Part 2)
Latest in Field Notes


text:
  <uib-accordion close-others="oneAtATime">

      <uib-accordion-heading>
        Game {{game.id}}
      </uib-accordion-heading>

        Opponent's Grade:
        <input type="number" pattern="[0-9]*"  class="form-control" ng-model="game.grade" placeholder="your opponents grade" id="grade" grade=''>

          <button class="btn btn-primary dropdown-toggle" id="resultSelector" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown">{{game.resultText}}
   </button>

Win

Draw

Loss

          <button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-xs btn-round btn-danger pull-right" ng-disabled="{{ $index == 0}}" ng-click="removeChoice($index)"></button>

  </uib-accordion>


text:
Son 33 cantos donde Dante camina junto a Virgilio por el Purgatorio. Este lugar está dividido en siete cornisas que corresponden a los siete pecados capitales y estas se manifiestan en cada canto. Según Dante Alighieri , el Purgatorio es una montaña y en su cima se encuentra el paraíso.

Cantos
Debajo de estas líneas está un cuadro de los cantos con su manifestaciones:

Ver
Virgilio
Florencia
Dante Alighieri
Purgatorio en otros conceptos.
Paraíso en otros conceptos.

Bibliografía
La Divina Comedia. Edición Resumida.DANTE ALIGHIERI. BBE Biblioteca Básica Escolar. Pág: 68 - 95.

Libros del siglo XIV
Poemas del siglo XIV
Obras de Dante Alighieri

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


GM's telematic service, OnStar, has been sending notices to subscribers of pending changes—effective December—to its privacy statement. But the proposed modifications and clarifications have already started a stir among some users and privacy advocates.
UPDATE Sept. 22, 2011: OnStar has e-mailed an official response regarding its new terms and conditions of service, maintaining "OnStar has and always will give our customers the choice in how we use their data. We've also been very open with our customers about changes in services and privacy terms." A video posted on YouTube by OnStar features Joanne Finnorn, vice president of subscriber services at OnStar, explaining the changes to the company's terms and conditions of service.
Unless the Data Connection in your Vehicle is deactivated, information about your Vehicle may continue to be collected even if you do not have a Plan.
In essence, that allows the company to continue tracking OnStar-equipped vehicles even after a subscriber has canceled membership of the service. Deactivating the Data Connection, or wireless data modem, and stopping the data collection requires members to contact an "OnStar Advisor."
Although "anonymized data" is said to be stripped of any information that can be used to tie specific data to a specific OnStar user, some members concerned about their personal privacy are already questioning how that can be. Jonathan Zdziarski, a forensics scientist and OnStar user in Ohio, reports on his blog that he's already canceled his OnStar membership and "repeatedly" requested its wireless data connection to be severed.
OnStar officials explained to several outlets, including Wired, that maintaining the wireless connection, in part, makes it "easier to re-enroll" the vehicle into the telematic service—say when an owner changes his or her mind or if the vehicle is sold to a new owner. And the data OnStar collects has never been sold to a third party. Yet.
We hear from organizations periodically requesting our information.
As mentioned in OnStar's policy and by its officials, some possible uses for OnStar's anonymized data include local and state transportation agencies that wish to study traffic flow on certain highways at specific times of the day.
Official OnStar YouTube video featuring Joanne Finnorn, Vice President of Subscriber Services, clarifying the recent changes in OnStar's terms and conditions policies.


text:
Airlines make it harder to earn free flights…
Airlines make it harder to earn free flights for loyalty
AP Photo/Elaine
In this Tuesday, March 24, 2015, file photo, a traveler walks past a sign advertising a Delta Air Lines credit card at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Wash. Airline loyalty programs are losing much of their allure even for frequent flyers, and the rules for navigating the system have changed.
DALLAS — Airline loyalty programs are losing much of their allure even for frequent flyers, and the rules for navigating the system have changed.
Flying is no longer the best way to earn miles or points. The biggest bang for your buck comes from signing up for the right credit card.
And those come-ons from the airline to sell you miles? Ignore them unless you are very close to a qualifying for a big trip.
Frequent-flyer programs get relatively little attention from Wall Street, and their financial importance to the airlines is not widely understood by travelers, who just hope to earn a free flight now and then.
Airline profits are subject to vagaries like the price of fuel, the actions of competitors on key routes, even the weather. Amid all that uncertainty, the airlines have found a reliable source of revenue in selling miles to banks, which then use the miles to persuade consumers to sign up for the cards and use them as much as possible.
"The bottom line is that the business of selling miles is a very profitable one and has proven historically to be far less cyclical than the core airline," Joseph DeNardi, a Stifel analyst who tracks airlines, said this month in a note to clients.
The downside for airline customers is that the world is awash in frequent-flier miles, and the airlines are constantly making each mile, or point, less valuable. Many trips don't earn as many miles or points as they once did, and the price for claiming a reward flight keeps going up. In many cases, availability of reward seats on flights has gotten worse.
"It is harder to use miles at the price that people are expecting to pay," says Gary Leff, who writes the View from the Wing travel blog.
Even for frequent flyers like Leff, a once-cherished benefit of the miles — using them to upgrade to first class — has been diminished because airlines sell more of those upgrades for cash.
That doesn't mean travelers shouldn't sign up for the airline programs. After all, there is no charge for joining.
It does require rethinking how to earn, keep and redeem miles. Many of the strategies revolve around credit cards:
— Watch credit card offers for bonuses. Banks often offer the biggest bang. JPMorgan Chase shook up the sector last year with a 100,000-mile bonus for signing up for the Sapphire Reserve card, which came with a hefty annual fee.
— Even if you make purchases with another card, consider getting the card of the airline you usually fly to enjoy benefits such as priority boarding and free bag-checking, even on so-called basic economy tickets. If you check a bag a few times a year, you will more than offset the annual fee.
— To stretch your miles, redeem them to fly midweek. Brian Karimzad of MileCards.com says it takes an average 30,574 miles for a Tuesday flight but 41,332 for a Sunday trip.
— Don't let miles expire. On American Airlines, which runs the biggest frequent-flyer program, you don't have to fly, you just have to make a purchase within 18 months on partners that range from other airlines to restaurants and flower shops. Miles on Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways don't expire.
— Ignore your airline when it sends yet another email asking if you'd like to buy miles. The exception is when you are just a few miles short of earning a big trip, says John DiScala, who runs the JohnnyJet.com travel website.
—Use 'em while you've got 'em. The value of your miles won't go up.
Airlines often raise the number of miles needed for certain flights, with United Airlines being the most recent example. Airlines used to announce big mile-price increases once every several years but now make smaller hikes more frequently. "Either way you're going to pay more three years from now," says Karimzad.
Over the past several years, American, Delta, United and Southwest have all linked rewards to how much customers spend, not how many miles or flights they take. That means frequent-flyer programs are a better deal now for people who buy expensive tickets, such as business class.
The change has put an end to "mileage runs," the cheap but long flights that die-hards would take just to puff up their frequent-flyer accounts.
"It has weeded out a lot of people who were gaming it — you can't blame the airlines for wanting to do that," DiScala says, "but it stings as a consumer."


This is a story about a smart lawyer and how he did not understand how the commercial real estate game is played.
At 2,000 square feet, the lawyer was a below average sized tenant, in an A class building in a financial core district. His landlord offered a golf trip every year for every broker that completed a deal with the landlord (the landlord had deep pockets).
That incentive program intensified the already-competitive commercial real estate brokerage market. The lawyer not only received many calls from real estate brokers who want to represent him, but the phone started ringing three years prior to his lease expiry.
To provide some context, the commission on the deal was going to be $10,000 if he renewed for 5 years. If two agents work as a team and work for a firm that provides a 50/50 split on commissions (industry norm), the agents would each make $2,500. The trip was typically a $5,000 value, and a lot of fun...a weekend away with your industry peers and some recognition that you belong in a club of elite corporate real estate rain makers.
The lawyer was insanely intense. He met with just about any broker that would call in order to extract any details possible to help his position on his next renewal. Whether knowingly or not, he also goaded each agent into providing as much market intelligence as possible. He would come to meetings with a stack of reports produced by other brokerages. "Where do you see the market going?" he would ask while pulling out a bar chart of projected rental rates from the competition.
The asset he was trying to protect was important to him. He spent $75 per square foot to construct his space. He had beautiful hardwood floors, upgraded lighting and drywall ceilings ? a magnificent piece of office space. He spent about 50% more money than the average tenant that does a complete build out (and most tenants avoid those complete build outs and just find space that needs $5-$10 per square foot worth of work).
He was the smallest fish in the pond.
The sum of the real estate agents had collectively scared him enough to worry about whether he can actually stay in the building or if the landlord was going to prefer to expand another tenant into his space. With the illustrations above, that was a legitimate threat.
Now, he did have a right to renew in his lease. It was poorly written and ambiguous. It stated he could renew on the exact same terms and it did not specifically mention the rental rate.
Therefore it could be argued that the renewal will be a mirror image of the last 5 years, and the landlord could also argue that a lack of talking about the rental rate is meant to imply fair market value, which is the industry norm.
The lawyer finally decided on a real estate brokerage to work with. He asked the two agents to construct an offer to amend and extend the lease.
The agents arrived at the first meeting, and recommended lowering the rental rate. The lawyer was taken aback.
"Why would the landlord agree to lowering my rate?"
He glanced down at his file, filled with competitor reports (he was not subtle, even after hiring his brokers).
"Never in a million years would they actually lower my rate. I am totally fine with a modest bump in the rate and I want to focus on getting another right to renew. That is the main point here."
The brokers persisted. "We feel that this is a good starting point. It is not insulting. We work for you and it is our job to push the envelope with the landlord."
The lawyer was used to being in control. He did not really know how to respond.
After staring long and hard at the agents with a very puzzled look, he finally shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, you guys are the experts. Let's do it and we will see."
One week later the agents came back to the lawyer's office with the landlord's response.
The landlord agreed to lowering the rental rate and agreed to the right to renew.
"This is tremendous! I do not know how you guys pulled it off, but I am glad I trusted you." he said.
Now let's be clear about one thing: the brokers added value here. They renewed the tenant at a lower rental rate than what he would have renewed at. They also secured the further right to renew - something the lawyer may not have been able to achieve. He already thought it was an uphill battle to get that.
But to the brokers, there was no magic at all. They already knew what was going to happen even before the lawyer signed the offer.
Once the brokers were appointed, they called the landlord's rep before crafting the offer. They explained that the rental rate and the right to renew were the important elements. They discovered that the neighboring tenants were not interested in expanding - one was going to vacate at the expiry of their lease and the other was a big financial institution interested in downsizing their real estate.
With respect to the big tenants in the building - the biggest one just renewed and took two more floors of expansion space.
Through their relationship with the leasing rep, they talked about ?finish line? deal terms before they crafted the offer. The rates in the building had actually declined a bit since the lawyer did his last deal and the lawyer and his residential agent also did not get the greatest deal last time around. So there was room to lower the rates.
1. Make their lives easier and comply with the client's wishes (the deal would certainly get done sooner!).
2. Stand by their recommendation as it is in the client's best interests.
What they did not want to do is tell the client "Well, we already talked to the landlord's rep and he is already in agreement with these rental rates and the right to renew."
4. Get what the tenant wants.
They just skipped ahead and did all that work before the client signed the offer.
It should be noted that not all commercial real estate agents go ahead and talk turkey with the landlord's rep prior to a tenant signing the offer. There are agents that believe there should be a wall of confidentiality until an offer is signed and then the agent can go to work.
There are also a lot of agents do not even bother to negotiate...they think their job is to get the offer from the tenant and email it to the landlord and just wait for a response. It saves them time and effort and the client never knows just how much energy was expended by them in the negotiation.
In this case the agents were looking out for the client's best interests, but did so in a way to ensure that they managed the expectations of this demanding tenant. They did not want to give the lawyer an inch, because he certainly would take a mile.
It also allowed them to prepare the best offer on the first draft. They admitted that if they had not called the leasing agent before drafting the offer, they actually would have led with a higher rental rate. It was the landlord's leasing rep that actually suggested that he could get a small reduction in the rental rate approved.
Not all real estate brokers play by the same rule book. Some act in ways that you may not agree with, but their methods can be effective. Others can be overly honest and transparent and create no value for you. If you are considering hiring a commercial real estate broker, ask them specifics about how they operate and will actually create value for you.


text:
function onSignIn(googleUser) {

    var profile = googleUser.getBasicProfile();

    var userEmail = profile.getEmail();
    var userId = profile.getName();

}