You can learn that small changes to the way meals are prepared can make a big difference to your health and wellbeing. Everyone is welcome and all participants get a free cookery book on completion of the course. You can also learn how to grow food and vegetables.


Beginning of August is Hats On Again for Schools and Childhood Services.
Being SunSmart is all about being smart when under the sun, this includes having an understanding around the balance between UV exposure, sun protection and vitamin D.
To minimise students and workers risk of skin cancer, ACT schools are required to adopt a combination of sun protection measures when spending time outdoors when UV levels reach 3 and above.
Remember, extra care should always be taken during the "peak UV period" of the year. Cancer Council ACT recommend schools and early childhood services aim to at least minimise their outdoor activities and events, when possible, between 11am and 3pm during the summer/ daylight saving period of the year, this is the time when UV levels are at their strongest, increasing your risk of sunburn and skin damage that can lead to skin cancer.
Cancer Council ACT has numerous free SunSmart resources to assist ACT childcare services and schools maintain a positive and balanced approach to being SunSmart including the SunSmart Web Widget for websites and our free Generation SunSmart Professional Learning modules for Canberra early childcare educators and teachers to take advantage off.


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Kirk Raymond Shimmins (born 1 June 1994) is an Irish field hockey player who plays as a midfielder for Belgian club KHC Dragons and the Irish national team.

He competed for the Ireland men's national field hockey team at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He played at the youth levels of Pembroke Wanderers and has played club hockey in Ireland until 2018 when he transferred to KHC Dragons in the Men's Belgian Hockey League.

References

External links

 Kirk Shimmins at Hockey Ireland

1994 births
Living people
Irish male field hockey players
Male field hockey midfielders
Olympic field hockey players of Ireland
Field hockey players at the 2016 Summer Olympics
2018 Men's Hockey World Cup players
KHC Dragons players
Pembroke Wanderers Hockey Club players
Irish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Ireland international men's field hockey players
People educated at Wesley College, Dublin
Men's Belgian Hockey League players
Men's Irish Hockey League players

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Justin Trudeau, Justin Bieber and the Toronto Blue Jays reached major milestones this year on Twitter, accumulating millions of new followers and mentions throughout 2017.
Trudeau, who had the most mentions by Canadian Twitter users among all Canadian accounts and politicians, cracked the 3 million follower milestone in March according to Twitter Canada.
Bieber and the Toronto Blue Jays reached 100,000,000 and 2,000,000 followers, respectively, the most among all Canadian solo artists and sports teams.
The #Canada150 hashtag spread like wildfire all year long, with more than 1.8 million mentions between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, while more than 300,000 Tweets were sent within 48 hours of Tragically Hip front man Gord Downie's death in mid-October.
Globally, the hashtag #NuggsforCarter, a viral phenomenon (one supported by numerous tech companies) about a die-hard Wendy's chicken nugget fan from Nevada, had the most retweets with more than 3.5 million.
U.S. President Donald Trump was mentioned the most in 2017 among elected world leaders.
Check out some other highlights below.
You can also check out our slideshow of Canada's top five tweets here.


text:
Morsholmen kan syfta på följande platser:

Finland

 Morsholmen, Nagu, Åboland,

Sverige

 Morsholmen, Valdemarsvik, Östergötland,

Se även
Marsholmen
Horsholmen

Robotskapade Finlandförgreningar


Unless you have been locked inside a sensory deprivation tank for over a week (in which case we applaud you, zen warrior), you will have noticed that it is now 2018. While some folks mark the occasion of a new year with epic fireworks and copious mind-altering substances, the folks at Brainfeeder have gone the "nice and legal" route and released a new mixtape (okay, maybe they partook in a few substances too).
As you can see, the label will be turning 10 this year; and if this tidy mix — entitled Brainfeeder 2017 ∞ 2018 and put together by PBDY — is any indication, we are likely to see the label unleashing new material by Iglooghost, Locust Toybox, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, and a little-known artist called Flying Lotus.
That's right: if you hop along to the final track of the mix, you'll find a new track by Flying Lotus called "Quarantine" — which may (or may not) be off his soon to be (or not soon to be) released forthcoming album…of which there are no details (so stop asking)…except that FlyLo has tweeted that he's finishing his next album for Warp. But, given the unreliability of comments made on Twitter *cough*Trump*cough*, who knows.


Becker Library welcomes recommendations for additions to its collection. A member of the collection management staff will evaluate your request.
Faculty members are encouraged to request the purchase of required and suggested textbooks and books for student class work for course reserves.
Duplicate copies of journals are not purchased. Duplicate copies of print books are purchased only if the title is very heavily used and an e-book version is not available.
Missing/lost/damaged books are not automatically replaced, even when the library is reimbursed for these items. The decision to replace an item is based on use, subject matter and relevance to the needs of faculty and students, date, cost and availability.
The reserve collection is located behind the Information Services desk on the 1st floor of the library. Reserve books circulate for two hours and may not leave the library. The library does not operate an electronic reserve.
Books assigned or suggested for reading by instructors are placed on reserve for students in Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Genetic Epidemiology, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Population Health Sciences, and Audiology and Communication Sciences. If the library does not own a requested book, it will be purchased on a rush basis provided the subject matter fits the profile of the collection. Non-book materials will not be added to the reserve.
Faculty should complete a Course Reserve Request Form to place books on reserve. On receipt of the form, library staff will move the requested books to the reserve collection. Books checked out at the time the form is submitted will be recalled and placed on reserve as soon they are available. Faculty may also place personal copies of books on reserve. Personal copies will not be returned to faculty unless a specific request is made when the books are delivered to the library.
Please contact Angie Rosengarten for more information at 314-747-0023 or rosengaa@wustl.edu.
Becker Library's extensive print journal collection, previously shelved on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the library, is currently in offsite storage due to library space constraints. Patrons needing research articles from this collection that are not available online may request them through Becker Library's interlibrary loan service. If the original print journal is absolutely necessary, arrangements can be made to retrieve it from storage at the requestor's expense.


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CNN Editorial Research
Updated 2:16 PM EST, Sun November 22, 2020
New US Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) talks to the media after assuming the leadership role in 2001 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
PHOTO: STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images
Here's a look into the life of former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
Birth date: December 9, 1947
Birth place: Aberdeen, South Dakota
Birth name: Thomas Andrew Daschle
Father: Sebastian Daschle
Mother: Betty Daschle
Marriages: Linda (Hall) Daschle (1984-present); Laurie (Fulton) Daschle (divorced in 1983)
Children: with Laurie Daschle: Kelly, Nathan and Lindsay
Education: South Dakota State University, B.A. in Political Science, 1969
Military: US Air Force, 1969-1972
1969-1972 - Serves in the Air Force as an intelligence officer in the Strategic Air Command.
1973-1977 - Aide to South Dakota Sen. James Abourezk.
1978 - Elected to the US House of Representatives in a hotly contested race. After numerous recounts, Daschle is declared the winner over Leo K. Thorsness by 105 votes.
1982 - Is reelected to House with 51.6% of the vote.
1986 - Is elected to the US Senate with 51.6% of the vote, the exact same result as 1982.
1989-1999 - Serves as co-chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee with George Mitchell of Maine (1989-1995) and Harry Reid of Nevada (1995-1999).
1992 - Reelected to the Senate with 64.9% of the vote.
1995-2001 - Serves as Senate minority leader, succeeding Mitchell.
1995-2005 - Serves as chairman of the Senate Democratic Conference.
1995 - Along with his wife, FAA official Linda Daschle, is involved in a scandal concerning the Federal Aviation Administration and B&L Aviation, a small airline which had trouble passing safety inspections and whose owner was a family friend. Daschle is accused of improperly asserting influence to reduce the amount of inspections B&L received. The incident is later cleared by the Transportation Department and the Senate Ethics Committee.
1996 - Co-chairs the Democratic National Convention with Richard Gephardt, the Democratic House minority leader.
1998 - Reelected to a third term in the Senate with 62.1% of the vote.
June 6, 2001 - Becomes Senate majority leader by one vote after Jim Jeffords quits the Republican Party.
October 2001 - A Daschle aide opens a letter containing anthrax. The Hart Senate Building staff are evacuated, tested for anthrax, and given a 60-day supply of antibiotics.
January 2003-2005 - Serves as Senate minority leader.
January 7, 2003 - Daschle announces that he will not be running for president in 2004 and will remain in the Senate.
November 2, 2004 - Loses his Senate seat to Republican John Thune.
March 5, 2005-2009 - Serves as special public policy adviser at the Washington branch of law firm Alston & Bird.
December 2, 2006 - Announces that he will not be running for president in 2008.
2007 - Co-founds the Bipartisan Policy Center with George Mitchell, Bob Dole and Howard Baker.
December 11, 2008 - US President-elect Barack Obama nominates Daschle to be secretary of Health and Human Services and director of the White House Office of Health Reform.
January 8, 2009 - Confirmation hearings for Daschle begin in the Senate.
February 2, 2009 - In a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, Daschle admits to errors on his tax returns. The issue involves Daschle's use of a car and driver he didn't disclose on his income taxes, and nonpayment of taxes on more than $80,000 he earned in consulting fees after leaving the Senate. He paid $146,000 in back taxes and interest to correct the errors.
February 3, 2009 - Announces that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as secretary of Health and Human Services.
November 18, 2009-October 2014 - Senior policy adviser for business law firm DLA Piper.
2013 - His book "The US Senate: Fundamentals of American Government" is published.
October 2014 - Daschle leaves DLA Piper and forms The Daschle Group, a public policy advisory of the Baker Donelson law firm.
November 2, 2017 - Daschle and his son Nathan Daschle are named two of Capitol Hill's top lobbyists in 2017.
May 20, 2019 - Northern Swan Holdings, a cannabis investment firm, announces that Daschle has joined its advisory board.
October 23, 2019 - Co-authors an Op-Ed in The Washington Post, along with former Sen. Trent Lott, titled "The Senate can hold a fair impeachment trial. We did it in 1999."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A: I'm not a surf-boarder nor a bird watcher. I suppose my latest hobby would be collecting and reading dictionaries. And I like to wander in the out-of-doors.
Q: Do you read funny papers?
A: Oh, yes, I read many of them. My favorites are Andy Capp, Peanuts and Out Our Way.
Q: With your vast knowledge of math, do you believe there is a slide rule computation capable of eliminating the golfers' hooks and slices?
A: I've only been on a golf course once, and then it was to collect air samples. I'd have to study that question a bit.
-Linus Pauling, interview with The Oregonian, 1966.
I read detective stories. I've soured on Agatha Christie. She lost me when she mentioned 'the foul odor of carbon monoxide' which is an odorless gas.
I watch a moderate amount of television, mainly the news but, on occasion, if I can find an old Doris Day movie I watch it. My favorite is Lover Come Back, which has in it a character named Linus, who is described as the greatest chemist in the world. In the movie, an advertising man gets himself in a pickle because he's been advertising the unveiling of some great discovery. He doesn't have a great discovery so he goes to the greatest chemist in the world, Linus, who's not interested – he's only interested in pure science. Unfortunately for the advertising man, he's very ethical, but not after the guy pulls out thousand-dollar bill after thousand-dollar bill. Linus say's he'll take over. In the laboratory, various things are bubbling. Outside, a great cloud of green smoke comes out. Inside, he is at the black board doing calculations. Finally, all the reporters come in to see the greatest chemist in the world's new invention and there are trays with red and green cookies. It turns out each one is the equivalent of a double martini.
Usually I eat two eggs in the morning, sometimes bacon, but I happen to be lazy enough not to cook more than one thing for a meal. The last two days I was eating oxtail soup with vegetables. I don't know what I'll have today. Perhaps some fish. In my book [How to Live Longer and Feel Better] I say you shouldn't eat sweet desserts, but I also quote a professor who says that this doesn't mean that if your hostess has made this wonderful dessert you should turn it down. My wife used to say I always looked for that hostess.
For more Facets of Linus Pauling, see Linus Pauling: Scientist and Peacemaker, now available in paperback from the Oregon State University Press.


text:
San Jose/Evergreen Community College District
Oak Grove School District
Santa Clara Unified School District
San Jose Unified School District
Morgan Hill Unified School District
Gavilan Joint Community College District
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Gilroy Unified School District
Palo Alto Unified School District
East Side Union High School District
San Benito High School District
Alum Rock Union Elementary School District
Cupertino Union School District
Evergreen School District
Franklin-McKinley School District
Los Altos School District
Los Gatos Union School District
Luther Burbank School District
Mountain View-Whisman School District
Mount Pleasant School District
Saratoga Union School District
Morgan Hill City Council
Council Member, Council District D
City of Santa Clara
City of Gilroy
City of Milpitas
Mayor of Morgan Hill
City of Campbell
City of Cupertino
City of Los Altos
Town of Los Altos Hills
Town of Los Gatos
City of Monte Sereno
City of Mountain View
City of San Jose
City Council, District 2
Santa Clara City Council
City of Sunnyvale
City Council, Seat 4
Morgan Hill City Clerk
Morgan Hill City Treasurer
Cupertino Sanitary District
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Director, Division 1
Santa Clara County Open Space Authority
Director, District 4
Prop. 51 Bonds for School Facilities
Prop. 52 Private Hospital Fees for Medi-Cal
Prop. 53 Public Vote on Revenue Bonds
Prop. 54 Changes to the Legislative Process
Prop. 55 Extend Tax on High Income
Prop. 56 Tobacco Tax
Prop. 57 Parole, Sentencing and Court Procedures
Prop. 58 English Language Education
Prop. 59 Political Spending Advisory Question
Prop. 60 Condoms in Adult Films
Prop. 61 Prescription Drug Costs
Prop. 62 Repealing the Death Penalty
Prop. 63 Gun and Ammunition Sales
Prop. 64 Making Recreational Marijuana Legal
Prop. 65 Money from Carry-Out Bags
Prop. 66 Death Penalty Court Procedures
Prop. 67 Plastic Bag Ban
Measure F
Measure R
City of Morgan Hill
Measure V
Measure Y
Measure Z
Campbell Union High School District
Measure CC
Sunnyvale School District
Measure BB
Measure EE
Measure X
City of Los AltosCandidate for City Council
Steve Smiley
Businessman/Contracts Manager
3,763 votes (10.34%)Check
Promote Traffic Safety around schools, downtown, and in neighborhoods
Move forward on a Civic Center and vibrant Downtown Plan that caters to families
Be Green and ensure development is environmentally friendly
Profession:Businessman, Parent
Vice President of Program Management and Contracts, L-3 Communications (2013–current)
Treasurer on Executive Council, Los Altos Lutheran Church — Elected position (2015–current)
Parliamentarian on Executive Board, Covington Elementary School PTA — Elected position (2013–2016)
Vice President on Executive Council, Los Altos Lutheran Church — Elected position (2009–2012)
Peninsula University College of Law — Juris Doctor (J.D.), law (1997)
St. Mary's College of California Business School — Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.), business, finance, economics, and accounting (1992)
Eastern Illinois University — Bachelor of Science (B.S.), engineering and technology (1984)
Steve is a 26-year Los Altos resident and homeowner. During his 26 years in Los Altos, he has been actively involved in volunteering at the local public school, church, and other community non-profit organizations. He previously served on the Covington Elementary School Executive Board as the Parliamentarian. He is an active member of the Los Altos Lutheran Church where he previously served as Vice President, and currently serves as Treasurer on the Executive Council.
Steve has a BS in Engineering from Eastern Illinois University, an MBA from St. Mary's College, and a JD from Peninsula University Law School. He earned his MBA and JD while working full time. His career closely followed his education where he held positions in Engineering, Finance, Legal, and Management. He is currently the Vice President of Program Management and Contracts at L-3 Communication, and serves on the Ethics Committee and Executive Staff there. At L-3 Communications, Steve negotiates with government agencies and oversees contract accountability and implementation. He will bring those talents to Los Altos City Council, as well.
Steve grew up in central Illinois where his family owned and operated a restaurant, so he understands the demands and challenges of small business. Upon moving to California, Steve settled in the Bay Area and met his wife to be, Kathleen. She spent her career in subcontract engineering. Steve and Kathleen have been married for 13 years. They have an eleven-year old daughter, Kaitlyn, and two dogs (a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Yellow Labrador). For fun, the family likes to ride mountain bikes, attend one of Kaitlyn's numerous athletic or musical performances, or just take a Sunday drive in the convertible down Main Street.
His ability to connect with people, and the expertise developed in his career, education and volunteering, provides the leadership necessary to be successful as a City Council Member.
League of Conservation Voters (LCV)
Evolve California
Sangeeth Peruri - Trustee Los Altos School District Board
The Los Altos City Council has many diverse and controversial Challenges facing it:
· A Community Center that meets community needs, a Loyola Corners Neighborhood Commercial Center that fosters economic vitality, Development and Implementation of a Downtown Plan, Traffic, and Parking to name a few.
I have been a resident of Los Altos for 26 years, and have seen many of these challenges linger, some for years.
With my diverse Education & Work Experience, Volunteering, Values, and Leadership capabilities, I will work with the Council members and bring closure to the challenges the city faces, and still preserve what we all cherish about Los Altos.
Steve Smiley KMTV Candidate Statement Video
— October 15, 2016 KMTV
Steve Smiley video of Qualification, Experience, Goals and Priorities
Email - SSMILEY6694022@yahoo.com
Jeannie Bruins
Alexander D. Glew
Neysa Fligor
Jan Pepper
Lynette Lee Eng


From Seed To Table: Ack, Where's the Sun?
Behind that blanket of fog.
No Sky July. Sibling of June Gloom and May Gray. The primary reason why I harvest the bulk of my tomatoes and peppers in September and October. I will admit though that I much prefer gardening and hiking in this weather than on hot sunny days.
Press yourself as flat as you can against a surface that absorbs whatever radiation from the sun that penetrates through the cold gray wet murk.
Just a quickie fun post before I get out to the garden to get some work done. I'm working up a garden tour post so stay tuned.
FYI, the black thingy with the white tip next to the lizard's left rear leg is lizard poop. And in case you're wondering the lizard is a Western Fence Lizard.
Nobody does a big fireworks display here for the 4th anymore which is just as well because the fog would spoil the fun. And a wildfire would spoil the fun too.
Great shot of the lizard. Our local ones are hiding in the shade today, as the temps are at 95°F. Happy 4th!
We don't get lizards which is a shame. I think we must have your sun!
Uh ... coming up north for awhile, love the fog, oh, no, wait a minute, last time I visited Berkeley all I wanted to do is come home to southern California to see the sun. The overcast skies can get monotonous. That lizard splayed out like that is great. I love the little ones early in the year.
I know where your sun is - it's here! I can't recall when we last had a cloudy day - I, for one, would love to send a chunk of sun back your way since gardening in 100 degree weather is not my idea of fun.
That fog is incredibly dense. The weather you have is very interesting. You don't get much sun or rain, so the weather is nice and mild.
Hope the sun has started to come through for you these past few days. The scenery looks amazing around you, thanks for the share. Love checking out your photos. Have a great weekend!


Featuring: Harry in Winter / The Quidditch World Cup (The Irish) / Hogwarts' Hymn / Hogwarts' March / Voldemort!
Robert Sheldon has crafted this exemplary medley from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™. With all the exuberance and passion of the original Patrick Doyle blockbuster film score, the symphonic suite contains, "Harry In Winter," "The Quidditch World Cup (The Irish)," "Hogwarts' Hymn," "Hogwarts' March" and "Voldemort!" A comprehensive musical journey to accompany the fourth classic book in the series.


Constipation affects many Americans making them uncomfortable and unproductive. This condition afflicts the gastrointestinal system of a person in the large intestine and the colon. This condition occurs when people do not have enough fiber in their diets. People are also affected with constipation when they do not get enough physical activity. Unfortunately, some people must work at desk jobs and do not get enough physical activity during the normal weekday at work. There are also some conditions including irritable bowel syndrome that cause this condition. Milk can cause constipation so people should monitor the amount of milk in their diets if they are concerned with constipation.
Constipation can be caused by certain medications that people must take because of other health conditions. In these cases, people need to consult with their physician to decide if there is an alternative medicine that they can take to relieve this condition while caring for the other medical condition. Pregnant women have a tendency to be constipated because of their condition. These women should also consult with their obstetrician to see if there is a solution for their problems. Constipation often comes with age as the human organs function less optimally than when people were young.
An apple a day may keep constipation away so people should try to eat more fruit like apples to help with this condition. The problem can be caused by a lack of fiber so adding fiber to the diet will help the person suffering. Other types of fiber can be found in vegetables. People can also alleviate the bad effects of this condition by restricting the amount of fat in their diets. Fats that come from foods such as cheese and some meats contribute to constipation. Coffee can contribute to the bad effects of this condition so any who suffers should try to reduce the amount of coffee in their diets. Drinking lots of water and other liquids can help with this condition.
People should look at their diets to figure why they are constipated. Then they might work with a professional to set up a strategy for feeling better. Exercise is an activity that will contribute to the control of this condition. Physicians can do tests to check for this condition, and then they can recommend changes to patient�s current way of life. Physicians might also recommend laxatives if other methods do not help the patient. There is hope for people suffering from constipation so people should look carefully at solutions to decide on the best course of action with their personal physician.


Understand the needs of your prospective consumers. Don't just sell products.
Ask questions and find out more on what they need.
Listen when they talk and don't rush to sell.
Then propose Solutions suitable to what they are looking for.
Be kind. Do the business from your heart. Always think from the consumers' perspective.
When you do that, you won't have to sell. People will buy.
If you don't want to buy my products, it's ok.
But I urge you to come listen to my seminars. Learn about health while you're healthy.
Because when you or your family member are in trouble, at that time you won't be in the right frame of mind to "receive" and evaluate whether this is the product that can help restore your health.
Dare to Propose the right dosage to be consumed.
People with different sickness need different quantities. Don't be afraid to tell them.
Even if it's a high dosage and the cost is high - tell them anyway. Don't second guess whether they can accept or afford it. Otherwise, you will do them an injustice.
Focus on building relationships, not just closing sales.


Quiet Beauty is a modern take on traditional portraiture, exaggerating and complimenting the exotic features of each subject. About half of my subjects are models, the others are folks I know or are fascinating characters I have met on the streets and in restaurants. The people always have a certain je ne sais quoi about them, a uniqueness, a different kind of beauty. After I decide on my subject, I pull from my inspiration board of paintings that I have seen over the years to conjure up the right color palette. The props and background are always very simple and colorful to evoke some of the painted portraits from the renaissance, art deco, and fauvist eras. Each and every shot is entirely lit by natural light.
The inspiration for my work is always driven by beauty. That may seem like an obvious statement as an artist, of course people like to view beautiful things, but I strive to get my audience to really notice the way in which I see beauty. Some of my work is fantasy driven, much of it is inspired by the great painters of our past, and always it is romanticizing the people I meet and the world that I live in.
There is a softness in mood and in the character's expression that I think is ubiquitous in all of my work. More importantly, there is always a vision that I set out to create before I pickup a camera. So much of the success of one of my images is based on pre-production and tying it all together by focusing on an overall color palette.


Check out the interview with NWEA's own Kathy Dyer featured in the eSchool News article. "How to deliver PL that really works". Kathy serves the Professional Learning Design Team as the Manager of Innovation and Learning and is well known for her work with partners to develop quality professional learning (PL) informed by student learning needs. The eSchool News August 1, 2018 article provides information on how to connect PL to student outcomes and how to best support teachers in their quest for meaningful PL. Kathy and content designer Robin Whitacre were co-presenters of the session "Who Owns the Learning" at the annual Learning Forward conference last December. This dynamic duo recently received word of the acceptance of this same session at the ASCD Empower 1https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/08/01/how-to-deliver-pl-that-really-works/?all9 conference that will be held in Chicago March 16-19, 2019. Keep watching for more news of NWEA staff who are reaching an ever-wider audience to support the development of relevant PL that supports professional growth!


text:
Police officer injured by apparent looter in Minneapolis
A police officer on duty in Minneapolis was injured by an apparent looter after a few days of rioting as a result of a false report of a police shooting.
James Anthony The Post Millennial
A police officer on duty in Minneapolis was injured by an apparent looter after a few days of rioting as a result of a false report of a police shooting, according to TMZ.
The officer was calmly walking back to his unit on Wednesday night when a metal garbage can lid was thrown and struck him squarely in the neck. He was knocked down and his fellow officers came to his aid.
Fortunately, the officer's injuries are not life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery, according to a spokesperson from the Minneapolis Police Department.
Demonstrators in Minneapolis have been rioting and protesting because they beleived that a black man was fatally shot by the police—only the man took his own life, and the account of the police-involced shooting was a false report.
Police, along with the Minneapolis mayor's office and many community activists of conscience are working diligently to try and dispel the rumours still circulating. So far, 33 arrests have been made this week in Minneapolis in connection with further rioting.
Rioters looted multiple stores in downtown Minneapolis after the man, a homicide suspect, took his own life at the Nicollet Mall.
Peaceful protesting in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/jAMKYgMkb8
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 27, 2020
Social media footage caught suspects breaching a Saks 5th Avenue store. KMSP-TV journalist Courtney Godfrey reported that law enforcement deployed pepper spray to disperse the crowd, making arrests a block away from the incident.
Saks Off 5th in downtown Minneapolis being looted. pic.twitter.com/4164fQrw3W
— Carlos Gonzalez (@CarlosGphoto) August 27, 2020
Haskell's liquor store, the Medical Arts building, and Nordstrom were also subjected to looting earlier in the evening.
Sheriff deputies in riot gear just showed up. People continue to try and cross the line they're holding. I heard them say they are about to start making arrests. pic.twitter.com/4AIApwPwSx
— Courtney Godfrey (@courtneygodfrey) August 27, 2020
Others vandalized merchandise in a Target store and smashed windows of surrounding businesses.
The MPD posted a video on Twitter clearly showing the man involved turned his gun on himself and committed suicide while the police were closing in on him in an attempt to apprehend him.
They later that same day took the video down, and released a statement to clarify, saying, "MPD posted a video in order to dispel rumors that caused significant public safety concerns for our city. After receiving feedback from the community, we have removed the video due to the graphic nature and out of respect to the individual, his family and the community."


Full page ad in program book, recognition on golf course, 8 golfers with luncheon, reception and dinner.
Recognition in program book and on golf course, 4 golfers with luncheon, reception and dinner, 4 additional guests for dinner and reception.
Recognition in program book and on golf course, 4 golfers with luncheon, reception and dinner.
Signage at cart pick-up/return area, recognition in program book.
Signage in cocktail area, recognition in program book.
Signage at beverage station, recognition in program book.
Recognition in program book and on golf course.
Thank you for registering for MEP's 22nd annual Side-by-Side Golf Outing on July 20th, 2015 at Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon. To get to Walnut Creek Country Club, take I-96 to the Wixom Road exit. Proceed south on Wixom Road until it dead-ends on 10 mile Road. Head west on 10 Mile, past Napier Road, to Johns Road. Turn right (north) onto Johns Road; proceed approximately 1 mile to Walnut Creeek Country Club. Follow the club drive to the large parking lot, pass the pro ship and tennis house, register at table. PLEASE NOTE: Walnut Creek Country Club is a non-metal spike club.
Please join us at the 22nd annual Side-by-Side Golf Outing for an exciting day of golf, fun and friendship at the beautiful Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon. Over the past 21 years, Side-by-Side Golf Outings have raised more than a million dollars in support of ministries sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest. The Sisters of Mercy community has been dedicated to serving those in need through education, healthcare, housing, pastoral and social service for more than 100 years.
The 2015 event will benefit Mercy Education Project (MEP) located in southwest Detroit. MEP was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1992 to provide educational and life skills support to at-risk women and girls. In all, more than 2,000 students have come through MEP's doors. Services include afterschool tutoring, middle school leadership camp and ACT prep for girls; and adult basic education, GED and career readiness classes for women. Last year 94% of GED students earned the GED certifcation.
Mercy Education Project (MEP) is a non-profit organization that opens doors for the girls & women of Detroit through educational opportunities such as: after-school tutoring, college readiness, summer enrichment; adult literacy services, GED classes, and career readiness.
MEP is passionate about empowering females through acedemic excellence and promoting healthy life styles.


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Disneyland Trip Reports
stopher1's Solo Adventures: DL Nov/Dec '09
Thread starter stopher1
stopher1
A Report compiled together from items originally posted as stand alone pieces on the DIS Dad's Club Thread, a heavily WDW experienced group of guys, with little to no DL experience - Dec. 2009 I was out in CA on business, having book-ended the business trip with DL visits staying at the PPH on the front end, and the VGC on the back end.
So for my friends in the DIS Dad's Club - a compilation of my posts.
So ok, I'm sitting in my room at the Paradise Pier Hotel waiting for the parks
to open - not til 10 today - but that's cool since DL was open til midnight last night, and I stayed until the very end when the end of day announcement was made "Ladies & Gentlemen, boys & girls, Disneyland has now ended it's operating day. Thank you for coming and we hope you'll be back soon. For your shopping convenience, Main Street will be open for an additional hour" AHHH, home. It sure was fun to be there. Can't wait to go back for a few hours today before I have head over to the office and start a week of meetings.
For your viewing pleasure, especially those of you who have not been to DL during the Christmas season - here is a sampling of my evening last night. Heavy on It's a Small World Holiday. Normally I'm not a huge IASW fan, though I do ride it, but I AM a huge SW Holiday fan - though I definitely prefer the DL original to the shortened/modified MK version, even with the controverisal additions made to the DL version last year (they added in doll-stylized versions of Disney characters to the respective world areas they are from ... i.e. Alice & Peter Pan in England, Mulan & Mushu in China, Aladdin & Jasmine in the Middle East, etc). The holiday overlay is now in its' 13th season and still going quite strong. If you ever have the opportunity to go to DL between early November & New Year's - take it!!! No other IASW currently gets this overlay.
Today I plan to get photos of the Haunted Mansion Holiday and will post them later as well. My camera battery died last night when I rode it...so I need to go back this morning. I definitely am not a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, or the overlay, but since it's now in its' 9th season - there definitely are some diehard Jack fans that like it.
The Tree in Town Square
Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle
Believe...in Holiday Magic, the Christmas fireworks show...good, but nothing overly exciting
Years ago this "snow fall" enthralled my DW & I when we lived in Orange County... now after living in the midwest for 9 winters, I wasn't as "oohing" and "ahhing" as most on Main Street were. (And honestly, soap flake bubbles getting into your eyes & mouth just isn't fun either)
Like many of the DL attractions, the queue and loading platform at IASW are completely outside. A huge difference from the MK. Plus the oversized facade that the revised version at the MK is based on. Here covered in thousands of sparkling lights for Christmas. They have a little "lighting" ceremony every 20 mins or so, where it goes completely dark, then has a fun lighting projection show on it of lots of various holiday images on the normally white & gold surface, that then finally explodes in burst of color at the end of the 1 or 2 minute "show"
Entering the SW show building
The seasonal overlay isn't just a cosmetic exterior one either... once inside, you see all kinds of holiday delights, including Santa inside his workshop, and hear him reading a list of names
Each room is decked out for the holidays, and the soundtrack is modified! They took the original music, and interwined Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls and other Christmas music into it. It works wonderfully, and really is a refreshing change from that endless, tortuous tune.
They've definitely "fixed" the hula girls - sped them up quite a bit...man were they ever shaking their bottom halves
Getting ready to exit the show building and head back outside to disembark there lots of "kid type" stylized greeting cards
Back outside just in time to catch another glimpse of the great clock tower in action. The doors open every fifteen minutes and dolls dance around as the clock marks the time - very fun stuff
More later guys
Ok guys, here are a few more photos from my time at Disneyland and California Adventure this week. I'm staying in the Grand Californian right now, with a a view overlooking DCA's Paradise Pier. I'll post of photo of that soon too. It's gorgeous.
The Grand Cal has its' own private entrance directly into DCA. You can only use it by being a guest at one of the 3 DL resort hotels. Both the Paradise Pier Hotel & Grand Cal overlook it, but the PPH is across the street. The new DVC villas actually look out over Paradise Pier... in fact I'm sitting here in my room right now with the slider open, listening to screams coming from folks on the roller coaster and up in Mickey's Fun Wheel.
This photo is looking back at the hotel after entering DCA from the private entrance.
Once inside DCA, Soarin' is a short 2 minute walk in one direction, and Grizzly River Run (like Kali, but actually better) is 1 minute in the other direction.
I don't know how familiar any of you are with all of the construction that's going on at DCA over the next several years. Some of you are, and some aren't I'm sure. But basically Disney is pouring over a $1B into "remaking" this park that basically didn't pan out as the suits in charge back when it was being designed fiigured it would. It was "built on the cheap" - and unfortunately - it SHOWED! There are some beautiful areas of this park, and many, many tacky areas too. Here's a mini-map of what it will be like when everything they're doing is completed in 2012. The all new CARSLAND is in the top, and will have an awesome new racing ride, that's supposed to be "Test Track 2.0 or more" - using improved technology - but racing multiple vehicles at a time. The new Little Mermaid ride is under construction (also recently announced for the MK at WDW, Toy Story Midway Mania opened last year (it was actually approved for DCA first, then they decided to throw it in to DHS, and construction at DHS was less intensive, so it opened there first) - as well as a major retheming/makeover of the main entrance area and the Paradise Pier area and its' attractions; as well as the massive new World of Color show.
Here's a pic of TSMM, with Califonia Screamin' right above it (it really does goe under the coaster - the entrance is in front of the coaster, the main show building behind it - which is why construction at DCA was more intense than at DHS!
And Mr. Potato Head, right out front and center. They weren't operating the Single Rider line the day I went, so I decided to skip it... I didn't want to wait 45 min. I'll catch it in FL in January.
Much of Paradise Pier is behind construction walls right now... here's one advertising the new World of Color show set to debut next March or April
Concept artwork for the new WOC show - taking the best of Fantasmic!, merging it with the best of the fountain show at the Bellagio in Vegas - adding about 15 years worth of new technologies - and bam! - should be a homerun.
Here's a look of Paradise Bay - as they continue getting the lagoon ready. The entire thing was drained last year, and they entire year has been spent retrofitting it for this incredible looking new show. There are something like 1,800 fountains in there. A whole new viewing area is being constructed to hold like 8,000-10,000 people. The new villas at the Grand Cal that DVC built have their own private viewing platform at the top (just like BLT's fireworks viewing platform) that you can only use while staying at the VCG on points - but of course, most of the DVC rooms themselves will have phenomenal views too.
here's a view of the massive show platform out in the middle of the water that they're finishing (that's the Paradise Pier Hotel in the top right, across the street, but at 14 floors, there are lots of great views into DCA)
And a view looking down at it all from the top of Mickey's Fun Wheel
The rounded structure near the left middle of this pic is Soaring Over California - and just a "little" above that to the right are the spires of Space Mountain.
For those that aren't familiar with the DL resort, DCA was built on what was originally the parking lot for DL from 1955 - 1998. The two park entrances literally face each other, and by my paces are 105 steps apart. Here's a view looking north from just inside DCA (standing underneath the "mini Golden Gate Bridge" that the monorail (or OBA) crosses over looking directly north to the entrance of DL and the Main Street station, with a view of the original Disney Mountain - the Matterhorn, celebrating 50 years this year. It was the original iron tubular roller coaster - built inside of a themed mountain to boot - Walt sure was cool. Not only did he give us a great coaster, but he had them put it inside a mountain as well. Growing up in So. Cal, whenever we went to DL, the sight of the Matterhorn from the freeway was always so cool! Still is, but I don't get to see it as often living in the Midwest.
Ok guys - I'll post some more later. I'm going to head back over into the park for a while to enjoy the nightlife, as well as the fireworks.
Some more pics from DCA...
when they redid the "Sun Wheel" into "Mickey's Fun Wheel" last year...some classic characters joined the fun. Here's our fav on one of the gondolas...
The old "Orange Stinger" swing ride has been dismantled, and in 2010 will be replaced by "Silly Symphony Swings", based on the Mickey's Band Concert cartoon from the '30's.
...in 2011 Ariel finds another home at DCA (currently she's the "star" of Ariel's Grotto, which is a character meal location along the waterfront), in the big new splashy dark ride. I'm sure the WDW version's queque will be more expansive and fun given the amount of available land there vs. DCA - but both should be really cool! My DD5 is thrilled, and cannot wait for this one to open!
...here's a view of the DVC Viewing Platform for World of Color. One of the other things about the Grand Cal rooms is that the soundtrack will be pumped directly into the rooms via one of the channels on the TV, just as DL's fireworks soundtracks are now - so in theory you could enjoy it from the privacy of inside your room too, without having to step outside onto the balcony - I guess that would be good on a cold evening. But certainly since the DVC rooms are so close, and truly do overlook the Pier, you'd definitely be able to hear the music from your balcony. The standard hotel rooms no, so having the music pumped in is ok, but I don't believe any video of the show will be broadcast, just the audio.
...there are so many areas of DCA that support the whole "built on the cheap" statement I made earlier. Too many "off the shelf" rides, boardwalk games, non-descript buildings - but there are a few areas that the Imagineers were able to plus without breaking the budget. This is an example. Paradise Pier is supposed to celebrate the beach culture of Southern California, as well as celebrating the multitude of beachfront amusement parks that dotted the CA coast throughout the 30's, 40's, '50's and '60's. This drinking fountain could have been just that, but they went the extra step, and gave it that "at the beach flavor". This is the kind of stuff I love to see.
...a quick trip into A BUGS LAND and the decorations at Flik's Fun Fair
After a while in DCA, I went across the esplanade into DL.
My favorite sign...
Walt's apartment, above the Fire Station - note the covered patio to the left, which was designed for his grandchildren to be able to play on, when they were staying with their granddad in the park
Like so much of the park, the Omnibus is decked out for Christmas...
Holiday Goofy greeting his fans...
"Mine, mine, mine!" , the birds squak as the subs pass by
One of the subs passing through into the caverns. I wasn't a huge fan of layering on the Nemo theme to the original submarine voyage...but was a huge fan of almost anything that would bring them back from "the dead". DL closed the subs in '98... and finally reopened them in '08 with this new theming. Anything is better than a 7 million (+/-) gallon lagoon sitting there idle.
While in line for the subs, an OBA came passing by overhead into the station
While on the subs, Darla can be seen...
...along with lots of other marine life. Once the subs pass into the caverns, then the same kind of animation technology is in place like the Nemo attraction at Epcot. This one at DL just has more, and is longer than Epcot's version - and takes place actually underwater. They developed some special kind of viewing boxes for underwater that house the actual animated sequences. Dory, Marlin, Mr. Ray, Bruce, the angler fish, Nemo...they're all there. It's cool, even if I prefer the original.
OK - now I'm off to enjoy the jacuzzi for a while guys. Gotta get my enjoyment out of this place for a while longer before I leave tomorrow! More later.
Disney Commando said:
stopher1: Thanks for posting those pics, looks like a lot of new stuff coming in the future.
My DS would really like the Cars section and with Test Track 2, looks like this could be our 2012 trip. It would be awesome if they made the test cars look like the race cars from the movie
Commando: They have begun construction on new CARS LAND, I didn't think to capture any photos of that that I recall, but they are definitely moving dirt! Here are some concept art pics I took from the "Blue Sky Cellar" preview center that they opened up last year to highlight all of the many changes coming to DCA. Cars Land itself is supposed to have 2 or 3 attractions, as well as shops and a restaurant, all themed to Radiator Springs. Looks pretty cool. At this point my guess is it'll be open by spring 2012 to really capture the summer guests. It's hard to tell, but it does seem/appear like the Cars characters will be found throughout the attraction, or at least in different parts of it, on the sidelines. The regular ride vehicles will probably just be generic though, like the second concept art pic shows. I think, since Cars 2 will have already come out by then - they'll probably want to be able to capture any new characters in that film in the overall land as well - so maybe that's why the concept art is generic, maybe not. I'm not sure.
I am looking forward to seeing in person the updates at Space Mtn in WDW...but for now, here's a shot or two of the inside of the DL version's queue. This version was completely remade in 2005. The track was completely replaced. When SM debuted at DL in 1977, they had to do quite a bit in order to make it fit in with the smaller, more intimate park that is DL vs. the larger, more spacious park that is the MK. The entire building's circumference is smaller, and the entire thing had to be sunk down 15 feet into the ground to make it fit. They also made a single track, vs the dual tracks at WDW, but to keep capacity high, they did away with the single row seating, and put in dual seating rows (like at Splash in WDW). The redo in '05 added in an awesome soundtrack, via onboard speakers behind every person's head. The DL version also has an incredible up ramp, and some awesome graphics inside. At Halloween this year, they actually put in a special overlay called "Ghost Galaxy", and was jam packed pretty much all the time, with the FP's gone early in the day (this is one that definitely should have a single rider line!). I wasn't able to experience Ghost Galaxy, but my friends out here who did all said it was awesome. Sure to be repeated next Halloween season no doubt.
As promised earlier, I think I did anyway, here's a couple of shots of IASW during the daytime.
One of the things I really love about DL, is the real gold on the spires of the castle, IASW, Dumbo and several other places. I remember my first day orientation when I started working there, learning about how it was Walt himself who said they had to it there, because any cheap imitations would be too obvious to the guests. Again I say wow, what a cool guy. It just sparkles and shines in the sunshine!
Here the IASW clock is about to mark another quarter hour. The dolls come out from the center, and then in both directions, circle around to the sides and go back in as the giant center doors open and giant blocks tell the time
This is the original version of IASW that was at the New York World's Fair in '64-65. It was then transferred lock, stock & barrel to Anaheim. The only thing that didn't make it was the original sign out front - so a whole new facade was created for Disneyland. Mary Blair who designed much of the interior settings and color schemes designed the facade. (She's the same one who designed the great big mural in the Grand Canyon Concourse at the Contemporary). Then when Walt dedicated it in '66, he had lots of children in various cultural costumes pour waters from the seven seas into the canal.
BTW - if anyone is interested in a map of DL or DCA, I grabbed way more than necessary so I could mail them out to anyone possibly planning a trip west. I definitely got a set for you Christian! If you want one, just PM me with your address. I think I've got 35 or more. I'll grab some more in the morning though, before I leave just in case.
Up at the ranch, the Big Thunder Ranch, that is - Santa has set up shop. Back in the '80's and well into the '90's, the ranch was home to a petting farm, and the Big Thunder BBQ restaurant (which I worked at for a short while during my tenure at the park). In the later '90's it became a shell of its' former glory when the restaurant was closed, and the animals finally disappeared by around 2000. But each year at Christmas, Santa reappears and brings his reindeer along. Santa will be inside the log cabin for photos, and his deer friends are around in the old animal corrals for all to see. They do have a few goats again, but it's nothing like it used to be with horses, cows, sheep, goats and the chickens of old. The restaurant has reopened, but nothing like it used to be either. But - open restaurants are certainly better than shuttered ones!
I remember so well back in '76 when the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland closed in Frontierland, to be replaced by the "Wildest Ride in the Wilderness" in '77. Back then, the Rivers of America were drained as well, and all of Frontierland became "the great wall of construction walls" at DL, just as Paradise Pier at DCA is currently surrounded by them.
Passing through Frontierland, along the river's edge into New Orleans Square, I enjoyed the new "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee". It was a fun little show, even though I have no clue about the new Princess & The Frog film yet. It definitely made me want to see it. The songs were quite enjoyable. I'm really hoping this return to traditional animation is a smashing success for Disney! I want more 2D animation.
Like WDW - the procession passes through the land, and then onto the riverboat. The Mark Twain, as I read online a couple of days ago, was actually used in the P&TF film. Apparently the crew animating the film made a day trip down to Anaheim in order to actually record the whistles of the Mark Twain in order to incorporate them into the film. Since the film is set in New Orleans, it certainly does feel appropriate to have the show in New Orleans Square here at DL. I haven't seen it in Liberty Square/Frontierland at WDW, but I'm sure it plays well there too.
Then it was on to the Haunted Mansion Holiday - where Jack Skellington and friends from Hallowweentown have taken over my beloved Mansion. It's actually this way now for more than 1/3 of the year... since it opens up this way right around Labor Day, and stays this way until after New Year's... such a bummer when you want to see the real version. I am NOT a fan of this overlay at all...but I cannot dispute its' popularity. 9 years running, with people clamoring to see it. And many people do love it. I don't. To each his own. Here are a few shots of it for those of you have not experienced it.
Then again later in the dark...
And a couple on the inside... the stretching portraits are changed to look like stained glass windows that then "break" when the elevator starts stretching (because yes, at DL the Stretching Room IS actually an elevator, unlike at WDW. At DL, for operational purposes, the whole thing could not fit inside the berm, so you enter into the plantation house, and then have to get beyond the berm into the show building...so you go DOWN underground and then pass underneath the railroad tracks via the Portrait Corridor - [added in to the WDW version during the latest update when the cool endless staircase scene was added]. At WDW, 1) the water table is entirely too high to allow for going down too far, despite the MK being built on the 2nd floor with the utilidors underneath as the basement, and 2) the entire facility, house facade and show building are located inside the berm - so there was no operational need like at DL. So at DL the floor goes down and the ceiling is stationary, vs. at WDW the floor is stationary and the ceiling goes up.) Followed by a giant Jack in the ceiling vs. the traditional hanging corpse just prior to the doors opening into the Portrait Corridor and on to the doom buggies, or as the HMH calls them, the "black Christmas sleighs"
At the loading area...
...in the Grand Hall, there's a giant gingerbread carousel with Zero on it. The traditional blue china dishes have been replaced with black spiderweb plates, and there's a giant Nightmare themed CHristmas tree over near the ballroom dancers. The smell from that carousel is wonderful!!
I didn't get an attic shot, but here's Jack at the entrance to the graveyard
followed by some of his handiwork inside the graveyard
Oogie Boogie has replaced the Hitchhiking Ghosts, playing "game show host" to see what kind of prize each sleigh will get as they pass by the crypt mirrors. I got the "?" or "Surprise" one each time I rode. Little things were popping up with each mirror I passed, instead of a single item that was supposed to be next to me like the traditional hitchhiking ghosts are.
Here are a couple of shots of New Orleans Square decked out for Christmas
Ok - now I have to upload more photos. Maybe I'll get more done tonight, and maybe not...
sorry about clogging up this thread with my photos and stuff - I just didn't feel like doing a traditional TR. I'm having more fun this way.
dvczerfs said:
wow, great pics stopher!!! it seems everything is more outside. what is the inside of the monorail like now that they went to the replica of the original? which i think are cool. i have to get dw into a plane!!
The new trains definitely have a retro-look with these new Mark VII trains! They are sleek and sexy, currently up to a Blue, Red & Orange train. Yesterday, all 3 were operating. Prior to the new trains, the last models were up to 4 trains at their zenith, but then slowly 2 of them were cannibalized for parts as repairs were needed. Here are some photos of the inside. The lighting is really, really cool.
Here's a view of the back cabin. I've ridden in it twice now, once on this trip. It can accomodate 8 guests. I can't remember if the front cabin is available to guests or not - but I'm pretty sure it is like the old trains were. Though it would probably only accomodate 5 or 6, since the driver's console is up there.
At DL, the monorail is primarily an attraction, not a transportation system. Sure the resort guests can and do use it as transportation, but it is primarily an attraction in Tomorrowland. From there you can ride over to Downtown Disney. You have to disembark, but if you want to continue back to TL, just jump back into line. There is an opening in the queue that will allow you back in without having to go out through the exit and show your ticket again. With that in mind - if you are a hotel guest, or you've left and visited DTD for lunch or dinner or some shopping & want to return to the park, there's a ticket turnstile just like at the front gate. This is the only other guest entrance to DL besides the Main Gate.
When it opened in 1959, it was the first daily operating Monorail in the western hemisphere. In the early '60's the line was extended from being just inside TL, leaving DL and actually going out through the parking lot and across a public road. Another first - crossing a public street! When they did that, the line was extended from 1/2 mile to over 1.5 miles (nothing compared to all the mileage of the WDW system, but the DL resort is much, much smaller too). With the extension, it then went on to the Disneyland Hotel (which wasn't owned by Disney back then - Disney didn't buy it until 1988). Walt's good friend Jack Wrather asked him back in the late '50's if he could open a hotel and use the DL name, to which Walt agreed and licensed. As it expanded in the early '60's, the Travelport was opened, which was the Monorail station, taxi stop, a bus depot and later a rental car area for travelers who wanted to explore more Southern California. Soon small bungalows were built nearby that hotel guests could rent that were more villa like in a Japanese garden setting with complete housekeeping facilities, ie. a kitchen (kind of a 1960's pre-cursor to today's DVC units!)
The hotel grew from it's original low level facilities into the 3 large current towers (all going under the knife to be gutted and completely renovated over the next 3 years. One of the 3 towers is currently closed as it is going through that process now). When Disney bought the property in 1988 (I was a cast member back then - I remember what a GREAT BIG DEAL it was that we "finally" owned the Disneyland Hotel!) a great big renovation was begun to make the rooms "more Disney". They were nothing like you would find today, but they were far improved over their former state.
When the plans for DCA began coming together in the mid-'90's, the Travelport was demolished. By 2000 it was gone. The original Monorail station structure was refurbished/remodeled, but remains in the exact same location. It just isn't directly located at the DL Hotel anymore, but rather within the confines of the all new Downtown Disney District that was forming in between DL and the Hotel property. The bungalows and other outlying buildings were demolished to make way for the Rainforest Cafe, ESPN Zone, AMC Theatres & more. No more can you just take the monorail to the hotel - but rather to DTD, where you then walk to your hotel, through the last portion of DTD.
In the old trains, all of the seating was pretty much foward facing, with pairs on each side, a space in between, and then a full row behind that (repeated throughout). These new trains have outward facing seating instead. IMO it's definitely better to be outward facing to actually be able to see what you're passing over, instead of just facing forward and have to crane your neck to see!
The lighting is really, really cool.
So I'm packing my gear now, as I get ready to check out of my studio at VGC here in the next half hour. Have been sitting with my slider door open listening to all of the pre-opening ride checks over in DCA (they opened just a few moments ago at 10 today). I'll be then heading over to my SIL's house for the duration as I hang with my nephews. Then, unfortunately, I don't get to go home yet, as my time away from home has been extended. This week I got the 'bonus' of getting to fly to Atlanta and inventory / set-up that office as the VP there is no longer in our company's employ. Add the fact that that office had just physically moved the week prior, it'll be fun times I'm sure. Not only do I get to ensure everything that should be there is, and replace anything that's not, I also get the fun of setting up a new space. This will be the third office I've physically set up in my 9 years with the company - so they definitely like/trust my way of doing it. But it extends my time away from home from 8 nights to 12. My DW and kids are NOT happy right now. BUT, at the same time, as my DW said on the phone earlier in the week after a day of texting back and forth about the change in plans, she's thankful that I still have a job, so we agreed to not overly complain about the extra time away - grumble a bit maybe, but not complain.
I have a "few" more photos that I want to share with y'all (I'm getting into my ATL speak now) - but it'll have to wait until later tonight or tomorrow. Have a great weekend guys.
Ok, so here are a few more photos from my recent DL visit. I stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel on the front end of my trip for one night, with DCA & DL that evening and the next day... then did the work portion of my trip... followed by 2 nights in the new DVC Villas at the Grand Californian Hotel. I had a studio, with a theme park view room. I was on the 4th floor (of 5), and looked directly out into Paradise Pier. Immediately below me was the DVC BBQ deck on the ground floor, with two amazing grills available to use for DVC members. The Mulholland Madness roller coaster (to be rethemed to Goofy's Sky School later in 2010), was directly to my right as I stood on my balcony. Right in front was the Jumpin' Jelly Fish attraction with the Mickey's Fun Wheel and Malliboomer behind that. Off to the left just a bit was the Golden Zephyr and Paradise Bay (where the new World of Color show will be) with California Screamin' and Toy Story Midway Mania directly beyond the bay - and directly to the left of me was the construction site for the new Ariel's Undersea Adventure Little Mermaid ride to open in 2011. Here's a view out of my window, followed by some general resort photos.
This is Mickey's Fun Wheel and the Golden Zephyr
The BBQ deck, just feet away from the perimeter wall of the DCA park (Mulholland Madness is just behind the fence... I could hear it VERY WELL from my room when the sliding door was open!)
My room was right up there in the top... looking up from the pathway walking from the bbq deck around to the pool deck - the DVC Member World of Color Viewing Platform is atop the red portion of the building. Not sure how it will work, but it sure looks to be a cool, exclusive option. Members will only be able to use it while staying at VGC... not while staying at the other DL hotels on points
Here's a pic of the tree inside the Great Hall (lobby) of the hotel
Looking down at the new Mariposa pool (from the elevator lobby on my floor) that was added with the new DVC wing
Some pool complex photos...
The original pool
The slide, with the new DVC wing behind it. The new wing used to be an "event lawn"
A close-up of the new pool & jacuzzi. The jacuzzi is about 2.5x the size of the original jacuzzi. Quite choice too. I was in it several times. Reminds me how much I want one here at home. Beyond the pool you can see the new Cabanas that can be rented. They are quite choice, by the way. If you have the means and want to spend a full day at the pool, they can be rented for something like $200 or was it $250 for 8 hours. I believe it was $150 for 4 hours.
You get designated deck chairs outside, plus a couch, chairs, table, stocked refrigerator, ceiling fan and flat screen HD tv inside.
All I could say was "WOW" when I saw them up close.
here's a view of the "connection point" - where they added on to the hotel. It's an L shaped addition, with the short end of the L being the new DVC wing, and the long end regular hotel rooms.
Here's the corner of the L, and notice how the balconies are closer together for the regular hotel rooms on one side, and the more expansive windows and less frequent balconies for the villas on the DVC side
Here's a pic of the giant fireplace inside the lobby. There's another one on the outside as well with an intimate little patio and rocking chairs. Makes for a nice place to sit and enjoy a drink or conversation. I didn't get one of the outdoor fp, since a group of women were doing yoga in front of it when I wanted to snap a pic, oh well... use your imaginations
Here's a view of the main entrance to the hotel, with the Porte Cachere for dropping off luggage or utilizing the Valet Parking. Valet Parking puts vehicles below the new wing in the underground parking garage... self parking means parking across the street and then walking back. It's only a 2 minute walk though (depending on the traffic light) It was designed in the ARTS & CRAFTS stylings of that design movement from the early 20th century very, very popular throughout So. Cal - and was designed by the same architect who designed the Wilderness Lodge. They both feel quite similar inside, and as such, are considered sister hotels. This was the first Disney designed hotel at the Disneyland resort - the other two, not so as I mentioned in a previous post back in the 190s page range
A few of the room...
And then, on Saturday morning the World of Disney store was having their own version of a Black Friday kind of sale for AP holders (me) and DVC members (also me). They were having discounts of up to 50% on select merchandise, and lots of other doorbuster type stuff for 30-50% off. The doors were slated to open at 6:30 am. I braved the crowds to be one of the first 1,000 in line for a free gift. Not something I enjoyed doing, but with Christmas coming up I wasn't sure if I'd find anything to add to under the tree or not. I learned afterward that there were over 2,000 people in line that morning, and the first couple lined up at 3 am. Craziness! This photo was taken from where I stood in line before they opened the doors. The queue was wrapping quite a bit. I arrived downstairs to get in line around 6:10ish, and when I approached the door and got my wristband for my free gift (just a little Vinylmation figure, nothing overly exciting) I was told that I was in the upper 700's in line.
For those of you who have not yet been to the DL resort, the Grand Californian straddles the edge of Disney's California Adventure park (it's actually billed as being INSIDE the park), and has it's own private entrance into that park. It also straddles Downtown Disney - so much so, that a portion of DTD is actually the lower floor of the hotel, with rooms up above. Here are some views of the DTD with the hotel rooms above... and the DTD entrance directly into the hotel
Once you pass through the DTD entrance into the hotel complex, there is an outdoor courtyard (used for private parties, receptions, etc), above which the OBA passes as it continues on its' route to the DTD station
I will post a few more shots in a while.
Ok, I'm going to try to finish up my photo essay for you from my final day at DL a couple of weeks ago... for those just joining in - I started this "report" back in the early 190's pages - and pretty much every so often throughout, in case you want to go back and see more photos from Disney's California Adventure, the Grand Californian Hotel and Disneyland.
At DCA, the overall theme was designed to be California and what kind of fun you can have within the state - without actually going and experiencing it for yourself. Kind of lame IMO. That would kind of be like designing a theme park about Florida in Florida. Kinda dumb. But that's what they did. The park opened in 2001 to much fanfare, and basically fell flat on it's face. It was designed and built "on the cheap" - even though the expansion of DL (creating a new "resort destination" with a 2nd theme park, DTD district, the beautiful Grand Californian Hotel and the addition of (at the time) the world's largest parking garage - holding more than 10,000 vehicles) - even though that expansion cost the company more than $1.2 billion in the late '90's and early part of this decade... thanks to that the poor management decision, the WDC is now pouring an additional $1B into revamping and plussing DCA in order to actually make it a stand alone park worthy of that $79 daily admission price.
Since it's opening, DCA has struggled to pull in the daily attendance figures that was assumed would come - despite several very expensive additions & changes meant to draw those people in. The complete new land "A BUGS LAND: Flik's Fun Fair" didn't do it. The $100M addition of Tower of Terror didn't do it - though it helped get it over into the 20,000's regularly. The Monsters Inc: Mike & Sully to the Rescue attraction didn't do it. Even Toy Story Midway Mania didn't do it - though that finally did get the numbers up into the 30,000's regularly. Initially they thought that 50,000 per day would show up to experience it... after the first couple of weeks, they strugged to meet 15,000. After 8 years, they still struggle to go beyond 30,000. DL by comparison can and does draw between 60-80,000 visitors. DCA has sadly become known as DL's overlow lot! But that is (hopefully & finally) about to change for the better with the initial opening of World of Color coming in the Spring - followed by additional changes to the Paradise Pier area throughout 2010, the opening of the new Little Mermaid ride in 2011 and CARS Land in 2012. (Opening Cars 2 in theatres in 2011 will certainly help add to the draw for Carsland, I'm sure).
Another big renovation that they are doing at DCA is the main entrance area. Originally it was designed with two very large tile murals (think the of the one done by Mary Blair in the Grand Canyon Concourse of the Contemporary or the Cinderella story one inside the breezeway of the Castle at the MK done by Dorothea Redmond and you'll kind of understand) - made to look like giant postcards highlighting CA experiences - on both sides of the entry turnstiles. Just before that, as you approach the gate area - very large letters (10 or 11 ft tall) spelling out the word C A L I F O R N I A. Well all of that will change in later 2010 through 2011 as the entire entrance plaza will be redone. The entire area will be rethemed from a mishmash of CA "stuff" - including the mini version of the Golden Gate Bridge that the monorail runs across. A brand new entrance themed to the Hollywood of the 1920's & '30's will be built (looking very familiar to all you Studios park fans out there), adding in a new "street" (think Main Street) from the entrance up into the current Sunshine Plaza - where the roads then branch out to the various "lands" of DCA (think the hub). Since the entire entrance plaza is being rethemed/rebuilt - they are currently figuring out ways to be able to move people in and out of the park with all that work going on around... it won't be easy. Temporary alternate entrances have been considered... who knows what they'll actually end up doing. It will be interesting to say the least.
Anyway - long story for these couple of photos... here are the beginning and ending letters of California decked out for Christmas. Note who's there on the "A"
Inside the Hollywood Pictures Backlot is the Art of Disney Animation building which houses a bunch of different animation themed rooms & experiences (including Turtle Talk with Crush) - there is an amazing Zoetrope themed to Toy Story. It's awesome. These pics don't do it justice, but if you've ever seen a Zoetrope in action, you'd really like this one.
Back across the Esplanade and into Disneyland...
In Town Square I boarded the Streetcar - I love riding up and down Main Street. The Dapper Dans jumped on and actually serenaded us as we rode - that was pretty cool.
Turning from Town Square headed up Main Street, with those fun Mickey garlands
Arrival at the hub - Sleeping Beauty Castle
After riding UP Main Street on the streetcar, I hoped onto the top level of the Omnibus and rode DOWN Main Street. The Fire Engine was parked waiting for guests and enjoyed the level of decorating detail on the Fire Engine
Going back down Main Street with Town Square
The Cinema at DL still shows 6 classic MM cartoons each & every day
Here's "Tilly" the "ticket taker" at the Cinema
Note where here "hometown" is...
The day I was there just happened to be one of the days that the Candy Palace had their handmade Candy Canes (recently featured on HGTV apparently)... they are extremely limited, only made 4 or 5 times during the season. You have to line up and get a number in order to be eligible to purchase one. Each batch is limited to only about 30-40 and each purchaser can only buy up to 2. No more than 3 batches per day they offer them. I was fortunate enough to be able to be in the line for the third batch and walked away with 2. Yay. But at $9.99 each, I wouldn't want to buy more than that! Here's pic. I successfully got them home break free (they wrap them in bubble wrap), and they will go into my DW and my stocking on Christmas Eve. Note the size - I laid it next to my watch for comparison purposes.
In Tomorrowland I caught most of the Jedi Training Academy show. I've seen it on both coasts now. I know it originated with Star Wars Weekends at MGM, but I prefer the show at DL. The stage they built in FL is great, right there at the Star Tours attraction & Endor village, but there's just something more dramatic and fun about the hydraulic stage at Tomorrowland Terrace which rises up from underground when Darth Vader appears after all of the kid picking and initial moves training of the padawans (plus its just a few short yards away from the original Star Tours).
In December 2008 they finally reopened the walk-thru diorama inside the castle that tells the story of Sleeping Beauty. It closed right after 9/11 - and due to ADA issues wasn't able to reopen once they closed it. But they were able to get around that with a special "alternate viewing" experience that they designed when they redid it all. It's an awesome experience, and I'm so glad that it's reopened. Another one of those neat little experiences that just sits there on the sidelines drawing people that know about it, or stumble upon it. Not a major experience in any way (definitely not an E ticket), but well worth the visit. It originally opened back in 1957 I believe, when Walt wanted to "plus" the park with something new. The castle was originally built with nothing inside, and so it was "fit" inside the structure with narrow steps and the occasional alcove for more story elements. The dolls and animated figurines were crude, but stylized to look like the film. With this refresh - it was definitely improved. Some great new technology was added, incorporating actual animation of the three good fairies & Maleficent turning into the dragon.
Some more decoration - this time on a lamppost near the entrance to Frontierland
The Pet Cemetery at the Haunted Mansion. This is located along the queue, as you wrap around the grounds to enter the actual house facade
Here Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas is highlighted as well
The Sailing Ship Columbia - unique to DL, circles round Tom Sawyer Island. At nighttime, it is used in Fantasmic! as Captain Hook's ship
Here I am ready to embark on a fun-filled canoe excursion on Davey Crockett's Explorer Canoes - one of my favorite attractions!
Watching the canoe ahead of us after they embarked on their journey - these, along with the rafts to the island are most definitely free floating - no tracks, unlike the big ships have - if you don't believe me, read my earlier post about the when I worked at DL and the summertime CM Canoe Races!
Here's the queue area for Indiana Jones & the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (opened in 1995 for DL's 40th). This particular ride was the basis for Dinosaur at AK - in fact, once you board the vehicles, the ride is identical on the inside, minus the Indy theming plus the Dino theming. I remember riding Dino for the first time several years ago thinking "I know what's coming next" and sure enough, the movements and turns were the same all the way through. I took these shots AFTER getting off the ride, which broke down while I was on it (at the very end thankfully). As I was exiting the show building, the CM's were announcing that it would be down for an hour or so, so the line was pretty much non-existent by the time I got outside
The temple itself, located just above the exit
Inside the queue, further on in line, way down into the show building
The load area
The point where the ride broke down - at the end of the ride, just after Indy has saved us from the big bad ball rolling straight for us
This is the entrance into ToonTown, which geographically is located on the northside of the park, right next to IASW. It was opened in '91, and as a land, was the first land to be entirely located OUTSIDE the berm of the train. Back in '72 Bear Country (now called Critter Country) opened up as a new land that was half inside and half outside the berm. Prior to that, only show buildings for attractions were added beyond the berm to make things fit (POTC was the first to go beyond the berm, followed by the HM) - but the entrance to the respective attractions was certainly located inside the berm of park. The individual attractions moved you under the berm and outside into the show buildings seemlessly without the guest even realizing they'd done so - POTC via the boats of course, and the HM via the Portrait Corridor after stepping out of the elevators after being lowered underground. Today there's also Splash Mountain & Winnie the Pooh Adventures in Critter Country and the Indiana Jones Adventure in Adventureland that are also located outside the berm - both Splash & Winnie you enter the building inside the berm an work your outside the berm without really knowing it, but at Indy you walk underneath the train tracks through a long sloping queue process after entering the entrance to the Temple facade. But with ToonTown, you simply walk down under the tracks' bridge above to get into ToonTown. About and hour before the fireworks each night, the entire land is closed, since the fw's are literally shot up in the air directly behind the back wall of the land
ToonTown is filled with lots of fun interactive stuff, and just plain silliness
Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin - this is a pretty fun attraction
Downtown ToonTown
Mickey & Minnie's houses
Chip & Dale's Treehouse
Gadget's Go Coaster
Donald's Boat
Goofy's Bounce House
The Enchanted Tiki Room is also another of my favorite attractions. My DW thinks I'm nuts...but I don't care. It's CLASSIC Walt through and through. DL still has the original 1963 version of it too, unlike that mess that made at the MK when they tried to update it with "Under New Management" - let alone what they've done to it over in Tokyo when they incorporated Stitch (haven't seen it yet, can't judge, but man, enough Stitch already!) PLUS, the added benefit, is that right there at the entrance is the Dole Whip stand and you can take your whip into the show with you!!! Which I do every single time - even on a day when I see it twice or more...which I did. Bought a whip each time! YUMMMMM.
The Tiki Room is physically located right at the entrance to Adventureland - here's the sign which is geographically just AFTER the entrance to the ETR. One of the fun things to notice whenever you get there... is that the roofline is shared by the Plaza Pavillion (a former restaurant which is now the Annual Pass Processing Center - and is part thatch on one side, part gingerbread and curlicues on the other - as the PP sits on the actual hub and the ETR, right next door, is technically part of Adventureland. It's masked very well, but when you pay close attention, you'll see the transition between the two distinctly different themes that share the same building.
The Dole Whip stand physcially sits between the ETR turnstile and the Adventureland sign (the thatch you see, and the first two fireposts are coming out from the roof of the stand, as well as the "A" side of the Adventureland sign which is structurally attached to the stand's roof), and it has service on the outside (path side) and the ETR courtyard side - so you can be waiting in the courtyard for the show and buying your D.W. at the same time.
Some of the tiki gods and goddesses that decorate the waiting courtyard
The signs look great at nighttime too!
The teacups look awesome at nighttime too. At DL they are exposed to the elements, so when it rains they aren't quite as fun. The covering designed for the MK is more practical yes, but you just can't beat the look of the giant turntable with all those oriental lanterns hanging down above
Here's a shot from Fantasyland of the Wicked Queen looking out of her window, above the entrance to the queue for Snow White's Scary Adventures. She opens the curtains and looks out every few minutes
Here are the Dapper Dans, later in the day, performing in Town Square
They were setting up for Candlelight while I was there. At DL the Candlelight Processional is only two nights, on one weekend each December as it takes place in Town Square in front of the Train Station, and is quite a disruption for the entire week leading up to it. For a while (maybe 2 or 3 years) during the late '90's they moved it to the stage at the former Videopolis Theatre, but there was such an uproar that it was finally moved back to Town Square and hasn't gone anywhere since. This extraordinary event dates back to 1956 and Walt himself. I was in it 2 years back in the late '80's, standing right up there on the Living Christmas Tree front and center. (I still have my sheet music!) That was an incredibly fun experience. I still haven't been able to get to it at Epcot yet, but someday I will. Twice I've been in Epcot during the Christmas season and had the opportunity to go, but didn't make it either time for one reason or another - honestly can't even remember why now. But someday I will get to it there and see how it is similar/different.
Here's a view of Space Mtn at nighttime
and one last one of the castle at nighttime
OK guys - I'm done. I'm sure I've bored a bunch of you, but thanks for letting me share some pics of my trip with you all. I'm headed down to WDW in just about 3 weeks - so watch out. I won't do it again in this forum, but since that will be very different than the total of 2.5 days I spent in the CA parks recently - I will do a separate TR since that will be an 8 night trip staying in 2 different resorts, hitting all of the parks and some other activities. I'm looking forward to getting "home" to our "home away from home" - Animal Kingdom Villas. We'll also be staying in the Treehouses for the first time - so I'm really excited about that. We'll be taking my parents (flying in from Oregon) and my brother (flying in from Hawaii) who haven't been to WDW in more than 15 years each... so it will be VERY NEW to them, since so much has changed and been added since they were last there. It'll be like taking newbies! Plus we're trying some new restaurants as well as some old favorites - so we're pretty stoked about it all. My mom is excited to be able to get a new family portrait taken - so we're trying out the PhotoPass Portrait session there at AKV. I'll let you know how it turns out and if it's worth it or not.
Eeee-va
Happiest robot on Earth
Your photos were great and I really enjoyed your chatty/informational style! You got some great Small World pictures in particular, and I enjoyed hearing about the DVC buildings as I'm not very familiar with those at all.
I loved
I do feel like I have to defend the ORIGINAL Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough, though--when it originally opened, it actually looked quite a bit like the one they have today. (You can hear all about it on the latest Sleeping Beauty DVD.) Sometime later--I think the 1970s, maybe 1980s?--they replaced the old artistic dioramas with dolls like the old Main Street displays. As a kid I liked the dolls but I now realize they were artistically lacking. Then for this latest version, they looked at the original blueprints for the original version of the castle and rebuilt many of those elements, though they made some improvements and the experience is not identical. That's why the walkthrough has some Maleficent scenes that don't even take place in the movie itself (I THINK the original walkthrough came out well before the film).
It's really fascinating to hear how the effects were designed for such a small space. Lots of Pepper's ghosts!
Eeee-va said:
Thanks. Yeah, I loved that photo too. Had to stand there for a while and take several before I got that one that I really liked.
You make some good points, which I do concur with you on... but at the same time, this TR was originally crafted through a multitude of posts for the guys in the DIS Dad's Club - probably 95% of whom have never even been to DL! Some parts had lots of details and others didn't. So what I wrote was kind of in that vein - informational, but trying not to be too much so, while at the same time promoting numerous differences between Walt's original Magic Kingdom and the other one that the Imagineers designed after his death. Both wonderful places, similar yes, but very, very different too.
lisalawless1979
Shameless Disney Parks Lover
I'm headed to DLR this weekend and I loved seeing your photos. We're staying at the Grand Californian which is a first for me. I've been going to DLR since I was a kid, but still learned a few things. I'm so excited to hear the Enchanted Tiki room is still the original - I was very disappointed in the new version at MK.


A pool pump is an important tool used to maintain a swimming pool in your backyard. Because it plays a very crucial role in the maintenance of the pool, it is vital to install a pump of good quality. Remember, the less maintenance you are required to perform, the more fun and enjoyment of swimming you will have in the future. The consideration of a good pool pump repair service can help you a lot to make your swimming pool last longer.
During the pool Sun City Center Pool Repairs you should consider the manufacturers' guide. If you want to clean any part of the pump then you should use the brush and broom. Try to clean the cobwebs and the dirt around the vents of fans in the pump. If you think that bearings of the pump are getting very noisy then you should replace the bearing or repair them. Check the rubber seals of the pump and never lubricate the seals as they may catch dirt or debris.
Exactly what do I mean by this? Well, inside the pump between the "dry end" of the pump, the motor unit, and the "wet end" of the pump, there is a small ceramic seal. This seal is in continuous contact with the water in the spa, and it is therefore vulnerable to the state of the water.


Even though the cryptocurrency market is experiencing a sharp plunge, major lending platform, Nexo, has almost doubled its value and about to announce its first dividend payout, about 30 percent of net profits, by December 15.
Following the overnight boom between 2016 and 2017, crypto has been experiencing a rapid decline. Within the last three months (September to November) alone, leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, value has decreased by about 13 percent. In September 4, it traded at $7,379.42 and in November 4, traded at $6,395.62. This same downward trend is experienced by almost all altcoins too. However, in spite of the shake-ups in the cryptocurrency world, Nexo, a Switzerland based cryptocurrency lending platform where crypto-investors use their cryptocurrency worth as a collateral, has been increasing in value daily.
A subsidiary of Credissimo, a major European FinTech Group, serving millions of people across Europe for over 10 years, Nexo has almost doubled price in USD within the last 90 days. It traded at $0.051 in September 24 and $0.090 in November 24. If the BTC value of the token is analysed, it's almost tripled in the last 90 days period.
In October, the company added Ripple (XRP) to its collateral options along with BTC, ETH, NEXO and BNB tokens. The company announced the decision through its Twitter page @NexoFinance; "XRP-backed loans are now available on the Nexo platform, making us the first and only crypto lender to onboard #XRP as collateral." With the inclusion of Ripple as a collateral option, the team is expecting NEXO to attract hundreds of thousands of new traders in coming months.
The popularity of the platform, and the growth of NEXO token can be attributed to its vision of letting more people gain access to capital with less stress in countries that restricts cash movement like Turkey. In an official statement, the company said; "Servicing the Turkish lira along with 40+ currencies allows us to help millions of crypto fans in countries that restrict the movement of capital to structure their finances as they see fit. This is a prime use case for Nexo's instant loans and crypto in general".
The company is about to announce their plan to commence payout of first divided to its token holders by December 15. The dividend is expected to be 30 percent of the company's net profits. In an industry first, NEXO will share 30% of current profits with the holders of the asset-backed token.


text:
Malaysia – Kuala-Lumpur LRT3
SYSTRA won the contract to produce preliminary designs for the third LRT line in Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia. SYSTRA was selected for its expertise in developing solutions involving U-shaped viaducts.
This 37.7 km line, which comprises 26 stations, a 35 km viaduct and 2 km underground section, will run between the district of Bandar Utama and Johan Setia to the west of Kuala-Lumpur. Ten of the stations will be equipped with park and ride facilities for 6 000 cars.
This third LRT line should help increase the public transport share of the transport mix from 20% to 40% in accordance with the new transport master plan.
SYSTRA's Role:
As project manager, SYSTRA will produce preliminary designs. These will cover:
Civil engineering structures
U-shaped viaduct
Underground section
Maintenance and storage facility
All railway systems
Operating plans
All interfaces
SYSTRA will also act as consultant to the local contractors in charge of producing detailed designs.
Project Management, Design
Mass rapid transit
Detailed Design
Third light rail mass transit line (LRT)
Line length: 37.7 km (35 km of viaduct and 2 km underground)
N° of stations: 26 (25 on the viaduct section and 1 underground)
Ridership: 74 000 passengers per day
Key dates:
2016: Start of work on preliminary designs
2017: Start of preparatory work
31 August 2020: Commissioning
Eleanor Schonell Bridge
The Eleanor Schonell Bridge across the Brisbane River connects Dutton Park (...)
Adelaide South Road Superway
The South Road Superway project is the South Australian's most complex (...)
Casablanca LRT – Line 1
SYSTRA was awarded the contract to manage the entire project to build Line (...)
United Arab Emirates – Dubai Tram
SYSTRA was awarded the contract to project manage Dubai's LRT/tram line. (...)
Bordeaux LRT – Lines A, B & C
SYSTRA was appointed to project manage the first phase of construction of (...)
Washington D.C. – Modernization of Union Station
SYSTRA produced plans to redevelop and modernize the main concourse at (...)
EGIP Line - Edinburgh – Glasgow
SYSTRA has been appointed to carry out OLE (Overhead Line Electrification) (...)
Grand Paris metro – Line 15 south
The new Grand Paris metro network will provide outlying districts with (...)
Dubai MRT – Red and Green Lines
As the project manager in charge of building two MRT lines, SYSTRA worked (...)
New York City Transit – CBTC upgrade
SYSTRA is working on the programme to modernise the New York City Transit (...)
Crossrail -London
SYSTRA are part of the team with Bechtel and CH2M serving as Crossrail's (...)
Hanoi Metro Line 3
SYSTRA worked as General Consultant on Line 3 of the Hanoi metro.


The Marmotte (Marmot) jacquard dish towel from Coucke will brighten your kitchen and your day. This towel measures 20" x 30" and features a detailed illustration woven into the towel of a marmot wearing a beanie in front of a mountain cabin. Beautiful and soft, this towel will serve you well.


The Report of the Independent Review of Workplaces Practices commissioned by FENZ was publicly released today. The Review lead by Judge Coral Shaw has made 33 recommendations to "reshape" the organisation to adopt a zero tolerance approach to the issue of bullying and harassment.
The NZPFU has repeatedly and publicly condemned harmful workplace behaviour. We see workplace culture or incidents as a health and safety issue.
Our members put their health, safety and wellbeing on the line every time they respond. Professional firefighters and Communications Centre members are exposed to the community in their most desperate time of need. The dedication to serve the community at the detriment of personal health and wellbeing is an admiral attribute. But the sacrifices should not extend into the day-to day workplace or on station. The inherent nature of fire and rescue creates a dynamic and volatile workplace. We cannot eliminate those dangers but we can adopt zero tolerance of harmful workplace behaviour.
The safety and wellbeing of our members, regardless of position, rank or seniority is paramount. We have always, and will continue to advocate strongly on behalf of our members who individually or collectively face a workplace safety or wellbeing issue.
This Review is a line in the sand. It ventilates issues and experiences of those that participated.
The Review team acknowledge in the Report that the sample of employees interviewed were self-selected and it is not possible to state the extent to which these views reflect the experiences of all FENZ personnel. No instance of bullying or harassment is acceptable, but we note that of the 14,000 within the FENZ organisation, 1487 completed the survey and 60 were interviewed. The Report does not provide a breakdown of those participants so we do not know to what extent the comments and commentary specifically relate to our members.
76% who participated in the review had no direct experience of FENZ complaints processes and approximately half were not familiar with reporting processes.
of those that experienced bullying and harassment, 69% said the perpetrator was a colleague senior to the complainant.
Based on those two findings the workplace requires fair and just complaints processes; and robust management training.
As with most workplaces, there has been and continues to be an element of poor workplace behaviour. By their nature, workplace relationships are complex. FENZ is an amalgamation of professional, volunteer and rural fire agencies and staff which adds to the complexity. In the context of a newly constituted organisation populated by groups that have undergone, and continue to undergo, a period of uncertainty and significant change, it is not surprising that workplace behaviours are under the spotlight.
This Review has acknowledged the wealth of varying experiences within the organisation and recommended practical solutions to address negative behaviours and to provide a more respectful environment. The NZPFU will be drilling down on the findings of the Review, and as a Union we will discuss and determine any specific measures needed to provide our members with a safer workplace.
A copy of the full report will be available on the FENZ portal this morning.