August is a transition month in promotion offers for several hotel loyalty programs. Most of the hotel programs will end their primary summer travel promotion during the next four weeks.
Hyatt Gold Passport and Marriott Rewards already announced their next major promotions for September and beyond travel.
Ends August 15 – Choice Privileges 8,000 points after 2 stays.
Ends August 19 – Best Western free night after 3 stays.
Ends August 28 – Club Carlson 50,000 points for Park Plaza stay.
Ends August 31 – Hyatt 2,000/2,500 bonus miles per stay.
Ends August 31 – Marriott Rewards 2 stays = 1 free night certificate category 1-4 hotel.
Ends September 3 – Priority Club 1,000 bonus points per night.
Ends September 13 – Wyndham Rewards 4x points for stays 2 through 5.
Already over for you? – SPG Nice Choice ended July 31 for members who choose the first three months of the promotion period. Other members will see this offer end August 31. I registered for the July 1 to September 30 earning period.
These promotions and more are listed below with links to Loyalty Traveler posts on each offer.
Le Club Accorhotels – Accor Hotels offers a variety of global regional bonuses and rate discounts. The program tends to have regionalized rate and bonus points promotions.
**** Free Breakfast in August at Accor Hotels in USA and Canada for members redeeming Le Club Accor points voucher. Loyalty Traveler post August 2, 2012.
***** Earn a free night certificate after 3 stays – June 17 – August 19. Best Western MasterCard members earn 1,000 bonus points if used for payment on all three stays. Loyalty Traveler post June 11, 2012.
Best Western Rewards promotion registration is required prior to your stays.
Facebook Fans: Best Western runs weekly promotions on its Facebook page. Any Best Western frequent guest should check out Best Western Facebook.
May 17 – August 15, 2012. Choice's new offer is 2 stays for 8,000 points or a $50 gift card. Choice Privileges Summer Promotion registration link. There is no limit to the number of times this bonus can be earned. The value of this offer is dependent on where you can redeem points. Loyalty Traveler post May 24 on Choice Summer promotion.
This March 26, 2012 Loyalty Traveler post shows the value of 8,000 Choice privileges points in Pariscan be quite the hotel savings.
***** Club Carlson – Park Plaza Ultimate Night Giveaway 50,000 bonus points for one stay June 28 – August 28, 2012. This offer is open to the first 20,000 people to register. After 20,000 members register the bonus points drops to 15,000 points for one stay for additional registrants. This offer reached 20,000 registered members in early July. Registration link https://www.parkplazaultimatenightgiveaway.com/. Here is my Loyalty Traveler June 28 post on the Park Plaza promotion.
***** Club Carlson 50% off reward stays at select hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa August 1-September 30, 2012. Loyalty Traveler July 20 post.
**** Hilton HHonors – July 1 – September 30, 2012 – Triple Points for Friday-Sunday nights or Double Points for Monday to Thursday nights.
Triple your Trip promotion registration required prior to completing your first hotel stay. This offer applies to up to two rooms per stay paid by the member. There are about 500 hotels, nearly all in U.S. not participating in this promotion so check the exclusion properties carefully. Loyalty Traveler June 20 post on HHonors Triple your Trip.
**** Imagine the Possibilities September 1-November 30, 2012 – Earn 5,000 points after 5 nights and 10,000 points for every additional 5 nights, up to 65,000 bonus points. Hyatt Visa cardmembers receive 20% additional points. Registration starts August 15. Loyalty Traveler post August 3, 2012.
24,500 airline miles with 11 stays with choice of 11 airline partners.
500 miles is normal earning rate for first stay.
2,000 total miles (4x) for hotel stays 2 to 4.
2,500 total miles (5x) for hotel stays 5 to 11.
**** Hyatt 3rd Night Free Rate is a rate discount for bookings through November 30, 2012 for stays by December 30, 2012. Rate includes breakfast for two and 2pm late checkout. My Loyalty Traveler rate analysis March 21showed this is a good value and usually lower than AAA rates.
Gold Passport Diamond Challenge– Most beneficial perhaps is to tie this offer into a Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond Challenge for 12 nights in 60 days (normally 25 stays or 50 nights in calendar year). As Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond for 2012 you also will receive 4 confirmed suite upgrades. Start the Gold Passport Diamond Challenge first and then get the credit card once you have Diamond status to get confirmed suite upgrades for your credit card free nights. FlyerTalk discussion threadon Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond challenge.
*** IHG Priority Club 1,000 bonus points or 200 bonus miles per night May 14-Sep 3. Maximum 20,000 bonus points or 4,000 bonus miles after 20 nights. Loyalty Traveler post May 14.
Priority Club's primary summer 2012 promotion is 1,000 bonus points per night for stays June 1 – September 3, 2012with a maximum 20,000 bonus points after 20 nights.
In a return to something we have not seen for years aside from Club Carlson, Priority Club has a summer online booking bonus. Earn 250 bonus points for every online reservation made through Priority Club and IHG hotel brand websites and mobile sites.
**** IHG $75 Prepaid MasterCard for 2-night weekend stay Friday, Saturday or Sunday from May 14-Sep 3 worldwide. Offer available only to residents of 50US and DC. There is also a sweepstakes component allowing one entry per day. Loyalty Traveler post June 8, 2012.
**** IHG Priority Club 2012 Q-3 Stay promotions – Priority Club members may register for one of the quarterly stay promotions running July 1-September 30, 2012. You can only register for one offer, so pick the target you are most likely to reach. Priority Club Summer Stay promotion bonuses Loyalty Traveler post June 22, 2012.
Stay 3 nights = 5,000 bonus points.
Stay 7 nights = 10,000 bonus points.
Stay 15 nights = 15,000 bonus points.
***** IHG Priority Club PointBreaks hotel rewards to October 15, 2012. These hotel rewards are 5,000 points per night and one of the best deals available in any hotel loyalty program. Loyalty Traveler post July 30, 2012.
***** Marriott Rewards – Summer Bonus 2012: June 1 – August 31, 2012. Earn one free night certificate at a category 1-4 hotel every two stays; maximum 3 free nights. Free night certificate is valid for 12 months from issuance. Some members may have been targeted with a different bonus points offer. Loyalty Traveler post May 7, 2012.
***** Marriott Rewards – Fall MegaBonus 2012: Sep 15 – Jan 15, 2013. Earn one free night certificate at a category 1-4 hotel every two stays; maximum 3 free nights. Free night certificate is valid for 12 months from issuance. Some members may have been targeted with a different bonus points offer. Loyalty Traveler post August 3, 2012.
Note to Marriott Rewards members: You must have your Marriott Rewards account earning preference set to miles in order to see Marriott Rewards miles promotions. You will not see MegaBonus points promotions for your account when your account is set to earn miles.
Marriott MegaMiles 3x miles July 1 – October 31, 2012. Registration is required and earning preference must be set to miles to see offer and register.
Earn up to 6 miles per $1 spent at Marriott hotel brands. There are more than 30 participating airlines. My Loyalty Traveler June 18 postgives details on earn rates and a step-by-step on how to set your earning preference to miles to enable you to see this promotion offer in your account.
**** 30,000 bonus points with 4-night stay at Ritz-Carlton July 15-October 15. This offer is only available to new members or members who had Ritz-Carlton Rewards preference as of June 14, 2012. Loyalty traveler post June 29, 2012.
***** Buy Points 20% Discount July 20-August 31, 2012 at $28 per 1,000 points. Loyalty Traveler post July 26, 2012.
You choose the 3 month period you want and the offer you want from double points, triple points, free nights, discount rewards and more. The deadline to register for this offer was June 30, 2012.
Loyalty Traveler post – SPG Nice Choice May 1, 2012.
***** SPG now allows members to receive elite stay and night credit for up to 3 rooms per stay when they are reserved and paid by the SPG member. Loyalty Traveler June 19 post on earning SPG elite credit for multiple rooms.
***** July 17 – September 13 Wyndham Rewards Sweet Promotion: 4x Points or Miles earns 40 points per $1 for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th stays during promotion period for up to 3 rooms per stay. This promotion receives my highest value rating. This promotion earns a free night at most hotels in the in the Wyndham Rewards program for $400 or less in spend to earn 16,000 points. Loyalty Traveler post July 17.
Loyalty Traveler ranks the consumer value of some hotel loyalty promotions on a Five–Star Scale.
Five ***** = one of the best hotel loyalty promotions of the year.
Four ****= high value rebate on the cost of hotel stays.
Two **= a bonus value if you play, but not necessarily worth going out of your way.
One *= There is limited or no value. You are likely paying more than the bonus value.
Rate discounts and loyalty program bonuses are two types of hotel chain incentives to consider when booking travel.
Rankings are subjective and subject to change. Your specific travel pattern may result in some promotions ranking more favorably for you.
The opportunity for significantly high-value return on hotel spend in terms of future hotel rebate in free nights and discounted hotel nights.
Readers: Please leave a comment with any promotion links you think should be in the expanded hotel loyalty promotions guide for August 2012.
Hotel Brands: Sofitel, Pullman, M Gallery, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Adagio, All Seasons, Thalassa Spa.
Accor Hotels is globally the largest chain of hotel brands outside of the USA. Accor also has the largest proportion of hotels as non-participants in its loyalty program compared to all other major global hotel chains. Hotels in economy and budget hotel market segments do not participate in Accor's hotel loyalty programs.
Best Western Hotel Brand Tiers: Best Western, Best Western Plus, Best Western Premier.
Best Western Redeem Free Night Rewards Vouchers.
Best Western Special Rate Offers.
Best Western Hotel Specific Bonus Point Offers in U.S.
***** Elite Status Match: Best Western Rewards Elite Status Match Offer This offer is ongoing and still available. Best Western is a particularly useful loyalty program when traveling outside the USA. LT post Feb 19, 2010.
***** Earn a free night certificate after 3 stays. Best Western MasterCard members earn 1,000 bonus points if used for payment on all three stays.
Best Western Rewards promotion registration is requiredprior to your stays.
Best Western Brand Tiers Change – Best Western in 2011 designated about 25% of the chain's higher quality hotels in the 4,000+ hotel chain as Best Western Plus (about 800 hotels) and Best Western Premier (mostly outside USA).
Club Carlson online booking bonus – Club Carlson general members earn 1,000 bonus points for online booking. Silver and Gold elite members earn 2,000 bonus points for online booking. Concierge elite members earn 3,000 points. Club Carlson Benefits table link.
Club Carlson Gold Elite member exclusive 2-for-1 hotel weekend rates and 4-for-2 discount rates for Europe, Middle East and Africa. LT post January 27, 2012. These rates earn points.
Club Carlson for Businessoffers small to medium businesses a special program for hotel rate discounts and a Club Carlson business account for earning additional points from employee hotel stays. Employees also maintain their own personal accounts and earn points normally as a Club Carlson member.
Club Med resort credit for goldpoints. $100, $250 and $500 credit. (March 10, 2011).
Choice Hotels Brands: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban, EconoLodge, Rodeway Inn, Ascend Collection.
*** Choice Privileges – May 17 – Aug 15, 2012 – Earn 8,000 points after two stays – no earning limit. The promotion states earn one $50 gift card (50% off normal redemption rate 0f 16,000 points), but the offer is actually 8,000 bonus points which is sufficient for a free night at the two lowest tiers of hotels in the Choice chain. Top tier Choice brand hotels require 20,000 to 25,000 points for a free night. Loyalty Traveler post May 24 on Choice Summer promotion.
Choice Hotels Best Rate Guarantee policy offers one free night for approved claims. Loyalty Traveler analysis March 12, 2012.
Choice Privileges reward night cost analysis. Using a spreadsheet of 2010 reward cost, I calculated the percentage of hotels in various reward levels worldwide from 6,000 points to 40,000 points. This is the only breakdown of hotel reward tiers I have ever seen for Choice Hotels. Loyalty Traveler post May 1, 2011.
Drury Hotels are the #1 rated midscale limited service hotel brand by J.D. Power Guest Satisfaction Survey six consecutive years including 2010 and 2011. This hotel brand is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri and properties are primarily located in Midwest and South.
1,000 bonus points for enrollment in Drury Gold Key Club(ongoing).
E-Saver Discount ratesfor Drury Hotels.
Vacation and Hotel Discount Coupons for Drury Hotels in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbus, San Antonio and Atlanta. There are $10 and $15 per night discounts at select hotels on this page.
Expedia's loyalty program, Expedia Rewards, earns points for air, hotel and travel package bookings. This is a gamechanger for online travel agencies. Booking airfare through Expedia is a no brainer method for earning additional travel rebates since frequent flyer benefits are unaffected. Hotels are a different matter though since no hotel loyalty points with programs like SPG, Marriott, Hilton and most others are earned for Expedia bookings.
Expedia Rewards offers the ability to earn points when booking travel for other people like family members and friends. And Expedia vacation packages often allow a hotel night to be added for the same price as airfare alone; particularly when traveling to Las Vegas. Loyalty Traveler Analysis March 28, 2011.
Fairmont Hotels has fewer than 100 upper-upscale and luxury hotels globally, but in many locations the Fairmont is the top rated hotel.
Fairmont President's Club Benefits and Elite Levels.
Tip: Sign up for Fairmont President's Club to receive special monthly discount rates for Fairmont Hotels. These limited time sales can be significant rate savings.
Four Seasons are the leading luxury hotel brand. This hotel chain does not have a points-based loyalty program.
GHA Discovery is a hotel loyalty program alliance for 15 independent hotel brands including Omni Hotels, Pan Pacific, Kempinski Hotels, First Hotels, Anantara Resorts, Tivoli Hotels, The Doyle Collection, Marco Polo Hotels, Park Royal, The Leela Palaces, Shaza Hotels, Mokara Hotels & Spa, Mirvac Hotels, Tangram (Erbil, Iraq) and Lungarno Collection.
Accor Hotels just bought Mirvacin May 2012. This might impact GHA membership in the future?
Overview of GHA Discovery, elite membership benefits and local experiences, Loyalty Traveler post January 30, 2011.
10 Hilton HHonors Hotel Brands: Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Conrad, Waldorf-Astoria Collection, Hampton Inn, and Home2Suites.
HHonors American Express AXON 4-night Awards.
*** Home2 Suites May 15-August 15, 2012 – 2,000 Bonus Points for First Timers staying at Home2 Suites brand. Fayetteville, NC and Jacksonville, FL are not participating leaving only 6 hotels for this promo in May 2012. Four other Home2Suites are scheduled to open before end of promotion. HHonors Home2 Suites registration page link.
**** Embassy Suites 366 Days of More Sweepstakes – Each day through February 28, 2013 one person wins two free night certificates. Loyalty Traveler post March 24, 2012.
Hilton Worldwide by Numbersprovides data on the number of hotels in each Hilton brand and geographic distribution. LT post April 6, 2012.
Program Change: HHonors Diamond elite enhancement guarantees breakfast, room upgrade, executive lounge access and welcome amenity points. LT post Jan 26, 2012.
Redeem: HHonors Points & Money Rewards Analysis – Loyalty Traveler post October 3. This post shows the HHonors Points & Money rate table that was removed from HHonors website within a few hours after publishing this Loyalty Traveler post. Recently there have been Points & Money anomalies in the copay amounts for Conrad Bali and Hong Kong (Loyalty Traveler May 22, 2012).
Redeem: HHonors Premium Rewards Analysis – Do HHonors Premium Room Rewards Prevent GLON/AXON Rewards at some Hilton Hotels? – Loyalty Traveler post October 13. This October 10 post also looks at using HHonors flexible dates tool to find low Hilton rates and Premium Room Rewards. Loyalty Traveler Research October 10.
HHonors Representative responds to Hotels only offering Premium Room Rewards issue. LT post October 14.
HHonors Redemption tip: A unique feature of HHonors is the ability to buy all needed points for a reward stay at time of booking hotel reward through Hilton reservations. This bypasses the annual limit on purchased HHonors points. Update:I am not sure this still works. The T&C of Hilton HHonors appears to have changed since I initially reported this loophole.
***** Elite Status Promotion: Hilton HHonors Gold elite fast-track for Carlson Wagonlit Travel customers. Earn HHonors Gold elite after four stays within 90 days of promotion registration. This offer has an end date of 12/31/2013 so might be best to wait until January 2012 to register for Gold elite through 2013. Loyalty Traveler post Sep 6, 2011.
***** Elite Status Promotion: HHonors Gold VIP elite after 4 stays or 9 nights in 90 days at U.S. hotels with Hilton HHonors MVP. Promotion registration required.
Redeem: FlyerTalk sticky thread on all different types of HHonors rewards.
Earn a free night for every 10 nights in Welcome Rewards.
Hyatt Gold Passport Membership Levels and Benefits.
Hyatt Gold Passport Airline Partners and Earn Miles.
Hyatt Gold Passport Purchase and Transfer Points.
Hyatt Gold Passport Reward Nights and Hotel Reward Category Lists.
Hyatt Gold Passport Paid Night Upgrades for points.
**** Earn Hyatt Gold Passport for dining and spa services as a non-guest at participating Hyatt Hotels. Loyalty Traveler post April 4, 2012.
Gold Passport Enhancement – Diamond members receive 50% bonus on Welcome Amenity pointsif points do not automatically post after stay. Loyalty Traveler post November 5, 2011.
Program Update: Hyatt House new brand to replace Summerfield Suites. LT post Sep 20, 2011.
Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond elite member enhancements and 43 hotel reward reassignments (25 hotels went up in reward cost, 18 went down) effective September 1, 2011. LT post July 28, 2011.
Hyatt adds annual anniversary free night benefit for Hyatt VISA card renewal members valid for one night in category 1 to category 4 reward hotel. LT post August 5, 2011.
Hotel Brands: InterContinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Hotel Indigo.
Priority Club Membership Levels and Benefits.
Priority Club PointBreaks for only 5,000 points per night.
Priority Club August Sweepstakes – 60 daily winners for 25,000 points. Enter on Twitter or Facebook. Loyalty Traveler post August 4, 2012.
***** Europe Rate Discount through August 31, 2012 offer high discounts, but these rates do not earn Priority Club points. LT post January 27, 2012.
Use the 35% off link to go to UK site for IHG discount rates. This site allows search of hotels in Europe for 2 nights for price of 1 rates and 3 nights for price of 2.
IHG Friend & Family Hotel Rates (Steve Sickel). Steve Sickel is senior Vice President Relationship Marketing for InterContinental Hotels Group. During the hotel recession of 2009 he offered this link to FlyerTalk members for booking discount friends and family rates. This link is still active. And we are all friends of Steve's. Here is a FlyerTalk threaddiscussing this rate deal. The link in Steve Sickel's name leads to the offer page for a voucher to complete. Some guests mention the hotel wants the completed voucher at check-in. These rates do not qualify for points or stay credit. One of the best features of this offer is the ability to book high category rooms at steep discount.
IHG First Night Free Best Rate Guarantee new policy. LT post Sep 22, 2011.
IHG Priority Club Last Minute Reward Nights are posted on Tuesday, the week before the first full weekend of the calendar month. Hotels are only posted for three days and must be booked by Thursday prior to the Friday through Sunday first full weekend of the month. LT post February 28, 2012.
InterContinental Ambassador Accelerator – 20,000 points after 15 nights at InterContinental Hotels. Registration required.
How to Earn free nightsat Kimpton.
Inner Circle elite qualification and benefits.
***** Kimpton Hotels Beat the Heat discount rates through September 3, 2012 for D.C. area hotels: Pay standard rate for first night and up to 3 additional nights are $1 less than high temperature of the day with a $99 cap. Loyalty Traveler post July 27, 2012.
La Quinta Inn is owned by Blackstone Group, the owner of Hilton Worldwide.
***** La Quinta Gold Elite after 2 nights within 60 days for new members. Offer valid through December 31, 2012. Loyalty Traveler post April 2, 2012.
**** Using La Quinta points for Waldorf-Astoria luxury hotel stays – Loyalty Traveler analysis March 19, 2012.
Hotel chain and hotel loyalty program overview by Loyalty Traveler April 12, 2011.
La Quinta Returns elite qualification and benefits.
La Quinta Returns free night rewards.
La Quinta Returns Purchase Points.
La Quinta Hotels Special Deals.
American Express Membership Rewards redeem for LHW rewards.
Hotel Brands: Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton, Residence Inn, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites, SpringHill Suites, Edition, Autograph Collection, Marriott Vacation Club, AC Hotels.
Marriott Rewards elite levels and benefits.
Redeem Marriott Rewards points and Hotel Reward categories.
Marriott Rewards airline partners and earn rate for miles.
Marriott Rewards 7 Hotel Nights + Airline Miles Travel packages.
Marriott MegaMiles 3x miles July 1 – October 31, 2012.Registration is required and earning preference must be set to miles to see offer and register.
Note to Marriott Rewards members: You must have your Marriott Rewards account earning preference set to miles in order to see Marriott Rewards miles promotions.
Marriott Platinum Elite fast-track challenge. Loyalty Traveler post March 15, 2012describes the terms for a Marriott elite challenge.
AC Hotels is Marriott's newest hotel brand. AC Hotels are a Madrid-based hotel chain now partnered with Marriott and brings 90 new upscale hotels in Spain, Italy and Portugal into the Marriott Rewards system. This brand is projected to expand in Europe and Latin America. Loyalty Traveler post March 27, 2011. AC Hotels earn Marriott Rewards points as of November 8, 2011.
Marriott Rewards PointSavers – PointSavers reduce the points cost of a free night by one hotel category. For example, category 5 hotel requires only 20,000 points per night priced at category 4 rate. 5thnight free rewards rate also applies to PointSavers rate.
Marriott Points Redemption Strategy using $1,000 in Marriott Cheques. This post explains how Marriott elite members may buy $1,000 Marriott Cheques for 135,000 points. You can then pay for hotel stays and earn points and elite credit on paid stays you actually purchased indirectly with points. Loyalty Traveler post Jan 27, 2011.
***** Marriott Rewards Elite Rollover Nights extended for 2012. This is the fourth year Marriott Rewards offers elite rollover nights for elite qualifying nights over your earned elite membership. For example: Silver elite requires 10 nights in calendar year and Gold elite takes 50 nights. Stay 25 nights in 2012 and the 15 nights above Silver elite rollover to 2013 membership year. You will have earned Silver elite for 2013 from your 15 extra nights in 2012 rolled over to 2013. This applies to Marriott credit card nights too. Rollover nights from 2011 to 2012 are deducted from 2012 end-of-year total nights to determine rollover nights for 2013. Confused? Don't worry. This is a great benefit for elite members. Loyalty Traveler LT post Jan 6, 2012.
Program Change: All Marriott Rewards members receive complimentary internet at Asia-Pacific region hotels. Loyalty Traveler post May 2, 2011.
Member benefitsinclude complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, shoe shine and morning beverage delivery.
Earn a free night after every 10 nights. Omni Hotels eliminated airline miles earning with 15 airlines effective April 30, 2012.
Hotel brands: Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Preferred Boutique, Summit Hotels & Resorts, Sterling Hotels, Sterling Design.
I Prefer benefits include complimentary internet, room upgrades and early check-in, late checkout.
Preferred Offers I Prefer and Preferred Hotels Group special offers page.
NOTE: Members of Choice Privileges and Red Lion R&R Club can use points in those programs for free nights at participating hotels within Preferred Hotels Group.
Red Lion R&R Club membership benefits.
Red Lion R&R Club elite levels.
Red Lion R&R Club earn points or miles.
Red Lion R&R Club rewards.
Red Lion R&R Club loyalty program changes in September 2011. LT Post October 21.
Redeem points for Preferred Hotel Group stays.
RediCard earn and redeem for free night or Delta miles.
Ritz-Carlton Rewards earn points or miles.
Ritz-Carlton reward nightsand hotel tier lists.
Ritz-Carlton Rewards elite member benefits.
Starwood Hotels brands: Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, Le Meridien, Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Four Points, Element, Aloft.
You choose the 3 month period you want and the offer you want from double points, triple points, free nights, discount rewards and more.
*** SPG Restaurants and Bars – a new feature offers 10% to 20% discounts for dining and drinking at participating Starwood Hotel restaurants and bars. Loyalty Traveler post April 3, 2012.
· Hotel Stay Welcome Gift – Choose from Starpoints (up to 250 points/stay) or free internet or free beverage.
· Hotel Stay Welcome Gift – Choose from Continental Breakfast for entire stay or Starpoints (up to 500/stay) or local gift.
· 50+ nights Platinum members only – 10 Suite Night Awards. This is in addition to the existing and continuing policy of complimentary upgrades upon arrival for SPG Platinum elites that has been a long time competitive edge of Starwood preferred Guest.
· 75+ nights Platinum members only – Earn 4 points per dollar on hotel spend. Lower tier Platinum members earn 3 points/$1 on hotel spend.
· 75+ nights Platinum members only – Your24 check-in at any hour and maintain room for 24 hours. Check in at 9pm and the room is yours until 9pm 24 hours later.
· 100+ nights Platinum members only – Personal Starwood Hotels Ambassador to help travel planning.
**** Pay Your Birth Year Rate – This promotion has been extended through 2012. Rates can be an incredible 5-key savings or no savings depending on the hotel and your birthyear. LT post Jan 30, 2012.
**** Starwood Hotels Discount Rates for hotel stays 2 to 6 nights.
**** Starwood Resorts Discount Rates for hotel stays 2 to 6 nights.
These Starwood extended stay discount rates for 2 to 6 nights have been around for several years, but are not well advertised on Starwood site. Third Night Free tends to be the best discount rate. Important to check other rates (AAA, Senior, Special Offers) as these discounts are generally based on the Best Available Rate (BAR) and may not be the lowest overall rate for some hotels. Loyalty Traveler rate analysis Sep 21, 2011 – Better Know a Rate Z3H and Z3R and other extended stay promo codes.
BeattheTimer.com for discount Starwood rates in Europe, Middle East and Africa (Starwood EMEA Discounts at BeattheTimer.com).
Starpicks discount rates for following three to six weeks post each Tuesday. Prepaid, nonrefundable and no changes. Must book by Friday each week.
Website Change – Starwood Hotels webpages now include Guest Reviews. Loyalty Traveler Oct 22 post shows how to post a hotel review from your Starwood Hotel stay.
New SPG Member Benefit – Award Stays Earn SPG Elite Qualification Credit as of October 1, 2011. Loyalty Traveler analysis Sep 29, 2011.
Starwood Preferred Guest Hotel Category reward assignment changesfor 2012 took effect on March 1, 2012. 183 hotels went up and 138 went down. My LT post "Analysis of SPG Hotel Category Changes March 1, 2012" (Feb 21, 2012) has a list ordered by city, state and country for changes.
Stash Rewards is a two year old loyalty program for over 100 independent upscale hotels in the U.S. Loyalty Traveler post Jan 19, 2011.Hotel partners of Stash Rewards in Monterey and Washington D.C. are great choices for hotel travelers seeking independent hotels with loyalty benefits. Stash Rewards offers points for many high quality independent hotels that previously had no loyalty program affiliation.
Swissôtel Circle is the newly relaunched loyalty program for Swissotel Hotels and Resorts as of August 15, 2011. The Swissotel Circle loyalty program includes 30 Swissotel Hotels, Fairmont Hotels and Raffles. This Sep 9, 2011 Loyalty Traveler postis an overview of the hotel loyalty program, elite levels and benefits.
Loyalty Traveler profile of Voila Hotels programinternational loyalty program for 250 independent hotels.
Wyndham Brands: Wyndham, Wingate, Hawthorn Suites, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge, Baymont Suites, Microtel, Knights Inn, Tryp, Dream, Night.
Hotel Points Buy, Gift and Transfer Rules for major hotel loyalty programs. Loyalty Traveler post December 5, 2011.
It's a nice post and I will avail that one of the September promotion. I enjoyed the stay and it's discounted.
Come visit EUREKA SPRINGS AR. Eureka Springs is a unique Victorian resort village. The city has steep winding streets filled with Victorian-style cottages and manors. The old commercial section of the city has an alpine character, with an extensive streetscape of well-preserved Victorian buildings. The buildings are primarily constructed of local stone and lie along streets that curve around the hills and rise and fall with the topography in a five-mile long loop. Some buildings have street-level entrances on more than one floor. Eureka Springs has been selected as one of America's Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Eureka Springs has historically been called The Little Switzerland of America and The Stairstep Town because of its mountainous terrain and the winding, up-and-down paths of its streets and walkways. The streets wind around the town, and no two intersect; there are no traffic lights.


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Photo of Obese Mountain Lion Prompts Complaint Against Roswell Roadside Zoo
PETA Calls on Feds to Evaluate the Health, Diet, and Opportunities for Exercise of Animals Held in Concrete Pits
David Perle 202-483-7382
Roswell, N.M. – Today, PETA sent a complaint requesting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture investigate Spring River Park & Zoo, which is operated by the city of Roswell and recently posted a photo to Facebook of what appears to be an obese mountain lion held in a small concrete pit.
In the letter, PETA notes that obesity in captive animals is typically an indication of poor diet and a lack of opportunity to exercise and that the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) requires that captive animals be given healthy, species-appropriate food as well as adequate space in which to engage in species-specific behavior. The tiny pit, made of concrete—which can cause pressure sores and arthritis, among other debilitating health conditions—likely prevents both mountain lions at the roadside zoo from engaging in sufficient exercise, another potential violation of the AWA.
"At bare minimum, mountain lions need space to roam and climb and food to eat that keeps them healthy," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet. "PETA is calling for an inspection of veterinary records, food quality, and the concrete pits at Spring River Park & Zoo and wants authorities to intervene in these animals' behalf."
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to use for entertainment"—points out that the mountain lions and bears, who are also displayed on concrete at the facility, have repeatedly been observed engaging in repetitive pacing behavior, an indication of severe mental distress and inadequate space.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today introduced bipartisan legislation to crack down on fraud targeted at seniors. Schemes targeting seniors include fraudulent investment plans, prizes, and sweepstakes, internet fraud, charity scams, predatory home lenders, telemarketing and mail fraud, accessing assets through undue influence, using fraudulent legal documents, and Ponzi schemes. The bipartisan Seniors Fraud Prevention Act would help fight scams designed to strip seniors of their assets by helping educate seniors about fraud schemes and improving monitoring and response to fraud complaints.
The bill would help protect seniors from fraud schemes by strengthening the complaint system to ensure complaints of fraud are handled quickly by the appropriate law enforcement agencies. The bill would also require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency responsible for handling consumer complaints, to coordinate with other agencies to monitor the market for fraud schemes targeting seniors. In addition, the bill would require the FTC to distribute information materials to seniors, their families, and their caregivers that explain how to recognize fraud schemes and how to contact law enforcement authorities in the event that a senior is targeted. Klobuchar and Collins have introduced this bill in the two previous Congresses. In 2016, the legislation passed the Senate Commerce Committee without opposition.


Businesses used to run on hunches.
A car dealer put red cars out front to attract buyers, because it seemed to make sense. A magazine (remember those?) covered topics the editor found interesting. A breakfast cereal would be named after an exec's pet turtle.
Times have changed. Companies have learned to examine those hunches. Customer surveys, focus groups, and beta testing have become essential, creating volumes of data about the marketplace.
But raw information isn't enough. Business leaders look for the story within the numbers. They want insights, supported by the data, that will help their company get out in front of their competition.
Now we know that a church is much more than a business, but we do see a connection. Ministry success looks different from business success, but it still requires leaders to come up with practical solutions to a host of challenges. Like a business, the church deals with people. And effective ministry is built on a deep understanding of those people.
We believe church leaders like you need ministry insights, supported by data, that lead to practical solutions that you can use in your church and community.
American Bible Society has been studying the millions upon millions of people in the U.S. who are open to the Bible (we call them "curious"). They have questions—and we've been tracking their Bible searches. They have problems—and we've held focus groups to listen to them. They have particular tastes in media and format and subject matter, and we've been paying attention.
These people are in your neighborhood, even in your church. Amazingly, technology enables us to generate geographically specific reports. We're not just reporting on trends in America; we can tell you about the people in your city, perhaps even in your community. And we're tapping experts to sort through the data for ministry insights.
But that's where we need your help.
You know your community in ways we can't. You know your ministry. You know what's been tried before. You have, as they say, "boots on the ground." So we'd like to work with you in discovering those ministry insights that will drive us all toward practical solutions to the many needs we face.


text:
Ру́данцы () — село в Новоярычевской поселковой общине Львовского района Львовской области Украины.

Население по переписи 2001 года составляло 614 человек. Занимает площадь 1,2 км². Почтовый индекс — 80464. Телефонный код — 3254.

См. также
 Руданцы на сайте Верховной рады Украины

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A member of the beech family, Quercus Suber or the cork oak tree grows in coastal regions of the Mediterranean. Seven countries comprise the bulk of the area where cork oak will grow. These countries are Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia with the majority of the production occurring in Portugal and Spain. Relatively slow growing, cork trees survive harsh conditions in depleted soil that will often support little else of value. There are examples of cork oak trees that are 400 to 500 years old, though the average life expectancy would be 120 to 200 years.
Unlike most trees where primary value is derived from the lumber of the trunk, Natural Cork is actually obtained from the bark of the tree. This unusually thick bark is made up of millions of tiny prism-shaped air pockets which create a resilient cushiony surface that offers several distinct advantages to the tree. Natural Cork is a natural fire inhibitor so the bark provides protection from wildfires common to the region. An inherent waxy substance, suberin, serves as an insect repellant eliminating threat from many usual agricultural pests. And the bark is regenerative, so its protective properties will grow back if damaged in any way.
Natural Cork has a long and distinguished history as an agricultural product. In ancient times, cork bark was used to form sandal soles, food storage vessels, and floats for fishing nets. There are mentions of cork and its uses in many ancient documents and literature surviving from as far back as 400 BC.
Seventeenth century French monk, Dom Perignon, is credited with being the first to recognize the ability of cork to contain sparkling wines. This discovery is responsible for establishing development of cork bottle-stopper production into the important industry it is today. Over time, cork became more and more important as a cash crop resulting in governmental regulation offering protection and placing restriction on ownership, production, and harvesting.
Rulers in Portugal were quick to recognize the economic value of cork and took early steps to secure its benefit for themselves. By the 14th century, ownership, growth, harvest, and sale of cork was closely regulated, even to the point of dictating how windfall branches could be disposed of. Many of these restrictions are still in place and can surely be credited with the strength of Portuguese cork production in the world economy. Portugal is the leader in corkwood farming at more than 50% of production and is responsible for many of the internationally adopted protective measures governing the growth and manufacture of Natural Cork. In Algeria and Tunisia, cork trees were not offered similar protection which resulted in almost complete deforestation by the turn of the last century. An effort to replant the region has experienced some success.
Grown on farms and harvested every 9 to 11 years, the financial benefit lies not in felling these trees but in keeping them alive and in production for generations.
Regulations necessitate that a cork tree may not be harvested until it is 20 to 25 years old. The material from this first harvest is known as "virgin" cork. Virgin bark is less desirable as it is tough and irregularly formed. The next harvest results in product that is called "secondary cork" which, though of better quality than virgin bark, is still not ideal. After extracting these first two layers of cork, subsequent harvests produce "amadia". With the harvest of amadia, a cork oak tree has reached its optimum production value. At maturity a typical tree can produce upwards of 450 pounds of cork per harvest. This takes right around 50 years to achieve. Starting a cork tree farm is an investment in future generations.
Often cork farms are combined with other forms of agriculture such as raising pigs or growing another crop in and among the trees. These combinations work well for local farmers to balance the protracted production cycle of cork farming.
Natural Cork is still harvested by hand in the traditional method leaving the habitat intact and with minimal impact on the overall environment. Removal of the bark, known as "stripping", must be done during the active growing season, June through August. Using hand tools, a series of cuts are made in the bark, one at ground level, one just below the first branches, and two vertical cuts joining these. The loosened bark is then pried off in two large sheets where possible and smaller bits if not. Sheets of cork are stacked and left for days to dry in the sun, before being sent to factory.
The ability to use cork in flooring applications was not discovered until the 19th century when American, John Smith, discovered agglomerated cork. Today, cork flooring is created from the post-industrial by-product of the bottle-stopper industry. This 'waste' material is ground up and then formed into sheets using minimal amounts of adhesive to bind the particles together under high pressure. The size, quantity, and type of cork granule in conjunction with varying degrees of pressure make the difference between "bulletin board" material and material suitable for flooring applications.
Historically, cork floors were finished in the same manner as any other wood flooring, i.e. with a paste wax buffed into the surface. However, the labor-intensive nature of this maintenance routine was seen as a real drawback when rolled sheet vinyl and similar 'modern' resilient surface options came on the market in the mid 20th century. Cork flooring fell out of favor and for perhaps 30 years was not readily available to the general public.
New finishing techniques and improved technologies have revived interest in cork over the past decade. Though still a small fraction of the overall floor coverings market, Natural Cork is enjoying a resurgeance in popularity driven in large part by consumer demand. What does cork have to offer that sets it apart from other flooring choices? Quite a bit it turns out. In fact, no other floor covering can match the combined benefits of cork.
NATURAL CORK PARQUET TILE - Glue-down tile, often referred to as parquet, is generally available in a range of patterns and colors, finished or unfinished, 12" x 12" or 12" x 24" are standard. It is possible to special order in other sizes up to 36" x 36" which is the limit of the production machinery. Tile can be installed over wood or concrete substrates that meet the qualifications for sheet vinyl applications. The preferred method of adhesion is water based contact cement, however other adhesives are used. It is not recommended to install tile in below grade situations.
Natural Cork plank products are milled with a specially shaped "click" together tongue & groove center core. This sophisticated and highly accurate milled shape ensures a very tight connection during installation and beyond. Click technology is a glueless installation resulting in less mess, less fuss and less time on the job. What's more, floors that are clicked into place and also be unclicked for easy repair.
UNDERLAYMENT - Cork underlayment is used specifically for its ability to provide acoustic insulation. Available in both rolls and sheets, underlayment is used beneath other surface flooring to decrease noise transmission and impact sound. With ceramic tile, cork underlayment can also reduce stress-related cracking.
DENSITY - Product density is determined by the size of the cork granules used. Larger granules have fewer voids to be filled by binding agents and therefore produce a higher density cork. Large cork granules, with high density, are used as the top layer of all Natural Cork floating floors and parquet tiles to ensure the durablity of the floor. Lower density cork is only used on the bottom layer of the floating floor plank for added thermal, acoustical, and mold resistance properties.
FINISH - Natural Cork can be purchased unfinished but, unlike some wood, it must be finished upon installation. Though some people continue to prefer paste wax, the most common finish today is polyurethane. There are suppliers who offer cork with a vinyl coating that is low maintenance but cannot be refinished or easily repaired. The latest development in finishes is "anti-scratch", a more durable coating. Cleaning and maintenance products are available from USFloors.
THICKNESS - The thickness of the Natural Cork wear layer has less to do with durability than will density. However, it will be a source of improved insulation both acoustic and thermal. A good standard thickness is 4 mm for parquet tiles, while a 3 mm top layer and 2-3 mm bottom layer is good for floating floors with an HDF core.
With Natural Cork, lasting beauty can be achieved through purchasing a top quality material and providing proper on-going maintenance.
Providing proper maintenance begins with remembering two key properties of cork, its ability to fade with exposure to light and the fact that it will react to heat and humidity.
Natural Cork contains organic pigments. Just like other wood products, Natural Cork will fade over time and should never be exposed directly to sunlight. Use drapes or other systems to protect your floor from excessive light will slow down this process. Cork will naturally yellow or mellow with age. Uneven exposure to light sources will cause uneven ageing so it is a good idea to rotate furnishings periodically.
All wood floor systems expand and contract in response to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. By controlling the environment, maintaining a moderate temperature and relative humidity around 50%, one can minimize the visible effects of the normal contraction and expansion of your floor. It is important to sweep or vacuum the floor regularly in order to avoid build up of abrasive particles that can scratch the finish. Most cleaners specified for use on pre-finished hardwood will also work with Natural Cork, but be sure to read packaging for correct information. These cleaners should be sprayed or misted over the surface and damp-mopped up as you go. It is not a good idea to use the old "bucket and mop" cleaning method on a Natural Cork floor. Spills should be wiped up immediately.
In the kitchen, use a non-rubber backed rug in front of working areas such as in front of the stove and sink to prevent local premature wear. Weight distribution is a key factor in preventing indentation. To minimize impressions in the resilient cork, furniture should have proper protectors under feet and furniture with casters should have wide casters. Protective mats are a good idea under office chairs.
Most Natural Cork decorative patterns are made of thin veneer laminated to a cork base. Failure to maintain the finish could result in irreparable damage to this pattern layer. The longevity of the finish can be directly related to traffic intensity and quality of floor care. When a Natural Cork floor starts to show a traffic pattern and signs of wear, it is time to renew the finish.
URETHANE - For Natural Cork floors finished with an acrylic finish, a new coat of polyurethane will make the floor look new again and prolong its lifespan. The entire floor will need to be gently abraded and thoroughly cleaned before applying one or two coats of high quality water based polyurethane. The finish will then need to cure for a minimum of 48 hours prior to replacing furniture or receiving heavy traffic. Greatest success will be achieved through hiring a qualified flooring professional for this process. Under normal use in a residential environment, a urethane finish should last between 8 - 10 years between refinishing.
It is possible to stain or paint your Natural Cork floor at the same time you reapply a polyurethane finish provided you are able to buff through all layers of finish and get down to the raw cork without sanding through any applied veneer. Raw or unfinished cork will accept stain and paint formulated for use on other wood products. A roller application will offer the best chance of complete and even coverage. Lap marks are likely to show up so careful attention to detail is important.
COMMERCIAL - For commercial applications, anti-scratch water based finishes perform well and are easier to maintain and resurface than traditional acrylic coatings.
WAX - When necessary, wax finished floors will need to be stripped and have a new coat of paste wax buffed into the surface. Not all paste wax is appropriate, so be certain that use on Natural Cork is specified on the product label. In most cases this will be necessary every 18 months to two years. Polyurethane cannot be applied to a previously waxed Natural Cork floor as wax penetrates deeply into the material and will not allow urethane to adhere properly ultimately causing the finish to delaminate.
Natural Cork that has been finished with curable oil or hardwax oil will be cared for through spot application of maintenance products to traffic areas only. Provided the finish is properly maintained, it will not be necessary to strip and refinish an oiled cork floor.
Natural Cork has an amazing number of uses in the arena of home decoration.
Natural Cork wall tile is available in a variety of interesting patterns and colors that will lend an air of distinction to any room. Natural Cork tile is glued onto a prepared (clean, smooth, dry, primed) wall using contact cement. This product is protected with a wax film that repels dust and stains, but will allow tacks to be used. In addition, rolled sheet cork can be painted or stained and used to cover walls.
Wallpaper is another use for cork veneer. Several major wall covering companies, including York Wallcoverings, carry a variety of wallpaper featuring an astonishing range of colors, patterns, and composite blends to include such materials as straw and seagrass. These exotic room finishes can evoke a look similar to everything from lizard skin to metallic streaked marble. Cork wallpaper is installed and maintained in the same way as other non-vinyl coated wallpapers.
An unusual use of cork is in the realm of upholstery material. Kravet Design carries a line consisting of over 21 colors and patterns of cotton/poly backed upholstery fabrics. These materials are suitable for use on soft furnishings, pillows, as drapes and other window coverings, as well as decorative accessories. A factory applied finish similar to Scotch Guard offers protection from stains as well as water resistance. Maintenance consists of vacuuming and wiping down with a damp cloth as needed.


Welcome to February and to My Five Favorites, the monthly series I co-host along with friends Kris of Driven By Decor, Pam of Simple Details and Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles.
This month we're thrilled to have Ann from On Sutton Place guest hosting with us! Ann blogs about all things home – decor, gardening, food, sewing, crafts!! When I recently had the flu I was poking around Pinterest and came across this post on zhushing up your front door. I ended up spending eons over On Sutton Place; there are so many great take-aways from Ann's pretty abode to implement in your own home!
Now I'm already daydreaming about what to do with my front steps this spring – isn't this beautiful? I love Ann's planters and how inviting this space is. Be sure to pop over and pay Ann a visit, you'll be so glad you did!
Today, the five of us are all dishing on ways to make Valentines special!
When my kids were little we did tons and tons of crafts and baking and Valentine-making, and that was what Valentines was all about. Mark and I are not into going out to dinner or buying gifts for each other for this occasion and I really don't want Mark to buy a $7 card for me, but we typically do have a nice dinner together at home and really I think the holiday is just a good excuse for everyone to be a little sweeter, a little kinder, a little less argumentative than usual 🙂 One of my missions as a mother is to teach my kids that love is an action word – so even though these ideas are all lighthearted, I hope the act of doing them impresses upon my kids that small efforts and thoughtful gestures make a difference to others.
Here are a few simple ideas of ways you can delight those you love on February 14, or any day of the year!
YES. Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls. Twenty minutes and your kids are voting you Mom Of The Year. Just like that. Make sure you add the sprinkles!!
PS!***Don't forget the Valentines napkins from your grocery store!!!*** THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, otherwise you will fail Valentines Day. NAPKINS.
Trader Joe's chocolate croissants or monkey bread would make mighty fine Valentines breakfasts or after school snacks as well, or if you're an overachiever, make the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls that everyone raves about!
Other extremely fancy hors d'oeuvres perfect for Valentines, right here.
Share some love with your friends, mom, or a special teacher. Everyone needs a little extra kindness sometimes!
A dozen long stemmed roses are nice, but honestly a $5 bouquet from Trader Joes is just fine with me! These are perfect to give a little love to one of the beautiful ladies in your life, or to yourself!
Wishing you an entire February of feeling (& giving) the love!
A few other posts from the My Five Favorites series you may enjoy!
You are too funny… checking my Valentine napkin stash right now!! 🙂 And, why have I never thought to put sprinkles on cinnamon rolls? Such fun ideas, Lisa!
We're super fancy over here with the sprinkles Jennifer. They elevate everything to a whole new level!
What a combo…cinnamon, honey and butter! I am definitely trying that one. Thank you so much for letting me join your Five Favorites party. I have loved it…Happy Valentine's Day!
Can you believe we never make milk shakes ~ my boys would be all over it! Definitely on the list this year, with sprinkles of course! 🙂 Isn't it amazing how flowers just take it up a notch,, and I so agree with not needing pricey roses, my tulips were from the King Soopers clearance spot, haha!
My boys used to make milk shakes all the time when they were trying to gain weight. Tough problem to have 🙂 Clearance flowers are my absolute favorite!!
Valentine napkins and sprinkles have been added to my grocery list! I'm no overachiever in the kitchen, so Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are on the list too (unless Pioneer Woman decides to send me a fresh batch of her rolls). 🙂 Love your entire list of ideas!
Carol, I keep hearing rave reviews about those Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls but never find the time to make them. One of these days!


noun, plural pro·tha·la·mi·a [proh-thuh-ley-mee-uh] /ˌproʊ θəˈleɪ mi ə/.
Among the minor poems of Spenser the most delightful were his Prothalamion and Epithalamion.
It is a bridal ode (Prothalamion), to celebrate the marriage of two daughters of the Earl of Worcester, written late in 1596.
The Prothalamion contains a final record of his disappointments in England.
"song sung before a wedding," 1590s, coined as a poem title by Edmund Spenser (based on epithalamion) from Greek pro- "before" (see pro-) + thalamos "bridal chamber" (see thalamus). Sometimes Latinized as prothalamium.


Press release content should follow an "inverted pyramid" structure. Put most important information in the first paragraph, with successively less important content in following paragraphs; and keep paragraphs short. This allows end users to quickly cut the piece down to size by slicing paragraphs off from the bottom.
Try to include sound-bite worthy quotes that can be used as callouts.
The biggest challenge with writing press releases is trying to make what is typically really dry information sound fresh and interesting. Can't help you with THAT one, though!
Thinking it is true when you wrote doesn't count. As one of my favorite journalism profs used to say "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out."
Other than that, follow AP style, and write your release in the form of a finished article. You stand a much better chance of being printed if the reporter can just put their name at the top of the story and submit it.
BTW- this isn't plagiarism, this is how it works. Anything not fit to print will be in the circular file moments after it's received, unless you've got incendiary stuff. Works the absolute best if you can fit your material into one of the Sunday/speciality categories. People on those beats are often part time and low paid, anything you do to make their job easier will be much appreciated.
> about writing press releases, that would be very welcome!


text:
12 Expert Tips for Finding Solitude When Backpacking
By Michael Lanza
Solitude has always reigned as one of the holy grails of backpacking: We all dream of finding that lonely campsite deep in the wilderness with an amazing vista, or hiking for miles or days encountering few or even no other people on the trail. Unfortunately, reality often conflicts with expectations for many backpackers when they discover that the dream trip they've been anticipating for months was apparently a dream trip for an awful lot of other people, too.
But the truth is that there are many ways to find backcountry solitude because the odds work in your favor: Most wilderness trails have few or no people on them most of the time. The search for solitude is less a needle-in-a-haystack conundrum and more a matter of thinking outside the box: You simply have to understand where and when to look for it.
Hi, I'm Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Join The Big Outside to get full access to all of my blog's stories. Click here for my e-guides to classic backpacking trips. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip.
A campsite in Painter Basin, below 13,538-foot Kings Peak (right) in Utah's High Uintas Wilderness.
" data-image-caption="Our campsite in Painter Basin, below 13,538-foot Kings Peak (right) in Utah's High Uintas Wilderness.
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1″ width="900″ height="600″ src="https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?resize=900%2C600&ssl=1″ alt="A campsite in Painter Basin, below 13,538-foot Kings Peak (right) in Utah's High Uintas Wilderness." class="wp-image-46623″ srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?resize=150%2C100&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thebigoutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Uinta1-038-Campsite-in-Painter-Basin-below-13538-foot-Kings-Peak-right-High-Uintas-Wilderness-Utah.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" data-recalc-dims="1″ />Our campsite in Painter Basin, below 13,538-foot Kings Peak (right) in Utah's High Uintas Wilderness.
I've learned the tricks for finding solitude described in this story over more than three decades (and counting) and countless thousands of miles of backpacking, including the 10 years I spent as Northwest Editor of Backpacker magazine and even longer
https://www.mansbrand.com/how-to-know-how-hard-a-hike-will-be/
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Bound2Please had the most liked content!
Bound2Please replied to davebu's topic in New Members Say Hi !
Bound2Please replied to Norfolk Spirit's topic in New Members Say Hi !
No not Essex Man pops TOWIE orange males and females please................. That program has so much to answer for fella, listed buildings destroyed, a quaint old fashioned town is no more now.
Oldest recycling known to man.
Snap I did the same last july the getting out was the really hard bit, until a big dog otter showed me its huge teeth.
Interesting points there JW indeed, i have never heard of such research on this but I stand to be corrected on that.


text:
Items where Author is "Griffin, Simon J."
Martin, Adam and Saunders, Catherine L. and Harte, Emma and Griffin, Simon J. and MacLure, Calum and Mant, Jonathan and Meads, Catherine and Walter, Fiona M. and Usher-Smith, Juliet A. (2018) Delivery and impact of the NHS Health Check in the first 8 years: a systematic review. British Journal of General Practice, 68 (672). e449-e459. ISSN 1478-5242
Harte, Emma and MacLure, Calum and Martin, Adam and Saunders, Catherine L. and Meads, Catherine and Walter, Fiona M. and Griffin, Simon J. and Mant, Jonathan and Usher-Smith, Juliet A. (2018) Reasons why people do not attend NHS Health Checks: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis. British Journal of General Practice, 68 (666). e28-e35. ISSN 1478-5242
Mills, Katie and Harte, Emma and Martin, Adam and MacLure, Calum and Griffin, Simon J. and Mant, Jonathan and Meads, Catherine and Saunders, Catherine L. and Walter, Fiona M. and Usher-Smith, Juliet A. (2017) Views of commissioners, managers and healthcare professionals on the NHS Health Check programme: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 7 (11). e018606. ISSN 2044-6055
Usher-Smith, Juliet A. and Harte, Emma and MacLure, Calum and Martin, Adam and Saunders, Catherine L. and Meads, Catherine and Walter, Fiona M. and Griffin, Simon J. and Mant, Jonathan (2017) Patient experience of NHS health checks: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis. BMJ Open, 7 (8). e017169. ISSN 2044-6055
Usher-Smith, Juliet A. and Mant, Jonathan and Martin, Adam and Harte, Emma and MacLure, Calum and Meads, Catherine and Saunders, Catherine L. and Griffin, Simon J. and Walter, Fiona M. and Lawrence, Kathryn and Robertson, Chris (2017) NHS Health Check Programme rapid evidence synthesis. Project Report. Public Health England, London, UK.


text:
package wikiboot.support;

import org.apache.commons.lang3.builder.ToStringStyle;
import org.springframework.beans.BeanUtils;

/**
 * {@link org.apache.commons.lang3.builder.ToStringStyle} used in this project.
 *
 * @author Bjørn Erik Pedersen
 */
public final class ShortToStringStyle extends ToStringStyle {

    public static final ShortToStringStyle SHORT_TO_STRING_STYLE = new ShortToStringStyle();

    private ShortToStringStyle() {
        this.setUseShortClassName(true);
        this.setUseIdentityHashCode(false);
        this.setDefaultFullDetail(false);
        this.setArrayContentDetail(false);
        this.setFieldSeparator(", ");
    }

    @Override
    public void append(StringBuffer buffer, String fieldName, Object value, Boolean fullDetail) {
        if(value != null && value instanceof String) {
            fullDetail = ((String) value).length() <= 50;
        }
        else {
            fullDetail = value == null || BeanUtils.isSimpleValueType(value.getClass());
        }
        super.append(buffer, fieldName, value, fullDetail);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
/*! \file */ // Copyright 2011-2020 Tyler Gilbert and Stratify Labs, Inc; see LICENSE.md for rights.
#ifndef SAPI_VAR_VERSIONSTRING_HPP_
#define SAPI_VAR_VERSIONSTRING_HPP_

#include "String.hpp"

namespace var {

class VersionString : public api::InfoObject {
public:
	VersionString(){}
	VersionString(u8 major, u8 minor, u8 patch);
	VersionString(u16 major_minor);
	VersionString(const var::String& value){
		string() = value;
	}

	u32 to_bcd() const;

	u16 to_bcd16() const{
		return to_bcd() >> 8;
	}

	VersionString & operator << (u16 value);
	VersionString & operator << (u32 value);

	bool operator == (const VersionString & a) const{
		return compare(*this, a) == 0;
	}

	bool operator > (const VersionString & a) const{
		return compare(*this, a) > 0;
	}

	bool operator < (const VersionString & a) const{
		return compare(*this, a) < 0;
	}

	bool operator <= (const VersionString & a) const{
		return compare(*this, a) <= 0;
	}

	/*! \details Returns true if this version string
	 * is greater than or equal to a.
	 *
	 * @param a version compared against.
	 *
	 * See compare() for more details.
	 *
	 */
	bool operator >= (const VersionString & a) const{
		return compare(*this, a) >= 0;
	}

	String & string(){ return m_version; }
	const String & string() const { return m_version; }

	/*! \details Compares two version strings.
	 *
	 * @param a first string
	 * @param b second string
	 * @return 1 if a > b, 0 if a == b or -1 if a < b
	 *
	 * If a is formatted as x.y.z and b is formatted
	 * as x.y then a is greater than b and 1 will be returned. If b
	 * uses x.y.z and a uses x.y then -1 will be returned.
	 *
	 * Generally, a project uses one format or the other
	 * and the two formats should not need to be compared.
	 *
	 * Also, an empty version is always less than a version that
	 * is populated.
	 *
	 */
	static int compare(const VersionString & a, const VersionString & b);

private:

	String m_version;

	void from(u16 major, u8 minor, u8 patch);
	void from(u16 major_minor);

};

}

#endif // SAPI_VAR_VERSIONSTRING_HPP_


Odessa, TX (April 28, 2016) – The Odessa Jackalopes, proud members of the North American Hockey League, are excited to announce center-man Hampus SJodahl has been named to the NAHL All-League Team. Sjodahl was given the 2015-16 South Division MVP and forward of the year earlier this week.
Hampus (6-2/197), who is committed to Bemidji State (WCHA, D1), paced the Jacks by scoring 35 goals and tacking on 34 assists with a plus-16 rating in his final season of junior hockey, The Stockholm, SWE, native ended the regular season with the 2nd most goals in the league and the 3rd most points. Sjodahl ends his two-year Jacks career having played 115 games, scoring 54 goals, adding 49 assists and accumulating 50 penalty minutes (PIM).


Many people have given up on the church. But that doesn't mean that they've given up on God or Christianity. In many cases, it was merely that local church congregations were not the best context for missional people to live out their sense of God's call. The good news is that God is raising up vibrant movements of Christians in a vast array of vocations around the world: disciple-making ministries, missions, relief and development, social activism, advocacy and much more. These are all strategic ways to live for the kingdom―in venues beyond the local church. Wherever movements of the gospel have occurred, visionary people and apostolic structures have been essential. Mission leader Sam Metcalf shows how God has always worked through entrepreneurial individuals and organizations that launched out in fresh ways. He gives biblical and missiological foundations for missional movements, showing that what has often been called "parachurch" is an equally valid manifestation of the church. Affirming the strengths of apostolic personalities, Metcalf shows how they can be deployed to cross cultural barriers, renew secular societies and transform the nations with the power of the gospel. God may be inviting you to join what he is doing around the world. Answer the call and discover how God can use you beyond your imagination.


First City Monument Bank, FCMB and Passion Incubator had partnered to host an event it named FCMB Tech Pitch Perfect to host qualified startups for a two consecutive rounds. FCMB is interested in Startups who have ideas or products on financial technology. At the end of the first pitch, the bank will select a number of startups from the first round to the second pitch.
FCMB is specifically looking for startups with either idea, prototype, or a complete innovation of fintech product that relates to e-Payment/e-Collection or e-Savings. The company claims that, its seeking to solve its customers challenges base on what the pitching startups brought to its table. For the e-Payment/e-Collection innovation, FCMB wants startups with solutions that allows customers 2 Business, C2B, firms to collect payments without stress. Some of the categories are Restaurants, Associations/Clubs, Schools Hospitals and Churches.
For the e-Savings, the bank is expecting solutions to encourage savings and investment. With regards to this, there are three top startups that have already scratch more than the surface to provide electronic savings solutions in Nigeria--Paylater, PiggyVest and CowryWise.
The program will be hosted and implemented by a well known co-working space in Nigeria, Passion Incubator. The early-stage incubator who announced the partnership with FCMB, today, said it's calling on technology startups in Nigeria with the potential of providing the above solutions to apply.
The application period will end on 8th of April, 2019. At the end of which 21 startups will be chosen and invited to Tech Pitch Perfect for the first round of pitching. At the end of the first round three startups will be selected for the final rounds. The three startup will pitch their products with a panel of judges who decide two winners. One winner for the e-Payments and e-Collections solutions and the other for the e-Savings challenges.
The two startups will be awarded with a million Niara and a shared working Access with HubOne, a co-working space established by FCMB and Leadspace. If you are a owner of a tech startup firm or know someone capable of solving the above issues then, its time to apply through the link here. Applicants are expected to have a team in place that is already working on one of the solutions or have an idea of it.


Augmented Reality headsets are so new that the industry tends to compare headsets with vastly different designs as if they were the same technology. This is like categorizing all mountain bikes as "Bikes"; a dual suspension, $10,000 Yeti has a drastically different experience than a $179 Schwinn. As with bikes, the overall experience of an AR headset can vary dramatically. In this post, we'll dive into optical designs and cover the three of the main types: "Birdbath," Curved Mirror Reflector aka "Bug Eye," and Reflective/Diffractive Waveguides.
How it works. The birdbath optical design projects light (indicated with a blue line in the diagram above) from a display source (black rectangle perpendicular to the forehead) onto a piece of teleprompter glass (Beamsplitter) placed at a 45-degree angle. The Beamsplitter glass has reflection and transmission values (R/T) that allow the light from the display source to be partially reflected, at the percentage of R, while the rest is transmitted through at the value of T. Having both R/T allows the user to see both physical items in the world next to the digital images produced by the display. The light rays that get reflected from the beamsplitter bounce onto the combiner, a concave mirror that redirects the light back into the eye (dotted line in image).
Headsets that use this optical design: Lenovo Disney Jedi Challenge, and the ODG R8 and R9.
Hardware Components: Lower cost headsets like the Lenovo use an LCD display, such as a cell phone screen, while more advanced systems like the ODG R9 use OLED microdisplays. The microdisplays are more expensive but improve the size of the headset dramatically (compare the massive Lenovo (above) to the ODG glasses (below)). As far as optics go, beamsplitter glass and one way mirrors for the combiners are commonly manufactured at a low cost.
Field of View: This design has a medium FOV. ODG R9 has a 50 degree FOV which is at the upper range when compared to high-end waveguide technology (see below) but smaller than most curved mirror designs.
Light loss: In a 50/50 beamsplitter, there is a 50% light loss on the first bounce, additional loss when the light hits the combiner, and another 50% loss as the light rays travel back through the beamsplitter and are eventually projected onto the eye. To compensate for the significant loss of light the lenses are very dark, similar to wearing sunglasses indoors.
Form Factor: If an LCD is used as a display source (Lenovo) the limitation surrounding optics result in larger headset designs. Micro OLEDs reduce the size of the headset, but add supply chain and costs difficulties with only a handful manufacturers.
Image Quality: When the light source is reflected off both the interior and exterior of the combiner it can cause unwanted images commonly referred to as ghosting, see image below.
LCD displays will also have larger pixels (low pixels density) since the 1080p image on the the display source is expanded. Micro displays offer a much higher pixel density so they can generate a high resolution in a very small form factor, but at the cost of decreased brightness.
Lens Transparency: As previously mentioned, a dark lens is often placed in front of the glasses making it difficult to see a user's eyes, especially indoors.
How it works. A Bug-Eye headset has a relatively simple optical design. It uses a cheap LCD display source and a curved mirror with reflection/transmission (R/T) values that act as a mirror and combiner. The light emitted from the display hits the concave mirror/combiner directly and reflects back into the eye. The ideal positioning of the display source is centered and at a parallel angle to the mirror. Technically, the ideal position would have the display source covering the users eyes, so most designs move the display "off-axis", above the forehead. An off-axis display on a concave mirror has distortion that requires corrections to be made on the software/display side.
Hardware Components: The LCD display can be a phone or off-the-shelf LCD panels. While the lenses for these devices can be manufactured, they require a custom application of optical coatings.
Field of View: With the display positioned further from the eye the FOV can be significantly larger than what is currently possible with waveguides (FOV can range from 50 to 105 degrees).
Light Loss: Since the light is only traveling through a single combiner/lens the light loss limited to "one-pass", and is much lower than the Birdbath design.
Form Factor: To expand the digital image and make it big enough to place in the real world the LCD source needs to be a sufficient distance from the lens, giving the headset a protective visor look and feel.
Image Quality: Pixel density can be an issue with this design, especially if a cell phone is used as a light source. One way to help improve pixel density is dual LCD displays. The Leap Motion headset used two LCD displays that were 1600 X 1440.
Lens Transparency: The light loss issue is somewhat mitigated with a bright LCD and fewer substrates to travel through, these displays can afford clearer lenses (higher R/T values). As seen in the image above, the Mira lenses are transparent enough for a person can make contact with a someone wearing the headset.
How it works. Waveguides represent a new form of optics technology, while still under development offers significant advantages in terms of form factor, clarity and ghosting. The display source is usually side mounted, using a Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) or DLP display. Both LCOS and DLP shoot collimated light rays through a diffraction grating that redirects light and eventually forms an expanded image, which is then projected it into the eye.
While there is a lot of excitement to waveguide displays and the high-resolution AR experience, they are also the most expensive to manufacture and have significant reject rate. The prices of waveguides are expected to come down with better manufacturing processes, but today they are still a significant amount of cost for a high-end headset. Headsets with waveguides are retailing in the $3000 to $5000 range.
Hardware Components: Diffractive waveguide optics are multilayered with a layer for each color. There is a high rejection rate in manufacturing due to the difficulty to align the diffractive RGB layers at a nanometer scale. Reflective waveguides, patented by Lumus, avoid the multi-layered approach making them easier to manufacture. Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) is typically used as a display source because it's a compact and provides collimated light, a requirement for waveguide technology.
Microsoft Hololens, Kids love AR treasure hunts!
Field of View: FOV is very small in comparison to other displays. This is the primary complaint with the Hololens. Today, a 40-degree FOV is the standard while companies are pushing to obtain a 50-degree without any degradation in quality.
Image Quality: Waveguide displays are the brightest out of all the optical designs and don't have a ghosting effect. Most of the displays available today are 720p, but this will soon change. At CES 2018 Lumus had the OE vision on display, which had a 1080p display and a 40 degree FOV.
Form Factor: This technology is getting closer to a glasses like form factor, but the other realities of building an AR headset such as: The need for a display source, cameras, IMUs on the headset make a sunglasses form factor unachievable in the immediate future.
Lens Transparency: No tinting necessary, as you can see in the DAQRI photo below the lenses are quite clear and are ready for indoor use.
Like all hardware products, the aforementioned headsets are designed with a series of trade-offs. The pros of and cons of each electronic part, placement, weight, size, price and more, are carefully considered, with each choice constraining the path forward. At present, we see the LCD Curved Mirror/Bug-Eye design as the most tractable choice considering the accessibility and cost of materials (more on this in the next post). However, this design choice is not the long-term path for AR headsets; LCD Curved Mirrors will soon be displaced by microdisplays and/or waveguides in the next 12 to 18 months, as production lines ramps for each of these components. As a consumer, this is amazing news. In the near future, a more compact form factor will be common and affordable!


text:
Samir Barać (ur. 2 listopada 1973) – chorwacki piłkarz wodny. Złoty medalista olimpijski z Londynu.

Podczas Igrzysk był kapitanem reprezentacji. Zawody w 2012 były jego czwartymi igrzyskami olimpijskimi (poprzednie to LIO 2008, LIO 2004, LIO 2000). Chorwaci triumfowali, w finale pokonując Włochów.

Przypisy

Chorwaccy piłkarze wodni
Chorwaccy medaliści olimpijscy
Medaliści Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2012
Ludzie urodzeni w Rijece
Urodzeni w 1973


When our daughters are small, it often seems that they can never get enough of us: our presence, our attention, our affection. The constant refrain of "Mommy" or "Daddy" imploring us to spend time with them can feel ceaseless. She is our ever-present companion, our constant shadow.
However, somewhere along the way, our little girls grow up, and suddenly our homes feel much quieter. Our overtures are rebuffed, our questions are met with gruff responses, and it seems like nothing we ever do is right. Our daughters' needs for attention, affection, and validation are now met by their peers, leaving us wondering about our place in their lives.
Individuation is the task of developing an identity separate from that of our parents and determining our sense of self, a natural and developmentally appropriate process. Even armed with this knowledge, feeling our daughters pull away can be painful and confusing. Fortunately, there are ways we can foster connection as our daughters navigate this complicated phase of life.
Look for opportunities that invite communication. Teen girls can be intensely private and direct offers to talk can feel intrusive and prying. Ask your daughter to join you in the car as you run errands, and she may relax enough to open up. Be sure to listen more than you talk, and practice reflective listening skills. Use verbal encouragers such as "uh-huh" and "I hear what you're saying" to keep the conversation flowing. Most importantly, don't use this precious time to judge or criticize. This is one of the most effective ways of shutting down a conversation and decreasing the chances that she will be willing to open up again.
Look for opportunities to understand. Our teenage daughters have the ability to hurt us in ways others can't. When our daughters say something hurtful (and they will!), try not to take it personally. As with so many things in life, it is most likely not about you but about whatever it is with which they are struggling. Avoid reacting from a place of pain but rather stop, take some time, and try to respond from a place of understanding. However, abusive, disrespectful words and behaviors are not okay and should be dealt with appropriately.
Look for opportunities to show physical affection. While teen daughters often appear to shrink away from our touch at this age, they still want and need physical affection. While she may not want to be hugged or cuddled, your daughter may love having her feet rubbed or her hair brushed.
Look for opportunities to nurture trust. With rare exceptions relating to your daughter's safety, it is never okay to read her journal or look through her personal belongings without her permission. Have a conversation with her about how to balance your safety concerns with her expectations of privacy regarding cell phone use. Honor your commitment in this area.
Look for opportunities to share her interests while also respecting her boundaries. Try listening to her music with an open mind while in the car together. Not only can this strengthen your connection, but you may also discover a new artist that you love!
Look for opportunities to pursue your own interests and personal growth. It is important for our daughters to see us as complete and whole individuals, not just Mom and Dad. In the process, you might stumble upon something you would enjoy doing together.
Our relationships with our daughters will change throughout our lives. While often turbulent, the teen years can also provide opportunities to develop new ways to connect.


text: HEZ – codice aeroportuale IATA dell'aeroporto Automatic Weather Observing / Reporting System, Natchez / Hardy (Mississippi), Stati Uniti


COVINGTON – St. Tammany Parish Hospital's Community Wellness Center was awarded a National WIC Grant, through the St. Tammany Hospital Foundation, to participate in the "Community Partnership for Healthy Mothers and Children." This initiative strives to increase access to healthy food options in the local community and will include three programs, Eat Fit Northshore, community gardens and grocery store tours.
Eat Fit Northshore will engage restaurants in the Mandeville and Covington areas to create food options that meet the Eat Fit criteria, which include restrictions on calories, sodium and sugar. Participating chefs will work with dieticians, nutritionists, nurses and Southeastern Louisiana University interns to create these healthier options. Dakota and Copeland's in Covington currently have Eat Fit options on their menus that live up to their taste standards.
Families and local gardeners will work with the Community Wellness Center to create community gardens in both Mandeville and Covington. There will be three locations, including the Covington YMCA, the Parenting Center and a site in Mandeville. They will also be helping to expand an existing community garden on West 25th Street in Covington.
Local grocery store tours will teach parents how to identify truly nutritious food throughout the grocery store. This includes how to read the nutrition labels quickly, as well as how to choose produce that is fresh and inexpensive. The next grocery store tour will be held August 14 at 11 a.m. at the Claiborne Hill Rouses.
Each of these programs will give the members of our community information and better access to healthy food options. For more information about these programs please contact the Community Wellness Center at 985-871-6078 or visit stph.org.


The 2018 Wellington Jazz Festival was our biggest yet with 30,000 music lovers coming out to play at what has now grown to become New Zealand's biggest mid-winter music festival.
Now we're ready to do it all again — but we need your help. Host your own Wellington Jazz Festival happening and get ready to join the party!
Are you a musician? Or do you run a great Wellington venue? If so, host your own Wellington Jazz Festival gig. In 2018 there were 165 gigs at more than 50 city-wide venues ranging from jam sessions to live album recordings.
You don't even have to host a live music gig to join the party. Cafes, bars and restaurants can register one-off, jazz-inspired Pre- or Post-show Food and Drink Offers too.
From a sold-out crowd to a cosy booth for two, the cool capital comes out to play at this annual mid-winter musical feast. We're working harder than ever to raise the event's national profile, and it's a perfect opportunity to grow your business at this traditionally quiet time of year.
Register your Events and/or Food & Drink Offers and we'll promote it alongside our incredible headliners performing at the Michael Fowler Centre.
All events registered will be promoted on the mobile-friendly Wellington Jazz Festival website including a dedicated event page (with room for images, video and links to ticketing) and inclusion in the searchable event listings, plus we'll supply you with signage to help promote your involvement. Selected events will also feature in the printed programme.
15 April > Second release Events and Food & Drink Offers live on website. Printed programme distributed.
Drop us a line any time via info@jazzfestival.co.nz. We'd love to chat.


text:
The (Unproven, Deadly) Common Cure for Schizophrenia
Insulin coma and deep sleep therapies were used for years on patients with mental illness, even though there was never any evidence they worked.
By: Jessie Wright-Mendoza
It's better to do something than admit that you know nothing. This was a common sentiment in the early history of psychiatry, illustrated by the popularity of a little-remembered treatment called insulin coma therapy.
It was the frontline treatment for schizophrenia from the 1930s until the 1960s. According to the medical staff at the Bronx Veteran's Administration Hospital, writing about their treatment regime in 1960, insulin coma therapy was thought to relieve symptoms including "anxiety, tension, fear, irritability, hostility, elation, paranoid projections, obsessive and compulsive thinking, delusions, and hallucinations."
Like electroshock therapy, insulin coma therapy was an example of the medical approach to psychiatry that regarded mental illness as a primarily biological ailment. But while electroshock (or electroconvulsive) therapy has been shown to help people who haven't responded to other treatments, there was never any serious evidence that insulin coma therapy had any effect on patients whatsoever.
Insulin coma therapy went out of vogue with the introduction of antipsychotics in the 1960s.
Developed by psychiatrist Manfred Sakel in the 1920s, insulin coma therapy was based on the premise that patients could be "jolted" out of an episode of mental illness. The therapy itself took place over a number of weeks or months, with patients daily receiving insulin injections that induced a coma-like state persisting for an hour or so before it was reversed by supervising hospital staff with an injection of glucose. The insulin dosage was increased every day, inducing increasingly deeper states of unconsciousness until doctors decided the patient was at "maximum benefit," at which point they would be tapered off the insulin. This process was repeated again and again until the patient had experienced anywhere from 30-50 of these comas. The doctors from the Bronx V.A. reported that patients waking from an insulin-induced coma "Display deep confidence in the staff…They frequently express 'a feeling of being reborn.'" Common side effects, however, included obesity, brain damage, and sometimes death; modern research on the era says that the fatality rate was around 1%, and patients also risked permanent brain damage.
Insulin coma therapy went out of vogue with the introduction of antipsychotics in the 1960s. By that time, it had also been largely discredited and was on its way to being relegated to an embarrassing blip in the history of psychiatry.
But there were still some doctors who did not let go of the idea that one could sleep their way to a cure. According to BMJ, the most infamous of these believers was an Australian, Dr. Harry Bailey, who worked at a private psychiatric hospital outside of Sydney. For nearly two decades Bailey and his protegees Drs. John Herron, Ian Gardiner, and John Gill were the leading "experts" in the use of deep sleep therapy, which used large doses of tranquilizers and barbiturates to put patients under heavy sedation for days at a time. The practice was exposed when it was revealed in the mid-1980's that twenty-four patients had died in their care and that Bailey had doctored many of the death certificates to avoid arousing suspicion. A flurry of legal proceeding followed, but Baily committed suicide before answering to criminal charges. The three doctors who worked with Bailey escaped punishment by the Australian medical board and were allowed to continue practicing.
psychologyBMJ: British Medical JournalThe American Journal of Nursing
Advances in Insulin Coma Therapy
By: Ellen Gilmore and Manfred Braun
The American Journal of Nursing, Vol. 60, No. 11 (Nov., 1960), pp. 1626-1628
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Deep Sleep: Australian Doctors Escape Discipline
BMJ: British Medical Journal, Vol. 306, No. 6891 (Jun. 5, 1993), p. 1501
Depressed People Aren't Villains—Nor Are They Werewolves
Our tendency to view people with mental disorders as monsters instead of patients has a history that dates back to the 1400s.
Or, why the best laid plans of urban design sometimes go awry.
For flowering plants in the Arctic, cold temperatures don't mean death. But warmer temperatures might.
Plant of the Month: Cassava
Cassava can grow in hot climates with little rainfall. It may be the "root crop of the century."
What is in an Ice Core?
Climate science frequently references ice cores, but it's what is in the cores that matters to science and history.


text:
Q: Listen when no toggleButton is pressed on a Togglegroup in javaFX I have scene with a "homepage" and a toggleGroup above it with 2 buttons on it, when i click one of them a fxml is loadead to the hbox below the toggleGroup. So, what i want to load the home screen when all toggles are unpressed. How can i achieve it?!
Thanks in advance!

A: Register a listener with the toggle group's selectedToggle property:
toggleGroup.selectedToggleProperty().addListener((obs, oldToggle, newToggle) -> {
    if (newToggle == null) {
        // load "homepage"
    }
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


PaydayLoans@ owns and operates the website paydayloansat.com ("the Website", "the Site"). The consumer database is not operated by the Company through the Website. The owner of the Company is not a lender and doesn't make credit or payday loan decisions. Consumers who performed their intention or interest in applying for financial products or services provided by the Company and have affirmatively requested to be contacted by the business representatives are offered lenders participating in the Company's network. PaydayLoans@ is neither an agent of some financial service provider nor a representative of any product. Media advertisements are utilized by the Company to promote the Website for the customers interested in filling out the online application form suggested on the Site.
The direct lenders receiving customer information from PaydayLoans@ don't accept data from children under 18 years.
The Website of the Company can be considered as a mediator between direct payday lenders and potential borrowers. As the customer submits the online application form, the data is received by the lender who informs the applicant about the credit decision. Contact and financial details are required within the application to make the verification of the name, address and some other individual data.
It is not required to complete the registration form to use the Website. Also the Company doesn't send any information, like updates or newsletters, to its customers. The information published on the Site may be used to learn about the products performed by the direct lenders in detail. The Website is designed in a way to provide convenience for its users, thus, the information is structured in a form of categories.
Cookies are the pieces of specific data stored on the user's hard drive. The personally identifiable information is in no way tied to the cookie use while on the Website. The users may refuse the cookies and still use the Site, however, the ability to access particular features may be lost.
The Website contains links to other sites, thus, the customers should be aware that the Company is not responsible for the practices of these websites. It is advisable for the users leaving the Website to learn the privacy statement of every site they visit.
The Company uses specific security processes and technologies to keep consumer information protected from unauthorized access, disclosure or use. When the highly confidential data is transferred to the direct lenders through the Internet, it is protected by the particular encryption, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.
The Company can't give absolute guarantees that the consumer data will never be disclosed in ways not otherwise explained in this Privacy Agreement. Under particular circumstances (if required by the law, for instance) the government may force the owner of the Company to disclose the data. In addition, the Company reserves its right to disclose the consumer data in case of an outstanding reason to consider that disclosing of specific details is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against an individual who can cause injury to or interference with the rights or property of the Company, other members, visitors or anybody else who can be hurt by such activities, either intentionally or unintentionally.
The consumer data and payday loan requests are shared only with the direct lenders who keep it protected and safe for sure. Even the operator of the Website doesn't have any access to the individual information provided by the customers in the online application form. Submitting the personal and/or contact details, the user of the Website constitutes his/her permission to the payday lenders cooperating with the Company to contact them as for the issues related to the loan requests and lending process itself. Thus, applicants waive their right to file any claims concerning these contacts to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or any other agency.
The Company maintains procedural, electronic and physical safeguards which comply with the federal standards to keep individual nonpublic information protected against unauthorized access and/or use.


text:
The best sandy beaches in the UK (that aren't in Cornwall)
Monica Meade Coast & countryside anglesey, devon, dorset, isles of scilly, kent, norfolk, northern ireland, northumberland, pembrokeshire, scottish highlands, Sussex
11 best spring walks in the UK
Carly Hibbins Activity cotswolds, devon, east lothian, lake district, northern ireland, northumberland, peak district, surrey, wales, yorkshire
22 most romantic locations in the UK
Hannah Craven Area cornwall, cumbria, derbyshire, devon, dorset, gloucestershire, gwynedd, hampshire, isle of skye, london, northern ireland, oxford, peak district, scotland, somerset, warwickshire, wiltshire, yorkshire
The best walks in the UK: 11 Great British routes
Hannah Craven Activity brecon beacons, cornwall, east sussex, lake district, north yorkshire, northern ireland, northumberland, peak district, pembrokeshire, scotland, yorkshire dales
21 forest getaways to escape this autumn
Deanna Thomas Accommodation buckinghamshire, cheshire, cornwall, county durham, devon, essex, gloucestershire, hampshire, lake district, lancashire, norfolk, northamptonshire, northern ireland, northumberland, nottinghamshire, scotland, suffolk, surrey, Sussex, worcestershire, yorkshire
Nine best lakes in the UK
Amy Ockelford Adventures & wellbeing argyll and bute, cumbria, lake district, northern ireland, scotland, scottish highlands, wales
29 great winter walks in the UK
Callum Mackenzie Adventures & wellbeing bangor, belfast, brampton, brecon beacons, brighton and hove, cornwall, cotswolds, dartmoor, isle of wight, lake district, new forest, norfolk, north yorkshire, northern ireland, northumberland, peak district, plockton, scottish highlands, south downs, Sussex
11 most instagrammable places in the UK
Hannah Craven Area brighton, dover, edinburgh, london, North Wales, northern ireland, oxford, scotland, wiltshire
Ten of the best views in Ireland
Callum Mackenzie Area co kerry, county mayo, donegal, galway, ireland, northern ireland, tipperary, wicklow
Reasons to Visit Enniskillen
Harriet Activity enniskillen, northern ireland
The secret to snapping up a half-price holiday cottage
Alex Going on a trip england, ireland, northern ireland, scotland, wales
Where can I rent a cottage for a large group?
Alex Information england, isle of wight, northamptonshire, northern ireland, scotland, uk, wales
The Broadchurch Effect
Alex Architecture & interiors, Culture bampton, bodmin, cornwall, dorset, northern ireland, oxfordshire, west berkshire, wiltshire