Edge Triathlon, led by Olympian, Kyle Jones and former World XC Championship team member, Jeff Scull, will be supporting the Rose City Triathlon by providing volunteer groups on race weekend as well as three part educational video series for athletes gearing up towards the event.
EDGE Triathlon is an endurance sport coaching & consulting business servicing the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada and online. We work with athletes ranging from beginners to elite and across all disciplines of endurance sport.
Each of our spacious guest suites feature two separate bedrooms, each with its own double bed, kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator and three piece washroom. All of our suites provide air-conditioning with individual climate controls.
We are located just 5 minutes from the race site. A limited amount of rooms have been arranged for the Welland Triathlon at a discounted rate.
Our Welland Triathlon Rate: $99.95/per night plus 13% taxes. per suite plus taxes, based on double occupancy. $10 for additional 3rd & 4th occupants. Reservations must be made by May 22, 2019 to receive this rate.
We are located just 20 minutes from the race site. A limited amount of rooms have been arranged for the Welland Triathlon at a discounted rate.
Our Welland Triathlon Rate: $119.95/per night plus 13% taxes. per suite plus taxes, based on double occupancy. $10 for additional 3rd & 4th occupants. Reservations must be made by May 22, 2019 to receive this rate.
Please Note: Any available rooms at the Best Western Plus Rose City Suites for June 2019 will be at a minimum due to another large event in the city. If any rooms come available it would be within 30 days of race day. We look forward to having them back in 2020.
*VERY IMPORTANT – you will need to enter the parking lot from Shaw St off of Prince Charles Dr.


text:
Memoir helps map Palestine's struggle
Mapping My Return: A Palestinian Memoir
By Salman Abu Sitta
American University in Cairo Press
Given the centrality of memory and history to the modern Palestinian identity, it is fitting that the number of memoirs and diaries being published by Palestinians seems to be rising.
Sport and politics have always mixed
In an article for The Conversation, Daryl Adair, a professor of Sport Management at the University of Technology, Sydney, makes a pertinent observation regarding the interaction between sport and politics: "It is sometimes said that sport ought to be separate from politics, or that politics should be removed from sport. These sentiments are well meaning – if idealistic."
Janis Joplin: She wouldn't bend or break
Janis, Little Girl Blue
Directed by Amy J. Berg
https://youtu.be/YodSfezlpeQ
Janis Joplin, the gravel-voiced Queen of the San Francisco psychedelic music scene, may seem a bit dated to today's listeners. But this documentary shows just how important she is.
Born into a conservative family in a Texas back-water, she discovered early that she was different. Her sexual feelings towards other girls cut her apart from the rest of the KKK-drenched society.
Berlin conference to remember Rosa Luxemburg draws thousands
Dedicated to the legendary Polish-born socialist revolutionary and anti-war activist executed for her role in the 1919 German Revolution, the 22nd International "Rosa Luxemburg Conference" took place in Berlin on January 14.
The annual conference has become an annual gathering of revolutionaries, activists, academics, freedom fighters and politicians of the left.
Over 2,800 guests, were present at the event organised by the socialist daily newspaper Junge Welt ("Young World"), and more than 30 supporting organisations.
With Jimi Hendrix, a better world can be seen
Hendrix, possibly the greatest-ever rock guitarist, arrived in public consciousness at exactly the right moment. His music summarised the desire of millions of youth to break through to a new society.
Ireland: Sinn Fein calls for new elections, alleges British and unionist sabotage
Northern Ireland is in the grip of a deep political crisis.
The power-sharing administration in the six northern Irish counties still claimed by Britain between the Irish republican party Sinn Fein and the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) collapsed when Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned on January 9 and called for new elections.
Explaining his decision to resign, McGuinness cited "growing DUP arrogance and lack of respect, whether that was for women, our LGBT community, ethnic minorities or the Irish-language community and identity."
Conscription conflicts in WWI well detailed in new book
The Conscription Conflict & the Great War
Edited by Robin Archer, Joy Damousi, Murray Goot & Sean Scalmer
Monash University Publishing, 2016
Paperback, $29.95.
Australia stands by Israel after UN condemns illegal settlements
Foreign minister Julie Bishop was quick to reiterate the Australian government's firm support for Israel and distance it from the December 24 vote on UN Security Council resolution 2334 reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territories.
The resolution was passed by the Security Council, with the United States abstaining rather than vetoing the vote, as it has traditionally done with resolutions that have criticised Israel.
Letter from the US: The hypocrisy of blaming 'Russia'
When Donald Trump is sworn in as president on January 20, he will take over the running of the US intelligence agencies — the CIA, FBI, NSA etc — that have brought charges to discredit the outcome of his election.
The Electoral College has rubberstamped Trump's election and Congress has ratified it. The storm over allegations of Russian interference in last year's elections will pass as The Leader takes charge and cleans house in these agencies.
But there are some things that should be noted about this brouhaha.
In London, the annual Latin America solidarity conference pays tribute to Fidel
More than 500 participants gathered at the Trade Union Congress headquarters in London on November 26 for the annual Latin America Adelante conference, now in its 12th year.
With more than 70 different speakers and 30 different workshops and plenary sessions, plus the concurrent Alborada film festival, Latin America Adelante has become one of the most important and well-known gatherings of solidarity with a continent that is increasingly facing a right-wing neoliberal backlash.
Green Left Weekly has been an outstanding proponent of clear-headed political analysis for years. I don't know what I'd do without my weekly brain food.
Craig McGregor
Secretary of the Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association

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Every Tuesday we take a poll around the office and feature a lovely lady that we all have a bit of a crush on. Now with any crush it can pass pretty quick but for this week at least, enjoy the photos.
Every now and then we get reminded of an actress or singer that used to be high on the crush list but got lost in the shuffle. While we were struggling through the two hour premiere of Lost last week, there were endless commercials for this show called Life On Mars. Never seen the show or care to see it but it did jog our memory on how hot Gretchen Mol is even with the retro hair. Our first memory of Mol was way back in 1996 when she appeared on Spin City and she was a looker. Since then she has not done much (that we have seen) other than Rounders and The Notorious Bettie Paige. But thanks to these ads we decided she was worth another look. What do you all think?


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Apple CFO: "What the [EU] Commission is doing here is a disgrace for European citizens, it should be ashamed"
When I described the European Commission as a "premier source of fake news" in yesterday's post, I knew from a Bloomberg tweet that the Commission's €13B "state aid" decision on Apple's Irish taxes was going to be published before the Holiday Season but didn't know that today was going to be the day. [Update] Here it is (PDF). [/Update] In order to counterbalance Commissioner Vestager's claims, the Irish government and Apple have just launched pre-emptive strikes:
Ireland has published a summary of its key arguments against the Commission ruling (PDF). In a nutshell, Ireland says the Commission misunderstands Irish tax laws, views as a preferential treatment what was available to any other international company, wants Ireland to collect taxes on what Apple should pay taxes on in the U.S., and accuses the Commission of improper procedures. It's clear that Ireland ideally aims for the Commission ruling to be overturned in its entirety but, as a Plan B, would at least like to limit its impact.
Apple's General Counsel Bruce Sewell and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri gave Reuters' Brussels competition expert Foo Yun Chee (a reporter I've been in contact with for many years and whom I regard as very thorough and objective) an interview in Cupertino. Apple's executives pointed out, among many other things, that their Irish operation "doesn't do any engineering, doesn't generate any intellectual property."
In parallel to the Reuters interview, Apple's CFO also gave an interview in Cupertino to Die Welt, a well-respected German newspaper that belongs to Europe's largest newspaper publisher, the Axel Springer group. That interview has only been published in German, so let me translate Mr. Maestri's strongest statement here:
Maestri accuses EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager of pursuing a political agenda. "What the Commission is doing here is a disgrace for European citizens, it should be ashamed."
Mr. Maestri, an Italian, is a European citizen himself. This statement is similarly tough as Apple CEO Tim Cook's initial reaction to the decision, calling it "total political crap."
In the Die Welt article, Mr. Maestri then argues that Europe's economy will suffer massive harm at the end of the day, given that many companies must make decision on where to set up research and development. And in light of how the Commission is dealing with Apple, they may prefer such places as Singpore or Hong Kong.
Legal certainty is probably the most basic prerequisite for business and innovation. The same concern was raised three months ago by the Business Roundtable in a letter sent to political leaders of the EU's 28 member states. The Business Roundtable is an association of CEOs whose companies, according to the organization's website, have "more than $6 trillion in annual revenues and nearly 15 million employees."
I have been interested in the intersection of IP (which also plays a role in the Apple tax case) and competition policy/regulation for a long time, and my main concern has always been innovation. As a European (albeit a somewhat Americanized one and Donald Trump supporter) and as a startup founder (I founded an online gaming network in 1996 and sold it to Telefónica in early 2000, and in 2014 I started my current app development company), I care about this. And when it comes to Irish corporate taxes and corporate decisions on where to set up subsidiaries, I also have a personal connection to the subject: in 1995, I persuaded Davidson & Associates, then the parent company of Blizzard Entertainment (which later became the world's most successful computer games company on a per-title basis), to manufacture the German version of Warcraft II - Tides of Darkness in Ireland. Without my strong recommendation, the same activities would have taken place outside of Europe.
The EU's innovation policy has been a failure and a laughing stock. There was that thing called "Lisbon Agenda": they wanted to make the EU the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010. By now, no one is even talking about it because, quite obviously, it didn't materialize to any noteworthy degree. Or, as my favorite political commentator, the insightful Rush Limbaugh, said in late August:
"The way the European Union is looking at Apple -- the European Union is nothing but a bunch of takers. The European Union wouldn't know how to produce diddly-squat."
This is sad but true. The Apple tax case won't make Europe more competitive, but it threatens to discourage investment in Europe. Ireland could have said: "Let's just collect an amount that corresponds to 26% of our national budget." Instead, Ireland's minister of finance said he didn't want to eat the seed potatoes: the longer-term implications of this are too bad, so any short-term windfall would be unwise to take.
It's not just a disgrace what the EU is doing in this "state aid" case (it's not "state aid" by any stretch of the imagination since it has nothing to do with giving one company an advantage over others). The EU's innovation policy as a whole is a disgrace, as are EU policies in some other areas (common currency, migration, cross-border crime).
I'm afraid that too many people in Europe will be misled by politicians who will portray Apple as a greedy large corporation that doesn't want to meet its obligations to society. It looks like redistribution if you tax the most profitable company in the world, but that's just populism. Before you have anything to redistribute, it must be created, and in order for something to be created, you need far better policies than the ones the EU has adopted and implemented so far.
A populist campaign against Silicon Valley isn't going to result in the creation of a European Silicon Valley. Instead, it will benefit other economies. In Asia, for example.
Eingestellt von Florian Mueller um 7:00 AM
Labels: Apple, EU, European Commission, European Union, Margrethe Vestager, State Aid, Tax
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Filomena is the tailor of the town. She makes beautiful wedding dresses for all the girls, and she dreams of sewing a wonderful dress for herself one day. But when Ferruccio finally declares his love to her and the big day arrives, Filomena causes a huge mess and things don't actually go how she has imagined.
This picture book, written by Beatrice Masini and brilliantly illustrated by Anna Laura Canton, won the Andersen Award 2003 for the 0-6-year-old category. Through the misadventures of Filomena, who focuses on her physical appearance so much that she ends up neglecting her future husband, the book invites us not to stop at appearances, to live fully the time we have together with others, and to look at the essence of feelings. Thanks to the playful love story between the protagonists and to the ironic and original illustrations which play with the text by dialoguing with the story, the readers can enjoy a book that conveys a moral and avoids pedantic tones.


The Uco Valley is one of the most visually captivating wine regions in the world. Over the past 25 years it has become the most exciting terroir in Argentina, and one of the southern hemisphere's most talked about wine regions.
Our vineyards are at 3,600 feet elevation and are still dominated by the towering Andes.
The mountains provide natural irrigation from meltwater and rivers like the Tunuyán. Over geological time, erosion of these peaks created a landscape and soil profile perfect for viticulture.
With more than 250 sunny days annually, and average temperatures of 57 °F, we benefit from natural dryness that deters pests and rot.
The Uco Valley's altitude and dry air create diurnal temperature variation in the summer. Hot daytime temperatures build intense color and aroma, while cool nights maintain acidity and freshness in the grapes.
Uco Valley soils are alluvial – composed of sand and stony surface layers, with a base of clay and rock.
Drainage is natural with some moisture retention for the deep roots. This naturally stresses the vines to reduce plant vigor and increase flavor concentration in the fruit.
We practice traditional hand harvesting to preserve the best quality fruit.
During the growing season we lower yields to 2-3 tons per acre through green harvesting. This reduces the number of clusters per vine, and intensifies flavor in the grapes. It takes skilled viticulturists who understand the Uco Valley's Terroir and what the vines need each growing season.


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Sparks dominate Storm to clinch a third seed in the playoffs
Candace Parker led all scorers with 20 points and nine rebounds in the Sparks' win over the Seattle Storm on Thursday.
(Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)
By Brady Klopfer
The penultimate game of the regular season served as a chance for the Sparks to prove they're ready for the postseason. Facing off against a fellow playoff team in the Seattle Storm, the Sparks passed the test with flying colors.
With a start-to-finish dominance, the Sparks clinched the third seed in the playoffs, beating the Storm 102-68. The point total was a season-high for the Sparks, despite facing the third-ranked defense in the league. Propelled by 26 assists to just eight turnovers, and 54.7% shooting from the field, the offense came together in a way it hadn't all year.
"We're still trying to get better, and go into the playoffs with a winning mentality and momentum," said point guard Chelsea Gray, who had 12 points, nine assists and a buzzer-beating jumper to end the first half. "We see what we're like when we have spacing, and we're able to get stops."
It was a balanced attack for the Sparks, whose frontcourt made quick work of Seattle. Center Candace Parker led all scorers with 20 points and nine rebounds, while power forward Nneka Ogwumike had her 13th double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Second-year center Maria Vadeeva added 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench, as the Sparks pounded the glass for a 43-27 rebounding edge.
"When we came together in training camp, we looked up and down at our post group and were like, 'We are the most talented post group in the WNBA,'" said center Chiney Ogwumike, who added 12 points on five-for-six shooting. "You're pretty much witnessing us building chemistry on the fly, and finally things are making sense, largely because we're healthy."
The win gave the Sparks (21-12) their 13th consecutive win at home, where they'll finish the regular season on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx. But with their playoff standing already set, Los Angeles has nothing to play for but momentum and fine tuning. Well, that and a little bit of pride.
"We want to win that game," said Nneka Ogwumike. "It will allow us to work on some things, and work on that playoff preparation. Finishing the season with a win, that feels good going into the playoffs."
Though the Sparks will play it smart over the weekend, they don't intend to rest their stars.
"We're gonna prepare for it like it's a meaningful game," coach Derek Fisher said. "I think every chance you get to build habits you have to take, because we haven't had as many games with our fullroster."
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
Brady Klopfer
USC Sports
USC women's basketball team defeats No. 25 Washington State in overtime
Jordan Sanders scored 24 points and Endyia Rogers had nine of her 16 in overtime as USC beat No. 25 Washington State 81-77 on Friday at Galen Center.
Angels reach terms with seven players at start of international signing period
Ex-general manager Billy Eppler's influence was felt Friday when the Angels added seven amateur players, including Dominican shortstop Denzer Guzman.
The Timberwolves postponed their game Friday after Karl-Anthony Towns, whose mother and six other relatives have died from COVID-19, said he has tested positive.
Starr Andrews was named the recipient of a $25,000 award from the Mabel Fairbanks fund for the training and development of figure skaters of color.
Watch Eric Sondheimer and Randy Rosenbloom talk SoCal high school football
Coach Patrick Walsh from San Mateo Serra discusses the movement to bring back prep sports in California amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Shohei Ohtani heads to arbitration; Dylan Bundy and Andrew Heaney reach deals
Angels starters Andrew Heaney and Dylan Bundy avoided arbitration by agreeing to one-year deals, but Shohei Ohtani has not come to terms.
The Rams' Sean McVay and Packers' Matt LaFleur coached together in Washington and L.A. and now face off with an NFC championship game berth at stake.
Rams' Jalen Ramsey neutralized top receivers all year. Next up: Packers' Davante Adams
Dodgers replenish their farm system with 22 prospect signings
The Dodgers agreed to terms with a trio of highly regarded prospects among the 22 players they signed on the first day of the international signing period.
Letters: USC fans think Trojans are stuck in Clay
Letters from readers to the Los Angeles Times Sports department.


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KENYA POLICE SALARY SCALE 2020 AND PAYSLIP
By Sherif February 13, 2020 Kenya 0 Comments
Kenya Police Salary depends on the ranking of the policeman position and role they play in the force.
It is from this beginning that the concept of establishing a real police service was formed in Mombasa. In general, the duty and task of the police force are centered on protection of the business of the I.B.E.A. Company where the strength was mainly of Indian origin with a handful staff of some Africans who were referred to as 'Askaris". The duties of the police force were negligible in those early stages.
Kenya Police Rank
Pay Per Month
Total Per Year
Senior assistant inspector general 274,890 3,298,680
Assistant inspector general 187,890 2,254,680
Commissioner of police 130,590 1,567,080
Senior superintendent 85,890 1,030,680
Superintendent 73,020 876,240
Assistant superintendent 70,530 846,360
Chief inspector 59,220 710,640
Inspector of police 53,820 645,840
Senior sergeant 50,220 602,640
Sergeant 45,540 546,480
Corporal 42,660 511,920
Constable/ Fresh Graduate 32,880 394,560
Here is the Kenya Police Salary Payroll 2020 Including their ranks
The last time were increased by 100 percent which was in 2015 and will be reviewed after every 2-4 years.
The Kenyan Police Service currently reports to the Kenyan Inspector-General of Police, a department under the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government, one of the two ministries in the Office of the President.
The force fielded about 35,000 officers as of October 2003, and is divided into eleven services and has one training formations, who work in eight divisions in each province. Each division is headed by a Provincial Police Officer (PPO); each province is further divided into police divisions headed by an Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) normally which can be ranked or related to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). The police divisions are further divided into police stations headed by an Officer Commanding Police Station (OCS).
Kenyan Police Service is a national body saddled with the task of enforcing the law in Kenya. The Police force is organized at a national level, each arm reports to a County police Commander, which in turn divides the force under it by local Police Divisions headquartered at local police stations. All these setups and break down the report to the Kenyan Police Headquarter in Nairobi.
CURRENT STRUCTURE
The beginning and establishment of Kenya Police can be dated back to the period between 1887 – 1902, tracing its foundation on the company of the Imperial British East Africa (I.B.E.A.), and Sir William McKinnon, a businessman, who in the interest of protecting his business found it necessary to provide some form of protection (security) for his stores located along the coastline of Kenya.
The Vigilance House on Harambee Avenue in Nairobi's Central business district is the place where the police headquarters is located. The administrative and personnel matters affecting the force is attended to by the Deputy Inspector General. The Force standing orders which establish the establishment of various units within the police service and their scope of work governs Police force.
All units under the Kenya Police Force now enroll in specialized officer training. The World Police Academy in Canada and the Dallas Police Department in the USA are one of the international police training associations and the most notable that have been bestowed with this task.
The World Police Academy is a renown police training institution and also global security and police think tank. The institution offers democracies in developing countries the opportunity to introduce Canadian policing standards into the senior ranks of their police forces.
Kenya Police Salary Scale And Payslip
To be a police officer is among the most prestigious and respected professions one can ever get in Kenya. Along with the profession is status and good standing in the community. However, people have always wondered how much the Police officers take home at the end of every month of discharging their duty.
Kenya Police is seen like other professions, like the rate of their salaries or how much they are paid is dependent upon their educational level and the ranks they held in the police force. The Kenya police salary was increased by 100% In 2015, a move that motivated many policemen and women to celebrate as well as encourage them to work harder.
Kenya Police Salary structure is among the highest in the region after the salary increment which is aimed at improving services rendered by the force not until March 2018 when, however, the national police service salary was slashed by almost half, and this has raised an alarm in the police service causing disharmony
The Kenya Police are in jubilee and bliss every moth end until when the police jubilation metamorphosed into complaints and tears. Kenya police salary and allowances were reduced immensely.
A move made by the National police service commission has seen the police encounter salary and allowances pay cuts by as much as half of what they earn presently and many have seen the changes as a move some say is intended to scrap off the graduates who have been bringing home a better pay.
Those who already have their pay slips have grumbled and complained of losing money up to ksh 26,000 to the new move. This change, which likewise included imposing of tax has predominantly influenced fresh graduates (constables) and the disabled police who were injured in the line of duty.
KENYA POLICE ALLOWANCES
Kenya Police force is entitled to commuter, house, leave allowance etc. aside from their basic salary which they earn.
Our vision is to be a world-class police service, with a people-friendly, responsive and professional workforce.
The Kenyan Police are committed to providing the quality police service delivery to meet the expectations of our customers; by upholding the rule of law, creating and maintaining strong partnerships to foster a conducive social, economic and political development of Kenya.
CORE VALUES OF THE KENYA POLICE
Be proactive and responsive in the discharge of our duties:
Exercise integrity and courtesy at all time;
Cultivate and maintain a partnership with all stakeholders;
Create and maintain team spirit within the service;
Be fair and firm in all our undertakings;
Maintain a disciplined and professional workforce;
Be gender sensitive; and
Promote, protect and respect the human rights of our customers.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF KENYA POLICE
To Maintenance of law and order;
Preservation of peace;
Protection of life and property;
Prevention and detection of crime;
The apprehension of offenders; and
Enforcement of all laws and regulations with which it has been charged
Liaising with the ministry of foreign affairs on matters pertaining to foreign VIPs
Providing security for international conferences
To coordinate the security of Head of State and other state visitors
To handle internal and external conflicts
To study and be acquainted with crime trends and patterns and developing strategies for combating crime
To authorize the licensing of lost and found vehicles
To prepare and distribute daily crimes incident report and daily occurrence report
To ensure that insurance policies are consistent and observed
To ensure that there is no dumbing of transit goods
Preparing notice for Force orders
NIS KENYA SALARY SCALE AND STRUCTURE
KENYA PRISONS RANKS AND STRUCTURE
PARASTATAL SALARY SCALES IN KENYA
WORST PAYING JOBS IN KENYA
CONCLUSION ON KENYA POLICE SALARY SCALE AND PAYROLL
To be a police tasking and not an easy job. Sadly, the Kenya Police Salary and pay slip is currently not good considering the high cut of salary which has seen many of the existing police force to resign as well as arouse suspicion and controversy.
If not for the recent move made by the authority, the Kenyan police force enjoys a good salary which fostered them to give their best to the duties assigned them. But for as many that are willing to pick up the job regardless of the pay and are Kenyan nationals can go ahead and apply whenever an advert is placed.
Tag: Kenya Police Salary Scale And Payroll
MCA Salary In Kenya 2020
Parastatal Salary Scales In Kenya 2021
NIS KENYA Salary Scale 2021 And Structure
Information Copyright © 2021.


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În cadrul transportului rutier, un indicator de avertizare este un indicator rutier care indică existența unui pericol pe drumul public și care nu poate fi anticipat de către conducătorul auto.

În legislația română, cele mai cunoscute indicatoare rutiere de avertizare sunt:
 Curbă la stânga:
 Curbă la dreapta
 Curbă dublă sau o succesiune de mai multe curbe, prima la stânga:
 Curbă dublă sau o succesiune de mai multe curbe, prima la dreapta
 Curbă deosebit de periculoasă
 Coborâre periculoasă:
 Urcare cu inclinare mare
 Drum îngustat pe ambele părți:
 Drum îngustat pe partea dreaptă:
 Drum îngustat pe partea stângă
 Acostament periculos
 Drum aglomerat
 Tunel:
 Pod mobil:
 Ieșire spre un chei sau mal abrupt
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Sometimes you need to pull a rabbit out of your hat. On occasion you find that what you pulled out actually was more like a weasel or a marmot, but now and then it does turn out to be a rabbit, just as you'd hoped.
I'm preparing food for a cocktail party, which has to be all finger foods. I thought Asian chicken lettuce wraps would be good, never mind that I have never made them before. The filling part is easy enough – diced chicken, water chestnuts, peanuts, cilantro, scallions – but the dressing was another story. You can buy all kinds of bottled dressings and some of them taste okay, but it's fun to mix your own. If you have a well-stocked pantry with Asian ingredients, it's fast and easy.
Here is what I came up with. This started with a recipe for Vietnamese Chicken and Mint Salad from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson, and took off from there.
Combine all ingredients. Store in refrigerator. Remove star anise before using. Toss with diced chicken or shrimp for Asian lettuce wraps or as a salad dressing.
Use chili flakes, Sriracha, cayenne, or other hot peppers in place of the Jalapenos.
Nam pla (fish sauce) is available in Asian markets or well-stocked supermarkets. If necessary you can substitute soy sauce or tamari.
Black bean garlic sauce is available in Asian markets or well-stocked supermarkets. Leave it out if you can't find it.
Thai sweet chili sauce is available in Asian markets, supermarkets, and Trader Joe's. It is a thick sweet-spicy sauce that has a couple of million uses.
Posted in recipe and tagged Asian, chicken, dip, gluten free, salad dressing, sauce, vegan, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.
In the last post I talked about poaching chicken and having a lovely broth or stock left over as a result. Great stuff to have on hand to stir into sauces and make soup from – it's a staple in my kitchen. The fat rises to the top when it is chilled and it's ready to go.
Anyway. To clarify stock that's muddled and cloudy, heat the strained -of-bones-and-veg stock to simmering. While it's heating, for each quart of stock (more or less; you don't need to be precise) beat one egg white until thick and puffy.
Now: whisk that fluffy egg white into the simmering stock. Stir it around a time or two, then turn the heat UP and bring the stock to a boil. Immediately turn the heat OFF again, remove the pan from the heat, and let cool to warm-ish.
The nice white egg white will start to look like four-day-old New York snow.
Now get a clean dish towel – not a terry-cloth one, unless you enjoy chewy bits in your broth – and dampen it, then wring it out. Place the towel over a wire-mesh strainer and place that over a bowl, and pour the stock-egg mixture into the towel. Let it drain.
DO NOT DISTURB THIS. If you try to hurry it by shaking the strainer or pressing on the towel, you will get cloudy gunk in the broth, so LEAVE IT ALONE.
Store, covered, in the refrigerator about four days. This method works on any meat stock – chicken, beef, pork, lamb, whatever – and makes a sediment-y stock into a much more appetizing soup by itself.
Posted in pantry, recipe and tagged broth, chicken, gluten free, stock, technique. Bookmark the permalink.
For some years now I've been working on my roast chicken technique. For a while I tried roasting at a low (325F/162C) temperature, and the results were good, but it took forever to get done. I tried roasting it at 375F/190C which was faster, but I thought dried it out a bit. I tried putting the chicken on a rack like the fancy cookbooks tell you, and wound up having to wash the rack and get the little bits of skin off it, which is tedious donkey work, I'm telling you. I put chili powder under the skin and beer in the pan, started the chicken breast-down and flipping it to breast-up half way through, folded the wings akimbo, tied the legs, stuffed and unstuffed. I finally came to the conclusion that the best roast chicken was also the simplest. But I also thought that maybe plain roast chicken was just… too plain, and that it wasn't going to wow anyone except me.
When I met my husband eight years ago, he liked to make pan-fried chicken with gravy, and he was proud of it. I made various oven-fried chicken dishes, and some of them were pretty good. We made beer-can chicken, which is good but kind of a gimmick, and it takes forever. About two years ago I decided to make my plain roast chicken for him. It smelled really good as it roasted… brought it to the table… served it up. He hasn't made fried chicken since. He couldn't believe that I had been making this for myself all these years but never for him. I think if we hadn't already been married that it would have sealed the deal.
Moral of the story: don't reveal all your tricks at once. Hold back some of the clever things you know how to do. Bring them out when you feel like showing off.
It always surprises me that people don't make roast chicken, preferring instead to buy a packet of Shake & Bake or a jar of Chicken Tonight (do they still make that?) or pour a can of Campbell's Cream of WTF over an innocent chicken. But then I look at the recipes online: Ina Garten's recipe for "Perfect Roast Chicken" takes 11 ingredients including a bulb of fennel. Tyler Florence's "The Ultimate Roast Chicken" involves six strips of bacon and three bunches of fresh herbs. And so on. No wonder people don't roast chicken – they think they have to buy all this other stuff.
Well, you don't. All you need, really, is a chicken. Of course it will be a little fancier and taste a little more special with some seasonings, but really, you don't need to run to Dean and DeLuca. And I've never trussed a chicken and don't intend to start now. This is easy comfort food at its simplest and best but is also appropriate for a very fancy dinner. I think this is a dish aspiring cooks should learn to make: it's the little black dress of cooking.
Below: this is what I use. Salt, freshly ground pepper, thyme from the garden, fresh lemon, homemade lemon pepper (see previous post), and wine. But just salt and pepper would be fine too.
So you've got a chicken, which presumably is thawed. If the cavity is still frozen, run water into it so you can remove the contents. Below, clockwise from top left: fat globules pulled from the chicken's bum, the heart, the gizzard, the liver, the neck. You can throw them away if you want. You can cook the heart, gizzard, and liver, chop them, and give them to your cat. You can render the fat to make schmaltz and gribenes. Or you can do what I do, and add them to the pan.
If you're using a lemon, rub the chicken all over with the cut side, squeezing it as you go. This will cut surface bacteria and freshen the meat – sometimes a chicken just removed from its plastic bag has a slightly plastic-y smell. (If it has an OBVIOUSLY off smell, take it back to the store pronto.) Squeeze the juice inside too. Sometimes I put the squeezed-out rinds in the cavity while it roasts.
There is ample room under the skin to fit your hand (remove your rings first!) so you can easily season the breast meat – which tends to be very bland. Here I am pushing some thyme leaves under the skin. The skin is attached by a very thin membrane right down the breastbone. You can ignore it and work around it, or you can cut it with scissors or a knife, or carefully break it with your fingers. Doesn't matter.
If you don't like thyme or don't have any, you can use fresh minced parsley (use the flat-leaf Italian parsley; it has MUCH more flavor than the curly decorative kind), chopped rosemary, tarragon, cilantro, or whatever fresh herb floats your boat. Or don't use any. But you probably want to rub some salt and freshly ground pepper under and over the skin, all over the chicken, including in the cavity. I also use lemon pepper here, but again, that is up to you.
Below: a chicken all dressed up with seasonings. I've put the giblets in the pan and poured in some white wine. I also added a little water and some chicken broth. Use one, two, or three – or none, if you like, but I like to have a goodly amount of liquid – about 1 inch – in the pan to make gravy with after the chix is done. If you don't, that's fine.
OK. Put the chicken in the oven and set the oven at 350F (you don't need to preheat the oven for this). Go away for a while.
You can baste the chicken if you want. I do, but I'm not sure it makes any difference. It makes me feel useful, though.
At this point I threw in some halved mushrooms because we had some that needed to be used, Certainly not required.
After 1 1/2 hours, the chicken is starting to look relaxed.
When is the chicken done? Most cookbooks tell you to use a thermometer, either the type that you leave in during the entire cooking process or the instant-read type, and you can certainly do this. Myself, I gauge it by the leg wiggle test: if the leg wiggles easily, it's done. If the skin appears to be getting too dark, loosely tent a sheet of aluminum foil over it.
This chicken was about 5 1/2 pounds, so it roasted about 2 hours before I judged it done. When it came out of the oven the last time, I moved it and the giblets to a plate and poured the broth left in the casserole dish into a pot so my husband could skim off the excess fat and make gravy.
Cornish game hens are roasted exactly the same way, though they will take only about 45 minutes to an hour. And do take the plastic wrap off first.
Mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water in a cup. Pour the broth into a saucepan, skim off excess fat with a spoon, and heat until just starting to simmer. Slowly pour in about half of the cornstarch slurry, stirring constantly. Adjust the heat so it doesn't boil hard and keep stirring. The gravy will thicken; if it isn't as thick as you like, add more of the slurry until it thickens to your preference. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Posted in recipe and tagged chicken, gluten free, technique. Bookmark the permalink.


Breaking Bad is/ was a masterpiece. It's actually a show that brought my father and I even closer as it's one of the first shows that he and I watched like children each week for the last 3 seasons.
A true achievement of the best of Hollywood and American storytelling, the tale of a decent man gone bad can be looked at as the tale of a bad man who tried (and failed) to be good. While I will always think Jesse (Aaron Paul) was a punk who deserved to die along with some of the series other memorable characters--the fact remains that it is easily one of the best written and incredibly well-acted dramas of all time (seriously, Brian Cranston, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris and Giancarlo Esposito turned in some of the most amazing heartfelt performances).
Our very own Whyt Manga (Odunze Oguguo), the creator of our EXCLUSIVE MANGA, APPLE BLACK loved the show as well and took his own shot at immortalizing this incredible show with watercolors for a truly excellent depiction of Walter White's evil drug kingpin, Heisenberg. While there were many webcomic type promotional tools on AMC --- Whyt's work does make you wonder about this as an ongoing manga....hmmm?


Running a business is nothing if not a learning experience. Every day presents a situation that you haven't encountered before, and you have to be ready to shift your perspective and learn quickly in order to adapt. Here are a few tidbits of information that I've learned (sometimes the hard way) so far as we've been running Zen.
Save more information than you think you'll need.
Disk space is cheap, and it's much more difficult to migrate (or generate) missing data after-the-fact than it is to collect it when something happens. At a minimum, you should have a transaction table that captures everything that happens in your system. That way, you can always use this table as a last resort to create new data if you need to in the future. Be sure to listen when your conscience says YAGNI, but never trade off knowledge for extra disk space.
Instead of actually deleting information from your database, just flag it with a "tombstone" and leave the record there. Not only does that allow you to recover data if a user accidentally deletes it, but maintaining the relationships between entities makes managing the data much simpler. Sure, you end up with stale data in your database, but you can always prune it after a certain period of time to clean things up – and since this pruning operation takes place out-of-band, if it doesn't work perfectly your users aren't bothered by it.
Don't underestimate the cost of meta-work.
Don't skimp on administrative software.
Information is power, so make sure your system tells you when things happen. Write reporting and management screens. Make your software send you emails when things happen. Balance this against the previous point, but just because something isn't customer-facing doesn't make it wasteful – if an administrative screen or report helps you to serve your customers better, it adds real value. Don't do too much up front; instead, wait until you recognize opportunities to improve your operations, and pick the low-hanging fruit.
Here here on the soft-delete! I've done a couple projects now where I wish I soft deleted everything. Sometimes having ON DELETE CASCADE on every foreign key relation is quite scary.
Great work on Agile Zen – keep it up!
Agreed on meta-work. Sometimes it is worthwhile to spend some time on things that are necessary, but not really part of the user experience.
I'm curious though what you mean when you say that your billing system is one of the most complex in the system. I'd have thought it would be fairly straightforward service that looks at your customer records, and once per month triggers the billing process.


In landscape photography, panoramas are always hugely popular with both audiences and photographers alike. Let's take a look at how to get panoramic shots that really wow people.
Orientation & Focal Length – Portrait or Landscape?
Hands down no questions asked; if you intend to take headache free, good quality panoramas, shoot in portrait orientation. There are a number of reasons why but the most noteworthy is because it will be easier to stitch. It will also aid a good composition but I'll touch on that later.
"Do you need an expensive wide angle lens for panoramas?" No. In fact they'll give you issues. Wide angles are great but they're notorious for distortion, there's no way around it. They like to streeeetch the edges. They're also prone to heavier than usual vignetting (that darkness that comes in from the corners).
"So what do you recommend?" Well I'm glad you asked. Anything in the mid zoom range. For those full frame shooters out there something between 35 & 80mm. APC cameras (Nikon D5000 3000 7000 series, Canon Kiss, Rebel, 500, 600, 60, 7D series, Sony Alpha, Nex etc) I'd recommend something in the 28-50mm range. Prime lenses are great for sharpness but not essential.
Overlap, How Much is Too Much?
In order for the software to do all that clever merging, blending and stitching it needs a reference point to work out what goes where. Or more importantly, a big enough reference point. In my experience 30% overlap is perfect. With 30% overlap you should be able to capture a scene in 5-6 successive shots. If you start shooting too many frames, things start to get a little tricky.
Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO White Balance, Focus – manually control them all. Make sure you have the camera in Manual. Set your aperture, I won't go too much into which aperture, I'm going to assume you have a vague grasp on that already. (Check out our guide to depth of field for more about aperture – Ed.) Do the same with Shutter Speed and ISO.
Now here's the one I see miss all the time – set your White Balance. You don't need a grey card or anything fancy, just set it to 'Daylight' or 5200k. This will ensure your blues are blue and your yellows are yellow. Most importantly though, it will make sure each of your frames are the same colour temperature.
Focus; set this to manual too. If you have a camera with 'Live View' (most of them do), turn it on. Canons, Nikons and most others will have a 10x magnification button. Zoom in (not with your lens but with this button) and adjust your focus. Don't focus on the closest object though, pick something that is roughly one third of the frame in, and focus on that.
Using Live View will also help to reduce shake and movement when you hit the shutter. Turn off Stabilisation or Vibration Reduction and I also expect to see you using a cable release!
Nodal Point, What is it and Why Should I Care?
It goes without question that you should be using a good quality tripod for stitching images, but are you using the right head? Probably not. Panning or pivoting your camera on standard tripod head will cause big issues. The closer you are to your subject the bigger the issue.
The easiest way to explain this is with a small experiment. While looking through your camera viewfinder hold up something in front on the lens, your fingers work best. Hold them so you can still see glimpses of the background between your fingers. Now, pivot the camera left and right as if it was on your tripod… watch what happens to the background. Your fingers begin to hide different parts of your background.
As luck would have it, manufactures out there have developed tripod heads to factor this out. They're called Nodal Point Tripod Heads. One of the more common ones is the 'Nodal Ninja'. Each camera and lens combination has a different nodal point, a point that virtually eliminates this effect.
"Do I really need one?" If you're serious about panoramic photography then yes! In the meantime you can practice without one and see if this style of photography is for you. Choose distant subjects to minimize the effect.
The biggest mistake I see with panoramic photography is people get too caught up in the moment they forget the composition guidelines; rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, focal point and foreground interest. It's an easy thing to do. I did it initially too but just trust me on this. It will make the difference between having something that looks okay as multiple screen wallpaper and something that looks amazing as a framed print on the wall.
If you have trouble visualising a panorama you can cut a piece of card and look through it. 3:1 is the most common ratio but there are no right or wrong ratios.
High Dynamic Range images are everywhere. I'm sure you know all about them. Personally I'm not a fan. In my opinion nothing beats the natural look of a good quality GND (Graduated Neutral Density) filter. By 'good quality' I'm referring to brands like Lee. They're not cheap but they won't give you a horrible magenta colour cast like their less expensive competitors.
You can use GND filters when stitching but it's critical that your tripod (and pan movement) is level. A level tripod is essential for a good panoramic shot regardless.
Granted there a few limited times you can use them and get away with it, like in the jungle but as general rule, don't use them and a avoid the disappointment.
You've got the shots now what? Let the software do the rest. There many dedicated software packages for stitching, some paid and some free. I've tried most of them. PTGUI, AutoPano but I found recent versions of Photoshop gave the most consistent accurate results. Do your own experiments though, if one application doesn't work try another.
I don't stitch photographs anymore, nor use Photoshop for that matter but if you would like to check out some panoramic photography examples, please feel free to visit the website.


This is a little over due, but I recently hit 201 followers on this blog. I want to say thank you to each and everyone of you.
I can't say how much I appreciate everyone who has read something here, commented, followed me, shared or just shown interest.
Your support has been amazing, and I've had some great feedback from people. Thank you for the help, thank you for your time.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Books, Fantasy, Horror, Novels, Reading, Self publishing, Self-Published, Short Stories, Stories, Thank you, Writing, young adult stories. Bookmark the permalink.


Find out your Baby's Gender today and Enjoy Mobile Pregnancy right away !!!
Share the progress of your pregnancy with others !!!
With Mobile Pregnancy have all your pregnancy information and calculations right with you at all times. Share the important dates of your pregnancy with your Significant Other, Mom, Sister, Best friend, or any other special person in your life no matter how far they are from you.
What is a Mobile Pregnancy?
How do I install the Mobile Pregnancy?
Does it cost money to send text messaging through Mobile Pregnancy?
Mobile Pregnancy allows you to have your pregnancy information on your cell phone. You are also able to send a text message containing your pregnancy information and progress to the recipient you select.
Mobile Pregnancy can be installed directly from your cell phone browser.
We do not charge you for this service; however it depends on your current cell phone provider and settings.


Post Malone has become a solid artist to watch on stage lately so his performance at tonight's American Music Awards was much anticipated.
Posty was joined by the one and only Ty Dolla Sign for their hit song 'Psycho', taken from his chart topping album, Beerbongs & Bentleys. He also surprised the crowd by delivering a solo performance of his current Billboard Hot 100 top 5 single 'Better Now'. Earlier tonight, Post Malone won the award for Favorite Male artist Pop/Rock.
Watch Posty perform and debut his new haircut at the awards, below.


Crafty event to celebrate Servine!
RUINS IS NOW HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE GONE MOBILE!!
WATCH FOR OUR FUN MOBILE WORKSHOPS OFFERED AT VARIOUS VENUES!
Book a private event with Ruins Decor. Contact us to host your own classes at your business or one of our partner venues.


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Weighing the relative racism of different candidates in the hopes of arriving at the choice as to who will do the least damage is nothing new to black voters. In fact, it's a big reason why Mike Bloomberg and his bottomless coffers have been attracting black folks concerned first and foremost with ousting Donald Trump, who became president by appealing to white resentment.
But an audio recording of Bloomberg recirculating this week was a stark reminder about Bloomberg's imperious approach to black lives. He explained that he had police officers flood black and brown neighborhoods because "that's where all the crime is," while also falsely asserting that "95 percent" of "murderers and murder victims" are "male, minorities, 16 to 25. That's true in New York, that's true in virtually every city."


Acquire the basic computer skills required for employment as an Allied Health professional. Learn the fundamentals of Microsoft Windows, file management, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Access. Along with learning the basic components of the computer, students will learn to navigate the desktop; store and retrieve files; create, save and print a Word document; work with formulas and tables in an Excel spreadsheet; and create and modify an Access database. Purchase of textbook and USB flash drive required. Senior adult and disabled retiree course fee waivers apply. Transcript available.
Effective communication is essential in the healthcare environment. This course emphasizes the principles common to written and oral communications from a business perspective. Topics include the art of communication, telephone procedures, mail processing, electronic communication, and the use of social media. Textbook required and available in the College Store. Senior adult and disabled retiree tuition waivers apply. Transcript available.
Gain the opportunity to launch your career as an entry-level medical office professional! During this "real world" experience, you will build professional relationships and demonstrate the technical skills you learned in the classroom. The externship consists of a supervised, individually scheduled, forty-hour clinical assignment in a healthcare facility. Prerequisite: Medical Office Processes. No textbook required. Senior adult and disabled retiree tuition waivers apply. Transcript available.
Must enroll in 25361. Placement can take up to 3 months.
Prepare for a career as an entry-level medical office professional by learning to use computer software to manage an office. Topics include communication, medical records management, patient accounts, claim submission, and general office procedures. You must be at least 18 years old and possess a high school diploma or GED. Prerequisites are Foundations of Healthcare, HIPAA Compliance, Healthcare Externship Preparation, Healthcare Professionalism, Healthcare Provider CPR, Introduction to Business Computing, Law & Medical Ethics, Medical Business Writing & Communication, and Medical Terminology. You may test out of HIPAA and Medical Terminology by making an appointment at the Test Center (443-412-2352) and requesting exams for HIPAA (HIPA) and/or Medical Terminology (MTER). Textbook required and available in the College Store. Senior adult and disabled retiree tuition waivers apply. Transcript available.


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animals wildlife
Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest
One of the reasons I wanted to start this project was to learn about the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. We share this region with a plethora of wild animals, animals that rely on the same ecosystem we do and are significantly affected by human action and intervention. And there are so many animals that also live here, whether we realize it or not!
There are plenty of animals that you can see fairly easy, depending on where you live. There are robins, seagulls, squirrels, deer, raccoons, salmon, and stellar jays. But there are also blue herons, orcas, coyotes, cougars, otters, and so much more. If you keep your eyes open and always curious, there are so many animals all around us!
Here are just some of the amazing wild animals that call the Northwest home:
California Gray Whale
Roughly the size of a bus, these whales are some of the world's greatest migrators and some make the 12,500 mile round trip from Alaska to Mexico. Gray whales are roughly 40-50 feet in length, weigh around 30-40 tons, and live in pods. Because they're covered in parasites and other organisms, they often look like a crusty ocean rock.
Last spring (around March of 2018), gray whale sightings were actually up along the coasts of the northwest! This was in part because of the beautiful weather we had last spring (which resulted in more people out and about and noticing the whales) but according to the American Cetacean Society, there seems to be a population growth in some gray whale pods over the last couple years!
Where It's Okay to Pet the Whales by Thomas P. Peschak, National Geographic
One great place to learn more about the gray whales that pass by the northwest and to potentially see some would be the Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay, Oregon. It's open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
River Otters
In addition to sea otters, the Northwest also has river otters! While they might look strikingly similar, these otters are different from their seagoing cousins. River otters can be found in fresh, brackish (mix of fresh and salt), and/or salt water while sea otters are almost always found in salt water. Plus, sea otters will spend most of their lives in the sea and generally come to land for the occasional rest or to give birth. River otters, on the other hand, have been known to travel on land for considerable distances.
You Otter Know: The Difference Between Sea and River Otters by Deanna Lynch/USFWS
River otters are also much smaller than sea otters, weighing around 30 pounds compared to a sea otter's weight of 50-100 pounds. River otters are less social than sea otters, with family groups generally consisting of a mother and her pups while adult males are solitary. Some family groups might include an adult male and female with a litter of pups or even a group of bachelor males. Female river otters can also experience delayed implantation, which means that the fertilized egg doesn't immediately attach to the uterine wall for some time. Because of that, a river otter's gestation can range from 285 to 375 days!
Roosevelt Elk
Named after Theodore Roosevelt, these elk are the largest of the North American elk subspecies and primarily live in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Roosevelt elk often migrate seasonally, usually moving from the mountains in the summer to lower elevations in the winter to avoid storms. However, there are a few herds in the Hoh Rain Forest on the Olympic Peninsula that generally stay in the forest year round. The Olympic National Park is also home to the largest unmanaged herd in the Pacific Northwest. There are almost 5,000 elk in that herd!
Roosevelt elk are large in size, often weighing 700-875 pounds but bulls in Alaska have been known to weigh almost 1,300 pounds! Their antlers are also large, beautiful, and serve a variety of purposes. Males will grow their antlers in the spring and will often use them to fight with other males during the fall over the right to mate with female elk.
Tufted Puffins
These cute black, white, and orange birds were once considered to be prevalent birds in the northwest, with around 44 nesting colonies documented in the state of Washington at one point. Over the last few decades, their populations have been declining and now, these birds are considered endangered. Currently, there are an estimated 2,958 tufted puffins in Washington state, compared to the ~25,000 birds that lived in the area in the early 20th century.
Tufted puffins are a unique bird and look like a cross between a parrot and a penguin. Their bright orange beaks, white face, and black body make them quite indistinguishable!
While these birds are endangered and their populations are low, it is possible to see them in the wild if you're lucky! Like with any wild animal (and especially those who are endangered), it's important to give these birds and their habitats some space. These birds are seabirds and have been known to spend long stretches of time out on the ocean. However, tufted puffins do come back to the Pacific Northwest coast (and other areas) during the spring and summer to breed and raise their young.
One great place to see tufted puffins is Oregon's Cannon Beach during the summer (especially in early July). But if you're not able to see the puffins in the wild, there are a few places around the northwest that care for a couple puffins!
Alaska SeaLife Centre in Seward, Alaska
Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon
Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington
This animals, of course, are just some of the many animals that also call the Northwest home and numerous others coexist with humans and animals alike. I'll continue to write about all kinds of wildlife that call this place home and I hope you'll join along.
Tagsanimals • birds • California gray whale • elk • otter • roosevelt elk • salish sea • tufted puffin • whale • wild animals • wildlife
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Displaying items by tag: DublinLiverpool
Ferry For Falmouth
#FERRY NEWS – European Endeavour (2000/ 24,046grt), the largest of three ferries running for P&O's Dublin-Liverpool route departed from the capital's port this afternoon bound for A&P Groups dry-dock facility in Falmouth, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The former Dover-Calais serving ferry started working on the Irish Sea on a full-time basis last year as previously reported. Her fleetmates are the 17,000 tonnes sisters Norbank and Norbay.
The trio of ro-pax ferries are to a design where freight is predominately the main cargo and passenger capacity is reduced considerably compared to most conventional ferries. European Endeavour can handle 130 lorries and accommodate 210 passengers whereas her fleetmates are the reverse with greater freight capacity for 150 freight units and a reduced capacity for 114 passengers.
P&O are the only ferry firm on the route providing passenger and car ferry service though they do not cater for 'foot' passengers. Their rivals Seatruck Ferries offer the only dedicated freight-operation on a network of routes on the north Irish Sea including the Liffey-Mersey link, where in recent months new tonnage has entered service.
Published in Ferry
DublinLiverpool
European Endeavour
RoPax
Irish Sea Ferries
Irish Sea ferry news
Norbank
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A&P Falmouth
Seatruck Ferries
Seatruck FGS newbuilds
Summer Debut for Final Seatruck Newbuild
#FERRY NEWS – The final of the quartet of new ro-ro freight vessels, Seatruck Precision was launched last week from the FSG Flensburg Yard, Germany, according to the Irish Trucker.
The compact and energy-efficient vessel, which has a capacity of up to 151 trailers was named by Mrs Lynn McBurney, wife of Seatruck customer Norman McBurney, founder of McBurney Transport - one of Ireland's largest independent haulage companies.
Seatruck Precision in June will join her three sisters on Seatruck's unaccompanied freight routes across the Irish Sea. The first newbuilding, Seatruck Progress (click HERE) operates on the Dublin-Liverpool – route. The second newbuild, Seatruck Power, joined the central corridor route in February while the third newcomer, Seatruck Performance which was launched in January, is to start operating in the Irish Sea next month.
For more on this story in the Irish Trucker click HERE.
FGS Flensberg
Seatruck newbuilds
Irish Sea roro newbuilds
Sister Powers On to Liverpool Route
#FREIGHT FERRY NEWS- Seatruck Power (2011/19,722grt) made her debut on the Dublin-Liverpool route last week, bringing an additional boost to freight capacity and follows her sister which only entered service in December, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The newbuild joins the leadship Seatruck Progress (see related report) on the central corridor service and another pair are due for completion by mid-year and are to be deployed on Seatruck's other Irish Sea routes.
The quartet, were all ordered from the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) yard in Germany. At 142m long, each of the 150-unit capacity newbuilds carry an additional 35 units compared to the 'P' class vessels, in which two of these vessels have been replaced from the Liverpool route.
Each sister has space for 2,166 lane freight metres spread across four decks, where on this particular deck hazardous and refrigerated cargo can be handled. They are also designed to carry rolling project cargo and heavy-lift items.
Irish Sea freight ferries
Seatruck Power
Seatruck Progress
FGS Shipyard
Another Good Performance From Seatruck
#FREIGHT FERRY - The third of four newbuilds, Seatruck Performance was launched at the FGS Flensburg Yard, Germany, last week, according to The Motorship.
The first of the newbuildings, Seatruck Progress, is now operating on the Dublin-Liverpool route. The second in the series, Seatruck Power, will join this route in mid-February (see previous report HERE). The third vessel, Seatruck Performance, will begin operations in the Irish Sea in April and the final ferry will be launched at FSG at the end of March and is due to enter service in June.
All four ships will operate mainly in the Irish Sea. They are 142m long and 25m wide, boast a freight-carrying capacity of 2,166 lane-metres on four decks and can carry up to 155 trailers.
The FSG ships are the most efficient and modern in the Seatruck fleet, and will be the biggest to operate out of the port of Heysham, the length being determined by the size of this port.
FSG engineers designed the ships for eco-friendliness and low fuel consumption. Compared to conventional ships, they are said to consume up to 30% less fuel, saving costs and representing a significant contribution to environmental protection.
Seatruck Performance
FGS Flensburger
Irish Sea freight ferry news
Seatruck Newbuild Making Progress On Irish Sea
#FERRY NEWS -Seatruck Ferries newbuild freight-only ferry, Seatruck Progress carried out berthing trials in Dublin Port yesterday in preparation to her debut on the Liverpool route over the festive period, writes Jehan Ashmore.
This was the inaugural call to the capital, though she had sailed across Dublin Bay earlier this month (as previously reported - click HERE) during her delivery voyage to Liverpool from German shipbuilders FGS Flensburger.
At 142 metres long and with a beam of 24 metres, the four decked ro-ro vessel, offers more capacity to the routes existing pair of 'Point' class vessels, as she can handle an extra 35 trailer units (each of 13.5m) than the Clipper Point and Clipper Pennant.
In February, the newcomer's second sister out of four on order, Seatruck Power is set to join her on the central corridor route.
Seatruck are the only Irish Sea operator dedicated to the carriage of un-accompanied freight traffic, though the vessels can cater for driver accompanied units with a limited number of cabins.
FreightFerry
Clipper Pennant
Clipper Point
Dublin Shipping
Unaccompanied units
Irish Sea freight market
FGS Flenburger
Seatruck Newbuild Makes a Fleeting Appearance
#FERRY NEWS-Seatruck Progress (5,300 dwt) the new freight-only ro-ro, due to enter Seatruck Ferries Dublin-Liverpool service this month, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, sailed past Dublin Bay on Tuesday. She continued her overnight delivery voyage to arrive in Liverpool yesterday, fresh from German builders, FGS Flensburg, writes Jehan Ashmore.
As the newbuild approached Dublin Bay, she set a course to the east of the Burford Bank buoys where she continued her voyage to Liverpool, entering the Bootle docks through Langton Lock.
The Douglas registered ro-ro is to be joined by her fleetmate, Seatruck Power on the central corridor service next February. Each of the 21-knot quartet measure 142m long, have a beam of 24m and cater for 2,166 lane freight-metres with the use of an added upper fourth deck.
The increased capacity will enable un-accompanied trailer units to reach 70 on each of the sailings, which are currently served by smaller 'P' series ro-ro's Clipper Point and Clipper Pennant. These vessels were also commissioned by Seatruck from Spanish shipyards and entered servvice several years ago.
Seatruck which is a subsidiary of the Danish-owned Clipper Group, is set to expand the fleet as the Irish Sea's only freight-only operator with a futher pair of the same class from FGS, which are due for delivery in the first-half of 2012. According to Seatruck, these newbuilds are likely to be deployed on the company's other Irish Sea routes.
Dublin Bay News
FGS Flensburg
Ports & Shipping news
Irish Sea freightferry market
Burford Bank
Seatruck's New Freight-Ferry on Delivery Voyage
#FERRY NEWS-Seatruck Progress (photo), the first of two 18,900 gross tonnes ro-ro newbuilds due to enter on Seatruck Ferries Dublin-Liverpool route, is en -route in the English Channel today from German builders, FGS Flensburg, writes Jehan Ashmore.
Her sister Seatruck Power is due to join her fleetmate on the central corridor service by mid-February. In addition Seatruck have on order another pair of the same class from FGS which are to be completed in 2012 and are likely to be deployed on the company's other Irish Sea routes.
The new quartet each measure 142m and will offer 2,166 lane freight-metres spread over four decks. They will each have a capacity of 150 units, 35 more than Seatruck's current P Series vessels in which Clipper Point and Clipper Pennant are currently employed on the route.
The company operate 80 sailings per week on four routes: Dublin-Liverpool,Dublin- Heysham, Warrenpoint-Heysham and Larne-Heysham. The newbuilds will also be the largest vessels ever to operate out of Heysham.
In the last two years freight volumes doubled and Seatruck has 20% of the Irish Sea market as against 3.7% in 2004. This year Seatruck will ship 300,000 units on the Irish Sea and with the fleet expansion this total will grow substantially in 2012.
Newbuilds
Irish Sea ferightferry newbuilds
Seatruck's New Freight-Ferry to Make December Debut
# FERRY NEWS- Next month, Seatruck Ferries will introduce Seatruck Progress, the first of four new 5,300dwt 'Heysham' max freight-only vessels on the Dublin-Liverpool service, according to a report in LloydsList.com
Seatruck Progress was launched in August from the FGS Flenberg Yard in Germany, she has a capacity for 150 trailer-units, 35 more than the central corridors existing 'P' class sisters Clipper Point and Clipper Pennant with the extra lane metres totalling 2,166m coming from a fourth deck. The older sisters will both be replaced when the second newbuild Seatruck Power (for previous report click HERE) comes on stream in mid-February 2012.
Seatruck, which claims 20% of the Irish Sea market compared to just 3.7% in 2004, says it will transport 300,000 units in 2011 on its four routes: Dublin-Liverpool, Dublin-Heysham, Warrenpoint-Heysham and Larne-Larne. With the introduction of the newer larger vessels, Seatruck is aiming at the 45% of Irish Sea freight market that is still driver-accompanied.
Alistair Eagles, MD of Seatruck (Irish Sea) says that his company's share of unaccompanied freight volumes is set to grow in 2012, although the total Irish Sea ro-ro market is set to remain static next year, but better than a 1% decline in 2011.
Mr Eagles said: "We believe that our sector of the market — freight-only unaccompanied — will continue to grow. By offering pure freight services we can keep the costs down relatively lower compared with the combined passenger and freight ferry operators.
"We are seeing a switch away from driver-accompanied shipments because hauliers can save quite a lot of money."
Seatruck also benefited from a radical shake-up on the Irish Sea ferry market, with largescale withdrawals of capacity by DFDS and other changes, notably taking over the Dublin-Heysham route in February, to read more click HERE. The route is served by the chartered 120-unit Anglia Seaways which has accommodation for 12 drivers.
As for the remaining newbuild pair, they are scheduled for delivery from FGS during the first half of 2012 and deployed on yet-to-be announced routes. Like the new quartet, the same number were ordered of the 'P' class which entered service from 2008 onwards which included Clipper Pace and Clipper Panorama which currently operate 22 weekly sailings on the Warrenpoint-Heysham route.
Seatruck also operate Clipper Ranger and Arrow on Larne-Heysham sailings, where they each provide a capacity of 65 units and offer driver accompanied traffic with accommodation in en-suite cabins.
DFDS Seaways
Ports and Shipping News
Freightferries
FGS Flenburg
Alistair Eagles CEO Seatruck
New Seatruck Freight-Ferry to make December Debut on Dublin-Liverpool Service
# FERRY NEWS- Next month, Seatruck Ferries will introduce Seatruck Progress, the first of four new 5,300dwt 'Heysham'-max freight-only ferries, on the Dublin-Liverpool service, according to a report in LloydsList.com
Seatruck Progress was launched in August from the FGS Flenberg Yard in Germany, she has a capacity for 150 units, 35 more than the central corridors existing 'P' class sisters Clipper Point and Clipper Pennant with the extra lane metres totalling 2,166m coming from a fourth deck.
The older sisters will both be replaced when the second newbuild Seatruck Power (for previous report click HERE) comes on stream in mid-February 2012.
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Launching of M.V. Seatruck Power at FGS, Germany
As for the remaining newbuild pair, they are scheduled for delivery from FGS during the first half of 2012 and deployed on yet-to-be announced routes. Like the new quartet, the same number were ordered of the 'P' class which entered service from 2008 onwards which included Clipper Pace and Clipper Panorama which currently operate 22 weekly on Warrenpoint-Heysham sailings.
Seatruck also operate Clipper Ranger and Arrow on Larne-Heysham sailings where they each provide a capacity of 65 units and offer a limited number of driver accompanied traffic accommodation in en-suite cabins.
Llods List
Heysham max newbuilds
Clipper Pace
DubliHeysham
WarrenpointHeysham
LarneHeysham
Unaccompnained trailer traffic
freightonly ferries
First Heysham-Max Newbuild Launched for Seatruck Ferries
The first of four freight-only ferries for Irish Sea operator Seatruck Ferries was launched last week according to The Motorship.
Measuring 18,920 gross tonnes the Seatruck Progrees built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) in Germany is due for delivery in November with the final newbuild scheduled for completion in June 2012. The vessels are 142m long and have a width of 25m and with 2,166 lane metres, capable of carrying over 150 commercial vehciles spread across four decks.
The quartet of Heysham-Max class vessels are the largest ever vessels built to operate from the Cumbrian port which has determined the length of the new ships. Despite the restrictions imposed by the dimensions of the port, the optimum cargo-load of the newbuilds were achieved by positioning the deckhouse forward so to guarantee un-hampered loading of the upper decks.
Propulsion is from two MAN 7L48/60CR main engines of 2 x 8,000kW providing 21 knots. The powerplant is designed to meet rigorous emission and fuel consumption demands, according to FSG managing director Peter Sierk.
Irish Sea freightonly operator
HeyshamMax newbuilds
FlensburgerSchiffbauGesellschaft
Marine Science Perhaps it is the work of the Irish research vessel RV Celtic Explorer out in the Atlantic Ocean that best highlights the essential nature of marine research, development and sustainable management, through which Ireland is developing a strong and well-deserved reputation as an emerging centre of excellence. From Wavebob Ocean energy technology to aquaculture to weather buoys and oil exploration these pages document the work of Irish marine science and how Irish scientists have secured prominent roles in many European and international marine science bodies.
At A Glance – Ocean Facts
71% of the earth's surface is covered by the ocean
The ocean is responsible for the water cycle, which affects our weather
The ocean absorbs 30% of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by human activity
The real map of Ireland has a seabed territory ten times the size of its land area
The ocean is the support system of our planet.
Over half of the oxygen we breathe was produced in the ocean
The global market for seaweed is valued at approximately €5.4 billion
· Coral reefs are among the oldest ecosystems in the world — at 230 million years
1.9 million people live within 5km of the coast in Ireland
Ocean waters hold nearly 20 million tons of gold. If we could mine all of the gold from the ocean, we would have enough to give every person on earth 9lbs of the precious metal!
Aquaculture is the fastest growing food sector in the world – Ireland is ranked 7th largest aquaculture producer in the EU
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world, covering 20% of the earth's surface. Out of all the oceans, the Atlantic Ocean is the saltiest
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. It's bigger than all the continents put together
Ireland is surrounded by some of the most productive fishing grounds in Europe, with Irish commercial fish landings worth around €200 million annually
97% of the earth's water is in the ocean
The ocean provides the greatest amount of the world's protein consumed by humans
Plastic affects 700 species in the oceans from plankton to whales.
Only 10% of the oceans have been explored.
8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, equal to dumping a garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute.
12 humans have walked on the moon but only 3 humans have been to the deepest part of the ocean.
(Ref: Marine Institute)


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Loris Karius confirmed as Liverpool FC number one keeper
The German will start against Hull on Saturday after beating Simon Mignolet to the spot
James Pearce
Loris Karius will start against Hull City on Saturday after being confirmed as Liverpool FC's new number one.
The German keeper, who signed from Mainz for £4.7m in the summer, made his debut in the 3-0 victory over Derby County on Tuesday and did enough to get the job full time.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the keepers were informed about Jurgen Klopp's decision at Melwood on Friday.
Karius clocked up nearly 100 Bundesliga appearances before being brought to Anfield to increase competition for Mignolet's place this summer.
The former Manchester City trainee had looked set to start the season as Liverpool's No 1 before he broke his hand playing in a friendly against Chelsea during the pre-season tour of America.
Karius v Mignolet: Who is Liverpool FC's number one?
The young German shot-stopper was sidelined for six weeks and in his absence Mignolet performed well. The Belgium international, who has been the club's first choice keeper since his £9million move from Sunderland three years ago, made some fine saves against Tottenham and Leicester City.
Karius was on the bench for the recent wins over Leicester and Chelsea before Klopp decided to hand him his competitive bow for the Reds at the iPro Stadium on Tuesday night.
The 23-year-old made one crucial sliding challenge at the feet of Darren Bent but had little to do as Liverpool dominated.
Liverpool FC: Will Karius replace Mignolet, Coutinho delivers again and Grujic impresses
Klopp kept his cards close to his chest when asked on Thursday who would start against Hull City. However, he did say that it wouldn't necessarily be a long-term decision.
"Let's go through a few different kinds of ways in which we could see it," he said."Do we say okay Loris had the game against Derby. Was it a real game for a keeper? Not really so give him a home game for example. What would this mean for Simon? It could mean nothing.
"We could say there is an international break coming up so give Loris a home game and Swansea away and then both have had the chance to show what they are. It's not in doubt, it's not a test.
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool FC have achieved nothing yet
"It's like in all positions, if you play and you win 2-0, you could still change the midfielder thinking we could win the next game 3-0.
"That's possible but with a goalkeeper I accept that things seem to be a bit different.
"We have two very strong goalkeepers and we think about how they can perform and how their specific skills can help the team. That's what I have to decide.
Liverpool FC boss Klopp on why Hull make him 'angry' and teams that park the bus
"I accept again the circumstances over the keeper's position. But in the end it's 100% positive. Liverpool FC will have a very strong goalkeeper on Saturday between the posts."
Property InsiderThe luxurious rustic Wrexham property that comes with its own cinema - and it's up for sale The substantial four bedroom house is on the market for just under £1million
Man who slashed stranger in neck and single punch killers among violent criminals jailed in North Wales
CourtsAll have been jailed by courts for their crimes
Property InsiderThe substantial four bedroom house is on the market for just under £1million


What: At the LeadingAge Annual Meeting & EXPO, our nation's largest annual event for the not-for-profit aging services field, you'll share victories, exchange ideas, renew inspiration and build relationships along with thousands of your fellow dedicated professionals—and after four enriching days, you'll go home better equipped to serve your residents and clients. Whether you're a CEO of a multi-site organization, a case manager in a hospice organization or a service coordinator at an affordable housing community, you'll find innovative solutions to your challenges and discover new ways to improve operations and quality. Passionate commitment, personal growth and organizational excellence all align here— join us to reenergize your commitment, refresh your knowledge and renew your passion for ensuring the future care of our elder community.
Who: Join Chris Gallagher and Jeffrey Anderzhon, FAIA.
WHY: We look forward to learning more about you and your living environment needs. We believe that architecture has the power to unleash true human potential. We understand the impact that can be made by responding to the needs of the residents, faculty and staff who are touched by the environments we create. Please reach out to our EUA attendees at this conference to learn more about EUA and how we can support your goals.


facilitates the mobility of citizens.
Enables the creation of transport service routes according to Google standards.
Optimisation of routes for public transport companies.
System for helping efficient driving.


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Thoughts on The Expanse
August 5, 2018 August 3, 2018 Izlain2 Comments
It's been a long while since I've talked about some of the TV shows I watch, and that's mainly because I have been without cable for almost a year now. Prior to that, I had a full DVR most of the time, and was consuming both recorded cable television along with original programming on some of the major streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video). Because of the lack of television in this house (this is by choice, by the way) I've been limited to things that I can stream on the aforementioned services, and in that case it means the only "new" programming that I'm watching are those original series. Shows like Stranger Things and The Grand Tour have been excellent and I'm glad to have the ability to watch them, but I've fallen behind on some of my favorite shows like The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul. Netflix gets these shows, but they are only put on the service just prior to the new seasons releasing on cable, so you'll still be behind by a year. I was gifted a modded Firestick for my birthday last year, but with our spotty WiFi in this particular living situation, it wasn't reliable enough to use so I will continue to be behind for the time being. With that said, I want to talk about a show that is a few years old but one that I hadn't watched until recently: The Expanse.
I think it was my father that told me that this was a good show, but our viewing preferences don't always align so I must have forgotten or pushed it aside for other shows. That was a mistake. This show is the single most intriguing and entertaining Sci-Fi TV shows that I've watched in years — decades even. I haven't looked forward to watching a show as much as this one outside of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, but those are obviously very different animals. I haven't enjoyed a Sci-Fi show this much since Star Trek: The Next Generation (though I have enjoyed the episodes of Star Trek: Discovery that I've seen). The Expanse really hit all of the right notes for me, and it's become my one of my favorite shows.
Starting in 2015, The Expanse ran for three seasons on the SyFy channel, the latter of which finished up this year, at which time it was cancelled. What brought it back into the forefront of my mind was the recent outcry from fans for someone to pickup the series and produce a fourth season. Amazon Video has decided to do just that, and a fourth season has been greenlit. Coincidentally, this is the exact service I've been using to watch the show, but have been limited to two seasons at this point. This is one of the limitations of Amazon Video, the fact that in many instances you'll have seasons of a show included with your subscription, but then newer seasons will be locked behind a pay wall. I get it, I only subscribe to Amazon Prime for the free two day shipping, because I don't like to wait for things that I order and I don't like to pay for shipping. Amazon Video, Music and other services are included for your $13/month, so I understand why they need extra money for certain things. I just don't like the fact that I'm currently finished with the first two seasons of this show which I absolutely love, but then have to pay $20 to watch the third season. Considering that the 4th season will likely be included with subscription because all Prime Originals are, it seems silly for them to charge me for the current season that just finished. I'm still considering doing so though, because I haven't had my fill of the show despite binging the first two seasons in only a couple of weeks.
As far as the story goes, it's less episodic like Star Trek and other shows like it, where the same crew gets involved in differing adventures week in and week out. Instead, it lays the ground work by painting believable scenarios in our own solar system. Earth colonized the Moon (now called "Luna") and then moved on to Mars. With dwindling resources on Earth, people were sent out to the asteroid belt to mine ice and other minerals for the inner planets. Eventually these become our factions: Earthers, Martians and Belters all vying for control of the solar system. From there, we are introduced to main characters of each faction, and the underlying plot by their governments to do devious things. One part Sci-Fi adventure, one part murder mystery and one part conspiracy theory, this show has it all.
The special effects are pretty damn good for a cable television show, and the acting isn't terrible. It doesn't feel like a B-movie on the small screen, instead it feels like a big budget block buster stretched out over many hours. I don't want to spoil anything at all, but you need to do yourself a favor and watch this show if you haven't already, and consider yourself any sort of Sci-Fi fan. I'm going to be checking out the third season soon, and will look forward to the Prime Original version of season four with much anticipation!


If you are also interested in ordering 125th anniversary commemorative items, follow the instruction when you register or CLICK HERE.
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Becky Snead is the CCC Host Housing Coordinator and she is happy to assist you.
To get started, please read, then complete, the host housing form and return it to Becky at ccchousing@cascade-classic.org.
You will need to save the pdf file to your computer system, fill it out, and then email it to Becky.
**Housing requests must be submitted by Monday, May 13th, 2019** Mark the date on your calendar or sign up for housing requests ASAP.
Please note that there is a $25/per cyclist host housing processing fee.


"At the beginning there were problems with a server in China, then he had been cheated by a business partner, and later he had to undergo an eye surgery", Kalmijn said of Berry van Mourik, the founder of Koinz Trading.
Clients pay Koinz Trading cash up front to subsidize the purchase of cryptocurrency mining machines. They then pay a small service fee against a year-long contract, with the commitment that Koinz will in turn transfer earnings on a monthly basis directly to the clients' accounts.
These payments have been extremely late, Kalmijn told the Volkskrant. He said Koinz clients received no money even as the value of Bitcoin soared over 19 thousand U.S. dollars.
Van Mourik called his angry clients a "headache dossier", he told the newspaper. He recognized that there are delays in the distribution of payments, but he made assurances that he would respect the terms he agreed upon with his clients. "If the value of the Bitcoin had not raised so much, then the payments would not have been that difficult".
Once their contracts are ended, Koinz clients can transfer the mining computer they pre-purchased to another location.
On Wednesday afternoon that value of Bitcoin was trading around 14 thousand.


The Codependency Test: 15 Questions to Ask Yourself - Are You Codependent with a Narcissist?
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout's teacher didn't want her students to be able to read without her help.
What is codependency, and am I codependent?
What Causes Codependency in Relationships?
The Codependent (SLD) Narcissist Terrible Tango. Ross Rosenberg's Human Magnet Syndrome Animation.
The various definitions of the word codependency.