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Gerbrand Bakker interview
14 Mar 2013 12 Comments
by winstonsdad in #translationthurs, independent foreign fiction prize 2013, interviews, shadow iffp 2013 Tags: 2013, David Colmer, dutch lit, gerbarnd bakker, NEW VOICES, TRANSLATIONS
I 'm pleased to bring you an interview with the Independent foreign fiction prize longlistee Gerbrand Bakker .His longlisted book The detour (ten white geese in the Us) Has Just come out in paperback in the UK ,So when I was offered chance to ask him a few questions I jumped at the chance
1.Why do you goes such isolated locations for your books?
I like to put people away from distractions, big cities, hustle and bustle. Just to see what happens to them. And in a very strange way I'm – even though I live in Amsterdam – not really able to write about a city and all the things that happen in them. Just like I'm not really able to write about skating, and skating (speed skating) is what I've done for 15 years, including competition. It always looks strange, reads strange.
2.Have you a connection with Wales, and is that why you choose it for The Detour?
Because I've been there quite a number of times. In fact, I have the strange habit of wanting to climb Snowdon once a year. The land there feels old, ancient, mysterious. I always wanted to use it for 'something' and somewhere in 2009 Emily Dickinson, a woman (and a feeling) and North-Wales came together in my head.
3.Did you pick Emily Dickson first as the poet to be the one Emile taught or after as she fitted the character?
No, the book started with this poem, that's why I choose it as the motto. So the woman (Emilie/Agnes) had to fit in with Dickinson, and not the other way round. And then, when I was writing, I discovered (and the woman discovers) that there are some similarities between her and Dickinson. So there is a sort of love-hate relationship between them.
4.How closely did you work with the translator on this book?
Quite close, closer than on any other book. Because there were some real problems in the translation. For instance: how do you translate a book that in Dutch deals with the translation of an American poem into Dutch? I thought the book couldn't be translated, but David Colmer is very calm and he said: "Don't worry, I'm the translator, let me do my job."
5.What impact did winning the IMPAC prize for The Twin have for you?
I bought a house in The Eifel, Germany. I'm renovating it at the moment and there is going to be a wonderful 'writing-room' in it, which can only be accessed via a stairway on the outside of the house. There is going to be a log burner in it, as the whole house is heated with log burners. That is what happened in the end with the IMPAC money. I did (not yet) buy a carthorse with it. It also gave me the opportunity to NOT write for a while. I've not been inclined to write for a couple of years now, and the money partly enables me to do this. The IMPAC did not make me think: wow, I'm a real, big writer now, also because I myself have been in jury's and I know how things work. There is always a bit of luck and bargaining involved…
6.I Asked Cees Nooteboom about Dutch literature last year he described it as 'inward looking'. What is your view?
I presume that he meant this not as a compliment, and that he is not an inward-looking writer? I don't think one can make such a general statement. There are enough writers who to me don't write inward-looking, like Anon Grunberg or Peter Buwalda. But it is maybe true that Dutch writers take it on them to write about for instance world politics, maybe because in the end we are a very small country. And not many Dutch writers have the stature of Orhan Pamuk. I cannot think of one Dutch writer who ever became 'big' in the UK or the United States. There is also a reverence for especially English and American writers here. If you look at the bestselling books at the end of a year, there's hardly a Dutch book to be found in the top 10. I don't think that's the case in the US or the UK. And nobody can convince me that American or English books are intrinsically better than Dutch books.
7.What you currently working on?
Nothing. I'm working in my house and garden, and sometimes I write articles in magazines. I travel a lot for my work these days. To Germany, but also to Argentina, the US and South-Africa.
8.What is your favourite Dutch book not written by you?
Het Bureau (The Office), written by J.J. Voskuil. A book that consists of seven parts, 5000 pages in total, about a man who works in an office for 35 years and is struggling with that. Only recently the first book was translated into German, it has not been translated into English. That would be a mammoth-task for any translator…
Many thanks Gerbrand and good luck with the IFFP 2013
Here are my reviews of his two novels
14 Feb 2012 19 Comments
by winstonsdad in EUROPEAN FICTION, independent foreign fiction prize 2013, independent foreign prize shortlist 2013, netherlands, shadow iffp 2013, TRANSLATIONS Tags: David Colmer, dutch lit, gerbarnd bakker, prize winners, TRANSLATIONS
Source review copy
This is Gerbrand Bakker the dutch novelist second book to be published in english after his first the twin won the prestigious Impac prize the richest prize in literature .Bakker is a gardener by trade and in the winter a skating instructor he says these work well with his writing career .he also writes piece for Dutch newspapers
The detour is similar to the twin as it like the twin is set in a rural isolated area unlike the twin this one is set in rural Wales .The main character is a dutchwonmen called Emilie she has escaped a scandal in her native Holland and end up in Wales she has rented a remote farm and settles in ,as she does this we start to see the life around her ,also what brought her there .THe book is told in a spooky sketchy way not many names mentioned and strange incidents keep happening from the geese in a near by farm disappearing ,a young man and his dog appearing and Emilie getting bitten by a badger .
"Did the animal get into your house ? Do you live here in town?"
"I live up the road .I was outside ,lying on a big rock "
"Did the badger bite through your shoe ? "
"Do you have time for all this talk ? i d rather you look at my foot "
Emilie and the doctor talk after she is bite by the badger .
Later in the book a second story strand appears as Emilie's husband appears and comes to find his wife with the help of a policeman .The scandal back home involved a student who she had an affair with ,we also discover Emilie passion that is Emily Dickinson the American poet ,does this allude to why Emilie has travelled away from her husband is this escape to die ? or to experience nature ? both themes in Dickinson's poems .Also William of just william allude to Bakker style in this book maybe owning a little bit too Dickinson as her prose are sparse and have strange spacing and pacing at times maybe this is reflected in the book .I m not sure to me Bakker reminds me at times of the english writer Magnus Mills there is a gentle humor at play here and also slightly surreal situations like Emilie getting bitten by the badger ,the geese that disappear one by one remind me at times of how Mills builds his stories with little things happening bit by bit leading to a shocking ending ,The way this book unfolds stylistically reminds me the restraint of beasts the tempo building up bit by bit as husband draws nearer .Also there is a connection in the men themselves both have jobs not connected to writing Mills is now a bus driver and Bakker a gardener .But I feel Bakker hasn't quite got the ending here something lacks in the last third of the book which is a shame as he has written such a good story to that point that a flatish finish maybe wasn't what was required .But that said I enjoyed it, he catches through Emilie's view of day-to-day life in rural wales and that boredom that creeps in when you go away and don't have a lot to do with references to daytime tv and Emilie mind wanders .He has also caught the north Wales scenery well those isolate villages and farms ,I remember passing through as a kid as we spent family holidays with my grandparents who lived in north Wales .I loved the twin and this book has a similar feel if maybe not the same impact that book made on me but that would be hard as it was one of the best books I have read in recent years ,again Colmer's translation is pitch perfect .If you loved the twin you'll like this book.
Who is your favourite dutch writer ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 11: Actor Patrick Warburton attends the "Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events" Screening at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on January 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Interview with Patrick Warburton ('Seinfeld,' 'Family Guy'), coming to MomoCon May 24-26
Radio & TV Talk Blog
Rodney Ho
Originally posted by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Patrick Warburton, over a three-decade career, has an impressive resumé packed with interesting and wide-ranging roles, most recently as narrator Lemony Snicket in Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
He also spent seven seasons on a successful CBS series "Rules of Engagement" and has voiced 163 episodes of "Family Guy" as hunky wheelchair-bound neighbor Joe Swanson.
But "Seinfeld" was such a monster hit that his nine episodes as Elaine's quirky boyfriend David Puddy tend to overshadow everything else. He's okay with that.
"I get a lot of compliments that I made such a big impact," said Warburton, who will be in Atlanta May 24 to 26 at MomoCon, a gathering of anime, comic book and gaming enthusiasts held at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Almost every day, somebody throws a Puddy reference at him, be it the character's love for high fives, his obsession with Arby's or his devotion to the New Jersey Devils. Oh, and the way he says, "Yah, that's right!"
And here's a note to Arby's, which is based in Atlanta:
"I've always loved Arby's," he said. "I am a big fan of the chicken cordon bleu. Why they've never hired me as a spokesman, I don't know."
At age 54, he is a family man of four kids facing an empty nest. He said all his kids are becoming productive citizens, including his 20-year-old Shane, who he thinks might be the next president of the United States. "He's really bright, very charismatic, a great writer, a great speaker, interned with a Congressman," Warburton said.
What was Warburton like at age 20? "I was a rebellious moron. All four of my kids are so much more evolved. They don't have the issues I did."
Warburton is currently between major projects but given that his kids are now nearly all grown up, he is widening his horizons in terms of what he is willing to do. While they were growing up, he went out of his way to find work in Los Angeles near home like "Rules of Engagement."
He had mixed feelings about that sitcom, which was treated like a reliable utility player by CBS, inserted mid-season from 2007 to 2013 when something else failed.
The writing on the show, he said, was not consistent. "I knew how good the writing could be," he said. "Sometimes it was really sharp. They'd take the viewer down some wormhole of weirdly funny stuff. But then they have Jeff going to a reception and he's upset there's no whiskey or free jumbo shrimp. Just basic Jeff speak. That's easy stuff and not that funny. I'd say a third of the episodes were really really good."
The Netflix series, which concluded three seasons covering all the Snicket books earlier this year, "was an amazing opportunity. Barry Sonnenfeld really hit the mark on that one. When he invites you to the party, you're blessed. He put me on 'The Tick' years ago. To know Barry is to love him. He's not just a genius but he's generous in giving me opportunities." (He helped return "The Tick" to TV via Amazon and was initially disappointed when he wasn't recast. He said he's okay with it now and likes the revamped version. UPDATE: May 16-- Amazon cancelled "The Tick" after two seasons.)
Warburton's voice - deep, resonant, oddly humorous - has helped him nab many a voice-over job over the years.
But he has a hard time accepting his voice is anything special. "I'm just like everybody else. I didn't always like the sound of my voice," he said. "I'm gotten to voice some fantastic characters. It's been remarkable. I'm very humble. I have a wife and four kids who keep me on the level, who ensure I know I'm not that special."
He said he gets asked frequently to do fan conventions but he's pretty picky. He said yes to MomoCon in part because his sister Mary lives in Smyrna. And he's super close to his brother in law Paul Voss, a Georgia State University professor.
"It's nice to meet the fans," Warburton said. "It's great to get that kind of feedback. It is a lot of work. I can appreciate this because I'm a crazed Pearl Jam Eddie Vedder fan. Ed's always been very sweet and kind to me. I'm a super fan. I'm somewhat in awe of him."
He is relieved Vedder didn't treat him poorly. He said whenever fans comes up, he looks them in the eye and asks them something personal. He wants to ensure he always leaves a good impression.
MomoCon
May 23-26 (Warburton is there May 24-26)
Multi-day pass $77, day passes range from $35 to $50
Georgia World Congress Center
285 Andrew Young International Blvd., Atlanta
www.momocon.com
Rodney Ho covers radio and television for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.


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LINCOLN — Keegan Watson arrived at Haymarket Park not sure if or when he would play. Lately, the Nebraska sophomore has just been focused on getting healthy.
Watson, an outfielder, isn't sure if he's dealing with a hip flexor or a groin injury, but he knows explosive movements can be painful. Couple that with the reality that coaches told him pitching wasn't an option this year, and it's been a spring of transition for the Indiana native.
Watson did, and smashed a key three-run home run in his second start of the spring. The Huskers shook off a brief deficit in the seventh inning to best Air Force 7-6 in their long-awaited and wet home opener Tuesday evening.
Nebraska — just 3-7 in midweek games last year — didn't need any of the ready-made excuses that would have come with an early loss. Yes, it was the Huskers' first time stepping onto their own field since last October. A few calls went against them, including an apparent double play in the ninth inning that officials waved off. Ace reliever Chad Luensmann entered and left the game without throwing an official pitch between the sixth and seventh when a cut on his finger opened up.
And yet the Huskers (7-7) didn't play like a team coming off a nine-day, weather-related layoff. Trailing by one run, they tied the game in the seventh when Luke Roskam took a bases-loaded pitch off the leg and went up for good after Joe Acker lined a sacrifice fly to right. Relievers Ben Klenke and Colby Gomes kept Air Force (9-6) scoreless from there.
Nebraska survived a shaky bullpen effort to claim its first midweek game of the spring. Spencer Schwellenbach and Aaron Palensky logged three hits apiece — Palensky finished a home run shy of the cycle — and starter Reece Eddins spun three scoreless innings in a pitching bright spot.
The Huskers' lone error didn't hurt them in the eighth thanks to some good fortune. With a Falcon on second base and two outs, a ball off the glove of third baseman Angelo Altavilla hit an umpire and stayed on the infield to preserve a one-run NU lead.
Robbie Palkert (one earned run allowed in one inning) picked up the win, and Gomes took the save amid less-than-ideal conditions that pushed back the start time one hour.
Nebraska broke a scoreless game against Norris graduate and true freshman Zach Argo in the fourth inning. A walk and a single set up Gomes for an RBI single before Watson swatted a 2-0 pitch into the right-field bullpen for his second career home run to stake the hosts to a 4-0 lead.
Argo, a righty, lasted 3⅓ frames and struck out four.
The teams traded scores in the fifth, with Air Force scoring on a Christian Gambale RBI groundout and a Nic Ready double. NU answered when Palensky tripled with two outs and came in on a dropped popup by the shortstop in shallow center field.
Three walks fueled a three-run sixth that pushed the Falcons even at 5-all.
Eddins was crisp across three shutout innings that required just 39 pitches. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three before Air Force got to relievers Mike Waldron (two earned runs in one inning) and Paul Tillotson (three in 1⅓).
The Falcons briefly took the lead in the seventh when Palkert uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded.
The teams complete the two-game series Wednesday at 1:35 p.m., with NU starting freshman Millard South product Kyle Perry. Erstad will manage the game with this weekend's Big Ten-opening series against Michigan State in mind.


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Q: How Remove backslash from JSON Result -DataSet I want to remove backslash from json result
current result like this:
    "{\"Info\":[{\"Full_Eng_Nmae\":\"anda norse\",\"email\":\"keer0@gm
my code is like this
  public string GetDetails(string OrderID)
        {

            OrderContract order = new OrderContract();
            DataSet dataSet = new DataSet();
            try
            {
                SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["ConnectionString1"].ConnectionString);
                con.Close();
                con.Open();
                SqlDataAdapter da = new SqlDataAdapter("select  Full_Eng_Nmae,email,mobile,client_id from Students where Center_id='" + OrderID + "'", con);

                da.Fill(dataSet,"Info");

                dataSet.AcceptChanges();
                string json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(dataSet);
                return json;

            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                throw new FaultException<string>
                        (ex.Message);

            }

        }

any one can help me plz?
Thanks
also this full of my code
my Interface:
[ServiceContract]
    public interface IOrderService
    {
        [OperationContract]
        [WebGet(UriTemplate = "/GetOrderDetails/{OrderID}",
            RequestFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json,
            ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json)]
        string GetOrderDetails(string OrderID);

    }

A: I bet there is no backslash, but the printing code that you are using is adding them.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: C# & WebDriver: Xpath Statement to a Web Driver Statement I am attempting to click on a button using Selenium WebDriver using an Xpath Identifier.
The HTML for the button object is as follows:

Email me the linkEmail me the link

I was able to get the Xpath for the button. It is as follows:
//*[@id="forget-password-form"]/div/div[3]/div[2]/a/span[2]
I would like to write a Web Driver statement that clicks the button using an Xpath statement.
However, what I have written is not working (See below)
submitButton = driver.FindElement(By.XPath("//div[@id='forget-password-form'][3]/[2]"));
submitButton.Click();

Thanks in Advance

A: As an FYI, the following lines located the button and clicked it:
submitButton = driver.FindElement(By.XPath("//span[@class='button-mid']"));
submitButton.Click();

Cheers


text:
File-sharing site Hotfile agrees to pay $80 million in damages
By John Ribeiro
Bangalore Correspondent, IDG News Service |
File-hosting website Hotfile has agreed to pay $80 million in damages and was also ordered to stop operations unless it uses copyright filtering technologies that prevent infringement of the works of studios, the Motion Picture Association of America said Tuesday.
The entry of the judgment against Hotfile marks the end of the studios' litigation against the cyberlocker and its principal, Anton Titov, the movie industry body said. The jury trial of the case was scheduled for Monday.
Five U.S. movie studios filed a copyright infringement suit against Hotfile in 2011, alleging that the company paid incentives to users for uploading popular files to the system, that were widely shared. The scheme hence provided incentives to users to upload popular copyright infringing content to attract users who would pay for premium accounts to access and download the files, according to the complaint by the studios.
The US District Court for the Southern District of Florida found in August that Hotfile was liable for copyright infringement, and Titov was personally liable for Hotfile's infringement.
Details of the Tuesday judgement were not immediately available on online court records.
In an earlier filing, Hotfile said it and Titov ran a business that was in compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other U.S. copyright laws. The website said it removes access when notified about files that allegedly infringe copyright and also has provided copyright holders, including the five studios, the ability to block infringing files on Hotfile's servers through "special rightsholder accounts."
Hotfile in Panama could not be immediately reached for comment. MPAA CEO Chris Dodd said in a statement that the judgment was another step "toward protecting an Internet that works for everyone."
John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for the IDG News Service.


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Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing (* als Anne-Aymone Marie Josèphe Christiane Sauvage de Brantes am 10. April 1933 im 8. Arrondissement von Paris) war Première Dame Frankreichs von 1974 bis 1981 während der Präsidentschaft ihres Mannes Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Ihr Vater François Sauvage de Brantes starb 1944 im Konzentrationslager Mauthausen.

Nach Giscard d'Estaings Amtszeit äußerte sie selbst, dass sie in der Zeit seiner Präsidentschaft den Beruf  ausübte. Diese Rolle als Präsidentengattin war in Frankreich neu: So löste ihre Teilnahme an der Neujahrsansprache Giscard d'Estaings Ende 1975 Kritik aus.

Von Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing wird jedes Jahr ein glamouröser Wohltätigkeitsabend im Schloss von Versailles zu Gunsten der von ihr gegründeten Kinderstiftung Fondation pour l'Enfance organisiert.

Einzelnachweise

Literatur
 Janet Marx: Die First Ladys der Fünften Französischen Republik – von Yvonne de Gaulle bis Bernadette Chirac. VDM – Verlag Dr. Müller, Saarbrücken 2007, ISBN 978-3-8364-4904-5.

Première Dame
Franzose
Geboren 1933
Frau

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I completed my PhD at the University of Warwick in 2012 under the supervision of Professor Peter Topping. I have since held postdoctoral positions at Imperial College London and the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa before returning to the UK as a Warwick Zeeman lecturer. I have been a lecturer in Leeds since January 2018.
Many problems in differential geometry and physics are phrased in terms of solutions to some variational problem, and most likely a system of partial differential equations. The main focus of my research is concerned with the analytic aspect of these problems.
The prototype object of study is a harmonic map between Riemannian manifolds - which is a "critical point" of the Dirichlet energy, and solves a non-linear, second-order elliptic PDE. Whilst the problem can be phrased in a straightforward manner, getting a handle on general existence and regularity results for such objects is tough and involves some challenging PDE and geometric measure theory. Some of my recent work is related to the regularity theory of harmonic maps.
From a purely PDE perspective, a fundamental tool (in harmonic maps) is a so-called "Wente" estimate, with links to Calderon-Zygmund estimates, Hardy spaces and more widely harmonic analysis. A more recent interest of mine is in trying to understand the optimality of these estimates. Surprisingly there is an intimate relationship between optimal Wente estimates (a purely 'analytical' problem) and surfaces of constant mean curvature in three-dimensions. Surfaces of constant mean curvature arise naturally in the form of soap bubbles, but equally are fundamental objects in geometry and physics.
Other interests of mine are in minimal surfaces and Willmore surfaces. Minimal surfaces are a subset of constant mean curvature surfaces, but in this case the mean curvature is zero meaning that they minimise area in small regions. They have maintained a prominent role in pure mathematics since the 18th century (starting with Euler and Lagrange), and have been used to prove theorems in both theoretical physics and geometry. My recent interests here are in understanding the relationship between the Morse index of a minimal surface (a measure of how far they are from being local minimisers) and their geometric-analytic properties.


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Government plans to introduce a new regime for 'class actions' will enhance access to justice for consumers who have suffered because of anti-competitive behaviour, the Law Society said today.
The planned changes will see the introduction of 'opt-out' collective actions, which means a legal action can be brought on behalf of all affected individuals, for example by a consumer body in relation to price fixing scandals.
Collective actions enable access to justice for individuals who would not otherwise be able to afford the legal fees.
The new regime will replace the existing 'opt-in' rule, whereby a body bringing a class action case has to get all affected individuals or consumers to join the action.
The change will benefit consumers, who, in future, will need to actively 'opt out' if they want to bring their own, separate case against a defendant. But this in turn will make the cases easier to bring for organisations like consumer bodies.
Responding to the proposals, Law Society President Lucy Scott-Moncrieff said the Government have proposed a position very close to the Law Society's across most of the issues.
She added, "It's disappointing that some kinds of fee agreements will not be available for these actions. Similarly, it's a shame that law firms will not be able to bring opt-out actions themselves to help prevent anti-competitive behaviour. We supported the suggestion which would have permitted law firms to be certified by the courts with proper safeguards to ensure there was a genuine interest in bringing a case, but the Government decided against this.
This entry was posted in Consumer, Law Society - National, Litigation Practice and tagged Consumer, Law Society - National, Litigation Practice. Bookmark the permalink.


Gold exchange traded funds (ETFs) have seen assets increase to £100 billion as investors, including family offices and high net worth (HNWs) investors look to the precious metal to preserve wealth in the face of volatile markets and heightened economic geopolitical tensions and uncertainty.
Family offices and high net worth (HNWs) investors are again looking to protect their wealth by diversifying into gold ETFs and physical gold bullion after many exited the safe haven asset after gold's unexpectedly poor performance from 2013 to 2015.
Gold ETFs famously held about $150 billion in assets in 2012 following the bull market in gold. Since then such investments have fallen out of favour as family offices and HNWs have looked elsewhere for returns.
In contrast to the period leading up to 2012, we are not seeing a sudden rush back into gold ETFs, but what can best be described as a slow but steady and rising trickle as asset levels return to around $100 billion. Similarly with gold bullion, leading specialists such as GoldCore who cater to HNW and family offices, are seeing a rising tide of interest from this important niche sector.
This steady trickle comes courtesy of multiple geopolitical situations which have caused a significant amount of uncertainty and volatility in financial markets. This uncertainty is likely to continue as there are uncertainties on both the long and short-term horizon which will continue to make investors, retail and HNW, nervous.
Since the start of the year each of the major regions have seen an increase in gold ETF holdings. This is because of gold's recent strong price performance and courtesy of Trump, Brexit and heightened geo-political risk which will affect UK, U.S. and investors internationally.
Short-term issues such as Trump's trade announcements, Brexit updates and the global reaction to events in Syria and the Middle East are leading more risk investors to seek out safe-havens.
Longer-term concerns over global inflation, interest rates, pension deficits and the 'next' subprime crisis or wider debt crisis will be playing on the back of some investors' mind, uncertain how such events will unfold and their likely impact on risk assets – stocks and bonds.
Europe and North America are seeing strong demand and hold similar levels of gold holdings – 90% of the total gold ETFs. Such gold products have not proven to be as successful in the likes of Middle Eastern and Asian countries where holding gold is seen as something which must be done directly and without counter party risk. This makes physical gold coins and bars much more popular in the majority of the world – especially China and India.
Given gold's role as a wealth preserver for the last 2,000 years or more it is obvious why those looking to protect their wealth would return to this traditional asset class. What is perhaps less clear is why many western investors would choose to invest in what is really a very simple asset via a complicated investment product structure, such as an exchange traded fund (ETF).
There are a number of different options when it comes to gold investment. When looking at how to invest in gold one needs to consider the safe haven asset's security and liquidity.
As we explain in our Essential Family Office Guide to Investing in Gold, exchange traded funds may or may not be backed by physical gold holdings and some of those that do hold gold contain complex stipulations on convertibility of ETF shares into bullion and very high levels of indemnification. This includes indemnification from many of the key risks that many gold investors own gold in order to hedge against – such as theft, custodian risk, bank risk and systemic risk.
Investors looking for wealth protection will be better served, if they invest in gold with an independent gold provider that enables them to store and access their gold directly through specialist third party storage providers. Gold storage should be in a non bank facility, with insurance and in the stablest and safest jurisdictions.
By managing their gold investment this way investors are ensuring that they have full title to their gold bars, which can be sold at any time and to any gold broker internationally. This ensures liquidity and competive pricing and removes dependence one single gold broker and their staff, IT, servers, website platforms etc.
The decision to invest in gold is one that is based on the investor looking to benefit from the qualities offered by tangible physical gold, as well as performance and returns. Given that owning physical bullion and opting for allocated and segregated storage is only marginally more expensive than getting exposure in the ETF, it behooves all family offices and HNWs to consider ownership of physical gold rather than ETFs. Indeed, financial and pension advisers and brokers who believe in a fiduciary duty should give serious consideration to the benefits of outright ownership of gold bars.
With an ETF, one gets exposure to the gold price, with gold bars in allocated and segregated storage you are guaranteed (even in worst case scenarios) that, but more importantly you also have actual financial insurance, a valuable hedge and an essential wealth preservation asset that will protect and grow wealth in the coming years.
Read our popular Family Office Guide to Investing in Gold.


Team Twirl is a non-competitive performance group that gives dancers a chance to shine at community events, theme parks, and other cool venues.
The Team Twirl performance group is designed for students who want to get a little more serious about their dance training. It is open to any students who meet the minimum class requirements plus a Team Twirl class. Team Twirl classes will focus on dance technique plus serve as rehearsal time for upcoming performances. Note that Team Twirl students must attend 70% of their required Team Twirl classes. This attendance requirement will be calculated/assessed during the following three time periods: September-December, January-March, and April-June.
*Team Twirl classes will focus on dance technique and will also serve as rehearsal time for performances.
*All Team Twirl dancers traveling to Walt Disney World will participate in a Disney dance workshop. However, due to Disney Performing Arts age restrictions, the only levels of Team Twirl participating in the Disney performance will be Team Twirl II (ages 6-7), Team Twirl III (ages 8-10) and Team Twirl IV (ages 11+). Team Twirl I (ages 5-6) will participate in the Disney dance workshop only. Traveling to Walt Disney World is optional for Team Twirl dancers.
At Twirl, we believe that dance is a gift to be used to serve others. Whether dancing at a nursing home or in a Broadway show, the dancer's main obligation is to share their talents as a gift to the audience. This is at the heart of Team Twirl. Serving others by bringing joy through the art of dance is what it's all about. No competitions. No trophies. No awards. Just a simple focus on giving to the community.
WHAT DOES TEAM TWIRL COST?
$30 performance fee to cover production costs and administrative work to create shows and organize performances.
The Team Twirl class will be considered a regular class when it comes to paying tuition.
There will be a costume fee ($65-85) for holiday community performances plus a recital costume ($65-85) for the Team Twirl class.
$20 Team Twirl T-shirt which may be worn in class and at some public performances.
Families will have to purchase tickets for Team Twirl performances at venues that charge an admission fee. These may include theme parks and sporting events.


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Ray Ban Aviator Classic Price India
Dec 19, 2019 by Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses Outlet	in Ray Ban Jackie Ohh Polarized
Across the country, there have been more than than 2,000 cases of lung illness related to vaping. Officials with the CDC say the culprit appears to be a thickening agent called vitamin e acetate, which can sometimes be found in black market THC products. However, Hamilton County health officials say right now that's just a theory, and it's been a challenge to prove it is for sure the culprit..
I thank President Steinmeier and Chancellor Merkel for welcoming us so warmly.Have your say on this storyComment Below"We have also experienced the city beyond the monuments and corridors of power. This afternoon we visited the Strassenkinder project in east Berlin, which supports homeless children and young people."It reminds us of the difficulties faced by some of the most vulnerable people in society, even in prosperous countries such as Britain and Germany, and the value of both countries looking at examples of best practice in the other."(Image: Getty Images Europe)Speaking of the relationship between the UK and Germany, Prince William added: "The United Kingdom and Germany proudly share the same values as open and democratic societies, and the same determination to champion those values and to defend them not least through our very close defence and security partnerships."Today, we share a fundamental interest in the peace and prosperity of the continent of Europe to which we both belong."This relationship between the United Kingdom and Germany really matters. It is the product of many years of working closely together.
The Whale app (Image: App Store)Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from mirror daily newsSubscribe We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see ourPrivacy Noticefor details of your data protection rightsOn its App Store listing, it explains: "No distractions, no hidden subscription pricing. Use your own images or choose from our stock photo library and get creative with text, tools, effects, and more right inside the app."To use the app, users must first pick a photo, whether it's from their own camera roll or a stock image from within the app.Facebook's NPE Team was created back in July, and is tasked with creating apps focused on giving people entirely new experiences.Facebook explained: "This is a way for Facebook to develop new types of experiences for people and to try different ideas by creating small, focused apps in order to see whether people find certain features useful or engaging."We may use what we learn to help inform our thinking and product strategy moving forward."Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterallMost ReadMost RecentWhatsAppWhatsApp shares its festive tips and tricks to use on the app this ChristmasWhatsApp has shared its top festive tips and tricks for using the app over Christmas, including sending festive voice notes and jolly status updatesSexual healthWeirdest sex questions Brits Googled in 2019 with some hilarious resultsBed SOS has revealed the most bizarre sex questions that Brits asked Google in 2019, in the hopes of encouraging people to be more open with their loved onesVideo GamesJourney To The Savage Planet preview Blast off into the unknown in this planet exploration role playing gameJourney To The Savage Planet is a planet exploration game that takes inspiration from early 70's sci fi.
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Rail vehicles place very specific demands on firefighting, in emergencies as well as in everyday operation. Besides the immediate protection of passengers, the spreading of the fire must also be prevented in inaccessible elements, such as the engine or electrical systems. In line with the specific demands of mobile firefighting, we have developed a weight-optimised system, which withstands the high vibration loads and simultaneously meets the permanent demand for a reduction of the installation space. The effectiveness of the AQUASYS water mist system has been verified in numerous full-scale fire tests and has been certified by independent institutes. Our offer includes the manufacture of the systems as well as the planning and design of the firefighting system for customer-specific vehicles.
The safety of passengers has the top priority in rail transport. Intelligent detection systems promptly detect fires and efficient firefighting systems ensure the rapid evacuation of passengers out of the danger zone. Water mist, which is harmless to people, is the ideal extinguishing agent for the passenger area. The AQUASYS firefighting system easily accommodates the different carriage and compartment designs by protecting specific sources of danger in the passenger area in a targeted manner and taking account of aesthetic demands.
Electrical switchgears and control units, diesel engine rooms and drive systems are important system components in rail vehicles. They ensure the functionality of the vehicle, but often have a high fire potential. Oils, lubricants and fuels present a high risk. A reliable firefighting system is therefore a critical part of safe railway vehicles and engines. The outstanding extinguishing effect of water mist means that it is universally applicable for fire classes A, B, C and F. Water mist and aerosol are adequate extinguishing agents for electrical danger zones.


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Double Shot at Love
Now that Pauly D has found love with Nikki, the two embark on a quest to find Vinny the girl of his dreams and finally get the famous bachelor to settle down.
Watch the Roomies Take Over Swanky Resorts
REVENGE PRANK
Pauly and Vinny's Pranks Are Next-Level Wild
Listen to the Playlist Now
Vegas Ex-Scape
Pauly and Vinny invite their exes to come live and work with them in Las Vegas, but their reunion takes an unexpected turn when Derynn invites three male friends along.
Sign in to Watch
Don't Be Bitter, Be Better
Pauly and Vinny try to start a dialogue with Nikki and Maria, the new guys fall victim to the prank war champions, and Marissa and Brandon break an unspoken house rule.
Mom, I Messed Up
Pauly and Vinny do damage control after their suitemates' messy first day of work, Marissa tells her mom about her one-night stand, and the guys try to prank the ladies.
Honey, I'm Home
Derynn hooks up with a Chippendales dancer, Vinny confronts Maria for insulting him online, and Pauly's attempt to make peace with Nikki backfires.
Antonio's flirtations finally catch up with him, Brandon's comments about Nikki lead to a major blowup, and Derynn brings Ricky home from the club with one thing on her mind.
We Got a Situation
The women rally around Derynn, Vinny and Pauly help Antonio come clean to his girlfriend, Mike and Lauren make a surprise visit, and a night out ends with hookups.
DJ Pauly D Day
Pauly D hosts an epic pool party at Drai's, Mike and Lauren try to suss out Nikki and Maria's intentions, and intense flirting between exes results in hookups in the suite.
Strip and Tell
Vinny enlists help from the roomies during his Chippendales show, and Suzi gets fed up with Derynn and calls out several suitemates in the process.
P.S. I Love Pauly
Suzi gives an awkward apology for her drunken comments, Derynn and B-Lashes try to get promoted along with their roommates, and Nikki writes an open-hearted note about Pauly.
Oh My God, What Did Pauly Say to Her?
When the crew takes a trip to Miami's South Beach, Vinny's flirting gets on Maria's nerves, Brandon deals with unexpected emotions, and Pauly and Nikki have an uncomfortable talk.
Double Shot At Love | Season 2 | Deleted Scenes
Double Shot At Love | Season 2 | Highlights
Double Shot At Love | Season 2 | Cast Interviews
Double Shot At Love | Season 2 | Fun & Games With The Cast
Born in Providence, RI, Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio is recognized for his musical talent as well as his reality-star status on MTV's highest-rated show, Jersey Shore. Quickly a fan favorite, this powerhouse DJ was named to Forbes magazine's World's Highest Paid DJs list and always puts his passion for music first. He is currently in his sixth DJ residency at Drai's Beach and Nightclub in Las Vegas.
Vinny Guadagnino
After a distinguished academic career, Vinny, a self-proclaimed mama's boy, was plucked from obscurity and landed on one of America's biggest TV shows, Jersey Shore. Vinny is also an author, having written a New York Times best-selling book about his personal mental health experiences, "Control the Crazy: My Plan to Stop Stressing, Avoid Drama and Maintain Inner Cool," along with a keto cookbook, "The Keto Guido Cookbook: Delicious Recipes to Get Healthy and Look Great." A natural entertainer, Vinny has found his way to the Las Vegas stage, headlining multiple residencies at the famous Chippendales.
Brittani "B-Lashes" Schwartz
B-Lashes's personality perfectly matches her sparkly and over-the-top style -- so it's no wonder the Lake Grove, NY, native made lifelong friends as part of the East Coast, Beast Coast Crew on the first season of Double Shot at Love. Although she didn't find love, B-Lashes continued to party it up with Pauly and Vinny at the Shore. When the guys invited her to spend the summer in Vegas, she seized the opportunity to move out of her parents' house and have an adventure. B-Lashes is excited about the opportunities Sin City has to offer and hopes to find her dream job working in the Vegas club scene. But will being away from home be a lifeline or make her too homesick?
Derynn Paige
While this self-proclaimed "crazy cat lady" didn't win Double Shot at Love, Derynn stayed close friends with Vinny and Pauly after the competition. When they asked her to leave Franklin Lakes, NJ, for Las Vegas and bring her friends, this social butterfly knew she could assemble a killer crew. Derynn always dreamt of opening her own nightclub and knows that spending time in Vegas is an invaluable experience that will bring her one step closer to her goal. And even though she is often the center of attention, Derynn has found herself in a little bit of a dry spell in the love department. Will she be able to quench her thirst in Las Vegas, or will love leave her high and dry again?
Maria Elizondo
On the first season of Double Shot at Love, Maria's confident yet quirky personality left a lasting impression on Vinny. While their chemistry was undeniable, Vinny eliminated Maria when he felt a stronger connection with the other ladies and didn't want to lead her on. After the show, Maria had some strong words (or tweets) for Vinny, which put a strain on their relationship. Vinny hopes that inviting Maria to Las Vegas is an olive branch to mend their friendship. Maria is excited to leave West New York, NJ, and join her friends in Las Vegas for the summer, but will the awkwardness with Vinny get in the way of her good time?
Marissa Lucchese
The youngest member of the epic East Coast, Beast Coast Crew (with Derynn and B-Lashes), Marissa may not have connected romantically with Pauly and Vinny on the first season of Double Shot at Love, but they all formed a close bond. Don't let her little sister status fool you. Marissa isn't afraid to keep it real with her friends and roommates. When the guys invited her to live in their suite in Las Vegas, she jumped at the chance to leave Massapequa, NY, and move in with her besties in Sin City. But this time around, Marissa is not looking for love and is excited about a no-strings-attached summer. When she meets someone who catches her eye, will she stick to her plan or get her heart broken again?
Nikki Hall
There is no denying Nikki is a passionate person with a ride-or-die sense of loyalty. On the first season of Double Shot at Love, her passion was laser-focused on Pauly. And when Pauly didn't pick Nikki at the finale, she was crushed. Looking back, they both hate the way things ended between them, so Pauly invited the Los Angeles native to move into his suite with the rest of the ladies. Will this peace offering be enough to squash their beef?
Suzi Baidya
It's nearly impossible not to smile when you hear Suzi's signature laugh. As the life of the party on the first season of Double Shot at Love, Suzi caught the guys' attention, so Vinny and Pauly knew she would love the Vegas nightlife. Suzi is leaving her family and responsibilities behind in Irvine, CA, to have a summer of fun in Sin City. Will it be as carefree as she has imagined it?
Antonio Locke
This hardworking NYC construction worker is a self-proclaimed class clown who loves to have a good time. So, when his friend Derynn invited him to Las Vegas, Antonio jumped at the chance to trade pouring cement for popping bottles on the strip. However, Antonio is leaving behind a serious girlfriend in Staten Island, NY, and his new roommates are quick to tell him that being in a relationship in Sin City is a disaster waiting to happen. With temptation coming at him from all angles, will Antonio prove everyone wrong and stay faithful?
Brandon Stakemann
Brandon prides himself on being a "lovable douche" and thinks of himself as quite the ladies' man and life of the party. He and Derynn became close friends while partying and hosting events in New Jersey. She knew his confidence would thrive in Las Vegas, so she invited him to leave Manalapan, NJ, and join them this summer in Sin City. But with Brandon's polarizing energy, will his confidence catch the eye of one of his roommates or ultimately rub them the wrong way -- or both?
Nicky Curd
Nicky is an OG "cugine," which in Italian means "cousin," but on Staten Island, NY, it means "pretty boy." A car salesman and entrepreneur, Nicky is always looking for the next opportunity to make money. Knowing that his grind would flourish in Las Vegas, Derynn invited Nicky to join her and her friends for the summer. One thing Nicky loves more than hustling is smiling, but will his infectious grin win over his roommates?


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How Investor Relations (IR) Firms Can Boost the Market Prospects of Small Companies
When executives of Astronics Corp., a Buffalo, N.Y., company that provides specialized lighting for civilian and military airplanes, were preparing to spin off a printing and packaging division in early 2003, they almost overlooked a key player — the company's biggest institutional investor, mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments.
Had Fidelity spurned the spin-off and sold its shares, it could have "devastated" the share prices of the tiny company (market capitalization: $55 million) and its spin-off, says Deborah K. Pawlowski, a veteran investor relations consultant who had just been brought on to help in the process.
Pawlowski says she quickly arranged a meeting with Fidelity's portfolio managers. It was the first time company executives had ever met the fund's officials. Among other things, she also made sure there would be market makers for the stock of the spin-off, MOD-PAC Corp.
As it turned out, Fidelity did not flee and MOD-PAC started life trading above the $5 a share mark, which ensured that it would be traded on the more widely followed NASDAQ National Market rather than the NASDAQ Small Cap market. While Fidelity has since departed from MOD-PAC, the company's shares now trade above $15 and Astronics' share price of over $7 is near its 52-week high, justifying everyone's rationale for the split.
Chalk up another success for investor relations, the myriad of outreach activities companies undertake to attract investors.
It's one of many, especially when it comes to small- and mid-capitalization companies that typically are traded on the NASDAQ and OTC markets, according to Brian J. Bushee, a professor of accounting at Wharton and Gregory S. Miller, a professor of accounting at Harvard Business School. The two researchers recently wrote Investor Relations, Firm Visibility and Investor Following, a paper that documents the impact of investor relations activities on the market prospects of small companies.
"We find that these companies have significant increases in their disclosures [of financial and other corporate events], press coverage, trading activity, institutional investor ownership, analyst following and market valuation after hiring the IR firm, both in absolute terms and relative to a control sample matched on exchange, industry, time listed and prior investor following," the authors write.
Bushee and Miller's conclusions are based on a survey of 184 companies that hired 33 investor relations consulting firms between 1999 and 2004. The study includes detailed interviews with 11 of the IR firms, including Kei Advisors LLC of Buffalo, N.Y., where Pawlowski is chairman and chief executive officer. Three fourths of the companies are listed on NASDAQ or the OTC Bulletin Board, and they represent 59 industries. Only two of the industries — computer services (8%) and software (6%) — account for more than 5% of the sample.
The impact is not uniform. "NASDAQ companies experience bigger increases in institutional investor and analyst following, whereas companies on the OTC Bulletin Board and Pink Sheets experience greater increases in trading activity and disclosure," the paper says. Companies traded on NASDAQ generally are larger than those traded over the counter. The IR strategy often unfolds in stages, "with increased visibility and trading by the existing investor base preceding increases in following by institutions and analysts."
Getting Analysts' Attention
For small companies, which in the best of times struggle to be visible to potential investors, tighter regulations in the aftermath of corporate scandals have made the IR function even more crucial, the authors note. These companies — most of them unable to afford in-house IR specialists — are therefore turning to investor relations consultants to help them "navigate the more complex communication process" created by reform measures such as Regulation FD, which prohibits selective disclosure of material nonpublic information, and the sweeping Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Companies need to be more attentive than ever not only to what they tell investors but how they convey that information so they don't fall afoul of the rules. At the same time, "both regulations are viewed as having decreased analysts' interest in following small- and mid-cap firms, making it important to have an effective way to attract that attention," the researchers' paper notes.
Analysts at Wall Street brokerage firms who once tracked small companies in hopes of attracting investment banking business cannot do that anymore for fear of raising conflict of interest questions. Companies in turn cannot favor selected analysts in releasing corporate information. The end result is that smaller companies are having a harder time gaining analysts' attention.
All this has heightened the importance of IR professionals to companies that are seeking to be heard by investors over the crowd of other such companies also clamoring to be heard. "Most academics would say it is pretty surprising that you can just go out and pay somebody to help you manage your investor relations and produce significant results," Bushee says in an interview. After all, the well-known efficient-market hypothesis suggests that investors and analysts already know everything that needs to be known about companies and "hiring someone to change their minds would not work." But it does, he says.
So what does a good IR firm do? "The first thing is it works with the client company to help it refine the story" it wishes to tell analysts and investors, Bushee says. That in part may involve persuading the company management to provide additional or fuller public disclosures of financial and non-financial information, beyond what is required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. For instance, it could provide details of a long-term agreement with a customer or the start of a new phase of drug trials.
The IR firm also arranges meetings between the company management and large institutional investors, or the "buy side," as well as analysts at brokerages, or the "sell side." The goal is to make buyers and sellers of the stock comfortable with the company's management, Bushee says. "A lot of these firms are loss-making firms," he adds. "You can't value them on price-earnings models, but instead must rely on whether the management has a good idea, whether it has a good business plan and whether it is doing the right things to get to profitability. A lot of bets investors are making are on the management, not on the financials."
In this context, reputable IR professionals tend not to accept clients looking only for a short-term boost in stock price, according to the paper. "Almost all of the IR professionals expressed concern that such situations would inadvertently lead to being involved in a 'pump and dump' scheme," the authors note. In pump and dump schemes, unscrupulous companies artificially and temporarily boost their stock price so insiders can take a profit.
"Part of what goes on is that you have one opportunity to do this," Bushee says. "You are hiring an IR firm, and making a commitment to be there to answer questions from investors and analysts. If you disappear when things go bad, you will lose [these investors] and never get a chance to do this again."
Two Versions of a Press Release
At Kei, clients can expect a strategic rather than tactical approach to the investor relations task, Pawlowski says. "A lot of them see investors in an undifferentiated way. I say there are individual investors out there and your task is to find out what each wants to hear."
IR is equal parts communication, marketing, finance and law, according to Pawlowski. "A company is like a living organism. It grows and evolves and goes through cycles, and so its investor profile also changes. Management must help investors understand where the company is headed and what will happen to the future cash flow."
Her profession has come a long way since the 1980s, Pawlowski adds. IR has evolved to match the growing role of large institutional investors and mutual funds in stock ownership and the demands placed on companies more recently by regulatory changes, she says. The large investors have become increasingly sophisticated and voracious consumers of company data and analysis. That, in turn, has raised issues of selective disclosure and attracted new SEC rules, such as Regulation FD, to level the investment playing field.
Years ago, Pawlowski used to do two versions of a company press release: One was a simple recitation of its sales, net income and earnings per share, aimed at unsophisticated readers of news wire services. The other was aimed at the financial community and went farther in parsing the company's financial statements. "Now, this would be a violation," she says.
At the same time, the so-called "global settlement" engineered by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has had a hand in tilting the investor relations landscape toward the buy side, says Louis M. Thompson Jr., president and chief executive officer of the National Investor Relations Institute. Under the settlement, Wall Street firms paid $1.4 billion in penalties after revelations that their analysts exaggerated the merits of companies that brought investment-banking business to the firms and have separated their research and investment banking functions to avoid future charges of conflicts. "If you are a research analyst, you don't talk to an investment banker without a lawyer in the room," Thompson says.
That has meant that smaller, often marginally followed companies have lost analyst coverage altogether. Companies that once could gain the stock market's attention by talking to a handful of analysts must now reach out directly to potential investors, a more time-consuming and expensive task, Thompson says. (Small companies should expect to pay between $60,000 and $120,000 a year for the services of a good IR firm, Pawlowski says.)
Thompson cautions, however, that "the job of IR is not just to boost the stock price, although most CEOs look at their IR person and say, 'I want you to get my stock price up.' But you don't grab that hook. Your job is to get information out about the company in an evenhanded way, good and bad news, and then the market has to decide" how much it values the company.
Bushee cautions that IR is not simply an act of advertising. In hiring an IR firm, a company's management is making some onerous long-term commitments to investors, including providing them with more access to management and more disclosures. "It's not that you can just hire someone to shill your stock and then people will buy it," he says.
Investor Relations, Firm Visibility, and Investor Following
"How Investor Relations (IR) Firms Can Boost the Market Prospects of Small Companies." Knowledge@Wharton. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 06 April, 2005. Web. 15 January, 2022	<https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-investor-relations-ir-firms-can-boost-the-market-prospects-of-small-companies/>
How Investor Relations (IR) Firms Can Boost the Market Prospects of Small Companies. Knowledge@Wharton (2005, April 06). Retrieved from https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-investor-relations-ir-firms-can-boost-the-market-prospects-of-small-companies/
"How Investor Relations (IR) Firms Can Boost the Market Prospects of Small Companies" Knowledge@Wharton, April 06, 2005,
accessed January 15, 2022. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-investor-relations-ir-firms-can-boost-the-market-prospects-of-small-companies/
Wanda: Strategic Transition to an Asset-light Model
The Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group is one of the world's largest commercial property companies, with operations in real estate management, financial services, and the tourism and cultural businesses. The company is well known throughout China by way of its[…]


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10 Heart-Pumping Shore Excursions to Keep You on the Move
Bike, surf, ride horseback or race a car
on these active offerings
By Alexis Hilts
Tor Johnson/Hawaii Tourism Authority
"It's kind of like the hot new thing," says Brad Ball, spokesperson for Silversea Cruises, of heli-skiing, an activity that the luxury line's concierge desk recently arranged at the request of a passenger in Europe. "As opposed to being with the masses in a chairlift or a tram, you have your own helicopter that takes you on a private run or off the beaten track, and you ski in pristine conditions."
This exclusive shore excursion is just an example of the kind of off-ship ventures passengers have access to on cruise vacations these days. Chances are there's a cruise line that's got the perfect active in-port expedition for you. In an effort to appease all levels of movers and shakers, cruise lines continue to come up with energizing shore excursions, from snorkeling to zip lining.
Whether you're a reluctant exerciser wanting to burn a few calories on an uncommon city tour or an adrenaline junkie looking to try a new thrill, we've compiled a collection of adventures ashore that get your body moving. Our selections are ranked according to how much they get your heart pumping.
Shore excursions have limited availability, so make sure to prebook your must-dos. Some activities can have restrictions, such as weight limits or minimum age requirements. Do your research to help select experiences best suited to your level of fitness and skills. Each cruise line's list of in-port options is subject to change.
For great deals on sailings to these destinations, call the cruise specialists at (800) 338-4962 or visit Vacations To Go.
Truffle Hunting in Croatia
Lore insists that the truffle is an aphrodisiac, priming its tasters for passion. Whether this is true for humans or not is unclear, but the musky fungus sure drives pigs crazy. Swine traditionally were used for seeking out the underground bounty for exactly this reason, though nowadays it's more common to utilize the talents of scent-sensitive canines on the hunt. Passengers of SeaDream Yacht Club who travel to the Adriatic peninsula of Istria, in Croatia's northwest corner, will have a chance to meet these specially trained dogs and their owners on a countryside truffle hunt.
From the charming cobblestoned port of Rovinj, guests head to the village of Livade to meet truffle seekers and their companions, pups taught from a young age to sniff out black or white (the ultimate prize) fungi. You'll spend an hour and a half exploring the damp wilderness where these pungent morsels grow, then taste your truffle treasures in a sampling of local dishes.
Heart-race rating: 1 out of 5
Horseback Riding in the Bahamas
Saddle up for a tour of the private, unspoiled Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay, 98 percent of which is dedicated to a wild bird preserve. Carnival Cruise Lines passengers ride their steeds along meandering trails to the highest point -- an ideal spot for snapping photos of serene tropical surroundings.
After returning to the corral, guests re-energize with refreshments while their equine counterparts get changed into their version of a swimsuit: a special pad and rope halter. Ready to get wet, horses and riders plunge into the ocean together for a unique swim along the islet's nine miles of beach.
Cave Exploration in Jamaica
Jamaica's newest cruise port, Falmouth, offers easy access to a network of limestone caves beneath the forested hills of Cockpit Country. Guests of Royal Caribbean International begin their caving excursion with a ride to this west-central region, the island's last remaining patch of preserved wilderness and home to various native species. A hike through the woods and across the Mouth River brings travelers to a 2-mile-long complex of passageways at Rock Spring.
Expect to crouch, crawl and creep past the cave's batty inhabitants during the hourlong subterranean exploration. This excursion is suited to both beginners and advanced spelunkers.
Hiking a Volcano in Italy
Active travelers with a reverence for the past can choose to trek the crater of legendary Mount Vesuvius on Mediterranean sailings with Princess Cruises, during stops in Naples on Italy's southwest coast. Passengers take in panoramic views en route to a spot on this still-active volcano, 3,000 feet above the Bay of Naples.
After hiking for 40 minutes across the rocky remains of once-flowing lava, cruisers board a motor coach bound for the ruins of Pompeii. Once a flourishing Roman town, Pompeii was buried by a massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Hidden beneath volcanic ash, the city was rediscovered in the 18th century. Visitors can now tour the archaeological site, including the remnants of baths, theaters, wrestling grounds and villas decorated with preserved mosaics.
Surfing in Hawaii
Shore excursions are a fun way to get to know a region's culture, and Norwegian Cruise Line provides an experience that introduces visitors to a Polynesian tradition: surfing. The art of skimming the sea's surface is centuries old. In 1779, Lt. James King, one of the earliest European observers of surfers, wrote: "These men may be said to be almost amphibious."
NCL vacationers hoping to hang 10 will head to Poipu Beach on the south shore of Kauai for some guidance from expert wave riders at Chava Greenlee's Surfing School. Instructors teach would-be swell catchers the basic form on land, such as proper paddling and pop-up techniques. Then it's time to grab a board and hit the water. Cruisers have plenty of supervision in the ocean to up their chances of catching that perfect wave.
Nordic Walking in Finland
The seaside capital of Helsinki is a walkable city, and Seabourn capitalizes on this -- with a twist. Instead of the classic pedestrian tour, passengers grab a pair of specially designed poles and discover Helsinki's sights while Nordic walking. An off-season training technique for cross-country skiers, this vigorous sport burns up to 40 percent more calories than regular walking, strengthening both lower and upper body muscles. Using poles also adds safety and stability while reducing stress on the joints.
Traversing roughly five miles of city pathways, cruisers will check out top attractions. Bustling Market Square, with its food and souvenir stalls, the domed Lutheran Cathedral in Senate Square and the curved contemporary art museum, Kiasma, are sights along the way.
Cycling in Spain
Taking a guided tour via an air-conditioned vehicle can be a relaxing way to see the sights, but navigating by bicycle gets your heart pumping and allows you to go places that a motor coach can't. Areas of art- and architecture-filled Barcelona are car-free zones -- only accessible on foot or by bike -- including La Rambla, the lively main strip.
Guests of Celebrity Cruises can pedal part of a 60-mile network of cycling lanes, through the old town and along the oceanfront, accompanied by both a guide and a mechanic to ensure a smooth ride. The route covers about seven and a half miles, with occasional breaks for sightseeing.
Rock Climbing in Alaska
Alaska's rugged scenery inspires many travelers to get moving in the outdoors. Disney Cruise Line has found a way to harness that energy by offering amateur climbers a chance to scale the heights of stunning White Pass during ship visits to the old gold-rush capital of Skagway.
Outfitted with the proper equipment, would-be mountaineers have their pick of more than a dozen ways to ascend the granite rock face, all leading to views of the Skagway River. The boldest of the bunch can add to the rush with a 70-foot rappel down the cliff. This experience is designed to accommodate both novices and experts.
Racing Cars in Estonia
Millions of fans get their juices flowing every year by watching the Daytona 500, imagining what it would be like to put the pedal to the metal. This year, Crystal Cruises introduced an onshore experience on select Baltic sailings that allows passengers to do just that at Laitse Rally Park.
Located south of Tallinn, Estonia, the racing complex is the biggest in the region. After a lesson in navigating the 1.5-mile track, speed demons choose their vehicle -- an automatic BMW or a manual Lada -- before competing against another driver for the fastest time.
The winners will get trophies, but all will celebrate with wine and the opportunity to meet a local champion.
Want to go home with a one-of-a-kind experience under your belt? Create your own customized excursion. Most cruise lines have added private or small-group tours to their lists of onshore offerings. Some luxury operators, like Seabourn, Crystal and Silversea, have raised the bar by allowing passengers to design their own adventures.
"Anything that you want to do or can conceive of doing, we'll handle it," says Brad Ball of Silversea. The Silver Shore Concierge program is specifically devised to handle guests' private arrangement requests, from preplanned endeavors to spur-of-the-moment desires. The heli-skiing trip began when one particular Silversea cruiser heard of a late snowfall in the Swiss Alps, Ball says. He visited the concierge desk on board, and the staff arranged for a private jet to fly his
family to Zermatt, Switzerland, for a day of heli-skiing -- and back in time to meet the ship before it departed the port. "That's the ultimate adventure," says Ball.
In the last five years, Crystal has added its own private excursions program, as well as a range of "extreme luxury" tours, from sailing around the Greek islands in a yacht to speeding the hillsides of Monaco in a Lamborghini. Last year, guests could come face-to-face with a notorious ocean predator during a shark cage dive off South Africa's coast. Crystal also has added a zero-gravity experience at Russia's cosmonaut training facility, Star City.
These days, Silversea's cruise clientele does a lot of research up front, Ball says. Guests are looking to maximize the in-port experience. "They want options. They want to pick and choose and ultimately put together the perfect package."
Heart-race rating: It's up to you!
The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published in July/August 2011. Please visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 338-4962 for current rates and details.
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Sinemorets Hill är en kulle i Antarktis. Den ligger i Sydshetlandsöarna. Argentina, Chile och Storbritannien gör anspråk på området. Toppen på Sinemorets Hill är  meter över havet.

Terrängen runt Sinemorets Hill är varierad. Havet är nära Sinemorets Hill åt sydväst. Den högsta punkten i närheten är Livingstonön,  meter över havet,  kilometer nordväst om Sinemorets Hill. Trakten är glest befolkad. Närmaste befolkade plats är St. Kliment Ohridski Base,  kilometer nordost om Sinemorets Hill.

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Storbritanniens anspråk i Antarktis
Chiles anspråk i Antarktis
Argentinas anspråk i Antarktis


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Bilski
I'm going to have to record a new Lawcast shortly - and it will have to include something about Bilski. Fortunately not much, because it's not our Supreme Court - it's SCOTUS, not SCOTUK. And I don't have to post much here, given that Dennis Crouch has already said a lot about it and the IPKat has also had his or her say. I'm pleased to note that it seems to indicate that we reached the high-water mark of business methods patents in State Street, while not actually binning that earlier case. It seems to tell us more about what it doesn't do than what it does do.
The patent covered a technique for hedging for commodities traders in the energy market - a classic business method patent. The examiner rejected it because it was not implemented on specific apparatus (as processes generally need to be), it merely manipulated an abstract idea,, and it solved a purely mathematical problem. The Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences agreed and affirmed. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit also affirmed, rejecting its own test for whether a claimed invention was a patentable process (whether it produced a "useful, concrete, and tangible result", as in State Street). Instead, it applied the "machine-or-transformation" test - a process can be patented if it is tield to a particular machine or apparatus, or it transforms the particular article into a differnt state or thing. On that basis the CAFC held the application was not patent-eligibible. In doing so it threw down a gauntlet to the Supreme Court: the machine-or-transformation test was crafted from precedents from that court.
The Supremes declined the challenge, and threw the gauntlet back. They affirmed the CAFC judgment but did not endorse an exclusive machine-or-transformation test. There was no need to look further than the bar on patenting abstract ideas. The fact that the Bilski patent involved abstract ideas was reason enough to refuse it, and automatically this meant that the machine-or-transformation test could not be the exclusive one for patentability of processes. Nor was there any need to define further what constitutes a patentable process. Justice Kennedy gave the opinion of the court, and concluded:
Today, the Court once again declines to impose limitations on the Patent Act that are inconsistent with the Act's text. The patent application here can be rejected under our precedents on the unpatentability of abstract ideas. The Court, therefore, need not define further what constitutes a patentable "process," beyond pointing to the definition of that term provided in §100(b) and looking to the guideposts in Benson, Flook, and Diehr. And nothing in today's opinion should be read as endorsing interpretations of §101 that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has used in the past. See, e.g., State Street, 149 F. 3d, at 1373; AT&T Corp., 172 F. 3d, at 1357. It may be that the Court of Appeals thought it needed to make the machine-or-transformation test exclusive precisely because its case law had not adequately identified less extreme means of restricting business method patents, including (but not limited to) application of our opinions in Benson, Flook, and Diehr. In disapproving an exclusive machine-or-transformation test, we by no means foreclose the Federal Circuit's development of other limiting criteria that further the purposes of the Patent Act and are not inconsistent with its text. The judgment of the Court of Appeals is affirmed.
I sense that it's a bit of a disappointment - commentators were looking forward to much more robust statement about exotic patents, such as software and business methods ones. Instead, it sounds as if the court has said look at what the Patent Act says and work it out from there. The "machine-or-transformation" test is a tool to help, but not a rule to be applied in all cases. Nevertheless, Dennis Crouch detects something more in the judgment:
Although not rejected by the majority opinion, it is clear that the broad "useful, concrete, and tangible result" test is dead. That test is conclusively rejected by what I term the Anti-State-Street Majority — a majority created by the combining the two concurring opinions in Bilski and their five-justice majority.
Well, it would be a shame if software and business methods patents suddenly became cut and dried so there was nothing left to argue about!
Labels: business methods, Patents, software patents
Tip of the day: compensation for infringement of copyright
If someone infringes your copyright, your financial remedies will be either damages or an account of profits. The idea of damages is to put the parties back into the position they would have been, but for the infringement: if you'd have granted a licence had you been asked, a reasonable royalty will be the measure of damages employed, and if you wouldn't the judge will probably look at what the defendant has saved itself.
In an account of profits the court will find out what profit the defendant has made from the infringing act, and award that to the claimant: the profit, after all, is properly theirs.
Once upon a time (before 1988) a rather draconian remedy called conversion damages was available. The court would treat all the takings (not just the profits) from the infringement as the claimant's. The possibility of losing all the proceeds, not just the profits, made would-be infringers (including those whose activities might be marginal) think twice before going ahead.
Now the courts can award such additional damages as the justice of the case may demand. This sounds promising, but additional damages are very rarely awarded, for the simple reason that they push the boundary between compensation and penalty too far. Damages are not there to penalise the infringer, and once an award of damages has been made (so the claimant is restored to the position where they should be) there can be no room for anything to be added that can truly be called "damages".
Some countries - the USA being a prime example - give statutory damages. You can recover a certain amount without having to prove that you have lost anything. This is the blunt instrument that has been used to attack illegal filesharers in the last few years, resulting in substantial awards of damages against them - notwithstanding that very little actual damage has been caused. Statutory damages neatly sidestep the issue.
Labels: Copyright, Tip of the day
Tip of the Day: Avoiding copyright infringement
A very small and rather obvious point that came up recently - but it's sometimes the small and obvious ones that are most easily overlooked. Suppose you heve asked someone to create something for you that will be protected by copyright. Ideally, you'll have taken an assignment of the copyright, but there might be many reasons why that isn't possible - and one might be that the project is still in its infancy.
If you need to bring a new programmer/photographer/composer/writer/whatever in later to finish the project, don't fall victim to the temptation to show them what the previous person had done. Keep that completely out of sight. Go right back to the basics, whatever it was that gave you the idea in the first place. Then there can be no suggestion - no serious suggestion - that the second person infringed the copyright of the first.
There might be arguments that you did actually have the right to use the first person's work, but you shouldn't rely on them. They are arguments you will have eventually to present before one of Her Majesty's judges, and they make for a very critical audience. moreover, they aren't an audience that pays you so they can enjoy the show: they require you to pay for the privilege of appearing before them, and you'll have to employ a very expensive supporting cast too.
Tip of the day: trade marks as designs
Not feeling very inspired today, having spent yesterday in the office dealing with a visit from our regulator. Why, I wonder, is it thought that professions need to be regulated? The answer, I fear, is that being a solicitor is no longer a profession, it is a mere business, and one cannot rely implicitly on the integrity of some of its members, so the majority have to submit to a level of control designed for the truly dishonest or incompetent.
Anyway, today - following on from my comments about passing-off law as a back-up where design protection fails (as design protection usually does) by highlighting one area where it will work the other way round. The design that makes up your trade mark could also be protected as a registered design. The requirements for a registered design are stiff: it must be novel and have individual character. Trade marks, by contrast, even get better as they get older. But a new business or product is likely to have a new logo, and if it functions as a trade mark it has distinctive character which is at least part of the way to individual character. A rebrand might produce some registrable designs, too, though here the stumbling block will be that the character of the new design will often owe something to the old one and 'individual character' might be hard to show. But it's easy (and cheap) to get a design on the register, and these days maximising your IP portfolio is often the name of the game.
For an example of how this might work, see here and here.
Labels: Tip of the day
Tip of the day: imitating designs
When I present courses, I like to stress that the different IP rights are quite independent, each designed to do its own job. The intellectual property field displays a lack of joined-up thinking not because of any lack of intellectual rigour but simply because the rights are not intended to interoperate.
They do, however, overlap to some extend, and there are also some provisions which display a little negative joined-up thinking, if you like: for example, the provisions in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act that restrict copyright's incursions into the designs field. The Trade Marks Act also ensures that many designs will not be eligible for dual protection as trade marks too.
There are also plenty of areas of overlap. All five ways to protect a design will often co-exist quite happily: there can be UK and EC registered designs, Community unregistered design right, UK unregistered design right and even a touch of copyright. But even if none of them applies – problably because they have all expired – the design might still be protected.
This is what happened in the recent Numatic v Qualtex [2010] EWHC 1237 case in the High Court. Qualtex had done their homework before they tried to make their own replica of the Henry vacuum cleaner: they ensured there was no remaining design protection. What there was, though, was a passing-off action, relying on the fact that the public recognised a tub-shaped vacuum cleaner with a shiny black 'bowler hat' type lid even if it didn't say Henry on it and even without the face decals that decorate the original.
The get-up (hat the Americans would call 'trade dress') of a product, or of a business, can be protected by a passing-off action. There's nothing new about it. It will cost a lot, but if your key market is threatened by an imitator that's probably not going to be your first concern. As for what you can get away with, the old copyright maxim, 'what is worth copying is worth protecting' doesn't apply – but if what you've produced is clearly an imitation it might well go to far. The question in a passing-off case is whether you are deceiving customers, and imitation – notl to intellectual property lawyers, the sincerest form of flattery – will often, perhaps nearly always, lead to deception.
Tip of the day: choosing a trade mark (1)
The number of trade marks in the world is finite. It might be large, but it doesn't go on for ever. Chances are, your preferred new trade mark will be similar to someone else's, and if it's similar enough to create a likelihood of confusion and the other people have theirs registered for similar goods or services, you're in trouble.
Of course, you can do a lot to put clear blue water between their trade mark and your proposed one. But that concept of likelihood of confusion creates a fuzzy edge to trade mark protection, and you can never be entirely sure whether you are heading for trouble.
One possibility in this sort of situation is to talk to the other trade mark owner. Of course this will alert them to a problem they didn't know about otherwise, and they might take a more hard nosed approach than they would if they found out about you only after you were up and running, at which stage it will cost them money to oppose your application or to sue for infringement. But these days the chances are that trade mark owners will oppose or sue more readily than in the past: it's because people have become so aware of the value of their trade marks, and they don't want anyone damaging it. I don't think you should normally assume that you can get enough momentum by ploughing straight on, though more litigious colleagues might advise differently.
Labels: Tip of the day, Trade marks
Tip of the day for 10 June: getting copyright
It might seem to be too good to be true, but you don't need to do anything to secure copyright. All you have to do is create something that copyright will protect. You don't even need to put © on it, though there are good reasons to do so when you publish copies.
This might also seem to be too easy to be true, or to be entirely good for you. That's often right. When you say you own copyright in somethng, or that it is your copyright work, all you are really doing is claiming that you have it. To support that claim, you might need evidence. What if someone accuses you of copying their work, or you find someone who seems to have copied yours? Which one was first in time will then be an important matter (though it won't be the only thing to argue about, because if there's no copying there's no infringement).
To prove that you had created a work by a particular date, you can post a copy to yourself or some trusted third party (your lawyer might be a good choice) and keep the unopened package, conveniently dated by the Royal Mail, in a safe place. You could deposit the copy with a bank or other agent, of course, but the posting-to-someone option is particularly easy.
The United States still operates a copyright register, so there is somewhere in the world where you can officially deposit a copy and get a filing date. However, you should beware of ne thing: your work will be published as part of the process. If it's not confidential, that doesn't really matter, but if it's something like an idea for a film or TV series this is exactly what you don't want. A useful alternative which does meet the needs of the authors of such things is provided by the Writers' Guild of America, and it is available to non-members. But This is not legal advice, and you should ensure it is right for you first - and equally you should get professional advice on other tips given here. All I'm trying to do is point you in the right direction, and help you avoid some pitfalls!
British Standard on IP advice
The IPKat reports here that the British Standards Institution is consulting on consulting on a new standard (BS8538) on the provision of services relating to intellectual property rights. I am speechless. Already the professions that work in this area are ridicuously over-regulated. I have been very unimpressed in my dealings with trade mark agents, it's true, some of whom don't even acknowledge correspondence (which I think would be regarded as unprofessional in a solicitor - though I have probably done it myself in the past), and being obliged to conduct themselves according to a set of rules, as solicitors have done for decades, is a Good Thing.
So at whom is the proposed BS aimed? Presumably fringe IP advisers, because there's nothing in that solicitors, patent attorneys and trade mark agents aren't already obliged to do. Far better, in my view, to restrict the work to people who have a professional qualification and a code of ethics: the presumption so often seems to be that consumers of these services (who will often be businesses, of course) need the protection afforded by competition against high prices. But when competition comes from unqualified, perhaps uninsured, people, the interests of consumers have been sacrificed on the alter of price competition. Unfortunately, the imperative seems to be to ensure legal services are available as cheaply as possible, in the IP field as well as on the High Street.
Apart from these objections in principle, I am not impressed by the intellectual rigour of the document. It makes sweeping statements about IP without distinguishing the beneficial effects that patent protection provides [in theory] for technology and the very different benefits of trade mark protection. And, come to think of it, what about those professional advisers who help their clients obtain extensive, deep and anti-competitive intellectual property protection, so they can go about bullying smaller businesses? I reckon that some things these absolutists do are not compatible with a solicitor's duty to the court - a constraint that does not apply to patent attorneys and trade mark agents, and (a fortiori) to the targets of BS8538. Now manybe that's an aspect that the BSI could usefully look at.
Until I run out of ideas, I'll present a tip every day - OK, let's say every weekday - for the benefit of readers - and the world at large. Feel free to request anything you think should feature.
I always tell people who come on a course where the subject comes up that they must remember that there is notihing in UK copyright law to make the commissioner (even for money or money's worth) of a copyright work the owner of copyright in it. That has to be done by assignment, and an assignment has to be in writing and signed by the copyright owner if it is to be legally effective.
Many businesses, and private individuals, hire others to create something for them: a photograph, a graphic, a painting, some prose, a piece of music, a film. It might be perfectly OK for copyright to remain with the creator - who can then sell the same thing, or one identical to it, to someone else, perhaps - but there will certainly be situations where this is not desired. Imagine if your business did not own copyright in its own website: it would be difficult to move it to another host. And trade marks - logos in particular - frequently comprise, or contain, copyright works. You can't leave them in the control of a graphic designer.
When you commission the making of the work, whatever it is, you should make a written record of the terms. This is what is commonly called a contract - and it's the ideal place in whcih to include an assignment. Pay your lawyer to draw it up for you. It's worth it. Because this site does not give legal advice (I am deliberately keeping these tips general) I'm not going to offer a form of words, I'm afraid.
May 2010 IP Lawcast available (now with added CPD)
You can download the audio file, as usual, here. Right click to download: left click starts it running, which might not be quite what you want. It's now worth an hour's CPD for solicitors: barristers, patent attorneys and trade mark attorneys can also gain CPD and there is some guidance on this on the Lawcasts page of this site (click the tab above). The notes are here.
To obtain your CPD you have to register with me and pay the appropriate fee (details under teh Lawcasts tab, above). Once I have received payment I will send you the multi-choice questionnaire that will prove that you have listened to the programme.
Labels: IP Lawcast, Podcast
Tip of the day: compensation for infringement of c...


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Make It Brighter
Video: Make It Brighter
Video: RÜFÜS DU SOL - Brighter 2023, January
This BMW M3 spent a considerable part of its life under the motto: "I am just like everyone else, only faster." Like many German sports cars, a charged "Bavarian" is not endowed with the creators of a vivid image. The maximum that designers decided on is to paint part of the cars in red.
This M3 is not among the "lucky". And, perhaps, he would have lived until the end of his days if the next owner had not decided to decorate it.
It is known that the main advantage of the M3 is its violent disposition. "Powerful" engine produces 321 hp at 7400 rpm, tuning it is very problematic. However, the owner of the car is not afraid of difficulties. Installing a compressor is difficult, expensive, and risky. Therefore, the owner of the M3 took up the intake, exhaust and fuel supply systems. Delivered a low-resistance filter K&N, tuned issue of the German brand G-Power. Changed the timing, and in the fuel line raised the pressure to 5.4 bar! As the tuners estimate, 10-15% of the power was added, which is quite a lot.
Manageability coupe "sharpened." By car appeared adjustable shock absorbers, sports springs and stretching the front struts. For beauty, they adjusted the hub spacers and wide wheels of Hamann Motorsport.
About ten years ago, Hamann Motorsport experts placed the most powerful V8 from the M5 model under the hood of the M3. Just for that - exclusive - car, a body kit was developed, a copy of which flaunts on our coupe. Unusually wide wheel arches are striking. Visually, they are supported by convex sills and wide wheels. The base of the front bumper remained, but thanks to the side spoilers and the mesh in the central air intake, the view became more aggressive.
Head optics - "angel eyes" Hella, xenon with original direction indicators. But the "Emka" looks the brightest from the stern - as if spread from the ground by speed! The Hamann wing and a visor on the rear window enhance the effect.
The "Bavarian" interior is no less interesting: here, the bright style and impeccable ergonomics are mixed in equal proportions. MOMO accessories (steering wheel and gear knob) work on the image, and the combination of Alcantara trim and the Clarion hi-end music system create coziness.
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