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Travel resolutions for an adventure-filled year
20 Reasons to travel in 2020
5 tips for traveling abroad
Any trip abroad requires thoughtful planning and a well-researched itinerary, particularly if you're heading off on a vacation rather than traveling for business. The following five-step guide should help you cover key travel areas to make sure nothing is left to chance.
1. Local knowledge
Fail to prepare and prepare to… walk around aimlessly wondering what to do and why you can't buy tickets to see the things you really want to see, as the old adage almost goes. Preparation is the key to everything in life, particularly for travel. If heading abroad, research your destination thoroughly, from the places to eat and drink, the sights and the scenes, the public transport and everything else you'll need while you're away.
Take notes and work your options into an itinerary — one that's flexible enough to allow you to amend it once you get your bearings and begin to explore, but which gives you a solid, structured plan of action. Numerous apps will offer expert and up-to-the-minute insight, but download them before you leave home or risk high data charges.
You should also research any events taking place wherever you're headed. If you wait to buy tickets on the spur of the moment, you may not be able to attend the event. The same rule applies to tickets for museums, galleries or any other tourist attractions — you'll generally get a better deal by booking them online, well in advance.
2. Money matters
There are several ways to ensure your dollar goes far on vacation. The first is to research the exchange rate of where you're traveling to long before you book your trip. For example, in Europe, a vacation in Denmark or Iceland will cost more than if you go to Greece or mainland Spain.
Next, make sure your credit card will work abroad before you depart. It's best to call your credit card company for confirmation and while you have them on the phone, let them know you're going on a vacation to prevent card theft or deactivation. Once abroad, make sure you're carrying both a working credit card and local currency — some places may not accept credit cards, particularly on public transportation. You may also need local currency to enter the country — some countries have entrance or exit fees which are not always included in the price of your airfare. To avoid any surprises, check before you depart.
And lastly, make sure your credit card company doesn't charge a fee for using it overseas, and exchange money at either a bank or an ATM when you get to your destination for better rates. Even better, exchange money before you depart, while still at home.
3. Language and lingo
If traveling to a foreign country where they speak a different language, it may help to learn a few of the key phrases before you go. Mastering a language takes practice but learning a few key phrases will help you get by. Learn how to say 'hello' and 'goodbye', 'please' and 'thank you', 'good morning' and 'good night', 'two beers', 'two coffees' and 'the check, please', plus any other lines your brain can retain. The locals won't expect you to speak their language fluently, but they'll appreciate that you've made the effort to learn a few lines.
For further help while you're on your trip, consider one of the many language learning apps on the market. If you plan to learn, try Duolingo, a free app for iOS and Android that covers numerous languages. If you simply want to translate words or phrases you don't understand, or you need help when you're being spoken to but don't understand a word, try Google Translate, which is also free and available for iOS and Android.
4. Tech troubles
Everything we carry with us nowadays needs plugging in and charging. Your phone, tablet, laptop and reading devices won't run forever, or in some cases for long. So, you'll need to pack chargers and cables, but be aware that not all plugs and adapters are the same in every country. Before leaving, check to see if the country you're visiting requires a specific adapter and if so, purchase it ahead of time so that you won't run into any battery or power issues on your trip. Also, be advised that there may be data roaming charges when using your mobile phone or devices abroad. You'll also want to check if activating your mobile phone or device's global capabilities is a cost-effective option, something your provider should be able to assist you on.
5. Survival guide
No matter where you are going, it's always a good idea to take the necessary precautions ahead of time so that if an emergency were to happen, you'll be prepared. First things first, plan ahead by securing adequate travel insurance. Also, you should email yourself a copy of your flight tickets and double check that your passport will be valid for the entirety of your vacation — some countries may deny you entry if your passport is less than six months away from expiring. If traveling to a foreign country research the whereabouts of the U.S. Embassy closest to your destination, noting down the address and contact details. Next, print out the address of your hotel or accommodation and keep it on you at all times. If you can't speak the language, you can at least show the name of your hotel to your taxi driver.
And finally, to sleep more easily before and during your vacation, make sure your medical insurance covers you for your time away and ensure that you have all the relevant vaccinations needed for the country you are visiting. If you require medication at home, make certain you have enough to cover the duration of your vacation. And to guard against having to make a dash through an unfamiliar town in search of a drug store, pack an emergency medical kit. This should include a bare minimum of band-aids, ibuprofen, cold relief, antacids, antiseptic cream and antidiarrheal medication. Because as they say, it's far better to have and not need.
Wherever you travel, visit united.com or use the United app to help plan your getaway with important travel information like baggage restrictions, check-in, flight status and more.
20 Tips Before Traveling Internationally - Travelzoo
United Journey
Flying to London: How my #UnitedJourney took off
By Benét J. Wilson , June 19, 2018
My love affair with travel began at age 6 at a time when flying was still considered a luxury. My father, a retired Air Force colonel, was assigned to a military base north of London in 1970 and we had to fly to get there.
That flight was on a Boeing 747. The captain allowed me to come up into the cockpit and encouraged my fascination with flight. That not only turned me into a life-long aviation geek, but it also began my love affair with the 747, the Queen of the Skies.
As a teen in the 1980s, I used to travel from the East Coast home to San Francisco. This was a time before smartphones, iPods and even Sony Walkmans, so I enjoyed listening to United's music channels. On one flight, I found my traveling theme song — "Ramblin' Man," by the Allman Brothers, something I play on every trip I take to this day.
Since then, I've traveled around the world as a military brat and an aviation journalist, getting to see amazing places on five of the seven continents (I'm coming, Antarctica and Australia!). Many of those flights have been on United Airlines or Continental Airlines, going back to the 1970s. I've been a member of MileagePlus since the late 1980s and OnePass since the mid 1990s, and I currently have gold status.
When I got a coveted invitation to fly United's last Boeing 747 on November 7, 2017, I leapt at the chance. The flight was from San Francisco to Honolulu, which was United's first 747 route.
The party, hosted by United CEO Oscar Munoz, started at Gate 86 at San Francisco International Airport. We enjoyed cake, a huge commemorative card and memorabilia from the 1970s. And lucky passengers on the flight -- a fun mix of United's best customers, employees, journalists and aviation geeks -- even dressed up in clothing of the era, including me.
As we boarded the flight, there were goodie bags with commemorative pins. Munoz and the San Francisco ground crew closed the door and we were off, making a deep bank at the Golden Gate Bridge.
No seats were assigned in the 747's hump. Instead, passengers were allowed to go up and socialize, with one even proposing to his girlfriend (she said yes). We played the popular Halfway to Hawaii game, where passengers guessed the geographic halfway point between take-off and landing and three passengers were within 10 seconds of the actual time.
Upon landing, we were greeted by United employees and Hawaii Gov. David Ige, who hung leis around our neck. We watched from the window as employees placed a giant lei made out of 120 pounds of garbage bags around the hump of the 747. The next day, United's last jumbo jet was flown from Honolulu to the aircraft boneyard in Victorville, Calif.
I'm active on social media and enjoy sharing my global travels. One question I always get from my followers is what are some of my favorite trips. My answer is always the same — the next one.
In 2017, I flew more than 100,000 miles, including Singapore, Lisbon, Honolulu, Acapulco, Havana, Seoul, London and Dublin. As wonderful as being in these places was for me, it's more about the journey.
I've slowed my travel this year, but I still expect to travel across the U.S. and at least get to Paris and Amsterdam before the end of the year. And on my bucket list are places where I have friends — Beijing, Auckland, Perth, Jakarta, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.
And when it's time for leavin',
I hope you'll understand,
That I was born a ramblin' man.
Join MileagePlus to start earning miles from the world's most rewarding loyalty program℠ and share your story with #UnitedJourney.
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Explore down under: Travel guide to Sydney
By Bob Cooper
Flights to Sydney depart daily from the United hub cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco — and from Houston beginning on January 18, 2018 (subject to government approval). This new route will be the only nonstop service flight from Houston to Sydney offering hundreds of customers the opportunity to more conveniently fly to Australia.
Destination: Sydney, Australia
Australia's largest city is one of the world's leading travel destinations. Beyond the stunning Sydney Harbour—home to the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House—the city has some of the world's most beautiful beaches, along with a globally recognized food and wine scene, vibrant neighborhoods and a year round calendar of world-class events. On Sydney's doorstep explore regional New South Wales and discover a diverse and majestic landscape including 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites, over 700 miles of pristine coastline, rugged outback regions and 14 wine regions including Australia's oldest, the Hunter Valley.
Bays and beaches
Bays, beaches and the world's largest natural harbor define Sydney. You're never far from a sandy beach, a waterfront path or a pedestrian-friendly bridge, which are all well-used by locals and visitors alike. Bondi Beach is famous for sunbathing, surfing and beach volleyball (contests were held there during the 2000 Summer Olympics). From Sydney Harbour, you can board a jet boat or whale-watching boat, depending on whether you favor high-speed thrills or humpback photo ops (sighting season is April to December). Don't forget that Australia's reversed seasons make January and February the warmest months, although the average daily highs are in the comfortable sixties or seventies year-round.
City center sights
The iconic Sydney Opera House, which hosts tours and a variety of events in addition to opera, is just one of several popular attractions in the heart of walkable central Sydney surrounding the main harbor. You can also climb to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Sydney Tower and stroll through the Royal Botanic Garden or Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. You can admire uniquely Australian snakes and reptiles at the Australian Museum, and board a submarine and a replica of the research vessel James Cook sailed around Australia's coast at the National Maritime Museum.
Eat, drink, Sydney
Sydney's location in the South Pacific is a boon for the city's restaurants, where fresh lobster, prawns, salmon and abalone are on many menus. When you're thirsty, you can drink in the subculture of independent coffeehouses and tea houses by day and wine bars well-stocked with bottles filled in nearby Hunter Valley at night. And with nearly a quarter-million Sydney residents born in China and another quarter-million from India or the UK, outstanding Chinese restaurants, Indian restaurants and English pubs are everywhere. There's also a large Italian-born population whose delicious restaurants reside in Little Italy — and an inexpensive Thai restaurant seemingly on every block. There's something for adventurous eaters, too, as many menus feature kangaroo or crocodile.
Gateway to Australia
Sydney International Airport is by far the nation's busiest, the gateway for most travelers who come to witness Australia's wonders. After recovering from their flights and then seeing Sydney, many visitors venture out on the long coastal drives south to Melbourne or north to Brisbane. Each trip takes about 10 hours if you drive straight through from Sydney, but each really deserves several days of exploring. Both drives are lovely, winding past national parks, wineries, Gold Rush villages, surfing towns and countless beaches. If your time is limited, you can instead fly between cities. United partner Air New Zealand connects Sydney with Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as Adelaide, Perth, and Cairns (the town nearest the Great Barrier Reef).
Negotiating Greater Sydney is easiest without a car because the network of light-rail trains, buses and ferries is extensive. Uber is also a good option and much more affordable than taxis. Driving can be a headache in Sydney because it's a big city with big-city traffic and because Americans have to adjust to driving on the left side of the road. Along with the reversed seasons, that's another aspect of a Down Under visit that may seem upside-down. But if you're looking to take it all in, driving up and down the coast is the way to go.
Flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Sydney depart daily, with the addition of flights from Houston planning to take off in January 2018. Visit united.com or use the United app to plan your Australian adventure and share your story with #UnitedJourney.
48 hours in Zurich
Draped around the shoulders of Lake Zurich and cut through by the Limmat River, Switzerland's largest city is an impressive mix of old and new, of the cultural and the contemporary. Regularly revered as one of the world's most liveable cities, its numerous charms and attractions are easily reachable on foot or via the city's quick and efficient tram network. That you should visit at least once in your life is not in doubt. But with so much to see and do, how you should spend your time is less set in stone. To help you formulate a plan, we suggest 48 hours, broken down as follows. We're basing this itinerary on you staying in the Old Town, blessed as it is with hotels to suit all budgets and within walking distance of the main Zürich Hauptbahnhof rail station and the city's main sights. If money is no issue, head to Widder Hotel or Storchen Zürich. To make your budget go further, try Hotel St. Gotthard. All three are excellent options.
Pack comfortable shoes and prepare to wander the streets, for a stroll through the Old Town is an essential experience for any first-time visitor. You'll crisscross the Limmat River as you pass the city's most historic landmarks, including the medieval Lindenhof Square and the grand churches of St Peter, Fraumünster and Grossmünster. The latter is Zurich's main landmark, its two towers offering elevated views of the city. From there, head back across the river towards Paradeplatz and you'll end up at Confiserie Sprüngli, Zurich's most famous confectioner, where coffee and Luxemburgerli (very moreish macaroons) will keep your energy levels high.
Once replenished, head for one of Zurich's must-see sights, the Kunsthaus museum of modern art, home to one of the most important art collections in Switzerland. A stroll around the Old Masters should walk off the Luxemburgerli and work up an appetite ahead of lunch, which we suggest you take at either Sternen Grill for bratwurst or Raclette Stube for magnificent molten cheese.
Walk off lunch by heading south of the Old Town to Lake Zurich. And while you could keep walking around the Lake, at 90km start to finish you may prefer to hop on one of the many boat cruises setting sail at regular intervals. Short tours take you to Thalwil and Erlenbach (1.5hrs), the longer tour goes to Richterswil (2.5hrs) and the longest to Rapperswil (4hrs). Whichever you take, you're guaranteed to experience the city from a new angle.
Back on solid ground, it's time to eat again. Head to the north-east tip of Lake Zurich and the legendary Kronenhalle, a traditional Swiss kitchen infused with art, history and a guest list that has previously included Coco Chanel, James Joyce and Pablo Picasso, though not all at the same time or table. On the stroll back to your hotel, stop for a nightcap. Cafe Odeon and Aurora are both excellent options on what may become a zig-zagging route home. And if you have the energy to extend your evening, Zurich's main nightlife areas can be found around Niederdorf in the Old Town and further west in Langstrasse.
Don't forget to eat breakfast, for on the morning of day two you will climb a mountain. Uetliberg stands 871 meters above sea level and looks down on the city, Lake Zurich and the Limmat Valley, all the way to the panorama of the Alps.
A train from Zürich Hauptbahnhof train station gets you to the mountain in 20 minutes, where you can hike, bike or simply stroll along the "Planetenweg" ("Path of the Planets"). Two restaurants—Allegra and Gmüetliberg—offer the chance to rest and refuel, while Hotel Uto Kulm allows you to extend your stay overnight.
We suggest you head back down the mountain and arrive back at the Zürich Hauptbahnhof rail station, beside which sits National Museum Zurich, where it's possible to trace the nation's history from its origins to present day. From there, head for the nearby Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world's most exclusive—and expensive—shopping avenues, or to one of the city's many exceptional chocolatiers – the aforementioned Confiserie Sprüngli, Confiserie Teuscher and Max Chocolatier to name just three. Alternatively, head back to the station and to Brasserie Federal, not for its hearty Swiss staples but to sample at least one of its 100-plus Swiss beers.
On your last night in Zurich, head back across the Limmat to Swiss Chuchi, a restaurant famed for its fondue, raclette and rösti—and a place as popular with the locals as with the tourists. It fills fast and you'll likely have to wait for a table, but consider that a guarantee of satisfaction.
From there you're just a short walk from a suitable bar in which to end your stay. The Widder Bar boasts a remarkable 1,000-strong bottle library of spirits, including a number of single malts that will test your bank balance. If the numbers are too high, the cocktails are more affordable and should bring a very happy end to your 48 hours.
United Airlines flies in and out of Zurich Airport, located just 10km and 15 minutes from the city's main train station. Visit united.com or use the United app to plan your winter getaway and share your story with #MyUnitedJourney.
Buenos Aires in 9 essential experiences
One of Latin America's most vibrant and energetic metropolises, Buenos Aires is also one of the world's greatest tourist cities. Though vast and sprawling on the surface, BA is easily navigated once you know what you want to see and where you can find it. To give you a head start, these nine essential experiences should be on everyone's must-see list.
Prioritize Palermo
Of the 48 official barrios–neighborhoods–that make up Buenos Aires, it's inevitable that at some point you'll end up in Palermo. Located in the north of the city and divided into multiple parts, including the trendy Palermo Soho, this is the largest of the barrios and home to many of the city's finest museums, markets, gardens, boutiques, cafés, bars and restaurants. Sadly, you won't be the only tourists who know this. If slightly thinner crowds sound more appealing, head south-west to the cobbled streets and "chorizo" houses of Villa Crespo, or south-east to the colonial charm of San Telmo, BA's oldest barrio.
Tango a milonga
When the sun sets on BA, the city comes alive to a tango soundtrack. Forged through the fusion of European, African and native Argentine influences in the mid-19th century, today tango is a way of life. While high-end shows are awe-inspiring (head to Esquina Carlos Gardel, El Viejo Almacen or Café de los Angelitos), immerse yourself fully by heading to a milonga — a more relaxed social gathering where newcomers are welcome. Work up a sweat at La Viruta, Maldita & Bendita or Tango Cool.
Bow down at La Bombonera
Whether you follow soccer or not, a visit to Boca Juniors' intimate but intense Estadio Alberto J. Armando stadium in the barrio of La Boca is one of BA's most visceral experiences. Better known as La Bombonera–chocolate box–this is considered by many to be the most atmospheric soccer stadium on earth, a squared cauldron that holds 49,000 fervent fans. Any game here is an unmissable experience, but passions reach boiling point when city rivals River Plate arrive to contest the Superclásico (Superderby), Argentina's most important club fixture.
Seek out steak
Argentina's passion for beef is well celebrated. The primitive rustic asado of the gauchos which evolved over time into sophisticated parrillas (steakhouses) serves visitors some of the thickest, juiciest and very finest cuts of beef on the planet. Despite that inevitable evolution, the preparation remains pleasingly simple: beef plus salt, flames and served, perhaps, with a chimichurri sauce. For the best examples, head to La Cabrera, Cabaña las Lilas and Adentro Dinner Club. But to truly eat like the porteños, swap the steak for morcilla (black pudding), chinchulines (intestines), riñon (liver) and molleja (sweetbread). La Brigada is just one of many restaurants giving offal a very good name.
Meet the Mataderos
For reasons unknown, BA is not a great city for street markets. Porteños, it seems, prefer their retail done under solid roofing. However, FeriaSan Pedro Telmo's Sunday market fills every last inch of San Telmo's Plaza Dorrego and is well worth a visit, while the El Galpón farmers market is housed in a bright yellow shack in Chacarita and is worth a leisurely stroll.
For the most authentic experience though, head further out, to Feria de Mataderos on the western edge of the city. Held each Sunday, here you'll find colorful gauchos on horseback and couples in full chacarera (folk dance) attire. For the full cultural fix, grab a glass of red wine and a succulent steak sandwich and watch as the scene plays out around you.
Marvel at South America's modern masters
The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires is better abbreviated to MALBA and lies on Avenue Figueroa Alcorta in Palermo, an unmissable stop on any first-timer's itinerary.
Home to one of the world's most extensive collections of 19th- and 20th-century works, MALBA features the private collection of real estate tycoon Eduardo Costantini, where works by Frida Kahlo, Tarsila do Amaral and Diego Rivera hang beside lesser-known Argentinean modern masters. An excellent café and terrace restaurant give you good reason to extend your visit.
Pay homage to the First Lady
Evidence of María Eva Duarte de Perón–or Evita as she became known to the world over–is spread across the city. Pay homage to Argentina's icon first lady by visiting the pink presidential palace at Casa Rosada, in historic Plaza de Mayo, and stare up at the balcony on which the Peróns addressed their people.
Museo Evita in Palermo tells the story of her life through a vast collection of paintings, posters, outfits and jewellery. While at the remarkable Cementerio de la Recoleta, directions to Evita's final resting place are not needed. In Argentina's most remarkable cemetery, simply wander until you have found the biggest crowd–and you will have arrived at Evita's flower-strewn monument.
Drink until the early hours
In a city that doesn't appear to get much, if any sleep, and the night doesn't begin before 1am, finding a great bar is easy. Where you'll go depends on your taste. Verne Club creates some of the city's most revered cocktails, the ultra-hip Leitmotiv looks down on the city from its rooftop terrace, while drinks at the more casual Café San Bernardo come with a side option of ping pong. Harrison Speakeasy, Frank's and 878 are just three of a growing number of more in-the-know bars, and well worth your time if you can find where they hide. But if wine is your vice, head to Gran Bar Danzon, a Buenos Aires institution where much of a vast and exceptional wine list is available by the glass.
Sate a sweet tooth
If you drank into the early hours, as suggested, you'd do well to recover in a typically BA way: by washing a crispy medialuna (Argentinian croissant) down with a cup of mate (tea, pronounced "mah-tay"). Many establishments do it well, but none has the history of Argentina's oldest café; Café Tortoni, a bohemian institution dating back 160 years.
For a sweeter treat, Argentines swear by dulce de leche—the beloved milky caramel syrup found in pastries, crepes, ice creams and deserts. Harder to miss than to find, taste the torta rogel at upscale bakery café Como en Casa and you'll understand what all the fuss is about.
United offers service to Buenos Aires from many U.S. cities through its nonstop flights from Newark and Houston.Visit united.com or use the United app to plan your next adventure to Argentina and share your story with #UnitedJourney.
Tale of two cities: Porto & Lisbon
The story of Portugal is a tale of two cities — the bustling capital and the northern jewel. Lisbon and Porto are two of Europe's most historic, romantic and often overlooked destinations. Smaller and more easily explored on foot than many of their European counterparts, both are essential stops on any itinerary. And given they are just a 50-minute flight apart, visiting both in a single vacation is not only possible, but highly recommended. To make the most out of your trip, here are the bare essentials to see and do in both cities.
A city built on seven mighty hills, Lisbon looks down on the River Tagus and combines rambling cobbled streets with ancient ruins and some of Europe's most striking architecture. Add in an ever-growing number of restaurants, cafés and bars, you'll quickly realize that a couple of days in the Portuguese capital won't ever be enough. But here's what we'd suggest.
Head over to Baixa Pombalina, known simply as Baixa, the city's historic heart, and commercial center. Here, the bustling, pedestrian-friendly streets are home to an endless array of cafés, restaurants, souvenir stores and museums. Notably, in a city of hills, this area is remarkably flat.
While you're in Baixa, seek out Livraria Bertrand, the oldest continuously running bookshop in the world. Baixa is also home to the Elevador de Santa Justa, a wrought-iron elevator lift that has been transporting visitors from Baixa to the Largo do Carmo and the ruins of the Carmo church for more than a century.
A rail vehicle better known as a tram is an integral part of Lisbon life as is the historic yellow Remodelado carrying passengers up and down the city. The most scenic route of all is the E28, crossing the Alfama district and taking in many Lisbon landmarks on its 40-minute route, including Sé Cathedral — the city's oldest church.
The imposing Castelo de São Jorge is perched on the highest hill in Alfama, but worth the effort it takes to reach it. The castle is open to visitors, and its views over the city and the River Tagus will soon be filling your phone. Known as the city's most ancient district, Alfama is also home to many of Lisbon's best souvenir shops and myriad tiny streets lined with bars and restaurants. In the most traditional of them, you'll hear and experience Fado, Portugal's soulful national soundtrack that is known as 'Lisbon's song'.
Next, visit the National Ancient Art Museum, located in Rua das Janelas Verdes. It's hard to know which is more impressive: the vast collection of artworks considered 'national treasures', or the magnificent gardens and restaurant overlooking the River Tagus.
For those with an extra day and looking to get outside the city, a short drive northwest brings you to the picturesque town of Sintra. This small town is the perfect day trip, offering beautiful scenery, historic monuments and sweet treats exclusive to Sintra. Recently named one of Portugal's 'Seven Wonders', the Pena Palace is a must-see attraction.
Food and drink to suit every taste and budget are easily found in a city filled with cafés, bars and restaurants. One of the best neighborhoods to explore is Barrio Alto, sleepy by day but alive as night falls. However, to sample Lisbon's specialties, head to a pastelerias and order the ubiquitous pastel de nata (custard tart). The Manteigaria Fabrica de Pasteis de Nata in Baixa-Chiado serves one of the very best.
If that somehow doesn't appeal, visit the Padaria Portuguesa chain dotted throughout the city for coffee and the moist coconut-covered Pão de Deus (God's bread). One of Lisbon's most beloved drinks is ginjinha, a sweet cherry liqueur that originated in the city. The Ginjinha Espinheira is one of the city's most historic ginja bars, but by no means the only one.
Portugal's second city is one of Europe's oldest, a hillside agglomeration overlooking the River Douro. Famed for its river and its port wine, the city is a maze of steep and narrow cobbled streets, picture-perfect plazas, grand cathedrals and churches. Smaller and even more manageable than Lisbon, your time here will pass in the blink of an eye. To make the most of your first visit, prioritize the following…
Porto's most artistic neighborhood is Rua Miguel Bombarda, home to a growing collection of galleries, bookstores, boutiques and cafés. One of the neighborhood's prized gems and most visited bookstores in the world is Livraria Lello which is more like a grand library and was also an influence on J.K. Rowling, who wrote the first few chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone here, at the time when she lived in the city.
Next, make sure to add climbing the 255 steps up Torre de Clérigos (Clérigos Tower) to your to do list – it's one of the city's most important monuments and offers some of the best panoramic views of the city. Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art is also well worth visiting. It's home to around 4,000 works from the late 20th and 21st century, plus it's blessed with one of the city's most serene gardens.
The twin-towered cathedral, Sé do Porto is a Porto landmark, unmissable in every sense. Free to enter, you can pay $3.75 to enter the atmospheric 14th-century cloisters, which is money well spent. Enjoy the tranquil Jardins do Palácio de Cristal for picture-perfect views of Vila Nova de Gaia neighborhood and the Douro River.
From the city center, jump aboard Tram 1 for a rickety ride down to the seafront in Foz do Douro in minutes. From there, take a boat tour on the Douro to see the city from a new angle –the Rabelo flatboats you ride on were once used to transport barrels of Porto wine and are now a symbol of the city.
The multi-level bridge stretches from Porto's Ribeira section across the Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia. As confirmed by the ever-present tourist crowds, climbing the bridge to photograph the city is an essential stop. As you're heading across the river, drop in on Caves Ferreira, one of the oldest Port wine cellars in the city. Drink in the history with a glass of the city's signature drink.
Porto is a food lover's paradise with everything your taste buds desire. From food stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants, much of it with a strong emphasis on seafood. Avoid the overpriced cafés on the riverbank in Ribeira as far better value lies elsewhere. Local specialties you have to sample include, a multi-layered meat sandwich smothered in cheese and hot tomato sauce (try it at Café Santiago).
You may also want to try the Bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish potato fritters) at Cozinha da Amélia. And to really get to know the local flavors, seek out Tripas a Moda do Porto at Líder. This thick stew of tripe, sausage, white beans and spices is said to symbolize the famed generosity of the city.
Whatever you eat, make sure to wash it down with a glass or two of port wine, for which the city is famous for — Espaço Porto Cruz is just one of many wine cellars well worth the visit.
United Airlines flies year-round to Lisbon from Newark International Airport and seasonally from Washington Dulles Airport beginning April 2018. We also will begin flying seasonally to Porto beginning May 2018 from Newark. For full details and to book, visit United.com or use the United app. Direct flights between the two cities are available through our Star Alliances partners with flight time approximately 50 minutes.
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Video wall installations come in all shapes and sizes. Our wide array of hardware means we can help you to craft a bespoke, unique solution best suited to achieve your goals. If you'd like to know more about our video wall installations then get in touch.


"I am Not Your Father, you Are my Son" is an expression of support for today's young man who is trying to figure out this thing called Life. The book is a conversation between a Father and young men who are in need of mentoring. This is a chance for a man to talk to a young man and guide him through the maze of financial, social and emotional pressures. This is a book that a single mother can hand to her son to help him become a man. " I am Not your Father.......Fatherly words from one man to a "soon to be" man.
Robert Gibbs is a married Father of 4 young men who also mentors members of his local community. He comes from humble beginnings but refuses to let where he started, dictate where he ends up. His ultimate goal is to help you cut through the red tape and allow young men to get a head start in their journey for success.


Instructions on how to easily make aged, storage friendly fence panels for your haunted house or yard. A quick and easy way to beef up your haunted experience, without killing storage space.
READ OUR DISCLAIMER BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY PROJECTS ON THIS SITE.
HOW TO HALLOWEEN IS ONLY LIABLE FOR TWO IDIOTS, AND NOBODY ELSE.
Old fence panels are a quick and easy way of adding impressive presence to your haunted house or yard. Once you understand the process to build one, simply repeat it for as many times as you need to build the desired fence length.
When I built my first 16 panels, it only took 4 hours to complete the project from the first thought of the idea and developing a template, to driving in the last screw of the last panel. I should also mention that I did it with just a circular saw making each individual cut, one at a time. If you use a miter saw, you can make multiple cuts at the same time to greatly speed up production.
Be sure to read this entire set of instructions before even walking into the garage or workshop. In doing this, you can familiarize yourself with the steps involved, and better prepare for production.
Before we jump right in to this project, remember one thing: DON'T WORRY ABOUT PERFECTION! With some exception on the cuts for the wood, this particular project actually looks much better if you don't concentrate on being too precise. Most Halloween decorations that are created in this manner tend to look more "authentic" since they are not meant to look precise, but old and used.
** Material Tip: Contact a local fence contractor to see if they have recently taken down any old fences. Most of the time, they will either have old fence wood at their place of business, or direct you to their customer's location where they have left the old fence wood for bulk trash pickup. Doing this will save you the cost of the wood, time and cost to spray paint, and it also makes the fence panels look more authentic.
First measure 36" from the bottom of two of the four pickets.
Make the cuts with your miter or circular saw.
You should now have 4 pieces of fence pickets that are approximately 36" each. Set them aside for now.
From the bottom, measure and make marks at 36" and 42".
Estimate the center of the 42" measurement and make an intersecting mark.
Use the straight edge to draw a line from each edge of the 36" mark to the center point of the 42" mark. When you are finished you should have a triangle marked off just like in the photo for this step.
Using the miter or circular saw, make a vertical cut on the 42" mark for each picket. You should now have two pieces that are approximately 30" in length. Set them aside with the other pickets.
Next, cut the diagonal lines on the other two pieces with a circular saw to create a pointed side. You should now have two pickets that will be the "stakes" of the fence panel.
Layout the fence panels by first placing two of the 36" pickets across a saw horse or your work space. These will be the braces that hold the upright pickets together. From outside edge to outside edge, they should be approximately 24" apart.
Take the two "stake" pickets and lay them on the braces with the pointed ends facing down. Leave enough room on both sides of either picket to place an additional picket.
Then, layout the remaining pickets on the braces in a random and tilted order. As you lay them out, make sure they aren't placed below the 36" marks that are left on the staked pickets.
Screw the upright pickets to the braces. Use one screw for each point where a picket overlaps the brace below it. When you are finished, you should have two screws on each picket (one in each of the two braces below the picket).
If you have used old fence wood, skip to Step 5. You're ready to install the fence panels!
If you have used new wood, you'll have to make it look old. Do this by quickly spraying black spray paint over the entire panel. Remember, they will look different and much darker at night, so spray just enough to make the wood appear dirty, (do not fully coat them).
Determine where your fence line is going to be. We recommend installing the fence panels about 8 to 12 inches from sidewalks, driveways, etc. This greatly reduces the chances of trick-or-treaters snagging costumes on them, and usually clears any possible underground lines like phone or cable lines. In any case, we strongly recommend that you call your phone, cable, electrical, and any other company necessary, to be absolutely positive that you are clear of damaging any such lines.
Once you've determined your fence line, lay each fence panel side by side on the ground. The point of each stake should be lined up with your fence line. Leave space between them to stretch the distance they must span, but not so much distance that people (especially curious children), can walk between them.
Remove the staked pickets from the panel with your drill. Then, use a hammer, mallet, or sledge hammer to drive them into the ground at the location of where they must be for when the fence panel is reassembled. Drive them into the ground until the mark from the pencil (if it's still showing) touches the ground level. The stakes will be driven approximately 6" into the ground.
TIP: If the ground of your yard is extremely dry or hard, we suggest watering or soaking the fence line the night before installation. This will make installing your fence panels the next day much easier and reduce the chances of splintering and cracking pickets when hammering. Installing fence panels directly after watering could cause the soil to pack, making the holes much bigger than expected and cause your fence panels to wobble.
Re-assemble the fence panel by resting the panel right up against the stakes you hammered into the ground. Screw the stakes into the braces of the panel using their original holes (if they don't match up it's not a problem – the sloppier it looks, the better effect you will get for a worn fence panel). Repeat with the remaining panels to complete your haunted house fence!
TIP: To speed up installation, have one person start at one end of the fence line and detach the staked pickets from the panels. Once they have a panel completed, have a second person go behind him/her and hammer the staked pickets in the ground. The first person (or a third person) can then come back behind the second person to reassemble the fence panels in their upright position.
To remove the fence panels, simply pull them straight up and out of the ground. Be careful not to rock them back and forth too much as it can weaken the screws of the panel.
You will notice that there will be quite a few annoying little holes in the ground that are left. Simply fill them with dirt and pack, and the grass will grow back before you know it (we do it every year and never see holes from the year before).


This Houdini FX Basic training is designed for all 3D artists who want to get a thorough and comprehensive introduction to Houdini FX with all its working techniques and contexts. It does not matter if you own a commercial Houdini FX license or a cheap Houdini Indie Version.
After this training you have understood the basic principles of Houdini FX. You are able to create and animate first scenes including modeling, lights, texturing and rendering (Mantra). Also, a first insight into working with simulations is given.
This Houdini FX Basic-Training is designed for three days and can be adapted in its focus and length to your needs of knowledge.


365 Bedtime Stories bookset comprises of 4 storybooks. Each book contains 40+ bedtime stories. The stories are short and each story is only about 2 pages long. Comes with simplified Chinese with accompanying hanyu pinyin.
More than 160 short stories are found in this bookset. The more popular stories includes 杰克与魔豆 ,拔萝卜,白雪公主,灰姑娘,龟兔赛跑,司马光砸缸,and many more.
We would recommend this bookset for reading to children who are 3 years old and above.


Our 90PL series is the first bulk laundry delivery cart that comes with style, class and luxury appeal. It is a high-capacity, attractive clean linen delivery cart designed for hospitals, nursing homes, upscale hotels, resorts, and other properties where a premium is placed on visual appeal as well as durability and longevity.
Choice of Key Lockable Doors (for security purposes) OR Vinyl Flap Closure to protect contents. Both types feature a permanent hard top. Cart comes in choice of many colors and choice of caster arrangement.
Comes with plastic base (standard) or metal base (same price). When ordering please specify if you want hand holes and/or drain holes.


Strenuously bizarre, visually impressive and not entirely original, the Korean take on the Brothers Grimm classic tale is less a literal interpretation of the text and more a projection of what might happen if the titular siblings were to remain in the gingerbread house for decades after burning the old lady, with superpowers. There's some hullabaloo over neglected children and cyclic patterns of abuse, to pay homage to the intended subtext, but for the most part, it's evil rabbits, crazy evangelists, cannibalism and really bright colours.
Our peregrination into this strange new world comes via Eun-Soo (Jeong-myeong Cheon), a damaged young man whose heavily stylized vehicular faux-pas, whilst chattering away to his very pregnant wife on a cell phone, leaves him unconscious in the woods. Upon awakening, the red-cloaked Young Hee (Sim Eun-kyeung) leads him to the "house for happy children," where an overly enthusiastic and colour coordinated family of five welcome him with creepy smiles and loads of confections.
Soon after arriving, the parents go missing and Eun-Soo is left with the children, trapped, despite multiple attempts to find his way out through the maze-like woods. Enter some disturbing bunnies, a creepy deacon (Hee-soon Park) and some moving trees, and Eun-Soo's acid-laced odyssey goes from disturbing to downright didactic.
While not amazing, Hansel & Gretel is definitely a decent film that should translate well to the horror crowd, or anyone intrigued by a somewhat sick version of a fairy tale. Production and sound design are the film's main achievements, as it's stunning to watch from beginning to end, despite using minimal CGI, but there is little to ponder beyond this polished surface.


text:
L'Asti spumante (ou Asti) est un vin blanc mousseux italien de la région Piémont doté d'une appellation DOCG depuis le . Seuls ont droit à la DOCG les vins blancs récoltés à l'intérieur de l'aire de production définie par le décret.

Aire de l'appellation

Les vignobles autorisés se situent dans les provinces d'Asti, Coni et Alexandrie.
Les communes sont :
 Province d'Asti : Bubbio, Calamandrana, Calosso, Canelli, Cassinasco, Castagnole delle Lanze, Castel Boglione, Castelletto Molina, Castelnuovo Belbo, Castel Rocchero, Cessole, Coazzolo, Costigliole d'Asti, Fontanile, Incisa Scapaccino, Loazzolo, Maranzana, Mombaruzzo, Monastero Bormida, Montabone, Nizza Monferrato, Quaranti, San Marzano Oliveto, Moasca, Sessame, Vesime, Rocchetta Palafea et San Giorgio Scarampi ;
 Province de Coni : Camo, Castiglione Tinella, Cossano Belbo, Mango, Neive, Neviglie, Rocchetta Belbo, Serralunga d'Alba, Santo Stefano Belbo, Santa Vittoria d'Alba, Treiso, Trezzo Tinella, Castino, Perletto et les hameaux Como et San Rocco Seno d'Elvio faisant partie d'Alba ;
 Province d'Alexandrie : Acqui Terme, Alice Bel Colle, Bistagno, Cassine, Grognardo, Ricaldone, Strevi, Terzo et Visone.

La surface de vignes de Muscat blanc est de , partagée entre plus de . La zone de production est située sur les pentes de collines sur la rive droite du Tanaro, dans le Montferrat et les Langhes. Ce vin typique était déjà produit dans ces deux régions historiques piémontaises au .

Le titre alcoométrique volumique total minimum est de 12 %, dont 7 % à 9,5 % d'alcool contenu dans le vin. Le vin mousseux contient encore du sucre.

Caractéristiques organoleptiques
 couleur : jaune paille à jaune or avec une mousse légère et de fines bulles.
 odeur : caractéristique du muscat, prononcé, délicat.
 saveur : délicatement doux, caractéristique du muscat, équilibré.

Production
Province, saison, volume en hectolitres :

Anecdote
À la question « quelle est votre drogue favorite ? » que lui pose Bernard Pivot dans le questionnaire de son émission Bouillon de culture du , Sœur Emmanuelle répond « l'asti spumante » qu'elle précise préférer au champagne.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Bibliographie
 .

Articles connexes
 Cavallucci
 Moscato d'Asti

Vin de la province de Coni
Vin de la province d'Alexandrie
Vin de la province d'Asti
Vin mousseux
Vin moelleux ou liquoreux
Paysage viticole du Piémont : Langhe-Roero et Monferrat

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Asked by Roziah from Malaysia | Feb. 16, 2013 08:31
About:Shanghai Trains
Shanghai Hongqiao rail station and pudong airport distance
Hi, I would like to ask there are any shuttle buses from Pudong airport to Hongqiao railway station? I want to go to Suzhou Jiangsu. TQ
Answered by Mueller | Feb. 16, 2013 19:00
Hi, you can take the subway line 2 from the Pudong airport to Hongqiao station, which will take you about 2 hrs.
What is the best way to get from Shanghai Pudong to the rail station in Hon...
Asked by margie from USA
distance between pudong to hongqiao itnternational terminal
Asked by rohan from India
what is the distance between shanghai Hongqiao airport to Shanghai Hongqiao...
Asked by Wilson from China
WHAT IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SHANGHAI PUDONG AIRPORT TO THE HONGQIAO AIRPOR...
Asked by CHANDRESH from UK
what is the distance from Shanghai Hongqiao airport to 1000 Jinhai road
Asked by Andrew from Singapore
how long does it take from Pudong airport to shanghai rail station and Hong...
Asked by Mari from USA

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Emily Sikazwe
Country: Zambia
Organization at the time you received Katie Fleming Award from Coady: Women for Change
Emily Sikazwe served as the executive director of Women for Change for 21 years. In her role, she was involved with a large number of development initiatives directed toward the empowerment of rural communities through the eradication of all types of poverty and gender discrimination.
Women for Change works to achieve a vision of a gender sensitive society that is socially, politically, and economically empowered. The organization works directly with traditional community leaders to break down the obstacles that inhibit the participation of both men and women in certain parts of society. They focus particularly on gender discrimination with regard to women's access to land and other resources, as well as on HIV/AIDS, which is an issue directly related to gender inequality. Women of Change also does advocacy work with families, communities, and government to encourage people at all levels to stand up for themselves and take action on the problems that stand in the way of their economic or societal growth. They provide education for children and youth on the principles of gender and human rights. Women for Change also implements practical skill-training programs to build the capacities of rural communities for sustainable development, such as village banking, fish farming, cattle rearing, and crop-raising – helping communities set up village cooperatives so they can plan marketing strategies and negotiate fair prices for their products.
"This is not a job; I would do this from the grave if I could."
– Emily Sikazwe
Emily became an associate at Coady Institute in 2005, facilitating on topics such as gender analysis for policy and planning, advocacy and citizen engagement, and community development leadership by women.
My journey in social justice has not been an easy route. My journey in the fight against poverty has been one of trials and tribulations. However, these violations have not changed my philosophy, that injustice to one is injustice to all. This is the same philosophy that Katie adopted when she made that decision to fight poverty in Africa.
2004 Katherine Fleming International Development Award recipient


Older people with higher levels of chronic inflammation are likely to have weaker muscles and lower muscle mass, according to a new study carried out at the University of Southampton.
Scientists from the University's Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (MRC LEU) examined the relationship between levels of inflammation in early old age and grip strength, muscle mass and walking speed a decade later.
Although inflammation can arise due to injury or infection, chronic inflammation can occur in older age due to ageing processes within the immune system. The study, published in Calcified Tissue International and Musculoskeletal Research, showed that higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were related to lower grip strength and higher levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) were associated with lower muscle mass. CRP and IL-8 are both markers of higher inflammation.
In addition, the study found that higher IL-8 was also associated with increased risk of sarcopenia (a combination of low muscle mass and either weak grip strength and/or slow walking speed).
The study involved 336 men and women (aged 59-70 years when inflammation was assessed) from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study and was funded by the Medical Research Council.
Professor Nicholas Harvey is Professor of Rheumatology and Clinical Epidemiology within Medicine at the University of Southampton.


Whether you believe in serendipity or just plain luck, you've just found the best kept secret in the sales world. Seriously. All you need to bring is integrity, drive, and the desire to earn a six-figure income (yes, really).
We are seeking a Sales Manager for San Jacinto Memorial Park. This position will be responsible for leading the sales team including, selecting, training and developing sales professionals. The successful candidate will have strong planning, organizational and time management skills, as well as, previous sales experience.


Here are some photos taken this weekend at BugJam – Santa Pod.
M0st of these shots were taken on Saturday afternoon and I've got quite a lot of cars racing down the 1/4 mile stretch – including the Santa Pod Jet Car, some cool drag cars and loads of VW Beetles. See if you can spot your car and let me know if you want a copy of the uncropped image.


In the recent updates to V-Ray, an area that has generally seen the most considerable advancement is V-Ray GPU. From V-Ray 3.0 to 3.6, many features, optimizations and speed boosts have been added to V-Ray GPU. V-Ray Next for Maya is no exception to this and we'll attempt to list some of the most notable improvements that users can now benefit from in the latest release.
The first thing you can notice is that, without doing anything to your settings and merely opening an old scene in V-Ray Next, your render will be approximately twice as fast. The biggest reason for this is the new architecture of V-Ray GPU: instead of a mega-kernel architecture, V-Ray GPU now uses a multi-kernel architecture. This approach is particularly effective on newer GPU hardware making V-Ray GPU nearly twice as fast — and this positions us well for the future. As new hardware and GPU drivers get released, our code will take advantage of it and bring you additional acceleration, such as support for the dedicated RT Cores inside the new RTX cards.
GPU rendering in V-Ray has always been a progressive renderer; this allowed users to see their renderings progressively refine as a complete image and update on-the-fly when in IPR mode. While this can be very useful as an interactive tool, there are still advantages to rendering in buckets — especially when it comes to final frame rendering.
The first advantage is speed. Generally speaking, if you are using a single GPU on your system, you will not see much difference in the speed between Progressive and Bucket mode. However, it's possible that when multiple GPUs are introduced, there could be a more significant difference in speed.
One of our beta testers, Tomasz Wyszolmirski, Studio Director at Dabarti, tested several different scenes with multiple GPUs both in Progressive and Bucket mode. He found that, when those GPUs are on the same system, bucket rendering offers only a slight advantage over progressive — if anything at all. However, when doing distributed rendering to multiple computers, bucket rendering starts to provide a real advantage. The reason for this is that progressive rendering puts a high demand on network traffic since it has to refresh the entire buffer with every pass of every node, which can slow the whole process down. With Bucket mode, each node only needs to send the result of its bucket when it's done, making it very efficient.
But speed is not the only reason to decide to use Bucket mode instead of Progressive for GPUs. Bucket rendering also allows for the addition of some new features that were not possible in Progressive mode. While in Bucket mode, users can now add the popular Cryptomatte render element. In an upcoming update, we are planning to add deep image output with Bucket mode in V-Ray GPU.
One of the most anticipated V-Ray GPU features is the ability to render volumes. Not only has this feature been added in V-Ray Next for Maya, but it is also one of the fastest volume raytracers around. We can't compare it to previous versions of V-Ray GPU because it's a new feature. However, users will see that the GPU performs extremely well when rendering volumes.
V-Ray GPU has also had improvements when it comes to displacement. In V-Ray 3.6, low settings for displacement did not necessarily achieve the most pleasing results. The workaround was to crank up subdivisions high enough to get your desired quality. One of the side effects was that it required a lot more geometry, which put a strain on the GPU memory — which can be at a premium.
The following example shows the displacement in V-Ray 3.6 using a subdivision of 2, 4 and 8. You'll notice that we need to crank up the quality of the displacement to 8 to get the desired effect, which means we need 8 gigabytes of GPU ram to hold the geometry.
In V-Ray Next for Maya, you'll notice below that, at a subdivision of 2, you can get nearly identical quality as with a subdivision of 8. It's also less than 1 gigabyte of ram, saving you almost 7 gigabytes of GPU ram. The reason it's able to do this is that, while it does do the actual displacement, it uses a derived normal map to achieve the rest of the detail.
Many new features have been added to V-Ray Next for Maya, including the new hair shader — which just got a new glints feature, Metalness, Adaptive Dome Light and more. These are all supported in V-Ray GPU. Additionally, many other features have been added to V-Ray GPU, such as dispersion.
Another thing that will make it easier for people that want to start using V-Ray GPU for full production and final frame rendering is that the V-Ray interface for materials, lights and so on has been set up to be dedicated to features that are available on V-Ray GPU.
V-Ray GPU in V-Ray Next for Maya is making a huge step forward to help users who want to transition from a CPU-centric to a GPU-centric workflow. From its dedicated UI, many new features and optimizations, to the addition of Bucket mode for speed and usability, V-Ray GPU will give you all the power and speed you need.
Keep in mind that V-Ray GPU is a hybrid renderer and can also run on your CPU. So, even if you are considering a GPU-centric workflow but your render farm doesn't have GPUs yet, you can still run on the CPU nodes and add GPUs later, as you need them.


Did your ancestor endure the Dirty Thirties in South Dakota? Find out if they left the Dust Bowl Great Plains during the depression years or whether they stayed. These state census records are a great way to track your family in the years between the US censuses.
State censuses were used to determine how state funds needed to be allocated and also to determine how many representatives could be sent to Congress. State Censuses are every bit as useful for family research as National Censuses and they are a great way of tracking your ancestors' movements between the Federal censuses. At the time of the 1935 census Franklin Roosevelt had been president for two years and America was in the grip of the Great Depression.
South Dakota is in the American Mid-West and is part of the Great Plains region. The state is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes. South Dakota became a state in 1889, at the same time as North Dakota. Pierre is the state capital and Sioux Falls is the largest city. South Dakota is bordered by North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana and is bisected by the Missouri River. The state is largely agricultural, with ranching being a major livelihood in the west of the state. South Dakota currently has the fifth lowest population in all 50 member states.
In the 1930s severe drought, accompanied by aggressive farming methods, destroyed the native grasses that had preserved the natural environmental equilibrium of the Great Plains. The drought lasted for eight years and had a catastrophic effect on the states caught in the so called Dust Bowl. Dust storms, where the loose surface soil would be whipped into "Black blizzards", could strip the paint from cars and bury houses. The air would become so charged that static shocks could short out cars and shaking hands became dangerous. The dirt got everywhere, it even caused red snow in New England in the winter of 1934.
On Palm Sunday, 14 April 1935 the worst black blizzard of the so-called Dirty Thirties started in South Dakota. On Black Sunday, as it would become known, Sunday drivers and picnickers, enjoying a clear sunny day, were suddenly in mid-afternoon engulfed in darkness. The air was so thick with dust that it was impossible to see your hand in front of your face. People couldn't find their way from the front yard to the front door. Incredibly no one was killed but the memories of the storm never left those who experienced it.


What were you doing in 1964? I guess that many who are reading this weren't even born then. I was at school at the time and my main interest was the Beatles, then the most famous pop band in the world. As for wine – I doubt that I'd ever tasted any by then and I certainly knew nothing about it. But an Italian company, Masi, did; that was the year that they launched a new wine, Campofiorin – a wine that has subsequently become an iconic name and whose 2014 vintage, currently in the shops (Waitrose, £12.99) celebrates the brand's 50th Anniversary with a specially designed '50' label.
Although sold as a Rosso Verona IGT (IGT is the Italian equivalent of the French term 'Vin de Pays'), Campofiorin is effectively a high quality Valpolicella in disguise. It's made using the traditional grapes from that DOC – Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella – the main difference here is that the grapes are slightly dried before fermentation. This concentrates the sugars in them and so produces a wine with more body and power than a normal Valpolicella – a technique borrowed from the prestigious Amarone wines from the same region.
Here, the method gives a lovely deep coloured wine with aromas of bitter cherry, prunes and spice. The same flavours, especially the spices, carry through to quite a rich and full palate with hints of chocolate, figs and vanilla on an attractive, long finish.
With good Amarones fetching £20 and more, this really is a bargain for those who like this chunky style – I admit it's not to everyone's taste – and no surprise that it is still on the shelves in its 50th vintage.
Shame about all those wasted years listening to the Beatles and drinking something else!


Compare the best business VoIP providers in Naperville, IL side by side on VoipReview. Find and compare top-rated providers across price, features, ratings, and user-submitted reviews to find the best deal on a business VoIP service. Start comparing below to see how much you can be saving on your monthly phone bill.
VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a unique alternative to traditional landlines. The technology utilizes high-speed broadband Internet connection to perform outgoing and incoming telephone communication. Rather than relying on a dedicated telephone network, these services allow businesses to telecommunicate to anyone in the world. With that being said, business VoIP in Naperville, IL is much more than your typical phone provider. The service is flexible, making it possible to adapt the technology to fit the needs of the business.
How Can I Compare Business VoIP Providers in Naperville, IL?
The three best ways to compare different providers is by looking at their user ratings, pricings, and plan highlights. On VoipReview, you will be able to use our various tools to help you compare the different business VoIP providers in Naperville, IL. Using our tools you can compare their reviews, plan features, and different pricing options.
If you are looking for a specific quote based on the services your business needs in Naperville, IL, then you do not have to worry. When coming to us, all you have to do is answer a few questions provided to you on our form, and we will instantly be able to help you find the VoIP provider that best suits your needs in solutions and pricing.
How Does Business VoIP in Naperville, IL Differ From a Traditional Landline Phone?
Business VoIP in Naperville, IL provides users with superior call quality, flexible communications options, and more included features. We understand that many business owners are hesitant about switching to VoIP because they are comfortable with PSTN. However, the latest improvements in VoIP technology have virtually eliminated many of the issues that were associated with Voice over Internet Protocol in the beginning. These days, it is entirely possible to get a VoIP system that outperforms a landline phone for a much lower monthly cost.
We invite you to carefully investigate all household VoIP service providers in Naperville, IL and the plans they offer before selecting one. In addition, be sure to look at each service provider's web page for prices, waivers, and add-on costs that might not show up on this site. Although we take all necessary steps to give you the most up-to-date info, a particular company's prices or plans can change at any time.


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Q: How to draw a triangle, a star, a square or a heart on the canvas? I am able to draw a circle and a rectangle on canvas by using
path.addCircle()
and
path.addRect().
And now I am wondering how to draw a triangle or a star or  a square or a heart?

A: For future direct answer seekers, I have drawn an almost symmetric star using canvas, as shown in the image:

The main tool is using Paths.
Assuming you have setup:
Paint paint = new Paint();
paint.setColor(Color.WHITE);
paint.setAntiAlias(true);
paint.setStyle(Paint.Style.STROKE);

Path path = new Path();

Then in you onDraw you can use the path like I do below. It will scale properly to any sizes canvas
@Override
protected void onDraw(Canvas canvas) {

    float mid = getWidth() / 2;
    float min = Math.min(getWidth(), getHeight());
    float fat = min / 17;
    float half = min / 2;
    float rad = half - fat;
    mid = mid - half;

    paint.setStrokeWidth(fat);
    paint.setStyle(Paint.Style.STROKE);

    canvas.drawCircle(mid + half, half, rad, paint);

    path.reset();

    paint.setStyle(Paint.Style.FILL);

        // top left
        path.moveTo(mid + half * 0.5f, half * 0.84f);
        // top right
        path.lineTo(mid + half * 1.5f, half * 0.84f);
        // bottom left
        path.lineTo(mid + half * 0.68f, half * 1.45f);
        // top tip
        path.lineTo(mid + half * 1.0f, half * 0.5f);
        // bottom right
        path.lineTo(mid + half * 1.32f, half * 1.45f);
        // top left
        path.lineTo(mid + half * 0.5f, half * 0.84f);

        path.close();
        canvas.drawPath(path, paint);

    super.onDraw(canvas);

}

A: If you need to draw a star inside a square, you can use the code below.
posX and posY are the coordinates for the upper left corner of the square that encloses the tips of the star (the square is not actually drawn).
size is the width and height of the square.
a is the top tip of the star. The path is created clockwise.
This is by no means a perfect solution, but it gets the job done very quickly.
 public void drawStar(float posX, float posY, int size, Canvas canvas){

            int hMargin = size/9;
            int vMargin = size/4;

            Point a = new Point((int) (posX + size/2), (int) posY);
            Point b = new Point((int) (posX + size/2 + hMargin), (int) (posY + vMargin));
            Point c = new Point((int) (posX + size), (int) (posY + vMargin));
            Point d = new Point((int) (posX + size/2 + 2*hMargin), (int) (posY + size/2 + vMargin/2));
            Point e = new Point((int) (posX + size/2 + 3*hMargin), (int) (posY + size));
            Point f = new Point((int) (posX + size/2), (int) (posY + size - vMargin));
            Point g = new Point((int) (posX + size/2 - 3*hMargin), (int) (posY + size));
            Point h = new Point((int) (posX + size/2 - 2*hMargin), (int) (posY + size/2 + vMargin/2));
            Point i = new Point((int) posX, (int) (posY + vMargin));
            Point j = new Point((int) (posX + size/2 - hMargin), (int) (posY + vMargin));

            Path path = new Path();
            path.moveTo(a.x, a.y);
            path.lineTo(b.x, b.y);
            path.lineTo(c.x, c.y);
            path.lineTo(d.x, d.y);
            path.lineTo(e.x, e.y);
            path.lineTo(f.x, f.y);
            path.lineTo(f.x, f.y);
            path.lineTo(g.x, g.y);
            path.lineTo(h.x, h.y);
            path.lineTo(i.x, i.y);
            path.lineTo(j.x, j.y);
            path.lineTo(a.x, a.y);

            path.close();

            canvas.drawPath(path, paint);
}

A: For everybody that needs a heart shape:
    import android.content.Context;
    import android.graphics.Canvas;
    import android.graphics.Color;
    import android.graphics.Paint;
    import android.graphics.Paint.Style;
    import android.graphics.Path;
    import android.view.View;

    public class Heart extends View {

        private Path path;

        private Paint paint;

        public Heart(Context context) {
            super(context);

            path = new Path();
            paint = new Paint(Paint.ANTI_ALIAS_FLAG);
        }

            @Override
            protected void onDraw(Canvas canvas) {
                super.onDraw(canvas);

                // Fill the canvas with background color
                canvas.drawColor(Color.WHITE);
                paint.setShader(null);

                float width = getContext().getResources().getDimension(R.dimen.heart_width);
                float height = getContext().getResources().getDimension(R.dimen.heart_height);

                // Starting point
                path.moveTo(width / 2, height / 5);

                // Upper left path
                path.cubicTo(5 * width / 14, 0,
                        0, height / 15,
                        width / 28, 2 * height / 5);

                // Lower left path
                path.cubicTo(width / 14, 2 * height / 3,
                        3 * width / 7, 5 * height / 6,
                        width / 2, height);

                // Lower right path
                path.cubicTo(4 * width / 7, 5 * height / 6,
                        13 * width / 14, 2 * height / 3,
                        27 * width / 28, 2 * height / 5);

                // Upper right path
                path.cubicTo(width, height / 15,
                        9 * width / 14, 0,
                        width / 2, height / 5);

                paint.setColor(Color.RED);
                paint.setStyle(Style.FILL);
                canvas.drawPath(path, paint);

            }
    }

Sorry for all the numbers but these worked best for me :) The result looks like this:

A: You have to find out the math behind that figures. The triangle and the star are quite easy to draw. Here is how you can draw a heart: http://www.mathematische-basteleien.de/heart.htm
To draw special paths you should create them by adding points, ellipses etc. The canvas supports a clipping mask of a specified path, so you can set the clipping mask of a heart, push the paths to the matrix, draw the content of the heart, and then pop it again.
That's what I'm doing to achieve a simulated 2D page curl effect on andriod: http://code.google.com/p/android-page-curl/
Hope this helps!

A: this method will return a path with the number of corners given inside a square of the given width. Add more parameters to handle small radius and such things.
    private Path createStarBySize(float width, int steps) {
    float halfWidth = width / 2.0F;
    float bigRadius = halfWidth;
    float radius = halfWidth / 2.0F;
    float degreesPerStep = (float) Math.toRadians(360.0F / (float) steps);
    float halfDegreesPerStep = degreesPerStep / 2.0F;
    Path ret = new Path();
    ret.setFillType(FillType.EVEN_ODD);
    float max = (float) (2.0F* Math.PI);
    ret.moveTo(width, halfWidth);
    for (double step = 0; step < max; step += degreesPerStep) {
        ret.lineTo((float)(halfWidth + bigRadius * Math.cos(step)), (float)(halfWidth + bigRadius * Math.sin(step)));
        ret.lineTo((float)(halfWidth + radius * Math.cos(step + halfDegreesPerStep)), (float)(halfWidth + radius * Math.sin(step + halfDegreesPerStep)));
    }
    ret.close();
    return ret;
}

A: In addition to ellipse and rectangular you will need those two (as minimum):
drawLine(float startX, float startY, float stopX, float stopY, Paint paint)
drawLines(float[] pts, int offset, int count, Paint paint)
example:
How to draw a line in android
Documentation on Canvas: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/graphics/Canvas.html

A: Its very good to use instance of Shape class ))
 @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    HeartShape shape = new HeartShape();
    ShapeDrawable shapeDrawable = new ShapeDrawable(shape);
    shapeDrawable.setColorFilter(new LightingColorFilter(0, Color.BLUE));

    LinearLayout linearLayout = new LinearLayout(this);
    linearLayout.setLayoutParams(new LinearLayout.LayoutParams(350 * 3, 350 * 3));
    linearLayout.setBackground(shapeDrawable);

    setContentView(linearLayout);
  }

Create a shape class which was render nice Heart
 public class HeartShape extends Shape {

  private final int INVALID_SIZE = -1;

  private Path mPath = new Path();
  private RectF mRectF = new RectF();

  private float mOldWidth = INVALID_SIZE;
  private float mOldHeight = INVALID_SIZE;

  private float mScaleX, mScaleY;

  public HeartShape() {

  }

  @Override
  public void draw(Canvas canvas, Paint paint) {
    canvas.save();
    canvas.scale(mScaleX, mScaleY);

    float width = mRectF.width();
    float height = mRectF.height();

    float halfWidth = width/2;
    float halfHeight = height/2;

    float stdDestX = 5 * width / 14;
    float stdDestY = 2 * height / 3;

    PointF point1 = new PointF(stdDestX, 0);
    PointF point2 = new PointF(0, height / 15);
    PointF point3 = new PointF(stdDestX / 5, stdDestY);
    PointF point4 = new PointF(stdDestX, stdDestY);

    // Starting point
    mPath.moveTo(halfWidth, height / 5);

    mPath.cubicTo(point1.x, point1.y, point2.x, point2.y, width / 28, 2 * height / 5);
    mPath.cubicTo(point3.x, point3.y, point4.x, point4.y, halfWidth, height);

    canvas.drawPath(mPath, paint);

    canvas.scale(-mScaleX, mScaleY, halfWidth, halfHeight);
    canvas.drawPath(mPath, paint);

    canvas.restore();
  }

  @Override
  protected void onResize(float width, float height) {
    mOldWidth = mOldWidth == INVALID_SIZE ? width : Math.max(1, mOldWidth);
    mOldHeight = mOldHeight == INVALID_SIZE ? height : Math.max(1, mOldHeight);

    width = Math.max(1, width);
    height = Math.max(1, height);

    mScaleX = width / mOldWidth;
    mScaleY = height / mOldHeight;

    mOldWidth = width;
    mOldHeight = height;

    mRectF.set(0, 0, width, height);
  }

  @Override
  public void getOutline(@NonNull Outline outline) {
    // HeartShape not supported outlines
  }

  @Override
  public HeartShape clone() throws CloneNotSupportedException {
    HeartShape shape = (HeartShape) super.clone();
    shape.mPath = new Path(mPath);
    return shape;
  }

}

A: Well if you want to draw only the shapes you specify I recommend first creat a class for each shape and make each shape implement draw() method where you can pass canvas and paint object.

For example to create multiple stars, first create a class "Star" and implement the logic there.
class Star(
        var cx: Float = 0f,
        var cy: Float = 0f,
        var radius: Float = 0f,
        var angle: Float = 0f,
        var color: Int = Color.WHITE,
        var numberOfSpikes: Int = 5,
        var depth: Float = 0.4f
    ) {

        val path: Path = Path()
        val point: PointF = PointF()

        fun init() {
            path.rewind()

            var totalAngle = 0f
            for (i in 0 until numberOfSpikes * 2) {

                val x = cx
                var y = cy
                y -= if (i % 2 != 0) (radius * depth)
                else (radius * 1f)

                StaticMethods.rotate(cx, cy, x, y, totalAngle, false, point)
                totalAngle += 360f / (numberOfSpikes * 2)
                if (i == 0) {
                    path.moveTo(point.x, point.y)
                } else {
                    path.lineTo(point.x, point.y)
                }
            }
        }

        fun draw(canvas: Canvas, paint: Paint) {

            paint.apply {
                style = Paint.Style.FILL
                color = this@Star.color
            }
            canvas.drawPath(path, paint)
        }
    }

object StaticMethods {

 /**
     * Rotate a point around a center with given angle
     * @param cx rotary center point x coordinate
     * @param cy rotary center point y coordinate
     * @param x x coordinate of the point that will be rotated
     * @param y y coordinate of the point that will be rotated
     * @param angle angle of rotation in degrees
     * @param anticlockWise rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise
     * @param resultPoint object where the result rotational point will be stored
     */
    fun rotate(cx: Float, cy: Float, x: Float, y: Float, angle: Float, anticlockWise: Boolean = false, resultPoint: PointF = PointF()): PointF {

        if (angle == 0f) {
            resultPoint.x = x
            resultPoint.y = y
            return resultPoint
        }

        val radians = if (anticlockWise) {
            (Math.PI / 180) * angle
        } else {
            (Math.PI / -180) * angle
        }

        val cos = Math.cos(radians)
        val sin = Math.sin(radians)
        val nx = (cos * (x - cx)) + (sin * (y - cy)) + cx
        val ny = (cos * (y - cy)) - (sin * (x - cx)) + cy

        resultPoint.x = nx.toFloat()
        resultPoint.y = ny.toFloat()
        return resultPoint
    }
    /**
     * Inline function that is called, when the final measurement is made and
     * the view is about to be draw.
     */
    inline fun View.afterMeasured(crossinline function: View.() -> Unit) {
        viewTreeObserver.addOnGlobalLayoutListener(object :
            ViewTreeObserver.OnGlobalLayoutListener {
            override fun onGlobalLayout() {
                if (measuredWidth > 0 && measuredHeight > 0) {
                    viewTreeObserver.removeOnGlobalLayoutListener(this)
                    function()
                }
            }
        })
     }
}

And then create a custom view where you can draw your shapes, below is the code that creates 100 random stars and draws them on canvas.
class StarView : View {
    constructor(context: Context) : super(context)
    constructor(context: Context, attrs: AttributeSet?) : super(context, attrs)
    constructor(context: Context, attrs: AttributeSet?, defStyleAttr: Int) : super(context, attrs, defStyleAttr)

    val stars: ArrayList<Helper.Star> = arrayListOf()

    val paint: Paint = Paint().apply {
        isAntiAlias = true
    }

    init {

        // after the view is measured and we have the width and height
        afterMeasured {

            // create 100 stars
            for (i in 0 until 100) {

                val star = Helper.Star(
                    cx = width * Math.random().toFloat(),
                    cy = height * Math.random().toFloat(),
                    radius = width * 0.1f * Math.random().toFloat(),
                )
                star.init()
                stars.add(star)
            }
        }

    }

    override fun onDraw(canvas: Canvas) {
        stars.forEach {
            it.draw(canvas, paint)
        }
    }
}

Here is the result:

If you want to create a lot of different complex shapes you can use this library. Where you can pass svg shapes using the Path Data as a string. By first creating complex shapes using any SVG vector editor such as

*

*Microsoft Expression Design

*Adobe Illustrator

*Inkscape

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Caroline Planque's Portraits of the Death Penalty on Monday's Access Utah
Utah Public Radio | By Tom Williams
Published May 2, 2016 at 9:22 AM MDT
French Photographer Caroline Planque was on the USU campus recently to present portraits of, and interviews with, individuals affected by capital punishment in Texas. The Utah legislature recently considered (and did not pass) a bill that would have abolished the death penalty in the state. Planque first became interested in people who are impacted by capital punishment while attending college in Austin.
Since the reinstatement of the death penalty following a four-year moratorium ending in 1976, Texas has executed more people than any other state. Since 2005, as a part of her ongoing project "Until Death Do Us Part," Planque has been interviewing and photographing family members of death row inmates, family members of victims, former death row inmates, attorneys, chaplains, former prosecutors and prison officials, and others.
We'll hear some of these stories. We'll also hear the voices of a man who was executed in Texas in 2010 and his spiritual advisor, who has attended many executions. Her presentation was part of the Morris Media & Society Lecture Series facilitated by Utah State University's Department of Journalism and Communication.
Tom Williams
Tom Williams worked as a part-time UPR announcer for a few years and joined Utah Public Radio full-time in 1996. He is a proud graduate of Uintah High School in Vernal and Utah State University (B. A. in Liberal Arts and Master of Business Administration.) He grew up in a family that regularly discussed everything from opera to religion to politics. He is interested in just about everything and loves to engage people in conversation, so you could say he has found the perfect job as host "Access Utah." He and his wife Becky, live in Logan.
See stories by Tom Williams


text:
Joe Judge collateral damage of a flawed Giants franchise
The Giants failed Joe Judge in more ways than Joe Judge failed the Giants.
That Judge is gone, relegated to a few lines in the next team media guide, is a byproduct of the terrible hand he was dealt, even more so than the flaws exposed as a young, first-time head coach.
To be clear, there were shortcomings. Judge can be a bulldozer when it comes to smoothing things over. His working relationship with general manager Dave Gettleman has deteriorated over the course of the past season, a situation in which neither is flawless.
Judge didn't help himself on several fronts during this dragging season's trajectory, with him falling apart a bit when he needed to stay as solid as possible. When a still unproven man goes 4-13 in Year No. 2 and his team is outmatched 163-56 in a final run of six games (all without his starting quarterback, mind you), turning game days into torture sessions of three o'clock , there is no strong case for a year No. 3. But there is a case.
Judge's perception and Judge's reality are not one and the same. The harsh image of the unwarranted 'Timmy Tough Nuts' label doesn't come close to who Judge is as a person and was as head coach.
He never tore in his players in public. Think he had some thoughts on the state of his offensive line that he was eager to share after one of those ridiculously weak offensive displays? There wasn't a word from Judge, and those linemen knew he had their backs.
Judge was not a facsimile of Bill Belichick. He invited a small group of media members covering the Giants to an after-dinner meeting in his Cleveland hotel suite during joint training sessions with the Browns. Judge held 'chalk talk' media sessions in his own time at the team facility and took to the board to explain the intricacies of his offense and defense. He hosted a media dinner in Tucson while the Giants were practicing at the University of Arizona in December. That was far from Belichick-ian.
Joe Judge didn't get what he needed from the Giants to smell success.
Robert Sabo
It wasn't Judge's fault that he arrived when Gettleman was in the third year of a decision-making slide that largely weakened the roster. Some within the Giants will insinuate that Judge worked his players so hard that his team could never get healthy, which is why he ended up only having to train hard once a week. What is undeniable and needs to be investigated is why the return of the injured players often took longer than the expected recovery timeline.
Co-owner John Mara promised patience. The judge told him this was not a quick fix. Of course, it was difficult to accept some of Judge's repeated assurances that progress was being made behind the scenes. Of course, his "a lot of things are going in the right direction" mantra after the 20-9 loss in Miami sounded delusional. But remember, Judge was told he would have time to build from the ground up and he was certainly led to believe that time would not be limited to a deadline of two years or else.
It wasn't fair to throw Judge overboard after just two seasons, but it really wasn't fair to the CEO's search process to keep Judge and let that decision hang over the new man in charge of football operations. As usual, the well-being of the team outweighed the well-being of the individual, and Judge was the collateral damage.
Dave Gettleman's salary cap management left Joe Judge and his staff too many holes to plug.
Corey Sipkin
Mara, with all this recent experience, should have the proper gait for his biannual routine of walking down the hall to fire the head coach. He said it was "heartbreaking" to tell Judge he was fired. Probably not so heartbreaking, though, since Judge was then forced to tell his wife, and especially their four children, that their two-year residency in New Jersey, after making new friends, had adapted to new schools and handed in their Patriots gear for all of them. Giants stuff was over and done.
Judge grinds his coaching staff and his players, and that can wear out. When the attack failed, he tried to keep his head above water by micromanaging that side of the ball, but there were too many holes to plug. The roster was bleeding and in need of reinforcements, but the Giants were so tight against the salary cap they couldn't afford to call in help, leading to hopelessness among the coaching staff.
"Joe is a good guy," said an assistant coach. "He handled it as best he could."
Joe Judge was flawed, but not as flawed as what was happening around him. He was 38 years old when he was hired and 40 when he was told to leave. The Giants said they knew there would be growing pains, but they didn't give him enough time to grow.
Categories Sports Tags Dave Gettleman, Football, Joe judge, New York Giants, Sport Post navigation
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