It's a new year and calendar time! The image above is the front cover of our latest creation. Calendars are a wonderful pictorial tour of life in all the seasons on Sugar Mountain Farm. Building the calendar is an event in our household where we collect together our best photos of the year, many of which appeared here on my blog. We categorize them and vote them up or down, reducing the pile to just a few that represented the past season.
We're the farmers at Sugar Mountain Farm and soon to be butchers as well. Each of us does many things from farming to construction to marketing to distribution. Some of us have special things we tend such as doing deliveries each week. Together we make it all happen.
This photo for January shows inside the brand new meat cutting room in our butcher shop. As I write this I'm finishing up electric, building the desk and shelves for the inspector's office and have just a few other small things to do before we'll be ready to apply for our Vermont state license to cut meat and make sausage.
Peanut Butter is one of our Blackieline sows who has produced many fine piglets over the years. She maintains her condition well through the winter, is a superior mother and thrives on pasture/hay without the need for commercial corn/soy based hog feeds.
Do pigs chew their cud? Well, they're not technically ruminants according to all the books because they lack four stomachs but there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Pigs do chew their cud. They'll eat hay and then bring it backup and re-chew it. That is chewing cud. The fact that they do it a little differently and with fewer stomachs than a cow is not really the point at issue. The real question is, can pigs get nutrition out of the pasture and the hay. The answer is they do. Pigs eat pasture. More importantly, pasture and hay are not just grass but also legumes like alfalfa, clovers and trefoil as well as other forages like brassicas, chicory and such which are high in protein. We plant pig pastures with forages they can graze more easily but in the winter they're eating the same hay as cows, sheep, goats and horses.
Pigs also have a few tricks up their, er, sleeve. One is the hay ferments in the round bales over the summer, fall and winter as it waits for the pigs to eat it. The hay bales smell slightly alcohol and sweet as a result. Cows and sheep likewise benefit from this type of fermenting of their hay. It's a form of predigestion from beneficial bacteria just like with yogurt.
Second is much of the hay we put out goes into bedding packs that the pigs sleep on as it composts. The decomposition produces a much more digestible form of food just like the humus on the floor of the forests that wild pigs root up. It's a form of cooking that frees up nutrients so they are more accessible.
Lastly, there is some theorization that pastured pigs have been selected for those with longer digestive tracts, perhaps more like their wild ancestors, and are thus better able to make use of fibrous vegetable matter like hay and pasture.
So while pigs may not have four stomachs like a cow they do have ways of extracting nutrients from pasture and hay. They can simply eat a bit more to make up the difference when compared with a high calorie commercial feed. It works.
Sows tend to seek out a private place to farrow, to give birth but then a few days later they join into cohorts with other sows to group nurse their piglets like this set of sows in a grove of saplings in the south fields. As the piglets become more mobile the sows take them further afield across the mountain and leave the birthing nests.
These new piglets are exploring the pastures of Sugar Mountain where they were born. Initially they thrive on the rich 8.5% butter fat milk of their mother. Within a week they begin nibbling on clovers and soft grasses as they learn what to eat at the snout of their sow.
After weaning we tame young pigs so that they are used to handling. This training continues through out their life with walks through the fields. In the photo above Ben has a bit of bread crumbs that he was using to hold their attention.
Chicory is a flowering plant that grows well in our pastures. There are blue, pink, violet and white flowering plants and the flowers change color over their life cycle. Research has shown that feeding chicory helps to reduce boar taint. A plant that is both functional and beautiful. One of the great things about chicory is that it has such a long season, growing late into the fall.
Halloween is a big event that inspires a great deal of creativity and planning each year. Will, Ben and Hope sewed and sculpted these costumes – a process that takes up most of October after planning all year.
Our pastures are a mix of trees, brush and open areas with soft grasses, legumes, brassicas, millets, amaranth, chicory and other forages. These mixed habitats have greater biodiversity of plants, wildlife and livestock than one would find in a monoculture lawn like pasture.
In the winter the livestock pull in closer to our center fields which become winter paddocks. We are snug as bugs in a rug in our tiny cottage overlooking the snow covered fields. Although we're still outside a lot every day, the cold months are a time to read, do more indoor projects and plan for the coming year.
Also check out the calendars from other years each with their own little tour of our farm here on Sugar Mountain.
Daily Spark: One of the things to keep in mind about government is that it is completely and utterly schizophrenic. Government is out of touch with reality precisely because it is made up of a lot of different people who have different agendas and different approaches to things. Realize that government has departments for undoing and preventing what other departments are doing. This is simply the nature of large organizations. Some of the people are on the same page as you. Find those people. This little ah-ha can save a lot of grief.
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Congratulations on the butcher shop progress. What's the butchering permit application process like? In particular, is the state likely to cause the process to hang up much?
We have been working with the state, and the USDA, since day zero. Typically the application process takes several months to half a year based on conversations with the state and other butchers. Since we've had the inspectors involved from the beginning they have told us they expect to be able to approve us immediately once we're ready.
Love the creativity and drive of your family! Your persistance and push to create stuff to do things is inspiring! Thanks for the guided tour of life on sugar mountain!
Front cover Easter Egg clue. Would it be the 2 Rhode Island hens partially blocked by a logo on bottom?
I don't have geese at the moment but used to and will have more in due time. They make fantastic guardians for just about anything smaller than them and ward off up to foxes and even some of the more timid domestic dogs. Of course with your hired protection services that part isn't as important but I find they're great at letting me know something is awry!
Yes, the composting action is quite effective and similar to what happens naturally in the woods and fields with courser organic matter. There are some articles about this here and here.
Sorry, I meant that I found two more corrections…no, no…one more correction but two more…no…I got it… one correction of two "more".
I don't know enough to recommend "much" more or "a little more", but I disagree with more more.
Ah! Got it. We'll go with much more. :) Thanks for catching that. And for persevering.


text:
package com.weheros.platform.infrastructure.datasystem;

import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;

import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;

import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;

import com.weheros.platform.domain.MongoAppConfig;

/**
 * @ClassName: InitializeApplicationDataAndParameters
 * @Description: 初始化数据或者参数。
 * 存入MongoDB
 * @author Yang
 * @date 2013年11月21日 下午4:42:47
 */
@Service
public class InitializeApplicationDataAndParameters {
	protected Logger log = Logger.getLogger(getClass());

	@Autowired
	@Qualifier("mongoDataAccessService")
	INoSQLDataAccess noSQLDataAccess;

	private static final Lock lock = new ReentrantLock();

	public MongoAppConfig getAppconfig() {
		MongoAppConfig appconfig=noSQLDataAccess.getMongoOps().findAll(MongoAppConfig.class).get(0);
		return appconfig;
	}

	@PostConstruct
	public void initializeAppConfigure(){
		lock.lock();
		long number=noSQLDataAccess.count(null, MongoAppConfig.class);
		//初始化动作
		if(number==0){
			log.info("-----------------------initializeAppConfigure-----------------------");
			MongoAppConfig config=new MongoAppConfig();
			noSQLDataAccess.insert(config);
		}
		lock.unlock();
		log.info("-----------------------initializeAppConfigure is complete!-----------------------");

	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Ebony Tower's Daphne Penn had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Gina Garcia, Assistant Professor of Administrative and Policy Studies at University of Pittsburgh, for the Scholar Spotlight. In addition to her position as a tenure-track professor at Pitt, Dr. Garcia is also a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and a Spencer/National Academy of Education Postdoctoral Fellow.
The conversation with Dr. Garcia was so insightful and so chock-full of advice about navigating graduate school and the academic job market that we had to break it down into two parts. Part I of the Spotlight, below, will focus on Dr. Garcia's somewhat delayed/reluctant path to academia and feature insight and advice for advance graduate students who are considering going on the academic job market.
Daphne: Tell me about your background. What led you to the academic path?
Dr. Garcia: I will say that I've always been somewhat, I guess, nerdy. I've always been very much in love with school. Never wanted to miss school – even when I was sick. I guess that it was always in my path that I would do something very academic, something that would allow me to read, and write, and think all the time, which is basically my job as a faculty member, right? We get to just think.
But, I guess for me it came later because, when I was an undergrad, I didn't really think much about being a faculty member or being a scholar. I know for some people it starts that early, but it didn't for me.
It's interesting because, now that I think about it – I study institutions of higher education- the type of institution you go to matters [in regard to walking the academic path]. If you attend a research institution, you're probably more likely to be exposed to research through undergraduate research programs, and those programs have been shown to improve the path to the professoriate for people of color.
I wasn't exposed to any of those things. I was in a very practical major – business. I wanted to be a CEO, and I wanted to have money! (laughs) I was a business major, mostly because of my father, that's what he wanted me to do. That's all he really knew, you can be a doctor or a teacher or you can go into business and then you can have money. And if you go into business you can have money and that's great, right? That's all he knew, he didn't know much else; he didn't know anything about a discipline or becoming a professor.
After I graduated I went to go work for the toy company called Mattel. Everybody thought that was a dream job and I hated it. They were like, "Oh my God, you work for Barbie!" and I'm like, "Yeah, it's not really all it's cracked up to be." I didn't love it. I knew I wasn't supposed to be there, I just didn't know where I was supposed to be.
Daphne: So how did you go from future CEO to Assistant Professor?
At that point, I thought I was going to be a college administrator; I wanted to support undergraduates. A year after starting the job, I began a master's program [in college student personnel] and although I was exposed to research, I didn't think much about scholarship. But, I had faculty there who saw something in me and encouraged me to do a master's thesis. I did a thesis and I enjoyed it, but then I went out and I got a job [as a retention coordinator].
I never thought to commit to it until the end of my third year when I kind of start thinking, "its now or never, right?" I had one more year and I had to decide. I knew to go all in; I knew I needed to be fully in the job market — on the job market for faculty jobs or not, but that I couldn't do both. I couldn't apply for administrative jobs and faculty jobs because I just didn't have the energy to do it. I had two kids and one was just born – a baby, one month old. There was no way I could be on multiple job markets.
Daphne: Given how adamant you were about being a college administrator, what made you decide on the academic job market?
Daphne: In terms of when you were navigating the job market, given that you did not have a specific discipline, did you made your job market experience more challenging or did it provide you more options in terms of where you could go?
I think it limited me. I think when I was on the job market I didn't even think about any other types of job besides higher education programs. That was it. My degree is in higher education and organizational change, which is a very specific area. There are some people, even from my program, who graduate and go on the job market more broadly because — maybe they've done something like getting a secondary field or based on maybe what their master's field.
Two years prior to me being on the job market, things were really dry; there were very few jobs in our field. The year I went on, there were a ton. I don't know why, they just all came down the pipeline at the same exact time. There were probably 30-40 jobs. I might be exaggerating a little bit, but not that much. I know this because I have a cohort; we call ourselves the faculty of color cohort, a cohort of faculty of color in higher education programs. There are 19 of us, and that's faculty of color only. I'm sure white graduate students got jobs too that year.
But there were a bunch of jobs, and that obviously made it a little bit better. Where as if I went on the job market three years earlier, nobody got jobs because there weren't any jobs. It just depends on what's available at the different times.
Daphne One of the things that I notice when we first started exchanging emails is that not only did you have the title Assistant Professor but you had also earned the Ford Foundation and Spencer Post-doctoral Fellowships. You clearly figured something out. What I wanted to know what are some tips and strategies that you can share with advanced doctoral students about navigating life as an advance student with applying for fellowships or navigating the job market.
Dr. Garcia: I'm not really sure how I got to this place. Getting two postdocs was amazing; I didn't think I'd even get one and then I got both. I was like, "What in the world?" I've had a lot of success, obviously, in the job market and in the fellowship realm and whatnot. There are so many different recommendations I have. I guess for people who are advanced in their studies I think the number one thing is to recognize what is legitimized in higher education, which is research and publications in top-tier journals.
As much as I study institutions of higher education and want to disrupt what is normalized, because I think normalized also means white and hetero normative, the reality is that those structures are very much ingrained in our system. Even if you want to disrupt those normative ways of thinking in higher education, we have to learn also how to function within them. I'm getting to a place now where I'm getting enough publications in those top tier journals and doing things that my white, male, older colleagues value. They think it's great because I get published in these areas, and I get fellowships. Once I do that then I'm able to do a little more of the work I want to do, which is work with the community and work with doctoral students of color. I also want to go work in my kids' school and have that be part of my scholarship. Those things are more important to me than publishing in the top tier journals, which legitimizes me as a scholar, but it's not the most important thing to me as a person. With that said, I think number one we have to know how function with the system, and I hate saying that but it's true. You have to focus on that first and foremost.
Daphne: I think sometimes that is really hard to hear because I think we all want immediate change, but it's a reality of the profession.
Dr. Garcia: We're getting better and better at it. I know a lot of faculty who did all the things that are valued, but once they got tenure, they started disrupting things. They're leading the path for all of us.
I feel like faculty of color a generation ahead of us did the important work of paving a way because they were non-existent. They had to legitimize themselves and say, "Hey, we're actually legitimate scholars and we deserve to be here." They broke down the initial walls and now those of us coming in the next round, we get to do something more because they've already broken down the walls. "Okay, you've broken down the walls and we get to actually shake stuff up," while still falling in those lines of what you've got to do, you know, the legitimate stuff first – it's what we've got to do. (laughter) Academia is all kinds of interesting.
Daphne: Any strategies on how to accomplish the tasks most valued within the academy?
I think that the best way to do that as a grad student and as an aspiring scholar is to work with other people. I don't think that this is something I could ever have done on my own. I work with, not only my peers, but also different faculty, post-docs, and anybody who is willing to work with me and teach me. It wasn't always the most well known of scholars. Other doc students were better about networking, meeting superstar scholars, and trying to figure out how to work with them. I'm not good at that. I was like, "Well, I'm just going to what I can do." Which for me was publishing with my peers. I have a group of 3 other peers I went to school with and they all got tenure track jobs, but we helped each other. I think that that's important because we don't all have access to the most well-known, famous scholars to publish with, but that's okay. You can publish with your peers and still become known and get legitimized by doing that sort of work.
Daphne: One of our editors at the Ebony Tower she's about to go on the job market, she's about to defend her dissertation. She's particularly interested in how you managed the stress of the interview process.
I am a big fan of Myers Briggs personality indicators, I don't know if you're familiar with that, but just in general knowing yourself. One of the important indicators for Myers-Briggs is related to introversion versus extroversion – where you get your energy. I think it's really important for people to know and be true to themselves. During the interview, you typically start with breakfast with the Dean, a Chair or, somebody important and then you give talks all day and meet with doctoral students and all those sort of things. I'm okay with that full day because I'm an extrovert- although it doesn't mean I'm not going to be exhausted by the end of the day – but I think people who are a little more introverted and who get there energy from taking a step back and being quiet for a little while need to value that and respect that. It's important to know yourself, what is good for you, and what you need; if you need that break time or whatever it might be, ask for it.
Dr. Garcia: I'm going to give you an example, which is kind of a little bit different but it could be good and it could be relevant to people: When I was on the job market I was actually nursing and I needed time to pump. This was something I have to do and it takes time to pump, it takes at least 30 minutes. I needed a space, I needed to sit down, and I needed quiet. I had to be very open and honest about that with the person who was coordinating my visits, and be like, "Hey, I need a break and preferably around this time period." That break was sort of non-negotiable for me because I would have been very uncomfortable if I didn't get the chance to pump.
Everybody respected that. Obviously they could get a discrimination law suit if they didn't, and some people were a little uncomfortable with it – males in particular were like, "I'm going to have you work with my doc student who's a female and she's going to help you figure out where to pump and all those sort of things." They made it happen and they made time in my schedule to let me pump. It was a one-hour break in a lot of cases because I asked for at least 30 minutes so they would give me a good amount of time.
You're allowed to do those sort of things when you're on the job market if you need them. You're not going to be like, "Hey, I need an hour just so I can watch TV." It's okay to let the person coordinating your visit know if you need a break to get ready, even to get ready for your talk, because they don't always give it.
Daphne I'm actually happy that you shared that story. Lately I've been reading a lot of articles about women who are kind of afraid or kind of anxious about pursuing academia as well as pursuing their dreams of motherhood.
The year I started at my institution, I don't know how many people got jobs that year across the school, but there are me and 4 others that I can think of who started that same year and we all have children under 10. All of us. Most of us have at least 2 children under 10. That was really cool to see. When I thought about that, everybody hired the same year as me all had children; most were partnered and had children. Again I [credit] the generation before us that had broken down the walls, because I know a lot of women faculty, senior scholars, people who were my mentors, who never got married, who never had kids. I wonder, I've never asked them, but I don't know if they made that decision to not do those things or is it because the felt like they couldn't. [But I do think] we're starting to see a really big shift.
In some fields it's easier than others, honestly. I also know scientists that have to be in a lab for 12 hour days, that's hard. I'm a social scientist, I do my work right here in my home. I can work from the home and I can have a child and manage my childcare while working. I recognize that there are differences by field, but I hope that we're seeing a big shift in the culture.
Daphne: In closing up the market questions: Is there anything in particular that you feel like graduate students going on the job market should really pay attention to as they are visiting departments or as they are applying?
I think it's going to vary a lot by discipline, which has a lot to do with my recommendation. You have to be aware of the differences based on your field and what people in your field are looking for and are interested in. Going back to this idea of what's valued –in [the field of] education, peer-reviewed journal articles are valued – in the tenure process as well. I've been advised not to write a book because books aren't valued any more than a journal article. In other fields you need to have a book before you're tenured. Different things are valued in different ways, and I think you have to really know your field, know what is valued, and build your CV based on those sorts of things.
I think also attending different types of workshops for emerging faculty — people who are applying on the job market in the next 2 years. I would say start to attend those. I have one [doctoral] student who is going on the market next year and just jumps right into networking and conferences and other opportunities; I also have one [doctoral student] who is a little more introverted and doesn't. I almost want to push her and be like, "Do these things." I think it's important to do those sorts of things. That's how you get to know the field, that's how you get to know what's going to be expected on the job market when you go to those talks and when you go to those workshops. I would definitely encourage folks to do those.
Take all those opportunities, especially for students of color in every field. Those sorts of things are starting to pop up because we realize there aren't very many of us. There's a lot of training and mentoring and different things going on for people of color because we realize we have to do that – [you know], training and mentoring and developing those workshops so we can make sure that there's more of us in tenure type jobs who stay and get promoted. The numbers are horrific actually – for the number of faculty of color who actually get tenure track jobs and will actually get promoted — actually get tenure.
I would encourage people to do those things and take advantage of as many of those opportunities as you can pre-job market. I would say at least the last 2 years of the doctoral program to start really taking advantage of those emerging scholar workshops and events.
Stay tuned for Part II, which will focus on her research on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), her thoughts on the role of universities in serving minoritized populations, and her approaches to using research to create change within institutions of higher education.


"The Kingdom of Heaven is within you": Apr 2/04 - Yep, you're there..
Well, you're really there. It's official, and you're about 6 weeks old. I will not carry worry, but only joy, throughout this pregnancy. In this moment, I am a mom. I am carrying your body as it grows. You're my little butterfly, arriving at a neat stage in my life, a place of peace and simple joy. Thank you, whoever you are, for wanting me as your momma! I'm still in shock about the whole thing!


text:
FOUNDATION_EXPORT double Pods_AnalyticsKitTestsVersionNumber;
FOUNDATION_EXPORT const unsigned char Pods_AnalyticsKitTestsVersionString[];


text:
coursesdestinationsFEATURESLead Stories
Playing golf and enjoying the good life in the Big Easy
Steve Habel — September 14, 2017
Teeing it up in New Orleans can provide nearly as many thrills as a trip to Bourbon Street
When one thinks of New Orleans, it's usually for the 24-hour party scene on Bourbon Street or the hundreds of world-renowned restaurants or the mighty Mississippi River or the arts district or the streetcars or…heck, just about anything besides golf.
But that's a huge misconception. While there's not a lot of golf in the Big Easy, the courses in the city and its suburbs are some of the best anywhere in the South and worth traveling to Louisiana's easternmost sectors to enjoy and experience.
On our most recent trip to the Crescent City we teed it up at one of the area's top private (but accessible) courses, English Turn Golf and Country Club, and one of the region's best public tracks, Lakewood Golf Club.
The two facilities are about three and a half miles apart and across the Mississippi River from New Orleans proper on the West Bank in Gretna and each have helped lead the resurgence of golf in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina almost wiped the region off the map in 2005.
English Turn G&CC was built for the Tour but is playable for everyone
The golf course at English Turn was designed by Jack Nicklaus and was built to provide as exquisite a visual experience as it is a great round of golf. Nicklaus fashioned gallery berms and spectator mounds all along the course that were built specifically for the USF&G Classic (now the Zurich Classic), but the Golden Bear also knew the track needed to be playable for golfers of all ability levels the other 50 weeks of the year and made it so.
At English Turn, Nicklaus created 18 unique, championship holes on a course completely surrounded by the Norman Canal. Despite being the centerpiece of an exclusive neighborhood the routing was not designed to divide residential areas – each hole here challenges players with its own personality.
Giant sand and waste bunkers guard many holes, and numerous grass depressions line the sculptured fairways. The smallish greens are notoriously tiered and undulating and some are wickedly shallow, challenging, yet fair, for the club member and pros alike.
Nicklaus took into consideration the unique drainage issues that are associated with golf in New Orleans when designing English Turn and it shows. Conditions are flawless and consistent, and the par-72, 7,078-yard track – now considered short for a championship course – can be more than a handful when the wind is up (and it always seems to be.) English Turn carries a rating of 74.6 and a slope of 140 from its back set of four tees.
The course is designed to allow the golfer to ease into a round, as the 539-yard, par-5 second (ranked as the No. 18 handicap hole) plays shorter than it's carded and can be attacked as long as the deep bunker that runs along the majority of the fairway can be avoided.
The meat of the golf experience at English Turn is in its par-4 holes, five of which play at 430 yards or more from the back tees. The front-nine sports the 445-yard fifth (with extensive mounding to the left of the fairway) and the bunker-laden 446-yard seventh, both character-builders requiring the high fade (for right handers) that Nicklaus preferred to hit.
On the back-nine has three of the long two-shotters – the 467-yard 14th, the 430-yard 16th and the daunting 471-yard closing hole, which was consistently rated one of the most challenging on the PGA Tour when it was held at English Turn. That trio and the 540-yard par-5 15th, which ends on an island green set in a pond to the right of the landing area, make up the toughest stretch at English Turn.
Leave it to Nicklaus to make sure the holes that would have received the bulk of the airtime during a telecasted Tour event would be the course's most spectacular.
The player will be amazed at how small some of the greens are at English Turn, none more so than the wide, but maddening shallow, putting surface on the 376-yard par-4 13th. Golfers will need to hit a softly lofted shot from the fairway to keep any ball on the green here.
The grounds that make up the course and the community at English Turn are rich in history. During the spring of 1699, war raged between England and France. The exploration and colonization of the Mississippi River (and the plundering of the river's untold riches) were prime concerns for both countries. France had established a small colony along the Mississippi near New Orleans, and England, anxious to control the river, sent a warship to invade the French settlement.
Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, lieutenant of that settlement in the Louisiana colony that would become New Orleans, understood the impact of an invasion by the English. He dispatched a small convoy to the British warship anchored to the south of New Orleans. Bienville, approaching the English captain, warned him to depart immediately or face a large-scale military battle. The English turned the warship around and returned to England.
Bienville had bluffed the English captain – the French "armada" consisted of only two small canoes with five brave Frenchmen. To this day, the grand bend in the Mississippi downriver from Old New Orleans is called "English Turn."
Unlike Bienville's armada, the golf experience at English Turn Golf & Country Club is genuine and large. The course makes golfers execute all their shots to score well and is a real challenge but fun to play.
English Turn has never wavered about being serious about its golf. The course's highly manicured greens, meandering lakes and magnificent plantation-style clubhouse make a round at English Turn a must-play if you are in the region. The club is located just eight miles from New Orleans' Central Business District.
Lakewood has been reborn as a daily-fee gem
Founded as Lakewood Country Club in 1961 and serving as the host of New Orleans' PGA Tour event 26 times, Lakewood Golf Club (as it is now called) is a huge part of the golf tradition of the Big Easy. After a multi-million-dollar renovation, the course is a lot different than the one designed 55 years ago by Robert Bruce Harris, an adherent of the "garden school" of golf architecture.
Lakewood was on the verge of bankruptcy when the New Orleans Firefighters Pension Fund purchased the property in May 2003 for $6 million. The private club was closed and the facility opened to the public. There were grand plans for the site, including the development of an upscale resort that would include golf villas, a four-star luxury hotel and condominiums.
Those lavish ideas were sidetracked by Katrina. Ultimately the course (now carded at 7,002 yards) reopened with a fabulous new set of holes designed by Ron Garl that preserved the character of the original layout while upgrading it with distinctive bunkering, modernized fairway contouring and updated tee boxes and greens, all nestled among beautiful Louisiana cypress and oak trees.
Garl's work included the formation of four red-sand-filled "flaming" hazards (three of which are on the 444-yard par-4 18th hole), one formed to resemble a Fleur de lis and another in the shape of a fireman's seal as tributes to Louisiana and the firemen-owners of the course. In addition, Indiana woodcarver Dayle Lewis transformed several trees that were damaged by Katrina into works of art.
The course itself is commendable, especially it's wonderful collection of par-4s (handicap Nos. 1-4 are two-shotters, each at least 439 yards in length) and short par-3s (none longer than 189 yards).
Players will love the look of the snaking 569-yard, par-5 first hole – with trees on the right and water left – while getting a chuckle at the sight of the flaming bunkers (which are likely not in play) at the 378-yard par-4 fifth.
The 519-yard, par-5 13th can be reached in two if avoiding the (traditional) bunker that crosses the fairway 50 yards from the green. Long-hitters may also want to take a shot at the green on the 385-yard, par-4 14th, which turns hard from left to right.
Lakewood's final two holes are noteworthy – one for water and the other for fire, or at least the reference of it. The 17th is a 160-yard par-3 played over a pond to a green surrounded by water on three sides. The par-4 closer involves an into-the-wind 444 yards and sports three of Garl's flaming bunkers and a Lewis woodcarving of an angel hovering over a fireman carrying a baby.
Plenty of fun to be had off the course as well
No one needs to be told that New Orleans is a place to have as much of a good time as you can bite off and chew but man cannot golf and party all 24 hours of the day – there needs to be a place to rest and sleep off some of those hurricanes and quart-size beers and one has to eat to fuel up for the next day's round.
On this trip we were fortunate enough to stay at the historic Bourbon Orleans Hotel, a grand Southern hotel with a haunting past. The inn is set on Orleans Street between the party-centric Bourbon Street and upscale, art-gallery-clad Royal Street and offers visitors the best of both worlds. It's home to a delicious Creole restaurant, a signature cocktail (that's the Sloe Gin Fizz) in its popular bar and 218 attractive, elegant rooms.
The Bourbon Orleans also offers an intriguing history (ask about the resident ghost) and a stunning outdoor saltwater pool.
Dinner on our one free night was at the Desire Oyster Bar on Bourbon Street, which offers diners one of the most authentic dining experiences in New Orleans.
From the quintessential New Orleans "characters" who shuck the famous chargrilled oysters on the half shell and more—to an extensive new menu that includes classics like the famous "Creole Trio" (jambalaya, red beans and rice and gumbo), it's the perfect setting to enjoy a great meal in the center of all the action of the French Quarter.
Next post Serenity is part of the appeal at Lake Tahoe and Coyote Moon Golf Course
Previous Article Boyne Highlands Resort offers golfers four world-class courses in northwestern Michigan
Coore and Crenshaw take pride in their designs that now adorn Dormie Network
From Staff Reports, September 2, 2019

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Cults Inn, coach house and stables
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The cottages on the east side of the hotel were once the coach house and stables for the Cults Inn. They were later occupied as shops, shoemaker, tailor and sweetshop. They were later taken over by Aberdeen Corporation Water Department and were occupied by their workers at Cults Pumping Station. In 1960, they were demolished and a new public bar was built for the hotel. When repairs were being carried out on the ground floor house, then being occupied by a Mr James Donald in 1936, the hooks and harness pegs could still be seen behind the linings. They were all removed at that time.
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April – August 2023 Apr – Aug 2023
Homesteading the West – The Tale of Lavinia Morgan Anderson @ Golden History Museum
Homesteading the West – The Tale of Lavinia Morgan Anderson
Register on eventbrite or purchase tickets in-person at the museum.
Lavinia Morgan Anderson is a composite character of a pioneer woman living on a ranch in Colorado in the late 1880s as she remembers how she emigrated west in a covered wagon in the 1860s as a child and grew up in Kansas before settling in Colorado with her husband after staking a claim under the Homestead Act. While Lavinia did not actually exist, her life did exist as well as that of thousands of other women who made similar journeys. This story is drawn from snippets of many diaries the women kept telling of their challenges, privations, fears and triumphs. They record the woman's side of pioneer life. Come and learn about these adventures and more through this thrilling living history program.
About Linda Batlin
Linda Batlin is a storyteller and author from Boulder, Colorado, where she has lived for over half of her life. She enjoys sharing her love of the mountains and of Colorado with audiences. She tells stories filled with wisdom and mirth for all ages in schools, libraries, festivals, museums, senior centers, campfires and other events. Her entertaining and educational living history presentations of important women characters from Colorado history such as Isabella Bird bring them to life and are often requested. Her repertoire is also filled with multicultural folktales from around the world such as nature stories, Asian stories, animal stories, ghost stories, Jewish folktales, puppets, etc. She is a member of the National Storytelling Network.
Batlin's recent performance of Isabella Bird's 1873 travels is available for viewing on the Members Only portion of the website.
$5 for museum members, $10 non-members
Membership pays for itself with just a few programs for your family. Join us.
More Golden history
Check out the Golden History Museum & Park blog for the latest behind the scenes videos and stories, personal memoirs, and history tidbits about Golden.
Categories: lecture Tags: costumed interpretation homesteading Linda Batlin
Borderlands Curanderos @ Golden History Museum
Borderlands Curanderos
Join Metro State University professor Jennifer Koshatka Seman, author of Borderlands Curanderos: The Worlds of Santa Teresa Urrea and Don Pedrito Jaramillo, as she discusses U.S.-Mexico Borderlands during the turn of the twentieth century.
Free for museum members, $10 non-members
Categories: lecture Tags: Borderlands Mexico
History, Legacy, and Policymaking in Territorial Colorado, 1861-1876 @ Golden History Museum
History, Legacy, and Policymaking in Territorial Colorado, 1861-1876
This presentation discusses policymaking, political obstacles, cultural conflicts, and institutional racism experienced by Hispano legislators in the wake of the legal establishment of the Territory of Colorado in 1861. These Hispano territorial legislators are introduced as a forgotten piece of Colorado's early history. The new territorial laws put in place had effects on the lives of the 7,000 Hispano settlers from New Mexico Territory, who were displaced into the newly formed Colorado Territory.
About Virginia Sanchez
Virginia Sanchez is a historian, author, and independent scholar living in Denver. She has deep roots going back 16 generations in northern New Mexico as her ancestors settled there in 1598 with explorer Juan de Oñate. Her research about early Hispano and Indio history in southern Colorado appears in several published books and articles.
Categories: lecture Tags: homesteading territorial capital


I started a series of posts earlier this year about the ingredients of success, and before I could tie off the series life happened. Check out the previous posts about preparation, patience, and hard work to add more context to this article. I was having a conversation with a fellow musician the other day and we ended up discussing our musical goals and each other's measure of success. This reminded me about the aforementioned series and I vowed that I would make time to tie it all off.
Being in a competitive environment like the music industry, it's often hard to stay motivated when the chips are down. I can't tell you the amount of times I've been at the verge of packing it in because it felt like I was banging my head into a brick wall. For the most part, unless you're the exception, the returns you get early on never match the amount of effort you invest. Because of this, a lot of people don't correctly account for progress they make which causes them to quit prematurely. This is why you should have a realistic measure of success, and it is necessary to appropriately manage your expectations.
As I was speaking to my musician friend it was quite encouraging to hear what his personal goals were. His 2 year plan consists of building a strong catalog of music, releasing a couple of big budget singles, and putting together a timeless body of work. These are lofty ambitions, but what makes them realistic is that the success of each of these goals is entirely down to his actions. If he chooses to apply himself and he works diligently throughout this time frame, the chances of him being successful are quite high. I asked him what success looks like in relation to these goals, he said ticking two out of the three boxes would be good enough for him. The point I'm trying to make is this; having lofty ambitions is great, I highly encourage that everyone sets high goals, but ensuring that the goals that define you are entirely in your control is essential. It is also very important to initially cut yourself some slack when it comes to defining a success criteria, because setting the standard too high too soon can be detrimental.
Setting manageable expectations is great when you're finding your feet, but as you grow it's also important to keep raising the bar. Once you find your flow and you settle into a groove, I personally think it's important to keep pushing your limits further to ensure growth. I guess the idea of envisioning success requires a certain balance. You need to be stretched enough to be uncomfortable, but not too much to the point of breaking. Another important aspect of setting goals, and defining success, is avoiding the trap of comparing yourself to others. I have been guilty of this on many occasions, and I can attest to the fact that it's one big motivation killer. Though it's good to stay aware of what others are doing, it is very dangerous to set your own goals based on other people's achievements. You live your own truth, your values are unique to you, what drives you is undoubtedly different from the next person, and ultimately your motivation will be drawn from sources that are exclusive to you. We each travel our own path, so we must create our own definition of success that falls in line with who we are. Once you are able to set goals and define success based on your own values, you find your purpose. Oftentimes you'll find yourself travelling alone on this path, and this can be really confronting, but it is often extremely rewarding. When you reach your goals, chances are that you'll truly be happy because your achievements have value to you.
Once you have a comprehensive list of goals, that match your values, and you have a clear measure of success in place, the fun can truly start. You will find it easier to get yourself motivated to pursue your goals. The concept of hard work and dedication will become less alien, and it will become more bearable to stay patient in the moments when things seem to be moving at a slow pace. Mix these ingredients together and you'll find yourself knocking on the doors of success much earlier than you may imagine. Whatever you do, don't cut corners, more on that in an upcoming post.


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High earning potential! We offer $12 an hour base wage, with the opportunity for attendance and performance incentives on top of that. $12.00-$16.25 per hour weekly hourly wage potential.
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* Computer skills in a Windows-based environment required.
* Flexible and able to quickly adapt to change.
* Possess a high level of self-confidence, high energy level and positive attitude.
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hello! we are in process of launching a new website for [login to view URL] in the process I have lost my captcha on my contact us form and repairs service form. I need someone to go in and add this security measure.
HI there, :)) I would love to add Captcha to your site and ready to discuss further, shall we? And I have a lot of knowledge and experience with web-security too! Shall we?
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After that RaceMedia signed on as a partner to CCI Monaco News we are now public on their web page at www.ccionline.wordpress.com. With their extensive network in the Mediterranean region and unmatched publishing platform, we believe that we will succeed in our efforts to reach our target audience among investors, luxury brands and others to market our rewarding race sponsor packages.
We are from now able to work closely with many of the top brands in the luxury segment and connected to the Mediterranean region. Through the CCI Partnership, we can also attend and contribute to the many exclusive and unique events they are organizing. Events like the MIPIM, Top Marques Monaco, Cannes Film Festival, F1 Grand Prix Monaco. The list also includes the Cannes Airshow, Cannes Lions, Cannes & Monaco Yacht Shows, ILTM Cannes, St Tropez Polo and on top of that their own CCI Investment Forum Cannes/Monaco.
CCI have a well-designed distribution/marketing system through electronic & hard copies used at all significant events mentioned above in the Riviera & Monaco area. CCl's fully integrated award-winning social media connections will guarantee that this partnership will flourish and that RaceMedia´s long-term goals will be reached rather sooner than later.
CCI Riviera & Monaco Corporate Club gives us the very best, and most up to date coverage/audience available and makes them our leading international news/events distributor for the region.
As we said in earlier press releases, We are already very enthusiastic about this partnership and the CCI platform. Together with our media strategy and social media coverage we strive to set a new standard in communicating our sponsors and partners.
CCI Riviera & Monaco News is the media division of Corporate Club International Monaco SA which is an exclusive members club that enables RaceMedia to reach our target audience editorially, electronically & network at all the significant events in the Riviera & Monaco area.
Below some samples of prestigious events that RaceMedia will use to put our brand in front of the right audience.


If balance maintained is Rs. 5,000 to less than Rs. 10,000: 3% of shortfall to Rs. 10,000.
If balance maintained is less than Rs. 5,000: 6% of the shortfall to Rs. 10,000.
Maximum: Rs. 450 per month.
If balance maintained is Rs. 50,000 to less than Rs. 1,00,000: Rs. 500 per month.
If balance maintained is less than Rs. 50,000: Rs. 750 per month.
ATM withdrawal limit and POS limit of Rs. 1,00,000 per day.
FD amount in lieu of AMB: N.A.


Exeter YMCA's "Parents' Night Out" on Friday 4/19. Only $18 per child for THREE HOURS!
Get green! Family Earth Day activities around the Seacoast!
Second to last event of the season! Center for Wildlife's Owl Prowl Series this Friday 4/19!
SKC Test Drive: 4 Easter Egg Decorating Kits–see which ones worked and which ones didn't!
Ready to have some fun? Easter family traditions that your kids will love!
Get the 411 delivered directly to your inbox, once a week. Boom.


Portable AC battery packs and power banks are relevant for our everyday lives. For sure, one almost cannot live without technology now, and we need the right inputs and resources to maintain their capacity, functioning, sustainability in time, and efficiency. Thus, we would like to introduce you to the best portable AC battery packs and power banks that currently exist on the market. We have spent time to do some research about them and hope it will be useful for you to make your decision. Check them out.
NOVOO Portable Battery Pack Travel Charger has a cool design as a powerful battery with the capacity of 20100mAh. This one has 2 USB ports, a large capacity, and is comfortable to be used by anyone. Not only that it looks nice, but its capacity to charge and recharging is effectively at your convenience. The product has a warrantee for one year for its quality safety and insurance.
It also comes with a quick charge option if you run out of time to move.
It also comes with a "Safety System & Quality Assurance" to protect you from any harm & 12-Month Warranty in case you have problem with it.
The Portable AC battery pack charger comes with an elegant design and a USB port. Small but powerful. Its special features include the reliability of the product and safety usage, which are proved by its premium quality brand. Need a technical support from highly trained staff? They will offer as well. Also, the product has a warrantee that lasts for 3 years. It's 3 YEARS!!!
It has an an output power up to 65W Max (AC110V) which compatible with different kind of Macbook, Survace Pro and some Dell series (more detail of compatible devices provided in product description in the link).
A huge 20100mAh battery capacity which is suitable for charging needs of all devices such as 5.6 times for iPhone 7, 3.7 times for Galaxy S8 and one time for a laptop.
Next, we have a Portable AC battery packs product that manifests a high degree of compatibility with androids, maintaining fast charging rates at the same time, and incurring build-in air vents. Then, it can be used to charge some of the latest high-tech devices, and presents a series of recharging options. This item becomes thus a must for anyone who travels very often and needs to keep his or her devices fully charged and in a good shape in order to be able to communicate efficiently across the globe.
It is compatible with man Macbook models, Surface Pro, Dell and HP laptops (detail of compatible devices provided in the product link).
It also come with an air vents to keep it from overheating.
The Omars AC Outlet 24000mAh Multi-Function Laptop is known for its portable, high-end power banks, but also rapid and efficient charging process. Further, its ABS that are heat-resistant, together with some security measures that are incorporated within the product, make it very attractive to potential customers. Finally, it can be transported quite easily, due to its compact shape.
Now, this product was awarded by Amazon for its innovative and challenging features. The charger uses USB ports and usually charging is a rapid process. Then, the safety aspect and the elegant design are other characteristics that make this item suitable for anyone who needs to maintain its devices charged.
It's known as powerful, high-speed charging and safe.
It comes with 4 blue LED lights to show the charging level.
TheAC Outlet Portable Charger is suitable for laptops only, so we recommend it only for those people who need to have a perfectly charged and efficient laptop. In addition, the product is safety certified and it can be easily transported. At purchase, you will receive the user guide, a wall charger and a cable, and a thank you card. The warrantee lasts no less than one year.
It's small, portable and easy to carry along.
Now, this item has an extremely extended capacity (58830mAh), manifesting rapid charging rates, and not least, is safe to be used and presents also durability. Together with the power bank product, you will also receive a carrying bag, a welcome guide, and its warrantee for one year. It can be used to start your car machine, boat, power your laptop, tablet and phone. It's very powerful!
It comes with LED light indicator to show its battery levels.
It comes with a built-in fan to cool it down during using.
TheiMuto 185Wh/50000mAh Portable Generator Power Source Station has a functional and complex design, and owns a generator with high performance rates, being also subject to low energy consumption, or energy saving. Its protection system is also an extra feature that most portable battery packs do not have. For quality insurance, the product is warranted for one year.
It's compatible with almost every smart devices in the current market such as Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, HTC, Nokia, Nexus, Motorola, Blackberry etc), GPS, Nintendo Switch NS PSP PS4 Game Controller, Digital Camera, Bluetooth Speaker/Headphones, Mp3 Players and More.
It's also designed for safety with its multiple-Smart protection system.
The Omars AC Laptop Power Bank is compatible with any Smartphone device or other android that exists on the market. It can be remarked by its high capacity, power, and strong USB ports that faster the charging process. Then, the charging is really safe when using this product. Further, it can be successfully used when traveling by plane, being easily portable in its handbag.
It comes with multi-Protection system to avoid over-current & over heat.
This Portable AC battery pack has a capacity of 12V outputs and supports any device, from tablets, to phones, laptops, iPhones etc. This battery pack or can be called power bank can be charged with the help of the solar energy; it has a lightweight lithium power, and ensures a safety system. At purchase, besides the portable generator, you will receive an additional adapter, a car charger, and the welcome guide to help you start with it. Most importantly, the 100-Watt Portable Generator Power Station has a warrantee for one year and a half period, which you don't need to feel worried about giving it a try. If it's not the right one for you, let's move to the next one.
It's a Portable Power Station which is built one-in-all for your electronic devices and small appliances.
It has a huge capacity of 150 WH & can charge for up to 18 times for smartphones, 2 times for small laptops, & 2-to-3 nights for some home appliances.
It can replace a gasoline generator at home or for camping with its huge capacity to light up many devices.
It's easy to charge and to bring along for a trip or outdoor activity.
It's been through a drop-tested & built of a fire-resistance shell.
We tried to give useful advice to those in the position of buying charging devices. Nevertheless, chargers are important for our high-tech devices, and can influence their efficiency, productivity, and durability. At the end, we recommend all the above presented products, although customers should carefully read the characteristics of these items, before making the final buying decision. Further on, price should not be a criteria, as quality has to be put first, so people need to understand that for being able to use their high tech tools and devices in the most efficient manner, and generate the best output or result possible, they should be using top products, that are made from resistant materials, were previously tested, are safe and sustainable, are easily portable, and contain many other important and relevant features. Therefore, feel free to choose among the presented list of items, according to your own preferences and tastes, and choose the one that suits your needs the most. We guarantee that you won't be disappointed, and your work, and life also, will become more comfortable and enjoyable after purchasing any of these portable battery packs.


"Be Part of One of America's Fastest Growing Industries! Earn Thousand of Dollars A Month From Your Home...Processing Medical Billing Claims!"
You can find ads like the above everywhere--on telephone poles, in your newspaper, on television and on the Internet. While you may find these ads appealing, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home business opportunities deliver on their promises.
And its been our experience that nearly all of them are scams!
Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads may also demand that you pay for instructions or "tutorial" software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.
"There's a severe crisis in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open!"
The promoter may also tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to outsource or contract out their billing services to save money. Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part- time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists.
They also may assure you that no experience is necessary-- that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you.
The truth: You will have to sell! These scam artists rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community.
The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support.
And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they're probably "shills"-- individuals hired to give bogus testimonials.
If at all possible, it's best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being mislead by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works.
Very few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues--let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.
2. Envelope stuffing: Promoters usually advertise that, for a small fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later, when it's too late, you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer.
Instead, for your fee, you're likely to get a letter telling you to place the same "envelope-stuffing" ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you'll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad, and pay the same fee that you did.
3. Assembly or craft work: These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them.
For example, you might have to buy a sewing or sign-making machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. However, after you've purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent promoters don't pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn't meet "quality standards."
Here's the catch: In order to get out of paying workers, their work is NEVER deemed to be "up to standard,"--leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies and no income. To sell their products, these workers must find their own customers.
* What tasks will I have to perform? Ask the program sponsor to list every facet of the job.
* Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission?
* Who will pay me?
* When will I get my first paycheck?
* What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? What will I get for my money?
The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is appropriate for your circumstances, and whether it is legitimate. To our knowledge, nearly all are scams!
You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that you're interested in.
But be wary: The absence of complaints doesn't necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.
* The Attorney General's office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you're protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs.
* Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices. The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had with the company.
Marketing Basics specializes in writing articles that teach, explain and define basic marketing principles and techniques. http://marketingbasics.blogspot.ca/. Discover the truth about making money online! FREE report gives you the straight facts.


Divine Mercy Chaplet and Teaching: "Praying the Mass in Thanksgiving & Healing"
On sale: Fr. Al's Gregorian rosary DVD/CD, Rosaries, etc.
Father Al Winshman, S.J, is an international apostle of Mary's message of Jesus' Gospel. He is spirtual leader of numerous pilgrimages to Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, Medjugorje, Italy and the Holy Land. He has been with many visionaries during their apparitions.


Conor McGregor - Floyd Mayweather 2 Talks, Countdown To UFC 228, Invicta FC 31 Results - Wrestling Inc.
- The UFC returns from a mini-break this coming Saturday night with UFC 228 live on pay-per-view from Dallas. In the main event, Tyron Woodley defends his welterweight title against Darren Till, with Nicco Montano putting her female flyweight crown on the line against former title challenger Valentina Shevchenko.
Over the weekend, the UFC released "Countdown to UFC 228," which takes an in-depth look into the lives and camps of all four fighters. Check out a complete replay of the program in the video above.
- The second Conor McGregor replied to a message from Floyd Mayweather, talks of a potential second fight started up again. And not wanting to silence those rumors, Mayweather's father and trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., told Helen Yee Sports that there is indeed talks ongoing between the two sides.
"They are talking like him and Conor are going to fight," he said. "That's what it sounds like. I don't know for sure, but I'm just saying the way things are sounding to me."
After Mayweather earned his 50th victory with a win last year, McGregor asked for a rematch inside the Octagon. "Notorious" returns in October to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title. The elder Mayweather, though, believes if there is a second fight, it will be in the boxing ring.
"I think they are going to fight the same way," he said. "I think that Conor wants to get t hat win back."
- While the UFC and Bellator took the extended holiday weekend off, the ladies of Invicta FC hit the cage for Invicta FC 31. The card aired live on UFC Fight Pass with Virna Jandiroba defending her strawweight title against Janaisa Morandin in the main event.
Jandiroba picked up a second round submission when she locked in an arm-triangle choke. Also earning victories were former UFC fighter Pearl Gonzalez, Lisa Spangler and Mallory Martin.


A small home designed for off-grid living. 509 sq. ft. of living space plus storage.
Inspired by Vancouver's Laneway Houses, and named for the traditional mountain shelters of Scotland, the Bothy is the flagship of our Small Home designs.
The Bothy is designed for solar, and is well suited for "off grid" scenarios.
We wanted a small home design that was compact, but still contemporary and elegant.
With 509 sq. ft. of living space, plus 90 sq. ft. of storage, the Bothy still has plenty of room for solar batteries, hot water tank, and even a washer/dryer combination in its utility room. It also has its own storage area for recyclables.


text:
WealthCare Professionals
Blogs Travel
The Word's Best Retirement Haven for 2020…Revealed
by International Living
By Tricia Pimental
#1 for Housing
Accommodation—the single largest item on any expat's budget—is reasonable in Portugal, whether you rent or buy.
Monthly rents in small Portuguese cities, and in the interior, start as low as $375 for one- to two-bedroom apartments. In the capital, Lisbon, monthly rents start at about $650 in neighborhoods an easy half-hour walk from the central tourist areas. Rents in the Alfama neighborhood, Lisbon's oldest, can run somewhat lower. But its hills and cobbled streets won't suit everyone.
If you're looking to buy, you can find comfortable apartments for sale in the interior for well under $100,000. Even in Lisbon you can find small properties around the $150,000 price point in outlying neighborhoods. Closing costs on property sales in Portugal tend to run around 10% of the purchase price.
It's worth noting that the average size of apartments in Portugal, as in the rest of Europe, is considerably smaller than you may be used to. A 550-square-foot apartment is considered perfectly adequate for a single person or a couple. A 1,000-square-foot apartment may have three or even four bedrooms and be considered suitable for a small family.
Fortunately, Portugal's generally mild climate means you are likely to spend lots of leisure time outside, on the beach, at outdoor cafés, or strolling Portugal's beautiful towns and villages…
#1 for Climate
Portugal enjoys a warm temperate climate with wet winters, dry summers, and the highest temperatures averaging above 71 F.
Sultry summer days are for sunning at a praia fluvial (river beach) or maybe lounging lakeside under the shade of cork oak trees. Autumn's crisp days herald the coming of a rainy—even snowy, in the northern mountains—winter. Come springtime, days are brightened by the blossoming of calla lilies, sweet-smelling roses, blue and pink hydrangea bushes, and lush fields of vibrant wildflowers.
#1 for Healthcare
The Portugal National Health Service, Serviço Nacional de Saúde, is available toall full-time residents who have registeredwith the Segurança Social. This can be doneas soon as you receive your D-7 visa anddemonstrate that you are either retired orpaying into the tax system here.
In the first year of your residence in the country, you will have to have private insurance—not just traveler's insurance—which is available from many international providers as well as Portuguese health insurance companies. Each has its own particular requirements, so it's a good idea to shop around. A word of warning: the options for those over 65 narrow considerably.
My husband Keith and I have both had routine and emergency care in personal and private clinics and hospitals here in Portugal. We've paid as little as $9 for a consultation, $27 for X-rays and $270 for a combination of EKG and MRI. When I needed a tetanus shot, it was free at the local public clinic. In short, healthcare is accessible, professional and economical.
For information on the "International Living" online course, click HERE
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A Tropical Island Resort Rental for $145 a Month
By Wendy Justice
"My little retirement package just wasn't enough to live on back home," says Gwyn Hill, 65. "So I packed up and set off overseas. I tried out a few spots overseas before arriving here last year. I soon found myself settling down. I really feel comfortable here. Now, my life is quite relaxing. I go to the beach every day or two. I've got a nice pool, so I'll go swimming, and there's always someone here to talk to."
Gwyn's island home is the country's largest; at 222 square miles, it's about the same size as Chicago. The permanent population is just over 100,000, though during high season—which lasts from November through March—thousands of tourists come to relax on the white- and golden-sand beaches and play in the warm, emerald-green sea. The island's largest town and main commercial center is home to around 20,000 residents.
Year-round temperatures are consistently between 77 F and 90 F, with frequent ocean breezes taking the edge off the warmest, most humid days.
"I love the weather here," says Gwyn. "It's perfect one day and great the next. Even the hottest days feel comfortable. During this November to March dry season, there have been about three decent rains, though that will change around April, when rain becomes more frequent. That's when the off-season begins and things will get even cheaper."
The low cost of living has enabled Gwyn to set aside most of his retirement pension. "Once a week, I might buy a pizza or rent a motorbike and explore," he says. "I walk to the beach several times a week. I'm not living frugally; I'm living comfortably. I can still put at least $500 in the bank every month. My budget here is no more than $300 per month and that's really having a good time. You can't beat that."
When he first arrived, Gwyn booked a room at a resort. "The room initially cost about $14 per night, but once I decided to live here long-term, the price dropped considerably," he says.
Gwyn's rent comes out to about $145 per month and includes use of the pool and a pleasant garden, all his utilities, and daily breakfast. Best of all, he can walk to the beach in less than 10 minutes. "I could get a nice house for $200 per month, but there's really no need. The resort staff take good care of me."
The island offers international-standard healthcare at the new hospital. Gwyn hasn't had the occasion to go there, but he's been amazed at the quality and low cost of dental care. "I cracked a tooth and got a temporary plate for $74. It would have cost 10 times that amount back home. The clinic was absolutely spotless," he says.
Gwyn enjoys eating at new places. "There are so many restaurants here," he says. "I'll go to a sports bar for a good burger and fries for about $6. Otherwise, I can get chicken breast filets with mashed potatoes, and a salad for $2.50, and local food costs even less."
Editor's note: Discover the country Gwyn calls home when you get your hands on a copy of the 2020 Global Retirement Index report—you'll find it at number 11 overall and number two in its region. It also achieved impressive scores in the categories of governance, opportunity, and cost of living. Plus, you'll also get the lowdown on 23 more fabulous overseas spots for travel, living, and adventure.
Put Some "Cushion" in Your Retirement Cushion
By Dan Prescher
Writing for International Living over the years has inspired me to take a pretty hefty interest in all things related to retirement. And, having just celebrated my 60th birthday, that interest has sharpened.
After all, moving abroad is one of the most intriguing ways to improve your retirement situation...or to lay the groundwork for an active, interesting, and affordable retirement if, like me, you find retirement rushing at you faster than ever.
So when I found an article on the Forbes website about planning for retirement in your 50s, 60s, and 70s, it caught my eye. Like many, I figured that if you hadn't started your retirement planning in your 20s or 30s, you'd missed the boat.
Turns out not to be the case, and I was so pleased to learn that there are ways to improve your retirement outlook, even late in the game, that I reposted the article on my Facebook page.
It also got me thinking about something I hadn't considered before. I know for a fact that you can live well in many beautiful places around the world on much less than you can in the States and Canada. Heck, my wife, Suzan Haskins, and I literally wrote the book on it.
But...and this is a big "but"...it still costs something to live abroad. It costs something to live anywhere, and you still need that something to make retirement work, even if the spot you choose is amazingly inexpensive as compared to back home.
There's one mistake I've seen people make time and time again. They read that it's possible to live in some exotic location for $1,500 or $2,000 per month...and then they quit reading. They buy a ticket and get off the plane in a foreign country with $2,000 in their pockets and a plan to start living the high life immediately.
If they had kept reading, they'd have known that, no matter where you choose to move or retire, there will be start-up costs: rent deposits, freight charges for moving personal goods if that's what you choose to do, fees for visa and other legal work, furniture and fixtures to buy, Internet and satellite TV hookups to pay for, and so on.
They'd also realize that, just like back home, they could encounter unforeseen expenses that seem to pop up out of nowhere—health issues they didn't realize they had, transportation costs for getting back home in case of family emergencies or special events, and on and on.
In the excitement of moving someplace prettier and more affordable, they forget that they still need to plan...to have a cushion...to make sure they have the resources to handle the extra start-up expenses that always accompany a move anywhere...across the street or across the planet. Fortunately, these are usually one-time expenses.
But that's why retirement planning and the need for that cushion...that something...doesn't end with retirement or with your move to Belize or Ecuador or Spain or Malaysia. There is, in fact, an entire industry devoted to helping people do that planning, just as there are dozens of ways to continue making money after official "retirement".
I meet with and talk to many expats, and I applaud those who can make the move and simply kick back and coast on what they've already managed to save and invest. But more often than not, as economies around the world change, as the boom and bust cycles come faster and faster, I find that even some of those farsighted folks are looking around for ways to get a little more "cushion" into their cushion.
The good news is, there are many way s to beef up your financial situation no matter where in the world you decide to live, even if you're in the later stages of the game. There are a lot of positive steps you can take to hedge your retirement bets even in your 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Every positive step makes your cushion a little bigger and a little softer. And that's the kind of cushion I'm looking forward to when I retire.
A Koh Samui Resort Rental for $992 a Month
By Michelle Stevenson
Having lived in the mountainous north of Thailand for most of last year, my husband Jason and I were keen to give life on a Thai island a go, so we headed for Koh Samui.
Home to some 63,000 souls, Koh Samui is Thailand's second-largest island after Phuket, spanning a shade over 88 square miles. This tropical idyll is renowned for its sandy beaches, coral reefs, and coconut trees.
Popular with honeymooners and holidaymakers, Koh Samui is also known to be one of the pricier spots in Thailand and while there's no shortage of luxury resorts, it's also easy to find cheap accommodation. This is particularly useful if, like us, you want to try out local life for a month or two…or three…
You've got lots of options here, from Airbnb to short-term rentals, but having worked out the numbers we were delighted to discover an extended stay in a cosy resort was within budget.
The Spa Garden is just a 10-minute walk from the beach (a free shuttle service will also take you there), close to cafés and restaurants, convenience stores, and—possibly best of all—a series of French patisseries.
Our nightly rate of $32 works out at $992 per month. Back home, we used to pay $1,225 a month to rent a two-bedroom apartment...but it didn't have air conditioning, WiFi, or Cable TV (all included as part of our stay at The Spa Garden), a swimming pool, or a steam room.
The cost of our simple yet spacious room also includes a full breakfast every morning, plus a daily housekeeping service. And for just $1.30 per kilo, the hotel offers a laundry service including ironing.
With no chores to do (we don't even have to make the bed!), there's plenty of time to explore the island and enjoy an array of water-based activities, including snorkeling, kayaking, and jet skiing.
We've already taken a full-day boat tour to Ang Thong National Marine Park, a pristine archipelago of 42 islands, featuring towering limestone mountains, thick jungle, white-sand beaches, waterfalls, hidden coves, and lakes.
Will we settle in for a longer stay? Maybe… One thing's for sure, I can't wait to discover more of Koh Samui…
Save Money with an eBike
by Rad Power
For many people, it is now possible to use an eBike for nearby errands and ride sharing services for everything else.
This can be a real money saver.
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The Affordable Way to Travel by Ocean Cruise
By Jane Dempster-Smith
A smooth crossing. Perfect weather. Glorious blue skies throughout the day, orange-red sunsets at night, and when we woke early, pink sunrises...we were crossing the Atlantic in style.
My husband Duncan and I are advocates of slow travel on land. Back home, the daily grind had us existing, not living.
So when our adult sons left the nest, we took off overseas and never looked back. That was 2013. We are still traveling and live by our daily mantra 'chase time not money'.
We are working through our bucket list and dedicate ourselves to finding the best possible value.
Hence we were, for the first time, experiencing slow travel on the open seas. With repositioning cruises we had discovered yet another cheap way to travel the world and we are hooked. For as little as $42 a day we can travel the world in style, with no jet lag, and we arrive at the other end relaxed and raring to go.
This is our new way of traveling—if there is a repositioning cruise when and where we want to go, we will be on it.
A repositioning cruise is when cruise companies need to reposition their ships and crew for the start of a new season, e.g. Europe to the Caribbean, the Middle East to Canada, and Australia to the U.S. or Asia, and vice versa. Any maintenance that needs to be done is carried out during this time.
We noticed that one bar would close for renovation or a new coat of paint, but others would stay open so there would be little disruption for passengers. It's often a way to change the crew contracts from one region to another.
For less than the cost of an airline ticket we sailed for 15 nights from Spain to Panama, had all meals and alcohol included, visited the gym daily, and enjoyed nightly entertainment.
We traveled with Pullmantur, a Spanish Cruise Company, sailing from Bilbao, Spain to Colon in Panama, stopping off in Lisbon, Portugal, and the Caribbean Islands of St Maarten and Aruba on the way. The ships return via a different route back to Europe.
There tend to be fewer passengers on a repositioning cruise. Our ship, the M.V. Monarch, could carry 2,800 and in total we had 1,800 passengers and crew.
On average, airfares between Spain and Panama or Central America range between $700 to $900, depending on the carrier and the season.
Our total cost (for 15 nights) per person was $623 inclusive of tax, tips, all food, and drinks. Where else could you have transport, meals, alcohol, and entertainment for $42 per night?
To be honest, before setting off, we had low expectations; little or no entertainment, limited meal options and service, and a stormy Atlantic crossing. How wrong we were. Around the main pool you could take part in salsa and Zumba dance classes, competitions, and fitness classes. At night you could enjoy live music in the bars, try your luck in the casino, watch the nightly gala show, or dance away in the disco till the last person is standing, usually around 6 a.m.
Breakfast and lunch were buffets, with so much variety to choose from, including very good vegetarian options. The dinner menu had just been created by a Michelin-starred chef from Spain.
Plus, Pullmantur don't charge a single supplement on repositioning cruises, which makes it an ideal way for solos to travel affordably. We even heard of a couple who booked two cabins, one for their luggage and one for themselves.
Here are our top tips to help you make the most of your repositioning cruise:
There's a good reason why the medical centre on ships is located lower down—less movement in bad weather. Our tip is to reserve a cabin on this level at the front of the ship, so you will not be disturbed by late-night revellers.
You need to be prepared for delays or missing scheduled ports due to weather. Leave enough of your WiFi package in case you have to change flights or hotels at the last moment.
Once you've departed the last port before the major ocean crossing, speak to reception and ask for an upgrade. We were upgraded to the outside cabin on the same level at no extra cost.
Spend Summer in Paris Without Spending a Fortune
By Zelie Pollon
Paris is the city of romance and art, of the Eiffel Tower and the Musée du Louvre. Paris can also be an amazing place of fun and adventure, especially in the summertime. And activities in this great city don't have to break your pocketbook.
I am certainly a fan of exposing yourself to art, and there are few better sites than the Louvre, but if you have limited time and resources—or if you chafe at the thought of waiting for hours in line with a thousand other people under the hot sun—then there are some other options for you this summer in Paris.
There is one Paris summer phenomenon that I love most: Paris Plage. I was told it was a strategy by the French government to keep Parisians from fleeing the city on their long summer breaks and to provide summer activities for the thousands of visitors who descend on the city of lights. They haul in thousands of pounds of sand and transform the banks of the Seine into a beachside, boardwalk fantasy land, complete with plastic buckets and shovels for little kids (free!), misting stations, food stands, beach chairs, and beachside music and activities. It's an amazing feat, and runs roughly mid-July to mid-August.
If you want to treat yourselves to some fabulous art but don't want to face the crowds of the Louvre, consider my absolute favorite museum: The Musee D'Orsay. Built in an old Beaux Arts train station, it has the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces in the world: Monet and Manet, Mary Cassat, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh… Find it along the Left Bank of the Seine in the 7th arrondissment on Légion d'Honneur.
The Pablo Picasso Museum is also very manageable, with a walkway that takes you through the Spanish artist's different periods. Located in the Marais (3rd arrondissment) the area is always full of color and fun. Bordering the city's LGBT quarter, there are trendy shops and fun people. For food, be sure to go by Chez Marianne for one of the best falafels I've ever tasted.
For more adventurous types, a visit into the depths of the Parisian underground—the Catacombs—is certain to thrill. Holding the bones of nearly six million people, it was built as part of an effort to deal with Paris' overflowing cemeteries. Enter just near the Denfert-Rochereau metro stop.
A trip to the Sacré Coeur Basilica is a must. Overlooking all of Paris, this might be one of the most beautiful structures in the city. The walk up is as wonderful as the view at the top.
Some of my favorite Parisian activities for those budding Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers among us, are the nightly dancing events at the Jardin Tino Rossi on the banks of Port Saint-Bernard in front of the Institut du Monde Arabe. Far from the smoky rooms of Paris nightclubs, these open-air (and free) sessions draw dancers from many genres: tango, salsa, rock…even country and western on the nights I visited. Every night from June through August, dancers gather in the small, semicircular seating areas (designed like amphitheatres) each offering a differently-themed dance style and music. Be forewarned that those who attend are serious dancers, and some knowledge of the art form is expected. No pressure.
Finally, I always tell people that Paris doesn't have to be a place of expensive activities. This city is one of the few where simply walking through the city streets is one of the most enjoyable activities of all. Each arrondisment is slightly different and all provide a feast for the eyes and senses. Whether during the day or at night, the streets of Paris are always lively. A few of my favorite areas include the Carrefour de Buci (carrefour means intersection) in the 6th arrondisment where the streets are filled with outdoor cafés and the nights are always hopping; the plaza in front of Notre Dame Cathedral which fills each evening with daring street performers on roller skates, with juggling balls or fistfuls of fire; and the Centre Pompidou in the Beaubourg area (4th arrondisment) which is similarly entertaining, day or night.
I've noted some of my favorite free activities, but for those who might want to hit every possible museum and monument Paris offers both a museum pass which costs $56 for an adult for two days, $72 for four days. The Paris Pass includes admission to all museums and unlimited travel on public transport. That ranges from $130 for two days and up to $280 for six days.
Editor's note: Zelie knows the tricks and shortcuts to experience romantic Paris without the price tag you might imagine. All sorts of amazing shortcuts exist that can allow you to travel better than you do now but spend way, way less than you assume you have to. And we've gathered them all in our special report How to Retire on Permanent Vacation: Shortcuts for a Jet-Set Retirement on a Modest Budget. This is high-end travel without the high-end price tag. You don't have to be wealthy and well-connected to enjoy life as if you were. You don't need to have a massive nest egg saved up to live a fun, adventure-filled, international retirement. You simply need to know the shortcuts contained in this special report…which you can get your hands on for free. Claim your free copy here and prepare for the retirement of your dreams.
Enjoying a European Lifestyle in Beautiful Barcelona
By Eric Sweigert
"There's not enough time in the world to tell you all the stories of this city," I told my former pupil as we sipped at café con leche in one of the many hip coffee shops of the Gracia neighborhood in Barcelona.
Last year we shared a classroom together, he as a hardworking upperclassman, and I his dedicated American History teacher. We were now swapping our favorite travel stories in this exhilarating city in the northeast corner of Spain. Drawn toward the heady call of adventure, I left my job teaching history in Napa to continue my studies in Europe, and enjoy life outside the frenzied pace of California.
Spain occupied a place in my mind based more on myth than fact. It was the land of dodging bulls in Pamplona, reclining in the shadows of 2,000-year-old Roman ruins, and enjoying the smooth rhythms of a flamenco master. Barcelona hugs the Mediterranean coast and is the capital of the region of Catalonia.
The city center is clustered around the old quarter, where remnants of the original Roman town still peek through the cozy apartment buildings and around narrow alley corners. My apartment lies about two miles outside the city center in the hilly district of El Carmel. From my balcony I am able to observe the colorful parrots that compete with the pigeons' air control.
With the exception of a few key expenses, Barcelona prices are comparable to those of many American cities. A nice dinner can be had for between $12 and $38 per person depending on where you are in the city, and a cup of coffee or espresso should run under $1.20. However, Starbucks aficionados beware, you will find that a grande carmel cocoa cluster Frappuccino is about as easy to spot as Bigfoot, with locals opting instead for the modestly sized café con leche or café cortado.
Compared to the housing insanity of California, I was pleasantly surprised by costs of between $630 and $1,250 per month to rent a one-bedroom apartment. The major factor being distance to the city center, with closer properties being more expensive.
There are nuanced differences in Barcelona that I never encountered during domestic travel within the U.S. In Barcelona, a premium is placed on showing respect, and it took me a few times to understand the public-transit expectation that you invite the ire of onlookers if you forget to offer your seat to the grandmother standing. Barcelona also has an astonishing number of city-parks. You only need to walk a few blocks before encountering a space devoted to elderly men enjoying cigars while children chase around them, shouting jubilantly in Catalan.
There's More Than Just Great Weather to be Found in 2019's Top Climate Pick
By Sean Keenan
Clean, friendly cities where gentlemen still tip their hats and service comes with an emphatic, genuine smile. You'll find an Old World charm to life in the country that topped the climate category of International Living's 2019 Annual Global Retirement Index that expats from North America invariably comment on. It is, they often say, a little like the best parts of the 1950s.
That's not to suggest that the country is backward or undeveloped. The cities display a rich cultural heritage alongside efficient, modern infrastructure that would shame many locations elsewhere in the so-called "developed" world. The information age hasn't passed this country by, but nevertheless, there is something attractively old-fashioned about it that we've lost, for the worse, farther north.
Then, of course, there's the excellent climate. It's blessed with hot sun and cloudless skies year-round. But the true beauty of this country's climate is how varied it is.
From snow-capped volcanoes to dense Amazon jungle…sun-drenched Pacific beaches to remote islands, you'll be able to find an environment that suits you. With altitude, the temperature drops and, thanks to the varied topography, finding the right climate for you is as simple as choosing how high to go.
For example, the capital city sits in the mountains at an altitude of 9,250 feet and boasts a spring-like climate year-round: 50 F at night and 69 F during the day. The sun makes the difference. You can comfortably stroll out on a glorious afternoon in shorts and a t-shirt, but you'll need to take along your wool sweater in case the clouds roll in. The sun is intense, but when it's obscured by clouds you realize how high in the mountains you really are. In fact, cold-weather gear is needed for high-altitude hiking and mountain climbing.
The beaches and rainforests, on the other hand, enjoy the tropical temperatures that you would expect from this part of the world, with highs ranging between 80 F and 90 F. Among the high mountains, coastal plains, and the jungle, you can find just about any type of weather.
What's more, this perfect-weather paradise treats its seniors well. You'll get discounts on public transport, pay half-price on cultural and sporting events (including movies), and get a massive 50% discount on international round-trip airfares with select carriers. That's a huge advantage to any expat visiting family in North America.
Healthcare, whether you choose to use the low-cost national system or pay for private care, is affordable: "My husband got his hand sewn up by a surgeon for only $60," says one of our in-country correspondents.
Emergencies aside, you may end up needing the doctor less often anyway. Most find that, without making any conscious changes, they lose 20 pounds over the first few months, solely from the healthier lifestyle and more natural foods.
Lakes, mountains, beaches, cities, affordable healthcare, small-town charm, and vibrant expat communities. That's just scratching the surface of what our top climate pick for 2019 has got to offer.
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So, besides "what the printer uses," what exactly is printer toner? While toner-based laser printers work with many of the same types of paper — including multipurpose paper, labels and stickers, and photo paper — toner is not the same as the printer ink used in inkjet-style printers. Instead, toner is a very fine powder mix, contained in cartridges used in laser printers and laser-type photocopiers. The toner is attracted to the page by a static charge, then bonded with a heated fuser as it prints text and photos. The easiest way to tell if your printer is running low on printer toner is by a warning showing up on the display panel. Other telltale signs include low toner coverage on the page, uneven printing, images that aren't as sharp as usual, or toner clumps, streaks and spots.
Figuring out which toner refill to get doesn't need to be a daunting task. Of course, it is important to know which printer toner cartridges are compatible with your printer — and for color laser printers, that means the four separate cartridges for black, magenta, cyan and yellow. Two ways to determine which toner you need are first, to find the information in the printer's user manual, and second, to get the model numbers off the toner cartridges you're replacing so you can swap them out with the same toner cartridge. Here at Best Buy, you can also enter your printer model number into our Ink & Toner Finder.
Whether you're making copies of the agenda for an upcoming meeting or printing the results of the latest company project using your go-to business software, laser printers using toner are often the choice for business use because they're known to produce sharp black text documents better than other printer styles. They also tend to be faster, especially with high volume print jobs. Additionally, toner lasts longer than ink and so is more affordable in the long run — which can be significant because in many office situations, the printer is among the most used equipment, alongside the telephone, computer, shredder and coffee maker.