This quotation from American running legend Steve Prefontaine hangs in my office.I have seen it silk-screened on hundreds of t-shirts in road races I have participated in through the years.I have seen it on motivational posters and engraved in award medals.I have even seen this quotation tattooed across the left ribcage of a slightly peculiar and exceptionally obsessive runner from Houston who I met during a marathon I ran in Florida.And just last month, again entering the competition as the number one seed, Sami Kaplan captured her first state title and stood atop the podium as the best gymnast in the state.
If I were to create my own personal Mount Rushmore of athletic heroes, Steve Prefontaine (”Pre”) would be carved into the prime rock. When he died in a car accident at age 24, Pre held eight American distance records. But the records weren’t what set him apart.He was a wildly aggressive runner who constantly pushed the pace and insisted on running hard every step of every race. He ran violently to the front and would have rather french-kissed a saltwater crocodile than relinquish a lead. When asked why he constantly ran on the edge, Pre answered “The only good pace is a suicide pace…and today looked like a good day to die.”
I wish I could have had the opportunity to talk with Pre.To find out what motivates him and drives him to push beyond physical boundaries and compete at the very edge of theoretical limits.I would have liked to have asked him what drives him to be the best.But since I can’t,I did the next best thing.At only 16 years old, Sharon High School junior Samantha Kaplan has already put together an enviable list of accomplishments.As a freshman, Kaplan finished third in the Massachusetts Coaches Association Individual Gymnastics Championships.As a sophomore, and a number one seed, she finished second.
Recommended Reading：Accessories|Clothing
marzec 9, 2012
Tour operators agreed cycle tours of the R3A route linking Thailand and China via Laos were feasible, but expressed grave concerns about safety and hygiene on the China sector of the trip.The so called eco-bike tour surveyed a route from Thailand, through Laos to Jinghong in China. The three countries are members of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region with governments supporting the development of routes that could serve niche market tourism such as cycle tours.Commenting on the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Eco Bike Tour: Thailand Gateway to Mekong Sub-Region 2012, SpiceRoads’ operations manager, Rattanaporn Saengprayoonporn, told TTR Weekly that the route lacked facilities and attractions at the end destination, in this case, Jinghong.”The route can be promoted in cycling programmes, but it seriously needs facilities and stops for cycle tourists as the distances they cover are much shorter than covered by cars or buses.
“Scenery on the R3A will impress cycle travellers and in Chiang Rai, the starting point, there are attractions such as the Hall of Opium Golden Triangle Park and at the other end of the route Tai Lue village in China’s Xishuangbanna.”The problem is the lack of facilities and attractions between these two established tourist destinations.The trip ended in China’s Jinghong, but Ms Rattanaporn said even this well known destination was not up to scratch to be an impressive finale for a difficult cycle trip. “Ending in Jinghong is not a strong point. It should be the highlight that will impress and help sell the tour,”she said.
“The end would have to be in Kunming in Yunnan province,”she told the survey organisers.”The final destination is very important for cycle tours. It has to be significant and motivate participants to keep going. It needs to be big enough to allow the group to spend and enjoy convenient transport so they can connect to other places or return on a flight to their homes.”Ideally the R3A cycle tour would start in Chiang Rai and close in a town in Laos that has an international airport, such as Luang Prabang. But once cyclists leave the R3A at Luang Namtha they will face an incredible challenge to reach Luang Prabang.
Recommended Reading：Kashgar tour | silk road group tour | Self-drive to China
Tagged: eco-bike tour marzec 7, 2012
Classical Chinese dance, which has a history of thousands of years, incorporates the profound aspects from every era and dynasty of ancient China. It is a complete system of dance that embodies traditional principles, unique dance movements, and inner meaning.While the Jennings found the movements “delightful,” Mr. Jennings reflected on the inner meaning Shen Yun was able to convey about life in modern China under communist rule because Shen Yun is based in New York, and how artistic expression of such truths would be suppressed in China.From the ancient philosophies of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, to the practice of Falun Dafa today, the ideals of benevolence, propriety, wisdom, and justice embodied in these traditional disciplines represent the essence of traditional Chinese culture.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the thousands of years of divinely inspired Chinese traditional culture and bring it to the people of the world.Clicks Group executives are allocated appreciation rights that are cash-settled at the end of a three-year period. The value of each right is determined by a formula based on diluted headline earnings a share which is consistently applied on entry and exit from the scheme. The growth in earnings aligns executive remuneration with the creation of shareholder value.There is no correlation to the Clicks Group’s share price as implied by Ms Crotty, and her calculations of the potential payout to Michael Fleming are wrong and misleading.
Our shareholders fully understand and appreciate the scheme, evidenced by the remuneration policy being passed by 100 percent of the votes cast at the annual general meeting in January.In the event that Impala Platinum (Implats) accedes to demands that its miners should be paid R9 000 a month, net of all deductions, I would like to apply for a position as a miner in the company.I’m sure that despite the unpleasant physical working conditions there are thousands, indeed tens of thousands of able-bodied people, who would be happy to work for this amount, so perhaps you would favour your readers by publishing the name and business address of whoever does the hiring at Implats.
Recommended Reading：Accessories|Clothing
Tagged: Clothing Manufacturer marzec 6, 2012
Our ship, the Arctic Sunrise, is currently in Mauritanian waters to highlight the problems of overfishing emptying African seas. Vast factory-style fishing boats are trawling out fish at an alarming rate and decimating local ecosystems and livelihoods in the process.The campaign team at sea have already encountered a number of these super trawlers, in the seas off Senegal last week. Boats from as far away as Russia and China fish these waters, but scandalously the EU is also exporting its own overfishing to West Africa.We’ve also pulled together a new report on what is happening in the waters off West Africa, and why reform of Europe’s fishing laws has to tackle this element of Europe’s fishing footprint too.
Some of the biggest, most ominous, offenders are the mega trawlers of the Pelagic Freezer Association (PFA), which include the largest trawler ever built. This is overcapacity on an obscene scale.The European fleet is unfairly competing with local fishermen. It would take 56 traditional fishing pirogues one year to catch as much fish as one super-trawler can capture and process in a single day.But it gets worse. We subsidise these massive vessels to fish away Africa’s future. As our report reveals an estimated €142.7 million of European taxpayers’ money was paid to enable these vessels to fish Mauritanian and Moroccan waters between 2006 and 2012.
The PFA had previously received a further whack of EU subsidy, a meagre €21 million to modernise their fleet.The impact on local communities is huge. With less and less fish local fishermen are forced to make dangerous journeys further away, some simply give up and move away. Trawlers trash traditional fishing gears, which the locals can’t afford to replace. Whilst nominal deals may have been done with governments, it is local communities and Africa’s seas that pay the price. When fishing represents the main source of protein, and a major source of livelihoods, it really matters how much we are stealing from Africa’s waters. And with increased danger from collisions with trawlers, some West African fishermen end up paying with their lives.
Recommended Reading：Accessories|Clothing
Tagged: West African seas marzec 2, 2012
With the new year came a surge in sales in the home improvements industry.Rather than moving home, many homeowners decided to stay put and instead decorate their current home. UK Flooring Direct has seen an increased number of homeowners take advantage of the money saving opportunities available on a range of products. To make choosing the perfect flooring easier, UK Flooring Direct is offering customers the chance to order free samples before purchase.
Interior designers expect 2012 to be big for bright, bold colours matched with pastels.When it comes to flooring, homeowners can either choose eye-catching coloured wood flooring or one with subtle colours combined with adventurous colours.UK Flooring Direct is home to hundreds of flooring products in a range of styles. Solid wood, engineered wood and laminate flooring have proven particularly popular in recent months.Each offers its own advantages and disadvantages and all appeal to different homeowners according to budget.Choosing the perfect flooring product is often a daunting task.
With so many different colours and styles to choose from, homeowners can often become overwhelmed.To help make the process easier,UK Flooring Direct offers the opportunity to order free samples before making a final decision.Wood flooring sales rose 3.4 percent to $111.5 million. In 2010 armstrong recorded a $32 million loss in its wood flooring segment, a result of $5 million of fixed asset write downs and severance charges related to the closure of two manufacturing facilities, and $22 million of impairment charges for wood flooring trademarks.
Recommended Reading：hardwood flooring | flooring manufacturer | laminate flooring
Tagged: UK Flooring marzec 1, 2012
The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain sailed into the Port of Redwood City on Thursday for a temporary two-week stop to showcase tours and “battle sails.” Residents can walk through the cabin, galley and library of the two ships and experience life aboard a historic tall ship, just two of 200 in the country.Redwood City is only deep-water port on the Peninsula that can handle the enormous ships: the Lady Washington at 90 tons and 112 feet, and the Hawaiian Chieftain at 65 tons and 105 feet, and has welcomed the ships for years.”They’re living, working, breathing ships that sail up and down the west coast,” said spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen.
A 6-person crew from Aberdeen, Washington, plus a 6-person volunteer crew man the two ships, keeping the decks, the hulls and the inner galleys in tip-top shape.”It’s such an incredible experience,” said deckhand Cori Pepper.But she added, “We’re not pirates! The movies glamorize our jobs.”The “real” pirates of the 17th and 18th centuries were those who were losing in the war and had to pillage the winning side’s loot.This crew, in contrast, is a hard-working staff that keeps each other accountable.”We live in a small box within a small box,” Pepper said of the hull, their living quarters which contains room for 12 bunks. “So we all have to get along.”
And that doesn’t mean they don’t hit the occasional wave of seasickness.”You just deal with it,” Pepper said. “My first time was actually anti-climactic.”She said she woke up in the middle of the night, felt nauseated, leaned over then vomited. Then back to bed for her.The crew has become accustomed to their routine, waking up around 7 a.m., a quick breakfast in the galley, then the lengthy list of chores that comes with living on a ship. Tasks need to be completed, from oiling the blocks to cetol-ing– or varnishing the wood to keep water out.”Everything’s always breaking, so everything always needs fixing,” Pepper said.
Recommended Reading：Cheap china tour package | Silk road tours | Uyghur culture
Tagged: Tour luty 28, 2012
Huang Hao, a customer of Uniqlo, was happy that the Japanese clothing warehouse will again accept clothing donations from consumers and take them to a charity. But she is having second thoughts.”Only the newest looking clothes will be taken, but the ones we’ll donate may not be in such good condition,” said Huang, a 32-year-old Shanghai resident.Starting on March 1, consumers can take used garments from the brand to one of its 30 outlets in the city. The company will then donate almost-new items to the Shanghai Charity Materials Management Center.The center is affiliated with the government-funded Shanghai Charity Foundation.
The clothes will be sent to Yunnan, the province in Southwest China designated to receive aid from Shanghai, company officials said on Thursday.”We hope the recycling and reuse will help consumers to maximize the value of their secondhand clothes and lend a helping hand to people in need,” said Dong Chunfang, a marketing officer of the Uniqlo brand of Fast Retailing Co.It’s not easy to find places to donate secondhand clothes. Liang Qiong, a 36-year-old Shanghai resident, said she began donating directly to a girl in Gansu province after her daughter’s used clothes were declined several times by organizations.
“It’s a pity to throw away old clothes, but many charity institutions won’t take them,” Liang said.Shanghai municipal government established more than 300 community donation offices in 2004. Jin Yimin, deputy director of an office in Putuo district, said they do not reject old clothes in the presence of donors – so as not to undermine their enthusiasm – but will discard them later.”Once, an elderly woman in a plain dress came to donate her clothes, which had been patched. We appreciate her cordiality, but we also have to take into consideration of the interests of people receiving the clothes.”Charitable organizations face problems receiving used clothes.
Recommended Reading：Accessories|Clothing
Tagged: Secondhand clothes luty 27, 2012
Designers Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Matthew Williamson led the fashion pack on the catwalks in London late on Sunday, mixing the baggy and bright with muted colours and tailored elegance for the feminine form.The grande dame of eclectic British fashion, Westwood showcased tribal print designs of bright oranges, military camouflage greens and yellows. Models adorned with tattoos and dressed in baggy jodphur-like trousers strutted on a long looping catwalk at day three of London Fashion Week.”The Red Label collection I’ve been doing the longest, and all my collections but especially this one, are always very British. You have got these really fantastic clothes that are really very flattering and also very lively because it’s got all this influence from other places,” Westwood told Reuters.
Smith showcased a subtle collection of sharp tailored pieces in muted violet, forest green and teal colours, that mixed tweed and woollen jackets with soft velvet trousers and colour-panelled cashmere sweaters.”I wanted to do things I felt very comfortable with. And what I feel comfortable with and what a lot of people know me for is my tailoring and without being swell-headed, that’s what I feel I’m good at,” the designer told Reuters.”It’s very much about tailored garments but also giving them a femininity, so adding shape to the waist, respecting the female form.”
“I’ve never really been brave enough to show (femininity) in a show before, I always felt I wanted to stick more with my typical androgynous look. But I pushed it more this time and so far it seemed like it worked”.Luxury accessories label Mulberry attracted US Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, actresses Michelle Williams and Elizabeth Olsen and American socialite Olivia Palermo to a show inspired by Maurice Sendak’s book “Where The Wild Thing Are”.Giant furry jackets, dogs on the catwalk and brightly coloured handbags accompanied the announcement of its latest signature handbag: the Del Ray, inspired by singer Lana Del Ray, who was on hand.
Recommended reading：accessories | clothing
Tagged: signature handbag luty 23, 2012
Berlin’s Babylon Theater is currently screening Iranian movies in a program entitled Controversial Iranian Cinema.The films are being shown with German subtitles in the event, which began on February 19 and runs until February 22.The social drama “So Close, So Far” (2004) by Reza Mir Karimi alongside with three historical movies “The Maritime Silk Road” (2010) by Mohammadr Bozorgnia, “The Kingdom of Solomon” (2008) and “The Saint Mary” (2000) by Shahriar Bahrani, a social drama, and three historical films.The Iranian cinema can look back on 100 years of tradition and has produced many talented directors, writers and actors who have been celebrated internationally and are renowned for their unique style.
A discussion panel is held following each film screening which is attended by guests of honor from Iran including actors Ali Nasirian, Bahram Radan, Amin Zendegani, director Shahriar Bahrani and actresses Shabnam Qolikhani and Elham Hamidi.The Babylon website described Controversial Iranian Cinema as a phenomenon which “set upon itself the task of cultural exchange between East and West by means of art with the aim of promoting and strengthening relations between the cultures”.Iran Cinema Organization Director Javad Shamaqdari, Farabi Cinema Foundation’s officials Amir Esfandiari and Hassan Najjarian are also among the guests of honor at the event.
“The Iranian cinema is known as the cinema of morality and nobility after the Islamic Revolution, and the films gained over 3000 awards in international festivals,” Najjarian mentioned.Amnesty and the Irish Falun Dafa Association, which staged a small protest outside Dublin Castle, have put pressure on the Government to tackle Mr Xi over China’s human rights records.He is widely expected to succeed president Hu Jintao, who must retire as head of the Communist Party later this year and from the presidency in 2013. The Irish Anti-war Movement also criticised the Government for being willing to do business with unsavoury regimes without a hint of criticism.
Recommended reading：accessories | clothing
luty 22, 2012
You can keep your jacket, belt and shoes on through airport security. You just need to fly a lot, or pay for the privilege.The Transportation Security Administration last week announced plans to vastly expand a new passenger screening program that speeds up check-in at airports. It’s the TSA’s first major move toward a security plan that gives a break to passengers that are considered less of a threat.The program is already in the test phase at seven airports, and will be expanded to 35 by the end of the year. Travelers chosen for the expedited screening get to keep their shoes on, as well as leave liquids and laptops in their bags.
The catch? It’s only available to select frequent fliers, or those who qualify for special screening plans, which cost up to $100.The first thing you need to know is that every airline isn’t eligible — at least not right away.Right now, only high-level frequent fliers at Delta and American Airlines can be invited to join the program. The TSA won’t say what level status a frequent flier must have in order to be eligible, citing security concerns. The airlines are inviting qualified fliers directly — but if you only fly for holidays or the occasional vacation, don’t wait by your inbox.
Fliers with top-tier status on US Airways, United and Alaska are also getting invites. But the option for those fliers won’t start until later this year.There’s a backdoor way to get on the list of chosen ones. Members of Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted Traveler programs Global Entry, Sentri and Nexus who are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply at www.globalentry.gov. The downside is, they’re not free. Prices range from $42 to $100 for a five-year membership. While the programs are intended for frequent international travelers, they provide the same ability to speed through security anywhere you fly.
Recommended reading：accessories | clothing
luty 20, 2012
Previous Posts