Check Out Cool Places In The Big Apple By Bicycle

August 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment

New York is a wonderful city to explore by bike. According to city officials, there are now almost 1,200 miles of bike-friendly streets, including 25 miles of protected lanes with more bike routes to come. Not to mention the numerous dedicated bike trails and bike tours to be found downtown.

Whether you live in New York and are looking for exercise or are visiting the Big Apple and want to experience the city in a unique way, here are some of the coolest and most scenic places to have as a backdrop as you peddle your way through the five boroughs and perhaps even beyond.

Cool places to ride in New York

One great thing about the Big Apple is there are trails designed for all comfort levels. Skilled cyclists who are at ease navigating mid-town during rush hour can always ride alongside traffic, but many people might be more comfortable checking out one of the city’s numerous bike paths. Here are some good trail options.

  • Ocean Parkway Bike Path (5.5 miles) – Built-in 1894, this path is the oldest dedicated bike path in the United States. Cruise through Brooklyn neighborhoods on a comfortable, flat surface until you reach the stunning views at the beach.
  • Highbridge Park Mountain Bike Trail – This 3-mile path is a little more rugged than others, offering cyclists a challenge. With a difficulty rating of 25 percent beginner, 25 percent intermediate, and 50 percent expert, cyclists can view the rocky cliffs above Harlem River Drive and challenge themselves to complete the course. Great for bikers looking for a workout.
  • Central Park Loop – Central Park offers three different bike paths for visitors, each offering scenic views and comfortable cycling. See beautiful greenery, water, and statues along the way. The Full Loop is 6.1 miles, but there are also 5.2-mile and 1.7-mile options. Cyclists looking for a varied route can also choose to cross through Central Park at different locations.
  • Governor’s Island – Cyclists looking to get away from the congestion of NYC streets can find tranquility along the 7 miles of car-free biking on Governor’s Island with beautiful views. Hop the ferry to the island and enjoy a few hours—or a full day.
  • Bridges – New York has several bike-friendly bridges. Check out the Manhattan, Queensboro, Williamsburg, and Brooklyn bridges if you’re looking for this type of cruise.

Taking a leisurely ride along any one of the dedicated bike paths in NYC is not only relaxing but offers peace of mind. There are far fewer worries about being involved in a bike accident.

How to find bike trails

If you’re looking for other biking options, there are tons of places to ride in New York. To identify new bike trails in the area you live or plan to spend some time during your visit, check out the following good resources.

  • NYC Bike Maps – Find where trails are in each of the city’s boroughs, view maps, and much more.
  • LaneSpotter – An app designed for iOS that shares maps, shows safe biking options, biker ratings, and alerts in New York City.
  • TrailLink – This website is run by a non-profit. Through its tools, bikers can identify where trails are, share photos, or rate trails.
  • CitiBike – This app highlights bike lanes located in all five city boroughs, along with Jersey City.

One great thing about apps and websites, it takes the guesswork out of trying to find the best and most enjoyable places to ride. Fortunately, through the power of technology, you don’t have to struggle to find safe biking options in New York City. These websites and apps, along with others offering similar services, enable you to find exactly what you need.

Bike shops and rentals

Visiting the city and want to take a ride? Or maybe you’re a native New Yorker considering taking up cycling and want to rent a bike to check it out or purchase one? Either way, there are many bike shops and rentals located throughout New York. Rental options include Cloud of Goods, TogaBikes, and Bike Rental Central Park, to name a few. Want to find a bike shop?

Safety tips while riding

Before getting on a bike with the intention of cruising through New York City, you should know it’s not the same as riding in less-congested regions. Riding a bicycle in New York City can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. According to statistics, in 2017 there were 4,397 cyclist injuries and 24 cyclist fatalities citywide. Be sure to always follow best safety practices for cycling.

  • Do a pre-ride inspection of your bike.
  • Stay on marked bike paths and/or designated bike lanes.
  • Follow all traffic rules – never drive on sidewalks.
  • Always wear a helmet when you ride.
  • Obey all traffic signals – bikers are held accountable to these.
  • Yield to pedestrians at all times.
  • Ride with traffic, not against oncoming cars.
  • Be sure your bike is equipped with a bell (or horn) and reflectors.
  • Stay off phones when driving, avoid wearing earbuds.
  • Master using hand signals.

Remember, cyclists in New York City are subjected to the same rules and regulations are motor vehicles. Be sure to always obey local laws when riding in the Big Apple or anywhere else. Additionally, you are allowed to bring your bike on the subway if you need to travel to get to your desired trail. However, be mindful of other passengers and, if you can, avoid doing this during rush hour.

Enjoying New York City by bicycle is both healthy and fun! Whether you’re looking to break the monotony and get out into the fresh air or you’re a visitor wanting to tour as many landmarks as you can in a weekend, a bike is a perfect way to get the job done.

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HOW TO CHOOSE A GPS FOR HIKING AND TREKKING

August 14, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Hiking is an exciting outdoor activity, full of unknown adventure experience. However, it is the first priority to keep hikers safe in the wild. An outdoor GPS tracking device will share real-time location of each hiker even when there’s no cellular service. 

Let’s see what we need to know to choose the GPS that best suits our hiking and trekking trips. The first thing is to see the characteristics that make a GPS more complete or better adapted for use in trekking and hiking (these may vary for other types of activities like mountain bike, mountain races, etc.).

The main features to consider when analyzing the devices are (they are not placed in order of importance):

  • Screen and manageability
  • Weight and size
  • Type of batteries
  • Memory
  • Construction, materials and protection of the device
  • Digital compass and barometric altimeter
  • Additional characteristics
  • Software and maps for the device
  • Usability with free software

 SCREEN AND MANAGEABILITY

As for its manageability, all the devices can be divided into two large blocks, the touch screen and the keypad. The general trend is towards touch equipment, as with other devices such as smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc.

In general, touch screen devices are handled more easily and faster. Its main drawback is its use with gloves. At this point we have followers and detractors of both devices equally and it is a bit of a personal choice. If our routes are mainly in cold, snow, etc. environments, being able to use the device without removing gloves is a very important option. Similarly, it is possible to use special gloves or special pencils for touch screens. As a rule, I opt for touch screens. The screen should have a good resolution and a size of at least 2 inches.

WEIGHT AND SIZE

As it happens when evaluating any object that is part of the equipment that we will carry during our routes, something to take into account is the weight that we are going to have to carry and the volume that is going to occupy us in our backpack. This weight must include the use batteries and replacement batteries. 

 

TYPE OF BATTERIES

Ideally, the equipment should use standard type interchangeable batteries. It is not at all recommended that they carry built-in batteries that we cannot exchange for a replacement. Likewise, the fact that the device can work with conventional AA batteries is always desirable, since this type of batteries can be found virtually anywhere. The equipment should last at least 10-12 hours running on the same batteries.

MEMORY

On the one hand there is the internal memory of the device and on the other the possibilities of using additional external cards (very similar to what happens with smart phones). The teams also have a maximum number of waypoints (points), routes and track (itinerary recordings) that we can store.

On the memory in electronic devices in general, it can be summarized in a simple way with the following premise: against more, the better. Against more storage capacity more maps we can carry and more routes and track we can archive. In today’s equipment we must look for at least a storage capacity of 100 routes and 1000 waypoints. Of course everyone has to have the possibility of using external memory cards, which will be where we will store the maps (to get an idea, digital cartographic maps of areas such as the Iberian Peninsula can occupy about 3GB).

CONSTRUCTION, MATERIALS AND PROTECTION OF THE DEVICE

The GPS for trekking and routes, are for use outdoors and this implies that they must have a robust construction and be designed to withstand falls, humidity, dust, snow, etc. In electronic devices, in general, there is a nomenclature to measure the degree of protection they offer to dust and moisture, which is called IP protection. In our GPS this should not be less than IPX7, which is equivalent to supporting, without any filtration, the full immersion at 1 meter depth for 30 minutes. GoFindMe GPS Tracker is one of the tracking devices that can reach the requirement of IPX7.

DIGITAL COMPASS AND BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER

The GPS get their information through a set of satellites, and from this information they derive the position both longitudinally and height. In order to improve the ability of these devices to display correct address information while we are detained, even when the device is not completely leveled, a three-axis electronic compass is added. On the other hand, to improve accuracy when displaying altitude, a barometric altimeter is added to predict changes over time. I think these two sensors are essential in a mountain GPS.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Within these characteristics we have the communication options. On the one hand they allow us to connect to other GPS or smart phones and on the other there are the connection options of ANT + auxiliary devices, which allow us to connect for example a heart rate monitor or a thermometer.

Other additions, such as a digital photo camera, I think are not necessary at all and I see more problems than virtues.

SOFTWARE AND MAPS FOR THE DEVICE

The maps that we can use with our GPS are of course a very important point to consider when choosing a device. Not all maps are compatible with all devices, nor do they all have the same quality. On the other hand it is also highly recommended to have software to load on our computer that allows us to communicate with the GPS to transfer the information of the routes, download the tracks, create routes, edit them, upload the maps of the areas, etc.

USABILITY WITH FREE SOFTWARE

We can use commercial proprietary software (usually the applications that come with GPS, or that can be purchased separately), as well as closed maps. On the other hand, it is highly recommended that GPS allows the use of cartography from other sources, such as that derived from OpenStreetMap, which is generated by the IGNs of the different countries, etc.

Now you should know how to choose a good GPS tracking device for hiking and trekking.  Take the GPS tracker that suit you best, and have a happy and safe hiking trip.

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Tickets for the New Season at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse On Sale Monday, August 19

August 13, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Michael Stotts-Managing Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, is proud to announce that tickets for individual shows for the 2019-2020 season will be available to the public on Monday, August 19, 2019. Season subscriptions are on sale now and subscribers can already purchase additional show tickets.  Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.papermill.org.  With three premieres and a total of five musicals, Paper Mill continues to fulfill its mission to enrich, entertain, and inspire audiences and students as the nation’s premier musical theater. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2019-2020 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank. Paper Mill Playhouse education and outreach programs are proudly sponsored by The Goren Family & the Harmony Helper app.

Paper Mill Playhouse will open its 2019-2020 season with a highly anticipated new musical about one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons. Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz (September 26-October 27)  is the story of how five-year-old Frances Gumm became Judy Garland, chronicling her early career from vaudeville to her rise at MGM, where she wins the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Next, a dash of fairytale romance, magical onstage transformations, and of course, glass slippers in this family musical just in time for the holidays, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (November 20-December 29). This enchanting, Tony-nominated Broadway adaptation of the beloved musical will put a spell on audiences of all ages. Next winter, Paper Mill Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (January 30-March 1), about the remarkable life and celebrated work of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Unmasked will feature new material and rediscovered gems, along with the history of their creation intertwined with Andrew’s extraordinary personal story. In the spring, Paper Mill Playhouse welcomes back our good friend and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken with his Tony-nominated musical Sister Act (April 1-April 26). Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical follows Deloris Van Cartier as she goes into hiding in a convent—where she clashes, hilariously, with cloistered life. Deloris inspires the sisters with her soulful style, but the church choir’s newfound fame attracts some unwanted attention. Paper Mill Playhouse closes its 81stseason with the world-premiere musical The Wanderer  (May 28-June 28), the story of  Dion DiMucci and how he skyrocketed to fame as a teenage heartthrob in the 1950s and early ’60s with hits like “Runaround Sue,” “Teenager in Love,” and “I Wonder Why.” Now, his extraordinary journey comes to the stage in a moving and intimate new musical.

“Paper Mill Playhouse is thrilled to produce two world premieres and a New Jersey premiere as part of our all-musical lineup,” commented Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director of the Millburn theater. “Producing new works is central to our vision of becoming recognized as one of the most important incubators of new musical projects. We’re opening our doors to collaborate with and host the top talents of musical theater, both established artists like Andrew Lloyd Webber and up-and-coming playwrights and composers.

“Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2019-2020 season is one of the most exciting lineups in our theater’s history,” said Managing Director Michael Stotts, “and that’s thanks in large part to the support of our loyal subscribers, who take this journey with us every year. We hope even more people will join us next season and enjoy such benefits as access to the best seats in the house, at the best prices, before we sell out. With the support of our subscribers and donors, Paper Mill Playhouse can continue to be a leader in creating and producing world class musical theater.”

“Paper Mill Playhouse delivers high-quality, engaging performances to broad audiences. By making good theater accessible, Paper Mill enriches our local communities,” said Investors Bank Chairman and CEO Kevin Cummings. “But most importantly, it provides unique educational opportunities to more than 40,000 students each year and continues to offer invaluable experiences that would not otherwise be available to them.  Arts education is key to the development of our children and young adults.”

Paper Mill Playhouse will produce eight performances a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Three, four and five-show subscription packages are available now starting at just $111. Each subscription package includes a different level of special benefits (see www.PaperMill.org for details). Youth subscriptions are available for children ages 4-18 with the purchase of an adult subscription with accessible discount pricing. Single tickets will go on sale on August 19 starting at just $35. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org.  Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted.  Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Titles, casting and dates subject to change.

 

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2019-2020 SEASON

 

CHASING RAINBOWS: The Road to Oz 

September 26–October 27

Book by Marc Acito

Music Adapted by & Additional Music by David Libby

Conceived by & Additional Lyrics by Tina Marie Casamento

Directed & Choreographed by Denis Jones

Major Sponsor: Bank of America

Before she burst onto the big screen as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland was a young vaudeville trouper named Frances Gumm. In this highly anticipated new musical chronicling Garland’s early career from vaudeville baby to MGM teen star in the making, the road to Oz is paved with adversity. At its heart a story of love between a father and daughter, featuring such legendary songs as “Over the Rainbow,” “You Made Me Love You,” and “Everybody Sing,” Chasing Rainbows is a poignant coming-of-age tale about “the little girl with the big voice,” who went on to become one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons. The show has already earned praise from Liza Minnelli, who said, “My mother said that her biography is in her music, and now a talented creative team is using that music to tell the story of her early years and her extraordinary rise to fame.”

 

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA

November 20–December 29

Music by Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

New Book by Douglas Carter Beane

Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II

Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter

Directed by Mark S. Hoebee

Major Sponsor: The Goren Family and the Harmony Helper App

This enchanting, Tony-nominated Broadway adaptation of the beloved musical will put a spell on audiences of all ages. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella showcases some of the songwriting duo’s loveliest tunes, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” as well as some new characters and surprising twists. Add a dash of fairytale romance, magical onstage transformations, and the iconic pumpkin and glass slippers—and you’re guaranteed to have a ball!

UNMASKED: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

January 30–March 1

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Written with Richard Curtis

Directed by Laurence Connor

Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter

Major Sponsor: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

One of the most successful musical theater composers of all time takes audiences on a behind-the-scenes journey in Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Written with Richard Curtis and directed by Laurence Connor, Unmasked is a not-always-reverential look at Andrew’s life and musical career. You’ll hear his best-loved work, including classics from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard, in sometimes new and unexpected ways. This new production will also feature new material and rediscovered gems, along with the history of their creation intertwined with Andrew’s extraordinary personal story.

SISTER ACT

April 1–April 26

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Glenn Slater

Book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner

Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane

Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture Sister Act Written by Joseph Howard

Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical comedy smash sizzles with powerful music, spectacular dancing, and a story brimming with heart. The madcap plot is set in motion when disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and must go into hiding in a convent—where she clashes, hilariously, with cloistered life. Deloris inspires the sisters with her soulful style, but the church choir’s newfound fame attracts the attention of the bad guys. Featuring original music by Tony and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), the musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

THE WANDERER

May 28–June 28

Book by Charles Messina

Choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby

Directed by Kenneth Ferone

Signature Support: The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation

Dion. One name set the standard of cool for a generation. But how does a kid from the Bronx make it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? In The Wanderer, the incredible musical journey of a troubled young man turned teenage heartthrob (and, ultimately, rock and roll icon) is told in intimate and no-holds-barred detail. Dion’s music helped define a generation of rock and rollers. His lifelong battle with addiction shed a stark light on the darker side of fame and success. This musical takes both subjects head on, set to the iconic sound of an incomparable era in American music, and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. The Wanderer is the riveting true story of Dion, New York’s rebel king, the man Bruce Springsteen calls “the link between Frank Sinatra and rock and roll.”

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Paper Mill Playhouse offers its audience an opportunity to enhance their theater experience with behind-the-scenes views of mainstage productions.  Have you ever wanted to sneak a peek behind the curtain? Or wondered what the director was thinking, or how the cast prepares for a show? Join us for one of many revealing insider’s experiences.  Visit the Paper Mill Playhouse website at www.PaperMill.org for dates for our Director’s Viewpoint Series, Conversation Club Series, Q&As with the cast, and more.

Paper Mill Playhouse offers people with disabilities the opportunity to see live theater with dignity and independence through a myriad of award-winning access programs and services, including audio description and sensory seminars for the blind, Braille and large-print programs, American Sign Language interpretation for the deaf, open-captioning for those with hearing loss, and assistive listening devices. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse provides autism-friendly performances of both mainstage and children’s shows throughout the season. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella will feature an autism-friendly performance on Thursday, December 26, at 1:30pm.

Paper Mill Playhouse recently announced casting for its season opener Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Denis Jones, orchestrations by Larry Blank and David Libby with music direction byLawrence Yurman, the principal cast features Ruby Rakos (Billy Elliot) as Judy Garland/Frances Gumm, Tony Awardnominee Max Von Essen (An American in Paris, Paper Mill’s The Baker’s Wife) as Frank Gumm, Olivier Award-winner Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Dames at Sea) as Ethel Gumm, Karen Mason (Mamma Mia!, And the World Goes ‘Round) as Ma Lawlor/Kay Koverman, Stephen DeRosa (Into the Woods, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) as Louis B. Mayer, Michael Wartella(Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tuck Everlasting) as Mickey Rooney, and Colin Hanlon (ABC’s Modern Family, Paper Mill’s Benny & Joon) as Roger Edens.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Managing Director) and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is one of the country’s leading regional theaters.  Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

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All you Need to Know About Whale Watching

August 13, 2019 by Leave a Comment

There are many species of whales, and if you are lucky enough to live in New South Wales or Queensland, you have a unique opportunity to observe humpback whales in their natural habitat. Humpback whales spend a portion of the year feeding on the rich krill population in the cold waters of Antarctica, then around the months of May and June, they head north to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland.

Sydney – The Whale Watching Capital of the World

For whale enthusiasts, Sydney whale watching offers a unique opportunity to get close-up with humpback whales, and during the season (May to September) thousands of humpback whales pass through the section of ocean just off the coast of Sydney. If you are planning a holiday in Australia and are looking to spend some time in NSW or Queensland, you really should book a whale watching trip, which will be something you will never forget.

Humpback Whale Surface Behaviour

The humpback has an array of stunning activities that you can observe, including the following:

  • Breaching – The most spectacular of all the whale’s surface activities, breaching involves the whale powering itself directly out of the water, to come crashing back down again. We are not completely certain why whales breach; some experts think it is to remove parasites, while other believe it is a form of communication.

 

  • Tail Slapping – The whale points his tail directly up while out of the water, then it slaps the tail down forcefully on the water to create a loud noise. Experts think tail slapping is a warning to anything that comes too close, or it could be a form of communication, but either way, it makes for very interesting viewing when out on the boat. The skipper will get as close as is safety possible, in order to give you the very best view.

 

  • Spy Hop – The whale slowly raises his head out of the water, and the experts all agree that they do this to observe their surroundings. Spy hopping is usually followed by a lot of surface activity, so if you see a whale’s head popping out of the water, get ready for some picture taking.

There are other actions that whales might exhibit, and the skipper on the boat knows all about humpback whales and can enlighten you regarding their behaviour.

Booking a Whale Watching Trip

If you would like to experience a close encounter with humpback whales, a Google search will take you to the website of a specialist company that organises whale watching trips. The best times for this are between the months of May to November, but it is possible to see whales at other times of the year, although the chances are greatly reduced.

The number of humpback whales are in decline, and if you would like to see these amazing animals while you still can, book through an online charter company and prepare for what will be the experience of a lifetime.

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TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS Announces “You Make Today Better” Campaign in Honor of World Suicide Prevention Day

August 13, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Nonprofit To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) just launched its 8th annual campaign to honor World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) and National Suicide Prevention Week (September 8 – September 14). This year’s campaign centers around the message of: “You Make Today Better.“
According to the World Health Organization, 800,000 people die by suicide globally each year. That’s one person every 40 seconds. Additionally, the CDC recently reported that as of 2016, the suicide rate in the United States has risen 25% over the last 20 years.
TWLOHA Founder Jamie Tworkoswki shared: “World Suicide Prevention Day has become the most important day of the year for us. We love that this campaign gives people a way not only to support TWLOHA but also to have honest conversations about mental health. Above all, the goal is people getting help and lives being saved.“
People can participate in this year’s campaign by purchasing the organization’s World Suicide Prevention Day pack, joining the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using #YouMakeTodayBetter, #WSPD19, and by becoming a fundraiser or donating to the campaign. TWLOHA has set a goal to raise $150,000 to sponsor 3,000 counseling sessions, provide scholarships for higher levels of care, and to connect thousands of people to reduced-cost local mental health resources.
Since its start in 2006, TWLOHA has donated over $2.4 million directly into treatment, has responded to over 210,000 messagesfrom over 100 countries, and traveled more than 3.4 million miles to meet people face-to-face at nearly 3,000 events. Each month, they connect with 5 million people online through social media and their FIND HELP Tool fields 5,000 searches made by people seeking affordable, local mental health resources.
In addition to this year’s WSPD campaign, TWLOHA recently announced that they will be holding their annual HEAVY AND LIGHTevent on September 21st, 2019 at the House of Blues in Orlando, FL. The organization invites everyone to attend the show for what promises to be an inspiring evening of songs, conversation and hope, with performances from Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Anthony Raneri of Bayside, Dessa, SWIMM, spoken word poet Anis Mojgani, singer/songwriter Morgan Harper Nichols, and singer/songwriter Jamie Grace.
Tickets for HEAVY AND LIGHT are on sale now and available at https://livemu.sc/2ZcpptG. Bundles for the event, which include a ticket and an exclusive shirt, can also be purchased at http://bit.ly/2Y7aeFG.
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Reflect Your Love with Customized Photo Books

August 13, 2019 by Leave a Comment

If you want to express your love in a different way, then opt for giving unique gifts. Gifts such as customized photo books will make distinct and special gifts. These custom-made photo albums will let your spouse look back at those beautiful moments and cherish them forever.

You don’t have to look for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day or the wedding day to express your true love to someone special. Whenever you feel like surprising your spouse or soul mate, do not give them the same kind of gifts every time. Think of something new that will make your soul mate jump because of joy. In that case, giving customized photo books will be a great gifting idea.

Creating personalized photo albums is very easy. Just gather the photographs of you and your lover, consolidate them in the order you wish, and get help from any online photo printing store to create love photo books.

Here are some ideas through which you can make your photo book more special:

Relive the Special Moments

Organizing the photos of you and your special someone is not an easy task. However, with customized love photo albums, you can organize these special photos more creatively. You can use pictures from special events and celebrations. Family holidays, romantic vacations, and once in a lifetime adventures are all the moments that we enjoy talking about and looking back at. So why not make use of them to create a personalized photo book design. Besides, customized photo books make a great keepsake, which will let your spouse relive those special moments.

Reflect your Thoughts

Instead of giving beautiful greeting cards that have the words of someone else, give a photo book that is personalized with your thoughts. This way, you can reflect your heart and the things you always wanted to share with your love. You can progress through the pages of the photo book by telling your love-life story and adding pictures that portray the several years you have spent together.

A Way to Propose

One best way to impress your special someone right on the day of your love proposal is by giving personalized photo albums. With the beautiful collection of photos, you can voice out your thoughts in the form of words beneath each photo.

Likes and Interests

After creating customized love photo albums, add some spice to them by writing your partner’s likes and interests. This will let your partner realize how much you have understood and valued them.

Photos of the wedding

Wedding is another occasion that comes once in a lifetime. Hence most of us want to cherish the happy memories by taking photographs. From the photos of the handsome groom and the lovely bride to the pictures of all the family members who come to give their blessing, you want to capture all that in your photo book. Hence a customized photo book with pictures of the newlyweds is an ideal gift for your spouse.

With these ideas, you can make your customized photo books really special. To create one, get help from Mixbook. They have so many themes like Sprinkled with Love, Marbling Love, My Sweet Love, and Love Birds to choose from. Customize your love photo book and make your partner relive those fond memories.

 

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Useful innovations in the office, stimulating the work of employees

August 12, 2019 by Leave a Comment
  • How innovations affect the organization of staff work?
  • What types of innovations can be in offices? 
  • How large companies implement innovations in office space?

 

John Seely Brown, Co-Chairman of the Deloitte Center and former chief scientist at Xerox, says that innovative companies have three characteristics: visionary leadership, organizational commitment to breakthrough thinking and a place that supports the work of innovation.

 

In this article, we answer the question: “Is it worth investing in innovation for the office?” And we also give examples of possible innovations in the office space. 

 

Innovation for the office: what is it? 

 

Innovation is an invention created by human intellectual activity. The main task of innovation is to ensure qualitative growth of efficiency, leading to an increase in profits. Any innovation, including the office one, gives a qualitative change of working processes, allows to increase efficiency, to receive the result of high quality, to raise the prestige of the company. 

 

The use of innovations in the organization of office space gives a few more advantages: 

 

  • Ergonomic, stylish and attractive space. 
  • Preservation of employees’ health. 
  • Increasing the number of new breakthrough ideas. 

 

Let’s consider in more detail and on examples, what innovations in the office are and how large companies introduced innovations for their offices. 

 

Open space 

 

One of the first innovations for the office, which were introduced in many large companies, were large free spaces where employees are accommodated and where the workflow becomes fully open. This approach allows employees to communicate openly with each other, to offer ideas, to listen to each employee, regardless of his or her level. An idea can come from above and below. 

 

Google is a great example of such a free workflow. Their huge New York office is more like an entertainment center. Instead of strict offices – game rooms, various kitchenettes with snacks and healthy food. 

 

Innovations for privacy in the office 

 

The workflow, organized in large open spaces, as a way of fast communication, openness and teamwork have yielded good results, today it is used in almost all large companies. But in the pursuit of corporate dreams, one should not forget about personal space. Having personal space, the employee feels calm and confident. 

 

Innovations have also reached the way of organizing an individual workplace. What new technologies offer here and what results can be achieved with their adoption? Let’s take a look at specific examples. 

 

Office partitions with a controller 

 

The easiest way to keep employees away from each other, thus creating an important and necessary personal space, is to put up a desktop partition. What is innovative about it? It’s simple – a partition with adjustable transparency. If you need to focus on solving a problem, make a blank partition. If you need to solve a problem with a colleague quickly and calmly – increase transparency and establish visual contact without getting out of the workplace. 

 

Office in the office 

 

This technology allows you to create separate offices within the workspace. It is convenient and quick to install fabric-covered partition system including sohomod reception desks with acoustic and noise insulation properties. Such a system can be used to organize a separate office, kitchen area, conference room or any other room. 

 

Telephone boxes 

 

Another innovative development is the telephone box in the office. Here you can be alone for negotiations and still stay in the office space. This technological solution has everything for comfortable negotiations: Internet access, ventilation, and air conditioning, electricity. And complete noise insulation does not distract colleagues from the work processes. 

 

Such booths are installed in the offices of many large companies: Google, the Dublin office of Airbnb and many others. 

 

Hut designs 

 

The hut is another way to create a secluded space. The lightweight, mobile design allows for the design of a room for any purpose. This cabin will be a great place to take a break from work and reboot. For more convenience, small sofas or comfortable sack chairs can be placed inside. If desired, you can put a table and an armchair, having equipped the house with another workstation. And you can put a coffee machine and brainstorm over a coffee break in a small secluded space. 

 

Twitter’s headquarters use 100-year-old huts of the Wild West for lunch breaks. The log huts fit perfectly into the San Francisco office interior and create a pleasant atmosphere. 

 

Art innovations for the office 

 

If you want to attract the best people to your team, think about how to make your office attractive. This can be influenced not only by the convenience of the latest models of equipment but also by the design of the premises. When you come to the offices of Facebook, Selgas Cano, Google, Inventionland Design Factory, Nokia, you want to stay here. Working in such conditions becomes a dream for someone. 

 

Creative office design becomes a dream for a professional whose skills and knowledge will bring millions of dollars in profits. Implementation of such office innovations can be started from the simplest point of view – the use of wall panels with original design and various functionalities. For example, some panels can be used to make important notes. “Bright, stylish, functional” is the motto of office space art innovation. If an employee uses GoBag, an innovative bag to move office stuff, he or she will have everything he or she needs to get started immediately. And Primo telescopic armchairs will make it possible to turn a lounge into a conference room at any time. 

 

The walls of one of the most creative offices “Yandex” in St. Petersburg are painted with formulas, which every SEO-supporter dreams of getting. 

 

Conclusion 

 

Innovation in an office is an inevitable change that will come to any workflow sooner or later. The 21st century is a century of human resources, thoughts, and ideas, so to make the most of it, we need to create a comfortable working environment, actively using new innovative solutions.

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Traveling requirements in the Schengen Area for UK citizens after Brexit:

August 9, 2019 by Leave a Comment

brexit

What does Brexit mean?

As the word defines itself, Brexit is a combination of two words “British” and “Exit.” Brexit is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU. The decision was made by the UK on June 23, 2016, to leave the EU.

As you know that the EU has agreed to grant the UK citizens for Visa-free travel to the Schengen Area. So now the question arises that how you can apply for traveling to the Schengen Area if you are a UK citizen?

Although it is allowed for the UK Nationals to travel to the Schengen Area without a Visa, the traveling limit is set to 90 days for Britons.

What are the document requirements?

You should have a passport or Travel document. Please make sure:

  1. Your passport must be issued in the last ten years,
  2. Your passport should have blank pages for Visa stamp and one more spare page.
  3. Your passport ought to be legitimate for at any rate three (3) months after the date you leave the Schengen Area.

 

Full Requirements:

  • A legitimate UK residence permit or different types of Identity Card. The UK residency permit must be supported in the genuine passport (or on another biometric ID card) 
  • One application structure rounded out totally and marked by the candidate. You can likewise apply using outsider sites like this one here. You need to pay an additional expense for their administrations. However, they will also assist you with Appointment booking, Documents checking, Visa application just as with Visa and Passport gathering. For more data, if it’s not too much trouble, click here! 
  • One photograph, which must be stuck on the application structure. Applications with stapled photos will be rejected. The picture should likewise agree to the next photograph necessities and particulars 
  • An introductory letter is clarifying the motivation behind the visit to the Schengen area.
  • Evidence of movement courses of action: Round outing flight/travel reservations or other confirmation of proposed transport and complete agenda (if a few Schengen States will be visited or if the outing covers a few Schengen States and non-Schengen nations). 
  • Travel Insurance expressing that you are shrouded if there should be an occurrence of a restorative crisis and repatriation in the Schengen Area (least inclusion of € 30.000). 
  • Inn reservations or verification of cooperation in gathering travel. 
  • An ongoing explanation of UK current record or traveler’s checks indicating assets of at least £55 per individual every day spent in the Schengen area. Photocopies of the first archives likewise to be submitted. Records ought not to be over one month old. Discover more data about sealing money related adequacy when applying for a Schengen visa.

 

Which Schengen Country’s Embassy you should apply?

Contingent upon your purpose and additionally the length of visit – some details further explain at which Embassy or Consulate inside the UK you ought to apply. 

 

❖   On the off chance, that meeting one Schengen nation – you should apply at the Embassy or Consulate speaking to the specific country of your goal. 

❖   On the off chance, that meeting more than one Schengen nation – you should apply at the Embassy or Consulate speaking to the nation of your principle goal (the country of most prolonged remain). 

❖   If meeting more than one Schengen country with equivalent stay length – you should apply at the Embassy or Consulate speaking to the Schengen nation you will enter first. 

❖   If you mean to remain in the Schengen area for more than 90 days you should apply for a residence permit (Long-stay visa), not a Schengen visa. Directions are on the particular embassy/department’s landing page.

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