#Bristol Lucian

[silvstory]

The Stupendous Silver Striker: Issue One, Part One

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As the final bell's impending ring echoed through the bustling hallways of Robert Goddard High School, Gary Hammerschmidt deftly maneuvered through the swarm of students. He weaved through the crowded corridors, skillfully dodging classmates, lockers, and even a particularly aggressive dodgeball that whizzed past his ear.

“Sorry!” Gary cried out, narrowly avoiding a collision with a pair of students who materialized from his blind spot. He bobbed and weaved with a mix of agility and grace.

Ordinarily, Gary wouldn't be in such a hurry. He didn't usually have any pressing extracurriculars to rush to, but today was an exception.

Having received a slew of new additions for his ever-expanding model city as a reward for acing his latest test, Gary couldn't contain his excitement. The thought of returning home and immersing himself in his miniature world sent a surge of joy through his veins.

As he approached the double doors that led to his freedom, Bristol Lucian, his best friend, caught up with him.

“Hey, Gary!” Bristol grinned, sidling up beside him and nudging the doors open, gesturing for Gary to pass through first. “Got any plans for this afternoon? I'm building a new PC and could really use your help.”

Gary reciprocated Bristol's smile, adjusting his backpack onto one shoulder as he slowed his pace. He could momentarily suppress his excitement to converse with his friend.

"Sorry, Dude," Gary said apologetically. "I've got my own project to dive into."

"Oh! Right, more additions for your little city!" Bristol realized, a spark of understanding brightening his eyes. "How about tomorrow, then?"

Gary pondered for a moment. He had already committed to his model for the rest of the day, and the same applied to tomorrow. But it had been a week since he had spent quality time with Bristol, and a pang of guilt tugged at his heart. After all, as his mom often said, people come first.

"Sure! I'd love to. I'll swing by tomorrow after dropping off my stuff."

"Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow!"

With that, Bristol turned and headed for the sidewalk. Gary wished he could walk with him, but they lived on opposite sides of the city, so their paths diverged.

His walk home was blissfully uneventful, and Gary was able to slip into his imagination and begin to pre-plan what he’d do next.

I should probably add a couple more townhouses in the residential district, He thought, kicking a rock along in front of him as he made his way down the sidewalk, There just aren’t enough of them.

Gary‘s “fatal flaw“, as his dad called it, was that he just didn’t know when to quit. Currently, he had a perfectly good city, it was large, imposing, and it was filled with all sorts of wonderful miniature architecture, but there were no minute details. Gary was often so busy adding more and more buildings, that he neglected to add any figures at all.  So, the city got bigger and bigger, but there were no residents or streetlights to fill it. Gary had asked for figures, but the thing was, they might never be used.

A short time later, Gary turned a corner and found himself on his street. He jogged the last few paces and then up the stairs to the front stoop where he paused to search for his keys before jamming them in the lock and letting himself into the house.

”Afternoon, kiddo!” Derek Hammershmidt called from the kitchen as soon as Gary entered the parlor. Gary could  almost swear that his dad had a sort of sixth sense that was only useful for knowing when people were entering the house.

”Hey, Dad,” Gary returned the greeting, swinging his backpack off of his shoulder and letting it drop to the floor next to the pile of shoes that waited patiently beside the front door. Kicking off his own shoes, he wandered into the kitchen, “Lunch break?”

Gary’s dad nodded and held up a half-empty plate of pork chop leftovers,

”Yup. I take ‘em when I can, my last meeting was two hours long,” He grunted. Gary’s dad worked from home, so he was almost always around when Gary got home. Usually, he’d just come downstairs a few minutes after Gary came through the door, but sometimes he happened to be downstairs on a break.

”They’re working you to death,” Gary smirked, grabbing a can of soda from the refrigerator, “Also, you do know that Mom went to the store yesterday, right?” He pointed out, with another grin, “You don’t have to eat last night‘s leftovers.”

"And waste the rest of your mother's splendid cooking? I think not. I am the Leftover King!"

Gary rolled his eyes in a lighthearted display of feigned annoyance. Truthfully, he found his father's quirks rather endearing, but playing the part of the generic teenager was all part of the fun.

"Speaking of Mom, where is she, anyway?" Gary inquired, glancing out of the kitchen window. It seemed that Ruby Hammershmidt wasn't in the garden, her usual afternoon haunt.

"She's off picking up something she bought. A side table or something," Derek shrugged. "She should be back in about half an hour. Left a little while ago."

Gary nodded in understanding. His mom was usually off buying and selling antiques and stuff like that while Gary was at school. It was a hobby of hers that Gary took an interest in. Sometimes, when a piece needed to be fixed or refurbished, Gary would help out with some of the materials he had squirreled away in the attic. It was often good mother-son bonding time.

Gary then took a couple more sips of his soda, decided that he really wanted to get to work, drained the rest of his soda, and tossed the can in the trash. He then turned and made for the stairs, but his dad stopped him.

”Woah, woah, Rocketeer, where’re you headed?”

“My room. I want to get to work on my city,” Gary explained, halfway turning to face him, “I’ve been waiting all day, Dad.”

Gary‘s dad raised an eyebrow but said nothing else. He then shrugged,

”Alright, go on, kiddo. Have fun with your city. Build me a nice big house with a pool, won’t you?” He joked, cracking a smile, “Just make sure to come downstairs for dinner and not get sucked into that little world of yours, righto?”

Gary nodded once, already turning back towards the stairs,

”Alright, yes sir!” And then he was off, running up the stairs towards his room.

Gary raced into his room like the man on a mission that he was, and he skidded to a stop at the door, his shoes slipping on the hardwood. He knew he was a bit over excited to get back to work on something that he’d been working on for nigh months now, but that was just how he was. He just had to grab a few things before he went up to the attic, where he kept the model city. Most of his models, like the Eiffel Tower and the White House, for example, had their own space on Gary’s shelves, but since the city was so massive, it was up in the attic, which was fine for Gary since that was also where his parents made him keep his hoard of bits-and-bobs for model-making..

Gary grabbed his travel-friendly model-making kit and went to the end of the hallway and pulled down the ladder for the attic. He pushed the kit up the ladder and onto the attic floor in front of him before he pulled himself up the ladder. He always found it hard to climb stairs or ladders with stuff in his hands. Gary had this weird thing about wanting to be able to see his feet when he was going up things.

The attic was dark and dusty, so Gary pulled the cord directly above him, turning on a single LED bulb and shedding the space in bright white light. He picked up his kit and made his way over to his model city, which he had covered with a sheet the night before to prevent it from somehow getting dirty or messed up.

Gary whipped off the sheet and then stood for a moment, admiring his handiwork.

”Now that is what I call a great place to live,” Gary said, doing an announcer impression with a grin of pride on his face, “Crime rate? Zero. Coolness rate? One hundred percent!”

He chuckled to himself and put down his burden, kneeling and opening the kit while spreading the different tools around so he could get a good look at them all and decide which one he was going to use.

Where did I put my tweezers? He wondered, sifting through the disorganized kit with his eyebrows knitted together, I could have sworn I put it back in here last night…?

Then, Gary remembered. He’d left his tweezers on the table in his bedroom because he’d brought them down to re-add a couple pieces to his White House, which had lost a pillar and a windowsill.

“Shoot,” He said aloud, looking at the trapdoor and thinking whether or not it was worth it to climb back down the ladder and back to his room, Well, while I’m up here I should add in a couple figures. It’s about time.

Gary stood and brushed himself off. He turned, went over to the corner where he kept the figures and other materials, and he opened one of the drawers he knew held the plastic trees and streetlights. He didn’t think his city was yet ready for a civilian population, but a couple trees, streetlights, and other fixtures wouldn’t hurt to add some atmosphere. He gathered the figures and deposited them in the only empty space in his city, the park. It would serve as a holding spot until he could disperse the items evenly among the many buildings. He observed the pile for a moment before frowning thoughtfully.

I’m missing something. I’ve got the regular city stuff, but the park’s going to be pretty empty save for some trees… yeah. Parks usually have gaudy statues and stuff, but I don’t know if I have any of those on hand, He swept his eyes around the attic before they landed on an old trunk that he recalled his dad once telling him belonged to his grandpa, Hey! Grandpa was an architect. Maybe he had some little models he used for planning or something?

Gary climbed over piles of boxes and maneuvered around random items that had been put up in the attic for storage until he reached the trunk. There wasn’t a lock on it, but as Gary sat down and tried to open it, he found that it was a lot harder to open than he expected as the latch was rusted a bit. Gritting his teeth, he pulled with all his might, and the trunk popped open with a slight cracking noise.

Inside, there wasn’t much to look at. It was mainly empty, save for a photo album, personal papers, a wedding ring, a small statuette of a broadsword, and then just a couple of random items that seemed to have no sort of connection to each other.

I guess Grandpa was a bit of a minimalist, Gary thought, reaching down into the chest and taking out the broadsword, This would work for the park, though. I can put it on a hill or something. If I add a little plaque or something on the base of it it‘ll look just like any old memorial.

Gary then put the statuette on the edge of a box behind him and he began to dig through the papers, curious to know if he could discover anything interesting about the grandfather that died before he was born. He leafed through them, skimming underneath headers that seemed like they’d contain interesting tidbits, but he stopped after the third or fourth paper. The long, vague life of Jason Hammerschmidt wasn’t all too interesting of a read.

Gary stood and turned around to grab the statuette, ready to return to his city and then grab his tweezers, when he knocked his knuckle against the statuette. Gary’s heart seemed to skip a beat as it wobbled on its base, but it didn’t fall.

Whew, that was close. I don’t want to break that of a things! Gary thought, grabbing the statuette in his hand and walking towards the narrow path he’d made between the towering stacks of boxes, Dad would probably kill me.

Gsry turned a corner, and his shoulder bumped against one of the box towers. Then, a couple of unfortunate things happened in very quick succession.

First, the statuette slipped out of Gary’s hand, and, faster than he could duck down to try to grab it, it shattered against the floor. Then, Gary felt a severely strong force rush against him, and his vision was obscured by what looked like silver mist as he fell backwards and hit his head on a box behind him.

Gary‘s vision blurred, and for a moment all he could think was that he really didn’t want to get a concussion or die alone in the attic from blunt force trauma. Everything then went black, but just as quickly, his vision cleared.

Gary sat up, rubbing the back of his head, not sure if he was sure of what had just happened. It seemed to have happened so fast that his brain had struggled to register it. He tried recounting it in his head, but it was still just as confusing.

Gary turned to look at the offending box, a purple plastic one with the label “Dad’s Pots”. He scowled as he stood back up. Now his head hurt and he’d just broken one of his Dad’s last remaining items of his father’s!

Gary supposed he could try to recover the pieces and glue them back together, but when he looked for where he dropped it, he couldn’t find a single trace of it.

Maybe it rolled between the boxes…? Gary thought, getting on his hands and knees and pushing boxes and other junk out of the way. This is just great! I broke and lost it in one fell swoop!

Gary spent well over an hour trying to find the statuette, but no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find even the slightest trace of it. He didn’t give up, even though he was feeling a little funky and his head hurt. He only halted his search when he heard his mom calling him down for dinner.

Gary sighed deeply before climbing down the ladder and closing the trap door. He decided not to tell his parents about the broken statuette until he found it. He wanted to make sure it was actually broken before he went and got himself in trouble for it, because while he’d heard the sound of it shattering, he actually hadn’t seen it, and he was hoping that the damage wasn’t as bad as the sound had implied.

Gary trudged his feet when he reached the kitchen, and he flopped into a chair. His dad raised an eyebrow when he saw him. Clearly, Gary’s dad was confused and maybe a bit concerned by the sudden demeanor change from how he’d been couple hours before.

”You okay, Gary?” Gary’s mom asked, ever vigilant to her son’s appearance as she set a plate of lasagna in front of him, “You look… ruffled.”

”I’m fine, mom,” Gary said, feigning nonchalance despite the fact that he was still feeling a little odd, “Though, I did fall and hit my head in the attic. I’m fine, now!” He added the last part on rather quickly as his mom‘s expression twisted into a frown, “It doesn’t hurt anymore or anything.”

Ruby Hammerschmidt was excellent at telling when her son or husband was lying, but she seemed to not be too worried about Gary this time, as she let it slide and dropped the topic.

Gary was grateful that she’d left him alone on that, as he really just wanted to finish his dinner and get to bed. A good night’s sleep would make him feel better, that he was certain. He practically inhaled his lasagna and then brought his empty plate to the dishwasher.

”Thanks Mama, that was delicious. Also, despire the fact that I’m feeling fine, I do feel a little tired, so you don’t mind if I go to bed early tonight?” Gary asked, trying his best not to rub the back of his head, where a small welt had formed.

Gary’s parents exchanged a look. Clearly, there would be further questioning now or in the morning depending on whether or not they wanted to talk about his behavior. Gary hoped it would be held off for the morning because he suddenly was feeling very drained.

”That’s fine,“ Gary’s mom said after a moment or two as she walked over and gave Gary a hug and a kiss on his forehead, “Sleep well, and make sure that you’ve got any and all of your homework finished.”

Thankfully, Gary thought, reciprocating the hug, I didn’t get any homework today.

Gary then hugged his dad around the neck and turned to go upstairs, not running this time like he had only a couple hours before.

In his room, Gary kicked off his shoes and put his glasses on the bedside table before flopping down on his bed. He had been intending on laying down for a moment before getting up to do his night time routine, but sleep hit him like a sack of bricks, and he was out like a light in mere minutes.

[helloalasdair]

Having my wisdom teeth removed, 10th May 2023

Bristol Dental Anaesthetic Clinic

Midazolam and local anaesthesia

Unusually for a review of something I did, a lot of the info here is second-hand.

Appointment at 12.45, light meal two hours beforehand. I had some toast and find it hard to deal with the fact that it might have been my last piece of toast for a while, and it wasn't very good.

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it in the slightest, I don't think I had a fun time while I was under, and one of my comfy shirts has blood on it now. However, I feel incredibly heartened by knowing I have a strong support network in Bristol despite being so far from family. Sam was my designated responsible adult, and Tom very kindly drove us from the clinic back to mine.

Discussion points in the immediate aftermath, before I was allowed to leave:

Lucian Freud is good

My mouth used to be round, but they made it triangular

I want to be on the floor (I was not allowed on the floor)

On the drive home, we talked about the positive and negative attributes of little egrets ("legs and bendy neck" and "the novelty wears off," respectively). I have dim memories of trying to watch Brooklyn 99 and My Neighbour Totoro before just putting on post10, a YouTube channel of a guy who clears blocked drains in the northeastern US, and falling asleep.

By the time Sally got back at around 6, I was starting to come around, so we had a gentle evening of TV before bedtime. Not my favourite way to spend a day off work, but I genuinely think I've had worse.

[namesetc]

Dark academia theme

Names that have Dark Academia vibes

---

First names:

Agnes

Alex/Alix

Alexandria/Alexander

Amorette

Aurora

Alec

Atlas/Atlis

Asra

Bellatrix

Blair/Blaire

Bridget/Bridgette/Brigette/Brigitte/Brigit

Ben

Benjamin

Brin/Brinn/Bryn/Brynn

Beau

Blyth/Blythe/Blithe

Briar

Cecil/Cecile/Cecille

Circe

Camila/Camilla

Caleb

Caspian

Cassius

Clive

Clark/Clarke

Cross

Dorian

Estelle/Estell

Edmund/Edmond

Eden

Emory/Emery

Ezra

Finn

Finley

Flyn/Flynn

Fallon

Gale

Griffin/Griffon

Hayden/Haydn/Haydon

Ivy

Ink

Ink Quill

Jasper

Julian

Klaus/Klause

Kael

Lucian

Matilda

Maude/Maud

Meredith

Myrtle

Mavis/Mavice

Mallory/Malory/Malorie/Mallorie

Nolan

Noa/Noah

Oliver/Olivier

Phoebe

Payton/Peyton

Parker

Quin/Quinn

Quill

Raven

Ravenna

Rowena

Reed

River

Rain/Raine

Theo

Tobias

Violeta/Violetta

Warren

Wren

Will

Last names:

Allen

Blackwood

Briarwood

Blackwater

Blackmore

Brown/Browne

Barlow

Barton

Becker

Blakely/Blakley/Blakeley

Bristol

Booker

Fairchild

Grey/Gray

Grayson/Greyson

Grove

Hargreaves

Hargrove

Lockwood

Miller

Oxton

Pearce

Seabrook

Vanderwall/Vanderwaal

Wetstone

Wilde

Wood/Woods

Write/Wryte

[insanityclause]

Thursday night could become National Theatre night, as the company announced plans to broadcast some of its most popular productions for free during the lockdown.

The new two-month National Theatre at Home programme will begin with One Man, Two Guvnors, the Richard Bean comedy starring James Corden.

The films will be shown at 7pm every Thursday to try to recreate, where possible, the communal viewing experience. They will then be available on demand for seven days.

Lisa Burger, the executive director and joint chief executive of the National Theatre, said writers, actors and directors had all waived their rights to the productions.

“Everyone has said yes. Please. Let’s get it out to people,” she said. “It has taken a bit of negotiation and management but the outpouring from the industry has been fantastic.”

The shows will be available to watch on YouTube. They kick off on 2 April with a play regarded as one of the most joyously laugh-out-loud shows of the last decade.

One Man, Two Guvnors, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is Bean’s 2011 adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s 1746 comedy and a brilliant vehicle for Corden’s stage comedy skills. The Guardian’s Michael Billington, giving it five stars, wrote: “The result, a kind of Carry On Carlo, is one of the funniest productions in the National’s history.”

That will be followed by Sally Cookson’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, a production that began at Bristol Old Vic; Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Treasure Island which was the National’s Christmas show in 2014, and the 2017 Twelfth Night, which starred Tamsin Greig as Malvolio. More titles are still to be announced.

The shows will also have accompanying contact, which includes Q&As with casts and creatives and post-show talks.

The National is just one of many arts organisations quickly endeavouring to get content out to the public during the coronavirus lockdown.

The RSC has teamed up with the BBC for six plays to be broadcast from their archives including the 2016 Hamlet starring Paapa Essiedu; the 2018 Macbeth that starred Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack, and the 2015 Othello, which starred Hugh Quarshie and Lucian Msamati.

The Royal Opera House has made available productions that include the Royal Opera’s Così fan tutte and the Royal Ballet’s Peter and the Wolf.

Burger said storytelling was needed more than ever. “That combination of entertaining, inspiring, challenging … it makes us think a bit about what other people might be going through. But also it just brings people together around something which is shared. I hope it stimulates a lot of conversations.”

As well as National Theatre at Home, the theatre is making its online resource for schools, universities and libraries, the National Theatre Collection, accessible at home while everything is closed.

The National Theatre will be one of many arts organisations and individuals to benefit from Arts Council England’s £160m emergency package to help them survive the coronavirus crisis. The money is also designed to help them come up with creative responses “to buoy the public” during the lockdown

Burger said it was a positive move. “Of course it is very much needed because we are all in a very precarious position. It is good that they have got that money and we look forward to understanding how it will be used, how freelancers can be supported and also theatres who don’t receive Arts Council funding.

[quinnterestingsims]

Alright so my AU teens are all aged up and ready for college!

We have:

Lucian Straud studying Biology to become a doctor

Damien Straud studying psychology to go into the military

Charlee Finch studying History to become a professor

June Herring studying psychology to help with her magic

Bristol Kang studying drama to become an actress

Averie Pierce studying fine art to become a painter

Lucian and Damien are twins

Damien and Charlee have been dating since high school but go to different universities now

Averie, Bristol, and June were in a sort of a love triangle in high school but now Averie and June have agreed to just be friends and Averie and Bristol are now romantically involved but not official yet

Lucian has never dated anyone or even had a first kiss, he has always had a crush on Averie but she is more interested in girls...

[reedrph]

                                       Gender Neutral Name Master list

                                                                   REEDRPH

So I’ve had this in my drafts for a hot second, and I finally made a top banner for the post so I could release it. Basically below the cut there are 313 names that I personally think are gender neutral, and could pass for any gender. Keep in mind you can play a character of any gender, with any name.

Most of them are European/Western names, and they range in a mix of typical and non-typical names.

Give this a like or reblog if you found it useful!!

Abbey

Addison

Adriel

Aiden

Alanta

Alayne

Alchemy

Alex

Alexi

Alexis

Albion

Alva

Ambrose

Amery

Andy

Angel

Ansley

Archer

Ariel

Arizona

Armani

Arya

Aspen

Asher

Ashley

August

Austin

Aubrey

Audrey

Avery

Bailey

Banner

Basil

Bay

Beverley

Billy

Blakely

Blair

Blythe

Bowie

Bobbie

Bradey

Brighton

Brinley

Britton

Bristole

Brice

Bromley

Brook

Burch

Burley

Bryn

Cable

Cameron

Carmen

Carrington

Carson

Carter

Casey

Cassidy

Cecily

Chance

Channing

Charlie

Chris

Cody

Colby

Courtney

Corey

Dae

Dakota

Vesper

Dallas

Darran

Darrien

Dana

Darby

Darcy

Dempsey

Devin

Drew

Dior

Dustin

Dusty

Dylan

East

Eden

Eli

Ellery

Ellice

Embry

Emerson

Emery

Erin

Evan

Ezra

Fabian

Faegan

Finley

Florance

Flynn

Forest

Foster

Francis

Frankie

Freddie

Glenn

Gale

Georgie

Golds

Goodwyn

Granger

Gray

Grayson

Hadley

Halsey

Harlow

Harley

Hartley

Harper

Haven

Hayden

Hero

Hilton

Holland

Hunter

Indiana

Indigo

Italy

Jensen

Jace

Jade

Jae

Jaden

James

Jamie

Jan

Jaspar

Jay

Jean

Jessie

Jin

Jody

Jordan

Jules

Julian

Justice

Kaden

Kaelyn

Kai

Karma

Karis

Keegan

Kelly

Kelsey

Kendall

Kennedy

Kerry

Kinsey

Landry

Lane

Langley

Lark

Lee

Leigh

Lennon

Lennox

Lincoln

Linden

Logan

London

Lonnie

Lorian

Lou

Love

Lucky

Lucian

Lumi

Lux

Lynn

Mackenzie

Madison

Maitland

Mallory

Marley

Martie

Marlowe

Mason

Max

Maverick

Melborne

Mercer

Micah

Mickey

Mischa

Monroe

Montana

Morgan

Moricah

Nat

Nevada

Nico

Niles

Nima

Noel

North

Nova

Oakley

Ocean

Ode

Odell

Ollie

Oreta

Orlando

Oxlkey

Page

Palmer

Paris

Parker

Pax

Payton

Perrie

Piper

Phoenix

Presley

Quinn

Rain

Reagan

Rebel

Reed

Reese

Remi

Ren

Reagan

Reign

Riley

River

Robin

Rogue

Romy

Ronnie

Rory

Rowan

Roux

Ryan

Ryder

Rye

Sai

Sage

Sam

Sasha

Sawyer

Scout

Severne

Shay

Shae

Shelby

Shiloh

Silver

Sinclair

Sky

Skyler

South

Spencer

Sterling

Stevie

Storm

Sunny

Sutton

Sydney

Tai

Tamsin

Tate

Taylor

Teagen

Teal

Temple

Terry

Toby

Tony

Topias

Tristan

True

Tyler

Uja

Umber

Unique

Urban

Unity

Wallis

Watson

Wendall

Wesley

West

Westlyn

Weylyn

Win

Winter

Whitley

Whitney

Wren

Val

Valentine

Valery

Valor

Vesper

Vidley

Vidor

Vinnie

Vitaly

Viva

York

Zara

[sandjsbeachbumbonanza]

Day 29 – the best laid plans…

We had a grand plan for the day. This was the day we were finally going to take a walk on the beach, go out kayaking and J was going back to the spa. One out of three ain’t bad. Unlike us, fulfilling their day’s plan, Mel and JT went for a dive. They said it was the best dive they’ve ever had, saw thousands of fish and the water was unbelievably clear. They would definitely tell anyone who dives to dive at Sandals Grande St Lucian.

Meanwhile, S and J got up a bit later, at around 11am. J cancelled her spa appointment as she wanted to make the most of beach time and see Mel and JT. We went to the bar for a fruity drink to sip on while we put on sunscreen for our beach walk. No sooner had we ordered our drinks than Sheila came up to us. She had the former operations manager of the hotel, Rohan, who is now working at the Hilton, in tow. The lady was quite striking and we were not surprised to learn she is a former Miss St Lucia. Rohan had met Neil and Sheila for breakfast and was making the rounds with them. Apparently when you are a 260-nighter at Sandals, even the former staff cater to your every need. Rohan waited patiently in the heat in her tailored shirt, jeans and sky-high heels while Sheila chatted with us for an hour. We learned that Neil is actually a dental surgeon in the exclusive part of London and wears suits to work every day. However, we will always look fondly upon him as a 260-night Sandals VIP feral rough sleeper. When we told Sheila about our description of Neil, she burst out laughing and conceded Neil doesn’t like wearing much clothing while he’s on holiday.  

Since dinner was meant to be at 6pm, we decided to have an early lunch. Mel and JT met us after they finished their dive. Lunch was the same as usual – cobb salad and coleslaw. JT had the jerk chicken and festivals. Mel had a salad. There was a 2-2 vote split down gender lines as to whether she should order the Caesar salad and make several amendments or simply order off menu (romaine lettuce and grilled chicken with a side of Italian vinaigrette). S and JT agreed that would be far less confusing for the staff rather than ordering a Caesar salad and working your way backwards. We were meant to go for our walk, when we ran into the Christmas drinks station. They were serving special cocktails and we could not refuse.

After obliging the bartender and sampling our Christmas specials, we went back to the swim-up pool bar and had another nice chat with Bernie and Tamara. Bernie told us about an amazing nut he found in the Dominican Republic, a ‘rubber nut’. He cracked it open for us and it contained, what else, a ‘rubber’ (photo above). JT joked that the bar staff could turn the rubber into a water balloon. The bartender ran off to fill it with water. Not sure what happened to it after that. Bernie and S have spent much of the holiday exchanging off-colour jokes. Bernie got the last laugh. Photos of the ‘crew’ were taken and we made sure to capture Tamara’s navy tattoo on her foot.

We finally went for a walk on the beach. It turns out that the beach isn’t that long after all – the walk lasted less than 10 minutes in one direction. We also learned that Sandals guards are keeping watch over both ends of the beach to ensure hawkers don’t pester the guests.

Dinner was at Toscanini’s, the Italian. We thought Bernie and Tamara were supposed to join us, but didn’t spot them. S had the minestrone soup and fettucine alfredo with peas; J had the eggplant parmesan and strip loin; JT had the beef carpaccio, Caesar salad and lasagne; and Mel had the feta cheese risotto and strip loin. Everyone ate dessert as there was passionfruit sorbet and we could protect our waistlines, haha. J added a float of sparkling wine to her sorbet and it was fabulous. S thought this restaurant was excellent and second only to the sushi.

We then headed to tonight’s entertainment, reggae night, which was outside by the pool. J wasn’t feeling well and went to bed early. Mel and JT went a little while longer. As usual, S was the last man standing. He made some nice friends, including two ladies who were on a romantic holiday together, Kelly and Lisa. They were a whole lot of fun and played darts and pool with S. Kelly is from Bristol and Lisa is from San Diego. Troy also showed up without Heather. Not one to call it early, S stumbled back at around 2am, when the pub closed. Lisa and Kelly can really party. Kayak, what kayak! S now vows that he will kayak when his daughter shows up.

[flor-just-flor]

Here it is! I finished the League of Legends piece I was working on. This was inspired by the lore behind Thresh, Lucian, and Lucian’s wife, Senna.

This is A3-sized Bristol board paper, inked entirely with brush pen and coloured with green, cyan, and white ink. I tried to restrict myself a bit this time as I do have the tendency of going overboard. Granted, it was much quicker than other pieces, I was working on it a bit loosely and mindlessly, but I think it turned out pretty cool :D

There might be another League of Legends and/or Dota 2 piece coming soon, but at the moment I’ll focus on finishing any remaining bookmarks I want to do for the Cyprus Comic Con (which is in two weeks, by the way. Approtis and I will be waiting ;)).

[rafaelthompson]

PHASE’s Le Tour de Café Sends Cyclists 200 Miles to Café! Festival & Expo in Paris

Each rider will raise over $1,600 to fund the nonprofit’s mission to provide basic healthcare necessities in Nepal.

BY KATRINA YENTCH BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Cover photo courtesy of Lucian Dachman for Unsplash

Many coffee professionals are familiar with combining caffeine and cycling in their daily lives, but for the nonprofit charity PHASE Worldwide, putting a new spin of this combination was a task worth pursuing.

PHASE Worldwide has planned a touring route that will travel from London to Paris for the Café! Festival & Expo. Photo by Tom Edwards.

PHASE Worldwide is a nonprofit company based out of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and they’re hosting a cycling tour in March 2020 that will take riders from London to Paris in 200 miles. Le Tour de Café will span three days from March 18-22, with the final destination being Allegra Events’ Café! Festival & Expo that Saturday. In order to participate, cyclists must fundraise €1,500 ($1,652 USD) and register for €200 ($220 USD), which covers the cost of meals, accommodations, and transportation during the ride (which also includes travel back to London or Bristol). “We are coffee enthusiasts ourselves at the charity and came up with the idea with a partner of ours, Stephen [Paweleck] from Django Coffee Roasters in Southport, U.K.,” explains Jonathan Scorer, communications and partnerships manager at PHASE. “We realised there is a great connection between coffee and cycling (as often the two go hand-in-hand as people’s main passions!), so we decided to put them together as an event to inspire the coffee industry.” Le Tour de Café promises to be a scenic spectacle, taking riders through the rolling hills of the British countryside and into the bright green fields of Northern France. “Over the years we have devised a perfect route that is nicely undulating, not too easy, not too difficult and that takes in breath-taking English and then French scenery along the way,” says Jonathan. “We’re sure that on this trip there will also be plenty of stops to pull out the AeroPress for a quick brew on the side of the road to keep everyone moving!”

PHASE Worldwide works with rural and remote communities in Nepal to provide basic health-care necessities. Photo by Charlie Campbell.

PHASE started in 2005 as a nonprofit to support projects in the health, education, and livelihoods of people primarily in the rural and remote communities of Nepal. In partnership with PHASE Austria and PHASE Nepal, some of these projects have included adult literacy, girls’ empowerment and teacher training, and agricultural support. PHASE has also previously hosted outdoors-oriented fundraisers for their mission, including a “Bristol to Basecamp” (in the Everest mountains) backpacking trip that raised over €45,000 earlier this year.

To participate in the ride, you can find full details here, and be sure to register by November 29, this Friday!

The post PHASE’s Le Tour de Café Sends Cyclists 200 Miles to Café! Festival & Expo in Paris appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

PHASE’s Le Tour de Café Sends Cyclists 200 Miles to Café! Festival & Expo in Paris published first on https://espressoexpertsite.tumblr.com/

[silvstory]

Hello! I hope you’re ready for a fun little adventure!

I really love my character Gary, and while I’m already working on an actual novel (my magnum-opus hopeful that will eventually be traditionally published), I really wanted to write something that I can share with people on the internet that doesn’t need to be so well-refined and is allowed to have rough edges.

So, here it is! The Stupendous Silver Striker! Or, if you don’t want to have to type out that mouthful, SilvStory or tSSS works just fine!

I’ll be updating (hopefully) every Sunday, though that is subject to change once I get back to school. But for now? Yeah, I’m hoping to meet a weekly upload schedule! Hopefully y’all like my silly little guy Gary just as much as I do!

Volume One

(Current) Cast:

Gary Hammerschmidt - Our protagonist! A 16-year-old boy who gains the dormant powers of his grandfather, Jazon, and becomes the superhero Silver Striker! He’s brave, friendly, and the kind of guy I would love to have as a friend for sure! He may be a superhero with some pretty epic powers, but he still has a lot to learn!

Bristol Lucian - Gary’s best friend, loyal to the end, but also harboring his own secret! While he may be Gary’s ride or die, Silver Striker and him have a bit of a rocky relationship, especially when his alter ego Fumblestrike tends to have some less-than-lawful ways of handling bad guys.

[samuelmmarcus]

Neutral Home Design Ideas

  It’s always a pleasure to have Heather Scott Home & Design (previously featured here, here & here) on Home Bunch, and today they’re sharing all the details of this beautifully renovated home with neutral interiors.

Here, the designer shares some insights:

“We were brought into the project in the midst of renovations on this Spanish style home in the Texas Hill Country. Like most of the spaces in this project, we had a blank slate and lovely architectural details to pull from.”

Find a comfortable spot and dream on!

  Neutral Home Design Ideas

“In the layout, we incorporated a pair of chairs to flank the fireplace. It created a cozy conversational area and logical flow for the long living room. A large mirror with a frame that brings in the warmth of the ceiling beams draws your eyes in. Also, the fireplace had one built-in with an arched detail that mimicked the doorways and ‘Spanish’ feel of the home. We placed a curvy furniture piece on the opposite side to echo the arches and curvy details.” – Heather Scott Home & Design.

Accent Chairs by Fireplace: Hickory Chair Maud Lounge Chair with Turned Stretchers (available through the designer) – similar here.

Sofa: Available through the designer – Other Sofas: here, here, here, here & here.

Swivel Chairs: here & here – similar.

Beautiful Side Tables: here, here, here & here.

Table Lamp: Visual Comfort Bristol Table Lamp.

Chest by Fireplace: Gabby Melrose chest.

Mirror: Lexington Mirror.

Paint Color

The paint color was not selected by the interior designer but it’s similar to “Benjamin Moore HC-173 Edgecomb Gray”.

Coffee Table: Available through the designer – Others: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Dresser: Noir Starburst Dresser.

Fiddle Leaf Tree: here – similar.

Decor

Makenge wall baskets: “The baskets are made in Zambia, a southern part of Africa; it takes even the most skilled weavers over 2 months to create each basket. They are traditionally given as a wedding gift and passed on from generation to generation. The sturdy weave of the baskets makes them seem to be made of wood. They are considered heirlooms and no two are ever the same.”

Wall Decor: here – similar.

Dining Room

This neutral dining room features a coffered ceiling and a wine barrel chandelier.

Chandelier: here – Others: here & here.

Dining Table: Leaf Extendable Dining Table.

Host Chairs: Hickory Chair Martin Host Chair with custom fabric – Others: here, here, here & here.

Side Chairs: Bernhardt: Side Chairs, Hadden Side Chair.

Sideboard: Jonathan Charles Belleville buffet – Others on Sale: here, here, here &

here.

Table Lamps: Visual Comfort Yue Double Gourd Table Lamp.

Drapery: Custom, Duralee Pattern #:BA61238-84 Pattern Name: Chippendale Braid, Ivory.

Mirror: here & here – similar.

Kitchen

Leathered Black Granite with a black kitchen sink bring a timeless look to this white kitchen.

Backsplash: here.

Breakfast Room

“The homeowners have little ones so most of their meal times will be spent in this area as opposed to the formal dining room. We wanted the breakfast room to lean more casual, but wanted the sophisticated choices in the other spaces to continue to flow into this space.”

Dining Table: Lexington Cypress Point Extendable Dining Table. Other Round Tables: here, here & here.

Sideboard: Modern History MH325F01 Mirrored Three Door Breakfast Sideboard (Available through the designer) – Similar: here, here & here.

Dining Chairs: Johnathan Charles Bodiam armchair (Grey oak) & Bodiam side chair (Grey oak).

Table Lamps: Visual Comfort Hackney Table Lamp.

Rug: Stark Studio Rugs Neptune Sisal Rug, Natura – Others on Sale: here & here.

Master Bedroom

“The master bedroom had so many windows! So much natural light poured into the space and there was such lush scenic views that surrounded the master suite. It was such a fun palette to start on. What a bright, happy and serene retreat! With so much natural light that pours into the bedroom from all the windows, the room lends itself to light and airy decor. We made sure to pick pieces that had an elegant and ethereal feel, and a mix of modern and traditional details. We also selected a light palette of primarily neutrals with blue and gold accents for a classic look. A slight wingback frame on the neutral bed sits perfectly between a pair of windows. At the foot of the bed, a pair of x-benches with antique brass keeps the center of the room elegant and grounded. The rug beneath features a lovely tone-on-tone Greek key pattern, which adds a soft texture to the space.”

Ceiling Fan: 60″ Minka Aire Kola Kocoa Ceiling Fan.

Nightstands

Nightstands: Eloquence Antique White Silver Petit Bordeaux Commode – Others on Sale: here, here, here & here.

Table Lamps: Bradburn Gallery Home, Juliette gray.

Mirror

Acrylic Sunburt Mirror: Image Home. Similar: here, here & here.

Bedding: Available through the designer – Similar: Quilt, Grey Shams, Lumbar Pillow.

Bed

Bed: Bernhardt Cooper wing bed – similar here, here & here.

Benches: Hickory Chair Lille Bench – Other Beautiful Bed Benches: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

  Many thanks to the interior designer for sharing all of the details above.

Interior Design: Heather Scott Home & Design (Instagram).

Photography by Molly Culver Photography.

  Best Sales of the Month:

Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

  Wayfair: Up to 75% OFF July 4th Blowout!!!

  Serena & Lily: 20% OFF everything! Use code: GOCOASTAL

  Joss & Main: Up to 80% off July 4th Blowout!

  Pottery Barn: Up to 30% Off with Buy More Save More Sale.

  One Kings Lane :Buy More, Save More!

  West Elm: 20% off your entire purchase with code JULY4TH

  Anthropologie: Take an Extra 50% Off Sale!

  Urban Outfitters: Take an extra 40% off all sale items.

  Horchow: Up to 30% off the entire site!

  Neiman Marcus: Up to 75% off!!

  Saks Fifth Avenue: The Designer Sale: up to 75% off

  Nordstrom: Anniversary Sale!!!!

  Posts of the Week:

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Coastal Farmhouse Design.

Top 5 Timeless Coastal Design Trends.

Coastal-inspired Home Renovation.

Southern-inspired Modern Farmhouse.

Coastal Farmhouse Home Decor.

New Desert Home Design.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: British Columbia.

Reinvented Classic Kitchen Design.

New England Home.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: How to Build your own Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Home Renovation.

2019 New Year Home Tour.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Urban Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Fixer Upper.

Small Lot Modern Farmhouse.

“Before & After” California Home Renovation.

Beach House Interior Design Ideas.

Florida Beach House Interior Design.Tailored Interiors.

Modern Farmhouse with Front Porch.

Dark Cedar Shaker Exterior.

Classic Colonial Home Design.

Family-friendly Home Design. Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

Follow me on Instagram: @HomeBunch

You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch

See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives.

“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

Come Follow me on

Come Follow me on

Get Home Bunch Posts Via Email

Contact Luciane

“For your shopping convenience, this post might contain links to retailers where you can purchase the products (or similar) featured. I make a small commission if you use these links to make your purchase so thank you for your support!”

from Home http://www.homebunch.com/neutral-home-design-ideas/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[dawnjeman]

Neutral Home Design Ideas

  It’s always a pleasure to have Heather Scott Home & Design (previously featured here , here & here) on Home Bunch, and today, they’re sharing all details on this beautifully renovated home with neutral interiors.

Here, the designer shares some insights:

“We were brought into the project in the midst of renovations on this Spanish style home in the Texas Hill Country. Like most of the spaces in this project, we had a blank slate and lovely architectural details to pull from.”

Find a comfortable spot and dream on!

  Neutral Home Design Ideas

“In the layout, we incorporated a pair of chairs to flank the fireplace. It created a cozy conversational area and logical flow for the long living room. A large mirror with a frame that brings in the warmth of the ceiling beams draws your eyes in. Also, the fireplace had one built-in with an arched detail that mimicked the doorways and ‘Spanish’ feel of the home. We placed a curvy furniture piece on the opposite side to echo the arches and curvy details.” – Heather Scott Home & Design.

Accent Chairs by Fireplace: Hickory Chair Maud Lounge Chair with Turned Stretchers (available through the designer) – similar here.

Sofa: Available through the designer – Other Sofas: here, here, here, here & here.

Swivel Chairs: here & here – similar.

Beautiful Side Tables: here, here, here & here.

Table Lamp: Visual Comfort Bristol Table Lamp.

Chest by Fireplace: Gabby Melrose chest.

Mirror: Lexington Mirror.

Paint Color

The paint color was not selected by the interior designer but it’s similar to “Benjamin Moore HC-173 Edgecomb Gray”.

Coffee Table: Available through the designer – Others: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Dresser: Noir Starburst Dresser.

Fiddle Leaf Tree: here – similar.

Decor

Makenge wall baskets: “The baskets are made in Zambia, a southern part of Africa; it takes even the most skilled weavers over 2 months to create each basket. They are traditionally given as a wedding gift and passed on from generation to generation. The sturdy weave of the baskets makes them seem to be made of wood. They are considered heirlooms and no two are ever the same.”

Basket: here – similar.

Dining Room

This neutral dining room features a coffered ceiling and a wine barrel chandelier.

Chandelier: here – Others: here & here.

Dining Table: Leaf Extendable Dining Table.

Host Chairs: Hickory Chair Martin Host Chair with custom fabric – Others: here, here, here & here.

Side Chairs: Bernhardt: Side Chairs, Hadden Side Chair.

Sideboard: Jonathan Charles Belleville buffet – Others on Sale: here, here, here &

here.

Table Lamps: Visual Comfort Yue Double Gourd Table Lamp.

Drapery: Custom, Duralee Pattern #:BA61238-84 Pattern Name: Chippendale Braid, Ivory.

Mirror: here & here – similar.

Kitchen

Leathered Black Granite with a black kitchen sink bring a timeless look to this white kitchen.

Backsplash: here.

Breakfast Room

“The homeowners have little ones so most of their meal times will be spent in this area as opposed to the formal dining room. We wanted the breakfast room to lean more casual, but wanted the sophisticated choices in the other spaces to continue to flow into this space.”

Dining Table: Lexington Cypress Point Extendable Dining Table. Other Round Tables: here, here & here.

Sideboard: Modern History MH325F01 Mirrored Three Door Breakfast Sideboard (Available through the designer) – Similar: here, here & here.

Dining Chairs: Johnathan Charles Bodiam armchair (Grey oak) & Bodiam side chair (Grey oak).

Table Lamps: Visual Comfort Hackney Table Lamp.

Rug: Stark Studio Rugs Neptune Sisal Rug, Natura – Others on Sale: here & here.

Master Bedroom

“The master bedroom had so many windows! So much natural light poured into the space and there was such lush scenic views that surrounded the master suite. It was such a fun palette to start on. What a bright, happy and serene retreat! With so much natural light that pours into the bedroom from all the windows, the room lends itself to light and airy decor. We made sure to pick pieces that had an elegant and ethereal feel, and a mix of modern and traditional details. We also selected a light palette of primarily neutrals with blue and gold accents for a classic look. A slight wingback frame on the neutral bed sits perfectly between a pair of windows. At the foot of the bed, a pair of x-benches with antique brass keeps the center of the room elegant and grounded. The rug beneath features a lovely tone-on-tone Greek key pattern, which adds a soft texture to the space.”

Ceiling Fan: 60″ Minka Aire Kola Kocoa Ceiling Fan.

Nightstands

Nightstands: Eloquence Antique White Silver Petit Bordeaux Commode – Others on Sale: here, here, here & here.

Table Lamps: Bradburn Gallery Home, Juliette gray.

Mirror

Acrylic Sunburt Mirror: Image Home. Similar: here, here & here.

Bedding: Available through the designer – Similar: Quilt, Grey Shams, Lumbar Pillow.

Bed

Bed: Bernhardt Cooper wing bed – similar here, here & here.

Benches: Hickory Chair Lille Bench – Other Beautiful Bed Benches: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

  Many thanks to the interior designer for sharing all of the details above.

Interior Design: Heather Scott Home & Design (Instagram).

Photography by Molly Culver Photography.

  Best Sales of the Month:

Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

  Wayfair: Up to 75% OFF July 4th Blowout!!!

  Serena & Lily: 20% OFF everything! Use code: GOCOASTAL

  Joss & Main: Up to 80% off July 4th Blowout!

  Pottery Barn: Up to 30% Off with Buy More Save More Sale.

  One Kings Lane :Buy More, Save More!

  West Elm: 20% off your entire purchase with code JULY4TH

  Anthropologie: Take an Extra 50% Off Sale!

  Urban Outfitters: Take an extra 40% off all sale items.

  Horchow: Up to 30% off the entire site!

  Neiman Marcus: Up to 75% off!!

  Saks Fifth Avenue: The Designer Sale: up to 75% off

  Nordstrom: Anniversary Sale!!!!

  Posts of the Week:

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Coastal Farmhouse Design.

Top 5 Timeless Coastal Design Trends.

Coastal-inspired Home Renovation.

Southern-inspired Modern Farmhouse.

Coastal Farmhouse Home Decor.

New Desert Home Design.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: British Columbia.

Reinvented Classic Kitchen Design.

New England Home.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: How to Build your own Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Home Renovation.

2019 New Year Home Tour.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Urban Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Fixer Upper.

Small Lot Modern Farmhouse.

“Before & After” California Home Renovation.

Beach House Interior Design Ideas.

Florida Beach House Interior Design.Tailored Interiors.

Modern Farmhouse with Front Porch.

Dark Cedar Shaker Exterior.

Classic Colonial Home Design.

Family-friendly Home Design. Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

Follow me on Instagram: @HomeBunch

You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch

See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives.

“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

Come Follow me on

Come Follow me on

Get Home Bunch Posts Via Email

Contact Luciane

“For your shopping convenience, this post might contain links to retailers where you can purchase the products (or similar) featured. I make a small commission if you use these links to make your purchase so thank you for your support!”

from Home http://www.homebunch.com/neutral-home-design-ideas/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[gbhbl]

News: Welsh Alt-Metal Trio TREP To Hit The Road

News: Welsh Alt-Metal Trio TREP To Hit The Road

Welsh alt-metal trio TREP are set to tour the UK in support of their latest EP “Lucian”, which is set for release on March 18th. The band will co-headline alongside Eden In Progress as part of the “The Future Is Ours” tour.

The tour will be hitting the following cities:

March 12th – West Street Live – Sheffield March 13th – Fuel – Cardiff March 14th – The Gryphon – Bristol March 15th – The Lion –…

[quinnterestingsims]

My Sims Through The Generations

GEN 1: 22 Kids - 16 Parents

Haley (D) + Alex (D):                                      

Jaina

Jax

Zachary

Sawyer (D) + Alex(D):

Maxwell

Sawyer(D) + Harvey (D):

Presley

Jill

Sawyer(D) + Sam (D):

Rose

Kellen

Harvey(D) + Evie:

Alexis

Sam(D) + Jillian (D):

Adonis

Sebastian (D) + Abigail (D):

Jaylen

Sadie

Kason

Shane(D) + Maru (D):

Princess

Christina

Lorena

Emily (D) + Penny (D):

Ari - Adopted

Emmett - Adopted

Zander - Adopted

Leah (D) and Elliot (D):

Corey - (D)

Charity - (D)

Megan - (D)

GEN 2: 40 Kids - 39 Parents

Ari + Kayla(D):

Annette

Emmett + Baby Ariel:

Rylee

Emmett + Katelynn:

Kassiani

Ari + Presley:

Averie

Kimberly (D) - Adopted

Cesar

Maxwell + Kuma:

Morgan

Jaina + Jin-Hyun

Bristol

Archer

Audrianna

Christina + Nigel

Bill

Christina + Atharv

Stetson

Ezra

Maxwell + Aicha:

Anahi

Markus

Casper

Jill + Alexander:

Dillan

Jagger (Adopted)

Eduardo

Rose + Finley:

Manuel

Lucian

Damarion

Jax + Adonis:

Carol - Adopted

Kellan + Skylar:

Star

Lesley

Megan (D) + Orange (D):

Maddox - Adopted by Ari and Presley

Tracy + Arjun:

Kenny

Lloyd

Lia

Zander + Ariella:

Preston

Hania (Adopted)

Kason + Hajar:

Jaiden

Wolfgang

Micaela

Alexis + Vincent:

Raymundo

Sadie + Amir:

Maliyah

Princess + Sergio(D):

Emmie

Princess + Brycen:

Laci

Jaylen + Raina:

Ivanka

Abelia

GEN 3: 9 Kids - 9 Parents

Annette + Marcus

Kurt

Kerry

Blakesley

Rylee + Blaze:

Alexa

Malachi

Rylee + Liam:

Ibrahim

Bill + Kristan:

Shiew

Bristol + Roy:

Ember

Micheal

[marketingadvisorvietnam]

Không phải Brexit, Khả năng chi trả mới là nhân tố chính định hình thị trường nhà tại Anh

Marketing Advisor đã viết bài trên http://bdsvietnam247.com/khong-phai-brexit-kha-nang-chi-tra-moi-la-nhan-to-chinh-dinh-hinh-thi-truong-nha-tai-anh/

Không phải Brexit, Khả năng chi trả mới là nhân tố chính định hình thị trường nhà tại Anh

Dự báo Savills cho thị trường bất động sản tại Anh trong giai đoạn từ 2019 – 2023: Với sự thay đổi đáng kể trong khu vực, giá nhà ở tại Anh sẽ tăng 14,8% trong giai đoạn 2019-2023. Tại London, mức giá tăng sẽ dao động trong khoảng 21,6% tại phía Tây Bắc, 4,5% phía Đông Nam và 9,3% tại phía Đông thành phố. Thị trường cao cấp tại London sẽ hoạt động mạnh mẽ hơn, với + 12,4% tăng trưởng giá tại trung tâm.Giao dịch ổn định, với số lượng người mua nhà lần đầu và người mua bằng tiền chiếm đa số. Giá thuê sẽ tăng trung bình 13,7% trong 5 năm tới; riêng tại London, giá thuê ước tính tăng 15,9% Giá nhà ở cùng thu nhập bình quân tại Anh dự kiến sẽ tăng trưởng trong 5 năm tới kèm theo sự thay đổi trong phân khúc giá truyền thống giữa hai khu vực Bắc-Nam. Theo dự báo mới nhất từ Savills, giá nhà tại khu vực miền Trung, phía Bắc và Scotland sẽ tăng mạnh nhất. Tác động của việc nước Anh tách khỏi Liên minh Châu Âu (EU) (Brexit) lên tâm lý thị trường sẽ chỉ còn trong ngắn hạn, đặc biệt tại thị trường London và vùng lân cận. Tuy nhiên, trong dài hạn, khả năng chi trả của người mua tại các thị trường địa phương dự kiến sẽ định hình mô hình tăng trưởng giá. Trong khoảng 2019 – 2023, giá nhà ở Anh sẽ tăng trung bình 14,8% – mức tăng sẽ từ 21,6% tại phía Tây Bắc và giảm dần tại London và phía Nam – đạt chỉ số tăng trưởng tốt nhất kể từ khi suy thoái. Giá trị tài sản của thị trường cao cấp tại London sẽ tăng trưởng mạnh mẽ hơn nhiều, so với lần điều chỉnh giá thị trường vào năm 2014. Tín hiệu hồi phục sau khủng hoảng kinh tế toàn cầu 2017 – 2018 tại các vùng khác có phần chậm chạp hơn và ở một số nơi thì các chỉ số tăng trưởng chỉ mời vừa chạm đỉnh. Giá nhà do đó sẽ phải chăng hơn, tạo điều kiện cho tỷ suất cho vay trên thu nhập tăng cao. Lucian Cook, giám đốc nghiên cứu phân khúc Nhà ở của Savills, nhận định: “Những lo sợ sự ảnh hưởng của Brexit tới nền kinh tế là nhân tố chủ yếu tác động lên tâm lý thị trường hiện nay, đặc biệt tại khu vực London. Tuy nhiên, nhân tố có tác động lâu dài lên việc định hình lại thị trường lại là những tác động sau cuộc khủng hoảng tài chính toàn cầu như quy định thế chấp và sự tăng dần trong lãi suất cho vay thế chấp. “Hệ lụy để lại đó sẽ sự hạn chế tăng trưởng giá nhà, nhưng nó cũng sẽ bảo vệ thị trường khỏi mức điều chỉnh."

Dự đoán giá nhà tại Anh 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 5 năm 2019 – 2023 Đông Bắc 2,0% 5,0% 3,5% 2,5% 3,5% 17,6% Vùng Yorkshire & Humberside 2,5% 5,5% 4,0% 3,0% 4,0% 20,5% Tây Bắc 3,0% 6,0% 4,0% 3,0% 4,0% 21,6% Đông miền Trung 3,0% 5,0% 3,5% 3,0% 3,5% 19,3% Tây miền Trung 3,0% 5,0% 3,5% 3,0% 3,5% 19,3% Đông Nam 0,0% 2,0% 2,5% 2,0% 2,5% 9,3% Đông Anh 0,0% 2,0% 2,5% 2,0% 2,5% 9,3% London -2,0% 0,0% 2,5% 1,5% 2,5% 4,5% Tây Nam 0,5% 3,5% 2,5% 2,5% 3,0% 12,6% Xứ Wales 2.0% 5.5% 4.0% 3.0% 3.5% 19.3% Xứ Scotland 2.5% 5.0% 3.5% 2.5% 3.5% 18.2% Trung bình toàn Anh Quốc 1.5% 4.0% 3.0% 2.5% 3.0% 14.8%

Nguồn: Bộ phận Nghiên cứu Savills Lượng giao dịch, thay vì giá nhà, thường được xem là thước đo sức mạnh của thị trường. Kể từ Brexit, khối lượng bán hàng đã giảm -6,9 phần trăm xuống 1,145 triệu, chứng tỏ khả năng phục hồi của thị trường nhà ở Anh, Savills chia sẻ. Theo Savills, con số này sẽ chỉ giảm 1,0% trong 5 năm tới. Nhưng việc tái cân bằng liên tục trong cơ cấu thị trường dự kiến được tiếp diễn với số lượng các nhà đầu tư mua thế chấp để cho thuê giảm 23%, điều này sẽ làm tăng áp lực lên giá thuê (xem bên dưới), đặc biệt là ở London, khi các nhà đầu tư tìm đến những thị trường có giá trị thấp hơn và có lợi suất cao hơn. Chi tiết tại London: Giá nhà ở London đã tăng 72% trong hơn mười năm qua, vượt xa các khu vực khác. Chi phí trung bình mà một người mua nhà với khoản vay thế chấp cần trả là dưới 429.000 bảng Anh trong khi thu nhập hộ gia đình gần 76.000 bảng Anh (cao hơn 58% so với mức trung bình của Anh). Ngay cả khi vay gấp bốn lần thu nhập, các hộ gia đình này vẫn cần khoản đặt cọc là 123.000 bảng Anh. Thị trường chính của London được dự đoán sẽ có mức giảm giá nhẹ khoảng 2,0% vào năm tới, trước khi hạ thấp trong năm 2020 và tăng trở lại vào 2021. Tăng trưởng giá trong vòng 5 năm tới được dự báo sẽ đạt 4,5%. Theo Savills, thị trường cao cấp tại London ít phụ thuộc vào vay thế chấp hơn và sẽ hoạt động tốt hơn những thị trường chính. Thủ đô của Anh dự kiến vẫn là một địa điểm hấp dẫn để sống, làm việc và sở hữu bất động sản nhà ở, thúc đẩy tăng 12,4% giá tại trung tâm thủ đô London vào cuối năm 2023. Những thị trường khác: Tại thời điểm này trong chu kỳ, mức tăng giá cao nhất tại các khu vực có giá trị thấp được kỳ vọng sẽ thấp hơn nhiều so với mức tăng giá ở thủ đô, chỉ 1,9% ở miền Bắc và 5,8% tại Scotland. Tại khu vực miền Trung, miền Bắc nước Anh, Yorkshire và Humberside, Scotland và xứ Wales đều có khả năng vay vốn tương đương với thu nhập, thậm chí sẽ khiến lãi suất thế chấp cao hơn. Điều này sẽ khiến giá nhà tại những khu vực này tăng trưởng từ 17,6% đến 21,6%. Các nền kinh tế trọng điểm – đáng chú ý nhất là các thành phố lớn Manchester và Birmingham – được xem là những địa điểm trong khu vực có thể sẽ thu hút được lượng lớn nhà đầu tư trong và ngoài nước, Tương tự như những chu kỳ khác, xứ Wales và miền Trung sẽ có những bước phát triển tương tự nhau. Tuy nhiên, đây là những thị trường có nhiều phân mảnh, vậy nên nhu cầu nhà ở có thể tăng cao tại một số nơi như Bristol, đặc biệt khi phí cầu đường Severn Brigde bị bãi bõ. Scotland, vốn chỉ mới quay trở lại đỉnh điểm sau khủng hoảng tín dụng, đang hoạt động mạnh mẽ, đặc biệt là Edinburgh và Glasgow với giá bất động sản tăng 8,9% và 7,0% so với năm ngoái. Giao dịch – theo nhóm người mua: Các giao dịch đã giảm từ 1,619 triệu trong năm 2007 xuống khoảng 1,145 triệu trong năm nay. Tuy nhiên, số liệu này được dự báo sẽ ổn định trong năm năm tới cho dù sự kết hợp thị trường đã thay đổi. Tiền mặt vẫn giữ vai trò quan trọng và số lượng người mua bằng tiền mặt hiện chiếm gần một phần ba số lượng gia dịch (31%). Những người mua nhà lần đầu cũng nhận được hỗ trợ khá lớn từ gia đình, điều này được thể hiện qua phần phụ thu 3% mua thêm nhà trên hoá đơn giao dịch. Thêm vào đó, tiền mặt tiếp tục là một yếu tố quan trọng trong nhu cầu đầu tư. Số lượng người mua thế chấp lần đầu là nhóm người mua duy nhất gia tăng kể từ 2007 – từ 359.000 lên tới 370.000 trong năm nay – và sẽ tiếp tục tăng nhờ nguồn vốn được hỗ trợ bởi gia đình cũng như chính sách hỗ trợ mua nhà của chính phủ Anh (Help to Buy). Mặc dù khoản vay và số lượng người được hưởng lợi từ chương trình hỗ trợ mua nhà (Help to Buy) của chính phủ sẽ trở nên hạn chế hơn trong thời gian tới, số lượng người mua nhà lần đầu dự kiến tiếp tục phát triển mạnh mẽ với mức giảm nhẹ, khoảng 2,7% vào năm 2023. Số lượng người chuyển nhà thế chấp đã giảm đáng kể kể từ năm 2007. Nhờ việc thắt chặt quy định và điều khoản vay thế chấp, số lượng này đã giảm từ 653.000 xuống 370.000 và dự kiến sẽ không thay đổi trong vòng năm năm tới. Số lượng người mua nhà để cho thuê sẽ tiếp tục dao động. Các thay đổi về thuế và lãi suất thế chấp đã khiến các nhà đầu tư hợp lý hóa danh mục đầu tư hoặc trả nợ. Tăng trưởng cho thuê vượt qua tăng trưởng thu nhập: Tăng trưởng cho thuê dự kiến sẽ theo sát tăng trưởng giá nhà, tăng trung bình 13,7% trong năm năm tới. Việc thắt chặt khả năng được vay thế chấp và sự hạn chế trong nguồn cung nhà ở xã hội đang thúc đẩy nhu cầu về nhà ở riêng tại tất cả các mức giá. Điều này đặc biệt đúng ở London khi giá thuê tại đây sẽ tăng 15,9%. “Cho đến khi thị trường thấy một lượng lớn dự án nhà cho thuê xuất hiện, tình trạng cầu vượt cung sẽ khiến đẩy giá thuê tăng cao. Người mua nhà đầu tư yêu cầu vay vốn dự kiến sẽ tập trung vào các thị trường có lợi nhuận cao. Điều này sẽ tạo thêm áp lực lớn lên giá thuê tại một số khu vực cho thuê giá cao khác” Cook kết luận. Dự đoán:

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Tổng 5 năm Lượng giao dịch 1.175.000 1.160.000 1.175.000 1.140.000 1.160.000 -1,3% Thu nhập* 2,0% 2,9% 3,4% 3,5% 3,5% 16,9% Lãi xuất cơ bản của ngân hàng* 1,0% 1,5% 1,8% 2,3% 2,8% N/A

Nguồn: Bộ phận Nghiên cứu Savills, *Oxford Economics Diaoconline.vn Từ khóa:

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Press statement by Hon. Alva Baptiste, regarding the Chastanet-led UWP Government’s appointment of Neville Cenac as Governor General of Saint Lucia

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Press statement by Hon. Alva Baptiste, regarding the Chastanet-led UWP Government’s appointment of Neville Cenac as Governor General of Saint Lucia

Alva Baptiste

I agree fully with the Leader of the Opposition that the UWP Government has hit a new low.

After several low points by Allen Chastanet and his Government in their 19-month stint in Government, including the manner in which Dame Pearlette’s tenure, as Governor General, was brought to an end, Chastanet and his bunch have appointed to the high office of Governor General of Saint Lucia a man of no merit and no credit and one whose political actions have left a pungent smell in the body politic of St Lucia.

Apart from his act of crossing the floor, Neville Cenac was best known in the politics of St Lucia as a political clown who was typically dressed on the platform in a white pants, a bright red shirt and a white turban and who said ridiculous things, like calling Heraline Rock – “Ma Rock tiki tok”; calling George Mallet – “Mallet malonette”; saying of JMD Bousquet – “Bousquet anset”; his brother Allan as “lot la pas konet”; John Compton as “Compton pa ka tan”; and Bristol as “Bristol tro dwol”. Then there was his contribution to the dialogue on the tourism industry, translated from the kweyol language – “why are we fussing about tourism, tourists are just people painted in white”.

The office of Governor General in the Commonwealth countries which still retain this office, is officially the representative of the country’s Head of State, Her Majesty the Queen of England, but unofficially the personification of the best of the country. With two exceptions, when first the Labour Party in 1980 and then the UWP in 1996 appointed partisans to the office of Governor General which did nothing to maintain the integrity of the office, the Governors General of St Lucia have represented the best that is in us as a people.

The first holder of the office (then entitled Governor) was Sir Frederick Clarke, a distinguished Medical Doctor; he was followed by Sir Ira Simmons, a distinguished educator who had been the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education; then came Sir Allen Lewis, the first Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean and the Chancellor at the time of the University of the West Indies; Sir Allen was temporarily displaced in the office by Boswell Williams, a partisan of the St. Lucia Labour Party, and was returned to the office of Governor General after the UWP returned to the seat of Government; then came Sir Stanislaus James, a highly regarded former Permanent Secretary; followed by a partisan of the United Workers Party, Sir George Mallet; and then finally the distinguished educator, Dame Pearlette Louisy; the first woman to achieve this distinction.

She is a person of superior standing; an intellectual giant who has always encouraged strong scholarship. She is a woman of integrity and has a dignity, high sense of self-identity and love for her country. She represents the best in us as a people. She inspired Saint Lucians to admire the value of our independence and freedom and respect for national symbols, our cultural values and Kweyol language. Under her leadership, she played her part in ensuring that the foundation of national reconciliation as a grounding idea in Saint Lucia was strengthening day by day, irrespective of which party occupied the corridors of power.

Hence, naturally one would expect that her successor would have been, at the very least, a Saint Lucian of some repute, to continue her efforts at uniting all segments of society in order to secure peace, which will continue setting the stage for sustainable development in all areas of life of our Saint Lucian society.

Therefore, the question, which stares us in the face and calls for an appropriate response is: What it is about Neville Cenac, a man of no integrity or ability, who never held a job outside of political office since he left his job in 1974 as a clerk in his brother’s law office to go to England to study law that would recommend him to the office of Governor General? He returned to St Lucia from England in 1981, never having passed his law exams, and – with no qualification or experience in broadcasting or management – was appointed Manager of Radio St. Lucia by his brother, Winston Cenac, who was then the Prime Minister. Neville Cenac’s next job was as Leader of the Opposition, after he persuaded Sir Allen Louisy to hand him the Labour Party’s safe Laborie seat.

In 1985, Julian Hunte took over the leadership of the Labour Party and led the party in April 1987 to within one seat of forming the Government and became Leader of the Opposition. John Compton called a second election in April 1987 on the basis that he could not run the Government on a one-seat majority, and when the second election produced the same 9 – 8 result, Neville Cenac, crossed the floor to give Compton the parliamentary majority he desired, and Compton rewarded Cenac with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Never was such an act of political treachery perpetrated on the people of St Lucia and it (along with its perpetrator) will live on in infamy in the political history of this country. So will the appointment of Neville Cenac as the Governor General of St. Lucia. I reiterate that Prime Minister Chastanet’s appointment of Neville Cenac to the position of Governor General is to desecrate the inner sanctum of this high office.

How can Prime Minister Chastanet appoint to this high office a man who has to preside over the Joint sitting of the Parliament; in the very chamber where he crossed the floor. After more than three decades Laborians are still trying to recover from this betrayal, their anger, their grief, their disappointments, their disappointments. Should the vehicle carrying Neville Cenac should veer off course and accidentally enters Laborian airspace it is highly improbable that he will be greeted with pomp and pageantry (Consistent with the treatment of a head of State) attendant to the office of Governor General.

The members of the St. Lucia Labour Party in both houses of parliament will absent themselves from the swearing in of the Governor General and from the delivery of any throne speech by the current unfit holder of the office of Governor General of St. Lucia.

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