#and it’s the same if not a little less expensive than Norway so I won’t be that ‘shocked’ by price

[happyheidi]

Switzerland ♡

[that-homoerotic-blouse]

Mementos

Pairing: Ten x Rose

Rated: T

Wordcount: 2080

Summary: post Doomsday, of places and things lost

For the prompt ‘family’ of @timepetalsweek

***

Jackie took the ripped envelope with reverent hands.

It didn’t make sense, not really. How time passed in this world. Sometimes, of course, she wouldn’t even notice, because calendars here still had twelve months and clocks an hour hand and a minute hand; others, however, she woke up thinking about the ludicrous hole a killer Christmas tree had left in her bedroom and just how expensive fixing it was going to be, only to find herself in a four-poster bed with silk sheets in a room like the bedchamber of Henry VIII, and everything around her crumbled. Those days were the hardest. Those days, she could feel the past like it was around the corner, just at the end of her fingertips—Rose, you came back! Oh, and you, big fella! You’re all mine!—and at the same time distant, remote and non-existent, fading in the way dreams fade the moment you blink awake.

Those days, Jackie thought, she was one step closer to understand her daughter. Because, despite the weeks and the months, she still catches the haunted looks, never misses the blank stares. Because it was just yesterday that she was holding her trembling body in a beach in Norway, and yet it wasn’t. It had been one year and a half. In those moments, Jackie was sure that there was something terribly wrong about the way the cogs turned in this world.

She’d thought she’d like it.

What a silly idea that seemed now.  

She shakes the envelope and the paper falls soundless as a feather.

There is only one picture. She had been dismayed when she found out, but Mickey told her that the rest of the files were corrupted and that there was nothing else he could do. Bless him. Those old mobiles had never been too reliable, anyway.

They were smiling.

Why, of course they were smiling, it was the only thing they seemed to be able to do around each other. Her with the dimples on her cheeks, and him with that barmy face and those barmy eyebrows. She didn’t know when it had become their trademark, only that it had.

They were pointing at something outside of the frame, their raised arms cut by the elbow. It must have been something incredible, no doubt, for their eyes were wide and shining. Inexplicably, they both wore two pairs of sunglasses, maintaining an precarious balance at the top of their heads, but they were too lost in whatever it was that had caught their attention to care. The quality of the image is fuzzy and the background is a blur of grey and blue. They could’ve been in Spain or in a moon colony lightyears away from Earth, and she wouldn’t be able to tell. Their expression is one of sheer wonder, and she thinks that’s how they should’ve looked, forever.

Forever wondering, forever marvelling.  

And she had once been so worried—worried that she’d lose herself, that on every ship and planet and asteroid she visited, she’d leave a piece of herself behind until there was nothing left. It couldn’t have been further from the truth: her daughter, she realized, had found herself among the stars, and she had soared. And for some reason, this realization brings a pain to her chest greater than any other. And she regrets, regrets, regrets, regrets, regrets, regrets so deeply she can feel her guts turn inside out.

And it only gets worse, because every day she sees her, and she’s trying so hard to build, she’s trying so hard to create and not destroy. To leave a mark, to carve a niche of her own, fit in the spaces between offices and parties and rooms twice the size of their flat. But it’s like Rose always tells her: “I was never born here. There isn’t a hole with my outline. If I want a place for myself, I have to start from scratch.”

Jackie can feel her hands shaking.

She doesn’t know when her daughter became so wise.

Indeed, it is those gaps. It’s those gaps she feels when she wakes up in a bed that’s not hers, with a husband that might look like hers, but he’s alive and well and no longer a ghost. It’s terrifying.

They had left a hole with their outline when they left, and Jackie wonders what it might look like. An empty council flat. With her cheap furniture, a desolate fridge and a broken washing machine. With a tiny bathroom with bad lighting and a crooked mirror. With two bedrooms cluttered with years and years of trinkets and keepsakes that would no longer hold any meaning whatsoever: Christmas postcards and old blankets and earrings and dirty clothes and a bronze medal and magnets of places they never visited.

Of all that, would remain nothing.

But in her mind, as she envisions it, to her surprise she realizes that the house isn’t empty. Not completely. She imagines a shadow, a lonely figure in a long coat, standing in the middle of it all like a salt statue.

She wonders if he will mourn them for long.

And hopes that he will.

Because, as she holds the picture in her hands, she thinks of paper crowns and garlands and laughter and ash instead of snow, and she too, mourns.

***

Someone stands still on Walworth Road and the Earth keeps turning.

The burden had been his to bear.

And that was okay.

It’s always been like this.

Every person he meets leaves a load when they part ways—a bundle of memories, of good times and bad times and a little bit of this, and oh, also a little bit of that—and he carries it gladly. Sometimes with sorrow, and pain, but always gladly. It’s the least he can do. It’s his duty. Or something like it, anyway. The word is too formal and too pompous and he doesn’t like how it sounds in any case.

But it wasn’t a sense of obligation that drove him here. Not because he felt that he had to, or that he owed them (even though he owes them, so much), but because he feels if he doesn’t honour what’s left of them, he doubts that anyone else will. And he can let the world forget—because humanity always forgets, humanity always moves on—their names and their faces and the footprints they left along their path, but he won’t.

So he steps into the flat.

For some reason, he didn’t think there’d be silence. This was never a place for silence; for chatter and laughter, always; for quiet, sometimes; but never for this sheer blankness, this void of sound. Now, however, there is so much of it he’s afraid the flat will burst. He could quantify it, estimate it, calibrate its exact weight and mass, because this silence is something tangible, something that looms and lurks and creeps onto your back. There’s something about it that unnerves this body. This silence makes his nerves itch and tingle and he wants to flee like a scared animal.

But he can’t bring himself to break it.

The TARDIS waits in the children’s playground, because parking it on the front room felt irreverent, and because Jackie always complained about the marks the old ship left on the carpet. Now he’s three floors up, foldaway cardboard boxes under his arm, and he’s crossed the threshold and it’s silent. It takes eight tentative steps, twenty-seven feet and 6.3 inches, and he’s in the living room. He can see the kitchen from his vantage point: the tap dripping every 0.9 seconds and the dirty dishes still in the sink and a mug on the table and everything is so there and it looks so very much the same that it aches. And suddenly it seems like the air turns liquid and dense and the Doctor freezes.

It’s like a snow globe.

It dawns on him that he doesn’t want to touch anything, that he’d rather die before moving a frame or a chair an inch from their current resting place. He wants to keep it this way, forever; preserve an ordinary, utterly unimportant empty council flat against the ravages of time, uncorrupted and uncorruptible. Nothing more and nothing less than a home, lived-in and worn-out, with specks of dust dancing against the sunlight and a half-finished cuppa still waiting for its owner to return. To come back.

He thinks he might wait, too.

He drops the cardboard boxes, and it isn’t until then that he notices.

Beside a too-familiar rucksack, there is a square plastic box. A disposable camera. The classic FujiFilm.

Attached to it, a pink sticky note.

Develop.

Once, it might have been a trivial reminder, just one among the many things in a to-do list, but now it feels more like a dying wish. Unfulfilled.  

He doesn’t think it twice.

He’s sprinting down the stairs before he can register that his body is moving at a disproportionate speed, the odds of missing a step and breaking his spine increasing exponentially.

There’s never been a dark room in the TARDIS, and it occurs to him that he should build one, one day. Why didn’t the TARDIS have a dark room? The TARDIS most definitely should have a dark room. That way, at least, he’d save the sidelong glances and the startled faces. Oh. Barging in again, aren’t we, Doctor?

It’s one of those little street shops, wedged and squeezed, fighting for space between a Tesco and an ATM, where you can have your photos printed in an hour and a puzzle or a keychain made with your face on it. Genius. At the counter were two employees with name tags attached to their breast pockets, and they both looked like they were about to ask him to leave. But he’s quick to slam the camera on the counter and rummage his pockets until he finds the right currency, and suddenly their faces turn bright and trustworthy.

So he waits—one hour, as the advert says—and the soles of his chucks punctuate the passing of each second.

When they give him the envelope, he stumbles back onto the street and rips it open.

The crowds pass him by, but he’s glued to the sidewalk from head to toe.

Out of the whole roll of film, there are only three photos. The first one is a table, the tablecloth faded at the edges and with a couple of burst seams, laid out with all sorts of foods—almost too much food—looking like an impromptu banquet, messy and exaggerated and inviting, and he knows exactly when it was taken.

He can’t say the same about the second one.

It’s the cracker they pulled, on a Christmas Eve that was both the first and the last. It was all glitter on the outside until it popped with a short loud bang. The paper crown had been pink and it had matched his, and she had been elated. Halfway through dinner, the telly had blared a season classic and they had tried to dance, tumbling ridiculously as to avoid the chairs and the sofa and oh, careful there, that’s the china figurine cousin Mo brought from Belgium! They had gotten tangled with the tinsel in the process, but her grin had been as wide as her cheeks stretched. Only now, he realizes, that he had been grinning too. Perhaps that was why he couldn’t remember the click of the camera, or Jackie fussing about saying cheese!

He has no clue when this moment happened, only that it came and it was gone in the blink of an eye.

And then the Doctor is left alone, standing still on Walworth Road, and his face is lined with tears.

He only catches a brief glimpse of the third photograph before he shoves the envelope into his coat pocket. It was dark, barely an outline, of two figures pointing at the sky.

I spent Christmas day just over there, at the Powell Estate, with this... family. My friend, she had this family. Well. It was my…

Bringing his hands to his face, he pushes his palms against the globes of his eyes until patterns emerge under the pressure, but no matter how hard he tries the tears keep falling.

The Doctor stands still and the crowds pass him by.

The Earth keeps turning.

An the burden, this time, is too heavy to bear.

***

Read in Ao3

[whippedkoalas]

Happy New Year!

Hello! It’s the last day of 2017 and to thank you all, I decided to write another fic. This is an Alternative Universe. There will be a part 2 tomorrow. (Noora leaves Oslo for London.) 

P.S: I’m sure the school they go to doesn’t exist, but well...

I’ ll thank you more tomorrow, for now; enjoy reading.

It's New Year's Eve, she's been in London for less than 48 hours and didn't know how to say to her hosts that she would rather stay alone in her room than go to the European School of London's party. So here she is, in her black jumpsuit, alone at a party with strangers. The only person she has met before is Eva, but she is more than tipsy and busy kissing her boyfriend. Her hosts were very sorry that their daughter isn't there, but she always spends her holidays back in Oslo. She has a boyfriend there. Elias doesn't attend ESL, but Norwegian School of London, so he wasn't invited. There are a lot of people, from every country of the world. Each country has its own table. She would never have guessed that there were that many Norwegians in London. Everyone is sweet and happy to be here. She doesn't fit very well. There are a lot of people in the room and it makes her uncomfortable. She speaks to some students from Spain but they're also a bit drunk and the conversation drops after a few minutes. It's not very late but everyone has had enough alcohol already so she decides to go outside. It's freezing, and she would like to just go 'home' but if Mr. And Ms. Bakkoush see her coming home before midnight they will worry.  

When Noora came back from Madrid, she thought that she was fine. Under Spain’s latitude, she had been so much better. She thought she had battled all her demons and could come back to her country for good. Starting over in Oslo. New city, new school, new home, new friends. A fresh start. She knew as soon as she landed in Oslo that it wouldn’t be that easy. Everything could have been perfect. Her new roommates were more than fine. Eskild was funny, laid-back, tried to get to know her. He was honestly easy to live with. Linn was a bit shyer but she was sweet, was trying very hard not to overstep, she was always kind and thoughtful. Their apartment was fine, too, her room was big enough, cute, she loved the walls color. Her new school was great. She had met new people. Chris and Vilde, primarily. Chris was the sweetest person ever and she tried to make Noora laugh every day. Vilde was funny, too. She had asked Noora to be part of her Russ bus but she declined. Joining a bus felt very off. After her rejection, Vilde quickly started avoiding her a bit. Noora understood. Russ was very important and she knew she should have said yes but … Something was very wrong. She knew that something was off; she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what but she knew she had to do something. She tried to hold on, to work extra hard on her homework, to accept Chris or Eskild’s invitations to go out. She even tried to apply different lipstick every day. Nothing changed. Nothing was bad, per se. She had friends, she had good grades. Something was just… missing. It was dangerous and she knew it. Late at night, when she was alone, tucked in bed, her anxiety was cropping up again.   She was self-aware enough to know that she had to do something quickly. Otherwise, she would spiral down again. There was no way in hell she would go back to where she was just months back. The hospital, vitamins, blackmail, force-feeding; she would never go back to this nightmare ever again. She had promised herself when she left the hospital. She loved herself enough not to make her body suffer like this. When Chris told her about her fantastic friend Eva, daughter of a Norwegian flight attendant, who currently lives in London and is attending the ‘coolest school ever’, she asked her friend for a few details. Apparently, Eva is attending a Norwegian program in a European school in London. It took Noora less than two weeks to take a decision. She called the school, first. It was a private and very expensive school but they promised that she could start in January and not lose a year in her schooling. Secondly, she texted Eva to have information about everything else. She had never gone to London. Eva was sweet and answered all her questions. Thirdly, she asked her parents. They said the price was not a problem. Noora knew it was escaping again. She was fleeing her problems once more, but she felt herself weakening more and more every day and it was the only solution.

The weather in London is quite chill tonight. She’s shivering but the cold feels good. She’s alone on the balcony, looking at London, this enormous city that will be hers for the semester. She breathes the air and tries to make sense of all of this. She can’t go back now, so she has to accommodate to this new life soon. For now, she hasn’t met a lot of people; only her host family and Chris’s friend Eva. Elias told her not to worry when she was unpacking, apparently, the expat life is very different from ‘normal’ life and nobody at school will mind that she’s a semester late. It’s usual, people come and go. Suddenly she hears the French window’s door opening and there’s a boy walking towards her. She quickly glances at him. She recognizes him from the Norway table. He’s, from what she gathered, in third year.  He has two Champagne glasses and is smiling discreetly at her. She feels his eyes on her. “They started serving Champagne and I saw you alone here, I brought your glass,” he says matter-of-factly, with a little smirk. She turns to look at him. She gives him a nod. “I don’t drink” she answers. She should thank him, but honestly, she’s so tired of boys trying to hit on her with awful tactics like this one. She just wants to be left alone. “Shock!” he says, putting the glasses on the table next to them.  He runs his fingers through his hair and she gets her attention back to the view. She feels his presence beside her but he doesn’t say anything. From the sounds she hears, he’s rolling a cigarette. “You don’t smoke either, do you?” he says after a few minutes of silence. He sits down on a chair. She shakes her head. They stay in silence for a long moment, which unsettles Noora. That boy clearly came on the balcony for her, but he doesn’t say anything. There’s something magnetic about him; Noora can’t help but glance at him. Sometimes, he’s looking at the view or at nothing but a few times, he catches her eyeing him and smirks. He probably comes from a rich family and was never told no. She classifies him as a fuckboy because of the girl’s reactions when he arrived. He’s intriguing, for sure. However, she can’t think about more with him. With anyone. Love is dangerous. Suddenly she wonders how just seeing him, sitting on a chair smoking a cigarette made her think of … love. She blinks a few times, trying to shake herself and forget about the boy who clearly doesn’t care about her (she has a thing with boys who doesn’t care about her, apparently) when he gets up and leaves the balcony. She looks in the door’s direction and bites her lips. He’s gone. It shouldn’t sadden her like it does but when she’s moody like she is, sadness is easily triggered. She looks at her phone to see what time it is. 10:43 pm. She definitely can’t go home now. She hears the crack of the door again. This time, the boy is holding two blankets and two mugs, he’s struggling but he manages to put everything on the table without an accident. “Here,” he tells Noora, handing her one of the blankets. “You’re freezing” She takes the blanket automatically. “Thanks,” she says. He smiles. “but you can go back to the party. I won’t have sex with you” she adds. As soon as the words are out of her mouth, she mentally slaps herself. “I brought you tea, too” the boy replies. “to warm you up” he adds. She thinks for a second that he won’t mention what she said but then he smirks. “And… to be clear, I would not be opposed to it, Noora, but I didn’t bring blankets so we could have sex on the balcony,” he says. He’s looking at her reaction. She sighs, she didn’t mean it that way but whatever. “How do you know my name?” she hisses and he takes a step back. “It may seem like there are a lot of people from Norway here, but we’re one of the smallest sections of the school. Everybody knows everybody here” logic. “There’s only one new student in our section this semester, Noora, from Oslo. You’re the only girl I don’t know here,” he explains. “And, you’re living with the Bakkoush’s, you fit Elias’s description very well” he continues, with raised eyebrows.   She nods. “logical,” she says. She looks at the mug on the table. She is thirsty and tea could help her warm up, but it seems a bit dangerous to drink it because she doesn’t know him.  She looks at him and he’s smiling at her. She takes the mug and sips a bit of tea. “thanks for the tea” she whispers. She sits down next to him and keeps her hands on the mug. “no problem” “You can go back to the party,” she tells him. He chuckles. “You really don’t want to share the balcony, eh?” She looks at him. “I’m not in the mood” she replies. He nods. “it’s okay. What would you do if you weren’t here?” “sleep,” she says. “That’s not fun, though. Do you like museums?” he seems genuinely curious. She narrows her eyes, a bit suspicious but nods anyway. He stands up and offers his hand. “Come with me, then. We’re going to the museum. It’s a small one, but you’ll like it”   She doesn’t move. It’s dangerous to follow someone you don’t know like that. She should say no. At the same time, Chris’s words are playing in her head. “Noora, have fun, relax. Sometimes you have to trust someone to be decent.” “I don’t even know your name” she answers. “William. William Magnusson” “I don’t follow strangers, William,” she says. “Fair enough,” he says, sitting back on the chair. “I’m William, I’m 18 years old. I’ve been living in London for 8 years. I live not far from there. It’s my last year at ESL…” “What are you doing?” she interrupts him. “I’m introducing myself,” he says, shrugging. “I am not a stranger anymore” She laughs. “God, you’re a cliché” she bites her lips. “And you like me for it”. He looks at her intensively. She blushes and chuckles. “I don’t like you”   “if you say so” “You have to give up!” she tells him, sternly. “Give up? I won’t give up” he replies, with a chuckle. She’s amused by his bluntness. She knows too well the kind of guy he is.   Something switches after that and she relaxes. He smiles, sipping his tea. They spend a long while in utter silence. The only sound they hear is the party going on inside.   “So, what’s your story, Noora?” he asks. She looks at him, surprised. “my story?” “Everyone who ends up here has a story” William explains. “You know Sana’s story. Chris’s parents left him there, they’re in Dubaï now. Eva’s mom got here after the divorce. Her boyfriend, Jonas? He was born here, his parents were both here for a gap year and they never left. Ingrid? Her parents are in Oslo but they think she’s ‘better here’. Sara’s story is kind of the same. I can go on and on. Everyone here has a story.” She nods. “What’s yours?” she replies. William smirks again. “I asked you first”. As Noora doesn’t react, he continues, “My dad is from London. He left my mom, came back here and when I was 10, I moved in with him” “Your mom is still in Norway, then?” she asks. “I don’t know. Guess so.” “You don’t know?” “No. My mom is a cunt, so no, I don’t know” “Oi, William. Don’t need to insult your mom” “It’s the truth.” he shrugs. “I was 10 years old when she decided she didn’t want to take care of me anymore” he exhales. She presses her lips together. “Siblings?” She doesn’t even know why she wants to know more about him. “My brother is… a psychopath. That’s why Dad took me with him. My sister is dead” he says, shrugging. “Oh. Sorry” she whispers. William rubs his neck and gives her a tiny smile. “Told you. Everyone has a story, there” he tries to lighten the mood. “So what? You’re a spoiled brat, your father lets you do whatever you want?” she jokes. He rolls his eyes. “Well, my father gave up on me last year, so no.”

He says that without any trace of emotion on his face. She doesn’t know what to say, so she doesn’t say anything.  She keeps her eyes on him, biting her lips. She sees him breathing heavily.  

They hear people cheering inside.

“10!” She smiles. Her eyes go from his eyes to his lips and back to his eyes. “9!” She could kiss him. “8!” She knows that he wouldn’t mind. “7!” There’s nothing stopping her. “6!” She’s almost surprised she wants to kiss him. “5!” She plays with her lips. “4!” she leans closer to him, just a bit. “3!” She looks at him one more time. “2!” she closes the distance between them. “1!” their noses touch. “Happy New Year!” she kisses him. He’s a bit surprised but kisses her back almost instantly.

When they part, William’s hands still cupping her face, he’s smiling. She chuckles. “You said something about a museum?” she whispers. He nods. He looks briefly at her once again and seals their lips again.  

[rhythmandstrings]

2017

I guess this is where I keep these.

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?

Attend an international scouting event, get a house with just a partner, get a tattoo

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t think I made any. May attempt some goals for this year, but no promises.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nobody especially close, but several friends who are less close had kids.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, and I’d very much like to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.

5. What countries did you visit?

Canada, Spain, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, England, Greece, and the USA. Lots of travel this year, and I am stupidly lucky.

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

Stability in both work and finances (often those tow go hand in hand...)

7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The entirety of my travels, especially world moot and the amazing people I met there. February 4th, Moot, and a few other weekends away at various points.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Making it around the world without any majorly serious mishaps, and still being close with the people I was travelling with at the end of it.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Finding work once I got back home.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

The usual coughs, colds, messed up back, but nothing too major. My knee gave out on me while travelling and is still giving me grief.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Travel. All the travel.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Still hate this question. (Same as last year)

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Ditto this one.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Flights are kinda expensive...

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Going to Iceland. And all the other travel. Nerding out over ancient Greek stuff. Coming home.

16. What song will always remind you of 2017?

I Saw the Sign - Ace of Base (Topdeck callback song), and the horrendous but fantastic Moot song.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier in some aspects, and struggling in others? Happiness is hard to quantify.

b) thinner or fatter? I think I’ve gained weight this year? It’s not really something I track.

c) richer or poorer? Financially? Way poorer. Much richer in experience, though.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Reaching out to friends I don’t see as often as I’d like.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Getting involved in lengthy bitching sessions and politics. I also made a point of seriously cutting back on drinking this year.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Family time. Went to my aunt and uncle’s place for lunch, then they cam to ours for dinner. Went up and spent time with my partner’s family on Boxing Day.

21. Did you fall in love in 2017?

Yep. Quite unexpectedly, but I’m rather enjoying it.

22. How many one-night stands?

Sort of one, but also not really? At the time I thought it was, but eleven months later I’m still dating him, so...

23. What was your favourite TV program?

I don’t think I watched any TV series outside the latest season of Orange is the New Black this year. We’ve just got Netflix working today, though, so there might be more in 2018...

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nah. Hate is a strong word, and I generally try to avoid it wherever possible.

25. What was the best book you read?

I really didn’t read huge amounts for most of this year. I really enjoyed Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I also finally plucked up the courage to read Wild Rover No More, the last book in a series that was hugely important in my teenage years, and whose author died a few years back.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The Misbehavin’ Maidens

27. What did you want and get?

All the travel.

28. What did you want and not get?

Financial stability.

29. What was your favourite film of this year?

I think I only saw like three movies in theatres this year. The Last Jedi? But that’s possibly largely because I recently saw it and can remember it.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Turned 26. Spent the day exploring Vancouver.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Getting that Youth Educator job with SAPN.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?

Clothes that fit and don’t itch? I’m still mostly a jeans and flannel shirt kind of person.

33. What kept you sane?

Friends, my partner, spending weekends out of town, finding little pockets of alone time and familiarity wile travelling at times.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Oh god, this involves naming a celebrity/public figure.... I’m sure there are many that if you showed me them I would be all “Yes. That one. I like them very much.” but I’m drawing a blank right now.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

I guess I should say our election. There were a few things our incompetent previous government did that made me exceptionally frustrated, too.

36. Who did you miss?

My partner while I was overseas. My wonderful World Moot tribe. Katie. 

37. Who was the best new person you met?

All of my amazing and incredible World Moot people.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017:

Never trust Australians to help you lead a G rated version of a rover song. Always make sure you have the bond from any new flatmates before they move in.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

Be Prepared, for all that is coming and Don’t be scared, of all things belonging, I’ll see you there, dancing and singing, We won’t forget, that we will always...

- World Moot Song

40. How did you spend New Year’s Eve?

With a few friends and my partner, camping up at Scoutlands. Was a bit quieter than my normal New Years, but very enjoyable.

[abujaihs-blog]

How modular manufacturing could solve Chicago’s affordable housing crisis

As Chicago grapples with an affordable housing crisis and soaring construction costs, one company is betting on modular buildings to help solve the crisis. Next week, Chicago-based construction firm Skender will begin the first run of prefab buildings on the production line of its new 105,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Little Village. Skender’s first customer, prolific Chicago developer Sterling Bay, plans to bring 10 three-flat, affordable-rate apartment buildings to vacant lots in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago’s 27th Ward. The buildings are composed of 12 modules that snap together like Lego blocks, which makes construction 80 percent faster than traditional methods. With an estimated cost of $330,000 to 350,000 per uni, the units are by no means “cheap” but still 20 percent less expensive than a comparable “stick-built” three-flat. Building a better module Skender takes a Chicago-oriented approach to modular housing by offering a non-combustible, steel-frame design that can be stacked 12 units high. “Eighty percent of buildings are basically the same,” said Tim Swanson, Skender’s chief design officer. “Once you optimize those parts and pieces, you have so much more room for better materials and design.” The company does all of the architecture, engineering, and manufacturing in-house to create a product that really takes advantage of the prefab technology. This wide-angle approach allows the team to quantify the benefits of things that otherwise would be “value engineered” out of a traditional affordable housing project. For example, the units use more expensive wall-hung toilets and one-piece, high-performance insulating metal panels, but these higher-cost elements are offset by a more efficient manufacturing process and energy savings down the line. Since HUD includes utilities in its total rent rate calculations for affordable housing, there’s extra incentive to reduce utility costs.

“If we use technology to think about buildings as products rather than individual projects, we avoid having to keep reinventing the wheel,” said CEO Mark Skender. “The product can evolve over time and get better and more efficient, as seen in just about every other industry except construction.” A rendering of one of the affordable three-flats (center). Skender The buildings won’t look factory-built The company will initially provide two different facade options for its first run of affordable three-flats but plans to eventually offer a variety of designs. It is taking special care to craft its early buildings in a way that downplays the modular construction. “In places like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Japan, modular housing is seen as a luxury item and is sometimes more desirable specifically because it was built in a factory, but that’s not the perception in the United States,” said Skender architect Angela Spadoni. “Right now we are doing everything we can to make the designs not look modular. But in five years from now, who knows? It might be seen as such a better product that we want to find ways to architecturally highlight how the different parts fit together.” Building beyond the three-flat In addition to the first batch of 10 three-flats, Sterling Bay plans to partner with nonprofit organizations to bring affordable housing to 100 lots scattered throughout the city. This includes a 7-story, 83-unit modular apartment building slated for 1100 W. Grand Avenue in River West that could welcome residents as early as next year.

A conceptual rendering of an 11-story modular mid-rise. Rendering courtesy of Skender Skender’s modular designs could potentially play a role in Sterling Bay’s future plans to deliver 600 units of affordable housing for its Lincoln Yards megadevelopment. The developer is required to build half of the units on-site and the remainder within a three-mile radius of the sprawling North Branch project. The technology could allow Sterling Bay to fulfill its obligations faster and at a lower cost. Skender sees its initial plans with Sterling Bay as a proof-of-concept that it can expand to larger multifamily developments including senior living, student housing, hotel, and “deployable healthcare.” The company is currently in the design phase for over a dozen mid- to high-rise projects, according to Spadoni. “We’re talking to a number of developers that want to be the first follower,” said the architect. “There are a lot of ‘number twos’ in line, waiting to see the first one done.” Skender is also a partner in Chicago’s Garfield Green proposal, which was recently selected as a winner in C40’s global Reinventing Cities design competition. The benefits of a safer work site In addition to eliminating logistical bottlenecks, likes crews fighting over an overbooked freight elevator, or the piles of wasteful packing materials that come with individually shipping components to a job site, the modular approach makes for a safer work environment. Crews in the factory no longer face the dangers posed by perilous heights or extreme weather.

“Now every time I walk one of our traditional work sites, I see so many unnecessary inefficiencies and physical risks,” said Stacy Scopano, Skender’s chief technology officer. “Here in the factory, we’re in a climate-controlled clean room with great lighting. The buildings literally flow under our employees’ feet along the assembly line. It’s phenomenal.” Workforce development goals The factory will bring new jobs to Chicago’s West Side. The first group is 30 carpenters hired through a nonprofit workforce development organization. When the facility reaches full capacity, it will employ 150 workers. “We’re bringing the construction industry into the 21st century and also creating 21st-century jobs in the process,” added Swanson. Source: By Jay Koziarz Read the full article

[understandingchaoss]

Im confused how youre able to afford to travel so much? I would love to but I cant afford it. Do you have any tips ?

Hi anon! I actually have a list full of pointers!!

First of all, in the long run, I think the fact that I’m able to travel like I do, comes down to the fact that my motivation is Europe. I HAVE to go. There’s something inside of me that can’t stay here and keep seeing the same stuff over and over again. Europe looks NOTHING like the states, and the culture is what I absolutely love. So I think I just have an insane amount of motivation. As a result of that motivation, I feel as if I’ve made some fairly smart choices in order to continue saving like I do.

Second of all, there are two ways to go about being able to afford traveling. There are ways to save in order to be able to travel, and there are ways to save while you’re traveling. 

In terms of what to do to prepare, here’s what I have done:

Join a credit union. Not only do they give you insanely low interest rates when your credit might not be the best, but they give you great deals on houses (when the time comes), cars, and personal loans. I joined mine when I was 18 and will be a lifetime member.

Build your credit. If you have a vehicle that you don’t make payments on, but know the one you have is going to take a dump soon, this is super important. I built my credit for about 8 months before I purchased my car. I got a credit card through my credit union and just put all of my purchases on that instead of using my debit card or cash. However, do not do so if you think that having a credit card means you can spend whatever you want. That money has to get paid off somehow, and as long as you’re smart about it, you can pay it off every month and never pay any interest, thus, building your credit.

Don’t buy a brand new car. This is a terrible idea altogether. The car loses value the second you drive it off the lot. Most people will sign the papers in a heartbeat, except they just signed for a $28,000 car with a 20% interest rate. If you’re smart about it and purchase a good vehicle for a good price, your monthly payments could be as low as $100 a month.

Try to find a job that’s willing to pay you above minimum wage, even if it’s only 25 cents more; or find a job that will eventually give you raise, such as an annual. My job is basically the reason I am able to afford what I do. I serve tables in California, which is not one of the states that is allowed to pay servers as low as $2.00 an hour. California requires tipped positions to be paid at least minimum wage. So I make $10.50 an hour plus my tips, which averages me out to about $18.00-$19.00 an hour. My job also does annual raises and Christmas bonuses, which help a lot. As much as serving tables kind of sucks sometimes, the money is fantastic, and I highly suggest it for anyone in college trying to save money to travel. 

Don’t have your savings account linked to your checking account. Banks couldn’t have made things any easier to not save money. Having the two linked if you’re not the best with money, is an awful idea. When I made the decision to travel, I wanted to spend as little as possible, but it was hard when all I had to do was transfer something from my savings to my checking when I needed more money. I opened up a savings account with a completely different bank. The only way I can take money out, is to go in and take it out, and then I would have to drive another 15 minutes to my other bank just to put it in. You’re more likely to save money when you make things difficult for yourself to actually spend money.

Have an emergency savings account. Life happens, and sometimes you’re short on money, but your car breaks down. Even if you have to only put $5.00 away every month, it all adds up. Make it a completely separate account from everything else, and pretend the money doesn’t exist. 

Get yourself a flyer miles credit card. I only suggest doing this once you’ve had a normal rewards credit card and are comfortable opening another credit account. But boy, does it come in handy! I now use my credit card from my credit union as my emergency card. I hardly use it anymore. I put any and all purchases I make on my miles card. If you’re planning on traveling all over, I suggest a Discover It miles card, or a Capital One Venture card. Discover gives you a mile and a half for each dollar you spend, and Capital One gives you two miles for each dollar you spend. Neither limit you to just one airline, like an Alaskan miles card would, as an example. I will be using my miles to buy my ticket to Alaska this summer, and won’t pay hardly anything out of pocket. I racked up the miles with my every day purchases like groceries, eating out here and there, and gas.

Try to put away a set amount into savings each month, or every pay period. This is not something I particularly do, just because living off of tips isn’t always predictable. I pretty much just look at what I made for the week, divide everything up according to which bills need to be paid, and put the rest in savings. But for some people, doing a set amount can help a lot. Most employers that do direct deposit, will do it for several accounts, so you can even have a set amount from each paycheck go straight into your savings.

In terms of how to save while you travel, here’s what I have found:

Find a cheap airline. Sometimes I feel like this is just a given, but some people will legitimately spend thousands of dollars on an international ticket. I have found that the cheapest airline flying to Europe during most times of the year, is Norwegian Air. Every now and then you can find a cheaper ticket through Virgin Airways. Here’s why I would still pay a little extra for Norwegian. These planes are absolutely enormous because the flights are so long. The sucker is called the Dream Liner for a reason. I have so much leg room, I feel like I’m in first class. Their meals are actual meals served hot, whereas most airlines serve sandwiches, or hot food that looks more like plastic. For not much extra, you can get a ticket one step up that includes meals, choosing your seats, and includes your bags. I like Norwegian because they fly straight from California to Europe. The curvature of the earth matters, and each time you touch down and take off, you add more flight time. I always fly to Poland as my destination, so I stop in Norway, and then go to Poland. It’s a LONG flight if you go from the west coast, but it’s worth it. 

Fly during the fall and winter, and avoid holidays. Sometimes this is inevitable. But if your schedule is pretty open, fly during the ‘off’ season. Prices tend to go down in price to most places around the end of September, shoot up for Thanksgiving week, then go back down until the week of Christmas. During Christmas, they shoot back up, but as soon as New Year’s is over, they go back down. Prices don’t usually go back up in price until about May. Summer is when everyone wants to do their traveling, thus tickets are most expensive so airlines can make money. But for example, I flew to Iceland round trip from California in the middle of January for less than $400. No one wants to go to Iceland in the dead of winter, so prices are cheaper. You could pay around $1,000 just to go to the same place, but during the summer. Prices to the rest of Europe work the same way.

Use public transportation. I always travel with my best friend, Emily. We both refuse to use taxi’s because that’s how men figure out where you’re staying, and that’s like, asking to get abducted. Emily is fantastic with directions and public transportation, so she’s always in charge of that. Just about any city you go to will have public transportation, because Europe thinks about the important things. Tickets to use the buses, trams, or trains are almost always super cheap. All of the major cities I’ve been to - Prague, Budapest, London, Salzburg, Zagreb - all have great systems and good prices. Sometimes you can buy a bulk amount of tickets all at once, instead of buying individual tickets each time you go from one place to the next. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk, so if they offer it, use it.

Stay in Airbnb’s, not hostels or hotels. Hotels are pointless because you can’t cook. Wasted money eating out all three meals right there. Hostels are pointless unless you plan to travel with a large group, otherwise you usually have to share amenities, and not all of them have kitchens. Airbnb’s are super cheap for just about any city or town. They are fully furnished apartments or houses, so you can cook. Not to mention, some of them are so cute and I want to cry when I sometimes find the cutest one for a good price.

If you’re planning on traveling within several countries close to each other geographically, don’t fly. Once you’re in Europe, flying from place to place is super cheap. But if you’re visiting small countries that are all close to each other, look into a rail pass. Emily and I bought two first class passes for just under $1,000. They got us from Czech to Austria, to Hungary, then to Croatia. We bought them through Eurail and it was a great deal. We could hop on any train in each country as long as it was within the countries on our itinerary, and got us from one country to the next when it was time to move on. It ended up being cheaper to do it by train than to fly from place to place. Plus, you get to see the backcountry of everything, and it’s so worth it.

Make friends as you go. Meet people. Get to know the culture. Make friends. Most European cultures are all super welcoming. The more people you meet and stay in contact with during your time at home, the more likely you are to have either a cheap, or free place to stay the next time you go back. I could basically go anywhere in Poland at this point and not have to pay for a place to stay anywhere.

Avoid using cash. Economies are constantly changing. Currencies gain and lose value overnight. Take cash with you, and exchange a little just so that you can come back with some of it. I love to collect all the different currencies. But for the most part, avoid exchanging cash. It loses value, because places gain commission off of it, even if their windows say 0% commission. Research exchange rates of each place you’re going to just in case you need to exchange. All exchanges places have different rates, find the best one. If you plan to use cash for everything, withdraw it from an ATM. Try to stick to ones that are inside of banks, because you’re much less likely to use one that has a scanner in order to steal your information. But all in all, use a credit card. Debit cards aren’t safe to use internationally. If for some reason your information gets stolen, the second the money is used by someone else from your account, your bank likely won’t be able to get the money back. Credit cards are great because if your information gets stolen, the company or credit union is almost always able to fix the problem and you won’t owe the money someone else spent. 

This is all I can think of as of right now, and I think I pretty much included everything. Feel free to ask more questions if you need to, and I can give you answers if I have them! Traveling is actually so cheap if you go about it in the right ways. Good luck!!

[componentplanet]

Tesla Sales Climb Nicely. But the Stock Price Soars. What Gives?

Ignore the Tesla production delays, flaps in China, and Autopilot confused by a 35-mph speed sign defaced to read 85 mph. Tesla is on a roll. Production continues to climb and Tesla’s total stock market value – the market cap – has passed $100 billion, making it the world’s second most valuable car company after Toyota. It has already doubled in 2019.

This after having sold a record 368,000 cars in 2019. Toyota, with twice Tesla’s market cap, needed to sell nearly 30 times as many vehicles to have two times the value.

Tesla is on a tear this year: The $917 stock price Feb. 19 is 2.2X what it was at the end of December 2019. 2019 was up 25 percent but all in the last six weeks. TSLA’s early-January 2019 value didn’t return until Nov. 12. It takes a bold investor to know, not hope, the stock will keep rising. Still, who wouldn’t be happy seeing a 23 percent return in 2018 and 25 percent in 2019?

Why Tesla’s Doing So Well

It’s becoming clearer why Tesla stock is soaring: People value Tesla for its long-term potential as the leader in electrification.

Tesla is a tech company as much as it’s a car company. Meaning: Huge run-ups are possible.

The stock market sees EVs as the long-term future even if EV sales (all brands) in the US and Europe are super-soft so far this decade.

Tesla stock is the clearest way to invest in an EV future. Also just about the only way, except for component parts (sensors, batteries), because there aren’t many publicly traded, EV-only car companies.

The month-to-month miscues don’t affect Tesla’s long-term future. (Mostly.)

Investors see Elon Musk as a visionary and they discount the short-term-goofy things he does, says, or smokes.

Tesla’s market cap is currently (as of late February 2020) at $165 billion, versus $227 billion for Toyota. In comparison with Tesla, the market cap of General Motors is $49 billion and Ford is $31 billion. So Tesla is twice as big as Ford-GM combined.

Tesla’s Huge Lead on Autonomy

Tesla is not all smoke and (heated side) mirrors. Nikkei Asian Review recently did a teardown of the Tesla Model 3 and engineers who did the analysis were surprised how far ahead Tesla appears to be in electronics.  “We cannot do it,” a Japanese car engineer said of the Model 3’s central controller and of Tesla’s head start on everyone else, which may be five to six years. One reason put forth is that Tesla does not favor legacy suppliers. As a new company, Tesla has started fresh, at least in regards to its core processing. It’s also generally agreed to have the best battery and battery-management technology.

If you wanted a reason to explain the exuberance over TSLA, this could be it.

Tesla sales have gone steadily upward. Well, mostly upward, with several quarterly hiccups. Tesla will hit 1 million cumulative sales in the next couple of months. The Model 3 represents 85 percent of sales. Model S and Model Y (no longer broken out) share the other 15 percent. Model 3 sales got real, as one might suspect from the chart, in the second half of 2018. The chart shows worldwide sales.

Who Else Could Build a Wedge-Shape Pickup?

With Tesla products, they arrive late or horribly late. But when they do arrive, they surprise and delight, and they create a cadre of loyal followers, sort of like Apple Moonies and Bernie Bros. (We won’t even begin to rank them for sense of humor.)

Most recent is the Tesla Cybertruck pickup, a vehicle clad in stainless steel and shaped like a wheel chock. Others are working to deliver electric pickups, including Ford, GM, Rivian (which is supplying technology to Ford), and Bollinger. With pickups, range will be important, and Tesla’s ability to squeeze more miles out of every thousand pounds of battery could be a big advantage.

We’ll have to see how Tesla fares with the Tesla Semi. Electrification makes sense for drayage hauling (coastal port to warehouse 25 miles away). Adding enough power to take an 80,000-pound tractor and trailer 500 miles adds battery weight that reduces cargo capacity. Putting megawatt chargers for each of 100 trucks at a rest area means building a power plant sized for a small city.

Production-line quality hasn’t been Tesla’s strong suit, but it’s getting better. Broadly, we’re seeing Tesla does well by having more hits than misses in products.

Pollution and global warming may drive demand (or requirements) for more EVs. (Photo: Alfred T Palmer, Library of Congress)

Bottom Line: The World Needs EVs

EV sales are soft in the US and in the world. Where penetration is high (Norway) it’s because of government incentives for EVs and disincentives for combustion-engine vehicles. 2019 US sales actually fell 9 percent, to 330,00 sales for pure EVs (no plug-ins), or 2 percent of sales. Worldwide sales were estimated at 1.9 million, down 4 percent. That’s now. Add plug-in hybrids and market penetration might double. It’s still small.

Meanwhile, China’s middle class is showing unhappiness with dirty air. The European Union has talked about banning combustion engine vehicles within two decades. Much of the world has concerns about climate change. Every year, fewer people say climate change is a hoax.

Energy used for transportation is about a quarter of all consumption in the US, according to the US Energy Information Agency, and 96 percent of that locomotion comes from petroleum. This is why EVs have a stronger future that combustion-engine cars. And this may be the primary reason Tesla stock keeps rising, as mentioned above: the belief that there will need to be more electric vehicles over our lifetime. And Tesla is the purest stock market play to benefit.

There are plenty of times in company history when a one-year in-and-out investment in TSLA would have cost you big bucks. Right now, only Tesla short-sellers have been burned.

Be Careful Betting on Car Stocks

This is a tech site, not an investing site. So we’d offer the obvious insight that returns of 23 percent and 25 percent the last two years – calendar 2018 and 2019 – are phenomenal for all but the savviest, or greediest, investor. We’d point out that some of the late 2019/early 2020 gains came at the expense of short-sellers who believed TSLA was overvalued. People such as investment managers James Chanos (Yale) and David Einhorn (Cornell), probably smarter than you, or me, who borrowed money to go short and control high-priced Tesla stock they’d give back when they bought the same stock cheaper later on. Chanos last fall had described Tesla as “fundamentally unprofitable” and Einhorn had said “the wheels are falling off [Tesla] – literally” after some poor safety reports. Profitability and safety/recalls are the kinds of near-term issues that hurt mainstream automakers such as Ford, which had a horror show getting its Chicago factory to run right as a new generation of Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators were coming to market last year. For Tesla, it was water off a duck’s back.

Be wary of stories that talk about big gains from time X to time Y. There were other times when Tesla languished after a nice run-up and you’d have gone nowhere. Example: Tesla ended 2016 about where the price was at the beginning of 2016. (Off 4 percent.) It climbed nicely and peaked at $383 in June 2017 … then fell and didn’t get back to that level until a week before Christmas 2018. Tesla stock is volatile perhaps less from what Elon Musk says and does, but because Tesla and Apple are two of the most-shorted stocks and as much as one in five shares are held by investors going short, meaning they’re hoping to profit when the share price goes down. Some of this year’s early gains in TSLA value came from short-sellers who had to overpay to cover their short investment positions before the price when higher and they got clobbered even worse.

In other words, be mindful of point four further above when investing: “The month-to-month miscues don’t affect Tesla’s long-term future.” So far, at least.

The Standard & Poor 500 stock index historically returns about 10 percent per year. Subtract 2-3 percentage points per year for inflation and most people should be happy with the resulting 7 percent, which doubles your after-inflation return in 10 years. Tesla’s 2018-2019 annual return of about 24 percent would need a little under three years to double at that continued rate. Instead, it took six weeks.

It is a certainty Tesla cannot continue growing its stock price at the current pace. Tesla is currently worth $165 billion (market cap). The value of all stocks in the world (effectively the value of every public company) is $75 trillion, 425 times as big. If Tesla stock doubled every year, by 2030 Tesla would be worth as much as the rest of the world.

Non-Tesla EV Stocks

If you want an EV or autonomous-vehicle play in the stock market, promising newcomers such as Rivian are privately held. You can also invest in suppliers such as these (suggested by Barron’s):

Amphenol Corporation (APH)

Aptiv PLC (APTV)

BorgWarner Inc. (BWA) (author conflict-of-interest disclosure: I worked in a BorgWarner timing-chain factory in college; no current affiliation)

Delphi Technologies PLC (DLPH)

Magna International Inc. (MGA)

TE Connectivity Ltd. (TEL)

Or you could play the long game: Put part of your money in a mutual fund that tracks the tech sector broadly. Don’t touch it until your kids go to college or you retire. Hands-off and you’ll be well-off.

Now read:

Tesla Teardown Scares Competitors: ‘We Cannot Do This’

Tesla Remotely Removed Autopilot Features from Used Model S After ‘Audit’

Phone App Unlocks Rental Car, Then Strands Driver in California Boondocks

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/306382-tesla-sales-climb-nicely-but-the-stock-price-soars-what-gives from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/02/tesla-sales-climb-nicely-but-stock.html

[workingontravel]

It’s a bit of a love-hate relationship

(You can find a Swedish translation of this text here.)

I have often crossed routes with Gestalta Judd, who is one of the few in Europe who teaches bondage for a living. I wanted to speak to her because of her intimate knowledge of what has been coined as “rope nomadism”, which I think of as an interesting parallel to travelling for performing arts – but also because I was curious about how Brexit would affect her travel. Gestalta brought another subject to the table: her attempt to stay on the ground in 2019 for political reasons.

Gestalta Judd: My income is entirely based on doing rope, mostly teaching. I have to travel to teach – I wouldn’t make enough otherwise. What I usually do is a combination of workshops and performances, where the performances don’t really give much income. It’s really more of a break-even situation where I offset unpaid work with a paid job in the same place. This is how I usually manage to do creative things that I like, such as performing or photo and film.

I’ve been travelling for rope events since about 2014, but I was travelling quite a bit already before: for photographic modelling and stuff like that. So actually, I’ve been travelling my whole adult life. There is no clear pattern to how I travel, but I’ve been to most countries in Europe at some point. For a while, I did lots of trips to Prague in a row, and now I’ve done lots of trips to Norway. It’s similar for most teachers, I think. You teach what you have, and then you won’t come back to that particular area again until you have new content, or until the group has changed enough that there is new interest.

It was rope that made me go outside Europe; I’ve taught in Australia, for example. But I’ve never been to the States. One of the reasons is that I’m afraid of being turned away at the border and then both losing the payment for the job and not being reimbursed for the money I spent on the ticket. No one is ever going to get me a working visa to do anything considered adult. So, I’d have to go on a tourist visa and hope that they don’t google me, because Gestalta is a legal name and very uncommon. Even if I’d do something for free, if I’m there for an event that is making money, that’s already too much for the States. When I teach abroad, the travel is often calculated out of the workshop fee. This means that cheap flying and cheap buses are what generally allow this kind of teaching to happen. Since I get refunded and paid only if I show up, it’s lucky that I’ve never been too sick to go. If I had to cancel under those circumstances, it would be a trust thing. I think most organisers are decent people and would be able to discuss who was in a better financial position to cover the loss of the travelling cost. I bring as little as possible: my ropes, a bar of soap, my toothbrush, light clothes like leggings and stuff. If I’m going to a cold country, I try to take only one heavy outfit that I can wear over all my other clothes. Then I hope that I can borrow whatever else I need when I get there. While travelling, I try to sleep, or I take my headphones and just zone out completely for a while. If it’s a very long trip, I might try to do some writing, like workshop descriptions or such.

I would normally stay with one of the organisers or a student; whoever has a spare room or sofa. It’s very rare to get a hotel. It’s hard to afford that kind of thing. I often try to stay in places where there’s a kitchen and I can cook for myself and box it up to bring wherever I go. I’ve found that I get less tired when I’m eating what my body is used to, rather than having to rely on an unfamiliar diet. Every year for the last three years, I’ve been thinking that I will definitely stop travelling. But every year something new comes up. It’s a bit of a love-hate relationship. I absolutely can’t imagine what I would be doing if not rope. And I love doing it once I get there. But I’ve reached a point where the thought of travelling is actually horrible. And when I get home, I’m not really quite at home either, because I spend so little time there. I feel annoyed about the difficulty of putting down roots. The reason why I still want to continue is that I learn so much from the differences in how people construct their communities. I get to see rope from so many perspectives. And I have this familiarity with people globally, like they have become locals to me. There is no longer a strict divide between the teacher and the student like there used to be, when travelling teachers were less common. It’s more of an exchange now. It happens that I go to someone’s workshop and then the next day that person comes to my workshop. I used to feel more isolated. Being at a workshop in a room full of people talking about how great it is using this tool to connect with your partner, I sometimes had this strange sense of, “Oh but I’ve been travelling for so long I don’t really have any partners ’cause it’s impossible for me to sustain any meaningful connection with someone that I never see…” It was a bleak kind of feeling.

How much I travel varies greatly. At the heaviest, I could be flying twice a week, easily, and that could go on for months. At the lightest, I take months off and try not to go anywhere. If I do a big trip outside Europe, I try to earn enough to be able to rest when I come home. I have to be organised and hyper-focused when I work. If there’s too much going on outside what I’m focusing on, I start to forget things, and if I start to forget things, it’s over. Relationships at home just have to take a back seat. The times when I’ve been travelling the most, I either didn’t have any intense relationships or they broke up as a result of it. My long-term friends are used to sometimes not seeing or hearing from me for a while.

At the moment, I’m based in Leeds in the north of England. I just moved here a few months ago from Berlin. It was a bit of an accidental move. I thought I was just going to stay for the summer, partly to get an Irish passport in order to avoid getting my travelling opportunities limited by Brexit. We’re almost apathetic about Brexit now, just crossing our fingers for it not to happen, but I moved just in case. I thought I would hate living here. But I’ve been too busy to change my passport so I can’t leave yet, and also bizarrely I really love this slightly obscure town. We’ll see how long it continues.

As it happens, I’m fairly involved with the climate change movement in the UK – and I made a promise not to fly so much for 2019. In March, I did my first workshop outside UK for the year. For the first time in my international long-distance travelling, I decided that the workshop was paying enough for me to get the train. It’s my goal to continue doing that. Economically it will be interesting: I’ll have to look carefully at what jobs I can afford to take, or where I can make up for the extra cost. I’ve been justifying my way of travelling before by saying that I never fly for holidays, only for work. But it’s getting to a point where I feel that isn’t much of an excuse anymore. It’s not like I’m a surgeon saving lives. Not to say that my work lacks value, but it’s for pleasure whether it’s for me or for the people taking the workshop. The rope scene has lived through a very special time. Without really even thinking about it, we’ve been able to build friendships with people who don’t live in our country. It’s not like, “We’ll see each other in three years,” when you leave; it’s more of a casual “Yeah, see you soon.” It’s been a really short and unique time, and I don’t think it’s going to last unless we come up with some serious changes. This is sad, especially for a community that has such a niche interest. But if we’re doing something to make a change now, we are still making the choice. I think at the point where we’re forced into doing these changes, the survival of the rope community will be the least of our worries.

It’s time to start thinking collectively about what we can do as a community. There is no reason why every single person individually flies in for a big rope event when you have twenty people coming from Sweden and twenty people coming from Spain. I know it’s annoying to get a bus, but if they could share it, that would be very affordable. Yes, it would take an extra twenty hours of their time and they would be uncomfortable, and it would require central organising and someone actually taking charge, but maybe it’s the sort of thing that we need to consider now. Also, if people start to be a little bit more strict with what they allow themselves to do, then maybe train companies, bus companies and other alternatives to flying will have to catch up and make both prices and information more accessible. However, to truly make a shift in how people travel, the government needs to incentivise better transport options. Either air fares are too cheap or train fares are too expensive. They need to be swapped. Within the UK, train fares are obscenely expensive. I’m more or less cut off for economic reasons from travelling with train. For example, instead of travelling two hours from Leeds to London, I take a bus for six hours. I don’t really mind being stuck there, but the longer I travel, the more exhausting it will become. It’s not really a sacrifice for me at the moment to take three days out of my schedule to do a weekend workshop. But realistically, if I was taking the bus to another country in Europe, that’s a day of travel, and then I would probably want to arrive there a day earlier because I would just want to spend the day recovering. And then there are the two days for the workshop, and then a day of travelling back. And then I would probably want to spend another day recovering at home. So, there a two-day workshop has become a six-day job. I can really see that happening. The cost in terms of time and tiredness and that sort of emotional thing is the biggest concern, also when thinking about the amount of time that I’m already now away from friends and family. Another way to go about this would be to organise more: to try to stay for several weeks consecutively in one place or area. That would mean more time away from family and friends, but maybe then I could spend the next month at home with them without having to travel at all. Maybe that’s a sacrifice worth making, but it demands cooperation with and between different organisers. I don’t know if it will make a difference, but it’s exciting that the environmental movement in the UK is gaining such momentum. Today, we’re doing a protest against the bank HSBC and that they are still investing in fracking. There are some local fracking sites around here, and there were some induced earthquakes, so many groups are organising against it. But there are people in all of UK pretty much prepared to organise a new protest every week. Everyone is equally culpable, so it’s just to pick anything. Last week I was in London working, so then we did a protest against fast fashion. Then there was one because the BBC are not reporting enough on the environmental catastrophes we’re currently in. Here in Leeds, which is a small town, we did a protest for schools and young people. We thought maybe two hundred would come. A thousand showed up.

[tripstations]

British Airways passengers brace for two days of travel chaos

The first-ever strike by British Airways pilots will cripple flights from tomorrow, causing travel disruption for tens of thousands of passengers.

Members of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) will walk out for 48 hours in a long-running dispute over pay, with a further strike set for September 27 if the row remains unresolved.

BA has told passengers that if they have a flight booked on Monday and Tuesday, it is likely they will not be able to travel as planned.

A BA spokesperson said they make ‘no apology’ for doing all they could to protect customers from further disruption 

Customers have been offered refunds or the option to re-book to another date of travel or alternative airline.

BA operates up to 850 flights a day, with most expected to be cancelled, affecting up to 145,000 passengers.

The airline has said it was ‘ready and willing’ to resume talks with the union, but there is little or no sign of the deadlock being broken.

The strike chaos could even continue throughout the Christmas period, with pilots’ union Balpa having a mandate for action until January. 

Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton said: ‘British Airways needs to wake up and realise its pilots are determined to be heard.

‘They’ve previously taken big pay cuts to help the company through hard times. Now BA is making billions of pounds of profit, its pilots have made a fair, reasonable and affordable claim for pay and benefits.

‘Balpa has consistently offered up chances for the company to negotiate a way forward. British Airways must now put the needs of its staff and passengers first and accept that its pilots will not be bullied or fobbed off.

‘The company’s leaders, who themselves are paid huge salaries and have generous benefits packages, won’t listen, are refusing to negotiate and are putting profits before the needs of passengers and staff.

‘This strike will have cost the company considerably more than the investment needed to settle this dispute.

‘It is time to get back to the negotiating table and put together a serious offer that will end this dispute.’

Balpa said the strike will cost BA £40 million a day, claiming the dispute could be settled for £5 million.

A Balpa statement said: ‘BA’s belligerent attitude is going to cost them, their shareholders and their passengers far more than resolving this dispute via negotiation would. It is precisely that attitude which has caused so much anger and frustration amongst BA’s own staff members.

‘Fundamentally BA pilots have lost trust and confidence in their management through relentless cost and corner-cutting.

‘BA need to recognise that fact, resolve this dispute and work to regain the trust and confidence of their staff.’

BA sent an email late last night warning its 4,300 pilots that they would face sanctions for taking part in strike action, losing their generous travel perks for three years (file image)

BA has offered an 11.5% pay rise over three years, which it says would take the pay of some captains to over £200,000.

The union says pilots took sacrifices in hard times to support their company and deserve a ‘small fraction’ of BA’s profits.

BA’s 4,300 pilots were emailed on Friday and warned that taking part in the walkout would be a ‘serious breach’ of their employment contracts and they would lose the travel perk for three years.

Staff who have been at the airline for more than six months can buy tickets for themselves and up to three family members for ten per cent of the full fare plus taxes. 

But in the email, Angela Williams, BA’s director of people, said: ‘Any existing bookings for travel post the date when you took strike action will be cancelled.’

Striking pilots who live abroad and ‘commute’ by aircraft to either Heathrow or Gatwick – believed to number about 1,000 – will also lose their entitlement to heavily discounted flights from October 31.

The punishment will see some pilots spending thousands more each year getting to work. Under the perk, a pilot who commuted from LA would be able to buy a return economy ticket for flights in November for £323 – a saving of £367.

It is understood that six out of Balpa’s 14 senior reps commute from overseas, including Mark Keane, the chairman of the British Airways Company Council – Balpa’s BA arm – and a key militant behind the walkout. Keane, 27, lives in Dublin and flies to Heathrow to work.

In a further bid to break the strike, any pilot who turns up for duty on strike days will still be paid their so-called ‘flying pay’ allowance, worth £9 an hour, even if their rostered flight is axed. BA said: ‘We make no apology for doing everything we can to protect our customers from further disruption.’ 

Q&A: Why are pilots striking and what do I do if I am affected? 

Why are the pilots striking, and when? 

Balpa announced the strikes on August 23 after 93% of its members rejected an 11.5% pay rise across three years.

More than 3,000 Balpa members who fly for BA – including captains paid £167,000 a year on average – are set to strike on September 9, 10 and 27.

Who will be affected?  

The walkouts could trigger the cancellation of around 850 BA flights on each of the three strike dates.

The action by the pilots could ruin the travel plans of 450,000 people. 

What are your rights if a flight is cancelled?

BA passengers will be offered a flight on the same day with a different carrier; the chance to rebook in the next 355 days; to use the value of the fare to fly to a different destination; or a full refund.

What if my flight home has been cancelled?

Again, you should be offered an alternative flight and, if necessary, food, drink and accommodation until the new departure time. If the airline is unable to do this, you have a right to buy your own and claim the money back.

Is there a right to compensation?

If you are booked on to an alternative flight which arrives later than the original, you can claim for the delay. 

Under EU rules, travellers who arrive more than three hours late in a journey of less than 1,500km (932 miles) are entitled to 250 euros (£240) each in compensation – on top of a refund – from the airline.

The figure is up to 600 euros (£577) each on long-haul flights. These rules relate to flights originating in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland.

Compensation would be due if the problem results from a strike by the airline’s own staff, but not if they are the result of ‘extraordinary circumstances’, such as a strike by workers for a third party.

What if an airline fails to abide by the rules?

Airlines and airports should advise people how to make a complaint to an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body. 

If they do not, complain to the Civil Aviation Authority. 

Alternatively, it may be possible to reclaim losses and expenses from your credit card company or bank using Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act or the Chargeback system.

Which? offers advice and template letters on how to pursue this.

The post British Airways passengers brace for two days of travel chaos appeared first on Tripstations.

from Tripstations https://ift.tt/34p8Rlc via IFTTT

[michaelfallcon]

The Essential Sprudge 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

It’s here! The 2018 holiday season is finally here, and with it, a swarm of gift guides great and cheap, big and small, for you and not even remotely for you at all.

Here at Sprudge holiday gift guides are a long-running tradition, dating back to the internet’s earlier, simpler, arguably less evil times. To kick the Guidesapalooza off this year, we tapped three of our favorite regular contributors: Jenn Chen, Zac Cadwalader, and Anna Brones. We asked them some very simple questions: What moves you? What coffee gifts would you give to a loved one? Does this spark joy?

Read on to find out, and happy holiday-ing from all of us at Sprudge.

Image by Sam Lee.

Handmade Mug and Dripper by Sam Lee

There is something particular about drinking coffee out of a handmade mug, something that helps to turn it from routine into ritual. San Francisco-based artist and ceramicist Sam Lee creates beautiful everyday objects, including those made for making and drinking coffee, and I love her style. Her work is simple yet stunning, like in the V60 dripper, glazed to balance the texture of both the smooth glaze and the rough ceramic. Any morning would be made just a little more beautiful with Lee’s work in it. – Anna Brones

Photo courtesy Umeshiso.

Rainbow Cupping Spoon

Born out of a desire to empower themselves and other marginalized folks in the industry at the cupping table, Umeko Motoyoshi created the Rainbow Spoon project. Their store, Umeshiso, has a wide array of pins, cupping spoons, and stickers for your favorite coffee professional. Sold as a single spoon or a set of six, these rainbow spoons offer a perfect bowl depth for a dip and slurp. The spoons are offered on a sliding scale basis to reflect the store’s inclusive mission. Choose to pay the at-cost fee or a few dollars more to contribute back into the project. – Jenn Chen

Terroir Coffee Chocolate and Coffee Blossom Honey

Coffee gifts don’t always have to be coffee. They can also be chocolate and honey. Coffee chocolate and coffee honey. From Terroir—the sister company of Onyx Coffee Lab—comes two tasty sweets cultivated on actual coffee farms. The cacao comes from one of three origins—Colombia, Uganda, and Guatemala—and each bean-to-bar dark chocolate is made with coffee from the same farm. The honey is from Finca El Apiario in Guatemala, produced by bees who only pollinate coffee blossoms. Not only are these products really tasty (I eat the honey on my morning yogurt daily), they are also providing auxiliary revenue streams for the farmers producing them. It’s a great coffee gift for non-coffee people that brings in additional money to the coffeelands. Win win win. – Zac Cadwalader

Image via Snow Peak.

Field Barista kit from Snow Peak

There’s a clear intersection between outdoor lovers and coffee drinkers, and Japanese lifestyle brand Snow Peak caters to the nature enthusiasts who want to ensure that their coffee game is as strong outside as it is at home. The brand’s Field Barista kit is the ultimate in outdoor coffee brewing setup, including a dripper, grinder, and kettle. You don’t have to opt for the entire set, each piece can be purchased separately. The dripper is cone shaped—which will keep your filters from collapsing—and disassembles to fit in a small bag, and the grinder’s handle easily folds down, which makes packing easier. The weight of the kit makes it geared at the kind adventures that include a base camp, or just a morning coffee brew in the local park, as opposed to journeys where weight is a consideration, but if you’ve got the whole set, you just might start to prefer brewing in your backyard to your kitchen counter. – Anna Brones

Photo courtesy Standart.

Standart Subscription

Creative types will appreciate an annual subscription (four issues) to Standart, a beautiful independent print magazine (and 2017 Sprudgie Award winner) dedicated to the art of coffee. The stories, illustrations, and photographs within its pages cover a wide range of global issues and perspectives. You’ll just as easily read a profile with a barista champion right after a piece exploring tasseography, the art of reading tea and coffee leaves. Content is at the forefront in Standart and there’s something for everyone. The subscription is available globally and comes with a bag of coffee roasted exclusively for subscribers. – Jenn Chen

Courtesy of Agate Publishing

Craft Coffee: A Manual

Getting into coffee can be intimidating. It feels like there is an entire lexicon to memorize just to learn how to make a pour-over. Luckily, there is Craft Coffee: A Manual by Jessica Easto. Easto is “not a coffee person,” as she described to Sprudge in our interview with her earlier this year, and that’s the perspective she brings to the pages of Craft Coffee. With the help of her husband and “coffee person” Andreas Willhoff, Easto covers just about everything you need to know to get started on your coffee journey, including: brewing basics, equipment, processing, and step-by-step guides for making coffee with 10 different brewing devices. It’s all the coffee info, none of the intimidation. – Zac Cadwalader

Image by Lindsey Shea.

Ebb Filter by GDS Cloth Goods

Coffee is a product that centers around origin, but while we focus on where our coffee comes from, we don’t always apply the same principles to our brewing equipment. For the coffee drinker who cares about how things are made and where they’re from, Ebb Filter is the perfect gift. This reusable filter is made from organic cotton grown in Texas, processed and woven into fabric in the Carolinas and sewn into final product the Bay Area by GDS Cloth Goods. The filters come in a variety of sizes to fit all types of brew methods, and are wrapped in biodegradable packaging. – Anna Brones

Courtesy of Melodrip

Melodrip

Buying gadgets for a coffee tinkerer can be a tall order because 1) geeky gear is often prohibitively expensive and 2) what even is that thing and how does it make coffee? For those wanting to gift something brewing-related that won’t break the bank, look no further than the Melodrip. Essentially just a dispersion screen on a stick, the Melodrip allows you to drastically cut down on the amount of agitation in the brewing process, which leads to a cleaner cup of coffee, according to the creators. After a successful Kickstarter campaign (of which I backed with my own actual dollars), the Melodrip is now in full production and available for purchase for a cool $45. – Zac Cadwalader

Photo courtesy IWCA.

Charitable Donation

A thoughtful gift for the coffee lover who doesn’t want any physical products, a charitable donation in their name goes a long way to supporting the communities who create your morning brew. Did you know that over 80% of women newly diagnosed with cervical cancer live in developing countries and that 70% of coffee farm laborers are women? Grounds for Health provides cervical cancer screenings at coffee farms. For a more general contribution to the coffeelands, the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) works in 22 countries to empower women at the local community level. And if you’d like to invest in the next generation of farmers, Coffee Kids works with young farmers on business training and seed capital. – Jenn Chen

via It’s A Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod World

Commandante Hand Grinder

I have more hand grinders than I care to mention in polite company, but whenever I go out of town and need a way to pulverize some whole beans, the Commandante manual grinder is always the one I bring with me. Besides being one of the most aesthetically pleasing grinders on the market—just look at all that wood grain!—the German-engineered Commandante is the perfect mix of portable and dependable, making it the ideal suitcase (or day pack) companion. At $250, this isn’t exactly a small gift, but, speaking from opinion here, it’s worth every penny. – Zac Cadwalader

Coffee Isn’t Rocket Science by Sebastien Racineux and Chung-Leng Tran

Have you ever been asked by friends and family how to make better coffee at home? Get them this book. Coffee Isn’t Rocket Science by Sebastien Racineux and Chung-Leng Tran (both co-owners of Hexagone Cafe in Paris) is a well-rounded guide to better understanding and making coffee. For the newly coffee acquainted, it’s a helpful tool for navigating the world of coffee, the kind of book that can always be kept close to the coffee brewing equipment. And for well-versed coffee lovers, it’s a fun resource to include in your coffee library, particular for those moments when you forget some of the basic details of the drink you love. – Anna Brones

Kaffe Box Subscription

Sometimes the best coffee gift is simply just coffee. For those who want to gift coffee but don’t know what is “good,” a subscription is always a solid place to start. As an American who makes primarily filter coffee, I have yet to find a subscription service more up my alley than Norway’s Kaffe Box. Each month, the subscription service works with a different Scandinavian roaster to deliver light-roasted coffee directly to your doorstep. Past roasters include big names like Tim Wendelboe, La Cabra, The Coffee Collective, and Koppi as well as lesser-known micro-roasters like Jacobsen og Svart, Nord, and Talor & Jorgen. To me, this is THE subscription service for lighter-roast filter coffee drinkers. But if you are buying for someone who is an espresso drinker or likes more developed coffees, Trade Coffee is where I would start. – Zac Cadwalader

Via Seal Press.

“So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo

A New York Times bestseller and book that transcends any industry lines, “So You Want to Talk About Race” is a must-read for the well-meaning ally. The book isn’t about coffee, yet like any industry built on colonialism and capitalism, race is inextricably tied to coffee. Oluo breaks down key concepts in a straightforward manner and provides the reader with tangible ways to talk about race. This is a great place to start for those who find themselves saying things like, “But what can I do?” and “I don’t know what that means” after listening to the Black Coffee podcast episodes. – Jenn Chen

The post The Essential Sprudge 2018 Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Sprudge.

The Essential Sprudge 2018 Holiday Gift Guide published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

[mrwilliamcharley]

The Essential Sprudge 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

It’s here! The 2018 holiday season is finally here, and with it, a swarm of gift guides great and cheap, big and small, for you and not even remotely for you at all.

Here at Sprudge holiday gift guides are a long-running tradition, dating back to the internet’s earlier, simpler, arguably less evil times. To kick the Guidesapalooza off this year, we tapped three of our favorite regular contributors: Jenn Chen, Zac Cadwalader, and Anna Brones. We asked them some very simple questions: What moves you? What coffee gifts would you give to a loved one? Does this spark joy?

Read on to find out, and happy holiday-ing from all of us at Sprudge.

Image by Sam Lee.

Handmade Mug and Dripper by Sam Lee

There is something particular about drinking coffee out of a handmade mug, something that helps to turn it from routine into ritual. San Francisco-based artist and ceramicist Sam Lee creates beautiful everyday objects, including those made for making and drinking coffee, and I love her style. Her work is simple yet stunning, like in the V60 dripper, glazed to balance the texture of both the smooth glaze and the rough ceramic. Any morning would be made just a little more beautiful with Lee’s work in it. – Anna Brones

Photo courtesy Umeshiso.

Rainbow Cupping Spoon

Born out of a desire to empower themselves and other marginalized folks in the industry at the cupping table, Umeko Motoyoshi created the Rainbow Spoon project. Their store, Umeshiso, has a wide array of pins, cupping spoons, and stickers for your favorite coffee professional. Sold as a single spoon or a set of six, these rainbow spoons offer a perfect bowl depth for a dip and slurp. The spoons are offered on a sliding scale basis to reflect the store’s inclusive mission. Choose to pay the at-cost fee or a few dollars more to contribute back into the project. – Jenn Chen

Terroir Coffee Chocolate and Coffee Blossom Honey

Coffee gifts don’t always have to be coffee. They can also be chocolate and honey. Coffee chocolate and coffee honey. From Terroir—the sister company of Onyx Coffee Lab—comes two tasty sweets cultivated on actual coffee farms. The cacao comes from one of three origins—Colombia, Uganda, and Guatemala—and each bean-to-bar dark chocolate is made with coffee from the same farm. The honey is from Finca El Apiario in Guatemala, produced by bees who only pollinate coffee blossoms. Not only are these products really tasty (I eat the honey on my morning yogurt daily), they are also providing auxiliary revenue streams for the farmers producing them. It’s a great coffee gift for non-coffee people that brings in additional money to the coffeelands. Win win win. – Zac Cadwalader

Image via Snow Peak.

Field Barista kit from Snow Peak

There’s a clear intersection between outdoor lovers and coffee drinkers, and Japanese lifestyle brand Snow Peak caters to the nature enthusiasts who want to ensure that their coffee game is as strong outside as it is at home. The brand’s Field Barista kit is the ultimate in outdoor coffee brewing setup, including a dripper, grinder, and kettle. You don’t have to opt for the entire set, each piece can be purchased separately. The dripper is cone shaped—which will keep your filters from collapsing—and disassembles to fit in a small bag, and the grinder’s handle easily folds down, which makes packing easier. The weight of the kit makes it geared at the kind adventures that include a base camp, or just a morning coffee brew in the local park, as opposed to journeys where weight is a consideration, but if you’ve got the whole set, you just might start to prefer brewing in your backyard to your kitchen counter. – Anna Brones

Photo courtesy Standart.

Standart Subscription

Creative types will appreciate an annual subscription (four issues) to Standart, a beautiful independent print magazine (and 2017 Sprudgie Award winner) dedicated to the art of coffee. The stories, illustrations, and photographs within its pages cover a wide range of global issues and perspectives. You’ll just as easily read a profile with a barista champion right after a piece exploring tasseography, the art of reading tea and coffee leaves. Content is at the forefront in Standart and there’s something for everyone. The subscription is available globally and comes with a bag of coffee roasted exclusively for subscribers. – Jenn Chen

Courtesy of Agate Publishing

Craft Coffee: A Manual

Getting into coffee can be intimidating. It feels like there is an entire lexicon to memorize just to learn how to make a pour-over. Luckily, there is Craft Coffee: A Manual by Jessica Easto. Easto is “not a coffee person,” as she described to Sprudge in our interview with her earlier this year, and that’s the perspective she brings to the pages of Craft Coffee. With the help of her husband and “coffee person” Andreas Willhoff, Easto covers just about everything you need to know to get started on your coffee journey, including: brewing basics, equipment, processing, and step-by-step guides for making coffee with 10 different brewing devices. It’s all the coffee info, none of the intimidation. – Zac Cadwalader

Image by Lindsey Shea.

Ebb Filter by GDS Cloth Goods

Coffee is a product that centers around origin, but while we focus on where our coffee comes from, we don’t always apply the same principles to our brewing equipment. For the coffee drinker who cares about how things are made and where they’re from, Ebb Filter is the perfect gift. This reusable filter is made from organic cotton grown in Texas, processed and woven into fabric in the Carolinas and sewn into final product the Bay Area by GDS Cloth Goods. The filters come in a variety of sizes to fit all types of brew methods, and are wrapped in biodegradable packaging. – Anna Brones

Courtesy of Melodrip

Melodrip

Buying gadgets for a coffee tinkerer can be a tall order because 1) geeky gear is often prohibitively expensive and 2) what even is that thing and how does it make coffee? For those wanting to gift something brewing-related that won’t break the bank, look no further than the Melodrip. Essentially just a dispersion screen on a stick, the Melodrip allows you to drastically cut down on the amount of agitation in the brewing process, which leads to a cleaner cup of coffee, according to the creators. After a successful Kickstarter campaign (of which I backed with my own actual dollars), the Melodrip is now in full production and available for purchase for a cool $45. – Zac Cadwalader

Photo courtesy IWCA.

Charitable Donation

A thoughtful gift for the coffee lover who doesn’t want any physical products, a charitable donation in their name goes a long way to supporting the communities who create your morning brew. Did you know that over 80% of women newly diagnosed with cervical cancer live in developing countries and that 70% of coffee farm laborers are women? Grounds for Health provides cervical cancer screenings at coffee farms. For a more general contribution to the coffeelands, the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) works in 22 countries to empower women at the local community level. And if you’d like to invest in the next generation of farmers, Coffee Kids works with young farmers on business training and seed capital. – Jenn Chen

via It’s A Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod World

Commandante Hand Grinder

I have more hand grinders than I care to mention in polite company, but whenever I go out of town and need a way to pulverize some whole beans, the Commandante manual grinder is always the one I bring with me. Besides being one of the most aesthetically pleasing grinders on the market—just look at all that wood grain!—the German-engineered Commandante is the perfect mix of portable and dependable, making it the ideal suitcase (or day pack) companion. At $250, this isn’t exactly a small gift, but, speaking from opinion here, it’s worth every penny. – Zac Cadwalader

Coffee Isn’t Rocket Science by Sebastien Racineux and Chung-Leng Tran

Have you ever been asked by friends and family how to make better coffee at home? Get them this book. Coffee Isn’t Rocket Science by Sebastien Racineux and Chung-Leng Tran (both co-owners of Hexagone Cafe in Paris) is a well-rounded guide to better understanding and making coffee. For the newly coffee acquainted, it’s a helpful tool for navigating the world of coffee, the kind of book that can always be kept close to the coffee brewing equipment. And for well-versed coffee lovers, it’s a fun resource to include in your coffee library, particular for those moments when you forget some of the basic details of the drink you love. – Anna Brones

Kaffe Box Subscription

Sometimes the best coffee gift is simply just coffee. For those who want to gift coffee but don’t know what is “good,” a subscription is always a solid place to start. As an American who makes primarily filter coffee, I have yet to find a subscription service more up my alley than Norway’s Kaffe Box. Each month, the subscription service works with a different Scandinavian roaster to deliver light-roasted coffee directly to your doorstep. Past roasters include big names like Tim Wendelboe, La Cabra, The Coffee Collective, and Koppi as well as lesser-known micro-roasters like Jacobsen og Svart, Nord, and Talor & Jorgen. To me, this is THE subscription service for lighter-roast filter coffee drinkers. But if you are buying for someone who is an espresso drinker or likes more developed coffees, Trade Coffee is where I would start. – Zac Cadwalader

Via Seal Press.

“So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo

A New York Times bestseller and book that transcends any industry lines, “So You Want to Talk About Race” is a must-read for the well-meaning ally. The book isn’t about coffee, yet like any industry built on colonialism and capitalism, race is inextricably tied to coffee. Oluo breaks down key concepts in a straightforward manner and provides the reader with tangible ways to talk about race. This is a great place to start for those who find themselves saying things like, “But what can I do?” and “I don’t know what that means” after listening to the Black Coffee podcast episodes. – Jenn Chen

The post The Essential Sprudge 2018 Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Sprudge.

from Sprudge https://ift.tt/2r5Levs

[timothyakoonce]

How to Determine Facebook Ad Spend by Country

Advertisers are split into three primary camps when it comes to geo-targeting and Facebook ad spend by country:

Worldwide: Just target everyone on the planet in the same ad set

Country Clustering: Throw your primary countries that work best into the same ad set

Segmentation: Create a separate ad set for each country or similar groups of countries

There are additional variations and areas of gray, but these are the primary approaches.

Let me first say that there is a time and place for each of these things. For example, I will use Worldwide targeting on occasion — but I do so selectively. I’ll use it when reaching a very warm (and small) group of highly engaged people.

But there are many times when you should strongly consider approaches 2 and 3. However, you can’t simply guess which countries to use. It needs to be intelligently based on your customer data.

Let’s take a quick step back and then plow through…

Why Separate Ad Spend by Country?

So, why should we consider separating ad spend by country in the first place? There are three primary reasons…

1. Similar audience optimization. Facebook’s optimization is quirky. It’s complicated and mysterious. But what Facebook does, essentially, is reach people most likely to perform your desired action within the audience you’re targeting.

How they do that is where the mysterious part comes. But the thought is that it helps to group audiences of similar people to assist Facebook’s optimization. This isn’t something I buy into strongly, but it is one of the strategic lines of thought.

To that point, it would help to have people grouped by location. Not only might these people be more similar due to geography, but Facebook’s optimization and delivery can remain more consistent in terms of timing due to time zones.

2. Reach those likely to buy. If you’re a local business and you can’t service those outside of your area or country, there’s no reason to target globally. But even if you can have customers anywhere, there’s reason to limit the countries you reach.

I’ve personally seen that I may get a high level of engagement in certain countries, but that I NEVER get a paying customer from those locations. Or the ratio is so small that it’s not worth spending on people there.

As a result, I’ll often run either one ad set with all of my “primary” customer countries in it or create separate ad sets for each country.

3. Distribution control. My paying customers dating back to the beginning of 2017 are from 90 different countries. It’s pretty crazy! However, the percentage of customers from each country is a good starting point for determining how much I should spend on that group.

For example: Customers from the United States make up 52% of my revenue dating back to the beginning of 2017. The other countries represented most are the United Kingdom (8%), Australia (8%), and Canada (5%). Every other country represents fewer than 2% of my revenue.

If I were to group my top four countries in the same ad set, how will Facebook distribute my budget? For reasons I am about to discuss below, it’s quite likely that users within the United States will not account for half of my budget.

So, let’s say that I want to spend $100 per day targeting only these four countries. I’d then create a separate ad set for each country with the following budgets:

United States: $71

United Kingdom: $11

Australia: $11

Canada: $7

(NOTE: I’m not using $52 for the United States because it actually makes up 71% of my “primary country” revenue).

Let’s talk further about why optimization forces us to do this…

How Optimization Creates a Problem

Facebook’s primary goal, by default, is to get me the most actions (conversions, clicks, etc.) for the lowest price. If I am driving traffic to a blog post or building my email list with a lead magnet, this definition creates a problem.

You see, clicking a link or providing an email address aren’t revenue. I know, they can lead to revenue, but by themselves, they are not revenue equivalent. Proof of that can be found when targeting worldwide.

Some countries are MUCH cheaper to reach than others. The most expensive, of course, tend to be my primary countries. The main reason for this is the competition within those countries.

While I may not get revenue from certain countries, I may get clicks, engagement, and even registrations. In fact, I may get far more clicks, engagement, and registrations from third world countries. This is due first because of the low cost to reach these people. It can also be attributed to bots and low-quality engagement.

The problem is that if you optimize for clicks, traffic, or leads, Facebook doesn’t care whether or not these people lead to revenue. They are cheap to reach. They will give you a ton of “results.” Those results just aren’t likely to lead to much.

But Which Countries?

This is the difficult part. Most advertisers are quick to list the same four countries (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada) as being “high quality” for business. But they aren’t the only countries that can lead to revenue.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a list of 90 countries that have led to revenue in less than two years! Of course, most of these 90 represent a very small piece of the total pie. But should they be ignored?

First, be careful about assumptions. India gets a reputation for low-quality traffic. That said, I have 64 paying customers since the start of 2017 from India. That’s not nothing (double negatives are fun!).

Still, India is a country to be careful about because it is so cheap to reach users there. So you shouldn’t, for example, have an ad set that includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and India — at least, for the purpose of leads or traffic. If you do, Facebook will send the bulk of your impressions to India (at least, in theory).

I’ll talk more about how exactly I handle this in a minute…

Considerations Based on Audience Size and Budget

This is all great, but let’s not get crazy. If you have a $5 per day budget, there’s very little reason to micromanage this. And in all likelihood, you won’t need a separate ad set for a single, small country.

For example, I have 18 paying customers out of Norway, making up .5% of my revenue. While there are 3.6 Million Facebook users in Norway, only a small percentage of them would care about my products. According to Google Analytics, only about 5,000 Norwegians have visited my site since the start of 2017.

I’m not going to spend .5% of my budget for a campaign to create a single ad set for Norway. Instead, I’ll add similar (at least in impact) countries to create an audience large enough to spend more.

Once again, we’ll look at how I handle this in a moment…

Find Customers and Revenue by Country

Okay, so the first thing you need to do is find out how many paying customers you have from each country. I use Infusionsoft, and I’m able to create a report of my customers, including a column for country and revenue.

Here’s how the top 24 break out in terms of total customers and percentage of total revenue:

United States – 2,185 (51.6%)

United Kingdom – 396 (8.3%)

Australia – 357 (8.0%)

Canada – 255 (5.0%)

Netherlands – 65 (1.9%)

Germany – 73 (1.4%)

Denmark – 64 (1.3%)

New Zealand – 56 (1.3%)

Belgium – 49 (1.1%)

Singapore – 52 (1.1%)

Italy – 54 (1.0%)

Israel – 42 (1.0%)

India – 64 (0.9%)

Thailand – 40 (0.9%)

Malaysia – 33 (0.8%)

Spain – 36 (0.8%)

Mexico – 25 (0.7%)

Ireland – 42 (0.7%)

France – 31 (0.6%)

Brazil – 31 (0.6%)

Sweden – 24 (0.6%)

Norway – 18 (0.5%)

South Africa – 26 (0.5%)

Greece – 25 (0.5%)

I cut this off at 24 only because every other country accounted for less than .5% of my revenue. It’s an arbitrary cutoff, but you have to start somewhere.

Apply What You Learned by Ad Set

I’ll use a campaign for my free webinar as an example of how I’m splitting up my budget by campaign.

I’m spending $53 per day (random, I know) on this particular campaign. First, I created a separate ad set for each of my “tier 1” countries:

United States: $30

United Kingdom: $5

Australia: $5

Canada: $3

Then, I created an ad set for my next five “tier 2” countries and assigned a daily budget of $4 (applying the ratio of revenue for those countries).

Finally, I included all of the remaining 15 “tier 3” countries and assigned a daily budget of $6.

Note, we could have done some things differently if I wanted to micromanage or spend more money. With a higher budget, I could have looked to create individual ad sets by country for my top 24 countries. I may have even gone beyond the top 24.

But I like to stay sane and limit micromanagement when possible. There are times when I may only target my top four countries. In this case, I’ve expanded my spending, but I’ve made sure that I’m spending an amount that is in line with the likelihood for return revenue.

Your Turn

How do you go about handling this? Do you create separate ad sets for each country? Do you group countries together in the same ad set? And how do you determine your budgets?

Let me know in the comments below!

The post How to Determine Facebook Ad Spend by Country appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

from Jon Loomer Digital https://www.jonloomer.com/2018/10/25/facebook-ad-spend-by-country/

[deafeningcreationperson-blog]

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Which one do you have? Is it a good one?

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I am an 18 year old, I've just passed my car test and I want a 2002 - 2004 BMW M3 (1.8 - 2.0l) I will not settle for anything less better-looking than a BMW. I also just passed my full motorcycle test 2 months ago. I have 2 years no claims bonus for my Motorcycle insurance since I started riding at the age of 16. I'm planning to sell my current motorcycle and buy a reasonable BMW M3 priced around 2-3k I was wondering what kind of insurance I should be expecting? I have got way more experience on the roads than any other 18 year old out there; but I'm not so sure that the insurance companies will take in mind my 2 years NCB on my motorcycle. Either way; how much could I be expecting to pay? I'm going to be insured as the 2nd driver and hopefully not pay more than 4k anually? The comparison websites are just bull crap, they are quoting my prices of over 20k, even for a small ford ka. I know I know big car young driver - but please just answer my question :) Thanks in advance.""

Is a 2000/2001 BMW 323ci an expensive car to insure?

I know insurance costs depend on a number of factors, but, all that aside, does anyone know if this car is expensive to insure? (or any of the other higher up 3 series like the 330ci )""

What is the cheapest way to insure a first car?

I want a ford ka which luckily I one of the cheapest cars to run and insure for young drivers. Is there anything else I can do (except from the black box as I have 3 siblings I will need to drive around) to make the insurance cheaper? My parents both have quite good jobs and are willing to pay it but they would like to pay 1500 p.a maximum if possible.

car insurance company ratings

car insurance company ratings

Do you have health insurance?

if so, how much is it per month? how old are you? what kind of deducatbale do you have? feel free to answer also if you do not have insurance? also, do you support obamacare?""

What is the difference between group health insurance plan and individual health insurance plans?

What is the difference between group health insurance plan and individual health insurance plans?

How can life insurance be profitable for insurance companies?

How can personal life insurance actually make a profit for an insurer, when it is universal that any insured person will eventually die? Is it because insurance companies stop offering life insurance cover as soon as the person reaches a certain age, so the vast majority of deaths are not insurable?""

Car insurance price after a year still high. Any suggestions?

Hiya, So basically I have been driving for a year as a named driver on my dads policy. In that time I haven't had one accident or claim, no speeding tickets and never ...show more""

If I have my license but do not own a car do I need car insurance?

I am planning on getting my drivers license this summer and do not have my own car. I would be using my parents car (that's insured) until I get my own. Would I need to have insurance for myself or is it enough that the car I would be driving is insured?

Local Car Rental Brooklyn NY No license/insurance to practice?

Local Car Rental Brooklyn NY No license/insurance to practice driving I will have a licensed person in the passenger seat, but i need a car just for one hour, to practice my skills and prepare for the exam this is very simple, i need a car to practice driving, i have about 15hrs, need mroe any local car rentals in Brooklyn NY? I do not care so much for the cost, as much as just simplifying the process of renting a car for a measly hour. Thanks""

Rough estimate of my insurance?

im a 17 year old hispanic male I live in Mesa AZ and I have finished a drivers ed class in my school and passed with a B, I just got my license yesterday and my car is a 1983 Ford ranger two door, manual transmission how much would my insurance be (a estimate) if you need more details please ask and i will provide it.""

What would be considered cheap for a new driver's auto insurance?

Also, what would be considered average or too high? Any car really, just focusing on the pricing at the moment for a ballpark estimate.""

How much more expensive is car insurance for a sports car?

I know that car insurance for a sports car is more expensive. But HOW much more expensive? For example, my insurance will change from a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am 4-Door to a 1993 Pontiac Firebird sports car. How much of a difference, in numbers, will it be?""

Anyone has geico car insurance? please help!?

I take my drivers test real soon, 2 weeks after school starts, so the first two weeks i have to ride the bus. i'm a junior, and i have many activities going on after school, i don't want my dad to keep dropping me off and picking me up. So i was wondering how long does Geico car insurance take process. I am not allowed to drive right after getting my license because i don't have car insurance. I have to get it after i get my license but how long does it take to get the car insurance? will the geico car insurance be done within few day so i can drive the car to school?""

Car recommendations for college student?

Working my way up to buy a car in the next few months, so I'm starting my search now. Keep these points in mind: -Affordable for purchase -Lower insurance rates -Good gas mileage -Something that's got some zip to it (sporty) I'm mostly looking at sedans, coupes, and hatchbacks and avoiding the SUV's and trucks. Any tips?""

How can i have a free car insurance for 1 day?

i want to buy a car from auction it has bot MOT & TAX. How can I insure it for 1 day to jut to drive 300 miles back home and then search for a good insurance quote? I am insured to drive another car as a named driver. Thanks

Insurance in college?

My mom tells me that you have to go to college directly after high school in order to stay on your parents' insurance plan or you get taken off and have to work full-time to get insurance. However, my question is if you get a job after high school and get insurance for yourself and then decide to go back to school a year later can you get back on their plan.""

Do you have health insurance?

if so, how much is it per month? how old are you? what kind of deducatbale do you have? feel free to answer also if you do not have insurance? also, do you support obamacare?""

Do I really need travelers insurance?

We are taking a trip from Oregon to Cancun Mexico soon and am wondering if I should purchase travelers insurance. We are going to purchase airline tickets directly from Delta Airlines and also from our chosen hotel. I'm thinking that if there are any problems, the airline and hotel would take care of it. What are your thoughts?""

Cheapest insurance company for new driver?

I just got my license. Im 18. What might be the cheapest insurance company to go through? I dont make much money a month...

Insurance quotation question?

hi my car was recently hit from behind by a third party at the time my brother was driving using his own insurance everything has been sorted out by the insurance company's do i need to declare this on any future car insurance quotes?

A question regarding auto insurance?

even though I have no need of a car/cant afford one, my parents are still pushing me to get a license as soon as possible because they say it will reduce your insurance cost when I eventually do get a car, are they right? thanks""

When does car insurance lower for a guy?

I am 20 years old, I have been driving for the past 4 years with my parents cars. I pay through my parents for my insurance. I am looking to buy my own car and the insurance is only slightly lower than paying for what I have now! I looked at an 01 Ford Focus and it will cost my $1200 for 6 months! I also looked at a Ford Taurus it was about $900 for 6 months, a 97 Malibu is about the same as is a 97 Olds. The cheapest insurance I could find was a 94 Ford Ranger which is only $850 for 6 months. When does car insurance lower for a guy?""

How Will Obamacare affect Health Insurance premiums?

I am 35 and have applied for health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield. I have GERD and Anxiety. I believe Blue Cross Blue Shield will try to deny me coverage for those since I already have them. I am thinking of waiting until 2014 so that they won't be able to. But I'm curious. how will Obamacare affect the insurance premiums? If I wait that long will the premiums go up or down?

Is there better insurance than Medicare?

I am 65 and in good health....I need better health insurance than Medicare. I don't want suplemental insurance besides Medicare. I would like to ask if anyone knows of something better!

I do not have regular health Insurance?

I regularly go for activities like white water rafting. Is it possible to buy cover for injuries from such activities on per event basis?

Know of a good Car Insurance place in LA anyone?

Where can i Find a Good Car insurance place in LA, CA? Looking only of liability insurance. But Cheap!!""

How much will my car insurance be when I turn 23?

I hear your monthly car insurance payments go down significantly once you're 23. I turn 23 in a few months and currently pay $65/month. How much can I expect it to be after I'm 23?

Is a life insurance that terms at age 95 a good one?

I just reviewed my life insurance and saw that it termed at age 95..I'm not sure if that is good or bad...please help!

car insurance company ratings

car insurance company ratings

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/affordable-health-insurance-plans-virginia-adam-rose/"

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racq travel insurance quotes

"racq travel insurance quotes

racq travel insurance quotes

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeautoinsurance.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

RELATED QUESTIONS: 

I got a speeding ticket in Toronto but did not receive demerit points. Will my insurance rates go up? I am 21.?

I got a speeding ticket in Toronto in the jurisdiction of 4863 2 days ago. I did not receive demerit points as I was only 15 km/h above the limit. Will my insurance rates go up if I plead guilty and pay the fine? I am 21 years old and my parents are currently with Wawanesa. I have a G lisence.

What kind of motorcycle insurance do I need?

I'm thinking about financing a motorcycle and I was trying to get the most accurate quote, just wondering what I would need in each category (i.e. $25,000 bodily injury/property damage or $25,000 uninsured motorist etc etc)""

Looking for Auto Insurance in Canada...?

I need some company names please. Searching for a reputable and affordable insurance company. If you're happy with yours, send their name along.... Thanks for your answers!""

Why did my wife's auto insurance premiums go up after I got a DUI?

After I pleaded guilty to a DUI charge, my wife's auto insurance company refused to renew her policy. Because we are married, other insurance companies have either quoted her higher premiums or refused a quote for her based upon my mistake. We had separate insurance companies, I was driving my car, not hers. She was not in the car with me and had nothing to do with it. I was pulled over because my license plate light was burned out. I was not driving erratically, speeding or anything of that sort. I had not had any violations in 16 years and she hasn't in nearly 30-years. Why is my wife being punished for my mistake and how is it legal?""

Would I be saving money if I bought a car and did the liability only insurance policy?

Right now, I am 17 years old and I have had my license since April 28th 2011. My family is on Allstate and their policy states that as long as I am driving a car which is not registered to my own name, I have to do full coverage (this is very expensive <$2000 since I am a new driver). If I buy a cheap car, one with a $1000 price tag, will I be saving money? Liability only insurance is cheaper, but by what amount? Is it worth driving a cheaper car?""

Insurance (and more) for new driver in Ontario?

So, I'm going to take my written test (G1) tomorrow and I'm looking ahead trying to figure this out. I plan on taking a MTO certified course to be able to take my G1 exit driving test in 8 months. I have a car lined up that will practically be given to me in 8 months. I'm 30 and living on my own. Will I be able to get insurance on a car with only a G2 license? Will I have to pay through the nose for it? Would it be legal and/or cheaper to have my dad buy the car and put it and me on his policy? Would I live to be living in the same household as him? Any other ideas, issues, or options I should be aware of? Thanks a bunch.""

Will my insurance company insure my car without the registration?

I'm buying a used car and picking it up and hour away from me. I don't have the bill of sale or registration but I need insurance on it to drive it home. Can they still insure it?

""Why are necessities, such as food, clothing and shelter mostly affordable, but not health insuarnce?""

Can't figure it out. Here in Tempe if a man were to work 80 hours a week and earn minimum wage with no benefits (remember, we have nine-percent unemployment now, higher than Belgium, Australia and Norway, mind you), he could bring in about $2,000 per month before taxes. He can get a studio for under $500 or a rented room for a little less; one month's worth of groceries, if purchased at the 99 Cent Store or Food City, could run him $250 per month, and a week of clothing purchased at Goodwill might run him about $100. All affordable, many options for the low-wage earner. Now, this guy actually works for a living maximum hours, so he doesn't qualify for state aid (I've looked into it, that salary is too high), and many jobs don't offer benefits, particularly low-skilled ones, so what's he to do? Let's say he has a pre-existing condition, therefore, he is either denied insurance outright or charged well over $1,000 per month (look at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Golden Rule, Aetna, Cigna and United). So, he works for a living, doesn't smoke, no woman will have sex with him, he has no children, he doesn't do drugs, he has no gadges (iPod, computer, stereo), no car (he takes the bus), even after all that, he's still screwed. He needs preventative care, not emergency ward treatment as that's not financially viable for America long term, so what does he do: job offers no benefits, is denied or overcharged for health insurance, can't find a job with benefits, state won't provide the working man with state insurance...shouldn't he just quit working and become the welfare leach that conservatives revile because hard work is getting him nowhere?""

What are health insurance claims?

im confused and dont know what health insurance claims are..i need to know its for school i need to know what is it, what is it used for and why...please and thank you!! :)""

""Where can I get free health insurance in San Diego,California?""

I need health insurance, but can not afford any because of bills, and paying off college. I realy have alot of health problems, but have no money to fix them, I need free health insurance fast. Please help.""

I need the best site for health insurance for a small business?

the insurance will be for 3 employees and needs to include dental and vision insurance

Insurance agent won't write the homeowner's coverage she wants?

My fiance owns an old home in northern Ohio and was paying over $1,300 a year for homeowner's insurance until last year. She can't afford over $100 a month in premiums so I looked into trying to get a lower rate. All three agents that I contacted about the matter assumed a replacement cost for her house of around $157,000 which resulted in premiums of exactly what she had last year. The very idea of insuring her house for $157,000 is absurd for two reasons. The first is that I personally built a house in an upscale neighborhood which was almost three times as large and also had an attached garage. I sold that home for around $150,000 and made about $40,000 profit. The second reason that $157,000 is absurd is that any day of the week you can buy a much better house in the neighborhood for less than $60,000. I was able to find a lower rate of around $600 a year through the Ohio Fair Plan website by assuming a realistic replacement cost of $60,000 and not including such things as jewelry coverage (she has no valuable jewelry), and other coverages that don't make sense. Unfortunately, and after contacting several insurance agencies, not a one will write the coverage as specified. The gave me the flimsiest of excuses. It appears to me as if all the insurance companies doing business in our area may have colluded to lock in homeowner insurance rates far higher than is justified. I hope someone out there can tell me if there are laws that require some insurance company to issue a policy as specified by Ohio Fair Plan. Thanks in advance...""

Cheap insurance for 18 year old?

does anyone know any cheap websites or company's because on all the comparison websites im getting 3500 pound for a 1.1 Peugeot 106, and that's third party fire and theft :( please help because this is ridiculous.""

Corporate health insurance?

What will be the benefit to the company for availing a group health insurance for its employees. please explain thoroughly. Thanks!

Dental Insurance question?

On my dental insurance card, I have a primary care dentist listed on it. Does this mean that I must go to this dentist in order to have the insurance pay for my appointments or can I go to any dentist that accepts my insurance without having to switch my primary care dentist and still receive the insurance benefits? Will the insurance cover less if I don't go to the primary care dentist? Thanks!""

What insurance coverage should i get?

i purchased a motorcycle for 1800 dollars and parts are cheap for it so what coverages do i need and which ones dont i need

What's reasonable insurance quote for new driver (UK)?

Hi Everyone! I'm a new UK driver searching insurance quotes for my Ford escort (engine size 1.4). I'm thinking third party only for starters. What sort of ammounts should I consider to be reasonable offers? Also, must I pay the premium in one lump sum? P.S: I'm 23 years old... Cheers!""

How does insurance on a leased car work?

im getting my license soon and was wondering what the best and cheapest option in terms of buying, leasing or buying used is for me. im 16 so insurance is going to be high. i only need a car for 2 years, after that ill be in college and dont see a point in having a car. so i thought why not just lease a car, but i heard when you lease a car the insurance is high for it. my question is how does a lease work? is the insurance for it high already without me being 16 a factor? do you sign up with a dealership insurance or use your own plan? Thanks for the help""

Can you have 2 different cars with different insurance?

my grandma bout a car for me, im only 15 so shes gonna give me the car when i turn 16 which is in january. she went down to L.a ( we live in california by the way) to buy the car with her nephew in law. shes 62 and half blind and doesnt have a license so she had to put the car in his name. but SHE paid for it. i told my mom and she was like if she wants to put the car in my her name she can. cuz me and my mom both know that her nephew in law could call up the police and say she stole his car, cuz the car is legally in his name and so is the insurance. and this man is very very crooked, he doesnt have a job and even steals money from his wife. he tried multiple times to steal the car so my grandma locks it in the garage. she even offered for him to buy the car off her for 300 dollars when she paid 1600 dollars but he wanted the car for free. now he is a...stupid man and he does not yet realize that he could call the cops and get the car easily so im trying to get this done as soon as possible. he aint paying for nothing on that car. im not worried that this man taking the car means i wont get a car. im worried that he might cheat my grandma, and that just doesnt site with me. he seems to catch and attitude with her when im not around but when im their i dont here no problems. so can i my mom get the car in her name with two different insurance providers and can the insurance still be in his name but the car in my moms name. and what if he refuses to sign it over can we still get the car. im sorry i had to air out my dirty laundry but i needed to release this anger""

How much do you reacon my car insurance will be?

I am currently taking driving lessons but in a few months I will be taking my driving test. If I pass my test my mum is giving me her car which is a 1.3 litre Toyota Yaris, I will have to pay for the insurance so I was just wondering how much it would be?""

What is Rating of policyholdersfor auto insurance?

When you are talking about car insurance...what does rating of policyholder mean?

A first car for a 16?

i am wanting a 97' Toyota Camry with 150,000 miles on it. It is $4,300 is this a good first car? And how much does insurance on it cost? I also like saturn l200 are they good cars?""

Will my insurance increase of I get a body kit.? ?

Im planning on getting a 1.4 pug 106 and I was going to get a DIMMA kit for it and 205 gti alloys. Will my insurance go up..?

How much is ur car insurence a month?

im 16 and im not getting my car till 17 or 18 and i need to know how much money insurance is a month. i just need an estimate. Thanks

When is the correct time to drop her from my insurance?

Here's the situation. When the divorce papers were filed she had a job. She has since been laid off. The divorce does not require me to insure her. If i drop her though she has no insurance and no affordable way to get any. I have the financial means to cover her for month, but I'm concerned about the consequences. If something happened could the insurance company come back and charge me for everything since we weren't actually married?""

racq travel insurance quotes

racq travel insurance quotes

What is the best insurance for Massage Therapists?

My state requires that I have massage insurance. What are some of the benefits I should seek when looking into purchasing the insurance? Also, should I worry about the Personal / Advertising Injury coverage? because i've noticed that some of the companies do not have that available in their plan. Thank you all in advance. Really appreciate the help.""

""Does car insurance go down when you move to a different state, if so how do i lower mine? (see details)?""

I used to live in LA and my car insurance was 46.00. Well, I went to progressive and did a quote with my new address which is in TX and my car insurance quote is for 26.00. How do i go about getting these new rates since I no longer live in Louisiana.""

Do you need to have car insurance to rent a car?

I used to live in Ohio. Now i live in Florida. I'm trying to plan a trip up to Ohio to see my friends next week. I sold my car here in Florida because i really didn't need it anymore. So of course my car insurance was cancelled after that. Will they let me rent a car without insurance? I know you can buy the rental company's insurance which i will do of course. Thank you in advance.

Whats higher in cost car insurance or van insurance at 19 years old?

just a little argument what would cost more car insurance or van insurance

How much do you pay for auto insurance?

I just spent a few hours getting an auto insurance quote from a number of companies. I got a real good rate ($573 for a whole year) for our 2004 car and all the extras. I think this is a pretty good rate but wonder if others are paying more or less. How much are you paying?

No claim bonus on previous car insurance?

HI I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ANSWER ABOUT CAR INSURANCE CLAIM BONUS DID 2 YEARS INSURE WITH FIRST CENTRAL INSURANCE FROM DECEMBER 2010 TO DECEMBER 2012 THEN STOP DRIVING AND NOT DRIVE FOR 13 MONTHS DO I STILL HAVE CLAIM BONUS I WAS TOLD YES IT EXPIRE AFTER 2 YEARS IS THIS TRUE? I TRY CONTACT MY PREVIOUS INSURANCE ABOUT THIS BUT NO REPLY YET THANK YOU

Car insurance help!!!?

Hi me and my boyfriend are both new drivers. We bought a car together a few months ago a renault clio. We insured the car as me as the main driver. Fully comp. Our insurance costs 1885 annual. We have now decided to get another car... another Renault clio exactly the same. Are we insured to drive the second car? Do we have to add it on? Get another policy? Can we cancel? So confused please help xx

What are your opinions on insurance companies?

hello there.... I need to know what do you guys think about insurance companies.... thanx in advance :) P.S:- it is a school project

How many people lack health insurance?

If you lack health insurance, why? If you cannot afford it, what could people around you do to help you out?""

What would my insurance cost?

If i am a not yet insurednew driver and already got in a accident under someone else's insurance what would it cost for insurance roughly if i was to apply for some

""In NC, do you have to be added to the insurance to get the license?""

Also, do you have to pay a single yearly fee for insurance or is there a monthly rate?""

National Insurance number for a teen..?

Ok, I am not a citizen of UK but I have been living for a few years. British citizens get their number automatically when they turn 16. I turn 16 this February, so when should I apply, I want to get a job as soon as I turn 16 ? And what is the application proccess like ? Am I even eligible for it ?""

How do I know what value to put on my home insurance?

I have a flat in London that I want to insure. The flat is 64 metres squared and is 100 years old. The market value is about 200,000 to 210,000. A similar flat, in my town, in the North is valued at about 100 000 One would assume that the insurable value would be less for than the market value in London. My question is for what value should I insure the flat in London?""

Where can I get auto insurance at a reasonable rate in the GTA?

I am a teen driver and just got my G2 license, and I'd like to buy a car (I'm in school and I have a job) but would like to know if I could find reasonable insurance rates ($0 - $150 MAX) in and around the Greater Toronto Area. Please list companies or brokers. Thanks in advance.""

I am thinking of getting renters insurance. What is the cost of most average cost of most polices?

Live in a 2 story, downstairs apartment ground floor, one level., I have a doxie (weiner dog), my son who is an adult and my husband.""

Why did so many Liberals run away from the ACA as soon as they found out that they'd have to pay for their own Affordable Health Insurance ?

Why are so many Liberals running away from the ACA they declared that they needed so desperately as soon as they found out that they'd have to pay for their own Affordable Health Insurance ? I don't get it ?......Liberals asked for Affordable Health Insurance not Free Health Insurance so why are they running way from Affordable Health Insurance now like it is the plague and even opting to pay a fine rather than buy Affordable Health Insurance for themselves /

""Car insurance, is it cheaper to get an old car?""

Im looking into a 1978 cadillac coupe deville as a first car, and im wondering if it goes cheap in car insurance. Cuz it could be cheaper up to a point till its like too old and its just becomes more expensive. And im wondering about all older cars in general. N yes i know what i might get into it is a older car might break down on me more often than usual, ill just deal with it.""

Which insurance company or agent offers the cheapest auto insurance policies in Miami?

Which insurance company or agent offers the cheapest auto insurance policies in Miami?

Insurance adjusters... how much can I expect to get for my car?

My car was stolen and I don't expect it will be recovered. I was curious about how much I can expect to get from my insurer. The loan is paid off, so I will receive 100% of the total offered by my insurer. Please see the car details below: 2002 Dodge Intrepid SE, 4 door 104,000 miles V6 automatic power doors, windows, driver seat cd player a/c I know I won't get the retail value. I feel a fair private seller price is about $4500. My research shows the trade in value is about $3600. I feel I should get something close to the private seller value as I know I won't get the retail value but should get more than trade in value. Is this a reasonable expectation? Input from actual insurance adjusters is appreciated. Given the car and miles, how much do you think I'll be offered?""

Insurance company offers online business insurance?

hi, ive been trying to set up this business for the longest time now and my only problem is insurance. i need general liability insurance just incase i ship something out and a customer tries to blame my packaging and sues me. im selling coral and LED lighting. the insurance companies i tried were hiscox, nationwide, state farm, bolt, and so many more i dont even know the names anymore. they all say they dont offer any type of insurance for businesses that sell products or they dont offer insurance for online selling, does anyone know an insurance company that will be able to give me insurance for online selling? i only need $300,000 coverage i dont want a million dollars because then its to expensive and i know no one will sue me anyway the way this industry is ive never heard of someone sueing EVER my dad just wont let me start the company without insurence""

How old must i be to get car insurance quotes online?

how old must i be to get car insurance quotes online

Do I need to have insurance before buying a car?

I canceled my car insurance a year ago, because I didn't have a car. Now I am ready to buy one again. Do I need to have insurance BEFORE buying the car, so I can drive it home? Or do I wait until after wards so I know what type of car to insure. I will be buying the car from the state auto auction if that makes a difference.""

Car inusrance. Where to get free quotes ?

What is the best web site to compare car insurance premiums online. What are the best companies for cheap insurance rates with good coverage for auto owners ?

Insurance quote changes?

hi recently i have been looking for insurance for my car that i have purchased. i have recived a quote of 2500 on a 22/01/10 last week, 4 days later the quote has changed to 3000? i have been using go compare.com, y the sudden change? i havent changed nothing since my first quote so i do not understand this change ps i am 17yr old who has purchased a mk golf 1.4s hence high insurance price thanks in advance""

Is it possible for me to obtain my own insurance?

I had insurance under my mother in law, she has had an accident and the car has been writen off. She wants to cancel the insurance. My question is , is it OK for me to purchase a car and get insurance in my own name or do I have to wait until the renewal date.""

racq travel insurance quotes

racq travel insurance quotes

Approximate insurance cost for vw polo (UK)?

I am 17 and have just passed my driving test.. How high is the insurance likely to be for this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-Volkswagen-Polo-1-0-E-5-Door-Metallic-Green-/280730016652?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item415cd01b8c#ht_1227wt_1140 ?? Cheers x

How much is car insurance for a 97 corolla?

please don't say ask your insurance company because i wont know until a couple days later. i just got my license and im 17 years old and i have a 97 corolla. The car isnt in the BEST condition but its still in pretty good condition and i was wondering how much would the insurance be considering i took driving classes at the school and am dadap certified (that alcohol lesson thing) thanks

Why do underage drivers have to pay more insurance?

I'll be eligible for a learner's permit as of next year after I turn 16. However, my parents refuse to get me a driver's license until I'm at least 20. They tell me that when you add an account of a driver under somewhere around 20 yrs old (can't remember the exact age) the insurance rates go up. I don't want to be taking public transit forever so someone help! Why do the insurance rates go up? How can I avoid making them go up?""

Cheaper insurance car under 25 years?

what is cheaper incurance car under 25 years

How much is the average cost of premiums for E&O insurance for a CPA firm?

I'm wondering what would be an average estimated cost for e&o insurance costs for a CPA firm? the firm has more than 3 people and more than $400,000 in revenue""

Should I drop collision from my auto insurance this renewal?

I have a ten year old Honda Civic, just over 40,000 miles, has a crack in the driver's side rear bumper that I ignore. I have an excellent driving record, no points, am the only driver, am at that age where I'm not young enough or old enough to be considered a threat, but I live in a high rate state and money is more than tight and they just shot my house insurance through the roof, even though I never put in a claim, because, get this, there is a chance that someday we may have a hurricane! Am I being pennywise and pound foolish, or am I paying for something that won't pay off even if I need it? Thank you!""

Car insurance question?

I'm 17 and still living with my parents. I just got a car and now I need to find insurance. My dad doesn't want me on his because then, if I got in an accident, his rates would go up. My question is, if I were to cause his rates to go up and then got kicked off his plan, would his rates go back down? I'm curious because I really would rather not get my own insurance, being on my dad's would be much much much more affordable.""

Who sells the cheapest auto insurance online? Thank you in advance.?

Who sells the cheapest auto insurance online? Thank you in advance.?

Best place to purchase health insurance?

I am starting my own small business and need health insurance for my family. I won't go with Kaiser, please don't ask why. I need an HMO with no deductable or a very low deductable because in my area the Blue Cross, Blue Shield, HealthNet networks have pretty good doctors and hospitals within their approved networks. It will be a family-owned sole prop business. I live and work in California, but if there is value in incorporating in another state for the purpose of taxes or prices on health insurance, I guess I could do it...because I have not formally formed the corporation yet. I used to be under the impression that the best prices for Heath Insurance came when you worked for a big company, but things seem to have changed. I recently worked for another smalll family-owned business, and they got very good rates by incorporating and claiming a Headquarters in Washington. What is the best strategy to get the best insurance at the lowest rates for a small group- one family? Thanks!""

Do you have to pay motorcycle insurance all year round?

or just during the summer?

How to find insurance companies for joint ventures?

How to find Insurance companies wanting to do a joint venture of a $100 million and up. not insurance brokers

How much would insurance be?

In the next couple months I'll be in the market for a 2006-2008 7series BMW. I'm 17 and this would be my second car. Approximately how much would I be paying a month for the insurance? Thanks in advance.

Car insurance how much am I going to pay for this?>?

Im wanting to buy a jeep, 200 jeep grand Cherokee its 4X4 and $3999. Its Black with leather seats. Very nice jeep. Id like to get it. Ive had my jeep in my boyfriends, stepdads Garage for almost a Year. They keep putting me off and I just Want to get my own thing. Im tired of borrowing there cars. The jeep I had thats in there shop is an old 1990 cherokee. and its was under my boyfreinds insurance All state. He says its expensive to get my own. I see quotes all over the place. Ive never been in a wreck nor have ever got a speeding ticket. Im responisbile have my own job. Im 23. Every time I bring up the fact that I want to just go to the dealership to get a car. He says Ill pay Alot becuase its a jeep and since its not all paid off I will be paying Alot. Im thinking about getting a loan. Ive got 700 in the bank right now. I dont have any lines of credit. I really need to know how much insurance for Good insurance will it be. I have no clue what anything is with insurance policys or what. Just clue me in. PLease. thanks""

""Dose the bank charge insurance for car under 3,000 dollars?

I'm needed a newer car used/wholesale something to fix up. I can't afford full coverage on any vehicle and I heard they don't charge full coverage insurance for cars under 3 grand.

Which is the best childrens' insurance plans?

Please detail about both unit linked & regular insurance plans.

""Of these cars which has the best reputation for safety, cheap to insure, low maintenance, and high mileage?""

dodge charger jaguar XKR porsche boxster audi A5 cadillac CTS and for people about to say that if you can afford one of them why is being cheap to insure an issue, ive been saving up to buy a used one of these cars as i am still a college student thanks""

Cheapest car insurance?

I'm looking for the cheapest car insurance coverage right now. All I need is an affordable quote, so I don't care about how good the company is or how much they will cover. I just need affordable insurance to drive a car. I had 2 tickets, and all the quotes I've been getting so far are over $1,000 for 6 months. I am fully aware that I drove like a dummy and was unlucky as hell; that's where the 2 tickets came from. So please don't make any comment on that. I just need some help. Thank you!""

Would not getting your permit prior to getting your license increase car insurance costs ?

I know there are many things that increase insurance costs but would not getting your permit prior to getting your license be one if them? If so how can insurance companies tell you didn't get your permit first ?

""Can I own a car, but be covered under my mom's insurance policy?""

Im 17, and I live in Indiana. Right now I own a car, but the title is in my mom's name, and I am insured as the only driver of that car under her insurance policy. Can ...show more""

""Question about insurance, medicaid, and having a baby?""

I am currently pregnant and still on my parents health insurance plan. However, I will no longer be able to be on their plan anymore because I'm getting married and turning 25 this June. Will medicaid help me with my insurance, or will they consider my pregnancy a pre existing condition?""

How much is car insurance in NY state if your 17?

Ive been looking for how much car insurance is in ny if your 17 but i cant find it. My mom doesnt want to pay for it so i have to pay for it myself. Can someone tell me how much it costs?

I am 23 years old. Questions about affordable health insurance in the state of NJ.?

Hello. Like I already mentioned, I am 23 years old and am still living at home with my parents who have been out of work for over 3 years. I have a part time job at the moment, and am wondering what my options are for affordable health insurance in the state of nj. My parents are currently on Medicaid, but since i am over the age of 21 and have no kids of my own I don't qualify. What are some of my options? I currently have no health insurance.""

Can you apply for health insurance with a work permit?

United States only. people with the differed action, that obama passed a few months ago are planning to apply for health insurance. Are they able to ? and if they are how will it work""

Im looking for car insurance?

coverage for individuals who are less able to afford auto insurance

Will Fred loyas liability auto insurance policy cover a person driving your car if they have any or all of the?

My romate is from out of state so she doesnt have a texas drivers licensae! She has a out of state license but it may be expired - I have liability insurance in texas from fred loya insurance-Will any of these factors keep her from being covered while she is driving my car?

racq travel insurance quotes

racq travel insurance quotes

How much would insurance be for a BMW 3 series from 2001 with 150k miles?

My dad said he'd buy me a BMW if the insurance isn't considerably higher than my brothers, who drives a 2004 VW Golf. I'm a 16 year old male and will probably be driving within a year but I want to know whether the insurance would be considerably higher than a golf. We live in Dallas TX Thank You""

Do I have to sell my car to the insurance company at their suggestion?

I've been paying for fully comprehensive insurance for my car for 8 months, 3 month ago my car crashed and the insurance company has evaluated the cost of repairing is more than the market price of my car. Now the insurance company is going to buy my car at the market value, my question is: Do I have to sell my car to the company? Or does it make sense if I ask for repairing etc?""

I need a cheap car to insure?

im 17 years old and need a car to get me to college. The only problem is my insurance quotes are ridiculously high. im looking for a cheap car to insure.

Proof Of Car Insurance?

I never owned a car, nor have I need to car insurance. I see I need Proof Of Insurance, How can I bypass proof of insurance when registering/buying a car from a dealership, etc?""

""A starter motorbike for a 17 year old, needs to be cheap second hand and be able to ride on the motorway.?""

Hi, i need a bike which is cheap to run, cheap to insure and first and foremost cheap to buy. I don't mind old second hand bikes unless advised against them because I believe you could learn a great deal repairing an old bike than having a new bike that nothing goes wrong with. It needs to grow with my abilities, i.e in a couple of years when i go to university I may want to motorway travel, therefore a 50 cc moped is just not going to do. Don't know whether this is correct, but I once read bikes are safer than mopeds/scooters because they have the acceleratory power to pull away from danger if necessary. Needs to be cheap to insure, I looked at a 300cc MZ Saxon and fully comp insurance was around 317. This is manageable, 2000 for a car is not. Please suggest to me some bike which fit these criteria, thanks!""

I might be getting a car and I need to know the insurance?

Ok, so I'll be 17, it'll be my first car, it costs 300 that's it :) all that needs doing is some rust work on the door. It's a 1987 D reg Saab 900 :D any ideas on how much my insurance will cost? I dont know the full license plate so I can't do it properly myself :/ but even just a rough estimate would be a great help :) thanks :)""

What's the cheapest van insurance for a new driver aged 27?

just passed my test and will be looking for a little berlingo van or kangoo. something of the sort. im a builder. just like to know peoples experiences getting the best insurance.

Is insurance more expensive for a 07 civic si sedan or an 07 civic ex coupe?

Full cover insurance,I live in california, im 18, no tickets, no accidents. I know insurance is higher for 2 door cars but the civic si Is faster and more expensive.""

How much will my dads insurance go up?

my dad himself has only been insured for 2 years and his insurance is currently 2400 for 12 months. im 17 yeas old and want to be added to the insurance and add a car. how much extra do you think it will be?

Do you have to insure a vehicle that's not driven?

I own a Jeep that sits in front of my house (its not driven). Do I have to insure this vehicle?

How much do you pay for car insurance and on what company?

Im tryign to find the cheapest.

I need some advice on car insurance...?

I am purchasing a used car, worth about $3,000.00 I am trying to decide what level of car insurance I should get. Money is kinda tight. Do you think full coverage is neccessary? What type of coverage do most people opt for on low value cars like this? I've always driven new ones.""

Non-vehicle owner driver's insurance?

I just got my drivers licensce today. I need insurance to drive even though I don't own my own car and will use my parents?

Does ca auto insurance cover motorcycles?

Like, as long as you have some form of insurance is it okay whether it is for cars or motorcycles? I have auto insurance for my car, do i need seperate insurance for a motorcycle?""

What is the minimum automobile insurance required in the state of california?

What kind o risk is being managed when someone takes out a life insurance?

""I have been issued a speeding ticket, what will it do to insurance?""

I was borrowing my moms car and i got a speeding ticket..i showed them my license/ her insurance card, registration, etc..... will anything happen to her insurance???..and how much is an average speeding ticket? kay thnx!""

How much would car insurance be for a 17 year old guy?

i live in the chicago suburbs and wanted to know how much car insurance would cost if i got a car, either something like a ford probe or eagle talon in the 93-97 year range(definetly a 2 door car though). i don't know either to open it on my own or ad onto my parents. i know that adding on to my parents would be cheaper but they don't exactly want to add another car at the moment but im ready to get my own car, so how much would it cost to open my own policy? i honestly know little to none about car insurance so please help. Also, don't tell me to just wait till my parents are ready please cause thats not the question i just want some prices for the insurance please. thanks!""

Insurance for old work ute?

Hey guys, I have just bought a old 95' toyota hilux ute nice and cheap and im not too worried about insuring the actual ute as its only costed me 2000 and market value is 4000. Just looking for some advice on types of insurance. I obviously would like 3rd party and im not sure if i should bother with covering my tools. Usually my boss brings all the tools, obviously i bring a small amount but never a trailer full. What is the best insurance company for this and what would be a good price for me to look at. Thanks :)""

Car Insurance?

how much car insurance do i pay for a 6000 dollar car

Is the company allowed to change my insurance price?

Is my company allowed to change the insurance price when i call them and change my occupation details? For example i have been put down as a student but now a couple weeks later i left college and right now i am working. Are they allowed to change the fees, etc? I have a tracking device from the company fitted in my car as well.""

F1-visa student insurance?

I'm traveling to the US to study there and I was looking through a list of insurance companies other than that the university offers ( which isn't obligatory) and I found this company called ISO http://www.isoa.org/ Is it a good insurance company? I mean the rates it covers and the price of the plan is really good. The Gold plan is 39 dollars per month, meaning it's only 468 dollars per year ! Is that expensive, cheap, or just good ? Do you recommend other insurance companies that could be better and affordable ? Thank you.""

Insurance for a non-running vehicles Title Transfer?

Do I need insurance for a title transfer on a private party vehicle that is not running and wont be for a while in the state of florida? Also what is the process for doing so? Thank you, Tyler""

Car Insurance ???????????????

if i get on my moms insurance for her car it shuldnt go up that much right?????????

How much money should the insurance company be giving me?

I was in a car accident. An suv hit me (perpendicular to my drivers side), which made me hit a mazda and it spun out of control. The suv that started the accident RAN OFF! They did not realize their license plate fell off and they actually filed a claim saying they were hit in a parking lot! Anyways, it totalled my car so my insurance co is giving me $6200 for my car, but deducting $500 for my deductibl because at first we could not find who was driving the vehicle. Now the drivers insurance company has contacted me wanting to meet to discuss how much money they are going to give me. He said they will be giving me money for my deductible, medical bills, missing work, missing school, inconvience, stresss and pain and suffering. We are meeting today to negotiate the amount. I am not sure what is a reasonable amount, my friends told me $5400 - 8,000. I'd like about $6000-$7000. Do you think this is right?""

If I have broad form insurance can another insured person drive my car?

If i have broad form insurance while another party has average car insurance, would they be insured in my car?""

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racq travel insurance quotes

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-anyone-advise-me-good-insurance-company-young-drivers-robinson/"

[funnythingshere0-blog]

50 of Terry Wogan and Graham Norton's most scathing Eurovision quotes

New Post has been published on https://funnythingshere.xyz/50-of-terry-wogan-and-graham-nortons-most-scathing-eurovision-quotes/

50 of Terry Wogan and Graham Norton's most scathing Eurovision quotes

This Saturday marks the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, with the Portuguese capital of Lisbon on hosting duties.

A parade of trashy, cringe-inducing performances, the best part of Eurovision has always been the pithy commentary, whether from the late, great Sir Terry Wogan, or from Graham Norton, who replaced his compatriot in 2009.

They have both given the contest a delightfully acerbic edge, poking fun at the expense of those onstage, or sharing the despair of the hours-long telethon with viewers at home.

Here are 50 of the best quotes from the two commentators to get you in the spirit.

• The ultimate Eurovision quiz: do you know your ABBA from your Wurst?

Terry Wogan

On 2006 heavy-metal winners Lordi: “Every year I expect it to be less foolish, and every year it is more so.”

Introducing the 2007 broadcast: “Who knows what hellish future lies ahead? Actually I do, I’ve seen the rehearsals.”

On Iceland’s 1990 entry: “This has been typified as a Eurosong… they do a little walking and bounce about a bit.”

(Photo: BBC)

On the UK’s 1995 effort: “It’ll either win by a mile or it’s the Diadora League next year.”

“Every year I go to see it and every year I say: ‘Isn’t it terrible? It’s worse than last year!’”

On Belgium’s 2003 entry: “They’ve got four languages in Belgium… and they’re singing in an imaginary one. The very essence of Eurovision.”

“It’s supposed to be bad. And the worse it is, the more fun it is.”

On France’s 2006 entry: “That’s the same song the French have been singing since they hung the washing up on the Maginot Line.”

“I don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a major musical event. I love the Eurovision Song Contest and it will continue long after I’m gone. Just please don’t ask me to take it seriously.”

When the Swedish points announcer struggled with countries’ names in 2008: “It’s not easy this. You have to move your lips and it’s not easy. Are you related to the Director General of Swedish television?”

“Spain is next, with a song called ‘Bloody Mary’. That reminds me, I haven’t touched a drop yet.”

(Photo: BBC)

During the 2002 show: “I don’t know about you, I’m going to have a stiff drink.”

“It’s been 29 years since the Netherlands won the Eurovision Song Contest. After this performance, make that 30.”

“This skit must have seemed like a tremendous idea at the time, but actually it’s covering a commercial break for Finnish television. And if you don’t mind me expressing an opinion, I’d prefer the commercials.”

“That was France. Gosh, wasn’t that awful?”

With 24 out of 25 songs performed: “Hold on. Be strong. Just cling to the wreckage. It will be over soon.”

On the interval performance in 2009: “I’ve seen this. This goes on for quite some time, so if you fancy making yourself a stiff drink, or putting the kettle on, or walking the dog, this is the time to do it.”

“I’m trying to remind myself of Serbia and Montenegro’s song. What in hell’s name was it? 109 points? I wouldn’t have given them one.”

On a backstage skit in 2007: “Is this supposed to be funny? No, of course not – it is the Eurovision Song Contest. What’s the matter with me? Can we please watch the commercials? Why are these green room moments such an unmitigated disaster?”

“It’s been a wonderful, wonderful evening. I mean, not musically of course, but in terms of spectacle…”

(Photo: BBC)

Graham Norton

On Albania’s 2015 entry: “OK… That’s three minutes we’ll never get back, but look at it this way: We’ll never have to hear that song again.”

“It’s a grey, damp night outside, so there is a slight smell of wet dog in the arena.”

When the 2014 host suggested older viewers may not understand hashtags: “Don’t patronise me Nikolaj. I’m 51, not dead!”

“My one tip is, don’t start looking at his eyebrows, you won’t be able to stop.”

On Britain’s chances a few years ago: “Give them a nudge, every vote counts… Oh, I do hope we get some votes tonight.”

“This year’s theme is celebrating diversity. Let’s see who they’ve chosen to host. Oh. It’s three white men.”

On Poland’s 2014 entry: “‘We are Slavic girls, we know how to use our charming beauty, now shake what your mama gave you.’ It’s essentially a feminist anthem.”

(Photo: BBC)

“You keep thinking this will make sense in a moment. But no.”

“They’re dressed like posh hospital workers from the future.”

When the host spoke to members of the audience: “Nothing has gone wrong. This was planned.”

“The song is called ‘Alcohol is Free’. Ironic to sing that in Sweden, where it’s anything else. You have to sell your car to get a pint.”

“The last few years the semi-finals have weeded out some of the Eurovision lunacy… but not this year.”

On Norway’s entry in 2015: “He said he did something terrible as a boy. We don’t know what it was. It might have been write this song.”

“If you think my job’s easy, check out the guy pretending to play the saxophone for three minutes.”

On Albania’s 2012 entry: “She’s a devoted experimental jazz musician. She can do extraordinary things with her voice… not pleasant things, but extraordinary.”

Eurovision host: “It’s really interesting to see people’s emotions when they win.” Graham Norton: “It’s not that interesting though, is it?”

(Photo: BBC)

On Italy’s 2017 performance: “If you’re going to get someone to dress as a gorilla, at least get a decent outfit. That looks like couple of old car seats sewn together.”

On Russia’s 2012 effort: “It’s an unusual Eurovision this year. There are lots of songs that are really quite good and brilliantly sung. This is not one of those.”

On Hungary’s 2016 entrant: “If it doesn’t work out for him, he’s always got his Hotel Management degree. I feel he’s going to use it.”

On the fashion sense of 2015’s Georgian entry: “Her outfit does involve some roadkill. I fear some Georgian crows were harmed in the making of this act.”

On a Hungarian performance: “Don’t worry, he hasn’t brought his mother’s ashes on stage. It is, in fact, a mini milk churn. Who knew. Oh, and in case you are wondering, there hasn’t been a stage invader. She is a fully trained dancer. She is meant to be there.”

On the name of Hungary’s 2015 entrant: “Her name was unpronounceable so she decided to go by her nickname, which is Boggie. She could have called herself anything. Trixie-bell, Floo-Floo, but no. Boggie.”

(Photo: BBC)

Eurovision hosts: “There is so much love in the room tonight.” Graham Norton: “Not for you.”

On Germany’s 2016 entrant: “Maybe I’m just old and grumpy but there isn’t a single thing about this woman that doesn’t annoy me. Here’s Jamie-Lee, making Björk seem great.”

After a lengthy ballad in 2015: “You still there? It’s over. It really is over!”

“Ooh, some dodgy notes in there. I wonder if there’s something going wrong technically. Or maybe, he’s just not great.”

When it was announced there were 14 songs still to go in 2016: “She says that as if it’s a good thing!”

On some scantily clad backing dancers: “It is quite a good song, but you won’t notice because you’ll be distracted by the… oh, let’s call them dancers.”

“She claims to be the only yodeller in Romania. Probably because the others don’t talk about it. That’s the first rule of yodelling club.”

“It’s got everything; a pop tempo, a disco beat and two half naked men splashing about in a paddling pool.”

On the Danish points announcer: “It’s obviously dress-down Saturday in Denmark.”

The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 is on BBC One on Saturday at 8pm.

• Have your say on the latest TV and film with Screen Babble, the television discussion group on Facebook

Some more funny quotes:

27 brilliantly funny quotes from This Country 50 of the funniest (and most puerile) quotes from The Inbetweeners 20 of the most absurdly funny quotes from Nathan Barley 39 of the greatest Brass Eye and Day Today quotes 25 of the most outrageous Summer Heights High quotes 25 of Rik Mayall’s greatest quotes 25 of the funniest ever Still Game quotes 50 of the funniest Father Ted quotes Red Dwarf: 30 of the funniest quotes and one-liners Derry Girls: 35 of the funniest quotes and one-liners 25 of the most cantankerous Martin Crane quotes from Frasier 25 of the most ‘textbook’ Alan Partridge quotes 50 of the best lines from Peep Show 20 of The Young Ones’ most gloriously silly quotes 20 of Malcolm Tucker’s most cutting insults 25 of the greatest Absolutely Fabulous quotes, darling The 20 most nonsensical quotes from the W1A team 50 of the funniest Friends quotes and jokes

… and some jokes:

28 Star Wars jokes that will make you laugh (and cringe) 41 of Bill Bailey’s most gleefully funny jokes and one-liners 25 hilarious dad jokes you’ve probably never heard before 40 of the funniest jokes about Brexit 25 of Spike Milligan’s greatest gags 100 of the best clean jokes and one-liners 25 of Peter Kay’s most ingenious jokes and one-liners 26 of Stewart Lee’s most gloriously acerbic jokes 49 of Monty Python’s funniest jokes 45 of Ricky Gervais’ funniest jokes 17 of Ken Dodd’s most ingeniously funny jokes 27 of Sarah Millican’s laugh out loud jokes 50 of Jimmy Carr’s funniest jokes and one-liners 50 of Milton Jones’s most ingenious jokes and one-liners 50 of Tim Vine’s most ingenious jokes and one-liners 50 of Frankie Boyle’s funniest (and darkest) jokes 25 of Charlie Brooker’s most cutting jokes and insults 25 of Lee Mack’s wittiest jokes and one-liners 75 of Billy Connolly’s best jokes, one-liners and quips 30 of the best-ever jokes about Scotland – from Scotland

[robertvasquez763]

Former GM Advanced Powertrain Executive Says Not So Fast on EV Adoption

–

Professor Friedrich Indra is one of the most vocal critics of electric mobility. He started his career at Alpina and Audi before moving to General Motors in Detroit, where he eventually took over responsibility for advanced engineering in powertrain operations. He retired in 2005 but continues to work as a scholar and an advisor to the automotive industry.

–

We asked him for a take on the current discussion surrounding the move to electric vehicles, which has taken a sharper tone since Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller recently called for fewer government subsidies for diesels and more for EVs. In Indra’s view, not only are EVs more expensive than and inferior to conventional cars, they also do not solve environmental problems.

–

Car and Driver: Professor Indra, at last year’s Vienna Motor Symposium you asked VW CEO Matthias Müller how he would manage to sell two to three million electric cars per year from 2025 and make money at the same time.

–

Friedrich Indra [laughs]: I remember that well. He had flown in from the auto show in Shanghai and said, in so many words, “There are so many young people who will buy them all.” And that was the end of the announcement. How can Mr. Müller say something like that? Maybe he did so because he has already has written off the German market. In 2020, after 10 years of campaigning, instead of the expected one million, [Germany] will not even have 100,000 electric cars on the road.

–

C/D: Surely China will drive the switch to e-mobility.

–

FI: I would not be so sure about that. China is starting to view the topic more rationally, because it is dawning on the politicians that they cannot solve their environmental problems with electric cars. Due to the large number of caloric power plants which generate dirty electricity, electric cars contribute nothing to improving the climate. Of course, China has economic interests as well.

–

The Chinese have secured extensive mining rights in Africa. In Congo, for example, cobalt is mined under the most brutal conditions. And carmakers need graphite, manganese, and lithium. With all of these raw materials, we are highly dependent on the Chinese, we have to buy a lot from them. We are talking huge amounts of raw materials. For example, with cobalt, the fairly small battery of a BMW i3 already contains about 25 pounds of cobalt. The whole affair is an indirect economic war, because for the millions of cars that are proposed by Mr. Müller and others, we will have to get the cells from China, as we do today, and pay a lot of money for them.

–

C/D: Won’t batteries improve in terms of energy density and production costs?

–

FI: If you want to build as many cars as VW and others announce, you will not get very far with lithium-ion batteries due to the scarcity of raw materials. Other battery technologies are being researched, but it is unthinkable that they will be ready for [large-scale] production anytime soon.

–

–

The battery pack from GM’s Chevrolet Bolt EV.

–

C/D: Aren’t electric cars—just by merit of their character—becoming more and more attractive?

–

FI: I don’t think so, and it seems almost impossible to sell them to private individuals in Europe. Without subsidies, the sales figures seen in places such as Denmark and Norway will tank. About 85 percent of them go to authorities, to fleets, and to municipalities that buy those cars because of subsidies. Of course you can [use subsidies to] promote a new technology at the beginning, but if there is no chance that it eventually becomes an independently successful business model, then the subsidies must end.

–

C/D: There is a lot of chatter that says the market is close to a breakthrough.

–

FI: We’ve been told this for a long time. But the basic question remains: Why should a customer buy a product that is significantly more expensive but can do much less than what he already has? Only when a new product can do two or three important things better can you convince customers to switch. But this scenario doesn’t fit the electric car, because with its “electrochemical factory,” you can never reach the range, efficiency, and safety of a combustion engine powered by fossil fuel. Conventional engine technology is by far the most economical and safest technology for the transportation of goods and people and, overall, also the best for the environment. When it comes to value, customers are quite pragmatic, and you will not be able force them to buy electric cars, because they are so much worse than what they currently own.

–

C/D: What do you mean by that?

–

FI: The combustion engine provides instant mobility, day and night, summer and winter. Customers can use their car to tow a trailer, pack a surfboard, or drive 300 or 600 miles at once if, for example, there is a family emergency. And they do not want to give up this unrestricted freedom. In addition, the combustion engine is affordable. It is not worthless after eight years, like an electric car. Present and future cars with internal-combustion engines, together with new and synthetic fuels, will continue to beat back all alternatives. And of course that also applies to trucks and buses. The exceptions are some fleet vehicles—say, for urban transport with central charging options. By the way, anyone who thinks he can travel cheaper with an electric car than with a gas burner is wrong. Higher electricity taxes for households that draw a lot of electricity are already on the way, and public charging stations aren’t cheap.

–

C/D: You mentioned safety as a problem with electric cars.

–

FI: Safety is a serious problem. When an electric car burns, you need heavy-duty respirators. And once the main battery catches fire and the chemical process is up and running, it’s virtually unstoppable. You have to fight the fire for up to 48 hours, pour tons of sand over it, or just flood the car. Tesla, for example, speaks of 3000 gallons of water. Extremely hot metal pieces could fly out of the battery. EV manufacturers have also recommended that vehicles damaged by accidents should not be parked in garages, but only outdoors. I am afraid we have bad things coming here.

–

C/D: You also mentioned that the environmental performance of electric cars isn’t convincing.

–

FI: In a holistic view—and that’s the only one that counts—the electric car provides no contribution to improving the climate. It starts out with a huge mortgage, because you need a lot of electricity just for the production of batteries. The power required to run these cars is rarely generated in a clean way, and at the end of the life cycle, the expensive raw materials cannot reasonably be recycled. Moreover, faster charging will present massive infrastructure problems because you need to lay thicker power cables everywhere, at huge expense. The overall environmental balance of electromobility does not look bright.

–

C/D: But carmakers face a practical problem. For certification purposes, the CO2 emissions are stipulated to be zero. How do you propose they comply with CO2 regulations?

–

FI: Certainly not with electric cars, because the numbers in service will remain very low anyway. If they invested the money in further improved combustion engines and their partial electrification, in natural-gas cars and alternative fuels, they will come closer to the goals. Incidentally, the Chinese are also making major strides in synthetic fuels. This approach brings about quick results, and you do not need a new infrastructure. I also view these fuels as the best solution in the long term.

–

–

The charging port on a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E350e plug-in hybrid.

–

C/D: In the meantime, what is the role for the plug-in hybrid?

–

FI: At some point, everyone might realize that the plug-in hybrid is a scam, if only because most users do not even plug in their cars. The fact that these cars are counted as electric cars in the statistics is a joke but helps to make the embarrassingly low sales of electric cars look a little less pitiful. By contrast, it makes sense to use partial electrification with starter/generator systems that deliver 12 to 15 kilowatts. At 20 percent of the cost, you get 80 percent of the benefits of a full hybrid.

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C/D: Does diesel still have a role, a right to exist?

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FI: The diesel has every right to exist. With modern exhaust aftertreatment and urea injection, it is a clean technology. It is powerful and still extremely efficient.

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C/D: Then why do you think do executives endorse e-mobility so strongly?

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FI: I suspect that they have to make those statements to keep the workers’ councils and supervisory boards happy and to justify their billion-dollar investments. And in the case of VW, Mr. Müller might just want to distract politicians and media from the diesel scandal. Whether all of this this will help him to sell many EVs remains doubtful.

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Toyota Will Electrify Everything by 2025, Powering Up with Panasonic

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A Brief Treatise on Tesla So Far: Spare Us the “Disruption”

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C/D: Taking a somewhat cynical point of view, why should executives care what kind of product their company sells, if that’s what society demands?

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FI: To opt for e-mobility is a risky strategy, not only because financial success is unimaginable. And I can tell you what happens if internal-combustion engines are really banned at a future point in time, say in 2030. Then the people will rush to buy a conventional car the year before and keep driving it for 10 or 20 years. It would disrupt the typical six-to-seven-year cycle of new acquisitions, and we would plunge into a vast economic crisis. Then I would like to see the politicians responsible for this. But I can assure you: It will not happen. The mood is already tipping, not least because there are more and more well-reasoned, critical voices out there. The weak points of EVs are becoming more obvious. And the raw-material shortage for the production of today’s batteries is just one of them.

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