View allAll Photos Tagged Competitive,
Governor O'Malley swears in memebers of maryland advisory commission on manufacturing competitiveness by Tom Nappi at Cockeysville, Maryland
IK School of Gymnastics is a place, where competitive Russian gymnasts come to practice during their vacations in Miami. They choose IK because they know that we have the best coaches in Miami, who help gymnasts to develop to their fullest potential.
Competitive Track Autoshow 2012
Date: 15 Jan 2012
Venue: Sepang International Circuit
Enjoy what you've seen so far? I'm available for any photoshoot related to MotorSports, call +60128289705 or email esharkj@gmail.com for booking + more info.
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
The Burns District celebrated National Trails Day on Saturday, June 2, with an American Competitive Trail Horse Ride at Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility. The event enjoyed 18 competitors and had help from over 12 course judges and volunteers. Photos by Tara Martinak.
This highest range version of the mighty Montego, the Vanden Plas version did not feature a huge chrome nose like previous Leyland models, but instead was styled internally by the company to give a highly competitive luxury motor for the discerning business executive, complete with walnut veneer and leather seats.
Jointly, this was British Leyland's last model to be released before the company was rebranded as the Rover Group. Carrying the Austin badge, the car was built to kill off many ageing British Leyland products, including the Austin Allegro, the Austin Ambassador (an updated version of the Princess) and the Morris Ital (an updated version of the Marina). Competing with the likes of the Vauxhall Cavalier and the Ford Sierra, the Montego was built to similar principals as the Austin Maestro (essentially a hatchback version of this model).
After 1986, the Austin badge was dropped and the Montego was sold with no badge apart from its name. Despite being a rather humdrum motor, it was in fact quite profitable, especially the very spacious family estate version. Production of this car ceased in 1994, bringing an end to what was essentially the last Austin. However, a bootlegged version of both the Maestro and the Montego was produced in China from 1998 onwards, combining the nose of a Montego with the body of a Maestro. One of these essential Rip-offs was featured in an episode of Top Gear.
I personally always had a love for the Montego and Maestro as they always seemed like very happy cars, the Montego especially. It was also a very desirable machine back in the 1990's when I was growing up, with a lot of my friends parents owning either this or the Maestro, citing its apparently good build quality and spacious interior. Needless to say the cars they owned were later models built in the early 1990's!
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
“Cornhole: The Movie” follows four teams on their way to the National Cornhole Championship, an annual competition that rallies together a wildly diverse cast of characters all intent on the same thing: taking home the coveted Bronze Sack. Experience the one sport where you'll find a “knocked up," conniving Jewish Princess, a Mafioso misfit, breeding bounty hunters, and passionate Cuban exiles battling it out to get one in the hole. Each bag they toss brings them closer to personal victory and draws the audience deeper into the wacky world of competitive cornhole.
******* English version *******
Towards a modeling of World Competitiveness Cluster…
Can one to imagine that our World, in its global, is able a day go out of the crisis, in which it gets stuck everyday a little more?
The world economical crisis, the persistent social conflicts and the destructive revolutions to the other boils world, that sow only disorder, hate and violence, associated to the incoherence of the strategies adopted by the political ones, drive me to write this ticket.
valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/towards-a-modeling...
My different ones traverses studies and of professional experiences allowed me to understand that to any problem, it exists a solution to the minimum.
And if the problem persists, it is that the solutions were not correctly explored.
Three parties will be approached:
I. A brief introduction on the WTO and its member nations
valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/i-a-brief-introduc...
II. My conception of the Competitiveness Cluster
valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/ii-my-conception-o...
III. The creation of a program of World Crisis modeling for some goes out
valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/iii-the-creation-o...
******* Version française *******
Vers une modélisation du Pôle de Compétitivité Mondial
Peut-on imaginer que notre Monde, dans sa globalité, puisse un jour sortir de la crise, dans laquelle il s’enlise tous les jours un peu plus?
La crise économique mondiale, les conflits sociaux persistants et les révolutions destructrices à l’autre bout du monde, qui ne sèment que désordre, haine et violence, associés à l’incohérence des stratégies adoptées par les politiques, me conduisent à écrire ce billet.
valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/vers-une-modelisat...
Mes différents parcours d’études et d’expériences professionnelles m’ont permis de comprendre qu’à tout problème, il existe au minimum une solution. Et si le problème persiste, c’est que les solutions n’ont pas été correctement explorées.
Trois parties seront abordées:
I. Une brève introduction sur l’OMC et ses pays membres valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/une-breve-introduc...
II. Ma conception du Pôle de Compétitivité valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/ma-conception-du-p...
III. La création d’un programme de modélisation de Crise Mondiale pour en sortir valeriehadoux.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/la-creation-dun-pr...
******* dossier complet / complete file *******
ECONOMY – World Competitiveness sdrv.ms/YIM0gu
Towards a modeling of World Competitiveness Cluster sdrv.ms/102i6CJ
ECONOMY – Towards a modeling of World Competitiveness Cluster sdrv.ms/102df4t
Vers une modélisation du Pôle de Compétitivité Mondial sdrv.ms/YBsD6Y
ECONOMIE – Vers une modélisation du Pôle de Compétitivité Mondial sdrv.ms/13Xxfp5
******* some useful links *******
WTO - www.wto.org/
10 things the WTO can do - www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/10thi_e/10thi00_e.htm
The Uruguay Round - www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/fact5_e.htm GATT - www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/gatt_e/gatt_e.htm
GATT signatories - www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/gattmem_e.htm
OECD - www.oecd.org/
UNCTAD - www.unctad.org/en/Pages/Home.aspx
******* quelques liens utiles *******
OMC - www.wto.org/indexfr.htm
Dix choses que l'OMC peut faire - www.wto.org/french/thewto_f/whatis_f/10thi_f/10thi00_f.htm
Cycle d’Uruguay - www.wto.org/french/thewto_f/whatis_f/tif_f/fact5_f.htm GATT - www.wto.org/french/tratop_f/gatt_f/gatt_f.htm
Pays signataires du GATT - www.wto.org/french/thewto_f/gattmem_f.htm
OCDE - www.oecd.org/fr/
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
Curtiss Aircraft had already produced the P-36 Hawk for the US Army Air Corps, but reports were reaching the US that potential enemies—namely Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan—were testing new fighters that would vastly outclass the P-36. The USAAC had their own new fighters on the drawing boards, but needed something that could be produced quickly and still be competitive. Curtiss responded by mating the Allison V-1710 inline engine with the P-36 airframe: the Allison had the same power as the Hawk’s radial engine, but was smaller and more streamlined. Designating the new type the XP-40 Warhawk, it was first flown in October 1938, but performance was disappointing. Curtiss tweaked the XP-40, moving the radiator to beneath the engine and adding an air scoop above it, in front of the cockpit. While the XP-40 still could not reach 400 mph as Curtiss had hoped, its performance was good enough that the USAAC placed an order for 500 P-40B Warhawks, the largest fighter order the service had placed to that date.
It was not the USAAC (later US Army Air Force) that would give the P-40 its baptism of fire. France, desperate for fighters, had placed an order for P-40Bs, but was overrun by Germany before they could be delivered. The order was diverted to Great Britain, but as the Allison engine lacked a supercharger, the P-40 was ineffective above 15,000 feet and could not climb as well as the Spitfire or its opponent, the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Not knowing what else to do with the P-40B, which the British had named the Kittyhawk I, they were relegated to a “secondary” theater, North Africa, and sent to Commonwealth air forces such as Australia’s. North Africa, however, quickly became a primary theater, as Axis forces drove on Egypt, and the P-40 found itself against Italian Macchi fighters and early-model Bf 109Es—and it excelled.
Since both sides were committed to using airpower to support ground forces, air combat rarely took place above 15,000 feet, and very quickly Commonwealth pilots found the strengths of the P-40: it was easy to fly, was excellent in a dive and in low-speed dogfights, it was easy to repair and dealt well with the harsh desert environment, and most of all, it was durable. The British Desert Air Force would also be the first to put “sharkmouths” on its P-40s, which the chin-mounted radiator lent itself to; this marking would become the trademark of the P-40.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the P-40 represented the main fighter available to USAAF units in Hawaii. Though most of the fighter force was caught on the ground, a number of P-40s were able to get into the air, namely those of Kenneth Taylor and George Welch, who accounted for five Japanese aircraft between them.
By far, however, the most famous of these early efforts, and the most famous P-40s of all, were flown by the American Volunteer Group—the legendary Flying Tigers. Operating P-40Bs diverted from a British order and flying in Chinese markings and sharkmouths, the Tigers would shoot down nearly 300 Japanese aircraft for the loss of only four P-40s. Admittedly, most of the Japanese losses were bombers, but AVG pilots ran into far more nimble Japanese fighters in the form of A6M Zeroes and Ki-43 Oscars. The Tigers’ commander, Claire Chennault, had known that his Kittyhawks would not be able to maneuver with Japanese fighters, and so developed “boom-and-zoom” tactics that played to the P-40’s strengths. AVG pilots would dive on Japanese opponents, open fire, then convert the kinetic energy of the dive into a quick climb. The P-40 pilot could then repeat the maneuver, or simply leave, as the Japanese could not keep up with them. Later, as the USAAF entered the war in the Southwest Pacific, other P-40 pilots learned that making a hard turn at high speed could allow them to easily break away from a Zero. Here the P-40’s durability also paid dividends, as Japanese pilots found it difficult to shoot down.
By 1943, the early P-40Bs and Cs were becoming obsolete, and Curtiss refined the design still further. In the P-40E (the first referred to as Warhawk by all users), the .30 caliber machine guns were deleted in favor of all .50 caliber armament, giving the P-40E considerable hitting power; P-40Es were used very effectively in the China-Burma-India theater, where they were to achieve air superiority over the Japanese. Commonwealth and now USAAF pilots in North Africa, facing increasingly better German and Italian fighters, thought that the P-40E was too heavy, and in any case the lack of high altitude performance was still a problem. Curtiss responded with the Packard Merlin-equipped P-40F, which matched the best piston engine of the war to the P-40 airframe, and stripped-down, lighter P-40Ls (which had Merlins) and P-40Ns (retaining Allisons), which also had extended fuselages to compensate for the heavy torque of the bigger engines.
By the time production of the P-40 ended in December 1944, the war had left it behind. Nonetheless, the P-40 was to remain in service until the end, achieving the longest in-service time of any American fighter. 26 nations had flown the Warhawk in combat (including, ironically, the Japanese, who flew captured P-40Es in Burma), and if its shortcomings had never quite been solved, its pilots had overcome them. The fighter served in every theater of war, from Iceland to Burma, and from Australia to the Aleutians. It was gone from most air forces soon after the war’s end. 13,738 P-40s were built; today, about 90 are left, with 20 flyable aircraft.
The wartime career of 42-105927 is something of a mystery: built as a P-40N, it was converted to a two-seat TP-40N conversion trainer at some point in its career. It survived the war and ended up on outdoor display at NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, where it was displayed in AVG markings. It suffered in the outdoors, and was acquired in 1965 by the Smithsonian for eventual display at the National Air and Space Museum, but by 1976, it was handed back to the USAF, which refurbished 42-105927 and placed it on display as a gate guard at Peterson AFB, Colorado. (I dimly remember seeing this P-40 as a kid, when Dad and I would drive down to Peterson from Denver.)
Once more, the weather took a toll on 42-105927, and in 1994, it was transferred to the Museum of Aviation for restoration, which was done by a local vocational school. Finally, 42-105927 went back on display, now indoors, in 2002.
One of the most famous P-40 pilots was Colonel Robert Scott, Jr., a 13-kill ace with first the AVG and then as commanding officer of the 23rd Fighter Group at Kunming, China. Scott's memoir, "God is My Co-Pilot," was published during the war in 1943, and a movie was made in 1945. Scott remained with the postwar USAF, retired as a Brigadier General, and kept flying even afterwards--his last flight, in a B-1B Lancer, was made when he was 89 years old. He passed away in 2006. As Scott was from Augusta, Georgia, and lived his final years at Warner Robins, 42-105927 was painted as one of his P-40s.
Like most P-40s over China, 42-105927 wears standard USAAF wartime camouflage, and of course carries a sharkmouth--no P-40 over China was without one! Scott's victories are carried beneath the cockpit, and a Flying Tiger emblem is carried between the cockpit and the USAAF roundel. There's nothing like seeing a P-40 in person, and it's good to see this one finally inside.
The Burns District celebrated National Trails Day on Saturday, June 2, with an American Competitive Trail Horse Ride at Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility. The event enjoyed 18 competitors and had help from over 12 course judges and volunteers. Photos by Tara Martinak.
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa
44600 Indian Wells Ln,
Indian Wells, CA 92210
*** In the beginning ***
In 1967 Charlie Pasarell, was 23 and was ranked No 1 U.S. tennis player. When Pasarell turned 35 he determined he was not good enough to play competitively with the younger players. So, he decided to promote a tennis circuit for those over 35 and it would be called the Grand Champions. Albert DeVaul, who developed the Racquet Club at Scottsdale Ranch in Arizona, hosted one of the Pasarell's Grand Champions tournaments and was pleased with the success. These two became friends then partners - a relationship that eventually led to the $70 million resort in Indian Wells - The Grand Champions, now known as Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.
In 1977 Pasarell was director of tennis for Ernie Vossler's Landmark Land Co., which re-developed the La Quinta Hotel Golf & Tennis Resort. Vossler and Pasarell wanted to re-imagine the La Quinta Resort as a world class tennis resort. With Pasarell on board as tennis director the resort’s tennis club was born. In 1981, La Quinta Resort & Club hosted its first major professional tennis tournament, the Grand Marnier/ATP Tennis Games (now the BNP Paribas Open). The first tournament ended with Jimmy Connors defeating Ivan Lendl. The 1981 total prize money was $175,000 with $28,000 to the singles winner. Attendance for the Sunday finals was 6,600.
During the six years (1981 – 1986) the tournament was held in La Quinta, the event achieved such success that it outgrew the tennis stadium and facilities at La Quinta Hotel. Charlie Pasarell’s goal was to strive for “major tennis event” status. He knew what was needed - a larger, more modern and permanent tennis stadium with enhanced facilities. To construct the appropriate tennis stadium and facilities, Pasarell and long-time friend and former player Raymond Moore established a company known as PM Sports Management, and created a team along with other investors including Albert DeVaul and entertainer Alan King to design, develop and operate a luxurious resort hotel and tennis facility. At that time the city of Indian Wells had three hotel sites available on Highway 111 adjacent to the city-funded 36-hole golf course. The golf courses were not to be known as public or municipal rather the courses were to be called resort or world class. Pasarell's group committed to a site but the city of Indian Wells would only allow a stadium with 4,000 permanent seats. In a work around Pasarell and the city agreed to a stadium built that was terraced on the bottom and had 4,000 permanent seats built around the upper ring. Pasarell plan was to rent 10.000 folding chairs, at a dollar apiece to make the 14,000 seat total.
For financing Pasarell and DeVaul sold an ownership portion of the Indian Wells hotel/tennis project to Brad Blackman, at the time a 34 year old president of Blackman, Garlock Flynn & Co., a San Francisco based real estate investment firm. A company - The Grand Champions Resorts - a California limited partnership, was formed with Brad Blackman named Chairman, Charles Pasarell president and investors including Alan King, VMS Realty and Primerica. Expansion beyond Indian Wells was promising with future plans for Grand Champions projects in Aspen, Polo Beach on Maui and Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. It was Brad Blackman's relationship with Wolgang Puck that brought Puck to the Grand Champions to develop the food and beverage concepts. Brad Blackman also steered Puck to open Postrio at 545 Post Street in San Francisco.
In 1986, construction was completed on the 350-room Grand Champions Hotel (now known as the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa). The hotel is strongly reminiscent of La Mamounia, a great old hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. Morocco was one of the last stops on a three-year resort-hopping project that Charles Pasarell, Albert DeVaul and architect Bob Yamafuji undertook to come up with the resort's design. Development costs were reported to be $70 million - and up to $120 million. Its centerpiece was a sophisticated tennis center with 12 courts including a 10,000-seat tennis stadium (with some 7,000 permanent seats and 12 private sponsor suites), a 3,000-seat clubhouse court, two grass courts and two clay courts. Other facilities included a 3,000 square foot retail sport boutique, a 1.62-acre hospitality village and an 8,000 square foot convention center that also served as a media facility, a player’s lounge and a kitchen facility during the tournament. At the time it was completed, the stadium and facilities were truly state-of-the-art. The entertainer Alan King's job title was Vice Chairman of Entertainment and Special Events. King said he owned 3% of the hotel. Tennis great Boris Becker was to represent Grand Champions as its touring pro.
Bernard Dervieux was the opening chef. He left after one year (replaced by Marco Barbitta) to open Cuistot on El Paseo. Bernard was hired in 1980 at the Beverly Hills Hotel at the recommendation of Wolfgang Puck. He was Executive Chef at the hotel until 1986. After leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bernard went to the Grand Champions Resort in Indians Wells and also to Aspen, Colorado serving as Executive Chef until opening Cuistot in 1987. The hotel opened with three restaurants: Trattoria - exhibition kitchen in the style of Puck's Spago, California regional with pizzas, pastas salads. Charlies - traditional classic dishes from the south of France with no cream and no butter. The Jasmine Room - the premier dining room offering a mix of French, Nouvelle and fine American cuisine. The opening manager for Jasmine was Pasquale Pavone who previously was maitre d'hotel at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 11 years. Zapotec, a South American restaurant designed by Barbara Lazaroff, Puck's wife, was to be in a separate building on the Hyatt grounds.
In November 1987, one year after opening, Hyatt Hotels Corp commenced managing the Grand Champions Hotel. Rudy Richters, Neil B. Jacobs and Rick Redman were early general managers. Rudy Richter's previous general manager positions include the Dolder Hotel in Zurich, the Park in Vienna and L'ermitage in Beverly Hills. At the time VMS Realty had a strong relationship with Hyatt.
By 1989 VMS Realty, one of the nation's largest real estate firms, was suffering cash-flow problems and in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy replaced its top management and laid off some of its 500 employees. The Chicago-based partnership, which had a $9 billion portfolio that included Hyatt Grand Champions, said it would sell properties, seek to renegotiate bank loans and take a $110 million charge against third-quarter earnings. VMS, which began as a seller of real estate limited partnerships, partners were Robert Van Kampen, Peter R. Morris and Joel A. Stone (thus VMS). Limited partnerships, particularly in real estate, were the principal forms of tax shelters until the Tax Reform Act of 1986 effectively eliminated most of the tax benefits. As a result, a number of syndicators have left the syndication business entirely or filed for bankruptcy.
*** Richard L. Monfort ownership ***
Ken Monfort sold the family business, Monfort of Colorado, to ConAgra for $300 million in 1987. The cattle company was one of Greeley's largest employers and one of the world's largest beef operations. In 1989 VMS Realty was failing and a son of Ken Monfort, Richard L. Monfort, became a shareholder in the VMS owned Hyatt Grand Champions along with the Hyatt Hotel Corporation. Dick Monfort also owns the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club and was the owner of Boston's now closed Highland Steakhouse, once the highest grossing steakhouse in the U.S.
Australian tennis pro Mark Philippoussis won the 1999 Newsweek Champions Cup - it marked the last singles championship to be played on the 11,500-seat stadium at the Hyatt Grand Champion Resort. The 2000 tournanent moved to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Charlie Pasarell's new tennis mecca with a 16,100 seat stadium. According to Pasarell the Indian Wells tournament had grown to be among the most prestigious sports events in the world and had totally outgrown the facilities at the Hyatt Grand Champions.
In 2003 owner Dick Monfort completed a $60 million expansion at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort. The project began with the demolition of the 10,100 seat tennis stadium and a reduction of tennis courts from 12 to 3. The expansion included 142 guest rooms making the room count 480, a new 50,000 sq ft meeting facility and a 30,000 sq ft floating spa paradise, Agua Serena. John Orr, divisional vice president for Hyatt Hotels gave credit to Dick Monfort's perseverance for bringing this enhancement to fruitation. The General Manager at that time was Hendrick Santos. Santos later ran the Westin Rio Mar and the Gran Melia Golf Resort in Puerto Rico. Tom Netting was the VP and Managing Director during 2004-2007.
During 2005-06 the city of Indian Wells decided to plow under the two 19 year-old golf courses in a $45 million enhancement project. Clive Clark and John Fought were retained to completely re-do the Ted Robinson designed East Course and West Course along with the construction of a new clubhouse. Since 2006 the Indian Well's Golf Resort annual losses have exceeded a total of $20 million. In 1998, the former Erawan Garden Hotel was transformed beyond recognition into the Miramonte Resort. Together with the Hyatt Grand Champions, Indian Wells Resort Hotel, and Renaissance Esmeralda, the four properties were successful in generating room taxes that are more than 60% of the city of Indian Wells' operating budget.
In 2011 the Hyatt's general manager was Allan Farwell. He closed the resort during the month of July to facilitate the renovation of the resorts main entrance, lobby and front desk. Also the reconcepting and renaming of the former Santa Rosa Grill to Lantana Restaurant and lobby bar Agave Sunset were completed. The hotel temporarily closed its doors in July of 2012 to begin constructing the Citrus Marketplace and Cafe. During his 6 years in Indian Wells Farwell served as Chairman of the California Hotel and Lodging Association and Chairman of the Palm Springs Desert Resort Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In 2012, the resort changed its name from Hyatt Grand Champions to Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. Doug Sears was the general manager from 2013 to 2017. In Oct 2017 Stephen D’Agostino was named general manager. D’Agostino most recently was general manager of Hyatt Regency Orange County.
Compiled by Dick Johnson, October 2018
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
Premier John Horgan and Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, announce that the B.C. government has set out its vision for a forestry sector that is more diverse, competitive, focused on sustainability and puts people and communities first.
Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021PREM0037-001060
Thanks to whoever it was who alerted me to this :-)
1. Typical Cuba, 2. Warning - Acrobats!, 3. Danger traversée de route, 4. Unusual-shaped vegetable, 5. Don Quixote, 6. The Cobb, 7. Tubes and pipes, 8. Colours mixed on the vine,
9. Oddydod on Florrie's finger, 10. Chip, 11. Knocking off for lunch, 12. Slug, 13. Jeunes filles en fleurs, 14. English grapes, 15. Gissa bit!, 16. Aran knitting,
17. Chip, 18. Ghost of a bookshop, 19. Grandma Taylor on a fur rug, with family, 20. When you click on the pussycat the computer goes meow, 21. Laid low, 22. Waiting for the bus, 23. Gaudí turtle, 24. Caught on camera,
25. Important choice, 26. Guinness-fed beard, 27. You have been warned, 28. Think!, 29. Is there room for me in there?, 30. View from Le Falgoux, 31. Waitress, 32. Colours mixed on the vine,
33. Three pairs of legs, 34. Pigtail, 35. Knickers on the line, 36. Uppark, 37. The caravan is called "Rhodesia" because it belonged to a family called Rhodes, 38. Big red car bares its teeth, 39. Cow No 8574, 40. Casa Batllò,
41. I què és la veritat?, 42. Inside Sagrada Familia, 43. Glum snail, 44. The weir in a nice reflective mood today, 45. Wine with matching grapes, 46. Dappled and streaked in Shepherds Walk, 47. My news, 48. Far from the madding crowd,
49. Check out the Diary of Samuel Pepys, 50. Torre AGBAR, 51. Stuff on the draining board, 52. Newnham College drive-by, 53. William & Mary Ann Heath, 54. Sissinghurst, 55. One of them spotted me ..., 56. Dumb pendulums, scrolls and unlit candles,
57. Golden stems, 58. Bathers reflected, 59. The washing on the line tries to open the back door, 60. In the sink, 61. At Sissinghurst, 62. How to wear high heels, 63. Tendril, 64. Look at his special sandals with blue ribbons,
65. Tropical storm in Cardenas, 66. The bridge over the Orb at Roquebrun, 67. Carriage clock, 68. Wheelbarrow load of hard hats, 69. Monument to Henry Bataille, 70. A fable for the Nations, 71. Taking pictures of people taking pictures, 72. Constable Downspout
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
28 November 2014 - Kostas Skrekas, Minister for Development and Competitiveness of Greece. OECD, Paris, France.
For more information, visit: www.oecd.org/Greece
Photo : Herve Cortinat/OECD.
Carlyle bodied with a Dormobile shell, this Sherpa was one of the many supplied new to Manchester Minibuses(Fleet No. 63), in 01/1987, for competitive services in the Manchester area. It is seen here outside the Manchester Museum of Transport, Boyle Street, where it resides, during the museum's 'Christmas Cracker' event, on 04/12/2011. © Peter Steel 2011.
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO
It is a competitive advantage for websites to be fast and responsive, so we made performance a priority when building Smart Layers. www.addthis.com/blog/2013/09/17/performance-optimizing-fo...
From the May 2016 trip to Thailand and Cambodia:
Ta Keo was the first “lesser” temple we visited. It’s quite near Ta Prohm (just northwest of it). It was built in the Khleang style from the late 10th (975 A.D.) to the early 11th century. This temple is similar to Bakheng and Pre Rup in that it’s a bit of a “temple mountain.” (I didn’t have the heart to climb to the top, though it’s really not terribly high; I was just exhausted from the heat.) It was commissioned by Jayavarman V and later worked on by Jayaviravarman. The current restoration to Ta Keo is being funded in large part by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
It’s an interesting temple in that it’s built entirely of sandstone. It’s also an incomplete temple. Construction was stopped just as the carvings were begun. Currently, I think it’s quite photogenic in part due to its location and also because it’s purely sandstone. I would imagine this temple photographs extremely well in both early-morning or late afternoon light. We were here in mid- to late-morning, so didn’t see it at its visual best, though I still enjoyed seeing Ta Keo all the same. You can easily and comfortably visit this temple in an hour…two, if you really want to look at every corner of the place.
Well, this is it. Save for a return flight to Bangkok on Tuesday, May 17 (a formality, really, just to pick up the return flight to China on the 18th…and no shoots on the 17th in Bangkok), Siem Reap/Angkor Wat is the last stop – and the one I was most looking forward to.
The flight over was pretty uneventful, though amusing. At Phnom Penh International Airport, we checked in at the gate, then went outside and hopped on a bus to take us to the plane…which was literally less than 100 meters away. That amused me to no end. A quick, comfortable 45 minute flight on the prop jet later – over completely black terrain; it seems the countryside is either sparsely populated, or electricity is a premium, but we may as well have been flying over a moonless ocean – brought us to Siem Reap (which, I’m glad to say, had lights). Siem Reap is the small town (and it’s basically a tourist/party kind of town where it’s great to go out at night after spending a full day in the sweltering hot sun. It’s about 10 kilometers south of Angkor Wat.
In overview, Angkor Wat is the ancient capital of the Khmer kingdom. What remains today are temples…temples…and temples. Hindu temples. Buddhist temples. They were also a people who were animists, so some temples are reminiscent of that system, too.
The detail of the temples is also fascinating. There are more asparas here than you can shake a stick at. Of the roughly 20,000 asparas, only one is shown smiling (baring teeth, that is). It fascinates – and impresses – me that people have done such extensive research and restoration that they know this. Those are the details, though.
A macro view of the Siem Reap area is just as impressive in that these temples are a study of a civilization close to one thousand years old (yet another jaw-dropping aspect of Angkor: the longevity) and their durability. The earliest temples are over a thousand years old, and the most recent are from the 14th century. (If the guide book I bought is correct, they were all built between 790-1307.) What survives today is all original (though there have been reinforcements with stone – many foreign countries support renovations of specific temples; I recall China and India among them). It’s quite obvious to tell what’s old and what’s new in most cases. However, the restorations are all good and necessary. One last note regarding the longevity of these temples is this: If these stone temples are what remained…how impressive must the society have been who created them? (That’s to say…think of the temples, houses, and all that didn’t survive as they were built of wood; these are simply the temples built by the royals or the aristocracy.)
A tour of modern-day Angkor Wat can be done in one or two fairly vigorous days. However, if you’re looking for any classic shots, you’ll want to spend longer here. (Common sense: the more time here, the more chances for good shots.) For this trip – it may be the only time I come here, though you never know – we arrived on a Saturday night and checked into our hotel (My Home Tropical Garden Villa; $20/night)
Siem Reap feels, at first, like a small dusty outpost of a town. The center of town is about four square blocks of small dive restaurants (and a bar street) and slightly pricier restaurants. There is also a night market street, an art street…all in all, it’s quite nice and has a bit of a party feel to it in addition to the endless souvenir stands you would expect. Though we didn’t go out on Saturday night (since we didn’t get checked in until around 9:30 p.m.), we did get a chance to go on Sunday.
Sunday morning was an awfully early start. Before having left Phnom Penh, I jumped on Facebook and, by chance, found and hired a local tuktuk driver, Mao Khvan, for $25/day. He agreed to pick us up at 4:50 a.m. to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Now, a quick note on tuktuks: almost every single hotel/hostel/guesthouse probably has tuktuks available for hire. Also, when we were picked up at the airport, the taxi driver offered to drive us for the time we were there. In short…it’s a competitive market, and finding a driver for the day will be no problem. $25 may even be slightly pricy (you could probably find a driver for $15-20), however, I was so impressed with Mao’s service that, if I were to return, I’d gladly hire him again. He wasn’t rude or pushy, provides all the ice water you could possibly want to drink, and though he’s not an “official” guide, he’s very, very knowledgeable and made both days pleasant. I even had him take us to the airport the morning we left, and he brought his wife and daughter to meet us. He’s just a genuinely good and decent guy. (For anyone who goes to Angkor Wat, here’s Mao’s contact info if you want to arrange his services ahead of time: www.facebook.com/maotuktuksiemreap/?fref=ts )
Back to the actual touring itself, Angkor is geared towards tourism and they do it well. You can buy an admission ticket for either one, three, or seven days. ($20, $40, or…$60?). It’s also nice because they don’t have to be used in consecutive days (for the three and seven day passes, obviously). The three days can be used in a given week. The seven day pass, within a month.
Conventionally, two days is enough to see the “main” sites (albeit quickly) in about 8 hours each day. There’s a small loop (which we did the first morning) in which we caught the sunrise (not a great one, but…there was one, and it wasn’t terrible, by any stretch) at Angkor Wat, followed by a quick tour of the grounds – but not the temple itself. Afterwards (we were at Angkor Wat from 5:30 until 7:00 or 8:00, I’d say), we hopped back in the tuktuk and headed over to Ta Prohm, about 15-20 minutes away. Ta Prohm is famous for those who are fans of the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movies. (The first, I think. I’m not, so I don’t recall it vividly.) After those two spots – probably two of the three most famous – we went to the Khmer Country Kitchen for a rather nice, relaxing, and cheap breakfast where we spent an hour with the other two members of our group. Around 10:00, we went to our third stop: Ta Keo Temple. In 40 degree heat (roughly 104F), I was feeling a bit too exhausted to climb the somewhat steep stairs to the top of this temple, but I did enjoy the lower area just as well. From Ta Keo, we made a quick stop at two temples (they form a pair): Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda for about 20 minutes. Between these three, I’d say we spent about an hour. Our last stop of the morning, around high noon, was the Bayon complex of Angkor Thom. Passing through Bayon’s east gate, we stopped for a few quick pictures before going to the main compound of Bayon, which I would say is the the last of the three most-recognizable places here. We spent a good hour, or a little longer, shooting here after which point we were completely spent. Mao would have gladly taken us back to Angkor for sunset, but we actually decided to call it a day around 1:00. 9 hours in high heat was more than enough.
Back at the hotel, we rested, and I enjoyed myself immensely in the swimming pool. In the early evening, we walked about 600 meters to the “happening” part of town where we wandered the various streets and had a rather nice Khmer dinner. After eating and walking off a rather good dinner, we called it a night and headed back to our room. (For what it’s worth, the afternoon sky clouded over quite a bit and I heard we didn’t miss much as far as sunsets go. Mao also told us the following morning that the sunrise was a wash, as was Tuesday morning’s. Perhaps he was just trying to make us feel good.)
Monday morning we gladly skipped the sunrise and had a late start around…10:00. After a good old-fashioned breakfast of a ham & cheese omelet, Mao came by and we spent the second full day on the large loop. The first stop of the day was at Ba Phuon, a lesser temple just north of Bayon in Angkhor Thom. This was accompanied by quick stops at the adjacent Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace. After about an hour in the Ba Phuon area, we rode off to the northeast and stopped at Preah Khan, which was a rather interesting ruins. Another hour or so gone, we continued along the northeastern loop, bypassing Neak Pean (which, following English pronunciation rules, could theoretically be pronounced “neck pain,” which amused me for some reason…). The next stop was a rather small temple named Ta Som on the eastern end of the outer loop. Just down the road from Ta Som, we stopped at the East Mebon temple. When it was constructed, this was an island, only accessible by boat. That, however, was centuries ago. Now, it’s just a very dry, dusty area – with the temple still standing – and it’s hard to imagine it was once surrounded by water. At any rate, it was a quick stop at East Mebon, followed by another nice meal at the Khmer Country Kitchen before we continued with the tour. The next stop on the list was due east of the restaurant (southeast corner of the outer loop, which is really slightly northeast of Angkor Wat). Pre Rup (or Bre Rup) was a fairly photogenic temple. By this point, the heat – also around 40 degrees, just like Sunday – was starting to take a toll, though we still managed to stay out and see all we could. The last “new” temple for us was Banteay Kdei, a citadel that is at the corner of where the inner and outer loop meet on the eastern side of Angkor Wat. Directly across the street from Bnateay Kdei is what should be a nice lake called Sra Srang. A long, rectangular lake, which is also across the street from the Khmer Country Kitchen, it’s now nothing but a dustbowl. Though it’s rainy season now, there’s been so little rain that the lake has completely dried up. (But, please don’t tell any “right”-thinking politicians in my country that global warming is a problem. It certainly isn’t, despite what your eyes see.) After some rather sad contemplation at Sra Srang, we went back to Angkor Wat around 4:00 and were there until 6:30 or so for sundown. However, a boomer of a thunderstorm (light rain, but heavy on thunder & lightning) came through and there wasn’t much to see. However, we did finally get to tour the interior of Angkor Wat, and found that a pretty fitting way to end the initial Siem Reap shoot. From there, we went back to the hotel where we passed out from exhaustion.
The only thing left to do was wake up on Tuesday for a quick 45 minute flight at noon to Bangkok. We concluded the trip as we started it: eating well at a Thai restaurant. Other than that, we just had a quiet night in Bangkok (no shooting at all) and a very early (3:30 a.m.) wake up call for our return flights out of Thailand. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Thailand again soon.
Competitive Track Autoshow 2012
Date: 15 Jan 2012
Venue: Sepang International Circuit
Enjoy what you've seen so far? I'm available for any photoshoot related to MotorSports, call +60128289705 or email esharkj@gmail.com for booking + more info.
More than 230 cadets began the Competitive MIAD tryouts Oct. 25 and the head count dwindled throughout the daylong assessment conducted by the Department of Military Instruction. The physical assessment included a modified Army Physical Fitness Test (pushups, situps, pullups and 2-mile run), a 6.75-mile ruck march, the Indoor Obstacle Course Test and swim test. This was followed by a military assessment which included a kit assessment and military knowledge test. Scores were compiled and the top 192 cadets proceeded to the third phase, a Leadership and Character Assessment consisting of four leaderless command tasks similar to what cadets encounter at the Leader Reaction Course at Camp Buckner. One task required a squad to move into a formation—blindfolded—alphabetically by home states. Others, like the V-Plank and River Crossing were timed obstacles requiring teamwork and problem-solving. Cadets who hoped to enter the Combat Divers Qualification Course or the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school had a different third phase to complete that was more oriented toward the skills required to pass those courses. In all, there are 77 slots available for cadets to attend 10 different U.S. and foreign military schools. Photo by Mike Strasser/USMA PAO