by editor | May 5, 2012 | Lifestyle
my-wardrobe.com presents the launch of its
my-wardrobe.com, the premier online destination for real men’s style presents its biggest ever line up of footwear product and information.
What: The Shoe Library ?When: Friday May 4?Where: my-wardrobe.com??my-wardrobe has compiled its largest-ever edit of men’s footwear for Summer 2012 to fill the shelves of its brand new, bigger-than-ever footwear department. ??Called The Shoe Library, this extensive collection of product and information is designed to bring you the key styles and best brands available in the menswear universe and all the knowledge and styling information you need to successfully shop for any occasion.??The line-up of product includes new brands from New Balance and Converse to the template-defining loafer label Bass Weejuns and heritage Brit brand Clarks Originals. London favourite b-Store injects its sleek trend-driven classics while summer ready retro styles come from Riviera’s and Fin’s hand-made suede moccasins. ??Exclusive products come from Superga, b-Store and Grenson while head of menswear buying Lee Douros has teamed up with Northampton traditionalists Tricker’s and Sanders to update their heritage rich styles.??Douros says: “I’m extremely excited about the addition of the Shoe Library to my-wardrobe.com. It is a real insight into the process of shoe-making and we have worked with some of the best brands to bring you exclusive styles to herald its launch.”
Visitors to the Shoe Library’s experience-rich design will be able to look up all the facts they need to know (and a few they don’t) in the extensive glossary, interact with the graphical examination of footwear anatomy, and answer their questions in the FAQ department. ??A Style Guide collates the key footwear solutions for a range of looks from trousers to chinos, smart and casual denim, shorts and sweats.??The my-wardrobe shoe library truly is an at a glance checklist of everything that goes into your shoes – apart from your feet that is. ??LAUNCHING TOMORROW FRIDAY MAY 4 @ MIDDAY
by editor | May 2, 2012 | Lifestyle
Would you like to take greater control of your energy prices? You could choose Go Fix 12 for peace of mind that your gas and electricity prices will be fixed until August 2013. Go Fix 12 is an online tariff, so you’d be able view your bills, set-up meter read reminders and register for our Energy Tracker via npower.com, whenever it suits you. Plus, pay for both fuels by Direct Debit continuously for 12 months you’ll receive a £100 annual Direct Debit discount. You can compare which npower product is most suitable for you in a few simple steps. So why not get a quote now.
by editor | Apr 29, 2012 | Lifestyle
One mother was jogging through the park, pushing two toddlers in a
stroller. As they approached a hill, she said, “OK, now I need you
to help me.” And they did! As she started up the hill, they each
said, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. . .”
Sometimes it just takes the desire to help and you can find a way.
One person known for his desire to help was Fiorello LaGuardia.
LaGuardia was mayor of New York City during the worst days of the
Great Depression and all of WWII. He was adored by many New Yorkers
who took to calling him the “Little Flower,” because of his name and
the fact that he was so short and always wore a carnation in his
lapel.
In many ways, LaGuardia was bigger than life – he rode the New York
City fire trucks, raided city “speakeasies” with the police
department, took entire orphanages to baseball games and, when the
New York newspapers went on strike, he got on the radio and read the
Sunday funnies to the kids.
One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a
night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia
dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself.
Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him,
charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her
daughter’s husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her
two grandchildren were starving.
But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop
the charges. “It’s a real bad neighborhood, Your Honor,” the man
told the mayor. “She’s got to be punished to teach other people
around here a lesson.”
LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said, “I’ve got to
punish you. The law makes no exceptions. Ten dollars or ten days in
jail.” But even as he pronounced sentence, the mayor was already
reaching into his pocket. He extracted a bill and tossed it into his
famous hat, saying, “Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit;
and furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty
cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that
her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give
them to the defendant.”
The following day, New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was
turned over to a bewildered woman who had stolen a loaf of bread to
feed her starving grandchildren. Fifty cents of that amount was
contributed by the grocery store owner himself, while some seventy
petty criminals, people with traffic violations, and New York City
policemen, each of whom had just paid fifty cents for the privilege
of doing so, gave the mayor a standing ovation.
Sometimes it just takes the desire to help and you can find a way.
Someone beautifully said, “Sympathy sees and says, ‘I’m sorry.’
Compassion sees and says, ‘I’ll help.’” When we learn the
difference, we will make a difference.
– Steve Goodier
__________
Find Steve Goodier here: http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/.
Newsletter: http://LifeSupportSystem.com .
by editor | Apr 29, 2012 | Lifestyle
There is a wonderful urban legend circulating about a man who is
trying to land a job as an assistant professor in a university. His
application was rejected and he writes the following response:
*”Herbert A. Millington
Chair – Search Committee
412 A Clarkson Hall, Whitson University
College Hill, MA 34109*
*
Dear Professor Millington,*
*
Thank you for your letter of March 16. After careful
consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept
your refusal to offer me an assistant professor position in your
department.*
*
This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an
unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied
and promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to
accept all refusals.*
*
Despite Whitson’s outstanding qualifications and previous
experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection
does not meet my needs at this time. Therefore, I will assume the
position of assistant professor in your department this August. I
look forward to seeing you then.*
*
Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.*
*
Sincerely,*
*
Chris L. Jensen”*
If it is true that you can tell how big someone is by what it takes
to discourage that person, then this is a man who must be massive. I
might say the same thing about a boy who, in real life, was not so
big. But he was difficult to discourage and so he showed himself to
be a giant on the inside.
Some 40 years ago, when he was only 11 years old, Morgan Rowe lost
his left arm and much of the use of his right arm. It happened when
he fell off a tractor at his father’s fence company in Valdosta,
Georgia, and was dragged beneath the machine. Morgan’s left arm was
destroyed and his right, mangled.
Young Morgan was released from the hospital after three-and-a-half
months. The first thing he set out to do was to help pay the
bills — $30,000 worth. That was a lot of money back then as it is
now. For a boy of 11 to accomplish such a task, the situation seemed
hopeless.
For five years Morgan scoured roadsides picking up cans and bottles.
He collected thousands of cans and collected and sold newspapers. He
never gave up hope. First, he paid off the $455 ambulance bill. Then
he put $2,500 down on the hospital bill.
He was still a long way off though his parents raised another $9,000
toward the debt.
People began to hear about the injured boy and eventually some 2,000
donations poured in, totaling $25,000. The bill was paid in full!
Morgan set aside the additional money for future education.
What then? Though the bill was paid up, Morgan kept his projects
going to collect money for the hospital so he could help others.
Someone forgot to tell the boy he was too injured for that kind of
work. Someone forgot to tell him that the situation was hopeless.
Somehow young Morgan didn’t realize that an 11-year-old boy could
never pay off a hospital bill so large.
Church reformer Martin Luther once said, “Everything that is done in
the world is done by the hopeful.” And entertainer Dinah Shore
observed, “There are no hopeless situations – only people who are
hopeless about them.” Morgan Rowe should know.
I will not always be young and strong. My life circumstances can
change in an instant. My health may leave me and I may lose people
who are important in my life. But there are no hopeless situations.
So I won’t easily turn loose of my hopeful outlook, even when things
seem bleak. Without hope, I’m lost. But with it, I suspect that any
situation can be creatively redeemed.
– Steve Goodier
__________
Find Steve Goodier here: http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/.
Newsletter: http://LifeSupportSystem.com.
by editor | Apr 27, 2012 | Lifestyle
More electric cars come to the UK
Although they’ve been much discussed and anticipated, the number of practical EVs on the road has been fairly small. And with good reason, as the problems around finding a place to charge the EV battery, the range limitations and the lack of power and performance meant that the average driver might have liked the idealistic idea of owning an EV, but found the practicality not appealing enough.
Another problem thus far has been the expense. EVs don’t come cheap, but the prices are now set to come down quite a bit. The £5000 grant offered by the UK government to new owners of EVs or plug-in hybrid cars is one of the most appealing new car offers around, but even with that included, EVs are still expensive.
This year, Renault is introducing two EVs to the UK. The Renault Fluence will be available soon and will retail at £17,000 after the government credit. The Fluence will be far cheaper than two of its peers, the Nissan Leaf (£26,000) and the new Vauxhall Ampera (otherwise known as the Chevvy Volt in the States), which will cost around £30,000 after the government credit.
Renault has made the considerable price reduction possible by changing the model of ownership for the Fluence. Instead of buying the battery with the car, owners will instead lease the battery from a kind of swap shop scheme. When the battery needs replacing, they will simply exchange it for a new one. The cost of leasing the battery will be approximately £1,000 a year, according to mileage. The residual value of the car will be improved as the battery – one of the most expensive components in an EV – will never need to be replaced by any of its owners.
The other EV that Renault will introduce this year is the Zoe. This is a supermini that will go on sale in the autumn at £13,650. It has a 130 mile range – longer than any other EV on the road in the UK. Obviously, it’s not the most economical choice for a supermini, but considering it ticks the environmental box, it’s not a bad price.
So, 2012 may be the first year that we start to see a real increase in EV ownership in the UK.
