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Masai Mara Kenya – Having An African Safari

April 3rd, 2012 by Admin | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

An African Safari is one of the most exciting and memorable things you and your family can do together. If you are trying to decide where in Africa to go on your safari, consider going to Masai Mara, Kenya. Kenya is a gorgeous part of Africa that has an enormous amount of wonderful things to do and see for tourists. Your entire family will be able to enjoy all of the great things that Kenya has to offer. The only thing you need to remember when traveling overseas with young ones is that everyone in your family must have their own passport. Even babies must now have an infant passport in order to travel abroad. If you have to get your kids US passports before you leave, you can go online to a passport agency that will be able to assist you.

Passport Needs

As anyone who has ever traveled internationally before knows, passports are an extremely important travel document that allows individuals to travel throughout the world. Every single American citizen is eligible to receive a United States passport. All you have to do is find a infant passport agency, fill out the correct application forms, and prove to authorities that you are a citizen of this country. If you are already overseas, and you lose your passport or your passport is stolen, you will need to obtain a replacement passport before you will be allowed back in the country.

Masai Mara

The Masai Mara began in 1948 as a sanctuary for wildlife. In 1961 it was converted into a game reserve. Up until 1984 the reserve had lost some ground coverage due to land being given back to communities and park reduction size. The Masai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve located in south-western Kenya. It is also the northern continuation of the Serengeti National park located in Tanzania. The name comes from the Maasai people whom were the traditional peoples of the area. The reserve is infamous for its awesome population of Big Cats, game, as well as the annual migration of wildebeest, gazelles, and Zebras.

What To See

When visiting Masai Mara the main activity is game viewing. There are drives every time of the day over several days. This allows for the most animals to be seen. These animals include, lions, leopards, zebras, elephants, gazelles, rhinos, hyenas, hippos, and depending on the time of year even the wildebeests that migrate. In addition to game viewing you can also venture to the nearby village of Oloolaimutiek. A visit there will broaden your cultural horizons as you see their way of life and get a glimpse of their culture. If you get sick of driving you can also go on a hot air balloon safari early, this allows for you to view the sun rising above the wildlife as well as the picturesque landscape. In addition many lodges and camps also offer massages and spa and wellness treatments so that your body can relax after a bumpy safari road ride.

Methods To Select A Miami Locksmith Company

March 28th, 2012 by Admin | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

There is undeniably nothing more irksome than managing to lock yourself out of your own car or truck. The situation can become in credibly stressful, it is unbelievably problematic and sometimes very time consuming to get yourself back into your car. If you are in the position of needing to locate and hire a car locksmith miami there are a couple of things to think about taking before you pick a company to come and assist you. If you are searching for an auto Miami locksmith you should pick a reputable company that has excellent customer feedback and delivers services such as 24/7 locksmith Miami.

Tactics

Most locksmith businesses out there, unfortunately, are very unprincipled and try to swindle people out of their money through taxes and fees that don’t make any sense. Since the person who needs the locksmith is frantic for assistance they normally end up succumbing to these absurd prices without knowing if they are legitimate or not. To protect yourself from this scenario, see if you can get a firm quote before a person begins working on your lock.

Misconceptions

Locksmiths stay in business by charging as much as they can on every single job they do. It is not like they have a set price for how much it costs to get into car. In reality, it is not very difficult to get into a car that has been locked. All it takes is a few special tools, and almost anyone would be able to get into the car. Most times people elect to submit to the prices that the locksmith on scene is quoting them, even if they know it is not right.

Money Saving Ideas

The best way to protect yourself from a disingenuous locksmith is to never hire one in the first place. The Better Business Beuraeu suggests that you should find an honest locksmith in your spare time before oyu even need one. Hopefully, you will never have to call upon a locksmith. However, if the situation does arise, you will already have the contact information of someone you know you will be able to trust. This is a great way to have peace of mind when you are locked out of your car and need immediate assistance.

Obviously, no one ever wants get locked out of their vehicle when they are on their way somewhere important. Unfortunately, this event takes place every single day all over Florida. It could be you are running late for work, or have an important social function to attend, there is never a good time to get locked out of your car. It can totally ruin your day. However, if you take the proper steps when choosing a auto locksmith Miami company you could avoid some of the problems that come with randomly hiring a locksmith firm. Even if it is the middle of the night, there are locksmith miami fl services available that are honest and do quality work in a timely manner.

Scotland’s space industry set for lift-off

March 26th, 2012 by Admin | Posted in News | No Comments »
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Leading figures from the UK and Europe’s Space sector descended on Glasgow this week for the second Scottish Space Symposium, to explore the benefits that Space technology can provide as the multi-billion pound industry continues to grow.


The symposium, organised by the University of Strathclyde and supported by Scottish Enterprise, focussed on the downstream sector of the industry that uses space-derived services such as satellite telecommunications, earth observation and navigation.

Worldwide, the space sector is expected to grow to £400 billion by 2030, The UK’s share of that sector could create as many as 100,000 high-value jobs. Scotland is well placed to play a significant role, and the event highlighted the many opportunities for businesses across the country.

Dr Derek Bennet of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory, said: “Information provided from Space will be a significant growth area over the next decade and beyond, not only for companies developing platforms and systems to deliver it, but for companies able to the use the data to develop new products and services.

“It is estimated that the downstream element of the sector is worth ten times more than upstream, with satellite data increasingly being used in a range of industries including transport, agriculture and renewable energy.

“At Strathclyde we are actively engaged with industry partners to develop Scotland’s capabilities, and the symposium provided an ideal platform to ensure that partnership approach continues.”

Senior figures from the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency and the Technology Strategy Board joined leading downstream space companies at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow for the event.

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear first hand about the Technology Strategy Board-funded Satellite Applications Catapult Centre. The new centre, expected to open in Autumn 2012, will provide in-orbit test facilities, allowing innovative UK organisations to demonstrate new satellite technologies. It will also remove significant cost barriers, and expedite the development of new products and services delivered by satellites.

Ross White, Scottish Enterprise added “Scotland’s Space industry is a dynamic and growing sector, spearheaded by companies with cutting edge specialisms, supported by a national technology centre and underpinned by world-leading research groups. Scottish Enterprise was delighted to support the second Scottish Space Symposium, which brought these key Scottish groups together with UK and International partners to explore opportunities for growth.”

• The Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory, at the University of Strathclyde, delivers world-leading research on advanced space concepts, delivering radically new approaches to future space systems for space-derived products and services.

• Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s main enterprise, innovation and investment agency. Working in partnership with industry, academia and the public sector, SE aims to help make Scotland a place where business can thrive and key industries can be competitive. Its focus is to help businesses grow, encourage greater innovation and create the right conditions for companies to access property, markets and finance to increase productivity.

• The Technology Strategy Board is the UK’s innovation agency; its goal is to accelerate economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org

• Catapults are centres of excellence that bridge the gap between business, academia, research and government. They are a powerful new element in the UK economy, helping businesses develop relevant and exciting ideas in receptive and invigorating environments.

• The Technology Strategy Board will oversee the Catapult centres. So far high value manufacturing is the first to open, and centres for cell therapy, offshore renewable energy, satellite applications and connect digital economy have also been announced.

Ayrshire Scotland Business News

Leading children’s writers announced for Book Event at Turnberry Resort

March 26th, 2012 by Admin | Posted in News | No Comments »
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On Thursday 5 April 2012 Turnberry Resort in Ayrshire will welcome four of Scotland’s leading children’s authors who will be offering interactive sessions and readings from a selection of their books at a free family event.


The Turnberry Children’s Book Event, organised in partnership with The Herald and Sunday Herald and with the support of Scottish Book Trust, will feature a prolific group of Scottish-based writers including Ross Collins, whose current title Dear Vampa has just won the top prize at the Scottish Children’s Book Awards in the 0-7 years category. Ross has illustrated over 70 books to date and has now written eight.

Also appearing at the event will be Chae Strathie, Alison Murray and Joan Lennon. Like Collins, Chae Strathie also writes for the 0-8 years age group. His first two works – My Dad and The Tickle Tree – were picture books and his current title, The Loon on the Moon, was shortlisted in the 2011 Scottish Children’s Book Awards.

Alison Murray, who writes for the 0-4 age group, had her first book Apple Pie ABC published in the UK in 2010. It was listed for both a Scottish Children’s Book Award and UK Literary Association Award. Her follow-up title, One Two That’s My Shoe, was published a year later.

Joan Lennon writes for a variety of age groups. Her books include The Wickit Chronicles series and The Slightly Jones Mysteries, the latest of which – The Case of the Cambridge Mummy – was released on 1 March 2012. Another from this series, Slightly Jones and the Case of the London Dragonfish was shortlisted in the 2011 Scottish Children’s Book Awards.

The event will also feature four Bookbug sessions, run by Scottish Book Trust, for children aged 0-4 years old, held throughout the day. The sessions are free, fun and friendly events for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, designed to build their confidence and social skills in a relaxed setting.

Visits to the Resort’s Little Turnberry Farm will also be available throughout the day, where children will be able to enjoy seeing a variety of different animals including sheep, lambs, miniature donkeys and the latest addition to the farm, two young alpacas.

The event is free to parents and their children, aged 0 to 10 years old, on a first come first served basis. All attendees must register in advance. More details for this can be found CLICK HERE


Turnberry Resort General Manager Jordi Tarrida (pictured above) said: “Scotland is fortunate to have so many talented children’s authors, and we are delighted to have access to four leading names for this year’s Turnberry Children’s Book Event.”

Anna Gibbons, Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Programme Manager, said: “Sharing books together is one of the key building blocks in the early years which helps children to lead fulfilling and productive lives, and Scottish Book Trust welcomes Turnberry’s commitment to spreading this message to parents.”

For more information on the Turnberry Children’s Book Event, visit: www.turnberryresort.co.uk/bookevent

You can also email rsvp.turnberry@luxurycollection.com or call 01655 334 175.

The Turnberry Luxury Collection Resort is a Founder Member of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle.

Ayrshire Scotland Business News

TORRANCE CELEBRATES SCOTTISH GOLF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

March 25th, 2012 by Admin | Posted in News | No Comments »
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NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNIONSam Torrance, the victorious former Ryder Cup captain, last night expressed his delight after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award during a memorable night at the 2012 Annodata Scottish Golf Awards
Torrance, one of Scottish Golf’s most popular personalities, was given the award in the year that marks a decade since he led the European team to victory over the United States at The Belfry.
The charismatic 58-year-old also collected the award 40 years since his maiden professional win in the Radici Open in Italy.
Torrance became the third recipient of the Lifetime Achievement accolade, sponsored by Allied Surveyors Scotland, after former Open champion Paul Lawrie and eight-time Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie were honoured last year.
During a glittering 500-guest sell-out ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow, Torrance received the award in the company of family and friends, among them his father, Bob, his lifelong coach.
Craig Levein, Scotland football team manager, and Richard Hills, European Ryder Cup Director, presented Sam his award on stage, alongside host Andrew Cotter, the BBC sports commentator.
Largs-born Torrance said: “I’m delighted to have received the Scottish Golf Lifetime Achievement Award, following in the footsteps of Paul and Colin last year.
“It was a very special night for me, especially having my wife and three children present, along with my parents and friends from Ayrshire.
“I have enjoyed a wonderful career and being handed the award was another memorable occasion for me. I always love playing in Scotland and I was overjoyed to be honoured in my home country.”
Torrance played in eight consecutive Ryder Cup teams, famously triumphing in 1985 when he sank the winning putt to secure a first-ever victory for Europe, and has been made an MBE and an OBE.
Since turning professional aged 16, Torrance has won 21 titles on the European Tour, 11 European Senior Tour titles and three European Senior Tour Order of Merit titles. He was also a Dunhill Cup winner for Scotland in 1995, together with Montgomerie and Andrew Coltart.
Torrance remains a fantastic ambassador for Scottish Golf and his contribution was honoured among a delighted audience in Glasgow, which also featured ex-Scotland rugby captain Jonny Petrie, Walker Cup hero Michael Stewart and former Old Firm footballers Billy Dodds and Bobby Petta.
A celebration of Scottish Golf’s achievements over the past 12 months, the prestigious event at the Crowne Plaza – hosted by the Scottish Golf Union and the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association – saw all proceeds going towards the development of young golfers in Scotland.
Scotland’s leading male and female amateurs from 2011 – James White and Louise Kenney – were presented with their Awards, while Stewart, now in the professional ranks, collected the Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year title.
The work of clubs at grassroots level were recognised with the RBS Junior Club and Volunteer of the Year Awards, with special video messages from 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus for the winners.
A new Player of the Year Award – voted by readers of www.scottishgolf.org – was also awarded to David Law, last year’s Scottish Amateur champion.
A special award was presented in memory of Adam Hunter, the former European Tour player and coach who sadly passed away in October after a two-year battle with leukaemia. In Adam’s memory, one of the country’s most promising young golfers, Euan Walker, from Kilmarnock (Barassie), was awarded a £500 grant towards his coaching and development.
Annodata is one of Europe’s largest independent vendors for print, document, data and communication technologies and the company is the official supplier of office equipment to the Scottish Golf Union.
The full list of award winners reads as follows:
· Team of the Year – Fife
· Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year – Michael Stewart
· SLGA Girls Order of Merit – Eilidh Brigg
· SGU Boys Order of Merit – Greig Marchbank
· RBS Junior Club of the Year – Dundas Parks Golf Club (Lothians)
· SGU Seniors Order of Merit – Bob Stewar
· SLGA Order of Merit – Louise Kenney
· The Adam Hunter Award – Euan Walker
· SGU Men’s Order of Merit – James White
· RBS Junior Golf Volunteer of the Year – Iain Holt (Turnhouse Golf Club, Lothians)
· Scottish Golf Player of the Year – David Law
· Lifetime Achievement Award – Sam Torrance

Scottish Golf View – Golf News from Scotland

Rangers: The questions continue

March 24th, 2012 by Admin | Posted in Football | No Comments »
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The now traditional Thursday night Rangers post.

Have we moved on? Or are we descending further into farce?

Nodody seems to know exactly what’s happening. The lunatics have taken over the asylum. But who actually owns the asylum? And will another group of lunatics be happy to take over in the next few weeks?

We’ve even discovered that a legal glitch means Rangers might not actually have been in administration after all.

Ticketus and the adminstrators are arguing in court over money at the same time as Ticketus are publicly backing the consortium led by Blue Knight Paul Murray.

HMRC continue to circle with a grim determination. They won’t go away.

Craig Whyte is gone for now, but is surely not yet the irrelevance the administrators are trying to paint him as.

Brian Kennedy, owner of rugby’s Sale Sharks, one time suitor of Hibs and Stockport County’s bête noire, has said he’ll reluctantly buy Rangers if nobody else will.

That’s the sort of commitment you get from the vicar at a parish jumble sale when trade is slow at the cake stall.

It’s not, perhaps, the kind of commitment you want from the potential saviour of a stricken company.

Send in the clowns.

Or, following an email error with the launch of a new fans fund, send the clowns your money.

Another week and it’s still a mess. The prospect of a quick resolution looks ever further away.

The longer it drags on the more important questions about the future go unanswered. And the more uncertain that future looks for Rangers.

The SPL seem to think announcing an investigation has bought them the right to stay silent.

They’ll need to start speaking soon.

Maybe chief executive Neil Doncaster could share his past experiences of financial uncertainty. Like the time he was on the English Football League board that allowed the Leeds United phoenix company to keep their league place.

My uncharitable impression is that Doncaster is an expert in few things. But this is one of his specialist subjects: why isn’t he sharing?

Across the Hampden corridor the SFA, fresh from the less than surprising discovery that Craig Whyte had shown their fit and proper person procedures to be unfit and improper, have announced a range of charges against both Whyte and the club.

Whyte is accused of breaching two disciplinary rules while Rangers face five accusations.

Fines, suspensions and expulsion could all be on the table when a Judicial Panel meets on 29th March.

At the same time the SFA have found themselves dragged into the mess thanks to president Campbell Ogilivie’s previous involvement at Ibrox.

Well, stone the crows! Who on earth would have predicted that Ogilvie’s career history would soon embroil the SFA in this whole sorry mess?

As I said the other week, Ogilvie might be totally innocent of any wrongdoing – Rangers, we should remember, have not yet been found guilty in the “big tax case” – and that means any hounding he has had or is set to suffer in the future could be grossly unfair.

But perception counts for a lot. And perceptions are currently tarnishing him.

Crucially that means the SFA, who should be providing leadership in this situation, look to be suffering yet another lame duck presidency. One that allegedly forced someone in the organisation to call an award winning Channel 4 journalist “pig headed” and accuse him of “lying” this week.

I’m one of those hardy souls who’ll say that the SFA have done some good work in the past few months. The Ogilvie controversy will put that at risk.

Politicians are often forced to resign and fight to clear their names outside the cabinet. Ogilvie will do more harm than good if he chooses to try and clear his while wearing an SFA blazer.

Chick Young pointed out during the week that Ogilvie gave up a well paid job at Hearts to take on this unpaid labour of love at Hampden. That, we were left to infer, is how much he cares about Scottish football.

If he really cared he wouldn’t want to see the SFA compromised by his continued presence. Innocent people were always going to suffer in this affair, Ogilvie at least has it in his power to reduce some of the damage to the game.

Did someone mention Chick Young?

Ah, Chick. On Tuesday night Chick used Radio Scotland’s Sportsound to defend Ogilvie. Defend him as if his life depended on it.

An SFA statement the next day quite comprehensively contradicted the gospel according to Chick.

That’s not unusual.

For Chick the story of Rangers and their administration has been a tour de force in wrongness, an era defining performance in barking up the wrong tree.

Maybe it’s time the BBC did some liquidating of their own.

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The Different Adventures Of Palau

March 23rd, 2012 by Admin | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

If you are looking for a unique international travel destination, consider visiting Palau. Palau is actually one of the newest countries in the World. It also happens to be one of the smallest countries in the entire world. It has many wonderful activities and cultural sites for travelers to enjoy. If you do not have a passport, you will need to get an expedited U.S. passport before leaving to go on an international vacation.

Passports

Passports allow you to travel internationally; they act as travel documents that allow permission into a foreign country as well as allowing for re-entry back into the country of origin. Without this document travel is impossible. There are many services associated with passports, like getting a rushed expedited passport and it’s important to stay up to date with them like a passport name change or American passport renewals.

Independence

Palau has only been an independent nation since 1993. Before then, it had to go through a long and difficult process of trying to obtain its independence from the United Nations Trusteeship. Before 1993 Palau was part of the Federation States of Micronesia. The country is very small and is located in the Pacific Ocean. Now, it is one of the most interesting tourist destinations in the world because of how small the country is.

Activities

There are many wonderful activities for travelers to take part in when they visit Palau. One of the most popular things to do in Palau is to go diving. There are many spectacular places to go diving in the Pacific Ocean in Palau. You can hire a guide, which is recommended to tourists, or if you are feeling more adventurous, you can go by yourself.

Lakes

In addition to diving and spectacular underwater sites, Palau is also known for the Jellyfish Lake. The lake is found on the Eil Malk Island in Palau which is part of the Rock Islands. Jellyfish Lake is most notable because of the infamous snorkeling site. It is known for the millions of golden jellyfish migrating horizontally across the lake daily. The lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and openings within the limestone of the ancient Miocene reef. It is so isolated that the marine life differs significantly from nearby lagoons. He Jellyfish do not sting in this lake which is why it’s a popular snorkeling site.

Kayaking

There are many other wonderful activities for tourists to enjoy when in Palau. You can go swimming with dolphins. This is a very popular activity all over the world. Swimming with dolphins is a once in a lifetime experience that the whole family can enjoy. Also, kayaking is a very popular thing to do when in Palau. There is certainly no shortage of amazing water activities for travelers to take part in when they visit Palau.

Culture

Palau, even though it is only a few years old, has an incredibly rich culture and history. There have been people living on the island for almost five thousand years. IF you are in Palau, you can visiti one of the many museums that highlight the wonderful heritage of the people and culture of Palau. If you are interested in learning more about the people and places in Palau, you can sign up for one of the many wonderful guided tours that are offered.

SPL: Civil jaw-jaw

March 23rd, 2012 by Admin | Posted in Football | No Comments »
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“It’s not potential civil war. It’s on.”

So threatened an unnamed SPL chairman on Wednesday.

The spark of our latest top flight conflagration is a move by the SPL’s non-Old Firm teams to flex their muscles.

They want changes to the leagues voting structure which, with an 11-1 mechanism kicking in on certain issues, has long been seen by many as a way of allowing the Old Firm to exert a degree of control over the rest of the clubs.

With Rangers currently stricken, the remaining clubs are also pushing for a more even distribution of revenues and the creation of an SPL2 to act as a safety mat for relegated clubs.

Apparently this hasn’t gone down too well at Celtic.

Their chief executive Peter Lawell is quoted as describing the non-Glasgow cartel as “potentially divisive,” saying:

“We were disappointed and we feel it disrespectful that what Celtic and Rangers bring to the game that we were excluded, having spent nearly two years and a lot of time helping to develop a strategy.”

Arguably ten teams acting together and one team being unhappy while another team suffocates in a Greek-style financial crisis might be seen by some as being more democratic than divisive.

But that’s not how Scottish football tends to work.And it’s difficult to see how vote to abolish the 11-1 voting system would be passed, depending as it would on Celtic and Rangers being split on this. And they won’t be.

When The Proclaimers ask “What do you do when minority means you?” it seems Mr Lawwell replies “go in the huff and seek succour in the company of a team I said we could live without a few weeks ago.”

Intriguingly he also seems to have given us a tantalising glimpse of where Celtic might be about to head in upcoming negotiations:

“We were actually then convinced for a 14, Martin [Bain] and I, through this group because the top six would play 36 games. We would go with 14 and a top six.

“We were persuaded to go back to the ten for the greater good because the majority around the table wanted the ten. We said 10, 12 or 14, it doesn’t really matter, other than the number of games you play.”

Is the hardy perennial of league reconstruction about to flower once more in the spring sunshine?

It might well be. A clever move from Lawwell if that’s the case because it’s sure to put the other 10 clubs on the back foot.

If they want a more even distribution of cash and power then why not go further and spread it around a 14 team league?

Largely, one suspects, the other ten clubs want the money to be shared more equally but only among themselves. All animals are created equal but some animals get to live in the SPL.

And those clubs agitating for an SPL2 would also face a dilemma. Their dream is probably two leagues of ten. A 14 team top flight would mean a minimum of 24 teams in any dual SPL structure. The share of the pie diminishes ever further.

The beauty for Celtic is that it leaves them largely unaffected in either the status quo or with two fewer games in a 14 team league. A nice bit of politicking.

All of this could very well be academic anyway, ignoring as it does the elephant in the room.

How do you solve a problem like Rangers?

The chairmen of the other 10 clubs might have found it less disrepectful than Peter Lawwell did to jettison the Ibrox administrators from a discussion on the future of the game.

But the smog of uncertainty clinging to Ibrox makes it difficult to see how long term changes can be planned while the possibility of Rangers not being in the SPL remains.

You might feel a Rangers-free SPL is a good thing, you might feel it’s a bad thing. But most would probably agree that it would represent a seismic shift that would raise issues that would need to be urgently addressed.

Are the 11 clubs and Rangers’ administrators set fair to address those issues at the moment?

It’s unlikely that they are.

And that will probably mean that this latest SPL tit-for-tat fizzles out.

Civil war? Probably not. Just a lot of talk over a little local difficulty.

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GlaxoSmithKline to invest £100m in Scotland

March 23rd, 2012 by Admin | Posted in News | No Comments »
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First Minister Alex Salmond and Finance Secretary John Swinney today welcomed plans by pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline to invest more than £100m and create 100 new jobs across its two Scottish operations in Irvine (pictured below) and Montrose.


This new investment will be used to make the Irvine site a centre of excellence for the production of antibiotics, as well as backing the development of respiratory medicines and vaccines in Montrose and increasing the firm’s move to sustainable green energy production.

The First Minister today met staff at the company’s Irvine facility and said the announcement demonstrated Scotland’s competitive business environment continues to secure new investment from leading global firms.

Mr Swinney visited and toured GlaxoSmithKline’s Montrose site today, welcoming the substantial inward investment.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The Scottish Government and our enterprise agencies are doing all we can to secure new jobs and investment to Scotland. GlaxoSmithKline’s announcement to create new jobs at their Montrose and Irvine operations demonstrates this international company’s commitment to working in Scotland.

“The key aspect for Montrose is the moving of vaccine production to Angus and for Irvine it will mean they become the centre of excellence for the production of the most widely used antibiotic in the world. Both plants will have considerable investment in renewable energy, which will help secure their future.

“The quality and skills of the local workforces in Montrose and Irvine have played an important part in the company’s decision to expand their operations. This new investment reinforces Scotland’s global reputation for research excellence and the competitiveness of our business environment. It also highlights Scotland’s international profile in life sciences.

“Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International have worked closely with the company on their growth plans and I am delighted that this leading international pharmaceutical manufacturer firm is investing further in its Scottish manufacturing sites.”

Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth Secretary John Swinney added: “Today’s very welcome announcements build on Scotland’s success in attracting inward investment.

“Ernst & Young’s UK attractiveness survey shows a 35 percent increase in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) projects in Scotland compared to 2010, with 69 projects creating over 4000 new jobs.

“Scotland is now attracting FDI jobs at levels not seen since the start of the global recession and is outperforming both the rest of the UK and the rest of Europe.

“This record of success is testament both to the skills of our workforce and to this Government’s commitment to build in Scotland the most competitive business environment anywhere in the UK.”

Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: “GSK is a global leader in the pharmaceuticals industry and their expansion in Scotland is an endorsement of the world class skills and capabilities within our life sciences sector.

“In recent months, we have been working with our partners across the public sector to support the company’s ambitious plans and we’re delighted they have recognised the contribution that Scotland can make to its global competitiveness.

“Today’s announcement will be a significant boost to the local economies around Montrose and Irvine, providing much needed jobs for people locally.”

GSK currently employs over 330 people at its Irvine site and 250 at its Montrose facility.

Ayrshire Scotland Business News

Coming To The Remarkable Easter Island

March 22nd, 2012 by Admin | Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Easter Island is one of the world’s remotest destinations. It is a Polynesian island off the coast of Chile and is known for expansive stone statues called the Moai. It is a site that has awed general spectators and archaeologists alike. Although known as Rapa to the original inhabitants, it got the name Easter Island due to its discovery by the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen who landed there on Easter Sunday 1722 in attempt to locate David’s Island. To visit this unique island and remote getaway make sure the passport process is underway and even think about an expedited American passport so it arrives in time for your epic journey.

International Travel

Anyone who wishes to travel overseas must first show to customs officials their valid United States passport. Anyone who does not have a valid passport will not be allowed to wither leave the country or return to it from overseas. If you or someone you know needs a passport before they travel overseas, you can go online and find a passport service agency that will be able to help you with your passport needs. In the past, it could take up to several weeks to get a passport in the mail. However, with the internet, it is now a much quicker and less painful process. In fact, with expedited services, you can sometimes get your new United States passport in as little as 1 day. The US passport process is easy.

Easter Island

Easter Island has a tragic history, yet is still full of mystery and lore. There are conflicting points as to when Rapa Nui was settled, however those who resided there had an extensive mythology. The mythology can be viewed by stone carvings such as the Moai as well as cave drawings. The religion was known as the bird-man religion and was practiced until the mid 1800’s.

Artifacts

When you mention Easter Island to anyone, the images of large robust stone statues of enigmatic figures comes to mind. These large heads were built as way of deifying ancestors, making them gods. There were festivals to honor these past ancestors-turned-deities and some included makings “eyes” for them by inserting white coral or red obsidian. Whatever their purpose, they are immense awe inspiring statues that rival the sphinxes of Egypt.

Where To Stay

Although a remote island destination, it is still a Polynesian island. It offers tourism, but not as extensive as other destinations. There is transit to the island as well as accommodations, there are a few hotels, but mostly there are guest house accommodations where people of the island will take you in. Finding a reputable tour guide is also essential when visiting Easter island as you will get history and up close views as opposed to seeing the sites on your own. This island destination is truly a unique spot and is not for those who require lavish treatment and accommodations.