Viewing posts from: 苏州桑拿会所

OpinionNewcastle’s all keyed up, baby

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

BLING: Nuatali Nelmes with Jackie Gillies, who now holds the key to … not sure.GOT the keys to the city, baaaaabbbbyyyy. So sang Cold Chisel in Saturday Night. But the city Barnesy was screeching about had more than one key. Plural keys.

He was probably referring to Sydney – that’d be right, bloody Sydney would have taken every other regional city in NSW’s key so they’ve got heaps of keys to their city.

Bludgers.

The key to the city implies a singular key, as opposed to a key to the city, which signifies more key availability than a grand piano.

Did some people get their knickers inaknot about Jackie Gillies getting the key to the city or what?

Now I love a highfalutin beat-up as much as the next bored bloke looking to foster a bout of premium faux outrage, but the verbal hand grenades lobbed at the lord mayor over “Keygate” are what might be referred to in military terms as a disproportionate response.

Not since Rolf Harris’s pink and gold star was removed from public view at Marketown’s walk of fame have so many Novocastrian computer screens been showered in spittle.

One of the leaders of the outrage on radio was Councillor Allan Robinson, who seems always available to unload on the lord mayor when the media are looking for a space to fill.

A Current Affair provided him with a national platform to yell “it’s a disgrace” into the television camera some months ago because he was cross about some lord mayoral expenses.

I was quite disappointed that A Current Affair didn’t do a story on Cr Robinson’s run-ins with environmental protectors and his $1000 fine last October for illegally burning demolition waste. Now that’s a disgrace!

The key to the city is a publicity thing. It’s not a major award, really.

If nothing else, at least people now know about the key to the city.

The key is on the map. World class smart city key on the map.

What made my personal spittle tank erupt was the way interim chief executive of Newcastle City Council Jeremy Bath responded to my questions about the key to the city.

This is the way of the modern corporatocracy – media get asked to submit written questions and the questions are then ignored. But you will receive a PR puff piece about diddly squat.

I asked the interim CEO how a recipient of a key to the city is determined, who makes the decision, ifthere is a list of all persons who have the key to the city (just in case I want to borrow it and take Newcastle for run up to Crescent Head one long weekend), if there is a way to nominate a person for a key to the city, what can a person “do” with a key to the city and what is the purpose of the “key to the city”?

All legitimate questions to better understand the concept.

I received a response from the interim CEO with waffle about ambassadors, multiple recipients soon to be announced, a defence of Jackie Gillies and a suggestion to celebrate all recipients of the keys to the city.

The response suggests he didn’t bother reading the questions I posed.

Corporatocracy in motion.

But he did say keys. As in plural.

I wonder if Barnesy will add to his collection of keys come November? Baaaaabbbbyyyy.

I won’t bother asking the interim CEO.

Twitter @paul_scott_ or [email protected]苏州夜总会招聘

Google Home Chinan review: does your house need one?

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Home’s base is removable and you can buy replacements in various colours, although choice currently limited in . Though there are multiple options for voice-activated smart assistants available in the US, this week marks the first official entry into : Google Home.

This cute little $199 speaker essentially acts as a hub for all things Google in your house, performing tasks you might already do on your phone or computer — quick web searches, streaming music and TV shows, interacting with smart home gadgets — but it does it all with a quick spoken request from you.

Given how hit-and-miss voice services are in general, I was immediately impressed with how naturally you can interact with the Home. It can hear you whispering from across the room, can learn to differentiate different members of the household, and can parse natural-language requests regardless of your syntax, so you don’t have to remember many exact phrases to get to what you want.

Just say “OK Google” or “Hey Google” to make it listen — you can tell by the colourful lights that appear on its surface — and then make your request. The Google Assistant replies in a soft, female, clearly n voice, answering your questions or confirming the operations it’s carrying out on your connected devices.

So how useful is all this in practice?

Google Home is surprisingly small, and unassuming enough to fit in most rooms of the house. Photo: Google

Let the music playThe first query the app suggested I try after setup was “OK Google, play some music”. Home, of course, had no problem carrying out the simple request, immediately pumping out some 80s rock I didn’t recognise.

While I swiped through the Home app on my phone trying to see if it displayed the song details anywhere, my wife said “OK Google, what is this?” Turns out it was Aerosmith. Getting used to interacting with technology using your voice, apparently, comes more naturally to some than others.

“OK Google, play some Vengaboys”, was her next request. Dutifully Home swapped out Aerosmith forWe Like to Partyto the delight of my infant son who, like all babies, is a sucker for eurodance. “OK Google, turn it up”. It’s clear this is going to be the primary function of the Google Home in my house.

As a music player Home is surprisingly competent, one the nicest sounding speakers of its size I’ve used, even at full volume. You can use it just like a Chromecast Audio, sending directions from any compatible app to play on the speaker, and an update rolling out soon will let you connect via Bluetooth if the app you’re using doesn’t cast.

Most convenient though is just asking for what you want to hear. You can be as broad or as specific as you like, asking for genres, moods, artists, albums or songs. If you want a specific version, just add more details.

You’ll need Spotify Premium or a YouTube Red / Google Play Music subscription, and personally I think it works better with the latter. Once you’ve trained Home to recognise the voice of each person in your household, it will use their Play Music library to tailor choices to them, so my wife and I will get very different responses to “play something heavy”.

It will also easily pull music you’ve personally uploaded to your Play library, so I can listen to Tool even though the band isn’t officially available through the service. You get six months of YouTube Red free when you buy a Google Home.

You can ask for the radio too, if you’re into that sort of thing. Just say “play Triple J”, and Home will grab the stream from TuneIn. If you have Chromecasts in your home you can also choose to beam your audio to any speaker or groups of speakers you like, as easily as saying “OK Google, play Metallica in the lounge room”.

Hidden smartsBeyond being a media player, Home can connect to a multitude of services — Google owned and otherwise — to quickly fetch info and fulfil tasks in a fraction of the time it would take you on your phone.

This is great for the dozens of quick queries you might usually Google each day — “what time will the sun set tonight?”, or “what is 800 ounces in grams?” — but also for information you might get from other apps, like weather forecasts, news on a particular topic, or where the nearest burger joint is.

Home can also read your calendar so you can ask “when’s my first meeting”, “what do I have on today” or “can you schedule a lunch meeting at 1pm Thursday”. Unfortunately this currently only works with the main calendar of your Google account. For example I use a personal calendar, shared family calendar and one for work, but Home can only deal with the personal one.

I’ve also been using it to set timers, alarms, and reminders, although the inability to glance at my phone and see how much time is left makes me a bit anxious.

Smart home pioneers can use Home to interact with certain brands of connected light globes, powerpoints and more as well. The selection is a bit limited, but there is full compatibility with IFTTT, so you can apply your own recipes and, for example, have all your globes turn on when you say “OK Google, lights up”.

If you watch TV on a cast-enabled device, Home will also pull down shows from Netflix, Stan and YouTube just fine, but beyond picking up a show where you left of it’s generally easier to just use your phone.

Of course like any voice-activated tech it’s also fun just to chat to it and see what it says. You’ll occasionally get a bemused dead end, but there’s a surprising amount of simulated wit packed in.

My wife peppers it with queries that seem purely designed to test Google Assistant’s ability to hold a coherent conversation.

“Hey Google, do you have kids?”

“Kids are a lot of hard work. So is searching. I think I’ll stick to one at a time.”

“OK Google, do you want to look after my kid for me?”

“I don’t know how to help you with that just yet. But I’m learning every day.”

“Hey Google, play IWanna Be Like YoufromThe Jungle Book.”

“OK, here’s IWanna be Like Youby Christopher Walken.” (This was an extremely unexpected response even though it followed the request perfectly. Sometimes operating Google Home is a bit like wishing on a monkey’s paw).

One unexpected issue I ran into early was a simple one: where to place the Google Home? It can control your TV and music, so the lounge room seems like a good place. But then the kitchen is where I’m more likely to want to add stuff to my shared shopping lists, set timers and ask for metric conversions. Occasionally I’ve just shouted out a request, which works but is not ideal. Aside from buying a second Home — or moving into a loft — I haven’t really figured out an answer for this.

A touch of naWith the local launch, all Google Homes can now be set to English (n) language, meaning it will understand your ocker tongue and respond in kind. While many users might not notice, this will be an improvement for anyone who’s previously imported a Home from the States.

The main selling point of the Home is that you can just speak to it naturally, so it’s nice to know it will give you directions to Caltex if you ask for “the nearest servo”, but there are some more subtle Aussie tweaks in there as well.

News comes from the ABC and a handful of other local outlets, all the n radio stations I’ve tried have worked, and there are a few new Aussie-specific easter eggs on top of the dozens Google has already snuck in. These are generally pretty trite (say “Hey Google, look what I made you” and Home will reply “I love it, this is going straight to the pool room”), but they’re funny nonetheless.

Overall Home has been adapted very well to life in . The language recognition is top notch, the responses are in-depth and conversational, and it makes heaps of tiny tasks I do every day a little bit simpler. Future updates will doubtlessly add more functionality as well— it’d be great to place a favourite Menulog order with just a shout for example— but if I had one hardware feature I’d like to see in a Home 2 it’s a bit of battery power so I could carry it temporarily to a different room.

ReviewThe Age of Consent

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Theatre ReviewThe Age of Consent, Two Tall Theatre, Civic Playhouse. Ended Saturday.THIS revival of Peter Morris’s look at two people who see their lives about to change has not lost its power since it was staged at the Royal Exchange in 2015. In their alternating monologues, Jerry Ray as a 19-year-old who has been imprisoned for eight years for the murder of a small boy and is soon to be released, and Amy Wilde, as the 25-year-old mother of a six-year-old girl she is transforming into a paid actor, revealed the darker side of what was happening.

While reasonably intimate, the Civic Playhouse is a larger venue than the Royal Exchange, and the staging team, led by director Patrick Campbell, had images on the background wall that were taken from newspaper posters about crimes and stage show advertisements that reflected the spoken words and underlined their dark irony.

The teenager, Timmy, initially seen in prison garb, talks about what he sees as a troubled family background that impacted on his dealings with others, and also makes amusing comments about excursions and other events that were part of his rehabilitation process and involved a social worker known as Janet the Gannet. And he says that the technical training he received while incarcerated was something he would not otherwise have had, phrasing it as “something I had to kill for”. His final appearance, dressed in everyday garb as he waited to be transferred to a halfway house, left watchers unnerved. Had he really learnt anything while locked up?

The single mother, Stephanie, likewise was intent on ignoring the dangers involved in her actions. Initially elegantly dressed in clothing that a woman would wear to a business meeting, she unsettlingly revealed how she had pushed her daughter, Raquel, into dance and singing from virtually the time she was able to walk, and had continually made the rounds of producers to see if they would use the child onstage. Like Timmy, she was finally seen in very different wear, a nightgown, and her words, about the producer who was looking after and supposedly training Raquel, made it clear he was a paedophile. Stephanie’s account of her initial advice to Raquel, that success in show business arose from projecting “the three Ts – talent, teeth and tits”, clearly ignored a fourth T, threat.

The performers had audience members engrossed from beginning to end, making this a 75-minute theatrical event they would not forget.

PLAY DAYNEWCASTLE Theatre Company will hold its eighth annual Play in a Day on Friday and Saturday, August 4 and 5, with writers, actors and directors meeting at the group’s DeVitre St, Lambton, theatre at 8pm on the Friday to write, rehearseand stageup to six short plays for performance on the Saturday. Email: [email protected]苏州夜场招聘.au

WEA CABARETWEA Academy of Creative Arts’ Condensed Cabaret series at the WEA Hall in Laman Street, Cooks Hill, will feature cabaret acts devised by 2017 Diploma of Musical Theatre students. July 24: Little Miss Beauty, Nina Heron; Crazy As A Cat, Jade Shearman; Don’t Rain on My Parade, Prue Stark. July 25: Nostra-Damn-Us, Andrew Wu; Simply Second Best, Kimberley Dingle; Behind The Register, Sarah Graham. July 26: Waiting for Gwendolyn, Jack Twelvetree; The Great Outdoors, Cassie Hamilton; The Happy Hearts Program, Chris Shanko.

The surprising drinks order and 11 other things that annoy flight attendants the most

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

A flight attendant has revealed the most irritating drinks order a passenger can make at 36,000 feet. Photo: iStockA flight attendant has revealed the most irritating drinks order a passenger can make at 36,000 feet.

But it’s not three different variations of a martini, it is actually just an innocuous Diet Coke.

“As you may know, the aircraft cabin is not pressurised to sea level, but rather to the equivalent of about seven or eight thousand feet,” writes “Jet” on herblog. “This means some passengers might feel a little light headed or that alcohol affects them almost twice as much as it would on the ground.

“It also means soft drinks foam up a lot more when poured out of a can. The worst culprit for this is Diet Coke.

“I literally have to sit and wait for the bubbles to fall before I can continue to pouring. If all three passengers ask for Diet Coke I’ll often get them started, take another three drink orders, and then finish the Diet Cokes.”

You heard it here first. Pouring a Diet Coke at altitude is like serving a Guinness and cabin crew, frankly, don’t have the time.

Rather unsurprisingly ordering a Diet Coke is not only request that irritates the cabin crew.

Here’s a list of other comments made about the annoying habits of air passengers, listed on a Facebook group.

Taking forever to decide which drink you want”You’ve seen me walking down the aisle with the drink cart for 20 minutes already.” -Facebook user Corinne Spring

Leaving rubbish in the seatback pocket”We walk through doing a garbage pickup every 10 minutes!” -Valerie Reiter Kennebeck

Keeping your headphones on while you order a drink”You are screaming at me.” -Kimberly Lupo

Walking around the plane barefoot”Ewww!” -Amber Nicole

Poking me or tugging my dress”A simple ‘Excuse me’ will get my attention.” -Abbie Unger

Getting up to use the bathroom right before landing”You’ve had HOURS to do so.” -Joey DiGregorio

Handing me tissues, toothpicks or used baby diapers”There is a barf bag into which you can dispose of anything and then place it into the plastic bag as we walk through the cabin.”- Lynn E Miller

Commenting on “how small the plane is””I fly regional, so of course it’s small. This is a 30-minute flight!” -Gina Andrade

Hanging out in the galley”Do I come to your office to do yoga and hang around?!”- Nia Monet

Going to the bathroom while meals are being served”Seriously… you’re in my way.”- Corinne Spring

Whining about a tight connection when the current flight is on time”Just stop booking such tight connections!”- Diana Hadley

Asking to borrow a pen for customs forms”I don’t have an unlimited supply in my pocket, and no I won’t give you one A) because it’s my favourite and B) because I’m required to have it on me at all times.”- Lorisa Maxwell

A Merewether home, a Thai jail stretch, and the battle of the will

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Home: Klong Prem jail in Bangkok, Thailand where David Hughes spent more than a decade after he was caught trying to leave Thailand with heroin. Inset: The Merewether home his late mother left to his daughter. He received $25.IT isn’t clear why BerylHughes, of Merewether, left her sonDavidexactly $25 in herwill when she died in August, 2015.

It had something to do with the 13years she travelled to Thailand to see him in Bangkok’s Klong Premjail, after he was charged with heroin offences in 1985.

But $25, rather than nothing or $100 or $1000, is not explained in a NSW Supreme Court decision on Thursday, after David Hughes challenged his only daughter Erin Sharp for up to half his mother’s estate of more than $650,000.

It was a case where father and daughter engaged “somewhat relentlessly and, it would seem, remorselessly, in the litigation”, Justice Philip Hallen said.

And it was “regrettable” that “despite every effort being given to the parties to resolve the proceedings”the two could not settle their differences, so the court did, with nearly $145,000 in legal costs.

“There is little doubt that emotion has played a real part in the contest before the court,” Justice Hallen said.

Beryl was 87 when she died.

She left small sums to several people, $25 to her only surviving son and the majority of the estate, comprising the Merewether home Beryl and husband John bought in 1971 for $14,600, to her granddaughter Erin, who lived with them from when she was very young.

Erin Sharp and her husband “were my only familymembers who took care of me during my old age and it is for this reason that I would like to leave my granddaughter with my home and its contents,” Beryl said in her will.

The court heard Beryl and John had discussed leaving the property to Erin because “in our eyes you are our daughter and it was your home”.

David Hughes was 25 when he travelled to Thailand in 1984. He was arrested at Bangkok Airport in early 1985 as he was about to board a plane for , and charged with possessing heroin.

“He appears to have been suffering from some form of mental instabilitybecause, following his arrest, the Thai authorities placed him in hospital, rather than imprisoning himimmediatelyin a Thai prison,” Justice Hallen said.

Hughes pleaded guilty at a trial in 1989 and was sentenced to 25 years’ jail. His mother “took control of a campaign” to get him out based on his mental instability.

In 1991he was transferred to Klong Prem Central Prison. Repeated requests for pardons and amnesties were rejected. The court heard John and Beryl took out a mortgage on their home for the frequent trips to Thailand, and John’s retirement payout as a Newcastle dockworker went towards supporting his son.

In an affidavit in October, 2016 David Hughes acknowledged that his parents “mortgaged their home to fund my legal case over there”.

In1998 hewas granted a King’s pardon and returned to , where he lived with his parents for 10 months.

While Erin visited her father in the jail a number of times, she told the court he had “never been a significant part of my life physically or emotionally”.

Beryl Hughes made Erin executrix of her estate. David Hughes was notified of the $25 bequest but lodged a claim for up to 50 per cent of his mother’s estate.

By the time of her death he was living near Coffs Harbour with a wife and child, training to be a mental health worker.

NSW Supreme Court judgment in Hughes v Sharp

His daughter Erin had a University of Newcastle degree and was working as a music and arts teacher at a Griffith school.

Their battle in court was over whether David Hughes had already received his inheritance in the money his parents spent while in jail.

The court heard evidence from a friend who said he once wrote to his mother that“I appreciate all that you and Pop have done for me. Please do not leave me anything when you die as I have gotten more than my fair share from you while I was in prison”.

While David Hughes did not dispute writing letters to his parents with those sentiments, Justice Hallen was told they were written while he was under duress in a Thai jail facing a very long sentence.

The judge concluded that “there was really no dispute that the deceased and her husband did everything in their power, including spending savings, and at least part of his retirement benefit, to achieve either the plaintiff’s removal from the circumstances in which he found himself, to pay for legal expenses that he would have incurred, and to ensure that his life in prison was made more comfortable”.

While David Hughes remained in regular contact with his parents for many years after his return to , he argued with his mother while collecting his father’s tools after his death in 2010. After Beryl suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in 2015 Erin contacted her father, but he was unable to visit for nine days.

Beryl was in a coma by the time he arrived and died a short time later.

Justice Hallen granted David Hughes 15 per centof the remainder of his mother’s estate after legal costs were met, or $70,000. His daughter’s share is expected to be $400,000.

Justice Hallen took into account David Hughes’ “straitened circumstances”, when compared with his daughter’s “bright future”. He noted, but rejected, a “somewhat unhelpful” argument from Erin Sharp’s barristerthat her fatherhad “already received what he should have got”.

Wests model to help rebuild Knights into NRL force

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

DEAR MEMBERS: Wests will send out a letter to members outlining their case to take over the Newcastle Knights … “Cities need to have a flagship. You need a hero to cheer for and villain to boo at. If Newcastle was to lose the Knights it would diminish Newcastle as a city,” Wests chief Phil Gardner said.TUBEMAKERS Recreation Club was a failing business on Industrial Drive when Wests took over in 2001.

The adjacentsteelworks hadclosed two years earlier, with it wentaworkforce and the lifeblood of the licensed club. The future appeared bleak.

Now, it’s a thriving leagues club and entertainment precinct witha major hotel, state-of-the-art gym and aquatic centre as well asthe Knights’ headquarters.

The facility is ahive of activity.Money-maker.

That is what Wests do. They take over businessesthat are on the bones of their backside and make them successful.

The Knights are on track to collect a third consecutive wooden spoon, the lowest ebb in a proud 30-year history that delivered premierships in 1997 and 2001.

They have been treading water since theNational Rugby League assumed ownership in 2014 after thedemise of Nathan Tinkler.

But ifWests’ proposed takeover of the Knights is endorsed by its members, clubsupremo Phil Gardner is confident–garneringthe expertiseof the licensed club juggernaut combined with a $13 million annual grant from the NRL –that the battlerscan again fly high.

The ingredients for success are there.TheKnights boast the fourth-highest average home crowd (16,606) in the competition, despite winning just four games in two years, and have a developing rosterwith plenty of tomorrows.

The Westsblueprint isproven.The group, which consists of six major businesses and employs more than 1000 staff,made aprofit of $23.2millionlast year.

They also have a strong and proud history in rugby league and have supported the Knights to tune of about $17 million since 1998.

Gardner, who has been Wests’ chief executive for 22 years, is adamant the Knights can be a “break-even” operation withinfive years.

Regardless, there would be no “downside” to Wests’120,000 members.Beer prices won’t all of a sudden go up and Wests will continue to support other sporting and community projects.

“Part of our ethos is that we put ‘x’amount of our profit into sport or charitable groups,” Gardner said. “The long-term view is that we want to do more.We are hoping the members will see this as a great benefit to the community. People who aren’t rugby league supporters can still see the benefit of the Knights to the town.

“Cities need to have a flagship. You need a hero to cheer for and villain to boo at. If Newcastle was to lose the Knights it would diminish Newcastleas a city.”

Wests will not paya license fee to the NRL or any outstanding debt,however they have committed $10 million towards a Centre of Excellence at District Park, which is likely to be matched by the state government.

“No money Wests puts in will be going out of Newcastle,” Gardner said.“Newcastle has always needed a top-end sporting facility. It would be home tothe Knights and also be used by sports across the region. It would be a legacy facility for the whole community.”

Novocastrians subject of Archibald painting

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

AT HOME: The Archibald Prize finalist work depicting Lottie Consalvo and James Drinkwater in their Mayfield home.

A PORTRAIT of two renowned Newcastle artists James Drinkwater and Lottie Consalvo, by Irish painter Jonathan Dalton, is a finalist in the 2017 Archibald Prize.

While Drinkwater himself is a finalist in this year’s Wynne Prize,along with fellow Novocastrian Rachel Milne. Thespian John Bell, the brother of Newcastle painter Michael Bell, is also the subject of an Archibald finalist work by Loribelle Spirovski.

Dalton’s hyper-realistic painting depicts Consalvo and Drinkwater sitting on the lounge in their Mayfield home –possibly making it the first time anything Mayfield has been depicted in the esteemed prize.

Drinkwater and Dalton are stablemates at the Nanda Hobbs Contemporary Gallery, Sydney.

“He pitched the idea and we said, “Okay, come up to Newcastle,’” Drinkwater said.

“It was lovely, he caught the train up from Sydney and we showed him the beach.

“We cooked lunch and then he did some drawings and took some photos.

“Then he produced this amazing work. It’s a testament to his talent.”

SUNNY PATINA: The painting Passage to Rungli Rungliot by James Drinkwater is a finalist in this year’s Wynne Prize.

Drinkwaters’ landscape work titledPassage to Rungli Rungliot was announced as a finalist in the Wynne Prize on the same day.

The artist spent four days in a “gorgeous hut” in the Tasmanian highlands last winter. The painting is a result of this experience.

“It’s so cold and grey, but every now and then a shard of light breaks through the clouds and there is this amazing patina,” Drinkwater said.

“It’s all about the moment the clouds part and the sun hits the landscape.”

Dalton said of the subjects of his Archibald entry that he was “completely charmed” by them both.

“There appears a genuine joy in their independent togetherness and a very pleasing asymmetry in James’s frenetic energy and Lottie’s unruffled calm,” he said.

The artist said he wanted to capture “that feeling” while adding a theatrical element.

Dalton was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1977, where he got his art degree. He moved to in 2013 from Barcelona, Spain where he had lived for four years. This is his first time in the Archibald Prize.

Rachel Milne’s landscape Rainy Day, Hill End is also a finalist in the Wynne Prize.

Her paintingRainy Day, Hill Endcaptures the historic village on a cold winter day.

The work was completed while the artist was undertaking the month long Hill End Artist in Residence program in June 2016.

“I loved the isolation and the sense of history,” Milne said.“It was cold, really cold.”

Winners of both prizes will be announced on July 28.

Newcastle Rugby League: Macquarie Scorpions claim underdog status before top-of-the-table clash with Western Suburbs at Harker Oval

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

FORM: Macquarie overcame South Newcastle in a grand final replay last weekend. Picture: Max Mason-HubersMacquarie coach Adam Bettridge can barelyremember winning a game at Harker Oval and has claimed “underdog” status heading into Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash with Newcastle Rugby League leaders Western Suburbs.

Bettridge said the Scorpions “weren’t expected to win” the round 12 fixture despite being the only team to knock off the high-flying Rosellas in 2017 courtesy of an 18-14 victory at Toronto on May 13.

“That was a long time ago now and Wests are tough to beat there,” Bettridge said.

“They’ve made Harker Oval into a bit of a fortress and it’s a hard place to go and win. I can’t remember winning a game there as coach.

“We know we’re not expected to win and we’ll go in as underdogs.

“Thankfully we have the same side again this week.”

Macquarie, who have named afull strength squad for the encounter and sit just two points below Wests on the ladder, last defeated the Rosellas at the New Lambton venue in 2012.

Wests are undefeated in six starts at home this year anddropped just two of 17 games on Hobart Road the previous two seasons.

The Rosellas welcome back Newcastle under-23 representative Mao Uta to start at centre whileWarren Schillings and Peter Mannion stayat prop and lock respectively after solid performances in last weekend’s catch-up match.

Elsewhere on Sunday and just two competition points separate fourth-placedLakes, who have named Cody Robbins at fullback in front of Jamie Ghoulmieh, and fifth-placed South Newcastle, who lose winger Ofa Manuofetoa to Knights under 20s,at Cahill Oval.

Earlier on Saturday and Nick Lawrence enjoys his first start at hooker for the Goannas while Connor Kirkwood replaces Jake McNamara (hip flexor) in the halves when hosting third-placed Central Newcastle at Cessnock Sportsground. Butcher Boys fullback Jake Maizen and captain Ethan Cooke were to undergo fitness tests at training on Friday night to determine if they would play.

And in what shapes as the battle for the wooden spoon between Maitland and Kurri Kurri at Coronation Oval on Saturday thePickers will have the services of former English Super League fullback Curtis Naughton, who was named 18thman for Knights reserve grade, while Brock Gilmour remains at hooker for the Bulldogs with Terence Seu Seu (knee) sidelined for up to a month.

Meanwhile referee Graham Stair will notch up his 400thfirst grade game in the Newcastle competition 25 years after making his debut. He will be in charge of the Wests versus Macquarie fixture at New Lambton on Sunday.

LADDER: Wests20, Macquarie 18, Central 14, Lakes 10, Souths, Cessnock 8, Maitland, Kurri 4.

Newcastle Grammar’s Service and Adventure Training Unit completes passing out parade

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

Building skills: Patrick Krause, Bjorn Hropot and Zachary Perry are in Newcastle Grammar’s Service and Adventure Training Unit, which the school offers as a co-curricular activity. Picture: Jonathan CarrollZACHARY Perry remembers the temperature being so low his pants froze to his legs inside his sleeping bag.

The Newcastle Grammar School year 12 student had been in Singleton with the country’s top army cadets on a week-long adventure training course, which included walking about 140 kilometres;building a boat to traverse a lake;spending a sub-zero degree night on his own in a tarp with an emergency radio in the bush;and falling asleep at 3am after setting up camp, only to be woken 30 minuteslater and told to move 50 metres.

“It was pretty rough –it was freezing cold and constantly raining,” he said.

“Afterwards I felt it was one of the hardest, but also the best, weeks of my life.”

Company Sergeant MajorPerry, 17, Senior Cadet Under Officer Patrick Krause, 17, and Cadet Under Officer Bjorn Hropot, 18, comprise Newcastle Grammar’s Service and Adventure Training Unit (SATU) command team. They marked their last day with the unit on Friday, when they participated in a passing out parade.

The trio had been juggling their Higher School Certificate preparation with camps and weekly training sessions covering drill training and lessons on subjects including first aid, navigation andradio telecommunication, but the time has come to focus on their studies. “There was definitely a sense of pride when everyone stood up as we passed out,” Zachary said. “We’ve become like a second family to each other.”

Patrick, who carried a swordmanufacturedby English companyWilkinson Sword and valued at about $5000, agreed. “I felt a great sense of achievement, from day one we’vedeveloped these skills and put all this effort in to make our unit the best we can possible make it,” he said. “But it’s still a sad occasion having our final parade because we’ve enjoyed our time in the unit so much.”

Newcastle Grammar’s SATU is the only school-based army cadet unit in the Hunter and has 43 members, including about 15 girls.

Zachary and Patrick joined the unit in year seven, while Bjorn joined two years ago.

Zachary, who said SATU helped him developed confidence in his leadership skills, has been accepted into then Defence Force Academy and hopes to study international political studies and Indonesian studies.

Bjorn, who said he most relished developing organisationskills,hopes to study computer systems engineering in Newcastle and for a career in robotics automation.

Patrick, who said SATU helped him prioritise and hone his time management and teamwork skills, recently completed the Royal n Airforce’s two-weekFlight Screening Program and was interviewed by the Officer Selection Board, which “highly recommended” him as a pilot.

Five highlights in your travel week21 July

By admin|苏州桑拿会所

HeliSpirit … offering a bird’s eye view of the Pilbara coastline. New helicopter flights from Karratha are offering a bird’s eye view of the Pilbara coastline, in Western ’s north, where red earth, white beaches and turquoise waters spectacularly unite.

Operated by HeliSpirit — already well known for its Kimberley chopper tours — the 18-, 30- or 45-minute scenic flights depart from near the Karratha Visitor Centre and head out to the pristine Dampier Archipelago and Burrup Peninsula.

The provide guests with the chance to spot turtles, manta rays, dugongs and other marine life from the air.

A 30-minute flight over the Burrup Peninsula and Angel Island is priced at $325.

HeliSpirit has also partnered with Ngurrangga Tours to offer discounted packages to explore ancient rock art with the region’s traditional Aboriginal owners.

Visit www.helispirit苏州夜总会招聘.au

Coral Discoverer … will track the Sydney-to-Hobart fleet.

Coral Expeditions has launched a Sydney-to-Hobart maritime-themed itinerary which sets sail with this year’s Sydney-to-Hobart Yacht Race.

It will be the first time that the 72-passenger Coral Discoverer, which underwent a significant refurbishment at the end of last year, will carry passengers from the n mainland to Tasmania.

Guests will see the spectacle of the race start, cruise alongside the yachts as they race along the east coast, and arrive in to Hobart in time to witness the winners’ celebrations.

Guest lecturer on-board will be John Longley, who has participated in the race four times.

He will also join the expedition team in leading excursions to maritime attractions such as the Killer Whale Museum in Eden, the Davidson Whaling Station in Ben Boyd National Park and the Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration.

The cruise will conclude with a New Year’s celebration and a to visit the Taste of Tasmania festival in Hobart.

Prices start from $4,180 per person.

Phone (07)4040 9999 or visit www苏州夜场招聘ralexpeditions苏州夜总会招聘

The Seven Peaks Walk … a challenging trek on Lord Howe Island.

With more than 4.3 million domestic and international overnight visitors choosing to hike in NSW as part of their holiday experience last year, it’s little wonder that the state is increasing its portfolio of walking tours.

New walks include the Seven Peaks Walk, a challenging hike for experienced walkers on Lord Howe Island, with a few sections off-track and requiring a steady head for heights.

And also new is the three-day ‘Light to Light’ walk which hugs the coastline between Boyds Tower and Green Cape Lightstation in Ben Boyd National Park on the Sapphire Coast.

If hiking in luxury is more your style, Light to Light Camps can carry your gear, set up camp each night and cook your dinner.

Visit www.destinationnsw苏州夜总会招聘.au

An idyllic setting, especially with a glass of bubbly in hand … heading down for Angullong’s Outstanding in the Vines lunch

Given the pace at which the year is moving, the Orange Wine Festival isn’t all that far away — Friday 13 October to Sunday 22 October are the dates to note.

It is the Central Western NSW region’s opportunity to celebrate the thriving wine industry and high-quality cool climate wines that its vignerons produce.

The program features more than 90 events and can be downloaded by visiting brandorange苏州夜总会招聘.au.

A major highlight is Angullong’s Outstanding in the Vines lunch on October 14. Sit between the vines and the dam and enjoy a feast and some very good wines served at a long table dressed in flowing white tablecloth.

The cost of $150 per head includes return transport from Orange to vineyard on the slopes of Mt Canobolas.

Visit www.angullong苏州夜总会招聘.au

Ruston’s Rose Garden … a marvellous place to wander through and enjoy a relaxing cuppa.

The Renmark Rose Festival, which this year will be held from October 20-29, has grown into the largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere — a true celebration of community and the Riverland region, including magnificent produce and arts as well as a bevy of open gardens.

Renmark is home to Ruston’s Rose Garden, which houses the National Rose Collection and has 27 acres planted out to roses and ornamentals. It’s a marvellous place to wander through and enjoy a relaxing cuppa.

Visit www.renmarkroses苏州夜总会招聘