Archive for the ‘Snapshot’ Category
Top 10 Worst Man Eaters In History
Most large predatory animals can, and will, see humans as suitable prey, under the right circumstances; however, true “man eaters”, that is, individual animals that prefer human flesh over any other food, are very rare. This list is a selection of some of the worst cases of man eaters recorded in history.
10: The lions of Njombe
Problems with Accepting Housing Benefit in England and Wales
For a landlord who owns a rental property this can be a very attractive proposition. Rental paid by the local authority (Council), however there are many drawbacks and a Housing Benefit tenant is often penalised before the process gets under way. By Philip Suter
First of all the local authority has the right to “claw back” rent several months after it has been paid if they find that the tenant was not entitled to it. This means the Landlord who has received a direct payment has to pay this back and “try” to get it from his/her tenant. The same applies if a professional letting agent is involved and the rent is paid to the agent. The Agent would have to cover themselves in their terms of business and make the Landlord reimburse them. This usually puts many agents off from accepting these payments.
Alternatively the payment is made to the tenant direct. Sounds much better in theory, because if the claw back mechanism is used the tenant has to pay this back. The downside to this is that a) the tenant might not pay over the rent and spend it on other needs and if they suddenly have to reimburse the Council, they could have difficulty in paying future rent.
These local authority payments are also often four weeks in arrears and this is not so good for a landlord who likes to have the rent coming in one month in advance. Read the rest of this entry »
Paris Dakar Rally
AN ENDURING CHALLENGE
The adventure began back in 1977, when Thierry Sabine got lost on his motorbike in the Libyan desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally. Saved from the sands in extremis, he returned to France still in thrall to this landscape and promising himself he would share his fascination with as many people as possible. He proceeded to come up with a route starting in Europe, continuing to Algiers and crossing Agadez before eventually finishing at Dakar. The founder coined a motto for his inspiration: “A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind.” Courtesy of his great conviction and that modicum of madness peculiar to all great ideas, the plan quickly became a reality. Since then, the Paris-Dakar, a unique event sparked by the spirit of adventure, open to all riders and carrying a message of friendship between all men, has never failed to challenge, surprise and excite. Over the course of almost thirty years, it has generated innumerable sporting and human stories.
1979 : All together at the Trocadero
Thierry Sabine’s gamble took shape on 26 December 1978, as 182 vehicles turned up in the Place du Trocadéro for a 10,000-kilometre journey into the unknown, destination Dakar. The encounter between two worlds sought by the event’s founder unfolded on the African continent. Among the 74 trail-blazers who made it to the Senegalese capital, Cyril Neveu, at the handlebars of a Yamaha 500 XT, wrote the opening entry on the honours list of the greatest rally in the world. Read the rest of this entry »