text:
Jay Hart
Bad 24 hours for Aaron Hernandez as prosecution narrows in on missing murder weapon
Jay Hart at Yahoo Sports 10 days agoWhere there had been a gun before, there was no longer a gun.
Video footage showing Shayanna Jenkins leaving her and Aaron Hernandez's home clutching a black plastic bag.
Paying housekeepers with a check, not cash.
For most of the nearly four weeks of the murder trial of Aaron Hernandez, prosecutor William McCauley has presented the jury with a litany of seemingly inconsequential testimony. Jurors have learned that Attleboro is south of North Attleboro, that Comfort Suites is a hotel, that video showing a police officer ringing a door bell was, in fact, a police officer ringing a door bell.
However, the last 24 hours have been damning for the defense of the former New England Patriots star, as McCauley has used testimony of three housekeepers to strengthen his contention that on June 18, 2013, the day after Odin Lloyd was found dead, Shayanna Jenkins removed from their basement the weapon her fiancé used to murder Lloyd.
Monday, two housekeepers testified that on multiple occasions they'd discovered a gun hidden under a guest bedroom mattress in Hernandez's basement. Marilia Prinholato described the gun as about 30 to 40 centimeters long.
Newlywed Joey Logano inserts foot in mouth at Daytona 500 champion's press conference
Jay Hart at From The Marbles 12 days agoDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Chalk this one up to a guy who's been married for about two months.
Joey Logano, about an hour removed from winning the Daytona 500, is sitting on the dais inside the media center at Daytona International Speedway.
Standing some 20 feet to his left is his wife Brittany, whom he married back in December.
On his left hand, his wedding band. On his right, a giant ring he'd just received for winning the Great American Race.
Now let's go to the Q&A:
Question: Given your track record with rings, what are you going to do with that one (the Daytona ring)?
(Logano lost his wedding ring on his honeymoon when he flipped his kayak in Costa Rica.)
Still, a veteran in the marriage world would have swatted this softball over the fence.
I'll keep it somewhere safe …
I'll wear it tonight, but really, I already have the most important ring right here …
It's special, but it's not as special as this one …
Here's how Logano handled it:
"This one is harder to replace, I think."
(Audience groans)
"Well, I take that back. I screwed up, didn't I?"
"Insert foot here," crew chief Todd Gordon said.
Just a symbol! Just a symbol!
How Jeff Gordon became the face of NASCAR
Jay Hart at Yahoo Sports 13 days agoDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A year after Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400, NASCAR's first foray at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Sr. was making the talk show rounds celebrating his own victory there in 1995.
Sitting on Jay Leno's couch, Earnhardt, as only he could, explained that while "Wonder Boy" won it first, he was the first "man" to win the Brickyard.
And so it was for Gordon who'd infiltrated a world that, to that point, hadn't really had to deal with anyone like him. Which is to say, a kid from California who dared to not only to show up, but win too.
Earnhardt didn't mind tweaking him, while fans loved to boo him – a lot.
It's a starting point that makes the ending such a remarkable story.
Twenty years later, as Gordon preps for the final Daytona 500 (where he'll start on the pole) in the final season of a brilliant career, he is unquestionably the face of the sport. Those boos, mostly gone, have been replaced by respect.
Jeff Gordon leaves having won them over.
"Jeff picked up almost 3-tenths of a second," Bickford says, "and won the race."
Aaron Hernandez Trial Day 3: Stirring testimony pits sister against sister
Jay Hart at Yahoo Sports 1 mth agoAs Shaneah Jenkins sat in Aaron Hernandez's living room, just hours after learning her boyfriend Odin Lloyd had been found murdered, her sister Shayanna, Hernandez's fiancée, was acting "secretive" and "not normal."
Shayanna was fielding phone calls and responding with one-word answers, Shaneah Jenkins testified Tuesday in the trial against Hernandez who is charged with Lloyd's murder. At one point, Shaneah testified, Shayanna slipped down to the basement with a black plastic bag in her hand.
Moments later, Shaneah looked out a window and saw her sister in the backyard walking toward the house. Shortly thereafter, Shayanna came up the stairs, returned to the living room and asked to borrow Shaneah's car, something she'd never done before, because she needed to go to the bank.
Thirty minutes later, Shayanna returned.
The state presented video footage of Hernandez holding a gun inside his home minutes after Lloyd was murdered, but when police inspected the home a day later no gun was found.
What the prosecution does have, though, is a mountain of circumstantial evidence:
• Video places Hernandez in a car with Lloyd on the night he was killed.
Police: Lance Armstrong hit two parked cars, fled, then girlfriend took the blame
Jay Hart at The Turnstile 1 mth agoLance Armstrong has found trouble again, this time for allegedly hitting two parked cars, then leaving the scene of the accident only to have his girlfriend initially take the blame, according to a police report.
The accident allegedly occurred on Dec. 28 as Armstrong drove home from an art museum party in the tony ski town of Aspen, Colo. According to an Aspen Police report, Anna Hansen, Armstrong's girlfriend, claimed she was driving because "Lance had a little bit to drink."
The detective in the case, Rick Magnuson, wasn't fully buying the story and went to check it out. A valet at the museum said he recognized Armstrong and said that he, not Hansen, got in the driver's seat to drive home.
Hansen claimed in a second interview with Magnuson that they had made a stop on the way home at which point she got into the driver's seat. Two days later, Magnuson interviewed Hansen again, this time acknowledging that Armstrong had, in fact, been driving.
Via the police report:
Hansen has not been charged for filing a false report.
Aaron Hernandez Trial Day 2: If goal is to bore jury, prosecution is succeeding
Jay Hart at Shutdown Corner 1 mth agoNow we know why the trial of Aaron Hernandez is expected to take up to two months: prosecutor William McCauley is doing the questioning.
In Day 2 of the murder trial against the former New England Patriots star we learned that Comfort Suites is a hotel, that after getting pregnant a baby is born and how a 911 call is routed.
There were a few relevant points made during the four hours of testimony on Friday, namely the prosecution's attempt to put Hernandez's footprint at the scene of the crime, where Odin Lloyd's dead body was found, but mostly what the jury of 18 got was more useless facts that the defense promised in its opening statement would be forthcoming from the prosecution.
McCauley may be trying to lay an exceedingly firm foundation, but so far he's mostly just installed a bunch of windows looking out onto nothing.
The kicker came when Charles Sutherland, director of communications for the Massachusetts State Police, took the stand to explain the ins and outs of a 911 call. This took 17 minutes, after which there was no cross examination.
And why would there be?
Lance Armstrong: I would dope again
Jay Hart at Yahoo Sports 1 mth agoLance Armstrong would dope again, which might be the most honest thing he's said since, well, ever.
"If I was racing in 2015, no I wouldn't do it again because I don't think you have to do it again," he said in an interview with BBC. "If you take me back to 1995, when it was completely and totally pervasive, I would probably do it again. People don't like to hear that."
People won't like to hear him say that, and the quote will provide more fodder for those who now see Armstrong as the biggest fraud sports (any sport) has ever known. But here's the thing: he's just providing an honest assessment of his sport circa 1995 and beyond.
Hamilton wrote:
Stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from competition, Armstrong said in the BBC interview that his life has been "brutal" since he told Oprah Winfrey that he cheated.
"The fallout has been heavy, maybe heavier than I thought. It was, you know, pretty brutal afterwards. It's been tough."
For that he only has himself to blame.
Richard Sherman, Doug Baldwin mock NFL in news conference
Jay Hart at Shutdown Corner 3 mths agoRichard Sherman and Doug Baldwin just flipped the script on the NFL, and it's brilliant.
Not wanting to suffer the same fate as their teammate Marshawn Lynch, who was fined $100,000 last week for not talking to the media, Sherman and Baldwin took to the podium Tuesday to fulfill their media obligation and … none of what they had to say was very flattering … to the NFL.
It's a must watch here. Give it the full two minutes:
Two games in five days? Yeah, that's a hard one to defend.
There's not much you can really argue with here, even if you're one of those who normally thinks Sherman's mouth needs a muzzle.
The question now is, just days after fining a player for not talking, will the NFL fine Sherman and Baldwin for talking?
The ball is now uncomfortably in Roger Goodell's court.
Stick a fork in 'em, the U.S. isn't bringing the Ryder Cup home this time either
Jay Hart at Devil Ball Golf 5 mths agoThis is exactly where the United States didn't want to find itself. After rallying to within a point of the Europeans after a solid morning session in the 40th Ryder Cup, the Americans were nearly blanked in the afternoon session, earning a measly half point – and even that was disappointing.
The result: a 10-6 deficit heading into Sunday's singles matches.
Oh, it's guaranteed U.S. captain Tom Watson will remind his boys that the Europeans rallied from the same deficit to win at Medinah two years ago. But telling the story about an epic comeback is a whole lot easier than actually pulling one off, even if the Europeans aren't quite celebrating yet.
"We know it's possible," Rose said of a comeback. "The finish line is nowhere near yet. Still have 4 1/2 points to earn tomorrow. That's four or five guys that need to go out and play great golf, and that's nearly half the team. So the way I see it, we have some work to do."
So where did it go wrong for the Americans?
But the afternoon session was a total reversal. Four matches, three wins for Europe and a halve that probably shouldn't have been.
Ryder Cup: Kaymer wraps approach around first hole
Jay Hart at Devil Ball Golf 5 mths agoMartin Kaymer got the Europeans off to a fast start in the 40th Ryder Cup, nearly draining his approach on No. 1 at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Kaymer's ball did everything but go in the hole, actually wrapping around the cup.
No worries, the putt was conceded, the U.S. pairing of Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler couldn't match the birdie and Kaymer and partner Thomas Bjorn were 1-up just like that.


text:
| Economy | Culture
| Opinion
| Lifestyle
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Number 13 |
in this section: Lawyers
hate it, bankers yawn, ambassador out over it
The US-Panama tax information deal is more
than just that
by Eric Jackson On paper, and for public
relations purposes, the US-Panama Tax Information Exchange Agreement is
about an end to Panama being a haven where American tax cheaters park
their money. If the United States has an ongoing tax investigation that
specifically targets a particular US corporate entity or individual US
citizen, it will be able to get Panamanian banking information about
that person. That much is the principal publicized point, and it's
something in common with "dual taxation treaties" that Panama has
signed with nine other countries in order to avoid sanctions by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as a "tax
But the deal also purports to strip away the veil of anonymity behind which the beneficial owners of Panamanian corporations (Sociedades Anonimas, or SAs) hide. It also purports to effectively ban anonymous bearer shares in Panamanian companies. Those provisions are not found in the other agreements that Panama has signed. On the face of it, Panama's banking sector would be seriously affected. Various estimates have it that 40 to 45 percent of Panamanian bank accounts are owned by Americans. But a provision of US law found in the Microentrepreneurs Act of 1999 --- better known as the "Prime Act" --- effectively requires foreign banks that want to do business with the US banking system to provide information about US citizens with accounts in those foreign banks. Plus, in instances where the proceeds of drug trafficking or a number of other crimes are being laundered, Panama already pierces banking and corporate secrecy. So do Panamanian banks lose the business of some American wise guys who are hiding out from the taxman, while keeping those who are concealing assets from the courts in connection with messy divorces? It does not seem that the Banking Association of Panama is too upset about it. The industry group's president, Moises Cohen, said that after considering the proposal the association decided that it would not much affect their business and approved it. But perhaps the country's most renowned corporate lawyer, Eduardo Morgan Jr., argues that the deal does nothing good for Panama and in a La Prensa column stated that it "can have negative consequences for our economy" and is motivated by US "hopes that our clients will move their accounts to the banking center in Miami." (Take that last bit in part as a dig at President Martinelli, who has close political and ideological ties with the Miami Cuban exile leadership.) In this country's lawyer business, organizing Panamanian corporations for foreign customers, which typically then get Panamanian bank accounts, is the daily bread. The bank reforms might be one annoyance, but the corporate provisions of the agreement are intolerable to the business attorneys. The deal is hailed by some US supporters of a US-Panama free trade pact for removing the final obstacle. But from left and right, US observers are not necessarily thrilled. On the right, former GOP congressman Bob Bauman complained that "Panama's rules will not permit a judicial appeal by those subjected to an IRS information request" and called the agreement "a victory for the tax hungry major deficit spending governments led by the Obama administration." On the left Todd Tucker, a spokesman for Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, complained that the agreement "does not require Panama to automatically exchange information with US authorities about tax dodgers, money launderers and drug traffickers." He advised that Panama would have to implement changes to a number of its laws to carry out the promises it makes in the agreement, and it would take time to do these things and to see how the changes work in practice. Meanwhile, it appears that the Panamanian Ambassador in Washington has resigned because of this agreement. As La Estrella reports it, when Vice President and Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Varela went to Washington to sign the agreement, he had sharp words with Ambassador Jaime Alemán. It seems that US President Barack Obama, who was already annoyed with Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli for other reasons, was offended by the leak of the agreement's text to US anti-tax activists and the finger of blame got rightly or wrongly pointed at Alemán. The tax information agreement didn't get Martinelli a meeting with Obama and, given that Martinelli's right-hand man Jimmy Papadimitriu is a former John Boehner aide and that Obama has problems with the left wing of his party, it may not get him a presidential submission of the US-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement to the US Congress either. That NAFTA-style free trade pact is a moving target, which may not have been fixed into place by Republican gains in the recent US elections. Also
in this section: News
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text:
But WaitThere's More
Find other great ideas in these related stories:
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- Go Bananas for Asia's Adorable Monkeys ›
- The World's Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens ›
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- Top 10 Spas in the U.S. ›
- The Best Cruise Ship Cabins ›
- Dreamy Tower Suites ›
- The Platinum Circle ›
- 5 Great Inns for Foodies ›
- The Last Wild Place ›
Lesson to Travel By: Good deals abound when cruise ships move to another part of the world between seasons.
The Deal: SeaDream Yacht Club's transatlantic cruise from Seville to San Juan may mean more time on the water and less in ports than regular high-season cruises, but it's the cheapest way to get aboard this luxury liner—and there is no shortage of onboard activities to keep you busy.
The Luxury Essentials: This small-ship cruise line is famous for over-the-top pampering: Deck attendants clean the saltwater spray from your sunglasses; waiters inquire about your favorite dishes so the chef can put them on the menu later that week. But all this decadence usually comes at a price—for instance, a seven-day cruise from Venice to Dubrovnik costs $8,900 per person. The best values can be found when SeaDream's two ships have to reposition between their summer home in the Mediterranean and their winter waters in the Caribbean. On SeaDream II's October cruise (which costs $4,000 less than usual), your only midcruise stop will be an afternoon on the Portuguese island of Madeira (view slideshow), so plan to spend most of your time in the spa, casino, fitness center, golf simulator, or simply on your balcony with a good book from the ship's library. Plan to arrive at least one day before the cruise departs Seville, since you'd hate to miss the boat because of a flight delay.
Artful Advice: Landlubbers, beware—the seas can be rough in the middle of the Atlantic.
A Fair Fare: Flights between New York and Seville are at their lowest in October; use Kayak.com's multicity search tool to find the best fares.
SeaDream Yacht Club
Tel: 800 707 4911 (toll-free)
From $4,900 per person, including meals, alcohol, and entertainment


text:
The 2012 season may now be over, but for F1 fans eager to get ahead of the game, the official 2013 F1™ Live Timing and Track Positioning App from Soft Pauer is now available at a discounted rate for a limited time only*.
Currently at just £17.99**, the only official F1 app is also the perfect gift for all F1 fans, with a huge array of great features as well as some exciting updates for the upcoming season. Complete details of new features will be revealed in the New Year, but the current list includes:
Real-time track positioning: Displayed on a dynamic and fully interactive 3D map, you can see the position of every driver on the track at the same time, or pan, zoom and spin the track maps to focus on a specific driver. Icons show you their tyre choice, sector times and whether they have activated DRS.
Real-time live timing data: Timing data is streamed direct from Formula One Management's technical centre at the race track to the device. There is no faster way to see all the times on your mobile device; the app is even quicker than TV and all data is real-time.
Marshal news: Live to the app as it is issued, marshal news keeps you up to date on flags, warnings, investigations and track statuses as they happen.
Tyre information: Find out which tyre type and compound any driver is on at any given time, visually represented on the live leaderboard timing screens and on 3D maps.
DRS zones: DRS (Drag Reduction System) activation zones are clearly marked on the track maps along with the detection points.
F1 news notifications: Throughout the year the app will alert you to all new F1 news as it is issued by Formula1.com, the official Formula One website.
Pause live sessions: Pause and replay live sessions during the events so you never miss any of the action.
Download race packs: Download race packs after the event to watch the sessions again and again.
Live text commentary: Lap-by-lap live text commentary in English, French or German keeps you updated while the action unfolds.
Event counter and notifications: An event countdown shows the time to the next session and informs when a session is live. Optional notifications alert you when sessions are approaching so you dont miss them.
Download the very best companion to the 2013 FIA Formula One FIA World Championship early via the Apple App store, Google Play, Blackberry App World or Amazon and start looking forward to a whole new season of nail-biting action
*Discount available until the New Year
**Or equivalent store currency
For tickets and travel to 2013 FORMULA 1 races, click here.
For FORMULA 1 and F1 team merchandise, click here.


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text:
Tips to boost brain health and lower dementia risk
Thursday - 7/18/2013, 12:58pm EDT
The Associated Press
You may be able to help keep your brain in shape, not just the rest of your body. A large study in France suggests that delaying retirement and working until later in life may help prevent dementia.
Some other things the Alzheimer's Association suggests for healthy aging:
--Stay active. Many studies show exercise reduces dementia risk.
--Stay connected -- join a club, travel, volunteer. Social ties boost brain health.
--Eat right. High cholesterol may contribute to stroke and brain cell damage, while dark vegetables and fruits may help protect brain cells.
--Do mentally challenging activities such as word puzzles and other things that stimulate thinking skills.
Alzheimer's Association: http://tinyurl.com/qawh87
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists.
Sometimes words are not enough to express what we are feeling. Sometimes there are too many words. Art Therapy is a way of gaining a clearer understanding of ourselves by exploring our thoughts and feelings. In art therapy we express ourselves by making images or sculptures. People make images or pieces from art materials, other materials and things that they gather. Art therapists are trained to be sensitive to the subtleties of making and looking at the piece. Together with the client, they explore and reflect on the process. Read Full DetailsMUSIC THERAPY is a predominantly non-verbal intervention using music and sound as a basis for interaction. It offers a secure space for self expression and development and allows a therapeutic relationship to develop. Interactive music is created by clients and therapist using a variety of instruments. The therapist may use an instrument or his/her voice to acknowledge and support the client's music. Music Therapy may be offered to people of all ages who have physical, learning, social or emotional difficulties, on an individual or group basis. Read Full Details Dramatherapy is the intentional and systematic use of drama and theatre processes to achieve healthy psychological growth and change. The general aims of a Dramatherapy session include exploring ideas, issues and problems using drama-derived activities; expressing and exploring feelings, developing spontaneity and imagination and creativity, improving self image and self confidence, developing social and relationship skills. Dramatherapy involves several different forms of expression such as movement, voice work, body language and speech. LINKS DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY uses movement and dance creatively to help a person to further their emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration. This frees us to experience and express the full range of human emotion in a safe environment where feelings can be expressed, acknowledged and communicated. Dance Movement Therapy is founded on the principle that movement reflects an individual's pattern of thinking and feeling. Dance Movement Therapy is always guided by a trained Therapist. Read Full Details |


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At Cove Debate, Nemerson Touches The 3rd Rail
by Nick Defiesta | Jun 19, 2013 7:20 am
(23) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author
Posted to: Transportation, Morris Cove, Campaign 2013
"I know I might lose whatever support I have here," mayoral candidate Matthew Nemerson told Morris Cove Democrats, "but I'm a self-proclaimed airport hawk."
With that said, Nemerson came out for expanding Tweed-New Haven Airport in order to attract more frequent and bigger commercial flights—and thus, he argued, more business for New Haven.
Nemerson, a mayoral candidate who has tried to present himself as the straight-talker in the field who's willing to take unpopular positions, came out for the expanison at a mayoral debate Tuesday night hosted by the Democratic Ward Committee in Morris Cove—a neighborhood where airport growth is slightly more popular than funding al-Qaeda.
Six of the seven Democratic mayoral candidates participated in the debate, which took place at Nathan Hale School. None of the other candidates told the 40 people in attendance that the airport should expand. Sundiata Keitezulu was the one candidate not to attend.
Moderators Anthony Avallone, a zoning lawyer and former state senator, and recently-retired city Building Official Andy Rizzo asked the candidates questions developed byt he Ward 18 Democratic Committee. The questions focused on neighborhood issues ranging from potential new investments in the neighborhood's Lighthouse Point Park to the contentious 2010 plan to dump material dredged from Bridgeport's harbor in Morris Cove.
Some of the questions—like one about tackling climate change—were relatively new to East Shore political discourse. Then there was the airport—the overriding neighborhood question from campaign discussions going back at least four decades, and a third rail for candidates supporting expansion in a neighborhood upset about noise from planes.
Nemerson (pictured) said that he sees Tweed as more than just a source of noise and health complaints. Expanding the airport — which has suffered its share of setbacks recently as it narrowly avoided losing its air traffic control tower to federal cuts — could bring much-needed jobs and revenue to the city, he argued.
As the former president of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce in the 1990s, Nemerson said, he spoke with business leaders who wanted to bring their companies to New Haven but refused to do so unless there was a major airport "within 20 minutes." Tweed does not rank as a "major airpot." The candidate also cited a decade-old offer from Southwest Airlines that never got off the ground, to begin servicing Tweed.
Were Tweed expanded, Nemerson argued, new jobs would come to New Haven, while the city could impose impact fees to help close its perpetual budget shortfall. With increased service, he added, flights could be added to Washington D.C. or Florida, an idea that received murmurs of approval in the audience.
The other candidates at Tuesday night's debate primarily emphasized balancing increased business with noise concerns when dealing with Tweed.
Candidate Henry Fernandez (pictured), a former city economic development chief, noted that he sat on Tweed's board, stressed that while he believes in attracting more commercial flights to the airport, he would not expand its footprint in the manner Nemerson suggested. Hillhouse High School Principal Kermit Carolina and state Representative Gary Holder-Winfield, meanwhile, both maintained that convincing regional interests that a busier Tweed is in their best interest — Carolina cited travel to and from the area's universities — would drum up stronger city interest in the airport.
Most of the candidates' answers included the argument that Tweed needs more state money — a not-so-subtle dig at mayoral candidate Toni Harp, a state senator who co-chairs of the legislature's powerful Appropriations Committee and last week received the endorsement of the city's most politically powerful labor unions.
"Tweed needs to learn to fly on its own," argued candidate Justin Elicker, an East Rock alderman. He called the city's annual $350,000 Tweed subsidy unusual for a city the size of New Haven. Carolina joined in, answering that state money could cover better noise control technology.
Harp (at right in photo speaking with East Shore environmental activist Lynne Bonnett) shot back at critics in her answer.
"If you listen to these answers, you'd think that Tweed doesn't receive any help from the state at all," Harp said. "We've at least matched what the city does."
In recent years, she said, the state has budgeted $1.5 million for the city's airport.
Flooding Fears
A newer issue arose toward the end of the debate, one that promises to face elected officials for years to come: how the city, particularly waterfront areas like Morris Cove, will deal with climate change.
Rising sea levels threaten shoreline properties as the seawall falls into disrepair. The area is expected to continue enduring more and more devastating storms like Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, which threatened homes on the East Shore the previous two falls with powerful winds and flooding.
Candidates were asked how they would handle that issue as mayor.
Carolina, who was first to answer the question, admitted that he did not have an immediate answer. He said he would seek "people with expertise" to work toward a solution.
Elicker (pictured schmoozing with debate attendees), who is an environmental consultant and chairs the Board of Aldermen's City Services and Environmental Policy Committee, pointed to an order that he and East Shore Alderman and Harp supporter Sal DeCola — in attendance at the debate — drafted. It requests that the city create a plan to manage climate change over the next 50 years
And despite her competitors' continual allusions to insufficient state aid, Harp emphasized in her answer that successful management of climate change in New Haven would require a "partner in state government" to procure the necessary funding for items such as seawall repair.
The next mayoral debate, at Dixwell's Varick AME Zion Church this Friday evening beginning at 6:30, will focus on education.
Tags: debate, Matt Nemerson, Toni Harp, Justin Elicker, campaign 2013, mayor, Kermit Carolina, Gary Holder-Winfield, Henry Fernandez
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posted by: New Haven Taxpayer on June 19, 2013 8:10am
This was my first debate and I was very impressed with Justin Elicker. He really stood out as someone who knows not only where this city should be heading but how to get us there.
Toni Harp looked like she was going to fall asleep in between snip-its of anger over some of the other candidates answers. It really struck me . I got the impression that she just didn't want to be there and she doesn't want to - or doesn't think she has to work for this job. Maybe she doesn't have to work hard, the unions will do her work I guess.
The candidates, other than Elicker, spoke in vague terms with no real ideas to implement change. If I heard one more candidate say "I support more Police" I think I would have vomited.
I was looking forward to hearing some of the others speak and was disappointed. Carolina was unprepared. Nemerson seems like a bright guy, just not a politician. Fernandez and Holder-Winfield were both lack luster and spoke in vague ideals, I was very disappointed.
Good luck Mr. Elicker, you showed yourself to be the best choice.
posted by: Curious on June 19, 2013 8:22am
Oh, wow. So the entire state of CT "at least matches" what funds New Haven puts in to our regional airport.
That's the best they can do?
Maybe if the state wasn't forgiving millions in debt to deadbeat businesses like Renaissance Management, the one owned by Matthew Harp (Toni's son), they could afford to do more for us.
A million dollars could do a lot for Tweed.
"If you listen to these answers, you'd think that Tweed doesn't receive any help from the state at all," Harp said. "We've at least matched what the city does."
posted by: LynneB on June 19, 2013 8:35am
Ease Shore residents (including the Annex and Morris Cove) suffer from noise, smell and hazardous chemical pollution coming from the sewage plant and its sludge incinerator.
How will the mayoral candidates address the sewer plant's proposed Long Term Control Plan to reduce raw sewage in our rivers that includes a 40% rate increase in 5 years, no public participation in the plan, and failure to evaluate and incorporate source controls (green infrastructure) as recommended by the EPA to fix combined sewer overspills.
Source controls save money because we are not paying the power company to pump rain water to the sewer plant unnecessarily. They create greenspace, allow rain water to soak into the ground where it lands, decrease reliance on pumping rain to a coastal location that is vulnerable to severe storms and allows the ground to clean the pollutants in the storm water. Rain water is not polluted. It becomes polluted because it enters the combined sewer pipe system and then creates sewer overspills- raw sewage goes in our rivers when it rains. We can reduce raw sewage immediately by investing in source control thereby avoiding other costly solutions.
When it rains, the pumps at the sewer plant scream loudly. The sewer plant wants bigger pumps as part of phase 1 of their plan. Rain or shine the incinerator produces hazardous chemicals that cause illness and premature death. The smell is overwhelming at times - it can make you gag.
The real sludge dumping on New Haven occurs every day 24/7-our sewer plant trucks it in from Bridgeport and 15-20 other cities to be incinerated in New Haven.
Sadly, it this great forum the issue wasn't even mentioned except by one candidate, Justin Elicker.
Call the mayor, talk to your alderperson, do they know about the rate increase? Have they talked to you about it? Do you understand what is at stake for our community?
For more info go to our coalition website: http://www.gnhwwc.com.
posted by: anonymous on June 19, 2013 9:03am
New Haven Taxpayer, I've had the exact same observations. Justin, and to some extent Fernandez, are the only two candidates who seem to know what they are talking about and give specific, actionable answers. Harp looked sleepy at the past debates and some of her answers, especially on economic development matters, seemed almost incoherent. Nemerson's ideas never seem particularly grounded - they are too often set in a global context, not an on-the-ground city context. Carolina, Holder-Winfield, Keitazulu, definitely have their hearts in the right place and make some wise observations (e.g., Keitazulu's comment at a recent debate that we should pay more than 1:1 when we relocate people for a development project) but completely lack specificity in their answers.
posted by: David S Baker on June 19, 2013 9:10am
Can someone direct me toward an online source where unedited audio or video of the full mayoral debates have been compiled? It would be nice to watch the candidates in action occasionally without local media outlets injecting subtile editorial quips and omissions.
posted by: Thomas Alfred Paine on June 19, 2013 9:22am
Could the New Haven Independent and other local media do the community a service and publish a list of all future debates? We find out about a number of these debates after they have taken place. The upcoming debate at Varick Church on Dixwell Avenue has been well-publicized. We need to know when other debates will be held. This is a very critical election for New Haven. If the people know in advance when debates will take place, I am sure more than 40 people will show up.
[Editor: The next one the Independent is cosponsoring takes place July 16 at 6 p.m. at Metropolitan Business Academy.]
posted by: Brutus2011 on June 19, 2013 9:48am
I agree that Justin Elicker is an attractive candidate. He's smart and really is a good communicator.
Lately, there has been news that several sea-side cities, such as New York and Manila, are at risk of catastrophic flooding in the near future if world temperatures continue to rise at current rates.
I think it is more that smart that New Haven start thinking about this issue. One way is for our elected representatives to start involving citizens in finding solutions instead of just relying on experts and then telling us what is good for us from on high.
In fact, NASA just made a public pleas for citizens to help with a solution for dealing with "killer asteroids" as an impact could cause our species to become extinct or nearly so.
So, I am glad to hear people acknowledging that our elected officials should be less autocratic and more in tune with the citizenry. There is a lot of talent in New Haven. We need people in public office who can communicate and involve those who elected them.
This power from on high cow-pucky has got to end.
posted by: Wooster Squared on June 19, 2013 9:57am
@anonymous & @NewHavenTaxpayer,
I came to the same conclusion about Harp. She just looks like she has no energy at these debates and really isn't all that interested in being mayor. Our challenges in New Haven are big and we can't have a mayor who's going to be asleep at the wheel for the next two years.
Of the seven candidates in the race, I only see three who actually seem to be interested in being mayor: Justin Elicker, Henry Fernandez and Kermit Carolina.
Gary started out with energy, but I think Toni Harp entering the race just days after doing a photo op with him kind of killed his campaign mojo.
Nemerson is smart, but seems intent on putting his foot in his mouth, almost as if he's trying to loose.
posted by: Webblog1 on June 19, 2013 10:43am
On the question of the state vs the city's financial contributions to the tweed airport, none of the candidates who answered were even close to being correct. But If correctness is the standard by which to judge a candidates response then the candidate should have prior knowledge of the pending questions, especially surrounding finances, which change from year to year.
This would allow their respective managers the time to properly research the proper response.
Since prior knowledge is not afforded but part of the the standard, then you should expect the candidates to "wing their responses in the three or so minutes they have to respond. Not a good format if your judging every candidates knee jerk response.
Henry, who has sat on the tweed board should know best about funding sources, he was smart enough to not answer the funding question at all.
Senator Harp and Holder-Winfield who are familiar with funding sources at the state level were correct that the state has contributed over the years, but, their figures were not correct.
Elicker, who voted on the last two city budgets was also off the funding mark when he said:
"He called the city's annual $350,000 Tweed subsidy unusual for a city the size of New Haven".
For the record, here is the 2013 city recorded budget contributions with sources, to tweed.
City of New Haven:
$325K city general fund
$484K city bond fund
State of CT:
$42,750 bond fund
Federal Gov Dept of Transportation aviation.
So while all candidates were incorrect in their quotes, I am willing to cut some slack to those who say Tweed has to carry it's own weight or lighten it's load.
posted by: Razzie on June 19, 2013 10:54am
Looks like the Elicker boosters are up early and in full gear. The comments downgrading all the other candidates and giving vague, innocuous soundbites promoting their candidate just isn't very inspiring anymore. If only Elicker had more experience or a record to run on, they would have more substantive comments to offer. But being a Yale grad student and community activist for the brief period of time he's been here simply doesn't allow for much to go on.
posted by: TheMadcap on June 19, 2013 12:16pm
He actually got some of my support for saying that. I mean I still see him as a New Haven version of Bloomberg so he'll never have my full support, but on the airport issue he's right.
posted by: Curious on June 19, 2013 12:43pm
@ Razzie, we know, we know.
Yet you're guilty of the same yourself.
Harp says the state of CT at least matches the amount New Haven pays into Tweed….but by the numbers posted by webblog1 above, that is grossly inaccurate.
So is Harp uninformed, or lying? Who knows.
posted by: anonymous on June 19, 2013 12:45pm
Razzie, the observations people are making are based on reality at a point in time - the fact that certain candidates are incoherent, vague, and tired.
Ironically, "downgrading candidates" is what you are trying to do, by making a wildly inaccurate comment that Elicker has less experience than other candidates. The reality is that on matters of importance to New Haven (dirt bikes, school lotteries, many other examples) he's often the only person who shows up and represents people who live here on these issues, and he has the experience of getting things done on them.
Over the past six years, several of the candidates have never been seen at a State hearing, a Board of Aldermen public hearing, a City Plan meeting, or a public meeting - if you want a candidate "who doesn't allow much to do on," that's it. Elicker is precisely the opposite.
posted by: abg22 on June 19, 2013 1:34pm
The nonpartisan New Haven Votes Coalition has compiled a master schedule of mayoral candidate debates and forums. The schedule is updated continuously as new information comes in. You can access it at http://bit.ly/19iVn7M. If you know of any other forums or debates that should be on the master schedule, please contact the Coalition.
posted by: Razzie on June 19, 2013 6:22pm
@ Anonymous
Sorry if I offended you, but I did not think this site was interested in critiquing or making negative comments upon candidates' appearance, etc. If that were the case, I don't think any of the candidates would qualify as cutting edge fashionistas (Altho I do like Nemerson's suits) or beauties. But then again, maybe we should have a modeling contest to settle this debate once and for all.
You may think my candidate looks "tired" or "uninterested" or "sleepy" or whatever pejorative adjective you wish to sneak into the discussion, but do you really want to get into a debate about candidates' looks?!!! I think not.
BTW - My statement that Elicker lacks experience is factually and demonstrably true. If you want to list the number of meetings he has gone to in his short stint as an Alderman and community activist and compare that with the list of "meetings" and community events that the other candidates have gone to (take your pick of Carolina, GHW, Nemerson, Fernandez and of course Harp) his record pales in comparison to each one. Thus, your bold assertions about Elicker's Extensive Experience are lacking any credit whatsoever. Simply because you (and 3 more Elicker supporters) say it - doesn't make it so.
posted by: LookWhatWeveGot on June 19, 2013 8:56pm
A few observations about last night's Morris Cove debate:
Justin Eliker is clearly a bright, hard-working, guy who cares about New Haven.
He does his homework and seems sincere in his passion and drive. He would be eaten up by the unions and the City's entrenched political combine within weeks of his election.
"One City" Henry is practiced in delivering lines his campaign consultants have told him will resonate with voters. Yet, he also never hesitates to drag his wife and son into every oratory, in hopes of softening his cardboard cutout persona.
Toni Harp is likeable enough, but has the demeanor of a queen, en route to her inevitable coronation, thanks to the hackarama union bosses, plus the bulk of the easily led and sold-out New Haven Board of Aldermen. All her answers involves "more money for the State" or "programs," which are her stock in trade. Where will this money come from?
G.H. Winfield and K.Carolina are articulate and personable gentlemen, who appear to be capitalizing on New Haven's version of this season's political "American Idol" to advance their separate political and professional box office potential. And who can blame them?
Sundiata did not show up for the forum last night, but seems like a solid citizen who knows how to unlog a mess, which is what this election is becoming.
To me, the only candidate who demonstrated any real grasp of the economic challenges facing New Haven, the resources needed to solve problems, and who has the knowledge and experience to get things done without bailouts, or BS, was Matt Nemerson. Yet, Matt is it routinely dismissed by the Indy as too white, too rich, too, wonkish, too businessman and too "old school," to be taken seriously.
The Indy and the voters should listen up and give Matt a chance to save the City.
We shall see how this plays out. But I don't suspect a happy ending is in store.
posted by: Curious on June 19, 2013 9:26pm
Elicker didn't need to be driven around the city to find out what the problems are.
posted by: steve on June 19, 2013 10:11pm
There seems be a time warp when it comes to the Tweed New Haven airport. The constant reference to the noise at tweed is many times brought up with the memories of Eastern airlines flying into Tweed along with then Allegheny airlines.
Those were the early days of jet aircraft and although Eastern dubbed their aircraft as whisper jets,they were far from that,and the Allegheny BAC-1-11 were the loudest I have ever heard. But that was yesterday, really decades ago, and the present crop of airliners are the quietest yet and have a much smaller noise footprint on the ground.
The New Haven metro area has lost out on many companies moving here due to the lack of service to several hub airports. These would be jobs went to other cities with good air service.Business people don't travel by bus or train, but air travel is the standard mode of travel in the business community.
The airport needs to have the main runway optimized in order to allow airliners to depart with full passenger loads. Years ago airlines could make money on flights being 60 to 70 percent full,but with today's fuel prices hovering close to 3.00 a gallon,loads have to be in the 90 percent range.
Some in the past said if tweed were to grow, it would turn into another Bradley field. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bradley occupies several thousand acres, tweed has about 400 acres.Also the market, not the size of airport would determine the level of service at Tweed.
As A retired airline employee,I estimate Tweeds market for air travel would result in 15 to 20 daily flights to 3 or 4 hub airports.This would result in stopping the passenger leakage to other airports and keep more of the travelers money in the local area and increase the airports income which is largely based on the fees added to each airline ticket sold and airline counter rental fees and landing fees.
More flights simply means more airport income and less reliance on local sources.
Let tweed be able to meet the demand for air travel.
posted by: Brutus2011 on June 20, 2013 7:43am
I have a question for any of our informed viewers of NHI.
Given that New Haven has (1) Tweed/NH airport, (2) a rail hub and seaport, (3)arguably the finest university in the world, (4) in addition to SCSU, Quinnipiac U, and Gateway CC, (5) a nice downtown area, (6) cultural and culinary delights:
Why can't New Haven be the shining city in New England and attract more business and jobs?
posted by: Atticus Shrugged on June 20, 2013 10:21am
@Brutus, I'll decline to comment on the debate as I was not present. Suffice it to say, my vote is fully accounted for.
With respect to your question, a number of issues plague New Haven. The City has very nigh property taxes (though not as high as New York or Boston). The City has a vastly uneducated work force that cannot fill many of the entry level jobs. The City's rental market is torn between primarily low-income and low quality housing and expensive housing that does not cater to transients who will stay for 3 to 5 years while working at a decent corporate job. The City also has no hub that ties other facets in. New York has the financial industry, Hartford once had insurance, Washington D.C. has the federal government, and Boston has shipping and a strong history of pharmaceutical research companies. This is in part because Boston has over four excellent research institutions (Harvard, MIT, BU, Tufts, etc.). In addition, it has a significantly larger footprint to spread people over.
Unfortunately, a single great research institution is not enough. Lastly, we can't even clear the snow on our streets after a storm. There is no silver bullet for New Haven but it can get significantly better with the right leadership. I believe Toni Harp is that person but whomever is elected will have to solve the aforementioned challenges.
posted by: steve on June 20, 2013 11:43am
Quote "I have a question for any of our informed viewers of NHI.
Given that New Haven has (1) Tweed/NH airport, (2) a rail hub and seaport, (3)arguably the finest university in the world, (4) in addition to SCSU, Quinnipiac U, and Gateway CC, (5) a nice downtown area, (6) cultural and culinary delights:
Why can't New Haven be the shining city in New England and attract more business and jobs?"
Your first point,(1) tweed airport is the primary reason why New Haven seems to be lagging behind in spite of the positives you speak of. Air travel is huge in this country, from business travelers to vacationers to those visiting families.For Tweed to become the regional airport many hope for,the runway overruns need to be paved over to allow landing aircraft to have more pavement to come to a stop and departing aircraft to have more pavement for the takeoff roll. The overruns would not be used for landing aircraft to touch down on as the runway would be marked showing where the overruns start and end.
This would not mean larger aircraft or the number of flights rivaling Bradley field.The size of the aircraft does not have any correlation with the amount of noise.
The newer regional airliners flown by many of the airlines are stage 4 meaning they are much quieter than planes from even 10 ago,let alone those that flew into Tweed decades ago.
For Tweed to be part of the economic engine that will attract new businesses it needs to optimize the runway and this could be done totally on airport property with no roads needing to be closed or rerouted and the flight paths will not change.
Air travel is the missing piece of the puzzle as to why New Haven seems to be lagging other similar sized cities in New England.
Tweed needs to grow but the growth to the infrastructure will be minimal and the complexion of the area will not be drastically changed.
With 2 or 3 airlines at Tweed,more options would surface for air travelers and competition would help to keep fares in check.
posted by: Christopher Schaefer on June 20, 2013 2:00pm
"Candidate Henry Fernandez…stressed that while he believes in attracting more commercial flights to the airport, he would not expand its footprint." And therefore he will not attract more commercial flights to the airport. (This is defined as "doublespeak".) "Most of the candidates' answers included the argument that Tweed needs more state money". Money that our on-the-road-to-bankruptcy state doesn't have.
The fundamental purpose of local govt. is to provide basic services such as police and fire protection, trash pick-up, street sweeping and whatever other services residents wish that govt. to provide—and which they are willing to pay for via taxes. So instead of pie-in-the-sky ideas about getting more state money for Tweed (which simply isn't going to happen) or preparing for the tsunami of 2060 (I'll be dead by then) and as an alternative to the usual segue into improving our schools (a topic of minimal interest to those of us who do not have school-age children and who are growing increasingly resentful of the monomaniacal focus on transforming the system into a parent substitute), how about some down-to-earth fundamentals. Ask our candidates about some basic quality-of-life issues such as enforcement of noise & blight ordinances, or removing some funds from the education budget so we can return to twice-a-month street sweeping.


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It really is a testament to the quality of Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic when, years after its release, we still want to compare it to some of the best parts of Mass Effect. The game clearly represents Bioware's desire to create involving and highly cinematic story-driven games, as it features some of the most lifelike characters we've yet seen in a video game. Upon entering a futuristic seedy bar with two of your squad mates, you strike up some conversations with patrons in the nearby vicinity. Much like KOTOR and some of Bioware's past games, the conversations are written in such a way so as to prompt the player for frequent input. Your potential responses are now mapped to different directions on the analogue stick and, because they appear on-screen before the NPC has even finished his or her (or its) line of dialogue, the exchanges between the game characters come off as extremely fluid and cinematic.
Bioware really went to town with the facial animations, something which immediately becomes obvious when you start whipping out your gun and shoving it in people's faces in your efforts to get information. NPCs become visibly frightened when threatened, their eyes widening in terror and their brows crumpling up. There's a certain sadistic quality to it, though your squad mates will quickly share their opinions on your behavior, sometimes even squabbling amongst themselves about how well or poorly you handled a given situation. Unlike many RPGs which require you to navigate large chunks of cutscenes in-between dungeons, the character interaction and plot advancement in Mass Effect appears to be really natural, cinematic and above all, fun.The concept of a "dungeon" really seems to be in stark contrast with the scale of the world presented in Mass Effect. Actually, make that worlds. Once the central story kicks off, you're placed in command of your own ship and set loose upon a galaxy filled with multiple planets. If you find one you'd like to explore, you can drop off an armored vehicle and rove about, taking in the local sights before promptly blasting them to smithereens. Bioware made specific mention of downloadable content, stating that Xbox 360 gamers would be able to eventually download entire new planets to explore, some with independent story arcs and more unique sets of challenges.
When it comes down to combat, the game is a mixture of traditional RPG statistics and third-person tactical shooting (think Ghost Recon). You can control any of the three members of your squad directly, but just like KOTOR, the two you don't control can often handle themselves well enough The action can be paused at any moment, allowing you to move the camera about the area and place 3D waypoints for your squad mates to converge on. The Bioware guy controlling the demonstration placed waypoints behind some nasty alien fellows and in doing so, allowed two of his characters to flank them. It was an effective strategy, though having everybody equipped with gigantic, heavily modified weapons may have swayed the outcome just a bit.
Even though your character's class, abilities and statistics determine how effective he (or she) is at taking down the alien menace, the combat still requires a good deal of input from you. Largely thanks to the game's stunning visuals and sound, firing off guns and lobbing grenades really seems like a very visceral experience, regardless of all the dice being rolled deep within the Xbox 360's processors. We'd like to experience some more of the combat first-hand before venturing any further opinions, but based solely on presentation, the combat seems to be the gun-toting equivalent of Jade Empire. As far as we're concerned, that's a good thing.
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Rated 4.1 out of 5 by 328
Rated 2 out of 5 by CaptnBob Worst room in the whole resort
When we checked in the front desk told us we were getting an upgrade to an ocean view room. When we got to the room it was right near the main road and we could see a construction site from our balcony. No ocean view at all plus you could hear the traffic. We asked for another room and they gave us one on the bottom floor near the bbqs. They had to move us again because the refrigerator and dishwater did not work.
March 20, 2014
Rated 3 out of 5 by psrob Hotel lacks "wow" factor.
We were in a studio which was small by time share standards. It''s not that there was anything wrong with the Westin; it's just that the property had the feel of a corporate hotel that could be anywhere. I wanted something that said Hawaii - lush tropical landscape with lots of flowers; a tiki bar with Hawaiian carvings- something. I'll go back to Muai but I want more sizzle in my next hotel.
July 10, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by WYO21 Can't wait to return!
My family and I made our first trip to Maui in March 2013... and we can't wait to go back. The Westin Villas NORTH was fantastic, from the amenities, staff, etc. We are in the process of planning our next trip over spring break. From what we experienced... we would definitely suggest staying on the North side (there is a difference). It seems to be newer and not as crowded. Thank you for the memories Westin!!
June 25, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by mauivacation2014 Very disappointed
We've been coming to this hotel for the past 5 years. And while the property is still lovely, all the complimentary, family-friendly activities we enjoyed in the past are no longer being offered or are now offered for a charge. The rates for the room have steadily increased over the years and the services have decreased. We sadly will be looking for somewhere else to stay when we return to Maui.
April 24, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Nichole808 Our experience.. amazing.
From the moment we got out of our car at valet, our experience couldn't have been better. Every single staff member we encountered on our stay was remarkable and this is what makes all the difference! The gentleman who checked us in (wish I got his name), found us the perfect room available for myself and three kids (my daughters 7th birthday). His sense of humor is exactly what immediately relaxed all of us and set the tone for the rest of our stay. That night we went to eat at the Ocean Pool Bar & Grill and the manager there (Ryan S.) came by to make sure everything was good. Well the food was delicious and our server was awesome too! But to top off our whole night, Ryan brought out a brownie sunday for my daughter to celebrate her birthday! Oh my gosh, how touched she was and she felt so special. Thank you again so much for this Ryan! After dinner and the next day it was all about the pools. The slide was a huge hit. (They must have gone down it 50 times!) Our room was absolutely beautiful and extremely comfortable. I have to say it is very rare these days to see every single employee have a welcoming and warm smile on their face and who would have gladly gone above and beyond for any request we would have had. Even the valet guy at the end of our stay, Jason H, was great and so helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It was a beautiful birthday celebration my daughter will forever remember and we cannot wait to stay here again soon and recommend this place to our friends on and off the island.
October 19, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by CanD A truly relaxing paradise!
Our family of 4 (including 2 girls, ages 7 and 9) had such a great time at the Westin. We enjoyed the wonderfully maintained grounds, the pools, the slide, and the convenient beach access. It was our first time traveling to Maui as a family so we were very impressed with all Maui and the resort had to offer. We are looking forward to staying with you again in the very near future.
September 3, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by HawaiiLove Family Resort with Great Concierge
This hotel is unlike the usual business hotels i have stayed. This hotel as it name hinted is of a resort style and more like a serviced apartment equipped with family facilities from a large fridge, washing machine to vacuum cleaner. The only challenge i had was filling the kettle with water as kettle lit seems not designed to be opened and we have to fill through the spout.
We had a great service from the concierge and a great help and patience from a lady named Sarah. Me and wife will like to do a city tour or a trip so to spend out time after checking out from the hotel on the Xmas morning. But as it was Xmas, there were actually not many options but Sarah has been very patient in helping us to call different agencies and to check. Although we didn't get the nature tour we wanted but Sarah recommended us a whale watching trip which has proven to be fun and the timing was just right for us. Many thanks Sarah !
January 5, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by MikeShar Great Place to stay
Enjoyed our experience with your hotel. First time staying at Westin Resort and was everything we except. Great place to spend our 40th anniversary.
September 22, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by Carmen resort experience
we have been owners since 2003 and have been coming to Maui at least twice a year....we enjoy staying at our villa and having a home away from home....the grounds are impeccable, the villa met our needs and the pools are very nice....a few suggestions: the trees need to be trimmed in order for all the villas to have a view of the pool and ocean in building 2....the two spas need to be patrolled more often so that young children are not in the spas alone and making the spa another pool for them. Adults would like to have relaxation time rather than having children jumping in, playing ball and using the spas like a pool. The resort should consider having a room where items that have been purchased (i.e. boogie boards, coolers, beach chairs, sand toys) can be recycled by other guests once a guest leaves and items cannot be taken on a plane.....it is such a waste of money to purchase these items and then having to leave them.
April 3, 2014
Rated 2 out of 5 by Maui49 Passport to adventure
Do not participate in the Passport to Adventure program. Upon arrival, you may be given a Passport to Adventure Card and be told that if you spend $ in certain areas, I.e The Spa, Beach Activities, etc. , you will be rewarded via $75.00 resort credit or 4000 SPG points. My wife and I left there on April 8, 2012 after turning in our card (completed). We have not, as yet, receive our promised starpoints. I have called the resort two times and Starwood Elite Services called for us once. The paperwork has been documented we've been told and that we would receive our pts witin 15 days, at the end of the month, and in seven days. We are still waiting. The most embarrassing factor is that we are 3 star, almost 4 star Elite members and we can't get what we've been promised. Friday I plan on visiting the corporate offices in Stamford Ct to see if we can get what we were promised. It's not the # of pts but the principle. Just say no - don't do it!
June 5, 2012
Rated 3 out of 5 by Glenn08 SPG Resort Villas
I stayed at the Villas and had a room with a view of the empty lot and highway, when asked to see if there was a room with a better view they told me that I received a special promo price and they could not accommodate me. I was not impressed with how this was handled by your staff and therefore why i rated my stay as average to below average.
December 9, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by Seinet Hotel less than expected and over priced
Wait staff not overly friendly and less than attentive. Food was average and over priced for the most part. Amenities were ok, but had to pay for everything to get them. Standard Westin was better overall than the Villas. Will stay there next time if I go back to Maui.
August 4, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Amy0902 Great Stay!
The property is always well maintained and staff is very friendly. I dined in the Pulehu Restaurant and service was great and the food was even better.
Thank you for a great stay!
September 3, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by mcnamara9 Flat out AWESOME!
My wife and I were blown away with the property. Westin needs to improve their website photos because they don't do the property justice. Its gorgeous and the location is perfect. The snorkeling right in front of the resort was amazing. We are trying to figure out how to get back as quickly as possible.
September 5, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by LoveHawaii227 Too large to be comfortable, too poor a location
Too many long, impersonal, winding corridors, poor beach, constant windy location (as acknowledged by the staff), dirty public areas, shuttle buses too crowded and guests asked to wait, very poor fine dining restaurant. It just doesn't compare to the competition, including the Westin Hotel!
March 22, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Bill36 A Relaxing Place in the Sun
The Western KA'ANAPALI Ocean Resort Villas Is a prestine abode far from the madding crowds ignoble strife. The sun , the wind the ambience of the resort all combined enhances yur stay at the resort.It is truly a welcoming place to melt your worries away. Try it you will like the resort .
July 13, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Soosieque A Beautiful Resort
This was our first time at a Westin Resort and we were not disappointed. We travelled with friends and they were just as impressed. Great accommodations, service, food and weather. All staff were so nice and smiling all the time. We were so impressed we have joined the SPG family.
March 17, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Beachguru Beautiful hotel in a perfect location
Pools: beautiful, clean and warm. Kids pool was entertaining and unique.
Beach: great for kids and adults alike
Rooms: spacious, many amenities, wonderful ocean views
Service: impeccable. True Westin quality
No SPG gold upgrade available, but it was not needed. Our room was perfect!
January 8, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by MoMo no personal touches
We paid over $400.00 for the night which was no problem but we couldn't get access to the room until 4pm. Also we asked for a late checkout and they said no check out was at 10am. In summary we had a very lovely room but for approximately 16 hours I wont stay here again.
March 8, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by KentK Great stay - but one issue
We stayed here Nov. 8 - 13 and found the resort to be in top shape. A little too big for us however. Had a issue on Monday, by the time we got to the pool, around 11 AM, no lounges in the sun available. So we went to the beach. Found a stack of lounges with no staff, so took two and carried them to beach. After 20 or so minutes, a yellow shirt staff got on our case for not renting them. Told him to bring his boss to us. A boss showed up, sunglasses on, acting hostile and demanded payment. After debate, he told me he would call security. I called guest relations from my cell phone, then got a call back from "Phillip" who stated he was a supervisor. Still hasseled me. Told him we would leave within 1 hour. I can't understand why Westin has these rules and untrained staff. These villas are priced over $ 400 night, and not enough lounges in pool area, so they charge extra for lounges 100 feet away on the beach ! Really....This issue ruined our day. We never saw a sign at the beach lounge stand stating the lounges were rentals...
November 14, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by Andy771 Not worth it
This is not a hotel, it's a set of condos. The place (buildings) feels cramped. The service at bars is not great. They are renovating with all the noise and paint smell right yup into your face. Will not go back. One day did not clean our room, at all!
December 13, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by CM32 Great experience
The Westin Ka'anapali is a wonderful resort, the grounds are fabulous and the staff is great.
The only draw back is that the studio rooms are small and not very family friendly. They have small fridges and no stove which makes feeding kids hard.
July 15, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by reynsan1 This hotel set the bar for all others
I had the pleasure of staying here for the first time and now all other hotels will have a hard time meeting my new expectations. The service, knowledge and friendliness of the staff was refreshing. The pools and restaurants are top notch!
September 10, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by yaletown28 Expensive for what you get
This hotel offers it all, spa, pool, nice apt-style hotel rooms, etc.
With regards to value at this property, you have to either be an "owner" or get here on a package to make it affordable.
The problem is: when you get here, you are nickel and dimed for basically everything, starting with parking.
Beach chairs, snorkel rental, etc are all very expensive for what you get. In fact, you could buy the snorkel and mask for less in the general store and own it, rather than renting a used one!
Restaurants are very pricey too and food (At least at the pool bar) isn't all that great (maybe 2/5).
Warning: Internet is free, but barely useable. When we brought this to the management attention, they agreed but offered no solution.
Warning: This place does not offer daily house keeping.
Note: We were upgraded to a 1br apt (suite was originally booked). This was a nice perk.
In conclusion, I think this is an ideal place for families who like to cook and want a resort style vacation.
PS: The beach outback offers one of the best snorkelling spots in Maui.
November 1, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by mmmorrow Amazing vacation spot
Kaanapali villas where amazing. The hotel was very clean, above our expectations. The heavenly beds where great. The hotel is very clean and staff where great. We are already makings plans for our next vacation there.
Aloha the Morrows
April 21, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by UAChap A nice place to stay
The Westin Villas are always convenient and have good amenities. The problem is, they are often too small. When I was searching for a place on Maui, the Villas came up as an option for my family of 5. So we ended up reserving a studio, which has one king bed and a queen pull out couch. Well, this set up does not sleep 5 comfortably. We brought in a roll-away as well making our room look like one solid bed from one end to the other. This did not give much room to walk around. Even the one bedroom unit would have had the same issue. But, having a kitchen and washer/dryer was key. If you can't tolerate being on top of each other for the duration of your trip, this is a good place to stay.
One thing that turned me off is that they charge you for absolutely everything. Want a beach chair? $10. Want an umbrella for shade? $20. Rent a pool raft? Another $8. It adds up really quickly. I'm not sure why they just don't let you check these things out and back in like they do towels (which are free, unless you don't turn one back in, then they are $15). I would make for a more pleasant experience.
June 12, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by RedKate Another visit to Paradise
This was our 5th visit to WORV. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the associates who made our stay so great, notably the shuttle drivers, Tina, Alan and Wayne, along with two great associates at the front desk, Mylin and Jacob. The shuttle drivers were friendly, helpful and generally charming. The front desk staff helped us to find a nice villa for our second week. Although the South pool was being refreshed, the Ocean Pool Bar was still our favourite place to be and Angela our server always took great care of us. I think that the Westin needs to do a little bit better job at assessing the readiness of each villa to receive guests as we found numerous things needing repair in both of our villas; perhaps a better system for quality assurance should be put in place. It isn't any fun to have to repeatedly call service express (no matter how friendly they are) to have things repaired in the villa. I hope that some day soon the resort will be a non-smoking resort; it isn't very fun if your neighbours are smoking on their lanai. Can't wait to come back. Mahalo for the good times!
January 27, 2013
Rated 1 out of 5 by CAP23 Westin should take their branding off this property
Where do I begin? So many small but disappointing items:
- 20 minutes to pre-register
- 20 minutes to then collect keycard
- guests should be aware that check-in is not before 4pm yet check-out is 10am
- an hour for luggage to be sent to room
- 3.5 hours to get rollaway bed
- villas, though no daily replenishment of cleaning supplies (dishwasher, washing machine etc)
- no elite member benefits
- annoying daily calls to invite you to tours of the timeshare property
- hotel breakfast is very basic and certainly not a treat. The continental section does not include the meats and cheeses on display as they are part of the full breakfast
- disputing an item on your final invoice means a 15minute wait in the line at checkout, you cannot do it on the phone with front desk
- a very basic property
January 6, 2014
Rated 3 out of 5 by Pattywacky Needs Refurbishment
We stayed in a studio island view villa. The carpet was worn and dirty, as well as the furniture. On a positive note, every staff member we encountered was very pleasant!
March 28, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by kamloopskid Beautifully Executed
Our stay was short but wonderful. We will be back. \Boardwalk allowing access to other properties without the use of a car a real bonus. also proximity to beach a real treat.
November 25, 2013


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Britain's Got More Talent host Stephen Mulhern has said that David Walliams and Simon Cowell are the new Laurel and Hardy.
Mulhern praised Walliams for continuing to push the boundaries in his relationship with the entertainment mogul.
Stephen told Digital Spy that viewers love watching the comic banter between the two talent show judges.
He is quoted as saying: "Everybody is still loving watching David Walliams and Simon Cowell together on the show and it's just as much fun seeing it first-hand.
"They are like the new Ant & Dec. Laurel and Hardy even. David continues week after week to push the boundaries and you're going to see lots more of it.
"And lots, lots more of it on More Talent. We're still only at the start of what David gets up to with Simon. You haven't seen anything yet."
Stephen also said that he believes that this year's show is the best so far.
He revealed: "Still to come on the show there is an amazing guitar-playing singer. And I mean amazing. There's an amazing ventriloquist. An amazing magician.
"So while I think Francine has a great chance of making the final I really couldn't call whether she's a winner. It's too close.
"It's like a breath of fresh of air to have all this variety on the show."
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Institute for Astronomy
Chair: Prof. Dr. Lilly HIT J 11.2 +41 44 633 38 28 |
Administration: Stanija Müller HIT J 13.2 +41 44 633 25 53 |
Our group seeks to
understand the formation and evolution of galaxies and other structure in the
Universe. We use observational data on
the distant Universe that we obtain at the best ground-based and space-based
observatories, such as the 8-m European VLT and the Hubble Space Telescope, in
combination with analysis of large surveys of the local Universe.
Our goal is to understand how and why our Universe has come to have the appearance that it does, and thereby to better appreciate our own place in it.
The evolution of
galaxies: We seek to chart how galaxies have evolved over cosmic time, and to
identify and understand those physical processes that have shaped their
properties in different environments and at different epochs. Our flagship project is zCOSMOS, a major
redshift survey using 600 hours on the ESO VLT to obtain redshifts of
approximately 30,000 galaxies in... read more
The intergalactic medium: As an extension of our interest in the environment of galaxies, we are developing new ways to detect the intergalactic medium (IGM), the gaseous material between galaxies. Galaxies form out of the IGM and exchange material with it throughout their lives. We are currently working on detecting and characterizing galactic outflows... read more
Magnetic fields in galaxies: The origin of galactic-scale magnetic fields is poorly understood, and their role in cosmic structure formation is unknown, and thus they usually ignored. We are trying to fill this gap by detecting magnetic fields in and around galaxies at high redshift.
Galaxies as cosmological probes: Very large samples of galaxies at different redshifts are increasingly being used as precision probes of the dynamical evolution of the Universe as a whole, especially to study the emergence of Dark Energy over the redshift interval 0 < z < 2. The ultimate success of this effort will require the detailed consideration of the evolving properties... read more
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Great news – as long as you don't like to eat!
Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
A House committee voted Tuesday to cut farm subsidies to pay for deficit reduction and other budget priorities, chipping away at the billions of dollars a year that are directed to farmers.
The votes in the House Appropriations Committee may be a preview of what is expected to be a tough year for agriculture programs. Congressional lawmakers have increasingly looked to billions of dollars in farm subsidies as a source of money for other priorities as crop prices have reached record levels.
In a surprise move, the committee approved an amendment by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to lower the maximum adjusted gross income a farmer can have to earn certain subsidies. While many farmers can now make as much as $750,000 annually and still receive subsidies, Flake's amendment would lower the threshold for some to $250,000. Flake did not say how much money would be saved by the change but said those dollars would go toward reducing the deficit.
The committee also approved an amendment by Flake to use domestic farm subsidies to pay for $147 million in annual payments to Brazil's cotton sector to settle a World Trade Organization dispute. The committee later eliminated those payments to Brazil entirely, shifting the money to domestic feeding programs.
Both of Flake's amendments would dip into direct payments to farmers, which are a type of subsidy paid regardless of crop price or yield. They cost the government about $5 billion a year and have been a frequent target of critics.
The two amendments passed by unanimous consent, which Flake said may be a sign of debates to come.
"It says a lot that no one is publicly willing to defend this kind of largesse," he said later.
The original bill written by Republicans had made large cuts to domestic feeding programs and foreign food aid but no major cuts to farm subsidy programs. Democrats and some conservatives criticized that legislation because it did not dip into subsidies.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press
Great news – as long as you don't like to eat!
There we go again. Biting the hands that feed us.
This is a good start!!
Don't you wish they would stand up and pledge support to American farmers like they do to Israel?
The oil industry got to keep their $4-5 billion government subsidy. Maybe we can eat oil…
Farm subsidies have ballooned into another form of corporate welfare. It's not simply mom and pop farms that might enjoy such aid to get them through bad years in terms of crop pricing etc. It's become another scam that sharp-penciled corporate types as well as wealthy individuals who own large ranches and farms are using to bleed taxpayers white with no cost benefit reflected in the price of groceries for common folks.
I'll provide a link so readers can study the structure of this behemoth. It's too bad they didn't pull the plug on big oil too. Even the MIC gets subsidies in the form of bloated cost overruns on their never-ending 'defense' boondoggles.
There should be no 'sacred cows' when it comes to cutting our tax burdens.
It's time America cinched in its belt and started eating right again in the form of national frugality which would include the termination of waging of zero sum, endless wars against shadowy terrorists worldwide; ie., another tax debtor shakedown sponsored by our crimpols in D.C. : |
Carl Nemo **==
Many farm subsidies are paid for NOT farming.
Ethanol? Corn? Subsidies? Stop 'em all!
It amazes me when I see combines and tractors that cost $100K plus sitting on farms. I do not mean one of these machines but 4 or 5. One advantage of a three point hitch is the ability to quickly attach different implements. Not however on today's farm. many have one prime mover for EACH implement. And I helped pay for them. I paid for my two John Deeres w/o TAXPAYER ASSISTANCE. They could also.


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Call Girls in Cancun |
Don't Speak Spanish? Use Our Translation Service Want to find a girl, but don't speak Spanish? No problem. Let us help. For $500 pesos (about $38 USD) we'll use our bilingual skills to call any escort you like. As long as you're reasonable in what you're looking for, we'll call any girls on our pages, or any of the other websites where independent hookers advertise. Pay at any Oxxo convenience store, or if you're in the US you can use Western Union or PayPal. We'll have dozens of girls for you to select from. "Spanish Only" Mexican prostitutes are usually much less expensive (and much sexier) than the bilingual girls. Usually your savings will be greater than our fee. To get started, contact us. Tell us what type of girl you like, what kind of sex you want, and the price you're willing to pay. If you're reasonable, we can have a beautiful (and inexpensive) "spanish only" escort knocking at your door in as little as 30 minutes. You don't have to speak Spanish to have amazing sex with a beautiful bargain puta Mexicana. |
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There are a lot of call girls to choose from in Cancun. The first thing to decide is your comfort level....both for safety and expense. The most expensive is to call an escort service. It's not always safe to call one of these agencies. You're not breaking the law to hire a hooker. You are breaking the law if you use an agency's service. The idea is to prevent exploitation of women, preventing them from being forced into been forced into sexual slavery. Mexico has a lot of laws that are enforced when it's convenient, or when corrupt officials see a potential profit. There is a forum posting on the World Sex Guide of a U.S. citizen who was arrested and extorted for thousands of dollars (not pesos) by corrupt policemen. Basically, he phoned a discount escort agency, and had them send a girl to his room. The next day he was arrested, his documents were confiscated, and he was threatened with prison if he did not pay. Does this happen often? Of course not. Are you willing to take the risk of it happening to you? Then go ahead and call an escort service. We recommend phoning an established agency. Your next option is to call an independent escort. The third is to go to a strip club. Usually, strip clubs in Mexico are a safe experience. For some reason, Cancun allows street bullies to intimidate and shake down visitors outside the clubs for small amounts of money. The cheapest and most dangerous way to enjoy the services of a Mexican chica is to leave the tourist area, go downtown, and find a girl on the streets. Escort Services - If you have the money and don't mind spending it, you;re in the right place. High level call girls from all over the world come to Cancun to entertain rich tourists. Many speak English. There are several services in Cancun. Plan on spending a minimum of $300 USD. (That's almost $4,000 pesos.) Cancun Escort has a nice website offering both male and female escorts. They have a good reputation and it shouldn't be dangerous.Exotica Cancun offers both real event entertainers and an escort service. Yes, you can save money by going downtown. But you may have someone that looks like Adara Sanchez delivered from your escort service. (She's a Mexican pornstar from Cancun, shown on the left.) Independent Escorts - This is the our specialty. Cancun has many, many independent chicas who will come to your hotel, condo or residence. The English speaking girls can be a little more expensive. As a group, the "Spanish only" girls are both better looking and less expensive. Of course, the trick is getting the appointment set. Don't be shy about asking for help getting things set up. All Mexican men you'll meet in the tourist areas want to make money, and for $50 pesos (about $4) would be happy to make a couple phone calls for you. So what if the dama de noche only speaks Spanish? Once you hear the knock on your door, how much conversation do you really need? Our friend, Big Dong Wong, had a terrible experience with a street hooker (see his story, below, in the "streetwalkers" section), but soldiered on and had a fantastic time with an independent escort. " I was going to give up after my street whore/brothel experience but after studying your website I decided to give an escort a try. I called Melina, 9987 04 3617. she did not speak English but she had me call her friend and he translated for me. I met her near the bus stop and she took me to nice hotel that was very clean and had everything you needed, condoms, tv, jacuzzi, they even had a stripper dance pole in the room. I loved it. the room was 320 pesos for 3 hours. Melina was a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 but let me tell you her attitude made her seem like a 10! She was very pleasant and smiled and giggled and made you feel comfortable. Even thought we she didn't speak much English we got by. She started to strip me and rub my body, then went to a blowjob. I was busy caressing her body. then she mounted me and started riding! she rode me facing me , back to me, etc. then I took her doggie style. I had a huge explosion! After I came she took the condom off me and wiped me and offered to shower with me. After the shower she offered me a massage! She gave me a nice massage and i almost fell aspleep. What a great night!!" You Da Man, BD. He chose Melina, a sexy little Mexican spinner, instead of an English speaking girl. (For new guys, a Spinner is a slender girl who is light enough to ride you on top, and agile enough to change directions while you're still inside her. For other common terms, see our abbreviations page.) One thing Big Dong doesn't talk about is his own attitude. You don't get a girl like Melina to treat you like a king without treating her with affection and respect. These girls are real people, and their human reactions are very genuine. BD talks about how wonderful she made him feel. What he's too modest to say is that he made her feel fantastic as well. Great job!! Strip Clubs and Hooker Bars - You can have sex in most strip clubs in Mexico. They have little rooms. You pay anywhere from $500 to $2,500 pesos ($40 to $200 USD) to go into these room with a dancer, usually for about 15 minutes. For the larger amounts, you get a little more time. For the short times the dancer/puta will usually just give you a blowjob, though for more money you get more. Unless you're happy having a fast orgasm in a closet sized room with some fat Mexican dude just waiting to start banging on the door telling you your time is up, you may want to consider paying the "bar fine". The bar fine (in Spanish the "salida") is what you pay the bar to take a dancer home with you. Ask your waiter (macero) or the dancer about the cost. You'll have to negotiate separately with the dancer. Don't forget that you hotel may have something to say about your staggering through the lobby with some exotic dancer on your arm. You may have to get a room at a hotel that is set up for entertaining hookers for a few hours. At that point, you've paid for a bunch of taxis, drinks at the bar, dances at the bar, the bar fine (salida), the cost of the girl and a second hotel room. One thing leads to another, right? This can become a very expensive evening. If money is not a problem, enjoy. If you are looking for the best balance between cost and pleasure, use our photos ads for independents. Streetwalkers - Are you willing to go downtown for a Mexican experience? If everything goes without incident, it won't cost you much money. Here's how to do it. First, change your money to pesos. Plan on spending $300 to $500 pesos ($25 to $40USD) for the best girl on the street, plus hotel and condom. You'll need a few words in Spanish. If you venture away from the hotel areas, there is a different risk level. The local police don't protect tourists outside the tourist zone. We recommend going with at least one other guy. See our Safety page for more information. Whatever happens, it will be an adventure you'll always remember. The Mexican Streetwalker scene is not for everyone. These girls are from a different culture. It's more than just the language. Basically, you are renting their pussy for a few minutes, and many times their attitude reflects this. Here's a typical "culture clash" experience from a Friend of Ours, Big Dong Wong. "I would like to thank you so much! I used your website to find independent escorts in Cancun while on vacation for 6 days. Before I called on of the independent escorts on your website, I tried the street whores & brothels in downtown Cancun. That was NOT for me! I couldn't even get turned on. I walked by some brothels where the girls stand outside on the sidewalk. You pick one and they take you inside. The place looks like it was hit by a bomb. It was disgusting. I new It was going downhill but I soldiered on... The price was 400 pesos. the girl I picked woudn't take her top off off nor would she give a blow job, nor would she do doggie style, not anal mind you, just doggie style. I couldn't come. I just cut my losses and walked out. She just wanted me to mount here and be done in 5 minutes. This may work for some hard core hobbyists but not me." The following was sent to us by someone who wished to remain anonymous. He recommends El Centro, the Mexican business center of Cancun, if you want to pick a girl from the streets. "In El Centro you will find more of the prostitutes just walking the street or on a street corner. Those are the prostitutes you can get for like $20, but you will probably also get a disease. When you go out at night though it's going to be an abundance of them. There isn't going to be one every few feet trying to pressure you to get with them, but they are around." First, you're not going to get a SW for $20 or get a disease. Figure on paying $10 for each number on the 10 Scale. (You'll pay $100 USD for a 10, $90 for a 9, etc.) Use pesos. Don't take dollars onto the street. Be patient if you don't see what you want. Find a restaurant with a chair by the window in a good location and watch. The best girls may be busy, but about to return. Your street girl will know where to go for a room, which will be an extra charge. Make sure you find out how long, both for the girl and the room. ("Cuanto tiempo?" is "how much time?".) Also, you need to know what you're going to get, especially if you want GFE, BBBJ, or anal. All three are not normal in Mexican sex-for-hire. If you want to start with a blowjob and end up with vaginal sex, the words you want are "quiero chupa y cohair". (Pronounced Key-air-oh Shoo-pah E coh-hair or "I want a blowjob and a fuck.") For more useful words and phrases, visit out "vocabulary" page. Don't be shy, or overly concerned about the language barrier. The girls want your money, and are curious. Mexican girls think "white is beautiful", and your little morena will probably be thinking about what you'll be like in bed. You're probably her first Gringo or Canadian. Mexican girls, even the streetwalkers, really like sex. If she cries, moans and shudders in orgasm, she's probably not faking it. If you want to try your luck on the streets, do it. You'll be safer than in the Plaza 21 strip clubs, which have a bad rep in Cancun. | ||||