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Worst Seats On Stadiums Around the World
Going to see a game. Sometimes it might get costly, but most of the time it's worth it, if you're actually a fan of sports. The problem, though, is that even some of the best stadiums have bad seats. So what would you say if a friend of yours invited you to a game and you'd get something like this:
Not cool at all, amirite?
Photos from nurgalerien.com.
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About Leetsquivel: Master procrastinator attempting on a cure. Highlighter of the absurd layer of life and Doctor of the pulling-out-of-context technique. Enjoys writing about anything that stirs up his interest. Life is worth living for the lulz!
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Dave says:
Try Dolphin's Stadium in Miami. The cup holders are attached to the seat in front of you. As a result, if you are taller than 5′ 10″, you spend the entire game with the cup holders gouging into your legs.
Derek says:
Glad I'm short! And not a Dolphins fan!
Álvaro Lamela says:
Fantastic, I suffered a cross bar in front of me during a pair of seasons in Getafe Stadium. Very disturbed. I was lucky becuase the seats that I had behind me were free for those years and I could see the matches properly.
Tim says:
sacrilege to put such a great stadium as anfield on this list
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"Laughing out loud, crying freely, clutching my heart."
This book moved me. Cheryl Strayed is an amazing woman, with amazing stories, and beautiful words. I will revisit this again and again. Salve for a broken, battered heart.
"Loved it so much that I finally wrote a review"
One of the best, most beautiful works I have ever listened to. Sugar is without a doubt the most lovingly truthful person I have ever heard.
"Not as described"
The descriptions indicated this was a funny while dark at time book that was ultimately inspiring. I guess that you could say that, but it is rarely funny. Very serious. Good to listen to if you are in need of a good cry, but a horrible casual listen. It's more of a self help book than expected.
"Compassion and common sense"
This is a delightful read: touching, funny, and wise. You don't have to agree with every piece of advice to enjoy the thought-provoking questions and responses from the Dear Sugar advice column.
Love non fiction, history, treasure hunts, lost causes, steps back I. Time
"Truly Beautiful Advice"
Each letter was answered in a direct, straight forward way, based on the author's personal experiences and insight. What a wise woman!
none that I have ever read.
Her ability to make each answer convey love and hope along with support and courage.
Yes, when she shared her personal experiences with her father and her journey to wholeness.
Get this book for yourself. It is thought provoking, comforting, upsetting, and beautiful.
Cheryl Strayed is truly a beautiful thing. I can't wait to read more from her.
"Why Go to Therapy When You Have This Book?"
I already have. It's sound advice on love and life from a woman who is not only emotionally intelligent but a terrific writer. Listening to this book made me feel safe and understood and not alone.
The writer of the Dear Sugar column Cheryl Strayed of course. I love how she opens up and uses her own life experience to empathically connect with her readers. It's a beautiful thing.
I'm glad she narrated. Having her do so was a good match for the authenticity of her writing.
Boundaries. The importance of boundaries, and that "f-----ed up people will try to tell you otherwise but boundaries have nothing to do with whether you love someone or not. They are not judgments, punishments or betrayals. They are a purely peaceable thing: the basic principals you identify for yourself that define the behaviors that you will tolerate from others. Boundaries teach people how to treat you and they teach you how to respect yourself."
Excellent excellent excellent. Absolutely worth every penny.
"Very depressing"
Got this book on a recommendation and found that when I listened to it on the subway to work I found myself hearing these stories of rape incest drugs and cheating to put me in the absolute worst mood- not what I thought it would I don't even want to Finish it quitting half way through for my own piece of mind. Would be good for someone dealing with these type of issues.
"Absolutely Beautiful"
I flagged several chapters that I often read over and over, as they are so special and always just what I need to hear. Cheryl Strayed's writing is loving, wise, and straightforward. The storytelling amazing. I highly recommend!
"Plenty of wonderful moments"
I enjoyed this book. I listened to it during a long car drive and found it quite thought provoking!

subset: commoncrawl


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Tuesday, November 6, 2012
By the time this guest column is published, the November 6th election will be over. Once the results from the various states are counted, the winner in each state will receive their quota of Electoral College votes, with 270 or more electing our next President.
In addition to voting for delegates from the Electoral College, as a nation we will be electing 33 US Senators, 435 members of the House of Representatives, governors in many states, as well as representatives to state Senates, state Houses of Representatives and local officials at the county and in some cases, city level.
What is most troubling is there will have been less of a turn-out of eligible voters than the percentage who voted in recent elections in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In both of those countries, they voted under threat of death and torture.
In the early 1900s up through the 1960s all Americans voted on the same day. There were exceptions such as legitimate absentee voting and for our military deployed away from home. During that time, voter turn-out far exceeded the turn-out we have experienced in the last 30 years. It was also appreciably harder to get a polling place.
As a remedy for ever lower voter turn-out, as many as 30 of the 50 states have instituted some form of early voting. The stated goal of this policy was to increase access for American voters and to increase the aggregate voter turn-out. While the access has been increased, this new policy has failed to increase aggregate voter turn-out.
All this policy has really done is to distort, for both sides, the ultimate outcome. There is even a joke that says, Vote Early and Often. Hardly funny in reality
For example, in a few states, people began voting before the first Presidential debate. In all early voting states, voting began before the last Presidential debate. There were surveys done of early voters who had watched some of the debates. A small but significant percentage had what might be called: buyer's remorse. This is because the person they voted for is not the person they would have voted for if they had a second chance.
Most changes of public policy as it relates to campaign contributions and voting have had unintended and sadly adverse effects to our political system.
It seems a small thing to ask of voters to wait until Election Day itself to actually vote. Every year elections are held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Polling places are open, generally for twelve hours or more. The actual time spent casting a ballot, using various types of voting machines is approximately 15 minutes. That is 15 minutes out of a 24-hour day of which there are 365 each year.
It is hardly an impossible task to ask of a nation's citizens.
Voting on only Election Day has the added benefit of having all voters see and hear everything all candidates have to say about the issues confronting a nation and why they should be elected as opposed to their opponent.
In short, early voting should be done away with completely other than legitimate absentee ballots and our military.
Lynn Mueller is a veteran Republican campaign consultant who has joined Swatzel Strategies. His bi-monthly column in the Georgetown Times focuses on economics and politics.
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Meningitis Infection Numbers Still Growing
Twenty-eight people have now died and 386 have been sickened in the ongoing fungal meningitis outbreak linked to contaminated steroid injections from a Massachusetts specialty pharmacy, federal health officials reported Thursday.
READ: 2012 Meningitis Outbreak: Are You At Risk?
Infections have been reported in 19 states. Virginia initially reported three deaths tied to the outbreak, but reduced it to two deaths on Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
The CDC had the following state-by-state breakdown of cases: Florida: 23 cases, including 3 deaths; Georgia, 1 case; Idaho, 1 case; Illinois, 1 case; Indiana: 48 cases, including 3 deaths; Maryland: 22 cases, including 1 death; Michigan: 106 cases, including 7 deaths; Minnesota: 10 cases; New Hampshire: 11 cases; New Jersey: 18 cases; New York: 1 case; North Carolina: 3 cases, including 1 death; Ohio: 15 cases; Pennsylvania: 1 case; Rhode Island: 2 cases; South Carolina: 1 case; Tennessee: 75 cases, including 11 deaths; Texas: 1 case; Virginia: 46 cases, including 2 deaths.
Nine of the 386 cases involve what the CDC calls "peripheral joint infection," meaning an infection in a knee, hip, shoulder or elbow. These joint infections aren't considered as dangerous as injections near the spine for back pain that have been linked to the potentially fatal meningitis infections.
Meningitis is inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The steroid injections are used to treat pain in the lower back as well as joints.


text:
Is Miami (Fla.) Columbus defensive back Patrick Lee one of the most underrated prospect in the South?
Auburn In Good Shape with Top Florida DB
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Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
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Checklist For Obtaining a Student Credit Card
Student Credit Cards can be a good thing, many students simply couldn't finish their education without 'em, but all student credit cards were not created equally . . . some are good . . . some are better . . . some are b-a-d.
How do you go about choosing the best student credit card available? There are so many things to look out for, and students are not renowned for being the most "studious" of people when it comes to their finances. Many students are at that awkward, in-between stage, it's their first step into the big wide world of credit and it can be very daunting, not to mention downright financially dangerous with repercussions for years to come.
Whether you decide that a student credit card is right for you is irrelevant really, it's your prerogative and it's up to you to decide. Having said that, don't forget to discuss the pros and cons of having a student credit card with your family plus anybody else who has helped you with your finances. If you do decide to go for a student credit card you just might need a member of your family to sign for you, so it's important to keep them in the loop, so to speak.
Student Credit Card Checklist
- Student Credit Card Fees – the best things in life are free, and it kinda' goes without saying that students should stick out for a student credit card with NO ANNUAL FEES. Annual fees really do suck, especially on student credit cards with a limit of around $500, if a credit card company won't agree to a student credit card with no annual fee then simply walk away – 'cos you're sure to find another credit card company who will agree to it. The whole point of your first credit card, possibly a student credit card (apart from giving you that little extra cash, of course) is so that you can start building up a great credit record on a tight budget.
- Student Credit Cards with Low APR – this is important stuff right, so listen up! Your goal is to pay off the monthly balance on your credit card as soon as the bill comes in . . . okay, shit happens and that ain't always possible, but if shit does happen then you want to be sure to pay as little interest as possible. Lots of student credit cards start off with an APR of around 18% – do your very best to decline and find a lower rate of APR. 18% might not sound like much if you say is quickly enough, but you'll be surprised at how much you'll have to pay if it ever equates to actual real money every month.
- Credit Cards with Cash back Rewards – these are the ultimate in cool when you're talking student credit cards . . . cash back rewards. If you can find a student credit card which offers 'em, then take 'em.
Okay, we've looked at the criteria you should check out before you get your first student credit card, but what about the stuff they'll need to know about you? They don't give out credit cards to just anybody you know, not even student credit cards.
How To Quality For A Student Credit Card
- You've gotta' make sure that you really understand how credit cards work before you get one, this is good advice for your own benefit. Your Mom might have told you the same, and your Dad, and your older geeky brother, but don't think that they're just nagging at you, it's good advice so listen . . . students don't actually know everything, even if they think that they do.
- The surest way to qualify for a student credit card is to be over 21 years of age and have a job, although you might not be able to fill that criteria in which case there are alternatives. If you are under the age of 21 (which is through no fault of your own now is it) then you have to prove that you can pay charges out of your personal income, or alternatively find some
suckerco-signer who is over the age of 21. Students are not permitted to charge more than 20% of their earnings, so if you need to up your credit limit then you'll have to get written permission from your co-signer . . . . usually your parents.
- If you already have some type of credit history then the credit card companies will like you, well, they will if you have a good credit history.
- Compare the rates, charges etc. Well, we're kind of back to where we started at the top of the page really aren't we?


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Kitchen of the Day 2/06
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Mountain Article and Photographic Competition 2011
Winning Entries
MCofS Article Competition Winner:
Report by Jayne Glass
The Mountain Article Competition continues to go from strength to strength, this year receiving 19 prose and 21 poetry entries of a high standard. Both competitions included a variety of stories, styles and settings, ranging from romantic and thrilling to quietly informative.
In the prose category, Chris Thorndycrofts Shadows on the Snow told a tale of love and supernatural horror in the Himalaya. The judges described it as a very readable story with real tension and fine scene-setting on the mountain, which captured the feeling of doom well. Similarly, Peter Biggars Away with the Birds recounted a rather dramatic account of a near miss on Meall nan Eun that reminds us that no ascent in winter is without danger. Peters narrative drive and real feel for describing the hills were commended by the judges.
Helen Watson shared third place with her poetic, romantic and subtle Knoydart Heartbeat, a romantic account of a shared love of mountains and each other. Also in third place, Liz Cleeres Trekking in the Shadow of Kanchenjunga was enjoyed for its interesting, alternative-to-travel-writing approach, which was filled with names, people, families and workplaces.
Second place went to Lorn Macintyre for Will ye no come back again?, a beautifully written and wistful, almost romantic account of a brothers exploits in the mountains. Lorn was praised for writing a technically professional and well-rounded story, which grips the reader with every paragraph.
In first place, and this years Mountain Article prose category winner, was John Burns Cheating the Reaper. A dramatic account of being avalanched whilst ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies, Johns piece was described as a solid story, which was well told, with vivid and emotive natural imagery. With a skillful handling of time (from flashbacks to the present), it was a joy to read.
In the poetry competition, Susan Richardsons Angels Whisper to a man when he goes for a walk was highly commended for its mastery of image and highly-achieved sequence of four poems which intrigue and excite with imagination, brio and verve. Susans poem used stunning images, telling details, fresh descriptions and a confident voice and she was described as a writer who really understands this environment and has the ability to communicate it to others through poetry.
Sharing second place in the poetry entries, were Specks of Dirt by Sarah Rest and High Atlas by Abbie Garrington. Specks of Dirt was a poetic picture of the atmosphere on a winters day, which used splendid images and impressed judges with its economy, communicating several ideas in a few well-chosen words. High Atlas was a sad poem with lovely imagery and emotional honesty. The narrative and the poignancy both worked well and the central imagery of lines both as climbing ropes and written lines of communication was applauded.
This years winner of the poetry competition was Whymper on the Matterhorn by Alice Herve. A technical tour de force with strong, sustained rhythms and language, the poem is a very vivid and beautiful description of Edward Whympers ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, in which four of his companions were killed. Comments were full of admiration for the poetic expressions and powerful feelings, and the language of the poem was described as authentic for the 19th Century voice.
Congratulations to the winners, and many thanks to this years judges (listed below), who put a lot of effort into reading and commenting on the entries.
Competition judges:
Tom Povey (winner of Mountain Article Prose Competition 2010)
Rachel Humphries and Cynthia Rogerson (Moniack Mhor, Scotlands National Writing Centre; www.arvonfoundation.org)
Patricia Ace (award-winning poet; www.soutarwriters.co.uk/patriciaace/)
Helen Needham (Out of Doors, BBC Radio Scotland)
Mike Merchant (editor, writer and designer, ex-editor of John Muir Trust Journal; www.merchant.uk.net/)
Ingrid Parker (former MCofS Vice President and member of Women of Scotland for services to mountaineering)
Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival Photo Competition Winners
|Mountains Days category: Graham Niven - Way Home"
|A Bold Move category: Paul Zizka The Dragonback
|This shot was taken at the end of a simply incredible day in Glenshee in January 2011. Fresh snow the night before and a windless bluebird day with virtually no lift ques. At the end of the day we witnessed a mesmarising sunset to the south and this, an amazing twighlight to the north; tired knees and muscles were comforted to see this sign out the mountains after a memorable day in them!
|The Dragonback, Castle Mountain, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
The EMFF Photo Competition 2011 was judged by Lukasz Warzecha
The 2012 Competition is now open and the categories are:
- Focus
- The Mountains and Me
Cheating the Reaper
By John Burns
So this is how it feels. Dying I mean. It ends here, alone, afraid, crouching on a ledge, struggling for breath, vomiting quietly. A rock, a metre square, lands on the ledge beside me, exploding on impact. The next one wont miss. I dont have long. Close by a twenty meter rock gendarme topples slowly forward like a drunken old man and collapses. And there is the noise. The roar all around me, so loud the mountain trembles and my ribs reverberate. The rope pulls hard at my waist, a reminder that it leads down to Steves lifeless body. He has already stepped into the darkness, I wait at the threshold. A leaf brushes my face, just the gentlest of touches, looking up I see a tree falling past. Hurled to its death by the monster it reaches out to me with its finger tips. Through the fog of terror and despair that clouds my brain, a thought struggles to be heard. I am not dead, I realise, not yet. Somehow I have survived the last ten seconds. Perhaps, just maybe, I can survive the next.
I had always thought that birds were dumb, not that I gave the matter any thought, Im no ornithologist. One of many things I learned that day is that they are smarter than they look. We were descending, the hot sun had thawed the ice making it too unstable. I relaxed; no more hard climbing today and looked out, across a thousand snow capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. l looked down and noticed, with mild curiosity, that in the forest, a thousand feet below, a line of birds was flying away through the tree tops. There were brown ones, white ones, fat ones and thin ones eagles, sparrows and pigeons, all were leaving the forest at the foot of the climb in a ragged line. They were flying away, I now realise, as fast as their feathers could carry them, because they knew something I didnt. They were sharper than me. They knew that in the snow basin, way above the ice climb, a crack had ripped across the face of the snow pack. A monster was coming, and the birds knew it.
I dreamed ice in those days, lived it, breathed it, and spent long summers waiting for the first kiss of frost to turn the glens sparkling white. I began my climbing in the Northern Corries of the Cairngorms, survived my novice years and endured the endless weekdays waiting for Sundays on Lochnagar, Creag Meagaidh or Ben Nevis. My days in the winter hills were Technicolor, days that lived bright in the memory, shining amongst the grey every day. Green Gully, Zero, Emerald, The Curtain these were gifts from the mountain gods on rare bright days when the sunlight seemed to splinter on the ice. The disappointment of damp black winters led Steve and me to look far afield for places where the ice god lived. Canada was the place, we decided, in Canada it would be cold and we would have all the ice we dreamt of. Reality, and global warming, conspired to disappoint and we caught the warmest Canadian winter for twenty years, a fact that had sealed our fate.
I noticed something else unusual as I was watching the birds leave, that sunlit Canadian day, it was going dark. I remember thinking how odd that was, curious, peculiar perhaps, but of no real concern. It was warm, way warmer than it should have been and water was dripping from the surface of the ice as we climbed the lower pitches. We had forgotten to check the avalanche warnings and as we climbed our ice screws melted out. The mountain had tried to tell us but we had not listened. The signs were all there but we couldnt see them, we had tunnel vision. All we could see was the shinning ice that had drawn us thousands of miles from Scotland. The seeds of catastrophe are frequently found in a collection of small inconsequential errors. I was watching the birds scatter when Steve called out, as I turned to reply...the mountain exploded.
At moments like these, time becomes distorted and the memory a series of disjointed moments. The monster leapt over the cliff hundreds feet above us and landed on top of us bringing with him tonnes of wet snow, shattered ice, rocks and trees. He vented his wrath on anything that stood in his way and we were very definitely in his way. I was just to the side of the ice fall and Steve was retreating down the climb towards me, one rope clipped to a runner behind him with our second rope as back up, when the monster grabbed him and hurled him from the mountain. I watched in horror as he disappeared into the maelstrom and thousands of tomes of rock and ice poured down on top of both of us. Moments later I knew he must be going over the cliff below us, I had to stop him. Im not a brave man, I knew that if I locked off the belay the shock would hit me and if the belay failed Id be catapulted into oblivion. I hesitated, transfixed by fear while the battle within me raged. Then something happened, I watched, as though from somewhere far away, as my arm swung across my body and locked off the belay. I had been on a winter climbing course at Glenmore Lodge and they told me to use a body belay, to hold a fall by gradually slowing the climber down in order to protect the belay from a sudden shock. What they hadnt told me is what it feels like to hold a falling climber in the grip of a monster. The moment I locked off the rope I was convulsed with pain, the rope tried to separate my pelvis from my chest. It cut deep into my body cracking my ribs. Just when I could hold on no longer the rope broke and I collapsed on to the ledge, gasping and vomiting, waiting for death.
I learned something then. When it gets really bad, surviving the whole thing feels too much, so I broke it down into small chunks, bite-sized pieces of survival. Just get through the next ten seconds, I thought, then worry about the rest. I was pressed hard against the rock face whilst the monster hurled everything it could at me. Rocks, trees and wet slab thundered down. The certainty of death was replaced by some glimmer of hope. I spotted a peg Id missed before and stepped out from the meagre shelter afforded by the stance to clip into it, anything to maximise the chance of survival. If you have seen the film Saving Private Ryan youll have some idea of what it was like breaking cover. Remember the scene when they land on the beach and step out into a hail of fire. Thats exactly what it was like. As I clipped the peg a rock playfully bounced off my right hand breaking a couple of fingers but, much worse, bringing a temporary paralysis. I will never know how I wasnt killed clipping that peg, in retrospect it was probably a mistake but there was only one mantra going through my mind at the time, protect the belay.
As quickly as it had arrived the monster departed, its mischief done. The sun came out and the birds returned. It was hard to believe that, moments before, I had been fighting for my life. It was as though nothing had happened apart from the fact that the ice climb we had come up no longer existed, at the foot of the crag was a huge cone of debris. The first rope had broken but the second had held, it pulled at my waist, still attached to Steves body. It seemed so utterly pointless, so stupid, to have come all this way to die on a piece of ice. I didnt call down to Steve, after all there is no point in shouting at a corpse. I tied a prusik knot around the remaining rope and set down to find the remains of my friend, dreading what I was about to meet. Just beneath small overhang I found him grinning like a baboon, but obviously alive. He had had the presence of mind to roll under the overhang. His lung was punctured, he was bloodied but alive. I will never be more surprised or relieved than I was at that moment. A Park Ranger had been amongst the cars that had stopped on the highway below to watch the spectacle unfold. He called in a helicopter. Twenty minutes later Steve was in hospital and I was standing on a helipad trying to stop shaking.
Every time you tie on, every time you make the first move, you take that chance. If it had ended there, would it have been worth it? The years of climbing in Scotland, seeing the starlight sparkling on the summit of the Ben, the mates, the laughs we had, the good times and the bad, would all have ended there. Somehow we had cheated the Grim Reaper, he had us on his list but we escaped him. I doubt if he was troubled, after all, Im sure he has pencilled us in for another day. Next time Im climbing, if I notice its going dark and, looking down, I see the birds are leaving, Ill know... the Reapers back.
Will ye no come back again
By Lorn Macintyre
Mother always maintained that my brother Alasdair could climb almost before he could walk. She would turn her back and he would be gripping a chair, trying to pull himself up, and on one heart-stopping occasion she was cooking when she turned to see that he was on the table. The floor was flagstones, and she was terrified that he would fall head-first. She had to inch towards him, all the time talking to him before she snatched him up.
Nowadays they call Alasdairs condition hyperactivity. Even as a boy he was always on the go in the outdoors, building himself a hut in the small plantation beside our house, making himself a swing which he fitted up himself, and shinning up the chestnut tree to the highest boughs.
Hes going to be a joiner, mother said at the supper table.
That didnt please our father. He wanted his son to take over his practice as the GP in the Highland community. However, he encouraged Alasdairs love of the outdoors by sending him to Gordonstoun School, where he learned to climb. When he came home for the holidays he was always out, no matter the weather. At the age of sixteen he announced that he was going to camp on the mountain behind the house.
But you could catch cold, mother pointed out with maternal solicitude.
Colds are caught from other people, father pointed out, and went with his son up to the attic to bring down the tent he had used as a boy. The reason why father never worried about Alasdair in the great outdoors was because he had been a medical student during the war, and knew, as he said, that survival was an important lesson in life, and not only for a doctor.
I was sent to board at St Leonards in St Andrews where I never learned the art of carrying the ball in a netted pole called lacrosse, and where my academic progress was undistinguished, but sufficient to allow me to study botany at university. I loved gathering flowers and pressing them between the leaves of fathers heavy medical tomes, with their black and white photographs of people with grotesque deformities and diseases. It was as if the flowers were a healing balm.
But this story is about my charismatic brother Alasdair and his many activities. He learned to play the pipes at Gordonstoun, and when he came home for the summer before his final year he was wearing the kilt which would be his habitual garment, wherever he was. Alasdair was six feet two inches tall, with fair hair and a most endearing smile. The years of rock climbing and other pursuits at school and in the holidays had given him massive shoulders, but gentle arms when he hugged me, because we couldnt have been closer. That summer when he was seventeen, with a year of schooling left, he told us that he was entering the local Highland games. We took a picnic to the slope above the field and sat on our Campbell tartan rug to watch him. In the hop, step and leap it looked as if he would never descend to the sandy pit, and when they applied the tape it was a ground record. Next he won the hundred yards easily, and as the heavy events were about to get under way he quickly buckled his kilt over his running shorts. He swung the heavy weight on the ring between his legs, giving himself balance by digging the prongs on the toes of his boots into the turf, and won that event also. The caber hadnt been tossed since being felled in a local grove five years before. The kilted Alasdair, bare-footed and bare-chested, heaved the tree up against his shoulder and ran with it, his hands locked under the end. As it swayed I thought it was falling back towards him, but it toppled over to a great cheer from the crowd and lay dead straight on the turf. That night we celebrated with a barbecue in our garden, roasting the haunch of venison that father had received from a grateful patient, and as I watched the sparks from the aromatic fire rising towards the mountain I thought: I am never going to be happier.
The summer before he went to St Andrews University to study medicine Alasdair spent mostly on the mountain. I tracked his progress with binoculars from the lawn as he ascended the scree, fathers tent strapped to the backpack which contained his provisions. I yearned to go up with him, but mother said that one worry was enough. When Alasdair came down for a bath and more provisions before the next ascent I asked him what he did on the mountain.
I climb.
Explain, please.
As you know the mountain has four peaks, so theres a good choice. Ive already climbed two of them.
Isnt it dangerous, climbing alone? I asked apprehensively.
Not if youre careful and have a head for heights. I take it very slowly, and from time to time I look down at the house and ask myself: is my lazy sister Eveleen still in her bed? Last week when I was climbing I saw an eagles nest on the ledge above, so I made a traverse to avoid disturbing them, because I could hear the chicks. When I reach the summit I admire the view, and then I descend to my tent. I always pitch it beside a burn so that I can wash away the sweat, and then I cook myself a meal or rather, I reheat what mother has given me.
And then what? I wanted to know.
By this time the lights going, and the stars are beginning to come out. The landscape below me starts to change, and I sit watching the lochs beginning to turn dark, as if theyre getting deeper and deeper, and then the world goes very quiet. Sometimes I think I hear you playing Scottish airs on the piano, but it must be an illusion.
In October Alasdair went off to St Andrews University, wearing his kilt and driving the modest car which father had bought for him. He was in a hall of residence, and when he phoned from the coin box in the lobby the instrument was passed round between us. He told father that his studies were going well and that medicine was very interesting, and he assured our anxious mother that he was keeping warm in that chill town by the North Sea. He told me that he had played the pipes for an eightsome reel at a student dance, and that he loved me dearly and was looking forward to seeing me in the vacation.
When he drove up the avenue it seemed that he had grown even more, and when he came into the drawing-room the Christmas tree which mother and I had adorned with baubles and lights seemed to get brighter. Father monopolised him, interrogating him about what he was studying in medicine.
The following year I went to Glasgow University to study botany, and my brother and I exchanged weekly letters. He revealed that he was bringing home a fellow medical student, Marjorie, whom you will like, because she also adores flowers.
Marjorie came to our hospitable house at Christmas. She was small and very pretty, and it came as a surprise to us at the supper table that she too was a climber.
Where did you learn? father asked, intrigued.
With the university climbing club.
Alasdair spent the following day sawing logs for our festive season fires, and then informed us that he and Marjorie were going to climb the mountain.
But theres snow on it, mother pointed out.
That doesnt bother us. We have crampons.
What are these? mother asked for enlightenment.
Spikes we strap to our boots for snow. And weve got ice axes.
They left in the dawn in fair weather. I went downstairs to see them off as they mustered their equipment in the hall, hauling on their haversacks, zipping up their anoraks, pulling on balaclavas because these were the days before hard hats for the mountains. They picked up their ice axes and kissed me, and I stood on the bitterly cold step in my dressing-gown, watching them trudging away, their torches scanning the plantation where my brother had built his hut. At lunch-time it started to snow heavily, and mother began to worry about her firstborn and his sweetheart on the mountain. I waded through the snow of the back garden with fathers binoculars, but a white curtain was descending on the ben.
Father had to go to the garage to have chains fitted to his tyres in case he was called out to an emergency. When he returned at four, mother was visibly distressed.
They should be back by now. Its getting dark.
Theyve probably been held up by the snow, father advised her, though I could see that he was worried.
That was the first night ever in our house that mother the consummate cook didnt serve supper. We huddled round the drawing-room fire piled with logs which Alasdair had sawn, hearing the wind in the wide throat of the chimney. The coloured bulbs on the Christmas tree began to flicker, and then we were plunged in darkness apart from the firelight.
Thats all we need, father complained, groping his way through to the cupboard off the kitchen for the paraffin lamps we kept filled, wicks trimmed, for the power cuts which happened every winter, with the lines laden with snow. He brought the light back through to the drawing-room, and for the first time in my life I saw mother crying. At nine o clock father took the lamp out to the phone in the hall, to ask the police to call out the mountain rescue team, but the line was dead.
The wind dropped, and more snow fell, silent, eerie, submerging the world. I went upstairs to my bedroom at the back of the house and lifted the window on the bitter night. I put the record of the Corries singing Will Ye No Come Back Again? on the turntable of the battery operated player I had received for a past Christmas, turning the volume up full. I kept playing the record over and over, until mother came up.
For Gods sake, Eveleen, how can you play such loud music at such a time?
Because I have hope, mother.
I was falling asleep, despite the rousing song filling my room, but somehow I knew that I had to keep playing the same record over and over. At around 2 a.m. the batteries gave out, and I sat on my bed weeping. I dont know what made me raise my head to look out of the window, and when I saw a light flashing on the mountain I ran down to tell father. We drove over treacherous roads, the chains snickering on the tyres, to the house of the leader of the mountain rescue team.
My brother and his sweetheart were brought down at first light. She had lost her footing on the ice face, and in holding her on the rope he had injured his leg. His shin bone was exposed and Marjorie had concussion.
We were sitting on a narrow ledge, trying to stay awake, but the cold was putting us to sleep, he told me. Ive read about climbers drifting into unconsciousness and death through hypothermia. Then I heard Will Ye No Come Back Again? being sung, but thought it was a hallucination, until I remembered your favourite record. My fingers were frozen, but I put them into my mouth and managed to signal with the torch.
Alasdair was back on the games field the following summer, his leg healed as he carried the caber, and Marjorie had an engagement ring on her hand.
Trekking in the Shadow of Kanchenjunga
By Liz Cleere
Translated as "Five Great Treasures of the Snow", Kanchenjunga's sacred peaks are said to contain divine texts, gold, grain, gems, and salt. As a mark of respect, when the first climbers attempted to conquer it in the mid twentieth century they stopped short of the summit. Sadly, modern day mountaineers no longer honour that ancient tradition.
Wilting in the pre-monsoon heat of Kerala, Jamie and I discuss ways of keeping cool and decide, just like the British Raj before us, it is time to head north.
I've wanted to see the Himalaya since we arrived in India," says Jamie.
Thirty-six hours later we're drinking tea in Darjeeling. At 6710ft, 'The Queen of Hills' clings to the side of a steep valley, its narrow roads almost vertical in places. Our room is on the top floor of a five story house, and the nightly trek up to bed is good training for what is to come. Norbu and Sangay Dekeva's traditional home is snug and welcoming, its floors and walls decorated with photos and flags. Sweet masala tea is handed round in the wood panelled lounge, amid comfy sofas and a central wood burning stove. The view from our corner room offers the first panoramic view of the Himalaya: one window faces two kilometres down the valley; the other faces north west, across town to the Kanchenjunga massif. India's highest mountain (the third highest peak in the world) plays hide and seek with its admirers, sometimes appearing through the clouds at dawn or hanging in the sky at night. Although distant, the view is a spectacular, and memorable introduction to the Himalaya. The air is satisfyingly cool.
Before we can continue towards our goal, we have to visit the Magno Vale Academy in neighbouring Sukhia Pokhri. A friend of ours was a volunteer there, and we have promised to act as ambassadors for her UK charity, the Mondo Challenge Foundation.
After a few days of discovery in Darjeeling visits to gompas, hill tops and forests, as well as joining a day-long procession to celebrate the birth of Buddha we set off for the school.
Jiwan Rai, the Foundation's local smiling face, drives us over rock-strewn roads that twist and turn past jaw-dropping passes on one side, and pastel-coloured timber and clay houses on the other. The school is reached from a stony path, down which we walk in single file. At the end we climb over a slippery dirt wall into the playground (the path and wall were washed away during the monsoon later this year, closing the school for a week). The building is half completed, with no glass in the windows, no plaster on the walls and a precarious attitude to electricity. We are met by cries of welcome from the children, who range between four and sixteen.
Some of them walk for three hours to come here every day, says Deven Subba, the young headmaster.
They walk up through the fields and forests. There are no roads. He points across the valley. Most of the children's parents work in the tea or quinine plantations and can't read or write.
There are no computers or televisions at home; the erratic power supply, (sometimes there is no electricity for days) means they are often in darkness. Deven introduces us to a class of seven year olds, all keen to show us their book work. The entire school is eager to meet us, so we make a point of visiting each of the tiny, cold classrooms. With saucer-eyes, they drink in everything we say. We play games, swap stories, listen to them sing and watch long and intricate dances.
We spend the final hour with six of the older children, and are astonished by their high level of spoken and written English. We ask them if they have any questions, and are surprised by the topics they raise.
Do you think Osama bin Laden is really dead? (The news that week has been about the US hit on bin Laden's fortress in Pakistan.)
Do you believe in the Big Bang theory?
Has man finished evoluting [sic]?
When it is time to leave we are given a loud send off by children and teachers, all asking when their next volunteer will arrive. We promise we will tell the Foundation to send someone soon.
Jiwan asks if we'd like to see some of the other mountain schools. How can we refuse?
Over the next week we put our plans on hold and visit a further seven schools: all are dependent on charity; all are crushingly poor; all are run by dedicated and knowledgeable staff. Best of all, they are all populated with healthy little sponges, eager to soak up information and knowledge.
Before we leave, our new friends take us on an afternoon tour into Nepal, where we drink beer and are served noodles by the family of one of the school children. We ask them where we should go for the best view of Kanchenjunga. Jiwan tells us to avoid Tiger Hill, where the noisy domestic tourists from Darjeeling come by Jeep every morning. Deven insists we try the view from 10,170ft Tonglu: it's closer (just) and clearer. It's also a pleasant walk. They persuade us to take a trek in the Singalila National Park, and arrange a guide for us. Great believers in local knowledge, we happily accept the invitation and the following day we set off just after sunrise.
Pemba is a 21 year old local student, who has recently trained as a guide; he is eager to practice his new job and excellent English on us. We soon learn that the Nepali idea of an easy walk is quite different to our own. The first day includes the steepest part of the journey and takes eight hours. It drizzles. It thunders. The lightning crashes around us. The Tibetans weren't wrong when they named Darjeeling the 'Land of Thunderbolts'. In fact it rains during the entire trek.
At Tumling, after a toasty night under thick blankets in a mountain hut, Jamie dutifully rises at 5:30 for a hike up to Tonglu; he hopes to catch the sun hitting Kanchenjunga with his camera. Unfortunately the vision lasts only a few seconds before the clouds come lumbering across the horizon, gobbling up the mountain and valley.
We stop at the homes of Pemba's friends along the way, and drink an odd assortment of tea, sometimes with butter and at other times with salt. We gulp down anything they throw at us. At 'Chitray' ('Bamboo House') we meet a young Lama and his entourage of monks. The place, with goats, dogs and chickens mooching around the yard, is a farm. The largest building doubles as a family home and restaurant. We fall into the warm, dry dining room, steam pouring off us, and sit knocking back masala chai as we chomp on biscuits. After a while we notice an old man sitting in the shadows. He smiles and raises his glass to us, so we nod and say hello. He is 'Chitray Pala' ('Bamboo House Papa'). We chat to him and, through Pemba, learn he is 80 years old and comes from Tibet. 58 years ago he was imprisoned by the Chinese. It was a deadly situation, so after twelve days he escaped and ran, taking his mother and father with him. He doesn't know how many miles they walked over the mountains, but he knows it took two months to get here and build their first farm out of the local bamboo. He finishes his coffee and goes to talk to the Lama, who blesses him. Chitray Pala shouts goodbye to us all and sets off up the hill in the rain, carrying a huge piece of corrugated iron on his back.
He's going to mend one of the shacks on his farm, says Pemba.
We never manage to glimpse Kanchenjunga during the trek, the clouds never part for long. But we see bunches of orchids garlanding the forest trees, fill up on wild strawberries, spot eagles and meet maroon-clad Tibetan monks in sandals playing football with a can.
With the school visits over, we are still no closer to Kanchenjunga, instead we find ourselves trekking alongside the quinine plantations surrounding Kalimpong. Jiwan has invited us to his brother's house for the night, and is taking us on an afternoon's traverse across the mountains to his family's village of 'Barranumber'. Having learnt our lesson at Singalila we are prepared for vertical climbs and knee jarring drops, but the walk turns out to be gentle and dry. Barranumber village is only accessible by foot, so the valley is quiet: there are no roads or tourists. We arrive at the home of Jiwan's brother, Santa Rai, in the late afternoon.
Santa's wife, Kabita, stokes the hearth in preparation for our evening meal, while their fifteen month old daughter, Sumnima, plays in the ashes. Houses of the Lepcha, Nepali and Bhutia tribes are constructed of wooden frames, slatted bamboo, and cow dung. At first glance they are indistinguishable from our own twee wattle and daub dwellings. It is disorientating to see what appear to be Tudor houses lining the roads in the Himalaya. The roses, geraniums and other English country garden flowers lined up outside in pots only add to the effect. Inside, however, there are no chintz suites, no clever paint-effect walls or walk-in power showers.
Santa's kitchen is coated entirely in smooth odourless cow dung. The low range, also made from dung, grows organically out of the floor. Its two open fires give off plenty of smoke, and the food is cooked directly on the flames. In the semi darkness we crouch and eat fresh momos, noodles and pork, while Santa plies us with 'Tiger's Milk', a gently fermented maize left to work its magic in a bucket. The baby greedily sucks the opaque liquid from her cup, while we move on to Tongba (millet beer) then a much stronger Himalayan hooch called Rakshi (pronounced 'roxy'). It is a hot version of alpine schnapps, and comes in a variety of flavours from apple or maize to rhododendron (or anything else the maker chooses to add).
The next morning Kanchenjunga beckons, so we spend one more day walking in Kalimpong before driving to Gangtok, Sikkim's capital. In 1975, pinned between Nepal, Tibet, India and Bhutan, the little Kingdom of Sikkim sloughed off three centuries of Chogyal rule and welcomed the protection of its largest neighbour. Now the second smallest state in India (Goa wins the top prize) sits high and alone at the eastern end of the Himalaya. Deep river valleys slice through its vertiginous mountains, each fold in the earth's crust looming higher as it marches towards Asia.
Running out of time, we move higher up, to Pelling. Really just a row of hotels along a ridge, it is a characterless place full of smart domestic tourists, and yet it has some exciting treks, is close to the Rabdentse ruins and the magnificent Pemayangtse Gompa, and is a springboard to the Kanchenganga National Park. Sitting with a beer later that first evening, we watch the sun go down behind India's highest mountain range, and decide we will walk the 34km trail to sacred Kechopari Lake.
The next day we heave ourselves out of bed to catch the sun's first rays as they caress India's highest mountain. In the silence of a crystal clear Himalayan dawn we watch tiger-toothed caps emerge from the blackness, changing from pink to peach and finally to a pure, glistening white. One kilometre below us, the valley is tucked under eiderdown clouds as we begin our trek in the shadow of Kanchenjunga.
Knoydart Heartbeat
By Helen Watson (Lost Sheep MC)
Strange how fast his heart is beating, I thought. My ear was scratching the waterproof jacket as I hugged his chest, his arm around me to warm against the chill wind. We were standing looking out to where sunrays were making pools of mercury on the grey sea between the islands. To Rum, where we had been in the summer, and the strange fin of Eigg. I should have been watching the clouds shift the light, and the mist stroke up against the mountainside. And that moment I was. Almost. But I was also staring at the flat screen in my neon office and dozing between bent newspapers and empty crisp packets on the stuffy Friday train from Edinburgh, impatient to meet his hot kisses on the station. And then the dark walk to his small flat in Inverness which was always freezing and damp because of the storage heaters so that all we could do was warm each other in bed and draw lines across the folds of Scotland, back and forth, weekend after weekend to see each other or meet in the hills...
On the first day, the walk in, our eyes had been heavy from the week, and later, I lay awake in the dank bothy listening to the whining generator from the cottage next-door, annoyed that this was not the private peace by the glassy loch I had imagined. Just after wed rounded the last point on the coastal path, a large herd of stags had poured down from the hill, crossing the path in front of us. They raced out onto a promontory and then splashed into the shallows of Barrisdale Bay, creating wobbles in the reflection of the green hillsides. As the sides of the hill lapped at the shore ever more lazily, wed stood and watched the deer watch us. Both parties in quiet anticipation. I rested on my walking poles, forgetting the rucksack of food and sleeping bag pulling hard on my shoulders, feeling regret at causing them anxiety but wanting to watch for longer. One stag bent down to chew some seaweed, breaking the reflection and the tension. The rest of the herd of antlered heads lowered in unison and we whispered in jest that perhaps they knew we were in the wrong coloured Gore-Tex to have guns.
But it was so strange that then, with the wind aching in my other ear, I could still hear his heart beating through all those layers of clothing. Perhaps, I thought vaguely, hes actually a bit exhausted...unlikely though with all that Wednesday fell running still the constant weekends seeing each other and late phone calls take up energy. I pushed a strand of hair that was whipping into my eyes back into my hat. The mist was wrapping a little thicker over the ridge, and the mercury waters gleamed palely through wisps drifting in front of them. Grey boulders merged with grey. What I love most I thought is that every moment the light changes. A warm yellow glow on a hill in the distance singled it out from dark ranks.
Just earlier we had climbed up onto the mossy side of Ladhar Bheinn, but I had refused to go on across a steep traverse of spring snow topping the wet bank. A damp lump slithered into pieces down the hill as I walked. Always a wimp, the wet grass was suddenly that under a friends foot, somewhere else a few summers ago. I stopped in fear, reliving their slip and fall forever.
Oh come on, its not that hard he had called and cajoled, disappointed I knew and I felt bad because it was a long way to come and I wanted to be braver for him. Like him my heart never felt stiller than in the quiet of the hills, but I didnt have his head for heights. Somehow though, we could never make an argument last a long time. Come, well go up Luinne Bheinn instead he pulled me off the rock that I was a cragfast sheep on and into the shelter of his body, his three-day stubble prickling my face and the toggles from his rucksack digging me hard in the chest. Wed gone along the ridge then, hand in hand talking about plans for the summer holiday in Skye, three whole weeks of being together by the mountains and the sea. Not too long now.
The mist was thinner again and I could see a raven flapping above the boulders on the ridge. A small spot of rain hit me on the cheek and I shivered, hugging tighter into his armpit, but it would not come to much as there was still light shining on the sea. And I said you know its strange but your hearts beating so loud that I can hear it.
There was a pause, Thats because there is a question Ive been wanting to ask you. And somehow he was on one knee in the wet moss and, in Knoydart, a second heart was beating strong.


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When Troy artist Michael Oatman built his make-believe spaceship, he crawled inside the brain of a fictional astronaut from the 1970s. He stopped cutting his hair. He let his beard grow long and bushy. He stepped into the windowless spaceship, slammed the heavy door behind him, and spent a few days there all alone. "It was really to get into the character of this guy," he said. "You have to understand it from the point ...
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Set in 6,000 square metres of beautiful parkland, Thomas Land is a multi-million pound attraction promising fun and adventure for the young at heart.
For Thomas enthusiasts pay a visit to Thomas Land. It's now bigger and better than ever, with plenty to keep the little ones entertained. Meet Thomas and all of his Friends, Flynn's Fire and Rescue, Captain's Sea Adventure, Toby's Tram Express plus many more. For not-to-be missed views of Thomas Land, hop on Toby's Tram Express alongside our Sodor Airport Terminal, a great place for VIP 'travellers'.
Join us to have a ride on Thomas himself or go for a wild adventure on the Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster! Click here to see a full list of our rides and attractions.
Don't forget to visit the fantastic Thomas & Friends™ merchandise.
Europe's only Thomas Land™ has increased in size by 40% and is now home to a host of exciting new rides as well as the main attraction, Sodor Airport, which is set to be a soaring success.The airport complex includes balconies that offer 'jet-setters' unrivalled views over Thomas Land™ and beyond within the Thomas & Friends themed event rooms, coming and it's very own Sodor Coffee Shop.
To make your day at Thomas Land event more memorable, why not treat your family and firends to an ultimate experience in our VIP Party rooms, located right amongst the action in our Sodor Airport. To find out more please click here.


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Haunting Julia
Saturday November 9, 2013 / 7:30pm
Haunting Julia
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Hotel Residence Venezia 2000 - Venice
On-site guest amenities include free WiFi throughout the hotel, a rooftop terrace, the Venezia 2000 restaurant and bar, and bicycle rentals (free for 1 hour per day). The terrace provides a hydromassage tub and outstanding aquatic views that stretch from the Venice lagoon on one side to the Adriatic Sea on the other.
Official Classification: 3-star RTA (residenza turistico alberghiera) Due to the type and the level of services offered, Venere.com compares the property to a 3-star hotel.
Hotel Residence Venezia 2000 - Venice
Hotel Info: 1-877-214-4288from $57
- Standard Triple Room
- Suite, One Double and One Sofa Bed
- Economy Room, No View
- Standard Double or Twin Room
- Double Room, Sea View
Also popular with travelers from the USA
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 46 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 5 floors
- Check-in time starts at 2 PM
- Check-out time is 11 AM
- Express check-in/out
Required at check in
- Credit card deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
Travelling with others
- Babysitting/childcare *
- Pets not allowed
- Free WiFi in public areas
- Free WiFi and wired Internet access in rooms
- Airport shuttle *
- Free self parking
- Area shuttle *
Other information
- Resort fee included
In the hotel
- Free buffet breakfast
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Coffee shop/café
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Golfing nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Water skiing nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Conference space
- Meeting rooms
- Conference space size (feet) - 1076
- Conference space size (meters) - 100
- 24-hour front desk
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Luggage storage
- Multilingual staff
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Elevator/lift
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Rooftop terrace
- Television in common areas
In the room
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Minibar
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Soundproofed rooms
- Private bathroom
- Shower only
- Bidet
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Satellite TV channels
- Desk
- Free WiFi
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room safe
Special features
DiningVenezia 2000 - This restaurant serves dinner only. Happy hour is offered.
Hotel Residence Venezia 2000 - Venice's small print
Also known as
- Hotel Residence Venezia 2000
- Hotel Residence Venezia 2000 Venice
- Hotel Venezia 2000
- Residence Venezia
- Residence Venezia 2000
- Residence Venezia 2000 Venice
- Venezia 2000
- Venezia 2000 Hotel
All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport.
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.
Mandatory fees
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at check in or check out:
- A tax is imposed by the city and will be collected at the property. This tax does not apply to residents of Venice City and children under 10 years of age. Further exemptions may apply to patients and their companions, and people staying in the city for specific purposes/duties, subject to the submission of proper documents to the property. A 30 percent reduction applies from 1-31 January.
The charges below are included in the total price displayed:
- Resort fee
Optional extras
Babysitting/childcare is available for an extra charge
Airport shuttle service is offered for an extra charge of EUR 150 per vehicle (roundtrip)
Area shuttle service is offered for an extra charge
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.


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Media & Video Coordinator - Part-time
Company Name: Trout Lake Camps
Location of Job: Pine River, MN
Company Address:
10173 Trout Lake Camp Dr
City : Pine River: Minnesota 56474
Position Description: The Media/Video Coordinator is a member of the Program Leadership Staff and is generally responsible for the behind-the-scenes aspect of chapel services and the photography, videotaping and editing of all camp-wide activities. This person will also be a "go to" person for programming needs. The Audio/Video Tech is directly responsible to the Director of Programming and responsible for the following: (This position may require that you "learn on the job" in order to understand our equipment and needs.)
Contact Email Address: firstname.lastname@example.com
Contact Phone: (218) 543-4565
Contact Name: Nate Butler
Website Address for Applying Online: http://troutlakecamps.org/about/summer-staff
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text: With a stay at Malolo Bed and Breakfast in Washington, you'll be close to Benning Park and Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. This bed & breakfast is within close proximity of Fort Dupont Park and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Make yourself at home in one of the 4 air-conditioned guestrooms. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have bathtubs or showers and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include desks and complimentary bottled water, and housekeeping is provided daily. Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless Internet access and concierge services. Additional amenities include a picnic area and barbecue grills. Guests can get around on the complimentary shuttle, which operates within 1.00 mi. Take advantage of the bed & breakfast's room service (during limited hours). Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary (available on request).


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BERSERK ALERT! by Tony Zuvela
- December 27, 2012
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Just checked in from Jon's and have added you to my line up.
Just a dollar?
Why thank you, Lady Lavendar, glad to have you aboard!
You've tripled my Account, Cheers! :)
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I've received many emails and winks from men in their 50's but no disrespect, I'm not looking to go out, date or email anyone in the same age group as my parents. Also, I have a specific age group I like to date and if you're not in that age group you will not get a response. I have nothing in common with a 55 year old man with grown children.
Also, if you're looking for something freaky don't look here. I think it's disrespectful to email someone you don't know asking about sex. If we do start talking, the conversation will not go to sex or how sexy do I look in uniform. I'll answer that question right now...pretty damn sexy. If you contact me be respectful and in turn I will do the same.


text: The last stop for this year's tumultuous presidential election season, which for so long seemed like a remote intangible, suddenly is within our sights. Soon, Americans will cast ballots for their preferred candidate. Unfortunately, for many American Catholics weighing their options -- and their consciences -- the choice is a difficult one with no ideal options.


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Kingdom is a responsive theme with a creative layout, featuring a complex sidebar navigation area, grid collections with large thumbnails, unique galleries and product pages, fancy effects, and lots of options, with three handcrafted presets. Take a look at all features: http://bit.ly/1Fsum4B
Preview in your Store
Buy theme
View demo
Who supports this theme?
This theme is made and supported by Krown Themes.
I bought the theme because it was compatible with Langify and now running into a problem to install the language switcher on the theme.
I tried to write but all the link to mail doesn't seems to work!
Anyone can help?
Theme is great and easy enough to modify. Adi was a great help in squishing a couple bugs I had in a timely manner without being condescending at all. :)
Fantastic support!
Super quick and highly professional
Many thanks
Immediately fell in love with the Kingdom (Queen) theme at first sight, after reading several reviews that spoke highly of the Support team I took the plunge. Even though we haven't published the new site as yet I must say their customer service is the best. Shout out to Adi...best in the business. He has been there every step of the way. Great theme, great features, great support!
Paid and downloaded this theme, needed some help with some features and had questions if they were possible to do without HTML coding so tried to contact them, no response. Then after a few weeks our themes homepage banners stopped working, again tried to contact them with no response. Terrible customer service - do not recommend.
I love this Theme. It can be quite complex if you try to edit a standard function but the support for doing this has been amazing.
Thank you
Great theme! Just hoping that the creator would add in more information about customization.
Amazing theme!!!! its so easy to use and to set up. Support its fast, kind and solved my problem in the first attempt.
Great theme. Looks great. The customer service is excellent. They were extremely responsive and helped with all questions.
This is an awesome theme, but what makes it super incredible is the support team. They are available almost any time, have answered all my questions, and helped in more ways than I could have imagined. This theme is worth every penny!
Great Theme, great Service, great Support !
Awesome design. I love how you can swipe through the homepage and product photos on the desktop just as you would on a mobile device. The support team was AWESOME and they helped us modify our website to make it easy for our customers to navigate. BEST THEME and BEST SUPPORT EVER!!
Great theme, great customer service. Solid.
The customer service has been terrible, the theme creators have no interest in helping or supporting you once they have your money. As a small business I've now lost $180 that they are refusing to refund, and Im both frustrated and let down. Think very carefully before buying the theme, its not what its set out to be and the attitudes of its creators are extremely unpleasant to deal with.
I still have a lot to learn, which should speak volumes about this theme in of itself, but the support is swift, helpful, and not condescending like a lot of other tech support tends to be. I have asked them for the silliest things, and they've been spot on every time, never seeming to tire of me. I'm definitely a fan.
The theme is great and the support is awsome.
Thanks guys for everything!
I've owned this theme for a few months now and i couldn't be happier with the themes features. This theme provides large product images which our website visitors really like! Also the themes support team has been very responsive about helping me resolve all of my questions :-) I'm a satisfied customer!
Nice support, Bold seems interested in resolving issues to help people grow.
Works great and is very tweakable. Customer care is great and the team is very quick to answer questions. Nice work!
Amazing support and great looking theme! Most people don't even know its a shopify website.
Theme looks and works great! Customer care & service is even better! Guy named Adi guided me all the way with details and further elaborations eventually aiding me to understand and customize my website. Couldn't have done it without him!
We were skeptical about investing in a 3rd party theme. Would it be solid like those provided by Shopify directly? What if we need help? Should we deviate from what we have seen within our industry?
We have no regrets. This theme has surpassed our expectations. It has been very intuitive, fun to work with and our buyers have responded positively! We are very satisfied!
Elegant theme with a very focused layout. It's perfect for showing off well photographed product. I have browsed through most of the themes Shopify has to offer, and in the end I came back to Kingdom. Also, I have to say the technical support has been fantastic and super responsive with helping us customizing the theme. Thanks Adi!
Lets get the basics out of the way: the theme is GREAT. As standard it looks amazing, and yet has the potential to be tweaked perfectly to match your wishes. However, what makes it PHENOMENAL is the support by Ruben and Adi - who will help you night and day until you're delighted with the result!
Very positive experience with this theme, it works very well and we are very happy with it. We would buy it again and of course we recommend it.
Theme works very well and is gorgeous! I needed a few tweaks and Ruben was wonderful and timely with responses and help. Thank you!
The creators of this theme provide truly amazing customer service! Every question I've had has been expertly answered quickly. They've even helped me with some customizations to the theme I wanted to make. I would give 15 out of 10 stars if I could.
What can I say? This theme is the best of the best. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a truly unique look and experience for their shop. Very intuitive and fun to use. And probably the best part – Ruben offers top-notch help and support. He really has your best interests in mind. You can't go wrong. Go Kingdom!
Very positive experience with this theme and their support was beyond my expectations. I would buy from they again and recommend this template.
Great theme, fast support, and a big thumbs up for Reuben Bristian, Happiness Hero par excellence!
Thank you Adi for your precious help, really fast and efficent. We love Kingdom !
When I saw this theme instantly decided to want it. No regrets. Works like a charm, I had a little issue which was my fault, but the support came immediately, and solved the problem.
My overall rate is 5/5.
Quick customer service response for customization! Looks great for my webstore. Recommended.
A fantastically designed theme that really stands out from the crowd. If I have ever needed support it has been there with a very quick response time. I can't recommend this product highly enough!
Disappointed with the lack of customisation on the theme and after 2 attempts to contact support to no avail, we decided we had blown our $180 and would have to go and search for another.
The theme is great, so is the support. Of course there are things that might not suit somebody, but this what other developers are for. Overall very happy with the purchase. BlackBarrel.co.uk
Amazing support and they go the extra mile and are quite speedy in their response times if there is anything you need done or a querying.
Smooth and streamlined theme too, great to work with and product display is a 10/10
The theme is a really great product, and the following up and help suppor is just super reactive and professional. We are really happy about it and we can really reccomand it.
Incredible. We love this theme. We have selected it for one of our top clients, Sigal Dekel.
I LOVE this theme - it punched my products up big time, and my visitors have been raving about how gorgeous, sleek and functional it is. They have been great with support as well! Highly recommended, worth every dollar!


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Software Licensing & Patents lunch presentation, Aug. 7
Are you curious about the patentability of software? Or interested in learning how to protect and distribute software? Technology Transfer & Business Development will be holding a brown bag session on Software Licensing & Patents on August 7, 2013 in Mac Hall, room 2201, from 12 to 1 p.m. Lunch will be catered (first come, first serve or bring your own). The event will be lead by Arvin Paranjpe, M.S., J.D., technology development manager, and … Read More


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Avoid the Bikini Body & Other Tips for Weigh Loss Success
Do you want to lose weight? You are not alone. So many women struggle with losing weight, yet desire nothing more than to shed those pounds. Losing weight isn't easy, and the fact that so many scam supplements and weight loss plans are you there doesn't help.
If you are ready to lose weight and feel great, it is time to take action and get serious. Take a look at these 5 tips for weight loss success.
- Be Realistic
If you are not realistic with your weight loss goals, you are only going to cause yourself more hardship. Set small, simple and achievable goals for weigh loss.
- One Day at a Time
There are going to be difficult days. But you must learn how to overcome them, knowing, this too shall pass. Always take it one day at a time.
- Avoid Bikini Body Guide
The Bikini Body Guide was an instant hit after it was released, but the sad truth is that it is a program that isn't going to do anything more than take money out of your bank account. It is overpriced, unrealistic and not made for the average woman out there.
- Know what you Want
It is a good idea to make a weight loss plan. Kind of like a business plan. Lay it all you on the line; know what you want as well as how you are going to get it.
- Don't Give Up
Weight loss isn't easy. For some I is more difficult. But it is also possible. It might not happen overnight or even within a week. But with determination and the right weight loss plan, you are well on your way to that fab body that you've been dreaming of.


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Latest 86 Training courses, certificate, diploma and degree programs:
2016 photography Courses
Diploma Photography Workshop (Certificate)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Images Redefined Photography Institute
Professional diploma courses in photography in various content....
Speck Institute Of Learning
Anyone with a passion for photography and wanting to learn the basics in the right way....
PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY Workshop
0 Basic Principles Of Digital Technology 0 Film versus Digital Photography 0 Basic Digital Camera Shooting Techniques 0 Product Photography 0 Still Life Photography 0 Portrait Photography 0 Fashion Photography 0 Outdoor Shooting 0 Empowering Images With Photoshop....
Professional in Photography Workshop
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Birla Institute of Management and Futuristic Studies
The main focus of this course is to open both the technical as well as the creative windows of the aspiring students.
Other than teaching the basic techniques of Photography like, the Principles of Light and the Camera in Detail and Film Processing it also teaches varied advanced techniques behind different types of photography like Landscape Photography, Still Life, Sports Photography as w......
Digital Photography (Master Degree)
School of Visual Arts
The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Digital Photography is offered through an intensive one-year or part-time two-year program that addresses the technical and creative needs of professional photographers, photography educators, and creative professionals who are looking to advance their technical skills in digital image capture, asset management, and high-quality output to create compe......
Texas Southern University
This Professional Photography course reflects a comprehensive mix of scholarly and practical information. It covers every aspect of photography, from capture through to output, both digital and analogue. There is an emphasis on explaining the ,how to, of photography, but also includes in-depth coverage of the fundamental principles that govern the art, such as how light behaves, optic......
Sessions College for Professional Design
Students learn how to: Develop an understanding of how a digital camera records light.
Proof images with histograms, use white balance effectively, and choose ISO settings.
Take photographs using different perspectives, white balances, and ISO settings.
Develop an understanding of techniques for portrait photography, including lighting setups, head shots, environmental portraits, and inter......
Interactive Design Institute
This module or short course in digital photography introduces the student to the digital photography environment and divides into three main practical components, allowing students to cover a wide range of processes that relate to the digital platform. You will have the opportunity to use, explore and experiment with the digital SLR camera and learn about photo image management and manipulation......
If you your aim is to have a career as a professional photographer or to work in related media professions, having a photography degree can be a real advantage.
IDI,s online Photography course has been specifically designed to prepare you for employment in a range of photographic professions. These include commercial, client led practices such as advertising and editorial photography, ......
Please be aware that some of the training program information is generated from historical archives. Program/training course content subject to change. Programs/training courses and their availability may vary depending on campus, term, and delivery method. Please consult the school directly for latest update. Please email the webmaster directly for any editorial issues.
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[ Workshops ] [ Online Courses ] [ Corporate Training ] [ Topics ] [ Locations ] [ Colleges ] [ Job Seekers ]
Search other cities in West Bangal:Who may also be interested in attending these photography training courses:
Asansol Burdwan Cooch Behar Darjeeling Durgapur Haldia Howrah Kalimpong Kharagpur Malda Midnapore Raniganj Siliguri Tamluk
(Student ID: 465664) Beginers photography course needed in cyberjaya, 63000, malaysia
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(Student ID: 465255) Landscape Photography course needed in tirupur, tamilnadu, India
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"I want to learn photography I want to getting perpetrated the professional photographer..." 2016/6/22 17:15:52 (GMT)
(Student ID: 465234) wild lif photography course needed in alipurduar, westbengal, India
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(Student ID: 464409) professional photography course needed in aligarh, u p, India
"i want to make photography as my passion and i want to learn it better..." 2016/3/29 21:34:05 (GMT)


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Some of the best television came out between the 90's to present, and so we picked out some of the best Thanksgiving episodes from our favorites to share with you this season! Check them out below and enjoy!
A collected awesome of Friends Thanksgiving Episodes.
Everybody Loves Raymond
Lowfat Thanksgiving turns into Tofu Turkey.
Full House
The family sets the table in a dance number. Totally worth it!
Gilmore Girls
Sookie promised Jackson that he could cook the turkey. Little did she know he had hoped to deep fry it.
Grey's Anatomy
Thanksgiving of Burke and Izzie trying to cook a turkey. The funny part of this (that you don't see) is that when they were performing a surgery earlier in the episode, Burke walked someone through the exact same way.
How I Met Your Mother
For the fans who loved HIMYM, the slap makes sense, but in case you're not aware, Barney was to be slapped 4 times by Marshall, and his fourth and final slap was on Thanksgiving.
The Big Bang Theory
Sheldon gets drunk with Bernadette's Father, and the "family" has a great time re-coupling.
Bob's Burgers
And last but not least, when Bob finds the perfect turkey.
Amy Cooper is a writer and pop culture fact nerd, and on multiple occasions has been referred to as a "Walking iPod."